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softomi · 4 years

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i like you so matcha

prompt: is it really a rivals to lovers if one likes the other?

pairing: osamu x reader

word count: 3.2k

general taglist: @graykageyama @tsumue @thesorebae @micasaessakusa @alouphen

Osamu wasn’t one to worry about competition; he had heard of the new café just a few stores down from his own restaurant and while he believed that the grand opening was nothing more than large interest, the hype reached his own workers. While he prides himself on providing a menu that is cost efficient and perfect for anyone; his workers seem to think that the new café combined low cost with high quality and aesthetics.

Again, Osamu wasn’t that interested in the new place until through the grapevine he heard they were selling onigiri. It wasn’t just any onigiri, apparently their take involved changing the color of the rice to add an artistic component. They were even going as far as shaping the onigiri into novelty orientations, one of his workers showcased the hello kitty onigiri.

Once more, Osamu tried to reason that it wasn’t interesting but he can’t help the sudden tick of his forehead when his brother walks right passed the windows of his restaurant only to emerge thirty minutes later with a to-go box of rainbow colored onigiri. It irked him even more when Atsumu had the audacity to sit at the counter and eat the onigiris with such happiness.

“Hey Samu, you think you could make some of these.” Osamu takes the box, promptly throwing it into the trash, eliciting a whine from Atsumu who declares that now he must wait another twenty minutes in line for more.

Osamu finds himself waiting in line with his brother. Atsumu cries that his stomach is hungry, but Osamu keeps his attention to how long the line is; it didn’t wrap around the block but it was fairly long enough to understand that the place was popular. The glow of the neon blue sign is just barely evident under the sun, but it must appear better under night conditions.

When he looks inside, he sees pristine white tables that balance with the brightly colored food; the chairs looked to have comfortable padding, some decorated with different colored pillows. There were mirrors displayed along the walls, one moon shaped, one stars, one of the sun, he takes it to understand that this was probably a theme of the café.

“We’re almost to the front!” Atsumu’s stomach growls the closer they get.

Osamu notices there’s decorative fairy lights along the window looking out into the street, the windowsill is large and he thinks it’s a good idea when he sees some customers using the space as a seating area. There’s a chalkboard used to display the menu behind the workers at the counter and even a small one at the cash register that lists the specials of the day.

Even as they find a seat, Osamu’s eyes are staring at the ceiling, how aesthetic, he thinks, there’s even a mirror above where they sat. He observes the customers, most are women but here and there are a few men; some with their lovers, some just here for the food. He can conclude that most of the hype of the place is from the aesthetic alone. It’s the perfect place for a photo opportunity with how decorated everything is.

“Order for Miya!”

Atsumu practically sprints to the counter and back. When Osamu tries to touch the food, Atsumu slaps his hand, “Wait! Let me take a picture!”

Osamu rolls his eyes; his brother has fallen into the trap that is the café. Atsumu takes five minutes to capture every angle that he can, even utilizing the ceiling mirror to get a picture of him and his brother with the food. Osamu takes note of Atsumu’s drink, clear plastic with a secure top; it allows you to see the different layers of the coffee but he knows once Atsumu mixes the drink it’ll turn green for the matcha flavor.

“Look!” Atsumu is shoving the cup in Osamu’s face, “There’s a design on the cup!” Atsumu’s eyes sparkle at the cute print of a Pokémon character, “That means I was one of the first hundred customers of the day.”

At this point, Osamu wants to applaud the aesthetic of the restaurant. Even taking the time to print on designs for customers as a novelty item to which they could boost about on social media, Osamu is impressed. But he reasons that the aesthetic of the place must hold to a high standard with the food.

So when he takes one of the onigiri’s, he’s ready to critique the flavor.

“Are you enjoying your meal?”

When Osamu looks up after taking a bite, the rice flows down the wrong pipe; he coughs loudly, wheezing at the way the salted salmon is a lump in his throat. Atsumu gives up his drink for his brother and Osamu nearly falls in love with the sweet taste of the matcha coffee.

“Are you alright?” Your hand is pressed on his shoulder, it moved from when you had been lightly hitting his back to help.

Osamu’s cough dies down as he watched you move to the counter; the workers listening intently to your words before nodding off.

“I’m sorry.” Osamu coughs for a last time as you approach the table.

Your hands are on your hips, a grin pressed neatly on your lips as you hold out a hand, “It’s my fault, I must have surprised you coming over all of a sudden. I’m the owner and you run Onigiri Miya don’t you?” Osamu feels sweat beat down the side of his face when he reaches out to grasp your hands, “I’m a big fan, you have great flavors, I can only hope that ours matches yours.”

Your attention turns to his twin, Atsumu gladly takes your attention, this gives Osamu time to collect himself. Osamu discoveries himself staring at you, you radiated a type of energy, one that he feels matches his own when it comes to running a business. The smile on your face makes him flush slightly and his palms remain sweaty from when he held your hand.

“It’s an honor to have a professional volleyball player eat at our establishment. We hope to see us on your social media page. One of my workers will bring over a free drink for the inconvenience.” Your head lowers in courtesy, waving to the men to continue their dining experience, “Oh and Mister Onigiri Miya, I’d love to bounce some ideas off you, I think we’d work great as partners for a few projects.”

Business partners was the last thing Osamu was going to agree to now that he had been up and close with the café; it’s been deemed a threat. It irked him when he saw you, a smile on your face as you wave to him early in the morning. His business seemed to always open and end with you, that’s how he discovered that even your hours of operation were the same as his.

It annoyed him when you visited, a large cup of matcha coffee in your hand as you offer it to him during the middle of lunch rush. It’s sweet when he drinks it, but he tries not to like it too much and he even tries to repress the craving for it on days when you don’t visit his shop. He even holds back the urge to visit the café when he really wants some matcha coffee.

He also finds it absolutely annoying how the parking spaces in front of his restaurant are always blocked by your customers. One time he stormed into your café, the workers were no stranger to his complaints. He’s automatically walking to your office in the back. When he can’t find you, he discovers you in a hidden kitchen meant for creative purposes.

“Oh, Miya Osamu. What can I do for you?” There’s rice on your cheek, your apron dirtied with minced ingredients, you wipe your hands on the ends of your apron to leave streaks of flour.

Osamu pushes aside the thought that he finds your hair pulled up cute, his hands on his waist as he puffs out his chest, “You need to do something about the parking situation! Your customers are parking in spots specifically meant for Onigiri Miya!”

You laugh, the back of your hand wiping against your cheek to remove the rice, “No problem! I’ll just put up signs on parking. Good?”

Osamu’s eyes twitch, the rice on your cheek is still stuck there and you can’t seem to find just where it is. He takes a step forward, fingers reaching out to graze the speck of rice and flick it off into another direction. You’re grinning.

“Thanks, did you want some coffee?” Your hand is already preparing a cup, pushing buttons on a machine as it spews out coffee, “I’m trying out some matcha and chocolate fusion drinks. I think I just figured out the perfect balance. Taste test?” You hold out the cup to him.

It’s sweet, just a perfect blend; absolutely beautiful. Osamu ends up taking the drink back to his restaurant, eyes staring at the cup with doodles of hearts and stars.

The next day, Osamu barges into your office stating that the music from your café is too loud, even though he’s three stores down, and none of his workers could hear anything but he’s insisted that the music is too distracting. He returns once more with a complimentary drink and a lighter mood than before.

“Isn’t he being too demanding?” One of your workers watches Osamu peer into the shop.

You’re smiling, already prepping the matcha drink, “I think it’s cute.”

“He’s acting like he’s part of the neighborhood watch committee.” Your worker stands straight up, “Good morning mister Miya, another complaint today?”

Osamu crosses his arms, lips in a thin line, “If you’re going to have your workers hand out flyers, I would prefer it if it wasn’t done in front of my restaurant.”

“Here’s your order.” The cup in your hand is stretched out to him.

“I didn’t.” Osamu frowns but his finger brush against yours when he reaches for the cup.

“I’ll be sure to tell them to stay closer to our café.” Despite him turning away, he flushes, “Have a great day Miya Osamu!” Your voice makes his ears go red.

The workers giggle when he turns around to thank you. It was painfully obvious that he had a crush on you. Excuses upon excuses as a way to step into your café and have brief moments with you. His eyes distracted by the cup, he runs into the door, giggles follow him as he leaves.

Osamu has himself crouched behind the counter, hands in his hair, hiding from the world. He remains a roadblock to his workers but they all move around him; he can’t possibly step back into your café after that embarrassing moment.

“It probably wasn’t that bad sir.” The worker has been waiting for five minutes trying to get one of the rice bags from behind Osamu.

Osamu digs his hands into his hair, “I basically face planted into the door.”

“Can I just get the rice please? We have orders.”

When Osamu stands to his feet, the wind gets knocked out of him. You wave from behind the counter and Osamu coughs as though he was busily trying to do something from under.

“Can I help you with something?”

You lean on your toes, it makes him want to delve just a little closer to you, “Yeah, there’s a car blocking one of our carry out spots, it has an Onigiri Miya sticker on the bumper so we thought maybe it was yours?”

Osamu facepalms, he had forgotten to move his car. He’s quick to round the counter, making his way to you until he feels it. He’s suddenly thrusted forward, unable to comprehend the wet floor sign before he’s tumbling right into you. Your hands steady his arms, Osamu’s find themselves clutching your waist. He was blushing madly, nose brushing against yours; customers and workers alike stare at the rather intimate hold.

“Are you alright?”

Osamu lets go but the step he takes back makes him slip, your arm stretches out to grasp him but it only sends you forward. Everyone gasps. Osamu lands on his ass, your body hovering over him and he’s blushing even harder now with your breath against his skin.

“I’m so sorry.” You pull away from him.

“It’s my fault.” Osamu dusts himself off, helping you to your feet, even holding your hand to try and balance the both of you, “Are you okay?”

Besides minor embarrassment, you grin to him, “Nothing I haven’t experienced before. Have you ever slipped and spilled rice in the middle of lunch rush, effectively getting grains of rice in everything?” Osamu laughs, “Truly one of my more embarrassing moments.”

He feels his heart suddenly more at ease, the restaurant goes back to their bustling conversations and the two of you walk out together. Osamu thinks to himself that the term rivals didn’t fit the category that he has you under in his head.

“It’s called love.” Atsumu draws the word out and Osamu smacks his arm, effectively making Atsumu bang his head against the table, “Dammit Samu! Stop doing that!”

“Stop being stupid then.”

Atsumu begins a snarky outcry of obscenities at his brother. He doesn’t mind it as he sees you walking past his restaurant. The sun makes it hard for you to notice him through the windows but he has a perfect view of you carrying boxes towards your café. Your steps halt as the top box begins to tilt, leaning the rest of the boxes in the same directions.

“I got you.” Osamu pushes the boxes, he takes the top half to balance in his hands, “I’ll help you.”

“Thanks.” You beam, “I see your brother is visiting.”

When Osamu looks at the window, Atsumu has his face pressed against the glass. His heavy breathing creating fog, “Samu!” It amuses you when Osamu knocks against the glass, sending Atsumu to jolt back, “Samu! Get me some onigiri from the café.”

“You’re literally in an Onigiri restaurant!” Osamu barks.

Your giggle pulls him along and as if cupid had struck him with fifty arrows, he follows you happily.

It came to no surprise for literally everyone when Osamu finally mustered up the courage to ask you out. In the after hours of work, he discovers you flipping chairs all by your lonesome; his hand knocks against the glass, it causes you to jump in surprise but it quickly fades when you see him motioning for the locked door.

“Where are all of your workers?” Osamu has begun to help turn the chairs onto the tables, something he’s accustomed to doing at his restaurant.

“I sent them home. I don’t like making them stay too late.”

Osamu thinks about how his workers are cleaning up at the moment; he follows you to the back, eyes trailing themselves over your body, he finds the way your hair is tied with ribbons to be cute and he wonders if you look just as cute with your hair down.

“Osamu?”

He blushes when you bring him back to reality, “Sorry, I was thinking about something.”

“I’m just finishing up some prep for tomorrow, you don’t have to stay.” Your hands dust flour onto the table, your fingers forming bagels for tomorrow’s breakfast rush.

Osamu stands next to you, he curiously takes a piece of dough, following your hand movements to form the bagel shape, “This is the first time I’ve formed bagels.”

“Really?” You glance at him, “You’re a natural, I’d definitely hire you as a chef.” Unexpectedly, Osamu feels your hand hold over his, “You just need to make sure it’s all uniform. I don’t think my customers would enjoy bagels that are one size five times bigger than another.”

It’s another two hours before you two finish forming and proofing the bagels for the next day. He waits outside the doors of your café, he can clearly see his workers are just about to leave too, they snicker seeing him waiting outside. He quickly motions for them to go away, when the door chimes, he pretends as though he was just about to scratch his head.

“Thanks for the help.” Your hair falls past your shoulders, Osamu wishes time would stop for a second so he could run his fingers through them. It’s just the two of you standing on the empty street, the lamps barely doing you justice, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Wait.” Osamu tugs on your sleeve, “Do you want to have dinner with me? Or will you? I mean, you don’t have to but if you want to.”

“Are you asking me out?”

Osamu gulps, “Are willing to go out with me?”

He may have reached another level of joy when you clasp onto his arm, “Duh! You’re a little slow but you got there eventually.”

Osamu lets you drag him along the sidewalk, opting for a place nearby rather than driving elsewhere. He can’t help the smile of content on his face watching you stuff your mouth with food. The meal is comfortable and nice; but the date is absolutely, blissfully, perfect. At the end of the night, he walks you to your car, hands dug deep into his pockets and he isn’t sure if he should shamelessly kiss you or do the awkward hug and goodbye.

“Are you thinking if you should kiss me or hug me?” You laugh when he looks at you bewildered.

“Are you reading my mind?”

You lean forward, a whisper on you, “It’s a secret superpower I have.” The both of you chuckle and before he can register it, you stand on your toes, pressing a quick kiss onto his cheek. You open the door to your car as he blushes profoundly, “Normally I don’t kiss on the first date, the one on the cheek is just a guilty pleasure, because you’re cute.”

Osamu knew from the beginning that the competition shouldn’t have been one to worry about. What he should have been worried about was how cute the owner was.

“Uh-oh, here comes leader of the neighborhood watch committee.” Your workers snicker seeing him strut into the café, “Good morning mister Miya.”

“I have a complaint.” Osamu crosses his arms, eyes staring at you. He leans forward, “I’d prefer it if you kept your hair down.” His fingers pull on the ribbon in your hair, your strands fall to your shoulders.

On your toes, your lips meet his from over the counter; there’s a hum in him, “We take complaints here very seriously.” You steal the ribbon from his fingers, “But you know I can’t be walking around with my hair down.”

“I have a solution.” He situates a hat that he’s made appear out of no where onto your head. He pushes strands of your hair behind your ears and fixes the hat’s strap to fit nicely onto your head, “Perfect.”

You roll your eyes to your boyfriend, “It says Onigiri Miya on the hat doesn’t it.”

Osamu happily claps his hands, “Product placement.”

“You’re so shameless!” You set the drink in front of him, “Cash or card?”

Osamu scoffs, “You’re making me pay now?”

“Yup.” You wink to him, “It’s what boyfriends do.”

“You boyfriend trapped me with free matcha coffee.” Osamu takes the drink, pressing a kiss on your lips quickly, “Put it on my tab.”

“You literally don’t have a tab, Samu!” He’s laughing as he runs away with the drink, turning around to blow you a kiss before running off to his restaurant to prepare for the lunch rush.

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu #osamu #osamu x reader #osamu scenarios #osamu miya #miya osamu

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ironwoman359 · 5 years

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Thoughts on Remus Sanders

So the new video came out and I have a lot of thoughts on a lot of different things, but for this post, let’s talk about our new resident trash man, Remus Sanders, aka The Duke, aka the Dark Side of Creativity.

Remus’s Role (who or what is he?)

First off, Remus’s ‘Side Title’ as it were is definitely Creativity. He is not simply “Intrusive Thoughts.” That is not his function, intrusive thoughts are a result of his function, an area of thinking that he is responsible for. Like Roman, he embodies Creativity and the Imagination, but unlike Roman, he deals almost exclusively in ‘dirty,’ mature, dark, or disturbing ideas. Sure, the video was about intrusive thoughts specifically, but that’s not all that Remus does. He said himself twice, once in song and once in regular speaking, that he wants Thomas to explore more mature themes in his videos and to be more “realistic” with his creations. So while the other “dark sides” like Deceit and Anxiety (maybe Paranoia?) have different functions than the “light sides,” Remus and Roman are two sides that embody the same trait: Creativity.

As Thomas said, the Duke and the Prince literally wear black and white, because his relationship with his imagination while he was growing up led to Roman encompassing the “good” parts and Remus the “bad” parts. Both ‘sides’ of creativity are important over all, but Thomas specifically gave Roman, the light, the positive sunshine rainbow unicorn side, more import than the dark, the twisted macabre disturbing side. Hence Roman is a Prince, while Remus is merely a Duke, a lesser rank of nobility.

Remus’s Goals (so what does he want?)

Like Roman, Remus wants Thomas to create things, things that he can be proud of. And more SPECIFICALLY, he wants Thomas to be remembered, to have a legacy. Roman, you will note, wants this too. All sides, after all, want what they believe is best for Thomas, but they all have different views of what that looks like AND of how to get it. And Remus believes that the darker sides of creativity that he encompasses are the way for Thomas to get that notoriety he craves. Just look at the way Remus talks (or sings) about himself in relationship to Thomas’s content:

“If you really wanna challenge your viewership, then you need to stop limiting me.”

“If you want the spectrum A-Z you’ll need a little help from me.”

(in reference to Thomas only wanting bright and happy things in his content) ”Hey Prude, your art is Bad.”

“What will our legacy be? Will you even have one? How about this: you get buck naked on camera and self immolate to Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off! That’ll leave an impression!”

Remus wants what ever creator/performer wants: he wants to be remembered. But unlike Roman, he holds no reservations about how they get there.

But Remus ALSO a rather chaotic force in general, and you get the feeling that he really just wants to have fun...unfortunately, what’s fun for him is not very fun for most people, Thomas included. Remus is more like the way many of us characterized Deceit at his first introduction: likely to be cruel for no reason. Because it’s fun! Right?!

Roman vs. Remus...why?

I have a headcanon that Patton (or Patton’s influence) is largely responsible for the development of Remus and Roman as separate entities, actually. During their conversation about Just Like Heaven, Patton mentioned that a happy ending “makes good cinema.” And...no, it doesn’t. Objectively, good cinema, good ART is not dependent on whether or not it is happy. Now, whether or not it is happy is certainly a valid indicator of whether or not YOU as an individual like it. But not it’s objective quality. And that’s what has happened with Roman and Remus, anything that Thomas’s Moral Code (again, Patton himself or his general influence) deemed as “bad” or “wrong” got shoved into Remus, while Roman kept all the good parts for himself.

When you look at it that way, it’s no wonder that Remus spends so much of his time sending intrusive thought’s Thomas’s way. (Yes, intrusive thoughts are fairly common, but not everyone has them, and not always to the severity that Character Thomas does) That’s basically his ONLY creative outlet, as everything else has been given to Roman. And why it makes sense that he is desperate to be more involved in Thomas’s creative process. Intrusive thoughts are all fine and well, but if Thomas isn’t ACTING on them, then Remus is effectively not being listened to, which as we all know is every single side’s greatest source of frustration.

His Logo (this is a pure guess based on my own theories and observation, but it’s fun to think about.)

It’s been theorized before that the “dark sides” have something animal themed in their clothing and/or appearances. Deceit’s is obvious the two headed snake, and Virgil’s is largely thought to be a raccoon, and if we look closely, Remus seems to fit this theory. His animal is some sort of tentacled sea creature, as evidenced by the thumbnail of the video, his green coloring, and the belt buckle he wears. Some have suggested a squid or octopus, but this IS Creativity we’re talking about here...it could be Something Else. Something a little more...creative.

“Whoa, you guys are acting fishier than the Kraken’s crack.” -Roman, timestamp 3:43.

I propose that his ‘animal’ is a Kraken, a giant sea monster known for causing great destruction, killing sailors and dragging ships down into the depths of the sea. Sort of like how our Dear Old Duke seems to take pleasure in being destructive towards both himself and others and dragging Thomas’s thoughts down into the depths of depravity? Huh? Maybe? Imagine a logo similar to Roman’s, but instead of an idyllic castle, it’s a giant sea monster. Perhaps reaching it’s tentacles around a ship? Or perhaps looking a little sleeker and going for something like the Hydra logo in Marvel? I dunno, it’s fun to think about!

The Rainbow Theory (no, I’m never gonna let this one go)

Remus’s existence, and more specifically, his color palate, only reinforce the Rainbow Theory as being canon. Thomas is Full Rainbow all the time, and each of his sides encompasses one color on that spectrum. You have Red (Roman), Orange (a yet to be discovered “dark side”), Yellow (Deceit), Green (Remus), Blue (Patton), Indigo (Logan), and Violet (Virgil).

One of the reasons I really like the rainbow theory is that it allows for a sense of balance between Thomas and his sides. I like to imagine it like this: There are three “light” or “good” sides, (Roman, Logan, and Patton) and three “dark” or “bad” sides (Deceit, the Duke/Remus, and an unnamed, Orange party). I use quotes on these labels because arguably, any trait could be used for good or for bad, and no side embodies this more than Virgil. Violet, the odd little shadowling out. The side that is now canonically CONFIRMED to have once been considered one of “the Others,” but who now has an equal seat at the discussion table. The side, if you will, that is the tipping point on the scale between whether or not Thomas is a “good person?” Ah, but that’s a theory for another post ;)

If you combine the rainbow theory with a color wheel, Remus’s appearance also all but confirms some theories that we’ve had about “dark” sides in the past: they are opposites to/extensions of/foils for a corresponding “light” side. It’s no secret who Remus’s corresponding side is, both he AND Roman are literally both creativity. And what is Red’s complimentary color on the color wheel?

Green.

While it’s harder to tell who Deceit’s foil is, since the blue/indigo and the yellow/orange parts of most color wheels you look at are more blurred, but I’m leaning towards Logan, the darker blue, the indigo, being the foil to Deceit’s Yellow, and Patton’s lighter blue being complimentary with the Orange Side yet to be revealed, since the light blue is closer to the green and the orange is closer to the red.

This also solidifies the idea that I have that Virgil himself has no foil. I see some people suggest he could be Logan’s foil, but I honestly think that Logan’s foil is either Deceit or Mr. Orange, and the Patton’s is whoever Logan’s isn’t. Virgil’s trait doesn’t necessarily have a perfect foil...and purple in particular has no opposite color that isn’t already sort of taken by one of the other three “light” colors. But I digress, this post is about Remus, not Virgil. I just like talking about the rainbow theory, I think it’s neat!

Other, smaller observations (mostly just fun things I noticed/liked about his character)

As much as they are opposites in ways, Remus shares many mannerisms with Roman, from his expressions to his vocal ticks to his gestures.

Literally less than a minute after he first appeared on screen, he broke out into an entire Disney Villain style musical number. (no really, he appeared at 6:00 and started singing at 6:53)

I sort of mentioned this earlier, but he is not only responsible for the darker parts of imagination, but also clearly things like childish potty humor and sexual innuendo. For THOMAS, this is a “bad” thing banished to it’s own separate side, but for some people, that kind of humor doesn’t cross the line. Joan, for instance, has both a raunchier sense of humor and darker sense of humor at times than Thomas, as holding up a disembodied corpse prop’s middle finger is, yeah, TOTALLY something they would do without Remus’s influence.

He cannot be insulted through traditional means, as he takes them as compliments. It is only through him being discredited/weakened by Logan’s words that we see him having any sort of negative reaction to the others.

Again, a point to get more into detail with another post, but he was particularly interested in beating down Virgil specifically, and in ways that seemed less relevant to what was going on like his taunts to the others. Just like with Deceit in the courtroom, he clearly knows Virgil well enough to get under his skin, and he relishes doing so.

The trash boi does not sit still, if he’s not engaged by what’s happening, he’ll find some other thing to occupy himself with, such as picking his nose or eating deodorant.

Like Deceit before him, he gets huffy when he doesn’t have his way, and then does his best to just be a general inconvenience (read also: a dick) to Thomas if he can’t be actually listened to.

That’s all for now! Thanks for reading <3

#sanders sides #sanders sides theories #ts theories #fanders #thomas sanders #remus sanders #ts remus #dealing with intrusive thoughts #long post #longpost #virgil sanders #roman sanders #patton sanders #logan sanders #deceit sanders #the rainbow theory #ts spoilers

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raisingsupergirl · 4 years

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A Recipe For a Pho Night

Okay, this typically isn't a food blog, but guys, if you've never had pho, you're missing out. And now that 2020 quarantines have made it even harder to sit down at a Vietnamese restaurant, how will we ever enjoy this most excellent of savory soups? Well, by making it at home, of course! And now that winter's creeping in (it's currently a cold, rainy Sunday as I write this) there's no better time to fill the house with delicious smells! But before you freak out over the ingredients list, don’t worry! Pretty much everything can be substituted, altered, or just left out based on your preferences and availability (I happen to dislike sweet broth, so I didn't use much brown sugar). Even the measurements are only there because SOME of you can't make anything without having exact amounts spelled out (hey, nobody's perfect). The whole point of pho night is to have fun, so get creative, and let your family join in. My daughters absolutely loved picking out their ingredients for the spring rolls and the soup, and watching it all cook right before their eyes really sealed the deal (though they needed my help rolling the spring rolls). And now, without further adieu, here's my recipe for fresh spring rolls and pho (because of their similar ingredients and fun, do-it-yourself assembly, they pair perfectly):

INGREDIENTS

Marinated beef: • 1 brisket (sliced thin) • 4 tbsp oyster sauce • 1 cup soy sauce • 2 tbsp minced garlic

Broth: • 16 cups beef stock (or 3 soup bones if making from scratch) • 1 large onion • 2 golf ball-sized chunks of ginger (what? That's totally a legit measure) • 3 cinnamon sticks • 5 star anise • 4 cloves • 1 tbsp coriander seeds • 4 garlic cloves (optional) • 1 tbsp brown sugar (or to taste) • 1 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste) • 2 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste) • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

Noodles: • 1 box rice noodles (I used thin in this recipe) • sesame oil (or any oil)

Garnish: • ½ package medium shrimp (raw, deveined, no shell) • 1 bunch of cilantro • 1 bunch of rosemary (because I couldn't find Thai basil) • 1 bunch of mint (because it grows in my back yard) • 6 whole baby bella mushrooms • 2 serrano peppers • ½ red bell pepper • ½ yellow bell pepper • 6 green onions • 1 can bean sprouts • 1 lime (cut into wedges)

Spring rolls (because you're not going to cut up all those delicious veggies and NOT wrap some in rice paper!): • 1 package spring roll wrappers • ½ package medium shrimp (cooked, deveined, no shell) • ½ cup matchstick carrots • ½ cucumber • ½ avocado • any other veggies/herbs you’ve prepared for the pho garnish

Serve with: • Soy sauce • Sriracha • Hoisin sauce • 1 bottle of sake (to drink!)

INSTRUCTIONS

First, let's start with the brisket. You'll need to prepare it earlier in the day so it can marinate. And it's worth noting now that pretty much everything you cut up for this meal will need to be SUPER thin (so it can cook in the broth in your bowl), and the beef is no exception. And because of that, it's easiest to slice it with a sharp knife while it's STILL FROZEN. First, cut the fat off of the top, then slice/shave it perpendicular to the grain (to make it more tender) as thin as you can. Then cut the slices into 2-inch pieces (or smaller if you prefer). Prepare the marinade (oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic) and combine it with the beef in a sealed container or bag. Set aside for at least three hours and no more than 12 (to avoid getting too mushy), and mix it occasionally throughout the day.

Next, lets talk about the foundation of this recipe: the broth. Because it's so important, you want to make sure to start out with a high quality beef stock. I made my own the day before by boiling 3 soup bones in about 2 gallons of water (it reduces) for 4 hours on low heat (then refrigerating it until the next day so I could skim the fat off of the top), but buying it significantly speeds up the process. Whichever way you choose, pour the broth in a large stockpot and set it to high heat. While it's coming to a boil, preheat your oven's broiler, then slice the onion and ginger into large chunks. Spread out the chunks in an oiled, oven-safe pan. Then, place the cinnamon sticks, star anise, coriander seeds, and cloves in another oven-safe container (these spices are all complimentary in flavor—along with cardamom pods, which I couldn't find—and give pho it's signature taste, so try to find as many of them as you can. Also, whole spices make them easier to remove later for a clearer broth), and pop it all (onions, ginger, and spices) in the broiler until they're all lightly toasted—about five minutes for the spices (until they're just aromatic) and ten minutes for the onions/ginger (until they get a good char).

Once your stock is boiling, throw in the onions, ginger, and toasted spices, then cover and reduce to medium-low heat for at least twenty minutes (and up to an hour while you're preparing everything else). Strain/scoop out all the solids after thirty minutes or so, then either keep the broth on low heat or just turn it off for now.

Now's as good of a time as any to cook your rice noodles according to the instructions on the package (they don't take long, so don't overcook them!). When they're done, rinse with cold water (so they don't keep cooking and fall apart) and toss with a couple tablespoons of sesame oil (or whatever oil you prefer) to keep them from clumping. Dump them in a bowl and set aside for later.

Now it's time to start slicing the vegetables! Like I said before, everything should be super thin so it cooks quicker, so take your time and enjoy the process (hopefully with a glass of sake and some good conversation… heck, you can find some more knives and put your dinner guests to work). Full disclosure, the veggie bill is totally up to you, but in this case, I recommend green onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, hot peppers (jalapeño or Serrano), bean sprouts, lime, cilantro, mint, and Thai basil (though I couldn't find any basil, so I substituted rosemary, which actually worked great). Remember to slice everything thin and 2-3 inches long (with the obvious exception of the sprouts and herbs, which can be left whole, and the lime, which can be quartered) so they work with the pho AND the spring rolls.

And since we're talking about the spring rolls, go ahead and cut up everything (carrots, cucumber, avocado) for those, as well. And if you're putting shrimp in them, go ahead and throw half of the bag of medium shrimp into your boiling pho broth for 20-30 seconds (to flavor the shrimp AND the broth), then scoop them out and put them in a serving dish (side note: I almost cooked my rice noodles in the broth, as well, then remembered that the noodles leave behind milky, starchy water, which would have ruined the broth. Crisis averted!). While you're at it, fill a pan or other container (it has to be slightly larger than the size of your rice paper) about an inch deep with cold water (or pho broth, if you're feeling really adventurous!) and set aside.

Place all of your a la carte ingredients in little piles across a large cutting/serving board or in individual bowls and set them in the middle of your dinner table. You want to show off all of your hard work!

Speaking of the dinner table, time to turn to the final (and most fun) phase. Other than your garnishes, set up the table with your raw brisket (yes, raw), raw and cooked shrimp, noodles, optional sauces (sriracha, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sweet Thai chili sauce), rice paper, pan of water, plates, bowls, soup spoons, forks/chop sticks, and your preferred drinks. Crank the covered broth to a rolling boil on the stove and direct your lucky guests to their seats—the show is about to begin!

SPRING ROLL ASSEMBLY

As your broth heats up, start with the spring rolls. Place one sheet in the pan of cold water for about 30 seconds or until soft (like Goldilocks, you don't want them too hard or too soft/brittle. If this is your first time, you may waste a sheet or two before you get it right). Remove it, place it on a plate, and fill it like a tiny burrito with whatever ingredients you prefer. Be sure to experiment with all of the herbs, veggies, and cooked shrimp (do NOT use the raw shrimp or beef. Yes, I have to say this. Yes, there are people out there who need to be told the obvious). You want your filling to be about the same size and shape as a hotdog, and it should be offset to one side of the rice paper. Now it's time to try your hand at rolling that bad boy. Fold the sides first (each end of the "hotdog") to seal it up. Then fold the short side of the rice paper over your "hotdog" and tuck it under the ingredients to tighten them up. Lastly, roll the whole thing up. If you get a little tear (shredded carrots are sharp), don't worry. You'll have a couple layers by the time it's completely rolled, so it should seal. If not, who cares? You're about to dip it in your favorite sauce and devour it. Remember, have fun!

PHO ASSEMBLY

By the time you've had a few spring rolls, your pho broth should be boiling. Time to assemble the main course! Place about a half-cup of rice noodles in the bottom of each bowl, then top them with the same amount of raw beef or shrimp (or both!). Now, carefully bring in that big pot of steaming, delicious-smelling broth and ladle it over each bowl of rice/protein. Sit back and enjoy the oohs and aahs as the shrimp turns pink and the beef turns brown (that marinated beef really helps elevate the pho broth). NOTE: Cooking in the bowls is the fun/traditional way to do it, but briefly pan frying the beef instead actually gives a slightly better flavor. Alternately, throwing the protein into the pot of broth before ladling is just fine, too, but be careful to not overcook it! Anyway, you do you.

Now that your protein is cooked, instruct your guests to fill the bowl with anything and everything their hearts desire. It's best to go quick and start with the "harder" (mushrooms, herbs) ingredients first, so they have the best chance of cooking through and imparting those delicious flavors. Also, it's possible to put in TOO much stuff (know from experience...), which will cool the broth down too much, so when it doubt, do several smaller bowls to try out different combinations.

Take a few pictures of your masterpiece, stir it all in, let it steep for a couple of minutes, and then dig in! Like everything else with this recipe, there's no wrong way to eat pho. Chop sticks, forks, soup spoons—go at it however you like. And finally, when everyone has tilted up their bowls to drink those last, irresistible drops of soup, store the remaining ingredients in separate containers, and your leftovers will make a delicious stir-fry later in the week!

Well, that's all I've got. If this isn't the perfect recipe for a dinner party (whether it's with friends or a quarantined family, rain or shine, winter or summer), I don't know what is. My family loved getting creative with all of the possibilities, and their end results were (almost) always delicious. Pho night is sure to become a regular at my house, and hopefully it will at yours, too!

#pho #pho night #pho recipe #recipes #cooking #home cooking #dinner party ideas #dinner party #momblr #mumblr #dadblr #vietnamese food #asian food #foodie #foodblogger

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cmyknoise · 5 years

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Little Theory

So, we all know the color theory that’s basically been confirmed right? The sides are the color of the rainbow.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet

Roman, ???, Deceit, Remus, Patton, Logan, Virgil

Now, playing in with this. I’m going to be messing with primary, secondary, and complimentary colors, okay so there’s kinda a main theory and a few ideas.

Main Theory:

Every ‘light side’ has it’s compliment ‘dark side’.

The compliments of the rainbow colors roughly are:

Red - Green

Orange - Dark Blue/Indigo

Yellow - Purple

Now, the issue is, odd number. The complimentary of light blue is an in between of yellow an orange, but it falls more on the yellow side, so that’s what I’m using since there are odd numbers.

So, the sides and their compliments

Roman - Remus

???? Orange Dark Side - Logan

Deceit - Virgil - Patton

It gets iffy with those last three, but it makes me think back to when Virgil was conceptualized. Virgil and Patton are ‘two sides of the same coin’. They are both, really the only sides that deal with heavy feeling and emotions (the others feel said emotions, but they’re more mental concepts rather than mental feelings).

Patton is the light side.

Deceit is the dark side.

Virgil is in the middle as he was once a dark side, but seems to be striving more to protect Thomas from the other dark sides.

So, this is my whole take, and that means that when it comes to the next dark side, I have a feeling that one will deal more with Logan.

Now for the other ideas dealing with colors. Under the cut.

This isn’t solid theory, but it’s based on primary and secondary colors.

Primary Colors: Red, Blue, Yellow

Secondary Colors: Orange, Green, Purple

This got me thinking. Clearly Virgil wasn’t always there, and clearly the other sides know the dark sides. The only one in the dark (pun not intended) is Thomas.

It made me think of how Deceit acts as more than JUST Deceit. He also acts as self preservation. He isn’t acting to harm Thomas or get him to do bad things, arguably. He’s protecting him (This is unlike the actions of Remus, where he was trying to show that Thomas was bad and wanted to act on intrusive thoughts. This differs from Deceit, as Deceit has tried to show Thomas that he isn’t perfect, and to look over the definition of good and bad and what they really mean).

In ‘Can Lying Be Good?’, he was trying to get Thomas to lie to protect his feelings and friendship with Joan, as well as Joan’s feelings. He was a sort of Chaotic Good, doing absolutely whatever it takes for him to do what he believes is right. Also, he’s not trying to prove Thomas is bad, he’s trying to prove that Thomas isn’t perfect. He’s trying to get him to look at the definitions of good and bad (something that Logan mentions is blurry, but he is stopped by Virgil as it isn’t a good time).

In ‘Selflessness vs. Selfishness’, he wasn’t even trying to get Thomas to outwardly lie, just to stop lying to himself and to do what he wanted to do to make himself happy. To go to the callback and not be toxically selfless. Being selfless in that situation was hurting himself. It was hurting Roman and Virgil as well as Logan. He wanted Thomas to do what was best for him and be safe. Y’know, they live in a society.

Here’s the question. Self preservation is key in all humans. It’s what causes us to do a lot of things. We do a lot to keep ourselves safe. So, what if Deceit is a ‘primary side’. He seems to have a lot to do with Thomas’ well being.

That would make the primary sides Roman, Logan, Patton, and Deceit.

The secondary sides are what would come FROM the primary sides. Intrusive thoughts, i.e Remus, comes and stems from creativity. Anxiety (and Paranoia, as it seems to have been implied) stems from Self Preservation. Having anxiety over what can happen to one’s self and being paranoid over it. This would imply that whoever Orange is, also stems from the primary sides (presumably Logan).

Anyway, these are my ideas and theories, if you’d like to add, do so, I’d love to read! Also, dm me if you’d like to talk about it!

#logan speaks #theory #sanders sides theory #janus #janus sanders #remus sanders #sanders sides #sanders #sides

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elyssebeeart · 4 years

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Your Warmth

A writing commission for @visionsofwings (PDF on dA)

Series: Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go Pairing: FandomxCanon (MhairixGibson), CanonxCanon (SparxxNova) Word count: ~6.7k Rating: G Previous: Starlit Garden Next: What About Us

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“It’s picking up out there.” Nova looked through a window, the yellow cyborg monkey watching trees leaning as the wind blew increasingly more violent. Bits of white carried on the wind, sticking to the window as the temperature was dropping past freezing. She suppressed a shiver as she hugged herself tighter, “Ew, so cold.”

“We’d best hurry back to the Super Robot before it gets worse.” Chiro joined her to watch the gusts that were surely frosty, Flint the little red dragon nestled on his shoulder. “At least we made it to this inn before it started.”

“I didn’t think the mission would take so long, the storm just snuck up on us.” Gibson observed as he stood away from the others, looking pensive. “The weather patterns showed no hint of a tempest approaching until we reached here.”

Beside the chief scientist, Mhairi was looking wide eyed at the storm, mug in her talons as she drank a complimentary drink that was intended for the road back to the Super Robot. The Grypherian didn’t look excited at the prospect of racing to beat the brewing storm, “It looks wet out there... just a bit.” She took a quick sip and edged closer to the nearby fireplace.

Sparx joined Nova’s side, slyly putting an arm around her shoulders, earning a blush as he smirked, “Last save point, anyone?”

“Perhaps we should wait a while before venturing out.” Antauri suggested, the silver robotic monkey tilting his head as he observed. “We are unfamiliar with the planet’s weather after all. I’m sure the Super Robot will be fine on its own in snowy conditions.”

“Ooo! Ooo! Anyone want to build a snowman?!” Otto exclaimed, rushing toward the front door, only to be barricaded by a large horned, white-haired being.

“Absolutely not!” The furred creature bellowed, possibly glaring down at Otto but it was hard to tell thanks to the shaggy hair covering its eyes. It crossed it arms as it blocked the way out. “No one goes out in weather like this. You won’t be able to see your hand in front of your face within a few minutes, never mind you ending up an icicle! It’ll last at least a day if we’re lucky,” it finished with a snort, as if daring to be challenged.

“Uh...” Chiro and the others stared at the native being who towered over them all, the furry biped looking far from warm and huggable despite the thick fur.

“What my mate means is you’re free to stay here until the storm passes. It’s not like we’ll be having any more guests coming.” Another voice spoke, calling attention to a slightly smaller being of the same species though it had larger horns. The more friendly of the pair smiled, showing off sharp teeth as they gestured to the interior of the inn, “It’s on the house since you came to help our people out. Wouldn’t be right not to offer hospitality as thanks. Plus you don’t have anywhere else to go.”

The bigger of the mates let out a snort of agreement, nodding but refusing to move from in front of the door, physically blocking any further progress. “We have five rooms available you can use.”

“That’s generous of you, I suppose some of us will double up being there’s seven of us.” Antauri gave a polite bow to their hosts. “Thank you for your generosity.”

“Not to worry, the rooms are spacious. Plenty of room for two.” The shorter innkeeper assured, smiling wider and showing off a pair of tusks. “Right, Yet’ta dear?”

“Indeed, Bentley sweetie.” His mate smiled, seemingly relaxing as the two shared a private moment despite their guests that stood between them. “You’ll all be quite comfortable. We’re not highly rated for nothing, even if we’re the only inn for miles.”

Bentley let out a snort of laughter, trying to cover it up with a cough. “We’ll leave room arrangements to you but they’re right down that hall.” He pointed in the direction, maintaining a polite business like smile, though as hair swept out of his eyes for a moment one could swear they twinkled.

“Well, Nova and I get the first room.” Sparx piped up, his arm still around Nova who, despite their public and hardly shy relationship, blushed once more and bashfully smacked him, the unintended force sending him stumbling.

“That’s one room down, as for the other four I suppose-”Antauri turned toward the others but was cut off.

“Hey, Gibson! You and Mhairi should get your own room too!”

Gibson immediately sputtered at Otto’s unwarranted suggestion while Mhairi, who had been enjoying her drink to push away any thoughts of getting wet from an outside venture, inhaled on accident and entered a small coughing fit.

As Mhairi tried to recover from choking and the shock of the proposition, noticeably beginning to turn red, Gibson looked wide eyed at his green teammate, mouth hanging open, “Wha-wha?! Otto! Why would you say that? That is highly inappropriate for you to suggest!”

“Why not, Gibson? Afraid you’ll scare her off if she has to share the room with you all alone? All night?” Sparx barbed, grinning mischievously as he watched the two turn similar shades of red, Mhairi out of embarrassment and Gibson possibly out of embarrassment and anger.

“That’s not-”

“Hey, guys it’s no big deal. I can just bunk with Otto or Antauri,” Chiro held up his hands as Gibson glared at his cheeky comrade, Mhairi suddenly looking overly interested in her mug, while Nova glared at Sparx and elbowed him, earning a wince as she disapproved of his teasing. “That way Mhairi can have her own room as well as Gibson.”

“Aw, come on guys!” Otto exclaimed, waving his hands as he tried to plead his case. “Why not share a room? You’re dating and hang out together all the time! Spending the night should be fun! Like a sleepover! Ooo, we can all do a sleepover!”

“Not this time, Otto. Maybe once we’re back on the Robot.” Antauri quickly slipped in, redirecting Otto’s innocent proposal. “We should let each choose for themselves their room arrangements. No sense forcing it and causing ill feelings.”

“Even if it makes perfect sense.” Sparx muttered not too quietly, earning another glare from Gibson and a disapproving “Sparx!” from Nova.

“My protest was the fact someone else suggested it.” Gibson countered, folding his arms as he told a half lie, heart quickening at the prospect of sharing a room with his girlfriend. “I never said we wouldn’t share a room, it’s our business. Right, Mhairi?”

Mhairi, still red, opened her beak but then closed it, giving a quick nod as she tried to become one with the wall. The agreement from his paramour solidified Gibson’s confidence, his pride soaring despite the tempting intimate thought as he smirked at Sparx, “Besides, shouldn’t you be worried Nova will kick you out, Sparx? Noisy awake, noisy asleep; perfectly logical.”

“I think you’re getting our situations mixed up.” Sparx challenged back, sparks flying between him and Gibson as both refused to back down.

“Sparx, stop making a scene in the middle of the inn.” Nova hissed, glancing around as other guests were presently tucked in their rooms or milling about.

“So I guess it’s in agreement for who has the shared rooms. Guess Flint’s with me.” Chiro shrugged, trying to bring the discussion to a close as he felt embarrassed at the bickering though it was nothing new. Flint let out a small cough on his shoulder, a puff of coal dust escaping him.

“Of course!” Gibson declared with fierce look of determination as he couldn’t let Sparx win. “A room for Mhairi and I! We claim the one farthest from Sparx.”

“Why, afraid of what I’ll hear?” Sparx grinned mischievously before Nova had enough and elbowed him once more, grabbing his audio antennae and telling him to knock it off and stop making Mhairi feel uncomfortable.

“Okay, that’s settled!” Chiro announced, looking relieved. “Antauri and Otto can choose their rooms and I’ll take whatever’s left over.”

“Whoo! Let’s go check them out!” Otto exclaimed and dashed off in the direction of the rooms. The others followed, leaving their hosts looking bemused, though two of them remained behind.

“It’ll be fine!” Gibson turned toward Mhairi who was looking a little too intently at the fire, the flames making her even hotter as she tried to hide her flushed state. He smiled at her, hands on hips as he brimmed with confidence now that Sparx had been brought to heel, thanks to his levelheaded girlfriend. He ignored the flutter in his chest, focusing on keeping his emotions in check and not push boundaries on accident, “All the privacy we need and with room to spare! Room for two, right?”

“Y-you’re right.” Mhairi managed, looking at him and smiling though she looked shy. She drew closer to him, leaving her mug on a nearby table as she gave a wider though nervous smile. “It’ll be fine.”

* * *

“This is NOT fine!”

Gibson and Mhairi stood in their room which indeed was spacious given the default size seemed to be for the natives of the planet Maelaia. The accommodations were nice and cozy with little room for complaint except for one major detail staring at them in the middle of the room.

There was only one bed.

“Uh…” Mhairi was flushing as she look at the sizeable bed that indeed left plenty of room for two while also speaking volumes about the present status of their relationship. Gibson, being the one to insist the sharing of a room under the assumption there were two beds, could feel panic mounting in his chest. He immediately thought of Sparx’s expression and could practically hear his laughter in his head at the realization all the rooms must share the same layout. The simian troll was probably ready to rush down to their room and inquire about the accommodations, smug look and voice saying it all. His alarmed state only escalated when Mhairi looked at him in her own panic, her face beginning turning red again as they locked gazes.

“Perhaps there’s another room available, we can simply switch with another guest if possible. I mean why say there’s room for two and there’s only one bed when there is two of us? Surely there is a pullout bed somewhere. Maybe a trundle!” Gibson babbled, racing toward the bed and looking under it in hopes of finding a hidden mattress that would qualm his growing hysteria at the predicament.

Alas nothing was under the bed, not even a dust bunny.

While Gibson kneeled on the floor looking like he was considering in believing in divinity and prayer right there for an answer, there was an excited cheer from next door that sounded like Otto.

Instantly there was the faint sound of sequential squeaks followed by a cheery, “This bed is humungous! Oh! We should play Five Little Monkeys! We have five monkeys! Hey guys!” The squeaks stooped, followed by a thud as feet hit the ground and Otto apparently stuck his head out into the hall. “Anyone want to play?”

“Um, no thanks, Otto.” Mhairi managed as she called over her shoulder toward the door. She fiddled with her talons as she looked at the floor to the bed to Gibson and then the ceiling.

“I can’t go out there. Sparx will be right outside, I know it. He’ll rub it in my face and I won’t hear the end of it.” Gibson was mumbling, hand on his forehead. “Those innkeepers absolutely set us up, didn’t they? I’ll file a complaint—no the others will know. The floor is an option, I mean we have plenty of pillows. What kind of service is this anyways?”

“Uh, we could... I mean...” Mhairi attempted, the feathers on her cheeks puffing slightly as she grew warmer. She began to twiddle her talons, looking at him uncertainly, “You... you know. Share the bed. It’s not fair if someone sleeps on the floor. And we don’t want to be teased for backing out by sharing with one of the others.”

Gibson looked at her, mouth hanging open as he tried to process the unexpected proposal. “Y-you... I mean, that’s completely... that is... we... uh... you’d be fine with that?” He turned red as the words left his mouth.

“I mean I shared the bed with Echo and Flint plenty of times! And there is room to spare, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s not like we’re strangers or anything.” Mhairi hastily explained, twiddling her talons as she looked at the ground, turning redder as she fought to control her wild thoughts that her abundant romance novel collection spurred. “I’m okay with it if you are... it’s just a bed.”

“True.” Gibson relaxed a bit seeing Mhairi was in agreement. “It’s just a bed, we’re simply sharing it. It’s not as if we haven’t shared seats next to each other. We’re merely resting within close proximity!”

Both fell silent and shifted their gazed elsewhere, still red. It was hardly the intimate set up either was ready for despite being in a relationship for a while. Still the sudden jump to an intimate scenario Sparx was hoping to tease them about left them both a mess as neither were prepared nor had talked about it before.

It was just a bed. Being shared by two people. Why did it have to be a thing more than that, until they were ready? The teasing certainly did not help the innocent scenario nor did their actual romantic relationship, awkwardness mounting.

“I, uh, should get changed.” Mhairi stiffly pointed toward a nearby shelf, trying to move the situation along. “It looks like there’s a bunch of complimentary pajamas for various sized guests.”

“Ah, yes. Indeed. Good idea.” Gibson nodded, looking to the pile though his mind was elsewhere.

Mhairi made her way over and picked through the pile of clothes before finding one small enough for her. “I’ll be back in a bit.” She hurried off toward the open bathroom door and shut it behind her, allowing Gibson to let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Great Scott, what a mess.” He pressed a hand to his head as he looked back at the rather excessively comfortable-looking large bed. Indeed there was enough room without invading personal space but the thought of laying next to Mhairi as they slept made him blush again. “Get yourself together, Mr. Hal Gibson! It’s just for one night; she’s fine with it so you should be too. Either way Sparx is going to tease you, but if he knows you chickened out it’ll be ten times worse!”

Meanwhile on the other side of the bathroom door Mhairi was pressing her face into the pajamas, muffling a barely contained scream as she turned a brighter red. The fabric was soft and fluffy but it wasn’t enough to distract her as she was trying to control her emotions regarding the situation.

She lifted her face after a minute, taking a breath, “Pull yourself together. You’ve read plenty of romance novels that handle this very scenario. You’ve got this covered; you’re totally prepared. Besides, we’re just sharing the bed, lying next to each other. We’re not…”

Her brain stalled as she grew even warmer, feathers ruffled as she turned a near impossible shade of red. She pressed her face into the pajamas once more, letting out a mild screech as her romantic daydreaming tendencies were not helping the awkward situation. Eventually she pulled back, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm down. “It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s just for one night. Besides I’m the one who basically said it was no big deal!”

She turned to look into the bathroom mirror, taking in her flushed cheeks and puffed out fur. “Get it together, Mhairi. This is the real life, not one of your romantic stories… even if they’re all I have to go on…” She reached up one talon and patted her cheeks, trying to smack some sense into herself as well as pat down her ruffled fur. “If I take too long Gibson’s going to know something’s wrong.”

She exhaled once more, determination replacing her flustered expression. She glanced down at the pajamas in her arms and unfurled them to lay them out as she changed. Instantly she tensed as she looked at the cozy clothing, her cheeks growing warm once more. “This… isn’t going to help.”

After some minutes of silent contemplation of perhaps making an excuse of why she should sleep in her day clothes or dare stepping out to pick through the clothing pile for perhaps an alternative outfit, Mhairi surrendered and slipped out of her clothes and put on the nightwear. Following fussing with her hair for minutes, trying to buy more time to gain nerve, she stood in front the bathroom door. She took a few breaths as she braced herself before reaching for the handle and slowly opening it, color in her cheeks once more while looking down shyly.

“Gib-… what’s going on?” Mhairi’s embarrassment turned to confusion as she looked up only to see her boyfriend’s head was hidden from view behind a partly open front door, apparently looking out with his attention clearly elsewhere.

“Our hosts were a bit concerned to find Flint in the fireplace.” Gibson explained as he pulled his head back from the open door, closing it. “Seems he slipped out on Chiro and decided he wanted to sit in the flames for a moment. It’s perfectly alright, Chiro has it hand-”

Gibson’s words died as his gaze went to Mhairi, his jaw falling open as he stared. Instantly Mhairi felt self-conscious and blushed, talons behind her back to hide her fiddling. Her tail curled around her feet protectively as her gaze shifted, unable to meet his wide eyes. “O-oh. That’s good… Flint does love curling up in the hottest place he can find…”

Gibson was silent, his eyes glued on Mhairi with a gaping mouth before something in his brain clicked and the ability to speak slowly was realized, “Mhairi… you… wow. I…”

“Is it that bad?” Mhairi flushed as she fidgeted, swishing the comfortable silvery nightgown she wore, the fabric suspiciously looking similar to their host’s fur. “M-maybe I should change into something else. I-It’s really soft but a gown in this weather, even if inside, really isn’t practical, don’t you think? Yes, maybe I should see if something else would be a better choice-”

“You look beautiful.”

Mhairi’s beak snapped shut, cutting off her nervous rambling as her eyes left the floor to look at Gibson. Their gazes met and silence fell, Mhairi red while Gibson looked speechless, both regarding each other. Mhairi bit back a squeak and ran her talons through her hair. “R-really?"

“Of course!” Gibson exclaimed, his cheeks turning slightly red. “I mean, that is… you always look beautiful… just…” He let out a slow exhale, his eyes on her as his voice went lower, “you look absolutely stunning.”

Mhairi barely suppressed a squeak as she combed her hair with her talons faster, unsure how much warmer she could get as a tingling sensation settled over her. “It’s n-nothing really… I mean… th-thanks.” She stammered, managing to look him in the eyes despite feeling overwhelmingly self-conscious.

“Ah, yes, well… uh, I better go freshen myself up as well! Nothing like a quick grooming before bed!” Gibson announced, clearing his throat as he made a beeline for the bathroom, movement slightly stiff-legged. He disappeared into the room with a click from the door closing and both flustered parties let out a deep breath on either side.

Mhairi looked from the bathroom back to the bed, fiddling with her talons for a few minutes more. “You got this, Mhairi.” She strode over to the sizable bed and with a slight hop managed to land on the mattress.

Instantly soft blankets molded to her talons and the softness of the bed seemed to swallow her up. Surprised, Mhairi patted the covers before flexing her talons, feeling the blankets bunch underneath. A small sigh of relief escaped her at the plush material followed by a small trill that formed in her throat naturally.

“Ah, the bed’s really soft.” Mhairi announced with warm cheeks as she heard the bathroom door open and the purr ceased out if embarrassment. She quickly smoothed out the plush blankets, patting it down to hide the fact she had been kneading the fabric. The gravity of the situation pressed down once more and her heart fluttered as she looked at Gibson, any other words failing her as her brain sputtered to a halt.

“It looks like it.” Gibson replied, not moving from the doorway, clearly stalling.

Mhairi fought her bashfulness and gave the bed a gentle pat as she scooted over, warmth spreading throughout her body. Her heart quickened but she gave an encouraging though shy smile, “Maybe you should try it. Bet it’s nothing like you’ve felt before.”

“Oh I’m certain; I trust your esteemed judgment,” came the stiff reply, awkward and guarded though sincere as Gibson nodded, giving a strained smile.

Mhairi’s expression turned to mild confusion, “Do you… want to sleep on the bed?”

“I think I’ll wait a bit before I retire. Maybe read in the chair since we have a few books of choice to peruse. Or perhaps soak in the tub. It’s been a long day, plus it’ll give you some privacy.”

“Oh… uh, okay.” Her face fell, her grip on the bedding tightening before loosening, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. “I mean, thanks. I appreciate it. M-make sure you don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Of course. I’d just hate to keep you awake while my mind is abuzz. Have to first let my brain unwind after such a busy day!”

“I guess that’s true…” Mhairi seemed to resign, hit by a pang of disappointment and envy at the thought of Sparx and Nova sharing a room with little trouble—unlike them.

Awkwardness seemed to blanket the room, Mhairi on the bed with a mixed expression and Gibson still by the bathroom. Both pointedly ignored their increased heartbeats and the storm of feelings that matched the raging blizzard trapping them at the inn.

Gibson hesitated, curling and uncurling his hands before opening his mouth. However as he did so he stilled abruptly. His eyes shifted to the floor, pinpointing what had caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. His optics adjusted, zooming in like binoculars as he went on alert at the suspicious movement.

He stared with scrutiny while whatever caught his attention halted inching across the floor and seemingly stared back. It made the mistake of twitching, flipping a switch in Gibson’s mind.

“BUG!” Gibson shouted, letting out a primal monkey screech. He leapt high into the air, fur bristling, and landed on the high bed with an audible thump despite the professed softness. The insect seemed to react to the sudden sound by wriggling furiously and shooting out a long white substance in apparent panic and defense like a party streamer.

“What?! Where?” Mhairi instantly was vigilant, blue eyes wide as she scurried over to the edge of the bed and peered over. She took an interested look at the wriggling creature without a hint of fear, eyes shining with curiosity, “Oh! A silkworm? Huh, I guess that explains the silk threads in my nightgown and the bed. Our hosts must use them to create fabric. They’re harmless!”

“It’s. A. Bug.” Gibson breathed, heart thundering against his ribcage as if it were about to perform a prison break. He stood ridged on the bed, grimacing as his fur stood on end. “A disgusting, crawling organism that I do NOT appreciate being in the same vicinity as me. What sort of inn are they running, letting those things crawl about?!”

“Well, it’s gone now. I think you scared each other.” She informed, watching from the edge as the alien silkworm displayed incredible speed and shot under the door where there was a small crack. “It’s safe to get down.”

“I think I’ll stay here for a while.” Gibson stiffly informed, still looking spooked. “I mean, the bed is high-I mean comfortable. It feels like I’m on a warm cloud—that is if clouds were physical and not just vapor and water. Why should I get down now?”

Mhairi blinked at his rambling, noting the nervousness and paranoia he tried to cover with logic. She tried not to smile at his expense and simply nodded, “I’ll just… lay down over here. Though, I can check and see if it’s gone-”

“NO! I mean, no, it’s fine. No need to inconvenience yourself for my sake. You’re already comfortable. It’s not like if we open the door there’s going to be a parade of them marching off to go cocoon or forage,” He added the last part nervously.

“If you say so.” She resigned, slowly edging back toward the middle of the bed, trying not to stare though she snuck a glance. Catching a curious look out of the corner of her eye she adjusted her seat, sinking into the material a bit more. Conversation escaped her as she tried to grasp for something rather than the nervous energy between them, “Well, at least the bed is heavenly.”

Gibson twitched at the change of subject, eyes still glued on the crack. “Huh? Oh, yes. It is.” He nodded, attention clearly elsewhere. After a few watchful moments, he slowly sat down, hands running over the covers.

The conversation lulled and the two remained on the bed in silence, Gibson mumbling to himself over the components of the mattress and blankets as a distraction and Mhairi quietly staring at the ceiling, fiddling with her claws.

She snuck glances at Gibson once in a while, nervousness buzzing through her veins. Her beak opened slightly a few times, searching for words but resigned to focusing on the ceiling’s wooden beams to seek out a pattern to distract herself with. Her tail flicked slightly and curled as a sense of longing settled in her chest, invoking warmth that spread and rose to her face.

Gibson let out a sigh to decompress as he lay down, searching for a new distraction as time stretched on. He fought the urge to drum his fingers, and eventually his mind went back to Mhairi’s hair; it looked so soft and beautiful.

The impulse to touch and run his hands through it grew and Gibson was lost in fantasy until he felt something lightly brush against his tail. He was jerked out of his thoughts, fur bristling as his head whipped toward the source. Paranoia overcame him over the thought that another unwelcomed insect was in the room with them. A barely muffled screech formed in his throat that he fought to keep contained led to a high-pitched bewildered, “Wha-“

“S-Sorry!” Mhairi blurted, jerking her wandering tail away from him and curling up tighter. Color flushed her cheeks as she glared at her tail as if about to scold it like a naughty pet.

“Oh… Oh! It’s alright! I was just startled out of my thoughts.” Gibson assured, looking at her though his eyes went to her let down hair before back to her bashful expression. Warmth crawled up his neck and he let out a cough, his gaze shifting back to the ceiling as if he could pin the growing want in his chest above him, “Got a lot on my mind.”

She gave a nod, still flushing. Both fell silent once again, the faint noises from the lobby barely penetrating the walls. Next door, Otto seemed to have tired himself out from playing as not a sound escaped from the other room. Thoughts of embrace teased the two as they were over an arm’s-length from one another, the pleasure of looking at the other’s face while they lay sleeping-

“Oh!” Mhairi squeaked, flinching and looking down in time to see Gibson’s tail stroke hers, caressing it gently. Her eyes widened as she watched the retreating tail, shifting to Gibson’s face with a look of confusion and curiosity.

“Sorry.” Gibson apologized, suddenly very self-conscious as his own tail betrayed his yearning. The thought of being nearer to Mhairi resulted in his tail subconsciously seeking her out. With warm cheeks he swished it away, laying stiffly with resolve to mind his manners no matter the desire burning in his chest.

Both lay still, awkward and flushing, very aware of the distance between them.

When it was nearing an hour and sleep still evaded both of them, Gibson steeled himself. Anxiety was humming through his body as his heart continued to thud, urging him to sneak a glance at Mhairi once more, which he finally did after adamant deliberation. She was still pointedly watching the ceiling, but he noticed, despite the warmth he felt increasing once more, that she was wearing the bell collar he had gifted her to bed. His eyebrows rose slightly in surprise; he had been too preoccupied with her emergence from the bathroom in the flattering nightgown and hair down to note that detail.

“Oh, you’re wearing the collar.” The comment slipped out before he realized it and Mhairi stilled at the break in silence.

“Y-yeah… I never take it off. Uh, that is, if I take it off I don’t want to chance losing it. It’s really comfortable and it’s not too noisy. It doesn’t bother me to sleep with.” She babbled, her gaze darting away as she seemed to grow red again. Her voice came out soft, tinged with embarrassment and tenderness, “It’s an important gift from you.”

Gibson stared at her for a moment, taken aback as she fidgeted, touching the collar fondly. Plucking up his courage to speak his mind with sincere reassurance and praise, he hesitantly began, “I just... I wanted to say how pretty your hair looks. I’ve never seen it down before.”

“Oh?” She squeaked, blue eyes widening with surprise as she turned toward him. “Y-you think so? I-it’s nothing special.”

“It’s different and I like it. Though, to be accurate, it is special since it’s just another aspect of you.” He paused, feeling flushed and his voice came out low, “You… are amazing, Mhairi.”

“Wh-What?” She sputtered, staring at him. “What brought this on?”

Gibson swallowed his hesitation, unlocking his intertwined fingers and gesturing, “It’s the truth. I just wanted to take a moment to tell you that. Let you know you’re appreciated. And you really helped out earlier.”

“Well, of course; I’m part of the team. I do what I can to help.”

“Right, but I still wanted to voice my affirmation.”

“Oh… well, I… We wouldn’t have pulled through without your keen observation. But aside from the recent mission…” Mhairi turned to look at him, feathers slightly puffed with a red shade on her cheeks, “you’re pretty amazing too.”

“I guess the verdict is unanimous.” Gibson attempted to joke despite his heart fluttering and Mhairi gave a little nod and shy smile. Although the ice had been broken, the awkward situation still lingered over them, nerves beginning to rise again once the distraction of conversation was gone.

Gibson caught movement out of the corner of his eye again, slightly tensing only to see Mhairi’s tail slowly moving in his direction with growing flicks. As he regarded the nearing tail with amusement, Mhairi let out a gasp in realization and pulled it back once more. “It’s alright.” Gibson assured though she looked petrified as if ready to die from embarrassment. “There’s plenty of room.”

“I-I know. I…” Mhairi hesitated, debating silently before saying with a deeper blush, “I just don’t want to be in your space... Er, I mean, I do! I really want to be!”

Gibson blinked in surprise, earning a hasty explanation and an even redder Mhairi who blurted, “I really want to cuddle! It’s all I’ve been thinking about while lying here! I’ve been wanting to snuggle since we got into this situation, to be near you and embrace you. L-Like the lovers in my books! I really wanted to experience it for myself, with someone I completely care for and love and… Ancestors! You must think I’m a selfish, hopeless romantic.”

Gibson regarded Mhairi, her face hidden in her talons, while he felt himself grow warm as well, at a loss for words. He was stunned for a few moments before smiling softly and shyly, “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Y-you wouldn’t?” Came the half-muffled response, Mhairi peeking partly through her talons.

“No, the warmth would be nice…” He shifted and moved slightly closer, his circuits buzzing as his heart pounded and soared, “Your warmth would be nice. Honestly, I’ve been thinking of being near you this whole time, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to initiate or not.”

“You have!?” She exclaimed, talons pulled away from her face as she looked at him in disbelief. Her eyes shone with hopefulness, but still shy and embarrassed.

Gibson offered a wider smile and reached out slowly. His hand brushed her hair gently, lightly caressing her face as he moved a few locks out of the way. “Absolutely consumed by it, like solving the unknown realms of quantum physics.”

Mhairi’s shade of red deepened and she let out a squeaky, “O-oh.” Her eyes flickered down and for a few moments she did nothing. Then slowly, she scooted closer, her tail flicking before swiping across Gibson’s legs and moving down, brushing against his tail with longing.

Gibson smiled and flicked his own tail, gently wrapping his around hers to keep it from slipping away, a light blush on his cheeks as he accepted the gesture. The reciprocated action startled Mhairi, her eyes widening but she did not pull away, instead letting her tail intertwine with his.

“Th-this…Is nice.” Mhairi confessed, looking as if she were about to combust at the intimacy she craved so deeply and was now being indulged with. She inhaled, taking in Gibson’s scent, feeling his body radiating heat since they were currently only a few inches apart. “It feels...”

“It feels right,” Gibson smiled, slowly extending a hand toward her, palm up in invitation. Mhairi hesitated briefly though she slowly reached out to gently grasped his hand, to which Gibson repositioned their hands upright to intertwine their fingers.

The two lay in silence, unsure of what to say as they simply soaked up the sensation of the other’s touch and gazing shyly at one another. Mhairi flexed her talons slightly, giving a tender squeeze that Gibson returned, sending a ripple of comfort through both of them.

After a while Gibson curled closer, letting out a sigh of contentment. “You were right before; this bed is quite comfortable. I could fall asleep at any moment. I wonder what they use to stuff the mattresses? Some type of plant fiber? Our hosts’ own fur perhaps? I can see why Otto wanted to play; this is another dimension of comfort.”

A giggle escaped Mhairi as blush crept across her face once more, “Think that’s how they really trap guests here? The beds alone will make you never want to leave, never mind a storm.”

“Maybe, it’s a diabolical scheme. This bed might swallow us up with its alluring comfort.” Gibson teased, smirking at his companion. “Do you suppose we’ve stumbled onto some villains hiding in plain sight?”

“Oh you know it!”

“Perhaps we should alert the others. Clearly it’s a very serious matter.”

“The dastardly acts of hospitality must be investigated!”

The two laughed lightly, the bed quivering slightly with their mirth. The detour was proving itself manageable thanks to the amount of comfort the inn offered as well as the company being kept.

Gibson smiled, inching closer to Mhairi as he felt emboldened, “I’m glad I’m here with you.”

“Me too.” Mhairi drew closer until her knees brushed against him. Soon the two were embracing, Gibson running his hand gently through her hair and fur, and Mhairi through his, “Definitely worth it.”

Gibson could only smile wider and hug Mhairi closer. The two lay still, limbs entangled and tails wrapped around each other. As they snuggled Mhairi let out a sigh, a light purr escaping her and Gibson blushed.

“I love you, Gibson.”

“And I love you.” Gibson gently kissed her forehead, feeling warmth throughout his body at her words, his own confession coming out easily. Mhairi curled closer before turning her head upward and giving him a tiny kiss.

“Sleep well.”

“Sweet dreams, Mhairi.”

Both continued to lay together, a mix of small kisses and purrs as the night went on. Finally the day caught up to them and the feeling of comfort and warmth carried the two off to sleep.

* * *

Gibson awoke the next morning with something warm pressed against his chest and a tickling sensation on his chin. Confused for a moment he drowsily pulled his head back to find Mhairi curled against him, her talon resting gently against his chest while her hair brushed against his chin. Instantly he remembered the night before and where they were.

As he looked at her sleeping face with a fresh blush spreading across his own, his breath catching, which in turn caused his chest to shudder. Mhairi’s brow scrunched together in slight vexation and curled closer to him, letting out a sleepy murmur, “Just five more minutes.”

Gibson suppressed a chuckle as he watched her. He dared to wrap his arms around her, pulling her closer and running his fingers through her hair once more. As the sunbeams from outside shown through the curtains on the window, Gibson’s thoughts drifted. What time was it anyways? He’d lost track as they had laid together for who knows how long until they had drifted off to sleep. He could faintly hear noises from outside, alerting him that it was late enough for other guests to be awake.

Suddenly there was an energetic knock on the door as he was just about to check his internal clock. Before he could answer, the door flew open—mortifyingly reminding Gibson he had forgotten to lock it the night before—and banged against the wall with a resounded smack.

“WAKEY, WAKEY! EGGS AND BAKEY!” Otto declared, throwing his arms out dramatically as he stood in the doorway, beaming.

“Otto! What are you doing!?” Gibson demanded, bolting upright and jostling Mhairi who let out a startled noise. He had half a mind to throw a blanket over the two of them as if something scandalous had been discovered.

“Sparx said you might need a ‘courtesy call’ since you guys overslept!” Otto smiled wider, looking at the two of them without a hint of embarrassment or shame. “Morning~”

“Of course he did.” Gibson dragged a hand tiredly over his face, certain he could hear Sparx’s snickers from around the corner.

“Mhmmm, what?” Mhairi sleepily wondered, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. She blinked sleepily at Otto and the open door. Instantly her eyes widened and a startled squeak escaped her as she turned a fresh shade of red and pulled the sheets to cover herself despite the nightgown she was still wearing.

“Otto… could you please give us a moment?” Gibson asked as politely as he could manage, his annoyance and exasperation nearly at a record high.

“Oh yeah!” The green monkey nodded, turning around to grant them some privacy. “I’ll let the others know you’re coming!” He paused as he pivoted, tensing with realization, “Oh, I almost forgot! I have something really cool to show you!”

“Can it wai-” Gibson began as Otto grabbed at something behind his back.

“Check out this cool worm I found!” Otto beamed with childlike wonder, holding up an all too familiar form that instantly wiggled as if on cue.

Needless to say anyone else sleeping in was instantly woken by the sound of a high-pitched scream that resounded throughout the inn and shook the nearby mountain clear of its freshly fallen snow.

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freckled-words · 5 years

Text

Repost: Delightful Spite

This was a request piece I wrote last year, I think, I have no memory of who requested it, but its for everyone to enjoy regardless.

Just a heads up: this is a reader insert with “she/her” identifiers.

Edited by @the-wild-ego

Mare was the friend a girl could count on to have her back.

Bad break up? Here’s a variety of alcohol and ice cream, plus, “Do I need to go pay him a visit?”

Working late and don’t feel comfortable walking home? He’ll show up in front of your work, decked out in the most punk-ass outfit he could put together. If anyone ever thought to give you a hard time outside of the store, they’d think twice.

When it came to being your matchmaker/wingman, he really needed to give it a rest.

So far he had tried to set you up with an unbalanced doctor, an over eager showman, and a robot clone of himself.

When he approached you about another friend, you shut him down immediately.

“Mare, I love you, and I trust you with my imaginary children, but I’m never letting you set me up again.” You said this without breaking your focus on the TV screen. You’d been bored and had started in on an all day Mario Kart endeavor. You were neck-and-neck with Yoshi, with Baby Bowser riding on your ass.

Mare sat next to you on the couch, his eager smile still in place with the offer he came in with, “So they weren’t your type, but this guy, I promise, will be your perfect match. For example, it took me weeks to get him to agree to go on a date.”

“Fuck you, Yoshi!”

“He’s got a twisted humour, just like you.”

“Take that red shell and shove it up your ass!”

“He’s not too bad looking, even has a bit of an edgy thing going for him. You like edgy right?”

You smiled in satisfaction and relaxed as you crossed the finish line in first place. Finally facing Mare, who’d dropped his smile, you told him point blank, “If it took you weeks to convince the guy, then I’ll one-up and make you work at it for a month.”

This decided, you got off the couch to get a drink.

Mare followed after you and leaned against the door frame as you went digging in the fridge, “I promise to never try and set you up again if this guy falls flat.”

A bottle of water in hand you rebuffed, “That’s what you said with the last guy.”

“How was I supposed to know an android could be embarrassed enough to shut himself down?!” Mare had genuinely thought Mal would have been a good match. They were different enough from each other, that it would have been like she was dating his twin brother.

You went back to the living room and took up your controller, “Mal was too innocent for me, and you knew it. Now you either pick up the other controller, or you entertain yourself some other way. We’re done talking about this.”

Mare pursed his lips in thought, looking at the controller you offered he got an idea, “I’ll play you for it.”

“Play me for what?” You narrowed your eyes, seeing the familiar smug twitch to his lips.

He sat on the couch and grabbed the second Switch controller, “If I win, you go on this date. You win, and I’ll never try setting you up again. Deal?”

This was an interesting gamble. So far Mare was tied with you on wins. You were both super competitive, and wouldn’t refrain from physically blocking each other to win.

On the one hand, the worst event was going on this date and suffering another awkward experience. On the other, Mare would stop trying.

“Very well, you have a deal. If you cheat, I win by default, got it?”

Mare repositioned himself into, what you called, his 'serious gamer pose’. His eyes already on the screen, he nodded, “Deal.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh stop pouting already, I won fair and square.” Mare chided from the driver’s seat.

You were pouting. You hadn’t stopped pouting since he’d beaten you two days ago.

“I still think you cheated without me noticing.” You grumbled back.

Mare rolled his eyes, “Whatever, just don’t be pouting through your date. You don’t want him to think your bad mood is his fault. Besides, you shouldn’t be pouting when you’re all dressed up.”

He had a point there. You were dressed in your favorite black dress that stopped at your knees, the skirt was loose and flowy with red roses along the hem. The top half clung to you in a way that was flattering, with a sweetheart neckline, and off the shoulder straps. For a bit of comfort, instead of appeal, you chose to wear your nice, new, black combat boots. You’d drawn roses on the side with a metallic, red sharpie.

To finish it off you’d applied ruby, red lip gloss; a dusting of shimmer, pink eyeshadow; and a flawless application of eyeliner.

You labelled the look, ‘Badass Beautiful’.

“We’ll just make fun of you instead.” You finally quipped back.

You’d decided from the start, that regardless of the guy, you were going to hold a grain of salt against him the entire night. Petty as it was, you couldn’t convince yourself otherwise.

The car came to a stop outside your favorite restaurant, The Spaghetti Factory. Your stomach growled in anticipation of their three cheese and mushroom ravioli.

Mare gestured towards the building, “He’ll be in there already, the reservation is under my name.”

You opened the car door and a strong wave of garlic bread hit you. Your stomach gave another ravenous growl. You hopped out of the car and gave Mare one more pout, “If he ruins my ravioli, I will make you pay.” This warning given, you slammed the door.

Mare immediately took off, giving you no chance to change your mind.

Holding onto your purse strap a bit tighter, you went inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were in trouble.

Your entire plan was going down the drain.

Your petty inner self was seething that Mare was winning.

Antisepticeye, the guy you’d been set up with, was just your type.

Dressed in black skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black blazer, he was a perfect match to your outfit. On top of that, his hair was green. With your own hair being dyed a vibrant red, the two of you must look like gothic Christmas enthusiasts.

Until you reached the table, he’d been resting his elbow on it with a surrely pout. Once his sight fell on you, his eyebrow had raised and a spark of something had lit up in his eyes.

You’d awkwardly gotten through introductions, leading into the amusing subject of Mare forcing this arrangement.

“That arse tried setting me up with another chick a couple months back. I wanted to stab myself before we even placed our orders.” Anti groaned, his fingers twitching towards the butter knife on the table.

You giggled, leaning forward to eagerly share, “She couldn’t have been as bad as the doctor he put me with. He kept calling the waiters ‘NURSE!’ It was ridiculous. I didn’t talk to Mare for a week I was so embarrassed.”

Anti looked incredulous, “I know that guy, what the fuck was Mare thinkin’?!”

“Thank you!”

The waiter came over then, and you were pleased when Anti ordered the same thing as you after you recommended it.

A complimentary basket of fresh made garlic bread rolls were left on your table. You loved these rolls, especially when they were still warm, which these were.

Anti watched you expertly rip the roll down the middle and apply butter.

Half of your roll in your mouth, you watched amused as he tried to copy your trick.

The roll turned into a deformed mess in his hands.

His eye twitched, a sign of his annoyance.

Before you could offer to show him the trick, he shoved the bread lump into his mouth. As he chewed, he grabbed another roll. Instead of trying your trick again, he showed you one of his own.

In awe, you watched him take out a pocket blade, stab it into the very edge of the roll and into the table, and yank on the roll. It sliced down the middle, leaving the edges neat and clean. He withdrew his blade and put it back in his pocket, giving you a wink as he smoothed out the table cloth to cover the new hole he’d made.

You bit your bottom lip, glancing around to check if anyone saw this happen. Seeing that you were in the clear, you snickered, “Oh my god, you can’t just whip out a knife! If you’d started a panic, I wouldn’t get my ravioli.” You tried to end on a pout, but his smirk made it impossible to hold.

After that little knife trick, you started asking him about his interests and what else he could do with it.

That lead into him asking about your interests, and then back to him.

The conversation kept going right up until the ravioli was served. At which point, you were both too engrossed with your pasta to keep long sentences going.

You were nearly finished eating, and debating on dessert, when you felt your phone go off.

Looking at the screen you rolled your eyes, which Anti noticed.

“Bet you the last roll I know who that is.”

“Help yourself, but only if you promise to go along with my story.” You smiled as you said this, your thumbs already at work typing out your lie to Mare.

Anti didn’t take the bread roll, instead choosing to lean forward and try to read your screen. You finished the text and showed Anti.

Mare: How’s it going? You staying for dessert? ;)

You: Yes I’m staying for dessert. Only because their apple crumble is amazing. It’ll also make me feel better after this new crap experience. You will never play matchmaker for me again.

Anti was grinning by the time he finished reading. He then broke into laughter when he pulled out his phone. He turned the screen towards you and you were right beside him in a fit of giggles.

Mare: Dude, what did you do?!

Anti: Whipped my knife out and offered to butter her roll.

The dirty implications were not lost on you, which only made it that much funnier.

You nearly had tears streaming down your face as you calmed yourself when the waiter came over.

“We’ll get an apple crumble to split please.” before this, Anti had agreed it sounded good.

Anti coughed trying to keep his laughter in check, “Two coffees, too.”

You hadn’t thought to include coffee, and it did sound like a good addition. Especially since this new game would be going on for a while, judging by the frantic texts you were getting from Mare in apology.

Once the waiter left, you managed to ask through more giggles, “H-how long do you think we can keep this up?”

Anti shrugged, grinning still to the string of cursing text messages Mare was sending him, “Until he catches on?”

“Well I don’t intend to tell him anytime soon.”

Anti’s smirk was all teeth and delighted interest, “Thatta girl.”

#Delight Spite #repost #fanfiction #reader insert #Antisepticeye #NateMare

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choerrylipped · 4 years

Note

Can we get some suggestions on what you would have liked Hyun's new outfit to have looked like? Like I think this is a step up from the green shirt but just wondering what the Hyun stan would have liked to seen.

“The Hyun stan” 😳😳😳 you knew what you were doing there weren’t you omg >/////

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for me. My opinion keeps changing. At first I was like what, really? Just confused. Then I accepted it and really liked it. Then I got other ideas but thought nah that might be my preference but it wouldn’t really be “HIM”.

I would’ve liked more tight fitted clothes. His outfit now very much reminds me of pyjamas which isn’t a bad thing, but with the “Dream” shirt it really reinforces the idea in my head HAHAH

I’m SO glad that he wasn’t given any bright, crazy colours in his outfit, dull colours are definitely his thing. And hallelujah, we’ve gotten rid of that horrible green shirt. That’s one thing to celebrate for us, Hyun stans lolol our baby doesn’t look like a middle aged dad anymore :’DD

The colour scheme I very much like, I do think it compliments him so it’s pretty much what I would’ve chosen as well. Despite me preferring tight fitted clothes, I also like how he looks like this. As you can tell I’m going back on my word here lol THIS IS WHAT I MEAN I CANNOT COMMIT TO ONE OPINION but I think this must mean I am satisfied with his outfit overall.

Although I dream of an e-boy / skaterboy Hyun (throwback to that one edit, it never left my soul) I have to admit this was perfect for him. Really represents how he is as a person as well. Also as a now 26 year old, I should accept that it’s an unlikely scenario HAHAHA (unless you’re Nathaniel, who seems to be going through puberty for the second time lolol)

Since I’m not good with explaining, I’ll use some ref pics of BTS’ Jimin on what I could imagine our boy to have dressed like also. I chose Jimin specifically because they seem to have a similar build so it makes it much more complimentary in my head:

Fancy Hyun is my dream, I can’t deny it !

Now I know people will disagree with me on this but...AN ALL BLACK FIT. You can never go wrong with it. After that green shirt tragedy it would be good compensation for us to get a full black outfit, I love them, I know other people will disagree and call it dull but this is my personal opinion, I would love it TTT^TTT ❤️

I don’t know if I’d include the red beanie in the outfit, but I also think a biiiiig oversized jumper or a hoodie would suit Hyun well. Plus the holes and zips like in this one makes me partially live my e-boy Hyun dream so I can’t not love it :’DD

I think what we can gather from this is that I would love for him to have a loose fitted/baggy/oversized top layer, paired with some tight fitted trousers, most likely jeans. A simple tank top is nice underneath, and the top layer to be a baggy jumper or something of the sort. The second picture shows a not-so-tight-fitted pair of trousers, so we can conclude that that’s not a MUST, I just think the term “loose” HAS to be associated with his fashion. It compliments his physique, and I think it would look very nice on him ^^ I’ve included a lot of black and not much colour so it’s definitely my preference and I think it’s well proportioned into his current outfit so it’s not a major change that I’d make or have any complaints about. Overall his outfit rn makes him look like an art teacher HAHAH kinda hippy, and I like that. Much better than the previous outfit.

I overall hold a positive opinion on his new outfit, and I think I’ve said everything I wanted to say in this needlessly long rant, so that’s it from me! Apologies about my very messy way of talking as well, going back and forth between my opinion like I don’t like this...no yes I do ok well no but yes- I’M CONFLICTED BUT OVERALL SATISFIED

#wooo that was a ride!#hope this is readable enough to understand anon lolol #hyun

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psi-psina · 5 years

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TOUR19 THE INSULATED WORLD, ZEPP NAGOYA, 19/04/2019

I felt the attempt to write something. :)

00. SE

01. 谿壑の欲

02. Downfall

03. 人間を被る

04. Rubbish Heap

05. Ash

06. Values Of Madness

07. DOZING GREEN

08. 赫

09. Celebrate Empty Howls

10. undecided

11. Ranunculus

12. Devote My Life

13. 軽蔑と始まり

14. 獣慾

15. 詩踏み

16. Followers

17. 鬼眼

18. Revelation of mankind

19. GRIEF

20. 冷血なりせば

Tonight, Nagoya did not have quite the strength of feeling among the fans that we did in Shinkiba, but it was still one of the best Nagoya crowds I’ve experienced and the live was just, incredible. One thing I will say though, is that shimote was not on point tonight, seriously Kaoru’s crowd was just….fuckin deadass, there wasn’t the energy or enthusiasm I’m used to having in shimote at all. The calls for ALL the members were pretty lacklustre compared to Shinkiba as well I must say, and no one in shimote was calling for encore, everyone was just standing there talking, I was like wtf? I kinda wish I’d been in kamite tonight. I was back in the Toshiya pit after being in the middle since the start of this tour and I gotta admit I have missed the view. Idk if it’s just because I am so used to being there, or if it’s because, when you are in the middle, you tend to miss all the other members more because it is almost impossible to look at anything but Kyo when you are in front of him. Or at least, I find it to be so. So I like being a bit to one side usually, and I think I’ll do that again in Osaka.

Unfortunately there were some prissy bitches in the Toshiya crowd that were a bit…unpleasant right at the start. You know those girls who sometimes are in the pit and want a solid,constant halo of space around them and will shove at the back of whoever is in front of them to keep them away…I was watching the chick in front of me do this to the girl standing in front of her during Keigaku and I wanted to smack her because I have had girls do that to me in the pit and it is NOT nice, it’s distracting and makes it extremely difficult to move in tandem with the people in front of you when you’ve got these shovey little hands pressing into your back to keep you in one spot. I once had one randomly shove me so hard while everyone was bouncing that I crashed into the person in front of me. They can be nasty. 😞

And if you’re behind them ah….I began the show directly behind this girl and her friend and every time I touched her due to moving with the rest of the crowd (the pit was MOVING to Keigaku and Downfall and I had to put my hands out at times to make sure I wasn’t being pushed up against her...) she would elbow and shove at me. :/ I was like bitch, what the fuck. There are two or three people and a rail right behind me and people are moving. Ugh, I hate it, it’s such a rude and bitchy way to behave in the pit. Like there is nothing wrong with wanting your own space and wanting to just dance and do your stupid little anime moves but like, just get behind the pit, for god’s sake. :( Anyway, she was being so nasty that by Downfall I got tired of being shoved and elbowed at, and admittedly, just started shoving her right back. Like honestly just go away, no one here wants that nonsense anywhere near them. Thankfully they moved somewhere else pretty fast and everyone was able to just settle in the their spots and it was lovely. However there was one other girl a few places ahead of me who stayed where she was and just flatly refused to headbang or move with the crowd for the entire show, people were smacking into her so much in songs like Juuyoku and Grief and Reiketsu, and if she wanted to stick out she certainly accomplished that. >.>

The members were in a fantastic mood though, Toshiya was absolutely glowing and Kaoru and Die were both really energetic and giving heaps of attitude and they moved around the stage a lot. Their outfits were all pretty much the same as has been described from the earlier gigs. Die REALLY sticks out in his red and white getup but it’s also oddly complimentary/in sync with Toshiya’s style. They’re both wearing these SUPER feminine, flowing outfits. And then Kaoru and Kyo also look kinda complimentary to me. Kyo looks sooooooooo good in these suits man, like this whole mafia-don aesthetic he’s got going on right now is sooooo sexy and those suits are, unsurprisingly, tailored to perfection like there have been a few moments he’s been in silhouette up on his crate and I literally cannot breathe bc of the POWER. He’s got a few different ones that he’s mixing and matching, I distinctly recall he was wearing a double-breasted jacket in Shinkiba (day 2) but I think he’s only worn that once. Tonight for encore he wore a lacey white dress shirt that I haven’t seen him in before this.

Kyo entered the stage smoking one of his chocolate cigarettes, which he smoked throughout Keigaku. I don’t think he smoked elsewhere during the set until the end? But I could be wrong. The first chunk of the set up to Values went by so fast, it was so much fun. Like seriously, Downfall, Ningen, Rubbish Heap??? HEAVEN. Kyo calls on us to sing during Downfall in the EXACT parts I wanted to UGHHHH. Downfall has turned into one of my absolute favourite songs live and off the album, it’s been such a grower. It amuses me that fans still don’t really raise their fists during Rubbish Heap but just have their hand raised like usual 😂 come on guys, get it together. But there was furious headbanging right from the start of Rubbish Heap tonight it was sooooo good.

At one point in the first part of the set Kyo came over and visited Kaoru, he walked around behind him and sang next to him for a moment with his arm around his back, it looked like he was on the verge of doing something mischievous but then decided not to, and let Kaoru off the hook 😂 It may have been during Ash, but I can’t remember. Dozing Green was absolutely AH-MAZING again, it didn’t top day 2 at Shinkiba, but it was up there with it. I love the way fans in all the cities have been moving and mouthing along with the lyrics so passionately. All the guys are feeling that song DEEP and it just works SO well in this setlist…it’s a perfect way to lead into Aka, it’s like it builds the mood right into that song and they compliment each other perfectly right down to the lighting…Dozing Green is lit with these cool blues and greens and then Aka floods the stage blood red. Tonight’s Aka was a lot more controlled from Kyo than the performances in Tokyo and Hiroshima, but no less beautiful. And Celebrate Empty Howls is an odd one… It’s in the dead centre of the setlist, right in the middle of the atmospheric section but it’s such an oddball… I feel like it would be a lot better placed in between Ranunculus and Devote but, that’s just me! After Celebrate there is a breather where chairs are brought out for undecided.

Kyo cried terribly when he sang undecided tonight, it was absolutely heart wrenching and he continued to be very teary through Ranunculus and gave a still more emotional performance than I had yet seen ;____; He screams out terribly after the bridge every time, and every time I’ve thought there couldn’t possibly be a more emotional performance and then he….. ;__; I meant to check on Kaoru and Toshiya during Ranunculus tonight to see if they sang along at all but I could not take my eyes off Kyo. I do recall Die caught my attention at a few moments though, he is incredibly passionate in Ranunculus like he is in Rinkaku,

Getting hit with Devote right after Ranunculus is kind of emotional whiplash and I find it difficult to get fully into it when it’s in that place in the setlist, I just can’t feel it fully when I’m still in the immediate aftermath of Ranunculus, especially when the performances are so intense. Ranunculus into Devote is the only thing I have to say against this setlist, it would just be so much better to have a slightly milder song leading out of Ranunculus. 😞

Kyo went craaaazy during Devote and Keibetsu, he headbanged and threw his body around violently, and I can’t remember much else because of my own headbanging. Kyo calls on us to shout “zankoku na~!” during Devote and “saa iwaeyo kizu ni!!” during Keibetsu and I remember Toshiya coming right to the front and heavily egging us on during Keibetsu, he got really excited during that song.

Kyo did not cry when singing Followers tonight, like Aka it felt a much more controlled performance than those in Hiroshima and (especially) Tokyo. Tonight oddly made me cry though, I think because i paid more attention to the backdrop than I have in the previous performances. Credit to @theghostinmyroom for pointing this out first, the imagery during Followers includes Jesus the Redeemer, and a naked skeletal figure seen from behind sitting in foetal position. Parts of the english lyrics are projected throughout the song, particularly the phrases “That is me, This is me” and “No matter how cruel the world is” and towards the end there are vague images of each of the members, the final of which is Kyo singing in silhouette. ♡ Followers did not strike me as a song the way it did a lot of others and the same was true for me when it’s performed live…everything about the song is quite indirect imho, however the rapport between band (particularly Kyo) and the fans I have found has steadily grown with each performance…the emotions are layering on. ♡ On the first night at Shinkiba, Kyo raised his hand toward us at the end of the song which prompted many fans to respond, and we held out our hands until the final notes had faded. On the second night, and tonight in Nagoya, Kyo held out his hand to us as the song began. This reaching out brought a much stronger feeling to the song.

I think Followers would have also fared better on this tour mid-set tbh, it seems in an odd place that’s sort of disconnected from all the other songs lol. And like with Ranunculus, there’s no time to bask in the afterglow of the emotion because then, we’re immediately hit with Kigan LOL. KIGAN IS SOOOO MUCH FUN, and Toshiya was SUPER into it tonight, Kyo is very naughty and playful during this song as well and likes to feel himself a bit 😛 I love the part where he tells us to jump.

Annndd the rest is a blur, Grief and Reiketsu? GOD TIER. OH, There was one moment in the encore that was just lakjsdnlfkjasdf, we were talking about it after the show. Before Grief or Reiketsu, i can’t remember, Kyo was riling everyone up with all his usual cursing and attitude, it was all fuckers this and bastards that, and then he just randomly used keigo? He just suddenly asked super politely ”行きますか?” it was just KASJNALKJNFKSDJ

#tour19 tiw #dir en grey

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leanni · 5 years

Photo

Walking Sim - Asset Development

Here’s some of the stuff I went through... SPOILER WARNING: HUGE WALL OF TEXT COMING UP

My group agreed that we’d do low poly stuff and vertex paint as it’ll take a huge load off on the amount of things we had to make. When I had all of my assets made, I vertex painted some for a good hour or two and I imported them into unity since I was curious on how it’d look like... PLOT TWIST: UNITY HATES VERTEX PAINT, IT DOESNT SHOW UP AT ALL. I took maybe an hour of scrambling to figure out a solution aaaand came up with: 1) import a plugin for unity but the plugin I found was very outdated so I didn't trust that. 2) assign materials to each asset, this was the route I went with because Unity doesn't hate materials. It was just a longer approach to vertex painting but it got the job done .__. I relayed this info to the team so that they wouldn’t need to go through such heartbreak as the one I went through

Broken Crate: I already had crates made so I duplicated them and experimented how I’d make them look broken. I went with using the Detaching tool but it made the crate look like it came out like a puzzle??? The cuts were too perfect Then I used the Boolean difference tool and it actually wasn’t too bad but.... there’s ngons and I really didn't want to hunt and fix those for the whole day, no ty :/

Telescope: I made a simple telescope and of course it looked too simple so I changed the shapes up a little.

Rum Bottles: I tried out a transparent material since... bottles aren’t that opaque. But then it looked... weird?? It looks like the bottle is in half or something?? I couldn’t even adjust the transparency properly... 0 and 0.001 apparently is a huuuuge difference in Maya’s eyes. Back to opaque it is! The good part apart this is that I could add a nice shine on the bottle.

Barrel: I took the low poly barrel I made and played around in substance painter. I WAS CURIOUS ON HOW IT WOULD LOOK WITH REALISTIC TEXTURES. I also took the barrel into Zbrush…. ONCE AGAIN, I WAS CURIOUS ON HOW IT WOULD LOOK LIKE. I had wood brushes so I wanted to put them to good use .__. anyways one thing I can take away from this is how cool it looks if it was in the scene because the zbrush barrel looks battered and rotten which would’ve made sense as some assets are gonna be submerged in water :( #whatcouldhavebeen

Palm Tree: I was figuring out how I would want a segment of the trunk to look like while using as little polys as I could since I wanted to duplicate them to build the entire trunk. Once I got the shape down, I built it up but noticed that it was veryyyy boring, it literally goes straight up. so I just rearranged the trunk into a curve - messed around with some of the segments, made some long/short and rotated them. The leaf was simple to make but I needed to be optimal with the polysss :/ This shows my first trial run where I made it without thinking much - took a Plane and used Multicut to get the shape I wanted, Smoothed it then Reduced it since there was no point in spending lots of polys on a single leaf... But when I tried to use Soft Select to bend it... there wasn’t enough polys for a good lookin’ curve. The irony istg. Of course I remade the leaf again lol

Coral Reef: Different colours! I went for analogous colours for some sort of weird but natural coral reefy look?? I didn't want any complimentary colours like green and red since the xmas look isn't what I was going for lol

Carpet: Again.. just curious to play with substance painter but uh yea that doesn’t look good, it’s too realistic. I got a carpet texture from Google but it looked realistic as well :/ then... Minecraft saved my life xD Inspired by how Minecraft does Wool in their game, I took the carpet texture into photoshop, used the Mosaic filter and then darkened the texture because it was too light for my liking. So now the carpet texture doesn’t look detailed which was a win in my book :D When I made the carpet, I used the Sculpting tool to lift it up a bit just to give some sort of... weight?? to it?? And I made sure the edges weren’t completely straight. It’s not really noticeable but it’s better than having a classic rectangle .__.

Open Book: At first the book had nothing on its pages so I decided to put a plane with texture on top of it buuuut it didn't look like it was actually part of the book... so I just extended the plane so that it would touch the spine/middle part of the book. I added some cuts so that it would follow the curve of the pages as well. A snug fit.

#maya #development #y2 #walking sim

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theonewiththefanfics · 6 years

Text

At Arm’s Length (part 2)

Part 1- Modern!AU

Part 3

Part 4

Pairing: CEO!Bucky x Reader

Genre: angst

Warnings: swearing, the usual stuff, bad editing, ‘m sorry

Word count: 2848

Quick PSA- if you liked Never The Friend please read Author’s Note :)

Throughout the next week, Y/N was just pure nerves. Bucky had called to remind Y/N to give him the colour of her dress so that they could match. But once the dreaded evening rolled around all the fear and anxiety turned into a sudden calmness. She couldn’t do anything about it, so why try and remedy it? Sure, Y/N could tell Bucky herself, that she was going to leave quite soon, but then again- the girl was a coward, unable to face the truth of the matter, unable to be the one to break his heart like that. At six PM, right on the dot, her doorbell rang. The emerald green dress hugged her waist and curves, flailing out in a trail behind her as she opened the door. Bucky’s breath hitched when his blue eyes befell on the woman, his tie matching the exact shade of the fabric, while the cuffs of his jacket glimmered with the actual green gems. “You look absolutely mesmerising,” after a good few seconds he breathed out. “I-“ she was just about to rebuff, but relented. “Thank you, Bucky. You look amazing as well.” “Trust me, I look nothing compared to you,” his eyes had settled on her face, complete awe overtaking his features. “Just… wow…” They stood there like that, just gazing into one another until Y/N had to remind Bucky that there was an event they had to get to and they need to leave before it started. He cleared his throat, swallowing away the nervousness. “Shall we?” he extended her his elbow. Gently she looped her hand through his and made their way out of the apartment. Bucky couldn’t keep his eyes off of the girl’s form. Her own Y/E/C orbs were trained to the city outside, lights blurring together in an indistinguishable mass as they whizzed through the streets in his Jaguar. Soft classical music filled the air, as neither spoke. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. With them it never was, though he did note a certain tension, an uneasiness oozing from Y/N, but he didn’t mention it. She was never one to talk much about her feelings, so if she wanted, she would.

It felt like they drove only for a couple of minutes when the driver announced that they were by the tower. Bucky hadn’t wanted the moment to end, but as the bright flashes momentarily blinded him from the open door, Y/N looked over and gave him a small smile. “Let’s go. The crowd is waiting for you.” “Love, when they see how gorgeous you are, no one will even care that I am there.” Y/N suppressed the blush. When you know someone has feelings for you and you reciprocate, it’s quite hard to let comments like that simply let slip by. “Yeah, well I’m not the most eligible bachelor in all of New York, so I highly doubt it.” Bucky chuckled as the driver stepped aside and let the man climb out. The crowd went wild as did the photographers, calling out his name, and asking him to turn to pose. He extended his hand. It was his left one. The prosthetic. Y/N slid her palm into it and he firmly grasped hers, helping her out of the car. He had lost his left arm in a horrible train accident. She hadn’t known about it for almost two years after it happened. Bucky and Steve had been on a university trip to Paris when there was a collision and the large machine had gone off the tracks. Miraculously enough the blond had stayed almost unscathed, only bruised his ribs and back, while Bucky hadn’t gotten out so easily. It was only when they returned home, only when she met up with them years later did Y/N see that he was missing a limb. “Yeah,” he had muttered, shrugging with the non-existent shoulder. “A thing happened.” Her Y/E/C eyes were wide and mouth had gone completely dry. “A-a thing?” she whispered out. “You call losing your fucking arm a thing?!” They had been out in public, her voice going higher and higher, almost to the point of hysterics, so Bucky stepped closer and one-armedly pulled the girl to his chest. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m fine. It happened a while ba…” Suddenly, it wasn’t worry and shock on her face, but pure white-hot rage. “A while back?” she gritted out. “How long is a while back?” Steve had seen the pleading look in his best friend’s eyes. “Why don’t we go grab a coffee?” he tried to interject, placing a palm on Y/N’s lower back. “We have so much to catch up on.” “Yeah,” she sneered, not breaking the eye contact with Bucky. “We have a lot of stuff to catch up on.” Bucky could only nervously smile and gulp. Now, looking at what his accident had motivated him to achieve, Y/N felt proud of her best friend. The 'Barnes and Rogers' prosthetics company was the best of the best, having collaborated with many businesses and done many campaigns, most notably, creating durable, high-quality artificial limbs for soldiers and children. She had been notably upset that Bucky nor Steve had decided to share their accident, even giving them the silent treatment for almost a month, but it was when the brown-haired beauty stood on her doorstep, tears in his eyes, two large pizzas in palm and a bag of all her favourite movies and snacks slung across his back, did Y/N finally relent and forgive them. The woman was pulled out of her thoughts as the cool metal wove across her back and firmly pressed her body to Bucky’s side. “Told you no one would care for me,” he muttered into her hair, bright flashes illuminating the pair. He pressed a kiss to her head and smiled at the crowd, the photographers and interviewers shouting ‘are you two a couple’, ‘who is the lovely lady’ and ‘you look perfect together’. They moved across the red carpet, the shimmering green of her dress contrasting the red in the most complimentary way, a hand-woven around Bucky’s middle, as to help them move along and also not trip over her own feet from the anxiety flowing through her body. She was sure he could hear her erratic heartbeat even over the roar of people; see the way he actually affected her. But Bucky didn’t comment on it. Only firmly held her and rubbed soothing circles on her side. It felt so right to the girl. To be with him like this. So close, moulded together and leaning into one another’s bodies. Yet the second Y/N was ready to allow herself get lost in his touch and scent, to maybe try this thing out between them, the fact that she had only a month left in New York before flying over to Spain and staring a life there- it was an instant and the walls were back up again. Bucky leaned in closer, his cologne intoxicating Y/N’s senses, making her just burn with the need to bury her nose in the crook of his neck. “I have to go talk to some of the reporters, but I’ll be right back.” Y/N chuckled. “What will I ever do without you?” The girl would probably later on regret allowing him to lean in and press a kiss to the corner of her lips, especially when this whole thing was being televised, but when they brushed against hers, so so close, she almost fully turned her head to pull his mouth flush against hers. She looked at his form retreat. Bucky looked over at the girl and gave her a wink with that signature smirk of his accompanying it. “Careful, Y/N,” suddenly Wanda’s voice was right next to her. “Or it will seem like you have finally stopped being stupid, admitted your feelings and have opened up a door to happiness.” “Oh, hush up, Wan,” she pushed her shoulder. “You know nothing will happen. Not after tonight,” she mumbled looking down at the designer shoes adorning her feet. “You still haven’t told him?” the redhead threw a smile at the photographers and pushed the long locks over her shoulder. “He’s gonna find out tonight anyway, so what’s the point?” “The point is,” Wanda turned to face Tony’s secretary, “that you two are in love. Everybody can see that, yet you seem to be too stubborn to allow yourself at least a chance.” “I leave for Spain in a month. There is nothing worth trying out. I don’t want either of us to end up with a broken heart and our friendship to evaporate. I care too much about him to let that happen.” Y/N’s eyes were trained on the man’s back, as he talked with a blonde interviewer, the both laughing at something one of them had said. Wanda huffed in defeat and gave her friend’s bicep a soft squeeze. “I hope you know what you’re doing.” With that she left Y/N, her gaze trailing behind the woman. “I hope so too.”

The tower was decorated beyond belief, but then again it was Tony Stark we’re talking about- the expert in lavish parties. Y/N’s hand immediately grabbed a champagne glass from one of the waiters and she chugged it, a little bit of the bubbles coming back up her nose, but the girl didn’t care, taking another one almost immediately after. “Slow down, doll. We have the whole night ahead of us,” Bucky’s gruff voice invaded her ears from behind, and he pressed a swift kiss to the crown of her head. “Shouldn’t you find Steve?” Y/N looked around, eyes shifting to everything and everyone except Bucky. As if on cue the last part of their unbreakable trio showed up, wrapping Y/N in a bone-crushing hug. “Can’t- breathe,” she wheezed out, feeling as if he truly was about to break her ribs in half. “I don’t care,” Steve muttered in Y/N’s hair. “I haven’t seen you in almost two weeks.” “Mhm,” when he finally put her down, she turned around to look at him. “And whose fault is that?” He had grown out a beard, his hair was slicked back and combed, but what really made Y/N’s mouth fall agape was the woman on his arm. “I guess it was mine?” she awkwardly chuckled, the British accent fluttering through the air, as the Y/H/C haired girl practically tackled her. “Holy shit, what the hell are you doing here?” Y/N cupped the woman’s cheeks. “Are you really here? Please tell me I’m not imagining this.” “You’re not,” Peggy smiled and put her arms around her friend’s neck. “I missed you so much. Thank the fuck, Steve got his head out of his ass.” A soft ‘Hey!’ could be heard from next to them, but neither paid attention. Because it was true. Peggy had been his most stable girlfriend since high school, having been part of an exchange program, she was in the same class as the trio and became fast friends. Then things sorta had fallen apart between the two, Steve going to Yale and Peggy back to England. But now, it seemed the two had reconciled. And Y/N couldn’t be happier about it even if she tried. Her brown hair was in perfect curls, almost reminding Y/N of how girls did their hair in the 40’s, but it suited her perfectly complimenting the deep burgundy dress just right. “Can’t say that I disagree,” she eyed Steve from the side, who threw back his head, a ‘Lord-help-me’ look on his face, Bucky laughing next to him and patting his friend on the shoulder. “Though he did get his head out of his ass enough to do this” At first, Y/N didn’t understand what Peggy was referring to until freshly manicured fingers were being wiggled in front of her face and there on the ring finger sat a platinum band with a giant diamond in the middle of it. “Fucking finally!” Y/N exclaimed and hugged her even more ferociously. The four remained like that in their own little bubble, that was filled with nothing but love and care until Tony Stark gathered everyone’s attention, as he stood on the stage. Bucky once again settled his palm on Y/N’s hip, but it did more than set her skin ablaze and heart racing. It also pulled her out of the safety she had felt while not thinking of what tonight was all about. “Thank you all for joining us at ‘Stark Industries’ today. As you all are well aware, so many rumours have been floating around on what this occasion is all about, so here I am about to put this all to rest. Firstly,” he raised a glass of champagne in Pepper’s direction, “I want to thank my beautiful wife for tolerating me throughout these years and dealing with my shit.” “Language!” Steve hollered, eliciting laughter from everyone in the crowd. “Watch it, Rogers!” Tony smirked in his direction. “But tonight is more than me or Mrs Stark. Tonight is a celebration of ‘Stark Industries as a whole. None of this would be possible without each and every engineer, secretary, assistant, press rep and so on and so forth. Tonight we celebrate growth and expansion.” Murmurs could be heard from everyone around and Y/N’s hand grabbed her champagne a bit tighter. “I know all of you are excited and as much as I love the suspense I will cut right to the chase- it is my great pleasure to announce that ‘Stark Industries’ shall be opening up a branch not only in LA, to help out with our Latin American production, but for the first time ever we shall be opening a branch in Europe.” Cheers of appraisal exploded, but Y/N could hear nothing as Tony continued on and said those last words she’d been dreading for more than two months. “And the Spain extension shall be run by none other than the one person who probably knows about this business more than me or Pepper- my incredible secretary, now assistant director of ‘Stark Industries International’- Y/N Y/L/N.”

Bucky’s eyes studied Y/N's face. They were roaming over her like she was a stranger in a friend’s body. “When were you going to tell me?” Her eyes looked down at the floor in shame. “A day before I left.” “What?” Bucky whispered out. “Why?” “Because I know you, Buck,” Y/N exasperated, “I know you’d try to convince me to stay.” “Of course, I would! How can I not, when only recently I got my best friend back! When I got my shit together by finally realising how in love with you I am!” “Don’t” Y/N backed away, “don’t say that.” “Say what? That I love you? That I know you feel the same?” His large palms cupped her cheeks, but Y/N turned her head to the side. “Because I know you do. And now I know that you didn’t reject me because you didn’t. Y/N, I don’t care that we now have only a month. I want to spend as much time together as possible, to show you how much I truly care in the time that we have here. And long distance doesn’t mean a thing, I know we can manage-“ “Buck-“ “I’ll fly out every week if I have to-“ “Bucky-“ “You’ll come to visit-“ “Bucky-“ her voice became more instant. “We’ll work it out. I’m not ready to los-“ “Bucky!” His chest was panting like he had just run a marathon, warm palms still resting on her cheeks, foreheads pressed together. “I can’t do that,” she whispered, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “Of course, you can.” “No,” she shook her head. “I said no all those times because I’m not about to start something I can’t finish, I’m not about to string you along on a ride that will abruptly end when I step on that plane. You say we can do long distance, but I can’t. College was hard enough without having you around. And we were just friends then. I’m not gonna be able to do it if we’re involved. If we’re more than that. And I won’t be the reason you start hating me.” “I could NEVER,” he emphasised the word, “hate you.” “But you would.” She looked him dead in the eyes, “you’d start to despise me, hate that I’m not around. The time zones wouldn’t help either and then, in the end, you’d look for comfort in someone else’s arms.” “Please don’t say that,” he was teary-eyed at this point mirroring Y/N’s own expression. “What if- fine- okay... you don’t wanna do long distance. Then I’ll wait. Until you come back. Or better yet,” it was like a Christmas tree lit up in his mind, “I’ll go with you.” “No,” Y/N backed away, horrified, “I’m not going to let you throw away your whole life Bucky! Not because of me.” He grasped her palm in his, a tight and firm hold on her fingers. “And I won’t let you give up on what we could have.

Tags (crossed out means tumblr wouldn’t let me tag you): @impalatobakerstreet @s-c-a-r-e-d-po-t-t-e-r @mrsalh32611 @slender--spirit @janineabad @salty-buchanan @chrisevans1fan @dyanna-corona @chook007 @lost-and-wandering-alone @goalie-love @nerdgirljen @jediviolet @fandomly-writings @thunderous-flower @who-cares-rn @lumelgy @projectxhappiness @callmebucky-doll @palaiasaurus64 @coal000 @killuaenthusiast @courtneychicken @sophiealiice @raquelbc2003 @watch-out-for-thorns @potentially-kinetic @thatonegirljessy99 @proxinge @bbkenna @buckysclub @ulired @fangirlofeverythingbasically @supernaturalbaesduh @breezy1415 @pizzarollpatrol @crazy--me @thatawkwardlittlefangirl

A/N: so I have received a few messages about wanting a part 2 to Never The Friend. What do you guys think? Should I write it? Actually, I’m sorta in the middle of writing it, but I don’t know if I wanna post it or nah. Let me know if you’d like to read it :))

P.S. if you wanna be tagged or have any requests, drop a message, please :)

P.S.S. feedback is always appreciated

P.S.S.S. please don’t repost without credit :)

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ralbeleren · 6 years

Note

more of that witch/witch's familiar AU with José and James 👀👀👀👀

James has to keep his secret. The secret he can’t let go of, that settles under his ribcage, imprisoned as it should be. This, James knows, is dangerous. It’s bad. A secret that could get José in trouble too. Which isn’t the intention, it wasn’t ever the intention but the visions in his dreams get stronger and all he can do is be prepared.

James is a protector, by nature. Whenever he had his readings, The Emperor always came up. He knows it’s in his soul and in his blood, and deep into his magic.

These things he knows as a truth.

Other familiars probably wouldn’t give up their ability to find a new bond if something happened to the old-- but James isn’t other familiars. If José is in danger, then giving up an ability to find someone new to protect him was a no brainer.

José was his in a way Hernán had never been. Which -- it’s unfair to Hernán to think that, but it’s also an undeniable truth.

There’s a black and white tuxedo looking maine coone, with an overactive tail, and glittering green eyes with crescent moons as irises. Alex’s girls call him Captain Fluffy, but James knows him by his true name.

Xbalanque is one of the old Gods, who cavort in modern forms to keep themselves alive through other means and ways of love besides worship. James knows so many of the old gods still roam the Earth as beloved pets, as revered figures.

(Some so famous it’s a surprise they’re never caught-- especially the flagrant ones, like Mars who still has his name as his name, billed every night for his amazing musical talent. But...)

Xbalanque isn’t a familiar, per se, but the fact that some of the other witches practice old religions, scraped together from ancient writings, makes some of those gods drawn. Alex is no exception and while ancient Mayan religious practices can be stomach churning for some-- James has a need.

There’s nothing on Earth more important to James than José and they’re in Arizona anyways and this is the perfect time, the perfect moment. Alex drinks tea in a garden in the desert while Xbalanque suns himself and James sits stiffly, unsure of this being the way to go.

Alex, considering. Xbalanque, waiting.

“Okay.” Alex says, finally, after a time. “At midnight, it’s a new moon tonight, the perfect time. You know what to bring.”

James nods.

“And you can’t get squeamish, once we start it’s--”

“I know.” James interrupts and thinks about cranberry red blood between his fingers and staining his hands, forever and ever.

But it’s for José.

José is too flagrant with his magic. Under nothing but blue sky and the sun shining high on a perfect day, the dark blue nearly blends into the backdrop, as he flits and nearly dances around the field, weaving a spell as effortless as he moves.

James is looking to find someone, to pick someone out-- determine the magic energies as they ebb and flow and overlap, everyone just there and out and their magic on display for someone like James.

James-- well, he’s a familiar, but human familiars are illegal for a reason. He escaped the last purge and keeps himself private. But he has to think that someone knows. Someone had gotten rid of Hernán and now were attempting to do the same to José.

But it happens before he and Alex have a chance to do their ritual-- the portal opens in the middle of the field and swallows José up, leaving a hole at second and a wild clamoring to begin.

Something that shouldn’t have happened. That couldn’t be allowed.

José disappears on a Tuesday afternoon, in front of a huge crowd, and the trail goes dead immediately from the magic portal, which disappears so quickly there’s no way to get a trace.

Alex and Xbalanque meet him at the stadium gate, along with one of the players from the game-- dark hair and dark eyes, still wearing #44 and his name stretched across his back.

“We’re gonna find him.” Alex promises.

Of this, James has no doubt, and then there’ll be the devil to pay.

The magic runs darken in his mind, orange fuzzing into an angry, bloody red.

i know your secret

It flashes in James’s mind in orange writing almost near his own color.

i know your secret and now your bonded is going to pay.

James feels his anger grow and grow, until he can taste it like ash on his tongue. He can’t feel José anymore, like normal, but the bond is still active, curled around his heart like a warm blanket.

But James feels his own internal shackles coming unchained.

See-- there’s a reason James knows, what type of person he is by nature, how he knows Xbalanque, and how he knows about the Gods amongst Men.

He will find those responsible and they will learn, too.

neit-- flashes in his head --come find us, see if you can save your mortal lover.

The orange-- the subdued color of his runes, so complimentary to José’s own deepens. Darkens to red, licked with fire like the God of War.

He has awakened.

#Anonymous

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b0blegum · 7 years

Text

Redamancy [Five]

Author: b0blegum

Pairing: CEO Yoo Kihyun x Reader

Rating: G

Genre: Romance, Drama

Status: On Going

Words: 3.2k+

Summary

He was so broken and afraid of Love. Never thought he would return one’s love in full anymore.

a/n In this chapter, the song i’d like you to listen to is Hurts Like Hell by Fleurie.

You flipped through the pages until you found today's date written at the upper-right. Tracing your fingers on the schedule to get everything in your brains, preparing what to tell to your boss once he was back at his room.

"Right. The Gala dinner." You said what's written on the paper.

Seeing a shadow walking on the hallway, you fixed your attire before following him and knocking on his office once he was inside.

He cleared his throat before he answered, "Come in."

Pushing the door slowly, you entered his office. As always, he already looked busy with his work when it's just 11 am.

"I think I should remind you that you'll have a Gala Dinner at 7 tonight." You said confidently. He stopped typing for a mere one second before he continued.

"We're leaving the office in five, I should get this done first. Is it enough for you to get ready?" He asked without leaving his eyes from the monitor.

"Get ready?" Your eyebrows furrowed.

"You're coming to the Gala, as well. Didn't you read the invitation? It clearly is written for two person." He replied coldly.

"Uh, yes. But–"

"Can you think of a name, whom should I go to the Gala with?"

"Uh..."

"Then you it is." He finished what he was typing with a hard click on the keyboard.

His sudden invitation left you speechless than you could only managed said a confused ‘yes’ before you left his office, back to your room, finishing your current saved work on Excel before shoving everything inside your purse and followed him down.

As always, he asked his driver to close the glass partition and stay quiet with his eyes focused on his phone. Probably replying all the important e-mails that sent straight from the higher ups to him.

The car was moving in constant speed through the shockingly empty road, heading to the shopping area where you could spot pretty much all of the high-end brands and sport cars parked comfortably at each side of the road.

“We’re taking my suits first. Then we’ll see what you’ll have.” He told you once the car stopped in front of three-storage tailor shop.

It was built with a classical architecture façade with two big windows merged into one, displaying two beautiful bespoke suits. A word ‘House of Alexander’ was stickered on the window with a deep green color and gold outlines.

You followed him out of the car, entering the shop that had a manly woody scent, which was perfect for a shop that was made for men who’d spent their time here to be measured and tried on some suits.

Another couple of suits were displayed along one side of the store once you’re inside, while the other was where the racks with loads of fabrics were lining up side to side.

“Mr. Yoo.” A girl with a perfectly ironed ivory suits called his name with a smile. “You’re here early. I thought you’d come at three, like what we’ve promised.” She said as she coming closer to both of you.

Kihyun responded to her smile. “My partner has to get ready, too.” He glanced at you. He said it rather casually, meanwhile you’re a bit startled by the word ‘partner’.

Well, partner could also mean work-partner, right?

“Oh, that was very rude of me.” She looked serious for a bit as she landed her eyes on you. “Welcome to our store, Ms,…” She squinted her eyes.

“Yoo.” Kihyun stole your lines, before you could even spill your own last name. Both of the woman there, you and the worker, looked as startled.

“Right, Ms. Yoo.” She acted polite again. The basic formality of working in such place.

“So, my suit?” Kihyun broke the weird atmosphere above the three of you.

“Right, Sir. I’ll bring it for you in a second.” She then disappeared behind the curtain.

“I didn’t know my last name is Yoo.” You said sarcastically. He scoffed and turned himself to you.

“It’s easier that way.” He scanned you. “And you have to get used to it.”

“To… what?”

“Your suit, Mr. Yoo.” The assistant came back with the suit still attached to the mannequin. “Let’s try it on.” She unbuttoned the suits and ready to help Kihyun wore it.

It was a black suits with a velvet swirly pattern allover the single-breasted jacket suit. Kihyun wore it carefully with a bit of help from the assistant. He adjusted his shoulder to fit it perfectly and buttoned the jacket.

He turned himself in front of the mirror, to take a better look of himself wearing the suits. “Perfect. Exactly like I wanted it.” He smiled as he tilted his head and brushed his hair back.

“I’m glad it turned out just like what you wanted, Mr. Yoo.” The assistant repeated. Gently, Kihyun took the suit off and gave it back to the assistant to get her put it into the garment bag and brought it to his car.

“Thank you.” Kihyun gave a smile from inside the car.

“You’re very welcome, Mr. and Ms. Yoo.” She replied before Kihyun closed the window.

“Where would you want me to take you now, Sir?” The driver asked.

“The dress shop.” He said.

“Wait… what?” You whispered.

“You don’t have any dresses at home, do you?” He squinted his eyes at you with his hand already occupied with his phone.

“N-o.”

“Then, you know why we should head out there.”

This had been your fifth dress you tried on at this store. So far it was either too revealing or too much for your liking and this one was the same. It made you look shorter than you actually are.

“I… don’t think so.” You turned around.

“Next.” He said to the assistant who already had the sixth gown on her hand. Sipping on his complimentary drink, he watched the assistant carefully helping you with the gown.

“Wow, beautiful.” You complimented as the gown already hugged your figure.

It was an off-shoulder black dress made with unbelievably comfortable fabric with the arabesque pattern that matched perfectly with the one on Kihyun’s jacket suit. The skirt was so wide but it doesn’t make the dress looked too much, in fact it balanced the simple bodice.

“Turn around.” You heard Kihyun’s voice behind you. Sounded as intimidating as always.

You did as he told and found him already standing just steps away from you.

“Beautiful.” Slowly a smile arose on his face. “You like this one?”

“Uh… I,”

“No sentence. Yes or no?”

“Yes, but-“

He turned to the assistant. “We’ll take this one.” He pointed at you before he proceed to the payment. You followed him after you were done taking off that beautiful dress.

“That would be Fifty million won, Sir.” Unhesitant Kihyun handed his credit card to the woman behind the marbled desk.

“Sir, I don’t think I need that dress.” You whispered, which sent him to give you a questioning look. “It’s… the price, it’s too much.”

“It’s my card. Not yours.” He scoffed and signed the small paper.

“When do you want us to deliver the dress to your house, Sir?”

“Mr. Yoo, can you just cancel that?” You whispered again.

Ignoring you, he tilted his head to the side, “Around… five.”

“Five it is, Sir.”

You were looking at the mirror in your room. Your hair was done and so was your make up. The dress was already attached to your body, hugging your figure perfectly.

The penthouse was quiet. Kihyun was probably getting ready in his own room. Matching his suits to expensive plain shirt he owned and perfectly polished shoes to complete his look.

Suddenly your door was being knocked. “Are you ready?” He said behind the door. Standing up immediately, you walked carefully to the door.

Slowly, you opened the door, revealing yourself to Kihyun who was currently fixing his cufflink.

“I… am.” His eyes started scanning you from the very bottom to the very top. Looked astonished by the way you look, he involuntarily smirked.

“You look… amazing.”

All eyes on the room were on you and the guy beside you. The room was full of people playing dressed up as a rich. Diamond rings on her finger and expensive watch around his wrist. Hands circling on women’s wrist lightly as the woman held up the glass of Möet gracefully. The grand room was decorated beautifully in black and deep purple, just the right color combination to gave out an intense yet elegant vibe.

It felt awkward for you to be there, in between all those riches and people who had the powers of this country, some of you really want to just ran out of the room and get home, but it’s too late now.

“Arms.” He said with his eyes focused to the far front. You glanced at him and realized that he already had his arm bend, waiting for yours to link with his.

Hesitantly you linked your arms before he led you walk in the middle of the room, catching even more eyes to scan you completely, making you even more uncomfortable.

“Mr. Yoo. Is there something wrong with me? Why are they looking at me like that?” You whispered without looking at him.

“You’re stunning. That’s why.” Your cheeks turned into a rosy red in respond to his blunt answer. “Champagne?”

“Uh, no thanks.”

“We meet again, Yoo Kihyun.” A woman dressed in black satin v-neck dress with the side slit up to her thigh, stopped in front of you and your partner. She crossed her leg, to reveal a lot more of her skin, thinking it was not enough with revealing much part of her upper part.

“No, Yoona. Revealing your beautiful leg doesn’t make me want to sleep with you tonight.” Kihyun smiled.

“Oh, this is not an invitation to get into what’s between my legs, Kihyun.” She smiled and rolled her eyes.

“We both know what you were doing.” Kihyun replied quickly.

“Anyway, you’re here again with… her.” She looked at you with an underestimating look. “The secretary.”

“She’s my partner tonight, if you haven’t realized that.” Again, you were startled at his blunt statement, plus, he pulled you closer to him, hip met hip.

She then burst into a forced scoff. “Partner?” She scanned you. “You never took your secretary to a party like this before.” She looked rather upset and surprised.

“I never.” Kihyun smiled. “I realized you have nothing to converse with me, so will you excuse me?” Without waiting for her response, Kihyun walked pass her, leaving her looking dumbfounded.

“You never brought your secretary to a party before?” You questioned as you followed him to the table.

“I always had my lover.”

“She was your lover, but she acted like she never asked to go to a party like this.” You carefully asked. He looked at you and smirked.

“You have a lot of questions inside your smart brain, don’t you?” She let go of your arm and stood in front of you. “Me and her, is complicated.”

“As complicated as my life that you suddenly ruined because I kept showing in front of you?” You spat out just everything inside your brain, without any intention to offend him, actually.

He put his hands into his pocket. “I always have reason for everything and there is also one why I dragged you into my life.”

“Yeah, you told me that I should help you, so is bringing me to this party a part of any ways of helping you?”

“Yes.” You blinked. He looked more serious than before. “It is.”

“So, you will not tell me on why I should help you with? You will keep dragging me into things and then telling me later that it was the way to help you?”

“I’m surprised you don’t know what you should help me with after all the pathetic love story I told you the other day.” He looked away for a second.

He scooted closer to you and gently put his hand on your waist and pulled you closer to him. His head was positioned right beside yours before he looked aside. You could feel his warm breath touching your ear.

“Help me to forget her.”

Both of you stayed still for seconds. Thoughts were filling your brain. Yes, he always had reason for everything like he just said and yes, you knew so well what’s his reason for this.

“Excuse me, Sir.” A voice broke your chain of thoughts and startled Kihyun that he had to took a step back. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but Mr. Kim was expecting you on his table.” A man in black suit, looked more like a bad guy rather than a businessman sat at the table he meant, sipping a glass of something dark.

Kihyun sighed deeply before he let go of his hand from your waist. “Stay here.” He gave you a nice brush on your shoulder before he headed to Mr. Kim’s table.

You looked at him from behind. Still thinking about his reason.

“You sure are something.” Someone snickered behind you. Turning around, you met a familiar woman. It was her again, Yoona. “Hiring you as his secretary, moving you into his house, buying you that dress, bring you to this party. What next?” She smirked. “The last time he acted like this was when he was with that poor girl—oh no, the rich who turned into a poor in just one night. The girl who tragically died in front of his own eyes.” She continued. “A sad story isn’t it?”

“Uh, I’m sorry, but-“

“I knew her. We were best friend—no, our fathers were best friend.” She started spilling everything she knew even though you didn’t ask. “She was a nice woman, no wonder he fell into her arms.”

You weren’t interested at this story at all, but some molecules on your body can’t help not to go and stay to hear the full story of this. Starting to become curious of where this story was going.

“I was the one who introduced them to each other, actually, but look at him now—look at how he treated me. No saying thanks. So I tried to separate them, doing everything I could, but well oh well, they still ended up together anyway until her death—oh, by the way, shouldn’t we talk about this at the balcony? I think it’s better with some light air.”

“S- ure.” You followed her to the nearest balcony, where it had the view to the pool at the 10th floor.

“Here.” Casually, as she leaned on the solid railing, she handed you a glass of Wine, which you didn’t realize since when it got in her hand.

Saying thanks, you sipped it down a little bit and joined her on the railing as she began to continue the story about the woman Kihyun used to love.

“I went to his penthouse. Once.” She swirled her glass. “He hates people coming to his property. That’s what surprised me when I knew he let you move in into his house.”

“But I only occupied the floor where my room is.”

“Of course. I bet he forbid you strongly to go to his floor.” She nodded.

“Yes.”

“He stored all the secrets he has on his floor.”

“Secrets?”

“I don’t know all of his secrets or what he has up there, but when I was at his penthouse, I got into a room without his knowing.” She scoffed.

“What’s inside?”

“Junk.” She sighed. “Her dress, her photographs, her… anything that related to her.”

“He must’ve loved her so much, that he didn’t throw them all away.”

“He’s stupid that’s all.”

“It’s a lovely night, is it not?” It was Kihyun’s voice. Startled, you turned around and bit your lip. “I asked you to stay where you were and look where I found you.” He stretched his neck and quickly grabbed your wrist, pulling you over to him. “Stay. Close.” He whispered.

“Look at you. Being all possessive towards a girl who’s not even your… lover.” Yoona laughed sarcastically.

“A lover or not. I don’t want to find her standing side by side with a girl you are.” He scoffed.

“I am jealous.” She walked slowly towards Kihyun, dragging her dress and tracing her finger on Kihyun’s chest up to his cheek. “You were not possessive towards me.” And just with that, she left. “Enjoy the night, lovebirds.”

“Why did you follow her?” He let go of your wrist, walking towards the railing. Following him, you swirled your glass. “Is that from her?”

🎧 Fleurie – Hurts Like Hell

“Yes—“

“Throw that away, she could put a poisoned in it.” Shocked, your jaw dropped and you looked at him. “She’s crazy. She hates seeing any girls get close to me.” He hissed. “What did she say to you?”

“Nothing. Just… she talked about your… late ex.”

“My late ex.” Kihyun repeated.

“She told me she was pretty, kind and everything that girls want, she had it.” You told her what Yoona told you earlier. “She was the one who supported you to run your company, wasn’t she?”

Kihyun didn’t answered.

“I’m sure she was really an amazing woma—“

Unexpectedly, Kihyun turned you around and pressed his lips on yours. His arms slowly snaked on your back. He closed his eyes and just stay there for a while. Probably waiting for you to get used to what he just did and to see your respond.

You felt something weird in your system. It was like you had lots of butterfly in your stomach. Part of you wanted to break the kiss so badly, but another part of you was longing for something like this. The feeling of kissing someone, having his lips pressed on yours gently.

Defeating the weak part of you, you began to kiss him back. Giving a slight press to his lips and with that one move, he skillfully sandwiched your lower lips with his and pulled you into even a deeper kiss. Heart beat faster and you felt warmth filling in your body as the kiss got more intense. Biting lips every once in a while and he even moved down to your jaw, giving it a small peck before back to your lips.

You put your palms on his chest and began to catch up to his pace. Tilting your head to the other side, he bit your lip, making you flinched a bit before back to savoring the sweet taste of his lips.

After a while, he pulled you off and rested his forehead on yours. “Stop talking about my late ex.” His warm breath touched you, sending shivers down your spine as his breath collided with the cold air. “I want you to help me.” He gave you a single kiss. “To forget her.” His hand slowly moved from your back, tilting your face up.

You slowly opened up your eyes to meet his pair of dark eyes.

“Be my lover.”

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MASTERLIST

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niamhlynchk00228829-blog · 6 years

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These few pieces are a series of paintings that we completed over the course of the two week painting elective.

We built compositions using objects from which we would paint from using view finders. The first two pieces are using only tones, not actual colour. We mixed three colours together on the palette (red, yellow and blue) and that would be our dark tone. We were allowed use different weights of each colour which is why everyone’s colours looked differently on the page even though we all used the same colours. We then added white to a third of the dark tone and that became our middle tone and then added more white to that which was our light tone. We then drew thumbnails of different aspects of the compositions and picked our favourite/best one. We then added water to our brushes and sketched out a rough outline of our composition and got to work.

Each time we had to decide which objects were which tones. Once we decided that we did an undercoat, where we painted the objects in block colours in the tones that we decided for them. The farthest thing away from us is painted first and the thing closest to us was painted last. This creates a sense of distance and depth in the painting. Once the undercoat was dry we would then use shade and light to make the paintings more realistic and once we were finished that that was our painting completed.

We also worked in complimentary colours- red and green, orange and blue, yellow and purple - and we chose one pair only with which to paint. I chose orange and blue and we were allowed mix several different tones with them. This was confusing for me as I wasn’t sure if I was mixing the paint correctly until I realised that this is my painting and I can do what I want with it. I did find it hard to work without white or some form of a lighter colour in order to create shines and more dramatic light and shades. I really did like this exercise though.

The life painting I completed is probably my weakest piece. It just didn’t work our for me that day and I needed more time with which to perfect it. I also found the big brush hard to work with at times but towards the end of the elective I had gotten quite used to it. It allows us to carry out our painting in a quick and efficient way.

We finally got to use colour on the last day of painting in the elective and I found that this was my most successful piece out of the two weeks of painting. Ironically that was the only one I didn’t take a proper picture of so I had to zoom in on it (last piece). I think it was the most successful because I am quite used to working in colour - that’s my comfort zone. I was very happy with this piece.

All in all, I really did enjoy the painting elective and will definitely consider painting as a discipline. Painting really is my passion and I can definitely see myself enjoying it for the duration of the next 3 years.

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duncanbarker-blog · 5 years

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Singapore is one of our favourite places in Asia and we’ve visited many times. This island nation, that’s both a city and a country, is an easy introduction to the continent as it’s clean, efficient, and English is widely spoken. There’s plenty to do, a fascinating culture, and lots of delicious food.

This ultimate Singapore itinerary is ideal for first-time visitors to the city and will take you to unique neighbourhoods that highlight Singapore’s multicultural heritage.

You’ll see a wide variety of architecture from colourful traditional shophouses to futuristic skyscrapers, visit some fun attractions, and have time for many tasty meals along the way.

Three days in Singapore is a good amount of time to get an overview of the city and see the highlights, but you could easily spend a week here.

If you only have one day in Singapore, then pick and choose your favourite activities from the itinerary below—I recommend focusing on the Marina Bay area as it’s so unique. If you have four days or more, I have included additional suggested activities at the end of the post.

Prices quoted below are in Singapore dollars. The current exchange rate is S$1 = 0.73 USD, 0.60 GBP and 1.07 AUD.

Where to Stay in Singapore

The Best Neighbourhoods to Stay in Singapore

Choosing a central area to stay will help you make the most of your time in the city. I recommend finding a hotel in one of these areas which are all convenient for this Singapore itinerary:

Marina Bay – Fantastic views, beautiful riverfront area, close to top Singapore attractions like Gardens by the Bay, expensive.

Bugis – Convenient location between Marina Bay and the Kampong Glam and Little India neighbourhoods. We stayed here on our most recent visit and could walk to most places on this itinerary. Budget and luxury accommodation available.

Chinatown – Good value hotels not too far from Marina Bay.

Orchard Road – A good option if you want to be close to shopping malls and embassies (we’ve gotten visas for Thailand and Indonesia here). The Singapore Botanic Gardens are close by, but it’s less convenient for the other areas in this itinerary.

Recommended Hotels in Singapore

Andaz Singapore, Bugis

Andaz Singapore is our new favourite place to stay in Singapore. This hip hotel is in the perfect location just a few minutes’ walk from trendy Haji Lane and the traditional architecture of Kampong Glam.

Little India and the Colonial District are also walkable and Marina Bay is a 30-minute walk or two stops on the MRT (the hotel is connected to Bugis station).

Our room at Andaz Singapore

We loved the spacious, stylish rooms with fantastic city views from the floor to ceiling windows, free minibar, and all the mod cons like a Nespresso machine. The bed was so comfortable it was hard to leave.

A view of the Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands from the infinity pool at Andaz Singapore

The views from the infinity pool and rooftop bar (which features cool teepees) are also stunning.

You can help yourself to complimentary hot and cold non-alcoholic drinks and snacks in the Sunroom all day. Our room rate didn’t include breakfast, but we preferred ordering room service anyway or there are many cafes nearby.

Check the latest prices at Andaz Singapore here.

Treetops Executive Residences, Orchard Road

We stayed at Treetops for a family reunion earlier in the year and loved it. The one and two bedroom apartments have a four-night minimum stay, so it’s good for longer trips, especially for families.

The apartments are spacious and comfortable and have everything you need to self-cater, but a buffet breakfast is included in the rate. There’s a lovely large pool surrounded by tropical vegetation.

Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands is the ultimate splurge—Singapore’s most famous hotel features the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool. Expect crowds and high prices, but the views might just be worth it. We haven’t stayed here yet, but we are tempted.

Budget Accommodation

There are plenty of hostels and capsule hotels in the Bugis and Kampong Glam area such as Beary Best and ZEN Hostel Bugis.

Chinatown is a good area to look for budget hotels. The Bohemian Chic is a well-reviewed, stylish hostel and Hotel Mono has attractive ensuite double rooms.

Search for more hotels in Singapore here.

Airbnb also has affordable private rooms and apartments throughout the city.

Singapore Transport

While walking around Singapore we’ve discovered cool streets like Armenian Street

Singapore is easy to get around. It’s a walkable city and we always find gems when we’re on foot, but the heat makes walking exhausting (and sweaty) in the middle of the day.

Save your energy by hopping on the clean, efficient, and inexpensive MRT metro. You can buy tickets as you go or purchase an ez-link card for S$12 which includes S$7 credit. Most trips are only S$1–2.

You could also consider a Singapore Tourist Pass which costs S$30 for unlimited rides for three days (with a $10 refundable deposit).

Another easy option for getting around is the Grab app (there’s no Uber here) which makes it easy to call a taxi. Short rides cost around S$10.

We use Google Maps for walking or public transport directions.

Singapore’s Changi Airport is one of the best in the world so allow time before your flight to explore the various gardens and attractions. You can get the MRT to/from the airport but we find it easier to get a taxi which costs about S$15–20 to Bugis.

The Best Time to Visit Singapore

You can visit Singapore at any time of year.

We have travelled to Singapore in many different months and the weather is always the same—hot, very humid, lots of clouds, and often short rain showers (which are usually quite refreshing).

It has the least amount of seasonal variation of anywhere we’ve ever visited, so I wouldn’t let the weather influence your decision on when to visit.

Check for local holidays and festivals when you are planning your trip to Singapore. There is often a vibrant event to enjoy like Chinese New Year in January or February or Diwali in Little India in October or November.

Map for Singapore Itinerary 3 Days

This Singapore map has all the recommended sights for this itinerary. Activities for each day are pinned with a different colour—Day 1 in blue, Day 2 in red, and the various options for Day 3 in green.

Singapore Itinerary Day 1: Colonial District and Gardens by the Bay

National Museum of Singapore

The National Museum of Singapore (S$15) is a great introduction to the history of the city and will give you an understanding of its multicultural roots. It’s housed in an elegant Neo-Palladian building dating back to 1887 with a towering Indian rubber tree outside.

I recommend starting on the second floor at the Glass Rotunda. The Story of the Forest exhibit was created by the Japanese digital arts collective teamLab and brings drawings of the Malay Peninsulas’s jungle and wildlife to life.

It’s a unique exhibition and will lead you down to the first floor where you can work your way through the history of Singapore.

We spent about two hours here but still didn’t see all the exhibitions.

If you’d prefer to learn about the city’s history from a guide rather than a museum, you could take this Singapore’s Old Colonial District Walking Tour instead.

Transport: We walked from the Andaz Singapore Hotel in Bugis (20 minutes). The nearest MRT station is Bencoolen Station on the Downtown line.

Explore the Colonial District

The National Museum is located in Singapore’s Colonial District so after your visit you could take a stroll through the area and visit 150-year-old St Andrew’s Cathedral and Fort Canning Park.

One of the top Singapore tourist spots is also nearby. The Long Bar in the historic Raffles Hotel is where the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented and peanut shells are brushed onto the floor. We’ve still not been as it’s expensive and touristy, but if it’s on your bucket list, go for it!

One of our favourite places to stop for a cake break is Fabulous Baker Boy on the edge of Fort Canning Park.

For lunch you could head to the Raffles City shopping mall food court (these are always a good, inexpensive option in Singapore) or walk down to Boat Quay (about 20 minutes) for a meal overlooking the river.

We like the burgers at Hans im Glück (with a wide variety of veggie options) and tapas at My Little Spanish Place or there’s plenty of seafood on offer. Here are some more ideas on where to eat at Boat Quay.

Burgers with a view at Hans im Gluck at Boat Quay

Gardens by the Bay

Waterfall in the Cloud Forest dome at Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is one of the best places to visit in Singapore and is my number one must-see for any trip to the city. Try to avoid visiting on weekends if possible as it gets very busy.

You’ll want to time your visit to the gardens so that you’ll be finished by just before sunset as this area is attractive after dark. If you arrive by around 2 or 3pm you should have plenty of time.

The extensive outdoor gardens are free, but at this time of day you’ll probably be eager to get inside and the paid conservatories are superb.

Both climate-controlled domes—the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest—are worth visiting, but if you have limited time, choose the Cloud Forest which is the most unique and features a large waterfall. A combined ticket is S$28.

You can save 18% off the entrance price and skip the ticket queue by buying your Gardens by the Bay tickets online at Voyagin.

Transport: Gardens by the Bay is a 30-minute walk from the Colonial District or the nearest MRT station is Bayfront on the Downtown and Circle lines.

Marina Bay Sands Sunset Cocktail

Sunset view from CÉ LA VI SkyBar at Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands is Singapore’s most iconic building. Three 55-storey towers are topped by a boat-shaped structure that features the famous infinity pool, gardens, and an observation deck. The building houses a hotel and many shops and restaurants.

Before sunset I recommend heading to Marina Bay Sands for an amazing view from the top as the sun goes down and the city’s skyscrapers light up.

I think it’s better value to pay for a drink at the CÉ LA VI SkyBar (minimum spend S$22) than pay S$23 for the Sands SkyPark Observation Deck. Sunset times vary from 6.50pm to 7.20pm depending on the time of year.

Last time we visited on a Sunday there was a long queue to get up, so allow time for this and consider making a reservation if you’d like a seated table (standing tables are on a first come, first served basis).

Note that the bar has a dress code from 6 pm—no swimwear, singlets, sleeveless shirts, and flip-flops are allowed for men. There is no dress code on Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays.

If you want to swim in the famous infinity pool, you’ll have to stay at Marina Bay Sands.

Transport: It’s about a 10-minute walk from Gardens by the Bay to Marina Bay Sands.

Supertrees Light Show

The Supertrees and OCBC Skyway during the light show with Marina Bay Sands in the background

Once darkness has fallen head back down to Gardens by the Bay to my favourite part—the Supertree Grove. These futuristic trees are 25 to 50 metres tall with steel trunks covered in orchids, ferns, and climbing tropical flowers. Many of the trees generate solar power and collect rainwater.

The Supertrees are best seen lit up at night and the free Garden Rhapsody light and sound show takes place at 7.45pm and 8.45pm every day.

You can also get up close to the large canopies on the 22-metre-high OCBC Skyway. If you bought Gardens by the Bay tickets online with Voyagin this is included in the price; otherwise it’s $8SGD (last admission 8pm).

Satay by the Bay is the best place in the area for a quick, inexpensive dinner. The large, open-air food court features local specialities like satay, chicken rice, and BBQ seafood.

As vegetarians we head to the Indian stall for a masala dosa (crispy rice flour pancake stuffed with potato curry) which only costs S$3. It’s a 10-minute walk from the Supertree Grove.

There’s lots more to do in the Marina Bay area at night. I’ve put the rest in the itinerary for Day 2, but if you are feeling keen, you could continue on to explore more of the area including Clarke Quay and the Singapore Flyer.

Transport: The nearest MRT station is Bayfront on the Downtown and Circle lines.

Day 2: Exploring Singapore’s Multicultural Heritage and Marina Bay at Night

Singapore is a multicultural city and the three largest ethnic groups are Chinese, Malay, and Indian. On your second day in Singapore explore three of Singapore’s distinct ethnic neighbourhoods.

Little India

Tan Teng Niah in Little India

Little India is home to Singapore’s Indian community and is a vibrant, bustling place that really does remind us of India with its smells of incense and sounds of Bollywood music.

In Little India you can:

Explore the colourful wooden shophouses.

Visit the extravagant Sri Veeramakaliamman Hindu Temple.

Take photos of Tan Teng Niah, a vibrant Chinese villa built in 1900.

Shop at the lively Tekka Centre and Mustafa Centre (open 24 hours).

Eat cheap South Indian food at one of the many vegetarian restaurants like Komala Vilas. Try a masala dosa (rice flour pancake stuffed with curry) or a thali where mounds of rice and curries are served on a banana leaf.

Witness the colourful kavadi procession if you visit during the Thaipusam Hindu Festival in January or February. Some devotees pierce their bodies and tongues with spikes.

Devotee at the Thaipusam Festival

Transport: Little India is walkable from the Bugis area (where we stayed) or take the Downtown or North East MRT line to Little India station.

Kampong Glam

Haji Lane

Kampong Glam is Singapore’s Muslim and Arab neighbourhood. It’s Singapore’s oldest urban quarter—in 1822 it was allocated by Sir Stamford Raffles (the founder of the city) to the Malay and Arab communities.

There are some lovely colourful shophouses, mosques, and a hipster scene with trendy cafes and bars.

In Kampong Glam you can:

See the golden domes of Sultan Mosque.

Learn about the Malay community in the Malay Heritage Centre (S$6).

Shop in the funky boutiques and admire the street art on Haji Lane.

Listen to live music at one of the pavement bars on Haji Lane in the evenings.

Transport: It takes about 15 minutes to walk between Little India and Kampong Glam or take the MRT Downtown line to Bugis.

Chinatown

Chinatown was once home to Singapore’s Chinese immigrant community, but it’s now a mix of cultures with historic temples and trendy cafes. It’s the only Chinatown in the world with a Buddhist temple, mosque, and Hindu temple on one street.

In Chinatown you can:

Visit the beautiful Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (Buddhist).

Compare it to the Thian Hock Keng Temple (Taoist).

See the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, Sri Mariamman.

Learn about Singapore’s earliest immigrants at the Chinatown Heritage Center (S$18).

Grab a bite to eat at one of the open-air eateries on Chinatown Food Street (from 11am–11pm) or Maxwell Hawker Centre.

Eat vegetarian Peranakan dishes at nearby Whole Earth.

Experience lively Chinese New Year celebrations if you visit at the right time (usually January/February).

Transport: Take the MRT Downtown line from Bugis to Chinatown station.

Riverside and Marina Bay Walk

It’s worth spending two nights at the Marina Bay area as there’s lots to see. On the second night, I recommend taking a walk along the Singapore River, which is one of my top things to do in Singapore at night when it’s cooler and the skyline views are fantastic.

This walk takes about 40 minutes plus stops (there are lots of photo opportunities).

If you don’t want to walk, you could take a Singapore River Cruise on a bumboat from Clarke Quay (40 minutes, S$25). If you book the river cruise in advance with Voyagin you can save money.

Start the walk in Clarke Quay and continue through Boat Quay—both have lots of bars and restaurants overlooking the water. It’s a little touristy but fun and the views are superb.

The view from Boat Quay

Continue down the river past Fernando Botero’s Bird sculpture and the grand Fullerton Hotel to the Merlion fountain.

This iconic statue has the body of a fish and the head of a lion that shoots water from its mouth. The body symbolises Singapore’s humble origins as a fishing village and the head represents its original name Singapura or Lion City in Malay.

From this area you can see Spectra, a free light and water show that takes place every night at 8pm and 9pm (also at 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays). This side of the bay will give you a view of the colourful laser beams projecting from Marina Bay Sands.

Spectra light show from the Merlion fountain

You could also try to see a later show on the other side of the bay in front of Marina Bay Sands for a different perspective. You’ll be able to see the projections on water from the seating area outside The Shoppes (the shopping mall at Marina Bay Sands).

From Merlion cross over the Esplanade Bridge to the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre where there are often free performances.

The view from the other side of the Esplanade Bridge

If you are hungry, the Makansutra Gluttons Bay food court is next to the Esplanade.

A little further down the river is the impressive Helix Bridge which connects to Marina Bay Sands, so cross over here if you want to catch the light show from that side.

The Helix Bridge takes you to Marina Bay Sands

Or continue a little further along the river to the Singapore Flyer to take your Singapore sightseeing up high.

Transport: From Chinatown it’s a 15-minute walk to Clarke Quay or take the MRT Downtown line to Fort Canning station or the North East line to Clarke Quay.

Singapore Flyer

A ride on this huge observation wheel takes 30 minutes and costs S$33. I wasn’t sure it was worth it at first, but once we reached the top (at 165 metres) and started descending, the view was truly spectacular.

You can see Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, downtown skyscrapers, and the whole of the Bay.

Transport: I recommend walking here along the river, but to get back to your hotel the nearest MRT station is Promenade on the Downtown and Circle lines.

Day 3: Universal Studios Singapore or Shopping and Gardens

On your final day in Singapore you can choose the activity that interests you most. If you are a theme park fan, like us, I recommend a visit to Universal Studios Singapore on Sentosa Island.

If rides aren’t your thing, you might prefer shopping in the malls on Orchard Road and visiting the nearby Botanic Gardens. I’ve included some other suggestions below.

Universal Studios Singapore

Battlestar Galactica roller coaster at Universal Studios Singapore

Universal Studios Singapore is a fun day out with a wide variety of movie-themed rides and attractions. It’s not a huge park so if you arrive at the 10am park opening (which I recommend to avoid the crowds), you can be done by mid-afternoon and be back at your hotel for a much-needed refreshing swim.

Our favourite rides are Battlestar Galactica, a duelling roller coaster (ride both sides!); The Revenge of the Mummy, a fast roller coaster in the dark with some surprises; Transformers, an intense 3D experience; Jurassic Park, a fun water ride; and Waterworld, a live show with impressive stunts.

Read our guide to the best Universal Studios Singapore rides for more details and tips on avoiding long queues.

We always buy e-tickets in advance to avoid the queues and because you can save from 5% to 20% by booking here with Voyagin. Full price adult tickets are S$79.

Transport: Take the MRT to HarbourFront station and connect to the Sentosa Express monorail to Waterfront station, which is a short walk from the park. The monorail is a little more expensive than standard MRT rides (S$5 return), but you can use your MRT card to get straight on. The journey will take about 30 minutes from Bugis.

Alternatively, take the cable car to Sentosa Island to enjoy the view. From HarbourFront MRT station, ride the cable car to Imbiah, then take the Sentosa Express monorail one stop to Waterfront station. Voyagin offers discounts on Universal and Cable Car packages.

Singapore Botanic Gardens and Orchard Road Shopping

ION Orchard mall

Shopping fans might prefer to head to the Orchard Road area instead for a day of shopping in the many (blissfully air-conditioned) malls.

Not far from Orchard Road are the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which date back to 1859 and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These extensive gardens are a lovely place for a stroll, but due to the heat it’s best to visit in the early morning or late afternoon. When we stayed on Orchard Road I liked running here at dawn. I recommend starting your day here and shopping in the afternoon.

The gardens are open from 5am to midnight every day and entrance is free to most of the gardens. There is a S$5 fee for the National Orchid Garden which opens from 8.30am (last entry 6pm)—there are 1000 species and 2000 hybrids on display.

The futuristic-looking ION Orchard mall is one of the most popular on Orchard Road with everything from luxury brands to high street fashion. All the malls have food courts for inexpensive local dishes and there are plenty of restaurants in the area.

Transport: Take the MRT to the Botanic Gardens MRT Station on the Downtown and Circle lines. From here to Orchard Road you could walk, but if you are feeling the heat, take a taxi or the MRT from Botanic Gardens to Newton on the Downtown line and change to the North South line to get to Orchard MRT station, which is next to ION Orchard mall.

Other Things to Do in Singapore

If theme parks and shopping don’t interest you, choose from one of these other Singapore activities:

Future World Exhibition at ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay – The Japanese arts collective teamLab created this cutting-edge interactive digital installation which will immerse you in various magical worlds. We went to their exhibition in Tokyo and it really is unique. Entry is at set times and it’s best to book in advance. Voyagin currently has a 32% discount on e-tickets.

TreeTop Walk in MacRitchie Reservoir – For a taste of the jungle and a peaceful escape from the city, head to this nature reserve where you can hike on nature trails including a free-standing suspension bridge which gives you a bird’s eye view of the forest canopy.

National Gallery Singapore – A large collection of Southeast Asian art in a beautiful historic building in the heart of the Civic District.

Singapore Zoo and Night Safari – These aren’t really our thing (we prefer seeing animals in the wild), but they are popular Singapore tourist attractions.

Singapore is a unique place with diverse neighbourhoods, fun attractions, and delicious food. I hope this Singapore travel guide has helped you plan your trip and feel free to ask any questions in the comments below.

If you are combining a trip to Singapore with Bali, check out our posts on the best things to do in Ubud (our favourite town in Bali) and our off-the-beaten-track Bali road trip. I’ve also written about how to get a 60-day Indonesian tourist visa in Singapore.

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