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#these are very sketchy and messy but i might draw them more later. who knows.
prismanticore · 2 years
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replayed deltarune + wanted to fully draw out my view of the utdr kids to try and get back into the swing of art :]
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nightashes · 3 years
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And We Were Roommates
A/N: A gift for @who-said-i-was-asleep for the @sanderssidesgiftxchange. I hope you enjoy!!
Summary: Virgil is tired. So very tired. Luckily, he has the best roommate in the world. Who also might have a crush on him?
Warnings: food mention, creepy face mention
writing masterlist - ao3 version
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The wood of the bunk was kinda weird. Virgil thought to himself as he laid in bed, staring at the grain of the frame above him. If he squinted and tilted his head just right, he could make out the image of a face. It was kinda unsettling, the way it stared back at him with it’s eyeless visage. It caused a shiver to pass through his bone-weary body. Virgil knew his exhausted mind was making it seem worse than it actually was. But his eyes were heavy and his brain was foggy. And the last thing Virgil wanted to see, as he struggled to calm his mind enough to rest, was the image of a haunted face made up of the sketchy lines of wood grain. 
Virgil rolled his head to the side to escape the stare. The clock greeted him, blinking unforgivingly back at him. Six o’clock. Virgil slapped his hand against his forehead and let out a curse in frustration. Great. Another sleepless night. And another day of fighting to stay awake during class. Just perfect.
Above him, he could hear the beginnings of movement. His roommate climbed down from the top bunk. Virgil watched him attentively, what must it be like to be able to just sleep when you were supposed to? Logan stared back, no doubt noticing the growing bags beneath his eyes. 
“You know, Virgil, your curses in the morning work better than any alarm clock I’ve ever had.”
“I hate you.” Virgil only half joked.
“Another sleepless night?”
His answer was a groan of pain and exhaustion. He pulled his comforter up and over his face, hoping to hide from a world that could be so cruel as to deny him rest.
“Do you want to skip our morning class again? Try and get at least a couple hours of sleep?”
“I can’t miss any more, I’ll fail.” He mumbled from beneath the blanket. 
“I’ll grab you something to eat.” Logan shuffled off to dress for class. 
Virgil laid there listening to the sounds of his roommate. Silently, in his mind, Virgil conversed with his body. It’s time to get up, he whispered to his legs that refused to move. Leaving the safety and comfort of his bed seemed to be impossible at this moment. Perhaps a compromise could be reached?
He rolled out of bed, taking his comforter with him, and flopped onto the floor into a messy pile. He laid there, breathing in the stench of old carpet. This is fine, he thought, he could live here happily, on the floor.
“I’ll be back with food.” His roommate called. The door clicked shut and Virgil was left alone with the floor.
Coffee. He needed coffee. Virgil departed his friend, the carpet, with a reassuring pat to the polyester fibers. The room tilted as he stood. His head whirling from the movement. He steadied himself against the wall and breathed in deeply until his vision cleared. He slipped on a sweatshirt as the chill began to seep into his bones. His hands buzzed from exhaustion as he shuffled over to their busted second-hand coffee maker. It did not glitter but it sure did produce the finest gold, a hot cup of coffee.
He sipped at the steaming hot liquid, as he stared out the window, slowly forcing his mind to clear. It did not work.
Today was going to suck.
He took another sip.
Virgil slipped on a pair of shoes and groggily tied up the laces. His fingers fumbled as his hands buzzed, jittery and fatigued. Logan returned with a white paper bag of fast food. He passed Virgil a steaming breakfast burrito.  Yummy.  The idea of food was not a welcome one at this moment. Not that he wasn’t hungry. He was. But it just felt like too much. Still he forced himself to take several small bites. The taste was better than what his mind had expected. And once he got into the rhythm of eating, it became a little easier. He could do this.
They departed their dorm together and walked across campus in silence. Virgil hummed along to the tunes blasting through his earbuds, desperately clinging to the energy that the noise provided. Lost in his own little world, he tried to imagine a different one. A world without morning classes or sleepless nights or deadlines. A world full of pillowy clouds to drift to sleep on. He thought that would be quite a nice place to live. 
Logan was attempting to read as he walked. His gaze flicking furiously from the page to the sidewalk and back again. Virgil wasn’t sure how much Logan could retain anything reading like that. But then again, it was Logan. If anyone could manage it, he could.
The TA greeted them as they entered the lecture hall. Virgil led the way to a seat in the back. No way was he sitting up close while this tired. He plopped down into a chair and allowed all the tension to drop away. He was here now. All he had to do was make it through this class and then he could try and sleep after.
The hush of chattering voices began to die down as the professor took command of the room. Her voice was soft and monotonous. The sounds of her chalk scratched against the blackboard. Virgil could feel his eyes begin to droop. He shook his head, forcing himself back to attention. He fiddled with his pen. Trying to move enough to keep his body awake, while also making sure to not draw the attention of his fellow classmates. 
In the back of the class, he fought against his own mind. The fog that filled his head and softened the voices of rationality. He struggled to keep his eyes wide and open. He pinched at his skin, as if this were a bad dream that he could force himself to awaken from. But the room was warm from the packed bodies. It was warm and it was quiet. The lecture was a lullaby, a meditative chant that softened his gaze. As the hour ticked on, Virgil lost himself to the fog of sleep. He could feel his head bobbing. And then he lost his sense of presence.
Virgil drifted in consciousness. He knew a little about where he was and what he should be doing. But his body and mind were out of his control. He floated through the haze of thought. And in that classroom he slept.
The sounds of chatter jerked him back to awareness. Class. He was in class. He frantically swiveled his head, taking in as much as he could. What had he missed? Had anyone noticed him sleeping?
People were packing up their books. They were getting ready to leave. Class… he had missed the entire class. Virgil thumped his head against his textbook.
“You mustn't be too hard on yourself, Virgil. You were here, you were marked present. That’s all that matters right now.” Logan reassures him, closing up his own two notebooks. Wait, why did he have two notebooks?
Logan passed one of them to Virgil as he finished collecting his things. “Ready to go?”
Virgil stared down at the notebook in his hand. He flipped it open. It was full of lecture notes. Not just from today. The dates… they were from everyday that he had skipped so far and then today as well! 
“What is this?” Virgil asked dumbfounded.
“You expressed displeasure at the idea of failing. This will help. It is everything that you have missed so far.”
“You copied your notes into a separate notebook?”
“Well, no. I formatted these slightly differently and included certain contexts that you would need after having missed the lectures… It should help.”
“Logan, this is incredible.”
A blush of pink dusted the cheeks of his roommate. “It’s no big deal. I just thought it would help.” He cleared his throat and cast his eyes about, “No one should miss out on the chance to learn, afterall.”
Virgil smiled at his roommate. “I was going to take a nap before my next class. But later on, maybe we could study together? If you want that is. I mean it’d probably be easier to just study on your own and I know I’m really behind-”
“Yes.” Logan interrupted the torrent of thoughts spilling from Virgil’s mouth. “I would love to go over the notes with you.” 
He paused as if just realizing he had used the word love. Logan quickly tacked on: “I have a passion for teaching is all.”
“Of course,” Virgil rolled his eyes at the awkwardness. Logan was such a dork when he was flustered. Wait? He was flustered! Did this mean that… Logan liked him? Virgil cheeks flushed at the thought. “Uhhh… I’ll see you later?”
“Later then.” Logan stiffly departed the hall, leaving Virgil alone with a whirlwind of thoughts. His roommate had a crush on him? His roommate had a crush on him! 
After passing out in their dorm for his afternoon nap, Virgil spent his next class with one thought and one thought only running through his mind. Logan had a crush on him. Logan: who had gone out of his way to take notes for him. Logan: who was one of the smartest people he had ever met. Logan: who had blushed! 
Virgil wasn’t really sure what to make of it. All he knew was that with every passing minute, he was getting closer to their study date. Well, not a study  date, more like a study session. Wait, was it a date? Could it be a date? Did Logan think of it that way? No. Certainly not. He had been flustered by even the insinuation of romance! But maybe… Maybe it could become one… eventually?
And that is how Virgil found himself, pacing their dorm clutching the gifted notebook to his chest, and worrying his lip, as the time for the study session drew ever near. Logan arrived only a minute late. He was weighed down with books from the library and he smiled tiredly at his roommate. Despite this a soft blush was present on his face.
“Hello, Virgil. Are you ready? I got some extra books that might help.” He plopped himself down at his desk, swiveling the chair to face outwards. Virgil followed suit, still clutching his notebook to him.
“Yeah. Yeah. Let’s do this. Ummm… how was your day?”
“Adequate. A small mishap in labs, but nothing I couldn’t handle.” Logan rubbed at the bridge of his nose. 
“If you're tired. We can do this later. You know I would understand.”
Logan’s gaze locked onto him. “I want to do this.”
The heat in Virgil’s cheek was like a warning bell. He was in dangerous territory now. His heart was being stolen by a nerd in glasses. What a way to go!
“Alright, let’s do this!” Virgil smiled brightly.
They worked their way through the gifted notebook. Going over all the notes that were provided there. They stopped whenever Virgil found himself confused. Logan assured Virgil that no question was too small. And then he would beam at Virgil whenever he finally understood it. It made Virgil feel like he could accomplish anything. Virgil’s favorite part was when Logan would pick up a book to rant in depth about his favorite parts. His passion for academics was like a blazing fire. It flooded Virgil’s stomach with butterflies and made his heart race with the knowledge that he was falling hard. Eventually, they began to lapse into silence as they slowly got further into their own readings. 
Virgil was going over today’s lecture notes again. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the person beside him. The notes were written in a tight script. It was precise and easy to read. A sharp contrast to Virgil’s own chicken scratch. He traced his fingers over the blue ink. Virgil didn’t think Logan would be one to write with colored ink, but Logan enjoyed the color blue. The thought drifted into his head again. Logan liked him, right? 
Virgil flipped a page.
Virgil liked Logan. 
He really really did.
He should say something right?
Virgil looked up, the words forming on his lips, only to find Logan slumped over his desk. His face pressed into his arms, his glasses askew and digging into his skin. There was the smallest trail of drool beginning to form at the corner of his lips.
Virgil chuckled.
Now Logan was the bone-tired one.
Virgil stood from his seat. He carefully and gently removed the glasses from his roommate’s face. Pulling the blanket down from Logan’s bunk, Virgil draped it across his shoulders. And with a flick of the switch, the room is darkened.
Virgil readies himself for bed quickly and quietly. As he lays down in his bunk, he watches Logan at the desk. It couldn’t be comfortable to sleep at a desk. But selfishly, Virgil enjoyed seeing his crush asleep beside him. 
He whispered into their darkened room, “Goodnight, Logan.” And promptly fell asleep.
taglist: @stop-it-anxiety @hexatrash @ollyollyoxinfree @battlebunnyteardropsinthesun @leiasolo77 @arya-skywalker @alexxadontplaydespasito
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dumbthotastrology · 5 years
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a dumb thots guide to moon signs
omg i have been gone for so long uhhhh just flaky gemini things. anyways hey girlies so today were gonna talk about your moon signs. the specifics of what each moon sign has in store, and about moon signs in general.
about moon signs:
while a sun sign can be an overall idea of your personality and overall self, a moon sign is what rules your inner-self and your emotions. It creates your needs and wants, and makes the base for your subconscious and your soul. your moon sign can also describe how you respond to crisis basically your moon sign explains why y'all are so fucked up.
your moon sign also can tell who you’re compatible with emotionally. although compatibility is a mix of other planets and other non-astrological factors, your moon sign is a huge component of the way you think and process things, which is generally a huge part of compatibility and intellectual attraction. oooh, big words.
also, like what i said in my previous post “a dumb thots guide to the planets” some people relate to their moon sign waaaay more than their sun sign, probably because there are less stereotypes and stigmas around moon signs. if you’re naturally a very emotional, intuitive, or dark person you might feel more attracted to your moon sign because your feelings and emotions are a large part of your thought-process.
so children, let's get into each moon sign and what they mean
aries moon: we stan most aries, so we also stan aries moons. these folks tell it how it is and aren’t afraid to speak their mind. aries moons are bold and enthusiastic with their life choices. they’re optimistic, even through tough times. they know what they want all the time, but y'all aries moons don’t know the difference between needs and wants because of your intensity in regards to passion and desire. they can be moody and temperamental if they don’t get what they want or life is going rough for them. In life, it's hard to create a balance because they go through plenty of ups and downs constantly. they might feel destructive towards other people or even towards themselves. aries moons are naturally dominant, so let's all embrace our little baby lunar christian greys.
taurus moon: okay so let's talk about our babies with taurus moons. the main traits of a moon sign in taurus is that they crave stability, reliability, and comfort. people with taurus moons tend to stay away from sketchy or messy situations because they’re not super adaptable to change. they take pride in their emotional stability and use it as their driving force (and they usually take charge anyway.) those with moons in taurus can be stubborn and selfish at times, and can get stuck in routines although that's not the end of the world for them. if you have a sun or moon (or just have a lot of taurus in your chart) you can suffer from taurus-style depression at times, which makes the person very lazy, tired, and tend to overeat or do a lotttt of retail therapy. but on the brighter side, if you’re in a relationship with them, they are more committed, helllllaaa sensual (get itttt), loyal, and you won’t expect a break up for a longggg time
gemini moon: (geminis, i love you and i support you) those with moons in gemini are charming and witty, just like the gemini sun signs. they are social butterflies and like to organize or make plans frequently otherwise they’ll get fussy. they're great communicators and get along with a lot of people, but since gemini moons are such people pleasers, they might get too involved with the opinions and emotions of other people and tend to ignore their own feelings or purpose. deep shit. restlessness is common in lunar geminis because they always need to be stimulated with something (talking, reading, watching tv, etc.) also nervousness and moodiness can be a problem in these people, leading to frustration and being snappy. but overall, we love you geminis.
cancer moon: cancer moons are little babies, in a good way. they’re extremely sensitive, intuitive, and they feel so damn much. our cancer moon girlies make incredible friends and parents, however be a bit cautious around them. since they feel so much, they can be defensive, moody, or more upset than normal when they’re hurt or unhappy. if you hurt cancer moons, good luck bud. they tend to close off or shut down when hurt, and take a while to heal. along with this, they hold grudges for a long time, and tend to keep their guard up if they somehow forgive you. just don't be playin with their feelings… don't do it. To heal and regroup, cancer moons like to stick with what they know and what they’re comfortable with, and many can be homebodied. these people have a lively imagination and are extremely intuitive, leading to possible psychic abilities or intentions. these people also tend to be natural empaths, which can lead to feeling emotionally bogged down from other people depending on you, but being an empath is a good thing because it shows your loyalty and compassion. love u.
leo moon: leo moons are our fun friends that have been by our side for years. these girlies are self confident, creative, and has an inspiring and extroverted energy. leo moons know their se;f worth, and won’t put up with anything less. they can be dominant at times, but their motivation for this dominance is generally respect. their feelings are intense and they don’t mess around when it comes to their ambitions and desires. a downside of leo moons though, is that they are super extra. some can see you as over the top or loud, and at times this can make you feel misunderstood. you may seem to be an attention whore sometimes, but through your passion and loyalty those close to you know that your intentions are good. keep bein your extra ass selves, leo moons. we love you.
virgo moon: those with virgo moons can be a little tricky to understand, but there are definitely some pros, you guys aren't all fucked up. lunar virgos really stan their routine, which make them naturally self-disciplined so they don't fall out of that routine. they tend to like exercising, self care, and love to develop new hobbies. they also love to help others, and you'll find that lunar virgos are wholesome, loyal, and sensitive in the best way possible. their routine is a need for them, and if they don’t have it they can get high-strung and aggravated. they can also get finicky and specific about how things go in their lives, which isn’t always a bad thing. if lunar virgos suffer from trauma or rough-patches, they might try to bottle their emotions up which will manifest later on in life. similar to lunar scorpios, virgo moons might experience issues with digestion due to their emotional stresses. some have described that those with virgo moons might have eating disorders due to nervous system or psychological factors. these people might also have controlling fears or issues, so as i said these people can be a little fucked up but their gigantic hearts and self determination make up for it and help them get through it. (and aren't we all a little fucked up out here?)
libra moon: lunar libras (ugh doesn't that sound so pretty?) are just beautiful little babies. they have a natural artsy and peaceful personality that draws you into them. they’re amazing at communicating and socializing, and one of their main goals seem to be pleasing people in all aspects. libra moons are amazing partners, and they often search for a partner due to the fact that they strongly dislike being without a significant other. it makes them feel out of balance and lonely at times. they seem to steady themselves based on the way others depend on them and their relationships, but this can lead to distress if tensions exist within an important relationship in their lives. the dark side of lunar libras isn’t as scary as others think, but can become an issue if taken out of hand. they might become dependent on others and their significant other which can, in turn, hurt them in the long run from a loneliness or longing after a break in the path. ooh, poetic.
scorpio moon: scorpio moons dont fuck around. (i have a scorpio moon, so be scared bitch.) to be frank, scorpio moons are intense and emotional. they have a higher understanding of the human thought process and can be deeply connected to emotions and vibes. these people are affected not only by their own emotions, but from others emotions as well. they pick up on certain situations because of the energy radiating off of it, making them helllllaaaa intuitive. lunar scorpios are INTENSE when it comes to love, and might be afraid of committing if they’ve been hurt in the past. they have a strong emotional need for drama or frequent change, and if they dont express their feleings they could even get physically sick (ive personally experienced a lot of stomach issues and nausea.) scorpio moons are defensive when it comes to love (even if they crave it) because they have a fear of betrayal or being hurt. through all of these intense shit though, they’re ambitious, sensual (!!!), creative, and committed. we been knew.
sagittarius moon: sagittarius moons are our party people. they’re fun, sociable, and extroverted. they love meeting new people and doing new things, it makes them thrive. they like to go through life with an easygoing nature, and generally aren't super negative. sometimes they’re even overly optimistic, and get their hopes up way too much which in the end will crush them if something goes poorly. when life isn't in their favor or things don't go their way, they get tf out of the situation or try to physically escape. they want to feel balanced at all times. to other people (especially more home-bodied signs) see sag moons as intimidating or annoying, but sag moons are very easy to get along with and will get along with almost anybody. basically, lunar sags are that one friend that you can never stay mad at, and want to hang out with all the time. we really do stan.
capricorn moon: our capricorn moon are our little home bodied babies. we love you. the underlying theme of most lunar capricorns is that they’re steady and reliable, and like to keep themselves that way. they like to surround their lifestyle around goal-setting, and have soooo freakin much ambition and determination. at some points, capricorn moons might start getting a little too obsessed with their goals, like girlies please calm down every once in a while. they want to better themselves all the time, and that can lead to isolation or feelings of loneliness. lunar capricorns have emotions that are a bit more logical and darker than some, and that makes them a bit more emotionally closed off because they don't want to kill the vibe or share what's on their mind if its not important. they seem cold to others because they like to make themselves seem put together allllll the time. like seriously. overall, all these kittygirls want is to be in control and to have structure, and we’ll let you have it, since you mainly aren’t that problematic.
aquarius moon: so our little aquarius moons are kinda weird in nature, but SO bright and independent, which a lot of us admire. lunar aquarians care a lot about what others think, so they try to bury any negative emotions (like pettiness or jealousy) so they don't seem unattractive. because of this, they might seem closed off, but most times you’ll receive more of an emotional connection once you get to know them. they are very receptive to others emotions and frequencies, and ponder the meaning of life and the universe as they feed on deeper and darker emotions. often times, they emotionally detach themselves from others and tend to feel lonely. they’re natural loners, but on the bright side they don't let their loneliness get in the way of their overarching purpose (for the most part.) the odd thing is, they take in so much energy and emotion from other, and some may call that an empath, but to others they might seem like they lack compassion because they emotionally shut off. we love them anyways though, because lunar aquarians are amazing friends and give people lots of independence and space to be themselves, and they expect the same.
pisces moon: our lunar pisceans (google told me that term) are dreamy and imaginative girlies. they’re SO empathetic and love to connect with others, and that makes many people confide and take comfort in them. they might become so involved in others (they especially root for the underdog and those less fortunate) that they lose track of themselves. if people take advantage of pisces moons’ empathy, the pisces moon will learn quickly and bounce back. their huge and accepting heart makes them amazing partners and friends because they’ll cherish you. (and y'all BETTER cherish them too i swear to god.) the downside to lunar pisceans though, is that they involve themselves in others so much that they become overloaded with emotion that they might feel numb or become spaced out. a supppperrr common thing in a pisces moon is zoning out to give their brain a break. pisces moons need time to recharge and step back to breathe. hey, we get it. life can be stressful af sometimes, especially for someone who feels everything.
the next dumb thots guide will be a dumb thots guide to the elements of astrology. (hopefully it wont take five billion years) bettttttt 
-vi (gemini sun, scorpio moon, gemini rising) posted 6/15/19
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alphinias · 3 years
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heyyy so I just finished re watching obx and I just need to get something off my chest because I havent seen any discussion towards it. WHY did the writers make Kiara say “did u tell jj?”!!!!! like why! I can’t tell if it was a legitimate hint from the writers or if it was just a mess up/accident from them and they weren’t hinting jiara at all but the audience just misunderstood It? like I for real remember the first time I watched season 1 I legitimately thought that there was gonna be a lead up to jiara when kie said that, but then they later hinted that Pope liked kie and I was like oh? Like I need to know the meaning behind that line, if it was on purpose or if it was just messy writing?
Ahh, it’s been a while since I’ve ranted about this. I actually just reached this scene in my rewatch so I’ve been stewing again.
First of all, it’s made even more sketchy by the “maybe she’s just into somebody else” line being in the SAME episode. Second of all, I know Bailey hammers home how much Jiara was an accident, but the awkward meaningful pause after she specifically named JJ was very very strange and I definitely interpreted it as “oh, she has a crush on JJ then” on my first watch. I know other people (casuals) I watched with interpreted it this way too, including one middle school aged boy, who I can assure you is not going into shows looking for ships like some of us might be. I know the editors supposedly emphasized some Jiara moments according to both Rudy and Madison, but that seems more along the lines of cutting to jealous looks etc. They can’t totally edit Bailey’s acting.
People always accuse Jiara shippers of treating Kie as a reward or object for the boys, but… I definitely originally started shipping it because I thought she liked him. Due to this scene, obviously. I’m sure it was the same for many shippers, because in this episode, it was a logical conclusion to draw.
Plot wise, there is absolutely no clear reason for this scene. I’ve seen one argument going around saying maybe she was too embarrassed to ask about Pope since she liked him, but I see no evidence for this, and that thought process requires entirely too much mental gymnastics to make sense (especially when factoring in that they didn’t show Kie liked Pope at ALL during the rest of the show). Kie and JB had also already fully made up over the kiss, so for her to bring it up again was otherwise pointless unless it was to hint at who she did like, right? There was no reason she couldn’t have said “did you tell the guys?”, regardless. Naming JJ was a very specific and weird choice for it to be meaningless. Every scene in a show like this is supppsed to be put there for a reason.
At the end of the day, we may never know the reason. I suspect bad/inconsistent writing and DEFINITELY some conflicting agendas on the parts of the show runners, editors, directors, etc. But either way, at this point, they dug their grave by putting that line in. The audience interpreted it in the way that makes sense, and now they’ve had to reevaluate their story. The ball is in their court and I think they’ve chosen to follow through.
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mystical-flute · 3 years
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Uncharted Waters 12: My Monsters are Real (And They're Trained How to Kill)
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AO3 || Ko-FI
It was supposed to be a normal day.
Yugi had won the tournament, she’d soothed Seto’s ego after his loss, Marik was, apparently, no longer hunting down the items, Mai and Bakura were awake and safe, and the blimp would be en route back to Domino at any moment.
And then the alarms had started blaring.
Two portals had been opened, one in the warehouse district near the docks, and the other at a local park. Kenji and Yume had the agents divided up, orders given to suit up and try to blend in.
Reika had opted for her batons instead of her gun since they were easy to hide under the sleeve of the leather jacket she wore. Her hair was thrown into a messy ponytail, a cloaking device blocking anyone from recognizing her.
She hoped, anyway. There was no telling who may have come through.
“Two at once. You don’t think someone’s managed to co-op our tech, do you?” Aiko asked as they sped through the Domino streets.
Reika was holding onto the door for dear life, Aiko’s tires letting out the worst screeching sound. “No idea. You realize your dad said to blend in, not to go Mad Max on the roads, right?”
“We gotta get there and figure out what happened, don’t we?”
“We aren’t cops, Aiko! We don’t have si- rens !” Reika yelped at a sharp turn, before exhaling in relief when the warehouses came into view. “That’s the one, at the end.”
Because of course , it would be the last warehouse in a parade of sketchy-looking warehouses.
“Weird. It looks like it hasn’t been used in a while,” Aiko remarked, before she spoke into her earpiece. “This is Aiko. Agent Reika and I have made it to the warehouse. We’re beginning our inspection now.”
Reika frowned as she noticed the camera. “This is Reika. Can anyone at headquarters see if the cameras at this warehouse are in use?”
“Doesn’t look that way. The warehouse is supposed to be abandoned,” came the voice on the other end of the line. “Last time any sort of payment was made on it was two years ago. You’re clear for entry.”
It was unnerving how easy it was to gain entry, and after they’d divided up, she found herself wandering the lower level with Aiko.
“This is so weird,” Aiko whispered her gun at the ready. “What is all this stuff?”
Lab equipment was all she could guess. Tables were lined with beakers and test tubes, some containing God-only-knew-what sort of liquid.
“I don’t want to know, but I feel like we should call someone else about it,” she replied as they paused outside another door. “Count of three. One, two, three!”
Aiko kicked in the door.
It was a storage closet containing clean lab equipment.
“Just a storeroom, commander,” Aiko said. “We’re moving on.”
“Copy that.”
They continued down a hallway, and that’s when she heard it. A steady, rhythmic beeping.
“Is that… a heart monitor? Like they use in hospitals?” Reika questioned.
“Sure sounds like it. It’s coming from here…” Aiko said, kicking open the door, gun at the ready before pausing. “Huh. What is that?”
Reika peered into the room and felt the color drain from her face.
“No,” she whispered, edging inside.
“Holy shit, is that a kid ?”
“No…”
“It’s not?”
She ignored Aiko, forcing herself to sprint the distance to the machine. Her hand, shaking, gently rested against the glass as she stared at the figure, and the scream she’d been fighting back ripped from her throat, legs buckling and knees slamming into the hard cement floor below.
Noah Kaiba was floating in the strange, blue liquid, the steady, rhythmic beeping around her confirming her worst fears.
This was a KaibaCorp warehouse.
Noah was here.
Had Leichter known?
Sobs and dry heaves wracked her body as she curled into herself, head pressing into her knees, the world around her vanishing as all she felt was grief, six years worth, pouring onto her hands and spilling onto her lap.
“ - can’t get her to respond. She’s just been sitting there sobbing,” she heard Aiko say as reality slowly came back into focus. “Reika?”
“Huh?”
How long had it been?
“What is going on? Who is that?”
Her hands, still shaking, reached up to wipe the tears from her face as her eyes cleared.
“ That ,” she croaked, her voice strained, “is Noah Kaiba. The biological son of Gozaburo. H - he was in a car accident six years ago… Gozaburo said he was dead ! He told me he was dead !”
Hiro looked at her in concern. “I don’t know why Gozaburo would have said such a thing, because according to these documents… Noah did flatline, but they were able to save him moments later.”
It should have been good news. It should have been one of the best pieces of news she’d heard in her life, but all Reika felt was horror and despair.
“Then why is he here ?” she managed to choke out, her hand slamming against the machine. “Why didn’t he get to grow up?”
“I don’t know. I’m still looking into it.”
Reika held back a sob and tugged at her hair, then frowned when she remembered she’d put her cloaking device in. She tugged it out of her hair and let her natural appearance return. Even if Noah couldn’t see her right now, it felt wrong to not look like herself.
She slowly stood on shaking legs, using Aiko for support. “What now?”
“Now… we figure out what the hell that portal signal was. Someone wanted us here for a reason,” Hiro replied.
“I’ve found the transporter,” Yume said into their earpieces. “I’m gathering the data now.”
“Noah…” she whispered, putting her hand on the pod again. “I’m so sorry. I’m going to get you out of there.”
How? She had no idea, but now that she knew Noah was here, alive, it was only fair that she fought to get him out.
“I found something!” Miho cried from across the room. “Joey and Yugi went into a virtual game with Mokuba, right Reika?”
“Yes?” Reika responded, drawing the word out with dread.
“Noah is in a virtual world too. These papers say Gozaburo designed it after his accident, to protect his body,” Miho explained. “But the project was abandoned five years ago.”
Aiko frowned. “Five years ago? But Noah’s accident was six years ago. Why would Goz - ”
“Because he had a shiny new toy to play with,” Reika whispered, swallowing back another wave of nausea. “He abandoned Noah. Left him here to rot !”
“This is sick…” Hiro said. “We’ve got to get him out of there.”
Reika nodded as her communicator buzzed. “Agent Reika speaking.”
“... Reika?”
The little color that had returned to her face drained from it again. “Roland? How did you get this line?”
“The blimp has been hijacked. Fuguta was shot trying to protect Mr. Kaiba. Before he passed out, he gave this line to me. Which is good because our radio and cell phones are down and -”
“ Roland . Where are you?”
“Roughly fifty miles from Alcatraz.”
Reika moved the communicator away from her mouth, covering the mouthpiece with her hand. “Fuguta is down. He’s been shot,” she whispered, going back to Roland. “Roland, who hijacked the blimp? What happened?”
“It was a boy. He couldn’t have been older than Mokuba. I think they called him Noah.”
Her eyebrows raised as she looked around the room again, blocking the mouthpiece. “Get Yume in here. Now. KaibaCorp’s blimp has been hijacked and her daughter is on board.”
Hiro’s face went white as he began speaking into his device.
“Continue, Roland.”
“He ordered Seto, Mokuba, Yugi, Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, Téa Gardner, and Mai Valentine out of the blimp. When we tried to follow, Fuguta was shot. I don't know what happened after that. What is this device I’m calling you on? Why did you call yourself ‘Agent’?”
“I’ll explain later,” Reika said. “If I need anything else, I’ll contact you.”
Reika had to take deep breaths as she ended the communication. “If the virtual world Noah is in is on KaibaCorp’s servers… and the virtual reality game Seto created is on KaibaCorp’s servers…”
“The Big Five might be involved,” Aiko finished, reading her mind. “Good God, Reika, do you think they would agree to kidnap the people you care about? I mean, didn’t you tell me Leichter was a mentor to you?”
“They did it once before. What’s stopping them from doing it again with who was supposed to be the original heir to KaibaCorp? The KaibaCorp that they wanted?”
AIko didn’t respond.
“Alright, listen up! We don’t have time to waste. Kenji and his team will stay here and look for more information,” Yume said as the squad gathered in the room. “Meanwhile we’re going to go to the KaibaCorp blimp to figure out what happened there. Cloaking devices on. We don’t need everyone to know who we are… Reika, you’re free to leave yours off.”
The coordinates were added to Yume’s teleporter, the deep blue ripping open. One by one, the agents stepped through.
The first thing she noticed was the whimpering girl sitting in one of the pilot’s chairs.
“Hey…” she said softly, kneeling next to her. “What’s your name?”
“S-Serenity.”
Reika smiled. “So you’re the famous Serenity I’ve heard so much about! I’m Reika. I’m Yugi’s cousin. You’re worried about Joey, huh?”
Serenity nodded. “Y-you look worried too.”
“I am. But I’m going to make sure everyone gets back here safely.”
“How?”
Reika smiled, giving Serenity a look of confidence. “I’m going to beat up the bad guys, of course!”
“Hey Serenity, I thought - Reika? How the hell did you get here? Who are you people?” Duke asked, tensing as he took in the strangers.
Yume straightened. “We’re special agents. We’ve received word that KaibaCorp has access to technology it shouldn’t, and when we heard one of our agents was shot, we came to investigate.”
Roland lost what little color he had left in his face. “One of your -”
Another agent stepped forward. “Commander, I’ll stay behind to fill in Roland and check on Fuguta. The rest of you should go and find the kids that were kidnapped.”
Yume nodded. “Very well.”
“I’m coming with you!” Duke suddenly said. “I’m not just going to sit here while my friends get hurt!”
“Me either!” Serenity said, suddenly filled with confidence.
Yume sighed, looking like she expected this. “Fine. We have enough weapons to protect you both should things go south.”
“Wait! You can’t go out there! They have guns attached to the walls! They’re motion activated!” Roland fretted. “If anything happened to Miss Muto, Mr. Kaiba would kill me!”
She was touched at the sentiment and angry that her house of cards was collapsing all at the same time. “Roland,” she said softly. “It’s okay, I promise. Let’s test the guns. See if they’re still operational now that Noah has what he wants.”
Duke had brought Serenity an apple, so they tossed that out of the blimp. When no guns went off, Reika slowly stepped outside as well.
“They’re not operational. Noah must be distracted. Let’s go.”
The agents huddled around Duke and Serenity, and the group made their way into the building, winding their way through the hallways, some agents breaking off to gather information after fighting off the robot guards, before they finally arrived at a large room, filled with pods, not unlike the one Noah was in.
Yugi and the others were inside.
“Joey!” Serenity squeaked, rushing over to his pod.
Duke followed, holding her back. “Serenity, don’t touch it! We don’t know what it does.”
“But we have to get them out of there!”
“We will,” Yume said, though she was trembling as she stared at Téa’s pod. “The question is, how?”
“I’ll go in,” Reika said. “If the Big Five are involved, maybe I can convince them this is a bad idea and they’ll tell me the way out of there.”
Yume sighed. “I don’t like it, but I don’t see what other choice we have. Just be careful, Agent Muto.”
Reika nodded, getting into one of the spare pods and feeling the world fade to black.
She felt a soft pillow under her head and the weight of her batons still hidden in her jacket.
She could smell the barest hint of cigar in the air.
She could see bright lights behind her still-closed eyelids.
She could hear a man with an American southern accent whispering as soft jazz played from a nearby speaker. It was familiar. Comforting.
It was wrong .
Reika’s eyes flew open as she quickly sat up, a wave of dizziness washing over her for a moment when she tried to orient herself.
“Miss Reika.”
She took a deep breath, raising her head and locking eyes with him. “Mr. Leichter.”
“You’re lucky I managed to secure your mind before it got too far in this world,” Leichter chastised. “Otherwise, you’d be in your worst memories. I don’t want that for you. I don’t want you here at all.”
“Did you expect me to not try to stop you once I found out you’d kidnapped people I loved again ?” she questioned.
“You should know by now that people that cross KaibaCorp very rarely get the chance to escape. Your family should not be an exception to the rule. But I can make this world better for you. Anything you want can be yours here,” Leichter said, crossing the room and standing before her.
She rolled her eyes. “Okay then, what I want is for all of us to get out of here. Including you and the rest of the Big Five. I can help you, Leichter.”
Leichter laughed softly and grabbed her chin. “No, Miss Reika. You can’t help me. No one can.”
“That isn’t true. I have friends - ”
“It’s too late for that.” The grip on her chin tightened, and he frowned, considering. “Your eyes are holding so much pain. I’ll protect you though. No more yelling or fighting.”
“What are you talking about?”
Leichter’s eyes seemed to soften, just a touch. “Your parents… then Master Noah… and going to school, was it? Must have been so difficult…”
Why was he questioning her going to school?
Reika felt her pulse quicken as she tried to pull away, to no avail. “Leichter, let go.”
“No, no, Miss Reika. I think I’d like to see some of your happy, happy memories from your time away.”
The office fell away, and for a moment, they stood in darkness.
“So you made it to California okay?” Yugi had asked on the phone.
“Yep! LAX was a nightmare to get through, but I found my guide. I’m unpacking now. You should see it, Yugi. The sun, the sand, the water…”
“We have all of that in Japan.”
She’d laughed. “I know, but it feels… different somehow. It’s probably just the butterflies.”
“So what are you going to do first?”
“You mean after I take a nap?”
Yugi laughed. “Yeah, after that.”
“I dunno. I’ll probably get to know my roommate, or take a walk around campus. It’s huge, so I should get my bearings before classes start.”
“That’s a good idea. I should get to bed. It’s past midnight here.”
“Yeah, get some rest, Yugi. I’ll try to call you later.”
The scenery returned, and it was the I.D.R.A’s base in Loguetown, an apartment above a bakery, with the teleporter hidden in an attic. Large windows faced the sea, and she remembered how she used to watch the ships in her downtime, wondering when she’d find a crew of people she could trust to take her out there with them.
“This is not California, Miss Reika…” Leichter suddenly said. “This isn’t anywhere I’ve ever seen. And you know I’ve been to many countries with Mr. Kaiba.”
Reika said nothing, staring down at the floor.
Leichter grabbed her chin again, forcing her gaze. “Miss Reika, did you hear me?”
“The I.D.R.A is watching. You should be more gentle with me,” she snarled as the room twisted and warped to the deck of the Going Merry.
They were safe. They had managed to escape from Loguetown and no Marines were in sight. The skies had finally cleared too, and it was nothing but peaceful.
“So what do you think so far?” Sanji questioned as she sat with him in the galley. “Any regrets?”
She laughed softly. “It’s certainly a lot to get used to, but no, no regrets. Even if I did have some, wouldn’t it be too late?”
“I’m sure Nami-swan would be able to find an island to drop you off at.”
She wrinkled her nose. “And sit for another month to find someone going to Loguetown? No way! I’m where I need to be.”
“What do you mean?”
Reika paused, sipping at the tea he’d insisted she have. “I mean… I feel like I belong here, on this ship, with you guys. I spent so long feeling trapped and helpless after my parents went missing that it's nice to feel like I belong somewhere, that I can do something to try to find them. You know?”
“I guess,” Sanji said, taking a drag of his cigarette. “It took me a while to feel like I belonged here. I’m just surprised you could leave your aunt behind so easily.”
“Who says it’s easy?” she questioned. “But it’ll be worth it when I can find out what happened to them and give the rest of the family some peace of mind.”
“The I.D.R.A managed to ensnare you. Oh, Miss Reika, I’m so sorry. If I had known, I would have stopped them much sooner!”
She stepped away from him, her arms raised in a defensive position. “Stopped them? They’re the only ones that can find my parents!”
Leichter waved his hand and the world warped, spinning out of control. “I know. I know, that’s the one thing you want in this world. And I will give it to you.”
“Leichter, what are you - ”
The spinning stopped, Leichter vanished, and Reika fell to her knees at what the world had twisted into.
Her childhood bedroom.
“Not here…” she whispered. “Anywhere but here.”
“I told you I would take care of you, Miss Reika. You won’t have any more pain here.”
“Leichter, please !”
“Little star! Can your father and I talk to you?”
“Mama…” she whispered, gasping as her eight-year-old self appeared in the room.
Her parents entered right after. Genji scooped her into his arms, and her younger counterpart laughed, lifting her arms in the air.
“I’m flying!” Little Reika giggled.
“You are!” Miaka said, her laughter joining Reika’s.
Reika’s knees dug into the carpet as she watched the scene. The bedroom was exactly as she remembered it. Purple bed sheets and pillows,, with twinkling fairy lights hanging above it (“Your mother was rightfully convinced you would be born on Tanabata,” Aunt Kumi had told her), her keyboard was against another wall. Shelves of books were near the door, and stuffed animals lined her bed.
“Mr. Kaiba says we get to play for you next week!” Little Reika announced. “We’re gonna play -”
“Shh! We want to be surprised, Reika!” Genji said. “But Mama and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Miaka smiled. “That’s right. And we’ll make sure to take a video so the rest of the family can watch too!”
“But that’s not all we had to tell you.”
Little Reika looked at them curiously.
“In two weeks, your Mama and I will be going to California for our anniversary, which means you’ll be staying with grandpa for a while. Is that okay?” Genji asked.
No!
“Okay!” Little Reika said. “Will you bring me a present home?”
“Of course we will. We wish we could bring you with us,” Miaka said. “But we’ll tell you all sorts of stories when we get home.”
(She often wondered if lying was as hard for her parents as it was for her)
“We’ll miss you so much, but I’m sure it’ll fly by. I bet grandpa has new games he can show you.”
Little Reika nodded. “Yeah! I like the Capsule Monsters game he showed me last time I was there!”
“You didn’t stop talking about it for a week! I bet you’d kick my butt at it!” Genji said with a wide smile, reaching to tickle her.
(Reika swore she could feel the feather-light touches too)
“Look at the time! I think we should start dinner,” Miaka said, kissing Little Reika’s forehead.
(Th at she felt, and it was a jolt to her system)
Genji lifted Little Reika onto his back, and the trio left the room.
Reika let out a shaking breath. “I don’t have a choice but to follow, do I?” she whispered, to no response.
Right. Azila was safe in the real world.
Heading downstairs, she froze again. Instead of dinner, the scent of pancakes and bacon filled the room.
“Ah, there you are, Reika! I swear, teens today sleep much later than we used to,” Miaka chastised from the table.
She was looking right at Reika. Not through her, not at a specter of a past Reika, but her .
Like this was real.
“I - ” she managed to choke out, her throat dry.
“Drink some juice, sweetheart, you sound half-asleep still,” Genji said as he flipped a pancake.
Reika wordlessly lifted a glass of orange juice to her lips, taking a large gulp. “I’m just really happy to see you.”
“Oh little star, did you have that nightmare where your father and I don’t come home again?”
“I… yeah.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Your father and I are here to stay .”
Wait, why did that sound wrong?
“But visually, vocally, it would be the same!” Pegasus cried.
“It wouldn’t be them .”
She gripped the glass harder than she’d meant to, and it shattered, the orange juice stinging as it mixed with the tiny cuts now on her hand.
“Oh goodness, let’s get that cleaned up!” Miaka said. While she had her back turned, Reika bolted for the door, and the world began to spin.
Her worst memories? Fine. She could handle that.
She was eight, and her parents never came home.
She was twelve, and her friend was assumed dead.
She was sixteen, and she found out her parents were never in California.
She was eighteen, and she turned herself into a criminal.
The Going Merry was eaten by a whale as soon as they entered the Grand Line.
Nami was ill, terribly so. Vivi thought she might die if they hadn’t found Drum Island.
She was clinging to a sled as it climbed up a mountain, frostbite cutting through her mittens.
(“If I take you up there and your friends don’t come, then what?” Kureha sneered.
“Then you can toss me off the mountain.”)
She was marching through a desert with the crew, the sun beating down on them.
She was thrown from a window, landing in the waters outside the casino.
She was in an alley, Mr. 3 in front of her and ready for a fight.
The clash began as it had before, before she was pinned to the ground, one baton just out of reach of her fingers while the other sat near a trash can.
Mr. 3 was babbling, and then the knife came down, cutting into her chest and shoulder and she screamed out in pain, just like before.
“REIKA!”
That didn’t happen before.
Panic surged through her as she grabbed the baton. “Jupiter’s Storm!” and Mr. 3 was blasted away.
She tried to scramble to her feet, to hide the blood that was dripping down her arm but the pain was too intense, and she found herself unable to move as Yugi and his friends loomed over her.
And the foundation to her house of cards was gone.
“Oh,” she wheezed. “Son of a bitch .”
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How to Befriend a Dragon Part 2
Sequel/continuation of How to Befriend a Dragon part 1
summary: Virgil meets Logan, gets to know Patton’s friends better, and finds himself some friends 
word count: 3949
warnings: Remus shows up this time, unsympathetic remus, panic attacks, crying, I think that is it but if I missed something please let me know!!
a/n: So i finally had some inspiration and got around to finishing this part two that I started a while ago. you will probably want to read How to Befriend a Dragon before you read this. I mean I guess you can read it by itself but you won’t have much context, but i mean do what you want, I certainly can’t stop you. Anyway, I did work hard on this and I hope you enjoy the ending I came up with. =) I would love to hear your thoughts!! (aka please leave a comment I thrive on them, they make my whole week)
The three of you take a moment to collect yourselves before Roman clears his throat, “Uh, I believe there is still one more friend to meet.” he prompts.
Patton startles, “Of course, you should come meet Logan. He would love to meet you!”
You smile and nod, you are a bit tired from all the crying but you think you should be able to manage meeting one more person. 
You all get up and Roman leads the way out of the room towards the kitchen table. 
As you approach the table, the man sitting there looks over at you and nods, “I suppose the three of you have worked out the previous misunderstandings?”
“Yeah, i'd say everything is good now, Specs.”
The man hums and looks to you, his face unreadable for a moment before a small smile crosses his face, “Hello, you must be Virgil. It is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Logan.”
You smile nod and bow your head to him in greeting. 
“Why don't you join us for the morning meal? Patton had made some fried potatoes that look and smell amazing  and I am excited to eat them.”
You nod, joining him at the table, sitting down facing him.
Roman joins you two, sitting next to you. “We never did tell you why we’re here, did we Patton”
“No, you didn't,” Patton answers
Roman smiles, “Logan is looking for something for the shop.”
Logan nods, “Yes. We heard wind of a magic book being uncovered around here and I felt it was worth it to come look. Partially because even if we don’t find the book we still have the chance to visit you and catch up.”
You tilt your head as Patton excitedly begins asking Logan all about this book. 
Roman taps the table in front of you to get your attention, “Logan runs a magical bookshop back in the city. Well, magical might not be the writing word, he sells all sorts of books, but as an alchemist, and a wizard, he does love magical books and items.”
You grab the paper from the middle of the table and write down a response, “What is an alchemist? And what is the difference between a witch and a wizard?”
“Uh, that’s not really a question I can answer.” He turns to Logan, “Hey Specs, Virgil has some questions.”
Logan immediately turns his attention to Virgil, “Oh, yes i'm sure you do. Sorry for not asking. What questions do you have.”
You spin the notebook to him for him to read.
Logan reads them over for a moment, “Ah, okay, well first off, alchemy. It is a magical practice, under the umbrella of transmutation,” he notices your confused face and elaborates, “the practice of turning one substance into another. Alchemy specifically is more focused on turning base metals into gold, finding cures for all diseases, and finding a means through which to indefinitely prolong one’s life. 
The part of the practice which most interests me is finding cures for diseases, though I am no doctor. I find that magic is it’s purest and least corruptible when being used to help others, and most specifically when healing. So I aim to find healing items and spells. I use these for some profit, admittedly, I do have to keep up shop somehow. 
I do so through the coffee shop that is attached to my book store, which Roman runs. We sell magic drinks that assist with various ailments, and others that are just useful on certain occasions. For example, tea with healing properties for those who have a cold, coffees with a shot of charisma potion in case one has a big presentation or such that day, though it is often bought by young men before attempting to ask out a suitor, and other such things. Does that make sense?”
You nod, trying your best not to stare in awe for a moment before remembering your other question and pointing to the paper again.
“Ah, yes, the difference between a witch and a wizard. This, surprisingly, is a little more complicated than the other question, partially because the title can just be one of personal preferences. See, I choose to use the term wizard because I study my craft more from books and ancient practices than I do from nature, which is, traditionally, where most witches will draw their power. Also the title witch implies and internal magical nature, which some, like Patton, possess and use to hone their craft. I do not have such a nature and am merely learning through study, not relying on any internal intuitive knowledge. But largely it is just a question of preference.”
You listen quietly, nodding to show your attention. When he finishes he hands the paper back to you and you scribble down a comment, “That bookstore/ coffee shop sounds really cool!” 
Roman taps next to the pad, “Is it okay if I read it outloud for you or would you rather show it to him?”
You are surprised he asked but pleased he would think to. You realise that him talking for you would probably make it easier so you nudge the paper closer to him so both of you can read it and he smiles. 
“I'm glad, maybe you can visit someday.” Logan responds.
You nod, but your face falls as you think about what the journey would entail, “I think I would rather stay here, but thank you.”
Roman chuckles, “We weren’t saying today, we do have a book to look for after all, but if at any point in the future you end up visiting the city we would love for you to stop by.”
You feel the tension leave your shoulders and you nod in understanding and agreement. 
“How are you enjoying your time here with Patton? Have you found any hobbies you enjoy?”
Roman smiles, “Virgil says, I like being here. Patton is very kind. I have enjoyed spending time in the garden and like that I don't have any big responsibilities like I used to.”
Logan nods, “I'm sure that the opportunity for rest is enjoyable. Is there anything to do around here for fun?”
You can't help the snort that leaves you as you write, “Depends on how you define fun.”
Both Roman and Logan let out a laugh at that and some of the tension falls from your shoulders. Perhaps this Logan man is okay too.
You write more, “No, but I do enjoy how beautiful the flowers are. I often wish I was able to capture their image so I could look at them again later.”
Roman turns towards you a little, “Virgil, have you ever tried to draw the flowers?”
“What’s that?” you ask.
“Oh. I hadn't considered that maybe you wouldn't know. Umm-” Roman looks around for a moment before turning back to you, “Can I borrow a piece of blank paper and a pencil for a moment?”
You look at him for a long moment before conceding and hesitantly handing over your voice.
“Logan, may I draw you?”
“I suppose.”
You watch in silent fascination as Roman alternates between staring at Logan and the paper, writing, or drawing, you guess, but why he is looking at Logan you can't tell. It is only when he hands the paper and pencil back to you that you realize what was happening. Looking back at you off of the paper is a messy, but recognizable Logan. Your jaw drops as you look from Logan to the paper and back.
“What do you think?” Roman asks with a chuckle.
You blink up at him in awe. And grab the pencil from the table and carefully tear the picture of Logan from the pad. You stare at the paper, close your eyes for a minute remembering the image you want to make then open them and bring pencil to paper. You make lines and specs and focus intently on the paper in your hands and the look of the marks you are making. When you are satisfied you set it down on the table with a small smile. 
Roman looks over to see that you have drawn a beautiful, if a bit messy, rendition of your dragon form. The proportions are a bit off and it’s really sketchy but it is noticeably you. 
“Oh cool! Who is this?” he asks, not having seen you in dragon form before.
You smirk and allow yourself to shift into dragon form, hopping up onto the table next to your drawing. 
“Oh woah! It’s you!”
Logan smiles, “That’s quite the artistic rendition. Your skills impress me, especially for not being able to see yourself.”
You shrug and shift back, hopping off the table as Patton brings breakfast over for the four if you, “Here ya go! I hope you guys are hungry, I know I am.”
“Hey Pat, look at this drawing Virgil did!” Roman exclaims with a smile
Patton squeals 
You can't tell what is happening. That is so loud! He’s yelling! Why is he yelling? What did I do wrong? I didn’t mean to do anything wrong. Please don't hurt me please don't hurt me. You think over and over. 
Patton is saying something else. It's so loud. You don’t know what he’s saying. There’s talking then silence. It’s quiet. Too quiet. Hands grab yours and you freeze. You open your eyes and see Patton looking gently back at you. You look away, resisting the urge to close your eyes. A thumb runs across the back of your hand. 
“Hey there Kiddo? You back with us?”
You frown and furrow your brows in confusion. You never left, you just... couldn’t hear. You nod. 
The answer is only partially true. 
“Hey, I'm sorry kiddo. I shouldn’t’ve yelled. I didn’t mean to scare you so bad. I was loud because I liked it so much. I know that’s no excuse for scaring you like that, but that’s why. Could you forgive me kiddo?”
You take a deep breath, letting yourself relax, and nod. 
“You okay?”
You nod. 
“Okay, well then let's get back to eating. I'm hungry.”
You take a deep breath and pull the hood around your head a bit further forward. You are excited, but nervous, you’re going to go visit Logan and Roman at their bookstore in the city with Patton.
You look over at Patton who is walking confidently beside you before looking ahead. As you turn your eyes back to the path you see the view of the city pop up over the horizon and you stop in your tracks. Seeing the city you realize... the last time you were here you were being bought by Remus. You entered a free man. You left in a cage. 
“You okay kiddo?”
You shake your head. You thought you were ready. You can't do this. It’s not safe. There are too many people. It’s too risky.
Patton stands in front of you, effectively blocking your view, “I can't tell what is wrong, you are going to need to tell me.”
You pull out the paper and tell him you don't feel comfortable going into the city so alone. You feel vulnerable.
Patton is quiet for a moment, “Oh. I didn't realize.” He looks very thoughtful, “Would having Logan and Roman with us as we go help you feel safer? More people, more magic users, more protection?”
You think about it a moment, then nod, that would make you feel safer.
Patton smiles a little and nods, “Okay, give me a moment to contact Logan and see how fast they can get here.”
Soon enough Logan and Roman make their way out of the city and join you on the hilltop. 
The four of you start walking and Logan and Patton fall into conversation naturally. You stick to Roman’s side and he sticks to yours as the four of you start walking. You are a bit slower than Logan and Patton but that is okay. You don't mind as long as they are close and you can see them.
After you make it down the hill in relative silence, Roman looks at you sadly and sighs, “The last time you were here you left with my brother, didn’t you?”
You nod. 
He sighs, “I understand. Just stay close and you will be alright. You have two fantastic magic users and me, a trained soldier, protecting you. Do your best not to worry about it too much.”
You take a deep breath and nod, then you take Roman’s hand as people leaving the city start to approach you, walking the opposite way. They are walking slowly and seem to have some stragglers in their group. It takes a good few minutes, but then they come into view. You grip Roman’s hand tighter as you recognize the man in the front or the group. He is walking straight at you. Your stomach drops. You refuse to make eye contact. It is Remus. 
“Lo, Pat, c’mere.” Roman calls cheerfully.
You watch in a daze as they hurry back to you, “What is it Roman?”
“My brother is heading towards us.” Roman says calmly. 
Patton nods, “Virgil you stay by my side. Hold my hand. Keep your hood all the way up. Look down and straight ahead. Do not engage.”
You tug up your hood and grip his hand as tightly as you can. Logan walks in front and Roman behind. You do your best to swallow the panic rising in your chest and into your throat as you walk and  he gets closer. Patton’s hand on you tightens and you see his free hand slip into his wand pocket. You notice Logan is keeping a startlingly exact pace as you walk as though keeping time to music. You stare at his feet and just keep walking when suddenly you hear his voice. 
“Brother!”
Roman stops, you hear his footfalls quiet and sense his presence fall away. You hear him huff, “I don't have the time to talk right now. I have training.”
Remus seems to pout, “But I miss our talks!”
“I'm sorry, I do too, but I'm so busy. I just don't have the time!”
Remus sighs, “Fine.” he wines, “But tell Virgil I say hello!”
You nearly stumble but manage to keep the pace as you hear your name from his lips. He saw you. 
You only just hear Roman ask, “Who?” over the sudden ringing in your ears. 
Remus’s laugh cuts through easily, “Oh, oh I see. Nevermind then.”
Roman huffs and you hear his footsteps start coming closer.
“Bye bye!” Remus calls before turning and continuing his path away from you.
Roman stays back until Remus is far enough behind to no longer be a danger before slowly increasing his pace until he catches up with you three. 
None of you say a word until you enter the bookshop. 
You step in the door and the world spins. Nausea hits you, then the life shattering panic. You feel your legs give out and you sink to the floor. You are vaguely aware of Roman sitting next to you. Then the world seems to shrink and all you can hear is Remus saying your name, again and again. He knows where you are. He knows who you’re with. He is going to come back for you. He is going to kill you. He is going to kill you. He is going to-. You feel a hand on top of yours and you pull away, flailing back and hitting the wall. Someone is saying something but you can't hear it. You can't hear. You can't tell. It hurts to breathe, when did that happen? Why can't you breathe you must be dying! Suddenly you hear a tune, a happy peaceful one. It is pretty and calming. You hold onto it, hoping it isn't a trick of your mind, or a trap of his. 
Slowly the world comes back and you find you are leaning against the wall of the bookshop. Roman is about five feet away from you and Logan is next to him humming the song that pulled you from your panic attack.
Patton is in front of you. When he notices you have come back a little, that you are aware of the things around you, he speaks. “Hey kiddo, it’s me, Patton. You are safe. Everything is okay, everything is going to be okay.”
You turn to him and grab his hand, not as tight as before, but enough to remind you that he is there. 
Patton smiles.
You catch some movement out of the corner of your eye and look to see Roman uncurl his legs and put his head in his hands. Logan moves to gently rub his back.
“You’re safe, my star.” Logan tells him gently, “You are free.”
Roman takes a deep breath, finally sits up, and looks over at you.
The two of you share a look, a smirk, and a shrug. You both will be alright, in time. 
Roman sighs and stands, taking Logan’s hand to help him up, “Sorry your welcome to the bookstore was not what we had hoped it might be, but i'm glad we were with you.”
Logan clears his throat, “Well, here is to a new opportunity, Welcome to Books and Brews, the best magical bookshop in town!”
You shrug, standing with Patton’s help, and finally get the chance to take a good look around the store. It is beautiful. There are clearly labeled shelves going in every direction and lining the walls. You see a reading nook they’ve implemented with fairy lights and beanbags, pillows, blankets and lots of comfy chairs to sit in and read. There is a second story that goes around the outside walls of the store where there are fancily bound books, books organized by color intended for decoration, and a beautiful spiral staircase leading up there. Not to mention the coffee shop. A small opening in the middle of the right wall leads into a coffee shop, a sign with the name hanging over the doorway. Inside you see a cozy coffee shop with soft lighting, and lots of sitting room. 
You smile wide, you think this place is fantastic. You spend the afternoon with Roman wandering around the bookshop while Patton and Logan discuss book preservation techniques. He shows you his favorite books and spots to read, shows you their little collection of succulents they have filling the windowsills. 
You and Roman end up sitting in the reading nook, each reading your respective books. You sit in a soft fluffy chair under a canopy of blankets and he takes to a big chair, like a desk chair but more cushioned. He has his legs thrown over an armrest and is leaning against the other. After a few minutes, Roman sighs, “I am sorry about what happened on the road this morning. I should’ve ignored him and kept walking. I am sorry I was too afraid to protect you like I should have.”
You shake your head, he is not responsible for his brother’s actions. Nothing he did would’ve stopped his brother from letting you know he recognised you. You never held him responsible for that in the first place.
Roman sighs, “Thanks for forgiving me.”
You shrug and return to your book, but notice that Roman doesnt, he just stares off, deep in thought. You leave him to his imagination until his call of your name pulls you from the story you were reading. He turns to you and asks if you want to see the cafe. 
You nod, and head over with him. 
As you had noticed before, the cafe is well lit with soft light. It has comfy couches and chairs set around multiple tables around the room. The handwriting on the menu is beautiful, but parts of it, the titles of each section especially, are written in such a fancy swirly font that you can hardly make them out. Thankfully the lists of items and ingredients are easily legible. 
“I wanna make you a drink. It’s one of my favorites and I think you’ll like it!”
You smile and take a seat at a counter where you watch Roman create this drink he has in mind. You’re so captivated by the almost beautiful process and amount of care you watch Roman put into making this drink that you forget to ask what it is. 
He hands it to you, a warm tea of some sort, you came to realize, and you take a sip. It is delicious! After several sips you feel something strange in the back of your throat.You suppose it is just the feeling of it hitting your throat after you kinda wore it out with the panic attack earlier so you don't say much. 
Roman seems glad you are enjoying the tea and drinks some himself.
After about half the cup is gone you realize your throat hurts quite a bit, it feels very raw. So you tell Roman and ask if that is a normal part of drinking this tea.
Roman shrugs, “I don't know if it is normal, but it makes sense. This is tea with some healing elixir in it. I find it helps energise me and make me feel better after i've had a panic attack, that’s why I figured I would make you some. I assume perhaps your throat hasn't healed all the way yet. You don't have to finish it if it hurts. I didn't think it would do anything honestly. That is part of why I asked you to try to make a noise earlier. If your throat hadn’t healed all the way I didn't want to give you something that might hurt.”
You sigh and set the drink down, relieved you don't have to finish it, despite how good it tastes.
“Sorry I didn't mean to give you something that would hurt.”
You shake your head, you don't mind, he couldn't possibly have known. Then you realise. If this thing heals injuries... you wonder.
You sit thoughtfully for a moment, “How fast does this drink heal wounds?”
Roman frowns, “Umm... diluted like this, I think it would take about half a drink to heal a fresh decently sized cut. Why?”
You shake your head focus for a minute and go to hum. 
A noise comes out. Small, but distinct and definitely there!
You gasp and Roman nearly drops his cup. You grab your pad of paper and run to the front of the bookstore where Patton and Logan are chatting with Roman on your heels. You wave frantically at them and they stop talking to turn to you.
“Yes Virgil? Is something wrong?”
You shake your head, no. Nothing is wrong, something is very right, You think. You don't know how strong your voice is or how long it will last, but you clear your throat and freeze, unsure.... What do you say? After all this time, after everything Patton has done for you? What do you say first?
You stop, taking a moment to think about it. You clear your throat, look at Patton and say, “Thank you.” it is just above a whisper, but Patton hears it loud and clear. Immediately he begins to tear up. You let out a shaky breath and smile, “Thank you Patton.”
“Oh Kiddo!” He says running around the table to hug you, a giant smile on his face. He wraps you in his arms and you begin to cry as well.
“Thank you for everything.” you say.
“Of course! I wouldn't dream of doing any less.” Patton replies through happy tears, his arms still wrapped tightly around you.
You smile bright as he lets go and grabs your hands insead, “Thank you for being my friend.”
tag list:
If you asked about a sequel/follow up/part 2 I tagged you
@abstractedthinking
@aceof-pans
@thesynysterunknown
@onlytrueinparadise
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adapembroke · 5 years
Text
How to Evaluate Sources Like An Academic
One of the most difficult things about being a new student is knowing who to listen to. When you're more advanced, you know the big names in your field. You know where the battle lines are drawn and what the schools of thought are, and you have an idea of who you are and who you want to listen to. A beginner doesn't. Fortunately, knowing how to evaluate sources is a skill that can be learned. Once you learn it, you can apply it to any field from the very beginning of your studies.
Before I launch in, a note on biases: Everyone has biases. Ancient authors have biases. First person witnesses have biases. Scholars have biases. And people lie for lots of different reasons. When you do research, you are not looking for unbiased sources because they don't exist. You are looking for people whose biases you can see so that you can evaluate them--which is often running them by your own biases. Learning is unavoidably messy.
Before you read anything, consider who wrote it. Evaluate authors the way you would evaluate a teacher. Is this a person you want to learn from? Who are they? Do they have first hand experience of the thing they're writing about (primary source), or are they primarily a scholar (secondary source)? What are their credentials? If they are a scholarly source, how much education do they have and from where? If they are not a scholarly source, who are their teachers and influences? How much time have they spent working in the field? What type of experience do they have? Do they belong to any organizations whose beliefs and biases you can investigate?
If you're reading a book, a lot of this information can be found in the author's bio. The bio is usually found on the back cover or near the front or back of the book. The author and their publisher include the bio to establish the author's credibility, so the bio usually includes relevant information about their education and experience. But the bio will usually not include things that are controversial. Remember, the publisher is trying to sell you a book.
If you're reading something on the internet, that information might not be as easy to find. Bloggers often include an about page somewhere on their site, but access to information about authors is hit or miss on social media because people are trying to be approachable or don't want to look like they're bragging. If there's a website linked, check it. The author might be downplaying their credentials.
Consider the author's influences. Everyone who writes is standing on the shoulders of giants. Those who are honest acknowledge it somewhere. People who write are also participating in a conversation with other people in their field, and it's important to know what this conversation is because certain context (or the intended audience) may be left unspoken because the author and publisher assume you're picking up the book because you're part of the conversation. People often get unjustly offended or confused because they don't know that the author they're reading is not part of the same community as them.
The publisher of the book or article can tell you something about its contents. Journals and magazines are usually fairly self-explanatory. Witches and Pagans tells you exactly what types of articles you will find inside. Books can be a bit more difficult to parse. Academic books are usually published by mainstream publishers (Eg. Random Penguin House) or academic presses. Academic presses often have "University" in the name. Specialty subjects often have their own presses. Llewellyn and Weiser are common sources for Pagan/New Age/Occult books. Good books on obscure topics might be independently published. It's especially important in those cases to look into the author.
In an informational book, there is usually a bibliography or list of sources in the back of the book. Books that draw on primary/ancient/other language sources may include a note on translations in the front of the book that mention what texts they draw on. What types of books or articles are cited? Are they mainly academic or experiential? Do the books that are cited look like books you would either want to read yourself or have someone read and interpret for you?
If there is an index, look through it for the authors that are actually cited in the book. There is often a difference between the sources the author thinks you should read and the sources they actually drew on for their work. This isn't a sketchy thing. Authors tend to cite people they've read recently, and if they have been studying for awhile, they probably aren't still reading the texts they think beginners should read.
If there isn't an index or bibliography, the work may be primarily intended for entertainment, but an acknowledgements section is often used to credit sources in highly researched works (Eg. The Outlander books). Books that are written from experience also may not include sources. In that case, it is extra important to know who wrote the book and whether or not you trust them.
Again, on the internet, people often don't cite their sources. This isn't necessarily a sign of sloppiness. Experts in the field regularly contribute to conversations on the internet or post their work assuming you are listening to them because you know who they are. You may need to Google them. If you're new to the field, you might be surprised who's hiding in plain sight.
Consider when and where the source was written. The time period when a source was written can tell you something about the person's biases. If you are reading a book of witchcraft from the 70s by a woman, there's a fairly good chance the text was influenced by second wave feminism. A book from the 1880s that uses "men" as a universal word for humanity is participating in its culture. A book from 2019 that uses "men" as a universal word for humanity is making a political statement.
Old isn't necessarily better or worse. Everyone has a point of view, and every written account of an event is a translation of reality, filtered through a person's brain, experiences, and culture. Hesiod might know a lot about ancient Greek mythology because he's a couple thousand years closer to the time when the poets were first coming up with it, but he will never be anyone other than an ancient Greek. His view of women and slaves won't be the same as yours. Part of the discernment necessary to do research that is at all historical in nature is to learn how to recognize and work with and around beliefs and lifestyles that are different than yours. If ideological purity is essential to your health and well-being, anything written before 2018 is not for you.
Don't be a snob. This seems like a strange point to make in an article on evaluating sources like an academic, but good academics aren't snobs. A source that is more scholarly isn't necessarily a source that is better. If you want to understand your familiar, which source is better: A book by a historian from the 70s who wrote about early modern witchcraft or a witch who has been communing with their familiar alone in the woods since the 1970s? The answer depends on what you're looking for. If you want to understand the familiar in its historical context, the scholar might know more than the witch. If you want your kitty's assistance with spells, the witch will probably be more helpful. Knowing what kind of information you're looking for will help you know who to listen to. A person who is a good source of one type of information might not be a good source for other types of information.
Along the same vein, a more experienced author isn't necessarily better for you than a less experienced author. Experienced authors may have a hard time remembering what it was like to be a beginner. They might not remember things that were difficult when they were young, and they might be so concerned with making sure you don't fall into pitfalls that you'll potentially run into later down the line that they confuse your beginnings. Younger authors are closer to your experience level and remember what it was like to be you and can empathize with your experience better. They may not be experts in the field, but they may be the best teacher for you now.
Putting It Into Practice
Now that you've gotten this far, why don't you start by evaluating me as a source? What unmentioned community am I talking to? What biases do you think I have?
Here's a bio to get you started:
Bea is a New England native currently living in Portland, Oregon. She has a BA in English language and literature and an MFA in creative writing. As part of her graduate studies, she wrote a thesis on poetry in translation and spent a semester in an interdisciplinary MA program primarily focused on building academic research skills. She has been practicing divination for nearly a decade and has studied in Steven Forrest’s apprenticeship program, been mentored by Paul Richard, and taken Tarot workshops with Rachel Pollack. She is a spirit worker and channel with a rather odd, non-devotional thing going on with Odin. When she’s not slinging cards, she’s researching her 17th century historical fantasy novel Witch Wars or wandering the woods with her camera. Links to all of her various social things can be found at beamagical.com.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to @grimnirslee (tumblr) for the inspiration for this post and @magicinthestorm (tumblr) for talking through this with me while I was writing it.
This post was originally published on Patreon on 30 April 2019.
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midtownsciences · 6 years
Text
April’s Fool
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gif by @starksparker <33
Pairing: Peter Parker x reader
Summary: Peter receives a note from his secret admirer
Warnings: a few swear words, embarrassment, Peter has a bad time :(
A/N: this is my contribution for @spidermanfeda Day One!! this challenge may be the death of me tbh
Peter raced down the empty hall, skidding to a stop at his locker. He had already missed homeroom, but if he made it in time for first period, he might be able to dissuade the teacher from marking him absent later. He could not afford another red mark on his attendance sheet; that would mean more detentions, and less time as Spider-Man.
Peter quickly entered the combination into his locker, and pulled the door open with such force it came right off the hinges.
“Shit,” he muttered, cringing at the sound of the breaking metal as it echoed down the hall.
He set the door down on the floor and scrambled to grab the books he needed and stuff them in his bag. As he ran his fingers over the spines of a few of the text books piled in the locker, making sure he didn’t need any of them, a folded slip of pink paper caught his eye. His heart sank as he realised it must be a detention slip he had thrown in there and forgotten about.
He retrieved the paper, chewing on his lip as he opened it.
 Roses are red
violets are blue
I lose my breath
when I’m around you
 Meet me under the bleachers at lunch
 - your secret admirer xo
 “What?” he whispered, eyes wide. He didn’t have time to analyse the handwriting, or interpret the meaning of the poem, because the bell was ringing and he would definitely be late if he lingered any longer. He lifted the locker door and perched it back on its hinges, hands hovering in front of it as he took a hesitant step back, waiting for it to fall. When it didn’t, he turned and sprinted to his next class, the note tucked safely away in his back pocket.
“Dude, someone has a crush on you! This is insane!” Ned’s eyes were wide as they roamed every inch of the note. He turned it over in his hands, inspecting it for any clues as to who might have written it.
“Try not to sound so surprised,” Peter grumbled. He took the note back and folded it, hiding it in the pages of his chemistry text book. “And I don’t know—something feels…weird.”
“I mean, it’s not that weird that somebody has a crush on you,” Ned said.
“Dude—”
“Something you’d like to share with the class, Mr Parker?” the teacher called.
“Uh- no, sir,” Peter replied, shrinking in his chair.
The teacher turned back to the board, scribbling frantically as he continued his lecture, and Peter turned to Ned. “People have crushes on me, Ned. It happens, it’s not unrealistic,” he murmured. “But this feels weird. ‘Meet me under the bleachers’? That’s sketchy. Why wouldn’t they just talk to me, like a regular person?”
“Do you remember when you met Liz? How long was it before you could form a complete sentence around her?”
Peter huffed. “I could speak to her—”
“No, you couldn’t,” Ned replied flatly. “In fact, if she still went to school here you probably still wouldn’t be able to talk to her. This person is probably just shy. You should give it a chance.”
Peter’s brow creased as he turned back to his books. Even if Ned was right about the note being innocuous, there was only one person Peter wanted to have written it. But she was one of the most beautiful girls Peter had ever seen, and he doubted she even knew who he was. She definitely wouldn’t have been paying enough attention to him to know which locker was his.
As if on cue, (Y/N) raised her hand to answer the teacher’s question. “It increases across the period and decreases down the group.”
“Correct!” the teacher enthused, before continuing his excited speech about electronegativity.
(Y/N) twiddled a pen in her hands, flicking it lightly back and forth in her fingers as her eyes scanned the messy scrawl of the teacher’s writing on the board. Any time Peter’s gaze landed on her, everything around him seemed to fade out. She radiated calm. That’s what drew Peter to her—the sense of quiet that seemed to follow her wherever she went. For him, everything was always dialled to eleven, but it was as if concentrating on her allowed Peter to turn everything else down. He wondered, if he got close enough to her, would the noise of the outside world disappear altogether.
Even if the note wasn’t from her, Peter still wanted to know who had written it. He was tired of pining after a girl that didn’t even know his name. If there was someone out there who liked him, he was more than willing to give them a chance.
The gym was eerily quiet at lunch. Peter’s shoes squeaked on the floor as he made his way to the bleachers, folding and unfolding the pink note in his hands. He slid it into his pocket when he ducked under the bleachers to wait for his secret admirer.
He was almost afraid to look when he heard footsteps shuffling towards him, but he glanced up to find April Montgomery just a few feet away, wringing her hands together. The light sliced through the bleachers in slats that fell softly across her face, illuminating her golden hair and rosy cheeks.
“So you got my note,” she said quietly.
Peter merely gaped at her. April was one of the most popular girls at Midtown. She was a senior. And she was gorgeous. Peter could barely breathe, let alone speak to her.
“It’s okay, Peter,” she said, stepping towards him. “You don’t have to be nervous.”
He exhaled shakily as she closed the distance between them and looked up at him from underneath dark lashes.
“Do you think I’m pretty?” she asked.
“Wh- I… of course,” he said. Peter didn’t know April very well, so he couldn’t say with any certainty that he liked her, but one thing he couldn’t deny was that she was beautiful.
“Would you like to kiss me?” she whispered. She stood so close, Peter could feel her breath on his chin, could smell her flowery perfume.
He thought about (Y/N), and her calmness and her quiet. He thought about the way she pulled at him, like the tide tugging at a shell on the shore, drawing it into the ocean. Maybe he didn’t feel that way about April, but (Y/N) didn’t feel that way about him, either.
He nodded, and April smiled. “Close your eyes,” she said.
Peter allowed his lids to flutter shut, his heartbeat quickening as he felt her lean towards him. Of all the things he had thought he might do that day, kissing April Montgomery underneath the bleachers in the gym was not one of them.
Heat rose in Peter’s cheeks as he leaned in, feeling the warmth of April’s lips just inches away. He reached out tentatively and took her hand—
April snorted, jumping back and bringing her hand up to her mouth to stifle her laughter. “I’m sorry,” she wheezed between giggles. “I can’t.”
“And cut!” called a voice from the other side of the bleachers. Peter’s stomach churned. He’d know that voice anywhere. “Great work, April!”
“Flash?” Peter said quietly. The confusion in his voice earned him a glance from April that seemed almost sympathetic, but it dissolved back into a grin as her laughter returned.
“Do you know what day it is, Penis Parker?” Flash asked as he rounded the corner, a shadowy silhouette at the end of the bleachers.
Peter knew exactly what day it was, and he was livid with himself for being so stupid. How had he not worked it out sooner?
“April Fools’! Or should I say, April fooled you!” Flash grinned. Peter couldn’t look at his smug face any longer. His anger curdled his blood, almost clouding his vision. He pushed past Flash and sprinted towards the door. “What? You don’t want to see the footage?” Flash called after him.
Peter glanced back, hand on the door, to see Flash and his friends gathered around a phone, snickering at whatever was on the screen. He ducked out of the gym before he could lose the shred of dignity he had left.
The laughter of Flash’s friends followed Peter down the empty hallway. Tears stung his eyes as he pulled the paper from his pocket, rolling it up in a tight ball and throwing it in the trash. He took a moment to stand still, eyes shut tight and fists clenched, reeling in his anger.
The clang of the bell pulled him out of his haze, as floods of students pooled out into the hallway. Peter couldn’t face them. If he knew Flash at all, that video would already be all over the internet, and everyone would have seen it.
He ducked his head, hurrying through the sea of students towards the door, which he pushed open without looking back. The cool air soothed his burning cheeks, allowed him to catch his breath. With a quick, cursory glance behind him, he jumped the school’s fence and darted out across the street.
He’d be marked absent again, and probably get detention, but he didn’t care. He’d take the silence of detention over the taunting of his classmates any day.
tags: @jvghead-jones-iii, @cutie1365, @thegirlwiththeimpala, @magnitude101999, @cinnamon-roll-parker, @spider-bih, @quacksontommy, @celestialpercy, @tmrhollandkay, @bi-writes, @tohollandback, @ficklemenagerie​, @iamwarrenspeace​, @1enchantedfantasy1​, @starlightfound​, @aussie-mantle
(if i tagged you by mistake please let me know <3)
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ahostandaghost · 4 years
Text
Questions post
1) If your f/o drew you, how would they draw you? The pose, the style, the coloring?
Scarecrow would draw me in a sketchy way and maybe w charcoal. He’d probably be messy with it and end up with fingers covered in black powder. But it’d look lovely! More likely to draw me doing cute things I think? Like holding flowers ect
Jonathan is more detail oriented with it, using the proper kind of pencil and mostly doing busts to get my features right. Might draw me with a flower crown or other accessories when he’s more comfortable with his ability to get me down on paper
2) What kind of outfit would your f/o pick for you, if they had to?
Scarecrow would buy stuff for me from the Halloween store and have me try on a bunch of stuff asdfghjkl like a huge pile it’d be adorable
Jonathan, knowing that I love Ultimate Coze, would get me a nice sweater and leggings. Something tasteful, but sweet!
3) You and your f/o are in a crisis. What’s the first thing you two do?
They’d react to the situation as needed, as would I. I like to believe we’re both very practical in the spot of crisis!
4) Your f/o sends you a drunk/sleepy text. What does it say?
HOOO BOY
Before the relationship starts, I’d get drunk texts/emails from Scarecrow where he’s very messily and incoherently telling me how much he loves me. Huge confessions of love that are just so confusing because it rambles and is jumbled asdfghjkl. Jonathan later retracts these messages saying he doesn’t remember sending them (true) and to please disregard any drunk messages I may receive. And to please not respect him less for this lmfao
5) How does your f/o get your attention when they need you?
Very easily.
Scarecrow does small touches, hand grabs, ect ect. Physical attention getting
Jonathan is more words and calling me by a pet name because he knows that snaps my attention to him
6) How does your f/o introduce you to their friends?
@ them “behave, this is my partner you’re speaking to”
7) What song would your f/o say reminds them of you?
Honeybee by The Head and the Heart
8) A little kid randomly comes up and babbles about nothing to your f/o. Maybe they want to play. Maybe they just want to talk. You know how kids are. How do they react?
Scarecrow LOVES this !!! Like YES you go little monster tell me ALL about it ;w;
Jonathan is more monotone and doesn’t, say, like it or dislike it. He’s more on the side of “ah yes hello. That’s all very interesting! Have a good day, now. :)”
Like, he’s not interested in having a convo w this lil kids but he remembers how lonely it was to be little so he doesn’t want to be just another disregarding adult to them
9) You and your f/o have a party/meeting/gathering to attend. How does it go?
Depends ! If it’s scarecrow then it’s v fun in the social sense. He’s more talkative. Harder to understand at times, but people find him entertaining
Jonathan is more proper so it’s just a run of the mill party, probably with scattered breaks from people so he can catch a break
10) What’s your f/o’s name for you in their contacts?
❣🎃Darling🎃❣ - Scarecrow (absolutely adorable)
Dearest - Jonathan
He adds emojis later when seeing that’s what scarecrow does, probably a simple ❤
11) If they have any form of social media what is their username?
Not the social media types imo. Scarecrow might make some when he’s feeling silly and wants to post pictures of his antics
and the usernames would all be based on old childrens’ songs/rhymes
12) How does your f/o interact with neighbors, if you have any?
He doesn’t 😩
13) How do other people see/describe your f/o? What’s the difference in their perception of them and yours?
A menace, a protector, mentally ill man ect ect
I just see him as a sweet man with childhood trauma who needs a lil help
14) Does your f/o have good vibes?
TO ME he has beautiful vibes. Others might see him as having vile vibes tho lmfao
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sglabs · 7 years
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So, You Want to Codesign?
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by Elaine Fath, game designer
Hey, game dev’s! How do these phrases strike you?
“I just couldn’t grok that part.” “The playtest is next Wednesday.” “The rigging on that part’s really messed up.” “The FTUE is really coming along nicely.” “That level is totally unbalanced right now.”
How about these? “We need to set up a way to measure the proximal outcomes.” “I’m really concerned about what kind of far transfer this experience will have.” “We’re wondering about the overall journey map of this experience.”
Chances are, if you’re involved in game development, there was at least one phrase in the first set you were familiar with. That second set? Maybe not so much, depending on your field. These are actual quotes from actual teammates whose field of expertise is something other than making games. Those examples alone are taken from the past three months of collaboration on a health app with experts in Smoking Cessation and Weight Management. If you felt lost and confused, join the club: we were all speaking English, but none of us spoke the same language!
Not all games are made by a traditional game design team. A lot of games need experts outside of our wheelhouse: scientists, UX designers, parents, children, educators, researchers, professors...depending on your experience, it could be anything. If you’re not careful, all of those experts, including you, can get into a room, think they have a productive conversation... and then leave with totally different ideas of what is about to get made.
Enter codesign. Codesign is a field meant to help cross-discipline teams collaborate effectively and quickly. Codesign is a concept taken from UX research and design, and also the more-generalized field of “Design Thinking.” One major tenant of codesign is that meetings are artifact-based: together, always be making something concrete. For an overview of the idea of Design Thinking, I recommend Stanford’s D.School website!
I’ve run codesign sessions before, but running three to five sessions a week for three months in a game-specific context was all new to me. Over the course of the past three months, I learned a lot about what to do and not to do. I want to share some of those takeaways.
WHAT I LEARNED TO DO:
1. Keep a standard lesson plan format so that you don't go crazy every time you need to plan one.
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When you’re running regular meetings in which you have to prep supplies, materials, and activities, you run into a common problem for beginner K12 teachers. Picture this: you’ve planned five separate lessons for the day (reading, math, social studies, science, and an essay project). You show up and realize that you’ve forgotten at least four supplies across the five subjects and the lesson plan for the fifth. That’s a recipe for a ruined day. How are you supposed to run the lessons as well as account for the supplies and gauge how everyone is doing?
Having to prepare so many fully-facilitated experiences and then showing up prepared can be a tremendous cognitive load. Especially since you’ll need the extra brain space to get creative during both planning and also during the facilitation. Try to keep a standard format for writing up what you’re doing and what you need and use it to track prep as well as look back on later for time estimates and activity ideas. Otherwise, it will feel like you’re reinventing the wheel every time.
2. Look to Design Thinking and codesign methods for activity-based, generative-focused meetings. Luma Institute's guide for action-based activities is a good introduction.
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Often, you’ll have a goal in a meeting--”we need to prioritize these features,” “we need to see what everyone has in their heads about what this idea could look like,” “we need to generate as many ideas as possible,” “we need to narrow down to one idea,” “we need to understand what our goal is here”--but you won’t know how to get there. Starting to develop a sense of what activities exist out there for what goals was something I was grateful for doing, because they served as recipes that I could adjust as necessary rather than having to invent activities all the time.
3. Use the Transformational Framework topics. Write down your answers, then have your experts edit them.
I found that writing down my assumptions and then having the subject matter experts correct me where I was wrong with the workbook pages in front of them was a fast way to get something down early.  For example, I discovered my assumption of the audience as 20-to-30 something gamers was completely incorrect. I also discovered that the way I was prioritizing our goals was totally wrong. But if I hadn’t tried to write them down, I wouldn’t have known.
4. Try to take risks by getting things in writing or concrete artifacts as much as possible, even if you think your take is wrong.
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Most people can't articulate on a blank page, but can totally tell you where you messed up. A blank whiteboard can feel intimidating to non-designers. It can feel scary for your ego, but take one for the team. Type up the doc. Write an example of what you want to walk out of the meeting or the week with--if it’s a 6-page design doc, write a dummy doc with lorem ipsum in some places and show it to the team at the start of the week. Draw a picture of what you think the flow of the app will be and have others correct it. Bring materials for people to change it. Call out that it’s a draft, make it look sketchy and piecemeal so that people don’t feel bad marking it up or correcting it.
5. Use research papers in your transformation subject area to start developing a shared language between disciplines.
You’ll want to be able to have some shared vocabulary when making things together. A team I worked with published a paper about how to do this last year. The paper is about how to get a team of experts in different fields “speaking the same language” through a mix of reading the same papers, making things together using writing and simple paper supplies, and talking about what’s working using those prototypes.
6. Love & trust your teammates to be experts
Across disciplines, there can be a lot of mistrust that comes from not understanding their work. Here is an excellent GDC talk that includes our CPO Chuck Hoover that discusses tips for how to do this effectively. See: Production is Working at the Heart of the Team
7. Teach them about game techniques using a "video lit review"
If you’ve played a lot of games, it’s easier to “picture” an idea and how it will work in its final form. Something that you imagine with glitter, sparkles, pizzaz, and a universe of context might come across as flat or insane to an expert colleague who has never played Mario Kart. When you're talking about game design terms, it can help to do a 3 minute video of examples of that mechanic in practice in other places--that way, your team has seen examples before and can now talk about them, too. Encourage your other experts to do the same with their field. Maybe they have a talk or PowerPoint they always share, or a paper they wrote that sums up their expertise or what they want for the game.
8. When you’re behind, be brutally honest but don’t place blame.
Teams learning to design together move slowly at the start. It can be tempting to lay blame on people arriving late to meetings or those who don’t seem as checked in, or whatever seems to be happening from your frame of reference. Instead, I took a step back and just conveyed the facts: I had everyone collaboratively estimate how many hours of work remained and cross-reference it with the number of hours we had left together. Then, I asked: what can we do about the discrepancy? And we brainstormed ideas to try. I learned two things. One, there was a ton happening that had nothing to do with my frame of reference of the problem. Two, we picked three solutions to try as a team, and people were far more committed to trying them because nobody felt blamed. We made up the difference and hit the original deadline.
WHAT I LEARNED TO DON’T
1. Don't put off making a visual roadmap of where you're going and WHY you're doing these sessions--people don't read the written outline as "big picture."
I’ve used everything from a post-it wall to sketches to Photoshop to google slides to make this. The format or structure matters less than the fact that it exists and that people understand it. Here are some examples, but generally all you need are dates, what you’re making on that date, and what you’re trying to accomplish/have at the end. I have a hunch that making it in front of everyone and then updating it/moving the “you are here” marker every meeting in a visible place is probably a good idea.
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Courtesy of majorindependence.com
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Courtesy of template.net
This was a major mistake I made: I got so deep into planning and prepping that I really never shared the big, long-term “why’s” with my clients, and they didn’t have a sense of progress as a result. I thought sharing a dummy outline of what we’d have at the end would be enough, and it just wasn’t. Every meeting, take two minutes to describe where you’ve been, what you’re doing that day, and how it fits into the larger plan.
2. Don't forget to schedule/budget time for open-ended question/discussion breaks at the end of meetings.
Or people will leave confused and feeling like they don't have enough wiggle room to discuss what matters to them. This process is unfamiliar and often people need to feel heard at the start and end of meetings in order to feel comfortable trying something new.
3. Don't forget to frame design as messy, generative, uncertain, full of bad ideas, and not about sitting on it until you get the "right" answer (Stanford's Design resources do a good job of this).
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Again, so many disciplines are not steeped in the exact kind of uncertainty that design is, and many clients come from a work culture where you sit on an idea until it feels polished. This is very bad for the creative process because you don’t fully explore the possibilities! But on the other hand, people naturally have a fear of appearing stupid in meetings if they feel like they’re not coming up with “good” ideas or thinking on their feet well. Frame design as messy and be open about your own less-than-polished ideas. I totally forgot to frame the process as rough and changeable, and I had a lot of stressed-out clients for the first two meetings as I continuously pushed them to produce outside of their comfort zone. All I needed was to message that I, too, get heartbroken when we throw away stuff after pre-production, and so does everyone else! But it’s a necessary mess. Lean into it.
4. Don't forget to "test" meeting activities with your internal team when you haven't run something similar before.
We playtest games for all of the reasons it’s a good idea to playtest making activities.
5. Don't forget to give people choices about how to contribute --and if they have a suggestion for changing an activity, try to roll with it, at least sometimes.
I was good about this at the beginning, but when we got new teammates it was easy to forget to check in with them and allow them choice. People will be more creative if they feel like you aren’t steamrolling them with a plan.
6. Don't participate in all of the generative activities unless the content touches on your expertise.
One, because the cognitive load of facilitating means you probably won’t be very creative. Two, you may not have the know-how to generate good concepts until you learn more about the subject matter. Consider coming prepared with a couple examples at the beginning of each activity, or participating for the first minute or two, to level-set what the concepts or artifacts should look like.
Happy codesigning!
Elaine
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ts-indonesia · 4 years
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Episode 7: “back on my bullshit™️” - Anabel
After the birthday murder, the cast merged into the Berbagi Bir merge tribe! In a fierce flag-making immunity challenge, Jess got the job done, and earned herself immunity for the round.
As most merge votes are... this round was mess. SO, Matt’s name was one of the earliest thrown out, as one of the quieter members of the tribe, but Matt’s strong social game earlier in the season meant he had allies (like Anabel & Olivia) who did not wanna see that happen.
Potential Vote #2 was Stoner, spearheaded by Anabel, which was leaked (Host Note: I forget who specifically leaked this... lets go with Chris O because one of the confessionals said so) somewhat shooting that plan down.
On an all-returnee call, the vote was settled on Lorelei, as the least connected and least threatening newbie... but... then people did some things. So.. Owen/Stoner decided that returnee kumbaya was no more, and plotted to secretly flip and send out Matt... But that plan relied on the nuCahaya newbie pair sticking to the plan. In fact Trent/Anabel, motivated by Trent’s closeness to Jess/nuCahaya and Anabel’s strong formed relationship with Matt, decided to in fact vote out Lorelei, turning on the newbies, and lying to Owen/Stoner that they were also flipping on NuCahaya.
At tribal, Anabel played her idol, assuming since she just turned on Chris O, he would leak that she had it, and five members of the tribe were blindsided by Lorelei’s exit, with Owen/Stoner vulnerable due to their failed flip...
OLIVIA
Well I wasted my idol and voted out my best friend
Just vote me out now
STONER
https://youtu.be/8YsRquIDBLc
LEIGH
So the vote went exaclty how Trent and Anabel thought it would lmao. I've played too many of these games with aggressive players, it makes me paranoid. Merge time now!
OWEN
I MADE MERGE AGAIN YEEHAW!!!!! The power that that has... I'm quaking honestly. I was completely surprised the other tribe voted Isaac, but in a way I'm relieved because it means I'm not the only one who turned on old Cahaya. I think those tribal lines are going to fade FAST going into this merge... The only worry I have is if they did Isaac because they thought he flipped on Foxx and they're on a witch hunt, but honestly, it's probably just that he was inactive?? Idk. Anabel must've done something to get back into their good graces? We'll see. I'M SO HAPPY THOUGH!! I get to reunite with Olivia and Jess which I LOVE. I just need to explain myself to them about Foxx and they can explain about Isaac and I'm praying it's okay. I really want to stay loyal to Olivia and Matt as long as I can... I also though want to make a group of me/Chris O/Leigh/Lorelei maybe because I truly like all of them and I feel like I have a great 1 on 1 bond with all three. I know that Chris/Leigh at least talk, but I don't have a read on how close Lorelei is with them? We'll see. And it would be nice to pull Jess in to the Matt/Olivia stuff. My problem now is that I'm spreading myself WAY too thin. I have some sort of trust built or at least like cordial conversation built with everyone left except for Michael. It's going to get real fucking messy for me from here on out and it's going to bite me in the ass sooner rather than later because there's a huge chance that, unless something shuffles around, I get caught between two sides and I can't let that expose me so soon. But for now I'm just gonna be social and relax and enjoy talking to these people, because I do really like them a lot.
LORELEI
I made it to merge 😭😭😭 I'm so happy and so proud of myself. I'm so thankful for my alliance with Trent, Chris o, leigh, Anabel and myself. I couldn't have made it here without them. And Owen too, I wouldn't have made it this far if he, Leigh and Chris hadn't managed to flip the vote and vote Foxx (legend) out. I hope I can make it even further!
MICHAEL
One world confessional https://youtu.be/KCz4Lma5f0c
Pre Merge confessional https://youtu.be/vbcNhFsJUVg
OLIVIA
Me: votes out Isaac Me: I wanna talk to ISAAC HE GETS ME Me: it was for the best Me: BRING ME FRIEND
Mmmmmmok so I voted out Isaac, very heartbreaking. I spent all day not doing my homework also. 
But now we’ve merged. NuCahaya seems strong. Anabel is excited to work with us and we had a cute ten min call before the tribal and Trent sent a very nice message after, I appreciated that he acknowledged that was hard for me to do. 
I wasted my idol, but I think I managed to convince everyone it was a one round only idol lmao. If no one was convinced then oh well. It was so weird like an anxiety monster just took over my body and was like “everyone hates you and if you don’t play your idol you’re OUT” So that’s cute
But anyways. Owen, Matt and I had a very joyous and cute reunion which is interesting since I sorta set owen up as this big ol mastermind with NuCahaya 👀 I painted him as a target for the Foxx vote but he said it was because foxx was throwing around stoner’s name. Stoner was barely around and just went for it apparently. So those three definitely still wanna do like an all veterans thing? (Owen, stoner, Matt). Aaaaand like Jess, Michael, Trent, and Anabel all think we’re a fivesome against Owen and his minions which isn’t exactly the case but may be. Sooooooooooo. Yeah. The fivesome is outnumbered, the veterans aren’t. However Michael and Jess are 100% pro NuCahaya, which I am too. But like I love my dudes too. This vote is gonna change everything because it’s all peaches and cream rn lol. And I’m sorta smack in the middle it feels like with my Owen and Matt alliance which no one knows about and the NuCahaya which I don’t think the veterans would suspect. But I think voting out Isaac safely secured Anabel and Trent with us. I just can’t voice my opinion too much on this vote and I’ve gotta just calm down and fade into the background. Hopefully for now I can keep the delicate balance and we can get Leigh out who isn’t really playing. Jess I told about my idol and she wasn’t too mad at me stupidly playing it I hope lmao. We’re trying to figure out this new idol system together. 
I’m sorry Isaac, ily. I hope I can make cutting out my heart in this game worth it.
TRENT
So last night's vote was wild. The awesome foursome wanted to vote out isaac because Anabel is in it. But we needed to do it in a way that Olivia is on board, so we can use her as a number in the future. So we spent hours discussing the pros and cons, which was pointless because jess and michael were going to vote it anyway. Finally at like 8:45 Olivia agrees to vote Isaac. THEN i get a message from leigh and chris who are the infiltrators. They are freaking out because jess and michael won't confirm to vote isaac. They want to flip the vote on Olivia. Which makes no sense but they wanted to do a 3-3-1 tie and then get her out in the tie. Again makes no sense. I finally calm them down and tell them just to trust me and anabel will be safe. And of course at tribal, olivia plays her idol and i freak out thinking we got play, but thank goodness we didnt. Thank goodness we didn't listen to chris or leigh as well because that would have been super awkward to explain.    Now we are at merge, and the Charlie alliance is back in business. Somehow we all survived. Even though we were split down the middle with anabel and I being in the minority of the other tribe. Both of our tribes got returnees out. No matter which way you look at it, im at a 6-5 disadvantage. 6 returnees 5 newbies, 6 new obor 5 new cahaya. I just need to survive this next vote and the I think i'll be golden for a little while. I'm hearing some whispering of targeting matt next, and that would be perfect because it gets me to 5-5.
OWEN
Holy shit I just found an idol thank GOD!!!! I’m gonna fuck some shit up with this !!! YEEEEEESSSSS. I’ve officially found one three seasons in a row hehe :’) the grind nvr stops am I right Idk who to tell tho I feel like I need to say something to someone but... Idk. Might be nice to keep to myself
OLIVIA
Real depressed I didn’t win the challenge, spent so long hand drawing it and put a lot of love into it bc I truly love all my tribemates but I know Jess did the same and hers looks cool too. Cannnnot believe I got second again I’ve literally gotten second like every single flag challenge I’ve done 🙄
I had fun drawing today at least, that was a nice change of pace and I’m personally happy with how it turned out so that’s good haha and I realized I’m not half bad I should draw more. I’m always so negative about what I do and think everything looks terrible so I never end up doing anything 
I have no idea about this next vote, glad my bff won the challenge. I gotta lay low and make sure it ain’t me. 4 gays + finance manager Trent want Owen or one of his “squad” out. I’m going on call in my owen and Matt alliance tomorrow. Those two and stoner I’m sure wanna realign the veterans and get out a newbie. Maybe I can keep up the façade and direct both into getting out either Lorelei, Leigh, or Chris o (even tho, since getting to know them they’re all so sweet and cool but SOMEONE has to go) 
So hopefully that happens. I’ll see what Owen and Matt say tomorrow. As for Chris stoner, who knows 🤷‍♀️
OWEN
i was telling my roommates that I was stressed about this game bc i feel close to too many people and i said im just gonna randomize and the top five ppl on the list ill screw over..... guess whose name was on top? MATT. :o which is a little fitting bc i think it might come down to matt vs leigh tonight. idk it's been SO FUCKING quiet today it's really scaring me. i talked to jess and brought up that i thought matt or leigh will be the targets. she's so freaking sketchy to talk to bc she doesnt want to commit to ANYTHING. like...girl, u got the immunity??? be brave??? speak ur mind???????????????????? but she seemed to be tossing around the idea of doing matt... here's my deal. i love olivia and i even like matt a lot, and I like the torchsnuffers. but rn it seems weaker to move forward with them??? bc i love my bonds with chris o and lorelei.... and stoner of course. basically im in a middle of two sides and the most unanimous I can get rn, the fucking better!1!11 but I dont want to hurt olivia rn... :( GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! this is just all a tangled mess and I dont want to get caught in it too deep but i already AM!!!! if we were zoobeenee this never wouldve happened.... will it be leigh? will it be matt? will it be me?????? not sure. the only thing i know is after tribal tonight im gettin fuckin drunk!
JESS
I GOT IMMUNITY WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU JUDGES <3
MATT
bITCHES Be CONSPIRING AGAINSt ME!!
ANABEL
https://youtu.be/nYZxeLs1hY0
well. maybe the bitches. don’t. wanna. vote. stoner.
OWEN
Duck I am so stressed now The six returnees all called and decided on Lorelei. I’m ducking s reading I wish they decided anabel or something Idk . God dang it..... I don’t want to lose lorelei when she’s been so nice to me and I already saved her on the foxx vote. So I could do two things.... I could vote for Matt with stoner and chris/Leigh/Lorelei and hope that Trent or anabel do too. Then Lorelei is safe but I burn a bridge with olivia and jess which would suck and then I’m giving anabel and Trent a lot of power. I could give Lorelei my idol and tell her to play it on herself and then vote for her to try to save face with the vets but then like what if she tells them I gave it to her or they think I told her to use it.... and also matt would still be gone :( so Idk ughhh and then if that’s the case how to I explain to chris and Leigh why I voted her ???? I want stoner and I to maybe split our vote and then see what Trent an anabel do... idk I can’t decide but omg Trent is calling me. I could also just vote Lorelei and ride it iur
OLIVIA
Truly sorry for my lack of confessionals! Busy day. So I’m pretty confident it’s lorelei but for all we know it could be me! I’m finding myself not as stressed out because I don’t think I’ll EVER be as stressed out as I was with the Isaac vote so even if it’s me, not saying I’ll not be sad, but I’m more at peace. I’ve been on so many calls today jfc. Jess really finessed the hell outta this one with her insanely cool trick to get anabel and Trent to vote Lorelei that was awesome. If I have time later tonight I’ll explain more of what went down today later but until then? Sayonara!
The Isaac vote like changed me as a player it’s wild. I’ve never voted out my closest friend in a game and now I have and like lived through it like I’m?? Ok? Like it was so horrible but it was like digging a bullet out of my heart. It sounds so weird but like it opened up my ability to play without being like insane stressball and hopefully I can carry this through the game. It probably doesn’t make sense but yeah 😂
JESS
I'm tired of sitting around letting games slip through my fingers. This round I have immunity so why not crack a bit? I want that OTT baby! This round is going to be complicated. I don't want Matt to go whatsoever. What a plot twist from the begging of the season? I see no benefit of taking out someone who I believe will be in my corner in this game for a bit? I've compromised enough the last round with taking out Isaac for Trent/Anabel... THIS ROUND IS FOR ME! So I decided to be a rat ass bitch and tell Matt his name was going around. Will this fuck me over next round? Absolutely. Do I care? A lot. Will I regret taking out someone who I see has no benefit to me? NOPE. The way Lorelei and Chris O went about this round rubbed me the wrong way. Chris let me know Matt's name was going around but refused to give me ANY of the details. That just proves to me he does not trust me one bit. Lorelei straight up lied to me so homegirl NEEDS TO GO. Anabel had some genius plan on getting Stoner out (YASSSSSSS). But she didn't listen to me... and told Chris O aka: basically telling Stoner. It obviously got back to Stoner which caused chaos. However, it proved to me that sooo many people are close and exposed relationships. I was able to convince Anabel/Trent to do Lorelei which I hope will work? I don't know. All I know if Lorelei dies in this game I'll be happy. There's only room for one girl from Montréal here :$
OWEN
I have to just make a decision and move forward. After talking to Trent, I think I've decided to do Matt tonight. I feel confident that Trent could be an ally for me. Stoner, Chris O, and Lorelei are all really solid alliances to me right now as well, more than I feel with Michael. I know I'm burning Jess and Olivia and I don't really know what to say to them after. I'm feeling guilty as fuck right now, I wish I didnt put myself in this position. But it's a game, and for me right now, Lorelei is someone I want to go really far with. If they had picked Anabel maybe it would be a different story... Idk. This could still blow up in my face and send me out and honestly??? I'm so exhausted from the last 10 hours i prob wouldnt mind mmmmm ive finally fucking snappt and it's time to follow thru the crazy xo
OLIVIA
Listen, could I technically go to tribal? Yeah but after the damage my anxiety did to me at the last one imma just sit back and let the texts roll in while I do tranquility dot to do puzzles
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