#these two make my brain itch /pos
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Yogny & Bingo
#art#my art#digital art#marblebubs art#yonny#dingo#pikmin 4#pikmin#pikmin yonny#pikmin dingo#dinyon#🧪💪#these two make my brain itch /pos
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Giegue/giygas for the ask game, maybe?
First impression: I learned about Giygas through internet osmosis long before I even thought to play EarthBound. All the usual "ooooh this game is secretly sooo dark" and "he's ack-chewally an aborted fetus, see, oooo" kinda shit. I remember it giving me the impression Mother was way scarier and edgier than it turned out to be. (I played games like OFF and Yume Nikki first though. So by the time I got around to Mother, it was very refreshing to play somethin bright & uplifting at its core, lmao.) (In retrospect, I kinda wish Giygas wasn't among the first things every prospective player is told about the EarthBound. Going into the Giygas battle blind seems like it would've rearranged my brain molecules, and I wish I'd gotten to experience it like that.) I forget when exactly I learned about Giegue (I didn't get to play M1 blind either), but I'm pretty sure my first impression was honestly pretty neutral? The imposing presence of a huge alien spaceship, 8-bit sci-fi machinery, and a barely legible creature in a capsule was pretty wicked to see for myself the first time though!
Impression now: Giygas is a big triple decker chocolate layer cake worth of metaphor & symbolism. The existential horror of growing up, the fear of losing who you fundamentally are in the process, the horrific inhumanity adults are capable of, the hopelessness of coming to terms with the world as it is, and so on. Not really a character per se, but the quintessential globular slurry of adolescent angst Ness & pals've gotta contend with. Giegue is a bittersweet little story about a broken family. An internal conflict between vengeance, familial love, and maybe where one's obligations lie? Cool antagonist for sure. I wanna like him more than I do (M1's cryptic hands-off approach to storytelling is hard for me to sink my teeth into 😔). I've speculatively written (and drawn a comic for the upcoming zine 😉) about how Giegue became Giygas, and read some good fics on the topic. In the canon we're given, though? There's really so little binding them together narratively or thematically… I have a difficult time reconciling the two, in the context of the games themselves. Mother 2 in general feels more like a reboot than a sequel - and there's hardly if any "lore" weaving Giegue & Giygas together - so Itoi's choice to declare they're one and the same just seems kinda odd to me. C'est la vie. Fan creators make do.
Favorite moment: The Giygas battle, but like, before he goes sicko mode. When he's bound to a chamber of wires and innards, reflecting Ness' face back at him, and it turns out our fervently raving buddy Porky is actually the one in "control". The atmosphere is so intense and unnerving, such a bizarre yet captivating way to ramp things up. There's like, this sense of stomach-churning dread, as you begin - if only scarcely - to realize the alien overlord you were expecting is an entity far more powerful and personal and helpless and incomprehensible than you ever could've imagined. I mean. You know, because the internet spoiled you when you were 11. But in the bigness of the moment it still makes my mitochondria itch on a primal and cellular level. /pos. Love it.
Idea for a story: My favorite Giegue thing is the vague implication (??) of whatever the hell George did to to him. Y'know, whatever made him hate humanity so much. Whenever I see fan content speculating on how George might've experimented on him or mistreated him I do in fact Feel Somethin' There. (I have been a sucker for angsty-creature-in-a-lab stories from the time I saw Mewtwo Strikes Back in kindergarten all the way to Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 a couple months ago, and I don't suppose I'll ever be sick of 'em.) The conflict it introduces between George and Maria is intriguing too. Like, her husband's treating her dearly beloved child like a science project? Trying to extract the secrets of PSI from his oversized alien brain?? You know if this kinda shit went down, those two were on a caliber of divorce drama the world has rarely seen.
Unpopular opinion: I really like Giegue design interpretations that're freaky and grotesque and biologically unfamiliar. When the beast isn't just mammalian in nature. Truly out of this world.
Favorite relationship: A mean-spirited but otherwise ordinary 13-year-old willingly aligned himself with the alien emodiment of all things evil. And the alien embodiment of all things evil willingly let the kid be his right-hand man. And I'm normal about it. EarthBound tells us basically nothing about how Porky n' Giygas' partnership in crime came to be, but speculating about it sends me into a shark frenzy. Porky seeking power over the world that wronged him, at literally any cost. Giygas weaponizing a child's worst, most vengeful impulses. Porky ultimately usurping Giygas, at least in terms of agency. Witnessing the absolute horror his "master" becomes, and simply sidestepping out of the universe itself to dodge the mess he brought about. I like to imagine there was a period where Giygas was still cognizant enough to maintain a rapport with Porky - and that the two of them fucking hated each other. Both of 'em using the other as a means to an end, assured in the conviction they're the one with the upper hand. And they're kind of both wrong. Bloaw up da worl.
Favorite headcanon: Giegue/Giygas speaks (telepathically?) with a rural midwestern accent. Courtesy of the fine folks who raised him. Other aliens probably think it's weird and mondo cringe, but are too intimidated to say so.
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Just because that one "Tiger and the Dragon" fact brought me back to my Tigress x Po shipping heart from my childhood!!!! I will now gush and give every detail as to why I shipped it and still do!!!
Ever since the first film, Po obviously has a crush on her. The first sign was when he was locked out of the Dragon Warrior Ceremony in the first film. After a good while of trying to get in, he gives up and sits down while everyone enjoys the ceremony. But the very second Shifus announces Tigress, Po becomes even more determined to get in. It's a clear fan boy crush but I'll be darned if this isn't one of the cutest things ever. It's even cuter after Tigress breaks two plates in the air and Po gawks at her skills. The creator's even nicknamed the piece of rock he tried to take after Tigress broke it the "Love chunk." You don't give a nickname like that just for no reason!!!!!
The second film is self-explanatory. Don't need to say a single thing but I will anyways. They work well together as a duo in battle. And it's just cute to see Tigress throw Po around and Po is just enjoying it. The concern Tigress has for Po throughout the film in general. You can't see her showing that level of affection with anyone else. It's obvious from everyone's reactions that she doesn't hug others at all. And I don't have to mention this but I will. The fact Tigress took a canon shot for Po. I know she's the leader and would take a shot for anyone but this is storytelling!!! Everything is put there for a reason. And this scene was put there to deepen their relationship. And I have to make this reference. The titanic scene. 🤣🤣🤣 Oh come on!!! How are we supposed to describe that scene? Anyone who has seen it 100% thought it or said "Come back, Jack...... Come back, Jack Black!" The only difference is that the one that was on the floating wood was "dying" while the one in the ocean was the one that got saved. Oh my goodness, I still remember watching that scene for the first time. I cried so much.
The 2nd one felt like they were building something between them and then they dropped it in the 3rd one. Or some say. The third film didn't have much but that doesn't mean they just dropped the relationship. Throughout the film, you can just feel it. There's something about the way they interact with each other. They are comfortably close to each other both physically and emotionally. You can't see that for Tigress with her other friends. Mei Mei! I love her character, she has the confidence that I always desire to have. ❤ But I do say she added more to Po and Tigress's relationship. A little background, I read this years ago so my memory is fuzzy. Mei Mei and Po were supposed to be engaged through an arranged marriage from birth. Mei Mei was on board with the marriage while Po was uncomfortable about it. They dropped the side story though but you can still tell it's there in the background. It's a matter of a "show don't tell" situation. So yeah, Mei Mei pretty much flirts with Po throughout the film up until Tigress shows up. And just the way Mei Mei says "Who's she?" itches my brain. It just feels like she recognized a close bond between them right away. After the battle, Mei Mei decides to flirt with someone else. It feels like they are building a romance between Tigress and Po but they're building it slowly in the background so it doesn't get in the way of the story. I guess we just have to pick up on the clues ourselves.
But I love that. A romance doesn't need to blossom in front of our eyes and be smacked in the middle for everyone to see. And this may be my asexual and demi-romantic side speaking but, I would LOVE to see a romance that starts as a deep friendship. There aren't many animated films that do that. The one that comes to mind is Nick x Judy from Zootopia. It starts as a deep friendship where the two have a clear platonic love for each other. But it can turn into a very healthy romance. I just adore those relationships. Establishing a deep respect and connection first for a year or so before developing a romance.
But I do want to say this. The only way I can see these two being in a romantic relationship is if they keep the romance in the background as they have been in the past three films. Just to make it feel natural. And we're gonna need a moment where we see Tigress's past and Po helping her through it the same way she helped him in the 2nd film. And please, a moment where Tigress is vulnerable like Po was in the 2nd film. I feel like they already set her on that track in 3rd film. They had her bond with a baby panda. Softening her up and making her look more vulnerable without making it cheesy. I like that. Softening through a child rather than softening through romance. It feels natural. And I have seen a few people worry about a "Hero saving the princess" trope. I'm kinda in between? I think? The thing is, I can see a situation like that happening but done in the same way in the 2nd film. When Po goes to rescue Tigress and the others from Shen. Or when Tigress takes the canon for Po. A situation where one rescues the other but in a way that isn't dramatic and it results in the two working together. Teamwork thing!!!
Welp! Other than that, I have poured my shipping heart empty........ I think. 🤣 I'll be back if I need to do another shipping gush. But I should clarify that I don't mind what happens in the next films. It won't be the end of the world if they don't become canon and it won't be the end of the world if they do. Platonic or romantic, it works either way and I just want more moments with them!!!
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mina's song recommendations! (songs all have spotify links)
casualty - mothica : about overcoming trauma, 10/10 potentially saved my life when i first left dormancy last year
call me a saint - yonaka : scratches the "i'm religiously traumatized and over it" itch that's always on my brain
circle with me - spiritbox : more overcoming religious trauma bullshit (do you see a pattern haha)
runrunrun - dutch melrose : vaguely religious themes, also just a very brain scratchy song /pos
depreciating - maggie lindemann and siiickbrain : sorry, these two never miss when they make a song together
gaslight! - also maggie lindemann and sickbraiiin : again, these two never miss. gives me "i hate our ex" vibes /pos
forever fifteen - mothica : huge huge si tw but really good song about being mentally ill as a teenager
sirens - mothica and sophie powers : kind of just a banger
vices - mothica : current favorite song, addiction tw
#religion tw#these are just mine#please excuse the mothicaposting#the mothicaposting gets really bad on our instagram#people literally know i'm fronting because they see me post mothica on our story#i have a problem#-mina
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Alrighty, i'm ready to ask ya general!
Can we hear
🌌- what was your first date like?
🎵- what are some song lyrics that make you think of your f/o/your relationship with your f/o?
💐- how did you two meet?
🏠- what's your and your f/os dream home?
For Ayato, Capitano, Diavolo and Lucifer?
I'm so glad to see some capitano selfships! Any genshin and obey me! selfships are so precious!
Your selfships all sound so nice! 🤩
So i hope you don't mind me asking
WHOAH ! absolutely, let's gooo !!
thank you so much for your kind words, youre so so sweet ahhh!!!
ramblies below the cut <3
🌌- what was your first date like?
Ayato - honestly, the way I imagine ayato and I is mostly in an arranged marriage type thing (I have a differently designed sona for it and everything khsjfsdj). our first 'date' i guess would be considered the boat trip back from watatsumi island (where the wedding took place) and we drank ginger tea and chatted about folklore and mythology <3
Capitano - i've never really thought about it much, but i'd imagine our first date would probably be some sort of nature walk/hike where we just chat whenever the mood strikes us and i point out cool stuff i see while he just nods politely <3
Diavolo - i. also imagine being in an arranged marriage with him in most scenarios, but outside of those scenarios, in an AU in which im just a normal exchange student, i think our first 'date' would be where im infodumping excitedly to someone else (probably lucifer, satan or solomon) about how dia's demon form looks like it might be a dragon and im all fascinated by that and barbatos overhears and relays it to dia, who then invites me to an afternoon tea and tells me im allowed to ask whatever i like <3 though even given that opportunity it Would still turn into me infodumping about dragons
Lucifer - he's a very traditional sort, he's very careful to make sure none of our regular hangouts could be misconstrued as dates until both of us are entirely ready (which id totally misread as him friendzoning me and be sad about). but the first date he makes a reservation at a nice restaurant and works really hard to make it this Whole Memorable Thing but honestly i still consider our first date to be that time he let me pace around his study and infodump about my favourite book series for 40 minutes while he nodded politely and did paperwork.
🎵- what are some song lyrics that make you think of your f/o/your relationship with your f/o?
(rifling through my eight billion playlists and vibrating intently)
Ayato - there's a particular set of lines from 'Inventor's Daughter' by Branches that just resonates so hard with the arranged marriage fic/au i have laid out and it makes me SO insane (/pos)
theres something extraordinarily perfect to me about the "A white flag torn from a wedding gown" line, especially considering my sona's whole gender situation in this fic and the fuckery surrounding that. this au/fic holds a very dear place in my heart and honestly i need to keep writing it because i love it so much <3
Capitano - Black Bear (by Black Bear) sort of gives me him vibes, and the kind of wistfulness and envy the singer has towards the bear just. vibes. and also the way i write him. he is literally a black bear. so thats kind of funny
Diavolo - ok i have a few songs that vibe with this ship but there's a specific one that gave me SUCH brainrot recently about an au in which he and i are like hades and persephone and theres just SUCH a vibe and aesthetic surrounding it that makes me INSANE. The song is Epic III from the live version of Hadestown
Lucifer - There's something about 'Never Love an Anchor' by The Crane Wives that really tickles the Lucifer itch in my brain and the angst resonates SO MUCH with him. This section in particular just gives me SO MANY feels and makes me want to write disgustingly depressing angst of the ship ,,
💐- how did you two meet?
Ayato - usually arranged marriage type stuff, but outside of that im like a stray that thoma brings in because were both from mondstadt and he thinks im silly
Capitano - just through whatever fatui shenanigans and the like, my guy is a knight of favonius so id imagine he just got sent out with that group that went out and met capitano and was like. "ok im fascinated by this big guy. seeya"
Diavolo - again, i mostly imagine arranged marriage, though the first time they meet would be Before that, during some like fancy soiree or whatever, i dunno. other than that, just the exchange program
Lucifer - exchange program. i latched onto him like a remora because i could sense his autism from across the room and he just kind of took it
🏠- what's your and your f/os dream home?
Ayato - the estate beloved <3 but also i could see us having a holiday home in liyue, since its where we went for our (very belated) honeymoon and we liked it a lot !!
Capitano - Answered here!
Diavolo - I think he'd be very emotionally attached to the Demon Lord's Castle but I could also see us getting a sort of smaller, more modern style house closer to the main bulk of the Devildom where we end up spending a lot of our time.
Lucifer - He's very attached to the House of Lamentation and despite all his complaints he and his siblings are pack bonded and if they're separated they'll all die of loneliness and broken hearts (and also his siblings are too dumb to survive more than a few days without him), but I could see us having basically the inverse of Diavolo's in which we get a small place in the human world or something that we can stay in for a few days at a time just to get away from things!
Again, thank you so much for sending this ask, it was so fun to answer!
#asks#general barks#my writing#self ship#rowavolo#capiro#lucifer x rowan#capitano x rowan#rowato#ayato x rowan#general howls
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🧿 🎙️ 🪄 <3
ah! thanks so muchhhhh <3 these are great questions
🧿 what steps do you take to not take things personally if a fic doesn't do well, or if your writing/posting/sharing experience isn't going how you'd like it to?
ok, to be completely honest, i'm really not very good at this. it's hard! fanwork is entirely a labor of love and it can be really difficult to accept that some of that labor just goes unrecognized, no matter how hard you try. for example, R&R's Fictions and Foliage only has 50 hits and that one chapter is probably one of the most labor-intensive things i've written. i'd say there isn't really a specific thing i do, the acceptance just sort of comes with time? although one thing i do do, is take the time to appreciate my work for myself. i put a lot of effort into that! somebody's gotta appreciate it! and who better than me? who wrote the dang thing? i don't think the disappointment ever really goes away, but maybe it just wasn't meant to be! overall, i'm really not very good at this yet, but it's something to work on! i'll get there eventually :)
🎙️ which one of your fics would you like someone to make a pod-fic of?
right off the bat, i would absolutely sob if anybody did this /pos!! (with permission) any additional content based on my fics would make me insanely happy. (somebody cares enough about my writing to take time out of their day to make something about it???) now back to the question. i have two answers to this. to start, i think it would be absolutely hilarious if our song was a podfic. like, the southern accents? walburga's southern accent? i'd be rolling on the floor crying. like it would be amazing. and also really funny. serious answer, j'ai mal á la tête (i have a headache). i think it would be absolutely heartbreaking, and also so moving. to hear somebody break down crying the way sirius is (especially at the end) would break my heart. it would be incredible. and hearing the french out loud (especially because it's based on a song!) would just. scratch an itch in my brain. idk it's definitely the saddest thing i've published and i would just find it very emotional. i can practically hear all the sobs and voice cracks in my head, and to see that translated into audio would be stunning.
🪄 what is your post-writing/sharing aftercare? how do you take care of yourself or celebrate yourself when you've finished a fic?
a fantastic question!! tbh my main little celebration is just posting! it's really exciting for me. it was absolutely terrifying the first couple of times and my self care then was to throw my computer across the room /j and distract myself from the anxiety. now i have to try and keep myself away from my computer so i'm not reloading the page every three seconds to check interactions. but all in all, it really depends on the work! for example, after jmalt or chapter 2 of icotfs i was really excited about my writing so i turned to making art about it. but after secrets behind the cherry blossoms, i messaged beowulf about it because we came up with the ideas together. just knowing that i did that! and i put it out to the world is a big celebration for me and it makes me really happy. and the second i get a comment i get so wonderfully overwhelmed with positive emotions <3
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i still think abt ur room for two fic like its my roman empire like it itches my brain /pos PBLEASEE (only if u want to <3) make a part two ur writing is so amazing <33
omg that makes me so happy !! part two is in the making worry not ! im just stuck on how to word it, but i promise ill try my best to have it out soon enough!
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Mid-Year Update
I found myself itching to write a blog post this afternoon, so, here. I've finished my first semester of university and am on break, so naturally I have too much time on my hands.
French
...is going well! I'm majoring in it at university, which is ideal, and I'm able to study it in an advanced pathway, so I'm not bored either. I had an awesome professor this semester just gone, and made quite a few friends in my tutorial, so it was great overall! I really appreciated the topics that we got to study, which focused on history decolonised, and allowed for a lot of higher-order thinking in French. I'm really looking forward to next semester's course as well; we're going to focus on this guy who's a musician and writer among other things, study his book and his music etc. Think it's gonna be good.
Korean
Good news - I got accepted into my dream university course that allows me to take two language majors, with a specialisation in translation! So I'm now also majoring in Korean language at uni - beginner's stream. I figured that this semester would be easy because of my prior study. I was so very wrong. Albeit the first 1-2 weeks were boring because we were just learning the alphabet and how to say "A is B", but beyond that we ripped straight into entirely different topics from what I'd been self-studying last year and it was actually a really difficult course. There were lots of assessments and vocabulary that required a lot of time to be dedicated to them. Overall I'm happy with how I tracked and I'm enjoying the major so far but holy hell I underestimated how much effort a beginner language at university level would be. Truly it was so much knowledge being crammed into my tiny little brain. It was enjoyable in a different way from French; less philosophy/sociology and a greater focus on learning how to produce the language itself.
German
So I did the *majority* of the language sprint. Didn't quite finish due to some personal stuff I had going on in my life at the time, but I learned loads anyway. It was really challenging to do while also beginning university at the same time, so I didn't continue with any other German study after the sprint finished, but I still find that I'm able to produce very simple sentences in the language for a laugh.
The Rest of 2022
...is yet to be decided, in terms of goals. There are the obvious ones, like maintaining a good WAM (weighted average mark; it's what my uni uses instead of the GPA) in French and Korean.
I'd also like to finish the French book that I'm currently reading, Le Poing Levé by Simon Stranger (3/4 of the way through it and it's a good read, as far as YA fiction goes). That would make it the first full length novel that I've finished in French.
I'd like to say that I'll continue with some self-study of Korean with my TTMIK textbooks during the winter break, but honestly, it would be more than good enough if I can consolidate what I learnt from uni Korean first and foremost, so that I have a good handle on it going into semester 2.
As for German, I'm not sure if I still want to try to reach A1.1 by the end of this year. I have a lot of languages that already need time dedicated to them, so I think that it will most likely remain a passion/curiosity project rather than being anything too serious (I only just stopped biting my nails and they're so pretty please I don't need or want any extra stress right now).
Thanks for reading if you made it this far! You really didn't have to. Really. This is literally just how I document the big steps I take in language learning for myself. But thanks heaps if you did anyway :D
Merci bien!
감사합니다 !
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best of 2021 🌟 post your favorite or most popular posts from each month this year!
tagged by the wonderful @avizou @soonwnu @kithtaehyung @gimbapchefs @userjiminie and @jimmeo-kookliet thank you friends!
→ this tag game is somewhat nostalgic to me because i started giffing in january this year thanks to the content creator year in review game that was going around last december :’) seeing every cc excitedly look back on a year’s worth of creations really made me want to be able to do the same at the end of 2021 and now here we are 🤗 getting into gif-making and making it a consistent hobby was one of the best forms of escapism i’ve found this year & i couldn’t be more thankful to everyone who welcomed me in the community, interacted with my content and left lovely tags and messages in my inbox. a genuine thank you to everyone on here for helping me nurture this hobby and for making it a fun one to share with others 🤍
🌟 JANUARY
most popular: pups being pups | 2.5k
favorite: jikook kitty gang movie au
⤷ had an itching thought of jimin feeling both intrigued and low-key threatened by new kitty kid on the block jungkook wanting to prove himself and joining the kitty gang and, uh, this was me exorcising that demon. had so much fun coloring this and hunting down blade runner and ghost in the shell footage to make it work visually.
🌟 FEBRUARY
most popular: minimoni clowning jin | 4.4k
favorite: when the stage is his
⤷ i will never stop gushing about these gifs. never. he looks otherworldly and i’m so proud of how i colored this.
🌟 MARCH
most popular: yoonmin communicating in fear | 2.5k
favorite: winter package jikook & pretty → bitchin’ jimin
⤷ first is an obvious fave because of ‘hold me’, ‘eyyyy’ reasons. the other is a personal fave because it was the first time i tried an actual vibrant coloring and it turned out nice 🥺 this might be the set that pushed me to go for more vibrant, popping colors, aka my coloring style these days.
🌟 APRIL
most popular & my favorite: yoongi reaching out to hold a member’s hand before he can process what he’s doing | 2.3k
⤷ this one’s self-explanatory. literally every tag i got on this was ‘someone please hold his hand’ and you know what, i agree.
🌟 MAY
most popular: a (jimin) look for the history books | 2.9k
favorite: taemin for the ‘advice’ photoshoot
⤷ one of my favorite colorings i’ve ever done, i absolutely adore every gif in this.
🌟 JUNE
most popular: jimin’s ‘brain off!’ moment to namjoon | 5.3k
favorite: this mots on:e taehyung set & (jikook) art in motion
⤷ the taehyung one is for the coloring, but the jikook mma black swan dance practice one is for me feeling high on serotonin as i was giffing it after waiting 6 months for hybe to drop this footage 🤍
🌟 JULY
most popular: namkook dance break when | 3.2k
favorite: this teal hyunjin set & gemstones jimin
⤷ just. aesthetically, these two are some of my favorite sets of mine -- really love the teal gradient i managed to get with the hyunjin set & how gentle the jimin coloring ended up being 🥰
🌟 AUGUST
most popular: a flower among flowers | 2.9k
favorite: welcome to jiminie’s workshop
⤷ i LOVE this set and every other set i’ve made from run episodes in this format 😭 finally found a caption font i adore, finally found the coloring style that suits me best, etc etc. i feel like i’m most proud of & happiest when working on sets like these 🤍
🌟 SEPTEMBER
most popular: center jimin at the unga | 3.8k
favorite: words of comfort from jimin
⤷ giffing this was an actual therapy session. i really feel like i giffed this one for myself and i do regularly come back to it because it’s just that soothing.
🌟 OCTOBER
most popular: ‘in the soop’ jimin summary | 3.2k
favorite: hobi on the 3j butter choreo bts
⤷ both of these are my favorites of the month actually! for the hobi one, i’m really happy about the fun & consistent coloring and that i could show some well-deserved love for the mastermind behind the 3j butter choreo 💞
🌟 NOVEMBER
most popular: jimin hugging joon with every fiber of his being | 4.4k
favorite: extremely zoomed-in jimin during the butter shoot
⤷ hobi zooming in on every single part of jimin’s face like that.. especially his lips.. he gets it. i’m also super happy with the coloring here!
🌟 DECEMBER
most popular: namkook tol & smol | 2.9k
favorite: reindeer jimin
⤷ i’ll probably gif some more by the end of the year, but this is my favorite as of right now 🤗 hybe finally giving us some 4k quality to work with and i had so much fun coloring this. also reindeer jimin is very love-shaped (no, literally! love-shaped! look at that last gif!)
tagging: @jimimn @rainycle @kimtaegis @hyunsung @joenns @jung-koook @heybaetae @loversmore @jeonbunkook @honsool @hobeah @slipped-away @dreamaze @taeyoonge @baekhycn @boyswthluv @bisexualrapline @bangtanger @jeonjcngkook @loverjimin @intronnevermind @taehyungq @jjungcooks ✨ (no pressure ofc! also no need to be as extra about it as i was shdfsh i’m just excited to see everyone’s best of 2021 🤍)
#the fact that i set out to turn giffing into a consistent enough hobby so that i could do this at the end of the year#and now here we are 🥺#making this made me reflect on just how much gif-making has helped me go through the rougher patches of this year#as shit as 2021 was it was pretty damn cool having this one thing i liked to do that i could always come back to#tag games#year in review
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I was tagged by @goosemixtapes to post my nine favorite albums! Some of ours are the same but that’s just bc we both have great taste I guess
In no particular order:
Cures What Ails Ya, The Longest Johns: Me when the seas are shantying. This album goes so hard and contains such a variety of vibes while preserving the slappage of all of them. 10/10 would go a-fishing for the whale again
Ceremonials, Florence + The Machine: GOD it was so hard to pick one of hers. I almost put Dance Fever here but I feel like it’s too early to say that yet. I think this album has the highest concentration of my favorite songs of hers so <3
Go Farther In Lightness, Gang of Youths: Okay okay this is my favorite album of all time. It’s not even about the music (though that does go incredibly hard) it’s the way the lyrics so consistently make me feel like I’ve been punched in the gut /pos. I limited myself to one album per artist but major shoutout to Let Me Be Clear also
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812: Literally would not be the person I am today if it were not for my intense obsession with this show, and subsequently War and Peace, for two solid years. Thanks to this album for a major part of my personality.
Strange Trails, Lord Huron: The woods <3 Literally so true besties. I don’t have much clever and intelligent to say about this album except that it goes so so so hard
Ruin, The Amazing Devil: Shoutout to Rook for introducing me to this one. Every song on this album is incredible and I have no idea how they manage to consistently put out the best music on planet Earth.
Wild World, Bastille: I can’t even explain to you what I like so much about Bastille’s music but it scratches an itch in my brain. It’s also vaguely nostalgic, because Bastille was the first artist I decided to listen through their discography. Good decision past me.
Eurus, The Oh Hellos: EVERY SONG IS SO GOOD. Every one no exceptions. I really love the general sound of The Oh Hellos, and this album has a concentration of my favorite things about their style. Also it has one of my favorite album covers ever. The Eurus/Notos/Boreas/Zephyrus art is gorgeous.
Wasteland, Baby!, Hozier: Hozier my BELOVED. This album has such a good vibe to it and I really adore the style of music. I could listen to Hozier forever I think
I’m tagging @narratorstragedy @plague-on-both-your-houses @sofyarostova @silvercatarts if yall want to do it :) or if you want to do it and I didn’t tag you (sorry im tired rn) consider yourself tagged
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Okay so it’s obvious Leon is the most dominant out of you three. So you try to tempt Connor to annoy Leon. Leon has a zoom interview and you and Connor were in the backyard catching some sun. Connor looks great so you get on top of him trying to get him to bite, he does. Connor may not know it but you two are right in the line of view of Leon. You ride Connor on the grass and Leon has taken notice. He’s trying his best to pay attention to the call but every once in a while you catch his gaze and you give him a huge smirk or dramatically moan Connor. Safe to say the rest of the interview was a blur for him, not only did he have a raging hard on but he was thinking of all the ways to punish you or you two.
900 words
Warnings: smut, mild exhibitionism,
Connor knew splurging on a summer home with a pool was going to pay for itself within a month. Obviously he means because he gets to see you prance around in different swimsuits, from bikinis that you wouldn’t have bought to wear around people, to one pieces with cut outs that and detailing that made his eyes bug out of his head.
Today, you were wearing a flimsy little Bikini, the straps so thin he’s sure if you scratched you shoulder hard enough, would fall off your body. The bottoms were held together with bows on the side and Connor was itching to untie them.
He had picked out his spot strategically, knowing that from Leon would be able to see exactly what he planned to do from his spot on the kitchen counter. He beckons you over with one finger from where you’re lounging on Carl, the flamingo-shaped floatie in the pool. It take you second but eventually you’re by his side, and he’s pulling you into his lap.
“Wanna drive Leo crazy?” He asks toying with the straps of your bathing suit.
“Obviously.”
“Good,” he says, pulling on the tie at the back of your suit.
It falls off your body and Connor chucks it into the pool. He can’t really see Leon through the tinted window, can only barely make out his shape, but he’s sure the flying fabric caught his eye.
Connor leans forward, pulling one nipple into his mouth and tweaking the other with his hand. You moan as Connor's teeth scrape against your nipple ever so slightly, grinding down on his thigh.
"Yeah, baby," he hums as he switches from your left breast to your right, "Use me, get ready for me."
You moan when he flexes his thigh the way he knows you like. He unties the drawstrings on your bottoms, discarding them with the top. He connects his lips to yours, swelling your moans as you fuck yourself on his thigh. Connor manages to pull of his own swim shorts somehow, pumping his cock a few times as he feels your slick running down his thigh.
He knows when you're about to cum, can feel the way your hips start to lose their rhythm. Your nails dig into his shoulders, and he's digging his into your hips, stilling them.
"Fuck, Connor, why?" you exclaim, "I fucking hate you.""
"No you don't, baby," he teases, kissing down your neck.
"You don't know my brain, I could hate you."
"You gonna ride me or continue to lie?"
You grumble as you push him back against the pool chair. Connor keeps his hand on your hips as you sink on him. Your head falls forward, slumping against his shoulder. You clench around him as you adjust, and Connor grunts.
"You're so fucking good to me," Connor says, nibbling a little at your pulse poing, "Such a good girl."
You arch your back, pushing your chest against his as Connor gets a finger on your clit. He circles it once, twice, and then you start to ride him like a champ. Connor can't take his eyes off your breasts bouncing as your hands come down on his arms for leverage. He starts to lose his breath as you get close, clenching around him.
"Fuck, Con, I'm close," you pant.
"Cum for me, (Y/N)," he says, thrusting up his hips to meet yours, "Cum all over me. Make a mess on me, baby."
~~~
Leon is livid. Not in a mad way, which he realizes makes 0 sense, but he's super annoyed. All he asked for was 30 minutes so he could do the stupid interview for winning the Hart, but he couldn't even get 10.
"Yeah...uh obviously the shortened season wasn't ideal," Leon says, but he's not paying attention, hasn't been since Connor beckoned you out of the water.
He just has to make it through the next 5 minutes, but he thinks he might die any second. He's trying to look at Gene through his laptop camera, but his eyes keep drifting to where you're riding Connor. He can't hear either of you, but he's got the perfect angle to see Connor's cock disappearing inside you.
Leon doesn't even realize how hard his hand is in a fist until he reaches for his water bottle and his fingers ache. He takes a big sip, watching as your body goes limp against Connor, Connor's hips snap up a few more times before he follows, running his hands in your hair.
Leon laughs at whatever corny joke Gene makes, thumbing his shirt collar which suddenly feels stupidly warm. He shuts the laptop shut, and rips open the patio door, beckoning the two of you inside in the same manner Connor did earlier.
"I'm dating the two most sluttiest people on the planet," he mutters, sitting back on the chair, "Which one of you was it?"
"Connor," you say immediately, and Connor looks mildly offended to being ratted out, but not at all guilty.
"Come," he commands and Connor stands between his legs and immediately sinks down to his knees when Leon pulls out his aching dick from his sweats.
"You," he calls once his hand is tangled effectively in Connor's hair, "Wait for me upstairs. I'll deal with you later."
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It Ain’t A Diary
Warning: Angst
Pairing: Darry/Two-Bit
Word Count: 1,309
A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out ahskjhaks but hey!!! dcnb is finally over and you don’t have to read it anymore, so.
----
Two-Bit watched as Darry's eyes flicked from the notebook in his hands to his eyes. The color quickly drained from the older man's face and his hand gripped the door tighter, he looked as if he was about to pass out. He dropped the notebook and quickly stood from his spot on the bed, making his way to him just in case he did. Thankfully he didn't, he only opened and closed his mouth a few times as he tried to think of what to say. Afraid that Darry would never be able to say anything under all the sudden anxiety, Two-Bit spoke for him.
"Dar, hey, we can talk later. It's okay." He murmured. As he spoke he carefully removed his hand from the door, helping him regain his balance.
The two looked at each other for a moment, wondering what they should say. Two-Bit decided that the scared look on Darry's face was even worse than the one he had imagined while reading. It was awful. He looked terrified and on the verge of tears, Two-Bit's chest ached and he went to say something again when a familiar voice broke the staring contest going on between the two of them.
"Darry! I can't find my book!" Ponyboy's voice rang out through the house, suddenly making everything start back into motion.
Darry went to go help him and Two-Bit managed to sneak out of his room and into the bathroom without being seen. Two-Bit sat on the closed toilet seat for a minute and sighed. He ran his hands over his face. He hoped Darry didn't hate him for reading through his letters. He finally managed to work up the courage to face the Curtis' and stood up. He washed his hands to get the sweat off of them and then walked back into the living room where Pony and Soda greeted him.
Hours had passed and Soda and Pony had been sent to bed. Darry hadn't spoken a word to Two-Bit, and that made his skin itch in a weird way. What if they never spoke to each other again? A part of his brain tried to convince himself that was illogical, the other half reminded him how terrified Darry had looked when he was caught reading through his notebook.
After a few minutes of them awkwardly watching the Tv, Two-Bit looked at Darry and cleared his throat. Before Darry could even look at him he said, "We gotta talk about it Dar."
"I know."
Two-Bit looked up at him and gave what he hoped was a comforting smile. Darry wasn't looking at him, only at the carpet. He was picking at a scab, his eyes darting back and forth between invisible objects on the floor. Two-Bit sighed and grabbed the remote from the coffee table, and turned the Tv off. It was odd to think that mere hours ago he was sat on that couch, watching some random cooking show and eating chocolate cake, unaware of the older man's feelings for him. Darry inhaled and looked up finally, although still not at Two-Bit. It was a start though.
"What do you want to know?" He asked, his voice soft and shaky. He sounded so so so scared and it made Two-Bit's chest ache.
He was quiet for a few moments before whispering, "Everything. Whatever you want to tell me, I'll listen."
Darry visibly swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing. Finally, he found the words and began to speak. "Mary's the first letter, and she cheated on me, as you know. She was climbing in her parents car to leave town, since they were movin'. I came up to say goodbye, and she just looked at me with a heartbroken expression and kissed my cheek. Then she told me she had cheated on me and she got into the car and her and her family left without another word."
Two-Bit swallowed and nodded, Darry was fidgeting worse now. His hands scratching at the denim covering his thighs. The redhead inhaled and exhaled before quietly, only barely audibly asking, "And what about David, Dar?"
Darry took in a shaky breath and shrugged. A smile seemed to nudge up the corners of his mouth and Darry said, "What else is there to say? I loved him so god damn much."
"Do you still think about him?"
"Everyday."
Suddenly Darry stood up, pulling something out of his back pocket. His hands were shaky and clumsy and Two-Bit looked away. He didn't know why, the shakiness and the raggedness of his breath just seemed so raw. Almost like it was a moment no one should be watching. Finally, after seconds that seemed like years, Darry handed Two-Bit a silver necklace with a dog tag attached to it.
Two-Bit turned the tag over and read the back of it, a sudden pang shooting through his chest.
Holt
David A.
B Pos
No Preference
Two-Bit looked up at Darry who had a wobbly lip. The younger man swallowed and looked back at the necklace. It had yellowing deep in the words on the metal. It was rubbed shiny, finger prints visible in the light. He looked up at Darry again who gave a helpless smile and shrugged. Too scared. Two-Bit thought. He looks so scared.
Darry finally found the words and whispered, "Say, Two-Bit, h-how far did ya get in the stupid book?"
Two-Bit snapped, "It ain't stupid!" And immediately recoiled when he saw Darry jump a bit. Be quieter dumbass. You're being too rough.
"Sorry.."
"It's alright."
No it ain't.
"But, um... Lets just say, I'm sorry Mary and Sharon didn't work out, I'm so, so sorry about David. I'm gonna punch Paul the next time I see his dumb, stuck up ass," He inhaled, anxiety running through him like Pony during the hundred yard dash, "And I'm willin' to give us a shot if you'd like me to stick around for a while." His voice was a barely there murmur once he finished speaking, and Darry looked half ready to cry.
That thought had Two-Bit jumping up, scrambling to apologize and comfort Darry in anyway he could. Finally though, Darry grabbed the sides of his face. His hands warm and calloused, and Two-Bit vaguely remembered something his mom had once said about how the Curtis' had hands that were never meant to do hard labor. Suddenly, Two-Bit ached for a world where Darry Curtis never had to give up college.
"Are you sure, Two-Bit?" He asked, quiet as a mouse.
"Am I sure about what?" Easy, he thought, Have to be gentle with him.
"I-I mean, I just don't seem to have the best track record for people wantin' to stay with me when the goin' gets tough."
Two-Bit chuckled a bit and slowly his hands found their way to Darry's sides. He felt him inhale, long and shaky.
"Yeah, Dar. I'm sure."
Those words had Darry falling into him with relief. Would it be hard for them to explain how they became one big, hugging, crying mess if someone found them? Oh yeah. Would Two-Bit find a way to explain if it meant Darry'd have one less stress on his back. Is that even a question?
After a few minutes of silence between them, Two-Bit decided to break the silence.
"I'm thinkin' of startin' my own diary." He murmured, to which he got an indignant huff.
"It ain't a diary, but continue."
"Whatever, but each and every page is gonna be a letter to you so you know that I really mean it when I love you."
"That's cheesy, and you haven't even taken me to dinner yet."
"You know it."
Darry laughed softly and Two-Bit squeezed him. And secretly, Two-Bit was glad it had been hot that day and that he had decided to go snooping through the Curtis' house.
@ponyboyvhs @g-a-y-b-a-c-o-n @thequeendesi @golden-sun-rises @reddieformileven @cherryswitchblade @sizzlingponyalmond @liam-thewhore-senshi @lovingderika @daviddobriksleftnut @staygoldponebone @meggels921 @insanitycaver @theoutsidies @yadayadayadahuman
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The Stakeout - Jake Peralta x Reader
This turned out way longer than it was supposed to be but it turned out so well. There’s a POV change in the middle (just a heads up). This is loosely inspired by the episode “Stakeout”. Enjoy! Also on AO3. Parts 1 & 2
Stakeouts - not the most exciting part of police work but it would be slightly more bearable with Jake. You had both been sequestered to a run-down apartment building, which was opposite a site where counterfeit goods were being stored and delivered. Again, not the most exciting thing but you had pleasant company. The last time Jake had been on a stakeout was with Charles and it had gone horribly wrong. Luckily, you were only there for two days so there wasn't much chance of you getting on each other's nerves. You chuckled at the thought of having a no-no list for Jake; you were sure there were many things that could fill it. "What's so funny?" he asked, turning from the camera equipment he was setting up to face you. "Just thinking about yours and Charles' no-no lists." He grimaced. "What would you put on mine?"
"Don't know. Probably something about your weird walk." he replied.
"Hey!" you protested, "My walk isn't weird."
He smirked. "When I walk next to you, it's like you're wearing moon shoes. You bounce. A lot." Thinking about it, maybe you did bounce a bit when you walked. "No, I do not." you lied, feeling your cheeks start to rouge.
"Sure you don't." There was a pause before he continued, "But, for the record, you walk weird and you take way too long to write stuff." You folded your arms defensively. "There's nothing wrong with taking pride in my penmanship. And neither of those things would work on the list. You can't tell me not to walk or write." Having finished setting up the camera, Jake took a seat opposite you, a testing look in his eyes. "You seem to know the terms of the list so well. Go on, tell me what's on mine." he instructed.
"Oh, I will." You began to wrack your brain for things that he did that annoyed you. Something. Anything. There must have been something but everything you could think of just seemed sweet: the way he'd call you milady when trying to be a gentleman, the times when he'd reference Die Hard, his impressions that always varied in success. Jake's grin grew wider as he watched you became more frustrated. "Yes! You think I'm perfect. Everyone else looks flawed next to me." he bragged. You sighed, agitated at him and also yourself. He was Jake Peralta - there'd probably be a picture of him next to the definition of annoying in a dictionary. The only thing you could think to do was stick your tongue out. So you did before going to set up the computer as a distraction. "Wow, (y/l/n), real mature." he scolded teasingly.
You rolled your eyes. "You're one to talk, Peralta."
"You're one to talk." he mocked like a child. It seemed you'd used your eye roll too soon.
It was then that you remembered what you'd packed in your overnight bag. Once the computer was set up, you raided your bag to find the gifts you'd bought. "Jake. Catch." you called, chucking a packet and a bottle at him (the latter almost hitting him right in the face). "Sweet. Orange soda. And a pack of just blue M&Ms. You know how to look after me, (y/n)." He was grinning and you couldn't help smiling too - it was infectious. "Or how to spoil you." you countered. "You know, I'd probably put your weird eating habits on the list. Force you to eat healthily for the whole stakeout." He looked at you shocked as if you'd just told him you hated Die Hard. "You wouldn't." he gasped.
"Oh, but I would." you replied, a wicked smirk creeping onto your lips. You didn't notice him gulp as you sat back down before he, too, was smirking mischievously. "Well, I guess if you got me food to make fun of me then it's only fair that I get to do the same." He slid a small pizza box over to you. When you opened it and your eyes went wide, he felt something weird bubble up inside him but he pushed it aside. Inside the pizza box were a tonne of dough balls and garlic butter. You grinned madly. "You got me dough balls?" you whisper-yelled. If anything was going to blow your cover, it was going to be surprise dough balls. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" you squealed before launching yourself at Jake and hugging him. Normally, at this point, you would have added an "I love you" at the end but it just wasn't coming. What the hell was wrong with you? "Love ya." you managed to spit out, hoping Jake hadn’t noticed the hairs standing up on your arms. "Noice. Smort." he retorted, hugging you back. That was the most amount of affection you'd ever get from him, which irritated you slightly. "Aha! I'd put you deflecting my affections on the no-no list," you declared, "I'd rather you said nothing at all."
"Fine. But I'd put your, frankly, disturbing dough ball obsession down. And seeing as you wouldn't be able to have these ones, I'd make you watch me eat them." You removed your arms from around him.
"That's cruel." you said, feigning hurt. Pouting, you plonked yourself on a chair by one of the windows. "That's right. Two can play this game." he bragged.
"And here's how you win," you responded coolly, "Shot-gun having the second shift. I'm sleeping first."
"No!" he exclaimed, annoyed he forgot you'd want to take the second slot. You got up from the seat to go to the bathroom, brushing his shoulder with your hand as you warned, "If I were you, Peralta, I'd sleep with one eye open tonight.”
Jake was bored. Apart from a delivery at 11pm, nothing had stirred. This whole area of Brooklyn seemed to be asleep and he was at serious risk of going the same way. He decided to just get up and walk around, to maybe wake himself up a bit. Jake noticed you'd already made your mark on the place; the box of dough balls and a book holding your place at the table. He didn't understand how you found any time to read, especially at the alarming rate where you seemed to have a new book everyday. This one, however, seemed to be taking you a little longer. War and Peace, he read from the cover. The name seemed to ring a bell; you'd probably forced him to watch the film and he'd probably fallen asleep. "What?" he mouthed when he noticed the number of pages. He could probably use it to knock out a perp during a foot chase. His gaze moved over to you, asleep in the bed. He smiled at you, wrapped up in your own clean bed sheets from home. You always did have more common sense - Jake would have been happy to sleep in the sheets provided even though they could have been riddled with fleas. He also knew that you liked your home comforts and cared more about feeling safe than anything else. And he didn't mind, knowing those sheets would smell of you. Jake suddenly whirled round, overwhelmed by the thought and feeling pervy that he'd just been watching you sleep. Perhaps getting up for a walk around wasn't such a good idea after all.
Sat back at the window, Jake was narrating the goings on of a Pigeon Mafia, which had started up on the street below. The birds were currently harassing a crow that he had labelled as a mole, going under the alias Nige Po. It was mildly entertaining. Or entertaining enough to keep his mind from wandering back to you. More specifically, caring that your bed sheets would hold your scent. He could hear Boyle yelling at him in the back of his mind, telling Jake it was the most romantic thing he'd ever thought. But it wasn't romance; you were his best friend and he wasn't going to ruin that. He turned back to the pigeon street gang, which had finally chased away the crow. They had uncovered his true identity - Russell Crow. You would have laughed at that. Jake couldn't believe he was wasting all his best material when you were asleep. And that's when it dawned on him - he cared what you thought. He wanted you to laugh at his jokes and stupidity. He wanted your company. He always wanted to hear what you had to say. And, most of all, he wanted you to hug him and say that you loved him, even if he couldn't say it back. He'd been spending months trying to convince himself that he liked Amy but perhaps that was only because he was also trying to convince himself that he didn't like you. But he did like you. A lot. A warm fuzz settled in his chest. Well, this was a lot different to his last stakeout.
As much as you'd been itching to, you hadn't messed with Jake whilst he slept. Sleep deprived Jake was even worse than the normal one. It was amusing, if slightly creepy, to see his one eye following you before he drifted off to sleep. Apart from a delivery arriving at about 5am, nothing much had happened, giving you ample time to get a good way into War and Peace. You'd also managed to leave enough dough balls to last you the next day - a true miracle. However, you were getting bored on your own and the temptation to mess with Jake was too much. You grabbed one of the pillows from the bed and hit him with it. Hard. He let out a startled snort before slowly opening his eyes and stretching out. It was quite a sweet sight even if the price to see it was waking up next to him. Which, you supposed, you didn't really mind. "Morning, sleepyhead." you cooed teasingly. He smiled blearily; his eyes still half closed. "What time is it?" he asked although it sounded more like Whatimesit. "9. But I'm bored."
"And you wanted my company? Aw, (y/n), you're so sweet." He held out his arms for a hug. You took a step back. "I don't think so, Peralta." He got up from the bed and came towards you with his arms still outstretched like some sort of hug zombie. You couldn't get away fast enough; his arms wrapped around you, pulling you down onto the bed. "Jake, you idiot. What are you doing?" you hissed. He just ignored you, saying, "This is nice" as he snuggled into you.
"Please don't talk. Your morning breath is awful." you urged.
"You can't say much, garlic mouth." he retorted. Your hand flew up to cover your mouth. Hopefully, Jake hadn't noticed how weirdly you'd been acting - normally, you would have just breathed all over him. He opened his mouth, probably to make a joke about warding off vampires, but you covered it quickly with your other hand. You swore you heard a car pull up. "What the hell?" Jake queried, his voice muffled by your hand. "Shh." In the silence, your heart rate quickened as you became hyper aware of his arm round your waist. You could both hear Boyle whooping in your minds about your current, slightly compromising position. You removed your hands from both your mouths. A door slammed. "It's a car." you observed.
"Great solve, detective." he joked. You elbowed him before getting up and going over to the window.
"Black SUV." you told him, taking photos, "Licence plate on photo. One passenger: Male, 5"4'. Can't see the driver."
"Cool cool cool cool cool." he rattled off.
"Are you writing this down?" you asked.
"Why do I need to write it down? You've got it on camera." You turned and gave him a stern glare. "Notepad. Pen." You motioned to the bedside table. He sighed. "Yes, mom." He picked up the notepad, admiring your handwriting. It was pretty. Like you. He shook the thought away. "Get it together, Peralta." he muttered to himself. "What was that?" you called from the window.
"Nothing." he replied unconvincingly. You came away from the camera, throwing him an incredulous look as you sat at the table. "You and Boyle should start a handwriting class. You both write good." he covered up poorly.
"Yeah, and you'd be our first student in an attempt to make your writing more legible."
"Some people have unlegible handwriting. You can't change that about me."
You shook your head. "I'd probably get you language lessons as well."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Not all of us can be smart and beautiful." Your eyes widened as your cheeks reddened, the compliment weighing more than he'd ever know. "You think I'm smart and beautiful?" you boasted teasingly.
Jake shook his head. "Nope. No. I take it back."
"You can't. But could you say it again? I wanna record it for use at birthdays and other special occasions. Like when I solve cases before you."
"That's one pleasure I wouldn't give you." He mentally face palmed; his mouth was running away from him this morning. You didn't notice, distracted by the sound of a car pulling away. "Damn it!" You rushed over to the window just in time to get some pictures of the vehicle pulling away. "God, you are so distracting." you huffed, turning back to Jake. He was finishing writing the notes - maybe your good habits were finally washing off on him. "What can I say? I've been told by many women that I'm distracting." You couldn't find it in yourself to laugh, to tell him they were probably calling him distracted (which he very easily was). The truth of the matter - you'd let yourself be distracted by him. Something very odd was going on with you. Jake noticed your lips purse into a small frown. "(Y/n)--" he began.
You interrupted. "I need to take 5."
"What's wrong?"
"I'm taking 5." you repeated, stalking off to the bathroom.
You splashed yourself with some water from the tap. Your mind was practically screaming at you, having already figured out why you'd been acting so unusually. Blushing, wanting his attention, your heart rate quickening when he touched you, buying him orange soda and blue sweets. But you wouldn't say it. You couldn't. He was your best friend and that was all. You were just confused, getting your signals mixed up. And you'd have to get over yourself quick. Because there's no way you'd admit to fancying Jake Peralta.
When you came out of the bathroom, Jake was sat at the window, watching the site through binoculars. He turned to you, hearing the floorboards creak beneath your feet. "Hey, you alright?" he asked concerned. You nodded.
"Felt a little queasy. I think I ate too many dough balls." you lied. His jaw dropped. "I didn't think that was possible for you."
"Anything's possible." you replied, thinking back to your bathroom freak-out. You took a seat at the other window. "In better news, I finally came up with our stakeout theme. It's a rap to the tune of the X-Files."
"I swear if you start singing, I will jump out of the window." you snapped. Sighing heavily, you added, "Sorry. I'm just..."
"Don't worry, I get it. I too get cranky when I eat too many carbs." he said, giving off the impression he cared about his diet. He internally whooped when you chuckled, glad that he made you laugh. "Here's a fun game. Let's see how many of these blue M&Ms you can throw in my mouth." He chucked you the packet. "I'm not a very good thrower." you warned.
"Oh, I know." You threw the bag at his face and it hit him right in the forehead. Perhaps you were a better thrower than you thought. "Ow!" he yelled before gasping, "That's police brutality." You shook your head. He threw the bag back. "Come on then, (y/l/n), I'll give you a dollar for every one that goes in my mouth." Your eyes narrowed as you opened the packet. "Oh, you're on, Peralta."
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Some Kind of Miracle - Chapter 3
Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug
Rating: G
Pairing: Adrien/Marinette
Summary: If Marinette had her way, she would have had nothing to do with Alya’s latest celebrity crush. So how did she get roped into stalking him around Los Angeles? When fashion icon Adrien Agreste quite literally crashes into Marinette’s life, they have no choice but to put up with one another or risk ruining both of their potential careers forever.
An AU based on the iconic Disney Channel Original Movie, Starstruck.
Read on Ao3
Chapter 3 - Incredible
<<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>>
Marinette’s right hand was sore. Grey graphite smudged the entire length from her pinky to her wrist, but the result was all worth it. Fifteen pages of new menswear ideas were detailed on the pages in front of her.
She had spent majority of the flight – aside from meal and bathroom breaks – furiously sketching in her notebook. She’d been so concentrated on the steady flow of ideas streaming from her brain onto the paper in front of her that she almost didn’t hear the pilot’s landing announcement.
Alya roused next to her, having entered her third nap of the trip about an hour prior. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and stared out the window, grinning maniacally.
“We’re here!” she mouthed, making no effort to hide the pure joy on her face.
Marinette took a quick peek past her friend to look out the window, immediately regretting the sinking feeling in her stomach that resulted. They were still so high up in the air that even looking out for a fraction of a second gave her intense vertigo. She was glad she hadn’t been assigned the window seat.
All around the aircraft, people were bouncing their legs, fidgeting with magazines, or trying to stealthily reach for their bags early. Normally Marinette would have been just as irritable as everyone else, but she had had a welcome distraction for the past twelve hours.
“Is that who I think it is?” Alya half-whispered, taking a glance at Marinette’s drawings before she could stow her book away.
Marinette could feel the blush rising to her cheeks as she realized – it was exactly who Alya thought it was. Every single clothing sketch had been accompanied with a mop of blonde hair and huge, curious eyes wearing it. She’d drawn Adrien Agreste’s face in almost as much detail as the outfits, over and over again.
“He’s a model,” Marinette squeaked. “I needed something to work off of. And since you wouldn’t stop talking about him all morning-“
“Someone’s in denial,” Alya smirked. “He’s gorgeous and you know it. You’ll come to your senses eventually.”
The pilot came over the intercom once more, sounding sterner than the last time as he reminded passengers to store all personal items away for landing. Marinette sheepishly tucked her sketchbook away as other passengers reluctantly stored their belongings as well.
Two rows up, a flight attendant was having an altercation with a passenger. She and the teenage girl bickered back and forth at each other.
“Miss, all phones need to be powered down completely for our landing,” she gently tried to explain, but the girl was having none of it.
“I need to make sure my driver is going to be there when we land,” the teen insisted. “I am not going to be late getting to my destination.”
“The plan can’t land at all if our safety is compromised from your cell phone signal,” the flight attendant said with finality before walking to the back of the plane and taking her seat.
The blonde girl across the aisle looked oddly familiar, and not just because she was attached to her phone the same way Alya had been all day. Maybe Marinette had seen her around school somewhere? Regardless, she finally decided her conversation was less important than the lives of the hundred or so fellow passengers surrounding her, so she powered her phone down and tossed it aside, grumbling under her breath the entire time.
“I don’t blame her,” Alya whispered. “My fingers have been itching to check my blog, it’s been driving me crazy.”
The remaining twenty minutes of the flight passed without incident aside from slight turbulence. Disembarking the aircraft and heading towards the exit were equally as mundane.
Marlena Césaire walked ahead of the girls as they left the building, her carry-on bag trailing behind her. She stood at the curb and waved frantically in an attempt to hail a cab. Marinette and Alya, on the other hand, were too busy gaping at the scenery to do anything productive.
There were real live palm trees. Actually growing from the ground, not in a pot. And they were massive; at least over a dozen meters tall. Taxis and personal cars alike swerved wildly in and out of traffic, picking up travelers and making their way down the long stretch of motorway ahead. In the distance, the giant LAX sign was bright white in the sunlight. More incoming and outgoing flights passes precariously close over their heads. And the people: men and women in business suits, families with children wearing mouse ears, and travelers of all ages looking much less lost than they did.
Marinette didn’t see the blonde girl from the plane, again. She guessed her driver made it on time after all.
And judging by the man who had just walked up behind them with a sign, asking if they were the Césaire party, apparently their driver had made it too.
“Oh,” Marlena was taken aback. “We didn’t order a car.”
“You are here for Ms. Sancouer’s events this week, correct?” The man asked.
Marlena nodded slowly, looking absolutely dumbfounded.
“As part of her payment, she has gifted you service to your hotel,” the man smiled and gestured to his left. A sleek black car was pulled off to the side of the road with its doors wide open, waiting for them.
This Sancouer woman had apparently thought of everything, even so far as to hire a driver who spoke French. Props to her, Marinette thought.
Alya shrugged – as if to say ‘this may as well be happening’ – and hopped into the backseat of the car, with her mother and Marinette following close behind. The man walked the perimeter of the car, closing each door as he went, before getting behind the wheel and entering the traffic of the city.
And then they were off. And this city was massive.
There were too many things to see all at once. Marinette had complete sensory overload, trying to take in the sights and sounds and smells of Los Angeles.
The beaches had been one of the things she was looking forward to most. Only she hadn’t expected to see so many sandy shores right off of nearly every street they sped down. Seeing the ocean from the ground was even more surreal than flying above it, not to mention much less terrifying. The blue water sparkled in the morning sun and stretched out as far as the girls could see from their tinted car windows and beyond.
Before they knew it, they were pulling up to the front doors of their hotel. Alya bolted out of the backseat and through the hotel’s massive glass doors, her phone camera snapping furiously.
Marlena glanced back at Marinette from the front seat. “Go,” she said. “Explore, have fun. You have your key, right?”
Mme. Césaire’s clients had conveniently already checked them in as well, so their driver had their keys ready as soon as they arrived. Marinette nodded and patted the front pocket of her bag where she’d tucked the key earlier before running in after her friend.
She stepped inside and was immediately taken aback. The hotel was beautiful – far more extravagant that she had expected it to be. The soaring ceilings were covered in incredibly detailed murals. The furniture consisted entirely of sturdy dark wood and marble pieces accented with what was most likely real gold. The crystalline chandelier hanging in the center of the room probably cost more than Marinette’s entire house.
Whoever had hired Mme. Césaire and paid for this trip must have been swimming in extra cash.
By the time she caught up to Alya, the other girl had worked her way through the hotel lobby and into the gift shop, where she held half a dozen different very expensive looking candy bars.
“Do you know what any of these things are?” Alya seemed absolutely giddy. “I’ve never heard of any of these brands before!”
The store clerk stared at Alya, looking mildly terrified. Now that Marinette thought about it, she realized that most of the people here probably couldn’t understand a word Alya was saying.
Marinette could only imagine what everyone in the lobby was thinking about this teenage girl staring at the walls, taking photos of the lamps, and screaming French exclamations at the top of her lungs.
The endless foreign babble didn’t end for hours, even after they’d settled into their suite.
Their room was just as unnecessarily lavish as the rest of the hotel. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen and dining area were just the beginning. The television had over three hundred channels and a full gaming system set up. Mme. Césaire’s room had a bottle of expensive-looking wine and a welcome note sitting on the side table. Marinette and Alya were each given their own fruit baskets.
The bags they’d checked on the flight, which had been picked up from the airport for them, sat waiting for them inside as well. They’d even paid attention to the luggage tags, Marinette noted while tilting her head to get a better look at the inside, as all of her belongings were seated at the foot of the right bed, and Alya’s at the left.
The three women had stood gaping in the doorway for what felt like ages.
Marlena cleared her throat. “The woman that hired me is vey generous,” she said weakly.
“No kidding,” Alya was the first to enter the room, where she and her phone camera went to work, documenting every last inch of luxury.
Marinette stepped inside next, feeling completely overwhelmed. Her fingers itched to take out her sketchbook again. There was so much to take in. The surrounding colors and shapes and patterns jumped around in her head, begging to be eternalized in a sketch.
Their driver stood politely outside of the door, allowing the girls enough time to get used to their new environment before interrupting once more.
“Mme. Césaire,” he began, “when you are ready, I will escort you to your venue to begin preparing for tonight, if you would like.”
Marinette could practically see the word ‘trouble’ flashing behind Alya’s eyes. No doubt, the other girl was already scheming about what she’d do once she was out of her mother’s watchful eye.
If Marlena suspected anything, it didn’t show on her face. There was no hesitation as she began collecting her things and preparing to leave. Alya was practically shaking in excitement.
Marinette hoped her disapproving look was enough to silently communicate to Alya that she very much did not approve of her scheming. She had been awake for far too long today. She wanted to unpack, and take a nap, and watch American dramas on television that she didn’t understand. She wanted to relax.
Alya Césaire and “relax” didn’t even belong in the same sentence, as far as she was concerned. Especially not here in the Golden State. Alya had a mission and she was determined to set it in motion.
Once Alya’s mom and the driver had left for the night, Marinette asked, “You’re going to look for Adrien, aren’t you?” Though she already knew the answer.
“Of course,” Alya winked at her. “And you’re coming with me.”
Chloe Bourgeois arrived at the Agreste house precisely when she said she would.
Her chauffer had given Adrien an apologetic look as he dropped Chloe’s bags off in the upstairs guest room. He only dealt with the girl once or twice a year, but he knew what a terror she could be. Lucky for him, he only had to drive her around. Adrien had to be the one to keep her entertained.
And out of the press, he reminded himself.
It was going to be a very difficult task, seeing as she nearly tackled him to the ground in greeting on his front lawn, in full view of the entire block.
“Finally!” she cried, planting a kiss on each of his cheeks. “I felt like I was going to drive myself crazy waiting to see you!”
Adrien firmly placed his hands on her shoulders and held her just out of reach. “Listen,” he started, “I’m happy to see you too, but you can’t do that. Not out here.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
Adrien turned back and forth, checking his surroundings. Thankfully, he didn’t see a flash go off or any bushes rustling in the distance.
“I told you, most people here aren’t that…affectionate with their friends. Someone might see you do that and get the wrong idea. Come on.” He kept one hand on her shoulder, loosening his grip so that he felt friendlier and less forceful. They walked together through the house to the main lounge room.
“What kind of wrong idea?” Chloe asked, plopping down in the seat behind her.
Adrien had to hold back a groan. “People might think we’re dating.”
“Is that so bad?” At Adrien’s exasperated look, she rolled her eyes. “I’m kidding. I’ll stop, I’m sorry. I’m just really happy to see you.”
“I know,” Adrien said. He took the time to hug her properly before standing back up and offering to get her something to drink.
By the time he’d returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water, Chloe was practically bouncing out of her seat from excitement.
“So what’s our itinerary for the week?” Chloe asked. “Last time we talked you had said something about a bonfire on the beach. Or a music festival. Or a music festival on the beach with a bonfire.”
Adrien rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well, um…”
“Oh, I hear that there’s still some fireworks left over from this place’s Independence Day and they’re going to set them off tomorrow night, can we go see them?”
“Nathalie’s hosting a cocktail party here tonight,” Adrien said quickly. “How about we go to that first, then decide what to do later?”
Chloe shot him a disappointing look. Adrien had a notoriously bad poker face.
“You can get all dressed up,” he continued. “And she’s getting some really fancy food catered. There’ll be lots of big-shot Hollywood types here to talk about business and-“
“You should have started with that,” Chloe interrupted. “You know I’m a sucker for a stuffy middle-aged guy talking business. Look, I’m already swooning.”
Adrien knew he was being a bad friend. First, he’d forgotten all about her arrival, then he was already making excuses for the next few days about why she couldn’t enjoy her time here with him. The guilt was almost enough to make him forget all about his promise and let Chloe have her fun.
Almost.
He took her hands in hers and got very serious. “Listen, Nathalie wants me to stay out of trouble. I’ve got a huge opportunity coming up that rides on me being on my best behavior. Just promise me one hour? Two, tops. Just enough for me to make a good impression with everyone coming. And after that, I promise we can do something you want.”
She didn’t quite look convinced. She pulled her hands away and crossed them over her chest, sticking her nose in the air stubbornly. Adrien decided to try one last thing.
“Nino will be here tonight too. You wouldn’t miss an opportunity to insult his fashion sense, would you?”
Despite trying her best to stay stoic, Chloe smiled. “I do enjoy seeing that look on his face when I tell him his hats out of date. Fine. Two hours of your posh little party. Only because I’m such a nice person.”
And this was why Chloe Bourgeois was still his friend. For one, she would always come around and make sacrifices for him when he needed her to. And two, she couldn’t resist a chance to schmooze with socialites for a night.
Perhaps this little visit of hers wouldn’t be so bad.
“Even the wall outlets are weird here!” Alya shouted from inside the bathroom, where she had been straightening her hair for the past hour.
Marinette could still hear her camera’s flash snapping every couple of minutes.
“Don’t tell me you’re taking selfies with the electrical wiring,” she called back.
Marinette had just finished emptying her last suitcase. All of her clothes were stored away in the drawers and closets that they’d live in for the next two weeks. Only the essentials – her cellphone, her keys, and of course, her sketchbook – were packed away in a small backpack that she could also squeeze a few snacks from the fruit basket into if she decided to venture off and needed fuel.
She sat back on the plush bed, feeling extremely satisfied with herself. The sun had set a little over an hour ago and she felt absolutely exhausted. She could fall asleep sitting up if she tried.
As soon as she saw Alya emerge from the bathroom dressed to the nines, however, she had a good feeling that she wouldn’t be sleeping much at all.
“Why are you wearing that?” Marinette asked, dreading the answer.
“I told you, we’re going out!” Alya said, as if it were obvious. “The sooner we start looking, the more ground we’ll cover. Come on, get dressed!”
“Your mom said not to get in trouble,” said Marinette. That outfit definitely looked like trouble.
Not only was Marlena Césaire gone for the night, but her schedule was practically booked up this entire trip, and that left the girls far too much unsupervised time to get into mischief. She had made them promise to follow a few rules on their vacation: stick together, spend money carefully, and don’t do anything that will land you in a cell. Oh, and don’t forget to have fun!
Clearly Alya was disregarding the three former statements for the latter.
“We won’t,” said Alya. “Everything I plan on doing tonight is completely legal in this country. Now come on!”
Alya practically dragged Marinette from under the covers and into the bathroom, painting her face in a flurry of cosmetics and colors without so much as asking whether or not Marinette even wanted to go anywhere. She guessed this was Alya’s way of following rule number one: they couldn’t stick together if she didn’t pull Marinette along for her joyrides around LA.
At least Marinette had a say in what she got to wear; she chose a sensible pair of white jeans and flats, so she wouldn’t end up like Alya who would most likely be shoe-less and complaining about how much her heels hurt by the end of the night.
Marinette barely had time to grab her backpack before Alya dragged her from the room, shouting giddily the entire time about what Adrien’s eyes would look like in person.
It took them fifteen minutes to figure out how to hail a cab. Another twelve minutes, and they had pulled up to a building with far too many neon lights and what looked like nearly a hundred rowdy teenagers standing outside of it’s doors.
Marinette’s face paled. “Alya, where are we?”
“Calm down,” Alya said. “There’s a concert going on inside in an hour.” She opened her phone and started reading from her extensive list of notes. This place looked like the first on an incredibly long list of possible locations she was looking to scout. “Adrien’s been seen here attending shows seven times in the past year, plus, he’s been spotted hanging out with the lead singer of one of the bands that’s on the schedule tonight.”
After scanning just a dozen faces in the crowd, Marinette already felt pretty hopeless. “And you’re sure you’re going to find him here?”
“He’ll be wherever the most camera flashes are going off, most likely,” Alya said. After seeing Marinette’s doubtful face, she added, “And think of it this way: if we don’t find him, we can still enjoy the concert.”
Alya pulled two bluish slips of paper from her bag and handed one to Marinette. Judging by the dates on the tickets, Alya had purchased these far in advance. She really had every step of this trip planned out.
When they exited the cab, Marinette took Alya’s hand as a security precaution. Alya ducked and weaved through the crowd like a pro, leaving Marinette to wonder where she’d learned to be so confident. They pushed their way to the front of the red-roped area, gotten their hands stamped by the doorman, and rushed inside with the rest of the concertgoers.
The first act of the night had just begun their sound check. Endless snacks and drinks flowed at a bar area to the far right of the venue. The massive space filled immediately with eager teens and young adults ready to dance the night away and sing along until their voices were long lost.
The clock on the wall read 10:00pm, and the party was just getting started.
“Adrien, I’m bored,” Chloe whined.
Honestly, Adrien couldn’t blame her. A cocktail party full of adults standing in circles with wine glasses humble-bragging about their lives wasn’t exactly the place that three teenagers wanted to be on a Friday night.
At least Nino was entertaining himself with the chocolate fountain.
Adrien was on full alert, making sure to remain on his best possible behavior. Some might call it paranoid, especially since the security team had made sure that no paparazzi or unauthorized guests were within a thousand feet of the house, but Adrien was still on edge. There was no telling who here may have loose lips and let something slip from tonight. So he had to make sure there was nothing to slip.
“It’s been more than two hours,” Chloe reminded him. “I kept my promise, it’s time for you to keep yours.”
There goes the guilt again. It reared its ugly head time and time again throughout the night as Adrien watched his friends work to fight off their boredom. They were itching to do something – anything – more exciting than this, and honestly, so was he.
Nino walked up behind them, the tiniest bit of chocolate still smeared on the corner of his mouth.
“So we’ve conquered the hors d’oeuvres and listened to some snazzy piano music. What’s next on our agenda, kids?”
“Oh, I’ve got a good one!” Chloe said. “Let’s leave.”
“I think that’s the best idea you’ve had in your entire life,” Nino said. He turned to Adrien. “I hate to admit it, but she’s right. I can only eat finger foods for so long. We can have one night out without you getting in trouble. You’re not under house arrest, dude, you’re allowed to leave.”
It was easy for him to say. Sure, there was no official order or locked door keeping him in, but he still felt the weight of his reputation pulling him back behind closed doors at all times.
Both Chloe and Nino pleaded with puppy dog eyes. Damn them. Alone, one of them could be convincing, but when they teamed up against him, it was impossible to say no.
Then again, glancing around the backyard, it seemed that no one was really paying any mind to the teens. Maybe they’d be able to get away for a little while without anyone noticing.
“Fine,” Adrien said. Nino opened his mouth to let out a cheer, and Adrien immediately muffled it with his hand. “But be subtle.”
“I’ll get my keys!” Nino ditched his paper plate in a nearby trash bin and took off into the house with Chloe hot on his trail.
Adrien was stealthier about his exit. He trailed his way down the dessert table, pretending to be deliberating between options. He took one last paranoid glance over his shoulder and realized that his acting chops could rest for the time being. No one was paying him any attention whatsoever.
Freedom.
Nino pulled up his car and Chloe plugged coordinates into the GPS by the time Adrien had made it out of the front door.
Luckily, when they pulled up to the club half an hour later, the second band’s set was just starting, leaving everyone in the venue too distracted to notice their entrance. Chloe made a beeline for the V.I.P. lounge upstairs and wasted no time ordering the most sugary, caloric drink on the menu.
Nino settled into a couch in the far back corner. He closed his eyes and swayed to the music, looking and feeling like he was in heaven. Places like this were his natural habitat.
Adrien, however, couldn’t help but notice the sinking feeling in his stomach that appeared the moment he stepped out of Nino’s car. There were so many cellphones. So many potential fans who could notice him and stop him at any moment. So many things could go wrong. He picked up his pace, taking the stairs two at a time and keeping his head ducked down until he was sure no one could be following him.
Two more weeks of this. No problem at all. He’d let Chloe and Nino have their fun for a bit, then they’d duck out before the crowds got too thin. With how the party had been going back at home, no one would even notice he was gone.
A smile crept to his face. Nathalie’s reaction to this would be priceless. There might be actual smoke coming out of her ears. That alone would be worth it.
And yet, he still couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched.
Chloe dropped down next to Adrien on the small couch, practically sitting in his lap, taking extra care not to spill her drink. The doorman hadn’t stopped to stamp their hands, Adrien noticed.
Chloe was thinking the same thing, apparently. “Don’t worry, it’s just juice and soda,” she said. “Americans and their silly drinking laws. I’m not going to get you in trouble. Here, take a sip.”
Not that he had much of a choice – Chloe practically shoved the straw into his mouth. The blue slush concoction was way too sweet and gave him brain freeze. He didn’t want to think about how much sugar was in even one sip of it.
His dietician was going to kill him. It was wonderful.
“Dance with me,” he said to Chloe.
“Now?” she had just enough time to put her drink down before Adrien grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.
“Why not?” The rest of the V.I.P. lounge was empty aside from the bouncer, the band downstairs was playing some ridiculous rock song, and the Adrien who had scaled his rooftops for fun had returned ready to have some fun.
He spun wildly in circles, taking advantage of all the extra space around them. He was completely off beat and he was bound to trip over his super squeaky dress shoes, but for just a moment, he didn’t care.
The three of them radiated pure joy. Why wouldn’t they? They were living the teenage dream – sneaking out late at night, hyped up on sugar, adrenaline, and the company of amazing friends.
Swaying along to an album’s worth of rock ballads and downing slushies all night - it didn’t get much better than this.
Moments like this made the stress melt away. He’d sit through a million photo shoots, try out dozens of ridiculous diets, and sit in stuffy vehicles for hours if it meant he got to let loose and have the time of his life with his best friends at the end of it all.
Once he got out of LA, this could be his life every day.
Of course, leaving LA would mean there would be a lot less days like this one, with Nino and Chloe by his side. It would probably mean a lot less clubs like this one, which he’d grown to love over the years. He’d likely have to move somewhere with a lot less beaches; somewhere where the sunsets weren’t nearly as breathtaking.
Plus, he couldn’t get away at all if he screwed up tonight and did something reckless. One misstep and he could kiss that dream goodbye.
Adrien immediately felt very dizzy, though he and Chloe had stopped spinning long ago.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “You have this weird look in your eye. Here, sit down.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. Chloe led him back to his seat and helped him down gently. He made a point to lean back and shut his eyes, thinking only the happiest thoughts and hoping that it showed on his face. “See? Nothing to worry about.”
And then a flash went off behind Adrien’s head.
Adrien’s seemingly cool smile turned panicked in an instant. It might have been an accident, or maybe someone was taking a photo of something else, or maybe a light bulb blew out. Honestly it could have been anything. But the paranoia had been running too high for too long.
His guilty conscience was back in full control now. Goodbye Rebel Adrien, hello Anxious Adrien.
“Come on, let’s go,” Adrien was glad that Nino had said it so he didn’t have to. “We’ve been here long enough. You look miserable, dude.”
Chloe didn’t hesitate to agree. Her feel-good vibes were lost as soon as she’d seen his face. At this point, they had had their fun for the night. The sooner they got Adrien back home, the better.
“Can you pull around back?” Adrien asked quietly. “I don’t want to be seen.”
“We’ll meet you in ten,” Nino said, fishing his keys from his back pocket. “The usual spot, okay?”
He didn’t know what he’d do without Nino. Leaving him was going to be one of the hardest decisions Adrien would ever have to make. He’d have to work extra hard to remember today. It might be one of the last nights they’d have like this.
He watched Nino and Chloe disappear down the front steps before making his way down the back stairwell. It was time to face reality once more.
Marinette wanted out now.
The heat was absolutely stifling inside the club. The third band of the night was in the middle of their set, the bass booming loud enough to shake the floors. Somewhere in the midst of dancing bodies, Alya was probably having the time of her life. Marinette wouldn’t know, since she’d been pushed far into one of the back walls and trapped, unable to make her way back to the front of the stage where she’d lost her friend. She could barely move an inch without getting her feet stepped on or her bag snagged on someone’s jewelry.
So far the Adrien hunt had been a total bust, and Marinette honestly couldn’t tell if Alya cared or not. When they first walked in, Alya had been balancing on her toes, scanning the crowd for a glimpse of blonde hair and making a beeline towards anyone who even mildly resembled the model from the back. Her cellphone had stayed tight in her grip, ready to record anything and everything she may see that was blog worthy.
Then the band onstage played a song she remembered. And a boy at the juice bar had offered to buy her some colorful concoction (“It’s not alcoholic, I promise,” the bartender had said as he slid it over). In no time she blended right in with the local girls who were just so ready to let loose and have some fun. It was like she had gotten so swept up in the night that she had forgotten all about her mission.
Marinette wished she could forget about everything right now. The too-loud music, the sickly sweet smell in the air, the pure frustration she felt after essentially getting left alone in a corner in a strange country surrounded by what could have been very dangerous people.
She needed some air. She silently promised herself she’d only be gone for a second. No way she was leaving her best friend to fend for herself in a place like this.
Attempting to escape to the women’s bathroom was an absolute bust – it was full of girls reapplying makeup and spraying obnoxious amounts of perfume into the air, clouding everyone’s senses with the scent of cherry blossoms.
The upstairs lounge area was no better. Dozens of chairs and couches sat in semicircle formations, all crowded with boys who were guzzling down bar snacks and yelling at an American football game on a nearby television.
There was no chance of her passing off as a celebrity to sneak into the quieter V.I.P. section, either.
Slowly but surely, Marinette wiggled her way to the front of the venue and back out through the doors they’d entered an hour prior. Even outside hadn’t offered enough peace, as large groups gathered on the sidewalks to smoke and discuss their other plans for the rest of the night.
Holding her breath, she put her head down and tried to seem confident as she walked away as quickly as possible. There was no need to draw attention to herself, especially not by sending herself into a coughing fit.
Part of her wanted to try getting another taxi and heading back to the hotel on her own. Alya had done it the first time, it couldn’t be too hard, right?
Of course, she and Alya were supposed to stay together, and leaving Alya inside a club while she got a ride to somewhere miles away was definitely not one of the rules she’d promised to abide by.
After another minute, Marinette slowed to a stop, feeling like she was far away enough to finally breathe. The booming bass was still audible, but just barely. She glanced up and blinked in confusion. The neon lights of the club’s sign were nowhere to be seen. Had she really gotten turned around that easily? She couldn’t have walked far.
Great, she thought.
She could feel her eyes start to well up with frustrated tears. Why had she even let herself get talked into doing this? She could have had a nice two weeks, lounging on beaches and drawing in her book, but instead, she was here. Lost in an alleyway with no idea how to get back to her friend. Her friend who could have gotten in all sorts of danger while she was alone in there.
She was too busy letting her anxieties get the best of her to notice the door to her left, much less react quickly enough when it swung open violently, landing a direct hit to her face and turning her entire world to black.
#ml fic#miraculous ladybug#Adrienette#adrinette#my writing#in case it wasn't obvious i'm NOT working on nanowrimo even though i CLEARLY should be#i wrote 10k words for this fic in less than three days what the hell#some kind of miracle
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The Keeper of the Grove (Part 59)
Qrow knocked on Blake and Penny's bedroom door. <Hey, Penny! I need you in Ruby and Weiss' room, stat.>
The two of them looked up from helping Blake improve her reading in Nivian. <What happened?> Penny said as she turned off her holo-projector. <Is it a medical emergency?>
Qrow paused. <It's uh… you should probably just go there and see for yourself, and fast.>
Blake and Penny looked at each other, before they got up and did so.
The door had been left open for Qrow's rushing, and Ruby and Weiss were still sitting on her hammock, lips still frozen together. They had tried to move, but it was both painful and difficult, and neither wanted to risk finding out first-hand what would happen if one of them broke away without melting the ice first.
Penny and Blake stopped in the doorway for a few moment, both of them processing the scene in front of them.
“Beginning dispelling and separation attempts...” Penny said as she walked in, her hands glowing.
Blake turned to Qrow. <Did Weiss…?>
<Accidentally freeze their lips together while they were making out?> Qrow replied. <Seems like it.>
Weiss made a frustrated noise and squeezed her eyes shut, her cheeks still burning red.
“Hey Whyss?” Blake asked.
“Mhmm?” she replied.
“Aym rilly sorry, but aym gunna lahf rilly hardd at yu guyz ryte naw,” Blake said, before she did just that.
Weiss grumbled under her breath. Ruby patted her on the shoulder. Blake tried reach for the door frame for support, missed, and ended up on the floor, curled up and clutching her sides from how hard she was laughing.
Penny put her hands near their lips, quickly separated the two of them, and healed any of the physical damage.
“Woo!” Ruby said as she smacked her healed lips, no longer severely chapped. “Thanks, Penny!”
“You're welcome, Ruby,” Penny said. “Are there any more concerns either of you have?”
“Nothing else from me,” Ruby replied.
“Can you revive the parts of myself that have died from embarrassment?” Weiss asked.
Penny shook her head. “Sadly, my mender protocols have their limits.”
“Then you can you at least help me forget everything before we I ended up freezing our lips together?”
“Unfortunately, I can't do such precision memory erasure unless I had access to much more complex equipment than I currently have, or you also had a chronicle installed.”
Weiss sighed and shook her head. “You know what? Just shock me unconscious again...” she muttered as she laid down on her side, away from the others.
“Can you do it for me, too?” Ruby asked as she got up to give her room. “I was planning on going to sleep, but Weiss got me all fired up, and I don't want to nod off on my shift later.”
“I can and will, though I must advise against too frequent use of this!” Penny said as she began to charge up her hands with a different frequency of magic. “This was only ever meant for temporarily curing extreme cases of insomnia, and non-lethal take downs; repeated use will seriously disrupt--”
“Just do it already!” Weiss cried.
Penny paused, before she shrugged. “Administering treatment!” she said as she put her hand on Weiss’ back.
There was a brief flash in her vision, before she blacked out once more.
Weiss came to by noon, feeling somewhat better now that she'd caught up on her lost sleep.
Ruby was in her nest, still unconscious and drooling all over her pillow. Weiss bit her lip, debating whether or not she should wake her up and ask her all the new burning questions on her mind, before she decided not to.
She grabbed her work dress and her gauntlet, then tiptoed it out of their room and outside the house. Tending to her crops and her new orchard provided some much needed distraction for an hour, but the after she closed the lid on the storage box, there was no avoiding it anymore:
“I kissed Ruby.” Weiss thought. “And she kissed me back. And then I froze our lips together.”
She whined in distress as she leaned on the box, a flood of mixed emotions welling up inside of her:
Confusion, as she wondered just what exactly this new relationship would entail, as though Ruby wasn’t Weiss ‘first girlfriend, she was the first person she’d dated across species lines.
Excitement, as she remembered how amazing her lips felt on her, how well their bodies fit together, the way her touch brought all sorts of interesting reactions to her that she’d never felt before with anyone else.
Dread, as she worried if Ruby was going to change her mind about her now that she knew how quickly things could go south because of her lack of control over her powers.
Horror, as she imagined just how much worse that incident could have gone if her powers had leaked out in greater amounts, or if they had been doing much more than just kissing each other on the lips.
Arousal, when she imagined what exactly those acts would be, sans the mood-killing magical mishaps.
“Weiss?” Penny asked.
Weiss screamed and jumped into the air, face burning red. She looked in worry at the thin layer of frost that had formed over the lid, hurriedly dispelled it, before she turned to Penny.
“Y-Yes…?” she asked, trying and failing to act casual.
Penny hesitated a moment. “I just came over to remind you that you're due at the Weaver's Terrace in an hour, 2 PM as Elder Goodwitch had ordered,” she replied.
Weiss blinked. “O-Oh, right… I… should I do anything before I go?”
“I would heavily advise dressing in your full weaver's armour, and eating a heavy lunch as you skipped breakfast, preferably something high in carbohydrates as you will begin your Elemental Weaving training today. Even with your naturally high stores of mana, performing magic will still tax your physical body, if just your mind and willpower.
Weiss nodded. “I guess I should go get cooking...” she said as she prepared to head back up to the house.
Penny stopped her. “Actually, Weiss, I was wondering if I could ask you how is your relationship with Ruby, given your recently discovered powers.”
Weiss sighed. “Well, it'd be hard to tell how it is, given that the whole thing just started this morning!”
“It's been two weeks at least, hasn't it?” Penny asked.
“No, no it has not!” Weiss snapped. “For the last time, me and Ruby are—well, I guess we are together now, but again, only since this morning!” she looked away uneasily. “We… we haven't really had any time to discuss it, either, so I guess I'm just assuming we’re girlfriends now...”
She looked back uneasily at Penny. “… Do Fae have platonic friendships that happen to involve things like kissing…?”
Penny nodded. “Some do. But there are always long discussions beforehand laying out the terms exactly, and Ruby strikes me as the kind of Fae who would not just kiss someone unless she were romantically interested in them.”
She looked around, her ears rotating on her head like satellite dishes, before she leaned in and whispered, “And please don't tell Ruby, but I'm aware of the incident where she attempted to get intimate with Lifira in a Honeydream; as part of my duties as the Keeper's Chronicler alongside Qrow, I'm privy to the records stored in her and Yang’s dreamcatcher.”
With another check to make sure Ruby hadn’t heard, Penny leaned back and resumed talking to her normally. “Anyway… how would you say your relationship is looking, then?”
Weiss paused. “I don't know. I've… never really been good at this dating thing.”
“How so?”
Weiss debated it for a moment, before she shook her head. “I'm sorry, but I don't feel like sharing the intimate details of my love life, when I know there's probably an army of chroniclers itching to dissect every word after your next brain drain.”
Penny nodded. “Understood, and shall not ask again!”
“Thanks. By the way… did the Council happen to put you up to this?” Weiss asked. “Ask me questions about how me and Ruby are doing once you're unmistakably sure we're together…?”
Penny shook her head. “Oh, no, not at all! Aside from the fact that I had wrongly assumed you were a couple for most all of the time we’ve been together and had been treating you two accordingly, Keepers are actually given plenty of autonomy, and the Council rarely steps in their personal lives.”
“Exceptional circumstances aside, they’re more than happy to let them ‘do their own thing,’ as you humans might say.”
Penny suddenly looked away; she couldn't blush, having no blood nor modifications to her “skin” that could simulate it, but Weiss could tell she would have if she could. “… And in the interest of transparency, this was also motivated by my own desire to learn more about courtship and how to attempt it myself.”
“You want to try dating?” Weiss asked, more curious than incredulous.
Penny looked back and nodded. “My creators were mates, actually, and to use a shared expression between our cultures, they never let the flame of passion die out.
“It's been quite interesting observing them, how this arrangement that seems to cause such stress, conflict, and anger is also the same thing that gives them incredible relief, peace, and happiness.
“They had actually fed me a large amount of anecdotes, records, and sometimes even live observations of their moments together, as part of their attempts to make me more like an organic being, and expand my knowledge in general.
“The only thing they've excluded is whenever they get intimate, though that's more for avoiding the risk of my becoming collateral damage during the act itself.”
Weiss raised her eyebrows.
“One of them is a Water Weaver,” Penny replied. “Emotional arousal has been proven to affect your alignment's magic even more than that of Fire Weavers, if less destructive. Generally speaking, at least...”
Weiss looked at her gloved hand, and winced. “Right.”
“Back on topic: I became quite curious about romance in general, and even with the information available through me to the Codex and the Info-Grid, there's only so much you can learn from theory before you have to experiment.”
“So you tried dating?”
Penny nodded. “The Trance was great for that. I assumed false identities, and by that point my intelligence had been upgraded and grown to such a level where I could convince anyone I was, well, anyone I wanted to be!
“It helped that most assumed that you are not being entirely truthful about who or what you are 'IRL,' and identities and histories were easy enough to acquire then erase or obfuscate to avoid suspicion, so long as you know what you're doing—or alternatively, can hack and manipulate the server’s code at the machine language level,” she said, beaming with pride.
Weiss’ eyes widened. “Oh, sweet Shepherd, please tell me you didn't get swarmed with creeps like I did...”
“I had been, though honestly I'm not bothered by it these days,” Penny replied. “If anything, studying the data afterward left me feeling sad for them than anything else, especially when closely examining the records of our interactions and the trends in their responses and actions.”
Weiss shuddered. “Let's move on, please!”
Penny nodded. “As you wish. I fostered some 'serious' relationships, but eventually, I realized that though romance in the Trance is possible and there are numerous precedents, there was the caveat that many couples eventually decide to reveal who they are 'IRL' as a show of absolute trust, that they are truly committed to each other.
“And, well...” Penny gestured at herself.
Weiss nodded. “I could see where that'd become difficult.”
Penny hummed. “I attempted to construct a human identity for myself. One that was completely biological, had been born to normal parents, and had both the mental and chronological age of a 15 year old.
“But it just felt… wrong.
“So I decided to start going as myself, being honest about my identity as a completely artificial being, though obviously, my true origins and the nature of my creators were kept secret.”
“Were people… bothered by your appearance?” Weiss asked, eyeing Penny up and down. “Your design is kind of...”
“Unnerving?” Penny offered. “Disturbing? Creepy?”
“'Unusual!' I was going to say 'unusual,'” Weiss said. “I stopped being weirded out by your floating arm… thingies… pretty quickly, and considering everything else I've seen in the Valley, that's really saying something!”
“They weren't actually all that bothered by my design,” Penny said. “If anything, they wanted to know the schematics or at least the scientific principles behind them, so they could attempt to build their own prostheses similar to mine.
“I'm still getting requests for plans, with Non-Disclosure Agreement drafts, and reputable lawyers to modify them with at my discretion, though for obvious reasons, I've had to decline every one.”
“And they're not bothered at all by the fact that you're an AI? Or a golem, I guess.”
Penny smiled. “That would be surprising indeed, considering the community I ended up with is united by their mutual interest in cyborgs, androids, and artificial intelligences.”
Weiss blinked. “Wait… so that's what 'Mechanical Love' is? A dating site?”
“It's more a forum and centralized location for resources such as reputable independent prosthetic engineers for more 'exotic' enhancements, though yes, they do have a subset for those that would like to become romantically involved with cyborgs, or even completely artificial beings like myself.
“I'm actually well-known as one of the most advanced and ‘human’ of the latter.” Penny smiled. “The irony is not lost on me.”
Weiss chuckled. “You must get a lot of attention.”
“I do, though it's mostly intellectual inquiries, or those wishing to attempt to create personalities similar in complexity to mine. I've exes who wish there was something fundamentally different about my personality if with the same level of complexity and intelligence, or that they could clone me and try a second time with a fresh slate, so to speak.”
Weiss paused, before she laughed. “Of all the things I never thought I'd be talking about, it'd be a robot's exes...”
“It makes for interesting conversation at community events, that's for sure!” Penny chirped.
“So are you about to reveal I'm not the only human involved with a Fae here?”
Penny frowned. “Sadly, my search for a potential mate for a long-term relationship has been unsuccessful. Though, if anything, all those failures have helped me refine the my most important criteria—my 'type' so to speak.”
“And that is…?”
“Someone who is enthusiastic about my being an artificial being, first and foremost! There's something that irks me about people that simply ignore such a vital part of myself, than accepting that I was made, not born.
“Second is that they are 'nice' as you humans would say; the 'Mender' personality type who is caring, more concerned for others than themselves, and is generally reserved and polite. I get enough excitement from all of you, no offense.”
“None taken.”
“And lastly, they would have to be female, taller than myself, and a natural redhead, though the last is optional given the rarity of its occurring still, and the propagation of 'hair dye' mods.”
“Why natural redheads specifically?”
Penny smiled as she touched her own hair. “Because they're incredibly rare, just like myself; it's why I chose this combination of hair and eye colours, actually.”
The conversation came to an abrupt end as Weiss' stomach began to growl.
“Aw, crap, how long have we been talking here?” Weiss asked, pulling out her comm-crystal.
Penny's eyes widened. “Much longer I originally intended...” she muttered. “I'm sorry.”
Weiss sighed as she hurried back to the house. “You can apologize by helping me cook something up real quick!”
“I was already planning to!” Penny chirped as she followed after her
They came into the kitchen, where Blake was already sitting at the table reading, and enjoying a plate of sashimi from some fish she had caught last night.
As Penny got out pots and pans and heated up the oven, Weiss opened the fridge to see what she'd have to work with.
Inside was another plate of sashimi, carefully wrapped in plastic with a sticky note on it.
This time, the doodle of Weiss' face was much more flattering, with a checkmark beside it.
She pulled her head out of the fridge, and smiled at Blake.
She looked up from her reading, and smiled back.
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Remember the Rules
If you went back in time and told the younger version of myself that a) there would be a gigantically popular TV series about the zombie apocalypse and b) that I would have tapped out on it after the third season, Younger Me would have immediately called 911 and had you arrested with extreme prejudice.
Consider that The Walking Dead began as an independent comic book. Now, it’s getting started on its 10th season, has one current and one upcoming spinoff series, and there’s talk about releasing three connected theatrical films. To paraphrase a former Vice President, The Walking Dead is a big f*cking deal.
If you love it, I give you all the credit in the world. Unfortunately, it doesn’t scratch the itch for me any longer. I’ve come to realize that, in order to achieve maximum enjoyment, I need a soupçon of humor. While The Walking Dead has oodles of gore and scads of drama, it has virtually no chuckles. I get that the series is about the apocalypse and desperation and “We are the walking dead!” and blah blah blah. I also get that humor is an essential component of the human condition and can be found in even the weightiest works of art.*
My flavor of zombies includes a degree of silliness. That blend of carnage and chuckling is why 2009’s horror-comedy Zombieland is so dear to my heart. Ten years later, we’re presented with a sequel. Is Zombieland: Double Tap necessary? Oh, no. Did I laugh a great deal and have a blast watching it? Oh, hell yes.
Ten years have passed since the events of the first film. A plucky band of survivors has not only managed to survive the rampaging hordes of cannibalistic ghouls but also created something that looks an awful lot like a family. They are:
Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a neurotic man who has avoided getting chomped by adopting a host of rules.**
Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a cranky zombie killer who loves Twinkies, Elvis, and the creative slaughter of the undead.
Wichita (Emma Stone), a canny survivor who excels at acidic put-downs and sucks at writing notes.
Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), Wichita’s younger sister and a rebellious young woman ready to explore.
The good news is that they have made their home in The White House. The bad news is that there’s trouble in paradise. Little Rock wants to meet people her own age and get out from under the overbearing glare of her father-figure Tallahassee. Using the Hope Diamond, Columbus proposes to Wichita. She’s terrified of both settling down and settling down with him. The really bad news is that both women take off, and Little Rock decides to ditch Wichita and strike out with Berkeley (Avan Jogia), a guitar-strumming hippie.
The really, really bad news? Zombies have evolved, and the worst of them are known as T-800s. They’re stronger, faster, and tougher. As a result, the gang must go on the road again to rescue Little Rock. Along the way, they’ll run into Madison (Zoey Deutch), a ditz who’s survived by living in the freezer of a Pinkberry, and Nevada (Rosario Dawson), a tough-as-nails woman running an Elvis-themed motel. There’s also Albuquerque (Luke Wilson) and Flagstaff (Thomas Middleditch), a couple of guys who share more than a few similarities with our heroes.
In these times of political polarization and near-constant anxiety, sometimes you just want to be entertained. Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about a “turn off your brain” movie, as these tend to be actively insulting. There’s a vast world of difference between fun and stupid, and Zombieland: Double Tap manages to be consistently entertaining without actively causing brain trauma to viewers.
It gets a little weird, though, and it starts with the director. There are some actors, such as John Travolta, that are frustratingly inconsistent. The right filmmaker can guide Travolta to an Oscar nomination for Pulp Fiction. The wrong filmmaker guides him to a clinically insane performance in The Fanatic. Director Ruben Fleischer has precisely the same problem. Take a gander at his filmography and you’ll see stinkers like Gangster Squad and Venom, movies that feel anonymously made.
Yet the two Zombieland films hum along with creativity, humor, and a sweetly beating heart. Double Tap feels like another 97 minutes tacked onto the first film, and I was 100 percent okay with that. Like before, we see Columbus’ rules for survival amusingly popping onscreen, rapid-fire pacing, and a host of zombie kills that blend gore and humor.*** Fleischer directs with style and verve, and it baffles me that only a few of his films are this good.
Perhaps it’s all due to the script. Original writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick return, along with new scribe Dave Callaham. You can tell these guys love their characters, love the zombie genre, and love tweaking them both in ridiculous directions. While I’ll admit the narrative is slight and there’s a very real episodic feel to the whole thing, I still loved returning to this world. They have crafted a hangout movie set during the zombie apocalypse.
The original cast hasn’t changed a bit. Stone and Eisenberg have charming chemistry together, Breslin brings a spiky realism to her role, and Harrelson is a swaggering goofball. Together, they’re a formidable comic team that utilizes precise timing to deliver big laughs. Of the new characters, Zoey Deutch makes the most of her role. She’s playing the old dumb blonde role, but Deutch is a creative and intelligent actor who excels at going one direction just when you think she’ll go another.
In yet more evidence that we live in the darkest timeline, the dominant piece of zombie pop-culture is relentlessly po-faced and grimdark. For a minute, there was talk about a Zombieland TV series. Its failure is proof that we can’t be trusted with nice things. However, if Fleischer and his cast and crew can keep delivering sequels every 10 years that have the zippy spirit of Zombieland: Double Tap, perhaps we’ll get the entertainment we need, if not the entertainment we deserve.
*There’s a scene in Schindler’s List in which Oskar Schindler interviews a succession of women to be his secretary. It ends with one of the most perfectly timed jokes I’ve ever seen in a movie.
**A few of my favorites are #3-Beware of bathrooms, #18-Limber up, and #26-A little sunscreen never hurt anybody.
***My favorite kill takes place thousands of miles away from our main characters.
from Blog https://ondenver.com/remember-the-rules/
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