*FORMERLY CALLED VIDEO GAMES* They were supposed to play each other, like it would be some sort of simple game. [gen fic #124, humor #217]

They weren't supposed to meet. But life does that sometimes; it throws in a couple of new faces that bring you the utmost of joys in the most unlikeliest of places, and every now and then, you'll come across someone who changes you - someone who's genuine and wonderful and full of hope; someone who changes your perspective on the things that you had stored away in the cardboard box sitting in the dark corner of your closet, someone who opens up your eyes to new things; bright and beautiful things that you can't believe you hadn't seen before, someone who's iridescent. And once you meet them, nothing will ever compare.

"As far as I can tell, there are two basic (kissing) rules: 1. Don't bite anything without permission. 2. The human tongue is like wasabi: it's very powerful, and should be used sparingly." In which Anna writes about a lot of people kissing.

A reluctant study in adulthood. Featuring: quiet kite-lover Jürgen Lilienthal, reckless and self-defeating optimist Leena Mathew, handsome pre-med Omar Madane, and of course, Mr. Brandolini himself. {spiritual #57}

We look up at the same sky and we see the same thing and suddenly, it's not so lonely anymore.

They wanted to make A Christmas Carol of their own. So they did.

Lennon Carter is a newly eighteen year old that's ready to get away from all she's ever known. She doesn't want to think about what happened, or even acknowledge the fact that it ever happened. Packing up the essentials and her credit card, she heads for the big open road without a plan insight. The plan comes to her from a strange suburban dad after a few days of aimlessly driving down the highway in the form of a paper town. Elliston is where all the nomads come together, a pit stop of sorts for the misguided. Anything is impossible in those woods because reality is no match for the time of Lennon's life. She's about to learn that freedom may come along with a bit of a young adult's romance novel plot line starring her and a boy just as screwed up as her, Jude Love.

I unlocked the chain on the door on the balloon once we landed. He stepped out and looked at me. He memorised my every feature as if his life depended on it, and I did the same to him. I made sure to remember the little scar on his nose and the wrinkle in his forehead. I knew the freckle on his neck and the swift auburn of his hair. I didn’t know if he was single, as he didn’t know if I was. I wasn’t even sure if his name was really Sebastian. I did know that I would never forget today. ϟ Michelle Heights is a seventeen-year-old hot air balloonist. She had been fascinated by the colours and sights since she was little and has been working at Blue Skies Balloons’ since she was fifteen. But after an encounter with a stranger one thousand feet above the ground, Michelle is not so sure about what she’s always known. And when she meets that stranger again, will he remember her? - And will she be disappointed if he does? [cover by @taceturnity]

Hudson Ellis is good at his job. Somehow, he manages not to annoy people when he knocks at their doors and asks them to contribute to the charity he works for - instead, he gets them to sign up for sponsoring programmes and fish whatever spare change they have out of their pockets. Even the infamously tough residents of New York City are falling victim to Hudson's easy-going ways and wide smile; that is, until one woman renders him speechless with sarcastic refusals and slams her door in his face. Perhaps Hudson would be able to forget her - if it wasn't for the fact that she lives on the same floor of the next apartment over, and they both have floor-to-ceiling windows that allow for a rather generous view into each other's flats.