#((by the sound of this starter. several things already.))

[lighthouseborn]

@penddraig || liked for a starter (carryover).

  Trying to find this shop again had proved nearly identical to chasing a silk scarf caught up in the wind. Unable to name the town himself (entirely lost, the first time he found it) he asked and asked again for the wizard's shop with various details for aid. The shape of the building, the color in the windows, the strange little assistant who had answered the door, and -most notably- the air of the wizard himself. Every answer he got back snapped this way and that, leading him in directions that doubled back over themselves more than they went anywhere.

  Until his luck caught up. And of course it was a seaside town, the place where his luck caught up - even though Henry was sure he'd been nowhere near the sea at all. (If he was near the sea, he would not have been lost.) He was twice as certain of this, though. It was the same wizard. Boldly suited and smelling of all manner of fanciful garden flower at least a dozen paces in advance and wake of his person.

  ���Howl,” he called ahead, foregoing the formal title for no other reason than addressing someone as their occupation felt almost like some form of insult, to him. Or, at least, a formality he didn't care for. Further greeting came when he drew closer, arriving in the form a gesture almost like a bow: hello, where he came from. “I don't know that you'll remember, but some months ago you helped my friend and I evade a great deal of trouble. I couldn't return any favor then, or even pay you properly, but I hoped this might do one or the other, now.” He fetched a stone from the depths of the bag slung across his torso. It was no precious jewel or sparkling marvel, strictly speaking, though it had been thoroughly and expertly polished until its deep blue faces were handsomely shaped and mirror-bright. “It brings luck,” he explained. Strange thing that, as it was not exactly spelled, but neither entirely mundane, conspicuously imbued with good fortune and good will. Henry shrugged, like there were questions he could hear in the brief pause. “Or makes fine jewelry, if you cannot convince a buyer of the charm.”

  Either way, a turn for a turn.

[madame-fear]

Hi i was wondering if you could write an nsfw head cannon of jacaerys and his wife reader and what their intimate life is like, and like talk about stuff they do.

𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 | 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐒 𝐗 𝐖𝐈𝐅𝐄!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

˗ˏˋ ꒰ summary : request.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ genre : headcanons, smut + slight fluff. ˗ˏˋ ꒰ pairing : : jacaerys velaryon x wife!reader

WARNING.ᐟ THIS FIC CONTAINS ; p in v, unprotected sex, sex from behind, bootfucking, breast play, creampie, slight mentions of mirror sex, oral sex (both receiving), mentions of you riding him, praising, slight mentions of spanking.

: ̗̀➛ Okay, so, for starters. Your intimate life naturally came after you were both officially married, and the bedding ceremony came. To respect your privacy, the two of you already had a chamber of your own to share, and you would be able to be as intimate as you wished.

: ̗̀➛ Initially, Jace would’ve been very soft and delicate with you. It’s in his gentleman nature to be careful, especially with the woman who was now his wife, and he so adored. Things would’ve gone slowly, but surely. And perhaps, there would’ve been a bit of foreplay and kisses before starting anything.

: ̗̀➛ Jace would press sweet, teasing pecks all across your cheek, going down to your jawline, focusing on giving your neck attention with his kisses — especially in a particular spot of your neck where Jace notices it makes you squirm and gasp —, and goes to your collarbone, savouring your skin with each peck.

: ̗̀➛ All the while, of course, Jace’s hands softly move behind your back, playing with the laces of your nightgown as he leisurely unties them, letting your gown become loose from your body, and fall from your shoulders. Being the gentleman he is, of course, Jacaerys would constantly ask you if you’re feeling comfortable with what he’s doing, if you want him to stop, or keep going; all with the most sweetest voice you’ve ever heard.

: ̗̀➛ His coffee eyes would look up at you admiringly, just like a fascinated puppy. You don’t want him to stop any sooner — if anything, the way he teased your skin by pressing soft kisses and caressing it leisurely with the tip of your fingers, merely got you all wet and needy for him. To which, you gave him the green light to keep going.

: ̗̀➛ And my god, you didn’t regret it. The second you approved for him to keep pleasing you, his hands rather desperately pulled down your gown, low enough to just expose your breasts. His mouth immediately took your hardened nipple in a delicate manner, using his tongue to tease it very lightly, and his teeth nibbled on your sensitive skin to leave some lovemarks, using his hands to pinch, twist, and rub your nipples.

: ̗̀➛ Pretty little hushed whimpers & moans would continuously escape from your lips as your eyes flutter shut, and you throw your head back; feeling your cunt grow wet and needy. Each sound that spurred from that beautiful mouth of yours, simply made Jace grow harder for you, with an overwhelming need to fuck you right there, and make you shout loudly his name for everyone to hear who you belong to.

: ̗̀➛ And so he did. By the time Jacaerys had already feasted a bit too much on your delicate skin and sweet breasts, his mouth abruptly pulled away from your tits after some minutes, making you gasp, and his firm yet gentle hand pushed you onto your back against the mattress, getting on tip of you, and fucking you fervently throughout the entire night, cumming in and out of your body several times.

: ̗̀➛ After such lovely bedding night, getting lovingly yet roughly fucked by the eldest son of Rhaenyra Targaryen, you would’ve gotten more and more used to explore your intimacy together - whether it’s privately, or... Even publicly, being a bit more bold.

: ̗̀➛ Jacaerys absolutely adores having you all submissive & needy, as much as it pains him to hold himself back from taking you right there all for him. So, whenever he’s either studying, reading in High Valyrian, or simply reading a book - he will absolutely have you sitting on the floor, whining and begging for him to take you.

: ̗̀➛ You look beautifully endearing just like that, and Jace will tease you by making you sit on top of his boot, and rubbing your needy moist cunt, bootfucking you. Continous desperate whines would escape from you, begging for him to fully take you - but not just yet. Jace prefers having you clinging to his leg, and seeing how you rub yourself with the tip of his boot.

: ̗̀➛ Jace always knows exactly what you like, and what you need. And he keeps the perfect balance between roughness, and gentleness at the same time. Part of him loves treating you as if you were the petal of a rose, or made of glass - delicately and lovingly. And another part of him simply wants to fuck you like a whore, like you need and want to get fucked, rough and disgusting. This, however, doesn’t mean he will not respect the boundaries you’ve set for each other, and afterwards, he will always ask you if you’re okay, and feeling comfortable.

: ̗̀➛ Sex from behind happens often, and I dare to say it’s one of his favourite positions, after having you riding him. The feeling of you becoming weaker with every pound of cock buried deep inside your pussy, continously hitting your soft spot. Expect his hands to always firmly grip your waist violently in a possesively controlling manner... Or, perhaps, one of his hands gropping your breast while he plays with your stimulated nipples. That feels pretty good for both of you.

: ̗̀➛ And speaking about sex from behind! During this position, I can imagine he would like fucking you right in front of a mirror, making sure to change the speed in which he penetrates you just to see the different expressions in your beauteous features. His hand would hold your chin occasionally, forcing you to stare at yourself through the mirror being fucked by him, as he whispers just how much of a good girl you are, taking his cock so well and obediently.

: ̗̀➛ One of his many favourite things to do in bed, is having you go down on him, and him going down on you. The way your hand forms a fist around his throbbing cock, gently masturbating him as your lips press delicate smooches on his leaking tip, moving your mouth all the way down to his cock with small kisses until you decide to finally take him in your mouth makes him go absolutely feral for you.

: ̗̀➛ It would take Jacaerys all the efforts that he has to not grip harshly from your hair, pulling it back, and violently face fuck you until you’re deepthroating his shaft and maybe even gagging a bit. It hurts not doing so, but he prefers to treat you like the true future Queen you are. The way in which your tongue strokes his cock leisurely while you’re going down on him with your mouth provokes him to loudly groan, and chant your name under his breath. As expected, his semen spurs all over the inside of your mouth, your tongue, and the roof of your mouth.

: ̗̀➛ Or, if he’s feeling a bit too aroused, he will quickly pull out from your mouth at the feeling of his seed being released, and come all over your precious lips, chin, neck, and chest. The sight of his own cum dripping from your chin and neck, some sticky drops falling to your tits, is enough to make him feel proud of himself. You’re all his.

: ̗̀➛ And when Jace has to go down on you? Man, he for sure knows how to take your aching pussy. His hands would be harshly gripping your hips, as his plump lips press playful kisses all over your inner thighs, moving upwards until he meets with your wet core.

: ̗̀➛ There, he would sweetly place kisses all over your moist folds, working up until he meets your glistening clit. He would then carefully rub the rim of it, and slowly work his way in to meet your throbbing core. His tongue would flick against that sensitive spot, and then he would move his mouth back towards your entrance, where he would suckle at your slit, selfishly drinking from your dripping slick while he eagerly fingerfucks you.

: ̗̀➛ It’s just as if Jace knew exactly how you like to be treated; pampering each bit of your sensible core with such fervent adoration. Jace does it like nobody else does, and you can go down on him like nobody else as well. You’re the perfect match.

: ̗̀➛ The eldest Velaryon Prince would also absolutely adore having you riding him. Especially because you tease him by telling him that you’re finally learning on how to properly ride a true dragon... And because he likes the way your tits bounce when you’re on top of him. And, of course, the sight of the bruises Jace leaves on your hips after firmly holding you down on him is also a very pleasant one.

: ̗̀➛ Jace knows how to treat you when you’re such a good girl for him, so obedient — and he will be so gentle, loving, and adoring. But when you’re a bit feisty with him, thinking that you can misbehave around him, Jace will never doubt on having you laid all across his lap, harshly spanking your ass until your flesh is red and swollen, occasionally rubbing his palm across your aching cunt teasingly.

: ̗̀➛ And when you accept your punishment, his pulsating cock would fill you up so delightfully. Pounding violently in and out of you continously, making sure his cock hits deeply against your G spot just to have you shaking, whining, and whimpering under him. Seven Hells, the way you moan his name in that ruined state is so, so pretty. And Jacaerys would cum several times inside of you, to the point you would feel comfortingly and overwhelmingly warm, until his hot semen is oozing out of your abused pussy, dripping down your inner thighs.

: ̗̀➛ I think Jace would pretty much be up to anything. Want to be tied to the bed while he fucks you and you can’t do anything about it? Sure, he will do as you please. Want to be choked? Okay! Jace will be happy to oblige. Want to be tendered softly, and fucked with love and adoration as he praises you in between kisses? Say no more. Jacaerys absolutely adores you, and that’s an understatement.

: ̗̀➛ Your sex life will be pretty much open to anything, and of course, his only focus will be in making you feel satisfied, comfortable, and loved. Jace would never do anything to get hurt you or make you uncomfy. 💗

♡ taglist : ♡

@damatheirin @jacesvelaryons @jjamieberry @anemicroyalcore @countsmoon @capellaadara @kyuupidwrites @tchatso @tasty-nutella @mstxdes @valeriecash @cookielovesbook-akie @zzz000eee @bellarkeselection @visenya-reigned @maria699669 @hopelesswritergall @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 @sweethoneyblossom1 @jamiemydeer @snowprincesa1

[otomehoneyybearr]

Kagari Epilogue

The Beast Tempts the Little Rabbit

Pictures have been updated!

 The turmoil at the charity party came to a close without incident, and the following day—

Emma: "I'm sorry."

I invited Kagari to a tea party I held in the greenhouse of Jade Castle to apologize to him.

Kagari: "It's fine. Lift your head."

Kagari: "Is what I'd like to say, but I don't recall you ever being rude to me. And it's not like me to forget things."

Emma: "It was during yesterday's party."

Emma: "I made several remarks criticizing you without understanding the situation."

Emma: "And despite being told to wait in the room, I chased after you, charged at an enemy unarmed, and fainted."

Kagari: "Just hearing that makes you sound like a beast that accidentally wandered into human territory."

Emma: "As a result, you had to carry me all the way to the guest room here in the castle. I’ve caused you a lot of trouble.”

Kagari: "I think the cause of you fainting was my fault but... it’s fine."

Kagari: "Apologies are unnecessary. I’ve already dealt with the person I was after, to some extent."

This morning, I remembered what Prince Keith had told Kagari.

(If I remember correctly, the merchant's eye and leg were considered as unusable.)

(If Prince Keith hadn't shown up when he did, it wouldn't have ended with just that.)

I couldn’t help but think about the worst-case scenario and shuddered.

Kagari: "Also, I don't feel like I was criticized at all."

Kagari: "For starters, our living environments are vastly different. It's natural for our way of thinking to be different too."

Kagari: "You simply just expressed your opinion about that difference, yet you didn't reject mine, did you?"

Emma: "...Right."

Kagari: "Then don't apologize. It wasn't a mistake."

Kagari: "But in Kogyoku, lukewarm thoughts like yours can be fatal."

Kagari: "If you want to die, that's fine, but be careful if you go there."

Emma: "Understood. Thank you for your advice!"

I nodded, and Kagari, seemingly satisfied with all that he had to say, took a sip of tea.

I was almost enchanted by his graceful movements.

(Kagari doesn't hesitate to take lives.)

(But he's not just a cruel person as he gives me advice like this and even returned my wallet.)

Although we're still practically strangers, I felt that way from every one of his words and actions.

Kagari: "So..."

Emma: "Yes?"

Kagari: "Can I eat these dorayaki?"

In front of Kagari’s gaze was a table filled with dorayaki as far as the eye could see.

Among them was the dorayaki from the mobile shop that I had eaten yesterday.

(I remember Prince Keith telling me about it and snuck out to buy some.)

Emma: "Please do! I prepared them just for you, Kagari."

Kagari: "For me...? Then I’ll gratefully accept it."

While there was no change in his expression or tone of voice, the atmosphere around us seemed to have relaxed slightly.

Kagari’s hand reached for the dorayaki—but for some reason, he withdrew it without taking one.

Kagari: "..."

(Huh? He stood up.)

As I watched his movements, he placed his chair right next to me without leaving any room, and sat back down.

And he opened his mouth towards me.

(...?)

I was left speechless with a bewildered expression.

Kagari: "Princess, you're slow on the uptake."

Kagari: "I'm going to eat you, not the dorayaki."

Emma: "Wha... You bit me again!?"

Heat spread from where he bit me.

I glared at Kagari while holding my neck, and he stared back at me with his chin resting on his hand.

He seemed a bit disappointed.

Kagari: "Aren’t you going to say 'Ah' like you did yesterday?"

Emma: "I didn't say that."

Kagari: "Yes you did. It was cute."

Emma: "Cu... That's not the point. Please don't bite me again."

Kagari: "This is the first time I've bitten you."

Emma: " I remember you biting me yesterday, very clearly."

Kagari: "I didn't bite you. But..."

He lightly tapped the back of my hand that was holding my neck with two fingers.

Kagari: "I just lightly pressed into you with my nails like this."

Emma: "Liar..."

Kagari: "Unfortunately, I’m not lying."

(So I just assumed I was bitten and...)

(This is the worst... I wish I could faint right now. I feel like crying from embarrassment.)

Kagari: "I really liked that sound."

Kagari: "Won't you do it again? Misunderstood Princess—mmph"

Emma: "I've heard that the deliciousness of dorayaki decreases by half when it dries out, so please eat them as soon as possible!"

Intervening Kagari’s words, I forcibly fed him a piece of dorayaki cut with a fork.

Kagari: "..."

(He's really quiet now. Just as Prince Keith said, dorayaki works wonders on him.)

(But still... he must have noticed that I was flustered...)

(Kagari can be quite mean, despite his appearance.)

As I fanned my face with my hand to cool down, Kagari continued to silently eat the dorayaki at a steady pace.

Chewing, swallowing, and opening his mouth to take in another dorayaki. It was like an assembly line.

(Was Kagari opening his mouth as a sign for me to feed him?)

(...Perhaps as an apology.)

Kagari: "Princess."

Emma: "Oh, right, the dorayaki."

I pushed the empty plate aside and picked up a plate piled high with dorayaki.

(...It'll be fine, right?)

With a handful of nervousness in my chest, I offered a piece of dorayaki that I had cut into a bite-sized portion.

Kagari ate it without hesitation, then abruptly stopped moving.

(...Was it not good after all?)

Unable to bear the flowing silence, I spoke up.

Emma: "I made those dorayaki."

Kagari: "You did?"

Emma: "Just buying them seemed a bit bland, so I asked Prince Keith to borrowed the kitchen."

Emma: "I followed the recipe exactly, but it never turned out right."

(I should ask owner for some tips when I get back.)

(For now, I'll eat this one myself, and get another one...)

Kagari: "Wait."

He stopped my hand that was trying to move the plate away and returned it to its original position.

Emma: "Wasn’t it not to your liking?"

Kagari: "Who said that? It's delicious."

Emma: "R-really!?"

Kagari: "Yeah, I like the taste of something you're not used to making."

(That's... a somewhat puzzling response.)

(But I'm glad he thinks it good.)

Emma: "Thank you."

I once again brought the dorayaki to Kagari’s mouth.

He ate it, seemingly faster than before, and my expression naturally relaxed.

(Hehe, he's starting to look cute.)

Whenever I offered him a dorayaki, he opened his mouth obediently without changing his expression, and it was fascinating to watch.

(...I wonder what that was yesterday.)

●●●●●● Flashback ●●●●●●

Kagari: "If I kneel down and cutely meow like a cat, will I get your attention?"

●●●●●● Flashback End ●●●●●●

Remembering the sweet and fierce heat I saw in his eyes, my body tensed slightly.

The atmosphere was different from when we met in the city or when he was wielding his sword.

I hastily shook off my thoughts in response to the incomprehensible fear.

Kagari: "What's wrong, Princess?"

Emma: "Oh... um, I was just thinking that I'd like to try some authentic dorayaki while watching cherry blossoms..."

Emma: "But it's just a thought."

To cover it up, I hastily came up with an excuse, but Kagari tilted his head.

Kagari: "So you want to eat dorayaki while having a cherry blossom viewing in Kogyoku?"

Emma: "Yes."

Emma: "To do that, I'll need to learn how to protect myself better and become stronger."

Kagari: "You'll probably die before you become strong."

Emma: "...You're really killing my motivation, Kagari."

Kagari: "I'm just being realistic."

After pretending to think for a moment, Kagari took a sip of tea.

Kagari: "If you really want to come to Kogyoku, call me. I'll act as your escort."

Emma: "Really? Is that okay?"

Kagari: "You did feed me dorayaki, after all."

Kagari: "And as a bonus, I'll even teach you an easy way to kill someone."

Emma: "...I'll pass on that, thank you."

Kagari: "I’m just kidding."

Kagari: "But as a minimum for self-defense, you should have a short sword or a knife with you."

Kagari: "Even if you don't want to take someone's life, it's important not to be defenseless."

Emma: "Thank you for your concern."

Even in Kogyoku, known as a turbulent country, there are safe territories.

However, I learned from the owner that most people still carry swords.

(Talking to Kagari makes me realize the stark differences between my everyday life in Rhodolite and there.)

Kagari: "Princess, Princess."

His voice interrupted my thoughts.

Emma: "Yes, what is it...? Mmph."

He suddenly stuffed something into my mouth, and the gentle sweetness spread across my tongue.

(It's a dorayaki.)

I chewed and swallowed.

Kagari: "Is it good?"

Emma: "It's delicious."

Kagari: "Then have another bite."

Emma: "Mmph-- Kagari, what's gotten into you all of a sudden? Also, this bite is a bit too big!"

Kagari: "It's fine, you can handle it."

(He's being so forceful!)

(He demanded to be fed dorayaki, and now he's turning the tables and feeding me.)

(He's really an unpredictable person.)

(But... one thing is for certain...)

As I chewed on the dorayaki, I looked at Kagari.

His expressionless emerald eyes met mine, just like when we first met.

(What does Kagari think of me after yesterday's incident? I have no idea.)

(Just one thing...)

Kagari: "Princess."

(I feel like he's... grown fond of me.)

As I thought that, it seemed like Kagari had a swaying cat's tail attached to him.

▼・ᴥ・▼

[xortstories]

Contrary Writing Advice: Tell, Don't Show

Wherein I give advice that runs contrary to commonly shared writing tips, because some short bits of advice get repeated without context until they become actively detrimental to the process.

Today, we're looking at a common adage: "Show, don't tell."

On the surface, this seems to be (and often can be) good advice. "Showing," in the context of writing, is all about description. Don't say "He was sad because he had to go to work", say "His shoulders were slumped and he walked with slow, trudging steps to his cubicle."

It paints a picture with words. It implies the sadness, allowing the reader to interpret it by picking up on the cues in the writing, thus increasing engagement in the story.

It's not always that simple, though. For the most basic problem, let's compare word counts. In the example given it's not that egregious—10 words for "telling" vs 14 words for "showing," but that's still a 1.4x increase to the word count of your book, and it could get much more than that. There is value in shorter, telling sentences. For starters, they break things up and can be used to punctuate the end of a sequence. Let's have an example paragraph, which we'll then try two final sentences for.

He desperately raised his shield as his foe rained down a series of heavy blows on him. Once, twice, three times the knight's mace collided with the shield, splintering the wood and driving him to his knees. His shoulder ached, and the shield began to fall low enough that his head would soon be exposed. Then, out of nowhere, another soldier—one of the many allies whose names and faces now bled from his mind as adrenaline washed away all conscious thought—appeared as if from nowhere, colliding with the knight and thrusting his dagger frantically at the weaker parts of his foe's otherwise impenetrable armor.

Probably not the best fight scene I've ever written, but it does the job of being a very strong example of "showing." Now let's look at two ways to follow up this paragraph.

#1: Showing

He turned, heedless of his ally's struggle, and dashed away. His heart pounded in his chest and he struggled to keep his shaking limbs steady, stumbling and faltering every few steps. The sounds of battle surrounded him, overloading his senses, and he narrowly avoided several errant strikes from others embroiled in conflict as he raced through the battlefield.

Again, not the best, but a pretty good paragraph. We'll talk more about it in a moment though, as now we're gonna look at a second followup:

#2: Telling

He ran for it, leaving the battlefield far behind him.

So, let's examine what each of these followups actually does for the story.

For starters, we need to consider what we want this scene to accomplish and how important it is. If this is meant to be a defining moment for the character, the culmination of several chapters of buildup where he trained for the upcoming battle, grew close to his allies, struggled with his fears and insecurities, and now in the heat of the moment loses his nerve?

Yeah, it might be worth it to drag things out and continue "showing" what he does.

But let's say instead that this, instead, is meant to be an establishing moment for an already-true fact about the character. Let's imagine that this is from the opening scene in a story that, we will soon learn, is about a cowardly soldier. The buildup of the main paragraph above sets up a suitably intense, epic fight scene. It paints the main character ambiguously, as someone who is fighting but unable to hold his own, but it leaves open the possibility that he'll join his ally and finish off the knight that was hammering him down.

And then comes the rug pull. Just when the reader expects the intense fight scene to continue, nope! He's running away. The short and to-the-point nature of "telling" what the character does there leaves things unambiguous and drives the idea home immediately. We see that the character is a coward, and that sudden rug-pull creates a great moment where the reader goes "Oh, I see. He's a coward."

Basically, it's a punchline. And a punchline has to be... punchy. You can't draw it out with sentences and sentences of "showing." You just "tell."

Let's also consider the fact that ending a long series of "showing" paragraphs with a short, simple "tell" can be a great way to transition out of a scene. It signals that that sensory feast is over, wraps it up and puts a bow on it, and lets the author move into another discrete chunk of writing.

"Telling" is also great to summarize boring, inconsequential parts of the story. If your book is about political machinations, where the draw is the characters going toe-to-toe with clever enemies in social scenarios, then it's totally fine—sometimes imperative, even—to just say "After three weeks of travel, where x, y, and z, happened, Bobson finally reached his destination."

I could go on, but this post is long enough already. Remember, the point isn't that "showing" is always bad, just that you need to understand the benefits of telling and know when it's best to do one or the other, because 100% of either does not make for a very good story.

Also I'll probably write more of these in the future. I've got plenty of beef with common writing tips.

If you like my posts, feel free to buy me a coffee!

And if you're interested in seeing what I'm working on, check out my Blood of Dragons master post!

[trulybetty]

october | 08 x umbrellas

pairing: frankie x f!reader word count: 1,488 warnings: none, as always unbeta'd summary: your first date with Frankie, and not everything goes according to plan. ao3: linked

{ x. series masterlist }

author note: prompts are not in chronological order, the story is told throughout the life span of the relationship. once all are posted, I'll post a list of the prompts in chronological order.

08 x Umbrellas.

You checked your watch again, it was still a solid five minutes before Frankie was supposed to be there. Looking out the window you watched the grey clouds gather as you debated whether to change your shoes—again. It had taken weeks of late-night texting, and countless attempts to align schedules, but now, finally, the night had come.

Speaking of which, your phone buzzed with a message: ‘On my way, see you soon!’

After much back and forth you grabbed a jacket and headed outside just as his truck pulled up. He hopped out, a sheepish grin on his face, “Hey,” he said, insisting on opening the passenger door for you before you could reach for it.

“Hey yourself,” you replied giving him a wide smile, something that happened quite frequently with the mention of his name these days.

For a brief moment, neither of you knew what to do, both of you with your hands stilled at their sides, fingers clenched into fists. After a brief moment of awkwardness, Frankie cleared his throat and pulled the door open wider to allow you to climb in. The interior smelled faintly of coffee and oil—a surprisingly comforting combination.

As he merged onto the main road, the first raindrops splattered against the windshield, “Looks like we timed this perfectly,” you joked already regretting leaving your umbrella behind.

Before Frankie could respond the engine spluttered, letting out a noise of metal on metal that sounded anything but healthy.

“Ah, shit,” Frankie muttered, his expression shifted as the dashboard flickered with warning lights, “That’s not good.”

The truck lurched before coming to a complete stop at the side of the road. He heaved a sigh as he looked up to the roof of the car, “I’m so sorry about this,” he apologized, eyes still up, “I thought this was fixed,” he continued, more to himself than you.

You tried to keep things light, “Hey, it’s not a first date unless something goes wrong, right?”

He gave a small, defeated laugh. “I was hoping to skip that cliché.”

Stepping out into the drizzle he popped the hood to investigate. After hearing several curses you joined him, pulling your coat tighter across your chest against the whipping wind, “Any luck?” you asked, immediately regretting your words when you saw the furrow in his brow get deeper.

“Starter is dead, I think,” he said, frustrated, “and of course, I left my tools at home.”

“Well, maybe we can still make our reservation?” you suggested, referring to your planned date at a small mom-and-pop place Frankie hadn’t stopped talking about since the suggestion of a date came up.

He checked his watch, “We’re cutting it close.”

You both set off, dodging puddles and exchanging glances as the rain steadily picked up. By the time you reached the restaurant, your coat was damp, and Frankie’s jacket was streaked with raindrops. But worse than the weather, the restaurant’s lights were off, and a sign taped to the door read: ‘Closed early, apologies for the inconvenience!’

Frankie sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I swear this isn’t how I planned on tonight going.”

You laughed softly, “It’s okay. Really.”

He looked at you, tiny rain droplets clinging to his dark lashes, “I wanted this to be perfect.”

“Perfect is overrated,” you said offering him a gentle smile as the rain began to fall harder adding insult to injury.

“At least I have this,” he said opening up the umbrella he’d pulled from the back of his truck.

However, before either of you could make any use of it a sudden gust of wind flipped the umbrella inside out rendering it useless. You bit back a laugh when you saw the look on Frankie’s face, his disappointment tangible.

“This is officially a disaster,” he admitted, shaking his head as thunder rumbled faintly in the distance.

You pulled out your phone from your purse and began tapping at the screen.

“Calling it a night?” he asked, trying to hide his disappointment when he saw the ride sharer app you’d opened on your phone.

“Not quite,” you grinned as a notification popped up, “our ride will be here in two minutes.”

He gave you a puzzled look, “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

The ride was short, the rain pattering on the windows as you both warmed up in the backseat. Frankie seemed both amused and intrigued as the car slowed in front of a brightly coloured food truck nestled beneath a wooden pergola. Strings of soft, glowing lights hung above it, swaying gently in the breeze.

“Ta-da!” you announced, hopping out of the car and gesturing with a flourish toward the food truck behind you.

A smile tugged at the corners of Frankie’s lips, starting from the corner of his mouth as he shook his head. As if he couldn’t believe his luck that you hadn’t left him outside of the closed restaurant.

“They make the best tacos!” you said walking towards the truck, “and the margaritas are to die for! What do you think?” you asked eagerly as you awaited his response.

Frankie chuckled as he caught up with you, the twinkle in his eyes returning. “I think you might have just saved the night.”

You ordered at the window, and with food in hand, you settled at a standing table and didn’t miss when Frankie stepped a little closer to you. The conversation flowed effortlessly. He told you about how his love for flying started when he was a young boy, his father taking him on weekends to see the planes take off at the airport. You told him about where you’d grown up and how what you did now for work had nothing to do with the degree you completed in college.

As you bit into your taco, drops of sauce dripped down onto your hands and you laughed, looking at Frankie who was trying hard not to smile too much. “I swear I’m not usually this messy,” you said quickly, reaching for a napkin.

“I'll hold you to that,” he teased, offering you his napkin.

The night drew on, and you both seemed to forget about the cold and dampness as you swapped stories under the warmth of the propane heaters scattered around. Frankie became more relaxed, his shoulders losing the tension they’d held earlier. When you both finished eating, he got up to throw away your trays.

The rain had slowed to a steady drizzle when Frankie returned and you checked the time, “Wow, I didn’t realize how late it was.” you remarked as you noticed the food truck had already lowered its shutters.

Frankie looked just as surprised as he followed your gaze, “I didn’t even notice.”

“That’s a good sign,” you smiled.

He met your eyes, “It is,” he said as he gave you a smile that made your heart flutter. “Thank you for tonight,” he added, adjusting the collar of his now dried-out jacket, “and not leaving me at the curb when my truck broke down.”

Walking back to the curb, you shot Frankie a disbelieving look, “Stop Frankie,” you insisted, “I have no doubt if it had been the restaurant or here, it still would have been a great night. I had a great night.” you reassured him.

He smiled, “Me too.”

You walked back to where your Uber was waiting. Frankie opened the door for you, and before you could get in, he suddenly looked a bit nervous again, running a hand through his hair. “Can I see you again?” He asked, looking down at his worn shoes and then back up at you.

You couldn’t help but grin at his question, nodding eagerly, “I’d like that.”

He exhaled in relief, grinning widely. Frankie took a step closer to you, capturing your gaze, and making you forget about the drizzling rain. The world around you seemed to fade away as if the two of you were the only ones left.

Suddenly he raised his hand and gently cupped your cheek, with little hesitation he leaned forward and kissed you. It was soft, a little awkward as you were about to step into the car. His lips were warm against yours and a spark shot through you, leaving your knees weak. It was slow and unhurried, his thumb caressing the edge of your jaw as he deepened it slightly.

When he broke away, your breath hitched and your heart pounded in your chest. He looked at you with almost a shy smile, his eyes questioning your reaction to his sudden boldness.

You took a steadying breath and smiled back at him, “Goodnight, Frankie.”

As Frankie closed the car door behind you, you leaned back into the seat as the car pulled away, a contented smile spreading across your face. Despite the rain, the broken-down truck, and the closed restaurant, it had been one of the best first dates you'd ever had.

[doiefics]

work can wait for other days

pairing: baekhyun x afab!reader

prologue: what could possibly surprise baekhyun more than discovering you at work on a typical day, but well, he's a gangster

genre: gangster!baekhyun +  established relationship!au + fluff + crack

wordcount: 1,000

warnings: pregnancy + very slight violence

It was a typical Thursday, late in the morning. The commute was rather sluggish, but perhaps it was nothing compared to everyone's speed at work.

They were not to blame, for any exciting thing, no matter how small or big, was always distracting enough.

You see, the brainstorming process starts even before the work at hand is done and dusted, maybe like already drooling over that tiramisu for dessert when your plate barely has starters on it. 

For the majority of people, it was a Friday's worth of waiting, but you were just as impatient and eager—but not because it was the weekend.

As you obstinately paced up and down the waiting area, you were fairly certain that you were irking the receptionist.

However, everything came to an abrupt stop even before the train of your flawless thoughts could reach the first junction.

It was "pretty loud for a hospital." You said these things to yourself in a low voice as you joined the other human meerkats, their necks reaching as far as they could and their minds unusually interested.

Your senses lately appear to be much more perceptive. 

An array of about half a dozen black cars, quick in speed and quick to hit the breaks, creating those overwhelmingly annoying screeching sounds, were to be seen.

Accompanied by a ridiculous number of men, guns appeared like toys in whosr hands. The next thing you knew, the front glass at the hospital was shattered, and even though it was both chaotic and intimidating, you watched this without a look of worry on your face because you were used to witnessing similar happenings. 

"What is he doing over here?" You weren't concerned until now, noticing a strangely familiar face amid the towering, intimidating, strong males. 

Before he could even take off his charcoal black Ray Ban shades, more men were at the scene, dressed in suits and shining leather shoes, wrists with expensive timepieces, you see, like any of those other rich men.

"This wasn't needed, we already negotiated that with you." One of them started pleading and rubbing his hands in front of the Ray-Ban guy, but you knew him too well to be able to predict his next action. 

He sighed. Dramatically. 

"Would be a shame if some killings were to happen at a place like this." He cursed, rolling his eyes and glancing around the hospital. The receptionist, who was in the middle of making a phone call, suddenly halted the process at his gaze. He smirked.

Okay, now that was unnecessary. 

The next thing you knew, he rolled the sleeves of his fancy blue shirt as his men basically yeeted away the other ones. You were sure more drama would ensue inside the closed chambers. Cliche power scenes like those in the movies.

"You really had to be here today, idiot!" You blurted it out, quietly, but not quite for the man's ear to miss it. The man would have been furious and snarky after hearing what you blurted out, but it all vanished at the sight of you. Considering that he was in the middle of attending to business, he was equally as astonished to see you here. 

"Y/N?" He was perplexed. This was the time one could normally find you at work. 

"Don't tell me you broke your phone again." You shook your head as his hands traced to his pockets, finding nothing but a severely cracked iPhone.

He signalled his men, with a flick of his fingers to continue with whatever they were here for. His eyes shifted like those of a five-year-old who just destroyed a pricey vase with his football as he turned back to face you.

"Don't give me that look." The scary man was scared of you.

To get the two of you to a more peaceful location quickly, you grabbed hold of his wrist. If you didn't, it wouldn't be long before gossip-hungry eyes began their customary camera recordings and active involvement on online forums. Picking up what seemed like a report from one of the desks. You had waited long enough. 

"This isn't time for paperwork, why are you here?" The man was chatty as usual.

"I told you about this hospital and its trashy director last week, right? Tough time extracting my money back from him." He went on.

"I didn't want any guns involved in the first place." And he never stopped.

"Really has the balls to come and plead at my face when it has already been about-"

"Baekhyun can you not keep quiet for a second, at least?" In his habitual pout, he attempted to cram his head within the papers before you hastily closed them, overwhelmed with unfamiliar feelings.

"I just hope your children don't end up being as chatty as you are." You crossed your arms and made every effort to keep your face expressionless. 

"Family planning all of a sudden?" Baekhyun was confused, again.

"You might be a big scary gangster or something, but did someone ever tell you you're just as dumb." You laughed at his bumbling expression.

"Wait!" His mouth was hanging wide, and his eyes were sparkling from the bliss he was experiencing. He simply wanted to be sure, and he wanted to be sure so much. 

"Are we.." He stopped. "We're having a baby," As he drew his body nearer, his hands instinctively sought your stomach.

"Well, not just a baby." You raised your eyebrow. 

"We're having twins?" He was basically screaming out of sheer joy.

"We are definitely not going to be quiet, right, guys?" He said as he bent down, placing a quick peck on your tummy.

"Don't worry, Mumma, you're gonna love us either way." He winked, standing up again, this time closer to your face, resting his forehead against yours.

Yet another rackety thud was to be heard, business was being taken care of properly. Baekhyun took a quick glance at the side.

"Maybe work can wait for some other day." 

masterlist please refrain from plagiarising, translating or posting outside of this platform

[councillor-roland]

closed starter for @adrasian

What had it been now, two weeks? A little more? It felt closer to three but then it also felt like an eternity since last he'd seen or held Rhys. The angry episodes were fewer and further between now, the rage mostly having spent itself and now there was just...emptiness. It wasn't numbness, not quite, that might have been welcomed. Instead it was like he existed in a sort of void where colours, sounds, sensations, everything was dulled. He had little motivation to do much of anything, though he was mechanically doing his job, making sure thing still ran, even if he took work calls with video turned off sitting in a robe at his desk. There were still meetings to attend and he dressed himself impeccably with far more effort than it should've taken. Roland felt weighted down, the sadness, the loneliness, and the longing seemed to have some sort of anchor in his chest that kept him pinned. Often times he found himself at the piano and there was a little brightness there, he still played with passion, he couldn't not. More often, though, he sat on one of the couches and put records on, smoking endless cigarettes and just listening to the music. He felt dulled and yet at the same time there were still sharp edges to the emotions if he got too close to them.

The suite was more in disarray than it had been as well. Normally, Roland kept everything tidy, or at least made sure to let the staff in to do their regular cleaning but no one had been allowed in his suite for some time outside of invitation. There were still shards of glass on the floor from where he'd thrown drinking glasses against the wall, broken pieces of porcelain, a scratched and blood stained couch that he'd at least pushed back into a corner but he hadn't cared to have it cleaned yet, if it could even be salvaged. Roland would probably just get rid of it. Overflowing ashtrays littered the surface of several tables beside dirty wine glasses. One of the things that helped, or sort of helped, was having the slaves come up as distractions. Even then, Roland was different with them, much less teasing, confident and playful than usual, just quieter, a little more needy and desperate. It disconcerted some to the point where they didn't even have sex, their behaviour influenced by his mood enough to turn Roland off and send them away though that was rare. He fed, if nothing else, even if he didn't end up sleeping with them, that was something. Still, he even had fewer slaves to his suite than he used to and hadn't been down to the Undercroft himself to pick them, having them sent up instead.

Tonight was one such night. Part of the distraction of having the slaves here was a kind of pretend companionship that helped ease the loneliness a little. The slaves that did stay, that he took to bed, Roland ended up keeping for some time afterwards just to hold them, just to be close. Adrasia hadn't allowed that last time but Roland wouldn't give him much choice tonight. Rather than wait at the door, he waited in his bedroom, clad in a robe, having told the guards to escort the celestial right to the bedroom and then leave. They'd just done that and were gone, the celestial standing before him as Roland looked at him, hands in his pockets, probably looking as dull as he felt but he forced a small smile anyway. "Hello." It was quiet, already a contrast to how he'd greeted Adrasia the last couple times he'd been in the suite. "It seemed easier to bring you straight here."

[rattkachuk]

for the hurt/comfort starters I've gotta ask for mattdrai with "Please tell me I don't look as bad as I feel" please! <3

"Please tell me I don't look as bad as I feel."

Matthew frowns at Leon’s image on his phone screen. The dejected tone of his voice is more than enough to tell Matthew just how bad he’s feeling, but there’s also a slope to his shoulders and the stress in his eyes that he can’t miss after loving him as long as Matthew has. He knows how much responsibility Leon carries with him, and is very familiar with the helpless feeling of not being able to show up for your team.

“You don’t look great,” Matthew says truthfully.

Leon scoffs and rubs a hand over his face, “Oh, thank you.”

The image goes blurry for a moment while his phone re-establishes it’s connection with the shitty Boston hotel internet. He knows there’s not much he can really say to quell Leon’s worries, and it’s late and they both have a game tomorrow. Important games. He doesn’t know the full extent of what’s up with Leon, and doesn’t dig (he’ll find out later and chastise him for it then, just as Leon did to him last year), but he knows that it’s worrisome enough to make Leon call him in the midst of their playoff run.

“Hey,” Matthew says gently, “I know it sucks and I know that I really can’t ask anything of you that I wouldn’t do myself…”

“But?” Leon bites.

“If it’s really bad, please don’t push yourself,” Matthew pleads, quiet but sure. He can’t say much more than that. Can’t tell Leon that it’s not worth it. Can’t sooth him and say that everything would work out for the Oilers without him, for fear of the falsity of his words being too glaring.

Leon sighs, but is silent beyond that. Matthew gives him the space, doesn’t push, listens only to the faint sounds in the background of Leon’s room, and watches the soft flickering light of his TV. Matthew wonders absently what’s on.

There’s a set to Leon’s jaw, and he’s pointedly not looking at Matthew, but even through the pixelated video call he can see the shake to his body as he breathes in and out, “Matthew, you know-there’s just so much riding on this, right? What am I going to do if this season ends in another failure? I’m running out of fucking time, here.”

A pang of unfounded guilt hits Matthew, knows that Leon is a few years ahead of him and in reality it’s not that much, but in hockey it’s everything. Maybe he’s not as well acquainted with the hourglass of time taunting him just yet, doesn’t have to worry about the sand falling through the middle, faster every time he gets another blow to his body. Doesn’t know the pain of making it within reach of the thing he’s always striving for, only to have it ripped away in a blur before you can even get your legs underneath you. Every. Time. Matthew can see it ruthlessly eating away at Leon year after year, chips away at him and seeps into the corners of his being.

Matthew had been closer than Leon ever had, and he felt confident his team could do it again, could see his chances in the coming years only increasing. Coming from him, it felt wrong to placate Leon and tell him that next year would be better, when he’d already had so many years of loss under his belt.

“Then you’ll figure it out. We'll figure it out, alright?” Matthew swears, wanting Leon to know he never had to face this giant thing all by himself, that he didn’t have to cross any bridge without Matthew’s hand to hold, “I’m always with you, Leon.”

There’s a helpless gasp of air from Leon’s mouth, maybe the tail end of a sob stuck in his lungs, “Yah, yah. I know. Thank you.”

Matthew offers a small albeit sad smile, and they don’t say much else. Matthew doesn’t hang up, though, can't bring himself to sever the one line of connection they have in the moment. Leon doesn’t look in a rush to go, he’s three hours behind and has time yet. Matthew sleeps eventually and lets the video call go, so Leon doesn't have to be alone.

ao3 drabbles <3

[kyufessions]

animal crossing

synopsis: on seonghwa’a day off, you both cuddle while playing animal crossing

pairings: boyfriend! seonghwa x g.n. reader

genre: domestic fluff

word count: 0.9k

a/n: i’ve had this idea for several days so here it is !

general taglist: @jwnghyuns @eaudenana @soobin-chois

whenever there’s a day off, it’s normally spent doing cute couple things you both never get to do such as cafe dates, shopping for the apartment together, etc. but having four days off in a row was new for both of you, so you ultimately decided to have a lazy day in when the rain ruined the picnic date you both planned out. since the day was still young, you decided that as seonghwa changed you would quietly move around furniture to make a makeshift fort out of couch cushions, blankets, and anything else you can find. just as you were adding the finishing touches and making sure everything looked as perfect as can be, you heard his footsteps coming closer and turned around to see the excitement in his eyes at the setup.

two hours later and you were both cuddled underneath the fort, the thunder outside bringing a sense of comfort as random music played in the background. you sat between his legs, your head on his stomach as you played on your nintendo switch and seonghwa on his as his back propped up against the back of the recliner. you were never one for animal crossing growing up, but after meeting seonghwa you understood the hype. it was an amazing time waster and definitely brought you a sense of joy; it was such a comforting game to you. and playing it together with your boyfriend made it even better, even if you two did play it differently.

the entire time you’ve known and dated seonghwa, he’s only ever restarted his island twice. meanwhile, you were currently contemplating on restarting your island for the eighth time. if seonghwa ever got bored, he would just redesign his entire island or house. but if you ever found yourself needing a new challenge in the game, you just restarted the whole thing.

deciding to just restart your game, you watch the screen anxiously as you await your starter villagers. a grunt left your lips as you noticed who the starters were, earning a small jump from your boyfriend. “sorry,” you automatically said after feeling his movements, looking up at him for a split second to place a quick peck to his lips before continuing on with starting your island all over again. “i just restarted my island.”

“again? that’s like the fifth time-“

“eighth.”

his eyes widened, his eyes looking down at his screen as he continued making new clothes at Mabel’s. “do you not miss your villagers when you start a new game?”

you shake your head as you roamed the island, taking note of the cherry trees growing and smiling to yourself. “no, half the time i restart my island because of the ugly villagers.” a gasp from him throws you off guard, making you look up at him with wide eyes. “what-“

“there’s no such thing as ugly animal crossing villagers, y/n.” his voice sounds offended and shocked all at the same time, making you confused.

“ there most definitely is, hwa.” you fully sit up, ready for this heated yet unnecessary discussion about to take place. “you’re telling me you don’t find villagers ugly? not even some?”

he shakes his head, his eyes sparkling under the minimal lighting being provided. “no, i love all the villagers. they’re all so cute in their own way.”

“even benjamin?” he nods. “ tiffany?” another nod. “pietro?”

“who doesn’t love pietro?” he responds, crossing his arms over his chest as he raises a brow at you.

“me!” by this time you have already put down your switch, your entire focus on the man in front of you. “i just restarted my game because i didn’t like him being on my island.”

“how do you not like pietro? he’s literally one of my favorites.” he quickly saves his design at Mabel’s and starts running across his island in the game, running towards pietro’s house and finding him walking by the river. “look!” he starts conversing with pietro, letting out small giggles whenever he hears him say his catchphrase. “how could you hate a villager that says honk honk?”

“i didn’t say i hate him,” you start, watching him play his game adoringly. “i just said he’s ugly.”

a dramatic gasp is heard out of seonghwa, making you laugh as he closes his game and puts a hand over his heart. “how dare you say that about him knowing he can hear you? he’s very cute and handsome, you’re just missing out.”

you laugh, wrapping your arms around him and laying your head on his chest. pecking a small kiss into the center of his chest, you pick back up his switch and turn it on. “come on, show me your island. it’s been a while since i’ve seen it.”

for the next hour, you both sit there as he shows you around his island, catches some bugs, and digs up some fossils. even with some villagers you did like, seonghwa gave you speeches about each one and why you should love them just as much as the ‘cuter ones’. he even helped you redesign some of your new island, only stopping just to order some food and put a stop to the four hours of screen time you both accumulated. you’d be lying if you said you didn’t end up regretting restarting your island to let go of pietro, but you just hoped he’d end up back to your island someday just to show seonghwa.

[sturniololuv08]

The Background Brother (Matt fluff)

Song: I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Tumblr: @MattsFavoriteGirl

"It is your last night here honey. Enjoy the beach, go out to eat.  Do something." My mother pushed. We were on summer break in LA. The truth was I just wanted to go back home. Boston might not be everyone's ideal place to call home but for me it was perfect. LA was cool to visit but after a few days I felt like I had seen all it had to offer.

"Hey mom," my brother came into the kitchen, "Chris said there is a party on the beach tonight. Can I go?" He didn't have to beg to get his way.

"Yes, but you have to take your sister."

"What!?" We yelled in unison. We both were upset but for different reasons.

"Just go. Have fun tonight. Jax, watch over her." She looked between the both of us and I knew I wasn't getting out of it. Jaxon would make sure of it. I sighed and got off the bar stool I was stuck on.

"Better get ready, Em." He ran to get ready for the party that was happening soon. One thing about LA, there was always a party happening somewhere.

"Fuck." I mumbled pissed I got roped into this. I went to my designated room in our rental house and rummaged through my suitcases looking for something better than sweatpants to wear. I figured I should wear something a little relaxed since it was on the beach. I settled for a tiny pair of white shorts and my bathing suit top in case I found myself wanting to swim. Not likely though. I grabbed a book I had been trying to read all summer but kept finding myself having to put it down because my mother or brother wanted to go do something. This whole summer was spent doing whatever they wanted and going where they went. Still, I hated sounding ungrateful for a cool summer in LA so I played my part. I was ready to go at the same time Jaxon was. He wore above-the-knee swim trunks with pink flamingos cast over a slate navy blue fabric. He was tall, already very tan, and since he had the time here he managed to work out and get even more fit than before. He looked like a total douchebag.

"Please, be safe." Mom hugged him. "And you little lady, try to have fun." She knew I wouldn't. She hugged me and I shrugged out of it in protest of being forced to go out on my last day here. It was 5:45 pm so the sun would be setting soon. Seeing the sunset over the beach water one last time wouldn't be so awful. I was trying to convince myself. We started walking down the sand-scattered road. We were only a few blocks away from our rental. The music was already blaring Despacito louder than it should be. The chatter from everyone trying to have conversations was even louder. This party was huge; bigger than all the other ones we went to over the summer.

"Jax!" We had barely made it on the sand before Jaxon was spotted by some new LA friends he made this summer. Jaxon was the only person I knew who had a personality that could not only match but almost outshine these other boys. For starters, there were three of them, identical triplets. Though they all looked the same they were far from it. Chris, the one Jaxon met first, was goofy and athletic. Nick always kept Jaxon laughing but he was always able to throw it right back at Nick. And then there was Matt, the quiet reserved one. He would laugh at jokes but wouldn't make many. He would follow the other two around and just hang out but never really brought any charisma to the table. Matt was the complete opposite of my brother.

"This is insane." He bro hugged Chris.

"LA does it big every time." Chris stuck his tongue out as if he was the reason this party was so popular. He very well could have been. As they all talked and figured out their next move I was looking around for my escape. Several bonfires were going on with various activities and groups around them. One group was cooking food, another just talking, and even a group with some tiny guitars and ukuleles going. If I wasn't so ready to go home and see my friends this would actually have been a really fun last night here. I went over to a bonfire I saw people leaving behind. The drinks were being poured between two mini tiki bars. I sat down and opened my book on top of my knees. The sun was going down and it was beautiful to peek at every once in a while when my eyes wanted to see something other than black letters. I took in a big whiff of the salty air.

"You okay?" I opened my eyes and saw one of the identical brothers in front of me.

"Yeah. Not in a party mood." I was honest.

"Mind if I sit?" He looked at the empty room next to me on the large log and I nodded. I slowly folded my book closed with my finger still holding my spot on the page. "What are you reading?" He looked so innocent. He must be Matt, the background brother.

"It's called Empire. It's about modern-day slavery." I was secretly hoping I would weird him out and he'd leave me alone but it failed.

"That sounds really cool." He smiled softly.

"Where are the other two?" I wasn't actually interested in them, more so the whereabouts of my rambunctious brother. His smile faded before he answered.

"Chris and Nick wanted to join a game of volleyball that was going on." I had the realization that all of them ditched him.

"So you got ditched?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I don't mind. It gives me the chance to talk to you." He perked up a little.

"Me?" I was confused as to why he would suddenly want to talk to me. All summer long these three boys have been hanging around Jaxon and not once did any of them seem to be interested in his little sister. I was stuck observing them from the outside.

"I know tonight is your last night in LA but I was thinking before you go I could get your number." He wasn't looking at me. I assumed he was afraid of rejection. I looked over at the sand courts just in time to see Chris and Jax chest bump after getting another point. I shook my head annoyed. Jaxon was so outgoing and fun and I was just a blob when I was in too big of a group. "Jax mentioned you guys are from Boston. We live there too. It's complicated but we go back and forth and I was just thinking if I got your number maybe we could meet up again when we are in the same city." He started over explaining why he was asking.

"Yeah?" I was skeptical. It wouldn't be unlike Jaxon to set up a prank on me just for a laugh.

"Yeah." I examined his face to get the truth. His stubble was creating a defining shadow around his jawline. His eyes looked tired with dark circles underneath. His pale blue eyes were telling the truth. It was then all the dots connected, he liked me.

"Yeah," I said more confident.

"Sick." He whispered. I giggled a little because it was kind of funny at how excited he was to get the answer he wanted. "Here." He handed me his sleek iPhone open to the add contact page. I filled it out and handed it back.

"Matt." We both looked over to see Nick calling him. Matt just waved awkwardly. I saw Nick's entire demeanor change when he pieced together the puzzle in front of him. He pointed to Matt and then me. He repeated this action a few times and then smirked and stopped trying to get Matt's attention.

"Sorry about... that." He sighed embarrassed.

"So how long?" I asked him.

"How long what?" He looked at me confused.

"How long have you been wanting to get my number?" I was genuinely curious. I couldn't say I liked him as long as he had me but I had eyes for him a while ago. It was no secret that they were all very attractive but I personally go with personality over looks. Nick was more my initial type but I quickly learned I was not his. Matt started fidgeting. My forwardness was making him nervous.

"Since our families all made the trip to Disneyland." My eyes widened a little. That trip was within the first week of our time here. He has felt this way for a few months!

"Really?" I couldn't believe he held his feelings in for that long. I was only holding onto mine for about two weeks. But I figured we would go back to Boston and they would die quickly. He would just become a summer love that never happened.

"I wanted to say something sooner but I just wasn't sure how you felt and I didn't want to make the whole summer weird." He had a valid point in hiding his feelings. What he didn't know is that over the past few weeks to me, he was never the background brother. Although Chris was the one being goofy I was watching Matt smile. Nick was the one making jokes but I was listening for Matt's laugh. And if my brother ever came up with an activity to do I was waiting to see if Matt wanted to do it or not to decide if I was going along.

"You wouldn't have," I assured him. Some random people started hooting and hollering around us and Matt grabbed my hand.

"You wanna go somewhere more quiet?" He asked me.

"Sure." I fully closed my book and lost my spot. I knew I wanted to get lost with Matt more. He tugged on the hand he had a grip on and I followed him through the crowd of people. We broke through the bubble of people and ended up where it was quieter and a lot darker. There weren't any bonfires to light up our way. Without the fires regulating the air's temperature, the water-cooled it down. He finally stopped walking us along the shore and turned to face me. I looked up at him. His eyes were twinkling slightly, almost as if he had thought of this moment before it started happening.

"Em will you dance with me?" He asked holding me close to him already. I nodded and dropped my book. We could still hear the drowning music but slightly muffled by the perfect bubble we were creating for ourselves. He let go of my hand and gently slipped his fingers around my waist. I flinched a little from the cold. "Oh my gosh, you must be freezing." He realized I was only wearing a swimsuit top to cover my breasts. "Here." He let go of me. Even though his long skinny fingers were giving me the shivers I still wanted them back on my skin creating the feeling of fire. Everything went black until my head popped out of his hoodie.

"I'm fine." It was too late to protest. I was engulfed with the smell of an Earthy cologne. I no longer wanted to protest. He put us back into our dance positions and started swaying me. "So what now?" I asked him.

"Now this." He leaned in and pressed our lips together. The feelings for my summer love were no longer dying after a week. I stood up on my tippy toes to press back onto him. My pushback surprised him because he smiled out of our first kiss. "I'm going to have to go back to Boston soon." He chuckled. I nodded in a trance.

"Matt?" I finally spoke up.

"Yeah, Em?" We were still swaying slowly to the sound of the waves crashing.

"Can I be yours?" It was very fast of me to ask but after feeling his lips the idea of someone else calling him theirs actually bothered me. I also had some false confidence because we weren't around everyone. Just him and I felt comfortable.

"Em, I'm already yours." He lifted one corner of his mouth while looking at me. My heart started to beat a lot faster and I was starting to get hot under his hoodie. My body heat only baked his smell and made it more intoxicating. And just like that I didn't want to leave LA anymore.

[callsign-dexter]

Whisper in the Wind: 6 Months AU

Request: for the angst starters may I humbly request these two for Ben and Natasha? 🙏🏻

‘hold my hand if you need to.’

‘don’t panic.’

Starter: 'Hold my hand if you need to.' and 'Don't panic'

Pairings: OC!Benjamin Bradshaw x Daughter!Reader, Natasha Trace x Daughter!Reader, Benjamin Bradshaw x Natasha Trace, Bradley Bradshaw x OC!Wife!Leah Bradshaw

Warnings: angst, inaccurate hospital talk, car crashes, pregnancy

Masterlist

Whisper in the Wind

miscellaneous angst starters

A/N: thank you @justabigassnerd for giving me these angst prompts so that this AU piece could come to life.

Natasha and Ben have been engaged for about 6 months now. They had decided to wait until their little girl was born and a few months old before they even talked about getting married. Natasha had 3 months to go and then they would be holding their baby girl in their arms. Originally, they talked about not knowing the gender of their soon-to-be bundle of joy but they just couldn’t help themselves and broke down and found out the gender. There were some rough patches in the pregnancy but with both parents being in the military they handled with control and ease. They still hadn’t decided on a name but they did have several picked out and they knew for sure that they wanted her middle name to be Caroline a tribute to Ben and Bradley’s mother.

It was finally the weekend which meant that they had a whole two days by themselves. Natasha wasn’t allowed to fly but she still had to go in to work on paperwork and get things settled for when she and Ben went on maternity leave. Since Ben didn’t want her driving, he had taken it upon himself to drive both of them into work and back home. He doted on her the very second, she found out she was pregnant, he already doted on her but when he found out that she was carrying his unborn child he stepped it up big time, then again, his mother raised him to treat a woman right and he was also so much like his father.

Ben and Natahsa had just arrived home and he helped her get out of her Nissan Xterra and grabbed their stuff as they made their way into the house. When they got in, he was quick to bend down and take off her boots and then when he was done, he stayed on his eyes that was he was eye level with her stomach and held it in his hands and kissed it and smiled. Natasha smiled at the action he had done every day to the point it had become a ritual; he was really going to be a great father. “Alright, Jellybean. No, giving your mom a hard time tonight, we want her well rested.” He said and their baby moved into his hands and voice, Natasha had come to the conclusion that she was going to be daddy’s girl through and through. She brought her hands to his hair and ran them through enjoying the moment. “Now it’s time to get you and momma fed.” He said and gave one more kiss to her stomach and then stood up and kissed her. Then he got to work. “How about some homemade mac and cheese and some pork chops and yes there will be hot sauce.” Ben said and Natasha smiled, one thing about Ben was that he was an excellent cook and she was too but after becoming pregnant some smells got to her and it just made her exhausted and she left all the cooking duties to him.

“Sounds absolutely perfect.” She said and then she felt a kick and chuckled and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow “Eaglet agrees.” She said and he chuckled.

“Now go and sit down I’ll bring it to you when it is ready.” He said and she nodded and went and sat down in a kitchen chair that way she could still talk to him and be with him. She was just happy to take the pressure off of her feet. They talked about work and the plans about when their daughter was here and most importantly names. As they were talking her phone began to ring and she got it out of her pocket and looked at the caller id and it was Bradley and she answered it and put it on speaker.

“Hey you’re on speaker.” She said and she heard a chuckle.

“We’ll I guess I can’t tell you about the deep dark secrets of Ben then.” Bradley said and they all chuckled but Ben rolled his eyes but smile appeared on his face.

“Just remember that I know a lot of secrets about you little brother that Leah doesn’t know about.” He said tending the food as he heard a gasp from him.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Bradley said

“Try me.” Ben said and Natasha just smiled at their bickering.

“The reason I called was because we wanted to know what you were doing and how Birdie was doing.” He said, he had given the baby that name because Ben’s callsign was Eagle and so was Natasha’s was Phoenix, they were truly keeping the bird callsigns in the family.

“Well Ben is cooking some pork chops and homemade mac and cheese and Eaglet has been pretty much cooperative during the day until we got home and her daddy had talked to her.” Natasha said rubbing her belly and Ben looked at her watching her has he flipped the pork chops and could take his eyes off of them.

“Oh, what I wouldn’t do for some of his homemade mac and cheese.” Leah said “Wanna send us some?” She asked and everyone chuckled.

“You got it.” Ben said fully joking the food was pretty much done and now it was resting and cooling off. “What’s your plans for the weekend?” Ben asked them.

“Nothing huge. Maybe go down to the beach. You guys?” Bradley asked

“Nothing really, just gonna spend some time with each other and stay off my feet.” Natasha said

“Well, we don’t want to keep you guys. Have a good night and enjoy your homemade mac and cheese. We love you.” Leah said full of jealously.

“We will. Goodnight, guys. We love you too.” Ben said and Natasha hung up and Ben began plating her plate and then he brought it over with her glass of water and set it down in front of her.

“Why thank you fiancée.” She said and bent down and kissed her.

“You’re welcome my soon to be wife.” He said after breaking the kiss and then he went and got his food and glass of water, he would’ve gotten a beer or something sweetened but when Natasha had to quit drinking and was advised to not drink anything sugary, Ben had made it his choice to go along with her because he loved her so much and it was heathier in the long run.

Supper came and went and now the were finding themselves sitting on the couch snuggled together as they watched a comedy. Natasha was cuddled into Ben and he had his arms around her and one set on her stomach. Every now and then their baby would kick and they both smiled, she seemed so active while Ben was around.

Midnight rolled around and they finally decided to go to bed. Ben helped his pregnant fiancée up and helped her walk up the stairs making sure she wouldn’t fall backwards once all 3 of them were up safely he let up on his protectiveness. They got ready together and then they were slipping in to bed for a, hopefully, a goodnight’s sleep and not a lot of getting up to go pee.

Morning came around and thankfully she had only had to get up twice during the night and both times she had succeeded without waking Ben up, which was a surprise. Naturally they were early risers but they could get away with sleeping until 10 AM on most weekends. Ben had actually gotten up before Natasha and was getting breakfast ready. She was just about to get up when he came through with a tray with two plates of food, fruits, and drinks of their choice. “I figured we would have breakfast in bed and then go out and spend sometime out on the town.” Ben said and she smiled.

“That sounds perfect.” She said and he smiled then he walked into the room the rest of the way and sat down on the bed and put the tray in between them and then he turned on the TV. Nothing interesting was on so they switched to their DVR and watched some saved shows that they wanted to catch up on. Natasha started to get restless and this caught Ben’s attention almost immediately.

“What’s wrong?” He asked moving the try so he could have better access to her.

“Nothing worrisome. Your child is just playing soccer with my bladder and making me need to pee.” She said and he laughed.

“Always my child when she is doing something.” He chuckled but got up and began to help her get up and to their connected bathroom. When she was done, she flushed and washed her hands and then joined her fiancée back in bed.

“So, what do you have planned for us today?” She asked and he looked at her.

“Well, we need to run to the store and grab a few things and then I figured we would go baby shopping for a little bit more stuff.” Ben said and she smiled, he was always thinking of her and their baby always putting them first.

“That sounds perfect.” She said and then they started to get ready to leave. As always, they got ready together and then walked downstairs together. Ben helped his fiancée get her shoes on and then he got his shoes and they were heading out the door. They had decided to take Natasha’s vehicle since it had more space than his truck, he helped her get in and then he got in and opened the garage. Ben started the car and backed out of the garage and they were on their way and pulling out of the neighborhood.

The car ride was filled with laughter and music. Nothing could bother the happy couple. They had just come to a red light. He kept looking over at his perfect pregnant fiancée and she was glowing and he smiled. “Have I ever told you that you’re the most beautiful pregnant woman ever?” He asked and hung her head smirked.

“Every single day and I’ll never get tired of it.” She said and then he turned back to the road as he saw the light turn green in his peripheral view. Just as he was starting to go and cross an intersection and car from the left side came barreling at them and the only thing, he heard was a honk and metal crushing against metal and then the pain came. The other car was going at such a high speed that it pushed them to the other side of the road and flipped them and then they were crashing into a telephone pole. Both of them were knocked unconscious. Ben had slumped onto the wheel and on the horn making it blare and Natasha was knocked into the back of her seat.

The blaring horn is what woke him up and then the pain came to him everywhere. It took him a few minutes to figure out where he was but when he figured it out, he started to panic, he slowly lifted his head and he groaned in pain and then laid it on his headrest. He needed Nat so all of his attention turned to her and when he tried to move his body protested. “Nat?” He asked in a hoarse voice but got no answer “Baby.” He said and found some strength to move his hand and to her. But yet again no response.

Natahsa didn’t know where she was but she was waking up in the bar Carole, Bradley, and Ben they had visited when they went to see Goose and Maverick. She just looked around until she heard music and then Carole and Goose laughing together, she recognized them from the pictures that Bradley and Ben had laying around and on the wall. “Carole? Goose?” He asked and they turned to her and smiled and she got up from the table as Goose started to play the familiar tune of Great Balls of Fire. “What’s going on?” She asked and they looked at him sadly.

“You were in a car accident baby.” Carole said and stroked her cheek and she leaned into it; her touch felt so warm.

“Ben. Our child.” She said and began to panic.

“Ben is alright. He’s trying to wake you up and it is not your time so we don’t have long.” Goose said as he played the tune.

“Our baby?” She asked moving her hand to her stomach.

“They’re ok for right now. Help is on the way but you need to wake up.” Carole said

“I wish you both were down there with us. It would mean the world to us.” Natasha said and they smiled softly at her.

“We are with you. Just look around. We’re a whisper in the wind.” Goose said and that made Natasha smile.

“Gosh, I’ve always wanted to meet you but not like this.” She said and they chuckled.

“We’re always watching. We’re just happy we can meet you now and can’t wait for your wedding and seeing our grandchild be born. May I?” Carole asked and Natasha nodded and she put her hand on her stomach and then she felt a kick and she smiled that was the first time she felt her kick since the accident. Goose stood up as Carole took her hand off of Natasha’s stomach and pulled her into a hug.

“I’m so glad that Ben has met you. You both are perfect for each other.” Goose said and she melted into his touch it reminded her off Ben’s. All too soon the warmth was gone and then being replaced by Carole.

“Now, get back down there to our son, your fiancée, have this sweet little girl, get married, and help Leah keep our boys straight. Who knows where they would’ve ended up if they hadn’t found you both.” Carole said and released.

“Now don’t keep Ben waiting. He’s getting panicked. Tell the boys and Leah that we love them so much.” Goose said and she nodded.

“It was nice meeting you even if the circumstances weren’t great.” She said and they all laughed and then they said their goodbyes and she was waking up to Ben’s gentle touch.

“Baby?” Ben said and she slowly opened her eyes and looked over at him and he sighed in relief and then the pain hit her and she wanted to scream. She must’ve made a face because he was taking her hand “Hold my hand if you need to.” He said and she took it and squeezed it and he didn’t complain.

“I think something is wrong with the baby.” She said as more pain hit her.

“What do you mean?” He asked worrying.

“It hurts.” She said

“Don’t panic.” He started “Help is on the way.” He said and about that time sirens could be heard and then someone was rushing to them. The window was smashed so it was easy to talk to them “Help her first. She’s 6 months pregnant and in a lot of pain.” He said and they nodded.

“How are you feeling sir?” One paramedic asked.

“Everything hurts but I’ll be fine just help my pregnant fiancée, please.” He said

“We understand sir, we also need to help you. My partners are helping them.” They said and he slowly nodded. With controlled chaos they got them out and they were heading to the hospital. They were rolled into the hospital and they had taken him to an emergency room and then he saw her being wheeled passed him and he panicked.

“Where are they taking her?” He asked trying to get up but was pushed down by nurses and doctors and he let them due to the pain.

“Sir, just lay down.” A doctor said and he started to struggle.

“No, I need to know where my fiancée is being taken.” He said and tried to get up again and struggle and then they were pushing a sedative into his IV that was set in the ambulance and he was out like a light muttering that he needed to get to Natasha and their unborn baby.

Ben didn’t know how long he was out for but when he woke up Bradley and Leah were there and that confused him. “Bradley?” He slurred and that caught Bradley and Leah’s attention.

“Hey. How you feeling?” Leah asked putting a comforting hand on his hand.

“I’m fine. Nat and Jellybean?” He asked

“They’re in surgery.” Bradley asked and Ben’s heart monitor was starting to spike.

“What?” He asked starting to panic again and Bradley stood up and was lightly pushing Ben back as he tried to get up.

“They said they were both doing fine. There was a placenta tear but they’re fixing it. They’re both going strong. You’re going to be released once thy are out of surgery and when you woke up.” Bradley said and he nodded and settled down and the heart monitor settled, Bradley released him. He didn’t know Leah had left the room until she came back with a nurse and his doctor.

“Captain Bradshaw, you were lucky. You just had a dislocated shoulder and a cracked rib. We did have to sedate you after you starting resisting but we understand. Your wife and baby are doing well from the last I heard and should be out and in recovery in a few minutes. We’ll start your release process and get you to their room as soon as possible.” He said and Ben nodded.

“Thank you.” He said and the doctor nodded and then left as the nurse had him sign releasee forms and take the IV out.

“We stopped by the house and got some clothes for both of you.” Leah said holding a bag up and he smiled.

“Thank you, guys. Thank you for getting down here so quickly.” Ben said and slowly got up and Leah walked out of the room while Bradley helped his older brother then she got the all clear to come in.

“Anything for my older brother and future sister-in-law and niece.” Bradley said and Ben hugged him and then they released and Leah brought him in a hug.

“You guys scared us. We’re just glad you’re ok. We got the call and then were on the next flight out to here.” Leah said as she released him from the hug. About that time a nurse came in to grab them and take them to Natasha and their baby, Y/N. They followed in silence and when they got there and Ben saw his fiancée laying there, he almost broke down but when he heard his baby’s heartbeat he broke down and almost collapsed, he would’ve if Bradley wasn’t there to catch him. They walked in and Ben sat down on the chair not having his full strength back and Bradley hugged Leah. The doctor turned to them and smiled.

“Both of them are just fine. She was lucky to have only sprained her wrist and there was a placenta tear but we repaired it and everything was successful. She should be waking here in a few minutes since we didn’t want to use much anesthesia on her and the baby. The nurse and I will be back in a few to check on them both.” He said and they nodded and then left and that is when Leah and Bradley took their seats.

10 minutes later Natasha was waking up to bright lights and to her sleeping fiancée with his hand on her stomach and Bradley and Leah, who were awake. Leah was the first to notice “Hey.” She said softly and Nat smiled.

“How long has he been asleep?” Nat asked referring to Ben.

“Not too long. Want me to wake him?” Bradley asked and she shook her head.

“No, I will.” She said and they nodded and then she slowly turned to him and brought her right hand to his face and began to stroke it and started to speak softly. Once she saw him show his signs of waking up, she smiled and after a minute or two he woke up confused but then he saw her awake and was awake in an instant.

“Baby.” He said and got up and kissed her forehead his hand never leaving her stomach. “You’re ok.” He said and she nodded.

“We’re both ok.” She said and it was quiet for a minute. “I saw Goose and Carole while we were in the car.” She said and everyone was silent. “They told me to tell you that they love you and that I needed to come back to help Leah keep you boys straight.” She said and they chuckled.

“Yea that sounds like dad.” Ben said and Bradley nodded. The nurse and doctor walked in and checked on them and told them that they wanted to keep her in the hospital for a few days just to be sure and they agreed. Bradley and Leah would still be there they told work that they had a family emergency and had to be gone for a few weeks and they understood.

After a few days Nat got the all clear to go home and that is exactly what they did. It was really nice having Bradley and Leah there and they never got in the way and if Nat and Ben wanted space, they gave it to them. The doctor’s told them to take it easy and that is exactly what they were doing and why Bradley and Leah stayed.

Goose and Carole were looking down on their children and smiled. All of them were alive and healthy and their granddaughter was active but not too active sensing that her mother had something done and didn’t want to injury her further. “They’re going to be ok.” Carole said as she snuggled into Goose and he threw an arm around his wife. He kissed the side of her head and smiled.

“Yes, they are.” Goose said “Our granddaughter is going to be one spoiled little girl and is going to be one little fighter.” He said.

“Yes, she is. I can’t wait to watch her grow up.” Carole said

This accident just brought everyone together and they formed a stronger bond because of it. Ben, Natasha, and Y/N were safe. They were under careful watch of Bradley, Leah, Goose, and Carole. Nothing could bring them down they were a strong family and nothing was going to break them. They loved each other and were going to take care of each other no matter if their sick or just having a bad day. They're family and to them family sticks together no matter what unless you pull their Naval Academy papers then that’s a whole different story.

Tag list:

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[anomalousanalogy]

South Park Zombie Starter

I'll accept any canon character, only tentative on Cartman! I'd prefer no violence between our characters, at most a distrust that doesn't build into anything worse ideally.

This was a reply for a TLOU starter - initially Butters found his way to Stan's farm but for this it could be anywhere, or anyone taking shelter in Tegridy, etc. Ideally it would also be just a generic zombie plot as well!

The idea is this is several years after the outbreak Butters finally has to move on from where he'd been holed up and ends up falling into a pit trap near your character's base.

Putting the starter under a break for length and also because it has some language involved. Please don't feel obligated to match length! I just go a little overboard on starters sometimes. Just let me know where you'd like to set up the RP and we can jump into it!

Butters isn't kidding himself. He knows the only reason he's still alive after all this is pure fucking insane luck. He's not strong, he's not a fighter, he's not particularly smart in a way that might've been useful during times like these, he didn't live in a family of doomsday preppers, and he's crafty but nowhere near crafty enough to get by as well as he has up until now. Maybe the biggest boon had been just how small and out of the way the town was. Not a lot of attention from the rest of the world, and after the first wave of the outbreak, almost no one stuck around that would've drawn in that kind of attention. That didn't mean there hadn't been threats or close calls, but somehow, out of everyone else in town as far as he can tell, he must have the best luck in the damn world. That, or someone out there really likes him. Unfortunately, good luck doesn't keep the shelves stocked, and he'd gone as long as he could rationing what he had left, but he's on his last bag of shitty cheese snacks (the Last Resort for food options, but at least they were pumped so full of preservatives that they stayed edible years after expiring) and he needed to find a new source of food before his strength started to wane. He'd already picked the houses and shops as clean as he felt safe enough to do; unless he wanted to risk getting trapped in an unfamiliar cramped location with something trying to eat him, he figured it might be time to start wandering. Besides, he remembered there being a few patches of farmland near town anyway. Most likely there wouldn't be anything still growing, but grain usually lasted a while, right? The first farm he hit came up bupkis and the sounds coming from inside the buildings themselves were enough to get him to move right along. The next though... way more promising. The fact that it looked like it was still being maintained to a degree was a great start, but as much as he wants to believe in the good of humanity, Butters isn't ready to risk a fight without getting something fresh in his stomach first. He doesn't even get close. Traps hadn't even been a possibility in his head. Stupid. The fall knocks the wind and the sense from him, and a throbbing pain in his leg tells him it's at minimum sprained, but probably not broken. His shoulder and head hurt more; rebound must have knocked him a goose-egg to be proud of, but at least he wasn't face down and vulnerable. When a face pops over the edge of the pit, he scrambles for the hammer at his hip - a stupid weapon, close range and slow, but it was the only thing he felt confident wielding - but it must have slipped away in the fall. Thankfully those few seconds he grappled with the dirt and leaves for it were enough time to realize this wasn't a monster. But now he can't be fully sure he wasn't just seeing things after a knock on the head and after so long being alone. So he figures a greeting wouldn't hurt - either it's not real and he's just going to be weird by himself until his head stops spinning, or... Well. He lifts both hands and waves them in a jaunty little jiggle before weakly calling out, "Yuh-you got me!"

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

hello! i just want to say that your blog has been tremendously helpful for me as a new ball python owner. my brother in law is a big reptile enthusiast and has a whole room of them in his house. before we even thought of owning a snake, we visited his reptiles and they seemed so “happy”! he showed us how much they all LOVED to cuddle and how they clearly love him so much because, just look at their behavior! he told us that a ball python (which he owns several of) would be a perfect pet for our 9 year old. that would have sounded insane to me, but my BIL swore up and down how easy they are, and we have a very mature daughter and i would obviously be there to ensure all her daily needs were met. so, we came home from a reptile show with a beautiful two year old albino ball python named coco. the first setup we got for her was from a ball python “starter kit” we got at the show.

just typing this i’m cringing, because i know now that we made every classic mistake. i didn’t do my research when i should have, but after we brought her home, we all FELL IN LOVE with coco and i started to wonder if we were providing for her properly. i found green room pythons on YT and SIGNIFICANTLY upped our game and made her life way better.

then i found your blog, and i learned that my brother in law didn’t know a damn thing about reptiles and was just anthropomorphizing a bunch of scared, unhealthy little dudes.

your blog has taught me a lot about behavior and i feel like i understand coco so much better now. all of this has been an extremely long winded way to say: i love coco and i want to give her the best life possible, but almost every care guide i’ve found has been written (poorly) by AI, and i won’t even MENTION tiktok. i have a lot of questions (especially about humidity), but i don’t know who to ask. is your inbox open for specific questions about ball python care? i ask before spamming you with questions bc i think your specialty is native SE species and i don’t want to be rude. i just don’t know who to ask or trust, and i thought you would either know or point me in the direction of the one who does! thank you so much in advance, and sorry for the long ask with no video!!!!!

Don't ever apologize for sending in asks, that's what I'm here for!! I'm so glad to hear you're so committed to giving Coco the best.

I can absolutely answer ball python care questions, so please feel free to send any you have in! I keep ball pythons and do lots of rescue/rehab work with them, so I promise I actually love getting ball python questions! Also, if you'd like, have a look through my ball python tag - there's a chance some of your questions have already been answered.

All the best!

[ripgray-moved]

𖤐  ⸻  Despite the temporary safety that Daryl's offered tent provides him with, Peter does not sleep soundly.

It's nothing to do with his conditions; as far as they go, this is probably the most comfortable he's been in a WHILE. Between nestling his way into thin caverns and sleeping in the branches of trees to avoid the dead while sleeping, simply being able to lay perfectly horizontally with his limbs all stretched out is a luxury that he'd largely forgotten. No, it isn't the conditions; it isn't even the PEOPLE, as distrustful as they are of him. Their distaste may sting, but he knows it to be necessary. He's seen what happens when leaders don't choose their people carefully.

      Instead, the problem lies in his mind.

                                                                         UH-OH, PETEY! TIRED?

Ignoring the internal goading is one thing— he's accustomed to that now, it comes as easily as breathing— but the persistent WORRY now that he's unwittingly dragged a potential community into his mess is relentless As if he didn't have enough to regret with his family.

When Daryl pokes his head in and tells him to come, Peter does so without argument. The last thing he needs is to make ENEMIES of these people. They've already done more for him than they should have, Dixon most of all, and he'd been prepared for this moment ( being cast out, having to meet this scary-sounding 'Rick' fella, the list goes on ) since he was allowed to crash.

What he ISN'T prepared for is catching a familiar coat out of the corner of his eye. A breath hitches in his throat as he stops still, bearing witness to a little group of people on the external side of the fence standing around talking. He recognises the attire instantly— or specifically, the bright MARIGOLD RIBBON tied around the man's waist like a belt as he diplomatically speaks with who Peter presumes are some of this place's 'higher-ups'.

          It doesn't take long for Daryl to realise he's stopped. To follow his gaze.

❛ We mean you no harm. We've simply come to collect what is ours. We believe he ran this way. We tracked him through the woods and wound up here. ❜ The man's voice is polite, gentle, hands folded neatly in front of him as he speaks. Though he has not come alone, his own brigade of people stand several feet back, visibly unarmed and not interjecting. ❛ He is of great significance, but I'm afraid he can be quite the tyke. He... ❜

Daryl and Peter's jog to the gate carries them near enough to hear— and near enough for the stranger to take notice of the man in front, his true target conveniently hidden behind him. He stares at him unblinkingly for a couple of seconds before he clicks his tongue and nods his head, smiling softly.

                                                                                 ❛ Ah. It's you. ❜

@aintashes / plotted starter ( i'm going fucking insane ).

[ladylilithprime]

Day 27: Prayer

(Set in the werewolf!Sam'verse. Immediate follow-up to Day 13, before Day 23.)

FINDING OUT THAT the bunch of demons who kept hunting for Sammy weren't just trying to make him their unholy Messiah but were actually trying to kick off the literal Biblical Apocalypse, and that certain factions of Heaven were perfectly happy to let them despite the supposed Time being several hundred millennia too early because Heaven had been manipulating bloodlines to intentionally get two sons born of the union between the Winchester and Campbell families to serve as Vessels for Michael and Lucifer to have their bug Battle Royale and lay waste to the Earth with humanity as unlamented collateral damage... yeah, even without having had any faith in God or Heaven or any of that preachy bullshit Pastor Jim used to talk about, that was a harsh blow. Sam had ended up knocking back half his tequila straight from the bottle, and Jimmy had looked very much like he had wanted to ask for some to top off his Bloody Mary. Castiel had obviously known at least some of it already, but even he had looked devastated by the (heh) revelations.

Dean kept that joke confined to the inside of his head, too, since he kinda figured Sam wouldn't be in the mood to hear it.

The arrival of Dean's ordered bacon cheese fries had given them a bit of a reprieve from the heavy talk. Loki - or Gabriel, Dean was still on the fence about what to call their "divine patron" now - needed no further encouragement beyond Dean's general "dig in" to help himself to some of the cheesy bacony thick-cut potatoes. Sam had shot him a bitchface that was three parts annoyance and one part grudging agreement before tugging on the edge of one of the plates to put it between the two of them, leaving the second plate for Jimmy and the angels. Dean got a brief snicker out of watching Castiel try eating at both Loki and Jimmy's encouragement, but most of his attention was focused on Sam.

"Some day, huh, Sammy?" he murmured, hesitantly pressing his leg up against Sam's and relaxing when his brother pressed back.

"We're taking a vacation after this," Sam murmured back, snagging one of the cheese-coated fries and jabbing it in Dean's direction. "A real vacation, where we just kick back and relax for, like, a week at the least. Preferably with a beach."

"I can be down with that," Dean agreed. Frankly, he was willing to give Sammy anything he wanted at this point, and a week on a beach actually sounded kinda awesome. "So long as you'll rub sunscreen on my back and aloe on the sunburns I'll end up with anyway."

"If you don't end up ditching me for a girl or three in string bikinis, I'll rub whatever you want," Sam said with the fervency of a vow, too serious to be passed off as a joke. Dean felt himself twitch and had to force himself not to squirm at the mental images that promise evoked in him. When he didn't move his leg away, Sam's expression softened slightly. "I mean it, Dean. I'm on board with this if you are, but you gotta be the one saying go. You decide you'd rather bag a few beach bunnies, I'll be your wingman for a week and then head back to Stanford until you're ready to come find me."

"Maybe we should find a really private beach," Dean mumbled, gripping his whiskey glass. "Y'know, so it won't matter which skin you feel like running around in, and I don't have to put up with wearing shorts."

"I can accommodate you gentlemen on that one, if you don't mind 'too remote for roads' as a condition," Loki piped up, saluting them with his Shirley Temple. "Just putting that out there for you, sorry to interrupt the private pow-wow."

"We'll think about it," Dean said after sharing a look with Sam. If Loki was willing to bring the Impala along, too, despite the lack of roads to drive her on, it was definitely tempting. "For now... how's this prayer phone thing supposed to work when it ain't to you?"

"Standard invocation starter, just the name of the angel or archangel you're trying to reach, then say whatever you need to," Loki answered. "A'course, given it's you, you could probably just say something like 'I pray to the Big Sky Daddy' and it would get through to Mikey along with whatever angels are on the team assigned to hear general prayers."

"And it has to be me?" Dean asked, grimacing when Loki nodded.

"Gotta be a human, and of the two we have at this table you're the one Mikey will listen to more," he said.

"Not sure I could muster up enough mind to pray more than 'fuck you', anyway," Jimmy muttered, his words a little slurred. He eyed the remains of his Bloody Mary, then pulled out the celery stick and took a bite. "Pro'ly get smited for it."

Well, that was discouraging, since "fuck you" was about what Dean really wanted to say. He sighed and propped his elbows on the table, then folded his hands like he'd seen some people do on TV.

I pray to Archangel Michael, Prince of Heaven... he started, then huffed. That should be good enough to get the bastard's attention. Alright, listen up, you great feathered dick. I've never had any faith in God or angels, and even knowing y'all exist that ain't changed any.

Sammy, though... my little brother did believe in you, in the lore that calls you a celestial cosmic force for good, a balance to the evil demons throw around. He prayed, every damn day, so quietly and privately I didn't even know that until he told me! He only stopped when a credible source told us that, because of who and what he is, no one up there's been listening. And buddy, if you asshats are the kind of judgemental morons to completely write off a good kid and a fucking saint of a man like Sam because some dickhead demon bled in his mouth without his consent when he was a baby? I don't want anything to do with you, either.

In the meantime, since Sammy is a werewolf and according to your bro Gabriel wouldn't be getting into Heaven anyway, he and I are dedicating ourselves to Loki. Gabe says fuck you for trying to start the Apocalypse waaaaay too early, by the way, and I'll let Sammy turn me, too, before I ever agree to let you use me to destroy humanity and the earth. And since the angel you sent to investigate why I never made a deal went and asked Gabe to take him into his service, you can consider this notice of Castiel's resignation, too.

Dean paused, waiting to see if anything was going to happen, then unfolded his hands and picked up his glass to slam back the last of his whiskey.

"Ah-fucking-men."

[inkydavinkygal]

Super Why New Series Complaints

"Pig and Woofster are gone; it isn't the same! We already got a black girl, why did she have to replace them?"

Yes, it appears Woofster and Pig won't be in the new short series, as Paige will take their place; but just because they're absent from the series doesn't mean they're forgotten/we should hate Paige. For starters, Pig and Woofster have appeared in:

103 episodes that go for 22 minutes (Woofster is around 30-40 episodes as he was featured in Season 2 onwards).

A live show

Music shorts

A literal cereal brand

Several pieces of merchandise, toys, books, coloring books, and more

And what does Paige appear in? 20 or so 3-minute shorts. That's a big difference.

While I understand some people being upset they're not in the series, I'd just like to reiterate they're not forgotten. If they were, we wouldn't be seeing so many episodes uploaded on the PBS Kids YouTube channel with them in it or in featured posts on social media. And, on a side note, Paige is an excellent addition to the show; a girl with darker skin with naturally curled hair in a cute braided style will impact so many young kids who have her skin color/her hair texture, to see somebody that looks like them on TV (no offence to Pig) So I don't understand everyone's hatred of this new girl who's barely going to be in the series for more than 20 episodes. Give her a chance, okay?

Plus, the shorts are going to be only 3 minutes: it has to be snappy and quick, and Woofster and Pig's powers usually take longer than three minutes to wrap up a problem; this could be a reason why they're on the sidelines.

"I don't like the new voice actors! They sound so weird!"

In the new shorts, Whyatt and Red have new voice actors (Jayd Deroche voicing Whyatt and Willa Scace voicing Red) with the newest Super Reader, Paige, being voiced by Delia Chambers. And, once again, I can understand why some would be upset with the new voice actors and how they sound; but the child voice actors don't do a bad job voicing them. I think the main issue is how the audio quality/production affected their voices, but we only got a small clip from one of the shorts, so it could change before we get all the episodes.

"I hate their new outfits! They look the same!"

While yes, their outfits have changed, it might have to be due to how times are changing and or being easier to animate.

Even if their costumes have altered slightly, you can still tell their personalities and their powers easily; Red still keeps her skates, headgear, and such while gaining longer sleeves/leggings; Whyatt gains gloves and light blue parts of his suit, but still resembles a "superman feel" to his costume; I can tell he's the leader from what he's wearing.

Even if they're all wearing bodysuits, there are still aspects to knowing who and what they are. And for Whyatt's hair? ...I say it's an improvement; at least he doesn't have that bird's nest haircut anymore. Plus, his hair kinda of looks similar front-facing.

"They got rid of Princess Pea's gown; they're trying to get rid of her femininity and make it feminist!"

This comment literally made me aggrieved. One; no, they're not trying to get rid of her femininity, and I don't even know how some people came to that conclusion. Feminism doesn't mean getting rid of traditionally feminine things for the sake of making things equal; it means letting girls do whatever they want, including wearing whatever they want. Maybe Princess pea decided this outfit was better for fighting villains and her other outfit was for just solving problems? That would suit her; she's the type to have several outfits for many occasions

Two: Just by LOOKING at her outfit, she still retains aspects of her "pretty princess superhero" outfit. There are ruffles, pink everywhere, a flipping tiara, curls and wrapped into a messy bun, and she even keeps her wand. I'd say it takes a more "modern" form of her superhero outfit; cause god forbid we let a princess wear PANTS.

And, side note, I've seen plenty of princesses wear outfits similar to hers; for example, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, and Princess Rosalina in Mario Kart in their biker outfits!

There's an uncanny resemblance between her outfit and theirs; I wouldn't even be surprised if her new outfit was based off of them!