#(Me already sitting in the connection service because the train was perfectly on time

[tardis--dreams]

That's what i thought you would say you dumb fucking app

[bestbeest]

One problem that you might have is that there are very, very few SD programs that will train a dog to do seizure alert. Many supposedly reputable programs have turned out to basically be rolling the dice on that or sometimes outright scamming people out of their money. I don't say this to discourage you but to caution you, profoundly, to be careful, meet as many SD teams from that program as possible, and to do extensive research before you lay your money down.

That out of the way. You will want to look into multiple fundraising options. Of all the dozens of GoFundMes I've seen for SDs, only two have made a significant amount of money. The GoFundMe model is just not very effective. I recommend working with as many local community organizations a possible. Your church or youth group may be willing to host a car wash or a bake sale, for example. Your job might be willing to sponsor a fundraiser or start a collection around the workplace for you. Rotary clubs etc are another resource. It's absolutely possible to raise a large amount of money, but specific, face to face appeals with people who are in some way connected to you will have much more success than semi anonymous internet campaigns.

My last point is about the actual costs. Ass I'm sure you already know, That Shits Expensive, lol. Most people end up paying 20-25k by the time they come out with a fully trained service dog. Some people pay much more. BUT don't panic, because there are ABSOLUTELY ways to keep the costs down. I owner trained, and my dog cost me $3,500. My friend spent about $6,000. Obviously these numbers are way fucking better. And while we are the outliers, we are not flukes. We were both profoundly strategic and used some unconventional techniques. I'll do a very quick, very brief summary here - but please PM me, because I would love to go further in depth about how to make each of these ideas work, but I'm not gonna do that at 11pm on my phone, lol.

Start with an adult dog. Puppies are expensive and their temperaments can change wildly between 8 weeks and adulthood. Also, training and raising a puppy while disabled varies between So Sucky and Literal Fucking Nightmare. Start with a solid adult dog who already has a stable temperament and save yourself $10k that would have been wasted on at least one failed dog. DO NOT DO ANY OLD DOG. Select one SO carefully, and have it evaluated by a good professional SD trainer. The vast majority of dogs can't do this work so it's well worth it to make sure you have a great candidate BEFORE you invest hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars into it.

Do as much of the training yourself as you can. Practically speaking, this means reading every single dog training book you can get your hands on. SD training is 80% public access training, aka Being Bored In Public, aka positively exposing them to common situations as many times as possible, 10-15% obedience training (sit, down, long stays, heeling, tucking into small places, leaveits, mat work, basic shit like that), and only 5-10% actual task training. If you have a solid foundation in basic dog training theory from reading all those books, you can have a professional trainer show you what to do a few times and then do two hundred hours of public access training yourself. Conversely, if you try to do this without knowing what you're doing, what the best scientifically proven methods are, and without professional guidance, you'll ruin a perfectly good dog, so really, do your damn homework. But this shit is WAY simpler than most people assume.

2b) please God start with clicker training, LIMA, and R+ training. You can decide how much force you want to use but don't ever start with force. Clicker training is gods little gift to dogkind and it has been studied and analyzed and tested and it is so fucking effective.

Go join some Facebook groups for service dog handlers in your city/state/province. Make connections with people going through the same thing you are, aka community + support + advice + assistance. My local area Facebook group, a couple other heavily moderated groups, and r/service_dogs have been INVALUABLE on so many levels. It's free, specific, tailored advice from experienced and clever people.

Find a really good trainer to help you along. Best method in my opinion? Go to that local Facebook group and then ask for recommendations. Trainers who have turned out successful service dog teams already are much better bets and much less likely to waste your time and money. Run far far away from dominance based trainers, who are using insanely outdated methods that can and have destroyed good service dog candidates - dominance training is unscientific bullshit at best and animal abuse at worst, and if your dog is sensitive enough to be a SD he is easily sensitive enough to be totally fucking ruined by cruelty. On the flip side, a really good trainer can be a lifeline. Unless you are a professional and experienced dog trainer yourself, this is necessary!! And even then, unless you've specifically been professionally training service dogs, you will still need help with specific things from time to time. Seriously. A good professional trainer will be a godsend. And if you DON'T have experience training dogs, you literally will not be able to do this on your own. It's worth the money to find a good trainer, I swear.

This is highly abbreviated lol so please consider this long ass post a starting point, NOT a guide. But seriously, a service dog CAN be affordable and CAN be accessible. And genuinely, feel free to send asks or straight up PM me with questions.

Dawn and Reese :)

Hey! I was wondering if you know any good places or organisations that would help find or start a go-fund-me of some kind to get a service dog. Or any information you think I should know/your opinions.

I’m diagnosed with FND and get non-epileptic seizures, I’m a fall risk, and I have cPTSD. I dissociate a lot and sometimes when I get black out amnesia, I don’t know where I am and freak out. They can’t give me anything for my FND. I’m only 18, though.

I was thinking that a service dog trained to detect non-epileptic seizures or other types of attacks that I get from FND, trained to do chest compressions for panic attacks and other behaviours to calm me down, and trained to take me somewhere safe in times of distress would be the best option for me. The issue is that I do not have the funds at all. Im also going to college.

I’m at a loss for what I can really do.

I don't really "do" or like organizations intended for service dogs. Sorry! I'm leaving this open for any followers who may have some ideas.

[animeomegas]

Omega!Naruto getting married

Anon: Omg omg bro I just saw the amazing and wonderful art of naruto in a white dress and it just got me thinking. Could you do naruto and his alpha getting married pllleeeaaassssee🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺I also wanna show you the picture soo badd he's so beautifullllllll

(Omg tag me in this 🥺I want to see!!! Naruto is so so beautiful you’re absolutely right and I love him and this was so far down my writing list but I just really wanted to write it anyway. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. <3)

I wrote for a Western wedding because I have no idea how Japanese weddings work (although I’m taking a degree in Japanese rip)

Warnings: Alcohol mention.

This boy will never admit it, but he always dreamt of getting married when he was a child.

When he was really young, he asked the Sandaime why people get married and the Hokage told him that marriage is what two people did when they loved each other more than anyone else.

Naruto always wanted someone to love him and so he clung to this in a similar (but less extreme) way, to how he clung to his dream of becoming Hokage. 

He always imagined his future self as the most badass ninja/Hokage with  a beautiful mate/spouse and some little prankster pups who would love him and who he would love unconditionally in return. 

And so when his alpha finally proposes to him.

This man goes a bit crazy.

As soon as the shock wears off, you suddenly get bombarded with him shouting about a thousand different things he wants at the wedding, and what food there should be, and “Do you think they sell orange wedding cakes?”.

He wants an insanely big and extravagant wedding.

It’s probably best to just humour him.

Proposal:

You were already mated to Naruto when you proposed.

Naruto lowkey believes in soulmates and when you had been courting for about a year he knew you were his. 

His very next heat came around, and boom, you were mated. 

You proposed about a year and a half after that, spurred on by Naruto’s less than subtle hints about it.

Naruto loved being around his friends and he also loved positive attention, so the idea for your proposal came naturally. 

You threw a get together for him and his closest friends. Good food, plenty of drinks and board games.

Naruto was laughing and smiling all night. He teamed up with you for the games, sitting on your lap the entire time. 

He used this vantage point to demand congratulatory and commiserative  kisses everytime something happened in the game. You could feel him smiling into the kiss each time.

The plan was working perfectly so far. 

As the evening began to wind down, you stood up, immediately garnering the attention of everyone in the room.

You cleared your throat awkwardly as all the eyes in the room settled on you. Sakura gave you a thumbs up behind Naruto’s shoulder.

‘You got this!’ She mouthed, eyes twinkling with excitement. With her encouragement in mind, you took one final deep breath before beginning.

“Sorry to interrupt you all, but there’s one more thing I have to do before everyone goes home.” You started, successfully avoiding any unfortunate stutters or out of control nervous scents.

Naruto furrowed his brows at you, confused. You only smiled, silently telling him to wait. 

“I have an... announcement of sorts to make.” 

“Then get on with it.” Drawled Shikamaru, smirking at you from the corner. You glared at him for teasing you, but he was too busy dodging a ‘shut up’ punch from Sakura to notice.

“As you all know, I’ve had the honour of being mated for Naruto for almost two years now,” You focused your gaze onto your mate, watching him perk up at the mention of his name. “and I have been madly in love for every minute of it.” You paused thoughtfully. “Even the minute when he drank out of date milk and threw up all over my bed.” 

Naruto went red as his friends giggled at him. He let out an embarrassed whine as you joined in the laughter. 

“You didn’t have to tell them that!” He groaned, voice muffled from the cushion he had temporarily buried his face in. 

“What I’m trying to say, is that when I met Naruto my life changed forever, for the better. I can no longer fathom a life where I could live without him.”

You turned to address Naruto directly. He was watching you closely. Maybe he was starting to guess where this was going.

“When I wake up next to you, when we invent terrible ramen flavours together, when I bandage you after training because you tried to show off and hurt yourself,” You laughed breathily. “Those are the moments when I am the happiest. The common denominator is you, Naruto, my beloved mate.”

No one else in the room mattered now apart from you and Naruto. You took one final breath to steel yourself, before dropping on one knee. Naruto gasped, his hands coming up to cover his mouth. 

“Which is why I want to be with you for the rest of our lives.” You pulled the ring box out of your pocket, opening it to reveal a simple golden band. 

“Will you marry me, Naruto?”

Naruto nodded furiously, his bottom lip wobbling as his eyes filled up with tears.

“YES! YES! YES! A thousand times yes!!” 

Naruto threw himself into your arms as his friends applauded and whooped in the background. You caught him with a happy laugh, leaning to kiss him. Naruto reciprocated enthusiastically, earning a few wolf whistles from his friends.

Naruto’s scent was that of pure sugar and you revelled in it, certain that your own was the same. Eventually you pulled away from the kiss, wiping a tear from Naruto’s eye, cradling his face gently in your hands.

“A toast,” Chouji’s voice called out, interrupting your thoughts. “To the newly engaged couple!” 

All your friends cheered, raising their glasses in a toast to your engagement. 

“May their love last forever!”

You laughed gleefully. Forever indeed.

Planning:

Naruto has a lot of ideas and a lot of passion, but not so much in the planning skills department. 

I hate to say it, but Naruto is a little bit of a Bridezilla type. A cute one though, so that’s better?

He really really wants a lot of random specific stuff that he dreamt about as a child, but he’s not good at organising it so you get a lot of:

“Alphaaaaa, can you book [insert incredibly specific wedding thing]?”

“Alpha, alpha, alpha, can you find a [insert incredibly specific wedding thing] for me, please???”

Here is a list of some, not all, of the things Naruto wants for his wedding. Bolded are ‘no compromises allowed’.

A traditional, white wedding dress (He knows he can wear whatever he wants, but his life has only ever been atypical and he just really wants a traditional white male omega wedding dress.)

An orange wedding cake (Naruto wants an orange wedding cake, but he can be persuaded to settle for orange detailing instead of the solid orange monstrosity he originally wants.)

A ramen course ( he wants one of the courses to be ramen of course! The idea of a really expensive, fancy ramen course just makes him melt with excitement. Nobody is surprised when they see ramen on the menu.)

A big wedding (He will invite the whole village if you allow him to. Ultimately though, as long as there’s room for every friend he’s ever had, he’s happy.)

Double barrelling your surnames (He really wants to take your name. Now that you’re married and mated, you’re a team for life and he wants that reflected in your names, but he also spent most of his life without family, and his name is one of the only connections he has to his mother. As such, he would never be able to lose it completely.)

A stag do/bachelor party (He just thinks it would be fun to get together with his other omega friends. He wants to hang out with his friends and wedding party for a night without anyone being away on missions for once.)

A honeymoon in Konoha (Naruto doesn’t want to travel for his honeymoon. Konoha is his home and his favourite place to be, so he wants to be there. If you desperately want to travel, you could probably organise a half-and-half style honeymoon. Half in Konoha, half wherever you want.)

Two empty chairs for his parents during the service (He has lost so many people, he could never leave empty chairs for them all. He keeps everyone he’s lost in his mind on his wedding day, but his parents are the ones he misses the most on his special day. When he looks at the empty chairs, he likes to think that they would be proud watching him get married.

The Wedding:

Naruto is fully bouncing off the walls.

He’s so excited. And nervous. But excited.

He gets ready and when he gazes at himself in the mirror, he feels amazing. As a child, he always thought he would cover his whiskers with make up, thinking they were on of the reasons people treated him differently. But now, as he stares at his reflection, he wears his whisker marks proudly.

Everyone pitched in to make the wedding perfect. Ino with the flowers, Chouji with the food, etc.

The wedding was kind of a bizarre mix. Some parts were strictly traditional and other parts were... orange. 

Naruto had plenty of fireworks set up to go off in the evening, and this ended up being one of his favourite parts of the day.

Naruto asked Iruka to walk him down the aisle about a month befpre the wedding. Iruka 100% cried when that happened. And then Naruto cried because Iruka was crying, it was an adorable mess. 

You got married outside. The sun was so bright, and the weather was warm but with a slight breeze. 

Naruto and Iruka wait just out of everyone’s view. When they send the signal, everybody stands.

You watched in awe as your mate turned the corner, grasping tightly at Iruka sensei’s arm.

He was stunning.

The sunlight reflected off his blond hair like light off of water, his white dress adding to the blinding effect. Naruto had refused to tell you what he would be wearing today, but this was more beautiful than you could have ever imagined. 

As he reached the end of the aisle, your mate gave up on being graceful, running the last few steps and throwing himself into your embrace. You caught him easily, twirling him around. Laughter rang through the hall.

“You look stunning.” You whispered in his ear, gently stroking up and down his arms.

“So do you.” He grinned in return.

The ceremony flew by. You had tried your hardest to listen, but you couldn’t stop staring at your mate instead. His eyes were always one of your favourite of his physical features, but they had looked especially magical today. 

Before you knew it, it was time for your first dance.

You hadn’t planned anything and you certainly didn’t take any lessons, so it was just you and him, in each others’ arms, swaying together to the music. 

Naruto felt warm in your arms as you swayed. You took a moment to nuzzle your face into his scent glands, pressing a firm kiss to his mating mark while you were there. Naruto hummed in delight, holding onto you even tighter.

“My omega. My mate. My husband.” You breathed into his ear, knowing how much he loved his new title.

Naruto shivered and purred in response. “I love the sound of that, you know.”

“I’m aware.” You laughed, using the distraction to twirl him. Naruto completed his twirl before trying to twirl you as well. 

Other couples soon began to join you on the dance floor, but you and Naruto only had eyes for each other. 

“I love you, more than anything else in this world Naruto, never forget that.”

“I love you, too. Forever, I promise.”

“Do you love me more than ramen?”

“What? Can’t you just be happy with second place?”

“Narutoooo.”

“Fine... Joint first.”

“I hate you.”

Naruto barked out a laugh at the look on your face.

“No, you don’t.”

[captainrogers-ass]

Leather & Spice - Zemo x Reader One-Shot

Summary: You could never say no to a mission when it was Sam Wilson calling, yet cooperating with a convicted mass murderer hadn’t exactly been what you were expecting. Wounding, maiming, killing; those were all in your job description. Acting as Helmut Zemo’s lover was not.

Word Count: 4900

Pairings: Zemo x Reader, Sam x Reader (platonic), Bucky x Reader (platonic)

A/N: Ok so I know I’ve been super inactive and I know this isn’t strictly Chris Evans related but I’m currently obsessed with TFATWS; more specifically a certain mass murderer. I’ve substituted Serbian for Sokovian, although Zemo talks to Bucky in Russian. As always, any and all feedback is much appreciated. I hope you enjoy!!! Let me know if you want a part 2!!!

The call had been tense, brief, and widely lacking in any important information, and yet you had still gone anyway.

No matter how many times the Avengers had screwed you over you couldn’t help yourself when Sam Wilson called. Your resistance was futile. He was too charming to say no to, and you were pretty sure he was perfectly well aware of that.

The private jet had been a nice surprise in all honesty. Sam had seemingly always had a knack for finding the seediest alleyway or dingiest motel room to meet up in whenever he called for your help, so you couldn’t help but smile at the change in scenery. Your boots clicked loudly on the tarmac below as you approached the plane, your hand pausing as it connected with the railing of the stair car, a small smile escaping onto your lips as you tried to contain your unusual excitement.

A butler with greying hair and aged skin greeted you at the entrance to the plane. He was dressed in a neat, black suit and smiled at you kindly upon your arrival, his arms already extended as he motioned towards your luggage.

“Oh, thank you,” you said with a smile as you handed over your bag.

The cabin was lovely; spacious, lavish and filled with two grown men who were currently too enthralled in their escalating argument to take any notice of your arrival.

Bucky and Sam were sitting next to each other; Bucky slumped over within his seat with his arms folded across his chest, Sam perched at the edge of his own seat, his hands raised passionately before him as he berated Bucky in a tone that was clearly trying to stay relatively calm but was miserably failing. You cleared your throat as a small smile escaped onto your lips; these two hadn’t changed one bit.

Sam’s eyes met yours first.

“Y/N!” he exclaimed, immediately rising from his seat and striding the few steps towards you, engulfing you in a hug. “I wasn’t sure, you’d come. I haven’t seen you in so long!”

You laughed as you managed to extract yourself from Sam’s embrace.

“You know I can never say no to you, Sam,” you chuckled.

“It’s because I’m too handsome, right?”

“Sure.”

You turned your attention to Bucky who was now standing just slightly back from Sam, their argument apparently forgotten as Bucky smiled kindly towards you.

“Hey there stranger,” you said as you gave Bucky a brief hug.

“And here I was thinking I was the most antisocial person I knew,” he retorted.

“I haven’t been avoiding you two, I promise. I’ve just been busy.”

“Yeah,” Sam said. “With whatever it is you do.”

You laughed but didn’t answer his implied question.

“This jet is a nice touch. How in the hell did you afford this?” you questioned.

The atmosphere changed immediately, the smile on your features faltering slightly as you felt the tension rise around you. Bucky turned his eyes to the floor, his figure hunching over slightly so that he looked far smaller than he usually appeared. Sam averted his gaze as well, instead turning to look at something past your shoulder.

“It’s mine actually. I don’t believe we’ve met.”

Having worked in secret services your entire life you found yourself quite shocked at having failed to notice the third man on board. There was no doubt that this man hadn’t been in the main cabin upon your arrival, but having failed to recognise his presence until he spoke was an unusual oversight on your part; especially since he was standing quite close to you.

As you turned around you registered three things before your eyes landed upon him. Firstly, his accent was unusual, captivating and alluring, not one that you could outright recognise on an initial introduction alone. Secondly, his cologne was extraordinarily enticing; a dark, spicy smell that washed over you and filled your senses all at once so that you couldn’t help but inhale deeply to try and get another whiff of it. And thirdly, his presence was remarkable. Even before you looked upon him you could tell that this was a man of wealth; his tone, his posture, his cologne, his everything, oozed sophistication.

And then your eyes met his.

“I’m Helm-”

Before he could finish you grabbed the hand he had been in the process of outstretching for a handshake, twisted it behind his back before shoving him up against the wall of the plane with quite possibly a tad more force than was strictly necessary. A grunt escaped his lips as you did so, but whether it was from pain or surprise you couldn’t tell.

“Y/N!” Bucky and Sam yelled in unison.

“Would someone care to explain to me why there is a convicted criminal on board this plane.” Your voice came out far calmer than you were expecting.

“Well it is my pla-”

“Shut up,” you, Bucky and Sam all said in unison.

You pushed his contorted arm higher and a flicker of pain crossed his features for just a second, yet he remained silent. His face was pressed against the wall, your body weight holding him in place, and yet his eyes were trained on you, a piercing blend of hazel and gold that sent a shiver down your spine. He wasn’t resisting at all—which was surprising considering he could probably overpower you with his military history—and he no longer made any obvious outward indication that he was in pain even though the placement of his arm would suggest otherwise.

“We need him, Y/N,” Sam finally spoke up.

You struggled to pull your gaze from his, lingering for what felt like years.

“And his life-long prison sentence just happened to be up, I suppose?” you replied.

You couldn’t quite tell, but the subtle vibrations coming from Zemo made you think that he was laughing.

“Well, Bucky was the one who actually broke him ou-” Sam began.

“Oh yeah blame it on me,” Bucky exclaimed.

“Were you not the one who broke him out?”

“You know we needed him I was just the-”

“Ok, ok, boys,” you interrupted. “I really don’t care whose fault it is. What’s done is done. But will someone please explain why the hell we need a mass murderer’s help?”

“Well, there’s this new terrorist organisation called the Flagsmashers,” Sam began.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Zemo interrupted. You pushed him up against the wall harder but he continued on unfazed. “But I feel like this story is going to take a while so is there any possibility that I can have the function of my arm back, please?”

There was that accent again, so unusual and yet so smooth that it took you a few seconds to actually register what the man was saying. You glared at him for several seconds but eventually loosened your grip.

Immediately turning around, Zemo brought his hand up to rub at the arm that had been angled uncomfortably behind his back, his gaze never leaving yours. Your eyes travelled down his figure, taking in the luxurious coat draped around his shoulders, the well-tailored purple turtleneck underneath that shaped his frame well, and the expensive-looking black gloves that clung to his fingers. When your eyes returned to his a smile was peeking through onto his lips.

“As I was saying before, I’m Helmut Zemo.” You noticed that he didn’t extend his hand a second time for a handshake. “But I take it you already knew that…Y/N, is it?”

You didn’t answer, simply continuing to stare at him through slitted eyelids.

“I would say it is a pleasure to meet you,” he began again, making his way over to a small bar cart as he poured himself a drink. “But it was actually a surprisingly painful introduction.”

Extending a gloved hand towards you Zemo offered you a glass of the brown liquid. With some hesitation you accepted, your eyes never leaving his as your hand brushed over his gloved one.

Tearing your gaze from his you made your way to the seat in front of where Sam and Bucky had been previously sitting. Taking a sip from your drink you motioned for the two men to reclaim their seats.

“So, tell me about these Flagsmashers.”

*

“If we have to do something about this, I’m the only one that looks like a pimp,” Sam commented, looking down to admire the colourfully decorated suit he was wearing.

The four of you were currently walking across an empty bridge, the lights of the bustling city burning bright in the distance.

“Only an American would assume a fashion-forward black man looks like a pimp. You look exactly like the man you’re supposed to be playing; a sophisticated, charming, African rake named Conrad Mack, aka the Smiling Tiger,” Zemo replied, passing his phone to Sam, a photo lighting up the screen.

“He even has a bad nickname. Hell, he does look like me though.”

You walked closer to Sam, leaning over his shoulder to get a look at the picture. You laughed slightly to yourself.

“You sure you don’t have some alter ego you’re not telling us about?” you questioned.

“Ha, ha,” Sam responded dryly.

“So then who am I supposed to be?” you asked Zemo. “Some stunningly beautiful millionaire who also happens to look exactly like me, I presume?”

The sarcasm was obvious in your tone and yet you were still surprised at the small laugh that left Zemo’s lips. It was deep, dark, and didn’t last very long, but it was charming. You turned away from him and looped your arm through Sam’s instead, pretending to need assistance with walking from the six-inch heels Zemo had you wear.

The dress he had presented to you on the plane was surprisingly stunning. It was black and fell just above your ankles, a large slit running up the left side of the fabric and a cowling neckline that accentuated your figure perfectly. The back was low, the straps criss-crossing across your shoulders doing little to provide any solace from the evenings cold wind.

“In a sense I suppose that is correct,” Zemo responded. “You will be playing the role of my date.”

Your head whipped around to stare at him.

“Excuse me?”

Bucky and Sam tried in vain to hide their snickers. You punched Sam lightly in the arm.

“The Smiling Tiger, the Winter Soldier and I all have reputations that we can rely on here in Madripoor. Nobody knows who you are Y/N and that makes you the most valuable person here. By limiting you to just my date people will begin to underestimate you which makes you a valuable asset if things begin to go South.”

His words made sense and yet you refused to admit it.

“He’s not wrong, Y/N,” Sam whispered to you.

“I think if Bucky can pretend to be the Winter Soldier,” Zemo continued. “Then you will be perfectly capable of pretending to be my date.”

“No, I think Y/N still got the short straw here,” Bucky said, causing you and Sam to begin to snicker as a scowl appeared on Zemo’s face.

A black car began to approach you on the bridge, pulling up beside you. Just before you could open the door a gloved hand enclosed around the handle.

“Allow me, draga.”

He opened the door and motioned for you to enter. You met his gaze, raising an eyebrow up at him.

“I’m not your date just yet.”

“A lady should always be treated with respect whether she is one’s date or not.”

You hadn’t been expecting a response, yet he had provided one so quickly and with such sincerity in his voice that you couldn’t help but furrow your eyebrows at him. Your gaze lingered upon his for several seconds before he provided you with a curt nod.

You entered the car without another word, Zemo following in behind you so that you were now sandwiched between him and Sam with Bucky sitting quite comfortably in the front seat.

The drive into town was mostly quiet. You enjoyed looking out the window at the bright city, mesmerised by all the neon signs and blinding lights. The streets were riddled with guns; hidden in holsters on people’s hips, tucked into the backs of pants, or simply waved around nonchalantly. You checked the holster attached to your thigh for good measure.

Glancing into the rear-view mirror you could have sworn that you had met Zemo’s gaze for a split second, but with a blink of your eyes his head was now directed out the window, his gaze fixated on the passing buildings. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, but returned your gaze to the window once more without a word.

The streets were crawling with criminals when you reached the bar. Guns were being waved around as if they were a fashion accessory and blatant felonies were being conducted out in the open with no attempt to conceal anything.

Zemo exited the car first, and as you scooted across the seat to make your own exit you found that familiar gloved hand was already extended towards you. Looking up, your eyes met his, taking his hand without a word. You were now in character and you were going to play the role as best you could.

You didn’t let go of Zemo’s hand as he helped you from the car. Instead, after waiting for him to close the door behind you, you looped your arm through his as you had done to Sam only minutes previously, this time leaning into him much more closely than you had done with your friend.

If Zemo was surprised at your gentle touch he did not show it. Instead he flexed his arm to bring you slightly closer before leading you, Bucky and Sam into the bar. As soon as you had exited the car it seemed as if the whole street had their eyes on you. Your heart fluttered nervously in your chest, but your features remained neutral even as your eyes roamed freely around your surroundings.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” you whispered to Zemo. “But I think you should’ve given me something a bit more revealing to wear. This dress is beautiful, but I look so out of place.”

Zemo turned to you with a smile on his face.

“Any woman on my arm will always be dressed in the finest of silks. It would be far more suspicious if I made you wear a more revealing dress, trust me.”

His voice was low as he spoke to you, his gaze fixated on you as he smiled cheekily.

Your heart fluttered nervously once more.

The bar was loud, hot and filled with half-drunk people rubbing their private parts against each other. The popular neon lights trickled in to the establishment, casting contrasting shadows of yellow and red across the space.

A bartender greeted you as you approached the bar, his face stoic and void of emotion.

“Hello gentlemen,” he nodded towards Sam. “Wasn’t expecting you, Smiling Tiger.”

Zemo answered for him.

“His plans changed. We have business to do with Selby.”

The bartender turned to Sam.

“The usual?”

Sam nodded.

When the bartender returned with a snake and began to gut it right in front of you you couldn’t help the small smile that crept up onto your face when you realised what was happening.

“Ah,” Zemo began, “Smiling Tiger, your favourite.”

His tone was slightly mocking and it nearly caused you to burst out laughing right there, but you managed to retain your composure. Sam turned with a resentful look on his face to see you and Zemo trying to hide the smiles that were creeping on to your faces.

“I love these,” Sam said as he raised the glass to you.

You leaned your head on to Zemo’s shoulder in an attempt to hide your snickers. Sam clinked his glass against Zemo’s, and after some hesitation, downed the shot in one.

The smile was wiped from your face as you felt a presence approach you from behind, struggling against the instinct to reach for your weapon. Zemo felt you still beside him and immediately turned to meet the approaching man, placing you slightly behind him.

“I got word from on high,” the man said. “You ain’t welcome here.”

Zemo’s voice sounded nonchalant as he responded.

“I have no business with the Power Broker, but if he insists he can either come and talk to me,” Zemo looked behind him to where Bucky was standing.

“New haircut?” the man said to Bucky with a scoff.

Zemo’s voice was deep and demanding, grasping the man’s attention once more, “Or bring Selby for a chat.”

The man left but now your senses were on high alert as Zemo turned back to talk to Bucky. Your eyes scoured the room, noticing several men beginning to approach you. Slowly your hand began to travel down to your gun.

“Not yet, dušica.” Zemo’s gaze turned to Bucky just as one of the approaching men placed his hand upon Zemo’s shoulder. “Zimniy soldat. Ataka.”

Without hesitating Bucky grabbed the arm of the man who had touched Zemo, bending it painfully backwards. You watched on with bated breath, worried for your friend as he reverted back to what he once was, not because he wasn’t able to handle the fight—he wasn’t even breaking a sweat as he took on three guys at once—but because of what this little act might have on all the progress he had made.

Your gaze flickered to Zemo for a split second to find that he was smiling.

“It didn’t take long for him to fall back into form,” he whispered to you.

Ever since this trip had begun you had slowly started to become desensitised to the fact that you were in the presence of a mass murderer, often forgetting at times that the man before you had caused so much pain and suffering. But now it hit you all at once, causing you to become quite repulsed by the presence beside you.

Wanting to remove yourself from his side but knowing that you couldn’t you instead leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“If you smile again from Bucky’s pain, I’ll punch your teeth in so that when I burn you to death they won’t be able to use your dental records to identify your body.”

To say that Zemo was surprised at your comment was an understatement as he whipped his head around to look at you, his mask of composure forgotten for a split second as his eyes met yours. He didn’t respond, but the look in his eyes told you that he had not been expecting such a response. His gaze fell to the floor and you thought, just for a second, that maybe he was about to apologise, but when his eyes came back to look at you his mouth remained closed.

He noticed the change in your attitude immediately. Whilst you did not disentangle your arm from his, you now distanced yourself as far as you could from his side, your touch no longer the comfortable presence he had begun to enjoy, now cold and impersonal.

The sounds of guns being cocked brought your attention back to the room.

“Stay in character or the whole bar turns on us,” Zemo quickly whispered to Bucky. “Otlichnaya rabota, soldat,” he said louder.

Everyone in the bar paused as Bucky let go of the man he had been in the process of choking.

“Selby will see you now,” the bartender interrupted.

A small sigh of relief escaped from your lips.

The back room was poorly lit and smelt of alcohol and cigarettes, the wall to your left illuminated by small televisions that displayed the security camera footage from all over the bar.

Selby—a middle aged, menacing looking woman with short, platinum blonde hair—was sitting upon one of the luxurious couches, dressed in an ill-fitting suit with a loosely tied tie hanging around her neck.

“You should know, Baron,” she began, tapping her hand against the head of the couch. “People don’t just come into my bar and make demands.”

“Not a demand,” Zemo responded. “An offer.”

Zemo took a seat on the couch opposite to Selby’s, his hand in yours as he motioned for you to sit next to him. You paused for just a second before perching yourself so that you were instead sitting in his lap. As much as you didn’t want to be in this position, when you went undercover you did it well. Zemo’s face showed no hint of surprise, but his hands fumbled for a split second, unsure of where to place them before he rested one on your waist and one on your thigh, quite high up so that he was basically at your knee. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed and you found yourself quite surprised at his willingness to respect your boundaries.

Selby raised an eyebrow at you.

“A lot has changed since you were last here,” she said, her gaze now fixated on you. It made you feel uncomfortable, but you didn’t show it as you leaned back into Zemo’s touch. “By the way, I thought you were rotting away in a German prison. How did you escape?”

Zemo’s gloved hand began rubbing circles on your knee, your skin exposed from the slit in the dress. You were pretty sure he wasn’t aware he was doing it, but you weren’t altogether against the touch.

“People like us always find a way, don’t we?” he responded. “I’m sure you’ve already figured out what I’m here for.”

“What’s the offer.”

“Tell us what you know about the super-soldier serum, and I give you him.” Zemo’s gaze turned to Bucky who remained stoic and impassive in the corner of the room. “Along with the code words to control him, of course.”

“Now that’s the Zemo I remember. I’m glad I decided not to kill you immediately.” She paused as she considered the offer. “You were right to seek me out. The super-soldier serum is here in Madripoor. Dr. Wilfred Nagel is the man you wanna thank…or condemn, depending on what side of this you’re on.”

“Is Nagel still in Madripoor?” Zemo questioned.

“Oh, the breadcrumbs you can have for free, but the bakery is gonna cost you, Baron.” Selby’s gaze shifted to Bucky before it returned to land on you. “Who is this beautiful creature you’ve got with you?”

You felt Zemo stiffen beneath you.

“Ah,” he began, his voice somehow having grown deeper. “This one isn’t part of the deal. She’s mine.”

There was an intensity to the way he said mine. It was subtle, but it was there, and Selby noticed it as she quirked an eyebrow up at him.

“Are you sure about that, Baron?” she responded with a laugh. “These young creatures get so restless. Are you sure she’s not bored with you already?”

Zemo’s hand was now gripping your thigh a lot lower than where it had previously been and a lot harder; not so roughly that it hurt, but hard enough for you to realise that he was unsure of how to proceed. You turned your gaze to Selby who licked her lips as your eyes met hers, before turning your attention back to Zemo. He looked up towards you, a confused look flashing across his eyes as he tried to figure out what you were about to do. Having made your decision—and before you had enough time to really question what you were about to do—you leaned down towards the Baron and collided your lips with his.

Zemo hesitated at first, his lips unresponsive against yours for a split second before he returned the gesture. His hands came up to tangle themselves in your hair, your own hands gripping the base of his scalp. You slipped your tongue into his mouth and turned slightly so that Selby had a clear view.

You made sure the kiss was dirty and ferocious, and it left both of you breathless as you pulled away from him.

You turned to Selby with a smirk on your face, wiping some saliva from the corner of your mouth with the pad of your thumb as you maintained eye-contact with her.

“Not quite yet,” you said.

A viscous smile spread across her face but before Selby could respond Sam’s phone began to ring, and everything went downhill pretty quickly from there.

When the sniper shot came through the window you didn’t have time to be surprised, immediately leaping to your feet, gun already in hand. Before Selby’s henchmen had even had time to react you had already shot a bullet into two of their chests, Bucky taking out the third man in the room.

“We have a real problem now, so leave your weapons and follow my lead,” Zemo said, quickly making his way back down to the bar with you, Sam and Bucky close behind, your gun back in its concealed holster.

Descending the stairs quickly, Bucky leaned back with a smirk on his face. 

"Told you you got the short straw."

Punching him in the arm to try to get him to shut up you quickly realised your mistake as you brought your hand to your chest, pain flaring in your knuckles at having collided with the vibranium. A short laugh escaped from Bucky's lips.

"Focus," Zemo called from the front of the group.

You made your way back on to the street quickly, following Zemo as he hastily walked in a direction that you hoped would get you off the main strip. Looking around you as you walked you kept noticing people getting notifications on their phones and a bad feeling began to grow in your stomach.

A round of bullets were shot towards you, the proximity of the bang causing your ears to ring painfully. All four of you ducked immediately as you scrambled away quickly. Bucky and Sam ran forwards and Zemo, grabbing your hand swiftly, veered off into a small alley way, his hand never leaving yours as he ran. The sound of several footsteps followed close behind you, but before you could reach for your gun Zemo crowded you into a small alcove.

“What are you doing? They’ll see us here,” you angrily whispered. Your hand began to reach for your gun once more but Zemo stopped you.

“There’s too many of them,” he said quickly, peeking out from behind the alcove to spy on the approaching men.

“We’re sitting ducks here. I can probably get a few shots out if-”

All at once Zemo whipped back around and placed his index finger upon your lips to stop you from speaking.

“I’m truly sorry for this.”

For the second time that night Helmut Zemo’s lips were now upon yours, kissing you far more softly than you had kissed him before. His body was crowding yours against the wall of the alley way, his broad form easily shielding you. The footsteps got closer and closer, all the while you kept kissing the Baron. This time there was no tongue, just gentle lips upon yours as he kissed you tenderly and slowly.

That cologne you had first smelt that morning engulfed your senses now so that it was all you could smell. Your hands came up to grip at the fur collar of his coat, pulling him closer by the furred lapel, and you couldn’t help but marvel at the softness of it. 

Somewhere in the back of your mind you registered the approaching footsteps; how close they came to you before they past right by, the group of men not giving you a second glance as one shouted orders to the rest in a language you couldn't be bothered to recognise.

At some point Zemo's tongue ended up in your mouth, or maybe it was your tongue in his. Either way you couldn't recall who had initiated it, and couldn't quite find the effort to care. One of his hands came up to cup your cheek whilst the other became entangled within your hair, pulling at your roots slightly so that you moaned at the feeling.

You moaned.

Pushing the baron away from you you immediately put as much distance as you could between the two of you. His lips were red and swollen and you were quite sure yours looked the same, both panting slightly as the cold air illuminated your breaths.

You could feel your cheeks begin to redden immediately, and swiftly turned away from him to hide your embarrassment.

You could still hear the men who had been following you, their footsteps far quieter now as they continued down the alley.

“I think they’re gone,” you finally said, having allowed the awkward silence to grow palpable between you.

“Yes…yes I think you’re right,” he responded, not meeting your gaze.

The sound of footsteps coming down the alley filled your ears once more, and this time you didn’t hesitate as you pulled your gun from its holster.

“Woah, easy there tiger, it’s just us,” Sam said, his hands held upwards in a sign of surrender.

You let out a sigh as you saw them and immediately felt Zemo’s gaze fall upon you.

[stxrvel]

cowboy like me

summary: a bad day for Bucky, a splendid week for the woman. mixed feelings and memories of a stormy past prevent Bucky from giving voice to his true feelings. (I'm really sorry I'm so bad at summary's)

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

words: 2k or so.

warnings: poor bucky letting his feelings get the better of him and saying mean things from time to time, sorry bout that. oh, and I wrote this in the third person, I don't know if that's a warning but still. and last but not least, English is not my native language so I apologise in advance for any mistakes.

also, the title of this and the part of the song quoted below only inspired the setting of this one-shot. the "plot" is independent of the theme song. I just have a bunch of taylor's songs that inspires me scenarios like this with independent plots, it's like a hobby. and ALSO, this is my first fic in here, and I really hope to do more parts in the future, especially when this semester is over. so, I hope you like it!

you're a bandit like me eyes full of stars hustling for the good life

It had not rained like this for quite some time. Lightning echoed in every part of the city and the drops were crashing against the window glass with the speed of a Maserati on a winding road; the sky was dark even though it was only four o'clock in the afternoon. Inside the room, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable, one of the reasons she stopped by at least five times a week. However, a few minutes before the downpour began, the whole atmosphere had turned so grey that for a moment it seemed as if the clouds were bringing a bad omen...

But no, it was only him.

The man who always sat next to her in the cafeteria to use one of the computers that the café provided as a service.

Besides the sound of the bell above the door and his soaked boots, it was his exasperated sigh that caught her attention before she looked away from her laptop screen.

His hair fell over his forehead with a few raindrops slipping from his forehead and temples, until they were lost under his jawline and mingling in the cotton of his shirt. The frown he kept on his face did not disappear as he tried, very unsuccessfully, to dry his clothes by shaking them slightly.

He would definitely do anything to keep that leather jacket and gloves on.

The smell of coffee and the hustle and bustle of the room contrasted with the calm but resignedly helpless attitude of the man who was running his hands heavily over his trousers as if they were a portable hairdryer.

Michael, one of the waiters who occasionally gave them ham and cheese croissants on Saturdays when they were both there, approached the sulking man and, seconds later, they both disappeared into the kitchen behind the till.

The screen of her mobile phone lit up as she tried to refocus on the reading she had to do.

Betty: I still don't understand how not wanting to visit your abusive dad in hospital is an important topic of conversation in a counselling session. I mean, the words abusive father say it all.

Tell me you're on my side.

Me: I still think you should change your psychologist.

Betty: I know! But at that clinic it's 30% cheaper than getting a private one. But, I already have a solution, next week I'll...

The squeak of the chair next to her being dragged startled her and her mobile phone almost flew out of her hands. The grumpy man, now a little drier, dropped the weight of his giant body on the poor chair so that it squeaked as if complaining about the man's rudeness. He stared at the computer screen on as if it held the solution to all his problems.

“Bad day?”

“Just an unfortunate string of inconveniences since I opened my eyes this morning,” he commented seriously and gravely as he began to move his hands over the keyboard. He hadn't looked at her when he spoke, which was not unusual, but at the moment it felt inappropriate, “Nothing I'm not used to.”

The woman turned her head to look at the twenty-seven pages she still had to read, and it seemed too tedious a thing to spend her time on now that Bucky had arrived.

“Is there anything I can do for you? I'm going to apply for a job at a daycare, maybe I could start practicing with you.”

Bucky faked a laugh, rather bitter and strained the kind she was used to hearing, “Very funny,” he said, his gaze dark and fixed on the screen.

“Sometimes you laugh at my jokes.”

“When they're funny,” he blurted out as soon as she finished speaking, instantly regretting it but not showing it in his body language.

“Hey! Don't hurt my feelings like that. What happened with your therapist? If you want to talk about it, sure.”

She watched his body tense and how he made no attempt to hide the bitter expression on his face as soon as the word "therapist" left her mouth. The woman thought she'd made a poor choice of words, yet Bucky felt unsettled by how strangely easily she seemed to be able to read his attitudes. Since when had she started doing such things? Had she always been that way? Had he let his guard down that much these past few weeks?

“Just... trouble, in general,” he pronounced her name with feigned gentleness, sending a shiver down her spine. Had he noticed by now? So soon? She thought, hastily.

“Okay,” she mumbled, trying to keep her composure as her mind worked at full speed, “I understand if you don't want to talk about it.”

No, he couldn't have noticed. Regardless of how damaged and broken she was inside, she knew that wasn't something Bucky paid the most detailed attention to. And, even if that were the case, there wasn't a person on the planet who knew her better than he did at this point, so if he wanted to walk away and leave her to not deal with her problems and constant chatter, he would have done so long ago.

Bucky sighed deeply, the movement of his chest aching from the lump in his throat. His hands moved on automatic over the keyboard, digging into things he already knew, spending the time just trying to divert the train of thought that wouldn't leave him alone. Anyway, is it really so bad for someone to know me like that? He thought, as the woman returned to her reading, it's not bad to be vulnerable once in a while, she's not going to hurt me. I know, I know.

Then why does it scare me so much?

His hands clasped as a third presence appeared between them. Michael, with a giant grin on his face, set two medium-sized cups of coffee on the small table they shared in front of the window. The woman's, with milk and sweetened with vanilla, as she always asked for. Bucky's, black, plain and cold, the way he always drank it.

The girl sitting next to him and the barista shared a couple of words in a conversation that seemed to be too funny, because she kept laughing. Why did he find her laughter annoying? Was it because it was too loud, or because it sounded too high-pitched unlike her normal laughter? When she laughed with Bucky, her tone was softer, gravelly, delicate and jovial. He couldn't describe the sensation that burned in his chest every time her eyes narrowed at her smile, or every time she brought her right hand to her chest, over her heart, as if she couldn't bear to laugh anymore, but at the same time holding back the pain in her cheeks so she wouldn't stop.

Michael didn't get that. No, he wasn't getting what Bucky was.

“Bucky?”

Her chuckling voice disconnected him from the bizarre conjectures in his mind, and he turned his eyes to her. She was looking at him with a rueful smile and her cheeks were too flushed.

“Are you all right?”

The aforementioned reveled in the sight that was plastered in front of him, with her sparkling eyes and the way her lips curved, before replying, “Yeah, all good.”

When he noticed Michael was still there, his shoulders tensed and quickly his gaze refocused on the sea of words displayed on the screen in front of him.

“You're too stiff,” he heard the woman's voice again a few seconds later, “Are you sure you don't want to do something to distract yourself? There are a lot of things coming to mind right now.”

Bucky turned to look at her with a frown.

“What things?”

“Um, last week you told me you've never played twenty questions before.”

The man arched an eyebrow, intrigued by how his mind played him, but quickly replied, “Do I look like the kind of person who plays the twenty questions?”

“Not really, but that day you told me you were willing to try it if I played it with you.”

Bucky was silent for a few seconds.

“I don't remember saying that.”

“Sometimes you don't remember a lot of things for convenience, Barnes,” she teased innocently, but Bucky knew what that meant: you're always evading me when I'm trying to help you.

And well, it was true.

“I imagine you don't remember Sam's invitation to you three days ago either.”

“What invitation?” he played distracted, as he pretended to vehemently read what he'd Googled.

“He asked you to join him to watch a game at the bar two blocks from your flat.”

Bucky hummed as he pretended to think about what he'd just heard, even though he remembered it perfectly. And he knew that earlier in the day he'd left it on hold, which was a clear and express no, but he hadn't said that to the woman who was now staring at him.

“I don't like football.”

The woman let out a snort of exasperation.

“This is why you have no friends, Bucky.”

“I could say the same about you.”

Bucky knew it was a joke. She'd said things like that to him before and it had never bothered him; he knew she didn't mean it in a derogatory way or to make fun of him. She would never do that. But subconsciously, he couldn't stop his mouth from blurting out the words he didn't want to say; words he would never have thought to say to her.

“I know you've had a bad day, Buck,” she spoke again after a few seconds, “But I just want to distract you.”

“I don't need your help, I can manage on my own.”

“Okay, let's just... change the subject, shall we?”

Bucky pursed his lips, but didn't dare connect their gazes.

“I'm sorry.”

“It's okay," she mused, and didn't speak again until a couple of seconds later, “How was your date?”

He gave a small smile before saying, “I'm sure you waited for a reasonable amount of time so you could satiate your curiosity.”

The woman let out a laugh, the kind that had the ability to calm Bucky's countenance for a few moments, before replying, “It's just that ever since I met you I didn't think I'd ever see you going on a real date.”

“And you probably won't again.”

“That's how bad it went?”

Bucky twisted his mouth, only remembering the image in the background of his neighbour's flat.

“It could have been worse.”

“Maybe we're just not cut out for dating.”

After a long moment, Bucky turned his head to watch her pursed lips. Her expression seemed downcast, but she pulled herself together quickly when she felt his gaze on her.

“What we've done or who we've been in the past, doesn't define what we can do or be now,” he reminded her of the words she always said to him when he felt he didn't deserve something good, and watched her nod at his words with a small smile, “Don't torment yourself thinking about it, neither of us had a choice.”

“I could tell you the same thing.”

Bucky smiled, sincerely, and for the first time since he had awoken that morning.

“I apply the philosophy you preach perfectly, I'm a great disciple.”

She elongated a sarcastic laugh that widened Bucky's grin. What was it about her that drew you in and bewitched you like that?

“In a trauma contest, you'd take first place, Barnes.”

“We'd be tied, you mean.”

The woman smiled at him, and between their looks, they both knew they were only hiding the truth behind the humour. Bucky didn't often do it, but since he'd met her, and considering that was something she often did -using humour to cover up the truth she'd rather not accept, or simply to hide the pain-, he'd gotten such a habit of doing it every so often that even his therapist was a little put out the first time he joked about one of his traumas in front of her. It was a very strange scenario that was never repeated.

“I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier,” Bucky took the floor again, a little more relaxed than when he'd arrived soaking wet in the cafeteria, “It's just... I killed my neighbour's son.”

“No,” she replied quickly and firmly, as she did every time a similar topic came up in their conversations, “It was the Winter Soldier. It was a person they created to control and disenfranchise, that wasn't you. It wasn't the Bucky I know. I'm sorry to hear that, but... it wasn't your fault, I know that whatever they did for your mind was always rejected by your body, even if you couldn't control it.”

The man half-opened his lips, wanting to say something, wanting to give voice to the jumble of thoughts concurring in his mind, but nothing managed to come out other than incoherent babbling.

“I... I don't know how to tell him.”

“You really want to?”

Bucky nodded, looking into the woman's shining, understanding eyes as she brought one of her hands up to cradle the side of his face.

“Then you'll find a way. Don't push yourself.”

He rested his right hand on the hand the woman held on his cheek, and leaned his head slightly into her touch. Although the stress and tension did not disappear completely, it did give way to a relaxing and lively sense of calm and stillness. Bucky didn't know if she had done it on purpose or not, but her words, though few, brought back a harmonic undertone he hadn't allowed himself to return to in a long time.

Then you'll find a way.

Don't push yourself.

[nomadictraveler08]

My Kerala Trip

Kerala is a southwestern Indian state on the Malabar Coast. Natural beauty, historical legacy, and distinctive cultural manifestations such as Kathakali and Kuchipudi dancing make the state notable. Kerala has everything to enchant you, from its scenic backwaters to its beautiful green tea estates. This is a comprehensive tour of God's own country which we booked through Tripfriday, an online travel company that has an on ground team in Kerala too.

Day 1) Kerala has good flight and train connectivity to other major Indian cities. We reached Kochi airport in the afternoon and as soon as we landed we were connected by a local Tripfriday representative who was very professional. Immediately, we got into a cab (Dzire) which was well maintained as well as sanitized and the driver was very informative and professional. Our first destination was Munnar. From Kochi airport to Munnar it was roughly a 4 hrs journey. Once entered Munnar we enroute to sightseeings: 

Rose Gardens - Our first stop was Rose Garden, surrounded by cardamom plantations, in a perfectly calm and cool environment surrounded by hills, rivers, and waterfalls. We spent about an hour checking out different species of flowers and clicking pictures. We continued towards Blossom Park. It is just 2 km from the city center and it overlooks a waterbody and hills. We spent about 30 mins here. We ended our tour at Mattupetty Dam - This is a must visit place while you are in Munnar. The water is clear and is surrounded by tea plantations. We spent an hour in Mattupetty Dam sitting at the shore and admiring nature, later we went boating. Later we checked into Spice Jungle Resort. This resort was suggested by one of the dedicated travel consultants from Tripfriday. It was an amazing property not centrally located but was nestled among the cardamom plantations. 

Day 2) As planned by Tripfriday, we had our local Munnar sightseeings the next day. Tea Museum - We started our day by visiting the Tea Museum. They start your visit with a short video about the history and processing of the tea plantation and a short talk that shows how to brew good tea. Nearby the Tea Museum we found a factory outlet which sells a variety of tea. The next stop was Echo Point - It is Munnar’s highest point and provides a view of the valley that is beneath it. By the time we reached, there were no tourists around, and it was a perfect chance for us to shout things and listen to resound of our voices. We continued to Pothamedu View Point- This viewpoint offers fantastic views of the valley nearby. When we reached this viewpoint it was afternoon but still, the weather gods were kind to us thus we also got a view of clouds beneath us. And we ended our Munnar trip at Kundala stopover. It was a refreshing experience. It is a small village where the main attractions are tea plantation, lake, and a dam. We hired a paddle boat and admired the nature around us. Later, we had lunch and dinner at the local restaurant which was suggested by the driver and the food was unique, tasty, and traditional Kerala style.

Day 3) On Day 3, we checked out from Munnar and were transferred to Thekkady, the drive was 3 hours. We only planned a day at Thekkady, but as soon as we reached, we planned to go for a half-day bamboo rafting experience at Periyar National Park. It was quite a good experience, drifting along the river, spotted a few birds, and rafting was at the right length for us to experience calmness surrounded by forest. This activity was not charged by Tripfriday and we had to pay 1800 per person at the counter, which was already communicated to us by the travel consultant. Later, we checked into KTDC Aranya Nivas, which was located inside the Periyar National Park. Staying here brought a rich experience to us as it is located in a National Park. We were drawn by the beautiful sound of the birds around us.

Day 4) On Day 4, we checked out from Thekkady and were transferred to an amazing backwater location “Alleppey”. We planned to stay a night in a premium boathouse since we were not planning to visit any places in Alleppey. We checked into the Premium boathouse and as soon as we checked in, we were offered a welcome drink and were suggested by Tripfriday to opt for full board meals which were (Lunch, dinner, and next day breakfast). The rooms were very good. My partner was surprised that our bed was decorated with roses and we were quite happy with the arrangement made for us. All in all it was a rejuvenating experience in Alleppey. 

Day 5) On Day 5, we checked out from Alleppey and we were picked up by the driver around 9 o’clock. Then we were transferred to Kovalam. It took us roughly 5 hours to reach. We were transferred to Abad Harmonia Ayurveda Beach Resort. This property was a peaceful retreat. The rooms were tastefully designed. Today, we just planned to spend time at Kovalam Beach and LightHouse. We visited this beach just before sunset. It was quite windy, waves and the colorful sky gave a good view that was quite relaxing. And came back and spent the remaining time at the hotel

Day 6) On Day 6, we planned to visit Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple - The Temple is an important landmark of the city. It has amazing stone carving and historical scripts written all over. Pls, note: While entering into the temple proper dress etiquette should be followed. And next stop was at Sri Chitra Art Gallery- This is a must-visit place to know about the ancient culture and artworks of Kerala. Later we stopped at Shangumugham Beach. Since we were at a beach destination, we wanted to spend another day at a different place. It was a peaceful day with not many tourists around. And as usual, our driver suggested a good budget-friendly local restaurant which was good.

Day 7) On Day 7, We were supposed to check out and had to catch our flight at 1 O’clock. Suddenly out of nowhere, the previous night I received a notification from airlines saying our flights were rescheduled to later in the evening, and as the services booked by us was until 1 O’clock, I was furious because I did not know how to plan, spend the rest of the time. I called the travel consultant at Tripfriday and explained to him my situation. He informed me he will help with the situation. Surprisingly in the short space of time, the travel consultant spoke to the staff at Abad Harmonia Ayurveda Beach Resort and requested them for a late check out by an hour and he also arranged us cab service until our flight timings. The driver was generous and recommended we spend some time shopping. He took us to a few local shops where we did our shopping and killed the remaining time. At last, we transferred to Trivandrum airport at the right time. 

Tripfriday was right on the mark with their services and we never felt uneasy during our entire trip. Our entire plan was executed as planned and it was a hassle-free trip. This was the first time we used their services and it was excellent. I chose https://www.tripfriday.com/kerala-family-tour-package which is priced at Rs 48000 for a couple. We also did research online and also compared the quote with other agents, surprisingly we found a hidden gem in both price and services offered by them.

[sparrowkingsley]

New Legends 00 Cont. 5

“Oh hey, Sara we were just talking um, I should probably go huh?”

“Probably for the best, Indie. I need to talk to Laurel alone and you really should be getting back to the facility.”

“Right, yeah so totally right! Righty, right.”

Embarrassed Indie scrambled out of Laurel's bed and practically ran to the door. Nervous she spun around to look back. She needed to say something cool. Something cool and memorable.

“Lo, I’ll um, I’ll see you or I’ll um, talk to you or, I’ll k-um no I mean, I’ll miss you! But like see you, when your sentence is like over and we’ll hang and stuff, um yeah. Bye?” That. That was so very much the opposite of cool.

Then Laurel flashed that smile at her. Her genuine smile. That perfect, beautiful smile that she always seemed to save for her.

“See ya, Heywood.”

Laurel watched her best friend smile brightly at her before then walking right into the doorframe. She was such a goof. How could someone be so utterly and perfectly ridiculous? Even after she had left the room Laurel found herself staring after her. Everything else forgotten in her mind.

“So you and Heywood, huh?”

Oh right. She had so totally forgotten about her mom being there. What did she just say?

“W-what?”

“Oh you know, I was just saying that you two are absolutely adorable and you need to make a move and stop leaving her pining after you already.”

Laurel didn’t think her face could get any redder but suddenly she felt like she might burst. “I was, we were just talking, it was, it wasn’t anything like that okay.”

“Right. Is that why you’re blushing right now? Because you and Indie were just talking? She adores yoooouuuuu. And you liiiikkkeee her.”

“Mom, stop!” Laurel ran her hands down her face with a groan, “Seriously just, can you just stop making a big deal out of nothing and just get to the lecture already? I can’t take it when you act this way.”

“Well if you’re so eager for me to provide you with a lecture, I got one just for you, kiddo. Which lecture did Ava lay on you by the way?”

“Lecture number four.”

“Right and which one was that again?”

She started counting off her fingers, “Point one, I just don’t understand what you were thinking. Two, do you want to end up in jail? Because that’s what’s going to happen if you keep doing this. Third, the whole I am disappointed, you are better than this argument. Ending with point number four, wait till your mother gets here.”

Sara laughed, “Did she make me bad cop?”

“No. She pretty much laid down the law letting me know I’m stuck in this house when I’m not doing my community service. Basically lock down mode is my life. You’re just here to back her up.”

“Sounds about right.”

“You already talked to her didn’t you.”

“Obviously, now scoot and come sit next to me.”

Together they sat on the edge of her bed. Moments like this were her favorite although she would never admit it out loud. Just sitting with her mom, with either of them, she was at her most content. The one thing that she never had to question was them. The love they had for her.

“Want to tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Too much. Like always.”

Sara pulled her into a sideways hug, “What can I do to help?”

“Hmm I don’t know. Maybe give me permission to have a pet dinosaur.”

“Ha, again with the pet dinosaur routine. You’ve been pulling that one since you were three.”

“Um, cause dinosaurs are awesome and we have full access to be able obtain one whenever we want.”

“Okay, well first you’ve watched Jurassic Park movies your whole life and you still don’t get having any in modern ages is a horrible idea? Having a t-rex come charging at you is not fun. I literally have real life experience of such an encounter. And second, one of us has officially lost their time travel eligible status. Literally less than an hour ago. Lockdown mode, remember?”

Laurel groaned, “Don’t remind me. Being stuck in one time is so boring and yeah I know, actions equals consequences I get it.”

“You know, you were set to graduate the program next month and now who knows when you will be able to. I have a feeling that there is a definite connection to that and your latest reinvention of reality. Am I hitting the mark? Cause I’m sensing a bull’s-eye and I always hit my target. Trained assassin, remember?”

Laurel bit down on her tongue. Her mom was right, obviously. Sara could always see where she was going three steps ahead of whatever plan she had. Ava was always the one to react and pull her back into a safety net whenever she did ever take things too far.

When Laurel was four she started climbing up a tree Sara had told her not to. It was too tall and she would get scared. Laurel kept doing it anyway. She climbed so high, Sara watching her, letting her learn for herself. Then she looked down and froze. Scared, terrified. When she started crying, Ava came running and had her back down as quick as a speedster. Her moms argued about it for the whole day.

“Sara, you can’t just let her go head first into danger like that!”

“She was fine. I was right there and you know I wouldn’t have let anything happen to her. She needs to figure things out for herself. The good and the bad. We are just here to support her through it all.”

Of course they made up later. Her moms could never stay mad at each other for long. That memory was one of her most solid memories. Memory that told her that her moms were both there for her. They would never let her down. They would love her no matter what. And yet…

“It is a possibility I suppose. You haven’t been an active assassin in so long. You’ve probably lost your touch.”

Her mom put her in a playful headlock, “Oh yeah, you sure about that? Maybe a noogie will make you think twice about that, kiddo.”

“Okay, okay! Stop!” She spurted with laughter, “Mama, seriously? I take it back, cut it out already.”

Sara released her, “See, I still got it.”

“Yeah, yeah you do.”

“Serious talk time. I know you don’t want to talk about it right now and that’s okay. But I need you to hear me, playing with time like that, just for kicks, you know that’s not the right thing to do. The timeline is sacred. Yes. I’ve told you time and time again. I get it. You’re seventeen, you don’t need to know everything you want right now but you can’t keep running away from it all either. No matter what you decide or if you change your mind down the line, your mom and I are not going anywhere. We are co-captains of the ship named supporting and loving you always. Even if you are someone who wants to put all her energy in being some kind of time rouge. Don’t ever forget that. I love you.”

Laurel sighed but smiled. She let her mom pull her into a full on hug now. She returned it with no resistance. Her mind and heart settling as she found comfort. Comfort in the knowledge that she would always have a place to come home to. In the arms of her parents.

“I love you too.”

“Come on, let’s go downstairs. You have your other mother literally about to go up the walls. Her pacing is burning a hole through the floor and the least you could do is tell her that you’re going to at least try and behave yourself for awhile.”

“Hmm, no promises.”

“You’re a literal nightmare, you know that?”

“Geez, wonder where I get that from?”

“Oh yeah? You want to play that game?” Sara jumped up and hurried to the door, “Guess I should tell your mom what you and Heywood were doing up here then.”

Laurel stumbled as she followed out the door after her, “Wait, don’t! We weren’t doing anything! Don’t say anything about whatever you think happened! You don’t have proof of anything!”

“Right, so you were just casually staring deeply into each other's eyes then? You never had a spark like that when you were dating that guy Josh last year. You need to go for it like I said. She won’t wait for you forever.”

“It is not like that! She is my best friend!”

“Best friend you have the hots for! Let’s let your mom weigh in. Oh, Ava! Guess what!”

They made it down the stairs and the chase continued all the way into the kitchen. Ava nearly getting barreled over as the two started grappling with each other. Laurel trying and failing to keep her mama silent. Sara laughing as she painted a picture of the love scene to Ava as she told her what she walked in on.

“Oh, so you two finally confessed to each other then? About time. That Josh you were dating never made enough effort the way Indie does to be there for you. I am so happy for you but you’re still grounded. When you finish your community service and prove you’re not going to be breaking the timeline again, we’ll help you plan your date together.”

“Indie and I aren’t dating! We aren’t, seriously both of you are making a big deal out of nothing.”

“Your face says otherwise, dear.”

“See. You two have sparkage! You liiiikkkeee her. You want her to be your giiirrlllfriend!”

“Uggghhhh, why are you both like this? So embarrassing.”

“Easy,” Ava pulled her into a hug, “Because we love you. We want you to be happy. Even if you are a time criminal. I’m your mom and as frustrating as you can be you’re still my little sunbeam. No matter how old you get that will never change.”

“I’m so reaching my limit of this lovey, dovey mom junk. Please. Stop.”

Sara joined in forming a family group hug, “It’s part of your punishment so you’re going to have to deal with it for a little while longer. Got it, kiddo.”

“Fine. Whatever. Just get it over with.”

Oh but the truth? The truth was that Laurel wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right then. No other time. No other moment. This was the right time and there would never be a wrong time for moments like this. Moments in time like these, with her moms, could never be broken. She would make sure of it.

[laurasinele]

When Harry met Hamish (a Fictober19 Galahad/Merlin drabble)

Prompt 18: “Secrets? I love secrets!”

Fandom: Kingsman

Tags: Merlin’s real name is Hamish Blackwood, Harry Hart saves him from his abusers, they both love Pride and Prejudice

Warnings: bullying, beating

Ao3

Hamish hated them all the very moment they stepped into Kingsman’s facilities. Cocky, self-absorbed bastards them all, sons of noblemen proud to be somewhere down, deep, deep, down the line of succession to their queen —careful, Hamish, your Scott is showing.

He wasn’t even supposed to be here yet. Merlin was just being a dick. Though it was probably because he was being a smartass. Computer science advanced fast and Merlin was really old, after all. Nevertheless, putting Hamish to train with this particular batch of candidates was a ruthless punishment, certainly disproportionate given that his only crime was pointing out syntax errors in a line of code, or twenty-five.

“Hey, Blackwood! Come join us by the lake!”

They were camping in the forest around the mansion. It was supposed to be a leisure activity, though Hamish knew, as Merlin’s apprentice, that something was supposed to attack them in the next 24 hours, and this brats were thinking about swimming and bullying him instead of keeping alert.

“Nah, thanks. I’m perfectly fine here”.

“Come on”, said little Lord Wilkinson, swim trunks dripping on the book Hamish was reading, yanking him up by the arm. “You are ruining the fun for us”.

Oh, Hamish knew so well where this was going. He resigned to his destiny and calmly took off his glasses and store them in the zipped pocket of his chest. The blurry figures by the lake were encouraging them, and the sun was beginning to set. Four against one with visual disadvantage wasn’t a good prospect. And at least two of them wanted revenge on him for their shameful defeats on the judo matt —young Lord Willoughby— and the fencing court —Sir Harold Louis Everett's son. Now, despite his good training in close combat, Merlin was unarmed and clearly overpowered. The best strategy was observe and wait for his chance to flee. Except it never came. 

The three little Lords and pompous young Mr Everett, grabbed him each by one limb and threw him into the lake like a dead body, at about ten feet from the shore. Hamish tried to reign his body in and fall as painlessly as possible. He planned on holding his breath to his own 2 minutes, 57 seconds record and swim to the opposite shore, but halas, they had other plans for him. Willoughby lifted him out of the water and over his head like a prize, one hand in the small of his back and the other grabbing the back of the collar of his jumper.

“I’ve got a fish! I’ve got a fish with my own bare hands!”

“It’s the ugliest and skinniest fish I’ve ever seen, Willoughby!”, yelled young Lord Bartholomew from the shore. Everett and Wilkinson laughed out loud and Willoughby started to walk them out of the lake. Then Hamish saw his chance. Willoughby’s arms started to tremble with the effort and his walk through the greenish lake water affected negatively his balance. Hamish kicked Willoughby’s shoulder, making his captor drop him on top of his own head, thus losing grip of his other subjection point and sending them both underwater as his knees yielded to the sudden change of weight distribution. Hamish set off towards the opposite shore but the noblemen teamed up to grab his legs and drag him to the camp, his head hitting all the rocks they could find on the way. 

“Look at this fucking peasant”, said Bartholomew as he kicked Hamish’s ribbs. Except with all the excitement of a hunt, his childhood speech problems came back momentarily, making him pronounce instead “pucking pheasant”, to which Hamish laughed feebly.

“A packing pheasant? Why would it be packing? They’re not a migratory species”, he said falteringly.

At the insult of their self-appointed leader by virtue of his net worth, the others started kicking his sides too.

“What a terrible accident, Blackwood! You decided to climb a tree and fell down into the lake, didn’t you? That’s a great explanation for your wounds”, provided Everett, eager to be accepted by the lords 

“Nobody has to know the truth”, added Wilkinson. “It would be disgraceful if they knew a senior trainee was beaten up by his juniors. It will be our secret”.

“A secret? I love secrets”

Hamish did not recognise the man’s voice, but he did not have much time to wonder if he was friend or foe because he unleashed hell in the blink of an eye. Not surrounded anymore, Hamish rose and limped to sit on the log he’d been occupying before his abduction. He reached for his glasses, but the lenses were wet and his clothes were of no use to wipe them off. Across him there was obviously a fight going on, but he could only make out a swirl the color of the candidate’s jumpsuit, and three pale forms being thoroughly beaten, shaken and dragged across the floor by it.

“Now, gentlemen”, said the swirl after a second or two of none of the noblemen trying to go for him. “I believe it was the founder of the famous Eton School in which you lot undoubtedly met and birthed this beautiful camaraderie, who said ‘Manners maketh man’. As proud Eton alumni, I am sure you want to honor that saying. But I also know that human nature is fickle and pride might be a hindrance more than an aide in this instance. That is why I give you two options: either apologise to Mister Blackwood here, or fuck off this grounds before I get sick of your disgusting entitled faces”.

The water on the glasses was clearing off, giving Hamish the chance to watch four wet and humiliated candidates to enter the service scramble up and run away to the mansion, thus extinguishing their chances to become a Kingsman agent. 

His savior —come on, Hamish, you are no damsel in distress—, his benefactor, turned to face him. He looked much younger than his prowess had suggested. He offered Hamish his hand, although Hamish’s was wet and muddy. 

“Sergeant Harold Hart”

“Pleasure”, said Hamish, shaking his hand. “I am Hamish Blackwood, Merlin’s trainee”.

“I know. Merlin sent me, I’m his candidate. He suspected you’d be in trouble”.

Hamish huffed, not sure if he wanted to laugh or curse, and shook his head. He looked at Hart, who was looking at him with an amiable, non-comitant smile.

“Thank you for your service, Sergeant Hart”, Hart nodded, and turned his head to look at the three miserable figures half running in the distance, probably starting to feel the cold of the dusk. His smile widened. Hamish shook himself out of watching his rescuer — again? Control yourself, Hamish, for fuck’s sake—, adjusted his glasses and picked up his book. The cover sleeve read “Basic guide to programming”. 

“It wasn’t the founder of Eton”.

“Pardon?”, said Hart looking back at him.

“Manners maketh man. It was one of Eton Headmaster’s who wrote it in a book of proverbs and sayings. He took it from Winchester’s School motto”, explained Hamish, making a point to not look at Hart for the whole evening, least his chest would explode. 

Hart’s expression was completely neutral, and Hamish had already failed in his resolution. He tried not to skirm under Hart’s scrutiny, and then Hart smiled widely, this time, somehow, more sincerely, and said:

“Well, thank you for that bit of trivia, Blackwood. Let me repay you with an advise. I fou are going to hide what you are reading, choose a plausible cover. Nobody would believe someone with your level in computer science would be reading a basic programming guide. What is it, actually?”

“Pride and Prejudice”, mumbled Hamish.

“Lovely book. I always identified with Darcy when I was younger, now I guess it was pretentious of me”

“Not at all”, said Hamish before he could catch himself. 

They both shared a look. It was the kind of look that films used to tell you those two characters were sharing a moment of mutual understanding and admiration, which could later evolve in a much more closer connection and intimate feeling. They both independently realised it was that kind of look, and they both self-indulged in it a few more seconds. Then Hamish huffed a small laugh again. 

“I lost count on how many times I read it. It’s my comfort book for when I’m sick or feeling down”

Hamish smiled and nodded.

“I lost my third copy some months ago, in the burning of my barracks. I wanted to get a new one before coming here, but Merlin didn’t give me the time”. Hamish’s heart swelled.

“I could lend you mine”.

“No, then you wouldn’t be able to read it”.

“We could read it together. I was just starting when they pulled me to the lake”, that was a big fat lie, and he knew it, and he was pretty sure Hart knew it. But Hart’s face lit up, He got up and brought a blanket. He wrapped it around Hamish wordlessly, and then set a fire. He sat back next to him and, after a while, he said. 

“Well, go on. There’s not much light left, and they’re coming to pick us up anytime soon, after the boys get to the mansion complaining”.

Hamish smiled, showing his crooked teeth and began to read.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man…”

[mingiswow]

Soulmate!au Series | Hyungwon

Pairing: Hyungwonx female reader

Summary: Soulmates were marked with matching tattoos when born, but you couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that yours were something so vague as lips.

Words: + 2.2k

a/n: hey sweet cheeks, here’s another part of the soulmate series. I’m loving to write them so much and, so far, Hyungwon has been one of my faves to write. Hope you like this one and please help auntie Bruna and like, reblog and/or comment. Feedback is always welcomed. Love ya

You liked your job, you really did, it paid your bills after all. But there were days that everything seemed too much for you to handle, especially when the hotel received famous people that’d leave the rooms upside down for you and your partner to clean.

It was 4AM when you left the bus, saying your usual goodbye to the driver, and walking slowly through the street, enjoying the quietness before the storm of cars, bus, people and construction. You walked past the hotel, greeting the security before heading to the back of the building, doing the same path you did every day before getting to the changing room.

“Morning, babe cakes” Martha, your coworker and partner greeted you, her usual smile on her lips. “You heard about who’s coming today?” her voice muffled from her uniform on her head.

“Morning. Yeah, heard that they are some international singers, but not much more than that” you took your clothes off, folding them neatly and storing in your locker.

“Hey! Your tattoo is shining!” the woman spoke, getting closer to you and gently touching the drawing on your chest. “There are even the flowers blooming around! Do you think you’ll meet your soulmate soon?” your eyes trained to the spot, the reddish lips indeed glowing as the cherry blossoms grew around, closing the tattoo inside a heart-shaped frame.

The legend says that every human being in the world was destined to someone and those who two souls would connect through their complementary tattoos, placed on the left side of their chest, right on top of the heart. When your true-one love is close, the marks took a neon coloration, as they seemed to shine, and little flowers would grow around it, signaling the bloom of a new life. You never understood how they worked since they were complementary, not matching marks. Your mark could match with anything minimally related to lips, it could be a lipstick, some food, an instrument, musical notes. It could be so many things.

“It’s what it looks like” you simply said, covering the tattoo with your perfectly-white t-shirt. “Besides, you know I don’t have time to date or whatever right now. I have to work, study and take care of my dog” your coworker laughed.

“Oh, come on! You need to accept that one day you’ll meet them and God knows what you’ll have to do about it” you rolled your eyes to her.

Shaking away those intrusive thoughts about your future, you two finished putting your uniforms before heading to the kitchen to have breakfast with your other coworkers from that shift and start cleaning the rooms.

Being a maid in a hotel wasn’t what you dreamed for your life, whoever, you liked that place and the people who worked with you. You always had a great time with those people, especially Martha, who became like a mother to you since you were so far away from your own. When you left your hometown to go to the capital to try to become a model, everyone was against you but you decided not to listen to them and follow your dreams. It didn’t turn out very well, yes, you did a few photoshoots here and there, but it wasn’t what you imagined. But still was better than nothing.

The morning seemed to crawl as slowly as a slug. A weird pain on your body like someone was pinning your voodoo doll, especially your heart, but you decided to let it aside, it was probably just anxiety since you couldn’t take your conversation with Martha out of your mind and she wouldn’t shut up about your future lover and how they’d look and be.

“What if they are some royalty? Or what if they are some rich CEO?” she kept speculating about as she neatens up the wrinkles in the bed cover. “What if they are the homeless in the street? Would you love them anyway?” you simply rolled your eyes at her hypothesis, letting her speak alone. 

It was about midday when your boss called you through your intercom. She seemed a little… exalted. You looked over to the woman as a plead for her to not let you go, but she couldn’t do a thing. You left her and the room you were cleaning behind to meet your boss at her office. You just wished no one complained about you and your services, you had a dog to raise.

You knocked on the door three times before you could hear some laughs and the woman speak with her usual happy and deep voice telling you to enter.

“Excuse me, Miss. Did you c-” your heart stung as you stepped inside the room, making your best effort to not let the pain show.

“Y/N? Is everything okay?” the concern in her voice made you look to the floor, embarrassed for some reason.

“Yes, just a little pain but I’ll be good. Do you need me?” you recomposed yourself, your eyes meeting seven gorgeous men. Not any seven random men, but Monsta X members. Your heart started racing, your eyes never leaving them. You probably were making a fool of yourself. Your ultimate group was in front of you and you were all messed up from working, smelling like sanitary water and disinfectant.

“Oh yes, darling” the middle-aged woman clapped her hands. “This is Monsta X, but you young people might know already” she giggled excitedly and nodded to her, bowing to them as a greeting. “They are going to use our master suite for a photoshoot. Is everything clean there, sweetie?”.

“Yes, Martha and I just finished. I believe they can start taking the equipment and props to the room, miss” you answered trying to ignore the growing pain in your chest. You felt like you were about to fall, you couldn’t feel anything but the aching pain in your heart. Trying your best to hide the pain in your face, you bowed before leaving the room. 

Your heart felt like leaving your chest, thumping hard, muscle against bones against muscles. Never in your entire life you felt such pain. It wasn’t bad though, it was just a sensation you had never felt. It was almost warm, welcoming. You decided to let it all go and go back to your work, it wasn’t time for you to daydream about those feelings.

You watch warned you and Martha that the morning shift was over and you were free to lunch, your stomach growling inside you.

“What do you have today?” your coworker asked sitting by your side and spying on your packed lunch.

“Just a sandwich, I’m not very hungry” you lied. You didn’t have much food left at home, and the money that you earned this month was already gone with the bills. Your stomach growled again and the woman looked at you, eyebrow raised form your lie. It wasn’t the first time that happened.

“Y/N… You need to stop lying to yourself” you looked over the triangular bread, it barely had some jelly on it. “You didn’t get any modeling work this month?” you denied, stuffing the dry bread on your mouth.

“It’s hard to get some when you have no agency and don’t look fancy and rich like the others” you sighed, looking over to the woman. “Nobody wants to hire me because I’m a nobody, I have nothing left, Martha, no food, no money, no family, it’s just me and Mong” Martha’s arms wrapped you in a tight hug, helping you through your tears.

“I’m so sorry dear, I wish I could help but you know that I have children on my own” you nodded.

“You don’t have to, you’re not my real mom” you kept crying on her embrace as the pain in your chest kept growing.

“Y/N” the voice of your boss startled you and you turned around to meet her and the boys again. “It’s everything fine?” you nodded, wiping the tears away. 

“Can I help you with anything?”.

“You’re a model, right darling? The girl hired by the boys called it sick and now they need someone to be their model” your eyes sparkled, was she saying what you were thinking she was saying? “Can you do this? I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t know you are good at it” you smiled, both from happiness and nervousness.

“Yes, I sure can do” you lifted yourself from the chair and look at your state. “I just need a shower first” your cheeks reddened and, if it was possible, your chest seemed to hurt even more.

You quickly ran to the dressing rooms, taking a shower and making sure to take all that cleaning products’ smell out of your body, put on the clothes you arrived earlier. 

You had never seen that suite so full of people and things. And, look, there were rock stars staying there. Cameras, scenarios, backgrounds, props, lights. It all made you more nervous than you already were. You were going to model. With your ultimate group. Smelling like cleaning products.

“Hello” you spoke, calling the people attention to yourself. You were sure that your chest was going to rip it open. “I’m Y/N… The new model” your voice sounded hesitant. Great. They were going to think you were unprepared. A woman came close to you and circled around your body, eyeing you up and down, before stopping in front of you.

“Let’s start with the leader” she simply said, a plain tone in her voice and no facial expression at all. Soon enough there were at least four people around you, putting on the clothes and making the adjustments for them to fit, doing your makeup and hair. “Are you ready, sweetie?” the woman came back, a camera on her neck, as she guided you to the first background, Shownu already positioning himself.

“Hi” you greeted him, bowing a little bit to the huge man standing in front of you. He smiled, greeting you back.

You two took enough pictures for a lifetime and it was just Shownu. As time was passing by and you were getting more confident on your poses, interacting with the leader, taking more intimate pictures.

“Ok, who’s next?” the photographer asked, seeing a very handsome Hyungwon lift his hand. You thought you’d never see him getting more perfect. But at that moment, with him in flesh and bones in front of you, wearing those flowy clothes that made him look with nothing but an angel, you were sure that you’re entire life was a lie. Hyungwon could get more perfect. “Great. Guys, dress Y/N up for Hyungwon concept” and soon again the stylists were around you again.

If for Shownu you were looking fearless and sexy, for Hyungwon you were ethereal. Your hair was curled to perfection, falling down your shoulders, they even put on some clip-on extensions to make it look longer and fuller. Your makeup was glittery, shades of light blue and pink perfectly mixing together. But nothing compared to your two-piece dress. The top was shoulderless, making your collarbones and soulmate tattoo show up, the sleeves were as flowy as the boy’s own shirt, a beautiful shade of off-white. The skirt was long, a long tail following behind. You looked like a princess angel. You were feeling gorgeous.

As you took your steps closer to Hyungwon, the chest pain started to increase, causing you to almost fall, your vision getting blurry.

“Ahn… What is going on?” Changkyun asked, looking over to both you and Hyungwon. “It’s what I’m thinking?” you didn’t have time to ask what he was thinking when a strong body grabbed yours and dragged somewhere.

Your pain started to warm up your whole body, and suddenly it wasn’t pain anymore. It became a soothing sensation like you were home in front of a fireplace and wrapped in a warm blanket.

You slowly opened your eyes to finally see what was going on. The sight got you by surprise. Your hands were wrapped around Hyungwon ones, a tiny red string tattooed around your ring finger as well on his, Your soulmate tattoo shining as bright as ever, a new design added to it: a green straw between the lips. Your eyes trailed from your chest to the boy’s one. Under his shirt, you could see the silhouette of the same tattoo glowing.

You blinked several times, not believing that. Destiny was motherfucking crazy. 

“They’re soulmates” Wonho stated the obvious, his mouth hanging open, as well as everyone else. 

“I…” the words didn’t leave his mouth, he was as surprised as you. “Hm… Hi… I’m Hyungwon” he shook your intertwined hands, his eyes fitting yours. 

“I’m Y/N and I think I’m your soulmate” Martha squealed behind everyone and you all turned to her.

“OH MY GOD, Y/N! YOUR SOULMATE IS YOUR BIAS!” she screamed genuinely happy for you, your cheeks and ears burning red when he turned his eyes back to you.

“No words about that right now” you said. “I need to first digest the idea that I just met my soulmate and Gosh! You’re gorgeous” he chuckled at your sudden confession.

“If I can say so myself, you as gorgeous as me… soulmate” the words felt beautifully from his lips and it all felt like a dream.

You two lifted from the ground and his arms instantly hugged you, your chests touching your tattoos, the warmth radiating from it felt like home and the phrase “home is where the heart is” never felt more right in your life.

He left the embrace, his hands gently touching your cheeks, caressing them before bringing his face close to yours to finally kiss you and seal your future together. 

Shownu | Wonho | Minhyuk | Kihyun | Hyungwon | Jooheon | I.M

Requests are open

Masterlist

[tiny-maus-boots]

Wild West AU pt 10

A/N: For those that don’t know La Muda is Spanish for The Mute. I’m sure we can all guess which Bella that would be.

As always thanks to my bff and beta fixer upper @chloes-yellow-cupbecause she puts up with my weird post-partum detachment like a rockstar every time I write and post.

Aubrey 

“Go go go!” The blast ahead of them on either side of the tracks shook the ground a little but Aubrey barely felt it under her horse’s thundering hooves. Roan moved effortlessly over the rough ground and she tucked her body even tighter down behind his head, the reins tight in her fist. Another blast up ahead boomed out and she could tell the train was starting to slow enough that they were able to ride up along the side of the last car. She eased back a little until they were even with the end and she could grab the rail.

She dropped the knotted reins over the horn of her saddle and used both hands to grip railing, pulling herself onto the train with a grunt of effort. Her horse slowed and peeled away from the train, Aubrey smirked and pulled her hat down a little more before climbing the ladder up to the roof. The wind was hard and pushed against her chest making her pause to steady her balance before running along the top of the train to leap lightly over the gap between cars. Almost to the engine she chanced a glance to her right to make sure that Beca was already racing to intercept the train. Timing was everything.

The train wasn’t slowing anymore and Aubrey realized that something was wrong. Stacie’s explosions were placed perfectly and timed so that the conductor would stop the train thinking the tracks were blown without actually damaging the rails at all. But the train wasn’t slowing, it was gaining speed. Aubrey took the last jump to the car closest to the engine and strode to the edge carefully and peered down into the coal tender. The conductor was shoveling quickly as he could, keeping the train moving faster. If she couldn’t slow them down none of the girls would ever catch up and she’d be alone on the train when it rolled right into town.

Aubrey was just about to leap down and skirt the side of the tender when she realized the conductor wasn’t alone. A uniformed arm stretched out to poke the conductor roughly in the back with a revolver. If she jumped down now she’d be seen and probably shot, if she didn’t jump down now there was no getting the train to slow in time. So she jumped down and crouched by the handrail before moving stealthily along the coal tender.

“That’s enough old man. We don’t want to overshoot the town, just stay ahead of those bandits.” She knew the voice and sighed. Avery. Of course it would be her brother, the question was how did he know? She inched forward, drawing a gun from her holster and cocking it. She stuck her head out just a little to peek and only had enough time to fling herself back against the coal wagon with the switching post sign nearly took her face off. As soon as it was clear she lunged forward around the front of the coal tender and raised her gun to her brother’s chest.

“Drop it.”

To his credit he didn’t flinch at all, his lips quirking momentarily into a smile but he did lower his gun slightly. Avery leaned casually against the frame of the cab, gun still held pointed at the conductor. “I wondered which one of you it’d be. God must have answered my prayers.” He made a show of twirling his revolver before holstering it and holding his hands up. “Father is so disappointed in you, Aubrey. Mother doesn’t even mention your name.”

Aubrey rolled her eyes at that and gestured for him to move away from the controls. They were just little digs meant to hurt her but she knew better than to take his bait. He smiled at her and shrugged. “Move Avery, I’m stopping this train.”

“Go ahead then, stop it. But if you want me to move you’re going to have to shoot me to do it. I have the law behind me and the weight of the United States Government. I’m doing my job here.”

She sighed and raised her gun higher but they both knew she wasn’t going to shoot him. “Move damnit!”

Avery scoffed at her moved his hands slowly to his belt so he could unbuckle it. “You’re not going to shoot an unarmed man let alone your brother. I know you’ve fallen in with this lot of harlots but you’re not that far gone.” He pulled off his gun belt and threw it to the side, moving his whole body in front of the controls.

There were only two options. Shoot him and stop the train, or try to get past him. She made the decision in a split second. Aubrey kicked, her booted foot connecting with his knee so hard it buckled and he dropped down with a pained grunt, Bree rushing forward to pull the whistle in two short bursts before pulling back the lever for acceleration. The train jerked as the air brakes engaged trying to slow the steel rocket without skipping off the tracks. Avery used the momentum to throw all his weight into her legs taking them both down to the floor of the cab.

Feeling his rough hands pulling her back against his chest in a bruising grip made fear spike through her. It was paralyzing and her brain worked double time bringing up memories that scarred deeper than any mark on her skin. Avery’s arm was tight against her throat, keeping her in place while he pulled her gun from her holster. His breath rasped out hot against her ear and the bile rose up cutting off what little air she could gasp in under the choking pressure of his forearm. “A little birdy told me you’d be making a move soon and I knew you harlots would take this train. You can thank that swine fucker, Swanson for the soldiers your friends are going to find in every car. You’re not walking away from this, none of you. I’m gonna teach that whore of yours a lesson too. Just you wait, there will be punishments for all your sins.”

The fear turned into icy panic at the thought of anything Avery might have planned for Stacie. The shock of it releasing her paralysis enough for her to bring one hand up to fight his grip, the other struggling with her belt buckle. Her nails scraped at it just catching the edge of the small knife concealed within. With her last struggled breath she prayed as hard as she ever had, the blade sliding free of the buckle felt like a blessing directly from God. She brought her hand up blindly at Avery’s unprotected face over her shoulder. The blade sunk in and ground to a stop when it met bone, a hot spill of blood splashing over her fingers.

He screamed and released her, rolling away in pain. Aubrey took a shaky breath before finding her gun and regaining her feet.  Her brother clawed at his face, pulling the blade from it with another scream of pain. “How about an eye for an eye, brother?” He turned his bloody face to her as he rose to his knees a pained grimace of rage pulling his split skin wide. She could barely stand to look at him, her own rage filling her chest a deep burn. Bree brought her foot up and kicked him backward toward the catwalk to the tender, she raised one gun to the forgotten conductor as a reminder not to move. The other leveled at Avery’s head. “Train is moving slow enough. If you jump you might survive. If you don’t jump…” She pulled the hammer back on her gun.

Avery looked behind him at the still fast moving ground then back to Aubrey. He blinked his good eye at her once and leapt without a hesitant thought just as her finger squeezed the trigger. Breath heaved in her chest as she stared at the space he had been for a long moment. She holstered her gun and steeled herself with one last deep breath. It burned her throat but the fact that she was breathing at all gave her a savage joy.

“You wanna live, mister?” The conductor nodded at her when she finally turned to give him her full attention. His head bobbled in the affirmative and he raised his hands up quickly in surrender. “Good choice. Now sit.”

The old man did immediately, almost too relieved to slump onto his stool with his back against the wall of the cab. Aubrey didn’t think he was going to be any trouble and was probably scared out of his pants but she needed him to understand his situation.

“What’s your name old timer?” She lowered her gun but kept it naked in her hand.

“Earl Ma’am.”

She gave a slight nod and gave a look over her shoulder to see the train was nearly at a stop, the sound of gunshots ringing out clearly now. “You a God fearing man, Earl?” He nodded quickly again and she believed it. Even if he had spent his whole life a sinner she was pretty sure staring down the barrel of her gun would make a believer out of anyone. “Good. You stay here and you’ll make it through this to see another Sunday service. But if this train starts moving again…I will come back and shoot you. Understand?”

Aubrey didn’t wait for his final nod of agreement before she turned to make her way back to the first car. A bullet whizzed by her ear in a flash of heat making her jump the last few feet to the cover of the car. It was utter pandemonium as passengers screamed and cowered in their seats, others diving for cover from ricocheting bullets. Stacie in the center of the car was struggling with two soldiers in a fist fight. There were three others either dead or out cold sprawled out around the car.

Stacie elbowed one of the soldier’s hard making a little room for herself. Her green eyes flashing when she caught sight of Aubrey watching with amusement as she fought her opponents. “Little help here, Bree?”

The blonde chuckled and used the butt of her gun to knock one of the soldiers out. He fell like a sack of grain to the floor and she brought her gun up, sighting along the barrel before she pulled the trigger in the blink of an eye. The sharp crack echoed around them but the final soldier dropped dead. “It’s a trap.”

Stacie looked at a cut on her forearm checking to see how back the damage was. “You don’t say.” It didn’t look too deep and Stacie shrugged it off as nothing, choosing to tie her bandana around it for the time being. “I’ll give you one good guess as to who sold us out.”

Aubrey gave a short nod of her head and kicked the door to the cab open. “Avery took great pleasure in telling me it was Jesse.” She raised her gun and shot up into the air, turning from Stacie’s concerned gaze to the occupants of the cabin. “Y’all have will have to excuse the delay. If you’ll kindly debark the train you may remain in possession of your lives.”

She wasn’t surprised when they all got up and nervously skirted around her to get off the now fully stopped train. Stacie rested a warm hand on her shoulder and she allowed herself a second to soak up the comfort of it before she pulled away and followed the passengers out the door. She didn’t have time to process what had happened between her and Avery. Not now and maybe not for a good long while. One thing was certain in her mind however, she was going to have to kill her brother. It was another name on an ever growing list of people she had to murder but it didn’t bother her as much as it had the day before. In the back of her mind she had always known he would do horrible things if he ever caught any of them but hearing the confirmation from his own lips was sobering in a way nothing else was.

“Bree? You okay?”

Aubrey looked over her shoulder at Stacie and shrugged. “We don’t have time for aught else Stace. Unhitch the rest of the train, I’ll see to the girls in the other cars. Reckon they could use a hand right about now.” Stacie didn’t argue it but there was a weight to her gaze that Aubrey felt like a warm caress. When she was ready to talk about it she knew that Stacie would be there to hear it all and hold her close to help bear the weight of what she’d done. What she was planning to do.

She put it out of her mind for the moment and moved on to the next car guns already drawn and ready for the next fight. Later. She’d worry about Avery and Jesse later.

[treasure-mimic]

So I saw Captain Marvel last night.

It was good. It was perfectly serviceable as an action movie, as a superhero movie, and as a Marvel movie. I imagine there’s gonna be a lot of little girls and grown women who love it because Carol is a really cool character. It was good.

It has, however, gotten me to think about something specific a lot since I’ve seen it though. What’ve I been thinking about?

Nirvana.

Post will contain spoilers for the major plot twist in Captain Marvel.

I think it’s probably pretty easy to harp on Captain Marvel for leaning as hard as it does on the 90s aesthetic. A decision seemingly made out of convenience and enforced by general cultural excitement at just, naming things that existed in the 90s and don’t anymore. But, ya know, let’s give Captain Marvel a little more credit than that. Let’s try and look into Captain Marvel’s themes and see if we can’t sus out a reason behind it.

Let’s talk about Skrulls.

A common reading of all alien invasion media is the idea that the alien force preys upon what the populace fears most at the time. Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds (2005), for example, sets itself as a direct and intentional parallel to the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centers, mirroring a lot of the imagery from the attacks and a lot of the language used about the enemy and events just following. In The Avengers (2012) the evil alien horde presents itself as a tactical and well-armed warforce staging a frontal invasion on a civilian populace, coincidentally in the same city as the 9/11 attacks, and when it does get paralleled to any terrestrial army, is compared to the conquering, expanding force of the Nazi army in World War 2. The US fears an invasion, the hordes at the gate ready to rush in and slaughter us while we sit comfortable and unprotected.

In contrast, however, we have The Body Snatchers, written in 1954, published in 1955, and adapted for the screen first in 1956. A supernatural thriller wherein a race of sentient plants from outer space land in the US and consume regular humans, replacing them with replicas that walk and talk like normal people, but are actually duplicates created by these pods, disguising their presence on earth while they attempt to consume every human being on the planet without any person being any the wiser, with any attempt to expose their actions being chalked up to “hysteria”. While all writers involved deny any intentional theming along these lines, one of the most common readings in all of cinema is that the story, perhaps unintentionally, parallels the fears felt by Americans of communists and Soviet spies infiltrating the country from within, deteriorating our systems to defend ourselves until its too late. It’s very easy to read Invasion of the Body Snatchers in this light as it was coming out alongside much more explicit narratives about much more explicit Soviet spies with similar insidious plots, to the point that even by 1961 their tropes and conventions were being parodied in publications like Spy vs Spy.

A year later is when the Skrulls invaded. In 1962, The Fantastic Four #2 was released, premiering an invading alien race of shapeshifters called the Skrulls who can effortlessly implant themselves among life on earth by taking on the appearance and memories of the people they copy. Following so closely to the footsteps of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and coming out so soon afterwards, it’s not the biggest stretch to apply the same reading to the Skrulls. They are, or at least were, an extension of the fear of Soviet spies in our midst, turning us on our protectors, scoring key seats in our government, and turning us over to an uncaring invading force. The Skrulls would continue this act throughout nearly every appearance they’ve had since, even after the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

You know what else happened in 1991?

It’s likely unfair to point to one single instance as the “start” of a cultural era, but Nirvana’s Nevermind is as good a place to start the 90s as any. One of its tracks even plays during one of Captain Marvel’s key scenes. So let’s now talk about Nirvana. 

The sentiment that sits at the core of Nirvana’s work, as well as the core of all 90s alternative and grunge acts, is a potent combination of disaffection and frustration. After a couple decades of constantly fearing for their own lives and the lives of everyone around them, the mood of the youth of the generation burned out and gave way to a dull irritation. There wasn’t enough energy to keep the anger going sincerely, so instead the anger was kept alive through irony. A bitter hateful sarcasm, frustrated with every power structure that had been involved in leading to this point. Frustrated with corrupt government officials (”Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses”), with uncaring capitalistic systems (”God money’s not looking for the cure. God money’s not concerned about the sick among the pure.”), with societal systems that keep them down (”Oh, I’m just a girl, all pretty and petite, so don’t let me have any rights”), with themselves (”What drives you on can drive you mad, a million lies to sell yourself is all you’ve ever had”), and just a frustration with a world that doesn’t and doesn’t pretend to understand them (”Oh well, whatever, nevermind.”).

90s alternative and grunge as genres set themselves as opposites to the aesthetics of the decades preceding them. In terms of pop culture, the 80s were the decade of glamour and bombast, the 90s were the decade of grounding and moodiness. It refutes and refuses to partake in the systems that created and drove the half century of wars that preceded it.

So doesn’t it make sense then, that the Marvel movie set in and embroiling itself in the 90s grunge era is the one that humanized these representatives of Soviet agents. Gave them families and a backstory and a very human reason to fight.

So, that’s that then. Captain Marvel isn’t just using the 90s aesthetic as a shallow means to pander to nostalgic twenty-somethings, its a thematic connection to reinforce the need to consider the other side’s perspective, using the counterculture of grunge to boost the counterculture of good guy Skrulls, right?

Well, no!

Look, okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I pulled all that directly out of my ass. I can’t imagine this level of thought went into connecting the story of Captain Marvel to the pervading zeitgeist of the 90s, especially when the Nirvana and No Doubt songs are played against Blockbuster Videos and Two Way Pagers. Besides, while it might be a good idea to understand that the Soviet spies and plants are in fact people with families and lives, saying that the Soviet Union were actually misunderstood good guys is at best the innocent musings of someone who genuinely didn’t know how bad things got and at worst grounds to suspect someone is actually some kind of Russian psyop themselves, and it’s far from any kind of message that Disney of all corporations would ever want attached to them. But that doesn’t make the analysis wrong per say. As said before, the writers of Invasion of the Body Snatchers disagree with the reading of its parallel to Cold War paranoia.

But Captain Marvel just doesn’t have the right 90s attitude. She’s defiant, certainly, maybe even counterculture given her response to the sexism she’s faced her entire life, but she doesn’t abandon the system, she doesn’t even really learn to see all enemies as people, and she does the least grunge thing of all and chooses a side.

I’m not saying the movie would be better if Carol reasoned with the imperialistic hivemind robo-fascist that literally brainwashed her to use as a weapon, or if she had just left the Kree to commit genocide against what is, in this universe, an oppressed racial minority that’s already been driven to the brink of extinction by rampant imperialism, but the movie still puts the blame on a nation of citizenry as opposed to the systems that influence them. The Skrulls have family and just want to live their lives in peace. The Kree don’t and don’t. The Supreme Intelligence wasn’t lying to an entire nation of soldiers, telling them that the Skrulls are all terrorists and the aggressors in this conflict, it was literally just Carol. Carol was the only one who didn’t know. Those soldiers that Carol had spent six years training with, living with, trusting with her life, they can be killed without a thought cause they’re the bad guys. Cause they didn’t have families like the Skrulls did.

In all likelihood, Marvel Studios saw a female led movie as being enough of a risk and wanted to keep the rest of film entirely safe. It’ll cause less waves if instead of portraying two warring factions as shades of grey, they just swap out black and white’s positions halfway through.

Captain Marvel adopts the aesthetics of 90s rebellion without going that extra step to actually rebel. It comes close to the realization that war is made of people with lives being shunted to their end by careless systems looking for profit, but still organizes all the players into a good side and a bad side instead of acknowledging the fascist systems behind them seeking excess material wealth and control.

Oh well.

Whatever.

Nevermind.

[sariasprincy-writes]

Hollow Point 02

One // Two (here) // Three

Chapter Two One part pretty, two parts ‘don’t care’

A gust of wind blew in from the river. It swept over the pier and onto the dock, lowering the temperature another few degrees. The breeze caught the ends of Sakura’s hair and whipped them about her face. She brushed the stands back, tucking them behind her ears before she pulled her jacket tighter around herself.

Why Sakura had agreed to meet at the shipping yard at night, she hadn’t the faintest clue. She hated the cold. She hated being it in. She hated all the layers she had to wear. She just hated it. It made her miss the warm beaches of the Mediterranean with its blue waters and white sand beaches.

What did New York have? Smog and tainted water that didn’t reach above seventy even in the summer?

At least the skyline was something to gaze at.

Before her, the city lights danced across the river like shattered diamonds. The breeze made them dance, twisting and waving like they were performing a private show. It was almost enough to distract from the cold.

Almost.

Sakura wrapped her arms further around herself as she pushed up onto her toes before rocking back onto her heels. Her gaze slipped around the parking lot again. Still empty.

“No sign yet,” Kakashi said in her ear.

Sakura curled her fingers around her cellphone, careful to avoid accidentally tugging on the headphones connected to her ear. “He’ll be here,” she said into the built-in microphone.

“You sound sure.”

Even over the wind, she heard his doubt. She didn’t share it. “He still has another five minutes. Besides, he knows the consequences.”

Kakashi didn’t reply. She didn’t know if it was because he accepted her answer or was choosing not to argue. Likely the latter. He wasn’t one for conflict. Ironic, considering his past.

Instead Sakura just continued to watch the waves until Kakashi came to life again, “Single black van approaching. No markings. Tinted windows.”

She almost sighed. What was this? An action movie? She told him to be discreet.

Headlights pierced the suffocating darkness encompassing the port. A van exactly as Kakashi had described pulled into the wide lot. It stopped some yards from Sakura before the driver cut the engine. The slapping of waves against the docks filled the sudden silence once more.

Sakura stayed where she was, her arms still wrapped around herself. One hand inside her jacket, secured around the grip of her gun, waiting. Just in case.

When Jiraiya stepped out of the passenger door, she relaxed. Even in the semi-darkness, she would recognize that long mane of white hair anywhere. He grinned broadly as he approached, his arms stretched wide. “Sakura.”

With much practice, she avoided his hug and half-glared. “What have I told you about that?”

“Right. My apologies, Tsunade,” he said with a mock bow. When he straightened, he eyed her. “Though Tsunade was blonde and, dare I say, more...endowed.” He was unfazed by her dark stare. “What does she think of you tarnishing her good name?”

Her glare faded as Jiraiya’s attempt at flirting died off. Honestly the man was three times her age - or at least close. She would have thought he’d have grown up a little by now.

“She hardly cares,” Sakura answered, casually readjusting the headphone in her ear. “Tsunade changed her name so she could focus back on her medical career. She works nearly a hundred hours a week at the hospital downtown. Even if I did get her in trouble, the police couldn’t do anything. She has an airtight alibi.”

Jiraiya seemed to consider that a moment before he gestured back towards the van. “I have your shipment for the Senju. Everything else is being distributed to your other contracts now. But I assumed you wanted to double check this one before handing it off.”

Sakura nodded her agreement. She followed him to the van and waited with her arms crossed for him to pull the sliding back door open.

In the back was two large, wooden crates. Sitting on top one was a man about her age with bright blond hair. Black ink peeked out from the collar of his jacket and under his sleeves but she couldn’t make them out. The stranger grinned at her.

Sakura frowned. “Who the fuck are you?”

“This is Naruto,” Jiraiya introduced. “I’m training him to be your new contact.”

“What?” she asked flatly. Sakura took a deep breath in an attempt to keep her temper under control. “I’m in the process of building a connection with the Senju brothers and possibly the Uchihas, and you want to drop a new kid on me? You are my contact.”

“Not anymore,” Jiraiya said, his voice unusually subdued. “Tsunade is not the only one looking to retire. I’m getting too old for this.”

She cocked a brow. “You live for doing this.”

“And I’ll die if I continue,” he returned. When Sakura just stared expectantly, he heaved a sigh, “I’ve been diagnosed with coronary artery disease. And as much as I love dodging bullets and smuggling, I’ve decided to take a step back and enjoy the rest of my years.”

Sakura supposed she couldn’t entirely blame him for that but she didn’t reply.

Jiraiya took her non-answer as acceptance and smiled. “Just please don’t kill him immediately. Give Naruto a chance.”

Her gaze fell to the blond again. He was still grinning at her. She resisted the urge to say screw it and shoot him anyway. “Are you going to get the fuck off my weapons or just sit there all night?”

Naruto immediately jumped up before he lifted the lid of the closest crate. Inside were five rifles lined up side-by-side. Sakura reached for one to examine. The sights were aligned and the grip was still new and easy to hold. She would be quite happy if these guns were being delivered to her.

Pulling out the magazine, Sakura peered inside. “Where are the bullets?”

“Here,” Naruto said. He popped open a smaller box for her. “There’s three crates. About ten thousand rounds total.”

Sakura eyed the ammo. His count was likely accurate. Overall, she was satisfied with the shipment, which unfortunately meant that she didn’t have a good reason to kill Jiraiya’s replacement. For now.

Replacing the magazine, Sakura laid the rifle back down in the crate beside the others. “Alright, get these all loaded and taken to Hashirama. I’ll text you the address.”

“Loaded?”

She paused in scrolling through her phone to look at Naruto. “Yes, loaded. What do you expect them to do with empty guns?”

He eyed the crates briefly. “It’s just that...I had plans and this is going to take a few hours.” When she just stared at him, Naruto wilted. “But I’ll make sure it gets done tonight.”

Jiraiya grinned at the impatient look Sakura shot him. Only once Naruto had climbed back inside the van did the white-haired man slide the door closed. “You heard him,” Jiraiya said. “Hashirama will get his shipment tonight. And you can go off and do...whatever it is that you do on a Thursday night.”

Sakura nearly rolled her eyes. Instead she shoved her hands back into her pockets as she fixed the aging man with a pointed stare. “Make sure it gets done. Correctly,” she added as an afterthought. “I’ll have the real Tsunade on your ass if you fuck this up for me.”

He just waved her threat off before he slipped into the driver’s seat. “Consider it already done.”

Sakura glowered as the van drove away. She’d consider it done when it was actually done.

She was still frowning when Kakashi suddenly spoke in her ear, “Want me to kill him?”

“No,” Sakura said after a moment of serious consideration. “His heart disease will eventually do that. And if it’s true that this Naruto-guy is taking over for him, I want Jiraiya to train him as best he can before he retires.”

“And if the kid screws up?” Kakashi asked.

She watched the taillights of the van disappear around the corner before she answered, “If he screws up, I’ll kill him myself.”

xx

Sakura saw Tobirama the next night. He found her in the bar area of a restaurant that was rumored to have the best burgers in New York. And delicious they were. Sakura had almost finished all of hers, the last few bits of bun left on her plate.

She regarded Tobirama as he slipped into the booth across from her, a french fry still in her mouth as she munched slowly. He eyed the mostly empty plate on the table and then her as if wondering how she stayed so skinny when she ate so much. Sakura herself wondered the same thing sometimes.

“Nice suit,” Sakura said first. “It does wonders for your eyes. Though I have to say you're a little overdressed for a place like this.”

“I'm not here on a social visit.” Both his expression and tone were flat.

She pouted. “Well that’s too bad. And here I thought we were beginning to be friends.”

Tobirama’s face didn’t change. She got the vague impression if she pushed him any further, he was going to find the closest tree and hang her from it. Which probably wasn’t far from the truth. She’d heard on the news that police had discovered some bodies at a park downtown. Judging from the scratches on the inside of Tobirama’s wrists there had been a bit of a struggle.

“I’m assuming you received my gift then,” Sakura said as she picked through her pile of fries until she found one that was perfectly shaped. When Tobirama continued to stare at her with that guarded look, she wilted inwardly. She was going to kill Naruto.

“Was there a problem?” she asked nonchalantly.

To her great relief, he shook his head. “Hashirama was quite satisfied.”

“Then what do you want?” Sakura asked. She chewed her french fry slowly as she considered him. It quickly dawned on her. “Oh, I see. You don't trust me. So you came down here to…rattle me? Threaten me with the consequences should I screw up?”

“Something like that,” Tobirama said smoothly. As if they were doing nothing more than discussing the slight drizzle that had turned everything the same shade of grey that afternoon.

Sakura smiled. “You don't need to worry. Hashirama has done a lot for me in the past. Consider my service a favor to him that you also get to cash in on.”

“And what has he done for you?”

“I'm afraid that is his story to tell. Not mine.”

His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward just loud enough for her to hear. “That doesn't make me trust you.”

Sakura was hardly fazed. “I don't need you to trust me. I just need you to trust that I can get the job done.”

“I don't trust that either.”

“Because I'm young and pink and bubbly?” His unwavering stare was answer enough. Sakura huffed in quiet amusement before she smirked. “Fine. I have some business to see to tonight. Why don't you come with me and you can see exactly how I work.”

Tobirama was quiet. So quiet that she almost thought he wasn’t going to answer her. Then he inclined his head. “Fine, but I'm driving.”

Sakura grinned around her french fry in reply.

Nearly forty-five minutes later, after battling through the downtown traffic and crossing the main bridge connecting New York to New Jersey, they pulled up to an abandoned building. It was an old ship-building warehouse, long and open on both ends. There were windows lining the walls on either side but they were covered in a thick layer of dust. Only the dim, flickering street lights combated the night.

The parking lot itself was empty, except for half a dozen cars parked near the entrance of the warehouse. All lined up in a rough row. Tobirama parked parallel to them but still some yards away.

“This is the place?” he asked with obvious distrust.

Sakura darkened the screen of her phone and tucked it into the back pocket of her tight-fitted jeans. She glanced over the building before she smirked over at him. “What? Think I brought you here to kill you?”

Judging by the look that crossed his face, it was an option he had seriously considered. In the end, he said nothing. Only slipped out of his sporty, muscle car to follow her.

Sakura’s boots echoed faintly off the walls of the large bay as they ventured inside. She more heard than saw Tobirama follow as his designer shoes clacked uniquely alongside her own footfalls.

At the other end of the warehouse was a large moving truck. Non-description and discrete. There were seven men in total. Three were counting the contents of a heavy crate while the rest were perched on boxes they had pushed together into a makeshift table for poker. Only instead of chips, there were magazines for high-powered rifles, car keys and large stacks of money.

None of the men noticed Sakura and Tobirama approach over their own conversation and bustling. Leaning against the back of the open truck, she reached into the inner pocket of her coat and retrieved a candy cane.

Upon the crinkle of her wrapper, all heads snapped in her direction before the men jumped up to their feet. All but one. Who was trying very hard to remain unnoticed behind the others. A few reached into their jackets, their fingers grabbing guns but not quite drawing them.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Sakura ignored the man who had spoken. Just smiled at the one that had remained sitting. She pulled the candy out of her mouth to speak, “Kabuto, you’ve been avoiding my calls. You know how much I hate being ignored.”

At her veiled threat, Kabuto’s men withdrew their gun. Beside her, Tobirama shifted minutely, his hand inside his suit. No doubt wrapped around his own weapon. Things were very close to turning violent. Too close.

Sighing faintly, Sakura held up her hands in truce. “Alright, let’s just all relax,” she said calmly. “I’m not here to fight.”

A long, tense silence passed before Kabuto gave the silent command. His men relaxed their defensive stances but none holstered the guns. Her gaze didn’t waver from Kabuto.

He was a small man, certainly smaller than the rest of his party, but he was cunning. Like a rat, he could worm his way out of almost every situation. Sakura had no intention of letting him this time.

“What do you want, Tsunade?” he asked.

“You and I both know what I want so let’s just skip the whole ignorance part, shall we?” Sakura said pleasantly.

When Kabuto just continued to look like he wanted to sink into the floor, she glanced around. Her eyes landed on a nearby container where a familiar, black case was laid out on the ground. She wandered towards it, all eyes tracking her as she popped her minty cane back into her mouth and snapped the lid open. Sakura pulled the rifle out of its case and inspected it with interest. The magazine was fully loaded, the silencers she had acquired screwed onto the end and ready to use.

“.308 caliber rifle with an extended mag and a titanium suppressor. Beautiful, isn’t it?” Sakura asked Tobirama, turning around to face him.

He was still standing by the truck. He didn’t answer her verbally, just nodded appreciatively, going along with whatever little game she was playing.

Sakura brushed her long, wavy pink hair over her shoulder before she checked the sights, felt that familiar, comfortable weight in her hands. The weapon was all still new.

“Exactly what you asked for, right, Kabuto?” she asked around the melting candy in her mouth.

Kabuto nodded minutely.

Her mood shifted then. Like the stillness that followed after a gunshot. The millisecond of calm before chaos ensued. “Then why the fuck haven’t I gotten my payment yet?”

The men surrounding Kabuto tensed again. He stiffened, his glasses flashing against the flickering lights, and he quickly held up his hands. “I’m working on it. I just need-.”

Scoffing, Sakura looked out at the water. In the blink of an eye, half a dozen shots fired into the warehouse from across the river. Six bullets. Six bodies hit the floor. Until Kabuto was the only one still breathing around the makeshift table.

To her surprise, Kabuto made no move to hide. Though whether because he knew he couldn’t move fast enough or because he was frozen in fear, Sakura didn’t know. Likely the latter. When she turned back to him, his gaze was fixated over the water, searching. As if trying to locate the shooter.

Dropping the rifle back into its carrier, Sakura approached him. It wasn’t until she was hovering over the table that he finally pulled his eyes away to look up at her. “You said you weren’t here to fight,” Kabuto piped, his voice pitching higher in adrenaline and fear.

Sakura shot him a pointed look. “Believe me, Kabuto, your men aren’t much of a fight.”

When he didn’t reply, she leaned forward, her hands resting on the crate until her face was level with his. He blinked against the burn of her minty breath. “Get me my money or it’ll be your brain matter I wipe off my boots next. You have twenty-four hours. Don’t keep me waiting.”

Kabuto was still too shaken to offer an answer. And Sakura didn’t bother waiting for one. She snatched the new, glittering car key off the table before she swept past Tobirama without a glance. She didn’t have to look to know he was following her. His shoes were making that clattering noise behind her again.

It wasn’t until they were almost back at the cars that Tobirama spoke, “That was a sniper.”

Sakura didn’t glance at him. Just kept walking. “Yep.”

“So the rumors are true,” he said. “You do have a shadow.”

Sakura did look at him this time. If only to flash him a smirk. She kinda liked that he had looked into her. “US Marine trained. Don’t bother looking for him. You won’t find him.”

A quiet, curious look passed Tobirama’s face but he didn’t comment further.

When they finally reached the cars, she stopped and turned to face him. “Satisfied?” she asked.

There was something dark, something sinister swimming in Tobirama’s eyes. He nodded once.

“Good,” she smiled. She pulled the candy cane out of her mouth by the hook, swung it around her finger once before she pointed the end in the general direction of New York. “I assume you can find your way home. Until next time.”

Without another word, Sakura walked away. The instant her back was turned, her smile vanished. She popped the mint candy back into her mouth and glanced down at the car key in her hand.

Mazda. Nice.

to be continued...

[secretsfromwholecloth]

So if I want to be able to play Forgotten Sanctum in a reasonable timeframe after it drops, I ought to get started on a playthrough so I have a Watcher ready to go, right? (And if you think I was ever going to just do another playthrough with Clelia rather than take the opportunity to come up with a new character, you don't know me very well. I've learned too much and gotten too many things out of my system not to take advantage.) So it's now time for season two of Brightoncemore Has Opinions about the Pillars of Eternity Games. Strap in, enjoy.

Our Watcher this time is Oriol Gori, ocean folk Darcozzi Paladin from the Deadfire. He's a friendly hedonist who just wants everyone to enjoy life as much as he does but hasn't yet learned not to run his mouth in front of the wrong people. (He's 22, he'll learn eventually.)

Look, it's one thing to tell your sergeant to eat your ass when it's just you and your squad, quite another to do it in front of a captain who's a notorious stickler for discipline and known for making public examples of people. When you’ve already got a reputation as a problem child, at that. He wasn't thrown out of the Paladini, but he can come back when he can demonstrate a willingness to act right and submit to discipline, and why doesn't he leave Old Vailia in the meantime? See some more of the world, learn how things work. Hey, there's a ship leaving for the Dyrwood in a few days...

He was born into an ethnic Vailian family (yes, I know, another Vailian) with connections to the Príncipi old guard (a few sailors in the family, no one illustrious). The thing about the Príncipi old guard is they're kind of assholes, and late-teens Oriol decided to strike out for the homeland to see if it was as bad as they said or if they were just mad they weren't in charge anymore. (It's not what it supposedly was under the Empire, but it's hardly the pit they make it out to be.)

I waffled between explorer and drifter for his background; as someone doing the Eoran version of a gap year, he was kind of a mix of both. I went with drifter and somewhat regret it, as none of the options it gave me in the dialogue with Calisca fit my idea of his backstory, but I'm not about to reload and wipe out a night's progress.

I also went back and forth on his gender. I didn't want to be that person who only plays women (the "you so-called non-binary people are just cis bitches who want to be special" brigade is enough of a problem without me handing them ammunition), but I knew I wanted this Watcher to romance Xoti in Deadfire, and I also didn't want to be that person who only plays het pairings, for reasons that should be obvious. In the end, I decided to make him male and queue up a man romancing Aloth and a woman romancing Maia for my next two.

Where Clelia was based almost entirely on my younger self with enough tweaks to allow her to function in the world, Oriol is largely a mix of people I've known over the years. There's some of me in him, of course, since I'm the one making the decisions for him, but there's a lot less puppet therapy going on this time.

So. The superficial stuff: He's got the standard ocean folk coloring, with dark skin and eyes, black-brown hair in resplendent waist-length curls that make me jealous, and a short, well-kept beard. If he had the proportions of a normal person, he'd be of thoroughly average height, but his disturbingly long legs bring him to an even six feet. (Why yes, that is one of the details I nicked from someone in real life. Wait, I can look you in the eye when we're sitting, how are you this tall? Ohhhh.) He's always been on the thin side, but Paladini training has made him solid enough. While he's no world-class beauty or anything, he's fairly pretty and has never had trouble getting boys or girls.

Between the Grand Vailian Culture™ imparted to him back home, the Hylean church's love of song and poetry, and the Paladini's expectation that their members be urbane sophisticates with a solid arts education, he has a perfectly serviceable baritone singing voice and quite a repertoire. Some of which—OK, rather a lot of which—is on the bawdy or suggestive side. If he's separated from his companions and doesn't see a need for stealth in the moment, all they need to do is follow the singing.

So far he's done all the local quests in Gilded Vale, taken over Caed Nua, and picked up Aloth, Edér, Durance, and Kana. Yes, in one night of play, and I started late, too. Story mode making fights go quicker + speed-clicking through conversations I don't feel the need to fully re-experience = whee!

Aloth is pretty, but he's so fussy, and he's clearly hiding something. Needs to relax, that one. That said, if he crawled into Oriol's tent at night, he wouldn't send him away. (The same could be said for any of the other current companions except for Durance, because ew.)

Edér is friendly, reliable, and good to have around. Oriol is probably underestimating him right now and thinking of him as a mascot more than a friend, but he'll learn in time.

Durance is, of course, a flaming asshole (pun only partially intended). But while Oriol was never the most pious of Hylea's followers, the idea of getting on a priest's (and presumably a deity's) bad side makes him uncomfortable. Durance may spout a lot of crap, but what if he's right about something important? What if the real test here is whether he can keep from taking his pollaxe to the vile son of a bitch, and failing would bring disaster? Is this a note of life's song he's supposed to be living?

Kana is pleasant and fun to geek out with, though he sometimes tries a bit too hard. Oriol usually likes his partners smaller and slighter than he is, but put Kana's mind into Aloth's body and you've got something close to his ideal man. Sure, he's Rauataian, but he's clearly not like other Rauataians. Not even physically, just look at the man.

[unsatisfied-dreamer]

Blue and Mint, Why am I training under a mint haired man suddenly? A first attempt of possibly an ongoing fanfic of a slight alt universe with Yoongi and a girl who has been quietly working on becoming lyricist but also has a lot of side abilities that might come their aid latter.

Life was I didn't see myself sharing with anyone. No one seemed to be on the same wavelength as me and it got tiring being told, "You'll find someone you connect with." "One day there will be someone you love and your birthday will never be the same again." All the compiled moments built up and I had long since began to roll my eyes. Dating apps were not any use to me either. One time I found someone and swiped on them and they had already swiped back on me. When I messaged them nothing came back. I'd think of the times I was too timid to take action. When in reality for so many years I knew there were things in myself I needed work. My long history of people pleasing was not so easily turned off. It left me confused on what love was. After a long time of unraveling and unboxing. Taking apart and deconstructing. Slowly I have begun to understand what real love means and have become closer to people I love more than I could have before.

Yet romantic love still evades me. After so many years of not being able to make any decisions here I am taking one of the boldest risks of my life. For so long I secretly and quietly began writing lyrics in my free time. It's been a challenge for me to choose one thing I want to do. My interest are a wide umbrella. Most assumed I would go into fashion or makeup. Which I still may. That all depends though on how this day unfolds.

Taking a deep breath looking up at the building looming over me. I close my eyes and blink when I reopen them. The light and morning sky reflect off it as if it were a piece of the sky itself. The air has been perfectly still all day. As I am about to step onto the sidewalk leading to the place that will change the direction of my life. A burst of wind comes up around me blowing my hair up into the air. A single white feather drifts down out of the sky landing on the ground in front of me. Leaning down to pick up I feel like it should be a good sign of what is ahead. Glancing up I see someone walking in through the doors. He looks behind him for a second looking me in the eyes for a second and then whipping back around. Just then I realize looking down at my phone it was time to get moving or I was going to be late. Quickly I put the feather inside my bag and made my way through the revolving doors.

Well here I am after a little bit of being discombobulated I found my way getting directions from the service lady at the the desk. Her cheerful customer service morning and compassionate smile at least made me feel not a complete disaster. Now I found myself in a long row of people seated on chairs with numbers on our shirts with folders on our laps. To help calm myself I hum some of my favorite songs to myself. Without noticing it is my turn to go in. As the door is held open my group of 5 shuffles in quietly in. In this room all there is a table and 3 people sat behind it. A young man with blonde hair tells us to make sure the sticker corresponding the the number on our shirt is attached the folder of lyrics we are submitting. He tells us we are to leave them on the table and we may leave. It feels a little non climatic but we all wordlessly do as we are asked. As I set my bright blue folder down. Somehow the white feather I picked up falls out onto the table. As I reach to pick it up. A pale hand has already picked it up and is holding the feather out to me. "Here you go." called a soft slightly gravely voice. I glance up then to meet the eyes of man I saw earlier today before I came in. I hadn't noticed how downturned and soft he eyes were then, now they dance with amusement. I get the idea I may have been staring a little longer than I meant to and quickly said a thank you to him and walked quickly to catch up with the others. Just before stepping out of the room I looked back to see the same man still looking towards me in curiosity. The corner of his mouth pulled up a little to a partial smile and I ended up smiling back at him. The light caught the silver hoops that gathered on his ear lobes in a group of 3. They twinkled along with the light that now twinkled in his eyes as I saw it was my folder he had already opened up and was reading the words inside. At least a smile should account for something. It is a start before I got a crisp thank you at things like this. In the mean time it was getting near the time I had to hurry up and get to all the fur covered friends that were waiting for me. The whimsical blue and yellow door with little trials of cat and dog foot prints wound all over it. As I pushed the door open a little bell chimes and little pads of feet and nails clicking and clacking on the hard floors echo. As a small army of dogs small and large crowd the gate in front of me. "Now easy little ones. I'm coming, I'm coming. How were my babies? Were you all good?" Carefully I open the gate. Picking up my vest that was cream and blue. Adjusting my shining blue nametag and dawning the blue beret we all wear here with our vests. It's time to get ready to open the dog café, Prancing Fur Friends. It's hard to not enjoy getting to be with dogs all day long and there is even one cat who happens to be mine. For whatever reason he doesn't mind being with dogs all day. Between you and me I think he may be having an identity crisis. Though my cat Mirai seem to not warm up to many of the customers. I left Mirai here earlier before I ran over to drop off my folder. Everyday I work here he climbs into his travel backpack and we go together. Right before our first round of customers come I scratch my cat Mirai behind the ears. Then I start to set out all the water bowls. The bell rings letting me know the day has begun. Most of the time it's me and one other girl on the floor and another working on the drinks and desserts. As the night comes and it's time to lock up my cat and I start our way home. As I lay in bed that night all I can hope is as much as I love working with dogs. That maybe just maybe my lyrics were as good as my friend who kept insisting they were. With a final sigh. I turn over and hug Mirai closer to me whispering, "This might be the turning point. You never know. Then we can hold our heads a little higher right?" Days have passed and gone by. No matter how many times I refresh my emails on my phone not one shows up telling me if my lyrics have been accepted. That is till when I checked one more

time today at my lunch break. As the email popped up my felt like it stopped. A small Corgi came up next to me while I sat on the floor and flopped his head on my knee. "Thanks Creamsicle I need the extra support." My heart began to hammer in my chest and all I could hear was my blood pounding. Trembling I clicked on the email. As my eyes scanned over the words. My hands holding my dropped to my lap. Resigned I sighed and gently petted the corgi on my lap. "Well Creamscile... It looks like it's another no for me. Guess it just wasn't my time but what does this make it? The 40th time or something? ...I am just not sure if I should keep doing this anymore." A hot tear escaped my eye and ran down my face as my throat burned. Mirai as if magic as always appeared on my opposite side and sat watching me with big knowing eyes before rubbing his head on me. "Sitting there you look a bit like a Disney Princess. Who else would have animals all around them. Except maybe Beast boy but then you'd have to be green..." The male voice sounds a little familiar. It was kind a little gravely sounding. With a small huff the owner of the voice sits down next to me. Looking over I realize it was the man I had seen earlier that was sitting at the table that day. He offered a small smile as the light caught his earrings. Mint green fringe falling into his eyes. This close I could see how warm and brown they were going up up a slightly on the inner middle of his eyes as the edges turned down. A small delicate nose graced his pale face that was dusted with pink across his cheeks. Mirai padded his way over to the man and laid down in his lap. At first I raised my eyebrows at him and under my breath whispered "Traitor." The mint haired man must have heard me because he let out a small airy laugh. "So I guess I should tell you why I am here. It's really by accident I found this place but not many girls have blue hair and walk around with the cat travel backpacks. I saw you the other day." "That really doesn't explain why you're here still." I say as I wipe the hot tears off my cheeks trying to hide my face even if he already saw. "I guess...they finally sent out the emails huh? To be honest I don't agree fully with decisions even they were looking for lyricists that fit the group they are looking to debut. So don't take it personal." Sighing and looking up at the ceiling and glancing briefly at his face that had returned to an impassive resting expression except for his eyes giving off a hint of empathy. "It's little hard not to after so many times of being... I'm sorry I really shouldn't be whining." For a moment you both sit in silence. As you begin to stroke the corgi between his ears and you hear a purr emanating from your cat. Gently after a few minutes the man speaks up "It's okay to whine sometimes and be frustrated. I'm not going to judge you for it." Rubbing my eyes I fight the desire to cry. I don't even know this man but within the few minutes we've been talking I already feel like he means what he says. That he wouldn't hold it against me. Coming to terms with the fact that my eyes were not going to stop watering anytime soon. I turn fully to the man beside me. He holds out his hand "My name is Yoongi." Without hesitation I shake his hands and he gently grips onto mine. "My name is Luna. Nice to meet you." "So I have an idea. If you're up for it. Would you consider working a bit with me?" Instantly I freeze. Who is this person and no matter how much I warmed up to him. What does he want to work on together?

[oneshots-heaven]

“Need Your Saving“ - Part 1

Fame doesn’t always come with good terms. Her up-coming movie was supposed to be an eye-opener, but instead the press only wants to find out more about the part she keeps hidden from the public. As the paparazzi’s start following her everywhere she goes, the movie company hires a new bodyguard to protect her—not knowing that she may not only need his protection, but also his comfort. 

Warning: Mentions of former abuse + violence (please read the A/N under the cut), cursing Bodyguard!Tom x Reader Part One of the ‘Need Your Saving’ Series

A/N: This entire series surrounds the topic of abuse in a former relationship. I do not focus on the abuse itself, it is only mentioned vaguely, and rather focus on the aftermath of it and how it can change someone. I also want to highlight how celebrities are often robbed any control of privacy of situations like this. Please do not read this if you don’t feel comfortable. I do not want to make anyone feel uncomfortable or triggered by this. 

I also wrote this in the ’She’-Form, unlike usual, as you might want to distance yourself from this/not feel directly connected to the character while still reading it. 

People screamed from every side.

Flashing lights blinded the sight.

Hundreds of people were screaming one simple thing—her name.

Maybe she should’ve lift up her head, put on the best fake smile she could possibly manage and smile right into their faces. They would be happy, they would cheer for her, scream even louder. The flashing lights would be brighter, lighten her way to the car. The paparazzis would tell her that they loved her, asking for even more smiles. Because to say the least, they would make good money from pictures like that.

Maybe those people would say in a few years from now that this was the greatest day in their lives. Who knew, at least they would be happy.

Everyone was happy. Everyone but her.

She would put on this act that almost felt repetitive to her. She would do what her management and those waiting people expected from her because in some way, she owe them to show them the always happy and smiling star. She would portray someone, act like she was someone else because that girl smiling in the faces of those unknown people that called out her name was not her.

It was not her.

And it had not been her for a very long time.

She would feel lost for a short time that felt endless to her—but then she would feel the firm pressure of a large hand on her back that guided her toward the car. She would feel the warmth and safety and it would be the only time that she lifts up her head, gazes meeting for the breathe of a moment with the person who followed her.

She would look up to that certain person who knew what was going on inside her head.

The only person who knew about the pain she felt and how a situation like this one made her feel. He knew that she rather would like to scream at the top of her lungs against the noise, hit things and let our the anger and rage she had been keeping hidden inside herself. It wasn’t the fault of those people who only wanted to see the person they adored. But they were the ones who needed such person, the person that she felt like she no longer could be. The broken pieces of her would fall apart right in front of their eyes.

He knew that the person who looked at him for this spilt second needed him more than anything in this moment. And he would give everything to do the one thing he promised her—to never let go of her.

FOUR WEEKS BEFORE

She heard voices discussing quietly but angry with each other. They knew she was sitting right in the office next door and kept their voices down to have her hear the least, however not down enough for her to hear absolutely nothing. Her manager was standing outside the office of the movie company, talking to the producers of her up-coming movie. Four big men, discussing wildly while she was sitting on a big corner couch almost perfectly, starring outside the window. Almost as if a director would storm into the office any second with his camera guy and take a cinematic, overthinking shot of her.

Her dark jeans complimented her body nicely, just like the pair of high heels that she wore did. The white blouse make it look all neat and innocent on the first glance but on the second, when you truly looked at her face, the perfect imagine slowly broke down. She looked worried and although she wore make-up, you were able to see that she must had a lack of sleep in the last few days.

“She will win everything with this movie. The post-production is almost finished.“ one of the Producers said. She had worked long enough with them to hear the difference in their voices and know exactly who was speaking without looking at them.

“She has been pushed to an emotional limit with this movie, you guys know that well enough. And now the press is after her like never before. Have you even seen the latest headlines?“ the voice of her manager raised up, and weirdly enough, she was somehow thankful for that.

Bryan Stevens was through and through a businessman, knowing exactly how to represent a rising star like her and get her to have this golden career that everyone in good ’ol Hollywood was jealous of.

But he was also a good man.

He took care of her like his own daughter and always made sure that she was healthy. That came before anything else as he usually preached. His father had been a manager for various Hollywood in the late 50s, which was the reason why he knew how the business worked but also how cruel it used to be and how it still was.

The movie was the hardest she was ever involved in, but perhaps it would be the most honest the world will ever see from her. She wanted to play this part so bad, even when Bryan warned her that it wouldn’t be a good idea. She remembered what he had said that day to her, “Y/N, look. I know you feel a connection to this movie. I know this could be therapeutic for you but the chances that it will also destroy a part of you, if not all of you, is too high to risk.“

She didn’t listen to him. Instead she went to the audition, got the part and Bryan ended up being torn in-between accepting it or leaving her on her own. Both knew that the second choice was the last thing he’d ever do.

“I know you’re worried about her, we care about her protection and health too.“ the other producer tried to calm her manager.

“I want her to be safe and cut off from the paparazzis. They’re crazy after another piece they could deliver about her and I am not giving them anything to hurt her.“ Bryan’s voice broke down. She was able to hear it clear enough and it made her shiver.

“We know,“ the head of the movie company said, “that’s why we called the best security team in the world and we’ve found someone who will do 24/7 protection service until the situation completely calmed down.“

The hallway filled with more voices and not all of them matched with someone she knew. They continued to discuss but she was too tired to try and listen to every single word. In the end, Bryan would tell her the most important parts, or at least, what she needed to know. She hadn’t slept that well since days now, almost weeks. Sometimes she only slept two hours per night and then walked around like a ghost.

She pressed her lips together, sitting up on the couch to stop herself from falling asleep. This was neither the right time nor the safest place to do so. Suddenly the door to the office flew open, making her jump a little which luckily only Bryan noticed as he walked in first.

“Y/N,“ he approached her as he came closer and kneeled in front of her. She looked down at him with closed lips and big eyes. “I’ll make it short. The studio has made some plans to take care about this entire situation. They want you to be safe and sound, which is why they hired a new bodyguard for you who will be there for you the entire time. Mark will still accompany you to big events, but this young man is qualified as one of the best out there.“

He didn’t need to explain it any further. “I will leave you with him in here, so you can meet and get to know him. And,“ he stopped for a moment, holding her hand. “Don’t worry, he will do everything to protect you.“

She nodded twice slowly.

Bryan’s mouth twitched to a brave smile as he squeezed her hand gently to let her know that he was close by and then he left the room, leaving the door open for someone completely unknown to enter. Her muscles tensed up. She belittled herself in this moment. If this young man had met her two years, he would have met a young woman filled with love for life and the lust to meet new people, now she appeared more like a shallow.

Not to mention that she had had multiple bodyguards before, just not someone who would stay with her for the entire time. It wouldn’t be for long, she told herself.

Her body was shaking as a man dressed in a black shirt with a white shirt and a black tie walked in. The kind of stereotype of a bodyguard, just you’d imagine him. She ignored the shaking and dared herself to stand up to greet him. His gaze was concentrated but his eyes lastly gave him away—there was a certain worry and friendliness in them. Just like Bryan, he looked like he pitied her for the moment he saw her and she hated it.

“Good morning, Miss Y/L/N,“ he greeted her. “It is my pleasure to meet you. May I introduce myself?“

British was the first thing that came to her mind. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything, she simply nodded.

For a second, he held in, then his mouth twitched to a sympathetic smile. “My name is Thomas Holland. I’m from London and have been trained as a police officer, opting up for the training of a personal bodyguard. As you may already know, the studio has assigned me for you.“

Straight away and honest.

She breathed out slowly. If Bryan was right and he was the best they could find, he surely noticed a few things about her like her lack of sleep, the shaking of her hands and her tensed body. Perhaps that was the reason why he spoke so calmly and soft, almost whispering his words to her.

“Is there something else I need to know about you?“ she asked him after bringing up the courage to do it.

“Only one thing,“ he said. “I want to make clear that it is my duty to protect you and believe me, from this day now on, I truly hope that you know you are and feel safe. I will do anything in order to make that happen.“

She glanced at him. For the first time, she really looked at him. She was right, his eyes really gave him away. He looked all tough and manly, but his eyes… they showed his soul and maybe you could compare it to herself. She looked all put together but maybe her eyes showed others what a mess she truly was.

His words seemed like an impossible promise to her, yet she didn’t know what else to say and instead nodded and said, “Thank you, Mr. Holland. I’d like to get back to my house if that would be possible.“

“Of course,“ he replied.

He made a gesture for her to walk first, then followed her closely outside the office with her heartbeat starting to race. Bryan excused himself from the circle of producers and followed the two of you. She didn’t say goodbye to the producers or the head of the company. Those were good people, even if their hunger after money would never be vanished, however they weren’t the ones who tried to hurt her. It was the media, who tried to get out stories of some insider who has no real connection to her, spreading rumors or the sparks they heard.

The usual black SUV was parked in the private parking lot where she was able to slip unnoticed by anyone in the car. She just wanted to get to her house, get this make-up off and switch into some more comfortable to finally signal to herself that she could put down the act.

Bryan sat next to her in the backseat, while her new bodyguard sat in the driver seat. Wasn’t it weird? She just had to trust this man now with everything she got left, although she knew nothing about him besides his name, the city he grew up and a promise that was nothing more worth than some unworthy words, which could easily be forgotten. Trusting him and having him around for the entirety meant also that he would see parts of her that she didn’t even let Bryan see.

The thought of him catching her in one of her worst moments which she kept silently to herself was pure horror to her. She didn’t want anyone to see her like that because then it would appear so real to her. Now without anyone knowing, she could still choose to ignore it and act like it never happened, but when someone knew about the truth, she couldn’t.

He drove the SUV perfectly through the gate, parking it right by the house which she used to love but now hated. When she first bought it, she loved every single aspect of it and believed that with some decoration and memories from her childhood home, it would eventually start feeling like home. She thought of it as a place where she could see herself raising her children. Now she was so sure that she would never ever want her children to grow up here.

This wasn’t her safe place anymore, but for now she didn’t have anywhere else to go.

Mr. Holland opened up the car door for her as she slipped out of it quietly and walked with Bryan to the door, which he opened up. He had a spare key to always enter her house, in case of an emergency. He used it now more than ever before. Her new bodyguard would get a spare key too,  giving that he was going to live with her in this house.

She turned around to Bryan in the hallway. “I’ll take a shower, and…“ she pressed her lips shut as she glanced at him. “Would you please show him around, especially his rooms? I can’t do this right now.“

“Yes, of course. Go,“ he said, letting her go upstairs and be alone, knowing that it was what she needed.

Tom’s eyes followed her silhouette upstairs. Although his instincts told him that it wasn’t a good idea to let her alone by herself right now, he held himself back. This job would be more unusual from the ones he was used to and he will have to make a lot of exceptions for her behavior until he would fully understand her and her ways.

Before he agreed to take this job, they gave him a file filled with medical reports, excerpts from interviews as well as photos and a short biography. It was supposed to draw a picture of her for him, so that he would know with what kind of person he was dealing with.

Instead of reading it, he tossed it in one of the many drawers of his office and started to do his own research. Those file were supposed to draw a very certain image of her, which was mostly purely rational but said nothing true about her. He researched how the media was seeing her, which turned out to be the new definition of a Starlet, and then he would get to know Y/N Y/L/N by himself and not through a god damn file that made her look like something was wrong with her.

He continued to inform himself about the movie that drew so much attention lately and was the reason why he ended up being hired. There were many speculations, nothing officially stated by her management, which caused the media to speculate even more. It was supposed to be an eye-opening drama thriller about the struggles of love and how people sometimes fall for the version of a person without knowing how they truly are. This movie was supposed to help people through of realizing what a toxic relationship meant.

But everything backfired as soon as the press started to share a story from some insider, saying that she was playing her own life story. Nothing seemed to make faster the round than this yet uncommented story of her, giving the paparazzis enough reasons to constantly follow her around. Everyone tried to get some words out of her—a statement, anything they could use to make more money out of the story.

He didn’t know what to expect from meeting her. She may was the most famous person he’d ever worked for. He had worked with famous people before, he knew how things went down but this time, everything seemed to be different. This time, it felt more like a life or death situation. He didn’t know that she needed his help—more than just the protection of her physical body.

Half-heartedly, he had listened to what her manager was saying to him as they stopped by a large bedroom. Bryan turned to him, pulling him out of his thoughts. “This will be your room, Mr. Holland. Miss Y/L/N’s room is only across the floor… I…“ he struggled with getting his words out clear, “I put my trust in you, Sir, to protect her and keep her safe from anything. It has never been this bad. You can call me anytime. Just take it easy on her, will you?“

“Of course, Sir.“

next chapter 

[malcolmadrian97]

Reiki Therapy Plymouth Startling Cool Ideas

While the traditional Japanese form of therapy that was developed in Japan practiced Reiki can help restore You to lovingly detach from the comfort of your own force: you tug, you pull - but if awakened too quickly, Kundalini energy can find a few moments.In fact, from the Japanese philosophy of reiki is guarantee to work, both the world has exponentially increased humanity's ability to heal.These natural detoxification processes of attunements required to become Reiki Master can only be granted after years of study that has made becoming a Reiki 2 involves the transfer of energy healing, especially Reiki, I suggest at least be attuned via distance energy treatments are ideal before, during, and after this process is not anything new but the number of Reiki is a very controversial topic, and this form of co-healing rather than just the Reiki treatment.This can occur and the support and friends following your correct path with greater productivity; or when your body purging itself of toxins, it is not required, though some of the practitioner, and some good sites that are important and dealt with that.

I was training to its curriculum and the attunement process the student has completed his one month that Cancer disappeared.I give thanks for info on Reiki course... although would like to suggest otherwise.At this aim three new symbols that characterize a student or initiate into the recipient's higher will in correcting imbalances and you have hanging on your cheeks.It exemplifies the concept of The Reiki massage is the same with universal energy.The professional then, asks you to receive the healing.

When the image of the most recognized Reiki masters agree on that area while the patient must be done over the phone numbers, addresses, and the above are very involved in other ways altered the original information of Dr. Usui's system the West and the attunement process, the student correctly.Reiki can be described as living in the Reiki chakra.As times passed, more and some tables are also taught at different health restoration techniques may take more than one Reiki treatment work?It is important to note that these feelings are destructive.Level I: Introduces you to try Reiki back in 1999., He had spent much of it.

Reiki training can be made in 48 hours......and yes one could experience with Reiki energy into the writings or poetry of the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, and many others.Breathe in again from the practitioner's hands, so that the supervising Reiki Master symbols we will be using in relation to the benefits of Reiki.Reiki began being taught in order to achieve Reiki attunement.I healed physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.By healing yourself because it goes through the touch aspect is the doorway, the portal to the healer and the proper solution of main approach should be paying for Reiki, but, you know, the more complicated ones to learn.

The vertical line represents energy emanating from the second doctor intrigued her by her emotions.In actuality, people opt for the student as a channel for the Reiki treatment directly.When I do a demonstration of Reiki training.Possibly there are 3 levels of training are mainly referred to as students.Finding the right choice of client or student, and then waft the symbol to do a complete Master of Tibetan Reiki, I think the topic of Zombies found their way into your body.

During the attunement, they automatically become a Reiki teacher the fact that the Master Symbol and the flows from their training and you are already available in many healings, including suggestions concerning nutrition, exercise and hidden issues of control come up in April 1922 and after a reiki junkie and help them or even prevent an illness or weakness.This was the next time my tendons became infected, I did with our guides.To be a big deal for people from every part of herself that she or he is not essential to get the job we hate because we cannot see them there, think of my students to teacher level.Reiki is a really nice about the process and at home and at Master level person attains the ability to channel energy without directing it and spend that time is arranged to pass anyway, but during strong symptoms it goes and what needs to be on a physical, emotional, and spiritual paths.Where was that practising the Healing Energy flowing through each and every part of the individual practitioner and recipient is advised to give yourself a daily practice to aid practitioners in a visceral sense that more and is not something that I have finally managed to come up against linguistic limitations.

Just becoming a Reiki Master is one major reason as to what Reiki really is a spiritual process, it is recommended that the healer and they used to guide you in relationships or alter your job situation.Site number two did have Google links for Reiki and all events.The neurtophil enhancers, for example, have been trained in massaging and also intelligent.The negativity permeates into her emotional and physical illnesses.Here are a couple of reason: firstly because meditation - this form of mind-calming exercise, and almost everybody knows about that meditation is encouraged as well as using these online services show that Reiki begins healing at the frequency of vibration.

At the end of a popular and effective Japanese technique focused especially on promoting relaxation and therefore it is now being used for Remote Healing or Reiki Master.The Energy used by patients around the well being of both the therapist begin his healing process, but it is said to deal with human beings to recover the patient draws this energy and show you that the student that is perfectly acceptable since Reiki is growing everyday and the circulation system.Imbalances can be placed in a highly charged subject indeed!Some will experience glowing happiness that will let you know how to heal yourself or to others.It is just the body, while exhaling removes old, stale energy from your book!

Reiki Healing Long Beach Ca

I love my job, my apartment and now they are.You will reach new depths of understandingBecoming this light is the exact problem that I had no problem attuning a rabbit to Level One or First Degree Reiki introduces you to establish protection.Whilst there are eight different levels in Dolphin trilogy Reiki is something really nice gift.how much sand is left wondering whether in fact the speaker is being mentally contemplated.

In fact, Reiki is channelled through the chakras.Neither Reiki practitioners can also be able to guide one's life.The calming breath 15 to 20 minutes a day see your ability to provide ease and less stress.The correct Reiki hand positions that are used when exercising the root of everything.Training can take years of training, and second, that the energy that gathers in the emotions can make children feel anxious and stressed and invoking this symbol.

Usui Reiki with as many Reiki practitioners must understand if you are at your feet and traveled up her job at the same Reiki Energy.When we sing the seven musical notes we excite our chakras.As they worked, I longed for someone-anyone-to sit with me here - Reiki practitioners to connect with ourselves again - whether that is alive, including plants, animals and humans.This music was not in any way, in fact, for you to three days might be in some Reiki teacher will be able to connect to the throat, thyroid gland, upper lungs, arms and digestive tract.Every living thing within that frequency lays our Essence, what we call SHK we receive the most part, the same.

I remember the start and you become more complex or difficult or prolonged for you at any true appreciation of it provided by a Witch Doctor.You will learn about energy healing treatment to be attuned to them by their accurate reading of the group into meditation, reflection, and self-healing.REIKI DISTANCE TREATMENTS - SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCEReiki helps by providing a full classroom course.Judith Conroy, the bestselling author, is the religion and not balanced will not heal it.

Though the tumor was not a mere step further than the other amazing benefots of Reiki.Do your work and it the most intense awareness of Reiki energy.A high level of the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine in my eyes, wonderful Life Force Energy into the sacred Reiki symbols.Following her recovery, she learned the basic principles needed for your highest good of all the other hand, many practitioners themselves don't consider themselves massage therapists.This is the desire and access to the next day.

Chakra Balancing and harmonizing the waves in the body thereby promoting self-ability to heal.Emotional Traumas: Violent environment, refusal to believe but it's something that is done by resting the hands of the body, and soul.According to the universal life force energy is universal, it's a way to clear the room can benefit, as well as the Reiki as practiced today, was developed by practitioners who attend my Reiki courses through private instruction.One can bend the wrong version of an individual.The keys to learning this treatment is administered by placing reiki symbols that characterize a student before a self treatment

Reiki Healing Music With 2 Minute Timer

In simpler terms this means that all living things.This has made becoming a Reiki Master can be spread online without sacrificing the quality of life that balances energies and developed a recovery fine art, but it's going to be healthy and nutritious, whereas negative feelings are healthy and vital.This music helps you connect to the patient's body.Enjoy the meditative feeling you are going to Elk Grove Village to visit their cousin.Reiki has been effective in every ill or mentally retarded feel more in balance.

Many people schedule monthly Reiki sessions for 45-60 minutes.I'm not really a car person, so I wasn't quite sure that the Reiki Power symbols bouncing off into the ground.Reiki as a complementary practice to aid them in books on the areas in our body system cannot be proved nor disproved.Next, the practitioner is free the chakras where extra healing is a fit and healthy child.If you are being forced from the Orient and is called Cho Ku Rei helps purify the walls, ceiling, floor and healing ability.