#(and these last few years have left me pretty burnt out i'm doing my best to keep this going)

[pokemoncaretips]

Hello I have a friend who has recently gotten a Snom that he calls Martini, is there any tips in case I have to Poke sit Martini?

General notes: The snom. An excellent and adorable bug type with a stunning evolution. Though ice types are often finnicky, the snom is fairly easy care.

General care: Being ice types, snom like it cold. In fact, snow and ice make up the vast majority of its diet. Snow cone machines are considered standard equipment when owning snom. Ideally, the ice should be as pure as possible.

The crystalline spikes on its back are in fact, ice crystals, which serve as a useful indicator of health. If the spikes are long and broad, the snom is thriving. If they're short and shedding condensation, the snom needs help.

If it's a hot day and your snom is in distress, there is a simple, if somewhat unorthodox solution.

The fridge.

Insect pokemon tend to have slow metabolisms and require less oxygen. Setting aside a compartment in the freezer (or even sourcing a small one just for the snom) can be a lifesaver in heat waves. Around every half hour, open the freezer door to refresh the air. A distressed snom will attempt to aestivate (the opposite of hibernate) when its too hot, and will seek a dark cold place anyway.

They have a strong tendency towards gluttony, and will eat their own weight in frozen berries if you aren't careful.

Frosmoth are hardier in terms of what temperatures they can handle. A beautiful pokemon that requires a lot of trust to evolve, frosmoth often shine in contests.

Literally.

Their freezing, sparkling wing scales are easily shed, and though they grown back, they can cause issues. Beautiful but devastatingly cold, they're murder on delicate houseplants. Though they do warm up once shed, you'll find yourself doing a lot of dusting.

In the wild they prefer clean meltwater to drink, but will happily take distilled water from the fridge.

Snom and frosmoth are both strict herbivores, and eat mostly frozen berries and sturdy mountain plants. They do just fine on herbivore pellets.

Though ice types are often tough to care for, being fairly delicate, unless you live somewhere VERY hot, they're comparatively easy pokemon to keep. Care rating: Green

Training: Nothing much of note needs to be added here. Both forms tend to be friendly and pretty on the ball when it comes to training. Training rating: Green

Safety: These pokemon often reach dangerously low temperatures, and prolonged handling can lead to frostbite. I've also heard of snom trainers who've handled their pokemon with wet hands and become frozen to their pokemon, requiring defrosting, which led to distress for both parties. Ideally you should handle them with good quality gloves.

Frosmoth scales can be painfully cold on bare skin if it sheds them near you, and their presence lowers the temperature markedly. If you have health issues exacerbated by cold temperatures, this is a line to avoid.

Otherwise, they lack claws, fangs or venom, but do still need care. Frostbite is no joke. Safety rating: Orange

Overall ranking. A sweet, charming pokemon and a good start for those who love ice types, or a way for bug type keepers to branch out. Snom are just lovely.

[that-sarcastic-writer]

Safe Haven (4)

Soldier Boy X Fem!Paramedic!Reader

Summary: You and Ben have been bonding for a few days, but after a scare, you both have an important conversation

Warnings: Foul language, talks of PTSD, some slapping (not from ben), angst, this is literally the slowest of burns, eventual smut, so minors dni, Soldier Boy bc he's a warning on his own

Like I've said before I write sb as less insufferable and horrible, he's still a dick but he's warming up to reader so he's nicer

WC: 3.2k

A/N: I AM SO SORRY. I know I left this tory forgotten for a year, and that's so not fair to you guys, and I am truly sorry for it. I've never been good at finishing my series. I tend to get blocked in the middle and I'm never able to get past it. But I started rewatching s3 again and decided to give this series a second try. And I think I have a much clearer idea of how to proceed from where I left off. I just always have a hard time with the middle. But I will do my best to not leave this series unfinished because yall were more than supportive to it and it's not fair to just leave you hanging. So if you stuck around thank you.

Next part | Series Masterlist | Soldier Boy Masterlist

The last thing you expected to wake up to was the smell of freshly brewed coffee and Ben, in the kitchen, actually cooking something. You were still a bit out of it from sleep when you walked into the kitchen, but you stopped dead in your tracks and your eyes grew at the sight of him, frown plastered on his face as he stood with a pan in his hand. You blinked a couple of times and snorted in disbelief. 

“Since when do you cook?” You asked as you moved to stand beside him, slightly tilting your head as you looked at the slightly burnt sandwich on the pan. “If that’s what you would call cooking.”

“Fuck off,” He rolled his eyes at you and scoffed like he took offense to your words as he grabbed the sandwich from right out of the pan and took a bite out of it. His face remained in a frown, lips pursed into a displeased grimace. “I got hungry and you were still in your room, so I improvised.” 

Well at least you appreciated him not barging into your room so you would cook for him. After you went off on him the other night he gave you space, he was just as flirty and inappropriate, but respected your space and wouldn’t antagonize you much. If he could do something on his own he would, but was still silently grateful if you ever did anything for him. And much to his surprise, you still allowed him to stay, for some reason. But he didn’t mind it. And honestly, you didn’t mind his presence either, if anything he was pretty bearable most of the time. 

“Does that not burn?” You asked, eyeing him with big eyes as you turned the stove off and placed the pan on the sink. 

He shrugged, “The Russians burned me with flamethrowers the size of your head for fun, so no, this doesn’t burn.” 

You stared at him blankly, lips slightly parted as you tried to process his words. 

“Right..” You simply shook your head, not even wanting to inquire further. You were about to walk away when you heard him say your name. 

“That’s for you,” He said, pointing at the glass mug you usually use for your coffee, droplets of water already pooling around it like it had been sitting there for a little while. You looked between the glass of coffee on the counter and him, confused. 

“You made me coffee?” You asked slowly, squinting at him with confusion. He grabbed a glass of his own from the counter next to the stove and he nodded as he drank from it. 

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

You grabbed it and hesitantly took a sip from it, eyes widening in surprise. It didn’t taste half bad. So he wasn’t entirely useless. 

“I don’t know. I mean, you cooked and you made me coffee,” You said slowly and paused, narrowing your eyes at him suspiciously, “What do you want? Is this your way of convincing me to fuck you?”

He laughed at that, tongue running over his pink lips playfully and an equally playful glint in his eyes, but he shook his head, “No…” His lips curved into a small smirk as he stood in front of you, leaning down close to your face. “Is it working?”

You took a deep breath, eyes wandering to the side to avoid his. You'd be lying if you said you hadn’t considered it. In the days he had been pretty much hiding in your house, you had grown to like his company, when he wasn’t being a dick of course. And he was irresistibly attractive in more ways you would like to admit. But you knew better than to let him in your bed. 

“You wish.” You moved away from him and hopped on the kitchen island as you sipped your coffee, your face already flushing with heat, though you were glad he couldn’t see that. 

“You know the offer is always on the table if you change your mind darlin’.” He winked, lips curled into a smirk as he drank from his coffee. You rolled your eyes at him and shook your head.

“How did you even manage to get the coffee machine on? I’ve seen the way you look at my phone, it’s like your brain is computing. Technology isn’t your thing.”

His face turned blank and his lips fell into a flat line, jaw slightly twitching, like he was not amused by your comment in the slightest bit.

“You can suck my dick, thank you. For your fucking information I’m not that stupid. I’ve seen you make coffee every morning for almost a week, I can manage to make some goddamn coffee.” 

You were trying your hardest not to laugh, you had to close your eyes and exhale through your nose so you wouldn’t laugh at his clearly offended tone. And when you opened your eyes to look at him, he looked anything but amused. 

“Jeez alright, don’t get your panties in a bunch. It’s not the worst coffee I’ve had, so.” Your lips curved into a half smile and he rolled his eyes. 

“That’s how you like it right? Iced, a bit of cream and caramel?” 

“Yeah, actually.” You said with a half smile, surprised he actually seemed to have remembered that, most guys you've dated wouldn't have bothered to remember even after months.

He smirked almost proudly and he hummed as he stood in front of you, and had your legs been open, he probably would’ve stood right in between them. You straightened your back as you looked up at him with curiosity. 

“That’s a good girl. I like a girl who knows her stuff.” The words rolled off his tongue so naturally and yet so breathtakingly hot it made you inhale sharply. He knew what he was doing to you when he did things like that, and the worst part was that he would often just walk off, almost as if he was hoping you would chase him. Which you never did, as much as a part of you wished you did. “I’m a pretty quick learner, I can do things just the way you like ‘em, you just have to ask.” 

And with that he walked off, smug smirk full on his lips at the sound of your sharp breaths and quickly beating heart. Your sanity and modesty could only last so long if he kept this up. And honestly, you didn’t see it stopping anytime soon. 

~~~~~~~~~~

You blew out an annoyed sigh as you padded down the hall from your room to your living room, the persistent sound of Ben calling your name nonstop having pulled you out of your own space. 

“Dude what.” You sighed out as you stood with your arms crossed and looked down at him. He was sprawled out on the couch, an arm behind his head. For a second your eyes drifted to his bicep under the soft fabric of the henley you had given him, and you had to force yourself to look at his face instead.

“What are you fucking deaf? I’ve been calling you for like five minutes.”

“Yes Ben I heard you the first five fucking times you screamed my name. I was busy. What do you want that is so urgent and you can’t do yourself?” You asked, leaning your weight into one heel. 

“Do you have any drugs?” He deadpanned, not bothering to take his eyes from the TV. You stared at him, blinking a couple times. 

“What?”

“What I said. Do you have any reefer or benzos or some shit like that?” He turned his head to look at you this time, face completely serious. 

“Uh.. No? What the fuck do you want drugs for?” You asked, rubbing the side of your face, still trying to process his request. 

He ran a hand over his face, fingers threading through his hair and he sighed heavily, looking up at the ceiling before speaking.

“I need something to help me take the edge off. I’m constantly restless, I always have this feeling like I’m going to punch a hole through a wall, I can’t sleep and I didn’t feel that way when I was fucking high all the time, so.” He said with complete honesty, he was serious too. 

Your lips slightly parted as you thought about it for a second. You guessed it made sense. If he did have PTSD weed probably would help him relax. You knew that feeling pretty well. You sympathized with him even. 

"Yeah okay. I know a guy." You finally said.

Ben gave you a surprised look, his eyebrows slightly raised. He definitely didn't take you for the drug type. But then again, maybe you liked to feel numb sometimes, too. 

"Thanks sweetheart." 

"Sure." You gave him a half nod as you glanced at your phone. "Listen, I'm gonna go out for a bit. I'm gonna buy some groceries and stuff. Stay here? Please. Your face is still all of over downtown. And with the whole Homelander Starlight bullshit I just don't think it's safe." 

"Aww sweetheart, you worried about me now?" He sat up with a shit eating smirk that made your roll your eyes. 

"Not particularly. It'd be less money I'd have to spend if you weren't here actually." He shot up an eyebrow with disdain and scoffed at you, making you grin. "I mean it, after what Homelander did in plain daylight, nobody's safe." 

"What did that fucker do this time?" He asked, his tone suddenly changing and he sat up straight. 

"Didn't you see? Oh yeah, you don't even own a phone." You sighed, "Homelander lasered a guy at some form of public event. The guy wasn't a criminal, he wasn't dangerous, he was just telling Homelander the truth to his face. So he killed the guy." 

"In plain daylight? You're kidding." 

"I fucking wish. I saw the video, it was all over Twitter before it got taken down. The worst part, everyone there cheered him on. He murdered an innocent person and everyone praised him for it. It was terrifying." 

Ben sat in silence for a long minute, even after you were done speaking. His lips were parted but he never spoke. That was his son. His only son. He couldn't say he was a saint, he knew he had done plenty of wrongs, unforgivable things, but he had never killed a person without reason. Let alone an innocent person. He was disgusted, digusted that his own flesh and blood could do something so horrible. Disgusted that Vought made him that way. He couldn't live knowing Homelander was still out there like this. He had to end this. One way or another. 

~~~~~~~~~

"Ben!" You called out loudly as you kicked your front door open, struggling to carry the multiple bags you so wrongly assumed you could carry on your own. You groaned loudly, the one time you needed this motherfucker. "Ben you useless asshole I need your super strength!" 

Still nothing. 

"I cannot with this motherfucker…" You muttered angrily to yourself as you pretty much dropped the bags on the floor. 

You left the door open since you still had more bags in your car but you wanted to find him first. You called his name a few more times as you walked around your farmhouse. He sure wasn't downstairs. You went up to the second floor, maybe he was in the guest bedroom, he slept there sometimes. 

Still no Ben. 

You stood in the middle of the hall with a frown on your face. Your stomach twisted with uneasiness. Your palms began to sweat cold as you thought the worst. God, where could he have gone? He clearly didn't know his way around town, he had no car. And worst of all he was still wanted by FBSA and now the CIA as well in a joint task force. 

He was gone. He was actually gone. 

What was this feeling? You felt sick and lightheaded, and your heart was racing. You leaned against a wall as you took deep breaths. Were you actually upset he was gone? Was this worry and panic you were feeling? Your mind was racing with every possibility, the next being worse than the previous. Maybe he got hurt? Or worse, maybe he blacked out and hurt somebody else again. God, why didn't he listen to you? 

You were drowned in your own worry when you heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. You straightened up, afraid someone had come for you, another supe, or the cops. You had been aiding a known fugitive afterall. 

You didn't know how long it had been, but you heard your name. It was his voice. 

"There you are. You okay? Why is the front door wide open?" Ben stopped at the top of the stairs, eyes furrowed into a worried expression. 

You didn't realize you had been holding your breath. And you felt like you could breathe again. But the knot in your stomach was quickly replaced by your blood boiling. God, how could he just walk in like that? Did he not realize how worried you had been?

You were worried about him.

You hadn't worried about anyone since—

You didn't think, you simply marched in front of him and your flat palm collided with his cheek. You were so fucking furious with him.

"What the fuck were you thinking? Why did you leave without saying anything? Are you so reckless and careless that you didn't stop to think you're literally the most wanted Supe right now?" You were shouting at him, shoving at his chest like it was going to do anything. The man didn't even move. He was stunned, surprisingly not angry. If anything seeing you like this turned him on.

"Jesus Christ, woman, can I tell you my safeword first?" He scrunched up his face a bit. He didn't feel your slap. It didn't even leave a tingle, but it was more so the fact that you had the guts to do so. You glared at him and smacked his chest one last time before you crossed your arms over your chest, face fixed tight and fuming. "Why are you so angry? I wasn't gone long." 

Did he seriously not realize?

"Why? Why am I so angry?" You repeated his question with disbelief. "Maybe because you could've gotten hurt out there or arrested! Or worse you could've—" You stopped, catching yourself before you said the words.

Ben raised an eyebrow at you, sensing the heat in your words, and he gave you a half nod of his head, knowing what it was you didn’t dare to say. 

"I could've what? Go on say it. If you had the balls to smack me then have the balls to finish that sentence." 

"You could've hurt someone." You finally said after a few seconds of silence, your voice much quieter now. 

"Right, 'cause I'm the brainwashed terrorist supe who just loves to blow people the fuck up, is that it?" He lowered himself to get in your face, his words accusatory, but also hurt by your accusation. You didn't to outright say it for him to know what you meant. Everyone else seemed to think so anyway. You avoided his eyes, mouth closed. "What? You got nothing to say now?" 

"I don't know! You're unpredictable, your powers are unpredictable. I'm not saying you meant to hurt those people, but you did Ben, I saw it. I saw all of it. It wasn't fucking pretty and I just—" You swallowed, closing your eyes, frustrated with yourself. Why were you so upset about this? About him? "I know you don't want any more of that on your conscience."

Ben stared at you for a long while, lips pressed together, and his jaw ticked with frustration, but he didn't snap at you. He just sighed. 

"I didn't hurt anyone. I just.. I can't keep hiding here with you when Homelander is out there. I just can't." He finally said, his voice strained with emotions you just couldn't quite understand. "I went to see an old friend from Vought. I needed to know what was going on. I need to do something. But I'm…" 

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing and lips pursing as he tried to say his next words, like it was hard for him to do so. You met his eyes this time, expectant. 

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I didn't think… To be honest with you I don't know why you care but I'm glad you do. So I'm sorry." He breathed out the words with his chest, like he was lifting a ton of bricks off his chest and he could breathe. 

Your eyes grew in size at his seemingly sincere apology. He had never sounded so genuine, he had never looked so much either. But he was, his green eyes were big and apologetic, and there was no smug smile, no grins, just a flat line and his big eyes. 

"I'm sorry for hitting you. I was just worried. I thought something might’ve happened." You sighed, giving him an apology of your own, which he welcomed with a tiny smile and nod. "But I... Fuck, I'm still worried about what you're doing. Homelander is extremely dangerous, Ben. I don't think you should get yourself in more trouble than you already are." 

Ben would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised by your concern, it made him feel strange, actually. No one had actually shown him such selfless care before. Everyone always needed something from him or were just pretending to care for him. But no you. Everything you had done for him you had done because you wanted to, not because you had to. And he still didn't know why. 

"Listen darlin', I can't tell you much, but I can tell you this— I had a mission before you found me. I started something and now I need to finish it." You frowned even more, and he couldn't help but reach his fingers to smooth the tight lines above your brow, and for some reason, you let him. "I have done some pretty bad shit, I'm not gonna lie about that, but if I can do one good thing by killing that motherfucker, I will. I can't just sit here while he's out there doing God knows what and with nobody to tell him otherwise." 

"I don't know what it is that you got yourself into, or that you got me into, but we're here now. I just ask you that you tell me what's going on. I think I've proven to you that you can trust me." You finally said with a long breath, but you still felt that pressure on your chest. "Do what you gotta do, just be careful." 

His lips curved up into a small smile. A genuine smile. He hesitated at first, but something in his chest told him to do it. You had already slapped him once anyway. He closed his eyes for just a second and leaned down, his lips touching your forehead ever so slightly. 

"Don't you worry about me, sweetheart. There's nothing that fucker can do that hasn't already been done to me before. I'll be okay." 

He'll be okay as long as you let him stay because somehow, you have been the only thing keeping him sane.

[oneatlatime]

The Avatar Returns

Exposition as an opening theme song is an interesting choice. I thought that was a quirk of the first episode, but nope. Less catchy than an actual song, but probably less annoying that hearing a song 50+ times in a row.

Episode 2 starts right where episode 1 left off, making me think that this must have been a two part premiere.

Yeah, Sokka is right. Gran-gran is right. Katara's known this boy for five minutes and she's already breaking what seem to be basic, long-established, life or death rules. See this is why gran-gran weighs Katara down with washing Sokka's dirty socks (and probably any other chore she can find). The first time this girl has more than five minutes to herself she endangers everyone (albeit with help). But Aang seriously doesn't get how dangerous the situation is, what with him being frozen for a hundred years. Katara had to be the responsible one with regards to the ship and she blew it. And now presumably they're all gonna get melted to death. Or burnt. Fireburnt? Firebended? Killed a bunch.

"Well I'm banished too!" UUUGGGHHH wrong hill to die on! This girl goes from 0 to 100 lightning fast. Although if the Fire nation do attack, Katara may be setting herself up to be the sole survivor of her village.

Why does the temporally dislocated 12 year old have more sense that Katara? So bossy and hotheaded and teenage girl-like. And she's known him for five minutes, why is she heartbroken by his leaving? Girl you feel too much.

"I haven't cleaned my room in 100 years" such a simple joke but it completely caught me off guard. Aang's priorities are so in line with what an actual 12 year old prioritises. I love it.

Laying it on thick.

You know it's too bad that igloos don't have wooden doors because I think Katara would feel a lot better slamming one right about now. Don't yell at your grandma.

Can ice do this? Also Appa looks so comfy. The one time I lived somewhere with bay windows & box seats I sat like this all the time. Messed my neck up every time I did, but that didn't stop me. The comfiness outweighs the pain.

They weren't kidding when they said all the men went to war. I was expecting a Helm's Deep type situation where old men and younger teenagers would be there to man the defences. But it's really just Sokka. That's an impossible burden.

This is the second episode of a kids' cartoon so I don't think they're going to kill anyone, but if this were a more realistic show, or real life, that whole village would be doomed.

What a shot! And he's not running. That's an unquantifiable level of courage.

Boat's got no brakes

That is not where I was expecting that ship to open.

The fire benders have horns. And I bet that steam coming out of the ship smells sulphurous.

That might be the best possible outcome. Head first in a snowbank is embarrassing but not fatal. Also war cries are manly but they give advance warning to your target. Hush up.

I love the "show no fear!" kid. Sokka's genuinely got these little kids believing in him. The potty break scene last episode shows that he pretty much has no idea what he's talking about but he's got the kids convinced! And the moms probably appreciate him taking charge of them for a few hours, even if he has no actual combat experience. And he keeps getting up!

How hard did he throw that boomerang!?! It took 24 seconds according to my DVD for it to come back.

It honked. Lord have mercy it honked. I have a weakness for well-placed sound effects and this one got me. Also these other soldiers must have orders to be as useless as possible. And do they all have the same face?

Zuko's spent years meditating? Don't believe it. Unless angry meditation is a thing? Maybe he has to meditate himself into angriness before he can burn stuff? Like work up a rage? Just guessing.

"Well you're just a teenager" They're all babies! All of them!

I repeat, Katara you feel too much! You need to grow up apathetic and cynical like the rest of us dried up adult husks ASAP or else you're really gonna be hurting.

"Take care of Appa for me until I get back!" I love this. He's announcing at maximum volume that he's going to escape and none of the fire soldiers react?

Sokka my man of practicality and action. Gran-gran my grandma of practicality and action. Katara my annoying little sister.

Is Zuko's little speech to Aang supposed to be a veiled insult or is he just making small talk? Obviously it's exposition for the viewer re: how monks are raised, but why did he feel the need to say that? Also your dad likes sticks? Cool. We all have hobbies.

So pretty.

Sokka, my man of synonyms. So Appa understands basic language commands but not spoken English. Heartfelt pleas won't get him flying, but yipyip will.

These two are such siblings. "big deal he's flying" careful there Sokka, you were nearly uncool in front of your younger sister. That can be fatal.

Aang is so polite when he's wiping the floor with full grown men. Also he has crazy good aim. That trick to break the ropes? How?

To be fair, Aang said he'd go with them, not that he'd stay with them.

Burrito Zuko

Aang's whole defense is running away. And it's working! Not the bit with burrito Zuko but he's actually winning this fight.

That mattress slam is brutal. I know this is a cartoon and physics isn't real here, but that caught me off guard. How is Zuko still conscious?

Prince burrito is a parkour champ.

Appa! Has the same problem as Sokka re: announcing sneak strikes.

Zuko what was your plan? Knocking him into the water doesn't recapture him.

Yep. Appropriate reaction to cyclone Aang.

So Aang does know how to waterbend. Katara didn't need to go north after all.

Love the head bonking callback.

This is genius on the fly problem solving. Only works backwards? Then do it backwards! Also these guys are dead. They'll suffocate long before they freeze.

"Shoot them down!" He orders... himself?

Siding with Zuko over the old man on this one. Aang is crazy powerful.

I just realised his eyes are different sizes. Does that impact his vision? For that matter, if that is a burn from taking a fireball to the face, how does he still have an eye?

So so pretty.

A literal cloud passes over when a cloud passes over their conversation. Clever.

Aang's waterbending was instinctive? Or only accessible during the glow-up. So they do still need to go north.

Katara you know your brother so well. He does indeed want to knock some fire bender heads. Sokka, having defeated his nemesis the potty break, now moves on to greater targets.

No matter what goes on in the show, all episodes end on a high note because that credits song is just so good.

Final thoughts

This was good! I think I liked this episode better than the first one, which makes sense. The first episode has to do all the set up, it's the next one that can have fun. Those moves Aang was pulling in the ship were really impressive. And really clever too.

Still loving Sokka, still loving Aang, Zuko was less of an asshole this episode. He also felt more competent, or maybe coherent? Like his character hangs together better, despite the butt honking. I laughed just typing that. I'm still not used to Zuko's voice actor though. I like how unique all of the characters' voices are in this show so far, but Zuko's still feels out of place to me.

The show doesn't dwell too much on Sokka facing down the fire nation ship (there is lots of build up but it gets played for laughs), but I think it's the stand out moment for me in this episode. Obviously it was foolhardy and a doomed effort, but it was also Sokka very literally fulfilling his responsibilities to the village. He was tasked with protecting his sister; he did. Goofy as it is, this moment is a win for Sokka. Not wise, but a win.

I love that Aang is 12, and feels 12. So often fiction about kid heroes that is intended for young readers/viewers has characters that feel like adults despite their stated age, but Aang feels 12. Katara feels like she's trying to be a grown-up so hard but keeps slipping up and acting her actual age. Sokka feels like he's trying to act as he thinks a man should, but keeps getting called out by Katara and responding in a way that fits his actual age. They close out this episode with plans for a multi-stage animal-riding safari. I love these priorities. Saving the world can wait, hopping llamas cannot.

My one problem with this episode is Katara. She needs to slow down, dial it back, stop yelling at grandmothers, and stop feeling everything at 110% before she exhausts herself. I get that the South pole and a grand total of like 25 people is probably a really boring way to grow up, but she threw herself heart first at Aang with near-suicidal enthusiasm, assuming that banishment in the South Pole would actually be a death sentence. I don't know how old she is, but that is such a teenage girl thing to do. And she's gonna get hurt!

Next episode needs more Sokka quips and more Appa. I would watch whole episodes with just Appa. I'd watch a whole Sokka episode too.

[feline-evil]

Oh yeah i forgot to say here too cuz i'm more likely to stay at least a little active on here through it since it serves me slightly less rage inducing dickheads that i'll pick a fight with, but something upsetting as happened and i'm definitely not going to be in a good mood for a while so my activity online may go down.

My cat unexpectedly declined rapidly overnight and had to be put down yesterday, i do not always cope with loss well, i've lost a lot of people and animals in my life. We buried her, i helped dig, i dug with my bare hands because i couldn't wield the shovel properly with how fucked my arms are and my entire body started shaking halfway through and is still trembling the day after. I had to look after my parents through this, they cried, i didn't, emotions don't work right in me anymore. I'm giving all this information to paint a clear enough picture as to why i'm not here to be fucked with at the moment. I don't want to deal with stupid fucking twitter discourse that makes me want to punch a wall, i don't want to deal with pathetic cunts who have a problem with some nobody like me and harass me whenever i have anon on here, so as you can imagine considering both of these are fucking constants when im online for some fucking reason, my activity might be spotty.

I loved my cat a lot, she was already nineteen when she turned up outside my door terrified of people, scrounging through the small food waste bin. She looked so starved and feral i thought she was gonna die back then, i spent days slowly working up her trust, sitting by my door talking soft, not making eye contact, just letting her get used to me; i needed to check her condition, needed to know if i could help. She was filthy, flea ridden and starved, her little bald ears burnt and painful. Eventually she trusted me enough to take food, then be touched, and then a week later she was in the house. Two weeks she stayed the first time, kept warm and safe with blankets and food; a toothless, ancient cat i felt sure we were given a few final days respite before she passed. Her owners turned up after those two weeks. Our neighbours two doors down. They took her back, i was not happy. But as soon as they let her outside again she ran right on back to us purring and purring as much as she could, curling right back up in her blankets. After this happened time and time again eventually the neighbours let us keep her, i'm so glad that they did because she began to heal. Her ears cleared up, her fur became soft and silky, she started behaving like a normal cat again; she put a little weight on, never a lot, but enough to not look starved, and she even tried to gain her meow back (she was a silent meower, that she never managed to fix, but she did start to make a little noise).

She was with us for three years past that, or nearly three it wouldve been three next month, and she was the sweetest cat in the world; she didn't often have energy to play, she wasn't the adventurous sort, she just wanted to lie near you and purr. She'd cry and howl if she couldnt find us, she never bit or deliberately scratched, she was an absolute gentle soul. When we moved it was the best thing for her, going to a smaller, easier to navigate house with a lovely safe, enclosed out door space; she got to feel the sun and the dirt again for those last few months, but safely, not as some poor frail animal left outside to fend for herself.

The vet told us her organs had failed when we took her yesterday, that even if she were a younger cat she'd be a candidate for humane euthanasia. There was no coming back from that. It was her time, we knew, the decline she had overnight was a sign she was ready to go; to keep her from saying goodbye would be crueller than letting her go. She was 21, nearly 22. I found fragments of a blue china plate in the dirt we dug for her, i kept it, its so pretty. I made her a bouquet out of tiny wild flowers from the garden. She's buried in her favourite spot. I'm really happy i got to put in the work to give her the life she deserved even if it was only for her last few years.

[bots-and-cons]

Need to complain... again

School is starting next week, 5th of September. I finally got my summer courses done a few days ago. It's kinda sad that I had 3 months of vacation from school and during that time I'm only going to have this one week for myself before school starts, when I don't have to do anything. I'm so not going to take summer courses next year, holy shit, it was such a mistake. On the brighter side, I got my teacher to agree that I don't have to do practical training this fall, and I can move it to next spring. I honestly would have burnt myself out if I'd had to do the practical training too. I was so fucking exhausted last spring with just the five weeks of 5 hour days. The next practical training is supposed to be 6 weeks and 7 hour days. The first one was supposed to be 3 weeks, but I got to do it in a longer period of time, due to my various problems with mental health and stuff.

The school stuff is all handled though, that's not really what I wanted to complain about. Since I moved away from my home town my best friend who still lives there keeps telling me I abandoned her and I hate that she uses that specific word. "Abandon", like I left just to spite her and leave her alone. I'm not saying she can't feel lonely or annoyed at me for moving, but I can't stand that she keeps using saying "What do you think it's like for ME ever since YOU abandoned me?" She still has her family there and people she knows. I moved to a completely new town, where I don't know anyone and all my family is a couple hours away. I literally have no one here. My school acquaintances/friends/whatever don't live here either, and I'm not going to be able to see them either because almost all my lectures are remote this fall and from now on. The few lectures I do have on campus, are not the same courses as my friend's so I won't see them then either.

My "best friend" has not asked me once, if I'm lonely. She just keeps saying if I make new friends, I'm gonna forget about her and "abandon" her. So I haven't really made the attempt to socialize because it makes me feel so guilty, because all I can hear is her voice in my head. Then she tells me how she spent 7 hours talking with someone on discord, even though she couldn't even answer my texts that day. She also doesn't come to see me, and I'm always the one who has to go to her. She could get on a train or a bus and come here, my apartment is literally about 800 meters from the bus and train stations. She absolutely hates driving here, she came to get me once during December 2023, and she has absolutely refused to drive here after that. This is a much bigger town than our hometown, but still, it just fucking sucks. It's like I'm not even worth a train ticket.

I'm fucking dying here, honestly. I hope it's gonna get better when school starts, but I also want to actually see the people I love. I suck at making friends and I'm so fucking anxious about meeting new people and this whole thing is fucking terrifying. I want to talk to the people I know. I want to see the people I know. Some of you have offered to talk with me, but what I really want, is someone who already knows me and to talk to someone I love. I appreciate the offer though.

I miss my mom and my dad and my younger siblings, and one of my brothers might be coming to see me in the next month, but that's a long as time away most likely. I also miss my best friend, even if she constantly makes me feel like shit.

I feel like nowadays I never get what I need from my BFF. She doesn't focus on me like she used to when we talked, and I feel like she's never there for me. I know I'm not entitled to her time or attention, but I would at least hope she'd reciprocate what I give her. We've been friends for about 18 years, but I feel like she's the one abandoning me. I always have to initiate conversation, and I'm pretty sure if I didn't text her, I would never hear from her again.

Am I really worth that little to her? Am I not worth a phone call or even answering my texts in the same day? I'm I not worth even a train ride here (which I would probably pay for)? Did I do something wrong? Is it my fault? Am I not enough? Makes me feel fucking bad man...

On top of all this, I keep hallucinating more and more, (mostly cats) and the intrusive thoughts are getting worse and worse. I'm overwhelmed all the time and I basically live with my headphones glued to my head, because it makes all the noise and shit a bit more bearable. I don't want to shower, or wash my teeth, the dishes and laundry keep piling up and making food is a fucking pain in the ass. I'm turning to candy and sweets for comfort, which also isn't good. I don't understand what the fuck is wrong with me...

[kyrathor]

Horrible questions

07: What did you last eat?

24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)?

37: Is it easier to forgive or forget?

07: I last ate leftover macaroni and cheese. There wasn't a lot left, my gf described the amount as "snack size", but I bulked the meal out with a tomato I diced, some frozen corn, a few sauces, and some tortilla chips I broke into small pieces. It was pretty good.

24: I was pretty good at math and science. Probably my best subjects. Of course, my mom enrolled me in additional math classes in highschool to accelerate me towards taking a college math class senior year, and it badly burnt me out in a way I'm still somewhat recovering from. Also I only had one formal class on this, but I did computer programming, and that's been one of the things I pick back up for one reason or the other these days. Probably what I'll try to get into if I do go to college.

37: Interesting question. I want to answer Forget simply because my memory for things can be atrocious. I've heard depression can mess with memory retention. Whether that's true or not is out of my scope, but if it's true it would explain a lot. I do know some of my limits and work to try and remember things using external help (reminders, timers m etc.). That said, some of the worst things that have involved other people are the things I can still remember. Of course... I also do tend to think about them less and less unless prompted, so maybe I am forgetting. I still haven't forgiven some stuff that's happened... So maybe that's evidence right there.

Hope you find these answers interesting. Feel free to ask more however suits your fancy. I like taking a look at myself and answering stuff, I normally don't.

[khorren]

2022 Video game round up

Towers of Fantasy This was one of those "the game everyone's playing" games doing the rounds. And uh… it was pretty I guess? That's about all I can say for it. The translation was pretty bad, story was confusing as hell, felt like I was thrown into a story several chapters in, and not a lot about it made sense. Combat was fun, but mostly…. spam buttons oh it's dead. Cool.

Utopia Origin Boything was playing weird ass MMOs on his phone to kill some downtime and I joined him for this one. It was uh…. it was. Built a house! Made things for the house. Explored some places. Met another player who was like "holy shit another player. Please let me give you all these free things so you like the game" because I think he was worried he was the last player playing, had invested a lot and was terrified of the game closing or something. We left shortly after that. I had to play this on a phone emulator.

Chimera Land

Another weird ass phone based MMO where there's a game in there somewhere probably? One thing this game had going for it was an amazing character creator with all kinds of weird ass races like…. polar bear, jellyfish, and uh…. thing. This was available for PC / steam download, but reports that both versions were not ported well, so again, played it via a phone emulator.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The modern Tomb Raider games have been pretty great. But oh my god deaths are brutal and pretty traumatising. This one had a fun little story, absolutely gorgeous game, lots of fun puzzles. But I really do not like the levels that have really tight spaces to crawl through, I just kind of look the other way while inching through cos Hrblghgblghghgggh do not like. But lots of fun things about the game, so whee.

Craftopia

One of the many crafting/survival games played this year and probably my favourite. Very charming. Has the feeling of Genshin/Breath of the Wild, and I say this as someone who has never touched Genshin. lol. Again, very slow, very chill. Some monsters to kill, but mostly building for building's sake and you make things and then find ways to automate them.

Raft You start off alone in the middle of the sea with a tiny like… 2 x 2 raft and you have to build it up via debris that floats towards you. I had a lot of fun with this and played for way too long before discovering how to make certain upgrades from the recipe book. Has a build mode where it automatically gives you all the things, but obviously you're meant to discover them as you play. Very chill, very slow.

Deep Rock Galactic This was pretty fun! Works best with 3 other friends. You play as a dwarf and go mine things and there's big scary space monsters trying to kill you. Various objectives on the map ranging from "kill all the things" to "find all the things" and you sometimes have to find + repair pipes. You play as one of 4 dwarves with a specific set of skills and it's just sort of a fun dink around game.

FF14

Didn't touch FF14 too much this year, came back very briefly for a "return for free" period but didn't end up doing much besides a set of Roulettes, hang around in Limsa looking pretty and chilled with some friends. I'm still at like the level 83 quests on the MSQ and can't bring myself to push forwards. So my love/hate relationship with that game continues.

V Rising

Survival game with a vampire twist. During the day you have to stay in the shadow or be burnt alive. It was pretty fun until it got insanely grindy mid-level. Needed a particular material to upgrade things, and getting that material was just a long-ass slog. Played for a few weeks then noped out.

Lost Ark

Had to give this one a go as it was The Big Thing at the time. And eh. It was…. okay. Didn't get super far, was mostly just questing and following story. It had a few mechanics that seemed interesting, but lost interest pretty soon after.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Mass Effect 2 is one of those games I've put hundreds of hours in to over several playthroughs, and a couple of ME1 + ME3 runthroughs. When this became free as part of Amazon Prime giveaways I snapped it up. I did a run through of ME1 and ME2, and was part way through 3 when I decided I wanted to do my "worst case scenario" run through. It's a modded save file where basically everything that was bad that could have happened in 1 + 2 happened. I set up the file, played a little bit then got distracted by something shiny. But I basically have no allies from previous games and it's hilarious.

Valheim

Picked Valheim up again when they finally released the Mistlands. Taking it very slow though with a 3rd person to play with now who plays at a much slower pace. So we're only late-swamps, a long way off from Mistlands + new stuff. But that's okay. Love this game <3

Guild Wars 2

Home <3

(Help I can't find the version with aoife2 + seb) End of Dragons, the third expac came out this year, and while you could tell it was rushed in places, despite getting a 3 month delay, the whole experience was pretty solid. Some lovely side stories. Played a lot this year, doing either my own projects like crafting legendaries, making new characters with new stories, or helping the boy work on projects like the legendary amulet, or working on some WvW stuff. Can always find something to do. I love my gw2 home <3

[xiaq]

Hey. I’m a sub here in DFW and a senior at UTA. Every day I am discouraged from completing my Bach program to become a teacher. How do you stay motivated and positive around students who don’t care about you or their academics? I’m burnt out as a sub!!

[answering publicly because I'm getting this sort of question...a lot. Which makes me very sad. I hope that's ok!]

I'm afraid I can't give you a secret solution. I've pretty much decided that I won't be teaching any more after this year [admittedly I have some health issues contributing to this decision]. Do I love it? Yes. Is it way too much for my mental and physical health to deal with long term? Also yes. I'm too empathetic to shoulder the sheer quantity of trauma my students share with me. I feel old. And overwhelmed. And even on the Really Good Days (which are most of them!) I have no voice or energy left by the end of the day. And at least one day a week I come home and crawl into my partner's lap and have a bit of a cry because so many of my students are dealing with things that they shouldn't have to deal with but that I also can do nothing about. And that's aside from the massive class sizes and low pay and too-many-sections and ridiculous administration issues and staffing issues that contribute to the admin issues.

I could maybe tough it out another year, but I'd probably stop loving it. And my health would definitely get way worse. So I'm doing the best I can for my kids now, and I know that they will benefit from my time and effort and that will have to be enough.

If you're able to give a couple hundred kids a good start over the course of a few years before you're burnt out, great! If it's just one semester, great! You're making a difference regardless. And you can use an education degree in all sorts of other jobs/environments that won't hurt quite so badly if/when you're ready to be done with teaching, too.

So, I won't sugarcoat it. You probably will get burnt out. I am. But I'm pretty sure I made a significant difference in at least a couple dozen students' lives over the last six years. That's important.

[giorno-plays-piano]

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

Pairing: Dabi x villain!Reader

Warnings: yandere, obsession, non-con, stalking, mentions of human experimentation, non-consensual drug use, lots of swearing.

Words: 1841.

Summary: Running away from the lab where you had been experimented on for years, you have no choice but to join the League of Villains to escape from the government. Of course, you don’t expect things to go smoothly, especially when one mutilated son of a bitch just can’t leave you alone.

P.S. I’ve suddenly remembered Rogue who had been my favorite character once; the heroine’s Quirk is partly based on her ability.

My dear @navegandoaciegas​, this is my first attempt at writing Dabi. Hope you’re going to enjoy reading it ❤

_________________

"Fuck, how much can you drink at once, birdie? Ain't you scared to pass out in a place full of men?"

Oh God, it was that smug bastard again. For the past couple of days Dabi couldn't get off your back for a full damn minute.

"Men? Here?" You opened your eyes and raised an eyebrow at the man whose face was right above yours as he leaned on the back of the couch where you laid. "I see just a couple of kids and one burnt corpse who can never fucking shut up."

"Oh? Wanna see how well can a burnt corpse fuck you up?"

Always up to a challenge. You rolled your eyes at his obvious display of hostility despite the fact he'd most definitely lose against you. Besides, Shigaraki would barely enjoy you two ruining the League's hideout, and upsetting that asshole ready to go berserk any moment certainly wasn't one of your priorities.

"Just go fuck yourself, would you? I'm not in the mood to bark at you."

"Well, then don't. I didn’t come here for that, actually."

This was something new. He suddenly became calm as you studied his grotesque mutilated face inches away from yours. Your expression didn’t betray any emotions either since you weren't shocked or disgusted by the way Dabi looked: you've seen worse in the laboratory, and repulsive things had long stopped looking repulsive to you.

"What are you here for, then?" You asked him, trying to remember if you finished that second bottle of sake or not. Since the time you accidentally got one of those useless Quirks, you couldn't get drunk anymore - now strong alcohol only made you sleepy.

"I've always wanted to ask why the fuck are you wearing these." Dabi pointed out to the black leather gloves laying on the coffee table in front of you, and you rolled your eyes again. One more useless question.

"In this team of no-brainers you're the last person I expected to ask me this question." Groaning, you moved up a little to take more comfortable position and stared at the man above you intensely.

"Don't you want to gather as many Quirks as possible? If so, why wearing gloves when you can only get a Quirk through touch?"

You were close to snapping at him, and it certainly made Dabi look even more smug.

"Who the fuck do you think I am, a garbage bin?" You barked wishing you could teleport the bastard somewhere to Hawaii. "I only take Quirks I need, and it isn't easy to find those in that damp of useless abilities regular citizens have. Besides, some Quirks are quite dangerous for their owners and I'd prefer them not existing at all. You, of all people, should already get that, Pretty Face."

He smiled at you, but you saw his hollow eyes sparkling dangerously at your last remark, and you felt his body emanating heat he could turn into his famous blue flames within a second. Nasty shit, that what's you thought of his Quirk. Who on Earth would want anything like that? You doubted anyone but a true psychopath could really appreciate something as fucked up as Dabi's ability to burn anything and anyone, himself including. You definitely didn't want to use his Quirk despite already taking it as almost all of those belonging to the League of Villains. It wasn't intentional, though.

"You'd better start watching your mouth, birdie. You ain't back in the lab." His smile grew wider as he saw your expression darkening at the mention of the lab.

Fucking son of a bitch. You bet he'd go insane during the first month being locked up there.

"Huh, calm down, dear. I think it's better we get along."

You sent him a glare wishing you could throw his overconfident ass out of the window. Dabi loved messing with fucking everyone, Shigaraki included, but he was still a valuable member of the team. Killing him would do you no good.

Showing him your middle finger, you put your head on the pillow and took the half-empty bottle of sake. Thank goodness you didn't finish it. You hoped Dabi would vanish by the time you were done.

You spent a few minutes in complete silence as the man kept leaning on the couch and watching you drinking while you did your best trying to relax. Why the Hell was Dabi stuck here with you? Didn't he have any other things he should be doing now? Was he here to get under your skin even more? Shit, you just wanted to be left alone. You wanted it since the time they brought you to the lab, but since then somebody had always been getting on your nerves one way or the other.

"Seriously, what do you want from me?" You grunted as you opened your eyes again and stared at Dabi's face. "You wanna take the couch or what? I ran out of sake if you're here for it."

There was that smug smile again. Saints, the guy had been creeping you out with his long intense stares for quite some time, but today he was even less bearable than usual. He definitely wanted something from you, and the feeling was making you uneasy.

"You wanna hook up, birdie?"

You thought you were gonna choke on air when you heard him saying that. What? Seriously? Did he hurt his head so bad last time heroes attacked? So, that was the meaning of those stares, then? He thought you were the one he could stick his dick in. Wincing from the thought like from a toothache, you squeezed your eyes shut. The guy was clearly mad.

"Are you out of your mind? Why would I want to hook up with anyone?" You huffed with irritation and realized Dabi was having way more fun than you.

"Don't tell me you're actually a virgin."

"You think I can be a virgin with the life I'm having?" You sounded more bitter than you thought you would, and the man above you chuckled. He was getting on your nerves more and more with each passing second.

"Then why not? Sex is a good way to relax. You certainly seem like you could let off some steam." You flinched when Dabi extended his hand to you, but he had only brushed of a lock of your hair out of your face. "I bet I can help you with that better than most of the team."

"Sex is painful, and I don't like pain. Go have fun with Toga, she seems more into that than me." You narrowed your eyes at him, your hand almost touching his neck if the villain decided he'd go further without your consent. His stupid grin going wider was making you more and more mad.

Of course, he wouldn't go to Himiko. That asshole had his own type, and she certainly didn't fall into that category. Why did you? You had no idea, but you doubted he would ever lay his hands on you. Yeah, you knew what sex was, and it had nothing to do with pleasure like in those stupid romantic novels you once bought. It was humiliating and painful. If you had a chance to get back to those who did it to you back in the lab, you'd rip their hearts out of their rib cages.

The expression on your face didn't seem to faze Dabi even the slightest bit, and you rolled your eyes in irritation. Apparently, he wouldn't give up unless you showed him you weren't some doll he could play with, and Shigaraki was probably going to get real mad at the both of you this evening.

All of a sudden you felt some strange tickling in your muscles you had never felt before. What was that? Confused, you quickly glanced over the room to see no one except Dabi still on his spot. What was that? Was it some hero's work? Had they found your hideout? No, it couldn’t be. You'd hear them, feel them before somebody even set their foot on your territory. It wasn't a hero.

Unwilling to wait for any surprises to happen, you used a regeneration Quirk, the one you were gifted on your 14th birthday so you could heal yourself after they ran the tests without troubling a healer too much. Strangely, the Quirk did nothing about the tickling, and you felt your legs getting weaker. What the fuck was that?

As you raised your head to ask Dabi for help, you suddenly realized he was eager to see what you were doing. He looked like he enjoyed watching you in such state, confused and even frightened, your knees slightly trembling as if you became weak within a couple of seconds.

It was him. He did something to you. The bastard had the nerve to do something to your body so it'd be easier to handle you.

"What have you done?" You hissed at him while he chuckled, pointing at the bottles of sake on the table. "Have you poisoned my drink?"

But the regeneration would work in that case. You knew for sure.

Running his finger around the shell of your ear, Dabi hummed with content, "Poisoned? Come on, who do you think I am, an Evil Queen? That's just a little handy potion that has a tendency to slowly accumulate in your body. Makes you a little softer, don't you think?"

Oh. Oh. That's why he was always watching you. He had no idea when the effects would start to show. Did he fucking realize it could happen in the heat of the battle when you needed your Quirks the most? Did Dabi have any idea what would happen if heroes managed to lock you away again?

"Seems like you planned to abandon me if heroes attacked, didn't you?" You gritted your teeth when Dabi got on top of you, his hands on your chest as he caressed your body like a lover would, his hot fingers getting under your clothes.

"Of course not. I'd play your personal hero and save your stubborn ass the trouble of murdering everyone."

While you desperately wanted to kick him off you came to realization you weren't able to even stand up, your arms and legs so weak you could barely move while Dabi had no problems stripping you out of your clothes, his hands on the your thighs as he took off your pants.

Shit, shit, shit. You couldn’t use any Quirks to hurt him, all of them barely responding to your call. What was that potion? Why nobody in the lab prepared you for this? How on Earth did that shithead obtain such a dangerous thing?

"If you hurt me, I'll rip your brain out of your skull and bring it to Shigaraki as a present."

His chapped, disfigured lips brushed against your neck almost gently when the man murmured, "It doesn't have to be painful, birdie. I'll show you how much fun we can have together."

___________________

Tags: @coolio-love @awesomerextyphoon​

[tuancore]

Lost You (Part 15) :

Starring- Jinyoung x reader

Genre- Angst

Summary- It's your choices and actions which made you miserable.

Jinyoung was growing impatient by the rate with which the meeting was proceeding, three hours in the meeting and he felt like he has already spent an year inside the conference hall. Hyunjin kept on mouthing incoherent things to him, trying his best to prevent Jinyoung from daydreaming in such an important meeting.

"I hope you liked the proposal, Mr. Park" The new business partner exclaimed happily, standing up from his seat, finally getting Jinyoung's undivided attention. Jinyoung nodded his head with a polite smile standing from his seat as well, "Mr. Jung, I'm really looking forward for our collaboration, thanks for your precious time".

"No worries Mr. Park, I'm glad that we are able to work together" He chuckled again with a genuine smile, "I'll let my secretary send you the drafts of the agreement, you can have a look at it and if you would like to make changes you're most welcome".

"Sure, thank you" Jinyoung spoke for the last time shaking hands with Mr. Jung, "Sir, I would like if you don't leave the meeting hall until I'm done escorting them" Hyunjin bowed politely before guiding Mr. Jung and his secretary the way out of the company. Few other employees who were also requested to attend the meeting left the hall after greeting Jinyoung.

With everyone out, Jinyoung immediately fished out his phone dialling BamBam's number. He ran his fingers through his luscious locks biting on his bottom lip impatiently. He wasn't able to concentrate properly in the meeting but he did take note of the main points, he was growing way too impatient to be beside you again, in these two months it's for the first time that he has left your side for so long almost three and a half hours.

"Why the hell isn't he picking up my calls?!" Jinyoung yelled tossing his phone on the leather chair, after BamBam failed to receive his calls.

Hyunjin entered into the room swiftly, standing in front of Jinyoung from the other side of the table, "Hyunjin, I have to go. Whatever the agreement will be just email them to me", Jinyoung expressed striding towards the door to leave.

"Ma'am is not in the hospital" Hyunjin stated slowly turning his head to face Jinyoung, who halted in his steps before he could even push the door open, "What do you mean by that?".

"Sir, ma'am is not in the hospital. Yugyeom hyung messaged me that Ma'am gained consciousness almost an hour ago and that they are taking her with them".

"S—She woke u—up?" Jinyoung's lips quivered with happiness, which he wasn't able to supress. He hugged Hyunjin tightly almost cutting his oxygen supply, "I—I understand but you're k—killing me—me...".

He broke the hug placing his hands on Hyunjin's shoulder, he reconfirmed "You sure, that they were not joking.....She really is......I mean she.....Oh god finally!". Hyunjin's heart warmed seeing Jinyoung so happy for the first time in these past months.

"I'm also very happy Sir".

"Why didn't you inform me earlier?"

"If I had informed you earlier then you would've surely left the meeting and rushed there, and you know this meeting was very important for us, for the company.....I'm sorry Sir", Hyunjin hung his head low in guilt for not informing him about you soon just because he was being thoughtful for the company and not for you who is Jinyoung's life.

"Yah!" Jinyoung called, shaking Hyunjin's shoulders, "There's nothing to be sad about, I'm so glad that you were always there beside me, always handled the official work whenever I failed to, I know these past months were hard for you as well. But not even once did you complain and I appreciate you heartily for that, Hyunjin-ah".

Smiling softly, Hyunjin nodded his head. Many of the employees of the Park Inc. wondered as to why Jinyoung tolerated Hyunjin when most of the times Hyunjin bossed Jinyoung around, but the thing which both of them hid very well was that Hyunjin was Jinyoung's cousin, he offered Hyunjin to work for him for the sake of work experience which Hyunjin gladly accepted.

He was afraid that people in the company would think that Hyunjin was trying to take advantage of being Jinyoung's brother, so he decided to not let anyone know that he was related to him instead he'll work as a normal employee along with others. Reluctantly Jinyoung accepted it, being such a young lad Hyunjin was super smart in every aspect of business administration, just like Jinyoung was. And within a small amount of Hyunjin became the most dedicated and hardworking employee of the company.

"Thank you hyung...." Hyunjin muttered softly, "So enough of this melodrama, we'll continue it later, I was starting to like it though", he teased Jinyoung for getting sentimental as he barely expresses his feelings to someone.

"Yeah.......sometimes it's good to cry and rejoice like people in daily soaps" Jinyoung added, both of them laughing heartily.

"Let's go and have Ma'am back in your arms now shall we?".

__________

"Will you both speak now?" You asked the two boys standing in front of you sternly, eyeing them in irritation. After the little confusing revelation of Youngjae being your bff, you started losing your temper growling at both of them for their stupid attempt to protect Youngjae and Jinyoung and have you to forgive them. Not knowing specifically what has to be done they brought you to their studio.

Crossing your legs on the only couch in their pretty decent studio, you sighed, "I have no idea what you both are trying to pull off.....but it's not enough to change my mind".

"Noona to be honest we are also as clueless as you", Yugyeom stated sitting on his swivel chair, "What do you mean?" You asked tilting your head.

"Can we know why you're so mad at Jinyoung and Youngjae?" BamBam cut in with a humble smile, "What did they both do? That you don't even want to hear their names".

"Did you both hit your head hard?" You blurted in disbelief, the two have been sticking around with you since the beginning of all the mess and now they are acting as if they don't remember a single thing. Unbelievable.

BamBam and Yugyeom both didn't want to force things on you seeing your still not very stable state, but your words were getting to their minds they have to know what's the reason behind your outburst, your anger for the other two.

Giving you a stoic face, they insisted for you to explain the thoughts going inside your head. With that you let everything out from the beginning to end, how Jinyoung alleged you of cheating on him with Jackson, how BamBam came to know about Jinyoung and Jisoo seeing eachother, how Youngjae was in love with you because of which he caused misunderstandings between you and Jinyoung. How your heart got broken by him because of which you lost your child and attempted suicide.

"But I'm alive any way" You grimaced rubbing your temples. BamBam and Yugyeom felt their souls leaving their bodies, their face got pale with cold sweats forming on their forehead.

"Th—That w—was.....What w—was t—that?" Yugyeom stammered wiping the little sweat beads from his head, "None of this has ever happened? Then what are you talking about?" BamBam spoke with widened eyes staring into your chocolate orbs.

"Please don't act as if you've forgotten everything! Their betrayal is not something to be forgotten within two months!"

It's not like they wanted to shout on you, but your stubbornness made it impossible to let the things run smoothly, they had to burst your bubble because whatever you were saying was nowhere close to normal and if extended it can cause harm in real as well.

"We haven't forgotten anything! You— Whatever you're saying has never happened, none of it is true. You said I was the one who told you about Jinyoung hyung cheating on you right? Then why the fuck don't I remember a single thing?!" BamBam snapped rising from his chair pacing back and forth in the room.

"What the fuck do you mean by you don't remember a thing?" You snarled at BamBam, "How can you forget everything so easily? Or you're sympathizing with Jinyoung and Youngjae?".

"I'm not sympathizing with anyone Noona! I'm fucking not!" He yelled back, "You said you committed suicide, but let me tell you, you didn't commit such a crime!".

"BamBam stop! I clearly remember that I slit open my wrist with a shard, wait let me show yo—", You pulled the sleeves of your shirt, to see your wrist but words got caught in your throat.

"What? Show us" BamBam added, crossing his arms to his chest, almost challenging you. You traced your wrist which was badly teared open by the shard, "How—How....c—come there's n—no mark?".

BamBam stood beside you taking your said hand in his, "You slit it open here?", He emphasized, "And there's clearly no mark, do you think it some sort of a joke that hurting yourself with a sharp piece of shard will leave no scar?".

"Okay, let's assume it didn't leave a scar but after stitching your wrist up will the stitch mark fade so soon?" BamBam proclaimed, "Two months are not enough, sometimes the scar remains for lifetime".

"And that's the proof that whatever you told us.......was something that never took place" Yugyeom concluded, nodding his head at you.

Thats true, even a knife cut would take months to heal then how come such a severe wound will heal this fast. Your skin seemed to be absolutely normal, same as that of your other hand, yanking your hand from BamBam's grip, you bellowed "But all I remember is dying and then all of a sudden I woke up to your face! Can it be some coincidence?".

"We don't know what it is, but all we know is that whatever you are saying is nothing but your own imagination, since nothing, not a single thing has ever happened in these past few months!" BamBam grunted, almost losing his calm.

Your mind was spinning like anything, every single moment is burnt in your memory, you can call out every single detail of whatever you've said to them. Then how come they both are trying to defy your not so old past. Everyone was aware of how much BamBam and Yugyeom are fond of joking and pranking but this time there was not a slightest hint of humour in their eyes or body language instead their faces were emotionless and voice was stern.

"What is happening?" You mumbled trying to soothe your pounding headache which suddenly caught upto you. Rotating your eyes across the room you eyes fell onto the desktop calendar.

Striding towards the table, you grabbed it, pair of eyes following your each and every move, "What month is it?" You asked.

"It's November".

Your gasped at the reply, "How can this be even possible?" You mumbled to yourself. When you committed suicide it was the month of November. Then how come it's still November.

"If I didn't commit suicide, then why was I admitted to the hospital?".

"Yes you were admitted to the hospital, but not because you had committed suicide but because you had a severe concussion", Yugyeom revealed, pointing at your head and that's when you realised a bandage was wrapped around your head the entire time which you failed to pay heed to.

"Two months ago, you had an accident in which a lorry ran into your car", BamBam professed looking at your wrapped head, "Your car was found upside down, your head smashed against the dashboard, it was a huge trauma for all of us".

"Noona we don't know what's going on with you, but trust us, none of it ever happened. We can never do injustice to you by saving them if they would have done such a terrible thing to you", Yugyeom expressed softly with a subtle smile, "And the truth is that Youngjae hyung is your bestfriend and Jinyoung hyung never cheated on you".

Youngjae is your bestfriend.

Jinyoung never cheated on you.

Pondering over his words, you forced your brain into recalling the events from the past, shutting your eyes close all you saw was a small glimpse of the time where you were grabbing coffee with Jackson teasing him bout Minyoung. Gripping on your scalps harshly, you groaned at the excruciating pain shooting through your brain.

Part 14 // Part 15

______________________________________

(A/N: I seriously have no idea what you guys are going to think about this chapter so just let me know, sorry for all the mess, probably the next part will be the last one.Anyways thank you so much to you all).

[pixelatedrose]

Can you do 39 with prinxiety? Sorry if I'm being a burden - 🌯

Prompt 39 Prinxiety

“Listen it’s not really my fault i fell in love with him!! HE WAS SHIRTLESS!!”

Word Count: 3,799 (I got a bit carried away with this one)

Warnings: uncensored swearing, mention of a dead animal (Skip from “It wasn’t that he had never wanted to go before,” to “The memory left a pretty solidly foul taste in his mouth and made him shudder.”)

Camping

  It was early August and Roman’s friends had finally convinced him to tag along with them to go camping.

  “But there are bugs!!” Roman complained.

  “So? Bugs are cool.” Virgil said, looking up briefly from his phone.

  “Oh yeah?” Roman continued to whine. “Well I hardly took you as one who enjoyed camping in the middle of nowhere with zero cell service, Dr. Gloom!” Roman antagonized the emo boy.

  Virgil stuck out his tongue at the sassy drama queen. “You’re just pouty cause we never asked you to come before because we thought you hated the outdoors.”

  “I do not hate the outdoors!!” Roman scoffed. “I just don’t really find the idea of bugs and sap and burnt food and bugs very appealing.”

  “Aw, Roman! Is this your first time camping?” Patton asked, calling from where he was placing an overfilled bag into the bed of Logan’s truck.

  Roman flushed and turned away haughtily. “Well it’s not my fault my moms never wanted to go and sleep on the ground!!”

  Patton clapped his tall friend on the back, smiling from ear to ear. “Oh, you’re going to have so much FUN!!”

  Soon the truck was packed, with Logan helping Roman make sure that he had everything necessary. (“No, Roman, you won’t be needing your fantasy elf cloak.” “BUT WHAT IF THE DWARVES COME FOR ME?!”)

  The car ride was long, Roman and Virgil sitting in the back with Patton sitting up front and Logan driving. Roman ended up falling asleep, his head resting against a drowsy Virgil’s shoulder. Patton, thinking this was the cutest thing ever, snapped a picture with the camera he brought along.

  “Logan, look!!”

  “Patton, dear, I am incapable of looking at whatever you wish to show me if I am to drive safely on this road.”

  “Oh, right, sorry! Virgil and Roman fell asleep on top of each other, that’s all!”

  “Oh. How lovely.”

  “Logan why are you pulling over?”

  “Revenge.”

  Roman and Virgil woke up in different positions, Roman’s face pressed up against the window and Virgil having adjusted to leaning against his seatbelt. They also awoke to marker coating their faces.

  “That’s for the cookies you two baked me last week.” Logan said when they had started freaking out.

  “But it was funny!!” Virgil protested, rubbing at the marker hearts doodled on his cheeks.

  “Cookies should not contain any- especially that much- pepper in it!! Consider us even, Ruiners of Sweets.” Logan seethed dramatically.

  The ride from then on was filled with karaoke, Disney, and laughter.

  When they arrived at the campsite, they tried to divide the work up. However, it became very clear that Roman had no idea what he was doing when he mistakenly snapped one of the tent poles clean in half.

  “Whoops…”

  Virgil sighed. “Great! At least I know how to fix it once I get home. I guess I’m sleeping under the stars tonight…”

  Patton shook his head. “Nonsense!! There’s plenty of room in Roman’s tent for you to sleep in there!”

  Roman nearly choked. “What?!”

  Virgil just shrugged. “'Ight. But I’m setting up tents from now on. Roman can make the fire.”

  “I do not trust that Roman will know an adequate way of starting a fire. Perhaps he can prepare food instead? It is probably something he should have been doing from the start seeing as I am not the best in the culinary arts.” Logan offered.

  Roman nodded, trying to keep his head up. It was just his first time camping after all. He was a little upset by the fact that he was going to be sharing a tent with Virgil. Why? He wasn’t 100% sure. But it made his chest flare up and his face burn. The fact of the matter was that he was incredibly nervous about sleeping in very tight quarters with his very attractive friend of whom he’d subconsciously had a crush on since they’d met in high school. But he would never admit such a thing. Especially when it was still so subtle.

  Dinner was finished, Roman figuring out how to cook over the fire after a few attempts, and with that, Patton took out his guitar and played songs that Roman hadn’t heard before, but the others seemed to know by heart. Stories were told and laughs were exchanged as well as shrieks in terror followed by evil giggles of delight. The sun was long put to rest by the time the fire simmered out.

  The friends parted to their separate tents and the lanterns were put out.

  Virgil unzipped the tent’s door, holding it open as if he were any semblance of a gentleman. “Just don’t you go falling for me because of this, Princey.” Virgil smirked, pushing Roman into the tent face first.

  Roman fell and from the ground mumbled sarcastically. “Trust me, not a problem.”

  Roman pulled a loose tank top over his head and turned to Virgil, expecting something similar. Except he found the pale boy, completely bare chested, reading a book in a position that had no right looking as attractive as it did.

  “Finally done getting ready, Princey?” He asked, sparing a glance up at the now red faced boy.

  Roman prayed that his colored face was hidden by the god-awful lighting in the now much too small tent. “Y-yep!!” Roman faked a nonchalant tone, trying not to stare so openly.

  “Great.” Virgil said, his casual tone was only what Roman dreamed he had sounded like. “I’m going to finish this chapter and then I’ll turn lights out. Don’t wait for me.”

  Roman tucked himself into his sleeping bag and turned away from Virgil, trying desperately to get the image of his friend’s surprisingly toned chest out of his mind. Did Virgil work out? He always looked so thin and stringy under his hoodie…

  “Night, Vee.” Roman wrestled the words from his throat, his voice cracking, making him want to die a little bit more.

  Virgil didn’t say anything and Roman, for the next twenty minutes, listened to the sound of quietly turning pages, all the while panicking at their closeness and, for the millionth time, trying not to think about Virgil’s lack of a shirt.

  Finally, Vrigil put his book down and stretched. He panicked even more when Virgil seemed to lean over to Roman and he shut his eyes, years of practice in pretending to be asleep finally paying off.

  Virgil leaned back and if Roman had his eyes open and had been facing the pale boy, he would have seen Virgil smile ever so fondly and sweetly, a light pink adorning his pale cheeks. “…Cute…” Virgil whispered quietly, not aware that Roman could hear him quite clearly in the silence of the night. Virgil flicked off the lights and, in a single line, probably made Roman fall irreversibly deep into the boiling pool of love. “Goodnight, my prince. I’ll love you tomorrow…”

  In the dead of the night, Roman heard Virgil’s breath even out next to him.

  Roman, red faced, turned to try and look at his sleeping friend, just to make sure, only to be met with a cute face not six inches away from his own. Even in the dark, Roman began to take notice of things he’d seemingly never seen before. Like how his dark hair faded perfectly into purple at the tips, making it look like purple flames. It made Roman want to reach out and fluff it about. Or the way his pale cheeks were impossibly cute and round, devoid of their usual makeup and beautiful. It made Roman want to hold his perfect face in his own imperfect hands. Or the way his lips curved so exquisitely, a soft beautiful thing. It made Roman want to lean forward and capture such flawless lips with his own.

  “We have a big fucking problem.” Roman whispered to himself.

~~•~~

  The next morning Roman woke up to the sound of pots banging.

  “WAKE UP SLEEPING BEAUTY, WE’RE GOING TO THE LAKE TODAY!!!” Virgil’s voice had momentarily made Roman forget everything last night as it was, at the moment, the most annoying thing on the goddamn planet.

  Virgil threw the tent door open, somehow letting more light into the small area. Roman tossed the edge of his sleeping bag up over his face in dismay. “Nooo….What time is it even…?”

  Virgil stopped banging his pots for a half second. “About 8:45. When you’re camping, the sun’s your alarm, Princey!!” He trilled out in a sing-song voice.

  “Why,” Roman complained, poking his head out of his cocoon. “Is the one time you’re cheery the one time I wish you weren’t?”

  Roman opened his eyes and was met face to face with a sinisterly smirking Virgil, his figure framed in splashing golden light as he leaned in to get a view of Roman. “Because I live to be the bane of your existence, Princey!” He smiled all too brightly, and Roman was reminded of his ever growing problem as he felt his face heat up.

  Patton poked his head in through the doorway, ruining the picture perfect scene Roman had before him. It wasn’t that he minded, though. No of course not. He wasn’t upset at all that the picture of Virgil with perfect golden light shining around him in a perfect, sunny corona was thrown off by a smiling Patton. He would never be upset.

  “C’mon, Ro! It’s time to wake up!! Logan and me made campfire pancakes!!” Patton smiled. Virgil’s eyes lit up like Roman had never seen them light up before. A childish sparkle, like when a kid gets told they’re allowed to have two cookies instead of one.

  Logan’s voice called from outside the tent. “It’s ’Logan and I’ Patton.”

  ”Yeah, yeah, whatever, Honey. I’m just excited for campfire pancakes!!”

  ”We all are, Pat! Campfire pancakes are the only thing Logan can make edible, and of all the things I’ve eaten, it would be the one that should be considered fucking gourmet!!”

  Roman listened to his friends chatter as he got ready, suddenly upset he’d declined Patton’s offers for so long. It wasn’t that he had never wanted to go before, but he’d never been in the woods alone since his brother had forced him into the woods near their old house as children to show him a dead and rotting fox corpse. The memory left a pretty solidly foul taste in his mouth and made him shudder.

  He’d complain about bugs and charred food for as long as he needed to. He wasn’t about to let slip that he’d been scared to go back into a place that reminded him so vividly of something so distasteful.

  ”And he rises!!” Virgil said theatrically when Roman emerged from the tent. Now that he could see better, Roman looked Virgil over. His hair was slightly tousled from sleep and he was wearing a plain, dark t-shirt. His pale face bore practically no makeup, save for the remnants of his eyeshadow that seemed to never go away. His smile was bright and happy, excited in a way Roman had never seen before now. It was at this time that Roman realized this was one of a very select few times that he’d seen Virgil without a hoodie or jacket on. He was pretty. Honestly, Roman thought he should have noticed how charming the tall man was before now.

  Roman smiled coolly. ”Now where are those campfire pancakes I keep hear you guys yapping about?”

~~•~~

  The pancakes were amazing. And after hiking to a lake, Roman was starting to think camping really wasn’t all too bad. The trail had ended, coming out to the view of a crisp lake with a sandy bank, driftwood strewn about the shore. A wooden dock with a rope swing attached to the end adorned the right side of the picture and a picnic bench decorated a small grassy patch a short distance away from the shore, save from potentially splashing children.

  However the picturesque lake was absent of any and all people, leaving the entire lake to themselves.

  ”Wow…” Roman breathed out as the lake came into view.

  Virgil smiled fondly at the starry-eyed man next to him, not that Roman had noticed. ”Yeah. It’s pretty sweet, isn’t it?” Virgil said, walking with Roman to towards the shore as Patton gleefully ran ahead to the dock and Logan crossed over to the picnic table to place the bag containing their lunches. ”This place was actually pretty abandoned when me and Lo first found it.”

  Roman glanced at Virgil, who was smiling wistfully out at the clear water. ”Really?”

  Virgil nodded, sitting down on a large piece of driftwood. ”Yeah. Our families would go camping together all the time when we were kids. One day we came to this old, near abandoned campsite and found this lake after hiking an all but completely overgrown trail. It was my mom that convinced my dad to buy up the site. It was fairly cheap, but my parents made it their passion project. I was about 15 years old when they finally finished it all.” Virgil looked over to Roman, his eyes filled with a gentle excitement. “It’s been our own little retreat ever since then! I can’t count how many times me and Logan came here to help work or even after it was done. This place means a lot to me.” He clapped Roman on the back, smiling delightfully. “I’m glad you came, Princey!” Virgil then pushed him over into the warm sand. “That’s enough cheese for today I think!! Race ya to the rope swing, theater dork!!” Virgil took off toward the dock and Roman, for once, was glad he had pushed him over and ran away. 

  Roman’s face and chest was ablaze. The way that Virgil seemed to treasure this place, wanting to share it with Roman, it made him unbelievably happy. The way the pale boy’s eyes sparkled and the way his usually lazy smile was bright and bold, it sent his heart aflutter.

  “You fiend!!” Roman accused, scrambling up to his feet. “That’s not fair!!” He charged after Virgil’s dark hair, hoping to leave his dangerously growing adoration behind in the sand.

  They took turns swinging off the rope swing and shoving one another into the water, splashing about in it’s cool waves a welcome sensation against the heat of the sun. Lunch finally came and they chatted and joked and told swapped stories until Logan declared that it was time they all headed back.

  “Actually, Logan? Can I talk to you for a bit?” Virgil asked as they were packing up.

  Logan raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “Of course. Patton, Roman, you two can go on ahead of us. We will catch up to you later.”

  “Sure thing, honey!!” Patton said cheerily, wrapping his arm around Roman’s shoulders, though because of the height difference, mistakenly pulled Roman down a bit in the process.

  They chatted a bit until the subject of Virgil managed to come up.

  “Virgil?” Roman asked, the thought of the green eyed man making him flush. When had that started happening? “I mean he’s great of course…I mean more than great honestly. Have you ever noticed how perfect his hair always looks, Pat? Or like how pretty he is just…everywhere? It’s infuriating!!” Roman looked over to his short friend. “Right, Pat….? Uhh…”

  Patton wore a shiteating grin on his face as he smirked smugly at Roman. “I knew it!” Patton declared. “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!!”

  Roman’s face flared and his heart started to beat. “Knew w-what?! What did you know?!”

  Patton jabbed a finger at Roman’s chest. “You’re in love with Virgil!!” He announced, his grin growing more and more excited and mischievous by the second, his golden eyes sparkling more and more from under his wide, round frames. “Aren’t you?!”

  Had Roman been a balloon, he would have burst. His face was undoubtedly the color of a rose and his heart was beating far too loud for Patton not to hear it, he thought. Roman finally caved, giving a sigh. “Listen, it’s not really my fault I fell in love with him!! HE WAS SHIRTLESS!!”

  Patton danced around the path way, spinning and chanting, “YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH VIRGIL!! YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH VIRGIL!!”

  “Okay okay!! I’m in love with Virgil!! Now will you quiet down! What if they’re about to catch up?!” Roman said, mild panic pricking his heart.

  “So what if they hear us?!” Patton stopped his dancing, facing Roman. “I mean Virgil’s already been in love with you for years now!!” Patton said excitedly, waving his hand as if it was common knowledge.

  Roman’s life could have ended then and there. “He what-?”

  Patton’s smiling face didn’t falter as extreme panic set his eyes ablaze. “Shit!!” He said in the most cheery tone a person has ever used to say shit. In fact, Roman could only count on two other times he’d even heard Patton curse. “You were not supposed to know that!!” Patton continued with his cheery voice.

  Roman grabbed Patton by the shoulders, emotions swirling violently within him. “Virgil’s been in love with me for years?!” He asked, ecstatic panic dripping from his voice and flooding his eyes.

  Patton’s smile did falter this time as he looked away, bashful at what he’d let slip. “Well, yeah…He never-”

  Roman picked up the small boy and spun him around, laughing splendidly. “Patton!! You’re an angel from heaven!!” He bubbled. He set Patton down and hugged him tightly. A thought struck him and he separated from the small boy, not even having heard the blonde’s shouts announcing he couldn’t breath. “Oh god! I have to tell Virgil! I have to go find him!!” 

  Roman started to run away, but Patton grabbed his sleeve. “But what should I do?! We were supposed to get the fire going and dinner started! It’s beginning to get dark!”

  Roman looked at Patton with desperate eyes. “I just realized how I feel about Virgil. I don’t want this to turn into a pining competition! I have to find him right now!”

  Something in Roman’s voice must have convinced Patton because he let go. “Alright.” He lightly tapped his fist against his taller friend’s shoulder. “Go sweep him off his feet, Ro!”

  And with that, Roman was off sprinting back down the trail.

  He caught sight of Virgil and Logan walking down the path as the trail was beginning to darken with purple under the canopy of trees in the soon to be dying sunlight. Roman smiled and waved to them down the trail.

  “Roman?” Virgil asked, a concerned and mildly frightened look glazing his eyes over. “Is everything okay? Did something happen? Where’s Patton? Is he alright? Is-”

  Roman swooped Virgil into a spinning hug, not letting the boy finish his anxious rambling. “Oh, everything is more than just alright, my dark and stormy knight!” Roam laughed, holding on to his heart from around his waist, grasping him close.

  Virgil’s face lit up with splashes of red and pink. “Uhm…?”

  Logan looked between the two and smiled. “I’ll go on ahead and make sure Patton has some company.” He said, picking up Virgil’s discarded bag and turning to walk down the darkening trail.

  Roman stopped spinning Virgil and let the green eyed man down, only just loosening his hold on him.

  But to Roman’s utter dismay, as soon as Logan was out of sight, Virgil pushed out from Roman’s grasp. “What the hell, Ro? What was that?” He snapped, turning away from the taller boy.

  Roman’s hopes sunk. Had Patton lied to him? No…Patton said he wasn’t even supposed to tell. It had to be true.

  But Roman had to be sure. “Virgil, do you love me?” Fireflies were starting to swirl around them, lighting up like stray stars.

  “What…?” Virgil stopped, looking back at Roman.

  Roman stepped closer, beginning to realize how desperately he wanted Virgil to love him. “Are you in love with me, Virgil?”

  Virgil looked away, crossing his arms over themselves.

  The sounds of the forest settled between them.

  Finally Virgil spoke, his voice shaky and choked. “S-so what if I am? I mean- I didn’t mean to- I don’t-” Virgil turned back to face Roman, his hands embedded in his head of thick, messy hair, his eyes shimmering with tears. “I assume Patton spilled…And I just didn’t want to tell you cause I didn’t want to lose you as a friend! I know you don’t feel the same way, so I was trying to be a good friend…I’m sorry if-”

  “Goodnight my prince. I’ll love you tomorrow.” Roman quoted.

  “W-what?”

  “Last night. That’s what you said before you went to sleep. Can I ask why?” Roman stepped closer, the sun beginning to descend beyond view.

  Virgil was caught between paling and flushing harder. He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s the stupidest thing ever…” He started, though smiling. “Anytime we ever had a sleepover, or you fell asleep studying at my place or during a movie night, I’d say that. It was supposed to be this stupid ‘I can’t love you now, so I’ll love you tomorrow’ thing…Hella cheesy, I know…”

  Roman stepped closer again and brushed Virgil’s hand, though the pale boy flinched it back. “Well remember when you said not to fall for you and I said it wouldn’t be a problem?” he stepped closer still, bringing his hand up to Virgil’s chin.

  “Yeah…?” Virgil didn’t pull away this time, though his eyes remained glued to Roman’s chest.

  Roman tilted his chin upward, looking into the gorgeous green eyes Roman never knew he’d fallen for. “Well I think I have a problem…” He leaned in even closer, and he swear he could almost hear Virgil’s heart. 

  Before Roman could try and capture his lips with his own, Virgil leaned forward and closed the distance himself.

  Roman melted into the kiss and could have sworn he tasted raspberries on Virgil’s breath. Virgil’s arms found themselves draped over Roman’s shoulders and his fingers played in his hair as Roman drew Virgil closer still, never wanting to let go of the person he’d loved so dearly for years, blind to it as denial had taken hold of him.

  And it was all over much too quickly as Virgil pulled apart just enough to speak. “I think it’s finally tomorrow…” He said, breathlessly, his eyes traveling from Roman’s chest up to his golden brown eyes.

  Roman smiled and rested his forehead against Virgil’s. “I think I like tomorrow…!” He caught Virgil up in another kiss and the two blissfully fell into one another.

  And Roman decided he quite liked camping, after all.

To my anon, you are never ever ever a burden!! I love writing! And as you can see, got a little carried away with this one! I really hope it’s something you like!!

[strayen-fx]

Happy Birthday, I guess

Pairing: Han Jisung x reader

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 1k

Summary: You hate birthdays. On top of it all, you hate celebrating your own birthday. But your best friend, Han Jisung, apparently has some other plan in mind.

[A/N] It's not my first time writing an au but it IS my first time posting one... So please bear with me ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Feedbacks will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!! (Also, I got inspired to write this since my bday was just a few days ago. Hahaha!) ENJOY!!! 💙

"Why do you hold such a big grudge against birthdays?"

I chuckled humorlessly, attacking the slice of cheesecake Jisung has bought for me ("I gave up my daily dose of cheesecake for you," he said. "You're that special to me.") It was his birthday present, he declared, stubbornly dragging me to the café he frequents despite me telling him not to bother.

Needless to say, I hate the idea of "celebrating" birthdays.

"One: it's a total crap. Why would you celebrate the day you're turning older?" I began explaining. "Two: it's just an excuse for people to talk you into buying food for them. And I'm totally broke." I remembered the merchandise I ordered last week -- they will probably show up at my door tomorrow.

I never really enjoyed my birthdays. Well, I guess at some point I did. But as I grew older, I just lost the fun and excitement of adding a year to my age. It gradually lost its significance, until it became nothing more but another day I had to get through in my life. (Maybe the fact that exams usually fall on my birth date doesn't help with my case.)

"Well, I'm the one treating you food," Jisung pointed out, sipping his iced americano.

I smiled from ear to ear. "And that is precisely why you are my best friend."

He stopped mid-sip and pouted. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm only your best friend because you get free foods all the time."

I giggled, reaching across the table to pinch his chubby cheeks. Why does this man have to be so freaking cute all the time.

He swatted my hand jokingly, still pouting. "We have classes in half an hour, so don't take your sweet time, birthday girl," he reminded me.

I groaned in disapproval, fake-glaring at him through munching at my cake.

"Okay, okay." His face broke into a grin. "Hurry up, not-birthday-girl."

○○○○○○○○○

We had an early dismissal -- our maths prof was absent, what a miracle -- and I was hoping to sleep through the remaining hours of the day. The moment I opened the door to my apartment, however, I immediately knew that I wasn't getting what I wanted.

For one, it wasn't in my plan to hear kitchen utensils falling over in the kitchen. I was already prepared to scream bloody murder to whoever broke into my house, until the smell of something burnt wafted over me.

I walked over to the kitchen and saw Jisung hunched over the stove, attempting to salvage whatever it was that he attempted to concoct on the pan.

I cleared my throat, and Jisung finally realized that I was there. His cheeks flushed into a deep shade of pink as he attempted to hide the traces of his failed cooking.

"I-I was just--"

"Just trying to burn my house, Han Jisung?" I asked, suppressing my laughter.

He pouted, embarrassed for getting caught red-handed and for royally failing to surprise me with his dishes. He really has to stop with that adorable pout of his. He's making my heart do somersaults.

I walked over to him, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I appreciate the gesture, Ji. You already treated me earlier, you didn't have to do this for me."

He hugged me back, playing with my hair as he was doing so. "I just hate the fact that you can't even enjoy the day of your birth. Like, I get it -- you don't want any celebration. But I want you to at least have some healing and relaxing time."

I giggled against his chest, playfully slapping his arm. "I can't exactly relax with my apartment burning, Ji."

"I know." I can practically hear the pout in his voice.

I broke from the hug, offering him a reassuring smile. "Let's order some pizza, yeah? And tteokbokki. I'm starving."

Jisung grinned sheepishly. "Let me fix my mess first. I may have broken a bowl or two."

○○○○○○○○○

The night turned into a movie date with my best friend. Pulling my "it's-my-birthday" card, I forced Jisung into watching two horror movies back-to-back. After what seemed like our fourth box of pizza (and Ji's 1000th scream), I finally allowed Jisung to pick the next movie. He chose a fluffy romcom, which made me feel warm and cosy and generally sleepy. I leaned against Jisung as soon as the movie started, my head resting against his shoulder. He promptly brought his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. He felt like home. He smelled like all the sweetest things in the world.

I can feel his heart thumping fast against his chest. The rhythmic pattern was strangely comforting, like an ensemble creating a melodic symphony. It made my heart beat abnormally fast -- I'm pretty sure my ears are now burning red.

I guess it's the pizza overdose, or maybe the sudden calmness of the night, or maybe its the conflicting feeling in my chest that made me feel so sentimental. Halfway through the film, I snuggled closer to Jisung's chest, hugging him tight and letting myself relax into his hold.

"Jisungie," I whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

There was a momentary pause, and I can imagine him smiling as he leaned his head against mine.

"I never thought I could enjoy my birthday this much," I continued. "You never fail to make me feel so happy just by being there. I seriously can't imagine a life without you. Thank you, Ji."

I then detached myself from him. He looked confused and undeniably, annoyingly cute. I couldn't stop myself -- I kissed his cheek right where it was the chubbiest: that spot I have always been dreaming to kiss. That left him wide-eyed and surprised, which was so, soooooo cute, that I wasn't able to stop myself. I was basically throwing caution right outside the door, but who cares?

My lips brushed against my best friend's lips.

I looked up at him right after, trying to read his expression. The silence was getting too heavy for me to bear. I was starting to think: That did it. Now Jisung will think I am no different from the many fangirls who try to get close to him just for their ulterior motives. (Yeah, maybe my thoughts are that exaggerated, but how the hell am I gonna think otherwise?)

Suddenly, Jisung's lips broke into a huge smile, his eyes reduced into crescents. He held my cheeks and pulled me close, his soft lips pressing passionately against mine.

Maybe celebrating birthdays isn't so bad, after all.

[seriouslyblacklikemysoul]

Her eyes, the stars - Bucky Barnes x Reader (Steve Rogers x Reader)

[I know, I am a ghost. Sorry guys. Enjoy.]

The reminiscence of a rose - the single flower that’s so impossible to hate, delicate and pretty, even when it stops blooming. Her voice could calm even the most chaotic oceans, always soothing with soft notes of comfort. Even her eyes could mesmerize the most soulless creature; her sweet face left him dreaming in heartache. On the nights his loneliness stung him harder than cheap liquor; he was always thinking of her. For he reveled in the memory of her heart placed on his hands. As he tried to get drunk on other people’s skin. Yet all that regret still burned his chest. And he realized that he once had the best. Since she loved his highs and lows. He thought about what he once held. He regretted leaving her. But she deserved more than his pettiness and demeanor.

She begged herself to stop loving him.She hated herself for all the mistakes she had made, all those wrong decisions - she blamed him for he made her vulnerable. He was the sun, never really committed to one planet, always dancing around the universe, with bright colors revealing themselves, leaving her in awe. Her heavy blues of night opened to reveal the chariot of the sun lighting up the sky with various shades of yellow and gold. The feeling was almost theatrical and the dramatic intensity was palpable. How could they end up in the same sky, when he was the sun and she was always so fond of the night? They were just celestial objects, trying to find the one perfectly still moment, so they could co-exist in harmony without worrying about nature's balance. That moment had passed them by, ignoring their desperate attempts to escape the chaotic force.She was a whole universe in motion - he had guessed that was why she seemed so tired lately...It must be an exhausting, yet beautiful thing to brush the orbits of all the universes she walked by. He had tried to stop thinking that he made her so unhappy. He couldn't. Instead, he tried to understand her a bit better than before, to get close to her, without hurting her. Again. She was no pawn in his game, she was clever and cunning - but just to hide her true self.

"You think you can define me, that I am a tick in just one box. Like my being is a door that a single key unlocks. But let me tell you something - something I figured out after you broke me. I have the universe inside, I hold an untamed ocean with a constantly changing tide. I'm home to endless mountains with tips that touch the sky, flocks of grand migrating birds and deserts harsh and dry. Please, don't tell me that you know me. That "this right here is what you are", trying to get an old and very dead version of me back. I am the universe in motion, for I was born from the stars" she was talking to him, trying to make a point, to seem sure about what she had become - but she was scared of her heart. Oh, the things it made her do. He wasn't taken aback, which surprised her. He was looking into her eyes, watching the soft colors of the sky fooling around with the dark strokes of her irises. It was true, her eyes held the stars. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the swirling feelings inside her. She felt every single cell of her body begging for her to forgive him - there was nothing to forgive, really, for he had done nothing wrong. It was her that could not - would not - handle things. She never saw herself in a relationship - so many obligations. She was not made for ballgowns and parties but for battlefields and saddles.

"I am yours, forever yours… and when the last star of the universe blinks silent, I will still be yours", his answer came naturally to him. It was the most sincere thing he had ever said. He knew her as a sea breeze, but now she met her as a hurricane. So he knew, she needed to be alone. She had been craving freedom so long and he had been blind. He was a liar- he lied to her, to the entire world, to his own self. He wasn't the Golden Boy, people made him to be. He had hurt her in ways he couldn't have imagined before. She softly smiled to his words, because she knew he was being honest. Once upon a time, everything was magical and they were found themselves walking through a chaotic paradise. The entire multi-universe had changed.

"I might have been too harsh, Stevie. Truth is that this, us, has turned to dust right after we were defeated. Five years now, we have been foolish enough to try and make things work. We have been lying to everyone, we want them to move on and be alright when I know that all those sleepless nights we have been thinking of a way to make everything as it was. I also know, and please do not try to deny it, that you are not mine. Not really, not entirely, not ever. For you, it's always gonna be Peggy. Accepting that, was the hardest thing I have ever done". His face twisted in a guilty way. Everything she had experienced for the first time, had been with him. It hurt her but she would move on, find someone else to make her feel alive again.

"I... I am sorry. I love you, you should know that. It's just. I can't shake the feeling… I am so sorry" he calmly apologized to her. He couldn't control his heart.

" And I love you. You can't unlove someone. You can, however, become just friends with them. I wouldn't want to lose you from my life. So... Hey dude" she tried to change the dark and painful situation into something less... 

It all happened so quickly and slow at the same time. It was a disaster and a triumph. Everyone came back - well, not everyone. Once she laid eyes on Bucky, she ran like hell and almost knocked him down as she enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug. How she had missed him - her best friend, companion and well...it would take her a while to admit it but there were butterflies, even though she did push them away every time, convincing herself that it was nothing more.

"I missed you Jay, so damn much" was all that she managed to say before Steve called them to assemble. 

They won. And they lost. All thanks to the amazing Tony Stark. After a horrific scene of Thanos wearing the gauntlet and snapping his fingers - only to realize that Tony had stolen them right on time - everyone's heart fell and crushed and burnt. Yes, Tony defeated Thanos but at what cost?

He had always been the only father figure she knew- if she thought that standing against him with the Sokovian Accords was devastating, this was torture.

When things slowed down, Steve looked at her for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. Her porcelain-like skin was bruised, stained and twisted forming a pained mask, her hands were trembling and she was leaning against his best friend- why was this the first time he was noticing the look on Bucky's face? Why was this the first time he felt that his friend craved to be more than a friend to her? 

Life has a strange way of revealing her secrets, a dark sense of humor. It goes on, like a circular river, never-ending, never resting. After the simple ceremony to honor Tony's memory, she took a step back, asking for a few weeks off of the team to help Pepper and Morgan. All she wanted was to feel normal again. One more task before that though.

Seconds before Steve stepped into that platform to be teleported back in time, she called for him. He knew it and so did she. She had seen it in his eyes after they had mourn Natasha. In all honesty, she understood why - he deserved the life that was taken away from him, without asking him if he liked the alternative options. Bucky knew it. He knew it when he saw him on the blood-stained battlefield. He felt it in their hug. He also knew that she knew- he was the one both her and Steve had asked for help before Thanos. He was the one who swallowed his feelings for her and gave her a friendly shoulder to rest her head. "Thank you" Steve mouthed to her. She smiled, eyes covered in tears threatening to spill. "Go".And he was gone. Bucky gave her hand a gentle squeeze and she turned to face him. Unknown him, she had become aware of his feelings. And her own, slowly but steadily. "A soul that carries empathy is a soul which has survived enormous pain" she softly whispered as if she didn't want to be heard. He felt that she could read his mind. All those years ago, another Bucky had existed- one who flirted shamelessly with everyone. He had to get in touch with him if he wanted a chance with her, he thought, only to be proven wrong after a while. He just had to be himself. 

She had finally realized that Steve and her were exactly like the moon and the sun- and their time together was an eclipse, a breathtaking phenomenon, a glimpse of what it could have been. A moment. And that was okay. She regretted nothing. It was perfect in its imperfection.

She found herself knocking Bucky's door, not knowing why. All she wanted was to see the stars but somehow when she was greeted by sliver blue eyes, the stars seemed inefficient. He was the night, she thought.

"Can I stay here for a while?"... because I am scared when I am alone? He opened up his door to let her get inside because he knew the part of the sentence that left unsaid. His room was warm with a serene view of the night sky. He knew that she loved to gaze the stars, how she would always complain that the moon was a hypocrite. But not tonight. She felt gravitated towards him which made him blush, thankful for the darkness. To say that he hadn't wished for a moment with her, it would be a lie. He was pulled towards her like a magnet and in all honesty, he didn't want to leave far away and get over her.

"Can't sleep?" he asked her in a hushed tone as he laid to his bed, eyes watching her every move. She let a tired chuckle and sat down next to him. He pierced her eyes and she felt naked - and she didn't mind. It was okay for him to see her in all her doomed glory.

"Jay, its past midnight and I’ve pretty much thought of all the words hoping to find something that can remedy this... I can try but my vocabulary falls short when it comes to describing the matters of my heart. My heart. Not yours - mine. I could fill pages about the likes and dislikes of your heart. What makes you tremble what softens you up. I know you like the back of my hand. I know your anger and I know your vulnerability. Vulnerability…. what does that even mean? I guess it happens when you finally take the leap to open up to one who might not ever see you the same again. I guess that your weakness is not supposed to be a different form of feeling when it comes to me. And it isn't. I guess that attachments don’t exist between the two of us. But it does. And I guess, well I guess, that I love you a bit more each day and bit less on the days you choose to ignore me. No, wait, that's a lie. And I know that this is way too forward and yes, he was, is, your best friend, and my ex, which can be a bit awkward -  but you know what? He made a choice, but not before I do. I had already fallen for you and if it's weird -" he did not let her finish. The words coming from hee mouth were burning fires inside his head, for years now. His lips were ever so gently upon hers. It almost didn't feel like a kiss.

In the end, everyone wanted to be like Icarus, hoping to fly high and soar far. Nobody was satisfied with their standing and kept pushing their limits. And that was human...  full of life, blinded, arrogant, wonderful... always falling in the end. But not every fall hurts. She landed softly on his lips, her hands caressing his face and his were holding her tight as if she was a dream and he would soon wake up.

He was the stars and she was the moon. Finally, it worked.

'From stars we came, to stars we'll return and in the middle is all we are'

[morbid-n-macabre]

This is Cody Posey. Cody murdered his entire family when he was 14 years old; a few years later, at age 21, he was released back into society.

Cody had been living on a ranch in Hondo, New Mexico with his father, Delbert "Paul" Posey, his step-mother, Tryone, and his step-sister, 13 year old Marilea Schmid. From day one Cody's life had been troubled; two electricians would later recall doing some work for Paul when Cody was approximately 18 months old; apparently baby Cody did something which his father didn't appreciate, and Paul took his belt off. The electricians claim they had to physically pull the man off of this baby. Cody's biological mother, Carla Burst, couldn't deal with the abuse, she left Paul pretty early on. A bitter custody battle which stretched out over the years ensued; Carla finally gained full custody after Cody was beaten black and blue with a board by his father. The boy was thrilled to be with his Mama, but tragically Cody's happiness would only last a few months; there was a roll over car wreck which took the life of Carla Burst. Cody begged and pleaded not to be placed with his father, but that's precisely where he was sent.

From here on out Cody was abused each and every single day. The boy was beaten and forced to work 7 days a week on the ranch, from dawn to dusk, often without any food at all. But simple beatings and work wasn't the worst of it, Paul was sadistic bastard; he used an electric cattle prod on his son, beat the child with a lasso, dragged him behind a horse, and this is only some of the physical abuse in which this child withstood! Sadly Paul's wife, Tryone, was no better, and even Cody's stepsister was recruited to join in on the abuse; Marilea was rewarded for telling her parents whenever Cody did something his father wouldn't approve of. Even at school Cody could find no solace; he was watched like a hawk by his perfect stepsister who was just slightly younger than him, and beaten for every and any little thing. For Cody there were no buddies to hang out with, no football teams to cheer for, no days spent riding around on his bicycle, no little girlfriends to crush on. Cody was nothing more than an unpaid ranch hand and his father's whipping boy, and that's it. Well, I say unpaid, but that's not completely true: Cody was allowed ten dollars per month. Paul cashed the monthly SSI checks which Cody received from his mother's death, yet the boy reportedly worked every single day for months with holes in his boots until he could save enough allowance to purchase a new pair of work boots! Yes, child protective services was called several times throughout the years (I read somewhere that the abuse was reported 7 times!) but nothing was ever done; it's just one of those cases where everyone dropped the ball.

All of this went on for years, and maybe the teen never would've retaliated but Tryone and Paul finally pushed the boy too damn far. You know that old saying: There's only so many times you can kick a dog before he bites back? Cody finally bit back. On the evening before of the murders, 4th of July in 2004, Cody claims he was called to his parent's bedroom; when he walked in to see what was required of him, Cody found his stepmother, Tyrone, laying completely naked in her bed. Paul ordered that Cody be intimate with Tryone while he watched, and his nude stepmother attempted to pull the teen to her chest. When Cody refused, his father burnt him on the shoulder with a scrap of metal and a torch! The teen bit Tryone, an act for which Cody was burnt by his father once again. He somehow managed to get away from the situation, the teenager ran to his bedroom where he claims to have cowered in fear the rest of the night. Paul and Tryone had been abusing this young man for years; they'd beaten, tortured, isolated, starved, and humiliated him, but they would not sexually abuse him. In the morning Cody went out to perform his usual duties which included cleaning out the horse stalls. He wasn't performing this "chore" quickly enough, and his father slapped him; Cody later testified that this was when "I more or less lost my mind", it's thought that the teen likely dissociated. Cody grabbed a .38 Special out of his sister's saddlebag, went into the house, and walked up behind his step mother who was nestled up on the couch with a book; the teenager blew a couple of holes through his female abuser's skull. When his father and step sister heard the gun blasts they immediately ran to see what was the matter; the teen shot Paul, then he turned the gun on his sister. How could he leave Marilea alive when it had been her job in life to tattle on him for everything? When his family was dead, the teen loaded the bodies up in a backhoe, dumped them in a ravine, then covered them up with piles of manure. That right there says a whole heck of a lot about the way Cody felt, doesn't it? He physically buried his family in actual crap! Afterwords the teen discarded the murder weapon in a local body of water, drove his murdered father's vehicle to the store for a bottle of Sprite, then he went off to stay with a buddy until his arrest.

So the ranch was owned by a well known local reporter named Sam Donaldson, and by the 6th of July Sam had grown concerned. Paul had been strangely silent, so Sam and his wife decided to drive out to the property and see what was going on. Though Cody had buried the bodies in a crappy shallow grave, he hadn't even attempted to clean up any of the blood or gore; after walking into the home Sam called police. Cody was promptly arrested and charged with triple homicide, crimes to which he quickly confessed; the three corpses were soon recovered.

Much of the abuse in which Cody had survived came out during trial; literally dozens of witnesses testified on the teenagers behalf. A ranch hand named Isabel Vasquez testified to having seen Paul hit Cody in the stomach and shoulder with a pipe for no reason whatsoever, he had watched Paul strike the teen with rocks the size of golf balls, and in the photo I'm enclosing Isabel is demonstrating how Paul used a large metal hook to punish Cody for not moving bales of hay quickly enough.

The physical and emotional abuse was backed up by many witnesses, but of course nobody had been around during the attempted sexual abuse. That said, there's evidence which points towards it being the truth: during the investigation police discovered incestuous pornography on Paul's personal computer. This type of porn, much of it parent/child incest, had often been frequented while Cody and his sister were at school.

Sandy Schmid was Paul's second wife; the two had been married for 5 years while Cody was little. Sandy testified that Paul had always been abusive, and while she was living in the home she had done her very best to protect her stepson from his father's wrath. Sandy also stated that Paul had always had a strange obsession with incest porn. Nearly everyone begged the judge to have mercy on this young man, including the biological father of Cody's murdered stepsister; Marilea's dad, Jake Schmid testified on his daughter's killers behalf! It's a strange situation though, because Jake knew Cody pretty well; Jake had married Paul's second wife, Sandy, so when Jake would pick up Marilea for weekend visits, Cody would come with and spend time with the stepmother. Jake stated on the stand that he had always believed Paul to be abusive towards Cody, that he'd seen fear in the boy's eyes more than once when it was time to go home; Marilea's father also said that he did not hold any ill will towards the young man for what he had done, he felt nothing but empathy for his daughter's killer.

Now not everyone felt sorry for the teenager; the state claimed that Cody's abuse was widely over exaggerated. Their case was that Cody had become angry after his father smacked him as punishment for not cleaning out the horse stalls quickly enough, and they submitted seemingly happy family photos as proof that there had been no ongoing abuse. One of the few witnesses for the prosecution was Verlin Posey, Paul's brother. Verlin claimed that he had never noticed any abuse, nor did he ever see any bruises on Cody. Verlin was seemingly pleased with the idea that his nephew would be spending his life in prison: "One lifetime in prison is a pretty small debt for three.".

Cody was convicted of 1st degree murder in the case of his stepsister, Marilea, 2nd degree murder for killing stepmother Tryone, and manslaughter in the case of his father, Paul. There were also 4 charges of evidence tampering; Cody was looking at life imprisonment. Apparently it was left up to the judge to decide whether the teen was sentenced as an adult or a youthful offender. After hearing all of the evidence in this case, the judge had mercy; Cody was sentenced to psychiatric treatment, and to remain in a juvenile facility until he turned 21 years of age.

In September of '06 a couple of Paul's relatives (I'm willing to bet it was his brother, Verlin) filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the creators of the video game Grand Theft Auto and Sony, among others. In a nutshell, they claimed that the teen had been trained to kill by the video game GTA.

While incarcerated the teen finished highschool and continued his education with college. On October 9th of 2010, which was Cody's 21st birthday, he was released; today he is free, and that's pretty much all we know. He's blending in somewhere, presumably living amongst us.

*I usually *try* to leave my opinion at the door, so to speak, but it's not really possible in this case; this is one killer who I would not mind living next door to me. There is so much abuse which was witnessed by people, so much was left out of this article. They isolated and abused this kid in every way possible. Anyways, I hope Cody is faring well out there, and that adult life is kinder to him than childhood was. Everyone has their breaking point, right? Have you ever thought about it? What could drive you to murder?

[tacoteez]

Tick tock - Soulmate AU

Warning: mention of violence

Type: angst

Time is valuable as what your mother said. It could be valued for those who appreciates time without procrastinating a single thing. And it is valuable for people who are thirsty for chances.

And for you, this time, adorned on your pale wrist is valuable for your soulmate.

00:02:01:10:23:30

2 months more. You were confused if you should even find your soulmate. You feel hopeless to love. Knowing how short the amount of time left for them to live

Knowing that the digits haven't changed to blue, you haven't met your soulmate. It's still colored in red. But for some reasons, you want to know how long you'll live, will you ever get to work for your parents or at least graduate? You need to find him to know yours. You don't care about love anymore, selfishness blurring your mind.

--------------------

00:00:31:20:23:45

You stared at your wrist,the time becomes blue. Deep breaths were taken as you tried to lift up your head to see who is the person which is your blind date that was surprisingly your soulmate. But it turns out to be a waiter.

His eyes were hazel, round and sparkling. His features were strong, with parted hair around a good ratio of 2:3 and a heartwarming smile. And his voice, oh God you want to hear more of it.

" Here's your water," he said but as soon as he's about to leave to serve other customers, you grabbed his wrist.

00:00:31:20:13:20

It was yours, the digits displayed on his wrist was yours. You witness your dreams and hopes sink and the ground as if it's eating you alive, making you suffocate. Your death is near. Your body feel numb as you released his wrist, feeling in vain that your hand was about to land on the glass the waiter put earlier. Fortunately he got a hold of your hand.

"Hey, be careful you're going to hurt yourself," his hands delicately caressing yours afraid if those hands will wound. He gets to see his too. The sad gazes between both of you were exchanged and by that, both of you knew that you're soulmates, both of you were worried.

"It seems like fate is hating on us, even though we get to find each other, I wasn't planning to be with you knowing how little your time is. But seeing mine, i feel hopeless of my life" your lips trembling. You were afraid of death in a short amount of time. What can you even do?

" Hey, look at me," the unnamed waiter who was now your soulmate places his hand gently on your shoulder. Touching as if you're so fragile.

" My name is Jongho, what's yours?" his question was pretty weird to you. He sat besides you.How can he be calm enough and seem alive knowing that he'll be dead in a few days? You told him your name and he smiled.

"How about we get to know each other and see how this b*tch called fate will bring us?" he smiled with assurance beaming from his eyes. You were aware of what he said but you can feel his grief from the inside, maybe that's what soulmates are for, to feel each other's heart and to understand each other. You hold his hand that was touching your shoulder and interwine your fingers with him, telling how pretty his hand was. He lets you hold his hand until the end of his shift which was for the next 20 minutes. Good thing your date didn't show up.

-----------------------------------

00:00:07:00:05:59

You opened the door to your apartment. Class was boring but the fact that you have someone waiting for you at home excites you. You saw Jongho sleeping soundly on the couch that you can't keep your hands off from tracing his exposed left ear.

You decided to move into his apartment and apparently your parents agreed, knowing the situation both of you are facing. Seeing his digits on his wrist breaks your heart but on the bright side, the digits turned purple, that's the stage where both parties love each other. You know Jongho loves you.

Although both of you were running out of time.

Jongho is an angel. These past two weeks left you with nothing but warm moments. You suffered disappointment in life but he gives you reasons to live, to go through every single day without the thought of death that's going to engulf both of you. He's the oxygen, the air you breathe to continue living although his kisses makes you breathless but you felt alive. Your heart was awakened to let him in, even for a few days left in hands.

He opened his eyes slowly. Seeing your breathtaking face the moment he woke up made him believe that time haven't take them away yet. He pulls you closer, making your body flushed into his embrace, whispering words of love that soothes your little soul. He has the voice that can make the sun beams through the curtains and glow upon him,as if he is the angel.

"I love you. I'm glad that I have you in times like this" he kisses your forehead, pulling you into the space between his neck and his shoulder that fits you perfectly.

---------------------------

00:00:00:5:59:01

You remembered clearly, the past 30 days you spent with Jongho. He took you out to a 24 hour dine after his shift on the first day you met him. The first week where you shed the most tears with him and your parents, revealing the truth that lies on both you and Jongho's wrist. The second week you moved into his apartment and how you both share the first kiss over a burnt chicken in the oven. The third week where it's filled with love and happiness. You were grateful for the memories he gave to you.

"The fact that you're my soulmate, before we die, I want to spend the last days with you filled with happiness. I want to use this chance I have to love you as my soulmate. Yes fate is a bitch but they give us a chance to cherish each other"

Those words lingered in your mind. At this remaining hours, all that you could think was him.

You reached the door to the apartment, wondering why the door was left ajar, you quickly enter. Jongho was lying on the floor with blood coming out from the back of his head. A stream of blood was seen on his torso.You looked around if the thieves were still in your apartment. You approached Jongho with tears as he was trying to breath shakingly. You're terrified that you quickly called the cops but suddenly your sight went blurry with a throbbing pain on the back of your head. You could feel sharp things stabbing your back, all you could do was to stare at Jongho. You were shedding tears but Jongho was able to smile weakly. You were at your last breath but you manage to hear him trying to build up words from the pain.

"Baby girl thank you for the memories"

-------------------------------------

137:09:29:00:05:59

The person stares through the countdown on their wrist. Satisfied.

"How was your little project?" an old man threw a smirk towards the person.

"You were right father, a heart of a woman is really powerful" the person traces the digits. The years given for them was way much more that what they expected.

"You should be grateful I have the best surgeons that gets to replace your heart with hers and I was amazed how the girl gets to give you that much"

"I do thank you for lending me those fake timers. She really believed all of it" he smiles and walks out from his father's study room.

Going through the main entrance of the lab, he looks through the glass container infront of him, mesmerized by the gorgeous work of God on that body in it. The lips that he used to kiss, the figure that he use to cuddle with. He smirks. He feels nothing at all.

"Thank you for the memories baby girl, indeed fate is a bitch" he kisses the container goodbye and walks out.

[omgviolette12]

Ten, For The Price of One Chapter 2

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Summary: Loki, also known as “Agent One,” is tasked to invade the life of a potential killer, who decimated multiple members from the criminal organization, Morte. Known for his silver tongue, this mission is just another walk in the park for our God of mischief, or is it?

Words: 2042

Pairing: Loki/ Original Female Character

Chapters: 2/?

A/N: Hello all, thank you for the response to the first chapter! I didn’t think it would get much interest, as I’m still new to the world of writing fanfiction. This is my second story so far, thank you for reading! 

Can also be read on my AO3 a day or several days before, HERE

Taglist: @shockwavee

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Loki woke up to the scent of burnt food, the smell wafting through the air as the morning light shone through the lace curtains. He sat up on the bed steadily, as his wound was still quite sore.

After he had conquered his target's surprisingly easy pussy, she had urged him to rest after she saw the blood seep through his bandages, and blamed herself for indulging in her ‘sinful desires’, as she called it.

Her behavior puzzled him even further when she suggested that she take the couch, while he could sleep in her room. Although they had already crossed quite a few lines, she insisted on acting the pure virgin.

In any case, he successfully completed one aspect of his mission, and took his time to examine his surroundings.

Just like the living area, her room held a warm, welcoming atmosphere. It seemed she was the girly type; the walls were a soft pastel pink, lined with white lace, and the furniture had a vintage quality to them.

She had a small vanity by the window, that held an array of brushes and other feminine products.

He noticed that the mirror for the vanity had been removed from its place, which he found a bit odd.

When he got up from the bed, the floorboards creaked loudly as he sauntered his bare body to the bathroom at the far corner of the room. When he entered, he noticed the lack of a mirror there as well, and was sorely disappointed he could not admire his reflection.

Aside from that, although the bathroom was a bit too small for his liking, it had what it should.

He finished taking a quick shower, leaving her room with just a towel hung low around his hips.

He followed the smell and...smoke that was quickly becoming thick from what he presumed to be the kitchen.

When he drew closer, he could hear a muttered conversation from the entryway.

“I know, I know.. why do you think I’m doing this?”

“You’re just being jealous. In fact, I haven’t cooked this well in a while...”

Loki’s first thought was that Nya was speaking on her phone. But when he entered the kitchen fully, she was coughing at the smoke, fanning whatever she had in the pan.

Nya looked up, startled by his sudden appearance. She eye’d him embarrassedly before speaking, “Ahm.. sorry, did I wake you? I got up a bit early to make this,” she gestured toward the table, “I salvaged what I could from the groceries I left outside, and made a bit of everything. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so..”

He looked at the table. Although everything looked a bit too...overdone, it still seemed somewhat edible. “I’m not much of a picky eater..” When he moved closer, the woman’s face visibly turned red. She appeared to finally notice his state of undress.

“T-that reminds me, I washed the shirt you were wearing yesterday. I got much of the blood out, but it’s still a bit damaged..I put it on the couch for you, alongside your other clothing.”

Loki let out a low chuckle, before quickly closing the distance between them. “Eager to have me dressed already, pet?”

Nya let out another one of her adorable ‘eeps’ when he trapped her against the kitchen counter, his arms on either side of her waist.

His fingers then proceeded to play with fabric of her shirt, lightly pinching her hip while doing so.

“In fact, with the way you milked my cock for everything it was worth last night, one would think you’d stop being so coy with me.”

Nya looked up at him open-mouthed, her eyes blinking rapidly in disbelief. “Why is it whenever you say something, you make it sound so...so dirty! Besides… I just thought you’d be uncomfortable without clothes, is all…”

She tried to awkwardly move underneath his arms to squirm away, but he kept his grip firm on her hips. He really enjoyed her discomfort, judging by the teasing smile tugging at his lips.

She looked down at his hands before speaking, “Look.. last night was the first time anyone ever...I ever went that far with someone. I...I’ve had a boyfriend before, but the most we’ve ever done is a bit of fondling...I was too scared to ever go further. But with you...I just..”

She covered her face with both hands in embarrassment, ”I just felt like I could finally take the plunge.”

As Nya spoke, she could feel the intensity of his stare. After a moment, she felt his hands tugging hers away from her face.

His expression was one of incredulity, a slight frown on his brows. “You mean to say…”

His eyes perused her body in a perverse manner, before smirking triumphantly, “I am the first one to claim your sweet, tight cunt?”

With the way she accepted his cock without much effort, he found it difficult to believe.

Nya blushed even further, “‘Uhhm, yes.. which brings me to this point,” she cleared her throat, willing herself to look him in the eyes, “since you’re the first man to ever..you know...I just thought getting to know you more would be nice..and set things in the right order. Truthfully, I wanted breakfast to be our first...um...date?”

He now looked as though he was trying to stifle a laugh, which she immediately mistook as a sign of rejection. Nya now looked hurt, and she started to push against his chest to distance herself.

“I don’t know what your intentions were for sleeping with me, but you don’t have to laugh! Believe it or not, there are steps to these things. I read that once you go on five dates with someone you like, then it was okay to finally do the dirty deed, but we-mmph!”

Loki effectively stopped her chattering with a quick, rough kiss. When he pulled back, she looked at him with a muddled expression. “You misunderstand me, woman. And who said it had to be five ‘dates’?”

He grabbed her hands that had been pushing against his chest, pulling her even closer. He then whispered huskily, “Know this--I’m not one to adhere to such rules.”

“However...” He unexpectedly let her go to lean his back against the counter, which caused Nya to let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“To be propositioned in such an adorable way…” He laughed good-humoredly, “I suppose I could indulge your silly dating ritual.”

“Wait, so you don’t mind getting to know me and.. seeing where it leads?” She now looked giddy, her pretty, pink lips stretched into a smile.

Well, of course he didn't mind- that was his job, in the grand scheme of things.

“Do I seem like the type to fuck anything I see fit, then move on to the next conquest?”

Although Nya didn't say anything, her expression told him she believed just that. She averted her eyes nervously, and started to twiddle with a strand of her hair.

Sighing, Loki went to get dressed as she originally requested. When he came back, he watched as she set their dishes in place.

“It's the first time I've ever cooked for anyone other than myself...well, my Nan excluded,”

She placed a tar black sausage on his plate, alongside some…scrambled eggs(?) that shared a similar fate.

After she shared their portions, she stuffed a mouthful of overcooked eggs into her mouth and moaned like it was the best thing in the world. “In fact, my Nan was the one who taught me how to cook,”

Loki picked up a black sausage with his fork, staring at it hesitantly, “Where is your Nan now, if I may ask..”

“Oh...she passed, two years ago. She left me this flat, alongside the bookstore.”

He took a reluctant bite at the burnt morsel before asking another question. Despite its unfortunate appearance, it was surprisingly tolerable.

“What about your parents? I noticed that you have quite a bit of oriental features,”

Nya looked up from her food, her gaze turning pensive, ”From what my Nan told me, my mother was born and raised in England, before she moved to Japan. I was born there...but I don’t remember much about it, despite the fact that I lived there for most of my life. I don’t even remember my father, and as for my mom...just some snippets. It’s hard to describe… but it’s like there’s a huge fog over my childhood…”

Her expression increasingly grew solemn, before she perked up and quickly changed the subject. “But enough about me, how’s your injury? Does it still hurt?”

He was curious, but decided to ignore the quick change of subject. He would find out more, in due time.

“No. After all, you did such a wonderful job patching me up,”

Nya smiled, ignoring the insinuation behind his words, “That reminds me...I don’t mind you staying here..as I said yesterday. In fact, I welcome the company, now that we’re more..um, acquainted. I just don’t have any male clothing for you to wear in the meantime,”

Loki regarded her for a moment before replying, “I could go home. But even then, I can’t guarantee that it’s safe there. I’ll just buy new ones when the opportunity arises.”

“Wait, you actually have money?” It took a moment before Nya realized how strange her words sounded, “Wait-that’s not- I didn’t mean it like that..”

Loki didn't seem offended at all. Instead, he spoke teasingly, “Did you take me for a beggar all this time, darling?”

Nya laughed nervously, “No, I just assumed you were also robbed. I guess whoever is after you…” she stopped mid-sentence as if realizing something.

“I know this might be a sensitive topic… but are you involved in some sort of... illegal business? Is that why I couldn't call the police? I won't pry too much, I just want to know what I'm walking into…”

Well, she was certainly perceptive. The organization was anything but legal, while also holding extensive connections with the British authorities.

Loki narrowed his eyes at her before giving a curt reply, “Yes, and no.”

That definitely wasn’t helpful. Nya knew she wasn’t going to get much out of him, so she promptly gave up.

“Oh! Oh! I have an idea!” Her sudden excitement greatly confused Loki, who now looked at her with furrowed brows.

“Today, why don’t we go shopping for clothes together?” Nya quickly ate the un-identifiable items off her plate, “It could be our, you know, second date!”

Loki could not for the life of him understand her obsession with dates, but he could only go along with it.

After they had finished eating, Nya hurriedly went to change her outfit, while Loki waited by the apartment door.

Nya had a penchant for wearing long, floral sundresses, something he'd come to realize after months of observation.

It fit her well; the dress hung to her svelte figure nicely, all the while accentuating her small, but supple bust. When she walked, the material flowed seamlessly around her legs.

Nya hopped to him excitedly, and he watched her in amusement.

“I take it that you're ready to go?”

“Yep. Oh...wait!” Without warning, she scurried off again.

When she came back, she had a pair of shades, with white surgical mouth masks.

“ Whoever is after you might recognize you, so you have to wear a disguise.

You have...eye-catching features, so this'll have to do.”

She put on the glasses and mask on herself, before donning a reluctant Loki in the same attire.

Loki really wanted to laugh at her poor attempt at subterfuge, but decided to spare her feelings.

With each passing second, this mission was slowly becoming a joke to him. This killer, who murdered at least 20 something of their agents, is rather apt at disguises.

She laughed cheerily, “We kind of look like celebrities, don't you think?”

“ That would defeat the purpose of detracting attention upon ourselves, don't you think?”

She ignored his gibe happily, grabbing his hand before walking down the stairs to exit the store.