#Goyal Eye

[goyaleye]

आई फ्लू के फैलने के बारे में एक ग़लतफ़हमी है कि यह देखने से भी फैल सकता है। इसी गलत धारणा को ख़त्म करते हुए डॉ रितिन गोयल, आई फ्लू बचने के उपाय बता रहे हैं।

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[brownsugar4hersoul]

“Hello everyone (Fools & Wise Ones)!

Welcome to New Month, April!

A month known for sunshine,

spring vibes & it’s fool’s day.

Honestly speaking, it is human nature

to think wisely & act foolishly.

Isn’t that the truth?

We spend hours contemplating the best course of action, only to be tripped up by emotions, impulses or that one extra Gulab Jamun or laddu staring us from our dining table.

Sweetheart, Isn’t that just delightful?

Here’s to thinking big, acting…well, sometimes a little less big & learning to laugh along the way.

Remember, even the wisest person trips on their shoelaces occasionally.

But hold on, dear, before you align yourself to a life of perpetual folly, here’s the good news:

The fact that we CAN think wisely means we CAN act wisely.

I wish & hope that from today itself you will begin to catch yourself in the act of thinking foolishly (every time)…

Darling listen – we’ll still have our April Fools’ Day moments (because, let’s face it, sometimes life is the biggest prankster of all).

But by acknowledging this human tendency & taking steps to bridge the wisdom-action gap,

we can turn this month & every month,

into a celebration of our ability to be not just thoughtful creatures, but thoughtful doers.

May this month be everything you hope for & more!

Happy New Month! Blessings!”

| Rajesh Goyal |

[ssa-dado]

The Metaphysics of Love - SOS

Aaron Hotchner x fem!bau!reader Genre: fluffy fluff, sapiosexual fluff and - brace yourself - SOFT SMUT LET'S GO SPICY GOYALS!!! Summary: On a rare day off, you planned a quiet morning for Aaron's birthday. But he surprised you instead, taking over the kitchen revealing one of his hidden talents. Caught between banter and intimate teasing, you both savored the depth of your connection, blending banter and desire. One thing is certain though, luck is never by your side. Warnings: +18 MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, or at least do out of your parents' sight - SEX, ORAL SEX ALLUDED (fem receiving because we live in a patriarchal society, we deserve it), lots of dirty talk. Aaron 'how am I a whore' Hotchner, he's just a whore. Word Count: 8.8k Dado's Corner: So, this is the first remotely sexual thing I've ever written. I love reading some good ol' smut, but for some reason, I cringe a lot while writing it. It took me excruciatingly long. I don't know what I'm doing; I don't even know if it's any good or even half-decent - let me know? AAAAA I'm very insecure about this and on posting it eheheheh life is fun isn't it? Is it even smut? Who knows. I need theraphy after this.

masterlist

Greek philosopher Plato wrote, “If only there were a way to start a city or an army made up of lovers. Theirs would be the best possible system of society, for they would hold back from all that is shameful, and seek honor in each other’s eyes.”

On rare days off, there was one thing you allowed yourself unapologetically: to be entirely unproductive.

You took these days like a blessing, where sleeping in was less a luxury and more a necessity - a chance to let your mind drift, to refuse the call to be anything more than just here, in this restful solitude.

And when Aaron came over the night before, both of you embraced that same ritual.

It felt almost like a paradox that two people so fiercely devoted to the relentless precision of your work - two minds honed to confront humanity’s darkest edges, always willing to answer the call, no matter how ungodly the hour - could find such deep, sweet solace in those private mornings together.

Days when, for once, you weren’t bending yourselves to crises or sacrificing the next moment’s peace to duty.

You and Aaron, who could spend hours in a rare, intellectual love, a bond built on respect, shared virtues, and an admiration for the other’s mind, a connection that didn’t rely on words, but on understanding each other’s essence.

Yet when the door was closed and the world locked out, all that intellectual reverence between you replaced by something untamed, something driven by pure, aching desire.

The slide of his hands over you felt reverent yet urgent, mapping each line and curve as though rediscovering familiar territory for the first time.

Each kiss, each touch held the thrill of exploration, a deliberate pace that turned gentle caresses into an unspoken plea. The way he whispered your name, his breath hot against your ear, sending sparks down your spine as he drew you closer, as if he could never be close enough.

In that bed, the world ceased to exist, its demands fading into oblivion as you lost yourselves in each other’s bodies, moving and meeting in rhythm, a silent language spoken only between you.

You felt his every shift, every unhurried stroke, savoring the taste of his skin, his weight, the feel of his hand tangled in your hair.

Every time his hands began their journey over you, it was as if he were memorizing you anew, mapping each curve with a reverence that made every touch feel essential. The way his lips would trace a languid, heated path down your neck, over your collarbone, and linger to each of your breasts, then lower to your stomach – always precise, always teasing, always patient.

Each time, he would pause with that infuriating, electrifying smirk, glancing up at you just as his mouth left warm, wet trails along the delicate skin of your inner thigh, each mark a whispered claim, each gentle bite igniting a spark of wild, irrational hunger.

Then, he’d slow, letting his touch turn soft, his movements deliberate, every kiss a careful mark of possession as he inched closer, closer, until he hovered right where you burned for him most.

The warmth of his breath brushed against your skin, stirring an ache that felt endless - and yet he always held back, drawing out each second to a tantalizing, almost torturous eternity.

Time itself seemed to dissolve, stretched and redefined by his restraint, bending beneath his control until it became something ungraspable, a vast chasm of unfulfilled need. In that suspended tension, everything beyond the heat of his touch blurred and faded, the world reduced to the exquisite ache of his nearness.

Every nerve felt poised on the brink, strung tight between the agony of waiting and the edge of release. It was an ache that deepened with every restrained second, until every part of you ached for him to finally give in - to end the slow, maddening tease and take you over the edge you so desperately craved, to just let you combust.

Every time, you knew there was no getting out of that bed.

But today, you needed to try.

Today was Aaron’s birthday.

It was his tenth birthday as your partner.

His second as your boss.

His first as… your boyfriend.

The word still felt novel, strange to say aloud, as if acknowledging it might make it slip away. Months in, and it hadn’t yet lost its surreal sweetness. So, despite already knowing he would brush it off, you wanted this day to be special.

Not big, not loud, just enough to quietly tell him how much he meant to you.

And how much you loved him.

He had given up on his own birthdays long ago, weighed down by the memories of being called away, the guilt of leaving pieces of himself with every mile, the reason of the failure of his marriage, the strain of missing out on Jack’s moments he could never relive.

But you knew his aversion went even deeper than guilt and regret.

Because Aaron Hotchner, the man whose presence could command a room with a single look, who possessed a physical authority in his stature, his voice, and his steely gaze, was nothing like that in private.

In his job, he could pull strings in hidden places, command respect from even the most powerful, yet, in private, Aaron Hotchner was anything but the center.

He instinctively yielded that space to others, always giving, forever considering his own worth secondary to his duty. For him, the spotlight was an obligation, a necessity he wore well, but not one he sought.

He instead lived with an unshakable humility that, in his own mind, made him unworthy of the small graces most would take for granted.

He was the center for so many others, to let the world turn around him, even for a day, felt almost undeserved.

This was the man you loved.

The man who, in every part of his life, had chosen to orbit around others rather than himself.

But today, you wanted to change that.

If there was one battle you were determined to win, it was this one: slowly chipping away at Aaron’s stubborn sense of self-denial, proving to him that he deserved the care and quiet adoration he so freely gave everyone else.

You’d make it your mission, spoiling him however you could in those rare, fleeting moments he allowed.

Especially today.

Today, you wanted everything to be about him.

You wanted him to let you give him a birthday that revolved solely around him, a celebration in the purest sense of the word.

So, you concocted a plan.

One of your more mischievous fool-proof “evil” plans, as you’d call them.

You’d set your weekday alarm to go off at an ungodly hour, sacrificing your own precious sleep for a just cause. When the alarm blared, you’d pretend it was a simple mistake, and then, under the guise of getting some water, slip out of bed.

Now, Aaron, being Aaron, would try to keep his eyes open, struggling to wait for you to come back to bed, but you were betting on his recent run of sleepless nights to wear him down. He’d have no choice but to let sleep drag him back under.

And while he slept, you’d slip into the kitchen to bake him a birthday cake, filling the apartment with the warm, sugary smell of freshly baked sweets.

But not just any sweets - because Aaron’s idea of a “sweet tooth” was as delightfully twisted as the man himself.

He liked desserts that weren’t cloying, desserts that had just the right balance of sugar and subtlety. You’d stocked up on his favorite ingredients earlier in the week, quietly stashing them away like a stealthy confectionary hoarder.

You wanted the process to take time, to show him that he was worth the hours of sacrificed sleep, that he was worth the care poured into each meticulous step.

Call it love.

You could picture it perfectly, or at least you thought you could: the early morning quiet, just you in your cozy sanctuary, stealing away precious minutes of peace to bake for the one person who had come to mean more to you than anyone else in the world.

You’d sneak out of bed and create something special, something full of quiet love. That was the plan, the picture you’d carefully composed in your mind.

But reality had other plans.

Because, instead, you woke up alone, which wouldn’t have been unusual months ago, back when solitude was your morning routine. But lately, you’d grown a little too used to waking up next to Aaron, finding him there in those rare, lazy mornings, seeing his face softened by sleep.

So, yes, waking up without him startled you.

And that wasn’t the strangest part.

But what truly threw you off was the unfamiliar noise that filled your apartment – the sounds foreign and unexpected, loud and unmistakably upbeat.

Music.

Not just any music, but the kind that seemed plucked from a pop radio station’s Top 30 - those catchy, bubblegum-sweet songs that played over and over, each one sounding like a new but familiar hit. You recognized the song immediately, a few of its lyrics sneaking into your consciousness.

“Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone…”

The music filled the entire space, and the distinct melody grew louder as you slowly pulled yourself out of bed. You quickly washed up, threw on Aaron’s shirt - somehow conveniently draped over the chair beside your bed from last night - and crept toward the source, trying to make sense of the scene awaiting you.

The closer you got, the louder the music became, and as you moved down the hall, another noise reached your ears. A full octave lower, slightly offbeat tune, blending into the chorus.

You stopped.

This new melody was unmistakable - a deep, familiar voice humming along.

You rounded the corner, holding your breath as you peeked around the door frame, and there he was: standing at the counter, 6’2” of pure FBI stoicism, humming and even softly singing along to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” as he flipped pancakes, completely absorbed, almost…at peace.

Aaron, your Aaron, was singing.

And he was singing on key, to a Taylor Swift song, of all things.

This was Aaron “blues and classic rock” Hotchner, the man who’d first revealed he could play the guitar with quiet pride, a piece of his world he’d shown you like an offering.

This was the man who once played you a perfect riff from Eric Clapton’s “Layla” to win a bet, who could talk about the origins of every Beatles riff and knew exactly which blues chord matched which heartbreak.

You’d seen him pour himself into those riffs and solos, even negotiate an occasional strum in exchange for something even as stupid as a kiss or him asking you to sing along. That was thrilling enough, it was something special he shared with you, revealing his private passion for music.

You’d always thought he kept his own voice hidden somewhere deep.

You’d gone a decade without hearing it and almost expected never to, half-convinced he didn’t even know how to sing. If he did, it was probably as flat as his deadpan humor.

Yet here he was, in his element - or maybe in your element - singing along, his voice low and smooth, threading into the melody as if he’d been doing it all his life.

He wasn’t putting on a show, no spoon-as-microphone dramatics, no fake dance moves. Just the smallest tilt of his head in time with the music, his voice like his presence - restrained, yet always intentional. It was almost as if he was singing to keep himself company, like he’d done this a hundred times over, alone.

It was strange, maybe surreal, to see Aaron singing the words to one of the most unabashedly sentimental pop songs, lyrics he’d usually flip the station over without a second thought.

But what truly was more shocking - was the calm, almost methodical way he sang. It wasn’t the typical poppy, upbeat rendition, he was deliberately bending the melody, drawing out the notes, giving it a weight and richness that felt… sincere.

Even thoughtful.

“Romeo, save me,” he murmured, his voice like velvet, layering over the lyrics with that warm, low cadence that made you feel he was singing a ballad rather than a radio hit. “I’ve been feeling so alone” The lower octave turning the song into something more heartfelt, the kind of warmth you’d find in an old love song.

You barely dared to breathe, your hand resting on the doorframe as you took in the scene, each step bringing you closer, yet you stood still, just watching him.

There he was, perfectly at home in your kitchen, flipping pancakes in time with the song, a bowl of batter at his side, and those neatly diced apples - your apples, the ones you’d hidden for the cake, already sliced and ready on the counter.

He moved with this calm certainty, like he knew exactly where every spoon and skillet was, as if he’d done this a hundred times before, like this was his kitchen, his place.

And watching him, the weight of it settled over you, soft and unassuming, like it had always been there, only waiting for you to notice.

You wanted to see this every morning.

This sight - him in your kitchen, in your space, humming along to a cheesy love song.

You could already imagine so many more mornings just like this - waking up to the quiet sounds of him in the kitchen, maybe later to the faint patter of little feet, to quiet laughter, to moments of warmth and ease you hadn’t dared to let yourself picture.

Right there, it hit you, the thought rising naturally, with the same certainty as breathing: you wanted to marry Aaron Hotchner.

You wanted this morning, and every morning, and every rare, precious moment he’d allow you to share, for the rest of your lives.

It was so startling, it almost scared you - the sheer weight and clarity of it, something you’d never even let yourself imagine until now.

And as if he could read your mind, he sang on, unwittingly echoing the thought you’d just had, the words falling from his lips with this surprising tenderness, so soft you barely heard it over the sizzling pan,

"He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring…”

And in perfect time with the lyrics, he turned, reaching for something on the counter. His gaze met yours, and he froze, his eyes going wide.

Caught.

Caught like he was a kid with his hand in the cookie jar, his cheeks tinged pink as he stammered, “It’s… catchy.”

You couldn’t even form a coherent reply. All you managed to say, a little dazed, was, “Last time I checked, this was my kitchen.” It seemed only fair to mention, because he looked entirely too comfortable, like he belonged there. Which, of course, he did.

Without missing a beat, he smirked, still flushed. “Last time I checked, that was my shirt.” There was a glint of humor in his eye as he nodded at the oversized button-up you were wrapped in.

Touché.

But you couldn’t let him off so easily.

“So, Hotchner’s finally embraced pop?” you teased, moving closer. He gave you a look that was half-fond, half-exasperated.

“Are you going to tell the team?” he asked, lips twitching in a barely suppressed smile.

“Oh, you mean that you know the lyrics to Love Story by heart?” You reached for a piece of apple, savoring the sweetness, both of the fruit and the moment.

He raised an eyebrow, leaning against the counter, crossing his arms in a way that was both effortlessly intimidating and disarmingly charming. "And how exactly are you going to tell them?" he countered, his voice low and amused. "Considering we’re still keeping this whole thing," he gestured between the two of you, "a secret?"

You arched an eyebrow at him, a smirk dancing at the corner of your lips. “Oh, don’t worry, I’d find a way to tell them. Especially after finding my plan completely sabotaged.” You gestured toward the crime scene he’d made of your countertop, the diced apples mixed with flour dust and cinnamon smears, reaching out to pick up a perfectly diced slice. “What kind of monster butchers my last apple?”

Aaron chuckled, crossing his arms in that familiar way that made him look both effortlessly intimidating and disarmingly charming. “Well, I got here first, so I have dibs on breakfast duties,” he said, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he leaned in just a bit closer.

“Admit it, you’re just miserable that I’ve now beaten you not only to the office every morning but also in your very own kitchen.” With a playful smirk, he reached out, fingers grazing yours as he took the slice of apple from your hand, popping it into his mouth.

Your hand instinctively reached up, brushing a stray smear of flour from his cheek, but you didn’t pull away. Instead, your fingers lingered against his skin, warm beneath your touch, your thumb brushing over the roughness of his stubble. “Believe me, Aaron,” you murmured, your voice softening, “I’m hardly miserable. But if there was ever a day for you to be spoiled, it’s today.”

A subtle shift crossed his face, he tried to play it off with a shrug, but you caught the way his eyes softened. “Since when are Sundays such a big deal?” he asked, his voice almost a whisper.

You smiled, your voice dropping just as low. “Since a certain FBI Unit Chief turned 43 today.”

He paused, something deeper flickering across his face, gratitude, maybe even a hint of wonder. But his lips curled into a small smile as he teased, “So you’re saying you’re obsessed with me? Is that why today’s circled on the calendar?”

You laughed softly, leaning in until the warmth between you was almost overwhelming. “Maybe I’m just a thorough planner,” you murmured, unable to stop the grin spreading across your face. “Not that you’d know anything about that, Mister Show-Up-Unannounced-To-Ruin-Everything.”

His chuckle was low, rich, and his hand slid from the counter to your waist, pulling you closer, his thumb traced small, warm circles just above your hip, sending a thrill through you that made your pulse quicken. “Oh, so I’m the one to blame now?”

His forehead pressed against yours, his lips only inches away, his voice a warm murmur that made your breath catch. “I thought I’d get some credit. I put my heart into this, you know.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck, fingertips brushing gently along the nape of his neck as you closed the space between you. “Maybe a little credit,” you whispered softly in his good ear, your voice low and warm,

“But only if those pancakes are as good as the cake I was going to make for you.” You leaned back just enough to see your reflection in his light chestnut eyes. "Happy birthday, Aaron. I love you."

Six words, and that’s all it took.

Six words and the universe seemed to gather itself, suspended in a moment that transcended language itself.

It was a truth so elemental, it resisted adornment, a declaration distilled to its essence, timeless and immutable.

An affirmation that existed beyond expectation, a vow as ancient and constant as the stars themselves.

There is a metaphysics to love, you realized - it stands outside the linear bounds of time, touches the eternal.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his voice serious thick with emotion, “I love you, too.”

As he leaned in, his lips met yours with a tenderness that felt timeless, like the merging of two notes in perfect harmony. The kiss was neither hurried nor tentative - it lingered, unbound by time, a communion in which words would only lessen its meaning.

It was as if the essence of all things - of breath, heartbeats, even thought - collapsed into a single, quiet rhythm, a pulse shared between the two of you, steady and enduring.

His hand on the small of your back was grounding, tethering you to the warmth and certainty of his presence, yet it held the weight of something deeper, an invitation to transcend the ordinary, into a realm that felt almost timeless.

His fingers traced gentle paths along your spine, each motion a quiet pledge, a reminder that this moment - this suspended eternity - was as real as anything either of you had ever known.

There was something purely metaphysical about it, a union that philosophy itself would struggle to pin down, though it tried - oh, how it tried!

There were passages in Aristotle, in Plato, that hinted at this feeling, words that beckoned yet somehow fell short of translating this precise depth, this shared infinity.

How perfectly absurd, yet fitting, that the ancient words you’d studied your whole life only now truly resonated, here, in his arms.

It was probably a blessing that he couldn’t read your mind, or he’d surely tease you mercilessly, forever, about finding existential truths in the simplicity of a kiss.

Yet philosophy was the only thing that could try to capture even a fraction of what he made you feel. You would have likely confessed that, at this very moment, he seemed to hold all the secrets of the universe in the softness of his gaze, in the press of his hand.

If he knew, you could already hear him laughing, promising with that faint smirk to remind you every day for the rest of his life: ‘that you were the one waxing poetic, hopelessly undone by his touch.’

But perhaps you’d take that trade-off, if it meant he’d keep looking at you just like this.

Or maybe he already suspected, because as he pulled back slightly, that familiar sparkle was in his eyes. His voice dropped to that low, warm timbre that always seemed to melt you. “You know, I’m the luckiest guy in the world having you as my girlfriend,” he murmured.

You felt your cheeks grow warm, a reaction you couldn’t seem to help, especially when he was the one reminding you of that fact.

He chuckled, clearly enjoying your blush. “I love how you keep doing that every time I call you my girlfriend,” he said, savoring each word, his grin only widening.

“You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?” you nudged him playfully, pulling away just long enough to pour yourself a glass of water.

He leaned against the counter, eyes sparkling with a playful glint. “Maybe. It’s the little pleasures in life, you know?” He paused, and you caught the mischievous edge to his voice. “Like watching that blush climb all the way down your neck every time I’m close to you.”

You took a sip of water, trying to keep your cool, but he leaned even closer, his lips just a breath away from your ear. “And I can think of a few more ways to keep you flushed like that,” he whispered, his voice dropping to a sultry murmur.

You nearly choked, sputtering as you looked up at him with a mock glare. “If you say one more word, Aaron Hotchner, I swear I’m dumping this entire glass of water on you.” you warned, pointing to the water for emphasis.

But he didn’t even flinch.

Instead, he raised a playful brow, his smirk only deepening. “Now, that’d just give me an excuse to get closer to you. Which, I’d say, isn’t a bad way to spend my birthday.” He paused, eyes trailing over you in a way that sent warmth radiating from your cheeks down to your very core. “Or… maybe you’d rather see me get out of this shirt? I mean, it’s your call, sweetheart.”

The room suddenly felt too warm, and from the glint in his eyes, you knew he could see how thoroughly flustered you were. You searched for a comeback, determined to give him a taste of his own medicine.

But the words caught in your throat, entirely out of reach, and he noticed - of course he noticed. His grin widened as he leaned back, folding his arms, looking smug and entirely too pleased with himself.

“What’s the matter, Professor?” he continued, a grin playing on his lips. “Don’t tell me the great philosopher herself is speechless?” His voice dropped even lower “No ancient texts to rescue you from this one?”

The challenge in his eyes held you captive, and you knew there was no witty comeback that could save you from the truth: he had completely undone you.

But you managed to pull yourself together just enough to respond, leaning forward as you raised your chin with a defiant smile.

But he didn’t budge, his eyes sparkling with that familiar, infuriating confidence. “Oh, I think I’ll stay right here. Watching you like this?” His smirk grew wider. “This is the best birthday gift I could ask for.”

You raised an eyebrow, refusing to back down, and turned to the fridge, grabbing a cold bottle of water and holding it up with a knowing look. “You know,” you said, a mischievous smile playing on your lips, “there’s a whole bottle of ice-cold water here. Just waiting to be used.”

He chuckled, unfazed, his eyes glinting with challenge. “Judging from that blush,” he murmured, stepping closer, “I think you’re the one who could use the cold water.” He leaned in, his voice a low, seductive whisper. “Or do you want to bet I’ve already got you wet down there?”

You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t stop the smile tugging at your lips as you took a small step back, pretending to consider his words. “Oh, you’re bold today, aren’t you?” you teased, uncapping the water bottle and tilting it slightly in his direction. “I wouldn’t test me, Hotchner.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied smoothly, though his gaze stayed fixed on you, steady and full of challenge. “But I’d love to see what you’d actually do with that water,” he added, crossing his arms and leaning back with a smirk. “Go on, show me.”

You lifted the bottle just enough to let a single drop slip down, watching as it slid down the bottle’s edge, intentionally drawing it out. “You sure about that?” you asked, your tone daring. “Because once I start, there’s no going back.”

He grinned, holding his ground, eyes dancing with intrigue. “Try me,” he whispered, his voice rough, daring you, his gaze locked on yours.

With a smirk, you tilted the bottle in one swift motion, letting a stream of cold water pour down his neck, catching him completely off-guard. The shock in his eyes was priceless as he gasped, shivering as the icy water spilled over his collar and down his chest, soaking into the fabric of his shirt and clinging to his skin.

You watched, heart pounding, as rivulets of water dripped from his hair, tracing paths down his jaw and across the hollow of his throat.

His breath came shallow, and for a brief moment, he just stared at you, his eyes dark with a mixture of surprise and something else - a heat that went far beyond the playful spark in his gaze moments before.

Slowly, he brushed his fingers through his wet hair, sending droplets flying as he shook his head in mock surrender, chuckling under his breath. “Alright,” he murmured, his voice low and rich, “I’ll give you that one.”

He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving yours, the water still trickling down his neck, clinging to his skin. “But you do realize,” he said softly, a glint of challenge and mischief in his eyes, “now it’s my turn.”

Your fingers threaded into his damp hair, tugging him closer as you pressed your body against his, deepening the kiss with a need that went beyond words.

His mouth moved over yours, hot and unyielding, each kiss more consuming than the last, igniting a fire that pulsed through every inch of you. You let out a soft moan as his hands tightened on your waist, pulling you against him, until the lines between where he ended and you began were blurred.

Without breaking the kiss, he lifted you with ease, your arms instinctively wrapping around his neck as you steadied yourself, your legs tightening around his waist. He walked with purpose, each step deliberate as he moved you away from the puddle on the floor.

Reaching the counter, he set you down, his hands sliding to your hips to keep you anchored to him. You pulled him closer, wrapping your legs around his waist, feeling his hard bulge pressing against you, right between your legs, sending an excruciating wave of heat that made you ache with need of wanting every inch of him.

His lips trailed down to your neck, finding that sensitive spot that made you gasp, arching your back and tilting your hips against him in response, desperate for more contact through all those unnecessary layers of clothes.

That made him chuckle against your skin, his breath warm and teasing as he pressed his hips forward, letting you feel more of him. His hands roamed over your body, one slipping down between your thighs, his fingers sliding over the fabric of your clothes to press gently against your folds. You let out a shuddering breath as he teased you, feeling your arousal seep through the fabric under his touch.

“Shit Aaron,” you whispered furrowing your brows, the sound escaping as a mix of plea and need. He let out a low, satisfied sigh, his fingers moving in slow, deliberate strokes along your folds, applying just enough pressure to leave you breathless.

"Told you needed that cold water too," he murmured, his voice rough and dark with desire as his fingers continued their slow, teasing movements, each touch lingering longer than the last, setting every nerve in your body on fire. "You’re so wet, love."

His lips found yours again, his kiss searing and consuming, swallowing the soft gasps that escaped you as his hand worked in a steady rhythm that left you trembling, every touch building the ache that spread through you.

Your hands found the hem of his soaked shirt, unable to resist the need to feel more of him. You gripped the fabric, slowly peeling it up over his torso, your fingers tracing over every defined line of his abdomen and chest as the shirt lifted, clinging to his skin, heavier from the water.

He shuddered at your touch, his muscles taut under your fingertips, and his breathing hitched as you struggled to work the fabric up over his shoulders. With a quick, impatient movement, he pulled it the rest of the way off, tossing it carelessly to the floor, where it landed with a wet, heavy thud.

The unexpected sound made you both pause, sharing a breathless, shared chuckle that broke the intensity for only a moment.

Then his gaze met yours, dark and blazing with an almost unrestrained hunger. His pupils were blown wide, breaths shallow and quick, matching your own.

The charged silence between you was almost unbearable, every second weighted with anticipation " Let's cut this shit and just fuck me, Aaron," you said firmly locking eyes with him, your tone was thick with need.

 "So eloquent," he replied, his voice so low that it made you even more wet than you already were.

"If you don’t have me quoting Plato," you breathed, voice unsteady, “then it means you’re doing it a good job."

He let out a low, throaty chuckle. "Trust me, that's the last thing I want to hear right now."

False. But he wasn’t about to let you know that just yet.

Keeping his gaze fixed on yours, he dipped down slowly, his hands sliding up your thighs, his grip firm yet gentle, holding you open in a way that left no room for resistance and filled you with a breathless anticipation.

His lips brushed softly over your knee, then trailed upward in maddeningly slow, deliberate kisses along your inner thigh. Each touch of his mouth felt like a spark on your skin, the heat pooling within you growing with every inch he covered.

The roughness of his stubble scraped deliciously over your sensitive skin, heightening the sensation and leaving you craving more with every slow, deliberate movement.

“I could stay here all morning,” he murmured, his voice thick and rough, lips lingering at that spot on your inner thigh that made your head spin. “Fuck, your thighs drive me crazy.” He sucked gently at the sensitive skin, and a dizzying wave of warmth coursed through you, making you clutch the edge of the counter beneath you.

“You sound so much better when you’re talking between my legs,” you managed, your voice a whisper. “Almost makes me want to actually listen to what you’re saying.”

A smirk played on his lips as he moved inward with torturous slowness, each kiss deeper and more lingering than the last, his mouth exploring every inch with an intensity that only stoked the fire inside you. “Can’t wait to eat you out,” he murmured against your skin, his voice a low rumble that made you shiver. “You always taste so damn sweet.”

Just hearing him made your cheeks flush, heat spreading across your skin, and he looked up briefly, catching the blush on your face.

He chuckled softly, his breath warm against your thigh, the vibration sending a shiver through your entire body. “There it is,” he murmured, pressing his mouth to your skin as if savoring every reaction, “and I’m not even close.”

“Fuck you Aaron,” you muttered, rolling your eyes at the nerve he had, but unable to mask the need building inside you.

“Just give me a few minutes,” he whispered, a wicked smile tugging at his lips, “and you won’t be able to say a word.” Without giving you time to respond, he moved his hand, his fingers brushing over your throbbing, clothed core, drawing a soft, needy moan from you.

“Oh, Aaron,” you gasped, the words spilling from your lips as the warmth of his touch sent a shock of pleasure through you.

“Better, but next time just say my name”, he murmured, his voice filled with satisfaction as his mouth continued to explore every sensitive spot, each kiss igniting fresh waves of desire.

He savored every second, each shiver, each breathless sound you made, keeping you on edge and drawing out your need until you were trembling with anticipation, every nerve alive and straining toward him, aching for the moment he’d finally close that last, agonizing bit of distance.

A soft, breathy moan escaped your lips as his mouth reached the very end of your inner thigh, lingering there with maddening intent before, with one swift motion, he slipped his fingers beneath the waistband of your panties and discarded them, leaving you exposed to the cool air that instantly sent a shiver down your spine.

Your hand flew to his, squeezing his left hand resting on your thigh, seeking an anchor amidst the building tension. He intertwined his fingers with yours, holding you there, his grip firm and grounding.

What a gentleman.

As he moved closer to where you ached for him most, the warmth of his breath contrasted with the coolness of the air, sending another wave of heat pooling low in your belly.

Your skin was hypersensitive, every inch of you on edge, the cool air brushing against your slick, exposed core making you tremble with need. You could feel yourself wet, the evidence of your desire trailing down, and he noticed, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he took in every reaction.

Slowly, he leaned in, and just when you thought you couldn’t bear the wait, he let out a soft, cool breath against your sensitive center, the contrast making you gasp, your hips instinctively arching toward him.

The sensation was electric, his teasing touch only building the tension to a fever pitch, leaving you breathless and desperate, every nerve alive, craving his next move.

Every inch of you ached for him, and the faint chill of his breath against your heated skin only made you more sensitive, heightening every sensation as you waited, breathless, desperate, for the moment he’d finally close the distance and give you the relief you craved.

And just as you felt yourself entirely lost in the moment, fully immersed in his touch, your phone rang – your work phone.

Aaron, sensing the urgency of your vibrating work phone, let out a reluctant sigh and leaned down, resting his head between your legs for a lingering moment before handing the phone to you.

His hand found yours, giving it a reassuring squeeze before he straightened up and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. He knew it had to be important if you were getting called on your day off - especially since your last case had barely wrapped up a day ago.

With a sigh, you brought the phone to your ear, feeling Aaron’s hand slide down to rest on your thigh, his thumb tracing slow, grounding circles over your skin. “Agent Y/L/N,” you answered, keeping your tone professional despite the unmistakable warmth of Aaron’s presence beside you.

The voice on the other end chirped brightly. “Oh, don’t worry, Teach, this isn’t a case.” It was Garcia, her usual exuberance coming through, immediately putting you at ease.

Aaron’s head shot up, his expression sharpening as he registered Garcia’s voice on the line. His unit chief instincts kicked in immediately, a hint of concern flickering across his face - he knew as well as you did that Garcia wasn’t supposed to make personal calls to your work phone.

His gaze shifted to meet yours, silently questioning, his eyes searching for an explanation.

But you quickly gave him a reassuring nod, your eyes conveying, ‘It’s fine. Just Garcia being Garcia.’

He studied you for a moment, then sighed, the tension easing from his face as he accepted your silent assurance. She was his favorite on the team, after all – you knew he’d let this slide simply because it was her, and only her.

His tense posture softened, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he relaxed. But his hand stayed firmly on your leg, his thumb moving in soothing circles, silently grounding you as you continued the call.

“So… what’s up?” you asked, trying to sound casual.

“Well, I’m just outside your door!” Garcia chirped, and you froze, a sense of dread pooling in your stomach. “I came by to return that umbrella you lent me! And as an apology for taking so long, I brought homemade cookies! But not just any cookies - these are made with your recipe. I had to know your secret, oh wise cookie guru.”

You exchanged a panicked look with Aaron, who widened his eyes, clearly just as surprised as you were. He raised his eyebrows in disbelief, mouthing, ‘What?’

The kitchen was a disaster - a puddle of water glistened a few feet away from where you were, his shirt and your discarded underwear lay crumpled on the floor, and a forgotten stack of pancakes sat on the opposite counters, cold and untouched.

You tried to focus, clearing your throat. “Did you, um, brown the butter?” you asked, forcing a normal tone as Aaron’s lips returned to your cheek, planting feather-light kisses along your jawline. You brought your hand up to his chest, gently pressing to stop him just before he reached your neck.

If he kept going, there was no way you’d keep quiet.

“Oh, obviously, I browned the butter! Gourmet tip of the year, right?” she replied with dramatic flair. “But seriously, why haven’t you opened the door yet? Don’t tell me you’re still in bed!”

“Oh, Penelope, uh,” you hesitated, your voice wavering as you shot Aaron a helpless look. He simply leaned back, crossing his arms with an amused grin, watching you squirm. “I’m… uh… a little tied up right now.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then she gasped, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. “Teach,” she said, drawing out the word as if savoring it. “Did you get laid?”

Your eyes widened, heat creeping up your cheeks, and you avoided Aaron’s gaze. “I, uh…” you stammered, glancing at Aaron, who raised both eyebrows, clearly entertained by the direction the conversation was going. ‘Lost for words, again?’ he mouthed, with a smirk.

“Oh my God!” Garcia squealed. “Spill! Where did you meet them? Was it romantic, thrilling, a slow-burn kind of thing?”

Thinking quickly, you stammered, “Uh… met him at the supermarket, actually.” You glanced over at Aaron, who was watching you with a barely contained grin.

“The supermarket?” Garcia’s tone was incredulous, then turned approving. “Well, look at you, turning errands into escapades! What was it about him? I mean, Teach, this is you we’re talking about, and you have that five-date rule before you even consider any ‘extracurriculars’!”

Aaron barely held back a laugh, his eyes gleaming with amusement. He mouthed, ‘Five dates?’ with an exaggerated look of mock surprise, clearly referencing the fact that it had taken you much fewer than five dates to get there with him.

Grabbing a pen and sticky note from the counter, you quickly scribbled, *It took us ten years, I think we waited enough.*

He read it, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous grin that seemed to say, “Still a win.” He leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead, and you rolled your eyes, fighting back a smile.

“So?” Garcia’s voice came through again, jolting you back. “What made him so special?”

You cleared your throat, keeping your answer vague. “He was… just nice. Nothing too remarkable. We just clicked.”

Garcia paused, as if processing that. “Clicked, huh? Not the most exciting answer, but I guess it’s better than nothing.” Her voice lowered conspiratorially, “Well, Teach, between you and me - how was it?”

You blinked, struggling to keep your composure. You knew answering in detail would only encourage her. Shooting Aaron a quick, apologetic look, you took a deep breath and answered, trying to be as nonchalant as possible “Honestly? Not memorable.”

Aaron’s eyebrows shot up, a look of playful offense crossing his face. You grabbed the pen again, quickly scribbling, ‘She’d have asked for specifics. It was the only way to end it.’

But Aaron wasn’t letting it slide.

He smirked, taking the pen from you and jotting, “If I were you, I’d start writing your incident report now.”

You mouthed a playful “Come on, Aaron,” but he didn’t relent, writing again, ‘You won’t be able to walk when I’m done with you. Trust me on that.’ His eyes gleamed with a mixture of humor and something darker, and he added, ‘Consider it a favor to your Unit Chief.’

The moment he pulled rank - even in jest - you knew he wasn’t kidding. A thrill shot through you, as, you realized: oh, you were fucked.

Meanwhile, Garcia was still on the line, sympathy dripping from her voice. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Teach. I hope the next one is better! But hey love, you’re a catch, you’ll have a line of suitors soon enough.”

Aaron rolled his eyes, grinning as he traced lazy circles along your arm, clearly entertained and waiting to see how you’d handle the situation. Just as you were about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking the conversation with Garcia might finally be wrapping up, she added, “But one last thing… how big was he?”

Your eyes flew to Aaron, who pressed his lips together, struggling to keep from laughing outright. His brows lifted, an expectant glint in his eyes as he waited to see how you’d handle this new level of interrogation.

You let out a long, exasperated sigh, hiding your face behind your hand for a second before answering.

“Oh, Penelope,” you began, doing your best to keep your voice steady as Aaron’s expression practically sparkled with mischief. “Size… let’s just say he was… more than enough.”

You gave Aaron a pointed look, as if to say, ‘Happy now?’

Aaron raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eye, and picked up the pen to scrawl on a sticky note, “At least you said something true this time.”

He leaned back, crossing his arms with a smirk and that unmistakable, self-satisfied gleam that only made him more infuriatingly irresistible.

You rolled your eyes, resisting the urge to wipe that smug grin off his face. He was lucky you loved him, even when he was this cocky.

Garcia hummed, clearly intrigued. “Alright, alright, keep your secrets! But I’ll be needing a coffee date soon to get all the details. And I’ll make sure to bring a tape measure!”

Aaron’s smirk only widened, thoroughly enjoying every second of your discomfort. Determined to take back some control, you grabbed the pen, furiously scribbling, “If you don’t stop smirking, I’ll make you wait a week.”

He arched an eyebrow, clearly unfazed, and took the pen, writing back with a smug confidence, “I don’t think you’d last a week.”

His eyes sparkled with amusement as he leaned in close, his mouth brushing your ear. “In fact,” he whispered, voice low and challenging, “I’d bet you’d be begging in less than a minute.”

Just as he pulled back, you caught yourself, remembering Garcia was still on the line. You shook yourself out of the daze he’d left you in, quickly bringing the phone back up. “Thanks, Pen. I’ll, uh, catch up with you later. I’ve got a bit of a… mess here to handle.”

“Ohhh, say no more,” she replied with a knowing giggle. “Go handle your ‘mess,’ teach! I’ll swing by later to drop off the cookies.”

“Sure thing,” you replied, hoping to end the call before anything else slipped. “Talk soon!”

Finally, she hung up, and you let out a sigh of relief as you placed the phone back on the counter.

Before you could even process the call, Aaron wrapped his arms around you, pulling you back toward him. He pressed a soft, lingering kiss along your jaw, trailing slowly down to the sensitive spot on your neck, his touch igniting that spark of need all over again.

“‘Not memorable,’ huh?” he murmured, his breath warm against your skin as he pressed his lips along your collarbone, his voice thick with amusement and challenge. “Guess I’ll have to change that.”

You smirked, threading your fingers through his hair, giving it a gentle tug as you met his gaze, your eyes gleaming. “Consider it a challenge,” you whispered, voice heavy with anticipation.

“Oh, I intend to,” he replied, his voice low and filled with a promise that sent a thrill through you. His hands slipped down to your waist, gripping firmly as he lifted you effortlessly back onto the counter.

His fingers traced along your thighs, pulling you close until there was no space left between you, his warmth flooding over you as he leaned in, capturing your mouth in a kiss that was anything but forgettable.

The intensity of his lips left you breathless, his mouth moving with a need that always made you ache for him.

But just as you were melting into the kiss, he pulled back abruptly, leaving you gasping.

Without a word, he turned and walked toward the entry room where he’d left his briefcase the night prior.

You sat there, still dazed, watching as he rummaged through it with purpose. When he returned, he handed you a piece of paper and a pen, his smirk widening as you looked down and realized he’d handed you an incident report form.

You laughed, shaking your head in disbelief. “An incident report, really?”

He grinned, his hands settling on your waist, pulling you flush against him. “You file this,” he said, voice rich with amusement, “and in the meantime, I’ll clean up this kitchen disaster we made. How’s that sound?”

“You’re serious about this?” you asked, trying to keep a straight face as his fingers slid teasingly up and down your sides, his touch setting your skin on fire even through the fabric.

He leaned close, his voice a husky whisper against your ear. “Think of it as a precaution,” he murmured, his breath tickling your skin. “Can’t have you running to HR with ‘not memorable’ complaints, now can we?”

You arched an eyebrow, glancing at the cold pile of pancakes beside you. “Fine. But if I’m filing paperwork, I’m at least entitled to a last meal,” you teased, reaching for one of the now slightly stale pancakes.

He chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to your temple, his fingers brushing along your jaw as he looked at you with mock sincerity. “Of course. I’m not heartless,” he said, sliding a hand possessively down your thigh. “Wouldn’t want you complaining that I wasted your ‘last apple.’”

You rolled your eyes, grinning as you took a bite, savoring the taste with exaggerated satisfaction just to get a rise out of him.

As you took a bite, he leaned in, his lips trailing a slow, heated path down your neck, each kiss sending sparks across your skin. “Finish up,” he murmured against your skin, his voice low and filled with promise. “You’re going to need a lot of energy later.”

You smirked, picking up a pancake and handing it to him. “I think you’re the one who’ll need it more,” you teased, eyes glinting. “Wouldn’t want you throwing out your back, old man.”

He raised an eyebrow, biting into the pancake you offered, then leaned closer, his breath hot against your ear. “Old man?” he echoed, his tone low and challenging. “We’ll see who’s begging for mercy first.”

You chuckled, unfazed. “Just looking out for you,” you replied innocently. “Can’t have my Unit Chief all sore and out of commission, can I?”

He chuckled, his fingers tightening around your waist. “Sweetheart, by the time I’m through with you, the only thing you’ll be looking out for is a place to catch your breath.”

“Oh?” You leaned in, eyes dancing with mischief. “Big talk. Hope you’re not all bark and no bite.”

He tilted your chin up, his gaze darkening as he smirked. “Oh, you’ll feel the bite.” His lips brushed over yours, slow and teasing. “And trust me,” he murmured, voice barely above a whisper, “I’ve got more than enough stamina to keep you… occupied.”

You grinned, meeting his dark gaze with a defiant spark in your eyes. “More than enough stamina? Now that’s a bold claim,” you murmured, your voice laced with playful challenge. “But, if you’re looking to impress, I’d expect nothing less than an all-night performance. Think you can handle that?”

His smirk grew as his hands slid up your sides, pulling you even closer. “Oh, I’m not just handling it, I’m guaranteeing it,” he replied, his voice a low, rumbling promise. He leaned in, brushing his lips over yours, just close enough that you could feel the heat of his breath. “In fact, sweetheart, I don’t plan on letting you sleep at all tonight.”

Your pulse quickened, but you kept up the game. “Guess I’ll have to cancel my morning plans,” you replied, pretending to sound disappointed. “Here I thought I’d be waking up fresh and ready to tackle the day.”

He let out a soft, amused chuckle, his fingers slipping down to grip your hips firmly, pressing you against him. “Oh, you’ll be plenty ready to tackle something,” he teased, his eyes glinting as he tilted his head, giving you a slow, purposeful once-over. “But the day? Probably not. You’ll be too busy trying to remember how to stand.”

You rolled your eyes, though the smirk never left your lips. “Big words, Hotchner. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

He leaned closer, his lips grazing the sensitive spot just below your ear, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Challenge accepted,” he murmured, his tone dripping with intent. “And just so you know,” he added, his mouth ghosting over your skin, “the only thing I’ll need all night… is you begging for more.”

“Confident, aren’t we?” you teased, threading your fingers through his hair, giving it a gentle tug. “But confidence only gets you so far, you know. You’ll have to back up all this talk.”

He smirked, pressing a lingering kiss to the corner of your mouth, his eyes gleaming with that familiar intensity. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, his lips brushing over yours. “By the time I’m done, the only thing you’ll be able to say is my name.”

“Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet”, Plato.

taglist: @beata1108 ; @cuddleprofiler ; @c-losur3 ; @fangirlunknown ; @justyourusualash ; @kyrathekiller ; @lostinwonderland314 ; @mxblobby ; @prettybaby-reid ; @reidfile ; @royalestrellas ; @ssa-callahan ; @theseerbetweenus ; @todorokishoe24

Hope you liked it :) Happy birthday old man

[dhr-ao3]

Fake it For Revenge

Fake it For Revenge https://ift.tt/vlwDocO by cring3writer Hermione Granger finds her Fiancé of 3 years and Boyfriend of 6 years - Ron cheating on her, struck by grief and betrayal all Hermione can think of is Revenge. But what can possibly make this situation even better? well the return of her old enemy turned friend - Draco Malfoy. What lengths will this pair go to, just to make dear old Ron's life a living hell? Read now to find out. Sneak Peak: ... Once again, her eyes filled up with tears of hurt and betrayal. “Well that’s where you are wrong Weasley, Granger here is pretty desirable any man would want to steal her from you.” Draco now inserting himself into the conversation, after watching the whole debacle go down before him. He walked towards Hermione, pulling her close by hooking his arm around her waist. He looked into her chocolate brown eyes, that had been glossed over by the tears she desperately tried to hold in. He looked back at Ron still holding Hermione close. “Hell, I might even try to keep her for myself.” Words: 2456, Chapters: 1/15, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, George Weasley, Fred Weasley, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley, Percy Weasley, Cho Chang, Lavender Brown, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, Lily Luna Potter, Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, Girish Goyal, Oliver Wood, Parvati Patil, Padma Patil, Hermione Granger's Mother, Hermione Granger's Father, Original Characters, Blaise Zabini Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Years Later, Ron Weasley Bashing, Good Draco Malfoy, Rich Draco Malfoy, Married Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Revenge, Ron Weasley is a Little Shit, Past Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/o8MC32n July 15, 2023 at 05:09PM

[mukulgoyald]

Mukul Goyal

Mukul Goyal, the eponymous label comprising of objects of home decor has found a wide spread appeal and strong identity across a milieu of patrons. The range has a significant footprint in India and in about 30 other countries.

Tattva Art Hardware is a one of kind range of exclusive sculptural hardware which is available in almost 200 stores around the country. It is a unique range of home hardware visualized through the artist’s eye.

[himhks91]

Day After ‘Dukandaari’ Jibe, More Indian StartUps Question Piyush Goyal

I was talking to a prestigious sports outlet in my city,I asked why r you not manufacturing new things ,innovative things ,he told me nill government support.My city being top manufacturer of sports goods esp cricket bats.

BJP led a religious movement of Lord Ram who is supposed to have created an ethical state called Ram rajya. I am running for my grandmother's death certificate for the last so many days and so many layers of investigation have been done , after the investigation they should have issued me that certificate,but still they have not given me.This is is the state of bureaucracy,nothing has changed .

The Indian eco systems reeks of orthodox value system ,if you look the success stories in the west ,it was creative kids like Steve job or Bill gates or Musk etc who got pratical hands on training and scientific atmosphere at young age.

The Chinese created best trained worker eco system plus lot of support to industries with Marxian eagle eye on the system.

I was part of third class engineering college and turned it around ,with low grade kids who performed quite brilliantly under my guidance ,even IIT and REC professors praised my efforts but ugly orthodox politics shattered all my dreams and indian dream too for there may b many like me.

I ask the minister concerned why same indians perform much better outside and not here.These politicians irrespective to which party they come from r given job to improve the eco system of the country not to dabble in uncreative and corrupt power and pelf to which nearly all of them are guilty.They go out full throttle to criticise Nehru who created scientific institution and scientific thinking but the same Congress played politics with the composite soul and they r still doing it

[rudyarias]

Sunday November 22, 2020 was a pleasant day in Duluth, Ga. Crystal Favorito, who Prashant Goyal casted for this phase of the campaign, was a rising star in the pageant world. Once we started shooting I literally had to get her acclimated to my eye, instead of being trained to be a pretzel from pageant competition. Instructing her to be herself, not realizing as she spontaneously moved, I captured her true being.

This series of three images from this campaign illustrates how her spontaneous movement brought Heritage Indian Fashions to life. Hence it’s truly about the feel that moves clothes, not the clothes themselves.

Model: Crystal Venecia Favorito

Designer: Prashant Goyal for Heritage India Fashions

MUA: Bhavna Shah

Dresser: Crystal Govindu

Photo Assistant: Mitch Gray

Nikon D850, AF-S Nikkor 300MM f4D IF-ED

ISO: 200

[nintendogirl106734-blog]

Blood is Thicker Chapter 4: The Mad Dogs Arrive

Chapter 3

The animal’s various sounds were always calming in a chaotic way. The neighing, barks, and chirps that were oddly close to my native chirps helps me focus on them rather than the random thoughts that sometimes fill my head. I was even comfortable enough to flick my wrist, deactivating the innocuous gem resting within. Wintin a second, I could tell what every creature around me was feeling; content if annoyed. I was annoyed too since the shouts of the human below have been getting louder and louder for the past twenty minutes! It felt like my tympanum was going to start bleeding if he didn’t stop.Father was still in his meeting, presumably because Grem or Freki were really vying for a test subject bonus, so he couldn’t do anything to quiet the human. 

I had gotten used to the cacophony, even with the new addition of the human’s added to the chaos. It was a bit of a shock when everything went silent all of the sudden. Everything aside from the clip clop sound of my father’s footsteps. I watched him walk out of the room for a moment before I slid down to the bottom floor. One of the goyal's twitched at my landing and… gosh it is hard to tell which one is which when they are on the shoulders. I think Munnin flicked his eyes towards me as I slipped into the light. He flickered with some concern before turning his focus back on the human. The others in the room didn’t react at all, but I know that father was aware of my presence at least. He eventually stopped in front of the human and looked at the figure in silence.

The human, who had been screaming his head off a moment ago, leaned against his bars like there was nothing interesting happening and said “If you’re the guy that keeps calling about the calamari, fine, it’s pig butts! But the crab cakes are real.” What the… Did this have something to do with whatever they were rambling about with the guards? And what does a swine’s behind have to do with a tiny cthulhu? …At least the crab sounds interesting. 

“I assure you, I have no interest in your petty cakes of crab.” Father leaned a little closer to them and Munnin lept towards the figure. They jumped back at his sudden appearance, but Munnin didn’t care for a second.

"But we would love to hear more about those pig butts." Wha… those goyals are always interested in the weirdest things. Huggin joined his partner as they harassed the captive human and father moved to the smaller cage. I couldn’t see what was in the cage from where I was, but I could only assume that it held the agent that was in Grem’s orb earlier.

“So nice of you to return my vial.” He reached his hand past the mystic field and yanked the glowing vial I saw earlier away with a snap. He gazed at it for a moment before returning to his test subject. He pulled off the rope with delicate fingers before he focused on the captive once again. “You are about to be part of an experiment that will change the very nature of humanity."

"All right!" … This human is an absolute idiot! They are captive in a world of creatures that look nothing like him, has been locked up, and was just told that he was going to be experimented on! Why is he so relaxed? There is not an ounce of fear in this man! Is this normal for humans or is he just weird?! 

I guess it’s not normal since father gave him a look before he walked to the main console and poured the vial into a section of it. The liquid flowed into the cylinder and shifted the feeding bubble from its original honey hue to a toxic green shade. The bugs flitted to the glow and their abdomens turned an eerie green as they consumed the ooze. Father looked at the buzzing insects for a moment before he snagged one out of the container and carried it back to the human. 

Said human finally noticed the tone of the room and dimmed a little bit. “So…” The cage shifted to wrap around his hands and feet and yanked him into the air. “I…is this going to hurt?” this was the first time since his appearance that he actually 

Father’s face twisted into a dark smile and he leaned in a little bit, though his nose did wrinkle at the human’s scent. “It will . . . if I’m doing it right." With no more warning, father releases the bug and it immediately flits to the human’s face. It’s specially designed proboscis poked into their forehead and father’s ooze is injected into the figure. It was gross to watch that thing work, but what came after was outright grotesque. 

At first, nothing was really happening. The human started to say “Hey, that wasn’t so” before he started to tense every muscle in his body. “Oh, ow! Okay, this part hurts. This part – oh! This part hurts. Ah, that hurts! Oh!"” With that, his body started to bubble and shift in an absolutely unnatural way. It was like his insides were melting and boiling while confined in his skin as he was still alive. Speaking of his skin, it slowly turned deathly white and it no longer smelled of sweat. No, everything about him, from his physical appearance, to the energy coming off him, even to his individual scent became… fishy for lack of a better phrase. His skin was now covered in silver scales, his mouth had moved to the top of his head, shallow yellow eyes rested at the end of said gaping maw, and what was left of his greasy dirty blond hair practically hung off his back in a singular tiny clump. Even his hands transformed, looking like four tubes attached to a thin cylinder instead of normal five fingered hands that humans normally have. There was practically nothing resembling the human that was once locked in the cell aside from the clothing that hung off his wiry frame. I heard a female voice in the background say “That is messed up" and I couldn’t help but agree with them whatever they were.

 The creature before me looked at his new body for a moment, making gurgling sounds of distress before he yelled “I just got used to acne. Now this?" With that, he gave a final scream and ran out of the door. I tried to go after him, but the main entrance shut in my face and I didn’t have permission to leave at this point. He was wandering through the Hidden city with no guide and no clue what kind of world he has now joined. I don’t think he would know what places would be safe to go… aside from common sense. Common sense…that he does not possess.

Mama's always looking for new blood for the Nexus tournaments… With no other option in mind, I pulled out my phone and sent my mother a quick text. I didn’t include any details, same as always when it came to the other parent’s actions, and just asked her to keep an eye out for someone of his description and offer him an easy position if possible. He was just brought into the yokai community and would probably need a smidgen of help to get his flippers under him. 

Munin must have seen me, since I wasn’t as stealthy as normal, because he asked father the question I didn’t. “Should we go after him, boss?" Though he asked this with a slight chuckle in his voice. It didn’t matter anyway. Father didn’t hear a word he said. 

“The mutation worked, just like it did all those years ago." I don’t know why he sounded so shocked. He has spent thirteen years working on this one project. Even with the small projects and cases the counsel forced him to work on, it was clear that he would succeed. Why would he have summoned me if he even imagined that this test would fail? It must have been that simple since father didn’t bother to take any final notes on the success. He just moved to the other cage, once again blocking my view of the captive, and leaned down. “I’ll deal with you next." He paused there for a moment before he turned back to me. “Fi, I want you to finish unpacking while I deal with this… agent. I will send a goyal to get you if you are needed.” 

After a moment of silence, I bowed and walked back to my area. There was no reason to stay when I was both unwanted and unneeded. I could feel the heavy blanket of concern drifting drilling into my back from the shoulder parrots. It vanished with a tap of my wrist. I don’t want phantom emotions to hit me as I try to get my stuff set up.

I was barely able to unpack my first small overnight when Muggin frantically crashed into my back. “Niya, Boss wants you in the lab as soon as possible.”

“Wha… I was only out for five minutes, probably less. What happened?”

Muninn gave a little shrug and perched on my shoulder. “Some people fell out of a pipe right in front of Boss. He can handle it himself, but he wants you there to move them if they pass out or something like that. You could probably get away with hanging out in the shadows like you usually do.” Thanks for that call out bud.

“In that case, I think I’ll stay outside my door. I wouldn’t want to get in father’s way.” Munnin gave a shrug and flew away. I gave myself a moment to tighten my mask and ensure my uniform was pristine before following behind. if we had guests, then it would be best to make a … good first impression.

Muninn forgot to mention that the pipe dropped the group on the second floor instead of literally right in front of father. I guess I should have assumed that was the case, since none of our pipes opened to the main floor, but I thought they literally fell at father’s feet until I saw them crowded together on the grate right above my door. It looks like there were five figures, with the largest one in the middle and two people on either side. Only one of them had a pair of shoes and the others looked like they had two toes and an extended heel… just like… Just like other reptilian yokai I have seen. Nothing that special, especially since one of them decided to dangle his feet closer to my face. Yikes, that is a lot of cologne.

"All right, you incredibly, unusually buff bookworm, give us the little guy, and you’ll walk out of here with your horns still attached." I don’t know who these yokai are, but they are either very sheltered or very dumb to threaten father like that.

The one sitting down leaned over when he heard that and whispered to the bigger one. "Shouldn’t we also stop him from creating crab-men?" Crab… that man turned into a fish, not a crab.

 "Good note. Okay, give us the little guy, stop creating crab-men –" Not a crab…

"Imitation crab-men." Thank you… guy leaning on a support bar. At least one of them could notice the obvious. 

"Okay, good note. Stop creating imitation crab-men . . ." The one I can only assume was the leader, well I guess he could be the oldest sibling? Eh, let’s go with leader for now. The leader kept trying to focus the conversation and make his rather ridiculous demands, but the others decided that messing with him was more important than focusing on the enemy that was RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM! They just randomly threw out stupid suggestions that had nothing to do with the current situation.

“And a ride home.” Use a portal like everyone else.

“In a limo.” What is a limo?

“With a hot tub.” What?

“And pizza!” Pizz… well, I can agree with that one. Not that father or momma could ever find out. I shouldn’t break my usual diet with something that greasy… at least not this week. Wait… Now they are getting me distracted. Focus Niya, you just missed what the big one said. The sitting one did hear him seemingly struggle and patted his arm. 

 "Raph, why don’t you take it from the top again?" Raph… was that the big one’s name? Ugh! It’s like these guys have never had any training before. Never use your or your partner’s names when facing an opponent. That’s why mamma gave me a secondary name for hotel use!

The big one gave a little shake and psyched himself up.  "Here goes. First, you apologize to the dog thingy –" That was as far as he got before he was interrupted once again.

The figure wearing shoes gave a groan of pure annoyance before standing up. “ "Let’s do this!” she yelled right before she leapt off the balcony with no form of apparent wings or levitation to keep her from crashing to the ground. “APRIL O’NEIL!” She swung her club around as she plummeted. She was going to crack her stupid head open and I would have to clean human remains off the floor. Does she even know how hard it is to wash blood off of a stone surface? 

Thankfully, I won’t have to worry about that. The moment the goyals saw a girl falling off the balcony once again, they flew into action. She didn’t even have a chance to land on the cage she was apparently aiming for before they grabbed onto her and carried her away. They started to take her towards me before they remembered that I was standing there and they started to randomly fly around the room. I guess they were looking for a place to stick her where she wouldn’t get involved with anything that was about to happen, but she was thrashing too much and threw off their flight patterns. They almost hit a few different things but manage to evade just before they collide with anything. 

While all of us were distracted, father sent out some of his larger vines and knocked the rest of the company from their perch. I ignored them… and the training golem that suddenly appeared… and slipped to their earlier spot. It’s my usual perch when we have company. I can see everything, but no one can really see me unless attention is brought to the spot. That being said, it was still hard to tell what the other beings were as they flit from place to place. All I could really tell was that they had green skin with different colored markings or clothing. 

Eventually, they brought down the golem and had a chance to slow down. …They were… they had to be some subspecies of kappa. There are kappa of all sizes and colors in the world, and many of them have similar features to average turtle species. Most of them look like box turtles of some kind, though I don’t think I have seen any with as prominent orange marks as the smallest one does or has stripes like the cologne wearer. They mostly have plain green shells and a circle of hair on their hair, not… Well there are some with spikes like an alligator snapping turtle… though they are never as big as… And I really can’t tell what the last one’s shell is like. It is covered with some purple contraption, like he was protecting …a … a soft sh… no. They are dead and it is foolish to pretend they aren’t. These are just kappa. Weird kappa, but kappa nonetheless. Father started to glow with a hope he has only ever had when I defeated my first Nexis battle alone. 

 "Accidentally impressive. With a little bit of training, you could be as formidable as I’d hoped." Wait… does father think? Could they… I scoot closer to the edge of my hiding place to try to see the figures better without being seen. That orange… I know that color and pattern. He seemed to notice my attention and started to turn, but father continued speaking and drew his attention again. “Eventually, you could be just as impressive as my current apprentice.” He turns his attention to me and gives a nod. Without another thought, I jumped off the balcony like the girl earlier and landed in a roll to stand right in front of father. My back was turned to the invaders but I could feel their eyes boring into my shell. Father placed a hand on my shoulder with a smile for one second before he turned me to face the others. 

I didn’t fully recognise three of them; the large one, the striped one, and the one staring at his phone. The orange one… I know those spots. I saw  them the day father found me. When the first lab exploded and my brothers… didn’t die apparently. I always had a feeling that at least one of them was alive, but all four, together, and seemingly thriving together even with average fighting abilities. Was Lou Jitsu also alive or did he pass to protect them? If he is alive, did he abandon… no. He is either a part of their lives or dead. He wouldn’t abandon people in need… Father wouldn’t have chosen him as the greatest warrior to base our DNA on if that wasn’t the case. 

While I was having an internal crisis, the conversation moved on without me. I guess they were talking about who I was and … somebody surrendering? I don’t think anyone noticed that I wasn’t paying attention… aside from the orange one. While the others were practically yelling at each other, he was watching me with a worried expression on his overall kind looking face. I ignored him, and the pain that caused my heart, as Huggin fell from the air and bounced off father’s head before landing on the ground in front of his feet. 

“I’m sorry, boss," he moaned before falling to the ground. I quickly picked him up, since his position was squishing one of his wings, and the second he was in my arms, the human landed in his place. She somehow managed to get Huggin in her mouth and shook him a second before she focused on the turtles. Once again ignoring the opponents in front of her, she gave the turtles a thumbs up while dropping the goyal to the ground. He was dizzy, but didn’t look too injured from my perspective. I did pick him up as well and tucked them in a little alcove behind father. He gave me a nod, probably because he was planning to protect them anyway, and silently motioned for me to slip behind him as well. 

He barely waited for me to get into position before he threw a set of binding bulbs at the other girl. They wrapped thin brown vines around her body until they confined everything except her head. Those are one of the most prevalent personal security mystics father has developed during his career. In my opinion at least. I think the officers prefer the power sealing expando orbs since they both confine and seal mystics at the same time. The boys didn’t appreciate his hard work however. In fact, they were offended that their friend was confined if Orange’s shout of “You did not just do that to our friend!” was any indication. 

For the first time in this battle, he looked serious and swung the Hitodama possessed kusari-fundō that was safely secured in father’s vault. Or… was previously apparently. Father took this weapon from an arsonist and he locked it up due to its unpredictable movements. It liked to drag the user around if they didn’t know how to use it properly or were naturally skilled at its use. Orange learned this fact very quickly when the ball that father dodged hovered over his shoulder long enough for the boy to say “Whoa. Magic weapon” before it pulled him off his feet and into the air. 

The weapon flies towards me, like it always tries to do when out of control, and I have to fling myself to the floor to avoid getting burned. The Hitodama ignored me and flung itself throughout the room with Orange clinging to the handle. They barely missed all of us as it passed multiple times. The only prominent sound was the boy’s screaming as he crashed into walls, only quieting when he was dragged to the upper powersource above the central cylinder. We all watch as he bounces the support structures connecting the orb to the ceiling and keep it stable. Something snaps while he is up there and I have no clue if it’s from a bone or one of the supports. I don't know which one would be better. 

He bounced around for a few more seconds before the weapon hulls him back to the ground. It almost hits father, but he dodges and the orange turtle is left sitting in a crater that would have shattered a normal being. “Mikey. That was awesome!” Raph points at the weapon as he exclaims “how did you do that?”

Mikey jumps back to his feet with a shrug. “ I don’t know, man. I was just swinging my weapon, like this, and all of a sudden … “ The swinging weapon suddenly stops and catches fire again. “Just like tha –a-a-a!” He goes flying again, but I think I am the only one that continues to watch him. It has been years since I used that particular weapon, but I can still remember how hard those walls can be when you crash into them.

A massive boom behind me shocks me from watching Mikey as I spin to see that Raph was now partly in the wall. A muffled “mine work too” could be heard before he slid to the floor with a groan. Blue gives him a quick once over and, upon apparently deciding that the large turtle would be alright, turns back towards father with an excited smirk. 

“Can’t wait to find out what mine does!” He then starts sprinting towards father, either ignoring or ignorant of the blue lightning that lights up his blade. He takes a wild swipe, actually shocking father for a brief moment as he brings his arms up to block the swing. We all waited for a moment for nothing to happen. The striped turtle laughs with anxiety as father shifts out of shock to pure annoyance. This turtle is going to get hurt if he doesn’t move.

 Father goes to shove him away when the neglected blue energy ignites engraved runes across the entire blade. The blade yanks the turtle’s arms to the sky and intensely vibrates. The energy shifted into harmless lightning bolts that reached to the ground and created a blue circle around his feet. He jumps up, possibly to avoid the swirling blue gateway that suddenly appeared, but he is quickly sucked in and vanishes while the portal remains. A few seconds of silence pass before an identical portal appears above the original and drops the turtle. He is once again dragged into the first portal and gets stuck in a loop of falling through nothing again and again. It can be fun when you plan for it, but he was not ready and didn’t seem to enjoy the free fall.  He shouts “Get. Me. Off. This. Ride!” with every repeated loop before going silent and becoming a blur of blue, green, and red.

Father watches for a moment before the purple turtle engages him. I should pay attention in case I am needed, but my attention is dragged to the others. The goyals have left the alcove and are watching the chaos from the air. They will probably return to father’s shoulders when he takes care of the purple turtle. The purple turtle that is surprisingly handling the fight pretty well, even managing to get through a few of his blocks. The orange turtle was still flying around the room, but the weapon was actually starting to avoid the walls. That’s a first… He could probably tame the thing if father decides to trust him with a weapon like he did with me years ago. For now though, he was not going to be an issue. The large one still looked dizzy, but his shell did hit the back wall with enough force to leave a him shaped crater in the stone. He would probably need Irma or another medic to check him out for concussion or whiplash for that one. And blue was still trapped in a loop of his own creation. The human, April O’Neil, was still wrapped up, but she was watching… me? I decided to test this by shifting over a few feet and… yep. Her eyes were tracking my movements. Weird… it’s not like I am a threat to her. Who would try to fight a defeated opponent? Especially one that literally can’t move more than a caterpillar wiggle. 

Father barely takes another second to wrap up the battle. Literally! He wraps up the other turtles the same way he did with the human in less than two seconds. Five little caterpillars that father will eventually turn into the battle ready generals we were created to be. He’s probably even made a plan for the human, though nothing as high as his original creations will be. There is potential, but it will need to be polished to a shine before father can use them. 

“This is what happens when you don’t train.” Father was facing the invaders, giving them a judgment of their fighting abilities like he always did, but my mind flashed to the various criticisms I grew with. The days I would spend healing from a failed training session trying an easy move for the first time. The bruises and broken bones from falling off the old obstacle course when one thing was moved. The small mistakes that would be repeated multiple days in a row. Things that could have been avoided if I had trained more. 

I was barely back to the present when father turned to me with expectation in his eyes. I gave a brief nod and looked to the floor. He smiles at my agreement and places a hand on my shoulder for a second before taking a step toward the boys.  I lean towards him as he leaves, praying that the hand would stay for a moment longer if I kept up. It didn’t. He took it away and focused on the others. I just took a step back to where I originally was and focused my attention on them as well. Three of the boys and the girl focused on father. Orange… Mikey was watching me. I could feel something in my mystics reach out, but I shut it and the eye contact down in a moment. I could feel pity dripping off both and I did not need that. A weapon does not need an enemy’s pity.

“You fought like untrained baboons, but under my training, you will become true warriors like my apprentice is.” He turned away from them and walked to the counsel once again. “After I release my oozesquitoes, we will begin. Take them to the training wing and keep them confined until I am done.” I gave him a bow that he didn’t see and turned to the others. I would have appreciated his usual nod, but we both had work to do. He didn’t have time to focus on unimportant details. 

With a single breath to relax a bit, I turned to my own task, getting my brothers to their once abandoned rooms. They were all rather basic, just like mine, but I can help them decorate it. Father will be careful to monitor what will be allowed or not for a while but there are a lot of ways to decorate without anything that would be banned. First thing first, I have to get them there. They were currently in independent pods… somehow… so it was just a question of who to start with. The big one… Raph… probably would be the best since I wouldn’t be tired… but I don’t want to deal with the spikes right now. The three others are pretty even so it won’t really matter what order I take them in. Wait… where will the girl go? … Bathroom is not a good idea, too many things to accidentally hit. Same for the kitchen and clinic… The gymnastics room has padded floors, that would work. As for the last one, the one I remember from childhood, he would be the easiest. He is the smallest of the five and his room was placed across from mine at the entrance. Might as well start there and see what to do next. Without another thought, I bent down to pick up Orange.

The group had been demanding their release while I was thinking, but their demands instantly changed when I had Oran… Mikey apparently, in my arms. Raph begged for me to leave him and take him instead, like they weren’t going to the same place anyway. The striped one tried to bargain for all of their freedom but I wasn’t interested in what he offered. The girl threw out threats that would have been intimidating if I were a man. The purple one… he just watched. He watched me, the others, and the area around him. I ignored all of them and started to carry Orange away.

In all honesty, part of me wanted to let them go. They weren’t used to the training I grew up with and there would be a period where they could be injured with the tests and challenges. They would improve… eventually, but… they wouldn’t be as loud as they are and I kind of enjoyed the energy they brought with them. And father doesn’t need them. He has already changed his plan thirteen years ago when he thought they died. What if I just…

 No. Father gave me an order and I need to reach his expectations.

 I forced myself to take a breath and carry Mikey away from the others. I forced myself to ignore the shouts that became increasingly panicked as the distance increased and focused on keeping the writhing boy in hand. He did everything he could to get out of my arms, but I ignored him. At least I did until he froze, looked me in the eye as best he could, and started to speak.

“Let me go,” he says with a steady yet frustrated voice. I shake my head and keep my attention on where I’m going. “Why?” I can feel my grip tighten, and I know that Mikey can feel it, but I still stay silent. “Why are you doing this? Please.” I made the mistake of looking down and looking at his eyes again. He is scared and angry, but underneath that is an honest concern. The same concern I saw from the human earlier and the same concern the others showed when I picked him up. He… he cared about me even though heh had no clue who I was to him. 

I had to give him some kind of answer, but the tightness in my chest screamed that it was not safe. He was new. Who knows what people he was connected to? He might not know the Hidden City, but I don’t know the surface. No, I stayed silent . No reason to reveal something he could use against us. Say nothing… but he needs an answer. He deserves to know why I was carrying him away from his brothers, even if they were going to join him soon enough. 

Maybe, if I answer him now, he will be willing to tell me about the world above. I might be able to tell him something if he starts. Now what was his question? OH! Right, why… um…

“Father’s orders. The others join soon.” Shoot! My nerves got me and I couldn’t finish a single sentence properly! I will be in so much trouble if Mamma hears about that. 

“Father? Do you mean Draxum?” Really? Isn’t that one obvious? I answer him with a nod and wait for him to continue. It took a few moments, but he did have more questions. “What does he want with us?”

“Warriors. You’re strong, could b..be stronger.” Ugh! The stutter?! I thought I got rid of that!

“And if we don’t want to fight?” 

Like they have a choice? Ha! Unlikely. Humans and yokai are going to end up in a war sooner or later. “No choice. You fight sooner or later.” Mikey went silent at that moment. He seemed to be deep in thought and my mystics started to reach towards him once again. I pulled most of it back, but I did sense that he was more concerned about me than he was about himself. Weird… it should be the opposite, but at least he didn’t hate me. Concern is easier to move past than hatred was. 

We got a few feet before he asked another question. “Do you have a name?” Shoot… hit me with the hard question. Jasmine was the name Mamma gave to protect me, but do I use that or the name I’ve had since I was three? My real name… He is my brother and I want to trust him, but he isn’t safe. I could be in danger if he knew the full name.

“Yes.” Yeah, that works. That answered his question without giving too much information. He gave me a look of annoyance that told me he wanted more. Okay… what to give him… what is a safe… “Fi.” That was a nickname really. Short for Fianna, a name my old caretaker gave me, but it also stood for the name father gave me. It is also the nickname for many more full names, so he couldn’t possibly guess its real meaning.

“Does that stand for something?” Titan damn it. I do not want to continue this conversation. My throat is starting to feel tight and I am near my conversational limit for today. I give a shrug and just focus on where I need to go. His shock practically hits me like a physical wall, but there was an undercurrent of … heart break. 

He started to say something when the building around me suddenly shook. It felt like something exploded, just like it did thirteen years ago, but the building around us was intact. I heard everyone shout in shock, but my mind instantly went to keep the others safe. I quickly turned to go back to the captive teens, but I was only able to take a few steps before my foot caught on a piece of rubble. I could feel my body begin to tilt forward, but I knew that if I allowed myself to tumble, there was a chance Mikey would be harmed. I only had a second to think of a way to avoid that and a plan popped into my head. It was more of an instinct and emotional reaction rather than a plan, but I knew that if I could angle myself properly, Mikey would land next to his brothers. They could figure out a way to protect each other until I would be able to get there myself. 

 I quickly used whatever momentum I had to spin on my toes and let myself fall to my carapace. Part of me instantly regrets the choice as a piece of debris jabs a weaker section of my shell, but it is washed away as I watch Mikey roll back to his companions. They instantly start asking about his welfare, but he keeps silently watching me as I roll onto my feet. I was barely up before I had to start dodging a few larger pieces of debris.

“Fi!” Father sounded scared, but that could just be me hearing my own fear in his voice. I tried to give him my attention, but I couldn’t spare much while still avoiding the falling rubble. “Get to cover! Your room! Get to your room and wait for me or the goyals to get you.” I immediately turned to follow the order, forcing myself to ignore the thud I heard in his general direction. I just ran.

I ran. I ran through the doorway I have walked through too many times. I ran past through my door that had protected me many times before. I slid under the bed, pulling the colorful blanket down and wrapping myself into a cocoon of protection. All of that happened in a single blink. One second I was watching my chaotic brothers, the next, my childhood was crumbling around me. My body shook with adrenaline and flinched with every thud or crash. The direct sound might have been muffled by the walls but it sounded like it had followed me. The sounds were deafening, but I didn't hear any screams of pain. If the boys were hurt, they would make a sound… right. I can’t have lost them again..

Please, great Titan. Please don’t let them be gone again. I don’t want to be the only one left again. No, please, no, no, no, no…, no… please, pleas.. Ple… I… I can’t… 

My head falls to the ground under me and my eyes fall close. I can’t help it. I fell into an uneasy and tear filled sleep hoping that this didn’t happen when I woke up. 

[drritingoyal]

Consult Dr. Ritin Goyal, a leading ICL Specialist and one of the Best Eye Surgeons in Delhi, at Goyal Eye Center for cataract surgery, LASIK, and advanced eye treatments.

[newtiative]

Deepinder Goyal - You can make it | @newtiative

Deepinder Goyal (born January 26, 1983) is an Indian entrepreneur and investor. He is the co-founder, CEO, and managing director of Zomato, an Indian multinational restaurant aggregator and food delivery company. Goyal won the Economic Times Startup of the Year award in 2014 and was selected as a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023.

#motivation #entrepreneur #business #innovation #future #money #investing #inspiration #newtiative #growth #growthmindset #quotes #learnfromfounders #startup #founder #zomato #idea #ceo

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[how2fit]

February is here, bringing with it both winter’s last whispers and the dream of spring. It’s a month of change. A month of love. But also often a tough one as the darkness and cold has been with us for a long time now and that motivation from the beginning of January may start to fade. So, in this post I’d like to share 90 of the most inspiring, positive, funny and meaningful February quotes. To help you to keep moving forward towards your dreams, deepen your relationships (or develop new and exciting ones) and to get few good laughs and some well-needed stress relief. I hope you’ll find something uplifting here. Inspirational and Positive February Quotes “In February there is everything to hope for and nothing to regret.” – Patience Strong “Though February is short, it is filled with lots of love and sweet surprises.” – Charmaine J. Forde “Let from this month onwards your days become more happier, fulfilling, purposeful, satisfying & joyful.” – Rajesh Goyal “If January is the month of change, February is the month of lasting change. January is for dreamers… February is for doers.” – Marc Parent “No one’s ever achieved financial fitness with a January resolution that’s abandoned by February.” – Suze Orman “Never dull your shine for somebody else.” – Tyra Banks “What could we accomplish if we knew we could not fail?” – Eleanor Roosevelt “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” – Norman Vincent Peale “While it is February one can taste the full joys of anticipation. Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch.” – Patience Strong “Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose.” – Anne Sullivan “Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.” – Rumi “You were born to stand out, stop trying to fit in.” – Roy T. Bennett “Make the most of yourself… for that is all there is of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson “Just be yourself, there is no one better.” – Taylor Swift February Quotes on Love and Valentine’s Day “Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, only with what you are expecting to give – which is everything.” – Katherine Hepburn “When you’re lucky enough to meet your one person, then life takes a turn for the best. It can’t get better than that.” – John Krasinski “Every heart has a story to tell.” – Maya Angelou “In the coldest February, as in every other month in every other year, the best thing to hold on to in this world is each other.” – Linda Ellerbee “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind. And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” – William Shakespeare “Take my hand, take my whole life too, but I can’t help falling in love with you.” – Elvis Presley “Valentine’s Day is just another day to truly love like there is no tomorrow.” – Roy A. Ngansop “Love is the greatest refreshment in life.” – Pablo Picasso “Everything is clearer when you’re in love.” – John Lennon “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” – Paulo Coelho “Where there is love there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” – Lucille Ball “If you work through the tough times, the respect and love that you feel deepens.” – Barack Obama “You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt.” – William W. Purkey Funny February Quotes for Stress Relief “Why does February feel like one big Tuesday?” – Todd Stocker “To shorten winter, borrow some money due in spring.” – W.J. Vogel “February is the shortest month, so if you’re having a miserable month, try to schedule it for February.” – Lemony Snicket “Cold and snowy February does seem slow and trying, very. Still, a month made gay by Cupid never could be wholly stupid.”

– Louise Bennett Weaver “Without Valentine’s Day, February would be… well, January.” – Jim Gaffigan “Even though February was the shortest month of the year, sometimes it seemed like the longest.” – J.D. Robb “Why, what’s the matter, That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?” – William Shakespeare “February makes a bridge and March breaks it.” – Georges Hebert “February is just January with lipstick on.” – Unknown “February’s pleasures are like a spark in the ashes, gone before you can say lovely.” – Bob Simmons “February: The month of love… or chocolate consumption, either works.” – Fay Collins “The only bubble in the flat champagne of February is Valentine’s Day.” – Tom Robbins “It truly is like Monday of the months.” –Unknown “February is the month when even my cats start having an existential crises.” – Alice Jones “February’s greatest gift is an extra day every four years to procrastinate.” – Sam Williams “These are some cold and bittersweet days, perfect for chocolate therapy.” – Sandra Shea Beautiful and Deep Quotes on Life in February “Surely as cometh the Winter, I know. There are Spring violets under the snow.” – Robert Henry Newell “February, a form pale-vestured, wildly fair. One of the North Wind’s daughters with icicles in her hair.” – Edgar Fawcett “Even winter – the hardest season, the most implacable – dreams, as February creeps on, of the flame that will presently melt it away.” – Clive Barker “Thick February mists cling heavily to the dead earth and to each leafless tree.” – Emma Lazarus “In February’s deep, the world holds its breath, waiting for spring’s first whisper.” – Unknown “February is the uncertain month, neither black nor white, but all shades between by turns. Nothing is sure.” – Gladys Hasty Carroll “February’s silence speaks volumes about nature’s patience.” – Joy Stevens “Winter’s best fest is February’s snow serene.” – Cecilia Llompart “February brings the rain, thaws the frozen lake again.” – Sara Coleridge “Late February, and the air’s so balmy snowdrops and crocuses might be fooled into early blooming.” – Gail Mazur “The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within.” – William C. Bryant “In February’s dark, we watched the stars explode until daybreak.” – Laura Veirs “February dawn frost on the path where I paced all winter.” – Jack Kerouac “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus “Late February days; and now, at last, might you have thought that winter’s woe was past; so fair the sky was and so soft the air.” – William Morris “There is always in February some one day, at least, when one smells the yet distant, but surely coming, summer.” – Gertrude Jekyll “February is the border between winter and spring.” – Terri Guillemets New Month, New Motivation Quotes for February “New month, new intentions, new goals, new love, new light and new beginnings.” – April Mae Monterrosa “Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” – Germany Kent “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” – Abbie Hoffman “All great beginnings start in the dark, when the moon greets you to a new day at midnight.” – Shannon L. Alder “Nothing is predestined. The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.” – Ralph Blum “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” – T.S. Eliot “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot “A new month marks a new beginning and a fresh start.” – Winifred Kal “No matter how hard the past is, you can always begin again.” – Buddha “Cheers to a new month and another chance for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey “Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” – Guy Finley “Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life.” – Douglas Pagels “I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start.”

– J.B. Priestley “Man starts over again everyday, in spite of all he knows, against all he knows.” – Emil Cioran “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu Short February Quotes “February is short and very sweet.” – Charmaine J. Forde “Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.” – Victor Hugo “The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.” – Gertrude S. Wister “Winter strips things down to their essence.” – Jennifer McMahon “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth.” – Edith Sitwell “February bridges seasons and promises a brighter future soon.” – Sarah Kelly “February brings new light to life.” – Unknown “February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March.” – J.R. Stockton “February whispers of love that deepens, explodes and then renews.” – Unknown “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” – Hal Borland “February wears winter’s crown.” – Unknown “In winter, the stars seem to have rekindled their fires.” – Vincent van Gogh “February: winter’s last bittersweet farewell song.” – Joy Stevens “In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move.” – Henry Rollins Want more helpful inspiration for the end of your winter? Then have a look at these inspirational Winter quotes, the uplifting January quotes here and these short January captions.

[newtras]

'But there was something in his eyes...': Delhi man pleads with Zomato CEO after emotional conversation with delivery executive

Delivering food at night was a harrowing experience for a Delhiite who shared the touching story of a young Zomato delivery executive working tirelessly to support his family. The encounter inspired him to approach Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal with a heartfelt plea for change. Delhi resident Himanshu Bora had placed the order at 3am, unaware that the delivery would bring him face to face with a…

[satrthere]

'But there was something in his eyes...': Delhi man pleads with Zomato CEO after emotional conversation with delivery executive

Delivering food at night was a harrowing experience for a Delhiite who shared the touching story of a young Zomato delivery executive working tirelessly to support his family. The encounter inspired him to approach Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal with a heartfelt plea for change. Delhi resident Himanshu Bora had placed the order at 3am, unaware that the delivery would bring him face to face with a…

[portal92]

Top Design Consultation Firms in India: Residential & Retail Designers in Delhi by Sagar Goyal and Aanchal Sawhney

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[anjali1511singh]

Affordable SMILE Eye Surgery Cost in Delhi | Ritin Goyal Hospital

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[nintendogirl106734-blog]

Chapter 3: Two Captives and a Walk

Start

Chapter 2

“Fi, you are right on time as always. Go put your things in your room and get changed into your uniform. It is time to conquer the human race once and for all.” Cue the cliche maniacal laughter. Father may have the best intentions at heart, but I swear, he is the most theater kid person I know. I bow to hide the slight smile that slipped onto my lips and calmly walked away. 

My room was down a side hallway, through a door that would be impossible to see if you didn’t know where it was. Father once said it was perfect for the spy I was made to be. Just like everything else in the training wing. Even my bedroom was… utilitarian in design. It had a simple sturdy bed, a matching bedside table, a plain black bookshelf with various strategy, survival, and combat books, a punching bag in a corner, and a dresser filled with black body suits and dark blue gi uniforms. The only thing that wasn’t military standard was the cherry blossom blanket the goyals got me years ago. I touched the fluffy fabric before focusing on my orders.

It only took a few minutes for me to change and I quietly walked back to the main room, tucking my face mask into the belt. By the time I arrived, father had lost his excited ‘cartoon villain’ mood and had shifted to a darker and more serious temper. He is muttering to himself but his voice is too low and muffled for me to hear a single word. 

“Father?” He barely gave me a glance as he continued to pace with a clip clop at every step. I remain silent and slip on the mask, covering everything except my eyes. Something was about to happen and he was probably going to instruct me to do so anyway. He eventually paused long enough to pull out his communication crystal and continued his stride as a voice drifted through the gem.

“The trail has gone cold in the Hidden City. We’ll return to the last known location of the agent and continue our search at the nearest surface portal.” “Be quick. I have plans for the vile the agent stole and I need it back before the crystals go dark.”

“Understood.” He is interrupted by the sound of dogs barking and the shout of a second figure in the background. “The dogs have caught a scent. We’ll call when we have the agent in hand.” The crystal goes dark and swiftly vanishes into father’s pocket. 

Everything went still for a moment before father’s hands slammed on the counsel in front of him. “Blast the Titan’s tit’s!” He gives a sigh and bows his head. “Why does this have to happen on the eve of my success? AGAIN!” The last word was accompanied by him throwing his hand in the air and returning to his pacing. “At least I got lucky with competent henchmen.”

“Of course boss! Your ideas are always amazing,” Huggin cheered from father’s shoulder.

“Yeah. This is just a minor hiccup. No problem that you can’t overcome.” Muggin added his encouragement from the other side.

The goyals have always been father’s greatest (and most vocal) cheerleaders. I don’t think I have ever heard them say a bad word about the man and every word is said with absolute honesty. It would honestly be impressive if I hadn’t heard it practically every day for nine years. 

“I suppose you’re right.” He takes a breath and turns to the room’s central column. “The hard part is already done. All I need is that vial.” He goes silent once again and focuses on the bugs trapped behind the glass. “They should have it soon but how…” His eyes drifted towards me and a smile crept to his lips. “That could work,” he whispered for a moment before he fully turned to me. “Fi, I have a mission for you. You heard that call, correct?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. I want you to go to the gate and escort the mercenaries when they arrive. I want the agent and the vial he stole from me. You need to make sure they both do.” 

“Understood father.” I paused for a moment before fading into the shadows and slinking towards the exit. It wasn’t needed, father would know where I was if he looked, but he always smiled when he saw my stealth skills so I might as well get some practice whenever I can.

The path to our portal gateway is a simple stone walkway raised high above a molten sea of magma. Some people call it the ‘Devil’s Backbone’ like it is something dangerous, but nothing has happened to give it such a silly name. Well… it hasn’t as long as I’ve been around at least. It didn’t matter anyway. I just needed to keep my eyes on the stone under my feet and focus on getting to the gate. If I take my eyes off my feet, I will either focus on the lava fish gliding in the melted stone below or they will drift to the glittering Helios Mutatio stones glittering above. Father always told me that they were ‘inefficient and insulting imitations of the dazzling glorious sun the surface dwellers take for granted.’ I don’t know if that is true. I have never really seen the sun myself, but I always thought they were pretty. They give off a calming aura whenever I get the rare chance to see them. 

All of the sudden, I am suddenly wrenched from my thoughts as my foot collides with one of the decorative stones around the gate. I didn’t even notice that my eyes were on the ceiling rather than the path. The gems are breath-taking but now is not the time to lose focus. Father needs the vile to reach his goals and he has trusted me with the job of delivering it. He expects success and I refuse to fail him. That thought barely drifted past my mind when right as the stone I kicked burst into a wall of swirling blue magic. They have arrived. 

Within a second, two large men walked out of the portal with two equally intimidating Black Shuck Dogs at their heels. They were much taller than I was and their black armor bore spikes at every joint. Their movements were near identical as they walked, the only differences being their eye color and what they carried with them. 

Garm, the one with pinkish red eyes, focused on me the moment the portal finally shut. He gave me a little smile and said “Hey little one! Miss us?” with a chuckle. I barely restrained a laugh as he tossed a pink confinement ball to himself and nodded at his question. Neither mother or father have needed them in months, so I haven’t seen them in a while. Freki, the one with green eyes, looked over at our conversation, but something on his other side pulled him away as he whispered to it… or them in frustration. It was nice to see them again, but as much as I would have enjoyed a brisk conversation, we all needed to focus on the business at hand. 

I was getting ready to speak, trying to figure out the best way to bring up the topic when Freki’s communication gem began to ring. He shook the thing he was holding and whispered a threat to silence it before he picked up. “Freki here.”

“What is taking so long?” Father’s voice was getting increasingly frustrated, but there was a hint of worry hidden behind the anger. It always is when I am away from him or mother for longer than he likes.

“We have successfully passed through the gate and have the agent in hand.”

“Any troubles we would know about?” We…? This was his plan, but I’m glad that he thought highly enough of me to include me. Well… assuming he wasn’t using the royal we. 

“Eh, nothing past the usual tracking troubles in a city,” Garm butted in as he leaned on my shoulder. I paused for a moment before leaving him there. I can shake him off when he gets annoying. “Aside from these kids that thought they could be heroes.”

“What?! Explain, now.” OH! Father’s voice has turned into a growl. If a satisfactory answer doesn’t come now, it would be better for them to give me the captives and forget the paycheck.

Freki gave Garm an elbow to the stomach before focusing on father. “When we cornered the agent in an abandoned construction area, a group of five teenagers blocked our way. One human and four kapa yokai. I believe they were surface raised as they did not know who or what we were. One human also fell into the portal before it closed. We have him in custody as well but weren’t sure what you wanted us to do with him.”

A rather ugly face popped out from behind Freki. “Custody? Man, did I get snatched by the porkers? I didn’t do nothing man! Just ask my boss.” His blazing red anger shifted into cooled fear. “Damn it, man. The big cheese is gonna be pissed at another late delivery.” He then looked around before turning back to Freki. “Do you got a phone I can use man… uh, I mean sir? I might still have a job if he knows I got got by the cops.” Freki looked at the human with an ice cold expression and pulled him back to his other side.

“Hm.” Father was silent for a moment before his lips pulled into a faint grin. “Bring him here. I have a place for him while we discuss what comes next.” The return of the theater kid. Seriously, could he phrase that in a scarier way?

“Yes sir.”

“And keep that thing as far away from… my apprentice. They are there to escort, not to entertain.” 

“Of course sir. We should arrive within fifteen minutes.” “I will have cells prepared for your arrival.” At that, father disconnected the call and there was silence for a moment.

“That’s a cool phone dude. Where did you get it? Verizon?” This is a very chatty specimen. Father will not appreciate that. He will either become an immediate test or father will do something to keep the lab quiet. The guy will probably end up in a soundproof cell if he keeps going like this. 

“Silence. Captain Draxum will deal with you once we arrive.”

“Oh, he the chief or something? Cool, man. Cool. So, if you guys are cops, then who are they?” The human pointed at me and Garm moved to block me from the human’s sight. Thank Titan. 

“They are not your concern. Stay silent and walk. If I hear anything else from you, you won’t remember the rest of the trip.” The human shut up at that point and the rest of us walked with a little more ease.

Grem, presumably thinking that I needed a distraction, walked up and passed over the orb he had been holding since they arrived. “Take a look at him. Bugger was a tough one, but we got em’ in the end.” He tossed the sphere to me and gave a chuckle. “Not even the best agent the council has can stay out of our hands, huh?”  I gave a soft huff at his actions before focusing on the ball he threw at me. 

There was a small feline yokai skittering around within. It looked about the size of a house cat with overly large ears, but the translucent pink orb obscured the fur color and it was moving too fast for me to determine any specific details aside from the fact that it wore a glowing green vial around its neck. That must be the vial father wanted. It… was that empyrean??!! What is father doing with that? It… Whatever father is doing, it has to be for yokai good. It always is.  I sucked a breath into my frozen lungs and handed the orb back to Grem as carefully as I could. If that vial breaks, the agent could be… indescribably… dispatched from life.  Grem, however, did not have as much consideration as me. He gave the orb a little shake before tucking it under his arm.

 “Plus, we caught the guinea pig back there. Look at em’. Not model material, huh?” I actually looked at the human that was barely visible at Freki’s side. They were… rather unsightly in my opinion, but that could just be because I was looking at a filthy piece of human scum. If every human had the face of an orangutan with tires shoved in their earlobes, then I would prefer to never see them again, just like father. Plus, the smell coming off them was horrendous. I could smell week old sweat practically dripping off the ratty green sweatshirt and month old fish radiated off the figure in general. I could tell that Freki was doing his best to breathe through his mouth, but every breath came with a concealed gag. Grem and I winced in sympathy and walked faster, ignoring the human’s complaint of being dragged along. 

We walked for twelve minutes, ignoring the complaints that continued until Freki got annoyed enough to smack the human. Grem continued his one sided conversation and laughed at my nearly silent reactions. The most he heard was a huff or giggle but he was used to that by now and was able to continue on his own. Apparently, they recently targeted a pair of highly supervised politicians that were informed that there was a hit on them. They had an early alert system in place so the targets could leave and two escape routes to use. Grem said that they spent days figuring out a plan to realize they just had to sabotage the helicopter and a couple of parachutes. “The idiots didn’t even think to check their shoots. They just suited up and jumped. Easiest cash we made all month.”

“Then I’m glad my job was a little more stimulating for you.” Father stood at the open door with his arms crossed and a small smirk. 

“Happy to have something to do.”

“Grem.” Freki elbowed past him, slightly pushing me as well in the process, and walked up to father. “What do you want us to do with this?”

“I have a cell prepared for him at the central console. A smaller one is ready for the agent. One made for his specific abilities.” Father moved out of the way, his nose wrinkling as the human was pushed past, and turned to me. “Did the journey go well?”

I nodded and motioned to the door. Father gave a sigh and shifted so the door was completely clear. “I may need you when the tests start, so stay within earshot of the lab.” I gave him a bow and walked away as father led the hitmen to his library. They were muttering something about payment and bonuses, but I really didn’t care at that point. I walked to the nearest shadow and blended in like I was trained to. I didn’t want that human to interact with me, but there was no reason to leave if I was going to be called back. Might as well guard the captives. Father spent so much time getting them that I doubt he would be very happy if they were lost. 

The human kept making sounds even though there was no one there (that they could see). He called for a lawyer and demanded his release. Neither of those would help him. Father wouldn’t let the secret of the Hidden City get out to the humans. This human will either pass here or join the Hidden City community by force. As much as I wanted to let him go, this was the best choice for him. I just looked away and focused on the normal grunts and snarls of the lab creatures. They were all better where they were as well. 

Thinking of them, I might as well tend to their needs instead of just waiting around being useless. 

Chapter 4