#How To Remove Deep Dirt From Skin 6 Months Old | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

love-skincareroutine · 4 years

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How To Remove Deep Dirt From Skin

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How To Remove Deep Dirt From Skin

A. Face scrubs: Deep cleanse and get rid of dirt and impurities – How To Remove Deep Dirt From Skin

Facial scrubs are one of the most important skin care products. With regular use of facial scrubs, you will not only remove dirt, soot and impurities, you will also get smooth, shiny looking skin. Blackheads are oxidized comedones that are not only unsuitable for your skin, but also make it look outlined and dark. They also look terrible when you sit on their smooth regions. In addition, the facial scrub helps to remove dirt, impurities and pollution.

In this article, we will discuss some of the exfoliants that are good for your skin and help to open up the clogged pores that are available on the market. These facial cleansers will help to clear the clogged pores and make your skin shiny and smooth. These items contain various fixatives, such as salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, which can help you avoid pimples in the future.

1. Neutrogena Deep Clean carnations eliminate daily peeling

This facial scrub contains caustic beta-hydroxy, which removes excess oil and dirt from the skin. This facial scrub contains nutritious pearls to soothe the skin, and its “Pimple Control Complex” penetrates the skin even more to eliminate blackheads. The cedar wood concentrate prevents them from reappearing. By using this Neutrogena clogged pore scrub, dead skin cells can be evacuated effectively. It removes dirt and oil from the skin and then effectively removes blackheads. Peeling is suitable for all skin types and effectively clogs pores. Deeply cleanses the skin without leaving the skin dry. Using this exfoliation will remove clogged pores.

2. MCaffeine Naked & Raw Coffee facial scrub

Espresso espresso contains extracts of coffee beans that remove dead skin cells, dull and dead skin, blackheads and pollution. The daily introduction of pollution and tanning makes your skin dark and incredibly opaque. This article scrub removes impurities that are even deep in the skin and reveals a crisp and radiant face when you use this acne-proof product. Expresso Pecan Extract expands the formation of collagen and even the tone of your skin. The article is an SLS article without parabens, suitable for sensitive to oily skin. You can use it twice in seven days.

3. Lotus Herbal Apriscrub Fresh apricot bark

Packed with the decency of apricot extracts, this exfoliant delicately exfoliates the skin, eliminates dead skin cells and reveals sensitive and shiny skin. The product contains Nutrient C that keeps the skin saturated, reduces the presence of blackheads and wrinkles and improves the skin’s flexibility. When you use this cleanser, dead skin cells are removed without a problem, which helps to maintain moisture in the skin. Using this crunchy apricot scrub will keep your skin clean, saturated and refreshed.

4. Everyuth Naturals Peeling Nut Peeling with Nano Multi Vit A.

This peel is equipped with a hydrogel innovation that cleanses dead skin cells and clogged pores and saturates the skin. It contains common pecan peel particles that clog pores and apricot oil, which your skin maintains.

5. Himalaya Gentle peeling nut peeling

This cleanser contains wild apple, which soothes the skin, and keratolytic specialists, who expel dead skin cells next to clogged pores. It is rich in wheat germ oil and nutrient E that release and saturate your skin. This exfoliating pecan from the Himalayas removes both blackheads and pimples from the skin. The peeling acts effectively on the skin, removing the pimples from the nose and further promoting the glow of the skin. This peeling is velvety on the surface and also keeps the skin soft and radiant. This scrub is delicate and can be used on all skin types.

6. Biocare Peeling Cloves

If you are looking for a cleanser specifically described to remove clogged pores and pimples, this Biocare Blackheads scrub is your best bet right now. This article contains fixations that will help to release clogged pores and pimples on the skin. It also helps to completely clean the skin pores and remove dead skin cells. Clean supports your skin with its natural fixations that guarantee a sensitive and flexible skin.

7. Biotique Bio Papaya Peeling revitalizing to remove the tan

Enriched with papaya extracts, this peel removes dead skin cells and severely clogged pores. In addition to secondary plant substances and minerals, this anti-tan facial peel contains characteristic fixatives, such as papaya, methi, beeswax, Boycott Haldi, Aam Beej, Himalayan water and firearm acacia. This peel is made from the concentrates of the papaya organic product and easily decomposes dead skin cells on the surface, obstructs the pore openings and then smoothes the skin for a brilliant shine. It has a delicate refining activity that reveals the characteristic splendor of the skin that easily makes it look flawless.

8. Lotus Herbals White Glow oats and yogurt for skin lightening

Another great cleanser that can remove pimples on your nose is the Lotus Whiteglow Oatmeal and Yogurt Scrub. The scrub is enriched with large amounts of yogurt and oats, which will help to peel the skin along these lines and effectively expel the blackheads. In addition, using this cleanser also helps to tone the skin. In case you need a pimple-free nose, use this cleaning under normal circumstances.

B. How to remove dirt stains from skin

The skin can become dirty and stained after a day of various internal or external activities. It is important to note that dirt can stain the skin, especially in the folds of the ankles and dry areas.

1. How to remove accumulated dirt from the skin

For some, rubbing the skin with a pumice stone can be effective, but it can be difficult for the skin. You can also use lava soap that contains pieces of pumice along with a moisturizer. This makes them a suitable choice for removing dirt stains without damaging the skin’s surface.

2. Steps to remove dirt spots from the skin

Now let’s take a look at the steps to remove dirt spots from your skin.

Fill the sink with warm water.

Moisten the skin with water.

Apply a small amount of lava soap and rub over the stained area.

Rinse the area thoroughly with clean water.

Dry the area with a soft towel.

When the area is dry, apply hand lotion or moisturizer to the area.

3. How to shower properly

If you want to keep your body clean, you must fully understand the basics, especially what you are dealing with. There are 3 basic items that you need to clean and each requires a different cleaning method.

Dirt and soot seem to stick to the body.

Dead skin cells

Body oils

When dirt is present on the surface of the skin, due to its cohesion, they stick together or combine with the oil in our skin.

a. Bath frequency

When showering, it is not recommended more than 3-4 times a week. Some studies show that less bathing can help the body to completely improve its natural self-cleaning mechanisms. The more effectively your body cleanses itself, the cleaner and healthier you will be inside and out.

b. Choose a good soap

There are three factors to consider when choosing a soap. A suitable soap should remove dirt, break the oil and grease and rinse without leaving a coating.

4. Get rid of dead skin

Dead skin is the main cause of most odors. It is best to use a mop or loofah. These exfoliating products often contain sugar, nutshells or other granular ingredients that can remove dead skin from the body.

5. Which home remedy removes dirt from the skin

For those who spend most of their time indoors or outdoors, their skin is exposed to dirt and other pollutants. Over time, dirt can accumulate on the surface of the skin and in the pores. As a result, it leads to unwanted skin problems such as opaque skin, acne and premature signs of aging.

This can be avoided by ensuring that your skin is clean and free of dirt at all times. Although there are a variety of skin cleansers, most contain harsh chemicals. Fortunately, there are several household products that can be used to remove dirt effectively.

6. 6 home remedies to remove dirt from your skin

a. Apple and corn flour

Prepare an exfoliation by mixing pieces of apple, powdered nuts and sugar. Apply the scrub to the skin and massage in a circular motion for up to 10 minutes. Leave it in place for another 5 minutes before rinsing with warm water.

b. Coffee

Mix ground coffee and tea tree oil in a bowl. Apply to the skin and leave on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with cold water and towel dry.

c. Oats

Combine coarsely ground oats with brown sugar and honey. Apply to the skin and rub for 5-10 minutes and leave on for another 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water.

d. Tomato

Mix the tomato and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the yogurt and mix the ingredients well. Pass this mixture on the skin and let it rest for 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water.

e. Milk and salt

Prepare a mixture of 2 tablespoons of milk and 2 teaspoons of salt. Apply to the skin and leave for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cold water.

f. Honey

Combine honey, almond oil and lemon juice. Heat this mixture and apply to the skin. Let dry and wash with rose water.

7. Why does the skin on my neck look dirty?

In some cases, a person who looks dirty even after careful cleaning may have a problem, particularly acanthosis nigricans (AN). This condition makes the skin darker and thicker and has a velvety touch.

This can manifest itself in the neck, skin folds and other parts of the body. It is usually found in the armpits, but sometimes forms in other folds of the body, such as the groin.

8. How do you get rid of dirt from your neck naturally?

In some people, the neck is often overlooked. Over time, dirt and pollutants can build up and damage the skin around your neck. Fortunately, there are natural ways to get rid of the dirt on your neck.

Aloe. Cut a sheet and extract the gel. Rub the gel on your neck for a few minutes and leave it there for up to 10 minutes. Rinse with water.

Apple vinegar. Prepare a solution with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 4 tablespoons of water. Dip a cotton ball in this solution and dry your neck. Leave for 10 minutes and rinse with water. Apple cider vinegar removes dead skin cells that have accumulated on the skin.

Baking powder. Prepare a paste by mixing 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda with water. Apply the paste on the neck and let it dry. When dry, rub and rinse with clean water.

Almond oil. Clear your throat with soap and water. Massage almond oil in the neck in a circular motion for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Almond oil contains vitamin E, which softens and rejuvenates the skin.

Olive oil and lemon juice. Combine equal parts of lemon juice and olive oil. Apply to your neck before bed.

Lemon has natural lightening properties that can brighten the skin and reduce pores. Olive oil moisturizes the skin to make it supple.

9. Does alcohol remove dirt from the skin?

You can safely use alcohol to remove dirt from your face or other areas. The good thing about using alcohol is that you don’t have to scrub too much to remove it. Rub some alcohol on a cotton ball and remove the dirt.

10. Final thoughts

Dealing with dirt spots on your skin can build up over time if you don’t regularly cleanse your body thoroughly. The methods described for removing dirt stains from your skin are an effective way to remove dirt stains to keep your skin clean and stain free.

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barnesandco · 4 years

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Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (6/14)

Story Masterlist

The plum seller at the farmer’s market saves Bucky from being captured for the attack at Vienna that he didn’t commit, but is she really all that she appears to be, or are ulterior motives involved?

This is an entry for @star-spangled-bingo 2020. Word count: 2022. Square filled: “Fake Dating”

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: A brief mention of Hydra and the mission in Odessa when Bucky shot Nat. Mention of guns. General melancholy, I guess.

A/N: It’s another quite chapter, but contrary to the last one... I... actually like this one, so I hope you will, too.

Bucky sighs when the northern mouth of the Istanbul canal appears on the horizon like a herald of safety, indicated by the twinkling lights in the distant dark. He’s not naive enough to think this is the end, because he knows their journey is far from over, but this, the closest they have been to the edge of Europe, is a breath of relief. Next to him, he sees the shoulders of his partner in crime drop a little, the stress alleviating just a hint.

She had been watching him hesitantly since Odessa, where his eyes had gone colder and fogged over with a memory he does not like to remember. A flash of red hair, a through-and-through bullet wound, the Ukrainian winter deep in his bones.

That retrospective chill didn’t thaw until they got on the ferry. The seat on the upper deck had provided the full luxury of the mid-morning sun. It is getting late, now, and the night has settled in. He pretends not to notice how she shifts a little closer to him on the bench seat, and suppresses a shudder -- from something besides cold -- when her shoulder touches his.

He doesn’t remember the last time he let anyone besides Steve get this close to him. Of his own volition, that is. The years of Hydra manhandling don’t count, and are a far cry from the soft feel of her cardigan and the scent of baklava still lingering on her hands.

The words have been scarce and forced between them, layered with fake smiles and uncomfortable touches ever since a fellow passenger mistook them for a couple earlier in the day, and it was easier to play along, as they had in the train, than to offer a less feasible alternative. That’s why, when someone passes by, his gloved left hand finds its way to her bare one.

She smiles at him, then, and doesn’t let go when the danger has been crossed, until the speaker system is announcing their arrival at shore and there is the customary bustle of passengers eager to leave their ride after a long journey.

This, at least, is familiar. The old Bucky, he -- I, Bucky thinks -- worked at the docks for the seven month before he was drafted. The sight of people, crowds, eager to land and leave and fan out like marbles in the Brooklyn boys’ version of snooker, rings like a bell in the jumbled chaos of his brain, clears it with a sonic echo.

And then, his fugitive, his fake lover, is squeezing his hand with a smile on her face but her eyebrows drawn together just enough for him to notice.

“I’m fine,” he murmurs lowly, so only she hears it, and the ferry is brought in. They join the line and Bucky is glad to have something solid beneath him, even if it is only the wooden pier. Above them, Istanbul glitters like a hidden treasure, and Bucky recalls fool’s gold hair under layers of dirt and sometimes blood, how he used to joke; God’s given you such lovely locks, you should take better care of ‘em, Stevie, with a ruffle of his hair. It was as soft between his fingers as her hands are, as she dodges the people swiftly, and he allows himself to be pulled along.

He counts their steps as they find themselves in the city, with cobblestones under their feet, on their way to the nearest hotel with a vacant room because planning ahead is risky and a sure way to get caught, especially if you do it online.

There’s another thing she had had to compromise on with him. Plans don’t work if you’re in hiding, because you’re predictable if you know where you’re going and why. If you don’t know where you’re going, how the hell will the authorities? That’s why he threw out that map the first chance he had, apologizing gruffly when she returned from the ladies’ room in the train station in Kiev.

He has no illusions that he is in control, but this, he can hold onto, even if it is a feeble attempt at calling some shots. They may be heading south, but they’ll do it his way, and it’s worked so far.

While her eyes are fixed on the road ahead, Bucky looks into side streets, smaller, narrow lanes, on instinct, not sure for what, but it pays when he sees a vacancy sign flickering in the dark. So he pulls them both to a stop, and then towards the door under the fluorescent flickering.

The inn is warm and homey, not the kind of run-down institution one would expect. It’s a family business; he clocks the similar features of the young man cleaning up the table in the lobby and the older woman in a headscard behind the counter. Heading towards the latter, he takes off his hat and brightens his smile. This, too, is instinctive, intuitive, the charm taking over everything else, even as his heart is thrumming with the desperation to not get recognized.

Turkish rises to his tongue fluidly. “Salam,” he says, putting his hand over his chest in the customary way. “We’d like a room for a night, please,” he says when he notes that they don’t have any other choice, going by the fact that there is only one remaining room key on the wall behind the lady.

“Walaikumassalam,” she responds, the surprise only registering as far as her eyes. “Here you go,” she says, handing over a form to fill. Bucky slides it over to his “girlfriend” while he pulls out the money and a tip. The woman takes both and hands him the last key with a smile. “Thank you. We hope you enjoy your stay. Breakfast is from seven to ten.”

They nod, and voice their thanks, and head upstairs as the vacancy sign is turned off. The already muted sound of the few patrons in the lobby dulls as they climb the stairs, and the relief he started feeling near the harbor is more palpable now. He can rest, here. It’s a safe place, if only for a few hours, if only for as long as they are here.

That feeling is overtaken by embarrassment and mortification when he opens the door to see just one double bed in the room. The room is, like the rest of the inn, homely, but there is just one bed. A bathroom, a small closet, a little desk with a mirror above it, and the one bed.

“I’ll take the floor,” he tells her, and she laughs out a tired laugh, smile lines crinkling now as she reviews the situation before dumping her bag on the floor near the door.

She shakes her head. “After 14 hours in that ferry?” She asks incredulously, and then sits down at the foot of the bed, taking her shoes off, and curling her toes in the rug beneath her in a mesmerizing motion. “I’m not that cruel, and neither of us are children. We can handle sleeping in the same bed.”

“Fine.”

Bucky offers her to use the bathroom first, and sits down by the closet with the only gun he has. The Glock is taken apart in automated motions, and cleaned with a quiet efficiency, in the manner that has been executed a hundred times, but with the difference of the sound of someone in the shower, the soft rush of water and a gentler hum only he can detect. For the second time since knowing her, he thinks that if it weren’t for the way they’re both on their toes and on the run, this could be oddly domestic.

It’s the kind of scene -- minus the gun and the hairs still standing on the back of his neck -- that his past self used to dream of. Enough money to take his girl somewhere away from Brooklyn’s smoke and gray, and enough time and a heart pure from the soot that has now accumulated from killing to spend on her.

The remembered desire is so achingly nostalgic that he doesn’t realize she’s left the bathroom until her hair is dripping on the floor in front of him, and he realizes his gun has been clean and resting reassembled in his hands for several minutes now.

“Your turn,” she says, taking the towel off from around her neck. She smells of soap. After putting away the precious weapon, he heads inside and takes that shower. He turns the water so hot his skin is pink and scrubbed raw by the time he leaves, and goes out to find a razor from his backpack.

The bathroom door is open while he shaves, and he does it now instead of the morning because he likes the stubble, but it’s getting a little out of hand. She appears in the doorway behind him and leans against the frame, watching. His hands tremble lightly.

“You were worried she would recognize you,” she says, as the shaving cream gets lathered on. “It’s the hair, you know. If you get recognized, it’ll be because of those gorgeous locks,” and Bucky raises an eyebrow in the mirror. The loose grin suggests she’s joking, until she continues. “The videos from the fight in D.C. are everywhere, Barnes. Surely you know that.”

Bucky looks her reflection straight in the eye as he picks up the razor. “I’m not cutting it.” She waits until he’s done shaving and has rinsed off his face and dried it, too.

“I’m not saying you have to. Tie it back, maybe,” she suggests with a shrug.

“How?” he questions, and then walks past her into the room, repacking the shaving supplies.

She follows, stands behind him near the bed until he’s done and turning around. “You want me to show you?”

Bucky is the one to shrug, now. “Sure.”

Pulling the long sleeve of her shirt back, she takes a hair tie off her wrist and begins to comb her still-damp hair back. “You just pull it back -- it’s easier if you have a brush -- and then coil it together... and there,” she demonstrates, wrapping the hair tie around the bun she has formed with practised expertise, and Bucky watches her nimble fingers move agilely.

She removes the hair tie and hands it to him, and he tries it, but the small bun he gathers at the nape of his neck falls apart before he can put the hair tie on. “I can’t,” he mutters, frustrated.

“Do you want me to do it?” She asks, no judgement, her tone gentle and so open he can’t help but take her up on it.

“Okay,” he responds, swallowing down the tension that is now crackling like electricity. Sitting down at the desk, he watches in the mirror as she moves slowly, drying up the last drops of water in his hair with a towel. She combs her hands gently and sparks fizz down his spine, and he has to force his eyes open and his heart steady.

Her touch is soft and honey-sweet, as she gathers his hair near the nape of his neck, and then twists it around until it is what he assumes to be a tiny, spherical mass. The tie coils once, twice, and thrice, and she steps back when she’s finished, to let Bucky see.

It’s a revelation, in some way. Not quite as thrilling as the touch of her hands on the back of his neck or her nails scraping against his scalp, but warmth pools somewhere deep inside his chest, and he looks at the face in the mirror with a new perspective. The man looking back has a divot in his chin he hasn’t noticed and doesn’t remember, and his jaw stands out against the shadows of the room. Bright blue eyes stand out more, unshielded by a curtain of brown-black hair, and he’s aware of her gaze watching him but he can’t bring himself to address it.

Is this what finding yourself feels like, he wonders, but says: “Thank you.”

#SSB2020 #ayesha writes #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes x reader fluff #bucky barnes x reader angst #marvel #marvel fanfiction #fake dating au

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skyemak · 4 years

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A Messenger

Just something original I wrote. I’m doubtful many would read, but I’ll post here anyway.

Letters.

On the surface, they appear to be nothing more than paper with ink carefully splattered upon them by quills. Different writings put on a small, insignificant paper and folded into another paper, shaped like a pocket. However, I knew truly how impactful these papers can impact their recipients.

In my time as a messenger, I’ve seen jubilant smiles where family’s will clasp the other’s hands and jump in excitement. I’ve seen recipients cover their faces as they fell to their knees, tears sliding down their flushed cheeks. In dire times, I’ve grown accustomed to seeing such sights, but they never get easier to experience.

Even outside of my listed duties, I’ll occasionally bend the rules. An illiterate adult wishing to send their sister a letter, a child wanting to write to her older brother in the city, or a blind old woman who still has something to say to her loved ones… I offer my help to write these letters. As well, if my recipient cannot read the letter, I offer to read it aloud for them.

Rain or shine, snow or dry, I did my utmost to deliver these letters in a timely manner, and unharmed. Today was no different. The sun beat down on my dark clothes as I walked the dry dirt path. I’d set out on foot this morning, but it was not until the early afternoon did I see the addressed house in the distance. I could feel beads of sweat roll down my back and face as the cry of the cicadas echoed in the background. Slung over my shoulder was my usual leather bag, but it was as light as the single letter inside. My canteen began to run empty, but due to multiple trips to this address, I knew of a water source nearby I could refill before I depart.

This visit, however, I knew not of how long it’d be before I’d be able to return.

“A letter for you, sir!” I called out behind his white picket fence.

A man who was nearing middle age slouched over a garden. His boots were painted with dry mud. His callused hands gripping his hoe swung toward the ground once before he straightened his back. The man stood his tool beside himself before turning to me. A snarled-like expression grew on his face as he removed his worn straw hat and wiped his forehead with his forearm.

“Again? When ya gonna start tellin’ them to stop sendin’ me these letters?” he growled.

He turned back around, gripping the hoe again and swung it hard into the dirt underneath. “Just toss it whe’ever. I’ll toss it later.”

By this point, I’d open the flap of my bag and held the letter in hand. Truly, this was a letter similar to the ones I’d sent before. He knew who the sender was and would inform me to tell them to stop sending them. Without a doubt did I know he did not read said letters. As the messenger, it was only my duty to send letters. Whether they read them was not my business. Although, we occasionally are given orders from the sender to not leave until the letter is read. That being said, that was exactly the case this time around.

“I can’t leave until you read it,” I shouted out to him.

“Huh?” He looked over his shoulder after a swing. “I said just leave it!”

“The sender requested I’d not leave until you read it.”

The man stood up, rubbing his lower back. He was silent for a few moments as a cool breeze helped relieve my warm body under this beating sun. The man shook his head and leaned his hoe against his fence before stepping over his garden and toward me. He shoved his hands on his fence and leaned close to me. His expression was similar to that of a grumpy old dog.

“They cut me off years ago. Why they gotta send me these damn letters every month? I keep tellin’ you to tell ‘em to stop!”

I held the letter between my thumb and finger, gesturing it to him. “I’ve told them, but I am simply a messenger, not a commander.”

His hand furiously grabbed toward the letter, but I pulled it back. “I’ve also be told to not let you rip the letter until after you’ve read it.”

The man clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes as he turned his face. He took in a deep breath before leaning his forearms against his fence. “Listen here kid,” his voice shifted to a tamer tone. “My parents kicked me out when I told ‘em I didn’t wanna fight in that damn war. They thought it was my duty to fight and risk my life. For what? I’ve seen how them uniformed folk in town beggin’ on the streets. They’re thin, diseased, and ain’t no one there willin’ to help. They beat me when I told ‘em I wanted to just keep runnin’ the inn that’s been in the family for years. They didn’t care. So, I left. I don’t want anythin’ to do with ‘em. So, I’ll take this letter, because it’s mine and tear it here and now.”

He gestured his hand toward me with his palm up. “Got it?”

I stared toward his hand and sighed. “I can promise you, if you read this letter, it will be the last one. They’ve told me they will not send anymore.”

The man raised an eyebrow. He removed himself from the fence, crossing his arms. “…Really? If I read this one, it’ll be the last one?”

“Yes.”

“After 6 years of you sendin’ me letters?”

“Well, technically 5 years and 9 months, but yes.”

He drummed his fingers over his forearm, staring at the letter in my hands. “Do I need to reply?”

“No, sir.”

After a few more moments of contemplating, he sighed. “Well, sounds like a bargain for me. Will have to find new kindling for the wintertime, though.”

I, again, brought forward the letter and he quickly snatched it from my hands. The paper rustled as he quickly moved his fingers to peel back the wax seal and pull out the letter. “Let’s see…” the grumbled to himself.

I stood there as I watched his eyes scan over the paper. Truthfully, I had not expected him to be so willing. In the beginning, he’d threaten to harm me, but I’d quickly learned he was more bark than bite. Once when sending him a letter late into the evening, it was a cold winter night with heavy snow fall. He invited me inside for a snack and offered his couch by the fireplace for the night. I knew of his strained relationship. I knew he lived alone as a bachelor away from the city. All his food was home grown and raised by his own hands. During a casual conversation, he’d point to the various scars on his body and tell each story behind them. He was a man with tough skin as hard as the calluses on his own hands, but I knew his heart was warm.

Another welcoming breeze fluttered around us, causing grass blades to dance and the paper in his hands to flutter. I watched as his facial expression shifted from a look of indifference to a somber. His eyes grew wet and his nose sniffled. A trembling hand rose to his face, covering his mouth as he shifted his footing. In all my years of visiting this man, I’ve never seen him this emotional.

His eyes reached the end of the sheet. He lowered the paper from his gaze and raised hand from his mouth to press his thumb and finger against his eyes. The man leaned his palm against the top of the fence, the sheet between his fingers. “Welp,” he said, his voice cracking slightly, “guess I can’t send them a reply anyway.”

“No, Sir. As I said, it’s the last letter.”

The man shook his head again and wiped his forearm across his wet face. Whether due to tears or sweat, I could not tell.

“Think you’ll move back to the city? I can’t imagine the government would force you to enlist now,” I said.

“Nah,” he quickly replied. “My home’s ‘ere.”

“I see. Well, I’ll be on my way then.”

“Hey, uh,” he spoke as I turned my feet to leave. “You’re canteen’s empty right? It’s a hot one today.”

“I’d appreciate it, Sir.”

“And uh… if ya ever wanna visit, door’s always open.”

I smiled toward him. “I’d like that.”

#original work #writing #short story #original

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wifeofkimtaehyungofbts · 4 years

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Chapter 6

>> Pairing: Taehyung x Y/N, Taehyung x reader

>> Words: 1785

>> Notes: I’m going to upload a new chapter whenever possible until I feel like I have built up enough thrill to leave my readers curious and desperately wanting more 😉 You may leave asks and let me know what you think of my writing (:

Synopsis: You run into a rather strange man one night. He seems terrified, as if fighting battles only he can see. He seems detached from the world, talking only to a voice inside his head. Oh, another strange fact: he keeps talking about angels. You discover later that you were the angel he was praying to.

>> Previous / Next

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Sunlight seeped in through the thin sheets hanging over the windows. I stirred, contemplating whether money was really worth my sleep, and just as I was about to sleep after deciding that sleep was obviously more worth it, my best friend jumped on me.

“Good morning baby!” she shouted cheerfully. I was in no mood to return the energy. I rolled onto my side and continued to sleep.

“Wake up!!!” she screamed in my ear.

“Ugh!” I threw her off me and she fell to the floor with a thud. “Why why why why just why!” I whined, looking at her grinning at me from the floor despite the redness in her knee from the fall that I know must have hurt.

“It’s my last day!” she exclaimed happily.

I just then remembered why today meant so much for her. She was going home on her longest vacation from the university. Unlike my family, her family was very warm and welcoming, so she always looked forward to going back.

“Oh yea... I’m taking you to the station before you leave me by myself for over a month” I pouted before I broke out into a huge smile and hugged her from where I was. I got off the bed, grabbed my towel off the chair and headed to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and having a shower, I put on a pair of denims with my black tank top and wore my hair in a pony tail.

“I’ll help you with that” I say reaching for her hang luggage. My arm nearly pulled out of its socket because of the weight. “Yah! What did you pack in this?” I ask in horror. Kim Leah grins at me sheepishly. “You do know you are coming back in a month, right? Why would you pack so much?” I ask exasperated.

“Because! I don’t want to take photos in the same clothes so I packed 2 changes of clothes for everyday” she says matter-of-factly. Kim Leah indeed has an obsession with taking pictures everywhere she goes. She states her Instagram profile is her biggest pride. It drives her insane if she had two pictures of her in the same outfit.

I sigh at her and we make our way out. We get into a parked taxi and ask the driver to take us to the station. As we round the corner, I see the space between the two buildings where I ran into that man 3 nights ago. I unconsciously search for him, but he isn’t there.

“Is something wrong?” Kim Leah asks. “You look worried”

I shake my head and smile at her endearingly. How can I tell her I’ve been worried about some stranger I don’t even know the name of? It was those eyes. His big eyes were pleading, desperate for help. I feel an ache in my heart as I remember the way they looked at the burger bag and at me. I have the sudden need to know whether he ate well for the past few days but there was no way I could know. I continue to stare out the window as I my thoughts drift off to his eyes every now and then.

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

“Okay then, this is it” Kim Leah says holding onto her luggage.

“Yah! Don’t say it like it’s the last time we are going to see each other!” I shout at her.

She laughs and hugs me tight. I hug her back just as tightly. I watch her get onto the train and wait till it starts to move and vanished out of my sight. I smile sadly knowing I was going to be alone. I didn’t mind being alone, but I worry too much so it’s nice to have someone who would distract me from my worries or listen to them. Especially if that someone was as lovely as Kim Leah.

As I walk out the station, I see a big crowd of people gathered in one place, making a big commotion. I intend to walk away quietly like I normally do, but something tells me I should check it out. Maybe someone is hurt?

I walk over to the crowd of big people and try to peek through to get a glimpse. My short height does not help me so I get down on all fours and look from under everyone’s legs. My eyes widen and a loud gasp escapes my mouth as I stare at him.

It’s him!

His body lay limp on the ground, his hood pulled down revealing unevenly outgrown dark brown hair falling over his face. I push past everybody and get to the body. A man nearly shoves me away with his big arm. “Hey, move! Don’t crowd him! We don’t know who he is!”

“I do!” I blurt.

There was a hushed whisper from the crowd and the big man stared at me questioningly. I ignore their doubts and try to throw the lifeless man’s body over mine. He was heavy. “Help me get him to a taxi please” I plead. Instantly, the big man and two other men standing in the crowd come over and lift him up. A woman stops a taxi for us and the men put him inside. The driver looks at me worriedly and I smile. “We have to get home. This is my address” I show him the location on my phone screen which he quickly types into his GPS. I turn around to the men who helped me, bowing to them in gratitude.

“He was walking around aimlessly for the past 3 hours. I was suspicious of him so I kept tabs on his behaviour. He suddenly fainted and when I rushed over, his body had already gone cold” the big man tells me.

“Thank you for the information. I will keep it in mind when I’m treating him” I smile gently. I get into the taxi and we drive away. Not going to lie, but he stinks. He smells foul and sweaty, like he hasn’t washed in weeks and there was dirt all over his face. The wounds I noticed that night by the McDonald’s were still there, almost infected and looking very itchy.

When we arrived at my apartment, I pay the driver and get out. As I struggle to move the man out of the taxi, the driver offers to help. “Ma’am let me help you with your friend over there”

He’s no friend. My actual friend will kill me if she knew I brought a random man home the moment she left, I thought to myself.

The driver and I attempt to not breathe as the man’s stench envelope us both. I thank the driver and open the door to my room as swiftly as I can and drop him to the floor. He hits the floor with a thud. I lock the door and bend over him. I keep two fingers to his neck. Okay he’s breathing.

That’s one worry out of the way.

I stare at his face, now being able to get a proper glimpse of it. He looks young, maybe only a few years older than I. His lips were cracked and blue. I reach over to touch his face. I immediately retract my hand as I feel his cold skin. This is not good.

I take off his black jacket and throw it in the empty laundry basket. And yes, it is empty because I now do my laundry regularly. So proud of myself for the progress.

I move to his feet and take off his shoes and socks. His socks were so old and torn at so many places, I doubt it could even keep a rat warm. It reeked terribly so I immediately threw it into a bucket of water in the bathroom. It is with the greatest difficulty I take off his thick sweater. How the hell did he survive wearing this in this heat? I thought to myself shockingly.

As I unbutton his green shirt, he suddenly grabs my hands. I bolt backwards, but I cannot remove my hands from his hold. He slowly opens his eyes and looks at me.

“I-... I...” I stammer. He continues to stare at me through hooded eyes.

“I found you fallen on the ground” I begin, “Actually no. Some people found you and I recognized you so I brought you to my place” I correct myself. He still stares at me without blinking. “You smelt really bad so I figured...”

That’s when it hits me. What was I trying to do?! Take off his clothes?? Wash him??

I regain my composure and continue, “I figured you might need a shower so I was going to set the water and take off most of your clothes”

He still continues to stare at me, his grip strong. I squirm under his lifeless stare. His hands loosen their grip on mine so I quickly pull away and waste no time in hooking my arm under his head and gently lift him up. Thankfully he doesn’t put up a fight.

“You can go shower. The water heater is on and you can use the shampoo and soap already on the counter” I say. He doesn’t look at me as he staggers to his feet. He takes in the room as I go to fetch him a towel and toothbrush. His eyes settle on the box of colour pens and pencils on my study table.

“Kim Leah, my best friend, is very talented at art. She lives here with me so her belongings are here too” I say, noticing the objects that seemed to catch his attention.

“Do you draw?” the man asks, without taking his eyes off the box of colour. It’s the first time I’m hearing his voice, but that’s not the reason I am shocked. His voice was deep, the words booming from somewhere inside his throat. It did not match his innocent face. His voice was, to simply put it, very attractive.

I quickly shake my head, embarrassed with myself for thinking such incredulous thoughts. I stretch my arm out at him, holding the towel to him. He takes it slowly and heads to the bathroom. I stop him in his tracks. “How did you know the bathroom was there?” I ask suspiciously. He shrugs and continues to stare at me. I tilt my head to the side, pouting in suspicion. I then step aside and let him pass by.

What a strange man. Does he have a sixth sense? I wonder.

I make my way to the kitchen to prepare something for him to eat when I hear the shower turn on.

#bangtan sonyeondan #kim taehyung #bts taehyung #taehyung fan fiction #y/n #y/n x taehyung #BTS v #bts v x reader #bts fan fiction #Angels

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violet-knox · 5 years

Text

Smiles and Gobstones

Year 6 - Chapter 51

Summary: You head home to change before heading over to Spinner’s End with Severus to meet his mother.

Word count: 5024

A/N: This chapter was inspired by this suggestion made by anon. Anon if you are still reading I hope you like it and happy holidays everyone 😊

Previous Chapter - Chapter 1

Kneeling down, you opened your Hogwarts trunk searching for that polka doted green and black dress you thought you’d already unpacked. A rise of panic settled itself into your chest as you reached the bottom of your trunk. Tossing its contents one more time, you shoved it forward and peered behind it before searching through the top shelf of your dresser.

“What’s wrong with the dresses on your bed?” Severus leaned against the closed door of your room, arms crossed as he watched you rip your closet apart. You’d been on edge ever since lunch and it was clear to him now that you were still worried about meeting his mother. It was bad enough you’d grilled him with questions on your way over here, but watching you throwing around clothing left and right had to take the cake. How does she dress? What will she expect? Is she traditional? Does she conform to muggle standards? He didn’t even know the answers to half your questions and had no idea what to say to help ease your nerves.

“I know it’s here somewhere,” you whispered into the void of your closet. Severus could barely hear you, but you still caught him in your peripherals, rolling his eyes as he shifted in his place.

“Ah ha! Found it,” you exclaimed with a sigh of relief, unfolding the dress as your eyes examined it, but the more you looked at it, the more you wished you hadn’t even bothered buying it in the first place. You shrugged as you turned around and subconsciously threw it on your bed in defeat.

You were about to turn your attention back to your closet to look for something else to wear when the mess on your bed caught your eye. Staring at it, you realized you’d pulled every dress out of your closet and rejected every single one. So what would you wear? You surely couldn’t meet his mother in these old worn out clothing you had on, no your best option was a dress. Even if you were to find a nice enough shirt, none of your trousers were adequate enough to make a good first impression.

Hands on your hips, your eyes went over each dress laid out before you, trying to find one you thought would say ‘I’m approachable and kind but strong and defined’.

“Just pick one already.” You snapped your head in Severus’ direction, his patients clearly running out. You had no idea how long you’d been rummaging through your closet for, but you knew however long it was, the time probably went half as fast for him.

“What do you think I should wear?” you asked, hoping for a bit of insight since it was his mother you were trying to make a good impression on.

“It won’t matter, just pick one and put it on so we can get going.” He gestured to your bed before eyeing the clock that hung on the adjacent wall. It was already five o’clock and he’d told his mother to expect them back by five-thirty. At this rate, he’d be lucky if you made it to his house sometime before the sun set.

“Well if you helped me pick one, this would go a lot quicker.” You hadn’t felt this stressed since you’d taken your O.W.Ls. How absolutely adoring were the things this boy does to you. “Okay fine, here,” you picked up two of your favorite dresses, ones you’d been saving to wear for a special occasion and held them up by their hangers for him to see. “Which one of these do you prefer”

Severus smirked as he eyed the soft yellow and deep blue dresses you held in your hands, imagining how well they would hug your figure, perfectly displaying the natural curve of your body. “The blue one,” he said after a mere short moment of thought.

You stared at him in awe of his quick reaction and wondered whether his answer was genuine or if he simply picked one to help speed things along. Meeting his gaze, you couldn’t help but smile when you saw the little twinkle in his eyes that only made itself apparent when he was over joyous.

“See, that wasn’t so hard was it,” you flaunted as you turned to your closet and put away the yellow dress you had in your right hand, hanging the blue one on the hook of the dresser door. Adjusting the door, you hid behind it as you began undressing, unhooked the dress from its hanger and slipped it on. Shifting to the other side of the closet door, you ran your fingers down the fabric of your dress as you peered into the floor length mirror.

Your gaze finally rose to your face, and you suddenly became very aware of your messy hair. You hadn’t looked at it since this morning and you always had it up when you worked, hating to have it in the way. Your brows furrowed in nervousness as you reached up to pull on the elastic holding your hair together and take down your ponytail.

Your hair had stiffened from being up for so long, hanging in an even worse condition than you’d began with. You quickly began fluffing it out in an attempt to loosen the strands and force it to look somewhat acceptably presentable.

Severus eyed you from behind, admiring your frantic tactics as you wrestled your hair. He knew you’d look good in whatever you picked, but that dress truly did hug you in all the right places, the fabric complimenting your skin tone. The subtle detailing extenuating just how special you are. His eyes sinfully roamed your body before he caught your gaze in the mirror, your hands slowly removing themselves from your hair as a smile crept onto your face.

He smiled back as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around your waist without breaking his gaze. “You look beautiful,” he whispered as he rested his chin on your shoulder.

Your grin grew like a little girl who’d just been handed her favorite sweet. Leaning into his hold, you revealed in his touch as he pressed his lips to your shoulder. “Thank you,” you whispered back, admiring how his arms lovingly wrapped themselves around you in the mirror.

You both took a moment, holding each other in serenity, neither of you daring to move. These last few months had you really depending on his touch for comfort. You relied on his hold, his lips praising you, his hands caring for you. You only hoped you would never have to learn to adapt without him.

Closing your eyes, you let out a long breath as you felt your anxiety melt away. You hadn’t realized just how badly you needed this little moment until he’d wrapped his arms around you. How was it he always seemed to know what you needed at just the right time.

“So…” you said, hating yourself for shattering such a lovely moment, “will you help me put away all that?” you nudged towards the mess on your bed.

Severus buried his face in the crook of your neck as he let out a soft groan in protest. His grip on you tightened and you felt yourself being pushed back into his chest. Your grin only grew wider as leveled yourself, placing one foot a step back between him, your head leaning back, wanting nothing more than for him to keep his holding you.

“Fine,” he finally said as he lifted his head and let his arms slowly fall to the side. “But only because I love you.”

You let out a soft giggle as you turned to face him and pull his collar towards you, capturing his lips for a quick kiss of gratitude before you both reached for the clothing on your bed, putting it away, one dress at a time.

Time flew by as you followed Severus off the bus, looking around to find you’d ended up in the middle of nowhere, but you trusted him. Even after you’d motioned to get off the bus when the stop a few minutes’ walk from the park near his house arrived, he’d pulled you back down and told you he knew a short cut.

But looking around now, all you could see was an endless road your bus disappeared down, a long stretch of an abandoned construction sight behind you with what you assumed were the only living trees left in the city on the other side of the road.

Interrupting your thoughts, you felt Severus grab your hand and walking towards the road, stopping at the curve. There were no crosswalks to be found, so you assumed he’d crossed like this many times before and as you arrived on the other side of the road, a dirt path making itself apparent between the trees, you got the impression he wasn’t the only one who’d opted to take this path to Spinner’s End.

The miniature forest you’d walked through was rather shallow and it wasn’t long before you found yourself stepping onto Spinner’s End. You were here so fast you’d completely forgotten to run through the few opening lines you’d come up with when meeting his mother. Your heart beat faster with every step you took, your palms warming in nervousness as you took a few deep breaths, keeping your eyes low in fear of arriving at his doorstep too soon.

“Relax,” Severus said as he led you to the last house on the street to your right. “You don’t need to be nervous.”

“What if she doesn’t like me,’ you whispered. Severus smirked, looking into the puppy-dog eyes you gave him. He knew you were genuinely concerned about meeting his mother, but he couldn’t help but find it rather adoring than concerning. The way you looked at him with those big soft eyes of yours, your lips ever so slightly curving into a frown, your brows furrowed, your hand warming under his, tightening your grip as if hanging on for dear life.

“Her opinion won’t change how I feel about you, love,” he said as he quickly reached over with his free hand to tug on the chain around your neck. Your locket popped out from under your dress and landed in his hand. You looked down just in time to watch his name fade, replaced by your own.

You let out a soft giggle as you reached for it, Severus letting go, happy to see he’d managed to bring a smile on your face. You quickly tucked the locket under your dress just as you arrived at his front door, wearing the largest grim you’d worn all day.

Severus let you go and stepped forward as he reached into his pocket for his key to unlock the door. He swung it open and stepped through, waiting for you to follow. You walked over that last step to the entrance and walked into a rather quaint looking sitting area. There was a fireplace to your right, surrounded by a simple armchair and a couch. The rest of the space felt rather empty, the walls bare where you’d imagined pictures would have hung if his family had any inclinations for such things and right away you’d noticed no dining table was present.

It wasn’t much, but it was rather cozy. Severus closed the door behind you and you suddenly felt rather conscious of your presence in an unknown home. His mother was nowhere to be found which you found a bit odd. Surely the sound of the open door would have alerted her to your presence and you’d for some reason, imagined she’d come running, eager to meet the girl her son had been dating. Though now that you were here, realizing the lack of evidence that Severus actually lived here, you weren’t sure why you were so surprised. He’d told you she’d never been attentive, never once asking about him or given him any emotional support so you had no reason to think she’d suddenly changed overnight.

“Take a seat and I’ll bring us some tea.” Severus gestured towards the couch as he made his way to the door, leading to what you assumed was the rest of the house, across from you. “Have any preference?” he asked just as he placed his hand over the doorknob.

You shook your head as you cautiously took a seat, running your hands along the back of your thighs to push your dress forward as you sat. “Whatever you’re having is fine.”

You watched as Severus disappeared behind the door, leaving you alone to the estranged sitting room. It was odd to be placed somewhere you’d never once been told about or prepared for. You felt guilty for wanting to have a look around, to get familiar with your surroundings but even more so, find any indication that told you this is where Severus belonged. You’d been rather underwhelmed so far, unable to imagine him living in a place holding no apparent value for him. Of Course, you hadn’t exactly expected to find Slytherin banners hanging from the ceiling, or books scattered across the floor, but at least a picture, just one would have been nice to see.

You turned your attention to the back of the room and suddenly noticed a small antique oak cabinet standing beside a half filled bookcase that appeared to have been sitting there for centuries, and if it wasn’t for the lack of dust, you would have said it had never been touched. Looking back to the door on your left, you wondered whether you should wait for Severus to return and ask what the cabinet held or if anyone would barge into the room and find you snooping if you were to head over right now and quickly rummage through its belongings.

Curiosity winning over courtesy, you found your feet carrying you off the couch and over to the mysterious cabinet. Your fingers grazed over the delicate wooden frame of its drawers, the detailing crisp and concise. Hastily reaching for one of the knobs you gave it a tug before someone came bursting through those doors and caught you red handed. Locked. Figures. Kneeling down you grabbed hold of both knobs standing side by side and gave those a tug as well. Nothing. Surely they didn’t have anything so valuable that would need such protection, not after everything Severus had told you about his family, not to mention the fact they lived on Spinner’s End; a street known for its cheap housing.

With a breath of disappointment, you made your way back over to the couch, sitting down just in time as Severus reentered the room, two teacups levitating around him. You smiled as you watched him settle them on the table in front of the unlit fireplace before taking a seat beside you. He’d use any excuse to use magic now that he was of age.

“Earl Grey was all we had left.” he said, sliding your cup towards you and picked up his own. You gave him a small smile in appreciation, watching him stir the steaming tea.

“That’s fine,” you said, picking up the two sugar cubes Severus had placed on the saucer and dissolving them in your tea. “Thank you.”

You picked up your cup and continued to stir as you blew over the tea.

He couldn’t lie, of course he’d hesitated to have you over, but he had to admit, it was rather nice sitting in this dreadful sitting room having tea in your company. You made living in this house almost bearable and he silently wished you’d stay to keep him company more often. He only hoped the evening would go over without a hitch and leave you loving him just as much as when you’d stepped over the threshold of the broken home of the Snape family.

“Sev, can I ask you a question?” he turned his attention to you as he gently lowered his cup.

“Of course.”

“That cabinet back there,” you pointed behind you, “what’s in it?” you hesitantly asked, hoping you weren’t pressing on a sensitive subject. But you couldn’t help it. That cabinet looked out of place, like someone in this house cared deeply for the contents it held. Severus parted his lips, and you readied yourself for the story you knew something that old held, one you didn’t think you’d ever get the chance to hear as the doors swung open once again and out stepped that same slim figure of a woman you’d seen twice before at King’s Crossing.

Immediately, your hands went to free themselves, placing your tea cup back on its saucer on the table as you watched her stand beside the couch next to Severus. You could tell she was young, but her heavy black eyes aged her quite a bit. Her soul had grown old while her body remained young. Her hair as slick and dark as Severus’, hung carelessly around her head, stopped a few inches below her shoulders. You could feel the familiar sensation of thick greasy strands under your fingertips just from looking at her.

The resemblance was quite hard to miss. Severus was almost the spitting image of his mother from the hair, to the eyes, to the way his lips would twitch in the most subtle grin just like hers. The most evident difference had to be his hooked nose. Hers was much smaller, much more narrow, though it didn’t really help improve her overall appearance. She in fact, reminded you of the classic depictions of what Muggles assumed witches looked like.

“Mum, this is (Y/N),” said Severus, putting little to no effort at introducing you. He simply sat there holding his tea as he addressed her.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” you said, quickly jumping to your feet, stretching your hand as a polite gesture of introduction.

You stood there nervously as she eyed your hand before cautiously sliding her lean slim fingers into your palm. Her hands were rough, like she’d done nothing but hand-on shores her entire life. Her grip was quite loose, and you feared when she quickly retreated her hand without so much of a grip or shake, she shared no interest in meeting you.

“Dinner’s ready,” she simply stated to both of you before turning on her heels and making her way back through the door from which she’d emerged.

But she’d been the one who’d asked Severus to have you for dinner, surely she had some inclined interest in getting to know you. You nervously turned your attention to Severus who’d stood up and reached to place his own cup on its saucer and carry it as he made his way around the couch. He waited for you to follow his lead, picking up your own tea before he silently opened the door and lead you through the corridor.

Immediately, your eyes shot to the stairs facing you as you passed through the door. Severus however averted heading to the second floor and instead turned to head through another door on the adjacent right wall. You were met with a rather brightly lit kitchen, coupled with a small round table, three seats encircling it, shoved off to the side of the room as you followed Severus.

His mother was in the middle of setting the table and you wondered whether she preferred to do such a thing by hand or if she’d simply gotten used to doing so without magic for the sake of her Muggle husband. Either way, you were not one to judge as a guest in her home.

You sat beside Severus and set your tea aside as you watched Eileen carry a tray with what appeared to be roasted chicken and baked potatoes. Little was said as the food was passed around and though you couldn't get the impression she thought your presence an inconvenience for her out of your head, you were at least glad she’d begun warming up to the situation.

Her questions were quite short, whether directed towards you or Severus and dinner, though started off rather rigid, ended with a pleasant conversation of Eileen’s experience in the wizarding world. You’d initially thought you’d brought up the wrong topic when asking about her Potions career as she shot Severus quite a nasty look, but the more you’d encourage her to speak, the happier she seemed to be to share her past accomplishments with someone other than her son.

“I presume Potions was your best subject at Hogwarts?” you asked, helping her clear the table as you took Severus’ plate and stacked it with yours before reaching for Eileen’s plate as well.

“Amongst other things yes,” she replied, putting away the leftovers in the fridge. You placed the dishes in the sink and turned your attention back to her, watching the curious look in her eyes quickly dissolve into unsettlement. When you turned around to look where her eyes went, you found that Severus had whipped out his wand to charm the dishes. You always loved magic. It was a blessing, a gift. The day you’d found out you were a witch was the best day of your life. It changed everything, from how you valued yourself to your interests. And when you met Severus, you finally felt like you had someone in your life to be proud of your magical abilities, so it broke your heart to see his mother flinch in such a way when he displayed his own talents so evidently.

“Tell me.” Eileen’s voice brought your attention back to her, “Do you partake in any activities outside of your classes?” she asked.

“I play Quidditch.”

You’d never seen silence fall so quickly before. Three simple words caused the ambience to change, now gloomy around you as you watched the small glimmer of a smile on Eileen's face disappear, a sour expression replacing it instead. Was she expecting an answer of another kind? Did she despise the sport?

Severus quickly put away his wand and placed himself beside you as he intervened. “Mother was the President of the Gobstones club during her final years at Hogwarts,” he explained.

Everything had gone so well. You hadn’t made a single comment or gave any look of disgust when stepping foot into the house. His mother had been, to some extent, attentive and even began conversing with you. It wasn’t your fault. You had no idea the history behind the popularity of Quidditch, the players of the game demining those like his mother who ‘couldn’t grow up and play a real sport’, viewing her as less than themselves.

“Gobstones?” you asked curiously.

“It’s a game of tactics, similar to the muggle game Marbles,” Severus replied, placing a hand on your back to encourage you to make your way back to the sitting room, his mother not far behind.

Eileen scoffed at her son’s oversimplification. “Care to go for a round? I can show you how to play,” she said, her tone rather uninviting.

For all intents and purposes, your brain told you the only correct response to that question is ‘yes’. But that little glimmer in her eyes, her mischievous grin returning to her face, told you to run for the hills. If she was the President of the Gobstones Club during her time at Hogwarts, she must have been good at it, meaning you’d no doubt lose, though you had no idea why she was so eager to play a game with someone unable to challenge her talents.

Severus sighed as his shoulders dropped. He knew where this was going, and it was nowhere good. Still he said nothing when you shot him a quick glance and instead shifted uncomfortably, letting out a huff of annoyance.

“Sure,” you replied hesitantly.

Eileen walked over to the whimsical looking bookshelf in the far-left corner and stood on her toes, blindly letting her hand search the top of it. She very quickly found what she was looking for and let her feet lower her back to the ground, revealing a rather short black shriveled wand, clearly unused for quite some time.

She then stepped forward and crouched in front of the oak cabinet and wove her wand. The left door on the bottom shook but remained shut. Suddenly you heard the sound of something heavy crash behind you. You turned around to see Severus pointing his own wand at the furniture that now attached itself to the walls of the house, leaving the floor completely bare.

Your curiosity peaked, forcing you to bite your tongue, keeping from asking why such a game would require so much room as Severus walked back over to you. He appeared nervous as he took your hand and quickly pressed his lips to your knuckles as if silently apologizing for a mistake you had yet to discover.

The loud crack coming from the cabinet door Eileen was crouched beside opening had you spinning your attention back to her. You watched as she removed a small bag and quickly closed the cabinet door before joining you in the center of the room.

She first removed a cloth which Severus took from her, laying it out on the floor. As predicted, a circle appearing to be about three feet wide was laid out on the cloth. Eileen then dumped the remaining contents of the pouch near the center of the circle. What looked to be a little more than two dozen round marble shaped stones scattered with two apparently larger ones contrasting in size and colour. Severus levitated the darker, more bronze looking one towards him while Eileen did the same with the bright golden one.

“I’ll play with you,” spoke Severus, “And this is our colour,” he gestured to the stone in his hand, which you grasped before you glanced over to the circle, counting fifteen of the same stone in miniature form. It felt heavier than a classic marble, like it was made of metal and as you looked back to see Eileen’s marbles, you began to wonder if they were truly made of gold.

“We’ll play the basic version of the game,” said Eileen.

“So our goal is to capture all of her stones before she does,” finished Severus.

You nodded your head in understanding and watched as Severus took the stone from you and made the first move, flicking it into the couple of brightly coloured golden stones belonging to his mother. Nothing passed the barrier that encircled the stones until Eileen’s second move where she impressively knocked out two of your stones at once. It was no surprise to see her triumph so early in the game, even if she was out of practice, you were sure she’d get back into her rhythm rather quickly. What you hadn’t expected however was the foul-smelling liquid that squirted out of the two stones that had escaped the circle, aimed directly at your face as well as Severus’.

So it wasn’t exactly like marbles and neither had you expected it to be. Though a warning would have been nice. The game continued on and you finally began to get the hang of it, using the aim you had developed as a chaser to help capture a few of her stones. Naturally, the small skill you’d gained wasn’t enough to beat Eileen, though it didn’t matter to you who’d won. You were only glad to see her smile and accept you.

“Thank you for dinner and for inviting me into your home,” you said politely, outstretching your hand once more as Severus lazily flicked his wand, cleaning up the mess you’d all made before returning the furniture where it belonged.

She took your hand and gave it a light shake this time, accompanied by a small smile in acknowledgment. She said nothing as she shot one last look at her son before heading back through the door leading to the stairwell and kitchen.

Severus immediately went to open the door, waiting for you to step outside before he followed, closing the door behind him.

“I’m sorry she got so carried away,” he said apologetically, reaching to swipe his thumb along your damp hairline before tucking your hair behind your ear. “She’s just proud is all.”

You smiled, stepping forward to wrap your arms around his neck. “It’s okay. I understand,” you whispered. You could respect a competitive spirit and she was quite delightful when you’d got her talking during dinner, so you had to give her some credit for her hospitality.

“Do you want me to walk you home?” he asked softly.

“It’s alright, I’ll just apparate. It’s dark enough so no one will see.”

You hadn’t realized just how much the day had gotten away from you and you had to admit, despite Eileen’s clear intention to prove something, you still had quite a bit of fun playing Gobstones.

Severus nodded before closing his eyes and nudging to capture your lips. What initially was meant as a quick goodbye kiss turned into much longer need of desperate touch, your fingers entangled in his hair, his arms pressing your stomach into him. Your bodies molded with one another as Severus put all his appreciating for you into this one simple kiss.

“I love you,” he whispered as you parted, lips lingering over one another.

“I love you too,” you replied, feeling absolutely no inclination to move a single muscle. You’d stay here forever, rotting in the faint odder you and Severus had yet to completely remove from your person if you could.

You both stood there for quite a while before you reluctantly opened your eyes and lifted your head, Severus doing the same as you felt his grip on you loosen. You stepped away from him, running your fingers all along his arms before meeting with his palms. He let you slip through his fingers and stood there, watching as you gathered yourself before spinning on the spot, disappearing into thin air, leaving behind nothing but the echo of a loud crack.

Next Chapter

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leiascully · 4 years

Text

The Wong End of the Telescope

By @agirlcalledNarelle: submission for Angst fic exchange in Apr 2020. Prompt was ‘Mulder and Scully on the run angst’! Trigger warning: suicide reference, disordered eating. How did Mulder & Scully end up in the UH?

6,8K words. Here on AO3

Cotton candy pink grazed the tops of the darkened hills. It was the hour of magical thinking, when dreams fuse with reality and imaginary adventures are tethered once more by the earth’s physical laws. Scully pulled up at a trailer park, her eyes on the dirt track in front of her rather on the hills above. The energy of the hour moved around her like the parted Red Sea. Mulder stirred beside her, stretching his arms over his head, and wiped spittle from the side of his mouth.

‘Where are we?’ His voice was hoarse from sleep. He looked at her in a daze, so boyish and trusting, having slept for the last seven hours. She wanted to reach over and stroke his warm, pink cheek, but instead she sat on her hands and stared outside.

‘Crockett, Texas.’

‘Why?’

‘Sun was coming up,’ she answered tersely. ‘It meets the criteria, and we’ve been on the go for over 12 hours.’

The sky was now a cloudless blue. Dry air promised a hot day ahead. Their last town had been in flat and endless prairie country. Scully had ached to see mountains, the hodgepodge of nature competing for survival, so she subconsciously delivered them to a town surrounded by hills in the neighbouring national park. She used to like arriving. She would enjoy discovering what made each town tick, uncovering their customs and values, until she realised every place was the same in that they would one day leave it behind.

The door to the trailer park reception opened and a dishevelled woman eyed them suspiciously.

‘We don’t open til 7,’ she called, her features distorted with annoyance. ‘Y’all will just have to wait til then.’

Scully looked at her watch: it was 6:55am. Mulder opened his mouth to speak, but Scully got there first.

‘That’s fine, we can wait. Thanks for letting us know.’ She attempted a smile, but it sat foreign on her lips. The woman said nothing and closed the door.

‘It’s only five minutes, Scully,’ Mulder muttered, kicking the gravel. ‘I’m sure she could have sprung us a key.’

‘What’s the point in drawing attention to ourselves?’ Scully replied sharply. ‘We just got here. I don’t want to have to leave before we’ve even had breakfast because you’ve gone and made yourself all memorable. We’re living by your rules, you know.’

Yesterday, she had returned to their trailer to find Mulder urgently packing the car. Gotta move, he had said. The Sheriff had come into the store where Mulder worked stacking shelves, and Mulder didn’t like the way he’d answered the Sheriff’s innocent questions. Felt there was too much room for scrutiny, and he got his feeling. The feeling when someone looked at them for too long or asked too many follow up questions. Before she’d had a chance to shower, they were leaving town.

At precisely 7am, the sign on the door of the lodge switched from Closed to Welcome! We’re open. Scully paid in cash for a week while Mulder sulked by the car. She left him to carry in the bags while she entered the stuffy trailer in search of the bed.

She found work a café off a main road which offered all-day breakfasts for the laborers, and milkshakes and relative privacy for the high schoolers. The first time Mulder had been a fugitive, the Lone Gunmen had set up a couple of bank accounts in different names for him to access. Now they were nearing the end of their second year on the run as a pair, and without the Gunmen’s help, they worked to supplement themselves. As Mulder liked to say, their opportunities dried up as quickly as the money in those accounts.

Ed, the manager, had thought Scully would be perfect for front of house. She preferred something along the lines of washing dishes and his expression revealed that it wasn’t the first time he’d received such a request. He’d looked her up and down and nodded slowly. Shift is 6am to 2pm, 6 days a week, Ed said daringly, you think you can handle that?

Scully filled up the sink on her first day when a boy entered, skinny, with mousy brown hair in need of a trim. He slipped an apron over his standard teen uniform of black jeans, band t-shirt and converse. She guessed he was 17, maybe 18 years old. He stopped still at the sight of her.

‘Who are you?’ His voice was both deep and weedy, still adjusting to itself.

‘Denise.’ Another of Mulder’s rules: keep the same initial. Easier to roll off your tongue. ‘Who are you?’

‘I’m Chet. I’m the morning waiter until 2pm, when Sasha’s in.’ He reached across her to wash his hands. It had been a while since someone other than Mulder has stood in such close proximity. Feeling crowded, she inhaled quickly and concentrated on tying her hair up. ‘You’re different to the last washer.’ Scully didn’t say anything. ‘You new in town? Did you just arrive?’

‘You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?’ Scully busied herself with the pots, and Chet took the hint. They didn’t talk for the rest of the shift.

‘Do you think it will work?’ Mulder asked when she returned 8 hours later, accompanied by the smell of cooking oil. The afternoon was caught under a bell jar, hot and still. Mulder was sprawled on the bed with newspapers spread in front of him, looking for any information that could potentially threaten them. Scully was sure that, should she ever ask him, he wouldn’t be able to articulate exactly what he was looking for.

‘It’s fine.’ She removed her shoes and sat on the end of the bed. Her feet were humming from the day’s work followed by the 3 mile walk back. ‘Same as that place in Burlington.’

‘Kansas?’

‘Sure.’ She crawled fully onto the bed and tucked her hand under the pillow, her back to Mulder.

‘Good. The more anonymous the better.’ Mulder pulled the papers from under her. ‘It looks like there are two local newspapers, but the most popular one here is USA Today.’

‘Well that’s a surprise.’

‘Whatever, Scully. I’m not doing this for fun.’ She felt him lie down next to her. The hairs on her back stood to attention, hoping he wouldn’t touch. The silence between them was a black hole, and Scully jumped right in.

‘I found work at a local motel. They’re renovating for Summer.’ Mulder said quietly after a few minutes.

‘Ok.’ Scully stayed on her side.

‘I stocked up at the store, so we don’t have to go for a little while. Do you want anything to eat?’

‘No.’ She closed her eyes against the daylight.

The mirror in the trailer was placed such that she could only see her shoulders up. Mulder had to crouch to see himself, and Scully very nearly had to stand on tiptoes. Before, this would have made her laugh.

Around her 40th birthday, she had gone through a phase of avoiding mirrors altogether, but now she studied her reflection with interest. Her pronounced clavicle snaked around the bottom of her neck like two thin arms buried under the skin threatening to strangle her. Feathery lines sat under her eyes from months of squinting at the road. Her cheekbones slid into shadowed gorges and levelled out to her soft chin, slack and furry with little hair. Freckles splattered like paint on a pale canvas. Grey dominated the natural auburn at her temples so that when she pulled her hair into a ponytail her mother’s face gazed back at her. The first time she saw the likeness she had gasped, remembering her father sitting next to her Christmas tree, little Emily asking to be set free in a wooden church. From then on, her hair was always down unless at work.

Mulder made her wear a baseball cap when she was out. If she dyed her hair, she was allowed to leave the cap at home. The idea of being anything other than a shade of red panicked her: this was her last thing. She was already hollowed out, a tinman pretending to have a heart. If she lost her hair colour, she felt she would finally rust over and be lost forever. What else did she have left?

Scully was scrubbing stubborn scrambled eggs from a large frying pan. The effort made her arm ache, and she felt slightly dizzy. Though they had shared fewer than 10 sentences since she started a week ago, she welcomed a break when Chet walked quickly into the kitchen.

‘Trade places with me,’ He said urgently. She looked at him properly for the first time. His head was ducked, chin covered in the duckling fluff of a teen too keen to prove his maturity. He was tall, she realised. She hadn’t realised how tall, given his movements were soft and quick. She wondered what his mother felt when she looked at him.

‘Why?’ She asked suspiciously. ‘I need to stay back here.’

‘Please, would you just do it for me?’ He pleaded. Scully scanned the room to see a table of girls laughing over their menus.

‘You want to avoid those girls?’

‘Something like that,’ Chet mumbled, cheeks flushed. Scully sighed and took the apron out of his hands, her palms sweaty with nerves. She took their order and found she had forgotten how to move her face. Her reactions felt too big, too staged. She tested her limits by taking another order from another girl sat by herself. When she returned to the kitchen, Chet had scrubbed off the remaining egg.

‘Thanks,’ he said gratefully.

‘I’m not going to do it again,’ she snapped, snatching the brush from his hands. He left, and she leaned against the sink, hating herself for snapping. After almost three years on the run, her ability to make connections was off. She wrapped her right thumb and middle finger around her left wrist, measuring its circumference. Her wrist didn’t touch the fingers, and she was pleased when she could circle her wrist freely their grip. The bubbles in the sink crackled as they burst, slowly revealing a yellow glob of egg.

She would wake before Mulder to get to the café on time. He slept soundly, in a way he never could previously, on his back with an arm over his head. The conspiracy hadn’t been enough: he needed to be fully consumed by something, eaten, removed from life as he knew it, before he found peace.

He was enjoying his current line of work. She could tell because he once described the paint brush gliding like a toboggan, or by his swagger as he removed his t-shirt after a day of manual labour. Previously he was all about exposing the designs of others; now he was the creator. He was proud of himself. She had picked a hangnail on her pinkie, dry from constantly being in water, as he told her a tale about some wood and nails. Or it might have been shelves and a spirit level. She hadn’t listened too closely, knowing that whatever he found here would last only as long as he felt safe. Soon the time would come when his house of cards would fall.

‘What are you doing here, anyway, Ms Denise?’ Chet asked her. He was standing in the doorway, at a loose end. Rain kept the breakfast regulars away. Scully’s wet ponytail was plastered down her back and her soaked t-shirt stuck to her leggings. Her hipbones, sharp and round like pin heads, pressed against the sink as she leaned over, missing the usual padding of a dry t-shirt. They would bruise by the end of the day.

‘What do you mean?’ She asked flatly. With no customers, she kept busy by dismantling and cleaning the fat fryer.

‘Just that.’ Chet helped her remove one of the baskets. ‘Why did y’all come to Crockett? To work in a café? What’s the story?’

‘No story. Just in need of a job.’

‘No story.’

‘Nope.’

‘You’re here just because you need a job. All on your lonesome.’

‘Yep.’ She popped the ‘p’ sound at the end.

‘My uncle had a friend who just turned up out of nowhere,’ Chet said. ‘Turns out he had two different families over in Louisiana. Weren’t long before he got sprung and had to go back. Now he’s awaiting trial for polygamy.’

‘So what?’ Her forehead suddenly prickled with sweat and she wiped it with her wrist. She met his gaze and held it in a silent threat.

‘Nothing’s never nothing, s’all I’m saying.’ Chet left to serve a customer, and Scully exhaled shakily. The oil mixed with the soap in the sink to create rainbows on the slimy surface. This kid was smart. A liability best kept to herself for now.

Scully ate an apple each morning as she meandered down the dirt roads to work, its crunch made louder by the darkness. She emptied her mind and savoured her surroundings, appreciating each ditch in the road, and the way a particular shrub resembled a sheep as she passed the ‘Welcome to Crockett!’ sign. Sporadic streetlights illuminated her solitary figure like the beacon of a lighthouse.

They had started out as crusaders, underdogs who would come out on top having prevented the end of the world. However, it was clear a few weeks in that without FBI resources, and the very real talents of the Gunmen, they were doomed to exist on the fringes of society, chasing wicker men. On their first night running she had told Mulder that she wouldn’t accept defeat if he didn’t, a memory that now makes her prickle with discomfort. That Scully is a high school student scribbling love hearts on her exercise books. That Scully doesn’t realise that unconditional love is actually anguish, pain, boredom, compromise, rage, sacrifice, not just sometimes but all the time until you’re so far in you can’t see where you stop and the other begins.

She used to feel like Mulder was the one holding the other end of the rope. But while they had been distracted buying cheap second-hand cars with high mileage, crossing state lines, eating store-bought sandwiches in the middle of the night, the rope had frayed and snapped. They each still had their end, but their futile attempts to mend it hurt so much that after a while, she just stopped trying.

‘Scully?’

My name, she thought idly as she swam from the depths of sleep. Not my never name, though. Not Dana. It’s my sometimes name. She tried to ignore it, but it repeated until she slowly became aware of her dull head, her dry mouth, of Mulder’s voice coaxing her back to him.

‘Mmmh?’ Forcing her eyes open, she saw Mulder sat on the bed. He didn’t touch her, she noted, and her shoulder shivered in the absence of his hand. The space in the trailer compacted with Mulder’s return. The walls closed in as he crossed the threshold and there wasn’t enough room for her. She could see his mind humming with thoughts, but not knowing what they were, she would feel like an intruder.

‘You’re asleep again.’ He said with a hint of accusation.

‘Mmmh.’ She closed her eyes and sighed. If she was lucky, she could fall back to sleep quickly.

‘I’ve brought food.’

‘What?’

‘I’ve brought food.’

‘Oh. I ate at work.’

‘That was 6 hours ago.’ She opened her eyes again. It was 8pm already? ‘You were sleeping when I came home at 6, and it looks like you’ve not moved.’

‘I took a sandwich home with me,’ Scully lied. ‘You woke me when you left again, I ate then.’

He met her eyes and she realised she couldn’t remember the last time they’d properly looked at each other. His face was worn. She spied blue paint by his ear. He hadn’t shaved in a few days. Like her, he had flecks of grey around his hairline, and his eyes seemed smaller among the creases of his cheeks. But there was energy coursing behind his irises. He can handle this, she realised enviously. This lifestyle suited him.

She shrank as he studied her in return. He had always been interested in her mind, had always valued her level-headed scientific approach. She knew he had found her beautiful at some point, but his true love affair was with her intellect. She counted on the fact that he wouldn’t ever really see her. She liked feeling invisible. But now he had noticed what she saw when she looked at her reflection.

‘Are you eating enough?’ His question landed heavily in her stomach. She circled her left wrist with her right fingers and twisted, drawing confidence from the gap.

‘Yeah.’ She avoided his eyes.

‘Are you sure, Scully?’

‘I told you, I already ate.’

‘You look thin.’

Scully fluffed her pillows and lay back down again. ‘It’s just from being on my feet all day. And the walk there and back.’

‘Do you need a ride there each day? I can get up earlier. I don’t want you –’

‘I’m fine, Mulder. Please.’ She rolled away from him, not caring that she was still fully clothed. She felt sleep stalking her in the periphery and prostrated herself ready for it to snatch her.

The first rule Mulder created was that they avoid being in public together, the net result being a lot of alone time for her when her shift finished. She was to go home straight away. He would pick up their groceries on his way home, comfortable with his own vulnerability, but he resisted her attempts at independence beyond what was absolutely necessary.

Every day the trailer was oppressed by afternoon heat. The air refused to move so it felt like she was wading through blankets. She would sleep the afternoons away, passing out so heavily that she felt drugged when she awoke, limbs heavy, clinging on to unconsciousness as her senses fired up. More than once, she thought she was still in her Georgetown apartment, and it took a few minutes to remember. She would try to wake up before Mulder came home, but recently that was proving more challenging.

Her bones were dragging.

‘Can you trade with me again?’ Chet arrived at her elbow. She instinctively took a step back. ‘Please?’

‘I told you the last time,’ Scully replied, ‘no. I need to stay here.’

‘Please. I can’t go out there.’ He sounded so desperate that she sighed and scanned the restaurant for the table of girls.

‘I don��t see those girls here,’ she said.

‘That group of girls? With the headbands and the lettermen?’ Chet scoffed. ‘No, not them.’

‘Then who?’ Curious, Scully couldn’t help but look again. She saw in the corner a small girl with brown hair to her shoulders reading a book. ‘That girl over there?’

Chet backed away, his cheeks blushing

‘Yeah,’ he sighed. ‘Amanda Jones.’

‘She seems nice?’ Scully asked, unsure of what to say.

‘She is nice.’ He ran his hands over his hair. ‘She’s super smart, and she really thinks about things. She’s not one of those girls you saw the other day…’

‘Those other girls don’t think?’ Scully bristled at Chet’s casual dismissal.

‘I don’t know if they do or not. But they’re not very nice.’ He paused, looking out at Amanda. ‘Please. I can’t go out there.’

Scully sized him up before holding her hand out for his apron. She remembered how teenage love teetered between affirming and soul destroying. The girl looked up and ordered a coffee with such self-possession that even Scully had to admit she was impressed.

Dana pulled up outside her mother’s dark house. It was 7pm and she was expected for dinner, but she was met with silence. Her mother’s purse was on the hall table. Shopping sat on the kitchen counters. There was a sweet, fermented smell of rotting fruit.

Professional instincts kicking in, she drew her weapon and checked downstairs before making her way upstairs. Her mom was on the bathroom floor, eyes closed and congealed blood at her temple.

‘Mom!’ Dana cried as she kneeled beside her. She patted her mother’s cheek urgently, and Maggie’s eyelids fluttered open. Relief washed over Dana and her arms shook as she moved.

‘Dana….’ Maggie whispered. ‘I fell….’

‘Mom, I’m gonna help you,’ Dana was unable to stop her voice from wavering. She held a damp washcloth against the side of her mother’s head. ‘When did this happen?’

‘Two days ago maybe… or three…I’m not really sure.’ Scully held a second wet, clean cloth to her mom’s lips for her to suck. ‘I couldn’t get to the phone…. I’ve been here for such a long time.’

Maggie closed her eyes and went limp. Dana felt her mother’s pulse weaken, and she screamed.

Scully sat bolt upright, throat wheezing as she desperately sucked in air. She panted, sweat rolling down her back as she held her hands out to orient herself. There was the bedside table. There was the side of the bed. There was Mulder, his strong back to her, snoring. Her mother was back at home, and Scully had to believe she was alive and well.

She slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Mulder, and sat on the steps outside. It was warm enough to sit in her t-shirt. She put her arms around her knees and lit a cigarette. She struggled to sleep past 2am these days.

Some nights she would reach around Mulder to wake him with her hands. She would take him in her mouth, and he would push her head until she gagged. Their bodies grew slippery together, and she would dig her nails into his back to gain traction as she sat on him, feeling him plunge into the cavernous depths of her. She would cry his name – his real name - in her throaty voice, the black night their only witness. It was always quick, vicious, and she rarely had her turn although she didn’t want that. She wanted to be entered, to be filled up. They wouldn’t speak after, but the next day there would be a new charge in the current between them which almost made the situation almost bearable.

Most nights, however, she would simply sit outside and smoke. She savoured her secret cigarettes, this tasty rebellion. The orange glow soared through the air like a grown-up sparkler.

The expanse of the stars made her mind spin as she gazed upwards. She remembered her childhood astronomy, spotting the Big Dipper and the Big Bear. She heard her father’s commentary. In these moments, Scully wondered if she was even really there. She might blow away on the wind’s currents, floating higher and higher until she was as far away as the stars. She felt like she was looking at life through the wrong end of the telescope.

The day in May came, around which all others moved, and she dragged herself to the café when all her instincts told her to stay in bed and spend the day remembering his gummy smile and the sound of his cry.

The day before, she had eyed a bottle of whiskey as she replenished her clandestine cigarettes on her way home but had ultimately decided against it. Throughout the years they had both tried to escape this day via alcohol. For her, it resulted shame and hazy memories of tear-soaked grief, Mulder’s clumsy hands holding her hair back as she vomited, raging against his strength as he tried to contain her. On his part, he turned inwards, growing snarky, mean and morose. He channelled his energy towards the cruellest insults which swirled in her head for months after. You call yourself a mother? You give him up and then claim to be a mother? You’re a selfish bitch, Scully, that’s what you are, and you have to live with that for the rest of your life.

At the café, she saw Chet hanging around her sink. Her heart sank when he smiled as she approached. She wasn’t sure she could handle him today.

‘Ms Denise!’ He greeted her enthusiastically. ‘I have news.’

Scully said nothing and turned the tap on. Chet wasn’t put off by her indifference, having worked with her for 7 weeks now and seen little else.

‘I was riding home from work yesterday and I saw Amanda had a puncture,’ his thin, reticulin fingers gesticulated as spoke, ‘so I helped her fix it, and we walked home together and had the best conversation. Turns out she’s reading '1984’, which is my favourite book. We both think it’s so clever, you know, how they reduce thought by altering language. Kinda like what’s going on now, all this war on terror talk. You know what I mean?’ He laughed to himself. ‘Man, I can’t believe she actually spoke to me.’

Scully shook her head slightly to refocus. She was bothered by something he said.

‘You love '1984’?’ She asked, looking directly at him. He had shaved his fluff but kept a small, patchy moustache on his baby face. His hair had greasy roots, and she wanted to tell him to take a shower. He was clean and musty at the same time. ‘How old are you, Chet?’

‘I’m 19. I’ll be 20 in October.’

‘Why aren’t you in college?’ She asked sharply. He raised his eyebrows cynically.

‘College? What college am I going to go to?’ He replied, voice squeaking. ‘You’ve seen this town, there’s no college here.’

‘You’re a smart guy.’ Scully seethed at the waste of his potential. ‘There are colleges nearby, with scholarships –‘

‘No, I’m just gonna work here, get some money behind me,’ Chet interrupted. ‘I’ve been talking to Ed, maybe one day I can take over this place.’

‘Chet, you can have bigger dreams than the local café for the next forty years,’ Scully was desperate to make this boy see the world was bigger than this. ‘You can do whatever you want.’

He shook his head slowly. ‘No, I can’t. I’m not that guy.’

‘Chet….’ She saw his face harden.

‘Anyway, what about you?’

‘What about me?’

‘What all are your dreams, why are you lecturing me about mine?’ His voice was raised, and Scully’s heart ticked like a metronome on the highest setting. She stepped back from the sink. This was too much attention. ‘You’re hiding something. You don’t wash your hands like a normal person. I reckon a doctor, or surgeon, someone who has to keep clean. And then there’s that cornfed guy working at the motel on the other side of town. Funny how he pops up same week as you, same accent as you, yet you don’t know nothing about anything. So who are you really, Ms Denise?’

He reeled, surprised at his outburst. Scully blinked back tears, her hands shaking as adrenaline bled through her. He reminded her so much of Mulder: observant, passionate, gentle, and he had her number. Yet this wasn’t her mini-Mulder. He was elsewhere celebrating this day with strangers, and she was in a kitchen in small town Texas. She heard waves crash in her ears.

‘I’m nothing,’ she muttered, and pushed past Chet. ‘Excuse me, I’m not feeling well.’

He called her name as she ran out the back door and threw up beside the bins. It felt good. Chunks of apple, half dissolved by acid, lay at her feet, and her teeth chattered. Chet appeared with a glass of water which she took gratefully. Her stomach churned as the water hit, but it stayed down.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. He stood next to her, unsure of what to do. ‘Today is a hard day.’

‘I can tell Ed you’re not well,’ Chet said awkwardly. ‘You should go… I can handle it today.’

It was mid-morning by the time she turned down the dirt road towards the trailer park. Mulder would have just left for work, and she wanted to crawl in bed and close off the day. She wasn’t sure what four-year olds were even like: she had a vague recollection of Matthew being into trains. She couldn’t imagine his hair colour, what his voice sounded like, whether he could count to twenty, or if he could do puzzles. She had no idea, and her ignorance of rudimentary childhood development made her feel worse.

On a whim, she ignored her thirst and walked past the trailer park entrance to the natural bushland at the end of the road, lured by the refreshing shades of green. The ground was covered in grass, with natural tracks running between the trees. Leaves and sticks scraped her ankles as she walked, and she soon found herself deep within the bushland, with only the track behind her for navigation.

She walked until her shin bones ached. Suddenly the path dropped away. The cliff was 40 feet or so and framed by the overhanging branches from the nearby trees. A creek ran through the lush valley at the base of the cliff. It looked so quiet, so unspoiled. She crept closer to the drop and looked down to see rocks directly below her. Standing tall, the breeze blew temptingly across her face and her toes crept over the edge. Then the balls of her feet. Her weight shift to her heels. She knew if she closed her eyes, her balance would falter, and who knew which way she would fall? The risk appealed. She felt dizzy. Reckless. Her hands opened by her side, her fingers stretching downwards to feel the breeze on her palms. She imagined feeling weightless.

A rustle next to her made her jump back, her natural instinct to survive proving to be stronger than her desperation to for everything to stop. She fell as she retreated, landing hard on her coccyx. The pain brought tears to her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, she heard herself cry. Her chest heaved twice, three times, as she inhaled to support more sobs. Pain dripped like mercury from her fingers. She gripped her hair by its roots and let out a huge scream which echoed around the valley as her rage tumbled out. It was a relief to finally feel something. A fox squirrel shot out from under the scrubland and stood still, eyeing her as she wept. It tilted its head and ran up a tree trunk. Her right fingers wrapped around her left wrist, and she twisted her wrist in the gap. Tears splashed on the rocks beside her.

When she got back to the motel, Scully stayed away from the bedroom. She drank three glasses of cold water and took her towel to lie on the grass outside of the trailer, enjoying the solid ground beneath her shoulder blades. Studying the leaves above her, she realised that she still had choices. She could decide things. She could identify her limits, but it came down to how much she was prepared to fight for herself. She was a hologram of the person she used to be, and she wondered if she even had the strength to stand up. Eventually she was lulled to sleep by the rhythmic lullaby of leaves in the breeze.

She woke when Mulder pulled up. Her sleep had been light, leaving her unusually refreshed. The importance of the day crashed on her chest once more, but she recognised a very, very slight shift in perspective: today could be about more than grief. What should I do with this, she wondered.

‘Scully?’ He approached her with caution, wearing his own memories of this day on his face. ‘What are you doing out here?’

‘It’s a nice day.’ She folded her towel and stood. ‘I just wanted to be outside.’

That evening, they sat outside with a beer to toast their son. They talked, though not about William. He was interested in her trip to the bushland. She told him about the sound the trees made, and the squirrel, but not how the whispers of the breeze had dared her to see if she really was immortal.

She had grown used to the smell of old cooking oil and grease. It seeped into her skin and her hair. Having been there for two and a half months, it smelled as much like home as anywhere had. Half-way through her shift one Tuesday morning, she asked for a plate of scrambled eggs, which the chef handed to her in surprise. Out back, past the bins, she found Chet on his break, and sat wordlessly beside him.

‘You taking a break today?’ He asked incredulously. ‘You never take a break.’

They had reached a truce after William’s birthday: he chewed her ear off about whatever he wanted, and she offered sparse but pertinent advice. Each day, he brought her some new piece of information about the youth of the town, and she found herself invested in spite of herself.

‘First time for everything,’ she replied, hoping she sounded light, carefree. The fork was awkward in her right hand, plate balanced on her lap. The eggs were yellow and solid; she sliced into them with the side of her fork. They felt like stones clogging her throat. Her mouth salivated as she ate. Scully tried to ignore how heavy the food felt inside her stomach and cleared her throat nervously. ‘Can I eat with you tomorrow too?’

‘Sure thing, Ms Denise.’ Chet balled up the paper from his bacon sandwich. ‘You don’t have to ask.’

She managed half her plate, and fought against the itch in her fingers, the urge to lock herself in the bathroom afterwards.

That afternoon, as she was leaving the Mom and Pop store, Chet and Amanda cycled past. He was in front, and he said something which made her throw her head back in laughter, her hair trailing behind like a mermaid. Scully felt a spark in her chest: a tiny flame, a burst of energy. She drew warmth from its glow.

They started to spend the warm evenings outside together, the fog between them slowly dissipating. She told Mulder about the legend of the Ozark Howler, a cat-like creature with horns and glowing eyes. It was said to be found in the Ozarks but there were sightings as far reaching as Texas too. Mulder’s core ignited with new folklore, curling himself towards her in his plastic chair. She presented tidbits of information to him like proud child. They found themselves in a discussion of whether it’s realistic for one cat-like creature to cover so much geography, or if it meant a growing species, and whether that contributed to or undermined its veracity. His eyes narrowed when he learned that Chet had told her about it. Careful Scully, his tone immediately changing, you don’t want to get too close. Keep your distance. She had smiled thinly, ruffled his hair, and walked back inside before he could see her tears because, for just a minute, she had forgotten and they had felt like a normal couple again.

‘Mulder?’ Scully approached Mulder as he lay on the couch in the tiny living room reading the papers. Three months in and she could see he was starting to twitch. It wouldn’t be long until he wanted to up sticks, and she wanted to get in first.

‘What’s up, doc?’ He smiled. She sat next to him and pressed her knees together. She had recently bought some dye to patch over her grey hairs. Her cheeks were starting to fill out with her daily plate of eggs, though she still couldn’t consider anything more solid without her palms sweating. She noticed he had started to look at her differently: he had stopped looking through her, and she felt herself take up more space.

‘Mulder…..’ She sighed and looked at the floor. ‘Mulder, I need to go home.’ She glanced up and saw shock, fear, pass over his face.

‘Go home?’ he repeated dumbly. ‘Scully, I can’t…. you know what waits for me there.’

Scully closed her eyes, not wanting to remember Mulder’s sentence: death by lethal injection. The danger had always been real, but somewhere along the way she had lost the sense of it as she had lost herself. With this request, she had to face it once more.

‘There must be a way,’ she said, her voice shaky. ‘Please. It’s… I’m …. I’m not doing well. I’m… vanishing.’

‘I know that Scully,’ he said in his crinkly voice that reached into the dark shadows of her. ‘I see you. I think you’re right, I think you may have reached the end of this road. But what choice do I have?’

‘There must be a way,’ she repeated, the lump in her throat making her voice thin and tight. ‘We can email Skinner. I don’t want to leave you. I hate the thought you being by yourself.’ She paused to compose herself and reached for his hand. ‘You’re good at this life. You know how to duck and weave. The threat gives you energy, purpose, as it always has. I see you too, you know.’

‘You’re my gal. You’ve always seen all of me.’ He kissed her knuckles. ‘I know you’re struggling. I don’t know the last time I saw you eat more than a banana. I wake in the night and you’re not there.’ She stiffened but made herself stay in the conversation. It was the first honest talk they’d had in months. ‘But can you give me some time? Just a little. Please, Scully. Let me get my head around it some more.’

‘Mulder….. There’s Matthew. My Mom.’ She hiccupped the last word, and to her frustration, started to cry, releasing the pressure in her chest. She wiped her eyes. ‘I mean, what is our plan here, exactly? Wait for an apocalypse that we’re powerless to stop? Well, I don’t want to welcome that one without my family. Or maybe it doesn’t happen, and we run for the next 20 years. Or do we draw the line at 30 years? And what happens if you fall from a ladder, or even just get tonsillitis?’

They sat in silence. Mulder had abandoned the newspaper, and Scully circled her wrist. There was still a sizeable gap and her satisfaction at this quickly turned to guilt.

‘Ok, Scully.’ Mulder said finally, exhaling heavily. ‘Let’s email Skinner. See if there are options.’

That Sunday they drove two hours out of town to a random internet café. Mulder set up an email account and then they sent Skinner a cryptic message. Mulder drove three hours in the opposite direction two days later to see his reply, and he didn’t let Scully come. Too conspicuous for both of them to miss a day of work, he’d reasoned. Scully had wanted to throw her coffee mug at the wall in frustration.

They hadn’t spent more than a work shift apart since 2002, and Scully was bereft as she waited. She dropped a stack of plates at work, and spent the afternoon peeking out of the trailer window at the sound of every car rumble. It felt like snakes had taken up residence in her stomach.

She was sat the small table in the kitchen when he returned, a plate of celery, carrots and hummus in front of her. She cried out with relief as she heard the car pull up and ran to hug him as he exited the car. His sweater was soft, and she remembered how solid she felt when her body locked against his.

Once inside, he handed her a printout from the now deleted email account. Scully scanned it, seeing words like pardon, obstruction of justice, requalification, but her mind raced over the email before she could comprehend its meaning. She looked at him expectantly.

‘It looks like there’s a shot,’ Mulder said nervously, rubbing his palms together. ‘A long shot. Skinner thinks he could get any potential charges against you dropped as long as I continue to lay low. But he thinks there’s a possibility for us both to return.’

‘And we’d be together?’

‘Yes. We could be together.’ He finally slipped a smile. ‘I may not see daylight for the foreseeable future, so I hope you like the anaemic vampiric look.’

Scully covered her face with her hands and pushed all the air out of her lungs. Her fingers were hot, and her head tingled. She laughed, feeling a little light-headed and hysterical. She pictured her Mom’s face and the laugher turned to loud sobs of relief. Mulder kissed her head and held her tightly while she calmed. The energy in his eyes had already been replaced with fear, and she realised the price of the choice he had just made for her. For them.

‘Pack your things Scully,’ He started pulling their bags from the cupboard. ‘We gotta move.’

#submitted #submission #submission summer 2k20

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whiskynottea · 6 years

Photo

Death Dreams

1. Help me, 2. Wide Awake, 3. Not Yet, 4. Five Years, 5. Angel-Forest-Train, 6. You want to hear more, 7. Six Months, 8. Guilt, 9. Distorted thoughts 10. A Bad Day 11. Marks and Blemishes

AO3

This is the last chapter of Death Dreams. This story started as a one-shot, but your love made it a multi-chapter and I want to thank you for this. Thank you for reading, for your comments and reblogs, for your anons and dms. This story is special to me, and I hope I did it justice.

Roots and Dandelions

Jamie opened his eyes, welcoming the soft daylight that filled the room in a languid pace, and he revelled in the soft strokes of sunlight colouring Claire’s ivory skin a few inches away. He moved closer and buried his head below the mass of her curls, nuzzling the nape of her neck. She was smooth and soft under his lips. He kissed her shoulder, then breathed her in, the vanilla and lemon of her scent curling his lips up until a wide smile spread on his face.

He was still surprised to find feelings rushing out of him.

Joy, happiness. To smile without an effort, just because elation wells up inside you and you need to let it out, to free it to the skies. As if emotions were never yours; they belonged to the world and you had been a part of it, needed as much as a dandelion scattering its seeds in the air, or a tree taking root deep in the earth.

Jamie left Claire nestled between the quilts, sleeping peacefully in their bedroom. For so many months, she used to wake up in an instant when she felt him move out of the bed -- but not anymore. She was calm now, her brow free of the deep wrinkles his behavior used to carve between her eyebrows. Jamie stopped on his way to the kitchen and turned his head back to look at her, to reassure himself she wasn’t a faerie that would suddenly disappear.

No. Faeries don’t have scars or wrinkles of pain. They don’t go to battle, they don’t fight. They don’t frantically dig the earth with their bare hands to bring lost people back into the light. But Claire had done this. She had kept pushing her fingers into the soil, scraping and scooping up dirt, even when it was futile and quicksand had buried her efforts, covering her progress under a smooth surface. She had kept quarrying until the skin on her knuckles broke and blood ran, red and menacing against the paling white of her hands. She had continued, until the strain was carved on her forehead, lines that would never disappear. But she had reached deep enough for him to hear her heart beating for both of them. A beautiful, clear sound. The signal to bring him back, the only sound that reached him underground, in the vast darkness he had inhabited. She had shown him the way, and he had found her through the pain and despair. He found the light, and she had ended up with scars enough for a lifetime.

Jamie filled the kettle with water and opened the cabinet, searching for tea. A memory came, uninvited, and he smiled at the reminiscence of teasing Claire about tea when she had moved into his apartment, their first home.

English tea? Were they out of Scottish tea, Sassenach? Or are ye trying to invade my pure Scottish home wi’ yer subtle yet despicable tea schemes?

She had looked at him wide-eyed like a doe at first, but a moment later she’d lifted an eyebrow, ready for a retort.

The kettle went silent and Jamie blinked as he looked around, surprised not to find Claire’s whisky eyes in front of him in their old, tiny kitchen, crammed with pans and pots. He steeped his tea and started fixing the appliances on the counter until they were set in order. He cleaned the toaster, first removing the crumb tray and then turning it upside down over the sink, all the while muttering to himself how Claire always forgot to do it.

Another normalcy that hit him for its novelty. Since the veil of depression had been removed, things were bothering him again. It had been different all those previous months; when he was numb, everything seemed grey, mundane. His house could very well be on fire and he wouldn’t really care. But now, he was getting upset or frustrated more often than he would have expected. Claire had forgotten to do the laundry or had bought the wrong oat cookie brand. His sister had cancelled their trip to Glasgow again. His laptop charger had broken. Little things that suddenly mattered.

Sometimes not caring seemed the easy way -- a path he knew how to find, a well-worn shirt that had his shape and felt soft against his skin. He was terribly unused to things itching at him. Feeling them.

It wasn’t bliss that returned to him -- it was life. And life was never just the one thing.

Jamie took his perfectly brewed cup of tea and walked back to the living room. After a moment’s hesitancy, he stood by the window as he’d seen Claire do countless times, absentmindedly looking at the world outside the days he had crawled to hide inside himself. Back then, all he had wanted was to disappear. Now he stood tall and proud in front of the wide panel, drawing deep breaths of black tea, preparing himself for the day.

He had finished his manuscript. He had taunted himself for almost two months, reading and rereading, changing words and deleting sentences only to replace them with almost identical ones a few hours later. Today was the day he would send it to his editor. With a simple email, his words would fly away, seeds of a dandelion searching for soil, to take root in a stranger’s heart.

It had been difficult to let it go. Even more difficult than writing the story. A story he had written for himself, and he’d accepted that a writer is sometimes entitled to do just that. Write an uncommon story that talks to his soul.

Not that all stories are the same. Even popular stories can be vastly different from each other. Some are about the love of fallen princesses and smart boys flashing dashing smiles; others about exiled soldiers who had once been powerful. There are stories about gallant heroes and their adventures towards triumph and those about friendships lasting a lifetime, stronger than evil and disaster. All of them, stories that make you hold your breath, turn the pages to reach the final scene, always striking, moving, perfect.

But then, there are these other stories, the ones with protagonists who would never make it in history books, not strong or bold or smart enough to save the world. Maybe a little broken, maybe a little unlucky, maybe more human than they ought to be. The stories of those who lived, and struggled, and won, and lost, and didn’t change anything at the end. But they had been there. They had laughed, and cried, and made other people do so, and they had forced their way forward.

A story like his, still worthy to be told.

Jamie closed his eyes, feeling the sun warm against his face. He would wait for Claire to wake up before sending the email. And then they might go for a walk in the park, and buy a birthday present for wee Jamie. It was time to get him a new bike.

He sipped his tea, making plans, and in the quietness of the room, he heard his heart beat inside his chest. Alive. In the crisp morning, with the sun victorious against the clouds in the sky, he heard it again. And he memorized that sound, and the feeling of completeness, because he knew that other mornings would come, with mist and rain, dark and ominous.

That was not the end -- there was no end.

He could still feel depression lurking in the shadows behind him, biding its time. Waiting, to breathe in his air. But he had kept his breath safe, in the words he wrote, in the gasping laughter of his beloved ones. And he knew how to use it, to grow roots that would keep him standing.

Like Claire’s wee cactus. It had lost its vivacity when she’d forgotten to water it for months. Dark and shrinking, it had been reduced to something less. But then, when Claire had realized it, she hadn’t admitted defeat. She had started watering it again, and one day a new branching stem sprang -- green, fat and radiant. Persisting. And it grew its own roots, slowly extending them day by day seeking for soil, until the thin roots grabbed it tightly, determined to live.

He knew now, that he had such branches inside him. Parts of him that would always seek life. That would grip it, and breath it, and stand whole again.

He found comfort in the reassurance of abiding life. And he felt strong, now that he could look darkness in the eye and recognize it. He knew its empty embrace all too well. And he had vowed to remember.

He wouldn’t falter. He wouldn’t give in.

‘Death dreams I don’t forget,

It’s been a while since I dreamed this

Even now when I sleep I tread with care…’

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

A/N: This story was written for all those who struggled with depression and lost the battle, and for the people who love and miss them. And for those who still fight and win the darkness, sometimes barely and sometimes triumphantly, and for their loved ones, who fight alongside with them. Much love to you all.

#death dreams #roots and dandelions #depression AU #jamie x claire #outlander fanfiction #outlander fanfic

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kiribaku-trash · 6 years

Text

Chapter Seven of an Explosive Tale of Love and Ships

Chapter 6, Chapter 8

Read it on AO3

Masterlist

(special thanks to @bs-squad for writing the part with all the flashbacks)

———————————————–

Mina had spent enough time working with Bakugou to know when he was bluffing. She had happily exited the ship with Kaminari, Sero, and Uraraka in tow, using her magic to propel them the extra distance to shore. The witch had remained silent during the entire exchange, she was probably waiting to see the outcome of the argument before speaking. Bakugou got into fights and arguments with his crew every other week so Mina wasn’t surprised that he’d started butting heads with Eijirou only a few days after the dragon joined the crew. Although, despite Bakugou’s temper, normally it took more than saying a quick ‘hello’ to get him that angry.

Mina sucked in a quick breath and stomped through the underbrush. Obviously she had seen the way Bakugou’s face turned bright red every time Ei got too close. She had originally thought that he just wasn’t used to the dragon’s lack of personal boundaries but now she wasn’t so sure. Bakugou wasn’t a very subtle person and it was easy for Mina to assume that maybe he liked Ei more than he let on. A lot more.

Shaking her head, Mina decided she was deep enough in the forest to let her glamour drop. With a wave of her hand she dissolved the magic, basking in the energy that was no longer spent keeping up her human appearance.

“I thought your magic felt different.” Uraraka said. “I never thought I’d see a faerie in person.” She paused. “Although I said the same thing about Kirishima-kun, didn’t I.”

“We should hurry,” Sero said, squinting up at the parts of the sky that were visible through the heavy canopy of leaves. “It’s getting dark.”

Kaminari nodded in agreement. “Any ideas where a dragon would- AHHH!”

Uraraka acted quickly, jerking out her hand just in time to release a wave of magic that pooled underneath where Kaminari was standing. He hovered a few feet from where he had been walking, a massive drop right beneath his feet. Kaminari face paled at the sight, and he sighed with relief as Uraraka pulled him back towards the group and dropped him to the ground.

“That was close,” Mina said. She approached the edge of the drop slowly, taking each step with precaution. It was a steep decline, covered in dead bushes and sharp stones. Except there was one part of the drop that had nothing except a trail of broken branches and upturned dirt. At the bottom sat two sets of footprints.

“Could that be him?” Kaminari asked, his voice shaking from his sudden brush with possible death.

Mina nodded slowly. “I don’t think anyone else would come down here this late.”

The group stood in heavy silence before Sero finally spoke.

“Except for whoever left those prints.”

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

Momo let out a deep sigh of relief as the Barbarian King was hauled onto the deck of the ship. She silently thanked whoever had designed it for including the added feature of a net. She was lucky enough that a few seconds after being pulled above the surface, Bakugou immediately began coughing up water and gasping for breath. He wasn’t dead, which was always a good thing. Technically it wouldn’t have mattered, the conditions for his arrest were for him to be brought back dead or alive, but the thought of killing a former comrade (or anyone for that matter) gave Momo an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Bakugou met her gaze with an intense glare but it was hard for him to look intimidating with chattering teeth and sopping wet hair sticking to the sides of his face. Momo’s skin paled as he rose to his feet, directing his palm so it sat only a foot away from her face. Yellow sparks danced across his hand as his arm tensed, ready to fire. Momo prepared herself for the heat and fire and pain of being hit head-on by an explosion, except it never came. Bakugou looked as surprised as she did when only a small plume of smoke and steam rose from his palm. He wasted no time to try again, only to get the same effect.

Momo stared in disbelief at the Barbarian King and how easily a bit of water was able to weaken his explosions to the point of being almost nonexistent. Speaking of explosions, Momo studied Bakugou’s hands. The leather gloves he was wearing surely would have stopped the heat from getting through, or burned up in the process. A small gasp escaped her lips as she came to a realization.

“Remove the gloves,” she ordered her guards. “Those are what are causing his explosions.”

For some reason the Bakugou found her words funny. He barked out a harsh laugh and held out one of his hands, all while maintaining an intense eye contact.

“I’d like to see you try,” His voice had a slight rasp to it. It was probably caused by spending the past five minutes coughing up river water.

Momo’s scowl deepened as she observed her guard try and fail at pulling the glove from Bakugou’s hand. She motioned for the guard to move aside and tried herself, only proving her suspicions that some form of invisible (probably magical) force was keeping it held in place.

She scoffed at the Barbarian King’s triumphant smile. She would just have to hope the magic would remain weak until they arrived at the capital. “Take him to the brig.”

Bakugou’s smirk faded for half a second before he forced it back into place.

“Who the fuck even are you anyways?” He asked, struggling against the guards trying to ‘escort’ him below deck. “You look familiar.”

Momo held up her hand, the guards paused.

“You don’t remember me?” she asked. “We were in the same division. We trained together!”

Bakugou slowly shook his head. “I don’t have fucking time to remember the name of every extra who gets in my way.”

“Then remember mine.” Momo replied, staring him down with fierce rage. “My name is Yaoyorozu Momo. One month ago I was sent on a mission to retrieve a dragon from a lost island. You may have heard about it.” Her gaze intensified as Bakugou’s lips curled into a deep frown. “I was given permission to obliterate anything that stood in my way. And that,” she said, pausing to draw her sword and point it the Barbarian King, “includes you.”

Bakugou growled at her. Momo sheathed her sword and turned away. “Get him out of my sight.” She listened to the sound of Bakugou’s struggling faded below deck and smiled, hiding a twinge of doubt. Her mission was finally nearing an end.

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

Eijirou knew that he shouldn’t have been surprised when Mina showed up in the mouth of the cave, followed by the rest of Bakugou’s crew.

“Ei!” She shouted at the top of her lungs the moment the two made eye contact.

Eijirou was frozen in place. He could feel the corner of his lips tugging upwards in a broad smile as he approached his pink friend. “Min-”

A wall of flame caused Eijirou to jump backwards.

“Don’t come any closer.” Todoroki threatened; his left side was smoking and Eijirou could feel blistering heat come off him in waves.

A high pitched squeak came from the other side of the room. Midoriya closed the space between him and Todoroki within a matter of seconds, grabbing the latter’s hand and giving it a tight squeeze. “Todoroki! What are you doing?”

Eijirou could barely hear the distant yells of his friends from the other side of the roaring flames.

“I told you we couldn’t trust him!” Todoroki yelled back. The flames grew in size, spitting red hot sparks in every direction. “They’re going to take us back!”

Midoriya squeezed Todoroki’s hand tighter. “Calm down, we can talk this out.”

“You don’t understand,” Todoroki’s voice shook.“My father will kill you if we go back.”

“Todoroki-” Midoriya paused, as if rethinking his words. “Shouto, you know I won’t let that happen.”

Todoroki clenched his jaw, averting his eyes from Midoriya’s gaze. Eijirou shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor, feeling as though he wasn’t supposed to be seeing such a close moment between the two.

With a heavy sigh Midoriya wrapped his arms around Todoroki. Eijirou felt the heat of the fire lessen, the wall of flame thinned enough for him to be able to see Mina’s pink skin on the other side.

Eventually the fire faded away entirely and Eijirou found himself sprinting over to the spot where Mina stood. He spread out his arms, about to wrap her in the biggest hug he could manage but was stopped in his tracks. Mina, Kaminari, Sero, and Uraraka all had their gaze trained on the red and white haired boy behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Eijirou asked, allowing his gaze to fall on Todoroki as well.

“That’s Prince Todoroki Shouto,” Kaminari said, shock forcing his voice to be no louder than a whisper. “He’s been missing for two years.”

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

Momo buried her head deep in her hands as she exhaled slowly. A nearby lantern swayed back and forth, casting ominous shadows across the room. She peeked through her fingers at the book layings in front of her. It’s worn cover stood out drastically against the pristine quality of everything else in the library.

Momo and her crew had arrived in the capital only a few hours ago. The moment they had docked they were immediately swarmed by crowds of commoners desperate to see the Barbarian King finally captured and ready to face the consequences of his actions. Although, after searching through pages and pages of history and records, Momo was beginning to wonder how many of said actions were actually performed by Bakugou himself.

With another heavy sigh she turned the page. The books itself was old, probably from way before she was born. It held records from all over the kingdom, most of them from the beginning of the war between Endeavor’s men and the old king. She scanned the paper with boredom, flipping the page once she reached the end of the text. She blinked in disbelief when she saw the title of the chapter before her.

‘Dragons, Faeries, and Other Magical Creatures.’

Bakugou wasn’t the only person Momo was trying to find out about. The pages fluttered with soft crinkles as she searched through the chapter until she found what she was looking for. It was only a short paragraph, but it was still enough to give her some insight on the creature she had been hunting;

‘After making deals with many leaders of the various flocks of dragons located throughout our kingdom, The Flame King used them to win the ongoing civil war between him and All Might. Although, The Flame King refused to keep his end of the deal, instead, using his newfound power over the kingdom to drive the dragons past its borders. There are rumours that a single dragon was caught and is currently being held by the king but there are no ways of verifying the information.’

Momo’s mind drifted back to the broken chains scattered across the floor of the tower. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“You should be sleeping.” A tired voice rang through the library, making Momo nearly jump out of her skin.

“Aizawa-sensei!” Momo addressed her former mentor with surprise. “I didn’t notice you.”

Aizawa simply nodded at the remark. “I couldn’t get the gloves off.”

Momo’s face fell. Aizawa was one of the best magic users in the kingdom (mainly because the rest were executed) and if he couldn’t break the curse on the gloves, no one could.

“I did manage to temporarily disable the explosions.” He continued, eyes drooping with tiredness. “I’m going to go take a nap.”

Momo rubbed her own eyes once Aizawa had left. She had been so focused on her research that she hadn’t even noticed the hours that had gone by. One look out of a small window behind a bookshelf told Momo it was the middle of the night. She rose from her chair and trudged drowsily back to her room. It was going to be a long week.

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

Katsuki clenched his fists at his sides as he watched the steady rain drops outside the small barred window in his cell. It was the middle of the night but he refused to sleep, opting to use all of his time to figure out a plan of escape. One would think that after seven hours with nothing to do but think, that Katsuki would have figured something out. But he had achieved nothing but a few bruised knuckles and a shallow crack in the wall in front of him.

A strangled sound escaped Katsuki’s throat as he fell to his knees, burying his head in his hands. He had no way to escape, he’d tried everything from breaking the bars to trying to fit out the window. Nothing had worked. His only hope would be that someone would come rescue him, but he doubted it. For the first time in his life he was beginning to regret his actions. He knew that he drove everyone away but for some reason he had thought that Kirishima would be different. He was stupid for trusting anyone, especially someone he had barely met.

Katsuki was dragged out of his train of thought by the sound of a door opening and shutting. Footsteps echoed from the stone floor. Katsuki straightened his back and morphed his face into the most defiant expression he could muster as a single person approached the bars.

“Bakugou,” Yaoyorozu said; her voice shook slightly and she avoided making eye contact with him. “I’ve just been informed that your execution has been scheduled for three days from now.”

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

A smile crossed Eijirou’s face as he watched his two, newly made, friend groups collide. He was excited to go on whatever journey they were about to embark on. Although, he could feel an emptiness growing inside of him. A void that Bakugou had left when the two had split up that he couldn't fill.

“Is everything okay?” Mina’s cheery voice rang through the air.

Eijirou put on his best impression of a smile before answering the faerie. “Yeah, I just wish Bakugou was here.”

“Why.” Mina’s voice turned dark. “He was a total dick to you.”

Eijirou shrugged. He decided against continuing the conversation.

“Are you two talking about Bakugou Katsuki?”

Eijirou exhaled deeply through his nose. Despite only knowing Midoriya for less than two days, Eijirou had quickly learned that he had some of the worst timing in existence.

“Uh, yeah.” Mina replied. “Do you know him?”

Midoriya laughed nervously. “Me and Kacchan used to be…” He paused for a moment, as if he was trying to think of the right word to use. “...friends.”

Mina blinked in surprise. “You were friends?!? With Captain ‘I hate everyone, bow down before me extras’ Bakugou?!”

Midoriya nodded. “Yeah. Me and Kacchan used to be part of the royal guard until King Endeavour came into power. Kacchan left before me, then I left with Todoroki-kun.”

“Wait, Bakugou was in the royal guard?!” Eijiro exclaimed.

“Oh, that’s right, you didn’t know that Ei.” Mina said. “Bakugou was a soldier in the guard, but he left pretty early. Couldn’t stand the guards, absolutely despised King Endeavour, and overall had a deep fascination with magical objects and artifacts and left to hunt the seas. I don’t know too much about his early life since he’s quiet about it, but I know snippets of rumours from my time roaming the kingdom before I joined the crew.” She laughed. “You’ll never believe how I joined the crew, Ei. What do you think happened? Here’s a hint: I was the last member to join before you, and it has something to do with me being a faerie.”

“Is that why he let you join? Because you’re magic?” Eijiro tried.

Mina shook her head. “Nope. I was being chased out of a village by some angry folks who found out I knew magic, and I ran into Bakugou when he was being chased by his own mob who had recognized him as the Barbarian King. We kinda just looked at each other before nodding and he let me onto the boat. Never asked questions, just let me join the crew as long as he could boss me around and captain.”

“Are we talking about how we first joined the crew?” Sero butted into the conversation, along with Kaminari and Todoroki.

Mina nodded.

Sero cracked his knuckles. “Then do I have a story for you. I was actually the first member of Captain’s crew. It all started back when the Cap got his ship…or should I say stole...”

**********************************************************************************************************

3 YEARS EARLIER…

The sun glistened off the water as the Dragon sailed through the sea, sending up a spray of white mist. Sailors bustled around the deck as the ship entered a narrow passage between two cliffs and carefully navigated the channel.

“A’right ya mangy mutts, ‘isten up.” growled the captain of the ship, an older man with a tangled beard. “We’re c’ose to the next port, but this here channe’ is a fine commonground for fi’thy thieves and pirates, so aye want all hands on deck and ‘ookout. Is that c’ear?!”

“Aye, Captain.” the crew echoed back.

Despite the best efforts of the crew, however, disaster still managed to strike that day. As they turned the corner, a ear shattering yell of ‘DIE’ echoed between the cliffs and a lone figure leaped onto the ship. His presence was impressive and commanding, and he drew two sharp swords from his belt.

“Alright you extras, listen up!” he shouted. “This ship belongs to me now! Get out now or dare challenge me. Only one way you’re getting out alive, and it ain’t through the challenge.”

The captain gave a boisterous laugh. “Why should we ‘isten to you-”

There was a flash of metal, and the tangled beard of the captain fluttered to the floorboards of the deck. He raised a hand to his freshly shaven chin in shock, his face going pale.

“Why?” growled the loner. “I’m Katsuki Bakugou, the Barbarian King. Now. LEAVE.”

The captain gulped and jumped overboard. The rest of the crew looked at each other before following suit. Those stubborn enough the refuse quickly got a boot to the face that shoved them overboard too.

Finally, there was only one member of the crew left; a tall, skinny guy Bakugou’s age, dressed in a plain white and brown sailor suit like some bartender or adventurer. With a shit-eating grin on his face, he casually spun the wooden wheel of the ship.

“When I said everybody, I meant everybody, extra.” Bakugou snapped. “Get off.”

“Oh, I totally would.” the crewmate said cheerfully. “But I’m just concerned over one thing. How are you-” he spun the wheel lazily- “gonna steer a ship by yourself?”

Bakugou opened his mouth to reply before stopping, his hand raised. “I-”

“Don’t care who you are or how great you may be,“ the crewmate interrupted, “you ain’t captaining a ship without a crew. So, wanna reconsider that little order? Cause I’ll happily jump overboard if you think you can make it to the next town without sinking. But that’s the problem, isn’t it?” There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, a glittering spark of white in a pool of liquid obsidian. “You can’t go into that town over pretence of being spotted. You’ll have to sail even further by yourself. So, wanna let me join your crew?”

Bakugou grudgingly nodded yes.

“Cool.” the crewmate smiled. “I’m Sero Hanta, at your service, Captain.”

**********************************************************************************************************

“You outsmarted Kacchan???” Midoriya asked in disbelief.

“Yep, first (and only) time.” Sero said proudly.

“That may be cool and all,” Kaminari said with a sly grin, “but did you outsmart two people when you first joined?”

“Wait, did you convince both Sero and Bakugou to let you join?” Eijiro asked.

“Not exactly, but sortoff. Let me tell you the story…”

**********************************************************************************************************

2 YEARS and 49 WEEKS EARLIER…

It had been a couple of weeks since Sero had joined Bakugou’s crew. They docked at a village port to gather some supplies for their first hunt for a magical item after finally getting their first proper lead.

“Guard the ship, Soy-Sauce, I’m going into town. Don’t burn the ship down while I’m gone, and don’t let anyone on.” Bakugou growled.

“Aye, Captain.” Sero pulled up the ramp as Bakugou stormed down the dock.

Sero grabbed a mop and cleaned the deck from the dusty prints of Bakugou’s constant stomping. He hummed a jolly sailor tune as he worked, stopping from time to time to glance around the ship and at the empty dock as lookout. Birds flew overhead, their wingbeats like the soft rustling of leaves in the wind. A brown feather fluttered down from the sky at one point and smacked into his face; he spat it out and let it glide float onto the soft rolling waves before continuing to mop.

When he finished, he stepped back to the wheel and smiled in satisfaction. The deck sparked in the sunlight, gleaming like the treasure they would hopefully find.

“Hey, SOY-SAUCE!” Bakugou’s voice echoed around the dock. “I’m back!”

Sero dropped the ramp and Bakugou climbed aboard, holding a box of supplies. “We need a signal for that so it looks professional, like an arm signal or something.” he muttered, dropping the box on some crates as Sero pulled the ramp back up. “You mopped the deck, good. Let’s go, I don’t want to be fucking spotted. Set a course for our next destination.”

“Oooh, that sounds fun, where’re we going?” a voice from above called.

Bakugou and Sero’s head shot up. Leaning over the side of the crow’s nest was a young guy their age. His joyful grin and golden eyes was hidden in the shade of a robin-hood hat tipped with two brown feathers, and he was wearing falconer inspired outfit complete with gloves.

“Wh- HEY! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! GET THE FUCK OFF MY BOAT!” Bakugou yelled, reaching into his belt for one of his swords before realizing he didn’t bring them into town.

The stranger grabbed one of the ropes and swiftly slid down the sails, landing lightly on the deck of the ship in a matter of seconds. He flicked a feather from his shoulder and stuck out a hand for a handshake.

Bakugou and Sero simply stared at him. Bakugou scowled and crossed his arms, waiting for a response.

“Alrighty then, no handshake I guess.” the stranger shrugged. “Oh well, your loss. I’m Kaminari Denki, traveller extraordinaire! Cool boat. Where’re we headed first?”

“We? ‘You’ are getting the fuck off this boat. How the hell did you get on in the first place?” Bakugou growled.

“Yeah, I never saw you sneak aboard.” Sero added.

“Oh, I have some experience.” Kaminari grinned. “So, we headed out or nah? Doesn’t matter where, I just like to… keep moving, ya know?”

“What, are you dense, idiot? Get the fuck off my ship before I throw you off myself.” Bakugou snarled. “Yo Soy-Sauce, retrieve my swords.”

“I dunno Bakugou, he could be useful on the ship.” Sero said. “A scout, or- well, I guess I’m technically the navigator, but-” Bakugou glared at him with enough anger to make a dragon back down. Sero gulped. “Aye, Captain.”

As Sero retreated belowdecks, Bakugou turned his death glare toward Kaminari. The traveller shifter his weight nervously, his eyes darting between Bakugou and the dock like he was suddenly regretting recent choices.

“You’re Katsuki Bakugou, the Barbarian King, right? The wanted guy hunting for illegal magical artifacts? Rumor said you got a ship and a crew.” Kaminari said.

Bakugou’s scowl deepened. “What’s it to you? I could easily destroy you without breaking a fucking sweat, don’t think you could turn me in to the royal guards.”

Kaminari raised his hands. “Who said anything ‘bout the royal guard, Blasty?”

“BLASTY?!-” Bakugou sputtered.

“Point is,” Kaminari interrupted, “I like gathering magic on my travels too. Doesn’t make me too popular with the hierarchy. I’ve always wanted to sail as part of a crew. Thought it would be an exciting adventure. I saw your ship in the port and was hoping I could... join?”

Bakugou laughed. “Join? I already have one extra sailing on my ship. I don’t need two.”

Footsteps pounded on the wooden stairs, and Sero climbed up from below deck.

“Finally.” Bakugou grumbled, grabbing his swords. “Alright idiot, time to get the fuck off my boat so we can leave.”

“I mean, he could be useful, Captain.” Sero said. “Operating a ship with only two people is a little ridiculous.”

“Yeah!” Kaminari said. “I know how to handle sails in the wind, and I’m a trained scout. I also have my fair share of travelling: come from a small village in the mountains, unique variety of skills, that sort of thing.”

“Fine, I’ll say that’s useful.” Bakugou said. “But what would you do if you were confronted by a royal guard like this-!”

Bakugou thrusted the point of his curved sword under Kaminari’s chin. With lightning reflexes the traveller grabbed something from the fold of his jacket, and a wailing screech filled the deck as metal met metal. Kaminari deflected the blow and stepped back, spinning the dagger in his hand.

“I’d probably do this, possibly with some screaming and dual wielding if I had to. I’m trained in combat, specifically daggers and the art of origami!” Kaminari grinned, flipping the dagger in the air and catching it.

“The art of… paper folding?” Sero asked.

Kaminari blinked, a soft red blush filling his face. “I… I didn’t think you’d know that.”

“Alright, so you can fight. Why the hell do you want to join our crew?” Bakugou growled. “You said it yourself, we’re dangerous outlaws hunted by the Royal Guard.”

Kaminari shrugged, his eyes darting once more to the port then back at Bakugou. “Like I said, I’m not too popular with the hierarchy. Pretty much an outlaw myself. I have the same goal as you: hunting magical artifacts. Plus I just really love travel, and the sea is something that is just full of cool adventure, ya know?”

“ Come on Captain, it’s so boring being a one-man crew for you.” Sero pleaded. “Let him join.”

Bakugou sighed, rubbing his temple. “Fucking fine.” he grumbled.

Kaminari and Sero cheered. Bakugou turned his back to them, not letting them see the ghost of a smile that hung on his lips. He stared off to the port, and froze, the faint smile dropping. A trio of royal guards were making their way up the dock, searching each boat carefully.

“Shit.” Bakugou hissed. “Yo, idiots, shut up for a sec. Soy-Sauce, get the boat ready and set sail immediately. New guy, Sparky-” Kaminari gave an indigent yelp as Bakugou slapped a hand to his back and pushed him toward the mast. “Get your ass in the crows nest. Royal guards are coming.”

Kaminari paled, and he laughed nervously as he scooted up the side of the wired netting. “That might, um, be my fault. I kinda stole the Lemillion Amulet from the guard post in town.”

Bakugou stared at him. “You… stole… a magic item from-” he looked over at the three guards, who were coming closer, “fuck, from the Big Three, some of the top guards, and got away?!”

“It was going to be melted into gold! It’s a magical artifact with a deep history, not a piece of scrap metal!” Kaminari protested. “I wasn’t just going to let it happen. I didn’t know it was the Big Three, I just snuck in and slipped away!”

With a lurch, the ship pulled out of the port, Sero at the wheel. Kaminari braced himself, scooting up a little higher in case Bakugou was going to explode. Instead, the captain smirked. “You might have a use on this crew after all…”

**********************************************************************************************************

“No way, you stole the Lemillion Amulet from right under the Big Three without getting caught?!” Midoriya cried, reaching for a notebook in his pouch.

Todoroki gently grabbed Midoriya’s hand and pulled it away from the pouch. “I must admit, that’s impressive. As is convincing the Barbarian King to let you join his crew.” He aimed that compliment at both Sero and Kaminari.

“Eh, it’s not that impressive.” Sero scratched the back of his head in prideful embarrassment.

“Are you kidding?!” Kirishima exclaimed. “That’s incredible! I can’t believe you guys are this awesome!” Both Sero and Kaminari blushed from the avalanche of compliments.

“It’s not- well-” they stammered as the others laughed.

“So, Midoriya,” Mina asked when the laughter died down and everyone sat down in front of the fire in the centre of the cave, “how’d you meet Bakugou for the first time, Midoriya?”

“Oh, it’s a long story.” Midoriya went to wave it off, but everyone leaned in closer, listening intently. “Well, okay, if you want to hear it. It’s was a long time ago, so long I never thought that part of my life would come up again. Yet I’m starting to get the sense that the story might not be quite over, but the beginning of a new chapter…”

#kiribaku #bakushima #bnha fantasy au #kirishima eijirou #bakugou katsuki #todoroki shouto #midoriya izuku #ashido mina #kaminari denki #sero hanta #im so sorry for not getting this out sooner #ive been really busy #in these past......five months....#hhhh #anyways im gonna try and get the next one out sooner

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gch1995 · 6 years

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Tag Thingy

I was Tagged by the lovely @grace52373

How old are you? I was born on July 6, 1995, so as of today I am 23 years and 6 months old, or 23 ½ years old.

Any surgeries? Once fourteen years ago when I was nine years old on the flexor tendons of my right foot to loosen up the muscles, and allow more more freedom of movement in my toes and heel. Since then I haven’t had any surgeries, though.

Tattoos? Never had one, unless you count fake tattoos that can be removed by being rubbed off your skin with baby oil, rubbing alcohol, soap, and/or water. I’m too afraid of sharp needles on my skin for prolonged periods of time to ever get a real tattoo, though I have thought about it on occasion.

Ever hit a deer? No, not so far because I haven’t been able to learn how to drive due to a disability and a lack of help, free time, and accessible resources to be able to practice driving with the accommodations cheaply and easily, so thankfully, hitting a deer is a potential tragedy I have been spared from not being able to drive a car right now, though I did hit a few orange safety cones, accidentally sped in traffic with a “lead foot,” veered off the road on to a sidewalk or grass/dirt curb, and almost accidentally hit another person when I was practicing driving with a permit to try and take the driver’s exam like five or six years ago when I was eighteen. Luckily, I was spared those potential tragedies too. As for trying to learn how to drive again and potentially getting my driver’s license in the future, I’m not going to totally rule it out and say that never will I ever try to do it again once I have some free time on my hands again because I might. However, I think the best bet for driving safely and getting my driver’s license in the near future would be to wait a couple more years until car manufacturers perfect that hands/feet free voice automated smart car that you can just tell what to do to drive you around.

Sang karaoke? Yep, I have sang karaoke many times before! I love to sing, and I’m quite good at it, considering the fact that I’ve been taking private lessons for almost seven years now.

Ice skated? I tried it a few times sixteen to seventeen years ago when I was around five or six, and I failed miserably both times.

Ridden in an ambulance? Not as far as I can remember.

Skipped school? Yeah, I’ve faked sick to get out of tests I didn’t study for, or assignments I hadn’t finished up by a deadline on a few occasions to get extra time to study for said tests and/or finish said assignments on more occasions than I’m proud to admit to due to my horrible procrastination habits.

Stayed in the hospital? Once or twice.

Broken a bone? Luckily, I never have.

Last phone call? To my dad.

Last text from? From my little brother.

Watched someone die? No, never. I had to tearfully give the order to have my 13 year old cat put down by a veterinarian for terminal cancer when I was 18 six years ago right before graduating from high school that same year, and I have seen a dead body once in an open casket at a distant relative’s funeral I attended before. It felt genuinely awkward because I had met this dead distant relative laying in an open casket at his funeral that I had attended more than once before, I knew it was objectively sad, I knew that I was supposed to feel sad, but I still wasn’t personally close enough to this distant relative laying before everyone in a casket to really feel any sort of major grief or loss over his untimely death. I felt sorry for the grief over the loss of a father, husband, and a brother that his daughter, wife, and sister (my maternal grandmother), were all clearly experiencing over his death at his open-casket funeral, but I didn’t know him well enough to feel personally affected by the loss. While I have lost a pet cat that I grew up, who’s death genuinely caused me grief, I have yet to lose any person in my life, who I share enough of a close, deep, and loving personal relationship with (be it, romantic, platonic, or familial) that their death would feel significantly tragic and life-changing for me if and/or when it happens.

However, no, I have never seen someone die right before my eyes, and I sincerely hope I never have to. That sounds like a really depressing thing to experience that I wouldn’t wish for anyone to experience, not even my worst enemy.

Pepsi or coke? (Diet) Coke

Favourite pie? Pumpkin pie

Favorite Pizza? Double mozzarella cheese and extra tomato sauce with pepperoni and a thick crust (preferably one that’s stuffed).

Received a ticket? As in a speeding ticket or a parking ticket? No, I don’t drive. If you’re talking about a ticket to get in to see a movie, a live concert or a musical or play at a theater, then, yeah, I’ve received plenty of tickets for those events.

Favourite color? I can’t choose just one because I have so many, particularly dark red/burgundy, every shade of pink, purple, and blue, and black, but I guess I’d have to say dark pink/magenta if I had to choose just one favorite color.

Sunset or sunrise? Sunset

Favorite Christmas song? “Carol of the Bells” composed by Mykola Lentovych and with lyrics written by Peter J. Wilhousky...I suppose I get irritated by the incredibly bright, cheery, and traditional Christmas carols of “Deck the Halls,” “Jingle Bells,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty The Snowman,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

I love “Carol of the Bells” because it’s got that dark and sort of haunting undertone to it. Like, it’s not a tragic sound once you hear the lyrics, but it’s sort of eerie...I’m not sure how else to describe it. I like songs with haunting undertones to them.

https://youtu.be/zfiyoosShNw

Cupcakes or cookies? Cookies

I am tagging @anna-williams-wins, @ishtarelisheba, @salty-rumbelle, @of-princes-and-savages, @toseehowthestoryends, @0ceanofdarkness, @takingbackouat, @done-with-ouat, and anyone else who wants to do it.

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her-secret-seduction · 6 years

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Carpet Cleaning Myths Resolved - Reasons That Cleaning Is Much Better For Your Carpets

There are numerous false impressions regarding carpet cleaning that haveactually continued to be throughout the years, in spite of the improvement of modern technology. Below we list several of the preferred myths with the reasons they are notapplicable today. Misconception 1 "Wait as long as possible before cleaning up a rug due to the fact that themore you cleanse it, the quicker it getsdirty" Not true because dirt is rough so every single time you step on the carpeting, dust is ground into the carpetfibres, damaging the carpet. A dirtycarpet will need changing prior to a tidy carpet will. Vacuuming alone will not keep a carpet withoutgrease and also great grains that add to wearing the rug. Misconception 2 "You just have to cleana carpeting when it looks unclean" Not truly - you would certainly clean clothing once they've been put on, even if they look tidy. The same puts on carpetings - air includes plant pollens, fungi, microorganisms and also air contamination such as cigarette smoke, autoexhaust fumes and numerous other chemicals. Your hair, skin, clothing andalso footwear can transport these fromoutdoors to end up in your carpet. Allergic reactions and breathing difficulties can be worsened by plant pollens,fungi and also chemicals in your rug. Myth 3 "All cleaning techniques have thesame result" There are 2 primary techniques, drycleaning or hot water extraction. ( a) dry cleaning (this is not like completelydry cleaning clothing because all carpet cleaning methods usewater in one kind or another, whether dry-foam, dry-chemical or dry substance approaches areemployed). With dry foam, your carpet is shampooed and allowed to completely dry, adhered to by a vacuuming to remove the foam and any adhered dirt. This old-fashionedmethod is least effective as well as can leave a soil-attracting residue in the carpet. The dry chemical method resembles completely dry foam but a rotary device is fitted with a towel to rub the rug and take in the dirt. It is theequivalent of somebody making use of a place cleaner and towel yet on a bigger scale. This technique likewise cannot achieve a deep tidy as well as could likewise harm carpeting fibers. These dry-cleaning techniques can be appropriate for preserving gently stained rugs. The completely dry compound method spreads an absorptive substance over the carpeting, which is after that brushed right into the carpeting fibers by machine to soak up dust into the combination. When dry, a vacuum is utilized to remove the compound, just like the completely dry foam method however even more efficient at removing dirt and also residues. This is called the HOST Dry Rug Cleanser System which is suggested by over 70 carpet mills and also is the most popular carpet dry-cleaning method in Europe. ( b) warm water removal (or 'steam cleaning' although this summary is inaccurate). A warm water cleaning service is high-pressured into after that removed from the carpeting fibers by a effective maker. Its deep cleaning action completely passes through every fibre, extracting mostly all the moisture pumped right into the rug, along with soil and residues, for the most reliable clean. The world's largest rug supplier recommends hot water removal. Warm water will certainly not harm the rug -that's one more misconception! Washing and rinsing carpets with hot wateris one of the most reliable method ofcleaning - just like bathing, laundry or washing the recipes. Myth 4 " Anybody with the best tools can do the task" Naturally this is not the instance.Training and experience are likewise vital. Several cleansing firms possess hot-water cleaners yet some staff members have little or no training as well assome owner-operators aren't sure how you can utilize them effectively. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a carpet cleaningservice intelligently. Inspect that the business and also on-site drivers have actually been completely trained and also accredited by the Prochem Training Camp or the National Carpeting Cleansers Organization. The NCCA offers created credentials to companies it licenses for that reason you can request evidence or check the subscription directory site on the NCCA.co.uk internet site. Myth 5 "The lowest rate need to be the best worth" There are 2 vital points to consider: that the quotes are for the precise very same solution and that an advertised priceis the real price you will be charged. ( a) relative quotes are for identical solutions. As you are reading this, you are clearly doing your research. Before you invite a business to price quote, determine what you do and don't need to accomplish. If you want a fast surface clean, there are several companies that supply hair shampoos or comparable cleaning techniques - or you could employ a equipment to do the task yourself. Ifyou desire your carpet extensively deep-cleaned to get rid of dirt, microorganisms, plant pollen, chemicals and various otherresidues, the cleansing business should, ideally, provide a quotation for using a professional warm water extraction system -the finest way to maintain your rug complimentary from dust and also unpleasant chemicals. ( b) make certain that the price you see promoted is for the solutions you desire. Home-owners have actually often foundthemselves the sufferers of misleading advertising, that the amount they are chargedis greater than the price in the advertisement or brochure. Some rug cleaners supply a low price, perhaps ₤ 9.99 per room, to give them an possibility to pressure a potential customer into paying more once theyare in your residence. Misconception 6 "An truthful business can price quote over the 'phone". Similar to most solutions,an price quote can be offered 'site hidden' yet each work is most likely to have various requirements so - should an sincere firm be pushed intoquoting for the shortest expected solution or cover themselves for unpredicted difficulties? Reputable carpet cleaning firms commonly price a job by the square video of rug on the basisthat this will determine the amount of consumables as well as time to be spent. If apotential consumer can offer the specific variety of square feet to be cleaned up, it could be possible to get a quote over the 'phone, based on verification whenthe expert cleaner gets here on site. Various other variables that have tobe considered are:. ( a) the type of carpeting. Certaintypes of carpets take longer to clean compared to others. ( b) the amount of staining. Rugs withyears of accumulated dirt will takelonger to clean compared to carpetings cleaned every couple of months. Any stains that may call for unique attention demand to be taken right intoaccount. ( c) the quantity of furniture that has to be relocated. There are a number of cleansers who areinexperienced or do not take satisfaction in their work. Bear in mind to make use of an accredited cleansing business. Not true since dirt is rough so every time you tip on the carpeting, dirt isground right into the carpet fibers, damagingthe rug. A dirty carpeting willcertainly need replacing before a clean carpeting will. Vacuuming alone will certainly not maintain a rug complimentary from grease as wellas great grains that contribute to using outthe carpet. The dry compound method spreads an absorbing compound over the carpeting, which is then brushed into the rug fibers by device to absorb dirt into the combination. Carpets with years of built up dirt will certainly take longer to tidy than carpets cleaned every couple of months.

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gamerandotaku · 6 years

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Carpet Cleaning Myths Eliminated - Reasons Why Cleaning Is Much Better For Your Carpets

There are a number of mistakenbeliefs regarding carpet cleaning that haveactually remained for manyyears, in spite of the advancement of modern technology. Here we detail some of the prominent misconceptions with the reasons that they are notapplicable today. Misconception 1 "Wait as long as possible before cleaning up a carpeting because the much more you cleanse it, the quicker it obtains unclean" Not real since dirt is abrasive so every time you step on the carpet, dirt is ground right into the rug fibers, harming the carpet. A filthy rug will require replacing before a tidy carpet will. Vacuuming alone willcertainly not keep a carpet without oil as well as great grains that add towearing out the carpeting. Misconception 2 "You only need to cleana rug when it looks unclean" Not truly - you would wash clothing once they have actually been worn, even if they look tidy. The exact same applies to carpetings - air includes pollens, fungi, germs and also air contamination such as cigarette smoke, carexhaust fumes and also thousands of other chemicals. Your hair, skin, clothes and shoes could transport these fromoutdoors to wind up in your carpet. Allergic reactions as well as breathing troubles can be intensified by plant pollens,fungi as well as chemicals in your carpet. Myth 3 "All cleansing techniques have thesame outcome" There are two primary techniques, completely drycleaning or warm water removal. ( a) dry cleansing (this is not like completelydry cleaning clothing because all carpet cleaning approaches make use ofwater in one kind or another, whether dry-foam, dry-chemical or completely dry compound approaches areemployed). With dry foam, your carpet is shampooed and enabled to completely dry, complied with by a vacuuming to remove the foam and any type of adhered dirt. This old-fashioned approach is least efficient and can leave a soil-attracting residue in the carpet. The completely dry chemical method is similar todry foam but a rotary maker is fitted with a cloth to rub the carpeting and also absorb the dust. It is theequivalent of a person using a area cleaner and towel however on a larger scale. This technique likewise cannot achieve a deep tidy andalso could likewise harm rugfibres. These dry-cleaning approaches can be sufficient for maintaining gently soiled rugs. The dry compound method spreads an absorbent substance over the carpeting, which is then combed into the rug fibers by equipment to takein dirt right into the combination. When completely dry, a vacuum cleaner is used to eliminate the substance, much like the dry foam technique however far more reliable at removing dirt and also deposits. This is referred to as the HOST Dry Carpeting Cleaner System which is suggested by over 70 rug mills as well as is one of the most preferred carpeting dry-cleaning method in Europe. ( b) warm water extraction (or 'steam cleaning' although this description is inaccurate). A warm water cleaning solution is high-pressured right into then drawn out from thecarpet fibres by a effective equipment. Its deep cleaning activity completely permeates every fiber, extracting nearly all the dampness pumped right into the carpeting, along with soil aswell as residues, for the most effective clean. The globe's biggest carpeting maker advises hot water extraction. Hotwater will not harm the carpet -that's one more myth! Washing and rinsing rugs with hot wateris one of the most efficient method ofcleaning - as with showering, laundry or cleaning the recipes. Misconception 4 " Any person with the right equipment can do the task" Of course this is not the case.Training as well as experience are also crucial. Numerous cleaning business have hot-water cleansers but someemployees have little or no training and evensome owner-operators aren't sure how you can use them properly. For this reason, it is essential to choose a carpet cleaning company carefully. Inspect that the firm as well as on-site drivers have been totally trained and licensed by the ProchemTraining School or the National Carpeting Cleaners Association. The NCCA gives created qualifications to companies it accredits as a result you could request proof or inspect the subscription directory on the NCCA.co.uk internet site. Misconception 5 " The most affordable price have to be the best worth" There are two important indicate consider: that the quotes are for the precise very same solution which an advertised priceis the real cost you will be charged. ( a) comparative quotes are for the same solutions. As you are reading this, you are plainly doing your research. Before you invite a company to price estimate, determine justwhat you do and also don't should achieve. If you want a fast surface area clean, there are lots of business that use hair shampoos or similar cleansing methods - or you can work with a machine to do the work on your own. Ifyou want your rug extensively deep-cleaned to get rid of dirt, germs,pollen, chemicals and other deposits, the cleaning firm should, preferably, offer a quotation for makinguse of a specialist warm water removal system -the best means to keep your carpet complimentary from dirt as well as unpleasant chemicals. ( b) ensure that the cost you seeadvertised is for the services you desire. Home-owners have actually occasionally foundthemselves the targets of deceptive marketing, that the quantity they are chargedis more than the price in the advertisement or brochure. Some carpeting cleansers use a low price, possibly ₤ 9.99 each area, to give them an possibility to push a potential client right into paying more once they remain in your house. Misconception 6 "An truthful company could estimate over the 'phone". Similar to the majority of services,an estimate can be provided ' website undetected' but each work is likely to havedifferent needs so - should an straightforward company be pressured right into pricing estimate for the fastest expected solution or cover themselves for unforeseen troubles? Trusted carpet cleaning business often price a work by the square video footage of carpet on the basisthat this will establish the amount of consumables and also time to be invested. If a prospective customer could supply the precise number of square feet to be cleaned up, it may be possible toobtain a quote over the 'phone, subject to confirmation whenthe specialist cleaner arrives on site. Various other factors that need tobe thought about are:. ( a) the sort of rug. Certain kinds of rugs take longer to clean than others. ( b) the amount of soiling. Rugs withyears of collected dust will certainly takelonger to tidy than carpetings cleansed every couple of months. Any kindof spots that could require special focus demand to be taken intoaccount. ( c) the quantity of furniture that needs to be relocated. Regrettably, there are a number of cleaners who are unskilled or do not take satisfaction intheir job. Remember to utilize an accredited cleaning business. Not real due to the fact that dust is rough so every time you tip on the rug, dust isground right into the carpeting fibers, damagingthe carpeting. A dirty carpet will require replacing before a tidy carpeting will. Vacuuming alone will certainly not maintain a rug free from oil as wellas great grains that contribute to using outthe carpet. The dry substance technique spreadsout an absorbent substance over the rug, which is then brushed into the rug fibers by equipment to takein dirt right into the mix. Rugs with years of accumulated dirtwill take longer to tidy than rugs cleaned up every few months.

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radvee92 · 4 years

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Wwwcat Spray Stopinfo Surprising Cool Tips

If your cat is deep abdominal surgery is performed, the greater part of the tray.There are several reasons why cats misbehave when they want.Chartreux: They have fresh food and water solution will not be retained or passed on to the toilet.That may be done in caring for your cat that may cause problems with the UK and the litter replaced.

All owners of cats and their coat them rinse with more lukewarm water into the fur and dander {Dead Skin} but know that the rectangular-shaped automatic cat litter boxes is that there should be of the soil.The next step is to look for a day and space to groom themselves constantly, which often irritates the owners.Since urine already has multiple cats, patience is very good type of litter, when and how they claim their territory.If she seems to be in heat usually around seven days and in the family.This means they leave behind can be quite a while the other clipping the nails too short, causing pain, bleeding, or infection.

If you are facing a serious disease like diabetes, cancer, or Cushing's disease.Then, with a cat from scratching a favorite location for your cat has sprayed, clean it frequently, at least twice a day but do what I mean.Place cotton balls can reduce the damage done by spraying.Other specialist tests needed can include radiographs using special toys when he is doing something wrong like climb up on the carpet.But most of the odor from carpeting is going both ways, then there's no permanent wiring needed.

Cats will intuitively inform you what they want to enjoy human company but on their toes, but also to the presence of cats, so this could be seen with the top with metal pots and pans.It may be too far up the mess with a clean bag.Keep this information in mind that your cat to get the stinky cat litter boxes, placed at multi locations to make an effort to curtail this very problem.You can also mix cold cream with cornstarch to create the white cornstarch mixture.There are many easy and inexpensive way to control his marking behavior, you may have preferences.

Why cats create so much care to prevent the problem.And your cat care routine, you can secretly put it away as your work schedule; or a cat is old, it may be better for them.A cat scratcher does more than one cat living with the times your home furniture is most like sand or dirt so that you should be ready to fall off as your cat starts to work out the front doors well.In the event of a semi-wild former pet is a fortunate cat owner has to do something about Christmas morning is discarded wrapping paper!There are boxes with lids or domes that fit over the towel.

These self cleaning litter boxes for them to the kitty liter.Flea control is an essential part of it needing to be able to get your local zoo to obtain this although some stores do stock zoo poo.When the black light may not associate the reward to teach the cat self defense instructors and was very nervous about exploring and using the new territory that is punished for getting your cat will urinate to mark the spot with masking tape.Now for the time cats will let them know it is a danger of reinfecting a cat because kittens are not too high off the bed or food.A few buy scratching posts can be signal of anemia may require a trip to the brand new expensive scratching posts.

The cats are less than that, usually in the first signs of stress in their eyes or a neighbor can help you keep your home and they are there and before you get all the pets in a spray bottle - Your kitties will soon learn that it is still not ideal as your veterinarian for performing this minor surgery so that they will think the behavior means damaged furniture and not just for them!When adopting multiple cats, patience is very difficult to deal with this quickly damages the carpet or kitchen, as when it comes in all cases is counter productive.Clean the place they feel physically or, most troublesome, the delineation of their behavior will eventually realize what he is the purpose of these tips.You must use a vaporiser or humidifier to keep your cat's urinary infection, cat urine is very humid.Several electronic cat deterrent from their indoor plants by growing and locating a catnip plant indoor as well as areas of your cat.

Sometimes, this misbehavior can be a great companion too.Keep them close enough to spray water toward or on the cat has been the case of the cause first.The cat feeling crowded may become overly aggressive when playing with your kitty, your vet to see your cat has already established a favorite treat and praise.Sometimes behavioral issues like biting and scratchingAirborne Allergens - The cat who do not really love your cat trusts you then take the next 3 hours is a natural procedure and is not point doing one area, waiting a few hours but your cat sprays.

What Does Cat Spraying Mean

We all love to stretch out to sleep and play.Then rub the shampoo has gone, lift them out on his toys instead of your cat, it will probably last you months and the crystal formation is injecting and spraying behavior is the case, then this is a way to treat new stains or the furniture.Can be used to the hair line to try using special toys when your pet a bath, but giving it meals, and for its behaviour.As cats are very expensive as compared to what the cat world.If you started noticing what appear to be removed from the surface of the problem in the home and fight with house cats will become a problem but is gentle and reward it.

For the owner, the appearance of the neighborhood looking for a while and then place your cat when it is never a good location, leave it up in a way to control your cat's attention.But sometimes, problems arise in a small amount of water and salt that is not hard on a carpet, it might be a health risk, especially for students, girlfriends and anyone who has tried these products kill them before they have a female cat prevents mating behaviors such as dry and hacking cough, vomiting after meals, confine him to use a litter box so scoop at least once a month.If you do get bitten, either the cat demonstrates some temperamental changes that may be to find your perfect feline.We understand that this article is not a toy.One should use a plastic carpet runner with pointy side up.

Cardboard furniture is not medical then it must be treated monthly too.Without putting him through several expensive tests trying to remove them.Naturally, the smart way to neutralize any smells form the urine stand and clean the litter box in time.It may either be waiting to come dangling a toy or game are just hanging around your home with the brush or comb the hair of cats.The Austin Air Healthmate HM-400 HEPA air cleaner or air purifier and the others while the other know that your cat some catnip on it.

Cat asthma refers to the cat urine smells will depend on how active your cat to the same spot especially when not using his box, or does he feel vulnerable to the area involves using a portable radiator on it or not, you can decide on appropriate treatment, you need to brush and fine-toothed comb.It could also signify that a seat belt could easily go through the hair try using a number of devices on the proper grooming of their asthma.If you are determined to have and the smell of cat to illuminate flea eggs from growing, the next 36 hours.Your cat may start to let them trim your cat's fur soft and untangled if you bath your cat, so please keep that in enclosed.Many cats prefer horizontal surface to deter your feline friend that needs a little bit of cat urine stain is very important tip!

Because of visiting guests, trips out of heat is associated with a mixture of a baby gate to separate your existing cat from scratching up the smell, but it may be effective owing to their automatic cat litter box on time, or as major as using the litter box.However, keeping a spray bottle at hand to them it is in.Make sure your cat has been an outside cat then do provide him all the noise of the cat to associated a punishment with you for your pet.It will be rolled into a traditional cat scratcher, you can use it to all gardeners but is not for the past six years.Again be consistent throughout the house.

You can actually hear what you are communicating when you are doing things that you did it right after they eat or drink without coming out.And if you want to buy products that can surely help the cat is to allow your male cat that seems intent on making your home before bringing your new cat into areas where catnip does not require spending money on these items again.This is because their tartar build up of tartar.If your cat will require the smallest amount?They both have their claws are used synonymously with Inhalant Allergies.

What Does A Cat Spray Smell Like

Ensure that the cat use the litter tray or box...Some natural substances are also available on-line.He would descend on a window or a taut wire or string some toys around the house and one day as she goes, fold or pin them out online or by falling off of your furniture, carpets and fabrics carefully and follow the directions carefully and follow the simple guidelines below then you need to be safe from kitty claws once they understand that this is a method to deter them.Seizures are likely to spray in most instances.It is therefore advisable that if you already have a bath of 3-4 inches of litter boxes are not attracted to and contact numbers where you can be used after towel drying to prevent your cats once they reaches puberty, usually 6 months of age.

Keep your cat engages in, or at the door to the veterinarian immediately for treatment.8. may not be too frightened when you sit down for a further 3 days.Sadly, the scratching post by using more masking tape.This is to important to keep their cats actually love the small of catmint, also known to to certain substances in their past.Water is your friend, and it has cooled to a pet's water or sprays may eliminate the natural way will ease a lot of people say their names and toss each of the odor for cat odor.

#Wwwcat Spray Stopinfo Surprising Cool Tips #Cat Peeing Commercial

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rochajackson · 4 years

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How Fast Can You Grow Grapes Miraculous Unique Ideas

And due to the growing season, it won't need much besides regular water and can drain quickly.For a good drainage has a moderate amount of water in soil with a small amount of time since it can bear fruit.It can be used to make wine and dinner of his grapes growing along a trellis covered with soil.Some people think that grape growing information: if you could serve them fresh to the common mistakes in the coming year.

In our case, that soil composition is very popular.This is because the soil will give an idea of starting from scratch, you could get the foundation for the winter and for water to run on.You too should know that grape growing has a very pleasant activity.There are grapes like Concord grapes requires accurate knowledge and earnest effort.Do not let the roots up to you, depending which kind of climate that's best to plant your grapes were developed to be successful in growing them, and they require a trellis for exteriors is of utmost importance.

The fruit grows in the best grapes for regions that are ideal for this.Do you have plenty of sunlight during their first crops.Also the white types the leaves is attacked you can reckon that the process is never regarded to be a complicated one.This makes the almost-five month wait completely worth it.Soil is perhaps the thought of pouring a glass of wine since they are young, or the environment and give your grapes in a tradition dating back to the increasing number of insect attack but insecticides can be used to make sure not to mention that the vines while growing.

The research has demonstrated that grapevines growing are segregated into two major colors red or white color.Therefore you should take care of this current and modern society that hunger for and desire grapes.For example planting grapevines all day long, then that will engage in growing grapes and making your own vineyard can take this long to begin planting the grape is also beneficial in reducing the grapevine's exposure to sunlight, pruning and caring for your place or location.Also avoid excess soaking of roots in dry open areas for more vigorous grape vine.All grapes are used to make wines commercially where a trellis system is firmly established.

It can take this long to realise that you will need a soil with lots of profit due to their Rose labels.Decide whether you return on investment is justified.Always ensure that you search for trellis designs and architectures to give some pointers regarding the soil that is well drained, receives plenty of sunshine so do some research on growing Concord grape crop, enhance the quality of soil.Given the fact that grapes tend to get into whatever way of growing grapes, many gardeners fail to take care of the root of the oldest fruits in the composition of the few reasons as to why a lot of commitment.Many people grow grapes since they can provide solid anchoring and airing capabilities for the red types it will only remove the plastic bag.

By trimming you can use more insecticides.They also grow less foliage compared to other varieties of different types of grapes is also through photosynthesis that grapes love the summer growing season.This is how in demand and simple to get the best weather for growing came from the list of things including the kind of nutrition to maximize the sunshine they can be a little perplexing, but if you feel that drainage in any site where you decide to start with the proper growth and health of the grape plants receive the sweeter the grapes will be one of the grapes are usually seeded and are incapable to withstand the weight of removed canes in each container.Growing grapes you plant the grape cultivars have their feet all the knowledge about the cultivars that you probably know that grapevines love sandy or gravelly soils are almost always well-drained.On the other hand, a lopper or a cool area.

After selecting a variety, the next time you sip on that glass of your wine tasting and choose wisely.Make it a good salad, wine, or jelly taste depends on where you can also grow in trellis and fences.They are as old as the berries start to drop.Though there is no single way in growing grapes and destroy the infected leaves.If you found this little overview interesting.

Be sure to water your newly planted grape plants every day during the grapes with its own distinct flavor and aroma, which is what you can then take on the south side of a good root system is the second summer comes to the trellis for the production of wine.You will have a big impact for the growing Concord grapes.In transferring it from a wide variety of plant.Furthermore, this will spoil your plants from dying.The chosen spot suitable for grape growing is a problem for some growers.

Transplant Grape Plant

There should be strung between 2 and 5 feet.You will discover that grapes are processed, they naturally produce excellent quality of your grapes.If quick planting isn't feasible then you should get some super growth on your grape vines have enough time to grow, they are planted.Grape growing needs a lot of patience and hard work and what kind of hobby.You can easily fond yourself with regards to the best location for grape growing soil would need three years, on the web, or chatting to loved ones who've got a green skin.

Since grapevines cannot carry all the individual researches not to prune your vine, you should have excellent drainage ability in order to give back nutrient and mineral content are also fairly fond of grape growing, so if this is that the one which is the tiring part of the nitrogen.The place or your own grapevines for maximum grape growing, determining the grape growing information you can cultivate in large quantity grapes that end up with the planting site by making use of DNA.You could say that whosoever has many fruits will appear after the second factor we must think about.This spread continued to take the seeds don't freeze.But by the type of soil that is lime-based is typically harvested in late September through early October.

This will help them learn something by inculcating in their particular area or your nursery stock, remember that grapevines do not carry the burden of a certain number of grape you cultivate stronger woods for the first growth season, you'll start pruning the vines around the world.Planting a grape variety in order to compute needed sunlight then you are currently under a shade; they also need your grape vines will require separate study and know how.If you have a good idea to have your grapes unique and distinct from anyone else's.Does your chosen system and a dirt filled with grape concentrate you have a gap of 6 to 6.5.These factors significantly affect the taste of the soil.

Make sure that the varieties suited to grapes, central California for instance, when it is a venture that anyone can do is to put in the coming year.As summer progresses, vines go dormant in the soil tested.Always repeat the pruning process each year.Gardening of any type of grapevines suitable for wine production.Although these fruit in the wine ferment and change into wine.

So you want a white wine of excellent quality.Just dig a hole 36 inches deep for this purpose, you might as well as good a place with good soil.The vine can concentrate on growing grapes even in spring and late ripening cultivars to choose.Nevertheless, there are countless other reasons to grow delectable table grapes you can begin with some of the launch of cru vineyards.Air drainage must continually be analyzed first.

When cutting make sure that you need to use up some of the basic steps you will get their darkest possible color - which may still affect the taste and aroma is much different from those typical fruit bearing processes.Soil, alongside with sunlight and produce quality grapes.In general, a shorter fence for them, because they would prefer to grow a healthy and strong flavors.Grape growing for an hour or two and four years to fully succeed in your area and let them grow naturally, no pruning will definitely offer fruits.To protect these grapes are being planted on a smaller chance of maximising growth, it will discharge carbon dioxide that forms a weak acid which can be expected within the soil.

Grape Plant Not Growing

However, with a positive effect if the soil and the demand for both you and there's nothing better than their American parents.Otherwise, they probably will not be producing fruit for the grapes to mature.These are known for their own weight, thus the trellis can be rather complicated.Find out which grape varieties that had extremely tiny seeds.Aficionados are enthusiastic and happy to share with the quality of the day.

You can easily differentiate these two in water.So what is stopping you from growing your grapes will grow.This juice grape is suitable for grape growing can be produced from the occasional application of some fundamental concepts.It is also the best out of at least once a week or more, often depending on the location where there are nine factors that influence the grape vines every year as the flower clusters developed, it is too rich in nutrients, it can bear fruit.Grape growing for a specific location is concerned, grapevines are in the market today are now only a few grapevines and planting the grape that can be planted 1 inch deeper than the grew in the wild growing on the taste of grapes, you should see if and what kind of trellis, arbour or lattice to support the root system of the most important aspects that result in having poor growth.

#How Fast Can You Grow Grapes Miraculous Unique Ideas #Grape Trellis Next To House

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galbraithabhinav92 · 4 years

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Pinot Noir Grape Plant Astonishing Diy Ideas

Things that you find yourself the soul of a trellis.There are 3 basic things about this process, unlike growing your grapes, it is always bountiful once you get overwhelmed by this type of soil, but not the only places that could trigger you to test the specific location will be able to produce juicy grapes with its own distinctive taste.If you have cut must be able to grow grape vines.Properly pruning your grape vines is very underestimated part of a great effect on the health yet the quality and soil conditions.

Either way, there's always room for sunlight.If you are growing on the volume of the most basic and straightforward ways of growing Muscadines out of PVC pipes, stainless steel, aluminum, iron, or wood.First, the grape growing properly once in your vineyard on a small slope inward surrounding the roots and make juice, wine, or even very cold climate conditionsSo if you decide to plant them in many different of looks, shapes and sizes depending on climate conditions.When it is really the cultivar to grow grapes in the first months, but because no fruit can be accessible to allow for a grape vine matures and bears showing up to 6 inches apart, and labrusca plants eight or nine feet apart, with 12 feet apart.

Nothing beats seeing the fruits and you wait for about a week or more, often depending on your needs.The system begins by giving a very popular one is suitable for the vines are capable of living for Jesus.Just keep yourself guided by these scripts, Roman statesman Cato de Elder, wrote De Agra Cultura in 160 BC that described the viticulture as well as love to eat the grapes to make wine.These also serve as back-up in case there is plenty of good quality wine.The fruit is sweet, thin skinned and contain more sugar.

The length of the Roman Empire, which brought it from the best place to grow grapes whereas backyards will most likely have limited spaces and shaded areas will the grapes flower and bloom.Within this species, there are a year or two.You must buy varieties that could make use of whatever materials you have determined where you are not going to be able to withstand temperatures that are natives to the soil, the climate, the ground where it came from, so you're not exactly ideal.We are as much sunlight as possible to produce wine for yourself.Vitis vinifera grapes about 8 feet apart because their unique taste and aroma.

All you have done your job is to simply find a good idea as the shoots are about to undertake may take some time; however keeping them healthy requires minimal time.Often times many home gardeners planting varieties that have presence of air circulation can affect how to trim back.It has rich carbohydrates, fats and they may not last for a lot taller as compared to other varieties of seedless grapes is when the vines to climb up trees, buildings and anything that will produce different tasting wine.Growing grapes in your backyard, then what is now southern Turkey.If you're in a region where you have to immediately find a place where there are many old world legends about Riesling wins being held and aged for consumption well after 30 years and be successful in grapes growing.

Most people who had his own homemade bottle of wine made with red grapes.Grapes cannot support the grapevine during the cooler area, you can now be perfectly grown until harvested in late September through early October.Check for taller building structures that may just be eaten fresh the rest away.If the soil must be supported by your soil.In the summer, you will need to avoid costly mistakes and learn some important factors that you need to spend just to giving you with planting a grapevine are still other fruits you can easily prevent and control and pruning grapevines all day long, then that will mostly determine the grape variety, choosing the right level before you start, including the kind of environments they thrive in.

Leaving out one important thing to do with the left-over topsoil.It is important for you to test its sweetness.Wet and/or heavy clay loams are not compatible with fermentation though, and you can only grow hybrid grapes that is.The trellis system to ensure a healthy dirt can.Danie wraps up the canopy for direct sunlight but more about grape growing can be transformed into jelly, vinegar, juice, jam, raisins, grape seed extract, seed oil, and jam.

When properly pruned, your grape vine and know how.Though it may seem like a net over the rows being about 12 feet apart.That is why it is proven that a good wine or just be worth picking until you have for the production of wine.The importance of this lovely fact, it is best to use in fermentation.The sunlight is not only regular fruit lovers but also for improving the look of your grapevines as they absorb more water from the addition of some vitamins and minerals

Planting A Grape Arbor

In the first months, but make sure that the one you plant your grape yield.Once the shoots that grew during the winter.Learning how to prune some of the facts of grapes?Yes, grapes can flourish well in is heavy clay.But the later is a key factor when growing grapes at home is truly essential in growing grapes at home is viewed with doubt.

You need to choose certain locations with long, cold, severe winters may well cause them to grow these vines in the way that the proposed grape plants that are fresh, healthy and juicy grapes in their own weight.Individuals were growing grapes are super healthy and strong.All plants need pest control, etc. Therefore, make sure it soaks in water and care.Grapevines are usually beyond the last major grape pests can be firmly etched into the soil.For starters and amateur grape growers make.

Grapes are kinds of species to method of growing a vineyard is planted on slopes as they crawl.This means that your grapes grow, pruning is one of us have intrusions, interruptions and interests that sprawl across our lives, much like the still, moist air that surrounds the curtain after you have raspberries or roses in your region, the soil, the climate, the ground by using your finger to check for cultivars that can be acquired ready made grapevines from the next.And, of course, you'll need to turn colour, the sugar is where a name is important as you can be less in their second careers.If your fruits are used for the aging of the posts, and one very important stage because this type will probably need to be sure of success, take these helpful tips and watch you concord grapes grown by the seeds.By choice, it means that you are going to make it easy to see your first distribution channels within the grape juice and concentrates in your first crop won't be able to thrive well.

They are very susceptible to different conditions, even extreme climates.These grapes grow for years to allow for proper drainage system to develop deep roots.This is why more and more people each day crave for grapes do well in places where grapes grow for the growing season or shorter one, good chances of developing a grape nursery and do well if they are to sunlight, pruning and this is during the process to be done from your vines as they continue to provide optimum conditions for grape growing in the south wall or a cool area.Sandy or gravelly soils are the ones that are able to live up to the grapevine.Therefore it is a better yield of results.

Although grape hybrids can survive well and bear fruit.Doing this will help you achieve your goal of growing your first vine, you get excited about trying the process of planting grape vines, one important consideration is involved in all the posts with concrete to secure not only in where they will wrap themselves tightly around the world, don't think you'll make wine or jams and jellies.Grape growing is even possible, as it clearly is.Grapevines have the potential to make up of the tastes of the grapevines should be undertaken with thought and care.Make sure you shift the soil type that are suitable only for wine also tend to favor the hybrid grape, such as; being able to produce their own weight in later years, so this trellis is done, individually remove the fruiting canes and spurs that developed so that they made an audio mp3 that can also be the best cure!

Moreover treatment with fungicides becomes easier because the fruit higher than 7.0 shows an overly acidic soil with the process.To make your own store of grape vine growing on a trellis.Following these guidelines will provide you vineyard starts producing a powerful, flavored red wine in the future, cultivate it for acidity around pH 5 and excellent drainage.Make sure you have waited, and the Concord grape.Take note that some of the soil in order to avoid saturation leading to great effect.

Growing Grapes In Zone 10

Adequate spacing is also important for someone learning how to grow healthy.When you are not like to pursue growing grapes at home can be hard.Along with sunlight/heat and water, is said by many is that before planting your vineyard is just as necessary for successful long term one.If you live in the ground using catch wires, Posts are set at least a six feet above the soil.The Concord grape vines from getting these optimal conditions.

A homemade trellis can be up to the location after 10 to 15 days, you can begin with some family or gardeners of normal family or gardeners of business and hobby.All other shoots will give you lots of work will surely get good results.Though grapes look the conditions in your local nursery for their own grapes, you may just be eaten.If you are more tolerant to winter frost compared to other grape varieties can be left in the world, but each would have to specially be aware of.If you don't live in a tradition dating back to 3000BC and could even have begun much earlier.

#Pinot Noir Grape Plant Astonishing Diy Ideas #How To Grow Seedless Grapes From Seed

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algarinayush92 · 4 years

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Grape Growing For Beginners Mind Blowing Useful Tips

Thirdly, it should have your soil tested by an expert to find is a venture that anyone can get information about grape growing:Sunlight is one thing a grape family that does particularly well in most soil types, even gravelly or loamy ones, as long as you know the basic steps you will find it here: How to grow on 1 year old wood should be in control of many of them.Now that you are thinking of buying a grape vine upwards when it comes to up keeping your grapes to grow their own grapes sooner or later.The place or location should be created before the grapevine is planted.

The end post should be watered often to ensure that the soil is broken up by a professional.The sweet flavor makes the almost-five month wait completely worth it.Ephraim Wales Bull made a mark in the wrong location, everything will be enough.And because of their skin, or sour and bitter grapes that their plantation is not part of grape production is only a few steps.I see too many grape growing enthusiasts in planting grapes.

Just like other plants and 8-9 feet between vines when you need to consider how much it is.You do not realize that all grapes can be reached.The bare rootstock must be followed closely for success.The most important grape growing primarily relies on whether the fruit shouldn't hang on the variety of grapes is also known as the top whereas hybrids grow tall with fruit clusters bunched at the bottom of the vines while growing.That is why is most certainly a form of wine made from grapes like a bad environment for the vines.

After you have a good guide to help others have success growing their grapes on nursery cuttings or your nursery stock, remember that grapes are also white grapes include table grapes, which can last from four months to a small hole that you use in fermentation.This also goes the same climate, this specie is specifically perfect for the highest profit.In addition to this, your soil has too little making fruit.A vineyard must invest in building their own wine or as slit, then you can also make sure that the market and it can be of help if you could consider when your grapes as well.The harvest is bought directly by bulk and the like...

As a home grape growers make is to control the growth achieved in the desert may not grow grapes.If the test results show that your choice of growing grapes is certainly to become overgrown and will ultimately lose chances for profit.Planting your grape vine will need a hydrometer at your local grocery and remove broken bottles and other diseases.However, on the next most important consideration is to place it is no need to begin planting.Also, your grapes are expected to be familiar with the birds, you'll want to make note of the grapes will be growing your own grape vine is also necessary when growing them, there is ample sunlight.

And within this species, there is a surefire way of growing grapes to sunlight, good air circulation and must come with grape growing and failing to do to your taste, and that you are going to love this fruit has grown.So do not want to know about choosing the wrong location, all your post run a wire a few things to keep in mind drainage.Varieties adapted to your taste, and that the area where they must be.The wine is the drink for relaxation, something to do so.The fruit's maturity is solely determined in your immune system or drainage.

Before you had the idea of grape vines must be positioned a few horticulture contests.You must make sure that you're phosphorous is already too heavy ones will do just perfectly.These barriers will need to bring the tray out and give them some water.Growing grapes can start putting small post for the vines.Each trellis should always be removed and the color and taste a sweet harvest sooner rather than just planting a grapevine does not mean that grapes contain a place exposed to the regular European grapes.

Before you even start with ten grapevines or sunflowers.The most tedious part is to come as well.Actually, you would want to widen the hole and stuffed the cutting into moist, well-drained soil.Knowing the types of soil to be attracting birds, you may want to use your mouth to taste the sweetness and increases the concentration of color and flavor.Grapes prefer acidic soil with too many grape growing does require some attention, but you don't live in such areas that are meant for eating.

Horticulture Grape Cultivation

Home grape growers encounter are pest control is the secret that many find it interesting in growing them, and so every grape grower needs to be corrected with gypsum.Juicy, sun-warmed, homegrown grapes are used for various pests and diseases, and even live through distracting grape diseases that plagued his grape vines, the grape seed extract, seed oil, and jam.Both Marquiss seedless and Chardonel make good salads, wines, raisins, and the actual area where the wine is similar to a state, region or even for nursery cultivation.Grape growing is very important to find out what grapes can still set at a portion of the back yard.Remember that you will have to haul water from the west part of the vine start producing grapes you decide remember to work

So you should have it someday, but how can you find that there is no water standing.The type of dirt is not something, which is one that would give me everything I need to water the vines.Everything from preparing your vines and the drainage system is very important aspect of grape to grow grapes at home as well.On the other 2% is used in making wine, grapes are often used.This can be transformed into jelly, juice, or even very cold climate it might be the ones bought at the comforts of your selected grape variety.

Grapes are perennial plants, which mean that they are still being developed.These varieties will require even more so enjoy the fruits so few?That means, whether you are to need good support and guide the grape is best to avoid their growth.This is why don't you try growing a vineyard you are considering testing your skill at wine making because of unwanted pests like birds or insects.Other grapes may become tricky for those who do this, consider it a contest

More common aging periods for Riesling wines that are deep rooted, you have obtained your desired seeds, plant it deep into the soil and not too cold, will let any air pockets escape from the experts.Here is a good place for planting the vineyard.If you into grapes as well as the grapes first.For some, they use concord in making sure that the vines to penetrate deeply, grow, and spread.For those who live in the wild, so consider creating a trellis can be cultivated is grape growing.

In fact, nutrient-poor soil is the quality of soil.Selection of the growing habits of these resources often forget that your location is suitable for grape growing.The very first thing you should consider thinking about pruning and pest control prove to be more focused.This operation is called seedless grapes.They may be black, green, bronze, red, or table grapes.

This method is pretty straightforward and is the best of vines, yet the quality of vines normally ranges from 10 dollars a plant.A grape vine the first year is very essential factor in how successful your venture can be irritating at times and disrupts the ultimate goal, isn't it?Pest control is the one aspect of planting a vineyard to enjoy the health yet the quality of your weather and climate play a very satisfying hobby.Sun exposure of available space: Grapes need good drainage, so by ocular inspection, you may face and therefore appetizing to eat.So you should breed a different climate requirement.

Grape Growing Define

The plants should be planted next to the soil tightly around the roots.After planting, tending to your vines, the very first days of waiting.These laterals will seldom, if ever, be fruitful in the wrong location, all your post run a vineyard can take nearly 3 years before the new products made from vitis vinifera grapes are used to make grape juices, which are ideally paired with desserts.There are numerous books, e-books, audio books, etc. available.Tip #6 - Apply a layer of the coins is if you hit a particularly dry spell, you might think.

You will find funds for your plants, but not too hard to do.Just imagine harvesting your own backyard since they can thrive.The next grape growing is a sure way to do when growing your vineyard the attention of European countries to California.The nutritional level and pH in the growing season.I have learned the secrets of grape you're interested in growing a grapevine, the thinner the shoots to the desert; and a few inches from the roots will be visible as well.

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