#I forgot you can't just go around calling people sensitive

[witchcraftingboop]

Man: Ouch, will try to be more cool and less goofy

Me, genuinely confused: What, why? All I said is "being goofy is cool too"

Man: Why are you making fun of me?

Me: Oh so you're sensitive sensitive

My Brain's Inner Narrator: And it was at this moment, she knew, she fucked up

[goldsbitch]

remember that

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. But everyone need assurance that they are still loved sometimes. The first time Lando almost slept on a couch blurb

warning: couple fight, angst

It was bad. This time, it was really fucking bad.

After weeks of snarky comments being swallowed in, the "it's fine" line being burned into Lando's ears almost on a daily basis and growing minutes Y/N had to wait before Lando decided to respond to her texts, shit finally hit the fan.

They hadn't seen each other for two weeks now. Inevitable fight broke out right as he crossed the threshold. Postponed dates and forgotten dinners lined up. They couldn't help themselves and put it all on the table. First it was the fact she didn't smile upon seeing him, then it was a reminder that he promised to bring something from Italy and forgot. It went on and on and on. She sat at the dinning table, while he leaned over at the kitchen counter.

"Lando, sometimes it feels like I'm in a relationship with your assistant and not you! For heaven sake, this week I had to call him, once again, when I could not reach you. Do you know how embarrassing it is?" she half-screamed into her hands.

Lando took a breath so deep an average yoga teacher would be jealous. "How am I suppose to be expected to pick up on a race day. You know that I get super busy and distracted."

"Funny how you never were when we started dating," she murmured bitterly.

He had to turn away, couldn't watch his love giving up on him just because they were not in the honeymoon stage anymore. "Yes, but now I'm winning races! Closer to my dream that I've ever been. It's different now."

"I'm glad I met you back then, because obviously you'd not date me if we met now," she couldn't stop those words that rotted in her coming out.

A beat. Maybe it was time to actually break the rule for once and go to sleep angry, because it was getting out of hand. "You know what, that's probably true and it breaks my heart that once I start doing well, you're suddenly not the supporting girlfriend anymore."

A crushing blow. "Tell me how am I suppose to support you if you don't even answer my phone! We used to talk for hours!

"Maybe understand that I can't!"

"I do! But you can't assume that I'll let you push me away completely!"

Lando thew his hands up in desperation. How could she not see it? "I'm coming here to you whenever I have a slightest chance! And I come what? You constantly dragging me through the mud."

"Oh interesting you mention that. How sad that your assistant had to remind you of my sensitive skin before you having him book me an "apology mud massage" when you cancelled on me few weeks ago," se shot, knowing it would hit the target.

"How do you even know that!" he said, unable to comprehend that he did not even control his paid assistant, not mention his own life anyway.

"Well, I talk a lot to you assistant! And he slips up!" It was a weird friendship between people who both wished they could get a little more info out of Lando.

"That's it. I can't deal with this now," he said, with the intention to sleep on the couch for the first time in their relationship. He didn't even know why he chose that action, walking towards their bedroom and dramatically bringing a pillow and a blanket over to the sofa, but if this is what couples did when the fought, there must have been a reason for it.

It absolutely infuriated her. Sparked up something she hoped she'd never feel. "Oh, sleep tight." she spitted with bitter undertone.

"I will!"

//

They walked around each other in silence, him getting ready to sleep on the couch and her cutting her skincare short this time and spending more time debating whether to close the bedroom door as they usually would or leave it open. Just in case.

He could hear her shifting back and forth. It angered him a little bit, since he was the one playing a cruel joke on his already tired muscles.

Thousand things she wanted to say and only one came to her mind in a form of an actual sentence. There goes nothing. "Do you still feel good about this?"

"What?" he whispered, not expecting her to speak to him again before the next day.

"Nevermind, forget I asked."

"About what!" He hated when she did this. If you didn't catch up at the first moment, she did not give you a second chance.

"Do you still feel good about us, being together?" She cursed herself for asking this. Dangerous questions brought up explosive answers. She wished for a reassurance and a rejection. She snuggled deeper into her blanket and turned around to face the door. As if wishing for him to stand there and coming back to her.

Lando hated her question. In fact, it made him furious again. But it was a peace offering, he had already learned that before. "Even here, lying on the bloody couch, because we're fighting...It's the place I wanna be at."

Anxiety kicked in Y/N. "What, you mean like away from me?"

He laughed lightly. She was always thinking the worst. "No, silly. The exact opposite...We could both be at thousand different places at the moment. But we're not. And for me at least, it's because like---I want to be with you. I hate that we'd drifted apart lately. I'd love to be in bed with you, laughing without a care in the world, like we usually do. But, we can't do that now. And yet, I'd rather be left on the couch if I know you're next door than all alone in my bed." His words hit like small drops of rain after a long draught.

She whispered, choosing her words carefully. "You're my twin flame. You make my soul light up in fire, make me feel like I'm the sun. Do you know what my biggest fear is?"

Lando also tuned into sweeter tone, one that was more familiar from days filled with sunshine. "What, my love?"

"That we're gonna burn out. You and me, ending up like an epic love story. The good ones work because they end in tragedy."

"You're always so poetic," he smiled, proud to think he was her love story.

"There is no other way to describe how you'd changed my life. Flipped it upside down the moment you walked into the same room."

Lando chucked. "Yeah, remember that?"

"How could I not."

"You were not having a good day."

Finally, she spoke loudly again. "So, what? Everything was going to shit and the event we were doing had to be perfect before the 'important people' arrived".

"Such an ego boost to know I was your priority before you even met me," he uttered, happy to push her buttons.

"Oh, and you were so cocky! Just laughing around, like we were some sort of comedy sketch."

"Well, I'm sorry, have you heard yourself when you're upset? The way how your voice goes up seven octaves higher?" he laughed, his breath feeling lighter now.

"Coming from you, that's rich! You were giggling in a tone so high the elderly couldn't hear you!"

"I'm so happy I managed to bag the grumpiest person in the building. And bare in mind there must have been around 500 people there."

"980 if you could in staff as well."

He let out a heavy sigh. "You with your pristine memory."

She paused before responding. "Yes. Wish I didn't have that sometimes."

"Wish I had at least a pinch of that."

Silence fell in both rooms. Heavy breath and wondering eyes. The lack of their touch suddenly being more obvious than before. Playing a contest who will reach out first.

"Lando?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Can you back here, please?" she said, somewhat nervously. Lando took a pause. There was nothing he wished for more. It hurt to fight. But he figured a relationship needed that sometimes. As the poets say, you loose a woman when you forget to cherish her. He liked to think this went both ways. And they both started slacking a bit. He could only affect his own behavior, with the hope that she'd also come to the same understanding.

"I'd like nothing more in the world, my love."

[merrysithmas]

Charles' line "There's so much more to you than you know" has always struck me because it's SO easy for Charles to come off unlikeable-

"There's so much more to you than you know" (But I do)

"What do you know about me? - Everything." (Whether you like it or not)

"I know what this means to you but you have to let go!" (Stop this nonsense)

"There's a mutant here already! [Exposing Hank]"

"I don't want your pain. They sent back the wrong man [To Logan]"

"I've seen what Shaw did to you"

"I feel your agony [After Nina died]"

"[Jean expresses no one knows how it feels to be tormented telepathically] Oh but I do."

Like on a base level what he communicates is such an invasion of privacy and instantly gets the hackles up because it's not natural. He can sound, at first glance, self-important and even dismissive (Erik at one point calls him 'arrogant'). Charles' telepathy gift is so alienating. He knows people's most personal thoughts, feelings, dreams, and nightmares. Seeing into someone's soul is as simple as breathing and second nature to him -- and he knows how repulsive this must be (see: how profusely he apologized for outting Hank. This speaks to a past/youth where he clearly unintentionally shared the secrets of others or caused trouble with his abilities and disturbed the people around him or endangered himself/others).

But Charles can't help his powers in the same way that Rogue can't - actually, Charles' abilities could easily been seen in some regards as the psychic equivalent to Rogue's physical gift. She can't touch ANYONE without hurting them in some manner, she is dangerous in some regard. And it's the same thing with Charles -- wherever his mind goes he exposes and hurts people. It's a side effect of his powers.

But unlike Rogue, Charles can't wear gloves. He can try to keep up psychic shields (which hurt HIM), or he can promise Raven he'll never read her mind, but he can't ever lessen his gift. He can't be perfect but he has to try. He can't or he'll be hated, despised, and feared. Rogue and he share a similar distress. Rogue suffers from touch-starvation but has to deal or she'll be seen as a monster. Charles suffers from the same kind of thing is a psychic way - he has to block his abilities or be seen as arrogant, invasive, and holier-than-thou. He has to starve his mind and powers.

So that's why it's sooooo touching that he tries SO hard to do good with it despite all that. Especially as he grows as a person and sees how powerful he can be with appendages like Cerebro. He ALWAYS makes an effort to clarify his knowledge of someone's mind with encouragement, love, understanding, and hope.

He can't help reading someone's mind but he CAN help how they react to it or how they feel about what's been exposed and the constant effort he exerts to express empathy, kindness, and aid is a testament to how hard he works to do good with his mutation. He frankly just doesn't have to do that. He could be like Emma Frost or Jean Grey or Psylocke. They know your thoughts, they use telepathy, and it's as simple as that.

Charles feels people's pain so ardently, sees their struggles so clearly, that it literally torments him not to help. How can he see that and just walk away? Innermost pain and secrets are revealed to him by nature -- he could ignore it, exploit it, or use it maliciously. Instead he takes the information and tries to help (surely in part to make up for how sensitive the invasion is).

"There's so much more to you than you know" (But one day you'll be more powerful than me. Don't get lost, keep going, you have so much more to remember and you aren't just made up of this pain that is so so heavy for you. This is not all that you are, I've seen what you forgot, I promise it's still there. You're still a person. Hold on).

"What do you know about me? - Everything" (I have seen your whole mind - the good and the bad - and still I came out here to ask you to stay. Because nothing in there scares me and in fact it gives me hope. I need you. We could do something great together.)

"I know what this means to you but you have to let go!" (They'll succeed in killing you if you let them. You deserve better)

"There's a mutant already here!" (Thank god! And you're incredible!)

"I don't want your pain. They sent back the wrong man." (Proceeds to cry at Logan's life and is amazed at his strength, you poor poor man. Is inspired to keep going from Logan's strength).

"I've seen what Shaw did to you." (Shaw did it to you. It's not a shameful secret and you aren't Frankenstein's Monster. It won't stop me from seeing who you really are. You're free).

"I feel your agony." (Come back to us. I can help you. You're not alone. You never had to leave. You still have a family. Grieve with us.)

"Oh but I do" (I survived. So will you. I didn't have help and I also had parents who didn't love me. I won't let that happen to you or leave you alone. I promise. You can sleep. You're safe. I'll protect you.)

[theangelcatalogue]

❝ Is she divine? Is the wine? La Seine, la Seine, la Seine. ❞ ― YANDERE CUPID X DARLING HEADCANONS

→ MY OCS

→ ROMANTIC

→ FEMALE DARLING

→ TW: MURDER/MURDER MENTIONS, PROTECTIVE BEHAVIOR, POSSESSIVE BEHAVIOR, OBSESSIVE BEHAVIOR, CLINGY BEHAVIOR, WORSHIPING BEHAVIOR, TOXIC BEHAVIOR, DELUSIONAL BEHAVIOR, KIDNAPPING/KIDNAP MENTION, DELUSIONAL BEHAVIOR, LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, JEALOUS BEHAVIOR, STALKING, BLOOD, MURDER, VIOLENCE/VIOLENCE MENTIONS, SENSITIVE TOPICS, BAD GRAMMAR, BAD ENGLISH AND MADE BY A MINOR! IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE, FEEL FREE TO LEAVE! PLEASE TELL IF I FORGOT SOMETHING AND ENJOY ＼(⌒▽⌒)!

───── ❝ NORMAL/CUPIDS EXIST AU ❞ ─────

❝ La Seine, la Seine, la Seine. ❞

★ → Have you ever wondered how love works? How people fall in love? There is only one good reason on why we fall in love.

★ → Cupids.

★ → They were created right after humans, they were created by a Goddess of love called Davina, that created cupids to help humans find their path in love, so they wouldn't suffer like her.

★ → It was rare the situations when cupids fell for human, nothing wrong happened thought...

★ → Until now.

★ → A cupid called Delilah, while doing her work, preparing to shot her arrow, ended up getting distracted with something... someone.

★ → You.

★ → You were the prettiest woman she ever saw in her life, in of the years in her life, she never saw a prettier human being, she felt a weird feeling while observing you, she was fascinated by you, she did what any person would do.

★ → She started to follow for a while, she would question herself of why she is doing this. It is because she always watched humans and made humans fall in love, and she always heard stories about cupids that fell for humans, so she just snapped and decided to obsess over a random human and call it love?

★ → Of course not! It's because you two are soulmates, destined by the arrow and bow to be together!

★ → She memorizes everything about you, your routine, your friend's name, family member's name, favorite color, food, music, artists, she knows everything about you! She knows you better than you know yourself, and she wants to keep it that way! She wants to be the only person that knows everything about you!

★ → When she doesn't have any matchmaking to do, she stalks you, she hides very well, you don't even notice her, although you feel like somebody is watching you sometimes...

★ → But she never wants you to feel unsafe around her! She just loves you so much, that she needs to follow you, just to know what you are doing, just to feel close to you, just to see and hear you... and feel that amazing feeling again.

★ → She is convinced that if you knew her, you would feel this feeling too, you would also be in love with her, and maybe even date her, marry her! Oh! She already imagines your weeding dress! You would look divine!

★ → Of course she is aware of things couldn't work out, modern times, humans don't believe in cupids like before, you probably would freak out, but it's okay! Love conquers all!

★ → Gets so jealous when you talk to others, she wanted to be the one talking with you! But instead, she has to observe you from afar! It's so unfair, every time she feels jealous, she starts to imagine you talking to her instead of other people, what makes her feel really giddy and in love like a high school girl with a crush.

★ → She is the reason some people you know disappeared, they just go puff out of nowhere, she has her way...

★ → Okay, okay! She killed them, but she promises you that it's for your good, she just wants to save you, you will thank her later! She knows that!

★ → And she kept doing this, until she got another matchmaking to do! Who are the lovebirds of this time?

★ → You... and... another person.

★ → No, no, no, no! This isn't supposed to happen! It's you and her! Not another person! She started to panic, she can't let this happen! There's only one thing that she needs to do.

★ → Kill the other person, and finally take you. Kidnap you.

★ → She remembers it so clearly, her rival bleeding, with an arrow in their neck, their face forever struck in an expression of shock and horror, the blood on her hands while she tries to clean up the mess, it felt so right, especially because it was for you, for her love, for her goddess, may Davina forgive her.

★ → She kidnaps you, and hides you well, somewhere where not even Davina and the other cupids would find you, it's okay dear, she will explain everything, don't be scared! She won't hurt you! She promises!

★ → She is clingy, never leaving your side, she is always there, taking care of you, complimenting you, she is a worshiper, she will treat you like a deity, she would do anything for you, except letting you leave, oh, she refuses to do this!

★ → Please, let her lay all her love on you.

" You are so perfect, what would I do without you? "

★- I DON'T KNOW, DON'T KNOW, SO DON'T ASK ME WHY

★ YUPPIE A OC HEADCANON

★ So in this case it would be canon since it's my original character?

★ idk idk idk

★ I'm planning in doing an RTC Halloween special, but idk if i'm actually going to-

★ THANKS FOR READING THIS!! TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!! DON'T FORGET TO DRINK WATER! (don't be like me, I don't drink water since I got back from school)

[nothingbutnowhere]

A Simon x reader blurb

Notes: Reader refered to as 'girl' once, mentions of anxiety/hypervigilant symptoms

Edit for typos I wrote this at like 1 am on my phone lol apologies

Your phone was always on silent. No ringtone, no vibration, not even alarms, you had an alarm clock for that, one of the fancy light ones that gradually brightened and played birdsong as the alarm. Given your sensitive startle reflex it made sense to Simon. And it's not like you often missed his calls or texts when he was away. No matter to him.

"Where was that new place you wanted to eat?" you asked from the kitchen, "Kinda out of food right now."

Simon had come home earlier than expected and left you with no time to prepare after a busy week. And considering you'd spent the afternoon and most of the evening rolling around in bed neither of you wanted to cook anyway.

The idea of going out was so much less stressful when Simon was with you. The fear of being perceived, and the fear of the nebulous 'something bad' made exiting your home a no go about 50% of the time. Simon had everything covered though. He could and would handle anything 'bad' and his glare was enough to send wandering eyes away. And seeing Simon straight up not give a fuck helped your thought patterns more than CBT ever did.

"I'll send it"

A few moments later there's a loud notification sound and buzz. Simon nearly jumps, head whipping towards the noise.

He starts to say something but when he sees you with your phone clutched to your chest, familiar red face like you've got caught with your hand in the cookie jar he closes his mouth and waits for the stammered explanation.

"I- it's- um. I have it set for you. When you're gone, guess I forgot to turn it off. It's just so, you know, I don't miss you. I mean miss your calls. I always miss you."

You give him half a smile and it twists Simon's heart, or what's left of it.

He stands and approaches you. Something that most people run away from, but your eyes only get softer and shoulders sag as you melt into his arms. It took time but you broke though his hard shell only to find a teddy bear inside.

"Sweet girl," he murmurs into your forehead before pressing his lips to your skin.

"Handsome boy," you say back, hands gripping the front of his shirt.

"Doin' all that for me? Guess I must be then."

"Mmhm. My handsome boy."

It makes Simon smile when you get possessive over him.

"My sweet girl."

And it makes you hot when he's possessive over you.

You groan.

"Don't start that again or we'll be eating 3am pizza. Or plain spaghetti noodles."

"It's just the truth love."

You break the embrace.

"Well your sweet girl wants dinner," you say with a winning smile.

You tilt your head up and stand on your tiptoes, a silent ask for a kiss.

He swoops in dutifully, but it's only a passing brush.

Asking for kisses is a dangerous game, there's more than one reason your man wears a mask (it's the oral fixation).

You look playfully disappointed but he only gives you his deadpan expression.

You huff and follow him to the door.

Once your shoes are on he does indulge you in another kiss. Deeper this time. Lingering. You give Simon a nip on his bottom lip, something to ache a little bit during dinner while you can't have your lips on him. He smiles, nearly giggles, and gives you a matching one.

A/N: I'm a little rusty, haven't written in a hot sec, but this just kinda plopped into my head. And I have a few other ideas for this soft!simon and anxiety/PTSD/hypervigilant!reader, so maybe I'll continue

...

I do NOT consent for my works, part of my works, or my ideas to be used for ANY form of AI.

[broshot]

Can I request gojo satoru and kaito with a depressed reader?

And they have an argument an the boys accidentally says something mean at their s/o

So the reader thinks that they are a burden for them so they write a goodbye letter ,u know what I mean, and the boys finds it when they want to apologise, u can decide if it can end bad or happy with fluff

a/n: hii! thank you for the request! I don't know like anything about kaito so I'm not going to write for them, I hope that's okay♡ I hope you like this! and my rule for hurt fics is to always finish hurt w comfort :D (I can't handle angst)

cw/tw: hurt/comfort (angst to fluff), sensitive topics kind of, crying, gn!reader, making up after an argument,

english isn't my first language so I apologise for bad writing

♡♡♡

arguments with gojo satoru were heated, the constant bickering went on for hours and hours and he could be a real asshole when he wanted to.

the current argument had already been going on for a few hours and you could see no end to it. it all started when gojo got home, he had a hard day and was looking forward to spend the evening with you.

but when he got home, he couldn't see you anywhere. he walked around the house a bit before finding you laying on your couch, sleeping. he was upset, he thought you'd make him dinner.

so when he woke you up, you could smell an argument incoming.

-

"it's not my fault you're so goddamn lazy, (name)! you never do anything for me, god, it seems like I'm the only one who actually cares." he spits out.

"I care! and I do a lot for you, you just don't-"

"it's all my fault? you know, if you didn't want to be with me you could've just said that. you don't even try! you're so hard to deal with."

"satoru you don't get it! I'm trying, I really am, I'm doing my best!"

"well you're not doing enough!" he yells before storming off. you can hear him taking his keys and jacket, then the door opening and closing.

you process it for a while before you feel tears threatening to get out of your eyes. and you let them.

this was not your loving boyfriend. the man who you just argued with was so different from your gojo satoru. your gojo satoru understood you, he helped you. your gojo satoru would never yell at you nor blame you for not being able to do the same things other people do.

were you really that hard to deal with? so hard to deal with that he forgot all about your struggles? you didn't like the fact that you struggled, even less when it was with daily situations. your boyfriend had been understanding of you so what changed now?

you walk to your room, taking a piece of paper and a pen and begin writing a letter. if he thought you were hard to deal with, you would make it easier for him and leave.

you set your letter on the kitchen and go back to your room. you take a bag out of the closet, messily putting some of your stuff in it.

gojo comes back home exactly 7 minutes after you left. he calls out your name, hoping you'd answer and maybe come greet him even though you two had argued.

but you don't answer him. he's frustrated but he wants to find you and talk it out.

he walks into your shared bedroom and he feels his chest tighten as he sees the messy state of the room, seeing most of your things gone. he shakes the uneasy feeling off. maybe you were just renovating the room.

but as he searches more of the house, he sees more of your stuff gone. he walks to your bathroom and he sees your towel gone. he rushes to the living room and notices your books being nowhere to be seen. panic is taking over him now. you could have not, you wouldn't leave him, he thinks.

he runs to the kitchen. it looks awfully clean and untouched compared to the other parts of the house. the bouquet of roses he got you a few days ago had a piece of paper next to it.

he quickly takes the paper in his hands, scanning through the writing. he recognizes your handwriting. the ink is mixed on some parts of the paper and he's not stupid, he knows you cried while writing it. he starts reading it.

"dear satoru, I'm sorry for our argument. I should've noticed how much of a burden I was for you. I'm sorry to have forced you to stay with me."

he panics more. he didn't mean what he said but he knows you're not like him. and god, you never forced him to stay with you. he stayed because he loves you.

the letter continues:

"I never wanted to make you feel like this and I'm sorry to have done it. I've decided to end your suffering of dealing with me. thank you for everything, with love: (name)"

he doesn't believe himself. how could he have made you feel like this? he doesn't see you as a burden, hell, he thinks he is the burden. you've never actually made him feel that way.

he feels guilt sting his chest. he needs to find you and apologize to you. so he runs back to the door and puts his shoes on.

-

he's been looking for you for hours. anyone else would've stopped already, it's getting late and dark and it's raining a bit.

but he doesn't care about any of that, he needs to find you.

he gets close to a familiar park and decides to run through. it was the park where he confessed his feelings towards you. he doesn't know how, but suddenly he is in front of you. you are sitting on the park bench; the bench where he confessed to you on.

it's raining but he could see your tear stained face. and you aren't wearing the warmest clothes there is either; just a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

he takes his jacket off and wraps it around you before he kneels down and looks into your teary eyes. he doesn't know where to start.

"(name) I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean any of the things I said. I don't know why I said them but I shouldn't have because I don't actually think the way I said.

I know you try. you're doing so well, I'm really proud of you and I really didn't mean when I said that you're not doing enough. you are doing so much more than enough. you're not hard to deal with, you're the best that's ever happened to me." he rambles.

you look at him and sigh. "I don't know, satoru. you really hurt me. I thought you wanted me to leave-"

"absolutely not, (name), I love you. I don't want you to leave, never."

you're quiet and he extends his arms, asking you to hug him. he's looking at you with a sad smile, trying to show that he really is serious right now.

you're still mad at him but you need comfort too, so you rush into his arms. he wraps his arms tightly around you and rubs comforting circles on your back.

"there." he whispers into your hair. "I love you."

"I love you too, satoru, even though you're an idiot sometimes." you say with a soft smile.

he laughs. "you want some ice cream? my treat, of course. I'll buy you the whole store if you want, I'd do anything for you.

♡♡♡

I don't really like this but I hope you enjoy it anyway skjfhdsjfh

MASTERLIST

[sasukeuzumaki-uchiha]

Omega Giyuu x Alpha fem reader

"A female Alpha?!"

Masterlist

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

I wrote this the same day as the part 1

Started writing this the 10/10/2023

Finished the 10/11/2023

TW: Rape, force pregnancy, a stupid man is in this chapter find him and i will give you a heart emoji, alpha x alpha, Shinobu x Tengen, Sanemi x Gyomei, suicidal thoughts, illegal age gap (17 x 30)

If you are sensitive to any of the trigger warnings you can skip the chapter and if you want to talk about it with me I'm ok to talk about it (Just remember that I can't help you get better, But I'm here so you can let it all go)

Just remember that you are not alone, their is numbers to help you

_________________________________________

Reader POV:

I'm close to get him!!!

You can do it!!

"GIYUU!!! Where are you going?!!!" I see him entering a house, is it his or someone he knew?

"GIYUU COME OUT, NO NEED TO BE SCARED!!!" I keep following him

I'm are such an idiot, i can't even follow an omega...

I cry in the snow

I'm such an idiot...

Why wasn't i able to get him to stay with me...

_________________________________________

Giyuu POV:

"SANEMI!!! I saw a beautiful woman but i don't know what to do?!" I ask my best friend Sanemi, he is a bit mean with people that are hurting me or his husband or his pups but in general he is nice

"What? Aren't you an omega?" He looked at me

"I know but i don't know what to do!!!" I feel like I'm about to cry

I finally let it all out

I feel Sanemi's arms around me

I'm finally safe...

For now at least...

_________________________________________

Sanemi POV

I feel him purring on me

So cute

No i can't have a crush on him... What will happen in Gyomei finds out... He will ask for a divorce its obvious...

I can't betray my own husband...

Well it's been a while since he fucked me but it's not a reason to cheat...

The only thing I can do is to let him be clingy and then pushing him off

_________________________________________

??? POV:

"Ara ara Shinaguzawa-san... Is Tomioka-san still clingy?" i rub my pregnant belly (Thank you Tengen...)

"It's not the first time Kocho... Oh i forgot, how is the baby in there?" He look at my belly

"I'm fine, but call me Shinobu... And why are you still calling me by my maiden name?" I keep rubbing my belly

"It's just in case, knowing Uzui he will replace you easily... All the omegas are in love with him" He look at me weirdly

"I know my husband very well... He said he loves me and our future baby!"

"He says that all the time and look, he left all his pregnant omegas boys like girls... He has no pity for anyone except himself"

I start crying and throw myself into Sanemi's arms next to Giyuu

_________________________________________

Reader POV:

That's it...

He hate me for sure...

It makes me remember my ex

(Flashback 3 years before)

"YOU DAMN SLUT!!! SUCK MY COCK!!!" He was screaming at me to suck him...

"Y-yes sir..." i start to suck his cock... It's wasn't the worst thing he ever did to me...

For a while he was super nice but one day he snapped and I'll pay the consequences

"Who knew that an alpha could fuck another alpha huh slut?!" He keep hitting my throat with his cock

"I'm sure i can impregnate you with a thousands of pups, your pussy will like it!"

I was trying so hard to not throw up...

It was ever since my 17th birthday that he started to rape me...

I wasn't allowed to push him away or I'd be sexually tortured

(20 minutes later)

I could feel him ejaculating in my belly, it was too late. I'm sure I'm pregnant, anyway this is the third time he's ejaculated in my belly...

"YOU BETTER BE PREGNANT BITCH!!!"

I nod sadly, anyway it's my fault for putting the knife in my heart I wouldn't have been raped if I did it before...

(Fast-forward 10 months later)

I love them so much but they remind me so much if their dad...

The same black curly hair

The same ruby eyes

I'm so sorry my babies but i should have been more confident, you wouldn't be suffering right now...

"I'm sorry..." i say crying while holding the 5 pups in my arms

(Fast-forward 2 ½ years later)

"Mommy!! Why are we getting away from daddy?" my oldest Tamayo ask curious

"Mommy is taking you and your siblings on a trip" i smile not telling her the truth

_________________________________________

Giyuu POV:

I can't stop feeling about her...

It's a weird feeling

I never felt it before

It's new to me...

Is it love?

Am I finally getting a girlfriend just like Obanai with Mitsuri?

I open my eyes hearing the door opening, i see Obanai in a panicking

"MITSURI IS IN LABOR!!!" Obanai scream, i see behind him a panicked Mitsuri

_________________________________________

Reader POV:

Who are they?

What are they doing here?

DID HE SAID THAT THE LADY WAS IN LABOR?!!!!

"Miss are you okay?" I get up and approach the woman

"Do i look like I'm okay?!" She said turning towards me. She seem a little bit irritated

_________________________________________

I'm so tired...

Sorry for the short chapter it's literally 12.30am and i'm still awake LOL!

Don't forget to give me comments (Only if you want)

See you all in part three

[stripedwolf88]

*sigh* alright. I'm gonna vent about this for hopefully the last time but knowing me it probably won't be. That's fine. We must allow emotions to flow like the river but remember to let them go. I get there eventually.

Don't get distracted dude! Okay my peoples I'm going to "share the tea" as the kids say on that girl that has made me spiral this past week? Week and a half? I don't know what time is anymore honestly.

So...this girl is someone I met at work in October of this past year. We'll call her N okay so that it doesn't get confusing later. Anyway N and I hit it off pretty quickly and that's something for me because I'm pretty socially awkward and I find connecting with people in new settings difficult (who doesn't am I right?) We eventually started texting outside of work which then turned into hanging out together. I will admit I developed a minor crush on her even though I knew pretty early on that she had a partner called H. I have a tendency to "catch feelings" for people who are unavailable mainly straight girls. The reason for this is probably because I know that I'm not ready for a romantic relationship right now and having a crush on someone that you know can't return your feelings is safe and kind of fun? No harm no foul right?

Anyway I just decided to feel my feelings with no outward action that would be disrespectful to their relationship. I will say I gave N quite a few compliments but they fell within platonic bounds like "oh I like how you did your make up today" or "it's funny how you react to certain things" ect. And in no way was I ever physically close in any way because the hell if I am ever going to ever make someone uncomfortable with physical touch like I have in the past.

During our talks, N would sometimes complain about her partner being controlling. Telling her what to wear, getting mad at her for going out alone, getting irritated by who she was hanging out with. Mind you N's partner, H, is in California while we are here in AZ. I don't like H for treating N this way but I know it's not my place to talk crap about her partner. Just listen and sometimes offer support of my friend right? I've butted in where I shouldn't have in the past and it's gotten me into trouble.

So randomly one day H, the partner, adds me on snap when we had already had each other's phone number because N wanted to invite me into the dnd sessions. It didn't work out but I still kept the phone number just in case of whatever ya know?

I told N about H adding me and N tells me about how H got upset when she found that I was gay and that me and N had hung out in her dorm together. N explained to her that I was just a friend and that technically her roommate was technically also there just separated by a wall. (We were in like the living room area of her dorm while the roommate was in the actual bed room on a zoom) We literally just watched a movie and talked for a while about random stuff. Now N had already mentioned that I was gay to H prior to this little fight they had but apparently H forgot or something? At least that's what N told me.

Okay skip forward to a hangout at the nearby mall in which N tells me that H "trusts me" around N. It rubbed me the wrong way because of the other behaviors I listed above. We hangout and I swear N is basically on her phone throughout our outing texting H updates. And normally I would get it but it was incessant. Not every hour. No it was like every 15 minutes she felt the need to be texting her. I got a bit upset. I mean we're trying to hangout anf her being on her phone is making me feel ignored and disrespected. I brush it off saying I'm just being overly sensitive.

Skip to the past couple weeks I get not only a text message but also a Snapchat message from H. I respond cautiously because we haven't ever really spoken to each other prior to this. H cuts right to the chase and tells me she would appreciate that I not hang out with N alone anymore but hopes that this won't affect our friendship. 1. I am uncomfortable at this essential stranger telling me this 2. I am confused as to why I am not hearing this from N who is my friend and should be able to make this boundary with me 3. I begin to think that H is speaking to me without N knowing and essentially telling me to back off.

It takes me a long while to react and what I end up doing is screen shooting the message H sent me and sending it in a group chat that includes N, H, and me. I also write a message that just says " I believe in honesty and transparency" and I'm basically asking where this is coming from still thinking N doesn't know that H has texted me.

I come to find out that N did know that H was going to text me about this. H makes a comment that says "it's interesting that you thought we hadn't talked about this and that N didn't already know." I am immediately hurt at the idea that may not have felt comfortable to tell me this info on her own and angry at being "asked" to do something from a stranger. I convey my hurt and confusion. It turns kind of ugly fast in which H accuses me of butting in to their relationship by making the group chat when I was just trying to have everyone be on the same page and foster more open communication. I try to convey that it wasn't cool that N did not tell me about this change herself and how I would have respected it. They both don't seem to get why I'm upset. I at one point say how weird it is to hear this kind of thing from a stranger and N thinks I'm being disrespectful by calling H that. But that is simply what they are to me because I have never really spoken to H and gotten to know them. N basically ends up saying "I understand that you feel hurt and I had hoped this wouldn't affect our friendship but I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore."

Which to me seems like she thought that I might get mad. And that she is already kind of okay with us not being friends.

I had made comments to defend myself on why I made the group chat basically saying I don't know how well they communicate since I have been told of problems in the past from N. Which I think probably made H a little mad and N uncomfortable.

It ends with N just saying again they understand that I'm hurt but they never meant to make me feel as though I was not of value to them. I responded the next day saying that I needed some space from texting and hanging out outside of work but that I would remain civil at work until further notice.

I kind of gave myself an out because I don't really know how much I'm willing to invest in this friendship. And if I'm willing to try and sort through this drama. N's actions aren't really lining up with what she's saying by claiming that she values me when she has made me feel like this before.

I totally understand that H is insecure especially with things being long distance between them but for them to text me like that felt disrespectful to me. Had it come from N it would have been different. It would have been a frI end asking to make this adjustment because they are doing it out of respect for their partner and the health of their relationship. But no this seems to me based on the info I gathered from our convo and previous convos that this was mainly H's idea and that N just went along with it. And it would be another example of H being controlling.

I was and am hurt and feel like I got slapped in the face by this whole situation. I will say that N reassured me that there was nothing on my part that was causing this change. Which I'm gald because I would be disgusted with myself if I had done anything to make her feel uncomfortable.

I've recently come to the conclusion that I may just distance myself and say we can only really talk at work. I don't want to give myself the opportunity to say something I will regret but also the opportunity for me to get hurt like this again.

I would like to hear your guys' thoughts? Was I wrong to respond the way I did to that message? Should I try to repair this friendship or just let it go?

Woof. Sorry that was a lot. If you made it this far, thank you for reading and letting me vent.

[scoops404]

Taking a break from my Powerpoint Presentation (it's google slides but whatever) preparation to circle back to the thing @jestbee tagged me in - my fic graveyard

Before even looking, I don't think I have many. I can think of one big one, but we'll see if there are more when I open it up.

I organize mine by year, so here is 2022:

"5 times Dream called George baby accidentally + 1 time it was on purpose"

HAHAH i forgot about this. 2,500 words. I think I stopped writing it because it didn't feel like it was going anywhere and I got distracted by something else. I think this was right before I got sucked into writing Curse and Cure so my brain went entirely into that and forgot this one... oops

"Trans GNF fic" 11K - I really liked this one actually but I let a few trans friends read it to do a sensitivity beta and um it didn't really pass? they gave valid criticism and to fix it I would have had to kind of scrap most of it and I didn't really want to do that because my brain thought of another idea so I went and did that instead. This was going to be FWB cunnilingus fic very heavily pwp - so maybe it's for the best. I'd rather scrap it than write anything hurtful or offensive, so maybe in another universe ((also, this is the one I was thinking of that I never finished))

"Secret Santa 2022 Fic" 400 words. It never got off the ground because my giftee left the fandom and I wasn't really feeling it anyway (wrote Deep in Dream instead and won't apologize for that) but it was going to be very we-didn't-know-we-were-dating and closely canon compliant (but then i kinda did that with Just One Touch).

"2022 Halloween Exchange" (35 words lol) this also got canceled because it was around the time of the drituation, BUT -- my giftee was @extrasteps who I didn't know at the time when we were assigned, but is now very dear to me. But this was going to be soulmates, george as a witch/seer vibes gnf flying to orlando. george has visions and can see other people's soulmates but doesn't know he can't see his own so when he doesn't see Dream as his soulmate, he thinks they aren't soulmates until they meet and.... I wasn't quite sure where i was going with it but it would have kicked ass

Okay, I guess I have more than I remember...

"The Whether" 2,500 words - this one was going to be about dream's exploration of his sexuality and using George (with permission) as a safe space to explore that by flirting with him off-stream, etc. But like an explicit conversation is had about it where dream makes sure George is okay with that and then he just fake flirts his way into falling in love with George. Delves into physical -- George is like you keep questioning all this stuff, so just suck my dick if you want to try it. You know, because he's such a good friend. This one is absolutely Scoops bonkers crazy because Dream does a drodcast and like talks it out loud and realizes on the drodcast that he's actively in love with George. Peak comedy. I don't remember why I decided not to finish this one, might have been because someone I'm friends with was writing something similar and I didn't want to inadvertently copy so I put it on the back burner and then just forgot about it. in this era of Scoops, I can see that if I talked about this one, then people would have hyped me up and I would have ended up writing it fully probably.

2023:

"George's Pretty Privilege" 660 words. This was like one of those small things I had to write after finishing a big project i'd been working on for months (in this case, deep in dream) for something to be completely different. The idea was all the times George used and then realized his pretty privilege. I didn't finish this one because it was kinda boring and then something else caught my interest. Oh! We did a Spin The Wheel challenge and that made me write Shine Here To Us and that took all my attention away

That's it for 2023, besides a Merthur fic I've been working on forever so I don't consider that one "dead"

I don't even have 2021 on this laptop, but I know of at least one - Dream surprises George in line at a con while he's still faceless and pretends to be a fan. I almost uploaded that one.

Anyway, those are my dead and gone and not being resurrected fics. I hope you enjoyed. I got pretty good in 2023 of picking projects that I actually wanted to invest my time into and work to finish them. Taking that energy into 2024.

If you're a writer, feel free to do this as well!! And feel free to ask any questions you want about any of these ideas :D

[life-love-and-lotr]

Some headcannons for my Danger Days story because I just need to get it out of my head..

Jet has a really slow burning anger. He was taught from a young age that anger is a useful tool when used correctly, but a dangerous weapon if left unchecked. So he kept his anger to himself until he was alone and able to deal with it. The only time his anger almost hurt people was the day Motorbaby got taken. He let it all loose, almost attacking Party when he tried to calm him down.

Jet might be the most level headed of the team, but it dosnt mean he can't let loose and have fun. His favourite activity is wind up Doctor D by bringing Motorbaby into the radio station saying that he needs to go somewhere for a bit at the exact time a broadcast is due to be on. He let's her loose in the booth then listens to the chaos from the comfort of the Trans AM parked a little way down the road. It never fails to crack him up.

Ghoul is actually the softest person behind closed doors. When he lived in the City, his job was to help city folk who wanted to escape get ready for their new lives in the desert. He knew that these people had so much to learn and if he could help teach them then thats all that mattered.

Ghoul has severe dyslexia and needs people to teach him to read. He wanted to be able to tell the children he worked with stories, but couldn't read them out of books. So he developed an amazing imagination and told stories that the children at the orphanage would make time to listen to.

Kobras love language is food. He is a man of very little words and struggled to find ways to show his friends that he loves them. He is also very sensitive to the texture of foods so knew that he wouldn't touch Power Pup with a fifty foot pole. The one thing from the city he held close was the ability to cook and he was amazing at it. It took Ghoul being injured by a blaster to the face and needing a liquid diet for Kobra to realise that making a nourishing meal was the easiest way to say I love you.

Kobras transition started in the City which as you can imagine was a difficult thing to do. He couldn't change his appearance at all nor could he tell people his pronouns. But he did decide on a name for himself, one that only his brother and their friend Emily would call him. That name was Mikey. It was close enough to be considered a nick- name for his dead name Michelle, but masculine enought to fit the image of who he really was.

Party didn't refuse to take the BLI/ND pills to be rebellious. He actually forgot to take it one day when his parents left early for work. Everything seemed extremly overwhelming and he didnt know why. He had to carry on with his day as if nothing was wrong so he went to school as and saw that a schoolmate of his, Emily was acting the same way. She was able to explain what was happening to him and that actually it was a good thing. He didn't take anymore pills and even persuaded his brother not to.

Party has crippling anxiety. It manifests itself when he is around people he loves. He gave himself the role of leader and that means protecting everyone. He frequently has panic attacks especially when either Kobra or Motorbaby get hurt. He shuts down every time and only Jet is able to calm him down

[masterwords]

stand as one

Summary: Derek & Hotch are invited to a BAU family reunion at Rossi's. They're semi-retired in Chicago, no one knows about them, and Derek is feeling a little self-conscious about his scars.

Pairing: Hotch/Morgan

Warnings: alcohol, talk about scars/trauma (specifically from the episode "Derek", and George Foyet)

Words: 2.7k

Notes: Written for @imagining-in-the-margins CM Comfort Fic Challenge using the prompt: Character is insecure about a physical attribute. Honestly, it was hard to choose, the list of prompts was so good. This story fits into the post-WITSEC retirement in Chicago series: The Chicago Times.

***

“Are we really flying back to Virginia for a pool party?” Derek asks, staring hard into the mirror. Up until this point he hasn't given it much thought. The scar that melts its way from his collar bone to the tip of his sternum has been there long enough that he's learned how to live with it. Therapy has helped some, Savannah helped more, and he's(mostly) okay with it. What was left behind from the experience, tucked away on the inside is far worse, anyway, and he's plodding through that a little slower. He wants to take his time with it, not rush through it and expect grand results.

But that means there are a lot of things he still has trouble with.

Being in crowds, bumping shoulders, he can do it now if he has to but sometimes the light is just the right shade of faded denim blue and the streetlamp pools just the right sodium yellow and he breaks out in a cold sweat. He remembers clearly telling Savannah to call Hotch, call Hotch...it's a small consolation now that when it happens, he can reach out and take hold of Hotch's hand (if it's not in his grip already) and know that he's right there. Not a phone call away anymore, never again. It's usually his shoulder bumping against Derek's.

But a pool party at Rossi's sounds like digging up the bad shit. And then rolling around in it. It sounds like people looking at him with his melted scar tissue dead center, the scar that Jack says makes him look like Iron Man only way cooler, and feeling sorry for him. Remembering what happened to him, how they found him in that cabin, why he left the BAU.

He's so tired of feeling like their tragic baby brother. It was easier to leave when he considered that as an alternative – them never being able to see him as anything more than the sum of his traumas.

“We can decline the invitation,” Hotch says, a little pensive. He's only going out of some misplaced feeling of obligation after having not seen the team in over a year. Leaving the way he had, they'd been forced to move on quickly without him, not even a backward glance, no goodbyes and frankly there hasn't been a time that felt right for him to drop in on them. It seemed easier this way for everyone. Less painful, fewer tears. He didn't imagine they cried many over him in the first place, not with Emily coming back to them. “If you'd like, I can call Dave and tell him something came up.”

“No, you can't do that...we're going to Venezuela right afterward and our flight leaves from D.C, in case you forgot. We have to go.”

“We can change our flights, Derek. They let you do that.”

Derek touches his chest, runs his finger along the strangely sloped ridge of numb scar tissue and frowns. It's slick and smooth in places, nothing like the scars that Hotch carries with him. Hotch's are sensitive and cause him problems, he's in pain more often than he cares to admit after so many surgeries to correct what was damaged. Derek's...well, he looks at it and he frowns at the way it mocks him. It's like someone took a plastic doll and held it up to a hair dryer.

Or set a heated knife to a smear of white phosphorous. He sighs.

“You don't have to swim.”

“You know damn well it's gonna make things even weirder if I don't strip my shirt off and jump in. They're gonna zero in on that and make it worse.”

Hotch is behind him now, arms slipping around his waist, pointy chin digging into his shoulder. He's just a hair taller than Derek, just enough that he can do that without too much effort. “You're still the most handsome man on Earth,” he reminds Derek quietly. There is a sincerity in his voice that Derek can't remember hearing from anyone else. Sure, people look at him all the time and he knows damn well what he looks like, scar or not...but when Hotch says it, it sounds different. Reverent. Sacred.

“You're not wearing your glasses, you're practically blind.”

Hotch rolls his eyes and dusts a string of stubbly kisses along Derek's shoulder and up his neck, ending behind his ear. He hasn't shaved yet today and it makes Derek's skin flood with goosebumps. “Let's just say no thank you, send a case of wine and a card...”

“From all of us? Aaron, you keep saying we. We can decline, we don't have to go...baby, I hate to remind you, but they don't know about us.”

“What better way to tell them than by sending alcohol and not being there to see the reactions?”

Derek twists around until they're face to face, bare chest to bare chest, draping his arms over Hotch's shoulders. “The case of wine isn't a half bad idea, but we're showing up with it. Otherwise they'll come here...”

“Then you'd better get packed.”

- - - - -

Rossi's house doesn't look any different than when he was last here, but it feels strange. There was always something familiar about the feeling of walking up his steps, knocking on his door, feeling small inside his perfectly manicured grounds. It reminded him of afternoon spent running around in great emerald spaces while his parents rubbed elbows with Senators and other rich, important people.

He still does feel small, but he no longer feels familiar.

“Aaron!” Rossi shouts, throwing the door open. He pulls Hotch into a hug, the kind that squeezes the air out of your lungs, and mutters something about missing him and being a stranger and it sounds insulting but sweet at the same time.

Stepping back, Hotch watches as Jack takes his hug and then rushes inside to find Henry and Michael, he hasn't seen his friends in too long. And then it's Derek's turn, Rossi doesn't waste any time hugging both Derek and Hank in one go. He's practically weeping over how big Hank has gotten when he breaks the hold.

“Where's Savannah?” Dave asks, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief. Hotch looks down at his feet while Derek begins to tell him about Doctors Without Borders and co-parenting long distance, and finally about their decision to see other people.

“It just made sense,” Derek says with a shrug. He doesn't look sad about it, but Hotch knows it still gets to him sometimes. He misses her. Hank squirms in Derek's arms and babbles something that sounds like half words and half nonsense, and instinctively Hotch reaches out to take him from Derek. He knows what Hank wants.

Rossi watches the interaction with one eyebrow cocked a little higher than the other. He doesn't have time to ask, though, because Hotch brushes past him while talking directly to the toddler in his arms, laughing and smiling as they go. Hank wants to see the pool. Derek has Hank's diaper bag with all of his swim gear thrown over his shoulder, so he follows dutifully while Rossi watches, takes note, and closes the door. They're the last to arrive. His entire family, estranged though it were, is all back under one roof. Temporary, but he's not going to give that more weight than necessary until the sun goes down.

- - - - -

“Poo! Poo!” Hank squeals as Derek changes him into a swimming diaper and covers it with a pair of Iron Man swim trunks. A gift from Jack who, though he was growing up, hadn't lost his love for The Avengers. He'd just moved on to collecting comic books and discussing the lore with his friends, except he loves to watch Avengers cartoons with Hank.

“Is he telling you he's pooped?” Alex asks, extending her hand to Derek, helping him up off of the ground. He laughs, snatching his running baby before he hits the pool by himself. He's already tried it three separate times.

“Pool,” he says, bending and twisting to hold the wiggly boy in his arms. “He wants to go in the pool. It's all he can think about.”

“It's very nice, Rossi keeps it pretty warm.”

Derek looks at the pool and nods. “I bet. Maybe in a bit, huh? We're still makin' the rounds.” He's avoiding the pool, that's all. And they're about to notice. Alex is the third person to remind him that the water is warm and that he'll enjoy it. That's why they're here, right?

JJ beans him with a squishy basketball, soaks the entire front of his shirt. “GET IN LOSER!” she hollers, wrestling Henry back down into the water before he can climb out to grab the ball from Derek.

Penelope has already made several comments about depriving them all of the Derek Morgan gun show, even Reid has mentioned that Hank looks like he'd really like to test it out. Finally, when Hotch can't take it anymore, he downs the rest of his beer and pulls his own t-shirt over his head.

None of them has ever seen him without a shirt, never even dreamed that it was a possibility. Frankly, most of them probably thought he slept in his suits (and they weren't exactly wrong on occasion, he had been known to fall asleep sitting at his desk or on his couch, curl up in a ball for a quick nap on top of his hotel bed...) so when he shows up in sweaters and khakis, or today in a t-shirt and swim trunks, people are already more than a little off guard. It doesn't look like the Hotch any of them remembers.

And when he takes his shirt off, baring for the first time not only the notes that George Foyet left scrawled all over his skin but a map of cruelty that stretches in a timeline of silvery scars back to his childhood, they can't help but look. His back is just as scarred as his front. “Hank, come here buddy,” Hotch says, extending his arms to the little guy who crawls happily from Derek to Hotch. He doesn't hesitate.

"Poo!!"

"Yes, buddy. Let's go try out the pool."

Derek is even staring. He can't help it. The sight isn't new to him, Hotch and Haley had a pool at their house and he was no stranger to disarming the alarm and hopping their fence late at night when his nightmares wouldn't quit and taking full advantage of the water. Most of the time he would find Hotch already in the same place, floating away from crime scene photos that whispered in his ear when the night stretched out a little too long. Got a little too dark.

But this sight, he's realizing now, has belonged to him so long he's not sure how to share it. Or even if he wants to. He wants to protect it. Like their eyes will wound him. He knows damn well that's stupid; Hotch isn't even that bothered by it anymore, it's just a comfort thing for him...he doesn't like to be cold. He likes layers.

All eyes are on Hotch and Hank as they take the steps down into the shallow end of the pool one at a time. The crystalline water laps at his ankles, his calves, his knees, and he hisses when the cold meets his waist and everything below. The shock of it takes his breath away. Hank giggles when the cold water tickles his toes and he tightens his grip around Hotch's neck.

“It's okay,” Hotch whispers against his ear. “I've got you.”

He bends his knees and lowers them down into the water until Hank is up to his knees and trying to scale him to get away from it. “You're choking me, bud,” Hotch laughs, trying to pry little fingers from his neck.

It doesn't take much thought before Derek takes his shirt off. If Hotch can do it, so can he. That was the idea, right? All eyes on Hotch, a distraction. He appreciates the gesture. Derek dives into the deep end and swims like a shark, stealthy under the water all the way to his son and Hotch teasing the water with baby toes. He surfaces, water pouring over his head and down his shoulders and he grins, drenched and happy. Hank claps.

"Den! Den!"

"Again?! What do you think I am?" Derek asks, but he obliges. Dripping wet, he hops out and repeats the stunt two, three, four more times until he's winded.

“Want me to take him?” he asks, standing close to catch his breath.

“Not a chance. He's keeping me warm,” Hotch insists with a smirk. “I was told the water was nice. These people are all liars.”

“I coulda told you that,” Derek says, wrapping his arms around both of them. He's sunny and warm, already mostly dry, and he can't believe that even in the afternoon sun Hotch's skin feels chilled. The man's circulatory system is a joke.

Now everyone is staring, but they're not staring at scars. “You two wanna let us in on whatever this is?” Emily asks, stretching out like a cat on top of her pink floatie and extending her arm to the edge of the pool, silently asking whoever is near for a refill. Rossi takes the bait gladly and gives her a heavy pour of something blushy, ice cold and sparkly. Her drink matches her floatie.

Hotch glances at her, and then at everyone else, and smiles. It's easier now, he's finding, when he doesn't have anything to lose. No job to protect, no secrets, no lies. In the morning they'll fly to Venezuela and spend a week exploring with Savannah during her break, and then they'll go back to their life in their house and their jobs in Chicago. Some of these people watching the standoff will return to their own BAU-free lives, and the rest will report to Emily bright and early Monday morning.

What he is surprised to find, in that moment, is that it all adds up to one simple fact: he has nothing to hide. No reason to hide.

But he can have some fun.

“If we have to explain this to a group of profilers, you may want to re-evaluate your team, Agent Prentiss.” He says it softly, not a trace of Agent Hotchner and his biting tone anywhere in it. And the smile actually reaches his eyes. She can't help but laugh at the rebuff.

“Touche.”

They swim until nightfall. Well, most of them do. Hotch's grand gesture to make Derek feel more at ease was short lived, his skin was flooded with goosebumps the minute Penelope and JJ took warm little Hank from his arms and he had to get out, get his shirt back on and hide beneath a sun-baked towel. He might come away with a sunburn but better that than freeze to death in summer.

Exhausted from the excitement of swimming and playing lawn games with the other kids, Hank passes out on Hotch's chest sprawled out like a starfish, leaving a puddle of drool that drenches his entire side. Derek plays pool games well into the evening with JJ and Will and Luke while Emily and Penelope float and drink. In the shade, Reid and Alex are playing a card game while Rossi and Luke trade stories. There are more people everywhere, some Hotch knows well and others he only recognizes, but it feels like a family. Some of them see each other every day, others pop in and out for special occasions, but they're all welcome.

“Thanks for inviting us, Rossi,” Derek says, shutting the car door on two sleeping boys and Hotch who looks about ready to join them. He's already spent the last couple of hours napping on a lawn chair. “Sorry we can't stay any later, our flight leaves early tomorrow.”

“Thank you for coming,” Rossi replies, hugging Derek for the third or fourth time that day. Harder this time. He smells like wine and is crying again. “You two...” he starts, allowing for the tears to have their places. “Don't be strangers.”

“Yeah. We won't. Thanks for bringing us back.”

[nervouscloudtheorist]

April 21st 2024

Dear Diary,

I don't know why people didn't tell me this but SUNDAY IS TURNIP DAY?

I was wandering around this morning because again, I woke up early and since I have the Night Owl ordinance going on there is absolutely nothing to do. I really need to rethink my choices because I really don't think I fully understood my choices with the Ordinances. I will need to reread the ordinances when I get a moment.

Anyways, while running around I ran into a boar named Joan and she was selling Turnips. I'm not sure how I didn't see her last Sunday but I didn't. Joan explained to me how people use turnips in something called a Stalk Market. Every day the re-tail shop will buy turnips for a random price, sometimes the price will go up and up all week and sometimes it will go up and down. She also went and made sure that I knew that the turnips are sensitive to time paradoxes.

I'm not sure what she meant by time paradoxes and now I am invested. What does this mean, how can I accomplish this? What is the purpose and mostly HOW DOES SHE KNOW ABOUT IT. I have so many questions honestly. This is going to require many late nights of research. I might even have to put off my beetle hunting for this. Just kidding, I need the money for all the public works projects I intend on doing sometime soon...I promise. I bought 90 turnips...for research.

Back to the town though, I totally forgot that the Nooking Junction got upgraded!! I have been so sick I just forgot I never even mentioned it to you. Now I have a bigger selection, unfortunately I still didn't have anything I needed to buy. No clothes either.

I also met someone named Shrunk. He seems to be an Axolotl which raises more concerns because I'm pretty sure he needs water but I'm not sure honestly so I should really keep that opinion to myself. Shrunk told me that he talked to Isabelle about setting up a shop on Main street and was told by her that he would still need to talk to me. I can't help but raise my eyebrow a little bit at this because while I know that I haven't been a Mayor long but I can't help but feel that Isabelle does a lot of my job.

I heard him out and he asked me to collect signatures for him so that he could build a comedy club, which in my past experience, is not a shop. I'm not sure if he knows the difference between a shop and a venue but honestly this town needs more things to do and I am not going to correct him on it. I have to collect 6 signatures and you know my go to had to be Clay.

Unfortunately, Clay was not available and I had to settle for Ribbot to be the first signature. I then decided to have Clay be the last signature but I am having trouble locating him. Maybe he went on a vacation? It's a little rude not to let me know but it's okay I forgive him.

Anyways it's time for the beetle hunt! Maybe I'll find Clay tomorrow.

Wish me luck!!

- Finn

[veebs-hates-video-games]

Ok Unicorn Overlord will get its own post at some point now that I'm finally done with it (spoilers: it's pretty great but not perfect, and I still like Engage more for SRPGs I've played semi-recently, but it's definitely one of my favorite things I've played so far this year), but here's some other stuff that's accumulated while I've been busy playing that or otherwise not posting on here.

I finally got around to playing Night in the Woods, or at least some of it. I get why people like it so much, but I think it's just not really my thing. The characters and the world are fun and everything, but when I'm a few hours in and have zero idea how far I am in the game because there's been zero actual plot so far, just random slice of life stuff, I'm probably going to get distracted and go do something else.

I tried to keep going because so many people I know really love it, but then I ran into the problem that it's possibly the only game I have on the Switch that's literally unplayable for me when the sun is up unless I go hide in a dark closet or something. I'm not turning up the brightness for the dark scenes with an average color of #010002 just to get my retinas seared off as soon as it switches to daytime again, especially when I don't have to do that in any other game. I have the fun combo of being noticeably more light sensitive than average but also having moderately bad and somewhat uncorrectable vision, and that just doesn't mesh well with trying to play this game at any time other than the middle of the night.

Death end re;Quest 2 was going to get its own post, but I just can't work up the effort to write it. I actually completely forgot I'd even played it a few days after finishing, that's how little of an impression it left on me. It was such a letdown after how interesting the first one was (despite all the problems I also had with it). I have no idea why they dropped the focus on most stuff that made the first one stand out as unique and went with much more generic horror this time around.

I could complain about the gameplay being less fun this time around for some reason (even though I never used the genre shift mechanics in the original, so it's not like it was because that was missing) or how predictable the story was or how much wasted potential the characters had (please let them have more than one personality trait), but I think I'll settle for complaining about fanservice and call it a day.

I appreciate that they dialed back on the visual side of the fanservice stuff from the first game, even if they probably only did it because so many of the characters are underage this time around, but they made up for it with their characterization instead. Look, if you have the right to write potentially interesting but ultimately relatively shallow characters and fill them with your own fetishes, I have the right to not like it and complain about it. Let Rottie have a personality trait other than "is gay", please. And just because you don't have her running around half naked because she's only 13 doesn't mean you're not still a weird creep for making her Extremely Normal about smelling Mai all the time or for making both DerQ games each have young girls talking about wetting their pants more than every other game I've played in my life combined (with the notable exception of Sahad Ys8, who somehow manages to do it twice as much as these games do combined while still being a pretty likable guy).

Maybe the story finally goes somewhere if you do the NG+ stuff, but I don't have the fortitude to drag myself through that, especially since you apparently need to do all the side quests to unlock all the dialogues, and the side quests suck and are just filler/padding. I didn't mind doing NG+ in the first one because I was actually invested in the story, but I just don't care enough this time. I'm not feeling optimistic about future games in the series, but if they're closer to what the first one was like I could be persuaded to try another if it's on sale cheap enough.

And I guess to end on a positive note, Vampire Survivors is still great. I originally played it on my computer before any of the DLC existed, and I did a bunch of what was in the game at the time but got distracted before finishing everything. I always meant to go back to it and do more and try the DLC, but I haven't been using my computer as much in the time between then and now because seeing is hard.

So I grabbed it and all the DLC on my Switch instead because it's practically free anyway, and I replayed everything I already did before plus all the new stuff, and I regret nothing. The first couple DLCs (Legacy of the Moonspell and Tides of the Foscari) were a bit underwhelming, even if some of the new characters and weapons were kind of fun, but the Amogus and Contra ones were actually surprisingly great. I was expecting crossover stuff to be worse and just a cash grab, but they actually did some really neat stuff with them and they were a lot of fun. I think I would've liked Foscari more if it had a proper adventure mode like the others to introduce you to the new stuff instead of just blasting through it with all your existing upgrades intact, but they haven't gone back and redone that one yet to add that. I suspect it'll be good when they do though, considering everything they've learned from making the more recent ones.

[pleasantlycrazyworld]

Chapter 3. How did this happen?

I hope you are all enjoying the series! I'm having so much fun writing this, please like, reblog, and comment it means so much to me <3

It was a beautiful day this Sunday, so everyone agreed to gather at the park that is behind the trailer park for book club this week. This park is never busy. Most people forget it's even there since it's so worn down, but it's the park that Eddie grew up going to, so he still goes there from time to time. It's probably a good thing that the park is pretty abandoned. Honestly, people may find it scary to see a group of "scary devil-worshipping" teenage boys hanging out there.

Everyone was there but Dustin. This was concerning to everyone, Dustin was always the first one to show up to the book club, and it didn't help that no one had heard from him that day. "Maybe he forgot, let's call his house." Lucas tried to rationalize. Eddie nodded and went to go to the trailer to call Dustin when he heard this strange noise coming from one of the tubes in the playground. "What the fuck?" Eddie muttered as he walked towards the noise.

Eddie's eyes widen when he notices what the noise really is. "Holy shit! Dustin!?!" He called out, which got the boys' attention. "EDDIE!! Oh, thank god I'm stuck!"

"Stuck? What are you talking about??" Eddie asks as he walks closer, Dustin really was stuck in this tube. "How...why would you think you can fit into this tube? You do know you're not a toddler, right? " Dustin rolls his eyes before responding, "Will you just get me out of here!" Eddie sighs before going and grabbing the younger boy's legs, he started to try and pull him out, but he isn't budging. "Oh shit," Eddie whispers, "Let me go get some help." Eddie runs to where the rest of the boys were in a panic.

"Look, I found Dustin, but he's stuck!" Everyone looks at him with wide eyes, "Stuck what do you mean stuck?!" Mike exclaims. Eddie rolls his eyes, "I mean, he's stuck! He's in some tube, and he isn't budging at all. " The rest of them follow Eddie to where Dustin was, and they all try to pull him out. "Ow, shit! You're hurting me!" Dustin yells at them. They let him go, and they sighed slightly, "We should call Steve," Lucas mutters, and Dustin freaks out even more, "NO! No, Steve, he can't know about this." Dustin yells at them, making them sigh.

"Dude, you're going to be in here for a while if we don't get Steve, maybe he'll know what to do," Lucas explains, and Dustin sighs, knowing Lucas is right. Eddie nods toward Lucas before leaving to call Steve.

Eddie rushes to the trailer and calls Steve faster than he's ever dialed a number. "Come on, pick up pick up." He mutters as he waits for Steve to answer. "Hello?" Steve asks confused, "Oh thank god, Steve! We need your help, Dustin is stuck." Steve is on the other side of the phone looking confused. "Stuck? What do you mean stuck?" Eddie sighs before explaining the whole situation. Steve just rubs the bridge of his nose and sighs, "I'm on my way."

Steve arrives about ten minutes after the phone call, "Okay, where is he?" Eddie shows Steve where Dustin is, and all he can do is sigh. "What the hell, dude, how did this happen?" Steve asks Dustin. "I...I don't want to talk about it." Dustin mutters embarrassed, making Steve roll his eyes and walk over to him, "Okay, let's get you out of here." Steve walks around the tube and sees that it's a short tube, "Okay this shouldn't be too hard. I'm going to push you and try to get you to the other side." Dustin nods even though no one can see him, Steve gets everyone to help him out and everyone starts to move Dustin in some sort of way, Eddie was pulling him from the other side, Steve was pushing him by the back side, and Mike and Lucas were wiggling his legs.

Dustin was complaining that he was being hurt and Steve just tells him to shut it, "Look it's not my fault you're so sensitive if you didn't want to be hurt then don't get stuck" He says rolling his eyes and all Dustin does is mutter how this isn't his fault.

Everyone pulls and pushes him one last time, and he finally falls out of the tube. "Oh, thank god. I thought I was going to be stuck forever." Dustin says in relief. Steve sighs, not able to believe that Dustin was really stuck. "I... you're an idiot. " Steve mutters before making sure everyone is okay. Once he knows that everything is good, he says his goodbyes before leaving.

"Okay, let's get to reading!" Dustin exclaims, acting like nothing happened. Everyone rolls their eyes before agreeing. They all moved to the picnic table that they had already set up for the meeting, and they finally got to work.

Taglist: @moonchildquinn @munsonsbaby @sweet-villain @zestychili @tiannasfanfic @djkeruigbbygirl @ghosttownwherenoonegoes @thefreak0fhawkinshigh @bloodthirstybreedingbunny @lofaewrites @eddiemunsons-missingnipple @b-ritney @eiightysixbaby

[twilightofthe]

okay i put all my cranky thoughts into a separate post that's now drafted and it made me feel better so i'll be able to watch this episode now lol but if it gets me worked up again i'm posting the rant i'm sorry i cannot be helped or changed or saved <3

ANYWAY AHSOKA EP 2

also i forgot to say so last episode but kevin kiner my ABSOLUTE BELOVED the return of the king is real so happy to have you here my dude the ending and full theme was absolutely gorgeous

anywayyyyyy so i am guessing sabine did not make like satine and survived her shish kabobing

well there's ahsoka

oh yeah there's bean she's fine she'll be fine xD

damn filoni really gave more handwaving to having a character survive a major impalement vs me twisting myself into fucking knots writing anakin getting run through lmao

ahsoka sorry but actually i'm gonna blame u for this you still kinda seem like a mess and i don't think you were a very good teacher to sabine and now ur dropping back in on her when she's convenient to you?

well at least we know why she's so adamant against training baby yoda lol

ope here's goth girl and the fuuuuck is his NAME again i keep calling him fucking bryan

i like the fancy sithy-looking sundial tho

pfff second ep is "toil and trouble" guess we're getting witchy!

OH YEAH WAS SABINE'S KITTY OKAY

THEY BETTER BE OKAY

I SWEAR TO GOD

yea ahsoka what happened to showing up in the nick of time and saving kanan and ezra from inquisitors in rebels u were slowwww girlie

OK GOOD THE CAT IS OKAY

that's all that matters

ope one more droid hanging around ezra's place

GIRL UR SITTING UP ALREADY?!

GIRL HOW CAN U BREATHE

we do love the mechanic girl of my heart

sabine does love her explosions

no huyang hera just likes explosions

sabine works best under explosive pressure we LOVE HER

ope back to corellia i guess? we can reuse the old solo sets?

sabine

you were just

impaled

"but she's not the one who needs to hear it right now" ahhh there's the sabine and hera dialogue. ugh but i'm still not used to natasha and mary i can just hear tiya and vanessa doing it instead :(

WHY DO Y'ALL KEEP MAKING SABINE AND AHSOKA ANGRY EXES TF

"ancient ppl from a distant galaxy" waaaaaaait are they bringing in those eu dudes

no wait i think i remember something about these guys that was mention as the big bad in the canceled animated rebels sequel

or it could just be the chiss lmao

that could be it too, makes sense why they'd want thrawn

ok that is some real cool galactic map visuals i am an absolute sucker for a good starmap

ok but wait how the fuck did y'all get a map to thrawn anyway did the space whales write it

also sorry morgan but i don't personally think thrawn would go for u nothing personal you are hot but you don't quite seem his type

waaaait is fucking thrawn gonna have force sensitivity now THAT would be absolutely hilarious and he'd hate it so much

who's marrok i have no memory

y'all you can't just make thrawn work for you didn't he only work with the empire cuz he had to because it would advantage his people somehow (has read zero thrawn novels and only seen rebels)

please tell me sabine is in the fucking vents of ahsoka's ship

THERE'S THE GHOST WHERE IS CHOPPER

I AM NO LONGER FUCKING ASKING

okay so i think my issue with Mary is she doesn't have any of the same authority and purpose Hera's meant to hav

CHOPPER

CHOPPER

MY MURDERBOT

MY SON

MY ANGEL MY EVERYTHING

Anyway

yeah

oh yeah harping in that the new republic is a total fustercluck

ew a capitalist

bro you know hera used to steal from people like you for the rebellion

sdlkfjsdk omg sabine's mom needs to talk to the teacher to keep her from getting expelled

but also y'all sabine is like 25-30 right now she's not a kid

@ ahsoka bitch you have no fuckin clue what you're doing doooon't talk about readiness

y'know maybe the imperial era just advanced medicine so later impalements don't kill people

oh oh so it IS ezra's!

sabine go find luke he'd love to have you

STOP WITH THE GAY DIALOGUE

ok so yeah she likely doesn't have force sensitvity

goddammit huyang neverMIND

so sabine IS force sensitive :) and kanan and ezra just never brought it up :) great :)

hera my beautiful ship nerd ily

bitch do NOT fuck with hera she has more presence than anyone ever

hera my dude you know better than anyone that if a ship wants to take off you gotta go try and stop it in person

ah i have been waiting like 5 long years to watch hera best pilot there was kick aerial ass

we STAN

chopperrrrrrrrr

oh yeah ahsoka's fighting an inquisitor too lmao

CHOPPER GET THEIR ASS

CHOPPER ADD TO YOUR KILL COUNT

ok this hera and chopper banter is perfect i do love it

VICTORY FOR MY GHOSTS

oh and good job ahsoka lol

aghhh sabine and her therapy cat i'm ;_;

theeeeere's sabine's mando armor

SABINE AND KANAN'S FUCKIN KNIFE I'M GONNA EVEN IGNORE THE BAD MULAN HACKJOB ATTEMPT

okay it seems like mary's kinda on and off for hera so far, she has her moments but she can't hold them

rosario keeps losing me i'm sorryyyyyyyy

natasha is doing GREAT

aaaaaand we redoing the end of the rebels epilogue!

god this makes me miss zeb

and kanan obvs but i've come to accept his death

zeb's still hanging around where is he!!!!!

ah all is right

sabine has her gay haircut back

here we go gay roadtrip to find ezra time

alright so i'm still not really vibing with jedi!sabine at All but i have concluded that this show is watchable but honestly not that good, writing-wise, sorry dave, so i think i'll be able to watch it with my brain turned off

goddammit first i thought the holograms visiting morgan were nightsister witch ghosts xD

RIGHT RIGHT HIS NAME IS BAYLAN NOT BRYAN

morgan stop simping for thrawn i guaranTEE he's not your type

oKAY

we are through with the two episodes! it is very late for me so i'm gonna sit and think on what i've seen so far and shitpost a little. i did really like seeing my rebels blorbos again even if the live action actors don't quite have their groove yet. obviously very excited to retrieve ezra <3 so yeah that was that and i'll be back for more next week!

[thegodthief]

The beginning of the end of my involvement with Christianity was over a boy. I could see he was being spirit-bothered, and considering the church I was in at the time, I assumed that if I could see it, then so could the others. He was the nephew of one of the church-goers who was sensitive to such things.

Not my family, not my problem. I had other concerns to deal with. Like visions and visitations.

The kid was rowdy as unsupervised boys can be. Nothing out of the ordinary. But some folks began to notice that when the boy was near me, he calmed down some. And that if I asked him to do something, he would do it without much fuss but would quickly talk shit to anyone other than his family. He took to sitting next to me in potlucks and gatherings. He said I was soft to be around.

That he liked the quiet I kept with me.

(How the entire fuck he felt a quiet space around me at the time is something I will never understand.)

Back then, I didn't understand why that was happening. But it was a thing. At my workplace, which often had very rowdy and boisterous people coming through, I was known as someone "calm" to be around. Don't want to be up to some shit? Go sit in Keri's area. Okay.

His aunt didn't like that.

She didn't like that he would mind me but not her. She didn't like that he would sit quietly in the room with me. She didn't like that he was happy when I came over to visit her for drumming practice.

She really didn't like when I asked about the "shadow" hanging on his back. Oh no, she didn't like that one fucking bit.

She had all that under control, you see. And this was a family problem, nothing to do with me, you see. And I was a terrible influence on the child, causing him to disrespect her, you see. And she called me by a name I never heard and was furious that I had no idea to what she was referring to.

"I'll show you what you are!" And she drew a thing and said a thing and my scalp itched under the skin and I felt something rise from inside and...

a kid was crying

screaming

he's so afraid

somebody help this kid because I

can't

...

My face was bleeding. I had fainted and hit something on the way down. I half lean up on one elbow trying to make sense of where I am.

I look over and she's shaking him by the shoulder and he's screaming in fear and he looks at me and sees my eyes are open and shouts that I'm awake.

She looks back at me and...

(At the time, I said to myself that I would never forget the snarl on her face.)

(I forgot.)

(I remember.)

she drags him out of the room telling him that grown-up things have to happen and if he doesn't want to be eaten by the shadow-people he needs to stay locked in his room.

(I didn't understand what I was seeing then.)

(Remembering this and understanding now... such rage.)

I tried to speak but my tongue was too thick in my mouth. She came back with alcohol wipes and bandages. She was sweet and kind and sorrowful that I reacted so badly and maybe she misjudged my intent and maybe I really didn't know what I was and maybe

maybe

she could teach me.

Something was wrong, but I didn't know how to determine what was right to confront it.

Patched up, I left. The pain throbbing in my skull was enough drum work for the day.

I avoided her and her kin for two weeks. Kinda hard considering we were both heavily involved in the almost daily activities of the communal church, but I knew how to dodge bullies almost by instinct.

If only I knew how to turn instinct off.

One of the elders approached me and asked if it was true that I wanted her to take me as an apprentice for a certain path. The path that she accused me of being an initiate in. The path that I had been taught was just witchcraft under a polite veneer. Of course, not.

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

A few weeks free of incidence later, it's another church potluck Saturday. I'm sitting off to myself trying to catch up on church assigned reading because not only have the visions and visitations not eased, but they're being verified and confirmed by other seers in the church body. Things are done differently here in Protestant-Land and they wanted to make sure my latin-american upbringing did not pollute my pure gifts with that Catholic-demonic nonsense.

(Never mind that if I was brought up as such, I likely wouldn't be in this mess in the first place, but...)

The boy suddenly dashes to me out of nowhere and sits on the bench next to me! Look! He has a book to read, too! Is it okay if he sits next to me and we can read silently, together? He promises that he'll be quiet but he might need to ask my help for really hard words.

He doesn't wait for a response. He just gets comfortable with a polite space between us and starts reading. Cool. This is now the reading bench.

And we're reading our books separately together.

I watch him relax.

He's chill, so I'm more chill. I relax.

I've read the book in my hands three times already. I can give a talk about the main themes. They want me to memorize it, because they know I can. They want me to fill my head with the truth of the matter because there is something about me that I need to reject and I haven't yet because I don't know what it is or how to recognize it.

At the time, I thought I had fallen asleep sitting up. But knowing what I know now and looking back, I know exactly what happened and why I was not consciously aware of what I was doing.

I looked over and saw the shadow-thing on the boy's back. It was scratching at his eyes, interfering with his ability to see. it was the same shadow-thing that I saw on him in his aunt's apartment that day. That I had seen on him in previous social outings.

I was furious to see it.

So I snatched it.

Because instinct says to keep children safe at any cost because an adult can recover from what a child can't.

With a motion not unlike stretching, I reached out with hand and mind until I could feel it, and with no warming or preamble, I seized and ripped it right off out him.

With that same motion, I brought my hands to my mouth,

and ate it.

To those who could not see, I had a big stretch immediately followed by a deep yawn that I barely managed to stifle.

Both of our books dropped to the floor. He just felt a spider crawl up his back. I just woke up from a sudden nap. We looked at each other and then at everyone else who was staring at us from the sound and commotion. He turned around to ask me if there was a spider on me. I was still reeling from the spirit-sight I had just been through and was struggling to keep my composure. I ran my hand over his back.

"Nope. No spider here. Or anything else but your shirt."

Why did I say that? Did I see? Did I just?

Everyone was chuckling at us as he picked up both books and handed mine back to me. Everyone, except his aunt.

She came through the crowd furious and destructive.

"I SAW WHAT YOU DID TO HIM! YOU DEMONIAC!"

She snatched him from his seat and jerked him behind me.

Everyone began asking what did she see because they weren't blessed with the level of sight that she was. She pointed a finger at me, called me again by that name I did not know, and declared that I was trying to poison her nephew's soul to turn him against her and away from the one true faith.

Her nephew was screaming that she was hurting him and that I had done nothing and all he wanted to do was read his book.

I got up from the bench calmly while she continued to hurl insults and accusations at me. I had enough presence of mind not to say anything about the shadow-thing I had seen or what I had done to it. Instead, I just said that if my presence was that disruptive to the peace, I would be on my way.

Then I left.

Well, that was my intent, anyway.

Because of where I had parked, I knew a shortcut through the building that would get me to my car faster. It meant going through some rooms that were away from the main lobby, but I would be responsible and close the doors behind me as I went. I was paying close attention to the route I was taking because it was mostly in the dark. I would have to cross all the way across the conference room to turn on the overhead lights and I would still have to do the same to turn them off before exiting the room, so just better to walk in the near dark.

After all, I knew where all the furniture was and knew how to avoid stubbing my toe, considering I was one of the ones that moved the furniture there in the first place.

What I didn't know, because I was trying to flee a very socially awkward situation, was that I was being followed by some of the church elders and important persons.

Who saw me navigate several near pitch-black areas as if it was brightest of days.

As if a spirit was guiding me through.

Halfway through the last room, I heard my name called behind me. It was the voice of someone I looked up to in the church. I stopped and turned around. They asked me to come back because I needed to help with something important before I left.

"I don't know if I should. I can hear [Aunt] still screaming about me, and my presence here has been a problem from the start, and maybe I should just go for the day. We can talk later about if I should stay gone."

"That's the Devil talking, Keri. You should stay. [Aunt] has her own problems that she's letting interfere, but you should not let them rule over you."

He had turned on the lights in the room. My eyes hurt from the sudden shift and I winced slightly. He came softly to meet me in the middle of the room as I looked around trying to adjust to the change in light.

Oh. I know this room.

This Prayer Room.

This room that is isolated from most other rooms and also happens to be soundproof. I know this, because here is where we have drumming practice in mid-week sessions.

My stomach turned. My instinct said to get out by any means necessary, even if it meant never coming back, especially if it meant never coming back.

He lays a hand on my shoulder and I feel rooted to the spot. "Stay. Keri. You [have a burden] and it needs to be purged. I can't in good faith allow you to leave with what came off the boy and into you. Others saw what happened. You're so close to breaking through, and [Aunt] allowed you to be dragged back down."

On the one hand, I wanted to be the good obedient girl that I've been told to be my entire life. On the other hand, my instinct wanted nothing to do with being 'good' and everything to do with being 'gone'. I tried to pull myself away but he only tightened his grip and pulled me closer.

He said a thing and called a thing and something in my stomach lurched sideways as I double over trying not to vomit from the intense wrongness that shoved instinct out of the way.

I don't remember him catching me as I pass out.

I do remember waking up sometime later in that same room. But the chairs and pews have been rearranged and I was in the middle of the room.

I remember what happened next.

But that will not be written.