#I land after a 13 hour flight and this was the first thought in my head when I woke up

[wisteriagoesvroom]

unhealthily obsessed with the tone that Oscar piastri has when he climbs into the Singapore GP ‘23 ice bath and goes “Kim told me it was 23 [degrees], that dog”

not just me right. (it might be just me.)

[snowysosturn]

Speeding Car - Matt Sturniolo Part 15

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29

Pairing : y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary : After six years with your boyfriend Alex, you start to mentally check out. At a UCLA party, Alex reconnects with his childhood friend Emily, who proposes a double date with her boyfriend Matt. Your attraction to Matt grows as he pays you the first real attention you've had in years, sparking a complicated emotional journey.

Warnings : MDNI, arguments, tension, angst, toxic relationship, thoughts of cheating, cheating (dont fucking do this)

Like it was instinct, Matt disconnected his phone from the car, “I’ve got to take this” He muttered, before getting out and leaving.

The door closed with a thud, and Nick turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “Woah, who shoved a pole up his ass?”

I managed a weak smile, but my mind was elsewhere. Through the window, I watched Matt pacing while he talked to Emily, his body language tense and agitated. The time difference between here and Barcelona hit me, it was 9 AM there, which meant Emily was probably starting her day or ending it, jet lag provided. The realization made my stomach twist. While Matt was dealing with Emily, I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t heard from Alex yet either.

That thought sent a jolt through me, a sobering reminder of the reality of our situation. Both Matt and I were in relationships. The chemistry between us, the fact we’d almost kissed twice, it wasn’t just complicated, it was wrong.

When Matt finally got back into the car, I couldn’t help but glance his way, trying to read his expression, but his face was an unreadable mask. He looked tense, and I had to bite back the urge to ask him what they’d talked about.

Chris, of course, had no such hesitation. “So, what was that about?”

Matt sighed, clearly irritated, and ran a hand through his hair. “She said she just got to her hotel in Barcelona. She landed an hour ago, and she was already giving out about me not contacting her.” His voice took on a defensive edge. “Like, honestly, what does she want me to do? She was literally in the fucking air on a flight where she has no wifi. How am I supposed to contact her?”

Chris chuckled softly, but Matt wasn’t in the mood to joke. “Not to shit talk her, but seriously. What does she expect me to do?” He shook his head, frustration clear in every word.

The rest of the drive to my apartment felt awkward, a tension building from multiple places. Between Matt’s frustration with Emily, the unresolved moment between us at the beach, and my own tangled thoughts, the air in the car seemed thick with unspoken emotions.

When we finally pulled up to my apartment building, I was eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere. “I had a great night guys, thanks for the ride Matt..” I said, offering everyone a small smile as I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for the door handle.

But before I could step out, Matt unfastened his seatbelt and got out too. “I’ll walk you to the door” he said, leaving no room for argument.

We walked side by side, the night air cool against my skin, a stark contrast to the heat of the car. The silence between us was heavy, but not uncomfortable, more like we were both lost in our own thoughts. Finally as we approached my door, I broke the silence. “Is everything okay with Emily?”

Matt shrugged, his gaze focused ahead. “Yeah it’s fine. She just.. gets worked up over stuff sometimes.”

I nodded, understanding more than he probably realized. “Well I haven’t heard from Alex yet today,” I admitted “But honestly, at this point, I don’t even really care.”

Matt stopped walking, turning to face me. We stood in front of each other, and I could feel the weight of his gaze. There was nothing that could happen between us with everyone still in the car watching, but the pull was undeniable. I could feel the unspoken words hanging in the air between us, the unsaid truths that neither of us were ready to confront.

“What are you doing over the next few days?” Matt asked, his tone casual, but there was something more behind the question.

“Im working tomorrow, back to normal shifts.. Thank god.” I replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “I’ve a few days off after though.”

“Do you want to hang out sometime?” he asked, the hope in his eyes barely concealed.

I hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

He smiled, and for a second, the tension from the car seemed to melt away, replaced by something lighter, something that felt a lot like excitement. We stood there for a moment longer, neither of us wanting to end the moment, but aware that it had to end nonetheless.

“Alright, I’ll text you" he said, taking a small step back.

“Sounds good” I replied, turning to unlock my door.

As I walked inside, I couldn’t help but glance back at him. He gave me one last smile before heading back to the car, and I closed the door behind me, my heart racing with anticipation for whatever the next few days would bring.

Matt’s POV

Walking off the beach back to the car felt like I was leaving something important behind, something unfinished. My mind was still buzzing from the moments Y/n and I had shared again, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d been on the verge of something real with her..something I wasn’t sure how to handle but knew I wanted.

As soon as I got back into the driver’s seat, my phone buzzed. It was Emily, her name lighting up the dashboard like a flashlight in the dark car. I disconnected my phone from the car immediately and the car fell into an uneasy silence.

“I’ve got to take this” I muttered, as I got out of the car, slighting banging the door behind me.

As I stepped out of the car, the cool evening air of the beach hit me, but it did little to calm the anxiety bubbling up inside. I glanced back at the group, still chatting and laughing in the car and then down at my phone, where Emily's name was flashing. I knew this call was going to be rough, but I took a deep breath and answered anyway.

"Hey, Em" I greeted, trying to sound casual.

"Don't 'Hey, Em' me, Matt," she snapped immediately, her tone sharp and accusatory. "Why the hell haven't you contacted me? I've been on a flight for hours, and you couldn't even send a text?"

I felt frustration rise up inside me. I loved Emily, but sometimes, she made everything feel like a test I was failing. "Emily, you were in the air. How am I supposed to contact you? You've been flying across the Atlantic. What do you want me to do?"

"That's not the point!" she hissed. "You didn't even try. You could've sent something before I got on the plane. It's like you don't even care."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep my cool. "You know I care. But come on, Em, be realistic. You just landed in Barcelona, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and you're picking a fight with me over this?"

Then there was a pause, I thought that would be the end of that until I heard her take a deep breath in. "Where are you right now, Matt? What are you doing?"

I hesitated for a split second, glancing back at Y/n and the others in the car. "I'm just out with the group. We're at the beach, nothing crazy."

Emily's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Is Y/n there?"

My heart skipped a beat, but I forced my voice to stay steady. Lie. "No, she’s not. Why would she be? It’s just me, Nick, Chris, Nate and Madi"

"Good.." Emily said, her voice dripping with venom. "Because if she was, I swear Matt I’ll make her life hell. She has no business being around you guys. She’s Alex’s girlfriend, Matt. It’s completely inappropriate."

Anger flared up inside me. I knew Emily could be possessive, but this was too much. "Emily, you’re being ridiculous. Y/n’s a friend. And even if she was here, she’s not doing anything wrong. She’s Alex’s girlfriend, yes, but she’s also one of Nick’s good friends now too. We’re just hanging out as a group, nothing more."

"Don’t you dare defend her to me, Matt," Emily warned. 

I clenched my jaw, feeling cornered. "Emily, this is stupid. You’re in Spain, for fuck sake. Why are we even having this conversation? I’m with friends, you’re on the other side of the world, and you’re turning this into a fight over nothing."

"It’s not nothing, Matt. It’s about respect. I’m warning you. Don’t push me on this."

I closed my eyes, the weight of exhaustion and frustration bearing down on me. "Emily, I’m not pushing you. I’m just trying to live my life. We can talk about this when you’re back, but right now, I just want to enjoy my evening with my friends. Can you please just relax?"

There was a tense silence before Emily finally sighed. "Fine. But this isn’t over, Matt. Not by a long shot."

"Yeah, I figured," I muttered under my breath, then louder, "We’ll talk later, okay? Enjoy Barcelona."

"Whatever," Emily replied coldly. "I’ll talk to you later."

I ended the call, a mix of anger and guilt churning in my stomach. I knew I’d lied to her about Y/n being here, but admitting the truth would’ve only blown everything up. As I paced outside the car, trying to shake off the conversation, Emily's words hung over me like a dark cloud.

When I finally walked back to the group waiting in the car, I couldn't even force a smile, but inside, I couldn’t stop wondering how much longer I could keep this up, balancing between what Emily wanted and what I was starting to realize I wanted for myself.

As I sat back into the car, Chris, never one to let things slide, shot me a look. “So, what was that about?”

I sighed, trying to push down the frustration that had been building in me. “She said she just got to her hotel in Barcelona. She landed an hour ago, and she was already giving out about me not contacting her.” My voice taking on a defensive edge.  “Like, honestly, what does she want me to do? She was literally in the fucking air on a flight where she has no wifi. How am I supposed to contact her?”

Chris chuckled softly, but I could tell he didn’t get it, didn’t understand the kind of pressure I was under with her sometimes. “Not to shit talk her, but honestly, what does she expect me to do?”

No one responded, and the awkward tension lingered as I pulled the car away from the curb and started the drive to Y/n’s apartment. My mind wasn’t even on the road, it was stuck between the frustration of dealing with Emily’s expectations and the nagging thoughts of Y/n sitting so close, yet so far away in the backseat.

When we arrived, Y/n was quick to say her goodbyes, as if she was eager to escape the car's tension. But something in me wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. Without really thinking about it, I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out of the car. “I’ll walk you to the door,” I said, already moving toward her.

As we walked together, the night air did little to cool the frustration still simmering under my skin. But being near her, even in silence, was calming in its own way. I knew I shouldn’t feel this way, not when I had Emily, but I couldn’t help it. There was just something about Y/n that made everything feel right, even when it wasn’t.

“Is everything okay with Emily?” Y/n’s voice broke the silence, her concern genuine.

I shrugged, trying to play it off like it was no big deal. “Yeah it’s fine. She just.. gets worked up over stuff sometimes.”

I didn’t tell her how Emily had asked where I was, what I was doing, and who I was with. I didn’t mention that I’d purposely left out the fact that Y/n was here with us, knowing it would only cause unnecessary drama. Emily had a way of turning small things into big issues, and the last thing I wanted was grief over something that wasn’t even a problem yet. Especially when I wanted to keep hanging out with Y/n, to get to know her better without the complications.

Y/n nodded, seeming to understand more than I’d said. “I haven’t heard from Alex yet today” she admitted quietly. “But honestly, at this point, I don’t even really care.”

We stopped walking, and I turned to face her. The moment felt heavy, like we were on the edge of something we couldn’t take back. I wanted to tell her how much I enjoyed her company, how being around her made everything else fade into the background. But instead, I asked, “What are you doing over the next few days?”

“Im working tomorrow, back to normal shifts, thank god.” she said with a small smile, and I could see a spark of curiosity in her eyes. “I’m off for a few days after though.”

“Do you want to hang out sometime?” I asked, trying to keep my tone casual, but knowing full well that this wasn’t casual for me.

She hesitated for a second, and I held my breath, but then she nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Relief washed over me, and I smiled, feeling lighter than I had all night. “Alright, I’ll text you.”

She turned to unlock her door, and as she stepped inside, she glanced back at me, returning my smile before disappearing into her apartment.

As I walked back to the car, the frustration from Emily’s call was still there, simmering under the surface, but it was muted now by the anticipation of seeing Y/n soon. I climbed back into the car, but before I could start the engine, my phone buzzed again, a text message from Emily, reminding me she was still very much a part of my life, whether I wanted to think about it or not.

I ignored the message and started driving. I couldn’t deal with Emily right now. My mind was too full of Y/n, the way she looked at me, the way she made me feel, like I was finally doing something right.

The drive to her apartment had felt awkward, but now it was filled with something else. A sense of possibility, a chance to explore whatever this was between us. As long as Emily didn't find out.

Y/n’s POV

The morning sun spilled through the blinds into my bedroom as I dragged myself out of bed, feeling the weight of the last night settling in my chest. I couldn’t stop replaying the whole night in my head. Wishing it was something I could do over and over again. It was all that consumed my thoughts on my drive to work.

Arriving at work, I headed straight to the staff room to put my things away. My phone buzzed, and I glanced down to see a message from Alex.

“Hey, sorry I didn’t text sooner. I slept the whole first day away. Jet lag hit me hard. Have you heard anything from the board yet?”

I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the screen. Alex always relied on me to check his emails, he said it overwhelmed him too much, but today, the thought of logging in overwhelmed me that bit more. Still, I couldn’t avoid it. I owed him that much.

Opening his email, I saw the awaited message from the board sitting in his inbox. My heart pounded as I clicked on it. The words on the screen felt like a punch to the gut:

“Dear Mr.Jenkins,

After further investigation, we have decided to extend Alex's suspension by an additional six weeks. Furthermore, his captaincy has been permanently revoked.

Regretfully,

UCLA Bruins Board of Management.”

I stared at the email, my mind racing. I felt awful for Alex, this was his dream, his life, but I knew telling him now, while he was thousands of miles away, it would ruin his trip. Maybe it was best to wait until he was home. I didn’t want to be the one to deliver the final blow to his happiness.

The staff room door creaked open behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Jess walking in, her face lighting up when she saw me.

"Y/N! It’s been ages!" she exclaimed, pulling me into a quick hug. But when she pulled back, her smile faltered. "Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

I took a deep breath, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “Yeah, I just read an email from the Bruins management, they’ve suspended Alex for another six weeks and took his captaincy away, all over the stupid fight.. I don’t know if I should tell him or not, he's in Barcelona at the minute.. What a stupid decision the fight wasn’t even his fault.” I said, running my hands down my face. Jess listened intently, her expression softening with concern, but she also stood looking at me as if I had 10 heads.

"I think you’re right to wait.." she said gently. "But the fight.. did he ever tell you how it started?"

I frowned, shaking my head. "He just said one of the boys was acting up, it was a stupid fight nothing more."

Jess sighed, looking uncomfortable. "Oh.. Look I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this but I was there that night. I still decided to go out to that new club, remember? I just went out with some other friends, I didn’t see the whole thing, but I heard enough. The fight started because Alex and Emily were holding hands. His teammate Jay called Alex out, you know reminding him he has a girlfriend and Alex got defensive and lost it. Jay was defending you, Y/n."

The words hit me like a freight train. Alex and Emily? Holding hands? My mind spun as Jess continued.

"I wanted to tell you that night.." She admitted, guilt lacing her voice. "I even sent you a message, but I deleted it. I thought Alex should be the one to tell you."

I felt sick to my stomach. To some people, holding hands might not be cheating, but to me, it absolutely was. It was a betrayal, a violation of trust, a mark of disrespect and a line crossed. And the worst part was, deep down, I was surprised. I knew the relationship was fading away, not from my own doing, but I never expected him to do anything like that. I couldn’t deny to myself that I’d been feeling something for Matt, but nothing had actually happened between us. And plus, those thoughts wouldn’t have crossed my mind if I’d been treated right in the first place.

"I can’t believe this" I muttered, more to myself than to Jess. But even as the shock settled in, there was a strange sense of relief. This was it - my way out. I knew then that I was going to break up with Alex when he came home. There was no going back.

Jess bit her lip, hesitating before speaking again. "Y/n, there’s more.. I overheard something else that night. Emily was in the bathroom, talking to some girl she seemed friendly with. She was telling her how she likes her boyfriend.. Matthew? for his money and what he can give her.. but she also wants Alex and that she needs you out of the way so she can have both.."

I felt like I was going to vomit. The betrayal was deeper than I could have imagined. Emily had been playing both sides, using Alex and Matt for her own gain. Did she think she could seriously have both at the same time? Somehow, knowing this didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. Maybe because, deep down, I’d already accepted that things were over between Alex and me.

The rest of my shift passed in a blur, the weight of betrayal pressing down on me with every step. But it was a strange kind of numbness, as if I’d already grieved the loss of this relationship long before today. By the time I clocked out, I’d made up my mind. I wasn’t going to tell Alex about the board’s decision. He didn’t deserve my sympathy anymore.

As I left work, I finally responded to his message. "Aw jet lag sucks. Nope, nothing."

When I got home, Jess texted to say she’d come over later to hang out, which I appreciated. I needed the company. The hours sat on my couch passed by in a flash, my thoughts consumed by all that was revealed to me today, I couldn’t believe how fake Emily is either. Surely Matt should know this information too? Is it my place to say? We both are involved in this now? After a while, I sat up and grabbed my phone to try to find something on UberEats, my appetite was gradually starting to come back, when there was suddenly a knock on the door. “Perfect timing” I thought to myself, hopefully Jess hasn’t eaten yet and we can both order something together. I walked to the front door, unlocking the safety latch but when I opened it, my heart skipped a beat.

It wasn’t Jess, it was Matt.

“Hey sorry for just appearing.. Are you free for the night?”

a/n: everybody say thaaaank youuuu jessss!!!

taglist : @muwapsturniolo @anitahunt @sturnfannn @jayde510 @chrissfavhoe @babyalliah-777 @v33angel @urmom69lol @willowrites @ribread03 @2muchofaslvt @sturnsaver @sleepysturniolo @jcsturniolo11 @jessie-essie @hoeforchrizz @mynbbys @sturniolopanini @mattsturnxoxo @delicatechrry @t77te @sturnsyaper69 @hotdismylife @maggot3647 @ivysturnss @noplaceissafeanymore @mattssgf @yourfavsturniologirl @maethem0nth @sillyponygrl @mattyblover07 @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @dominicfikeenthusiast @mattsfavbigtitties @ncm9696 @chrisstvrns @schlutt4matty @chrissolos @ilusa

[lumi-nescentt]

And When I Break It's In A Million Pieces

Pairing: Oscar Piastri x Reader

Warnings: kinda angsty, reader overworking herself, arguing and someone fainting

Words: 3.8k

Summary: Oscar can understand how important exams are to his girlfriend but he can't stand to see her overworking herself and this close to breaking down without trying to comfort her.

A/N: it was supposed to be a cute oscar one shot but I guess midterms kicked my ass so I had to make Oscar do what I would have loved someone to do for me.

Now that I'm done writing this I'll start on the requests :)

Oscar had been away on the last triple header of the season and as much as he loved racing and how good the car felt lately, he missed his girlfriend and couldn't wait to see her again.

She usually came with him as often as she could, but she had been drowning in homework lately so she had chosen to stay home and work a little extra to make sure she stayed up to date. Oscar didn’t mind, or at least he tried not to show it because he knew how bad she already felt for missing some of his best results in F1. 

The Australian knew how hard the girl was on herself and how she tended to forget to take care of herself when she got engrossed in her studies so he thought coming back as early as possible from the British Grand Prix was the best thing he could do. 

Flying from London to Melbourne felt like one of the longest trips Oscar ever had to endure and it was only worse because he was all alone. Usually he either had Lando, Logan or his girlfriend to entertain him during layovers and on the flight itself, but now as he sat on the first plane taking him from London to Qatar, Oscar felt bored to death.

He had chosen the earliest flight possible on Monday and that had been one that took off at 3pm so he wasn’t even tired enough to sleep. He had already watched a movie while waiting in front of the gate so he was honestly starting to run out of ideas on how to entertain himself. 

He considered paying for wifi access to try and chat with his girlfriend for a second but then realised that he had decided to plan his comeback in secret so she had no idea he was coming back. In the end, Oscar still paid for it just so he could play 8 ball with Logan and joke around with Lando. 

His two friends entertained him for a few hours, but when he landed in Qatar, they both had stuff to do so he was left all alone again. He had nothing to do during the layover in Dubai, so walking around the entire terminal at the slowest pace possible seemed like a good enough idea for the 2 hours he had to wait before boarding again. 

To say the 13 hours flight to Melbourne had been long was an understatement. It had only been made worse since he couldn’t sleep, so Oscar had watched the entirety of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and still had found time to be bored once he was done. By the time he finally arrived in front of the apartment he shared with his girlfriend, it was almost 1am and he hadn’t slept in 30 hours now. 

All he wanted to do was crash on his bed and cuddle against her but when he opened the door as quietly as he could, the first thing he saw was his girlfriend sitting on a barstool, hunched over her laptop on the counter. She had her headphones on and the volume was so loud Oscar could hear the song playing very clearly from where he was standing in the doorway.

After taking off his shoes and dropping his suitcase in a corner, he slowly made his way over, trying his best not to startle the girl. She was so engrossed in whatever she was reading that even with Oscar standing right next to her, her focus was still on her computer. She only flinched and snapped back to reality when Oscar delicately removed her headphones and put them next to her now empty coffee cup.

-“ Oscar ? What– How ? You were supposed to stay in Europe until the break.” she stuttered, too tired to understand how her boyfriend was standing in front of her

-“ Surprise !” Oscar smiled softly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “ I missed you too much to wait an entire month so I decided to come spend the week here.” 

-“ I don't know what to say, wow.” 

-“ Oh God, was it a bad idea ? I don’t want to intrude if you had plans, baby. I can ask my parents if I can stay at theirs instead if you want me out of your hair while you study.” 

-“ No no, it’s a good surprise, I just didn’t expect it, that’s all. It’s our flat so of course I want you to stay with me.” she quickly clarified, burying her head in the crook of his neck and tightening her arms around him

-“ Ok good, I got scared I was bothering you for a second.” he answered, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head

-“ Don’t say that Osc, you could never bother me. I’m always happy to see your pretty face in real life.” 

-“ So you think I’m pretty ?” the Australian asked with a proud grin

-“ Of course I do, pretty boy. Now as much as I’d love to keep this lovely flirting going, you must be exhausted so why don’t you get ready for bed and I’ll join you in a bit ?” 

-“ That sounds great, I’ll go shower and then we can cuddle because I can definitely feel the drop of temperature between here and the UK.” 

-“ It’s not even that cold but I won’t say no to that.” she smiled before turning back to her homework.

Oscar didn’t really know how long he stayed under the warm spray of the shower but judging by the amount of steam that was now filling the bathroom, he assumed he stayed for a little while. Since he took his time, he fully expected to find his girlfriend dozing off under the covers but when he reached the bedroom, the bed was still untouched. 

Gathering the remaining energy he had, Oscar dragged himself to the kitchen where she was still in the position he left her in. Her headphones were back on at a lower volume and she was now frowning and holding her head between her hands, seemingly trying to make sense of what she was reading. 

-“ Are you coming to bed soon ?” Oscar asked seeing the time on her laptop 

-“ Yeah, of course. Just give me a minute, I’ll meet you there.” she answered without looking at him

-“ Baby, it’s almost 3am. You need to sleep as much as I do.” 

-“ I know, I’m coming. Don’t wait up, you must be knackered.” she tried, squeezing the hand he had put on her shoulder to reassure him

-“ I want to sleep next to you. I’ll wait for you to finish what you’re doing. How long is this going to take you ?” 

-“ I don’t know, you shouldn’t stay awake for me. I promise I’ll cuddle you as soon as I’m in bed, you won’t even realise I’m not here at first.” 

-“ That’s not true, I always notice so will you come ? Please ?” 

-“ You’re lucky you’re cute and that I love you because I really need to finish this paper.” she finally caved in with a sigh, closing her laptop to face her boyfriend who was sleepily smiling at her

-“ I love you too, now come. I can tell you’re exhausted too.” 

Oscar linked their hands together and walked towards their bedroom, handing her one of his shirts as he stripped down to his boxer before hurriedly getting under the covers. At the sight of her cold boyfriend all cosy under the blankets, the girl couldn’t help but chuckle before she joined him and let him wrap his arms around her, resting her head against his chest and falling asleep to the comforting sound of his steady heartbeat. 

When Oscar woke up at 7am a few hours later, he brought his arm closer to the rest of his body, hoping to steal some of his girlfriend’s body warmth but his arm closed on nothing. With his eyes still closed, he patted her side of the bed, simply thinking she had rolled away from him but all he touched were the empty bed sheets. He would have assumed she had just gone to the bathroom if it wasn’t from how cold her side was. 

As hard as he wanted to tell her to come back to bed, Oscar wasn’t fully awake and he didn’t really think there was something he could do so he let himself fall back asleep for a few hours. When he opened his eyes again, finally feeling rested enough to figure out where she had gone, he was still alone in their empty bed. 

He made his way to the living room, secretly hoping she’d be all curled up on the sofa and had only moved there because he was snoring too loud but it was just as empty as their bed. Not liking where he thought this was going, Oscar went to the kitchen where his girlfriend was exactly in the same position he had found her hours earlier. 

Without saying a word, Oscar wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled his face in her neck like he knew she liked. When the only acknowledgement he got was a low hum without even a smile or a look towards him, he decided to try something else. He slowly turned his head and started kissing her neck tenderly, which always got her attention usually because she was never one to pass on getting some physical affection from him. He was so sure it was going to work that when she finally breathed in before talking, Oscar couldn’t stop the smile creeping on his face.

-“ Not now baby, please.” she brushed him off softly, without even looking at him

-“ Oh, okay. Sorry.” Oscar muttered, feeling his face flush from a wave of embarrassment he couldn’t stop

He quickly escaped to the opposite corner of the kitchen, getting busy with making breakfast to forget about the uneasy feeling coursing through his veins. It took him 15 minutes of meddling around before everything was ready and before he was ready to try to get her attention again.

This time, Oscar planted himself next to his girlfriend and put a coffee cup and a full plate with eggs and toast right next to her laptop before poking her shoulder with his finger to get her full attention.

-“ Hello there, I made you breakfast.” he half smiled

-“ Hi baby, that’s really sweet of you. Thank you.” she returned the smile, cupping his face with her hands before planting a soft kiss on his lips and turning back towards her homework

-“ I was wondering if you wanted to have breakfast together in the living room, maybe ?”

-“ I’m sorry Osc. I really need to study but don’t let me stop you, I know you love to eat there.” 

-“ Yeah, sure.” he started out loud before mumbling to himself as he exited the room “I don’t know what I was expecting.”

After his very lonely breakfast in front of a TV show he didn’t even want to watch, Oscar popped his head into the kitchen to see if she was done working. When he saw that she was still very focused on what she was doing, he decided to do something to occupy himself until she was finally free. He got dressed and yelled that he was going for a run before finally going outside. 

When he came back a little less than an hour later, Oscar was determined to spend some time with her so he hurriedly went to the bathroom to shower before eventually stealing her away from her homework. 

Once he was finally done, it was time for lunch and he was feeling like ordering so, while still looking at his phone, he went towards the kitchen and called her.

-“ I’m gonna order food, what do you feel like eating ?”

He waited a little bit for an answer but nothing came back so he walked a little closer and tried again.

-“ Baby ? Are you not hungry ?” 

Getting worried from the clear silence he was met with, Oscar walked in the kitchen but, to his surprise, he couldn’t see her.

-“ y/n ? If this is a joke, it’s not that funny. Where are you ?” he asked, feeling his heart beat a little faster

He knew she hadn’t gone out because both her keys and her car were still there so he went around the counter to go look into the laundry room when his eyes fell on something on the floor. Seeing his girlfriend laying down on the floor made his blood rush fast in his veins and he immediately kneeled down next to her and wrapped her hand in his.

-“ y/n, baby can you hear me ?” he tried again “ I’m going to put your feet on my lap, okay ? I’m not letting go of your hand, if you hear me just squeeze it.” Oscar explained, praying that he’d feel her grip tighten around his fingers

He felt the faintest squeeze but he wasn’t sure if he had imagined it or not so he tried again.

-“ Can you squeeze my hand again, please ?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper from how scared he was until he felt a clear squeeze “ Atta girl, you’re doing great.” 

Oscar felt his breathing slowly go back to normal as his girlfriend slowly gained back consciousness. He was still a bit shaken up but seeing her eyes fluttering open and feeling the constant squeezes of her hand on his was reassuring him. He waited a little more before asking her questions, not wanting to overwhelm her.

-“ Do you remember what happened ?” 

-“ I don’t know, I was just standing up to get another coffee and then I started feeling dizzy so I tried to call you but I don’t know if anything came out.” 

-“ Ok well at least you remember, you scared me to death there sweetheart.” 

-“ I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” she apologised, mortified that he had seen her like this

-“ Hey, none of that. Don’t apologise, I’m glad I came back in time to find you. I would’ve hated for you to be all alone here when you fainted.” he reassured her, bringing her closer to him

-“ What do you mean came back ? When did you go out ?” 

-“ I told you I was going for a run but I guess you were so focused on what you were doing you didn’t hear me. Next time I’ll make sure that you hear me.” 

-“ It’s fine, you don’t have to.” 

-“ I know but I want to. Now let’s get you something to eat, you didn’t even eat breakfast so you must be starving.” he stated, pointing at the plate he had made her a few hours earlier, still untouched on the counter

-“ I’m not really hungry actually.” she whispered, looking at her feet

- “ You have to eat something baby. I’ll just order something from your favourite restaurant and you can just eat however much you can, does that sound good ?”

-“ Yeah sure, thank you Osc.”

Oscar didn’t answer and instead just placed a kiss on the side of her head before standing up and picking his phone that he had left on the counter to get the food. While they waited for it to arrive, Oscar sent her to shower so she could relax a little before eating. Before leaving her be, he convinced her to let the door slightly open so she could yell if she felt dizzy again so he could also relax.

He always stayed within earshots of the bathroom as he got busy around the flat until the delivery guy arrived. Oscar wanted it to be quick but the guy recognised him and wanted to take a picture with him. Oscar wouldn’t have minded the picture if the guy also didn’t seem to want to become his friend and didn’t talk for what felt like ages. Oscar didn’t know how to make him stop without sounding rude so he just waited until he was finally done before hurrying back to his girlfriend. 

He expected her to either still be in the shower or to be waiting for him in the living room, resting like they had talked about after she fainted but she was the most stubborn person Oscar knew. That’s why he wasn’t exactly surprised when he found her back to her studying spot with her headphones only wearing one of his mclaren hoodies. 

-“ I thought we said no more studying for today ?” Oscar scolded her gently

-“ I know but I can’t just stop like that. I need to finish this part and then I can rest for a few hours.”

-“ Baby you fainted, that means your body is exhausted and you shouldn’t put yourself through this.” 

-“ I don’t have a choice, Oscar. The exam is coming up and I need to finish this paper too. I can’t just decide to take the day off because my stupid body decided to betray me.” she spat in one breath, feeling her heartbeat quicken just thinking of the ton of stuff she still had to do 

-“ Alright, just breathe please. You can definitely afford to rest for today. I know you and I know you’re capable of doing what you have left before the due date. Just come lie down with me for a bit while we eat.” 

-“ You don’t know that for sure. I can’t afford to take such a risk.” 

-“ Baby, please.” he pleaded, feeling how she was getting more worked up by the second

-“ I said no, Oscar !” she said through gritted teeth, trying not to raise her voice 

-“ Why can’t you just slow down for a second ? What’s the worst that can happen if you let go a little.”

-“ Slow down ? That’s rich coming from you mister always running around the entire globe to drive at 300kph.” she cringed at how high pitched her voice was getting

-“ You know that’s not what I meant, y/n.” 

-“ Then what did you mean because I clearly don’t get why you’re getting in my way here.” 

-“ I only meant that you’re going to tire yourself out over some homework and that it can’t be healthy.”

-“  I’m sorry ? Some homework ?!” she scoffed loudly “ This is the last class I need to have my diploma, if I fail it, I can say goodbye to my dream job. Don’t belittle what I do because you don’t understand it.” 

-“ That’s not how I meant it, y/n. I’m just worried about you.”

-“ I didn’t ask you to be, in fact I didn’t even ask you to be here. You were supposed to be away doing your stupid job while I was here studying on my own but no you just had to come back and tempt me with ideas of relaxing and hanging out with you when you know I can’t. I can’t just decide to go away and take a break because I miss my partner. Some of us have real jobs and they can’t run away whenever they want to, Oscar.”  she finally lost it, her eyes filling with tears as she realised what she had said

-“ Wow, hum alright. I think I’m just going to go outside for a bit.” Oscar muttered, grabbing his car keys and turning around as quickly as he could

As soon as she heard the door close, y/n broke down crying in the middle of the room. She hadn’t meant to snap at him, she knew he just cared about her and most of all, she didn’t think anything she said was true.

She knew how hard Oscar had worked to get to where he was now and she was so proud of how far he had come. She loved that he was able to do something he loved as his job and how he always made time in his busy schedule to either fly her to where he was staying or fly back home to see her. 

In all honesty, she had been missing him so much lately and all she wanted to was take a break and seek comfort in his arms but she couldn’t help the anxiety and the guilt that kicked in whenever she stopped studying even for a second. She had been staying up late and waking up at the crack of dawn for a week now, studying as much as she could before she had to attend classes. She barely had time to eat and she couldn’t remember the last time she had a decent meal. 

The mere thought of having hurt Oscar was filling her with guilt and she wished there was something she could do to take it back. She was so tired of feeling like this and right now it felt like she had pushed away the only person she wanted to comfort her. 

When Oscar opened the door half an hour later, he didn’t expect his girlfriend to come running to the door and then stop in her tracks the moment her eyes met his. She tried to open her mouth but tears started falling again and she was struggling to take a full breath. The sight tore Oscar’s hurt and he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her head against his chest. 

-“ It’s okay, baby. Just let go, I’m here.” he whispered, tracing circles on her back

-“ I’m sorry, Oscar. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean what I said. I–”

-“ I know, it’s okay. It’s already forgotten.”  

-“ It’s not okay. You didn’t deserve to hear that.” she sniffled, looking at him in the eyes “ I love what you do and I’m really happy you’re here. I’m sorry if I made you feel like it wasn’t the case. It’s no excuse but I’m frankly exhausted and you were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

-“ Thank you for apologising. It’s forgiven and I promise you I’m not mad or anything.”

-“ You’re sure ?” 

-“ Yes, I wasn’t mad earlier. I was a bit hurt and I knew you needed time to calm down before we could have a discussion so I just went to the store to buy brownies and ice cream.” 

-“ That’s so sweet, Oscar, stop.” she said, feeling her voice shake slightly

-“ I was thinking we could take a proper break and eat in front of a movie. Then if you still want to work, I could help you study and after that we could take a bath ? How does that sound ?” 

-“ I love you so much.”

-“ Is that a yes ?” Oscar teased, smiling as he heard her laugh

-“ Yes it is.” she said, as he grabbed her hand and guided her towards the living room where the food was still waiting for them

-“ y/n ?” 

-“ yes ?” 

-“ I love you too.” 

-“ I know, now come here.” she smiled again, wrapping her arms behind his neck before pulling him down to kiss him properly 

Oscar hadn’t been sure of it at first but coming back home was the best choice he ever made for the both of them. They missed each other too much to wait a whole month to be together when they needed the other’s presence that badly.

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 16

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words : 5k

Masterlist

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Friday, November 13; 11:45 AM - Room Ona and Alexia.

I'm just finishing packing my suitcase. Bronze told me this morning that she managed, after a long battle with Wiegman, to get my permission for this weekend. I was so happy that I jumped on her. Since Monday's incident, I've managed to stay calm. I'm not necessarily listening in class yet, but at least I've stopped responding to provocations. My flight is in just over two hours. I took the same one as last time. So, I will land in Barcelona in the evening. Bronze organized all my travels since everything had to be arranged at the last minute. For the rest, I took care of it. I called Sam to let Hector know to pick me up. Joan is still unaware of my return. It will be a surprise, his weekend. I'm about to leave. I'm happy but anxious at the same time. I dread my mother's reception. Bronze reassured me about my fears, but I already anticipate my mother's hurtful words. I turn to Alexia, who is on her bed. She’s waiting for her sister, as usual. I place my headphones around my neck just as there's a knock on the door. Bronze enters the room.

- Hey Bronze.

- Are you ready?

- Yep, I was just about to head down.

- How many times do I have to remind you about those headphones? You know they're not allowed outside the room.

- Yeah, yeah...

I take them off unconvincingly. Now is not the time to provoke her before my departure. I move toward Ale to hug her.

- We'll write to each other.

- Of course, I replied. See you Sunday evening! Have a good weekend.

- Thanks, you too.

I smile at her and grab my suitcase. Bronze greets Alexia before we leave the room. I drag my suitcase and tighten the strap of my backpack. I'm a bit nervous. I watch Bronze, who seems to want to accompany me to the exit.

- Anything planned for your first free weekend, Bronze?

- Well... Returning stuff to my ex and a night out with my friends, and you?

- No idea, I shrugged. I’m going to enjoy it as much as possible with Joan and try to see Mapi, I guess... I'll also have to confront my mother face-to-face.

She smiles softly, nodding. She knows I dread this moment. We've talked about it enough. Maybe she has calmed down in two weeks. We quickly reach the gate. I frown, not seeing any taxi.

- I thought you had everything planned?

The last thing I need is to be late and miss my flight! I start to panic. I definitely don't want to miss my flight.

- Relax. Come, follow me.

- And my taxi?

She gestures for me to pass through the gate. I walk out apprehensively, not understanding where she's taking me. She makes me walk to the adjacent street. I slow down when I recognize her car parked on the street. I look at her, waiting for an explanation.

- I’ll be your driver this time. I was planning to go downtown, so it would have been silly to call you a taxi.

My smile widens to the point of showing my teeth. If I expected that! The news delights me. It's certainly more pleasant to share the ride with a familiar face.

- And you had to park your car two streets away from the establishment for that?

- I didn't want to risk being seen together. People might think I'm showing favoritism.

- Isn't that the case?

- No, she giggles. I'm just more demanding with you.

I lose my smile, creating hers.

- Sure, I mumbled.

I get in the car after placing my suitcase next to hers in the trunk. It was the fastest trip I’ve ever had. I cleared my mind by humming along to the songs playing on the radio. I often got the lyrics wrong, making Bronze laugh. I was almost disappointed we arrived so quickly. The atmosphere was pleasant. She took a completely different route than my usual taxis. She avoided all the traffic jams. You might almost think they deliberately take the traffic to waste our time in their old cars. I'm surprised when Bronze parks her car in the airport parking lot and accompanies me inside. She could have just dropped me off, but I’m glad she’s coming with me. At least the wait will be shorter.

- What time do you land over there? Around eleven o'clock, right?

- That's right. I hope to sleep a bit more this weekend. I need to catch up.

- You'll see.

We've just checked in my luggage. Now we can wait in front of the boarding gate. We don't wait long before the intercom announces the gate is open. I tense up at the news. Deep down, I'm reluctant to go back. I'm afraid to face my mother, but I can't avoid her forever.

- It's time, says Bronze.

She stands up first. Thinking we won’t see each other for two days feels strange. We've been together every day since I came back. She’s been watching over me since my detox. Plus, she convinced me to continue my morning runs with her and to catch up on my classes in her office. Sometimes, I even start my homework there now that I’ve made good progress. I like her supervision. At least I know I’m working. I never had that before. I was always dependent on my classes and homework before she came into my life. It’s good she forces me to work in front of her. It makes me impose a regular rhythm on myself, unlike before. Concentration is hard to find with Alexia, who rarely leaves me alone. Sometimes Engen also bothers me, but Bronze quickly puts her in her place. They're so funny to watch together.

- Hand me your phone.

- Why? Are you going to confiscate it?

- No, she giggles. Trust me and give it to me.

I hand it to her, making sure to unlock it as she asked. I frown, watching her type on my screen before giving it back. I immediately check what she did, but she closed everything.

- I hope you won't give it to everyone. Write to me when you arrive or if you have any trouble this weekend.

- You added your number? I understand.

- Have a good weekend, Ona, she replies with a silly smile. Try to enjoy it and don’t forget our deal. I don't want to lecture you again; we've talked about it enough.

- Thanks for everything.

I hug her and kiss her cheek without really realizing what I'm doing. I just needed to show my gratitude. I wanted to pull away out of embarrassment, but she reacted first, wrapping her arms around my back. I let myself enjoy the moment.

- Have a good weekend, Lucy, I murmur before stepping back.

- Thanks. I'll come to pick you up myself Sunday evening. Make sure to come back in one piece this time.

- I'll try, I tease her. See you Sunday then.

I walk away to go through the boarding checks. I turn around one last time to make sure she’s still there. I feel a strange sensation seeing that she is. I give her a little wave, which she returns before I disappear into the corridor leading to the plane. I'm still happy to go home, even if it's not the same excitement as the first time. Seattle will miss me this weekend. It’s strange to think that after fighting tooth and nail to leave for almost a month. I still feel a little knot of anxiety in my stomach. I remember my last flight didn't go well, considering the stewardess who took care of me. I force myself to smile at her. She seems to recognize me too because she doesn’t give me the professional smile she just gave to the other passengers before me.

- Hello! How are you?

- Much better, thank you. Thanks also for what you did last time... I didn't get the chance to say it.

- No problem, she smiles warmly. Have a good flight.

I give her one last smile before moving forward. I find my seat and make myself comfortable by putting on my headphones and phone. I don't know where I get the courage to do a two-hour flight each weekend. It's probably the idea of seeing Joan again that motivates me. I decide to buckle up and lean against the window to find some restorative sleep.

Friday, November 13 - On the plane.

I groan as someone gently shakes me. I blink at the young stewardess. I remove one earphone to hear her say that landing is imminent. I stretch slowly while nodding. She gives me a smile as I fasten my seatbelt before continuing down the aisle. I amuse myself by looking out the window where it is now pitch black. The illuminated city is beautiful from above. I spent my flight sleeping again. Well, at least the two hours passed quickly. I smile softly, realizing I’m finally home. The landing goes smoothly. We're allowed to stand only once the plane is stabilized. I follow the crowd to the exit with just my Eastpak bag. I lower my headphones around my neck when I reach the end of the corridor. I look around. I have no trouble finding who’s waiting for me with a big smile and waving hands. He’s alone this time. No sign of Mapi. I told her about my return, but she must be busy with her girlfriend. I take a deep breath before approaching him. Let's not forget I sneaked out of Barcelona...

- Good evening Ona, I hope you had a good trip.

- Hey... I say timidly. It was fine. I slept

the whole way, so I guess it was good. How are you?

- Good, and you?

- Glad to see everyone again... Is Mom still very angry with me? I ask, biting my lower lip.

I prefer to know what awaits me before setting foot at home. I must have left quite a mess. Bronze said they were informed of the situation and that Wiegman regularly updated them on my condition.

- Let's say it could have been worse. She had time to calm down, but she’s waiting to have a serious discussion with you.

- Yes, I figured, I sighed.

- Everything will be fine, he tries to reassure me.

- We’ll see.

He smiles at me sadly. We both know that won't be the case. We retrieve my suitcase and head to the parking lot. There's a slight temperature change. Here, the sky is clear, and I feel the extra degrees. This change in temperature is strange. In Manchester, snow is threatening to fall soon.(in my universe its snowing in Manchester). Maybe there will be some when I return. I sit in the front since Mapi isn't here. The ride is calm. It's soothing. We talk about trivial matters. I appreciate Hector because he never brings up touchy subjects, like whether I’ve fully recovered from my detox. I finally take out my phone, remembering I have messages to send. I smile stupidly, thinking about my departure. I never imagined she would give me her personal number. It's touching and reassuring at the same time. I know I can contact her at any problem. I first text Mapi to let her know I've arrived, then reply to Alexia that I arrived safely. I then open a new message and look for Bronze's number. I frown when I can't find her in my contacts. I was starting to despair until I saw "Commander" in my contacts. I fiddle with my thumbs, not knowing how to start my message.

Me - 11:39 PM: Hey Luce! Nice to see your name in my contacts 😂 I just landed 30 minutes ago and I'm on my way home :) I hope you have a good evening and/or a good night...

I read my message several times before hitting send. I hope I wasn't too friendly for her... I leave my phone on my lap, waiting for a response from anyone. It doesn't take long to vibrate.

Commander - 11:41 PM: It's past midnight in Manchester, so it will be good night for me 😉 Sleep well :)

Me - 11:42 PM: At least let me get home before sending me to bed!! Anyway, I slept the whole trip... 🙄 What are you doing still awake ?

Commander - 11:43 PM: Too curious, Ona. Unprofessional 😉 And it's not a reason not to go to bed when you get home!

Me - 11:44 PM: You're no fun! It's nothing personal 😓 Well, I'm not sleepy anymore 🙁

- Did you make any friends? Hector asks.

- Huh? Oh, uh yes. A few.

- It's been a long time since I've seen you so happy just answering a message.

I raise an eyebrow at his implication. His smile makes me believe he doesn't think I'm writing to friends.

- I have no one in my life if that's what you're wondering, I chuckle.

- I didn't say anything... Why do you think of that right away?

I laugh, shaking my head. I can't help it if my instructor makes me smile. She keeps giving me orders from afar. It's quite strange to communicate with her by message, even though there's not much difference in her words. It's like I can hear her voice.

- I'm glad you're doing better since you've been at this school.

Am I better? Now that he says it, he's probably right. School isn't the worst thing that's happened to me in my life. I'm surrounded by wonderful people. Bronze, Alexia, and the others help me feel better. I'll never forget what I've been through, but I'm starting to accept myself and learn to live with my past. I feel less eaten up inside, and it makes me smile again. I wasn't happy here. The only time I pretended everything was fine was in front of Joan. I didn't want him to find out what a lousy big sister he had. I wanted to be the role model he deserves. The vibrations of my phone pull me out of my thoughts.

Commander - 11:49 PM: It's personal. Anyway, you already know what I'm doing. Go to bed, order from your instructor !

I already know? I furrow my brow, thinking. Oh, I think I remember. She mentioned she was going to have a drink with friends. The second part of the message makes me laugh even more. She'll never stop.

Me - 11:50 PM: Stop giving me orders from km away!!!

Commander - 11:51 PM: Sleep well, Ona :)

Me - 11:51 PM: Tsss! You're boring! Hope you don't come home too late!!!

Commander - 11:55 PM: That's not for you to decide 😉 Now stop writing to me. I'm already regretting giving you my number!

Me - 11:52 PM: Mpf... 😒 Stay reasonable at least! Well, you're lucky, I'm almost home! I'll listen to you and go to bed.

Commander - 12:00 AM: Very good initiative :) See you tomorrow.

I smile at her last message, received just as we stop in front of the gate. I'm happy to be able to text her from here. I feel she'll be a great support if needed. I watch the gate open at a snail's pace. Reality hits me hard when I see my residence standing proudly before us. No lights are on, at least. The confrontation will be tomorrow then. Hector pulls the car into the garage before cutting everything off. We get out, and he insists on handling my suitcase now. I let him go ahead and carry it upstairs. I take off my shoes in the hall before following him up. I thank him for everything once we reach my bedroom door. We wish each other good night before he disappears down the stairs. When I enter my room, I see a small lump in my bed. It seems Joan has taken to sleeping in my bed every night. I smile at the thought. I'll gather information tomorrow morning. For now, I make as little noise as possible with my suitcase. I leave it in a corner of the room, then retrieve pajamas from my closet. I give him a gentle kiss on the forehead before locking myself in the bathroom to brush my teeth and undress. I keep only my underwear and complement it with an old T-shirt of my father's that reaches mid-thigh. I love this kind of pajamas. I had to get used to wearing shorts at school because I'm not alone, but I'm much more comfortable like this. I leave the bathroom and finally slip under the covers of my bed. It's a real pleasure to finally sleep in my big bed.

Saturday, November 14; 10:35 AM - Ona's Room.

-ONA !

I jump as I feel a bundle on top of me. Oh my God. I groan at this wake-up call I'm no longer used to. I barely have time to sit up before two arms squeeze me in a hug. I return the hug with one arm while rubbing my eyes with the other.

- Hey hermano, I whisper softly.

- You didn't tell me you were coming back!

- It's better to have a surprise, isn't it?

- No! I'd rather know in advance.

I smile as he moves away, crossing his arms and making an adorable pout. I stretch properly before letting myself fall back on the bed. I'm way too lazy to get up right away.

- Is that your school jacket?

I follow his finger pointing to my desk chair. Indeed, my military jacket is hanging there. It's so loose and easy to wear that I've gotten used to wearing it all the time. Nothing forbids wearing it outside. Bronze didn't say anything when she saw me leaving with it yesterday. She just let me finish my outfit.

- Yes, that's the one.

- Will you lend it to me sometime?

- You'll have to grow a bit first, I chuckle. I missed you, you know.

- I missed you too!

- Oh yeah? A lot a lot?

- A lot a lot! Will you have breakfast with me?

- Yes, just give me a moment to put on some jogging pants.

I barely have time to respond before I see him already leaving. I guess it wasn't a real question... I finally get out of bed to look for joggers in my suitcase. I quickly put them on and step into the hallway to see that he's waited for me. I smile as he reaches out his arms. I don't hesitate for a second to pick him up and go downstairs with him in my arms.

- Mom and your dad aren't here?

- I think they're working.

- Hmm.

I'm relieved to learn that I still have some time to come up with arguments against my mom. I enter the kitchen where I find Sofia and Samuel. I set my brother on a high chair.

- Hey guys, I greet them with a hug each.

- Hey you.

- How are you?

I smile as Sofia closely examines me. I haven't seen them since my rehab, after all. I know she was already worried during my first stint here. She was the one who mostly took care of me. I'm really glad I didn't put her through a second one.

- Much better, don't worry. They took good care of me. How did my mom take it?

- Angry... Very angry. She wanted to send you to rehab again, Sam admits. She changed her mind after a long heated discussion with your director.

- Yeah, I know. Actually, my boss did the blockade. Wiegman handled the negotiations.

- Oh, we weren't aware of that, Sofia admits.

- My mom probably wasn't either. Bronze insisted on taking care of me personally. I stayed in her room for a week.

- She was brave...

- Yeah, I chuckle. I don't know how she managed to put up with me.

If only she knew that the crises she saw were nothing compared to the ones at the camp... She's always taken such good care of me since I got back home. I wouldn't want to upset her for no reason.

- What are they talking about, Ona?

- Nothing, don't worry.

- Did you relapse ?

I close my eyes at his words. Fortunately, he's behind me. How can a six-year-old understand this kind of thing? I showed him too much for his young age, it seems. I gather my courage to turn around

- It’s settled, I assure you.

- You told me you wouldn’t leave again because of this!

- I’m not leaving again because of this.

- You’re lying!

- I’m not lying to you, Joan. If I leave, it’s to go to school, I promise.

- That’s not what they just said!

- I had a slip-up, but it wasn’t my fault, okay? I promise the issue has been resolved at my school. I even promised my supervisor not to do it again.

- You promised me the same thing, and you did it again.

I sigh as I see him on the verge of tears. I feel extremely guilty. It’s hard for someone as young as him to understand.

- I made a compromise with this person, Joan. If I touch it again, I’ll lose a lot. She’s going to help me get out of this, I promise.

- Really? She’s going to help you...?

I’ve just realized the weight of my words. It seems we say things we truly believe under pressure. I release the pressure from my body.

- I... Yeah... She’s going to help me.

I need to face the truth. Bronze is the one who can help me the most. She’s already done a lot. Joan finally lets me get closer. I take the opportunity to hug him. I don’t like seeing him so upset because of me. I lift him to sit him on my lap, then I thank Sam who has just placed our breakfasts on the counter. I smile at him to reassure him of the visible concern in his expression.

- What compromise did she impose on you? he asks.

- I’m not allowed to return in withdrawal, otherwise, she’ll ban me from leaving the camp until the end of the year.

- What do you mean, no leaving?

- No permissions, no field trips... Basically, no outings.

- Oh...

- Yeah, oh, I repeat. I don’t have the right to make mistakes.

- Your supervisor is very strict... comments Sofia.

- Hmm, but very effective.

- Anyway, I like her, Joan chimes in.

- Oh yeah? I laugh.

- Yes! Just talking about her makes you smile when you usually don’t. Plus, you just said she’s going to help you, so I like her even more.

I’m stunned by his arguments. This kid continues to amaze me every time. He’s far from being dumb. He knows I don’t smile much except with him, Sam, Sofia, and sometimes Mapi.

- Oh... I reply in surprise. She would be pleased to hear that.

- Can I see her one day?

- That might be complicated.

The idea quickly fades as he starts telling me what he’s learning at school. He’s just entered the first grade, so he’s starting to learn to read and write.

- So, what do you want to do today?

- Do I get to choose what I want?

- Yep. It’s your day. We’ll do whatever you want.

- I want to go to the ice rink then!

- Alright, I laugh at his enthusiasm. We’ll go to the ice rink.

I’m not even surprised. I got him used to the ice rink at a very young age before I fell into drugs. I used to love that place. It’s been ages since I last went there. I promised him we’d go back once, and I think now is the right time. I finish my breakfast and leave Joan with Sofia while I take a shower. I give myself a bit of time to get ready before going back downstairs. I deserve a little moment for myself. They’ve become rare. Once I’m all ready, I have some time left before lunch. So I join Joan in front of the TV. It’s nice to be able to sit on a couch. Even if it’s cartoons, it’s so much better to enjoy a screen alone. The only place we have a TV at the camp is in the common room, so watching it there isn’t pleasant. I take this time to check my phone, which I haven’t touched since yesterday. Mapi replied saying that I need to reserve my evening for her and that I can’t refuse. I guess I’ll go. At least I’ll have seen everyone this weekend. She could have left me out because of her girlfriend, but she didn’t. People are always different when they’re in a relationship, but not Mapi. The only thing that distances us is my move to Manchester because we don’t see each other as much. She’s my best friend for a reason. Once the message is sent, I go to Bronze’s chat. My thumbs hover hesitantly over the keys. I draft a message that I’m afraid to send. I don’t want to bother her and make her truly regret giving me her number. Also, it’s noon there. It’s not even certain that she’s awake since she was out last night. I take a deep breath and press send without thinking.

Me - 11:27 AM: Hey sleepyhead. Still in bed?

Commander - 11:35 AM: Sleepyhead? I thought you knew me better than that! I bet it’s you who just woke up.

She replied. She replied!!! I really thought I was going to bother her, but it doesn’t seem like it.

Me - 11:36 AM: No, but I slept until 10:30! And you? Do you ever sleep?

Commander - 11:38 AM: Haha! I’m still human, Ona. I just have my habits.

Me - 11:38 AM: Like what?

Commander - 11:40 AM: Running?

Me - 11:44 AM: At noon ? On a Saturday morning?!

Commander - 11:45 AM: At 7:30, my dear 😉

Me - 11:45 AM: I maintain what I think: You’re not normal.

Commander - 11:46 AM: Might as well stay fit if you can’t spend your morning in bed with someone, haha.

Me - 11:46 AM: OK... I was not at all prepared for that kind of response... Now I’m imagining you with a girl...

Commander - 11:49 AM: Get that image out of your head right now! I wasn’t talking about that 😐

Me - 11:50 AM: Too late! I didn’t think of you like that 😂😂😂

Commander - 11:52 AM: You’re really silly! I was just thinking about enjoying the company of someone. Anyway, let’s move on. Is Joan happy to have you back?

Me - 11:54 AM: What a topic change! Oh dear, and I’m the coward! He woke me up this morning by jumping on me. He’s just as sweet as you if you know what I mean 😂

Commander - 11:55 AM: I hope so, you shouldn’t lose the habit of animated wake-ups 😉 At least someone’s happy :) I hope you’re taking care of him this weekend.

Me - 11:56 AM: Of course! We’re going to the ice rink this afternoon :) And I’m seeing Mapi tonight.

Commander - 11:58 AM: Cool. And your parents? Did everything go well?

I sigh as I read the last message. I was about to reply when Sam calls us for lunch. Exactly noon, it’s noon sharp here!

Me - 12:00 PM: My mom is working. I haven’t seen her yet. I’m not going to avoid my scolding according to others. I’m going to eat now, we can talk later if you don’t mind.

Commander - 12:01 PM: That’s normal, but it’ll be fine, don’t worry. Enjoy your meal :)

I smile at her last message. Always words to reassure me. In the end, I don’t think I disturbed her given the way she conversed with me. I put my phone away and head to the kitchen with Joan. He won’t let go. He’s practically glued to me, as if he’s afraid I’ll leave. Maybe he is, since that’s what I did last time. I’m lucky I didn’t hear any reproaches from him. They would have hurt me more than my mother’s. In the meantime, I sense that Sunday night’s departure will be very painful for him. As for me, I almost feel like I belong more in the boarding school than in this house. If my friends and Joan weren’t here, I wouldn’t set foot in it again. For now, I’m enjoying the time I have. I’m lucky to be surrounded by people like them. I’m only realizing their importance now and I plan to make the most of them this weekend..

[theglamorousferal]

Persephone's Binding Part 6

AO3 Prompt Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Jason crouched into a fighting stance, mimicking Danny. They began to circle each other, making a complete circle of the training ring in the process.

"One of us has to move first, and you're the one who wanted to test me." Jason quipped. Danny lunged, intending to hit a spot of fabric visible between Jason's armor.

Jason dodged, then went to hit Danny in the middle of his back, only for him to fall through him. He tucked into a roll and popped up on on knee. "Okay, now that's not fair. Density shifting? Didn't think I'd be fighting someone like the Martian."

Danny paused. "Martian?" He shook his head. "Never mind, I can ask later. I'm already handicapping myself with like half, the shit I can do keeping projectiles outta the fight. At least let me keep my basics."

Jason looked at him suspicious. "What are your basics?"

"Oh just intangibility, invisibility, flight and super-strength." Danny grinned like the little shit he was. Definitely a younger sibling. Jason thought. He rolled his eyes and got to his feet, ending up in a fighting stance again.

"Yeah, but If I can't touch you at all how are you gonna gauge how I fight?"

Danny tilted his head and squinted his eyes at him. "You have a point." He pouted. "Fine, I need dodging practice anyway."

"Good, now come at me." Jason gestured. Danny gave up trying to obey gravity and flew straight at Jason's mid-section, intending to tackle him. He was not expecting Jason to flip out of the way and to the side, before landing facing where Danny now was positioned.

Danny growled and then leapt towards Jason swinging at his face; Jason did not expect the kick to the stomach. With the air punched out of his lungs, Jason swiped at Danny's head, intending to knock him over. He only managed to send him spinning towards the railing before Danny caught and righted himself.

"You good?" He asked as Jason wheezed a breath in.

"Yeah, I'm good, when was the last time you fought a human kid?"

Danny froze for a moment before a dark look passed over his face. "About seven months. And I was aiming to harm." He shook himself after a moment before a guilty expression flashed across his face.

"I'm good, I promise. Just maybe pull it back a little so you don't accidentally break a few ribs." Jason waved him off, jumping a bit and getting himself psyched back up. "Let's go."

They continued to spar for hours. Danny won the first match, then Jason. The third they got each other locked in a grapple that neither could break and called it a draw. They moved onto weapons after that, first with swords, edges dull for training, then staffs. After a bit they broke for some water.

"So, your sister mentioned you were attending IRU? What's that?" Jason asked after chugging half a bottle.

"Oh, Infinite Realms University. There were a bunch of entities, ghost and neverborn alike, whose obsessions are either teaching or have decided that to feed their obsession and therefore existence, that they would teach others about it. It started as a group of ghosts who manifested together and then slowly expanded to cover every conceivable subject or degree. Myself and a couple of friends are trying to put together a way to do online classes so the people in Amity can attend."

"Oh, so they take full humans?" Maybe I can get a degree if I'm stuck here.

"I mean, they take anyone at all if they can handle the ambient ectoplasm."

"Right, you have both mentioned that. What exactly is ectoplasm? I nebulously know it has something to do with ghosts, but nothing further. Ghosts aren't really a thing in my world as far as I'm aware."

"Right, Jazz mentioned you're new to literally all of this stuff. We grew up with it and then I have it as a lived experience. Here's this is a form of ectoplasm." Danny allowed ectoplasm to pool in his cupped hands. It was florescent green and giving off a glow that shone across Danny's armor.

"That looks like Lazarus water but not bubbling. Can I touch it?"

"Probably not until we get your soul looked at. I mean, I can see it if I look, but I won't know what I'm looking at."

Jason paused. "You can see my soul?" He asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, it's something I've been working on with some of my teachers. Kinda tricky to learn, and you need a proto-core at least to do it. It's taken me a few years to get it down right, now I gotta take more lessons on recognizing differences and classifications, I need to learn before I take the big chair." He chugged the rest of his water bottle and wiped his face with his arm.

"You nervous?" Jason asked.

"Wouldn't you? All I did was fight a dude like I always did to save my town and it resulted in being ghost royalty." He grumbled.

"I mean, I tried to steal the tired off a car and it resulted in me being able to summon mystical glowing swords."

"No way."

Jason smirked and stood, holding his hands out and willing the All-Blades to appear. Glowing flame-like blades sprang to life from his closed fists.

"Okay, that's pretty cool. I mean, I can do that with ice too, see?" Danny holds out his own hands and two swords made from ice appeared to grow from them.

They both looked at each other's weapons, then caught each other's eyes and smirked in unison. "Race ya to the ring!" Danny yelled then lumped high into the air above Jason who scrambled towards the ring.

[paarthurnax59]

"Little Sparrow"

note: We are going to be getting a little bit of the reader's back story and also some of the people she knew from her childhood. No Van Helsing yet! but hopefully soon.

Warnings: Violence, and swearing. Reader not catching a break.🥺

Word count:

Chapter 2

Your plane landed at the Leonardo De Vinci International Airport within less then 13 hours. You thought that it would take much longer to get to Rome if the Order hadn’t booked you a flight in advanced, in first class none the less. Walking over to the desk and speaking Italian asked for a phone to get a ride to the Vatican. The woman told you that a ride had already been arranged for you and was waiting for you fifteen minutes before your flight landed. 

    Apparently, Cardinal Jinette wasn’t kidding needed to be there as soon as possible. You greeted the man in a black suit and escorted you to the black SUV. After helped your canvas bag into the car, he started the car and drove away from the airport and to your final destination. 

  After a half an hour of driving, you reached Vatican City and were immediately met with one of the other priests, Carl, a close friend of yours and one of the Order’s best engineers and inventors. 

“(Name)! It’s good to see you again!” He said as he opened his arms to hug you. you welcomed his warm embrace and hugged him with great eagerness.

“I missed you, Carl!” You laughed as the biggest smile grew on your face as you returned the hug back and laughed as you let him go. “How are things?”

“Honestly, not great. I’m sure that you have heard the news.” He replied as you can see the unease tension written all over his face. 

“Yeah, I know. It’s why I’m back. I wouldn’t have come if it weren’t for something like this.” You replied solemnly as you took a deep breath. “When did he go missing?” 

“Three weeks ago. I cannot say more due to secrecy. Father Cardinal will be giving you all the details. He wants you to get yourself unsettled before he meets with you. Right now he’s in a meeting at the moment. Your old room is waiting for you.” He said as he walked with you up the steps of the main building of Vatican City and to your old bedroom. As both of you walked the opulent hallways, you told Carl about your time away in America and the many monsters you had faced. You left out the part about the Winchesters, simply for not wanting to talk about Dean and the heart break you had experienced. He explained on how he was in the process of the creating an explosive device that could annihilate dozens of vampires with a heat as powerful and intense as a small fraction of the sun itself.  On how to make it portable on the other hand was the difficult part he explained. You laughed at the many times that he had some of his prototypes almost blew up in his face. 

“Rabbi Goldberg nearly strangled me when I almost blew up the lab. Most terrifying experience of my life.” He chuckled as you both finally reached a single mahogany door. “Well, I’ll leave you to settle in. I will see you later, (Name). I have some work in the lab I need to get done.” He finished as he walked off as your lips had a small smile. Carl for as long as you have known him, had always tried to make you laugh with his crazy stories. Even though some of those stories were the result of something or someone, getting blown up. You shook your head at the memories of when you were thirteen when he was teaching you the basics of combustion energy as you opened the door to your old room. 

     You pushed it open to a luxurious, but simple bedroom with antique wall ornaments made of gold and fine wooden pictures of many historic and religious figures. The priceless gorgeous furniture laid perfectly spread out throughout the beautiful suite. The large windows were covered with fine mint green curtains, where your queen size bed with mauve color bedding draped over the comfy looking bed. A lovely blue Persian rug laid right next to the other side of the bed. And the far side of the room, was a private bathroom that had both a shower and a bathtub. Your room may not be as extravagant, (which you were fine with), but it made the motels you were staying in, even the Bunker, paled in comparison. 

   Father Jinette offered you a better room, but you preferred something not so grand.  When you arrived to America, you had to quickly adapt to the less extravagant accommodations that you were used to. It’s easy to grow comfortable, considering where you were prior to coming to Vatican City. When you met the Winchesters, you didn’t want them to think you were some posh spoiled brat that think lesser of them for their situation. They didn’t choose it after all. 

    After you placed your bag on your beg, you looked into your old wardrobe, grabbed some bath towels and quickly went to the bathroom to freshen up. After you undressed, you immediately turned on the hot soothing, water and stepped inside. Once done, you wrapped yourself in a bath robe and went to your wardrobe again. You pulled out a pretty (F/C) dress to wear when you would meet up with Cardinal Jinette. You hadn’t seen Father Cardinal in a long time, and knowing him he would like to see you looking nice for when you met him in his office. After getting dressed and fixing up your now dried hair, you slip on some shoes and headed to the door.  You locked your door with the key in your dress pocket and headed down the grand hallway to the office of the leader of the Order.

  It took and good twenty minutes, five staircases and three large hallways until you finally reached your destination. You stood outside the double darkly colored oak doors, guarded by two large men that you know were his bodyguards. Thy wore black suits, both men muscular and imposing. You go up to the door and were about to knock it, when one the men grabbed you hand roughly.

“Ow! Hey what are you doing!?” You yelled as the large man grabbed you hand so harshly, you know it was going to leave a bruise.

“State you name and business that you have with Cardinal Jinette.” The tall dark-skinned man with a middle eastern accent said so robotically that he didn’t seem human. You were too focused on the man’s hand squeezing your wrist you were being too slow too answer.

“I’m (Full name) and I must talk with him about a missing member of the Order. Now let me go!” You said as you try to get the man to let you go but didn’t budge. It wasn’t until the door opened abruptly with the man you came across the Atlantic Ocean to see. Cardinal Jinette’s dark eyes widen in shock as two other Buddhist monks stood in shock right behind him, looking at you in concern. 

“What are you doing, Isran?! Let her go, you imbecille!” Father Jinette insulted the man holding you, then you instantly let go from the beastly man’s grasp.

“Forgive me, father. I was just trying to stop her from going in while you were still in a meeting.” He said apologetically to the Cardinal, without even looking at you. You couldn’t help but feel extremely insulted.

God, why can't you just get a break?

“It’s not me you need to apologize to.” He said with a very stern glare the large bodyguard. “As for my meeting I was done with it by the time I heard screaming outside my door. This young woman is my ward, and she has the right to come in here as she wishes. I do not want to see you touching her that way again. Now…” He tilted his head to you and the man, you now known as Isran, looked at you with a sneer. 

“My apologies, miss.” He said begrudgingly, like it was a chore for him to acknowledged that he did some wrong. You did nothing but glare at the man as you walked into the office.

 Oh, he is most defiantly on your list. 

    As you walked into the office and the tension dissipating, you smiled at the monks, Norbu and Tenzin, that were in the room.  They both bowed before You walked over the two monks and hugged them both as they laughed. It was joyous and happy, which was something that you really needed.

“(Name), it has been too long!” One of the Tibetan men said as you released and hug the other as a jubilant feeling erupted in you. 

“You too, Norbu. I have really missed you guys.” You laughed happily looking at both men dressed in Buddhist robes. Jinette smiled as he watched you reconnect with your old friends. Normally, it’s frowned upon, and even forbidden, for Tibetan monks to hug people of the opposite gender. However, after helping them save their home village from the spirit of a vengeful warlord, they see you as a friend. Behind closed doors, they are like family to you. 

“How was your time in America? We heard from Jinette that you were coming back.” He asked curiously. You want nothing more than to talk all about your journey to the states, however you hear a throat clear behind you and saw Father Jinette rising his eyebrows at you, telling that you needed to get back to business of you being here. 

“We can talk later, okay? Right now I have to meet with father Jinette about some business.” You promised them and they both bowed to you and walked out of the office. Father Jinette closed the door after they left down the hall. You were now left alone with the head priest of the Order.

“Paressa, I first want to say that I deeply apologize to what my new guard has done to you. I hope he didn’t hurt you.” He sincerely spoke to you as he closed the door to his office.

“I’m fine. I mean after everything I go through, it’s child’s play.” You said to Jinette, not wanting to bother him further.

“I will have a talk with him about it. He will not be doing that again under my watch.” He confirmed “I am pleased you had come. We have all missed you here.” The elderly Italian man wearing his bright red priest robes stood and walked over to you. 

“Me too.” You agreed despite, as well as the current situation that had reared it’s ugly head. He came close to hug you tightly, like a father missing his daughter. “I’m sorry for not staying in contact as much and for making you worry.” You said to the head of the Holy Order. 

“I knew you would be alright, Paressa. But you never know what could happen in these troubling times.” He said as he let you go. “I trust your time in America was a pleasant experience, since you spent so much time there after you left to travel the world. I didn’t think you would answer my call. I was worried after you had not written back to us in a while. Thought that the hideous creatures in America would have gotten to you by now. I am thankful to God that is not the case.” He answered with a hint of worry in his tone as he inquired you of the years you had spent in the states. You were originally from France and had been safeguarded at eleven by a secret organization call The Knights of the Holy Order. Like hunters, The Order’s goal is to protect humanity from the monstrous creatures that have plagued the earth since their very existence. The Holy order were the ones that trained you as a hunter. You had never told a soul of where you were trained, not even the Winchesters. Wanting to keep the Order a secret, even from other hunters.

“I wish I could say that, but…” you trailed off before you noticed Father Cardinal looking at you with extreme curiosity, like he was analyzing you. 

 “I can see that your accent is gone. I noticed when I first heard you spoke on the phone. Has your time in the States changed you that much?” He stopped you from speaking as he noticed that your original accent had faded over the years. When you were seven years old, you lived in a government orphanage in France, where your experience there were anything but pleasant. Your parents were killed at a young age and were sent to Paris when you lost them. Throughout your time there, you were abused and neglected. You would get into fights with the staff, fighting off any adults that tried to touch you or any of the other kids. You were ultimately kicked out by the cruel, horrible woman that ran the place when you were only ten.

 You nearly starved to death if Cardinal Jinette hadn’t found you. 

  You were trying to take food from him and had to fight off a couple of his bodyguards. Instead of turning you over to the police, he brought you to Italy and raised you like you were his own. He feed you, clothed you, educated you, and cared for you like your own parents had. When the time came to train you as a hunter, he noticed the fierce aggression that sparked in you. Aggressive, but also had a very strong spirit. It is why he called you Perassa, the Italian word for Sparrow. 

“I suppose I have. I was spending so much time there that I hardly even noticed.” You looked down, your eyebrows furrowed, and your lips curved downward into a frown. Have you changed that much since you were gone?

“We will talk more of your adventures later, Paressa. Now. We must get straight to the unpleasantries. You understand why I summoned you back?” He asked looking down at you with his arms folded into his back.

“Yes, I do.” You replied straightening your back and your chest moved as you huffed, knowing very well of whom he was talking about. 

Gabriel Van Helsing.

   The Orders most talented, and yet notorious, hunter. No one knew where he came from or where he acquired the skills of a master hunter. He was found once crawling at the steps of the church half dead when they found him, with extreme memory loss. It was before you came to the Vatican City as a child. When coming of age, he foresaw your training and taught you everything you know. You were very close for years before deciding to off on your own. However, when you left for the states, you stopped having as much contact with him. The reason? Let’s just say you both were not on good terms when you left. Over something that you did and placed you in a situation that tore the both of you apart. Seven years had gone by since that day that you had stopped talking to him. You often wondered if he had forgiven you. 

“Where was Van Helsing when he went missing?” You asked the head priest in a cool tone, not wanting to reveal any emotion. You even said his surname instead of his first, something you didn’t do very often.

“He went to the far east when he was taken.” Cardinal Jinette began walking around his desk, planting himself in his beautifully crafted chair. His eyes turned from you to the papers that laid on his desk.

“Taken? You said he was just missing. You never said anything about him being taken.” Your voice became more forceful, and your eyebrows furrowed. Anger was starting to bubble to the surface. 

“Calm down, Paressa. I too thought he was just missing when I called you. I didn’t not intend to lie to you when you came here searching for answers.” He hushed his voice, singaling you to take a few deep breaths. Taking a deep breath, you relaxed your body and made your shoulders. 

“Sorry, father.” You softly uttered. “I am just worried about him is all.” He nodded as he looked through the papers some more. “Do you know where he was taken?”

 “He called to tell us he was in the far side of Romania.” He stated as he was looking through the documents.

“Why would he go there?” You queried to get the information on where your lost former friend.

“He was hunting down Count Dracula.” Jinette answered, as the whole became engrossed in this dark aura. You said nothing for some time as shock consumed every thought going in your head.

“Dra-Dracula? As in, the count Dracula?” You stammered as Cardinal tuned to you with a nod and a serious and stern expression on his aged features. “No-there is no way. He’s a myth. He is nothing more than a piece of fiction some ignorant Irishman had cropped up from his own imagination.” You denied, not wanting to believe that the most famous of all vampires was indeed real and wreaking havoc on the earth.

“Piccilo Paressa, you of all should know of both the wonders and horrors of God’s green earth. I can assure you…that he is no myth.” He said as he pulled out a piece of parchments from his hand, making you squint.

“What is that?” You asked looking at the contents in Father Jinette’s hand.

“A letter. Written in blood. Human blood to be more precise. It just arrived just an hour before your plane had gotten in.” He disclosed to you as he handed you the old, fragile parchment paper. You began to read, your eyes scanning every line, filling you with much dread and fear.

You shook as you looked down at the letter repeatedly. Your eyes could not peel away from the scarlet writings that sent a chill down your spine. He’s real. Count Dracula was real, and he had your friend. He had Gabriel and apparently, he is holding him ransom. Cardinal Jinette looked at you as his concern for you, his ward,  grew while you stared at the letter. Your skin went pale after reading the contents of the short, yet terrifying note given to the Order.

“(Name), are you alright?” He asked, saying your real name. You looked back at him, finally taking your eyes off the thick paper. 

“I-I am. Just shocked is all.” You shuttered a little, your body still shaking from the news you just received. “He said in the note that you had something. Something of great value and he is willing to keep Gabriel alive to get it, and he knows you have it. What is it?” You queried and Father Jinette looked down to the floor, not saying a word as he got up. His aged face was stoic as he looked at you with his dark brown eyes. 

“Follow me.” 

Chapter 3

thank you all for reading!

please like, share and comment and hopefully will be back with another chapter next week!

[usafphantom2]

In 1973, the SR 71 Crewmembers and flew dangerous and complicated missions over Israel and Egypt during the Yom Kippur war. (Colonel Jim Sheldon he will be at Mobile, Alabama next weekend. You could meet him in person.) one of the SR 71 pilots and family friend of the Sheffield‘s sent me his own recollections of that dangerous time, so similar to today.

Upon arrival at Mildenhall to set up recovery operations, Colonel Patrick Halloran, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing Commander, was informed that the British Government was having second thoughts about allowing the SR-71 to land in England. They could not land at Mildenhall.

On Oct. 13 Oct, 1973, Pilot Jim Shelton and RSO Gary Coleman in SR-71 Blackbird #979, departed Griffiss AFB, NY on the first of a series of flights to the Middle East. After 11.13 hours of flight time involving 6 refuelings and more than five hours of flight above Mach 3.0, Jim Shelton landed #979 back at Griffiss. The “Photo Take” was highly successful and provided Defense Analysts and the President of the United States with information about the actual Syrian military situation.

The Yom Kippur War SR-71 operation provided a series of 11.4 hour round-robin sorties to the Middle East. Plans were originally made to fly these flights from Beale AFB to the Middle East and recover at Mildenhall, United Kingdom. Upon arrival at Mildenhall to set up recovery operations, Colonel Patrick Halloran, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing Commander, was informed that the British Government was having second thoughts about allowing the SR-71 to land in England. Great Britain head denied us access to Mildenhall

During the “Yom Kippur” war in 1973, the SR 71 #979 flew directly into a war zone. Jim Shelton recalls “Once we reached the Nile River, we were at Mach 3.15, the Egyptian SAM sites started tracking us for a short distance. I also saw some aircraft condensation trails far below but lost them and the tracking just before it was time to make my 270-degree right turn around Cairo. When I straightened out, the SAM site started tracking us again, and as I headed N.E., I saw more contrails below me. I don’t know if they were Egyptian or Israel or BOTH.”

LTC. Gary Coleman (my RSO) and I (LTC James Shelton) were in the Standardization Office at Beale AFB, CA (we were the senior crew) and received a phone call from Col. Pat Halloran (the wing commander) to come to his office. When we arrived there he said, we were selected for a very important mission. Our State Department needed to know how the Yom Kippur War was going. We could not move a Spy Satellite out of the Russian orbit to cover the War area, so the SR-71 got the call.

The next day I went into operation and found out the reason the mission was canceled, was that when Col. Halloran and the maintenance recovery team landed at Mildenhall AB the British said, “the SR-71 could not land there, because they relied on Middle East Oil that they wanted no part in helping us with the mission”. I was told that we would fly to Griffiss AFB that evening and would fly our mission out of Griffiss and return to Griffiss. Now instead of an 8 ½ hour mission to just went to 11 hours.

Once we reached the river we were at Mach 3.15, the Egyptian SAM sites started tracking us for a short distance. I also saw some aircraft condensation trails far below but lost them and the tracking just before it was time to make my 270 degrees right turn around Cairo, when I straighten out the SAM site started tracking us again and as I headed N.E., I saw more contrails below me. I don’t know if they were Egyptian or Israel.) Needless to say Gary and I were tired when we landed but adrenalin keep us going during the mission and it took me a while to unwind before I could take a nap. Within 4 days Admiral Moore (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) invited Gary and me to the Pentagon to say, “Thank you for a job well done”. Written by .Jim Shelton & Linda Sheffield

@Habubrats71 via X

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor’s Snowy Date (Eng Translation)

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 漫雪之约, that is yet to be released in the global server! ♡

It’s very, very important to read the birthday story first: Here

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Prologue] ✧

MC: “On the 13th, from 9 am - 11 am, there’s a multinational video conference; from 12 pm - 1:30 pm, there’s LFG executive luncheon;”

MC: “From 3 pm - 8 pm, there’s a shareholders’ general meeting, with two hours of additional time considering flexibility for maneuvering... at 10 pm, heading to the airport...”

MC: Why is this person’s schedule so packed on his birthday too!

Looking at Victor’s itinerary for the 13th sent by Goldman, I flop down on the hotel bed and release a sigh, feeling a slight headache.

Under such a heavy workload, there’s really no room for celebration on that day.

It’s clearly not at all practical to change the already fixed arrangements. Could it be that postponing the celebration is the only possibility? But the birthday surprise will lose its meaning if it’s delayed...

I purse my lips as I ponder, unwilling to resign myself. At this moment, my phone screen suddenly lights up, and the APP automatically displays the weather conditions for the coming week in Loveland City.

I casually click on the screen, and my eyes suddenly freeze on the forecast for January 13.

MC: “The temperature will plummet below 0 degrees Celsius on the 13th due to cold air, accompanied by moderate to heavy snowfall;”

MC: “It’s expected to have an impact on transportation, and the city residents are advised to make rational travel arrangements...”

I avert my gaze thoughtfully, something suddenly stirring in my mind.

Airplanes have too many requirements on the runway for taking off... if it snows too much on that day, there won’t be enough time to clear up the airport, and flights to the neighboring cities may be delayed or even canceled.

But Victor will definitely not delay the trip… if this happens, perhaps using a private jet will secure the travel. Then, wouldn’t it be possible to celebrate his birthday on the plane?

My heartbeat suddenly accelerates a little. But just to be on the safe side, I’m still going to prepare an alternative plan to celebrate his birthday in a commercial vehicle or lounge.

Immediately afterwards, I contact the manager of a store I’m well acquainted with and ask her to help me prepare some decoration items. It’s only the location that is yet to be decided at the moment.

Just at this moment, Victor suddenly calls. I pick it up in a hurry, hearing his familiar voice on the other end of the line.

Victor (on the call): Are you at the hotel?

MC: Mm, sat down just a while ago. You actually called just at the right time. I’m gonna be off to a meeting in about ten minutes~

Victor (on the call): Why is your schedule so tight?

MC: …look at a certain workaholic having the nerve to say that about me.

A thought suddenly crosses my mind as I mutter, and I open my mouth in dead seriousness.

MC: Having said that, my schedule is completely packed on the 13th as well. CEO Victor, you must have had mental expectations.

Victor (on the call): Mm, I see.

Victor (on the call): Concentrate on preparing for the meeting for now. We’ll talk later tonight.

Victor replies in a calm voice, seemingly not perceiving that I have some other plans.

After hanging up the phone, I take another look at the itinerary for the 13th and secretly clench my fists.

For his birthday this year, I must give him a surprise like he’s never known before.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 1] ✧

“The plane has landed at the Loveland Airport. The ground temperature is minus two degrees Celsius…”

The winter sun hangs low in the sky. Even at midday, it’s gloomy. I withdraw my gaze from the porthole, impatiently turning off airplane mode.

As soon as the signal is restored, two push notifications pop up one after another.

My eyes skim over the blizzard warning. I dart out of the cabin at lightning speed and dial Victor’s number.

Very soon, the familiar voice transmits from the other end.

Victor (on the call): I remember a certain someone mentioning before that her today’s schedule is completely packed too.

Victor (on the call): Calling me now… did you finish your work ahead of time?

MC: It’s still a long way off.

I walk out of the airport, “lamenting” in a heavy tone.

MC: Although the meeting is over, there are still a lot of materials that need tidying up, and a follow-up connection with the meeting attendees needs to be made.

MC: What about you? Are you done with the shareholder’s general meeting?

Victor (on the call): Mm, the meeting is scheduled for the afternoon. So, I can still skim over the reports a few more times.

MC: Why is your schedule so tight…

Victor (on the call): This time, it involves the financial budget, and all the important shareholders of LFG are present. And to add on, since the Chinese New Year is approaching early this year, time is very compressed.

I sigh silently as I can almost imagine the scenario of him working all night long.

With the way he’s been busy, he must not have the mind to care about his birthday again.

I clear my throat and open my mouth in a melancholic tone.

MC: Sounds like you don’t have much time today… ugh, I can’t rush back to Loveland City either.

MC: But LFG’s tomorrow’s sum up meeting related to the Film and TV sector will be in the neighboring city. I remember you said that you would also be there?

MC: How about we postpone the birthday celebration until tomorrow~

The sound of tapping the keyboard on the other end of the phone hollows out for a bit.

Victor (on the call): [laughs softly]  Sure, I don’t mind.

MC: In that case, CEO Victor will have to feel wronged for a day~

I stifle my laughter and accelerate my pace. As I walk out of the passage, I see an unexpected person greeting me.

Goldman: MC, over here!

I’m frozen to the spot, watching as Goldman takes my luggage.

Goldman: The CEO sent me to pick you up after you land. Do you want to go back home or straight to the meeting venue?

Victor’s well-timed teasing also comes from the other end of the phone.

Victor (on the call): I thought you said you won’t be able to rush back to Loveland City? It seems that Goldman needs to check if he has picked up the wrong person.

The surprise has been crushed just like that. I mouth “wait for me” to Goldman and can’t help but make a soft “humph” into the phone.

MC: Since when have you become a prophet? Not only did you know that I was coming back, but you also even guessed the time of landing?

Victor (on the call):  There was only one flight from your meeting place to Loveland City today. It would’ve been hard to make a wrong guess.

MC: My schedule is very packed. CEO Victor, weren’t you afraid that you might come away empty-handed?

Victor (on the call): There will be no such possibility.

Victor (on the call): After all, a certain someone and I know each other well enough. No matter how tight the schedule is, you will come to me today.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 2] ✧

The car comes to a slow stop in front of the building. Through the winding corridor, Goldman leads me to stand in front of the lounge door.

I push open the door, and the figure behind the office desk enters my line of sight.

Victor is pondering something while looking at the computer. When he sees me, his originally cold expression softens a little.

Victor: You got here a little later than I expected.

I hold back my elation and walk to the back of his chair. Concerned that Goldman is still here, I simply place my arms on his shoulders in a reserved manner.

MC: There was a bit of traffic on the road. But I’ve rushed here at the fastest speed I could~

Victor sweeps a glance at the doorway out of the corner of his eye, teasing in a voice only I can hear.

Victor: Sophistry.

Goldman: By the way, CEO, there’s been a minor mishap. Due to the weather conditions, your and MC’s flight to the neighboring city tonight has been canceled.

Victor: Then switch to an airline that will fly. And if anything doesn’t work out, you know how to deal with that.

There’s not a hint of added discomposure in Victor’s tone. The ongoing rush of these days doesn’t seem to have affected him in the slightest, and he continues to control everything calmly as before.

Goldman nods and leaves quickly, leaving only the two of us in the lounge.

I reach out and wrap my arms around Victor. Encircled by the reassuring scent lingering around me, my fatigue seems to dissipate a little. I release a contented sigh.

MC: How come getting to see you is like having my power recharged, and I don’t feel tired anymore~

Victor: Only a dummy can be so easily satisfied.

I indolently nuzzle against his neck. The room lapses into silence. The fluttering snowflakes pelt onto the glass, and the lounge is as quiet as if cut off from the rest of the world.

MC: It’s only been a little while, and it’s already snowing so hard…

I don’t hear any reply coming to my ears and only feel the familiar warmth traveling through the palm of his hands.

I incline my head and see that Victor’s also been following my gaze just now, looking at the view outside the window.

Only at this moment do his eyes reveal a barely visible hint of fatigue. But lasts only for a moment before the previous serenity is reinstated within them.

Victor: …indeed. But it won’t affect tonight’s schedule.

Victor says as he proceeds to turn his gaze at the computer again. I subconsciously cup his cheeks, preventing his motion.

Victor: …

Victor doesn’t stop me, bowing his head slightly in response as I stroke the bridge of his nose.

He lets me take off his glasses, and the deep color of his eyes crashes into mine without the slightest obstruction.

Victor: What do you want to do again?

I stretch out my index finger and knead the center of his forehead.

MC: Why are you in a hurry to work just after we saw each other? Aren’t you gonna ask me about how I slept these few days and if my appetite has been fine?

Victor: We don’t need to do that.

Victor: During the business trip, a certain someone’s calls never stopped.

Victor captures my rebelling finger, and I seize the opportunity to grab his hand, speaking with a little more seriousness.

MC: Victor, I know this meeting is very important, but you need to give yourself room for breathing.

MC: There’s less than an hour before you need to leave, so stop working now. Let’s go out and relax a bit.

Victor: I don’t feel tired.

MC: Duplicitous.

I imitate his tone, pointing at the faint blackish color under his eyes.

We can hear the soft sound of fluttering snow coming from the French windows. Victor and I remain in an eye-locking stalemate for a while before he lets out a soft sigh.

Victor: …then accompany me in walking in the vicinity of this place.

Victor: It’s about time, so we’ll go straight to the meeting place later.

—

The elevator doors gently slide open, and the view of an expansive viewing terrace jumps into our line of sight.

Holding hands, we pause to look at the endless snowy landscape outside the window. I purse my lips in a good mood and hear Victor speaking.

Victor: What’s with the silly smile?

MC: I was thinking about the New Year’s after meeting you again. It was snowing heavily that day too.

MC: I was stranded at the airport. But unexpectedly, you showed up out of the blue and took me to meet uncle and the others.

Victor: [adorable teasing imitation]  Uncle? I remember that back then, a certain someone called out “dad” straight away.

MC: ...I was just too nervous at the time!

–

[Tidbits]: It’s a reference to Victor’s “New Year’s Date” in EN, where MC calls Victor’s father “dad” during her first visit to his father’s place~ 🫠

–

Looking at the tips of my ears that have fiercely turned red, Victor chuckles softly, and his expression softens a little.

Victor: It’s been a long time since we’ve seen them. After this busy spell, let’s find some time to go back.

—

Suddenly, we hear a faint clamor coming from ahead. Without even realizing it, we’ve arrived near the venue.

The staff member at the check-in desk is sorting out the gift bags. They get up in astonishment when they see us, but Victor stops them.

Victor: Pay no mind. We’re just walking around.

After a moment’s hesitation, the staff member nods and hands over a gift box.

Staff Member: It’s a gift for each of the guests. Please take it.

I take it, only to find that in addition to the accompanying gift, there’s also a rather substantial booklet inside.

I hold Victor’s hand and flip through it as we walk.

MC: “Compared with the corresponding time period last year, the profits in the media sector have increased by 18.3%. Among these, the European regions have increased by 11.3%...”

I let out a soft “wow,” poking Victor.

MC: Shouldn’t it be said that it’s as expected of CEO Victor? The media in Europe is already a highly competitive market, and you’re still maintaining such a high growth rate!

Victor: Competition is fierce only in relative terms.

Victor: If you can control the marketplace trends one step ahead of your competitors, you will always get room to expand.

Victor says, looking at me meaningfully.

Victor: But this achievement also includes a certain someone’s contributions.

I’m slightly stumped for words, recalling the trips back and forth to Europe I’ve made this year, and all the big and small projects I’ve captured.

Indeed. I’m no longer craning my head to look from the sidelines as I used to before. Now, I’m also a part of this glory.

–

[Tidbits]: The crucial call-back here is Victor’s 5th birthday date, where Victor and MC sign a new 5-year contract with the goal of MC’s company monopolizing all media sectors under LFG — the purpose is to integrate their lives even more and build their future together (and it will be referenced later too). There are several follow-up date call-backs here e.g., Lingering Date, Harvest Date, Investment Date, Trend Date, etc. 🥺❤️

–

I blink, reaching out to Victor.

MC: Shouldn’t CEO Victor give me a treat, then?

Victor: In terms of personal rewards, I never seem to have turned down your “whimsical” requests.

Victor: However, if you are referring to the expansion of investment, it will depend on [MC’s Company Name]’s financial report.

MC: You really don’t leave one loose thread...

??: CEO Victor?

An unfamiliar male voice suddenly rings out from behind us. I turn around and see a man about the same age as Victor approaching hesitantly.

Victor locks eyes with him for a moment, then nods politely.

Victor: It’s been a long time.

??: Indeed, we haven’t had a face-to-face meeting since graduation. If it weren’t for the business here today, I probably wouldn’t have run into you.

The man surveys the gigantic venue, his expression turning more emotional.

??: I didn’t expect that LFG would be able to reach the scale it has today... back then, if only I had been–– let’s not bring that up now. Regardless of what happened, I did learn a lot from you.

??: I owe you a thank you... and, I’m sorry.

Victor takes a pause, his voice as serene as always.

Victor: Me too.

Victor: Regardless of what the conclusion was, thank you for your efforts in the first place.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 3] ✧

This person seems to be a former acquaintance of Victor, and has some sort of relationship with LFG?

As I’m puzzling over this, a staff member comes over to give a reminder.

Staff Member: The meeting will start shortly. It would be best if you went backstage.

Victor nods and bids farewell to the other party. Then, he leads me into the backstage area.

The bright horizon dims down. Conversations can be heard coming through the heavy curtain, interspersed with the sound of footsteps.

Knowing that now is not the right time to ask, I hold back my curiosity and watch as the staff member helps him set up his equipment for the stage.

Victor’s eyes interlock with mine. As he straightens his outfit, he suddenly opens his mouth.

Victor: I’ll adjust the rest by myself. You guys go and prepare the other things first.

After it’s only the two of us, Victor shoots me a glance.

Victor: Ask whatever you want to ask.

I cough and step forward to fix his tie.

MC: Who was that person just now? You guys seem to have known each other for a long time.

Victor: He was one of the co-founders of LFG previously.

Victor: LFG went through a challenging period shortly after it entered the market. At that time, he called it quits with several other people and started his own business.

MC: ...and then?

Victor: I don’t know. There are other things more deserving of attention than the trend of those people.

Victor: Whether it was a smooth road or a bumpy one, it was his own choice. There’s nothing to be concerned about.

MC: Isn’t that betrayal? And you were still so calm when talking to him...

MC: If it were me, I definitely would have had a few words of doctrine with him.

Victor: [sighs helplessly]  It’s unnecessary. Regardless of whether it’s people or capital, both spontaneously pursue profits.

Victor: Given the situation of LFG at the time, he felt it was reasonable to assume that there was no future.

Victor: This is the way business has always been. A one-time partnership does not mean it will last a long time in the future.

Victor: Instead of pinning your hopes in others, you need to improve your ability to withstand risks.

Victor straightens his cuffs, seemingly not taking this incident to heart. I, however, can’t help but clench my palms.

Whether now or in the past, life never seems to give him the gap to relax.

He always has to deal with everything in front of him with an ironclad attitude.

Staff Member: CEO Victor, we are expecting you on the stage in five minutes. Please be prepared.

The sound of urging in a low voice comes from behind the curtain, and through a gap in the corner, we can vaguely see that the venue is completely packed.

The bright lights sneak into the backstage area, and I suddenly notice that a few strands of Victor’s hair are slightly disheveled.

I purse my lips, lifting my hand subconsciously.

MC: Your hair has gotten messed up… let me fix it for you.

Victor leans down slightly towards me, one hand naturally resting on my waist.

Along with our distance quietly drawing closer, I can almost see myself in his eyes.

I hold my breath and brush a few stands of hair from the top of his head.

The touch on my fingertips is delicate and soft. I slightly zone out, thinking about how I’ve heard before that people with delicate and soft hair are mostly gentle in temperament.

But this doesn’t seem to apply to Victor.

Except when he is in front of me, he spends the majority of his time with a taut and calm attitude, confronting the vast complications of everything.

MC: …Victor.

Victor: What’s wrong?

I exhale softly, speaking one word at a time.

MC: The longer I’m around you, the more I see of you… my pursuit, too, seems to have changed.

MC: Before, I just wanted to walk towards you resolutely. But now, I hope my speed can be a little faster too.

MC: It’s only when I arrive at your side that I can truly share your responsibilities and face everything together with you.

MC: It seems that at some point along the way, you have become part of my dream.

I speak as I tightly clench the corner of his suit.

MC: Don’t worry, Victor. I’ll stand by your side and share your burdens.

MC: So, wait for me just a little longer.

The hand around my waist suddenly tightens.

Victor rests his head on the crook of my neck, exhaling slightly. It’s akin to a sigh of relief, carrying with it a hint of satisfaction.

Victor: You don’t need to say it. I am waiting for you to catch up.

Victor: I never doubted that you could stand shoulder to shoulder with me. All you need is a little time, that’s all. There’s no need to be anxious.

Victor: This pressure right now is not enough to wear me down. And what’s more, a certain someone can bring me more strength beyond your imagination.

Victor: Even a hug like this–– it’s enough.

I can’t help but curl the corners of my lips.

MC: Didn’t CEO Victor call me a dummy when I used this method to “recharge” before?

Victor: Even if you are a dummy, your train of thought has the value to be drawn lessons from. At least, one can be cheered up like this, and it’s very effective.

Along with the sound of his words, a reminder to go on the stage comes from the other side of the curtain. I loosen my arms and straighten the collar of his shirt.

MC: You’ve worked very hard.

Victor softly plants a kiss on my cheek and straightens up immediately.

Victor: Just look at me like this, and don’t avert your gaze.

—

Victor: LFG’s investments in the coming year will mainly be stable as it was. However, in the science, technology, and innovation sector, the scale of investments will be magnified moderately.

Victor: LFG has already selected some enterprises for inspection, and the next step will be to begin the evaluation…

Business layout, financial budget… Victor’s calm voice echoes in the gigantic conference venue.

Victor’s gaze sweeps over the applauding looks of the shareholders, gliding towards the staff members in the corner. His gaze finally rests on the face of the girl behind the curtain, locking eyes with her for a moment.

His voice takes a pause, bringing this report to a conclusion.

Victor: …and thanks to those who have been standing guard and providing strength.

Victor: One can change society with their values–– it’s precisely why LFG has been able to hold fast to its roots and has never changed.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 4] ✧

After a long, long period of applause, Victor returns to the backstage area and pokes the center of my forehead with some amusement.

Victor: What are you in a daze for? It’s time to leave for the airport.

—

I quickly follow him out of the venue. As soon as we get in the car, I clear my throat.

MC: “One can change society with their values...” Victor, you were really handsome when you gave your speech just now!

MC: I didn’t realize LFG’s plans are so ambitious. I cannot be happy with my status quo.

Victor: You’ve done a great job.

Victor: Last year, I mentioned in my plan that I hope that [MC’s Company Name] can monopolize all the Film and TV industry-related sectors under LFG in the next five years.

Victor: It’s only been a year now, and [MC’s Company Name] has already seized a significant amount of business.

MC: But compared with LFG’s speed, it’s nowhere close.

Victor: It took LFG eight years to grow to its current scale. It’d be rather too ambitious if a certain someone wants to achieve the same accomplishments at this moment.

Victor: There is no need to rush. There’s still plenty of time for you to catch up.

Victor says, then shoots me a nonchalant glance.

Victor: Work is already done. You can now reveal the surprise you have prepared.

The private ramp outside the car window is gradually becoming clear. I withdraw my gaze and open my mouth in a feigned awkward tone.

MC: CEO Victor, have you thought about what will you do if your expectations come to nothing in the end?

MC: After all, time is very tight today, and you don’t even care about your own birthday.

Victor: There will be no such possibility.

Victor: I pay no mind because I know that you will have your heart set on it, along with my part.

His voice is laced with certainty. It’s as though he never once wavered regarding the heart he is holding in his palm. I can’t help but chuckle softly too.

MC: Yes, there is a surprise. But now is not the time to disclose it yet. Let’s set off first~

—

I drag Victor through the car door. Amid the light and shadow of the lights on the ground, the aircraft slowly lands on the ramp.

Victor steps up the flight of steps, glancing at me with a pensive look.

Victor: It seems you left the surprise for after we land.

MC: Maybe~ Anything is possible until it’s revealed.

Victor helplessly steps into the cabin, raising his hand to lift a corner of the cabin’s curtain.

—

In the next second, the bright lights reflect the whole arrangement, suddenly projecting into his eyes.

The quietly blooming bouquets, the fluttering ribbons in all directions... together, they have been decorated into an intimate and warm ceremony.

Victor: ...

As I watch him being rooted to the spot with a slightly dazed expression, I can’t help but feel a little prouder of myself.

MC: I knew you’d travel by private jet in this weather. So, I came here to arrange everything as soon as I got off the plane~

Victor parts his lips, a few hints of astonishment flashing through his eyes.

But even when I press him down in his seat, he still doesn’t say anything, his gaze simply roaming around the cabin over and over again.

Looking at his rarely seen dazed state, I can’t resist poking him.

MC: Why are you so surprised? Is it that CEO Victor couldn’t anticipate what I would prepare?

Victor: ...I did think about it.

Victor: Such as, perhaps a certain someone would somehow conjure up a cake at an untold moment and hand it to me; or perhaps she would arrange a little delayed ceremony at the hotel after landing.

I let out an “oh,” dragging out my voice with a touch of teasing.

MC: It turns out that despite having such a busy day today, you’ve still been looking forward to what I would do.

Victor picks up a strand of my hair, twirling it gently with his finger.

Victor: Because the only thing you care about is whether or not I’m happy today.

Victor: Most of the birthday wishes I’ve received changed over time.

Victor: At first, it was expectations for growing up. Later, the wishes were related to studies… and now, the blessings have all become related to career development.

Victor: But from beginning to end, a certain dummy only wishes for me to be happy on this day.

Victor: I can’t help but care for such a simple and sincere heart.

Victor looks behind me once again as he speaks.

Victor: I didn’t expect you to prepare these on the plane so as not to miss the time.

MC: It’s your birthday surprise, and I certainly won’t allow it to be late~

Victor: What would you have done if the weather was fine today?

MC: Make a separate arrangement! There’s always room for preparing surprises.

As the plane gradually flies into the night sky, the lights also become dim. 

I lift up the cake box, my tone carrying with it a certain solemnity as I speak.

MC: To be honest, I sometimes feel like our lives are always packed with many things.

MC: Meetings, business trips… each of these entails heavy responsibilities from which there is no escape––

MC: Of course, neither of us intends to escape either.

I smile, softening my voice.

MC: It seems to be slowly becoming the norm, and from the norm to habit.

MC: We will receive phone calls when we are traveling, and we also have to keep an eye out for emails when we are at home.

MC: I understand that this is the price of moving forward, so I can give in… but your birthday is different.

MC: I don’t want the beautiful things to arrive late in your life, not even for a moment.

I light the candles as I speak and bring the cake in front of Victor.

MC: Even if the time is short, I will bring the best of everything to you.

There seem to be certain emotions surging in Victor’s eyes, and after a moment, he lowers his eyes.

Victor: I’ve spent quite a few birthdays busy with work. But this is the first time it has been done with such solemnity.

Victor: I’m not the only one who has condensed his blood and sweat to bring LFG to today’s stage. In the face of such a huge responsibility, it seemed that I could only compromise personal matters.

Victor: It has never been a problem before. But now…

He pauses before speaking again.

Victor: …I have become a certain someone’s who wouldn’t put up with that.

Victor: Whenever I think that I’ve seen your entire heart, you always tell me that I can go even one step further.

–

[Tidbits]: It’s a reference to the 5th birthday date too~

–

I chuckle softly, imitating his tone.

MC: That’s because a certain someone’s very existence is worth the most beautiful of everything in the world.

MC: I’m merely helping you to grab hold of the happiness that is rightfully yours in your hands.

The candle flames flicker silently. Although feeble, this is enough to illuminate the tiny gap between us, allowing me to clearly see the softness in his eyes.

I look at the starry sky outside the window and speak earnestly.

MC: It’s said that the higher you fly, the closer you are to the gods.

MC: We are now several thousand meters up in the air. The god who is in charge of your wishes must be able to hear you clearly.

MC: Victor, happy birthday.

MC: This year, you need to be extraordinarily serious about your wish.

Victor gazes into my eyes, then suddenly lifts his hand and pulls me into his arms. His warm palm covers mine, and he encloses them gently.

Victor: Then listen a little more clearly.

Victor: Until the end of our time, never let go of my hand.

—

[Anika’s incoherent ramblings, feel free to ignore ahah]

—

[weirdo09]

mi amante

a byler 90’s au fic(might make this a series)

moving away from chile really hurt will but he knew that they needed to move with the military fallen and the country in shambles, desperately needing stability. kind of like will at this moment but the maldonados were already on the plane to hawkins, indiana. just because he knew why didn’t mean he liked it all the same. to be truthful, will thought that the move was mierda(bullshit) but he wouldn’t say that in front of his mom, the one who was struggling the most. she’d just divorced with jonathan and will’s father, leonardo ‘lonnie’. will was glad that the piece of shit was out of their lives but he would still miss his home which was forever chile.

after a 13+ hour flight, they landed in indianapolis. then after a 5 hour drive, they finally arrive in hawkins. it was a small house but it had character or at least that’s what joyce said. it was better than their tiny apartment in the outskirts of santiago. first look around the house, will would say that it’s cozy, maybe even livable if you got rid of all the boxes full of things. they brought a few things from chile like photo albums, joyce’s record player and so on. will headed to his new room and sat down on his bed, there he thought that he should give america a try.

first off, will woke up with the most excruciating headache then, he tripped and fell in the shower. “mierda!”(fuck!) will exclaimed roughly . jonathan knocked on the door, “ciuda esa boquita!” (watch your language!) he called before going in the kitchen, will huffed. after quickly changing, he rushed into the kitchen to get some breakfast. jonathan was just finished making empanadas de pino, will could smell it from a mile away. he grabbed one and took a bite, “veo que alguien tiene hambre.”(i see someone’s hungry) jonathan said chuckling, will rolled his eyes. joyce popped into the kitchen due to the smells coming from there.

“hola cariño, listo para tu primer día?” (hi, baby, ready for your first day?)joyce asked will, fluffing his hair. will groaned in protest but smiled. “hola, ma, sí.”(hi, mom, yes) will replied, taking another bite of his empanada de pino. joyce played a record of paty maldonado then she gave her youngest son a tender look, “aww, mi bébé ya esta tan grande!”(aww, my baby’s all grown up!) joyce gushed, pinching will’s cheeks. will yelped “mamá! me tengo que ir!”(mom, i have to go!) joyce stopped pinching his cheeks,”oh, ok, ten un buen día!”(oh ok, have a good day!) she called as will made his way to the door. “ok, mamá.”(alright, mom) will said before waving his family goodbye. “te amo, cariño!”(i love you, baby!)joyce said before will closed the door.

like most american high schoolers, will had a car to drive to school. though, the other teens were probably more up to date, will’s was a 70’s chilean beaumont but he loved it nonetheless. it was a gift for his 16th birthday, jonathan and joyce were secretly saving for another car just for him and will has forever grateful. as will drove, he took a look at the scenery hawkins had to offer. sure, it wasn’t as rich as santiago but it would have to be his home now. soon after, he made it to school, will took a breath. ‘aquí vamos.’(here we go) will thought as he got out his car and locked the doors. there at those blue doors he would see a bunch of students laughing and talking. sure, he knew few english but he certainly knew more than his family.

will decided to pass the hoards of people to his home room. he took a glance at the paper he got in the mail. ‘señora jackson?’ will thought as he scoured the halls for her room. one person who caught his glance was mike wheeler, resident of hawkins since he was born. at first glance, mike could’ve swore that he’d seen the shorter boy somewhere before but soon couldn’t remember where. whatever force pushing him towards the boy must’ve been invisible because when mike looked, he saw no one behind him. he then looked at will, who was giving him an annoyed glare. “uhm, do you need help?” mike asked, will nodded in fear of him saying something in spanish. mike looked for approval to see will’s sheet, will granted it. “oh, mrs. jackson? i have her too, i’ll take you there.” mike said with a small smile.

to be honest, will was intrigued by mike coming up to him but soon lost interest until he said that he’d lead him there. will was never one to automatically accept help but he thought that this kid could be useful so he followed him. a few minutes later, the two made it to mrs. jackson room with time to spare. “uhm, thank you.” will said softly, pronouncing each word carefully. mike smiled, ‘his accent’s cute.’ he thought. “your welcome, wanna sit together?” mike asked, will looked at him before slowly nodding. they picked seats in the third row, will took a seat first, placing his bag next to his chair. mike did the same, taking out his supplies. will took out his sketchbook to pass the time, mike peered over, catching a glance at some of will’s art.

will could feel mike staring at him and he would call him out but what the heck? some boy’s seemingly obsessed with him and he’ll let him. though that doesn’t make it any less annoying, it was like mike was staring holes into him. will huffed before closing his sketchbook and putting it back in his bag, replacing with his notebook. mike took that as a sign to stop staring at will, not that he could help it. it was just that will looked so…what’s the word? hot. mike’s always thought that he was the littlest bit queer but he’s never really explored it and has never really wanted to until will. he began to think a little bit more about will before mrs. jackson called for class to begin session.

after class, the two went their separate ways to their next class. however will’s class had to be one of the most boring classes, yet. so, he asked to go to the restroom to probably wander the halls til the end of class and actually use the restroom. then, will was off….to the restroom. unluckily, mike was on his way to the restroom as well and he was carrying a… spray can? besides that, will decided to follow him because why not? he sneaked behind mike and found him graffiting a stall very poorly. this was too sad to see so will called out, “you’re doing it wrong.” mike jumped and turned out,”oh, hey! uhm what’s your name?” mike asked, will have him a look, took the spray can and did some actually good graffiti.

‘damn, he’s good, really good.’ mike thought as he and will look at his handiwork. will have mike back his can and mike looked at him like he was the best thing in the world. will gave him a confused look when he looked a little too intensely at him. “my name’s will, by the way.” will said carefully, mike nodded, “mike, mike wheeler.” he said with a sheepish smile. “chao.”(goodbye) will said before leaving the restroom. “wait-.” mike began to say but will already left. “shit.” he cursed, touching his cheeks to find they were hot. will bursted in fits of laughter when he exited the restroom and he didn’t stop until he made it back to class. the teacher looked at will unamused as he walked in. “where were you? you were gone for 15 minutes.” the teacher asked. will just stared at him, “sorry, bad food.” he said with a smirk before sitting down at his desk.

some of the students laughed and the teacher just huffed. troy whispered to him, “hey, that was good. nobody stands up to mr. harvey. want be friends?” will rolled his eyes, “no thanks.” troy huffed in annoyance “do you know who i am?” he asked, will chuckled. “i don’t need to.” he said before turning around to face this mr. harvey. troy glared at will but then turned his attention to mr. harvey. the day went by smoothly after all that well until, mike and will bumped into each other quite literally. mike wasn’t watching where he was going and tripped, falling into will’s arms. he really wanted to curse out god at that but will didn’t show any discomfort, really he just looked unamused.

“oh, shit, sorry!” mike said before scrambling out of will’s grip. will just shrugged and began to walk again when mike stopped him, “uh, hey, i wanted to ask you something!” mike called out, making will turn to face him. “can i uh have your number?” mike asked sheepishly, will started laughing. “yeah sure, mino.”(handsome guy) will replied, mike didn’t really pick up the last part but didn’t complain. will took out a marker and wrote on mike’s skin his house number. he stuck his tongue out while doing so, mike was mesmerized. “ok, there.” will said after he finished, mike just stared at him in adoration. then he shook his hand to get out of his trance, “thank you.” mike said breathlessly, will nodded with a smirk before walking away. ‘god, he’s beautiful.’ mike thought before mentally facepalming himself.

at the end of the day, mike was mentally drained. he was dreading staying there any longer but he was also dreading going home. with nancy out to college, his parents seemed to forget him more than before, if that was even possible. at least, he still had holly to look forward to seeing at home. his baby sister was his joy, one of his first best friends besides lucas and dustin. funny enough, lucas was sitting next to him, probably writing down notes for basketball practice with dustin on his far left, doodling. they both despised mrs. smith, she was the rudest teacher yet and she gave the most homework. mike was looking at the clock, counting down the seconds when they’d be dismissed.

the bell rung and mike ran at the speed of light out the room, he was so fast mrs. smith didn’t even see him leave. mike looked at his arm, will’s number still there, signed will m. ‘wonder what the m stands for.’ mike thought as he exited out the school building. walking down to his car, he spotted will about to get into his. “hey, will!” mike exclaimed, walking over to will, he looked up and smiled at him. once mike was close enough, will hummed. “uhm, i just wanted to say bye.” mike said with a smile, will nodded. “bye, mike.” he said before getting in the driver’s seat and driving away. mike watched as he did, sighing. ‘what am i doing? i can’t seriously be into this guy.’ mike thought as he continued his walk to his car.

unfortunately, there would be a unappealing surprise awaiting him there, troy. mike stopped once he saw him, troy glanced at him and smirking maliciously. mike began to slowly walk over, “what do you want, troy?” he asked, troy dryly laughed. “do you know will maldonado?” troy asked, mike looked down ‘so that’s what the m stands for.’ he thought before answering troy. “yeah, so what?” troy took his hands out of his pockets and walked closer to him. once they were a few inches apart, troy said, “he denied my proposal.” mike cackled unexpectedly. “what? did you ask to marry him or something?” mike blurted out, still laughing. troy gave him a cold stare before saying, “no! i’m not a queer! i asked to be his friend.” he said, mike stopped laughing.

“ok but what does this have to do with me?” mike asked, about to push troy to the ground and get in his car. ‘why would his rude ass ask to be his friend? he’s mine after all.’ mike thought before then thinking, ‘wait stop, will’s not yours!’ troy huffed, “i thought he’d be useful to me, i guess not. so, i’m going to beat you up, maybe that’ll satisfy me.” troy said before getting in a stance. mike had two reactions to what troy said, run until you get home or try and fight him. luckily, will just happened to cruise by when he saw what was happening, troy threw the first punch at mike. he missed but will stomped on the brakes and got out. he walked over, mike glanced over at him and troy threw another punch…..but it didn’t land for will stopped it. mike opened his eyes to see will in front of him, giving troy a death stare.

troy stumbled before getting balanced again. “ah, if it isn’t will himself!” he exclaimed, rubbing his fist. will just stared, awaiting his next move. mike just stood frozen in terror, sure after all these years, troy still terrified him. troy threw a punch and will blocked it, also throwing a punch and landing it hard at troy’s nose. troy fell back at the force of it, hitting his head on the ground. will looked at his fist, wiping the blood off on his jeans. mike looked at the scene in front of him. will had just knocked out and broken the nose of his childhood tormentor, he slowly walked over to will before stopping a few inches. will turned around to face him, “thank you, will.” mike whispered, will just stared before he was thrown into a hug.

mike had wrapped his arms around will’s waist in a hug. will stood frozen, he’d never gotten hugs like this but it felt nice so, he leaned into it. “your welcome….mike.” will whispered back, slightly tightening his grip on mike. mike chuckled wetly, letting go of will and he did the same. “uh, we should probably go home.” mike stated, wiping his eyes with his right arm.(will’s number is on his left.) will looked down at his feet then looked up at mike, “yeah.” he said with a small smile. mike returned it then walked over to his car, “see you around?” mike asked, will nodded. he then walked over to his car, mike called to him “i’ll call you!” will smiled, saluting. they both went into their cars and drove away, leaving troy alone on the ground.

as will drove him, he replayed what he did in his mind. he had punched a random guy for another random guy well, not really he knew mike a little but certainly not enough to start a fight. then, that other said random guy hugged him and he started to feel something for him, not really sure what that something but it’s indeed something. god, why were feelings so hard? will didn’t know, really didn’t want to find out. he sighed and continued driving.

mike, on the other hand was in a spiral trying to figure out what happened. will fought a guy for him! for him of all people, it’s just shocking because he’s never had anybody to fight his own battles for him and mike’s not sure if that should be ego brushing or not. whatever, he still liked the guy, like really like liked. hell, he was smitten for him even though he would begrudgingly agree with it, he was down bad for will and he just wanted to know if will felt the same. mike sighed, focusing back on the road ahead, just a few short minutes til he’s home.

will finally arrived home. he got his bag and keys, locked the car doors and went inside. there he found his mom making churrasco, the smell practically hitting his nose also making him drool and remember he hasn’t eaten. will closed the door and floated to the kitchen. music filled his ears as he walked in, seeing his mom and brother dancing while the food was cooking. “hola, cariño como fue tu primer día?”(hey baby how was your first day?) joyce asked while still dancing.“estuvo bien, ma.” (it was ok, mom) will replied, joyce stopped dancing to hug her son. she gave him a tender kiss on the right cheek. “bueno, anda a ducharte y comemos.”(alright, go take a shower and get ready for dinner) joyce told will, fixing up his outfit. “ok, ma.” will said before vanishing to his room.

after the shower, will’s head felt clearer. he put on some pajamas and made his way to the table. the maldonados had a great time eating, laughing and chatting, just the three of them. after dinner, they danced and danced. about hour later, will headed to his room, he laid down on his bed thinking about what the next day will bring.

what’s for sure is that you won’t know until the next chapter, stay tuned. this was a joy to write and i’m sure the next will be just as great

tags list: @foodiewithdahoodie @aimz304 @unprofessionalprofessional @evil-gay-person @pimplepogue @xhavibee @eefonline @eggo-owl @verashalurks @finalgirlharrison @ronanticized @buckieduckie2 @yelenapines @finalgirlkaspbrak @hoteadepresso(idk, can i tag you? yk what it’s ok) @ohfallingdisco @delusional-dingus @thefruityfours @thegayupsidedown @willelfanpage @atbyler @she-wont-miss

[gkathleenk]

GUAM

DAY ONE

My flight from Minneapolis to A.B. Won Pat International Airport (located in Tamuning) in Guam was a long journey. My flight took off at 11:25AM, and it took 13 hours to get to my layover in Seoul. We got to Seoul at 3:20PM (their time), and I was in Seoul for 18 hours. My flight to Guam finally took off at 9:45AM the next day, and we arrived at 3:15PM. My ticket cost $1,675.

After landing at A.B. Won Pat Intl, I wanted to check in at my Airbnb located in Dededo, a city located outside Tamuning. I am staying in the Vibrant Mini House. The Airbnb has a 3 night minimum and the total overall for the 3 nights is $274. Guam is a US Territory, so they use the US Dollar as their currency.

The drive from the airport to my Airbnb was 14 minutes. The most common form of transportation is bus, even with locals, but I decided to drive because it was faster and easier. While in Dededo, I decided to stop and get some food. I chose to get Dish-N-That, which is an American-centered restaurant. Their main focus is Smash Burgers. I apparently didn't wear my glasses, so I could barely see the menu. I decided to get an appetizer of onion rings which were $4.30 and for my meal I got the Bacon Double Cheese Burger which was $11.30. I didn't have to tip for my meal, because gratuity is included in the overall bill.

After getting food, I drove 12 minutes away to Ague Cove, located on the cost. Because Ague Cove is technically private property, I had to get permission to hike here first from Operations Officer Jesus Pangelinan. The hike down to the cove is pretty moderate and can only be challenging if it had just rain a day or two prior. Ague Cove can be very dangerous once you get to the bottom, due to the waves and super sharp coral. The hike back up can cause you cardiac arrest, so I had to be safe and bring extra water. The hike lasted about 3 hours to complete.

By the time I was finished with the hike, it was around 8PM, and I decided to head back to my Airbnb and get some sleep.

DAY TWO

I woke up and decided that today I would spend the day in Tamuning. I woke up around 11 and drove 17 minutes to Sakura Noodle House. I ordered the Chopseuey Noodles (fried) which was $10.50.

After eating, I drove down to Guam Ocean Park. You can get a free pass to spend the day there, and you can go jet skiing, snorkeling, kayaking, play volleyball, and swim all for free if you have the pass. The pass costs $200 for and an adult and $30 for a child. I chose the snorkeling tour. It lasts around 3 hours. After snorkeling, I went jet skiing.

I spent around 5 hours at the Ocean Park, I drove to Three Squares Restaurant to get some dinner. For starters, I got the Local Sampler, which consists of tinala katne, coconut dinanche, chicken kelaguen, fried corn titiyas, and empanada dippers, costing $19.95. Tinala Katne originates from Guam, while Coconut Dinanche and Chicken Kelaguen originate from the Philippines. The reasoning behind the Filipino influence is because a third of the population of Guam is Filipino, with the other thirds being Chamorro and mixed. For my main meal, I got the Asian Chicken Salad (salad with teriyaki chicken, cucumbers, edamame, mandarin oranges, and fried wontons), which cost $15.95. My overall bill was $39.40 which included my tip.

After dinner, I went back to my Airbnb to go to bed.

DAY THREE

Since today is my last full day in Guam, I thought I would do some research into the history and culture of Guam. The population is currently 171,774 people, the largest ethnic group being Chamorro. Chamorro is an Indigenous group of the Mariana Islands, and their ancestors come from Southeast Asia (mainly Indonesia and the Philippines) during 1600 BCE. In the 17 and 1800s, Spain got a hold of the Mariana Islands and spread diseases and violence, causing the Chamorro population to drop from 70,000 to 1,000 in 1820. Now in the 20th century, there are around 50,600 Chamorro descendants in Guam alone. They developed the Chamorro Language, which is most similar to Tagalog, and it is the 2nd most used language in Guam, after English. The main religion of the Chamorro people is Roman Catholic. 94.2% of Guam is Roman Catholic. The reasoning behind this is because of the centuries when Spain had control over the island. Guam became fully colonized by Spain in 1668, and they left in 1899.

After my research this morning, I wanted to get something to eat. The food that Guam is most known for is Chicken Kelaguen. Chicken Kelaguen is inspired by Philippine cuisine, but it has Latin American influences as well. The dish is chicken marinated in a lemony and spicy sauce with coconut added as well. You usually eat it with titiyas. To get this meal in Guam, I went to Chef's Inasal BBQ House located 7 minutes away from my Airbnb. The price for the Chicken Kelaguen was $21.30.

After lunch, I thought it would be best to visit the Micronesia Mall, located 4 minutes away. Micronesia Mall is one of the best things to do when visiting Guam. Opened on August 8, 1988, Micronesia Mall is the biggest mall in Guam. The owners chose that date because the number 8 is a lucky number in a lot of Asian cultures. The 4 anchor stores are Ross Dress for Less, two Macy's, and a 24-hour Payless Supermarket. The mall has a 24-hour food court, a 12-screen movie theater, and Funtastic Park, an amusement park with 7 different rides. Because all the stores and restaurants are the same ones found in America, I decided to not buy anything.

After the mall, I decided to check out the UnderWater World Aquarium. General Admission costs $23 for an adult and $15 for children. The aquarium is open from 10AM to 6PM, and since it was 4PM, I had plenty of time. You are 14 feet below water in the tunnel. Not only can you walk through the tunnel, which takes around 45 minutes to complete, but you can actually do a SeaTREK, which is when you get into the tank and swim with the animals. I obviously chose to do SeaTREK because that sounds amazing, it cost me $99, but it was an experience of a lifetime. Because the SeaTREK takes around an hour and 30 minutes, I decided to just do that and not walk through the tunnel.

DAY FOUR

Today is my last day in Guam! To start my day off, I went to the Guam Museum, located in Hagåtña. The Guam Museum was made to help people better understand the culture and history behind the Chamorro people by mediums such as sculpture, paintings, and short films. They started collecting art in 1887. The museum officially opened in 2014. The most recent artifact added to the museum was a photograph taken in 1916 of three Chamorro men preparing higai to repair the roof on their house.

After the museum, I went across the street to Plaza De España, which was the Governor's Palace in 1734 until The Battle of Guam in 1941, but it was refurbished in 1885. Most of the Palace was destroyed during the battle, except for the three arch gate to Almacen, the back porch, and the Chocolate House.

After leaving Plaza De España, I decided it was time to head to New Zealand and continue my Oceania adventure there. I really liked visiting Guam. Despite being a US Territory, Guam is its own country with its own unique culture. They offer so many fun activities for locals and tourists to participate in.

[justactgaussian]

Happy Moon Day!

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the moonlanding, I highly recommend checking out Apollo 11 in Real Time

From the instructions page:

This website replays the Apollo 11 mission as it happened. It consists entirely of historical material, all timed to Ground Elapsed Time--the master mission clock. Footage of Mission Control, film shot by the astronauts, and television broadcasts transmitted from space and the surface of the Moon, have been painstakingly placed to the very moments they were shot during the mission, as has every photograph taken, and every word spoken.

(There is also a transcript of everything said).

You can start at T-1M to launch or at the current date and time in 1969. If you want to skip straight to the First Step, it's at 109:24:26.

I'll put some of my favourite moments under the cut:

109:41:29 Aldrin: Okay. Now I want to back up and partially close the hatch. 109:41:47 Aldrin: Making sure not to lock it on my way out. 109:41:51 Armstrong: (Laughter) Particularly good thought.

110:13:43 Aldrin: Alright. You do have to be rather careful to keep track of where your center of mass is. Sometimes, it takes about two or three paces to make sure you've got your feet underneath you. 110:14:07 Aldrin: In about two to three or maybe four easy paces can bring you to a nearly smooth stop. ... change directions, like a football player, you just have to to ... foot out to the side and cut a little bit. 110:14:41 Aldrin: So called kangeroo hop does work, but it seems that your forward mobility is not quite as good as - it is in the conventional - more conventional one foot after another.

114:00:04 Mission Control: Roger. Just want to let you guys know that since you're an hour and a half over your timeline and we're all taking a day off tomorrow, we're going to leave you. See you later. 114:00:14 Armstrong: I don't blame you a bit.

157:53:39 Mission Control: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. Buzz, you brought the surgeon right out of his chair. We see you exercising. Over. 157:53:50 Collins: Say again. 157:53:52 Mission Control: We see you exercising. Is that correct, Buzz? 157:53:57 Collins: Yes, I'm sorry. Buzz is. 157:53:59 Mission Control: Roger. We've got his heartbeat way up. 157:54:05 Armstrong: Right. He's sort of out of shape. 157:54:07 Mission Control: Yes. That's what we thought.

157:56:42 Collins: Say the old White Team's really got a busy one tonight, huh? 157:56:45 Mission Control: Oh, boy. We're really booming along here with all this activity. Can barely believe it. 157:56:52 Collins: What are you doing? Sitting around with your feet up on the console drinking coffee? 157:56:56 Mission Control: (Laughter) You must have your X-ray eyes up. You sure can see a long way.

173:52:48 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11. We've been doing a little Flight Planning for Apollo 12 up here. 173:52:55 Mission Control: Roger. Go ahead. 173:52:58 Collins We're trying to calculate how much spagetti and meatballs we can get onboard for Al Bean. 173:53:07 Mission Control: I'm not sure the spacecraft will take that much extra weight. Have you made any estimates? 173:53:14 Collins: It'll be close. 173:53:55 Public Affairs: That last comment came from Mike Collins referring Al Bean who is the Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 12. 173:55:54 Mission Control: 11, Houston. The medics at the next console report that the shrew is one animal which can eat six times its own body weight every 24 hours. This may be a satisfactory base line for your spaghetti calculations on Al Bean. Over.

[southkoreaandjapan]

Seoul, South Korea

June 22, 2023 3:00 AM

An nyōng (hello) from Seoul. Mark and Anson - who slept much less than me on the plane are still sleeping. Anson slept ZERO minutes, to tell the truth, so he was more than ready to go to bed for the night when we arrived at our hotel at around 7:00 PM. The beds here are WAY to hard for my old bones and because of that I brought with me this little air mattress - but I was too tired to read the set up procedure and thought - I'm plenty tired and I will not be bothered - but I was wrong. I was awake every 15 minutes with shoulder and/or hip pain and cramps, so finally at 2:00 - I just got up. By my afternoon nap I will have fingered out this little air mattress - Trust me!

Here is the overview of our trip:

We had originally planned to do the pre-trip to Mongolia, but it was cancelled about a month ago. Anson discovered mid-March that his passport had expired and with such back-up and delays beging reported for passport renewal, we felt it was too risky to pick another date closer to the beginning of summer. We had no wiggle room on moving the trip further into the summer either because I am taking 2 of our grandkids on their much delayed "Washington DC trip with Damma" a week after we get back to Michigan. That trip is "supposed to be a 10-year-old event, but Sagan is now 13 and Katelyn will be almost 12. So Mongolia was out - sadly. We were all looking forward to it. We are going to Hiroshima. According to the last communication with our trip leaders, there are only 10 people on the main trip and only 3 doing the post trip. (That would be us!)

I am always interested in the flight route - so here is how we got here:

The flight was scheduled to be 15 hours long - but it was closer to 14. We did have a delay at the beginning so our arrival time was very close to the original scheduled time. I am happy to report that I did NOT experience ear pain on take off or landing - and I was freaking out about that! Thanks to all of you who gave me "tips." Incheon International Airport is lovely, clean, efficient and easy to navigate despite the fact that we know ZERO Korean words nor can read anything written in Korean. We cleared customs, turned in our form re: communicable diseases, picked up our luggage (It all arrived!) and walked to the Taxi queue. A Mini van driver loaded our luggage and about an hour later we were outside our hotel.

Incheaon and Seoul are filled with skyscrapers but mountains and water are everywhere. Remember there are a LOT of people here - 10 million just in Seoul.

This is from our "welcome letter." "Nicknamed “The Miracle on the Han” for its stunning rebirth after near destruction in the Korean War, Seoul is sure to make quite an impression at first sight. Watched over by four “guardian” mountains, the metropolis is a buzzing, fast-paced playground for its ten million residents. Awash in neon lights at night and humming with activity by day, its energetic spirit might keep you from noticing that it is also home to serene temples and hiking trails leading into the mountains." I like it!

Here are some post war pics:

The Korean War (also known by sother names was fought between North Korea and South Korea from 1950 to 1953. The war began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea following clashes along the border and rebellions in the south.  North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union while South Korea was supported by the United States and allied countries. (Can you say "Domino?") The fighting ended with an armistice on 27 July 1953 but they are not friends. We will visit the DMZ on June 27 - a month short of the 70th anniversary of this event and I will have lots to write about that - I'm sure.

When we landed it seemed gray and foggy and of course I worried about the air quality - but it was just getting ready to rain and the air quality here is rated "Good." It was in the mid 70's and HUMID!! Mountains and water are everywhere and I'll be excited to do a little bit of exploring. Here is a pic I took out of our hotel window this AM. City living y'all.

Anson has an agenda planned for when he gets up. Mark was up for a few minutes and said he was feeling better - but if he doesn't want to participate today - no big deal!

I am going to figure out this air mattress and try for a quick nap. Breakfast is available at 7:00 - but I'm not sure when the last time we had food was - but I confess to being ready for it.

Stay tuned.

[usafphantom2]

SR-71 RSO’s daughter tells the story of when her father became the first USAF officer to eject from a Blackbird Mach 3+ Spy Plane

By Linda Sheffield Miller

Apr 25 2022

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On Apr. 13, 1967, my father, Richard ‘Butch’ Sheffield became the first Air Force officer to eject from an SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3+ spy plane.

The SR-71 Blackbird ejection seat was the SR-1, a Lockheed Design that was not much different from the Stanley designed Lockheed C-2 (later modified into the S/R-2) seat which preceded it in other aircraft (the C-2 seatwas used in the very early A-12s and SR-71 Blackbirds). According to The Ejection Site, some of the differences between the C-2 and the SR-1 seat included the omission of the leg guards and arm restraint nets which were used on the C-2.

Due to a fatality that occurred early in the SR-71 program where a crewman was killed when his helmet impacted the headrest of the seat during a structural breakup, some of the C-2 seats were equipped with a headrest extender to more closely fit the seat to the crewman.

SR-71 RSO’s daughter tells the story of when his father became the first USAF officer to eject from a Blackbird Mach 3+ Spy Plane

SR-1 Ejection Seat

On Apr. 13, 1967, my father, Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO) Richard ‘Butch’ Sheffield became the first US Air Force (USAF) officer to eject from an SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3+ spy plane.

Earl Boone was the second.

It was a night training mission. Takeoff was at 7:30 PM, the SR-71 #966 had less than 50 hours on her, the total flight time from takeoff till impact was one hour and 23 minutes.

SR-71 RSO tells the story of when he and his pilot were able to land their crippled Blackbird after it experienced a catastrophic engine failure while flying at Mach 2.88 at 68,000 feet

Butch Sheffield Pre- flight

Shortly after refueling, the SR pitched up and then down and did two cartwheels. It was at this time that Earl Boone ordered my father to get out! He pulled the ejection ring when the airplane was inverted and on fire. Dad said as he was floating down from 20,000 feet, he saw the airplane breaking in half, exploding and falling to the ground. The crashsite was Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Captain Sheffield was found by a helicopter. He told me that the helicopter almost landed directly on him. He grabbed his radio and yelled “don’t land on me” . He was unable to move; his pressure suit was so full of gravel from being a drug by the parachute after he hit the ground. Maj. Earl Boone walked back to the crash site 9 to15 hours after the accident. He told my mother that he walked all night because he just couldn’t face her. He thought my father had died.

SR-71 print

This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. SR-71A Blackbird 61-7972 “Skunkworks”

The next night I watched the national news and heard Walter Cronkite saying that my Dad had been found alive in New Mexico after his spy plane had crashed then showed a picture of him. It dawned on me that maybe, my family wasn’t living a normal life. This was a terrifying incident for my entire family. And for the Boone family too.

Earle Boone was an excellent pilot and did not cause the accident, he did choose to leave the Air Force.

My Dad, Richard ‘Butch’ Sheffield took six weeks off to recover and then resumed his job. He hated being grounded and couldn’t wait to fly again.

Be sure to check out Linda Sheffield Miller (Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield’s daughter, Col. Sheffield was an SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer) Facebook Page Habubrats for awesome Blackbird’s photos and stories.

Photo credit: Linda Sheffield Miller, The Ejection Site and NASA

[robinsontenea]

chapter 13

Last summer, I met this guy named Philip. He was my friend’s cousin, from Jamaica, who had to come and stay with them over the summer. Sometimes when I would go to my friend’s house, his cousin and I would speak and I’d ask him random questions about his life in Jamaica, what was his usual routines, what he liked, a general day in a life of a Jamaican, etc. I learned a lot from him speaking on his experiences and shedding light on things I never knew about Jamaica. Hearing his thoughts and opinions on America was the most interesting part of our interview.

There are people in this world that can’t see themselves build a life in America; however, there are people who see America like a rainbow with gold at the end of it. “America is the place to be, you know what I mean. Because all the opportunities that are provided to you are countless,” Philip says. There were many reasons why Philip come to America for the summer. One of the main reasons why Philip leaves Jamaica is to make money. In Jamaica, he did work study. He was enrolled in college, studying to become a “professional coder” and working in computer-programming. The exchange rate in Jamaica is very low, so their economy is doing poor resulting in having unstable sources of income. “I can work here and get paid almost seventeen dollars an hour, back at home, it was going to be about two fifty,” says Philip jokingly. Having to go to school, pay for school expenses, pay for possible home or car expenses, and just random wants was too much to juggle when the pay was too low for anyone. Another reason he leaves is to get away from the bad climate and environment down in Jamaica. I asked him was it more dangerous for him to live in America or in Jamaica and he responded Jamaica. He then explains to me that their justice system is so corrupt that you could easily pay off the police. Most people can’t walk outside late at night because you could possibly be killed with a machete for petty reasons. I knew that Jamaica had issues, but I didn’t really know the severity. When I think about Jamaica, I think about the nice clear water, the nice music, the delicious food, but certainly not crime. This made me think about how the world will portray countries as a beautiful place and block out the negative events happening during our everyday lives. 

Another reason Philip came here was to spend time with his family. I asked him would it have been harder for him to come here if he didn’t have family here. He explains to me this is his bridge to a better life. The danger and low-income status pushed him to leave Jamaica and come to America to better his chances of having more opportunities. Philip already had a passport, so. Traveling to America was easy for him. His mom paid for his flight to come here and at the end of the summer he’d pay his way back using the money he earned by working. His family is his bridge because without them, paying to stay in America to make more money would decrease his chances of success in his goals. After landing, it was hard for him to find a job but then he was hired at Island Quizine, working for fourteen dollars an hour as a cashier, scheduled to work at least 8 hours a day, with at least a day or two off out of the week.  When he isn’t working, he enjoys his time with his family, especially with his cousin. At first Philip was intimidated by his cousin, but then as they started hanging more and that built a strong relationship with them. Although his aunt rarely allowed him out the house unless to go to work, him and his cousin would hang in the backyard and just talk and smoke for hours. Spending time with his cousin was his favorite thing to do here. 

Leaving your country for anyone can be scary and hard sometimes. I personally believe that this is a courageous thing for anybody to do. One of my major concerns, if I had to move to a different country, would be me knowing if this would be good for me and if it would be good for my family. I asked Philip did he miss his family and his response was a general response, nyet surprising. “Oh of course I miss my family but seeing everyone struggle down there including me is a load. I rather leave them to chase and obtain wealth for us forever and achieve at it. My family will never have to worry about worrying about our next meal again,” he says. I believe that he was strong and adamant about knowing exactly what he wanted for his family. This interview taught me that even though life can be challenging, it doesn’t have to be hard.

[firstofmay23]

Day 2 part 1: Changi-Heathrow-Keflavík

Landed in Changi airport at midnight. I was worried that I might need to book an overnight room which might bankrupt me. But turned out everyone is just sleeping on seats and sofas so might as well do the same. And some of the table were equipped with power plug and since it was midnight finding a decent spot was very easy.

I also realized that in my flight I was the only one carrying mountain backpack in the plane, oops.

But of course, I wasn’t able to sleep properly so I decided to find something to eat

I also bought the fish skin chips to eat later on. Heaven.

And that is only hour 4 of my 12 hours layover. Luckily Changi was pretty convenient so I managed to sneak some more rest, do some work, and get myself coffee. Took a while to board the next plane but I finally did

The flight from Singapore to London was done what…interesting. I sat next to these lovely old Australian couples, didn’t catch their name but I’m pretty sure the wife is called Edna. And in front of me there is this Singaporean family with a very loud kids, and this is where the drama started.

I couldn’t tell you the details because I was half asleep during the whole thing. So the kids in front of my seat was shouting and yelling and to be honest it was pretty annoying but I had zero energy to deal with it and decided to put on my earbuds and get some rest. She was also pushed her seat a little too way back, so when I got my food I was unable to pull out the tray. The wife and husband probably had enough of it and told off the parents that their kid was misbehaving. The flight attendant was there of course, because he was giving out lunch on our row. He tried to talk to the couple and ask about what was happening and managed to calm them down. Very good for him, I would never had the patience to be honest. But after that things got more relaxed, except the occasional crying baby on the front. But then again, earbuds and Rammstein did their thing. As well as my second glass of wine

The rest of the flight was just me eating, drinking wine, watching sandman, wondering when we will land, and an occasional check outside the window to see where in the world am I (literally)

Somewhere in Middle East

Finally it was a couple hours before landing. I’ve been wanting to go to the loo but I don’t feel like moving across two people so usually on a short flight I just wait until we land. But this is a 13 hours flight and I just have to. So when I told the couple that I need to go, their reaction was “so finally you’re going to the loo! We thought you’d never go!” Which was funny to me because they’re probably looking at the amount of drinks I had and was wondering if I was ever going to go. Curious to know what the convo was like.

So finally landed in Heathrow, and sparing no time to rest I went as fast as I could (which was not fast at all) because it’s almost boarding time to Reykjavik, while taking a few pics of the airport for my ‘mom I made it back to London’ moment. And me being me, of course I took a wrong turn and had to walk all the way to the OTHER end of the terminal because I misread the sign. When I finally got to my gate, it’s boarding time already

I don’t know if because it’s my first time flying with it or because it’s a night flight, but Icelandair is a very cute airline. Like small but elegant in a non flashy way. I can’t think of a better way to explain it. I think it’s partly because how the cabin was lit, it was this nice white light with slightly bluish tinge to it. I wish I took some pictures of the interior.

The turbulence was worse than the previous flight. Maybe because we’re going up north, or because the plane was smaller. But when we were about to land, my God it was beautiful. It was dark on one side and sun was setting on the other. But when we finally landed, it was midnight and dark.

[mlcheely]

It's Just A Game... CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE. ☆

DATE : ┃SEPTEMBER 30TH, 1998. LOCATION : ┃ SPENCER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. TIME : ┃6:13 PM.

⸺ . ⋆ ☆ ⋆ . ⸺

 “Where did you meet Jill?”

 The question catches her off-guard as she stares out one of the hospital windows, and her eyes rest on his tired face. It brings a smile to her lips — how could she explain that ? She laughs a little at the thought and it’s nice to feel one rumble through her chest. “It’s complicated.” She muses, fiddling with her fingers. “She took me in when I needed help, but that was before Umbrella took me.” She shakes her head. “I left her a note in case I didn’t get the chance to tell her Umbrella were the ones after me.”

 “Why were they after you?”

 “Something about my blood being special . About how I could change the world…” She sighs.

 “What do you mean ‘change the world’?”

 “I don’t really know…I just know it wouldn’t be anything good.”

 Her eyes fall on a radio in the corner and she slowly starts to approach it. Maybe she can use it to try and contact someone — anyone to come and evacuate them out of the city. 

 “Does this work?” She asks, motioning towards the radio. Tyrell turns and looks in the direction of said radio. “Oh, yeah, I’ve been trying to get a signal all day but…nothing. Why don’t you see if you can get a hold of anyone?”

 Erica takes a seat in front of the radio and unclips the microphone from its latch. She presses the button on the side while her free hand turns the dial to flip through different channels. She doesn’t really know how to use this thing, but it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. “Hello? This is Erica Slater. I’m with Jill Valentine and two other survivors. We are stuck in Raccoon City at the Spencer Memorial Hospital with no way out. If there’s anyone out there, please help us. I repeat, this is Erica Slater. I’m with Jill Valentine and two other survivors. We are stuck in Raccoon City at the Spencer Memorial Hospital with no way out. If there’s anyone out there, please help us.”

 “ — ello?...Slater…with Jill Valen—...other survivors…—accoon City at the Spencer Memorial Ho—......help…”

 The line flickers in and out on an opposing radio, but it doesn’t matter. Whoever it was that called for help had their plea heard, and its listener immediately stood from his chair and grabbed a pair of car keys. He’s got a flight to catch.

⋆

DATE : ┃OCTOBER 1ST, 1998. LOCATION : ┃ SPENCER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. TIME : ┃1:04 AM.

⸺ . ⋆ ☆ ⋆ . ⸺

 After Carlos returned with the cure, he hurriedly injected it into Jill. However, that was hours ago. The three of them sat around and waited for her to wake, but the longer they waited the more B.O.W.s got a scent for the men’s fresh meat. The two U.B.C.S. members decided to descend the hospital’s stairs and barricade the entrance while Erica stayed behind to watch over Jill. She’s been practically gnawing at her fingernails in anticipation as she waits for her friend to wake up. When Erica hears a slight whine emit from the unconscious woman’s lips then Jill gasps and sits up, looking around the room in shock. ‘I’m alive?’ She thinks and Erica rushes over to Jill’s side, taking her by utter surprise. She blinks several times; her eyes straining as they focus on the young woman beside her. ‘Wait, she died I — ’ Her thoughts are cut off as Erica pulls her into a tight embrace. She doesn’t waste time in hugging her friend back. Relief washes over her before it turns into confusion; Erica’s alive, but how? 

 “Erica? Wha-What’s going on? How are you here right now?” She looks around the room again. “Where am I? And what day is it?”

 “We’re at the Spencer Memorial Hospital and it’s October 1st — ”

 “October 1st? It can’t be — ”

 “Jill, listen, we don’t have time for all the questions. We have to get out of here.”

 The room’s double doors burst open and Tyrell enters, a look of relief spreading across his face as his eyes land on Jill. “I’m gonna be honest, at first I thought you were a goner.” He chuckles. “But at least we can get out of here now.”

 “Me, too.” Jill remarks as she stands, “What’s going on?”

 “The government is getting ready to launch a missile that’s going to strike and decimate the whole city.”

 Jill frowns. “How much time do we have?”

 “We have hours, maybe, but if, and that’s a big if , we can bring a vaccine to them before they launch, we can probably save the city.” Tyrell murmurs. “Carlos already went searching for it in the hospital’s underground lab.”

 “ Shit , he went by himself?” She curses. “We gotta go after him.”

⋆

DATE : ┃OCTOBER 1ST, 1998. LOCATION : ┃ NEST 2, BENEATH SPENCER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. TIME : ┃3:25 AM.

⸺ . ⋆ ☆ ⋆ . ⸺

 The trio immediately set off for the underground facility, maneuvering past multiple zombies and even Hunters to get there. Unfortunately, as they neared the entrance they lost Tyrell; he was impaled by the Nemesis’s new monstrous form, and the horrific beast howled as it took another life before chasing the two women. Eyes widened in pure fear while they ran for their dear lives. They luckily managed to escape at the last second, shutting a steel door in its disgusting face. After catching their breaths, they quickly searched through the facility, seeking out the vaccine. Jill ended up finding a sample of antigen on a messy lab table. After reading through some scattered files and documents, she learned that the antigen must be synthesized before it can become a vaccine. Listed in one of the documents was a machine that was meant to do exactly what they needed, and after searching the many labs they managed to locate it. They brought the antigen to the machine to complete the process, but as Jill pulled the capsule from the machine the Nemesis caught up to them and attacked once again — ultimately leading to the two women splitting up.

 It isn’t too long after this, Erica hears the scream of her friend, followed by the unmistakable roar of the Nemesis. She hurriedly makes her way through hallways and doorways towards the sound of distress, coming upon a heavy door with a wheel on it. As she turns the wheel, it screeches — filling the empty hallway with ear-piercing scrapes of metal. The door opens and she can hear a loud struggle from inside. As she steps through the doorway, she peers down below to witness a scene of the large, deformed creature lurching in Jill’s direction. Jill shoots it in the face, causing it to shriek and recoil before coming back for more. Erica looks up towards a control room above, and she can see Carlos through the window. He must be helping Jill. She glances around the sanitation room for a way to help Jill, too, when she sees Nikolai escaping through a door in the back.

 ‘You’re not getting away this time.’ She thinks, pursuing him as he runs across the metal walkway.

 She makes it to the door he left through and turns the wheel to open it. As she enters the next room, the echo of her and Nikolai’s footsteps invade her ears as she chases after him. Her teeth grit as she rides his tail, desperate to catch him. It seems her mind and body are the same as her stomach growls, eager to be filled with fresh meat of prey .

 She made a promise to Nikolai back on the tram — and she’s going to follow through with it.

 She runs out onto a heliport, her eyes frantically searching for the evil man as she’s met by the cool morning air. She sniffs, beginning to remove her backpack as she gets a whiff of his musky scent. The tied, broken straps are removed from her body and the bag falls to the ground with a ‘ thud .’

 A tight grip forms inside her chest, the feeling of a tug at her ribcage causing her to clench her jaw tightly. A fast heartbeat pounds in her ears behind her and she turns —

 — Click .

 Angry eyes meet the barrel of a pistol before meeting the eyes of what she believes to be scum . He’s staring her down, finger ready to pull the trigger if she makes a wrong move. He sizes her up, amused by her hostile stance and angry expression. It’s cute that she believes she can take him on, but he knows he shouldn’t underestimate her either. A sinister smirk spreads across his lips. “You know, a little bird told me you were special. I didn’t believe a small, pathetic thing like you could be special — but clearly I was wrong. I noticed you wanted to eat Mikhail back on the tram…You were practically drooling over him, heh, but that does not compare to the fact that you knew when the Nemesis was coming.”

 Erica’s lips curl into a mocking smile. “You don’t know anything.”

 “Oh I know plenty. I am very much aware that you are of significant and financial value — and I intend to get paid.” He circles around her, continuing to point the gun at her. “You might as well shoot me.” She spats and he swiftly shoots beside her feet. The loud pop and the bullet whipping past her feet causes her heart to jump into her throat and she can feel that burn again — the burning intensity she felt at the police department. A gasp slips past her lips and he steps forward. “Next time I will shoot y — ” He starts but is cut off by Erica rushing at him. Nikolai is surprised at her speed as she lunges into his stomach, causing him to drop his weapon. He grunts as he pulls her off of him, twisting her around and putting her in a chokehold. She starts kicking and flailing before he tightens his grip — to which she twists her head and sinks her teeth into the flesh of his arm.

 Reactively, he shoves her into the concrete below as he grabs at his bitten arm. Shit — is he going to be infected now? His eyes search for his weapon, and she can hear his frantic heart as the metallic taste of blood coats her tongue. She savors the taste and a low grumble tickles her stomach. Growl . It’s time to eat, and she knows what’s on the menu.

 As Nikolai grabs his gun, he turns and aims it at Erica but pauses.

 What the —

The image he sees is the frail girl in front of him, hunching over and breathing heavily. Her head snaps back and her skin starts to change — becoming pale blue with a hint of purple. The veins throughout her body darken, giving her skin a veiny appearance. Hair falls away from her scalp, exposing her head before long, hair-like appendages grow to replace the lost strands. Sharp, talon-like nails grow out of her fingertips as her hand and feet darken to a deep red hue. Bones break out of her chest, exposing some of her ribcage as a tail extends from behind her. The tip of the tail is that of sharp bone — an easy weapon to impale someone with. 

 Nikolai feels a kind of horror he isn’t sure he’s ever felt before when he makes contact with the Tyrant-like woman’s eyes. The whites of her eyes have shifted into a bloody red while her blue irises have lightened and her pupils become slits. The moment he raises his gun she bares her sharp teeth and lurches towards him with an ear-piercing shriek.

 A violent struggle ensues between the two — ending when Erica lifts one of her hands and swipes at his face. He grabs his face in pain before she shoves her mouth into the base of his neck and bites down. Her teeth aggressively pierce his flesh, and she clamps down hard. Nikolai lets out a short, final cry of agony as she rrriiipppsss out his throat, causing the life to slip away from his body. The raw, squishy meat slides down Erica’s throat and she gulps. Yummy . The monstrous woman eagerly dives into her meal, ripping and pulling off chunks of meat from his body. Blood practically showers her as she indulges in the delicious flesh, growling as she gnaws on his insides. She rips apart his limbs, breaking several of their bones as she feasts. As she shoves one last piece of meat into her mouth, she feels a hint of satisfaction creep up her spine. She swallows the last bit of meat and starts licking her hands free of blood. She cleans the inside of her mouth with her tongue before swallowing the remnants of gut and flesh. Then, as she looks down to her still blood soaked hands and the remains of Nikolai’s body — she hears the sound of running footsteps — and they’re getting closer.

 Erica’s chest starts to burn again and her head spins as her body painfully reverts back to its human form. Her hair regrows out of her scalp, and a whine slips past her lips. As she stands, nausea takes over her body as she starts making her way over to the backpack. She reaches down to grab the backpack’s handle, and a smile spreads across her bloody lips when she spots Carlos running out to the heliport. He rushes over, believing her to be severely injured due to the amount of blood covering her body. He touches her arm in concern. “Are you okay?”

 “Don’t worry, it’s not all mine…” She rasps, trying her best not to vomit on him as she tastes the aftermath of Nikolai’s flesh. She covers her mouth and a hiccup slips past her hand. “I’m fine.” She mumbles. “Where’s Jill?”

 “She’s, uh, coming. Ugh…” Carlos makes a face of disgust, his lip curling as he spots Nikolai’s remains. His body is unrecognizable, but silvery tufts of hair and an Umbrella emblem gives away exactly who it is — or, well , was. “Did…Did you do this?” He asks, eyeing the aftermath until he looks at her. She doesn’t even acknowledge him as she removes her jacket and wipes her face clean, but he has a feeling he already knows the answer to the question when he notices her licking her lips. “You know what, I don’t wanna know.” He shakes his head.

 A roar of death comes from inside the building before a resounding BOOM causes the ground beneath them to shake a little, vibrating against the bottom of Erica and Carlos’s shoes. Her stomach does a flip when she hears the sound of hurried footsteps approaching them — she made it . Excitement crashes into her when she sees Jill’s tired, tortured eyes, but they quickly change to those of relief as they settle on the other two survivors. She runs up to the both of them and when her eyes land on Erica she’s taken aback by the amount of blood covering Erica’s body. When Jill turns her head she doesn’t immediately recognize the remnants of Nikolai’s eaten corpse, but when the purple glow of the vaccine hits her vision she knows for sure who it once was. 

 “What happened?” She questions and Carlos points at Erica.

 Erica doesn’t respond or react to the gesture — she simply gives Jill a proud smile. Jill doesn’t really want to know what happened prior to her running out to the heliport, but at least they have the vaccine. Now all that’s left is getting out of this god-forsaken city and getting the vaccine to the US government before the city is destroyed. Or at the very least, help any infected individuals. She calmly grabs the vaccine capsule from a half-opened pocket of what looks to be a dismembered leg.

 Interrupted by the sound of whirring blades, the three of them turn in unison to see a helicopter coming their way, free of any logos on its side. Jill raises her hand as it approaches the heliport, and she signals to them. As the aircraft lowers to the ground, Jill steps inside and into the cockpit. Who could it be?

 To Jill’s complete and utter surprise, she’s met by the face of Barry Burton.

 “How did you — !” She starts, but he cuts her off. “I got your message, but we can worry about that later! Let’s just get out of here!” He yells over the whirr of the blades and, although confused, Jill takes his word and finds a seat next to Erica. Carlos seats himself in the co-pilot’s chair and begins assisting Barry, and it only takes seconds for the helicopter to rise back into the air and away from the area. Erica glances around at the four inside the helicopter’s cabin as they’re whisked away from what seemed to be a neverending nightmare — flying off into the horizon with a sense of freedom finally washing over them. She turns her attention to the window, and she gasps when an object wisps by.

 “There it is!” She exclaims, prompting the rest of them to glance back as the missile ventures into the center of the city. 

 A reverberating blast thunders in the distance, completely obliterating everything in its path. A loud message blares through the speakers of the cockpit’s dashboard. “TURBULENCE! TURBULENCE! TURBULENCE!” The group holds onto whatever they can grab on to as the aircraft shakes. It doesn’t last for more than a minute before the helicopter stops shuddering and the message stops blaring.

 Erica looks back out the window to witness a tragic scene. In the place where the city is supposed to be is a giant, burning crater. Raccoon City…is no more. As Jill sees the destruction of the city unfold into nothing but ash, she sits back in her seat with a bowed head. She holds up the vaccine capsule in her hand, her eyes looking down at the purple tube.

 “So long, RC.” She murmurs.

 Erica focuses her attention on her blood dried hands, closing them into fists. She leans back in her seat, trying to find some sense of comfort as she relaxes against the cushion. What will she do now that Raccoon City is gone? What kind of life will she lead now that she’s a bioweapon? She feels as if she keeps asking herself the same questions over and over again, but…what now?