#I’m seeing the vet AGAIN FRIDAY I know she’s so sick of me but man my little guy. if she can’t figure out a combo that doesn’t have such

[sanchoyo]

haven’t been on much bc my dog has been sick :( between seizures and an infected tooth we’ve been having a Time trying to get everything fixed (this started around the holidays so our vet has been very booked up…we have been like 3-4 times in the past 4-5 weeks OTL does not help it’s like an hour drive there, so that’s been exhausting) now his new seizure meds are making him sick (was hoping it was like, just an adjustment period thing but he’s been sick for a week and having concerning symptoms…) if I’m not on a ton or slow to replying to messages it’s bc I’m working as much overtime as my job will give me bc Vet Expensive and mentally drained obvi 😞

[i-like-plan-m]

Could you do a modern au with famous parents Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji and baby a-yuan being adorable and being loved by their fans?

this was fun, thank you! [Posted to Ao3]

The video was short and packed with Wei Ying’s rapid-fire chatter, a response to his recent fan-selected award after a landslide of votes had catapulted him to the top of a long list of very accomplished actors. He’d spent the last hour trading off between screaming into a pillow and wandering around in dazed disbelief until Wen Qing, acting in her capacity as his agent, had bullied him into making a quick thank you video.

Wei Ying kept it quick and crammed as much of his gratitude and excitement into it as he could, though he was careful to keep the screen confined to the office space Lan Zhan had designed for him. It was a live video, since that seemed to be what fans preferred these days, so he angled the camera carefully away from anything incriminating.

And by incriminating he meant “any sign that Wei Ying had a life outside of acting.”

The door was closed, and the room held no identifying pictures or objects. Wei Ying had come to treasure his privacy, and was fierce about protecting the details of his personal life out of the hands of his thousands of fans. Enough that no one outside of their families even knew they were friends, much less married with a son.

Lan Zhan, of course, hated the riot of noise and flashing lights that accompanied Wei Ying anywhere in public. As one of the foremost violinists in this hemisphere, he had his own level of fame, but his fans were less likely to screech like a banshee upon seeing him. And they had A-Yuan to protect now, and keeping him out of the spotlight was the safest way to do so.

His oversight was not locking the door. A rookie parenting mistake.

A-Yuan burst through the door like the Kool-Aid Man about ten seconds into Wei Ying’s final thank you speech, his damp hair sticking up in downy tufts and his little body swamped by one of Wei Ying’s softest threadbare t-shirts.

“Baba!” He shouted at the top of his tiny but incredibly powerful lungs. “There’s a bird in the house!”

Wei Ying watched the dismay cross his face in real time on the phone screen, followed by alarm when his son’s words finally registered. “There’s a what in the house?” He asked as he whipped his head around, the live stream momentarily forgotten.

“A bird!” A-Yuan said excitedly, hopping over to him when the shirt got tangled around his feet. Wei Ying scooped him up before he tumbled face-first to the floor. His son gripped his shirt and leaned in until their noses were nearly touching, eyes wide and bright over the commotion. “Can we keep it?”

There was an angry shriek from the kitchen that suggested the bird would not appreciate such an invitation.

“Where is your dad?” Wei Ying asked instead of answering, phone shoved hastily into his pocket when a crash sounded in the house.

“He’s hiding Popcorn and Jelly Bean,” A-Yuan reported. Wei Ying’s smile was fond; of course Lan Zhan would stash the bunnies safely away. “He told me to wait for him, but I didn’t want you to be scared! It’s okay to be scared, though,” he said earnestly, his little face solemn and so reminiscent of Lan Zhan that Wei Ying had to stop and shower kisses all over his face.

“When’d you get to be so smart, huh?” Wei Ying asked when A-Yuan was breathless with laughter and squirming so much he nearly dropped him.

“Baba,” he complained, flopping over his shoulder with a huff. “That’s what you said.”

“Ha! Of course you’re smart, then, if you’re learning from me!”

“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan’s low voice had him turning and tightening his grip on A-Yuan when he wriggled happily at the sight of his other father.

“I hear we have an intruder,” Wei Ying said, grinning widely at his husband.

Exasperation crossed Lan Zhan’s face. “It flew in by mistake,” he said, but then he glanced at A-Yuan with a wry smile.

“By mistake, huh?” Wei Ying bounced his son in his arms, grinning when A-Yuan giggled and fisted his hands in his shirt to cling to for balance. “And what, pray tell, were you doing when this bird wandered into our home?”

A-Yuan blinked big, dark eyes at him with utter innocence. “Playing!”

“Mhm. And what were you playing?” Wei Ying leaned cautiously around the corner to peer into the kitchen, wincing when the unfortunately large bird spotted him and screeched furiously.

“Um.” A-Yuan thought for a moment. “The bunnies wanted to see outside.”

“Did they?” Wei Ying asked, trading a glance with Lan Zhan, who then scowled at the bird now stabbing its beak angrily at the plants on top of the cabinets.

A-Yuan nodded seriously. “Yes, they told me.”

“So you took the bunnies onto the balcony?” Wei Ying prompted.

“They aren’t allowed outside unless someone is with them,” A-Yuan repeated, which, okay, at least he remembered some of the rules. They’d have to work on ensuring he understood the rules were for him, not their fuzzy little pets. “I carried Jellybean outside so she could see the clouds! One looked like a dinosaur, baba. She wanted to see.”

“Oh, well, in that case.” He had a good idea of what had happened here. The ‘not going outside without someone to watch you’ rule had somehow been transferred into ‘you can go outside alone as long as you’re watching the bunnies,’ because that was the logic of a four year old.

“And then the bird?” Lan Zhan asked, clearly also aware of the chain of events that had led to them cowering in the hallway as a baffled and irate bird rushed around their kitchen in a destructive-sounding temper tantrum.

A-Yuan cuddled closer to Wei Ying as though sensing an impending punishment. Wei Ying rolled his eyes; Lan Zhan would fold in a heartbeat under that big-eyed stare, and it would be left to Wei Ying to remind them both why humans under three feet tall weren’t allowed on the balcony alone.

“The bird wanted to play with Jellybean,” A-Yuan said. Wei Ying’s jaw dropped.

“The bird wanted to play with Jellybean,” Lan Zhan repeated slowly.

“Yes! It flew down super fast! And it landed right beside me! Then we went inside, because Popcorn was all alone, and the bird came inside to see him too!”

“Okay,” Wei Ying said in a strangled voice, and it took a heroic effort to keep the laughter at bay. “A-Yuan, why don’t you go check on the bunnies, okay? We’re going to go help the bird get back home.”

A-Yuan craned his neck around to peer into the kitchen. “It sounds pretty mad,” he said doubtfully.

“We will talk to it,” Lan Zhan assured him, and they waited until A-Yuan had scampered out of sight to stare at each other with wide eyes.

“Oh my god. Oh my god.”

Lan Zhan pinched the bridge of his nose. “The bunnies were almost eaten.”

“Our son was almost traumatized for life,” Wei Ying said, choking on a laugh. “Lan Zhan, he almost witnessed a double homicide on our own balcony.” He wheezed with laughter, clutching his ribs.

“We will install higher locks,” Lan Zhan said grimly.

“Either that or buy a baby backpack leash,” Wei Ying agreed, and grinned widely at Lan Zhan’s sigh. “I’m just saying, the kid is going to keep on growing. He’s too smart for his own good, too.”

“What do we do about the bird?” Lan Zhan asked, absently stroking a hand along Wei Ying’s spine when he leaned against his side.

“Hell if I know. Maybe Wen Ning will know what to do. He knows things like this, right?”

“He is a vet,” Lan Zhan said dryly. “I should hope so.”

“I’ll call him,” Wei Ying decided. “We should probably feed him while he’s over here. As payment, you know. Not many friends would come wrestle with a wild bird on a Friday night for us.”

“I think the bird would object if I tried to cook,” Lan Zhan said, surly. He made a sound of distress. “Wei Ying, it’s in the pantry.”

“It’s deciding what it wants for dinner, Lan Zhan. Better pay attention or it’ll go for the bunnies again!” Lan Zhan looked at him, appalled, and he couldn’t bite back the tide of laughter.

“Ridiculous,” Lan Zhan muttered.

“You married me,” Wei Ying pointed out. “No take backs.”

Lan Zhan softened like he did every time Wei Ying brought up their marriage. Pressed a kiss to his forehead and agreed, “No take backs.”

And then a moment later— “But leave the bunnies out of this.”

His Lan Zhan was so soft hearted, Wei Ying thought, so full of love he could burst.

“Yeah, yeah, I know where I rank,” Wei Ying said, entirely teasing. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, still grinning up at Lan Zhan as his husband gave an exasperated sigh.

The grin fell right off his face at the sight of his phone screen, which was open. And recording. And so full with rapid-fire comments that the actual video screen was barely visible.

“Oh no,” he said. “Oh no. Lan Zhan.”

“What’s wrong?” Lan Zhan asked, glancing worriedly at him and then down to the screen when Wei Ying couldn’t tear his eyes away from it.

Wei Ying looked up slowly, so guilty he felt sick with it. “It’s been recording this whole time,” he whispered.

He must have looked really bad, because Lan Zhan ignored the phone entirely and pulled him close, holding one of Wei Ying’s palms flat against his chest and breathing slowly and deliberately until he matched his own breathing to Lan Zhan’s. The familiar routine soothed the edges of anxiety that were rapidly blooming into a panic attack, and he swallowed hard and dropped his forehead against Lan Zhan’s shoulder until he could think straight.

“I’m—“

“No apologies,” Lan Zhan reminded him in a murmur so low against his ear that the phone couldn’t have picked it up. “It was an accident. We knew this wouldn’t last forever, and I’m not ashamed of you or A-Yuan. It’s okay  Wei Ying.”

“But I fucked up,” Wei Ying mumbled into his neck, clinging like A-Yuan after a bad dream.

“You had an intruder to welcome,” Lan Zhan said, amused. Wei Ying risked a glance up and found that Lan Zhan was smiling, not even a hint of worry on his face.

“Might as well run with it, I guess,” he said with a hesitant smile.

Lan Zhan pressed a kiss to his hair. “Might as well.”

Wei Ying smiled for real now, bright and unrestrained as he lifted the camera away from the floor. “Uh. Hi, everyone! Wow, there are a lot of you. Lan Zhan, this is like, triple the people who were watching it at the beginning. I think I’m offended.”

“Wei Ying.”

“Right, right. So… surprise!” He laughed at a few of the comments, and then they winced in tandem at the loud bang and squawk from the kitchen. “There’s another surprise for all of us tonight, it seems. Look who showed up and just let herself right in!” He flipped the camera around just in time to catch the bird’s beady eyes glaring at them from atop the fridge.

“Can you believe this?” Wei Ying slipped into his usual stream-of-consciousness chatter, free hand tucked into Lan Zhan’s as the pitter patter of little feet trotted down the hall towards them, announcing A-Yuan’s return.

He segued into talking about his husband and son, hesitant at first from years of absolute silence on the topic. Half an hour, a miraculously unscathed Wen Ning and a freed bird later, Wei Ying ended the video and set his phone aside, feeling a little wrung out from the evening’s events.

His phone buzzed. “Jiang Cheng wants to know why we’re trending on twitter. Ha! Get a bird stuck in your house and maybe you’ll become a twitter sensation, A-Cheng!”

He glanced over at A-Yuan, who had his face pressed to the glass door to the balcony in a futile search for the bird. “Time for that talk?” He asked, nudging Lan Zhan with a pointed nod.

Lan Zhan looked shifty. “The bunnies weren’t actually hurt.”

“So… a lecture about the dangers of balconies, but not about the bunny jailbreak and near-execution?”

“That seems fair.”

Fair. Yeah, right. Lan Zhan just couldn’t handle a few distraught tears from their child who absolutely realized this weakness and happily exploited it. “You realize we’re a couple of suckers, right?”

Lan Zhan shrugged. “I’m okay with it.”

Yeah, Wei Ying thought, giving in with a sigh. So was he.

[winryofresembool]

Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 18

aka Caleo uni au

Fic summary: Calypso starts studying at a new university, but to her annoyance her new flatmate is a loud mouthed mechanic who also likes to sneak his dog in whenever. But as she learns to know him better, she realizes they might have more in common than what she first thought. Eventually, even the darkest secrets come out…

Chapter summary: Leo's life is hard (but maybe there's some hope left).

A/N: Yay, time for a new chapter! I decided to make Friday my new posting day so that’s when the future updates will (hopefully) happen.

It's not time to resolve the previous drama quite yet but dw, that's coming! Meanwhile, I hope you'll enjoy this Leo centered chapter. It’s also time to bring Frank in!

Don't forget to let me know what you think! :)

Characters in this ch: Leo, Frank, Georgina, Jo, Emmie

Words: 1700+

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: none

previous chapter / next chapter / AO3

...

“Maldita sea!” Leo yelled at himself as his wrench flew at the wall, thankfully not causing damage to it. Nothing he tried to fix or build that day seemed to go right. He hadn’t been able to figure out a pretty basic seeming issue in someone’s phone, one of his own inventions had broken and even solving a physics problem that would usually have managed to distract him only felt frustrating.

There was a lot going on in Leo’s head. Well, he’d argue that he always had a lot going on there due to his ADHD, but this time his usual methods to calm himself down didn’t seem to work. He would probably have to quit studying the only field he was truly interested in. He couldn’t do his work. His flatmate for whom he may or may not have started slowly developing some very not flatmate appropriate feelings had apparently had a thing for his friend, which not only complicated Leo’s situation with Calypso but also with Percy. And his mother’s death anniversary was coming, which was always a hard time for him. Leo imagined she’d probably be so disappointed if she saw him now. ‘My son, a failure in every aspect of life’. No, Leo’s real mother had been way too nice to actually say something like that out loud, but he just knew she’d at least think that. And Jo, Emmie and Georgina were counting on him too.

After throwing the wrench, Leo decided to take a break because his hands had started shaking too much to continue working. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against his worktable, closed his eyes and started tapping a rhythm that he had memorized years ago. His mother had taught him Morse code when he was a kid, and this particular phrase was one she had used a lot when he had needed calming down. Written down, the code looked like this:

.. .-.. --- ...- . -.-- --- ..-

I l o v e y o u

He whispered it very quietly a couple of times before looking out from the window and saying aloud:

“Mom. I’m trying to be strong. I really am. But sometimes it just gets too fucking hard. Everything seemed to be fine. Really. My other family is great. I was studying something I actually cared about. My new flatmate… uh, she’s an interesting force of nature. But if she likes someone like Percy… I’d never have a chance. And all my career plans are about to run down to the sewers because I can’t use fire, in any way. Not because of what happened to you. Because of what I... I just feel lost.”

He took a deep breath and rubbed the corner of his eye dry quickly. Saying his thoughts aloud seemed to make him feel a little bit better, and he decided that maybe getting out of the flat and getting some exercise would help with the shakiness. To his relief Calypso wasn’t home either so he didn’t have to answer any awkward questions about why he looked like such a mess. Leo found himself jogging all the way to Waystation, which was several miles from his flat. As he reached the yard, he noticed Georgina with Festus, but even with her back to him he could sense something was wrong. Of course. There was always some way the day could get even worse.

“Hi, hermanita!” he started, trying to sound cheerful even though he didn’t think he was a very good actor. Georgie could probably see right through him. His suspicions were confirmed when Festus didn’t even run to greet him as he usually did. “What’s going on?”

“I tried to call you,” she said, hiding her worry badly. “Moms went to run some errands and something… something happened to him…”

“What do you mean? What exactly happened?” Leo insisted on knowing.

Georgina seemed to grow more and more upset each moment. “I… I gave him a bully stick… but I forgot to put it in a holder even though moms always say you should do that when you give him one because he always tries to swallow them so fast… And then he started feeling sick...”

To prove her point, Festus, who was laying on the ground, made a loud gagging sound. After that he tried to whine but even that didn’t sound like it usually did.

Leo’s ADHD kicked immediately in, in the form of him wanting to act fast.

“We’ll discuss this later, I need to borrow Jo’s car now that I can take him to the vet,” he exclaimed and ran inside the house to get the keys to the car from the spot Jo usually kept them. He picked them and Festus’ leash and ran back, telling Georgina to stay home to tell Jo and Emmie what happened when they’d return.

At least one thing went right that day: the emergency vet clinic was fairly quiet when Leo arrived there. Not long after that, the vet took Festus in. He had an intern with him; a young man who Leo suspected had his roots somewhere in East Asia. He had black, short hair, a bulky body and kind of child like face even though the intern was probably older than Leo. As the vet asked Leo some questions about what exactly had happened to Festus, the student wrote down some notes and occasionally added a short comment as well. When Leo was about to explain why exactly Festus had gotten issues with the bully stick, he heard the intern mutter something to himself.

“What was that?” Leo asked a bit more aggressively than he had planned, having already been stressed even before the issue with Festus had come up. He had to admit, though, that it had distracted him from the other issues.

“Nothing,” the intern quickly said, pretending to focus on his papers again.

Leo didn’t give up that easily. “I heard you, though. You were implying that I had somehow caused this.”

“Well, you did give him the bully stick, didn’t you?” the young man asked.

“I wasn’t even there when he got one!” Leo growled, starting to feel the frustrations from earlier that day flooding out of his system. “My… uh, little sister gave him one when our parents left to run some errands and he kept whining and wanted something to chew! It wasn’t her fault either, she’s a child and she didn’t know that could happen!”

“Mister Valdez, please calm down a bit,” the vet interrupted him, and Leo immediately shut up. “There’s no need to yell. Festus is going to be just fine; I’m going to give him some medicine and fluids to help with digesting the stick and we can watch how he’s doing overnight. And Frank, please don’t make assumptions like that about clients.”

“Yes, sir,” Frank said, to Leo’s surprise actually looking regretful. Then he turned to Leo. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Nah, I kinda lost my cool there too…” Leo said, the frustration leaving when he saw Frank’s face.

“Kinda,” the intern said, attempting to joke about the situation.

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that;” Leo rubbed the back of his neck.

After that the vet asked Leo a couple of more questions and did some more examinations on Festus while Frank helped him.

“Other than this stick issue, he seems like a healthy dog,” the vet complimented after the check up. “His fur and teeth look good. I think you’ve been taking good care of him.”

“Well, to be honest he lives more with my parents than me because they have a lot more space…” Leo said, “But yeah, we all try our best. Even Georgina, my sister.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s a good thing you got him here that fast so he’ll get the best possible treatment,” The vet said.

After that he wrote some notes on the computer and then dismissed Leo who scratched Festus from behind his ear and promised to come back soon to get him. As he was putting his jean jacket on in the lobby, the intern, Frank, approached him.

“About what happened earlier, I really am sorry. It isn’t like me to attack clients; you can even ask my boss about that. I just…”

“Chill, man,” Leo said. “I’ve heard this story before. People assume things about me because I look like a problem teenager. Truth to be told? You’re not entirely wrong. But things have changed. And trust me, Festus is my best friend and I’d do anything for him. I’m sure Georgie has learned her lesson too now.”

“Good to hear that,” Frank said and extended his arm to Leo. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow when you’re coming to get Festus.”

Leo nodded. “Yep, I have a feeling my whole family will want to join me. Anyway, I’m off now. Thanks for the help!”

“I’m glad we could help!” Frank told him before he started walking towards his car.

...

Jo and Emmie had already returned to Waystation when Leo got there.

“Is everything OK?” Emmie asked immediately. “We didn’t really get much out of Georgina… Just that something had happened to Festus and you took him to the vet.”

“Nah, it’s gonna be fine!” Leo reassured her. “He got some digestion issues because he gobbled a bully stick too fast but that’s being taken care of now. Georgie sure remembers to be more careful from now on, won’t ya, hermanita?” he addressed the young girl then.

“I will…” she promised, not even protesting about the nickname this time.

Once Leo had explained with more details what had happened at the vet and it became clear that Festus would be fine soon, the family moved to other matters. Unlike usually, Leo was happy with mostly listening to the others. The incident had reminded him that there were bigger matters than girl issues or his studies and he realized that those things didn’t feel quite as hard to overcome now as a few hours ago. Yes, he still needed to deal with them, and yes, his past would probably never stop entirely haunting him, but when he had people like this around him? It wouldn’t be impossible.

[mylifeinhopeworld]

Heavenly Hell

Genre: smut

Word count: 2.6k this is the longest fic I’ve ever written oof

Pairing: Incubus!Xiumin x reader

Warnings:  sir kink, cumplay, orgasm denial, rough sex and uhhhhh demon magic?

Summary: No matter what you do, your eyes will always be drawn to find an angel in the crowd. Or so you thought. But “angel” might not be a compliment for this man… and he might want to show you why.

The warm light of the bar reflects in your glass, making you focus your attention to the little rays it sends dancing on the ceiling. You had agreed to go out with your friends for a fun Friday night but you were starting to get bored. You didn’t really want to participate in any or the games they started playing at your table, nor did anyone seem to mind your absence. They were far too concentrated in getting the cute guy who had been blatantly flirting with all of them since the beginning of the night to take another shot. Some of them obviously drank too much, but you, fortunately, had been careful enough not to get drunk. The downside of this was that you were now the one to check their drinks and to drive them home at the end of the night. 

“Come on, just a last one! I’m paying for you lovely ladies.”

You rolled your eyes. This guy was getting way too touchy with your friends and you didn’t like it. It felt sketchy. You carefully scruted the glasses he passed along the table, but he didn’t do anything suspicious. 

You only let your guard down when he left, leaving his phone number with a wink to the rest of the girls. As they kept talking about how hot he was, you let your eyes roam around the room. You knew you’d find someone special. You always did. Every time, there was someone who felt different, whether it be a glimpse of sadness in their eyes, a mysterious beauty to them or simply someone who exuded charisma. You loved seeing what made them stand out of the crowd, hoping to be that kind of person in someone else’s eyes too. You had settled for a lovely girl, around your age, who looked like she was the happiest person in the room, but as your eyes darted to the left, you saw him.

He looked like an absolute angel. Well at least that’s what came to your mind first. He was sitting down with a group of guys which you assumed were his friends, but he looked different from them. At his table was the guy who had been previously flirting with your friends, along with another who tried to hit on you the second you walked in the bar. While they looked more like the type you’d describe as “bad boys”, he appeared calm and comforting. There was something in his stance, his way of slowly raising his glass to his smiling lips, that drew you in. Dressed in white, it almost felt like he came from another world. The cute, innocent looking guy that you’ definitely want to talk to if he wasn’t with those troublemakers. 

Just as you got lost in analyzing what exactly in his demeanor clashed with the rest of his friends, he turned to you, realizing you had been looking at him, smiled and winked in your direction. Your cheeks flushed red, which was, fortunately for you, impossible to detect under the orange lighting surrounding your table. Even looking away, you felt his gaze on you, perhaps just as intrigued by you as you were by him. 

“Oh? Did y/n spot a cute guy? That Jongin guy talked about him when he was with us earlier. I think he’s called Minseok. Don’t you prefer someone who looks more…..adventurous maybe?” You shushed your friends and tried to distract their attention from the poor guy, who was now being stared at by 6 pairs of eyes.

“Yeah….I prefer the bad boys too.” 

It was kind of true, but you also liked guys who could be gently and caring. Not just heartbreakers. 

“Well, I’m sorry for you and your prince charming y/n but we have to leave. My roommate just texted me that I have to get back to the appartment. Apparently my cat is sick, she’s wating for me to take him to the vet.”

Right. You were the designated driver of 3 of the girls, the other 3 had agreed to call a taxi to spend the night together at one of their apartments. You sighed before nodding. 

“Do I at least have the time to go to the bathroom before we leave? Or is it too much of an emergency.” you didn’t even care about going home, the night having been extremely long for you since you didn’t drink as much as the others.

“Don’t worry, we’ll wait for you outside.”

With that, you left for the corner of the room furthest from the door. You heard a bit of the guys’ conversation as you walked past them and had to resort to mentally punching the guys you heard speaking about your friend. 

“...she’s so hot! I swear she’ll call me tomorrow night if she’s alone….”

“ Bet! I’m sure she won’t call you until next week Jongin, you’re not that irresistible y’know?”

You only heard a glimpse of Minseok’s answer, but you wished you had been closer to hear him longer. His voice sounded just as sweet as his appearance.

“You already know what I think Baek. She’ll call him every day until he gets bored and moves on to someone else. Like always… I’m sure you guys won’t ever settle for one, you always want more than what you have…”

Finally someone who thought like you. You were happy there was at least one reasonable guy in that group to calm the others down. You shot a small glance back at their table before getting in the empty bathroom. When you got out, the guys were gone and you found yourself almost sad to not be able to see Minseok one last time before going. 

You had crossed half of the busier section of the bar when a small light caught your eye. Even though no one had taken your previous table yet, there was something on it. You didn’t remember seeing it before getting up, so you checked what it was, thinking one of the girls might have forgotten it as they left. It was a tiny coin, or at least it looked like one, but it only had one textured side. The other one was totally smooth and you couldn’t help but rub it with your thumb in your pocket as you stepped outside. You later learned that it didn’t belong to any of your friends, but still decided to keep it.

After dropping all three of your friends home, you drove back to your own apartment, playing some music to keep your mind alert. As soon as you dropped your keys on the counter, you headed right to your bathroom, wanting to shower and go to sleep as soon as possible. 

As you got ready to hop in the hot water, your mind raced back to Minseok. There was something about that guy that made you melt. Everything about him seemed soft and gentle and you found yourself wondering what his lips would feel like on yours. 

Oh my god, what the heck am I thinking? He’s just a random guy at a bar. Why am I thinking about it now?

Just that little thought had been enough to turn you on, really turn you on, for some reason. Still wanting to go to sleep fast, you made yourself cum in the shower and quickly climbed in bed. Somehow, it didn’t satisfy you. It didn’t feel enough. You decided to ignore it and managed to fall asleep pretty quickly.

Waking up in the middle of the night wasn’t exactly unusual to you, but this time it felt weird. Weirdly dream-like. You knew it wasn’t a dream, however, because when you looked at your phone and your watch, they both showed the same time. You learned this trick from a friend, who also had realistic dreams. Time is never constant in a dream. So this wasn’t one, but it definitely felt like it was. Especially when you heard a voice speak to you in the dark.

“So? Did I really have that much of an effect on you, angel?”

You had only heard him speak once, but you could recognize the tone of his voice anywhere. It sounded different though, now slightly lower and sickeningly sweet, like he was mocking you. He spoke the last word with such hatred that it almost scared you. You could see better in the dark by now and the sight before you made you gasp.

He was sitting in the chair next to your bedroom door, one leg lazily draped over one of the armrests and the rest of his body leaning on the other. He now wore a chic black shirt, slightly unbuttoned, a black tie hanging loosely around his neck ripped black jeans. 

He smirked as you looked him up and down, the ache you tried to ignore earlier awakening again, even stronger than before.

“I see you have found my amulet. I was hoping it’d choose you since you’re so...interesting.”

You furrowed your brows, “What do you mean ‘interesting’? Why are you here? How did you even get into my house?”

He got up from the chair, chuckling while he walked toward you.

“I saw the way you looked at me and I knew you were different. The fact that my amulet chose you confirms that. You have a very rich soul y/n. Besides, you called me” Your eyes widened at the mention of your name.

“Wait, I didn’t call you! And how do you know-” He cut you off as he reached the edge of your bed.

“As for why I’m here...that’s an interesting question coming from the girl who moans a stranger’s name in her sleep. You called me and what a fool would I have been if I didn’t immediately come here to help you out.” 

He was so close to you, his face merely inches from yours. You didn’t know what pushed you to close your eyes but you did and he immediately connected his lips to yours. You felt yourself melt in his kiss, as if part of your soul merged with him to make you his. This is so crazy. It couldn’t really be happening, right? I’m dreaming. It’s just a really hot dream. Fuck, why am I getting so turned on by this?

You couldn’t think straight, wanting to feel more of him even if you knew this shouldn’t be happening, if it really was. He deepened the kiss before ghosting his hands on the skin of your sides, under the oversized t-shirt you had gone to sleep in. When you gasped at the sudden contact, he pulled away with a satisfied expression painted on his features. That’s when you saw them. Two little points darting out of his hair.

“You think I'm still as cute as earlier? Hmm? You wanted a bad boy, you'll get even better, precious: a demon.”

Your head fell back as his lips travelled on the skin of your neck. He knew what you wanted: as if reading your mind, he took care of your shirt, exposing your chest to the cold air of the night. 

“There’s a few things you have to know though, precious.” He took one of your nipples into his mouth, circling his tongue around it and making your back arch off the bed.

“First, you can call me anytime, I’ll always get to you. Second, I don’t want you to hold back any sounds.” He looked up to you with hungry eyes as you shook your head yes.

As he trailed his kisses down your abdomen, a few whimpers escaped you.

“Good.”

You spoke before he could continue, “Please Minseok, I want to feel you.”

He immediately understood what you mean and took off your pajama shorts along with his clothes.

“That’s Sir for you precious. understood?”

He lined himself with your entrance, not pushing in until he got his answer.

“Yes S-sir, please.”

You didn’t even know why you were fine with this situation, but you knew you’d do anything just to feel him. And you did. You let out a loud moan as he bottomed out inside of you, your hands flying to grip his arms. After a few seconds, he started thrusting in and out of you at an incredibly fast pace. He let out a groan against your neck.

“Third, you never, ever, call me “angel” again. Is that clear?” 

You couldn’t even answer him, too focused on reaching your high to for a clear sentence. His thrusts became even rougher, if that was even possible, and your orgasm crushed over you like a gigantic wave. Not giving you any time to ride your high, he completely stopped and raised your chin so you looked directly into his eyes. 

“I said: is. that. clear.”

You nodded in response and he ground his hips into yours, slowly this time. It felt as if you hadn’t orgasmed a few seconds later, your need just as present as before. 

“You won’t feel satisfied unless I am, precious, and I won’t be unless you answer me with your words.”

You managed to let out a small “yes” in-between a few broken moans and whines, but he didn’t seem to be happy with your answer. Thankfully, you managed to figure out why.

“Y-yes...Sir” At that word, he gave one harsh thrust, which made your eyes roll back in pleasure. “That’s a good girl.”

It surprisingly didn’t take long before his movements became more erratic, but before you could reach your second high with him, he pulled out to cum on your stomach. 

“Whyyy, s-sir, I was so close!” He ran a finger up your slit and watched as you shivered from the feeling.

“Do you want to cum, precious?” You nodded “please sir.”

“But tell me… do you need to cum?” 

He didn’t wait for your answer before pushing back into you with a moan. That’s when you realised the extent of his powers. Every single word, every single sound that came out of his mouth made you want, no, need him even more. You knew you could only cum with him now. Because your need was getting way too intense to even bear. This would be the best orgasm of your whole life and you understood it would make you his. 

As you whimpered a small “please”, he accelerated his movements. He only had to whisper in your ear for you to topple over the edge for the third time that night.

“Cum for me. Now.”

He came with you with a long groan. “Fuck- you’re all mine now, precious.”

After both coming down from your highs, he sighed.

“I have to leave for now. You know how to call me. Keep my amulet safe or you’ll never feel satisfied ever again. Now that you’re mine, no one can make you feel this good.”

Maybe he added something. Maybe not. You didn’t know since you immediately fell back asleep, exhausted. When you woke up the next morning, you first thought it was a -very hot- dream as you were perfectly clean, with no traces of Minseok’s passage to be seen around your room. The only thing that reminded you that this had all been real was the small amulet on your bedside table. 

You had been right from the first second, he was different. Definitely not in the way you thought he would but now wasn’t the time to debate on if it was good or bad. You were now linked to him. Forever.

[makeyourfantasydreamscometrue]

Falling for Hoseok chapter 2

Staying at home was boring, but it sure was nice to sleep in some extra days and not have to worry about anything.

Well. It was quiet.

Too quiet, that in your silence your mind started to drift. Maybe you needed to get a pet cat or something. There seems to be a depressing stillness to the air and you don't remember the last time you brought company over. You think about the guy that knocked into you. He was so sweet and handsome, a passing thought made you wonder what he was doing now. The way he looked at you when your bus drove away... The feeling of being cared for... You've haven't felt someone do that for you in a long time. Not since...

Your ex boyfriend.

You shake your head. I dont want to think about him, you say to yourself, he will spoil the mood.

You must be that lonely to be reading too much into every detail of a mere stranger who simply did an act of kindness towards you. You felt silly. Still, you remember his eyes, the tone of his voice. They told you that if it they were a story book, it would be the most moving of stories, filled with depth and care and love, the most gentle of them all. Something about him was filled with honesty.

You're crazy you chuckled to yourself. Time to get ready for bed, Y/N.

~~~

Days pass in your home slowly, but it gives you time to rest and recover your back, and soon, you're well rested for the next week of work. Your coworkers were happy to have you back, especially since the work pilled up on their desks when you left, so when you return to the office, you stay very busy and skip lunch trying to catch up with everything you missed.

It starts to rain and some of the lights click off, letting you know mainly everyone is leaving home, but of course, being the workaholic that you are, you stay overtime, where its just you and the clicking sound of the keys on your computer, and the cleaning lady who occasionally came in the mop around your feet while you sip your can of soda that you got from the vending machine in the office, an extra boost of caffeine in your blood to help give you energy.

Your eyes get tired and you yawn and rub them, stretching back in your rolling chair, and you take a minute to rest them and look out the window. Cars are passing by seldomly and the orange of the streetlights get blurred by the fat droplets dragging down the pane, playing their own competitive game and racing with each other to see who gets to the end of the glass first. You suddenly remember something that makes your heart sink a little.

Flashback

The streets are filled with laughter as you and him walk hand in hand, soaked to the eyelashes without an umbrella. Thunder roars from the sky.

"This is crazy, I love it!" you scream, doing a little twirl as he spins you around and you dance foolishly, not a soul in the streets around as everyone hides from the downpour in their houses.

"Why do you like the rain so much?" He yells over the sound of puddles being formed around you.

"Don't you feel free?" You say, making him smile widely as he looks at you, throwing your hands up. "Like the stress is left from your body and you're alive again?"

He chuckles and shakes his head at you, raking a hand through his hair to look at you better. "I feel like I need to run inside and take another shower, my shoes are soaked!"

You giggle and poke fun at him, sticking out your tongue. "Party pooper! You're no fun!"

He pulls you close to him and pushes the hair out of your face as his breath warms you. "No, but I can make it fun," he says slyly.

"And hows that?" you say, raising an eyebrow.

He smiles and leans in and kisses you, your heart soaring. He pulls away and locks eyes with yours and hands on your waist.

"You're beautiful, Y/N. I've never been this happy. Stay with me forever," he breaths over your lips, making you smile.

"I promise," you whisper, receiving his kiss.

End of flashback

You swallowed in your seat. Ouch, that wasn't what you wanted to think of right now on this peaceful night. You remember how much you guys liked each other, how it felt to be in his arms, kissing him. Now hes in the arms of another, and I'm the only one left with these stupid memories.

You remember it started slowly, the phone calls. The secrecy. Not wanting to spend time with you unless it was at home. Missing dates. Hanging out with his friends. You were started to lose him more and more. Until that fatefully heartbreaking day when you saw him in the streets, his arms around another girl, kissing against his car. He kissed her like he should have kissed you. He licked her lips and pulled on her body in the most intimate of ways, and said the same words you thought were only for you.

Stay with me forever, you're so beautiful.

You started to feel sick and thought Maybe its time to leave home now. I hate the rain.

Saving your work and turning off the computer's monitor, you decided to pack up your things and head for the train ride home. ~~~

As more weeks pass by it's the same as always, and you're okay, healthy, busy and quiet. You do what you have to do to get through the day, and your coworkers are more louder and excited then usual because it's Friday. You try not to get into too much conversation, looking at the screen monitor and avoiding eye contact as much as possible. When your boss dismisses you early, you run to get your purse and jacket and the sound of your name immediately being called behind you makes you cringe as you shut your eyes.

"Y/N! Where are you going?" They start to say collectively.

You prepare your face with a tight smile and turn around. "Hmm?"

"Don't you know what day it is? Its Friday!! Remember we said we were gonna check out that new club that just opened up downtown?"

"Oh, I Uh, I have a prior arrangement, sorry."

"Aww, it'll be fun though!!"

"C'mon, what could be more exciting then clubbing?" said while throwing his arms around two female coworkers as they giggled, another sleazy guy coworker that allot of the girls were crushing on. You tried not to roll your eyes, you honestly couldn't understand what they saw in him, to you he was annoying.

Sleeping. Reading my book away from all the noise. Being left alone. Not being around pointless make out sessions in the bathrooms and drunks. Sleeping.

"Sorry guys, but my... my goldfish is sick and I have to take it to the vet."

They all raised an eyebrow and you knew you had to come up with another excuse quick. "A-And my friend is in town and I have to help her get situated with her... her new apartment. She's coming now."

"How did she know you were getting off early when the boss just announced it now?" they said suspiciously.

You bit your lip. "I just texted her! Yes shes coming now. Gotta go but have fun for me and have a good weekend!" Before they could say anything else you scurried the hell outta there and made a run for it, rounding the corner of the block and suddenly wondering where you would go next. Your stomach suddenly was craving a warm coffee in this fall wind. You walked to the nearest bakery and bought a crepe and a coconut cream latte, then headed for your favorite park.

It was a little chilly and you hugged your latte cup closer to you for warmth as you looked up to the blue sky, the time already making it evening as the sun set to sleep. You felt so much peace but at the same time you felt alone. It was really silent and no one else was in the park, but at the same time, you wished for a little bit of change. Something exciting. You saw how those girls around you had best friends and the energy they had talking about just about anything. You kind of wished you had a chill best friend to talk to and hear you out and have laid back conversations and someone to sit on the bench with and have coffee and talk about their day. You closed your eyes and smelled the sense of rain in the air. You looked up and immediately remembered that the weather forecaster this morning mentioned a shower late evening. Sigh. Why does it always rain like this your heart dropped a little bit whether you wanted it to or not.

You sipped the last bit of your coffee and decided it might be best to start heading home. The clouds were quickly stirring up together and getting darker grey in color. Getting up from your seat, you headed for the nearest trashcan and chucked in your cup, but spinning around you saw a man standing before you, making you shriek.

"Eek!" you stumbled backwards, and he reached out and caught your elbows just in time.

"Whoa, that was close. Are you alright? I'm sorry for the scare."

The moment you locked eyes realization hit you, making your mouth drop at recognizing him as the guy who took you to the hospital months ago. The look on his face told you he remembered you to, and he broke out into a warm smile.

"Hey, aren't you the girl I bumped into before? The one I spilled coffee on?"

You chuckled a little at the memory. "Yeah, and you're the guy who was nice enough to take me to the hospital. How are you?"

"I should be asking you that question. How's your health and your back?"

"Oh, I'm fine," but you could tell he wasn't looking at you, but searching your body until they found your hands. He quickly picked them up, looking around and on your palms to see if the scratches were healed. You blinked at the sudden contact.

"No scars, that's good." He smiled a toothy grin before looking back at your face, and your heart squeezed suddenly.

He's more handsome then I remembered.

He suddenly realized he was holding onto your hands and softly but quickly let go. "I... I'm sorry. Sorry for that."

"Why are you sorry?" you said, smiling at him a little.

He chuckled, looking down to the ground and rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm naturally a touchy and friendly person. I hope that didn't make you feel uncomfortable."

You shook your head immediately. "Don't worry about it."

There was a small amount of tension and awkwardness as you both looked around the park, until you spoke again. "How did you know about this park? Not many people come by here."

"I know right? It's in the middle of nowhere." He said with excited eyes. "I found it because I saw you coming in here a few moments ago."

"You... You followed me here?" you said curiously.

He quickly fidgeted and looked for the next words to correct his sentence. "I... Not. No. I mean I, you looked so familiar, and then you disappeared behind the bushes so i was curious. It was like you evaporated in thin air! I'm not a creep I promise please don't think I'm weird," he mumbled with a cringed face at himself, and you laughed out loud.

"Don't worry, I don't think you're a creep," you whispered, making him smile in return. "I um, I come here sometimes to help me unwind in the day. I like it because it's quiet. It's kind of a secret though," you said bashfully, looking down at your feet.

"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret," he whispered sweetly with a playful wink, and you felt a little lighter instantly.

He has a pretty smile you thought. It immediately makes me want to smile back.

"I never got your name by the way. I'm Hoseok," he reached out his hand hesitantly, wondering if it was okay for you to take it. You reached out and took it warmly.

"Im Y/N," you said, and though the handshake was short,something about him made you want to connect your skin with his again and got slightly disappointed the moment he let go so soon.

"I um, thank you so much for all that you did to help me at the hospital. I know you felt like it was your responsibility or duty or something, but I still really would like to thank you somehow."

He shook his head and suddenly thought of an idea. "I know how you can pay me back. Let me take you out for coffee?"

Your heart thudded.

"Wait, how is that me paying you back?" you laughed.

"Fine, you can pay for the coffee then. Deal?"

"Deal."

"So, where shall we go?"

~~~~

You didn't mind going for another coffee with Hoseok even if you just drank one. He mentioned a cafe that was opened 24 hours, where he sometimes goes to when he cant sleep at night. When you arrived, it was beautiful, vanilla colored walls and honey brown trimmings, homey booths and the smell of warm caffeine and pastries and bread, little fairy lights that lined the windows and walls, a nice transition from the chilly air outside.

He was the perfect gentleman and pulled out your chair, gave you extra napkins and cutlery first before himself, and soon you were eating red velvet cake and coffee and asking about your day and personalities and things you liked to do for fun.

"I don't know, but I'm actually a much more of a boring person then you might think," you said to him, stirring sugar in your coffee.

"Try me,"he said in confidence.

"Well, my coworkers invited me to a night of clubbing, but i turned down their offer to go home, put on soft music in my pajamas and read a book."

You were afraid to look up at him after the little moment of silence, but when you finally did you saw him looking admirably while leaning his chin on his hand. "I like that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Who wants to go meeting random strangers in the dark and drinking till you throw up? I think we're past the age of fooling around now. I'd much rather have meaningful conversations while making real relationships with people and getting to connect on an emotional level, like this."

"Me too. I guess its because I'm more quiet, but i value talk about this stuff then 'who did who last night' or what kind of Louis Vuitton bag did so-in-so get," you said, taking a sip of your coffee.

He nodded. "You're an old soul. I like it. I feel that we are more mature in our time then other kids."

You laughed at the term "old soul", but you had to agree that he was right. Maybe that's why you preferred to go to the park or the beach alone. You didn't quite find many people who "got you."

"So, what's something surprising about you that many wouldn't think by seeing at first glance?" you asked.

"That behind my tough guy persona I'm really emotional."

Your mouth dropped open and you weren't expecting him to say that.

"Really? Like how emotional?"

"Like, crying at sad movies, liking allot physical affection and comfort and feeding stray cats on the street emotional. I cant help it. I got more of my mother's side of the DNA."

You smiled. "That's actually pretty cute. I hate macho men who hide their emotions."

"My friends would all poke fun at me for it. But, I mean, why hide them? We're all human. I couldn't hide it if i tried anyways."

"I find that to be even more charming then those who wouldn't admit that! You're a real one," you giggled.

"See, this is why the universe thought we should be friends. You get it."

You must've talked for hours and it was getting late into the night now, the stars were coming out.

"Wow, we've talked for a while now. Look at the moon!" he pointed outside the window.

"It's so bright. Good thing I don't work on the weekends or I would've been dead tired."

He smiled. "I'm really glad you didn't go to that club tonight," he said honestly. "Then we wouldn't have met like this and talk like this. I feel like I've known you forever!"

You blushed. "I feel like that to, oddly."

"So," he looked at his watch. You felt sad that the day was over, but then he said:

"When are we doing this again?"

And that was when you met your best friend, Hoseok.

[sunflowerspecter]

no one like her 🌙 n.r.

i guess we’re doing this :)

summary: you become quick friends with natasha when you move to the compound, but when it becomes more than just friendship, will you tell her? (maybe she’ll tell you first)

pairing: natasha romanov x reader

warnings: one curse word, some very very brief mentions of homophobia, gross fluff that made me sick writing, also maybe bad writing but i double checked the grammar and spelling 15 times so at least thats good (hopefully) 

words: 1508

note: this is my entry for @mcuspidey’s 2-week writing challenge!! the prompt/trope for this was best-friends-to-lovers so yay! (this started out as peter parker but then someone was like emma it’s pride month and i was like, oh, got it ;D) hope you enjoy this! 

To say the least, you definitely are not cut out to be a superhero. For some reason, however, your sister, Pepper Potts, thinks you are. Sure, you have that strange telepathy thing that no one can really explain, but other than that, you aren’t special. You’re just a vet in the city, at a clinic close to Avengers Tower. You used to be good at keeping your powers hidden, because humans are hard to read, for you. Eventually, you began only being able to read animals. One day, your boss discovered your ability.

And he fired you for it.

You lost your home, your car, everything because of him. Because he ruined your reputation, so you couldn’t get a job. You were able to call your sister for help, and perhaps that’s when the idea struck her.

“Come live at the compound with all of the Avengers! You'll get along so well with all of them-Tony can set it up! You’ll be safe, too,” she had said. Pepper was always just worried for your safety. She was always worried for the absolute worst, especially after almost losing both Tony and Natasha to the super villain, Thanos.

Thank god that ended well.

“Pepper, I won’t fit in. I’m not a superhero.”

“So? You don’t have to be, you’re our family!”

~~~oOo~~~

You replay the conversation in your head as you step out of the taxi and look up at the Compound. You see Captain America- no, Steve Rogers- waiting by the door for you. Grabbing your bags, you pay the driver and make your way towards the man.

“You must be Y/n,” he says, extending his hand. “I’m Steve Rogers.”

You take his hand shyly. “Yep. Er, hi.”

He smiles and leads you instead. “So, Stark told me you’re telepathic.”

You shrug. “Yeah. Doesn’t work on humans. For now.”

Steve pats your shoulder. “You’ll fit in very nicely, Y/n.”

~~~oOo~~~

After giving you a very thorough tour of the facility, Steve brings you into the lounge, where some of the team are watching Wall-E. They’re sprawled on top of each other, and your eyes scan over a metal arm, a green and red man, and a man with an incredibly long beard.

“Wanda, Vision, Sam, Bucky, Clint, and Thor,” he says, pointing at each person as he says their name.

Wanda stands, running over to you. “Oh, thank god, another woman. Nat and I have been so outnumbered with Carol off-planet, Hope at her dad’s, and Pepper with Tony and Morgan! Oh, those are the lady’s that spend the most time here, anyway.”

“Wait,” you mutter, “Pepper isn’t here?”

Wanda’s eyes go wide, and she glances at Steve for confirmation.

“She and Tony will be here tomorrow,” Steve says, then looks among the group. “Wanda, show Y/n to her room, please?”

“Of course,” she says quickly, pulling you towards an elevator. She presses a button and gives you a small smile.

“So,” you say quietly.

“Oh! You haven’t met Nat, have you?” she says, her eyes wide again. “You guys will get along great. Let’s drop your stuff off and go meet her. That okay with you?” she asks, putting a hand on your shoulder. You nod, doing your best to be friendly, despite your nerves. You had heard about Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow. Deadly assassin. Rumor has it she could take on four men twice her size at once, and escape unscathed. Rumor has it she walked off a bullet wound like it was just a cat scratch. Rumor has it, she sacrificed herself for all of humanity. Rumor has it, she was one of the toughest people you would ever meet.

Basically, the opposite of you, the pet-loving doctor.

Side notes.

~~~oOo~~~

“Nat, this is Y/n, Pepper’s sister!” Wanda calls, running to catch up to her friend. Natasha turns, smiling when she sees you.

“Hi, Y/n. Nice to meet you,” she says. You look up at her, and, for some reason- that can’t be anything good- your heart skips a beat.

“Uh, hi, yeah, nice to, nice to meet you,” you say, wringing your hands together.

“Ooh! Can we have a girls-only movie night now?” Wanda asks, clasping her hands and pouting her lip.

Grinning, Nat says, “Okay, okay. I guess we have enough girls. If that’s alright with you, Y/n? You are brand new, after all,” she says, giving a look to Wanda.

You nod enthusiastically. Pepper would want you to make friends. Definitely.

“Great! Friday night!” Wanda says, running off, a skip in her step and a smile on her face.

“See you then,” Nat says, a sly grin on her face as she walks away.

~~~oOo~~~

...Two hundred and thirty days later…

“I still wish I could change, somehow,” you admit, Nat rubbing your shoulders. After almost eight months with her, you two had grown to be almost inseparable. She accepts your broken, and you accept hers. There’s no need to be anything other than yourselves around each other.

Except (there’s always an except), there is one thing. One thing you can’t tell her.

You’re in love with her.

You spend day after day, night after night, morning after morning with her. Somewhere along the line, you fell in love. Oh well.

“Change?” she says. “How?” She sits next to you on the kitchen counter, ready for another 3am talk.

“Like, I wish I was never given powers. I wish I wasn’t abandoned and thrown into that orphanage. I wish my boss hadn’t caught me talking to that dog. I wish I didn’t have-” you stop, not wanting to admit the last thing. Your ex-best friend used to make fun of you for it, you don't want your new one to do the same.

“What?” she says, cupping your chin with one hand, wiping your tears with the other.

“I wish I didn’t have feelings toward…” Deep breath. She won’t judge. “Girls, Nat.”

She smiles. “Hey, it’s okay, Y/n. Don’t be ashamed. You shouldn’t have to be.” She pulls you into a hug.

“Thank you,” you mutter, sobbing.

“Don’t thank me,” she says.

~~~oOo~~~

...Thirty days later…

“Not helpful, Steve! Not at all!” Nat yells, running her hands through her red hair.

“I know, I’m sorry. Just, look, whoever it is, just tell her how you feel, okay? No harm in telling her,” he says, patting her shoulder.

Nat sits by him, nodding. “But, what if-”

“You never get this nervous,” he says, and Nat shoots him a look.

“There’s no one like her,” she says quietly, and Steve laughs, wrapping an arm around her-a new thing they do, now. Pain brings people together.

~~~oOo~~~

...The next Friday…

You look into your mirror, hating everything you see (even though you look lovely). Nat had asked you to dress up and meet her in the garden. Which confused you greatly, but, hey, whatever.

Finishing your makeup, you stand and breathe for a minute.

“It’s fine, Y/n,” you say to yourself. “This is what you get for falling for a straight girl.” Little do you know…

~~~oOo~~~

“Nat?” you ask, walking into the garden lit by fairy lights. Soft music is playing, and you can see all of the stars in the sky- one of the benefits of the compound is minimum light pollution.

“So, I’m not really much of a romantic, but Steve said this was, and I quote, ‘sure to woo a girl,’” Nat says, using finger quotes for maximum impact. You turn to see her, and you freeze. She’s wearing a red dress, fit in all of the right places, and she looks incredible.

“Nat,” you breathe out, looking at her eyes… those eyes. She looks more vulnerable than you’ve ever seen her.

“I guess it’s time I tell you… I just haven't known how, Y/n.”

“Tell me what?” you say, hoping it’s what you think.

Looking at the ground, she half-shrugs-half-laughs. “I-I’m just. Er, would you like to dance?” She holds her hand out and steps closer. You take it, grinning widely. She wraps one arm behind your waist, her other hand holding one of yours, your other hand on her shoulder.

It’s everything you ever wanted, and more.

“I love you, Y/n,” she whispers in your ear after a while. Without thinking, you press your lips onto hers, shocked that you could be so bold. Her hands move to your cheeks, and suddenly you’re both tangled together, touching, needing, everything you’ve both been holding back.

“I love you, too, Natasha,” you say against her lips. She smiles.

“Dammit, Y/n, we should have done this sooner,” she laughs, kissing you again.

“If I had powers that worked on humans, maybe we would’ve,” you say, and you look into Nat’s eyes, seeing all of the happiness in them (something that would have shocked you the first time you met the Black Widow).

“Let’s go upstairs,” she says, pulling you inside and toward the elevator, kissing you the second the doors shut.

[purplesurveys]

854

Are you unhappy at the moment? I wouldn’t say that. I’m just a little hungry but it’s bearable. I *might* by seeing Gabie tomorrow since I have to bring Cooper to the vet again so I’m a little kinda excited for that possibility, but I’m not holding my breath. When was the last time you read a full book? That would be when I finished Justin Roberts’ memoir last May. Are you back in school? No, I am very nearly out of it. I just have to wait for an official memo from the college enumerating the list of graduates, but all of my grades are in and I’m pretty much out the door. Who did you last hang out with? Cooper, before he started getting rough and I had to place him back in his crate to calm down. Kimi’s also starting to get the hang of him too so he was in the picture, but was still mostly shy and just being a grouchy senior dog who didn’t like playtime haha. When's the last time you got in trouble with your parents? With my mom, a week ago. With my dad, I barely remember.

How many children do you want? One or two would be perfect.

Are your nails painted? Nopes. Do you need to take a shower? I kind of do because I’m feeling a bit hot and am sweating a bit, but I don’t take a shower until late evening and I don’t wanna break that routine. Have you ever watched Keeping Up With The Kardashians? I’ve watched the first three seasons and I will sometimes catch recent episodes when I’m staying at a hotel that has the E! channel, but I don’t religiously follow the show. Love the family though, I’ll admit that. Are you single? Haven’t been for the last four years. Do you have any career ideas in mind? For sure. I don’t have specific job titles in mind, but I do have paths I’m interested in taking. Do you have any gay friends? I have a ton of gay friends. In general, I have more LGBTQ+ friends than straight ones. Are you gay yourself? I don’t think so. I’m demisexual, which doesn’t necessarily mean gay.  Are you doing anything this weekend? No different than what the last four months have been, except this time around puppy-sitting is now a part of my routine. How many brothers do you have? One. When was the last time you talked on the phone? Last Friday. I brought Cooper to the vet for bloody diarrhea and the vet was making me pick between just taking a stool sample or have him tested for parvo altogether (which was gonna be considerably more expensive). Since I was bringing my dad’s money and because he’s the ~primary~ owner of Cooper, I had to call him a couple of times so he can decide what to do with him because I didn’t wanna make the wrong choice. Do you like Mexican food? I do love Mexican food but it’s honestly not a cuisine I find myself craving a lot, unlike Indian or Indonesian cuisine which I’m always down for. What time is it? It issssssss 6:50 PM. What's your best friend's pet's name(s)? Gabie’s family has so many dogs but I only know of four: Dash, Quincy, Harley, and Tofu. Angela has Hailey, Kennedy, and a black lab but I’ve forgotten his name. How many pens are in the room you're currently in? Two. Did you go to work today? No work, but school-wise I didn’t have to do anything either. When was the last time you were disappointed? Earlier this afternoon when I opened the fridge and there was nothing I wanted to eat. Do you wear clothes from your school? Yeah my alma mater loved having t-shirts for all events so I have tons of those left over. I wear them around the house now because it’d be wasteful to throw them away. As for my university, I do have a couple of shirts and hoodies because school prideeeeeee. Have you ever done Safety Town? I’ve never heard of that, so probably not. How old are you? How old do you act? I am 22. I have no clue how old I act actually. I have times where I have zero street smarts and get super ditzy and seem like a 12 year old lol but there are times where I have to step up and give my friends advice, look out for them, and basically be the mom that acts older than all of them. What size shoe do you wear? 6 or 7 works fine for me. When was the last time you got a splinter? I can’t even remember; it’s been a while. Have you ever walked into a wall? Not a wall, but I’m not ruling out walking into a glass door because I’m pretty sure that’s happened at least once. Are there any spiders in your room right now? There might be tiny tiny ones. Nothing big enough to send me away from where I am. Have you ever taken a picture while laying in the grass? As much as possible I don’t like doing that, so probably not.  What's your favorite number? I don’t have one. Are you old enough to buy alcohol? Yeah, for the last four years. Have you ever watched iCarly? Just a few episodes. I did make sure to catch the One Direction episode the same day it aired though HAHAHA agh man life was so much simpler when all I did was be a fucking fangirl without a care in the world.

What was your favorite class during your sophomore year of high school? I had the best grades in Asian history, but I personally loved biology because I had the biiiiiggest crush on my teacher (and so did everyone else). She was so pretty and so so smart and so sophisticated; I knew she was gonna be my favorite once she introduced herself and told us she took her grad studies in France haha. She was WAY too qualified for my school and I’m glad she knew that because she transferred to another job a year later. Who's your favorite Disney charater? Rapunzel, and Rex from Toy Story heheh. Are there any framed pictures of you in your house? Yes, by the stairs. My Prep portrait is also hung up in my room. Do you listen to music while you clean your room? Sometimes. Do you wear bandanas in your hair? I don’t think I’ve used a bandana ever since we needed to wear them on our hair for our Kinder 2 moving-up ceremony.

When was the last time you ate a banana? Last May when I was sick and I was trying every rule in the book to get better. What's your favorite word? ‘Poignant’ has always been a good candidate. Have you ever been on a blind date? Nope, not into that. Have you ever taken the eHarmony personality quiz? No. Do you need to shave? Not right now, no. I’ve just done that recently. Are you wearing makeup right now? Definitely not. Do you know anyone named Laura? Nah. One of my favorite bands is fronted by a Laura, though.

[m-is-for-mungo]

So, I think it's time.

Personal time, scroll past if you aren't interested. I wish I could say I made any of this up.

TW: emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse, homelessness, depression, incest, dog death

Some of y'all may remember that I moved to Montana and basically kept the blog updated with my journey. Some of my mutuals know why I moved. But I'm ready to talk about it.

I moved to Pennsylvania in 2016 to live with my then fiance. I was pressured into moving much sooner than I wanted, to a place me and him had never discussed prior to his dad getting him a state job in Mansfield, Pennsylvania. I had to drop out of college, I left all my friends and family. I gave up musical theatre, and missed out on a big part that had my name on it because my fiance and his mother had been badgering me and pressuring me to move early.

So I did.

One memory that is burned into my mind is my mom standing in my grandmother's kitchen asking me one last time if I was sure I wanted to do this, and that it wasn't too late for us to just drive back home. I wish I had gone home.

But I drove alone to an apartment I had never seen before. While I was in those four walls, I was subjected to verbal abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, the deepest bout of depression I had ever had and am still recovering from, and that was just from my fiance. That doesn't include the abuse from his mother, the constant "You aren't good enough for my son," "when are you giving us grandchildren, we were your age when we had [ex-fiance]." I was 22. He was 24. We were barely making it with us two and a dog, and they expected me to get pregnant and have a grandchild for them.

This went on for a year, in person. We had been on the bad end of the relationship before I ever moved but I thought it would fix things. I threatened to leave multiple times, but how could I leave with not enough money to get home, care for my dog on the trip, fuck myself I could make it but I was worried for her. So I stayed.

I stayed even though I was being abused. Emotionally, verbally, and sexually. I overheard him every night on the PS4 talking to his friends how much of a cunt I was, if sex hurt, it wasn't his problem, how I don't do anything for him.

I cooked, I cleaned, I took care of him. I wasn't his partner, i was his second mother.

A year and some change in, I finally had it. I sat him down and I gave him his ring back and I told him I could no longer be with him. I would start working and save up money and get out, but until then, he had to work with me and be a roommate and just make the best of it.

A month later, he lost his job and began to pull unemployment. He would stay up nights on end, playing games with his friends until he would pass out where he laid, stay there for 16-20 hours, wake up, and repeat. During this time, I reached 245 pounds because I was emotionally eating and no longer cared for myself.

He and I spoke briefly about him considering moving back with his parents, as during this time, my parents sold the house in Mississippi and moved to Montana. It was no longer an easy drive for me to leave. 2 days of travel turned into 4. He said he would think about it. He left to see his parents for Christmas of 2017. On January 2nd, 2018, I got a message from him that he would be coming up on the 4th to get his stuff.

He had not involved me in any decisions.

I had $1.14 in my account.

I had no phone as he hadn't bothered to pay any bills for months.

I had no food.

My tires were going bad in my car.

And I had a sick dog.

That night, or early in the morning of the 3rd, my sweet Lily died. She had started to have seizures and I had nothing to help her. I couldn't get a hold of my ex to have him call an emergency vet. My mom couldn't get a hold of him, and she did her best for being across the country. I still hear Lily's last breath in my head. I remember the scream ripping through my chest and the absolute despair I felt.

And all he had to say to me was "I knew she was sick but I didn't do anything about it."

So I cut contact with him. I paid 4 and 5 months backed bills on a part time minimum wage job, leaving me pennies to live off of. My parents did the best they could, they paid my rent so I could still have a roof.

I went months alone. I lost 40 pounds that first month he was gone. Whether it was not eating, not eating the shitty junk food he ordered every night, or the stress, I don't know why I lost so much so fast.

And then my ex boyfriend came into the picture. I had worked with him for months at goodwill. Harmless flirting, he had a girlfriend after all. Just a joke here or there, and then we'd get back to our tasks. Until one day he came in, looking rough as hell, and only said "I don't have a girlfriend anymore."

So I reached out to him. He had been cheated on once again by the girl, and was hurting a lot more than he was showing. So I gave him a hand up. I didn't want to see him sad. And as we talked, he got deeper and deeper and he cried. I offered him a place to stay, since he had nowhere that was safe. And we started dating.

My lease would be up by the end of this month, and so we worked and worked on my place, we both quit goodwill and got much better jobs. He was able to start his much sooner than I did. Things were honestly looking up. He reconnected with his dad, who offered us a home. So slowly, we moved my stuff over there.

And then it happened.

On a Tuesday night in May, we moved the last bit of my stuff to his dad's. We had a great night, and he asked me if I regretted anything. I told him I didn't.

Wednesday morning, we had a small spat and he left. Walked back to his ex girlfriend and reconciled.

Thursday, my dad flew out and we got my affairs in order.

Friday, I no longer had a place that I could say I lived. My parents shelled over money to get a uhaul and my ex' s dad was a good man who took the day off so I could get my stuff, and I wrangled up some friends to help me pack the uhaul. Me and his dad were talking when his phone, my phone, and his step mothers phone all went off at the same time. His aunt had been keeping an eye on the situation and sent out a screenshot of his Facebook where he announced that he asked his ex to marry him.

They're step siblings.

By Sunday morning, they were married and me and my dad were in Illinois.

And the rest has been... blessedly boring since I've moved to Montana. I stayed with my parents for two months. I got my head on straight and then moved an hour away and have been providing for myself. I met some great friends, both irl and online. I've met an incredible guy, Matt, or as Oz calls him, Rangar the Red.

I'm happy. I don't feel the need to run away to Tumblr for an escape nearly as much as I did when I originally made this blog. It has finally moved into a "I'm doing this because I enjoy this community and content", not "I spend my every waking moment on Tumblr because if I stay in reality too long, it'll be the end of me."

And I know this was long, and I promise, I left a lot out, but I needed to get it out. I've talked about it here and there to friends, but it's finally become my story to tell and I'm at peace with what I have left in the past.

I appreciate every single one of y'all. For a while, this blog was my only purpose. And each and every one of y'all were my reason to get up for another day and provide what little content I had to share.

I will never be able to properly convey how much you all mean to me, but I can keep trying.

[seek-its-opposite]

AU where Queequeg doesn't die?

(I’m so sorry but he does technically die in this, but later and of natural causes.)

1.

Scully’s father taught her how to swim and how to find the North Star. He quizzed her on the 50 state capitals (Scully, flushed with exhaustion after a late-night stakeout, once recited them all for Mulder in an empty diner, a decibel too loud, her hands so expressive she almost knocked over her coffee) and sailing knots (she laced up Mulder’s boots when his arm was in a sling and he lost feeling in his toes). Her father showed her how to drive a boat, which she really is a natural at, she swears, alligators aside.

There’s water pooling between Mulder’s toes when they get back to their motel, one $500 deposit later, to find Scully’s indignant Pomeranian chewing through a throw pillow. Mulder remembers what else she said her father taught her: Respect nature because it has no respect for you.

Scully, remembering the same, just sighs and takes a shower.

Later, with wet hair and a dry sweatshirt, she takes the dog into the yard to do his business before the long drive, and Mulder leans on the door frame and imagines a whole new natural order. He imagines Scully on vacation, driving the Blue Ridge Parkway with the windows down and never shivering with him on a rock in the dead of night. He shouldn’t have joked about cannibalism. He’s already consuming her, a little more every day.

Out in the clearing, Queequeg yelps, and with one swift tug he pulls free of Scully’s grasp and sprints toward the tree line, his leash dangling behind him. Scully takes off running after her blurry pet, and Mulder takes off running after her, all three of them disappearing into the woods like a children’s book.

They catch up to each other at the edge of the lake, Queequeg yapping at the waves. Scully scoops her pet into her arms.

“What were you thinking?” she asks her dog, in a tone Mulder knows well. He puts his hand on her shoulder.

They’re turning away from the shore when something splashes behind them. Mulder glances back at the water, grabs Scully’s arm, and squeezes tight.

“Scully, look.”

They spin around in tandem, just in time to see a long neck rising out of the waves.

Queequeg makes the drive back to D.C. on Mulder’s lap, like a conquering hero.

2.

After that, Mulder keeps a bag of treats in his glove compartment, pocketing one or two every time he shows up at her door. But when he comes knocking late one Friday night with his hair in his eyes and a bottle of wine in his hand, there are no treats and no Kleenex in his pocket, and Queequeg growls, nipping at his heels.

The cops are already taking him away when Mulder, the real Mulder, shows up, out of breath. His palms are black and blue.

“How did you know?” he asks Scully, kneeling before her on the couch. She clasps her hands around her shins, hugging them closer.

“You were terrible to Queequeg,” she says, and surprises even herself when she laughs.

He sits with her for hours, her on the couch and him on the floor, coaxing her dog out of the corner with treats to win him back as Scully gradually uncoils. It’s after midnight when, sleepy and reclined, she reaches out to brush her fingertips against his shoulder.

“Mulder, you’ll take care of him, right? When I’m gone?”

He almost chokes. Her eyes are closed and her arm flops over the edge of the couch, easy and trusting. She looks so comfortable, healthy. If he prayed, he’d be down on his knees begging for a way to turn shape-shifting inward: not to make himself look like someone else, but to make reality line up with how it already looks. To be the kind of man who comes over to see her on Friday after work just because.

He squeezes her hand. When he weaves her fingers into his, he can’t feel his own bruises.

3.

She lives, and lives again. They get the X-Files back only to wind up packing Lacoste polos and pearl earrings for a trip to the suburbs. He waits for his life to stop feeling like an illusion.

“We should take Queequeg,” Scully says, her hair curling around her ears. “Help us look the part.”

Mulder agrees. He’d say yes to anything she asks for right now, with the keys to the basement in his pocket and a matching set in hers. Nothing about this case seems like an X-File anyway, so the dog shouldn’t be in any danger.

(There’s also this: He likes the idea that even one part of their real life makes them look like a happy couple.)  

It occurs to them both too late that nice suburban couples don’t have dogs named after Melville characters. They explain his namesake, and explain it again. Queequeg, their perfect alibi, hates Scruffy and yaps at him all through dinner. They don’t get much information out of the Schroeders.

Still, when they trade off late-night walks, or when he brings her coffee in the morning and Queequeg jumps on the bed, Mulder sees them from a distance, like he’s watching someone else’s home videos on the camcorder: Scully and Mulder and their wet-nosed pet, the picture of domesticity.

He remembers her a year ago speaking low and sweet to her daughter, asking if she liked dogs.

4.

In truth, they don’t know how old Queequeg is and are both privately surprised he makes it this long. He goes grey around the snout and catches less air during games of fetch, but he remains otherwise as stubborn as ever.

A week after Scully kisses Mulder on the couch with his arm in a sling, she comes back to his place with her overnight bag under one arm and her dog under the other, and she doesn’t leave all weekend. He remembers the old wisdom about dogs and their owners. He loves her relentlessness fiercely; he never dreamed it would look like this, like her hand clutching a fistful of his sheets as she sleeps.

Maybe it was always this simple. Maybe they never had to make their lives look like anything else.

Warm and worn out, they stay in bed so late on Saturday morning that Queequeg whines in the doorway. Mulder regards the dog with a finger over his lips as he fumbles for his jeans.

Scully stirs and pushes herself up on one elbow. The sheet slips from her shoulders; she is perfect, perfect. He leans over to brush the hair out of her eyes.

“Don’t move a muscle,” Mulder tells her, tapping her cheek. “Don’t ever move.

“I’ll be right back.”

5.

There are still scars on his cheeks, three on each, like cold fingers grabbed his face and pulled. Queequeg rarely leaves his dog bed anymore and hasn’t begged for treats since Mulder’s return. The truth is there are none in his pocket.

Scully calls, her voice measured, and asks him to come right away. When he asks if she’s hurt, if it’s the baby, she says no, she’s fine, but he does need to hurry.

He finds her on the couch with Queequeg beside her, stroking the dog’s head and whispering something soothing.

“Scully, what’s wrong?”

“It’s time, Mulder,” she says, not looking up. “I’ve called the vet.”

“Queequeg?”

“I can bring him in anytime today. I thought—” She catches her breath. “I thought you’d want to say goodbye.”

She can’t stop herself from crying any longer, and Mulder, who until now has been hovering a few feet inside the door, finally comes over to kneel before her, offering a tissue like a white flag. She takes it and forces a wobbly smile.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffs.  

“Scully, what are you sorry for, honey?” He puts his hand on her knee.

“You just got back,” Scully cries, wiping her eyes. “You shouldn’t have to be around death right now. Maybe this was a bad idea.”

“No, Scully, no.” He shakes his head and fumbles for understanding. He was dead and now she’s pregnant and her dog is dying, and he can’t seem to stop saying her name. “Scully… I would never want you to go through this alone.”

He remembers too late that she already went through this alone with him. With his body.

He reaches out to pat Queequeg behind the ears.

“He’s been sick for a while, Mulder. I did what I could.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he says. He’s looking at the dog. Scully shivers.

He drives her to the vet with her dog in her lap. He drives her home and holds her hand.

Later, he sits beside her on the couch, the air unstable between them. Her fingers and his are wrapped around separate mugs of hot tea, and Scully closes her eyes and inhales the steam. Her place is quiet, shadowy.

“He was a good dog, Scully,” Mulder says. “I mean, aside from that time he ate his owner.”

Scully breathes out a half laugh, eyes still closed. “That wasn’t his fault, Mulder.”

“Still. I’m glad he never ate you.”

“I’m touched.” She opens her eyes.

“Remember,” he sets down his mug and rubs his hands together, “when he found Big Blue for me?”

“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell anyone,” she says. “After all that.”

She reaches to place her drink beside his, straining over her belly.

“Scully.” He almost gasps. It’s the most obvious thing in the world; how can she not know? “I didn’t have to tell anyone. You were there.”

He takes the mug from her hands, gently, and puts it on the table. Scully starts to smile and suddenly she’s crying, hot and silent.

“Hey,” he leans over, wiping his thumb across her cheek. “Hey, Scully.” She shudders at his touch, then buries her wet nose on his shoulder and whispers things he can’t yet understand. He repeats her name into her hair, over and over.

Her father taught her that everything dies. Her mother taught her to believe in resurrection.

[cordeliagoode23-blog]

I Love You, But I Don’t Want To - 3

Michael sat in his room throughout the meeting with the council took place downstairs. He could hear every single word, and he couldn't help but worry that he might not get the chance to see or meet Cordelia before their departure. He wanted to change her mind if possible. But before he had the chance to leave his room, something overcame him to draw in his journal. Within the few minutes Cordelia explained her time at The Hotel Cortez, he drew a perfect picture of the building.

As Michael's eyes started to flutter closed, hand still scribbling on the page, he felt a small shred of his soul leave his body—astroprojection, it was something he had done a time or two before.

He was able to lead himself to where he wanted to go, The Cortez. Walking inside, he went straight for the room where March held Queenie captive. The door swung open without much of a command, and he stepped inside. He thought this would surely cause Cordelia to think he was worthy of his time now.

March stared at him with amazement. "What a fascinating specimen... alive, and yet so intimate with the dead."

"Who the hell are you?" Queenie asked.

"My name is Michael Langdon. And I am here do to for you what your Supreme couldn't." He said as he stepped forward, holding out a hand to the woman.

"Yeah right," Queenie said as she started shuffling the cards in her hand.

"Take his hand, Queenie." March said as he stared at the young man. Being dead and so close with the devil had its advantages, and he was able to see part of Michael that most couldn't see.

"And what if I don't want to?" Queenie asked.

Michael scoffed, but held out his hand, and smiled.

"I'm not sure you have a choice," March said. It was easy for him to see who Michael really was, and how powerful he could be.

Queenie took the given hand and stood up.

Michael smiled at March as he side-eyed him.

"Be right back," Queenie grumbled as she followed Michael out of the hotel room.

Even though she said that March knew that would be the last time he would see his card-playing-captive.

Michael and Queenie walked downstairs, and he stepped out the front door, while Queenie stood behind, looking out.

"Come on." Michael urged.

Queenie stepped out, looking at the young man in shock, and somewhat scared of what he was.

"There's still one more person left to get." Michael grinned. "Let's go."

☆——☆——☆

Michael led Queenie inside the realm of personal Hells, and into one. Queenie was mumbling under her breath as she looked around. She knew this was a mistake. For whatever Michael wanted, for whatever he was trying to do or prove, they didn't need Madison. No one did, at least that's what she thought.

Michael walked down the main aisle, straight to where Madison stood with a pile of towels surrounding her. He held his hands behind his back as he looked down at her with a small smile.

Slowly, Madison looked up, her eyes trailing up the young man's body until she met his face.

"Hello, Madison." He greeted.

Madison slowly stood up; confusion laced on her face. "You don't belong here. You're not like the others..."

"You can tell?" Michael mused with furrowed brows. "Interesting," he smirked. "I would think most souls wouldn't have any awareness in their personal Hell." He chuckled before continuing on. "The confusion only adds to the suffering."

"Well, I've always had the curse of being right and knowing more than everyone else," Madison said as she threw her hands up in the air. "So, I guess knowing I'm in Hell is ironic, or something... who are you?" she asked.

"The man who's going to get you out of here." He stated bluntly.

Madison chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah, right." She said before leaning down to gather the fallen towels.

Michael stared down at her with a raised brow. He didn't understand why she didn't seem very enthusiastic about his words.

"What's the catch?" the blonde woman asked as she looked back up at him. "Do I have to blow you, or something?"

Michael chuckled with a slight shake of his head. "No."

Madison looked somewhat disappointed with that answer. "Oh... okay." She said before standing back up. "Well, when we get out of here, can I anyway? You're a snack, and I haven't had a good dicking in a forever. Any dicking really. And they purposefully make sure all the personal massagers are out of stock, so..." she trailed off with a chuckle.

"Damn, a hoe even in the afterlife, huh?" Queenie said snarkily as she came around the corner.

Madison's smirk dropped as she spotted her 'friend'. She dropped the towels in her hand and ran straight for the other woman. "Hey!" She squealed as she wrapped her arms around the voodoo witch.

Queenie cringed. "Get off me, bitch." She said as she shook Madison off her.

"Is it really you? I mean, how did you get here?" Madison asked before turning to Michael. "What is all of this?"

"Okay, so... I was dead and stuck in some haunted hotel, or something, and I swear to God, it had the worst, boring, most annoying white people since you." Queenie said and got a glare from Madison. "And then this dude came, and freed me, and brought me down here to get you."

"Why?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I was trying to talk him out of it the whole way here. I told him that you're a stone-cold bitch and that you're exactly where you belong." Queenie said.

Madison smiled, taking that as a compliment.

"There's work to do," Michael said. "I need you both."

Madison scoffed as Queenie rolled her eyes. "For our powers?" the Hollywood actress asked.

"No," Michael said. "To prove a point."

"Just take me, please. Okay, whatever you need. I will do it." Madison said as she walked over to the blonde man. "I promise to be so good if I get the chance."

"Now why would you do something silly like that?" Michael asked with a small smirk. He loved how willing she was without even knowing a damn thing about him, who he was, or what he was capable of.

Meanwhile, Queenie just stared at him. It was clear to her, that this was more than just proving a point to someone. It was a plan for something dark. She could feel it but didn't know how dark he truly was.

☆——☆——☆

Cordelia sat in the main room of the boys' school as she waited for Myrtle and Zoe to come back for her. Suddenly, a vision came into her mind, causing her to see the terror that was about to happen in the world. She stood up, sickness wavering over her senses.

"Cordelia," Zoe said as she and the redheaded witch stepped back into the room. "The car is ready." She said.

Myrtle was taken aback by the terrified yet knowing look on the Supreme's face. "Are you alright, dear?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Cordelia lied. "The air in here... it's..." she trailed off.

"The stench of an unwashed boy makes bourbon-soaked sheets smell like Chanel number five. I can't bear it another minute." Myrtle said. "It's time we left these mole people and return to civilization."

Cordelia gave them both an uneasy smile before walking around the table to join her fellow witches.

The three witches walked out of the academy, passing by the warlocks on the way out. Cordelia kept her head held up high as they walked.

Outside, Michael walked with Madison and Queenie right behind him. A wide smirk on his lips. He knew Cordelia, and her two council members were about to step out and see them.

Just as Cordelia, Myrtle, and Zoe stepped out of the elevator, the Supreme's eyes met the two witches she had lost. Her whole body was hit with that sickening feeling again, and she felt all her power and strength leave her.

Zoe and Myrtle quickly knelt down to help her. Queenie ran from her spot straight to her Supreme, wanting to help just as much.

Meanwhile, Madison rolled her eyes before slowly walking that way.

Michael smirked to himself as he started to walk toward the witches. He knew it was his powers, his dark demeanor that caused the Supreme to collapse. However, there was another part inside him - a very small part at that - that wondered if she was okay. That small voice was the one he didn't like, that small shred of goodness inside him.

✿——✿——✿

i'm sorry for the late update. my cat got sick, and my roommates and i have been in and out of the vet with him since friday, so  i didn't get to write very much over the weekend. hope you enjoyed it ♡

[altaieu]

please refrain from reb/0gging

as im watching the dark skies shift to blues, the sun is rising on a household with one less kitten in it today. i can see no stars out.

amber died yesterday.

we took her home on friday, neck tube in and accompanied by medicine, after a 9 day stay in the hospital. we were going to try our hardest to help her get get better. we’d been making plans the entire time what we’d do with her when she was healthy again; that we’d definitely let them out next more next summer and make certain the garden had no places for pests, that i’d play with them even more than i did now, that we’d get them all health insurance. we bought her the cat bed we’d been lingering over at the store to make sure she had a very comfy spot to recover in. i’d woken up late on friday but i helped my sister with feeding her, giving her medicine. i was prepared to stay up all day saturday to help.

but she hadn’t closed here eyes since she’d come home, and what my sister thought was her sleeping - nictitating membranes half closed, paws twitching like she was dreaming - maybe have been a seizure in retrospect. though she took everything well, at 7 am she was having breathing problems. she was laying sideways on the floor with her little tongue sticking out, eyes half closed. we woke everyone up. we rushed her back to the hospital immediately. we talked about putting her down, and i’m sad we didn’t in retrospect, but we had never lost a cat before and we were so hopeful she could still turn around - twice while she was at the hospital she’d perked up and looked for all intents and purposes that she was recovering. she was such a strong, healthy cat before all this happened, it was hard to think she could just go like that, but as it happened it was just complication after complication that hit her. so we held off to give her the weekend, said if she didn’t look better, we’d be back to sign the papers.

it was not even 5 hours after we’d left her there that we got the call, around 1:30 pm. she’d nosedived suddenly and they tried to resuscitate her to no success - something my sister had said yes to out of reflex, but was going to phone tomorrow to say not to do, to just let her go. we went back and saw her little body. my sister cradled her in her arms, and every time she shifted in her seat amber’s fuzzy ears swayed just a bit and i kept expecting her to shake it off, wake up, blink up at us with those big, warm, adoring eyes she always had. her head was as cold as the wind outside when i pet her and i feel as if the chill hasn’t left my hand.

now my brain keeps playing that still face against those late night/early morning memories of her jumping up on my bed and my desk, smiling at me with that big wide happy mouth, bumping her head against mine and against the curtain until i’d open it and she could look out and she’d wiggle her big fluffy butt right between me and my monitor. her tail would always be straight up as she watched the shifting shadows beyond the glass and she purred like an orchestra. then she’d sit on my lap and make the cutest face at me, and i’d pet her a little, but because she always seemed to do this when i was absorbed in writing or art i’d pat her butt until she got annoyed and leapt off, skittering out of my room and down the stairs with the noise of a horse. i’d always felt a little guilty after that, and last time, in damn november, i’d made the promise to myself that next time she came to visit i’d let her sit on me and cuddle up as long as she wanted. it’s been barely 15 hours and already i miss seeing that fuzzy face pop up from behind my desk, that fluffy butt jogging out of my room. amber, i’m so sorry i booted you away when you were lonely in the mornings and just wanted to give and receive love from me.

there’s so many things i wish we did in retrospect (in retrospect, in retrospect). i wish i had pushed harder for a vet appointment when i first saw her so listless, but i always differ to my sister and she said she had no money for it. i wish we’d gotten all our cats health insurance so it wouldn’t have been as big of a cost as it was, that we wouldn’t have been so hesitant about a vet appointment in the first place. i wish i had convinced my sis to put her down when we were there in the mornning so she could have passed away in the arms of someone she loved surrounded by people she cared about instead of laying her head against the side of a small metal cage because we were too scared to let go of her. i’m so sorry amber, we did you so wrong.

when we were there in the morning a man came in after us, an old old man who looked to be in his eighties or so. he was there about a cremation for his african grey parrot who’d passed away the night before. he had a south african accent, and i heard him talking about how he’d been with the bird for forty seven years, that he’d found it abandoned by someone else. i saw him and an old woman bawling in the parking lot afterwards. looking back i should have taken it as an omen.

when we got back to the house the first time, around 11:30 in the morning, the cats were going crazy. all three were trying to get into my room. i wanted nora to stay out so she could comfort my sister, but maggie stood on my desk for 15 minutes staring with that kitty love face and headbutting me before she fell asleep on the bed by my feet. sassy, meanwhile, was absolutely losing it, running around the house and yelling with her unique, loud “mryow” sounding vocalization, eyes wide. should have taken it as an omen.

its weird to wake up at 3 am today to three cats. a time in the morning when i know amber would’ve come to visit, given her health back. its weird to walk down and not see her stretch her big fuzzy yellow belly into a croissant shape. i miss running around the house with the knotted shoelace and having her run after me at top speed, catching it and then running along with me as its in her mouth. i miss her closing eyes as you brushed her mane. i miss that little orange spot she wore on her head like a jewel.

i don’t think i can do anything downstairs without getting choked up about how she’d lie across my legs as i did anything. i don’t think i can get back to playing spyro or watching xfiles since she was there like that the whole time for those. i don’t think i can pick up arkham knight or aco again since i’d sit out in the middle of the floor for those and she’d come up behind me and bump my back, sit on my blanket, lay across one of my legs as i played.

i worry about my sister who cannot even lie in her bed without remembering amber there, sleeping on a pillow beside her, hugging her with all her legs. that cat got her through an abusive relationship and countless depressive episodes and the inherent trauma of being trans in a world that really doesn’t want you to live.

but like whether she’s in kitty heaven as my parents would prefer to think, or she’s my sister’s little spirit guardian now, or if there’s a kitten born on this day that might cross our paths again and bump our legs and look up, i hope she’s doing good. she deserves that at least, she was the sweetest cat i ever met and she should have got more than we could give her.

i feel bad for the hospital staff too. in her stay there she charmed everyone who crossed her path and they were all rooting so hard for her to pull through. one of the vets had her out in her office walking around for exercise on one of the days she was very perky, seemingly recovering. the one we interacted with yesterday was too kind, waiving the fees for the resuscitation attempts and refunding us the 700 we put down for the next few days of care that wouldn’t come to pass. i mean, we’d already dropped 9k on her and were fully prepared to spend 1k more for that fighting chance of a weekend - and of all the things we regret that is not one of them, even if i know a thousand people who’d call us fucking idiots for it. no cent spent trying to keep her alive was a waste. between all of us, even if we had to go into debt, it was the least we could do. we put aside those hopeful dreams of actually owning a house for her, and all my daydreams of introducing them to the new place.

but that 9k could have been reduced to 4.5k (over the 8 years, putting into it each month) if we’d had health insurance on her. as much as that is, it’s tiny compared to what we just spent and would have given us the reassurance to take her to the vet the moment she got sick instead of worrying about money. please, if you have pets you care about, get them health insurance. here it’s 50 a month but that is nothing compared to the cost of vet bills even for routine checkups which it will cover 90% of, and it will give you the peace of mind that you can go to the vet whenever. the moment a pet starts acting unusual you should take them. even if its nothing, its better safe than sorry. complications can hit so fast and pile up.

i’ll be watching the other cats much more closely after this and - after i have my energy back, hopefully - i’ll follow through on that promise and pay them even more attention and get them even more toys. we’re gping to get them health insurance in january and we’re gonna spent the spring cleaning up the backyard to make it safer for the cats, just in case. when they get into the backyard in the summer, oh, its gonna be real fuckin strange not to see amber’s cute sandy coloured face under the lilac tree by the little pond. i still have photos of her from last summer and remember vividly making myself stupid in the grass to get those upward shots of her.

goodnight little lion. you had all the colours of the desert in you and all the love of the sweetest little earth angel, eager to share it. i wish we could have given you so many more years of care, eight was not enough and eleven is much too young for a kitty to go, but i hope you are warm and basking in sunlight wherever you are.

i could see no stars out until i looked behind the house. there, despite the heavy cloud cover on this overcast day, there is a single star shining brighter than i’ve ever seen before, right above us, right at the door.

[puffypawskittyhaven-blog]

CAT HOSPICE WILL BE OUT OF CAT FOOD ON FRIDAY Please donate @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id454.html Englewood, Florida’s “World’s Greatest Cathouse,“ Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is 501(c)(3) a non-profit, no-kill cat hospice and rescue specializing in providing quality and loving care to special needs cats and finding homes for the adoptable kitties under their care. Puffy Paws cares for kitties with feline leukemia, FIV, feral cats, unadoptable kitties, one eye cats, senior kitties, kitties that do not use their litter box, abused kitties, cats with neurological disorders, abused kitties and more - basically unwanted and unadoptable kitties that would be euthanized elsewhere. You give us that ability to saves lives with your support by caring, sharing, praying, sending power of light and love and donating when feasible. It seems like its a never ending, in raising funds for these kitties, yet we only ask for what we need for them to give the wonderful live they never had.

CAT HOSPICE WILL BE OUT OF CAT FOOD ON FRIDAY Once again we must reach out to the kitty lovers of the world , so we can feed the kitties for the following week. .Each and every week we must ask the kitty lovers of the word to feed the kitties, this is why you are seeing us in your news-feed.

We have no other options without local support ,the kitties daily survival depends upon the charity of the kitty lovers around the world, each and everyday.

$ZERO$ In / $946 To Go For Cat Foodz Bill of $946 For The Week Of March 10th - March 17th

IT COSTS $4.73 TO FEED EACH KITTY A WEEK AT PUFFY PAWS.

Yet It will be such a disaster when the wholesaler, Phillips Pet Food & Supply, tries to delivered the food on Friday and we can not pay for it. In the contract that we signed non payment of goods ordered will be dealt with cancelling the account.

The kitties can not go on without cat food. That will be inhumane . We beg of you, if you heart and budget can afford to help please do. A $5 $10 $25 Donation all adds up.

I'm so sorry in asking but if we don't the kitties will go with out. It is all up to what your heart and budget can afford to take care of the kitties. Every little bit helps.

Thank you for all your support during our difficult times.

Please only give what your heart and budget can afford to help these very special needs and unwanted kitties.

Please donate @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id454.html

With being a Cat Hospice many kitties have come into our lives for their final days.It breaks our heart that they come to Puffy Paws in such bad shape at times from death row, the streets and owner give ups.

Broken little souls and bodies that need, the love and care we can only provide all because of you.

Thank you so much for being the true kitty angels that you all are.

Please Watch: Puffy Paws TV Don't Let The Puffy Paws Kitties Be A Forgotten Memory @ https://youtu.be/tbTRR0rcbU4

Please Watch: Puffy Paws TV Passed Animal Control Inspection With Flying Colors @ https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldsGreatestCathousePuffyPawsKittyHaven/videos/10154579986547384/

Please Watch: Puffy Paws TV Rick & Da Kitties @ https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldsGreatestCathousePuffyPawsKittyHaven/videos/10154418972272384/

200 Special Needs Kitties Needs Your Help Today.

With Chrissy Kingston taking care of the kitties every single day. backed by an Army of kitty lovers around the world all because they help when the kitties need it.

Please read:

Chrissy - A Woman With The Strength Of A 1,000 Men @ http://puffypawskittyhaven.com/id390.html

In 2009, Sarasota Code Enforcement ban all adoptions, surrenders, and volunteers to Englewood, Florida’s “World’s Greatest Cathouse,“ Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is a non-profit, no-kill cat hospice and rescue specializing in providing quality and loving care to special needs cats and finding homes for the adoptable kitties under their care..

Bottom line Per Code Enforcement - You can not run a business from a residential home - NO FOOT TRAFFIC.

( For more information on the background story please click )

http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id471.html

Since than, my wife, Co-Founder Chrissy Kingston has been taking care of 200 kitties by herself yet she can not feed the kitties if we do not have cat food.

With being a two man band Chrissy running the Haven and I the Business Center. I wear many hats through out the day. I raise funds on-line. If I fail at raising funds for the food & kitties daily needs and the $3000 in operating expenses for the kitties under our care,and the $4,000 in vet care every month, there will be no other option but to close down. What choice would we have?

Operating Expenses @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id353.html

An entire cat hospice will be wiped out and only painful and sad stories will be told because we could not round up the worldwide awareness and financial help these beautiful cats deserve.

I run to the Vet. I'm our Web Master. I do all the graphic art work.I'm the kitties photographer and video tech I update on fb and the other social media's everyday.

I pick up the kitties daily supplies when needed. I put out the SOS's for help. I put out all the fires that pop out daily. I help out at the Haven when needed. I'm my wife's venting post. I'm the fixer.

Which brings up till the hard reality of today.

WE WILL BE OUT OF CAT FOOD ON FRIDAY Please donate @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id454.html

Thank you for reading our plea for help today

Thank You. These two words can never express what Chrissy and I feel.

You are going where others dare not to go, as thousands of cats are being killed today at traditional shelters.

You are opening up your hearts to the second chance kitties at Puffy Paws.

YOU ARE TAKING A STAND TODAY BY YOUR SUPPORT

By caring ,sharing, praying, sending power of light and love and donating when feasible is the Puffy Paws way.

What we call this at Puffy Paws is Mad Kitty Love.

A love so rich for felines in ones soul that it is unconditional just like their love for us.

We welcome you to trudge this beautiful journey with us.

What a difficult road we all travel for the sake of 200 special needs kitties that depends upon the entire world of kitty lovers to see the light of tomorrow.

We all are taking a stand, by words and deeds that every kitty life is just as precious as the next.

We can never thank you enough.

Once again we must reach out to the kitty lovers of the world , so we can feed the kitties for the following week.

We will run out of cat food on Friday.

Each and every week we must ask the kitty lovers of the word to feed the kitties this is why you are seeing us in your news-feed.

We have no other options without local support ,the kitties daily survival depends upon the charity of the kitty lovers around the world, each and everyday.

$ZERO$ In / $946 To Go For Cat Foodz Bill of $946 For The Week Of March 10th - March 17th

IT COSTS $4.74 TO FEED EACH KITTY A WEEK AT PUFFY PAWS.

If you can help. Please do @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id454.html

Only by asking for help when we need it, is the only way we make it at a day at a time. No Donation Is Ever To Small.

In these hard economical times, we all know the personal sacrifices each and everyone of you make when you donate to the kitties at Puffy Paws Kitty Haven and for this we will always be eternally grateful.

Please only give what your heart & budget can afford

Thank you for keeping the kitties safe from an ever so cruel world where they came from

If we do not ask for help when they kitties need it we will never be able to keep the doors open at Puffy Paws Kitty Haven. 200 special needs kitties lives are at stake each and everyday.

If we can not feed, vet, and pay the operating expenses, their will be no food, sick cats, no power.

We will never be able to go on with conditions like those. This is why we must ask for your help today. We are not a traditional rescue and our fund raising is anything but traditional.

QUESTION & CONCERNS

The majority of any question and concerns can be answered by reading the post in its entirety and by going to the following links below.

Feel free to call me at 941-623-8904 if you could not find the answer you were looking for.

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven, passed Inspections by Sarasota County Animal Control ,in 2015 & 2016 & Passed With Flying Colors @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id470.html

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is supported by the kitty lovers around the world.

Check out the kitties F.A.Q @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id457.html

Please read: Love vs Hate:The True Story of Puffy Paws @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id455.html

This is our true story and our history, documented in the media, in how the forces of evil can never trump the true love the founders of Puffy Paws Kitty Haven have for each other and the special needs & unwanted kitties under their care and here you will find any answer to a question, you may have about Puffy Paws.

We also invite you to explore the kitties web site @ www.puffypaws.org

Please click the link to see over 25,000 pictures of our daily adventures.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheWorldsGreatestCathousePuffyPawsKittyHaven/photos/

We know you will love the kitties at Puffy Paws.

This Is Is What The Local & National Media Has Been Saying About Puffy Paws Kitty Haven.

" Puffy Paws is a Taj Mahal For Kitties ".Dee Anne Roberts WENG Radio Host - All About Pets

" The Cat’s Meow of Nonprofit Organizations" Alissa Wolf from about dot com

Josh Taylor from ABC 7 News has called Puffy Paws Kitty Haven " A Bed & Breakfast For Cats ".

Tami Patzer from the Gasparilla Gazette, wrote " Puffy Paws Kitty Haven is immaculate and if all the cats hid under the bed, anyone entering the home would have no clue cats even lived there.

Stephen Baumann from the Englewood Sun Herald wrote - You might think the Kingston household is a crowded, purring, furry mess. It's not. The house is big enough, and the cats small enough, that everyone's got more than enough room to stretch out, which is how cats spend much of their day anyhow.

It cost well over $30,000.00 a month to run Puffy Paws Kitty Haven. $41.09 a hour every single day, 365 days a year.

Funds are like the tide over here at Puffy Paws. Funds in and funds out.

Please check out our operating expenses page @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id353.html

Rick has become a "Social Media High Tech Beggar " it may not be pretty but it works.

Some folks cry they do not like our fund raising tactics. Our reality is the brutal truth. We have never sugar-coated it. That is why the kitties are alive today because the kitty lovers of the world know about our daily dilemma.

Everyday we must ask for help from Kitty Lovers from all over the world, using all social media that is at our disposal, so that we may keep continuing our mission in helping the special need & unwanted kitties under our care

Please give the gift of life by donating to these very special need kitties. Without your help we can not do what we do for the kitties under our care.

Only Through The Power of Your Love Can These Very Special Need Kitties See The Light of Tomorrow.

Its truth or consequences fund raising. If folks do not donate - We can not feed the kitties and if this happens and if the $30,000 a month operating expense are not paid,we will have to shut down and the cats will die at the hand of others.

The unwanted & special need kitties are blessed to have a world wide family that loves them ever so much. Thank You !!!

The Majority of the fund Are Donated By The Kitties Lovers Through Out The World.

Just by asking for help when the kitties need it.

Puffy Paws cares for kitties with feline leukemia, FIV, feral cats, unadoptable kitties, one eye cats, senior kitties, kitties that do not use their litter box, abused kitties, cats with neurological disorders, abused kitties and more - basically unwanted and unadoptable kitties that would be euthanized elsewhere.

WE WILL BE OUT OF CAT FOOD ON FRIDAY

$ZERO$ In / $946 To Go For Cat Foodz Bill of $946 For The Week Of March 10th - March 17th

IT COSTS $4.73 TO FEED EACH KITTY A WEEK AT PUFFY PAWS.

If you can help. Please do @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id454.html

It will be such a disaster when Phillips Pet Food & Supply tries to delivered the food on Friday and we can not pay for it. In the contract that we signed non payment of goods ordered will be dealt with cancelling the account.

We can not go on without cat food. That will be inhumane . We beg of you, if you heart and budget can afford to help please do. A $5 $10 $25 Donation all adds up.

I'm so sorry in asking but if we don't the kitties will go with out. It is all up to what your heart and budget can afford to take care of the kitties. Every little bit helps.

Thank you for all your support during our difficult times.

Please only give what your heart and budget can afford to help these very special needs and unwanted kitties.

Please donate @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id454.html

IT COSTS $4.73 TO FEED EACH KITTY A WEEK AT PUFFY PAWS. IF WE CAN NOT COME UP WITH $946,00 EVERY FRIDAY. THE TOTAL WEEKLY COST TO FEED 200 SPECIAL NEEDS & UNWANTED KITTIES. WE CAN NOT KEEP THE DOORS OPEN. WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS THE FUNDS COMES IN EACH WEEK FOR THE C.O.D PAYMENT EVERY FRIDAY.

THE KITTIES EAT A WEEK.

32 CASES OF WET CAT FOOD A WEEK Evanger's Chicken Lickin' Dinner - 13 oz Cans $1.41 Per Can 12 In A Case - $16.90 Per Case

17 BAGS OF DRY CAT FOOD A WEEK

Evanger's Super Premium Pheasant & Whitefish Formula Low Grain Dry Cat Food 12 Ibs - 1 Bag $23.22

Plus A $11 Delivery Charge.

You have the power to advert this tragedy

By using the Shopping Cart @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id454.html you may donate to pay for 1 case of wet cat food, a bag of dry, or more.

Or you may make a donation of your choice. A $3 $5 $10 donation is like a million bucks to the kitties.

If you can help. Please do @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id454.html

It is all up to what your heart and budget can afford to take care of the kitties.

Every little bit helps.

Please only give what your heart & budget can afford.

Why Are The Kitties On A Premium Cat Food ?

We switched the kitties diet due to necessity to a premium cat food, years ago. We had them on Friskies. it was not working out anymore for the kitties.

What eventually happened was Friskies was like Chinese food, Taco Bell to the kitties. They will eat and eat, 70 pounds a day and not get filled up. With being a Cat Hospice for Special need and unwanted kitties we had to change their diet immediately.

In reality it was never cheaper having the kitties on on a diet that was not a premium one.

Please do not forget a healthy diet meant less sick kitties at the vet through out the years since the change over.

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven buys the cat food once a week from the wholesaler Phillips Pet Food & Supplies.

We do not pay retail.

Phillips Pet Food & Supplies has been a family owned and operated business since 1938.

Phillips is the premier pet food and pet supply distributor with 12 distribution centers and it is C.O.D every Friday.

Puffy Paws Kitty Haven saves over $10,000.00 a year buying the kitty food wholesale instead of retail like we used to.

So it was never cheaper having the kitties on on a diet that was not a premium one.

This was the best decision to make in order to continue our mission here at Puffy Paws Kitty Haven in keeping the special need kitties and unwanted kitties under our care in the best health possible.

As you know Puffy Paws cares for kitties with feline leukemia, FIV, feral cats, unadoptable kitties, one eye cats, senior kitties, kitties that do not use their litter box, abused kitties, cats with neurological disorders, abused kitties and more - basically unwanted and unadoptable kitties that would be euthanized elsewhere, and the premium cat food, fits all their nutritional needs.

With being a Cat Hospice for Special need and unwanted kitties we had to change their diet in order to have the kitties in the best ultimate health.

It cost $4.73 to feed each kitty a week at Puffy Paws.

The 200 kitties eat.

32 CASES OF WET CAT FOOD A WEEK

Evanger's Chicken Lickin' Dinner - 13 oz Cans $1.41 Per Can 12 In A Case - $16.90 Per Case

17 BAGS OF DRY CAT FOOD A WEEK

Evanger's Super Premium Pheasant & Whitefish Formula Low Grain Dry Cat Food 12 Ibs - 1 Bag $23.22

Product Description

Nutritional Solutions – Pure and Simple

Evanger's Chicken Lickin' Dinner is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages. Chicken Lickin' is certified Kosher for Passover by the cRc.

Evanger's Pheasant and Whitefish Dry Cat Food Evanger's Pheasant and Whitefish Dry Cat Food provides a complete and rich diet to your cat. This pheasant and whitefish formula also contains duck, potatoes, oatmeal, parsley, blueberries, cranberries and other natural ingredients.

Made from only superior ingredients, this formula offers great taste, which even picky eaters will appreciate. Evanger's Pheasant and Whitefish Dry Cat Food: Multiple protein sources Fresh, natural ingredients Low grains Rich in nutrition A Closer Look: Protein from seafood and pheasant supports lean mass.

Fiber in Evanger's Pheasant and Whitefish Dry Cat Food improves digestion, while taurine supports health and eye health. Various vitamins and minerals can be beneficial for the overall health of your pet cat. Made Specially for: Cats of all ages Free of: Corn, wheat, soy and artificial flavors or preservatives

It cost $4.73 to feed each kitty a week at Puffy Paws.

IT COSTS $4.73 TO FEED EACH KITTY A WEEK AT PUFFY PAWS. IF WE CAN NOT COME UP WITH $946,00 EVERY FRIDAY. THE TOTAL WEEKLY COST TO FEED 200 SPECIAL NEEDS & UNWANTED KITTIES. WE CAN NOT KEEP THE DOORS OPEN. WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS THE FUNDS COMES IN EACH WEEK FOR THE C.O.D PAYMENT EVERY FRIDAY.

In these hard economical times, we all know the personal sacrifices each and everyone of you make when you donate to the kitties at Puffy Paws Kitty Haven and for this we will always be eternally grateful.

With out the support and the love of the kitty lovers around the world, we could never do what we do for the kitties under our care.

Please only donate what your heart and budget can afford because without you we can not make it.

Thank you for your understanding and continue support.

Mad Kitty Love To You All & Paws Up !!! Please donate @ http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id454.html

Rick & Chrissy Kingston & Da Kitties Founders Puffy Paws Kitty Haven. 941-623-8904 www.puffypaws.org

If you like to send a check or Money Order. Please make it to Puffy Paws Kitty Haven.

The kitties mailing address is Puffy Paws Kitty Haven 270 Lakeview Lane Englewood Florida 34223

The Kitties Amazon Wish List Is http://www.puffypawskittyhaven.com/id138.html

[one-of-us-blog]

Bringing Up Baby (TGG, Season 3, Episode 3)

Today Eli is forced to watch and recap Bringing Up Baby, Episode 3 of the third season of The Golden Girls.  Will this episode make him squeal with delight, or leave him sadly longing for a different show?  Keep reading to find out…

First, a quick public service announcement: Did you know that every episode of The Golden Girls is now available to stream on Hulu?  No?  Well, get on that!  It makes watching and following along with this blog much easier!  Please note: One of Us! is sadly in no way sponsored by Hulu.

Next, I need to tell Jon that he did a great job with his Turn Left recap!  I have mixed feelings on the issue of previous companions moving in on Donna’s space.  It took me a while to warm up to Donna, but I really love her now, and agree that she is fully deserving of her own character arc.  I actually think she does get an arc that distinguishes itself quite a bit from any other companion in the show’s history.  But it is nice to see the return of an old friend from time to time and, unfortunately for Donna, this was still in the era of the show in which companions were generally limited to starring for a single season/series (with the exception of Rose, who got two), so it was kind of inevitable that those friendly faces would steal some of Donna’s time in the sun.  I agree it has probably happened a bit too much this season.  But that being said, I still feel this is a very strong season of the show, and I’m excited to see you finish it off!

Now, it’s time to recap an episode of The Golden Girls in which the gals are also joined by an unexpected companion, so let’s head to Miami!

Episode written by Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan, directed by Terry Hughes

As the episode opens, Dorothy answers the front door to discover her mother returning home, uncertain of her location.  This is probably due to the fact that she has lost her glasses, which were supposedly broken at the mall (but may in reality have been broken in a street fight, or lost in a high stakes wager).  Sophia had a very hard time getting back to the house, and all of her attempts to use a pay phone just resorted in purchasing condoms.  Blanche is also present, concerned about which necklace compliments her dress to produce the “easy” effect for which she’s aiming.  Lastly, Rose enters the scene, returning home with some odd news.  Her uncle back in Minnesota has passed away, and in his will he left her custody of his baby.  His BABY?  The girls are a bit perplexed as to how to address the situation.  Blanche shows some concern for Rose, but mostly just ends up complimenting herself and manages to prompt a rare triple-take from Dorothy that would meet even the high standards of Sir Patrick Stewart.  Dorothy admits that she always wished for another chance with a child, and soon everyone (with the exception of Sophia) has caught a severe case of hypothetical-baby fever.  Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose take their enthusiasm to a different room, leaving the nearly blind Sophia to head to her bedroom; or, more accurately, to wander into traffic.

The next morning in the kitchen, Sophia wanders in and prepares to defecate on a chair right in the midst of her friends.  The girls alert her that she is not actually in the bathroom and she exits, blaming her new semi-blindness for the blunder.  Personally, I think she was just making a power play, as her sense of in-home geography would have to be pretty sketchy to believe she was actually entering a different room.  For that matter, her venture into traffic in the previous scene was likely also a part of this sick game.  Rose has been looking at old pictures, and Blanche has been worrying about the fact that the baby won’t have a male role model in its life.  The gals tell her not to be concerned, especially Rose, who confuses Dr. Spock with Mr. Spock and informs her that on Vulcan babies are born in pods, so what does he know about child-rearing anyway?  At last, a man arrives at the door introducing himself as the deceased uncle’s legal representative, and he’s here with “the baby.”  Only, as it turns out, “the baby” is actually Baby, a beautiful prized pig.  Surprise!  The pig was apparently the pride and joy of Rose’s uncle, and her farm nostalgia starts firing on all cylinders.  She is thrilled to have the pig with them, but the other girls are less than enthusiastic.  That is, until the man at the door informs them that Baby comes with an incentive of $100,000 in pigbucks, providing the gals can look after him until his dying day; and as it turns out, our new piggy friend is currently 29 years into a projected 25 year lifespan, and Rose is willing to split the money.  Welcome home, Baby!

We jump ahead in time a bit, to a scene in which Sophia is lounging on the lanai, still without her spectacles.  Baby wanders over to eat some of her food that was left at ground level, as Dorothy finally delivers a new pair of glasses with the wrong frames to her.  She looks like Buddy Holly might have if the music hadn’t died, but at least she can see!  We learn that, much to Dorothy’s dismay, Rose has been giving the pig free reign of the house.  She just loves having a pig around, but Dorothy is a bit more curious about when the oinker will shuffle off this mortal coil and head to the big slop pile in the sky.  Blanche is also fuming mad, as Baby tore up her nightgown and has shown a tendency to watch her shower.  Rose decides to call her family to see if someone else can take Baby off her hands, but Dorothy recalls that this would cost them the attached $100,000.  She and Blanche hastily change Rose’s mind to allow the pig to stay, and the two conspirators are forced to cut Sophia in on the deal along the way.  Once again we see Sophia’s incredibly subtle manipulation of events in play, as seconds after she is promised a $25,000 share, a suddenly sickly Baby collapses off screen.

Again, we cut ahead to the kitchen.  Rose is very sad about Baby’s current medical condition, and the girls attempt to comfort her; well, except for Sophia, who prefers to make sadistic ham jokes, and earns herself a wonderfully cold stare from Rose.  After Rose leaves, the other girls begin talking about their favorite subject again: the money.

Another jump forward, and Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia have returned home from a shopping spree, on which they’ve spent some major pigbucks that they haven’t yet earned.  Rose reveals them that a veterinarian has come to see Baby, and the vet informs them all that the real issue is that Baby has a mental problem.  Simply put, he’s homesick.  Rose immediately plans to send Baby back to the farm but the gals jump in to convince her otherwise, complimenting her as a pig-keeper and overstating their own swine-related affection.  Rose eventually gives in and even thanks the girls for being the best friends ever.  This causes the girls to experience guilt, prompting another shopping spree to cheer them up a bit.

Next, we find Dorothy choked up in the kitchen, struggling with her feelings of guilt regarding the money and Baby’s welfare.  Blanche and Sophia have no such qualms, and have returned home with a new Mercedes.  Dorothy has resolved to tell Rose the truth about what they are doing and give back the money, but Blanche promises anything if she will contain herself, even offering up one of her sons.  Nevertheless, Dorothy makes her way to Rose’s bedroom.  Baby (or something vaguely pig-shaped) is lying in bed with Rose and still very sickly.  Dorothy comes clean, and when Blanche is convinced that Baby really is homesick and depressed, even her heart is melted.  They both feel awful and beg Rose’s forgiveness.  She is pretty upset on Baby’s behalf, and tells them that a kiss on the nose would be a good apologetic gesture.  They both proceed to kiss her on the nose, and this cheers her back up.  She could never stay mad at them!  The trio has all unanimously decided to send Baby back home where he’ll be happy, forfeiting the money.  Sophia, however, is not pleased about this turn of events, but once again was not consulted in the matter.

In the (almost) final scene, the gals are in the kitchen where Sophia finally has a new pair of glasses with the correct old lady frames.  She’s still moping quite a bit, and Dorothy tells her to get over it, even if she’s having her own problems coping with the loss of excess cash.  A letter arrives from Rose’s cousin, informing her that Baby was very happy to be back on the farm, and that this was a great time for him to spend his final hours…Baby has actually died, along with any hope the girls had of claiming the associated $100,000 (though honestly, that cousin is kind of a jerk for not offering up any of the cash given that Baby was back home for all of 36 hours).  The gals are all now really depressed, and even their new Mercedes is being taken.  Dorothy never even got to ride in it.  To cheer themselves up a bit, we get one more mini-scene in which the gals manage to take a ride in the new car, even if this occurs while it is being pulled away by a tow truck.

The End.

I enjoyed this episode, though not as much as the previous one, and definitely not as much as the perfect season opener.  Sophia managed to land some pretty good pig-related jokes and I loved seeing Rose’s enthusiasm for the new companion, but the missing glasses gag only really worked a couple of times and I couldn’t quite buy the way the $100,000 pig-stipend was administered and awarded only upon Baby’s demise.  This one is good for some chuckles, but it probably won’t be an episode I revisit very often once I’ve wrapped up the entire series.  I give Bringing Up Baby a score of 3.5 poofy hairdos out of 5.

Be sure to stop back in tomorrow as Jon nears the end of the fourth series of Doctor Who and treats us to a recap of The Stolen Earth, and I’ll report back in on Friday with my take on The Housekeeper, the next episode of The Golden Girls.  Until then, as always, thank you for being a friend, and for being One of Us!

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(Bloomberg) -- Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison Wednesday for sexual assault. His next stop is likely to be a maximum-security prison an hour north of the lower Manhattan courtroom in which his punishment will be pronounced.Weinstein, who became an emblem of the MeToo movement as waves of women accused him of harassing or attacking them over the years, was convicted last month of forcing oral sex on production assistant Miriam Haley and raping Jessica Mann, who wanted to be an actor.The maximum total penalty was 29 years. Weinstein, 67, has asked New York State Supreme Court Justice James Burke for five, citing his age and failing health. Weinstein, who has been jailed since his conviction, arrived in court shortly after 9:30 a.m. in New York, handcuffed to his wheelchair. Court officers removed the cuffs as sentencing got underway.Weinstein Compares MeToo to McCarthy Era (10:58 a.m.)Harvey Weinstein addressed the court in the final moments before sentencing, warning of a “crisis” in America that he compared with the McCarthy era.“I’m worried about this country,” he began. “We are going through this crisis right now in our country, it started basically with me. I was the first example and now there are many men who have been accused of abuse, something I think that none of us understood.”“It is not the right atmosphere for the United States of America,” he said. “Everybody is on some kind of blacklist. I had no power. Miramax was a small company. I couldn’t blackball anybody.”“I think possibly men like myself, like Dalton Trumbo -- they said they were Communists, and now there’s a scare, just like that now.”Weinstein’s Lawyer Says He Didn’t Get a Fair Trial (10:52 a.m.)Defense attorney Damon Cheronis called a letter prosecutors filed with the court Friday arguing for a harsh sentence “a laundry list of unsubstantiated allegations that have not been vetted” and said the judge shouldn’t consider those uncharged crimes in fashioning Weinstein’s sentence.“I read the letter through the very same prism that you saw it through,” Burke told Cheronis.Lead defense lawyer Donna Rotunno then argued that a report by probation officials includes errors and misstates testimony and asked Burke to disregard it.Rotunno asked for the minimum sentence and said her client couldn’t get a fair trial because of various prejudices against him.“Having every single thing you do and every move you make be scrutinized and dominated by the media, as you can hear by the clicking of the typewriters today in court,” was insurmountable, she said.“Mr. Weinstein is a sick man,” she said, referring to a history of heart disease and other unspecified medical issues that were recently diagnosed.“His parents taught him that you should give back,” she said. “If you look at the allegations in this courtroom, it’s a very small side of who he is. What you don’t see is the other side of what he’s done. He built careers, and because he built careers, everybody wanted a piece of him.”Rotunno cited Weinstein’s five children, including two grown daughters and three young children.She said allies of Weinstein wanted to come forward in support but were afraid to do so.“They don’t feel they can do so because they can lose their jobs,” she said.Weinstein Showed Contrition, Denial in 2017 (10:40 a.m.)Yesterday the court released a trove of documents relate to the case, including two letters Weinstein sent to industry colleagues in late 2017, as the allegations against him were becoming public.In an October 2017 letter, Weinstein expressed some contrition, calling himself “a flawed human being” and admitting he had been “inappropriate in many ways.” He expressed admiration for the then-nascent MeToo movement, saying it was “teaching old dinosaurs like me the way” in terms of his interactions with women in the industry.But he also sought to cast blame back, saying he had seen “actors and actresses take an almost predatory stance toward casting.” He also said “things have been wildly exaggerated” and decried the “vitriol” being expressed against him.On Dec. 21, 2017, Weinstein struck a more despairing tone. “I have lost my family,” he wrote. “I have daughters that will not talk to me. I have lost my wife. I have lost the respect of my ex-wife and generally all of my friends. I have no company. I’m alone.”He again tried to defend himself though, calling himself a “sex addict” and saying his conduct reflected changing social mores.“There’s a difference between assault and womanizing,” Weinstein said. “There’s a difference between assault and cheating. Men my own age grew up in a different era. Now in a movement that has swept our country, things that were consensual 22 years ago have become non-consensual.”Defense Lays Out Case for Leniency (10:31 a.m.)Defense attorney Arthur Aidala told Burke the average sentence for the most serious crime Weinstein was convicted of, which carries a prison term of five to 25 years, is 8 1/2 years.“We did our research and we did our homework, and what we came up with, that the top count that Mr. Weinstein is facing today, the New York state mean number is 8 1/2 years,” he said.Aidala said other cases involved weapons.“There’s no evidence of that here,” he said, adding that “it’s lower for people who are first-time offenders.” Aidala said last fall Burke sentenced another man, who had raped an underling, and pleaded guilty, to 7 1/2 years.“Here there are less serious charges,” he said.‘Harvey was the power over the powerless’ (10:12 a.m.)Victims broke into tears as they addressed the judge.“The day my uncontrollable screams were heard form the witness room was the day I got back my voice, the day I got back my power,” Mann told Burke. “That, your honor, is what the victim of a rapist looks like.”Mann said “there is so much still left unsaid about his abuse” and pointed to “the wreckage Harvey Weinstein made of my life.” She asked the judge to recognize the trauma she has experienced, calling it “rape-induced paralysis.”“Harvey had every advantage over me,” she said, citing his weight and strength. “Flight was not possible.”Weinstein, in a blue suit, sat silently with his hands clasped in front of him.“Harvey was the power over the powerless,” Mann said, adding that he went so far as to threaten her father “with an old-school Mafia beatdown.”“My rape was preventable,” she said, noting the long history of abuse that prosecutors have detailed and saying Weinstein frequently paid off accusers and made them sign nondisclosure agreements.Mann asked Burke to give Weinstein the maximum prison term, noting that a drunk driver can get five years.“Harvey should be given a chance to be rehabilitated while he serves time for his crimes,” she said.Prosecutor Asks Judge for the Maximum Sentence (10 a.m.)Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi called for the maximum sentence and praised Weinstein’s accusers.“Simply put, without these women and others willing to come forward, being 100% transparent and sacrificing their privacy and well-being, this matter would have never been undertaken and the defendant would never have been stopped,” she told the judge. “He led a life of crime, unchecked for decades.”Haley, addressing the court, said Weinstein raped her.“What he did not only stripped me of my dignity as a woman ... it diminished my confidence and faith in people,” she said. “It was embarrassing and very hurtful that this person that I knew would do this to me. I am relieved to know he is no longer out there. I am relieved he will now know he is no longer above the law.”But mostly, Haley said through tears, “the past couple of years have been excruciatingly difficult. I lived in fear and paranoia on a daily basis, fearing retaliation. I would have panic attacks and nightmares and I feared for my life.”Will Weinstein Speak? (9:43 a.m.)Before Burke hands down his sentence, Weinstein will have an opportunity to address the court. Will he? That remains to be seen. Weinstein may use the opportunity to apologize for his crimes, to plead for mercy or at least to thank the judge for his handling of the case. Or he may stay silent and let his lawyers do the talking for him.The Calm Before the Storm (9:15 a.m.)The scene outside the courthouse isn’t quite as chaotic as it was during the trial. There are about six satellite trucks and a dozen cameras right now, significantly fewer than in January and February. Concern over the coronavirus may be a factor. Some trains into Manhattan seemed less crowded than usual, and the streets downtown are noticeably less bustling.Weinstein’s Accusers Stride Into the Courtroom (8:55 a.m.)Weinstein’s six accusers from the trial strode into the courtroom just before 9 a.m. in a show of force, with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. following behind. The actor Annabella Sciorra, in a pair of wire-rimmed aviator glasses and a leather jacket, is seated directly next to Vance and is chatting with him. Beside them are Haley and then Tarale Wulff, Dawn Dunning and Lauren Young, the three witnesses prosecutors called to show a pattern of nonconsensual sex. Mann is at the end of the row. Weinstein’s accusers are all seated directly behind the prosecution table, where Assistant District Attorneys Joan Illuzzi and Meghan Hast are seated.To contact the reporters on this story: Patricia Hurtado in Federal Court in Manhattan at pathurtado@bloomberg.net;Olivia Raimonde in New York at oraimonde@bloomberg.net;Chris Dolmetsch in Federal Court in Manhattan at cdolmetsch@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter JeffreyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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(Bloomberg) -- Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison Wednesday for sexual assault. His next stop is likely to be a maximum-security prison an hour north of the lower Manhattan courtroom in which his punishment will be pronounced.Weinstein, who became an emblem of the MeToo movement as waves of women accused him of harassing or attacking them over the years, was convicted last month of forcing oral sex on production assistant Miriam Haley and raping Jessica Mann, who wanted to be an actor.The maximum total penalty was 29 years. Weinstein, 67, has asked New York State Supreme Court Justice James Burke for five, citing his age and failing health. Weinstein, who has been jailed since his conviction, arrived in court shortly after 9:30 a.m. in New York, handcuffed to his wheelchair. Court officers removed the cuffs as sentencing got underway.Weinstein Compares MeToo to McCarthy Era (10:58 a.m.)Harvey Weinstein addressed the court in the final moments before sentencing, warning of a “crisis” in America that he compared with the McCarthy era.“I’m worried about this country,” he began. “We are going through this crisis right now in our country, it started basically with me. I was the first example and now there are many men who have been accused of abuse, something I think that none of us understood.”“It is not the right atmosphere for the United States of America,” he said. “Everybody is on some kind of blacklist. I had no power. Miramax was a small company. I couldn’t blackball anybody.”“I think possibly men like myself, like Dalton Trumbo -- they said they were Communists, and now there’s a scare, just like that now.”Weinstein’s Lawyer Says He Didn’t Get a Fair Trial (10:52 a.m.)Defense attorney Damon Cheronis called a letter prosecutors filed with the court Friday arguing for a harsh sentence “a laundry list of unsubstantiated allegations that have not been vetted” and said the judge shouldn’t consider those uncharged crimes in fashioning Weinstein’s sentence.“I read the letter through the very same prism that you saw it through,” Burke told Cheronis.Lead defense lawyer Donna Rotunno then argued that a report by probation officials includes errors and misstates testimony and asked Burke to disregard it.Rotunno asked for the minimum sentence and said her client couldn’t get a fair trial because of various prejudices against him.“Having every single thing you do and every move you make be scrutinized and dominated by the media, as you can hear by the clicking of the typewriters today in court,” was insurmountable, she said.“Mr. Weinstein is a sick man,” she said, referring to a history of heart disease and other unspecified medical issues that were recently diagnosed.“His parents taught him that you should give back,” she said. “If you look at the allegations in this courtroom, it’s a very small side of who he is. What you don’t see is the other side of what he’s done. He built careers, and because he built careers, everybody wanted a piece of him.”Rotunno cited Weinstein’s five children, including two grown daughters and three young children.She said allies of Weinstein wanted to come forward in support but were afraid to do so.“They don’t feel they can do so because they can lose their jobs,” she said.Weinstein Showed Contrition, Denial in 2017 (10:40 a.m.)Yesterday the court released a trove of documents relate to the case, including two letters Weinstein sent to industry colleagues in late 2017, as the allegations against him were becoming public.In an October 2017 letter, Weinstein expressed some contrition, calling himself “a flawed human being” and admitting he had been “inappropriate in many ways.” He expressed admiration for the then-nascent MeToo movement, saying it was “teaching old dinosaurs like me the way” in terms of his interactions with women in the industry.But he also sought to cast blame back, saying he had seen “actors and actresses take an almost predatory stance toward casting.” He also said “things have been wildly exaggerated” and decried the “vitriol” being expressed against him.On Dec. 21, 2017, Weinstein struck a more despairing tone. “I have lost my family,” he wrote. “I have daughters that will not talk to me. I have lost my wife. I have lost the respect of my ex-wife and generally all of my friends. I have no company. I’m alone.”He again tried to defend himself though, calling himself a “sex addict” and saying his conduct reflected changing social mores.“There’s a difference between assault and womanizing,” Weinstein said. “There’s a difference between assault and cheating. Men my own age grew up in a different era. Now in a movement that has swept our country, things that were consensual 22 years ago have become non-consensual.”Defense Lays Out Case for Leniency (10:31 a.m.)Defense attorney Arthur Aidala told Burke the average sentence for the most serious crime Weinstein was convicted of, which carries a prison term of five to 25 years, is 8 1/2 years.“We did our research and we did our homework, and what we came up with, that the top count that Mr. Weinstein is facing today, the New York state mean number is 8 1/2 years,” he said.Aidala said other cases involved weapons.“There’s no evidence of that here,” he said, adding that “it’s lower for people who are first-time offenders.” Aidala said last fall Burke sentenced another man, who had raped an underling, and pleaded guilty, to 7 1/2 years.“Here there are less serious charges,” he said.‘Harvey was the power over the powerless’ (10:12 a.m.)Victims broke into tears as they addressed the judge.“The day my uncontrollable screams were heard form the witness room was the day I got back my voice, the day I got back my power,” Mann told Burke. “That, your honor, is what the victim of a rapist looks like.”Mann said “there is so much still left unsaid about his abuse” and pointed to “the wreckage Harvey Weinstein made of my life.” She asked the judge to recognize the trauma she has experienced, calling it “rape-induced paralysis.”“Harvey had every advantage over me,” she said, citing his weight and strength. “Flight was not possible.”Weinstein, in a blue suit, sat silently with his hands clasped in front of him.“Harvey was the power over the powerless,” Mann said, adding that he went so far as to threaten her father “with an old-school Mafia beatdown.”“My rape was preventable,” she said, noting the long history of abuse that prosecutors have detailed and saying Weinstein frequently paid off accusers and made them sign nondisclosure agreements.Mann asked Burke to give Weinstein the maximum prison term, noting that a drunk driver can get five years.“Harvey should be given a chance to be rehabilitated while he serves time for his crimes,” she said.Prosecutor Asks Judge for the Maximum Sentence (10 a.m.)Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi called for the maximum sentence and praised Weinstein’s accusers.“Simply put, without these women and others willing to come forward, being 100% transparent and sacrificing their privacy and well-being, this matter would have never been undertaken and the defendant would never have been stopped,” she told the judge. “He led a life of crime, unchecked for decades.”Haley, addressing the court, said Weinstein raped her.“What he did not only stripped me of my dignity as a woman ... it diminished my confidence and faith in people,” she said. “It was embarrassing and very hurtful that this person that I knew would do this to me. I am relieved to know he is no longer out there. I am relieved he will now know he is no longer above the law.”But mostly, Haley said through tears, “the past couple of years have been excruciatingly difficult. I lived in fear and paranoia on a daily basis, fearing retaliation. I would have panic attacks and nightmares and I feared for my life.”Will Weinstein Speak? (9:43 a.m.)Before Burke hands down his sentence, Weinstein will have an opportunity to address the court. Will he? That remains to be seen. Weinstein may use the opportunity to apologize for his crimes, to plead for mercy or at least to thank the judge for his handling of the case. Or he may stay silent and let his lawyers do the talking for him.The Calm Before the Storm (9:15 a.m.)The scene outside the courthouse isn’t quite as chaotic as it was during the trial. There are about six satellite trucks and a dozen cameras right now, significantly fewer than in January and February. Concern over the coronavirus may be a factor. Some trains into Manhattan seemed less crowded than usual, and the streets downtown are noticeably less bustling.Weinstein’s Accusers Stride Into the Courtroom (8:55 a.m.)Weinstein’s six accusers from the trial strode into the courtroom just before 9 a.m. in a show of force, with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. following behind. The actor Annabella Sciorra, in a pair of wire-rimmed aviator glasses and a leather jacket, is seated directly next to Vance and is chatting with him. Beside them are Haley and then Tarale Wulff, Dawn Dunning and Lauren Young, the three witnesses prosecutors called to show a pattern of nonconsensual sex. Mann is at the end of the row. Weinstein’s accusers are all seated directly behind the prosecution table, where Assistant District Attorneys Joan Illuzzi and Meghan Hast are seated.To contact the reporters on this story: Patricia Hurtado in Federal Court in Manhattan at pathurtado@bloomberg.net;Olivia Raimonde in New York at oraimonde@bloomberg.net;Chris Dolmetsch in Federal Court in Manhattan at cdolmetsch@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter JeffreyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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(Bloomberg) -- Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison Wednesday for sexual assault. His next stop is likely to be a maximum-security prison an hour north of the lower Manhattan courtroom in which his punishment will be pronounced.Weinstein, who became an emblem of the MeToo movement as waves of women accused him of harassing or attacking them over the years, was convicted last month of forcing oral sex on production assistant Miriam Haley and raping Jessica Mann, who wanted to be an actor.The maximum total penalty was 29 years. Weinstein, 67, has asked New York State Supreme Court Justice James Burke for five, citing his age and failing health. Weinstein, who has been jailed since his conviction, arrived in court shortly after 9:30 a.m. in New York, handcuffed to his wheelchair. Court officers removed the cuffs as sentencing got underway.Weinstein Compares MeToo to McCarthy Era (10:58 a.m.)Harvey Weinstein addressed the court in the final moments before sentencing, warning of a “crisis” in America that he compared with the McCarthy era.“I’m worried about this country,” he began. “We are going through this crisis right now in our country, it started basically with me. I was the first example and now there are many men who have been accused of abuse, something I think that none of us understood.”“It is not the right atmosphere for the United States of America,” he said. “Everybody is on some kind of blacklist. I had no power. Miramax was a small company. I couldn’t blackball anybody.”“I think possibly men like myself, like Dalton Trumbo -- they said they were Communists, and now there’s a scare, just like that now.”Weinstein’s Lawyer Says He Didn’t Get a Fair Trial (10:52 a.m.)Defense attorney Damon Cheronis called a letter prosecutors filed with the court Friday arguing for a harsh sentence “a laundry list of unsubstantiated allegations that have not been vetted” and said the judge shouldn’t consider those uncharged crimes in fashioning Weinstein’s sentence.“I read the letter through the very same prism that you saw it through,” Burke told Cheronis.Lead defense lawyer Donna Rotunno then argued that a report by probation officials includes errors and misstates testimony and asked Burke to disregard it.Rotunno asked for the minimum sentence and said her client couldn’t get a fair trial because of various prejudices against him.“Having every single thing you do and every move you make be scrutinized and dominated by the media, as you can hear by the clicking of the typewriters today in court,” was insurmountable, she said.“Mr. Weinstein is a sick man,” she said, referring to a history of heart disease and other unspecified medical issues that were recently diagnosed.“His parents taught him that you should give back,” she said. “If you look at the allegations in this courtroom, it’s a very small side of who he is. What you don’t see is the other side of what he’s done. He built careers, and because he built careers, everybody wanted a piece of him.”Rotunno cited Weinstein’s five children, including two grown daughters and three young children.She said allies of Weinstein wanted to come forward in support but were afraid to do so.“They don’t feel they can do so because they can lose their jobs,” she said.Weinstein Showed Contrition, Denial in 2017 (10:40 a.m.)Yesterday the court released a trove of documents relate to the case, including two letters Weinstein sent to industry colleagues in late 2017, as the allegations against him were becoming public.In an October 2017 letter, Weinstein expressed some contrition, calling himself “a flawed human being” and admitting he had been “inappropriate in many ways.” He expressed admiration for the then-nascent MeToo movement, saying it was “teaching old dinosaurs like me the way” in terms of his interactions with women in the industry.But he also sought to cast blame back, saying he had seen “actors and actresses take an almost predatory stance toward casting.” He also said “things have been wildly exaggerated” and decried the “vitriol” being expressed against him.On Dec. 21, 2017, Weinstein struck a more despairing tone. “I have lost my family,” he wrote. “I have daughters that will not talk to me. I have lost my wife. I have lost the respect of my ex-wife and generally all of my friends. I have no company. I’m alone.”He again tried to defend himself though, calling himself a “sex addict” and saying his conduct reflected changing social mores.“There’s a difference between assault and womanizing,” Weinstein said. “There’s a difference between assault and cheating. Men my own age grew up in a different era. Now in a movement that has swept our country, things that were consensual 22 years ago have become non-consensual.”Defense Lays Out Case for Leniency (10:31 a.m.)Defense attorney Arthur Aidala told Burke the average sentence for the most serious crime Weinstein was convicted of, which carries a prison term of five to 25 years, is 8 1/2 years.“We did our research and we did our homework, and what we came up with, that the top count that Mr. Weinstein is facing today, the New York state mean number is 8 1/2 years,” he said.Aidala said other cases involved weapons.“There’s no evidence of that here,” he said, adding that “it’s lower for people who are first-time offenders.” Aidala said last fall Burke sentenced another man, who had raped an underling, and pleaded guilty, to 7 1/2 years.“Here there are less serious charges,” he said.‘Harvey was the power over the powerless’ (10:12 a.m.)Victims broke into tears as they addressed the judge.“The day my uncontrollable screams were heard form the witness room was the day I got back my voice, the day I got back my power,” Mann told Burke. “That, your honor, is what the victim of a rapist looks like.”Mann said “there is so much still left unsaid about his abuse” and pointed to “the wreckage Harvey Weinstein made of my life.” She asked the judge to recognize the trauma she has experienced, calling it “rape-induced paralysis.”“Harvey had every advantage over me,” she said, citing his weight and strength. “Flight was not possible.”Weinstein, in a blue suit, sat silently with his hands clasped in front of him.“Harvey was the power over the powerless,” Mann said, adding that he went so far as to threaten her father “with an old-school Mafia beatdown.”“My rape was preventable,” she said, noting the long history of abuse that prosecutors have detailed and saying Weinstein frequently paid off accusers and made them sign nondisclosure agreements.Mann asked Burke to give Weinstein the maximum prison term, noting that a drunk driver can get five years.“Harvey should be given a chance to be rehabilitated while he serves time for his crimes,” she said.Prosecutor Asks Judge for the Maximum Sentence (10 a.m.)Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi called for the maximum sentence and praised Weinstein’s accusers.“Simply put, without these women and others willing to come forward, being 100% transparent and sacrificing their privacy and well-being, this matter would have never been undertaken and the defendant would never have been stopped,” she told the judge. “He led a life of crime, unchecked for decades.”Haley, addressing the court, said Weinstein raped her.“What he did not only stripped me of my dignity as a woman ... it diminished my confidence and faith in people,” she said. “It was embarrassing and very hurtful that this person that I knew would do this to me. I am relieved to know he is no longer out there. I am relieved he will now know he is no longer above the law.”But mostly, Haley said through tears, “the past couple of years have been excruciatingly difficult. I lived in fear and paranoia on a daily basis, fearing retaliation. I would have panic attacks and nightmares and I feared for my life.”Will Weinstein Speak? (9:43 a.m.)Before Burke hands down his sentence, Weinstein will have an opportunity to address the court. Will he? That remains to be seen. Weinstein may use the opportunity to apologize for his crimes, to plead for mercy or at least to thank the judge for his handling of the case. Or he may stay silent and let his lawyers do the talking for him.The Calm Before the Storm (9:15 a.m.)The scene outside the courthouse isn’t quite as chaotic as it was during the trial. There are about six satellite trucks and a dozen cameras right now, significantly fewer than in January and February. Concern over the coronavirus may be a factor. Some trains into Manhattan seemed less crowded than usual, and the streets downtown are noticeably less bustling.Weinstein’s Accusers Stride Into the Courtroom (8:55 a.m.)Weinstein’s six accusers from the trial strode into the courtroom just before 9 a.m. in a show of force, with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. following behind. The actor Annabella Sciorra, in a pair of wire-rimmed aviator glasses and a leather jacket, is seated directly next to Vance and is chatting with him. Beside them are Haley and then Tarale Wulff, Dawn Dunning and Lauren Young, the three witnesses prosecutors called to show a pattern of nonconsensual sex. Mann is at the end of the row. Weinstein’s accusers are all seated directly behind the prosecution table, where Assistant District Attorneys Joan Illuzzi and Meghan Hast are seated.To contact the reporters on this story: Patricia Hurtado in Federal Court in Manhattan at pathurtado@bloomberg.net;Olivia Raimonde in New York at oraimonde@bloomberg.net;Chris Dolmetsch in Federal Court in Manhattan at cdolmetsch@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Peter JeffreyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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