#I'm considering offering to do it for others since i already have the supplies

[kedreeva]

After seeing the little tutorial for bookbinding by @niennanir, and realizing I had most of the supplies already or could get them easily (and fairly cheaply, too,I ended up finding a couple nice sales like glue for $0.50 a bottle and nice textweight bright white paper for $20 instead of $35-40), I finally nerved up enough to try a hand binding of a fic. I picked one of my own (a 20k one, but split into 4 chapters, so I'll just do 1 chapter per booklet), and got to work.

Bug helped me weigh down the first one. It's currently drying into the cover, while the second one does its first dry. It was actually very easy, especially once I saw it in person. I might do a few others of my own.

[bookshelf-dust]

healing

billy hargrove x gn!reader

word count: 5,445

warnings: swearing, smoking, mentions of past trauma (starcourt), slight sexual innuendos??

a/n: hi! remember when i made you do a poll for my 1k celebration? and one bed with billy won? well this is that fic! i'm sorry it took so long to get here, but school was kicking the ever loving shit out of me. anyways, i really hope you like it. it's a little different than other fics i've written, but i think that's a good thing. just for context, this is post the end of season three, with billy and hopper being okay and jopper being in full swing. i think that's all i wanted to say. thanks again for 1k followers. that's still so wild to me. i love you. and billy loves you too <333

————

November 1985

“No.”

“What do you mean no? You just fought an interdimensional being, don’t you want a vacation?” 

Lucas wipes both hands down his face, flopping down on the arm of the couch beside where Max sits with El between her knees, tying off one of the two braids she’s trying to make. 

“Max, can you help me? Please?” Lucas has been arguing about this for fifteen minutes. 

She rolls her eyes, but looks up from her work nonetheless. “Billy.”

The man in question crosses his arms, locking eyes with the redhead. “Maxine.”

Max finishes Eleven’s braid and she hops up to join Will where he’s working on a puzzle. Joyce brought it home from work a few days ago, and it’s been spread out on a card table in the corner of the living room since then. Will couldn’t watch The Golden Girls with Joyce from the kitchen table. 

“Just come with us, Billy. We all know you hate it here. It’ll give you a chance to get away for a little while.”

Except that’s not totally the truth. He doesn’t hate it here. Not with you around. 

“There’s a pool.” Will looks up, a little shyly, from the puzzle, fingers flipping around a single piece. “At the place Robin found.” 

Billy nods, and it’s enough to make Will smile at the acknowledgment. 

It’d been Steve’s idea, after everything that happened in July. He thought everyone going on a trip together might be a good idea. Go a little ways out from home, calm down. 

You and Billy started going to school, though Billy is still working. He found a job at a record store across the street from Melvald’s that opened after the mall went to shit. It definitely wasn’t his first choice, but it works. And he’s slowly fixing up the Camaro. 

Steve had offered to pay for the repairs in full, considering he did most of the damage when he rammed the side of it, but Billy couldn’t handle that. So far Max has only convinced him to let Steve cover the really expensive parts. It hurts Billy more than he’d care to admit—having Steve Harrington give him money. 

But he can’t lie, going somewhere away from Hawkins, even just for a couple days, sounds really nice. It’s the group part that’s bothering him. He’s still not used to everyone wanting him to tag along, but apparently major trauma brings people together.

There’s the slamming of car doors, and footsteps running up the driveway before the door swings open, Robin bursting in with a stack of movies in her arms. She’s followed by Dustin and then Steve, bags and keys being tossed every which way. 

Billy doesn’t see you for a moment and starts to worry maybe you aren’t coming. He’s already supplying excuses for having to go home, but Steve left the door ajar, and after a moment, there you are. 

You look sleepy, footsteps the quietest of everyone else as you carefully push the Byers’ door shut behind you. He watches as you accept a hug from Eleven, overhears her ask, “how did your test go?” 

He’s happy to hear you tell her it went well. It’s only after you’ve looked at her and Will’s puzzle and snapped a few more corner pieces in that you make a beeline for the open spot on the couch beside Billy. 

When you’ve settled, your knee bumps against his. “Hey.”

He looks at you, a little grin playing at the corners of his mouth. His arms are still crossed, thumb playing with the pendant resting on his chest. A chest surprisingly covered by a sweater, though the sleeves are pushed up. 

“Hey. Glad your test is over?”

That sound of his voice makes you smile, and he’s never been so grateful for something, even if it’s just an expression. “Yeah.”

You glance down at the new tattoo on his arm, a dark colored snake wrapping around the skin covering his elbow. You run your thumb across the tail that flicks across his forearm, and Billy relaxes into your touch. 

“You have work today?”

Billy shakes his head. You’re glad he had the day off. And you’d tell him so if it weren’t for the sudden bombardment. 

Lucas is suddenly standing in front of you, having returned from the kitchen where you think he and Dustin may have been cleaning out Joyce’s fridge. 

“Holy shit, thank god you’re here. I need you to convince Billy to go on vacation.” 

You glance at Max, assuming she’s already tried. She looks rather annoyed. “Lucas, would you sit down?”

The boy looks at Max, and she glares at him. Clearly he knows better and sits down next to her. 

“Billy doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to do,” you finally say. 

The man in question turns to face you. You have to lean your head back some because of how close he is. 

“Are you going?” he asks, voice quiet and thick with something you don’t know that you’re supposed to notice. 

“Y-yeah. I was gonna. Robin only went on about it to me for an hour over the phone last night. I just think it might be nice to get away for a little while.” Billy doesn’t break eye contact with you, and while it makes you a little nervous, it tells you he’s listening.

“And I can watch Max for you if you really don’t want to go. Just make sure she doesn’t kill Lucas or anything.” Max snorts at your response, though Lucas looks at her in panic, already calculating how best to prevent that sort of situation. 

Your gaze softens and you fight the urge to reach out and run your thumb across Billy’s cheek. 

Please come with us. I want you to go. I want you there, you think. But it’s not what you say. You don’t know how badly he needs to hear it. 

“You really don’t have to go, Billy. Not if you don’t want to.”

“But there is enough space, man.” Steve stands behind the couch, handing El a scrunchie he retrieved from her bag. His voice is calm, informative. “If you decide to go. There’s plenty of room, and we’d be happy if you did.”

Billy could make some smartass remark. But he won’t. He knows that Steve is being honest, and that he’s not trying to be a dick. It seems that witnessing the guy who beat the shit out of you almost die not even a year after he moved to town really brings you together. 

Billy gives an acknowledging nod. “I’d be very happy if you did,” Eleven says. She loves having Jonathan as an older brother, really she does, but Billy lets her play with his hair. And in her books, that really ups the scale. 

He smiles at her, and El considers that a win. 

You notice him shift next to you, and then he’s leaning forward to whisper in your ear. “Come with me?” He cocks his head in the direction of the door. 

He gets up, assuming you’ll follow him. You always do. 

When you’ve shut the door, you move to the porch swing. It’s your favorite spot out here, and Joyce says it makes her happy to see someone use it. She used to sit there with Will in the mornings after Jonathan left for school and read to him. She did the same with Jonathan, but he was a much more fidgety kid, wanting to find something else to do. 

Billy lights a cigarette, and you watch where he fidgets with the ring on his middle finger. 

He’s standing a little ways away from you so as to not breathe the smoke directly in your vicinity, but you wish so badly that he was closer. You like having him close. The weight of his body next to you, the warmth, how solid his arm feels when it’s pressed to yours or when he slides down on the couch some and it's more so pressed to your side. 

“Which part of it are you worried about?” you ask him. 

He shrugs. “You really think they want me there? You think Max wants me around?” “Billy, I know she does. And I know that voice in your head is telling you that it’s a pity invite, but it’s not. And, besides…” you trail off, but he’s not having that. He needs you to reassure him. 

“Besides what?” 

You look up at him. “I want you to go. And yeah, I’ll be sad if you don’t go, but that shouldn’t sway your decision either.” You push your feet against the concrete porch a little harder, and the swing responds to the movement. You move quicker, now feeling very pleased with yourself. 

Billy almost laughs at the child-like look on your face, but you look so at home on the swing that he holds it in. A grin escapes nonetheless. 

“Say that again.” He stubs out his cigarette in the ashtray either Hopper or Joyce have left outside. He’s watching you again. 

“What?” He’s not gonna let you go all shy on him now. He needed to hear that. He needs to hear it. 

“You know what.”

“I want you to go.”

“Then it’s settled. Need to get out of this shithole anyways.”

————

The place Steve found is about two hours from Hawkins, with three bedrooms, a shockingly luxurious pull-out couch, and bigger common areas than you’ve ever laid eyes on. Excluding the ones in Steve’s house. In short, the rental is like Hopper’s cabin, if Hopper’s cabin were updated and substantially larger. It feels like the kind of place rich people have to take weekend trips. You’d rather not find out how much Steve is paying for the lot of you to stay there. 

Robin takes you on a grand tour while everyone else explores the backyard. Dustin is already determined to climb a tree. One of the rooms has two sets of bunk beds, dedicated to the four boys. “To ensure no cootie-spreading,” Robin proclaims. 

She and Steve will share the couch, with Max and Eleven in the smaller bedroom. 

Robin stops at the end of the hallway. “Which leaves…” 

You and Billy. 

You and Billy Hargrove.

Sharing a room. 

Sharing a bed. 

Speaking of, the man in question brushes past you, setting his bag on the floor at the foot of the bed. Robin takes that as her queue to leave and gives you a thumbs up on the way out. You hope she can feel your death stare on the back of her head, and she knows it, being quick to run down the hall. 

“So we’re roomies, huh?” Billy says, gathering his hair at the base of his neck. You hadn’t even realized he had a tie on him, and it takes him finishing off a lazy bun to realize it’s a blue scrunchie. You have to bite your lip to keep from saying anything. 

“I can sleep with Max and El, if you want. Or–”

That crease between Billy’s brows forms. “Why would you do that?”

You’ve gone all warm. You’d have to sleep in bed with him. And you sit next to him all the time, but this is different. Isn’t it?

Maybe it’s not so weird. You’re just friends. It’s like a sleepover, right?

“I don’t know, you might not want to sleep together or something.”

He cocks a brow, but you catch the double meaning of your words just in time. “You know what I mean, Billy.”

He sits on the end of the bed, and reaches out for you. You move towards him slowly, but the moment you’re within his grasp, Billy spreads his legs and grabs your waist, slotting your body between them. 

“You can go if you really want to. If you think I’ve got cooties or somethin’ and you don’t wanna share a bed with me.”

You snort, and Billy drinks in the sound, knowing he’s the one that made you laugh. 

“I don’t think you’ve got cooties.”

You realize in that moment that his hands haven’t left their spot on your waist, never straying anywhere else. The weight of them on you is enough to keep you focused on him, and he seems to acknowledge that. 

“Then what is it?” he asks, in that low drawl you fear could get out any answer he wanted from you. 

You hesitate, but say it anyway. “You don’t think it’ll be weird? Sleeping in the same bed?”

Billy fights the urge to rest his forehead against your stomach. He wants to tell you he’s wished you were in his bed on more than one occasion. Sometimes he just wishes you were there so it wouldn’t feel so cold, so he’d have someone to pull him out of his thoughts before they eat him alive altogether. 

“No, I don’t think it’ll be weird.”

You nod your head, and try to move back from him. 

Billy whines. “Uh uh. Nope.”

You go to put your hands on your hips, and they graze Billy’s on the way. He grabs hold of them. “You don’t want to have a sleepover with me?”

Billy’s looking up at you with those watery blue eyes, and you know this is a battle you’ll never win. 

“Really?”

He lets out a breath of a laugh, and your eyes fall to his neck when he tosses his head back. 

“Yeah, baby.”

Baby. 

It feels like every cell in your body has been sent into overdrive, like you can’t compute a single coherent thought. All because Billy called you “baby”. 

And if he’s being honest with himself, he feels the same way. He hadn’t meant to say it. It’s just that he calls you “baby” in his head all the time, and it just…happened.

“I’d love to have a sleepover with you, Hargrove.”

“Mhm. Thought so.” 

This time he lets the laugh out, and it’s a beautiful sound. The kind of sound you’d commit unspeakable acts to hear again. And this time, he does let his forehead drop to rest on your stomach. It surprises you, but you’re not mad about it.

“Oh, fuck off,” you say, and you can feel his chuckle against your skin.

When he quits, you find yourself just standing there, find your hands moving around his back. He’s always so warm. You rub your hands up and down his back, the denim of his jacket rough on your fingertips. 

You feel him shift, feel his change in position, the hard press of his chin against you. Billy is looking up at you, and you know he’s hoping you’ll return his gaze. His eyes bore into yours, and you hate to think of what you must look like from this angle. Clearly he doesn’t mind. 

You push a curl behind his ear, a shockingly perfect ringlet that’s too short to be contained like the rest of them. 

Billy would be taken aback by the gesture if it weren’t for the fact that you always go this easy on him. Like you know he’s healing, in more ways than one. 

“We can’t stay here forever, you know. I wanna go look around.” 

“Yeah,” he laughs. “I’m sure it’s riveting.” He lets you go anyway, following you down the hall to the rest of the cabin.

————

Your back rests on the base of an oversized chair, one that’s surprisingly comfy, your body in between Robin’s legs. She’s sitting next to Steve, watching you moderate El, Lucas, and Will play Twister. Dustin’s already out. 

“Right hand blue.”

“You’re kidding right?”

“Sinclair, have you never played this game before?”

Lucas scoffs, trying to reach the blue on the other side of the mat without toppling into Will. Max went with Billy to the store, but they should be back soon. You have a sick feeling they’re taking advantage of having been given Steve’s debit card. 

“Yes, I’ve played the game before. If you’re so good, why don’t you get down here and show us how it’s done, Harrington?”

“Yeah, Harrington, why don’t you show us how flexible you are?” Billy’s voice makes you look up from where you’ve been mindlessly twisting the spinner on the board around with the tip of your finger. 

He stands just inside the living room, holding the door open with his leg. He kicks it shut once Max has made it in. She heaves the paper bags she’d been holding up and onto the counter. Steve rises to help unpack them. You follow on instinct, handing the spinner to Robin instead, and Dustin is quick to take Steve’s spot before Mike can. 

Billy won’t let you take anything from him, but he will let you help figure out what the hell to do with all of it. “Do I even want to know how much you both spent?” you ask. 

He gives you that fucking smile, and you know you don’t. “Max said she wanted to have a spa night–whatever that means–with El, so we sort of split up. I’m sure Steve’ll live.” 

“For your information, Lucas,” Steve continues, clearly not ready to let the quips towards his limberness go, “I was the captain of the swim team.”

“What’s that got to do with being flexible, dingus?” Robin directs the two remaining players, the young boy in question having just busted his ass. 

“Swimming is an art form, Rob. You gotta learn to respect it.”

You choke on a laugh, and Billy is quick to rub your back while he chuckles into your shoulder. 

“Something funny over there?” Steve questions. 

You straighten, trying to wipe the smile from your face though it’s to no avail. “Nope, Steven. I’m sure you’re just incredibly stretchy. Like Mr. Fantastic.”

His brow furrows. “Mr. Fantastic?”

Dustin snorts, elbow deep in a bag of chips, and you quickly realize that you probably shouldn’t have given him an opening, but you don’t exactly regret it either. 

The lot of you spend the rest of the night in this fashion, playing games, eating way too much food, taking turns smacking the top of the television so your movie will keep playing. 

It feels like home. It feels safe. You wish it always felt this way. 

————

You’d just finished brushing your teeth when you hear the bedroom door click shut, hear footsteps you can tell are in search of you. 

You peek your head out of the bathroom and Billy grins at the sight of you in pajamas, a smear of moisturizer on your forehead you’ve yet to rub in. 

He squeezes in the small room, about the same size as his at home, to join you. There’s something about this moment, the domesticity of it, that makes your heart swell. It feels like something you could get used to, getting ready for bed with him. Neither of you have to say anything, you just do your own thing, but having him be there, having his presence–it’s more than enough for you. 

When you climb into bed, you try and read for a while, the sounds of Billy washing his face comforting you. You find it easy to read even when he does get in with you, the mattress sinking underneath his weight, the sheets rustling as he moves around experimentally, trying to get comfortable in a bed that isn’t his own. 

You feel odd though, reading when he’s right there, so it isn’t long before you close the book and slide further into the covers with him. Billy’s quick to turn on his side, wanting to see you like this. 

He watches you yank the blankets up to your chin, looking at him over a blur of fluffy white comforter. “It’s fuckin’ freezin’ in here,” you tell him.

“C’mere then.”

You burrow further into your pillow, fearing you know exactly what he’s going to suggest. “Huh?”

“You’re cold. You always whine about me being warm or somethin’ and I’m telling you to come here.”

“Billy.”

“Stop.” He lifts the covers up some, untucking you from them, and he wraps his arm around your back, tugging you into his side. 

Suddenly you’re pressed against him, having slid across the sheets easier than you’d have imagined. 

He’s let go of you, his arm hovering over your back. “You want me to hold you or no?” 

“Yeah.” 

Billy lets his arm drop against your side, his fingers splaying out over your back. He rubs his hand up and down your spine, hoping it’ll warm you up. “This okay?” 

“Yes.” 

He nods. You’re looking at him like he’s something special.

Billy realizes, in that moment, that that’s how you’ve always looked at him. Even before. 

He also realizes that your hands are tucked under your chin and your legs are curled up and into you like you’re afraid of making any contact with him. 

“You can loosen up, you know. It’s just me.” 

You let out a breath of a laugh, and he can feel it against the skin of his neck. 

“It’s okay, I promise. You can touch me.” Billy has this feeling that you’re afraid of hurting him. He’s sure you’ve noticed that he’s wearing a shirt to bed, something he never did before. And he thinks that you’re worried he’ll break. 

“You’re sure?”

“Wouldn’t have said so otherwise.”

He watches you unfold your hands and stretch your arm over him, hooking it around his hip. You want to rub up and down his side, but you’re nervous. 

It’s just me. 

“Do they hurt at all?”

Your thumb skates up a little further, and you don’t have to tell him what you mean. 

“Not all the time,” he says, voice low and thick with drowsiness. “At first, yeah, like hell. Now it’s just sometimes. They can feel a little tight, or just bug me. Depends, I guess.”

You nod, feeling brave enough now to slide your hand up a little further. Your touch is light, barely there. You close your eyes, trying not to think about when it happened. How he’d screamed. 

He can tell when you’ve calmed down some, because your arm relaxes and you hug him a little more firmly. You scoot in a little closer, close enough that your noses would touch if you tried to make them. 

“Goodnight, Billy.”

He makes the move, dragging the tip of his nose across your forehead. He kisses the top of your head, and you grin so wide you feel like a kid in a candy shop. 

“Goodnight, baby.”

————

When you wake up, you almost don’t want to disturb him, but you know you should get out of bed.

Billy is sprawled out on his stomach, having separated from you at some point during the night. His tank top is rucked up from the tossing and turning of sleep, and you look away when you catch a glimpse of pink skin. It doesn’t feel like your place to look. 

You wander out of the room, carefully shutting the door behind you. You make it down the hall, and find that Robin seems to be the only other one awake. You should’ve guessed. She told you once before that her body doesn’t seem to let her sleep in. 

Steve is still passed out on the pull-out couch, completely covered by the blankets. The only sign of him is a tuft of messy hair against the light colored pillow case his head rests on. 

Robin waves at you from her perch at the kitchen counter, a bowl of cereal in front of her. “Want some?” she whispers, pushing the box in your direction. 

You fill up your own bowl, having a feeling that Robin is about to ramble. 

“Sleep okay?” she asks. 

“Mhm. You?”

“Fine. Though, y’know, Steve is a horrific bed hog. Seriously, he was half on top of me the whole night. I might have to bunk with Max and El.” 

You laugh, and Robin takes that as her queue to ask what she’s been pondering since she woke up. 

“Was it okay? Sleeping with Billy? Well, not like that. Well, I’m assuming not like that, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I just meant like actually sleeping? Please stop me.”

You grin at her. “Please breathe, Rob.” She does, over exaggerating her inhales. “And it was fine.”

“Okay, good. I was kind of worried you’d be frustrated with my matchmaking tendencies. I just really want you two to be happy. And he seems so calm when he’s with you, and I realize I’ve just told you that I’ve been pushing you two together and I–”

You wipe milk from your chin, having almost spit out your cereal. “Robin, sweetheart, it’s okay, I promise. I know about your matchmaking tendencies. But I think we’re just friends, right?”

“Just friends, my ass.” You hadn’t even seen Steve get up, but he’s reaching for the fridge and pulling out a carton of chocolate milk. He really can’t say anything about Dustin’s eating habits when he has the exact same diet. 

“Oh my god.”

“Listen, I’m just saying, there’s been something going on between you two since before the world went to shit. I don’t know why you two tiptoe around each other like it’s not obvious that you’re in love.”

“Steve!” you exclaim. “Seriously, what the hell? I’ve been up for like twenty minutes and you two are schooling me on my love life?”

“Or lack thereof,” Robin says. 

“Okay, damn. You know what, I’m going back to bed.” 

Steve pushes your bowl back towards you when you attempt to get up. “No, you’re not. I’m just saying, there’s no sense in avoiding this. You both clearly feel a lot for each other, and I don’t see any reason to avoid it when you could be together.” 

He’s being vulnerable with you, his big brown eyes boring into yours and trying to convey how serious he’s being. 

“Just think about it, okay? There’s no harm in talking about how you feel with him. And don’t say that you don’t feel anything, because that’s a goddamn lie.”

————

Billy’s had his swim trunks on all day, but he hasn’t done more than sit in the shade by the pool while everyone else makes a mess and plays ridiculous games in the water. 

It’s killing him to watch you in there from time to time, swimming around or sitting in the shallow end. You told him once that swimming calms you down. 

It’s not until after dinner, when everyone has moved inside for the most part, though there seems to be the plotting of a water balloon fight out front, that he’s brave enough to head for the pool. 

You follow him out there, see him contemplating the water. 

“Whatcha doin’?” 

Billy drops the cigarette he’d been smoking, snubbing it out. “Thought about going for a swim,” he tells you. 

“That sounds nice.”

“Mhm.”

“I can go back inside, if you want.”

Billy turns to face you. “No. No, I want you to stay.” He wants you to see. He can’t explain why, but he does. 

“Okay.” 

He takes a shaky breath, hoping you don’t catch it. You do. You always do. 

“I just…wasn’t ready for everyone to see.”

“I understand, Billy.” 

You know what he’s really saying. He wasn’t ready for everyone to see. But he’s ready for you to see. 

“I can get in first, if that helps. And I won’t look if you don’t want me to,” you say. 

“That helps, yeah. And you can look. It’s okay.”

He watches you wade in, watches the way your swimsuit changes color as you tread water. 

Billy takes another deep breath, and he’s pulling his shirt off. He’s quick though, diving straight into the deep end, knowing he needs to get it over with. 

When he comes up, his hair is sticking to his forehead, and he flips it out of the way, giving you a glimpse of the broad pink scar on his chest. 

He meets you halfway, and you think he’s in a serious mood until he’s splashing you like a child. 

“You motherfucker!” 

You get him back, and he’s laughing. 

Billy is laughing and he looks so pretty in the last of the day’s sunlight, beads of water sliding over his collarbones and down his arms, and you feel like you could die. Like seeing him this way is enough. You don’t need anything else.

You try to return a particularly aggressive splash, but he catches your waist, pulling you up and over his shoulder. 

“Billy!”

“What?” His voice is teasing. He tosses the rest of the way over, your laughter fading out into the water. 

You come up, a brilliant smile on his face. Billy’s sure if you stood close enough you’d be able to hear his heart beating. 

When you’ve both gone quiet, your eyes drop to the scars on his sides, the way they stretch across his skin, mean and twisting. Some spots are darker than others, and while it hurts you to look at them, you know it must hurt him even more. But he looks just as beautiful as before, if not increasingly so. 

“See something you like?” Billy says it on instinct. To hide the fact that he’s worried you don’t really like it. That maybe you think he’s gross looking. But he knows that’s all in his head. He fucking knows it. 

“You’re fucking gorgeous, Billy Hargrove.”

You say it with such surety, such admiration, that he can’t even begin to doubt that you mean it. 

He smiles at you. It’s boyish. You’d do anything to see a million more of them. 

He moves towards you, the sky having darkened enough that the outside lights have come on, the lights in the pool too. All that remains of the sun is a slash of deep orange, though the night quickly pushes it away.

Billy’s got you backed up against the wall of the pool now. His hands find your sides.

It’s overwhelming, having him this close. You can feel his breath on your face, see the rise and fall of his chest, the freckles on his cheeks. 

When he kisses you, you think your heart stops. His mouth is warm against yours, and he tastes a little like chlorine, but you don’t care. Your hands find his face, and you’re smiling so hard that he pulls away because he wants to see. You don’t let him for long though, pulling him back, wanting more. He laughs into your mouth, and your chest aches with this feeling.

Eventually you do let go, and when you hold his eye contact, he knows what you’re going to say. He needs to tell you first, though.

“I’m in love with you, you know.”

“I know,” you respond.

He tosses his head back in a laugh, and you press a sweet kiss to his throat. 

“I’m in love with you too, Billy.”

“Damn right you are.”

You snort against his chest, lowering slightly to kiss his scar. His breath catches. He doesn’t know what he did to deserve you. 

“About fucking time!” Steve’s shouting and Robin is yelling, and Max would be making barf sounds if she wasn’t so pleased with seeing her brother so happy. 

“So much for that,” Billy says.

But you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

————

“I’m regretting this, Billy.”

“Stop whining.”

Billy wraps his arms tighter around your back, pressing a kiss to your jaw in hopes that you’ll let him keep doing this. 

“Get off.”

“No.”

“Get off, please.”

“Make me.” 

There’s the sound of a slap, your hand having met his ass.

He raises his head from where he’d buried it in your chest, looking at you drowsily. “You just spanked me.”

And you’d do it again. 

“Didn’t work, did it?”

“No. Shut up and take it.”

By that he means continue letting him lay on top of you, his entire body pressed to yours. It doesn’t matter to him that there’s an entire bed, one that’s made for two people.

You settle for playing with his hair, something he seems to enjoy, and you’d mess with him about the fact that he’s essentially purring if it weren’t for him looking so content. 

He might be heavy, but having Billy Hargrove sleep on top of you isn’t exactly something you just give up. 

He’s never had this before.

Hell, you’ve never had this before. 

And he thinks it’s healing him. More than the salve he puts on his scars, or the physical therapy, or fixing up the Camaro. 

You’re healing him. You. 

————

please let me know if you liked this! feedback is always appreciated!! comments and reblogs mean more than you know. <33

[ataleofcrowns]

Chapter Progress [NOV/06]

Hey all, it's been a while since I've written one of these 🍂

I've been posting regular previews on my Patreon, but a proper update was long overdue! As a refresher, my last update was this one, and I've got lots more to update you on now that I'm further along!

I've struggled a lot with this chapter and have been trying to wrangle it into shape as best I can, and I'm happy (and relieved) to say that I can finally give you an estimated release date: you can expect CH12 to be uploaded in December this year.

I won't be putting a specific date on it yet, since it could be anywhere from early December to late December depending on how much progress I make in November, but I'll let you know! Now, onto specifics.

The Main Plot

I'm currently balancing out LI specific content in the main plot! Regardless of what you chose in regards to Kham and the peri trader, players will be spending some time with D and X to make up for their absence in CH10 at the beginning of this chapter, and I've really missed writing their dynamic with each other as well as the Crown.

I genuinely can't decide which branch is my favorite. Meeting with Kham directly gives so much juicy verbal sparring and tension between not only her and the Crown but her and D and X as well. But meeting directly with the peri trader let me dig more into the worldbuilding, explore the city a bit, and have some more lighthearted shenanigans with D and X too.

I'll add some previews here for both routes that I've also already shared for people on the Patreon. Here's a little excerpt for people meeting with Kham:

“There is one thing I have been wondering, princess,” you say as you stare back into her eyes, watching the way the orange orbs of light flicker like flames. “When you first arrived here, you were accompanied by a retinue of guards. Whatever happened to them?” Kham does not raise her brows at you, exactly, but something similar to the motion as the wood above her eyes arches upwards with a stiff creaking sound. “They are not merely my guards, they are my servants first and foremost. Naturally, they run errands for me.” “What kinds of errands?” “Surely you do not think I would fetch all I require by myself?” She appears amused by the line of questioning rather than offended. “They trade with the peri merchants in your city on my behalf. Although, calling it trade is perhaps not accurate, as I hold the right to lay claim on their supplies whenever I please. They are representatives of my mother, after all.” You consider the explanation, but nothing about it seems notable or inconsistent so far. “So you have never dealt with this peri trader I wish to meet with yourself?” “Of course not.” She smiles, her wooden mouth briefly pressing together. “That would be beneath me.” “A shame,” $xname muses casually from beside you, contrasting the sharp look in their eyes. “We had hoped you might have some insight to share.” “As much insight as you are willing to offer me regarding this flower you seek,” Kham returns, her smile still in place. “The blue siren, yes? A rather strange fixation…” You feel the urge to tense, but withhold yourself from it by taking a slow, relaxed breath. All the rigorous physical training you have underwent over the course of the past month is already showing its benefits: you feel more aware and in control over your body, able to maintain your composure. A necessary skill when dealing with someone like Kham, as conversing with her feels like a dance of sorts. The two of you are watching each other’s steps, waiting for the other to slip.

And here's the excerpt for if you choose to meet with the peri trader:

You manage to make it through the marketplace, finally arriving at a large building with an open front, wrapping around the corner of the street. Tables and shelves are lined with various flowers and plants, perused by a few passing customers. This appears to be the peri trader’s shop, signaled by the sign at the front that reads Eshkar’s Garden. Eshkar being the name of the peri trader in question. Most of the flora on display you recognize, if not by the labeled names then by sight alone, but several look entirely new to you. Pale white flowers whose hanging bulbs pulse with light when a customer brushes against its leaves; bleeding vines wrapped around a miniature roofed trellis atop a tall table, its crimson flowers slowly dripping down pink juice caught by bowls below; a tall flower with only two black petals, large and pointed, that nearly startle you when they snap together several times in sharp, cracking sounds, almost as if the flower were clapping. IF CROWN IS INTELLIGENT Momentarily forgetting about your intended purpose in being here, you approach the clapping flower with curiosity, wondering what set it off. Sure enough, you see dead and decomposing flies of various sorts collected at the center of its bulb as you lean over to peer inside, taking care to avoid leaning in too close lest your nose get caught between the aggressive petals. Does it catch and eat small insects? How fascinating. You glance at the labeling of the flower, its name fittingly given as ‘black ovation’. IF CROWN IS INTUITIVE Eyes drawn by the visual spectacle of the white flowers, you find yourself wandering over to its shelf, glancing at the labeling that reads ‘stardrops’. The bulbs look ordinary at first glance, but sure enough, when you reach out to touch its petals, the flower begins to glow like you saw before. A ring of light travels up its stem, through the petals to the very ends, where it erupts into tiny little golden sparks. Hence the name, you suppose. Unable to stop yourself, you touch the flower again, mesmerized by the light show, until you notice a shop attendee frowning at you from nearby. Feeling scolded, you quickly pull your hand away and offer an apologetic smile.

Lots of fun going on in both routes! I don't envy you for having to make this choice lol.

Aside from this big branch, the main plot will converge for everyone again in the latter half of the chapter, where the Crown gets do to some more typical Crown things: hearing public petitions! They'll contain 2 smaller scenes where your character will hear out some citizen concerns, which will let you rack up reputation points with either the public or the nobility, and 1 major scene that affects a future plot point.

Not gonna spoil these since I've already talked so much about everything else regarding this chapter, so this will have to remain a surprise ✨

The Romances and Friendships

While the start of the chapter is X and D focused, if you have a specific (platonic) LI you want to spend more time with as buddies and perhaps get a little relationship advice, you'll have that opportunity at the start of CH12! I've had to write 12 variations in total for each friendship scene, which was a lot of work, but completely worth it.

Some LI routes also have big additional differences depending on if you have a low or high romance (such as A and R), while it matters a little bit less for the others for the time being (such as D and X). So if you screwed up on D or X's romances and have a low status, you're mostly in the clear from immediate consequences… for now.

Here's a little excerpt, taken from a playthrough of a Crown who has a high romance with A and chooses R's friendship scene:

Something like mischief gleams in $rname’s eyes as $rthey looks at you. “I’ve noticed you and $aname seem especially close nowadays.” You shift a little on the couch, averting your gaze to avoid $rname’s eyes as you strike a casual tone. “Do we?” “Mhm.” When you do glance over at $rname, you find $rthem studying $rtheir nails, and you begin to relax as you think it was just an idle remark. Until $rthey adds, “All the hand-holding underneath the table is endearing, I must admit. Especially since the two of you seem to think you’re being subtle about it.” IF CROWN IS RESERVED Heat flushes up your neck at being seen through so easily, remembering breakfast earlier that morning where $aname’s fingers hooked around yours beneath the table. “We were just… we’re not…” $rname looks up from $rtheir nails to grin at you. “There’s no need to look so embarrassed! I’m happy for you. The two of you seem well-suited for each other.” Trying to move past your flustered state, you clear your throat. “You think so?” “I’ve never seen $aname so at ease as when you’re around,” $rname considers, eyes narrowing with teasing and fondness both. “You look more unburdened with $athem near, as well.” IF CROWN IS FLIRTATIOUS You almost laugh at the remark and give it away completely, only managing to keep it in at the last moment and grinning back at $rname instead. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” $rname looks up from $rtheir nails with a sly smile. “No? What a shame. I was going to say how well-suited the two of you are for each other.” That catches your attention, your playfulness easing into something more sincere. “Really?” “I’ve never seen $aname so at ease as when you’re around,” $rname considers, eyes narrowing with teasing and fondness both. “You look more unburdened with $athem near, as well.”

This scene aside, CH12 will also contain another dedicated romance scene with your LI, dealing with some of the fallout from last chapter whether good or bad. If your romance is high, you'll be coasting- except maybe for D romancers, who are in Pining Hell either way haha.

If your romance is low, though, prepare for some delicious angst 🙏🏼

That's all I've got for now! Thank you all so much for your patience and support as always, especially for how long I've been making you all wait. You're the best 💖

[channelinglament]

Aeon of Unity.....the first aeon....they were there since the beginning they gave life to all and showed every life they created love and protection but when a threat known as honkai arrived they gave there life to seal it away in another world unknowingly becoming the object of its obsession now millions of years later you've returned and your already showing your creations that love and protection they missed oh so dearly but it seems your divine power has weakened so it's only natural your creations offer some hell right

Low on credits not anymore cause Asta, herta and Himeko have generously donated millions to your mailbox

Not enough resin to continue farming calyx for material's don't worry gepard and bronya have already sent the silvermaine guards to farm as many supplies as you need

Simulated universe giving you trouble well guess what now you can pick 2 paths and you get a bonus curio named [Divinity derived from unification] that buffs all characters depending on how devoted they are to you (you one shot gepard twice with Serval)

Even though they've given you all there love and you give it back 100 fold they still hear you speak of other worlds.....what are honkai, what's a archon and why does the broken claymore in herta's collection give himeko an uneasy feeling and make yoy cry the first time you saw it while saying "your sorry"........they may never know that your loved by not just them but beings of elemental and universal divinity.....maybe one day you'll meet all of them you are the great unifier after all

WOWIE

This is a big brain moment here

This is amazing

Also I think I accidentally altered it a bit- while I was writing- I was rereading it and just noticed that, so I am sorry 🙇

You had all three games installed. You played all of them. Everytime you saw a reference to the previous game, you either squealed of happiness, either cried if sadness.

They all saw you as their Aeon. Aeon of Unity. At some point it is true, as they exist ONLY on your device. Only on your account. Nowhere else. Whatever you do with them, will be there permanently. You can kill them, by deleting your game. You have all 3 games. All the universes. You "unite" them all. So, in a way, what they call you is not a lie.

You gave them life when you downloaded the game.

When you first installed Honkai Impact, you didn't expect Honkai to do...all that. Then you payed Genshin. All that amde you feel sad. Considering they all are alive (well...not exactly-) you can't help but feel sympathy towards them.

You gave them your everything, your love and affection. You did truly love them. At some point, you couldn't continue helping them out. No matter what you do, new "bosses" and enemies get in. They get injured, they die, they revive, and the cycle continues. No. That's not what you want. You want them to be free. To be happy..

So you did what you thought was best. You decided to free them from this "nightmare".

You deleted this games

You did regret it, you felt bad, but.. You reassured yourself that it was for the better.

Plus, now that they're.."dead". When you tried downloading again...they were just a bunch of codes. They weren't themselves anymore. They were not aware.

"I'm so sorry"

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

Later, new game came out.

Honkai: star rail

You downloaded it.

They became aware aswell..simialrily to previous game.

The guilt of.."killing" their other counterparts..or their other selves was eating you away. They WERE alive. And you had "unalived" them.

So you promised yourself to not repeat this mistake again. This time, you will talk to them and explain your worries. They could help you, while you help them.

You don't need to worry about them dying anymore, as your healers, Bailu and Natasha have the best healing light cones and artifacts. You don't need to worry about damage aswell.

You don't need to worry about them dying because of a string enemy. You can easily ascend them, because you always have resources now.

If in the past you never talked about this and tried to farm it all by yourself..now

Now, that you talk to them about it.. they help you out with it.

You need credits to ascend something? All donated to you.

You want another character? The crystals are donated aswell, while during the ten pull you get to E6 them. You get their light cones. And 4* are coming in aswell.

You need materials? Silvermane guards are doing it for you, and your characters are doing it aswell!

You make them all strong. You make sure they're able to defend themselves in a fight, while staying at full health.

You've seen video of a person who defeated Kafka without even giving her a single turn? Yeah that's how the fights go without you. While you're here, the game doesn't always let them do that (meme teams are best trust me-)

Oh, the SU is too hard? Dw they got you!

You grace them with your presence, you make them healthy, you make them strong, you CARE about them. You LOVE them

So all they ask of you is your eternal love and attention. Though, you already give it to them.

Sometimes, they hear you crying behind..whatever separates your..worlds

You say sorry, when you look at strange glider. Or a broken claymore. Some feel stable emotions looking at it. (Welt and Himeko)

When Traiblazer hears a strange female noise coming from nowhere saying "Let's explore this area later" you laugh..and cry a bit?

You laugh, and it flutters Trailbazer's heart!

But when you cried? They were confused. Didn't you laugh a moment ago?

Anyways, they're bathing in your attention and affection. They will give you their everything, just ask them!!

Ah, how they wish you came to their world!

Well, it's not a problem anyways..Herta and Aeons found a way to bring you here..

for now, you will see them when you're asleep. For them, you're in SU, but to you..you're just dreaming..right?

They never keep a secret from you, but.. no

This isn't a secret..this is a surprise! You will be happy aren't you oh dear Aeon?

Soon, you will finally be united with them.

Meanwhile the..other worlds..

They are not exactly "dead", since they were never quite "alive" to begin with

They're stuck in some void...

They've seen your attempts to come back to them, and they're grateful for it. They know your reason for..."killing" them

And right now, they're trying to find a way to contact you..you seem to be moving on from them, focusing on other world. Oh nononono...

That's not how it supposed to be..focus on ALL of them..

It seems they need to pay hsr a little visit... hopefully, you will smile at them the way you always used to

[andikiramman]

are you down to be...?

sub!caitlyn kiramman x reader

wc: 2.5k

(FORGIVE ME FOR SOME REASON THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO MY OTHER CAITLYN POST BUT I FORGORRRR)

caitlyn kiramman was bored.

she did not often feel this way, considering her job as the Sheriff of Piltover kept her busy most days, but after making the decision to delegate the solving of a certain case to her elite task force, she realized just how much she time she actually dedicated to her work.

which is how she ended up here: standing in front of her bedroom mirror decked head to toe in her birthday suit, trying and failing to wipe the smirk off of her face.

she silently trailed two fingers up from her belly button, tracing her lithe form as she thought of the ways her little plan might play out. she bit her lip, a rosy pink spreading across her cheek as she envisioned the look that'd be on your face as you'd notice her naked form standing at the doorway to your home office.

oh how she missed you...

you hadn't gone anywhere... and that was the problem. you'd waken up before she had, trapping yourself in the office as you drowned yourself in paperwork.

she hadn't expected you to take up her offer of joining the Enforcers, but you took to it like a fish to water. you progressed and climbed the ranks quite quickly, now even being in charge of your own division. you'd been overwhelmingly supportive, assisting in caitlyn's cases when you had the time. your only problem was your insistence on taking your division's matters into your own hands. while caitlyn had no problem trusting her squad with both major and minor tasks, you were quite typical about the way things were done, which led to you doing most things on your own. cait had to give credit where it was due; you certainly worked hard. too hard, in fact.

she didn't know how you'd react to being distracted from your work, but that's what thrilled her the most.

steeling her resolve, caitlyn slipped out of the master bedroom, steadily creeping down the hallway naked as the day she was born. when she reached the door to the home office, she took a deep breath, waiting a bit before slowly opening the door.

there you were, just as you had been the entire day: hunched over scattered piles of paperwork with your signature black pen in hand, focus darting from one sheet of paper to the next and writing where need be. though your desk looked to be a mess of office supplies, everything was organized just the way you needed it to enhance productivity.

realizing you had yet to notice her presence, cait silently made her way over to you, her feet gently padding along the wooden floor.

"baby, you're still working," she finally verbalized, an observation moreso than a question.

"yes dear," you replied, focus unwavering as cait decided to start rubbing the back of your neck. "do you need something?"

cait bit her lip as she smiled. "yeah, you..."

she watched as your expression formed into one of confusion, an eyebrow raising as you finally looked away from your desk. "i beg your-"

the room was silent as you took in her nude form. it was quick, the moment you realized exactly what your darling was referring to, but cait noticed, of course. the way your pupils dilated as your gaze zeroes in on her breasts for just a moment, before tearing away from the temptation.

"my love, i'm working," you said finally, turning your head away and looking down at the files in front of you.

"as you have been since you woke up this morning," caitlyn responded dryly. "did you even eat anything today?"

you sighed, locking your eyes on caitlyn's own. "if you must know, i have," you answered simply.

and yet, she could see the hunger lying within your gaze as you forced yourself not to take another look at her body. this battle was already won, but cait knew you wouldn't go down without a fight. though it seems she wouldn't need to do much fighting.

"you need a break," she insisted. cait gripped the back of your rolling chair, pulling it away before standing in between you and your desk.

"my dear, i'm almost done, please just let me finish-" you weren't even given a chance to complete your sentence before your pen was taken from your hand and mindlessly tossed to the other side of the room.

in a moment of defiance, cait climbed into your lap, long legs on both sides of your own. she took your hands in hers, placing them on her waist and being pleasantly surprised when you kept them there.

"you've been at it all day," she whispered. "please, just allow me to distract you for a mere few minutes."

you swallowed thickly. your pupils were completely blown out at this point, breathing heavy as your hands gripped caitlyn's flesh.

"you and i both know all too well that this will take more than just 'a mere few minutes'..."

caitlyn smirked when she realized she completely won you over, her hands coming up to cup both sides of your face.

"guilty as charged."

no more words were exchanged between the two of you as she pulled you in for a deep and passionate kiss. caitlyn groaned in a mix of pleasure and relief. oh, how she's missed this, how she's missed you. from the way she held you so, it'd be hard to imagine that the two of you were in a similar position just a day ago.

the way your hands massaged her waist and her lower back had cait absolutely melting on top of you, her desire for you building up to a point where she started grinding against your thigh.

she broke from the kiss to whimper out a small "fuck~" the moment her clit brushed just right against the fabric of your trousers.

"is this what you came to distract me for, darling?" muttered lowly. "to grind against my leg like a damned bitch in heat?"

caitlyn let out a whine as you gripped her hips tightly, encouraging her movements. "you could've jus' fucked yourself on my pillow if this is all you wanted to do... seeing how impatient you are, i'm sure that's something you've done before, isn't that right?"

oh god, caitlyn thought she could cum just from your words alone. you always knew just what to say to drive her into a frenzy.

she hid her face in your neck, eyes rolling to the back of her head as you starting moving your leg in sync with her grinds.

"a-ah, baby~" she cried out as one of her hands tightly clasped onto your shoulder. "want you s-so bad, please!"

“oh, i’m sure you do, my love," you chuckled. "make yourself cum first... i'll give you whatever you want after that."

"please, yes!" cait cried out, always one for a challenge. she doubled her efforts, short and quick thrusts against your thigh that sent waves of pleasure throughout her body.

she could feel your blunt nails digging into her sides; she knew there'd be bruising in the morning, but that thought was pushed to the back of her mind once she felt her core grow hotter. cait's movements grew sloppy as she felt her orgasm building up from within. she pressed her face harder against your nape and gripped your shoulder tighter, attempting to curl in on herself.

"oh, you're so close, aren't you, darling?" you cooed at her, voice smooth with a mocking lilt to it.

"please... need it, please!" cait begged in between breathy moans.

"oh, you don't have to beg, my dear," you replied. "go 'head and take what you want."

with that, caitlyn tipped over the edge, her entire body quivering as her orgasm rushed through her. she sobbed into the side of your throat, the rolling of her hips losing rhythm.

finally, she slumped against you, tired breaths coming out in whimpers against your neck. your once harsh grip turned into gentle strokes of your fingers along her back, bringing her down from her high.

"that was marvelous, darling... do you think you can take one more?"

caitlyn lifted her head up to finally look you in the eyes. you still had that hungry look to you, like you wanted to just eat her alive.

"please," she sighed. "i need more of you, please..."

"oh, you poor thing," you cooed. you slipped your hands under her legs, and in a sudden yet impressive display of strength, you stood up with her, making your way over to your desk and placing her on the side that wasn't so occupied.

you kissed her gently, caitlyn basking in the afterglow of what she'd just experienced. she cupped your face as she brought you in closer, wrapping her legs around your waist. she moaned softly when you started kissing her neck, your warm breath causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up.

she could easily lose herself in this soft moment...

that is, until you tangled your hand in her hair and pulled.

she yelped, eyes widening at the sudden painful sensation.

"i've been all too kind to you," you mused. "you come in here, get in the way of my work, and i just give you exactly what you beg me for... you're one lucky woman, you know that?"

cait could only let out a whimper. of course she knew. you always put her first, no matter what.

"i won't be so kind the next time this occurs. do you understand, my dear?"

"crystal," she rasped. lord knows what you would've done if she pulled this stunt while you were already in a bad mood.

the thought sent a thrill along her spine.

"now," you spoke again, "it seems i have yet to completely satisfy your needs..."

your free hand came up to one of her breasts, groping it before taking her nipple between two fingers and pinching. caitlyn let out a sharp cry, eyes squeezing shut as she threw her head back.

"everything about you is so damn pretty," you said aloud, seemingly to yourself. you let go of caitlyn's hair, cupping her cheek instead. "from this pretty little face of yours..."

your hand slid downwards to massage her other breast, eliciting a soft moan from caitlyn. "to your tits..."

finally, your hand slipped down in between her legs, fingers coating themselves in cait's arousal. "to this sweet fuckin' pussy of yours."

"oh my god," caitlyn whined as you traced slow circles against her clit. "oh, fuck yes~"

"what do you want from me, baby?" you muttered, bringing your lips to her jaw. "tell me and i'll let you have it."

"eat me out," caitlyn moaned out. "need to feel your mouth on me... please..."

you smirked, letting out a deep hum. "very well then... your wish is my command."

caitlyn watched in anticipation as you lowered yourself onto your knees, maintaining eye contact with her the entire way down. you began kissing her inner thighs, dangerously close to where she actually wanted you.

"babyy," she whined impatiently. "stop teasing, pleasee."

you rolled your eyes at that. "you know, for someone who came in here being nothing but a distraction, you seem rather hasty. i've already long since disregarded my work; there's no rush."

cait was not satisfied with that answer. "but i need you now," she retorted, lifting her hips up to bring herself closer to your face.

you scowled at her for just a moment before rolling your eyes. "it's no wonder you had the audacity to barge into my office and disrupt me like this. i truly do spoil you."

you wrapped your arms under caitlyn's thighs before diving in, licking a long and slow stripe from her leaking hole up to her puffy clit. cait squeezed her eyes shut and her jaw dropped as a wave of pleasure ran up her spine.

"ohhh... oh fuck," she sighed out. "please..."

without warning, cait suddenly felt your tongue delve deep inside of her, her back arching and a loud moan escaping her in response. you hummed as you tasted her, and cait couldn't help but move her hips in sync with your tongue, hoping to feel you ever deeper.

instead, you slipped your tongue out, opting to wrap your lips around her aching clit and sucking. cait's thighs tightened around your head, trapping you in and seemingly never wanting to let go.

"ahh, o-oh please, please keep going," she cried out in pure ecstasy. "oh, i'm so close baby, please!"

she felt the vibrations when you moaned in reply, letting herself fall back against your desk as she could no longer hold herself up. ignoring the digging of writing utensils in her back, her hands tangled themselves in your hair, needing something, anything, to keep her grounded as you ate at her very being.

she felt you throughout her entire body, from her scalp to the very tips of her toes. with each calculated maneuver of your lips and tongue, you lifter higher, higher, and even higher...

until she was falling, tumbling over the edge with a wail, her body tensing up ass tears flowed down the sides of her face. you didn't stop, though, the quivering jerks of her hips overlooked as you kept your pace.

"b-baby please!" caitlyn cried out. "s-sensitive!"

her pleas only fell onto deaf ears. it seems you had a mission: to lift her right back up to the peak again just to bring her right back down.

you did exactly that, caitlyn crying out as her orgasm overtook her once more. this time you let go, poor caitlyn finally getting a chance to relax. she felt your warm hands gently rubs her legs, before reaching higher to rub her stomach.

"are you finally satisfied, my dear?" you wondered aloud.

"mhm," caitlyn hummed groggily, her eyes remaining hut as she brought her arm up to shield them from the light.

she felt you put her legs down as you stood up, before her upper half was suddenly lifted off the desk into a seated position. she yelped, her eyes snapping open and being met with your warm smile.

"i'm glad," you responded. "what do you say we call it a night?"

caitlyn nodded. "but what about the rest of your paperwork?" she asked as you lifted her into a bridal carry.

"oh how ironic, you suddenly care about that?" you questioned sarcastically.

"i'm just asking," caitlyn pouted.

you kicked the door open, carrying her down the hallway and to the bedroom. "don't worry about that, i'll finish it at the precinct in the morning."

"okay."

you kissed caitlyn's forehead. "in hindsight, i really needed that, a distraction, that is... thanks for that."

caitlyn's cheeks flushed pink, and she blinked in surprise at your admission. "o-oh, really? you're welcome, then."

when you reached your room, you set her down on the bed before climbing up and laying down next to her. she instantly wrapped her arms around you, her leg resting on top of your own.

"why don't we go on a date tomorrow?" you suggested. "i'd like to spend more time with my darling."

caitlyn could feel her heart doing flips in her chest as you gently turned her face towards you, pressing a succession of soft kisses against her lips.

"yeah... i'd like the sound of that."

hope u guys enjoyed reading this! likes, comments, and reblogs are super appreciated!! o((*^▽^*))o

[weepynymph]

I gotta talk about this moment even though it's been discussed a million times

Zuko, opening up to someone about his scar for the first time (from what we’ve seen in the show at least, but we can reasonably assume he hasn’t spoken about it like this since he got it) and explicitly stating that whilst he's always associated it with with failures ('the mark of the banished prince'), he's finally ready to take control and change his life for the better. And whilst he has accepted that he can never change his scar, it’s ok because he still has the power to change his destiny.

And despite this assurance, Katara, the healer, still jumps in and offers to heal it anyway, understanding that this is still a burden she could lift from him - 'What if you could be free of it?'

She knows it won't change his life in the same way taking control of his own destiny will, but still, it's like she can't help but try to ease his pain. Even if it's a pain that's long since become a permanent part of him, something that might seem surface level or cosmetic to others - 'It's a scar, it can't be healed.'

And then we have this

'I've been saving it for something important.'

This. Healing Zuko's scar. A wound that has, for all intents and purposes already healed and is not longer a threat to his life, but still burdens him emotionally. That has come to represent all of his trauma. This Katara considers important enough to use her limited and precious supply of spirit oasis water. In the middle of a war. In the middle of a dangerous journey to save the world in which she and her friends might be seriously injured at any time (including in this scene, where Ba sing se is literally under attack as they speak).

And if that weren't enough

'I don't know if it would work'

Now, I don't know the mechanics of spirit water in the atla universe, but it seems to be pretty heavily implied later in the episode when she uses the water to heal Aang, and for a moment thinks that it hasn't worked, that it's sort of a one-time deal.

Which means that she's willing to potentially waste the spirit water just on the off-chance that it might remove the scar. Which in the context of the wider story seems utterly insane.

But Katara thinks it's worth the risk.

And presented with this opportunity, this beautiful, selfless offer to ease his suffering, even on a purely physical, surface level, Zuko wordlessly submits, and lets her touch his scar.

Now, Katara doesn't know quite how significant this touch is (although she's very emotionally intuitive so I'm sure she has some inkling of the gravity of this action) but we do. We know that Zuko doesn't let anyone touch his scar, ever. So what this communicates to us as an audience is that Zuko is allowing himself, for the first time, to put his complete trust in someone. To be completely, 100% vulnerable with them.

And the moment of touch is all the more significant because, in many ways, it isn't even strictly necessary.

Katara's hands are empty, she isn't putting the spirit water to his face, to attempting to heal it here. And while I'd argue this touch could be a practical one - assessing the damage of the scar with her hands to see how to proceed before she uses the water - the moment after, right before they are interrupted, isn't one of practical, medical assessment, but of intimacy.

The way Zuko waits, patiently, eyes closed, and the way Katara pauses, just for a moment, doing what I can only describe as gazing at him, and that slow blink in the middle- Again, not examining his scar or reaching for the spirit water to begin, but just taking it all in.

It's so breathtakingly intimate and vulnerable - a point of connection between these two people who are supposedly so completely different but are, here, somehow so alike in their openness and understanding of one another.

That Katara offers to heal Zuko's scar even when he's said moments before that he's made his peace with the fact that he's never be free of it. And the way he accepts her offer without words because she's right, part of him does want to be free of it.

It's just an absolute masterclass in creating an immediate and powerful connection and bond between two characters in an incredibly short space of time from a start point of complete opposition without rushing it or making it seem implausible.

[ghostboneswrites2]

Doe Eyes || Ch.1 - Woodbury

Overview: You (y/n) are taken captive by the Governor and recruited as one of his fiercest soldiers. As you slowly uncover the atrocities committed behind the walls of Woodbury and at the hands of the Governor himself, your already questionable loyalty begins to dwindle. When Woodbury falls, your only friend (a sassy, formerly rich farmer's daughter type named Brandy) decides to take the offer from the rival group to join them at their secure home in a prison. Despite your apprehensiveness -- and your preference to be out on your own -- you decide to tag along with your friend and seek refuge with Rick's group. You become a valuable, able-bodied asset to them, and that's when a certain crossbow slinging southerner becomes a part of your life.

Story begins in S3 and ends when Aaron finds the group to take them to Alexandria. It is mostly canon compliant. Lots of canonical dialogue. This story is finished. There is one OC: Brandy

18+ MDNI || Warnings: Story contains TWD typical violence, profanity, deaths of major and minor characters, gore, etc etc.

Chapter list

        "Well, so far, so good, except the dehydration. I'm going to give you these electrolyte powders. Drink them twice a day in a glass of water, and make sure to drink plenty more in between." The doctor lady told you, handing you six slender packets. "Someone will be in to show you around."

        With that, she walked out of the room and you just sat there, stunned. A doctor? In today's world? Where the hell were you? Maybe you were dead and this was some kind of strange DMT trip before your lights went out for good.

        The door opened and in walked a tall man with a fake smile. He was the type to work at a law firm or something. 

        "Good afternoon." He greeted cordially. "Name's Philip. Most people just call me Governor."

        "Governor?" You snorted. "Like 'ello gov-nah'?" You joked, mimicking a sad excuse for a British accent.

        "Funny." He chuckled, but something told you it wasn't actually that amusing. "Come on. I'll show you around, then I'll take you to where you'll be staying."

        "Staying? I don't know about that. I was doing alright on my own." 

        "Alright?" He considered your words for a moment, slowly pacing his way toward you. "Wouldn't you rather be doing well? Great, even? Just let me show you around, give you a place to stay for a day or two, and then if you still want to go, fine. We'll send you off, maybe give you some supplies to get you started."

        "What about my weapons?" You inquired. When they took you, you had a .38 and a crowbar. You'd become pretty efficient in the arts of melee since the world fell to shit.

        "Of course. You can have 'em, and we'll even give you a box of ammunition for that pretty piece of yours. It's nice, by the way. Where'd you get it?"

        "Oh, I got it when I got my first place on my own." You shrugged. "You know, wasn't in the best area and all."

        "Understandable." He nodded, showing off that eerily friendly grin of his. "Good thing you had it."

----

        "So, what do you think?" He asked. He'd just given you a quick tour of the town. Woodbury, he called it.

        "It's real cute. Never seen anything like it." You admitted.

        "No different than any other little town in the south." He chuckled.         

        "The walls, I mean." You clarified. "The armed guards. So many people. How'd you do it?"

        "Well, Rome wasn't built in a day." He shrugged, feigning humility.

        "It also wasn't built in a world infested with flesh-starved freaks." You retorted. His eyes narrowed. He was growing tired of your observations and the way you questioned everything. It threatened him, really. But he'd seen the way you fought out there. They'd been watching you for a few days, Philip and Merle and whatever goons they'd bring along for the day. They watched you fight two grown men off as they tried to raid your supplies and probably yourself. You took down the biters with ease, one swift blow to the side of the head, and another down on top. You were quick and sneaky. You made it look effortless. You had survival down to a science, which was either a threat or an asset. He hadn't decided. 

        He forced a smile that more closely resembled a sneer. 

        "I'm sure you've got loads of questions. You're a smart gal. However, I have some things that need attending, and you still haven't been shown to your place." 

        "What, like my own house?" You furrowed you eyebrows. He looked around.

        "You see any houses around here? C'mon, it's in here." He said as he led you inside the building you two had stopped in front of. It was a small apartment building it seemed, maybe twelve apartments total, if that. Yours was on the second floor. It was small, but it had everything anyone could need. "There's some food in the kitchen, and running water. Come find me if you need anything. Feel free to wander and make friends." 

----

        When you'd been at Woodbury for a few days, the Governor had cornered you, asking you to make a decision, because anyone who stayed had a job to do, and if you were going to leave, it needed to be soon so not to use up any more valuable supplies. You told him you'd stay, but he seemed skeptical all of a sudden, asking what value you had to offer. Of course, you told him about the only skill you had in this new world. You were a fighter. He seemed to like that response. He assigned you to the wall at first, then he started bringing you on runs.

        That was weeks ago. Just recently you guys brought in two women, Michonne and Andrea. They made it clear they weren't sticking around, so the Governor gave them the same offer he gave you; chill out for a few days then be on their way.

        Andrea eventually decided to stay but Michonne wanted no part of it. Thing was, Philip never intended on letting them leave alive. You and Merle were tasked with killing her. She got away from Merle, and you let her. The two of you had decided to just tell him she was dead and be done with it. Not like she had much of a chance up against their paramilitary militia anyways. That was when you truly lost any trust for Woodbury. The benevolent ruler façade was already less than believable, and the hit on Michonne did nothing but prove your suspicions. 

        Really, the only  upside to any of this was that for the first time since everyone you knew was eaten alive -- or doing the eating -- you made a friend. Brandy was a tan, dirty blonde, supermodel of a woman. She grew up on a very profitable farm. A plantation, really. She was your typical southern belle, or as she would call it, a 'Georgia Peach.' She was sassy and classy and everything in between. She was probably the only person in the world that still wore mascara and lip gloss and carried a purse. You were drinking with her at her place that night.

        "So, what did you do, anyways? Before all this?" She asked, pouring another glass of wine. 

        "Honestly?" You giggled. "I was a clerk at a pawnshop."

        "Wow, a real classy place, I bet." She joked. You rolled your eyes. 

        "Oh, yeah. The tweakers trying to pawn their decade old VHS players for a sack was real classy."

        "I didn't have a job." She admitted as she poured you a glass. "Daddy pretty much gave me whatever. Paid for my college classes." She lamented. "I had a real good life."

        "That's good." You smiled. "Mine wasn't so bad, but I definitely lacked in the rich dad department."

        "Yeah, well, I'm sure you got a lot more life experience than I could ever dream of. I used to wish I could just live like a normal girl sometimes. Life with a silver spoon ain't all it's cracked up to be, you know?"

        "Oh, yeah. I'm sure that was real tough." You snorted.

        "Only when I wanted a boyfriend who wasn't studying to be a doctor or a lawyer." She giggled. "Or that one time they caught me smokin' pot with my friends in high school."

        "Pot?" You raised your eyebrows. "My, my. A rebel, I see."

        "Something like that, yeah." She nodded.

        "Got any pot now?" You wondered. She laughed.

        "No but if you find any, let me know." 

        "So, what's up around here?" You asked, breaking away from the casual banter. She gave you a confused look. "I mean, like, how come nobody gets to leave this place?"

        "Why would anyone want to?" She scoffed. When she realized you were serious, her smiled dropped. "What do you mean? We're free to go whenever we want. Nobody ever wants to, though."

        "I don't know about that." You mumbled.

        "What are you on about?" She asked warily.

        "Look, you cant tell anyone." You said, growing more serious as you leaned forward on the table where she sat across from you. "That girl Michonne, she left. Governor sent me and Merle after her."

        "What, to bring her back? I thought you said nobody gets to leave?" Brandy tilted her head.

        "That's what I'm saying. He sent us to kill her." You whispered.

        "You killed her?" She gasped.

        "No no no no!" You shook your head and waved your hands. "She got away and I let her."

        "Well why the hell would he send y'all after her? What did she do?"

        "Nothing, man." You shook your head. "Not a damn thing. She just didn't want to stay. I don't get it."

[sollattes]

I dont remember if i had sent another request before but here i am again 🥺💕 If requests are open, CAN I ASK FOR ONE FOR MY PRECIOUS TSUJI 😭😭 IT CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT BUT IM DYING FOR ENEMIES TO LOVERS ONES AHHSJDJE LOVE YAA 💕💕💕🥰

Flirting with the enemy

tsuji x himuro!reader

note: reader considers ghandi as her brother even though they are not blood related, so that's why it's "brothers"

You were part of the kamasaka gang as your brothers were leading it, but not as someone who fights, no. Hell no. Both reiji and ghandi would rather die than have you with even just a single bruise, but as their 'healer' or 'doctor' of some sort.

One thing you didn't really expect was both of your brothers to beaten up this badly though you already knew that the whole 'three-school-alliance' was bullshit since the 'leader' of it is an intolerable asshole.

"I don't know if the two of you are really dumb, really brave, or really bravely stupid" you scolded them while handing ghandi an ice pack then putting more ointment on reiji's bruised lip.

"You can say both," reiji flashed a shit-eating-grin and then followed by ghandi's laugh of agreement, but both of them quickly shut up when they saw your glare directed towards them.

You just sighed dissapiontedly and rolled your eyes at them, then continued on treating reiji while from time to time checking in ghandi.

Looking at your med supplies, you were short on bandages and alcohol so you quickly informed your brothers about it and then went to the pharmacy to at least stock up a bit.

In the store you were met with one of the dudes that your brothers talked to you about, it was the dude with the braids, and as usual, he was with his two other friends, todoroki? Was the glasses guy's name and the big dude you absolutely have no idea what's his name.

You avoided them skillfully like the plague, though fate was not on your side, and you bumped into 'braids guy', making the things that the both of you were holding fall onto the ground.

You bumped into tsuji's chest quite hard that it made grunt in pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, omg. Are you okay?" You apologised profusely, helping him pick up the things that fell.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry," tsuji assured you, then also bent down to help pick the things that were on the ground.

While helping him pick up the things that fell, your hands softly grazed at each other, and both of you met eyes after feeling the contact and just softly smiled at each other

Tsuji did not expect his chest to throb again after getting beaten up by ebera, but this time, it was not from pain but from being flustered on how pretty you are.

Now that you were seeing him this close, he was really pretty even with small bruises scattered in his face.

Both todoroki and Shiba looked around to look for tsuji as he was taking too long in the bandages Isle. They found the both of you just quietly flirting with each other with your glances and quiet laughs. Shiba tried to call tsuji but just got ignored. Then both Shiba and Todo just made a knowing look with each other and just decided to leave tsuji alone with you.

"I'm really sorry again, I didn't look where I was going," you sheepishly smiled at him and picked the last of your things on the ground.

"Like I said, it's totally fine," tsuji handed the last of your dropped things, then put his hands on his pockets.

"Hey, look, how about I make up to you? I know there's a really good takoyaki spot nearby," you offered tsuji while paying at the counter.

You really do wanna make it up to him, totally not because you want to get to know him. No, not that all. And plus, your brothers would probably kill this guy if they ever find out you hung out with him.

Of course, tsuji agreed since he also wanted to get to know you better, and the opportunity presented itself, so who was he to deny that.

After exiting the pharmacy, both of you went to the takoyaki store that you were talking about. When both of you were done buying, you found a park stair and decided that you would just chill there and talk with him, considering you still don't know each other's names

While eating takoyaki with tsuji, you found out a lot of things about him, and both of you have a lot in common.

Being so ingrossed with your conversation with tsuji, you didn't notice the time, but it was already too late, reiji and ghandi were already looking for you.

Reiji and ghandi were already turning the city upside down to look for you.

Once reiji spotted you with tsuji, he immediately saw red. The rage hat reiji felt was immeasurable.

Reiji grabbed tsuji's collar, "YOU STAY AWAY FROM THEM YOU FUCKING OYA SCUM I DONT WANT TO SEE YOU NEAR THEM EVER AGAIN," he warned tsuji.

Tsuji did not care if reiji was threatening him. All he cared at that moment was you, he coudnt even hear reiji's voice anymore once he met your teary and afraid eyes.

"Reiji please just stop, it was my fault too please stop let's just go," you pleaded not knowing why you want to protect tsuji but still you'll feel responsible if ever got hurt.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM THEM YOU FUCKING OYA SCUM," your brother gave one last warning to tsuji and dragged you away from there.

You left tsuji with one last apologetic glance before letting your brother drag you back in order not to cause further commotion.

Tsuji fought hard to not go after you, though by doing that he'll just cause a scene more so for now he won't do anything but he'll make sure that this won't your last meeting, he doesn't care if reiji would destroy as long as he can see you everything will be worth it.

note: Hey, babes ! I don't really know how to write enemies to lovers, so I wrote this instead. I'm also sorry of its late . hope you still like it.

[monstermashzine]

i only found out about this zine today, and was interested in applying as an artist at first, but asking for 3 different concrete (and mandatory) pitches on its own is already a tall order for a zine i haven't even been accepted to yet, and having to supply sketches on top of it is even worse! a detailed summary seems like a lot to ask up front for writers, too... i vibe with this zine's mission, but that's just too many requirements for a mere application. i hope you'll consider this feedback for next year.

Henlo! O u O///

I'm sorry to hear of your feelings on our application process, but I hope this will help clear some of your concerns.

Our application process doesn't ask for concrete pitches or sketches. As far as I've been able to gather, it's customary for zines to ask for pitches during the application process. I don't have a lot of experience when it comes to participating in zines, so I spend a lot of time looking into the application of other zines and conferring with my mods about the best procedures for us.

It may seem like a matter of schemantics, but we don't ask for sketches, we ask for concept thumbnails. From my understanding, a single thumbnails should take no more than a few minutes to create, and is designed to be a very rough draft of a sketch. It usually focuses solely on the main focus point, and is often subject to extensive changes throughout the production process.

While my wording was initially misleading during the first edition, back in 2022, I've since been corrected by a very patient applicant, and the wording has been justly rectified in this year's application requirements.

We ask for thumbnails, not sketches.

Adding to that, when pressed on the issue of whether this was a bothersome or unreasonable requirement during an anonymous performance survey, our contributors had no qualms with this aspect of our application process. This being said, we'll revisit this issue with our future contributors once the project is over, and will work on making changes from that.

As for our authors' application, we've actually lowered our requirements from last year's applications. Where we previously required a 500 word blurb for each of our authors' pitches, we now ask for a detailed description.

When asking for a description, we're asking for anything from a summarized run-down of the intended piece, an intended pairing (FF werewolf/human; Mer!BakuDeku; etc), character descriptions, fandoms, or any other information which may help paint a picture for us.

I've looked into a large number of writing anthologies, and our requirements are quite lenient in comparison.

This may help understand our expectations a little better:

At the end of the day, how much you give us is entirely up to you. It isn't mandatory to provide thumbnails or detailed descriptions. We have applicants who've ignored our requirements before, and it was of no real issue to us.

The reason for our extensive requirements is deeply tied to this project's missions, however, and allows us to select through a wide variety of stories and characters. The MonsterMASH! zine strives to bring people together, and create a product in which stories and art actively coexist. Our application's requirements allow us to meet our project's mission of showcasing a wide array of stories.

It helps us sort through applicants who may have pitches which are a little too similar to another's, and choose which creator would be better suited for our project. This process has worked wonderfully for us so far, and was met with fairly positive feedback.

You're under no obligations to provide us with anymore information than you're willing to offer us. We will consider your application regardless. However, other applicants who do meet our requirements will likely score higher than you, and we'll be made to consider their application before yours.

On a different note, I'd hate to leave any aspiring applicant to feel disappointed. My mods are very busy, and I feel it unfair to ask any impromptu work out of them when they're not paid to help me. However, I think it shouldn't be too much additional work on us to offer you some additional time to work on your application!

If you'd like a few extra days to turn in an app, feel free to reach out to us via email (zinemonstermash@gmail.com), and we'll see to it that you get a bit of an extension.

Thank you so much for reaching out, anon!

—Mod Daddykins O u O///

[trail-mx]

Prompt is courtesy of @writing-prompt-s:

"You are a werewolf and everyone in the village knows. When its nearing the full moon they all help you baricade yourself in your home since you are the only wheat farmer in town. Everything was fine until some self righteous lord takes over and demands not only your land but your home as well."

. . . . . . .

"Allen killed his first deer yesterday - he wants you to have it."

I look up from my tea, surprised. "I hadn't realized he was old enough to go hunting yet. How big are we talking?"

"Oh, nothing much. It's just a full-grown buck, weighing shy of 270 pounds with an 8-point rack."

"270!" I sputter, tea almost coming out of my nose. The bastard timed that bit of information too well. "Paulie, I can't accept that. Winter is coming. His family will - "

"His family has already agreed to give it to you." Paulie - or 'Little Paul' as he's called by the folks in the village - interrupts what's gearing up to be a fully reasoned argument as to why I cannot accept such a fine offering. "Mary considers it a good omen that he got it right before the moon."

I look down towards my tea again. I'm not one to believe in omens, but even I find the timing of a 12 year old killing a full-grown buck on his first hunting trip now of all times to be suspicious. Allen's family has been very kind to me since I came out about my 'Moonly Issues', and I would be a fool to turn away such a thoughtful gift. Mary would probably tan my hide and put it in the entryway of their home as a warning to others about accepting the kindness of your neighbors.

However, I've never been one to give in easily. "Tell them I'll pay them the full value after the moon."

Paulie's blue eyes dance with restrained laughter. "You're welcome to tell them that yourself. I'd rather avoid the lecture."

He takes a long sip of his warmed cider, his preferred drink during autumn. This year, the season seems to be rushing towards winter faster than anyone wants. Being this close to the Full Moon makes me more susceptible to the cold, so I've wrapped my hands around my own tea and desperately wish to bury myself in about four thick blankets.

"Cold?" Paulie asks, a look of understanding crosses his face as I reluctantly nod. "This weather is miserable. I'll get with the twins to make sure you have extra blankets when you wake up tomorrow."

I sigh. The twins will probably make sure I have every blanket in town if they have their way. "Please try to temper their enthusiasm. You know how they get."

"I know. Cara and I will supply the blankets. That should ensure you only have to deal with a small mound of covers rather than an avalanche."

I laugh. "Thanks, Paulie. What would I do without you?"

"Mmm... you'd survive. We're just happy to look after you. Mark is just glad you're making use of the old property. He's willing to sell it to you for a fair price."

I shake my head. "I have no need for two properties. My little homestead is just fine. It's just a little..."

Paulie scratches his scruffy beard while he hums in understanding. "You know how Tall John installed those new iron-bound wooden doors to both your home and this house? All the reading he and Jacob have done says that should be enough to keep you locked in during the change, but I respect your desire to keep a healthy distance from the town."

"It's not that I don't appreciate their research," I say while looking around the sparsly furnished room. I don't need much this time of the month and had been forced to spend more time than I thought I would arguing with Mark that, no, I didn't need a better bed. I'd probably just destroy it. "It's just that I don't want to risk anyone. You've all been very kind."

"Of course we are!" He grins. "If it wasn't for you, Suzi might not have made it through last winter. Plus, the grain you stored away kept the whole village fed when the meat ran out. We're just returning the favor."

I look down to hide my blush. I had only been doing what was right. There was no reason to hoard all that extra grain when it would feed the village. As for Suzi - Paulie's youngest - she had been ill off and on all winter, and it seemed that fresh meat helped. It hadn't been that much of a hardship to get as far from civilization as possible during the Full and hunt.

Taking care of the Pack is instinct for the Wolf, after all.

"It was nothing, Paulie." I say. "I was happy to help."

"And we're happy to look after you." Paulie replies. "Now, do you need anything before I go and tell Allen the good news?"

I think about it a moment. The town always makes sure that there is plenty of tea to drink and books for me to read while I wait for moonrise. I prefer to lock myself away the whole day of the Full Moon - not because I'm dangerous the whole day, but because I'm always so blasted cold even during the height of summer and it makes my joints ache something fierce.

Others with my affliction say it's different for everyone - some are more sensitive to the chilled pull of the moon than others. Many say it's a sign of strength, with the more spiritual saying that the moon blesses her chosen to sense her power even during the day so that they can pull on it if the need arises.

I just find it to be entirely uncomfortable. So, I hide away in the cabin, downing cups of near scalding tea while wrapped in the warmest sweater I own in an attempt to stave off the chill.

"Another blanket if you don't mind. Oh, and if you can ask Big Paul to place something heavy in front of the door after you're done bringing things over, that would be great."

Paulie doesn't roll his eyes, but I can tell he's considering it as he stands. I have always found it ironic that the town calls Paulie 'Little Paul' despite being 6 feet tall and 250-odd pounds. Then again, 'Big Paul' is 5 inches taller and at least 50 pounds heavier.

"Don't I always? I already planned on speaking with Paul anyway. I'll need his help to bring the buck over. Sucker is heavy."

"You do know they invented this new device. I've heard it's called a wagon. Means you don't have to drag the beast all the way here." I tease.

"I'm familiar." He drawls, standing in the doorway. "However, would you like to bring that beast in here yourself?"

"No, thank you!" I rush to say. No way would I be able to bring that inside. Plus, that would mean going outside where it is cold.

"Then hush. I'll be back in a while."

. . . . . . . .

"Oh dear. Why do you always insist on sleeping on the floor? I have it on good authority that even dogs enjoy sleeping on the bed."

I roll over and open my eyes, squinting them in the light. I feel vaguely hungover and my body aches some. The change last night must not have been as awful as it could have been. I've had better ones, but on average, this one wasn't terrible. Lonely, but not painful.

"Bed is awkward when you're 7 feet of gangly Wolf limbs." I reply to the voice. "Floor is easier."

"Hmph. Sure it is! Maybe we'll just have to make you a bigger bed then!"

"Ugh, no." I roll over to face the voice, almost rolling into a pool of blood. I almost panic for a second - did someone get in? - when I remember the deer. That would explain the mess and why I only feel like I drank too much last night rather than like I'm recovering from a terrible illness.

"No? Don't tell me this is some sort of 'Punishment' thing! Just because some idiots think that your illness is some sort of 'Divine Retribution' for whatever sin your ancestors committed doesn't mean you don't deserve to be comfortable." Eva - one half of the brown eyed, brown haired Harrison twins - is looking down at me with a look of mild disappointment.

"No. It's practical." I say, sitting up. At some point, one of them must have put 3 blankets over me. I'm thankful and wrap myself in one. Not that there is any shame in my naked form, and the twins would scold me if I even considered it, but it takes a couple hours for the moon's chill to recede. "I'll just tear at a mattress with my claws trying to get comfortable."

"Hmm..." she squints at me. She doesn't buy it, but isn't going to argue with the only Werewolf she knows over the matter. Especially when there are more important issues. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

"Hah! You sure? You certainly gorged yourself last night!" Eva gestures to the bloodied mass on the floor next to me.

I shrug self-consciously. The Wolf is always such a messy eater. "Transformation takes a lot out of you."

"Well, Lacey will get something fried up for you. Won't you, Lace?" Eva looks over to the small kitchenette in the corner where her twin is standing by the stove, eyebrow arched in challenge.

Lacey doesn't rise to the bait, which is odd. If there is anything that the twins enjoy more than hovering over me after the full moon, it's arguing with each other. They will argue over anything and everything. They find it to be good fun - everyone else just finds it bewildering.

Eva is also disconcerted by the lack. "Lacey! Won't you start breakfast for our dear doggy pal here? I'd do it, but I'm cleaning up deer viscera."

"What? Oh, sure! What sounds good, dear?" Lacey seems to be trying to shake off whatever is distracting her with limited success, considering she - with her well-known sensitive disposition - doesn't even acknowledge the mention of deer guts on the floor.

"Now I know something is wrong. What's gotten into you?" Eva almost sounds concerned rather than irritated, but only just.

"Oh, it's that notice on the community board. The one about the Lord."

"What notice?" I ask, gathering my blanket around me while standing up and making my way to the little table. The aches are easing - I'll have to come up with something nice to give to Allen if he won't accept payment for the buck.

"The one they put up today about how our village is being given to some Lord or another." Eva says, tone unimpressed and hands covered in gore. "All that means is our taxes fill a different coffer is all."

"That's not what Marcie is saying! She's heard of this Lord Ransom. Apparently, he was given ownership over another village and he either bought out the villagers' homes or harrassed them into leaving."

"Lace, I know you like the girl, but where would Marcie have heard anything about a Lord? She barely leaves her house!" Eva exclaims in disbelief, hands flying up.

I flinch back as some blood lands on my face. I'm sure my face is already a bloody mess, but I don't desire to make it any worse.

"Watch it, you fool! You're getting blood everywhere!" Lacey scowls, coming over with a wet towel to wipe my face. "And if you must know - she heard it from her cousin. She does write to her extended family fairly often. Just because you never mastered the proper social graces doesn't mean the rest of us didn't."

Eva rolls her eyes but does keep the gestures to a minimum. "And this supposed 'cousin' of hers knows this Lord Ransom?"

"I'm given to understand that he knows him well enough, even if they're not exactly bosom buddies."

"Hmm..." Eva hums, then uncharacteristically changes the subject while turning to face me. "Would you mind if I took some of this antler? My boy has gotten it in his head that he'd like to take up carving and has been asking for antlers. Don't know how long his interest will last, but I figure 'why not?'"

"Take the whole carcass, or what's left of it. I have no need of it. Just ask him to let me know if he makes something he's proud of and wants to sell. I'd like to get a chance to look at it first." There - that takes care of both dealing with the deer and gives me the opportunity to get my debt to Allen's family cleared if they won't accept my money.

"Delightful. I'll be sure to ask. Thank you."

I just nod and look over at Lacey for a moment while Eva begins to clean and wrap up the deer. She's looking distracted again while frying up the bacon.

I clear my throat. It's going to be a bit sore from the howling for a day or two. "You know, Eva is probably right about that Lord Ransom, but I've got some contacts myself within the Werewolf community. I'll send out some letters over the next couple of days. What did the notice say? Anything about a meeting?"

"Yes, there's to be a meeting with both the Tax Collector and the Lord in two weeks at the tavern. All adults are encouraged to attend." Lacey looks over her shoulder. "And thank you, dear. I appreciate you looking into it."

"Well, now that those issues are being looked into and your worries are settled," Eva wanders over after washing up outside. The carcass was wrapped up and placed in their wagon presumably. "Maybe you can focus on breakfast. The bacon is about to burn."

"Oh, bother!"

. . . . . . . . .

"This is highway robbery! We can't afford those taxes! We're barely making enough to cover the current rate as is!"

"I don't like it either, Mark, but what can we do?" Paulie yells over the angry din of the tavern. "The new Lord has the right to set the tax rate. We'll just have to adjust!"

"Adjust!" Mark yells, grey mustache quivering. "You can't drain blood from a stone! There's no adjusting to such!"

I wince at the volume, thankful that the moon is dark in the sky. Closer to the Full, I'd be practically whimpering under the table. I cannot say I disagree with the man, however. It is an unfair amount, especially for a town that is constantly walking far too close to famine each winter.

I look around the table. The whole tavern is full, but seated with me are those who help me the most often during the moon. There's Paulie, local busybody/my friend; Cara, Paulie's wife and the schoolteacher with intense green eyes; Mark, the village blacksmith and carpenter; Jacob, Mark's eldest son and the villages pharmacist; Mary and Charles, Allen's parents and owners of the only other farm in town outside of my own; and the twins Eva and Lacey who, when they're not caring for a tired Werewolf post moon, run the tavern and small inn.

"Maybe we can discuss it further with him. He said that he'd be in town the next couple of weeks." Mary says while brushing her blonde hair out of her face. "If we can get the figures together, maybe we can help him see. He's not familiar with the area - he admitted to that much. He might not realize that we simply can't afford what he's asking for. "

"No, I know the type." Charles massages his knuckles while he speaks. The chill of autumn is hard on his arthritis, or maybe he's imagining punching that swarmy Tax Collector on the nose. I certainly am. "He 'earned' his money on the backs of the people. He'll break us first before he'll compromise."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to try, right?" Eva points out, her expression sour, but not just because of the topic. The person to deliver the Lord Ransom's 'most generous and gracious tax plan' was the Tax Collector, otherwise known as her ex... something or other. No one has ever really said for certain, except to say that their falling out was more like a nasty explosion that rocked the town. "He just wants money - maybe he'll take installments instead of one lump sum at the end of the year."

"I'm not sure we could even afford that," Lacey looks over at me, eyebrows knitted in concern. "What did your contacts say?"

The table goes quiet, and everyone looks towards me. They have all been curious about my network of Werewolf contacts. I tried to explain that we were all just people who happened to have a pretty major, life-altering condition in common - one that is fairly demonized and greatly misunderstood by a good majority of the population. It makes sense to have a network, even if to only be sure we didn't settle in an area where people would kill us. It isn't anything different than keeping up with some extended family.

Considering how focused everyone at the table is on me, I don't believe it sunk in.

"He's rich, powerful, and well connected. The rumors Marcie's cousin heard are true - he has been buying up towns and villages. Most of my better connected friends are confused as to why - it makes more sense to keep the village intact and collect taxes. What they do know is that all the places he bought out were old mining towns. Some still are in operation, but most haven't been used in years."

"So he's after the mines, then." Jacob speaks up for the first time that night, swirling his drink in his glass. "At least we know that much."

"What mines?"

"There's nothing in those mines. They were stripped ages ago."

I look over to Paulie, who had spoken when I did. I raise an eyebrow.

"The silver mines. They lay just outside the village. Been blocked off for years once they were stripped of anything of value at the time. They closed when I was a kid." Paulie nods at me, then gives me a quelling look when I notice the play on words.

Not the whole story, then - something to discuss later.

"Regardless of his reasons, the tax issue must be addressed." Mark presses.

We all agree on that much.

. . . . . . . . .

"I kept my peace, but I want to know what you mean by 'at the time.'"

Paulie looks over to Jacob. "You're the one who brought it to my attention. You explain it."

Jacob never looks comfortable. Tonight, sitting at my table, he looks less so. He's accepting of my furry problem, but he's heard too many horror stories to ever be completely at ease in my home.

It's just the three of us. Paulie wouldn't say why, but I knew he wanted to keep this quiet, so I invited him for late night tea. The village is used to us meeting up that no one will think too much about Paulie inviting his pal Jacob along.

Jacob clears his throat. "You're not the only one who has been exchanging letters with others outside of town. I've got an uncle up north who is really into new science innovations, and he's been all excited about a new mineral that has been discovered that has some rather explosive properties if bonded with other elements. Apparently, kingdoms are clamoring for it to continue their wars and are willing to pay handsomely for it."

"Let me guess: this miracle mineral is found in silver mines."

"It appears so. The problem is that if you want this mineral for its explosive properties, it has to be processed a certain way almost immediately after being removed from the earth, or else it's just a pretty, if useless, rock."

"That's why he's scooping up the land around the mines. He needs the space." Paulie muses.

Jacob nods. "He would need both a place to store the mineral before and after the processing as well as space for treatment."

"Okay, now that we've answered that, here's the real question: Why?" I look at them both.

"Why what?"Jacob asks.

"Why the pretense? Why pretend he's interested in the village's taxes when what he really wants is the land itself?"

Paulie, as always, follows my thinking. "Because the King doesn't know. The King gave him the right to collect taxation, not to kick the townsfolk out of their homes and reopen the mines. What do you want to bet he isn't giving the King his fair percentage?"

"I'm not taking that bet." I reply with a grin.

"Nor I, but this is all merely speculation. We don't have proof of such things." Jacob cuts in. "What are we going to tell everyone else?"

I think about it. Jacob is right. We have no proof of wrongdoing, just buckets of speculation. "Regaredless of his reasons, there's only one clear path: We must not sell him our homes."

"With these taxation rates, many won't have a choice but to move," Paulie looks to be thinking it over. "But if those who are better off help out the others..."

"Then the bastard will get his money and won't have a choice but to leave us alone." Jacob says triumphantly. Then his expression turns sober. "That only leaves the rumors of his harassment campaign. He might not go away quietly."

"We'll handle when it comes up." I say, and if my smile is a little sharp, you can always blame the Wolf.

. . . . . . . .

"I hate that man! I hate him and his stupid cane! Jules didn't deserve that!"

I look over to Allen, but I can't bring myself to chastise him. I also hate the Lord Ransom. A week out from the Full and each night I get steadily colder and the Wolf inside begins to bay for blood. This would be manageable - I've been doing it for years - if it wasn't for that damned man.

The offers started last week when no one packed up immediately to avoid his high taxes. The gossip chain (the Marcie-Lacey-Eva-Mary-Cara-Paulie version anyway) spoke of the high amounts of money being offered. A couple of families had taken the deal, and no one could begrudge them that, but most of the town held firm.

This is our home, and we aren't going to be bought out.

This week, the harassment campaign began. Big men, saying they spoke on behalf of the 'Good Lord Ransom', went to random homes and offered larger sums of money. If those families refused the offer, then they were threatened. A few of them had rocks thrown in their windows.

Eva's home had gotten a visit, and she blistered the goons ears for the attempt. Who did they think they were threatening her? What would their mothers say?

They didn't take kindly to the scolding. In retaliation, that night, they threw a burning bottle of liquid through her son's window while he slept. He will survive, but the flames weren't kind.

The house, however, is lost.

"I know. I'm worried about Jules, too." I say. We're sitting on my porch while Mary and Charlie get Eva settled at her sister's place. Eva is furious and out for blood. The two of them are the only ones capable of restraining her - everyone else wants to help her or hide the body.

I can't say I blame them, either.

Maybe I'll let Eva get her pound of flesh and put what's left of him in the pig pen. Saves time on hiding the body, not that I think anyone would look that hard for it based on his reputation.

"I hate that man! Mom says he's greedy and is gonna get what's coming to him. Do you think so?" Allen looks up at me from his angry brooding. He's clutching his fists in his lap tight enough to see the whites of his knuckles.

I look down at him. "Men like that always get their due."

. . . . . . . . .

"Nice farm you have here."

I look up from my work. Harvesting the last of the wheat and preparing the grounds for the frosts to come must have been consuming my attention. Normally, 3 days out, I'm hyper aware of my surroundings. I should've heard him approach a hundred feet or so ago.

The Lord Ransom is not a handsome man despite the quality attire he wears. Prematurely balding with beady brown eyes hiding behind thick spectacles, I imagine there are few hearts that flutter at the mention of him if either his title or money aren't mentioned in the same sentence. He carries himself like he knows he deserves better than being in a place where his new leather shoes might get mud on them, but he is willing to suffer the indignities to suffer us.

Or maybe I'm too close to the Full and his very presence is irritating me, but I know how to play nice when the situation calls for it.

"Good afternoon, my Lord. It's not much, but it's home."

His resulting laugh is high and boisterous - and very false. "And what a fine home it is! I was actually hoping to talk to you about it."

Ah. I'd been wondering what was taking him so long. Everyone else in town had gotten offers and threats over the past couple of weeks. I had wondered if my 'Moon Problem' had been shared with him and he was avoiding me. Ideal, considering I can't stand the fool, but it would be so very annoying if he hired someone to 'take care' of me.

There's no reason to play dumb. "I hear you're buying up land."

"I am, but if I was only interested in that, I would've sent one of my associates to talk with you." Somehow, his smile is more false than his laugh.

"I've heard you've spoken to everyone in town yourself before outsourcing the... negotiations to your associates. Is there a reason you would not offer me the same courtesy?"

"Not at all!" He proclaims loudly. He certainly likes the sound of his own voice. "I'm just a busy man and grow weary of the slog of negotiating."

If this man is weary of anything, it's probably being denied what he wants. I know the type well enough.

"You are asking a lot of these people. Some of these homes have been in their family for generations. That kind of thing is priceless." I reply lightly, leaning on skills I haven't needed in years and slipping into that old, highborn accent.

He was not the only one taught by a Governess, after all.

He may be unattractive, but he's not a fool. He catches on quickly. "You are not from around these parts, are you?"

"No. I was raised somewhere more like those places you prefer to be - with their high vaulted ceilings, crystal goblets, and gentle manners. I wanted something different, and I found it here."

It's almost too easy to slip into that role of misplaced noble. Just a person of gentle birth who wanted to step away for a while - rough it with the common folk - but with the right offer, they would be willing to be swept back into that glittering world.

Not that I want to go back, of course, but this man only respects those of his own rank and, by rights, I'm that and more. A common person won't get through to him, but someone from his world? He might give them their due consideration.

The Lord Ransom assesses me. I know he's unmarried, and I know that there are circles closed to him because of that. I can see the calculations going on in his head and the plans that he discards based on this development.

"You own this farm outright? No debt to the town?"

"The property is mine, yes."

He laughs, incredulous. This laugh is genuine, at least. "I suppose that you work the land yourself then? No hired hands to help?"

I look at him blandly, as I had been raised to do. "I believe that would defeat the purpose."

"And what purpose would that be?" He leans in, expression curious. I imagine he couldn't ever imagine himself willingly working in the dirt for all the gold in the King's vault.

"To make something of my own. To watch it grow from seed, to plant, to grain, and into bread from my own effort. To toil and reap the rewards from what I've sewn."

"Yes," He muses, "I can see that."

A moment of silence. I can see him come to a conclusion.

"You'll do." He says almost too softly to hear, but I'm no longer distracted by grain and soil.

"I'm sorry, my Lord?"

"I originally came here to offer to buy your land. However, in the place of what I thought was a young widow, I find a Lady of gentle birth toiling in the dirt. A soul who understands the value of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice! I have been long put off by the vapid nature of the common High-born and therefore put off marriage. I had even accepted that I might never be married - that it wasn't my role in this life."

He steps forward, a fevered gleam in his eyes. I can almost see his grand scheme play out in them.

"Then, I meet you. Now, I see that I was looking for a proper union in all the wrong places! I needed a bride who was forged from hardship and unafraid of doing what needed to be done."

He bows deeply before me.

"Allow me to court you, my Lady."

I stare at him and blink. That's... interesting. I hope my expression is still coming across as bland curiosity and not sickened shock. "This is very sudden, my Lord. You don't know me or anything about - "

"That's because I don't need to! I already know you're the one I've been waiting for!" He moves forward and grabs my hands. I keep from pulling back in revulsion. "I don't care about your past or where you're from. I want you! I'd marry you right here... right now! However, you are rightfully cautious. I'm willing to wait."

"I... don't know what to say."

"How about I give you time to think about it. I know I have had my own worldview changed. Just say you're willing to consider it?"

I look at him, and then I see it. The way forward.

The solution.

I breathe in and resign myself to the inevitable. "Dinner."

"What?"

"In 3 days. Dinner. I have another property north of here. Quiet and secluded. If you're seen here again, there will be unwelcome rumors, things neither of us can afford. However, few know that I own that property. If you were to stop by in the evening..."

"No one would suspect. Beautiful and brilliant, my Lady." He puts him lips to the back of my hand and looks up, a knowing look in his eyes.

If only he knew.

. . . . . . . . .

"I thought you gave up all these jewels and dresses and things."

"I thought I did, too." I look in the mirror back at Cara's worried expression. She's pulling my hair back in the classic braided style down my back. Nothing as fancy as I would've worn to Court, but nicer than I've worn in ages. Thankfully, the gown fits well, its color bringing out the full intensity of my eyes.

Or maybe it's just that moonrise is mere hours away.

"I know you're cold, but I found this velvet shawl in my things. It'll keep you warmer." Cara says as she wraps the shawl around my shoulders with a small smile. The black velvet adds a certain dignity to the outfit.

I try to smile back, but it stalls out halfway. "I..."

She nods in sympathy and understanding. "No one wants this for you. We can come up with another way. We can - "

"No," I cut in, speaking around the lump in my throat. "I... I'll be okay. It's just..."

Cara doesn't say anything. She just leans in and gives me a hug as I cry and shiver into the warmth.

I said I would take care of the problem and I will.

The Wolf protects the Pack.

But like this?

I didn't want this. I was running from this, but here I am, despite everything.

After too short of a moment, I lean forward and dry my eyes. "You have to go. He'll be here soon."

Cara looks around the cabin. It's been made up nicer than I prefer, with fine silver utensils and linen on the table. The bed, which I'm spending most of my time trying not to look at, has been fitted with the nice silk sheets I had packed up when I left home. It had been something to remind me of where I came from, and then I had hid it away because it reminded me of what I'd left behind.

"It looks like a proper Lady's home now. I'm sure he'll appreciate the effort." Cara looks at me and grins. The smile dims when she looks closer at my expression. "You don't have to do this."

"You should go, Cara." I say, my smile - as strained as it is - hopefully taking the sting out of the words. "Tell Paulie I said not to forget his promise."

Her smile is small, and her eyes are sad. "I will, but he won't. He has never once forgotten his promises to you."

. . . . . . . . .

"Simply ravishing, my dear."

"Do come in, my Lord Ransom. Welcome to my home." I curtsey before him exactly the way I was taught. Some things really are ingrained.

He takes my hand in his. I can hear his pulse beginning to quicken as he takes in the low neckline of my gown. "Van, please. I thought you were beautiful out in the field, but in here, you are radiant. These common folk don't know what beauty has been gracing them."

"Thank you, my L - Van. You are too kind." I murmur, looking down demurely. I focus on breathing through my mouth. Breathe in, hold for 4, and breathe out.

"I must say, my Lady, despite how quaint this cabin is, you do manage to bring some class to it." He says as he looks around the room. "Do you stay here often?"

I look up to see he's practically staring at the bed. I don't need to meet his gaze to know that he's thinking about my low-cut gown and how he wants this night to end.

"Not often. I was gifted this cabin by an Aunt. I try to keep my birth a secret from the town."

"Yes." He looks at me and winks. "You like to rough it with the riff-raff."

I focus on my breathing. "They are good folk."

"I'm sure they are, but you have to admit they're rather dull."

"They have their charm." I say with a little smile. I can see the mocking laughter in his eyes. "Would you like to eat? Maybe tell me more about why you're buying up the town?"

Asking a Lord to talk about himself and his plans will usually save one from any discomfort when it comes to smalltalk. The Lord Ransom is no different.

"What do you know of mining, my dear?" He asks as he sits down at the table, putting a napkin in his lap.

I make my way to the wine bottle first before sitting. A Lady always offers to pour their guests' drink first. "Wine, my Lord? And not much, I'm afraid. I know that metal comes from the ground, and it is backbreaking work, but that's all."

"Yes, please. And please, do call me Van. It sounds lovely when you say it." He pauses while I pour, focused intently on me. His eyes meet mine, and I can see the desire in them. I finish pouring both our glasses and hold his gaze while I sit across from him, pulling my shawl tighter around me. I try to keep my breathing even.

"Well, you know the basics, then. However, what you may not be aware of is that certain metals tend to be grouped up underground with other minerals. It turns out a particular mineral that has high value in warfare forms near silver. Now, most silver mines around here were stripped of their fine metals years ago, but with the discovery of this material, these mines can be reopened and lost jobs restored!"

I take a sip of the fine wine. It's not what I want. I focus on my words. "That's fascinating, but I'm confused as to why you can't just open the mine without buying out the villages? They formed around the mines, right?"

"You know your history, my dear! Yes, the villages and towns sprung up around the mines as the miners and their families needed places to stay nearby, but silver doesn't need any special processing when it's mined, so the miner's homes could be closer. However, this mineral does need special treatment. I need the land around the mine as well for such things."

"Ah, I see. Do you plan on founding a new town then? Outside the blocked off area, I mean?"

"I do. I don't know how far the mines go, so I don't know where the bounds will be, but eventually, there will be. After all, the workers need a place to sleep!"

"Surely forcing others to leave their homes is rather crass, isn't it?" I focus on my plate, taking extra time to cut my chicken into smaller pieces. Ones small enough for a Lady.

"Yes, some might think that, but much is sacrificed for progress! What's one home, or even a dozen, in the face of that?"

"And money, of course."

"Of course, my Lady." He says with a wink. "No one said you couldn't make money from progress - you just can't stop it!"

The conversation dies for a moment. The only sounds that fill the cabin are the clank and scrape of silver on porcelain - the only sounds I allow myself to notice, anyway. I focus on the chicken - dry. Then the vegetables - I force them down. I take gulps of wine that are borderline unladylike - the taste is wrong and the alcohol does little to warm me.

"I was thinking we should discuss our future." The Lord breaks the silence, placing his utensils down. It appears he had no trouble eating.

"Our Courtship, you mean?"

He nods. "And beyond."

I let out a pained laugh that I hope he reads as simply incredulous. "Beyond? Awfully presumptuous of you, my Lord."

"Van, my dear, and is it?" He looks at me, raising an eyebrow and speaking slowly as if to a child. "You invited me into your home without a chaperone for dinner, skipping several steps of the process. A home you specifically invited me to because no one was around to question your honor. You have been playing coy, and I do enjoy that in a woman, but let's not lie to ourselves."

His gaze burns as he looks at me.

"You know how this night ends."

I look out the window to see the sky darkening, the first stars starting to peek through the twilight. There is a heavy thunk from the door that startles the Lord into looking away as his head swivels towards the source of the noise.

I shudder from the sudden chill I feel all the way down into my bones.

It's time. I take a deep breath in.

The Lord turns back towards me, his eyes widening in horror as I feel the Moon's pull. He smells of our dinner, sweat, and no small amount of fear.

Good.

I feel my bones break and shift, my body elongating, and nails turning into claws. The gown tears from my body as I stand, the shawl dropping from my shoulders. The pain is intense, but my eyes never leave his as he backs away and then tries to get through the door before sliding down it.

It's locked and blocked until morning - a promise Paulie always keeps.

I didn't want this. I ran from this. Here I am.

"Yes, Van," the words pull from me in a growl as I get on all fours and stalk towards him. "I imagine we both know how this night ends."

[lululawrence]

Hi! May I ask why you choose to send cards to people you don't even know? Do you pay for everything yourself?

lolll ya know, valid question. the first year i did it, i offered christmas cards only to my mutuals and they weren't homemade. i just bought some cute ones from target and mailed them off to the people in my group chats and mutuals from tumblr who saw my post and reached out. i had seen some other people offering cards to their mutuals the first christmas i was on tumblr, and i loved that idea so much i wanted to do the same, so i did.

after that first year, though, i had so much fun and had a decent amount of interaction with my blog even if i didn't really know who they were, i figured why not offer cards to everyone? no one has to take me up on it if they don't want to, if they aren't comfortable sharing their address, that's fine! they just won't sign up. i didn't know if there would be a big participation or anything, but i figured it was worth a try. i kinda stepped up my game that year and got some boxed handmade cards that are absolutely beautiful to send out. i still buy a box of those just in case something goes wrong and i run out of my own homemade cards now, so i have backup, because i love them.

more people than i expected signed up for the cards that year, and i had so much fun! it really took a time of year that is full of depression and anxiety and stress and worries for me and allows me instead to focus on other people. on helping others have some cheer during the holiday season. i've always been someone who believed that if i'm having a hard time, the best way to get through it is to turn my focus outward and instead find ways to help other people. so i continued!

i had wanted to try to make my own christmas cards, like i used to when i didn't have any kids and when my oldest was just a baby, but it took a few years to get to the point of being able to do that. it took a lot of work and was of course a much longer process, but i'm not really an artistic person. card making was something i felt like i could do decently well and was a bit more personal, you know? and again, it was a way that i could find joy during a time of year that is insanely difficult for me because it is just riddled with triggers. adding the making of the cards to the mix has meant that the last few years has been a big learning curve for me and i didn't get the cards out on time the last two years... maybe the last three hah but i TRIED and i still sent cards to everyone who asked one, even if they didn't get there until well into the new year haha

this year though you're all getting them on time as long as the postal services do what they're supposed to do haha!

as for paying for them, yes i pay for them all myself. since i purchase everything (except for the stickers i use, which are actually kind of stupidly difficult to find outside of Christmastime) only when they're on sale (usually buy one get one free or something) and use coupons on top of it, things don't really cost as much as they could. especially when you consider that i make over 100 cards using what i purchase, and then still have supplies left over so i can use them towards the cards i make next year too. basically, i spread out the purchasing of the items i use through the year as best as i can to make it more cost effective and less of a burden on our finances at christmas/birthday season in my house. i went a bit more simple with the cards this year compared to previous years because finances have been a lot tighter for us the last six months than what they have been even previously, and i couldn't really fill in the holes of what was missing after everything i made last year. but it was fine, i just figured out a design that would work using just what i already had in my supplies and voila! hehe

so yeah. long story short, i do it because it makes me happy during a difficult time of year for myself and as long as people are interested in cards from a stranger, i'll keep doing it. literally the only thing that could ever stop me is if i didn't have the money to buy the stamps to send them out or something. hehe

hope that helps, and happy holidays!

[dedahblog]

Ichigo, Rukia , Orhime and Uryu go to a fast food together

Silly (and cringe) drabble under the cut

I intended it as established IR + best friends Ishihhime

...

Ichigo : So Ishida ! You forgot your wallet again ?

Uryu : O-of c-course n-

Ichigo : If you mean by of course " of course I didn't forget it all those times. I was just being cheap as hell" then you're right (*)

Uryu : W-what nonsense are you blabbering, Kurosaki ?

Orhime : Ishida kun, you went out with Kurosaki kun ?

Uryu : Of course not, Inoue san ! I was just minding my business in the library and he was provoking me. I had no choice ! And that other time, he started talking nonsense  about the last Jeidi so I had to make him watch that movie to prove how much of an imbecile he is ! Then, we both didn't eat anything other than breakfast that day so we had some pizza. And there was that tim-

Orhime : Wow ! So, it was more than twice !

Uryu : D-dont give that look ! I had to !

Ichigo : And all those times, he made the dumbest excuse not to pay a cent ... what a freeloader...

Rukia : And of course, you paid everything, everytime so you spend more time with him.

Ichigo : W-what the hell, Rukia ?!! It's not like  that !! Don't give that look ! I had to !

Orhime : Ishida kun, what are looking for in your bag ?

Uryu : I am going to pay so that Kurosaki learns his lesson *collecting every cent he has*

Ichigo : Yeah yeah ... Remember Ishida. Soda and french fries are not called lunch.

Uryu : O-of course !! Who do you think I am ? (leaves to order)

Ichigo :tcch... that Ishida...

Ichigo : What's with that smug look, Rukia ?!! If you have something to say, say it !

Rukia : You two get along so well. It's almost as if you're using us as an excuse to spend more time together.

Orhime : Right ? I feel the same Kuchiki san !

Ichigo's expression shifted from indignation to seriousness as he grabbed her hand in his palm, while saying

Ichigo : Now, you are being ridiculous.

Rukia, of course, noticed this change

Trying to sound casual but she knew it was vain, considering with whom she was dealing right now.

Rukia : "Now" ? So you mean what I said before was not ridiculous ?

Mushy Ichigo has taken over and she knows by experience how shameless he can be when he is being affectionate and how little disregard he has for their surrounding.

As he started giving her his sweetest smile, Rukis quickly let go of his hand while saying to Orhime

Rukia : I-I'm going to Ishida.

Ichigo was disappointed that she killed the mood for the nth time. Rukia shot him one last look while blushing that meant " Not now, idiot'

Ichigo (silently grumbled): " You didn't have to let go of my hand like that ... "

But, as he recalled how Rukia could get so easily flustered every time he showered her with affection, his heart started fluttering.

Ichigo : What the hell Ishida is doing ??!! We should eat fast. I have so many things to do !!

If Ichigo wasn't in such a hurry, he would have taken a photo of Ishida paying the cashier but honestly, all he wanted to do is to go back home as fast as possible.

Orhime : It has been almost 4 minutes now. Knowing Ishida-kun, he already analysed all the dishes people were eating and figured out their names in the menu and what would be most profitable and suitable to buy. So, he's probably ordering right now. Well that's a typical ishida kun behavior

Meanwhile,

Ishida was more than happy to have Rukia by his side. Not only she was not annoying like that Kurosaki but he understood quickly that Rukia didn't have any preference and she was happy with anything.

Rukia : I would like to have some cucumber !

Uryu : You mean in your panini or your hamburger ?

Rukia : Oh ! mmm y-yeah (too embarassed to say she didn't understand anything of what he just said)

(*) Ishida being cheap is canon, he left his father's house at the age of 13 , 14. He has been living on his own supplies since then. That's why, he tends to accept any offer as long it's free. Of course the anime team didn't even bother to read the manga, they made Ishida live with his father and Kub0 couldn't care less about correcting them

Ishida felt so sorry that he decided to order for her the best and most expensive hamburger, with a lots of cucumber, while he bought a soda and french fries for Ichigo.

[meidiary]

( 📁 ) THEY ACCIDENTALLY SNAP AT YOU !

synopsis: an issue so minuscule escalated, resulting in the monster trio throwing a fit and blaming it on you...

character: sanji, zoro & luffy

warning: slight swearing shenanigans, platonic nickname? , nicknames, angst?

mei's note: my hibernation comeback 2.0 !! I'm so ready to start posting again, so stay tuned <3

my other fics -> ♡

finally, ZORO had the room to himself. he lets out a long sigh, indulging in the empty space he has around him. no nami nagging about how messy the ship has become since they settled next to an island -> irritation level: 20%.

no luffy jumping around everywhere, blocking zoro's every move, all the while singing some high-pitched song while chugging down all the liquor the crew had left from their previous visit to a big city -> irritation level: 40%.

no sanji egging him on every chance he gets, wether it's snarky comments about his green hair, how zoro should start doing something useful on the ship, or even how sloppy he's become fighting with his swords,. the latter having zoro's vein pop the most even though it doesn't hold any truth at all -> irritation level: 60%.

no usopp blabbing on and on about his courageous deeds as upcoming pirate king of all the seas. or usopp preaching about being the bravest warrior of the sea, reminiscing about all the monster the crew he fought off oh so bravely. and all that usually wouldn't be that big of an issue, considering it's all routine at this point, but somehow zoro gets even more annoyed about usopp's antics these days than he normally would -> irritation level: 80%.

and lastlt, there's no you. thankfully so. don't get him wrong, he loves you! absolutely adores the living crap out of you. but for some reason, zoro feels that if he hears you giggle about some stupid thing again he'd throw you off of the ship.

"ugh.." zoro plops on his matress, now cold because of how rarely he uses it lately. his eyes shut almost immediately, air leaving his mouth in a quiet huff right after.

the sea breeze is so evident, zoro hears it from his room, but it's a combination with voices? "i'll catch up with you later nami! maybe zoro will come too!" you tell nami as you board the ship back up. the strawhat crew had split up into 2 groups, with luffy, sanji and usopp being the group responsible for food and drinks and the second group being nami, zoro and you, responsible for miscellaneous needs, such as shower supplies, clothes etcetera.

nami chuckles. "yeah I wouldn't have high hopes on that babe. did you see him this morning?! the man was a freaking zombie at breakfast, green hair and all.." you giggled, reaching the ship's railing, leaning on it. "we'll be there! both of us."

the sunshine was giving you way too much giddiness, you were so excited to go out and shop with your best friend and boyfriend. the last time you did that was a good couple of weeks back, and at that time the weather was definitely not as happy-go-lucky as today, so you decided to make the best out of it.

before you head for your boyfriend's room to wake him up, you head to the kitchen and rummage through the fridge, searching for something cooling to offer zoro.

you know he hasn't been his usual self the past couple days, so you've really been tip-toeing around him, trying your hardest not to make him burst out in rage.

you grab the only cold soda left and head back to his room. after a swift knock on the already open door you head inside, sitting on the unoccupied space on his bed next to him. "hey zo'.. nami has left already, told her she could get a head start!" you giggle before placing the cold soda on your legs, waiting for zoro to speak up. his muscles tense up a bit as he clenches his jaw.

"whenever you're ready we could catch up to her. I heard there's this huge place with these little stands all around it! they even sell those tiny hair bands for braids and stuff," you ramble about the market you've heard so much about, so excited you accidentally spill some of the soda on your legs. you jump up from the bed, some of the soda also getting on zoro's exposed chest.

"the fuck, woman?!" he yells out, also getting of the bed, standing right infront of you. you feel a lump start forming in your throat. "could you for fucking once keep that mouth of yours shut? no, I don't want to drink some shit soda. no, I don't want to go to some stupid market with you. and, no, I also don't want to enjoy the weather and go on some walk on the beach, okay?!" you open your mouth in shock, closing it immediately after.

your eyes are burning from your attempt to keep the tears from flowing down your face. your cheeks are flaming hot from the shame of the words your boyfriend just uttered. and to help the growing knot in your stomach explode, you don't have any way to leave as zoro's standing right in front of you. the veins on his neck are popped, his eyes squinted and sharp.

the way he was looking at you was the cue for your tears to start streaming down your cheeks. stuttering you start making your way past him. "I- ill leave you alone.." you manage to let out with a shaky voice, barely above a whisper. your hand weakly pushes him to the side as you make your way out of his room, your heart beating so fast you're scared it'll pop out.

as you lock your bedroom door, your body drops to the ground almost immediately. your limbs uncontrollably shaking, your lips wobbly, mumbling incoherent babbles, your hands tightly holding your elbows as you pull your knees to your chest, in desperate need of comfort.

were you that annoying? why couldn't you just shut the fuck up? no, why couldn't he just calmly tell you to give him a break? were you really so impossible to deal with? does he hate you now? countless questions are running through your head, is it your fault, was it his? why didn't you just leave him alone? do you really talk so much? you didn't notice, really.. you were just glad to finally have found someone to be able to about the things you were passionate about..

fuck. what has he done? the adrenaline he previously felt was starting to disappear, leaving him standing in the same spot where he had snapped at you. what was wrong with him? did he just lose the best thing that had ever happened to him, the one person that was there for him through thick and thin? and because of what?

zoro's never met someone like you. you see to even the unattended parts of him, that even he neglects and torments. you know the things he has done in the past, the things he would do in the future if necessary, and yet you still smile at him and cherish him. he values you so much, so how could he have stooped so low. no, how could he have lost so much of his rectitude to the point he'd hurt the one person that's always there for him when he needs to be embraced, when he needs someone to whisper sweet nothings into his ear, when he needs someone to play with his hair while humming his favorite melody. this someone could never be anyone but you. so why would he lash out on you?

in his thoughts, zoro was urging himself to head over to you to apologize, to clarify that he loves listening to you talk, that he adores being around you and that he feels so blessed to have someone like you in his life. no matter how pressed the matter at hand is, zoro can't find himself to move and inch. every second that goes by he hears your cries slowly turn into whimpers, which in their turn become soft sniffles until he barely hears a sound. that's when the panic sets in, you're moving on.

what has he done..?

you giggle as usopp has a hard time cutting the onions into smaller pieces, earning a loud groan from him. SANJI lets out a long sigh, he continues mixing the batter he prepared for the pancakes.

suddenly, you smell something weird, "usopp, you said you showered this morning, right?" you send him a glare before he scoffs and shakes his head. then what is this smell? it's the vegetables, they're completely burned! "oh no..!"

let's rewind

you see, the strawhat crew are to set out into the jungle this afternoon, you guys want to explore the new island you've reached as soon as possible. needless to say, you'll need enough supplies, including sufficient rations to keep the crew energized and up to beat.

however, providing these essential meals for this trip proved to be a harder task than sanji thought it would be, considering you and usopp decided to lend your aid. this cannot be a factor to mess up sanji's game plan: menu, recipe, ingredients & cook!

it's simple. sanji divides his culinary activities into 4 simple, equally important steps.

I. choose the dish:

before starting preparations, the blond sits down and gets his thoughts on paper. what does he want to cook: a savory dish, a dessert, or a snack? when deciding on the menu, sanji has to consider dietary restrictions and the preferences of his crew mates! this is because cooking meals half the crew won't eat would be an absolute waste. this means no mushrooms for usopp, minimal chocolate for zoro, no orangette for nami, and absolutely no cherry pie for luffy!

this is a step sanji needs to concentrate, so having usopp spouting all his cravings at you isn't the most ideal situation to be in. oh, sanji thought of a nutritious meal that'd be easy to make! no nevermind, it would still take too long..

"ooh! how about making some grilled fish, eh sanji? eh~?" usopp wiggles his eyebrows while poking the blond cook, causing him to let out an aggravated sigh. "stop being annoying, you baby!" you playfully push his hand away, giving sanji some room to think.

"we do have enough fish left, love. so it might be a good option," you smile at your stressed lover. you know how tense he's been since he heard he would have to prepare meals for 5 people that would last them a couple of days. normally, this wouldn't pose a problem, but nami mentioned we would have to depart later this afternoon, so it would give sanji a mere couple of hours!

trying to take some pressure off his shoulders, you offered to help, even convincing usopp to lend his hand too!

II. find a recipe:

including sanji's memory-stored recipes, he also has countless physical recipes and cookbooks. now a dish might have multiple recipes, so sanji chooses the one that aligns with his time frame, in this case, a very limited one.

it's an easy step, to be completely honest. however, if you have a usopp laughing at all the "funny fish" in the recipes, while you're coincidentally going through the exact cookbook that sanji needs, this step will take much longer than it has to.

"have you guys seen the blue book, with an elongated fish on it?" sanji asks you two, urgently needing that specific book. he searches for it high and low, outside and inside, before spotting you going through it. sanji sighs again, clenching his jaw oh so slightly, trying to contain his agitation. "darling. did you not hear me, when I asked for this book?" he opened his hand in front of you. "oh, I'm sorry! i didn't realize you were talking about this one!" you chuckle embarrassed before handing him the book. he sighs again before turning around and heading for the kitchen, mumbling a soft "thanks".

you immediately felt guilty for taking up the time he desperately needed to get to cooking. to add some salt to the wound, you started to overthink sanji sudden coldness. him acting this way was a new experience you weren't happy to receive, so you tried your hardest to find the perfect balance between not getting in sanji's way and helping him out!

III. fetch the ingredients:

this step is usually the fastest, as sanji just grabs all the ingredients needed from the ship's pantry and fridge.

gathering all the ingredients, surprisingly, was a success: you grabbed all the vegetables needed, usopp the fruits, and sanji the other ingredients.

"i'm eating your rations by the way," usopp told you with his mouth full, holding box of carrots with one arm, the other hand holding the carrot he's munching on. "you wish, pinnochio," you chuckled, "if anything, you shouldn't be surprised if you find a meal of yours missing all of a sudden," you smile innocently, receiving a loud gasp from the man next to you.

IV. cook:

execute the recipe steps meticulously, not one step should be missed or you might end up with a completely different dish!

"alright, chef, how can we help ya? want me to cut these carrots Michelin-style?! I'm a pro, y'know, best guy from all the seas to cut these carrots perfectly!" usopp offered in one breath. he received a hum from sanji, not completely convinced usopp wouldn't miraculously find a way to burn the carrots.

"c'mon chef, look, one time, back in syrup village, these bandits raided the whole village, and they kidnapped me and forced me to cook for 'em.. yeah tough shit.. I know-" usopp dramatically puts his head in his hands, "but hey, I'm a great cook now!"

sanji lets out a low chuckle, "sure, you do the cutting of the vegetables. darling, could you please cook them once usopp finishes cutting them up?" you immediately shake your head, glad you can take something off his plate.

everyone starts actively doing their tasks. a sense of productivity in the air of the kitchen.

you giggle as usopp has a hard time cutting the onions into smaller pieces, earning a loud groan from him. sanji lets out a long sigh, he continues mixing the batter he prepared for the pancakes.

suddenly, you smell something weird, "usopp, you said you showered this morning, right?" you send him a glare before he scoffs and shakes his head. then what is this smell? it's the vegetables, they're completely burned! "oh no..!" you grab the pan, forgetting how hot it is before letting it go again, spilling some of the burned carrots in the process. you wince in pain, your fingers shaking from the impact of the heat.

sanji turned to you as he heard your wince and pulled you away from the stove. "watch out!" with dark eyes, he turned his head, "how did you even find a way to burn boiling vegetables? that's a fucking new, even for you." you bit the inside of your cheek as you listened to his scolding, your eyes fixed on the burning sensation on your fingertips. "i- I'm so sorry san-," you started but got cut off, "just leave, I don't your help."

waterfalls. as if on cue, the moment you stepped out of the kitchen, your embarrassed cheeks got tear-stained right away.

"she didn't do it on purpose, y'know.." usopp uttered, breaking the silence. "even burned her fingers trying to make up for it." usopp would've gone after you, seeing your hands in the state they were, but he saw nami got ahold of you so he let you be, but not without telling sanji to not be so hard on you.

"her fingers?" sanji dropped his spatula after usopp nodded, "shit," he washed his hands and sprinted out of the kitchen, desperately searching for you. how did he not notice his lover's pain? how could he be so damn selfish?

where are you?!

it was pouring rain outside, and the water slamming against the ship's deck didn't let you close an eye shut. 'what would LUFFY be doing?' you thought to yourself, a sorrowful expression on your face after you realized you hadn't spoken to him since this morning.

was he avoiding you?

no way. you tried to ignore all the negative thoughts and hugged your pillow tight before leaving your room. you head to luffy's room with a fast pace, not wanting to get any wetter.

a slam of his door makes luffy turn his head to you. "hey 'luf! you're still awake too, huh?" you send him a warm smile before getting on his bed. you grab the blanket and spread it over the two of you.

the silence was deafening.

... "y-you okay 'luf?" you turn to him. "what are you doing here?"

"o-oh, I couldn't sleep.. just wanted some company.." the raven-haired boy looked you in the eyes before letting out a chuckle. "then why don't you cuddle with that guy from the island, hm?"

so that's what this is about. you sigh and shake your head slightly before getting up from you place and sitting right infront of luffy on the bed. " 'luf, how many times do you need me to tell you that I was just being polite! there's no need for you to act this way.." you grab his hand and intertwine your fingers before giving his index finger a kiss.

"he was all over you and even worse, you were all over him! I don't care if you want to be polite, don't be polite to any guys from now on." luffy raises his voice, the seriousness of this situation becoming cer clear for you.

you let out a shocked chuckle. " 'luf! you can't ask me to be rude to every guy I see from now on, that's crazy.."

"why do you even care about them? do you like the attention they give you? like the way they look at ya? are you that desperate for attention?!" luffy suddenly raises his voice, pulling his hand back from you. his face comes closer to yours as he waits for your answer, "hm?"

"what's gotten into you.. you're never like this luffy. you know I don't care about any other guys, you know I don't want their attention and you also know really well that I only see you in that way! so stop acting like I fucking cheated on you and calm down!" your voice cracks, not wanting to have him see your teary eyes you look to the left.

"i'm not gonna calm down before you tell me why you were fishing for his fucking attention?!" his eyebrows are furrowed when he grabs your arm and pulls you toward him. "fucking say you wanted some other guy's validation! you really that needy? that's fine cause guess what, I don't need your stupid ass, I don't need you at all! all you do anyway is nag the whole day! so get out and go find some random guy who'll give you attention!"

he pushes your arm away, resulting in you stumbling off the bed, tears drenching your pyjama top as you run out of his room.

it's still raining. your tears mix with the raindrops as you make your way back to your room as you sob endlessly, hugging your now completely drenched top. you open the wet doorknob to your room and smash it shut.

what had just happened? you sobbed through the whole night, going through every single word luffy had spoken. was that what he thought of you?

did he genuinely, whole-heartedly believe that you were seeking other guys' attention? that you weren't loyal? why would he go as far as thinking that? was it something you did? did he find someone else?

you kept on repeating one question to yourself, 'was it me?'.

mei's note: should I do a pt.2 ...? 🤧

[hipstergecko]

CONSIDER

Batman doesn't want to adopt anyone. Dick is only his ward at this point. And all he really wants is to put Ellie in the system so that he can find her a family that is more "responsible".

Danny is the one who is ready to adopt out of spite.

I can see Ellie getting into trouble with some thugs and Robin showing up to save her. They both get knocked around a bit, but get out safely. Batman finds the pair in another alley and berates them harshly. Ellie is mad and close to tears, so she calls for her mom.

Danny enters to see Batman attempting to make off with his child. NO SIR. He removes Ellie from the Batman and verbally tears into him. Batman is mostly silent against the onslaught until Danny mentions Robin. Batman angrily defends himself. Robin kinda shrinks away from Batman at one point, because when things get heated, Bruce can get scary. It gets worse when Batman claims that Robin is his ward. They aren't related by blood. He is his responsibility.

Danny get piiiissssed. Claims he could do a better job as a parent to a child vigilante than Batman could ever! (Valid; he has experience) Children should be children! There are better outlets for aggression than punching goons in life threatening situations!

Cue Batman giving as good as he got. Children should not be wandering the streets of Gotham City unattended! She could've been killed! You are a negligent parent!

Cue Ellie and Dick ending up beside each other. While the adults shout, they defend their parent to each other. Danny fought for me. Bruce was there for me. They couldn't take me back even if they wanted to. I have no other place to go. I want to see what the world has to offer. I want vengeance for my parents. I want to be free. I want a family.

Ellie decides she likes him. Decides to befriend him. Dick protests because vigilantes don't have friends. It's a risk. A liability. It can't happen or else the people they love will die.

Ellie grins, sharp and laughing in the dim light of the alley.

"They can't kill ya if you're already dead!"

And then they hear a loud "FINE!". They look over to see Danny stomp over to Robin. He kneels down to look him in the eye. His eyes are bright blue, flashing with green.

"Is that man right there," he points viciously to Batman, "your father?"

"Well..."

"Robin is my WARD and APPRENTICE." Batman grinds out through gritted teeth.

Danny ignores the Batman. He stares Dick dead in the eyes and says, "Do you, Robin or whatever your real name is, consider that man right there, your father?"

Dick feels the weight of the question. He swallows and his hands form fists as his memory supplies flashes of his father's bright smile. "He's... no. Batman is not my father."

Danny nods firmly. "Well then. By the will of ancients, I hereby lay claim to you. Be it by life or by death, you are welcomed into my family."

There is a pulse. A wave of force that bursts out from the hand on his shoulder, flowing through him and tousling his hair from the force of it. Dick stares wide eyed from behind his domino mask.

What was that?!

Danny's entire countenance changes. He is no less serious, but his eyes go soft. His mouth forms a delighted smile. Dick notices that he has freckles that seem to shine in the light of the street light.

Ellie is standing there, slack jawed and starry eyed.

"Did... did you just adopt Robin?!

"Yep. You're my kid now."

Suddenly Batman is there, ripping the bright eyed man away from Robin. "That's not something you get to decide!"

Danny glares at the Batman. "I made a choice just now. I'm taking him on as my son since you obviously don't have the balls to do it yourself!" He looks to Robin cheerily. "If you need help or a place to stay, look me up. You're my son now kiddo. My home is your home."

"No I'm not!" Robin splutters. "I'm not your son! I have a home with br-batman! I didn't ask for this!!"

"You didn't need to!" Danny waves his words away cheerfully. "It's something you needed."

Ellie nods, pulling something out of her bag. "He definitely needed it." Quick as a flash she grabs Robins hand and pulls out his arm. Her hold is like iron as she scribbles down an address across his skin. "Mom's pretty great. We've even got an apartment and everything! It's got a fridge and beds... you should come by sometime!" She lets go and trots back to Danny.

Batman positions himself him front of Robin, shielding him with his cape. "This means nothing. You are not his parent and you will never be."

Danny scoffs. "Shows what you know." He turns to Ellie. "Let's go home." They both walk past the Batman and towards the road.

A few feet from the end of the alley, Danny stops. He turns and addresses the vigilante pair. "I've adopted you Robin, but this is a two way street. You don't have to come to my home or be a part of my family, but there will always be a place for you." He glares at Batman, toxic green gaze trying to a burn a hole straight through his cowl. "I will not stoop to kidnapping, but if you ever hurt my kid or, ancients forbid, come after my daughter again, I will haunt you till the end of time."

Then they turn a corner and are gone.

Batman turns and pulls Dick's arm out, studying the address. Park row. The darker side of the city.

Dick waits for his verdict.

Bruce growls low in his throat. "Batcave. Now."

Of course.

Bruce tries to adopt Ellie, who is immediately against it. She keeps throwing him off her trail and he keeps tracking her down. She's honestly concerned, and normally she would handle her problems by herself- but this is Batman.

So when Bruce gets a little too close and Ellie is just so tired... she calls for Danny.

"Mom!"

Cue college student, perpetually tired and overworked Danny "High King Phantom" Fenton appearing from the very shadows Batman normally does himself, seeing the situation and going off at this "clearly older man" chasing his daughter in the middle of the night.

Cue the most elaborate "stop trying to adopt my kid before I adopt yours" series of battles

[izzy-b-hands]

I'm gonna ask a weird question but:

Is there anything you guys (aka y'all following me lol) want to see more of from me, in terms of a potential item(s)/service(s) to purchase?

Better explanation of what the fuck I'm waxing on abt below the cut. TW for talk of money/work/the overall state of things economically for me and my plans/goals/potential options to keep making things better.

I need to bring in more money. I'm getting more stable, trying to save on top of the generous donations I've been given while using them as needed for things we absolutely need (food, basic supplies/necessities.) But we're still so tight, and I know nearly everyone is dealing with some form of this right now bc Everything Sucks Economically on like. a level of how it felt in 2008 (extra terrifying feeling now) but. It's killing me. I can't take feeling like a burden like this. I have to do more.

I have been applying elsewhere, for FT, PT, and contract jobs that pay better, though I am hoping more for the FT positions of course. Thus far, I have not had any bites back that amounted to anything, but intend to continue my efforts regardless (because what else can I do there anyway?)

I've been trying to figure out other options, w/things I know I can do somewhat well to very well. All would be cheap, but hopefully would add up over time until I can get a FT job again and while I grind away at the current PT job (which I am hoping to add more hours to for the next semester, when they have us make our scheduling choices again and allow us to potentially add at least one more shift to our schedule.)

So, a poll. To gauge interest, and see if y'all have any opinions/would even potentially purchase anything like the below things from me. I'll try and detail each option below, but first, the options:

1. Photo Prints: I've done photography since high school, though I only have my current Pixel phone available for it right now. That said, they would be as cheap as I can get away with, and my Pixel actually doesn't do too badly, plus I would be editing these to make them as good looking as possible. Ideally, I'd have a Pay What You Want option instead, so ppl can just give whatever they think the print is worth since these will be smaller, amateur prints, but I'm not sure if all the platforms that usually handle photo print sales for smaller creators allow that. So, in that case, a range of probably $1-$5 at most for each print. They would be of things out here; I have access to and experience already with taking city and nature themed pictures (it was literally all I did in hs and since then bc of where I've lived.) So general city life/scenery, plus local wildlife like the birds, squirrels, and nature surrounding us in all seasons, plus any extra pictures I can take elsewhere whenever Housemate and I are out and about (aka probably lots of mountain and ocean shots.) My speciality when I had my other camera was micro/detailed photography, and I'd like to explore this with my current setup and see how they turn out and potentially offer those as well.

If it would help to see some current pictures that I am considering as the first set I would put up for sale, please reply on this post letting me know and I can post a couple as examples 🙌

2. Poetry Commissions: I have done these on and off since middle school, usually for friends/family. Nothing wild, but usually shorter, some rhyming, some free verse, poems on varying topics. I've done them for birthdays, holidays like Mother's Day and Father's Day, as well as with obits or for weddings, and even a baby shower, to go on the invites. I haven't posted much of what I've written in recent years, but as with the pictures, I would be happy to post some of the ones I've written before as examples. Poetry is where I have no fear and will work myself to the bone to provide the best work possible; if you can get me just the bare basic details (ex. You want a poem for your brother's bday. Give me his name, a couple of hobbies/likes of his, and two of your favourite memories with him and I'll write you something beautiful, to celebrate him and his place in your life and take the piss out of him too, depending on your relationship with your brother lol), I can get you a poem in a 2-4 day turnaround time for as low as 5¢/word. Electronic only, but you would get a PDF of the poem that you can do whatever you want with afterwards (I would require my name remain credited on any other posting/usage elsewhere, but you wouldn't have to pay me again if you want to reuse it for another brother, to harken back to our example.)

3. Data Entry/Transcription Assistance: This one is a pretty wide range of what I can offer. I have experience working with medical documents (neurology, ophthalmology, and optometry for specific specialities both in data entry and transcription) via two of my last jobs, technical documents from two prior jobs (public library and medical staff training specifically), and historical documents including both handwritten (including print and cursive) and typed documents and charts via my volunteer work with Zooniverse. This is my bread and butter in terms of general job skills, and one I genuinely enjoy. That means that I come into each job, regardless of field or exact task, with excitement and an open mind, ready to prioritise and organise everything to the requested system and/or standard, with the goal to go above and beyond that however possible. Usually I achieve this by completing projects as ahead of deadline as possible, as well as by taking on any additional related tasks as needed (example: you hired me on to type up all of Grandma's lifelong journal entries for archiving and easy reading at an upcoming family reunion, but now you've found that Grandpa has one too. For minimal to no additional cost, I will happily take that on and endeavour to have both sets of data typed up in an easy to send/print word doc and/or PDF well before the reunion deadline.) I am more than willing to take on contract/NDA required work for this option as well, and have done so in the past with a prior job (aka why I'm not allowed to share any of the clinic training docs I made.) Cost might depend some on project size and deadline, but a general estimate would be, to stick with our above example: $5 per 250/pg journal, with a small additional charge of $5 if a rush is requested (aka say the reunion gets moved up to three days from now vs three months or weeks.) I would endeavour to charge no higher than $25 with $5 rush fee if rush requested for bigger projects.

4. Research Assistance: More or less what it says on the tin. Can be for work, home related things, whatever (though if requested for school/in regards to homework, I only go as far as providing resource links because unfortunately, usually doing the research yourself is a part of the learning process. However, if you're struggling to find primary or secondary sources, I am happy to help find those for you so that you can peruse them to see if they'll have the information you're looking for. If they do, great! If they don't, then I would keep looking for more.) While research hasn't been my main task at any of my prior jobs, it has always been a feature in much of the day to day work regardless, and is a skill I have kept up in my volunteer work with Zooniverse on projects which requested it. Looking for sources for anything, from work projects to recipes can be a slog. Let me do it for you. Pricing on this I'm putting at $5. That's it. Pay me $5, and I'll find as much as I can in regards to whatever you have that needs researching. Turnaround might depend on project, but I'm leaning 1-4 days at the very most.

So. There we are! Vote on the poll if you'd like, reply with any opinions/feelings/ideas you have for me about these, and thank you if you read this whole thing ❤️🫂

[tinysnippets-sometimes]

Pretty sure I already posted this on my main blog a bit ago, but I can't for the life of me find the post to reblog so I'm just reposting it here

Technoblade POV, discussed Ranboo, set right after Techno & Ranboo's Excellent Adventure

~

It probably should have hit him sooner; maybe when he stumbled home with Ranboo in the middle of the night in a fit of cackling laughter, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to sleep that night after the excitement of the day; maybe while they fought their way side by side through Nether fortresses, and he chucked that whole bottle of fire protection potion so it would give Ranboo the brunt of it's effects while he fought on in without the extra magic; maybe even when Ranboo first lifted that Spawner without breaking it and he had declared himself their mentor on the spot, called them — however jokingly — his best friend.

But Technoblade was never the best with admitting things like this — his attachments to other people — to himself. He never got the chance with Tommy before he was rejected and betrayed, so of course it was even harder to admit it now with Ranboo. But the truth of the matter, Technoblade finally started to realize as he trudged up the stairs to his cabin, shoving the front door open with his shoulder, was that he cared about Ranboo. He cared a lot, in fact. He considered Ranboo a good friend, regardless of how risky it was, and he honestly wasn't entirely convinced he wouldn't fight the whole world for this kid tomorrow, if that was what he needed to do to keep them safe and happy.

This was not a crisis Technoblade thought he would have to deal with. Especially not so soon. Not when Ranboo had been living in the tundra with him and Philza for what, two weeks? It was barely over a month since the guy assisted in his attempted execution! How the heck had he been won over so quickly?

Well. Okay, he knew how. He knew exactly how. Ranboo didn't have a single malicious bone in their body. Not one. Sure, they technically had a history of treason, but that was only because of how they kept trying to befriend Technoblade even before he got them out of that awful government situation they were stuck in. The kid had been nothing but a bundle of nerves and peace offerings since the first real conversation Technoblade had with them, not an hour after the Butcher's Army. They had done nothing but extend olive branch after olive branch, even as Technoblade shot him down again and again. Until he didn't.

Until Technoblade let Philza drag them out of the ashen remains of their old country, stopped to listen to them talk, accepted their gifts, followed them on adventures…. Then he did it again. And again. And again.

Oh how the mighty had fallen.

Technoblade was staring out his window even now, gaze fixated on his new apprentice's pathetic little shack and considering bringing the guy some supplies to fix it up a bit tomorrow. Shit, Philza really was rubbing off on him. He was stuck with this kid now, wasn't he?