#Living a Dr. Hall appreciation life

[whatdoeseverybodywant]

Rebuild & Restore - Chapter 5

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Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated ❤ 

All OC Characters belong to me

2 weeks later.... Friday

Eli: There’s a refresher and a donut waiting for u at the L&D desk ms I don’t like coffee. 

Kiyana rolled her eyes with a grin as she texted Eli back. Josh narrowed his eyes as he watched Kiyana smile down at her phone. He tried to ignore it but when she started to actually giggle at the fucking phone he snuck around the kitchen counter and tried to get a peek at who she was texting but she caught on and quickly locked her phone and set down on the counter. 

“You need something?” She asked, rolling her eyes when his eyes glanced down at her phone.  “You got anything planned today or yall just gonna chill?” She asked, grabbing her lunch out of the fridge. When she turned back around he had her phone in his hands.“HEY!” She called out,  snatching her phone out of his hands. “What are you doing?” 

“You changed your password?” She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Why were you trying to go through my phone? We are div-” 

“Divorced. Yeah you keep bringing it up.”  She rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag. 

“I get off at 9. Will y’all be good until then?” Josh nodded, his jaw was clenched tight as he kept thinking about how Kiyana changed her password to her phone. Kiyana rolled her eyes at his attitude before walking out of the kitchen and towards the front door. 

“I love you!” She called out to the boys and Josh heard them call it back before the front door slammed shut. 

“Love you too.” He muttered before going to join his sons in the living room. 

“So you at Dr. Daniels seem to be getting close.” Debra , the senior nurse stated as she eyed the drink in Kiyana’s hand. Kiyana shrugged

“He’s cool.” 

“Cool enough to be talking about asking you on a date.” Debra said, smirking when Kiyana snapped her head towards her. 

“No, we’re just friends.”  Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt. Her inner voice said. 

Debra rolled her eyes. “Honey, I helped deliver Elijah forty-something years ago and that man still doesn't bring me coffee everyday.”  Kiyana bit her lip and looked down the hall to where Eli was talking with another nurse. “Look, I know you just got divorced but shit, take the chance. You don’t have to fall in love with him.” Kiyanna sighed and shook her head, it was way too soon for her to even think about going on a date with another man. Her divorce was still fresh, like an open wound. 

“ I think Key already talking to somebody else.” Josh blurted out as he, Trinity and Jon sat in their backyard, keeping a close eye on his two older boys who were swimming. He had put Kairo down for a nap. 

“Well you were fucking someone else while y’all were married so who cares.” Trin said, smacking Jon on his shoulder when he elbowed her in her ribs. “I mean what did you expect? Kiyana is very attractive and now she’s single.”  Trin shrugged. 

“Don’t kick the man while he’s down Trin.” 

“Yeah, damn Trinity. I thought we were better than that.” Josh tried to joke but Trinity was still very pissed off at him. “I know I fucked up. But it’s only been two weeks.” 

“How long is she supposed to wait? Until you’re ready for her to move on?” Trin rolled her eyes. “Leave that woman alone. Her life is no longer a concern of yours..”  Josh didn’t say anything as he brought his attention back to his sons. How was I supposed to get her back if she’s moved on already?

“Fuck him” Shanté muttered. “Fuck him and his stupid mullet. It’s 2024, the eighties called, they want their hairstyle back.” She said giggling at her own joke.  Nikkita rolled her eyes from where she was sitting on their couch. 

“Tae, I been told you to stop messing with that man, She might've divorced him but he still loves her. You can’t compete with that.”  Shanté flipped off her best friend and took another swig from the wine bottle they were passing back and forth. 

“He told me he never wanted to be with me, Nikki.” Nikkita didn’t respond back because.. Duh. It was pretty obvious. Josh only hit Shanté up after the RAW tappings on Monday’s and as soon as he would fly back home to Pensacola he would block her, then start the cycle all over again the next Monday. Nikkita felt bad for her friend but she had also warned her the first time Shanté had told her she hooked up with Josh. 

Kiyana was Josh’s high school sweetheart and from experience, Nikkita knew that Shanté never stood a chance. 

Kiyana let out a sigh of relief as she clocked out for the day. She can finally go home and be with her boys for 3 whole days.  Just as she was about to walk out the front door she heard her name being called. She turned and smiled once she saw it was Elijah. 

“Hey.” 

“Hey,” He said back slightly out of breath. “I ran all the way down here. Though I missed you.” He smiled at her. 

“You just caught me.” She said, feeling herself blush under the heat of his stare. “Wassup?” 

“I wanna take you out tomorrow night.” Kiyana blinked. “If it's too soon. I apologize, but I really like you Kiyana.” She clutched her purse strap tighter as she felt the butterflies in her tummy start to rumble around.  Kiyana only got that feeling with one man before and she had just divorced him two weeks ago. 

Elijah sighed as she just stared at him. “It’s too soon isn’t it?”  Kiyana quickly broke out of her stupor and shook her head. 

“No,” She cleared her throat. “ I would love to go out with you” 

“Yeah?” Eli asked. “Bet, do you have a babysitter for tomorrow?” Kiyana nodded. “Okay, tomorrow at 8. Text me your address.” 

Kiyana bit her lip as she watched him run back into the hospital, the butterflies more intense as she thought about their date tomorrow night. She let out a groan and let her head fall back, looking towards the sky. She was so fucking screwed. 

Kiyana got her first date since the divorce.. Josh about to be soooooooooooooooooooooooooo fucking petty 😭, y'all just don't understand.

Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated ❤ 

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[ellesthots]

Fateful Beginnings

XVII. “orientation”

parts: previous / next

plot: back in the godforsaken city, you attend orientation and set up your new apartment.

pairing: battinson!bruce wayne x fem!reader

cw: 18+

words: 2.3k

It could've been the sun blasting from your windows waking you up, but you lived in Gotham—instead it was the sound of shouting and piercing whoops with a sprinkle of taxi honks that made you rub the crust off your eyes. Mar was already awake and stood impatiently by the door. She looked up at you and grinned when she saw you sit up. "I ordered some donuts for us, figured you might wanna eat."

She almost looked like a little dog waiting to be let out; she was short with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, rearing to get out the door and feel some adventure. Huh. She reminds me of a cocker-spaniel. The clock read 11:05, and you jumped out of bed to get in the shower. You thanked her for ordering them before rushing to get your body clean. The water in the W’s shower was absolutely scalding, and it reminded you of another inequality in the city—only the rich people got fast-heating water. You cringed as you put the hotel shampoo and conditioner in your hair, then fought with the hair dryer that was too closely connected to the wall, and stepped out to Mar's lap covered in powdered sugar. "Here! I saved you these."

Since you signed everything virtually, Mar insisted on taking your bags to your new apartment for you. Much to your chagrin (you were feeling strangely jet-lagged from the day before) she was being convincing. "Just let me take them so you don't have to worry while you're at orientation. That's rent you're wasting!"

"I don't have a bed, I don't have anything to even sleep on in there yet, Mar." You shoved your arms through a sweater and pulled up your trousers.

"Won't they be giving you that welcome stipend or whatever today? How long is orientation?" Mar was always ready to get things moving, and you vacillated between appreciation and admonition.

"I mean I think so, and it's only until three." You furrowed your brow. "Maybe we could go to Target after and pick out some stuff?"

She clapped her hands and squealed. "Mmhm, perfect. Meet me at Jonson Street Target at 3:30?"

In the taxi to GU, you emailed her the information and messaged the apartment about a guest coming to get your things set up. You arrived at 11:58 and rushed to the Challey building, arriving sweaty and out of breath but on time. Dr. Vry was wearing a black velvet (?) sweater with a leather skirt, and had bright red lipstick. Her gray hair was up in a ponytail that sent a wash of neroli-scented air your way. "My protégé!" She wrapped you in a hug and led you by the elbow down the hallway to her office. Why does she keep calling me that? I didn't even get the interview with her billionaire.

"I'll be here. You dear, will be down the hallway just so." She pointed a few doors down to a vacant room with a sturdy desk and chair. You could've sworn it used to be a study room, and even pictured you and Mar studying for an exam there on class conflicts and inequalities.

The orientation was lackluster, but you hadn't expected much anyway. The doors creaked just as much, the cobwebs were still very much present, and the hallways were completely devoid of life. Your position was extremely straightforward: come in at least 8 hours a week to be available for any clerical work she had, and the other seven would be used up at weekly city hall meetings (two hours) and remote work. She took you down to the print room to meet one other lonely soul, Bridgit, explaining that you would bring your column to her by the end of the workday Thursday for printing. "The only thing you have to worry about is writing about whatever is happening at the meetings per week. And staying below the fifteen-hundred word count of course." She laughed like it was supposed to be funny and you and Bridgit followed suit.

By 2:30 you had completely exhausted even your boss's endless capacity for conversation, and she sent you on your way. Right as she was going to shut the door to her office you remembered the check. "Oh, Dr. Vry, the uh, I'm sorry, was I supposed to receive the initial payment today?"

She laughed again and shook her head. She waved her hand in dismissal only someone with six figures in their savings could manage. "It will be mailed to your new apartment by the end of the week." She smiled at you and shut the door. You held your raincoat limply in your hands. You only had twenty dollars in your account.

You got a taxi back to the W. 2:45. You went to the front desk and prayed this would work. "Hi, when I scheduled online I booked out through the end of the week but I don't need the room anymore. Can I cancel and get a refund?"

"Name?"

You told him and he clicked away. "Room 208?"

"Yes." You sat your hands on the edge of the desk behind a row of pens and flyers. There was a children's play at a private school close by. The Muppets. You wondered how they would accomplish that.

"Card ending in 5620?"

Fuck. "Oh I'm sorry, that card doesn't work anymore. Is there any way to get cash?" You bit your cheek to keep the anxiety at bay.

He shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry, but we have to... well, I could..." The man leaned into a mic nearby. "Manger to the front desk please."

A lady with a plastic smile arrived swiftly. Her eyes met yours with a blank, wide stare. "How can I help you?"

"She says the card she booked with doesn't work anymore and wants a cash refund."

"Oh, was there a problem with your stay?" Her teeth were blindingly white and ridiculously straight. You nearly had to squint back at her.

"No no, I just don't need it anymore." You gripped the edge of the desk hard barely out of their gaze. Please please please. The manager clicked a few buttons on the computer and scanned her badge. She flashed another beaming smile at you before skirting away. After what seemed like an hour but was likely only a few minutes, the manager entered. “Yes ma’am.” After a very tense nod, the desk clerk opened the register and began counting hundreds. "One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, four hundred, five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred, eight hundred,"

When he handed you 1800 dollars you felt faint. You handed over the key and thanked him before pocketing the cash and taking a taxi that had just dropped off a couple at the hotel. "Jonson Target, please."

3:01 you pulled up to the curb. Mar was perusing the dollar items when you walked in, and you both made quick work of finding your way to the home aisle and packing everything into a cart. A mattress, a frame, a sheet set, a comforter, pillows, a throw rug, a lamp, hangers, a bedside table, and two beanbag chairs cleared off that section and the cart. You grabbed another and headed to the hygiene section, grabbing toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrush, toothbrush holder, toothpaste, lotion, cleanser, moisturizer, towels, and finished off with some multi-surface cleaner, rags, and a swiffer. The total came to just under a thousand, leaving ample room for Ubers and food until your first paycheck. Exhausted, you ordered an Uber Pickup to take you to your new abode: The Moore.

The driver was a big, burly man with a big, burly pickup. You both squeezed into the back seating and he blasted some music neither of you had ever heard. When you pulled up to the front steps he was kind enough to help you out, bragging the entire time about his muscularity. "You know, city folks don't know much about this but I spent all my summers bucking hay in Georgia." You both humored him, since he was able to carry both the mattress and frame in one smooth trip. 5:30 and you and Mar were just getting out the mini toolkit provided by apartment management to begin assembling everything.

The apartment was massive compared to your last one. No longer a studio, you were upgraded to a bathroom with a full XL tub and a one-bedroom master. The queen bed fit well, and after everything had been assembled (much to your exhaustion), the apartment still looked somewhat empty, but inhabited. When you and Mar finally settled into the beanbags in the living area, you groaned about forgetting a tv. Mar asked if she could take a shower, and you moved to the bedroom and set up your iPad in the meantime.

Hi hunny. How is the new place? Your mother wants pictures ASAP ( as soon as possible ).

It's good! I'll send some pics in the morning, I'm tired from setting up the place all day. Orientation went well too. Doesn't seem like I'll be too drained there.

Mar stayed the night again, and you pestered her about if she really wanted to stay here or not. This wasn't the longest you two had been together—during your first year of undergrad here you both had been exceptionally close, sometimes spending a week flip flopping between the other's apartment. "I just don't want to be asking too much of you." You threw the comforter over you and grabbed your phone. She was slathering on some moisturizer. "Y/N." She gave you a look as the pads of her fingers pressed along her cheeks. She's right. She's never had a problem with being straightforward. She skipped over to bed with you and got under the blanket. "This gives us time to talk about the juicy stuff."

Oh no. Mar had been trying to get you a partner since the first time you both had a conversation. Extremely flirtatious and non-monogamous, her most used apps were Tinder and Uber. It had taken you a minute to get used to that coming from a smaller town, and only ever having been on a smattering of first dates and had a brief 'boyfriend' in high school. "Are you finally in a relationship yet?"

"No." You shrugged and tried to change the subject to a funny meme you'd just seen on Scypher. She shook her head and leaned in closer. "What about Ryan? Jade?" With every shake of your head she grew more exasperated. "C'mon Y/N! Get it together!"

"I'm good on that." She gave you another look and you reaffirmed. "I'll even pinky swear."

Mar held out her finger with a knowing look. You put out your pinky and moved to her hand, but stalled. You let it fall back into your lap and then pulled the covers over your head. "Okay fine. I don't completely hate the idea of dating." This created an hour more of conversation detailing all your past dates, including the coffee situation with your friends back home, and culminated in such a dense feeling of loneliness you nearly wanted to cry. The moment was short lived however due to her inclusion of the most frustrating man alive.

"I know you don't want me to say it, but what about Bru—"

"Absolutely fucking not." You mimed throwing up and passing out and she playfully slapped your arm. "Christ, dude. Last time you were here he literally chased after you."

"Last night you thought it was stalking."

"Yeah but the more I thought about it," She looked off into the distance for dramatic effect. "I wouldn't mind being invited to Paris for your birthday."

A laugh slipped out of you which eased the tension. Mar was persistent but not rude, and she had sensed this was a soft enough spot for you she didn't push it past that. You both fell asleep quite similarly to how you did the night before, but this time you didn't have to wake up for anything. Dr. Vry had told you work did not officially begin for you until Thursday evening when you were to go to the first city hall meeting to gather report. She hadn't given very specific instructions, just handed you a PRESS badge for security clearance and told you to use your phone and a notebook. She called it 'adapting to the times'. You tried not to focus too much on the logistics as you fell asleep—would you interview someone or would you simply give a summary of the meeting's happenings—and most importantly, you made sure not to zoom in on a particular aspect of the affair Dr. Vry was especially fanatic about: Bruce Wayne's attendance. You loathed how he was the last thing you thought about your first two nights back. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, and it certainly didn't make you want to stay here any longer. What would you say? What would you do? Would he pretend not to know you? Would you pretend not to know him? What if you tripped again?

The rumination lingered in your dreams and you woke up the next morning feeling like you'd napped about five minutes. Checking your phone saw that you had slept until noon, and Mar was still sound asleep in bed. You got comfortable. This was going to be a long week.

[ambi-kiko]

tma music tma music tma music

please reblog with your own! i need it (:

also im more than willing to elaborate on any of em, just ask! (i have much to yell about)

for bitchard, we have:

kiss me, son of god (they might be giants)

i'm gonna win (rob cantor)

blood & money (the orion experience, orion, linda XO)

ruler of everything (tally hall)

BlackBoxWarrior - OKULTRA (will wood)

community gardens (the scary jokes, louie zong)

the main character (will wood)

your body, my temple (will wood)

laplace's angel (hurt people? hurt people!) (will wood)

saint bernard (lincoln)

welcome to the internet (bo burnham)

all eyes on me (or3o)

my ordinary life (the living tombstone)

cabinet man (lemon demon)

peter x elias (for my frenchies out there <33)

marine marchande (les cowboys fringants)

ok dont judge me too much i had to have smth for them ((: plus its not that unrelated

next! martin

a better son/daughter (rilo kiley)

12 feet deep (the front bottoms)

things to do (alex g)

be nice to me (the front bottoms)

step on me (the cardigans)

heart for brains (roar)

mama (my chemical romance)

summer child (conan gray)

hello my old heart (the oh hellos)

i cant handle change (roar)

against the kitchen floor (will wood)

least favorite only child (leanna firestone)

sharpener (cavetown)

empty bed (cavetown)

life's a beach (bears in trees)

jmart ((:

no children (the mountain goats)

the moon will sing (the crane wives)

euthanasia (will wood)

as the world caves in (matt maltese)

the truth (the front bottoms)

balade à toronto (jean leloup)

doctor (jack stauber)

apocalypse (cigarettes after sex)

talk to you (ricky Montgomery)

cabo (ricky montgomery)

meteor shower (cavetown)

juliet (cavetown)

feel better (penelope scott)

would you be so kind (dodie)

two birds (regina spektor)

line without a hook (ricky Montgomery)

and jon, ofc <3 i rly dont have enough for him ):

body terror song (AJJ)

downhill (Lincoln)

montreal (penelope scott)

ramblings of a lunatic (bears in trees)

its called: freefall (rainbow kitten surprise)

chin music for the unsuspecting hero (foster the people)

love, me normally (will wood)

dinner is not over (jack stauber's micropop)

also melanie! dont have that many but she deserves the mention (:

saturn suv (fredo disco)

brave as a noun (AJJ)

tongues & teeth (the crane wives)

wreaking ball (mother mother)

we fell in love in october (girl in red)

and just random songs with tma vibes (other characters, ships, dread powers, etc)

underground (cody fry)

hand me my shovel, i'm going in! (will wood)

terry's taxidermy (teddy hyde)

cotard's solution (will wood and the tapeworms)

amnesia was her name (lemon demon)

memento mori: the most important thing in life is death (will wood)

skeleton appreciation day in vestal, n.y. (will wood)

icicles (the scary jokes)

puppet boy (devo)

oh ana (mother mother)

i dont smoke (mitski)

choke (I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME)

thermodynamic lawyer esq, G.F.D (will wood and the tapeworms)

sorry haha i fell asleep (egg)

despair (leo)

stuff is way (they might be giants)

baby teeth (baby bugs)

king park (la dispute)

i/me/myself (will wood)

dr. sunshine is dead (will wood and the tapeworms)

amygdala's rag doll (ghost and pals)

little pistol (mother mother)

burning pile (mother mother)

this is home (cavetown)

body (mother mother)

turn the lights off (tally hall)

like real people do (hozier)

im going insane

[eazy-peazy54]

My problem with the Will Wood fandom, (a.k.a touch grass, a.k.a stan culture can suck it) (an essay.)

This one is LONG and a DOOZY, so buckle up if you like to read.

just want to clarify, i do NOT hate the will wood fandom in itself. AT ALL. I love you guys (/p)

i just dislike the people who say weird and creepy shit. if that doesnt apply to you, cool! but tell the people who do that shit to knock it off.

NO DISCOURSE IN THE REBLOGS I WILL ATTACK YOU

One HUGE gripe I have with the Will Wood fandom is how some of you guys treat Will Wood like (and this is literally the only way I can put this that isn't too serious) some all-powerful deity of knowledge that you would kill AND die for. In this essay, I will explain why [some of] you are fucking creeps.

Will Wood. Where do I begin. For the very few who are unaware, Will Wood is a singer-songwriter who makes very strange avant garde whatchamacallit evil jazz/swing music. He has been known as Will Wood since 2015, where he released his first album, Everything Is A Lot, under the name Will Wood and the Tapeworms.

Me personally, I first heard of him from the song Dr. Sunshine Is Dead, from the good old days of 2018 animation meme Youtube.

Ever since the inevitable Tiktokification of the song I / Me / Myself, from The Normal Album, the Will Wood fandom has become... well.. full of children. I have no place to speak, of course, because I myself, am a teenager, but I'm talking like. 11-14 year olds.

11-14 year olds who are all fucking INSANE.

Will Wood has been put in what I like to call;

The Holy Trinity.

This being the big three artists who the mentally ill queers (like me) listen to.

Lemon Demon, Tally Hall, and of course, Will Wood.

Being in this holy trinity has both done him good, and bad. On the positive side, yay!! More streams, more plays, more people to appreciate the craft, and more people who like the music! On the negative side, now you have an army of children listening to adult music, interacting with adult music and music videos, who are willing to do ANYTHING to get your attention, because they are young and don't know much better.

And here, stuck in the middle of it all, is poor William.

Stuck as a straight "gay icon," in a sea of twelve year olds.

Well shit.

---

Leading to the second part of my half-essay.

2020. The year shit changed for Will Wood. The Normal Album was released, and people found themselves relating to I / Me / Myself, as stated before. Then this "new," unheard of fandom was kind of birthed upon Tiktok. They were treating him like fucking jesus.

Which is weird.

They were sad, gay, looking for answers, and found them in Will's music. Which is like. Cool!

But when people were saying that he was trans, and then switched up and said he was making fun of trans people?

Yeah. Not that cool actually.

Coming back to the present now, Will has stated how weird these kids are.

In a response from a AMA for In Case I Make It on the official Will Wood subreddit, (I know. Ew, gross, Reddit, but this post was what inspired me to make this in the first place, so,) Will says this:

---

"When I was living in the sticks along the Delaware during the pandemic, I had this weird sort of mystical thing going on inside my head that was trying connect dots in my life and turn meaningless nothing things into signs that I would die.

This was happening around the same time I was dealing with getting actual public attention for the first time, and was living in an area where nobody wore masks, and was living with people who were at risk of serious covid complications if they caught it. Also for most of it I was the dreaded 27, and having been a bit of a junkie in my younger years and an idiot with a barely-treated psychiatric wreck in my brain for most of the ones following it, it was not unlike me to assume I'd die young.

It just seemed too perfect.

As I was dealing with the reception of the normal album (my first truly scathing reviews, I/Me/Myself "discourse," being the subject of conversation on a larger scale) which was beyond what I was prepared for psychologically in terms of its scope and type, my anxious rumination started to veer toward genuine paranoia.

I started thinking that I would die by my own hand or be murdered by one of these crazed Will Wood fans in the dead of night. So I didn't sleep like ever, I lost a bunch of weight and couldn't gain it back for a while, I freaked out a whole bunch and I'm surprised looking back I never lost my sobriety or whatever.

Since it started to look more and more like cosmic fact that I was doomed, I started to feel greater and greater desperation to get out these songs that I had been quietly writing over the previous year or two. Songs I'd written while going through a big breakup and wrestling with rotten parts of me that were finally accessible due to my finally being properly medicated and dealing with the real shit in therapy. And then songs I'd written as I went through these changes."

---

Obviously that is a lot to unpack for a Tumblr essay, but since you’re this far, you probably read it all already.

“Stans,” as most would call them, and “Stan Culture” as a whole, is just a huge wreck. Everyone is always fighting someone. We know this. We all do. Stans scare artists. 

I want you to think. Think of the artists who are inspired by Will Wood. The ones who want to cater out their music to the Will Wood fans. Imagine if you will, those artists seeing that AMA post, seeing the crazed fans, seeing the relentless sexualization, the jokes about serious issues, like Will’s past drug use, seeing all of this and thinking:

“Is it really worth it?

Is it really worth all of this to make music and put myself out there?”

Now, that may make you uncomfortable, but it's the honest truth. And it's happened to so many people, and so many artists. 

---

And now a message to the disgraced kids who managed to latch on to Will Wood’s music.

Treating a musical artist like a god is not gonna help anyone. I’d know. I’ve seen it happen multiple times, to multiple artists. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is think before posting on the internet. Think to yourself; would I say this to the artist's face? Could someone see this and think differently of me? Is this just weird to say in general?

Remember that these people are real people. Will Wood is a real person. With real thoughts. real feelings. a life to live. He's not just some music making machine. He’s not just some silly character. He’s not just some whimsical guy who we can all project onto.

Will Wood is a real person, and everyone should treat him that way. 

Thank you for reading.

(I will edit this essay if I think of anything else to add. That or I'll just reblog it.)

[the-togepi-man]

How do you deal with loving multiple people? I've been with my BF for almost a decade and I love him to pieces. Over COVID I made a new gay friend and started having feelings for him. We've hung out a few times and there's always this tension and pretty obvious desire between us. Still I prefer monogomy and wouldn't betray my partner like that. I talked to my partner about these feelings and he gave me a hall pass to fool around with my friend but I felt like that just made my feelings more complicated. Now my friend just recently got into a new serious relationship and I'm really happy for him but also it sortve broke my heart? I just feel like the most selfish person and I don't really have anyone to talk to about these feelings. Everyone has been understanding but I just feel like a monster all the time.

Awesome question, anon I'm going to put the tl;dr up here, then do more under the cut. I feel you, friend. There are days I still wake up and think "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve the love or kindness or patience to figure this out." "Some people search their whole lives for someone like my partner. I am spoiled and bad for loving more., wanting(?) more." But that's not true. You learn by unlearning. Love isn't something that can follow a textbook definition. Relationships are complicated and intricate and trying to put them in a category is stressful and will make you feel bad. I can speak on that from example right now. I love Sean so much that I can't imagine a world where I am not supporting and loving him and saying "thats my man." But I am also quite frankly, falling for another friend who I have been falling for for a few months now.

You learn to accept loving multiple people when you realize your human experience is yours alone to act on

I wont lie and tell you I have all of this beat. I still worry that I am the right thing for Sean (my partner.) I worry that he is one of the most amazing people I have met in my entire life and that he deserves so much more than what I provide. However... I have talked to him about it. And something he loves about me, is that I have that capacity to love. Not to mention, people are not meant to "belong" to someone. If he was unhappy or saw no future, he could have cut this off and lived a life of his own choosing. That's how relationships work. Who I am and WHAT I am bring something to his life that helps he grow and provides something that he wants to nurture and love. I am insanely proud of you for talking to your partner about your feelings. A lot of people don't make it that far. Some relationships don't survive that talk. So talking to your partner as the first step is incredibly powerful. Keep that dialogue open, allow for them to have a space where they can dip out, but also let them know how much you appreciate being able to share these feelings and work through them together.

It sounds like your partner is aware of your feelings and understands that life isn't black and white, and the norms we have established as a society. I think it might also worth be exploring why *you* think you prefer monogamy. Personally I think monogamy is all well and good, and while i wish I could just be a "one and done" kinda guy- I know that's not my heart. I have two friends who have been together forever, and they are also open. While one does fall in love, he also knows he is monogamous in that regard because he just doesn't have the time to provide for two people personally because of how busy his life is and will be. But that doesn't mean he loves anyone any less, he just has his definition of love and what he's looking for. I think in a relationship, if you show that you care and provide and put effort in to that bond, that's what counts. Sean has no doubt in his mind that I love him and still love him even when I've fallen head over heals as I have for someone while I write this. After all, love isn't a pie chart. You don't love one person 70% and another 30%. Each person is their own precious bond, so why should you have to assign them basic terms when that just doesn't do? In my heart I know my love for Sean hasn't wavered at all. So I continue to show that. My partner (and maybe partners one day) are a prize to be won every day, so I will always make sure I follow that philosophy. All this is to say, you have to create your own definition for what love is based on how you feel and what your morals are. It sounds like you're going about this in a way where you're the only one who is really in danger of getting hurt, and man, more than anything I feel you. You're not carrying that weight alone. I can't say it's easy, nor is there a right answer. If the guy I'm in love with (who isn't Sean) got in to a relationship right now, I know it would really do some serious damage to my heart. But that's what I told myself might happen, thats part of being in love and caring about someone. You want to see them happy. It could happen while single too. It's just how life goes. I talk to Sean about it all the time, and how scared I get that he might leave us- even though he's not even *with* us. I am really rambling here, but I guess I am just trying to say that, from what you've said- You're operating as a good person. You love your partner, and have love in your heart for others. You are acting with kindness, you are acting to make sure that nobody besides you feels bad. Your feelings are valid. No matter what anyone says, your feelings are valid.

The human heart isn't something that operates on logic. It follows no societal norms, it challenges your brain, and refuses to silence itself. Which is exactly why you need to listen to it, if only to help yourself understand that your world isn't black and white. You are not evil for loving more than one person.

Keep trucking, anon. Don't beat yourself up over who you are, and show yourself some kindness, as you clearly do for everyone who is involved with you

[unnervinglyferal]

Saw a thing that made me think of you for some reason. Gonna paste the entire reddit post here rather than link it, because you need to read in real time for the funny:

"My (31M) wife (32F) and I are in a healthy and happy relationship. That said, we’ve been together since high school, so we both feel that we missed out a little by being each others’ only sexual experiences. We’ve talked about this at length and decided a few years ago that we’re ok with having a few hall passes in our relationship, since we very much intend to stay together the rest of our lives and don’t want any resentment over missed possibilites. Plus it’s pretty rare that we could even find such an opportunity, as it’s a little hard to find hookups when you’re in a committed marriage and don’t go out much. We even gave each other advance approval in case a situation arises, so long as we’re safe about it and tell each other immediately afterward. We’ve both used one HP, each with someone we knew well enough but would never see again, and no issues came out of it. In fact, it’s only made us more secure in our relationship and how much we genuinely appreciate being with each other.

Recently, I had to travel to London for work. I don’t normally get to travel for work, so I decided to make a trip out of it and spend a few extra days of my own time in the city after the project was done. My wife couldn’t join because she didn’t have any vacation time left but was very supportive of me taking some time to explore since I’ve never been to London and she has. Being cheap, and being a pretty outgoing guy when I’m so inclined, I decided to stay in a hostel. I was interested in meeting other travelers since I didn’t know anyone in the city and love being sociable with new people. I chatted with several of the people staying there, and in particular a very attractive French girl (mid-20’s) who dressed super goth.

For context, I love the goth girl look. I’ve been sucked into the goth gf propaganda online, much to the annoyance of my wife. It isn’t her style, but she has been nice enough to cater to me by putting on a sexy goth outfit on occasion, since she’s knows it’s a huge fantasy of mine. Still, I pester her constantly to be more goth because I enjoy it so much.

Anyway, I ended up spending a little bit of time with goth French baddie - we both went to the hostel’s happy hour event and hit it off there. I found out that she was recently single and was in London for an art show. It turned out we were both into emo music, and we talked about our favorite bands. I had the thought that she was acting a bit flirty towards me, but didn’t think too much of it, until I later found myself sharing a sink with her in the hostel bathroom.

The hostel was co-ed, so each floor had a small shared bathroom with a communal sink, and a door that was meant to be kept open but which people frequently closed for the sake of having more privacy than just a stall to shower in. So I’m brushing my teeth while chatting up the real-life version of Shadowheart (who, mind you, is wearing an extremely low cut top), when she suddenly closes the bathroom door behind us. In my mind, my wildest fantasy is about to come true. It’s even more exciting because of the adrenaline rush of being in a semi-public setting, and a girl being so into me that she would make such a bold move. I can’t believe this is actually happening to me. I instantly get hard. Then she turns around and asks “Are you interested in learning about our lord and savior Jesus Christ?”

She had me cornered for 10 minutes trying to talk me into salvation, while I grew increasingly despondent and immensely disappointed, with the whiplash of going from what could’ve been one of the crowning moments of my life, to pure and utter dejection.

When I told my wife this story, she laughed for a solid hour. She said it’s karma for annoying her about wanting a goth gf.

TL;DR life dream was to bang a hot goth girl. Thought I was getting the opportunity, but got cockblocked by Jesus Christ. god is real and he hates me."

The fucking mood whiplash. I was reading this nodding along like okay yeah I guess that could be us in like 10 or 15 years, who knows, neither me nor my girl are the jealous type or anything, and then it fucking struck. The christians have weaponized goth girls. Fucking lost it laughing, it's been a rough 24 hours, thank you.

[she-karev]

Birth (Andrew DeLuca x Alex Karev’s Sister Imagine)

Previous Part Here

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: Two of Two

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Head canon Ship: Andrew DeLuca x Amber Karev (Alex Karev’s Sister)

AN: Here’s the final chapter for the story you guys and I will try to post the next one as soon as I can and until then enjoy and I always appreciate and like and a reblog!

Editors Note: Hey guys so I just learned how to make GIF’s and decided to reblog this beautiful chapter with a GIF I made myself. Let me know what you think.

Summary: Amber gives birth to a girl with Andrew by her side and Dr. Montgomery delivering.

Words: 1441

October 20th, 2022

Simone Griffith stands outside Amber DeLuca’s delivery room peeking through the transom on the closed door. It’s been six hours since she and DeLuca found out Amber was in labor. She was curious on how her chief resident was after her water broke causing Dr. DeLuca to have her close after his surgery and couldn’t help but go up and see how they are.

Also, after witnessing her grandmother have an Alzheimer’s episode, she wanted a reminder that there were good things in this world too, like babies being born. Alex Karev walks down the hall with a welcome home baby girl gift basket from him and Jo to give to Amber. He spots Griffith outside the room and clears his throat causing her to stand back and look at him.

“Dr. Karev hi I-I was just uh-”

“Spying on my sister while she’s trying to bring a new life into this world right this second?”

“…It looks weird, doesn’t it?”

“Yes!” Alex confirms causing her to look down in shame, “Is there a reason you’re doing this very weird thing?”

“I just…I just needed a reminder that there’s good things in this world too. And watching a birth happen in real time works more effectively than faith in humanity videos.”

Alex grins at that understanding where she’s coming from, “Yeah there is something magical about my baby sister becoming a mother.”

“That is all I am saying sir.” He motions for her to step aside and she does so. He walks inside the room to find Amber lying on her side in her bed with Dr. Montgomery behind her inserting the epidural catheter. Andrew is standing by her side and holding her hand as she groans at the needle insertion.

“Hey kid how are we doing?”

“Terrible! You’re lucky your ex-girlfriend knows what she’s doing otherwise I would judge her based on her poor choices from sleeping with you.” Alexs eyes widen at his sister’s knowledge of his and Addison’s past relationship. Andrew looks at him in shock as well just learning about this.

“Is this true or is it the hormones talking?”

Addison finishes the insertion and looks up at Alex in disgust, “You told her?”

“No! I swear I didn’t.”

Amber groans and lays on her back on the bed, “Oh please the nurses keep tabs on your love lives and they love to gush with me. They could write romance best sellers with Alex’s disaster of a love life. I mean I’m still at the Ava/Rebecca chapter and it is a doozy.” She turns to Addison, “For the record you could’ve done way better back then.”

“You know I’m in the room, right?” Alex points out before putting the pink basket on the table.

“I’m gonna check how dilated you are.” Addison sighs and feels the need to clarify to Amber while she does her cervix exam, “And for the record I didn’t date him. I found him attractive, I was horny and he was there. It was one time and I judge myself for it enough as it is.”

“I’m his sister I know how shameful you’d feel sleeping with him when he was an intern and an asshat.”

Addison grins at that and looks back at Alex who averts his eyes from the exam looking at the wall instead, “I like her.”

Andrew asks trying to comprehend it, “Wait you slept with your sister’s OB and you didn’t think to mention it?”

“You slept with my sister and I had to find out after the fact.” Alex bitterly points out.

“I didn’t even know she was your sister man.”

“And I didn’t think my ex was gonna be delivering my sister’s baby over ten years later but here we are.”

Amber inhales and exhales in annoyance at their petty squabble, “Hey boys?” They turn to her and she looks disheveled while Addison checks her cervix, “I need you two to read the room because I have enough on my plate right now, I don’t need to mediate an argument between my husband and brother.” They quiet and look at her concerned as she continues, “I am just trying to squeeze a giant Escalada out of a compact FUCKING PARKING SPOT!” The boys look scared by her last exclamation.

“Very good.” Addison calmly says, “Swearing helps a lot, you’re at 7 centimeters.” Addison stands back up covering Amber with a blanket.

“Ugh I hate you tell me when I can start pushing this sucker out. Speaking of suckers exiting, Alex get out.” He looks offended by that as Amber continues, “You dropped off the gift and unless you can transport my daughter out of my body you are useless to me. And do me a favor. Let it be known that the only people allowed in this room are Dr. Montgomery and the people who provided genetic material to this baby otherwise they are gonna be in a world of hurt, now out!” Amber points at the door causing Alex to nod and pat Andrew on the back seeing the road ahead of him.

“God speed.”

Andrew nods, “Yeah.” Alex gets out of the room and closes the door behind him.

TWO HOURS LATER

I scream out loud as the next contraction comes and push per Dr. Montgomery’s instructions. While this happens, Andrew is by my side holding me encouraging me. My lower region is covered by blue tarps with Addison behind the curtain delivering my daughter, out of all of us I think she has the easiest job in the room because Andrew is no doubt in pain from me holding his hand with monster strength that’s coming from being in labor.

“Good Dr. DeLuca! Okay at the next contraction I’m gonna need you to really bear down but not until I tell you.”

I whimper at the never-ending cycle, “Oh god come on! I know my brother rejected you but don’t take it out on me!”

Andrew rubs my arm to soothe me, “It’s gonna be okay, you’re doing great, it’ll be over soon.”

I am too in pain and too mad at him to take in his soothing words, “If you think we’re having sex again after this you got another thing coming Andrew DeLuca!”

He chuckles at that and kisses the top of my head wiping the sweat off my forehead, “I think we’re stalled in the sex department until this kid goes off to college.”

I chuckle lightly at that but then I stop and gasp as I feel another contraction coming, “Oh god not again!” I scream as the pain courses through my body.

“Okay one last push Amber!” Dr. Montgomery instructed me and even though it hurts I do as she says, pushing with all my might. Andrew is holding me and encouraging me to push through my piercing screams. After what seems like forever, I feel relief in my body and slump back down on the bed panting for breath. I hear a baby crying and I felt my heart stop as I look down to see Dr. Montgomery holding our small, wriggling and bloody daughter already crying her lungs out. Addison is smiling and laughing in joy, “There she is!”

I’m so shocked by what’s happening I’m laughing and crying at the same time, “Oh my god.”

I can see Andrew laughing in joy too with tears glistening in his eyes, “Look at her oh my god you did that.”

“You helped.” I remind him. He takes the scissors from Dr. Montgomery and cuts the umbilical cord. After that Addison takes the baby to get her cleaned up and comes back a few moments later with our baby daughter wrapped in a baby blanket. She’s crying on the way until she reaches my arms and I hold her shocked at how tiny she is. I smile down at her still overcome with so much love and awe over this tiny human that made the last eight hours of pain I’ve endured so worth it, “Hi. Oh my god she’s…she’s…”

“She’s perfect.” Andrew finishes and I nod as he smiles. I can see the love in his eyes and grin at him.

“Here let’s go to daddy.” I carefully place the baby in Andrew’s arms and he handles her so carefully, no doubt shocked at how light she is too. He croons at the baby speaking words of affection in Italian cradling her head, “Ciao bambina, sono tua mamma e tuo papà.”

I sniffle and grin at the sight of both of them before cooing at our daughter, “Hi welcome to the world. Right now your the only pure and innocent thing in it at this very moment. And I promise we are gonna name you by the time you come home.” Andrew chuckles at that and we just enjoy this moment together as a family.

The Babys Name Here

[problematicraccoon]

I WANNA TALK ABOUT MY SKZ DR AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

heres a lore dump

MKAY so in this reality im gonna be in a polycule situation with the entirety of stray kids (shut up i know im an interdimentional whore), but hwen i first shift there, we're still just friends.

some details about me in that dr is that my name is Alyssa Kolanko, im 23, im in a dance crew thats world renowned with Emmy (the youtuber) Beomhan (our boi) Ryan (hellyxryan) and Ravon (also youtuber), we're all best friends (ive been besties with Ravon since we were teenagers growing up together in ohio, then we both moved to Georgetown, Washington for college and to join the dance crew Ultraviolet)

dance crews are treated like kpop groups are in my cr. we're signed to entertainment companies' dance group divisions, have fanchants, fandoms, light sticks, stadium tours, music videos (where we do dance covers of songs and have cool visuals to go with it). if you guys have any ideas as to what our fandom name should be, i'd appreciate it, i cant come up with jack shit lmao.

i lived with Ravon in a cool loft apartment in Georgetown for four years, ever since we moved when we were 19, and now that we're 23, he's decided he wants to live with his boyfriend of two years, Carter (also youtuber from my cr), and i offered to move out so they could have the loft.

i've known the boys of SKZ since i was 21 and they came to see us perform at a dance festival (a type of concert where a bunch of dance crews come and perform at a stadium or concert hall)

as i've been a youtuber since i was like 15 in this reality, i grew a large following and the guys (skz) have been watching my videos since the beginning.

we quickly become friends after we meet, and become very close over the next few years. they fall head over heels in love with me lmao. i love living in fanfiction. ANYWAY.

now that Ravon and Carter are moving in together, i needed to find somewhere else to live. i expressed to the guys in our gc that i wasnt looking forward to living alone, as i love to live with my friends, and they suggested i move in with them since they're just getting ready to have a house built for them. i agree, and we all work together to build our dream house.

when i spawn in, it'll be the day before i fully move into the house with the guys. my besties (the members of UV) all come to me and Ravon's loft to spend the night and help me pack. then, the following day, the guys come and help pile my stuff into our cars and we head off to our house, where (since its totally empty) we'll lay out blankets and pillows in the unfurnished living room to have a big sleepover until we can get our bedrooms sorted out. i am very scared of living with eight other people btw T0T and it's stray kids for christ sake???? its gonna be so fucking LOUD

OH OH AND I HAVE A CAT. SHES AN ORANGE TABBY AND SHES VERY SWEET AND STUPID AND RUNS INTO WALLS AND HER NAME IS MINKA. SHES 2 AND I ADOPTED HER WHEN SHE WAS JUST A KITTEN <3 minho is absolutely OBSESSED with her

and im besties with Brittany Broski because i adore her she is everything to me i would lay down my life for her

and as for my backstory; very tragic, kinda personal, wont share much about that. but all that you need to know is that my parents were shitty, and my aunt Isla (the same one from my better childhood dr, face claim Daphne Zuniga) saved me and my younger brother Eric (eric lloyd) and took us to Ohio from Poland to raise us when i was 13. she also has a son, who's technically my cousin, but i consider him my big brother and he considers me and eric his little siblings. his name is brandon, and his face/personality claim is Brandon Farris (hes a HILARIOUS youtuber, highly recommend him)

so yeah- theres alot more lore in this dr, its definitely my most detailed one, so i might make another post explaining more lmao.

[xoxiu]

autumn outside the post office - jin x reader

chapter one table of content masterlist

≪ how long will beautiful things last? ≫

summary: it wasn't your fault that dr. kim was the most beautiful man you've ever seen. falling for him was entirely your fault, however. first semester at college and you're already dreaming of a student/professor relationship- so naughty and against the code of conduct. you like the thrill, though.

tags/warnings: smut, teacher!jin, college au, cute yet forbidden romance, daddy dom!jin, love triangles, frat boys jungkook and taehyung, age regression, age play, ddlg, spanking, eating disorders, mental health, first love, exhibitionism, lots of blowjobs, age gap

"I shouldn't be here. I'm not cut out to be an adult."

You fiddled with the neck of your shirt nervously. Today was your first day of college classes, and you were beyond stressed. You only had two classes today, thankfully, but no one prepared you for over 90-minute long classes. That was unheard of in high school. 

"You'll be fine. The bus stressed you out as well, but you managed to do that!" Your roommate, Jennie, tried her best to cheer you on and lift your confidence. She sat across from you on a picnic table, the two of you taking a moment to appreciate the late summer weather. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it was perfect t-shirt and shorts weather. You took a deep breath, trying to let the beauty of your surroundings calm you down. 

All your life, you had been anxious. From school to social events, even to casual conversations, you constantly had an internal panic attack whenever someone else even perceived you. Your parents hoped going away to college would bring you out of your shell, and it did in a small way. You made friends quicker than you thought you would- of course, you had to live with said friend in a tiny dorm room, but the two of you got on easily. 

"Ah, it's five to 11, I should go to class," you said, standing up from the picnic table. You quickly excused yourself and entered the closest building- Hanson Hall, the location of your Korean Literature class. 

Frantically, you walked through the halls trying to find room 128. The halls were full of people leaving classrooms and trying to enter others- it was truly chaotic. You tried to keep up with the flow of traffic in the narrow hall while keeping an eye out for your classroom. 

The classroom was void of all people when you finally stumbled across it. You put your backpack down on the front row table confused, before poking your head out of the door. Room 128, Hanson Hall, 11 am. Everything lined up, but you still worried that you were in the wrong room. Grabbing your bag, you moved to the far corner of the classroom near the large windows. Granted it wasn't a large room, with only three rows of tables, but the emptiness of the room made it feel huge. You sat down in a chair, and sat patiently, hoping someone else would show.

Bodies slowly began to fill the classroom until about twelve students total sat alongside you. Thankfully no one sat at your table with you- you quite liked having the space to yourself. You could see the clock tower outside strike 11 am, indicating that class should be starting. 

After the fifth chime, a young man dressed in a tan suit strolled into the room, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and his briefcase in another. He smiled at the students and gave a small bow before sitting down at the desk in front of the chalkboard. 

"Good morning, class. I'm Dr. Kim Seokjin. Welcome to Korean Literature!" Dr. Kim carried himself in a very professional manner- he sat up straight, had a killer smile, and fluffy blonde hair...

Okay, maybe you stared too deeply at your professor. 

"Let me introduce myself. I'm from Seoul, South Korea, and I'm the head of the Korean department here at Bangtan University. I originally studied to be an actor... things didn't pan out." Chuckles could be heard around the room as Dr. Kim joked about his failed acting career. He definitely had the looks and voice to be an actor, you thought. You mentally scolded yourself, wondering what exactly had gotten into you. Never once have you ever thought of someone this way. 

Other students were soon called on to introduce themselves as Dr. Kim read off the roster. You gulped as you realize this was more than a typical 'name, major, one fun fact about yourself' exercise. Dr. Kim was asking intricate questions about each student, and all questions varied and stemmed from the student's answer. 

"y/n? That's a nice name." You froze as he got to your name. He reminded you to stand up and introduce yourself, and you shakily rose out of your seat. 

"H-hi. I'm y/n, I'm a first-year theatre major."

"Theatre? Good girl! What do you do?" 

You felt the blood rush to your face at his words. You stumbled on your own words at first, until finally, you figured out what to say. 

"I do front-of-house stuff, like lights and sound. I quite like the tech aspects of it all."

"You don't like the spotlight much, do you?" You shook your head. You would much rather be six feet under than be center stage. 

The next student was called as you took your seat. Slowly your nerves began to settle as Dr. Kim began going over the syllabus and required readings. You did your best to follow along, but your thoughts kept wandering elsewhere. 

Students began to pack up as the clock neared 11:50, but your attention remained glued to Dr. Kim. You wanted to take in every second of the beautiful man that you possibly could. 

"Oh, I guess that's time. I'll see you all on Wednesday!" Everyone started to file out of the classroom. After placing your laptop, notebook, and papers into your backpack, you stood up to leave. Dr. Kim called you back. 

"Hey, theatre kid. Come here for a second," he said, waving you over to the desk. Shaking, you inched towards him. It's as if he could sense your nerves, and gave you a reassuring smile.  "What productions are you working on this semester? I've been meaning to come watch them in the past, but they always slip my mind."

In all honesty, you weren't entirely sure of what this semester would entail. During orientation, your department professors gave you the lowdown on what would be happening that semester, how you could be involved, and how your classes fit into the major productions. 

"Um, our big productions are Eurydice and She Kills Monsters this semester," you replied. For the past hour you looked nowhere else but at your professor's beautiful face, but now you struggled to speak to him while looking him in the eye. 

The older man chuckled. "Well, let me know when tickets go on sale. I can't wait to see what beautiful things you create."

—————

90-minute classes weren't designed for syllabus day, you quickly learned. You sat in an all-black dance studio at a folding table, listening carefully as your sound and lighting technology instructor slowly went through every little aspect of the class. The only thing you could think about was Dr. Kim. 

It felt so wrong- the man was at least a decade older than you, not to mention your professor. But yet, you couldn't help but think of all the student-teacher relationships you've seen on television, and imagine yourself in that position. 

You don't know why you've caught these feelings out of the blue- you've never had a crush on anyone before this. Maybe it wasn't just the physical characteristics of him that you found attractive. The power imbalance turned you on, how much older and more powerful he is than you. 

As you were lost in thought, your peers began to pack up and leave. You looked at the time- it had only been a half hour. Mentally you cheered as that meant you'd be done early for the day. After all of this, you deserved a nice nap.

One of the big things you liked about Bangtan University was how small and cozy the campus felt. You could easily walk through the main campus in under ten minutes and have beautiful views of flowers, ponds, and the river the campus was located on. What you didn't like, however, was having your dorm so far off the main campus. You sat at the bus stop listening to music, waiting for your bus to arrive. 

"Hey," a girl's voice drew your attention away from your phone. "You're in Korean Lit, right?" 

You nodded, turning down the volume of your music slightly. The girl was a very attractive blonde- tall, slender, and had long, wavy hair that was tied back in a messy ponytail. She reminded you of Barbie in a way. The girl smiled and sat down next to you on the bench. 

"Isn't Dr. Kim so hot? I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. He's the only reason why I'm taking that class!" You mindlessly nodded along, not entirely sure what to say. Thankfully for you, your bus had arrived. 

"Oh, is this the red line?" The blonde asked the bus driver. 

"Nope. That's the 3:15 bus, sweetie," the bus driver replied. 

You awkwardly shuffled onto the bus before taking a seat near the front. Turning your music back up, you leaned your head against the cool window and closed your eyes. 

The dorm hall felt like a prison center. It was a perfectly square building with a courtyard in the middle, and your window just so happened to look right into the girl's corner bathroom. The windows in there were frosted, so you couldn't make out faces, but the heinous light that shone in at all times of day was miserable. 

You lay in your lofted bed, a pillow over your face to block out the intruding light. A headache had formed during the bus ride, and by the time you got to your room, it was nearly a migraine. Sleep was just about to overcome you when your phone pinged with a notification. You groaned and turned to see who was trying to contact you. 

Dr. Kim sent out an email- you didn't bother to open it. Laying back down, you cursed yourself for looking. Now he was the only thing on your mind yet again.

[dross-the-fish]

What do you think the Monetly crew and team Dracula be in the 1920's vs the 1930's? Would there be things they'd like these eras?

Hyde will be in America so he is going to be bootlegging and going to speakeasies during the prohibition. I also see him getting very into cars, in 1925 he'll be the proud owner of a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. Selma will stick with him, she can't be a monster hunter anymore but she still craves excitement, danger and adventure and those things seem to follow Edward around.

Quincey and Larry will have settled down together, Quincey will have opened his own practice and I see both of them being very into movies and the rise of jazz.

As musical hall style entertainment dies out Theo will transition to perusing a career in criminal law in the hopes that she can make a difference for the lower class by offering her services as a pro-bono lawyer. I see her really enjoying how accessible the rise home radio systems makes music through out the late 20s and 30s.

Watson and Holmes are living out their retirement in relative peace and quiet, both quite old in the 20s and 30s. I see them also enjoying the advent of commercial radio programming.

Speaking of Radio, I see Erik trying to find a way to work in the industry using the latest technology to run a radio station that records and broadcasts opera productions. The transmission of his Don Juan Triumphant was met with scandal and calls for censorship.

Adam will continue to live on the margins, keeping largely to himself, though when they become a thing he will frequent late night showings of movies and films. He'll be very intrigued when 1931 hits and he sees "Frankenstein" on the silver screen.

Team Dracula

Carmilla and Laura have settled down somewhere in the English countryside where they manage to live in relative peace. Laura is the more trendy of the two and is very into fashion and keeping up with the latest styles. She often asks Carmilla if she can try new hairstyles on her and Carmilla agrees because she's not going to say no to having her hair played with.

Griffin He's still invisible for this scenario so he lives by hiding out in people's houses and stealing from them, prefers wealthy houses to poor ones and if people get too suspicious he pretends he's a ghost and he's haunting the place. He can go for months living like that before he has to move on. His invisibility keeps him from being able to actually live a fully realized life and pursue hobbies so he's just kind of watching the world evolve.

Dracula in torpor where he belongs. If he were awake he wouldn't enjoy the advancement of the world, just regard it wearily as more things to research so he can at least pretend he fits in.

Dr Moreau taking an interest in the developments of cosmetic surgery as medicine becomes more advanced. Reluctantly considering that maybe he should use anesthetic when he does his experiments.

Dorian Gray has become a movie star, obsessed with making and staring in films some of which are surprisingly decent for being vanity projects.

Imhotep. Kind of like Dracula he's watching the world advance with weariness and a fear that it's moving to fast for him to keep up. Though he grows more and more compassionate to the displaced minorities and the outcasts who struggle through their continued oppression even as the world claims to become more enlightened.

Mephistopheles back in hell taking a time out through the 20s and 30s. Wouldn't appreciate those decades anyway.

[liaromancewriter]

Begin Again

Premise: Cassie needs closure on the events of the poison attack.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); feat. Tobias Carrick Rating/Category: Teen. Angsty Fluff. Words: 2,100

A/N: Submission for @aprilchallenge prompt "sunshine" and for @tobias-carrick-appreciation-week - Day 8.

The hallowed halls of Boston’s Trinity Church were solemn as befitted the occasion. The morning sun shone through the stained glass windows above the sanctuary, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the wall. Under the soaring ceiling, painted decorations, colorful mosaics and vibrant murals brought home the sacred nature of worship.

The reverend presiding over the Easter Sunday service spoke of redemption, forgiveness and a chance to live a better life. Cassie Valentine bowed her head in prayer, letting the serene words from the sermon wash over her troubled thoughts.

Six months ago, she had been on death’s door, waiting for the poison coursing through her body to claim another victim. Cassie hadn’t fully realized how precious life was until that moment.

Over time, she had come to accept what she couldn’t change and thought she had forgiven herself for her role in the events leading up to that moment. As the choir's voices rose in song, she wondered if the words were divinity’s way of telling her it was time to move on.

When she stepped up to the altar to receive Communion, she felt the peace she’d been seeking warm her insides. And yet, a niggling sense of disquiet remained as she buttoned up her red spring coat, the thick material flaring around her knees, and headed home.

There was one more step she needed to take to begin again.

Two days later, Cassie swiped her card and pushed the handle to slide open the doors to the diagnostic team’s office. She’d just finished her half-shift in the ICU when she received a page from Ethan.

“Do we have a case?” she asked, sitting in the visitor’s chair across from his desk.

He glanced up from the computer screen and removed the reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

“No, but your labs are back,” he said, picking up a patient file and flipping it open.

Ethan had been running Cassie’s bloodwork every month since the attack. The treatment she and Rafael had received was experimental, and there was no telling how long it would hold or what was the long-term effect.

As he’d done during the poison attack, Ethan took over as her treating physician, monitoring her labs and scans for any signs of change.

“Your white blood cell count and ESR are slightly elevated,” he said, handing her a printout of the test results. “But within the accepted range. So it might just be due to the cold you were battling last week.”

Cassie scanned the results and noted the pathologist’s comments at the bottom of the page. All clear, she sighed in relief.

“There’s still residual scarring on your lungs.” He glanced at his computer monitor.

Ethan swiveled the screen sideways so she could see the X-ray scan. He pointed to the faint shadowy lines, circling the area with the laser pointer on his pen. “But it’s less than it was before, so….”

Cassie hid a smile at his objective tone. Technically, it was frowned upon for physicians to treat their families and loved ones. But no one dared tell Dr. Ramsey whom he could or couldn’t take on as a patient. Not that she wanted anyone else in charge of her care.

“…using the inhaler for now, especially if you feel your chest tightening after a run,” he continued. “Don’t let things exacerbate. You might think you’re fine, but your body doesn’t.”

Cassie listened to Ethan while reading the radiologist’s report. She asked him a few questions and felt satisfied with her progress. But something had been bothering her since church on Sunday, and she decided to just ask him.

“Hey, Ethan?” she began, hesitant about his reaction knowing their relationship. “How much do you know about the chemical composition of the antidote? Did Carrick talk to you about it at all?”

He stilled, a worried look gathering in his blue eyes. Cassie thought he might not respond, but he nodded as if coming to an agreement with himself.

“I know enough,” he said. “Organic chemistry has never been my strong suit. But I met Carrick while you were on medical leave. He explained what went into developing the antidote and the potential side effects, as he understood them.”

He stopped, seemingly lost in thought, tapping his fingers against the desk. Cassie started to prompt him, but then his eyes snapped into hers.

“What is this really about, Cassie?” Ethan queried.

Cassie wanted to shrug it off, but the feeling of disquiet that had persisted the last couple of weeks wouldn’t let her.

“Do you ever get that feeling of something left unfinished?” When he nodded slowly, she kept going. “I’ve been trying to put what happened behind me, but I’ve realized I can’t do that until I understand how I’m still alive.”

She stood up and started pacing in front of his desk, needing an outlet for the stress and frustration trapped inside her.

“It’s like I’m missing a piece of the puzzle. I was there, but it felt like it was happening to someone else,” Cassie stressed, willing him to understand. “But I can’t reconcile everything in my head. Until I have all the answers, I’ll never move on. I’ll always be that person with sunken eyes in a shapeless hospital gown, waiting to find out if I’ll ever see the sun rise again.”

“Okay,” was all he said before picking up his phone and tapping on the screen.

“What are you doing?” Cassie asked, confused at his non-reaction.

“Getting you answers,” he said, not looking up from the phone. “Carrick has an outpatient clinic on Friday. It’s the earliest he’s available. He says he can fit you in around one o’clock.”

“You texted Tobias? I’m surprised you have his number saved,” she mused, tapping one finger against her lips. “Are you friends now?”

“Not quite. He’s listed under ‘Asshole’ in my contacts,” Ethan smirked, making Cassie laugh. “Go see him. Get the answers you need. I’ll get someone to cover your patients.”

Cassie took a taxi to Mass Kenmore’s facility across town on Friday. Morning rounds had run over, and she didn’t want to take a chance on the subway. It was almost time for her appointment when she checked in with the receptionist at the outpatient clinic.

Tobias must have given the nursing staff advance notice. They didn’t ask questions or have her complete a patient intake form. Cassie had just sat down in the waiting room when they called her name and escorted her to an exam room.

“Doctor Valentine, what a surprise,” Tobias drawled once the door closed behind her.

He stood behind a desk, arms folded across his chest and a wolfish grin on his lips. It was the same one Cassie remembered from that long-ago softball game.

“Is it really a surprise if I’m listed in your appointment calendar?” she countered, crossing the linoleum floor to stand before him, her chin raised stubbornly.

She was grateful to him for saving her life, but his pompous attitude always rubbed her the wrong way.

“It is, knowing who set up that appointment,” he said. His hazel eyes glittered with amusement. “I don’t know what was more shocking. Ethan reaching out after all these months or him texting me for a favor.”

“It surprised me too,” Cassie admitted. “But he knew it was important to me.”

Tobias didn’t speak; he just stared at her. Cassie could read the calculation in his eyes. Rumors about her and Ethan had swirled between the two hospitals even before his grand declaration a couple of months ago.

Despite how circumspect they were in the hospital, Cassie still received the occasional side looks and heard whispers from those that didn’t know them. She was prepared for Tobias to say something snide, but he surprised her with his following words.

“Well, I’m glad to help. Please,” Tobias said, indicating the visitor’s chair.

Gone was the arrogant competitor who seemed to savor the thrill of the chase and the win. In his place was a warm and considerate doctor with friendly eyes, someone she wouldn’t mind knowing.

“So, you had questions about the antidote?” He folded his hands on the desktop and gazed at her expectantly.

“Yes. Lately, I keep reliving that day and what happened to the others and me. My labs are consistently clear, and there are still lingering symptoms of pneumonitis. Nothing too serious. Still, there are times I wake up in the middle of the night, unable to breathe, a familiar crawling sensation under my skin.”

“It’s likely psychosomatic,” he said gently. “Ethan sent over your file. From what I could see, there are no signs of the maitotoxin. The compound did what it was designed to do. It prevented the maitotoxin from spreading further and attaching to your plasma membranes. Gave your body time to focus on flushing the toxins out.”

Cassie pursed her lips. “Could you walk me through the process of the antidote and how it works? Understanding the nitty-gritty might help me feel more in control of my health.”

Tobias watched her from across the desk with a considering look. And then he leaned back in his chair, locking his hands behind his head.

“Okay. How good are you at chemistry?”

Cassie made a face. It was not her best subject in college or medical school. Tobias must have read her thoughts, for he chuckled good-naturedly.

“You really are Ethan’s protégé, aren’t you?” he snorted. “The man’s a certified genius, but put complex chemical formulas on the screen, and it might as well be a foreign language.”

“Patients don’t care if you can read chemical formulas,” she argued. “All they want is for someone to listen and to find a way to help them.”

“Two peas in a pod,” he smiled, shaking his head.

He straightened in his chair and turned to face the computer in the corner. He placed his right hand on the mouse and pulled the keyboard closer.

“I’ve been tweaking the formula for the compound in my free time,” he explained, his long fingers drifting across the keys of the keyboard. “We didn’t have time to test it before for obvious reasons, but there’s potential to use the antidote for other toxins. Okay. Here we go.”

Cassie scanned the three-dimensional chemical structure displayed on the screen. There were notations of chemical symbols overlaid on the design. Some she recognized quickly, but others she’d need to look up in the periodic table. She read the observations listed on the side of the screen and realized that Rafael was Patient A and she was Patient B.

She listened attentively as Tobias took her through the steps and the team’s observations from bloodwork done as the toxin was being flushed out of their systems. She smiled in gratitude when he answered her questions patiently, taking the time to explain the minutiae.

By the time they were done, Cassie felt calmer and more settled than she had in a long time.

“Thank you,” she said as he walked her out. “I don’t know if I’ve said this before, but thank you for giving me another chance at life.”

“Medicine’s a team effort,” he said, facing her as they stood in the hallway leading to the main reception.

A lifetime ago, she remembered running down that hallway with Baz, making their escape while Tobias and the security guard chased after them. His lips twisted in a wry grin as if reading her thoughts.

“Besides, the fifty-year Glenfiddich your brother sent me was thanks enough,” he remarked. “Don’t know if I’ve ever had scotch quite that old or that smooth.”

Cassie hid her surprise. She had no idea Max even knew who Tobias was beyond the basics. He certainly hadn’t mentioned this to her.

“Take care, Cassie,” Tobias said, patting her arm. “If you have more questions, you know how to reach me.”

With that, he stepped away and walked back toward the outpatient clinic.

Cassie strode past the reception, laughing inside at the perplexed look on the security guard’s face as he tried to place her.

She exited the hospital and crossed the street to a small green square with wooden benches set back from the walking path. She thought it must be a popular spot for the hospital, noting various individuals in white coats and scrubs enjoying the spring day.

Finding an unoccupied bench, she sat down and turned her face towards the sun, letting its warmth fill her with contentment and the will to start anew without fear.

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

All Fics & Edits: @annfg8 @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @takemyopenheart @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @hopelessromantic1352 @mrs-ramsey

[nessa007]

Hey there again <3 Thank you for all the work you do for Ariel/Eric fandom. Speaking as someone who has been living rent free in the TLM universe since I was born (sounds pretentious but that's what happened: animated TLM was the first film I ever watched, Ariel was the first character I ever loved and never stopped being the ultimate favourite and inspiration whereas Ariel/Eric became the first OTP and to this day remain a model relationship to me). Glad to see that the 2023 remake not only rekindled interest to this story but contributed to vindicating Ariel as a passionate, independent young woman defying her father's patriarchal pressure and bigotry, after years of her being mischaracterized by assorted misogynists disguised as "progressives". Their "arguments" invariably boiled down to "a woman who doesn't obey her father and conform to his propaganda like a good girl ought to needs to be burned at a stake".

Needless to say those same people regarded Ursula as a "feminist icon" when she was the one who used another woman in order to control her father (thus using said woman as an instrument/bargaining chip to get back at a man). And it was Ursula - not Ariel - who literally changed her body to fit conventional beauty standards ("Vanessa" ruse) and stole another woman's physical trait in order to get the man (whom Ursula/"Vanessa" effectively dr*gged/put under the spell to take away his free will).

It's a delight to see you and other content creators pay Ariel and her outstanding story with Eric a well earned tribute.

Was very surprised to see some other blogger mention me in your ask box, haha. I really don't deserve that but pleased to see so many people crave content for Ariel/Eric and acknowledge their perfection <3

hiii, thank you so much for appreciating my ariel/eric gifs 🩵

i’m not sure if TLM was the first movie i ever watched but it was definitely the first movie i became super obsessed with as a kid. i watched it all the time and had the dolls and an ariel mermaid costume and everything 😆 we’re really so lucky that the live-action turned out as magical as it did. halle and jonah absolutely were the perfect choice to play ariel/eric 👏🙌 their love story was developed so beautifully and naturally in the live-action and i love that ariel’s story really became so much more than her just chasing after a boy but it was about her having freedom and getting to choose the life she wants instead of what her father wants for her. i also love how eric was shown to be so much more than just some prince/the love interest and we got to see how extremely similar he and ariel are 🥹🥰

i actually wasn’t really aware that people thought of ursula as a “feminist icon”. i mean i know some people enjoy villains and that’s fine but i definitely wouldn’t say ursula is a feminist icon lol

oh you’re gifset definitely deserves to be praised! it’s so good!!!! 🩵

[shiorihyugawrites]

Steadfast Hearts

In the aftermath of global war, alliances are forged, and new bonds are tested. Dr. Tiana Belrose, a brilliant Androsian engineer, arrives in Paradis with cutting-edge technology, her country's hopes on her shoulders, and a guarded heart. Her brilliant inventions are the reason why Marley invaded and ravaged her country, but Tiana refuses to sit back and do nothing.

Assigned to be her personal guard, the stoic and battle-hardened Captain Levi Ackerman is known for his discipline, but as they spend countless hours together, he finds himself drawn to the woman he’s sworn to protect.

In the midst of battles against Marley, political intrigue, and the weight of their responsibilities, an unexpected romance begins to blossom between two unlikely hearts. As tensions rise on the battlefield and within their own ranks, Levi and Tiana must navigate their feelings in a world that doesn’t allow for weakness.

Love was the last thing either of them expected to find in the midst of war, but it may be the only thing that saves them. (Levi x Black OC)

Chapter Twenty One

The Scout headquarters was alive with a rare, festive energy. The usually solemn halls were filled with laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses. After weeks of tension, close calls, and a successful operation against the Marleyan spies, Commander Erwin had declared that the scouts deserved a night off—a chance to unwind and celebrate their small victory.

In the mess hall, the tables had been pushed aside to create a makeshift dance floor. The walls, normally bare and utilitarian, were adorned with strings of lanterns casting a warm, flickering light over the gathered scouts. Several barrels of ale and wine, a rare luxury on Paradis, had been rolled out, courtesy of a recent supply raid. The air was thick with the smell of roasted meat, freshly baked bread, and the heady scent of alcohol. 

Hange and Tiana were, without a doubt, the life of the party. The usually serious atmosphere was lightened by their antics, and both women were visibly enjoying themselves. Hange was in high spirits, her wild laughter echoing through the room as she animatedly recounted a story of one of her Titan experiments, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol.

But it was Tiana who had everyone's attention. She had let her hair down, her passion twists cascading over her shoulders in dark, shimmering waves. Her glasses were off, revealing her bright, expressive eyes. And she was wearing a dress that none of the scouts had ever seen before—a red, flowing number that stopped mid-thigh, hugging her curves in all the right places and swaying with every move. Her red strappy heels clicked against the wooden floor, adding a rhythmic beat to her dance.

She was dancing to the lively beat of a folk song played by some of the scouts, her movements free and unrestrained. She twirled and swayed with a natural grace, her laughter mingling with the music, her face flushed with joy and perhaps a little too much wine. The fabric of her dress caught the light, making her look like a vision of flame and life, and the scouts couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

The men around the room watched her with wide eyes, some blushing, others whispering among themselves. Sasha and Connie, sitting at a nearby table, exchanged a glance, their faces a mix of amusement and surprise.

“Wow, Tiana’s really… something tonight,” Connie murmured, his eyes wide.

Sasha nodded, her cheeks slightly pink from the ale. “She looks… amazing,” she said, a bit breathless. “I’ve never seen her like this.”

Jean, sitting across from them, chuckled softly. “Yeah, no kidding,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “I don’t think anyone has. Look at the guys—they’re practically drooling.”

Eren, who was standing nearby, nodded in agreement. “She’s definitely… different,” he said, his voice low. “In a good way.”

Mikasa, standing beside Eren, watched Tiana with a soft smile, her expression a mix of admiration and quiet appreciation. “She’s beautiful,” she said simply. “It’s nice to see her so happy.”

Armin, sitting with a half-finished glass of wine, leaned in, his eyes following Tiana’s movements. “She’s not just beautiful,” he said quietly. “She’s… captivating. It’s like she’s in her own world.”

Across the room, Levi stood near the back, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable. He had been watching Tiana for a while now, his eyes following her every move. He could see the way she danced, the way her dress flowed around her like liquid fire, the way her hair caught the light. She looked… stunning. More than stunning, actually. She looked… alive, vibrant in a way he had never seen before.

And he didn’t know what to do with the feeling that stirred in his chest—a feeling he had never experienced before, something strange and unfamiliar. He had always been good at pushing down emotions, at keeping them locked away where they couldn’t distract him. But tonight, watching Tiana, he found it hard to push it down like he normally did. And that… annoyed him.

She was a guest in Paradis. She was his charge. His responsibility. And yet… seeing her like this, so free, so unguarded, it made something in him ache. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like the way his eyes kept drifting back to her, the way his heart seemed to beat just a little faster every time she laughed or twirled. It was… distracting.

Hange, noticing Levi’s intense gaze, sidled up to him, a playful grin on her face. “What’s the matter, Captain?” she teased, her voice slightly slurred from the wine. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Levi shot her a sharp look, his expression irritated. “Nothing’s the matter,” he muttered, his tone clipped. “Just keeping an eye on things.”

Hange chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, I see,” she said, leaning in closer. “Keeping an eye on things… or keeping an eye on someone?”

Levi’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. “Shut up, Hange,” he said flatly. “You’re drunk.”

Hange laughed, throwing her head back, clearly enjoying herself. “Maybe I am,” she admitted with a grin. “But I’m not blind. You’ve been watching her all night.”

Levi didn’t respond, his gaze flicking back to Tiana, who was now laughing with Sasha and Connie, her smile bright and infectious. He felt a strange pull in his chest, a mix of frustration and something else he couldn’t quite name. He had never been good at this—at feelings, at emotions. He had spent most of his life shutting them down, focusing on the mission, on the fight. But tonight…

Hange nudged him with her elbow, her grin widening. “You know, Levi,” she said, her tone suddenly more serious, “it’s okay to feel things. To like someone.”

Levi shot her another glare, but there was no real heat in it. “I don’t like anyone,” he said flatly. “I’m just… watching. That’s all.”

Hange shrugged, a knowing smile on her lips. “If you say so,” she said, her tone light. “But if you ask me… I think you like her. And I think she likes you too.”

Levi’s eyes flicked back to Tiana, watching as she danced, her laughter ringing out over the music. He felt that strange pull again, that unfamiliar sensation. He didn’t know what to do with it, didn’t know how to process it. All he knew was that, for some reason, he couldn’t look away.

Tiana caught his gaze then, her eyes meeting his across the room. She smiled, a soft, warm smile that seemed to light up her whole face. Levi’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away, his cheeks flushing slightly. Damn it. What was wrong with him?

Tiana, still feeling the effects of the wine, felt a warm flutter in her chest as she caught Levi’s gaze. She hadn’t expected to see him here, hadn’t expected him to watch her like that. And yet… she liked it. She liked the way he looked at her, the way his eyes seemed to soften just a little when he thought no one was looking.

She twirled again, her dress flaring out around her, her laughter bright and carefree. She felt alive, felt free, and for the first time in a long time, she felt… seen. And she liked that too.

The night wore on, the party continuing with the same lighthearted energy. The scouts laughed, drank, and danced, their spirits high, their worries momentarily forgotten. And through it all, Levi watched. Watched Tiana dance, watched her smile, watched her laugh. And he felt that unfamiliar ache in his chest, that strange, unwelcome feeling that he couldn’t quite name.

But tonight, he didn’t push it down. Tonight, he let himself feel it, just for a moment. And as he watched Tiana, he couldn’t help but wonder… what if?

And for the first time in a long time, he let himself imagine… just a little.

….

The celebration had ended hours ago, the mess hall now dark and empty, with most of the scouts retired to their quarters, drifting into a well-earned sleep. The only light came from a few lanterns still flickering in the corridors and the soft glow of the moon filtering through the windows.

Levi stood in the hallway outside Tiana's room, his back against the stone wall, his eyes fixed on her closed door. He had been standing there for hours, his posture relaxed but his mind anything but. Normally, his thoughts would be on the task at hand—his vigilance would be sharp, his senses alert, always scanning for any signs of danger. But tonight, he found himself distracted. His mind kept drifting back to the mess hall, to the sound of music, to the laughter of the scouts, and most annoyingly, to Tiana.

He let out a low sigh, his gaze shifting to the floor as he tried to push the thoughts away. But they wouldn’t go. He could still see her in that red dress, twirling and laughing, her hair loose and flowing like a dark river down her back. She had looked so different, so carefree, so… stunning. He had never seen her like that before. Tonight, she had been… something else.

Levi shifted his stance, his arms crossing over his chest, his jaw tightening in frustration. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking about this. About her. She was his responsibility, his charge. His job was to protect her, to keep her safe, not to… admire her. But damn it, he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stop thinking about the way she had danced, the way her dress had hugged her curves, the way her laughter had filled the room like a melody.

He clenched his fists, his brows furrowing in annoyance. Why did she have to be so… distracting? Why did she have to look at him like that, with those bright, expressive brown eyes that seemed to see right through him? He had spent his whole life building walls, keeping people at a distance. It was how he survived, how he stayed focused. But with her… those walls seemed to crumble, bit by bit, every time she smiled at him, every time she spoke to him in that soft, melodic voice.

He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind, but the image of her in that red dress kept flashing before him. Her smile, her laugh, the way she moved with such grace and confidence. He remembered the way she had caught his eye across the room, that soft, knowing smile that had made his heart skip a beat. Damn it. Why was this so hard? Why couldn’t he just… stop?

He glanced at her door again, a part of him tempted to go inside, to check on her. To make sure she was alright. But he knew that was just an excuse. She was safe. She was sleeping. And he needed to focus. He needed to push these thoughts away, to bury them deep where they couldn’t distract him. But the more he tried, the more they seemed to surface, like an itch he couldn’t scratch.

Levi shifted his weight again, his foot tapping restlessly against the stone floor. He had never been good at this—at emotions, at feelings. He had spent so long shutting them down, keeping them buried where they couldn’t interfere with the mission. But Tiana… she made it hard. She made it impossible. She was so… different. So bright, so alive. And every time he looked at her, he felt something stir in his chest, something he didn’t know how to deal with.

He let out another sigh, his hand moving to his side, gripping the hilt of his sword as if it could ground him, bring him back to reality. He needed to stay focused. He needed to stay sharp. But every time he closed his eyes, he saw her again, in that damn red dress, twirling and laughing, her eyes so full of life.

A soft noise from inside her room pulled him from his thoughts—a faint rustling, followed by a soft murmur. He straightened, his hand tightening on his sword, his senses immediately on high alert. But then he heard it—a soft, contented sigh, followed by the gentle, even breathing of someone deep in sleep. Tiana. 

Levi exhaled slowly, his hand relaxing on his sword. She was dreaming, probably about something pleasant, something far away from the constant danger and tension of their world. He wondered what she dreamed about, what thoughts filled her mind when she wasn’t thinking about her work or the next threat from Marley. Did she dream of home, of her family, of her life before all of this? Or did she dream of something else, something… more?

He shook his head, annoyed with himself. Why did he care? Why did it matter what she dreamed about? She was just another scientist, just another person he had to protect. But as he stood there, listening to her soft, even breaths, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of calm. She was safe. She was here. And for now, that was enough.

But the image of her in that red dress wouldn’t leave him. The way she had moved, the way her laughter had filled the room, the way her eyes had met his, just for a moment, and he had felt… something. Something he wasn’t ready to admit, even to himself.

He glanced down the hallway, his eyes narrowing. This was stupid. He needed to focus, to push these thoughts away. But as he stood there, alone in the quiet of the night, he couldn’t help but wonder… what if? What if he let himself feel, just for a moment? What if he let down his guard, just a little? What would that be like? What would she be like?

He shook his head again, more forcefully this time, trying to clear the thoughts from his mind. No. He couldn’t think like that. He couldn’t let himself get distracted. Not now, not ever. He had a job to do, a mission to complete. And that was all that mattered.

But as he stood there, the hours ticking by, he found it harder and harder to push the thoughts away. He kept seeing her in that dress, kept hearing her laughter, kept feeling that strange, unfamiliar pull in his chest. And he knew, deep down, that he was fighting a losing battle.

Levi let out one more sigh, his gaze fixed on Tiana’s door. He didn’t know what to do with these feelings, didn’t know how to handle them. All he knew was that they were there, simmering just beneath the surface, waiting to break free.

And for the first time in his life, he didn’t know if he wanted to fight them.

As the night stretched on, Levi stood guard outside her door, his eyes never leaving the shadows, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. And as the moon rose high in the sky, casting its pale light over the quiet halls of headquarters, he felt a small, unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest—a warmth he wasn’t sure he wanted to extinguish.

….

Morning came slowly to Scout headquarters, the first light of dawn creeping over the horizon, casting long shadows across the courtyard. The air was crisp and cool, the kind of chill that cut through even the thickest cloaks. Most of the scouts were still asleep, recovering from the previous night's celebrations. But Levi was still awake, leaning against the wall outside Tiana's room, his arms crossed over his chest, his mind still lingering on the events of the night before.

He hadn’t slept, his thoughts too tangled and restless. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her again—Tiana, in that red dress, her laughter bright and carefree. And every time he heard her voice, the way she said his name with that slight Androsian lilt, it sent an inexplicable warmth through him. 

The way she pronounced it—Levi—was different from anyone else. There was a softness to it, a melodic quality that he found himself listening for, waiting for. It wasn’t just the way she said it, though. It was the way she looked at him when she said it, her eyes always warm, her smile always gentle. It was like she saw him—not the captain, not the soldier, but him. And that… that was something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Levi pushed off the wall, running a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the thoughts. This was ridiculous. He was a soldier. A captain. He didn’t have time for this—didn’t have time to be thinking about how someone said his name or how they looked at him. But he couldn’t help it. Every time she spoke to him, every time she said his name in that soft, melodic tone, it sent a shiver down his spine. And he didn’t know what to do about it.

He heard a soft noise from behind the door—a faint rustling, followed by a soft sigh. Tiana was waking up. Levi straightened, his eyes narrowing slightly as he listened. He could picture her now, stretching out in her bed, her hair a mess, her eyes still half-closed with sleep. She would probably put on her glasses first, then run her hands through her hair, trying to tame the wild curls. He could almost see it, almost hear the soft rustle of the sheets, the quiet murmur of her voice as she mumbled something in Androsian.

I need to get a grip. Levi thought to himself as he grit his teeth in frustration.

Another day was about to start where he could have to protect Tiana and he refused to let himself get distracted.

…

Levi sighed deeply as he began pacing back and forth outside Tiana’s workshop, his movements precise and deliberate.His mind busy constructing an elaborate mental list—an exhaustive catalog of reasons why his… thoughts about Tiana needed to be kept in check.

His boots clicked against the cobblestones with every step, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He couldn’t afford distractions, not now, not ever. Tiana was his responsibility. His mission. He was her personal guard, tasked with keeping her safe from every possible threat—whether it came from Marleyan spies or some other unforeseen danger. It was highly inappropriate—no, downright unprofessional—to let anything else cloud his judgment.

Levi’s brow furrowed, his thoughts racing. He could hear the soft sounds of Tiana moving inside the workshop, working on her latest invention. She was always so focused, so dedicated to her work. She deserved someone who could appreciate that—someone who could match her in spirit and mind. Not him. He was a soldier, hardened by years of battle and loss. He didn’t have time for… whatever this was.

He clenched his fists, his frustration mounting. He didn’t even want to call it “feelings.” He didn’t have feelings. He couldn’t afford to. He had spent his entire life building walls, keeping people at a distance to protect himself—and them. And yet, somehow, Tiana had slipped through those defenses, made him feel things he didn’t want to feel. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

As if on cue, the door to the workshop creaked open, and Tiana stepped out, her hands covered in grease, her glasses perched on her nose, her hair pulled back in a messy bun. She looked up, and when she saw him, she smiled, a bright, warm smile that made his heart do that annoying little flutter again.

“Morning, Levi,” she said, her voice cheerful. She pronounced his name with that same soft, melodic lilt that sent shivers down his spine. “You’re up early.”

Levi grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Always am,” he replied curtly, trying to keep his tone neutral. “And you? Shouldn’t you be taking it easy after last night?”

Tiana chuckled, wiping her hands on a rag. “I should,” she admitted, “but I’ve got too much work to do. I’m almost finished with the adjustments to the portable energy source. Just a few more tweaks, and it’ll be ready for testing.”

Levi nodded, trying to keep his focus on her words and not the way her hair fell loose around her face, or the way her eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement. “Just be careful,” he said, his voice gruff. “Last thing we need is another close call.”

Tiana laughed softly, a sound that warmed him despite himself. “I promise, Captain,” she said teasingly. “No more close calls.”

Levi felt a small smile tugging at his lips despite himself, but he quickly pushed it away, his mind snapping back to his mental list. Reason number one: It was unprofessional. As her personal guard, he had to maintain a clear head, stay focused on his duty. He couldn’t let himself get distracted by… whatever this was.

He watched as Tiana turned back to her work, her hands moving with practiced ease over the tools and equipment. She was brilliant—there was no denying that. And young. Too young. Reason number two: The age gap. She was 24, full of life and energy, with so much ahead of her. He was 36, a soldier who had seen more death and destruction than anyone should. What could he possibly offer her? She deserved someone closer to her age, someone who could match her in spirit and drive.

His mind, unbidden, flashed to Isaac. Isaac, who always seemed to hover around Tiana like a moth to a flame. Isaac, who was closer to her age, who had known her longer. Isaac, who always seemed to find a reason to be near her. Levi’s jaw tightened at the thought. Reason number three: She deserved better. And yet, the idea of Tiana with Isaac—a man Levi barely tolerated—made something in his chest tighten uncomfortably. He hated the thought. But he didn’t have a right to hate it. It wasn’t his place.

“Levi?”

Tiana’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he blinked, realizing he had been staring at her without saying anything. She was looking at him with a slight tilt of her head, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Are you alright?”

Levi cleared his throat, shifting his weight uncomfortably. “I’m fine,” he said quickly, a bit too quickly. “Just… thinking.”

Tiana smiled again, that soft, knowing smile that seemed to see right through him. “You seem to be doing a lot of that lately,” she observed gently. “Anything I can help with?”

Levi shook his head, his jaw tightening. “No,” he replied curtly. “Just… stay focused on your work. I’ll handle the rest.”

Tiana nodded, her expression thoughtful. “Alright,” she said softly. “But you know, Levi… it’s okay to talk to someone. If you need to.”

Levi’s gaze flicked to hers, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Talk?” he repeated, his voice skeptical. “About what?”

Tiana shrugged, her smile warm. “About anything,” she said lightly. “We’re all in this together, right? We’re all… friends.”

Friends. Levi almost scoffed at the word. He didn’t have friends. He had comrades, soldiers under his command, people he fought alongside. But friends? That was something else entirely. Something… different.

He didn’t respond, his mind still tangled in his thoughts, his mental list growing longer by the second. Reason number four: He wasn’t good at this. He didn’t know how to be close to people, how to let them in. He had spent too long shutting them out, keeping them at a distance. It was safer that way—for everyone.

But as he watched Tiana, her eyes bright with curiosity, her smile soft and inviting, he couldn’t help but wonder… what if? What if he let himself feel, just a little? What if he let down his guard, just this once? What would that be like?

He shook his head, frustrated with himself. No. He couldn’t think like that. He couldn’t let himself get distracted. Not now, not ever. He had a job to do, a mission to complete. And that was all that mattered.

But as Tiana turned back to her work, humming softly to herself, he felt that strange, unfamiliar pull in his chest again—a pull he didn’t know how to ignore.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus. Reason number five: She was a distraction. A beautiful, brilliant distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. And he couldn’t afford distractions. Not now, not ever.

But as he stood there, watching her work, listening to her soft humming, he couldn’t help but feel a small, quiet sense of longing—a longing for something he couldn’t quite name, something he didn’t know how to deal with.

And as the sun rose higher in the sky, casting its warm light over the courtyard, Levi felt a small, quiet shift inside him—a shift he wasn’t sure he wanted to resist.

~

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[alight-stillwater]

Study And Connect

Having good meeting and study spaces is key for any student. At Alight Stillwater, you’ll find dedicated areas that make it easy to collaborate with friends or focus on your coursework. Plus, the community hosts social events that give you a chance to meet new people and make friends, creating a fun atmosphere to enjoy outside of classes. With options ranging from 1 to 4-bedroom apartments and three-story townhomes, there's a perfect fit for everyone. The on-site management team is also there to help with any questions or concerns, making your life a little easier. If you’re exploring Oklahoma State University student housing options, Alight Stillwater offers a supportive community that balances studying and socializing.

The Transportation System in Stillwater, Oklahoma

Getting around Stillwater, Oklahoma, is pretty straightforward, and you’ll appreciate how easy it is to navigate. The roads are well-maintained, making driving a breeze. If you prefer to bike or walk, you’ll find plenty of paths and sidewalks to explore. Public transportation is available, too, with the Stillwater Public Transit system offering convenient bus routes throughout the city. This makes it easy to reach popular spots like the university or downtown. If you need to travel further, Interstate 44 is just a short drive away, connecting you to bigger cities. And let’s not forget about the friendly locals who are always willing to lend a hand or give directions if you need them. Getting around here feels simple and stress-free.

Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater, OK

Eskimo Joe's is a must-visit spot when you’re in Stillwater. As soon as you walk in, the lively atmosphere welcomes you, and the walls are filled with fun memorabilia. You can’t go wrong with their famous cheese fries; they’re a local favorite and perfect for sharing. The burgers are delicious, too, and you’ll probably want to try one of their unique milkshakes. If you’re in the mood for something different, their menu has plenty of options to satisfy any craving. Plus, the staff is super friendly and makes you feel right at home. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite or hanging out with friends, Eskimo Joe's is a great place to enjoy good food and good company.

‘It’s Weird’: OKC Zoo Scientist Studies Zombie Butterflies

Hearing about “zombie butterflies” from the OKC Zoo is both strange and fascinating. Dr. Emily Geest, a conservation scientist at the zoo, discovered that Monarchs and other butterflies can still move for a short time without their heads. At first, she thought it was just a weird one-off thing, but when it kept happening, she decided to dig deeper. It turns out their nervous system is decentralized, meaning parts of their “brain” are spread throughout their bodies. This allows them to function temporarily even after losing their heads, though they can’t eat or avoid predators for long. Some butterflies might even emerge from their chrysalis headless, suggesting a possible genetic factor. It’s a wild example of nature being more complex than it seems.

Link to map

Eskimo Joe's 501 W Elm Ave, Stillwater, OK 74074, United States Head east on W Elm Ave toward S West St 453 ft Turn left onto N Duck St 0.3 mi Turn right onto W Hall of Fame Ave Pass by McAlister's Deli (on the right in 0.3 mi) 0.8 mi Turn left onto Hanson St Restricted usage road 0.2 mi Turn right Restricted usage road Destination will be on the left 292 ft Alight Stillwater 800 E Hall of Fame Ave, Stillwater, OK 74075, United States

[kpawarpropmart]

Experience Modern Living at Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement in Byculla

If you're searching for a sophisticated living experience in Mumbai, look no further than Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement in Byculla. This exceptional residential development is redefining luxury and convenience with its premium 1BHK and 2BHK flats, situated in one of Mumbai’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Discover why Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement is the perfect choice for those seeking an upscale lifestyle in the heart of Byculla. Prime Location in Byculla Byculla, a bustling and historically rich locality in South Mumbai, has become a hotspot for premium real estate. The area is renowned for its strategic location, excellent connectivity, and a blend of modern amenities and traditional charm. Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement takes full advantage of this prime location, offering residents easy access to key commercial hubs, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and entertainment venues. Living here means being at the center of it all, with everything you need within close reach. Seamless Connectivity One of the standout features of Byculla is its excellent connectivity. The neighborhood is well-connected by major roads such as the Dr. B. A. Road and the Eastern Express Highway, making commuting a breeze. Additionally, Byculla railway station, part of the Central Line, provides convenient access to different parts of Mumbai, ensuring that travel is efficient and hassle-free. Residents of Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement benefit from this connectivity, enhancing their overall living experience. Luxurious 1BHK and 2BHK Flats Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement offers a range of meticulously designed 1BHK and 2BHK Flats in Byculla, crafted to meet the needs of modern urban dwellers. Each apartment is a blend of contemporary design and functionality, featuring spacious layouts, high-quality finishes, and state-of-the-art amenities. Whether you’re a young professional, a couple, or a small family, these flats provide an elegant and comfortable living environment that caters to all your needs. Top-Notch Amenities Residents of Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement enjoy access to a host of premium amenities designed to enhance their quality of life. The property includes a well-equipped fitness center, a serene landscaped garden, a children’s play area, and a community lounge. These facilities ensure that you and your family can enjoy a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle without having to leave the comfort of your home. Other Features: ·         Children's play area ·         Gym ·         Indoor Games ·         Jogging Track ·         Lift(s) ·         Party Hall ·         Security Smart Investment Opportunity Investing in Properties in Byculla, particularly at Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement, is a strategic decision. The area’s continued development and increasing property values make it a promising investment opportunity. Whether you’re buying for personal use or as an investment, these flats offer significant potential for appreciation and long-term value. Vibrant Community and Lifestyle Living at Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement means being part of a dynamic and thriving community. The residential complex fosters a sense of camaraderie among residents, with regular social events and communal spaces that encourage interaction. The proximity to diverse dining options, cultural landmarks, and shopping districts further enriches the lifestyle experience, making daily life enjoyable and convenient. Conclusion Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement in Byculla offers a unique blend of luxury, convenience, and modern living. With its prime location, elegant 1BHK and 2BHK flats, and top-notch amenities, it stands out as a premier choice for anyone looking to embrace an upscale lifestyle in Mumbai. Discover the ultimate in urban living and make Ruparel The Great SOBO Movement your new home today. For more details, visit our website: https://www.propmart.co/city/byculla/

[cool-in-kerrville-tx]

Nature's Tranquil Retreat

Assisted living is a housing arrangement for seniors that provides support with daily activities while fostering independence. Residents receive assistance with tasks like meals, medication management, and personal care within a community that offers social engagement and various amenities. New Haven, one of the sought-after assisted living homes in Kerrville, offers residents serene outdoor spaces, including sunrooms, a gazebo, and a patio for relaxation. In these thoughtfully designed areas, residents experience the therapeutic benefits of nature, enjoying moments of tranquility and social connection. Residents can bask in the fresh air, engage in recreational activities, or simply unwind amidst the natural beauty. New Haven's commitment to providing inviting outdoor spaces enhances seniors' overall quality of life in this compassionate and vibrant community.

The Geography of Kerrville, TX

Nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Kerrville boasts a geography marked by undulating hills, clear rivers, and lush greenery. Situated along the banks of the Guadalupe River, the city is surrounded by rolling landscapes and abundant wildlife. The Guadalupe River provides a scenic backdrop and recreational opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and strolls along its banks. Kerrville's elevation and topography contribute to a mild and pleasant climate, making it a sought-after destination. The city's geography, characterized by the rugged beauty of the Hill Country, plays a significant role in shaping Kerrville's identity as a charming and naturally endowed community.

Schreiner Mansion

The Schreiner Mansion, a stately gem in Kerrville, Texas, is a living testament to the region's historical and architectural splendor. Constructed in the late 19th century by Captain Charles Schreiner, a prominent local figure, the mansion exudes Victorian elegance with its intricate detailing and period-specific charm. The mansion is enveloped by lush gardens and towering trees, providing a picturesque backdrop for cultural events, weddings, and historical tours. Its meticulously preserved interiors showcase a blend of antique furnishings and artifacts, offering visitors a glimpse into the luxury of a bygone era. The Schreiner Mansion serves as a captivating window into Kerrville's past, inviting all who enter to appreciate the legacy of its builders and the rich history that permeates its halls.

Woman, 63, Charged With Murder in Shooting Death of Sister

Siblings may engage in frequent conflicts due to a combination of factors. Proximity and shared living spaces often lead to increased interactions, creating opportunities for disagreements. Sibling rivalry, a natural aspect of familial relationships, can emerge from competition for parental attention, resources, or perceived favoritism. Differences in personalities, interests, and values may contribute to clashes as siblings navigate their individual identities. Developmental stages and age disparities can also lead to misunderstandings, as younger siblings seek autonomy and older ones navigate shifting roles. Limited conflict resolution skills and unresolved issues from the past can perpetuate ongoing tensions. Despite the conflicts, sibling relationships also offer opportunities for growth, understanding, and the development of valuable interpersonal skills over time.

Link to maps

Schreiner Mansion 222 Earl Garrett St, Kerrville, TX 78028, United States Head northeast on Earl Garrett St toward Main St 246 ft Turn left at the 1st cross street onto Main St 492 ft Turn right onto TX-16 N/Fredericksburg Rd/Sidney Baker St 2.1 mi Turn right onto Alpine Dr 0.2 mi Turn right Destination will be on the left 262 ft New Haven Kerrville 747 Alpine Dr, Kerrville, TX 78028, United States