#Ping Tree Service

[pingtree]

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Ping Tree Systems is a lead distribution software having realtime Ping and Post functionality. It pings to more than one buyer parallel and then posts to the highest bidder buyer. Each lead transaction log is created with ping and post detail of each buyer and affiliate. Different types of Lead and Revenue reports are available. 

 Contact us at +91 (903) 387-9840 

➡️ info@pingtreesystems.com 

🌐 www.pingtreesystems.com

[fum1ku]

aaaa hi there! i absolutely love your writing and i just saw that your requests are open!

do you mind writing love confessions (when they admit their feelings to reader) with some of the hq boys? sakusa, osamu, and whoever else you'd like to write for! 🤍

LOVE CONFESSIONS - HQ BOYS

ft. osamu miya, kiyoomi sakusa, koushi sugawara, tobio kageyama, hajime iwaizumi

thank you so much for your request! i hope i did it some kind of justice<3

OSAMU: it has ended up being just you and him outside the gym after practice. atsumu has to run a quick “errand”, and he swore he was going to be back in a quick second. but it had been nearly.. 30 minutes now?

osamu pulled the bento he had made the night before out of his bag.

“y’know, i don’t think he’s coming back..” you said, frowning.

samu had set the bento down between the both of you, pulling out a set of chopsticks. “yeah, i don’t think so either.. what an idiot,” he paused, looking at the chopsticks in his hand. “sorry, i only have one set..”

you looked down between the two of you to find his perfectly prepared bento.

“oh! thank you, ‘samu!” you smiled. “and it’s alright. i don’t mind sharing!”

you both ate in silence for awhile. you quietly laughed to yourself when the memory of what atsumu had said to you a few weeks prior had popped into your head.

“y’know, atsumu told me this funny thing awhile ago..”

samu hummed in response.

“he said you liked me. crazy, right?”

osamu nearly choked on the rice in his mouth.

goddamnit atsumu. that fatass mouth of his.

osamu finally composed himself, turning to take a glimpse of the expression on your face. but, there wasn’t much to read. you softly smiled, looking off into the sunset behind the trees.

god, you were so pretty.

“y/n?”

“osamu?”

he took a breath in. “what if.. i did?” and out.

you smiled, “then i’d say you should make up your mind already because i’ve been waiting awhile, ‘samu.”

he chuckled. “got out with me then?”

“alright.”

maybe atsumu had actually done him a service after all.

atsumu jumped out from behind the building. “fuckin’ told ya they liked ya, ‘samu! dumbass.”

or maybe he spoke too soon.

KIYOOMI: he was reserved. he was hard to get to know from an outside perspective. but to you, that only drew you further and further into the mystery kiyoomi himself.

he wasn’t the most.. intact with his emotions. he didn’t understand them, really. he didn’t know why he felt a pang in his chest when you’d smile at him. he didn’t understand why his hands would go sweaty when you’d stand so close to him—or even why he was so okay with you standing so close to him. but he was. he was and he didn’t understand it. and the only reason he ever did was because he turned to outside advice.

he called atsumu over after the msby jackal’s practice one day. he grudgingly explained every last detail to him.

atsumu chuckled in response. “omi, you like ‘em! you couldn’t realize that on yer own?”

he.. liked you?

“now, now, omi, like me show ya how it’s done!” atsumu beamed, grabbing his phone out of his pocket and began typing.

he heard the ping of the message he just received.

what in the hell was he doing..

atsumu wrapped an arm around sakusa. “there ya go! now y/n knows you like ‘em. just had to convince them i wasn’t messin’ with them first. rest is up to you, omi-omi!”

kiyoomi winced at the feeling of atsumu arms around him, sliding out from his grip and trudging off into the locker room.

“idiot.”

he really did like you.

KOUSHI: he absolutely adored everything about you. and as soon as he’s built up the courage, you bet he’s confessing to you. on one hand, you accept his confession and then he has the love of his life. on the other hand, you turn him down and, hey, at least the waiting game is over.

well, today he has finally built up that courage.

he was hanging out in the halls with daichi and asahi between classes. students rushed this way and that. but he was only looking for one person in particular.

you came rushing down the stairs well.

there. now or never.

he watched as you walked passed him.

“y/n!” he shouted, slightly jogging to catch up with you.

“koushi! hi!” you smiled.

god, he loved the way you said his name.

“what are you up to?”

you both kept making your way downstairs, together.

“not much! i just gotta run over the store for my mom’s last minute dinner plans. you? anything exciting?”

he stopped walking, causing you to stop too and give him a questioning look.

now or never.

“actually.. i was wondering. no. uhm, actually,” he took a deep breath. “i like you, y/n. a lot.”

you softly gasped, a look of surprise painted on your face.

“if you don’t feel the same, i understand,” he went on, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “please don’t feel pressured or anything.”

the halls had been cleared by now—leaving just you two. alone. together.

you laughed. “oh, koushi. you’re so silly. of course i feel the same! who wouldn’t?”

who wouldn’t?

he breathed a sigh of relief. “okay well that’s good because i was starting to get a little nervous there!”

you started walking again, him trailing behind.

“hey, what if walked you home after practice?” you smiled. “i’ll run to the shore in between and i’m sure you guys will be done by then!”

“yeah, yeah i’d really like that actually..”

TOBIO: took him literally forever to confess. really, forever. it was a process for him. he noticed you, realized he liked you, actually admitted to himself that he liked you, and then, once he was past that point, he began to wonder if you even liked him too. he’s a deep thinker; sometimes. most of the time—okay, maybe only when it came to volleyball. but he didn’t take things with you lightly.

it was late one night after practice. hinata had begged you to stay behind with him and kageyama to keep working on their quick attack after everyone else had headed home for the night.

“normally yachi would, but she has something going on with her mom. i think,” hinata began. “but, please stay with us! tobio, c’mon, help me convince y/n—”

it had caught tobio off guard. “o-oh. yeah. please, y/n. if you could throw us a few sets that would be great. thank you.”

you laughed. “okay, i’m convinced! but only a few. both of you need to get home at some point, y’know?”

“right!” they both agreed.

you threw them a few sets and watched their process—the way it seemed as though hinata truly flew threw the air to reach kageyama’s sets. but, more so, you were focused on the intensity in kageyama’s eyes.

you repeated the process over and over again. “one more!” they would say, and of course you agreed. the whole attack was.. mesmerizing to watch.

“one more!” hinata begged. “just one more! please!”

“hinata, it’s late. last one, i mean it,” you agreed. “we still have to walk home y’know!”

hinata and kageyama both gave a quick nod.

both of them were intensely focused—this would be the one they nailed. but either way, this was your last. anymore and you thought your arms might fall off.

you watched as the ball bounced off the other side of the court, bouncing off the floor all the way to the back wall. they really were something else.

“okay you two clean up the rest of our stuff and i’ll put the cart away!”

you soon found all three of yourselves out in the cool evening air. hinata walked alongside his bike while you and kageyama trailed behind. hinata rambled on about the quick attack—something about a bunch of “whooshes” and “pows”, whatever that meant. you didn’t pay much attention to him, focused on kageyama and the sleepiness you could see in his face.

“alright, i’ll see you guys tomorrow at practice!” hinata smiled, turning down the road opposite of you. he trailed off, saying something about how him and kageyema would get it tomorrow.

just you and kageyama then.

you stayed silent for awhile, not sure of what to say. you’d looks in kageyama’s direction every once-in-awhile. he looked.. peaceful, in some strange way.

“the quick attack is coming along nicely. don’t you think so?” you mused.

he paused for a moment. “yeah, i guess so. it’s just.. i wish i could do better. just as a setter in general, i mean.”

you hummed in response. “you don’t give yourself enough credit y’know.”

he almost stopped dead in his tracks. he was so sure about what he felt for you—he had a hard time admitting it, but it didn’t go away. it was still there, even after the months that had passed.

“y/n?”

“yeah?” you smiled.

“i.. i like you.”

without missing a beat you replied. “i like you too!”

and then it hit you. did he mean..?

you could immediately see the blush that overtook his face, even when he turned to look at the ground beneath him.

“you—you do?” he questioned.

“wait. do you mean..” you paused. “like, you like-like me?”

“yeah.. sorry that wasn’t clear before,” he let out a soft sigh.

you felt heat rise to your cheeks. embarrassment and giddiness. “kageyama, you.. you really don’t know?”

your response caused him to take his gaze off the ground and look back up at you.

“what do you mean?”

you laughed. uncontrollably laughed. “i’m—i’m sorry! I don’t mean to laugh, i promise. i just.. you didn’t know already?”

he was absolutely puzzled. “know.. what?”

“tobio kageyama you can’t be serious! everyone knows. well, except you, i guess,” you giggled. “i like you, kageyama. i mean, i have for months. i just figured you knew and didn’t feel the same.”

“oh.”

you finally stopped walking altogether, now right outside your front gate. tobio stood right in formt of you, close enough do that the tips of your shoes nearly touched.

you took his hands in yours. “but, i’m glad you like me too. really glad.”

you smiled up at him, noticing the light dust of blush still left on his cheeks. you stood on your tiptoes and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“goodnight, tobio. i’ll see you at practice tomorrow!” you winked, happily making your way towards your front door.

he walked home with his hand glued to his cheek in the spot you kissed him.

HAJIME: to him, it wasn’t the least bit apparent that you liked him. he just assumed you liked oikawa. you were always there, hanging around the two of them. surely it was only for oikawa, right?

you, iwaizumi, and oikawa has caught the train home together after school. iwaizumi immediately sat down and put his earbuds in to drown out the scene he thought was about to unfold between you and oikawa. even though he couldn’t hear, he still could make out the facial expressions.

you were smiling. okay, of to a good start. of course oikawa was smiling too. you said something. oikawa was still smiling. and now you.. weren’t? not good. oikawa must’ve rejected you. wait now you were both looking at him? and now you were.. laughing? okay, not what he expected.

the train suddenly came to a stop as the doors slid open and people began filing out. hajime watched as you stood up. you gave your goodbye to oikawa, turning to face hajime. you smiled and waved goodbye to him as you made your way out the door.

were you always that sweet?

the doors closed and the train began moving along the tracks again. oikawa moved across and plopped down next to iwaizumi, who paid no attention to him.

suddenly the music stopped.

“you little shit.. what gives, oikawa?”

“woah, woah, iwa-chan! calm down.” oikawa smirked. “jealous much?”

“oh shut up. i’ve got nothing to be jealous of.”

oikawa laughed. “yeah, you really don’t. you don’t even know.”

oikawa turned away to face the opposite way of hajime.

wait.. he didn’t?

“hey, no, what do you mean, oikawa? what did you do?”

“hey, hey! i didn’t do anything. i just told y/n what you should’ve told them a long time ago.”

iwaizumi was fuming at this point. “you told them i liked them as soon as they confused to you? that makes perfect sense, oikawa. nice.”

“woah—woah! confessed to me? wow, iwa, you really are dense!”

iwa gave him a puzzled expression.

what did he mean?

“they were going to confess to you, iwa. but you sat down in your corner to pout instead. they’ve been trying to tell you for the past week now!”

“they.. they were?”

oikawa sighed, picking up iwaizumi’s phone. he was in too much shock to do anything about it. you liked him. you liked.. him? you liked him!

“there ya go, iwa! now you’ve got their number. i’d suggest texting them sooner rather than later.”

oikawa moved to talk to the group of schoolgirls across the train, leaving iwaizumi to think about all that had just unfolded.

hajime stared down at the new contact in his phone. one deep breath and he started typing. another deep breath and he actually wrote out the words. one last deep breath and.. sent.

he quickly shoved his phone in his back pocket.

“i like you too.”

© fum1ku 2024.

⁂ taglist: @chloiyoomi @eashn + let me know if you want to be added! 💌

[readychilledwine]

The Bard

Summary - Sometimes, it's fun to romanticize someone one else's life.

Warnings- None

Baby daddy note - I made Lizzy post this. She wrote it for fun. I felt it should still be shared.

A/n - May delete later

Masterlist

This world was nothing like the ones she had ever been in. Tall buildings stood in place of trees, hard stone lined the ground cutting and cracking her bare feet with each step. She jumped back as a car hit a puddle, preventing it from splashing her.

Checking her pockets, she sent a silent thank you for the currency hiding there. A sign from her Gods that they were indeed watching. She studied what she slowly realized was her new identification before checking the streets to see if she could navigate through where she was.

She was younger in this world. Barely 16, and for some off reason, blonde. Perhaps it was to remind her of who she was, of who she belonged to, but the reminder hurt none the less.

On further inspection, she realized this world wasn't so different from the last she was in. Just different methods of the same things. Buildings touched the clouds, technology pinged and flashed before her, and modern clothing covered the bodies of everyone around her. She paused at the sight of a bus, seeing that it read the street name of her new home on it before getting on and paying the toll in a shining silver coin.

The previous world came back to her slowly, as all memories did when she jumped. It had been a hard battle, one she suspected could not truly be over with how easily it had ended and begun.

The more she looked, the more similar this word seemed. It just lacked the magic.

She kept to herself, avoiding the gazes of humans too caught up in themselves to even truly look at her. She listened to them, hoping to find the hero she was destined to follow into battle, whose song she would sing in local bars. That was her job, of course. In every lifetime, in every world, she was a Bard. Collecting the stories of heros and their foes, playing them before a laughing crowd.

She followed countless warriors to their deaths, queens to their thrones, and kingdoms to their salvation. She was exhausted, heart aching from the most recent loss. She sighed as she got off the bus, quickly figuring out the house numbers before finding her own.

Pictures sat on the wall of her with her family. Faces that would know her, but she was going to hardly remember. Memories would have been planted into her brain, ensuring her safety as they always were.

She allowed them to guide her now, pulling her through the house until she was met with a door decored in pictures of her with friends. It did make her laugh how each world allowed her to follow a pattern. A group of women. All shining stars in their own rights. All with stories that needed to be told.

She stepped into the room, studying the furniture and shrugging off the rain-soaked clothing. A box sat on her desk, unopened and sparkling. She pulled on warm clothing before walking to it.

White ribbon, so pure and untouched, wrapped about a brown box and an envelope. She opened the envelope first, smiling at the familiarity of the handwriting in an unknown place.

My dearest Bard,

You have no hero in this world. No story to memorize. In this world, you are free to grow and live as you please. Find your own adventure, your own legendary love.

This is our thank you. A new beginning for your humble service. Just never forget who you are. When you miss home, simply look to the stars and wish.

She wiped the tears falling from her face before opening the box. Line paper sat with pencils and pens, just waiting for her to write. And so she did. She would tell the stories of the worlds she had been in one last time.

"Once upon a time,” she wrote, smiling as she did, even if the story started out of order, "in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom very much.”

General Taglist:

@hnyclover @glitterypirateduck @slytherinindisguise @mischiefmanagers @bloodicka @starsinyourseyes @the-sweet-psycho @mariahoedt @rinalouu @sarawritestories @starryhiraeth @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @cumuluscranium @loneliestluvr @eternallyelvish @azrielsmate3 @daughterofthemoons-stuff @meritxellao @aria-chikage @hungryforbatboys @lilah-asteria @fandomrejects

[delicatebarness]

bring him home | chapter four

Summary: The beginning of the support groups, and a mission with your sister.

Warning: MCU Spoilers. Mentions of Grief. Violence. Car Crash. Guns.

Word Count: 1260

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A/N: It was quite fun to write a mission with Natasha.

Tags: @vampirethingz | @whiminiferous | @armystay89 | @bucky-just-needs-love | @esposadomd | @motylekrozi | @erica2024 | @wintrsoldrluvr | @mega-kittyglitter-1 | @mostlymarvelgirl | @ordelixx

Surrounded by community leaders, counselors, volunteers, and fellow Avengers, you sat at a large wooden table in a conference room filled with tension. The topic of discussion was that of establishing support groups for those still trying to grasp the aftermath of the Snap. 

“So, we all agree that there’s a real need for this,” said the head of the community center. Her voice held a lace of hope, though her eyes were weary. “But we need to decide on a structure, the goals, and how we reach out.” 

You nodded, a weight of responsibility once again settling on your shoulders. “I think the focus should be on creating a safe space, a space where people can share their stories,” you said, your gaze not once lifting from the piece of paper in front of you. “They need to know they’re not alone, there are others who understand.” 

Several others around the table gave verbal acknowledgments. A tall man, who had lost his wife and daughter, spoke up. “We need to provide resources for the ones struggling to find their footing. Assistance with job placement, mental health service, and even social activities… rebuild a sense of community.” 

For another hour, the discussion continued, and ideas flowed freely with contributions of thoughts and suggestions. There was a clear plan of action by the end, in two weeks the first meeting would be held. 

And you would be leading it. 

~

It was supposed to be a routine mission with Natasha, to extract Dr. Ivan Petrov from Iran. The mission was critical, he was a nuclear engineer who contained vital information, and Natasha trusted your skills, yet she insisted on having you by her side, wanting to keep you close. 

As the two of you crossed the Ukraine border, near the outskirts of Odesa, Natasha kept her eyes sharp, scanning the road and surroundings. In the passenger seat, you sat equally alert, with Dr. Petrov in the back. The tension in the car grew as the landscape was barren and quiet. 

Suddenly, a ping echoed through the air, a sharp and metallic ping, causing the car to swerve. The tires under you were shot out. 

“Hold on!” Natasha shouted, gripping the wheel. She used all her strength to control the car as it spun out of control. Skidding, the vehicle careened off the edge of the cliff.

As you plunged downward, time seemed to slow. Unbuckling your seatbelts, you and Natasha used your precise training as you gained speed. Natasha grabbed Dr. Petrov as you kicked open the doors, and you all leaped out before hitting the rocky ground below. 

After tumbling down the slope, Natasha quickly assessed your surroundings. You watched as the smoke rose from the wreckage, the car lying in a twisted heap below. With no sign of your attacker, you all knew you had little time. 

“Get up,” she commanded, steadying you to your feet. “We need to move.” 

Following her lead, you moved around the slope using the sparse trees and boulders to seek cover. Rustling came from behind you, causing your attention to snap as a figure emerged from the shadows. 

He wore a mask, but his arm was unmistakable– Soldat. 

“The Winter Soldier,” Dr. Petrov whispered, his voice tinged with dread. 

A chill ran down your spine as your mind filled with the memories of him. Standing before you, a ghost of the past, the man who made you what you are today. 

Natasha tightened her grip on Dr. Petrov, narrowing her eyes as she assessed the situation. Conflict etched on her face, should she protect, fight, or survive? She was a force to be reckoned with, however, similar to you, she became wary in the presence of this man. 

With her firearm steady in her hand, she positioned herself between you and the Winter Soldier, with a calculated grace and her gaze locking with his. As she prepared to to defend, you sensed her uncertainty, this wasn’t just another target, this was someone she knew… someone she had once trusted around you. 

He stood motionless, his expression hidden behind the mask, yet his eyes pierced at her. You could feel his gaze burning through her as if he could see you hidden behind. 

“Nat, he’s different,” you whispered, your voice barely audible as a rush of adrenaline coursing through you. “It’s Soldat.” 

The air thickened with tension, the impending danger was a feeling you couldn’t shake. He stood before you, silent and imposing. Natasha’s eyes flickered with recognition, her grip tightening ever so slightly on Dr. Petrov. 

But, before you could react, the Winter Soldier moved. He raised his weapon in a fluid motion, aim locked on Natasha. You watched in horror as time slowed. The sound of gunfire echoed, stillness in the air. 

Natasha staggered backward as the shot rang out. Disbelief flashed across her face as his bullet tore through her abdomen. She fought to stay on her feet, stumbling, her grip on Dr. Petrov faltering. 

“No!” you cried out, lunging forward, you reached to catch your sister as she fell. Her body collapsed against yours. 

Her blood began to stain your hands as her breaths filled with desperation. The doctor stood frozen in shock. 

“Soldat, please!” you cried, raw emotions straining your voice. “It’s me! Spiderling!” 

Your desperate plea for recognition hung in the air, yet it seemed no semblance of humanity broke through the facade of the Winter Soldier. His weapon and gaze stayed fixed on Natasha. Blocking her injured body with yours, you prepared for him to deliver another blow. 

It was then he spoke, “Run,” he commanded, “Run and don’t look back.” his tone was devoid of emotion, his gaze unwavering. 

You knew you had no choice, your sister’s life hung in the balance, once again you obeyed his orders. Gathering your strength, you helped Natasha steady herself, leaning her weight against you as you began to retreat.

~

Two weeks later you were stood in front of a packed room, each person carrying their weight of grief and loss. Looking out at their faces, the weight of responsibility carried heavy. 

You took a deep breath as you began the meeting, you tried to keep your voice steady as you addressed the room. “Thank you all for being here today,” you started, as you rifled through papers, “I know that each of us has experienced unimaginable loss in the last year and a half. But, today, we come together not just to mourn, but to support one another in our journey,” you paused, clearing the lump forming in your throat. “Our journey toward healing.” 

A palpable sense of emotion filled the room as you spoke, shared sorrow and pain heavy in the air. But beneath it all, a small glimmer of hope. 

Throughout the meeting, you listened as people shared their stories, trembling with emotion as they recalled memories of loved ones. You tried to offer words of comfort and encouragement. 

You felt a sense of pride wash over you as the meeting started to draw to a close. And, in the weeks and months that followed, the groups offered a lifeline to those struggling to cope. This was exactly where you were meant to be, standing with and for fellow survivors. 

For Bucky, all he wanted was peace, and you knew that seeing you support these people in finding that peace would have brought him a sense of contentment. He may not have been able to be here with you physically, but he was with you in your heart.

---

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[raaorqtpbpdy]

Valerie the Spy

When Danny started acting weird... well... weirder than normal, Valerie sought to find out why, and to do that, no matter how much she regretted it, she enlisted the help of school conspiracy theorist Wes Weston to get to the bottom of it.

Written for the prompts:

Danny slowly discovers he has space powers, which mainly means control over gravity. But we all know what his powers are like when they're fresh and he's still learning. What kind of angsty, scary or hilarious shenanigans ensue? [from Deathcomes4u], and Valerie, fed up with Danny's suspicious activity, reluctantly teams up with Wes to get to the bottom of whatever's really going on. Wes is just excited that someone's listening to his theories. [from @46-reasonable-hamsters]

Read also on AO3

[Warnings for stalking and invasions of privacy]

It was common knowledge at Casper High—maybe even throughout Amity Park, that Danny Fenton was something of a freak. He was banned from all sensitive lab equipment, he learned how to communicate with a gorilla for extra credit, his bladder could predict ghost attacks with greater accuracy than the ghost detectors his parents had installed all over the school.

He'd been that way since he started high school, if not longer, but now that he was a sophomore, and they'd all been going to school with him for a while, more people had taken notice. Still, no one cared much. That was just Fenton. He was like that, and everyone seemed content to accept that without any further explanation—with two exceptions.

Wes Weston, the school's resident conspiracy theorist; and Valerie Gray, former A-lister turned wallflower and secret vigilante ghost hunter extraordinaire. Wes had never been willing to accept Fenton's weirdness at face value, and had developed multiple theories attempting to provide an explanation for it. Valerie had been... until recently.

But recently, the local freak had been even freakier than usual. In the past two weeks, people who passed by him would trip and fall with startling regularity. There had been numerous scraped knees, and even a few broken noses. The other day, Valerie had seen him in the quad, hugging a tree with a dead-eyed expression while his goth friend laughed at him until she, too, face-planted on the grass.

Danny had always been weird, and for the most part, Valerie had been willing to roll with the punches of his slowly but steadily increasing weirdness, but this was the last straw. Clumsiness, savant-syndrome, and IBS not withstanding, Valerie couldn't think of anything that could explain away this latest uptick in weirdness, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

Valerie was a lot of things, but patience wasn't her strongest suit. Her strongest suit was black and red and packed to the brim with the latest in anti-ecto technology. After two days of investigating Danny—or attempting to, at least—and finding zilch, her frustration was mounting beyond her tolerance for it. She'd didn't really have any idea how to research or investigate someone that she couldn't track with her ghost hunting gear.

She followed him after, but didn't see anything noteworthy, didn't know what to even look for. Then, when she got a ping on her ecto-radar watch, Danny disappeared in the moment she looked down to see what direction the ghost was coming from.

After two days and zero headway, Valerie knew it was time to employ some back-up. Although she could not stress enough how much she definitely did not want to, she simply didn't have the relevant skill-set to investigate a regular human on her own. And as it happened, there was someone at school who had already 'investigated' this particular human pretty thoroughly.

With the utmost reluctance, Valerie sought out one Wesley Weston to help her figure out the truth of what was really going on with Danny. She found him at lunch and dragged him out behind the cafeteria to enlist his services.

"Wow, the elusive Red Huntress wants my help?" he said sarcastically. "I'm honored."

"I-I'm not the Red Huntress!" Valerie balked. How could he possibly know that? Was it just a lucky guess?

Wes rolled his eyes. "Sure you're not," he agreed unconvincingly. "This is a prank, right? You ask me to help you investigate Fenton, and then I get all excited and your friends show up and make fun of me for thinking you were serious? I'm not dumb."

"I know you're not," Valerie said, trying to remain civil, which was no easy feat when faced with someone as insufferable as Wes. "This isn't a prank. Something's up with Danny, something different than his usual weirdness, and I want your help to figure out what and why."

Wes narrowed his eyes in suspicion and crossed his arms.

"Why me? I know you don't believe my theory about Fenton secretly being Danny Phantom."

"Yeah, because it's ridiculous," Valerie scoffed before she could stop herself. She tensed and tried to think up some way to save face before Wes blew her off for being rude to him. "Uh... I mean... I don't believe that, but I do believe that you've found a lot of evidence by investigating Danny. I don't think that evidence points to him being dead, but it does show that you can put in the legwork."

She hadn't recovered fast enough to prevent Wes from scowling at her, but he pursed his lips in consideration and slowly started to nod.

"Alright, I'll help," he agreed, and his lips split into a grin. "Maybe working with me will be just the push you need to realize I've been right all along."

Valerie smiled to hide the fact that she was gritting her teeth against a groan. She was already regretting this team-up, but as long as he did what she needed him to, that was all that mattered. She could do this. She could work with Wes Weston... hopefully without strangling him.

"I have basketball practice after school, and I know you're working today so—"

"How do you know that?!" Valerie asked, a little alarmed.

"I know everything," Wes replied with a sly smile and a lift of his eyebrows. "Anyway, meet me on the corner of Annabelle and Stine at 10pm."

"Why there and then?"

"It's an unsuspicious corner with a clear view of Fenton Works right at Danny's curfew," Wes explained. "We'll be able to see if he makes it home in time, and if he doesn't, it gives us the chance to figure out what held him up."

"You know... it's pretty creepy that you know all this, Weston."

"Yeah, I know," he acknowledged, cringing. "But hey, that's why you asked for my help, isn't it? You need me to be creepy so you can get the four-one-one on your little crush."

"I don't have a crush on Danny!"

Wes raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Right, sure you don't."

"Well... I don't anymore," she insisted, and no, she was not pouting about it. Wes didn't really know everything, no matter what he might claim.

"If you insist," he said. "Now if you'll excuse me, you dragged me out of the lunch line, and I would actually like to eat today." With that, he turned and headed back into the cafeteria.

As he walked away, Valerie thought that Wes had actually played it pretty cool, despite the fact that she was probably the first person who'd actually wanted to talk to him about this weird fixation of his. She'd halfway expected him to be bouncing off the walls when she asked for his help, but he hadn't.

She didn't see the giddy grin that rose on his face the moment she couldn't see it anymore.

—

The corner of Annabelle and Stine was the edge of the park. Just as Wes had said, there was a clear view of Fenton Works, but a handful of trees obscured them from being seen easily. Technically, the park closed at sundown, so when Valerie arrived at the meeting place, having gone there directly after work, she expected that she and Wes would be alone.

However, there was someone out for a late night walk with their dog, some kind of large, herding breed, Valerie guessed from the silhouette against the street lamps. They were a good ways away, and likely didn't even realize the two teenagers were there, though, so she wasn't worried about it.

Wes, of course, was already there and staring intently at the Fenton Works building, but she'd expected that. He'd probably been there watching for hours already by this point, since basketball practice ended around five—she knew because she'd briefly dated another guy on the basketball team. That relationship had only lasted a week, courtesy of the guy being a bit of a chauvinist who treated her like some kind of fragile flower, as if she wasn't a ninth degree black-belt who could dead-lift her body weight.

Man, what a jerk. She'd almost let herself forget about him completely. Maybe there were upsides to not being an A-lister anymore, like not being expected to date misogynist jocks.

Anyway, putting that aside for now, Valerie approached Wes, walking slowly and quietly in the hopes of startling him. She wasn't usually the type to play that kind of prank on people, but she couldn't pass up the opportunity. She got right up behind him, only inches away. And then—

"Hey Valerie," Wes greeted.

Valerie started. She was sure he hadn't seen her, and she could be pretty damn silent when she wanted to be, but even though she'd been trying to sneak up on him, he'd been the one to surprise her instead. Maybe Wes deserved more credit than she gave him... no, it was probably just a lucky guess. Wes didn't deserve that kind of credit.

"See anything so far?" she asked, rather than acknowledging her shock?

"It's 9:54 and no sign of Danny yet," Wes replied. "He usually cuts it pretty close, though, so that's no surprise."

Now that she was this close to him, in the darkness and the shadows of the trees, she could see that he wasn't just watching, he had a pair of binoculars held up to his face. And they looked like pretty high quality ones too, heavy-duty. Like cops and dedicated bird-watchers might use. She wondered if he'd bought them specifically to watch Danny or if he'd already had them for some reason, and where he'd even bought them in the first place.

"Hey, where did you get those?" she asked. "I've been thinking about getting a pair to keep an eye on... uh... I mean, for no reason."

"Shh!" Wes hissed. "I can see him coming." He did decide to answer her question though. "And I bought 'em online. They're 8 by 42 HD Vortex Diamondbacks, if you're curious, and they're great for keeping an eye on ghosts."

"Who said anything about ghosts?" she asked.

He merely sighed in exasperation and shook his head. "Danny's riding in on his scooter today, rather than flying."

"Flying?"

"As a ghost, obviously," Wes replied. "Sometimes, when he's coming in really close to the wire, he'll fly in as Phantom and transform in the bushes before going in."

"Riiight," Valerie said slowly. "But he's just on his scooter today, so is there anything to actually justify us being here watching him?"

"Sure is," Wes said. "Look at his leg, at the way he moves it."

Valerie took the binoculars and looked at whatever Wes was talking about. It didn't look like anything worth looking at for a moment, but when she paid attention, she was pretty sure she could see his foot stuttering a bit when it hit the pavement to propel him forward, and lift quickly. It wasn't very efficient and slowed him down, and she knew Danny rode his scooter enough that he would have known that.

"He's injured," Wes said. "You can tell, can't you? There's something wrong with his leg. I'm thinking twisted ankle, or broken toe, what do you think?"

"I think you're very observant—but how does this help us?"

"Everything can be evidence, you just have to compile it properly before you can see what it's evidence of," Wes told her. "Danny's not very athletic, doesn't do any sports or anything, right? So how did he get hurt?"

"Maybe his scooter hit a bump earlier and threw him," Valerie suggested, trying not to sigh in her annoyance. "People can twist their ankles just walking, that doesn't prove anything."

"Not on its own, but no single piece of evidence proves anything on its own, you have to look at the whole picture. You have to make a note of everything you see, because if you don't, you might miss the key detail that makes everything come together."

Valerie looked at him blankly and handed back his binoculars. Danny had already made it home while they were talking and gone inside, so he was no longer visible to them.

"Can we get back to what the benefit of meeting here was?" Valerie asked. "All we got to see was him going home. Not exactly groundbreaking."

"Sure, but now we know he's at home."

"So what?"

"So, all locations related to Danny besides his home are free game for us to search," Wes told her. "His locker, for example."

"You want us to break into the school at ten pm to go through Danny's locker?"

Valerie was unimpressed.

"Okay, so I was kind of hoping he would be flying home and I could show you that as proof he's Phantom, but since he didn't, yes, we're going to break into the school and go through his locker."

"Sounds like a stupid plan," Valerie said.

"A lot of plans seems stupid until they work."

Kinda like Valerie's own plan to enlist Wes' help sating her curiosity, she thought. Valerie groaned. She just couldn't hold it in anymore. This was so stupid, and such a waste of time. She could be out hunting ghosts right now instead of indulging Wes' fanaticism, but she'd made her bed and now she had to lie in it. God she wanted to be lying in bed right now. Still, she indulged.

During the walk he... enlightened her about another theory of his, about ghosts drawing power from emotions and obsessions. It sounded pretty ridiculous. It even seemed to imply that the Box Ghost became more powerful the more boxes he accrued, which almost made Valerie laugh. If that were the case, he'd be the most powerful ghost in Amity Park. But Wes' explanation was enthusiastic and passionate, so she just let him go. There was no real point shutting him down, and at least the theory was funny.

At least Fenton Works wasn't too far from the school, though it was farther than Valerie really wanted to walk when it was cold and dark and late. When they got there, Wes easily picked the lock to let them in.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" she asked.

"Who wants to know?" he replied, handing her a spare flashlight to see by.

She just rolled her eyes in response and pushed past him to where she knew Danny's locker to be. The school was eerie at night. She knew the place by heart, and was sure she could navigate the linoleum halls in her sleep, but somehow, being there in darkness, with all the lights off and no one around except her and Wes... it sent a creeping feeling down her spine. She walked quickly and didn't delay as she made a beeline for Danny's locker.

It was, predictably, locked when they got to it, but that didn't even give Wes a moment's pause as he pressed his ear to the back of the combination lock and started twisting the dial.

"So what exactly are we supposed to be looking for in Danny's locker?" she asked.

"We'll know if we see it," he said. "Now shush, I gotta start over."

She huffed once, but otherwise waited in silence for him to finish.

With a click, the lock opened and the door swung wide. Wes turned to her with a triumphant smile.

"Congrats, you've unearthed a bunch of textbooks and crumpled up papers," she said sardonically.

"Crumpled papers are the best kinds of papers!" Wes declared. "You don't crumple papers if you want people to read them you know. Crumpled papers can hold all kinds of juicy secrets. I once found a crumpled paper where Star had doodled the name Mrs. Star Sanchez all over it with little hearts and flowers. Don't tell her I told you."

"No way."

"Yes way. Now let's get to snooping." Wes uncrumpled the first piece of paper. "Alright, failed history test, understandable but not what we're looking for."

Valerie uncrumpled the second one. "Unflattering doodles of... Mr. Lancer... I think? He's not much of an artist, is he?"

"Oh for two," Wes said, uncrumpling the third piece of paper. He grinned. "But it looks like third time's the charm!"

"What is it?" Wes handed her the paper and she shined her flashlight on it to see a list.

What's Happening? was written at the top in Danny's slanted chicken-scratch handwriting.

- floating randomly/uncontrolably - making people trip and/or fall - spontaneously crushing paper cups and soda cans - things randomly breaking - Tucker says he felt lighter - Sam says she felt heavier (Powers affecting weight??) - Also noticed some pebbles floating around my ankles earlier

Conclusion: gravity powers???

Is that even possible? Why would I have them and how did I get them? Also how am I supposed to get them under control when I don't know how I've been activating them in the first place?

"It's a creative writing project," Valerie said.

"It's Danny Phantom discovering a new power and trying to figure out what it is and how to use it," Wes disagreed. "People falling, feeling lighter, things getting spontaneously crushed or broken? You can't tell me that doesn't sound exactly like all the weird stuff that's been happening around Fenton lately! It's exactly the kind of thing you enlisted my help to look into!"

"It's not real proof! It's just a piece of crumpled up paper."

Wes stared at her silently for a long moment, looking betrayed.

"Why did you even ask for my help if you're just gonna dismiss everything I say?" he asked.

She didn't answer. She didn't really know.

"Come on, it's late," she said. "We should get out of here and head home."

"You go on ahead. I want a photo of this list, and then I've gotta lock everything back up. You can return that flashlight tomorrow."

At his behest, she left him behind in the school.

—

The next day, Wes pulled her aside after second period. Apparently her lack of faith in him couldn't keep him down for long.

"I found something else in the locker last night, after you left," he told her. "A scrap of notebook paper taped to the inside said 'Don't forget! Meet at Sam's for testing @4pm Fri.'"

"So?"

"So today's Friday, and I know where Sam Manson lives," Wes said. "We can go there and see what exactly it is they're testing, because I'm pretty sure they won't be drilling vocab. Whenever they meet at Manson's place it's almost always because she has the biggest backyard."

"Okay, first of all, why do you know where she lives?"

Wes shrugged. "I told you, I know everything."

Valerie sighed and shook her head. "Second of all, I have a shift at four. Sorry, but you'll have to go without me."

"You can't call in sick?" he asked. "Come on, if you don't come with, you'll never believe my report about what happened."

"I... well..." technically Valerie could call in sick. She'd never taken a sick day in the year she'd worked there, so it wouldn't do too much damage to her reliability—although she had cut out during work hours to fight ghosts a couple of times, she didn't usually get caught, though. "Alright, fine. I'm curious about it too. I know Danny's not usually big on tests."

"Great! Meet me after school by the auto shop, and I'll lead the way so we can get there without intercepting Danny and his friends."

Wes didn't wait for an answer before heading off to his next class.

"Casper High has an auto shop?" she wondered aloud.

Wow, she really didn't know anything about this school that didn't align with her own interests. Not that she really wanted or needed to. As soon as her four years were up, she'd be gone, and she couldn't wait to get out of here. Her ultimate goal would be to forget what her high school mascot even was before her class' ten year reunion. Jury was still out on whether she'd actually go. Maybe, if she was wildly successful by then, she'd deign to come back and rub it in everyone's face for the way they treated her when her family fell on hard times.

That wasn't important right now, though. She had the rest of the day to figure out where the auto shop was to meet Wes, which would be no problem, but also she didn't think she knew anyone who was taking auto shop, so maybe a little more difficult than she would have liked.

It was 3:30 pm when she finally found it. In the end, everyone she'd asked where the school auto shop was had had the same reaction as her.

"Casper High has an auto shop?"

Not a single person could even point her in the right direction.

At the end of the day, she'd just walked circles around the school until she caught sight of Weston's tell-tale red hair. Of course, he didn't have to know that.

"What took you so long?" he asked when she finally arrived.

"None of your business."

"Couldn't find it, huh?" he guessed.

She huffed. "Nobody I talked to even knew we had an auto shop, let alone where it was. Why does the school offer a class if, apparently, not one person takes it?"

"They don't." Wes laughed. "Casper High stopped offering auto shop when the last teacher died of a stroke six years ago. They never found a replacement, and enrollment in the the class was declining anyway, so they dropped it from the curriculum, but the classroom's still here 'cause they're a public school and couldn't afford to allot funds for it.

Valerie stared openly when Wes finished his explanation.

"You're making that up, aren't you?"

"No! What is up with nobody ever believing me about anything?" he complained. "What reason could I possibly have for making all that up?"

"Well what reason would you have for knowing it?" Valerie shot back.

"Like I keep telling you, I know everything," Wes insisted. "Look, it's simple. When I get curious about something, I get answers. I found the auto shop freshman year, and I wanted to know why it was there when there was no auto shop elective, so I did some digging, asked some of the teachers, and figured out why. It's really not that unbelievable."

"Okay, okay, chill," Valerie said. "Are we going or not?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Wes grumbled. "Come on."

He led the way down the side street that passed behind the school and along a very roundabout path to the area just south of Polter Heights. The walk was pretty quiet. It seemed Wes didn't feel like expounding on yet another of his inane theories after being made fun of for something so trivial as knowing where the auto shop was.

That was fine. It gave Valerie the time to mull some things over without his voice overlaying all her thoughts.

She'd written Wes off before, just like everyone else had. His claims that he knew everything were obviously pure arrogance, and his theories was completely absurd and impossible. But he knew where the auto shop was. He knew where Valerie worked, and what time her shift ended. He knew how to pick locks. And he knew where Sam Manson lived. Valerie didn't even know that, and she and Sam had been kinda-sorta friends for a while freshman year. There was no way to know everything, but... maybe Wes did know some things.

"We're here," he said, stopping in front of a huge, looming brick building with crown molded detailing and pillars in front.

"Sam lives in a mansion?" Valerie couldn't help gawking.

"Yup," Wes said. "The Manson's are stupid rich. Cellophane tipped toothpick empire, if you can believe it. Come on, we can't go in the front, but I know where we can get a good view of the backyard."

Valerie nodded silently, her mouth still agape as she stared up at the Manson house. But she followed Wes as he led her around the corner and through a narrow, wooded path behind the houses to a tall, white fence with hedges jutting over the top every few feet. There was a large boulder near the fence, and Wes climbed on top of it. Standing on it, he was just tall enough to look over the fence, his head above the nose clearing the top of it easily.

That was all well and good for a gangly basketball player, but Valerie was a good six to eight inches shorter than him, and there was no way she'd be able to see over.

"What are you waiting for," Wes whispered, fishing his binoculars out of his backpack. He gestured to the spot next to him. There was more than enough room for another person to stand on the boulder, but that wasn't the problem.

"I'm not as tall as you are," she whispered back.

"Oh..."

He stepped down off the boulder and looked around for something. A few minutes later he came back carrying a smaller rock—though it was still pretty large, his face was all red from the exertion of carrying it. He placed the smaller rock on top of the boulder, turned it until he felt it was secure, and gestured for her to climb on.

"That doesn't seem safe," she said.

"Do you want to see or not?"

She stood on top of the rock, and Wes stepped up after her, back into his initial place, and finally pulled out his binoculars. Valerie was going to ask if he really needed those just to see what was going on in one backyard, but then she actually looked over the fence and saw how expansive that backyard actually was. The Mansons were obviously way richer than Valerie's family had ever been. Probably even richer than Paulina's family.

"They usually work on that side of the yard," Wes told her, pointing discretely to the north fence. He checked his watch. "It's almost four. Remember to keep quiet and duck below the fence or behind the hedge if they look this way, got it?"

"Got it," Valerie said.

Normally, she would have resented being told what to do, but in this case, Wes was obviously much more experienced in the situation than she was. And, to be honest, she was kind of getting into all this sneaky detective-type stuff. It was actually pretty fun, like they were spies or something. Back when Valerie was little, she'd always thought it would be super cool to be a spy, like Jason Bourne, or Mata Hari. Since her dad worked in security, he would tell her all kinds of stories about spies and famous heists, and she always asked for the former. It was why she'd started taking karate.

But then she'd learned that most of what a spy does actually isn't intense action scenes and fighting bad guys, and more secret snooping to get information, and at the time, that part hadn't really appealed to her. Now that she was older, and actually doing some snooping of her own accord, she was beginning to rethink that. Maybe she would try to become a spy after all.

"Here they come," Wes said, pulling her from her thoughts.

She zoned back in the see the back door opening—the service entrance—and Sam, Tucker, and Danny all walked out into the backyard. From a distance, it was impossible to hear what they were saying, but Valerie could tell they were talking. They put their backpack's down in the grass. Tucker took out his PDA, and Danny started stretching. After a couple of minutes, Danny shouted, loud enough to be heard at the fence.

"I'm goin' ghost!"

Valerie gasped and nearly fell off the boulder in surprise as she saw Danny transform, his black hair turning shock white, his street clothes exchanged for a black and white jumpsuit, and his ice-blue eyes glowing green.

Danny Fenton... was... Danny Phantom.

"I told you so," Wes said smugly.

"Sh-shut up."

This changed everything. Suddenly, Valerie's entire world was shifting, her life's purpose, he understanding of life and death. She didn't know what to think, or how to feel. It was impossible. But... it explained so much. But there was no way it could be true. She knew Danny. She'd dated him for a little while. Longer than she'd dated that basketball player, but not as long as Dale from the football team. She'd held his hand and laid her head against his chest. She knew him.

"But... Danny's alive," she said breathlessly. "He breathes, he blinks, his heart beats, I've heard it."

"You have?" Wes asked excitedly. "How many beats per minute? Because I've never gotten close enough to test it, but I theorize that his heartbeat should be slower than average. What about his body temperature? Is it normal, or is his skin cool to the touch?"

"He just... has poor... circulation," Valerie said, the realization dawning on her. "Oh my god.... you're right. His skin is cold. His heart beat is slow. He's alive but he's...."

"He's only half alive," Wes confirmed. "I used to think he was just a regular ghost disguising himself as a human, but I've since amended my theory. He is alive, just like everyone so helpfully points out whenever I suggest he's Danny Phantom, but it's only halfway. He's somewhere between life and death."

"Like Masters," Valerie breathed. "Phantom is like Plasmius... and his cousin too. Oh my god how did I never see it?"

"I don't know, girl, it was obvious to me," Wes told her, with absolutely no sympathy for the existential crisis she was having. "Now shush, they're getting to the good part."

Valerie straitened sharply to look back over the fence. One of them had set out a line of empty soda cans on the patio near the north fence, Sam and Tucker had moved a safe distance away, into a position where Valerie and Wes would probably be able to hear them when they next spoke. And Danny... Phantom was holding his hand out as if trying to move them telepathically.

"It's not working!" Danny shouted to them, the ghostly tremble in his voice making it carry farther than it probably should.

"Rather than picturing a flat can, try focusing on the gravity aspect!" Sam called back. "You said that was your most likely theory, right?"

"How exactly am I supposed to visualize gravity increasing?"

"I don't know, just imagine yourself and everything around you growing heavier!" Sam suggested.

"Imagine there's a black hole under the concrete and it's pulling you down!" Tucker added.

Sam turned to him and asked. "A black hole?"

Tucker shrugged. "I don't know, Danny's really into space stuff, maybe it'll help."

Right before Valerie's eyes, all ten of the empty soda cans were smashed flat against the patio simultaneously, without anyone or anything touching them.

"You did it!" Tucker cheered.

"Now you've just gotta work on doing it in a smaller area," Sam said. "You don't want to accidentally crush a bunch of bystanders when your just trying to pull a ghost to the ground or something."

"Heh, good note," Danny told them. "I'm gonna try reversing gravity next."

"We should go," Wes whispered.

"What? Why?" Valerie asked.

"If he couldn't control the range on increasing gravity, there's a chance when he tries reversing it, we'll both get dragged into the sky and exposed," he explained. "You wanted to know what was up with Danny, now you know. Let's not risk the restraining orders, okay? All the information in the world is no good if we go to jail for stalking."

"Right..." Valerie agreed absently. "Right, you're right. We should go."

They both hopped down off the rock and headed back down the wooded path that separated this neighborhood from Polter Heights.

"You were right the whole time," she told Wes.

"Yup."

"And if you were right about this... what else are you right about?"

"Literally everything," he said casually. "I'm right about everything. Fenton is Phantom, you're the Red Huntress, ghosts gain power from obsessions and emotions, Star has a crush on Paulina, Kwan secretly hates football and he wants to become an artist, Lancer goes to Chicago on long weekends to do drag performances, and Mayor Masters is in love with the Wisconsin Ghost."

"Ha! Maybe not everything," Valerie disputed. That one mistake actually made her feel a little less like the Earth had shattered. "Mayor Masters is the Wisconsin Ghost. He's like Danny, I saw him transform once."

"Really?" Wes asked, obviously more excited about the truth than he was disappointed about being wrong. "Oh awesome! That's one more source for researching half-ghosts. Thanks for the tip, Valerie!"

Valerie laughed. "Out of curiosity, what's your grade point average."

Wes blushed and looked away before mumbling a shy, "two point eight."

Valerie laughed louder.

[jellyfishloveletterghosts]

Burn Baby Burn

I’ve got a lot of wips going at the moment, most of them for my new bingo card and it’s Wednesday so have a lil snip from my phoenix Square.

-

Steve’s work phone rings and despite the fact that he is currently in the middle of a park feeding the birds he answers because he is always on call. "Hello you've reached last resort cleaning service. How may I help you?" The other end of the line is quiet but Steve holds off on just hanging up. Sometimes people need a couple of seconds after he has picked up, whether to compose themselves or for the coast to be clear.

 "Um are you, are you an actual cleaning service?" The voice on the other end is nervous which is not all that unusual. What is unusual is how young they sound. "Maybe I have the wrong number." Is softly mumbled almost too low to hear, the distracted manner making it clear she is not talking to him this time.

 "How old are you?" Steve frowns flicking a seed at a particular bold pigeon that dares peck at his loafer. He is plumper than the rest, clearly used to getting what he wants and now is no different as he quickly devours the seed unfazed by the light grazing.

 "What’s that matter?" The kid practically hisses voice low.

 "I'm hanging up.” He does not clean up after messy kids who do not want to get in trouble with their parents. He does not provide that sort of service.  

"No wait! Wait please, we need help!" This time she sounds desperate, more like someone who would call him for a good reason and not just paint spilled on a fancy carpet. She sounds like his actual customers.

 There is a groan in the distances and shuffling and Steve strains his ears trying to pick up more. "How did you get my number?" His business is referral based mostly but occasionally someone finds his card just laying around.

 "Henderson. Dusting Henderson gave it to me." She says quickly another groan sounding, it is closer this time. 

 It stills his thumb from ending the call. Dustin knows better than to give his work number unless it is to a sup who might have an actual legitimate need for his help. "What do you need help with?" That pigeon is pecking at his shoe again and now it has a slightly skinnier friend bold enough to pester. He flicks his ankle watching them fly back before he grabs a fist full of bird seed and tosses it a safe distance from his shoes. They descend on it like they are starving, quickly lost in the flock as more birds swarm to the fresh seed.

 "There are hunters after us,” Steve curls his fist around the bag and closes it, no more feeding for today. “they got Billy pretty bad and Eddie's in the ground until the sun goes down. They have us pinned down." She sounds like she might start crying as she says Billy and Steve cannot help but wonder how bad the hunters got him, how safe they are at this moment. He is already moving toward his car.

 "You should have started with that. Where are you, text me the address. I'm on my way." His car is only a short distance away in the little parking lot from the park under a shady tree. He looks around the lot finding it empty for the moment and pops his truck, lifting the bottom cover and checking in his case for provisions. He should have everything he needs to dispatch a few hunters.

 "Really?" Just as wet as before but less like she might cry, like she has hope that someone is going to come. It is one of the reasons Steve does this job, that hope.

 "Yes, find a place to hide and don't come out until I give you the word Demogorgan. You got it?" Steve slams his truck closed, jogging around to the driver’s side door as his phone pings with a text.

 There is a moment of silence before she answers like maybe she forgot he cannot see her and nodded instead. "Yes, I got it."

 “Max?” A weak groaning voice calls and Steve can only guess it is the girl's name.

 “I’m here Billy, I’m here! I called for help. It's going to be okay.” She is definitely crying this time, voice sodden, words going distance as she lets the phone drop.

 "Max!” Steve raises his voice to get her attention, there is the muffle of the phone being scooped back up. “Max, what's the word?" He needs her to repeat it for him, make sure she got it.

 "Demogorgon." She tells him firm and sure.

 "Good girl, don't come out before then." Steve ends the phone call and peels out of the parking lot heading for the warehouse district. 

[jocherry]

*ping*

yeol 🌳

are you done yet baek?

baekhyun sighed when he read the msg of his bf. its past 11 he was still at his office. he is pretty sure no cab service would be available rn. top of that he had a terrible day at his office all he wanted was to sleep the day off. but he had to send some more emails to the clients regarding their ongoing projects, sleep can wait now.

to yeol 🌳

go to sleep tree I will be there in 30 min

he knew he lied to his bf, he doesn't even know how he is gonna reach home let alone in 30 minutes. he could have asked chanyeol to pick him up, but he didn't have the heart to burden his bf more. chanyeol would be tired too. his eyes would be sore from glaring at the computer screen all day. being a web designer was hard enough, baekhyun wouldn't mind selling his trip home to give yeol his much needed sleep.

cy has left his msg on read which means he is pretty much dozzing off right now. baekhyun thought of chanyeol sprawled on the bed like a starfish with zzar cuddling him like tiny plushie enjoying their bed all for himself. he shook his head in amusement.how much he wished to be a part of the cuddle party but atleast he was glad that chanyeol understood him n his job requirements. he took a deep breathe and got back to work again aiming to finish before midnight so that he could atleast catch the last bus home.

after some time,baekhyun leaned back on his chair with a whoof. Finally he was done for the day (say night). his back begged him to hit the bed already. he ran his fingers through his face in exhaustion contemplating his life decision of becoming an architect.it was tiresome most of the days ngl but he loved his profession nonetheless. he loved the feeling of witnessing people's contentment whenever they witness the output their dream buldings. he will not hesitate to pull a all nighter if he could perfect his job and make the client happy.

bh: damn I feel like borderline masochist

he can't help but to let a sigh again.he got up from his seat and gathered his stuff as quickly as possible. he turned the lights off in his cabin and headed to the entrance of his office. when he hit the road it was eerily quiet. he shrugged it off and he strolled towards the bus stop.of course everyone would be sleeping recharging for the next day.

But here he is totally drained, still not at home. he was few steps away from the bus stop, thats when he saw his only mode of transportation leaving without him. he ran towards the vehicle just for it leave him behind,this day can't be anymore cruel. he was stranded in middle of the road not knowing how to reach home, he felt like crying.

" need a ride back home arch?"

he got startled by the sudden voice. he snapped his neck towards his left to the direction of the voice. A wave of relief hit him when he realized it was none other than his boyfriend. he was leaning against his motorcycle hands folded on his chest, his hair kind of dishelved, he was sporting a smirk his dimples peeking adorably n he was clad in a white tee n sweats which made him look even more soft n cuddly.

baekhyun eyes glistened,he was never been so thankful for a mere presence of someone. he let out a choked sob and took big steps to reach his chanyeol. he literally threw himself on cy, hugged him so tight seeking comfort. chanyeol chuckled and hugged him back slightly lifting baekhyun off his feet. bh nuzzled his face on cy's crook relishing in his earthly scent. cy peppered his lil boyfriend with butterfly kisses on his hair trying to soothe him.

cy: are you okay baby?

chanyeol's low timbre voice eased his racing heart.bh shook his head in no.

cy: bad day?

bh nodded slowly in agreement.

cy: what can I do to make it better, hmm?

bh: you are here, my day was never been better (his voice got muffled on cy's shirt)

cy: awww my poor kitten (he cooed)

he took bh face in his hand, he can visibly see his exhaustion on his baekhyun's face. his eyes were little teary and his mouth in a visible pout. cy pecked his eyelids slowly, caressing his cheeks. he pressed their foreheads together.

cy: you did well today my sweetheart

his endearment pulled a small smile on bh face. he was clutching on his tee like a needy kitten.

bh: lets go home tree I m so tired

cy: yeah lets get this kitten home

cy ruffled his hair and lead bh to the bike. he handed over the another helmet to his boyfie. once they were settled, cy grabbed bh hands and secured it around his torso.

cy: hold on tight princess

bh let out a giggle and tightened his hold around chanyeol. baekhyun always loved bike rides especially during night. the warm press of cy's body, the chilling night breeze hitting his face, its a lowkey therapy for baekhyun if u ask him. he never wanted the rides to end but unfortunately they reached their destination after a short while. few hrs back he was desperate to go home but now he felt a lil sad at thought of ride had been cut short. (they rode for 30 min straight but its still short for him)

cy parked the bike at the basement n they both took the elevator to their floor. bh kept yawning throughout the ride, his eyelids getting heavy each second. cy noticed how bh fighting his urge to sleep.

cy: don't fall asleep byun I m not carrying you home

bh: ( he snickered) I can take myself home thank you very much.

cy stifled a laugh.the elevator pinged indicating the arrival of their floor. baekhyun was about to step off when his bf grabbed his hand. chanyeol turned baekhyun slid his hand under his thighs to carry him like bride. bh gasped as cy hoisted him up like he weighed none. he circled his hand around cy's neck naturally. cy stepped out of the elevator with bh on his arms.

bh: so much for not wanting to carry me around

cy: I know you love to be carried around kitten, its not my fault to be sucha devoted boyfriend.

baekhyun wanted to roll his eyes for chanyeol's remark but he was actually right about his liking so he decided to give this one to cy. he punched the code as soon as they arrived at their doorstep. he tossed the bag on the sofa and removed his shoes at the door while cy was still holding him as oh so perfect boyfriend he is.

bh thought cy gonna tuck him in bed once they arrived but he had different plans. chanyeol placed him on one of the chairs in the kitchen island.

bh: aren't we going to bed?

cy: yes but only after you eat smthn

bh: tree I am so sleepy I don't think I could feed myself.

cy: hold on for 5 min pls I m gonna reheat the dinner hmm?

bh: tree please ffs I want to sleep

he groaned as his bf showed deaf ears to him he pressed his face on the cold tiles of the counter top and tried to get some shut eyes till chanyeol prepared the food.

cy reheated the pasta he had for dinner. he knew bh wouldn't have eaten anything since lunch. he forgets abt everything when he gets immersed in his work. The microwave beeped cutting his thoughts short.

he nudged baekhyun who has been drooling off on the tiled island. bh woke up and tried to recognize the surrounding he was in. cy's voice brought him back to reality. he squinted his eyes at chanyeol before him who have been extending a spoon to his mouth.

cy: baby say ah!!

he lifted the spoon with the dinner and waited for bh to open his mouth. bh ate whatever chanyeol put it in his mouth. It was delicious nonetheless. he was famished but his sleepiness overpowered him to make him forget about the food,but who is he to refuse if his bf gonna feed him like a toddler.

bh: tree its tastes so good ( he cheered)

cy smiled at the compliment of bh

cy: anything will taste good if you're are hungry baek.

bh: no it genuinely taste good

cy : if you say so kitten, now eat up n finish the bowl hmm?

bh hummed in response and continue to munch on his feeding. the bowl got emptied in mean time. chanyeol patted the cheek of baekhyun as sign of telling him good boy for finishing his dinner. he put out the dishes inside the sink and handed a baek a glass of water.

the moment water hits his throat, bh realized how dry they were. He couldn't remember when was the last time he drank water for that day. chanyeol might have read his mind.

cy: when was the last time you took a sip of the water baek?

bh was busy chugging down the water like a man in dessert that he almost choked on cy's question

bh: I can't remember tbh

he put the glass down and stared at the glass on the counter like its some kind of astonishing thing. chanyeol shook his head in disappointment

bh: sorry I was so busy today

cy: that doesn't give you the excuse to not to eat or drink anything

bh pouted at him, giving him his best puppy eyes hoping his bf would leave him off the hook tdy.

bh: I will be a new leaf tmrw I promise now lets get to bed please

cy sighed

cy: I will deal with you tmrw

bh knew he will get a earful from chanyeol. but he loves when cy turns on his mom mode and chiding him to eat well. also he makes his fvrt strawberry pancake feeling bad for reprimanding him. baekhyun is not new for yeol's antics and he absolutely adores his bf for that.

cy: come on baek

bh refused and extended his arm towards his bf. cy looked at him like he didn't have clue abt what he is doing

bh: carry me

cy: what?! bedroom is merely ten steps away baek

bh: pwese

baekhyun managed to pull his best aegyo possible to make his cy carry him. chanyeol has no immunity when it comes to his aegyo n puppy language. especially now baekhyun asking him with atmost cuteness with those little droopy eyes, his pink lips in a fcking pout chanyeol was a gone case. he still wonders how did he ended with this puppy ( no kitten) man.

he took bh hand and lifted him upto his waist again. he tried to act non chalant so bh wouldn't think he got swayed by his aegyo. but bh know better abt his bf weekness

cy: I spoil you too much

bh: n I love being your spoiled baby

cy: baby?! more like brat!!

bh: but yours anyway

cy's heart did a somersault. bh really knows how to fluster him. even after five years of dating, his flirtatious mouth never seen a day off. (baekhyun was about to open the room door)

cy: be quiet baby

bh: why?!

cy: zzar is sleeping on our bed

bh: oh my!!

bh opened it as quiet as possible. once they entered, he switched on the room light to see a white ball of fur in the middle of the bed sleeping silently. bh wanted coo at his daughter. He controlled his urges as it might wake her up. cy put him down and scurried off to the closet to bring him a pair of pajamas.

cy: hurry ( he whispered pointing towards the bathroom)

bh: aye aye captain ( he whispered back giving a mock salute)

bh quickly cleaned himself up and got out wearing his fav pair of pajamas. cy was already on his side of bed laying flat on his stomach petting her softly without disturbing her. ngl it was a really a sight to behold.

he joined them quietly. he layed flat on his stomach too and started petting the big puppy in the room. cy's hair was so soft he felt like he was running his hands through clouds.

cy: she misses you b

bh: I miss her too yeol I couldn't spend more time with her as my work decided to be a bitch

cy: mhmm,eventhough I accompanied all evening, she kept looking at the door to see if you are coming, I could almost sense the longing in it.

bh: gosh my baby ( he leant down and pressed a peck on her head lightly) papa is so sorry

bh: I feel like a bad parent

cy: you are

bh: yaaaa ( he punched his bf shoulder)

cy hissed in pain quite enough not to disturb the sleeping beauty

cy: I was joking you idiot

he spat back and continued to pet her again. bh was picking at the invisible dust on the bedsheet feeling guilty. cy noticed it.

cy: you are not a bad parent baek its not your fault that your works consumes your time. don't worry you will always be her fvrt dad, I was kind of little jealous when she didn't give single ounce of attention all the evening. she loves you so much

bh: awww my princess I raised you well good job!!

now its cy turn to pout.

cy: you both are so mean.

bh giggled at the sight of chanyeol sulking. he lifted his body slightly to peck chanyeol's lips.

bh: and guess what, I love you so much

bh murmured at cy's ears making yeol blush.

cy: I thought you were sleepy

bh: aren't you gonna say it back?!

cy: say what?

bh: never mind

baekhyun mood dampened again. he put a distance between both of them proceeded to lay on his back to get some sleep. chanyeol eyed his bf who was trying mask his disappointment.

cy: let me put zzar back on her bed so we won't accidentally crush her on our sleep.

bh pretended to sleep. cy sighed and carried zzar back to her bed. he switched off the lights the moonlight illuminating the room was enough for him to make it back to bed. bh was facing the other side of the room ignoring chanyeol, when he got back. baekhyun pretended to sleep but secretely he was wishing chanyeol to do something( don't ask him what). the bed dipped on the other side showing chanyeol is on the bed too. there was a pregnant silence for five min,only the sound of fan running around filling the place.

he hears low snores from the other side of the bed which indicates chanyeol is sleeping,baekhyun decides to give up as he realizes there is no point in waiting. he can feel his eyes getting wet, he scoffs at himself for a feeling like a teenager. A weight settles on his chest he hoped it goes off if he slept in.

suddenly a strong arm snakes throw his waist pulling him closer. His back hits with sterdy chest which he is very familiar with. chanyeol throws one leg over bh's legs tangling them together. he nuzzles his face into baekhyun's neck starts kissing his fvrt spot. bh squirms at the contact of lips but he remains silent without uttering a word.

cy: is my kitten mad?

cy's voice near his ears sent shiver down his spine. but still he decides not to react.

cy: you know zzar was not the only one who kept looking at the door, her daddy did too. you have no idea how much I missed you baby.

he gets no reply from the other male. he knows bh is listening. he bites the bh's ear to get a reaction out of his boyfriend. on the other hand bh was so close to turn around and kiss chanyeol senseless. he decided against to see how far his bf goes to pacify him ( he is being a bitch, he knows that too)

cy: babyyyyyy

chanyeol whines.

cy: okay I m sorry I just wanted to tease you alright

still silence

cy: I love you too baek I love you so much I love you like how poets love moon, how sailors love northern star, how waves love the shore, how -

his monlogue was cut short by the pair of lips on his. baekhyun knocked the wind out of chanyeol. the kiss was slow, their lips fitted perfectly like a missing puzzle pieces. they made out for few min and they pulled back in need of air. they stared at each other admiring each other in the moonlight.

chanyeol traced his fingers along the face of bh, like he tried to memorize the every single cell of baekhyun.

cy: I love you like how baekhyun would love chanyeol in every universe.

bh felt like he was going to cry again but this time out of cy's love for him. It was the best confession he had ever heard in his life.

bh: where did learnt to speak like this,huh?

cy: It comes naturally if you live with a baekhyun too.

bh: too bad only you get to experience it in this wholeworld

cy: my goodness, I might have saved people in my past lives

bh snorted at the cy's reply.

bh: okay smooth talker lets sleep we got to wake up again in 6 hrs.

cy: aye sir

bh buried his face in chanyeol's chest, his arms around his torso hugging him like a skinship deprived caveman. cy cuddles him with his face resting on his head. a question pops up in bh mind out of nowhere

bh: tree..

cy: hmm

bh: I rmb msging you to sleep, then why did u come to pick me up? It was such a hassle for you

cy: I really don't mind picking you up from the office, I love surprising you like that and also

( he cradles bh's face in his palms)

cy: the bed was cold without you, how do you expect me to sleep when my cuddle bear is missing huh?

bh was sure he is about combust overchanyeol's sweetness. he secretly thanked heavens for bringing chanyeol to him.

bh: awww my cute tree now your cuddle bear is here, I will keep you warm all night okay!!

cy nods his head shyly.

bh: wait how did you know I have no ride home, I don't rmb mentioning abt it.

cy: you have so much question for a sleepy person

bh: last one I promise

cy: jaehwan accidentally called me instead of you, informing to pick your car up tmrw mrng and when I texted u I thought you would make it before 11, but you only saw my msg around 11.30 so I decided to show up,be your knight in shining armor.

bh: ohhhhh

cy: did u got your answers arch? shall we sleep now?

bh: yeah but thank you tree for coming yk I don't konw what would I've done without you

cy: Its nothing my kitten hmm I would do anything for you, I would -

bh: okay enough mr. monlogue lets fucking sleep for real now.

bh cuddled back again

cy: just because I love you don't u think i will let you off the hook abt skipping meals and water.

bh hummed in response no energy to bite back. he could almost taste strawberry pancake in his mouth. cy smiled at his boyfriend and pecked his hair.

cy: good night love

bh: good night tree

bh fell asleep instantly looking frwd to wake up next to chanyeol already.

(jaehwan- cy's frnd and also the owner of service station)

[scham-wcan]

First of that October prompt list I reblogged a little while ago, hope I do it some service with some CinWin!

Crunchy Leaves

The unwieldy chill of morning had quickly set in about them even as the pair had let the swing of their apartment door shut behind them. It was early, far too early for a weekend nonetheless, and yes here Winter found herself being towed down the hall towards the elevator. The warmth of Cinder’s prosthetic’s glove the only real comfort she was deriving from the world in that moment.

There was a welcomed change of wardrobe for the pair this time of year, and of course it had come at the discretion of Cinder and Weiss. A fine light brown coat which bore down her frame and cut off around her upper thigh covered a white shirt and ample fine blue scarf.

A garment which Winter had to admit scratched at her ever so gently, reminding her constantly of its presence. Tugging at it once they entered the lift, the movement and slight ire jostled Cinder from her momentary fixation on dragging Winter about.

“Did I tie it too tightly?” A mixture of sass and concern belted from Cinder as she glanced over her partner. “I could redo it if you wish?” Her smirk only growing, knowing well the answer she were to receive.

Cinder similarly had a small change in wardrobe, a more robust black buttoned coat folded over her front, though her wash of ashen hair reduced the need for a scarf—small white crystalline jewelry instead took the place of an accessory, highlighting her otherwise darkened aesthetic.

A small scoff parted from Winter. “Its fine, though I believe you should stick to sewing and hemming more extraordinary things.” Glancing sideward at Cinder as she did so. “Perhaps leave the sewing of these to someone more than soft in nature, Ruby perhaps?”

“Like she knows how to sew.” Cinder sniped curtly as the doors before them pinged open and like a flash they were off again. The lobby around them barely featured more than a blink in their eyes before they were at the entrance.

It was this peculiar time of year which had seemingly charged Cinder as such this time of day—and dragged Winter along with her. Atlas’ streets before them, having been long since refurbished and remade to feel less cold and sterile, now sported all sorts of flora. Such plants, flowers, trees, and all forms of greenery were ruthlessly maintained throughout the year—but this time of year the work slowed.

Winter felt her breath slightly skip a beat, she had hated to admit falling for the greenery amongst the otherwise blue and white city, but this new glow was something else entirely. Rich golds, hearth like reds, and glowing yellows painted trees up and down their avenue, bathing the white city canvas around them in the hallmarks of autumn.

Cinder chuckled softly as she released Winter’s hand and walked forth into the street. “When I was back in Vale a long while ago, I remember their campus and city looking much like this.” Parading almost up to one of the trees and taking a small handful of the warm coloured flecks from its branch. “Ruby reminded me that with all the changes here in Atlas with these things, something as pretty as those may prop up again here.”

“I presume Weiss is getting much the same treatment then?” Winter asked halfheartedly, though the light flecks of awe still hummed in her throat.

“I suppose, though I think you’re still far more fair and pretty than these can be.” Cinder smirked, placing a snide kiss against Winter’s lips before quickly retreating, watching as red burned across Winter’s cheeks in the moment. “And you could use more warm colours on you as well.”

Cinder continued to smile as Winter quickly threw her hand to her cheek, trying to tell if some of Cinder’s lipstick or otherwise had been left on her. “Cinder Fall!” She gasped, then fighting in equal measure to regain her volume.

“Would a coffee make up for me waking you up so early for a cheesy line?” Offering her arm then in a crook for Winter, the Schnee glared at her partner before taking hold of it; allowing her head to idly fall onto Cinder’s shoulder.

“You suck you know that?” Winter hummed.

Curtly, Cinder sighed, “If I have to wear white you have to wear embarrassment, not my fault you wear it so well.”

[jerseyshoresy]

could you please do coming out as trans/ non binary to bf shoresy for pride month? Thanks a bunch!

Absolutely I can!! I decided to have the reader come out as transgender but you can definitely substitute in nonbinary if that fits better because no specifics are given! Thank you for your patience as I've worked hard to create this for you and I hope you like it :) HAPPY PRIDE!!!! <3

Pride, No Prejudice

Fluff

Shoresy x transgender!reader (no pronouns used)

Warnings: cussing

You sat in your apartment, waiting for a text back from your boyfriend, Shoresy. You had sent him a message asking him to meet you at your place because you wanted to hang out and watch movies with him. You two had been dating for a bit now and he had been the most loving and kind partner a person could ask for. You had yet to exchange "I love you's" out loud, but you definitely tried your best to show him how much he meant to you on a daily basis. You were pulled from your daydreams about your perfect boyfriend when your phone pinged.

Hot Hockey Dude: be right over! want snacks?

You: you know me so well :p yes pls!

Hot Hockey Dude: see you in 20 :)

You put your phone down, unable to contain your giddy excitement. Shoresy was so good to you! You started to get your apartment ready for your evening guest. Even though it was June and the weather was warming up, the nights were still a bit chilly in Sudbury so you grabbed a few blankets and laid them on the couch. Plates and napkins for the food were arranged on the table and you made sure there were drinks in the fridge. By the time you were all prepped, you heard a knock at the door. You were greeted with the smiling face of your boyfriend holding up a few grocery bags.

"I hope this is enough," Shoresy joked, giving you a small peck on the lips as he entered through your doorway.

"I think that's enough food for a small army."

"I didn't know what you wanted so I got everything I know you like," he said sheepishly, making you break out into a grin.

You dumped the contents of the bags on your counter. "You're literally my dream man."

"You're so fuckin' sappy, you know that? It's like dating a tree, you're so sappy."

"Oh, you love it."

"That I do," Shoresy smirked, helping you open containers and moving it all into the family room. After everything was sorted, you both sat on the couch, cuddling each other. Shoresy had his arm slung over your shoulders as you snuggled into his chest. You always felt so safe around him, his cologne bringing you a deep sense of peace every time it graced your nose. Shoresy turned on the tv and clicked over to a streaming service, the remote looking minuscule in his large hands.

"What do you want to watch?"

"I'm not sure," you said, "let's look at the genres and decide from there."

He hummed in agreement and started scrolling through all of the options.

"They have a whole collection of shows and movies for Pride month?" he asked. "That's pretty neat. You know, I'm surprised I don't know anyone who celebrates it."

Your heart skipped a beat--he was wrong.

You did, because you were transgender.

You didn't know how the topic hadn't come up yet in all your months of dating, but you hadn't told Shoresy yet. You knew he was a kind hearted, understanding man, but the fact that you knew you should tell him right now, without any sort of preparation on your part, was a bit daunting. Nevertheless, you took in a deep breath to calm your nerves before speaking.

"Actually, Shoresy, you do know someone."

His eyes pulled away from the tv and looked at you curiously. "Really? Who?"

You gave him a small smile. "Me. I'm transgender."

It was quiet as Shoresy just kept his eyes trained on you, no words leaving his mouth for once in his life. You worked quickly to fill the silence, now becoming unsure due to his lack of saying, well, anything.

"I'm sorry I just threw this on you all of a sudden, I wasn't expecting to tell you today, I-"

"What? No, don't apologize, y/n, there's nothing to be sorry for. I was just surprised, that's all."

"You're not upset that I didn't tell you earlier?" Your voice was meek.

Shoresy put the remote down and grabbed ahold of both of your hands, his blue eyes shining with utmost sincerity.

"I could never be mad at you for something like that. I love you for who you are and that will never change. I'm glad you're comfortable sharing things with me about yourself and I can't believe I'm the lucky guy that gets to learn all about you."

Now it was your turn to be shocked. Shoresy loves you?!

"Wait, Shoresy, you... you love me?"

"Yeah, I have for awhile now. I've been in love with you basically since our first date, so..." He awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck, his backwards cap lifting up ever so slightly at the movement. You wasted no time capturing his lips with your own, sinking into a long, passionate kiss. His hands found their way to your waist, holding you firmly as you reached your hands to his face, his stubble tickling your skin. You two eventually reluctantly pulled apart, but neither of you let go of the other.

"I'm in love with you too, Shoresy."

His eyebrows lifted up. "Really?"

"Yes, really," you chuckled.

"Fuck yeah!" Shoresy yelled out, a triumphant fist raised in the air.

"Alright, alright, settle down," you teased, grabbing a snack from the table and getting back into the spot you previously occupied. As Shoresy went back to scrolling for something to watch, you noticed he held you a little bit tighter than normal and you couldn't help but think how grateful you were for a man like him. You were certain you were going to marry him one day.

Unless he chose a shitty movie to watch (kidding!).

Sort of.

[raisindave]

[Chapter 14] Seeing the World Through Ballistic-Tinted Glasses

Content Warning: Mentions of sex trafficking and allusions to sexual assault.

What made this meeting different from the last early morning meeting with Laswell was that you refused to lose precious sleep in anticipation of whatever shitshow was incoming. If this task is anything like the last one, your future self would curse you for not taking advantage of a good night's rest. The comfort of a temperature-regulated bedroom was a luxury you refused to let pass up. One last trip down your staircase, sweeping your eyes over your home space as if it would be something you'd never see again. Flicking on a lamp to give the illusion that this house wouldn't be empty, you clicked your front door closed once again. 

"'Hope I wasn't interrupting." You sighed, smiling politely. 

"Not at all," Laswell replied astutely, leaning forward to knit her fingers together, "I'd love to sit and chat, but we are actually in a bit of a time crunch. I'll give you more information when we're in the air. We have a plane waiting for us to leave in twenty minutes. The Mexica-"

She paused, politely waving away a proposed refill of coffee from a harsh-looking waitress who looked like she desperately needed a smoke break. Reassuming her position, Laswell restarted her sentence. 

"Mexico. This is highly time-sensitive, and we have to get going right away."

"Okay," You breathed, "What can I expect?"

She paused, rolling your words in her jaw for a moment, eyes flicking back to you as she seemed to have come to a conclusion.

"I'll give you the details when we're in the air," she repeated. 

Sitting in the back of the stuffy SUV that was taking you to the supposed plane, you couldn't help but be struck by the encroaching importance of whatever task was due. Laswell was tapping away at a cell phone, you didn't dare try to screen peek, but instead noting the flurrying speed of her thumbs on the glass. The driver was some unknown Joe, so formally dressed for a military operation, the security's aesthetics made you feel like you were on a presidential campaign. Head bobbing from the motion of turning onto a gravel road, you spied a landing strip you'd never previously known existed- shielded by a thick layer of trees. 

Chauffeured by more Joes, you stepped directly into a small four-seater jet, occupying the back seat with Laswell, who had just concluded her last message. Only seconds after clicking the seatbelt, the plane kicked into motion, taxiing into takeoff position, craning to get one last glimpse of familiar shrubbery. Mexico. That's not much to go off. Any second now, Laswell will cut into the silence and explain the task at hand. It took for the plane to kick into takeoff, gluing you to the back of your seat, before she even dared to speak. She seemed to find comfort in talking once airborne, the prospect making your stomach knot. 

"This is a hostage recovery mission. Washington state Senator Geoff Moss' daughter, Samantha Moss, went to Mexico for her senior prom trip. Didn't make it back." She spoke matter-of-factly, "They got a message from a cartel gang going by the name of the Alianso Cartel. They're demanding $90 million, or they start sending fingertips."  

"Wouldn't this be Secret Service or CIA business? It's US politics, what's making it international?" Your brows furrowed, blinking in confusion.

"It would be, but this has Chinese and Russian fingerprints all over it, and the US's enemies associating with the cartel is a relationship the world can't stand to see. On top of that, Mr. Moss is a flight risk with highly sensitive NATO information, and such a contact could jeopardize the upcoming US election."

Her words prickled in your brain, rallying back and forth like a high-stress tennis match. The question that burned in your mind still pinged as unanswered: How would you fit in all this? 

"This doesn't have to do with… last time," You tilted your head, implying she fill in the gaps in your dialogue.

"No. We have no indication that this and your last mission are related."

A significant weight you didn't know existed lifted off your chest, though additional questions still left you restless. Hostage situations can last anywhere from ten minutes to months. This one could be a long-haul. 

"So, where does a linguist come into this?" You finally indulged your nagging question, twisting your timid fingers under your palm.

"Well," The way she paused before speaking made your heart sink, "Your role is a sensitive one. This whole event is off the record."

Your eyebrows furrowed, locking your eyes onto hers in a silent plea to spill it as she diligently met your gaze. Her hands folded over the papers she held in her lap. Your experience reading through tough exteriors, courtesy of Chucky, made you sure that Laswell was somehow uneasy about sharing this information with you, though her tone would never portray such doubt. 

"Our plan is to have you infiltrate an exclusive party being held on the Alianso Cartel's leader Armando Marín's private party yacht. Photos and cross-referenced intel suggest that Senator Moss's daughter will attend this party as Armando's personal companion. A Russian gang affiliate, Aleksandr Ogievich, will also be in attendance, a gang member who's connected to a massive human trafficking ring in Central Asia. Aleksandr has a personal affinity for ladies of the night…" 

She paused, though her continuing hand motions implied she was raking through her mind for the appropriate verbiage. Your face softened in realization, though a sense of duty washed over you, willing you to override any emotion. It's just business. You're just a cog. 

"Your task is to infiltrate the gathering posing as a Russian escort named Olga Abakumov," She dropped several pieces of stapled paper on your lap, with pictures of your face aligned with the foreign name, along with citizenship documentation and even a birth certificate. 

"I'm still not seeing how my skillset falls into this category," You breathed, though as the words slipped from your mouth, you realized your transgression. Laswell was your superior by far, and you were in no position to question her authority. She must have seen your face change and chosen not to chew you out as she was postured like she was planning to. 

"Your multilingualism will make it possible to communicate fluently in Russian posing as someone who's lived in Saint Petersburg her whole life," Laswell tapped her finger on your faux birth certificate, "while also being able to identify when key Spanish intel is being shared, and to listen in accordingly. Additionally, Miss Moss speaks English. If we can mark her as being at the scene, you can communicate to her the exfil strategy, and we can effectively get her out of Cartel territory."

You nodded dutifully, feeling surging waves of blooming heat and piercing cold cross your cheeks as you considered her words.

"If a situation arises where you can get Miss Moss alone, her parents have a very particular nickname, 'Squink,' that they call her by, along with a hand motion," Laswell signed a hug across her chest, making an X shape with her forearms. "Communicating these messages to her will let her know that you know her family and are an ally. However, you cannot communicate this to her unless you have definite approval from 141 of exfil, as you can't risk uncovering your position."

Continued nodding followed, and you blinked rapidly as you digested her orders. You continued rerunning Squink and the hand motion in your mind like you had done with countless textbook definitions throughout training, forging them into a lasting memory. Laswell took a moment to breathe, and a softness fell over her tone, though you ensured your outer appearance betrayed no emotion of distress. You were due to be stationed alone in the company of gang members and a violent cartel, each famous for their affinity for transporting young women. It was a genre of terror that you were confident almost none of your comrades could empathize with, though something made you feel like Laswell was an exception. In the end, your other teammates were more than comfortable with putting their lives on the line, often taking a bullet or a knife to the thigh in the name of their cause- even if they didn't understand the end game of their plan. Now, it was your obligation to do the same. But something heavy still sat on your conscience nonetheless. 

"We'll be outfitting you with cameras and microphones so we can listen in to every utterance," by the way she spoke, you half expected her to pull you into a hug. "141 will be following in tow in a dingy, ready to infiltrate at a moment's notice. The Coast Guard will also be pursuing with a mothership prepared to drop helicopters in on your location. We also have the support of a small but mighty Mexican Special Forces team."

You tried to swallow the new lump that caught in your throat. The night you indulged in your own bed, slightly wine-drunk and comfy, were precious hours this precious girl had spent in evil's grasp. It made you sick and slightly lightheaded, feeling sticky sweat pool in your palms. You needed to get this girl. She must be terrified. So alone, so confused. You had to sweep these emotions from your mind; for the best chance of saving this woman, you had to eliminate all feelings and handle the task objectively. The emotions can take hold after she's on home soil. 

"Understood," you responded plainly, nodding stiffly and meeting her eyes as to communicate your lack of discomfort. 

"Even then, we have no reason to believe they'll even leave the dock. Despite owning a multi-million dollar yacht, Mister Marín doesn't seem fond of the ocean." She added, a grin pulling at her cheek, seemingly relieved by your reciprocation. 

An uneasy silence fell over the cabin, leaving you to watch the wind wash over curling blue waves from your view out the window. The cabin seemed to feel less small after she relayed the mission to you, like you finally had the opportunity to take in what was around you. A dun-coloured interior of a small but surprisingly modern plane, your pilot seated in the front sitting like a mannequin in his seat, his bulky headset making his silhouette visible from your view of the back of his headrest. At least you had a more thorough understanding of what to expect, and there was no use in worrying about things you couldn't control… yet. You had no right to display any uneasiness about your role when there's a girl out there who's been plucked from her prom trip into the grasp of depravity she could have no capacity of understanding. 

"Did you hear I got a promotion?" You huffed, trying to lighten the stiffening aura in the cabin.

"Yes, you received our bouquet, no?" She responded, not looking up from her work. 

"It was beautiful. Thank you."

At that moment, yesterday's instance clicked into recognition. She had sent that bouquet, Rhino, all of it. Of course she did. It was all scripted and manicured to make any eyes on you now that you're a hot commodity look the other way. A pang of disappointment surged through you; how foolish you were for thinking an old comrade would genuinely want to visit you. With the speed at which your paperwork returned and your rapid promotion, it all makes sense. Doubt subsided as pride rose in your chest. You swung in the big leagues and hit the ball, at least. Didn't kill the umpire or something. That's a win. 

It seemed like no time had passed, occupied by your thoughts and recollecting the fine details of a Saint Petersburg girl's accent. Before you knew it, the proud redwoods of California had been replaced with slick palm fronds. Judging by the fact that the ocean had never left your side for the whole flight, you gathered that you must be landing on the west coast of Mexico, somewhere in south Baja. The landing strip you were aimed towards manifested into view through thick foliage, spotting a handful of people awaiting your landing. 

A team of armed soldiers stood in wait under the roof of a small hangar, a distant tank cruising by on the dirt road in the distance. The air was humid, thick and sticky, blurring the horizon of the tarmac in a hazy heat. Everything from the sky to the foliage to the dirt was so much more vibrant, and the rich smell of recent rainfall filled your sinuses. Two men stepped forward, one with pale brown hair and darting eyes, another with an easy smile and a sloping forehead. 

"Ah, Sergeant Grant. I hear they call you Cricket," a tall man said with a smooth Mexican accent, waltzing toward you with upturned palms. "My name is Alejandro, and my comrade here is Rudy," he gestured to the other figure in his shadow. 

The title of sergeant still read as foreign when it came before your name, and you mindlessly nodded in response, creasing your lips into a smile and accepting his gruff handshake. His handshake was surprisingly gentle, like he was scared to hurt you with his grip. In the motion, you spotted the proud Mexican flag on his shoulder in the exchange. This is the Mexican Special Forces Laswell mentioned.

"Awfully quiet for a linguist," Alejandro teased, patting your shoulder with a gloved palm. 

"That's a first," the familiar voice of Soap piped up from behind you, rounding the corner from behind the plane. 

Responding to Soap with a cheeky smile and a huff, you returned to Alejandro after swallowing your nerves. The rest of the pack of familiar teammates emerged, calmly striding to your position. They were all fully armed to the teeth in their armour and uniforms, Ghost resting a silky black rifle over his forearms. Ghost must be a sadist to wear that dark mask in this sticky humidity, whatever he's hiding under there couldn't be worth all that trouble- or maybe that's just what he wants you to think. Though Price's hat was shielding his eyes from the harsh afternoon sunlight, he still squinted against its brightness, which Soap concurred. However, Gaz seemed more than comfortable in the searing heat, he almost looked like he could be a tourist if it weren't for the straps and plating of full body armour.  

"I'm just refreshing my mind with the Saint Petersburg accent," You responded dutifully, a half-truth. "I'm eager to get started." In reality, your mind spun with the gravity of the mission, having never been the person infiltrating but always the person listening in. You had the skills, training, and combat experience, but it still piqued your nerves in a way no Chinese nuclear warhead plot could. 

"Good, Good, Good…" He trailed off, clicking his tongue contentedly as he casually paced away, striking up a conversation with Ghost. 

Laswell flicked her papers in a follow me motion, guiding you to a sleek white camper van with the words Honeymoon Tours plastered on its side in swirling calligraphy. The door squealed as you stepped into the crisp air conditioning, finding Graves typing at a clunky laptop at the fold-out table. He didn't even look up to greet you, though it was obvious that he was aware of your proximity.

"Kate, Julian will be expecting her at 16:00, let's get Grant in her fixins." Graves sighed, finally rising and clicking on a projector screen with a detailed map, the legend on the side designating who goes where. 

His choice of words got under your skin, creating that lightheaded feeling in your fingertips as you considered your role. After taking a long swig of water from a canteen, Laswell stepped into view, pointing at the grainy projected image with her stack of papers. 

"You'll be placed with Julian, the Dolly Manager on Armundo's ship… He gets the girls ready." She flickered her eyes over to you; though her tone might not have said it, her eyes betrayed her stoicism. "Julian is an ally, he'll take care of you. He'll keep several pairs of eyes on you throughout the night…" Another pause. "We have an outfit set for you, it's in there. You can change in the bathroom." Laswell gestured to the master bedroom at the back of the van. 

You smiled dutifully, nodding and kicking your heels to turn down the narrow hallway, subconsciously following the exact dutiful compliance as when you were at the pinning ceremony. Laswell's words did nothing to dissuade your whirling mind from humming with trepidation, and you knew that she knew that. After all, on the last mission, Laswell promised you wouldn't see combat, yet you'd been forced to draw your firearm at least four separate times. What truly solidified your resolve was the knowledge that a senator's innocent daughter is likely confused, scared, and hopeless. Flickering thoughts of what might have happened to her since her capture are quickly extinguished so as not to soften your heart. Kindness and compassion aren't what will save this girl from the grip of evil men; it's willing your mind to become a cold, impenetrable machine.

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Master List

[kuwdora]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💕💗

(Sending this back your way because I didn't see if you already answered! 💖)

hellooo to this ancient ask from months ago! Which I'm pinging @she-who-drank-vodka-with-cats who also sent me this ask recently. Anyway most of this is Witcher fic but not all!

Ouroboros - Vilgefortz/Geralt but mostly Vilgefortz. 20k. TWN but blended the fuck into everything else. What else can I say that I haven’t nattered about in my tag already. It has art history and porn, dark shit, unnecessary Vilgefortz backstory, lots and metaphor and symbolism. Illusions and inverting moments from book scenes and going on tangents might have actually come together by the end of the fic.

Stories we tell, memories we share and the words we hold dear - TWN. Geralt/Jaskier, post canon, 28k. Aka the story I rewrote 3 times and is soft old men in love and probably the thing I'm most proud of in addition to it being my favorite. Romance and acts of service, disabled characters. With too much worldbuilding. Poetry and storytelling and lots and lots more nostalgia, softness, and puns. Geralt loves Jaskier and Jaskier loves Geralt.

Heart Tap - TWN, Leshen Eskel/Geralt. More a character study but still quite slashy. I really really love this story and need to write more of this series. I’m still obsessed with the idea of a witcher turned into a monster and losing his mind and trying to figure out who he is now and how he fits in at Kaer Morhen and if he can still even be a witcher. And Eskel likely being able to see between different worlds/canons. Just really exploring his memory issues and identity. Also tree sex with Geralt, okay. I started it for the tree nonsense and everything else just happened. Non-witcher fic: Dawn of the Dithyramb, Greek Mythology. Apollo/Dionysus. Humor/crack/porn. ~4k words. It’s been a billion years since I wrote this but I’m still quite fond of this silly horniness with Greek gods, playing with structure and it’s very fun and smutty and silly.

rejocing in virility, Satan/Beezlebub. John Milton’s Paradise Lost. 458 words. Poetry. A handjob in mid-air and me running with Milton's way of using catalog for pornographic effect. This was in fact for a class assignment and my professor read it aloud to my class and no one really listened closely enough to understand their professor was reciting a santanic handjob to them. Truly a pinnacle classroom experience for me.

[spookyshipperfics]

Vacancy

Find it: a03 / Fandom: The X-Files / Rating: Explicit

Tagging: @today-in-fic

What is it About? On the way to a case, Scully and Mulder lose their battle against the rain and have to spend the night at the Bates Motel. Smuttiness ensues.

Read a Sample: They’d been driving for hours. The rain and silence had slowly increased. Thick, heavy droplets covered the windshield, smearing with each swipe of the wipers. They still had another two hours until Portland, Oregon, where local law enforcement was expecting their expertise on an unusual disappearance.

Mulder chanced a glance to his right. Scully sat rigid and alert, her fingers gripping the side of the door. They had hydroplaned a few miles back, and she hadn’t quite recovered. He had the urge to place his hand on her thigh, but he resisted.

They were in a relationship now. Well, he supposed they’d always been committed to each other, but it had recently crossed into romantic territory. Now, he had touched her and kissed her and made her moan his name. They talked about it just enough to put rules in place. The biggest being it couldn’t affect work. That meant no goodnight kisses on the job and boundaries as thick as the motel walls that separated them at night.

A deep far away place in his mind wondered if it was also Scully’s way of not getting sick of him. They were together all the time. Most couples—if he could even indulge in that word—didn’t work together too. They didn’t lock eyes with a corpse between them on Monday afternoons. They didn’t draw guns and pray the dangerous suspect wouldn’t fire back. They certainly didn’t spend hours sorting through files filled with monsters and ghosts and accounts of extraterrestrial encounters.

But they did.

Mulder would never get sick of her, though. He delighted in her company, and he wanted her all the time. The fact he knew what it was like to be with her only made it more challenging. It was easier to bury his desires when they were still platonic partners, just like it was easier to resist putting his hand on her thigh before he knew how it felt.

The windshield wipers thumping dragged him from his thoughts. The darkness around them was overwhelming. Tall spruces and pine trees had been their only company for long stretches of slippery road. The rain was heavy, blurry, disorientating. Cell phone service was spotty. It was a disaster in the making, but so wasn’t everything they did.

“Mulder.” Her voice was soft and quiet, but the tone carried weight. He’d learned to read her so well over the years that the simple utterance of his name was a full sentence, a paragraph, an entire novel.

He nodded. “We need to get off the road.”

It was the last thing said between them before they pulled into the gravel parking lot. The neon sign beckoned them like moths to a light. The rain beat down on the car with metallic pings that mimicked bullets.

“Looks like it’s our lucky day,” he announced. Parking the car, he peered up at the looming motel sign.

Bates Motel beamed back at them, and underneath that one simple word: Vacancy.

Want more? Find it on a03

[billcharts]

Weekly BillCharts Top 50 - 2023 Week 5

It's a big week for tie-in songs, as both the most recent episode of The Last of Us and Studio Ghibli's Only Yesterday run away with the top 2 by a solid margin. Plus, Caroline Polachek and Crying debut new songs in the Top 10. More info after the break.

Long Long Time by Linda Ronstadt blasts to the top with a whopping 89-play debut entirely fueled by the tearjerking romance between Bill and Frank. Tagging in at the runner-up position is Ai Wa Hana, Kimi Wa Sono Tane by Harumi Miyako, a japanese cover of The Rose by Amanda McBroom which featured in the credits of Studio Ghibli's Only Yesterday. It notched a solid 56 plays.

PRIZM's 10/10 slides 1-3 this week despite having double the plays of its #1 debut last week. Ethel Cain's Sun Bleached Flies continues its absurd Top 5 run as it slides 3-4, notching a 15th consecutive week in the top 10. This makes it tied for the 2nd longest run in the top 10 of the weekly charts' 6 year tenure.

Caroline Polachek's Welcome To My Island rounds out the top 5, giving the former Chairlift singer a new peak on the BillCharts. Her previous peak was her feature on Christine and the Queens' La vita nuova, which peaked at #6. Speaking of number 6, There Was A Door by Crying debuts at this position, the first top 10 hit for the band since 2021.

Rounding out the top 10, Push & Shove from Omori vaults back 42-7, Deadlock by Go! Child rebounds 25-8, Tinashe and MAKJ's Save Room For Us rises 20-9, and Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners makes a return to the top 10 as it rises 13-10.

Outside the top 10, Christine and the Queens makes a comeback with two songs from his 2014 album Chaleur humaine, with iT returning at #13 and Christine returning at #46. Love To Hate Me by AJ Marks climbs 31-14 this week, and Studio Ghibli notches two more Top 25 hits as Yumi Arai's Rouge no Dengon debuts at #16, and Joe Hisiashi's An Unusual Painting rises 39-22 this week. Both songs were featured in the soundtrack of their 1989 movie Kiki's Delivery Service.

Below is the full Top 50.

(★) (1) (-) Linda Ronstadt - Long Long Time (Peak: #1) (Weeks: 1) (★) (2) (-) Harumi Miyako - Ai Wa Hana, Kimi Wa Sono Tane (Peak: #2) (Weeks: 1) (▼) (3) (1) PRIZM - 10/10 (Peak: #1) (Weeks: 2) (▼) (4) (3) Ethel Cain - Sun Bleached Flies (Peak: #1) (Weeks: 15) (★) (5) (-) Caroline Polachek - Welcome To My Island (Peak: #5) (Weeks: 1) (★) (6) (-) Crying - There Was A Door (Peak: #6) (Weeks: 1) (▲) (7) (42) OMORI Sound Team, Pedro Silva - Push & Shove (Peak: #6) (Weeks: 3) (▲) (8) (25) Go! Child - Deadlock (Peak: #2) (Weeks: 10) (▲) (9) (20) Tinashe, MAKJ - Save Room For Us (Peak: #9) (Weeks: 3) (▲) (10) (13) Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen (Peak: #5) (Weeks: 3) (▼) (11) (4) Novo Amor - Anchor (Peak: #1) (Weeks: 3) (▼) (12) (11) Serena Ryder, William Prince - River Of Tears (Peak: #4) (Weeks: 4) (RE) (13) (-) Christine and the Queens - iT (Peak: #7) (Weeks: 2) (▲) (14) (31) AJ Marks - Love To Hate Me (Peak: #14) (Weeks: 3) (▼) (15) (2) Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again (Peak: #2) (Weeks: 3) (●) (16) (-) Yumi Arai - Rouge no Dengon (Peak: #16) (Weeks: 1) (▼) (17) (7) Steve Lacy - Bad Habit (Peak: #7) (Weeks: 2) (▼) (18) (9) Pigeons Playing Ping Pong - Su Casa (Peak: #1) (Weeks: 5) (▲) (19) (22) Tsuyomi - Return Trip (Peak: #13) (Weeks: 4) (▲) (20) (36) Hirokazu Ando, Jun Ishikawa, Shinji Yoshimura - Miracle Matter (Peak: #3) (Weeks: 5) (▼) (21) (8) Weird Al - Your Horoscope For Today (Peak: #8) (Weeks: 2) (▲) (22) (39) Joe Hisaishi - An Unusual Painting (Peak: #22) (Weeks: 3) (▲) (23) (27) MIKE - Swoosh 23 (Peak: #10) (Weeks: 7) (▼) (24) (17) Ethel Cain - Strangers (Peak: #10) (Weeks: 4) (▼) (25) (21) redveil - diving board (Peak: #5) (Weeks: 5) (=) (26) (26) Earl Sweatshirt - Titanic (Peak: #10) (Weeks: 5) (▲) (27) (29) OMORI Sound Team, bo en - Tussle Among Trees (Peak: #20) (Weeks: 4) (▼) (28) (6) Fall Out Boy - Love From The Other Side (Peak: #6) (Weeks: 3) (▼) (29) (14) Unknown Mortal Orchestra - From The Sun (Peak: #14) (Weeks: 3) (▼) (30) (15) Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (Peak: #4) (Weeks: 3) (▲) (31) (44) M83 - Oceans Niagara (Peak: #31) (Weeks: 3) (▲) (32) (46) Tennis - Let's Make A Mistake Tonight (Peak: #32) (Weeks: 3) (▲) (33) (45) Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero (Peak: #33) (Weeks: 2) (▼) (34) (10) Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child (Peak: #10) (Weeks: 7) (▼) (35) (5) Mariah Carey ft. Miguel - #Beautiful (Peak: #5) (Weeks: 5) (▼) (36) (33) Angus & Julia Stone - Blue (Peak: #1) (Weeks: 4) (▲) (37) (49) The Chainsmokers ft. Cheyenne Giles - Make Me Feel (Peak: #37) (Weeks: 3) (▲) (38) (48) OMORI Sound Team, Jami Lynne - Three Bar Logos (Peak: #11) (Weeks: 4) (▲) (39) (47) MIKE - No Curse Lifted (rivers of love) (Peak: #3) (Weeks: 6) (RE) (40) (-) OMORI Sound Team, Pedro Silva, Jami Lynne - Lost, Then Found! (Peak: #40) (Weeks: 3) (▼) (41) (12) Spoon - Wild (Peak: #12) (Weeks: 3) (▼) (42) (19) Soul Glo - Gold Chain Punk (whogonbeatmyass?) (Peak: #9) (Weeks: 9) (▼) (43) (16) fun. ft. Janelle Monáe - We Are Young (Peak: #8) (Weeks: 3) (▼) (44) (40) Brittany Davis - Pink Flowers (Peak: #40) (Weeks: 2) (▼) (45) (24) MIKE ft. Sister Nancy - Stop Worry! (Peak: #7) (Weeks: 10) (RE) (46) (-) Christine and the Queens - Christine (Peak: #5) (Weeks: 9) (▼) (47) (34) MIKE ft. King Carter - Concrète (Peak: #27) (Weeks: 6) (▼) (48) (37) Zach Bryan - Something In The Orange (Peak: #17) (Weeks: 4) (▼) (49) (43) Big Thief - Simulation Swarm (Peak: #24) (Weeks: 5) (RE) (50) (-) Angel Olsen - All The Good Times (Peak: #8) (Weeks: 3)

[pingtreesystemssoftware]

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[freessnvalidator]

Don't Get Scammed: Use Free SSN Checkers Online 2024

You're worried that someone might be misusing your Social Security number, but don't want to pay for a monitoring service. We get it. Times are tough and money doesn't grow on trees. The good news is there are free online tools to check if your SSN is being used by someone else. In this article, we explain what SSN checker are, recommend the best free websites to use, and give tips to stay protected. You learn how to quickly verify no one's committing fraud in your name and sleep better at night. We know identity theft is scary, but we'll hold your hand through the process. Read on to put your worries to bed!

Beware of SSN Scams - Don't Get Duped

Be very wary of unsolicited calls, emails or mail claiming there's a problem with your Social Security number (SSN) or account. Scammers frequently pose as government officials to try and trick people into revealing sensitive details or sending money. These scams, known as SSN fraud, have become more common and sophisticated.

Never provide your SSN, bank account number or credit card information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly regarding an alleged issue with your SSN or benefits. Legitimate Social Security employees will not ask for this type of information.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) will not suspend or cancel your SSN. They will contact you by postal mail if there are any issues regarding your benefits or payments. You can also check for any messages from them by logging into your online Social Security account.

Some warning signs of SSN fraud include:

Threats to cancel your SSN or benefits if you don't provide information or payment.

The best way to avoid becoming a victim of SSN fraud is through vigilance and verification. Never provide sensitive data or send money/payments to anyone who contacts you out of the blue about an alleged issue with your Social Security number or benefits.

When in doubt, contact Social Security directly to confirm the legitimacy of the message before taking any action.

Staying aware and cautious can help prevent you from getting duped by these malicious scams.

What Is a Social Security Number Validator?

A social security number validator is a free online tool you can use to check if a social security number (SSN) is valid. These services use algorithms to verify that the number follows the correct format for an SSN and isn't on the Social Security Administrations list of numbers that have been issued.

Using an SSN validator is important to avoid fraud and identity theft. Unfortunately, scammers often make up or use stolen SSNs to open credit cards, file for loans, or claim government benefits in someone else name. An SSN checker can help prevent you from becoming a victim of fraud by verifying that the number belongs to a real person. When you enter an SSN into a validator, it will check if the number has the proper 3-2-4 format. The first three digits are the "area number" that indicates which state the number was issued in. The middle two digits are the "group number", and the last four digits are the "serial number". The validator will also check if the SSN falls within the range of numbers assigned for that area.

In addition to format and range checks, SSN validators ping government databases to ensure the number isn't listed as deceased or hasn't been used for identity theft. Some of the more advanced paid services also check if the SSN is associated with someone who has a criminal record or if it's on the credit bureaus' list of stolen identities.

Top 3 Free Online Tools to Validate SSN

Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS) The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers a free Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS) on their website. All you need to do is enter the Social Security number (SSN) you want to check and the SSA will verify if it's valid or not.

They verify numbers for several reasons, including:

Preventing fraud by ensuring the SSN is not being misused Verify Social Security Number (Verify SSN) Verify Social Security Number is another trusted and free website for checking if an SSN is genuine. Just enter the number you want to validate on their website and they will instantly check their database to confirm if it's real or fake.

Like SSNVS, Verify SSN will not disclose any personal information related to the Social Security number. They just provide a simple validation result to let you know you're dealing with a valid SSN or if it seems suspicious. This can help prevent identity theft and fraud.

Instant Social Security Number Lookup

The Instant Social Security Number Lookup tool allows you to enter an SSN to verify if it's legitimate or not. In just seconds, they will search their extensive database of nearly every SSN issued in the U.S. to check if the number you entered is authentic.

They also offer additional reports beyond just the validation result, such as:

Estimating the age or location associated with the SSN For a quick, free SSN validation, these three tools can give you the peace of mind you need to avoid fraud and ensure you're dealing with a real Social Security number.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Do's and Don't When Validating Social Security Numbers When using a free SSN validation service, there are a few best practices to keep in mind. Following these recommendations can help ensure you get accurate results and protect sensitive data. What exactly is SSN validation?

SSN validation refers to verifying that a social security number is authentic and belongs to a real person. There are free online services that allow you to enter an SSN and check that is legitimate.

Why should I validate SSNs?

There are a few good reasons to validate social security numbers: Avoid fraud. SSNs are commonly targeted for identity theft and fraud. By validating SSNs, you can ensure you have the correct number for someone and that no one else is using it illegally.

[dolphin-tours-virginia-beach]

Top 5 Best Things to do in Virginia Beach 2024

If you’re going on vacation in Virginia Beach in 2024 it’s good to have some insight from a local (born and raised) like myself to give you some help into the best places to go and things to do so you don’t waste precious time and money on trial and error! If you’re like me when I go on vacation or when I’m just enjoying home in Virginia Beach I want a blend of good food, relaxation and some adventure! In this list of the top 5 best things to do in Virginia Beach in 2024 I will show you how to make wonderful vacation memories and get you the most bang for your buck (and your time). Get ready to live the life in Virginia Beach!

1. Go on a Guided Kayak Dolphin Tour! There are only a couple of companies that offer this extra special experience where you paddle through the natural habitat of wild bottlenose dolphins in the calm water of the Lynnhaven Bay and Chesapeake Bay! GoKayak! Paddle with a Porpoise! is an industry leader in guided kayak dolphin tours with expert local guides that know the best routes to find wildlife and give you all of the details of the local history, ecosystem and the dolphins!

2. Eat at Watermans Surfside Grill!

This is by far the best restaurant in Virginia Beach. Locally owned and operated for multiple generations and situated right on the Atlantic ocean on 5th street. The only thing that beats the view is the extremely fresh, perfectly prepared seafood and the exceptional staff. This probably won’t be the last time you get recommended Waterman’s before you end up there and it may quickly become your go-to for great food and service while you’re in Virginia Beach. You’ll be happy you went!

3. Go to First Landing State Park!

First Landing State Park is a stone’s throw away from the action at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront but once you’re there you’ll feel like you’re miles away. With over 19 miles of trails and 3,000 acres of maritime forest it’s easy to get away from it all and truly connect to nature. There are multiple entrances to First Landing State Park and the closest one to the oceanfront is on 64th street. There are multiple bodies of water that surround First Landing which are Linkhorn Bay, The Narrows, Broad Bay, Long Creek and The Chesapeake Bay. First Landing State Park is a great way to see another side of Virginia Beach that’s just outside the action of the boardwalk.

4. Go to The Shack!

The Shack is one of the most unique and fun places to hang out in the evening you’ll ever come across. Located on 7th and Atlantic The Shack is an outdoor bar with food trucks that’s like a big luxurious backyard feeling. Lush flowers and palm trees surround the property with string lights overhead and great music. Then there’s the yard games like cornhole, bocci ball and ping pong! As the evening goes on it’s gonna be party time under the stars with a famous fresh squeezed drink in your hand! The Shack is a must do for an awesome night out! https://www.theshackvb.com

5. Rent Bicycles and cruise The Boardwalk!

Live like the locals and ride bikes all around the boardwalk area of Virginia Beach. Biking is the best way to get around and see all of the different parts of the 40 block, 2 1/2 mile long boardwalk. From 1st street where Rudee inlet is to 40th street you’ll take in the people watching and cruise along with an ocean view! The best part is you can stop along the way and grab a drink and a snack to sample the different selections along the way! If you want a leisurely adventure where you can see and do a lot in a short amount of time do what the locals do and cruise a bike up and down the Virginia Beach Oceanfront!

Well that sums up my Top 5 Best Things to do in Virginia Beach 2024! Now get out there and make the most of your vacation in Virginia Beach with your family. You’ve got the inside scoop from a true local! You can thank me later 😉💪🏼!

Love, Bryan!