#This makes me all the happier An An Lee’s skin in the event is for free

[thesoulsofthedarned]

Ok so I decided to pull on the new 6 star selector

I chose to pull for An An Lee and Centurion. I’ve been waiting for a couple weeks and managed to save 98 wishes. Here’s what I got:

Bro I was so sad I lost to Jessica at first. Of all the standard 6 stars I could’ve lost to, it really had to be one of the ones I don’t really care about that much. Yeah, I know she’s the best plant dps in the game right now but… why couldn’t it be Medicine Pocket? Why couldn’t it be Melania? Why couldn’t it be A Knight?? I knew my win streak was bound to end soon, but man I wish it was to someone I like more.

Thankfully, after doing a couple more pulls I finally got An An Lee! She’s by far one of my favorite characters in Reverse right now. Everything from her designs, to her voice, to her attack animations are just incredible. I was fortunate enough to raise her to Insight 2 lvl 30, but unfortunate enough to only be able to raise her resonance to lvl 4. Considering how tilting resonance farming can be, its gonna take a while to raise it up.

I also got Kanjira, I was really happy to get her since she was one of the characters who got me to start playing Reverse in the first place. She’s cute, she’s got a tiny cobra, her animations also look really cool, especially her burst. Sadly I can’t level her up because An An Lee has left me broke. I’ll definitely do it soon though.

Overall, despite losing at first, I’m happy :)

[wordsvomit101]

1. The funeral

(2 weeks after the death of Mr and Mrs Lee)

"It's raining," Minhyeok stood there, his eyes fixed on the people who were leaving. He couldn't help but ponder over their departure.

It was pouring rain, with each droplet hitting the ground creating a soft thud. He felt that the weather was fitting for the occasion. The sound of the raindrops filled his ears, creating a peaceful atmosphere that served as a sort of cool-down after the events of the day. It had been quiet and dreadful, with a heavy cloud of sadness looming over everyone. It was as if the rain was a reflection of their collective sorrow, slowly washing away the remnants of the day. Despite the dreariness of the weather, there was something calming and soothing about it all. The sound of the rain, combined with the emptiness of the streets, made him feel as though the world had come to a standstill, just for a moment.

The funeral had just ended five minutes ago, and the guests had finished paying their respects to the deceased and exchanging mourning. They were now leaving and heading back home.

"There is not much food or wine to delay them further anyway" 

He walked over to the violet-haired girl in the room and looked at the last person still remaining before the two portraits, eyes red and hollow, unnervingly so. His heart clenched as he remembered the once-brightly grinning girl who jokingly accepted his childish proposal, a face, and memory that seemed far too distant at this point.

"It doesn't fit her... no, she wasn't supposed to lose them" Her parents, her smile, her happiness, he knew there were more but it hurt to think more of what was lost that day. 

He's grateful that his parents would assist Raon in obtaining her parents' death certificates and managing other complex matters following the funeral. It would be tedious, he was quite sure. However, the fact that he couldn't do much more for Raon besides holding and comforting her is upsetting, it doesn't sit right with his skin. He doesn't know why he was praised for getting Raon out of that house that day, as much as he likes compliments, it felt empty that time, even more so when he saw Raon's passed out later.

He noticed the girl's slight movement in his embrace before he realized that his shoulder was damp with tears.

"She used to be a loud crier" 

He was aware of her tendency to throw tantrums when she got frustrated. Sometimes, offering her snacks could calm her down, but if that didn't work, she would cry even louder. Once, he had helped her parents calm her down for three hours when one of her favorite toys went missing. But now, her hiccups were barely audible, and her pained whine sounded like someone being choked. Her chest heaved painfully and uncontrollably. However, she calmed down a little when he gently ran his hands in a circular motion on her back. 

"..."

It would have been silence if it wasn't for her sniffling and slow breathing.

"..."

"..."

"I miss them already" She let out a sudden, quivering voice, her head still nestled in the safety of his shoulder.

"... Me too" 

"I want to eat Mom's Galbi Jjim"

"Yeah, she always makes it less spicy than the usual recipe for you"

"I want to show Dad my last semester grades"

"Your math improved a lot, I bet he would brag about it to my old man afterward"

"They promised to take me to Japan on New Year... They said it was Shiga Agricultural Park in Hino City"

"I heard the view there was great, they did told us they used to have a date there"

They keep talking like that for a while, Raon will say what she wants and Minhyeok will answer her, letting her relive in a happier time of the past that won't come back. He thinks he heard his parents and brother talking outside the room at some point, but they left them be. 

He had to relocate Raon to a more comfortable position to lean on the wall but never stopped listening and answering her rambles. They stayed like that, with her buried on his shoulder and him comforting her with his arms, and talked for an hour until...

"I want to kill the bastard that killed them" She said softly, eyes distant.

"..."

He was supposed to be surprised but... he can't, he knows he wouldn't be different if it were his parents or his brother. He's not as forgiving and "mature" as most people give him credit for. 

He softly breathes in the rain scent from outside the window, letting it ease his bones and sag him down the wall beside her. He thought about it when Raon quietly waited for him to answer her. 

"... Then no one will find out your secret from me"

He doesn't know if it is the right answer but the girl leaning on his shoulder seems to be relaxed enough to pass out to sleep. He should carry her back to her room in his home, but his legs don't seem to move nor does his arms. He only sits there and watches the rain that slowly lessen over time. 

It was a strangely mind-numbingly boring and calming activity, usually, he would rather swing his baseball bat or run around the park to think more clearly after. This doesn't feel so bad.

"..."

He turned to look at the two portraits again. They each depicted the faces of a confidently smiling, beautiful man and a handsome woman with fierce eyes. It feels like they're expecting something from him, to swear a promise, and give out his loyalty to the girl sleeping next to him. He can't hear them saying "Look after our silly daughter" anymore but he likes to think he is correct in his understanding this time at least.

He bows twice in the direction of the portraits, there is a burning in his veins and a sting in his slightly red eyes when he does it. Then, quietly, almost like a whisper, he said:

"Me and my family will keep her safe, Mr and Mrs Lee"

The exhaustion must have get to him if he think they seem pleased for a moment.

"I believe peace will wait for you two in the afterlife"

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

End notes:

Galbi-jjim (braised beef short ribs) is one of the most popular Korean dishes. It’s made with beef short ribs and is often prepared for special occasions.

[gavinsdeviant]

{Masterlist}

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Gavinsdeviant Redacted character matchup event [closed, but will be reopened eventually] If you wanna see more updates, please go check the tag gavinsdeviant matchup event!

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[the-witty-pen-name]

The Nanny Pt. 3

Lee Bodecker x Nanny!F!Reader

18+

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: alcohol/drinking, food, corrupt cop, mentions of prostitution/smut, implied age gap (reader is in her 20s), cursing, mentions of serial killers/murder, mutual pining, 

Summary:

Based on this Request: The reader moves to Meade/Knockemstiff while answering an advertisement for a nanny in the paper. We learn that the ad was posted by Sandy, who has the reader watch her child whenever she and Carl leave to do their secret thing. After one of these trips, Sandy and her husband never return, so the reader is left caring for their baby. With the new investigation into these events, she meets Sandy’s brother Lee, the older, out of shape, alcoholic bachelor, and they are suddenly thrown into each others lives as he begins looking into his sister’s disappearance. Through it all, Lee starts to fall for her, and they slowly become a family.

A/N: I got inspired re-watching one of my favorite shows and I want to know if anyone else gets the reference I’m using! If I missed anything I should include as a warning that I missed please let me know! This is also unedited!

Taglist Form is in my bio!

Series Masterlist

Your shoulders tensed listening to the radio in the morning. Sitting on your ottoman, you were painting your nails, using the coffee table as your nail station. It was a really bright morning, and you had the curtains pulled open to draw in light. Julie frantically rushed between her room and the bathroom getting ready for her shift at the diner. The newest single from The Beach Boys was playing through the little counter top radio, but at the top of the hour, the melodies playing through the speaker changed to the news. The top story of the morning was chilling.

“Jules,” you said, calling her over hesitantly, putting the cap back on the bottle of polish. “Come listen to this.”

She scurried out of her room while working to tie her apron in the back, and then she stood next to where you sat to listen to the story on the news. The color drained from her face as you both listened to the reporter describe the horrific scene that was under investigation early this morning.

Roy Laferty was an evangelical preacher whose body washed up by the lake very early that same morning. The news report talked about the police investigation, and also disclosed his wife Helen, is also reported missing. They are looking into the disappearance of Helen, as well as opening a full investigation on Laferty’s murder. They also urge individuals with any information regarding the two to call the Sheriff’s department and to provide a statement.

“That’s horrifying,” you mumble, shocked as you try to process the news. Julie nods in agreement but strangely doesn’t seem nearly as affected by the news as you.

“It’s happening again,” she mutters, obviously concerned but her lack of surprise worries you.

“What do you mean again?” you ask.

“There was a string of unexplained murders, all men, like this newest one,” Julie explained, “This was all over the news like two years ago- can’t believe you hadn’t heard about it.” All you could do was shrug; this was all new to you. “Obviously, there was nothing linking their deaths, but there were these five killings a couple of years ago that are still unsolved. There’s no evidence, but the town rumors it was like a serial killer or something. Nothing is confirmed, of course, just a story.”

“What makes people think it was all the same person?” you ask, hesitantly.

“All the people were always the same type,” she shrugs, “Men all in their 20s and 30s. Again, there’s nothing linking them all together. It’s just talk.”

You clicked off the radio, and didn’t know what to do with yourself. Julie patted your shoulder, comfortingly but she had to go on with her day. So did you, and you almost her ability to move about the apartment almost unfazed by the news. You suppose it makes sense, her growing up here she’s probably used to it. You didn’t have the experience or the thick skin she had.

You had decided to go to the library, still preoccupied by the news segment as well as the things Julie had told you about the Sheriff. You spent the better half of the morning looking at the library’s archives of old newspapers. You wanted to read more about the unsolved cases Julie had told you about, so there you sat for several hours looking through the microfilm reader. You even stumbled upon articles that featured the Sheriff.

There he was plain as day on the front page when it was announced he had won the election the first time he ran several years back. You couldn’t help but notice the changes in his appearance and demeanor compared to the man you keep running into. He was a little slimmer, and he looked a lot happier, a little fuller of life, you decided was a good way to explain it. His smile was wider, and you could see the difference in his eyes as well. It was seeing how he was before the stress of the job began to take its heavy toll. He had on the same leather jacket as well, you were fairly certain, even though the one in the photograph hung a little looser.

You continued to skim through articles, piecing your way through the history of Knockemstiff. Little articles in black and white that persevered the history of this dark little town. You were beginning to realize this backwater town was a lot more tangled and complex than you originally believed. It was a tangled history, riddled with crime and unclosed cases, that people seem to have either forgotten or choose to ignore for their own sake. Your mind wandered back to the things Julie had told you about the Sheriff and him being corrupt. You wonder how much of what you read about linked back to him. Though you imagine if he has any sort of political connection, which a man like him must have, the things he was involved in probably didn’t even make it into the paper. The thought made you physically shiver.

You put the large leather portfolios of archives you took and put them back into their proper place on the self chronologically. You grabbed your sweater from the back of your chair, and pushed the chair back into place. Looking up at the clock on the wall, it was only just one in the afternoon. You decided to head down to the diner and grab a bite, and also visit Julie during her second shift. It was a short walk from the library to the diner. Everywhere felt like a short walk here, probably because everything in downtown was not much bigger than a few blocks. The majority of people lived far from the center of town, on their own land and farms.

The little bell on the door rang when you stepped in and Julie waved at you from behind the counter and pointed for you to grab an empty table in her section. You put your bag on the table and took a seat. It was a fairly busy time, most people who worked at the surrounding businesses coming in for their lunch break. Julie brought you over a coffee and then said she’d be back to chat when she got to take her five.

Lee hadn’t been able to go home since the phone call. The symptoms of his hangover were worsening and he was growing more irritable. His five o’clock shadow was still evident on his tired face and his head was pounding. He tried his best to just power through it but the sound of anyone trying to talk to him just made his ears ring.

After leaving the scene, he had to stop by his office and then he was on the phone for the better part of an hour fielding calls from frantic citizens not only of Knockemstiff but also Meade, where Laferty was from. Despite how horribly he felt, he tried his best to keep his temper level and just reassure people he had things under control. He was losing his patience.

He opened up his desk drawer and grabbed his bottle of asprin. Empty. He threw it into the small waste bin and got up abruptly grabbing his jacket off the hook and storming out. He didn’t tell anyone he was leaving and he didn’t care. It was a short walk to the drugstore from the station and he wouldn’t be five minutes. He just needed to do something to stop his head from hurting.

“Afternoon, Sheriff,” the pharmacist greeted when he walked in. He nodded his head upwards briefly to reply without having to talk. He just needed to get in and out. She went back to whatever she was working on when he came in, and he browsed the aisles for what he needed. After paying and walking out, he glanced in the direction of the diner when he was crossing the street. There you were, again. Sitting alone and chatting with the waitress that was refilling your coffee.

He let out a heavy sigh, and then continued walking. He didn’t want you to see him like this, hungover, unshaved, wrinkled uniform and heavy undereye bags from his lack of sleep. You looked- well, Lee thought you were the prettiest thing he’s seen in a while, maybe ever. There was something about you he couldn’t pinpoint. Maybe it was just because you weren’t from here. You were a fresh face, and not ruined by this town. There was a sweetness and an innocence in how you talked to him, because you didn’t know him like the rest of people here did. He liked that.

Even when he left the station for the day, he couldn’t even go home yet. He had a meeting at the bar with one of Brown’s lackeys. He was just supposed to collect his cut so he couldn’t imagine it would take long, but he was still annoyed. Stepping into the bar he looked around as he took off his hat. It was a little more crowded tonight then when he was here last. The red curtain was closed and his eyes lingered there for a moment before directing his attention to the man he recognized who was waving him over.

“Sheriff,” the man greets and Lee slides into the booth across from him.

“Hayward,” he replies. Without even needing to order, the bartender comes over bringing them a bottle of scotch and two glasses.

“You ever go back there?” Hayward asks, watching as a girl came out and brought a man behind the curtain who had been waiting at the bar.

“No,” Lee scoffs.

“They are amazing,” Hayward says, almost giddy. Lee feels sympathy towards the poor woman who had to take care of him. Lee doesn’t acknowledge the statement and just empties his glass and begins to pour himself a second.

“So, my cut?” Lee asks. Hayward frowns and goes into the breast pocket of his sports coat and pulls out an envelope of cash.

“You aren’t getting full,” the man says when Lee cocks a brow at the thinness of the envelope.

“Still?” Lee asks, pissed. Hayward nods. Lee’s jaw clenches.

“You didn’t keep things tidy on your end,” Hayward reminds him, “You got one job. Keep the cops out of our territory. We had two cruisers drive through last week. The only reason you’re getting anything at all is cause you managed to keep your people off us when we did the exchange with Deckard’s crew.”

The man finishes his drink, and then slaps the empty glass on the table. He pulls out his own envelope, which is much thicker than Lee’s and drops down more than enough for the drinks. He chuckles condescendingly and tells the Sheriff to get a dance. Fuck that. Lee takes the extra money and plans to just put it right in his pocket and go home. He finishes his third scotch and suddenly his headache was back. He felt worse than he did earlier today.

“What can I do for you, Sheriff?” a feminine voice asks, making him break his line of thought. He looks to his side and he recognizes her as one of the girls he sees bringing men to the back room, behind the velvet curtain. He shakes his head, and instead of leaving him alone, she slides into the booth next to him. Her hand grazes over his thigh. “You seem awful tense, Sheriff,” she says and then bites her lip.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t tempted. He knows she doesn’t actually want him, and it’s just an attempt to get him to spend money in the backroom. If he doesn’t focus his already hazing vision, maybe she could vaguely remind him of you. He can’t do it, but he wants to. Her hand moves up his leg and he pulls away. He adjusts his pants and she shrugs.

“Maybe next time then,” she winks before walking away. He rests his head back on the vinyl seat and sighs. He grabs his hat and jacket, leaving before he changes his mind. “Ask for Cherry when you come in, yeah?” she calls when he walks out.

You are just everywhere. You’re in his head and he doesn’t even know you. He needs to sleep, desperately, and part of him in the back of his mind hopes you’ll be there. When he wakes up, he doesn’t remember.

“Have you heard about the Church fundraiser coming up?” Julie asks. You shake your head. “It’s a pretty big deal here. Everyone participates.”

“What is it?” you ask, kicking off your slippers so you can sit crisscross on the couch.

“Bid-On-A-Basket,” she says casually, like it’s the most obvious thing.

“Never heard of it,” you reply, “It sounds fun. What is it?”

“All us single gals put together a picnic basket with everything for a lunch,” she explains, “and then all the eligible bachelors bid on the basket and a date with the girl who made it. Last year, the dreamiest guy, Bill Whittier, bought mine- it’s so fun. Me and Bill didn’t work out but it was a good time.”

“I don’t know anyone here,” you say hesitantly.

“Perfect way to get a date then,” she teases. You bite your lip. You aren’t sure about this.

“And what if some creep is the highest bidder?” you counter.

“You get a bad date story for your next date?” she poses. “Please,” she begs, “It’s for a good cause, all the money this year is going to help the Sunday school.”

“What if no one bids on it?” You rebut.

“Look at yourself,” she scoffs, “you’ll get bids. Trust me.” You roll your eyes.

“I’ll think about it,” you say finally. She smirks, completely planning to wear you down.

“Remember it’s for the kids,” she reasons, “It wouldn’t hurt to go and participate.”

“I said I’ll think about it,” you laugh.

Time passes and soon enough you get another call from Sandy, and you are suddenly back to taking care of Valerie. You had missed her, a lot actually. You definitely have gotten attached to her, and you think you’ve grown on her too. Sandy was vague this time for how long they’d be gone, but since the previous time went so smoothly, you didn’t worry about it.

About a week after Sandy and Carl left this time, there was another disturbing news report. You were sitting on the floor, changing Valerie and you had the television playing softly in the background. The news told the story of another body, this time found in the woods off of the highway. You finish changing the baby and hold her close, her little chin resting on your shoulder as you watch the news story. It was just like Julie had talked about. Another man, thirty years old. He was shot and his body abandoned. You jump at the knock at the front door.

You peep through the curtains, and you see the Sheriff waiting on the front porch. You wonder if he knows you’re there. Part of you almost wishes he knows it you here and he wanted to see you. It’s incredibly stupid on your part and you know better, but nonetheless, part of you hoped he came here for you. Very stupid. With Valerie on your hip, you open the door.

“I’m sorry, darling,” he says walking into the house. He stops in front of you and presses a kiss to Valerie’s forehead and she squeals happily seeing Lee. You close the door with your foot. “May I?” he asks, and opens his arms. You agree, based on Valerie’s reactions to him whenever she sees him. He takes her in his arms, and she starts playing with his tie. He loosens it so she can play with it and not choke him.

“What can I do for you, Sheriff?” you ask. He reacts in a way in a way you can’t really read, but you don’t press.

His mind just goes back to the woman a couple weeks back in the brothel who asked him the same thing, and that his mind immediately had gone to you. He just clears his throat and snaps himself out of that thought process.

“Um, I just came by to see Sandy,” he says, “But I can fathom a guess that she’s not here?”

“Excellent deduction,” you joke, and he smirks. Valerie has his tie in her mouth and is covering it in drool. He doesn’t even seem to care.

“Are you okay?” he asks, and you nod. “You looked a little scared when you answered.”

“Just watching the news before you showed up is all,” you explain, “They were talking about how there was another man found dead.”

“Ain’t got nothing to worry about,” he says, “We’re on top of it. I’m on my way over there now.”

“Can I ask you something?” you ask hesitantly.

“Of course, darling.”

“My friend, you probably know her- Julie Grady.”

“Yeah, nice kid,” he says, listening but gently pulling his tie from Valerie’s grasp. She starts playing with the flap of the pocket of his jacket.

Kid. You almost grimace. That’s right. Of course, Lee would view someone your age that way. You weren’t. You chastise yourself for even caring, but you decide to continue. You shouldn’t care how he sees you.

“Yeah- well, she told me there have been others,” you continue, “I also read up about it, just the newspapers at the library- but she said people thought it was some kind of serial killer… I just, I want to know what you think.”

“I don’t think know,” he answers honestly, a little taken aback, not expecting you to approach him with something this serious. “I doubt it,” he explains, “Serial killers stay close to home. Now those cases you read about, and these two we are looking at- they sound close together but logistically, they aren’t really. Two of those unsolved were in completely different states- just like this new one.”

“So, no traveling serial killer?” you chuckle, trying to sound lighthearted. He chuckles and shakes his head.

“Most people like that stay in one area,” Lee explains, “They work jobs, they have a home, you know? They tend to stay near where they live.”

“That makes me feel much better,” you answer honestly.

“You got nothing to worry about, and that’s a promise,” he grins, although he supposes coming from him that probably doesn’t mean much. Regardless, it makes you smile.

“Are you sure I can’t get you anything?” you offer again. He bites his lip, taking a moment to think.

“Sandy keeps a bag of candy in her cabinet,” he says, walking into the kitchen with you following close behind. He passes Valerie off to you and he chuckles under his breath at the state of his tie. He reaches up in the cabinet and pulls down a brown paper bag, filled with taffies and chocolates.

Something about this man who has a whole time scared of him playing with his niece and then stealing sweets from the cupboard is something you find so strangely endearing. He unwraps one of the brightly colored taffies and then puts the bag in his pocket.

“I gotta go,” he announces, “let me know if you hear from Sandy, yeah?”

“Of course,” you reply.

“Gonna head out to that scene, and do my report,” he discloses, not really sure why he’s telling you. “Then I have a meeting at the rectory about that fundraiser thing. Figure out security.”

“They need security at Bid-On-A-Basket?” you ask, with an eyebrow raised. He smiles.

“You going?” he asks, flirtatiously.

“Just seems weird to have police at a Church thing.”

“There’s been stupid fights,” he shrugs, “some guy will get outbid and cause a fuss. Nothing serious. Probably just gonna be me and a deputy in case. You going?”

“I don’t know, maybe,” you say sheepishly. “Why?”

He walks towards the front door, and you follow seeing him out.

“Cause I gotta know if I’ll be bidding on a basket,” he winks.

“You gonna start a fight if you don’t win it?” you joke.

“If it’s yours? Absolutely, darling.”

Taglist:

@adelaide-walker @thedepressolit @samanthadegaro @pyronack @greeneyedblondie44  @acciosiriusblack  @weenersoldierr @teenagemutant @witchybarb @iraot @my-love-darling @hold-me-like-a-heart-beat @swiftieandthewintersoldier @letsfly-andbe-free @rebekahdawkins @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan @hersilencedscreams @unsaltedalmonds @dangerdolns @vintagepigeon @bluebouquetcupcake29 @goslytherin @captainofallfandoms @buckistan @aynanasstuff @everything-is-all-clear @rosalynshields @tinynshykitten​ 

[into-the-daniverse]

Whirlwind | Camia, Jamil, & Leon

Because I can’t write a soft fluffy fic without immediately following it with an angsty fic, this explores Camia and Jamil realizing just how powerful Leon is, during the time before they received the vial that hangs around their neck in present day. The former two are around 21 here, and Leon is 19.

This takes place shortly after the events of All These Things That I’ve Done and Show Me What I’m Looking For.

Title: Whirlwind by JOSEPH 2.3k words

Not long after Rosabella’s wedding in Venterre, Camia, Jamil, and Leon all set off to travel again. This time, it wasn’t because they had to, but they wanted to. There were so many things they had seen and experienced over the past few years, that they wanted more, and they wanted to go together. They were heading through the desert to reach the Infinite Bazaar, the older two promising Leon that there were a great number of things they would find interesting there.

Camia wasn’t exactly sure what had changed between Leon and Jamil during the wedding—though she certainly had her guesses—but whatever it was seemed to make Leon happier, so she was happy watching them. She thought they were starting to finally feel secure around them, but she didn’t know the depth of the insecurities and troubles that lay just beneath the surface of their smile.

One night, as they traveled, she woke up shivering, which shocked her enough to sit straight up, feeling around for the blanket she had been sleeping with. But what she felt instead was wind whipping around the tent, almost strong enough to rip it off the ground, and she heard whimpering coming from her side, where Leon was sleeping.

They were curled up into a tight, painful looking ball, arms wrapped around themself, breathing ragged. She leaned closer to them, hearing them murmuring under their breath, but when she tried to wake them, touching their shoulder gently, they flinched, and lashed out towards her. She managed to duck just as a gust of wind flew past her head, cutting through the fabric of the tent, and a moment later Jamil entered the tent from where he had been standing guard outside.

He looked between them both, dark eyebrows knit together as the wind almost pushed him a step back. “What’s happening?” he asked, voice raised.

“I don’t know,” Camia said, but as the wind took her voice away, she repeated herself, almost screaming. “I don’t know!”

Jamil winced as sand started whirling around them, but started to move towards Leon, reaching one hand out to them. “Lee! Leon, wake up!”

Camia could see their mouth moving, still mumbling something, but she couldn’t hear them—at least, until Jamil’s hand touched their ankle, and then they screamed like he had burned them.

“No!”

Both Camia and Jamil’s hands flew to cover their ears, and as the wind picked up even more, the tent was ripped away, barely hanging onto one post. They fell to their knees to keep from being blown back, but it was getting harder and harder to stay close to Leon, where the wind was the strongest, Leon’s hair twisting around them in the air like ribbon.

Leon was no longer curled up, instead they thrashed on the ground, fighting off something or someone that neither Camia nor Jamil could see. Camia was sure they were still asleep, but had no idea what they were dreaming of, or how she could help. Before she had time to think of anything, Jamil tried, fighting against the wind, to grab hold of Leon again and keep them still, his hands on their shoulders.

“Wake up!”

Again, they screamed, voice breaking in a sob, struggling against him. Camia felt the wind start to pick up so much that the sand cut into her skin as it flew by, but Leon didn’t wake up. Instead, they continued to yell, bracing to lash out at Jamil like they had at her. “Let go of me, please, please, just, let go of me—"

A flash of red knocked both Camia and Jamil far from Leon, just as a blast of air went over their heads, something that would have killed them if it had landed.

Struggling to catch their breath from having it knocked out of them in addition to the vortex of wind that was now encircling Leon, Jamil and Camia looked up into the eyes of Fiasharya, Leon’s familiar. She had a clawed foot pressed to each of their chests, not to threaten them, but to keep them in place.

“Fish, what’s going on?” Camia cried, trying to sit up.

Fish shook her head, feathers ruffling in the wind. My baby is having a nightmare. A very, very bad one.

“And that’s causing the wind?”

Jamil glanced between them. “What are you talking about, what is she saying?”

The nightmare isn’t causing the wind, my baby is. He can’t control it like this, his magic. It’s too strong.

Unable to sit up against Fish’s weight, Camia peered over her to see Leon’s vortex start lifting them off the ground. “They’re going to get hurt—is there nothing we can do?”

We have to wait for him to wake up. Once he’s awake, I can take some of the magic away, but it would hurt him otherwise.

Jamil grunted, pushing Fish off of him. “I’m going to get them—”

Another wave of sand and wind pushed him right back down, and Camia reached out to him. “You can’t, we have to wait for them to wake up!”

“But you said they’re going to get hurt—”

Fish leaned into Jamil’s face, and Camia could tell by the way he winced that he could finally hear her voice in his head. If you try to get any closer, my baby is going to kill you.

“Wh-what?”

It wouldn’t be the first time his magic has killed someone, but it would break him if he hurt you. Stay back.

Jamil and Camia fell silent, staring wide-eyed at each other. Camia knew Leon’s magic was strong, she felt it every day, had felt it for years now, and she felt it even more when they first met and fought, but this was different. The growing power of the wind was almost taking the breath from her lungs, and the sand was still sharp against her skin.

A wail pulled all of their attention back to Leon, who was clutching at their head, floating far above them. “No—stop it—I-I don’t want this, I don’t want to do this—” Their eyes opened, flashing white, tears falling down their face, and they reached out with one hand towards where Jamil and Camia lay on the ground. “Fish,” they sobbed, “help me!”

In an instant, she was by their side, powerful wings breaking through the whirling wind, and they wrapped their arms around her as she slowly lowered them to the ground, the wind dying away. The white light in Leon’s eyes faded out, leaving behind their dark irises Camia and Jamil were used to, and tears as they cried, holding onto Fish tightly. She rested her head on their shoulder, trilling comforts into their ears.

Once the wind was completely gone, Jamil and Camia got up from the sand, running over to Leon.

Jamil got to them first, and Camia watched as he went to reach out to them but hesitated, his hand staying by his side. “Are you alright?”

Leon gasped, pulling away from Fish. “You—oh no.” They looked terrified, and before the next words were even out of their mouth, Camia knew why. “Did I hurt you? I—I didn’t mean to, fuck, I—”

“We’re okay, Lee,” Camia said, trying to keep her voice calm, though she was still shaken by the feeling of having her breath taken away, and her skin stung. But… she remembered, too well, the fear that ran through their veins. She slowly took their hand in hers, and they flinched, but didn’t pull away. “You didn’t hurt us.”

Jamil took their other hand, running his thumb over the back of it. “What was that?”

Leon hesitated. When Fish gently nudged their head, they sighed, voice shaking. “A really… really bad memory.”

“A memory?” Camia glanced at Jamil, who looked just as concerned as she felt.

They nodded, pulling their hands back to wrap their arms around themself. “From, um, before. You know…” their eyebrows furrowed together. “In Gekko.”

“What… what happened, Leon?”

Shaking their head, they curled up even tighter. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“But—”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” As the words left them, Leon seemed shocked by their own volume, and buried their head in their arms, hair blanketing their shoulders. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Camia frowned, gently wrapping her arms around them in a loose hug, and Jamil joined her on their other side. “You don’t need to apologize. You don’t have to tell us anything if you don’t want to. We just want to help you.”

“Why,” they whispered, “why do you want to help me when all I can do is—is hurt?”

“That’s not true,” she said, a bit more forcefully than she meant, but it worked in getting their attention. “We want to help you because we care about you, Lee. And your magic, it doesn’t make you a bad person for having it.”

“But I can’t control it. And the next time I can’t control it, what if I—” they shuddered. “What if I kill you? Either of you, I—I don’t want to do that.” Before Camia or Jamil could say anything against that, Leon muttered something under their breath that Camia hoped she had misheard.

“What did you say?” Jamil asked, and they all pulled back enough for Leon to lift their head up, cheeks soaked. They were quiet for a long time, but the other two waited. Leon rubbed at their eyes, wiping away tears, staring out at nothing with an empty look on their face.

“I said… You should just kill me.”

Jamil took in a sharp breath. “Leon—!”

“Or leave me out here, maybe, maybe I could survive on my own again or maybe I’d just die, but who cares, it’d be better for everyone that way—”

“No.” Camia took Leon by their shoulders, forcing them to turn towards her. “No, we’re not going to do either of those things. And besides… I know that’s not really what you want anyway.”

Leon shook their head, trying to break away from her, but she held on tightly to them. “You don’t know that. I want—I want to not hurt you, I want you both to stay safe and happy and that doesn’t include me, it just can’t—”

“It does,” Jamil said, his arms wrapping around their middle as he pulled them against his chest, his voice breaking. “It does include you, Lee.”

A choked sob escaped them, but they still argued. “Even if I—if I do stay, what about my magic, what if this happens again?”

Camia cupped their face in her hands, feeling like she was looking at herself from half her life ago. “We’re going to help you. We’ll figure out some way to handle it, but we’ll do it together. Okay?” She wiped away a tear as it fell from their eyes. “Leon, I love you. I’ll never kill you or leave you behind—you are my friend, my family, and as much as you want us happy and safe, that’s what I want for you.”

Leon whined, even more tears starting to flow again, but before they could speak, Jamil did, his voice muffled by their hair. “I love you too, Leon, I—I know I can’t help much with magic, with finding a solution, but I’m never going to leave you. These past few years—” He cut himself off, and Camia knew he was crying, his shoulders shaking.

“These past few years,” she continued, “we have loved you and getting to know you, and neither of us can imagine our lives without you anymore. If you truly, honestly, want to leave, we won’t… won’t stop you. But we don’t want you to go anywhere if we can’t come with you.” She tucked a strand of their hair behind their ear, watching their lip wobble. “What do you want, Lee?”

“…You.” They paused, struggling to catch their breath, one hand resting over Jamil’s arms, the other reaching out to Camia. She took it, squeezing it gently. “I want to stay with you. I don’t—” their voice broke, “—don’t want to be alone again.”

“Okay,” she whispered, shifting close enough to let them lay their head against her shoulder, her arms wrapping around them and hands resting on Jamil. “Okay.”

The three of them sat, holding onto each other, Leon’s quiet sobs and Fish’s gentle trilling the only noises they could hear in the desert night. The sky had just started to lighten by the time Leon calmed down, though they didn’t move away from the other two, holding onto them tightly. Clearing their throat, Leon bit their bottom lip sheepishly.

“…I ruined the tent, didn’t I?”

Camia laughed through her nose. “It’s certainly seen better days.” Before Leon could apologize, she continued. “But if we leave at dawn, we’ll make it to the Bazaar by mid-afternoon, and we can always get a new one there.”

“Or… maybe, stay somewhere with a bed?”

Jamil hummed, pressing a kiss to Leon’s shoulder. “I think that can be arranged.”

A small smile tugged at their lips, and they felt around for Jamil and Camia’s hands to hold in theirs again. “I… I love you. Both of you. Thank you.”

Camia rested her forehead against theirs as Jamil kissed the back of their hand, and the three of them slowly laid down in the sand, their blankets and bed rolls long forgotten. Camia knew they would regret it in a few hours, but she couldn’t bring herself to mention it, as Leon started to drift back to sleep, their eyes red and puffy, but a smile still on their face. Jamil was just as tired, his arms still around Leon’s waist, and he kept them close to him as his eyes closed.

Fish cooed from next to Camia, and she turned slightly to look at the bird. Her red eyes had never looked more kind, more gentle, and Camia swore she was even smiling.

I’ll keep watch. Sleep, please.

Nodding, Camia turned back, resting her head against Leon’s, and as she faded into sleep, heard Fish’s voice in her head one more time.

Thank you for loving my baby.

[delicatewerewolfsoul]

Praise Me - Lee Felix

–pairing: lee felix x reader

–genre: fluff, strangers to lovers, school au

–word count: 2,1k

– summary: what happens when reader stumbles upon a beautiful person singing?

– @districtninewriters writer’s room, inspired by bar’s quote (@yyxgin) in her fic sweet night :

“ I wish you sang more, I like your voice”

You find yourself scrolling through the empty hall of the third store of the school for the third time this week. It was exam week and you were desperate for a quiet place to study. The halls around the actual classes and the wards outside were too chaotic and stressful for you to actually be able to relax and be able to concentrate easier, and since the third floor was actually almost always empty, since most of the classes were downstairs, it remained empty for the most part of the day so it perfect for studying. You pass all the empty classrooms and take a seat at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the rooftop. You put your open book at the stairs and open your drink to sip it as your eyes take in the material in front of you. You still had time till that test but you felt it was better to finish studying the materials quickly to have more time for more difficult subjects. 

How long will this continuing routine of studying keep going? You think as you finish studying the first half of what you had to learn. It was the student's duty to learn what the teacher said like the back of their hand, but what would happen if you didn’t learn the way it is in books? What if you took a step back and actually thought before consuming everything? You sign, putting your back against the wall of the building, taking a look outside of the big windows of the halls. Too many thoughts on your head, but you decide it’s not worth putting energy in them, deciding on finishing your school life peacefully. 

A faint voice, coming from across the hall, breaks you out of your thoughts. A sweet, yet deep, musculine melodic voice was coming  from somewhere, pulling you in. Curious about it, you stand up to investigate. You’ve never heard that beautiful voice before in the music events the school heard before, who was that person, singing so beautifully?

You slowly approach towards the open doors of the classrooms, coming closer and closer to that sweet tune. You hear his sigh midday in his singing, he seems unconfident, and it’s making you frown. What is making him feel like that? His singing is wonderful and definitely worth praised for. You finally peek inside the room he’s into and you almost gasp.

A beautiful boy was sitting beside the window. His eyes were closed as he sang the song over and over again, obviously getting tired for the many times he practised the same thing, but still not satisfied by it. He looks too pretty for this world, sun falling nicely on his freckled skin, the slight wind browning his hair back slightly. You swore to yourself that there wasn’t a more beautiful sight as the one you had in front of your eyes. In your daze, you move your feet slightly and it accidentally hits the door, startling both you and the poor kid. You take a few steps back in panic at the fear of him catching you looking at him singing and you run, you run to hide back at the same stairs you were hiding before. You put your back against the wall again letting out a breath as you put your hand on your fast beating heart. What did just happen?

“ Do you mayhaps know who he is?” you say pointing to the boy that was currently leaning on his friend's shoulder, covering his mouth as he was laughing hard at something someone told him. Hyunjin turns around and smiles as he spots him. “That is Felix actually, one of the popular kids, why?” he says putting their head on his hands, very interested in your very sudden interest towards the well known sunny boy.

“Do you know what club he’s in?” you say, your attention still on Felix, as he is now asking something, his friend and you smile slightly, as you swear you notice stars in his eyes. “Volleyball” he says and they raise his one eyebrow in question. “What’s with all these questions y/n, please tell me” he says and you sigh and you put your chin on the table in front of you. “You know… I caught him singing yesterday” you say and he gasps. “you caught Lee Felix singing? When?”

Startled by the volume of his voice, you put your hand on his mouth to sush him panicked. “Not that loud! From your reaction, I’m guessing people don’t know about this” you sigh as you lean back, “anyways, it was yesterday, while I was studying in the third store”. “His voice was truly amazing but I think he wasn’t really confident about it” you sigh thinking about all the times he gasped in between his singing, frowning. 

“The real question is… Does he know you heard him?” Hyunjin wonders and you flinch at the memory of almost getting caught. “No he doesn’t… He almost caught me listening but I got away fast” you say and Hyunjin laughs at his awkward friend in front of him and it’s sudden interest in another human being.

“But I think I’ll reveal myself today… I want to actually compliment him, if i get to hear him again” you say and he nods his head smiling, happy with how everything is going. It felt like it was the best way to do this. No one knew what would come out of this new interaction, new friends or a love interest? Regardless of the outcome, a little compliment never killed anybody, maybe you’d be able to boost his confidence and then he’ll be able to bless everyone with his miraculous voice. All you had to do was take the first step and approach him.

Free period comes again and you can’t help how excited you were. You go up the stairs quickly with your books clutched to your chest, quickly plopping on your usual spot, with a big smile on your face. Was he going to sing today? What was the right thing to say to him without sounding weird? Deep on your thoughts again, you almost miss the soft singing, softer than last time and definitely more hesitant than yesterday. “He must be hesitant since what happened yesterday” you pout and you stand up, not missing any more minutes.

You approach him slowly and you spot him again in the same chair as yesterday, his back turned to you, as he sang the same song from yesterday.

“I wish you sang more, I like your voice” you say softly, without even thinking, the words are already out of your mouth. You gasp when you realise what you did putting your hand on your mouth and he turns around shocked, a light blush decorating his face. “I- I’m sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt you” you say putting your hands up, and your palms forward, clearly showing how flustered you are. You wait for a response, anything, that would show that you didn’t actually destroy the very important first meeting by speaking your mind without any filter beforehand. 

What you don’t expect him to do is to shyly smile at you, and rub the back of his neck “Really?” he says kinda high pitched, clearly not believing what you said. “Definitely, I was mesmerised yesterday… I would love to hear you sing again” you say smiling back at him, relieved that he didn’t actually think you were a weirdo. 

“I swear, I won’t bother you, I’ll just sit here silently and read” you say taking a seat close to him and he laughs finding your attinks cute.“I would really enjoy it if you joined my singing sessions, really, I would love to have someone here with me… Maybe then I’ll be able to sing live”. You didn’t talk more that day, you just simply stayed by his side, as he practiced his song over and over again, with a smile on your face because of how the vents turned out.

From that day on, you kept getting closer and closer to Felix. It became a routine to spend the free period in that empty classroom, next to him. Felix started becoming more confident with his singing, day by day, his voice getting more clear and strong around you and you couldn’t be happier. But with all of what’s happening, you notice some changes in the way he treats you as well. He became more sweet around you, he treated you more gently than his other friends, greeting you with a big smile in the busy halls between all these loud students. He brought drinks for you and even gave baked goods, and that made everyone confused, as to why he was taking so good care of you.

“y/n, what is this container?” Hyunjin laughs as you get into class struggling with holding your books and the big container Felix gave you. “These are brownies, Felix gave them to me” you say as you put the container on your desk, and your books in your bag. “This is weird, this is the third time this week that you have a container this big in your hands. First cookies, then cupcakes, now this, there’s no way this has no meaning behind it, he wants to tell you something” he says and his eyes land at the orange note stuck at the back of the container. “AH” he gasps “What is this?” he says as he takes the note as his hands and opens it:

“Dear y/n,

Inside this envelope is a ticket for the little concert the music club does at the end of the next week, I would be incredibly happy if you’ll be able to come

yours, Felix”

“This is it y/n, he’s going to confess!” says Hyunjin, waving the note above his hand. “Don’t be ridiculous, there’s no way” you say, feeling your heart starting to beat faster “he just wants me to be with him during an activity that he loves, that’s all” you say excited for the event.

You arrive at the event that Friday and you can’t wait for what’s about to happen. Since you never hang out with Felix outside of school, you don’t really know what to expect. You enter the room and Hyunjin waves at you, so you can come closer to him. 

“What are you doing here?” you whisper yell at him as you take a seat beside him. “I’m here to watch the show!” he said and you roll your eyes since you know he means you. “Anyways, your seat in the front, Felix told me, go sit there” he says and you obediently go and sit on the front, waiting for Felix to appear.

The show starts with no sign of Felix. You start feeling antsy, did he stand you up? You look at Hyunjin and he smiles at you, murmuring to you to be patient. A text for Felix appears, saying that he won’t be late and you sigh in relief, sinking back in your seat.

What you don’t expect is Felix to appear on the stage in front of you, dressed so elegantly, and beautiful you can’t help but gasp. “Hello, this is Lee Felix and I’ll sing a song about a very special person that helped me be more confident in myself and praised me whenever they could” he says, locking eye contact with you, giving you a sweet smile and you really can’t believe your eyes. Lee Felix, about to sing in front of a crowd. The boy that couldn’t even sign without his voice shaking of fear, being confident enough to do it. 

And he starts singing, and you feel your eyes watering, too many emotions from the beautiful voice that made you fall in love, for that boy that with a single glance, stole your heart. You feel yourself lost in the moment his voice taking you in, a single tear dropping from your eyes. As the song ends, he bows at the crowd and you stand up to clap at him, and the whole does as well.

“This song was actually made for y/n. I wanted to thank them for helping be more me and taking care of me” he says into the mic and gasp, not expecting to actually mention your name. He steps down from the stage and takes  delicately both of your hands in his and says “I don’t really know if this is okay, but will you date me?” he says looking hopeful in your eyes. In the back, you hear someone cheering, and you’re sure it’s Hyunjin.“Absolutely” you say and kiss his cheek, making him burst into giggles.

tagging: @fluffyskzclub

[thesaurus-lover]

Unshackled ~ feat. Mai & Ty Lee

back to atla my beloved <3 i love these two so much!! even though Azula herself had very valid personal problems, it's tragic that they got dragged into this friendship that ended up in her barely even treating them as such ):

synopsis: betraying the princess was not a pretty situation to be in; from false hope to resentment to accepting grueling fate, the fire capital prison's got it all for you.

cw: implied azula as a toxic friend, angst, though it does end on a positive note

word count: 2.4k

set after the events of Book 3's The Boiling Rock

I'm sure that despite the heavy metal hugging my wrists already having dulled and rusted, it'd still cut my skin if I pulled against it hard enough.

This is what it's like to be a prisoner, I guess.

The gondola lazily rolls towards the volcano's perimeter, the air up here scorching because of the lake below. Makes you wonder just how painful being boiled alive can be.

Which almost happened to Zuko.

I push the thought down. Stupid note or not, I don't regret saving his ass.

There's a grave sigh behind me. "Mai, I'm sorry."

I understand.

There's sincerity in my uncle's voice—something I haven't heard in a while. But I don't reply and instead keep my eyes trained out the glassless window.

The weight of what's happened feels like it's finally sinking in. I acted on impulse, and now there are consequences. It's a simple rule, really, one I've known since I was a kid. Except back then, I chose to behave, and everything went perfectly—as perfectly as it could when I was bored and lonely, at least.

I'm nudged in the foot. My body goes stiff, only for me to realize that it's just Ty Lee, who's also cuffed next to me.

I find her wide eyes from under my bangs. She always does this, making sure I don't leave a conversation hanging; now is one of the few times I listen to her.

"I understand," I say to Uncle, but keep my back to him. "We'll be held at Capital City Prison, not here, so there's nothing you can do about it. It's fine. I'll manage."

Less than an hour ago, he was tied up himself. Guards had piled onto the other gondola to retrieve him, while others brought Azula inside. While Ty Lee and I were forced to stay, she left with one last look at us.

Right now, I don't want to think about the hate that was in her eyes.

"I'll do whatever I can," Uncle says. "Your mother would kill me if she found out that I let the guards treat our girl like dirt."

It almost makes me want to smile. "Thanks."

The gondola arrives at the station. Uncle leads us out, and we take a rocky path down to the docking bay. An airship is there, but it wasn't the one we rode to the island.

"And just where is Princess Azula's airship?"

At the edge of the docks, two firebender soldiers stand in front of a short man full of muscle—the general who came with us here.

The first of the soldiers clutches his arm. Definitely bruised. "A few, uh, prisoners—they um, stole it, Sir."

Of course Zuko would have the audacity to steal an entire airship. Especially if it was his sister's.

Knowing that he's safe—and probably happier than I've ever been in a while—gives me a bit more room to breathe. Somehow, he and that Water Tribe boy looked like friends back there. Real friends. I don't know what the hell he has planned, but that alone makes me have faith in him. It's stupid, and I know I shouldn't... but I think that it's time I finally take stands that are worth fighting for.

Even from where I am, the general fumes visibly. "And you let them?"

"We, uh, we came late, Sir," the other guard answers. Two halves of a helmet sit cleanly sliced in his hands. "They fought us off—those three teenagers, two adults. One of them was a firebender, Sir. I think it was—"

"I'm well aware that the traitor prince was here!" the general snaps. He goes into an extended rant; I tune him out quickly.

Another constantly angry prick among the many.

Within moments, another official, old and gray, strides up to us. He bows to Uncle. "We'll be taking these prisoners now, Warden. Princess's or—"

"Yes, I know," Uncle sneers at him. "Give us a moment."

He nods at Ty Lee, and then turns to me. "Mai, you stay strong. You're both tough girls." He smiles at me. "You won't be in there for long."

Thank you.

He's bound to get a verbal beating from another higher-up soon. Losing the record for the country's most secure prison isn't exactly seen as forgivable.

As Uncle leaves, the official's face instantly drops into a scowl, and he prods us to enter the airship. I share a glance with Ty Lee, and side-by-side, we trudge up the ramp.

We're brought to one of the back rooms and chained to a pipe, forced to kneel on the scratchy metal.

Ugh, the entire trip? They just want an excuse to make us more look more pathetic.

"Psst, hey," one of our guards, assigned by the door, nudges his friend. I roll my eyes at his miserable attempt at being discreet. "Aren't those girls with the princess?"

"They betrayed her, I heard," the other answers, brushing off dirt from his armor. "That's why we're going back to the capital."

"No way. Seriously?"

"Oh yeah, seriously. Something 'bout helping the banished prince and chi blocking the princess herself."

"Man, the nerve. Did they even think? Even I took one look at the princess and knew not to cross her."

"Same here, dude."

Easy for you to assume that it's that simple when it's not your neck she's breathing down on.

Next to me, Ty Lee's cuffs jingle as she shifts, eyes cast down. A sigh nearly escapes me.

But you probably have it worse than me, huh?

We need real privacy as soon as possible. Ty Lee has to know that she didn't have to go down with me, right? She could've played it safe, as she always did, cozying right up to Azula's decisions. Hell, she could've stayed silent without being blamed for anything.

So why didn't she? There's no way I was actually worth taking that risk for.

～❀～

The hall is disgusting. Half the lanterns are broken, and the air smells like ash and TomTom's used diapers. I bet they haven't bothered to clean this stupid place in the past decade.

"Hurry now," the warden barks at us from behind, urging us forward. "Ex–best friends of the princess, huh? You must be so ashamed."

Uncle once mentioned that his name is Poon. It's a dumb name.

Ty Lee has her head down next to me, not seeming to mind the moss and bugs as much as I do.

"This door, right here," the warden says. "Get in."

One of the dirt-caked metal doors to my right is open. Inside, there are two chairs at opposite ends of a table—an interrogation room.

Wonderful.

I'm shoved hard in the back.

Ty Lee and I stumble into the room, my head snapping behind me with a glare. The instinct to reach for my knives only proves to be a pain when my hands are forced against my cuffs.

Ugh, whatever. They were all confiscated anyway.

"Have fun in this little waiting room," the warden says, pinning us back with his stinky gaze. "Your cells will be ready in a minute, don't you worry. We've been full on guests lately after that lousy excuse of an invasion force, so we had to cram you two in."

He turns to leave, but spits out one final thing: "You're lucky we didn't just dump traitors like you on a faraway island to rot."

The door slams on his way out, a loud click following to signify that it's locked. I scowl at the dusty chair in front of me but sit anyway. Ty Lee takes the other one.

It's quiet for a moment until she clicks her tongue. "You know," she says, "I'm pretty sure that girl I fought, the one with short hair, was cute ponytail guy's girlfriend. That kinda sucks."

She's beating the bush now, seriously?

"She seemed nice, though," she continues, pursing her lips. "And her aura was very green, empowering. Almost glowing, if I'm honest."

I grit my teeth. I don't have the patience to press on with this trash topic.

"I still think I could've beaten her." Ty Lee huffs. "If I had just—"

I throw my head back with a groan. "Can you stop?" I slap my hands onto the desk, shackles rattling. "Just—ugh, your puppy eyes make me sick, Ty Lee. Stop the dummy act already."

Because you don't need to keep it up anymore.

She shrinks. "Oh. Right." Sighing shakily, she looks down at her lap—at her own cuffed hands. "I just never thought that we'd, um... that things would get this bad, Mai."

Me neither. Despite everything, I never thought so either.

But I don't speak. She goes on: "We played Azula's games for so long. But it was all useless anyway. Because now—now we're in prison."

I'm sorry. All she put us through—you don't deserve any of it.

"I thought maybe she'd... that maybe she would finally understand." Her voice cracks. "That there are things important to us, too. After all this time, there's no way she still sees us as just... just pawns, right?"

I chuckle bitterly. Only Ty Lee ever tried to think that Azula could change. She grew up cruel and rabid—a splitting image of her father.

At my reaction, her frown reaches her eyes. "I know it's hard to believe, Mai, but I thought she was getting better!"

"Hard to believe?" I repeat drily. "Or plain impossible?"

"It was never impossible," she says, firmer than I expected.

I raise a brow to prod her on.

Ty Lee swallows, locking eyes with me. "At Ember Island," she says, each word ringing painfully clear, "Azula was vulnerable. I saw the girl who genuinely cared about us. I—I saw her, and she was hurting."

Her eyes well up as she continues to stare at me. A tear rolls down her cheek, and then another. Then the rest follow. But she only lets them streak, breathing heavily.

"It hurt to hurt her," she whispers. "Even after everything."

I don't admit that I feel the same way. "She's been going downhill for years," I say. "Let's face it. We lost our friend long ago."

Ty Lee sniffles. The pity on her face makes my stomach twist in ugly ways, but it'd be awful of me to blame her for it.

"I know we both had it bad, but..." I try to ignore the thick emotion in my own voice. "I've long been sick of holding on to the possibility that she'd end up choosing us over her goals."

This feeling, this—finally spitting out what's on my mind. It's addicting. I've only started, but I don't think I can stop.

"So seeing you be hopeful with her? It looked to me like you were wasting your time. And I—it just—when you did, it made me mad. Because I... I couldn't do that. I couldn't bear to make more room in me to care for her when it might mean nothing in the end."

"Mai—"

"Because I'm just not as kind as you, Ty Lee!" Without knowing it, I’ve raised my voice to fill the entire numb room.

I see Ty Lee, hunched over herself, eyes wide, and then I falter for a second. Part of me feels like it's stumbled, like I'm grasping at threads to keep standing. To still be able to make sense of things.

"I'm sorry," I say. "You really didn't have to choose me over her."

At this, her head snaps up. "Wha—what?"

"You could've saved yourself. You should have. And you—if you stayed by Azula, I don't think she would've blamed you for what I did."

"I—" She wipes a tear with the back of her hand, frowning. "Mai, did you think I'd ever abandon you?"

My lips tremble, but I grit my teeth to stay in-check. "If not for yourself, then for Azula. Surely you know I can still make it on my own. Unlike... not like her."

"No, it was... I think I made the obvious choice."

What?

I shake my head, slowly at first, until it's frantic. "No, I—no, what do you mean?"

"Now don't make me say it," she says meekly, but my lost stare makes her sigh. "It doesn't matter how much I wanted her to get better. I'm not even sure if staying with her would make much of a difference," she admits. "But I've always been sure of us, of you. Please don't underestimate how much I care about you."

"But look where we are now, Ty Lee—"

"I don't regret choosing you."

For a while, I'm silent again. I don't know how long it takes me to recollect my thoughts, but when I do, I say less than I thought I would.

"You're the one thing—the one person that I could count on this whole time." I avoid her eyes. "Thank you. I don't deserve you."

"Mai..." She reaches for my hands gently, albeit a bit awkwardly with the restraints. "You shouldn't think that you have to deserve someone to have them. I'll always be your friend, I promise."

There's a sudden clang to my left.

The door swings open to reveal the warden, making me roll my eyes. Behind him is a female guard with brown hair and soft features.

"Ready yourselves, girls," Warden Dumb-Dumb says, smirking. "Let's hope you spend your days behind bars reflecting on your mistakes like good kids." He turns sharply on his heel and saunters down the hall. "Take them to their cells!"

The lady steps forward. "Hi, girls." She smiles, surprising us with a bow. "I'm Ming. I'm sorry about Warden Poon. He's a real pain in the butt."

Ty Lee laughs a little. Her tear-stained face isn't addressed, which she's surely thankful for.

At least not everyone here is a birdbrain.

Ming nods at the open door. "Follow me. You'll be sharing one of the bigger cells with a few other girls. I hope that doesn't bother you too much."

Ty Lee beams, Ming's kindness re-sparking her, uh, sparkly aura or whatever. "Not at all!"

Nonetheless, this girl—she truly is my friend. At this point, I have no right to allow myself to doubt that.

Physically, we're here, where every surface is absolutely sickening, not even knowing if we'll ever be out of prison again. But Azula's shackles on us? They're gone. And if that's the case, I'd make the same decision I made in every lifetime.

[tellerford13]

MO ASTOR CHAPTER 44                                            

Disclaimer We don’t own the bikes, brothers, or any “related” Sons of Anarchy, trust us, if we did we wouldn’t have the time to write. No money is being made from our stories. So, please don’t sue. It’d be a fruitless endeavor indeed. That being said, Harley, Journee, and any other newbies are ours, and we don’t share. :Whispers in creepy voice: “My precious.”

The universe This reality is a mix of cannon, and our own ideas. We strive to keep the boys cannon, but since we will be shifting around some of the events, that will reflect in our writing and their personalities as well. It’s our goal to provide you with quality fiction, and solid, fleshed out OFC

We appreciate constructive criticism and love LOVE reviews, they are a writers life blood and definitely help encourage us and inspire us.

                                                          A/N: AND. WE’RE. BACK! We appreciate your patience, heading into the show require a wee bit more work on our end as well as dealing with some hard hits from the real world. All that being said, we’re hoping to be able to stick to our weekly postings. So HERE WE GO!                                                  MO CHAPTER 44

Jax

“Girls are still at yer old house,” Chibs explains, blowing smoke out from his cigarette.

“I’ll relieve the prospect after I stop by the hospital.”

“Going to see the lad?”

I wince under his censure. Chibs doesn’t have to say a word to get his point across.

Everything that needs to be said is visible in his eyes.

“Naw. Gonna set his mother straight.”

Chibs grunts.

“What?” I snap.

“I didnae say a word.” He shakes his head, takin a deep inhale.

“Yeah, ya don’t have to,” I mutter, spinning on my heels and taking off.

Clay’s just got finished giving me shit about Mom telling him I hadn’t seen Abel.

No one stops to consider it might be too much for me.

I’ve gotten so used to people leaving, I keep them at a distance.

I also have a lot of shit on my plate, and I can’t afford to drop the ball.

They want me to put the club first but don’t stop to look at what the cost might look like. I’d rather be dealing with the fucking Mayans than this family guilt trip shit.

Clay attempting to keep me in line by holding Abel’s hospital bills in my face was a low blow. But I’ve come to expect that shit from him.

There’s not enough time in the world to stop me from being furious with Wendy when I reach St. Thomas.

I’m glad Tara is nowhere to be seen.

I got my hands full with one crazy ex.

Wendy looks like death warmed over.

Ratty bleached out blonde hair, sallow skin, and dark circles that lend to her skeleton impression. What the fuck did I ever see in her?

Another lost soul who needed an anchor, so she didn’t drift off the deep end.

It worked for a time.

I should’ve ended it when it stopped, and she relapsed the second time, instead of ignoring her like she’d go away on her own.

She looks up and starts to cry when she sees me.

Stepping in, I ignore her hysterics.

I’ve grown immune to them.

“You need to get help, Wendy,” I say, trying to soften the irritation in my tone.

“I know, I know— But it’s not what you think. I was doing so good, Jax. I love my baby. Even with us being fucked up.” She shakes her head, wiping at imaginary tears.

“So the meth fairy shot you up?”

She looks down at the bed, and I tense.

Her lack of eye contact’s always been a tell-tail sign she’s hiding shit from me.

“Start talking now, Wendy.” I growl.

“I thought he loved me. That he didn’t care I was having your baby. I was wrong. All he wanted to talk about was you and the club. I didn’t tell him. I didn’t.” She shakes her head, speaking as if she’d forgotten I was even there.

Walking over, I grip her bedrail to keep from gripping her arms and shaking the answers out of her.

“And.” I ground out.  

“He forced me to shoot up Jax! H-He Said I was going to tell one way or the other!”

Well for Fuck’s sake!  

“Son of a bitch. What did you say to him, Wendy?”

She shakes her head.

“I- I don’t know. The doctor said Abel’s getting stronger. He said maybe they would fix his belly. Maybe tomorrow morning.” I shake my head at her attempt to change the topic.

Now I have to worry about what the Nords know on top of everything else.

“They’ll do everything they can.”

I won’t hope. That’s a dangerous thing I can’t afford to do right now.

“My lawyer said they might file criminal charges. Fetal abuse. I got stuff back at the house in the stash drawer.”

“Jesus Christ.” I scoff, shaking my head.

It never ends with this bitch.

“You expect me to bring it to you so you can get high too?” I growl.

“No, I told you…” She whines.

“I didn’t even want to do it, Jax. You have to believe me. Just if they find that shit, they’re gonna put me away.”

“Might be the only way you’ll get clean,” I state honestly.

Plus, her outta the picture might make all the women in my life a lot happier.

“You own the house, Jax. I’d hate to see this blowback on you.”

The truth of her statement dumps over me like a bucket of cold water.

“Yeah, of course.” I chuckle dryly.

Now there’s another fucking mess I gotta fucking clean up.

It never ends.

Fuck, I need to find the shit before the girls do. I don’t want them anywhere near that shit, let alone touching it.

“Jax, wait. Please, please, Jax!” Her whining falls on deaf ears as I leave the hospital behind and hit the road.

Pulling up into the driveway, I gesture for the grunt to leave as I enter the house that never felt like a home.

I watch briefly as the girls pitch things into garbage bags, spraying and scrubbing down furniture.

It hits me in the heart and the gut.

The three women I love most are here together, doing what they can to make this shit show more tolerable.

I clear my throat. “It’s almost midnight.”

They all stop, startled by my appearance before glancing up at me with tired expressions.

“The place is a goddamn pigsty.” Ma huffs, picking up all the clothes laying around.

“Cleaning was never her strong suit. But it didn’t look like this last time we were here.”

Mom glances over at me.

Sitting on the desk next to the half wall that separates the living room from the wall, I look over at the girls working in the kitchen and dining room.

“What are you doing here?” Mom asks, continuing her almost frantic cleaning.

“It’s my house,” I offer, pulling my riding gloves off.

“No, it’s your property. There’s a big difference,” J corrects walking into the living room with another trash bag.

Lee meets my gaze, studying me with those blue lasers that always see everything I want to hide.

I look away, unable to keep my secret in the face of her worry-filled expression.

“You know what I mean. I don’t want you to see it this way,” Ma says as she continues to straighten and organize.

It’s her way, always in action to run from her emotions.

“You guys don’t have to do this.” Guilt hits me.

They’re over here cleaning up the mess I made.

My stomach clenches.

“Look, we just want it livable,” Lee says walking into the living room with an empty hamper for the clothes.

Her words should be soothing, but that’s the last thing I want right now.

“I’ll buy some decent carpet. Cigarette burns are everywhere.” Mom mutters, continuing to pick up Wendy’s mess. “Mom.” I try to grab her attention, but she continues to mumble and clean.

“Make this shit-hole a home for your son.”

Something in me snaps at the mention of Abel.

“Mom, For chrissakes, stop cleaning!” I bark.

J steps in front of her.

“Oh hell no. You don’t get to talk to her like that! Not when we’re here helping your ass out. Trying to clean up the fucking trail of mess you left behind. Like always!”

I flinch.

“Jax.” Lee shakes her head.

The disapproval is visible in her blue sapphires.

“He’s not gonna make it.” I let my worries fly out of my mouth.

The girls gasp, circling around me.

Lee grabs my hand, squeezing tight.

“W-What are you talking about?” Mom asks.

“What happened?” Lee and Journee ask in that twin sync way they have.

I exhale and shake my head.

“He was born with half a stomach and a hole in his heart. He’s gonna die—.”

My head is rocked to the left, and my side is on fire from mom’s slap and baby sister’s wicked pinch.

I think the little bitch drew blood and broke the skin.

But it’s Lee letting go of my hand that hurts the most.

“Don’t you say that! You’re the only one this boy’s got! You don’t believe he’s gonna live, you might as well go and kill him yourself.” Mom snaps, glaring at me as she speaks her truth.

Turning from me, she walks over to the table and grabs the joint and lighter sitting in a bowl.

“I’m sorry.” She mumbles half-heartedly, lighting up the joint as I make my way towards her, cautiously.

My eyes catch Lee’s disappointed blues.

“You gotta go see him, Jax,” She says gently, stepping towards me.

Even through my pain, I hear Lee’s voice, but I can’t gather the guts yet to do what she’s asking me.

“I can’t.” I admit honestly.

“Why? Because he’ll break your heart? It’s called being a father,” Mom says, after blowing out her deep inhale.

I place my hand up on the half-wall, resting heavily against it.

“For how long? A day? A week?” I spit the words circling around my head out like poison.

Mom sighs, and nods to me to come take a seat with her.

I release my own sigh, and glance back to see the girls going back to cleaning but staying nearby.

Wiping at some crumbs on the table, I sink into the chair, exhausted.

Mom takes another hit from the joint before offering it to me.

I look up at her gratefully, taking a deep inhale as she takes a seat across from me.

“You know, you were born with that same heart defect as your little brother.”

She reaches across the table and gently knocks at my chest.

“You seem pretty sturdy to me.”

Her tone has changed to something a little softer and I can’t help but give her a small smile.

“I came through hell. Landed on my feet…your father was hit by a goddamn semi, dragged 178 yards...and that bastard lived for two more days. Tellers do not die easy.” She says with a proud smirk.

I snort.

“No, we just die bloody.” I say honestly.

I’m not sure that’s better.

“That’s the Irish in us,” Ma says without missing a beat.

The storm ends, and I turn to glance up at the girls.

“I’m sorry.” I mouth the words.

Journee scowls, and Lee shoots me a sad look that makes my heart squeeze painfully in my chest.

I need to get out of this moment.

“When you and dad hooked up, he ever talk to you about his vision? About what he wanted from the club?”

The girls look at me, and I nod.

Mom fidgets with the joint in her fingers before shrugging.

“His vision was— you know, what it is. A brotherhood. Family.” She offers me the joint.

“And running guns? He want that?” I keep on her, needing to get to the bottom of how we came to this position.

“He never talked about that. Why?” She eyes me for a moment, before standing from the table.

“I found a box of his old shit in the storage unit. There’s, like, pictures and journals and... Things I never knew about him.” I shrug.

“What kind of things?” Journee asks, pausing her cleaning.

“It seemed like his original idea for the MC was something simpler. You know, social rebellion. He called it a Harley commune. It wasn’t outlaw. It was real hippie shit.” I say with a slight smile.

It’s not hard to imagine my laidback father wanting that.

I take another hit of the joint, watching as Mom sighs and tosses her head slightly.

I can see her brimming with nervous energy.

I know she doesn’t like to talk about dad.

“We had a lot of bright ideas back then. We were kids. Your father became a man. Men take care of business.” She says, but she isn’t looking at me when she speaks.

“Yeah, we do.” I answer, blowing the smoke out of my nose.

“You should get home, Mom. Finish cleaning tomorrow. Lee and I will lock up.” I say as mom turns to look at me while Journee looks from me to Lee.

“You good?” She hugs Lee, who whispers something in her ear.

Mom walks over and frames my face for a moment.

“Night mom.” I say as she bends to press a kiss to my cheek.

“Night baby.” She whispers squeezing my hand before walking past me.

“Hey,” I nod at Mom. “Have her stop by the club. Your old man misses you.” I say, standing from the table.

Baby J steps closer and tugs me down to her.

“Do not fuck this up, Jaxass. Remember everything you have to lose.”

I nod my head.

“I hear you.”

She pats my cheek.

“Good.”

“Ok, darling.” Mom sounds exhausted.

It’s easy to forget sometimes she’s still only human.

“Good night, mom. Night Baby J.”

“Good night, baby.” Ma blows a kiss before grabbing her stuff.

“See you tomorrow, bro. Remember what I said.”

“Yeah.” I nod.

“Lee. I’m always a call away,” Baby J says, ignoring me as she walks up and kisses her.

I glance over to see Mom’s already out the door.

That’s new.

I guess they’re done giving a shit.

“I love you too, Nee.” Lee calls out.

They walk out, and I go to the drawer Wendy mentioned.

“What are you doing?” Lee asks, following me over to the stash drawer.

“Saving us a whole lot more trouble.” I remove the gun, syringes, and bags of smack.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lee screeches angrily.

“Obviously not mine.” I mumble, tucking the gun into the waistband of my jeans as I walk over to the bathroom.

“Why are you covering for her? It’s like enabling.” She says as I flush the baggies away.

“Cause it’s my damn house, Harley. Imagine how much the law would love to find that shit and charge me.”

She crosses her arms and nods.

“So, you sweep in and rescue her. She has no consequences?” She follows me back to the living room.

“She’s lying in the hospital half dead right. I’m pretty sure she’s paying.” I snap, turning to look at her.

“So you could go see the Junkie bitch, but not your son?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Explain it to me, then. Cause what I see is the one solid parent Abel has turning their back.”

“Oh, that’s bullshit, and you know it. That kid is going to have more love than most kids get in a lifetime.”

“Maybe. But it won’t make up for an absent father.” She pokes her finger at my chest.

I roll my eyes, fighting back the urge to growl.

“You already labeling me now? Don’t let your past mingle with my future. I’m ain’t like Wally, and you know it.” I swipe her hand away, shaking my head.

“No. But I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a junkie mother and a father who couldn’t’ be bothered,’ She whispers.

Her past pain bleeds into her blues, tugging at my heart strings.

Fuck.

I turn back to face her, bending slightly to catch her eyes.

“I get that, but it’s not the same, Lee. I just—my head is spinning, and I need to be grounded before facing him lying there like that, okay? It ain’t about a lack of love.” I run a hand through my hair, blowing out a deep breathe.

“You’re a Father now, Jax. You can’t keep things on the backburner anymore.” She steps forward, and I open my arms.

“I don’t want to fight, babe.” I say sincerely.

“So, let’s not fight.” Her tone doesn’t match her sentence.

I know she wants to keep talking about this and shit it’d be easier if she knew what went down with Wendy, but I’m ain’t about to add gasoline to that fire.

So I’ll keep this close to my chest for now.

“What do you want me to do?” I ask, just needing us to be okay.

“Anything, other than ignore him Jackson.” She throws her hands up in the air.

“Okay. Okay. I’ll go see Abel tomorrow.” I say, knowing it’ll make her happy.

“Yeah?” She whispers.

Her eyes light up, and I nod.

Fuck she’s got me wrapped around her finger don’t she?

“Yeah.” I swallow my pride and my fear.

I can’t control if I lose my son, but I can keep Lee.

“You’re right. I’ve been putting things on the back burner I should be handling. I want to be the kind of man my father was.” My throat clogs.

“This ain’t it.”

She steps into my arms and I hold her tight.

“I see him in you all the time Jackson. You just need to learn how to channel him and block out all the other bullshit thrown at you.” Wrapping her armss around my waist, she rests her head on my chest.

Inhaling the citrus scent of her hair, I let her ground me.

We’re in a fucking hurricane right now.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep our heads above water.

Tara, Wendy, Abel, Mayans, Nords, it’s all coming at us at once.

I can’t even catch my damn breath.

“Talk to me.” Lee tilts her head up, propping her chin on my chest as she turns those cerulean lasers up to lock onto mine.

Her anger’s faded, but I can see the steely determination in the depths of her electric blue eyes. She expects me to keep my word.

“That’s why I’m here.” She pushes gently.

I don’t even know where to start.

We’re in the middle of a powder keg, ready to explode.

The less she knows, the better.

Once you add her own issues with abandonment into the situation, I know rational thinking goes straight the fuck out the window.

“I don’t want to talk babe. I want to feel something other than worry and stress. I need you, Lee.” I whisper, pressing our lips together.

“Then have me, Jackson.” Her tone is husky but demanding.

She fists my hair and crashes our kiss together again.

I grip her face in my hands and dominate the kiss.

Tilting my head slightly I deepen our kiss and slip my tongue into her mouth, exploring the playground I already have memorized.

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I crush her frame against my chest.

The mint of the gum she’s been chewing makes my tongue tingle as the addicting scent of spicy citrus fills my nostrils. Blood rushes to my cock, slowly hardening against her. She pulls back to suck in air, and I move my hands down to her hips. I don’t want her to be even an inch from me right now.

I press forward, moving her back towards the half-wall and the desk.

Lips lock and teeth gnash as our hands work in tandem, stripping each other of our bottoms.

Unbelted and unbuttoned, my jeans drop down my hips, weighted heavily by the items always attached.

I shove down the leggings she’s wearing and lift her up from the ground.

She wraps her knees around my waist as I hold her weight with one arm, clearing the small desk and positioning her against the half-wall.

Her fingers tug at my hair, turning my head to keep our lips connected.

I growl as my hardened cock strains against the confines of my boxers.

Her wet heat sears me through the thin cotton, painting my boxers in her fragrant juices.

“Fuck. you’re so wet, baby.” I groan, grinding against her slick folds.

“Always for you.” She whimpers, reaching into my boxers to pull my cock out.

“Shit.” I hiss as her warm fist wraps around me.

Precum leaks from my tip, and she uses her thumb to smear the sticky liquid down my cock.

“Fuck I love you.” I groan as she pumps me before lining me up with her hot entrance.

“Fuck me, Jackson. Claim me as yours.” The neediness in her tone causes the beast inside me to roar to life.

“Mine,” I growl, thrusting into her without warning.

She gasps, arching her back.

I bend down, sucking the skin of her neck into my mouth.

She whimpers, turning her head to the side to allow me more access.

I stay still, basking in being completely surrounded by her and losing myself in the taste of her skin.

I suck harder, wanting to leave my mark and let everyone know she’s claimed.

“Jackson.” She gasps, clenching her muscles around my cock.

I groan at how fucking tight she feels.

Biting her neck, she whines and rolls her hips towards me.

I slide back just slightly, desperate to remain inside her for as long as possible.

I roll my hips instead of sliding out.

“O-oh.” She moans, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and hugging me closer to her.

The wood creaks with the movement, and my hands move to her thighs to support her weight.

“You feel so fucking, good baby.” Lee moans as I continue to rotate my hips inside her.

I mix it up with a rhythmic back and forth but never out of her.

This is my pussy, and the only people allowed to play in here are J. Tellers.

The quick flash image of my baby sister making my girl come has me groaning loudly and thrusting deeper.

“Fuck baby, just like that!” She cries out, clenching around me.

Her back arches, and her body trembles.

“Shit, Jackson, I’m close—so fucking close.” She gasps, rocking her hips towards me erratically.

My cock grows impossibly hard as I near mine.

I bite at her collarbone, leaving my marks all over her neck.

No one will ever doubt this woman is claimed and claimed fucking well.

“I’m yours, baby,” I whisper against her lips, letting her know this claiming goes both ways.

“And you’re fucking mine.” I hiss, rotating my hips so my cock can hit that spot inside her that makes her shatter.

“YES!” She cries out, fingernails digging into the back of my neck as her pussy locks down on me like a fucking vice.

“Fuck.” I groan, falling headfirst into my own release and shooting my hot load deep inside her.

She hugs me close as I rest my weight on my forearms against the wall, trapping her between them and struggling to catch my breath.

Lifting my head, our eyes lock, and I’m lost in the soft glow of her electric blues.

“I love you so much, Harley,” I say, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips before I slowly ease out of her.

“Mmm, love you too.” She mumbles against my lips.

“I’ll love you even more if you get me a towel.” She blinks up at me with hazy eyes and a satisfied smile.

I bend down to pull my boxers and jeans back up.

Shit, the thought of my cum swimming around inside her could make me hard again.

I know she’s got that thing in her arm, but damn if I don’t love knowing she’s marked by me, inside out.

“Leave it,” I whisper, smirking as I help her stand.

Her eyes widen, shocked by my request.

“Really?” She asks as I drop to my knees to pull her leggings back up her legs for her.

I nod, standing back to my feet and pulling her close.

“You told me to claim you. Nothing says claimed like my seed swimming around inside you.” I slip my hand down the front of her leggings and cup her pussy.

The heat radiating through the thin, wet material has me biting my lip.

She whimpers.

“And what about you, Jackson?” She asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

“Are you claimed?” She asks, confusing me with her line of questioning.

“You tell me?” I ask, tucking some loose strands from her messy bun back behind her ear.

“I thought so…” She runs her knuckles down my cheek gently.

Suddenly she’s pinching my chin tightly, tilting my head down to meet her gaze.

“But then I see, Tara Fucking Knowles is in town, and you don’t look all that shocked to see her.” The fury flames in her eyes once more.

Fuck. Shoulda known the calm would only last a few minutes.

I sigh, shaking my head.

“Shit. We really talking ‘bout this now?” I ask, stepping back.

“Fuck yes we’re talking about this! Why didn’t you fucking tell me, Jackson! I do not like being blindsided!” She pushes at my chest and steps away from me.

“How long have you fucking known? How long did you plan on keeping it from me? And why, why the hell didn’t you fucking tell me!” She pushes at my chest again.

“Lee, I’m sorry, aight? I was gonna tell you the other night when we went out for our ride, but then the Mayans blew up the warehouse, and Wendy ODing threw us right into the middle of it before I had a chance.”

I step towards her cautiously, slowly moving to grab her hands.

“I only found out that morning. I just wanted to get some us time in before I told you-“ I begin.

“Why?” She asks in a defensive tone, narrowing her eyes at me.

“Cause I know how you feel ‘bout Tara, and I just wanted us to be solid-“

She slides her hands out from mine and steps back.

Something deep inside growls at the thought of her stepping away from me.

“Why wouldn’t we be solid, Jackson? Should I be worried we’re not solid now that SHE’s back?” I can hear the accusations in her tone, and I don’t like it one damn bit.

“Nah Fuck that, Harley. Her being back don’t change shit ‘bout us.” I step to her, gripping her hips in my hands tightly.

“I think I just fucking proved that,” I growl, nodding towards the clatter of shit on the floor from our early escapade.

“You think I’m going to accept the scraps you used to give other women? Takes more than a quick fuck against a wall to make me feel secure.”

“Don’t say shit like that when you know it ain’t fucking true!” I yell before I can catch myself.

Her eyes widen, but I don’t see an ounce of fear in them.

“I fucking love you, Harley Grazer! Tara ain’t nothing to me but an old ghost, you fucking hear me!” My fingers grip her hips so she can’t step back from me again.

“That bitch is the past. You and I are headed towards a future. I ain’t gonna let that gash get in the way of that by gettin into your head.”

This is my fault.

I let her pull me from my girls and my family once before.

But I’m gonna make it damn clear it ain’t happening again.

I struggle to calm myself.

I can’t blame her for being cautious.

I release a shaky breath, trying to force some sanity back into my brain before I start to demolish the whole fucking house.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. My plan was to tell you after our ride before everything went to shit. I only found out that morning.” I loosen my grip on her hips but still hold her to me.

She’s holding tense but not trying to stepping back.

I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face when she continues to glare at me.

“I mean it, Harley. I’m sorry I let that shit get away from me, but I need you to trust me when I say I got no love left for her. S’far as I’m concerned, she’s my son’s doctor, that’s it.” I wrap my arms around her and pull her to me.

My heart clinches when she remains stiff and doesn’t melt against me the way she usually does. “Can we be okay now?” I ask, desperate for things to be right between us.

I can’t fucking handle one more damn thing right now.

Her fingers fist my hair as she tugs my hair back slightly to grab my attention.

“Don’t keep shit like that from me anymore, and we’ll always be okay, Jackson.”

My stomach knots as I think about the bombshell Wendy dropped on me in the hospital.

I should tell Lee, but I don’t know if I have the fucking energy to go through another argument right now.

I wrap my arms tighter around her waist, squeezing her to me as I collapse against her for a moment.

One thing at a time.

[this-song-thats-only-for-you]

Christmas Is: Naughty Santa

Pairing: Lee Minhyuk (Monsta X) x female reader

Genre: Christmas au / fluff / slightly suggestive

Warnings: Slightly Suggestive

A/N: Welcome to the final story in our collab, Christmas Is! I ran with this idea as I imagined this going all too wrong. I hope you enjoy.

Word count: 1,418

The Star On Top | Noche Buena | A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Not By Lemony Snicket | The One Carol | Naughty Santa

You wouldn’t say that Christmas was your favourite holiday of the year, although you did enjoy it. For you the holiday season was more about spending time with your loved ones and sharing the love you had for them. Whether it be through gifts or just being in each other's company. So to say you were a little excited for Christmas day to arrive would have been an understatement. You had all of the gifts for your family sorted and wrapped safely under the tree along with the presents for your partner Minhyuk, all ready to be opened the following morning.

This year Christmas Day had thoroughly been planned out for you both. The morning would consist of the two of you opening your presents to one another, followed by breakfast with Minhyuk’s family and then venturing to your side of the family for a late lunch, before you were to finally make your way back to the comfort of your own apartment.

You had slept better than you had thought you would, opening your eyes you turned over to look at Minhyuk sleeping soundly beside you. Every inch of your body shouted at you to wake him from his slumber so you could begin your day, but the other part of you wanted to soak this moment in. You loved all there was to Minhyuk, some days he would exert himself and be the life of the party, but it was the quiet simple moments that you cherished the most. It was when you got to see the side to him that he didn’t show everyone. You watched the way his mouth hung slightly ajar, breathing in deeply as he dreamed away., his arm thrown behind one pillow as the other reached out aimlessly for you. Even in his sleep he remained close to you. Bringing a smile to your face you gently swept his fringe aside, your fingertips slowly travelling down to imprint this into your memory.

“That tickles.”

You gasped as his husky morning voice filled the silence, your hand instantly moving away from his face.

“I thought you were asleep.” you admitted softly, your hands balled up under your chin as you waited for him to open his eyes, and when he did your heart melted that little bit more.

His half open eyes washed over you, a small playful smile gracing his lips at your dishevelled morning appearance.

“Merry Christmas, Y/N.”

It was his turn to reach out for you, his fingers flattening the bed hair you had acquired overnight as he leant forward, his lips kissing the top of your head lightly.

“Merry Christmas, Min.” you moved closer, finding the crook of his neck as your lips kissed the skin there affectionately.

“I was asleep by the way, but I couldn’t wait to spend Christmas with you so I woke up to your touch. My favorite way to wake up.”

“Mm.” You mumbled, wrapping your arms around his torso tighter as you cuddled in further.

He chuckled heartily, the vibrations coursing through the both of you as he began to make movements towards leaving the comfort of your bed.

“Time to get into the Christmas spirit.” he teased playfully, pulling you up and out of the bed to make a start on your day.

Although you were excited and prepared for the amount of travelling and the hustle and bustle of the holiday, you were completely unaware of just how much the day would take out of you. It had started out just like you had planned, Minhyuk and you had exchanged gifts in the morning before leaving the house; the elation you felt overwhelmed you as he had no idea of any of the gifts you had given him, and vice versa for the ones you had received in return.

Breakfast with his family was short and sweet. Everyone had fawned over the newest addition to the Lee family, his niece Nora stealing the show and rightly receiving the most gifts even though she was too young to remember. Laughter filled the house and you left feeling lighter and happier as you’d made your way to your parents house for lunch.

Things were a little more chaotic with your side of the family, your own brother bringing unneeded drama to the holiday but things seemed to settle down just as easily as they started. Lunch was delicious, you had both certainly eaten your fair share of the treats as more gifts were given out before it was finally time to retreat back to the solace of your own apartment.

“I love our families, but I’m glad the day is over.”

Kicking your shoes off you placed the presents on the coffee table as Minhyuk followed you, placing down his own pile.

“I wouldn’t say it’s over just yet.”

“What else is there to do?” you asked, your arms waving around blindly as you rid yourself of your coat.

“I have one last surprise for you.”

“Oh?” He had piqued your interest, your mind running through everything that had happened today. “I thought we’d given all of our presents already?”

“This one you can’t exactly put under the tree. Just give me five minutes.” He rushed towards you, kissing your head quickly before retreating into your bedroom.

“What on earth?” You asked yourself, your arms crossing over in front of you as you waited for him to return.

“Okay, now close your eyes!” he shouted from the hallway five minutes later. “Are they closed?”

“Yes!” you replied as you obediently closed them.

Suddenly music filled the living room, Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas’ started getting louder and louder as you felt Minhyuk enter the room. Opening your eyes he was standing before you in a luxurious santa costume.

“What are you doing? Why are you wearing that?” You asked, looking on with confusion as he started to walk closer to you, his hands unbuttoning the top button of his jacket.

His eyes looked at you with determination as he continued to undo the buttons, his hips swaying and grinding with the music.

“Oh my god.” You exclaimed, squealing slightly as the realisation hit, your hands covering your mouth as the jacket fell from his body, his hands running down his chest seductively.

“Min..”

He shook his head to quieten you as he continued with his dance, closing the distance between you as he placed his knees either side of the couch.

“Min stop!”

You couldn’t take it anymore, your hands grabbed his upper arm, stilling him completely as he looked at you with confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why are you doing this?” You asked him honestly, a slight chuckle leaving your lips at the predicament you now found yourselves in.

His determination faltered, moving off of your lap and sitting next to you instead. “I thought I would try and dance for you. Did you not like it?” he asked with a pout.

“It’s not that I didn’t like it, it's just not you.”

You sat in silence for a moment, waiting for his response as you squeezed his thigh gently. 

“I guess I made a fool of myself.” he replied laughing lightly as he removed the santa hat from his head. “I wanted to make you excited like those Kpop idols you fuss over.”

“You don’t have to do this to make me fuss over you Min.” reassuring him you maneuvered yourself on top of his lap, your hands holding his face as you kissed him softly. “I fuss over you plenty, just the way you are.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm.” 

"Do you like me more than that beefy Wonho guy or whoever he is?"

You looked at him incredulously, rolling your eyes “I don’t know, it’s hard to say. I haven’t seen him in a santa suit.” you shrugged playfully.

“Well you haven’t seen him out of one either, but you could definitely see me out of mine.” Minhyuk  wriggled his eyebrows seductively, smirking as his hands ran along your back.

Your body instinctively reacted to his touch, leaning closer into him as his hands continued to run along your spine.

“Aren’t you giving Santa a bad name? Misbehaving like this?” you teased, although he could tell you were enjoying yourself just as much as he was.

“Maybe I need a Mrs Claus to make an honest man out of me?”

You laughed at his bluntness, smacking him playfully although agreeing all the same. “I think that can be arranged.”

[thaliagrayce]

The Innocent Can Never Last

here’s the ao3 link if you wanna stop by!

Her roots were just barely starting to show. She leaned over the shitty drugstore pocket mirror she had propped against the windowsill above her sleeping bag and pulled some of her short hair straight up, squinting at the half centimeter of blond that had crept up underneath the black. She would have to dye it again soon, but it was almost a miracle that it was only half a centimeter. Her hair used to grow a lot faster, before she was a tree.

Whatever. Maybe this meant it was time to finally get that buzz cut she’d always wanted; she would have enough time enough to enjoy the way the short dark hair looked on her head before it grew out blond again. For now, though, all she did was ruffle her hand through it to cover the blond as well as she could and made sure her eyeliner was properly smudged before getting out of her makeshift bed.

She ignored the haphazard stack of orange t-shirts piled next to her duffel bag that some Hermes camper had brought her the first week she’d been there. Changing in the middle of the day felt kinda stupid, but it meant that she’d already checked off her Camp Spirit for the day. Nobody could tell her to change. Today was a black tank top kind of day, anyway. The last thing she grabbed before leaving was the dark blue UC Berkeley drawstring bag she’d kept with her on the road, torn in a few places and with half the yellow logo faded to illegibility. Its contents clanked as she threw it over her shoulder and pushed the door open.

The late afternoon heat of July hit her without mercy as soon as she opened the cabin door, and she had to screw her eyes shut against the force of the sunlight. It felt like a completely different world out here, with kids yelling to each other from across the basketball courts and chasing each other around with swords and screaming when they fell off the climbing wall. The inside of the Zeus cabin must have been soundproofed, because it always felt so cut off from the rest of camp—you couldn’t hear anything but the rumble of thunder from in those walls. Maybe Zeus just didn’t like sharing the spotlight.

Changing into a black shirt started to sound like a bad idea in retrospect halfway to the infirmary, but she didn’t let that deter her. She’d worn nothing but hospital gowns and orange shirts since she woke up two weeks ago, and stupid heat and sunlight wouldn’t ruin her first day of freedom.

Some son of Apollo she recognized was leaving the infirmary just as she got to the door. She nodded at him, trying and failing to remember his name. There were so many people here. She hadn’t really had to learn anyone’s name in years—not anyone that mattered, anyway—and now she was presented with at least five new people every day.

And they all wore orange. She’d had an almost constant headache from all the color when she first woke up, which really didn’t help her memory or attention span.

The infirmary was almost empty when she got there, just a couple campers tidying up. Two sharp raps to the doorframe drew their attention to her.

“Fletcher. You got the goods?”

Lee Fletcher was the eldest camper in the room, a skinny dark-skinned boy with dreads tied back in a ponytail and a smile sunny enough to announce his parentage without need to be claimed. He was one of the only people whose name Thalia had actually learned since she woke up. He had been the one in charge of monitoring Thalia during the week that she’d spent stuck in the infirmary, and she was still trying to figure out how to properly say ‘thank you for keeping me alive and sane even after I punched you in the face’.

“You owe me for this, you know.” Lee grinned at her and held up one finger in a ‘one second’ gesture, then jogged to his bag in the corner. While he shuffled around in it, Thalia shrugged her bag off her shoulders.

“I had to cash in a favor with Travis Stoll for this. You know how much those are worth?”

“He’s one of the Hermes ones, right?” Thalia stepped into the room and leaned against the wall. “Just tell him it was for me, then he’ll have something on the new kid. You’ll be fine.”

“Here we go!” He straightened up and crossed the room to her, holding out a smuggled CD case. “Brand new, pristine condition. Come back to me when you realize Nimrod is child’s play.”

She took the case and immediately wanted the album art on a pin to add to her jacket—a white hand holding on to a red heart-shaped grenade. Nice. She wouldn’t admit that to Lee yet, though.

“Come on. You’ve heard Nimrod, right? How can you be so confident I’m gonna like this one more?”

“Because Good Riddance is the only song worth remembering on the entire album. Just trust me, American Idiot is gonna blow you away.”

She smirked at him and shoved the CD into her bag. “We’ll see about that. Thanks for getting this for me.”

“No problem. Once you’re done with that, I’m gonna introduce you to My Chemical Romance” He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall next to her, sighing with a bittersweet smile. “It’s just nice to have someone else around who has good taste in music again.”

The since Luke left went unsaid, but hung like a summer thunderstorm in the silence after his words. Thalia looked down at her hands, at the few freckles dotting her knuckles and fresh black nail polish she and Annabeth had applied together yesterday. The two of them had spent an hour sitting together like that, painting each other’s nails while Annabeth quizzed Thalia about important global events that had happened while she was out and people she should probably know going forward. It wasn’t hard to imagine him here with them if she thought about it, which is why she didn’t let herself think about it.

Life was simpler when she was a tree.

Lee cleared his throat and uncrossed his arms, tapping the wall behind him twice before pushing off of it. “I, uh, gotta get back to work. You think you’ll start listening before dinner?”

She looked up at him and smiled, but even she could tell it didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh yeah. I’ll have a full analysis double-spaced and printed for you by six.” Lee huffed a laugh, and she considered that to be a step forward. Awkward atmosphere who? She could have more than two friends.

“Good. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.”

She sent a wave over her shoulder as she stepped out and made a mental note to talk to him about the album tomorrow. She liked Lee. She wanted to be his friend and was determined to put in the work to make sure that happened, but she wasn’t going to be at dinner tonight. There were more important things on her agenda than team dinner.

The sun was hanging a little closer to the horizon now; not close to sunset yet, but the heat had lost its intensity. She had to get a move on.

Campers stared at her when she was out and about sometimes, which really wasn’t her favorite thing. She’d had enough unwanted attention from the public to last a few lifetimes already. Usually people cared about the other parent, though. The Hephaestus kid coming out of the forge probably didn’t even know who Beryl Grace was, let alone see her wide blue eyes and signature smile on Thalia’s face.

It wasn’t much better, but at least being a child of Zeus came with power. The stare she got now wasn’t just curiosity, it was respect.

She stared down the Hephaestus kid as she walked past, and they had the decency to look embarrassed about staring. Good.

She got halfway to the dining pavilion before she was interrupted again.

“Thalia!”

Annabeth was taller than her now, which didn’t feel like something that should be allowed. When she bounded over to Thalia, all smiles and curls and bright orange t-shirt, Thalia actually had to look up to meet her eyes.  It was strange. She had started to think of Annabeth as a little sister somewhere along the road, and when she woke up again, she realized she had missed—six? Seven?—years of Annabeth’s life. That hit her harder than any years of her own life she had missed. As far as Thalia was concerned, she had died at age twelve and been resurrected at age fifteen and that was that.

But Annabeth was tall now, and smiling at her. Thalia smiled back, real despite the mood she had slipped into since leaving Lee. It wasn’t hard.

“Annabeth! How you doing? Where’s Percy?” The boy was usually two steps behind Annabeth, or she was two steps behind him, and they were usually bickering loud enough for half the camp to be able to make an informed decision on whose side they would take if asked.

Annabeth made a face at his name, but she also blushed a bit. Thalia bit back her smirk. The kid tried, but she couldn’t hide her true emotions for anything. She liked to pretend she didn’t drag him around everywhere, but Thalia had only been back for two weeks and it was already a little weird to not see them together.

“I don’t know, doing Percy things? We’re not attached at the hip, you know.” She flicked her ponytail over her shoulder, and Thalia watched it bounce.

That was another thing. Her hair was long now. The day after Thalia woke up, Annabeth had come to sit with her in the infirmary, just to be with her for a while and drink in each other’s presence. Thalia had reached out a hand and touched one of her curls, tugging it a little and watching it bounce back to join the rest. When she had looked at Annabeth’s face again, she had tears in her eyes and a wobbly smile on her mouth.

“It suits you,” Thalia had said. It was true. Annabeth looked so much happier now, so much more confident. She looked as proud as Thalia felt.

Now, tan and tall and comfortable enough to be blushing in the sunlight, it was clear that this place had become her home in the years Thalia had been gone. For a moment, she was hit with how much she had missed.

“We should get our ears pierced together.”

Annabeth blinked at her in surprise. She might have been talking while Thalia wandered into nostalgialand.

“But you already have pierced ears.”

Of course she had pierced ears, she’d grown up with a famous mother who cared more about her baby’s image than the person behind it. Thalia had pierced ears since before she could talk. She also remembered Annabeth being transfixed by her earrings when she thought Thalia wasn’t looking on the road, though. Thalia had missed seven years and hadn’t been able to support Annabeth through most aspects of her transition, but this was something she could be around for.

“I want a double piercing, we should go together.” Thalia squared her shoulders and crossed her arms, looking at Annabeth with challenge in her eyes. “Unless you’re afraid of needles, of course.”

Annabeth bristled, which was exactly what Thalia had been hoping for.

“I’ve faced fully-grown cyclopes and a boat full of angry monsters and the Lord of the Dead himself. I think I can handle one needle.”

“Good. We can sneak out later this week.”

“Or,” Annabeth corrected, “we could wait for September. Chiron told me to find you, he said he snagged a spot for you at the boarding school I’m going to this fall. It’ll be a lot easier to get into the city from school.”

Thalia immediately felt lighter, like a weight she hadn’t even known was there suddenly lifted from her shoulders. A week ago, Chiron had broken it to her that she probably had to stay at camp all year round because of how strong her aura was. She’d been going to the Big House every morning to train with the Mist, but he made sure her hopes didn’t get too high—she needed to get good good before she would be able to safely leave camp.

“For real? He actually said that?”

“Yep! We won’t be roommates, but we’ll be in the same dorm. It’ll be super easy to find me if something goes wrong.”

That meant less of Annabeth’s life that she had to miss because she was sidelined. More time when she could just exist with her little sister, learn who she had become in Thalia’s absence. Learn who she would grown into.

“Sick, you can help me study. I haven’t been to school since I was like seven.”

Annabeth laughed at that. “Neither have I, this is gonna be an interesting year.”

One of Annabeth’s sisters ran over to get her after that, something about an argument about beach volleyball rules getting a little too heated. Names were called, swords were drawn. That seemed like a pretty common occurrence here, though, so Annabeth hadn’t looked too worried as she hugged Thalia and said goodbye. The sun was dipping a little closer to the setting point, anyway. Thalia was running out of time.

A few dryads were setting up the dining pavilion for dinner by the time she got there. If she didn’t want to be stuck waiting for everyone else, she had to be sneaky about how she got her shit. Luckily for her, living on the streets for your formative years was a pretty good way to learn how to get in and out of a place undetected.

The first trick was knowing exactly what you were going to take before you went in to get it. She skirted around to the back of the pavilion and hid behind a column. The table farthest from her held a huge bowl of peaches—easily bruised but still easily grabbable. Closer by, a dryad with stick-straight brown hair wheeled a big dish that kinda looked like a boat with a cover out on a cart, and Thalia dismissed that immediately. Nothing portable was kept in a container like that—it was probably pasta night, or some kind of soup or something. Unless she wanted to ruin her bag and everything in it, that wasn’t an option.

More than one peach, then. That was fine. There was a big basket of fresh rolls next to the probably-pasta, and they smelled good. She’d had worse meals than fresh bread and peaches before.

The second trick was confidence. If you looked like you knew what you were doing, you were a lot less likely to be stopped while you did it. Thalia waited until the dryad had gone back into the kitchens, then walked out from her hiding spot with her shoulders set and her posture relaxed. Carefully casual. She managed to get to the bread and stick three rolls into her bag without drawing any attention at all.

Walking toward the peaches put her directly in the path of another dryad, though. She was just headed out of the kitchens, carrying a platter of still-steaming brownies. She blinked at Thalia twice, and her green eyebrows drew together in confusion.

“It’s not time to eat yet, what are you doing back here?”

Confidence, she reminded herself.

“I was sent here.” Confident statement, confident tone. She was doing great.

The dryad narrowed her eyes. “Oh, really? By who? Why?”

Maybe confidence only worked if you had the conviction to back it up. She thought briefly about just getting out of there, but then she remembered that she was getting daily lessons in bullshitting other people. This was a harmless enough reason; she was sure the nymph would understand, and Chiron would probably be fine with her practicing at camp.

Probably.

She breathed in through her nose and thought of what the dryad saw: some punk teenager trying to sneak food before dinner. There had been a moment of recognition, though, right before the suspicion set in. She knew who Thalia was.

Thalia waved her hand in the air, disguising it as adjusting one of the straps on her shoulder. She put both breath and intention behind her words, and prayed to her father that it would actually work.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to get in your way. I can’t eat with the rest of the campers for medical reasons tonight. I won’t be much of a hassle, I’m just going to grab a peach before the crowd gets here and I can’t leave.”

The dryad blinked. Her eyes went a little hazy, which immediately filled Thalia with equal parts elation and guilt. It had worked, but she had just preyed on this woman’s kindness. The fact that the words were mostly true was a bit of consolation, at least.

“Of course. Take a brownie, too. I hope you feel better soon.”

She felt bad, but not bad enough to not take a brownie. They smelled fantastic.

After that, she had no trouble getting at the peaches and slipping a few of them into her bag. As she walked away, she heard the squeaking of wheels and the clinking of plates—the harpies had come in to set the tables. She’d gotten out just in time.

Now she just had to get across camp without being noticed and pulled in with the dinner rush. Cutting through the middle of the cabins was the most direct route, but it was also guaranteed to get her seen by well-intentioned curious eyes. She eyed the amphitheater. Going around the far end of that would take more time and would take her closer to the magical camp border than she should go, but it was also the most hidden option. It was probably fine. She had her shield, she had a butterfly knife in her pocket. She took the long route.

As she was skirting around the raised seating, a laugh carried up from the stage—someone must have been using it. The laugh stopped her cold, pulse running wild. Her brain knew that it wasn’t Luke, it couldn’t have been Luke, but—

“Cut it out, Trav! I have a reputation!”

There it was again, the laugh. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, ignored the sudden heat behind her eyes. Of course. The Stolls. It really was incredible how similar siblings could be.

“What reputation, dude? You snorted chocolate milk out your nose last week.”

Thalia hiked her bag further up on her shoulder and walked faster. She’d been stupid. Luke wasn’t here, and it would be a serious threat if he was. She knew that.

She still wasn’t sure if her reaction had been happiness, fear, anger, or a fucked up mix of all of them.

Finally, the giant pine peeked out from the other side of the amphitheater. She gave the entrance a wide berth, not wanting to be seen and not wanting to hear anything more. She focused on the silhouette of the tree against the sky.  Even after two full weeks, it felt wrong to look at it from the outside. Like looking down at her hand but not recognizing it as her own.

As she got closer, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She’d never cared about the scent of pine trees before she’d become one, but now she found herself missing it. She’d technically lived in a pine tree for longer than she’d ever lived almost anywhere else, and her memories of Beryl’s house were both distant and stressful. Cedar, fir, and juniper were the first scents she thought of when she heard the word “home”. Demigod life might be confusing and she might be completely out of the loop, but at least this tree was, too. She could breathe easier as she approached.

The baby dragon that had gotten there earlier that week—Peleus—lifted his head as she got closer, but lowered it again immediately when he saw who it was. The rest of the camp was still pretty uneasy around him, but Thalia didn’t quite get it. He was about the size of a Great Dane and just as affectionate as one, if he trusted you.

He didn’t trust a lot of people yet, though. He knew that Argus was the guy that brought him food and Chiron was the one who clopped away in a funny way if you sneezed fire, so they were okay, but the rest of camp was on thin ice.

He’d never minded Thalia, though. She kind of thought he still recognized her as part of the tree, or maybe he recognized the tree as part of her. Whatever. The dragon loved her, which felt pretty damn good. She patted his head once as she passed his napping spot, and he rumbled something that sounded like a purr but much, much deeper.

She took off her bag and sat heavily on the other side of the trunk, staring out over the forest at the almost-setting sun. In the distance, the conch shell sounded, followed by a loud bang from somewhere around the armory. Probably one of the Hephaestus kids experimenting for the fireworks show. It wouldn’t be for another few days, but camp had been plagued by random crashes and explosions all week. She was getting better at not reacting, getting more used to this camp and all of its eccentricities.

She took the beat-up blue CD player out of her bag, the only relic she still had from her time at home. She’d left Beryl Grace’s house with a duffel bag full of clothes, an entire loaf of bread, a block of cheese, and her trusty CD player. Back then, she only had a Wham! CD that some well-meaning friend of her mother had given her, something that she’d lost somewhere between Montana and Wyoming. The big black over-the-ear headphones that she pulled out next were more recent, but still pretty old by current standards. Luke had stolen them for her from a Radio Shack in Georgia somewhere, as an apology present for some dumb mistake he’d made that day. She couldn’t even remember why she had been mad, but she remembered the way he smiled at her excitement.

She didn’t like dwelling on Luke, but she figured she had one day a year to be sorry for herself. She deserved it. She took the CD Lee had given her out of its case and popped it in the player before bringing out one of the peaches.

The album was good, Lee was right. Better than Nimrod. She let it play as she cut up the peaches with her butterfly knife and ate them, either sliced on top of the bread or just plain. They were juicier than they should have been this early in the summer, but she figured it was probably some bullshit divine magic. Everything here ran on it. She bit into one of the rolls, still warm despite the walk.

So Luke was evil now. That’s what Percy said that first day, at least, and Annabeth had looked too distressed to correct him at the time. She’d gotten defensive since then, put her foot down when the topic came up—which really wasn’t that often, whenever both Annabeth and Thalia were in a room—and made sure everyone knew that Luke was still good. Just misguided.

Thalia had no idea what to think. Some of the stories about him she understood completely. Starting a rebellion against the gods because they were shitty parents? Yeah, that checked. The two of them had done their fair share of griping about the awful hand they’d been dealt when they were on the run, and there was really no way that blame didn’t rest directly on their parents’ shoulders. Her death had probably made that worse for him, and she sincerely felt for him there.

Hurting kids, though? Especially someone who was so close to Annabeth, someone she clearly cared about? That was a little farfetched. Percy seemed like an honest kid, and everyone else she had asked backed him up on the whole scorpion story (and the several subsequent swordfights), but she still couldn’t quite get her heart to believe that Luke had tried to kill this boy when he was twelve. Percy was still shorter than Thalia, and he had this sharp air around him that reminded Thalia of Luke sometimes. He couldn’t do that, right? She knew him. She trusted him. They had been angry on the road, yeah, but they had taken Annabeth in without blinking. That anger was directed entirely at the gods. He wouldn’t try to destroy the one safe place on the planet for kids like them.

She flat-out refused to believe that Luke had poisoned her. Or—if he had, he had poisoned the tree. He thought Thalia was dead, Thalia was supposed to be dead. The tree itself wouldn’t have mattered.

(She didn’t think of the motivation behind poisoning the tree. She couldn’t.)

So some of what she heard had to be bullshit, plain and simple, but…

She’d caught a few people laughing at some of her jokes about him, his harmless quirks and manners of speech, before they caught themselves. They knew him, they’d known him before whatever actually happened went down. Before he became evil or whatever. Some of them had clearly been friends with him—not to the same extent, but still—and they all said he’d done these terrible things. So she didn’t know what to think. They knew him, but maybe they didn’t know him as well as she did.

Then again, maybe she didn’t know him as well as she’d thought. People changed. Maybe her best friend became a child murderer.

She wiped the butterfly knife on her pants before she closed it and stuck it in her pocket, done with her peaches and bread. The song that had just started was nice, more mellow and low-key than the rest of the album. It sounded sad, minor chords and a mournful voice, but she hadn’t been paying much attention to the lyrics. She would have to listen to the whole album again before she talked to Lee tomorrow. That was okay, it was good. She would have re-listened to it anyway.

The sun was finally setting for real, and she thunked her head against the trunk of the tree behind her. Whether or not she liked it, whether or not she believed it was Luke, someone had poisoned her tree. Either to get at camp or to get at her specifically, she didn’t know. It would have ended up the same either way. She wasn’t supposed to be awake, she didn’t want to be awake, but here she was. And now, from what Chiron had told her that morning about a prophecy, she was expected to go and kill her best friend on her next birthday.

Welcome back to life, Thalia.

She thought she had died so that Luke, Annabeth, and Grover could be safe, so that they could all have somewhere that would feel like home and protect them from the monsters. Now Annabeth had battle scars all over and Grover had just spent two weeks captive and in terror for his life and Luke had become the monster she was expected to fight and she was still alive, so her sacrifice meant nothing.

She took a shaky breath and felt how much cooler the breeze was against the tracks her tears had made. Tonight wasn’t about Luke. She had to move on. There would be time to think about him later.

For now she paused the music at the end of the slow song, but she kept the bulky headphones on. She knew she was less likely to be disturbed like this, dressed in her ripped-up ratty jeans with her angry eyeliner and big black headphones. ‘Difficult to talk to’ was the exact look she had been going for that afternoon. She moved away from the trunk of the tree, but not far enough that her silhouette would be noticeable to a faraway observer. Still under the wide boughs, still enclosed in comfort. She cleared a circle about a foot wide of any pine needles, thankful that a combination of Peleus and shade meant that grass never successfully grew under the tree.

She took a few tissues from her bag and set them in the center of the circle, smoothing down their edges in an attempt to look nice. It probably wasn’t necessary, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

Gently, she set the brownie she’d gotten from the nymph in the center of the napkins. Then she took out her old electric blue gas station lighter. She was kind of surprised it still had fluid after all these years, but she was grateful for it. Stealing a lighter or matches would have been a lot harder for her than stealing some peaches.

She lit the tissues. As the flames crept closer to the brownie, she prayed.

“Hey, Hades. It’s me. Again.” The tissue burned out completely, but the moist brownie caught fire, so she guessed he had probably heard.

“I know it’s been a few years. Also you tried to kill me, which wasn’t cool and probably means you hate me, but I get it. I guess. You can hate me, that’s fine. I just—” She swallowed, suddenly aware of how hot her eyes had become. She felt a tear fall onto her arm. If Hades was listening, he probably already knew what she was going to say. She’d done this every year, but she needed to say it again. She needed to.

“Please take care of Jason.” She blinked past the wetness in her eyes and watched the fire spread over the brownie in unnatural colors—blue and white, purple and gold. It smelled like it was baking instead of burning. She hoped that Jason could smell it from wherever his little two-year-old soul was down there.

“I know it’s not cake, but you always liked these better anyway. Happy birthday, bud. Miss you.”

The worst thing about waking up so close to July was that she wasn’t used to the years she had skipped yet. She was fifteen and she shouldn’t have been fifteen and it took her a full minute to figure out how old Jason should have been starting today.

Twelve. It would have been his twelfth birthday, had he survived past his second. Had Thalia not left him with their mother. Had she run away a week earlier, towing him along behind her. Would he and Annabeth have been friends? What would he think of Luke? Of Camp Half-Blood?

When she’d made her last stand seven years ago, right here in this spot, her final thoughts hadn’t actually been about protecting Annabeth or Luke or Grover. That was her motivation, yes, but her last thoughts had actually been about her brother. There was no way she would get out of that encounter alive, she knew that. She thought she had known that. The last thing she remembered thinking before she woke up was I hope I get to see Jason again.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the mingling scents of pine and baking brownies. It was July First, and Thalia was allowed to be sad today. She would pull herself together by tomorrow, she always did, but she was allowed to cry tonight.

She opened her eyes and watched the colors as the sun finally dipped to touch the horizon, flames in the sky mirroring the burning brownie in front of her, and mourned for all she had lost.

[itad]

Tonight’s The Night! (part12)

TheDirt! Tommy LeeXReader

Summary: You have been on tour for almost a year, event after event, mile after mile. Your uncle was Doc the manager of Mötley Crüe, one of your favorite bands. He pulled a few strings and got you on this tour for a late birthday present and for making up the lost time from when you didn’t see him much as a child. As he was one of the only ‘father’ figures you had. Recently found yourself thinking more and more of Tommy. Could you possibly be falling in love with the hopeless romantic? If you were could he possibly feel the same?

Taglist: @kellysimagines @bandzrus @lauravic @abbysdogcollar

words:  1805

Today is the day, finally, after hiding from the fans you and Tom were going to come out the public. You and him were going to go out sooner but your modeling career took off and you got busy doing shoots and other stuff. But today you and he were going to sit down on The Tonight Show and address that you and Tommy were, in fact, a couple as rumors started going around that you and him were, in fact, a couple. It was also today you got to see the band and him after they finished their 3-month tour for Dr. Feelgood.

You couldn’t wait.

You say in the chair waiting to get makeup on and them to do something with your hair. Even with the bright blues and reds, you stuck to you browns and blacks creating your classic smokey eye with a nude lipstick. Your hair just the way you liked (personally I like the 6th one but you chose :)). You felt great but, you missed your lover tremendously, and sadly you didn’t know when or if he was here or not and it was about to start.

“Hey, beautiful.” Someone whispered into your ear and you jumped up obviously noticing Tommy’s voice, you squealed and jumped into his arms.

“Oh my god, your here!” You smiled.

“I’m here.” He smiled back at you looking in your eyes. You guys kept PDA a low thing until you guys came out but as of today, you couldn’t care less. You grabbed his face and kissed him with practically all your might. Until you couldn’t no more.

He set you down and looked at you with complete awe. You noticed a few things that were different, the fact he came back with more tattoos and even a nose ring and his hair was short (you know what I’m talking about, ugh so cute). He noticed something different. Like you had some tattoos that weren't in places only you two could see, the smell that was around you was almost heavenly. But of course, you looked and smiled the same beautiful way he left you in.

“You're going on in 15.” The stage people announced.

You were of course in your classic cheetah print pants and a white crop top and a black cover-up, paired with your black leather boots. Tommy in his Harley Davidson long sleeve shirt and his beloved leather pants. You and him both walk out to the stage from the side entrance, waving at the people in the rows of seat clapping, hollering. You both sat down and prepared yourself for the questions.

“So Tommy, You were just on tour for what 3 months for Mötley Crües Dr.FeelGood, how does it feel to be back home?”

“It feels amazing honestly, I’m where I’m supposed to be. I missed my home, I love touring and all I just don’t like to be away from my home anymore.” He looked at you and smiled.

Johnny asked more questions about the band and if there were to be any more tour dates. Then finally focusing on you

“And Y/N, after traveling with the band last year you now are one of the most famous models, how does it feel? You look great by the way” Johnny Carson asked politely.

“Thanks John, and it honestly feels amazing seeing my face on billboards and shit, since I was a little girl I’ve either wanted to be a model or be in a band,” You smiled and looked at Tommy then looked at Johnny “It also feels amazing because all of the people I meet, all the fans all the photographers, clothing designers. But I think today would be the best day of this year.” You smiled looking out into the crowd.

“Okay, you guys we’ll be asking the crowd what their rumors are about the band or Y/N, Tommy, or even the two, right after this break.”

You two had 5 minutes to refresh your self, and you two were back to the chairs.

“Alright we’re here with Y/F/N Y/L/N and Tommy Lee and we’re letting the fans ask them the rumors they might have heard.” Everyone clapped and you positioned your self to be comfortable in the chair.

“Hi my names Samantha and there’s a rumor going around and it has for a while, Y/N cheated on Nikki, is that true?”

“Hi, Samantha. No actually, nobody cheated on anyone we just felt that we weren’t simply meant to be together.” You smiled the best you could as the thought that you cheated swarmed your mind.

“Hi Tommy my names Max, I was wondering what happened to Heather. You were going to get married to her? Correct? You guys were such a cute couple.”

Your jaw clenched as she finished her question.

“Hi Max, me and Heather didn’t work out and the truth of it all, I wasn’t in love with her like I thought I was.”

Some guy stood up “Hi my name daniel, and 1. Y/N your Hot I have your posters on the wall and 2. Tommy so was there someone else you were in love with?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Daniel.” You called out He was a handsome young man.

“Hello I’m Cindy, and there has been a rumor that the two of you are seeing each other and possibly even dating.”

You smiled. Finally “ Yes we are seeing each other Cindy. I don’t know about dating yet but seeing each other yes.”

“Oh Y/N yes were dating Cindy.” Tommy grabbed a hold of your hand. You remembered the red carpet.

“Okay, all the time we have left today thank you, everyone, for watching.”

After the camera cut, you and Tommy meet some fans, signed some things and then made it back to the dressing room. As soon as you heard the door click then Tommy locked it, you ran to him, jumped and kissed him. Hard. You wanted him the whole time the two of you were out there.

“Some. One. Miss. Me?” Tommy mumbled in between the sloppy kisses you made.

“mmmm.” Your lips danced down his soft skin, licking then biting on the skin.

“Hey, babe?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we just go home and cuddle and watch movies?”

“Tommy Lee doesn’t want to do a quickie. Have you not missed me?” You teased. As you climbed down from the tall man.

“Of course I would love to but I’m just really tired and of course I missed you like crazy.” His smile was small but fucking adorable.

“Okay.” You smiled and grabbed your things.

“I’ll meet you at home?” He looked down at you, the tiredness running through his bright eyes.

“ Yeah of course.” You were a hot mess as he leaned over to kiss you. You kissed back until he pulled away. And left, There was something about that kiss that left you wild and hungry.

You stood there for what felt like an hour but in reality, you were in your train of thought and then snapped out of it walking to your Ford Mustang with a convertible top. You got in and drove him. Your mind not on the road but what would happen when you got home.

Finally, you entered the gated community in which you newly reside in. It was a fairly big community of the rich and the famous life. Your house was by no means the biggest in the community. But it was enough for you and Tommy who was now going to be living with you. Like the house he built with Heather was for Heather and he gave it to her. You couldn’t be happier.

You pulled up to your driveway, you stopped and admired the house that in a matter of second became a home you could imagine everything from your wedding to bring home your first child (one day). The gray siding looking less dull then yesterday, and the bright red door looked more ‘homey’ the door is what set off from the rest of the house on your block as there’s were more neutral. You smiled softly before finally pulling into the driveway, getting out and locking the car and walked into the house finding Tommy leaning against the entryway. A soft smile was appearing on his beautiful face.

You kicked off your heels shrinking to your original height, before making your way over to the tall lanky man that stood before you. You wrapped your arms around d the drummer's waist and looked up at him. Tommy wrapped his arms around your shoulders. A soft smile landed on your lips as you leaned up on your tippy-toes to kiss the boy you fell in love with, him leaning down to capture your lips in his.

The kiss wasn’t rough and it wasn’t like you guys needed to do it quickly, the kiss was soft and gentle like you guys had all the time in the world to make this kiss last. The kind of kiss you would think to see in the movies in the rain. The kind that gave you butterflies from your toes to your head. The kind you sensed the fireworks would start to explode. Like you guys not only missed each other but actually needed one another every day.

You pulled away a retreated from your tippy toe position and pulled away all together making your way to your couch before patting the couch for Tommy to sit on. You then walked to your room taking off everything and putting on Tommy’s tour shirts. Finding your way back the living room to find Tommy now laying on the couch in only his boxers, not like he wanted anything sexually but like he was inviting to cuddle. You climbed on top of him and wrapped a blanket around the two of you. Tommy turned the TV on, but only for background noise.

With one hand he was playing with either your hair or your fingers, as he switched from time to time. With his other hand, it laid either on your ass or on your lower back. Both of you laid there until drifting to sleep.

Before you fell asleep. You realized that the house you may sleep in and take a shower in is just a house, but what made it home was Tommy, and in all of his flaws, his dreams, his will, his choices. You would not only support him but help him accomplish them. Because a life without Tommy was a life that wasn’t worth living. But also who would’ve thought that you would’ve made it here. With him.

[peskyowl-writing]

mc and jumin are at a business party but someone approach jumin and start to flirt with him and he just accept the flirting. Mc feels inferior and wandered off alone and someone approach her and flirt with her. Jumin sees this and gets really jelous and really possessive.

Oh! I can totally see this happening! Especially in the beginning of Mc and Jumin’s relationship. So let’s say just for reference, to justify some heightened insecurity and obliviousness from Jumin and Mc, that Jumin and Mc have recently gotten married, maybe six months? Anyway thanks for the ask Nonny!

Pairing: Jumin x Mc

Point of view: Mc

Ugh… I feel like an idiot. You thought as you looked at yourself in the reflection of the window. You felt way overdressed but knew it was appropriate for the occasion. Jumin had asked you to attend a party celebrating the purchase of a small competitor company of C&R. There would be previous business partners of the smaller company, new and potential partners, and representatives from the company, including its CEO and directors.

Once you got inside you felt immensely more comfortable, you had your arm linked with Jumin’s and were now surrounded by people in similar attire. You nervously and discreetly tugged at your dress to get rid of the few wrinkles appearing in the fabric. You felt your cheeks glow pink as Jumin leaned down to your ear, his hot breath brushing against your neck. “My love you look beautiful. Don’t stress.” He offered you a comforting smile and you returned it, knowing he must be a little nervous, it was one of your first formal events you attended as a couple, and it was the first dress coded one.

He lead you to the dining area, sitting at a table where his father, his current girlfriend, Jaehee, and… Zen were sitting. You were surprised to see him there until he informed the two of you he was there as Jaehee’s plus one so she wouldn’t be there alone. You took a seat between Zen and Jumin, and gave polite greetings to the chairman and his date.

Pretty soon after most tables had finished eating, the dance floor had been opened up; only for formal dancing of course. Jumin offered a gloved hand to you, and you took it with a shy smile, checking over your skirt before standing and joining him. You enjoyed the closeness of the two of you, until the dance ended. Then while standing to the side, Jumin began chatting with Yon-Seo Rhee. She is one of the directors from the smaller company.

“Oh Jumin! You are so intelligent. I see why Mr. Han has so much faith in you.” Even though your arms were linked, it seemed as though Yon-Seo wasn’t even aware you were there. The same could be said for Jumin. Most people here didn’t have the nerve to call the executive director of C&R by his name except for you, his father, and Zen. As it should be. For most people here Jumin is their boss, including this woman.

“Thank you, I do try my best to keep C&R running as smoothly and efficiently as possible in order to guarantee success.” He replied with a fake smile. You were growing uncomfortable as the woman placed her hand on Jumin’s bicep, squeezing it and standing too close for your liking. Jumin didn’t even seem to mind. She is beautiful… and she has experience in the business world. And considering her reputation, they’d be a powerhouse together. You smiled through your discomfort and nodded along with whatever the woman was blabbing about. She stood on tiptoe and began whispering something to Jumin. He even helped her by leaning over just a bit, and that was as much as you could take for now. You felt like you were competing for your husband’s affection, something you’ve never experienced before. It made you... frustrated. You nodded to the woman who seemed to be Yon-Seo’s assistant and patted Jumin’s arm before unlinking from him, retreating back to your table.

You sat back in your seat, the table was empty. Jaehee was speaking with some people you recognized to be employees, and Zen was standing with her, listening intently to what she was talking about. You sighed and raised your hand to a waiter, taking your second glass of the night from the tray he held. You sipped it generously as you looked back to where Jumin was. He would be able to spot you if he noticed you were gone.

You set down your glass with a sigh tracing the rim with your finger. You raised a brow when a man dressed in a chocolate brown suit sat next you you. He gave you a bright and somehow flirtatious smile when you made eye contact. He winked to you, and you uncomfortably smiled. You tried to place a name with his face, but came up empty. Meaning he was probably a new business partner for Jumin’s company.

“What is a fine woman like you sitting and drinking at a table on her own? My name is Min-jun Lee. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He held out a hand, and you extended your’s expecting a handshake, but he turned your hand and kissed your knuckles instead. “And who might you be my dear?” You smiled, though you really didn’t want to be near this man any longer. You didn’t want to ruin the possibility of a deal with him if he was important. For Jumin’s sake, you kept your cool and stayed friendly.

“I’m Mc Han. It’s nice to meet you too.” You kept up small talk with him for what seemed to be ages. You kept gazing back to where Jumin had been, but he disappeared from your sight a while ago.

“Who are you looking for? I’m here aren’t I?” He reached a hand forward to grab yours, but froze in upon the sight of the ring on your left finger. “Oh, married? Can I tell you a secret? Me too.” Your mouth gaped open in slight surprise and you moved your hands to your lap. You felt two familiar hands rest upon your shoulders as Min-jun finished his sentence. The hand on your right lifted and found your chin, turning your face towards the right. A soft kiss was placed on your lips, and you smiled when he pulled away. But Jumin wasn’t smiling.

“Hello Mr. Lee. You’ve met my wife I see. She’s beautiful isn’t she?” His voice was stern, and a bit louder than usual. Min-jun looked stunned as realization spread across his face that that was indeed Jumin Han… Which means you are his beloved wife. The woman he publicly proclaimed his love to on numerous accounts, and even said he was willing to do anything to ensure her happiness. He recovered quickly though, and responded.

“Mr. Han. Uhm.. Yes… She’s very beautiful. My apologies for my informal composure.” Min-jun wasn’t backing down like most men did. It made you curious as to how Jumin would react.

“Well like I said, she’s my wife. Which means hands and eyes off, Mr. Lee. We’re happily married. And as far as I know, so are you.” Jumin’s eyes narrowed and you put a hand over his, trying to reassure him.

“My apologies Mr. Han. I just saw your wife, and she looked so distraught I couldn’t just leave her to wallow on her own. Drowning one’s sorrows in booze isn’t a good way to deal with unhappiness. Goodbye Mc-- sorry. Mrs. Han.” With that he stood and walked away. The party was dwindling to just a few people now. Yon-seo was long gone it seemed, as were Zen and Jaehee.

“Driver Kim is waiting for us my dear.” You stood and went to link your arm with Jumin’s, but instead he wrapped his arm tightly around your waist, pulling you into himself. He placed another kiss to your temple as you walked to the door. The car ride was much more affectionate than you expected. Random kisses, tracing shapes on your skin, he even had you sit directly next to him in the middle seat instead of in the corner where you usually sat so you could stretch out. It was all out of character, not that you were complaining.

Once the two of you were inside he pushed you against the wall, putting your arms above you head and kissing you. You enjoyed it but once he pulled away for a brief moment you managed to get your arms out of his grasp and place your hands on his chest.

“Jumin what is the matter with you? You’ve been awfully affectionate the whole way here. And now… What’s wrong honey?” You searched his eyes for answers and found hurt and insecurity… And maybe, jealousy?

“I couldn’t stand seeing you talk to him any longer. Especially with him blatantly trying to win you over.” He looked down, obviously uncomfortable with his own insecurity.

“Oh Jumin… I was only talking with him to make sure I didn’t ruin a business opportunity for you… But he wasn’t wrong when he said I was unhappy in the moment.” You looked down at your feet as Jumin’s eyes met yours, remembering what he said.  

“Why were you unhappy Love?” He grabbed your hands in his, removing them from his chest, squeezing them gently. His brow was scrunched slightly, indicating his insecurity. You sighed and gave a comforting squeeze back.

“It’s just… Ugh this sounds so dumb even in my head.” You looked down before you continued explaining, feeling silly. “Yon-Seo was flirting with you right in front of me, I was on your arm but that didn’t stop her from going for you. And you didn’t really seem to mind. It just made me feel… jealous.” You bit your lip and kept your eyes focused on your shoes. You knew that Jumin loved you, it’s just that seeing him be hit on right in front of you, and him not stop it… It made you feel insecure and inadequate, and though you hated to admit it, it made you extremely jealous.

“Jagi... I’m so sorry. I’m so used to just allowing it to happen that I didn’t even realize.. Please tell me if something like that happens again. I don’t ever want to make you unhappy.” He lifted your chin to look at him after he spoke, placing a gentler kiss than before to your lips. You nodded, and looked down again, to which he lifted your chin to look at him again. “And you should know Mc, that you never need to be jealous. My heart belongs to you and you alone.” He gave you a reassuring smile, and you smiled back, kissing his nose, to which he pouted a bit.

“I could say the same for you Mr. Han.” You smiled, teasing him a bit. He had been quite jealous only moments after you had mostly gotten over your own jealousy. He chuckled a little bit, and kissed you again.

“Yeah… I’m sorry for that to… We’ll both work on it, yeah? In the meantime, let’s get out of these clothes and into some more comfortable garments hmm? I know you’re dying to get out of that dress.” You nodded, allowing him to lead you to your shared bedroom, where you helped each other undress and spent the night cuddling with each other to help each feel more secure and melt the jealousy and insecurity away.  

[solaciummeae]

You Remind Me of the Times When I Knew Who I Was… | Part 6

MOOD MUSIC

“Beat it kid– I’m not buying anything you’re selling.” Emma growls, shoving past the tall and lanky young man. She put him at about twenty-three maybe a year more, but no more than that. He seemed oddly familiar; like someone she’d encountered in the past but couldn’t remember the name of. He almost reminded her of her close friend Jude in a way. Not that she really paid attention to what Jude looked like– tall, strong, handsome– like this young man. She takes a sip of her gas station coffee as she walks, her thoughts getting lost in the mystery that was the blonde psychic she’d grown so attached to.

Adam smirks as she barks at him to leave her alone. He’d often wondered what she was like when she was younger. It seemed not so much different than her older self. She was his beloved mother in any form she came in and he’d recognize that scowl and raspy voice anywhere. His reason for being here was clear. He’d a mission; albeit a dangerous one in more than one sense of the word. Even the angel he served had deemed it important enough to take the risk. His father’s soul hung in the balance. He pushes the door open to follow her out to her car before she can get in and drive away.

Knowing his mother as well as he did, he knows he needs to be careful when explaining the situation to her. After all, he’s traveled so far back that she and his father were in the early stages of their relationship. Finding out that they end up with the better part of ten children probably would send her into a panic attack. He needed to ease her into it, though his own gifts tell him she already recognizes him in some strange way. He jogs over and catches the car door just as she’s about to close it. “Not so fast, Emma.” He chides, grinning at her. It was a little weird to call her by her first name rather than “Mom,” as he was so used to. Again, he can’t scare her before he’s gotten a chance to explain.

Emma nearly jumps out of her skin as the boy stops her from closing her car door. She finds herself wondering how he has the strength to halt the metal from moving with such force as she’d used. That– and he knows her name. Her immediate thought is that he’s some kind of demon, but she’d known so many in her time that she knows right away that he’s not. If anything, after all her training with Jude, this person radiates the kind of inner light that only angels possess. She’s almost surprised she didn’t notice it before. She supposed it was something to do with his age, even though vessels came in all shapes and sizes. She still frowns up at him, regardless of her suspicion. She knows she hasn’t encountered him before. “What do you want?” She demands, giving him a warning glance.

Adam can’t help but heave a large sigh, his whole body slumping into the motion. “Mommy would you just listen for a minute–” It comes out in a whine before he can stop it. His eyes widen, trying to contain his own amusement at the slip up. “I mean– Emma..K–Harper.” Wow. He was quite terrible at this whole playing it cool thing.

Emma just gawks at him as he stumbles over his words. An eyebrow arches up at him as she begins to consider why someone his age would confuse someone her age for his mother. Another thing that Jude had taught her– as well as her long life of experience– was that damn near anything was possible. She starts really looking at him. The gray tone of his blue eyes reminded her so much of her own. His general appearance was reminiscent of hers mixed with someone else. Perhaps the most peculiar part, was the other person he reminded her of. The way he’d shown his frustration was identical to how Jude reacted when Emma was being stubborn herself. But that was impossible– even if by some bizarre course of events this man was her future son– there was no chance Jude was the father.

He just stands there, staring right back down at her with the same smirk he’s often been told he shares with his father. His gifts, that which come with being an angel’s vessel, tell him she’s already putting the pieces together. Those abilities combined with his father’s own deeply running psychic aptitude leave her thought processes screaming at him. “Yes, I have your eyes, yes, I look a lot like Dad– one Judah Kidd as you know him– yes, you wind up together– no, I’m not your only child– yes, I will explain why I’m here slash how this is all very possible.” He lists, dramatically rolling his eyes.

“Stop that!” She orders defiantly. “And don’t roll your eyes me or I will smack them right out of your head.” She threatens, pointing her right index finger at him. It had just come out and it felt so natural that it terrified her.

Adam, of course, couldn’t be happier. This seemed much easier than he’d anticipated. Then again, his mother was a brilliant woman. He beams down at her with a salute of his free hand. “See? You knew it was me.” He remarks proudly.

She’s furious. Her insides feel like they’re going to explode and her mind wants to give out. Of all the sick jokes that the universe has played on her in her life, this had to be greatest yet. She’s still skeptical, she just can’t wrap her mind around it. Why did he feel like an angel to her? What did he mean she and Jude wound up together? How was he reading her thoughts? How was he her son and so– big?

“Look, I don’t know who you are– or what kind of prank this is– but you’ve got a disgusting sense of humor. Now if you’ll excuse me– my father is going to be furious if I’m even five minutes late.” She rants, her breathing already picking up and losing its normal rhythm.

“Whoa whoa whoa– calm down– easy does it–” He urges, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Emma instantly attempts to shrug his hand away but his grip tightens. At this point, her mind has turned to the black and white static that televisions show when they have no signal. She can’t even look at him because every time she does, she sees this perfect blend of her appearance and Jude’s.

“Mom.” Adam calls out to her, crouching beside the still open car door. “Its okay, really. Just breathe.” He nods slowly, looking up at her lovingly. “In– hold…and out–…slow and steady. Sing a little bit of “Have Faith in Me” in your head.” He coaxes, taking her hand and squeezing it with an apologetic smile.

‘This isn’t happening– I’m going to wake up any minute– and this will just be a nightmare.’ Emma thinks desperately to herself, squeezing her eyes closed as he tries to comfort her. Sure enough, her own thoughts are interrupted as a quiet humming begins that sounds similar to the voice of the man beside her. Its all she can do to not cry. He’s gotten too much right for this to be coincidence. She opens her eyes, a few obstinate tears streaking down her face as she looks over to him. The amount of emotion she’s overcome with is enough to send any empath into a coma. “Why “Have Faith in Me”?” Her strangled voice barely manages.

His voice is gentle, in a way that only his father knows how. “Because it reminds you of Dad, and he always makes you feel better– even more than Uncle Sammy.” He replies carefully.

Emma huffs a laugh through her tears, really looking him over– this time the way a mother would. She wonders for a minute if its his own inner light that makes him seem so stunning to her. Its still hard to picture this full grown man as being a son she’s yet to even conceive– let alone with Jude. She laughs again, shaking her head dismissively. “But you’re so beautiful.” Her voice is broken, though she doesn’t sound sad but disbelieving. Its more as though she’s in complete awe that such a wonderfully bright human being could possibly come from her.

“So are you…” Adam tells her adamantly, smiling as tears of his own well up. Now that he’s sure she’s working over the information, he invades the privacy of her thoughts much less.

This whole thing is so surreal, but in the world she lived in– it didn’t seem so unlikely. She turns back to face him but keeps her eyes away. “C-can I hug you?” She asks hesitantly.

“Well– if you do– I might just burst into a bunch of tiny bubbles and disappear for forever– but I’m willing to give it a go if you are.” He retorts his voice laced with heavy sarcasm not unlike her own.

She throws him a playful glare, knowing that it must all be true. He was definitely her son. She shoos him back with her hands so that she can climb out of Bobby’s old beat up station wagon to which Adam happily obliges.

When she stands in front of him, she can’t help a snort at just how tall he really was. He must have a good inch on Jude. “How’d you get to be so tall?”

“Good genes,” The male shrugs, his eyebrows jumping a few times.

She wraps her arms around him, pulling herself as close to him as she can. Adam reciprocates the embrace, squeezing her tightly to himself. This was the happiest he’d seen her in a long time. Where he came from, they’d been battling evil for too many years. She’d lost her almost innocent youthfulness. He kisses the side of her head; something that again reminds her of the exact way Judah does when he’s comforting her.

When she pulls away she chuckles again, feeling stupid for crying. However, Adam doesn’t hesitate to wipe away the moisture with the knuckle of his finger.

She reaches into his own mind, not wanting to ask him for his name as she feels she should already know it. “Adam Lee Kidd,” She recites, unable to keep the smile from her face. “Dad would be proud–” She thinks on her own deceased father who the boy was named for.

“That’s me–” Adam beams happily. He can tell that the thought of his grandfather makes her sad. “Don’t worry Mommy– Granddad is great. He watches over you all the time.”

Something about the way he mentions her late father implies more insight but she doesn’t ask. Instead, she just looks up at him questioningly. “You’ve got be at least twenty-something– don’t tell me you still call me that where you come from.” She scoffs.

“We’ve always been really close– never kicked the habit.” He shrugs casually. “Trust me– I’ve got a lot to explain.”

This elicits a snort from Emma, “How am I supposed to keep Jude from finding out about you is the real problem…” She grumbles, her eyebrows knitting together.

Admittedly, Adam hadn’t really gotten to that part of the plan. He knows exactly what she speaks of. His parents were always open with their thoughts to one another. Both of them so inherently telepathic had something to do with it. He knows now that as soon as his father enters her mind again, even if he’s not looking– he’ll find out about Adam. His skills were too well honed and Emma wouldn’t be able to keep her mind from the son she’d just learned of. Who could? Even if they made up some story, Jude was bound to find out about him if ever in the same mile radius. The young man puzzles for a moment, wondering if he can block him out using the angel parts of himself. “Tell him I’m your cousin, a long lost distant relative who looked you up for certain reasons only you could understand.” He suggests.

Emma gives him a look of great condescension. “Yeah okay…reasons like what?” She questions flatly.

“Well because– I’m the future vessel of the one and only Archangel Uriel.”

[marcusssanderson]

70 Quotes On Being Happy With Where You Are in Life

Our latest collection of quotes about being happy to help you see the brighter side of life.

Being happy is extremely vital and something that every person ultimately wants in life.

Being happy leads to a wide array of benefits for our performance, relationships, health and much more.

Besides making us feel good about ourselves, happiness is a positive emotion that drives our ambitions and motivates us to wake up every morning to pursue our goals and dreams.

So how can we attain happiness?

For us to do this, we need to take personal responsibility for our own happiness.

We have to accept the fact that our happiness is our choice and something to be found within us.

Regardless of all the negative events that often occur in our lives, we can all maintain our happiness by learning to interpret whatever circumstances we deal with in a positive light.

Although external behaviors and events have the ability to trigger off negative thoughts, that can only happen if you allow them to.

Overall, happiness makes us healthier, more productive and ready to use our Everyday Power to reach our full potential.

Below are some inspirational, wise, and uplifting quotes about being happy that will help you develop the ability to be happy under all circumstances.

Quotes about being happy regardless of where you are in life

1.) “Being happy is something that each of us determines, it is not something that we find outside of yourself, it is within us and our choice.” – Catherine Pulsifer

2.) “The happiest people seem to be those who have no particular cause for being happy except that they are so.” – William Ralph Inge

3.) “Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing, not a mere pleasurable feeling or fleeting emotion but an optimal state of being.” – Matthieu Ricard

4.) “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”– Abraham Lincoln

5.) “We don’t laugh because we’re happy – we’re happy because we laugh.” – William James

6.) “Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”― Anne Frank

7.) “Happy is entirely up to you and always has been.”― Janette Rallison

8.) “Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you’re in trouble, because that reason can be taken from you.”― Deepak Chopra

9.) “The secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life and making the most out of every day.”- Anonymous

10.) “Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quotes about being happy with who you are

11.) “The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are, and not who people think you are.” – Goldie Hawn

12.) “I enjoyed my life when I had nothing… and kinda like the idea of just being happy with me.” – Joey Ramone

13.) “Being happy in your skin that’s what it’s all about.” – Koo Stark

14.) “Be happy with being you. Love your flaws. Own your quirks. And know that you are just as perfect as anyone else, exactly as you are.” – Ariana Grande

15.) “Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad!”- Norm Papernick

16.) “True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self.” – Joseph Addison

17.) “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama

18.) “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”- Marcus Aurelius

19.) “I would do my damn best to be more happy than not.”― Adam Silvera

20.) “Happiness doesn’t have to be chased…it merely has to be chosen.” ― Mandy Hale

Quotes about being happy with what you have

21.) “The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don’t have.” – Woody Allen

22.) “Be happy with what you have. Be excited about what you want.” – Alan Cohen

23.) “If being happy is important to you, try this: instead of regretting all you lack, celebrate all you’ve got.” – Brian Vaszily

24.) “I just find myself happy with the simple things. Appreciating the blessings God gave me.” – DMX

25.) “Happiness is not having what you want. It is appreciating what you have.” – Unknown

26.) “Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.”― Hafez

27.) “Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you have right now, and then got it back again.”- Frances Rodman

28.) “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.”- Rabbi Hyman Schachtel

29.) “Do not forget to hope and happy be.” – John McLeod

30.) “It’s not my job to make you happy. It’s your job to learn that only those who quit selfishly seeking their own happiness find it.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich

Quotes about being happy and what it means

31.) “The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” – Henry Ward Beecher

32.) “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”– Mahatma Gandhi

33.) “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

34.) “Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”– Helen Keller

35.) “Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.” – Margaret Lee Runbeck

36.) “I don’t care about having money. It’s about being happy, man.” – Skrillex

37.) “We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.”– Anne Frank

38.) “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

39.) “Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.” – Walt Whitman

40.) “The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”- Allan K. Chalmers

Quotes about being happy and letting go of the things that make you sad

41.) “You can never be really happy if you keep holding to those bad memories which makes you sad.” – Anurag Prakash

42.) “Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.” – Frank Tyger

43.) “One of the simplest ways to stay happy is by letting go of the things that make you sad.” –Tinku Razoria

44.) “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”– Albert Schweitzer

45.) “Happiness is where we find it, but very rarely where we seek it.” – J. Petit Senn

47.) “If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.”― Roy T. Bennett

48.) “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

49.) “I laugh as much as I can and cry when I have to, without apology. I think that’s happy.”- Maya Angelou

50.) “If you want to be happy, you need to set your mind on happiness.” ― Ana Kostovska

Quotes about being happy with yourself

51.) “Happiness is the art of learning how to get joy from your substance.” – Jim Rohn

52.) “Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don’t give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm and genuine people.” – Tena Desae

53.) “If you want to be happy, be.”– Leo Tolstoy

54.) “When I am myself, I am happy and have a good result.” – Jack Ma

55.) “Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness.” – Ayn Rand

56.) “Happiness is not in our circumstance but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are.” – John B. Sheerin

57.) “You are happy when you are enthusiastic and action-oriented, not when you are luxury and pleasure oriented.” ― Debasish Mridha

58.) “Success means being happy with who you are and bringing happiness to those around you.” – Jane John Nwankwo

59.) “If you feel happy, Smile with all your heart. if you’re down, smile with all your might.” ― Paul Ian Guillermo

60.) “You choose to be happy. You don’t become happy just because the circumstances lead you to happiness.” – Ryan Cooper

Other inspirational quotes about being happy

61.) “Talking about someone who makes you happy actually makes you happy.” – Elizabeth Scott

62.) “Being happy never goes out of style.” – Lilly Pulitzer

63.) “The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama

64.) “What’s fulfilling is being happy and being able to help other people. The simple things.” –  James Arthur

65.) “Be believing, be happy, don’t get discouraged. Things will work out.”― Gordon B. Hinckley

66.) “The key to happiness was achievable dreams.”― Nicholas Sparks

67.) “Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.”- Jacques Prévert

68.) “I am a kind of paranoid in reverse. I suspect people of trying to make me happy”― J.D. Salinger

69.) “Is happiness equated to wealth, money, possessions, or is it value you find in doing your job well, having a loving family, your health, and an inner peace?” – Catherine Pulsifer

70.) “Embrace being perfectly imperfect. Learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself, you’ll be happier.” ― Roy Bennett

Which of these quotes about being happy was your favorite?

Happiness matters so much. If, for instance,  you asked parents what they want above all for their children, most of them would respond with something like: “I really just want them to be happy.” This is because happiness is the one thing we want most for those we love the most.

We hope these quotes about being happy have inspired you to take responsibility for your own happiness.

Did you enjoy these happiness quotes? Which of these quotes about being happy was your favorite? We would love to hear all about it in the comment section below. Also, don’t forget to spread some happiness by liking and sharing with your friends and loved ones.

The post 70 Quotes On Being Happy With Where You Are in Life appeared first on Everyday Power.

[mariacedano-blog-blog]

French Interior Design Ideas “Interior Design Ideas” is a popular weekly series on Home Bunch and it usually features many different homes and many different interior styles, but I decided to feature a house tour today after receiving the photos of this newly-built French home. The homeowner, Brittany Jones, who is also the interior designer and photographer, contacted me and I couldn’t be happier. Her home is impeccable and you can’t help but fall in love with its details. This beautiful French style home is located in the heart of West Texas. The expansive single story 4,300 square foot floor plan was designed by Brit Jones Interiors and architect Tyler Gentry, of 17 Services. It was built by Scott Lane Homes. You are immediately greeted with a stunning staircase leading you into a foyer filled with unique and one-of-a-kind french antiques. The interiors also feature a neutral color palate with pops of soft blue and traditional furniture styles. I haven’t seen a tailored home like this one in some time and I really think you guys will love it as much as I do. French Interior Design Ideas This French-style home exudes timeless architectural details and plenty of curb-appeal. The home features a foyer, dining, living, kitchen, den, 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms and 2 half baths, den, playroom, private office, large mudroom with wrapping room, courtyard and expansive lawn in front and back. Shutters Shutters are rough cedar painted in Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue and made to look weathered with sand paper. The homeowner painted them herself! Front Door Black steel and glass front doors are custom made – 10 foot tall. Brick Exterior Brick: Mangum Brick in Country French color with white mortar. Stucco Instead of regular stucco the homeonwer did a “brick slurry” where they did the stucco over the brick in a hand finish instead of a sprayed finish. Color is a custom tan finish. Trim Color Dark Exterior Trim Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Seal Skin. Roof Roof is Tamko Thunderstorm Grey. Windows Windows are Pella Aluminum clad in bronze. Stone Exterior stone is Castlerock stone in a mix of cream and white with white mortar. Lighting Front Lanterns are Troy Larchmont Lanterns in hand forged iron in Age Pewter finish. Welcome Home! The black steel double doors open to a stunning French foyer. Foyer Paint Color White French Interior Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Alabaster. Chandelier: Aidan Gray Sconces: Aidan Gray Blue Chair The blue foyer chair is a French antique. Antique Door The barn door in the foyer is a true antique door from France. Get the Look: Drapery All window coverings are custom motorized drapes and shades from Susan Cannon at Budget Blinds. Brittany, the homeowner, loves her drapes! Chairs and ottoman are from Wisteria. Details Foyer drapes are a French Blue with a custom embroidered banding on a French rod. Dream Kitchen & Dining Room This French-country kitchen and dining room are full of beauty and character. Dining table and bench are Classic Home Furniture. Similar here (table & bench). Dining Chairs Wingback Dining Chair: Wayfair Side Chairs: World Market. Similar here, here & here. Similar Vase: here (large). Kitchen Isn’t this one of the most beautiful French kitchens you have ever seen?! Its design and choice of materials are impeccable. Backsplash The herringbone backsplash is reclaimed bricks from a building in Chicago. The homeowner took it all the way up the wall to make it more dramatic with the custom cast stone vent hood. Cabinet pulls can be found here. Lighting Kitchen Lighting: Feiss. Kitchen Hood Kitchen vent hood is sprayed cast stone material that is custom-made in place. Countertop Kitchen countertop is Honed Arabescato Marble. Similar Counterstools: here, here, here & here. Hardware Kitchen Hardware: Jeffrey Alexander Pulls and the Durham knobs for perimeter. Cabinetry Cabinets are Pine, shaker style cabinet door with a beveled edge. Cabinet paint color is Sherwin Williams Alabaster. Kitchen Sink: Rohl. Appliance Pull: Here. Faucet Kitchen Faucet: Danze Opulence Satin Nickel. Hardwood Hardwood Flooring: Hill Country Innovations Coastal Dunes Collection in color Cape Cod. Kitchen Pantry Cabinet Color Paint Color: Uncertain Gray by Sherwin Williams. Lighting Industrial Farmhouse Lighting: Lighting is Hammered Copper one light pendant from Nebraska Furniture. Similar here. Beams The kitchen ceiling features stained wood grid ceiling. Arch A brick archway divides the kitchen area from the living room. Living Room Ceiling The living room features cathedral ceiling with beam. Chandelier: Quorum. Layout The picture above gives us an idea of the layout; arches lead to foyer, next to a sitting area, dining room, kitchen and pantry on far left (by the refrigerator). Patio Door A large slide door with transoms opens to the patio. Paint Color & Furniture Wall & Trim Color: Alabaster by Sherwin Williams SW 7008. Sofas are Bernhardt. Chairs are Lee Furniture. Get the Look: Powder Room Countertop is Honed Arabescato Marble. Cabinet Paint Color Cabinet Color: Pewter Tankard Sherwin Williams. Hardware: Anthropologie. Grey Den This rustic den features reclaimed wood ceiling and brick flooring. Breathtaking! Den sofa is Mayo Furniture. Ceiling Details Note from the Designer: “The ceiling in the den is reclaimed barn wood beams over regular cedar planks that my husband distressed himself with nails, chains, and hammers”. – Brittany Jones. Reading Nook Lighting Reading Nook Lighting: Savoy House. Den chairs are Century Furniture. Similar here, here & here. Brick Flooring Brick Flooring: Reclaimed bricks from an old building in Chicago. The designer/homeowner found the bricks from a vendor in Waco, Texas who sources the brick directly from a brick cutter in Chicago. Laundry Room The laundry room also features brick flooring. Countertop: Polished “Shadow” Quartzite. Hardware: Jeffrey Alexander. Daughter’s Bedroom The color palette of this bedroom is a dream! Bedding Bedding is a mix of Pottery Barn, and Bella Notte. Chandelier White Chandelier: Home Depot gold chandelier that the designer redid with chalk paint and added pearl strands from her wedding. Similar here. Window Window Treatment: Custom blush velvet cornice, white sheer drapes over a white and cream woven wood shades. Bathroom Paint Color Best White: Sherwin Williams SW 7008 Alabaster. Lighting: Feiss. Bathroom Tray Decor Perfection! Mirror & Sconces Bathroom Mirror: similar here. Sconces: Pottery Barn. Bathroom Hardware Bathroom Cabinet Hardware: Top Knobs. French Master Bedroom Bedding is RH and Ballard Designs. Window Treatment: Woven wood shades under white linen drapes. Chandelier Chandelier is Regina Andrew. Paint Color Trim and wall color is Sherwin Williams Alabaster. Barn Door The barn door is a custom designed door from a local carpenter and painted by the designer in Annie Sloan – custom mix of Duck Egg Blue, Old White, French Linen, and Coco. Master Bathroom Bathroom Faucet: Danze. Countertop: Polished Arabescato Marble. Cabinet Hardware Bathroom Cabinet Hardware: Restoration Hardware. Bathroom Chandelier Terracotta Ballerina 6 light chandelier. Neutral Hues How stunning is this bathroom? Notice the wall tile and the linen drapes. Tub Surround Tile: Handmade white subway tile with a polished white finish. Similar here. Master Bathroom Floor: Emser Tile Pietre Del Nord in color Maine with matte finish. Interior Design & Photography: Brit Jones Interiors ( Instagram). Inspiring Color Palette Timeless Paint Colors: Sherwin Williams Alabaster. Benjamin Moore Bird’s Egg. Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray. Sherwin Williams Watery. Sherwin-Williams Silver Strand. Benjamin Moore White Sand. Best January Deals Pottery Barn: Up to 40% OFF + Free Shipping – Code: SAVEBIG Wayfair: 70% Off + Many New Items on Clearance! West Elm: Up to 60% Off. Code: BYE2017. Horchow: 20% Off + Free Shipping. Code: NEWYEAR One Kings Lane: Save Up to 60% Serena & Lily: Up to 70% OFF!!! Williams & Sonoma: Up to 75% off Nordstrom: 50% OFF Half Yearly Sale. JCPenny: Clarence 80% OFF – Extra 40% OFF on $100 or more. Code: NewYear Neiman Marcus: Up to 60% OFF Pier 1: Huge Sales! Up to 75% OFF Joss & Main: Huge Sales – Up to 75% OFF Price Drop Event. Post of the Week: California Beach House with Classic Coastal Interiors. Family Home with Grey Exterior and Interiors. Coastal Interior Design Ideas. Classic Shingle Home Design Ideas. Classic White Kitchen with Grey Backsplash. Newly-Built Board and Batten Modern Farmhouse. New 2018 Family Home Decor Trends. Trending on Home Bunch: Open-Concept Family Home Design Ideas. White Beach Style Kitchen with Shiplap. New 2018 Interior Design Ideas. Inspiring California Beach House Design. Belgian-Inspired Farmhouse. English Farmhouse Home. Transitional Family Home Design. More Interior Design Ideas. You can follow my pins here: Pinterest/HomeBunch See more Inspiring Interior Design Ideas in my Archives. Popular Paint Color Posts: The Best Benjamin Moore Paint Colors 2016 Paint Color Ideas for your Home Interior Paint Color and Color Palette Pictures Interior Paint Color and Color Palette Ideas Inspiring Interior Paint Color Ideas Interior Paint Color and Color Palette New 2015 Paint Color Ideas Interior Paint Color Ideas Interior Design Ideas: Paint Color Interior Ideas: Paint Color More Paint Color Ideas Have a Blessed day, my friends. We’ll talk again tomorrow! with Love, Luciane from HomeBunch.com Interior Design Services within Your Budget Come Follow me on Come Follow me on Get Home Bunch Posts Via Email Contact Luciane “For your shopping convenience, this post might contain links to retailers where you can purchase the products (or similar) featured. I make a small commission if you use these links to make your purchase so thank you for your support!”

[twodeadchicks]

#TWDFamily Part 3

"It's not just fandom. It's family." If you are at all familiar with Walker Stalker Convention or Heroes and Villains Fan Fest, you've probably seen this tag line before. Though I'd seen it, I had never put much thought into what it meant until I experienced this family for myself. From attending the conventions as a fan to beginning this podcast with Kia, I have witnessed a fandom that supports each other with their whole hearts. I have seen people come together for each other in a way that can only be described as magical. Their one common thread? They love The Walking Dead and attending the conventions that celebrate their favorite show. In this four part series, I will be chatting with many of the people that make up this family. Today, we take a look at the fans who love to attend WSC! Many of the folks who were kind enough to speak to me will also be in Atlanta this weekend! If you see them, I encourage you to say hello! Who have you most enjoyed meeting? Jennifer Cronin (4 time WSC attendee):  I’d have to say the person I most enjoyed meeting was Norman Reedus. I've tried meeting him for three years and he finally came to Nashville this past year. I was excited and a nervous wreck. Once I got up to see Norman he was very sweet, asking how my day was. To make things better he even held my hand the whole time he autographed my Funko Pop and picture! Then sent me on my way with a hug and a piece of candy. Mel V (8 time WSC employee): Loved meeting Danai the most. She remembered me and talked about me on Conan O'Brien! [caption id="attachment_21859" align="alignright" width="300"] Mike Angelo with one of his favorites, Alexandra Breckenridge[/caption] Mike Angelo (5 time WSC attendee): JDM, Alexandra Breckenridge, Norman, Lawrence Gilliard Jr. Angela Barr: (4 time WSC attendee): Ross Marquand without a doubt! The first time I met him was in 2016 when I was volunteering in Panels at Walker Stalker Con Chicago.  I was standing outside the Panels area as he came out of Photo Ops.  He walked over and greeted all of us volunteers and thanked us. Then he gave each of us a hug! Ross gives the best hugs!! Stephanie Rodriguez (1 time WSC attendee): Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Robert Bernardo (7 time WSC attendee): Andrew Lincoln. Connie Connelly (1 time WSC attendee): So far it’s a tie between Lennie James and David Morrissey. Until I meet Jon {Bernthal}. Stacey Lee (2 time WSC attendee): Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Even though I've met him prior to his Walking Dead time, he is my literal everything at these cons and I cannot get enough. [caption id="attachment_21858" align="alignleft" width="220"] Ingrid Bascope hugging her favorite, Scott Wilson[/caption] Ingrid Bascope (4 time WSC attendee): Scott Wilson is so far the most amazing human being. I approached to him for a picture and I told him, "Mister Scott I'm a big fan. I watch all your movies with my dad. How I wish he was here with me to meet you!" And he look at me with a sad face and said, "I'm so sorry your dad is not here come! Let me me give you a hug!" He hugs me and my kids and tells them to be good at school. What do you love most about Walker Stalker Con? Jillian (3 time WSC attendee): I love the fact that James puts so much in to these events. He’s a fan just like us Jennifer Cronin:  I love the Walker Stalker Con family. Everyone genuinely cares about each other and we all love the Walking Dead. I've made forever friendships because of Walker Stalker and these people are now part of my daily life. Also, how awesome is it that you get to hang out with people who love the Walking Dead? I love my Walker Stalker Con family. [caption id="attachment_21856" align="alignright" width="300"] Gemma Hewitt during some of her favorite photo ops[/caption] Gemma Hewitt (2 time WSC attendee): I love the whole experience but making friends has been the best part, I've met some amazing people who I now class as my best friends. Heather Robertson aka Sparkles Handler (5 time WSC attendee): Meeting the other fans and making friends from all over the world. We look forward to seeing each other again at the next con. It’s like a big family reunion. Anna (9 time WSC attendee): I love the experience, the people, its not just about the celebrities you meet, i do go to meet celebs but i look forward to being able to see a good majority of my friends all in one place. Mel V: I love meeting up with fellow TWD family; people who have become lifelong friends through this awesome show! Stephani Walker (5 time WSC attendee): Everyone is there for the same reason. The troubles of the world cease for three days. Three days of fandom and horror. Everyone there has the same passion and love for this show among many other shows that are a beautiful and entertaining escape from the reality that stresses us out. For three days, nobody cares about the color of your skin, nobody cares about your religious beliefs , nobody cares about your political views and nobody cares about your sexual preference. For three days, thousands of people from around the world gather for a family reunion and meet their idols, have fun and keep all things spooky! Mike Angelo: It's an all immersive 3 days with people from all over the world that share the same passion you do. Angela Barr: I love so much about WSC but if I had to narrow it down to just one thing, I would say it’s the people that I have met at WSC. Whether it’s an actor from the show or another fan, I love that WSC gives me the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life who love The Walking Dead as much as I do! The Walking Dead family is absolutely amazing!  And getting the chance to get together with a group of people who share my love for this show is such a great thing! I am so grateful to James Frazier for starting Walker Stalker Con and allowing me to be a part of this big, beautiful Walking Dead family! Rachal Belew (1 time WSC attendee): I love the TWD Family. It's amazing that everyone there will help you out and wants to be your friend. Stephanie Rodriguez: The family style spirit the fans share with each other. Robert Bernardo: Meeting fellow fans from all over the world. Connie Connelly: How everyone comes together and helps one another. The fandom is so warm and friendly it feels like family! Stacey Lee: Even though Atlanta is hugeeeee, it doesn't feel that way. You can literally walk up to the dude standing in front of you in line at the ops and you have a new friend: it's rad. Do you have a favorite memory or story from your time attending Walker Stalker Con? Jillian (3 time WSC attendee): My favorite memory is meeting 3 of my closest friends; Ashley, April, and Amanda.  Gemma Hewitt: One of my favourite memories so far was the Saturday of London, I managed to buy an Andy photo op from somebody 10 minutes before the shoot so it was a mad rush but I got to meet him & he was sooo lovely! [caption id="attachment_21861" align="alignleft" width="300"] Heather Robertson, Sparkles the Unicorn, and one of her favorites, Ross Marquand at WSC Nashville 2017. If you see Heather and Sparkles, make sure to say hello and take a photo with Sparkles![/caption] Heather Robertson: At WSC Charlotte in December 2016 is the first time I met Ross. He was so friendly and down to earth and I loved talking with him. He remembered my name on Sunday after just meeting me on Saturday, and that made me feel amazing. The best part was when he made this amazing video for me. It was him standing beside me and doing 3 different voice impressions. It was the best thing ever. I still go back and watch that video over and over. Stephani Walker: This is my 15th convention but for WSC, I have many great memories. I believe creating a painting of Norman and Mingus’ rescue cat, “Eye In The Dark” along with a quote from Norman himself. He gets hundreds of gifts daily and it was heartwarming to capture a video of him leaving with Sean Clark and security carrying the personalize canvas with him. Stephanie Rodriguez:  I found out I was pregnant on the same day I met Jeffrey Dean Morgan. When I met him I was happier than I imagined I would be and he remarked on my huge grin. I told him it was the best day ever because I met him and found out that my IVF had worked. We took our picture and then he gave me a huge hug and a peck on the cheek before wishing me good luck. He was so sincerely happy in the exchange, it was just a great moment and really fulfilled my expectations of meeting him. He was fantastic. Robert Bernardo: During the first Walker Stalker in Atlanta, I remember meeting Andrew Lincoln and introducing myself as “Robert from San Francisco.” He said, “Hello, Robert from San Francisco.” Then, later in the day when we were doing the cast photos—he yelled out to the rest of the celebrities, “Hey, everyone! It’s Robert from San Francisco!” That’s my fondest memory from all the Walker Stalkers. Connie Connelly: So far when I met the governor, I was very nervous. I couldn’t talk and he asked me, “What’s wrong? You’re not a fan of the governor,” As he goes to my throat to pretend to choke me.  Any advice for new Walker Stalker Con goers? Jillian (3 time WSC attendee): My advice would be keep an eye on the schedules. They can change at anytime. And if you need any help with anything ask anyone. We’re all willing to help you out. We’re a big family. Jennifer Cronin: Plan your day as far as photo op times, autos, panels, etc. Portable phone chargers are a must! Germ-x so you dont pick up the con crud. Mostly have fun, this'll be one of the best experiences of your life and it'll go so fast, so cherish every moment. Walker Stalker Con is just amazing. Gemma Hewitt: My advice would be to plan your schedule and check the floor plan so you know where you need to go. Don't waste valuable time looking for a table! Also, if you are like me and get shinier throughout the day, a powder compact will be your best friend! I topped up in every photo queue! Heather Robertson: Don’t be shy. Talk to other fans when you are waiting in line. Join the meet up groups and connect with others. You will learn so much from the veterans. Plan, plan, plan. Do your research, it will help your first con experience go smoother. Anna: If allowed, bring water and small snacks, comfortable shoes (if you’re cosplaying the most comfortable you can find), bring a bag of some kind to carry your stuff, buy photo sleeves ahead of time or find a vendor who has them for 2 or 3 bucks each. You can fit 2 or 3 photos in each one until you get home. Don’t stress too much about a schedule unless it’s very time specific such as photo ops or panels. I thought having everything planned to a T was a great idea when I went to my first con (NYCC of all places). My "plan" for the most part fell apart midway through the first day. After that I decided to just wing it. Surprises happened, I got most everything I wanted. It was a great time. Above all, expect the unexpected. You never know what will happen when you least expect it. And don’t be afraid to ask questions to people who have attended cons before. I don’t think I would have survived NYCC and NYC without asking a ton of questions beforehand. Some people will be jerks and not want to share "secrets" but we aren’t all like that. I do my best to pay it forward to newcomers to any con (I’ve done a few others besides WSC and NYCC). I remember all too well what it was like to be new. Mike Angelo: Plan ahead. Start a year out if possible. Angela Barr: Be prepared for lots of walking and waiting. The venues where the Cons are held are pretty big.   That means between the Panels, photo ops and meet and greets, you may have to walk from one side of the venue to the other several times a day. And there are lines for everything. Lines to pick up your badges, lines for photo ops, lines for meet and greets, lines to get into the Panels and lines for food. But being cranky about waiting will only spoil the experience for you and possibly for others around you. To pass the time, make a new friend while you wait in line. To make the most of your experience - remember to pack your patience and wear comfortable shoes. Rachal Belew: Aim for the big stars you want but never forget the co-stars. They are all so kind and take the time to make you smile too! Robert Bernardo: Here are my Top 3. 1. Prepare a schedule in advance so as not to waste precious time. 2. Plan ahead for any Photo Ops (costumes, props and specific poses). 3. Bring: phone chargers, cash (Note: photo ops and autographs are “cash only”!), any prescription medication, plastic photo protectors, and comfortable shoes. Stacey Lee: Breathe. Take it in. Smell Jeffrey's breath and have fun. Ingrid Bascope: Get ready for 3 days of excitement and study the maps so you know exactly where to go. And don't hesitate to ask a volunteer for help. That's what we are there for.   Want to go? You can purchase your WSC Atlanta tix here!