#Time Delay Relays

[creativeera]

Electric Vehicle Relay Market is driving towards Connected Mobility Trends

The electric vehicle relay market comprises various critical components that control and manage power distribution in electric vehicles. Relays form an integral part of wiring systems in electric vehicles as they switch electrical connections and circuits based on input signals. They offer reliable switching, high current carrying capacity, and durability—critical requirements for EVs. Major relay types used in EVs include main relays, pre-charge relays, high-voltage relays, and battery management system (BMS) relays to optimize power distribution across different EV systems and enhance safety. The global electric vehicle relay market is estimated to be valued at USD 12.09 Bn in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 30.45 Bn by 2031, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.1% from 2024 to 2031.

Growing environmental concerns and stringent emission norms worldwide have accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles in recent years. This increasing demand for EVs from both commercial and passenger vehicle segments has fueled the need for reliable and efficient components like relays. With continuous advancements in EV technologies, relays are playing a vital role in enabling connected features, autonomous driving capabilities, advanced battery management, and infotainment systems integration. Key Takeaways Key players operating in the electric vehicle relay market are TE Connectivity, Omron Corporation, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Littelfuse, and Mouser Electronics. These players have been investing in developing new-age automotive-grade relays with enhanced switching capabilities and long lifecycles to meet evolving industry requirements. Growing environmental awareness and government initiatives offering subsidies and tax rebates on EV purchases have accelerated the global EV sales in recent years. This rising EV adoption rate is driving the demand for various EV components like relays from automotive OEMs and component suppliers. Major automotive companies are also expanding their global footprint to capitalize on the large untapped Electric Vehicle Relay Market Growth, especially in developing markets of Asia and Latin America. This is expected to boost the electric vehicle relay market globally during the forecast period. Market Key Trends One of the key trends gaining traction in the electric vehicle relay market is the increasing use of smart relays integrated with advanced technologies like IoT and cloud connectivity. These smart relays enable remote monitoring of relay health and failure diagnosis. They help improve reliability, support predictive maintenance needs of EVs, and aid in developing advanced telematics solutions. This rising focus on implementing Industry 4.0 standards is estimated to drive innovation and boost the electric vehicle relay adoption across connected vehicle platforms.

Porter’s Analysis Threat of new entrants: Low as there is moderate risk involved, high investment required and established brand loyalty. However, increasing demand for electric vehicles may attract new players over time. Bargaining power of buyers: Moderate as the buyers have multiple established brands to choose from. However, specific vehicle requirements increase switching costs for buyers. Bargaining power of suppliers: Moderate as raw material suppliers have established relationships with major manufacturers. However, rising demand increases supplier bargaining power over prices. Threat of new substitutes: Low as electric vehicles rely on relays for critical functions. However, continuous technology innovation may introduce substitutes. Competitive rivalry: High among the existing players to gain market share. Manufacturers compete based on product quality, innovation, pricing and expansion to new geographies. Geographical Regions Currently, North America accounts for the largest share of the global electric vehicle relay market value owing to high vehicle production and sales, supportive government initiatives and presence of major automobile manufacturers. The Asia Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period due to rising initiatives towards emission reductions, focus on developing charging infrastructure and surge in electric vehicle adoption especially in China and Japan. Countries like India and South Korea are also contributing to market growth.

Get more insights on Electric Vehicle Relay Market

Alice Mutum is a seasoned senior content editor at Coherent Market Insights, leveraging extensive expertise gained from her previous role as a content writer. With seven years in content development, Alice masterfully employs SEO best practices and cutting-edge digital marketing strategies to craft high-ranking, impactful content. As an editor, she meticulously ensures flawless grammar and punctuation, precise data accuracy, and perfect alignment with audience needs in every research report. Alice's dedication to excellence and her strategic approach to content make her an invaluable asset in the world of market insights.

(LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alice-mutum-3b247b137 )

[timershop4]

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[nasa]

All-Star Moments in Space Communications and Navigation

How do we get information from missions exploring the cosmos back to humans on Earth? Our space communications and navigation networks – the Near Space Network and the Deep Space Network – bring back science and exploration data daily.

Here are a few of our favorite moments from 2024.

1. Hip-Hop to Deep Space

The stars above and on Earth aligned as lyrics from the song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” by hip-hop artist Missy Elliott were beamed to Venus via NASA’s Deep Space Network. Using a 34-meter (112-foot) wide Deep Space Station 13 (DSS-13) radio dish antenna, located at the network’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California, the song was sent at 10:05 a.m. PDT on Friday, July 12 and traveled about 158 million miles from Earth to Venus — the artist’s favorite planet. Coincidentally, the DSS-13 that sent the transmission is also nicknamed Venus!

NASA's PACE mission transmitting data to Earth through NASA's Near Space Network.

2. Lemme Upgrade You

Our Near Space Network, which supports communications for space-based missions within 1.2 million miles of Earth, is constantly enhancing its capabilities to support science and exploration missions. Last year, the network implemented DTN (Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking), which provides robust protection of data traveling from extreme distances. NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission is the first operational science mission to leverage the network’s DTN capabilities. Since PACE’s launch, over 17 million bundles of data have been transmitted by the satellite and received by the network’s ground station.

A collage of the pet photos sent over laser links from Earth to LCRD and finally to ILLUMA-T (Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal) on the International Space Station. Animals submitted include cats, dogs, birds, chickens, cows, snakes, and pigs.

3. Who Doesn’t Love Pets?

Last year, we transmitted hundreds of pet photos and videos to the International Space Station, showcasing how laser communications can send more data at once than traditional methods. Imagery of cherished pets gathered from NASA astronauts and agency employees flowed from the mission ops center to the optical ground stations and then to the in-space Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), which relayed the signal to a payload on the space station. This activity demonstrated how laser communications and high-rate DTN can benefit human spaceflight missions.

4K video footage was routed from the PC-12 aircraft to an optical ground station in Cleveland. From there, it was sent over an Earth-based network to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The signals were then sent to NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration spacecraft and relayed to the ILLUMA-T payload on the International Space Station.

4. Now Streaming

A team of engineers transmitted 4K video footage from an aircraft to the International Space Station and back using laser communication signals. Historically, we have relied on radio waves to send information to and from space. Laser communications use infrared light to transmit 10 to 100 times more data than radio frequency systems. The flight tests were part of an agency initiative to stream high-bandwidth video and other data from deep space, enabling future human missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

The Near Space Network provides missions within 1.2 million miles of Earth with communications and navigation services.

5. New Year, New Relationships

At the very end of 2024, the Near Space Network announced multiple contract awards to enhance the network’s services portfolio. The network, which uses a blend of government and commercial assets to get data to and from spacecraft, will be able to support more missions observing our Earth and exploring the cosmos. These commercial assets, alongside the existing network, will also play a critical role in our Artemis campaign, which calls for long-term exploration of the Moon.

On Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, at 12:06 p.m. EDT, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

6. 3, 2, 1, Blast Off!

Together, the Near Space Network and the Deep Space Network supported the launch of Europa Clipper. The Near Space Network provided communications and navigation services to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, which launched this Jupiter-bound mission into space! After vehicle separation, the Deep Space Network acquired Europa Clipper’s signal and began full mission support. This is another example of how these networks work together seamlessly to ensure critical mission success.

Engineer Adam Gannon works on the development of Cognitive Engine-1 in the Cognitive Communications Lab at NASA’s Glenn Research Center.

7. Make Way for Next-Gen Tech

Our Technology Education Satellite program organizes collaborative missions that pair university students with researchers to evaluate how new technologies work on small satellites, also known as CubeSats. In 2024, cognitive communications technology, designed to enable autonomous space communications systems, was successfully tested in space on the Technology Educational Satellite 11 mission. Autonomous systems use technology reactive to their environment to implement updates during a spaceflight mission without needing human interaction post-launch.

A first: All six radio frequency antennas at the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex, part of NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), carried out a test to receive data from the agency’s Voyager 1 spacecraft at the same time.

8. Six Are Better Than One

On April 20, 2024, all six radio frequency antennas at the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex, part of our Deep Space Network, carried out a test to receive data from the agency’s Voyager 1 spacecraft at the same time. Combining the antennas’ receiving power, or arraying, lets the network collect the very faint signals from faraway spacecraft.

Here’s to another year connecting Earth and space.  

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[georgeclarkeys]

drunken nights - arthurtv x reader

summary - chris asks you to help him wrangle arthur for soccer saturday - 1k words

trying to get back in the groove of things post surgery :)

hope y'all don't hate it!

~

The sun had been up for several hours, but you and Arthur had yet to make it out of bed. You had your cheek pressed against his collarbone, allowing your forehead to rest comfortably in the crook of his neck. His arms fit around you like they were made to be there, and your hands had wound themselves into his soft curls. 

You were enjoying a lazy morning, because Arthur was scheduled to film a Soccer Saturday video with Chris and the rest of his friends in a few short hours. This meant that you would have the majority of the day to yourself, until your boyfriend had finished enough drinks to start sending you an overwhelming amount of drunk texts. 

The sharp ping of your phone drew your attention from Arthur for the first time in hours. Your face scrunched as you read the name on the screen.

“Why is Chris’s producer texting me?” You glanced up at Arthur, who shrugged his shoulders looking just as confused as you were. 

unknown number - 9:37 AM

Hi (Y/N), this is Laura from ChrisMD’s production team! Chris is busy getting everything ready for the video today, so he asked me to reach out to you about potentially joining us for filming this evening. You will not be on camera or in the video, we just might need your assistance with a few things 🙂 (to be completely honest with you, Chris needs you to wrangle Arthur. He is infamous for being a bit of a handful on these shoots. 😉) Let me know if you are available so I can relay to Chris. Thanks!

As soon as your eyes finished scanning the paragraph, you started giggling uncontrollably and flipped your phone around to let Arthur read the message. His eyes widened in shock.

“I do not misbehave that bad! I can’t believe they are calling in my girlfriend for me!” He huffed out a pouty sigh before continuing, “are you going to come?”

“It sounds like they need me,” you chuckled, “what do you think?”

Arthur thought about it for a moment, “I will never turn down the chance to spend the day with you. Join us, it will be fun.”

He pecked your cheek and slid out of bed while you responded to the text, mentally preparing yourself for a wild night.

~

As your day had progressed you found yourself in a pub before noon, and on a train to Doncaster that had taken several hours in delays, before landing in the streets of the city. Arthur was sloshed before the group had even made it onto the train, and his inability to walk in a straight line ahead of you was making it clear to everyone. He had been on a different level all evening. You were pretty sure he had been talking to anyone who would listen, but only about a third of the things he was saying made any sense at all. He had also found himself in the middle of a confrontation on the street by pointing out a man’s silly costume. Luckily, Bach stepped in to handle the angry partier while you pulled Arthur away by the hood on his jacket.

Now, you were at a complete loss of words as you stared up at your incredibly intoxicated boyfriend, who had somehow made it up a tree in the five minutes it took you to find a bathroom.

Looking around at the crew and the rest of the group you sighed, “how the hell did this happen.”

Your voice altered Arthur that you had returned. He found your gaze and beamed down at you, “babe! I’m in a tree!”

“Arthur Tree Vee!” George slurred out before jumping up and down and high fiving Bach. You turned to the sober members of the crew, who were all looking at you with exasperated expressions.

“Arthur! You need to get down, love, you’re gonna get hurt,” you called up to him.

“Okay (Y/N)!” he exclaimed before grabbing onto a branch and making an awkward, uncoordinated, spinning dismount from an incredibly dangerous height. He landed on feet before falling onto his back on the pavement. One of the cameramen stepped forward to capture Arthur’s flushed face and drunken grin and he proclaimed, “I always do what (Y/N) tells me.”

The rest of the group descended into fits of laughter, several of them even falling to the ground to join him. 

You and Arthur Hill rushed over to check on him, but he seemed unharmed. While pulling him to his feet, you noticed a cut on his hand at the same time that he did. His eyes snapped to Bach’s.

“We’re bleeding! We’re bleeding!” They both repeated, holding their hands to the camera and jumping up and down. You scrubbed a hand over your face, your boyfriend a handful when he was drunk and you desperately needed caffeine to handle it. Before you could think about it too much, Arthur and Bach started trading screams back and forth in the middle of the street. You slapped your hand over Arthur’s mouth, muffling the screams before he retaliated by licking a stripe across your palm.

You deadpanned, “Literally what is wrong with you.”

He just smiled at you, tilted his head slightly, and lightly bit the tip of your nose before skipping away to join the group, yelling out “I LOVE MY GIRLFRIEND” into the starry Doncaster sky.

This was going to be a long night.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟlater that night

yourusername posted a story!

[hgfictionwriter]

Still Yours - Part Three: Downfall

Jessie Fleming x Reader

Summary: After a silent truce, you finally agree to talk with Jessie after her confession. Things are worse than Jessie feared.

Warnings: Angst. Mention of self-hate. Language.

A/N: Series can be found here.

“Can we talk? Please?”

Jessie’s beseeching voice carried softly through the kitchen to your retreating form. The girls were fast asleep and you two had independently and silently worked through the tasks you had to do before tomorrow.

You wouldn’t even look at her.

It had been a couple of days since she told you about her indiscretion with Mia. Outside of that first night when you cried in her arms, you’d been cold and kept your distance.

On the surface, things were functioning normal enough. You were civil to her. The days and activities ticked on without much of a hitch. You put on a mask for the girls, offering a polite smile if Jessie cracked a joke. Engaging with her as needed, but contact outside of the girls was essentially non-existent.

Jessie was still very much relegated to the guest room. She got up at the crack of dawn and headed downstairs each morning before either girl could see her leaving that room, but it was nothing short of a miracle that they hadn’t caught her yet.

It was only a matter of time until the girls would notice something was wrong. And unfortunately, you and Jessie were no closer to a resolution of any kind. Any time she tried to catch you alone, you made an excuse to leave or simply told her you weren’t ready to talk.

It was driving Jessie insane. You’d never been withholding and cold. If anything, she’d been the distant one at times. She had no clue how to navigate this properly and she was terrified of what was to come.

She was trying to respect your boundaries, but it was hard.

To her surprise, you paused at the base of the stairs and eventually turned to face her. She found herself subconsciously swallowing through her apprehension.

You didn’t say anything at first and instead walked past her, making fleeting eye contact, and took a seat at the kitchen table.

“I suppose we’re on borrowed time. I think the girls already know something’s off,” you said in a near mumble as you placed your hands atop the table and idly played with your fingers, eyes determinedly focused on them.

Jessie’s heart raced as she tentatively took a seat across from you. You finally glanced up at her before averting your gaze again. You took a quiet breath.

“I was able to get in to see my therapist today. So. I feel a bit more prepared for this conversation,” you relayed evenly.

Jessie pushed down the worry that spiked at mention of your therapist. Your therapist would tell you to leave her. She was sure of it.

“Oh. That’s good that you got in to see her,” Jessie offered.

You returned a tight smile. “Mhm.”

“I know it helps you,” Jessie went on in an attempt to be supportive. She didn’t anticipate the glare you shot from across the table.

“Maybe you should’ve actually used your resources, too. You get access to therapists and all sorts of help and you don’t use them for the things you should. Maybe if you’d talked with them about how you were feeling - even if you couldn’t tell me-" you added bitingly, "we wouldn’t be in this mess."

You let out a single, delayed laugh and added, “Mind you. You had no problem telling a girl you hardly knew about all your deepest fears and concerns, so, you know. Who needs therapy anyway.”

Jessie hung her head in her hands and grit her teeth together, failing to hold back a groan of frustration. She dropped her hands right away with a breath.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N. I can’t express that enough. I know it was so fucked up of me. I-I honestly didn’t even know how much I was harbouring until…this. It just happened,” she said dejectedly.

“Cheating doesn’t ‘just happen’, Jess,” you stated harshly, sitting forward. You glanced at the stairwell before sitting back with a weary sigh.

The room was heavy and quiet for a moment, your gaze set on the table before you spoke once more, your voice softer while you shook your head in disillusionment.

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around this. It doesn't feel real. Like - there’s no way Jessie would do this. My Jessie. My love. She would never do this. She loves me. She loves our family. She’s my person. She wouldn’t want someone else. She wouldn't stray. She wouldn't betray me.”

Jessie heart sank and she opened her mouth to speak. You spoke over her tearfully.

“And it’s so hard to reconcile because I’ve always felt so lucky. I’ve seen the other wives and girlfriends, what they’ve been through, and I would just sit and think ‘I’m so lucky. Jess loves me. She really loves me. And she’s so dedicated and sincere. I can rest easy and trust that we choose each other and if we have a problem, we'll work together and get through it together. There were many times I felt so lucky I could hardly believe it.” You paused, working to swallow your emotion. "Guess it really was too good to be true."

"Y/N," Jessie breathed, her chest aching painfully at your words.

"I think that's been the worst part." You now wore a weak smile. "That I didn't know at all. I would've never suspected a thing." You dropped your gaze with a quiet sniff of a laugh. "I thought things were good."

Jessie went to interject, to reassure you, but you filled the space first.

"I thought we were solid," you said, a tremble in your voice despite the way you tried to look unbothered. "That we had each other's backs through thick and thin. If there was one constant in this world, it was each other. I thought you were happy with us. With me."

"I am," Jessie protested, scooting to the edge of her seat. "I-"

"Do you know how scary that is for me? If you'd expressed discontent or if things were off - we were fighting, being distant - whatever - then at least I could point back to that. Say I should've seen the signs. But to be completely blindsided? How do I come back from that? How can I ever feel safe or trust things again?"

"Baby, please," Jessie pleaded yet again. "It's not you. It's not us. I am happy with you. I love you so much and you're everything I could ever want-"

"That's clearly not true," you cut in with a steady stare and immediately subduing her. Jessie rubbed her hands together between her knees and stared vacantly at the table as she gathered her thoughts. More silence permeated the room.

"It's my fault. 100%. I-I honestly didn't even realize how much retirement, my career - all of that - was weighing on me," she stammered as her shoulders rounded out in dejection. "I-I think that I felt like if I didn't talk about it, if I just ignored it, then it wasn't real. And it would be fine."

"This has always been your problem," you snapped. "You don't talk about your feelings. I have to drag them out of you. And it takes coaxing, and encouragement, but I thought we always got there," your voice tapered and grew tight.

"And until now - I thought," you paused abruptly, seeming to tamp down your emotions. You carried on more steadily. "I thought I was special. That you could open up to me when you couldn't to others. That you trusted me and could be vulnerable. But it wasn't true," you finished tearfully with a pained smile. "You hide from me as well."

"Not intentionally!" Jessie refuted, feeling desperation building up through her chest.

"Jess! I asked you - various ways - how you were feeling about retirement, going into this next stage - and time and time again you assured me you were ready, you felt good, you were looking forward to it. It would've been entirely natural to have hesitation or fear - but you repeatedly told me not to worry. So I trusted you." The heartbreak in your eyes was quickly overshadowed by resentment and anger. "And to hear that you could bare your soul to this other girl, and then fuck her-" You had to stop and take a breath. You exhaled slowly. "It's fucking horrible. I can't even put it into words."

Jessie rubbed her face wearily. Tears beginning to sting her eyes. She was so frustrated - with herself, with everything. She felt so out of her depth and overwhelmed.

"I know," she cried. "I'm sorry. I was - I don't know, I guess I was scared," she offered, voice meek. "I've been thinking a lot more about it. Because I want to hold myself accountable and understand how and why the fuck I did what I did." She braved a glance at you to see you were watching her quietly. She continued.

"I've always had expectations, a clear next step. My life has been so heavily structured and controlled. This is the first time where things aren't so clear cut. Even if I move into a staff role. It'll be different. And I," your voice gave for a moment, "I think I'm disappointed with how it's all ended. Like I didn't meet expectations."

You frowned. "Jess, you're one of the most decorated players. And you're universally loved. What do you mean?"

She sighed in frustration. "It's hard to explain. I don't even know. Just - the last few years have been hard."

You studied her, the harshness in your eyes had mostly faded.

"How come you didn't tell me?" You asked quietly, the hurt evident in your voice. "I know you were frustrated after certain games and tournaments. And we talked about it. But in the end you always said it was fine. And you'd get irate if I pushed."

"I'm sorry," Jessie repeated. "I-I'm discovering I'm not great at really dealing with things."

You scoffed lightly with an empty smile. You shook your head as you stared distractedly at the wall.

"Well. I'm glad you finally found someone you could talk to." You meant it to be cutting and cold, but your voice broke.

"It was just that one night," Jessie maintained, her voice rising. "I didn't talk to her about anything like that before. I need you to know she doesn't mean anything to me. It wasn't about her."

"Right. It's about you. And me. And us," you refuted tearfully. "That you didn't feel like you could talk to me. For years apparently," you nearly sobbed. "What the fuck. Do you even want this relationship? Or is this some way of your subconscious finding you an out and your head just has to catch up."

"No, oh my God," Jessie protested. "I want you and this relationship more than anything. I swear," she went on, her own voice trembling with emotion. "Please. I know it's hard to believe me right now. I've always felt like I could talk to you. And you are my person."

You looked unconvinced.

"I-I think I just talked to her because...she didn't know me. There were no expectations. I couldn't disappoint her," Jessie theorized solemnly.

"It should've been me, Jess!" You said in a harsh whisper, still mindful to not fully raise your voice. "Or, God, talk to your friends, your family, the team psychologist - my God. And it shouldn't end with you fucking them."

You sniffled, followed by an irritated eye-roll at your own emotions.

"And disappoint me? That's so unfair. And so disheartening. I love you and have always been so proud of you. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. To follow your dreams. All I needed from you was to honour our relationship and marriage. To be honest with me. But, fuck that, I guess," you finished bitterly with a harsh sniffle as you wiped at your tears.

"I know," Jessie cried. "This is why I know it's 100% me. I'm sorry, Y/N. I don't know what I can do," she finished beseechingly, hoping for any kind of guidance on how to fix this disaster.

"Have you talked to her since?" You asked in a terse tone. You shrugged, but your face fell briefly as you fought to control your emotions. "I mean, if she was tempting before. She must be extra tempting now. With your wife being such a miserable, cold bitch to you. I'm sure you could use some comfort," you challenged.

"No," Jessie said adamantly through her dejection. "Please. I have no interest in her. Yes - of course I've been struggling and upset. But I've only talked to you, Elysse and Janine. I haven't talked to her since I left and I don't intend to. And I don't want to at all. I promise."

"Your promises don't mean much anymore, Jess," you said coolly, leading Jessie to sink further into her chair. You released a shaky breath.

"You know. Part of me wonders if I should just fuck someone else. Call it even," you pondered nonchalantly though your eyes were red with tears. Jessie's chest tightened painfully at the statement and she stared at you wide-eyed. You snickered. "However. At least I'm self-aware enough to know that it wouldn't make me feel better. It wouldn't fix anything. I'd just feel a thousand times worse." You laughed ruefully as you picked at your fingernail distractedly. "Believe me though. Part of me wishes I could be so flippant."

"I-I have no right to ask you of anything. But," Jessie swallowed, "I really, really want to figure this out together. I want us to fix things. And I want you to feel confident and happy again. Please give me another chance."

You studied her from across the table. Your quiet unnerved Jessie.

"How can I trust anything you're saying? Even if I assume you're being genuine - how can I trust you to even know what you want or what you're feeling? Now I'm worried you're just trying to fix things because you 'should' and - if you're worried about instability - well, the dissolution of our family would certainly be something you want to avoid so you can feel safe and in control."

"I love you! I love our family and I want us to be together more than anything. And not because I 'should' or anything like that. If I was afraid of instability, I would've never told you about this! But I wanted to be honest with you," Jessie proclaimed in exasperation.

"Yeah. You deserve a medal - let's add it to the collection," you said snidely. There was a flash of regret in your eyes and you readjusted in your seat, dropping Jessie's gaze. You spoke softly. "It doesn't excuse what you did."

"I know," Jessie accepted quietly. "It was fucked up. And wrong. And I am determined to fix things. I swear. I need you to know I'm sorry and that I love you, and I want a future with you as much as I always have. You're the one for me and I'll do everything I need to earn your trust and fix things."

You brought your hands to the side of your face and ducked your head.

"This is so hard. I don't know what to do," you said despondently. "I don't know what to believe."

The pit in Jessie's stomach grew heavier. And as desperately as she wanted all of this to just be brushed under the rug, she knew it was impossible.

“You know I’ve been cheated on before. You know that. Did I expect it from you?” You asked with a faint laugh. “No. Stupidly no. But I guess there’s just something about me not worth keeping around.” Your voice was even, but tears were forming again and you wiped at the corner of your eye irritably.

"Y/N," Jessie breathed, mortified by your statement. "Please don't say that. You're the most incredible woman I've ever met. I've always felt so lucky to be with you and so grateful for your love. This was all on me. And I've fucking ruined everything. And I've hurt you. And I hate myself for it."

"That's hard to believe right now," you said, a slight edge in your voice. Your eyes narrowed and you lip trembled. "You hate yourself? I hate myself. You're sitting here telling me you're so upset with yourself. You're fucked up. You hate yourself. And some stupid part of me just wants to console you. Reassure you. Like you didn't just cheat on me. Disregard me. Destroy my trust. I still love you so much but I'm so hurt and scared and confused."

"And it's not just about me," you went on tearfully. "We have our girls to think about. Believe me - part of me just wants to pack up and leave, take the girls, tell you to fuck yourself - or fuck whoever you fucking want to - but that wouldn't be what's best for them."

The mention of taking the girls away sent an overwhelming wave of anxiety through Jessie. You must've seen the panic in her eyes.

"You may have turned out to be a shit wife, but you're a good mom to them and they need you," you went on, some level of regret in your voice.

"But I'm also debating back and forth with myself what sample I'm setting for them. When they settle down someday and if their partner cheats, hurts them, makes them doubt their self-worth - I'd want them to advocate for themselves. To walk away," your voice broke as you picked absently at the table.

The visual you laid out broke Jessie. She bit back a sob and rubbed harshly at the back of her neck as she tried to calm herself.

"So I don't know what to do," you said in a high and wavering voice as you gave her an imploring look.

"Please give me another chance," Jessie begged. "Let's go to counselling," she added hopefully. "I've looked some up and I have a couple we can choose from."

You were quiet and it was a struggle for Jessie to wait patiently for your response. You eventually sighed wearily.

"Eventually," you said, voice thin and tired. "I-I just don't think I'm at a place where it would be useful at all."

Jessie's stomach twisted in tighter knots, but she gave a nod of understanding.

"Sure. Whenever you're ready," she said with a tight smile.

"If you can't wait. If you realize you want her or someone else - you'll tell me right away?" You asked, again, trying to keep your voice even, but it was thin with the effort of suppressing your upset.

"That's not going to happen," Jessie said resolutely. "There's no one else for me."

"You don't know that, Jess," you said with a vague shake of your head.

"I do. I really, really do," she said, looking you in the eye though you couldn't do the same.

You sniffled and rubbed your face in frustration. Jessie couldn't help but flash back to how just a few nights ago you sat across from her, smiling at her with all the adoration and love in the world. She'd broken everything. And you.

"I have one more thing to ask you," you said as you met her watchful stare again. She nodded.

"Anything," she invited.

You took a steadying breath. "Did you use protection?"

Jessie's stomach dropped and in the moment it took her to gather an appropriate response your eyes flared up with greater anger than you'd expressed all evening.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" You asked, bewildered and mortified, surely your voice now finally carrying up the stairs. Jessie glanced over her shoulder and leaned in whispering in emphasis.

"I didn't, but-"

"Oh, you better fucking pray you didn't knock her up," you seethed. "I swear to God, Jess."

"Babe," she cut in, "I talked with her about that after. She's on birth control. It's okay. And I saw my doctor yesterday to get tested, so-"

"Oh my God," you laughed coldly as you held your palms to your face and shook your head. "You asked her after? Are you fucking-" You shook your head in utter disbelief. "I can't with you. I fucking can't."

You took a steadying, shaky breath. "Well, halle-fucking-lujah," you said sarcastically. "She on birth control. Great. One small mercy. At least one of you is responsible! I can't believe you fucked her raw. Are you fucking kidding me." You laughed again, your eyes welling up anew. "I'm so mad at you. I can't even fucking look at you." You tried to laugh, but your voice broke instead.

You stood up abruptly, the chair scraping noisily against the floor and causing Jessie to flinch. You stared down scathingly at her as she sat in the wake of her mistakes.

"I feel like I don't even know you right now," you added painfully. You shook your head as tears continued to brim. "I can't do this right now," you stated with finality as you stormed off.

You hadn't even reached the stairs by the time Jessie began to cry. She couldn't even bring herself to look over her shoulder to watch you leave or to attempt to coax you back.

She sat alone at the table crying quietly in this silent household for several minutes. She couldn't will herself to move. Her thoughts spiraled and her breathing began to quicken in time with her pulse.

Her fingers began to tingle and she stood up just as abruptly as you had earlier, banging her leg on the table harshly, but not even flinching or caring. In fact, finding some kind of reprieve in the dull, throbbing pain.

She turned on her heel and rushed to the laundry room to grab some workout clothes out waiting to be put away - idly berating herself for how she couldn't even go up to your room to grab clothes because she'd fucked things up so thoroughly. She got changed, grabbed her keys and threw on her runners and took off down the front steps and down the road at a fast clip.

The moon was high in the air and the sidewalk was illuminated in patches from the street lights. The neighbourhood felt still - no cars in sight as she grit her teeth and picked up her pace, taking full, quick strides and soon leaning into a sprint.

She balled her fists tightly as her heels pounded the concrete with each step, breath coming in sharp bursts as the sound of her footfalls echoed down the empty street.

She hadn't stretched and her muscles began to strain, but she relished in the pain.

She just kept replaying parts of your conversation over and over again. Her self-reproach grew deeper and more biting.

Things were far worse than she feared. She couldn't see a way back. She wanted it desperately. And she was dead set on working for it, but right now, she couldn't even see a glimpse of a future where you'd forgive her. Never mind one where you'd love her openly again.

She blinked back tears, but it was pointless. In a matter of moments her tears began to roll down her cheeks, mixing with the beads of sweat that poured down her face.

She ran harder, breathing roughly and unevenly as she fought to control her emotions. Her lungs burned, her muscles ached, but she pushed harder, willing away the emotions that threatened her.

She tried, she really did, but eventually she let out a sob, then another and slowed to an abrupt stop. She didn't even know where she was anymore and she didn't care. She leaned against the streetlight and found her body collapsing to the concrete, her back against the streetlight as she breathed in ragged gasps. She cried into her hands.

What had she done?

[kurishiri]

Mystery Bag 2025 ┊ Team 3: The adult nobles

William (bi-stander), Elbert (“Al pick me up I’m scared” Victorian child), Victor (bisexual mess #1), Darius (bisexual mess #2)

꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ @ notice ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱ this translation may not be 100% accurate or contain creative liberties due to narrative flow and characterization purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but please don’t repost these or claim these as your own!

— the mystery bag 2025 sale is a story set sale where the guys are put into teams and participate in a relay event thing. this is one of three teams! you can read the prologue, translated by @.judesmoonbeauty, here.

— cw: maybe a near-death experience.

[SKY]

——Group 3’s round: William, Elbert, Victor, Darius.

[CITY]

Victor: Seeing this lineup, I take it we’re ‘Team Nobles’!

William: I find it intriguing how it has a pleasant and genuine ring when you are the one saying it.

Darius: I see you are magnanimous, fun, and wonderful today as well, William.

William: Thank you for your kind words. I think you’re quite wonderful yourself too, Darius.

Elbert: …What are you two to each other?

Darius: I’m just very, veeery interested in William here, that’s all.

City girls: Lord Victor, you’re wonderful today as well~~!

Victor: Oh dear, thank you for your vocal support.

City girls: Lord Elbert~! Please blow a kiss~~!

Elbert: ...Blow...a kiss? (O_O)

William: There seems to be more spectators than usual.

Victor: Since it’s the first time we’re holding this selection for the Happy Boy. It’s natural then for there to be many spectating eyes.

V: Besides, did you know? We four are the strongest contenders, I’d say.

V: First up, William!

V: Those sheer prowess in your legs, and your peerless beauty! And by far, I know very well in these great many years I have stood by your side, just how swift of a runner you are.

Darius: How about you stop putting William up on a pedestal? (*^‿^*)

Victor: And next up, Elbert. There’s not a soul that’s seen you running before, but I hold high expectations for you!

Darius: What a wishy-washy basis.

Victor: And then the leader of Vogel, Darius. Same as above.

Darius: ...What?

Victor: And finally, there’s me!

V: With long, flowing jet-black locks, and these elegant and beauteous eyes. And not to mention——

Darius: William, let’s pay no mind to all his nonsense and prepare ourselves. If you were to get hurt anywhere, that would for sure be a problem.

Victor: Now stooop right there. Darius, I’ve been thinking this for a while now, but...

V: Have you by any chance fallen in love with me!?

Darius: And why do you say that?

Victor: Why, because there are times when you just can’t help but tease the one you like, you know. I see, I see it now~~ I hadn’t realized at all!

Darius: This is exactly what I despise about you.

Victor: What the— despise!? (O_O)

William: Haha, I see you two are getting along quite well.

Elbert: ...They are?

Steering committee: To everyone in group 3, there is something we must inform you about.

Steering committee: We do apologize, but due to mechanical difficulties, there is a one hour delay.

Victor: Oh my, one hour, you say? That’s quite a hefty amount of time.

Young man in steering committee: Lord Victor, the Queen’s Aide, Lord Rex and Lord Elbert. And the personage over there...

Victor: That would be Lord Darius Vogel, the leader of Vogel.

Young man in steering committee: Oh— then it’s all the more reason we can’t afford to keep you waiting in such a place.

Young man in steering committee: Please wait over here until the start time. Well then, if you’ll follow me.

[CAFÉ]

William: A table just for us, and warm tea as well. Very considerate of them.

W: ...However, Elbert. I would refrain from putting your hands on your cup of tea.

W: That is, if you do not wish to collapse, just as Snow White had when she ate the poisoned apple, and get cozy with the bed.

Elbert: ...Ahh, so it was like that.

Victor: It was like what? (O_O)

Elbert: You two gave off an air of bloodlust. For a moment’s time.

Darius: Ohh, so I see.

D: Basically, there is a target that concealed himself in the shadows of this lively event... is that right?

D: But why did they choose to sneak in a dose of poison for Elbert then?

Victor: Our target this time is a criminal who has spoken out against the authority of Her Majesty the Queen.

V: And so, what if a corpse turned up during this event?

Elbert: It is highly possible Her Majesty, who has planned this event, will be faced with criticism.

Victor: And what’s important is who becomes the corpse then. It has to be someone whose corpse would cause a ruckus.

V: In other words, the perfect fit for such a role would be the one who snags the victory, and bonus points if they are of a high standing.

William: That said, Victor, while a perfect candidate to cause a ruckus among the people, would be too unabashed of a choice, as he is the Queen’s Aide.

W: And as I am written in a very positive light in newspapers, interestingly enough, there is a risk of facing retaliation.

W: As for Darius... targeting him would be an international problem in and of itself, so he is out of the question.

W: That would then leave Elbert. That would be why the possibility of your tea being poisoned is nothing to laugh at.

W: ——Or have we erred in our guess in any way, young man?

Young man in standing committee: Wha...

Young man in standing committee: I didn’t...

William: Your hands are trembling, and your lips resemble the sea in how blue they are.

Victor: And besides, we’ve already collected all the evidence, Christopher Olcott.

Young man in standing committee: ...How do you know my name...

Victor: You are a part of a revolution group that preaches against Her Majesty the Queen, and you were given the mission of assassinating Elbert here with poison.

V: I am also very much in the know of your personal history and family... care to lend an ear?

Young man in standing committee: ...gh.

Young man in steering committee: E-even if that’s the case! There’s something that doesn’t add up in what you’re saying!

William: Doesn’t add up, you say?

Young man in steering committee: If I really wanted to point criticizing eyes at Her Majesty the Queen, I wouldn’t kill any participant in the preliminary round.

Young man in steering committee: I would wait for the finals. I would kill on the most anticipated day.

Young man in steering committee: That would cause even more of a ruckus, wouldn’t it.

William: Yes, exactly. I did figure as much.

W: However——you could not.

W: After all, the birthday of your boss’ beloved daughter, whom he very much dotes on, falls on the same day as the finals, right?

W: And that was why you were ordered to carry it out by today, with no exceptions. Or am I wrong?

Young man in steering committee: ...!

Darius: Looks like that’s the end game for you.

Victor: You’re still young, so if it’s now, you can still turn over a new leaf. That is, if you are able to choose that path for yourself.

William: Indeed. All this happened before the tea could even cool, after all.

[CITY]

Darius: Based on today’s events, the group will be condemned at a later date for their repeated misdeeds...

D: What a magnificent way to plant fear of condemnation, William. I’d expect nothing less.

D: Oh, especially that ‘all this happened before the tea could even cool’ line.

D: Could you say that one more time, pretty please?

Victor: ‘ALL THIS HAPPENED BEFORE THE TEA COULD EVEN COOL’~~! (⌒▽⌒)☆

Darius: Not you. (눈_눈)

Elbert: ..There was something that made me curious.

Victor: Ask away, Elbert.

Elbert: Darius.

E: Since when were you aware William and Victor were going to carry out the condemnation?

Darius: ‘When’?

Elbert: When they revealed the target this time, you did not seem very surprised to me.

Darius: Hehe, look at you, so the Earl Greetia does have his wits about him after all. Color me surprised.

D: That said, it would be a stretch for me to know who the target was, you know? I just had a feeling there was something going on, I guess.

D: Victor, this is what you said.

—— Flashback ——

Victor: Besides, did you know? We four are the strongest contenders, I’d say.

—— End flashback ——

Darius: All the members of Crown and Vogel are participating.

D: And yet, there you were, touting about how we were the strongest contenders. That gave me a feeling.

D: You guys were tampering with information from the start. All to oust that young man.

Victor: ......... (･ᴗ･)

Darius: Indeed, I really do despise you. And how sharply cunning you are.

Victor: I take it that when you say ‘despise,’ it is a form of your love, but...

V: If you really do insist that you despise me, then all you need to do is win against me in the match that’s about to start in a few minutes.

V: That is, if you can win.

William: Look at you, Victor. I’ll have you know that I would hate to lose as well?

Elbert: ...I also have no intention of losing.

E: Kate is cheering, after all.

Steering committee: Thank you for waiting. Group 3, we will begin the round.

William: Now then, how about we enjoy this match to the absolute fullest?

Fin.

team 1 team 2 team 3

ko-fi ☕️ ┊ comms 🤍

[eveninggstar]

bedtime blues ⊹ ࣪ ˖

max verstappen x gf!reader

27.07.24

୨ৎ back one page ୨ৎ back two pages

୨ৎSince Max's (minor) outburst on the radio, the team issued a 'bedtime' for him to say he can’t stream so late. However if given these demands himself he would not heed them. So they send in you, his girlfriend, and he cant deny your wishes.

The night was calm, the glow from Max’s many monitors setup the only illumination in the room. Max Verstappen, reigning F1 champion, was engrossed in his sim racing with the Redline team. His focus was razor-sharp, the virtual world of high-speed cars his escape from the pressures of real-life racing.

Meanwhile, in the living room, you lounged comfortably on the couch, scrolling through your phone when a notification caught your eye. It was a message relayed to you from Helmut Marko. The terse text made your heart sink:

"Max needs to cut off his streaming by 10 PM. His performance is suffering. Make sure it happens."

You sighed, already dreading the conversation. Max was always so passionate about his sim racing, and asking him to stop was never easy. You glanced at the clock; it was already 10:15 PM. With a determined breath, you got up and made your way to Max's gaming room, knowing this wouldn’t be an easy task.

The familiar environment of Max's racing room, with its soft blue lights and neatly organized racing paraphernalia, greeted you. Pushing the door open slightly, you saw Max, fully immersed, his hands dancing over the controls with practiced ease.

The chat was lively, comments flowing faster than you could read. As you stepped into view of the camera, the chat exploded:

"OMG, she's here!" "Max’s girlfriend is a stunner!" "No way, she's real!"

Luke, also known as Crane, noticed the commotion and began reading out the comments. "Chat’s going crazy. 'Max’s girlfriend is a 10/10,' 'She’s way out of his league.' Guys, Max doesn't have a girlfriend, he has me."

You couldn't hear anything being said, but you heard your boyfriends delayed response of, "Yes, Darling."

You walked over to Max, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and leaning in to kiss his cheek. He glanced at you, momentarily distracted, but then refocused on the screen whilst taking his headphones off one ear and muting himself to the stream.

"Hey, Schatje," he greeted, eyes still glued to the race. "What’s up?"

"Hey, love," you replied, keeping your voice low. "It’s past 10. Time to come off."

Max frowned, his concentration still on the race. "But I’m in the middle of a session. Just a little longer?"

Knowing this might take some persuasion, you reached over to his desk, accidentally-on-purpose unmuting his microphone. The stream caught Max's whiny protest, and the chat erupted with laughter.

"But I don’t want to go to bed yet," Max moaned, sounding for all the world like a child resisting bedtime.

"Max, I was personally asked to make sure you’re off by 10," you said, playing along with the ‘mum’ role the chat had assigned you. "I would leave it if I wasn't asked." He was quiet and pouting, "Come on, don't give me that face. You know I believe you can do both." Since the team didn't want to believe it was their own wrongdoings, so they put the pressure onto Max. Regardless of his previous achievements.

The Redline team members, caught between racing and laughing, chimed in. "Listen to your mum, Max," Enzo teased.

"You don’t want to get in trouble," Josh added, barely containing his laughter.

Max sighed, realizing he was outnumbered and outmaneuvered. "Alright, alright," he conceded, sounding defeated.

"Good boy," you teased, ruffling his hair affectionately.

Max rolled his eyes but smiled, sighed with exaggerated reluctance. "Fine, I’m off. Happy now?"

The chat was a flurry of laughing emojis and comments, loving every second of the exchange.

"Night, guys," Max said to his team, who were still chuckling. "Guess I have to go to bed now."

"Goodnight, Max," Crane said, still snickering. "Sweet dreams. Don't forget the teddy and glass of milk."

Enzo added, "Yeah, sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite."

As he logged off, you kissed his cheek again. "Thanks for listening."

Max turned to you with a playful grin. "I better get a reward for this," he whispered, wrapping his arms around your waist.

You laughed, nodding. "We’ll see. Now, let’s get you to bed, Mr. Verstappen."

Max gave you a sideways glance, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "You sure you weren't just looking for an excuse to drag me to bed?"

You rolled your eyes playfully. "As if I need an excuse. Come on, let's get you some rest."

Once in the bedroom, Max flopped onto the bed dramatically. "Fine, I'm in bed. Happy?"

You shook your head with a laugh, joining him on the bed and pulling the covers over both of you. "Very. Now, get some sleep. Big day tomorrow."

Max's arm wrapped around you, pulling you close. "Yeah, yeah. But just so you know, I'm not giving up my sim racing that easily."

You pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I wouldn't expect you to. But maybe we can find a better balance, hmm?"

He nodded sleepily, already beginning to relax. "Yeah, I suppose. Thanks for looking out for me."

You snuggled closer, feeling his warmth and steady breathing. "Always, Max."

As the room grew quiet, you listened to the rhythmic sound of Max's breathing, feeling content. It wasn't always easy being the partner of a top-tier athlete, but moments like these made it all worth it.

Please don’t steal my work, much love ᡣ𐭩

Tag list: @rayaskoalaland

𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃 eveninggstar

[jesswritesthat]

Rody Soul: Crush

Fandom: BNHA // MHA — [ Masterlist ]

Summary: ~1.4k, fluff

• You knew Rody well enough to know he doesn't just disappear, but until he returns someone's gotta look out for his siblings.

Warnings: World Heroes Mission spoilers

>>>>——————————>

There was a reason besides job hunting that Rody frequented Stanleyk's Bar so often, and that reason was a part time bartender who surely had to be in today.

However, once more he was disappointed with your absence and apparently he hadn't hidden it well this time regardless of Pino.

"Your little crush is off working."

"I— I didn't even ask. Besides, I thought (Y/n) worked here."

"Only part time kid. (L/n) takes on jobs just like you." Both he and Pino fell into awed silence, they heard you lived in one of the nicer residences in Shanty Town with little threat due to your renowned fighting ability, but to know you were contracted too? Wow, no doubt higher ranked than him considering you were away for longer periods.

"Bonjour! I'm back~" Gladly you entered, greeted by a soft pelt nuzzling into your neck, cooing affectionately despite Rodys' chiding outburst.

"Oh hello Pino, aren't you beautiful today."

"Congratulations, the contact was very pleased with your work and have requested your services at a later date." Stanleyk bluntly interjected, usually he received only positive feedback on any job associated with you.

"You get requested?!"

"Yeah, more elite clientele tend to stick with trusted confederates. It's just how they work, casual clients don't mind who they get as long as they suit the requirements." Came your experience-infused reply to Rody, reaching into your bag with renewed brightness. "Here, souvenirs for your siblings."

Rody had only introduced you to them once over the years and he hated that you were so thoughtful. It was hard not to develop a stupid crush on you even if he'd deny it to his last breath. Luckily you both had a withholding deal that prevented the disclosure of quirks. It annoyed him that yours was a secret but it was a worthwhile sacrifice when he realised he was attracted to you early on - and Pino had no shame in expressing that. You'd connect the dots way too fast for his liking.

That was your last interaction and you'd never gone so long without an encounter together before this - so knowing his address, and noting his delayed return, you knew something was awry.

When you'd brought up the matter to Stanleyk, he'd relayed a call he'd received and immediately you'd raced over to Rodys' home. Roro and Lala were cautious when you'd knocked but recognised you upon mention of their eldest brother and were glad for the company. 

Days passed and you'd opted for short-term jobs which allowed time to cook for them, play with them, and tell any bedtime stories you could conjure all whilst dozing on their corner seating area once the pair fell asleep. Although, with the impending bomb detonations and inevitable death that followed, your babysitting gig got harder.

Soon enough, you found out Rody was in the hospital after apparently putting an end to said calamity.

When you'd taken the worried Soul duo to visit him, you found Pino flapping about Rodys' siblings with vibrant joy whilst they hugged their bandaged brother. You assumed the other patients were the heroes he'd fought alongside, the green haired one being the most gracious toward your presence. It was then Pino awkwardly fluttered around you, unsure of what to do with herself and blushing fiercely meanwhile Rody offered a charismatic smile.

"Hey (Y/n), thanks for looking after my family whilst I was away, Stanleyk told me you took quicker jobs to check on them."

Before you could respond, Roro and Lala excitedly chimed your praises.

"Yeah (Y/n) cooks way nicer food than you!"

"And tells the coolest bedtime stories!"

"You— you did all that?"

"Eh you know, I have to balance certain aspects of my life with good deeds." Immediately the little pink bird was in your arms embracing what she could - to which Rody rapidly pulled her away with an embarrassed mumble.

Once visiting time was over, you all bid him farewell, leaving Rody with a knowing Midoriya.

"Does (Y/n) know about your quirk?"

"Nope, we have a deal."

"I see... which means they don't know how you feel—"

"Not another word! I don't have the confidence to tell them alright, you've just seen how beautiful and amazing they are..." It was a friendly exchange, and though chuckling Izuku gave his support.

"I think you should be honest about your feelings, after all you just saved many lives worldwide Rody. This shouldn't scare you."

Meanwhile outside the hospital room, you were experiencing the same revelation in a different form.

"That's why you came to check on us, because you're big brothers' partner?" Roro hummed in thought, Lala way too giddy with the information even if you were thoroughly confused.

"Where did you get that idea?"

"Rody is in love with you." Roro cemented, shocked you were apparently unaware.

"I don't think—"

"Yeah just look at Pino. She's always nuzzling and admiring you." There must be some miscommunication here.

"What's that got to do with Rody? If anyone loves me then surely it's Pino." You happily laughed, assuming this was just a child's' fantasy and thought you were playing along with it.

Their puzzled expressions had you second guessing though, then came their matter-of-fact enlightenment.

"Pino is Rodys' quirk. You know that right?"

No you did not, you thought she was a pet.

"She expresses exactly what Rody is feeling, making it impossible for him to lie!"

It suddenly all connected, why he came to visit on your shift days and how affectionate Pino had grown to be with you - warmly greeting you every time she saw you, fretting over any injury, tackling you, and flustering whenever you touched Rody. That was how he truly wished to communicate with you?

"Hey, I just need a minute, wait here." Obviously the pair did so with gleeful grins upon their faces as you dashed back into the room. The heroes seemed perplexed, especially when you pulled the curtain around Rodys' bed stating you wanted to see his injuries without children around.

He was equally as confounded, and this time you didn't miss the flourishing Pino despite the contrasting coolness her owner exhibited. You sat on his bed, staring him dead in the eye before you broke his very soul with your whispered question.

"Rody, are you in love with me?"

There was a flush of colour on his cheeks, but without another second to think he smirked casually and leaned closer to you.

"If you've fallen for me (Y/n), it's okay to confess, I won't judge."

Pino however, crash-landed in embarrassment with a white feather of submission waving above her demonstrating the answer you'd desired.

"I see, thanks Pino."

"Wait— you know, crap who told you?" The charade was up and the pure horror finally set in.

"Yeah, Pino shows your true emotions right? So what happens if I do this?"

You matched his previous false confidence, leaning closer with only centimetres between you that allowed you to feel his warm breath brush your lips. He didn't retract though, and so you closed the gap, Rody more than willing to kiss back when gentle fingers reached up to your jaw and a melodic chirping emitted from Pino as she soared though the air right over the curtain and around the room as if she was set aglow.

You pulled away slightly, amused by the display even if your opposite was heavily embarrassed - still, you moved in to kiss him again leaving Pino to enjoy the moment.

"Would ya get that damn bird to shut up already?!" It was the voice of the explosive blonde which fractured the fantasy, excusing yourself once opening the curtain with plausible cover.

"I'll stock some bandages for the wounds ready for when you get back. See you!"

———

Life seemed to resume to normal with both of you giving up the shady lifestyle, whilst you quit your position at Stanleyk's Bar to pursue your true passions, Rody in turn ended up getting employed there.

You spent nights over with the Soul family, even if it meant sleeping on the corner couch, Rody always ensured to cook you breakfast. He listened to your bedtime stories with a dreamy look on his face, and when his siblings fell asleep came to join you prior to heading to bed himself.

You'd gifted him pilot books, and you became a feature drawing upon their wall, all the while both of you saved to improve life for the better.

"Hey, if you need a flight attendant oh future pilot captain, may I apply early?"

Just then, Pino held a wing over her heart and promptly fainted whilst Rody ran a hand through his hair.

"Actually, I'd rather you be my copilot so we could always fly together..."

“Is that your idea of a proposal Rody?”

“Wha— not yet! I haven’t saved enough to buy you a—“

“I meant a job proposal, what were you thinking?” Your witty tone left him slumping begrudgingly in his chair and briskly swiping Pino before you could see the classic engagement proposal position she’d admiringly taken.

“Ah, of buying you a pilot manual too if you want to fly with me. That’s all.”

<——————————<<<<

[ Masterlist ]

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to The Light's Chapter 427

Brief summary: CJS and Sui are in trouble. Cale about to become a purifier again.

==========

We had a Soos drought for a long time, and when they return, they had to be in danger? CJS's contact was lost as he was relaying information about the Demon Realm? Sui had to send a hawk to deliver his letter written in his blood?

Because of the emergency, the Molans talk got delayed again... as expected! 😂😂😂 Even if Cale asked the Molans to go to the Demon Realm too, I doubt he would have the time to talk to them because he would be more worried about the Soos. Or perhaps that would be the perfect opportunity for him to explain his relationship with the Soos to the Roan people?

Choi Jung Soo. We lost contact with him? That too, while giving information about the God of Chaos cult, in the Demon Realm? “Haha-” Cale just let out a laugh. -Choi Han-ah, Choi Han-ah! Raon urgently called out to Choi Han. -My human is so, so angry right now! He's going to destroy everything! And then Raon was stunned again. -Heavenly Demon-ya, Heavenly Demon-ya! Raon called out to the Heavenly Demon, whom he wasn't even close to. -It seems like Choi Han and my human are incredibly angry! The truth is, neither Heavenly Demon nor Eruhaben know much about Choi Jung Soo and Cale's relationship. They just guessed it from Cale's behavior so far.

Angry Cale and CH... And HD has become a part of the group, even getting a suffix denoting closeness from Raon! 🥰

The average ten-years-old, not including Eden Miru...

The author excluded Eden from the count, probably because the average age would be lowered if she included him. 😂😂😂

Sui wrote in his letter that he found the real GoC cult in the Demon Realm. The GoC pope was even there, plus two CJS-level paladins and around 100 intermediate-level paladins.

LSH had a unique way of judging the power level of people. He classified them into upper, intermediate, and lower. KRS was intermediate level, and CJS was upper level. In Roan terms, intermediate level was early Beacrox and Rosalyn.

Cale's gaze fell to the end of the letter. One of the two sentences caught his eye. <I'm fine.> Ha. A breathless laugh escaped Cale's mouth. “Still the same.” As Kim Rok Soo, he must have gotten a letter like this once or twice. Earth, where the monsters had appeared, was often even less communicative than here, and Cale had a team leader who always said the same thing whenever he received a letter like this. I'm fine. That's how the team leader always wrote. So Cale knows. “It's about to get dangerous.” And then the next thing you know, the team leader is injured. Damn it.

Well, well, well... where have I seen this? So this was LSH's influence on you, Cale? You learned from him on how to raise 🚩flags? 😂😂😂

A so-called Gray Disease was also spreading in the Demon Realm, and Cale thought it was something similar to the contamination of chaos that CJG was afflicted with. The Purification of Chaos skill that he got in the game couldn't be used here, but he knew how to use it outside too.

The Purification of Chaos skill needed to be used together with the Purification Ritual, so Cale asked Aurora to prepare for it. But with the Gray Disease coming out, did that mean Cale would become a Purifier again like what he did in Xiaolen?

Ending Remarks I wanted Soos content, but not this Soos content! 😭 Next chapter would be Cale becoming a Purifier again. Hopefully, we'd get to see Cale talk to a healed CJG.

[starryhyuck]

you & me. (m) — PATREON EXCLUSIVE

pairing: sugardaddy!jaemin x afab!reader

words: 7.2k+

summary: when your ex offers to finance you, you’re not sure how it will blur the lines of your relationship.

genre: fluff, smut

warnings: toxic!jaemin x toxic!reader, possessiveness, jealousy, daddy kink, choking, car sex, blowjob, degradation, spanking, bigdick!jaemin, creampies, use of a dildo, double penetration, mentions of anal sex, overstimulation, squirting, breeding kink, subspace

this fic is exclusive to the $5 tier on my patreon, which you can access here! below is a tumblr preview

Your boss calls your name after you finish cleaning up the last table of the night. You take off your apron, walking over to him with a curious expression. He shoves an envelope to your chest, startling you by the force.

“Someone dropped that off for you today. You better set them straight that this is not a mailing service we’re running here.”

You nod. “Yes, boss.”

You take the envelope to the back room, clocking out before opening it to see its contents. You gasp when a thick wad of cash stares back at you, enough to cover your rent for six months. There’s no note attached, but you don’t need one to know who the sender is.

You search Jaemin’s name on the internet once you step outside. There’s an article celebrating his recent promotion at the hospital, and you check which bus line you have to take in order to get there. Rage fills your vision as you stuff the envelope down your bag, heading to Jaemin’s workplace with the intent to kill.

Maybe not actually kill him, but perhaps maim and slightly injure.

When you approach the front desk demanding to see him, the nurse behind the counter gazes at you with worry.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, may I ask what this is regarding?”

“He knows what it’s about,” you hiss. Her delay only causes your temper to worsen.

She swallows at the venom laced in your voice, reaching towards the phone and dialing Jaemin’s line. They speak in hushed tones for a while before she relays to you that he’s on his way.

When you spot him striding down the hallway in his scrubs, you feel guilty for pulling him out of his important work. But the guilt is soon replaced with fury when you remind yourself why you’re here in the first place. You locate the envelope inside your bag, growling as you throw it back to him.

“I told you I don’t need your money.”

He tugs you aside into a nearby empty room, attempting to calm you down. “This money was just sitting in my bank account and I have no use for it. Please take it.”

“I am not going to owe you anything, Na Jaemin.”

“Who said I wanted you to? The funds are yours, no strings attached,” he says.

You scoff. “What’s your angle here? Do you think I’ll run back into your bed just because you pay for my bills?”

He’s offended by the accusation. “Of course not! I-I still care for you and I hate watching you struggle when you don’t have to. I want to give this to you. I want to help. Take the money, please.”

You think about how your limbs ache from your long shift and how you’ll have to return home, only sparing enough time to eat before you wake up and restart the cycle. It would be nice to receive a break, and you know how stubborn Jaemin can be when he sets his mind to something. If you deny him now, he’ll continue to persist for weeks because even he knows you’ll give in eventually.

“I’m only taking this because you’re a pompous prick,” you say, hesitantly dropping the envelope back into your bag. “But this won’t be for free. I have to give you something in return. Anything you want.”

A flash of lust sparks across his gaze, and you flush when you realize what’s on his mind. Memories of university play behind your eyelids, when he would get so jealous that the only way to appease him was to offer yourself up to him on a silver platter.

“I saw you! Laughing with him, acting like you didn’t have a boyfriend waiting back home,” Jaemin growls, causing you to roll your eyes at his behavior. “Does he know you’re seeing someone else?”

“He doesn’t care! He has a girlfriend!” You argue, pushing at his chest. “You’re acting like a lunatic.”

His eyes darken, stepping towards you and cornering you against your bed. “You know I fucking hate watching you drape yourself over someone like that. How are you going to make it up to me?”

It’s awful, you’re fully aware, but a fire ignites low in your belly at his demands. You love it when Jaemin gets like this, and you move his hand until it’s clasped over your neck.

“Take me, daddy. Take me any way you want me.”

You swallow, flitting away from Jaemin’s heavy stare. The tension in the room shifts, and a spark runs up your spine when he takes a step closer, his fingers brushing over your hip delicately. He’s inches from you, close enough for you to feel the heat of his skin. Your breath puffs out in small gasps, waiting for him to pounce.

“Anything I want, hm?” He repeats, hand wandering lower and lower. “You’ll give me anything I want?”

“Dr. Na?”

You jump away when a voice interrupts you. A nurse stands under the doorway, eyebrows raised at the two of you. You cough awkwardly into your palm while Jaemin clears his throat, regaining his composure.

“Y-Yes? What is it?” He asks, flustered by getting caught in the act.

“They’ve requested you down in the burn unit. There was a five car pile up and they’ve just brought in the survivors.”

“I’ll be right there,” he says to her. He whispers to you before leaving. “I want dinner with you this week. That’s my only request.”

You nod, gathering your sanity back after realizing you almost pounced on Jaemin in a public place and while he’s at work.

“I’ll text you.”

He wants to say more but the nurse demands his attention, so he leaves you in the empty room, craving him like you used to all those years ago.

want to read the rest? access the $5 tier on my patreon here!

[republicsecurity]

Training Log, Subvocal Capture: Collar Edition

Flex fingers. Polymer gauntlet creaks like fresh snow. Collar’s alloy rim is a cold halo in my palm—weightless in the suit’s servos, but heavy in implication. LG44E watches me, chin level, pulse thrumming in my visor readout. Training dummy with a heartbeat.

Assess & Approach. One pace to his oblique. My HUD traces escape vectors in faint red wireframe—comically useless; classroom walls, zero exits. Eye‑contact rule nonetheless. His pupils track the collar, not me. Good dog.

Draw Collar. Thumb the latch at my waist; carbon port opens like a stingray’s mouth. Collar unfolds, LEDs dark. Wrist display tags it: MK‑IV / SN‑X72M4C27 / STATUS: ARMED.

Positioning. Segment hinges breathe apart with a silvery hiss. No obstructions; green service LED blinks once—ready to bite.

Placement. Raise, slide, glide. Polymer pads kiss skin below his jaw. He stiffens as the joint clears his occipital ridge.

Gentle Seating. Press inward. Soft thunk—segments flush. I feel the resonance through my glove, like locking a railcar coupler.

Lock‑In. Silver button, thumb pressure. Twin micro‑flares spark left and right, two‑tone chirp in my audio feed. The collar contracts by two millimetres; LG44E’s swallow stalls halfway down his throat.

Verify. I tug. Zero give. HUD pings: LINK VERIFIED.

The UI blossoms: battery 98 %, vitals nominal, muscle‑tension curve spiking then settling. Default output RED – STUN‑HOLD flickers, waiting for a conscience that isn’t coming.

I toggle to BLUE – COMPLIANCE. Motors murmur. LG44E’s shoulders roll back, spine straightens, head pivots toward the northern wall—exactly where the courseware says a compliant detainee should orient.

There it is: the quiet hum of sovereignty. A feedback loop of authority routed through ceramic, alloy, and wet nervous tissue. My glove twitches a command—step forward. Collar relays, his legs obey. Another twitch—kneel. Servo whine, then knees to mat in perfect cadence.

It isn’t pleasure, I tell myself; it’s proof of system integrity. The MK‑IV does what it’s built to do: move muscle, still doubt. But a shadow of a smile ghosts across the corner of my HUD‑reflected lips. Not pleasure—feedback. Positive, precise, absolute.

LG44E’s heart rate steadies. Bio‑Vitals Array likes what it sees: compliance at ≤ 65 bpm. I log the metrics, flag the session complete.

Thumb‑press again—collar blooms open, LEDs wink out. Training manacles released, man inside left blinking, sweat‑slick but unharmed.

Systems checklist scrolls: Collar integrity 100 %. Cadet response within spec. Behavioral override latency 14 ms.

Inside the armour’s hush, I exhale. One more drill closer to graduation, one more proof that control—properly applied—is indistinguishable from peace. ***

LG44E — Neural Debrief Buffer (unfiltered stream)

Neck’s bare. Air‑con bites like January steel. UK90F circles—silent servo hiss, armor lacquer gleaming under institutional fluorescents. The collar in his gauntlet looks absurdly small, like a toy halo machined from night.

Heartbeat tags my eardrums. Stay still, keep breathing. Training drill, they said. Easy. Then the hinge flares wide and the thing is right there, cool polymer pads brushing skin below my jawline. Reflex: step back. Legs don’t. I told them to. Knees twitch but the rest is statue.

Soft pressure, a click—no pain, yet the world shrinks to a ring of alloy hugging my throat.

TWO‑TONE CONFIRMATION.

Double chirp vibrates skullbone; micro‑flares strobe at periphery. Something deep inside clutches—like the collar has found a loose thread in my spine and pulled.

Chest tightens. I can still breathe, but every swallow feels audited. Hudless—no helmet—so I can’t see what UK90F sees, but I feel it: a thin algorithmic hum skating my muscles.

First command lands like static in marrow. Shoulders snap back, spine locks straight. I didn’t move them. I felt them move. Delay maybe a quarter‑second between his intent and my body’s compliance—enough time to recognize the theft.

Step forward. My boots obey, soles slapping mat, knees articulating with hydraulic precision I never owned. Pulse spikes—collar compensates: a wash of tingling warmth in neck and shoulder, coaxing BPM back toward green.

Kneel. Quads fire autonomously, joints fold. From this angle I see reflection in the training room mirror: me, bald crown bowed, collar glowing calm blue at the larynx. Looks almost serene. Feels like a puppet whose strings hum with electricity.

I try to raise a hand—nothing. Fingers twitch inside gauntlets but forearm stays holstered at thigh plate. Command priority overrides voluntary motor plans; my own impulses relegated to background noise.

Strangest part isn’t terror—it’s clarity. Thought floats free when flesh is requisitioned. Like being spectator and exhibit simultaneously. UK90F logs vitals; I register the soft tap of his gloves on HUD keys somewhere above me.

Then release—silver latch, collar breathes open, gravity returns. Arms mine again, heavy, sweat‑slick inside poly‑mesh. I’m upright, but a phantom echo lingers: the afterimage of borrowed motion.

Conclusion: the MK‑IV doesn’t just restrain—it edits. Body as executable code, collar as root access. Training memo said “Compliance through technology.” Understatement. It’s compliance through repurposed will.

I flex fingers—still shaking. Not fear, exactly. More like awareness of permissions that can be revoked at the press of a thumb. And the knowledge that next time, the commands might not end at kneel.

[timershop4]

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[misguidedasgardian]

The Hour of the Wolf (10)

X. Lurking Shadows

MASTERLIST

Summary: Keep your friends and your husband close… and your enemies? Well…

Pairing: Cregan Stark x Targaryen!Reader

Warnings: Cursing, war, death, mentions of killings, genocide and war, threats, arranged marriage, SPOILERS for ASOIAF, and Fire & Blood, also, might spoil House of the Dragon, pregnancy!, fear of childbirth, discussing death in childbirth and all that comes with it, unrealistic birthing scenes, (I mean, what would I know really?) 

+18, MINORS DNI

Wordcount: 3,4 k 

Notes: Sorry for the delay, I think I lost my connection to this story. I know some of you didn’t like where this was going, the reader being so “defenseless” without Cregan, I had to re-read the whole thing to truly return to it.

Summary: Keep your friends and your husband close… and your enemies? Well…

Pairing: Cregan Stark x Targaryen!Reader

Warnings: Cursing, war, death, mentions of killings, genocide and war, threats, arranged marriage, SPOILERS for ASOIAF, and Fire & Blood, also, might spoil House of the Dragon, pregnancy!, fear of childbirth, discussing death in childbirth and all that comes with it, unrealistic birthing scenes, (I mean, what would I know really?) 

+18, MINORS DNI

Wordcount: X k 

Notes: Sorry for the delay, I think I lost my connection to this story. I know some of you didn’t like where this was going, the reader being so “defenseless” without Cregan, I had to re-read the whole thing to truly return to it.

After that horrid and terribly realistic nightmare, you never saw your uncle again, neither in the realms of dreams nor the realms of men, so that was a relief

But how could you see him? He was dead, he couldn’t hurt you anymore…

It took you a while to fully comprehend that, the next nights were tormentous, but then, something happened that brought you back to reality…

Your baby started kicking

You smiled as you felt the little kicks inside of you and touched your belly, that certainly grounded you, it made you come back to reality as of sorts, and it made you more focused, you attended every meeting, you held audiences, and you even appeared more in front of the people of King’s Landing, that gathered every afternoon chanting for you.

You were blooming, and even though you had relayed in Cregan a lot, you were beginning to settle in your post, without a hand.

But you missed him, terribly, specially at night 

days turned quickly into weeks, and then into months, and soon you could barely move, you grew tired quickly, you devoured everything you could during meals, and your babe moved tirelessly inside of you, specially at night

It had moved so much last night, that today at the small council meeting, you were fighting to not fell asleep

You couldn’t help it, you closed your eyes for barely a second, and you managed to open your eyes again, your lords were looking at you with kind eyes and soft smiles

“I’m so very sorry”, you muttered, rubbing your belly, trying to accommodate in the uncomfortable wooden chair

“You have nothing to be sorry for, our gracious lady”, muttered Lord Lannister, “perhaps we should move the meeting”

“No! no”, you insisted, “please continue”

“A new prince or princess to the seven Kingdoms, heir to the Iron Throne will be born soon, is a matter of great celebrations, a ray of hope, an unmistakable sign that the war is over and new times are coming, a new era of dragons, we should celebrate”, Lord Redwyne was a great narrator

“I agree”, said lord Celtigar, “the people need new things to look forwards to, I can see it from reports all over the Kingdoms, everyone should know”

Celebrate an heir you still didn’t have in our arms, gods, it was almost too similar of the story of Queen Aemma, your grandmother, as was told by your mother

“He or she isn’t born yet”, you said softly, and you had come to terms with the fact that there is a big chance you would perish in childbirth, but you were hopeful

“We are aware your grace”, muttered Lord Lannister, “but… as Lord Celtigar said… the people need a reason to celebrate”

“That might be true but, what if we do it after? after the birth, we should send word all over the Kingdoms, and then… when we have her or him in our arms, then we celebrate”, your lords seemed to realize what you were implying, and they of course nodded understandably

“Have we received word from our Lord Cregan?”, asked the maester

“Only his weekly reports of advances in the restoration of the North”, said quickly Lord Celtigar, who was indeed seating in your right as he was the hand

“The one who keeps demanding an audience is still… Lord Corlys”, you looked away, not wanting to face the man, perhaps you were being childish, but… you could not face the man that was supposed to be your grandfather by name 

“I don’t want to see him”, you said shortly

“Very well”, muttered Lord Redwyne, “He has send his bastard son Adam, to the capital, to seek an audience”

“I’m sure he doesn’t actually need anything”, muttered Lord Celtigar, “he is looking for a way in”

“Perhaps a meeting with our own master of coin would ease him enough to stop bothering us?”, you tried

“That will do your grace”, muttered Lord Redwyne

“Any other news of importance?”, you asked after a long sigh, rubbing your belly, your back had started to hurt

“We have completely lost contact with the Citadel, and oldtown”, confessed the Maester, everyone looked at him, concerned

“Explain”, you demanded 

“The situation was delicate after the end of the war, I have trusted brothers with which I exchange letters and they have all stopped”, that did truly concerned you

“What about the Hightowers?”, you asked then

“The last report is that they received tons of grains from the Tyrells and then they… stopped sending reports as well”. You took a long breath

“Should we… send someone to Oldtown?”, you suggested

“That would be best”

“Escorted by an army and a dragon?”, you continued, the lords were nervous and they exchanged looks between them

“Your Grace has a point, to send only lords would be a mistake”

“We cannot jump to arms against Oldtown for no apparent reason”

“Keep trying to contact your people, anyone, inside Old Town, if in a moon we don’t get any more news, we will gather a small force, and choose an envoy”, you commanded, and they all nodded 

Finally they released you as the sun was setting, and you thought about taking a nap, but if you did, then you were not going to be able to sleep at night, so you decided to go to the gardens to enjoy the sunset 

You liked to think you didn’t need a master of whispers, that you knew fairly well what was happening in your Kingdoms, but apparently… not…

He came unannounced, one second you were watching a beautiful winter rose bush, and the other, a presence came rushing to you unannounced, you raised your eyes and you thought you were dreaming

Cregan, you gasped with a wide smile, but it wiped quickly when you saw his scowl

“I thought you were happy with me, with our marriage”, you frowned as you looked at him, this is the first words to you for months?, “I thought this is what you wanted”

“It is! I am happy!”, you said quickly

“You must despise it, despise me, if you kept this from me so…”, you took a step towards him and around the bush, he got quiet when he saw you, the roses were hiding your round form but now he looked at you with wide eyes and open mouth

You looked so, so beautiful, in his mind, he had never seen anyone so breathtaking as you

He quieted himself and jumped to grab you in his arms and kissed you hungrily, all his anger slipped away from his mind and from yours and he wrapped his strong arms around you and held you lovingly and tightly

“I fucking missed you, you resentful little creature”, he growled, against our lips, right before he nibbles on your lower lip making you whimper

“I missed you”, you whispered, kissing him back, “So much”, you promised, gasping desperately against his lips, against the short beard he was growing.

There was no more time for anything else… 

. . .

Soon he had you naked in your rooms, resting on his chest after he actually proved to you how much he had missed you, and grabbing you so tightly as a way of a small punishment

“how did you manage to come without being announced?”, you asked, hugging him tightly

“I have my ways”, he muttered back, “but I really need to know”, he said, his voice choking with worry, “why?”, he asked, still caressing you, “I’ve been going over it over and over and many answers come to mind, none of them pleasant”, he needed an explanation of why you kept this from him, and you understood that

“I wrote you a letter”, you defended yourself, he signed, “You didn’t receive it?”

“I did not”, he muttered

“It was moons ago, explaining why I didn’t tell you, told you I missed you and asking you to return, then I received a letter from you asking me to go up there, and I couldn’t, I didn’t want to chance it”, you whispered, he caressed your belly tenderly, and it felt as good as you imagined it, his big warm hand, your babe kick inside your womb, making Cregan chuckle

“Have you been able to sleep?”

“Not when I eat strawberry tarts after the tea hour, then… it moves a lot”, you answered, Cregan laughed softly

“Well, you are carrying a wolf pup in there”, he teased

“Or a dragonling”, you answered back.

“oh gods, how could you let me leave you like this”, he said, he truly, truly felt bad

“When you got sick, and were about to die”, you confessed, “you whispered your son’s name in your fever induced dream, and I realized that if you were truly going to die, you were never going to see your son again, if you knew I was pregnant, you wouldn’t have gone North for another year or so, and your people needed you”.

He thought about it for long minutes, thinking about everything you had told him. And he sighed

You were right

“But what if something… had happened to you?”, he asked then

“I devised a plan, and I made everyone swear on it”, you confessed

“Which was?”, he asked

“If I perished in the birthing bed… My brother was to be crowned King, with the same council, and four regents to rule in his name until he became of age… Jeyne Arryn of the east, you, from the North, Lannister from the West, and a Tyrell from the South”, he nodded, “if our child had survived me, regardless, I asked them to give him to you, with a dragon egg…”, you told him, he was resigning her own children’s crown only for him to go back home where he wanted to be

“Well, it was a good plan”, he whispered. But he felt chills at the very thought of raising a little dragon without her beautiful dragon Queen by his side. Without even realizing he held you more tightly against him.

“But we will not come to that”, he said severely, “but I will go with it, if anything happens”

“Alright”, you whispered, “good to know”

But he was back now, no harm was going to come to you as he remembered the tumultuous this last weeks had been for him…

It took him weeks, a whole moon, maybe two, to get back to King’s Landing, more than he ever thought possible, he had to move a big group of people and as such, it required time… You could have given birth by now.

He thought about it again and again, to where it might have gone wrong.

Well, he now knew the reason why you couldn’t travel up North to meet him, because you were pregnant, he really appreciated you were being careful, and if the reports from the small council had any truth to them, you were doing great in the command of the Kingdoms, without a hand to help you.

You were truly magnificent 

You had managed to send compensations and start reparations for everything that needed repairs after the war, even though some town were ages away from truly recovering, you had even started talks with Dorne

It was a new age, and you were shining like the fire your family incarnated 

He was truly proud

And as Cregan was in the White Harbor, trying to sail south despite the weather, he had to prepare his son and leave him to travel behind with a stronghold of his house to come with im, including maesters and cooks, anyhow, he rode his steed from Winterfell to the White Harbour, he was so desperate he made the trip in half the time it took him last time, and then he sailed on a small, faster ship, back to the capital, he wasn’t even announced, he traveled almost in hiding, hoping nothing bad was going to happen, and it didn’t

That is why he could travel so fast, like no man has ever done before.

In a moon, his son and a small army was going to reach King’s landing, but the important part is that he made it… you were still pregnant, and he could accompany you through the birth, and… he was going to be here, to be with you 

“Please don’t ever keep something like this again, I thought we were trough that”, he reprimanded, and you nodded

“Yes husband”

You promised, inside this room or when it was just the two of you, you were his wife, not his Queen, and… it was hard to balance both, but he was patient, and you were smart.

In the next day Cregan would spend his days trying to get ahold of the current situation in the Kingdoms, and he felt somewhat unneeded, you were doing great without him, but he was happy to be back to take over so you could rest, as he had been told that you were falling asleep sometimes.

He was very concerned about the situation in Old Town, truly concerned, that was dangerous, but at the same time, he didn’t want to risk anyone from the small council, good thing though they had the Lannisters on their side this time

“We should call in the Tyrells”, you muttered as you ate a strawberry miniature pie, “make sure their alliances are still with us”

“Good plan”, he said over breakfast, “that way they will know they are alienated”

You had a bad feeling over the Hightower situation, it made you truly nervous. Summing up to the fact that Cregan wouldn’t leave your side.

It's like he didn’t trust you anymore, he was looming over you, watching you closely. Whenever you had an audience or a meeting he was right beside you 

You had grown impossible bigger, you could barely move, you had to call in your maids and ladies in waiting again, for you couldn’t even put on shoes without assistance.

Your only consolation is that your baby was kicking wildly every morning, and according to the maesters, she or he was healthy and ready to come out at any moment. 

You had also seen them very nervous, consulting with the stars and other methods to calm the small council about your own wellbeing, nobody said it outloud, but you could see the worry in their faces

Also according to the maesters, it was a 50/50 chance that you’ll perish, taking into account your family’s history, but they were hopeful, because you, as Queen, as access to the best maesters, and as it was more at stake, they were going to take great care of you.

Besides, your mother had given birth to 5 healthy boys, and you, and survived seven pregnancies. 

But her mother didn’t

You tried not to think about it

The small council, despise it all, were hopeful and had huge celebrations planned for the arrival of the future Prince or Princess

You were concerned about the future, of you, and of your child, but that was reduced to nothing as suddenly, when you were getting dressed, you felt like a fountain inside of you collapsed, and you released a large amount of water

“The babe!”, cried your lady in waiting, “fetch the maester and the midwives!”, she commanded quickly

Cregan had left early to go on a mission deep in the city, and he wasn’t in the castle when the midwives came to you, changed your clothes to a simple nightdress, and laid you there in your own bed.

You started crying out in pain as the contractions began, and according to the midwife, it could take all day, the process was long

“Mmmmm”, you moaned in pain, “I need to be on my feet”

“My Queen!”, you wouldn’t take no for an answer, they help you up and you walked around the room, rubbing your back with one hand and your belly with the other 

You needed to obey what your body needed, and you felt relieved as you walked around, taking deep breaths

“You are doing great, your Grace”, they encouraged, the sweet ladies. 

Another construction swept over you

“Notify the small council, and please try to find my husband”, you begged them, and they nodded and one of them ran to fulfill your command 

But your sweet and calm disposition didn’t last long

“THAT FUCKING CUNT!”, you screamed, hours later, laying on your bed, legs spread wide open, “I fucking hate him for doing this to me”, the oldest of the midwives just smiled, having flashbacks of Rhaenyra when she gave birth herself 

“Not long now, sweet Queen”

The small council was gathered, nervously waiting for news of you, they had servants all placed from the small council chambers to your rooms, so they could know what was happening.

“I had commanded the high Septon to keep our Queen in his prayers for the last week”, muttered lord Redwyne, who was very devout, but, it was not of great comfort to the remaining men in the room

“She will survive this”, asserted Lord Celtigar

“The maesters and midwives agree that it was a easy pregnancy”, affirmed the Grand Maester

They didn’t know what else to talk about

“Where is Lord Cregan?”

“He reached the Queen’s chambers”, said the Lord Commander, entering the room

“Good”

You felt so relieved when you saw Cregan entering your chambers, kneeling by your side

“Your Grace, is not customary for the King to be present during the Birth”, muttered the lead Midwife

“i don’t care”, he leaned in, kissing your sweaty forehead

“Are you alright my love?”, you barely nodded, grabbing onto him and the bedsheet, preparing for the next contraction that made your whole body tremble

“They are more close to each other, I think it's time”

“It hurts so much”, you cried, the grand maester showed up then, and made you drink the last of milk of the poppy that was allowed for pregnant women 

Cregan looked at the scene concerned, there was no blood yet, and it had been barely a couple of hours so, he was optimistic, you were in good health, and he was there by your side, it had to be alright, it had to.

“Alright, when the next contraction comes, your grace will start pushing, alright?”, you barely nodded, grabbing onto Cregan so tightly he was afraid you’d snap his hand, turning his bones into dust

And it washed over you, more intense and painful than the ones before, with a scream, you did exactly that.

You had never done it before, but it felt like your body knew exactly what to do 

But you have never been in so much pain in your entire life

Never

“Again”, demanded the Midwife, and you were really losing it in the pain

“There's blood”, muttered Cregan, truly concern

“That is normal your grace”, the pain never left you now, it took ahold of you and wouldn’t let go

You started crying, you were in so much pain you feared that there was never going to be relief again.

“Don’t cry my love, you are doing great”, he whispered against your temple

“I’m scared!”, you cried

“Again your grace please, I can see the head”, encouraged the youngest and sweeter of the midwives

“Arrrggghhhhhh!”, you screamed at the top of your lungs

. . .

Fast steps could be heard against the stone walls of the Keep, resounding in the empty corridors

The sun was hiding in the horizon when a young boy interrupted in the small council chamber, where the men inside jumped at the intrusion

“What has happened?”, demanded Lord Lannister

“The Queen!”, he said hastily, there were the longest seconds as he regained his breath

“Well? SPEAK BOY!”, demanded Lord Redwyne, he took a long breath and then he finally managed to spoke

“She is well, and we have a Prince! my lords! a boy!”

They all jumped from their seats and hugged one another

“A prince! send the ravens to every corner of the Kingdoms!”

“Long live our Queen!”

taglist!

@lyannesworld @tremendouswolfsaladranch @unlesshouse @mimsie95 @ostricx @amelia262006 @marihoneywk @ahristata @happinessinthebeing @dd122004dd

@lyannesworld @aestmilky @lightdragonrayne @delaynew @mxtokko @stargaryenx @lightdragonrayne @delaynew @mxtokko @good-night-starlight @yentroucnagol @beebeechaos @brakingboundaries @duds31 @@persophonekarter @missusnora @aleemendoza2425-blog @aesthetic0cherryblossom @arrozyfrijoles23

[nyacat39]

Back from vacation and had a long break today so bunch of doodles from vacation and break in this mix.

First pic, Idk what to say other then when I’m busy my cats like to demand attention from me, so I figured Yarnaby is kinda similar in wanting attention sometimes especially after being isolated for a long time. The Doctor’s only solace is that he’s able to actually feel like he’s being crushed during these moments.

The next two are me kinda figuring out my bigger body smiling critter and nightmare critter OC ideas and how they kinda interact and work. Kickin was basically the first attempt at trying to see if they could make functional wings, but ended up messing up and now he has very delayed motor control of them, while Poe was a more successful version but struggled to “stay in character” as the scientists wanted for them… those two ended up becoming pretty close after the hour of joy. Meanwhile Rabie was made originally to work security and is able to relay anything she’s seen or heard near perfectly… she still does this whenever she comes back from supply runs but tries to spin it more in a fun way to lighten the tension. While Hoppy can be a little clumsy and gets flustered easily.

The last two were just for fun tbh.

[hgfictionwriter]

Maybe This Time - Part Six

Jessie Fleming X Reader

Summary: Jessie’s on top of the world and simply cannot wait to see you. She can finally hold you in her arms and call you hers. Final confessions as you reunite.

Warnings: Nothing but Fluff (capital ‘F’) and emotions, folks.

A/N: Romance! Slow burn finally pays off! Hope you all enjoy. I loved writing this. Other parts are available here.

Jessie's body felt like it was buzzing as she rode down the street. She cleared her throat as she tried to fight off an impending smile, but was only half successful.

She got to her destination and hopped off her bike, walking it to a nearby rack to lock it up. Her phone vibrated and she smiled before even looking at it. She unlocked it and read the last few messages in your conversation.

"Made it back to my apartment 👍 Are you done work?"

"I'm glad! I hope you're planning to take a nap. And do absolutely nothing this evening other than rest. I know you slept on the plane, but still. Sorry for the delay – I just got out of a meeting. I'm logging off for the day. Hallelujah lol."

"No worries at all. I know you're a busy and important lady lol. And no naps just yet, but I did laundry! What are you up to this evening?"

"Of course you did laundry already lol. Why am I not surprised haha. Promise me you won't do chores all evening. I'm not up to much tonight. TBD, I suppose lol."

Jessie smiled to herself furthermore as she called you.

"Hello?" You said, a curious laugh in your voice as you greeted her.

"I promise I won’t do chores all evening," Jessie replied, pulling a laugh out of you.

"Very good," you said in approval. "Cause, you know, I'd hate for our first fight to be about laundry. That would just be silly."

"First fight?" Jessie inquired. "That seems like something that usually requires more than one date, so that sounds promising."

You laughed. "True. Well, if you play your cards right we'll have enough dates that we'll eventually hit the 'first fight' milestone. Where are you anyway? It sounds like you're outside."

"Yeah, just finished biking," Jessie relayed, smiling into the phone. "Are you done work yet?"

"Yeah, I've shut everything down. I'm just looking for something to watch. I'm too lazy to start dinner just yet," you explained. "Wait, hold on, I'm getting another call. Oh, it's my buzzer. That's weird."

"Maybe you should answer it," Jessie suggested. You gave a weary sigh, that made her stifle a laugh.

"Fine. Okay, hold on."

Jessie stood there as the call on her phone went silent and your voice came through the buzzer speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hi," Jessie said, voice cheerful as she tried to tamp some of her excitement.

"Jess? Wait. Hold on, I thought I switched over to the buzzer. Just a sec."

Jessie stifled another laugh and waited patiently as you sorted things out. She finally laughed while you muttered to yourself.

"Buzz me in," Jessie said.

"Wait. What? I'm confused."

She laughed again. "Y/N. I'm at your apartment. Buzz me in."

"What?" Your voice was high with surprise. "You're kidding me."

"I'm not," Jessie chuckled. "I mean, if you want me to go..."

Instead of receiving a rebuttal, Jessie simply heard the click of the door along with the tone to alert her that the door was unlocked. She stepped inside and headed up to your apartment. She was about to knock on your door when it swung open to reveal you standing there with a scrutinizing look.

Jessie wore a complacent smile on her face as she held up a bag of take-out in front of her.

"I brought you dinner."

"What the heck," you exclaimed as you stepped out, bypassing the bag and pulling Jessie into a tight hug, which she readily returned.

Jessie tucked her head against yours and couldn't resist the content sigh that escaped her as you fit into her arms and pulled her close. It felt new and yet entirely familiar and natural at the same time. The hug lasted several, long moments until you pulled back, though only enough to look Jessie in the eye, arms still around her waist and sending further jolts of electricity up through her body.

"I didn't know you were coming," you said, eyes bright with wonder. Your smile widened. "I didn't think I'd get to see you until next week."

"I know." Jessie nodded. "We were landing and I just..." She paused, gaze flicking away as heat built in her face before she felt something click inside of her and she looked to you, a sudden feeling of ease and comfort coming over her as she took you in. "I just kept thinking about how much I wanted to see you. I know our date's only a week away, but we've waited long enough. I've wasted enough time and don't want to waste any more."

Jessie nearly beamed at the way your cheeks reddened and the way you looked at her. She'd waited years for you to look at her like this. And, well, while maybe she'd seen hints of it years before, now it was unhindered and there were no 'maybes' left.

Jessie's posture straightened and her breath hitched momentarily as your soft hand came to rest on her cheek.

"You're incredible. You know that, right?" You asked, eyes gentle and warm.

Jessie swallowed. She could hear her pulse pounding in her head as she held your gaze.

"I'm just being honest," she eventually managed to say.

"Well, I love it. And I agree, we've waited long enough," you said as you pulled back and led her into your apartment by her hand.

She followed wordlessly, watching you the whole way through and eventually jerking her head to the side when you finally turned back around. Despite her attempt to hide her staring, she caught the smirk that had snuck across your lips as she turned away. You took the bag of food from Jessie and set it down on the counter, releasing her hand in the process and leaving her missing it immediately.

"If I had known you were coming by I would've tried to look a bit more presentable. You know, not immediately changing into my worst sweats and t-shirt immediately after work finished," you said with a chuckle as you leaned back against the counter. Jessie's head immediately snapped back to you with a deep frown etched on her face.

"What are you talking about? I love it," she said unequivocally. She hesitated momentarily before relaxing into the moment. “You always look good,” she said assuredly. She frowned deeper as you gave her a look that was both disbelieving and affectionate. Eventually, you relented with an eye roll and a faint smirk.

"I suppose you've seen me in worse states than this," you admitted. A wry grin crossed your face as you folded your arms across yourself. "Remember the night after Teagan's year-end party?"

Jessie practically snorted a laugh. "Remember holding your hair back while you puked your guts out all night and morning? Running all over getting whatever remedies for you? Yeah, I remember."

"Yeah, it was like the exorcism," you said plainly before turning haughty, holding your head high. "Well, I learned to never try to out-drink an Aussie."

Jessie laughed and a moment later she smiled wider. "Oh, and remember when you had that extreme flu for like two weeks?"

"Oh yeah, let's not forget that," you deadpanned, giving her a comical stare before slipping back into a smile. "I get it, you've seen me in some very unflattering states."

"And I still-" Jessie caught herself, smile tightening and she cleared her throat. "I'm still interested."

You held her gaze, smiling softly at her before dropping it momentarily as you gently pushed off the counter and took a step towards her. "I'm glad."

The room was silent and the air around you began to infuse with anticipation and brightness. Your smile grew as you held her gaze.

“And I’m still super glad I got up the nerve to tell you about my delusional moment years before.”

Jessie let out a breathy laugh though she didn’t break eye contact. “Not delusional at all. I would’ve done anything to take you on a date.”

“Anything except ask me out,” you replied with a wink. Jessie blushed and her gaze dropped momentarily before she smirked up at you.

“Well, I’ve asked you out now,” she said. You took a step towards her and nodded with a quiet smile.

“You have.”

“And I’m really excited for it,” Jessie added. Her blush deepened a bit despite herself. She didn’t let it stop her this time though. “So excited in fact that I just couldn’t wait the few days to see you again.”

Your smile grew and you closed the space between you, wrapping your arms around the back of her neck. Jessie beamed before quieting her smile while she wrapped her arms securely around your waist.

“Well I'm glad I'm not the only one,” you told her. “Because I didn’t want to wait either.” You swallowed your hesitation. “I missed you. I know it’s silly, b-”

“I missed you too,” Jessie cut in, smiling brightly at you. “All the time. Janine’s always making fun of me because I check my phone way too often to see if I missed anything from you.”

You chuckled and sent a shiver down Jessie’s spine as you began to caress the back of her neck.

“You are far too cute. I love that you do that. I’m the same,” you confessed. "It's hard to believe now that there was a time - too long - when you weren't a constant in my day."

Jessie’s face hurt from trying not to smile too much. She gave you a nod. "I know the feeling."

She took you in, the softness in your eyes as you stood in her embrace. One that wasn't fleeting or masked as something it wasn't. She could hold you, truly hold you. Emotions began to rise in her throat and she let them out in a rush.

“I just can't believe this. I can! But I can't. I just-" She lost her words and shook her head affectionately at you. "I’m glad it’s not too much. You know, me calling you in the middle of the night. Me showing up unannounced. If it’s ever too much, just tell me. I’ve never really dated, so I don’t really know if I’m coming on too strong. Not that I think we’re dating. I know you didn’t agree to that, but-”

Jessie’s words ceased as you brought a single finger gently to her lips. Her breath stilled in her lungs and her heartbeat pounded in her ears as you slowly leaned in, dropping your hand to rest delicately on her shoulder and suddenly your soft lips were upon hers. The kiss lingered and Jessie’s eyes fluttered shut as you leaned subtly into her.

No thoughts registered in Jessie’s mind and she belatedly realized that you’d slowly drawn back, though remaining in her arms. When she gradually opened her eyes she saw you looking at her in what she couldn’t help but interpret as adoration. It made her feel weak in the knees.

“For the record, that’s confirmation that you’re doing great,” you said with a soft laugh.

Jessie was stunned. Elated. She’d pictured kissing you countless times, countless ways, but no dream of hers, no matter how vivid, lived up to this. It wasn’t even a heated, passionate kiss, but it was everything and she felt it down to her toes.

Jessie leaned in and kissed you once more. Deeper this time. Longer. Pulling you closer in her arms, feeling the shape of your body fitting perfectly against hers.

When she finally broke off the kiss, she smiled upon seeing you breathless, a dark pink tinge colouring your cheeks. She wished she could take a picture of you like this.

“Wow,” you breathed. Jessie beamed before tamping her excitement and ultimately just looking smug instead. You gave her a soft shove as you rolled your eyes, but leaned into the embrace further.

“So, dating, huh?” You asked, cheeks still pink.

Jessie’s smugness immediately shifted. She was about to speak, but you beat her to it.

“Don’t get me wrong, it sounds amazing. But I want to be really clear. I know we’ve shared a lot recently, and I don’t know if it’s like this for you, but things feel so natural and right and such a long time coming, but I also know you have your career and you’re at a really special and important time during it. You weren’t exactly looking for a relationship - you have a lot of obligations you need to balance. I don’t want to take you away from anything or be the reason you don’t do the things you want to do. That would never be my intention and I’d never ask you to sacrifice anything, but I don’t want you to make different decisions because of me.”

Jessie waited patiently, ensuring you got everything off your chest before she spoke.

“Y/N, I’ve been searching for this for years. How I felt for you all those years ago, it felt right. And it feels unequivocally right now, too,” she gave a breathless shrug and felt her throat constrict under the strain of her emotions. "And now that you're back in my life. I don't know how I managed without you. And I don't ever want to do it again. It’s you. It’s always been you.

"And I hear you - you don’t want me to compromise my career. But I don’t have to. You have your career as well. We both have obligations, but we already make time for each other. I’m going to keep playing, but if I’m not on the pitch - I’m yours. That’s what I want. And if you’re okay with it, then that’s how it’ll be.”

Jessie’s chest tightened exquisitely as you captured her lips once more.

“I am more than okay with that,” you told her. You narrowed your eyes playfully at her. “So did we just skip the first date and go straight to girlfriends?”

Jessie’s heart jumped into her throat in the best way possible.

“I am perfectly okay with that,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice steady despite the excitement that coursed through her. She couldn’t help herself.

“If I’m being honest, I’ve pictured you as far more than my girlfriend many times.” She paused. “I saw how your exes were with you. I saw how they disappointed you and frustrated you. I’m human and we’re new to this, so of course I won’t be perfect, but I know I can and I do love you better and more than they ever did. I know how to make you smile when you’re feeling your worst, I know how to make you laugh when you’re trying so hard to be stern and serious with me, I know you so well, even after all this time. You’re a part of me. And I want nothing more than to make you so happy.”

She watched your reaction. She expected herself to be blushing, but the things she said were so deeply rooted inside of her it seemed second nature to say. She waited as you stood there speechless, staring back at her with shimmering eyes.

“So, head over heels really did mean you loved me,” you said with a gentle laugh. Jessie didn’t waver.

“Yes. And still do.”

You swallowed, but immediately kissed her once more.

“I know it’s a lot,” she said when the kiss ended, but you spoke before she could go on.

“It is. But it’s real. You were my person all those years. And here you are again. You’re perfect for me. So you’re silly if you think I don’t love you, too.”

“Then say it properly,” Jessie challenged teasingly. “I’ve been waiting a long, long time to hear it.”

You cupped her face in your hands and smiled affectionately at her.

“I love you so much, Jessie,” you professed softly, your words followed up with another kiss from her.

When she pulled back her eyes were bright.

“Let’s get through date #1,” you laughed. “And if the topic of rings comes up at some point over the next few months, well,” you kissed her softly, "so be it."

[emilyprentissluvr]

A Special Gift (Don't Blame Me: Chapter 7)

Emily Prentiss x Reader

Warnings: Typical Criminal Minds stuff

Words: 3.2k

EMILY WAS the first to arrive at Howard Barnes's apartment. She waited outside the door with her gun in her holster. Hotch had given her clear instructions to wait for SWAT and the rest of the team.

Emily had planned to wait, but when Hotch felt the need to reiterate it, she couldn't shake the feeling that she might be in serious trouble with her boss. 

Was it deserved? Probably.

But as long they caught Y/n, Emily couldn't care less about the consequences that came her way from doing so. 

"Geez, you got here quick," JJ panted as she jogged over to Emily. The three flights of stairs were enough to make her break a sweat, something that had never happened before she'd gotten pregnant.

"It was only ten minutes away from my apartment," Emily started as she turned to her friend, but was taken aback when she saw a deep gash from JJ's forehead to her eyebrow. A bandaid covers most of the cut. "Oh god. What happened, JJ?" Emily asked as her finger hovered over the bandaid, blood starting to seep through the fabric.

JJ quickly pushed away Emily's worried hands, "I was putting away the dishes and accidentally dropped a plate on my face while reaching for the top cabinet. I'm fine, Em, I didn't have time to glue it." JJ said softly.

"Okay," Emily nodded skeptically, "I have some medical glue in the car, I'll fix it after we're done here," Emily said, and JJ just nodded silently. Emily wanted to ask more, but she could hear the rest of the team from down the hallway, so she decided to save her questions for later. 

The SWAT team came, and when they cleared the apartment, they let the BAU in.

"Howard Barnes, a 28-year-old science teacher at Saint Luther High School." Penelope relayed on the phone from her lair at Quantico.

"Well, it was Y/n," Derek crouched down by the body, "Single gunshot to the head and the angel wing," Derek continued. 

Spencer was crouched next to Derek, noting the body's warmth and lack of rigor mortis,  "Time of death had to have been less than an hour ago," Spencer added.

"Damn, we were close. Did the neighbors call it in?" Rossi asked Hotch. 

Emily looked up from the body and saw Hotch staring at her blankly. And honestly, that look was scarier than his usual frown.

"I called it in. I was on the phone with Y/n when she shot him." Emily said, earning a resounding "What?!" from everyone.

"Why do you still have her number?" Derek asked.

"Why would she call you?" Spencer added.

"I'll explain later. Can we focus on the case, please?" Emily asked a slight pleading in her tone.

"Prentiss is right, let's focus on the case," Hotch told the rest of the team before turning to Emily, "Well, talk later."

Emily nodded, happy to delay the berating for later.

"Can you see if any of the students or staff filed a complaint or reported him," Emily asked Penelope as she recalled her phone call with Y/n.

"Hmm, let me check... Three years ago, a student anonymously reported Mr. Barnes for sexual harassment. Oh geez, the school didn't even look into it, they just swept it under the rug. Good thinking, Em." Penelope said as her fingers typed over the keyboard.

"Well, he fits victimology," JJ noted as she looked anywhere but the body. The nausea in her stomach started to roll at the sight and smell.

"How does she find all these guys, though?" Derek asked.

"Well, there's never a shortage of perverts in DC," Emily muttered, causing Hotch to send her another look.

Derek ignored Emily's comment as he gestured to the body, "I mean that this guy and all her other victims look perfect on record. Does she background-check every guy in the cities she kills?"

"Approximately 47% of the DC population is male, with a total population of 591,833-" Spencer started before Hotch abruptly cut him off. If the statistics had been relevant to the conversation, Hotch would have kept Spencer talking. "Garcia, would it be possible for her to create a computer program like that?" Hotch asked the technical analyst over the phone.

"I mean, it is possible. But hacking into sealed documents is a whole other ball game. Especially when its government sealed like some of the victim's files," Penelope answered.

"Okay, I want you to look deeper into that. See if there are any online forums that she could be using to find her victims," Hotch told Garcia before hanging up the phone.

Emily had been looking around the apartment, unintentionally tuning out the team's conversation, when her eyes landed on the kitchen counter. She'd completely forgotten that Y/n had left something for her.

The brunette walked over to the counter and saw a small gift bag and what looked to be a manuscript. 

Emily picked up the papers, flipped through them, and noted that there had to be at least 300 hundred pages of words. She felt someone walk up behind her before she heard Derek's voice, "What's that?" he asked as he looked at the papers in her hand.

"Something Y/n left for me," Emily sighed as she handed it to Derek and reached over to grab the gift. 

"Her next book?" Derek asked as he started to read the words on them, "Huh, I thought her being a ghost writer was a cover," Derek muttered to himself, referencing back to the first night they'd come in contact with Y/n.

Emily hummed in acknowledgment as she took out the tissue paper and saw a small gold charm at the bottom of the bag. She pulled a pair of gloves out of her pocket before grabbing the charm. 

She held it at eyesight and noted it to be some kind of bird. The embedded diamonds were shining from the kitchen light, and Emily knew this had to be expensive.

"It looks like a blackbird," Spencer said as he walked up next to her. "Blackbirds symbolize transformation, inner strength, and freedom," He continued as he observed the charm for himself. 

Emily frowned as she stared at it, was it some sort of sign? Did the symbolism have meaning for Y/n, or was this something else to throw the team off? Or maybe Y/n just wanted to impress Emily with something shiny. 

The brunette was still trying to piece it together when she heard a gasp from behind her. She and Spencer quickly turned around to see JJ flipping through the manuscript, "Oh my god," JJ said as she held the papers up to the team, "I know this book series! Will's nieces love it," JJ continued.

"Nieces?" Derek asked, practically voicing everyone's surprise that Y/n wrote novels for kids.

"Yeah, I think this is the fifth or sixth book in the series," JJ said as she recalled looking at the novels on the little girls' bookshelf, "The series is about an orphaned teenage girl named Angela, who's trying to solve her parent's murder. Or at least that's what I got out of the synopsis on the back. " JJ finished as she put the manuscript back on the table.

Hotch nodded as he took JJ's words in, "Do you remember the author on the covers name?"

"Ana Wells," JJ responded as she pulled her phone out and scrolled through her photos. "She's a real person, too," JJ said as she showed a picture of Will's nieces with a middle-aged woman at a bookstore meet and greet. 

"I'll have Garcia look into it more tomorrow," Hotch said as they all stared at the manuscript.

"I'm sorry, but this is just crazy." Derek scoffed, breaking the silence. "How the hell does she have time to murder hundreds of people, taunt us, and then also write what looks to be a best-selling children's book series."

"She's like serial killer Barbie," JJ muttered, her exhaustion and hormones enough to loosen her usual professionalism. Derek chuckled but was cut off by Hotch's sharp gaze. 

"She left all this for you?" Spencer asked Emily, getting the group back on task.

Emily nodded, "Yeah, but... I don't know why. Providing us with the manuscript and the name of the author she writes for benefits us, not her." 

"Well, maybe she's trying to tell you something with the manuscript and the charm." Rossi pointed out, and Emily just shook her head, "But what?"

"That's what we have to figure out," Hotch said, "But it's late, so we'll pick up tomorrow. Luckily, I was able to get a hold of Gideon, so he should be by tomorrow morning. Hopefully, With his insight, things will start making more sense." Hotch said before dismissing the team. Emily tried to escape, hoping Hotch wouldn't remember, but when she heard her last name ring through the apartment, she accepted defeat and turned around to meet Hotch's disappointed eyes. 

"A word," He said, gesturing for her to follow him into the hallway.

She nodded, instructing JJ to wait by her car so she could tend to her cut after her hopefully brief conversation with the unit chief. 

"Why did you not inform me you were talking to Y/n?" Hotch asked, getting straight to the point. 

"I was going to," Emily swears, "I just wanted to get enough out of Y/n before telling you." As she said it aloud, she realized how bad it sounded. But in her defense, it wasn't as if anything crazy had happened. 

"But that's not your call to make." Hotch said shortly, "For this team to work, I have to trust the people on it."

"And you can trust me. I just couldn't risk you cutting contact with the only lead we have."

Hotch raised an eyebrow at Emily's argument, "So, I can trust you, but you can't trust me to make the right calls for this team?"

"That's not what I'm saying-"

"Prentiss, if you're too close to this case, I will not hesitate to remove you from it," Hotch interrupted. 

"I am not too close to this case," Emily argued back, trying to keep her voice down and not yell like she wanted to. "I apologize for not telling you, but I'm getting somewhere with her, Hotch. And if you pull me off the case, chances are Y/n is just going to move on," Emily said.

Did Emily feel slightly conceited saying that? Yes.

But was it true? Also yes.

Y/n may have been toying with the whole team, but it was mostly Emily that she showed interest in, and Hotch and the whole team could see that. 

The Unit Chief thought silently for a moment before relenting. "Fine, you can stay in contact with her. But I want past and future conversations relayed through Garcia. And I want to be briefed every day."

Emily nodded, relief filling her chest, "Yes, sir."

Hotch studied the brunette momentarily, hoping he made the right call, "If you do something like that behind my back again, I will remove you from this case. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir," Emily nodded again before her boss dismissed her. 

Well, that had been easier than she thought. Honestly, she'd expected a lot more pushback from Hotch. But right now, they needed as many leads as they could get. 

A slight shiver ran through Emily as she headed to her car. The moon and the stars illuminate the parking lot, and Emily's reminded once again how late it is. " He read you the riot act?" JJ asked as she stood perched on the hood of Emily's car. Emily chuckled as she unlocked the car, "If it were any other case, he probably would," 

JJ hummed as she watched Emily pull out a medical kit from the passenger seat compartment. Emily motioned for the blonde to take a seat as she pulled out all the items she needed. "Jesus, JJ." Emily gasped as she carefully pulled the bandaid off and realized just how deep the cut was. 

"Maybe we should go to the hospital-" Emily started before JJ cut her off. "It's fine, Em. Just bleeding a lot." JJ insisted sharply. Emily held her hands up in surrender as she dabbed the cut with disinfectant. 

"I thought part of being pregnant meant your partner does everything for you," Emily said, trying to lighten the mood, and to her relief, JJ chuckled a little. "We both work full-time jobs and if I left everything up to Will, our house would be a wreck." 

Emily hummed, adding another tally to the reasons she disliked Will. 

"Well then, let him put away the dangerous dishes," Emily smiled as she pulled the medical glue out of the bag, "We can't be ruining our money maker," Emily teased as she held the cut together. "Ass," JJ muttered under her breath, and Emily smiled. 

She worked quietly as she patched up JJ's forehead. She was lost in thought when she felt JJ's eyes staring at her. "What?" Emily asked, not liking the look on her friend's face.

"It was Y/n calling you earlier, wasn't it," JJ said, her voice soft and lacking judgment. JJ didn't understand why Emily hadn't told them. But she trusted her friend and knew that there had to be a good reason for not telling the team.

"Yeah," Emily sighed as she finally put the bandage over the glued cut. "I know it was stupid; you don't have to tell me," Emily defended, an instinct even though there wasn't a hint of judgment in the blonde's eyes. "Did I say anything?" JJ chuckled, used to Emily's ways by now.

"Sorry. I just... I know what I'm doing."

"Again, did I say anything?" JJ said with an eyebrow raised. 

"No, you didn't" Emily shook her head, "Sorry, I just really want this case over," Emily muttered as she squeezed JJ's shoulder, signaling that she'd finished tending to her cut. 

"As do I. But I have a feeling that's not going to happen anytime soon." JJ said as she hopped out of the car. Emily hummed in acknowledgment before saying goodbye to JJ. She made sure her friend was safely in her car before heading out for the ten-minute drive back to her apartment.

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●

It was 7:30 in the morning when Emily walked into the BAU. Usually, she was the one to cut it close, barely arriving to work on time. But she could barely sleep last night and couldn't stand the eerie silence that had fallen over her apartment. Hence, her being the first one at work.

Although, when she arrived at her desk, she saw three people in Hotch's office. The unit chief, Rossi, and what looked to be Gideon were deep in conversation, looking at case files. Emily's eyes widened at the sight of them. 

She knew Gideon was coming obviously, but it was still a shock to see the man. She was dreading the awkward reunion that was bound to happen in a couple of hours and decided to keep herself busy.

 Last night she had texted Y/n asking where she'd gotten the blackbird charm and about the manuscript.

But to her surprise, the younger woman never answered. Usually, Y/n would get back to her within 5 minutes, so what was going on? 

A part of her wanted to believe that it didn't have anything to do with the fact that she'd told Hotch about their contact. But she wasn't naive enough to believe that it didn't have anything to do with Y/n not answering her back. 

She decided to put her phone away and focus on the other case files that she'd neglected since coming across Y/n. 

It was about an hour later when the rest of the team slowly filtered through the bullpen. 

"Gideons here?" Derek asked as he sat at his desk, the surprise in his voice mirrored Emily's earlier in the morning. 

"Yup," Emily nodded. "I honestly didn't think he was going to come so soon."

Spencer scoffed, something so unlike him that Derek and Emily couldn't help but pause their conversation as they stared at the youngest profiler. 

Wow, this was going to be a long day. 

"Well, whatever he knows must be important if he's coming out of retirement to consult with us," Derek said with a shrug as they all stared at Hotch's office. The blinds were pulled down but the three senior profilers were still in there, none of them having left since Emily arrived. 

Spencer scoffed again, "It also means that he's been close this entire time. We just weren't enough for him to want to come back." 

"Spencer-" Emily started with an empathetic sigh.

"I'm getting coffee," Spencer said, pushing his chair back forcefully as he practically stomped to the kitchenette, ignoring the concerned glances thrown his way. 

"I take it your guys's talk yesterday didn't help." Emily sighed as she turned towards Derek. 

"What do you think," Derek said as he gestured to Spencer who was furiously adding sugar to his coffee.  

Emily hummed when suddenly Hotch's office door opened. "Conference room. Now." He said as he headed down the walkway with Rossi following after him. Gideon gave Emily and Derek a small nod of acknowledgment before following after the two men. 

"This should be fun," Emily sighed as they headed to the round table. 

"Tell me about it," Derek murmured as he took his seat next to Emily. Spencer came in and sat as far away from Gideon as he could. 

As soon as the two blondes took their seat Gideon rose. "I know I'm not here under the best circumstances," He said and if it was possible, the room was even more stiff and awkward than it was before. 

"But I'm here to help you guys, and even if you don't want it, you're going to need it," Gideon said as he grabbed a small box from the floor next to him and put it on the table. "I was the one that sealed the case in 1992." He finished as he handed the files over to the team.

"Why would you seal an unsolved case?" Derek asked, the confusion written over his face.

"Because it's not unsolved. We found the Wood Stalker in March of 1992, dead in his cabin from a single gunshot to his head." Gideon explained.

"Why isn't that in any of the files?" Penelope frowned.

"It's not in any of the files because I wanted to protect the person that turned him in" Gideon sighed as he ran a hand through his short hair. 

"Who turned him in?" JJ asked.

"His eight-year-old daughter. Who was also the one that killed him." Gideon answered.

"What?" The rest of the team said in unison.

"I sealed it for her, she didn't need the whole world knowing what she'd done just to stay alive," Gideon said honestly. 

"And everyone was just okay with that?" Spencer asked snarkily, notable not about the case and more of the fact that it was Gideon he was talking to. "The brass was different back then. The killer was gone and that's all they cared about. Other agencies backed my decision, although I didn't understand their reasoning why."

"What agency?" Emily asked with a frown.

"CIA. And I still don't know why, but I think we're going to find out soon." Gideon said and Emily looked at him skeptically, "How can you be so sure?"

"Because your unsub, Y/n,  is the daughter of the Wood Stalker."

A/N: If I were to do a tag list, would anyone be interested in being on it? Thanks for reading!