#admin stove

[elodieunderglass]

Hi there! I need to write A Guy who is Extremely Narrowboat, for reasons, and the Narrowboat Guy you just posted is. well. Very much that-adjacent, I suspect. Do you have advice for a) what this Guy is like, and some tips on conjuring them into existence, or b) a good place to look for Narrowboat Things? (if this ask has come in twice I am sorry. Cursed)

No worries at all!

Post references: description of original character Ken who lives on a narrowboat, post about Ken describing characteristics of a quite normal boatie, picture of Ken trying to recruit you into his band (he will teach you how to sing maybe.)

Ken is a Very Boatie Boatie so you should be able to pick or extrapolate some aspects of his character from some of those. The overall smell, of course, being woodsmoke and diesel and slightly damp wool. Personalities range from shifty and feral, to surly, to normies, to chirpy influencers, to wide-eyed wanderers, but boaters are often (not always) daytime drunk. Ken’s a sunny inclusive one that strikes a careful balance between many boatie extremes; practical enough to do a lot of his own repair and maintenance, but silly enough to always have oil on his nose. Your character can fall anywhere on these spectrums!

People who live full-time on narrowboats are incredibly diverse, ranging from prosperous retirees in custom-designed floating houses worth hundreds of K, to people who are functionally homeless. They can be people who live permanently on moorings or marinas, or continuous cruisers who are completely nomadic, (or sensible plan-ahead people who pay a “winter mooring” fee to pause the “continuous cruising” rules during winter and get the best of both worlds.) Ask five boaters and get ten opinions. There are a thousand nuances and reasons why. Some people choose the lifestyle with excitement; for some, it’s forced on them. Some are right-wingers and some are left-wing and some are anarchists, but all of them are living in someone else’s back garden on charity-owned property. The only things they have in common are some basic boater characteristics, like cork-ball keyrings and a lofty resentment against anglers, and the fact that every boater has willingly chosen to marginalise themselves.

The UK has always been hostile to nomads, but is increasingly so now, and the various inconveniences of living without a fixed address add up to some material penalties. It’s not just slightly harder to pay bills, do admin, arrange childcare, commute, vote, etc. The liveaboard narrowboat community once prided themselves on being “the last legal nomads” in the British Isles; anti-traveller legislation has increasingly soured this, with laws being passed limiting everything from the use of wood-burning stoves (positioned by the anti-biofuel lobby in the Guardian as an eco thing. In London. I ask you.) to laws making it easier to remove off-grid children from their parents. And yet, due to housing pressures and the cheap sustainability of the lifestyle, the liveaboard population hasn’t dropped.

By going off-grid you are commenting, politically, in some way, about the grid. By stepping out of society you are agreeing to be a little bit out of society. You simultaneously cross many social classes, and don’t leave your own life at all. Your rights and worries are now shared with the legal rights of Travellers, the Roma, fairground workers, and the unhoused - to the point where the collective term for your community is G****y, Traveller, Roma, Showmen & Boater (GTRSB). (Yes the first one’s a slur, yes people know that - it’s still a community self-description for some, and essentially you’re expected to ignore it and not use the word.) ultimately, a boatie only has to be slightly sideways. A bit self-reliant. A bit willing to be outside.

Reference books? Well, Narrow Dog to Carcassonne is an exciting account; I read Narrow Escape by Marie Browne before moving aboard and appreciated her honesty. There are a lot of influencers living aboard nowadays, but plenty of books abound. My friend Dru remains brave and true and is a trans woman in some tricky days, so you can buy some poetry books from her Etsy shop to keep her afloat and hear from boaters.

I lived aboard for years and am happy to answer questions - maybe Ken could do his own information post! A boater character is a wonderful, rich, textured thing. What would you like to know?

[imasoftieforbarb]

reactions and headcanons of brozone about: how would they fell about y/n having an egg?(once married ofc) sorry if too much

John Dory

Definitely hubby material

Van life with you and him?

Chef kiss

Ok

He definitely gives malewife vibes

Because he’s so used to being the responsible one

But he also deserves a break so you split all the chores in half

You surprise him with your pregnancy announcement by giving him a cup that says “worlds greatest Dad”

He’s shocked

Like he goes still and you worry- what if he doesn’t want children? It wasn’t a planned thing

And then he just scoops you up in arms and twirls you around

So many happy tears

Instantly tells everyone possible he’s gonna be a dad

That might is now his favorite mug- but he refuses to use it until the baby is born

Those chores that you split? He is now taking on all of them so you can focus on the baby

Likes to speak to the egg, honestly he’s so sweet with it

Definitely plays brozone through headphones around the egg (“John what are you doing?” “I want them to have good taste”)

Clay

He gave up his admin house for you

Y’all still live in Putt Putt village (because I say so)

Viva moves to Pop village so he goes from co runner to leader

So y’all get her room/house

Being married to Clay is so chill

He’s so sweet and literally talks about you non stop even though more often that not you’re with him whilst he’s working

He found out about the pregnancy when you gave him a mini matching green sweater romper

He was like

“Thanks! Not sure if it’ll fit me but I love it anyway!”

It takes him a moment

He leaves the room then runs back in pointing at you like he’s in law and order

“YOURE PREGNANT?!?”

You are now on permanent bed rest

Likes to baby talk to the egg and sing it songs

Buys the new furniture immediately and then starts baby proofing the house

He’s determined to give this kid the best childhood

Bruce

When he marries you, that’s when he decides to change his name to Bruce

Y’all still open the restaurant on Vaycay island

You become the cutest couple on the island so fast

BEACH WEDDING

He definitely tears up whilst reading his vows

“Oh I’m crying…” *you pass him a q-tip* “what’s a q-tip gonna do?!”

Treats you like a queen

Another malewife vibe haver

But it’s not as strong

Y’all were already planning on having a big family

So when you tell him you’re having twins by making dinner, but putting two lil high chairs by the door

He sees them

And goes WILD

“What- is that? Does that mean? TWINS?!?!”

He’s so happy, so many happy tears whilst y’all hug

“Uh- honey? Who’s watching the stove?” “Oh shit…”

Floyd

Dedicated husband fr fR

Has photos of you everywhere

Gets drunk and gets so happy when you tell him you’re his wife not his girlfriend

“THis IS myY WiFE”

Everyone knows don’t worry

Always talked about having kids but didn’t plan for it

Well he did (but only in his lil dreams)

Then one day you made his dreams come true

He got home from hanging out with Branch

(Who you’d asked to keep him distracted)

And he comes home to a really big home cooked meal

And a decorated boiled egg

He goes to eat said egg- but you tell him to break it open

“Why?” “It’s a surprise hun- I’m not supposed to tell you”

Inside is a lil parenting book called ‘daddy and I’

Silence, smile on his face

Tears rolling down his face before he stands up and walked over to you putting the book down on the table

Wraps you up in a such a soft hug that you start crying too

Peppers kisses all over your face

“You really do make my dreams come true”

Doesn’t tell his brothers immediately- wants you to himself

Makes sure you’re careful with doing everything

Just likes to lie down on the bed with you and the egg and put his hand softly on the surface (he cries a lil bit everytime)

When he eventually tells people- it’s completely by accident

[sunflower567]

Callsign: Umbra Chapter 14: Unlikely Duo

Word Count: 3,249

Edited: ✅

Previous Chapter

Marine Raider Training Center, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina: 8:50 PM

After returning to her private room from the admin office, Imani angrily tossed off her clothes, wrapped her hair in her bonnet, and got into a hot shower.

She sighed as the water cascaded down her body. Relishing in her muscles finally relaxing, Imani closed her eyes and thought about everything that had just transpired. She was so pissed off she asked Alpha to wait in the team room, not wanting him to be upset because she was upset. 

Grabbing her washcloth, Imani began aggressively scrubbing her body angrily, not just at Davis but also at herself.

She was a soldier, a sergeant. Her parents taught her not to let someone like that get the best of her. Much less act out of character.

‘I have to be four times as good,’ Imani thought. She continued to repeat the words her parents drilled into her. 

Her parents fought tooth and nail to give them the life they had. And come hell or high water, she’d be damned if she or anyone else tries to mess that up. 

She knew this incident would eventually reach her father’s ear through word of mouth or, an incident report. She hopes it’d be at least the latter. But knowing her recent luck, it’s going to be the former.

‘This is bullshit,’ Imani thought as she scrubbed the back of her neck, ‘Can I ever have a normal fucking life?’

But as she continued to wash herself, she felt more embarrassed. She did all that in front of some of the highest-ranking people on this base. But it wasn’t them she was worried about; it was Ghost. 

‘I did that in front of him. The second in command of my team,’ Imani thought in shame. 

But while she felt a bit ashamed over the way she acted, Simon, on the other hand, was hypnotized. Since he was young, he has admired strong women like his mother. How his mother could keep moving forward with a man like his father and be there for him and his brother Tommy, Simon couldn’t begin to imagine the strength she had. He never took her for granted. Not once. He just wished she loved herself as much as he loved her and stood up for herself and kicked their father out before it was too late. 

So, even though he could admire Imani's constant fighting and pressing on, he hated how much he thought of her. 

Emotions like this can hurt a man the most. He already buried those feelings when he buried his family. He’d be damned if he ever feels that pain again.

After taking a bit of a detour to clear his head, Simon returned to their private rooms. But when he opened the door, he smelled something good. 

Going into their kitchen, Simon saw Imani in an oversized graphic T-shirt and biker shorts moving about, with some music playing in the background. Looking over to the team room, Simon saw Alpha sleeping on his back, a snore occupying every breath. 

“Big geezer,” Simon said, not taking his eyes off him. 

Imani, who usually memorizes people’s footsteps, didn’t hear him come in. She’s trying to learn, but it's been difficult for a man his size who doesn’t make a sound. 

“Jesus fucking christ,” Imani exclaimed, “Make a sound please!”

“Open your ears you knob,” Simon replied, which caused Imani to mumble what he said in a mocking British accent. 

“What you makin'?”

“Well, we need to go get groceries, so nothing too grand,” Imani said with a sigh, "Just some spaghetti and bread.”

“I didn’t know you could cook,” Simon pointed out. 

“Trust me, I was taught as soon as I learned not to touch a hot stove,” Imani laughed, "My mom-mom and pop-pop are from the South—New Orleans, to be precise—before they moved to Cali. They say the quickest way to someone's heart is down there through their stomach. My mom-mom made sure my brothers, my sister, and I learned how to cook.”

“So they taught you how to cook just for that?”

“Not only because of that, but because it’s technically a life skill. And when we move out, we stay out. So we have to know how to fend for ourselves.”

“Can you bake too,” Simon asked. 

“There are only a few things, so don’t go all crazy on me,” Imani replied smiling, "Go get cleaned up. I’ll let you know when dinner is done.” 

Wasting no time, Simon left for his room, conveniently across from Imani’s. He took a quick shower and changed his mask from the one with the physical skull to the one with just spray paint. 

Walking back into the kitchen, he saw Imani walking to the team room with both plates in hand. 

“Come on, I already got our drinks there.”

Following behind her, the two sat down on the couch with Alpha chowing down on some fresh meat in his large dog bowl. Imani grabbed the remote and put on the news for background noise.

But as Imani went to eat, she realized that maybe she shouldn’t sit in here since he still had his mask on. 

“Do you want me to eat somewhere else Lt?”

“Why?”

“You know,” Imani said, gesturing to him. 

“No I don’t know,” Simon repeated looking at her in confusion. 

“The mask,” Imani gestured to her face, “We haven’t known each other for long, so I’m sure you won’t feel comfortable with me seeing your face. So if you want, I can just-”

Before she could even finish, Simon lifted up his mask just enough to expose his mouth and placed the bunch-up fabric on his nose. 

“There problem solved.”

‘Ok smartass,’ Imani thought as she began to eat her food, embarrassed that she seemed to have cared more than he did. 

Taking that as a hint to start eating, Simon twirled his fork and brought some of it to his mouth.

Now he maybe exaggerating when he says this, but this was the best fucking food he has ever had. He loved his mom’s cooking, but this was in a league of its own. 

It’s been so long since he had a home-cooked meal, and this did not disappoint one bit. 

“Is it good,” Imani asked, not seeing any visible sign in his eyes. His only response was a hum as he kept on eating it. Imani smiled with pride at that. 

The two just sat in silence, the only thing filling the space was the new station that talked about local and national news. But while they were quiet, Imani’s mind wasn’t. She didn’t know how to go about the conversation that needed to be had. Does she apologise, explain herself, or should she ask what her punishment is? She didn’t know. She didn’t even realize she was sighing until Ghost put down his plate and put his arm across the back of the couch, looking at her. 

“What’s on your mind?”

“Sir?”

“You just sighed four times in the last 2 minutes, what are you thinking?”

‘Ah shit,’ Imani thought as she also put her plate down. Sitting criss-cross applesauce towards him, Imani looked her lieutenant dead in the eye and decided what she would say. Imani chose the fourth option: All of the above. 

“I just wanted to apologize,” Imani began, “I was pissed. You’d think after everything he did, he’d leave me alone, or I’d get used to this treatment from him, but I just snapped. I know that’s not an excuse for someone in my position. So whatever you choose to do, I’ll accept it.”

Simon just stared her in the eyes for a moment. He didn’t know why, but he hated seeing that look on her face. That look of shame. She did nothing wrong, and if Price were here, he’d back her up with no questions asked. Hell, he, Gaz, and Soap would have probably joined in. So would he. 

Imani usually could handle his intense gaze, but now, it felt almost unbearable. 

“Can you say something please,” she begged. 

“I’m thinking.”

“Well, think faster!”

“You want me to punish you?”

“Who wants to be punished?”

“A lot of women actually like it for what I experience,” he replied before his mind could catch up. 

Both he and Imani looked at each other in shock. He, much less Imani, expected that to come out of his mouth. Right when he was getting ready to apologize for his crudeness, Imani threw her head back and let out the loudest laugh (more like a cackle) known to man. 

“I never-” she said between each laughing fit, “I never expected something like that to leave your mouth!”

“Well, isn't that true?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Imani finished her laughing fit. 

“Whatever the case, you listen here,” Simon said, his voice taking on a more serious tone, getting Imani’s attention immediately, “You have nothing to apologize for. Neither I, Price, nor Gaz and Soap would have judged you for what you did. That bloke needed to be put in his place. And between you and me, you didn’t go far enough.”

“Threatening him with Alpha wasn’t enough,” Imani asked in confusion, her eyebrow raised. 

“If it was me, I’d have him bite the bastard,” Simon said, looking back at the tv. 

“Nah, too much blood,” Imani replied, “And besides, someone gotta clean that up.”

“Look at you being considerate.”

“I always am!”

“Yeah right, and I’m the king of England.”

“Well, I barely know anything about you, so could be,” Imani replied, in fake shock, “What should I do? Should I bow to you, your majesty?”

“Oh piss off,” Simon exclaimed, a small smirk on his face. 

As the conversation turned away from Davis and toward each other, Imani began to look at him a bit closer. 

As of now, the only things she could see were his sharp jaw and stubble. She even noticed a faint scar that started by his chin and disappeared under his mask. 

But what made Imani a little jealous was his eyes. His hooded eyes now lacked the black eyeshadow; she could see his eyelashes. And they were so pretty that any girl would be jealous of them. 

“You’re staring again,” Simon pointed out. 

“Because I just realized, I don’t know anything about you,” Imani said, “I don’t even know your real name!”

“Why do you need to know that?”

“I mean, we are a team,” Imani pointed out, “And you know my name! Why can’t I know yours? Hell, I just learned how old you are!”

“Just to hear you make fun of me,” Simon said. 

“No, never,” Imani waved him off. 

Getting closer to him on the couch, Imani leaned forward so they were face to face. Wanting to see what she’d do, Simon didn’t move an inch. He did not even close his legs, which were spread out, or his arm, which lay on the back of the couch. Instead, he leaned back and smirked, thinking, ‘What will she do?’

But what she did was nothing he could have suspected. Imani got close to his face, almost to the point that they were three inches apart, “If we’re gonna risk our lives for each other, there needs to be some level of trust. Don’t you think so?”

Simon couldn’t argue with that logic. But he also knows that not knowing each other isn’t a reason to not want to save a life or protect your squadmates. 

“The better I know you, the better I can understand your thinking. Especially out there!”

“So, what? You want to know my favorite color or somethin?”

Letting go of his face, Imani sat back in her seat with her legs on the couch. Visually pouting and mumbling a small whatever under her breath, Imani picked up the remote and changed the channel. But Simon didn’t look away, just continued to look at her. He could tell she was upset. Mostly because he noticed her bottom lip pokes out when she's angry. 

Most of the time, Simon ignores people in general. Especially those who ask about his personal life and whatnot. At most, he’ll say no to those he knows, like Soap. But for some reason, seeing her like this bothered him. 

With a sigh, Simon turned his gaze back to the screen and said, “It’s black.”

“Huh,” Imani questioned, looking away from the TV.

“My favorite color. It’s black.” 

Imani couldn’t help but smile a bit at that. She knew he wasn’t the type to really show anything, but he did show her this much. And she knew that took a lot for him to admit. 

“You know, that doesn’t surprise me,” Imani replied, “What about-”

“Eh, eh,” Simon interrupted, “I ask now.”

“Oh, we're doing this? Alright, bet,” Imani smiled, turning herself to face him. 

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Red, Purple, Gold, and Green.”

“That’s a weird combination.”

“Not together, smart ally! My turn now, when were you born?”

“Well, that’s not fair, I know yours.”

“Then you can ask me two questions, then. Now tell me!”

“January 1st, 1990.”

“Damn you old,” Imani joked. 

“Screw you wanker,” Simon chuckled softly, throwing a piece of spaghetti at her, causing Imani to open her mouth and catch it mid air. 

“Now you got the next two turns, old man.”

“Favorite food?”

“Steak. Medium-well. You?”

“Sunday roast. What do you like to drink?”

“Wine. But if you want to get more specific, Gabrielle Sweet Pink Moscato. How about you?”

“Bourbon.” 

“Ok,” Imani smiled, soaking up all this new found information. 

“Anything else?”

“Yeah,” Imani smiled, “You have any siblings?”

The atmosphere shifted almost immediately. Imani saw a look of hurt and anger cross his eyes before he looked away from her. 

Feeling like an asshole, Imani looked down at her hands, “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”

The two were in silence again for a while, just watching the random movie that Imani put on. Simon meant nothing when she asked that question, but thinking about his brother still hurt. 

“I had a brother,” Simon answered softly, causing Imani to look towards him, “His name was Tommy.”

Catching how he said it in the past tense, Imani could have only guessed what happened to him. Knowing he wouldn’t want to hear anything even related to a sorry, Imani decided to share something she also found hard to talk about sometimes. 

“My file,” Imani began, “Did it tell you I’m a twin?”

That caught his attention. When Price gave him Imani’s file for review, they were on their way to Solunaire. She showed mostly her basic information, such as her parents, siblings, time of service, and whatnot. But never went into too much detail behind those facts. Even her missions, which included Alpha, were redacted. So this was something new. 

“You're a twin?”

“Fraternal twin,” Imani answered, a somber smile on her face, "Twins actually run on my mom’s side. My mom-mom was a twin, and my mom’s a twin. And like the overachiever she is, my mom decided to go above and beyond and have not only two sets of twins but also one set of triplets.”

“Bloody fucking hell,” Simon marveled. 

“Yeah,” Imani said, “I get along well with my older brothers. Especially since they’re all married to my best friends. But Iris, my twin, hates my guts.”

“I doubt that,” Simon replied. 

“When one of us went away, either for school or the service, our parents threw a going-away party. The last hurrah, as my dad says,” Imani began, “You wanna know what she said to me at mine?”

“What?”

“She said and I quote, ‘I hope the next time you come back, it’s in a body bag’,” Imani answered. Her voice cracking a bit at that, “My own sister. My own twin.”

“You didn’t have to tell-”

“I know,” Imani interrupted, “But it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t bring up my bad memories?”

The two stared at each other for a moment, both thinking about their expected siblings. Simon remembered the last time he saw his brother, and Imani tried to remember a single good memory she had of her sister, but she always came short of one. 

Before Imani could even realize what she was doing, she stuck one of her pinkies out and wrapped it around his gloved one. 

“What’re you doing now?”

“Something my brother Miles did when I was sad. Rubbed off on me when I was younger,” Imani smiled at the memory, “He always said, holding pinkies when you're sad is like promising that we’ll be ok. Ever since then, I’d wrap a pinky with someone who was sad or when just saying you’re not alone.”

He doesn’t know what came over him, but something about her wrapping their pinkies and the reason had him chuckling at first, until it turned into a full-blown laugh—his first real laugh in a while. 

“The fucks so funny you ass,” Imani exclaimed in fake outrage, a large smile on her face. 

“You’re- You’re a nitwit!”

“And you’re a dick how about that,” Imani laughed as well. 

Continuing their little game, Imani and Simon exchanged questions and answers, and of course, they exchanged their usual insults. 

Especially after Simon made fun of Imani for calling football soccer. 

With the promise that they’d go grocery shopping and Imani would show him all her favorite movies, shows, and games while Simon promised to teach her about the rules of the 'correct' footbal, the two finished their meals, cleaned up, and walked back to their rooms, with Alpha following closely behind. 

But on the way there, Imani had one more burning question. 

“Hey Ghost,” she called out when they reached their doors. 

“Yeah, Umbra?”

“What’s your name? I mean your real name.”

“I thought the game was done,” he asked, his eyes raised in mock confusion.

“I mean, yeah, technically,” Imani answered, “But- You know what, never mind. Night lieutenant.”

But as Imani began to open her door, Simon reached out and covered his hand over hers, stopping her from opening any further. 

“Ghost,” She asked in confusion, “What’re you doi-”

When she looked up at him, their eyes connected. Compared to what some others may think, Imani has never felt intimidated by this man, not even once. Instead, she felt drawn to him. Especially his eyes. And this could be just a delusion in her, but she thought she saw the same feeling in him. 

“Ghost, what’s going-”

“Simon,” he interrupted, causing Imani to blink in confusion. Softly, Imani replied What, not understanding what he meant. “My name. It’s Simon. Simon Riley.”

‘Simon,’ Imani repeated in her head. She didn’t realize the goofy smile that came across her face or even that she repeated it in a soft and almost loving tone. Something that Simon loved to hear more than he cared to admit. He wouldn’t lie and say that the way she said his name didn’t get him in a tizzy in both his heads.

Before it could go any further, Simon let go of her hand and walked backwards a bit to his door. “Night, Imani.”

“Goodnight, Simon.”

With that, both soldiers went into their rooms, both feeling conflicted but also content with their time together. But little did they know, they’d need each other more than they’d ever realize, especially Imani. 

Next: Chapter 15 (Coming Soon)

Arthur's Note:

Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed chapters 13 and 14! These chapters are a bit slower and more about setting up some future events that will come sooner or later and providing some more backstory on everyone, especially Imani.

As a massive fan of the Modern Warfare series (I was 6 when the first game came out, and I played it with my dad all the time), I decided to take some of the lore from the comics to set up Ghost's backstory. It won't follow it word for word, but it does take some inspiration. Imani's situation with her family is actually inspired by my own family! Twins and triplets run in my family.

But I'm running out of time! Next time, we'll see more of Imani and Simon's relationship and new and familiar faces! I hope you all have a good weekend and stay safe!!

[lovelytsunoda]

Cruel Summer | Alex Albon

Summary: Despite knowing Alex is leaving at the end of the summer, YN can’t help but wonder if there’s the possibility of a future with him.

Pairing: Alex Albon x female!Townie!Reader

Warnings: Not as much dialogue as I usually have lol and a few small mentions of sex. Reader is a dreamer and a realist at the same time.

There were two types of people in Stacey's Point. Townies, who kept the town running year round, often born and raised on the sandy shores and sprawling parkland, and Tourists, who popped in for a few months over the summer, spread their well-earned cash sparingly on the town, and then vanished again once the weather got cold. Townies and Tourists alike seemed to relish in playing mind games with each other, and more than one Townie girl or guy had notches in their bedposts for all the Tourists they'd charmed.

The differences between the two sects had never felt as strong as it did than when YN parked her dated Toyota Rav4 next to Alex's Volvo SUV. A rental, obviously. No local would be able to own one, and nobody with an accent as attractive as his lived within driving distance.

They'd met on a fishing charter. YN's father owned the company running tours around the bay that surrounded to Point. Over the summers she worked there as a tour guide in the busy season, and fishing admin in the fall. In the winter she went to school, taking online courses to get a diploma in office admin. She loved her home, and didn't want to leave the Point, but if job prospects didn't start to get better, she likely wouldn't have a choice.

Some days, she dreamed about leaving with Alex. About getting into the passenger seat of his Volvo and driving until the lighthouse that made the Point oh so picturesque was merely a speck in the distance. Think of all the places she could go: Calgary, New York, Boston, Newfoundland. The possibilities were endless.

The key to the vacation rental was weighty in her hand. Alex had given her a key. She’s never had a key to a man’s house before. Usually when she hooked up with tourists, she was eager to see them leave. This time, she allowed her mind to wander.

She thought about the mornings she spent waking up in Alex’s bed before she had to go to work, or about how the best sex she’d ever had happened in between fits of joyous laughter after they had watched American Pie together.

She faintly wondered if he’d stay. Give up his life of riches and fame and wonder and settle down for a modest existence in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

A modest existence with her.

The key slid into the lock without resistance, almost the same way he fell into her every night without fail, taking her higher than she had ever felt with anybody else, and then cooking with her the following morning before she went to work, picking her up in his Volvo to go to a ritzy place she could never afford on her own for lunch.

He was cooking when she went inside, the radio playing an old Take That song. He like Robbie Williams and she liked Jon Bon Jovi, yet somehow they both knew the words to the same songs. There was a wok on the stove, and the kitchen smelled like Thai curry seasoning and chicken. It was a rich and flavourful meal, one that she knew Alex had learned just for her.

She didn’t want to disturb him, quietly placing her things on the long dining room table, stomach pooling with both content and dread as she watched him work.

This time next week, Alex Albon would be gone. Racing cars halfway across the world, surrounded by girls that were prettier than her, smarter than her, richer than her. Someone who could match his sparkling personality much better than she could.

He caught her movement out of the corner of his eye, looking up at her from the stove. His face broke out into a broad smile as he said “Hey, gorgeous.”

He crossed the kitchen, beaming as he pulled her in for a kiss. She allowed him to take her into his strong, reliable arms and inhaled his teakwood cologne, she tried to push away the inevitable ache that she would feel when he left.

“Hey, handsome.” She sighed, kissing him again, and then a third time for good measure. “Food smells good.”

“Want to give me a hand? I wanted it to be ready for when you got here, but clearly that was wishful thinking.”

“It wasn’t. I finished work early and snuck out the back door.”

”Do you know how to make rice?” Alex asked, passing her the bag of rice grains. The writing on the bag was in Thai, making it abundantly clear that he had left the Point to pick his ingredients. As much as she loved her home, she could admit that the seaside town could try a little harder when it came to diversity.

“Of course I know how to make rice. It’s about the only thing I can make.”

They cooked well together, even if Alex did most of the work. They sang the same songs, pulled all the same dance moves. It didn't matter that his hair was perfectly groomed an gelled while hers smelled like saltwater and sun, or that he smelled like cologne while she smelled like the worst parts of nature (she planned on stealing all of his Old Spice in the shower).

Right now, right here, in the kitchen of this vacation rental she would never be able to afford in a million years, they were just two regular people.

She had never been this comfortable with another person before, which is why she knew it would hurt so much when he left. She wished she could have forever with him, if not just the next six months.

But sometimes you can't have forever. Or six months. Sometimes, all you get is now and that has to be enough.

[lookinghalfacorpse]

i think i remember your pandora symptoms fic was in general, canon compliant to ITWALL and tbh i have been curious, has phil ever been "sucked in" into one of dreams nightmares like techno was?? (if the "dreamon chapter is even canon to itwall of course lol)

i forgot about this headcanon! i imagined it as a part of his admin powers that he hasn't mastered yet-- a way to communicate quickly with the players on his server. i think philza would recognize it.

----------

/dsmp /rp

Dream dropped himself into the kitchen chair, letting it creak loudly under his weight. Phil didn't even know he was awake already.

The arctic had settled into a slow, soft routine; Philza was usually first to wake, and he'd start breakfast as Dream and Technoblade joined him at their own pace. This morning, he had deep pockets of purple under his eyes and he seemed unable to hold himself up. His head drifted into his hands as he sat at the time. His hair was a mess.

Philza chuckled at him. The old man hadn't slept too well, either, but he was chipper as always as he tried to make food quickly. He put a kettle on the stove to get Dream's tea started. "Mornin', mate," he said, "I guess Techno really wore you out yesterday, yeah?"

"Mm."

"I'm surprised you didn't sleep in more."

"Couldn't sleep," Dream said as he rubbed a hand groggily across his face. "I'm so sore. I don't wanna look at firewood ever again."

"Ah, nothing a warm bath and some pain meds can't fix. You must've pushed yourself too hard."

Phil continued with breakfast. He opted for bagels that morning-- it was quick and easy, and made up for lost time since he was moving slowly. He also had apples on the stove for some homemade applesauce, and it made the whole cabin smell absolutely lovely. He mixed them occasionally, checked on the bagels, and peaked over his shoulder at Dream. The poor boy was nearly falling asleep again.

He jumped when the kettle started to whistle. Phil prepared an English Breakfast tea for him in his favorite mug, with milk and sugar.

"Thanks," Dream croaked, his thin fingers wrapping around the mug, cradling it delicately in both hands. Phil watched as he raised it to his face, sniffed at the air, and moved his hair aside so he could blow cool air on the surface.

"You didn't tell me that Sam poisoned you," Philza said.

Dream froze, green eyes darting to Phil's face.

"How did you know that?"

Phil turned his attention back to the apples, turning his back. "I had an odd dream last night."

Dream put the mug down, his back straightening. "Tell me what you saw."

"A part of the prison I didn't recognize, with chairs. I saw scraps of food on a table-- all potatoes, I think, but maybe not-- and I heard Sam asking questions. About Tommy. But I-- you-- felt so sick, the room was spinning. Could barely understand the questions at all. Dream, I asked you if Quackity did all of the damage, and you said yes." "And I didn't lie. Sam didn't-- Sam didn't hurt me. Not really. None of these scars are from him." Before Philza could voice a protest, Dream continued, "Listen, I-- I'm sorry. I don't know why I keep doing this. I did it to Techno, too, I-- sometimes I can control dreams on purpose, but more often I just... force people to witness random things that I don't even want them to see. I'm really sorry, Phil. I'll try to stop."

"No, no," Phil started, "I think this explains a lot. I've seen something like this before." "You have?"

"Mm-hmm. You projected a memory to me. If you can harness this, I think you'd be able to communicate to people even when they're awake. Sounds convenient, yeah?"

A way to communicate privately. Dream liked the idea.

Phil continued, "I'm angry about what I saw, don't get me wrong. Pissed off, really. But I'm glad to have discovered this. We can work on it."

Dream ran his fingertips along the handle of the mug. The glaze was smooth and cold, and it fit inside his palms neatly. He saw Phil watching him, waiting to find out if he would drink.

He drank.

[little-moonshineiv]

For your post requesting Ghost hc stuff- I don’t have too much since I only recently started writing Ghost things but I can offer what I can (also sending this in an ask because I don’t think this would all fit in a reply).

-No one really knew what to do with Swiss at first because he’d been the first multi-ghoul in… well, no one really knows. They’re not exactly common summons and there’s not much info on them, even though Copia would eventually summon two more multi’s (Sunshine and Aurora). Swiss still became part of the band regardless. Swiss also has one of the most unsettling grins; all teeth and fangs. He shows this off when he’s feeling particularly devious.

-I touched on it briefly in the fic I posted recently, but for a while, up until a couple months before their first tour, Rain was hesitant to be physically close with Copia in any capacity, because of an incident that occurred when Rain was summoned. Short version was that Rain was in shock when he got summoned and lashed out, and, well, Copia unfortunately got caught in the crossfire. He does not hold it against Rain though, because he understood the state Rain was in at the time. He still wanted Rain on the project/to be part of the band.

-Dewdrop was banned from using the stove for months once because he burned pasta. (before you ask, yes it's possible; I unfortunately did this a couple months ago)

-After that ritual in L.A. (you know the one), the instant they had gotten to the hotel they were staying at, all the ghouls and ghoulettes were all collectively like “no way in hell we’re leaving Copia on his own after that”. They all showed up at the room Copia was in and stayed with him through the night.

-Running with the headcanon that the “Chamber Ghoulettes” were Sister’s personal group of ghoulettes, and because I am writing a fic about the Chamber Ghoulettes, I have a few thoughts on them as well (as I have imagined them): Strix, Alkaline, Veil, and Visage.

-Strix was the first of the four summoned, is an air ghoulette, and plays piano. Also does admin work with Phil/Special and often bickers with him.

-Alkaline is a water ghoulette, and sings. Undoubtedly a siren and if I were to vc her siren voice, I would say- well, go look up the band Cocteau Twins (and hopefully see my vision).

-Veil & Visage were summoned simultaneously because they are twins. Quintessence ghoulettes who play cello. They like to lurk around the library and archives (and they have spooked Copia on more than one occasion if he was there looking for something).

-I also have a Sibling of Sin oc who will be making an appearance in a longer fic project who is named Ephemera (or “Emery”), and while I don’t have much about her yet either, she once met Primo in the gardens and, because she wasn’t exactly aware of who he was, thought he was just some weird gardener.

OH MY GOD?? I LOVE THESE😭😭

I totally agree with the Swiss hc, especially the grin! I can totally imagine him with some really sharp fangs👀

ALSO WE NEED MORE STUFF ABT GHOUL SUMMONINGS‼️Theres no way that they WOULDN’T be calm when summoned. Little personal hc is that when someone dies there is a chance they can be reincarnated as a ghoul after their death, but until they’re summoned then they’re basically just dormant.

For Dewdrop, he’s totally burnt a bunch of stuff. He used to be a water ghoul so it makes sense.

LIVING FOR THE PROTECTIVE GHOULS AND GHOULETTES⁉️ They can be both menaces and sweet at the same time.

I’m adoring your vision for the Chamber Ghoulette’s and love the idea they were Sister Imperator’s own ghouls! I can see them being more mature compared to the Impera ghouls. But also makes me super curious, did Sister summon them herself? Did Nihil summon them for her??

AND A SISTER OF SIN OC? YES⁉️Your oc sounds so cute just from one interaction and hopefully you’ll have more abt her!

[robloxiansurvivors]

Two Time’s Intro (Corrupt Worlds AU)

“Someone once told me, ‘as long as we’re still here, we might as well make the most of it’…”

...

Fun Fact: Chance isn’t staring at the Flower in the photo.

NotashipnotashipnotashipnotashipnotashipnotashipNOTASHIPNOTASHIP- /lhj

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

(*Brace yourselves: There will be A LOT of facts… Might edit this sometimes. I’ll keep the most important ones at the top. Anything under “Misc facts”, is less important)

(*While some of this is inspired from possibly-Canon Facts, not all of this is the same as Canon Two Time! Again, this is an AU!)

-Their text appears “Like This”… Not to be confused for Chance’s dialogue, which is purple inside with uncolored-quotations.

-Two Time. Of course, goes by They/Them pronouns… Though they are quite forgiving towards those who mistake them for He/Him (still, exclusively uses They/Them) (Please forgive mod if they get the pronouns confused: Mod suffers from chronic goldfish-memory.)

-The Spawn symbol on their shirt is gone in-present. It only reappears when they enter their Second-Life…

-They permanently keep their wings outside their Second-Life, no one is sure why this happened post being-Forsakened. (Their true Second-Life looks different in this AU… And possesses *some* abilities)

-In the past, (while Forsakened) the other Survivors would often feel uncomfortable being around Two Time. Didn’t help that they did have quite the habit of sneaking up on people—on accident, usually.

-In the present they are a pretty quiet individual, they tend to keep to themself… Though, they aren’t completely isolated or lonely; they talk with Chance the most out of the other Survivors he is living with in-present.

Feelings about their Roommates:

Is pretty neutral about Elliot…

Thinks Noob seems the most innocent out of all of them.

Respects Guest, even if he ‘isn’t who he thought he was’… As the Admins had said…

As for Chance?:

Even if it’s almost been a year since they were freed; the two have been through a lot together…

…They will forever be grateful he was there for them.

~Misc Facts:

Gifts they were given:

Was given a few things by Chance, including the flowers that are on their shirt in-present. And the bracelet. Though they sometimes don’t wear the bracelet, sometimes they keep it in their inventory.

Azure used to give them a lot of gifts… Though, they were all left at the place Two Time used to live.

They used to have a picture of themself and Azure, but they had scribbled over it while Forsakened… They hid it in a Journal somewhere, only Chance has a clue on where.

-They have a real name, but not even Chance knows what it is. Their Cult renamed them “Two Time” after they’d sacrificed Azure.

-Two Time is banned from cooking in the kitchen. The others feel they’re too reckless to be let near the knives OR the stove.

-Azure got them into playing the Violin, they used to practice together when they weren’t busy… Two Time still does play the Violin, but feels a bit conflicted when they do.

-Wayyy too knowledgeable about Knives, Cults, and Murder… Tries to keep from talking too much about it, but sometimes gets lost in unnerving tangents about these things.

-The name of their former Resident-World, or Home World), is Terra. While the History of that world is pretty normal, there are many residents of it that believe many Legends of Ancient, otherworldly beings, had influenced their worlds history—Or, “gods” as some would say…

-Their Family was obsessed with the Spawn, and was part of the Cult.. oddly, they don’t like talking about them. And have made no effort to regain contact with them post-Forsaken.

-They have a lot of OCD-esque habits due to things their Old Cult taught…

-Once confessed guilt for something (related to their old Cult’s teachings) to Chance. Who knows why him specifically…??

[nbofvoid]

My Longing, the Aching

Written for the dreamnblade christmas event @alterdnbweek is holding this year.

Day 14 Prompts: Snowed In; Cuddling

There are references to things that happened in Pandora here, but nothing explicit.

**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**

Dream's feet beat lightly against the stool as he keeps an eye on both the kitchen and living room. The syndicate is hanging around after their meeting, a bunch of snacks Niki brought laid out on the coffee table where she and Philza are talking about the books they've been reading. There's a coffee pot between them, three mugs resting on coasters among the snacks. Ranboo is hovering in the entry to the kitchen as he nods along with Techno's explanation about what exactly he's doing as he sets the tea to brew on the stove.

Both of the topics are light. Different from the heavy talk about if they will have to step into the politics of the server and how heavy it would have to be. Listening to good twists in a book series or how to tell the difference in what kind of water heat to use is relaxing. The kind of thing he'd wanted with his friends when he'd first asked them to join.

He perks up slightly as Techno starts nudging Ranboo back to the living room, two cups hanging from one hand and the pot in the other. It doesn't take long for him to claim the stool next to Dream, pouring them tea for them both. Dream tips his cup in thanks and takes a careful sip from under his mask.

The whole feel of this is different than what Dream would expect. His interactions with others has become skewed - he knows that, even if it was only after Pandora that he realized how badly - as he expects hostility first and tense, temporary allegiance if not. Even the people he still calls his friends are more likely to shoot an arrow at him before inviting him inside for a chat about a new recipe they're trying.

He gets that with them here. It's probably the main reason for the pulling away he's noticed himself doing with the others.

That had been a shock when he realized given he didn't want to be one of the admins who was rarely seen and only stepped in when they felt like it. But with how the others started acting, how events twisted things around all of them, how even when he tried to fix things, it failed, he's honestly seeing the appeal of staying removed from the majority of the server.

It's a lot nicer to meet up every other week with a few people and talk about a book they'd all read.

Niki yawns, barely hiding it behind her hand, "Oof. I didn't think I was that tired."

"Maybe we should start getting everything packed up," Philza suggests, clearly not making a move to start doing that.

"Oh. Um, Tubbo said he'd be visiting, um, Tommy tonight," Ranboo says, voice trailing off as they fiddle with his mug.

Dream flicks his eyes to the window, not really expecting much given it's winter and the sun had already set before their meeting ended. Only, there's a lot of grey outside of it. Grey that is blowing past the window so fast he's not even sure which way the wind is blowing.

"Are you going to be able to get through that?" he asks with a vague gesture.

They all follow his motion, silently staring out at the mass of grey.

Techno chuffs, "Yeaaaaaah, none of you are leaving in this."

Philza collapses into a pile of feathers and sprawling wings with a groan, "I guess that's why my head's been hurting."

"You're alright with us staying?" Niki asks between giggles as she rescues the pot and mug saved from flailing limbs.

"Course," Techno says. "I've got the room and this is clearly bad enough Phil isn't going to be able to find his way home. Probably 'cause of his age."

Dream watches Ranboo relax and take another sip from his mug. They'd probably been worried about being kicked out even though all of them know Techno would never do that. Probably why Niki asked in the first place if he thinks about it. If any of them are going to be kicked out, it would be Dream himself. He knows the server like the back of his hand and storms that would have others becoming lost are more annoying to travel through than anything. Given Techno's cabin isn't all that big, it would make sense for him to leave. Maybe he should suggest that. Let them have more space for the strom-

"A sleep over with all of us," Techno says as an arm lands over Dream's shoulder and pull him off the stool. "You're all helping drag out the spare blankets and pillows."

Oh. Okay.

He goes along, holding his arms out as Techno dumps blankets, pillows, and he's pretty sure a few random pieces of clothes. The others are grabbing things as well. Philza carrying out a few blankets the room Techno built specifically for him. Niki is raiding a different closet and using Ranboo to hold what she's pulling out.

"...I could put all of this in my inventory," he offers as the pile in his arms is quickly reaching a height he wouldn't be able to see over if he wasn't the admin.

"No!" Niki snaps, a strict expression on her face. "It's part of the experience to drag everything out ourselves. No cheating!"

Techno chuckles, dropping another quilt onto his arms, "You heard the boss. Think this is enough?"

"Yes," Philza says, stepping out of his room with two blankets and pillows. "We're just going to be sleeping in the living room, do you really need all those?"

"Yes," Niki and Techno say together.

Dream presses his face into the pile in front of him to hide his grin. It's cute listening to them explain the perfect amount of supplies for a sleepover, especially when it's happening during a storm. It finishes up without more added to the pile - Philza was rather insistent about if they needed more, they could make another trip. They don't need to add an injury to the situation - and Dream is sure to be careful as he walks back down the stairs.

He stands to the side as Niki and Techno both grab things and spread them out around the living room. Philza has claimed an armchair and is focused on getting his own things laid out. Ranboo is also standing to the side, but after a few minutes, he inches toward a different armchair and starts arranging a few pillows and blankets for himself.

He's not sure how he should join in. All of them seem to have a clear idea about what they're doing - Dream knows they've had sleepovers before when meetings ran long - and he doesn't want to interfere with what they are planning. So he's content standing here and holding the spare blankets for them.

At least until Techno shoves him onto the loveseat he'd claimed and taking the things he's still holding to dump on an empty chair. He blinks, watching as he and Niki keep moving things around. Firewood is added to the fire, the snacks are moved to the counter between the kitchen and living room along with the coffee pot after the last of it is split. Techno clears out the dishes as Niki is tucking the things that need it into the fridge.

Dream curls into the armrest of the love seat, attention turning to the outside. Philza and Ranboo are reading and already asleep respectively. Things are calm. Peaceful. And he wants to keep an eye out for anything that has the chance of disrupting it.

Techno joins him not long after, sprawling across the other half of it as he snags a book to read. He stares for a moment, debating with himself before carefully nudging his foot against Techno's. There's no rejection and he relaxes into the cushion.

Slowly, he hears the other two fall asleep. Their breathing evening out into that of deep sleep. Dream has a book in his lap he'll take breaks from reading to double check that nothing has changed outside. It would be strange for someone to be traveling through this storm, but he doesn't want to risk someone getting here and destroying the bubble of tranquility.

It's cold, though, and he shivers as it seeps through his blood and bones. He sighs, wishing he still had the temperature regulation he had before Pandora. He's always cold after being stuck in the obsidian and lava cell and he can't handle being next to anything that gives off heat. The cold sucks, but he's more interested in not having a flashback to Pandora than being oddly cold.

Something touches his shoulder, sudden enough he jolts before the familiarity of it registers and he follows as Techno tugs him into his side. There's more shifting as Techno lays across the loveseat then a blanket is dragged over them both. The soft fur tickles his skin as he feels a book placed on his shoulder. Techno's free arm wraps around him, laying across his waist as a comforting weight.

Dream hums - Techno is warm, but it's so different from lava or fire - and shifts to press closer. His ear rests against Techno's chest, listening to the beating heart beneath it. Their legs tangle together and his eyes drift closed.

There's no way he's going to fall asleep. He simply can't unless he's exhausted and Techno is the same, but resting like this is nice. He can relax and rest and if something does come up, he'll be ready. For now he can enjoy feeling warm pressed against Techno combined with the assurance that there's someone else watching out.

**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~**

Hope you enjoyed!

[mercymermaid]

i need to get my thoughts out there just stay with me

insane amount of sister location headcanons incoming!

the sister location animatronic cast is one massive extremely dysfunctional family

first of all, fuck ennard, this is pre michael's appearance, so he doesn't exist yet <3

ballora is the overall mother figure (i wonder fucking why) and the oldest and most calm, acting as the peacekeeper and trying to keep the rest of the cast calm enough to get shocked to help and back

baby is the little sister (mindblowing!), following ballora around like a little duckling, and is The Main Character (out of the cast, she has the most emo depression moments because she's the only one properly possessed) she's actually pretty shy and skittish at first, but opens up pretty quickly once you crack her shell

the bidybabs and minireenas have the comprehension capacity of literal toddlers, and waddle around all day, being feral creations that will follow anyone's command if they reward them with cuddles afterwards.

now. my favorite demons. the funtimes, the bons, and lolbit.

first of all, funtime foxy and funtime freddy are dating (funtime frexy for life, i can and will die on this hill), my favorite gay man ship ever. ft. foxy and lolbit are.. cousins? nobody knows what exactly they are, but they're similar enough to be directly related, so they roll with it. bonbon and bonnet have some complicated, old couple drama, and are constantly bickering, much to the annoyance and amusement of the rest of the cast. bonbon and ft. freddy are friends till the end, though, they are each other's ride or die (same with ft. foxy and lolbit)

lolbit is also the fucking psycho prankster. being a non-performing character, and having complete access to the location's networks, he has every opportunity ever to cause chaos. he likes to mess with the night guard, for one, but his favorite thing to do is to ruin ft. foxy's performances by changing the light and overall show cues completely, and instead of playing whatever music or audio that should be on, blasts rick rolls. this went on for a solid multiple months until management finally figured out the problem, and poor lolbit lost his overpowered admin access, leaving him very sad and helpless against the oncoming revenge by ft. foxy.

ballora, baby, the minireenas and bidybabs, bonnet, and ft. foxy have killer girls' nights where they give each other 'makeovers' (they're robots, there's not much they can do besides try and apply shitty makeup) and play a poor mockery of dress up with old night guard outfits, and talk trash about the night guards and the other animatronics, along with starting their Evil Plotting (i lied, that's all you get of ennard)

ft. freddy, ft. foxy, lolbit, and bonbon have the equivalent of middle school boy sleepovers on steroids. they steal workers' phones to try and record tiktoks like they've seen "the modern youth" (- lolbit) do, and cause overall destruction to the location. they just do the stupid stuff you'd think of when you hear the saying "girls live longer than men for a reason," because they're accidentally setting stoves on fire and struggling to operate the fire extinguisher, and at one point, lolbit accidentally turned every single light in the entire building into a non-stop strobe light for a solid two hours, until the system had to be restarted (thanks, handunit.)

yeah they're all deranged and silly and totally not killer machines at all thank you for coming to my ted talk

[presidentkamala]

Im straight up doomsday prepping for this next admin lmao which i know is a coping mechanism and im sure i'll look back and find it all very quaint and probably curse myself for not leaving the country while i had the chance BUT:

got my parents roof replaced

Bought a portable solar generator (expensive MERRY XMAS FAMILY)

Got some water filters and a rain barrel

Bulk ordered like 7 types of indian lentils/chickpeas. The bulk of our legumes actually comes from canada :/

Camp stove just in case

Look im not trying to do a rugged zombie survivor thing but all signs are pointing to a lack of resources should we experience any interruptions of service, natural disaster, etc. Obvi i've also gotten all our papers squared away and located birth certificates and passports, and i also liquidated some money so we have cash on-hand. This is the first time i've felt the need to prepare like this but i at least feel better now about having our immediate needs met should anything happen.

[leggerefiore]

You, Cyrus's lover, get taken to Hisui by a certain deity. Cyrus doesn't handle it the best.

cw: angst with comfort at the end, a little jokey,

pairing: Cyrus/Reader

🌌🛰☄️🌌🛰☄️🌌🛰☄️

Cyrus was mortified when you fell out of a portal atop Spear Pillar.

You had gone missing suddenly one evening after he got home from his job. Everything seemed completely normal. The television blared some late evening talk show while a soup simmered languidly on the stove. At first, he wondered if you simply stepped out to grab something from a convenience store, but your shoes were still at the entrance. He called out your name while carefully looking through the small apartment.

You were nowhere to be seen.

Calling your phone resulted in it instantly going to a voice mail. Cyrus felt alarmed. He hated that his first instinct was to call Cynthia. The blonde immediately answered, as he rarely if ever contacted her. She was just as disturbed by the situation. A call was made to the local police, yet since nothing seemed life-threatening or dangerous, they declared off the search and said to call a few days later if you had not returned still.

It was a slow form of torment on his mind.

He felt dreadfully alone in this world he already despised. With the failure of his earlier plans at the hand of a certain trainer, he had felt himself lost. You, despite how upset you were after learning what he had actually been doing, stayed by his side. It was thanks to your kindness and love that he felt somewhat able to come to terms with everything.

He still wished to create his ideal world that lacked spirit that corrupted this world to its incomplete form, but he simply lacked the means to do anything with the champion of the region now watching him like a hawk after getting him out of Interpol's cross-hairs. Cynthia clearly cared for him, too, which disturbed him greatly. Where had all these people who seemed to worry over him come from? Even his admins had joined in.

His emptiness returned as he found himself in a bland routine that blended together. The police never did search for you, and the one organised by Cynthia had turned up nothing. It was as if you just vanished into the ether while making dinner. Cyrus was easily falling into his asocial tendencies once more.

The rejection from his parent's had hurt him irreparably, but your vanishing had broken him. Nothing anyone tried could free him from the darkness that had consumed him once again. He found himself buried away in ways to continue from which his plans once failed. His previous admins and grunts would certainly join him once more, many utterly infatuated with him still.

That was when he noticed an ancient document written by one “Volo.”

It was dragged him back into his madness once more. The precipice of his new world lied at where he once failed previous.

All he needed were eighteen plates.

Which is what brought him to Spear Pillar once more; where you proceeded to be spit out of the sky to land before him.

You gazed at him, wearing clothes much different from those of the modern day, with wooden pokeballs spilling from your bag. Cyrus would admit he gasped. Your eyes met, and you were quick on your feet, shouting his name excitedly.

Then, you froze.

His old Galactic uniform adorned his body and the old plates carefully laid out around him.

You closed your eyes, obviously uncertain of how to proceed. Cyrus sighed. There was no getting around it. Suddenly, you turned your head up to the still open portal and tossed out one of your wooden pokeballs.

Cyrus stood frozen when a giant pokemon came out with a cry that could only be described as unearthly. The portal swelled and spun, and you turned your head to him.

“... Cyrus, were you planning on trying to use Arceus to finish your plans?” you asked. He solemnly nodded, at a loss for words due to everything. The portal soon brought out another person. They landed on the ground much more elegantly than you had. For a moment, he was confused before the dust settled, and he saw them.

Fear coursed through his body.

Light blue hair and a stern expression were two things he first noticed, but a sword and familiar insignia soon followed. She stood up from her knelt landing position. Her eyes landed on you before shifting to him. There was obviously a similar epiphany going on inside her head to compliment the one he was having.

“Cyllene,” your voice called out to the woman, who turned her attention back to you, “This is Cyrus, your descendant.” Both of them froze. It had occurred to him, but obviously, it seemed impossible. She stood stiffly before turning back to him. “He's trying to do what Volo did,” you continued. Her facial expression shifted from curiosity to a familiar, harsh expression.

“I see,” she said, language much more dated than how you spoke, “I had hoped that the Galaxy Team had flourished well into the modern day, and you were showing me what a wonderful future awaited me.” An ominous feeling crept over him as she walked with a trained stride. “Cyrus, was it? I had thought my subordinate strange when they claimed to be in love with my descendant,” she may have been shorter than him, but her authority rang higher than his, “Do you know the trouble I suffered through to stop the exact scenario you are trying to enact from happening?” Cyrus stood stiffly.

The plates were soon given to rest in your care.

Cyllene was returned back to the era of Hisui while Cyrus could only stand there like a child scolded by their mother.

In a way… That was what happened, you supposed. At least Cyllene gave him a hug before her departure and demanded that he follow a better path.

Cyrus would not stop looking at you in existential dread for a while after, alas.

He was happy that you had returned in the end, however. Enough to intiate a hug, even.

[imagine-knb]

The chores ask was so much fun lmaooooo. How about minor household things that grates at gom+nijimura+kagami? Like leaving food uncovered in the fridge, not putting away slippers properly, etc. Mine is people not finishing up the tiny bit of food and leaving it for other people to deal with it because you technically didn't finish it 🙄

This really got me in my domestic feels for these bois 🥴 Admin Neon

Kuroko — leaving food scraps out

not only does it sometimes result in ants invading his home, but it's also very dangerous for his dog

the one time somebody left food scraps out on the table and Nigou got to it, it had cost him a very expensive vet bill just to make sure his dog wasn't poisoned; the person at fault paid, of course

Kagami — not wiping down the stove after cooking

he prides himself in having a rather clean kitchen, so when someone (Riko) comes over and makes a complete mess of his stovetop without thinking to clean it, he's livid

it's the one place he keeps pristine and spotless and he will ban anyone from his kitchen if they don't bother cleaning up

Kise — leaving opened packages/boxes around the house

his family gets a lot of mail, as such, there's always an empty, open box lying around somewhere for him to trip over

he complains about the towers of boxes constantly, saying they should be broken down for the recycling, but really, he's the worst offender for this behavior

Aomine — leaving hair on the shower wall/drain

his mom is guilty of this, Momoi (on the rare ocassions she sleeps over) is guilty of this, and he's pretty sure all long haired people are guilty of this

he finds it so gross, especially when the hair being pulled out of the drain has stuff clinging to it

Midorima — leaving food scraps in the sink

similar to his distaste for washing dishes, he hates when people leave food scraps, fruit/vegetable peels, or really anything organic in the sink

thinks cleaning the sink trap of all the mushy food and gunk is so disgusting; he always gags

Murasakibara — leaving snacks improperly sealed

he spends a lot of money on the treats he buys, so if he's willing to share with you, he expects you to properly take care of the container if you don't finish the snack

the worst feeling in the world for him is eating from an already open bag of chips and everything is stale

Akashi — not using a coaster

a lot of the furniture in his home was originally handpicked and bought for his mother, so they hold a lot of sentimental value for him

he will absolutely give you a dirty look if you set down a wet glass on the wooden table without using a coaster

Nijimura — leaving dirty dishes in the sink all day

he's the type of person to clean his dishes immediately after he's done using them, so he hates when he sees someone else's dishes sitting there

he will refuse to do anyone else's dishes if this happens, which only makes it worse because now it's sitting there longer

[intrigd-voyagr]

admin alt route sonny coming up behind addie at the stove and wrapping his arms around them + putting his chin on their shoulder while they're making eggs for them both in the morning.............

waittt thinking about the crush phase now tho .. Addie would be acting flustered as usual, doing their trademark dorky ass slip-ups, "Oh thank you! I'm so happy I could kiss you!! ...UHM" "you look very handsome... I-IN A READY-FOR-WORK WAY" just being so damn obvious,,

without the barrier of a screen theyd get the chance to show a physical side to their crush period they weren't able to do in canon .. they'd start to become just as casual with affectionate touch as they are now, but trying to trick themselves it's because he's "just a friend." But when he reciprocates? Oh they are freaking OUT because what did he mean by this. Is he. Y'know????

already mentioned before but sonny would absolutely be waking up with a reptile crammed under his arms with increasing frequency, despite them having their own bed.

"It's cold...."

"I can turn up the heat-"

"N-NO...! Um... i-I mean. Th-this is. This is better......."

[akewanchan]

[Break My Case] Adult’s break time "A break in the evening twilight"

Translation by akewanchan. Source is mobile game Break My Case. Magazine Feature: B'sLOG February 2025

A translation for the short story series from B'sLOG for Break My Case. This short story is told from Haruhi Ichikawa's perspective, featuring the rest of Admin Dept.

"A series depicting adults taking a breather from their everyday busy lives. This time, it's about an evening at the Admin Department’s sharehouse♪ Gathered around the kotatsu, Okiya and Ichikawa each have a mandarin in their hands. One of the mandarins that was split in half, is filled with the “trust” that they have built up between them…"

“(Guess this will do.)”

Once I reached a good stopping point while working on a design commission, I stretched out my back and a small crack came from my spine, which hadn’t been moved in a while. I weakly flopped against the back of my chair, thinking how one day my bones might end up snapping from stretching, but then—

The design projected on my monitor had been dyed by a faint touch of orange. 

“(Huh, what?)”

“(Ah… it’s evening.)

Seems like my body had somehow managed to block the light while I was working. Still without lifting a finger, I glanced at the right side of my desktop and saw “16:04” being displayed. Seeing how time had gone by in a flash, and with the added combo of the sun setting early, made it feel as if I spent my day at twice the speed than usual. 

“(In the end, can’t concentrate without eating anything, huh.)”

“(Speaking of that, if there’s something that I can just pop into my mouth and swallow without tiring myself out, then that’ll do.)”

“(Gotta go to the kitchen… Sigh, hate going down the stairs.)”

I left my room taking heavy steps, feeling lightheaded on top of it. 

As I slowly went down the stairs step by step, noises that sounded like a whisk hitting a bowl could be heard coming from downstairs.

“(Ah, Taiga’s back.)”

“(...S’gonna suck real bad if I run into him now. I’ll surrender.)”

Going back up the stairs I got halfway through would be a waste of the time I had spent going down, so I really didn’t wanna do that. Even then, I preferred that waaaaay more over him getting on my case and nagging me— But as I thought that, I had met Sei’s gaze, who was standing before me. 

“Oh my. Had you also come out of your room for a breather, Haruhi?”

“Mh, yeah.”

“What a coincidence. I just so happened to have the exact same idea as you. The more you struggle with meeting a deadline, the more you end up needing to make decisions within an urgent shrinking frame of time. However, since humans are living creatures that get stressed out by decision making, one has to make the call for a necessary break from it all.”

“(Aaah, he’s totally gonna—)” 

“Huh. Sei-san and… Haruhi?”

A voice responded to Sei talking my ear off, and I threw out my plan to turn back out of the window by going downstairs. As expected, Taiga, who had been preparing dinner, looked over at me.

“Haruhi. What do you think you’re doing by leaving your lunch untouched?”

“Was just on my way to eat it now.”

“You do remember that this morning I took the trouble of going to your room to tell you about lunch, right? Geez, stay right there. I’ll whip up something real quick. Sei-san, do you want a bite?”

“I’m fine. It’s already this late, so dinner will suffice.”

“Yeah I don’t need anything either. Let's see…”

“Hm? Stove is on, so be careful when going into the kitchen— Hey, the hell are you searching for in the fridge.”

“There it is. This, I’ll just have this.”

“Ooh, frozen mandarins. In that case, how about we slip into the kotatsu and eat these. A forbidden combination that captivates everyone without a doubt… Perfect for this season, if I must say.”

"Gotcha. I’ll get one for you too, Sei.”

“Mandarins are practically a snack! …No, wait, fruits are nutritious so it should be fine? And neither would it fill you up before dinner…” 

“(Thinking how I’ll be forced to scarf down dinner… Halfsies will do.)”

“(If Taiga eats the other half, then that’ll work out perfectly.)"

Observing how Taiga was conflicted, I slipped through the kitchen gap once again holding the two mandarins that were left. But while I was doing that, I happened to see what he was making for dinner. It was probably that one omelette from before. If I’m not wrong, then I should be able to eat it.

I slipped into the kotatsu with Sei, and by the time my body had warmed up, the outside of the mandarins had softened a little. Putting in as much strength as I could, I split the mandarins with skin and all in two. 

“Uwah, thought my finger would come off for a sec.”

“I will split the other one instead.”

“Thanks.”

And then, before peeling the halved mandarin, I called out to the kitchen. 

“...Taiga, this one’s yours. If you eat it before it thaws.”

“Thanks. But there were only two of ‘em left. So don’t mind me.”

“Uh—”

“Taiga. I don’t believe rejecting his offer is a good move on your part.”

“...What do you mean?”

“A moment ago, with a sidelong glance, Haruhi saw the omelette you are making. Since it is the ever so perceptive Haruhi we’re talking about, he must have realized that it was the omelette from before, the one he could eat as is. Also, it's quite close to dinner time, don’t you think he intends to only eat half of the mandarin because of that? Accepting such kindness is once again, another form of consideration. Isn’t that right, Haruhi. You saw the omelette Taiga is making, yes?” 

“...Um, sure.”

“Eh!”

“Fufu, I said so, didn’t I?”

“...Haha, that’s how it is. Guess I’ll take the other half.”

“(Dude, I mean yeah I did see him making the omelette.)”

“(But it’s not like that’s why I wanted to split it.)”

“(... Well, as long as he takes it, the reason doesn’t matter.)”

Taiga came out of the kitchen and joined us, and all three of us ate the mandarins together.

As I was feeling comfortable from the warmth of the kotatsu, I thought of how I wouldn’t be able to get out of here anymore. 

[studiousandrogynousfox-blog]

the best laid plans...

i spent the last two days in bed so my original study plan went out the window. i'm feeling a lot better now though so i can get back to studying today. but currently the feeling of overwhelm is intense and the executive dysfunction is winning. so i'm trying to use this post to work through it and get myself back on track (i'll probably keep updating it as the day goes on)

things i need to do today:

sort lunch

sort dinner

drink plenty of tea

things i want to do today and are important to actually finish this degree:

go through the second week of the courses content

to be able to study at home i will need to:

clear off the table in the living room

all the other things that feel important and big and scary but can probably wait until tomorrow:

check my household insurance (<- although maybe i really should do this today actually)

do dishes (i will need to do some to keep myself fed though)

get my laundary from the laundary room (this bit is should probably also do today) and put it away (that can definitely wait)

do the admin stuff necessary to formally finalise the report and get the grade (this can definitely wait and also needs some more concrete steps)

get dressed (that really should go in the first list shouldn't it?)

okay that's a start, i'll now put the to dos in a more logical order and get started on it with some easy tasks first :)

edit: i think i'm going to reprioritise slightly and make sure that i get the flat in a decent enough condition that it won't hinder my studying in the next few days.

end of day update: after lunch i decided that it was more sensible to invest some time in trying to get the flat into a slightly more livable state again rather than attempt to study. because a lot of the chores felt really quite urgent. so i've actually dealt with most of the dishes so i can use the stove again. i cleared the table by mostly just shoving the stuff on it onto a shelf and noticed that there were piles of stuff on the shelf from an earlier time where i cleared the table. so that's something future me will eventually have to deal with. anyway i feel a bit more settled and like it's going to be easier to actually focus on studying tomorrow :)