#also i was so lost in the sauce that i tried to send an ask to the project sekai facts blog via. i forgot. nevermind

[coern]

girlie is eepytired and was woken up rudely from unintentional nap on the couch to do dishwasher and get ready to go out for dinner in ten minutes

[httpdwaekki]

migraine | b.c.

summary: you were known to have pretty intense migraines but chan is there to help you feel better.

wc: 1.9k

warnings: no warnings, just pure fluff, tad bit of hurt/ comfort, sweet channie as always, and in true ashton fashion far too many petnames lmao. very lightly proofread (p.s. i am in my wolfchan lover arc, need him immediately.)

a/n: omg ashton got lost in the sauce again? * gasp* shocker! yeah this took me way too long to write but whatever. i actually don't hate this which is crazy but this is self indulgent because i get some pretty intense, nasty migraines that can last a couple days and it sucks. but if you suffer from the same thing i hope this can bring you some comfort and also i recommend a gel cap that you put in the freezer. an actual game changer, trust. anyway, i hope you enjoy! remember to eat, drink water and take your meds, ily <3

*lowercase intended*

my library

(pictures are not mine! credit to owners!)

you had some pretty nasty migraines, no secret to you or chan. they last anywhere from a few hours to a few days and while there were things to help lessen the pain and pressure, sometimes you just had to ride it out.

this was unfortunately one of those times. now usually you would call chan as soon as you felt the first telltale sign of a migraine . this time however, you didn’t, you knew he was busy with work and didn’t want to interfere with that. but you were selfishly starting to regret that decision as everything you were doing did nothing to help.

it seemed like everything did nothing but increase the pressure in your head, spreading to your face. in a last ditch effort to get some sleep you put on some migraine music, pressed a cold compress to your eyes and pulled wolfchan to your chest.

the soft plushie smelled faintly of chan’s cologne, the only thing actually helping you relax. but it also made you miss the aussie man, wishing he was by your side, rubbing your temples, softly lulling you to sleep.

you didn’t even realize you were crying until you felt a warm tear drip down to your neck. you knew you had to calm down or you risk making everything worse but you couldn’t. you were overwhelmed by the pressure in your head and frustrated with nothing helping to release it.

you felt selfish and guilty but you knew you needed chan, you felt like you were going insane without him. hesitantly you moved the compress from your eyes, grabbing your phone.

despite the brightness being on the lowest possible setting, you felt a sharp pain behind your eye as the screen turned on. you unlocked your phone, clicking chan’s contact, you quickly typed out a message.

to channie <3 :

hi, i’m so sorry to ask but i really don’t know what else to do, i have a migraine and nothing's helping. i know you're working but is there anyway when you finish up at the studio you could come over? even for a little bit, if not i totally get it, just thought i’d ask, love you bug.

you hit send, locking your phone, placing it on the soft sheets, placing the compress back over your eyes. a few minutes passed before you felt your phone buzz beside you. you move the cold compress once more, bracing yourself for the light from your phone.

from channie <3:

can you call me jagi? i don’t want you to keep looking at your phone screen, love you too sweet girl.

you click his contact once more, hitting the little phone icon next to his name causing the calming music to stop, a loud ringing replacing it. this caused you to wince and quickly lower the volume before putting it on speaker so you could place the cooling pack back over your eyes.

it didn’t take long before he picked up. “hi my baby, what’s going on?” he asked softly.

“my head hurts,” you started, words slightly slurred. “it’s really bad channie.” you take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down. “i’ve tried everything and nothing’s working, i don’t know what to do.” you softly cried, tears making their way down your cheeks once more.

“okay angel okay, take a deep breath, i need you to relax for me okay? i know it hurts but it’s gonna hurt worse if you’re upset.” you hear rustling in the background.

“i’m just finishing up a few things here and then i’m gonna head over, okay sweetheart?” you respond with a soft whimper, followed by a quiet, “okay.” you press the pack further into your eyes, chasing the coolness that is quickly leaving the gel filled pack.

“do you want me to stay on the phone with you till i get there?” he asks softly, packing his bag.

“yes, please.” you mumbled. “okay baby, just keep breathing and focus on me, okay? i’m gonna pick up some food on the way too, okay?” you hummed in response, rolling over, pushing the soft plushie to your cheek, breathing in the familiar scent.

“everything okay?” you hear changbin ask in the background. “yeah, y/n has a migraine, so i’m going to help her.” chan responds.

“oh no, i hope she feels better, let us know if you guys need anything.” you hear han chime in, your heart swelling at the boys concern.

“will do, thank you, i’ll see you guys later.” you hear him open the studio door making his way into the hallway.

“you still with me, jagi?” he asks softly. “yeah, i’m here.” face squished into the soft fabric. “alright sweetheart, i’m gonna mute for a bit just until i get to my car, okay?” he asks, the elevator dings in the background, signaling its arrival.

“okay.” you say sleepily. “i love you baby, i’ll be right back.” you hear him press a button in the elevator. “love you too bub.” your words slurring slightly.

after chan muted, you felt yourself slowly succumb to the exhaustion, phone positioned next to you on the sheets, wolfchan tucked safely against your cheek, you, curled up in a soft blanket .

that is exactly how chan found you about 25 minutes later as he walked in your room, the space dimly lit by the oil diffuser sitting on your bedside table. he left the take-out bags sitting on your kitchen counter, fresh compress and cold water in hand. he gently places the water on your desk, making his way over to you.

he grabs your phone, ending the call before turning off the relaxing music. he sits next to your sleeping form, gently taking the warm pack off your face. he places a kiss on your forehead before placing the fresh compress on your eyes.

you tense for a moment, before relaxing as the cold begins to relieve the tension once more. you stir awake from the sudden change in temperature. “channie?” you asked, sleep laced in your voice.

he places a hand on your hips, his thumb rubbing soothing circles to the area. “hi, my baby,” he whispers. “how are you feeling hm?” he asks, continuing the soothing motion. you move the cool pack, grabbing his free hand, in this lap, threading your fingers together before placing a kiss on the back of his.

“better now that you’re here.” you murmured, giving him a small smile. he smiled back before leaning down and placing a kiss on your forehead.

“i got you some ramen, i’m gonna go grab it for you okay?” you nodded, him standing, still keeping your hand in his. he leans down to press a soft kiss to your forehead before placing the compress back over your eyes, grabbing the warm one to put back in the freezer .

he gives your hand a light squeeze before walking away. you relax into the soft mattress below you while chan goes to grab the hot soup and some medicine just in case.

he walks in with the tray, setting it on your desk next to the cold water collecting condensation on the wood below it. he makes his way over to you, sitting next to you once again, gently lifting the pack off your eyes. “there she is,” he placed a hand on your cheek, setting the compress next to you.

“hi baby.” he smiled, softly stroking your cheek. you give him a small smile back before turning your head slightly to place a kiss to his palm. “can you sit up for me please?” you nod softly before slowly moving to lean against the wall behind you.

“careful jagi.” he whispered, quickly placing a hand behind your head. “thank you, bug.” you mumble, adjusting the pillows behind you, placing wolfchan in your lap . chan stands up once more, placing the water on the tray before bringing it over to you.

“thank you, chan, you really didn’t have to do all this.” you say, guilt creeping up on you once again. he shakes his head. “nope, none of that. i’m your boyfriend, this is my job.” he places the tray on your lap, taking his place next to you once again.

“plus, i love taking care of you. if you need me, i’m there. any time, any place, simple as that.” your heart swells, you feel a lump form in the back of your throat. “you can’t say stuff like that when i’m like this, i’ll cry.” you play with the plushie’s ears before feeling a finger lift your chin.

“i love you, and i’ll always be here for you, no matter where either of us are, okay?” he said, looking into your eyes, with nothing but love and sincerity. you nod, “i love you too.” he smilled, carefully leaning over to place a kiss on your forehead.

“now, you need to eat, i got your favorite.” he says, picking up the hot soup, opening the lid, before separating the chopsticks. he dips the wooden sticks in the soup, giving it a stir before grabbing some of the noodles.

he gently blows on the steaming noodles before offering it to you, container under it to catch any dripping soup. you giggle, “you know i can feed myself right?” he frowns, pushing the noodles and container closer to you. “eat.”

you smile before opening your mouth, accepting the food he so generously offered you. a smile made it’s way onto his face, feeding you a few more bites. he placed the container back down, chopsticks resting in the soup, before grabbing the medicine and water.

“take these.” he placed them in your hand, opening the water as you dropped the pills in your mouth. he hands you the water, watching as you greedly gulp down the cool beverage. “ how are you feeling, angel?” he asks gently.

“it still hurts but i think eating and drinking definitely helped.” you smiled, handing him the bottle. “ good, i’m glad. eat a few more bites then we’ll lay down, okay?” he says, picking up the soup once more.

you end up finishing the ramen before he grabs the tray and the now warm compress. “do you want a cold one?” he asks holding up the pack.

“yes please.” you nod slightly. “okay, get comfy, i’ll be right back jagi.” you smile laying back down as he leaves the room.

he comes back, shortly after, with a fresh compress and another bottle of water. he places the water next to your diffuser, placing the compress over your eyes. he circles the bed, climbing under the covers.

he lays down, pulling you into him, placing your head on his chest. you place your arm around his wait, hand slipping under his shirt, rubbing your thumb across his soft skin.

he brings his hand up, rubbing soft circles on your temples, placing kiss on the top of your head. “sleep jagi, we can shower when you wake up okay?’ you nod slightly against him.

“thank you, channie. i love you, more than you know.” you mumble, tightening your arms around him. “i love you too baby, i’ll always take care of you, okay?” placing one last kiss to your hair.

that’s how you stayed for the rest of the night, wrapped up in each other’s arms. the pressure in your head, slowly releasing, finally able to relax.

reblogs/feedback are appreciated! i hope you guys enjoyed!

do no repost

[hederasgarden]

no thoughts just Six with a breeding kink.

i think a part of him is scared because he doesn’t think he’d be a good dad but i also think he simply can’t help himself

You guys are coming for me tonight with these asks and I love it.

Warning for lots of pregnancy talk, breeding kink, and everything in between. We also have a little angsty chit chat before getting to the good stuff. 

I agree Six has a breeding kink but I also think he's deeply conflicted about it. He may not see himself as a bad person but he did spend most of his adult life doing the CIA's dirty work. Because of that, when it comes to the reader and any children they may have together, he probably feels like he's tainting them in some way. He would always be worried about the possibility of his past catching up to him and putting his family in danger. 

Then there are his complex feelings and concerns about whether or not he'd be a good dad. His only example growing up was an abuser. I suspect and hope that in this AU - if Fitz is alive - Six would draw a lot on that relationship when it comes to being a parent (which isn't exactly healthy either). I have a LOT of thoughts on this topic, especially if he ever had a son instead of a daughter, because you know he'd be terrified of repeating the cycle of violence he grew up with. 

Anyway, angsty thoughts aside, let's dive into some horny ones. That is, after all, why everyone is here, right?

Prepare yourself for lots of questionable thoughts below. 18+ only. Minors DNI.

Six is an observant man and picks up on everything, so he definitely knows your cycle. Probably even better than you do, and although he’d never admit it, he finds himself wanting you even more during your fertile window. 

He also thinks about getting you pregnant more than he cares to acknowledge. Sometimes, he finds himself fantasizing about how your belly would look all swollen and round with his child. He especially likes to think about how that means everyone would know he did that to you. It’s a visible signal that you’re his, and speaks to that deep-rooted, primal part of himself he tries to ignore.

When it comes to fucking you, he loves having you on your back, laid out under him, so he can see absolutely everything. When he's about to come, he'll grab the back of your thighs and shove himself as deep inside as he can. Afterwards, he likes to lay his body over yours and have you cockwarm him to make sure his cum is inside you as long as possible. He definitely enjoys watching it leak out of you too, but he always pushes it back inside with his fingers. 

I don't see him as a big dirty talker outside of an errant, "Let me fill you up," or "I got what you need," if he was really lost in the sauce. He would certainly talk you through sex in general with lots of things like, "That good, sweetheart? Yeah? You like that? I got you. Mmmm let me hear you..." etc.

Once he does manage to knock you up and comes to terms with everything, he is even more obsessed with having you 24/7 – especially when you're further along. He loves to take you on your side, thrusting into you slowly while he cradles your belly. Having you on your hands and knees would be another favorite of his because he can press his chest to your back and get nice and deep. He loves stroking your stomach and letting his fingers drag down to where he disappears inside you.

Unlike before, sex when you’re pregnant isn’t something desperate and hurried. It’s a slow affair. Six wants to savor and draw it out. 

Thanks for sending in the ask, anon! And a big thank you to @ryebecca and @gettingvetted for looking this over! Also, thank you @elusivewildflower for letting me scream in your DMs about this.

[radiant-cowgirl]

i saw a bunch of other people doing this so

random redacted headcanons!

- vincent can’t handle spicy food very well, even post-turning

- ivan hates fishing

- david loves egg salad sandwiches with hot sauce (it’s his favorite comfort food)

- caelum has never had cotton candy and freelancer is pretty sure if he ever did, he would implode

- gavin doesn’t like snow

- lasko on the other hand LOVES spicy food and testing his tolerance to certain things

- damien doesn’t drink coffee or tea or energy drinks, this man is just out here raw-dogging life

- kody still tries to look at all the damn crew’s socials, even though they all have him blocked

- huxley (opposite of damien) gets his caffeine anyway he can but his favorite are the caffeine pouches (similar to zyns (these are also my favorite))

- asher loves watching mma fights and tries (gently) to recreate the moves on babe (“i could have dropped you just then! you gotta keep your guard up!”)

- james “i’m exploding you with my mind” redacted

- marcus begged his mom for a mohawk in middle school but he didn’t have the right texture hair for it and she refused to buy him all the hair gel necessary to make it a real mohawk so they just had to shave his head (kids thought he had lice)

- anton loves sending and receiving physical mail. he knows it’s impractical in comparison to texting or calling, but he loves it

- ollie has a favorite blanket, pillow, and set of sheets. he’s very particular about his bedtime routine

- elliot however could drop anywhere at anytime. and that’s nothing to do with him being a dreamwalker. he’s just a fantastic sleeper

- brachium has never had candy, but he’s curious about it

- avior really really likes classical music and it’s brought him to tears multiple times (especially jupiter comp. by gustav holst iykyk)

- milo holds the door open for everyone whenever he can. sweetheart once thought he was following them for like fifteen minutes but he was still stuck at the door

- cam loves fresh produce and is a frequenter of any local farmers market

- blake had a phase in middle school and early high school where he was super patriotic and right-wing leaning and he hates when people bring it up

- aaron actually knows most of the shaw pack boys. he tried to hire them for an event before realizing they were an empowered company. david thought he knew

- sam showed pigs and sheep when he was younger. he kinda misses it but he doesn’t have the room for livestock anymore

- vega in all his years of existing both in aria and on earth has never been truly hugged

- before falling, regulus lived on earth with his charge. they had two cats

- xavier used to travel ridiculous amounts of miles to go to food festivals around the country. he took the team with him once or twice

- geordi never deleted any pictures of him and cutie. he’s still hopeful that things will work out and he doesn’t want to get rid of older memories with them

- guy was friends with a lot of the unempowered boys in school, but lost touch with them in college

- morgan is very into hair-care. his shower looks like an apothecary shop full of mystery vials and oils. he knows what everything is and how to use it though.

- porter loves classic literature and translating latin to english. it’s one of the few hobbies he allows himself to have

- hush once traipsed into doc’s apartment, mud up to his knees and all over his face and hands, holding a bull frog. he only came to ask what it was.

[ilyasorokinn]

hi friend!! I was wondering if I could ask for a blurb with pyotr kochetkov, and something that has to do with meeting him at like a grocery store and helping him find some things? Like maybe you know Russian as well and see him struggling to find something? tysm and I can't wait to see how this turns out :)

SHOPPING BUDDY

i'm so excited to write this and i'm sorry this took like a year lmao. so, i'm gonna do something different and put the words i would normally translate from english to russian in italics. like, if a word is italicized, it would be in russian. i just want to try something new. also, requests are closed, so please don't send anything in!

you didn't like grocery shopping very much.

you knew what you needed, but having to walk all around a giant store to grab all the items you needed never was appealing to you.

you had your earbuds in as you blasted music, pushing your cart through the aisle, wanting to get what you needed and get out as quickly as possible.

as you turned down the pasta aisle, you almost bumped into a rather tall guy who looked confused. he flashed you a smile, before turning back to the sauce bottles in his hands, his brows furrowing together in confusion.

"do you need help?" he looked at you and you could tell he didn't understand what you were saying, "help?" you tried, "all right, this isn't going to be easy if we don't speak the same language." he still looked lost.

"all right, let's see." you took a breath, "my name's y/n, what's yours?"

he seemed to understand name, "pyotr."

"pyotr? that sounds russian." you commented, and he perked up, "are you russian?" you asked, smiling at the shocked look on his face.

"yes." he nodded.

"wow that was easy." you chuckled, "what do you need help with?"

"do you know what this tastes like?" he held up a bottle of dressing.

"well..." you looked at it, "it's garlicy and kind of tangy." you did your best.

"do you like it?"

"not really." you shook your head, which made him immediately put it back, "but that doesn't mean you won't." you cut in.

"i trust you." he smiled. you then went through the rest of the grocery store with him, suggesting things you liked and things you thought he might, and by the end, his cart was filled with american snacks.

you walked outside together after having paid, pyotr even offering to pay for you but you declining, "well, i hope i helped you today." you smiled as you parked your cart next to your car.

"you did. thank you, i appreciate it." he smiled.

"i'm glad." you nodded.

"could i get your number?" you raised a brow, "in case i ever need help again." he quickly added.

"right, just in case." you nodded, smiling, "sure." after exchanging numbers, you handed his phone back to him, "well, i'll see you around, pyotr."

"yeah, soon." he smiled, pushing his cart in the direction of his own car.

again, requests are closed :)

[decks-writing-blog]

Whatever the Fuck Benrey is: Chapter Eleven: Don't be Weird

Chapter One

Previous Chapter

[A/N] I've finished writing this fic, yay! It's 23 chapters and an epilogue. I have no idea how it ended up being that long but I had fun with it. Also, heads up, I got even more lost in the angst sauce towards the end. How bad it gets, I'm not a great person to ask because my perspective on such things is skewed (I read and write super heavy stuff fairly often and it's pretty light compared to some of that but certainly heavier than where this fic is now). If I remember, I'll put a proper content warning at the top of chapter that has the worst of it. Despite that, this fic remains, technically the funniest fic I've ever written solely because it contains the most funny moments (the rest of my funny stuff is short drabbles and one shots) so that's cool.

~

Behind every door was a dead end. Sometimes just cold concrete, other times the walls were made of rotting flesh. It twitched and burbled as something started to rise out of it. Gordon slammed the door and continued on. Overhead the light before him flickered on while the light behind went out with a small pop as the bulb shattered.

Gordon’s friends… traveling companions had gone on ahead while he’d slept. He was weak like that so they’d left him. Surely he would catch up soon. They’d be behind one of the doors or further down the hall. Keep going and he’d find them.

The next door hid behind it a blank room with a health station at the far end. A flickering light shined down on it from an unseen ceiling. He walked towards it, the door closing behind him with a bang. It was locked, leaving him no choice but to continue forward.

A few steps away from the health station, the unseen light bulb burst with a flash and a loud pop, sending shards of glass raining down around him. Darkness rushed in, engulfing him in its thick oily presence. Hands came with it, grasping him, beating him, pulling him down to floor. Whatever they belonged to was dead and rotting; the stench of it filled his nose and mouth, choking him, suffocating him.

Struggle was futile. He tried anyway as he was pulled down and down until until he was partially submerged into the cold concrete floor itself. A hand, its flesh partially sloughing off its bones, grabbed his wrist, yanking it out. He screamed and struggled harder. No one cared. Why would they? He didn’t even have the HEV suit this time, making it all the easier for the saw to…

“Wakey-wakey.” One of the hands was on his shoulder, slightly shaking him. “Time to rise and shine.”

Gordon jerked away, snapping his gun hand up. The instant before he squeezed his ‘hand’ to fire though he stopped. Even in the darkness without his glasses, the sharp yellow of Benrey’s new eyes marked the figure looking down at Gordon as him.

“Yo, you said to wake you if you looked like you was having a bad dream so… I did.”

Gordon’s heart hammered in his chest as he panted for breath. His arm was still tense, moments away from firing the gun. He needed to calm down and relax. Gunshots in the middle of the night would call attention they really didn’t need on them right now. Trying to take a deep breath didn’t work though. The air was still thick and heavy and oh gosh, he was gonna…

Benrey sang a familiar pretty tone, snapping Gordon’s eyes back onto him. Soft blue light rode the sound. Aimed directly at Gordon’s face, he breathed it in, flooding his mouth with the sweet taste of blue raspberry, erasing any lingering trace of rot from his dream. His whole body shuddered a little as the tension was forced out of it, leaving him able to catch his breath finally.

“Thanks,” he said, rolling more onto his back as the sound ended. “How does uh… how does your sweet voice work exactly? If that’s okay to ask.”

“I don’t know. They gave it to me as an experiment, never really bothered to explain anything ‘bout it and I don’t really care.”

Gordon could ask for more information, wanted to but… he didn’t want to bring up a potentially painful subject. Instead he sat up and looked towards the clock. … It was too blurry for him to read. “What time is it?”

Benrey turned his head to look too. “Uh… 3:36am.”

Damn, way too early. He’d barely slept at all. Maybe he’d have more luck if he waited until sunrise to try for another nap. In the meantime… “Well, I tried sleeping so uh… wanna play something?”

“Nah, bro, you need sleep. Coomer says you’re supposed to sleep uh…” Benrey paused as he pulled out his phone, presumably to check his texts, “seven to eight hours and it’s not even been half that so… not enough.”

“So you went to Dr. Coomer for info, huh?” Since when had Benrey cared enough to even think about such things, let alone go to the trouble of learning more?

“Yeah. Apparently you can die if you don’t sleep enough. And uh… for you, you said that’d be permanent which would be a bummer.”

“Ah, okay, I get it. You can’t have me die until after I buy you that Play Station 3 I promised, right?” And he seemed to largely be a social gamer so he liked having Gordon around to play with since they seemed to be into a lot of the same types of games. So it was most likely more a matter of Benrey being concerned about possibly losing entertainment opportunities than actually caring much about Gordon’s health or well-being.

The look Benrey gave him was utterly unreadable without his glasses and the only light in the room coming through the crack leading to the hall, but it was certainly some kind of look. “Just uh… go back to sleep, bro.”

Gordon scoffed as he slid over to grab his glasses and put them on before standing. “Nah, can’t after that. I’m too uh… wound up. But don’t worry ‘bout me dying of sleep deprivation, ‘kay? That takes a lot of not sleeping… though I guess accidents related to sleep deprivation are fairly common. I’ll be careful and won’t drive or whatever tomorrow until I’ve had another nap or something.”

Benrey was silent, his gaze heavy on Gordon as he stretched and paced a little, trying to work out the last of the post nightmare jitters. The blue sweet voice had helped a lot, it was amazing. It didn’t erase the memory of the dream though and did nothing to ease the bone-deep exhaustion that seemed more and more like it might become just a normal part of Gordon’s life now.

He wasn’t alone though. Benrey wasn’t just a voice on the phone this time but physically here with him, making his presence all the better. Their friendship could work like this. Gordon used him to calm down after nightmares and for company and Benrey used him for entertainment and video games. Maybe not the fairest exchange in the world but when one didn’t have many friends, one should take what they could get. Bubby had betrayed him, Dr. Coomer had tried to kill him once too, and heck, even Tommy hadn’t exactly tried to help him after he’d been jumped. So Gordon was no stranger to being desperate for companionship to the point of being willing to overlook things others would likely end friendships over.

The darkness, not being conducive to one contemplating staying up the rest of the night until sunrise, Gordon made his way over to the light switch. Before he hit it though…

“What if… what if I help you fall back asleep?”

Gordon turned to face Benrey, still standing next to the bed. With his glasses on now it was obvious that his eyes were glowing ever so slightly. Some kind of night vision thing or something he was doing because he thought it cool or whatever? But more curious than that was his offer. “What do you mean?”

Benrey didn’t reply, just kept looking at him.

“You got a sweet voice that can put people sleep? Or maybe just more of the blue might help but…” Even if being too keyed up to relax was the main thing making sleep feel far away despite his exhaustion, the fear of descending right back into that dream made him reluctant to try.

“Nah, in the Black Mesa facility, the uh… the first night you spent back there when I was there too, when I went to your room I was just gonna lie next to you for a bit. But you were all tense and mumbling and stuff, having a nightmare. I was gonna wake you but then you just kinda… grabbed me and hugged me. You’re warm, it was nice and you relaxed so… I stayed. Didn’t seem to have a bad dream after that so maybe uh… we could try that.”

Oh. Gordon vaguely remembered having woken with the vague sense of having had a nightmare but it was so gone form his mind by now that’s all he recalled. Not at all like the vivid dreams he’d been having. Perhaps nightmares that centered or at least heavily featured being alone were a bit harder to have when holding someone and being held. “You’re offering to cuddle me back to sleep?”

“Mm-hmm. It was nice and it’s kinda cold. Just don’t be weird about it.”

Gordon almost laughed. Normally it was Benrey making things weird. But well, he was tired and he’d had the thought of cuddling before going to bed before dismissing it as stupid. It was kind of cold in here though so if Benrey wanted to do it to warm up in addition to helping make sure his ticket to getting a PS3 didn’t die of a sleep deprivation related accident before fulfilling that promise, who was he to say ‘no’? So… “Uh… I guess it’s maybe worth a try. Just… don’t make it weird or tell anyone. Tommy probably wouldn’t care but we’d never hear the end of it from Bubby and Dr. Coomer would probably have a thing or two to say about it too.”

“Got it. It’ll be our little secret.”

“Yeah, our little secret. Go uh… get ready for bed, I guess, like put on pajamas and… whatever else it is you need to do.”

Benrey turned and headed for the closet to pull out the sleep wear Gordon had bought him under the assumption he slept like a normal person. He didn’t take it to the bathroom but started undressing right there. Gordon turned away; Benrey might not care about privacy but he did. He returned to the bed and took off his glasses again, placing them back on the nightstand. Getting himself to settle down and lie on the bed again took a bit of hyping himself up but he got there eventually.

By the time he did, Benrey was ready to join him. This already being awkward enough, he did so without either of them saying anything. Unsure how to proceed, Gordon let Benrey initiate the cuddling. Which he did hesitantly at first before pressing into Gordon’s chest, seemingly losing all his shyness over it the moment they made made physical contact.

He wasn’t just not warm but actually a little cold. It was slightly unpleasant but as they settled into each other, he was also soft. Both of them wearing thinner, looser clothing meant a bit more skin contact too. He seemed to have that ‘surface of slime’ feel to all of him, perhaps attributable to his shape shifting. Maybe his true form was a slime monster? Would that be cool or gross? … A little of both. Mostly the former though because slime monsters could be pretty neat sometimes and if that’s what Benrey was, he certainly counted as pretty neat. That being said though…

“This is kinda awkward.” Gordon didn’t entirely hate it though. If nothing else, it was a very good distraction from bad dreams and bad thoughts.

“Yeah, kinda.”

Silence resumed after that as they shifted and got more comfortable. Much like a pillow, Benrey lost his coldness over time, making him just soft in Gordon’s arms again. And then, not long after noticing that, Benrey started purring. Rather weakly but it was still unmistakable in the silence and with how close they were.

“Oh, okay.” After how he’d reacted to Gordon bringing it up, he hadn’t expected Benrey would let him hear him purr ever again. “You’re asleep or…” was he actually choosing to do it this time?

“I told you not to make it weird.” His purring stuttered a little but he kept doing it, his voice rumbling with it. “You said it was soothing… helped you fall back asleep or whatever.”

“Sorry. It… it’s nice, lovely even.” Comforting especially as it strengthened, becoming a deep pleasant rumble that Gordon could feel in Benrey’s chest. “Thanks.”

“Shut up and go to sleep.”

Gordon’s choice on that matter was rather quickly dwindling. Being a bit awkward didn’t make it not also nice. He was comfortable and comforted. How could he possibly have a bad dream, let alone a full blown nightmare, with Benrey soft in his arms and purring so wonderfully?

~

Next Chapter

[miatsai]

Hi there 🥹 I'm fresh from binging Bitter Medicine and I'm a little feral over it. Too lost in the sauce to say anything but vage !!s and such, and I'm too eager to stalk out these answers if they exist already (I have tried a little) but do you have any plans on exploring any more of that story? One of my favorite parts of the book is how much is withheld from the narrative, but man, would I love to just live in that world more. Both in terms of the characters and story, but also the systems and world at large?? It's all so imaginative and beautiful and I !!!!!

I would also love to learn where this story came from? What inspirations led to it? I guess, really, I'm just interested in anything you have to say, or have said, if that's easily accessible too 👉👈

But if not, just thank you for writing such an amazing story 💕

Thank you so much! There's definitely a whole system at Roland & Riddle but explaining it would have been detrimental to the flow of the story, so it got left out.

The Book of Tony is the second book in the series, but unfortunately, I haven't been serious about writing it. I do know how it ends and what happens in it, but at this point in time, there are no plans to finish a draft. After Tony, there's a tentative Luc & Elle 2.

There are a whole bunch of interviews online about Bitter Medicine, some of which I'll link here (a couple deal with the origin of the story):

Paul Semel interview: https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-interview-bitter-medicine-author-mia-tsai/

Reading (As)(I)an (Am)erica: https://readingasiam.blog/2023/05/14/author-interview-mia-tsai/

Before We Go: https://beforewegoblog.com/an-interview-with-mia-tsai/

Bookish Brews: https://bookishbrews.com/fantasy-worldbuilding-with-mia-tsai/

For Book of Tony excerpts, check these two mailing letters:

https://buttondown.com/miatsai/archive/liner-notes-8-updates-and-a-book-of-tony-excerpt/

https://buttondown.com/miatsai/archive/liner-notes-12-birthday-edition-6323/ (this omake has been posted on tumblr already)

I'm always happy to answer questions about the work as well, so feel free to send more asks if that's what you'd like to do!

[mountainashfae]

for the KC ask game (either one of the twins) - 2, 5 (besides each other :P ), 26

Ooh this is fun, thanks for sending! I think it'd be fun to answer for both :3c

Aurien

2. How do they feel about Areelu Vorlesh?

Aurien never had much interaction with Areelu before the events of Wrath. She had visited Mab a few times during the period when Aurien was planning their escape south, but ultimately they avoided her. To them, she was some conspirator of their mother's.

After becoming the Knight-Commander and having to come in contact with her, they have decided that she is despicable for involving Orion in her plans and not very perceptive to boot. It wasn't until they were in the Abyss that she realized she had the wrong twin, and only because they told her.

She is no better than their mother, and they will have no pity or affection for her.

5. Do they have a family? If so, what kind? Do they miss them? Do they still have hope to see them again?

Both twins lost their parents, and their entire village, in an avalanche when they were very young. Mab 'rescued' them and from that point was the only family they had.

Aurien, however, managed to adopt a couple of children over the years. One is Arwen, a young elf who appeared out of nowhere when they were traveling in Varisia and disappeared just as suddenly. The other is Vio, the aasimar made in Sarenrae's image who eventually became the King of the Stolen Lands. They would love to see them again, but they have no idea what became of Arwen and the reunion with Vio is well. Not good!

26. Did they separate from any companions? Why? (Consider killing a companion too for this question)

Surprisingly, they haven't separated from any companions (unless you count never recruiting Lann). Despite everything, Regill never tried to leave. Wenduag came the closest when she betrayed them, but she is only still around for the sake of the other neathers.

Orion

2. How do they feel about Areelu Vorlesh?

Unlike Aurien, Orion was much more present during Areelu's visits. She promised that she could grant them power, which is what both Mab and Orion wanted for them. They were to become a god, after all.

They are less fond, of course, of the revelation that her methods included combining their soul with another's and would possibly cause them to die. Who is she to mar their perfection like this?

She is a sort of step-mother figure, though one divorced from the family. She may claim motherhood over Orion, but they will never accept it from her. They won't turn down the power though.

5. Do they have a family? If so, what kind? Do they miss them? Do they still have hope to see them again?

To them, Aurien and Mab are their only family. They do not remember their parents before the avalanche. No one else matters. They have no interest in their niece or nephew. It's sad, really.

26. Did they separate from any companions? Why? (Consider killing a companion too for this question)

So this question is gonna be a bit tough because I haven't actually played them in Wrath, just figured out about what their storyline would be and I will hammer down the details as we go.

For certain they will lose Camellia. Not for her crimes, but because she chose to leave after Orion continued down the path of the aeon mythic. They got along beautifully before they got too deep in the god sauce.

If Wenduag betrays them, I can make no promises that she will continue to serve. A shame, they enjoyed her subservience. The same goes for Greybor, they are just as likely to feel offended at the idea of having to pay him further. For very fucked up reasons I can see Daeran also not making it. It could swing either way.

[ WotR Knight-Commander Asks ]

[hopepaigeturner]

🎄 Day 11: Date Night Box--Benophie

Set (as with Day 1 snippet) in 911 inspired fic I might do in the distant future.

OR

Benedict and Sophie have been finding COVID hard--what clever ideas do they think of to keep the love burning?

*~*~*~*~*~*

Benedict pressed the ‘join meeting’ button and Sophie popped up on the screen.

“Oh wow.”

“I thought you would appreciate it.”

Sophie spun around, the silver of her jumpsuit catching the light—just as it had done on their first date.

“Date night attire, for my favourite man,” she sat down, scooping her hair over one shoulder so that the tips rested against the very deep v-neckline.

“I think that jumpsuit was the singular reason I lost to you so many times at pool that night.”

“Oh really?”

“That or the conversation—can’t quite decide.”

“Good save Bridgerton.”

Benedict shrugged with a grin.

“Bridgerton charm.”

“Don’t I know it. Your turn.”

“Your favourite jumper of mine,” he pointed to the azure jumper that Sophie always said brought out the blue in his eyes, “shirt and proper black trousers.”

"Where are your glasses."

"I had contacts in due to a meeting today with the team."

"Pity. You know I did not think I could be more attracted to you after that first night of mindblowing--"

"Conversation?"

Sophie waggled her eyebrows.

"Indeed. But then you got out of bed and put glasses on. And boy..." she whistled low, "I was gone for you." Benedict chuckled. Sophie always tried to make him feel comfortable in glasses. “By the way, I love the socks,” she continued, picking up on his sicks that had Tom Bombadil on them.

“Why thank you—I could lie and say they were Greg’s but what the hell.”

“Atleast your socks match,” Sophie swung her feet up to show one pink fuzzy sock and another orange one.

“You need a pop of colour in an outfit like that.”

Sophie laughed and Benedict felt the final fizzles of stress release from him. Honestly, lockdown with five other siblings had its highlights, but it had forced Benedict even deeper into the mediator role he had inhabited post their father’s death.

“Did you get the package?” Sophie asked.

With a grin Benedict grabbed the cardboard box and went to shake it, “Wait—no!” Sophie cried. Benedict halted. “It’s a little delicate.”

“Alright, very mysterious…can I open it?”

“Well, duh, it is a date night box for a reason,” she chimed although he noticed that she was fiddling with her mother’s necklace.

These had been Sophie idea. A month into lockdown and after various phone and zoom calls ranging from giggly to steamy, Sophie had suggested having proper date nights. Each month they would take it in turn to prepare a little box of stuff for them to do, they would keep half the content for themselves and send the rest to the other. Then they would enact the date.

Sophie had started with a movie night box, which included tv-bingo for the shows they were binging (Downtown Abbey and Game of Thrones) as well as bizarre flavours of popcorn. Benedict then sent a challenge box that included ‘truth-or-dare’ jenga. Not only did this uncover the quirkier parts about each other, but also made his family and her friends experience a night they would never forget. One highlight? Sophie walking into her kitchen, while Kate and Anthony ate Chinese, opening the cupboard and downing hot sauce, putting the bottle back, quipping, then returning to Benedict without so much a curse.

This month was Sophie’s turn and the box had arrived last night. Thankfully he had beaten Hyacinth to it, as she normally snaffled up anything from that address just in case Anthony had sent her another letter.

When lockdown had been announced, Benedict had sat across from his mother and Anthony as the former indiscreetly hinted at who she wished to stay with her to catch up on ‘lost time’.  Benedict had taken one look at Antony’s terrified eyes and volunteered himself. To make ‘amends’ Anthony sent letters or little parcels—and always prioritised family game nights on zoom.

“Go on then—open it!” Sophie cried and Benedict scoured it open and peered inside. He grinned and lifted out the items; a couple varieties of fudge, a set of little paintbrushes, clay paints and some unglazed items—a mug and a fire truck.

Benedict looked up and found Sophie holding her own unglazed mug and a car—a rough imitation of her roadster.

“I know it’s a little bit mellow, but you sounded really stressed on the phone on Wednesday and I thought this might be nice to do while we vent.” The Wednesday in question had included a Hyacinth strop, Eloise finally snapping at Francesca’s piano playing, and the news that Colin had caught COVID in Bali. “I mean..if we don’t like it we could always do something else—”

“I love it,” he stated with a proper smile for the first time that day—the smile reserved for those he did not need to perform for. “I love you.”

Sophie blushed.

“Well, good, because I need you to teach me how to paint.”

“Sophie, you know how to paint.”

“Yeah, but I’m live-online with an artist right now—people pay money for an opportunity like this.”

Benedict laughed and his eyes wandered to Sophie who continued to babble while debating paint colours.

And as always, his heart settled. And as always, he thought.

We can get through anything.

*~*~*~*~*

I know, I know, not my best work for my favourite couple but I hoped you enjoyed it anyway!

[latenightsearlymorns]

Idiots, every single one of them.

Idiots, every single one of them.

Pitter, patter, pitter, patter. 

They could all have what they want, if they only knew. Just how close they are.

Just a few more steps, to the right. To the riiight…

“Hmmmmnph” I groan. The attendee notices and walks over towards me. 

No, the other way stupid! I flutter my eyes, trying to show him the way. I even gesture with my hand. What more does he want me to do?

“Hmmmmnph!”

“What’s up, Jace? Wanted me to come say hi?” The attendee smiles. ‘Shit. Maybe I got too excited.’ He should have kept walking to grab his coffee. Then he would have passed by the waiting room on the way to the break room, and he would have seen the local game playing on tv, which would have reminded him to place his bet on time. There, he could have won $200, easily, and I know he was low on his rent. ‘It was a sure thing.’

“They feed you yet buddy?” The attendee smooths my hair. “You look a little moody.” Concern spreads across his face. 

I smile, put my hand on his shoulder and give him my blessing. Dwayne, the attendee, loves it.

“Big smiles! I thought you were mad there for a sec’, buddy. Did they forget to give you your sauce? Hey, Charyl?”

“What’s up?” Charyl has an attitude today. I love it.

“Have we not given him his sauce yet?” Dwayne asks.

“It’s not time for his applesauce.”

Those fools. 

“It’s past 10:30.”

“He usually doesn’t have his sauce until lunchtime.“

My applesauce time is at a quarter ‘till 3, with my afternoon meds.

“His applesauce time is at a quarter ‘till 3, with his afternoon meds,” says Katie.

Ah. There is still hope. It’s a shame. They just don't know.

They don’t know I can see them; spare moments imposed over reality. The choices brooding over a person, and the possible consequences that come with that decision. Most of them really don’t affect your day, hardly, but how many decisions do you make in a minute? A second? I can see all of them. 

Flittering, like frames in a movie. 

Trouble is, I can’t tell ya. You wouldn’t understand. The words are lost in the process, like most of my motor function. Also, my attention.

You all mean very little to me, truly. You never listen anyways. Having said that, I’ve taken a liking to some of these nice people. 

I tried, for instance, to tell Gary not to go snorkeling. I already knew it was a bad idea, and then I saw him walk in with neon green goggles and the vision hit me. I tried getting his attention, but he thought I just really liked his goggles. Dead within 48 hours. What a shame too, I did like his goggles.

No, I can’t read your mind… I think? But I have plenty of time to study you. What you say, who you’re involved with. It’s surprising what you talk about when you think no one else is listening. Again, I don’t really care. Just please, put my show back on. Arthur’s not paying attention, he’s playing with his tablet. He’s gonna lose that game… He’s gonna be grumpy the rest of the day. Until dinner, of course. 

I don’t have time to feel bad because you can’t take a hint. It doesn’t mean I’m not invested though.

I just about made the orderly shit her pants after she debated sending that risky text. I had already seen the wedding gown she was gonna wear, all she had to do was go for it. ‘Yeah, I love Korean BBQ. What time?’  I saw it on her screen. Wedding confirmed. I yelled so hard she dropped her phone, spiderweb cracks forming across the screen, shattering it; along with any chance of a June wedding anytime soon. What a night. Good. Guy was a scrub anyway.

I’m conflicted though. I don’t understand why, but there is a future that hasn’t been made clear yet. It’s slowly coming into focus, which is odd. Most of my visions are fierce. No one knows I’m having them. I can’t share them, so they are only mine. 

I can’t get past Thursday the 17th.

It’s taken a while to notice. At first, it was just… cloudy. I’m telling you, I can see things MONTHS ahead. With ‘wedding gown orderly,’ she was set to tie the knot almost a year to the text. It was supposed to be “romantic”, or whatever. I saved your life, girl.

No… no it’s too… I know I’m sick. Being the way I am, I never expected myself to grow old. I can hear your conversations. I was lucky to be born when I was. Even being born the way I was, I lived my life. I am grateful, even as I drool on myself and mumble. YOU can’t understand me. I just wanted to tell you I’ve lived a full life, thanks to you.

The 17th is on the horizon. I know it’s the 17th, because your son has his game that day. You keep talking about it. I’ve seen you in his games, in my visions… He has talent. He can move his legs. I’m not jealous. I just know he’s lucky to have you. I do care, it turns out, just a little bit.

Even as you clean me up every night, I wonder if you can understand that my time is close too. I see you getting more and more worried every night, concerning me at least. I can’t see into my own future. It’s never been important anyways, to me at least. I can see you’re expecting something. You check on me more frequently, I can tell. I can hear you enter my door more and more each night. Seeing how well I’m sleeping. I sleep just fine, thank you for worrying.

It’s two hours into the 17th day of November. My breathing has always been an issue, but tonight I cannot sleep properly. I feel something in my lungs. I can’t tell you, but something tells me you already know. I’m not used to being the one guessing. It actually can be quite scary when you’re not sure what comes next. My chest feels tight. I think I’m going to take a nap early, my eyes are growing heavy. I don’t know how or when I’m going to die today, but at least I can choose to fall asleep, on my own terms.

[tyonfs]

🤧 : also so much to catch up I read that you graduated !! congrats !! That must be so nice !!

I unfortunately, had to take a 5th year BUT I am manifesting the graduation in 2024 for me ☺️

also I couldn’t help but read over all the stuff I sent you over the years (since 2021 woww can’t believe Hit Sauce came out 2 years ago) and how excited I always was to talk to you. unfortunately I feel like I lost that ✨ energy ✨ because my life trauma caught up with me and I started having bad depression starting towards the end of 2022 — it be like that apparently. Now I kinda have to fight feeling so down all the time BUT we are working through it oof

I also am thankful because you always sent me Renjun pics in the past and were very comforting. You always made sure I felt validated and for someone I have never met in person, you were such a comforting space online. You are such a kind person who deserves all the success you have coming your way <3 like I still need to catch up on all your content but one day we’ll get there :p

don’t mind this being the second ask of mine in a row haha

also also I had a dream about Renjun last night and he was like my husband lowkey? Idk but we for sure were dating — I even tried showering in front of him so he would join me 👀 scandalous omg !!

but lmaoo guess what? it didn’t work — he gave me his ring and left to go do something. yeah, it was weird lol 😂

thank you !!! graduation still doesn’t feel real HAHAH i got my diploma recently and it still doesn’t feel real when i hold it

omg i’m a little jealous of your fifth year :’) honestly take your classes at whatever pace is comfortable for you !! the four years are not set in stone, it’s perfect valid to take as much time as you need 🙏

AHHH GOSH I JUST CANT BELIEVE THAT WE’VE ALL BEEN HERE FOR THAT LONG and gosh thank you for coming back and checking in all these years 🥰🫶 it’s like getting to hear from an old friend from time to time <3 omg you don’t have to worry about the shift in energy or anything, i totally understand that it’s hard to get back into that mentality after life throws so much at you :( i’m really glad you’re working through it tho and i hope things get better !! 🤍

oh my goddd you’re too sweet 🥺🫶 i will gladly send you renjun pics any time any day !! and i’m so touched by your words omg 😭😭 i hope only good things come your way from now on as well !

HAHAHA OMG A SPICY RENJUN DREAM ???: actually i recently had a dream about renjun too (my first time in YEARS dreaming about a kpop idol 😳) but i have no idea what his purpose was he was just there 😩 LMSOFJSJF NOT DREAM RENJUN GIVING U HIS RING now u can profit off his 7dream ring >:)

[travelingtheusa]

NEVADA

2023 Jan 5 (Thu) – I have been spending the last few days hip deep in paperwork confirming reservations for campgrounds, meals and activities on our Alaska caravan.  One campground had been sold and the former owner never put our reservation in the system.  Luckily, I called early in the year and the new owner still had space for us.

      At 6:30 p.m. we met Joan & Peter and Adam, Diane & Devin at Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ for dinner.  It rained all day and everything was wet.  The food was disappointing – Paul’s brisket was dry and my ribs were tough and chewy.  The potato salad was out of this world!  We said good-bye to everyone as we are leaving tomorrow.  It’s been two long months and we are anxious to get back on the road.  It’s off to Texas to buy a new truck.  Hope the one we scoped out is still there.  Fingers crossed.

2023 Jan 4 (Wed) – We stayed in all day.  I spent the day confirming reservations and coordinating deposit payments for our Alaska Caravan.

      The contract agency working for the VA called me today to go over my medical condition.  The doctor asked me lots of prepared questions about my lymphoma and its current status.  This was in response to the claim I filed under the PACT Act for disability.

      I also got a call from my gastroenterologist.  I have been having indigestion since September and nothing seems to work.  I also have been suffering from a frequent cough that feels like it’s coming from my stomach.  He advised me to see an ENT.  I guess I’ll have to schedule an appointment to see one when I go back to New York next month.  I spent the afternoon making doctor appointments.  Paul is working on our route to a major airport so I can fly back to New York.  I will wind up going back about 2 weeks earlier than I had planned to.

2023 Jan 3 (Tue) – I cooked up some egg cups and blueberry muffins this morning.  They’re nice to have when we are on the road.  We ran a bunch of errands today.  We stopped at Lowe’s for wing nut that broke on Paul.  Do you know how hard it is to find one little tiny wing nut among ALL the nuts and bolts in Lowe’s???  He finally found something but it turned out to be the wrong size.  He’ll have to go back and hunt through the drawers for another one.

      We stopped at O’Reilly Auto so Paul could get some sticky spray for the fan belt.  He thinks it’s slipping when the gear shifts.  Then we drove to Skechers where I got two pairs of shoes.  After that, we tried to find a post office.  The first one we stopped at did not have a service window.  How weird.  The next one was a full service office but it was packed.  I got on line (I was number 12) with one agent at the window.  There was another one but he was only handling passports.  About half way through the line, another agent opened a window but it was still slow despite having two windows open.

      I mailed a packet to the NYS Tax Department in answer to their claim that we do not live in New York.  It had a deadline and I sent it registered mail on December 7.  I have been checking it and the website just tells me “it’s in the network.”  What the heck is that?  I asked the mail clerk and he said it means it’s probably lost somewhere.  I’ll have to send the documents again and hope the department doesn’t blame me for the post office’s shortcoming.

2023 Jan 2 (Mon) – We took down the Christmas tree today.  The place seems empty now.  We went food shopping, got fuel and had lunch at Jack in the Box.  We were the only people in the restaurant.  There was a fairly regular stream of cars going through the drive-in.  I guess people don’t like going inside any more.

2023 Jan 1 (Sun – New Year’s Day) – Peter cooked up biscuits and gravy for breakfast.  After visiting for a while, we went over their neighbor’s house, Maggie.  They wanted us to see renovations she had made to her condo.  It was fantastic.

      We went back to Joan & Pete’s where Joan made pea soup (for good luck), ham with cherry sauce, and mac & cheese.  Everything was delicious. 

      We left at 3:00 p.m.  Sheba sure was glad to see us!  We napped then took some ornaments off our tree. We will do a few each day till it’s done.

2022 Dec 31 (Sat – New Year’s Eve) – We met Joan & Pete at the Red Rock Casino for dinner at Hank’s Steakhouse.  Barbara & Preston also met us there.  We played the slots (all lost), then had dinner.  It was late.  Our reservation was for 9:15 p.m.  We didn’t get seated until almost 10 p.m.  We were finishing our meal at 11:40 p.m.  We had to rush out of the restaurant to catch the fireworks show.  We were parked in the garage overlooking the Strip in the distance.  It was a great place to see the entire show.  All the casinos released fireworks.  I guess they were in sync because they released the fireworks at the same time and were the same color: red, green and white. 

      After the show, we went back to Joan & Pete’s and spent the night there.  Didn’t want to take a chance with drunk drivers on the road.

2022 Dec 30 (Fri) – We stayed in today.

2022 Dec 29 (Thu) – We joined Joan & Peter for dinner at their friend’s home.  Barbara & Preston are a delightful couple with lots of European experiences.  Barbara is from Germany and sells medical items.  Preston is a real estate agent.  She made rouladen, potato dumplings, red cabbage, and an orange dessert.  It was all very good.  Afterward, we taught Barbara & Preston to play 31.

2022 Dec 28 (Wed) – We went to Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ.  Adam & Diane gave us a gift card for Christmas.  It turned out I put the wrong address in the GPS and we took a long ride out of the way.  We finally figured it out and got to the restaurant.  The food was good and we have about $10 left on the card.

     We also stopped to get some propane.  The weather is starting to get warmer.  A terrible winter storm hit the northeast area.  Over 30 people died in Buffalo alone.  It’s been cold here but is slowly warming up.

2022 Dec 27 (Tue) – We met our friend, Linda, for an early dinner at Juan’s Flaming Fajitas.  We met Linda and her husband, Mark, on the Canadian Maritimes Caravan.  They were the Tail Gunners on the caravan.  Mark passed away about 9 months after the caravan. They were a wonderful couple and she is a very nice woman.  We enjoyed our visit very much.

2022 Dec 26 (Mon) – We were invited back to Adam & Diane’s for leftovers.  Afterward we played 31.

2022 Dec 25 (Sun – CHRISTMAS) – We went over Adam & Diane’s house for dinner.  They had 19 people over.  Of course, there was lots of food and drink.  It was a fun day.  They played a game where something (a gift card, I think) was wrapped in saran wrap along with other things.  They passed the ball around the table and you had to try to unwrap the saran wrap with one hand while the next person rolled the dice.  When they got doubles on the dice, they took control of the ball.  As it unwrapped, little things dropped out, like candies and such.

      We also did a gift exchange.  Everyone brought a gift.  When they arrived, the gift as given a number.  Then we shot a nerf gun at a bunch of dixie cups covered with tissue paper.  When the bullet penetrated the paper, you got a number inside the cup.  After everyone got a number, we sat around the room and picked the gift with the matching number.  One guy got a “STEAL” rather than a number.  So he stole my gift!  I had a nice portable cooler and he had chosen my gift of assorted cookies.  So he took my cooler and gave me back my cookies!

2022 Dec 24 (Sat) – I spent the afternoon calling all my brothers and sister to wish them a Merry Christmas.  We went over Joan & Peter’s for open house tonight.  We stayed until 10:30 pm, then drove down the street to a United Methodist Church.  The service felt a little cold but it had a nice candlelight service.  We had communion and stood in a circle with our candles singing Silent Night.  We got back to the campground around 12:30 p.m.

2022 Dec 23 (Fri) – We worked around the RV until lunch time.  Paul is busy making a beanbag baseball table.  I was working on emails and drafting the book for the National Muster next year.

      At 11:30 a.m. we drove into town to pick up some groceries at WalMart.  We stopped at Lowe’s so Paul could pick up paint and a rotor blade.  On the way back, we spotted a liquor store and stopped in to see if we could find Forty Creek.  We have been in several liquor stores throughout Nevada and no one has had it.  This store did!  We bought 4 bottles.  😊   

2022 Dec 22 (Thu) – We did laundry this morning.  What a pain in the arse!  There are only 3 washing machines and 3 dryers in a tiny room.  Two washers were being used so we could only do one load.  We put the clothes for another load on top of the machine and left.  When we returned, one dryer was open.  So the wet clothes went into the dryer and the next load went into the washer.  Having to do laundry like that makes it twice as long to do.  Ugh.

      There was a campground potluck today.  We brought Godiva chocolates and gummy dice. As usual, the food was plentiful and delicious.

2022 Dec 21 (Wed) – We met Joan & Peter at Tuscany Gardens for dinner.  It is an Italian Steakhouse.  We arrived first so had drinks at the bar while we waited for them to arrive.  Then we sat at the table and enjoyed a delicious meal.  After dinner, we went to see the Rat Pack.  It is three performers who represent the original Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr.).  The Dean Martin look alike managed to resemble Dean. The Frank Sinatra impersonator did not look anything like Frank but had a voice that sounded just like the original.  The Sammy Davis, Jr. character did not resemble nor sound like Sammy.   The show was good any way and the guys were pretty entertaining.

2022 Dec 20 (Tue) – We went to the factory again today. Paul worked around the place, moving inventory and restocking shelves.  I sorted chocolate coins all day.  By the end of the day, my back was squawking from standing all day long.  I was glad to get home and sit on a heating pad.

2022 Dec 19 (Mon) – We went into the chocolate factory today to help.  Paul and I packed net bags with chocolate coins.  Peter made cotton candy all day.  Joan bought us lunch after working on accounts all day.  Adam was out making calls on stores up and down the strip.  I also finished closing out all the 2021 accounts.  It is kind of thrilling to see the big name casinos flash by – Mandalay Bay, MGM, Luxor, etc.

      After we finished helping out, we drove home to feed Sheba.  Then we drove to the Palace Station Casino to watch the new movie, Avatar.  It was over 3 hours long but the graphics were amazing.  We saw it in 3D.  It was pretty good. 

2022 Dec 18 (Sun) – I decided to file a claim in person with the VA.  I made an appointment for Wednesday.  We’ll see how that goes.

      We went to the Candy Cane house tonight.  It is a home owned by two men who open their home to the public for the Christmas holidays.  They have their home decorated in steroid fashion!  There were 50 trees in their house.  Decorations were hanging from the ceilings.  There were lights, and garland, and the decorations everywhere you looked.  It had to take them 2 months to do all those decorations.

2022 Dec 17 (Sat) – We spent all morning in the VA today.  The PACT Act was passed in August and has far reaching implications.  Over 20 medical conditions have been added to a list of maladies that the VA deems as “preemptive.”  That means that if you have the condition, you do not have to prove you got it from your military service.  It is presumed that if you served during a certain time period in a particular area, you contracted the disease even if it didn’t show up immediately.  Lymphoma is one of the conditions recognized for Post 9-11 veterans.  I served in Iraq/Kuwait/Afghanistan in 2005 and was diagnosed with lymphoma 12 years later in 2017.  I wanted to see how to file a claim.  The VA held a town hall that told everyone about the PACT Act but wasn’t much help that.  They had a number of departments present with information and giveaways in the atrium.  We collected information and left.  I will file a claim online.

      We met Joan, Peter and Janice at the Italian American café for dinner at 7 p.m.  It was a delightful Las Vegas style meal with entertainment.  A singer with a small 3-man band sang and joked with the audience.  It was a lot of fun.

2022 Dec 16 (Fri) – We went to the PX today to get Paul some jeans and shoes.  I got a notice from the PX that they were giving 15% off on purchases made with the military card.  Add to that the fact that we pay no sales tax and the savings are significant.  We wound up getting Paul two pairs of jeans and a shirt.

      After the PX, we went to the commissary and got some groceries.  We stopped for lunch at the food court.  I ordered at Sarku Japan.  Boy, was that a mistake!  It took over half an hour to get our food.  They kept goofing up on the orders.  They ran out of chicken and had to cook a new batch twice.  Along with me, there were about 10 people standing around waiting for their orders.  I like Sarku but I don’t think the wait and worry are worth it.

       At 4 p.m., we drove toward Joan’s place.  Their friend from New York, Janice, flew in today and is staying with them for a few days.  We stopped at DSW to get Paul some dress shoes.  They didn’t have the make he wanted so he got something else (:-/). 

       We arrived at Joan & Pete’s, met Janice, talked for a bit, then drove to the Green Valley casino for dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  The food was good and plentiful.  The margaritas weren’t that good.  After dinner, we played the slots.

2022 Dec 15 (Thu) – I continued to work on the caravan today.  Paul continued working around the RV.  We never left the campground.  Miranda’s birthday is tomorrow so I ordered flowers to be delivered.

2022 Dec 14 (Wed) – Paul finished up on the wheels today.  I spent the day working on caravan and SMART correspondence.  What a job trying to arrange an excursion to the Arctic Circle.  We can either fly (5-6 hours) or drive (14-16 hours) but we can’t fly and rive, which would be perfect.  We may wind up renting a car and driving to the Arctic Circle.   It will be the cheapest way to go, short of taking our own truck, but it will be a looooong day.  We had planned to have the excursion on the last day in Fairbanks but if we wind up having a problem and being held over, it would be a problem as we are scheduled to leave the next day.  So I called the company that we scheduled a bus tour of Fairbanks two days earlier to see if we could switch the days.  It was like juggling 4 balls in the air. 

2022 Dec 13 (Tue) - It was a laid back, lazy day.  Paul worked around the trailer, greasing the bearings and getting the tires changed.  I did email and correspondence with folks on the Alaska caravan.  I called Sloan Kettering to have a refill of my medication sent.  My cousin, Kathy, called yesterday and we had a pleasant talk.  She’s going to Florida for a few months.  It’s coming up on one year since her father – my cousin, Claude – passed away.  The change will do her good.

      We ran a lot of errands today.  Poor Paul.  He was working on getting the wheels of the trailer greased and ready for travel.  Unfortunately, he could only get two wheels done.  He drove around trying to find parts but everywhere he went, they didn’t have them.  Finally, he drove to the warehouse but it turned out to not to be the warehouse.  The guy called over to the warehouse for Paul and arranged to have them ship the parts to the NAPA store near the campground.  Later in the afternoon, after we had gone food shopping, we stopped at NAPA and the parts were there. 

2022 Dec 12 (Mon) – The search for a new truck and RV is on!  We searched on line and the kind of truck we want (diesel, 2 wheel drive, camper package prep, long bed, etc.) seem to be mostly located in Texas.  The RVs, however, seem to be in Arizona.  We are changing our travel plans.  We had planned to go to Arizona for the next 3 months.  Now, we are headed to Texas first.  The truck is the most important item to replace first, then the RV.

2022 Dec 11 (Sun) – We drove to Boulder City and met Joan & Peter and Lynn & David (their friends) at The Patio, a restaurant next to Chilly Jilly’s.  We enjoyed brunch then drove to Henaway Park and saw 3 bighorn rams grazing in the park.  There were no signs of the rest of the herd but they didn’t seem fazed by all the attention.  They simply went on eating.

      We returned to the camper for the afternoon, then at 4:00 pm, we drove to Joan & Peter’s for dinner.  Joan made chicken crust pizza.  She shredded chicken, put in in the oven for 10 minutes, mixed the chicken with eggs and spices, put it back in the oven for 10 minutes, then put toppings on it and put it back in the oven to brown.  It was tasty.

      Their friends, Barbara & Preston, came over to visit and we had a delightful evening.  Barbara is German and the way she talks makes everything sound funny.  She is a delightful, spirited personality.

2022 Dec 10 (Sat) – We mailed off the last of the Christmas packages today.  Ouch!  It cost $142 to mail a box to Miranda.  We could have bought a nice gift with that money!  The price of postage seems to be getting out of hand real fast.

      We stayed around the camper today.  I have been coughing and hacking since my return from New York.  I probably should go to the doctor but I don’t want to.  We picked up some decongestant and cough syrup at Walgreens. 

2022 Dec 9 (Fri) – We stayed around the campground all day.  At 4:00 pm, we drove to Joan & Pete’s to join them at their condo Christmas party.  It was a small group crowded into a small room.  At 6:30 pm, a group of students from the local college came in to sing.  There were 8 of them – 3 men and 5 women.  They sang a Capello and were phenomenal!  We enjoyed their singing very much.

      After dinner, we drove to one of Joan & Pete’s friends home in the condo community and played 31.  I won the first game and she won the second.

2022 Dec 8 (Thu) – Paul dropped the truck off at Diesel Specialists this morning then walked the four miles back to base because we couldn’t get the Uber app to work.  Late in the afternoon, when Paul called to see if the truck was ready, they told him they had to keep it overnight.  He had brought it in for a small oil leak and asked to have the gasket replaced.  It turned out that Ford uses a seal rather than a gasket on the oil pan.  The seal needed ten hours to cure.

       Christy flew back home on the red eye.  It was nice to see the siblings visit with each other.  The only other one left is Fred who lives somewhere down south.  He is estranged from the rest of the family.

2022 Dec 7 (Wed) – We drove to the Valley of Fire State Park to meet up with Joan, Peter and Christy.  We then drove through the park, stopping at a couple of sites before pulling out the coolers and enjoying lunch in the middle of the red rocks.  It was cool and you needed a jacket.  It was overcast and there were occasional sprinkles.  We briefly a trail to Mouse’s Tank; Christy quit half way up.

      After the park, we drove to Juan’s Flaming Fajitas for dinner.  It was a great Mexican restaurant with good food.  We all (except Christy) had margaritas.  Paul & I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home because Sheba was out of can food.

2022 Dec 6 (Tue) – We met Joan, Pete and Chris at the Rio.  WOW Las Vegas, a variety talent show, was playing.  The show was very good.  Afterward, we drove to Fremont Street.  I really like that place!  It is bright and noisy and filled with people.  There are circles on the floor where beggars can sit and beg or performers can do their street act or vendors can sell their wares. 

2022 Dec 5 (Mon) – Today was a day we took Christy around the strip to introduce her to the Las Vegas life style.  We went to Circus Circus for dinner then walked through the Palazzo, the Venetian, and the Bellagio.  The Bellagio had their Christmas display on with giant trees and characters as well as a large ginger bread house you could walk through.  Christy was very impressed.  And who wouldn’t be?!?!?

2022 Dec 4 (Sun) – We went over Adam & Diane’s house today.  The plan was to decorate their Christmas tree.  Joan, Pete, and Christy also came over.  I lay down and fell asleep on the couch.  I must have been very tired.  They made a delicious corn chowder and a kind of chicken pie.  Everything was very tasty.  Diane was not feeling well so she stayed in bed.

      After Adam’s, we went to the PX.  I ran out of Christmas cards so we had to buy more.  We also picked up gifts for the gift exchange at a Christmas party we will be going to.

2022 Dec 3 (Sat) – Joan & Paul’s sister, Christy, flew in last night and is spending the week with Joan & Peter.  We drove over at 2 pm and spent the afternoon decorating their Christmas tree.  Adam, Diane and Devin also came over to help with the decorating. 

      At 6 pm, we all drove over to the Sunset Station Casino for dinner.  The reservations apparently didn’t go through so we had to walk around the casino for while looking for a place that could accommodate 8 for dinner.  When it didn’t work out, Adam and his family decided to leave.  Then the 5 of us went back to the pasta place for dinner that we were originally going to eat at.  We all enjoyed a fine meal.  And the charges weren’t too bad – at least, compared to what we’ve been spending lately.

      Paul, Joan, Peter, and I all played the slot machines.  I lost $20.  Paul won $47.  Joan won $35.  Peter won $70.  A successful night for most of us.

2022 Dec 2 (Fri) – We drove to the shop again where Paul and Peter continued painting and repairing the floor.  Joan and I went to the nearby beauty school and got facials.  It was the first time I have done that.  I’m sure I really cared for it.  But we did walk away with smooth and moisturized skin. 

      The guys went bowling while we got our beauty treatments.  We met them at the Station Casino and went to Fatburger for lunch.  After lunch, Joan and Peter went to Costco to pick up groceries.  We went to WalMart to pick up a few things then met them at their condo.  We all changed into nice clothes then went to the Gambit, a jazz dinner club.  We had steaks and drinks and watched the jazz band with singer perform.  It was a very expensive night!

2022 Dec 1 (Thu) – Wow!  It’s December.  The year is almost over and another one is set to begin.  Time is flying by.

      We drove to Joan’s business, Vegas Image, this morning.  Paul and Peter worked on repairing the floor while I got on the computer and closed out accounts for 2021.  Adam was out delivering product on the strip.  When we were done, we drove to Joan & Pete’s to change, then went to dinner at Don Juan’s Mexican Restaurant.  It was good.

2022 Nov 30 (Wed) – We went out for breakfast to IHOP.  The food was good.  The menu listed our meal at $11.99 each for 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon or 2 sausages, hash browns and toast.  The waitress gave us a senior discount and we only wound up paying $7.99 each.  That was a VERY nice discount.

     We then rode over to the VA Medical Center on Pecos Rd but we couldn’t find a parking space.  The place was packed.  So we gave up and went in search of a supermarket.  We came upon a WalMart and shopped there.

      When we got back, I threw on some vegetables to bring to a potluck the campground was sponsoring today.  We were a few minutes late but there was plenty to eat.  Lots of pumpkin pies and sweet potatoes show people had leftovers from Thanksgiving.  We spoke with a widow who lives full time on the road but spends six months in one place then six months in another.  Can that really be considered full timing?

      At 7 p.m. we went out to see if we could catch the ISS flying overhead.  There was way too much light in the area.  Most of the stars were indistinguishable.  We could not spot the ISS.  Maybe tomorrow.

2022 Nov 29 (Tue) – I spent the morning paying bills.  We ran out of propane overnight and Paul ran out to get the tank refilled.  We spent time searching the internet for trucks and RVs.  This is going to prove challenging.

2022 Nov 28 (Mon) – We rode over to the UPS store in the PX and mailed off another package.  Then we went to the post office, bought stamps, and mailed off the first batch of Christmas cards.  We stopped for lunch at Farmers Boy.  It was a fast food restaurant that offered burgers and several salads.  Paul got the southwest salad and I got the cobb salad.  They were very large and I couldn’t eat all of mine.  There was a guy sitting outside the restaurant with a little dog holding a sign stating he was homeless.  We bought him a breakfast sandwich and a plain burger for the dog.

2022 Nov 27 (Sun) – We spent the day decorating our tree.  Boy, do we have a lot of ornaments!!  There were twelve shoe boxes packed full of ornaments that we put up.  And there are STILL boxes that were not unpacked.  Whew!

      We went out to dinner with Joan & Pete tonight for Italian food.  The place was named Prosecco.  Paul had clams and I had a sole.  The food was good and, yes, expensive.  After dinner, we went over to their house where they invited a friend to join us for cards.  We played three rounds of 31.  Paul won two and Joan won one.  It was fun.

2022 Nov 26 (Sat) – Paul spent the day putting together our Christmas tree and I worked on our Christmas letter and sending out cards.  I cooked a turkey breast for us and we used some of the leftovers Joan gave us from Thanksgiving dinner.

      We ran out to ship off a box to Travis.  While in the PX, we picked up a few items then drove to the commissary and got a few groceries.

2022 Nov 25 (Fri) – Paul found a number to call at Amazon for help with the packages that can’t be delivered on base.  After some frustrating discussion, I had the four packages rerouted to Joan & Pete’s house for delivery.

      I spent the day working on gathering a list of our activities for the year.  This is for the annual Christmas letter I send out with our Christmas cards. 

2022 Nov 24 (Thu – Thanksgiving Day) – We went over Joan & Pete’s for dinner tonight.  Adam, Diane & Devin were there as well as their friends, Ty, Robin & Sophie.  Of course, there was way too much food and we were all stuffed to the hilt when all was said and done.  After dinner, we played 31 then had pie and coffee.

2022 Nov 23 (Wed) – Wow!  It’s been a bit of a challenge to get back on track.  We have been hanging around the campground, doing laundry and taking long walks.  Paul’s sister and husband, Joan & Peter, and their son and family, Adam, Diane & Devin, have visited and we will be having Thanksgiving dinner at Joan & Pete’s tomorrow.  We’ve done some Christmas shopping for the kids and sent off a couple of packages.  The price of shipping has really jumped!  It cost us almost $100 to mail off two packages yesterday.  It’s as bad as buying gift wrap, cards, and ribbon.  You spend more on the wrappings then the gift!  We’ve been having a problem getting some items we ordered.  Apparently, the postal service USPS is not allowed on base.  All deliveries have to come via UPS or FedEx.  Unfortunately, the companies I ordered from have all been sending them USPS and the shipments have been rejected.  Trying to get hold of companies you ordered from when the order was placed through Amazon is a real challenge.

2022 Nov 18 (Fri) – Whew!  What a wild three weeks.  I arrived in New York on October 27 and the very next day, began coughing and hacking.  Three days later, I was positive for COVID.  In addition, my son-in-law had just come out of the hospital and my daughter went into the hospital.  Both of them suffered chest pains and disorientation but nothing was found.  Now, they have a series of follow-ups and tests to try and figure what happened.  Also, my grandson got sick and we all came down with COVID.  I wound up staying until November 16.  During my stay, I saw the oncologist who said my bloodwork was perfect.  I also had a checkup with the ophthalmologist who also said my checkup was perfect.  At least the doctor visits went well.  I got to visit with my sister, Susan, and had dinner with my daughter, Gina.  I got to go to church twice.  There was a Veterans’ Day ceremony at town hall that was nice.

      Paul moved from Pahrump to Las Vegas while I was gone. We are camped at Nellis AFB Desert Eagle RV Park in the new part. Ugh. We don't like it at all. We did the laundry today.  The weather here is cold.  It’s high 30s/low 40s in the morning and doesn’t get much over 65 during the day.  I think it’s colder here than in New York! 

2022 Oct 26 (Wed) – We left Pahrump at 9:50 am.  It was almost two hours to the Lake Mead RV Village in Boulder City.  We were here with the Utah Caravan in 2019.  This is a beautiful area, right on the lakeshore.  We face the water and overlook the water surrounded by mountains. 

      Right after we set up, we did the laundry.  What an exercise in frustration that was!  You had to buy a card; the machines didn’t take quarters.  Paul tried to buy a card for $25 but when we tried to get the washers working, things didn’t work out.  So, in exasperation, I pulled out my phone and downloaded the app.  I was able to put $15 on my credit card and we got 3 washers working, then 3 dryers for a total of $2 a machine ($12).  It cost us $5 for the card that never worked.  Grrrrrrrrr.

      Joan & Peter came over at 5 pm with chicken from Chilly Jilly’s.  The place makes broasted chicken.  It was excellent!  There were also French fries, cole slaw, and biscuits.  Everything was very good.  After dinner, we sat around the campfire talking.  It was very pleasant.

      I fly out to New York tomorrow and will be gone for five days.  See you when I get back.

2022 Oct 25 (Tue) -  An agent from NY Life called to review our annuity with the company.  After some discussion, we decided to leave everything the way it is for now.  We are approaching the age where we will have to withdraw funds from our annuity so the government can get their taxes.

      We went out after lunch to a shop that sells military paraphernalia.  I was looking for a sticker that said something about the Cold War and anything that said I was a lady Army veteran.  Didn’t find either.  Didn’t find anything for Paul that said his spouse was in the army.  Oh, well.  I did find a ninja mask to give our grandson for Christmas.  So, it wasn’t a total loss.

2022 Oct 24 (Mon) – We drove to a model home neighborhood and toured two newly built homes.  The quality of construction was good and Paul was impressed with their workmanship. 

      After the tour, we stopped at Burger King for lunch.  Then we picked up a few items at the supermarket.  We saw that the rum distillery was open (we tried it yesterday but thought it was closed).  We stopped in and tasted 8 different varieties.  The tasting was fun and the conversation with the bartender was very pleasant.  We bought the coffee flavored rum.

2022 Oct 23 (Sun) – We drove over to the Moose Lodge for breakfast.  Paul had sausage gravy on biscuits.  I had eggs, bacon, hash browns and a biscuit.  We both had a bloody mary but it was bitter.

      We met Joan & Pete and Adam, Diane & Devin at Sanders Winery at noon.  We enjoyed a free tasting then drove to El Jefe’s for lunch.  It was a great visit and we look forward to more interactions over the holidays.

2022 Oct 22 (Sat) – We drove 20 miles down the road to the town of Crystal.  It turned out to be a pretty desolate place with no open facilities.  The two or three bars in town were all closed.  We didn’t see any grocery store or gas station.  There were many trailers that were old and abandoned.  Many houses were dilapidated and falling apart.  Yet, there was a small section of homes where folks living there and their homes and cars were in decent shape.

      At 4:00 pm, the Elks Lodge had a dedication ceremony for their new Elk statue out front.  The wind was blowing fiercely and everyone had to hold on to their papers very tightly.  That did not discourage the lodge from holding their ceremony outside or giving it its full measure.  After the ceremony, we all went inside for dinner.  It was a special event because the State President of the Elks Association and several other officers were present.  The meal was excellent: beef stew in a bread bowl with a pumpkin crumble for dessert. 

2022 Oct 21 (Fri) – We packed up and left Beatty at 9:50 am.  It was only 75 miles to Pahrump so we took it easy.  The drive was pleasant, always with mountains surrounding us.  We arrived at the Elks Lodge at around 11:15 am.  We were here in 2014.  It turns out we were parked in the exact same spot 8 years ago.  And neither one of us remembers this place.  Weird.

      There are 8 spaces in the parking lot for RV hookups.  They only have electric and water stations.  The lodge opened at noon.  We went in and signed in but they wanted cash in payment.  So we went into town to get some cash, fuel and groceries.  After we returned, we made lunch then napped.  At 4:45 pm, we went into the lodge for drinks and dinner.  The meal was pork loin, potatoes, green beans, and ice cream with a chocolate chip cookie.  We took the cookies back to the trailer to have with our coffee.  While the coffee brewed, we took a walk down the road and back.  It was twilight and the edge of the mountains in the west were backlit in golden light.  It was beautiful.  The lodge is on a higher grade than the town so we can look down on Pahrump and see all the twinkling lights at night. 

2022 Oct 20 (Thu) – We drove 8 miles out of town to Death Valley, intending to just get our picture taken at the sign into the park.  When we got there, we found the entrance to Death Valley National Park closed.  The road was washed out by flash floods.  The security guard let us walk the short distance into the park to get our picture taken with the sign.

      We drove back down the road to the historic mining town of Rhyolite.  We had been here back in 2014.  There are few crumbling buildings and a bottle house, built entirely out of empty bottles.  There had been three in town but Tom Kelly’s is the only one remaining.  There was a train depot, turned casino that was fenced off.  There is an attempt to save and restore it.  It was used as a casino to attract tourists to the area after the town was abandoned but that, too, collapsed.  There was a small museum with outdoor sculptures.  The artist had friends pose for the last supper.  He covered them with paper mache and after the cover hardened and they stepped out, he covered the forms in fiberglass.  There were other forms he made, too.  These life size sculptures stand out there in the middle of the desert like some kind of weird beacons calling visitors to come explore the area. 

      We drove back into town intending to have lunch at the VFW.  It was an old church converted to a post.  Unfortunately, they did not start serving food until 3 p.m.  It was only 1:30 p.m.  So, after looking around the converted old church, we drove into town and had lunch at Smokin’ J’s.  The food was very good.  We had leftovers to take home for tomorrow’s dinner.

2022 Oct 19 (Wed) – Paul woke me and we went to breakfast at Mel’s Diner across the street.  Later, we walked across the street to a small shop selling jerky and honey.  Otherwise, we spent the day hanging around the campground, working on our various projects.  It was cold in the morning but got very hot in the afternoon.

2022 Oct 18 (Tue) – We left Hawthorne at 9:30 a.m.  It was a long drive to Beatty.  The landscape was endless miles of mountains and deserts.  What few towns we passed were very small, most showing disregard for the buildings and yards.  We arrived at 1:20 p.m.  It turns out, we were here in 2014.  And the two burros that were here then are here now.  At least, I think they are the same two.  They were grazing when we stepped out of the camper after set up.  Of course, we had to offer them carrots which they liked very much.

      This is a nice campground for a desert location.  There are three rows of pull thru sites on dirt.  Many trees are in the area, to include some palm trees.  The owner is a former marine and very talkative.  It was hard to get out of the office – he just didn’t want to stop talking.

      We did the laundry.  The campground has 9 washers and 4 dryers.  The two dryers we first chose wouldn’t take more than 2 or 3 quarters.  So we waited while they ran out their time (6 minutes for each quarter), then moved the wash to the other 2 dryers.  They were working fine.

2022 Oct 17 (Mon) – We pulled up stakes and left Minden at 10:50 a.m.  It was a pleasant drive through the mountains.  We drove through a mountain pass with mountains rising on each side of the road.  It was so impressive.  We arrived at Whiskey Flats RV Park in Hawthorn around 1:15 pm.  The campground is very nice.  There are 4 rows of RVs; all pull-throughs.  We have full hookup with 50 amp electric.  There are some trees around the campground.  Three rows have concrete pads; we have a dirt and gravel surface.  We will only be here for tonight.

      After set up, we drove into town to get fuel and lunch.  There were a couple of gas stations.  The cheapest was $5.69 a gallon.  We stopped at the Hawthorne Ordnance Museum.  It was a small place with free admission.  They had many different kinds of bombs and missiles on display.  The collection was a kind of mish mash of military items from WWII, Korea and Vietnam with a few things thrown in from Desert Storm. 

      We had lunch at El Capitan.  There were about 4 eateries in town; all were casinos with cafes.  I got meatloaf and Paul got butterfly shrimp.  The food was decent and the price was reasonable. 

2022 Oct 16 (Sun) – We went into town today to fuel up for tomorrow’s move.  We also stopped at Tractor Supply to get propane and pick up cat food.

      At 4 pm, we arrived at Carl & Gwen’s for dinner.  Scott and his girlfriend, Patti, were there, too.  We had a delightful visit.  Carl was trying to cook a pork loin on the smoker but apparently he wasn’t happy and wound up cooking it on the barbecue.  The dinner was excellent and Gwen made a delicious dessert.  Patti got ill in the middle of dinner and Scott took her home.  It turned out that she had been to a party before coming to Carl & Gwen’s and she was properly imbibed.  Scott came back and we had a great visit.

      I called a campground between Minden and Death Valley to make a reservation.  We were supposed to drive to Death Valley but it would have been at least a six hour drive.  Too long, in our book.  So I found something about 120 miles down the road.  That will make the next drive’s more amenable.

2022 Oct 15 (Sat) – We drove to Reno this morning.  It was about a 40 minute drive.  Reno bills itself as the Biggest Little City in the World.  It certainly is spread out!  There were 12 exits off the highway for Reno.  We first went to the National Automobile Museum. There were fantastic displays on exhibit and we enjoyed the museum thoroughly.  There were many one-of-a-kind vehicles and the stories about most of the cars were amusing.

      Afterward, we drove to the riverwalk.  Lunch was at Smith River, a restaurant right on the river.  We split a cheese plate and a tri tip sandwich.  As we sat looking out the window, we noticed several people walking by with wine glasses and maps.  Paul remembered reading about a wine walk that takes place in Reno every third Saturday of the month.  Today was the third Saturday.  I asked a lady where they got the maps and we went there after our lunch.  There were 20 restaurants participating in the wine walk.  You just had to pay $30 per person and you got a map, bracelet and hand painted wine glass.  Unfortunately, we needed to get back to Carson City to keep my appointment with the Geek Squad at Best Buy.  So, we did a little walking along the river then left.

      At Best Buy, the tech seemed to be confused at first but he seemed to work the problem out.  I will see the next time I have to send out an email.

      After Best Buy, we went to WalMart and got a few groceries.  We are going to Carl & Gwen’s house tomorrow for a barbecue and want to bring wine and dessert.

2022 Oct 14 (Fri – My Birthday) – We drove to Genoa today.  Genoa is the oldest settlement in Nevada.  Folks still live there.  We toured the Courthouse Museum then walked across the street to look over the Mormon Station.  That used to be a stop on the Pony Express.  What a fascinating history that is!  The Pony Express only ran for 18 months until the trains came across country and made the Pony Express non-essential.  It was very dangerous and demanding work.  The riders were usually teenagers and they wanted them to be orphans.  The route was 1,900 miles long with 184 stops of between 12 to 25 miles.  The operation had 120 riders, 400 horses, and several hundred support personnel.

      After the visit to Genoa, we drove back to Gardnerville where we ate at the Basque Restaurant again.  The meal included stew rather than soup, bread, salad, French fries, wine, and the main dish.  We brought home lots of left overs.

      We tried to bring my laptop to Best Buy to see if they could fix my email.  My sender name keeps coming up as TEST TEST.  It happened when I first got the computer and set up my account.  They did not have room for any walk-ins and I had to make an appointment for tomorrow afternoon.

2022 Oct 13 (Thu) – We were back in Carson City today.  We went to the Nevada State Railroad Museum.  They had some nice pieces but it was a small museum.  After touring the Railroad Museum in Strasburg, PA, this one was very disappointing. 

      After touring the RR museum, we went to a very eclectic place for lunch – Sassafras.  There were very unusual items on the menu.  We ordered and enjoyed our meal very much.

      We drove around Lake Tahoe today.  The California side of the lake is very built up with multi-million dollar homes dotting the lakeside.  Prices were pretty high.  Gas was more than a $1 more than in Nevada.  We did not stop to buy anything on that side of the lake.  We wanted to hike a trail or two but there was no parking.  Just like the other day, crowds filled the lakeside and there was no room to stop.  We did stop at a visitor center but there were 2 busloads of school children running around the place.  Now I understand why old people don’t like to be around youngsters.  It was a pleasure to get back on the Nevada side of the lake.  There was mostly pine forest with very little build up.  It was a beautiful drive that we enjoyed very much.

2022 Oct 12 (Wed) – We drove into Carson City today.  It is the capitol of Nevada and we toured the capitol complex.  Actually, they have a capitol complex and we only went into the domed capitol.  It was small; only 3 floors high.  All the guards were super friendly and were very interested in our living arrangement. 

       After the self-guided tour of the capitol, we had lunch at Great Basin Brewery.  The food was ok.  After lunch, we went to the Nevada State Museum.  It consisted of some log cabins that served as out buildings – a storage shed, blacksmith shop, stable, etc.  The Museum contained many exhibits describing Nevada’s history.  It was quite interesting.

2022 Oct 11 (Tue) – Since we only had 70 miles to go today to Minden (suburb of Carson City), we doodled around until 11 am before leaving.  The ride was an easy hour to the Carson Valley Inn & RV Park.  It is a campground next to a casino.  This is one of the nicer campgrounds owned by a casino.  It has asphalt roadways and campsites, like a parking lot, but there is grass and many trees to soften the effect.  Our site has full hookups with 50-amp electric.  There is not enough room for our truck so we have to park it in the nearby parking lot.

      After set up, we walked over to the casino hotel lobby to sign in.  We were given key cards that allow us access to the swimming pool and hot tub in the hotel, and the laundry and bathrooms in a building in the campground.  We called our friends, Carl & Gwen, to let them know we had arrived.  They picked us up at 5 pm and took us to dinner at JT Bar & Dining Room.  It was a Basque restaurant, like the one we dined at in Elko.  And it was just as delightful!  There was wine, vegetable soup, beans, French fries, bread, salad, and our main course.  Three of us had steak and Carl had lamb chops.  Everything was excellent.

2022 Oct 10 (Mon) – We went out to get fuel for tomorrow’s move.  Lunch was at the Black Bear Diner.  We also stopped at WalMart to get a few things.  We spent some time looking out at the field at the cows and the coyote.  The owls were no where in sight.

2022 Oct 9 (Sun) – We enjoyed our vigil of the field next door, looking for the coyotes in the grass and owls in the trees, but it is time to mosey on.  We packed up and left at 9:10 a.m.  It was a long drive – over 200 miles and we expected everything to go smoothly.  Sadly, it did not.

      I had called the Rye Patch State Park Recreation Area to make a reservation a while ago.  I was told they do not take reservations; it is first-come, first-serve.  But, the agent said, it is not busy and we will not have any problem finding a site.  When we arrived, there was no office.  There was a sign posted, giving the price for non-hookup and hookup sites.  As we drove around the campground, we noted that nobody seemed to have any hookups.  When we got to the end of the loop, we found 3 sites with electric but they were occupied.  It looked like the group had just arrived and were setting up.  One of the men told us they were the only sites in the campground with electric.

      We got back in the truck and drove down the road 50 miles to the Candy Beach Campground in Lovelock.  The office was closed.  I called and left a message on the phone that we were at the office and looking for a campsite for two nights.  Then I walked around the campground.  It seemed like all the campsites were taken by full timers, probably workers in the area.  I found an empty site and knocked on the door of the RV next to it.  The occupant came out and told me she thought the site was open.  The man who was there left this morning.  She gave me another phone number to contact the owner.  I called the number but there was no answer there either.  I, again, left a message.  We kabitzed about it, then decided to take the site.  Paul parked it, we opened the RV up, made lunch, then settled in front of the TV.  I picked up my phone and found a message there (my phone never sounded).  The owner said the site was taken and we could not stay.

      So we packed up again.  This time, I called a campground in the next town of Fernley, 58 miles an hour south.  The Desert Rose RV Park said they did have a site for two nights.  We drove down and found a very nice campground with four rows of campers filling in 117 sites.  The campsite we are on is concrete pad and has full hookups.  We were pretty exhausted by the time we got set up and settled in.  We didn’t arrive here until 4:10 p.m.  Those were long hours.

2022 Oct 8 (Sat) – Today, we drove 10 miles out of town to the Ghost Town of Metropolis.  It was established in 1910 and by 1924, the town was virtually deserted.  They tried farming but the founders had neglected to file for water rights.  The townspeople killed all the coyotes which caused a large rabbit population to eat their crops.  Add a cricket plague and a drought and you can imagine why they left.  There were two foundations with crumbling cement structures.  One had been a school and the other a fancy hotel.  We walked around the area looking for clues but there really was no sign that 700 people once lived and farmed there.  A monument had been erected to the lost town and was fenced in.

      We returned to town and got fuel for tomorrow’s move.  Then we went into the Iron Skillet for lunch.  The service was decent and the food was OK.  The cost was as much as yesterday’s meal at the Star Hotel for only half the cost.

      When we got back to the campground, we took a walk around the area.  Then using the binoculars, tried to spot the coyotes and owls.  The female coyote was working the field yesterday.  A rancher had put his cows in the field and they didn’t seemed fazed by the coyote at all.  We spotted the male great horned owl but couldn’t find the female.  It looked like a hornets nest on the side of the branch until we looked closely at it.  They blend in really well.

2022 Oct 7 (Fri) – We drove into Elko today and toured two museums.   The first one was the Northeast Nevada Museum.  There were lots of displays about the history of the area.  It included the fossil bones on a wooly mammoth that had been found in the area as well a large exhibit about the original inhabitants in the area before the settlers came.

      After the museum, we drove to the Star Hotel for lunch.  It was a Basque run restaurant.  The meal was one of the best we had.  They served cabbage soup (Paul paid $3 more for clam chowder), salad and bread with the meal.  The large bowls of soup, whole loaf of bread, and big helping of salad filled us up.  We wound up taking our sandwiches home and had them for dinner.  The price was very reasonable to boot.  We really enjoyed the ambiance, service, and history of the place.

       Next, we drove to the Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum.  The building used to house the Garcia Saddlery.  It was famous shop and some of the Garcia saddles sold for thousands of dollars.  The museum was quite small with saddles, chaps, spurs, and other paraphernalia on display.  The little old man who ran the museum was not very communicative and I don’t think we spent more than 30 minutes in the place.

2022 Oct 6 (Thu) – We drove to Angel Lake today, about 12 miles outside of town.  The drive up the mountainside was a white knuckle thrill as the road wound around turns and twists with a steep drop off.  We arrived at the lake.  It is nestled in a glacier made indentation and rather small.  I thought it would be a glacier lake with its beautiful emerald green-blue color but it was just a regular lake.  The lake is stocked regularly with trout and bass.  There were two men in boats with fishing poles plying the water.  Two other couples were there, too.  We hiked around the lake.  The first direction turned out to be very difficult with bushes and brambles in the way.  We wound up trying to hike around the other side of the lake.  It was smoother going for a while, then got steep and rocky.  We sat on a boulder to admire the view, then hiked back to the truck and took that exciting drive back down the mountain.

2022 Oct 5 (Wed) – We had the most delightful drive today.  We drove to Elko, north of us to take a scenic drive up into the mountains.  First, it was lunch at Wingers, a kind of sports bar eatery.  The next stop was at the visitor center where we wanted to find out how to get to the scenic drive.  The center was located in a log cabin that had been moved from another location, along with several log outbuildings.  The house was quite large for a log cabin, compared to what we have seen over the years.  It also had a second floor.  The clerk told us the house had been owned by a family with 12 children.  No wonder they needed the space!

      After talking to the clerk at the visitor center, we took off to find the Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway.  It was a 12-mile road that wound through a pass in the Ruby Mountains.  The scenery was awesome.  We were at the foot of great mountains.  One side was covered with changing foliage, the colors of green and gold were stunning.  The mountains on the other side of the road were stark, bare, and very rugged looking.  We came to the point where the glaciers formed the Lamoille Canyon.  We got out to admire the geography of the area.  There were a couple of campgrounds along the drive.  Those are for those rustic individualistic wilderness lovers.

      We got to the end of the road and turned around to come back.  When we got back to the intersection, we turned right and drove along the back farm roads.  It was mostly packed gravel and dirt.  The ride was very rough and we saw miles and miles of open, undeveloped land with cattle happily grazing.  The entire area is so breathtaking with the view of mountains wherever you look.

      This morning we saw two coyotes in the field next to the campground.  We were watching them move back and forth in the meadow looking for food when three dogs came backing out from the house next to the field.  The coyotes ran off.  That was disappointing but they have to protect themselves.  The owner drove up on his golf cart and we spent some time talking about the wildlife in the area.  Two people in the campground have lost their cats.  He thinks one went to the coyotes but he doesn’t think the second one did.  It might have been the owls.  We stay close to Sheba when we let her out.

2022 Oct 4 (Tue) – We packed up and left American Falls, Idaho, at 9:20 a.m.  The sky was a beautiful blue and the drive was pleasant.  A good deal of the driving was on back farm roads.  Paul was a little nervous but all the roads were capable of supporting our RV.

      We arrived in Wells, NV at 12:50 p.m. PST (we gained an hour), at the Welcome Station RV Park.  There isn’t much around the campground.  It’s kind of like an oasis in the desert.  The campground is very pleasant.  There is grass and shade trees.  It is small with only 21 campsites.  It sits next to an open field.  This afternoon, we got to see a coyote, a moose, and two great horned owls.  What a delight!  We will have to keep a very close watch on Sheba.

      The couple who own this campground were full-timers for 16 years.  They found this campground and decided to buy it.  They run it as a seasonal place; only open from May through mid-October.  The husband said they take off for 7 months, going down to Arizona and Mexico during the colder months.  Sounds like a great lifestyle.

[thefact0rygirl]

HELLO!!! i hope you are doing well it is deedee / 🥂 anon. i apologise it’s been like seven years. i’m back with a thot i’m tossing around in this little tipsy brain of mine and it is boba (or …any era rex my GOD or din i just like broad men) like. catching u touching urself and u don’t notice for a bit. before being in a relationship. . ur absolutely lost in the sauce and he’s like 😳. bonus bonus points if u say his name or call him daddy. and he’s like ‼️‼️‼️‼️. esp if there was some yearning or distance in the relationship before then. i’m rlly quite drunk i apologise i’m incoherent but i want some big broad man to catch me face down ass up losing my mind and then tease + rail me about it. much love.

ahhhhh deedee my love! 🤍🤍 there is no need to apologize! life is crazy and things get in the way, but i'm so happy to hear from you! i love your thots (drunk or not) they always manage to send me into a fucking spin and ndiucvbrouibgvf you bring the three large men hello sirs i am ready 🫡

how boba, din, and rebels!rex react to accidentally walking in on you

warnings: daddy kink, accidental voyeurism so dubcon by default, reader called princess

18+ under the cut

but ok let's be real - there is a part of you that was curious what would happen if he caught you. cos you knew they would be back soon from whatever the hell he was doing (bounty hunting, slinging joopa, arguing with kanan, etc.) so deciding to have a lil' solo session right before carried a risk of getting caught. but you were excited and wanted to see what would happen.

it's been a steady build-up of flirting, longing looks, and prolonged hugs and touches. you're both falling to the same pool of desire and it's time one of you did something.

and they don't interrupt you when they find you. they're shocked that you would be thinking about them, but you best believe they will bring it up later.

boba be the most direct about it, taking the bait but still somehow making you flustered. he'll bring up casually the next day when you least expect it.

"so...you think i'm daddy?"

you'll be pushing your palms into your eyes and groaning as he chuckles at your response before leaning over to grab your wrists.

he'll call your name, asking you to look at him as he tries to coax your hands away from your eyes.

it's when your situated between his legs when you finally look at him. with his thumbs tracing the pressure points on your wrists, his grip loosens. you have every ability to push away from him, but you don't. he'll move in towards you until you can feel his breath on your face.

"is that you want, princess? for me to be your daddy?"

din, on the other hand, would be the exact opposite. he wouldn't be forward about it like boba.

even though he caught you moaning his name he isn't going to assume you want him like that. it may have been a slip or even his helmet malfunctioning.

din would be respectful as possible when he brought up while also skirting around what he saw. he'd offer to install a lock on your door or something along those lines.

"we're taking a couple days off on nevarro. i could install a lock on your door if you'd like. to give you more privacy."

and you won't catch on because privacy has never really been an issue with din despite the close living space. when you ask why, din fumbles and averts his attention to the weapon he is polishing. he tries to keep his hands busy, something to make him look busy as the words fall out of his mouth.

"i...i, well, i didn't mean to. it was an accident. i heard you, saw you actually, when you were alone."

he'll look up at you when you're quiet and he's worried because he can't read your reaction. you're neutral and it worries him. it was truly an accident but it still doesn't stop that he saw you in a position that you may not have wanted.

he'll start word vomiting just to fill the quiet space until you cut him off. "din. i don't want to leave and i don't want a lock. i want you to join me."

and rip daddy din djarin that will be the last of him.

and finally we have our beloved captain gilf rex. he's like din in that he won't be as forward as boba, but he won't try to skirt around it either.

he'll wait until you both are alone as not to embarrass you. he'll phrase it like a gentle warning, a heads up so you don't end up in this situation with someone else catching you.

"hey kid. you might want to check your door is shut next time you're...alone. i came back yesterday and saw something i don't think you wanted me to see."

you nod, your mind burning with embarrassment. it's awkard after that with you nodding and muttering an "i understand" under your voice. rex turns to leave when you figure, fuck it. he already saw you playing with yourself.

"you should join me next time, captain."

and that makes rex stop and turn around. "w-what?"

his eyes are wide as you take a step towards him. "i'll be alone again tonight. around 9pm. you should join me if you're around."

you kiss his cheek and turn around trying in your power not to sprint back to your room.

[buckybarnesdiaries]

a place called home

© credits to the author, i found it on google. if you own it, send me a message to add your @.

bucky barnes x reader. ⎢ masterlist.

Request by @dora-wolfram-blog: Hi <3 so happy to see your requests are open! How about ex Avenger reader who can manipulate the forces of nature and she comes to help Sam? (Idk maybe calling fish from the sea so his family can sell and earn enough money for the boat?) There she meets Bucky who she briefly met after endgame and they get to know each other? Domestic stuff is my weak spot so thank you so much luv u <3

word count: 1.206 words.

warnings/tags: none. bucky being a gentleman and sam a pain in the ass as always.

author notes: none of my stories contain reader’s body descriptions to be inclusive.

Join the tag list here.

Saying that Bucky and you were friends wasn’t something exactly. You fought together a couple of times before you retired from superhero life. Like many of them, the war had finished and you chose calm over being a private agent. More or less like the ex-soldier, with the difference that he went to New York and you didn’t be able to find a home until Sam made you a call. He was quite the opposite of Bucky for you, connecting since the very first second you met. After he told you about his sister’s financial trouble, he offered you a roof to sleep under in exchange for your powers to control the tide and promote the movement of fish stocks. Of course, it was a hit, and you finally found peace in Delacroix. A celebration was inevitable, it was part of Wilsons’ DNA, but you weren’t expecting Bucky to show up with Sam; although he told you in your last call that they were working together. Or something like that.

As soon as your eyes laid on him among the crowd, you knew he had changed after more than six months without seeing each other. You couldn't help but feel happy for Bucky when you saw him smiling for the first time. He had a beautiful and innocent smile, seeming like a new man. Renovated, with want to live, enjoying playing with kids and talking to old men about war stories.

You had placed your back against an oak column, away from the crowd but close enough to check on everyone, in case they need help with anything. A beer was resting against your lips, doubting on continuing drinking, lost in your thoughts. There was something about Bucky going from one side to another, laughing unworried, that had fully captivated your attention. You weren't able to stop looking at him, chuckling when you saw one of Sam's nieces putting a magnet with the form of a crab on his left arm.

“I have that teen-in-love's face on camera”.

You frowned at Redwing some inches away from your face. As a response, you tried to slap it down. But your friend was faster than you controlling that thing.

“He looks good, uh?”

“Oh, shut up…” You replied by clicking your tongue and rolling your eyes, having a sip from your drink to put your eyes away to the sea.

“He asked if you'd be here… Just saying”.

“Shut up, Samuel!” You implored, rubbing the bridge of your nose.

As the night went on and the guests started to leave, Sarah asked you to take Jim and Jody home while she stayed there cleaning with his brother about the business. You were exhausted too, and she noticed it. And after saying your goodbyes, you headed to the parking where your car was stationed, carrying the younger Wilson onto your arms —peacefully sleeping— as his big brother was yawning loudly. At that point, you realized that it was going to be a tough mission to put them in the car.

“Wait! Lemme help”.

The male voice coming from behind you made you turn around and before you could react, Bucky was taking Jody from your arms to his. You smirked softly in response, looking for the key in the right pocket of your jacket to unlock the car. The soldier tucked the younger in the back seat, placing the belt around him as Jim occupied the other side of the SUV.

“It's been good to see you”. You said after closing the door, staying outside in front of him.

“Same”. He replied, not knowing what else to say.

Puckering your lips and clapping the key on your palm, you nodded with your chin, feeling the nerves running through your veins. “Good night, Bucky”.

“Good night, (Y/N)”.

You gave him your back, sighing inappreciably, to open the pilot's place and came in.

“He— Hey, wait”.

“Uh?”

“Sam told me… you were tired. I might give you a ride back home. I can wait for him there”. The offering made you glance towards him, already sitting in your car but with a leg rest on the ground. “If you want, I mean…”

Of course he did (...). That son of a bitch had the audacity to push you onto the other. You bit your inner cheek, landing your eyes on the wheel. Yes, you were tired. You woke up at five to sail with Sarah, then you organized the party and cooked for it. You hadn't had a single second of rest during the whole day. And Sam took advantage of it, feeling like he was some kind of Cupido. And you had to recognize that it was also very considerate coming from Bucky.

“I'd appreciate it… actually”. You ended up agreeing, stepping out to give him the keys and ceding your seat.

The ride was silent between the two of you, hearing some quiet indie music playing on the radio while you fought against your brain to stay awake. Luckily, it didn't take him too long to reach Sarah's house —although you were barely keeping your eyes open at this point. Again, he helped you with the kids, walking indoors and following you to their respective rooms. You tucked Jim and Jody on their beds, making sure they were comfy before placing a kiss on their foreheads and wishing them a good night. Bucky had rested his back against the wall, in front of the elder’s room, just waiting for you. And you could swear that you saw him briefly smirking because of the tenderness in your actions.

After closing the last door, you waved your head to urge him to follow you downstairs to the living room. With an exhausted sigh escaping your lips, you let your body fall on the sofa, curling on a side of it to give Bucky some space. You couldn’t help but yawn, turning on the TV by using the control remote.

“It’s good to have a home to come back”.

“Yeah… After all the shitty situations we’ve been through… We deserved a rest, don’t you think?” You replied grabbing a cushion from the floor, using it as a pillow over the armrest. “Sorry, I… I’m deadly tired…”

“Come here, that will hurt when you wake up”.

Bucky didn’t hesitate on beckoning to his arms, taking off his boots heel against heel to place both legs over the coffee table. You didn’t resist, knowing it would be comfier by his way. Sitting up, you lied to the opposite side, being wrapped instantly and snuggled against his warm body. Shameless, you rest your head on his right forearm, practically laying over his lap. But you felt good. You felt like it was a good reward after a long day, rolling down your eyelids and focusing on the caresses in your hair you didn’t know you needed.

For a moment, your mind wandered and fantasized about this last hour being part of your real life. Putting your kids to sleep and then cuddle with your husband till falling asleep. Smell Bucky’s strong and edgy scent. Your hands scratching his back. His fingertips stroking your scalp. Your legs laced (...)

Oh, God, Sam. What did you do?

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[atlaese]

Ok so you can totally say no and ignore this. There is absolutely NO pressure. I’m just such a softie for caretaker Bucky. Like reader could be injured/fever/sick/headache anything it really doesn’t matter. I know it’s SUCH a trope, but the idea of our boy being concerned and soft for reader makes me swooooooon. Like using his cold metal hand to cool her forehead for comfort. UGH.

WASTELAND, BABY! - b.b.

Summary: The date itself was perfect. Dinner at home with Alpine at your feet? Check. Great company? Double check. Finger-licking food? Hmm, not so much. The day after was even less than ideal. Fortunately, Bucky knows a thing or two about nursing you back to health. Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader TW: illness, medicine, food poisoning, food, fluff Words: 2K A/N: Shannon, this was so cute, thank you so much for sending it in!! 💗 i hope you liked it! I had something but i wasn't happy with it and then rewrote it so lmao (also this is lowkey based on the time i had food poisoning whilst volunteering in south africa! don't order pizza with chicken and avocado from a shady restaurant!!🥲 i was so sick for a week) -> the title came from the song Wasteland, baby! by Hozier

MARVEL MASTERLIST | BUCKY BARNES MASTERLIST

The fact that you and Bucky hadn’t been able to go on a date in approximately three and a half months was horrifying to say the least. Between quick morning kisses before running off to go to work and late night cuddles in bed, it had been a real chore to find some extra time to just be together with Bucky.

Enough is enough, and you had requested a few days of leave, which the non-profit you worked for luckily allowed. Bucky had asked Torres to step in for him for a few days, needing a few days off from saving the world that was so hell-bent on destroying itself.

It was the first time in so long that you and Bucky had nothing to do on a friday night and though it felt alien at first, you easily fell back into the rhythm of comfort and belly laughs, soft touches that lingered and turned into feverish kisses.

Bucky preferred to stay in, order a pizza and just watch a movie together, avoid the prying eyes of the public that followed him everywhere he went. Bucky didn’t like parading around in town, much less when they would be able to scrutinize you as well - even though you were an absolute godsend that cared more for others than yourself.

Bucky wanted to hold you closely in his arms, get grounded again with your touches lingering on his skin where goosebumps would slowly form as he tried his best to get reconnected to you again. It was nice to just be together, home, on the couch getting lost in each other instead of the world that always demanded more and more of you.

Eventually, after pawing at each other for a few moments, your stomach grumbled, ruining the moment a bit, but also making Bucky laugh as he pressed another kiss on the soft skin under your ear, the scruff of his beard tickling your skin.

“I’ll order some pizzas, how ‘bout that?” he asked as he pulled up the menu of a nearby restaurant on his phone, scrolling through the countless choices as you crawled next to him, grabbing his arm to put it over your shoulders, nestling your head on his shoulder.

Alpine strutted in from the office and jumped up on the couch, doing a small stretch and then padding over to your lap. She loved basking in the heat of your lap, purring incessantly as Bucky listed all the options the restaurant had available.

“Wait, say that again,” you interrupted Bucky as he recited the long list of available pizzas the restaurant had to offer, “the one with avocado?”

“Uh, here - just a normal pizza with white sauce, chicken, avocado and some veggies,” he wrinkled his nose, thinking about the weird combination of ingredients.

Bucky didn’t say anything about how excited you were about this awful combination and placed the order, adding a pepperoni for himself, already preparing for the fact that you wouldn’t like the pizza and would steal half of his. He didn’t really mind, hell, he’d give you the whole pizza if you didn’t like yours, but it was pretty funny to see your face scrunch up, before you’d lightly push your plate towards him and throw in a doe-eyed look as well. Bucky just couldn’t resist then.

When the delivery guy rang the doorbell, you carefully lifted Alpine out of your lap into Bucky’s and padded over towards the door to accept the pizzas. You tipped the man before turning back to Bucky and Alpine.

Bucky’s pizza looked and smelled amazing when he opened the box, and when you opened yours, it smelled okay as well - maybe not as good as his though, you had to admit.

“You’re still sure chicken and avocado on pizza is a good idea?” he lifted a brow in question as he watched you try out the pizza.

“You can have half of mine,” he added, a little bit worried when you didn’t immediately respond but just stared at the pizza in front of you, a deadpan expression plastered on your face.

“uhu,” you waved your finger, your mouth stuffed with pizza,“it’s quite good actually.”

“Alright,” Bucky responded, doubt still clear in his voice, but your smile made it evaporate immediately, another piece of pizza in your hand already.

The rest of the evening was spent in each other's presence, enjoying the mediocre pizza for you and laughing when Alpine got a case of the zoomies,  running around the apartment and jumping on top of Bucky and the top cabinet in the kitchen.

It had been pure bliss, spending the evening with your love right beside you, you couldn’t describe it otherwise.

* * *

The day after however, had not been that great. The morning had started off with a slight headache you blamed on caffeine withdrawals. Bucky had pushed a cup of freshly brewed coffee in your hands, his soft lips lingering on your forehead as his brow scrunched together in a worrisome manner.

“You are burning up, are you sure it’s nothing else?” he voiced his concerns, worry laced through his voice as he pressed the back of his right hand against your forehead to check your temperature again.

You leaned backwards to escape his touch, the hotness of his hand making your head feel even worse, and waved his worries away, “I'm alright. It’s been a while since we stayed up this late, must be my body telling me to take it easy.”

Bucky wasn’t fully convinced of your words, his eyes focusing on your lethargic movements through the apartment as you shuffled your way to the couch in the living room, but he let it go anyway.

Seems like Bucky was right in the end after all.

After you had downed your coffee, you had actually returned to bed, claiming you were still feeling tired from staying up until ungodly hours and you had to sleep it off. You made a promise to Bucky that when you’d wake up later, you’d go on a walk through the park together to get some fresh air.

However, when Bucky went up to the bedroom after two hours of radio-silence from you, he found you shivering under a pile of blankets, sweat coating your face as you tried your best to not grimace when he came to sit beside you on the bed.

“Guess that coffee didn’t really wake you up, huh,” he softly said, his right hand coming up to check your temperature again.

The only thing you could do was groan, every part of your body ached and the swishing that was going around in your stomach wasn’t helping at all. Your bones felt like they were brittle, every movement would be able to break them. Your head felt like a ticking time-bomb, ready to explode whenever the pressure would get too much. This might have been the worst illness you ever had - except for when you got the flu when you were seven.

The decision you and Bucky had made to purchase white linen curtains made you curse your past self. The light that was filtering through usually woke you up in a gentle manner, softly kissing your skin with its warmth on your face making you feel like everything was right in the world.

Now they just mocked you. The light stung your eyes, made your head scream out for some darkness, some alleviation from the pressure that kept building up in your skull.

“Think the chicken might have gotten to me,” you managed to get out. Your throat felt like sandpaper, scratchy and hoarse and just tired.

The sheets on the bed made your skin crawl, the softly woven cotton sticking to your skin. The sheets on top of your body were too hot, but whenever you threw them off, you’d immediately start shivering, the sheen of sweat cooling you off too quickly.

“Can I get you anything?” Bucky said, his voice in a lower register, trying his best to not make any unnecessary noise to spare your head from killing you.

Bucky had never seen you this sick. Sure, you’d get a headache once in a while. Like clockwork you’d get a cold when the temperatures dipped below the freezing point. He’d supply you with tissues all over the house, bring you peppermint tea to clear your sinuses and stroke your hair when you were lying on the couch together, watching reruns of The Office.

“Uh, just some medicine maybe, from the cabinet?” you whispered, looking into his clear blue eyes that were awash with worry, worry that this was something more than food poisoning, worry that, even though you were a human who gets sick once in a while, that there could be something very wrong. Something that would rip you away from him, in a heartbeat.

“Sure,” he whispered back, pressing a kiss against your forehead before he went searching for the specific medicine in the cabinet you were adamant on hanging in the bathroom.

After looking through the cabinet, he returned with a glass of water, the medicine for your stomach and some aspirins for the fever and headache.

With shaky hands you downed the glass of water with the aspirine, as well as a shot of the medicine.

“Yuck,” your mouth turned in a frown at the bitter taste of the medicine. Bucky removed the glass from your hands and wanted to check your temperature again.

This time however, his right hand was holding the glass, so his vibranium hand softly pressed against your forehead.

The feeling of the cold metal against your feverish forehead alleviated the pressure in your head significantly as you let out a deep sigh, slowly letting your eyes close.

“Sweetheart? Everything alright?” he said, worry seeping back into his voice again as he wanted to remove his hand to get a better look of your face.

“No,” you mumbled, pressing both of your hands against his on your forehead, letting the cool metal reduce the pressure in your head, “please just keep your hand here for a bit.”

Bucky now chuckled and moved to sit a little closer to you, his left hand not leaving your head, “ah, better than the ol’ flesh hand, huh?”

You just slightly nodded, keeping your eyes closed as you hoped the medicine would start to kick in soon, finally making you feel less shit than before.

“Can I do anything else?” Bucky softly asked, still worried that talking too loud would worsen your head ache.

Bucky just wanted you to get better. Seeing the person you love incapacitated in bed with a fever made him icky. Whereas in avenger duties he could always do something, help someone in some way, here he could only give you medicine and care for you. It made him feel a bit useless.

You just opened one of your eyes, your voice coming out small and powerless, “can you just cuddle with me?”

“With your hand on my head?” you added, a small pout on your lips which Bucky wanted to kiss until they were swollen and not in a pout anymore.

“Ofcourse, bub,” Bucky moved onto the bed, laying down next to you as he cradled your head in the nook of his arm, his vibranium arm wrapping around you in a way where he could still press his hand on your forehead.

“Thank you,” you whispered against his chest, pressing a small kiss against his collarbone before closing your eyes again.

Bucky pressed his lips against the top of your head, “anything for you, darling.”

The rest of the day was spent in bed, Bucky pressed against you as the medicine worked its way through your body. Alpine eventually found her way to the bedroom and of course, she crawled between the two of you, demanding heat from both of your bodies.

The weekend hadn’t been what you expected, far from it actually, but knowing Bucky would take care of you, even on the worst days, made it all a bit better.

[frenchpuppycormier]

HI ZOË!!! angst #16 for that sentence starter post if you're still up for some writing. i love getting my feelings hurt 🤡

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Then why are there bruises all over your face?"

—

Kara doesn't have a mean bone in her body.

She waves at every animal she sees on her daily walks and patrols at night. She gives and gives to people without expecting anything in return. When someone is having a bad day or just really needs to talk, she listens, even criminals. Most of them aren't any different than the average person, they simply were dealt the wrong hand. She's extremely loyal and doesn't take anything personally. One time, Kara saved a fly that was trapped in a spider's web.

So yeah, Kara doesn't have a mean bone in her body. Which is why today is such an anomaly.

She's in the kitchen still dressed in her navy chinos and baby pink button up with palm trees from when she came home from work. Andrea made her rewrite an article thrice, Jeremy from accounting had broken the copier machine and politely asked for her help in fixing it, she stopped a bank robbery a few blocks down from CatCo when she realized the police wouldn't get there in time, and to top it all off she unwillingly skipped lunch after someone stole her sandwich from the staff fridge.

To say she was exhausted and starving was an understatement. Changing into her pajamas meant she had to walk all the way to the bedroom and Kara was too lazy, even for superspeed.

As she stirs her homemade tomato sauce she taps her phone screen and checks the time. 6:35 pm. Frowning, Kara doesn't see any missed messages or calls from Lena letting her know she's going to be late.

She shrugs to herself and thinks Lena must've gotten caught up in her lab and lost track of time. It happens more often than not, and Kara doesn't think it'll ever change, much to her chagrin. It's bad enough Lena forgets to eat lunch most days, but to continuously forget her phone and watch in her office? Kara knows her wife's a workaholic, but she wasn't aware until now, the fourth night this week, that it was getting this bad.

Kara strains the pasta and cuts the garlic bread while periodically stirring the sauce and checking her phone. She decides to finally turn on some music when the silence of the penthouse becomes too stifling and daunting.

She's in the middle of dancing to ABBA and plating the food when she hears a familiar heartbeat walking down the hall. Kara tries not to listen to it too often—she doesn't want Lena to feel like her privacy has been invaded—but sometimes she can't help it. Her wife's heartbeat is one of the most soothing sounds she's ever heard, and ever since she heard it for the first time, she's just been naturally drawn to it, like a moth to a flame.

Kara smiles as she hears it get closer until Lena's opening the door and walking through. "Hey, babe! I'm in the kitchen!" she yells, her energetic voice reverberating throughout the house.

There's no verbal response like there usually is, which is the first warning sign. The second is when Lena walks by—she has to in order to go to their room—it's with quick steps and careful avoidance. But Kara's been able to read her like a book since they've known each other, and she knows something's amiss by the way Lena doesn't even greet her with a kiss. She always does.

"Lena?"

Her wife stops frozen in her tracks, head angled down, hair covering her face like a curtain. Lena's heart ticks up a beat, leaving Kara wildly concerned.

"Lena?" she steps around the island and stands in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she mumbles.

Kara tilts her head to make eye contact, but Lena moves her head so she can't. "Then why won't you let me look at you?"

"It's nothing, I-I'm fine."

"And why does that not convince me?" Kara sighs. Lena doesn't move a muscle and she keeps quiet. "Are you hurt?"

"No." She still shows no signs of moving. It's like she's decided her next career move is becoming one of those marble sculptures at the museum people love to gawk at.

"Lena...you're scaring me." She tentatively reaches out and grasps Lena's fingers, tremendously thankful when she doesn't pull away. If there's one thing her wife is bad at, it's letting people in. But she also knows when she's feeling stressed or overwhelmed that holding her hand relaxes and grounds her. "Please..."

Finally, after standing there in an awkward and probably painful way with the way Lena's neck is positioned, she slowly looks up. Kara audibly gasps when she sees her, and what she sees ignites a fire in her chest and a fury in her eyes. "If you're not hurt, then why are there bruises all over your face?"

"Kara.."

"Lena," she breathes and lifts her hands to gently cup her face, tears pooling in her eyes. Her breathing is significantly more ragged than before, and she mentally takes note of why that is. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," she repeats.

Kara frowns and backs away, crossing her arms. "Who did this to you?"

"Please, Kara. I don't want to make a big deal—"

"Who?" her voice is lower and angrier, sending chills down Lena's back. She grits her teeth, "Lena, tell me who did this to you now, so I can kill them."

"Kara, this isn't you," she reaches forward to calm her down, but Kara starts pacing.

"The hell it isn't!" Kara exclaims, fists clenching at her sides. "My wife was beaten for all I know, and she's acting like it's just another day at the office!" she gestures at Lena, exasperatedly. "How would you expect me to act?"

Lena flinches at her tone.

Kara notices, because she always notices when Lena's in distress, and she deflates. "Lena, you're the love of my life, my person, and when you're hurt I can't help how I act. I'm sorry if I seem like I'm overreacting or if I'm yelling, but it's you." She walks back into her space and places her hands over Lena's face, thumbs lightly grazing her cheekbones, careful not to bump her wounds. "It's you," she whispers.

Lena swallows thickly, and when she speaks her voice is soft and afraid. "It was an accident."

"Did someone do this to you?" Kara's jaw clenches as she lets go. She doesn't stray far though, crossing her arms in front of her chest to try and calm down.

"Kara, no," Lena sighs, tears pooling in her eyes. "I...I did it to myself."

"What?" Kara's arms drop to her sides. "What are you talking about?"

"I was in a board meeting," she clears her throat. "Um...I was presenting a new prototype for...for," Lena shakes her head and frowns tensely. She rubs her eyes with tight fists and with a shaky breath, she cries, "Kara, I—I can't remember!"

Kara steps forward and grasps her hands. "Hey, it's okay. Take your time." She rubs soothing circles over her knuckles with her thumbs.

Lena takes a deep breath and tries again. "I was in a board meeting, and I vaguely recall getting a terrible migraine. Everything after that is fuzzy," she sniffles and takes her hands back to wipe her eyes. "Jess said I fell and hit my head on the table on the way down."

Kara inhales shakily, "What?"

"I had a seizure, I guess," she says it with a slight lilt at the end like it's a question she doesn't want answered. "Uh, it lasted about five minutes until the paramedics arrived. They said I was lucky I wasn't doing something else, like driving. It could've been a lot worse."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't anyone call me?," Kara looks at her with pleading but sorrowful eyes.

"I didn't want you to worry."

"We promised each other, remember?" squeezes her hands. "For better or worse," she says with all the conviction she has. Kara kisses her knuckles and asks, "What did the doctors say?"

Lena sniffles and bows her head. "They ran all these tests on me, but couldn't find anything serious as to why I had a seizure. It could be any number of things, but they can't really do anything for me until I have another one," she looks up at her wife, lips wobbling.

"Kara, I'm scared," she whispers. "This is—" her words catch in her throat, and it's hard for her to breathe. "This is—my mom," she cries hysterically, covering her mouth with her hands, "This is how my mom died, she—she had a seizure while she was in the lake and she drowned. I can't—I can't believe this is—this is happening," she hiccups into another sob.

"Shhh," Kara envelops her in a hug and rubs soothing hands along her back. Lena bawls uncontrollably into her neck, hands gripped tightly to the back of Kara's shirt. "I'm so sorry, Lena," she kisses her on the head and murmurs into her hair, "We're gonna figure this out, I promise."

"What if I have what she had?" Lena questions, voice muffled and watery. "Kara...I don't wanna die," her mind begins to fill with thousands of different scenarios and she spirals into a panic, her whole body shaking, "I don't wanna die, Kara!"

"Honey, no," Kara hugs her tighter, as much as she can without harming her, then pulls back and kisses her on the forehead. She pointedly looks into her eyes when she says, "You're not dying. Okay? Not today, not anytime soon, alright?" Lena's face is red and splotchy. She tries to reign in control of her emotions, and she exhales a shaky breath while managing to give a slight nod. "Good. We'll figure out what's wrong with you, and if we can't do that here, then...we'll go to Argo. Their advances in science are way ahead of Earth's, and if that's not enough then I'll personally travel to other earths or other planets until I find a solution. You're not going anywhere if I have anything to say about it."

"Promise?"

Kara palms the underside of her jaw and rests their foreheads together, Lena's puffs of breath hitting her lips. "I promise," she presses their lips together in a chaste kiss and mumbles, "I love you." Kara kisses her again, "More than anything."

"I love you, too," Lena replies and buries her face in Kara's chest, her arms wrapped around her waist tight and what would be restricting if not for Kara’s invulnerable body. A calming minute passes for them in the aftermath of Lena's breakdown, when Lena quietly asks, "Is something burning?"

Lena feels her wife stiffen in her arms. "Shit!"

She pulls back and raises her eyebrows curiously, an amused glint in her eyes as she asks, "Did you just swear?"

Kara extracts herself from Lena's hold and stutters, "N-no, I said sh-sheet," she fumbles over to the stove and turns off the burner. Kara leans over the pot and frowns at the wreckage.

Lena chuckles with such fondness it's almost like their previous conversation has been forgotten. Kara beams at the sound, one of the reasons she fell in love with Lena in the first place; that girl can make laughter sound like music. Even her out-of-control snort laughs are adorable. At least to Kara's ears.

"There's no point in denying it, love, I heard you loud and clear," Lena smirks and joins her in the kitchen, poking her in the side. Kara squeals and feigns hurting by falling to the floor dramatically.

Lena playfully rolls her eyes and holds out her hand. "Baby, get up, the floor is a mess." Kara easily obeys and jumps to her feet with barely any help from Lena. "I married a weirdo," she shakes her head.

"Do you regret it?"

"Never," Lena states firmly. "You're my weirdo, forever."

"I like the sound of that," Kara blushes. Even after being married for five years, and knowing each other even longer, Lena still possesses the ability to fluster Kara on a daily basis.

"C'mon, let's order Chinese."

"You're speaking my language!" Kara kisses Lena on the nose and watches with pure affection as it scrunches. She grabs the takeout menu from the junk drawer before twining her fingers through Lena's and snuggling with her on the couch.

No matter her diagnosis, not matter the outcome, Lena will be more than okay with Kara by her side.