#also yeah that dream unsurprisingly ends up as a falling dream where you wake up just as you’re about to smash into the ground

[okayjokesover]

this ad looks almost alarmingly close to the stress dream I have quite regularly where I’m driving across the gladesville bridge & it suddenly starts sloping up into an upside down loop like i’m in mario party & i’m trying to keep a car usually with a few of my friends in it on a vertical slope, something which my brain intellectually knows isn’t possible & we are all about to die

so how do i report this for not being tagged for ‘impossible bridge antics’

[lokilickedme]

Road Trip

I woke up about twenty minutes ago to answer a text and realized halfway through my reply that I’d just surfaced from a dream that felt ridiculously real - and that all the details were still with me.  It was too good to let slip into the oblivion of wakefulness, so here I sit, still groggy, haven’t peed yet, typing it out.  I’m putting it in shortfic format but all the details are as they were dreamed, nothing’s been changed or added.

‘Twas a good one.  Sort of.  If you like that sort of thing.

Warnings for general unease and suspense and ambiguous ending, because yeah, I dream like that.

Starring a couple of familiar faces.

I’m driving.  Endless interstate, late afternoon, there’s snow on the median where the plows have pushed it but it’s been warm for days.  It’s melting off, leaving behind dirty patches dyed by splashing mud and blown debris.  Pale yellow grass pokes out here and there, like a warning that Spring has either come or gone.  I don’t have a clue which, but there’s a coat slung over the back of my passenger seat.

My husband is on the other end of my phone.  I need a map, I tell him.  I’m not supposed to be making this trip, this yearly pilgrimage to visit his old and demented father.  I don’t like him, I never have, and I don’t know the way.  But for some reason our standard placeholders have flipped and I’m in this car, on this interstate, driving to Wyoming while he stays home with the kids.

I’m driving East, and I know that makes no sense.  I’m winging it.  He’s giving me directions the way he always does, in a way that my nontypical comprehension center unsurprisingly doesn’t comprehend.  Stay right.  The road will merge.

And then it doesn’t, so I keep going straight.

I must be a thousand miles off course before I decide it’s time to stop.

The scenery changes abruptly, as if it’s been listening to my thoughts.  Concrete highway becomes rocky dirt road, traffic becomes trees, and eventually, as dark begins to replace the sunny warmth of late afternoon, I pull up at a cabin, sort of.  A half screened, half enclosed crackerbox square bungalow, flashing me a new coat of brown paint as if it’s proud of its spiffiness.  It’s been painted a thousand times, I know if I dig my fingernail into the brown coating it will scrape away at least a dozen layers of the browns that came before it.

The key is in an unlocked lockbox out front.  Someone knew I was coming.

Inside I find a bed, as square and frequently made and remade as the bungalow itself.  A heating unit the size of a refrigerator in the corner next to the bed with a stiff lever switch that I can’t flip, maybe because it’s been turned on and off as many times as the walls have been painted and the bed’s been made.  I struggle with it for a while, then give up.  The bathroom is small.  It has a shower, small and square, and a sink with a mirror above it in the same shape.  Everything here seems determined to go against the nature that surrounds it, refusing to be anything but...square.  The hardwood floor clacks unnervingly loud with my footsteps.

I realize I’m in a cabin in the woods.

And I know this doesn’t bode well.

I call my husband, tell him I’ve stopped for the night.  He asks where I am and I make something up, because I really don’t know.  I tell him I can’t turn the heat on, he tells me to look around for some tools, I tell him I’ll be back on the road in the morning.  He reminds me I’m on a deadline.  I see my father-in-law’s face in my head, and I hate it.

I know he’s been dead for two years.  The dream doesn’t seem to care about that.

The bungalow is single-room.  One wall is screened, exposing me to the view of anything that might be out there.  I know there are others, peppered here and there throughout the woods, each numbered with a lockbox out front, waiting for someone to go inside and sleep, take a shower in the tiny bathroom, fight with the heater switch.  I’m not alone but all I can see are trees.  I don’t care much for the screened wall.  I also don’t care much for the long built-in open toolbox that stretches the length of that screened wall like a windowbox for deadly implements instead of flowers.  A goddamn liability if someone decided to come kill me during the night.  I pull several hammers and what looks like a machete out of the toolbox and push them under the bed.

I’m staring at a map, trying to sort just how far off course I am, when a knock on the door startles me.  It opens to reveal a tall man in a Sheriff’s uniform, smiling the sly smile of a man who’s friendly but cautious and maybe just a little bit suspicious.  He wants to know if I’ve settled in comfortably, but mostly he wants to know what I’m doing here.

Donald Sutherland, circa 1990.  White hair, white beard, the laughing eyes of a serial killer.  I wonder how much they paid him to play this role even as I’m telling him I’m only here for the night and will be leaving in the morning.  I’m not really listening while he goes through his spiel - a mom and pop convenience store up the road, gas station further on, Ranger station a mile over, is there anything I need?  I’m thinking of the machete and hammers under the bed and notice he’s eyeing the toolbox as if he knows something is missing.

The heater I blurt out.  I can’t get it to come on, the switch is stuck.

Let me get my Deputy to fix that for you, he’s good with things like that.  Gonna get cold tonight.

His Deputy steps out from behind him, and I wonder if he’s been there all along or if he simply walked up without me noticing.  He’s instantly familiar.

Tom Hiddleston.  Why does the Deputy look like Tom Hiddleston?

Likely for the same reason the Sheriff looks like Donald Sutherland, circa 1990.  I step back as he comes through the screened door, taking off his hat and greeting me, friendly and helpful and not waiting for permission to come inside.  The Sheriff grins and tips his head to me.

See you in the morning he says as he turns to leave.

And then he’s gone, but I see no car drive off.

I have a million questions, but he wasn’t the one to ask.

The Deputy doesn’t stop to look around the room.  He’s been here before, he knows where everything is.  He looks at the heater switch, laughs like he knows something but doesn’t share the joke or the information with me.  My phone is ringing and I silence it.

You’ve been traveling a long time.

I nod, even though I haven’t.  I’d left that afternoon, it had only been a few hours.  I stand near the foot of the bed, watching early evening fall suddenly into the deep dark of night through the screened wall, my feet just inches from the tools under the bed.  They’re weapons, I know.  Nobody needs that many hammers.  The Deputy knows they’re somewhere in the room but he makes no show of looking for them.

He’s handsome.  His hair is a bit shaggy and he’s bearded.  And he’s moving around the bungalow as if it’s his house, doing the things one does when in familiar surroundings.  He goes into the bathroom and I wait, wondering if I should call my husband.

It never enters my mind to leave.  There’s one last glow of sunlight slipping down beneath the edge of the horizon through the trees and I make my decision, though it’s not at all clear what that decision is.  My head simply makes it without telling me.

He’s talking to me, the Deputy, from the bathroom.  Chatting comfortably, friendly - he’ll check the place over, make sure it’s safe, get that heater going, look under the bed for boogeymen.  I know he’s not here to do any of those things.  He’s at the sink with his back to me, washing his hands, or maybe he’s rinsing the razor he’s holding.  I could do any one of a number of things but I don’t do any of them, and as I stand behind him I know why.

None of it would matter.  If I went for the tools he would simply overpower me.  If I ran, he would catch me.  If I screamed, nobody would hear me.  If I hid, he would find me.  This is his territory, I just arrived.

He looks at me in the mirror.  He’s not the least bit concerned about me doing any of those things.  He lets his lips curl gently into the soft smile of a kind predator, and then he reaches over to turn out the light.

He’s standing between me and that last sliver of sunlight now, and as it disappears behind his head and darkness takes us, I tell him I’m cold.

Don’t worry about that, he says.

[ragnvindrbrainrot]

"You're Mine."

Character: Childe

Request: Yeah from my own horny brain 😩

Warnings: Softcore Yandere, 18+ themes, violence ig? bondage, knife play, sadomasochism, mention of master/server kink, slight degradation?

Words: 1.2k of pure thirstiness babey

okay first of all Childe is devoted to his partner regardless of being yandere so jot that down real quick

normally when Childe is interested in someone he wont mind playfully reciprocating when a stranger is flirting with him in an attemp to make his interest jealous

however with you the idea that Childe could give the impression of not wanting you? of not needing you? that he doesn't have you on his mind and your name on the tip of his tongue every waking moment his job forces him away from you?

he'd literally rather die lmao

Childe kind of,,,, he's like a dog lol has to make sure people know what's his

before he starts charming you if someone's checking you out the moment you turn away from Childe that man is slinging an arm over your shoulders and playing up his cheerful carefree act

but don't be mistaken. under that smile is a scorching glare directed at anyone who even dares to look at you in a way he deems "rude", or "lusty" which could be anything from admiring the way sunlight catches on your hair to having the gall to not notice your beauty 🥴

and if someone dares to flirt with you? it doesn't matter if he's not there when they do. after all as a harbinger its not like the fatui lackeys are going to question his orders to watch over you and report any, shall we say, discrepancies then well. he'll just have to handle it won't he?

not to mention archons forbid the flirter makes you uncomfortable, some things Childe has learned while working for the fatui are suddenly a lot more useful

anyway,,, moving on to what we're all here for lol

Childe might come off as careless and harsh, perhaps even sometimes dismissive in certain scenarios (bro u aint ever paying for a single thing again in ur entire life if he can help it💀) but when the night rolls in? and its just the two of you with no one around to report his "weakness" to the tsaritsa?

oh he worships you

he has all manner of things he wants to say and do to you but most of all the things Childe needs most is you in pleasure, anything you want, anything you ask for as long as it doesn't let another see you coming undone Childe gives it to you without a second thought

okay so some specific ones that made me really go 🥴 and commit to typing this up haha

bondage. thats it thats the hc (jk jk)

silk ropes, handcuffs, spread bars, hell even his scarf, no especially his scarf Childe is always breathless at the sight of you tied up and at his mercy

the knowledge that it's only him that gets to see you like this? that you, with how strong you are don't hesitate to give complete and utter control over to him simply because you trust him to take care of you? ooohhhh it sends shivers down his spine

he lavishes you with kisses up and down and up and down your torso leaving little nibbles and hickeys wherever he wants and feeling his chest fill with pride at the way your whimpers and moans echo around the room

also im not saying hes a sadomasochist but hes absolutely a sadomasochist haha

his madochist side refuses to let himself cum until you have at least twice and even then Childe is still more focused on giving you pleasure then taking it for himself

throw back to that point that he'd give you anything you ask? ask to dominate him and pretty please tie me up, choke me, use me in whichever way you as long as he's blessed with the sight of you in the throes of pleasure his master/mistress

okay moving on to sadist Childe don't mind if i do mmMmMmm 🥴🥴🥴

ask him to be rough with you and you might have to pray to the nearest archon for oxygen because it makes him so excited he kisses you quite literally breathless

just look okay the idea of you letting Childe be rough with you, tugging you around by ropes or his scarf, pulling on your hair to remind you to keep your eyes open so he can see the way they roll back into your skull when he brings you over the edge

he loves the fact you like the marks he leaves all over you and how you can get shy when people gossip about your hickeys

choking? fuck man he choked on air when you brought it up 🥴 the fact that you're willing to put your life in his hands? in the most literal sense of the words while being so intimate gives him a hard on so painfull he thinks he might just cum on the spot

pushes you down on the bed, one hand around your neck the other in your hair tugging it every time he sees your eyes flutter shut, and as he thrusts harshly into you he whispers every filthly thought that pops into his head

"you're mine, only mine sweetheart"

"mine to use, mine to love, mine to wreck"

"only I get to see you like this, tied up and begging with tears in your eyes as i make you cum over and over and over again"

"they can dream all they like but at the end of the day you belong to me, your heart, your mind, your body, your pleasure, its all mine. isn't it, darling?"

"next time someone dares to flirt with what's mine, I might just have to show them, though of course then i'd have to kill them after all haha!"

okay so moving on to a unpopular kink of mine i just KNOW Childe would moan to think about 🥴

knife play baby and since he can make daggers w his vision lets just combine the two to make knife+vision play

loves the heady feeling he gets at seeing blood beading at the light cuts he skims across youre skin, but don't worry Childe will follow his hydro blades with his tongue pushing down and dragging it along the cut loving how it makes you squirm and whine in a beautiful mix of pleasure and pain

also aftercare with this man? prepare to be treated like a god/goddess

need a drink? of course! feeling hungry darling? why just tell him what you want to eat and Childe will get it right away

on top of that if you want a shower but don't have the energy to stand up don't worry Childe will carry there and wash away all the sweat and cum from your session

Childe will run you a shallow bath after washing the grime away, warm water and bath salts to soothe any aches and leave you to soak while he cleans up the bed, changing the sheets swapping the blanket and picking out clothes for you to sleep in (one of his shirts of course 🥴)

after all that he comes back and slides into the bath behind you, peppering soft kisses to your neck and shoulders all the while whispering praises about how wonderful you are, how much he loves you, the fact you make him feel whole in a way he didn't know he was lacking

unsurprisingly you probably fall asleep in the bath to his sweet praises, but thats okay : ) Childe will drain the bath and dry you off softly and put your sleeping clothes on before carrying you to bed where he wraps you up into his arms and blankets

the next morning you wake up to a lingering kiss, hooded eyelids and the smell of breakfast as Childe spends the few minutes he has left before leaving for work looking after your wellbeing

[nomoregoldfish]

Imagine Pacho Sends You as a Gift to (Spy on) Amado 2/3

This is getting out of hand again, smh. (Not really) Warning: everyone loves Pacho. Un-betaed, I’ll post the entire thing on AO3 later. For now, you can find part 1 here.

Amado is occupied with all sorts of business affairs after you land in DF, leaving you to his younger brother Vicente. You quickly learn Vicente is in charge of security of all cartel business, that's something, you assume.

When asked why you don't go to Juárez directly, Vicente tells you Amado has several meetings with some important figures in DF. You have to figure out a way to infiltrate the plaza to learn more about Amado, staying at a luxury apartment owned by the narcos won't get you anything useful.

"She's crazy!" Vicente's whining when Amado finally shows up late that night, "She woke up at 5 in the morning for a fucking jog and dragged my ass to a wet market before it even opened. And that's not the end of it, she bought so much fish and my car still smells like a stinky fish tank right now."

Vicente is a bit exaggerating but you do have a fruitful trip to the local market. 

"Yet you finished everything she cooked." Amado points at the empty plates on the dining table, not annoyed at all.

"Do you have some leftovers?" The tall Mexican turns to you. Vicente interrupts, "No, we ate all salmon sashimi because Ryoko said salmon has to be served as fresh as possible, and I ate all wasabi. Oh man, that shit is hotter than serrano peppers. But don't worry, we have a lot of more fish in the jacuzzi." Right, it comes handy to have more than one bathtub in the luxury apartment.

Finally Amado sends away his bratty little brother. Then it's just the two of you. 

"I've got something for you." You remember to smile, which seems to work fine as Amado approaches. "All done?" He asks, you haven't figured it out what he's asking about, the dishes? Yes. Then the Mexican lowers your ponytail, running his fingers through your hair. 

"You don't wanna hair in your grilled pacific saury." You joke, bringing him another set of hot meal you specifically make for him.

"Tell me more about it." Amado takes a large bite, looking satisfied and more relaxed.

You two are chatting over some mezcal and a plate of edamame afterwards. Amado asks about your day, and trades some anecdotes about Vicente when you tentatively ask about his. The fucker is smart and vigilant. 

"I have to tell you something," Okay, you get his full attention, "The bluefin tuna you ate three days ago wasn't served in the best condition. Pacho wanted a show, everything grand and pretty, so I had to cut the red part of the fish and make a bright-colored akami plate right away. It's meaty and chewy, which should have been aged for three days in the fridge to allow the texture to soften and release more flavor," You opens the fridge, showing Amado several chunks of tuna you already cut out, "You can have friends over in three days, I bought enough for a full table."

"What about the pink ones?" He seems genuinely interested. You continue to explain that different parts of tuna offer variable tastes from super fatty pink otoro around the head and collar to chutoro, mixture of fat and meat from the back and belly.

To your surprise, Amado asks for a slice of the fat part, "You said it's the most expensive one. I shouldn't waste your hard-earned money, right?" Both of you laugh.

You take a really fat cut. When you're looking for a plate and the soy sauce, Amado just eats it from your hand. Your fingers are freezing from the tuna and when he swallows them with the slice, the hot and soft sensation around fucking turns you on like nothing else. The sashimi-hater even licks your fingers a few more times, "to clean the fat."

As he claimed, "It's better."

"Now you're gonna show me how you destroy my jacuzzi on day one."

You feel great sitting by the edge of the jacuzzi a.k.a. your temporary fish tank and checking out all the aquatic animals you bought earlier.

"It could've been us in it." What a tease. You laugh then get up, "I don't think it's a good idea to get naked with lobsters and octopuses." 

"Wait," Amado turns you around, still sitting by the edge, "Let me make it up for you."

When Amado decides to give you a head, you simply don't say no. It's like sitting on his face because you can barely stand still. He notices then pulls you closer. The lips used to wrap around your fingers now make you feel like in heaven, and God bless his fucking tongue. The Mexican is driving you mad.

"Shh, you wake up the octopus." You're at the tipping point and the fucker pauses. You open your eyes, an octopus is on the move, two tentacles approaching the edge of the jacuzzi, sucker rings very close to your bare legs.

Then imagine Amado gets up and pushes you up against the tiles in the shower, silencing you with a rough kiss. You taste yourself, and something raw, could be the tuna or the cigarettes he smokes. You get even more aroused by that. 

You're desperate for more of his touch. So you grab his big hand and put it between your thighs, and he's willing to comply. 

This is too much. You cum just after a few rubs against him.  

"I'm sorry for the other night. You're a genius." Amado's playing dirty, sweet-talking while he continues to rub against your oversensitive part, "Would you do me favor? I'm thinking about hosting a few guests, somewhere private, the tuna will be ready by Friday, right?"

You can't believe he falls for the trick. This could be an important business meeting and you're gonna be there.

"Sure. Can I ask something in return?" You already come to your senses while giving Amado a painfully slow handjob.

"Anything you want. Flowers? Jewelry? Cars? I have some better collections than Pacho's Corvette C4. Too flashy." Amado offers generously.

You can't help laughing, "Gosh, how could men make everything a dick comparison contest?"

"You saw his dick?" Amado bites your lower lips. He's rock hard, throbbing.

"I thought you did, too. You two seem very close. I mean, Pacho is a gorgeous man." You keep going, and teasing. You enjoy the fact that you just plant something really dirty in Amado's head. You bet he's having an imaginary threesome with you and Pacho. Not a bad idea though.

By the time you make him come, the Mexican almost forgets what you're asking.

"I ask 'Do you have some dumbbells?' I need my daily training and I don't have time to find a new gym here. What? How do you think I'm able to handle a 150lbs tuna in a line of work mostly for men?" You give Amado a little squeeze before licking it off.

You have a dream that night, being penetrated by Amado in some warm water while a giant octopus sucks you off. You wake up with wetness down there.

You visit several Japanese restaurants in town, unsurprisingly boring. You get the idea that local middle-class see Japanese cuisine as an exotic and cultural novelty. 

You even invite Amado to have lunch at one of those restaurants during his break. He frowns at the food after the first bite, "You can't do this to me."

What? "Asking me to eat this crap is inhumane. I'm spoiled." Amado makes it sound like you're the bad guy, but these smiling eyes give him away. He looks at you the way that makes you feel wanted.

You two end up eating cheap Mexican street food and that's where you find some early blossoms of jacarandas with excitement.

"You want those?" Amado asks, picking up some dried petals from the street. All you can think of is jacarandas flower could be an interesting alternative to sakura, which adds a domestic touch to the food you're gonna prepare for Friday. 

"Yes, please." Amado must find it weird but he just nods.

Once being brought to the outskirt location of the private meeting, you spend more time making rearrangement of the decor, trying to create an authentic Japanese ryotei experience. 

You call Amado once for extra resources. It's tricky because you don't know if you're in a position to ask anything when he's away, busy.

"I'm glad you called. I may not be an Asian culture fanatic like Pacho but I promise you will have anything you want. Whatever rare shit he's bought you, just name it. I'll have an entire Boeing 727 team ready to fly it in from every fucking corner of the world." Yeah, the dick measuring thing is still going on. 

What you don't mention is that you're also glad to hear his voice. "Will you come over?" You almost let it slip, "I mean, to see if you like everything."

"No. I trust you," Amado pauses, "I'll be an hour early."

"Mind the traffic." Bright laughter breaks from the other end of the line.

And thanks to the highly efficient Carrillo Air Express, stuff you request is brought to you the next day including a whole box of violet jacarandas petals.

You ask for a guest list before starting to set the table. "Just set tables for eight people." Vicente clearly has no idea of being a host. You explain that it's part of your job to make sure no one is allergic to seafood. "How the fuck do I know that?" The young man is still complaining.

"Don't worry. Give me a list. I'll look for their office numbers, call their secretaries and find out."

Vicente is easily convinced. You get what you want, a list of high-up politicians and business executives. Not sure how this is relevant but you memorize the names and companies anyway.

Amado makes his arrival almost cinematic. With a chopper still swirling outside, the man in black steps out from the driving seat on the right and waves to you like a king. 

"You're early." You can hide your smile this time.

"Because someone suggested I should 'mind the traffic.' It happens I've owned a few choppers." The fucker looks like a dashing pilot out Hollywood movies. 

You joke that he's nothing like what Pacho used to say, "Low-profile my ass." 

"Oh, Pacho talks about me?"

"Stop. I'm really not interested in which one of you has a bigger dick."

Later Amado hands you a wrapped frame. "I heard you're looking for some Japanese art for decoration. I don't know anything about art but..."

You can't believe he brings you a shunga, tradition Japanese erotic painting, depicting a giant octopus performing oral on a woman with pink tentacles all over her naked body. "You're ridiculous." You frown, it's too explicit you're not sure if it's appropriate for such an occasion.

"I saw something similar at Pacho's house. Well, minus the woman. Just boys." The cheeky bastard winks at you, "You're also serving octopus sashimi tonight? It's a fit then." That's how a print of the famous Octopus and Girl Diver ends up in the main room.

Dinner starts at 8 and everything is ready. You're asked to briefly introduce each dish to the guests when one's presented. Guests praise everything from the chopstick rest made of porcelain with traditional Mexican patterns, to the floral-shaped bream sashimi slices. The tuna sushi is a hit, everyone loves it. You give Amado a knowing smirk when you catch him taking a few himself. The octopus sashimi is a bit tricky but the guests are so "polite", they still pretend to enjoy the exotic food. 

The rest of the time you stay outside the room. You hear things but not in a coherent manner. Amado mentions NAFTA, export-oriented furniture and auto parts factories in Juárez, and two of them are head of the biggest tequila exporters of the country. Nothing makes sense for the drug business. Is the most successful Mexican drug trafficker gonna shift to other legitimate businesses? That might have an impact on Pacho's business.

When dessert is brought to the table, everyone wows — the improvised jacarandas mochi with dried petals is a nice surprise to end the dinner. You tell them the story that instead of the much-anticipated sakura which wasn't well-adjusted to the Mexican weather, how jacarandas was introduced to Mexico City by a Japanese gardener in the 1930s. All the guests finish their plates while giving you a few nods.

Amado seems very pleased with everything you've done. He lowers his voice to ask you to wait for him afterwards.

"Where are we going?" You ask through the headphones. Seems Amado is flying you back to downtown DF.

The Mexican smirks, "To the sky."

You finally land atop the roof of a skyscraper, "This is the tallest building in Mexico." Amado holds you tight when you exit the chopper. The wind at night in early January is insane, let alone you're 700ft above the ground.

It must be some five-star hotel but turns out it's an office building of Pemex, Mexico's state-owned oil company. WTAF? "Put it this way, the biggest exporters of the country hang out sometimes." Amado's sense of humor is something you didn't expect, "Well, I'm not saying they bring as many unattached US dollars as I do, not even close."

When you let the fact sink in — that the Juárez cartel probably earns twice as much as the biggest oil company in the country through exporting "goods," having access to a secret suite on the top floor of the Pemex Tower is not surprising at all.

"You bring people here often?" You ask when Amado pops a bottle of wine. The city view from the 54th floor is stunning.

"I didn't know you're the jealous type." He brings you a glass. You two stand in front the giant window, raising your glasses like you're celebrating. 

"You haven't asked what we're celebrating." Amado takes a step closer.

You put index finger on his lips, which are incredibly soft. Immediately remind you last time you kissed, "I don't want to get myself killed in a foreign country."

"Did Pacho teach you that? Not asking questions, just do your thing." Amado starts kissing your hand.

"Oh, my God. You're so obsessed with him, and it's kinda cute."

"Nonsense." The Mexican disagrees, and turns to the window. 

You sets both of your glasses aside, then leads Amado to the bed. You get undressed first, lying on the bed, waiting.

"You're sure this is something you want?" You ask, completely stripped. Amado stares at your flat-chested body like the first time he found out who you are. 

"You make it sound like I haven't sleep with supermodels. That funny?" The fucker tickles you, "You have no idea..."

Imagine Amado makes you feel adored, marking every inch of your body with his big hands and soft lips. He takes time, mapping your body till he finds the most sensitive spots and makes you moan, shivering.

"Let me warm you up." Amado probably thinks you're cold, so he spoons you. The long limbs of his are like tentacles wrapped around you, fuck, you can feel his erection grinding against you.

You're so wet for Amado. When he finally pushes in from behind, neither of you can resist the sensation.

"Wanted to do this to you the whole week. You're such a fucking tease, aren't you? Dropped at my door in that kimono robe then left without letting me even touch you." Amado pounds into you, with hand reaching your little bean from behind, making you a total mess.

 "Why didn't you make me stay then?" You're nearly breathless, "Is it...because it's within Pacho's territory?" You obviously cross some line with that. The thrusts become harder, feels like Amado is gonna fuck you senseless.

You're not sure if Pacho wants to know you are talking about him when you reach orgasm. 

You decide to leave it out before you pass out.

[charpaige]

my canon chenry fantasy

Here’s how I would’ve made Chenry canon. This is a little bit over 2,300 words to compensate for the slow burn they should’ve got.

For starters, I would’ve started their relationship in Season 3. I know, I know, what about starting it in Season 1? We’ll let Henry enjoy all of his little love trysts in the first two seasons since those were actually pretty important to his character growth. It also allowed Charlotte and Henry to really bond and have some really important conversations. So, we keep those.

But, one of my favorite tropes is when someone close to a superhero gets kidnapped and they realize how important that kidnapped person is to them.

I would’ve had Charlotte get kidnapped by a new villain. A female villain too, since we barely had any of those. She’d be like Rick Twittler in a way. Since she shows up unexpected and adds a level of seriousness that the show hadn’t possessed yet. Let’s call her Miss H.

And of course, Charlotte being kidnapped drives Henry crazy because hey, one of his best friends are missing and it seems like Schwoz and Ray aren’t doing enough to bring her back.

So, Henry decides to take matters into his own hands. And predictably, he fails miserably in his rescue attempt and ends up captured with Charlotte.

While waiting for Ray and Schwoz to rescue them, the two of them have some serious bonding for a few days. They talk about missing Oreo milkshakes, wonder about what happened to Jasper’s bucket collection, and dramatically fantasize about their youth like they’re knocking on death’s door.

When Captain Man finally makes it to where Charlotte and Henry are captured, they’re moved to a room by Miss H’s goons with a two-way mirror so they could see the showdown between Ray and Miss H. There’s a countdown for ten minutes in the room, but they have no idea what it does.

However, it seems like Captain Man does. Because he looks towards the mirror with concern while Miss H. gives her monologue about her villainous ways.

Henry and Charlotte watch the fight and look back and forth between that and the timer while freaking out together, and not knowing what to do. Once the timer hits the half-way mark, they unexpectedly reach for each other’s hand, squeezing a little too tight.

And then, in typical Captain Man fashion and for television like suspense, he manages to stop Miss H. and stop the timer with one second left to spare. Henry and Charlotte respond by immediately hugging each other and jumping for joy with huge smiles on their faces.

Unexpectedly, their faces are inches apart from all the excitement, they’re out of breath in a good way, and their hearts are racing from anxiety and jubilation. But their eyes meet like they’ve never met before and lean into a kiss.

But they don’t get to kiss since Captain Man barges in and makes them jump apart like they were doing something illegal.

From there, Henry and Charlotte have a hard time talking about the almost kissing incident. It’s a little awkward and they can’t even share a bowl of popcorn without fear of their hands touching.

But they eventually talk it out. It was all in the moment they say. It just felt right at the time they say. It doesn’t mean anything and they’re still best friends they convince themselves.

Everything is cool till Charlotte gets a boyfriend. Which, completely throws Henry for a loop because what the heck, who is this guy, and why does he think he’s good enough for Charlotte.

But Henry sees how happy he makes Charlotte, how well he treats her, and how annoyingly cute they look working on LIMP projects together. So, he lets them be and keeps his jealously to himself. But they still remain pretty close and everything is seemingly normal.

Until normalcy starts to go down the drain. Because Henry and Charlotte are closer than ever now that she has a boyfriend, which is weird. But knowing that Henry doesn’t have to deal with his feelings for his best friend makes their interactions a little better. And every time Charlotte shows up to work with her boyfriend with their hands laced together, Henry gets used to the small uneasiness in his stomach and smiles a little bigger because his bestie is happy.

But happiness might as well be a pair of black jeans since it fades over time. Suddenly, Henry gets a little frustrated that he has to watch Charlotte so happy while being a sidekick to a superhero is taking a toll on his mental health, school grades, and his ability to be a teenager.

But Henry keeps it to himself since he doesn’t want to feel like a bother with his problems. Until the Christmas episode that is.

I’d keep it the same as Season 5’s episode with Ray and Henry saving Christmas trees. Except Charlotte is throwing a small Christmas party at her place with some of her class friends and Henry was supposed to be there to take a breather from being Kid Danger.

But he’s Henry with a good heart. So, he has to save Christmas even though he’s kind of sick of saving everything and not being able to hang out with his friends.

Henry arrives late to the Christmas party after everyone’s left except Jasper’s passed out on the couch from drinking too much eggnog with gingerbread crumbs all over his face.

Charlotte gives Henry a cup of hot chocolate and they sit by the fireplace where Charlotte makes him spill the beans on how he’s been doing since they barely get to talk anymore.

He makes her go first since he knows Charlotte gets an ear full of talking men since she works in the Man Cave. She fills him on accelerated testing, joining the newspaper committee, and some crime tracking system she and Schwoz had been working on in the Man Cave.

However, he’s caught off guard when she reveals that she and her boyfriend broke up a while ago. Henry had been so busy and sleep-deprived he didn’t even notice them not eating lunch together, holding hands, and at the library together.

He wants to be nosey and ask a whole bunch of questions, but her answer to them wanting to be just friends sufficed enough.          

So, Henry finally got to rant and rave about how tired he is of being Kid Danger sometimes, how much his grades are suffering, and how much he misses being the Three Musketeers with Jasper and Charlotte. He manages to leave out the fact he has a massive crush on her.

Which is hard since she looks really pretty in her forest green sweater, a Santa hat headband, and her hair straightened for her yearly layered haircut.

Charlotte puts her hand over his and does what she does best, makes him feel better while telling him how to go about his next moves to get his life back. After the serious talk is over, they vibe and catch up and Jasper wakes up to join them like it’s old times.

Jasper says his goodbyes to Henry and Charlotte and dashes home to do a weird Christmas ritual with his mother. This leaves Henry and Charlotte awkwardly standing in the doorway and saying their goodbyes with a hug. They smile a little sheepish after they separate, but Charlotte’s eyes briefly glance upwards and slightly widen.

Henry follows her line of sight and notices the culprit of her gaze, mistletoe above the doorframe that had been forgotten.

Henry coughs awkwardly and quickly says goodnight in an attempt to get out of there as soon as possible. Except Charlotte reaches for him and stops him in his tracks.

She’s looking up at him like the last almost kissing incident and Henry just thickly swallows waiting for her next move.

“You know how much I hate breaking holiday traditions.” And Charlotte leans into him and kisses him on the cheek.

Henry knows he’s embarrassingly flushed and his mouth his probably slightly agape, because who is this version Charlotte and why was mistletoe only around on Christmas?

But he’s Henry, so he’s cool and suave (yeah, right), and he smiles and wishes her a good night.

He somehow floats his way home and doesn’t stop thinking about the kiss till he falls asleep.

But the cheek kiss suddenly freaks him out while he’s eating breakfast, because what the heck does it even mean??? Does she like him? Are they on the path to being more than friends? Or does Charlotte really just love holiday traditions and he’s a victim of circumstance?

All the thinking drives him crazy, so he finally turns to Jasper to ask about what any of it means. From the beginning when they almost kissed to now. And unsurprisingly, Jasper just shrugs and says, “I dunno.”

So, Henry remains really conscious about his crush on Charlotte and unsure if their best friendship is in danger (ha, get it? ‘cuz he’s Henry/Kid Danger, yeah okay it’s not funny) or worthy of something more.

It’s up in the air till they kiss in I Dream of Danger and become official. Instead of Charlotte being freaked out by the dreams because of her inability to see Henry in a romantic way, she’s freaked out because she’s afraid of their relationship changing.

They’ve been Henry and Charlotte. The best friends for the longest amount of time. A friend turned romantic relationships usually turn out well, but she’s worried about theirs going down in flames and losing her best friend for the rest of her life.

But Henry reassures her that everything between them is going to be fine whatever path their relationship takes. And they can talk about it later when she’s not feet away from a hungry lion.

So, he rescues her and they don’t kiss, but instead, she hugs him really tight for basically saving her life.

Later on, Henry walks her home since he’s afraid to let her out of his sight now. And they talk a little bit more about their feelings for each other and admit that their relationship has been on its ups and downs.

When they’re at Charlotte’s doorstep, they get awkward since they both got a lot off of their chests in a short amount of time.

Henry has his hands in his pockets. “So, yeah…” he trails off.

She anxiously laughed. “Yeah, so what now?”

“I don’t know. Should we try the whole boyfriend and girlfriend thing?” He’s looking at the ground when he says it since this is the most nervous he’s ever been in his whole life.

“Well, I like you and you like me, so I guess it makes sense?”

“You guess?” Henry laughs.

Charlotte playfully rolls her eyes at him. “You know what I mean.”

They smile really big at each other and banter a little more till the air gets serious again. The conversation truly feels like it’s at its end now, so Henry goes in for the final blow.

“Can I kiss you?” Henry has to ask because hey, we love consent.

Charlotte nods frantically while saying yes.

And then they kiss. It’s terse but sweet and they’re both in astonishment afterward, since wow, I just kissed my best friend and it was actually kind of great.

They awkwardly part ways after that but then we get separate scenes of how happy they are. We get to see Charlotte run upstairs to her bedroom to scream into her pillow in glee. And we get to see Henry jumping up and down in excitement and punching the air. And yeah, Chenry is canon at that point.

Chenry dates officially in front of the audience from the beginning of Season 4. The first episode from that season is Sick & Wired, so we open with Charlotte taking care of a sick Henry and her remaining by his side. Ray thinks they’re lying to hang out together since they’re dating, so he still convinces Jasper to wear a wire and blah blah blah, you’ve probably seen the episode.

And yeah, so imagine official Chenry for all of Season 4 and 5. They’re not super-duper romantic and always engaging in PDA since it’s a self-proclaimed ‘kid’s show’ and I want kids to know that you don’t have to always be kissing and all over each other to be in love or in a relationship.

So, we’d just occasionally see Henry and Charlotte holding hands while sitting on the couch, Henry’s arm around Charlotte’s shoulder, the two of them sharing food and drink, them smiling super big at each other in the background when other characters are talking.

The occasional kiss could involve forehead kisses, cheek kisses, and even hand kisses because those are so wholesome and underrated. Plus, I’d want there to be a running gag that Jasper never gets to see Henry and Charlotte kiss. Since, The Bucket Trap he really wanted to see them kiss, so what’s better than to not have them kiss. It’d also be for Jace and Riele’s sake too not gonna lie. Since I’m sure that’s awkward and people ship them enough in real life.

But yeah, Jasper only sees Chenry holding hands, long hugs, and other romantic shit. And in the last episode, they offer to kiss in front of him to appease him, but there’s a power outage as soon as they go in for it and Jasper misses the whole thing with a dramatic “Noooooo!”

Canon Chenry also means we get a prom episode where they look awesome in a matching tuxedo and dress. We get a Valentine’s episode that lets them go on a date. We’d get graduation day Chenry in their caps and gowns.

Matching costume Chenry for Halloween. Like, imagine the two of them wearing a peanut butter and jelly costume where they’re each a slice of smeared bread. And Jasper gets to be a milk carton and maybe his significant other could be a chocolate chip cookie. Idk, I’m just rambling at this point.

So, yeah, that’s all I got. 

[clownsgobeepbeep]

Cyclamens

The seventh part of my story uwu

Not much happens, but some stuff happens and is bound to happen. Either way, I hope this is good 

@grotesquegabby Because some of yours are briefly in this 

Part Six /// Part Eight 

“So tell me, how did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“How did you get inside Ula?”

Through town drove a car containing two riders that, to their own surprise, held a casual conversation, let alone a conversation. However, there proved to be a sense of awkwardness in the atmosphere inside, the two not being able to look each other in the pink eye.

“You remember the time you opened her back?” Cantarella asked before lifting on of ‘her’ hands, picking at the long nails. “I used that.”

“Hm? How so?”

“When I met her I checked her up and saw that she had a few bits of your blood, or James’ technically. Your hand must have been cut so when you dug it into her back, the blood went into her. I first used that to my advantage to give her the weird dreams with James.”

“Dreams? As in, nightmares?”

“No, no nightmares. Ula has longed to have a biological father and well, I gave her just that in dreamland. But then one day I took James down and extracted a healthy amount of his blood, and there was a night where Ula was all alone, so I took the chance to rip open her back and give her James’ blood. So basically, she’s finally a daddy’s little girl. She now has more physical features like his.” Cantarella shrugged before finally turning to Ryder as the car stopped, and he finally turned to look at her. “It was easy to go into her because of the blood link all four of us share. You and James share blood like brothers, so me and her share blood like cousins.”

“That is a rather interesting method.” Ryder gave a nod as he felt some impress, then turning back to the front. “Anyways, we’re here.”

“Here?” Cantarella also looked to the front, raising an eyebrow as she spotted the woods in front of the car. “Why are we back?”

“There’s somebody else Missy wants.” Ryder explained as he and the girl got out of the car to walk and stand in the space in between it and the array of trees. “Should be near the area where you got me and Missy, I remember the spot. It’s almost like it happened yesterday, isn’t that right Jamie?”

…

“Looks like he finally shut his mouth.” Ryder fixed his tie before he began walking. “Let’s go.”

His eyes now had swirls in them as his entire figure turned a dark blue, horns and other sharp shapes protruded from his body as he grew and turned into his shadow form. 

Cantarella followed suit, then watching as Ryder dashed away. She ran right behind him, both crawling through the woods as quickly as possible until the smaller shadow skidded to a stop so that she would not crash into her father who had stopped abruptly.

“Is this it?”

“Yes.” Ryder felt the soil with his claws before dragging a single one that he then plunged into the ground. He retracted the claw soon after as his daughter intently watched the scene unfold.

“Is this other one, dead?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you couldn’t bring people back.”

“I can’t, but Risus temporarily granted me the ability to do so.” Ryder explained as he backed away from the spot he originally stood on, Cantarella following again before from the ground burst a hand that made her slightly jump back.

“Oh, I see who it is now.” the smaller shadow watched as another arm followed, both limbs pulling up a body as the next thing that popped out was a mask over a face. “Why her?”

“Ask Missy, I don’t give a shit about this one.” 

Both of the shadows crouched down as their palms touched the ground, watching the sight that was another clown who emerged from beneath the ground. The clown now stood above it, scanning the area behind the mask she wore until her sight was on the shadows.

“Ryder?”

“Evie.”

The two stared at each other for a moment before the woman launched herself onto Ryder, hands clasped around his throat as she squeezed.

“You motherfucker! You let that coward James kill me! I’ll kill you, you bastard!”

“Let, go!” Ryder choked out before he grabbed Evie, pulling her away in a swift movement as she attempted to claw at him. “I never-”

“Can do the of you quit the quarreling and let us get down to business?” Cantarella interrupted the bickering before the two turned to her.

“Who is that, exactly?” Evie grabbed Ryder’s claws and pulled them away so that she would be dropped down. “I thought you had killed the rest of your kind and that you were the only one that remains.”

“I did but...I made this one.” Ryder muttered out before shifting back into James, Evie looking the other shadow over.

“You fucked the fish?”

“He wishes he had.” Cantarella rolled her eyes before shifting back into Ula, making Evie tense up at the sight. “I’m your half sister.” 

“I don’t remember Missy having made Ula.”

“Because I’m not Ula, my name is Cantarella and I’ve taken over her body like Ryder with James.” the girl explained before turning to Ryder. “Not only is Ryder my father, but Missy my mother.”

“Did you fuck my mom!?” Evie exclaimed at Ryder who grit his teeth and clenched his fists.

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“With James and Ula’s bodies here, where are they?”

“James is still here, aren’t you Mr. Mendax?” Cantarella turned to look at Ryder with a smirk. “Ula is off in dreamland. If I get out, she’ll wake up and we’ll be screwed.”

“And the fish?”

“The fish?”

“Jelly. Where is she.” Evie repeated before Ryder gave a bit of a chuckle.

“Well…”

_____________

“Unsurprisingly, I’m fucking tired.”

“I can tell.” Lennie chuckled to himself as he sat on his and Jelly’s bed, the latter removing her high heels which were thrown into the closet. 

“How are you feeling though?” Jelly then sat at the end of the bed as she ran her hands through her hair.

“A little tired.” Lennie shrugged as he also slipped off his shoes, then feeling the bed sink near him as Jelly crawled towards him.

“Just a little?”

“I guess.” he replied, feeling as Jelly removed his bowtie to then unbutton the top of his shirt since he had already removed his coat, vest and gloves. “Why?”

“I dunno.” Jelly now shrugged, leaning in to press her lips onto Lennie’s. “Despite being tired, I don’t want to go to sleep just yet.”

“Oh?”

“Everything is ready for me to go to the airport.” Jelly mumbled as she kissed Lennie’s jaw, trailing down to his neck. “Lennie.”

“Y-yeah?”

“Do you want to play a game?~” Jelly whispered against Lennie’s neck, making his cheeks heat up as he felt her lips on his neck again, just as one of her hands squeezed his thigh. “The kids are asleep and Ula’s not getting here until much later.”

“You-you’re not-”

Lennie then stopped himself from letting out anymore sounds by biting his lip, Jelly’s hand now having gone somewhere else. However, before the couple could go any further, they heard soft knocking on their door which made Jelly remove herself and lay down next to Lennie who had to pant for a bit.

“Yes?”

“Where’s Ula?” Davey’s voice came as the bedroom door opened, revealing him and an equally as exhausted Cordelia.

“She’s with Schrader right now.” Jelly told them as she got off the bed, approaching the siblings who looked up at her. “And you two should be in bed now.”

“We were just wondering where Ula had gone off to.” Cordelia rubbed her eyes.

“Well, now you know. Say goodnight to your dad, I’ll tuck you into bed now.” Jelly ushered the two after they had said their goodnights to Lennie.

“Okay Cordie, you first.” the three walked into Cordelia’s room where she climbed into bed, Jelly tucking her in before placing a kiss on her forehead. “Good night my little mermaid.”

“Good night mom.”

“Come on Davey.” Jelly lead her son out, Cordelia watching as her door shut before turning in bed to look towards the side where her window was.

Never noticing the pink eyes that immediately disappeared.

“Do you have any idea where Ula and Schrader may have gone off to?” Jelly asked as she fixed Davey’s blankets, then bringing a plush shark to him which he hugged.

“I suppose to get her gift from him.” Davey answered as Jelly sat beside him, stroking his hair that was then moved away from his face. “If so, they would have gone to the garage.”

“Garage?” Jelly furrowed her eyebrows. “It wouldn’t happen to be a…”

Davey then gave a shrug, a soft smile on his features as his mother leaned down to kiss his forehead.

“Well, whatever it is, I hope Ula likes it.”

“ think she will.” Davey commented, feeling as his mother fluffed up his pillow before turning off his light. “Good night mom.”

“Good night Davey.” Jelly whispered before closing his door and walking back to her room where Lennie lay in bed with a book.

“How are they?”

“Pretty sure once I closed each of their doors, went out like a light.” Jelly sat next to Lennie as she messed up her already messy hair.  “Can you unzip me please?”

“Sure thing.” Lennie set down his book before going behind Jelly, bringing down her zipper before helping her lower her gown. “Are you going to shower?”

“Yes, especially with this blood on me.” Jelly gave a chuckle as she stood up to let the dress fall, but she soon gave a frown. “Speaking of blood, I am still so angry about the bucket thing. That wasn’t planned.”

“I know, but Ula seemed to have really enjoyed it.” Lennie shrugged, watching as Jelly walked towards the bathroom but not before she turned to give him a look. “Jelly-Bean.”

“I know.” Jelly stuck out her tongue before closing the door behind her. “ I’ll be out in a bit, then maybe I'll leave in an hour.

“Okay.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, Jelly was in bed as she was on top of Lennie. The latter slightly chuckled to himself as kisses were being peppered all over him.

“I’m sorry Lennie, but we won’t be seeing each other for a while.” Jelly giggled as she continued kissing him, then rubbing her nose on his. “I’m going to miss you and the kids.” 

“We’re going to miss you too.” Lennie kissed one of her hands. “But we’ll see you again on Tuesday.”

“That’s true, just don’t make a mess while I’m gone.” Jelly kissed Lennie’s nose. “I’m gonna be so tired when I come back.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Jelly placed one last kiss on Lennie’s lips, remaining that way for a while before finally pulling away. “I’ll be going now. 

“Okay.” Lennie watched his wife grabbed her things after having slipped on a jacket. “Be safe.” 

“You too. I’ll try to call you when I get there, and I’ll call Ula too to explain why I left before she got back.” Jelly smiled before she and Lennie waved at each other. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

“Sweet dreams.” she finally spoke before shutting the bedroom door behind her, then going back to give Davey and Cordelia their own quick kisses as well. She made her way through the house to then leave and lock the door, heading towards the car waiting for her right in front.

“Hello Mrs. D’Vitt.” the driver greeted as she boarded the car, setting her things inside to then close the door and relax in her seat.

“Hey, good night. Sorry you had to pick me up at such an hour. The meeting starts early in the morning.” Jelly yawned before the driver chuckled to himself. 

“It’s no problem, Mrs. D’Vitt.”

Once done yawning, Jelly made a bit of a face at the sound of the voice before she looked back to the front.

“You know it’s always a pleasure serving you.” he grinned before lifting his head, Jelly being able to see his features through the mirror. “Always.”

“J-James?” Jelly asked, right before her eyes widened at the sight that was James who turned in his seat to give her a sinister smirk as his eyes flashed pink.

_____________

“And then, I locked her up in the same dimension that Cantarella here created. In there happens to be my other daughter, as well as old Stripes’ long lost sister.”

“I thought his siblings-” Evie started before Ryder spoke again.

“They all were except for that one. Who knows how, but she just managed to survive.” Ryder scoffed before looking down at Cantarella who’s new height he was still not accustomed to. “If it weren’t for this tiny one, we would have had to deal with Velvet as well. She’s a powerful one.”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea having Jelly locked up with Velvet and the siblings? Especially Basil?” Cantarella blinked before squinting her eyes. “After all, Jelly is-”

“Jelly hasn’t reached her full potential and she never will, just as she’ll never know that she is Mecor.” Ryder shook his head. “The only other person that knows this doesn’t remember that or even who they are, so we don’t have anything to worry about.”

“Well, are those all the nuisances we should be worrying about?” Evie asked before the other turned to look at each other.

“Well, Schrader was also dealt with so we don’t have to worry about him either. Beat the shit out of me earlier.” Cantarella huffed before Ryder turned to her in disappointment. “But I mean, I smashed his head to bits with his own mallet, so he’s out.”

“Considering how the D’Vitts are, don’t you think they’ll be out looking for him if not concerned if they find him dead?” Ryder made a face before Cantarella turned to him with a face of her own.

“I made it seem like he left back to Australia. I overheard him talking to Ula and well, that just fit perfectly into my plan.” she gave a shrug before reaching into her pocket to reveal two cellphones. “I have Schrader and Ula’s phones, and I can easily mimic their voices.”

“That’s some daughter you have there.” Evie commented. “But anyways, I’ll be making my way out now.”

“Where to?” Cantarella asked before Evie turned to the side.

“There’s a special somebody I have to visit.” she answered. “Is our dear brother still around or at least alive?”

“He’s alive and well, a father.”

“You’re telling me he managed to fuck somebody?”

“Yes. In fact, his mate is pregnant once again, and they have a set of triplets already.” Cantarella explained before Ryder and Evie looked at her in shock, even with Evie’s lack of a face covered by a mask it was clear what she was thinking. “Of course, they’re not the only ones with kids. The only one who’s alone and miserable is James really.”

“Of course he would be.” Evie shook her head. “Anyways, this time I will be off. I plan on getting my old job back, and more.”

“If you’re going where I think you’re going,” Cantarella stopped her. “You’re not going to like what you find.”

“Trust me Itsy Bitsy, I’ve seen it and hate it. But I plan on getting rid of it.”

“Even with Sionis there?”

“I’m sure somebody else will deal with that for me.” Evie tilted her head before giving a slight bow, turning on her heel to then walk off and disappear into a portal she created.

“So, why did we bring her back again?” the short clown glanced at her father who shook his head with a shrug.

“All I can say is that we do our own thing, and stay out of Missy’s way for now.”

“You’re still her bitch I see.”

_____________

It never came to Evie’s attention that, as she made her way through the woods, a series of blinking eyes all watched her figure travel down a path she was familiar with.

Their owner practically giggled to themselves, this being what finally caught Evie’s attention. 

The clown finally ceased her walking, now standing in place before she turned around in a swift motion to scan her location. There was nothing nor nobody in sight, save for the skunk that had now casually made its way out of the bushes it had been hiding in.

“Hm. Cute.” she gave a sarcastic scoff as she crossed her arms, slowly approaching the creature who now stood in place. “This isn’t one of Missy’s tricks, now is it?”

“That whore is far too busy tending to her own business.” Evie heard come from the skunk, making her stare at it in some surprise. “Just as you should be.”

“And who exactly am I talking to?” Evie watched as the skunk sat on its hind legs, staring up at her with eyes that now glimmered a bright yet rare color.

“A friend.” the skunk replied before its body basically exploded, but this was to reveal the much larger figure that had shifted into that creature. “But more specifically, a friend who’ll grant you a favor.”

“A favor?” Evie tilted her head. “You’re an elder, I suppose? Which one?”

“The one who’s going to bring everybody down; including the other elders.” the figure leaned in close to Evie’s mask. “But especially the D’Vitt dynasty.”

“Go on.” Evie nodded before feeling a claw touch her mask, making her lean her head back. “What’s your name?”

“Risus, at your service my dear.~” the figure chuckled as it ruffled Evie’s hair, practically examining all it could of her. “But, it would be a pleasure if I could use of your services as well.”

“Why?”

“You don’t think Ryder was the one who brought you back, do you?”

“No, he’s an incompetent fool and all he knows how to do is harass Jelly.”

“I gave him the ability to bring you back, but Missy was the one who requested you.”

“Missy?” Evie now turned to Risus who had been circling around her, their head now nodding as Evie emitted a surprised emotion. “Why me?”

“She trusts you can help with what we plan on doing.” Risus hovered behind Evie, holding onto her shoulders from behind to whisper into her ear. “And I agree that you are one of the most valuable assets.~”

“If that’s so, why is that little brat with Ryder around? Is she actually their kid?”

“She is theirs, but the problem is that she is not as powerful as you. Even with the lack of another Elder of Chaos, you are marvelous at what you do, and I bring you a gift to help you.”

“A gift? What kind of gift?”

Evie now watched as Risus appeared before her, placing a claw beneath her chin to lift up so that she looked up at them. She felt as their entire palm was placed on her mask, digging right into it before they were felt on the remains of her “face”. That was when Evie felt a pain course through that area, making her grip onto Risus’ arm which she found impossible, for it was like swiping at the air.

“What are you doing!?” she yelled out, now attempting to back away until Risus eventually retrieved their hand and Evie fell backwards. “What did you do to me!?”

“Beauty comes with a price, little spider.” Risus gave a dark chuckle as they now shifted their body to have legs that they used to crouch close to Evie. “Stand and come.”

“What did you do to me?” Evie repeated before she felt herself be forced up onto her feet, catching herself as Risus waved a hand in the air. “What-”

“Shut up and look.”Risus commanded as the clown now kept quiet, seeing as Risus conjured up a cloud of smoke that swirled until forming a mirror in its center. “Remove your mask.”

“No.”

“Remove it.”

“I can’t.”

“Remove it before I put you back underground!”Risus yelled at Evie who then reached up to grab her mask, hesitating before she lifted it up which result in Risus laughing to themselves. “There, see?”

“You...you...my face…”

“An adorable, button nose. Eyes so beautiful yet vicious. Brown locks flowing like a stream of fall.” Risus stood behind Evie who raised her hands, touching the soft cheeks she could see in the mirror. “I never understood why Missy compared you to Jelly. You always were far more beautiful than she. Jelly is a mere, dumb blonde who cheats her way into beauty, but you….look at you.”

“My face.” Evie breathed out as she looked into purple eyes that she blinked at as they blinked back at her. “I have my face back...this isn’t some sort of illusion, is it?”

“Why would I do that to an ally of mine?” Risus grabbed Evie’s chin in a soft manner before making her turn to them. “You see? It’s not all bad my little spider.”

Risus ran a claw over Evie’s face, slightly grazing her cheek before she gave a look of content.

“And you know what the best part of it is?”

“Not only are you beautiful, but you have,” Risus chuckled before making Evie turn to the side where she and Risus saw the sight that was a circus tent. “A seductive voice that’ll lure any of your desire, and more.~”

At this, Evie blinked at the tent before watching as performers walked out into the picnic area, right behind them a tall woman who stood  beside a ringleader, that last one bringing a smile to Evie’s face.

[morethanithoughtofficialblog]

Chapter 7: As useless as a broken mirror

In which you realize your life is crap... 

for now

*Your POV*

Talking with someone yesterday was good, I guess. I normally talk about work topics only, so it feels weird to have a casual conversation about... anything. And it was weirder, considering Sans was the one talking.

It would be today, though, the day where we would see each other again in order to discuss... more terms. They all deserve to know and I also need a few papers for them in order to get them into society. I just need the basics, though- report cards, previous jobs on the Underground, and I will put them some tests in order to see which educational level fits better each of them. But that will be later.

So there I was, waking up and trying to french kiss the morning as Bon Jovi does. And failing miserably, just as always.

I tried my best to keep a smile on my face. It didn't work out, either. I groaned loudly, realizing that it was four in the morning. So yeah, I just can't french kiss the morning when it isn't morning, you know. And so I felt stupid and went back to sleep...

...

Except I didn't.

No matter how many positions I tried or how many different pillows I took, I just couldn't get my head together. I was thinking about everything and, at the same time, about nothing at all. I felt numb yet desperate to be a normal person and fall sleep immediately, considering how freaking tired I actually was.

I sat on my bed silently and put on the lights. Bad idea, but I still do it every night like this.

I frowned remarkably and stood there until my eyes got accustomed to the light. And then I started to question what the hell was I doing, as usual.

I looked at my annoying digital clock again: 4:11 am.

Great, guess I'll stay like this until the day officially starts... or until I pass out, that is.

Maybe a good drink would have been great to forget it all. Then I remembered that I had work and that, besides, I don't drink. I groaned again.

I felt like crying, like screaming or like to go outside and let a fucking weirdo kill me or make me disappear forever...

That's the worst idea I've ever had.

I wanted to punch something; maybe a mirror, maybe that elegant flower vase with a dead daisy on it, or the TV. All of those were great options, honestly. But I wasn't up to clean the mess or to deal with angry neighbors, so I didn't move.

I shoot a glance at one of my bureaus, that only had an old book on its top. Maybe I could read. I tried to stretch my hand and get it, but I ended up falling out of the bed, making my head hurt like hell. Ouch. Maybe I couldn't, after all.

I, unsurprisingly, groaned again. If I had a cent for every time I have groaned in my life, I could probably have a car instead of taking that goddamn subway. Or I could get a house. Or a life...

Nah. That's way too expensive.

I eventually got up and stared at my drawer. Then, without thinking, I opened it. My heart sank when it did.

Medicines here, medicines there. Medicines FUCKING EVERYWHERE! There was barely any space left for even a fricking pill. This is not the first time I have seen this, though, but it still hurts to see how pathetic I am. This is just a small proof. There's more, that's for sure.

I stood there silently, anxiety consuming me over. I could even make a fucking drug store out of this drawer...

Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea.

I shook my head, resisting the urge to be sarcastic to myself... again.

But, yes, I had such a huge variety I could make a store out of it. Do you have anxiety? Well, Zoloft for you, that is! Are you depressed like me? Well here, took a Prozac pill! Come here and get your problems away...

And contribute to mine.

Oh my god, just end my suffering.

Thanks to my wonderful boss and work partners (including college and the monsters' case, of course), I forgot that I had emotional problems as well. And that means that I haven't been following my treatment. For months.

Shit.

Then I started to wonder when I had to see my psychiatrist again. I probably missed the date he gave me. Just wonderful, right?

I sighed and closed the drawer, feeling worse than before. I went to the bathroom to see my wound but there wasn't anything there. Thank God.

I ended up looking at my face, slightly frowning. People have said that I'm pretty, yes, but I think that's just out of sympathy. Therefore, I haven't been comfortable with my looks since... a long time ago.

My (e/c) eyes looked paler than when I was a kiddo. Ah, childhood. It was wonderful in its own way. No problems, no low self-esteem, no nothing. Just laughs and friends, videogames and nights playing Dungeons and Dragons with my dorky dad and my aunt. Those were good days.

I remember that I received a lot of comments, telling me that I would have a brilliant future. Hard to believe in that now, looking at what was happening.

I work in Congress and I am finishing my studies to finally become a biochemist. Being a scientist has been my dream, and I'm just a few steps before I can call myself "Dr. (Y/N)". And I'm just twenty.

When I was little, my dad took me to a neurologist in order to see my IQ. She said, in a few words, that I was super smart and super talented. I believed it but never used it as an excuse to think of me better than anyone else. Right then, I thought everyone had talents and intelligence. Now... I'm seriously doubting all those encouraging words were true. Because, even if I was a nerd, that never meant my future would be brighter.

A lot of my school partners and friends are being way happier than I am, having a perfect balance between emotions, college, and work. Me, who 'has it all' to become an important person, somehow has three mental breakdowns (at least) in one day, and it's struggling between having or not new friends, afraid of screwing up.

Is this what my parents would have wanted? For me to be a coward?

Well, surprise surprise. Your daughter is such a disappointment of a kid.

I'm a genius. That's what experts told me. They also said that this high IQ thingy may include problems socializing and, well, even mental illnesses. To be honest, I prefer being normal and not having these things than being a Leonardo Da Vinci and die internally every five seconds.

Then I noticed a warm feeling on my cheeks.

Oh crap.

I snapped back to reality and saw myself in front of the mirror, crying as if my life depended on it. Well, it kinda does, but that's not the point.

I tried to wipe them as quickly as possible, trying to banish that feeling instantly. But instead, I cried harder. And harder. And I felt more miserable than before, if that was possible.

My legs felt like jello and my eyes turned all red and puffy. My mouth was shaking, trying to transform itself into a smile. Why was I crying, again? Oh yeah, because I hate myself so much. I look awful, I'm just full of myself, lonely, and easily replaceable. There's nothing I can do about it.

I will finish my dream career, but all for what? To be more stressed? I don't know if I can quit at the Congress since I kind of accepted to be the ambassador of the monsters. Wow. I should have left someone more capable than I am to do the job. Now I'm going to disappoint them as well, whenever they see how weak I am. I mean, I'm crying while I'm looking at myself in the night... again. This is isn't new. But it just feels worst every time.

I gasped for air, almost forgetting how to breathe thanks to all that crying. I blinked a couple of times and took long breaths until I calmed down. When my vision wasn't blurry anymore, I saw my face again. All red and uglier than before. I looked like a baby losing its toy, like a child whining, or like a teenager who has an impossible crush.

I frowned, knowing I wasn't any of them. I was an adult, for God's sake.

Can this get more frustrating?

Can I be more pathetic?

I closed my fist and punched the mirror until my fingers went numb and my blood painted my whole hand...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Frisk's POV*

I woke up later than usual, rubbing my eyes at the incoming sunlight. I groaned at the clock, seeing it was 10 am. But deep down I knew that Toriel would come for me, and so I got up.

I took a quick shower and put into more presentable clothes. I colocated a cute ribbon on my brown hair, feeling quite silly yet pretty. I stared at the mirror and saw my look with satisfaction. I was looking great! I even made some silly faces and giggled a little before coming out, interrupted by an angry skeleton who wanted to take a shower.

"kid, just fucking get out of there! what're you doin'? takin' a trip to narnia?"

"Sans, behave yourself!!!"

"...sorry ari-mom..."

I contained my laughter, knowing that Sans would be really angry if he heard me, and I walked out of the bathroom. Just a second passed before a quick flash of white ran into the room and locked the door. Oh, Sans, since when are you this desperate to take a shower?

The ones who hadn't showered groaned impatiently. I would have too since Sans lasts a long time in the shower. One time I swear I heard him singing a popular rock song (so popular I don't remember its name) and then eventually creating a song of how much he loved ketchup...

...I must admit I feel worried about his future...

Eh... let's just hope for the best.

After a bunch of complainings towards him and more people showering, we could finally take breakfast together. Thank God they were pancakes, or else Undyne or Papyrus would be trying to find out the best egg combination (which, according to them, hasn't been found yet). At first, it is fun to hear their crazy ideas, but then it turns into a competition that I get somehow dragged into it. Most of the time voluntarily, though.

However, I was too excited to let all my energy be drowned into an egg fight. Today we will be seeing (Y/N) again, and honestly, I was looking for it! She's nice, and I've been waiting to be friends with her all this time. So now that everything was, well, settled, this was my chance!

We all ate rather quickly and head out of the house. However, Asgore stopped us before we could go running to... anywhere, actually.

"Let's wait here a moment, ok?" he smiled eagerly, making me suspicious.

So we waited there for five minutes or so until a simple-looking taxi made its way towards the house. Then a 5'5 feet tall woman got out of there, who I recognized immediately.

"(Y/N)!!!!!" Papyrus screamed unearthly loud, hugging (Y/N) immediately. She looked a little bit startled by such a sudden move but hugged back shortly after him.

"Hello, Papyrus. It is good to see you again...!" she tried her best to sound enthusiastic, but she felt somehow... different. Why, though?

"Oh, (Y/N) sweetie, I'm so glad you could make it!" Goat mom added with a smile, which (Y/N) returned it kindly. Maybe I was just imagining things, after all "But, hey, come in! We want you to see where we have been living all this time!"

Sans looked a bit tense but quickly relaxed. He must have forgotten for a second that Papyrus was his roommate. Therefore, there was NO WAY his room could be dirty. Since when he cares about that, though?

And so we gave (Y/N) a small tour through the small house. She behaved as always; shy, anxious, not wanting to intrude or sound rude, making small compliments and comments in amusement. She was just super nice! I think she's one of my favorite humans.

After making her laugh a bit and answer some of her own doubts about the Underground, we all headed off to the Congress, talking about the simplest of topics.

"Oh! I remember hearing a song called 'Imagine' one day!" I told (Y/N), keeping up with the musical topic (at Sans's petition).

"You have? Well, I mean... which artist are you talking about?"

"I think it was Marshmello"

"...then no, I haven't heard that one"

"Is there another song called 'Imagine'?" Alphys asked, curious about our conversation.

"well, there's john lennon's, y' know..." Sans added, smiling lazily.

(Y/N) seemed perplexed for a second, then smiled widely.

"Yep, John Lennon's 'Imagine' is my kind of... 'Imagine', you know"

Throughout all the way we all were talking about music. (Y/N) turns out to be a Rock N' Roll and Indie listener, similar to Sans's taste. She is kind of a music nerd, actually. She would give a casual comment of something history-related to music. I think Sans felt like he was on his own mind, opening up strangely. Then I realized he was just another music nerd, and that both of them were never given the chance to talk about this with others so freely.

However, I noticed an unusual expression on Sans's face. Not a good one, I must say. He wasn't suspicious or anything- by any chance, I think he was worried...

but of what?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Sans's POV*

It feels good to have someone to talk about these things. I mean, someone that at least can say who Slash is.

While I was talking to (Y/N), however, I noticed a wound on her right fist. Not to be rude, but she is a bit taller than I am, and I didn't want to look at a... private part of her body. Therefore, I ended up noticing a serious-looking injury on her fingers.

Should I ask?

I saw how happy she looked, talking about when she started to hear Rock N' Roll and watch concerts on TV.

Eh, I'll do it later...

Still, my mind wandered about that topic the rest of the road. And so, I didn't talk anymore, focusing on other things. Well, can you blame me? That looked like some serious shit happened.

When we arrived at the Congress, I noticed different looks from her work partners. I recognized one of the feelings on their looks: shame. They probably felt ashamed after hearing that we succeed. My smile grew wider, at least a bit, after thinking that.

We discussed a few things in her office like it was any day. Except it wasn't.

The human president made a public announcement on TV, radio, and social media, saying that monsters would be finally released and be accepted as legal citizens. Despite everything, I felt a bit uneasy. He might have been nice, but the others are clearly not like him. I just don't want to put Papy's security on risk.

We ended up leaving sooner than I thought, and for the first time in our lives, we used public transport. We received some glances, but in between, there were also kind smiles. Just like (Y/N)'s, just less dorky...

Did I just call the ambassador a dork?

I mentally groaned and took a seat, never erasing my apparently permanent smile. I felt like I was forgetting something, so I made a quick rewind on my head. But what would I have forgo- oh.

Oh.

You forgot to ask her, you idiot.

[gamearamamegathons]

Dragon Quest VI: Got Destiny On Me Again

Circe here! We're done with Dragon Quest V, so we're starting off today with the next game. This one starts off a bit differently than the previous ones. We wake up at a campfire with two companions, already camped out near the demon lord's castle. The characters talk amongst themselves about their mission to defeat the demon lord, and then set off, riding off on a dragon to the foot of the castle. The visuals for this sequence are actually pretty impressive; while DQV mostly resembled a more detailed NES Dragon Quest, this one has a lot more visual detail and bigger character sprites. It looks like it's taking some inspiration from other SNES RPGs of the time, like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI. It's a good sign, although it must be said that the game still has stuff like 'talk' and 'search' in the menu. There is a shortcut button for interacting with stuff though...I'm pretty sure that was there in earlier games, but I probably, uh, forgot about it. Oh well.

When we enter the castle, it seems pretty empty. So we just head on in to the throne room of the demon lord, Mudo. When we confront him he...uh, kinda wrecks us. He lifts up the three characters with some sort of telekinetic power, and then fucking explodes them. And that's that. Gotta admit, pretty short game, not much gameplay, kind of a downer ending...

Okay, okay. What really happens next is that the protagonist wakes up in his bed, as if it had all been a dream. Now it seems that we're going to be living the life of a simple villager, with no particular epic destiny. There's a festival coming up, and to help with the preparations, we need to take some goods from the village to sell in a nearby town, in order to buy a special crown from the crown maker who lives there. Seems like it'd be hard to make a sustainable business just making decorative crowns, but, I assume he probably makes other things too.

Naturally, this being a Dragon Quest game, we start out hilariously weak. After a bit of grinding and learning the Heal spell, I'm able to reliably take the local wildlife, so I head down the mountain to the other town. There's a big open market, and I find someone who will buy my goods, but it seems that the crown maker has headed to the west a few days ago and didn't return. I spend all the money on equipment, on the assumption that either the plot will derail the need to pay for the crown, or else I can just grind it back up. Weird that we need to worry about selling our goods when random animals carry so much gold.

Yeah, I know, these are cheap shots. The important thing is, we need to head west to find this guy. When we go exploring to the west, we find some big hole in the ground that appears to have some other terrain visible underneath it. So that's interesting. Closer investigation of this hole reveals that a guy is dangling from the edge of it. I guess this is the crown maker. Unfortunately, after we pull him up, we end up falling in ourselves, instead. Good job, I guess. We land safely on the ground below, uh, somehow, and now we're in some different land. Except that we appear to be a ghost or something? There's a nearby town, but nobody can see us. Via a bit of eavesdropping, we hear something about a "well of dreams" to the north. There's not much we can do here, so I head north and find this well. When we interact with it, it teleports us to another well, back up above again. So that's weird. But now we can head back to the town and get ourselves a crown. Unsurprisingly, after saving the crown maker's life, he decides to give us the crown for free. So I guess spending money that wasn't technically mine didn't come back to bite me after all.

Back home, the village elder comes to meet me and asks if I ran into any trouble. I decided to say no because, well, he probably wouldn't believe it anyway. With the crown, the festival can go on. That night, our sister Tania leads the procession wearing the crown, which is all glowy and stuff. That's pretty fancy. Everyone gathers in the church, and Tania puts the crown on a statue of, uh, a mountain spirit I think? Some sorta goddess-looking type person. All seems to be going as normal, until Tania walks up to us and the mountain spirit speaks through her, telling us that we must journey out to fulfill our destiny, or something.

Aw, fuck. Got me again. I guess I have an epic destiny now. After all this, the elder wants me to go talk to the king of Reidock, so he gives me a pass to go there. So, I guess that's where I'm headed next.

Overall, I have high hopes for this game, although there are a few weird things that stuck out to me. For one thing, you run at like double speed in towns and dungeons. I was wondering if this was some sort of bug or something, but it seems like it's just a convenience feature, so that's fine. Doors now open automatically, so I never again have to go into a menu to manually open a door. On the other hand, there appears to be no equip menu. I have to equip items through my item menu, and I can't compare their stats or even see what they are until I equip the item. So that's, uh, baffling. I also can't see where my gold total is unless I go into a shop, and it's kind of difficult to find my max HP and MP, as opposed to DQV which had a convenient screen showing my current and max values for direct comparison. It's very weird that they would take out these quality of life features, but I guess I can manage without them. Also, monsters have animations now, which looks very nice. Even with a few oddities, it definitely feels more like it's taking advantage of the capabilities of the SNES more than DQV. And I know I enjoyed the remake, so it can't possibly be that bad.

[jujywrites]

WIP Challenge

I got tagged by @kikithedeceiver to do this!

Challenge: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous.

Here’s the thing. I don’t have many separate WIP files; most of them are in one huge doc. and most of the separate wip files are... pretty dead? but ok whatevs. under a read more since it’s long...... and my ego won’t let me skip snippets hjkhkhk thanks for the idea Kiki

From my main miscellaneous folder:

50 Grades of Steele. 1 and a half chaps of a role-flipped 50 Shades of Grey rewrite (i haven’t read the books so I extra don’t care about the characters lol). why do i still have it i’ve lost interest.... *side eyes her entire wip ecosystem* ...Then I see my interview subject, seated at her desk.

"Mr. Grey. I'm pleased to meet you."

And I stop breathing. [end CH1]

[open CH2) I forgot to mention something: I exaggerate occasionally. But I'm not now. I literally stop breathing for a few seconds. A thousand thoughts are racing through my mind, which doesn't help my chest stop seizing, but the main problem here is that Anastasia Steele is quite possibly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

Fanfic idea masterlist. my most active file and where I keep most of my WIPS, unless they get too “large”. Organized by fandom. lotta stuff i keep passing by & may as well be dead but don’t wanna delete. here’s a zero-draft snippet of probably the next chapter of my G-rated yukyoru fic collection

He grabbed a pillow and placed it to his chest, grabbed her arm, and yanked her to him, praying his idea would work.

Seconds passed and he didn't transform. He put his arms around her gingerly. Should he try to immobilize her or would that make it worse?

She made the decision for him. "Mom," she sobbed, clutching him with an iron grip. "N-Need to help...!"

His stomach dropped to his shoes.

Thudding footsteps announced Yuki's arrival. "What's wrong?! Honda-san--"

He didn't say "What did you do?" The thought raced by and Kyo said, "Grab a pillow and help me!"

As Yuki positioned the pillow and himself without having to ask, Kyo said, "She won't wake up. I don't know what to do!"

"Night terror," Yuki said tightly. He was too close but it almost didn't matter. "Not much you can do besides wait."

MayxWard BDSM fic agents of SHIELD. mix of notes and actual writing. kind of a half AU. Melinda climbed into the driver's side and buckled in, then started up the car. "If you've not ridden on the left before you might have motion sickness. It's normal. Just close your eyes until—" She paused as she looked at him; his hands shook so much he couldn't manage the seatbelt. "Here, let me."

"Thanks," he muttered with a sigh, looking rueful.

Modern AU Zelink. What it says on the tin~ Teenage-ish Zelink, with a mash of supporting characters from other games. another mix of notes and fic. Link wasn't sleeping tonight. Tonight was the night he'd been planning for and awaiting for weeks. He was going on a quest: the quest to meet Princess Zelda. 

She wasn't really a princess, of course. That was just her nickname. Zelda Nohansen was Hyrule's sweetheart, the most sought-after young actress in the movie business. And Link had fallen in love with her the first time he'd seen her, two years ago in a tiny theater in Kakariko.

PMMMfic homumado. Madoka Magica. AU, been around since about an hour after I finished the series (5 years yikes, still gotta watch Rebellion). Homura's time power still somewhat involved, but Mami's an adult, everyone's at a boarding school (I think?) where ~things aren't as they first seem~ and Madoka has mysterious powers and night terrors. just notes at the moment.

SoubixHitomi.  Loveless. 3 unfinished/dead first-person Shinonome-senseixSoubi snippets, all of ‘em spicy.

yvy abo. Yuri On Ice. Yuri (Katsuki!!)/Victor/Yuko(!!?!), my attempt at. well. omegaverse(!!!!!!!). orignally started as part of a “bad YOI fic” bigbang and now I’m taking it seriously dgdgfg. Alpha Yuko. “Please, please stop,” she whispered, like saying it aloud would make any difference. But the pressure in her head kept building. Her limbs had begun to itch restlessly.

And Victor wouldn’t let go of her hand.

With the last scrap of her control, she straddled him quickly and kissed him awake.

Even in half-sleep he arched to meet her, and when he opened his eyes sapphire blue had already turned stormy with lust.

yvy canonfuturefic. Yuko-focused following of canon, or: how canon can I keep YOI while still rareship OT3ing it. She and Yuri fall in and out of love, in between falling for Victor. Victuri is still my life I swear   

“You have got to watch this,” she tells Yuri. She watches Yuri’s face instead of the video, having seen it at least forty times by now.

Yuri’s eyes transform into beacons of awe, and Yuko swallows around her rapid heartbeat, breaths coming too short. She sees everything she’s feeling and more on his face. She remembers that she loves him, that he’s real and here and more important than the beautiful boy on her phone who’s trying to pull her under to a scary new world.

ZnT ot3 bdsm AU. Zankyou no Terror, 9/12/Lisa. mix of notes and fic, not just PWP. in heavy need of editing bc a lot was inspired by a non-spicy book.

“But it’s not just me. It’s everyone. You need everyone because you have no idea how to need yourself. Or even how to be yourself.”

“You’re wrong.” The force and volume of her voice shocked her and pushed her onward. “You and Touji. I don’t need anyone except you and Touji! Because you both taught me how to be myself-- no, how to find that on my own. I know exactly who I am, and that me isn’t complete without both of you!” She could feel the tears streaming down her face, yet somehow her voice didn’t waver. She felt so full of conviction she could burst into flames. “Don’t you understand, Arata? We’re all meant to be together.”

From my SnK folder:

Cave of the Crystal Maiden (working title). Aruani. Modern AU. MMORPG shenanigans with a dollop of magical realism/supernatural. Just notes. @portraitofa-girl suggested “meeting online” and it’s been there literally for years oh lord im sorry. no fic yet, just notes.

Falling Anthem (working title) Modern AU Levihan, art student Hange and young professor Levi. just notes. fic one in a planned series. also has been years ;_;

Raindrops and Soft Steps. Jearmin. unsurprisingly, modern AU. One morning, when Jean looks out of his bedroom window, he sees a boy dancing across the street. In the street, to be exact. There wouldn't be anything unusual about that, Jean supposes, except it's raining cats and dogs outside.

In my IAMXfic folder (fff i almost skipped this):

2ndPOVCalberto (DO NOT CORRUPT WITH HET) ChrisxAlberto? not much to say?? yes i know they’re real people??? which applies to everything after this oh my god *crawls under desk* Of course she knows; she is annoyingly perceptive when it comes to romance. The only thing preventing you from asking her (like a fucking lovestruck teenager) if Alberto likes you back is emptying that beer bottle. By then the only thing on your mind is ordering another.

CalbertImmi. i can’t even keep my poly shit outta RPF ahaha omhg Imogen has a conversation with her lover's lover. (AlbertImmi, sequel to...) Imogen finds herself in an unenviable position. (emerging CalbertImmi)

Alternate summaries (CC POV, first fic?): Chris loves two people. He doesn't want to choose. Chris has fallen in love a few times in his life. But he's never fallen for two people at once. (Chris also isn't good at choosing.)

ChrisxJ. several self-insert fics bc CC is just that powerful, apparently. haven’t looked at the file in a long time,,,,,

He started calling people to the stage with him, and one by one, my row emptied.

"Come on, yeah, come on," he was saying, waving his hand in an inviting gesture and grinning like a little kid. "Hey, you want to?" I did a double take.

"Me?" I mouthed, pointing at myself just to be sure. He nodded, smiling wider.

So it was that I walked unsteadily down the ramp and waited in line, feeling like I didn’t belong there. Soon I was next in line. What would I say? What would I do? I was sure if I opened my mouth I’d either burst into tears or faint.

Genderswapped IAMX sci-fi. The sci-fi was inspired by a word prompt, genderswapping by my own brain. (play spot the Immi lmao) Across the aisle, Sam rolled his eyes. “Leave Chris alone; she’s nervous.”

“And put on your own seatbelt, Johann,” shouted Jess, two seats back and in Sam’s aisle.

Patrick turned  to look at Chris. “Subspace travel is a bitch,” he said simply, and turned back to his book.

“Oh, I feel much less nervous now,” Chris said with a sardonic grin. “How do you know that, anyway?”

"I'm not exactly what I seem to be." He didn’t look up.

Chriimmi (While I Was Gone inspired). Chris/Imogen, inspired by scenes from Sue Miller’s While I Was Gone.

"You really ought not to do that, you know," he said softly.

"Do what?"

"Sneak up on me."

My eyes slid from his face. "I didn't mean to. It just... happened."

"Mm." I glanced back at him; he wore a lopsided smile. "Not that I minded." The tension was so strong the air nearly vibrated with it, yet I held my tongue, terrified that I was the only one feeling it. He took a breath, deep, nearly rising on his toes. "No. I didn't mind at all." He took my hand, circled his thumb over the back. My breath caught as I felt it, as I watched him looking down at our hands.

Chriimmi bathtub dream. dream inspired Chris/Immi smut.

Chriimmi twitter. twitfic plus some, inspired from an actual tweet iamx made that i’m still not over. 

@ imogenheap Come sing your lovely lyrics with us in London. @ IAMX misses you. CCx

ChrisxImmi main. grab bag of Chriimmi I was too lazy to put into separate docs.

“What do you think?” She grinned, twirling.

He cleared his throat. “Ah, I-Imogen, what are you wearing?”

“Well, I didn’t want to clash with your theme…  Janine helped me. Does it work?”

Scandalously short skirt, midriff-baring top, knee-high boots.

“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you? You’re trying to fucking kill me.”

Her grin only widened, even though a blush had started.

Fic edit chriimmi ver. yeah. editing someone else’s original fic to be chrimmi. either never posting or editing the frick out of. ~_~

He kissed her neck, whispered into it, “I love you.”

Imogen laughed. “Bollocks,” she said lazily.

”I do!” Chris protested. She looked down at him, nestled on her shoulder. He looked back, open, a little adoring. “I fell in love with you halfway through the show; I sang every note just for you.”

”Oh, please. You couldn’t have seen me.”

”No,” he said. “But I knew you were out there… I knew it had been you the minute I saw you backstage.”

Hospital Chriimmi. In which my guilty feeling over RPF are even worse bc of the inspiration ^_^U “Ms. Heap. What a pleasant surprise.” It’s surprising, how well she remembers his voice.

“Mr. Corner, what have you got yourself into?”

“Oh, just a bit of lingering insomnia. You know how it is.”

She takes a seat in the chair near his bed, crossing her legs. “Well, I’ve certainly had a sleepless night here and there, but I’ve never ended up in hospital from it. So no, I don’t suppose I do know.” Her tone is light, but her smile has begun to crack.

ImmixChris genderbend smut. the my secret friend video is... fertile material. have not actually written the smut yet.

...he saw us as characters– we put on those clothes and become separate from ourselves, removed. Whereas I simply felt like myself in men’s clothes, and instead of feeling what He felt for Her, I just kept right on feeling what I felt for Chris, amplified to a distracting level.

ReluctantdommeImmixSubCC. ...shrug emoji? notes and uh. visualizing.

Vampire Chriimmi. based on a dream. smutty. inspired by True Blood so wow that’s old.

From my Markipairings folder:

demon dream. markiplier self insert...... ughhhhhhhh o///o

"You can have me," I tell the creature. "But this one," I jerk my head toward Mark, "comes with me. He's mine, you see." A bold proclamation to make, but in the moment I know that the truth in those words surpasses everything I've ever said. He is mine, and saying the thought out loud fills me with courage. He squeezes my hand, two short and a long one so strong I think he might break it.

I know we’ll win.

DommeJujY. same as above, same as the next four. smutty.

Fight team AU. i forget where i got this one from. vaguely inspired by loveless i guess.  The first clear thought I had was, He shouldn't have gone ahead of me. The second one was, I should have been able to protect him. But these came later, after the rage went away, after I hugged him and apologized, after I bandaged him…

Gaming meetcute. i win some contest or whatever to secretly tagteam w/ Mark. stuff happens and yeah......

The adrenaline surges through my veins as I take in the scene. Mark's avatar is flailing around, backed into a corner by some Eldritch Abomination and holy shit, the graphics in this game are amazing.

"This is not good, I can't move, I can't move…"

There's a voice in the back of my head screaming to shut the game down, to get that horrible thing off the screen. I ignore it.

Markinpanties. .......smut.

shifter-slight sci-fi AU. shrug emoji.

I looked up from the ground and saw I was heading straight for a brick wall. There was no time to slow down. I braced for impact...

It didn't happen. I opened my eyes and found myself in a café.

What.

Looking behind me, I saw a door. On impulse I walked over and opened it; the tree-lined street I could see through the glass was indeed there. No brick wall to smack my face into. Bewildered, I turned around and looked for a seat, choosing one near a window.

Gouldiplier~. master doc of ficbits of my cracky mccrackship, MarkiplierxEllie Goulding.

I check my phone during break time again. My selfie has been liked and retweeted thousands of times, and I shake my head in disbelief; I don't think that will ever stop surprising me, deep down. To make things even better, Mark's liked it! I'm in the middle of a happy jig when I realize there's a text from him and a squeak of joy slips from me.

hellooo gorgeous

looks like you're having fun. Hope the shoot's going great! <3

I quickly send a reply. it has been. Be glad when it's done tho. Missin u lots xo

Markipicbunnies. fanart of Mark for Gouldiplier insipration. photographer au. 

"Ms. Goulding, I'm really not sure about this…"

"I produce pictures that are intimate because I'm an intimate being, Mark." Ellie looked at him directly, a hint of a smile shaping her lips. "Deep down, I think you are too. We just need to draw you out a bit."

showersexgouldiplier. WELP. IT’S SMUT.

Also I have folders for my 2010/11 nanowrimo novel that are kinda still WIPs but also kinda not

i’m gonna tag.... @kippielovesyou @kiridork and @mistergrass and anyone else who wants to do this can too :3

[thatonecurlygirl]

You Never Smile at Me Like That {Pt. 5}

Steve x Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

You suddenly shoot up from your laying position, heart pounding in your chest as you wake up in a cold sweat. You rub the sleep from your eyes as you become painfully aware of the burning sensation in your lungs and the fact that your room is so cold, freezing actually and you can feel your nose running. This wouldn’t be the first time you accidentally left your window open but you rarely even open it in the winter. After the nightmare you just had you aren’t too worried about why you left it open -- you just want it closed -- you want to feel safe and warm behind your locked windows and doors. You bring your hands back up to your face, rubbing your eyes with the heel of your hand allowing your eyes to finally adjust the darkness surrounding you. You are not home, you are laying in the security office at the outside gate entrance of Hawkins Lab.

You clamor on to your feet and feel around for the switch and when you flip it, the small room is flooded with light. All you can think about is why you are here at the place that has always creeped you out and how you got there without your car. Pulling the phone from where it hangs on the wall,, you dial the number of the first person that comes to mind.

“Hello?” The raspy voice of the sleep-interrupted boy on the other side of the phone answers.

“Steve, can you come get me?” You ask softly, trying to keep your cool -- the small amount of ‘cool’ remaining deep in your reserve.

“(y/n), are you okay?” He asks with concern evident in his voice and completely awake at this point.

“I had a nightmare and woke up outside Hawkins Lab.” You shiver not only at the freezing winter breeze but the sight of the eerie building in front of you. “I’m cold and this place is scaring me a little bit.”

“I’m on my way. I will be there in just a few minutes.” He says and hangs up, wasting no time to get to you.

The wind whistles as the snow continues to fall and accumulate on the ground outside, covering up the single set of footsteps that belonged to you. The tracks seem almost eerie or surreal seeing as came in nearly a straight line down the street for as far as you can see. Somehow for some reason you slept walked straight here in the middle of the night -- to a place you avoid in the daylight.

Not even ten minutes after calling, you see Steve’s car pull up and he jumps out. He runs up to you and wraps a big quilt around your shaking body and guides you out to the passenger seat of his car and running to the other side, slipping in.

“Are you okay? It’s freezing out there?” Steve cranks up the heat and pulls away.

“Yeah, I’m not hurt, just a little freaked out and confused.” You pull the thick blanket around you tighter.

“So tell me exactly what happened.” He says, eyes focused on the slick and snowy roads ahead.

“I had a nightmare someone broke into the house. In the dream, I snuck out the window and hurt my ankle and I was running toward Billy’s house. Then I woke up outside the lab. I’ve never slept walked before and it’s just weird that the first time I do I walk out in the cold for miles to Hawkins Lab.” You look back in the mirror as you watch the lab disappear in the distance. “It’s stupid, I’m sorry for waking you up.”

“Hey, it’s not stupid,” Steve assures you, his mind going a mile a minute as he worries about how and why you ended up at Hawkins Lab, the place that has caused nothing but nightmares for him and the little group he had become close with over the past year. “You can call me whenever, no matter the time.”

“Thanks for this, Steve.” You stare out the window at your house coming into view.

“Looks like your parents are gone.” He comments as he pulls up behind your car in the driveway.

“Guess so,” you sigh. “I really don’t feel like being alone. Would you stay with me tonight? I know with… everything between us right now it’s a little awkward but-”

“Of course, let’s get you inside.” He turns the car off and gets out, running over to your side and helping you up the slick driveway and to your front porch, reaching under the porch swing where you kept the spare key taped.

You cross the threshold of your house, anxious to see if your dream was, in fact, a dream. You were surprised and relieved to see your house untouched -- left exactly how it was before you went to bed. Steve insisted on you going to lay back in your bed while he slept on the couch. He made sure you were tucked in, warm, and safe as he sat in the room with you until you fell asleep. This is one of the reasons you fell for Steve, he's always trying his hardest to take care of you.

The familiar sound of your phone ringing on your bedside table breaks your sleep as your sleepy limbs stretch into the air before you pull the phone to your ear. Taking a few seconds before you can find your voice to yawn out a “Hello?”

“Hey honey, it’s mom. I went to pick Dad up from the airport but the weather got bad and they closed down the roads. It looks like we are stuck…” The rest of whatever your mom says turns into mumbles in your ear as the deja vu surfaces to the front of your mind and the sound of rustling downstairs catches your attention.

“(y/n)? (y/n) can you hear me?” You mom asks over the phone.

“Yeah mom, sorry I just zoned out for a minute.” You answer her but receive no reply in return. “Hello? Mom are you there?” You ask but the only thing that you get in reply is silence, not even the sound of the electricity buzzing through the phone.

You place the phone back down and sit there in awe and confusion. You slide off the bed, wrapping the blanket around you are you walk to the window. Flipping the lock, you try to push it open and unsurprisingly it catches. With another firm push the window jolts open, slamming against the top with a loud thud. Frantic sounds of footsteps ascending the stairs and toward your bedroom has you frozen in your place, even after the door flies open.

“My dream… this is what happened in my dream.” You say to Steve as he walks up behind you.

“What? What happened in your dream?” He asks, reaching past you and closing the window back.

“The call from my Mom saying they are stuck in Indy, the phone going out, me opening the door, you running up the steps.” You shake your head, walking back to your bed. “The only difference is I knew what was going on and I knew it was you coming up the stairs. God, it’s a crazy case of Deja vu.” You groan and turn, walking back to the bed.

“You okay? Like do you feel okay?” Steve asks worried, things keep getting weirder and weirder and knowing what he knows, that’s only trouble.

“Yeah, I feel fine.”

“Come here,” Steve says walking over and sitting next to you. He places the back of his hand against your forehead, feeling an abnormal amount of heat radiating from your skin. “You’re hot.” He sighs.

“You’re not too bad yourself.” You wink playfully as you pull the blankets closer to you. “I actually am freezing.” You groan.

“I’m going to get you some more blankets and make you some hot chocolate.” Steve stands up, heading to walk out of your bedroom door.

“Actually, could you just get the fireplace started? I’m going to bring blankets down and lay in front of the fire to warm up.” You stand up, grabbing an armful of your blankets and pillows.

Steve wasn’t going to let it show that he was nervous and scared for your sake and he absolutely wasn’t going to say anything to you about it. He doesn’t want to drag you into the mess that he stumbled across when dating Nancy Wheeler. He felt better than you asked him to stay with you, he liked being able to keep an eye on you. He also always liked taking care of you and was never afraid to be around you when you were sick and you appreciated that.

You lay in the pile of your blankets on the floor in front of the fireplace, surrounded by used up tissues, packs of crackers and a bottle of sprite. Your nose stuffy, head congested, and the medicine that Steve found in the closet making you drowsy. All those combined along with you crying while watching E.T. made it hard for you to hear the knocking on the door or even Steve getting up to answer it.

“What the hell are you doing here, Steve?” A muffled sounding voice asks, bringing your attention to where Steve stands at the door.

“Who’s that?” You ask, shuffling over to the door and peeking around Steve to see Dustin, one of the kids Steve’s had hanging around who happens to live a few houses down. “Oh hi, Dustin.” You smile.

“Oh, did I interrupt something?” Dustin smirks, pointing out the clothing that sloppily hangs off your body. You have to admit, it looks like you threw them on in a hurry.

“No, she’s just sick. I’m taking care of her.” Steve looks at you with a small smile “(y/n), I need to talk to this little shit real quick. Are you okay by yourself for a few minutes?”

“I’m not dying. I promise I can take care of myself.” You laugh, “Nice seeing you Dustin.” You say with a little wave and turn around, going to make yourself comfortable in your nest of blankets.

Steve had his suspicions about what really happened last night. He was afraid that somehow for some reason you were dragged into the mess that him and the other’s now call their twisted life. To be honest he didn’t want to even freak the kids out about what was happening but he needed to let someone know what was possibly happening so they could be prepared.

When Steve walks back into the house you notice he looks stressed before he smiles wide at you. You can tell there’s something going on in that mind of his. He walks over and sits on the couch, motioning you over.

“How ya feeling?” He asks, wrapping his arm around you and pulling you into his chest.

“Sleepy but other than that I’m actually starting to feel a little better.” You breathe in the scent of Steve, the scent you’ve missed smelling. “Thank you got all this Steve… but you’re making this ‘taking it slow… friends for now’ thing a little difficult.” You confess looking up into his eyes.

“Is that right?” He chuckles, looking down into your eyes as lovingly as he used to.

“If I wasn’t sick I would so kiss you right now.” You say softly and lean your head back against his shoulder.

“I don’t mind.” His voice as smooth as your favorite soft serve at Dairy Queen. He uses one hand to lift your face to look back up at him, your faces only inches from each other. “I’d be more than happy to catch a cold from kissing you.”

He leans down and places his lips against yours ever so slightly in the softest kiss you’ve ever had. The kiss was slow and his lips moved with a passionate devotion. It was honestly the best kiss you ever had. When you pull away from Steve smiles and caresses your face.

“I’ve missed doing that.” He admits.

“Me too.” You smile looking down at your hands. You open your mouth to say something else but you are interrupted by a knock on the door. “I’ll get it.” You pat his chest as you stand up to walk to the door.

“I’m going to heat up some soup,” Steve says, standing up and walking to the kitchen.

You pull the front door open to come face-to-face with someone you never expected to be standing on your front porch. “Nancy?”

Tags: @yuukiahim @bilesxbilinskixlahey @the-ghostgirl-blog @vanitysfairr @yannii04 @alonewolfsblog @thgleslie @hushyourlies

[amethystina]

Cougar/Jensen for 6 &22!

Alrighty then! Let’s see what I can come up with ;)

THE TROPES:6. Bookshop AU22. Space AU

Again, below the cut because I don’t want to swamp your dashes with my over-excited writing. Someone seriously needs to stop me.

Jake’s gig at the bookshop is pretty nice, all things considered, be it a career path he had never quite expected. He’s always been more fond of technology than books, but the money is surprisingly good and it’s not like he’s got anything better to do after deciding not to continue his career within the Army. He got the job as store manager at the small, obscure second-hand bookshop through a series of unlikely events involving kind, elderly neighbours, their children, and a fair share of luck.

Overall, Jake likes it. The books in the store are so old and weird that the only patrons are either obscenely rich collectors or obscenely eccentric enthusiasts.

Jake gets along better with the latter than the former, unsurprisingly, but that might just be because of his experience of growing up in a poor neighbourhood and the innate dislike he has for rich people.

Either way, he enjoys his job. He gets to spend most of his time playing games on his phone or reading through the insane amount of weird books in stock, which has taught him even more useless knowledge than his Googling. It’s a cushy job that allows him to spend the majority of his time as he likes, and most of his evenings with Jess and Beth. All in all, Jake is quite comfortable with his life.

That changes, however, when a stranger steps into the shop.

That in itself is pretty unusual since most of the patrons are regulars aside from the occasional hipster who wanders in looking for first editions of some book they love. And, to make matters worse, Jake can tell straight away that this is not a man he should take lightly.

Jake can’t put his finger on what it is about the man that unsettles him, but he seems off, somehow. Perhaps it’s the fact that his clothes have a weird cut, or maybe it’s the smooth, almost predatory way he moves. He’s clearly a fighter of some sort — Jake knows that walk from his years in the Army — which doesn’t calm him at all.

He tells himself it must be his imagination when the stranger’s eyes seem to flash gold for the briefest of seconds.

The man’s eyes are brown. A beautiful, dark, rich brown for sure, but brown, not gold.

To Jake’s infinite surprise, the man doesn’t seem to be there to rob the store. Instead, he smiles politely and asks for a book. It’s one they have — one of the old sci-fi novels about a prophecy and magic and lost princesses and whatnot. It is, admittedly, one of Jake’s favourites because of how utterly fantastic it is, and he’s very excited to find another person who is interested in it — be it someone who might also be a serial killer.

Jake fetches the book, talking all the while, but stop short when he notices the way the stranger is looking at him. There’s too much intensity in his dark gaze, as if he’s cataloging every inch of Jake with disturbing interest.

Jake is understandably uncomfortable and hands over the book, careful not to let their hands brush as he does so. The stranger looks down at the book, clearly amused, but says nothing more before he pays and leaves. Jake isn’t sure what that was about, but he knows for a fact that he doesn’t like it. He pushes it from his mind, however, writing it down as yet another weird customer and continues with his day.

Except, on his way home after closing up the shop, he sees the man again.

Jake is far too cautious not to notice someone following him and he is both unnerved and pissed at the man’s audacity. Before Jake has time to confront him, however, he is attacked by… well, Jake isn’t entirely sure.

They don’t look like anything he’s ever seen — black, insect-like things, except they’re the size of dogs and have far too many teeth for Jake’s liking. It’s like something out of a horror movie and the only thing that saves him from an early death are his reflexes, honed from years of training.

Well, that and the creepy stranger.

The man is suddenly there, cutting through the nightmare creatures with something that looks suspiciously like a lightsaber yet not at all, and Jake gives up on trying to follow the situation. He doesn’t even struggle when the man grabs his hand and drags him off down a narrow street, clearly intent on getting them away from whatever they’re now running from. As far as Jake’s concerned, he’ll take a creepy stranger over certain death.

It takes a while, but they eventually manage to shake the creatures. Before Jake has time to ask what the FUCK is going on and why THE HELL this stranger suddenly does have golden eyes after all — slitted like a cat’s and distractingly bright — the man mumbles a soft, “Sorry,” followed by a jolt of electricity that makes everything go black.

Jake wakes up in a foreign bed and has no idea where he is, but the man who apparently had the nerve to taze him is sitting calmly on a chair at the opposite side of the room, arms crossed over his chest and eyes keen. For a split second, Jake debates grabbing the weird-looking clock on the bedside table and throwing it at the man, but then his gaze happens to land on the window.

There are stars outside. Only stars. Just a wide expanse of stars, stretching out into what Jake knows is almost literal infinity.

“I have been kidnapped by aliens,” is what he blurts out, rather than the angry accusations he had intended.

The stranger tips his head as if to say “fair enough” but says nothing else. Jake has no idea what to do with that. He has no idea what to do with ANYTHING in his current surroundings. He’s in a room that is grey and bland and there’s soft humming of engines in the background and some kind of control panel on the wall and he is undeniably on a spaceship of some kind. And the man in front of him is some kind of alien because those eyes are not natural and Jake has to be dreaming.

Except he knows he’s not.

When he asks why he’s there — what the stranger wants from him — he’s told it’s for his protection. That makes no sense at all to Jake because he lives a dull, uneventful life since he left the Army and he certainly hasn’t done anything that warrants getting kidnapped by aliens.

When he keeps pushing, he gets an eye-roll for his troubles and the stranger reaches into his pocket and tosses something across the room. The book the stranger bought from the store lands in Jake’s lap and he looks down at it in confusion.

“It’s all real,” the stranger says, as if that’s enough of an explanation.

It isn’t.

When Jake points this out, the man sighs and tells him to read the book. Jake tells him that he already has — it’s one of his favourites. The man smiles at this, as if he finds that funny, but Jake doesn’t.

The book is about a rich, beautiful planet on the other side of the galaxy on which a civil war breaks out when the king is betrayed and assassinated. His five sons all battle for the throne, almost tearing their planet apart in the process, and they end up plotting and murdering each other as the story goes along. There are twists and turns and, eventually, the youngest brother is the only one who remains standing. But only after it has been revealed that he was the one who murdered their father, corrupted by the old, forbidden magic that runs through their planet.

Out of all the other children of the king, only the daughter survives. The princess flees from her planet in desperation and fear of her brother’s wrath, but the story ends with the prophecy of her return — how she will come back and take the throne from her brother and cleanse their planet of the foul magic once and for all.

Jake has always been disappointed that there’s wasn’t a sequel somewhere, where the princess does all the things the prophecy says that she will. Jake has looked far and wide, but there are no records of it anywhere and, since the book was written at the end of the last century, Jake knows the author isn’t likely to take requests, what with being dead and all.

“It’s all real,” the man repeats, nodding towards the book. “The lost princess. The prophecy.”

As much as Jake likes that thought, he’s still not pleased.

“And what does that have to do with me?” he asks.

Liking the story is hardly enough grounds to get kidnapped. He receives a flat look in return, followed by a shake of the man’s head.

“It is time,” he says, which isn’t foreboding at all. “For her return.”

Jake gets frustrated. “Again, what does that have to do with me?”

And then comes the words that completely rearranges Jake’s grasp on the world, himself, and the galaxy as a whole.

“Everything, Your Highness,” the man says. “Everything.”

I really need to stop here or else I’ll end up writing the whole thing and I don’t have time. But yeah! JAKE IS A SPACE PRINCESS! Because I say so.

So, like, the actual story would be about reclaiming the planet and falling in love with Cougar and all that lovely shit. Because I can’t think of short space AUs?

ANYWAY. I hope you enjoyed that ;)

[tomlinshawexchange]

Tomlinshaw Exchange 2017 Fic List

Thank you to everyone who participated: writers, pinch hitters, betas, britpickers, and readers!

Here’s the full collection on AO3. 

Do You Smile To Tempt a Lover by allwaswell16  Nick Grimshaw is entranced by Louis, his very beautiful, very cheeky new coworker at The National Portrait Gallery. He watches him day after day, wondering what he’s furiously typing on his laptop over lunch. With a little help from the very bored barista in the gallery cafe, Nick finds himself growing closer to Louis than he ever dreamed possible.

Now that you’re here, I never want you to leave by wearetheluckyones “You like him,” He sing-songs, tugging off the pasta container’s lid. “Go fuck yourself.” Nick tells him as he finds plates, no actual bite behind his words. “Did you get the extra garlic bread? You ate it all last time.” “You gonna ask him out?” Harry asks, taking the two foil wrapped garlic breads from the bag and putting them on the counter. “I’m gonna give you the same answer I gave you last time you asked me that.” “You’re into him, he’s into you, what’s the big deal?” Harry asks, frowning, accepting the plate Nick hands him and dumping half the container of bacon and feta gnocchi onto it, and half the container of penne arrabbiata next to it. “You should just ask him out. There’s no harm in trying.” -*-*- Or, the one where Louis’s a drummer, Nick’s a radio DJ, and Louis’s dogs are menaces.

some velvet morning, years too late by tintedglasses A better adult probably would have changed their emergency contact information once they had convinced said contact that they wanted nothing to do with them, but Louis had never been very good at proper adult things. Besides, it’s not like he thought he’d ever need it. Or: Louis wakes up in the hospital with unfinished business at his bedside. Turns out Nick has some unfinished business, too.

(no such thing as) ordinary, love by dizzy Nick is an Uber driver in London and Louis ends up passed out in the back seat of his car.

The Sky At Night by sunsetmog There’s a little piece of paper on his bedside table, torn from the bottom of a notepad. Insomnia Alliance, it says, in Louis’s chicken scratch handwriting. 9pm-7am, then the telephone number. Or: Louis can’t sleep, and Nick’s the one who answers the phone in the middle of the night.

you can’t take the sky from me by mrsenjolras “Alright,” Nick says eventually. “You can stay till our next stop. But it’s not gonna come free.” Louis stiffens. He’s got money, sure, but he’s worried that that’s not the kind of payment Nick is looking for. “Oh, don’t look so scared,” Nick says, though. “We’re not stopping till we’re in the next system. Can you work?” “Oh,” Louis says, relieved. “Yeah, I can do pretty much anything.” “Great, well, welcome aboard the Pig Dog,” Nick says, extending a hand out for Louis to shake. Louis takes it, decidedly not thinking about how it’s larger than his own and also very warm and quite soft, and instead cocks his head. “Wait, your ship is called the Pig Dog?” [Or: the one where Louis stows away and gets more than he bargained for.]

Cigarette in my left hand, whole world in my right hand by wearetheluckyones Harry’s had some really bad ideas before, starting with the time he got pissed and jumped into the Thames stark naked, but this might take the fucking cake. Offering up Louis as a viable option for a model for Nick’s last photography project is ludicrous at best and a disaster waiting to happen at worst.

Know You Know You Got It Bad by taggiecb “I heard you on the radio.” Louis says. Okay, definitely not what he expected to hear. “Yes, I am on five days a week, sometimes more.” Nick replies. Seriously, what is up with this kid? “No no. That’s not what I meant.” Louis shakes his head and sighs heavily, as though Nick is the one being cryptic. “I heard what you said. To Fifi.” Louis pauses, but Nick takes a cue and stays quiet. He has a feeling that the more he talks, the longer this thing is going to draw out. Suddenly Louis is getting close, really close. Like, so close that Nick is wondering if Louis is about to kiss him. He doesn’t of course, he’s moving to talk into Nick’s ear. Which, Nick isn’t going to lie, affects him almost as much as a kiss might. The boy is fit. “About the chains and whips.” Now it’s Nick’s turn to blush and fumble Or Where a glib comment on the radio leads to one very interesting few weeks for Nick.

Those Summer Nights by YesIsAWorld Nick’s whirlwind summer romance ended when he left his dad’s beach house. Now it’s the first day of senior year, and Nick needs to avoid both the most popular boy at school and his friends’ probing questions.

Give Me One More Night With You by EmmyLouWho Louis turns up at Nick’s door on Saturday night, carrying a bottle of wine that he’d picked out at random at a Sainsburys on the way there. He’d spent ages trying to figure out what you were supposed to wear when you’re going over to somebody’s house so they can thank you for looking after their dog but really you were effectively keeping their dog hostage and you also think that that person is really cute and you’re trying not to be weird about it. His Google search had been, perhaps unsurprisingly, not very helpful. Or, the one where Pig turns up on Louis’ doorstep one day, and Louis has a crush.

Somebody Hurt You (I Know A Place) by writcraft An unexpected encounter brings Nick and Louis together but before they can tell anyone about their relationship an attack on Louis tears them both apart. Nick struggles to deal with the fact Louis no longer remembers their time together as Louis struggles with his injuries and nightmares in the aftermath of the attack. Together they help one another to heal and learn how to love all over again.

There Now, Steady Love by Jiksa Nick’s just had his heart broken, Louis is surprisingly careful with it. Or, the one where Nick’s a small time radio DJ & Louis’s a single dad trying to make it as a musician.

Go On, I Dare You by pwoperninjaelf Nick and Louis are camp counsellors that have spent their past few summers working at an American summer camp, eager for the paid trip abroad, but far less keen on one another. On the final day of camp last summer though, they ended up drunkenly hooking up, but never spoke about it again. Nick’s still not entirely sure what went down and why Louis bailed on him, but it’s okay. He’s just going to ignore it. Ignore Louis, which shouldn’t be too hard considering that’s what he’s been doing for the past few years already anyway. This summer is going to be just like all the others, honestly, nothing’s changed… An American summer camp AU, featuring two stupid boys who keep getting their wires crossed, a host of other familiar faces, all the old school band t-shirts and a camp that should probably keep a better check on their counsellors.

your crooked sleep beside me by nicalyse Louis Tomlinson is unexpected. In which Louis comes on the Breakfast Show and Nick starts to fall for him.

not that good of a person (but i might be for you) by neonmoonlight “Do you fucking mind?” Louis asked tensely, glaring at Nick. “You know, I thought naming your old ship after a greek goddess was some quirk of yours,” Nick started then gestured towards the book that Louis placed on his shelf. “But clearly, you have a thing.” “You make one more comment I will abandon you on a dying planet,” Louis said, turning back to his bag of things. He heard Nick scoff behind him before he left and let the door slide shut. Louis closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down before he went back to fix up his space. The one thing Louis wanted was for Nick to leave him alone, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen. or the one where nick and louis hate each other until they don’t and there’s a spaceship.

If This Is To End In Fire by Jiksa Apocalypse makes it sound a lot more glamorous than it actually is.

What about us? by octoberrose11 Ducking his head he mumbles out, “One of them might have passed out but her friend caught her before anything bad could have happened. Anyways! Don’t change the subject!” “What subject?” Anton drops himself gracefully into Liam’s lap, holding onto his shoulder to steady himself. “Who kicked Harry’s puppy?” “He’s mad that Tommo and Grim are practically fucking on the dance floor.” “They are not! They’re friends, barely friends. They only can stand each other because of me.” Twin unimpressed looks came across the other two’s faces. “I’m going to pretend that it’s the drinks that are making you act like that, Styles, because the man I know wouldn’t say such a thing about one of our best friends.” Liam waved Harry off when he opened his mouth to protest. “You dated both of them, Harry. You broke both of their hearts.”

It’s Like I’m Shootin’ With Broken Arrows by Saori  Road trips are fun if you’re going with someone you can connect with. Riding on the highway with the radio on, eating junk food, taking selfies and making meaningless conversations, bantering about directions… That’s not exactly the case with Nick and Louis. There might be less connecting and more bickering. or, Nick and Louis miss the last plane, and they have two days to get to France. Traveling together might be the worst and best decision in their lives.

It couldn’t get better they say by happilylouie  When Louis Tomlinson releases his new single “Miss you” he is set to appear on Nick Grimshaw’s morning show. Nick has a long time crush on Louis and maybe, just maybe, Nick can gather the courage to say something this time. What if Louis song is inspired not about a general situation, but maybe about a certain radio show host that he himself has had a crush on for a while. or Should be laughing, but there’s something wrong - How about we’ll make it right?!

I’ll Be Your Pride by YesIsAWorld  Louis needled Nick into riding the Ferris wheel with him so he wouldn’t have to ride alone. Of course, they get stuck at the top and Louis has to help Nick through his paralyzing fear of heights.

This is different than in the movies! by definitelynotafan  In which Nick’s new flat is haunted and the ghost has a weird thing about shoes.

All the Silver Moons by YesIsAWorld Nick wakes up in a strange hotel room and is apparently visiting Louis on tour. Which is really weird, because Louis doesn’t like him and they’ve never hung out without Harry as a buffer. And clearly Louis thinks they’re *together* together and Nick hasn’t the faintest idea what’s going on.

[anxioustealnotebook-blog]

{A Night You’ll Never Remember} Steve Harrington||Soulmate AU

Pairing: Steve Harrington/Reader 

Summary: Soulmate AU where you can't see colour until you kiss your soulmate for the first time. Reader wakes up the morning after a party and realizes she can see colour. The only problem is she can't seem to remember who she kissed. Oops. 

Warning: None except some swearing. 

A/N: Finally finished my first one shot for Tumblr. It took longer than expected. 

Needless to say, you had heard the story of how your parents had found each other a million times. 

They had both just turned eighteen and were at their local dance hall. They both went to the same school, but neither of them had ever talked to one another. But on that night, your father was feeling brave and decided to tap your mother on the shoulder and ask her to dance. Your mother, also feeling brave, said yes and they stayed together for the rest of the night. Both of them knew they were meant for each other. At the end of the night your father finally worked up enough courage and kissed your mother. According to your mother, she felt a tingling feeling on her lips that she still remembers to this day. After the kiss, they pulled away and saw the world light up with colour. 

"It's the most amazing feeling in the world, kissing you soulmate for your first time," your mother would always finish. 

Unsurprisingly, your brother and sister lapped up the story every time, and so did you, in the beginning. 

It was a simple, romantic story and you were happy for your parents. But you knew about fifteen other kids your age who's parents had the exact same story. You wanted something more exciting. 

When you could finally see colour, it had to be special. 

                                                           * * * 

 "Why...?" You groaned into your pillow. You had only been awake for a few moments and you hadn't even taken taken your head off the pillow yet, but you could already feel a headache coming on. 

It wasn't surprising really, you had a tendency to go a tiny bit overboard with the alcohol at parties. You would think only being able to see in black, grey and white would help the situation, but you were certain that your curtains were probably wide open. Drunk-you never gave any real thought to small unimportant things like that. With your luck it would probably be a 'lovely' sunny day that would cause your head to hurt even more. 

 You groaned again and rolled onto your side, as 'trying to get back to sleep with face engulfed by pillow' was not the way to go. You pulled the duvet to eye level in the hope of falling asleep again. 

This was the plan for about a second, until you opened your eyes to check the time and you realized something was very off about your duvet. There was no way you were seeing what you thought you were seeing. You had to be dreaming. You blinked a few time, but it was still there. The duvet wasn't it's usual dull grey! It took a minute of just staring at the new exciting colour for your brain to wake up and catch on to what was actually going on. 

"Blue!" You gasped, reading the small word sewn into the top right corner of the duvet. Sitting upright, you did your best to ignore the dizziness and blinding bright sunshine coming from your window. Instead you focused on the room around you. You felt like a kid in a candy store as you stared in awe at the strange but beautiful new colours surrounding you. 

 Despite the fuzz clouding your thoughts, you recalled the colours your parents had described to you and you whispered each of them. 

 After that, you got out of bed and ventured over to the window. A shriek of excitement escaped your lips. The view from your bedroom window looked so much more special. You gripped the windowsill tightly, silently hoping it wouldn't melt away with the rest of the colour and you wouldn't end up waking up to find it was all a dream. 

 Thankfully, it didn't. 

Next, you ran back across your room to pick up the phone and immediately dial your best friend's number. She was definitely still asleep and probably hungover too, but whatever. 

"Grace! You won't believe what just happened!" You exclaimed excitedly. 

"W...what?" Grace asked groggily. You didn't miss the annoyance in her voice either. 

"I can see COLOUR! Actual colour. Like not black or grey or whatever-" you were beginning to ramble. Thankfully Grace had the good grace to cut you off. 

"Wow...that's cool. Are they as amazing as people say?" 

"Yes!" you seemed to have forgotten about the hangover. I think blue is my favourite, or maybe green. Oh you should see red. Blue and pink look so pretty together-" 

"No! I mean how was the kiss? Who's the lucky guy? I seem to remember you disappearing halfway through the party and you didn't show up till the end. I definitely don't remember you meeting your soulmate..." Grace was going off into her own tangent. 

Meanwhile you felt yourself sinking back into reality. You recalled dancing with Grace and some of your other friends and bright flashing lights and alcohol (lots of alcohol). You briefly remembered a tingly feeling on your lips (which must have been the kiss). But no soulmate. 

"Oh fuck, I don't know," realization dawned on you like a brick wall. 

                                                       * * * 

It was Monday afternoon and you were sitting in history with Grace by your side. 

The whole day had just dragged by mercilessly. Every damn moment was spent analyzing everything you could piece together from the party and looking from left to right in search of someone who stood out. Or someone who might be staring at you from the corner of their eye. 

No luck so far. 

It didn't help that you were still getting used to the colours around you. They were distracting and you felt they were beginning to taunt you, the way they could make anyone stand out or hide in the crowd.

Someone else who was not helping was Grace. She had made it her mission to find your soulmate. In fact you were convinced she was a pen and paper away from putting up a 'missing person's sign' up on the notice board asking anyone with information to come forward. 

 All day she was pointing at people and asking if you felt any attraction towards them. The answer was always no. 

"Are you sure you don't remember anything else?" She leaned over and whispered in your ear when the teacher's back was turned. 

"Yes!" You whisper shouted. 

"Oh what if its Billy Hargrove? He was at the party, wasn't he? Plus he's kind of cute." 

"You're not serious are you? I wouldn't go near Billy with a steel pole," you hissed at Grace who was trying her best to bite back a laugh. 

"I was joking." 

"Seriously, the day that Billy is my soulmate is the day that the universe has truly given up," you rolled your eyes, "did you even see what he did to Steve Harrington the other day? He is not a good guy." 

You went back to trying to concentrate on what the teacher was saying, before glancing one more time at Grace who looked like she had just gotten an idea. You wanted to ask her what it was but it would have to wait because the teacher was glaring at the both of you. 

                                                        * * * 

You sighed loudly from the safety of the school door. Of course Grace had to bring her little brother to soccer practice on the other side of Hawkins. She was your ride home that evening as your car was non-existent. She just drove off. All of your other friends were nowhere to be found. 

You honestly wouldn't mind as much as you did if it wasn't pouring rain. After kicking the school wall for good luck (definitely not out of spite), you set off down the road as fast as you could. 

The horrible weather seemed to drag up feelings of hopelessness within you. You would never find your soulmate at this rate. Whatever you had drunk had drowned your chances of ever finding your soulmate. And while you did believe that a person could lead a perfectly happy and fulfilling life without a soulmate or a partner of any kind, you did feel pretty bad about the whole situation. There would be no great exciting story to tell. Just a wistful tale of what could have been. 

Lost in thought, you barely noticed the rumble of a car pulling up next to you. However, the loud beep of a car horn did catch your attention. Startled, you turned and peered through the fogged up car window. Steve Harrington of all people stared back at you. 

"You want a ride home?" He smiled sheepishly as he rolled down the window. Not giving it a second thought you nodded enthusiastically and jumped in. The instant warmth was more than welcoming. 

"Uh...hey Steve," you gave him a small smile, which he returned.

Now settled, you realized you hadn't actually talked to Steve in a very long time. You used to be good friends when you were younger and you even had a small crush on him. But didn't everyone? 

These days you didn't have much to do with him, which was fine. But while the minutes ticked by you really wished you could find something to say that would break the awkward silence.  

"Do you know where I live?" you questioned him 

"Yeah Grace told me-" you quickly looked at him, confused. When had he been talking to Grace? Had you heard that right? 

Now that you were facing him, you realized how nervous he looked. His eyes were glued to the road in front of him and his hands were clamped tightly to the steering wheel. 

"Are...you alright Steve?" You asked, slightly worried. 

"Um...yeah, kind of. I need to talk to you about something important." 

"Okay?" In response he pulled the car over to the side of the road. You were more confused than ever. He was still staring at the road, not saying anything. 

"Steve this is weird. I'm grateful for the ride home, but-?" You stared at him expectantly and he finally turned to face you. You gasped as you realized his eyes were brown and not grey. People who had found their soulmate didn't have grey eyes. You were sure Grace had told you that Nancy wasn't Steve's soulmate though. And to your knowledge, he wasn't with anyone at the moment. 

"Oh...I forgot about the eye thing. Yours are really pretty by the way. This probably gives the game away, huh?" 

"What game?" 

Steve was the one looking expectantly at you now. You were obviously missing something huge. But the way Steve was staring at you and when had his face gotten so close to yours? What were you missing? 

"I'm you soulmate," the sheepish smile was back. 

Your jaw dropped at your own stupidity. It was all very painfully obvious. 

"Oh, wow," you muttered, at a loss for words, "um...are you sure?" 

"Yes Y/N I'm very sure," he finally relaxed and gave you a much more Steve-like grin, "I was going to talk to you today about it but then I overheard someone say that you couldn't remember who your soulmate was and I got worried that maybe you just didn't want me to be your soulmate." 

"What no," you shook your head, "of course not. I honestly couldn't remember half of what happened at that party." 

"Oh I know because later Grace, your friend, came running up to me and told me everything. And I mean everything. She set this up and all." 

"Of course she did," you rolled your eyes. No wonder she had that look on her face during history. 

"Do you remember anything now?" "No, sorry, but I don't think that matters now anyway. But...I do need you to prove to me you're not lying to me." 

"How-" You cut him off by closing the gap between the two of you. You kissed him softly. And he kissed back. The sound of the rain hitting the car was drowned out by the familiar warm electric feeling you were beginning to feel on your lips. 

 After a minute you pulled back and grinned. 

"So does that prove I'm not lying to you?" Steve grinned knowingly. 

"Yes Steve Harrington. I think I can safely say you are my soulmate." 

 "Finally," he rolled his eyes and kissed you again.

[megatraven]

the stars that touch the earth

Summary: Marinette and Alya go on a spontaneous road trip out of the city to see the stars that don't appear in Paris' sky.

A/N: Finally getting around to posting my Alyanette piece I wrote for PML’s Sky Zine! I forgot about it and I could’ve posted like a week ago, woops.

AO3

Blankets lay scattered across the balcony-turned-garden. Fairy lights were draped across the latticework, a few wrapped around the branches of a small tree that grew there. A couple of plates sat on the edges of the blankets, crumb-covered and forgotten as the hands that had used them just moments before intertwined with each other instead.

Alya and Marinette had their backs on the blankets and their eyes on the sky as they gazed upon the false stars in the horizon made by the city. Their breathing came in tandem as they drank in the night, moonlight illuminating the hope they clung to as they learned more and more about the world they lived in.

Sounds of the nearby river and passing cars filled the air, just barely quiet enough for the radio's static-ridden music to play over it. All of it was almost too loud for Alya to hear Marinette when she whispered, "Hey, Peaches... if you could change one thing about Paris, what would it be?"

Taking a moment to consider her answer, Alya shifted to prop herself up, and stared out across the city she and Marinette both defended. "I think... I think I would love to see the stars again, so, less pollution... more care for the environment. That would be nice."

Marinette hummed in agreement. "I think I'd like the same."

Their conversation petered out after that, they simply laid there, basking in the presence of each other just long enough for Alya to fall into a light slumber. Marinette's gaze moved from the landscape and settled on her partner, her best friend. She watched her during a couple of songs before she grabbed her phone and started to text a certain superhero and model friend of theirs.

[From: Mar You Ready]

[To: Camembert Boy]

hey i need a favor

please

think of it is a way to make up for the day of dead flowers

[From: Camembert Boy]

[To: Mar You Ready]

I've apologized for that like 100 times

it wasnt my fault nino spooked me :(

who puts flowrs that close to the edge anyways

what do yoy need though, my lady? ;3c

[From: Mar You Ready]

[To: Camembert Boy]

can als and i borrow one of your dad's cars tmrrow?

[From: Camembert Boy]

[To: Mar You Ready]

ummm i dont think i can get a car for you :/

but!! the van i use to help nino lug his equipment around should be free

want me to drop it off tomorrow morning??

[From: Mar You Ready]

[To: Camembert Boy]

please!!!! btw dont tell als

and also thanks love u, goin to bed now so i wont msg back :*

sweet dreams, purrfect boy

Dropping her phone beside her, she curled into Alya's side, dragging a blanket over Alya and herself and falling asleep.

When morning came, Marinette woke to a bright-eyed Adrien staring down at her, shaking from silent laughter.

"You guys are the most irresponsible responsible people I know," he whispered with a chuckle. "C'mon, get up." Holding his hand out to her, she took it and was pulled to her feet, careful so as not to wake Alya.

The two went inside and talked quietly about Marinette's plans. Adrien, as supportive of her spontaneity as ever, smiled and nodded along with everything she said.

"...and I was thinking we'd stay out most of the night and bring the van back tomorrow. Is that fine?"

"Yeah, that totally works. Nino won't need it for a couple of days anyways- we're going on a couple dates," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

Marinette snorted and playfully pushed him. "Where're you planning on going?" she asked, getting up to start prepping for the trip.

"I dunno, Nino wouldn't tell me… It's all a big mystpurry," he joked, laughing a little too loudly when she threw a pillow at his face. "C'mon, you have to admit that was a good one. If you do, the keys are yours." He took them from his pocket and held them above her head in a teasing way.

"Alright, fine. That was a purrty good one," she admitted, smiling ear-to-ear.

"I've taught you so well," he said, miming the wiping away of a tear.

"Ha ha, very funny." She rolled her eyes. "Anyways, I hope your dates go well."

"Thanks, I hope yours does too," he replied, stepping forward for a hug before handing her the keys. "Drive safe, alright?"

"Will do, Chaton. Ask Maman and Papa for something on your way out."

He gave a nod, another quick hug, and bid her farewell. Marinette tossed the keys into the air and caught them, glad that Adrien had been so receptive to her plan, and rushed to get ready before Alya would wake.

Thirty minutes went by, and Marinette had managed to shower, throw a few blankets in the backseat of the van, pack some snacks and beverages, and program the GPS to bring them outside the city. She ran inside to her parents, and explained to them her plan. They, unsurprisingly, supported her wholeheartedly, even going so far as to insist she take the fresh batch of pastries they'd just set out to cool. Marinette, thankful, agreed and gave them each a quick hug before going back to her balcony to jostle Alya awake.

"Sweets, time to get up, love," she murmured, sinking to her knees to press a kiss on Alya's cheek.

Alya's dark lashes fluttered at the contact, and soon hazel eyes met blue, one pair sleepy and curious, the other alight with excitement. Marinette shook the keys and smiled widely.

"Get up and shower so we can get this thing started!"

"Get what thing started? And what if I didn't wanna shower?"

"I'll still love you," Marinette promised. "And our road trip, of course!"

"Our.... our what? When did we plan this?"

"Road trip. And not we, I. You said you'd love to see the stars again, so I thought we could do that. How's about it?"

Alya hummed. "Let's just cuddle here for a few more minutes, then I'll get up, 'kay?" Without waiting for a response, she moved so her arms wrapped around Marinette and nestled into her legs.

Marinette let out an airy laugh and set the keys down so she could play with Alya's hair. Alya sighed contentedly and Marinette relaxed further, falling into the soothing motions and losing track of time. Only when her mother called up from her room's entrance did both of them break out of their trance-like state.

"Guess I should get up now, huh?" Alya breathed, holding Marinette tighter even as she knew she'd have to let go.

"That would probably be best," Marinette smiled.

Groaning, Alya started to get up, and Marinette helped her to her feet. "So, you go shower, and I'll double check that everything's ready! Meet you in the car in 35?"

"Sounds good," Alya replied with a yawn as she stretched her arms and climbed down the hatch into Marinette's room.

Marinette grinned and followed after, snorting when she sees a ladybug clinging to Alya's shirt. She brushed it off and made sure it got outside before going through her list of things needed once more.

By the time night fell, the couple had gotten lost or went the wrong way no less than eight times, not that they cared. Each time the GPS had to reroute, they broke into loud guffaws, tears forming in the corners of their eyes. They also needed to stop for gas once, and they were lucky to be heroes, because the vehicle had ran out of fuel before they could reach the station. Needless to say, the employees were somewhat shocked to see the famed Ladybug pushing the van into the lot with a cackling civilian in the driver's seat. Still, even with all of that, they made it to their destination on time, and Ladybug, who had promptly hopped into the driver's seat and forgotten to detransform as she drove off, pulled off of the road a ways and came to a halt.

"So, Mademoiselle Ladybug, have any time to answer a few questions for your biggest fan?" Alya teased, poking Ladybug's shoulder.

"I dunno," she answered, "are you sure you're my biggest fan?"

"Oh, absolutely, without a doubt."

"Well, if you say so, I'd love to answer some questions for you."

"Great!" Alya unclicked her seatbelt and leaned into Ladybug's side. "Question one... do you love me?"

Rather than answering with her words, Ladybug turned towards her and pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips.

"Second question: if you could be anywhere in the world, where would you be?"

"New York," she said without hesitating, laughing when Alya punched her in the shoulder. "Okay, okay, you're right. I wouldn't want to be anywhere you're not, so right here is perfect."

"Aw, you do love me."

"Well, of course."

They exchanged a small smile.

"Question three. If I asked to kiss you, would you let me?"

"Not until you ask question four."

"You know me so well. Okay, we'll hold off on kissing. The final question I have for you is: will you detransform and reveal to me your secret identity right now, where no one else will see?"

Pink light flooded the van for a short moment, and when it faded, Marinette sat in Ladybug's place, smiling from one ear to the other. "I would do it without an ounce of hesitation, every time," she admitted, so honest that Alya flushed just the tiniest bit.

Not knowing how to go on from there, Marinette leaned in so their foreheads touched. "How about that kiss now, Mademoiselle Reporter?"

"On the record?" she asked, inching closer, leaving just enough space between their lips that Marinette's inevitable response might close it.

"On the record," Marinette confirmed, closing the space without a second thought.

Their kiss was soft and sweet, but in no way did it lack passion, even as it drew to an end as quickly as it began. Marinette pulled back.

"We can continue this interview later, if you'd like, Peaches. But for now, I think we should check out the stars in all their glory."

"Probably a good call," Alya said with a chuckle. "If we don't stop now, I think we'd miss the entire night."

"Probably," Marinette agreed, unbuckling herself and getting out. From the back, she took out multiple blankets, all old projects of hers. It took only a few minutes for her and alya to spread them out on the van's top, and an extra couple of minutes to turn the radio on as well as bring up the food and drinks.

The two settled in, laying down with their shoulders touching and their pinky fingers holding onto each other in an unspoken promise. The stars shone brightly in the sky, twinkling and dancing in the reflections of their eyes, closer just then than they could ever be otherwise.

If Marinette had to pick one word to describe the moment, the only one worthy would be 'perfect.' There was truly no other place she wanted to be, and there was no one she would rather be with.

As if reading her thoughts, Alya rolled her head enough to leave a kiss on Marinette's shoulder and whispered, "I love you, Mari."

"I love you too, Als," Marinette murmured back, pressing closer into Alya and burying her nose in her hair. One thing she had come to appreciate over time was the constant of how Alya smelled. At first, it was peaches and cinnamon. But, as time went on, it became the smell of home, of comfort, of not being alone. Marinette loved how she smelled. She voiced it, and felt Alya's hand cover hers completely and squeeze, putting forth all the words she wished to say but couldn't convey through words alone.

"Als?"

"Yeah?"

"I hope tonight never ends. The stars. You. Us. I don't want any of it to end."

"It won't end."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Thanks, Alya," Marinette said, relaxing fully into her side. Her head lay in the space between Alya's own head and her shoulder.

"No, Mari. Thank you," she replied. "You helped me see the stars again, after mentioning how I missed them just once. And you made sure I wasn't alone by coming along. This is one of the greatest things anyone's ever done for me, and I'm so, so impossibly grateful for it. Again, thank you Mari. I hope I can do something similar for you one day."

"You already have, just by being here with me." She gave a warm smile and turned to face the sky again.

A streak of light flew overhead, and instead of making a wish, both thanked the star for their wishes coming true on the first day they met. Their wishes, which had asked for happiness.

The night went on.

[thedovahcat]

Lucidity

What were they exactly?

Dreams that made his head pound for one… Odd dreams. Ones full of whispers and dark shadows and the feeling of eyes. The feeling of something watching…

Rev stirred but held his eyes shut. He was still half asleep. He knew better than that. Whatever these were, they were just nightmares shuffling through his head yet again. They happened every so often, when the shadows dared come close during the evening hours. He couldn’t quite explain it, but there was always a sort of evil crawling under the earth. One he could feel. One he knew many others could as well. The taint of the Old Ones.

At first he’d felt parchment in his hands. And while Rev could not see any words much less the actual parchment itself, he knew what they read.

“It begins with a sign.”

His head sailed and it suddenly felt cold. The smell of oil hit his nose and he felt electricity in the air. Another familiar place he had a hard time remembering. But it was somewhere to the far north. Very few places had a chill as bitter as this.

A rusted creaking noise sounded in the distance, like gears turning…

“A thousand years imprisoned. Surely, it weighs on the mind…”

The air was now foul. Sickly, dark, evil. And while there was no other sound, Rev felt himself being stared at again, this time by something far larger than himself, and most things. Something staring at him, something staring right THROUGH him.

He felt his body turn and immediately he was assaulted by a gigantic yellow-slitted eyeball. It blinked once, causing him to recoil, before it shimmered out of sight, the lights falling like jewels being dumped onto the floor.

“Deeper than deep, awaits your seat,”

The gems rolled down into a hole he hadn’t seen prior, and Rev couldn’t help but kneel to see where they’d gone. Into the earth he went, far below the surface in a flash… and even lower still. Into dark tunnels with burrowing life forms, more soft glowing gems… Another fissure in the ground.

The background twirled and was sucked into the darkness, leaving him in a small cavern with a singular chair and a skull resting upon it.

Just the sight of it unnerved him, but he approached, stretching out his hand to touch it. He felt compelled to.

“Where the shaded delegate may appear…”

Again the already dark cavern twisted and tore into fragments, reassembling itself into a place of machinery. Cold metal floors and walls, the whirring of engines and the hissing of steam.

Machines with levers stood in front of him. Rev tilted his head, cringing slightly. What kind of dream was this? He’d never been to a place like this before.

He stood still for a moment, before hesitantly approaching the levers. They had numbers on them, and he couldn’t understand what they were for.

“…One, two, two… What is this?” There was no making sense of it. Then his head pounded again, this time harder than before.

“Games and toys are left behind,”

“What are- what’s going on- What are you talking about- who ARE you?”

“When you awaken screaming.”

His feet suddenly felt as though they had no ground to stand on, and he plummeted into the abyss, only to be spat out in a house. A ruined house with red veins and corrupt seeping into the wooden floors… Quickly he stood up and kept away from the dripping walls.

A pulsating tumor caught his attention on the other side of the room. It was swollen and wet and all sorts of disgusting, but as soon as his eye laid on the eye? it also had, the flesh twisted and pulled itself free, spinning in the air and indeed, it did have an eye of its own.

“What the fuck-”

The demon, or was it a demon really? danced around him before lines upon lines appeared beside it like a sticky, tangled up web. Orbs were attached to each string, all crisscrossing each other in various ways.

What was he supposed to do, touch it?

They almost beckoned him to. So he did.

“Is this real, or an illusion? You are going mad.”

Rev snorted. “You’re telling me.”

Once untangled, the red beams began to glow a soft blue, very much like he would whenever he would…change. And he heard the dark voice whisper again in his ears.

“What you seek is buried within…”

Cold air returned, but it smelled different this time. It smelled like pines… like fresh mountain air, even the slightest hints of tea leaves. Scents he was very familiar with. But that all went away, and a hollow ringing filled his ears as the smells turned musty and dank, like moss, and a place that hadn’t been walked in in a very long time.

In his hands he felt something.

It was a pouch. He could see it. He could see his own hands, and he was most certainly holding onto it. As he squeezed it with his fingers however, he could hardly tell what it was, so he pulled it open. Dust scattered into the air and was blown ahead of him. No, not dust. Ashes.

The particles scattered, eventually forming a hallway, and then a large chamber in which he now stood. Everything refused to move after that, and he was left alone, standing there in the midst of purple torch light.

Only then did he feel absolutely alone. Abandoned almost.

With a single step forward, Rev turned his head. One of the passages was blocked with stones. Two other entryways loomed ahead and to the side of himself…

“Which way?” He asked aloud, practically expecting an answer. But none came.

The longer he waited, the more dread he started to feel. He wasn’t REALLY here was he? No, he couldn’t be. He was just lucid-dreaming again. …Or lucid-nightmaring he liked to call it.

“Well I’m sure I’ll wake up eventually…” He wandered forward, choosing to go straight, and as he passed through the archway, smoke enveloped everything briefly before fading away.

His brows furrowed as he essentially walked out into the exact same hallway with absolutely no differences.

“…So, it’s going to be one of those nights isn’t it…”

He knew better than to start freaking out. He had no idea how long he was going to be there, but he knew it wouldn’t be forever. Still, there was always that tiny possibility that it just MIGHT…

Rather than dwell on it any further, he only focused on one thing. If he didn’t get out of here, who the hell was going to feed that dopey troll-husband of his? Exactly. Nobody else would. Well, nobody else would do it RIGHT anyway…

Clenching his fists, he proceeded towards whatever direction he felt was best, for quite some time.

Just as he was beginning to get frustrated, green light caught his attention as he entered another copy-cat hallway. The torches in here glowed green instead… How odd.

The firelight flickered ominously, before wafting into the air and over towards him, becoming round and soft looking. Rev reached out and grabbed a hold of it. He could touch it. It wasn’t hot, in fact it was almost soothing.

Slowly he brought it over to his chest, looking around again for anything else. There was nothing. So he kept walking.

Eventually he found other strangely colored fires, though he found he could only really have one at a time.

A maze…that’s what it was. This was a puzzle. How his mind was THIS capable of forming such a place was beyond him. Maybe it wasn’t his doing at all, he didn’t know. But it didn’t matter. He had to get out somehow.

As he continued along he ran into similarly colored runes. And on the off chance he had the same colored torchlight with him, he was able to dispel them rather easily.

He went on a while longer. It felt like hours, but it could have very well been only minutes. No light came into these tunnels, so there was no way to tell.

Along the way he tried to keep track of what he’d done and where he’d gone.

Green, red, yellow, purple… he held a blue light with him now. There weren’t any MORE colors were there? Like pink and orange? He hoped not.

Despite having an excellent memory in terms of remembering images and visual details, he couldn’t figure out this place. Not in the slightest.

A long time passed and his feet ached as though he really HAD been walking into endless, samey hallways. All dark and purple. Upon reaching the altar again, he sat on it and tried to catch his breath.

“Too old for this…” At least it was HIM stuck in there and not the troll. That would have been absolutely chaotic and he’d have probably keeled over by now from a heart attack or frustration alone.

Once he felt he’d caught his breath, he started again. And it was another long time before he finally stumbled upon the blue glowing rune etched onto the altar.

Quickly he dispelled it and waited for something to happen. Nothing did. How odd…

“…So, do I get to wake up now?”

No answer. Maybe he could simply walk outside. It was worth a try.

As he stepped into the black shroud again, this time he emerged elsewhere. Crows cawed noisily above him and he tilted his head back to look at the gray sky, and the massive tower before him.

“…Karazhan? Odd choice…”

“The way is now open. To the greatest secret never told.”

“Yeah over my dead body.”

Nearby he heard a metal gate being pulled open. “Might as well see this through I guess…” He listened and began to follow the noise against his better judgement. What he stumbled upon was a crypt leading down into the darkness once again. Unsurprisingly.

So down he went. His boots sloshed muddy and murky water around as he ventured deeper and deeper into the tomb, taking note of all the skeletal remains lying around and about. He wasn’t frightened though. It was just an empty series of rooms, nothing more.

Only when he reached the end, along with a massive pile of human bones, did he notice the world around him start to fade. Was he finally waking up?

“Hm?”

A box rested at the top of the bone pile. Shiny and tempting.

“…Geez…”

It was hard to get a foothold on a pile of rattling bones, especially since they kept sliding out from under him. But he managed to scurry up to the top and towards the sealed chest. A dark rune swirled around on the top of it until he had touched it. He pulled the lid off and looked inside- “A fitting end to your journey.”

“It’s a-” ________

Rev’s eyes shot open to the darkness. Rain was once again tapping the window directly across from him, and a flash of lightning illuminated the bedroom briefly.

He was back in their room in Hearthglen. There was the fireplace, and over there, the end table with the snuffed out candle and a book, and on the other side, a regular table with two chairs, the curtains draped in front of the window, clothes discarded on the floor… Everything was as it always was.

Even Hassour snored next to him, asleep (which in and of itself was a rarity usually.)

Carefully he laid back, staring upwards towards the ceiling, listening.

He heard no strange voices, saw no strange eyes or other shining, shimmering things. There was nothing here. And the sense of dread he had was gone.

The only thing that really bothered him was that he never DID get to see what was in the box.

What rotten luck, after all that trouble too…

Disappointed, he rolled over onto his side and faced the troll, scooting closer to him and shutting his eyes again.

Outside he heard a horse neighing rather loudly. Not terribly unusual, but they weren’t typically awake at this hour either. Maybe the lightning scared them.

With a sigh he let himself relax. Maybe NOW he could actually get some sleep.

[billydmacklin]

So I Re-Did the Back of the House (Again).

Here is a shocking bit of information that you have likely already deduced if you have read this blog for any amount of time: I’ve been chasing my tail a bit with my own house renovation. I’m not proud. A couple of years ago, I bit off more than I could chew. I should have known better. I did it anyway. Unsurprisingly, it bit me in the ass.

Let’s talk about it.

I bought a house with an old and truly yucky kitchen. The kitchen was the very first thing I tackled, and ya know? That was a good renovation. The improvements were inexpensive but impactful (new paint, a little subway tile, and VCT floors for the win!), and the kitchen worked fairly well.

It wasn’t the dream kitchen but it was a fine, serviceable space, and one that could have easily lasted several more years. The kitchen took kind of a beating as other renovations unfolded throughout the house, but I’d renovated it with that in mind! It would all get torn out someday but, I figured, when everything else had been done, by which time this kitchen would certainly be falling apart.

Fast forward less than two years, and I found myself single. One night, I also found myself a little drunk (related: pls excuse the quality of these photos). With the contents of my kitchen cabinets now significantly slimmed down as a result of the break-up, I was suddenly overcome with the urge to slim down the cabinets themselves. I didn’t NEED all these cabinets! And if I just took down the upper cabinets, then I could also just rip out the enormous soffits above them, and then my kitchen would be brighter and more open and happier and maybe I’d put up a nice shelf or just a cool piece of art and HOW GREAT WOULD THIS BE?!?!

Don’t drink and demo. Or do, but with supervision so you don’t do anything stupid. Like meeeeeeeeeee.

So I took down the uppers and the soffits. Briefly this felt good.

I had to re-route the electrical for the little over-the-sink light, and drywall the area that had been behind the soffit because the plaster was too far-gone. I just had to do some more patching, sanding, repaint a couple walls and the kitchen would be good as new!

I really should have taken a bath or something that night. I never did patch and sand and repaint. Instead, a few months later I seized the remainder of summer and demolished the rickety old addition off the back of the house.

Boy was that exciting.

This, in turn, prompted replacing the window and vestigial fire escape exit door in the second floor room above the kitchen and insulating and re-siding the back of the house—it was a huge job and one that I wasn’t totally ready for. One of the casualties ended up being the kitchen window, a cute casement that got split up into two casements for the second floor, like so:

So I ripped the kitchen window out, put in a “temporary” vinyl window, still thinking I’d patch up the kitchen and continue to use it for another 5-10 years and this would be good enough for now.

I never did patch up the kitchen. The wall surrounding the new window just remained open to the studs and insulation for the next several months. Elegant!

Then I designed and built an entire house (I. will. show. it. to. you. I. swear.), and at the tail end of that little gig, I circled back to my own. I did this with great excitement because I hadn’t been able to put any real work into my own house for a while, so naturally I took on the biggest and most involved project this house will ever see under my care: the enormous restoration of the side of the house.

This saw the removal of two more additions and the installation of five(!) new windows—two of them in the kitchen, but a different wall than the one from the year before. Round and round we go.

In order to install these new windows, we first had to frame in the openings for them. We probably could have gone about this a couple of more intelligent ways, but instead at that point it just felt like…fuck it. Just gut it. So that’s what we did, and suddenly my kitchen and pantry were reduced to a few remaining cabinets and a sink. Which I then also removed because it felt like they were in the way of completing the next steps, which I was sure I’d be addressing imminently.

So dumbbbbbbbbb, omg Daniel.

But at least I had two windows where I needed them to be…you know, for the kitchen that still has not manifested.

Before I could really even address the kitchen, I had to actually wrap up that whole side-of-the-house-restoration project on the exterior before winter hit. I ran out of time and didn’t totally finish, and shamefully still haven’t, but I finished enough that things have been fine.

I ran out of something else around that time too, though! The money in my bank account! That exterior project was more involved and costly than I’d given it credit for, and it cleaned. me. OUT.

THIS, my friends, was a bit over a year ago, and it was truly a low point. The house was a wreck. What was left of the kitchen (appliances, some cabinetry) had overtaken the dining room. The living room was mostly just exceptionally dirty from the renovations but literally felt unsalvageable at the time, like it might after a flood. The bedroom was missing a wall. The den was missing a wall and a ceiling. I hadn’t managed to get a plumber to come cap a couple of radiator lines and get the boiler going, so I didn’t have a real heat system that winter. I couldn’t figure out how to get hot water running either (turns out the motherboard of the boiler had died!) so I took frigid showers or sponge baths with water from the electric kettle, since I no longer had a stove to heat it. This went on for months.

Guys, it was fucking horrible. In the summer, cold showers and doing my dishes on the front porch had felt kind of quaint and folksy, but now it just felt like I could not be more of a disappointment to myself and to this house. And it was my fault. Decisions I had made myself had led me here. To Grey Gardens, my new home.

We ain’t done.

I guess it was kind of OK to not have the cash to do the kitchen a year ago, in part because there were plenty of low-cost projects to keep me occupied, like the bedroom and the den. You can do a lot with joint compound and paint between bigger projects, so I just focused on that kind of stuff. Besides, there was another huge roadblock in front of really even getting the kitchen renovation started, aside from the money part: re-doing that back wall…again. Already. The one that I already did two years prior, when I thought I wouldn’t have to think about it again for a decade or so. The kitchen design kind of hinged (pun def intended) on moving the location of the exterior door, and replacing the temporary vinyl window, so the chimney could be flanked by two matching windows to the new ones on the other elevation.

I’d hoped, I think, that this would somehow just happen. Like I’d wake up and find windows and doors where my computer renderings had placed them, and then I could move ahead into the rough-ins and the finishing work!

Sadly this did not come to pass. So at the tail end of this past summer, with the goal of being able to really work on the kitchen this winter, I bit the bullet and Edwin and Edgar and I took a week and did it (followed by a few weeks of me working alone every evening/weekend…). I had a better idea of what I was getting into, so it wasn’t as bad as the first time around, and I had a bit more help. So we took out the door and the vinyl window.

Then we removed the siding from the first floor (again) because it seemed a bit easier than all the patching that would have been required otherwise.

All of this pretty much sucked, by the way.

Once that kitchen wall was framed and the windows installed, we moved on to putting the wall back together.

One thing I never loved about the first revamp of this wall was that I hadn’t taken the opportunity to expand the corner boards. The original corner boards are 4″ on this house, which feels kind of dinky below such a substantial cornice and eaves returns, so we popped off the corner boards and cut another 4″ or so off the ends of the remaining clapboard with a circular saw. Inside the house, we added new nailers so the new ends of the clapboard would be affixed to something stable. The new corner boards are 7.5″ wide on this back kitchen addition, and 11.5″ on earlier parts of the structure. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference! And doesn’t really complicate anything if you’re doing all this work anyway.

Boom! Someday I’ll trim out the tops of the corner boards to really finish it off, but for now they look fine.

MOVING. RIGHT. ALONG! Next came the new exterior door location and the windows for the planned pantry space and the first floor powder room. Just rebuilding every goddamn wall. The new door is off-center to accommodate cabinetry in that room, and I think an exterior wall sconce to the right of the doorway will be a welcome addition and balance things out.

By the way, yeah—that new door is in what was my laundry room. Also gutted to make space for this big ambitious kitchen plan. In case you thought things couldn’t get worse! They got worse. They’re getting better again, though!

I swear all of this is in the service of someday being able to live a normal life in this house and NOT just destroying everything on a biannual basis.

That little crooked window on the left was the laundry room window. That little skinny window on the right was the first floor bathroom window. They were a funny weirdly proportioned pair, and now they are history. Down came the vinyl, down came the clapboard, out came the brick nogging and old windows, and in went some new framing and new insulation and sheathing and windows.

This is definitely the most awkward (and, thankfully, least visible!) elevation of the house, and I think it’s just always going to be something less than gorgeous. I hemmed and hawed a lot on how to make this window arrangement feel natural inside and outside the house, but ultimately the architecture is just weird—it’s always going to look like an addition, and that’s OK! I love to tear off additions, but sometimes you need them. Like, say, when they contain the only bathrooms!

So with these new windows, I aimed to make it look like a slightly more elegantly planned addition than before, like maybe a porch that was enclosed at some point. The windows themselves are the same proportion as most of the other windows on the house, but smaller (larger than what was there, though!), and the top of the windows align with the top of the newly installed adjacent back door. I also chose 2-over-2 windows, which I kinda pulled out of my ass because it just felt right and a 6-over-6 in that size is a bit much with all that lite division.

I can kinda dig hanging something between them and planting some fabulous climbing rose bush or something? That feels like a very distant goal so we have time to brainstorm.

Annnnnnnd, this is as far as I got out there! Clearly there are various things that still need doing, but all the big stuff is done. A little odd, but I’m pleased with it!

Do you like my little deck? It’s fancy. I built it in an afternoon out of scrap wood. The post rests on a piece of bluestone from the yard. Obviously I want to do something better but I had to get rid of that big drop ASAP and “something better” is not in the existing time or money budgets.

So to review, in the space of 4-ish years, we have now gone from this:

to this:

to this:

to this:

to this:

to this:

Clearly there is some finish work to return to in the spring (we don’t need to start listing it, do we?), but HEY! I know I seem crazy. My neighbors would probably concur on this. But NOW the kitchen/pantry/half-bath work can continue and—good lord willing and the creek don’t rise—I should never have to redo this again for as long as I am alive and kicking.

Let us pray.

So I Re-Did the Back of the House (Again). published first on https://carpetgurus.tumblr.com/