#and I did lots of work yesterday so I should be able to continue that today right.

[musical-chick-13]

Can someone tell me that it's okay if I didn't do any creative work on this today. Please.

[ariadnes-elixirs]

thinking of an isekaied reader and a yandere noble boy...

(gn reader x male yandere)

part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6

tw: manipulative behavior

about a day has passed since your conversation with oliver in the garden. you recall his face, gentle and kind. you recall his words, soft and sweet. your parents love him, apparently you love him, so you might as well just go with it.

in the garden when he presented you with the two flowers, you remember how his face lit up with joy and warmth once you accepted his confession and decided to "continue" seeing him. his dark brown eyes looked at you so softly, and his smile was so wide and bright. it was hard to not trust him, especially when he was "your" lover.

you still didn't know him that well, and you were still unable to identify which world you were "isekaied" into, but it hasn't been unbearable so far. even still, you determined that oliver seemed trustworthy enough to honestly answer some questions to soothe any concerns you had about this world.

your questions about this world led to you having another meeting with oliver, this time at your request. after yesterday's walk in the garden, you asked if he would be able to come again soon since there were just a couple things your bout of amnesia seemed to make you forget.

immediately after you stated your request, he smiled and replied "of course, love! i'll come back tomorrow!"

thus, bringing you to your third meeting with oliver since you have arrived in this body. now that you two are officially lovers, he seems much more open about his concern, but also his affection.

he did respect your request to "start over," but he still looked like a dejected puppy whenever he held out his hand and was met with a confused stare. after realizing that he was just trying to hold your hand, you apprehensively reached out towards him.

he immediately snatched your hand and his demeanor swapped from a kicked puppy back to just a cheerful young man.

the two of you walked a ways into the garden, finding a bench near some rhododendrons that oliver said would probably bloom soon. the bench itself was in the middle of three bushes of rhododendrons, one to each side and one behind. the bench happened to be distant enough from the entrance of the garden and covered by enough foliage to make it impossible to spot from the estate.

oliver sat down on the bench and gently patted the space next to him, letting go of you hand in the process. "so, you mentioned your amnesia made it difficult to recall certain things about this... world?"

you quickly took the spot on the bench, now sitting side by side with oliver but avoiding his gaze by staring at the foliage in front of you. "i... remember bits and pieces..." which was technically a lie, considering you don't remember anything, but he didn't need to know that, "but mainly things like our country's... monarchy? have escaped me, i guess..." you were unsure if you even lived in a monarchy, but with the presence of nobility in this country it was your best guess.

"yes, we do, in fact, live in a monarchy," he giggled, "but honestly, there's not really a point to learning much about the state of it."

you paused at his sudden statement, "can you elaborate?"

"well..." he thought for a moment, shifting his gaze up to the sky, "there's a lot of infighting going on in the royal family, so the current 'crown prince' may not be the crown prince for much longer."

he continued, now looking at you, "my family works closely as advisors to the royal family, so i'm aware of the... instability... within their palace walls."

you finally shifted your gaze to meet his, "this seems like something i should know, so why wouldn't i need to know this?"

his expression appeared a bit colder after asking that, "well, anything i tell you is probably going to be untrue in a couple of weeks or months." his face shifted back into a happier expression, "so maybe let's talk about something else?"

you decided to push the issue one more time to see if you could glean anything else about the topic. usually in these types of stories the "crown prince" is a major character, and any infighting within the royal family would likely become a major plot point. this could finally be the piece of information you need to determine where you are.

you smiled back at him, "even still, do you mind telling me who the current crown prince is? or just listing a couple names? maybe it could help jog my memory."

he sighs softly before looking away, "why do you want to know so badly? the crown prince is an... interesting... person, but i have a strong feeling that he is going to lose his head soon."

"why? just who is he?"

he slumps over onto your side, catching you off guard "can we please talk about something else?" he wraps one of his hands around your hand, still halfway slumped onto you, "i've been worried sick about you," he reaches up to touch your face with his other hand, "and i just want to spend time with my lover, preferably while not talking about another man."

"...did you actually plan on answering any of my questions today?"

he shifts to lay his head down on your lap, "mmmm... maybe, but i would be lying if i said i didn't want to focus on us today instead of royal politics."

he looks comfortable and content resting his head on your thighs, but you're unsure where to put your unoccupied hand, eventually deciding to just rest it in his fluffy hair, "so... what else was i supposed to ask?"

he looks up at you, once again taking on an expression comparable to a kicked puppy, "ask about me, ask about us, just..." he pauses, "you wanted to start our relationship from the beginning, so let's do that,"

"just focus on me, darling, not them, and i'll answer any questions you have~"

a/n: oliver is a sweet yet manipulative boy. there is crown prince lore but i'm probably not going to make him a love interest in this unless its requested. and if i do it'll probably be a separate story. unless we want to see oliver kill a man, i guess.

[blastiebabe]

Hiiii I saw you were open for requests and I liked your writing! if you do Bakugo x reader, can you write Bakugo being with a reader that's very soft? Like, they're kind of quiet, level-headed, mostly unphased by his outbursts, is really kind, etc? <3

stupid paperworks taking you away from me

Bakugo Katsuki x Reader hi anon! thank u for submitting and appreciating my works. here is my take on your request, i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it :>>

You are currently sitting on your home office with a lot of paperwork in front of you. Your husband Pro Hero Dynamight's agency has been having a lot of missions lately and it your job to proofread every one of the finished mission papers before sending it to the Hero Public Safety Commission.

The past week has been busy for you and your husband, Katsuki. You see each other every day yet have little time to really spend time together. Still, your husband always makes sure that you are always beside him when he sleeps at night.

Even before your marriage, Katsuki has always been grumpy and easily annoyed about things when he is not having enough rest, and this day might just be one of the days where his bad temper and attitude comes out.

While doing paperworks at your home office, you hear Katsuki coming home. "Love, where are you?"

"In here." You say loud enough for him to hear you through the door. Katsuki comes in wearing collar and tie. The man just got back from the press interview about a villain he apprehended last night.

It was the middle of the day but the both of you are at home, he knew he will be coming home after the interview so yesterday he announced to everyone in his agency that you will be working from home so the two of you can spend the time together, and anyone who disagree with that plan should go straight to hell.

He heads straight at you, lowered himself while waiting for you to look at him and give him his most deserved kiss. "A minute, love." You say as you finish a page of what you were reading.

"Ugh." He grumbled but still not moving from his position as he wait. After reading the current page, you turn it over the next page, place it over your desk and face you husband giving him the kiss he was waiting for.

"You did a great job today as well, my love." You say after the kiss while cupping his cheek.

Katsuki crouched to be able to face you. "Yeah?"

"Mm hmm. You really did; I am so proud of you." You kiss his forehead as you feel a smile forming in his lips.

"That might just be the rest I needed." He says.

You shake your head, "Nah, you need a proper rest. Go clean yourself up and change your clothes."

Katsuki stands straight. "You comin' after me?"

"I'd finish this first then all my time for the rest of the day is yours."

"But—" Katsuki was about to make another deal.

"Go, clean yourself up first." You say sweetly as you stroke the back of his arm softly.

Katsuki glared at you before moving out of the office, muttering words under his breath. You smile about this reaction of his, the Pro Hero sometimes might just be acting like rebellious teenager. You continue your work.

___________

It's already 3 pm, an hour after your husband came home. Just a few papers left, and you'll be done with work. Without raising your head, you feel Katsuki inside the home office, he goes straight to your table, placing a cup of hot coffee above your table and then proceed to sit at the couch. He is currently wearing a plaid pajama and a white shirt.

Katsuki makes himself comfortable on the couch while staring at you. "Thank you." You say without batting an eye on him.

"You're not even looking at me?" Katsuki says obviously offended.

You chuckle. "I just need to finish these so we can spend time together without any problems. Besides, these are for your agency, Pro Hero."

You look at him, smiling. "Thank you, my love."

"Tch, damn paperwork taking you away from me. Am I not worth your attention or what?" He asks.

"Ugh! I feel like you hate me or somethin'." He grumbled again as he is not succeeding on getting your full attention. He goes out of the office stomping his feet.

"Love you!" You shout as he leaves. He did not reply back even though you are sure he heard it. Katsuki is that petty, but you know he is not being unreasonable. He has all the right to demand time and attention from you after a hell of a week working his ass off saving people.

And of course, you want to spend time with him as much he wants to spend time with you. So, the sooner you finish your work, the sooner he can have your full attention. Again, you continue your work.

__________

Finally done with your last paperwork, you head to the kitchen where Katsuki is. You see him wearing his pink apron. His body stiffened as he feels your hands wrapping his waist and your body resting on his back.

"What, you have time for me now?" Katsuki tells you with a sass. Your grip on him tightens as you feel your body recharge holding the man before you.

"Stupid paperworks making you all worked up and tired." Katsuki continues his rants. "Stupid people at the agency giving you that much work when they know you and I are spending today together."

You release your hold of Katsuki as you feel a thirst for water. You head in front of the refrigerator and grab a pitcher of water. Katsuki is almost done with the mapo tofu that he is cooking; he started setting up the table.

You see his eyebrows still meeting and his face still unpleased. "Love..." You call him softly as you grab a glass and drink water.

"What?" He didn't even look at you and continued his outburst. "Stupid employees, tomorrow I'm gonna start firing some incompetent assholes."

You know he will not. You let him say the things he wants to say, you knew he needed to do that whenever he feels strong emotions. Because if he doesn't, he's going to keep it all up alone again and let it bottled inside him, you do not want that happening again.

Years of being in this marriage has made you understand and perfect the way to handle Katsuki's sudden outbursts. He is a man who gets easily worked up and misunderstood by people but at the same time, you know that all these anger inside him roots from his care and compassion for the people he cares about.

Just like in high school when he challenged Izuku on Ground Beta, his anger came from his care and guilt as he blames himself from what happened to All Might. Katsuki is a good man, there is no doubt about that. There are just days when you need to let him feel the negatives, and your job as a wife is to listen and help him remember the positives which has never bothered you anyway.

You sit on your side of the table as he assembles your early dinner. "Love..." You call him again softly. You know he can hear you.

"Katsuki..." You try again, as to get his attention and calm down for a second. You are actually feeling tired from all the paperwork you have been through and just want to spend the day resting with him.

Katsuki looks straight at you and kneels at the side of the dining chair where you were seating. "Shit, Princess, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm sorry." He apologizes completely regretting the words that came out of his mouth.

"Kats-"

"Just shut the fuck up and eat!" Katsuki shouts as he bring a plate in front of you. You are shocked by the tone he used on you. "Shit." He cursed as he was also shocked by himself and what he just told you.

"I... I promise I didn't mean to. I was just- I was- I don't- ugh-" Katsuki stutters through his words obviously overwhelmed by guilt for shouting at you. He runs his hands on his head as he tugs his hair.

You reach for his hands, removed it from his tight hold on his hair, and brings him closer to you as his head rests on your chest, you wrap your hands behind his nape. "Shh, it's okay. I understand, you were frustrated."

He shakes his head in your arms. "No, no, no. Shouting at you is never okay. I'm really sorry, love. I'm sorry." He breaks free from your arms, stands up, grabs a chair and moves it as close as it can be to you.

Katsuki looks at you straight in the eyes. "Princess, never let me speak like that to you ever again." He said, cupping your left cheek with his right hand. "If I ever speak like that to you ever again, you have all the right to smack the shit out of me, okay?"

Suddenly you feel all the sleepless nights and overwork you have done the past week, you let your head fall in Katsuki's shoulder as he catches you in his arms, wrapping his hands at the small of your back.

You nod as you see the genuine concern and love from your husband's eyes.

"You do not deserve to be talked to like that. I'm sorry my princess, I promise I'll be better and make sure that will never happen again."

"You have done a great job this week, my love. I am so proud of you." Katsuki says as one of his hands caress your hair. You feel vulnerable under his touch as he sings compliments into your ear. "You're so capable. You have been working really hard; you deserve rest my love."

Katsuki closes the space in between as his lips met yours. Expressing his apologies, appreciation, and love for you.

You bring your head up, drawing a space between the two of you, enough to look at him in the eyes. "I love you, Katsuki."

Katsuki smiles as your lips parted. When you opened your eyes, he was already looking at you, his ears and face red. "What a beautiful wife I have. With a kind and patient heart. Just what did I do to deserve you?" Katsuki asks.

"I've talked to the Commission and asked them to have tomorrow as your day off, they agreed. I also filed for a leave. So tomorrow, my hero, you are all mine."

You see the clear shift of shock to a breath of relief in your husband's face. He needed that, you needed that. After all, your rest can only be found in each other's arms. Katsuki is a good man; he has always been, and he always will be. And to be a wife of a great man like Bakugo Katsuki, aren't you lucky?

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ thank u for reading! :>> . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ more of katsuki, here! ♡

[soldiersslut]

GHOST OF YOU — SOLDIER BOY "CHAPTER TWO"

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Female!Reader

Warnings: Language, herogasm, canon violence, Soldier Boy being himself and a smartass

Word Count: 3,649

Author's Note: I am so happy to see this story receiving so much love already. It really helps and pushes me further to continue with the story. There is so much I have planned, but all in due time. Thank you so much again!

IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED PLEASE LET ME KNOW. DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW, HEART, AND REPOST. THANK YOU AGAIN!

It was obvious you were exhausted, it was so bad to the point you did not hear everyone else wake up and talk about the plan for the day. Eventually, Butcher left to find food. Hughie was left in charge to control Soldier Boy and his radiation level. The less angry, the better. Soldier Boy remained on his side of the bed and watched TV. From time to time he would look down at you.

“Is she always a heavy sleeper?” he asked. Hughie looked up from his phone and observed.

“Yesterday was a hard day so I don’t blame her for sleeping in.”

Soldier Boy nodded and still stared. “I remember when I first met her, man, she was a firecracker. Nothing could get past her. It’s surprising to see her sleeping so peacefully like this.”

Hughie furrowed his eyebrows together. “I’m sorry, you two know each other?” That made no sense to Hughie. Last time Soldier Boy had awaken was back in the 70s. You weren’t even born yet.

“Are you stupid or fucking stupid? Of course I have. We served—” and on cue, Butcher entered with food. Hughie looked down at the radiation reader and realized it had gone up once again. Maybe it was best if Hughie doesn’t bring it up again. Though he will mention it to Butcher when they are alone.

Butcher dropped the food on the table and shook you to wake up. “Morning sunshine, get up and eat. I am going to head back out again in a bit to find the twins’ location.”

You opened your eyes and rubbed them. The sun was hitting your face and it was bothering you.

“I need a shower first,” you said. Quickly, you strode to the bathroom and locked the door. You stared at yourself in the mirror expecting to see bruises but there was nothing. The water pressure was not as strong as you would like it to be, so it took a bit longer than the normal shower time to finish. You were able to overhear everything and constantly rolled your eyes at Soldier Boy’s arrogant voice.

Soldier Boy was already becoming a headache, and you have yet to hold an actual conversation with him. The few moments you have heard him speak has been cruel and perverted.

He’s also suffered betrayal.

You sighed and wondered what else did Soldier Boy have inside his pandora box. He is unpredictable, and that made him dangerous. When the water began to run cold you knew it was time to get out. You dried off and put on the same clothes from yesterday.

Butcher had announced he had a contact who will be able to get him the TNT twins location.

“I am going with you.”

The more you avoided Soldier Boy the better. Last night’s words were still at the forefront of your mind and as much as you would like to ask him right now he is short-tempered and your attitude from last night hasn’t helped.

“Why the fuck can she go, but I cannot?” Soldier Boy demanded to know. You beat Butcher to the punch and rebutted back.

“Because you are Soldier Boy and at any moment anyone can recognize you. The last thing we need is you blowing up again and taking us down with us. So shut up, eat your food, and let us get to work.”

Soldier Boy’s jaw clenched. “You got a lot of fucking nerve talking to me that way. Last time I remember the men used to put women in their place. When the hell did society go wrong.”

Your jaw dropped slightly. Soldier Boy was a lot of things and maybe it should not be shocking he is being a misogynistic prick, but the fact he still thinks society has not moved on from that. “And you still wonder why you aren’t coming with us?”

That was the last thing you said before marching out of the room. Butcher wanted to ease the tension in the room, “might be that time of the month.” He left and followed you to the car. You were already inside with your arms cross.

“Don’t even think about making me apologize to him,” you warned.

Butcher let out a groan, “I won’t make you apologize but you need to butter it up with him. At the rate you are going he is going to bloody blast you. Do not let him get to you.”

You went on a rant after that.

“How do you expect me to not say anything to him? I am not going to worship the ground he walks on. If he wants respect then he needs to give it back.” Butcher agrees, but they need to be prioritizing the bigger picture and that is Homelander’s death in the hands of Soldier Boy.

Bucher decided to switch topics and discuss who was his contact. It is a C-list Supe who was friends with the twins before they were apart of Payback. The drive was over within an hour. “Let me do the talking, last thing we need is for you to make another enemy.”

If that was Butcher’s way to humor, he sucked. The Supe had no problem in giving away the location of the twins. On the drive back you decided to voice your concerns.

“Did I tell you what Crimson Countess said before her death?”

Butcher shook her head. You explained what happened inside the trailer and shared your concern with the way Soldier Boy acts around you. Granted, he is a dick but he allows you to talk to him the way you do. If it was anyone else he was quick to get offensive.

“Countess probably confused you with someone else. When you know you are at death’s door you are desperate to say anything, and with what you are telling me she was just trying to get under his skin,” he shrugged.

It still wasn’t convincing enough, “then why stare so fucking much?”

Butcher let out a chuckle. “Be serious, he’s been asleep since the 80s. He probably wants to pull his wanker and let one out at the thought of you.” You looked at him terrified.

He began to laugh just looking at your reaction. In the end you were convinced that it was all in your head and the answers were right in front of you. Upon returning Butcher informed Soldier Boy and Hughie that we will be heading out to Vermont.

Most of the conversation happened between Butcher and Hughie. You were sitting in the back with Soldier Boy and just like before, your knee touched his. Only difference this time is his hand was resting on his knee and his pinky reached out to touch your knee.

The car was parked a good distance away to avoid detection. The rest was walked on foot. “So, what is happening here?” you asked. Hughie looked through the binoculars and to both of your surprise this was herogasm.

Soldier Boy took pride in admitting that he founded it, and Liberty helped him with it. Your scrunched up face was obvious and he took notice. He smirked for a second and focused back the task at hand.

“Just give me three minutes,” Hughie suggested.

“I can go with him to cover more ground,” you offered yourself.

Soldier Boy shook his head. “Absolutely not. You are going to sit this one out.”

For a moment it felt like a vein popped on your temple. “The hell you mean I am staying here? I am not some damsel in distress. I can take care of myself and the sooner we finish this the better.”

Soldier Boy’s jaw clenched again and he got closer. He towered over you. “Trust me, sweetheart, with the way you are speaking to me I wouldn’t want to save you. Honestly, where the fuck did this attitude come from?” he snapped.

“Has it ever crossed your mind that you are the problem?”

Hughie interrupted, “I’m just gonna go.” In seconds, he was gone and without his clothes.

You were too angry to argue with Soldier Boy, let alone look at him. Those three minutes felt too long. After time has passed, Butcher and Soldier Boy left to infiltrate.

“Stay,” Soldier Boy ordered and pointed his finger. The binoculars were handed it to you. You faked a smile and watched them leave. Like hell you were going to stay. As soon as they walked through the doors to the house you were on the move. Instead of entering through the front door you went through the pool door. You have seen a lot of things, but never in your mind would you have ever imagined a Supe orgy.

You did your best to avoid everything and everyone. The last thing you needed is to give someone the wrong impression, and anger Soldier Boy.

It was surprising to see one area of the house empty.

“MM,” you said, shocked to see him here. He was also shocked, but he knew that meant one thing. He called out to you demanding to know where Soldier Boy was. You explained the plan and noticed his eyes diverted behind you.

“One simple fucking order, you cannot even handle that?!”

You could recognize that voice anywhere at this point. Slowly, you turned and noticed just how angry Soldier Boy appeared. Though, between him and MM you weren’t sure who was angrier. Without wasting a second MM threw the halothane glass and Soldier Boy inhaled it in as if it were a Marlboro cigarette.

“MM, no!” you yelled, and tried to push him back but he was determined to fight Soldier Boy.

Butcher had to come in and stop Soldier Boy from proceeding further. He gave Soldier Boy the information he wanted.

“You are coming with me,” he ordered and yanked your arm; dragging you with him.

“Let go of me!” you yelled and started hitting him, but he was not budging. Both of you came to a stop in one of the living rooms and noticed the horribly aged TNT twins. Why is he so keen in taking you everywhere.

Crimson Countess was able to remain cool and calm partially, but these twins screamed guilty based on their reaction and stuttering. It was obvious how they tensed up almost to the point they froze on the spot.

“Holy shit, mimicry! You’re alive!” Tessa spoke up, sounding a little too excited. She opened her arms expecting some hug from you and she even dared to move closer. Soldier Boy stood in front of you.

“Don’t you dare come near her or I will rip those fucking arms off of you” he threatened.

Tessa backed up right away.

“What is she talking about? Who is Mimicry?” you asked. You placed your hand on Soldier Boy’s shoulder; trying to get him to move out of the way. Soldier Boy looked at your hand placement and then looked at you. This was his moment to test out his theory and ask once again who exactly are you.

“You’re Mimicry,” Tommy answered and let out a light but nervous laugh as if it was the most obvious thing.

“Mimi, please help us. Tell Ben that all of this was a mistake and we didn’t mean any of it.”

At this point the twins might as well get on their knees and beg. You could feel Soldier Boy tense up under your touch. You looked at him and noticed his behavior was completely off. He was no longer portraying a confident soldier. This time, you can see a man attempting to fight off his demons.

“The hell is wrong with you?” you asked. You stood in front of him and tried to make him snap out of it. The twins saw an opportunity and aimed for your back. Soldier Boy noticed and pushed you out of the way. You hit the wall and went unconscious.

When you woke up you had the biggest headache, and your back was sore. You remembered what happened before and quickly got up from the floor. People were crying, screaming, and there was lots of bodies everywhere. You let out a sentence full of profanities and walked around. Soldier Boy was nowhere seen, neither was anyone else.

You called out to Butcher, Hughie, and MM. Shit, you even called out to Soldier Boy. From a distance you could hear fists connecting to bones, bodies hitting the walls, buzzing sounds, and just a lot of fighting. You didn’t even have to say anything to see who was fighting. Your eyes went wide at the sight of the familiar United States cape fighting against Butcher and Soldier Boy.

Soldier Boy was thrown to the ground while Homelander choked Butcher. He raised him up from the ground.

“Hey!” you yelled, without giving it a second thought. You pulled out your gun from its holster and started shooting at Homelander. It was expected the bullets were not going to hurt Homelander but it is a big enough distraction he didn’t choke Butcher to death. Just as you predicted, Homelander dropped Butcher to the ground and turned to look at you.

Homelander burst out laughing, “and what exactly can a human do against me?” Without a second thought his eyes glowed red and aimed at you. It was instinctual to try and use your arms to block off the lasers, but they were not going to do shit against him. You had closed your eyes expecting the worse but nothing came your way. You opened your eyes and they went wide to see Soldier Boy in front of you, and holding off the laser with his shield.

“Not a damsel in distress, huh?!” he asked. Of course he had to be a smartass. “Listen to me for once and hide!”

You knew better now than to get in the way. This time you did listen to him and ran out. You were out of breath by the time you got outside. Annie called out to you. “We need you, there’s a lot of people hurt!”

This was the best thing to do. This is what you were good at. Without a second thought you began to help people as much as you can all until ambulances showed up and took over. Loud, shattered glass can be heard above and you looked up to see Homelander leaving in a rush. A wave of relief washed over you. Soldier Boy, Butcher, and Hughie walked out. Soldier Boy was looking through the crowd until he saw you.

You knew there was no fighting him in staying. You looked at Annie and MM. They were both frustrated at the thought of you leaving.

“I’m sorry,” you said and walked towards the other group. Soldier Boy was satisfied and all four of you left. They explained what happened with Homelander.

“I’m still waiting on the thank you.”

This was unavoidable, and it was tempting to roll your eyes but now was not the appropriate time.

“You will get your thank you when I feel like it,” you mumbled knowing he heard you.

Soldier Boy scoffed and shook his head. “Fuck! Nothing I do satisfies you!”

“Will you two give it a rest?! It has been a very long day” Butcher protested, obviously irritated.

“You want a thank you, fine! Thank you, Soldier Boy. Thank you for actually being a hero and saving someone. What would we ever do without you?” you sarcastically spoke.

Soldier Boy’s jaw clenched, “you know what, fuck you and I hope your pussy dries up every time some guy wants to screw you.”

“And I hope you get STDs.”

The car ride fell into a tensed silence. You nor Soldier Boy could say anything without provoking each other. Hughie asked Butcher where they will be going for the night, and there is only one place Butcher could think of.

The Legend.

It was approximately a five to six hour car ride. You were trying hard to not fall asleep but it was inevitable. Now that you were not on a fight or flight mode your body began to ache, and it demanded rest. By the time they arrived to Legend’s home you were in deep sleep. Hughie tried to wake you up.

“Let her sleep. She sounds better like this” Soldier Boy said.

He didn’t wait for Butcher or Hughie to say anything. He put the shield on his back and walked around the car to open your door. He opened it and caught you in his arms. You were so deep asleep you didn’t realize Soldier Boy had lifted you in his arms and carried you inside as if your the weight of paper.

Butcher knocked hard on the door. It was the middle of the night and they needed a place to rest. Legend was more asleep than awake when he heard the knock. He was ready to yell at whomever was waking him up at this hour but seeing Soldier Boy carry you in his arms, it was like deja vu.

“It has been a very long, and shitty day. Where can I put her down?” Soldier Boy asked. Legend was too shocked to say anything. It’s impossible for you to be alive. Butcher snapped Legend out of it and pointed to where the bedrooms are located. When Butcher, Hughie, and MM came to visit you weren’t with them.

“I need a drink,” Legend said.

“At this hour?” Hughie asked, sounding concerned.

Legend nodded and poured himself a drink all the way to the top. Soldier Boy walked out of the room where he placed you down, and marched towards Legend with purpose.

“Wait—” Soldier Boy did not give Legend a chance to speak. He grabbed him and lifted him up from the ground, slamming him against a wall. Butcher and Hughie rushed to get Soldier Boy off of Legend.

“I swear to you, Mimicry is dead! That isn’t Mimicry! It’s impossible!” Legend explained, fear can be heard in his tone.

“You’re lying! How is she here then?!”

Soldier Boy was angry, he was practically seeing red. Flashes of Mimicry’s body appeared in his mind. She died in his arms and yet, she is here.

“Because that isn’t her! I don’t know how it is possible but Vought retrieved Mimicry’s body from Russia. There was an open casket ceremony! I went and she got buried with her suit! I saw when they put her on the ground!”

Finally, Soldier Boy put Legend down.

“Can someone explain what the bloody hell is going on?!” Butcher was angry. Something was going on and everyone appears to be afraid to say something.

“You will not understand because Vought deleted everything about Mimicry, but she was a member of Payback for the longest time. She was Soldier Boy’s right hand and possibly the most loyal one to him. She died trying to break this one out of Russia. The Russians told Vought what happened and Vought believed the safest thing to do was to make everyone forget about her. Nowadays, no one knows she ever existed.”

The Legend moved to one of the drawers. He opened it and looked through it until he found what he was looking for. He handed it to Butcher.

“Holy shit,” said Hughie. Butcher and Hughie were speechless. It was you and Soldier Boy. His hand was around your waist, holding you close, and your arm was on his waist. The cameraman caught the perfect moment of the both of you staring into each other’s eyes. There was a smile on your face. It was the definition of a woman in love.

Legend continued to speak, “the person in the room is not Mimicry, unless she has demonstrated any superpower. That is not her.”

For Soldier Boy it felt like someone ripped through his chest and held a tight grip on his heart. The more Legend spoke, the more it got twisted.

“What were Mimicry’s powers?” Butcher asked.

“She was able to get any Supe’s power with a touch. Including my own,” Soldier Boy answered. This time he poured himself a drink.

“It still doesn’t make any sense. She is human, and obviously Mimicry isn’t. We have seen pictures of her growing up and having a normal life. She has never shown any powers” Hughie explained.

“The woman in the room isn’t Mimicry.” Soldier Boy had been in denial of it but he remembered your hand on his shoulder back at herogasm, and yet there was no display of power.

“If this isn’t Mimicry, how is it she looks exactly like her? Did Vought clone her?” Hughie and Butcher had so many questions.

Legend shook his head, “if they were going to start cloning Supes I would have heard something by now. Truthfully, there is no explanation. Almost as if God and heaven, or even the devil, wanted to give Mimicry another chance at life. She always dreamed of a family, sadly it was taken away from her. She had a baby and that baby lived, and so on. What I can guarantee is that she is from Mimicry’s lineage.”

Soldier Boy stared out the window with the cup on his hand. Once again he felt himself lied to. He was being given something back, and now it feels like it got taken from him.

Your entire existence is a sick and twisted lie, and he despises you for carrying her face. He is reminded every time he has to look at you.

“This has never happened before with any Supes ever. Word is barely spreading that Supes can have babies when Mimicry was the first to ever have one a long time ago. If Vought finds out about her existence,” Legend warned and pointed to the room where you continued to sleep, “they will come for her.”

Next Chapter: Chapter Three

Author's Note: Phew! A lot got unpacked and I hope it is making sense! We will be speeding through the end of season three (with a few changes) in one or two chapters, and afterwards it will be my take of season four and further on. Thank you so much again for all the love and support!

Tagged List: @seven709 @sadpods @mayafatimakhan @deans-spinster-witch @justiceforquentin @ultracarpediemfan @bitchykittenconnoisseur @spacecowgirl126

[uselessmoonlight]

Stranger part 20

Reader is Telemachus' friend, and when he leaves for his "diplomatic mission" he asks her to watch over his mother. Later, once the king has returned, she stumbles upon an injured Poseidon.

Previous / series masterlist / character sheet / next / next TV

Content specs: she/her pronouns used, afab reader, Platonic! Telemachus x reader, Epic!Poseidon x reader, possible OOC!Poseidon, Polites’ daughter! Reader, unrequited love, blood, fighting, nudity, illusion, possibly more?, trying to avoid using y/n, slowburn, suggestive themes.

Peach woke up to the sound of knocking on her door, it was unusual for her to wake after the sun had risen, but as she glanced out the window, she saw it was still rising. That was odd, the knocking wasn’t frantic, so it wasn’t a medical emergency, and it couldn’t be Irene or Telemachus. Neither of them woke up so early, most of the time it was actually a fight to get them up and at it in the morning. Whoever was at her door was not one of her friends.

Silently she got up and grabbed one of her axes before heading to the door. Normally she would’ve cursed herself out for falling asleep in her good clothes, but this time it worked in her favour. She did not want to face a potential threat in her night clothes. She stopped just short of the door, trying to listen for clues. With the way the sun was rising she could not see who it was through the window, so she was left with one option: open the door.

In front of her stood a man, holding a bouquet of pink, red and white roses and chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemums made sense, as they were currently in bloom, but the roses were odd. But then again, a God could probably get whatever flowers they wanted, whenever they wanted.

“I’m sorry, were you still sleeping? I just thought that, you know, usually you rise with the sun, so I thought you’d be up by now.” The God of tides spoke, sounding rather sheepish. If Ónoma had been less tired, she’d laugh at the bashful state of the God, it felt weird to see him act like this.

“And whatever you had to say couldn’t wait? It had to happen the moment I woke up? Helios isn’t even in the sky yet.” She grumbled, voice groggy from sleep. Ónoma didn’t even have the energy to glare at the man, yesterday’s festivities had taken more out of her than she’d expected, especially with her rest being cut short.

“As if you’d still be home after dawn.” He scoffed but gave her a faint smile. “I know you’ve been avoiding me, but I do not accept it. We will speak.” He said, firmly.

“Alright, come in.”

The two sat in silence for what felt like ages. Ónoma’s already lacking patience was wearing thin. He’d pestered her all hours of the noght until she was forced to leave her home. Now that she was finally back home he was there again, at the ass crack of dawn, but now, when she was finally ready to hear him out, he said nothing. “You came here to talk, so talk.” She glared at him again, just to show her disdain.

“Will you put down that damned axe? If I was going to do something, I would’ve done it already. Besides, do you really think a little axe would stop me?”

“You were stabbed 600 times with your own trident, I think my little axe would work perfectly fine.” She deadpanned. Poseidon sucked his teeth at the mortals statement. She wasn’t wrong, but she didn't have to say it out loud. Ónoma chuckled at the man’s annoyance. If he was going to force her to listen, she was going to be as difficult as she could possibly be.

“Look, I didn’t mean to decieve you, alright-”

“But you did.” She interrupted.

“Just let me finish, you-”

“Alright, I’ll let you talk.”

Poseidon inhaled deeply before continuing, he was fed up with her petty behaviour, but it was also exactly what he liked about her. “I was embarrased, alright.” It took a lot out of the God to admit that. “I was bested by a mortal, one weak with hunger and years spent at sea- He should not have been able to do that, even worse is that I was unable to heal myself. I should’ve recovered by the time I reached the shore, but I hadn’t and then you found me.” He sighed and looked at her with an expression she could not decipher.

“You showed me great kindness, you had no reason to, but you did. You were rude, too, you challanged me in ways no woman, no mortal has before and by the time I realized I should have told you the truth, it was too late. I should not have gone to that party and let you find out that way. It was inevitable that I would run into him, but if I’d declined the offer I would have pissed off my brother, and I did not want him to find out about, you know, that.

Maybe I’d hoped that my disguise would fool him just enough, but he just knew. Perhaps that’s why my niece is so fond of him.” He chuckled at that.

“All of that explains it, but it doesn’t change what happened. You took me for a fool, do you know what this could’ve meant for me if anyone else found out? If Odysseus was not as kind as he is? For you it may have been just a kiss, not unlike others you’ve shared, but for me it could have meant ruin. Do you understand that? Because I need you to understand that.” She stressed.

“I would not have allowed that.” He stated.

“How was I to know that? I do not have a good track record with Gods, it was not unreasonable for me to think that. Besides, you have expressed no regret for almost ruining my life, so-”

“Because I don’t regret it, kissing you, I mean. I regret that it could have led to harm, but I do not regret what we share, shared. It was never my intention to hurt you, and I am sorry that I did, but I’m not sorry for loving you.”

Next / Next TV

Taglist:

@apollos-dodgeball-target @barrythestrawberry041 @darling-eos @doodle-with-rhy @glaciuswduo @hardbarbarianfox @h0ne4bee @isla-finke-blog @keikeiluvyou @missam

@suckerforblondies @trashcannotbealive @visha1965

[bbanghiitomi]

| RRL (reviewing relationship lessons)

synopsis: dating kang haerin feels like waking up on a friday morning, looking forward to what may happen tomorrow (saturday), and tomorrow again (sunday)... then anxious about what may come next, then you're happy again because there's really nothing to be afraid of.

— newjeans!khaerin! × newjeans!fem!reader

(⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)(⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)(⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)(⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)(⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)

[posted in relationship advice forum!]

kittygokhrn • online

[my girlfriend...]

> what should i do when my girlfriend is upset and i don't have any idea why?

comments:

guestuser_1253 commented

> why is she upset?

user16277 commented

> tough, skill issue

guestuser_7937 commented

> the best option is to talk to her about it, you will never know why or what to do if you don't ask her.

"man these comments sure are useless..." haerin mutters under her breath as she shifts her gaze behind her laptop, as she sits on the dorm's sofa — she catches a glimpse of you from the kitchen, talking to minji while baking cupcakes and cookies. haerin feels a sense of jealousy, also guilt. she doesn't quite understand why you're so distant today, it's only tuesday and you haven't told her what the problem was, it's already getting inside haerin's head and is making her overthink about what she may have done wrong.

but alas, what the last commenter said was right, she's never going to know unless she asks you, it's not like you're going to telepathically tell her nor are you going to tell her without her asking. this is the worst part of becoming kang haerin, the lack of initiative and not being very confrontational about stuff... no matter how big or small it could be.

well it's hard — very, for someone like haerin confrontation isn't as easy as shutting up and waiting, maybe because waiting hurts less? or at least she can expect the worst and not be surprised, give her some time! she's just learning, and learning means making mistakes and adjusting of course.

it's not just her anymore, it's you and her.

which means anything she does may affect you, well great! no one told her it'll be that way. things just don't happen because of nature, somehow haerin remembers what she once read in a book before: existence precedes essence, it means that one person guides themselves towards their destiny through their choices.

haerin shudders thinking about it, that means whatever happens to her is her fault and only her fault. now, back to you — she remembers how sweet you were yesterday but today seems different, obviously you're still sweet but not as sweet (enough to give someone type 2 diabetes) as you were yesterday and that sucks for haerin because she loved your sweetness.

haerin tries to think back to what she did yesterday that may be possible to get you acting this way, but no matter how scrunches her face, she couldn't think of any reason why you're being so distant. if she continues waiting or not doing anything you may get more upset!

gosh, what did i do for her to act like this?

seriously, she doesn't know. given the fact that you're dating her for only 2 months, of course she's still trying to grasp your emotions, your actions, and your mood... you've been friends with her alright? she likes you, by a lot! the thing is that, haerin was never the type to really make a move when she was still crushing on you, which really meant you did most of the initiatives to get her to do something and she wasn't able to get to know you more aside from what she already knows.

it's embarrassing for her really...

haerin sighs and closes her macbook, she stretches and places the gadget on the wooden table in the living room before standing up and making her way to the kitchen to see you and now danielle as minji had to leave to help hyein with her school work. haerin glides her hand on the countertop, you're busy mixing the ingredients and your furrowed brows were the proof to your effort.

danielle on the other hand is watching over the oven to make sure none of the cookies are burnt.

"hey..." haerin calls out to you, eyes on you while you whisk the eggs. "hmmm?" you simply reply, haerin blinks yet her face has no reaction. she simply leans on the counter, with you being on the other side of the kitchen island and her on the other.

haerin pouts, moving her hand with her index finger sticking out as she reaches for your bracelet, which she made by the way. haerin pulls it gently, just to get your attention and which was of course — successful. you lift your head slightly to get a glimpse of her, with your eyes you see her looking up at you with her cat-like eyes, her contact lenses making her pupils look much more prominent.

you kind of feel the way your heart skips, wasn't part of the plan by the way — you didn't want to ignore haerin but you wanted to make her feel that you were quite disappointed with her dismissive behavior yesterday, when she brushed off min heejin in exchange for peace (an alone time with you). it's not like min heejin was mad or anything — actually, she didn't even mind it but of course, you did and you know haerin didn't even realize that she completely dismissed their ceo for you.

you don't like that! you don't like when people get ignored because of you! you know haerin, giving her a timeout even through being away from her by a small distance is enough to make her feel like something has to be wrong or out of the ordinary.

you know she doesn't like spending a day without talking to you or at least receiving hugs from you... and it's only 2pm!

"why are you ignoring me?" haerin asks, her voice is muffled by her arm that is folded on top of the counter in front of her face. the tone of her voice seems like she really wants you to know that it's bothering her, and correction — you're not even ignoring her, you literally greeted her when she woke up!

"i am not ignoring you haerin." you tell her, you see the way she scrunches her nose but only for a few seconds before she looks down again and back up at you. "in fact, i'm baking for us and i greeted you good morning earlier." you add, leaning close to her — haerin lets go of your bracelet when you shift your hands to place the bowl aside.

you really need her to be more specific about what she wants to know, because you're sure she's wondering if she's done something and all she has to do is ask.

you see danielle placing the newly baked cookies just beside haerin, haerin doesn't even spare any glance at the tray but just follows your traces. danielle leaves the kitchen to answer the telephone call from heejin and now it's just you and haerin.

haerin hums. "did i do something wrong yesterday?" she asks, fully leaning onto the countertop. you sigh as you stand in front of the kitchen island, a few meters away from her.

"it's not wrong, i guess... it's just not proper." haerin pushes herself up when you answer, her eyes widening. "w-what did i do?" she asks, though she tried to exclaim, her voice came out gentle and almost like a whisper. you know she's almost panicking, so you give her a small smile and walk to her side, not forgetting to grab the bag of icing.

"haerin, look — i know you love me but yesterday, i feel like you could've responded a little more attentively to heejin-nim yesterday. she was asking us nicely if we wanted to eat lunch with her, you know us three?" your shoulders slack, then you shrug, giving her a small smile. "you sounded uninterested and although you really wanted to spend the whole time with me — you shouldn't have shrugged her off like that. still, i love you haerin." you squeezed the icing out of the pipe and onto the cupcake.

"sorry... i got a little too carried away." haerin looks at your hands as she reaches to scratch her cheek, feeling her face warming up in embarrassment.

you remain quiet for a few minutes, finishing the icing before you place the bag down and face her, lifting your hand and touching her shoulder, then your fingers press against her neck. "i know... it's okay." you whisper, looking at her face — the way you stare made her flustered, feeling the familiar sound of her heart thumping banging in her ears.

she wants to stare back at you but you're making it hard for her.

baby boss (haerin-g)

[baby boss sent an image]

chicken nuggets...

chicken...

nuggets...

hi haerin!

you want chicken nuggets?

how many?

20...

chicken nuggets...

oh, okay!

i'm with minji-unnie, we're otw home!

i love you...

y/nnie...

kiss...

lol :P i love you too haerin!!!

(⁠〃ﾟ⁠3ﾟ⁠〃⁠)(⁠´⁠ε⁠｀⁠ ⁠)(⁠っ⁠˘⁠з⁠(⁠˘⁠⌣⁠˘⁠ )

HUGS AND KISSES!!!!

"bleh, you and your weird girlfriend." minji fakes disgust as she closes her eyes and turns her head away from you. "why are you spying on our conversation?" you ask, raising a brow at her, turning your phone sideways where she can't see the screen. "you have your screen brightness as bright as the sun on a sunday morning, probably that's why anyone within the distance of 50 meters would be able to read your messages." minji answers, still has her eyes shut as if she's got someone throwing acid at her eyes.

"okay... you didn't have to go off like that by the way — hey manager-nim! let's get 20 chicken nuggets for haerin!" you raise your hand, your manager looks at you and minji through the rear mirror and nods. "okay! there's a mcdonald's drive thru nearby." they answer before looking back at the road. minji finally opens her eyes and looks at you. "why does she want 20 chicken nuggets?" she asks, leaning on the seat.

today, you had a schedule for a magazine cover photoshoot with minji and although it was such a fun experience to have with your oldest member — it sure is tiring, this is why you never forget to thank the staff around after the schedule as they make the job a whole lot easier for you.

"because she wants some. why is it even a question?" you look up and then to minji — minji laughs and shakes her head. "oh nothing, just didn't expect her to have a borderline addiction to chicken nuggets. like — 20? guess she really did want to impress you before." minji shrugs, eyes shifting to the window and following the buildings with her eyes.

"i do think chicken nuggets are great — i'm happy to share that sentiment with her." you giggle, feeling your heart jump in joy — sometimes minji feels like if you were an inside out character, you'd probably only have like at least 5 joys, 5 angers, 5 fears, 5 disgust and 5 sadness — you express emotions 5 times more intensely than haerin.

imagine how crazy that is?

minji laughs when she imagines haerin having like 1/2 joy, maybe 1 anger, 1 disgust, 1/2 fear and 1/2 sadness and thinking about it more made her burst out laughing so hard.

"what is wrong with you?" you ask minji, watching her clutch her stomach in laughter. "oh my god... nothing — you and haerin are so perfect together!" minji dramatically wipes a tear off of her eye as she speak.

"you're just jealous and bitter." you scoff playfully, minji shrugs and lets out one last snicker. "you and hanni always say that." she shakes her head.

baby boss (haerin-g)

[boss baby sent an image]

hey this is us in another universe

;)))) how do u feel about that girl?

flattered actually,

spending my life with u again even in another universe is a dream

:'(((

i'm supposed to be flirting with you

and you're also supposed to be interacting with other celebrities there

but i don't mind talking to you

(⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡(⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡(⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

pshhh... i feel lonely here

i don't see why i, a 17 yrs old girl should be talking to adults

i don't know why i'm here anyway

'cause it's ur job

don't worry!! it's only for today, after that we can cuddle!

doesn't that excite you???

yeah, it does excite me

great!!!

i'm excited to go home now...

great...

so, ur just gonna stand in a corner? tapping your phone?

better than talking to strangers,

i miss you so bad.

:(((

i miss u too bb

so... what do u want to talk about?

anything actually, just ask me a question

good, would u love me if i was cursed by an evil witch and became a horse?

why a horse out of all animals?

i think you would be a frog, the small kind of frog.

and you'd be slimy because the witch knows you hate being slimy.

well it sounds like you won't love me

i would!!! if you were a slimy frog, i'd keep you in a large tank with the perfect ecosystem for you to thrive.

and i'll watch you every day.

i said a horse.

but i want you to be a frog,

what if i was the evil witch?

what..?

oh, heejin-nim is asking me to stop messaging you for a while lols

that sucks, should i bring my phone down?

you should! event's about to be over. hang on a bit!

"you smell so nice..." you whisper, head buried on haerin's back — she lays on her side, offering her back for you to lean on. "uh huh, thought you'd like me more if i smell like a watermelon." haerin snickers, a proud smirk written on her face as she feels you smothering her behind, rubbing your cheeks on her clothed back, arms wrapped around her waist. "you really do smell like a watermelon, i love it so much." you mutter, voice muffled by her tshirt that's been sprayed by a perfume resembling the scent of a fresh watermelon.

haerin had just gotten home from her trip out of the country and though she was tired, she couldn't help but give you the satisfaction to get a whiff of her watermelon scent that she bought from a store in her trip, thinking of you while on her way to pay for it.

"cool, if only hyein wouldn't take a bite out of me, i would be willing to smell like a watermelon everyday." haerin declares.

[posted in relationship advice forum!]

kittygokhrn • online

[gift ideas]

> i'm planning to surprise my girlfriend with a gift, what's something that's really romantic but simple?

comments:

usergo728294 commented

> a heartfelt message

guestuser77867 commented

> maybe some kisses and hugs??

guestuser_5667 commented

> a really cute ring!

"ah, thanks manager! me and haerin are off to get something, we'll be alright don't worry!" you link your arms with haerin's as you pull her to the exit of the building, you look at her and see her sharp eyes even with a cap on her head. you smile and tilt your head, beaming at her direction — her eyes relax at the sight of your face, it brings a smile on her lips even if it is covered with a mask.

"won't they go looking for us?" haerin whispers, both of you make your way to a sidewalk — it's only 5pm and after practice have just finished, you decide that it would be a good idea to hang out with her for even just a short amount of time — even just walking around the park and looking at anything, it's enough time to keep your head from going insane with the amount of burden work has left you.

you intertwine your fingers with hers, swaying both your hands together as you two walk in a moderately occupied street. although you'd like it better if it was just you and her, you can't help but at least feel a little more like an ordinary human loving someone with all these people around — it made you feel less of a robot, and it feels like you're just like everyone else.

"they probably will but, we'll be alright, right? i'm with you and you're with me, i don't have anything to be scared of." you say, moving closer to her — closing the gap between you and her figure. haerin looks away for only a bit, her eyes even as they were covered with the cap — looks like there were glimmering stars inside of them. "right, i'll make sure no one bothers us." haerin puffs her chest proudly, trying to seem big and mighty but all you can see is a cat — like a cat that stands on its two paws with it's two other paws raised.

"uh huh, bet no one will bother us if you hiss at them." you laugh, feeling the way your cheeks warm up at the sensation of her hand. "they won't." she says.

your eyes spots a small vendor selling beunggo-ppang — you pull down you mask and you look at haerin with a grin on your face. "let's get some snacks!" haerin tries to balance herself when you start pulling her to the vendor, approaching the stall with a bright smile. you buy two of the snack and reach out to give the other one to her.

"we have so much on our plate right now, so many events — photoshoots, filming... sometimes i wish we could get a long vacation or something." you start to talk once again when haerin takes your hand again and holds it tight, she looks at you as you speak, holding her snack in the other hand of hers. you look forward, seeing the sunset peeking behind the tall buildings as the light illuminates on your face.

haerin looks down on the snack on her hand, analyzes the warm fish-like bread, and sees the way the smoke wafts around. she then turns her head to look at you and feels the way her stomach twists, the way her heart thumps and her cheeks feel warmer than usual.

"i do too. if we get the chance to go spend a day even for only one day, where no one can recognize us. where would it be?" haerin asks, eyes looking for your eyes — she sees the sunset reflecting on your pupils. you stop walking and you stand near a playground at a park, it's empty with every kid and their guardians making their way home.

"me?" you point your index finger to yourself. haerin nods and underneath a mask is a smile on her lips.

"yes you."

"huh... if we had a chance to go somewhere without being recognized... i think i would want to go to an arcade." you answer before taking the last bite out of your beungo-ppang, haerin tilts her head as she looks at you, wondering what made you choose an arcade as your answer. "why an arcade?"

"i mean why not?" you shrug.

"i expected you'll answer like a theme park or a beach." haerin says. you laugh and nod.

you look at the dark sky, turning dark blue then to haerin's eyes. "well, both are nice too but whenever i think of theme parks and beaches, i prefer being with you guys. and if it were just the two of us, i wanted to be in a place like a local arcade — you know like, the two of us and maybe some other people who don't know us. and we'll feel like an ordinary couple doing couple stuff!" haerin nods.

"then it would feel less suffocating and scary, then we won't have to worry about what we don't know, what we expect and what may happen." you add, you take off your mask to fully show the smile on your face. haerin feels her heart clench, something not out of sadness — maybe, a bit because she wishes she could actually have you without being scared of a lot of things then again, she has you and you have her, what's there to be afraid of?

she's so happy that you feel that way about her, that you're as desperate as she is and as eager to do stuff together and cherish each other's presence. it makes her feel special, like haerin other than being an idol has something to be proud of. "i wish we can stop cosplaying and playing pretend to be highschool students in a mysterious world. but i really don't regret being an idol, besides having all these people who care about me i also met you." you tell her, haerin has completely forgotten about her snack — hand reaching out to hold you.

"y/n!" you get surprised with her outburst, she furrows her brows before the untouched snack on her hand falls on the ground and she starts looking for something in her pockets. "haerin..?" you mutter.

"here..! look, i have this ring for you." you watch as she shows a golden ring with a diamond ring — something she saw when she was doing her advertisement for dior. "—! is... that a ring? i know it is but, what for?" you ask, taken back.

"for you. because i love you! and i wanted to give this to you, i don't know why but i really really — really want you to have it." she rambles, you look at it and sees the way the diamond glimmers. "you think i deserve it?" you ask again, feeling hot tears well on the corner of your eyes.

"you do. seriously, that's why i got it because i couldn't help but think of you when i was looking at it." she explains, grabbing your other hand and slipping it on your ring finger.

"how did you know it fits?" you ask, looking at the ring on your finger, mesmerized by the way it shines.

"i... kind of just felt your fingers and went with my intuition." she laughs and shrugs, the way her eyes bend make you weak.

"i love it! it's so beautiful." you giggle, ecstatic.

"yeah i know, that's why i got it for you." haerin pulls her mask down and pulls you in a tight hug, you feel your heart jump and you let her be as she wraps her arms around you. "hey..." you mutter.

"i love you." haerin mutters, burying her face on your shoulder, sobbing. you place your hand on her waist, looking at her. "i love you too." you whisper, giggling in happiness.

[posted in relationship advice forum!]

kittygokhrn • online

[my girlfriend is sad]

> what to do if my gf is sad?

posted 18 hours ago...

your eyes scan the monitor of haerin's macbook, seeing the words from a website haerin have recently visited — she's asking a forum website, consulting strangers for help with you and her relationship. yesterday, after a schedule that lasted almost a whole day — you came home with the group and stayed inside your room, unmoving the whole time. maybe it's the neverending work, the lack of sleep, and the amount of coffee you took but you were feeling so sad.

you were lying on your side on the bad, sad and alone, haerin peeked to see you and felt compelled whether she should lay next to you or leave you be.

haerin entered your room, not forgetting to knock but you were so lost in your thoughts you have completely ignored her. she stood beside the bed, looking at your frame trying to decipher what may be the reason behind your sadness but have come to a conclusion that she may not know why.

the truth is that, you are also clueless to what is the reason why — you don't understand why you felt like this and don't understand why you can't understand.

you're just sad and tired.

haerin sat next to you in the bed, but kept her hands to herself. you still have your back facing her that time, it's not like you were ignoring her but you just didn't have the energy to turn around and talk nor even say anything about it.

haerin wanted to ask but she's contemplating if you would want to talk about it because she understood that there are times where people are just sad for no reason, it happens to her when she's feeling like a burnout.

it still bothered her, she really wanted to make you feel better but at the same time, she didn't want you to think or worry that once you tell her what you felt, you would think haerin sees herself as the problem.

after a while, she decided to leave your room and found herself in the dorm's living room, her macbook on the coffee table by the sofa. she sat on the sofa and started typing on her keyboard, that's where she found herself asking for help on the website and after waiting and more waiting, and some thinking — haerin fell asleep on the couch.

today, as soon as you wake up, you find her lying on the sofa, in a deep slumber.

you smile at the sight and crouch to the level of the sofa to take a good look at haerin, sees the way her eyes flutter and the way her chest rises. you get the urge to pinch her cheeks but resort to poking her cheek.

"love you haerin." you whisper before leaning in to kiss her temple and standing up to close her macbook before leaving to cook breakfast in the kitchen with the other girls.

[nicksbestie]

hi as of like yesterday yr requests are still open so i hope this isn’t a bother ! but anyway i was hoping to see some caregiver!reader + agere!johnnie ? preferably gnc reader but fem would also be okay ( whatever prior relationship you want :] ) don’t have many ideas for plot aside from maybe johnnie has had a bad day/is really stressed out so he kinda starts isolating himself, which reader respects but is also really worried about him :( so after a while reader uses maybe like a spare key to go into johnnie’s room and at first it just seems like he’s just upset but as reader starts trying to get johnnie to open up and trying to comfort him, he regresses which makes him more upset/panicky. whether reader has prior knowledge of regression is up to you but in general they’re just really sweet and supportive trying to calm johnnie down <3 maybe they eat dinner/reader feeds johnnie, and watch a movie/cartoon while cuddling ? ( little spoon johnnie ofc ) anyways feel free to add or take away anything i just want johnnie to be taken care of and as an agere i am totally projecting lol

Secrets - Johnnie Guilbert

Summary : Johnnie's biggest secret is exposed without him being ready, but it goes better than he thinks it will.

Pairing : Johnnie Guilbert/Reader (romantic)

Warnings : descriptions of mental health issues, depression, and isolation

Word Count : 1541

A/N : This is an age regression fic, which is purely safe for work and innocent. Any hate/disrespect towards me, my work, or readers, will not be tolerated.

Everyone has secrets. Some of them are terrible ones, skeletons in your closet, ones that would ruin many people’s lives should they escape out into the public. Others are small and simple, things they just like to keep to themselves, and wouldn’t hurt anyone if other people knew, they just don’t want them to be everyone’s business. Some people keep secrets to protect themselves because they would be embarrassed about it if anyone found out. Everyone keeps secrets, and sometimes they’re revealed at the wrong time. Johnnie had secrets, and he was in no way prepared for his biggest one to be exposed to anyone, especially not you, but sometimes life goes in ways that we just can’t predict. 

Johnnie had been struggling a lot lately. That wasn’t a secret, and although you knew about it, you didn’t pressure him very much. He wasn’t the type to open up when he was overly pushed about whatever was wrong, and you wanted him to feel safe and comfortable coming to you when he was ready, and not before that. But that didn’t mean that you weren’t concerned, because you most definitely were. This bad spell for him was bordering on being one of his worst ones ever, and you were about to step in, because you couldn’t stand to see him hurting on his own any longer, even if that was what he told you he wanted. 

Johnnie had begun to isolate himself for almost every hour of the day, only exiting his room to eat and use the bathroom. He didn’t talk much to you out loud, texting instead, as it took much less energy out of him to take that route. He didn’t like to talk about it, despite knowing that he most definitely needed to. You hated how he could be so self destructive, but you knew that you did the exact same thing when you felt the way that he did. So, you respected his space and always let him have it when he asked for it. However, it normally didn’t last this long, thus feeling the massive worry that encased your mind. 

After a couple more hours, you continued to let your worry grow, but you decided to do something about it. You hated the fact that you were about to ignore the boundaries that Johnnie had put into place, but you were seriously concerned, and you hoped that he would be able to understand and forgive you should he be upset with your decision. You grabbed the spare key that unlocked all the doors in the house, kept in the kitchen just in case of emergencies, and gently knocked on his bedroom door. You weren’t going to just barge in, you wanted to give him the chance to open it himself. When he didn’t reply, you softly called out to him, telling him that you were going to open the door. He didn’t argue, so you did just that. 

Walking into his room, you noticed that the blinds were closed, the lights were off, and he was quietly laying in his bed, staring at the wall. You immediately laid down next to him, letting him curl up next to you. You noticed the stained tear tracks on his cheeks, your heart breaking for him as he simply laid there. You let the both of you cuddle in silence, not wanting this to be a heartbreaking moment for the both of you, so you didn’t break the silence for a while. You knew that you should probably talk about what was going on, but the moment was so peaceful that you didn’t want to say anything. You both laid there quietly for about half an hour, taking in the comfort of the other’s presence, before you said anything. 

“We should talk about this, baby. It’s getting worse this time.” 

You could feel him shake his head against your chest. 

“No. I don’t want to talk.” 

“Honey, it’s important-” 

“No!”

Woah. He very rarely snapped at you. He had almost never snapped at you, especially not when he was feeling like this. But, in all fairness, you had pushed him a little bit. You could feel the tears from his eyes soaking your shirt, and you decided to not speak any more for a little bit. You gently pulled his face up, wiping his tears away with the soft pads of your thumbs, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, brushing his hair out a bit with your fingers. You noticed that his eyes were widened more, much more glassy, and you definitely were concerned about it, but you brushed it off to the tears causing it. 

You were more surprised when he pulled away from you, as he had never done that. You gently reached out to try and cuddle him again, but you noticed that he wouldn’t even look at you. He seemed to be panicking about something, and you couldn’t figure out what it was. You weren’t upset with him, but from the anxiety radiating off of his body, you could tell that he probably felt like you were. So, you immediately spoke up to try and help him recognize the fact that he was always safe and loved with you. 

“Love, what’s wrong? It’s all going to be okay.” 

You were now completely confused, as the second that you spoke, your boyfriend burst into tears. He seemed to be absolutely inconsolable, crying nearly at the top of his lungs and clutching the squishmallow on his bed tightly between his arms. You didn’t know what else to do besides just hug him, whispering comforting words as you told him that everything was going to work out, and that you were here for him. It wasn’t until he looked up at you with the same glassy-eyed look as earlier and spoke a few words when you realized what was going on. 

When a choked out “I sorry” left his lips, you put together the look in his eyes, and unexpected crying, and the clutched stuffie, and immediately realized what was happening. Your boyfriend had slipped right into his littlespace, a littlespace that you were completely unaware of, and was absolutely distraught. You had been a caregiver in a previous relationship, and you quickly controlled your shocked face, bringing him as close to you as possible and gently stroking through his hair. 

“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. You’re safe, angel, nothing to be sorry for. I’ve got you, you’re going to be alright.” 

It took a lot of repetitive words and soft praises for Johnnie to relax, his crying eventually slowing when he realized that you weren’t upset with him, and that you were still there and still loving him despite his newfound headspace. He wrapped himself back around you, seeming to become a very quiet little. You were more than excited to get to know him in his headspace, so excited to get to love and spoil a little one, as it had been a long time. Less than an hour later, the two of you were still curled up next to each other, you simply hugging your little boy and whispering sweet nothings to him as he relaxed. You both enjoyed the quality time, and as it turns out, Johnnie is a very silent little, despite when he’s not upset. It wasn’t for another half an hour or so that you moved, and you probably wouldn’t have moved at all had it not been for Johnnie’s stomach growling. 

You held his hand as you walked to the kitchen, calling him the most adorable as he rubbed his eyes with a fist. You put some chicken nuggets in the oven for him, before you went to the bathroom and you helped him remove the makeup that he’d put on that morning. He hadn’t gone anywhere, but he put it on to cover the dark circles under his eyes. You were gentle but bubbly, and you noticed that your little loved to laugh, and giggled at every funny face you made at him. Dinner went quite smoothly, him eating all of it, which absolutely warmed your heart, as he hadn’t been eating much lately due to his depressive slump. 

Little Johnnie seemed to love food, and you were grateful for that, because you didn’t want dinner time to cause him to be upset again. After he had finished eating, you got him a popsicle from the freezer, wrapped it in a paper towel so his hands didn’t get cold, and tucked him in on the couch while you cleaned up the plate and put it into the dishwasher. He was wrapped up in a blanket, cuddled with his stuffie, and you sat down next to him as soon as you were done. You gently tapped through channels and shows as you waited for your little one to pick a cartoon he’d like to watch, finally settling on “Spongebob”, and he immediately wrapped himself back up in your arms. 

He’d been in a dark episode for a while, but now, it seemed like he was able to see the light at the end of it, and you couldn’t wait to be here to help him through it all.

~ taglist : @jake-and-johnnies-slut @elliem505 @gvf23 @ilydeaky @maryx2xx @oobleoob @aemrsy @jasperthefriendlyghostt @707xn

~ if you'd like to be added to my taglist, click here!

~ my inbox is open, come chat!

[cobaltperun]

Lost (10) - Blood // Water

Tara Carpenter x female Reader

Summary: To anyone on the outside, and to Tara’s friends, you were Tara’s fierce protector, the MMA fighter who’d take anyone on for Tara. The Guard Dog, as Amber called you. You had no idea you’d have to protect her from people who claimed they loved her. It didn’t matter. As long as you and Tara had one another there was nothing you wouldn’t be able to survive.

Story warnings: Scream violence, family issues, trauma, angst, certain sensitive topics

Word count: 4.4k

Story masterlist / First part / Previous part / Next part

-The price of your greed is your son and your daughter. What you gon' do when there's blood in the water?-

You weren't at your best. You were far from it, really. Sure, the wounds healed, though slower than they should have since you kept pushing your body past your limit constantly, but the recovery and getting your strength and stamina back was another story. Soaked from head to toe in sweat from hours of working out, driven only by adrenaline and anger you cursed yourself for getting closer and closer to your limit.

Frustration, however, helped, as you slammed punch after punch into the bag. The sound of the hits echoed in the empty gym, since it's long been past the closing time. The owner knew your coach and it helped that your success brought some new people to his gym, so he let you use the equipment after hours.

You needed that. You were angry. At yourself for not stopping Tara. At Tara for putting you in that position when she asked you to leave. At Amber for starting all of this in the first place. Punch after punch, you hoped the next one would finally set you free from the anger. Yet with every punch you would be reminded of the recently healed injuries and that only made you more furious. You gritted your teeth as the cycle continued until you heard the doors opening.

"Y/N," you didn't stop pummeling the bag, it was just your coach. He faked a cough and you let out an exasperated sigh, finally turning to look at him, only to see a face you vaguely recognized.

"Hello, miss L/N, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," the man next to your coach was Thomas Laurent, a former middleweight MMA fighter who had a promising start in his career, but then got seriously injured in his fight against Zack. He never truly recovered after that. Nowadays whenever someone mentions his name all they say is he had potential, but that the injury ended his career before he could reach his prime. From the looks of it, he kept training, and with no weight class to hold him to a certain weight you figured he was somewhere between light heavyweight and heavyweight now. He was thirty-seven and you were sure he could still give plenty of fighters a run for their money.

"What? You want to swap retirement stories?" you really had no desire to deal with him, or anyone else right now.

Your coach flinched for a moment, but Thomas merely laughed, it was a loud, hearty laugh and despite your mood, you wiped the scoff off your face and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, now a bit curious about his reasons for coming here.

"No, no, I'm here to make the greatest retirement spectacle women's MMA has ever seen," he boasted with confidence that made you genuinely intrigued.

"Is that so? And how do you plan on doing that, exactly?" you were pulling your gloves off, only now seeing how bloody your knuckles got. There were bloodstains on your bandages. Both Thomas and your coach noticed that, seeing as their eyes widened when they saw the state of your hands. "Long day yesterday, I had a lot of pent-up frustration," you explained as you shoved the gloves into your bag, not really bothered by scrapped knuckles. The tiny scars you had accumulated from training had long since stopped bothering you. “What did you have in mind?”

Thomas nodded, disregarding the state of your hands as you winced and peeled the bandages off. "You have two fights, so let's make history. You'll fight at the end of November against one of the previous title challengers and then, on the ninth of December, if you accept, you'll challenge Anya Golubeva," Thomas didn't need to explain any further.

Anya Golubeva has been the women's featherweight champion for the past five years, with good grappling and explosive punches, she hardly left any openings. In addition to that you would fight someone around her skill level two to three weeks before that fight. He wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to make history. You'd have one of the shortest, if not the shortest, breaks between two fights, and in case you won the second fight you'd retire as the world champion.

You didn't ask how he could make it happen. You didn't need to know. You knew just one thing, that would be an issue. You couldn't prepare for those fights in Woodsboro. No sparring partner, the gym that lacked equipment... You'd have to leave as soon as tomorrow.

If Tara hadn't told you to leave her, you would have gone to see her, to talk with her. But she told you to leave, and as much as you loved her, you weren't about to waste this opportunity. You’ll see Tara in two months. "I'm in," this was your only chance to make Zack, and your own, dream become a reality, and you were not about to miss out on it.

~X~

Being in, however, meant calling Sam to handle your absence. So, that's how the two of you were sitting in Woodsbo-Restaurant. She looked tense, though you couldn't see any anger, at least on the surface.

"So, did Tara tell you what happened?" you guessed she probably did, it's been over forty-eight hours since Tara left your apartment, and you haven't seen her since. That alone would have been enough for anyone who knew you and Tara to figure out something happened. You were actually surprised Mindy didn’t text you to get you to fix things.

Sam sighed, but instead of answering she added sugar to her coffee and began stirring it. Honestly, you were growing impatient. "About retirement, or how she asked you to leave her?" she finally spoke up, her eyes staring into your soul.

You slumped into your seat, consumed by the look on her face when she asked that of you. Sam was disappointed, worried, she wasn’t angry, but you could tell she absolutely wasn’t happy with either you or Tara. "Both, I guess. Not that it matters. I'm leaving Woodsboro, I won't be here for two months," you told her and placed a key to your apartment on the table.

"You're leaving? You'll actually listen to Tara?" Sam got up, pressing her palms against the table and leaning over it toward you. There was anger in her eyes now and most people would have backed away, intimidated by Sam.

You weren’t most people. "Yes, but not because of what Tara said. I'll have two of the biggest fights of my life by the end of those two months and I'm not about to fuck it up," you didn't even budge when Sam got up. You slid the key across the table and met Sam's angry glare. "Tara is free to spend as much time in my apartment as she wants. She can sleep there, move in, whatever she wants. You can work here since there's about to be an open spot starting today," you had no intention of stopping, you needed Sam to hear you out.

You straightened your posture as Sam began sitting down. "Tara and I grew too codependent, Sam. We grew too attached to guilt. If it spirals out of control she'll stay by my side because she feels guilty for my retirement and I'll stay because I'll feel guilty for not being there to protect her the first time, for letting Amber make her vulnerable and not noticing she was a danger to Tara. Love built on guilt isn't love, it's just regret," you stood up, leaving enough money to pay the bill, and began walking away. You didn't have any time left. Your coach was already waiting for you outside the restaurant.

"Y/N, I'm sorry I dragged Tara into all of that," Sam's declaration didn't surprise you, she felt even more guilty than Tara or you did. All three of you were being consumed by guilt, and it had to stop, otherwise living a normal life would become impossible.

"It's not your fault those two were crazy," you stopped and turned to look at her.

Sam shook her head, surprising you for a moment. "It is. Billy Loomis is my father, and that's why all of that happened."

It was actually the first time you heard Sam and Tara were half-sisters. Not that it mattered. "It's not, Sam. Who your parents are has nothing to do with it. It's an insane excuse made by insane people," you shrugged and offered her a smile. "So, how about this? Instead of being Billy and Christina's daughter, how about you just remain Tara's sister?"

The last thing you expected was for Sam to grab and pull you into a hug. Whispering a small, emotion filled 'Thank you' as you patted her on the back. You had no idea when Sam found out about Billy, but things somehow began making sense. Why Sam left, why she was distancing herself from Tara when they were younger, maybe even why Tara’s dad left. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that at least some of it was connected to Billy Loomis.

“Take care of Tara,” you requested, though you understood there was no need to ask for that, but you did anyway.

~X~

You left, you actually left and Tara couldn’t reach you, you weren’t answering your phone. It’s been three weeks since she last set foot in your apartment, she didn’t want to make Sam do more than she was already doing for her. And she missed your presence more than ever. Was this how you felt when Tara was with Amber? Alone? Lost? Tara guessed you did.

Her leg was finally healed, and she could walk once again, though she was yet to recover her strength. It would take some time and going up the stairs all the way to the third floor to your apartment exhausted her more than she predicted it would. How much stamina did you have when you could, as injured as you were, climb up those same stairs while holding her in your arms? It was just another reason to admire how strong you were. She unlocked your doors and was met with a familiar scent, her anxiety lowering almost instantly as she was reminded of you. The place was almost exactly the same as when she left, only this time your bag was missing.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, feeling like she had to say it as she locked the doors behind her. She moved on autopilot, going to your bed and lying down. She shouldn’t have told you to leave her, and sure, she understood you would have left anyway to prepare for your fights, but she still shouldn’t have told you to leave her. She should have been there to see you off, she should have been the one you gave your spare key to, she should have hugged you and told you to be careful, she should have told you she loved you, or she should have thanked you or at least told you that she would miss you.

Anything would have been better than telling you to leave her.

And then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed your phone on the nightstand drawer, left there, likely on purpose. Her eyes widened and she sat up to take it, just to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Her cheeks turned red when she noticed the photo of you and her, hugging, as your lock screen, but she couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t know, you rarely used your phone while you were with her.

~X~

Fresh out of the shower, you stumbled into the apartment above the gym Thomas had you training and living in, and dropped to the floor, not even having any strength to get to bed. You just needed to take a quick nap and then you’d move to your bed, at least that was the plan. But, much like many of the previous nights you woke up on the floor as the first rays of sunlight entered the room. And you didn’t wake up naturally either, you were woken up by Thomas and your coach knocking on your doors.

“Up you go, Y/N!” Thomas bellowed as you pushed your body up from the floor.

“Easy for you to say, unless we’re sparring you’re just overlooking my training,” you grumbled and groaned as you stood up.

~X~

Six weeks, six days, and thirteen hours. That was the last time Tara saw you, heard your voice, touched you, spoke to you. That was when she told you to leave her. So much has changed. In the few weeks since she went to your apartment and found your phone. She cut contact with her mom and moved into your apartment because she couldn't take it anymore and just needed a semblance of you in her life.

And seeing as you left your phone behind no one could reach you, not her, not Susan, no one. So, that's how she ended up in Sacramento with Sam, Mindy, and Chad, waiting for your second-to-last fight.

“Who is she fighting anyway?” she found herself asking, almost a bit excited to watch the fight, if only so she could see you.

“Uh, not sure, but her opponent fought for the title before and lost in a fairly even fight, there wasn’t even a knockout,” Chad told her. Ever since you began fighting Chad was her source of information.

You opponent fought for the title before? So, she was close in strength to the world champion? Tara remembered how you came back after your first fight and she couldn't do it, she couldn’t watch the fight. Despite being excited to see you, she just couldn’t handle seeing you get hit. You probably still haven't fully recovered from what Amber and Richie did to you, what Amber forced Tara to do to you. So, she'd miss the start, maybe even miss the entire first round or two, because she couldn't take watching you get hurt.

“Tara?” Sam question as Tara stood up.

“I need a moment, don’t worry,” Tara assured her softly and went toward the kitchen.

“Tara, uh, can’t exactly watch Y/N’s fights. Because Y/N gets hurt,” she heard Chad explaining and Sam’s small ‘Oh,’ at that.

She entered the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She felt cold, she missed you, she wanted to be near you, to grab onto you and not let go. Instead, all she could do was clutch the necklace you gave her, all she could do was hold onto it as she hugged herself. A sob tore through her throat, but she stopped herself when she heard the doors opening.

"Tara, honey, it's about to start," Susan came in. The woman became Tara's ally since you left, offering reassurance and convincing Tara you'd come back. Somehow, her words held more weight than anyone else's when it came to you, and Tara somewhat believed her.

"I don't think I can," Tara admitted, ashamed that she couldn't watch you even now that she knew how much it meant to Susan and you. That she couldn't watch you even if it was her fault that ten days from now, you'd be out of MMA.

Susan gently rubbed Tara's left shoulder. "I get it, how about we just sit here then. I'll go and turn the volume up so we can hear what is happening. Is that okay?"

Tara nodded and sat down, thankful that the woman understood and was willing to stay by her side to support her. She watched as Susan turned to go and get the volume up, only to freeze on the doorstep. "It's over."

Tara felt her blood run cold. Over? What was over? The fight? She ran outside of the kitchen and took in the sight in front of her. Chad sitting there with his mouth wide open. Mindy was frozen as she leaned over to Sam to grab the popcorn. Sam just watching the TV wide-eyed and confused. And you on the TV, without a single scratch, just standing with one fist raised in the air.

She watched as the fight replayed on the TV, right from the start. Your opponent approached, and opened with a punch, only for you to counter with a punch straight to her face and she just dropped. Six seconds into the fight. You knocked the woman out in six seconds.

She just stood there, taking your figure in. Her heart beat out of rhythm as she saw the results of your training, the defined muscles, the power and speed you possessed. Tara had never spent this long away from you, even when she was with Amber you two still hung out as a part of the same friend group and though rarely you still spent some time alone as well, and seeing you like this, so abruptly and so briefly made her realize exactly how much that affected her.

"How's the ogling going, T," Mindy's teasing made her look away. She wasn't ogling, she was just looking.

Less than two weeks to go. You'd come back to her soon.

When the title match came Tara watched with Sam, Chad and Mindy in your apartment and she nearly had an asthma attack as she watched you take hit after hit.

~X~

This was the end, in half an hour you'd step into the octagon and have your final professional fight. Yet you never felt more relaxed than you were tonight.

The doors opened and you expected to see your coach. Instead, you saw Anya Golubeva, a blonde Russian with piercing blue eyes. You met recently but between promotions that required some hostility, you didn't have any other interactions with her.

"Hello, Y/N," her accent was thick, and you stood up as she approached you. She was 5 foot 8, almost an inch and a half shorter than you, but considering her skill and strength it felt like there was no difference at all.

"Anya," you nodded to greet her, the two of you already met, and you did the usual trash talking that was supposed to hype people up for the fight, honestly, to you it was just part of the business, and from the looks of it she saw it the same way. No matter who won or what either of you would say in an interview after the fight, there wouldn’t be bad blood between you. At least you hoped that would be the case.

"I just wanted to say I am sorry this is how your career ends," the sentiment surprised you. "I wish I could have fought you at your peak, in a few years," despite being fine with the retirement that was somewhat of a regret. You'd never reach your professional peak, you were only twenty, most MMA fighters reached their peak sometime between twenty-five and twenty-eight years old. You could train, sure, but you doubted you'd reach the same heights you would've if your career continued.

Anya, however, was at her peak, in fact, most experts predicted she would wipe the floor with you prior to your previous match. Now that you knocked your opponent out in six seconds the predictions were different, and some even dared to bet on you.

You sat down, grinning a bit. "I guess that's right. I don't regret it, though."

"You were protecting a friend. Admirable, really," Anya nodded her approval.

"More than a friend, at least as far as feelings go," you blurted out, not really sure why you felt the need to say it. You just missed Tara so damn much.

Anya chuckled a bit and motioned to the bench next to you.

"Of course," at your words, she sat down and leaned her back against the wall.

"What's her name?" she asked.

"Tara," you replied, unable to keep the smile off her face.

Anya remained silent for a moment. "There's a river in the Balkans called Tara. In a small country called Montenegro. Its canyon is the deepest in Europe, so if you ever go there, make sure you take your girl rafting through it. I personally found it to be more exciting than most things I did in my life."

You had no idea there was a river called Tara, but you really wanted to see it now, and you wanted to take Tara with you. "Thanks. I'll keep it in mind."

"Make sure you do, it really is an experience," she got up. "Well then, good luck," she offered you a hand.

You took her hand and nodded. "Good luck to you too."

Her behavior took you by surprise, there definitely weren't many fighters who were openly like this. Still, there would be no holding back. You had a fight and you were going to do everything in your power to win.

~X~

She was strong. You had never encountered a fighter that could match you like this. You traded blows, and you barely got out of her submissions. You couldn't make her submit. In the four minutes since the fight started, you managed to get her on the ground once, and she easily got out. You on the other hand found yourself on the ground for the second time, with your neck in a chokehold as she pressed down on your abdomen and kept your legs immobile by holding them between her own.

In an almost desperate attempt not to lose in the first round, you managed to move your fist back enough to land a fairly strong blow to her side. Her grip on you loosened with a grunt coming above you. So, you hit her again, and then the third time before she finally let go enough for you to get your legs free and twist the position. She pushed against your abdomen with her legs, but you landed a solid right punch to her face. You raised your fist again, but just as you were about to hit her again the round ended, and you got up.

You gave one another a quick fist-bump, enjoying the way this fight was going as you separated. There was no malice in this fight. It was just a competition.

The second round started off much better. You circled each other, throwing faints, and testing the distance for a bit. You landed a low kick to her left leg, she in turn grazed your head. You exchanged a couple of punches, pulling away from one another with nearly simultaneous clean hits to the faces. You could feel blood dripping from your nose and your lower lip, you could feel the area around your left eye starting to swell. She wasn't doing much better, though. You landed an elbow on the side of her head, grazing her forehead in the process. From the looks of it, you also made a small cut on the side of her nose.

Both of you were bloody, both of you had taken several hard hits. Anya went in for a kick, but you pushed her back, landing a couple of good blows to her upper body. It wasn't enough. She quickly recovered, bouncing away from your assault. She hit you in the side with a nasty uppercut and you felt wind getting knocked out of your lungs, but you managed to block Anya's follow-up attack.

The following exchange ended in your favor when you landed three good blows to her head and upper body and finished it with a kick to the side.

You made a mistake, though. You misjudged the distance and her kick connected with your jaw. The next thing you knew you were slammed into the ground, feeling the back of your head bounce off the octagon mat and you just barely had enough consciousness to lift your forearms above your face to guard against the flurry of punches raining down upon you. And then, just as your guard was about to be shattered the round ended.

You stumbled to your side of the octagon, slowly regaining awareness of your surroundings as several icepacks were pressed against your face and sore muscles. You felt something warm trickling down your neck. You touched it and saw red. Blood. That kick made your scar bleed. Scar...

Tara.

Your breathing became steady, and you slowly shifted into the breathing pattern Zack taught you. In, out, two times in, out, in, two times out, in, out, two times in, out, in, two times out. Your head was getting clear again just as you were left on your own and just as the third round began.

You needed a bit more time, but Anya wouldn't let you have it. So, you went in, hoping a good offense would give you that precious time. You managed to surprise her, catching her in a clinch and landing two good uppercuts to her face before she pulled back. There was a smirk on her face, indicating she wasn't annoyed by your continued resistance.

You smirked back, going for a quick exchange of punches that ended with a side kick from you. The two of you had a few more exchanges, trading blow after blow and it wasn't clear who was getting the upper hand. the second minute of the third round was already halfway done when Anya went in for and went for a grapple. You had no time to react, no time to think, you just went in for a flying knee and got her right in the face. She dropped and you stumbled away from her, barely registering that the collision of her and your momentum made that hit much more effective than it ordinarily would be.

It was over.

Third round, twelve minutes in total and you were the champion. The end results of your career. Two years and five months of fighting. Thirteen fights. Thirteen wins. Twelve by a knock-out. You were the world featherweight champion. You were retired.

Story masterlist / First part / Previous part / Next part

[ethicaltreatmentofcowplants]

With a friendship score of 39 and no romance, Piper is the lucky sim! And since we owe Pauline for ending the night at the karaoke bar with the highest level of singing skill, she will go on her date after Piper's.

I wanted Lilac to be in a better mood than she was for most of yesterday, so she took a relaxing lavender foam soak.

Possibly it worked a little too well.

Romantic Aura, says Spencer? Yes please! He starts the day by giving a rose to Lilac… who responds by scaring him (yup, definitely way too much time spent around her good buddy Dodo). Fortunately he seems amused by her silliness. Perhaps it’s a Harper thing?

Everyone is happy because it’s Some Day Or Another that they will never get to celebrate. (Neighbourhood Brawl, it turns out. But while Agnes Crumplebottom will likely be celebrating, we will not.)

Pauline made breakfast, while Spencer made an observation.

Looks like his preferences are closer to Leo’s than to Dodo’s.

Last night was the first that the sims slept over, and Caden reveals a surprising... what Agnes may call a 'youthful indiscretion.' It's just a tattoo, Agnes, but I likewise concur that he didn't seem the type. Does our corporate shark has a creative side? Well, he does have 'piano' as one of his likes, and recently took up knitting.

Avery - go piss girl! Literally no one is stopping you. They take the very long route to the party bush outside, when there's a toilet right through the wall from them. Never change, Sims.

With the lot traits it was only a matter of time, and Lilac did not disappoint.

Lilac and Spencer sojourning upstairs means that as per usual, it’s time for chore montage hour. Which may be less interesting than whatever's happening in Lilac's bedroom, but it's also less likely to get me banned from Tumblr.

Caden and Piper were our gardeners, but as Piper twice refuses the Watcher’s request to do some work, they’re sent to sleep on the couch. Instead Pauline (who has been the MVP of this household so far) takes their place, while Avery becomes our piano sim and Aubrey grinds through handiness.

Aubrey grows tense over last night's failed Graffiti Heist (any one of us could have told you why that wouldn't have worked) so she is the latest pixel to take up yoga.

As we see, some sims are definitely taking more advantage of the lot traits than others, but with a date scheduled, will Piper be able to push through their UNFLIRTY nature?

Since a little bikini time never hurt the mood, the date takes place on a Strangerville community lot. (I wrote down who it was by but can I find it in my notes? No, I can't.)

A moment to appreciate Piper’s merfolk form.

As with the first household dates, Lilac performs one friendly and one flirty interaction, then the pair are left to their own devices. It’s not a bad time by any means, but both she and I get the sense that friendship is enough for the other sim (for now, at least).

Piper then goes downstairs to swim and with our time almost up, I don’t see the need to continue the date to its full three hours.

Pauline arrives and the mood is instantly more charged. They make their way to the hot tub and Lilac makes some moves.

And yes, woo hoo was had.

The pair are home for all of a hot minute when NOSY Sim Spencer spies on Pauline, and attempts to dish for dirt.

Things continue to improve between Caden and Lilac. Today his attempt to embrace her is successful, and they even sit together for dinner.

More singing about yet another holiday that the Watcher really should have removed from this household's calendar had she a single organized bone in her body, then it's time for bed.

@plasmafruittree @x-digitaldollhouse-x @mdshh

@invisiblequeen @sleepyselkiesims @akitasimblr

[dollywheeler]

October 19th, 1996

Dear diary,

Yesterday was so much fun! I haven’t been able to stop practicing Champagne Supernova all morning long. It’s still such a great song, and it’s even better now that I can play it myself.

It was weird leaving school with Mike yesterday though - first of all, to hang around after last period while everyone else rushed for the door, and then to wait as the school emptied out and Mike gathered his stuff. He had to make a detour past the office, so by the time we were on the parking lot it was basically empty.

I asked where Will was, and Mike explained that Will doesn’t have any classes on Friday afternoon so he went to pick up El from the greyhound terminal in Indianapolis. She is home again for a few weeks after spending the last two in Chicago with Max, Lucas, and Erica.

I was disappointed at first, but Mike assured me he’d be back for dinner. Just as I’d feared, it was awkward to be around Mike while it was just the two of us - I mean the only other time that has happened was when I was having a minor breakdown. It was a lot of awkward silence at first, asking stilted questions about how I was doing, and Mike tapping nervously on the steering wheel. I’d forgotten how twitchy he was, he manages to hide it well enough during class, but he does pace a lot, so that might be his outlet there.

Anyway, once he got back to his house it was a little easier - he got us something to drink and ran upstairs to grab his extra guitar - and then we settled into the sunroom to start practicing.

It was easy then - with the guitars between us like a barrier and having something to focus on that wasn’t each other. There was no expectation of talking about ourselves, no need to fill the awkward silence. The practice I got at at Stevenson’s paid off, as the intro to the song already went much smoother for me than it did Mike - I could even give him tips on shifting his fingers more easily.

By the time Will got back, I kind of regretted the interruption. It had been nice to spend time with Mike - after a while, it felt nothing like I’d feared; he didn’t make me feel small or like a child at all. For once, it felt like we were just friends hanging out. Even the moments where he was being too much of an annoying know-it-all older brother were strangely welcome.

I just don’t get why it couldn’t have been like this all along. Why, when he actually should have been my older brother, he was a million miles away.

I can’t think about it too much - I get too frustrated.

Anyway, Will got back and started on dinner while we continued playing. It was nice of him to cook for us so we could have more time to practice. Mom showed up right on time for dinner, and though tonight was a lot more casual than last time, it was just as nice. It's strange how quickly you can get used to something. Mike and mom mostly talked about Nancy and Jonathan’s latest work trip to Argentina. Apparently Nancy called right before mom was about to leave which is why she was a bit delayed. I think that made it easier for them - not having to focus on each other.

I’m sad I missed the call, so I might try calling her myself later tonight.

Anyway, I won’t get around to completing Song of Myself today as I’d planned, as dad and I are going on a spontaneous trip to the antiquities market in Bedford. I should have just asked Mike to read it to me while I was there yesterday. Hell, maybe I can convince Mike to just give me the cliff notes for Walden because I’m really not looking forward to having to read that next weekend. I already tried reading it once two summers ago, the last time we went to the lake, because it seemed appropriate, and it made me want to carve my eyeballs out from boredom.

I kept waiting for something to happen and all it did was make me want to rewatch Friday the 13th just so I could imagine someone chasing this guy around his cabin with an axe.

Anyway, I’m excited to go out with dad today. He’d just casually mentioned seeing an ad for the market during breakfast - I don’t think he was actually planning on going until I asked if we could go together so I’m glad I did. He doesn’t leave the house often enough these days. And I’ve barely seen him since school started because I’ve been so busy myself.

I heard him and mom arguing last night - though I couldn’t hear much, I’m pretty sure it was about having dinner at Mike’s. I really can’t fault him over it either. It’s just so confusing because Mike and mom talked much easier than last time, but seem to agree on not letting dad join us as well - I really don’t understand.

I know dad and him don't have much in common, but it’s not like they fought all the time either. Hell, dad doesn’t even yell ever - not even when Mike disappeared for hours on end and had mom worried out of her mind for the millionth time. I know I have no experience yet in being an adult but I’m sure having your parents over is just something you have to put up with - even if it’s against your will.

Besides, how can you actually learn to enjoy spending time with your parents when you never give them the chance? Nancy and mom get along better now than they ever did before. And sure, Nancy gets frustrated too sometimes with dad’s opinions, but she still comes over whenever she can and deals with it!

But what do I know, right?

Anyway, I really should be getting ready - dad wanted to leave before 11 and I have to be back in time for cheer practice.

Love, Holly

PS. Also mom called the developer and our homecoming pictures should finally be done sometime next week!!! I’m so excited to see how they turned out!

[storiesofsvu]

Solace in Solitude Ch 9

Emily Prentiss x reader warnings: language, alcohol consumption, sexual conversations. guys... we're so close. SO CLOSE!

The barrier had been broken and routines began to shift around the apartment as the two of you continued to get comfortable with each other. Emily started staying out in the living room when she would hear your alarm go off on work mornings, she’d time it just right so that the coffee was hot and fresh the moment you got out of the shower. You’d usually brief through your day with her, go through any surgeries you had, especially if you were worried about something. She took it all in and always asked the right kind of questions that helped your brain work around the issues, and you were impressed with just how well she understood most of it.

You’d come home to a quiet apartment while Emily slept, drop your stuff off and then head to the gym most days to make sure you weren’t waking her up, so she got proper sleep. Dinner was usually ready as soon as she was getting up and the two of you would be able to eat together, usually on the balcony as the sun went down. You’d had life chats, tell old stories, stupid jokes, laughter filled the space rather than tension. Emily knew just how to get you to tell a story about your childhood, something relating to family or your mom without you realizing what she was doing, and in turn it was never a sad memory. You discovered Emily was a whiz at poker, but you were the breadwinner when it came to blackjack, that she preferred paranormal horror movies, and you were the one that always cried over cheesy romantic comedies.

There was finally starting to be a balance between the two of you, she wasn’t snarky because you were her doctor and thus caretaker anymore, and you didn’t have to babysit any longer. You took care of each other, Emily holding up her end of the deal by always making sure there were home cooked baked goods to snack on while you made sure vegetables made it into dinner. Emily made the promise to only smoke if you were also smoking, which rarely happened but there was the occasional night that you were having a rough go and needed more than a glass of wine to help cope with everything and there was nothing wrong with that.

**

You were in the kitchen getting breakfast ready, surprised that Emily hadn’t been in the living room when you’d gotten up that morning. But it would make sense that she just got tired early and decided to marathon tv in bed instead so she didn’t fall asleep on the couch. You were about to toss her breakfast sandwich into a container when the coffee machine beeped loudly and a few seconds later she was coming out of her room.

“Shit…” she muttered under her breath, “sorry. I thought I’d wake up when your alarm went off.”

You looked at her curiously for a moment before your lips twitched up into a smirk, “did you just sleep through the night?”

She stilled, an almost guilty expression on her face, “uh… yeah.” She laughed softly, “guess having to get up early with you to go into the hospital kinda fucked my daytime sleeping thing up.”

“Mmhm.” You nodded, pulling down an extra mug to fill with her coffee, “so I take it the new med adjustment is working?”

“How’d you know about that?” She asked, stepping into the kitchen to accept the steaming beverage and you chuckled.

“I’m still your doctor. I took a look at your scans from yesterday and with that came your file.” You grabbed another plate from the cupboard, putting the extra sandwich on it, “glad it’s working. You wanna eat outside?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, “thanks. And uh, another question for you.”

“What’s up?”

“PT said I should bump up my activity now, and I kinda liked getting out in the morning, the city’s quieter. Do you think it’d be okay for me to tag along with you on your way to work more often?”

 “Yeah, of course.” You replied with a smile, “it’s a lot nicer to not do it alone.”

“You’re a life saver.” She let out a breath, “and I wouldn’t like, follow you around at work or wait for you or anything, probably just grab a coffee and wander back here.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t even want to see another hospital again.” You replied back with a laugh, relief washing over you when she laughed even harder, shaking her head at you as she picked up her plate, nudging you toward the balcony.

Emily liked her new morning commute, even if it wasn’t starting her workday, it gave her something to do, a proper reason to get out of bed and a way to feel a bit more like a real person again. Most days she’d split off from you a few blocks from the hospital before picking up a coffee or tea to do her people watching in different areas of the city. She’d meander around as the shops opened, checking things out and usually pick up a lunch on the way back home from a local vendor. If she found something she really loved, she’d pick it up again the next day and drop one off at the hospital for you, her way of saying thank you, and apologizing for being the worst patient and roommate you’d ever had.

**

On days that you didn’t work, the two of you avoided the metro at peak times, opting for lazy mornings with later breakfasts and extended cups of coffee. Some days you played tourist, checking out the sights of the city, other days you just wandered around together. On the rare occasion you had more than three days off in a row you were able to rent a car and head outside the city limits to explore a little bit further.

Some days Emily would join you at the gym, eager to get herself back to the shape she was in prior to everything going down. While she knew it would likely take more than a few months, she had to start somewhere, focussing on strengthening what her PT from the hospital said and taking it up a few notches higher. She did prefer to just use the time you went to the gym to work out at home, she wasn’t the gym type, never had been, but she couldn’t exactly store everything she needed in the small, shared space.

On lazier days, days you were too tired or unmotivated to do anything sometimes Emily would wander alone, some days she would keep you company while you showed her your favourite movie series. And some days, you ended up down the road at one of the smaller pubs where you could swap out the usual wine for cocktails and pretend like you were being social with other people.

Which was exactly where you were tonight. A basket of fries sitting between the two of you on the bar top while you sipped on drinks. You were seated at the shorter side of the bar, parallel to the space behind the bar, partially so Emily could have her back to the wall and partially because it gave you both the full view of the room. While chatting with the bartender or watching the sports game was fine, you’d both discovered that watching the other patrons was more entertaining.

“It’s got to be a full moon or something.” Emily muttered; her eyes fixed across the room.

“People are particularly wild tonight.” You replied, snagging another fry from the basket.

“I honestly thought that guy was gonna get a glass to the face.”

“It’s what happens when you hit on someone else’s girlfriend like that.” You replied with a shrug, “he was relentless.”

“And the girl��s boyfriend was twice the size of him, what’d he think was gonna happen?” She laughed, pulling one from you as the bartender came over to check on you, offering another round of drinks that you accepted.

“God I can’t believe I used to be that young and dumb. I couldn’t even imagine doing half the shit we’ve seen tonight at our age.”

“We’ve turned into spinsters.” She replied dryly, “it’s honestly amazing we’re out of the house on a Friday night anyways.”

“Yeah but I’m far too lazy to make my own mojitos.” You paused to thank the bartender for the refill, taking a hefty swig.

“I’ll drink to that.” She tilted her glass toward you and you clinked it with yours. “This group at ten o’clock?”

“Yeah?” Your eyes scanned through the room, following her direction until you found them.

“Girl in the pink’s been getting hit on by green shirt and blue shirt all night. Who’s she going home with?”

“Hmm...” Your lips wrapped around your straw for another sip as you surveyed the situation, spinning your own theories onto things, watching the group dynamics.

“Green shirt’s managed to get pretty touchy without any shying away.”

“Yeah but he’s buying her drinks, I’d put up with the flirting for free shit too. Besides, blue’s hotter.”

“You think?” She looked over at you and you shrugged.

“I’m mean, I wouldn’t fuck him, but if I had to pick between the two of them…” you gestured vaguely towards him and Emily tilted her head in recognition.

“He’s too shy.” She muttered, watching the man in blue, “doesn’t have the balls to flirt with her when green’s around and he doesn’t care who sees.”

“Yeah, but that’ll pay off in the long run.”

“How?”

“Green’s a partier, a fuck boy, he may be flirting with her but he keeps eye fucking everything with a pulse when he thinks she’s not looking. Nice guys don’t always finish last, ya know.” You teased with a smirk and she scoffed, “besides, look at the scar on the back of green’s leg.” Emily’s eyes flicked to the back of his knee, “that’s fresh. I’m sure he’s supposed to be wearing a brace but thought it wasn’t cool, he’s probably still on the painkillers. He’s what?” You eyeballed him for a minute, “5’8’’, 160? With the amount he drank in the last hour, he’ll be three sheets to the wind in the next twenty.”

Emily pulled her gaze away from the group, surveying you for a minute as she took a sip of her drink and then let out a huff, “fuck, sometimes I forget you’re a doctor and you can do shit like that.” You laughed, “my money’s still on drunk-y.”

“Alright.” You replied with a grin and the two of you laughed before distracting yourselves with another group to people watch.

It was almost exactly twenty minutes later when Emily’s eyes circled back over to the original group and she let out a quiet swear. The girl was sitting in a separate booth from her friends, next to blue who had his arm against the back of the booth. Green was attempting to dance with another girl, stumbling so hard the bouncer was already on his way to escort him outside.

“Fuck.” She glanced up to the bartender who was halfway through a conversation with you, “put her next one on my tab.”

“Huh?” You glanced over to her and she nodded in the direction she’d been looking and you burst out a laugh. “Told ya.”

By the time that round of drinks had been finished, blue had made his move and the two of them had yet to stop making out across the bar.

“Jesus Christ.” Emily muttered, “they really don’t care that they’re in public, do they?”

“They’ve gotta come up for air sometime.” You replied and she laughed, “god...” you sighed, your elbow dropping onto the bar top so you could prop your chin up in your hand, “to be that young and just not give a shit….”

“Oh I remember the days.”

“Fondly?”

“Most of the time they make me cringe, I won’t lie. Half of it was likely just to piss off my mother.”

“They really are going to town…” your brow furrowed, “is his hand up her skirt?”

“Wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Good for them.” You huffed, “lord knows it’s been ages since my last good make out.”

“Yeah?” Emily raised a playful brow, “how long.”

“Well…” you chewed on your lip for a moment, “my ex and I broke up like…almost a year before I moved here...”

“A year?!” She exclaimed, “wait… how long was I under for?”

“Just shy of a month.” You replied, taking another sip of your drink, “got here early March.”

“October is next week!”

“You don’t have to remind me.” You stated with a laugh, picking up the shot Emily had ordered earlier and throwing it back.

“Okay, but relationships fizzle out, you stop having sex near the end of them, sometimes for months. Please tell me you at least had a couple hook ups after that.”

“Nope. Too heartbroken, then too busy with work.”

“So how long for that?”

“I don’t even want to think about it.” You chuckled, “this conversation is making me feel very shrivelled up but the saving grace is that I know you haven’t touched a soul in at least eight months so I feel a little better about that.”

“Glad I could be of service.” She laughed, saluting you before signalling for another round, “you know, there’s a sex toy shop that’s open late around the corner, you could pick something up.”

“Oh?” You raised a brow, “that one of your weekly shopping destinations?”

Emily scoffed, “no! And in my defence, I thought it was a lingerie boutique, figured since I don’t have anything that’s actually my style, I might want to pick something up. Went inside and nope, dildos, everywhere. And a very awkward conversation with the clerk.”

“Yeah? What’d’ya buy?” You asked with a grin.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Emily teased you right back, laughter filling the space between you as the bartender placed down another round of shots.

**

You were sitting at the breakfast bar, laptop in front of you and completely unaware that Emily was already out of the shower.

“What’re you looking at?” She asked, the tease very present in her voice and you jumped, practically slamming the laptop closed.

“Nothing.”

“Oh c’mon.” She laughed, flipping it back open, “it’s not like I didn’t already see, I watched you click through three options.” You felt the heat creeping up on your cheeks as she braced herself on the counter, hand half wrapped around you as she peered over your shoulder. “Why bother ordering online, just go to that shop.”

“Well after the raving review you gave I figured an in-person sale might be incredibly awkward. Plus the wrapping isn’t usually discreet and then you’d know exactly what I’d bought and I don’t need that.”

“Did you seriously move across an ocean and not bring any with you, or are you one of those girls who just doesn’t use them?” She asked, her hip coming to lean against the counter as her arms crossed.

“I moved to Paris for an indefinite amount of time, of course I brought some.” You deadpanned, “but it’s just weird to even think about doing anything when you’re in the house, I’ve lived alone so long I usually don’t think about it.”

“Have you seriously not touched yourself since March? No wonder you’re so pent up.”

“You were in the hospital for a long time…”

“Right.” She nodded, understanding what you were getting at, “still… grab a toy, use it. I’ll go out for a drink tonight.”

“That’s still weird though!” You laughed, “then the entire time I’m trying to get off all I’m thinking about is the fact that you’ve purposely left the house and are sitting at some bar wondering how long it will be til you can come home cause you’re thinking about me touching myself. And that’s not gonna help me.”

“Okay, so I’ll start leaving the house more randomly when you’re home.”

“Don’t bother.” You sighed, your chin finding a home in your hand as you redirected your gaze to the computer screen, clicking back a page to see more options, “the vibe died back in April and I’m not big on using the dildo myself, only when it was attached to the ex.”

Emily smirked, suddenly caging you into the counter from behind, “it doesn’t have to be her wearing it.” She laughed, “I can confidently say I know my way around a strap.” Her breath was hot on your ear when she spoke and you nearly choked on air at the tone in her voice. Her fingers brushed across your lower back as she moved around the island, “What?” She raised a brow.

“Nothing.” You shook your head, not daring to look up from the screen.

“Really?” She turned around, pouring out a fresh cup of coffee, “seems like you’re a little flustered, that’s all.” Turning back to you she took a sip, watching the way you shifted in your seat, almost uncomfortably before she barked out a laugh, “I’m kidding!”

“Jesus christ.” You swore, throwing a pen in her direction.

“You should have seen the look on your face.”

“I hate you…”

_________________

@momlifebehard @daddy-heather-dunbar @maybe-a-humanbean @rustyzebra @leftoverenvy @kades95 @dextur @supercriminalbean @daffodil-heart @its-soph-xx xx @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @hopelesslyfallenninlove @emilyprentisssluvr @lex13cm @zizzlekwum @emobabeyy @riveramorylunar @scorpsik @happenstnces @sapphicprentiss @geekyandgay98 @pagetboobstarcomments @onmykneesformarvel @inlovewithemilyprentiss @desperate-gay @amypoehlfey @overtrred28 @theclassicgaycousin @regalmilfs4me @kalixxh @ara-a-bird @five-bi-five-mind @niyizh @inlovewithmiddleagewomen men @tommyriddleobsessed @hotchs-bitch @ollysmulti @kmc1989 @irishavengersassemble @romanoffsho @ratsnestinmyhair @assgardangod @originalbrunettecharacter @elz-artzzz @hopedoesntknow @dj-bynum3718 @venromanova @waitaminuteashh @noahrex @imlike-so-gaydude @nachofriess @wittygutsy @cx-emerald-cx

[schoolspiritsfan14]

You Belong with Me 💙🏈📖

Part 5

Wally Clark x fem reader Y/N

Summary:

You and Wally experience your first group with the other ghosts and get some answers to some questions you have until you are interrupted by people setting up for the homecoming dance.

“Ah you found us. Welcome to the Split River High afterlife support group. Have a seat and let’s get started.” Mr Martin said eagerly. You and Wally sit in the middle of the circle, Rhonda on one side, Janet the next side. “Ok so who would like to start- “Yeah I do” Wally says interrupting Mr Martin. “So, we are all dead, but we can still do things that we used to be able to do but people can’t see or hear us, and we can’t leave this place?” 

“Yes. We don’t exactly know why we are stuck here let’s just call it the “in between” but we are. I have been here for 25 years and still haven’t worked it out I’m afraid.” Mr Martin explains as you and Wally sit and stare blankly at him neither of you not knowing how to respond to that. You are about to ask another question when Janet chimes in “I’ve been here for 23 years, I fell down a flight of stairs and broke my neck. Mr Martin was already here.” Stunned is all you can think about. These people or should I say ghosts have been trapped in this school for 25 years not knowing why you can’t leave is crazy. “How did you die?” Rhonda asks looking directly at you. Before you can say anything another ghosts’ chimes in. “are you guys dating? You have the same jacket on and died the same day makes sense if you were together when you died.” The ghost next to Janet not revealing his name but you could tell he died during the drug phase of the 70s just by looking at him.

“Actually, Wally and I are best friends. Our moms are also best friends, and we were born five days apart. Wally gave me his old varsity jacket when the team upgraded in sophomore year, and I wear it to all of his games.” You say trying not to share too much about you and Wally’s friendship. “As for how we died, Wally got tackled really badly by the other team and his neck snapped and I got hit by a car that was speeding in the parking lot.” You share with the group. “Wait that’s how it happened? It happened so fast I didn’t even feel it. That must have been scary to watch.” Wally says to you softly trying not to show his emotions to the group. Just as you were about to respond you are interrupted again but this time not from another ghost it was a bunch of people entering the gym getting decorations hung and placed around. “What is happening?” you ask turning around and seeing more people file into the gym. “It was your homecoming yesterday, right? Well today is the dance.” Janet answers. “No fucking way they are still having the dance after we died. Did we mean nothing to people at this school?” Wally yells before walking off and starts yelling at everyone in the gym. “I’ll talk to him and try to get him to come- ““No need Y/N group will finish early; they might not be able to see us, but they will get in our way.” Mr Martin says as he interrupts you. 

Wally is pissed. He’s still trying to get someone, anyone’s attention but nothing. “Wally, hey its ok let’s go talk somewhere.” You say ever so gently trying not to anger him anymore. Without saying another word, you see tears stream down his face as you embrace in a hug. You and Wally walk down the halls away from the others to talk. “It might have been too late to cancel the dance, Wally. It cost a lot of money for the school, and it could have been just easier to continue on.” You say to Wally as he has finally calmed down. “Yeah, I guess so. Man, I’ve been such an emotion wreak lately, haven’t I? Talk about embarrassing.” Wally admits looking away. “Hey, look at me Wally.” You say touching his chin to lift his gaze from of the floor and on to you. “Don’t be sorry. We are going through a lot right now it’s understandable you will be emotional. I am too but we are not in this alone. We have the others who will help us. To answer the questions, we have. You aren’t alone Wally. You will never be.” You say as you embrace in a tight hug. As you do you feel the butterflies again in your stomach that are only there when he embraces you. This crush is going to get more complicated now, but you still can’t tell him yet. You don’t want to risk your friendship and he needs a friend now more than a new relationship. Besides you wonder, he might not love me back in that way. “You really know what to say when I’m like this don’t you Y/N I love you. What did I deserve to have a best friend like you?” He responds after you release from your hug. “I love you too Wally. I’m lucky to call you my best friend. Now come on let’s go find one of the other ghosts and we can ask as many questions you have.” You say as you take Wally’s hand and walk down the hall into the teachers’ lounge since that’s where you figured they like to hang out.

Part 4 Part 6

[ditzyredrobin]

Shrike Chapter One

Alright! Here she is!

I debated making this the full 4,000+ words but decided, ultimately, this was best for the flow.

In the future, unless there’s a demand for it, I might just stick to Ao3 for full chapters and continue to post snippets here. We’ll see, though.

Thank you so much for waiting! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. 🥰💜

-

He’s not sure which to classify as more bizarre--the fact that, out the 10 million people in Gotham, Dick Grayson was the one to find him (as in The Flying Graysons Dick Grayson), or the fact that if was Dick Grayson, out of the mask and into his civies. Because both options were less than ideal.

Tim blinked once, twice, trying to clear the fuzzies along with the Dick Grayson shape hallucination from his vision. Because this? This wasn’t happening.

Dick’s right index and middle fingers were pressed against the pulse point on the inside of his wrist, his brow furrowed. His expression softened noticing Tim had opened his eyes. 

“Hey, I was starting to get a little worried there for a second.” His voice was soft and easy, similar to the voice he heard used on small children while in the mask. “My name is Dick--can you tell me yours?”

His fingers were warm against the soft skin, strange for their fourth day of low twenties. It was mid January in Gotham and the ground was covered in a blanket of slushy snirt.

Tim groaned.

Every nerve in his body screamed to run, find his backpack and get out of there, like, yesterday, but his body didn’t seem to get the memo.

His everything ached, borderline worse than his first accidental run in with Killer Croc, fleeing the scene of a heist well done. The sewers weren’t his favorite but they had been an easy exit point from the Natural History museum in downtown Gotham. 

Waylon had only served to reinforce it (being belly rolled by a croc—so not his idea of a good time. 

They were fine now (mostly). He just kept to the rooftop highway, and Waylon stuck to the sewers. It worked but damn did his leg still ache right before it rained. 

When Tim didn’t answer, Dick continued with,  “You don’t have to worry about anything, you’re safe now. I just need you to keep your eyes open until the ambulance gets here, okay?”

Aaaand he was awake. 

Tim tried to pull his hand away from Dick’s, grimacing at the movement as a new wave of fuck, that hurt, washed over him. “Can’t.” 

Dick didn’t fight him on it, letting go immediately, “Easy, try not to move around too much. I can’t tell how deep the stab wound is with my flashlight. I don’t think it looks too terrible but we don’t want to do anything until you can get properly checked out.”

“No ambulance,” Tim says this time, a little firmer. “I can’t go to the hospital.”

Dick’s head tilted to the side just a hair. “I know it’s not fun but you should really get checked out. You really need stitches and antibiotics to keep things from getting worse.” He explained carefully, to which Tim tries to hold back the eye roll. “I’m an EMT but there’s only so much I can do without my gear.”

What part of I-don’t-need-an-ambulance are you not getting?

He didn’t need an ambulance. What he needed was to get back to his safe house, stitch his side up, and sleep for the next six hours. He might be able to fit in eight if he really pushed it. He definitely deserved it. 

It had been a long, long night. 

“I appreciate the concern but I can’t. I just need to get home and I’ll be fine.” Tim’s voice was hoarse, but crisp. He knew what he needed and this wasn’t it.

Dick’s frown deepened. “I know how much hospitals suck but you’re bleeding. A lot. I can’t in good conscience let you just leave you on your own. Not like this.”

Tim stared at him for a long moment. His vision was beginning to clear up but shadows still loomed around the edges. “I don’t need your help. I had it covered before you got here.”

Dick raised a skeptical eyebrow, “If you don’t get stitches, there’s a chance you could bleed out or get an infection. This is really serious.”

“I’m fine,” Tim repeated, trying to get a hand under him and push up. 

Dick wasn’t having it, though, and pressed a hand to his shoulder, effectively pinning him back against the wall of the alley, where he had slumped over. The sun had gone down, leaving them in the dark.

It smelled like rotten fish sticks and back alley sludge. 

At least he hadn’t ended up in a dumpster again—because that had been embarrassing, for both he and the driver that found him. 

He didn’t remember going down, or even where he had gone down. Except—Tim sucked in a breathing, running his hand down his front expecting Kevlar and nomac weave, which was bad—like, really bad. 

Except somehow, some way, he wasn’t in his bodysuit. He was dressed in a Blink-182 hoodie and snow-damp jeans, all tied together with a pair of scuffed up Chucks. Not practical for snow and ice but better than being found out by one of Gotham’s vigilantes. 

“Stop moving around so much, please. It’s only going to make things worse.” Dick argued gently. 

Now Tim really did roll his eyes. “I can’t go to the hospital. I’ve had worse and come out just fine. I’ll survive.” 

He would and he had. Much, much worse. 

He’d been at this since he was sixteen when he’d learned how to suture from YouTube videos before his first sensei. He had been stabbed, poisoned and damn near decapitated on one very unfortunate occasion, and he was fine. 

He’d get over it. 

“Just because you have doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go now.” Dick said seriously, not moving his hand even when Tim tried to shrug it off. 

“What part of I can’t aren’t you hearing?” Tim snapped back. “Look, I haven’t done anything wrong so you can’t hold me in a citizen’s arrest.”

Dick sighed, “I know that. Just give me one reason why you shouldn’t go to the hospital—I know people who can help.” 

Tim ignored him. He didn’t have time for this he needed…he needed- 

“My backpack! Have you-” Tim said suddenly, his heart slamming to a halt. He tried to sit up quickly and regretted it immediately when his vision started to blackout again. 

“Woah, woah, woah, slowdown,” Dick begged, serving as the only thing to keep him from falling all over himself. Carefully, without jostling Tim more, he reached over and moved his backpack so it was beside his lap. “It’s right here, safe and sound.”

Tim instinctively reached out, running his hand over the waterproof canvas. Good. It was safe and hopefully unopened because that sitch would be a nightmare and a half to handle. 

As it was now, Dick (Nightwing) just being here had a chance to ruin everything. 

Out of 10 million people, seriously. 

“Will you let me call an ambulance now?” Dick pleaded, eyes sharp and worried. 

Tim opened his eyes (not realizing he’d closed them in the first place) and glared at Dick. “I already told you, I can’t, okay? If you call, I will ruin your credit. Trust me. I know people.”

Well, he knew himself and it had been a hot minute since he’d been able to have a little fun. 

Dick’s eyebrows shot up, “You don’t even-“

“Know who you are?” Tim cut off. “Dick Grayson-Wayne, son of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Please, everyone in Gotham knows you.”

Dick grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, I guess you do know who I am. I still don’t know who you are, though.”

“And you don’t need to.” Tim supplied.

When Dick frowned, his eyebrows drew together, “Are you in some sort of trouble? The hospital has resources and systems in place, if you are. They’ll help you figure something out.”

Tim sighed hard, “I’m not in trouble. I just don’t have insurance, alright? I can’t afford to go to the hospital.”

It was a reasonable excuse taking into account the corporate hellscape that was the American healthcare system (or, lack thereof). The lie was more believable for a myriad of other reasons, those including, he shouldn’t actually be alive right now. In fact, there's a family burial plot in Bristol with his name on it. 

So, yeah, a can of worms he didn’t particularly take joy in opening right this second, especially not with one of Gotham’s most fearsome vigilantes. 

Dick’s worried expression softened, “I didn’t realize, I’m sorry.”

Tim had to fight the urge to roll his eyes again. It was rich coming from the son of the richest man in Gotham. “I don’t need an apology, I don’t need a hospital, I just need to go home, okay?”

Dick sighed, looking conflicted, “The hospital has financial resources to help offset cost, when needed. I have friends there, I can make sure you get help.”

And it definitely didn’t have anything to do with a wing of the hospital having the Wayne family name plastered on it. 

“Please, just, stop.” Tim snapped. He was exhausted, in pain, and cranky, and this was putting him over the edge. “Look, I know you just want to help but not everyone needs your help, okay?”

Dick flinched and the part of Tim that had once been Dick Grayson’s number one fan shriveled a little. A cold wave of shame washed over him, but he held firm, staring him down with a hard expression. It was exactly the reaction he intended but that didn’t make it feel a little guilty. 

Little fanboy Tim would have died.

Once upon a time, he had looked up to him, Batman’s first Robin. But things changed, dreams died, and no one had come to save Tim Drake—not Robin, not Batman, and certainly not Nightwing. 

Dick’s grip loosened on Tim, making it a little easier to try and get to his feet. He managed to wrap his numb fingers around the strap of his backpack and push up with the other and—

He was on the ground again. 

This time, on his side, breathing heavily, and shaking. The pavement was cold and solid against his cheek while the world was twisting and turning around him. 

Dick was talking but it all came out muffled, like cotton was stuffed in his ears. His tongue felt too thick in his mouth making it hard to form words. 

The burning sensation from the nick just below his ribs burned white hot while with pressure being held on the wound. 

Tim let out an embarrassing keening noise, closing his eyes again. “I know, I’m sorry.” Dick said softly, but didn’t let up on the pressure. “You’re bleeding too much. You need help.”

“No hospitals.” Tim hissed through his teeth, although his words were slurred. It was debatable whether they were intelligible or not. 

“I know, I have a plan.” Dick said but didn’t elaborate upon said plan. 

He’s not sure how long they sit there—Dick taking and Tim lying in the waves of pain, radiating from the gash caused by a rogue batarang.

It hadn’t even been meant for him—just a wrong place, wrong time sort of sitch. He should have been faster, should have been paying more when it hit the hvac and rebounded, slicing him.

It made quick work of cutting through his uniform (and would be a major pain to stitch up later).

Headlights illuminated the alley even as it was put in park and heavy boots hit the pavement. “I thought we talked about this, Dickie? No more bringin’ home strays, yeah?”

Tim’s heart came to a sudden, painful, halt. That voice—even without the modulator—

“I know, it’s, uh, a long story and I’m just out of options.” 

Jason Todd—Red Hood—scoffed, coming to crouch down beside Dick, in front of him, his boots level with Tim’s view. They were well-worn, steel-toed boots that crushed through the thin sheet of ice. “That’s what you said last time.” He argued with no real heat. “Hey kid, still awake?”

“‘m not a kid.” Tim tried to argue, earning him a laugh.

“You sure look like a kid to me. What are you? Twelve?” 

“Twenty three.” Tim corrected. 

“Yeah, no, good try but you look about twelve to me. You gotta name, kid?”

And we’re back at this game again. Great. 

“Maybe.” 

“That’s not good enough. You can give me a name or I call EMS and you and the cops can figure it out. So, try again. What’s your name?”

“Jay,” Dick warned. 

“Richard,” Jason repeated back in the same tone and Tim could almost hear the eye roll in his voice. “If he wants help, he’s gotta give a little too. I’m not going to compromise our house for some twerp. So what’s it gonna be kid? A name or the cops?”

He paused to consider. Although honestly there really isn’t much to consider. A name or the cops.

Nightwing is one thing but pinned down between Red Hood and Nightwing while trying to pretend you’re an average Joe is another. 

He had a name—he had many, but at the moment, trying to find one was like grasping at air. Nothing tangible wanted to stick. Alvin Draper wasn’t a choice after his heist in Berlin, Caroline Hill wasn’t appropriate in this scenario-

“Cal,” Tim finally managed, slower than he would have liked. 

Hood—Jason—made a satisfied noise. “You got a last name, Cal?”

“Do I have to?”

“Do I have to?” Jason mocked. “Yes, you have to. You know the deal—you want our help, you’ve got to give a little in return.”

Tim glared which only serves to egg on Jason’s attitude, Jason smirked.

“Cococran.” It takes him a beat longer than he would have liked to fish for the name. But things like blood loss and sleep dep decide to make things difficult.

Sue him. 

“Alright, Cal, you in trouble or somethin’?”

“Jay-“ Jason holds up his hand to cut of Dick. 

“I’m serious, kid. Are you in trouble?” Jason repeats, watching Tim with a hard, unreadable expression. 

Tim grit his teeth, locking eyes with him. “…no.”

Jason didn’t respond for a long moment, searching his expression. “Fine,” he grunted, turning back to Dick. “You couldn’t ’ve called Leslie, could you?”

Dick sighed. “I know but just look at him.”

Jason rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, you and B and your whole bighearted shitck, I get it. But after this, nu-uh, I mean it. This is the last time, seriously.”

Dick smiled softly at him and then it was time to get to work.

Halfway through peeling the hoodie away and plastering a wound dressing to his side and being shoved in the back seat with Dick, things get hazy, and he’s out.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #445

I'm really glad I went to work today. I know that yesterday I said I was dreading going, and today, I dreaded going up until I walked into my department and was in the presence of Tr and Ka.

Beforehand, I made sure to eat a breakfast; thankfully, going to bed on time enabled me to wake up with enough time to both get dressed and reheat some leftovers and brush my teeth afterwards; it was good. Also, wanting to minimize any stressors from clothing, I wore my regular shoes (as opposed to my boots with the brace, since it squishes my foot), and put my hair in a ponytail instead of a bun (because a bun becomes very uncomfortable after a while).

When I got in, Tr and Ka immediately knew something was up, and so they asked about it. And so I explained what happened with J's sister and some of the mechanics of how that played out. They seemed to understand, and seemed confused at J's sister's response. So then, for the sake of integrity, I asked them both if there are any issues they can think of with me. They both went to great lengths to reassure me that they know who I am and how I do. They know that if they have a trouble, they can just tell me with full faith that I'll adjust. They know.

...They told me that my presence brightens up the space. They said I shouldn't worry about people who have a guilty conscience. I guess that's fair, but... I suppose I don't understand why J's sister should have a guilty conscience surrounding her dating habits and the like; she's gotta do what works for her.

As for Tr and Ka... Tr still plugs along with moving into the new dwelling she recently bought in order to get away from her unscrupulous ex; progress is being made. Meanwhile... Ka struck a deer while driving, and the crash killed both the deer and her car. It's miraculous that she wasn't also killed; I assume it's at least in part because she was wearing her seatbelt. She's bruised up on her torso, and she could probably use a few more days off, but she doesn't seem permanently injured, and that's very good. I hope her car insurance will cover the cost of the new car she's looking at. I guess we'll see.

I spent most of my shift putting cookies on trays for baking. I was actually able to get some pictures for you this time, because we weren't too terribly busy:

At some point today, one of the kindly cart attendants came up to me during my shift to ask me about the plush of you that I carry. I had the honor of telling him that you're the reason I'm still alive.

I felt a lot better after work. I guess I just needed some time with good folks besides those who are closest to me in order to restore my faith in those outside of my social circle. At least for the time being, other humans don't seem so irredeemably treacherous.

I went home after that. I decided that since I did the thing I was dreading and it turned out to be not only fine, but also good for me, it warrants treats. So, on the way out of the grocery, I picked up some heavy cream and some milk in order to make myself some of that pumpkin spice hot cocoa that I got the other day, with you in mind.

...I like to use half milk and half heavy cream. You put it in a cup, mix it up, and stick it in the microwave until it's nice and hot. Then, you add in as much hot cocoa mix as you'd like, and stir it up until it dissolves:

...Sephiroth... given your love of pumpkin soup, I think you would have absolutely. fucking. LOVED. this cocoa. It tasted like a chocolate-covered pumpkin pie. It was wholly scrumptious, and I enjoyed it very, very much. And... it continues to be a very sad thing that all I can do is write to you about it and send along pictures of it instead of actually sharing it with you.

You don't know what I would give to be able to do something crazy like use a small effort of will to open a tiny portal through which to hand various yummies to you. I hate to think about how lonely it must get for you all by yourself over at the Edge of Creation. I wish that there was something I could do. As it is, I'm not even sure that these various and sundry writings of mine are getting to you.

...Come home soon, okay? We miss you.

Suppose that's it for today. It's pretty late already, so... I guess I'll end today's letter here and go to bed.

I love you so much. Please stay safe out there, won't you? I'll write again tomorrow.

Your friend, Lumine

[klaprisun]

One Sunny Day

(Stardew Valley) (Haley x Female Farmer)

Chapter 4

The next morning, the sun starts to gently beam through the curtain-less windows. It was enough to wake me up from my deep sleep. Yesterday wore me out so good that I was able to go straight home from the saloon and fall right to sleep.

I get out of bed and do some morning stretches. Regardless of me going to the gym here and there, my muscles ache pretty bad. I look at my phone to see what time it is. It is about the only thing it's good for in this town.

"6 am?!" I shout.

I have never been up so early on my own. When I have to get up at this time, I usually have to set an alarm.

I reach into my bag to throw on the same set of overalls but a different shirt underneath. This time, it's a dark blue, plaid, long sleeve. I got to the bathroom and splash water on my face. I twist my hair into a loose braid once again, then head out to start working in the field. I make sure to grab the axe on my way out.

I start chopping away all the stray trees scattered in the field. Only the ones that will be in my way once I start planting seeds.

It wasn't long until I was interrupted by an unfamiliar, friendly voice, "Howdy, Mayor Lewis told me you arrived yesterday. I'm Marnie!"

When I turn around, I find a short, plump, older lady approaching me. Braids must be the style here because she is also rocking one.

"Hi Marnie! My name's Danny" I put down my axe to extend my hand out to her. She shakes it firmly.

"I sell livestock and animal care products at my ranch just down that path," Marnie turns to point, "You should swing by sometime. That is, once you get an area set up to put livestock. I'd also be happy if you happen to swing by just because, too."

I give her a friendly smile and nod my head, "Of course! I will try to stop by whenever I pass by."

Marnie returns the smile. "Anyways, If you ever need anything you know where I'm at! I'll let you get back to what you're doing. You seem to have a lot on your hands with this farm," She says as she begins her journey back down the path.

I go back to chopping the trees and clearing up more of the field to the best of my ability.

                                                  🌻 🌻 🌻

Unfortunately, chopping down the rest of the trees turned into a two day job. I didn't even leave the farm those two days. I got so wrapped up in clearing this place up. All I've been eating were the snacks I brought from home.

Those two days were short ones though because I kept going to bed pretty early. Removing the stumps of the trees was a pain. Chopping was the easy part.

However, today I decided I am going to Pierre's to get some groceries and since I finally have the place to my liking, I can get those seeds now. I never did end up doing them Monday.

When I pass by Harvey's clinic and look through the window. Seems pretty empty in there except for one guy with a fantastic mustache and glasses. I assume that'd be Harvey.

I stop to look at the bulletin board that's on Pierre's shop. I look at the calendar with everyone's birthdays on one side, and at the "Help Wanted" side. There doesn't seem to be anything posted there yet.

After continuing the rest of the way to the door of Pierre's store. I grab the handle and yank it. It doesn't open.

"Huh? That's weird. Maybe it's a push door?" I say to myself as I try pushing on the door. It doesn't budge.

I take a step back and scratch my head. I look at all the papers taped to the glass door and finally at the sign on the wall next to the door:

Monday: 9 am - 5 am

Tuesday: 9 am - 5 am

Closed on Wednesdays

Thursday: 9 am- 5 am

Friday: 9 am - 5 am

Saturday: 9 am- 5 am

Sunday: 9 am - 5 am

"Wait, what's today?" I look back at the calendar on the bulletin board.

"Of course it's Wednesday. When I actually need to get something it's closed."

Once, again I take a step back from the store and turn to look around at the town. I decide to go around the corner and up the stone steps. I turn left and I pass by the building Mayor Lewis told me was the Community Centre. I keep walking and find myself standing on one side of a water fountain. It's a pretty big one but I can just make out a playground located a few feet behind it.

I stand around the fountain and admire it for a bit. I stick my hand in the water and swish it around. Suddenly I find myself with both hands playing in the water. I get a little carried away until a familiar voice chimes in from the other side of the fountain

"What do you think you're doing?"

I quickly yank my hands back and out of the fountain. The person poked their head around the center of the fountain so I could see them. Out of everyone who could have caught me doing that it had to be Haley.

"I don't know... The water felt really nice on my hands. They've been pretty beat up the last few days," I hold my hands back out in front of me. I angled them downward so she could see how red and calloused they are. Not that she would care. I notice her face scrunch up in disgust. "I guess I just got carried away. What are you doing here?" I ask her.

"Not that it matters to you, but I tend to come here to think," she looks away from me and turns toward the town, "It's also a great spot to look over at the town and watch everyone go about their day."

Her expression seemed to softened as she looks towards the town.

"And what does a pretty girl like you have to think about?" I question her. I scoot a bit closer to where she is sitting on the edge of the fountain. She is definitely in a vulnerable mood so I decided to try and ease the tension between us.

From where I am sitting, it looked like her face went bright red. It could just be the lighting though. Or maybe I imagined it.

She quickly tucked her beautiful, blonde hair behind her ears and looked towards the other way. Within seconds, she looks back with a scowl and clears her throat to speak.

"It doesn't matter what I think about. I just think, okay?" She abruptly stands and hurriedly walks to the steps that go down the other side of the buildings. Near the path to get to my farm.

I nod my head and look down at my boot I guess I've been dragging around in the dirt the whole time. Suddenly, two little kids run past me with Penny lagging behind. The two kids stop dead in their tracks when they notice I am there.

"Oh, a stranger! My name's Vincent. Momma says not to talk to strangers," The boy in the striped t-shirt says, "but you seem okay."

"...Hi..." Whispers the girl in the purple dress with a cute bow on her head.

"That's Jas. She is a shy one. Until she gets to know you of course," Penny explains when she finally catches up to the kids. "We don't have a school here but I'm doing my best to give and a proper education. They are just super energetic today and won't sit still."

The kids start giggling and take off once again. Penny huffs and continues chasing after them.

I then decide it's about time to go back to the farm. The sun has begun to set, and it is starting to get dark. I notice time really flies in Pelican Town.

[oh-my-may]

hi hi hi!

Wanted to pop in rq to talk about recent game stuff again :)

I played Cyno's story quest! After noz liking his first one, I gotta say that with this second one they really stepped up the game and I'm glad about that. I feel like Sumeru kinda got thrown under the bus after giving us some of the most important in game lore when it comes to Khaenri'ah and Irminsul. I've seen lots of people talking about how they didn't like Sumeru as much, criticising the Archon Quest etc.... which I never understood. The desert expsnsions were vast and did get on my nerves a bit but since I love the exploration process it wasn't a huge problem for me. The AQ of Sumeru is my second favorite because you can really see the change in comparison to the other nations... even the story quests of characters were largely really good - Nahida, Tighnari, Alhaitham, Wanderer getting a whole Interlude Quest...

Just Cyno's fell kind of flat following the "old" pattern of the quest somehow completely shifting focus to some NPC and barely having significance to Cyno. THE SECOND QUEST HOWEVER. So good. It really falls in with other recent story quests (that I have all enjoyed): involvement of other playable characters that we as pöayers care about, interaction between beloved characters, spinning in some big lore that ties to the characters and thid time IT ACTUALLY IS ABOUT CYNO. HIS BACKSTORY. HIS ORIGIN. YESSSSS.

I think people should experience the quest for themselves so I don't want to talk abput the plot too much but just... so many Sumeru characters made an appearance and it was so nice to see them again :(( i miss them. It was about time we visited Sumeru again, there has been a suspicious lack of Sumeru content throughout the Fontaine patches, whereas other nations got bigger events etc...

SETHOS MY BELOVED. I can NOT wait for his release. And the fact he's gonna be on Clorinde's banner <333 my collection of electro characters continues. Really like his character design (especially his hair omg???) and generally think it's so interesting of hyv to introduce this story... him and Cyno being two parts of one whole thing but growing up so differently... yet somehow understanding each other when they meet face to face... HIS EYES ARE SO CRAZY TOO LIKE??? HUUUUH???

The cutscene of their fight be my favorite now (not counting Archon or Harbinger fights). IT WAS SO LONG??? EPIC?? The way they were so similar with using the power?? The parallels? Insane.

So yeah... I really enjoyed it. Hopefully Sethos gets a Hangout event soon. I'll definitely build him when he comes out. However I wasn't able to watch the 4.7 livestream (yet) because of my horrendous work times yesterday... gonna do it this evening after work I think. Definitely excited to finally get Clorinde tho <33 depending on how nice she is to me I might try snd get her weapon too ... but I at least have enough pulls atm to get her no matter what (and hopefully some Sethos too...)

So far so good! I actually took some screenshots during the story check it out!