#and i still gotta go to a 4 hour long class in like a few minutes

[lunar-wandering]

why does my whole body hurt....

[pro-mammonologist]

I've got some headcanons!

Even though Mammon's far from a virgin by the time he and MC get together, he doesn't last very long the first few times they have sex because he's so excited to be with them.

As a dom, I think Mammon would lean more towards being fun and caring than a Hard Strict Daddy Dom™️. He can be firm, but he doesn't want to come across as harsh, and the idea of giving them an Actual Punishment leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He's got a long history of being punished. He also won't be very comfortable with degrading MC. He'll call them stuff like "my slut," but anything relating to their worth or intelligence is a hard limit for him.

Degradation is a hard limit for him as a sub, too. He'll let MC tie him up if they want, under the condition that they don't leave the room until after he's been untied. He's into impact play (specifically caning), electrostimulation, and wax/temperature play. Probably (definitely) more but that's what my mind is fixated on rn lol

He's 100000% got a praise kink (big shocker, I know). If he's subbing, he needs plenty of praise throughout aftercare. If he's domming, he still needs some praise - but that's got more to do with reassuring him that he did well and didn't hurt them, and can wait until the post-scene discussion

He loves giving and receiving overstimulation. He's greedy for his own pleasure as well as MC's. He likes to be edged - well, he likes the payoff - and could be talked into short-term chastity, but I couldn't see him being alright with anything longer than 24 hours (especially if there's a chastity device involved).

He *could*, in theory, edge MC. But he caves almost as soon as they start begging.

I have sooooo many more headcanons about Mammon as both a dom and a sub (and I'm more than happy to share) but I need to go to bed lol

Also, I love your blog! I'm so glad there's someone else who loves Mammon so much!

-- 🐦‍⬛ anon [this is my first time submitting an ask - is this nickname taken?]

I am going to address all of these individually.

1. Yes. Accurate. And I feel like the demons have low expectations for humans sexual prowess since humans have a lower tolerance for everything and also the fact that since they are western demons, they likely have interacted with the western hemisphere the most and anyone who has take a history class can tell you it’s been puritan af up until the 60s.

Also to add on to that. He’s not as embarrassed by the fact that he’s cumming fast but due to the fact he’s cumming insanely fucking hard to the point he can’t do as many rounds.

2. He’s a cocky ass bastard when he doms. He can try to be hard but he’s the kind to immediately melt after Mc does something too cute. He’s mostly cocky and teasy and praisey. And also he’s nervous about degradation too. The only way he’d do it is if you gave him very detailed and precise instructions or if he was like in a random context “damn you’re a real slut for some bacon” and then he gets scared that he offended you but you’re like “I’m a slut for you mammon.” And then he’s just shook to his core.

3. Yeah for real, he’ll be your slut and that’s about it. Mammon won’t do anything to Mc he wouldn’t want done to him. Bondage kinda pisses him off in my opinion like— he’d be for it but then he’d be like 😡😡😡 “let me out I’m losing it” and not in a cute pathetic way but in a damn whys he look so pissed?

Electro. Yes. Wax. Yes. Temperature. Yes. But I gotta know why you think he likes caning I cannot see him liking pain toys that much. I can see the sensational side of his masochism but like something real hard??? Nah he’s a baby. I just can’t see it.

4. Yeah there’s no discussion there. I think people are weird if they don’t have a praise kink. For mammon he goes nuts for it tho.

5. Yes, he’s the greediest most eager bastard out there and I can see him always down for it too. If he’s not down for it, then he really really really needs to rest or relax and maybe sex shouldn’t have been on the table period. Mammon wouldn’t edge for long, he likes the idea, but the actual wait kills him. And yea, chastity might kill him too and he’d have some hard ass limits. I feel like he wouldn’t like a device at all. Shit I can’t even see him going past 24 minutes, let alone a whole day with a device. He likes pressure and pain but he doesn’t like having his greed suppressed that badly. Of course, who knows, if Mc begs he’d do anything.

6. Yeah…. He’d cave so hard. He’d push and push and push himself to edge Mc but fail after making them hold back 2 times.

Mammon also is (in my mind) the most shy about his kinks because he’d face bullying whether he’d dom or sub sooo. Him getting to admit everything would be so hard.

Also no, it’s not taken.

[tragicallyuncreative]

can we get a new ATEOTR sneak peek 😩 i’ll pay you

I'm a little late responding to this. I'm so sorry this break between chapters has been dragging, guys. It has been a ROUGH few weeks with 36 - 45 hours of clinicals per week, plus lectures, labs, and tests every Monday. Not to mention I commute over an hour to get to class and between 45 minutes - an hour and a half to get to the different hospitals I'm assigned to. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though- Thanksgiving break coming up and end of the semester the second week of December- I can promise lots of writing/ updates then. No promises, but am very close to being done with Chapter 4 and would love to get it out within the next week. But y'all have been very patient and it's only fair to give another sneak peek. This will be the last one before the update! BTW- this chapter is a long one so will be split POV between Ponyboy and Darrel.

At The End Of The Road: Chapter 4 Excerpt

Darrel “I-” my voice broke and I cleared my throat, continued in a husky voice, “we gotta go to the hospital, Ponyboy.”

He just looked at me. “Huh?”

“That was Dr. Thompson. He wants us to go to the emergency room and they gonna admit you from there. You need to pack a bag.”

“Why? What’s wrong with me?”

“It’s- um, there’s people at the hospital who are gonna talk to you ‘bout that when we get there, okay? They can, uh, explain better than I can.” There was movement to my left, and Soda sidled in and stood beside me, eyes still red and swollen but clearly trying to appear calm for Pony’s sake. He nodded encouragingly at my words, and I felt reassured, knowing Pony would likely be satisfied with this plan if Soda was.

“No.”

I was taken aback. I was expecting some tears or anger with pushback maybe, but not this flat-out denial. He wasn’t getting worked up or showing any signs of emotion, just looking at me as if this was a simple explanation that summed it all up.

“No? What do you mean, no?”

“I mean no.” His voice was getting louder, but he still had an air of deadly calmness about him. “I am so sick of all this. Y’all actin’ like everything’s some big secret that I’m too much of a kid to know about. Well, I’m the one it’s happening to. I’m the one who’s sick all the time, not you. I’m the one who can’t run track anymore. I’m the one who’s too damn tired to get through a day of school. I’m the one who feels like I’m dyin’!” His lip quivered then, and I saw tears gathering in his eyes. His next question came out as a whisper. “Am I dying, Darrel?”

[mrapplethorn]

D&D's Tiers of Play Visualized

For inexperienced GM's (and even some experienced ones) it's often hard to know how much impact your players can have on the world around them. In addition, they often don't know how much they need to prep to be prepared for the shenanigans their player's can get up to. Let me help.

TIER 1 | Level 1 to 4: Weak Shmucks

Like many other GM's, I start my campaigns out at level 3. Mostly because my players don't want to have to wait to have a well rounded character. And I get it, you want to have a class and a subclass, to be as unique a character as possible, distancing yourself from your own past characters and others. But I would be very interested in one day playing a few months in this tier.

Because you don't have to prepare that much as a GM in this tier, but your players can go wild, come up with the most crazy stuff, and y'all can just improvise togethers, as friends.

TIER 2 | Level 5 to 10: Everyone's Favorite

As stated above, this is everyone's favorite tier, both for GM's and players. As a player I really adore level 5 both as a fighter or a spellcaster, because it feels like every turn I have a clear impact in what is happening.

But as you can see, prep does not get more difficult in this tier. Death is still a big fear for players, and as long as you don't give your players a list of all the Teleportation Circles in your world, they still have to travel the slow way (giving you ample time to prepare the village or city they're travelling to).

It often takes me 2 years to get from level 3 to level 9-ish, but I've heard of GM's going either way faster or way slower. Luckily that too is in your hands.

TIER 3 | Level 11 to 16: Death? I don't know her

At this state it gets wonky, and I gotta say I never had a character reach this level (although I have played some at levels 17-20).

Sadly enough, this tier requires two things of you as the GM:

A clear understanding of most places in your world and the surrounding planes of existence, because your players can most likely travel to wherever they want in an instant.

A clear understanding of the entire magic system, because you NEED to throw higher level stuff at them. Not just because of their increased hit points, but because they can solve must puzzles and traps using magic if you aren't aware of everything they are capable off. And you need to give your villains the means to thwart the player characters, and higher level spells can sometimes be puzzles in themselves if you play your cards right.

Your players can (and hopefully want to) make a visible impact on the world around them. But they are not the only ones, create powerful factions that have opposing thoughts and morals to keep your players on their toes.

TIER 4 | Level 17 to 20: God Status Achieved!

Your players are gods, maybe not the strongest (or wisest), but they can hold their own against multiple ancient dragons. It has probably taken your group 4 to 10 years in real life to achieve this, so it is time to let them take the reins for once, it's not like you can do anything to stop them if you wanted to. Treat this more like an epilogue, and as the epilogue of a 9-hour film franchise can be 30 minutes, the epilogue of a 9-year tabletop game can easily take half a year to complete. Tie up loose ends, get married, create a new world with you as it's sole ruler, go to heaven and bitch slap Thor, whatever it is: have fun!

[leftnotright]

A TEXTBOOK EDUCATION

"This will be a skill-building experience. You've had it too easy. You've had your Family name to back you, and your Right Hand at your every call. It's time you learn to carry yourself, to build from the ground up." Dino Cavallone, the Cavallone Don, fresh out of high school.

Reborn, the deadliest hitman of the modern era, has a special kind of torture up his sleeve for his dear struggling student. Dino will have to see how well he handles alienation, isolation, and worst of all, class participation. “Now, go on, my useless student Dino. Let’s continue your education.” (Or: Reborn sends Dino to Australia. It goes better than he could have ever hoped.)

Parings: N/A Characters: Dino (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Vic Hunt (OC - Original Character), Reborn (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Romario (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Cavallone Famiglia, Enzo (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Original Characters Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, University, Pre-Canon, Financial Issues, Fluff And Angst

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

CHAPTER 7: I JUST NEEDED COMPANY NOW

Vic watched Dino from the couch, her knees drawn to her chest as she sat lazily fanning herself. They were nearing their final assessments for the academic year, burning through the semester in a blurred frenzy of days-weeks-months. What had started with a leisurely semester of introductory courses had ended in the stomach-tingling dread that was the looming final essays and exams.

And despite all this, despite the steady pile of 30%, 40%, 50% (half of their fucking grade, Vic had nearly choked—) assessments growing with every two-week notice, Dino had not failed one to, after every class, sat back down at his dining table and returned to his family’s finances. Eyes squinted in strain as he read the glaring screen of his laptop, the papers by his side wrinkled at the edges from the amount of times Dino had handled them.

Vic frowned. 

Dino rubbed his eyes and pinched his brow, trying to work out the tension. He blinked widely, before returning to squint as he scrolled through a, frankly, upsettingly long document. 

At his side, his phone’s screen lit up with a notification: ECON2003 EXAM 2 WEEKS. At the same time, a notification for a betting app pinged into place, and Dino rushed to update his nauseating spreadsheet, decorated with a tangling of line-graphs. 

Class, racing, class, racing— Dino went around and around in circles like a horse tied to a stake. 

“I wanna go somewhere,” Vic announced.

“Uh huh,” Dino grumbled, and pulled a piece of paper closer to him.

“Just a day trip, can’t be arsed to go far.”

“Uh huh.”

“You’re coming, I don’t wanna drive the whole way.”

“Uh huh—Sorry what?” Dino looked up. 

“We,” Vic said, pointing to the three of them, Enzo included, “Are going on a trip. We gotta get outside, Dino, I haven’t been anywhere but work and the campus in weeks!”

“I can’t, I—” Dino jumped but Vic was already on her feet, stretching wide with her arms out.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re busy. But lemme ask you, ponyboy, are a few hours gonna change anything?”

Dino grimaced and looked down at his work. He hadn’t made any progress in weeks, everything he could do, already done. Still, with no jockeys in sight. Dino ran this thumb over faded ink. He had been going over the same details to make it feel like he was doing something. Like he wasn’t just sitting here, leisurely living off his Family’s dime while they cut costs.

“You need a break,” Vic insisted, rounding the couch and stood at Dino’s side, hand on his shoulder. “A refresh. Get away from the desk and clear your mind.”

As the last of the exams had rolled in, so had the first dregs of a wet Summer, humid and sticky. Dino’s window was lined with little pots, basil, oregano and rosemary grew strong. The parsley looked a bit limp, but it had always been a temperamental bitch in Vic’s opinion. The sun was out and the aircons were blasting and Vic felt it was long past due time to drag Dino’s skinny ass to the beach. He had spent nearly a year in Australia and the only bodies of water Dino had interacted with were the Macquarie lake — don’t think about the meme, it had died with the month — and the numerous puddles along the main Walk that were out for Dino specifically. 

Honestly it was a miracle Enzo hadn’t gotten wet yet. Vic had more practice catching turtles than she ever thought she’d get.

“Come on,” Vic whined and shook Dino in his chair. “I wanna go out! We could go to the beach! Or The mountains! The bush!”

Anywhere. So long as he moved forward, and not around and around— Vic gritted her teeth behind her smile.

Dino rubbed his nape and glanced up at Vic who continued to tug at him, trying her best to twist her expression into something puppy-eyed-pleading — but it honestly looked more like some kind of long-faced monkey. He didn’t tell her that, he valued his life.

“Pick a place, we’ll go!”  

Dino looked at the documents on his desk, sanitised for Vic’s eyes even though in all the months she had been haunting his dorm, not once had she snooped. Even politely looked away when he opened his laptop.

He felt her grip on his shoulder, a quick squeeze to snap him back to attention. She wasn’t going to let this lie. 

“I…” Dino trailed off. “I cannot drive.”

Vic blinked, then tilted her head.

“Huh, for some reason I thought you’d’ve learnt,” she said.

“Well, uh,” Dino winced, “Technically, yes?”

Vic squinted. Dino smiled weakly and picked at the frayed edge of his documents.

Vic stood and grabbed her keys off the kitchen counter, a vicious jangle of metal and plastic as she shook them at Dino like a cat-o-nine-tails.

“Get up, we’re going driving.”

“Huh?” Dino wheezed, but Vic was already hauling his ‘skinny, Sicilian ass’ out of his chair. 

Vic barely gave him time to shove his feet into his once-white running shoes and snatch his own dorm keys before they were crossing the Village. Enzo grumbled from inside Dino’s pocket as they rounded the side of Vic’s dorm building, and into the carport in the back.

Vic’s car’s name was, affectionately,  ‘Bumpa’. Indicative by the sheer amount of dents on the boot-end of that little black Holden Apollo.  

“Ya know, like bumper cars,” Vic explained casually as she keyed the car open. “They’re all on the back so they’re not my fault.”

Dino clutched Enzo as he stared at the scratch on the passenger side door. It looked like someone had tried to cover it with a Sharpie. 

“Robbie side-swiped a pillar at a Coles car park. Get in.”

Dino swallowed. Enzo squeaked. 

Bumpa the Car rumbled to life despite how it sounded like nothing pained it more. It idled for a moment, before the window rolled down and Vic leant to stare at Dino.

“Get in, ponyboy.”

Dino gingerly set himself in the passenger seat and immediately regretted it. Maybe it was because the carport provided no shade, maybe it was because of the car’s black paint, but the inside of the car was sweltering. 

Vic made the air conditioner roar on the ‘coldest’ setting. Dino spluttered as a wall of hot air went straight down his throat. 

“The wheels on the bus go round and round,” Vic sang idly as Bumpa rolled backwards, reversing out of the carport.

They hit something. Dino screamed.

“It’s a speedbump, Dino, my God!” Vic gasped. “Have some faith in me! Piece of shit.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he apologised, shirt fisted at his chest as he tried to steady his heart.

“At least Enzo trusts me,” Vic grumbled.

Dino looked down at Enzo. Only the shell stared back at him. He tucked Enzo under his shirt.

“Sure.”

Vic glared at Dino out of the corner of her eye and went straight at a round-about. Dino swallowed thickly as he looked out the window, every one of his senses aware of the slightest disturbance. Someone was about to cross the road, a car was turning into their lane, oh god the light was going to turn yellow Vic slow down!

“It’s still green! Green means go!” Vic shouted.

“But the timing!”

“Green means go!” She repeated unrepentantly. “Just, chill, and look out the window or something.”

Dino whimpered loudly and gripped his seatbelt. Still, he looked out the window as they turned left again. What had started as tall trees and wood-log fences (Vic said there was a bushwalk down that way) became long, squat buildings and half-cobbled construction frame sites lined either side of the road, Chinese restaurants and dentists’ offices standing side-by-side. On his right, a long, warped, green sign read E A S T W O O D and Vic turned right into a long flow of traffic.

Dino blinked. Vic was barely paying attention to the road as she fiddled with the radio, grumbling as her bluetooth adapter screeched and mumbled something that sounded like music. 

“You know the roads well,” Dino said as they inched down the hill like a line of ants. 

“Told you, I’ve lived here all my life,” Vic said, and pointed out Dino’s window, nearly punching his nose as she did. “Down that way, at the school. I used to go there on the weekend for tutoring classes. Further down is the shops and the Masonic theatre, I used to do ballet classes.”

Dino stared at Vic.

Vic squinted, “What?”

“Ballet?” He said slowly. 

Vic’s middle finger popped up off the wheel. 

“Only for like a year, mum wanted me out of the house so she could actually sit down. We just did ‘fairy circles’ most of the time.”

“I did ballroom dancing,” Dino offered.

Vic was quiet. Then she snorted in a way that sounded like it almost hurt her nose. 

Vic rolled them to a stop at the traffic lights — she looked at Dino. Dino still had a strangle-hold on his belt. She rolled her eyes and turned right.

Dino gasped as the car jolted its way over a dip in the road as Vic steered them through a gate. She craned her neck with the muttering of “children, children, don’t hit the children” before Vic parked them in the shade of a wiry looking tree. The car idled for a rumbling moment and then came to a quiet rest, the keys jangled in Vic’s hand.

Dino peered out the window. They were in a parking lot, surrounded by long stretches of grass playing fields and some kind of hard, green tarmac court. It was empty, with only a few pink and grey birds eating at the seeds on the field.

“Okay,” Vic said and unclipped her belt. “Swap.”

“What?” Dino blinked as Vic popped the door and got out. He rushed to follow, gravel loose under his foot and he had to grab at the car’s door not to slip.

“The car park will be empty for a few hours. There’s no PSSA today so the field’s not in use.”

“Okay?” Dino uttered before he watched, wide eyed, as Vic shuffled passed him and sat in the passenger side. “Vic?”

“Take your time,” she said idly as she adjusted the aircon grates and buckled herself in.

Dino gawked at Vic. Gawked at the empty driver’s seat. Gawked at the keys in the ignition. 

“Vic,” Dino wheezed, “I do not have a driver’s permit! This is illegal!”

“Oh it’s fine,” Vic assured, “I’ve got my black licence, so I’m qualified to teach ya. I mean, you’re meant to be at least on your L’s to handle a car but—”

“Vic!”

Vic just laughed at him through the open window.

This was illegal! Vic would get into trouble with the law for this! Civilian law cared about who drove what, and Dino was not allowed to drive a car! Not in Sydney! 

“Oh don’t freak out, just get behind the wheel. You’ve done this before, it’s like riding a bike.”

Dino decided not to tell Vic about all the times he had ridden a bike, and with great misery and dismay, shuffled his way around Bumpa’s dent-ridden boot to the driver’s side. He set himself in the seat in a way that allowed the least amount of ass to upholstery and nearly had a panic attack when his toe nudged the accelerator. 

Dino closed the door and sat, knees pressed together and Enzo clutched in his hands. 

“You can’t drive with something in your lap,” Vic said after a long silence. 

Dino squeaked out a noise. 

Slowly, he moved Enzo across to Vic who took him gently into her lap. With nothing to do with his hands, Dino let his palms touch the wheel.

The last time Dino had been in a driver’s seat had been in the Academy’s Vehicular Instruction Class. It was an elective, a choice between that or Toxins and Exposure 2. 

It had started off well enough. Most of Dino’s grade had never even sat in the front seat of a car, let alone driven one. Amongst the precious sons and pampered daughters of Dons and Masters alike, Dino was “right where we want him at this time of semester” — which Dino quickly learnt was teacher-talk for “epitome of average”. The class had churned through booklets and videos, seminars spent listening to master-class mechanics who could identify an engine piece by smell. They learnt everything from how to parallel park to how to hot-wire, all within the safety of the classroom. 

This was all just a precaution, after all. The same as the ‘Toxins and Exposure’ course. You were being kidnapped. You were being hunted. One day, you may need to break out of a car. One day you may need to steal a car. One day you may need to drive a car.

Dino swallowed as Vic continued to sit in the passenger side. She didn’t rush him, just sat there and traced the scute mosaic of Enzo’s shell. Dino touched the keys in the ignition and twisted. 

The class had been brought out to a large plot of paved land, stocked with several cars and instructors. Drive a course, follow the instructor’s directions and break when asked. Simple. It was only the first practical lesson of the block.

Dino never saw the end of it. He still remembered the sharp jolt of fear as the professor snapped, face red with frustration. He still remembered the burn of humiliation as all those eyes watched him walk back to the coach. 

Dino’s report card for VIT had read an exact 6. The minimum for a pass.

Vic’s black car lurched forward. Branches of that wiry tree scraped across the windscreen, woodchip mulch crunched under the wheels.

“Reverse!” Vic shrieked, eyes wide and a vaguely hysteric laugh on her lips. “Put it in reverse Dino!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Dino gasped and fumbled with the gear stick.

Dino craned his neck to see around as the car rolled backwards into the open space of the parking lot. He put it in drive. The car rolled on and, despite the lot being empty, Dino put on his blinker to turn left.

Or, he tried to. Dino screamed and proceeded to hit the brakes hard as the wipers screeched across the windscreen. 

Vic smacked the dashboard and wheezed like some kind of locomotive as Dino slapped at the gears to try and stop the wipers. Fluid squirted, the wipers went faster.

“Vic!” Dino sobbed, before screaming again when his foot eased off the brakes and they lurched forward. “Vic!”

“Okay, okay,” Vic gasped, eyes all foggy with hysteric tears as she reached over. “Left side is wipers, right side is blinker. Pull the stick down.”

Dino rushed to obey and snapped the stick down twice, and finally those flailing arms of terror settled back in their place. The windshield was streaky. Dino sat there for a bit and slumped back in the seat when all the noise stopped.

Vic held Enzo up to the window, his little foot touched the glass. She made no indication of taking over the wheel at any time. Dino let out a whine of misery and placed his hands back on the wheel, taking his foot off the break he had been trying to dig into the floor mat.  

The car bounced as they drove across a stretch of road pocked with potholes, random bumps from wandering tree roots and grass-fuzzy cracks. Dino clutched the wheel, shoulders bunched up tight as he steered jerkily.

But he didn’t crash. And slowly, oh so slowly, Dino picked up speed.

Dino swore there wasn’t a tree there last time. 

Vic screamed. Then she laughed, a hysteric, panicked laugh as she pushed herself back in her chair. 

“No! No, you’re fine, keep going!” She assured, eyes wide and smile wider as they went sailing over a tree root, the assorted Woolworths bags in the boot falling over each other.

Dino wheezed and eased off the accelerator, the car cruising the parking lot at a more manageable speed. He jerked the wheel to turn a corner, Vic gripped the front console. But she was still laughing as she pointed to the little white-lined boxes and told him to try and park. He gripped the wheel and entirely overshot the lot Vic had pointed at, so they went around again. 

Dino watched the flat fields roll past the windows, the uneven bitumen under the wheels no longer alarming and loud. Dino was confused. 

The last time he had been in a driver’s seat — a white Mercedes Benz with so many little switches and dials — the hood had smoked like a cigar, the engine choked like it had a tumour. Three of four wheels had popped, his chair had, for some reason, had slipped all the way back until he had to crane to reach the wheel. The car had lurched and stalled, responded too fast then not at all. Dino had been on the verge of tears as the instructor had slapped the dashboard in frustration. 

This car — Bumpa, the beat up, black Holden with a crackly radio that only took CDs and cassettes — grumbled under his touch, but didn’t groan. It bounced over the speedbumps, but the suspension held. He turned the wheel and the car followed suit, only as hesitant as he was.

Dino was confused. He was doing okay.

But he was alone. None of his men were here. They were all on a different continent, different hemisphere! Reborn wasn’t watching, there was no pressing will to live, fear of death. So why? Why was Dino doing so—

Vic laughed. Enzo clutched to her chest, Vic laughed as they half-mounted a speed bump as Dino tried to make a turn into a parking spot. Her foot stomped on the floor mat, muscle memory reaching for the breaks. In the hazy midday of winter, Vic’s teeth were exposed, bared as she grinned and wheezed, the car rumbling and bumping on the cracked tarmac. 

He felt it then. The little whisper, the little warmth. Something he hadn’t felt in — years. The tentative hope, the giddiness of home. Dino felt it then. 

Dino of the Cavallone was Courting Vic Hunt.

“Break!” Vic shouted and Dino stomped on the break. 

The thin leaves of a wattle slapped across the windscreen as they came to a sharp stop. The licence plate of Bumpa gently kissed the thick bark. In the quiet, the window wipers pushed the nuts and dead leaves off.

Shaking, Dino got out of the car. The dashboard beeped with the keys still in the ignition. 

Vic stumbled out the passenger side, legs weak and laughs drunken-bubbly as she staggered along the side of the car. She whooped as she pulled herself up on the boot, legs dangling off the edge as she laid on the rear window. 

Her skin felt tingly, adrenaline and something warm all through her nerves. She breathed deep through her teeth and felt the cool air fill her chest, fill her skin. 

“You are okay?” Dino asked, and when Vic looked up, he was standing a sensible six-feet away. 

“Yeah! Yeah, I’m fine!” Vic assured and let her head thunk back on the window. “Fuck, ponyboy, you sure can drive!”

“Sorry,” Dino chuckled weakly, he wrung his hands. Felt the warmth, felt the tug. Dino didn’t take the bait. He couldn’t do that to Vic. “I’ll…I’ll buy dinner? Or we could make dinner, you said something about garlic bread?”

“The fact that garlic bread isn’t actually Italian is deceit in the highest form!” Vic announced, “And I deserve at least two loaves of garlic bread, excuse you!”

The car bounced as Vic kicked her legs and gestured wildly of the legacy of ‘garlic bread’ and ‘bruschetta’. Dino smiled and hoisted himself up onto the boot beside Vic, the car bouncing under their combined weight as Vic teased the screams of panic he had made while driving. Dino slapped her arm and she went for his face, the car shook under them. Enzo sat on the roof, basking.

[rextasywrites]

Hamstring - a Zack Fair fanfic!

Recent reports had showed that Wutai was preparing for an attack, upping up on various weapons and there were whispers about newly developed robots for a counterattack. Bigger, stronger, smelling the mako-enhanced SOLDIERs from a mile away.

Too bad that Zack had the tendency to forget to shower.

Warnings: mention of injury, Zack and Angeal becoming friends, Zack being stupid

This fanfic is a birthday present for my friend @crylin ! Happy late Birthday dear, have a good one! <3

Also big thanks to my buddies in the server who always hype me and my writing up, including but not limited to @ryvian @prismaticpichu @dyradoodles @winter-doggo and so many more <3

*

The concept of a God, or several Gods, was unknown to Zack. But in this very moment, if he had faith in any of the things people called ‘religion’, he would have thanked whatever deity he were to believe in.

Zack and his 2nd class buddies had been sent out on a spy mission near Wutai. Recent reports had showed that Wutai was preparing for an attack, upping up on various weapons and there were whispers about newly developed robots for a counterattack. Bigger, stronger, smelling the mako-enhanced SOLDIERs from a mile away.

Too bad that Zack had the tendency to forget to shower.

“Hey Zack! Are you not gonna go to bed now?”, Kunsel asked Zack, who was putting his shoes on. “You are on morning duty.”

“Yeah no, I want to look around a little bit. Get used to the surrounding area. Besides, the food was terrible, maybe I can find some berries. Gotta be tastier than the slop we just got. What even was that…?”

“Angeal said it was some kind of nutrient filled mash with pieces of Hedgehog Pie.”

“More like Hedgehog Vomit!”

“Zack!”, Kunsel laughed and threw one of his towels, which he was holding, at his friend. Zack caught it mid-air and chucked it right back, laughing just as much as Kunsel did.

“I won’t be gone for too long, don’t worry!”, and without another second to spare, Zack ran off towards the nearest forrest.

Angeal, who had been watching the whole situation, sighed as he put his Buster Sword on his back, knowing he’d have to rescue this dumbass 2nd class SOLDIER sooner or later. From what he had heard about Fair, Angeal thought it would probably sooner than later, and took off after the young man.

*

“Oh, no no no no!”, Zack cried out. In his berry haze, the SOLDIER hadn’t realized that Wutaian soldiers were on his trail, ready to attack any ugly Shinra SOLDIER dude on sight. Zack was cornered up by a cliff, his only way out would have been a high jump down into a roaring river. While he could potentially survive the jump, the strong current could be his end. And Zack wasn’t ready to die! He had people he loved at home and still hadn’t tried the cool takeaway place in Sector 4, the one Kunsel always told him about!

With his enhanced abilities, Zack managed to take down two of the Wutaian soldiers. The fight seemed to go well for him, until one soldier managed to land a massive hit on Zack’s right leg, right on the hamstring. A loud bang was heard and before Zack’s brain could receive the information about pain in the leg, it gave in, making Zack land face-first in a puddle of mud and blood of the fallen soldiers.

That’s it, that’s his end, he thought as the Wutaian soldiers stalked up to him, sinister grins on their faces. “Should we kill him?” “No no, let's take him back home.” “Yeah, I heard the General has developed a great new torture method!” “The one with the water and the wax?” “Fuck yes.”

The next few seconds felt like hours. Zack later described the appearance of Angeal in a flash. By the time the Wutaian soldiers could turn around, their guts were spilling out of their bodies, the weak attempts to keep their stomachs and bowels in place with their hands fruitless. They dropped dead before they could have taken another breath.

“Zack Fair! Are you insane?!”

*

Angeal had dragged Zack back to camp, right into the med tent. Zack’s right leg’s hamstring was cut right through, requiring surgery. Zack was flown back to Midgar, Kunsel in tow as his ‘emotional support SOLDIER’. Angeal approved Kunsel’s earlier departure, instead requesting some 3rd class SOLDIERs to get flown in for field training. The 3rds were excited and Kunsel was glad he got to support his friend. *

A few weeks later, Zack was walking on crutches. The fact that he was unable to do squats (he had a cast so high up his leg, he could nearly rest his butt on it) and no running around… Zack hadn’t felt this bad since a bad flu knocked him out for 6 weeks when he was just 7 years old.

The days felt long. Kunsel had gone shopping on the plate and got Zack some games to play. Board games, card games, and with some money thrown together from both Zack and Kunsel, he even got a gaming system for both of them to play on.

One lonely afternoon, Kunsel was scheduled for combat training sim the whole day, Zack couldn’t do much else but play SOLDIER Kart. The TV in front of him felt lame, and Zack felt as if he had played through every single track thrice by now. There was only so much fun he could have had with this game. Even after a while, shooting Commander Rhapsodos with ‘turtle shells’ and throwing bananas at him became boring. He even made his own character in the character creation menu, but playing as Sephiroth sure was fun too.

“Do you have any idea how hard it was to get Sephiroth to agree to this game?”, Angeal had entered the room without Zack noticing. Zack paused the game and placed his controller down, focusing completely on the 1st class SOLDIER.

“Tell me!”, Zack laugh, and Angeal sat down next to him on the bed.

“Sephiroth had no interest in any kind of ‘video game’, no matter how funny or silly it was. PR told us to agree to this game, and since Genesis and I are ‘always around Sephiroth’, as they said, we should try to change his mind.”, Angeal started to tell the tale, “So Genesis and I took him into the arcade down in Sector 2 one night after bedtime. To make sure no one would recognize us, we put Sephiroth in a wig and a hoodie, Genesis wore a face full of make up and I wore a beanie pulled so far down, I was barely able to see. We got him to play all of these silly arcade games…”, Angeal laughed at the memory.

“Sephiroth was blown away by the games and by how much fun it was to play with us. He won a big prize that night, don’t know what game. But one of the owners challenged us to some game and the prize was free pizza for a year at the arcade’s restaurant. Sephiroth, of course, kicked the owner’s ass, and we got free pizza for a year.”

Zack listened, his eyes growing bigger with every word spilling from Angeal’s mouth.

“We were just ranked up to 1st, young men with an appetite to rival monsters. We nearly made them go out of business with the amount of pizzas we ate! Whenever we came back from a mission, we would eat until they had no dough left!”, Angeal couldn’t help but laugh even more at the memory. But the knowledge, that Sephiroth hadn’t eaten pizza, or even knew of pizza, before this event, was something he’d keep for himself.

“So PR got the deal for the game and we got free pizza for a year. Win-win for everyone”., Angeal smiled, but then his face changed.

“So, Zack, about the incident in Wutai…”, Zack went pale at the words. Oh no, he’d get kicked out of SOLDIER now! He’d have to move back home to Gongaga and live in his parent’s basement and work as a hunter or farmer! Oh no!

“I saw what you did to the two guys before they cut you down. You have potential. A potential I’d like to see grow. Are you interested in becoming my student?"

[starry-eyed-butch]

Birthday Help, I'm sorry. (I'm not gonna tag you, but you should know that you've helped me tremendously and I DO NOT want you to see this and be like "well shit". love you long time, just gotta go through my panic mode sometimes and birthdays really bring it out of me).

Hey, I have received help in the last few years that I couldn't have gone without and I'm so grateful and also constantly embarrassed and ashamed that I need help. I feel like I need it more than most other folks, and then I remember I don't really have family nor a significant other like most households.

I can't guarantee I could pay anything back or I wouldn't be in this position anyways but if you can think of something I can do as repayment, I will do my best.

My birthday is on the 17th. I haven't quite figured out how I'm gonna buy textbooks for classes that start the 27th, one of which is about $200 for the lab kit since I'm an online student. If it helps, I've been on Deans' list twice and honor roll once (found out my mom had cancer and kind of fucked off), that was just my first year. This is the start of my second. So far, it's just my biology class that has the needed purchases. Oregon state tries to reduce textbook costs so I'm hoping my other three classes will be providing materials again.

I'm also maybe hoping to be able to make myself a little cake or something (like $4), and I'm still trying to not have my electric shut off or my car repo'd (both are many, many dollars). The other big one is a pair of shoes for work, I've been wearing the same non-slip crocs the entire time at work (3 years in april). The slip resistance is mostly scuffed off and I have plantar fasciitis so it's been fun. I'd just get another pair and they're like $35. I tried to get another pair and hadn't realized my credit line with kohl's had lapsed without warning.

I work full time, I'm a full time student when it's in session. I give plasma so I can eat and have gas for work. I just don't know if I can swing a second job and be mentally well enough to exist (again, for years I worked like 90 hours a week, that's how I got my car in the first place, and then I moved back across the country 3 months before the pandemic really got kickin').

Anything helps, ya know? I've given the car people over $500 so it's put the other things on the wayside. $233 to keep my electric on. So I'm behind on a lot of other things. Late fees are killer, and overdraft fees and negative balance every check because of it. Just keeps rolling.

I begged for a raise and got .50 and my new general manager gave me a referral bonus in the system to help with my car. I'm trying so hard.

I have a cashapp $exrae

And paypal if people still do that, arw004@yahoo.com

I think I have venmo still too.

Anything at all helps, I'll be 32, just trying not to be bummed about it.

[writingfortheheart]

Counting to 30: Marcianna 4

The previously empty halls in the campus complex were now full of students going to their respective classes. Marcianna attempted to weave through the throng of women hurrying to their next destination, but found it quite difficult. Among the sea of leotards were also dotted a few students wearing street clothes. They would be going to theory classes where they'd learn dance history, among other things. Those were the only classes at the academy to be co-ed.

Women had an entire side of the campus to themselves with all the amenities, men had a separate side, both sides joined by a taller building in the middle that contained the clinic Marcianna had just come from, a bunch of classrooms, a large auditorium where practical exams and end of year productions took place, and a library.

A familiar bun caught Marcianna's eye as she entered the dance studio wing, Beth had just stepped out of her current class for a quick break. She still had her leather ballet slippers on, normally a faux pas in the hallway, but she wouldn't be very long. "Hey, newbie!", she said as Marcianna waved, "How has your day been so far?"

Marcianna did a quick shrug. "Fine. I still haven't done a class yet. That will change soon, though. I only have one today, then I think I'll just go back to the dorm". Beth nodded, "Who's your prof?". Marcianna responded, "Professor Julie".

Beth gave Marcianna a large smile, "Aww, I love her, she's awesome. I think they give her the intro students so they don't get scared off. She'll put you through your paces, though".

Beth's big, white smile and friendly voice suddenly made Marcianna feel a lot more comfortable. "I can't wait to hang with you back at the dorm", Marcianna grinned. Beth threw back her head and laughed, "After today, I'll be glad to take care of you". She did a quick check of her watch, "I gotta get back in there, and you should get to your class, too. I'll see you later".

The hallway where Marcianna's classroom was smelled of flowers. Just a faint smell, but noticeable. A large glass wall gave her a peek inside where several dancers were milling about, some doing warm up stretches on the floor, some standing with groups talking. A long wall opposite the one she was looking through was also made of glass, a window displaying the outside world, a cliffside overlooking a wooded area. The sky had gone grey and it had started to rain. It caused Marcianna to shiver, but she admired the beauty of it. The entire perimeter of the studio, including the glass walls, was lined with a barre, along which many students chose to stretch.

Marcianna stepped in and found a place to pull off her nylon booties and get comfortable. She sat in front of the large window to the outside and rested her back against it, feeling the coolness of the glass against the area cut from the back of her leotard. She stared at her feet for a moment, pointing and flexing them, making the leather on her slippers wrinkle. "This is real...", she thought to herself. She contemplated her slippers a bit more she a woman in her late 30s walked in. "Good afternoon, ladies! I am professor Julie, you can just call me Julie, welcome to intro to ballet here at Hope International".

Julie's long skirt flowed as she walked to the front of the class, her teaching shoes, black shoes similar to jazz shoes with a large heel, clicking on the shiny wood floor. "Most of you are already on the floor, let's start with some floor work!", she said, clapping her hands together. Marcianna listened to Julie's instruction and followed along to Julie's counts.

A hour later, Marcianna was drenched in sweat, her body was aching like it never had before, she was done for the day. She trudged back to her dorm, pulling her keycard from her bootie and swiping it against the lock. A beep, a click, the door opened. Beth sat on the couch, a plate of raw veggies in her hand as she watched TV. "I told you she wouldn't be easy on you", Beth said, placing her plate on the counter. "Go get undressed, I'll get you some ice".

Marcianna sat down on her bed, taking her modesty skirt off and tossing it to the floor, followed by her leotard. She swung her legs up and laid down on the bed, suddenly very comfortable, she felt like sinking in. "Are you decent?", Beth's voice came in through the door. "You're fine. We'll probably see each other naked at some point", replied Marcianna, a groan of pain in her voice.

The ice packs were cold as Beth carefully laid each one over strategic parts of Marcianna's body, but with the cold came relief. Beth started to massage Marcianna's calf muscles. "Trust me, this gets you feeling better faster". Marcianna closed her eyes and let Beth do her work. "How did you learn to do this?" she asked. "Lots of years of doing it myself. I started in sports medicine, fell into ballet, I figured if that falls through I can go back to sports medicine again".

"It's only our first day and I already like you, Beth", Marcianna forced a smile. Beth stopped a moment. "I think I like you, too..." she said, red filling her cheeks. She continued massaging. "There's supposed to be a welcome party tomorrow night. I'll be going to help out, but we can hang out after. I know a good place."

Marcianna took a deep breath in and smiled. "Yeah, that sounds nice..."

TO BE CONTINUED

[drowning-inmysleep]

cruel angels requiem

"He was a good friend of mine, He died. Why write about him now? Gotta honor him somehow." June 11th, 2023 I received three calls in a row from my dad while I was at work. His father, my grandfather, has been sick for the past year and it's been progressively getting worse. Once I noticed the missed call I stepped outside to call him back, fearing my grandfather's condition had worsened. He picked up and I asked him frantically "Are you okay? What's going on?" he told me his phone has been having issues lately and he must of accidentally called me. I ask him again if anything was going on, and to that he said no. We continued our conversation like usual, me making jokes at the way his phone made his voice sound, and ended the call as I went back into work.

I was relieved what I feared/felt in my heart wasn't true but still couldn't shake the feeling that someday soon my grandfather will pass and I won't ever hear him call me baby and kiss my head when I hugged him goodbye again.

It was a long shift, about 10 hours, I got home late. I worked on finishing my project for school, was confirmed that I passed the course and spent the rest of the night drinking modelos and playing Diablo 4 in celebration. That night (last night) when I went to sleep I remembered the call I had with my dad, thought a lot about my grandpa and fell asleep. I had a lucid dream again, in which I was at my grandparents house watching a movie with them. My grandma was in the kitchen, leaving me and my grandpa alone in the living room. He looked at me and asked if I remembered the movie we were watching, I did but not enough to fully recall. He told me "this was that movie me and your grandma rented when you were a kid, the one that scared you so bad you had to sleep in bed with us!" and laughed, I laughed too. We must of watched the entire movie in that dream, and when it was over he looked at me and said "You know I'll always love you, right?". I didn't know why he was telling me this out of the blue, but then in the dream I remembered the call I had from my dad (in real life) the day before. I told him I loved him too, and that I was sorry I wasn't around as much the past few years. He told me not to worry about that, and said he's always asking about me. My grandma (from the kitchen) joined in and said the same thing, that he always asked about me. I woke up after that, and went about my day. I have dreams like this often and didn't think too much of it, though I remembered my sister calling me in the dream, which is what woke me up. Around 2:00pm my sister called me three times, I missed them, and she texted me "Please call me back". I called her back, she'd informed me that my grandfather had passed away. I didn't cry when I talked to her, maybe because she was crying so much. That's how it always is, I never cry when I talk to my sister, because it'll make her cry even more. We talked for awhile, she told me that his condition suddenly worsened this weekend. This morning he was in critical condition, and my father and aunt came over to take him to the hospital. He died a few hours later. I still didn't cry, but once she passed the phone to my mom I broke down.

I've spent the entire day talking to my family over the phone, since I live a few states away and it's all I can do for now. I've heard them all cry, and all tell me how much my grandfather loved me, and how much he'd ask about me. They told me he was proud of me, and I knew that.

I'm writing this during my final class for school, this is my way of processing and understanding where I'm at mentally. I have severe issues with disassociation, and felt myself falling into that earlier today. Whenever this issue first cropped up in my life, I was 14 and that's also when the lucid-drowning-dreams began. Whenever I have lucid dreams it's almost like a warning to me that something is about to shift.

When I spoke to my father, he told me he and my brother also had a feeling in the pit of their stomach this weekend. That something was about to happen, that our grandfather would pass.

I have so much to say about him, and so many moments in which he was there for me when no one else could be. He was a very sweet man, with rough hands and tough/large exterior. The type of guy that you might be intimidated to speak to, but once you do He had been to prison a few times, and was involved in organized crime up until my youngest aunt was born. There are lots of stories in which my dad or one of my aunts recalls him coming home late at night, with blood on his hands and shoes.

I don't know the specifics of what he was involved in, but if I had to guess it was probably cargo theft / redistribution. He stopped being immediately involved and started a construction company whenever my brother was born, his first grandchild.

My family comes from a rough industrial Midwest neighborhood called Spanish Lake, in Missouri. Known as one of the top ranked "Dying communities in the United States", Spanish Lake was blighted by institutionalized and commercialized racism. My parents talk about when the first black family moved into Spanish Lake, and how white residents would burn crosses on their lawn. I have 3 aunts, Tricia, Kristen and Bianca. Bianca is not related by blood, but is my aunt Kristen's (Aunt KK) childhood bestfriend. Bianca was black, and the second or third black family to move into Spanish Lake. When she was a teenager and hanging around my aunt KK a lot, her father and her had issues. He was physically abusive to the point that my entire family knew, the night Bianca fought back he hurt her so bad that she had to go to the ER, and he then told her she was disowned and not allowed to return. Bianca then went to my dad's teenage house, and upon learning what happened my grandfather took Bianca in as his own. Her father came to the house a few days later to apologize, my grandfather let him in and kept watch on the situation. Bianca told him that she would not return, and that my grandparents would be taking care of her from that point on. In response to that he got up and began to yell, and get violent. My grandfather came out of the kitchen and took him outside. He told KK and Bianca to get to their room and lock the doors. Apparently my grandfather tried to talk him down, to which Bianca's father said that Bianca was no longer his daughter. My grandfather knocked him out and dragged him off the property, waited for him to wakeup before telling him never to come near her again. from that point on Bianca was my dad and aunts sister, she and KK loved taking care of me when I was a baby.

Bianca loved my grandfather, would call him dad sometimes, but mostly called him Johnny. Her father never returned. When I was a child I had a lot of difficult with anxiety, and would skip school often. Half the time my Grandpa would pick me up once the principals called my parents, since he knew the route I had to take to walk home. Everytime he'd pick me up, ask me how I was doing, and drive me home. He never got mad at me or punished me for this, just made sure I got home safe and was okay. A few years after that I had fallen into a deeper bout of anxiety/matured depression, and I tried to kill myself multiple times. The first time my dad found me, the second time my brother found me, the third time my grandfather found me. The third time, my grandfather was tipped off by my sister that I'd been making her worry and was locked in the bathroom. I won't go into the details of the process, but she kept trying to get me to leave and I wouldn't. She was screaming and crying, and eventually I heard the front door open. I heard heavy footsteps come down the stairs, walk up to the bathroom door. In a instant the locked door was broken open, my grandfather rushing in. He said "oh my god, baby!" when he saw me, picked me up and put me over his shoulder and took me outside, telling my sister to stay inside and lock the door. I was so scared, he'd never shown any anger or violence towards me but if he did then, I wouldn't of been surprised. He didn't put me down, I was 17 years old at the time and 5"8. He was in his 60s, and held me so tight off the ground while he pet the back of my head and repeated "oh my god Alex". He kissed the side of my head over and over again, and told me we were going to the hospital. I immediately felt the deepest sense of regret I've ever felt in my life, as my grandfather cried and told me "There is no way in this life that you will die before me". It's hard to talk about the details of this, but I had told him I was tired of taking medicine for depression and anxiety all the time and I wanted to quit everything. I told him I needed something to hold onto, and all he said back was "hold onto this" and held out his hand. After that day I never again attempted suicide, I was put in a hospital for a month and a half, my grandfather visited multiple times a week. The first time he did, he gave me an envelope and said it was from him and my father. There were two letters inside, one written by my grandfather and another by my father. They were heartfelt, multi paged letters saying all the things that were too hard to in person I assume. My grandfather's letter was where he told me about his criminal background, and how dark the world had seemed until he met my grandmother Pam, and until he saw the faces of his children. He told me thought about suicide too. Most importantly he finished the letter saying "I will always love you, I do not feel any anger or disappointment in you at all for this." He said when he saw me he knew I'd be trouble, but that I'd be loved and favorited by my family. And that was true, I was a problem child, had a lot of issues up until I moved out/got kicked out, but at the same time everyone in my family loved me very much. My grandparents and my aunts would fight over watching me and taking care of me. I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house. If my grandfather wouldn't of broken that door down I don't know if I'd be writing this out now. I know both of those stories are harrowing examples of the love he showed me and everyone in his life, but at the same time that's who he is. He's someone that's been through so many problems and scenarios, yet he handled all of them and put his family before himself.

I remember when I was 10 I got a guitar for my birthday, and I'd never played but he told me to plug it in and play. I did for a few hours and he sat there watching me, even though it probably sounded horrible.

The last time I saw him he asked me about how music was going and I told him it was alright, and that I was in town to play a show with my friends. He asked if I got paid for it and I told him yeah, I get paid pretty handsomely. He told me how proud he was and how great that is, saying he knew it's what I always wanted.

Seeing him these last two times was really hard, he was a decayed version of himself and was very weak. Still a large, imposing figure, but one with a fragile shell. I ate dinner with him and my Grandma. Me and my Grandma went outside to smoke cigarettes', and during she told me how scared she was of him passing away. She told me he was her world, that he'd been with her for 50 years.

I was sad to see my grandma like this, however I decided to speak to her like anyone would. We had a very real conversation about all of it, and while it was sad, I was happy to speak with her in a way that proved I had grown up, and different from the kid my grandpa found in the bathroom.

today I spoke with her and she told me "Your grandfather loved you so much baby, he was always asking about you. You know he always loved you right? He was so proud of you."

I cried harder than I did all day, and typing this out I'm crying again.

I think i'm a lot like my grandfather, from toughness / roughness around the edges, to not being afraid to show love to those around us. A few years back at a family get together my grandfather was asking me about my new tattoos. I showed him a cross I'd poked into myself on my finger, he pulled out his hand (The one he 'gave' to me in the story above) and showed me he had the same cross tattooed on the same finger. He'd done it himself as well, in prison. My dad's family always calls me baby. They call everyone that, it's something that's seeped into the way I speak. They're the type to kiss the side of your head when they say goodbye.

When I think about showing love or speaking to the ones I love, I think about how my grandfather would talk to me.

today I'm remembering the last time I saw him, two weeks ago. he hugged me tighter than he had in a long time, kissed my head, said "I love you baby you come back soon", and I left.

[effervescentbee]

Just an update on my homework, I turned it in at 11:51 pm, 8 full minutes before it was due <⁠(⁠￣⁠︶⁠￣⁠)⁠>

Now all I gotta do is study for my algebra, chemistry, and medical terminology test tomorrow ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

This is what I get for thinking I could handle all these advanced courses when I am chronic procrastinator

And cause I feel bad posting without it being something fandom related take stressed out miles (note that any and all stuff about miles and school is definitely me complaining about my school work)

When miles got to his dorm the first thing he did was kick off his shoes and fall face first onto the bottom bunk (I always say bottom/top bunk cause I have no idea who has which bunk Q^Q)

It had been a long day

The worst part? His day wasn't over, he still had a mountain of homework to get through. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration but it definitely felt like a mountain of homework when he sat down and stared at the pile of notebooks and folders full of assignments for each of his classes

This was always the hardest part, actually starting. Should he start with the easiest ones to give himself a bit of a break before getting into the harder ones? Or maybe he should just get the harder ones out of the way? Maybe it was smarter to start with his first period homework since it was due first?

Miles groaned as he let his head fall into his desk with a loud bang. why did this have to be so complicated?

Miles felt his phone buzz in his pocket, he should really turn his phone off unless he wants to get distracted. He pulled the device out of his pocket and nearly broke down in tears right then and there, it was a reminder that there was a test in his math class tomorrow, one he had not studied for yet

That just added to the list of work and questions of what he should do first. Now that he was aware he had a test it was probably more important to study for it then to do homework, it was worth more of his grade after all- but, he had missed so much schoolwork already and he wasn't sure if he could afford to not do the homework

Miles sighed as he pulled out his computer, he had to check his grades to make sure he could afford this, not doing the homework. He froze as he pulled up website, he really didn't want to check his grades

What if he was failing? He knew it was an unreasonable thought, just a few weeks ago he had all A's and he had been doing all the work he could and he knew he had been getting nothing but A's and B's on those, a missed day or two wasn't going to bring his grade down that bad, but what if?

Miles sucked in a sharp breath, checking his grades right now was not an option, and it wouldn't be an option until he was certain he was passing

What did that leave him with then? 7 classes worth of homework and a test to study for, all in- miles checked the time, it was 5:32

Right, 7 classes and a test in 13 hours, when he put it that way it didn't sound too bad. Miles looked through his homework, 2 worksheets, 3 packets, 1 essay, a few chapters of a book to read, and all the reviewing he had to do

Okay, he could start with math, his first period. All he had was a worksheet that would take maybe 30 minutes, then he couldn't move on to his next class and read the book, that would take him about an hour or so

The other worksheet would also take 30 minutes, each of the 3 packets would take an hour, the essay would take maybe two hours plus, and he could review for an hour at the minimum

That would all take... 8 hours at the minimum, let's move it up to 9 hours just to be safe. That left him 4 hours, he could use that time to shower and look over his work to make sure it was right. Then he couldn't go over his math notes one last time and then he'd go to class and he'll have all his work done and he'll be ready for the test

This could really work. Sure this means he has to stay up all night but it's not like it'd be the first time, besides, his parents always told him his number one concern in life should be school

With that, miles sat at the desk and began working on his homework

Just me projecting last week lol

Anyways I don't know how to tag and always use the minimal amounts so if someone could reach me that'd be great cause I suck at this

[somevirtualnolife]

A Winter Run For Love Chapter 1

Also on Ao3

Fandom: Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 4 Rating: T Pairing: Sassa Nozomu x OC Summary: It's almost Christmas, and Habataki University's track and field team is looking to host their first Goukon (group date). Nozomu Sassa is initially reluctant but feels ready to start dating again since high school. With the help of Akari Saikai, the team's manager, will he finally run in the right direction towards love?

Author's Notes:

I initially wanted to write a one-shot, but then decided it would work as a short, multi-chapter fic! I have wanted to write a TMGS university fic for a while because there are certain things that you could do in a university setting that wouldn't be appropriate in a high school (drinking, flexible hours, etc.). I don't plan to make this super explicit or anything, but I just wanted a chance a different dating opportunities.

Akari Saikai is actually the name of my Mari in TMGS4, but I thought it would be fine to have her as a separate character! Kind of like one of the girls you would meet in the first two games who is crushing on the same guy that you might be after.

Other than Saeki Teru, Sassa is one of my favorite LI of the series. I just love his positive attitude while also being acutely aware that he is a guy who is into girls and gets all embarrassed about it. So I hope that maybe through this fic, you might get a chance to see why he's so endearing!

Chapter 1: On Your Mark

“A goukon?”

“I’m telling you, group dates are a great way to finally meet some girls on campus! We go to one now, we basically have a date for Christmas. You’re in, right Sassa?”

A small group of second-year university boys stretched in the middle of the track and field grounds of Habataki University. While the weather was cool, no snow had fallen yet. Ideal conditions for Nozomu Sassa to run longer distances and build up his stamina. But this also meant more energy for the rest of the team to come up with a bunch of ridiculous schemes, in his opinion.

“I dunno,” the brunette rolled his shoulders, hopping from one foot to the next.

“Come on, man! If we get the track and field ace to join, the girls are sure to flock. The season’s done anyway, we can take it a bit easier.”

“You know him, his first love is running,” another young man named Takeda added.

“Yeah-yeah, I get it. My brain is nothing but white lines and hurdles,” Sassa placed his hands on his hips. He’s heard it all before.

“You’re not warmed up yet? Everyone else is already on the tracks,” A young woman with long dark hair and glasses approached the young men with a clipboard in hand.

Akari Saikai. She and Sassa had known each other since their high school days. She was the team’s manager back then as well. He always attributed part of his success to winning the nationals to her in his final year. When he realized that she also got into the same university, he basically begged her to join as manager again. Sure, Akari was always a bit strict, but he always quite liked it. Pushed him to train harder, but also knew when it was time to rest.

“Sorry, manager! We’ll be hitting the tracks soon! We just got caught up in some stuff,” Sassa responded with a large grin.

“Oi, Saikai-san. Whaddya think? Goukon? We still need a couple of girls,” Hiiro winked, shooting some finger guns at her.

“I think that you should worry about your run times rather than finding a date,” Akari was deadpan in her delivery, not even bothering to look up from her clipboard.

“Come on, we’ve been working hard all season! Besides, you gotta know a few single cuties from your classes, right?” Hiiro continued.

“I do. Doesn’t mean I want you to meet them.”

“Oooof, harsh as always, manager,” Takeda tried to stifle a laugh for the sake of his teammate.

“Come on, guys, let’s just hit the track,” Sassa clapped his hands together and then motioned for the rest of them to follow as he started to jog. It wasn’t before long the rest of them followed suit.

“Come on, dude” Hiiro flanked the team’s ace to his left. “You had a great season, the top of your game! You should reward yourself.”

Sassa’s face turned beet red. “Don’t put it like that, it’s creepy!”

“What he means to say is that it’s nice to just have a night out,” Takeda came up on the other side. “This is just as much for you as it is for us.”

The brunette twisted his mouth a bit but didn’t break his stride. He hadn’t really dated anyone seriously since his high school years. Not since…

“Just… let me think about it, alright?”

*

After practice, Sassa showered and changed back into his blue flannel shirt and jeans before throwing on his jacket. Another end to the day. He was

As he left the university’s gates, his eyes caught a familiar-looking figure walking ahead of him. Long back hair, tied back in a ponytail, dark green trenchcoat…

“Hey, Akari-san! Heading home?” he quickly jogged up beside her, shifting his backpack on his shoulder.

“Yeah, just grabbing the train,” she responded, burying her face in her scarf.

“I’ll walk you to the station! It’s nearby the place I’m picking up dogs for a walk,”

“That reminds me, my uncle was looking for a dog walker for a couple of weeks since he has to work a few extra hours. Would you be interested?”

“Sign me up!” If Sassa had a tail, he would probably be wagging it. He loved dogs, he loved running, so naturally, being a dog walker was a great part-time job for him.

Akari chuckled slightly. “I’ll let him know,” Though her face was hidden, Sassa could tell that there was a soft smile behind that scarf.

“So,” she continued as they walked. “A goukon, huh?”

“Ah… yeah. You know how Hiiro is. Sorry about that,”

“If he put as much energy into dating as he did his training…”

“He’s not so bad. I’m sure he’ll be ready in time for the next season,”

“You’re going too, hm?”

Sassa’s muscles stiffened, the usual pep in his step coming to a halt. “Well…”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you on a date since Konami-san,” Akari mused. “This is pretty big for you.”

Ahh, Konami Minako-san… Mari was what she typically went by back then. She was something else. Smart, super cute, bubbly… unfortunately, things didn’t work out in the end. Before he could tell her how he felt, someone else did before he could. It shouldn’t have surprised him that other guys felt the way he did. Mari just had that magnetism to her. And he supposed it must have been pretty obviously how he felt if Akari took notice.

He felt a bit sheepish.

“Hiiro and Takeda really want me to go,” he replied. “Don’t know what use I’ll be unless the girls want to talk track,” Which would be fine if it was with the other girls on the team, but again, dating within the team wasn’t a great idea either. Could cause a lot of unnecessary friction if things didn’t work out.

“But it could be fun,” he finally admitted. He may have running on the brain, but he was still human. A couple of drinks, some games, cute girls… yeah, it was appealing. Honestly, he was ready to just have a good time with no pressure.

“Well, I suppose you all worked very hard,” Akari finally admitted as they stopped in front of Daigaku Station. “And as much as I hate to admit it, I might know one girl who might find Hiiro-kun charming. And there are certainly a few others in my economics class that would certainly be interested in trying to find a date for Christmas as well,”

“Ahh, Akari-san, that’s why you’re the best manager! Always making these connections,” Sassa grinned widely, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

“Yeah-yeah,” she waved her hand dismissively, getting back into her club roll, and pulling out her phone. “I’ll send Hiiro a LINE. He better have chosen a good izakaya.”

“Cool! So, I guess I’ll see you Saturday then, right?”

Akari’s green eyes suddenly seemed unreadable behind the lens of her glasses. “I suppose so.”

With that, the young woman waved before leaving Sassa on his own. He couldn’t be entirely sure, but he was pretty sure that he saw her cheek flush a shade of pink as she pulled down her scarf before she entered the station.

Huh.

[tucommuter]

Overheard

Monday:

Person 1: Is it worth skipping ci on tuesday? I’m trynna work.

Person 2: Nah, go to class

Person 3: Skipping school for work is wild

Person 1: I need the money

Person 4: Are we hopping on later? Val cod or dbd

Person 2: Im down for dbd later

Tuesday:

Person 1: lmk bro when we can get lil adventure going

Person 2: U ain’t busy yo?

Person 1: right now?

Person 2: Later, I can dip 215ish

Person 1: yeah lets do it

Person 2: Bet, also I got mk1

Person 1: sheesh

Person 2: We can play a lil after if you down, when you trynna slide?

Person 1: I need to pump gas but in a few

Person 2: Cuz Im getting ready rn for the adventure, lmk

*hours later

Person 2: Yo thanks again for yesterday bru, I really had fun and a good time

Wednesday:

Person 1: We have to start practicing for the winter basketball league

Person 2: Yeah if it wasnt freezing just get on the game

Person 1: yall soft we used to be outside in this weather last year

Thursday:

Person 1: I feel like as time goes on theres always a fallout of the group

Person 2 : Yeah I agree sometimes change is good but a lil too much is bad

Person 1: I guess it comes with getting older

Person 2: Yeah man its been so long since I had deep talks with the boys it seems like they all are doing their own thing

Friday:

Person 1: Do you still want me to take the 12:30

Person 2: Yeah I gotta take the test in a bit

Person 1: kk

[moonieshinesims]

Generation 2 - Chapter 4

The third week is finally here! Michiko can hardly wait until the weekend when she can finally go live with her mom and dad! But what are she and Ako going to get up to in the meantime?

Week 3 without mom & dad

The week began on a not-so-great note.

Michiko had a bad dream about losing a few of her teeth that shot her awake in the middle of the night.

She shoved her hand in her mouth and wiggled around all her teeth only to find out that none of them were loose, or missing.

That was a good thing, but what could a dream like that mean?

Meanwhile, for Ako, his newly acquired bloodbag and romantic interest was going to be taking a break from him for about a week. It was finals week and he had to spend his time in tutoring to make sure he didn't fail out of his last year of high school.

As much as it was weird for Ako to admit, he'd grown accustomed to being around Dustin every afternoon.

Sure! They'd only been together about a week, but that was enough time to develop feelings for someone, right?

Michiko tried keeping up her spirits, despite the weird ominous beginning to her week.

"Sure, why not? I don't know your dad, but I do know he'd visit that makeshift tombstone your mom built for me out back and cry sometimes... He must be kind of emotional, huh?"

"He's just empathetic like that!" Michiko liked that about her dad.

During the week, since Ako didn't have Dustin to feed from, he had to go hunting for his food.

He wasn't too happy about it, seeing as how he'd had easy access to blood for a while, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right?

Thankfully someone was stumbling past the house not too long after Ako began his hunt. He approached the probably-drunk woman and easily coerced her into letting him drink.

A couple hours later, however, Ako began to feel strange.

He wasn't sure he'd ever felt something like this before. It was almost like an out of body experience with something else piloting his body.

This new pilot took him around the yard and around town. He fought tooth and nail to try and take back control of his body, but he wasn't able to!

What on Simlandia was this thing?!

When the new pilot finally took him inside the house, it plopped him in front of the TV where the news blasted commentary on the weird spores floating around town.

Michiko had been up, creeping around the kitchen while Ako was out, and ended up in the bathroom. On her way out, she asked Ako a question, but instead of answering her, his head swiveled sideways in the most unnatural of ways. His eyes were bugged, and his mouth hung open.

Whatever was wrong with him, Michiko did not like it! Instead of going back to sleep in her parent's bed downstairs, she ran upstairs to her own room and locked the door.

That wasn't normal behavior! Michiko thought to herself, He may be a vampire, but that was... something else.

She'd have to worry about that later...

The next day at school, which was Friday, Michiko busied herself with classwork, wishing the day away so that it would finally be the weekend.

The weekend! The one where she'd get to see mom and dad again!

But in the middle of her science class, the ground began to shake and quiver, and an angry sounding alarm blasted across the entirety of Strangerville.

She could hear Principal Burleson yelling outside of her classroom, so she decided to go see what was going on.

Charlee, Michiko's actual cousin, forced the other kids out of the classroom.

In a panic, the kids made their way to the front of the school where their parents and guardians were beginning to convene in their cars.

The ground was still shaking, and a big blast of purple light was brightening up the sky.

Michiko didn't want to say it out loud, and barely wanted to think it lest it became true, but she had a bad feeling that this had something to do with her parents...

[crimsonblackrose]

.

Before

I guess it's kind of an orange red, but those mirrors are not nearly as orange as that one shot had been.

If they're just now taking off the larusso auto plate does that mean that Johnny's been driving around for months without a liscense plate?

Miguel has a skateboard

This is kind of funny since it's the club Miguel lied to his mother and said he was instead of karate. Though it might be a reference to something else. Miguel also changed up his art and posters and moved things around a little.

The put a tape player in from Pioneer.

Custom molded snake lol. It's kinda cute.

He finally has a real license plate.

After

lol they're on friends street

I always enjoy the Miguel and Johnny opening.

I think this is confirmation that Robby sleeps on a couch and that it's a one bedroom where his mom has the bedroom. They don't even have a pull out bed.

Shannon came back for medication. Rick says he's taking her to Cabo-adjacent. She's been gone for a few days.

Robby was right to kick this guy, his friends Trey and mustache guy no longer with mustache are probably after him.

The next thing she grabs is more pills

They're in apartment 3

She says she'll call the next day.

Robby asks about bills because he doesn't and then it's cut off. I don't know if that's doesn't have enough money or the ability to do so.

Rick is supposed to pay that month.

All the photos of Mr. Miyagi's ancestors were in Okinawa. Did they bring those home with them after Tkk3? Because Daniel hasn't been back right?

Sam dear, the cutting yourself off and stopping what you want to say because of the people around you is one of the biggest issues you had at the start of your relationship with Miguel. Now you've added Robby to the mix.

The front of the house where all the parking is is dirt.

Mr. Miyagi has a white canoe (I think it's from the film or they're attempting the one from the film) and it's sitting out out front with the cars but opposite of the cars.

Daniel seemed to have realized sparring in the back with the giant rock is a terrible idea so they're up front with the cars with a sand circle.

Daniel's says it's been a long time since there's been more than one student in Miyagi-do. I wonder if he means he and Julie trained together at one point or counts that, or if he counts himself and Sam together. Or if he means all the way back to Sato and Mr. Miyagi.

Johnny's classes are an hour. He has a 4 pm class and a 5 pm class.

If I'm not wrong season 1 and 2 are the only times Johnny has money from this venture right? Where he's not scraping by?

That's an interesting landline also a good sturdy printer

Johnny gets a new term he's unfamiliar with and thinks prank call. He really needs Miguel to like help him with interactions.

I never noticed their pun food shirts before. I love it. Cobra Kai and Miyagi do truly break up all the childhood best friends. So far we've got Sam/Aisha (repaired temporarily), and soon Demetri and Eli, and eventually these two.

Also Hawk's nicknames are unoriginal, shithead 1 and shithead 2 aren't creative.

Aisha's choice is a little better (Though i mean still mean) Mary-kate and asshat.

Chris is such a sweetie, he held the door open for them last time and is stepping forward to introduce himself. Johnny these kids are getting mean, you gotta do some more work. Your chat only worked on Miguel. Ope, forgot Miguel had one too: Assface and douchebag. Do we not get the other kids name?

did I miss something? I don't remember Johnny saying yes to kreese. I guess that was supposed to be a leave you hanging and then he's back. I love his pointly little cowboy shoes.

Okay that's what I thought, Bert joins first. See I thought they were the other childhood friends but clearly not.

There's white cubbies in the corner seems like that's where the bags and shoes go.

I always assumed near the door, but I guess the entire floor isn't a mat just the center. And I'm honestly surprised how many people wear shoes over it when not in an actual lesson.

oh wait Kreese is being respectful of the mat. The red and black now I get where Johnny got his eagle fang color scheme from.

Kreese already taking advantage of the crumb Johnny gave him and encroaching. Tomorrow became today. He should've kicked Kreese out and told him to come back tomorrow.

Robby isn't wearing shoes to train, but Sam is.

Robby's kind of dressed Daniel-esq with the pants under his shorts.

Johnny introduces Kreese as a visitor which makes me think the agreement was he could come to one class and no more. Mr. Kreese is just an observer. Yeah he's trying to draw a line that Kreese walks right over.

The dab joke and the snake hiss

I originally thought was embarrassing for Johnny to have happened in front of Kreese. But also very telling of how much they love Johnny and the class. Because they had to have all practiced that. But then after the dallies seeing Kreese say fall in and all the cobras fall in a circle behind him giggling makes me think it's a time honored tradition for cobras to be a little silly.

However, as much fun as they're having, maybe not the best choice with a guest around.

I also feel like they're very good at telling Johnny's moods and Aisha going straight for the second punch being a joke seems a little out of character based on how they a. Know Kreese is there and b. know that Johnny's sounding kinda pissed off.

5am corner of Fulton and Raymer

To be fair I think if Johnny had explained who Kreese was they would've been much more serious. He did tell them to ignore Kreese, but at the same time he could've been someone trying to determine if they were good enough or if Johnny was a good enough sensei and whether their dojo would stay open or not. Like an inspector of sorts.

Emergency is at the North Hollywood location, which we haven't been to yet. Vic got taken by Tom Cole without letting there be a counter along with top two sales people during the last week of the month on purpose for timing. So Tom Cole is wasting money stealing Daniel's staff.

the North hollywood coffee station:

Amanda is right. Daniel said he could balance teaching and doing work. It's weird anyway that the kids are there to study from him during the day and that he can't be at work during the day. It's not like Shannon's home. And Sam is Daniel's daughter, so why not evenings after work? And this is a big thing that means they're short on people and Amanda needs Daniel there, the company needs him.

Sheila runs errands as well. He told Amanda to call Sheila to go get a suit from his closet, so I guess Sheila has a key to the house?

Even though his compromise is let's sell 10 cars in one day, it really does show how good Amanda and Daniel work together.

I am surprised they tried to sell the car in the showroom and not in one of the offices. I figured anyone would want that to be private.

To Danny and Mandy. It's interesting because I think the only one whose called him Danny other than himself in this moment is Terry Silver. Though that might've been Danny-boy.

The glasses they're drinking out of look weird. Almost like vases.

She told the service team they can go home early. What if there were more people who wanted to buy cars? Just because they met their quota for the month doesn't mean people have to go home or that they don't need to sell more cars.

Mechanic drops wheel in middle of floor, why other than to give Daniel an idea?

ah yes cement mixer my beloved/beloathed. I forgot the kids mix the cement themselves before hand.

Johnny's cement friend is named Cutter and the company is called Panorama City Cement

The goal I guess is to make them scared of cement, according to Kreese who seems disappointed that they're just mixing cement.

Cutter's only doing this because Johnny's paying off his bar tab, so they must be drinking buddies.

There is pretty much no food in Robby's fridge. But he drinks 2% milk. Though the milk jug is almost empty. He also had one microwave half eaten container and one take out container and one 7 up.

The keene apartment

Daniel this thing holds two bonsai's surely it'll also hold students, he says without testing it.

The poor Koi fish that live in there

This isn't particularly safe either. I know we tend to note all the unsafe stuff Johnny puts his students through, but the amount of rocks and stuff around and probably under that balancing board, not to mention how much algae and stuff is on the ground of that pond. Plus it's a floating wooden disc, you slip and that thing hits you in the head???? Not to mention the board is wet.

Pretty much both cobra kai and miyagi do students are making valid arguments for safety and all are being ignored.

Johnny should've started hosing the first batch of kids down long before they all got out.

Proud of Robby for being honest and transparent. Sorry for being snappy my mom left and missed some bills. I.e. the power went out and I've got no food and no parental unit.

Robby's house part 2:

Daniel should've told Johnny as soon as Sam told him.

Robby is eating Corn pops with water. At least the water hasn't been shut off. But still.

It looks like Robby or Shannon put up a white board calendar...outside their apartment???

Why? Also wish I could read it.

Daniel ready to adopt Robby.

Amanda: You have to talk to his parents, he has parents.

Daniel: I tried his mom.

Amanda: He also has a dad who you know.

Literally the way she's looking at him and speaking is like, I love you but you're a dumbass.

Monday 9-12 intermediate class (So longer than the 1 hour classes he mentioned over the phone)

Tuesday 407 Beginner class.

Wednesday 12 to something Advanced.

It must be summer or something.

In the next shot Beginner karate is smudged, so Kreese leaned against it.

Wednesday 12-3 Advanced training

Thursday 9-12 conditioning

Friday 10-2 outdoor training. So i guess every Friday he takes them on a field trip?

Saturday 9-12 eEginner

Sunday Open schedule

Frank owed dues.

Proud of Johnny for turning down free booze from Kreese (Tallboys)

Kreese wasn't originally supposed to come back the next day for a third lesson, but he's working on it for sure.

Miguel's got keys and bringing food over because Carmen doesn't want Johnny eating slim jims for breakfast any more. 😂

Johnny's added two new take out menus to his fridge and moved Robby's photo up to eye level.

Also how on earth can Miguel tell from a 2010 photo of Robby in soccer gear and glasses that that is Robby? Like if he flipped it over to the back and it said something like Robby Keene's soccer at such and such school for such and such team I'd get it. But I can't tell that's Robby so how can Miggy?

Kreese is being a dick to the mini mart owner who last we saw seemed to be on better terms with Johnny due to mutual unhappiness over rent being raised.

Kreese bought Johnny his favorite Coors but can version. How much money do you think Coors gave cobra kai to be Johnny's beer? It's in every episode. Do you think William Zabka actually has to drink it or do you think they fake the cans and bottles and put like soda in them or something?

Kreese's almost all of us could've meant silver until he said my condolences.

Johnny saying "you don't know what you're talking about man" is maybe the only standing up to himself he does. And he is being honest. Daniel is unaware of the situation.

Kreese moving in and Daniel not clocking the way he shrugs off Kreese's hand and moves away always gets me.

No Daniel, no. You came to ask if Robby could live with you or if he knew that Robby didn't have a home, but completely skipping that and not saying and it and just making assumptions...infuriates me. Yes you don't want Robby anywhere near Kreese, but also neither does Johnny. And Johnny has a right to know where Robby is and his situation. I believe this is has Robby been kidnapped part 3. Fueled extra by mongoose brain. I want to know how the conversation with Amanda goes after this. Like did you talk to Johnny? Yes. What did he say about Robby? We didn't talk about Robby. Honestly, Daniel should go in the dog house for that one. You can't just adopt/steal a kid without parental permission Daniel.

[comfort-writing]

Crayons and Cassettes

Chapter 2: Johnny Appleseed and Iron Maiden

You are a kindergarten teacher. Eddie’s daughter, Sage, is in your class. Eddie is trying hard not to get too close.

warnings: shot mention of a previous relationship involving abuse. this fic will be 18+ in later chapters- minors DNI!! no use of y/n. (please let me know if I missed anything)

a/n: sorry for the long break! I was traveling over the holidays but now updates should be more consistent! thank you for all the love on chapter 1! please let me know in the comments or my asks if you’d like to be added to the tag list! :)

word count: 2.5k

Chapter 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || 13 || 14 (coming soon!)

Eddie has never really been a crier. He had to toughen up early on; having a drug addict dad and a nonexistent mom, along with becoming the town freak because of his music taste made him develop a thick shell. But, as he’s aged, and as his daughter hit huge milestones, he softened. He allowed himself to cry every once in a while. It was cathartic. He cried when Sage took her first steps. He cried when she colored him a picture of the two of them and Wayne sitting on a picnic blanket under a sun that was purple. He cried when Alice signed over complete custody to him. And now, he was sitting in his old beat up van, crying because she started kindergarten. While his little girl is still little, it’s hard to see them grow so quickly.

Eddie took a moment and wiped his eyes, chuckling at himself, feeling a bit ridiculous for crying at all. He flipped down the visor on his van, sliding open the mirror to check how he looked. His eyes were a little puffy, but it would probably go away in five minutes. He turned on the air conditioning in his car to dry his face, then turned on the radio to try to get his mind off of the subject. He’d see Sage in a few hours. No big deal. After a minute, he pulled his gear shift into drive and started off on his way to work.

Since he graduated high school, Eddie worked in the local Hawkins record store. The owner was someone who actually grew to like him after getting to know him, which was a relief for Eddie. Not many people in this town gave him a chance to even have a job with his reputation, so having a boss that had grown to treat him like family was wonderful. The old man, Mr. Atkinson, had softened a lot to Eddie after he’d had a kid, and even more after the whole custody arrangement with Alice. He’d often let Sage hang out in the back of the shop, giving her a coloring sheet while Eddie finished up his shift. Mr. Atkinson didn’t have a wife or any children, so he’d said that he planned on leaving Eddie the shop once he was gone. Hopefully that would be in a long time from now, but Atkinson was getting older, and he always told Eddie, “Gotta face the reality of it, kid.”

Eddie pulled into his parking spot behind the shop, then went in through the back door. He clocked in, said hello to Mr. Atkinson, and got to work doing inventory.

Around two thirty, Eddie was let out of his job to go pick up Sage. Normally, he’d be going in earlier to be able to leave at this time, but Mr. Atkinson knew today was her first day of school—he’d bought her a sparkly pink pencil to bring with her—so he let Eddie keep his hours short today.

Eddie finished the transaction he was working on, clocked out, waved goodbye to Joe, then walked back out to his van.

He was so excited to hear all about Sage’s day, he was practically vibrating. He wanted to know every detail he could get from her. He drove to the school, then waited in the car line until they released the kids. Because he was there pretty early, he was the 4th car in line. He sat in his van, listening to a mixtape he’d made a year or so ago, but deciding to keep the volume lower than he would have preferred in order to not cause Sage any trouble.

Once the bell rang, you walked your class out to the car line. The children who rode the bus followed another teacher out. You smiled, having the kids line up and following you. Once outside, you had them sit along the wall as you, along with a few other teachers, helped pile kids into their respect cars. You walked up to a van, smiling when you saw Mr. Munson.

Eddie cranked his window down, “Are you just here for Sage or do you have another child as well?” You asked him, unsure if Sage was his only child.

Eddie smiled, “Just Sage. How was her day?” He asked.

“Let me go grab her and I’ll update you in a second!” You called, walking to the kindergarten line and telling Sage her dad was there. She smiled and started to run to the van, but you caught up and slowed her down, taking a moment to explain why running in car line was dangerous. She nodded, then walked with you to Eddie’s van. You opened the door for her, “She did great today! Excellent behavior- she was helpful to others and engaged with the lesson.” You told Eddie with a big smile as you helped Sage buckle her seatbelt, seeing that she was struggling. “I’m sure she has a lot to tell you about though.” You said, closing her door and walking back to the front passenger window.

Eddie smiled, “That’s great. Thank you for being kind to her.” He said.

You raised an eyebrow at that, “Why wouldn’t I be? She’s a great kid.” You smiled. Sage made a silly face at you and you scrunched your nose with a small smile back.

“Well, you must be new in town. But.. yeah. Thanks.”

You were a bit confused as to what he was talking about, but you nodded anyways. “You’re welcome. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow Sage! Tell me what book you read tonight!” You smile, waving the two of them off.

Eddie pulled out of the parking lot, chatting with Sage on his way home, feeling elated that she’d had a great day. She talked his ear off for the entire drive home, on their way into the house, and right up until dinner. That night, Sage got her breakfast for dinner and her favorite ice cream before being tucked into bed. Once she was asleep, Eddie eased out of her bed and slowly walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her as quietly as possible. He felt like the proudest dad in the entire world.

Throughout the next few weeks, Eddie would see you at pick up. You’d always update him on Sage’s progress, and she was doing great. By about the 5th week of school, she was able to write her name without mistakes and knew a lot of her sight words. Throughout your interactions with Eddie, albeit short, he seems to have gotten more comfortable around you. He opened up a little more, making jokes when you’d help Sage into his van. You couldn’t tell for sure, but you thought a few times he flirted with you. You’d always been bad at figuring that stuff out, but you could’ve sworn he had. You’d wanted to talk it through with someone, but you still hadn’t made many friends that weren’t five year olds or other teachers in their sixties.

One Saturday afternoon, you were digging through your box of cassette tapes for your students. You had a few songs that you would sing with them in class- ones that would help them learn their numbers, days of the week, etc. You were looking for your Johnny Appleseed tape. It was an audiobook that included sound effects and songs. You remember your kids loving it at your old school. You had a unit coming up relating to it, but you couldn’t find the tape anywhere.

“God, where is it?” You groaned, frustrated. You swore you packed it in your move. Maybe you’d left it in your old classroom. You sighed, deciding to go to the local record store you’d seen on your way to get groceries the other day to see if they had it, or at least something similar to it. You grabbed your purse, scribbled down the tape name on a notepad, and grabbed your Walkman off of the counter before tossing both items into your bag and heading out the door.

You drove across the small town you’d quickly become acquainted with, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. It was cool enough to wear jeans, but still warm enough not to need a jacket. You had your hair tied up, so you’d decided to roll the windows down and turn up the music on some local radio station that didn’t play anything by Hanson or Aqua. You pulled up to the store and quickly made your way inside, moving your sunglasses to rest on your head as you looked around the store, scanning quickly to find the cassette section.

You walked over and started looking through the tapes, searching intently for the correct one.

“You know, it’s weird seeing you not completely surrounded by kindergartners.” You heard a voice say behind you. You turned and saw Mr. Munson standing there, holding a small stack of records.

“Ah- hi Mr. Munson.” You smiled up at him, giving a small chuckle, “Yeah, believe it or not, I don’t sleep at the school. I do have a life.” You joked.

That made him laugh, warm and real. “Why did we all think teachers lived at the school when we were little?” He asked, turning around to start organizing the records into the bins on the opposite side of the aisle.

You shrugged, “I’m not sure. I think it’s a rumor the first graders pass down every year.” You responded, going back to your search.

“Whatcha looking for?”

“A Johnny Appleseed tape. I lost the one I had in my move.” You half mumbled, staring intently at the available cassettes.

“I can look it up for you in the Rolodex if you have the name of it.” He offered, which made you turn again.

“Yes, please, that would be very helpful.” You smiled, following him to the front counter. You pulled out the notepad you had, “I’m pretty sure this was the name of it, but anything close to it would be good.”

Eddie nodded and started flipping through the cards, “So.. why did you move to Hawkins? Most people move away from here if they’re as smart as you are.”

You rolled your eyes jokingly, “First of all, Mr. Munson, I’m not some genius- I teach the alphabet and two plus two. And secondly, I think Hawkins has a charm to it. I like small towns- everyone knows everyone and it’s very neighborly.” You smiled, “But, uh, long story short, I moved here to avoid an old relationship. It wasn’t safe back home anymore. Here, I can do what I love and not feel scared to get groceries, you know?”

You paused for a moment, then gave him a worried look, “Sorry if that was an overshare, Mr. Munson.”

“Eddie.”

“Hm?”

“You can just call me Eddie. Mr. Munson is too formal.” He said with a small smile, “And it wasn’t too much. I asked.”

You nodded and he found the right card, “Ah- I think I found it. It’s in the back, so I’ll see if I can find it. Feel free to look around, I might be a minute.”

Eddie disappeared into the back to go look for the tape and you looked around. You had a record player at home still, but you mainly used your Walkman nowadays. You looked through more tapes, seeing a few that looked good. You grabbed the new Iron Maiden album, an older Beatles one you didn’t have yet, and a couple others. You didn’t tend to stay within one music genre- you just listened to anything that made you happy. You started looking through the records as well, finding an old Elvis record.

Eddie walked out of the back with a tape in his hand and he looked over to you, watching you for a moment as you flipped a record around to look at the songs on the back. He couldn’t help but notice how pretty you were. He’d always thought that, but something about seeing you in casual clothes, outside of school, just going about your day made his chest feel tight.

After a second, he called, “I found it.”

You turned around and smiled at him, walking up to the counter, “You, sir, are a life saver.” You sighed with relief, setting down your findings on the counter as he handed you the tape to inspect, “Perfect- this is the exact one I had.” You said, placing it on top of your pile.

“You ready to check out?”

“Yep.” You smiled, “Sage is going to love this tape. I’m sorry if she comes home singing the Johnny Appleseed song.”

“She unfortunately did not inherit my musical ability.” He chuckled, ringing up your items. “Iron Maiden?” He asked, looking up at you with a raised eyebrow.

“I liked the guitar in Maiden England and I haven’t heard this album yet. Also, your musical ability? Do you play an instrument?”

Eddie looked shocked, “You know Iron Maiden.”

“I don’t just listen to Johnny Appleseed all day.” You quipped. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“But you- miss rainbows and sunshine- know about Iron Maiden. This is news.” He said, in awe.

“Eddie, I don’t live at the school, remember?” You laughed, “And I just listen to whatever music makes me feel something—happy, sad, angry— music is a good way to process your feelings. But once again, you have yet to answer my question.”

“Yeah yeah, I was in a band back in the day. Guitar and singing and all that. Had to stop once Sage came around so I could focus on being a good dad, blah blah blah.” He said, waving his hand as he rang up your last tape, “But wow. I mean, I’m shocked. Do I really want my baby girl being taught by a teacher who secretly lives a double life as a rockstar?” He teased.

You groaned, “What’s my total?”

He laughed, “You know I’m just kidding.” He said, breaking the theatrics, “It’ll be 20.57” he said, putting your items in a paper bag. “But we do have a lot to talk about. I don’t know if you can tell by the, ya know, everything about me, but this kind of music is my life. I’d be happy to give you some recommendations.”

You nodded, “That would be nice.” You smiled. He handed you the bag carefully, making sure not to damage any items. “I’ll see you at pickup?” You asked. He nodded and you walked out of the store, offering him a kind wave as you left.

Jesus, she likes Iron Maiden.

Tag list: @mcueveryday @bebe0701 @emma77645 @edsforehead

[indefiniteimagines]

First Class || Fezco Smut (Euphoria)

A/N: I would suggest reading this first 💵

WARNINGS: language, SMUT, mile high club, oral (m receiving), creampie, slight choke kink, voyeurism, public sex

“My god. Can she be any slower? Y/N! Hurry the fuck up!"

"Yooo. How many times I gotta tell you to stop talkin to her like that, bro?"

"She's gonna be the reason we miss this flight."

"So we'll catch the next one. Chill out." Fez tried to reason with his younger brother, but he had to admit that his girl was taking forever. They were supposed to leave at 4:30pm to catch a 9 o'clock flight, but here they sit at home at 5:15.

Another 10 mins passed and not Ashtray was pissed, "So just fuck security then, huh?"

"Alright. I'll go get her," he got up from his spot on the couch and headed up the stairs.

"Baby?" he asked opening their bedroom door. When he looked inside, he saw Y/N almost in a pretzel trying to hold her suitcase closed and zip it at the same time.

He let out a laugh and asked if she need help.

"It's not funny," I said in a whine, "My back hurts."

"Yeah I can see why. Hop up. I'll hold it down and you zip it." I got up with a smile on her face and went to the zipper. Of course I warned him not to push too hard as I had valuable things in there that couldn't get messed up.

Even with the two of us, we still couldn't get it closed.

"What do you have in here?"

"Essentials," I said with a shrug. We both called for Ashtray to come help us and we finally got it closed. Ash yanked it from under Fez and was anything but careful lugging it to the car.

"He's ready to go."

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't do it." He pulled me close to him and planted a kiss on my head and a quick smack to the bum.

We finally get to LAX and through security which took forever since we’re going to a foreign country with a virus still lingering around. When we got to the gate it was about to close, but Ash wiggled his way in and they kept it open for Fez and I. The seats weren’t hard to get to or find since they were in first class. We all got settled in and the first meal was served in less than two hours. After dinner, I found myself falling asleep for a few hours. When I woke up, the cabin lights were off and no one’s tv screens were glowing.

I hummed and stretched softly; glancing around to double check that everyone was still asleep. I took a look at Fez, his eyes closed and headphones on, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Running my hand along the seat to rest on his thigh. With the career he has, Fezco isn’t a heavy sleeper. I feel him tense up under my touch and he looks down at me, raising an eyebrow. I lean forward, pressing a kiss to his lips and then the nape of his neck.

Fez bites down on his bottom lip, looking around and removing his headphones. I lift my head up to press a kiss to just below his ear, purring softly “c’mon, baby. Everyone's asleep, let's have some fun. Besides, I owe you for being late,” I say as I softly bite his earlobe. He lets out a soft grunt, gulping down slowly and nodding his head. I start to slowly slide my hand up his thigh to rest on his crotch, squeezing his cock through his pants softly. It’s then I feel his hips buckle. Taking that cue,  I start undoing his belt, pushing my hand past the waistline of his boxers. I rub my fingers along thick and long his length. He let's out a soft breath, shuttering softly at my touch. I fully grip the base of his cock cock tightly in my hand, his cock twitching in response.

I grin, biting down my bottom lip as I slowly start to pump his cock, tightening my grip towards his tip. Fezco breathes in shallowly, trying his best not to make any noise. I look at him as I feel his cock twitch under my touch again. His eyes shifted closed and that’s when I got an idea. I adjusted my body to where my head was in his lap under the blanket.

“Whoa, baby. Not here.”

“C’mon,” I whisper, “Don’t you want to feel your cock down my throat at 30,000 feet?” I asked him with the most innocent eyes I could muster up in that moment.

“You are so fucking bad,” he said as he lifted his hips to lower his jeans a little more. I giggled to myself as I took him in my warm, wet mouth. I start moaning around him when I feel his precum leaking out onto my tongue. The vibration makes his hips buck and his hand finds its way to my head.

As a reflex I push back, but it doesn't go unnoticed,

"Nuh uh. You wanted this dick, so take it." I loosen my jaw and let him slide to the back of my throat.

"Fuuuuck," he whispers as he feels my head and his hand go down. He holds me there until he feels a pool of saliva on the top of his thigh. He releases my head and cups my cheeks to kiss me.

"Wait for me in the bathroom. Go on." I climb over him to get to the aisle and rush to the lavatory. I quickly switch it to "occupied" until I heard a knock on the door. When I opened it, all hell broke loose.

I slam my hand against the airplane bathroom mirror, holding back whimpers and moans as Fezco drives into me from behind. My eyes are rolling back as his fingers find their way into my mouth and down my throat I gag at the intrusion and Fez's head picks up from looking at himself pummeling inside of you at a pace that wasn’t fast enough to create loud sounds. “Be quiet,” he hisses lowly, using his other hand to wrap around my throat.

“I’m—fuck!” I yelp breathlessly as he sharply slams into me, slowing down his space.

“Use your words, princess,” he murmurs, his fingers digging into my skin that would for sure leave bruises. 

“I’m cumming,” I whimper quietly, looking back at him as he pulled my hair towards him.

“I know. I can fucking feel it. Fuck,” he mutters and presses his lips against mine, his pace quickening almost immediately. I can’t help but moan louder into his mouth. He lets go of my hair, grasping at my jaw harshly. “You need to keep it down,” he mutters, directing my attention back to the mirror. 

What a sight it is. His hand cupping my jaw almost possessively, his dick continuously ramming into my soaking pussy at a rough pace, hair tousled and ruined.

My stomach twisted with pleasure as he lets go of my face and grabs the back of my neck to bend me completely over. I have a death grip on the counter and bite my lip harshly as his hips still while he buries his cock snug into me. 

“Ohhh my god,” I moan as my eyes roll once more.

I scratch at the surface as a tingly sensation washes all over me and his tip hits my womb. I feel nothing but pure bliss as he fucks me through my orgasm. Watching as I cream on his dick, Fez pulls me back into his hips roughly while grinding them every which way. My back arches and my ass presses up against his hips, furthering his dick inside my cunt. There’s a dent in his forehead and the grunts he’s letting out almost send me into another orgasm. I look at him in the mirror and beg him to cum for me,

“Fez, please. I want to feel your cum inside me. I wanna grind down on the seat when I feel it start to leak out.”

“Fuck, baby. Keep going.”

“You’re fucking me like the slut I am. So fucking deep. Mmmm.” My bottom lip is tucked between my teeth as I enjoy the rough rocking. I clench around him and he grabs the back of my neck, my face hitting the counter once more.

He fucks me until he’s emptied everything he had into what’s his. He goes and stays balls deep until he starts to soften. When he pulls out, a little cum follows and he swipes it with his finger, pushing it back in. I keep myself on the counter until I have the energy to move and pull up my sweats. Once dressed, Fez places a passionate kiss to my lips before calling me “his good girl”. He peeks his head out to see what he can and gives me the signal when the coast is clear.

We get back to our seats just in time as Ashtray gets up to stretch his legs and comes to our row,

“We almost there?”

I tap my little tv screen and view the map,

“About 6 more hours.” He just rolls his eyes and heads to the bathroom. Fez and I get ourselves back situated when Ash exits the lavatory,

“Yo. Use the other one. It smells like straight fucking in there,” he says as he passes us.

Fez and I look at each other before letting out childlike giggles. We pick a movie and enjoy the rest of the flight.