#and now SO MUCH time for uninterrupted special interest time

[dl-bug]

.🩷.

[bonebrokebuddy]

honestly? I love that. As someone who has multiple siblings, I respect that take heavily

What if I lived in a reality where Wally and Bart were close

[vapolis]

You’re a mercenary, gun for hire, assassin, information extractor, delivery person – call it what you want, because the people that hire you for your services don’t give much of a shit what you call yourself as long as you actually get them what they want.

Your last delivery ended with you – or rather the body you have decided to take over that day – as well as your delivery getting killed. The boss is pissed now and demands you fix your mistake or else you’ll be a head shorter. Not really a look you think you can pull off so you set out to fix what you fucked up, if it just weren’t for that mask wearing asshole that wants to cut your adventure – and life from the looks of it – short.

REMEMBER, YOU WILL DIE is an interactive novel playing in the fictional city Vapolis, where you take on the job as a mercenary with a very special ability, looking to find out who has their deadly sights set on you.

gender & sexuality choice

five unique romance options, including one whose gender you can decide

a club called saints & sinners (yes, really) that becomes your second home

and the choice to wear heart-shaped sunglasses all day and if that doesn’t interest you, I don��t know what will

ORLA [ female ] your boss and the owner of the saints & sinners. orla has been around for as long as you can remember, always working from the safety of her club und gathering as much dirt on people as she can get her hands on. she never tells you what she does with the info she has, but if you know her at all, you can guess why no one tries to run her off the streets of vapolis.

JAX [ male ] as bouncer of the saints & sinners and right hand man of orla, jax knows what is going on in the dark underbelly of the city. he is the man you call when it is time to get rid of a body or you need extra firepower, seeing he is almost as mysterious as he is good with a gun in his hands.

ROYAL [ non-binary ] royal is a little bit of everything. bartender and hacker, they know how to track you down wherever you are. often underestimated, they have learned to see the positives in flying under the radar and are incredibly good with a SocialLink in their hands and a couple of minutes of uninterrupted time.

DANTE/DELILAH [ gender cust. ] only having recently met them in this life, you are not yet quite sure what to think of them. there’s a certain darkness in their mismatched eyes you grow to recognize in your own.

ECHO [ non-binary ] as the arms dealer of your choice, echo has been around quite a lot. their shop has become somewhat of a safe haven to you when jobs got too much, or you simply needed Intel no one else offered for the right price. their disdain for anything orla or the saints & sinners isn't lost on you, though, and it's a mystery you hope to uncover sooner rather than later

THE MERC [ main ch. ] taking on the role as the merc in vapolis, you are somehow infamous for your approach to jobs and are never out of work. you might be a terrifying character on the streets of vapolis, but you’re by far not the deadliest.

prologue + five chapters

267k words

DEMO - PLAYLIST - FAQ - CHARACTERS - FORUM - KO-FI

[f14fun]

lay all your love on me - op81 (C5)

synopsis: in which oscar piastri and a university student begging for her euro summer vacation collide in a steamy, abba-inspired romance

prose (6.7K words) ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ profile | masterlist | series index ⋆.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆

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05: Caffeine, Clem, and Capital-L Crushes

I was running on exactly four hours of sleep, and every yawn felt like my body’s way of scolding me for staying up way too late dissecting every little detail of my night with Oscar. Two hours on FaceTime with Clementine had somehow turned into a caffeine-fueled debriefing session, complete with dramatic reenactments, wild theories, and far too much giggling for someone who was supposed to be getting some rest.

Clementine had demanded every detail, leaning into the camera with wide, eager eyes, dissecting each word, each touch, like she was decoding the plot of a blockbuster rom-com. I’d found myself animatedly recounting every flirty remark and lingering glance, my voice climbing higher with each retelling, only for Clem to gasp and fan herself like we were living in some Victorian romance.

The more we talked, the more the night felt surreal—a blur of sun-soaked moments and teasing exchanges that played on a loop in my mind. I’d lost track of how many times Clem had paused to remind me, “Babe, he’s into you. Like, capital-L into you.” Each time, I’d try to protest, but the undeniable flutter in my chest always betrayed me. By the time we’d finally hung up, my cheeks were aching from smiling, and the adrenaline from our impromptu therapy session had me buzzing long after I’d collapsed into bed.

I could still hear Clem’s voice echoing in my head:

“I’m telling you, this is a Hallmark movie in the making, and you’re the main character. The Oscar Romance Special is about to hit season two.”

I’d rolled my eyes at the time, but now, dragging myself out of bed with a sleepy groan, I couldn’t stop replaying every flirty line, every shared smile, every moment that had made the night feel like something more.

The minute I’d crawled under the covers last night, I should have fallen straight into a blissful, uninterrupted sleep. But instead, I’d tossed and turned, Oscar’s voice running laps in my head, every cheeky grin and lingering touch replaying like my brain had hit the “rewind” button on the best parts of the day. And once Clem got wind of it, there was no way she was going to let me sleep without a full-blown breakdown of every micro-detail.

“It’s the way he looked at you when you were talking about chicken fights,” Clem had mused, eyes wide as if she were watching a thriller unfold. “Like you were the only person who’d ever said something even remotely interesting.”

I’d laughed, brushing it off, but the truth was, I’d noticed it too. The way Oscar’s gaze would linger, how his playful teasing had just the slightest undercurrent of something deeper.

We’d joked, sure—but every joke felt like it was skirting around something bigger, something neither of us were quite ready to name. And when I’d finally tried to put it into words, Clem had been ready with her own dramatic commentary, as usual.

“So he’s a Formula One driver, he’s charming, and he looks at you like you hung the moon with the flick of a finger. Babe, if you don’t lock in right now and lock that down, I’m coming over there myself to knock some sense into you.” She’d laughed with such glee and enthusiasm, but the teasing was laced with genuine excitement, and it had fueled my own sleepless spiral long after we’d said goodnight.

I’d tossed and turned for hours, replaying every moment in my head like it was some kind of twisted highlight reel. The way Oscar’s voice had dropped when he talked about his life on the track, the lingering touches that made my heart race, and that look—God, that look—like I was the only person in the world who mattered. Clem was right; it was hard not to get swept up in it, to not feel like the universe had handed me some ridiculous, too-good-to-be-true script of a romance movie. But as much as my heart was screaming at me to dive headfirst, my mind was busy throwing up every possible reason to pump the brakes.

Now, sunlight was streaming through my window, mercilessly bright, as I trudged to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face in a vain attempt to wake up. My reflection stared back at me, hair sticking out in every direction, dark circles under my eyes that practically screamed, You should have gone to bed sooner. But my mind was still buzzing, caught somewhere between the thrill of last night and the anxiety of what came next.

I brushed my teeth absentmindedly, trying to scrub away the exhaustion and the lingering taste of late-night anxiety. But every time I closed my eyes, I was back on that beach, Oscar’s teasing grin etched into my memory like a permanent fixture. It wasn’t just the flirting or the way he’d pulled me close; it was the way he’d made me feel seen, like all the walls I’d put up to protect myself had been effortlessly dismantled in a single night.

I leaned against the sink, sighing heavily. “Get it together,” I mumbled to my reflection. “He’s just a guy.” But even as I said it, the words felt hollow, lacking the conviction I so desperately needed. Because deep down, I knew Oscar was not just any guy. There was something undeniably magnetic about him, something that made it impossible to stick to the safety of denial.

My phone buzzed on the counter, snapping me out of my thoughts. It was a text from Clem, her timing impeccable as always:

Clem: morning, lovebird! dream of your racer boy? 😘

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips.

Me: morning. and no, i dreamt of sleep deprivation, thanks.

Clem: liesss girl liesss, i can see you RIGHT now in my mind. you’re probably blushing just thinking about him right now.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and, sure enough, the telltale warmth was already creeping up my cheeks. Damn it, Clem. She knew me too well.

Me: oh my god, clem. you’re like a psychic stalker. can’t a girl have some peace?

Clem: peace? honey, you signed up for the drama package the moment you met him. so spill, what’s the plan? are you gonna ride this love rollercoaster or what?

And, damn her, she was right. I tossed my phone onto the wooden dresser, groaning. Everything felt too raw, too immediate. It wasn’t like me to get this twisted up over a guy, but there was something about Oscar—something I couldn’t quite put my finger on—that made my usual cool detachment completely useless.

I splashed my face one more time, hoping the cold water would snap me out of my reverie, but it was no use. The memory of Oscar’s easy laugh, his warm touch, and that sincere, almost vulnerable side he’d let slip through lingered like a song I couldn’t get out of my head. And the worst part? A small, stubborn part of me didn’t want it to go away.

As I ran a brush through my tangled hair, I caught myself staring at the mirror, silently wishing for answers. What was I supposed to do now? Lean in and see where this crazy, unexpected thing with Oscar could go, or protect myself and pull back before things got messy? Either way, I was in uncharted territory, and the thought of navigating it without screwing everything up seemed both exhilarating and terrifying.

“Guess I’m in it now,” I muttered to my reflection, feeling the weight of the decision resting heavily on my shoulders. Because whatever happened next, there was no going back to before.

Clem: you better not chicken out now. i swear, if you start overthinking this, i’ll fly over there myself and push you into his arms.

Me: so violent, hehe.

Me: but thanks for the pep talk, dr. phil. ilysmmm

Clem: ilysm booo! you know it. and hey, you’ve got this. worst case? you get a story to laugh about later. best case? you get a hot f1 boyfriend. seems like a win-win to me.

I laughed, shaking my head as I set my phone down. Clem’s relentless optimism was a lifeline, even when she was half-joking. I wasn’t sure which possibility scared me more—letting this thing with Oscar fizzle out into a ‘remember when’ or diving in headfirst and risking everything.

I threw on my seafoam green strapless dress, the one with the ruched bodice that hugged my waist just right and flowed into a ruffled hem. It was the perfect mix of casual and effortlessly chic, capturing that laid-back Mediterranean vibe I’d always admired but never quite pulled off until now. The soft pastel green felt fresh and summery, and as I adjusted the fabric, I couldn’t help but feel a little more put together than usual.

To complete the look, I fastened my chunky gold chain necklace, adorned with oversized sea-themed charms—starfish, shells, and other ocean treasures that jingled softly with every movement. It was bold, a little gaudy maybe, but it felt right, like an unapologetic nod to the seaside setting we were in. Matching gold earrings dangled from my ears, catching the morning light, and I stacked a few gold bangles on my wrists for good measure. The jewelry was heavy, warm against my skin, but it grounded me, giving me a little boost of confidence as I prepared to face whatever this day would bring.

I took one last glance in the mirror, adjusting the loose waves in my hair and making sure the necklace lay just right. There was something about the way the outfit came together that made me feel a little bolder, like I was dressing not just for breakfast, but for the possibility of whatever—or whoever—came next.

Even if I felt nervous as hell and quite possibly so very close to the edge, I would make sure no one could see it (telling myself lies again but I digress).

I needed to look hot. Fucking impeccable.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my phone again, typing out a final message to Clem:

Me: okay, okay. i’m going. no more hiding. and if i trip over my words like a fool, that’s on you.

Clem: that’s my girl! go get your man.

With Clem’s words echoing in my head, I shoved my phone into my pocket and headed downstairs, nerves fluttering in my stomach like restless butterflies. The scent of breakfast hit me as soon as I reached the bottom step—freshly brewed coffee, the crisp aroma of toast, and something sweet, like cinnamon and sugar. It was a comforting mix, and it tugged at the edges of my anxiety, coaxing me forward.

The kitchen was bathed in soft morning light, casting a golden glow over the bustling scene. Mae, with her short hair tousled in that effortlessly cool way only she could pull off, was dressed in an oversized graphic tee and a pair of tiny denim shorts, her legs stretched out as she lounged on the stool, half-distracted by whatever was on her screen. A few bracelets jingled on her wrist as she absentmindedly scrolled, occasionally chiming in with a sarcastic comment that made the others laugh.

Hattie, ever the organized one, was moving around with purpose, her damp curls pulled back into a messy bun that still somehow looked put-together. She wore a light blue tank top that matched her eyes and high-waisted linen pants that billowed slightly as she moved, the kind of outfit that screamed effortless summer chic. She balanced a stack of mismatched plates on one hip, arranging them on the table with precision, her expression a mix of focus and amusement as she chimed in on Mae’s snarky commentary.

Edie, the youngest but certainly not the quietest, was manning the stove with the confidence of someone who had taken on the role of breakfast chef many times before. Her hair was pulled into two loose braids, little wisps escaping around her face as she flipped pancakes with practiced ease. She wore a sunflower-yellow sundress that brightened the room even more, the fabric swishing around her knees as she moved. A slight dusting of flour clung to her hands, and there was a faint smear of batter on her cheek, giving her an endearing, carefree look.

The kitchen smelled heavenly—warm, sweet, and buttery—with the faintest hint of vanilla wafting from Edie’s pancake masterpiece. Mae’s playlist was faintly audible, playing some indie pop tune that filled the gaps in their conversation and set an upbeat mood. It was the kind of scene that felt both chaotic and comforting, each of the sisters contributing to the lively morning energy in their own way.

“Morning!” Mae chirped, barely glancing up from her screen but still managing to sound chipper. “You’re up early. Couldn’t stay away from us, huh?”

“Morning,” I replied, trying to keep my tone light and casual. “Smells amazing in here.”

“Edie’s specialty,” Hattie said with a grin, sliding a stack of pancakes onto the table. “She’s got this whole breakfast chef thing down to an art.”

Edie turned, waving the spatula in a mock bow. “Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week. Literally.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, taking a seat across from Mae. “Well, lucky us. I’m definitely not complaining.”

Mae finally looked up, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “So, did you sleep well? You know, after your little moonlit stroll last night?”

I felt my cheeks heat up instantly, and I reached for a mug to hide my flustered expression. “Yeah, fine. Just… normal.” I took a sip, hoping the coffee would ground me, but all it did was make me more aware of how on edge I was.

Hattie exchanged a knowing look with Mae, then turned to me with a playful smile. “You guys were out there for a while. I half expected to hear the soundtrack of a rom-com playing in the background.”

I rolled my eyes, but there was no malice in it—just the familiar tug of embarrassment. “You guys are impossible, you know that?”

Edie laughed, flipping another pancake. “Oh, we know. But you love it.”

“Sure, let’s go with that,” I said, trying to keep my voice light as I picked at a piece of toast. The truth was, I didn’t mind their teasing. In fact, their relentless ribbing was almost comforting, like being folded into a dynamic I didn’t know I needed.

“Anyway,” Mae continued, dragging out the word as if savoring the moment, “Oscar’s still asleep. Guess all that romantic strolling wore him out.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and I choked on my coffee, trying to keep my composure.

“Mae, please,” I said, laughing despite myself. “I don’t need a play-by-play of his morning routine.”

Edie set down the last plate of pancakes and took a seat, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Oh, come on. It’s just so fun watching you squirm.”

“Yeah, and you’re kind of the only normal one here,” Hattie added, piling syrup onto her plate. “Oscar’s always either being overly confident or sulking about something. It’s refreshing to have someone who’s, you know, sane.”

I smiled, feeling that familiar warmth of being welcomed, even if it came wrapped in layers of teasing. “Well, thanks, I guess? I’ll take being the sane one if it means I get pancakes.”

Hattie passed me the syrup, her grin wide. “Deal. But don’t think that gets you off the hook. We’re all dying to know—what’s really going on with you and Oscar?”

I hesitated, suddenly aware of how much their playful scrutiny meant to me. I didn’t want to let them down, but I also wasn’t ready to admit to anything that I hadn’t even figured out myself. “Honestly?” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m not sure. But I think that’s okay. We’re just… figuring it out.”

Mae nodded, surprisingly earnest. “Hey, no pressure. Just enjoy it. Life’s too short to overthink everything.”

I glanced at her, surprised by the sudden shift from teasing to sincerity. “Yeah, you’re right,” I said, feeling a little more settled. “I think I will.”

Mae’s expression softened, and she set her phone down, propping her chin on her hand as she watched me. “Seriously, though, don’t stress about it. If anyone can handle the chaos that is Oscar, it’s you. Plus, he’s not so bad once you get used to the terrible jokes and the occasional bouts of bravado.”

Hattie chuckled, sliding into her seat and pouring herself a glass of orange juice. “And the dramatic speeches,” she added, winking at me. “He’s got a flair for making everything sound like it’s life or death, but really, he’s just a softie at heart.”

Edie finally turned off the stove, setting a towering plate of pancakes on the table with a triumphant grin. “You’ll get used to it,” she said, giving me a conspiratorial smile as she sat down. “Just roll with it. That’s what we do.”

Their encouragement warmed me more than I expected, and for a moment, I felt like I was being let in on a secret, one that went beyond the lighthearted teasing and easy banter. It was clear that beneath all the jokes, there was a genuine care for their brother—a kind of protective, loving acceptance that made me feel a little less alone in navigating this new territory with him.

I sat down, reaching for a pancake and letting their words sink in. The idea of just enjoying the moment, of not overanalyzing every tiny interaction, felt both freeing and slightly terrifying. But sitting here, surrounded by this noisy, welcoming group, it felt like maybe, just maybe, I could let go a little. I could let myself lean into the unexpected without the weight of expectations dragging me down.

Mae poured herself another cup of coffee, her smile turning back into her usual mischievous smirk. “And hey, if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll have some great stories. Like, ‘Remember that summer I got tangled up with a race car driver and his three crazy sisters?’ It’s all part of the adventure.”

I laughed, shaking my head at Mae’s dramatics. “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, taking a bite of my pancake, the sweetness filling my senses. “But for now, I think I’ll just enjoy breakfast and see where the day takes me.”

Hattie raised her glass in a mock toast. “To not overthinking and just going with the flow,” she declared, her eyes sparkling with the easy confidence of someone who knew exactly how to live in the moment.

Edie joined in, clinking her glass with Hattie’s and then mine. “And to great company,” she added, beaming as she dug into her stack of pancakes.

Edie took a sip of her juice, then leaned forward, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “So, we got all wrapped up in Oscar’s big secret yesterday, but what about you? We didn’t really get to know much about the mystery girl who’s apparently brave enough to keep up with our brother.”

I smiled, feeling the spotlight shift to me as all three sisters turned their attention my way. “Oh, nothing too dramatic,” I started, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m twenty-one, a senior at George Washington University in DC.”

Hattie’s eyes widened with recognition. “Ooh, DC! The nation’s capital, right? I’ve always wanted to go. It’s like, politics central, isn’t it?”

I nodded, laughing at her enthusiasm. “Yeah, it’s a pretty unique place. It’s not a state, but it likes to think it’s important enough to be one. You know, home of the White House, Congress, and a whole lot of people in suits pretending they know how to run the country.”

Mae snorted into her coffee. “So basically, it’s one giant power trip?”

“Pretty much,” I grinned. “But it’s also got this amazing mix of history and culture. There are monuments and museums on every corner, and sometimes it feels like you can’t throw a rock without hitting some important landmark. It’s kind of like living in a history book—except with more Starbucks.”

Hattie laughed. “And you’re majoring in what? Political stuff, I’m guessing?”

“Close,” I said, feeling a bit more comfortable now. “I’m majoring in International Relations. It’s like political science, but with more foreign countries, diplomacy, and trying to figure out why world leaders can’t just get along. Basically, I’m training to be the world’s most overqualified peacekeeper or, you know, a very stressed-out diplomat.”

Edie nodded, clearly impressed. “That sounds really cool, though. And probably way over my head. So what do you do for fun in a city full of politicians?”

“Well,” I said, a little shy but pleased they were interested, “when I’m not drowning in textbooks, I actually love to photograph the city. There’s something about the mix of old architecture and modern chaos that just... speaks to me, I guess. Plus, it’s an easy way to escape all the academic stuff and just focus on something beautiful.”

Mae’s ears perked up. “Wait, so you’re a photographer? That’s awesome! Do you post your stuff anywhere?”

I hesitated, suddenly feeling a bit bashful. “Yeah, I have an Instagram account where I share my photos. It’s kind of taken off a little bit.”

Hattie immediately pulled out her phone, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “What’s your handle? I wanna see!”

I told them my Instagram username, and within seconds, they were scrolling through my feed, their faces lighting up with interest as they took in my shots of cityscapes, moody portraits, and candid street moments.

“Whoa, you’ve got 32.9K followers?” Edie exclaimed, holding up her phone to show the impressive number. “You’re basically Instagram famous! And these photos are gorgeous.”

Mae looked up, clearly impressed. “I’m not even surprised. You’ve got an eye, girl. These shots are like... magazine-level good. I feel like I’m seeing DC through a totally different lens.”

I blushed, feeling a mix of pride and humility. “Thanks, it’s kind of my little escape. I just love capturing the city’s vibe—the people, the little hidden corners, the chaos and calm all mixed together. I never expected it to turn into something people would actually follow.”

Hattie scrolled through a few more pictures, pausing on one of a sunlit Washington Monument framed by cherry blossoms. “I get it. This is art, seriously. And now I’m kind of jealous of your life. You get to live in this cool place, study fascinating stuff, and take amazing photos on the side. That’s like, triple threat territory.”

Hattie leaned back in her chair, shaking her head in disbelief. “You know, I’ve never even been to DC. I mean, we’ve talked about going, but somehow we always end up at the beach or stuck on some last-minute road trip that Dad plans.”

Mae laughed, nodding. “Yeah, because why visit the nation’s capital when you can get lost in the middle of nowhere and argue over gas station snacks, right?”

Edie snorted. “Honestly, the closest we’ve been to DC is watching reruns of House of Cards and pretending we understand politics.”

Mae threw her hands up dramatically. “I swear, we’re missing out. I mean, we’ve got to see all those marble buildings and secret government stuff, right? What’s it like, just casually living near a bunch of old guys in suits who make all the rules?”

I laughed, enjoying their banter. “Honestly? It’s a mix. On one hand, you’ve got all these important people running around pretending they’re changing the world. On the other, it’s just a bunch of monuments, overpriced coffee shops, and tourists blocking the sidewalks with selfie sticks.”

Hattie giggled. “Wow, it sounds like such a glamorous place. Like New York, but with more government scandals and fewer Broadway shows.”

Edie nodded, trying to look serious but failing miserably. “I feel like we’d be kicked out of DC within a day. One of us would probably start an argument with a senator over parking spaces, and Mae would definitely try to sneak into the Capitol just to see if it’s as dramatic as the movies.”

Mae pointed at Edie, pretending to be offended. “Hey, I’m not that reckless. But, like, if we do go, I’m definitely hitting up those underground tunnels. You know they’ve got to be hiding some cool spy stuff down there.”

I shook my head, laughing at the absurdity. “Yeah, I’m not sure you guys would last. You’d probably spend the whole trip critiquing the statues or getting lost in the Smithsonian.”

Mae shrugged, grinning. “Hey, we’re up for the challenge. Just promise to be our tour guide when we eventually decide to grace DC with our presence. We’ll bring the chaos, and you bring the camera.”

“Deal,” I said, raising my glass in mock seriousness. “Just don’t blame me when you get kicked out of a museum for climbing on the exhibits.”

Mae nodded in agreement, setting her phone down. “Yeah, honestly, I’m just glad we finally got to hear your side. And hey, now we know that if you ever get sick of Oscar, you’ve got a whole city full of potential new admirers.”

I laughed, feeling a warm sense of belonging settle over me. “Thanks, but I think I’ll stick around for a bit. I’m kind of liking where I am right now.”

The girls laughed, and Hattie leaned in, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Wait wait wait I still have a few questions. You must have some wild stories. I mean, it’s DC—you’re right in the middle of all the action!”

I smiled, settling into the moment. “It’s a lot of things—hectic, beautiful, sometimes frustrating, but never boring. I love how there’s always something happening, whether it’s a protest down on the National Mall or a pop-up art exhibit in some random alley. There’s this constant energy, like everyone’s in a rush but also living in this incredible historic moment all the time.”

Edie nodded, fascinated. “And the photography thing—how do you even capture all of that? Like, do you just walk around with your camera 24/7?”

I laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Pretty much. I like to just wander around and see where the day takes me. You’d be surprised how many hidden gems there are—little parks tucked between office buildings, street musicians who are just as talented as anyone on stage. Plus, it’s fun capturing the contrasts—the shiny government buildings and the raw, gritty parts that make the city feel real.”

Mae smiled, clearly impressed. “Okay, so now you’re officially our go-to when we make it to DC. We’ll get the full insider experience—no boring tourist traps.”

I opened my mouth to agree when suddenly, a familiar arm draped around my shoulder, pulling me into a warm side hug. “Speaking of insider experiences,” Oscar’s voice broke in, far too close to my ear. “Are you telling them about your little secret photo spots? Or do I get to be the first one you show around?”

Startled, I jumped and let out a sharp yelp, my heart leaping into my throat. Without thinking, my elbow shot backward, driven by pure instinct and a jolt of adrenaline. The impact was immediate—I felt my elbow connect with something firm and unyielding. It wasn’t the soft thud of bumping into furniture or the awkward smack of knocking into someone’s arm. No, this was solid, unmistakably muscular. My elbow sank briefly against the defined ridges of Oscar’s abs, and I could feel the tension of his muscles bracing under the sudden, unexpected blow.

Oscar let out a strangled, surprised grunt, the sound half-laugh, half-pained exhale, as he stumbled backward. His expression morphed from shock to mock agony as he clutched his side dramatically, doubling over with a theatrical gasp.

“Ow! Holy—” he managed between strained breaths, his free hand pressed firmly against his stomach as if he’d just taken a punch straight out of a boxing ring. He staggered back a step, his body curling protectively around the spot where my elbow had connected, and for a split second, I worried I might’ve actually hurt him.

But Oscar’s over-the-top reaction was more comedic than anything else. He leaned against the counter, groaning with exaggerated flair, squeezing his eyes shut as if he were the star of his own melodramatic performance. His dark hair fell messily over his forehead, and even in his mock pain, he couldn’t quite hide the playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

“You’ve got some serious power in that elbow,” he wheezed, still clutching his side but peeking up at me with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. “What have you been eating? Steel oats? Protein shakes? Because, damn, you’ve got a weapon there.”

“Oh my god!” I gasped, half mortified, half laughing as Oscar pretended to lurch dramatically against the counter. “You scared the hell out of me! Why are you sneaking up on people?”

Oscar winced playfully, rubbing his abs where I’d jabbed him. “Damn, remind me never to surprise you again. You’ve got an elbow like a linebacker.” He laughed, but his eyes were twinkling, clearly enjoying the chaos he’d caused.

I sat there, caught between concern and stifled laughter, my face flushed with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry!” I exclaimed, half-panicked, half-giggling as I reached out, instinctively trying to pat his shoulder as if that would somehow ease the pain. “I didn’t mean to! You just—scared me, and I—I panicked!”

Oscar straightened slightly, still rubbing his abs where I’d jabbed him, his expression teetering between pain and mischief. “I thought I was gonna end up on the floor.” He let out a breathless laugh, eyes sparkling despite his over-the-top suffering. “You’ve got some serious reflexes.”

I glanced down, my gaze lingering on the spot where I’d made contact. Even through his t-shirt, I could feel the distinct firmness of his abs—hard as a rock, like something carved from stone rather than skin and muscle. It was like hitting a brick wall disguised as a human. My cheeks heated as the realization sunk in, and I quickly pulled my hand away, trying to mask my flustered reaction with an awkward laugh.

“Next time, announce yourself!” I shot back, still breathless from the sudden surge of adrenaline. “Or, you know, maybe just don’t sneak up on me when I’m in the middle of a conversation.”

Oscar straightened fully, his grin widening, and he offered me a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am. Lesson learned. I’ll approach with caution—and maybe a helmet—next time.”

The girls burst into laughter, Mae doubling over as she clapped her hands. “Nice one, Oscar. Just try not to get yourself KO’d next time.”

Edie was practically crying with laughter, holding her stomach. “I’ve never seen anyone get taken out by a breakfast elbow before. That was amazing.”

Hattie chimed in, wiping a tear from her eye. “Oscar, you’ve got to work on your stealth skills. Or at least your reflexes. She got you good.”

I was still blushing, torn between embarrassment and pride at my unintentional takedown. “Maybe don’t sneak up on people who are talking about their city adventures,” I said, giving him a playful glare. “I almost knocked the wind out of you.”

Oscar straightened up, still rubbing his side but grinning like he’d just won a game he didn’t know he was playing. “Noted. I’ll keep my distance when you’re in storytelling mode—didn’t realize I’d need a bulletproof vest just to get your attention,” he teased, his voice laced with that familiar playful confidence. He gave me a mock bow, adding, “But hey, it’s not every day I get nearly floored by someone half my size. Impressive, really.”

Mae, who had been watching the whole scene unfold with wide-eyed amusement, chimed in, barely able to contain her laughter. “Honestly, I think you got off easy. If she can take you down with an elbow, just imagine what she could do with a roundhouse kick. You better stay on her good side.”

Hattie snorted, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, Oscar, if she’d been holding a frying pan, you’d be out cold right now. I’d pay to see that fight.” She shot me a wink, clearly enjoying her brother’s over-the-top reaction. “Nice job, by the way. Most people just tell him to buzz off, but you? You went straight for the kill.”

I was still blushing, torn between embarrassment and a tiny bit of pride at my unintentional takedown. “Maybe don’t sneak up on people who are talking about their city adventures,” I said, giving him a playful glare.

Oscar chuckled, his grin never faltering. “Lesson learned. I’ll approach with a white flag next time.” He rubbed his abs one last time, his expression softening as he glanced at me. “But hey, consider me officially intrigued by DC and whatever other hidden skills you’ve got. Might have to keep my distance, but I’m not going anywhere.”

Edie was wiping away tears of laughter, her cheeks flushed from the hilarity. “This is officially the best breakfast we’ve had in ages. Who knew we’d get a free Oscar takedown with our pancakes?” She raised her glass in mock celebration. “To the unexpected and unintentional, but very satisfying, smackdown of the day!”

Oscar shot her a look of mock offense but couldn’t keep from laughing himself. “Alright, alright, I get it. I’m the morning entertainment. But just you wait, I’ll get my revenge—when you least expect it.”

I smirked, still feeling the lingering tingle in my elbow and the rush of adrenaline from the whole absurd encounter. “I’ll be ready. But remember, sneak attacks don’t end well around here.”

Oscar held up his hands in surrender, the playful banter still dancing in his eyes. “Point taken. No more stealth moves—at least not without a warning. But hey,” he added, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper as he leaned in just a bit closer, “I guess that means I’ll just have to find new ways to get under your skin.”

His words sent a small thrill down my spine, the challenge hanging between us like an unspoken promise. It was impossible not to smile, the line between annoyance and attraction blurring further with every quip and every lingering look.

We all settled back around the table, the remnants of breakfast spread out like the aftermath of a lively party. Mae was still giggling into her juice, and Hattie was busy piling pancakes onto her plate, but the atmosphere was lighter now, filled with an easy camaraderie that made the whole morning feel like a scene out of a feel-good movie. I scooped up some scrambled eggs, trying to act casual, but every now and then, I’d catch Oscar sneaking a glance my way, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Pass the syrup?” Oscar asked, leaning in closer than necessary, his arm brushing against mine as he reached for the bottle. It was a small touch, barely noticeable, but it sent a little jolt through me, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes playfully.

“Careful,” I said, handing it over with a smirk. “Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself with this dangerous syrup. It’s a real menace.”

Oscar grinned, pouring a generous amount onto his pancakes. “Yeah, well, I’ll try to handle it without getting taken out by a rogue condiment. But thanks for the concern.”

Hattie snorted, shaking her head as she munched on her toast. “You two are like a sitcom. Seriously, how are we supposed to eat when it’s all banter and sneak attacks?”

Mae nodded in agreement, waving her fork in the air for emphasis. “Exactly. We need a warning before you two start up again. I almost choked on my juice.”

I laughed, grabbing another slice of fruit. “Don’t worry, we’ll try to keep the drama to a minimum. Breakfast is a sacred time, after all.”

Edie set down her fork, glancing at the clock on her phone. “Speaking of time, it’s still early enough that we could hit the market before it gets too hot. We need to grab some stuff for tonight anyway.”

Oscar perked up, leaning back in his chair. “The market sounds good. It’s not far, and we can get there before the sun decides to fry us alive. Plus, we can stock up on snacks. I’m thinking... fresh pastries, some local olives, maybe something sweet?”

Mae grinned, tapping her fingers on the table. “Count me in. I want to see what kind of cool stuff they have. And maybe pick up something to annoy Hattie. It’s like, a sibling rite of passage.”

Hattie rolled her eyes but smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. “Sure, Mae. I’ll make sure to keep you far away from anything that looks remotely like a musical instrument. I don’t need another round of impromptu concert performances.”

I glanced around the table, feeling a swell of excitement at the idea of exploring the local market with them. It was the kind of spontaneous plan that felt like the perfect way to spend the morning—just wandering around, sampling local food, and maybe picking up a few souvenirs. And, of course, the thought of more time spent with Oscar, in and out of playful jabs, wasn’t exactly unappealing.

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, pushing back my plate and stretching my arms. “But we better go soon before it really heats up out there. I’m not trying to become a melted puddle on the sidewalk.”

Mae let out a dramatic groan, fanning herself with a napkin. “Seriously, I already feel like I’m halfway to becoming a human popsicle. Let’s move before I turn into a puddle of regrets.”

Oscar chuckled, leaning back in his chair as he finished the last of his juice. “Don’t worry, Mae. We’ll keep you hydrated. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find a portable fan to add to your collection of weird market finds.”

Mae shot him a playful glare. “I’m not the one who bought that weird wooden frog last time, Oscar. That was all you. But if I find a fan, I’m buying it. Consider it an investment in my survival.”

Oscar held up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright, but if anyone finds a fan that also doubles as a weapon, I call dibs. You know, just in case I need to defend myself from any more surprise attacks.” He shot me a teasing look, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Edie laughed, wiping her hands on a napkin as she pushed her chair back. “Oscar, the day you need to defend yourself from anything other than your own bad decisions is the day we all need to start worrying.” She grabbed her sunglasses from the table, slipping them on with a flourish. “But I’ll keep an eye out for a fan-weapon hybrid. Seems like something that could really elevate your whole ‘I’m constantly under attack’ vibe.”

Oscar feigned offense, clutching his chest dramatically. “You wound me, Edie. But you know what? I’ll take the fan and the survival bragging rights. And when we’re all sweating buckets, just remember who thought ahead.”

Hattie shook her head, tossing her empty juice cup in the trash. “Let’s just get to the market before you guys end up buying the weirdest stuff just for the sake of it. We’re here for essentials, remember?”

Mae snorted, throwing her arm around Hattie’s shoulders as they headed toward the door. “Speak for yourself, Hattie. Some of us are here for the thrill of the hunt. And maybe a sun hat that screams ‘I’m on vacation and I don’t care.’”

Oscar turned to me, his eyes sparkling with that familiar mischief. “What about you? Got any market goals today? Weird trinkets, secret weapon fans, or just here to keep me out of trouble?”

I pretended to consider it, tapping my chin thoughtfully. “I think my goal is to keep you in just the right amount of trouble. Can’t have you getting too comfortable.” I winked, enjoying the easy flow of our banter, the way it felt like slipping into a well-worn routine despite how new it all was.

Oscar laughed, a low, warm sound that sent a flutter through my chest. “Deal. I’ll keep it interesting. And if I find anything particularly ridiculous, you’ll be the first to know.”

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author's note: a double update for my lovelies, so sorry i didn't update on sunday <3, i hope you enjoy chapters 5 and 6!!

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taglist! @mingyusbigrighttoe @theblueblub @demandealalune @linnygirl09 @fix5idiots

[earlgreytea68]

Hi! I think you mentioned it here, that Patrick did a second appearance on In Defense of Ska podcast, I finally got to listen to it today, and wanted to share my bubbly feelings in your inbox ;)

I’ve got a feeling, that once in awhile p2 just have to go and participate in cool interesting things just to give fan fiction writers new plot bunnies! Like, here’s a new titbit about my life that you can totally incorporate in your new story! For example, Patrick worked on a school radio station for 4 years??? He had his own show??? He got to listen to bunch of new music and decide what will be in rotation?? There was a lot of hardcore bands that made their way on that rotation?? Do you know what I mean???)) And then, when he was asked about if he managed to sneak in some ska into fob catalogue, and he admitted to only a couple of songs having some elements…?? It’s just pure gold! He softly talks about Pete appreciating reggae, because he grew up listening to it a lot, and then tells that he himself likes doing the dishes and listening to some reggae albums… I mean… this shit writes itself, lol!!! And by the end of it I just realised once more, that I could listen to this magical, silly man from the suburbs of Chicago talk, almost uninterrupted, for endless periods of time ☺️

All of this is SO TRUE. It's funny because, like, Pete has long had the reputation / role for being the one "in the know" and joking about fandom and RPF and shipping, etc., but I love so much how, as they have aged, Patrick has turned out to be absolutely stellar at providing little fic prompts hahahahaha he's such a little gremlin about it and I love him for it. Everything about that interview was SO GOOD. They just let Patrick ramble and ramble and the whole thing was pure gold, Patrick is the best hahahaha

Sometimes I think, like, Pete used to joke about it all so demonstrably because he was testing Patrick, like, do you like me? do you still like me? we're special soulmates, right? you feel the same way, right? And now he doesn't have to test Patrick anymore because he knows how Patrick feels because Patrick so casually is just like, So Pete loves reggae and me, too, I listen to it while I wash the dishes, yup, for, like, no reason at all in this conversation hahahaha. Pete's chilled out the more that Patrick's leaned in.

[kasagia]

Hi!

If you feeling like it, could you do a one shot in which Klaus and Reader have been together for a long time and love each other but when they move to Mystic falls Reader can see and feel Klaus distancing himself and crushing over Caroline?

Like he would start spending more time trying to get her attention and watching her, while putting his missions and schemes over Reader. She sees that his sketches are less about her and more about Caroline and she feels alone, heartbroken and ignored. Then she hears Klaus tell Caroline the same confession that he told her when they got together ("He is your first love, but I intend to be your last") and she runs away to collect her things from their shared room.

But what she doesn't know is that it was all a plan to make Caroline fall in love with him and tell him the plan of the Salvatore. At the end Klaus finds put about her missing and search for her but she is scared that now that he doesn't love her anymore he will hurt her to keep her mouth shut about the secrets that she knew so she goes on the run.

The ending is up to you ofc. Thank you!!

I'm not the only one

Pairing: Klaus Mikaelson x reader Summary: You and Klaus have been together for ages. You swore to each other Always and Forever. You could always rely on him, and the original hybrid trusted you with his plans. But how long can you turn a blind eye to his sudden interest in a certain Caroline Forbes? And after hearing him say the same words to her that practically started your relationship, you realize that maybe after all, you're not the only one for him. Warning(s): angst - because I'm having a terrible week and I needed to get rid of these negative feelings, Klaus cheating (kiss), broken reader, little comfort at the end because I don't like sad endings. Nonsense from me: I hope you like it! World count: 6,2k

You and me, we made a vow For better or for worse

You and Klaus have been together for a very long time. You stood by him as you built the might of New Orleans together—a safe home, a haven—until Mikael showed up and sent everything to hell. Despite this defeat, you were still with your beloved, escaping with him from his cruel father and trying to defeat Mikael once and for all. His siblings were like family to you (even though you never formalized your relationship). You've been Klaus' fiancée—kind of part of the family—but he could still get rid of you if he wanted at any time.

But you tried not to worry too much about it, knowing full well that Klaus didn't want to expose you to the wrath of his enemies and the special attention of his father if he married you. After all, you were still an ordinary vampire. A simple heart rip, a werewolf bite, or a wooden stake through your heart could kill you very easily and quickly.

You didn't need to make it official. His love and devotion were enough for you.

But since your arrival in Mystic Falls and (finally) breaking his curse, your relationship has started to sour.

Things between you two changed when certain Caroline Forbes showed up on the picture...

I can't believe you let me down But the proof is in the way it hurts For months on end I've had my doubts

One day Klaus' full devotion and love for you shone bright and uninterrupted from him, and the next day he completely ignored you, spending the entire fucking prom with that blonde bitch. The merciful, compassionate look from Esther and the Mystic Falls gang was the worst feeling you've felt in 300 years.

But you tried to justify his behavior when it turned out that his mother really wanted to kill them all. You thought he had distanced himself from you and turned his attention to this young vampire to protect you from Esther.

However, a few months later, when he completely lost interest in you, he stopped texting you during the day, and you fell asleep before he came home and got up when the bed was cold on his side (sometimes you even doubted he was coming home at all), and worst of all, his sketches were all about sweet Caroline—you began to have serious suspicions that he was doing all of this for "your own good".

Sarcasm completely intentional.

Of course, Elijah tried to explain away his brother's attitude, but you knew better. If Nik really cared about you, he'd be communicating with you about more than just the magic cure for vampirism that he had to get for Elena.

Even that fucking doppelgänger and her bodyguards talked to him more than you, his (probably now in name only) fiancée.

Denying every tear I wish this would be over now But I know that I still need you here

You sighed, folded your napkin, wiped your tears, and got up from the table. You blew out the red candles that had practically burned out and left the dining room, leaving the 300-year "engagement" dinner with Klaus on the table.

You went to the kitchen and took out of the fridge a bottle of wine specially chilled and stored for this occasion, from the exact year you met. You slowly walked up the stairs. The sound of your high heels hitting the marble steps echoed through the empty mansion, mocking your loneliness.

As you walked down the hall towards your room, you noticed that the light was on in one of the bedrooms. Without thinking, you entered the room of your favorite original and leaned against the door frame, watching with amusement his attempts to use the phone.

"Fuck. Stupid mortal device." at one point, the man turned on the flashlight, blinding himself. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!" I burst out laughing as Kol fell off his bed. He looked around the room in surprise, blushing with embarrassment when he saw that I had witnessed this compromising event.

"Kol Mikaelson. The terror of the living and the dead, the deadliest and most dangerous of the original vampires, was defeated by the flashlight on his phone. Rebekah won't believe me when I tell her."

"Very funny. Shouldn't you be fucking my brother today on your anniversary instead of standing here and torturing me?" he muttered, getting up off the floor and brushing off the invisible dust.

"Apparently he has other priorities. Should I be worried you wanted to eavesdrop on us?"

"Don't flatter my brother. We both know I can hear better sounds from you if you'll let me. Besides, I'm not a weirdo. I was about to curl up the moment I heard the first sound of danger."

"Every day, I consider your offer more and more. And I seriously doubt Klaus will hold a grudge against you after that."

"Wait a minute. 200 years ago, you said you'd rather be celibate than sleep with me, and Nik threatened to castrate me with a rusty shovel. Is it that bad between you two?"

"Come on. It's great! That's why, on one of our most important anniversaries, I'm standing in his brother's room." you groaned, trying to hold back the tears welling up in your eyes.

You were so weak and naive, still only wanting the company of a man who hadn't said a single word to you in months that wasn't related to his plans.

"Okay, I understand... wait. What's this? Can I see tears? All right, that's enough of this. Get your ass up and let's go drink and dance. Now that you've dressed up, we'll make good use of your short, sexy dress. I heard those pups from the Mystic Falls gang are having a party at the Salvatore's house. Let's make a mess, darling!" he tried to comfort me by pulling me into a tight hug and evoking any sort of giggle.

"That's why you're my favorite. But don't even think you'll get a sip of this wine." I said with a half smile, trying to somehow appreciate his attempt to cheer me up.

"Don't blame me. I had to try, darling. Now go fix that mesmerizing makeup, and I'll see you downstairs."

You say I'm crazy Cause you don't think I know what you've done But when you call me baby I know I'm not the only one

Salvatores may have been a pain in the ass, but they knew how to throw a party. It was child's play for Kol and you to get inside and empty their liquor cellar. You laughed and joked until another couple showed up at our hideout.

You sat hidden among the barrels so that you had a view of the stairs leading up. At their feet stood probably your least favorite couple...

"Why did you just let Tyler come to the party? You're not going to tell me there's a heart in that empty space near your lungs?"

"Calm down, love. It's your birthday. You shouldn't be nervous."

"I get nervous every time I see you. Now. Tell me, what am I supposed to do to repay you for bringing my boyfriend here and letting him stay at my party? Because I don't believe you did all this out of the kindness of your heart and you don't want anything in return." she said suspiciously, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I want nothing, love. Consider it a birthday present." he replied nonchalantly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. He didn't even wear those smart suits on your birthday; he hated them. You don't know if it was because he felt like a second Elijah in them or because he was used to his henley. Apparently, SHE was worth sacrificing a bit of his comfort.

"You already gave one to me. Actually, a lot. What's all this Klaus for? Why do you try so hard for me and make sure I have a wonderful day, only to bring my boyfriend back at the end of it?"

"He's your first love. I intend to be your last. However long it takes. Until then, let me spoil yourself. Seduce in all the ways you ever dream of." you felt as if the whole world stopped for a moment around you as you heard the same enchanting words coming out of his mouth to her that he had used to convince you to run away with him 300 years ago.

"Seriously? This goes against all the rules of flirting, without even mentioning that you already have a girlfriend."

"Y/N? She's only my minion. A person from dirty work. She imagines something more about us, and that's it. I never loved her. Not the way I care about you, Caroline." sure, go ahead. Go all out. Kiss and fuck against this wall. Anyway, your heart is already dead.

"Klaus I..." the blonde shook her head, staring in shock at the hybrid with a small disbelieving smile. Klaus walked over to her, taking her hands in his. Their mouths were centimeters away from joining in a kiss right in front of your eyes.

"Care! Where are you?! It's time for cake!" the screams of her friends saved you from watching the love of your life kiss someone else, adore someone else, and give his heart, his lips, his eyes, and his touch to someone else.

You could only watch silently as Klaus offered her his arm and helped her up the stairs. Always a gentleman… at least when he wanted something or expected something in return.

There was dead silence in the room. You could feel Kol's sympathetic gaze burning a hole in the left side of your head.

"Y/N, he didn't mean..."

"It's okay, Kol. I've got ears, a brain, and pretty good eyes. I know what I saw and heard. I think that's enough fun for today. Thanks for trying to make me feel better." you cut him off, seeing panic instead of surprise in his eyes. So his siblings knew everything... that's probably why Rebekah left without saying a word.

"No! Y/N, wait! You don't..." before he could say anything else, I ran out of there at vampire speed.

"Shit. Klaus is going to kill me." a man said to himself after she disappeared.

You've been so unavailable Now sadly I know why Your heart is unobtainable Even though Lord knows you kept mine

Honestly, you should have known it would end like this. From the beginning of your relationship, a swarm of girls followed him wherever he went. But then he only saw you.

"I don't like it here." I snorted, eyeing the werewolf bitch who had been fawning over Nik since the party started.

"Here or her, love? It may seem that one letter means nothing, but as you hear, it changes the whole meaning of your statement." the original snorted, throwing his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his possessive grip.

"None of them. Did we really have to throw this ball?" I complained, catching the lady werewolf leader's eye and kissing Mikaelson greedily to "mark my territory in front of that bitch." I pulled away from him as a smug smirk began to form on his lips, interfering with my ministry. "Why are you smiling like that? What's so funny?"

"For the first time, I see jealousy on your beautiful face. I have to admit it's a nice change."

"Please, as if half the women in the world aren't already trying to take you away from me. One puny wolf cub poses no threat to me, much less arouses my jealousy."

"Of course. So kiss me again. Just in case she somehow didn't get the message."

I snorted, pulling him to me by his necklace, and biting his lips to the blood. I licked my mouth as I climbed onto his lap and straddled him. I ran my hand through his hair and started leaving small kisses along the column of his throat.

"We're in public, love." he purred, wrapping one hand around my neck and pressing down gently. I growled, biting into his skin and taking a few gulps of his blood.

"And when exactly did it ever bother you?" I whispered, continuing to mark his skin. I smiled mischievously as I saw shivers run through his body.

The moment I felt his own fangs glide against my neck, I moved away from him at arm's length. I smiled victoriously at his annoyed look.

"What happened with being in public thing, love?"

"Who could resist such tempting beauty and strength? Definitely not me." he growled with a smirk, grabbing me bride-style and moving us with vampire speed to his room, specifically his bed.

"Elijah will be furious with us if we disappear again. Your werewolf friend is unlikely to be pleased with the lack of your wonderful presence either." I moaned as he started tearing off my dress.

"It's a good thing I don't care about any of them now. I'm yours. Only yours, my queen. And you're mine. And I will be proving it to you for always and forever."

You should know that one day you will fall from his pedestal.

You say I'm crazy Cause you don't think I know what you've done But when you call me baby I know I'm not the only one

I felt sad, to say the least. And a bit lonely.

For a month, Nik had become... colder, more distant. It started with us no longer having dinner together. Stupid observation, I know, but I couldn't help but miss his presence. He disappeared somewhere, fighting with the Salvatore brothers for Elena's blood. I understood his need to create a hyrbyds—someone like himself, his own pack that wouldn't leave him—but that didn't mean he had to do it alone. I could help him. I always helped him. However, my role began to be limited to guarding his hybrids and his sister.

Then he stopped writing to me. He could go all day without speaking to me, which was starting to worry me, so like any normal person, I decided to talk to my partner about my concerns. I just forgot that there is no such thing as normal between me and Niklaus.

"Love, don't you know how many things I have on my mind? If I had to write to you every second of every day, I would never have achieved what I have. Don't be a child who demands constant attention, you know that I love only you. There is no other woman whose arms I would rather return to every night."

I felt stupid. Like an oversensitive madwoman who needs to be in contact with her beloved 24 hours a day. But over time, he even stopped coming back to our bed, and if he did, it was so late that I had already fallen asleep. Sometimes the smell of his perfume left on his pillow was the only contact I had with him during the day.

So I made him a real jealousy scene. But that only made me feel worse than before.

"Y/N. My light and life, you know how much I care about you. If it were up to me, I would never leave our room or your delightful presence. But you can't reproach me or make unreasonable scenes of jealousy when all I'm doing is keeping our family safe. I thought you could go a few hours without my wonderful presence? Besides, do you think that when I'm away from you, I don't spend a second thinking about you? You are with me, in my mind and memory, always and everywhere, but I cannot let myself be distracted and forget about my main goals to succumb to your captivating beauty. I'd be lost in you forever, forgetting what I have to do."

He could make me feel real remorse, but subconsciously I felt that something was wrong with all of this and that he wasn't telling me the whole truth.

He adopted a different tactic. He gave me some of his responsibilities, which kept me busy for half the day. Not that I missed him any less.

My suspicions only increased after I discovered a large number of sketches by another woman, the same woman he'd invited to his mother's damn ball, in his art room. However, I decided not to do anything about it and wait for the situation to develop.

I was tired of hearing that I was crazy.

I have loved you for many years Maybe I am just not enough You've made me realise my deepest fear By lying and tearing us up

Maybe you've been crazy and still madly in love with a man who's clearly been using your love and sincere, blind devotion all this time, but that doesn't mean you'll watch him slowly give himself to another just to stay with him just a little longer. You still had some dignity.

Besides, you had to leave. You saw what Klaus did to people he no longer needed. If he was capable of disposing, compelling, and torturing his minions, what will he do with you, the woman who knows all his family's darkest secrets, when he no longer needs you?

You had to run as fast and as far as possible.

If you're lucky enough, you'll cross the US border before he realizes you're gone. Maybe you'd even join Katherine? She was always sending silly postcards and postcards from pretty places to encourage you to run away from the hybrid. Now seemed like the right time to join her on the journey of a lifetime.

Despite your rational, cool approach to the situation, you couldn't stop your stupid tears from spilling out of your eyes as you packed all the necessities into your suitcase.

It took you an hour to recover from seeing a 19th-century photo of you and the Mikaelson family. You did it in New Orleans, right after you took over the city completely. Marcel stood with a big smile, embracing an equally cheerful Rebekah from behind. Elijah was holding Kol by the shirt so he wouldn't accidentally pounce on the human-photographer, and you and Klaus stood side by side, staring at each other with so much love in their eyes. Your big diamond glistened on your finger under the light of the lamps.

When did it all go to hell?

You stuffed the photo frame into your suitcase and slammed it shut with a bang.

Before you went downstairs, you stopped by his art room for a moment. With a sigh, you took one last look at all the old portraits he had painted, and after finding a piece of paper, you left a message on his latest sketchbook dedicated to HER.

It was a fun few centuries together, Klaus. But I knew I would never be the only one for you. Love and hate, Y/N P.S. You can give her that.

The ring you've worn for 300 years laughed at you, glowing in the glow of the street lamps as you left him on the note.

Without thinking twice, you ran out of the house and loaded your bags into your car. You cast one last longing glance at the house before getting into your car.

You angrily wiped away the tears that kept you from seeing the road ahead.

You knew only one quick and effective way to get rid of your unwanted, desperate emotions, but would you be able to do it? Stop feeling anything?

On the other hand, what was stopping you from doing it? You had nothing and no one in this world anyway.

You say I'm crazy Cause you don't think I know what you've done But when you call me baby I know I'm not the only one

"Is he cheating on me?" Rebekah spat out the wine she was drinking in shock and started coughing. After she had relatively recovered, she started staring at me like I was crazy.

"What?"

"Your brother. Is he cheating on me?" I repeated, sipping my own wine and staring blankly at the fireplace.

"Nik?"

"No, Elijah." I snorted, tucking my legs under me.

"Are you crazy? If one thing is certain about my brother, it's that he loves you madly. What in the bloody hell made you think otherwise?"

"Let's see… he avoids me, spends his days with God knows where and with whom, and hired me as a personal babysitter for his hyrbyds and a searcher for new werewolf packs, of course, from a distance, because even though he treats this damn house like a hotel, he makes me stay in it like a ghost in a fucking crypt! I'm sick of this, Bekah. I know he's hiding something from me. Okay, he may have secrets and plans of his own that he doesn't want to tell anyone; he has done it before. But this time, he's crossing the fucking line." in my frantic speech, I didn't notice that I was swinging my glass from side to side, spilling its contents onto the couch. I sighed, not really caring. It's not like Klaus would notice. He would have to stay here for more than an hour first.

I staggered to the bar to pour myself another glass, but Bekah's gentle grip on mine stopped me.

"Maybe we've had enough of this wine, eh?" she asked thoughtfully, taking the glass from me and placing it on the bar. Seeing tears welling up in my eyes, she pulled me close to her and started stroking my hair reassuringly.

"What have I done wrong, Bekah? Why doesn't he love me anymore?" I asked, sobbing, letting myself let out all of the stress and helplessness I'd felt for months.

"Shh… it's okay, darling. Everything will come back to normal, trust me. Just be a little more patient."

"Rebekah! Y/N! There is a way to make Elena human again. We can have our hybrids back! Of course, we will have to modify our plans a bit. We can't have a repeat of what happened last time. Caroline told me… What happened, love? Are you crying?"

Klaus suddenly came back and walked over to where the two of us were cuddling. He looked at me clearly distressed, but he didn't seem to notice that my sobs only increased after hearing HER name fall out of his lips.

"It's nothing, Nik. We got a little drunk, and now we're more sensitive, aren't we?" Rebekah thought on the spur of the moment, stepping away from me. I just nodded my head, falling into the hybrid's open arms.

Ironically, the man who had driven me to this state was the only one who could comfort me in any way.

"I got you, love. Let's take you to our bedroom."

He took me in his arms, slowly carrying me upstairs. Along the way, I couldn't help but wonder if I was the only one he called "love"?

I know I'm not the only one I know I'm not the only one I know I'm not the only one

Third-person's POV

"KOL! How could you take her there?!" the hybrid screamed, throwing another bottle of scotch he found in sight at his brother.

Klaus found a note left by Y/N. So was their empty bedroom, stripped of her belongings. The lingering scent of her perfume was the only trace that she had once lived here.

And he was furious with his brother. The dagger and white oak powder were safely tucked away in his pocket, and he was just waiting for the right moment to punish his brother. He took you right into the middle of his plan to seduce Caroline to get the information he needed. Kol sat her in the goddamn, fucking front row so she could watch him fawning over another woman while Klaus was only thinking of getting this whole Mytsic Falls fiasco over as soon as possible and holed up somewhere with his love for a well-deserved holiday.

Now he couldn't.

She disappeared.

And he had an insatiable lust for murder. His brother will be in that bloody coffin, where he belongs, by tomorrow.

"I wasn't the one of us who came up with the brilliant plan of chasing some blonde while your girlfriend was pining for you, you criminal genius!!" Kol shouted back and threw one of his brother's paintings at him.

If he was going to die today, at least he would defend himself to the last breath. In fact, he knew the worst thing his brother would do was put him in that fucking coffin. Unless he can survive long enough until Elijah returns.

"You know perfectly well that I did it to protect her! She is an ordinary vampire; any stick can kill her! Thanks to my false interest in Caroline, I killed two birds with one stone. I kept Y/N safe and could extract the information I needed. But she wasn't supposed to know anything until we left together! AND BECAUSE OF YOU, SHE'S NOT HERE!" he growled, attacking his brother. He lunged at the younger vampire, pinning him to the ground and trying to pierce his heart with his dagger. Kol, however, tried to defend himself and did his best to keep the blade away from his chest.

"NO! Nik, wait! I can help you find her; we'll take her back to you; just don't do this to me! I can't come back to this coffin, please, brother!"

"You've done enough."

"NIKLAUS!" Kol breathed a sigh of relief as Elijah pushed their brother off him and snatched the dagger from his hand. "You have to calm down."

"Don't tell me what to do, and don't you dare take sides with this traitor! He brought Y/N there on purpose to destroy our relationship! You've always flirted with her, but if you think that's how you'll finally have her, you're sorely mistaken, brother." he spat out the last word with such revulsion that Kol flinched, beginning to feel a real fear of Klaus. "I'm going to burn this damn world to get to her and disprove all the lies you told her about my action."

"I never wanted her for me, she's like a sister to me." he choked out, trying to reason with the maddened hybrid. He had never seen him like this before. He must have really cared about Y/N if he was willing to tear the world apart just to find her.

"It is because of you and your actions that Y/N escaped, and now you must face the truth and accept the consequences of your actions, Niklaus. You can't blame Kol for that. Besides, I don't think Y/N approves of you daggering us again."

"So what am I supposed to do now? She ran away from me!"

"Calm down first and hide that ridiculous stake you're hiding behind your back; none of us is your enemy. We will find her. You have my word."

The hybrid growled something under its breath in agreement and left the room, presumably to hide the originals' doomsday weapons once again. Kol stood next to Elijah, staring at their brother's retreating figure.

"How the hell did he get it?"

"I don't know, but be glad I came on time. When it comes to Y/N, he's capable of doing a lot of things." he muttered, following the footsteps of the hybrid.

"Yes, but he wouldn't kill me, would he? Elijah?! Would he?!" panicked, he ran after his older brother, deciding that until they found Y/N he would stick to his suit jacket like his life depended on it. Which was actually true.

And I know, and I know, and I know, And I know, and I know, and I know, know I know I'm not the only one

Second-person's POV

You've been hiding with Katherine in her family home in Bulgaria for a month now. You honestly doubted it was safe to live in a place so important to her, with Klaus' minions and debtors looking for you all over the world, but you didn't question her methods. After all, she had been running from him for 500 years. She was more skilled than you.

In addition to visiting her hometown, going to various human events, and sunbathing in her garden, you spent your days reflecting on your relationship with Nik. The original left you at least 20 voicemails every day. You didn't complain about the lack of contact between the two of you. Sometimes you listened to part of them, sometimes they ended up in the trash, and sometimes Katherine took your phone so you wouldn't even think about picking up the call from your ex-lover.

But they all said the same thing: "I'll find you."

The vampire tried everything in her power to make you forget about him. However, dating, flirting, and sex escapades with people as drunk as you have not yielded any results. Besides, it ended when the news reported that one of these unfortunates had died with his head detached from the rest of his body. You two still have no idea how Klaus found out (because it was clearly his job), but you didn't want innocent people on your conscience, so Katherine stopped looking for new guys for you.

However, this particular incident was not repeated. None of your one-night stands have lost a life except this one. You guessed that Klaus, in his frustration (he must have had a really bloody day or something), sent you this kind of warning. Or maybe Caroline just successfully occupied him with something else, so he stopped threatening you.

You shuddered.

You couldn't think about him being with her like you two used to be. Not yet. Not when Katherine just turned your switch back on.

So instead, you went back to tending your garden. Even before you met Klaus, you had a weakness for growing flowers, exotic shrubs, and plants. Now you have more than enough time and space to get back into your hobby. And Katherine approved of everything you did, as long as it wasn't about Klaus. You could have sworn you'd seen her water some of your plants herself. And you could confidently say that you both love this place.

Your phone buzzed again today. Klaus. This time, instead of a voicemail, he sent you a text.

"Him again? Why don't we just burn this phone, dance around the fire, sing about how much we hate him, and buy you a new phone? Maybe with some handsome, charming man or woman bundled?"

"What if he finally gets tired of chasing after me and leaves me alone? How will I know if I change my number?"

"Very funny. Do you think Caroline will make him a saint?" I froze at those words, pausing before cutting a dead twig. "Fuck. I'm sorry, I didn't want to…"

"No, everything's fine. You're right. I should be able to function normally now and stop tensing up every time I hear one of their names."

"Well, after being with this maniac for 300 years, I believe you may still be experiencing harmful side effects."

"Hold." you threw her your phone. "Do what you want with it. I'm going to change clothes, and we'll have fun in the city. If I remember correctly, there's supposed to be some kind of mask festival there, right? So it's perfect for us."

"And that's the attitude I want to see!"

You smiled as you walked away from her, laughing, towards the house. Who knows? Maybe today you'll find the only one for you.

~•♤♤♤•~

"Hurry up! I want cotton candy!" you tried to shout over the crowd of people around you and grabbed the reluctant brunette by the hand, dragging her with you.

"You're acting like a child, but you're happy, so I'll forgive you this time."

"Come on. Just admit you like it."

"Yes, my dream was to go to the ferris wheel, ride bumper cars, and eat cotton candy with a 300-year-old vampire wearing a mask that prevented me from breathing or eating a normal human meal."

"See, I told you you'd like it." the brunette rolled her eyes, pulled your arm into a half-hug, and smirked mischievously. Oh no. Yoy knew that look.

"The hot brunette on the 4th has been staring at you ever since you got in that stupid line. Go and have fun, or I'll eat all your cotton candy."

"But Kath..."

"Don't "Kath" me! Get your ass over to him or I'll push you myself!"

"Terrorist." you snorted, taking her arm off you and walking over to the man who was staring at me.

If you were human, you wouldn't have approached him. He was at least... strange. He was standing in the shadows, leaning against one of the least frequented stalls. His mask covered his entire face, unlike the others; even part of his hair was hidden from people's eyes. Besides, Katherine must have gone blind in her old age. His hair wasn't brown; it was blonde. Dark blonde...

You shuddered. It couldn't be Niklaus. You must have been paranoid. If he had found us, he would have hit you without thinking. He wouldn't be lurking in the shadows for you; he'd get rid of the problem right away. You weren't naive; you knew too much for him to let you live.

But you couldn't shake the feeling of something familiar as you looked at the stranger.

"Hi, I'm Y/N. You have a very nice disguise." you smiled and extend your hand in greeting.

The stranger took your hand and put it to the golden metal mouth carved into his mask. Without knowing why, you shivered with excitement. You felt so weird. Like you've done something like this before.

And then that single, most important memory in your whole life reminded you why you should run away from a stranger as fast as you can.

You've already met him. At a masquerade ball, at your cousin's estate, the ones fucking 300 years ago wore the same fucking mask.

It was Klaus.

You were about to yank your hand out of his grip, but he pulled you closer, turning your back to his strong chest. He took three steps back, completely drowning both of you in the dark. He dropped his mask, pressed his hand over your mouth, preventing you from uttering a scream, and rested his chin against your shoulder, breathing deeply as he buried his nose in your hair.

Katherine will never find your dead body.

Your heart beats faster with each silent second.

"Hello, love. I think I finally caught you." under other circumstances, you would quiver with excitement as he whispered those words lewdly in your ear. Now that his love was located elsewhere, you were afraid of what he might come up with for you.

You trembled in his arms, waiting for his next step.

Instead of some sudden, no doubt painful move on his part that you were expecting, the original took off his coat and put it on you, making sure all the buttons were buttoned up.

You couldn't do anything but watch him in shock. You're sure if you weren't so tense and stressed, your jaw would have dropped to the floor instead of clenching nervously in anticipation.

"Let's take you home, love. We all missed you." he grabbed your hand, trying to lead you out of the festival.

"Won't you kill me?" the hybrid froze, slowly turning to face you. He cupped your cheek gently with his hand and looked at you with pure love and adoration in his eyes that more or less masked the sadness behind them.

What the fuck?

"The only person I want to kill right now is my little brother. You, love, are all that matters to me."

He cupped your lips in a passionate, longing kiss, entwining his hands in your hair. You moaned, giving in to the pleasant feeling of being close to his body. At one point, fireworks exploded around you, causing you to shudder slightly in surprise. However, Nik continued kissing you as if his life depended on it, with a small, happy smirk.

Wait a minute…

Realization has passed through your mind.

He didn't want to kill you.

He was looking for you because he missed you.

He loved you.

So he and that blonde monkey…

You pulled away from him, slapping him across the cheek. He sighed, rubbing the slightly sore spot.

"I admit, I deserved it…"

"What the hell were you doing with Caroline?! You think you can play with her behind my back and come for me after a month like nothing ever happened?! You're in so much fucking trouble… why the hell are you smiling?!" you shouted as you saw a satisfied, blissful, even grateful smile form on his face.

He must have gone completely insane this month without you.

"You have no idea…" he paused, reaching for you to pull out a small velvet box from the pocket of his coat and open it to reveal your ring. "How much I missed you."

"Don't even think that after all this, I'm just jumping into your arms. You must have been up to some stupid plan of yours, AGAIN, that involved that bitch and instead of telling me anything, AGAIN, you decided to do everything yourself and got so involved that you forgot about everything else, AGAIN?"

"Maybe?" he glanced at you, embarrassed, fiddling nervously with the ring box in his hands.

"God. You're lucky, I love you." you growled, taking the ring from him and putting it on your finger, then pulling him to yourself and kissing him hungrily, trying to make up for those lost (BECAUSE OF HIM) weeks.

He moaned into your lips, willingly committing to return your kiss. You pulled away from him before it turned into a full, hot makeup session between the two of you.

"I have to go back to Katherine's for my stuff. I'll text you when and where we'll meet."

"I will go with you…"

"NO! I will not expose Katherine to you. I'd been waiting for you for months in a cold, empty bed. I believe that you will last a few hours without me."

"Hours?"

"You wanna change it into days?" you asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"No. I'll wait for you." he replied quickly, not wanting to part with you for longer than it necessary.

"Perfect." you gave him a quick goodbye kiss and ran back to Katherine.

Well, maybe you were the only one after all. - you thought with a smile, fiddling with the ring that was adorning your finger again.

[primewritessmut]

15, 19, 24, 26, and 30

15. favorite weather for writing

Jesus. I don't know! I've literally never thought about it. There are benefits to all the weather, I think, when it comes to nurturing writing but I think I like wet fall weather the best. When the leaves have all fallen and are turning to mush on the ground and hot drinks start becoming a necessity again. But that is all tied up in my cabin in the woods, bog witch dream future so... I mostly write when I can write.

19. the most interesting topic you’ve researched for a fic

Dude. YOU KNOW.

When I was writing bloody theater, the one-shot inspired by spirit box, I needed to research Victorian era medical practices so I more or less knew what the operating theater looked like and what kinds of tools Loki would be likely to use during the vivisection. Which led to me reading an entire book about Joseph Lister who is /sort of/ the father of modern medicine in the sense that he pioneered ways to minimize infection during surgery.

It was such a wild book and so interesting. I was literally sending you screenshots of some of the shit these Victorian doctors did. Like literally nothing has made me feel more kind toward current healthcare than that book.

24. how do you recharge when you’re not feeling creative?

I usually stop writing and spend more time doing other hobbies. This past week I've been feeling sort of "meh" about Midori Sour and so haven't been writing at all BUT (!) I've read a ton of books, finished several crochet projects, and went to a few open shoots.

This very adult way of dealing with it is relatively new though. I used to just lay upon my fainting couch with my hand upon my brow and LAMENT for an hour before getting back to the word mines.

26. are you able to write with other people around?

Yes. I kind of have to be able to or I would never write at all.

Back in the day I was very much a "complete and total silence" writer but needs must when the devil drives which means I've had to adjust because I will never experience silence again.

(All that being said, I still think I'm most productive, and write better, when I can sit uninterrupted in a quiet space for an hour or more.)

30. share a fic you’re especially proud of

Goddamn it.

I don't feel pride for fics because hitting post is the exact same thing as shoving them into a shallow grave and shoveling dirt over the body. They are dead to me. Gone. I've moved on now.

I don't knooooow.

I guess I'm proud of bloody theater because it was (1) a labor of love that landed exactly as I'd hoped and (2) it's something I never thought I'd have the balls to put in fic form (let alone ROMANTIC fic form). I'm also super proud of A Particular Set of Skills because it's very balls to the wall in a different way and has format that scared me a little. That one was not so much a labor of love as a Dear John letter to Spideypool. He Speaks Daggers is also probably up there. I think it's one of my mostly tightly plotted fics and it's emotional and romantic in a way that's very special to me.

Ask me again in three months and the answer will have changed to my most recent fics from that point in time, I'm sure.

x

[foster-the-world]

Moving along

Having a great vacation to celebrate our anniversary and both of our Birthday's. The kids are in heaven with my Mom and Aunt. I was worried about baby boy and felt guilty about leaving him. He's doing great. My Mom is so good with him. When I dropped him off at school he was still clinging to me/crying. With my Mom he walks in without looking back. I'm so glad we booked the trip despite my worries. Time with your grandparents/family/people who love you is a gift. I have such fond memories of weeks with my Grandma when my parents went on trips. My kids are lucky they will have the same memories. My Mom made a list of fun things the kids wanted to accomplish. They took baby boy to his first movie. Obviously enjoying all of the uninterrupted time with my husband. It's so easy to travel without the kids. I also think its really good for my Aunt. She doesn't move much - as in she rarely walks anywhere. She loves spending time with the kids and they force her to move. Its incredibly helpful for us and I think she likes feeling useful. She also takes care of her Mom. She's pretty grumpy so its a thankless job.

Job interviews are rolling in. Odd/nice to be in a job that companies are desperate to hire. One job sounds great but I'm worried about the commute time. Its a home for children with developmental delays. The kids seem to be on vents/have trachs. It says they can't live at home. I'm not sure why as many kids with those things live at home. The parents generally become experts. Maybe these are more complicated then what I'm familiar with. The place looks fancy - it includes a swimming pool. They train new grad nurses. It reminds me of a college summer job I had working at a Paul Newman job for kids with illnesses. It was wonderful. It would be a lot to learn but that's anywhere. Five weeks of vacation and a good salary. It says you accumulate PTO immediately but can't take vacation for six months. That won't work for me but I'm assuming its something I can negotiate. Especially if I'm willing to take unpaid time off that I preschedule during the first six months. I want/need Christmas and April Spring break off. The interview is next week. I also have an interview at a IVF clinic. Have an option to interview for a home health job. I think the long run that would be interesting/great but I don't want to start a job where I'll be on my own. They will train me but I have my doubts its enough. I'll probably do the interview just to hear more/practice.

Evaluations for baby boy continue. His OT said "no way he has autism." Feeling calmer about it no matter the diagnosis. The fact that he's charmed his teacher and is getting rave reviews has eased everything. We need to treat his ADHD type symptoms to keep him and those around him safe. From what I understand the two time's a week OT sensory gym sessions is the first step towards that. Still hoping to tour a special ed school but as of now not feeling that recommendation. Also will feel better when we get an adoption date. No word on that from anyone. The caseworker still acts like we are crazy for even asking.

Bee had a fun Birthday party. So nice to see all of her little friends. So lucky to have such a great community.

[oohbuggypie]

bulldon ramble? **sad violin music**

WHO SENT THIS . SHOW URSELF . BULLDON MENTION THE WORLD STARTED SPINNING I GOT DIZZY AND DOUBLED OVER IN STOMACH PAIN INDUCED BY PURE JOY . BullDon augghh yuughhhh ugh ough ouhh ... taking poison damage because i love them so much . where do i start .

have u seen my ridiculously long post about BullDon already ? bcuz if u haven't it's linked and i think u might love that 🩷 HOWEVER BullDon runs in my veins and i think i can contribute even more to this so ramble NOW!! adding a below cut because i wanna explain the story behind the central headcanon so it may get a leeeetle long + i know some people don't care for ship talk 🩷

okay one of my headcanons mentioned in a previous post is that Don absolutely loves vintage cars . he doesn't exactly care for working on/the restoration of vehicles bcuz he isn't a big fan of spending all that money he cant spare on the correct parts, as well as the hyperspecific research that goes into it .. but that man is head over heels for an old Chevy Bel Air Convertible, particularly one with a glossy red exterior and a cream interior. like that's his dream car above all else, and it's something he's wanted since he was 20

anooother headcanon of mine i believe ive mentioned is that Bull has MONEY! considering that he's a world circuit professional boxer, he gets around in a limousine in his comic strip, and is canonically a celebrity ,, why wouldn't he be at least a LITTLE rich ?? however, despite those riches, he doesn't seem to flaunt it , let alone be the type to rub it in others' faces

so between these two headcanons and incorporating my own culture into my fav things .... i think that throughout their "relationship" (lts unlabeled, they just kiss on each other and r quietly in love), as they got closer and got to know each other more, Bull observed the fact that Don would become ecstatic over any old cars that passed them he on the streets . when Don would see them, he'd make remarks about their beauty and how admirous he was of anybody who owned such treasures. Bull had always cared and been fascinated by Don's love for the cars, but he had never taken into account that he may have a desired one of his own. so one day, amidst Don's ramblings, Bull asked him what HIS favorite kind of vintage car was and why. he knew Don would be happy to share, and Bull was genuinely just interested and wanted to know more- but not only did he simply want to know of his interests and passions - he def had a lil smthn in mind ..

upon learning of the Bel Air Convertible, Bull began spending copious amounts of any spare time he got researching this car; all of its parts, all the models and the years they were released, the special features and their availability in the current times .. any and everything anybody knew about that car, he made sure he knew more. he was determined to buy this car for Don as means to express his love and care for not only him, but his hobbies and happiness .

seeing that Bull spent a majority of his time in New York due to his regarded position in the World Circuit and Don's lesser (but still significant) position in the Major Circuit, having time to freely search around uninterrupted, let alone secretively, was next to impossible . it stressed him out for sure .. until about two months after he learned about Don's dream car; Don informed the WVBA and Bull personally that he would be returning home to Madrid for a month's time to reconcile with his family after being separated for the sake of his career for such large bouts of time. it broke Bull's heart to be separated from someone he loved for such a long period, but at the same time this was his desperately needed opportunity to begin searching for anybody in possession of the car, and figure out how long it would take him to both get work done on it and have it be functional

GETTING TO THE MAIN POINT IM SPEEDING THIS SHIT UP CUZ IM SOO TIRED + HAVE TO BE OUT OF HERE IN LESS THAN 20 MINUTES + I DONT WANNA BORE U 😭

as afore mentioned, the cost of this car (absolute minimum now is about 36k , so i believe 25k? in 2009) wasn't a deathly problem for Bull; he took every step he had to no matter the cost to get the Bel Air properly repaired. when it came time for the paint job, he had to consider just what KIND of red Don really wanted and how it may make or break not only the beauty, but the sentiment of this car. it was the most nerve-racking factor of the entire process; but after some thought he settled for a Cola red. and sure enough, when the time came that Don returned to New York, there aren't words true enough to describe how hard Don cried and how joyous he was for such thought in his name. He couldn't hug or kiss Bull enough, but he could do ONEE thing that would solidify their love

Don taught Bull about cruising and the "culture" of lowriders !!!!!! this is exactly the reason he wanted this car; to cruise with somebody he loves down any and every street they could, in daylight and at night. he made playlists of music he inserted into a drive so that he could have his favorite music play on the radio while they drove about. he taught Bull all about the love that goes into these cars, the love that goes into cruising, and even the love they'd receive from people on the streets when they saw them. Don got to drive the car first, no doubt about that; but his intention never was to hog it! he wanted Bull to learn how to cruise and when the best times were, and eventually he perfected the position in which he drove so that it was no longer just "driving" to him; it was about the love, the smoothness, and the memories it would make

they adore the day drives in summertime an indescribable amount, but their favorite cruises are the ones at night through the downtown roads. that's when the lack of seat belts in old vehicles let Don slide close to Bull and lean on his shoulder, and when they pulled into and parked wherever they resided for the night he could put his hand to Bull's chest and kiss his cheek 🩷

OMG I AM SO LATE TO THIS ONE ANON I AM SO SORRY ! I SAW IT THE SECOND ÌT GOT SUBMITTED BUT IVE BEEN BUSY AS HELL !! BUT FINALLY HEREEE i hope this wasn't too long or too short or tewww boring BUT ITS ONE OF MY DEAREST BULLDON HEADCANONS 🩷 I HOPE U LOVE IT AND THANK U SO MUCH FOR THE ASK 🥹

[jinlizz-dragondrama]

Chapter 15

I am Robot

*2 years later in SpongeBob Narrator voice*

"Phew, finally, I'm finished," I say, exhausted and wiping the sweat off my forehead, leaving a grease smear on my forehead.

I added the finishing touches to my science project, thankfully I was able to use Donnie's lab uninterrupted....well mostly uninterrupted. Donnie was very nosey in trying to figure out what my project was.

*Flashback*

1 year ago

"So Aqua, about that project of yours since you won't tell me about your senior science project I've come up with plenty of ideas to power-"

"No thanks got it covered," I say while adding some adjustments to my blueprints*

1 year 4 months ago

"Can I just have a little peak, please...I'll-I'll let you use my tech bo..."

"Really?" I quickly drop some scrap metal onto the floor and rush over to him with my eyes sparkling with excitement

"Maybe I was being a bit hast-"

"No can do Don Tron," I say uninterested, and picking up the discarded metal.

1 year 10 months ago

"Pleeeeeeeeease, the suspense is killing me"

I giggle, and continue to use a welding Torch once I'm finished with that section I remove my safety shield from my face and look over at him.

"You'll have to see it with everyone else"

"But I'm more special than everyone else so that makes me first in line to see this very intriguing and unknown invention of yours"

"Sorry, Dee I haven't broken now, what makes you think I'll say yes now?"

"Well it's scientifically proven mostly from the data I collected over the years from Leo that if you keep asking eventually the person will give up and do what is being asked of them," Donnie says

"Uh-huh, well I think that the great Donnie can't handle a bit of pestering from his brother.

Donnie splutters and crosses his arms, mumbles to himself as he walks out of his lab.

Literally this morning

I'm sleeping and having a very interesting dream, then I hear Donnie's voice whisper to me.

"You should let Donnie help you with your project, with his genius brain and your equally genius brain. You will be the best team to ever walk to earth. EVIL LAUGH"

I wake up, feeling headphones on my ears and a cassette player attached. I rip it off and throw it out of my curtain door.

"Are you serious Donnie!" I shout while throwing it and it hits Donnie square in the face.

I hear a pained groan from the other side and I turn over in my bed and go back to sleep.

*End of Flashback*

"Ugh with how poor April's past and present science fair projects went I'm glad I was able to keep Donnie away" I yawn again

I push the button on my inventions and it turns into its incognito mode which is a tung mode. I place it on my middle finger on my left hand. Making sure to clean up my mess after using Donnie's lab for 2 years it was pretty much my second room but I made sure to keep it clean and organized.  Once I was finished cleaning up I decided to grab a bowl of cereal before I made my way to school with April.

Stepping into the kitchen I'm greeted by Leo and Raph fighting over the last box of cereal that they like and Donnie drinking a cup of coffee with a complete crossword puzzle in front of him. I roll my eyes and expertly avoid the scuffle, as I reach for my brand of cereal a plate of pancakes is placed in front of me. Turning to see Mikey holding the plate, I gladly accept it, hop into my chair at the breakfast table, and start to eat.

"How long did it take for you to complete it this time?" I ask while blowing on my pancakes

"About a minute," He says without looking up from his phone

"Nice new record," I say

"Scoff I would have finished faster if those dunderheads weren't so loud" Donnie retorts

"No fair, why does she get pancakes?" Leo asks, Raph shoves him away and pours the cereal into his bowl while Leo is distracted.

"For one, You don't have a big presentation this morning, two breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and three Donnie helped make these so they are extra special.

Donnie spits his coffee which splatters all over his crossword puzzle and starts to choke. Mikey shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Oops my bad it was supposed to be a surprise"

Once Dinnie recovered he gave Mikey such a look that if it could kill him it would and probably the people around him too.

"Thanks, Dee, they're really good" I smile and finish up my last pancake

"Don't mention it" he says as he cleans up his coffee mess.

"Ooooo Donnie is in-" Leo starts to say but it is cut off by Raph smacking him on the back of his head

"What?" Leo says annoyed

"Spider" Raph answers

Mikey comes over to me giggling and shows me pictures of Donnie making the pancakes with one of his inventions and it mixed too much causing batter to explode everywhere, another picture of both Mikey and Donnie covered in batter, then the last picture was of Donnie plating the pancakes. It warmed my heart and brought a blush to my cheeks thinking about him trying his hardest to cook for me.

Washing the dishes in the sink Leo comes over and rests his arm on my shoulders.

"Listen you have nothing to worry about you've got me the best wingman for these kinds of things. All you have to do is imagine that everyone is in their underwear" Leo says

"That never works and you better not cause a scene at my school Leonardo Hamato!" I say while bending one of Leo's fingers backward causing him to tap on the counter signaling that he has given up.

"Oooooo government name," Mikey says teasing

"Look at the time, gotta get ready to meet you guys at the school" I shout as I run to my room.

After a quick shower, I brush my teeth, comb my haur put it into a bun, put on some black leggings with Jean shorts over it and a flowy purple shirt with puffed sleeves. Grabbing my back pack, stuffing my blue prints, phone, homework and snack I head out of the lair entrance. Seeing April we high five and chat as we walk to school.

We go our separate ways, I head to the gym to see up my section for the science fair, after am hour of setting up it was finished, fiddling with the rung nervously I sigh to myself and go over my speech flashcards.

"Hey, Y/N!" I heard a voice say

I jump a bit and turn around, seeing a fellow classmates bit not being able to remember his name I smile and wave.

"Hey, you all set with your project?" I ask

"Yep finished it last minute though" male classmates says.

"Of course you did" I laugh

"Hopefully those big shot scientists pick you to join their program. You deserve it the most." He says

"Oh no I don't think I deserve it, I tried just as hard as everyone else" I say the last part slowly as I see someone with a volcano project and I laugh awkwardly.

The doors are pushed and in walks the gang in their surface attire looking like average teenagers....well as average as possible. April follows in as well and look at my presentation white board and poster boards. I made sure not to have anything that explained what my project was exactly only the materials and the type of power source it uses.

"You got this, cuz if they don't pick you I'll have no choice but to write an article on how they made the wrong choice" April says while pushing her glasses closer to her face.

"Stop April keep the articles for the real stories" I punch her gently in the shoulder.

"You guys look around, I'm gonna set uo backstage" I start walking towards the stage

"Say uh Donnie I think you should go help Y/N" Raph says awkwardly

"Yea Dee just in case there is an electrical problem or something. She'll need your expertise" Mikey says while gently shoving him in my direction

"Yea go get em, cuz if you dont I will'" Leo says

"Leo!" Raph and Mikey whisper shout

Donnie makes his way to the stage he sees me and clears his throat.

"So about that Valcano"

I snort and laugh uncontrollably and he soon joins in.

"If, If they pick that person I swear I will just die" I wipe a tear from my eye and play dead.

"No, you have so much to live for pfft" he says while chuckling and playfully shaking my shoulders.

"You came at the perfect time if you would, can you be my dj for my presentation?" I ask with puppy eyes

"I am at your serve my liege" Donnie says while bowing and activating his battle shell and it turns into a dj turntable. It funny seeing him do that with how tall he is now, every year that I catch up to him he grows a few inches taller and that used to make me so mad but I got over it. Besides its funny watching him bump into low bearing ceilings.

We high five and go back to join everyone else. We see the big shot Technical Science CEO's appear in the gym, Donnie starts fan girling super hard. I pull out one of my fans and start to fan him as April rolls her eyes.

"I have so many questions I have to ask" Donnie says while pulling out his phone and his pupils were shaped like stars.

"Donnie chill this is Y/N's moment you can fan girl later"

Soon the science fair begins and each person presents their project. The people with bigger projects get to show them off the stage. I place my ring on the table where my display is at. My name was called, I take a deep breath and exhale. Donnie places a comforting hand on my shoulder, I give a quick nod as I head to the stage.

*Insert Big hero size Hiro microbots presentation, ifykyk*

"Hey everyone so I hope you're ready for your mind to explode!" I say while tapping a small circular communication device that on my temple. Donnie starts the music and the strobe lights start to circle around the room until the land on to my table.

It activates my ring and it transforms into a suit of armor. *Insert transformers, transformation sound and it stomps its way towards the stage. If you had a glass a water the steps were definitely causing ripples in the liquid. It jumps into the air I outstretched my arm to the sky, the armor separates into different sections and we become one. Soon I'm coveted from head to toe in the purple and black colored armor. Pulling out my iron fans as targets appear around the gym. I throw my fans and they turn into boomerangs of mass destruction slicing and dicing the targets, as the broken bits shoot into the air, I have my laser sight lock onto them pieces, as I shoot non lethal ammo at them and the target pieces disintegrate into dust. Commanding the suit to fly with another tapbst my temple I soar over the heads of the student body, doing a couple flips and tricks for good measure. As I land and pop open my face mask.

"Of course I can't fully show you its full potential here, but I made a comprehensive easy to understand video explaining what it can do. Plays the movie and lets it explain and shows little cartoon shorts of it capabilities.

Super shock-absorbing gel that spreads impacts across the whole armor and might even convert the kinetic energy into power for the suit.

The armor is a life support system and protects against radiation, biological threats, chemical attacks, corrosion, electricity and kinetic attacks.

Hand to hand fight pattern analyzer

A rocket booster to fly into space

Radiation absorption and decontamination

Protective force field

Stealth technology

And last but not least it powered by my mutant energy. But that's for me to know and them to never find out. Hopefully this information won't bite me in the butt later.

Once I'm done with my presentation the room erupts into cheers. I get congratulated by everyone and I smile brightly and deactivate the armor so it goes back to its ring mode.

"That's my bitch!" Cass shouts

I look in the direction of the shout and see Cass being pulled away by Papa Lui and Papa Brutus.

"Get your hands off of me, I want to congratulate her on totally winning this thing."

"Keep it down, she isn't supposed to know we are here" Papa Lui says quietly

"That's our girl" Papa Brutus says proudly

I smile to myself, I'm happy they came and I've forgiven them. I know that they had nothing to do with what happened to me with Draxum.

"Listen kid you can make it big at my company with that invention of yours" One of the CEO males says

"No way she'd be much better at an all female work environment where her work will actually be appreciated" The female CEO states

"Well let's let the young lady decide foe herself" The last male CEO says

"Here's our contract! Have a look and get back to us!"

The gang comes out of nowhere and I get hugs all around but Donnie reached me first and hugged me tightly.

"I'm so proud! I think I might....*sniffles* give me a minute" Donnie says while turning away and sniffling a bit

At the corner of my eye I see someone that looks familiar, once I turn my attention to it I see it's the woman from my dream. Everyone's voices around me start to lower and lower until they were nothing but a whisper.

"Mom?" I say quietly

I push through the crowd trying to get to the woman. I reach out for her sleeve but I pushed away by the crowd.

"Wait mom...." I shout

Once I get to where I last saw her I see nothing but an empty hallway, i look down at the floor Sadly and see a beautiful decorative hairpiece comb, it's silver with a purple flower ornament on it. I pick it up, I have a strong feeling that it belonged to her, playing it gently into my hair. I take one last look around for her and I turn around walking back into the gym.

*Not long after*

"I've done what you've asked of me" Thecwoman says quietly while handing the blueprints over

"Very good, you've done well" A voice says

"You still promise not to hurt her"

"As long as you do what we ask, no harm will come to your daughter"

A tear falls down the woman's face as she stares at a picture and places it on her heart.

Silent evil chuckling can be heard from the hull of the ship.

It sails through the open galactic skies and disappears into the hyperspace void.

[fablegaze]

Spectember day 6 - leviathan planet culture

(mostly me rambling for this one)

the leviathan planet is made up of 2 major landmasses: I'll call them the "human continent" and "leviathan continent" for now. you can find a Very messy world map that I drew on day 1. it's not entirely accurate (going to make both continents smaller in the final version) but it's good enough for now

the human continent is the largest area of land on the planet, mostly uninterrupted by water and with only a few islands surrounding it. "wait how are humans on this planet-" don't even worry about it.

the leviathan continent, on the exact opposite side of the world, is Entirely islands. some of them get pretty big though

there’s a huge divide between human & leviathan cultures, fueled by distance, a language gap, and a recent uptick in leviathan hunters

human culture is almost entirely unaware that some leviathans are sapient. leviathan hunters are the only ones that interact with them often enough to be able to tell, but they tend to push those thoughts aside for the sake of money or culling these “dangerous animals” (human attitudes toward leviathans are not the best)

the only guy that actually knows about their sapience is now kinda a leviathan himself and has almost entirely left the human side of his life behind, so. yeah, no contact between humans & leviathans at all

(i will explain Why he is a leviathan. later. eventually)

leviathan hunting is a relatively new thing that more and more people are hearing about, largely fueled by the sheer rage and hatred of One Guy. most people either don't like it or just don't give a shit

fish leviathans & seal hexadogs are both species that used to gather in schools/packs, and are still very social. they tend to get anxious if alone for long enough. frilled leviathan socialness varies wildly from individual to individual. horned leviathans are almost entirely solitary

most leviathan settlements tend to be on land near the shore, or in shallow waters. there are a few deeper settlements for those who can hold their breath long enough to go down there

leviathans don't wear clothes very often, but they LOVE accessories and many leviathans are just completely decked out in random bits and bobs that they found or made. necklaces, earrings, and bracelets made out of driftwood, shells, dried plants, beads, and/or scraps of fabric are very popular

in the biggest leviathan city (the one that the two pictured above live in), the most common way to show your affection for someone is to give them gifts. accessories are a go-to option, but also food and supplies. bullet (the lighter gray one) spends a lot of their time fishing, and passing out the extra to anyone who needs it

leviathan culture as a whole adapted pretty well to being contacted by other sophonts, but most are entirely disinterested in space. especially the bigger leviathans that would require specialized equipment and large ships to even get up there. the fish leviathans & seals are overall the most interested in space. they are little and easy to transport

humans are way more eager to go into space, and all the people from other planets are eager to meet them. humans are an outlier on the leviathan planet; they don’t look like anything else that lives there, and no one knows where they came from (including Me ❤️❤️❤️). there are old leviathan legends about humans descending from the skies but they don't really go into much detail past that

humans learn about sapient leviathans around the same time the leviathan planet is contacted and the reaction is mixed. some people don’t give a shit and still view them as wild animals, others are filled with immeasurable amounts of guilt. leviathans are willing to make peace with anyone who Wasn’t involved in leviathan hunting. their only message to the hunters is “get fucked”

[spyral-out-keep-going]

I’ve got one kid with adhd and one with autism (high functioning, so he was not evaluated until he was 9). And a thing I like is recognizing traits in other family members. My little sis- adhd. Like. Before she was diagnosed it was already Known. My dad-autistic. He’s got so many of the same traits my son has. There was a lightbulb moment-of course it makes so much sense! But before autism entered our family consciousness it was understood that Dad was just Like That. But then came introspection time.

I can function as an adult (usually, but are there people that always keep it together??) and like. I’m noticing things. I have a routine and get upset and discombobulated when it’s changed. I can get super absorbed with some activities for hours if uninterrupted-my special interests but I never had a name for it. I don’t like social situations and just always considered myself an introvert. And with more reflection I’ve realized that I have (logically in my mind) come up with ways the cope with routine change, with keeping my interests to myself, with literally mimicking outgoing people when I’m in social situations (with new people) even though I feel like my insides are full of static at the time. I have also realized that I don’t just Make Friends with people easily. My bff I’ve known since we were grade schoolers and she literally brings people in my orbit often enough that we can get to know each other. She introduced me to my now husband. And my husband introduced me to his friends so I can become friends with people. It just takes me a while. But people who just make their own connections- like meet once and then just. Go do something together later? I can’t imagine actually suggesting that. I’m open to accepting invitations from these magical people. Extroverts adopt me I guess lol.

I don’t have any lesson, just rambling on. I guess if anything it’s making me want to let my son be who he is and not try to make him feel the static inside. I think it’s ok to try new things and experiences, step outside his comfort zone, be open to making new friendships (because real social connection is important for mental health!) But at the same time being mindful and looking out for him and supporting him if it’s time to step back and reset.

[mt-lowercase-m-derogatory]

Some people's gender is just "Henchman", and I met a lot of those people.

This will be a long, self-centered, self-mythologizimg, rambling narrative about my youth where nobody comes off well. There is no moral to this, and there is no real story either. Insert the "This is not a place of Honor" copypasta here.

During my childhood/adolescence, I did not know I was really fucking chronically ill. I just thought that everything people do while not lying down just sort of sucked somewhat and people are ok with it. If an assignment required lots of handwriting, which took me significant effort and pain for very ugly results, I interpreted that to imply a view of us as so filled with respect for authority and desire to please that we would studiously do our work.

There is a lot of genuine callousness to the way children and teenagers are treated, and that naturally builds some frustration. Now imagine being able to vicariously release that frustration through one incredible asshole of a fellow child, someone locked in an endless battle against the teaching staff to be left alone about not doing homework, but also someone who shows up surprised to every exam before acing it.

A mythical figure simultaneously at odds with and one with the world. A transcendent Bodhisattva moonlighting as Cú Chulainn. Someone achieving what you are told are the goals of school, while being maligned for a lacking work ethic nonstop.

That is why I had friends as a child. There is no other explanation - I certainly didn't take initiative. I was too busy dissociating from my aching form by consuming an endless stream of books from the massive free library near me. At all times. Especially during classes. I would carry around separate novels in English and German to justify my actions to my English or German language professors. The amount of nonsense that happened to ensure my divine right to be uninterrupted in my pursuit of literature is difficult to describe. One of the persistent holdouts was my mathematics professor - despite the fact I'd annihilated the entire rest of the school and most of the country in every national mathematics competition, despite eventually making it to the god damn internationals, I was not allowed my printed opium.

... Ok it's midnight and I've spent way too long talking about books. Let's try to remember people. Ow ow ow ow pain pain bad idea.

I had some very close friends, overwhelmingly the kind of kids who could not yet quite figure out how to socially weaponize their intellectual interests. To them, I was Napoleon, and I don't have a complex, I think it's quite simple.

For so long, since kindergarten, I'd been told I just "thought I was better than everyone else/too good to put in effort"... That I started to believe it. I like to think it's a kind of humility - they wouldn't be wrong, right? I'm not special enough to be the one they all get wrong.

That's where the trouble started. I still believe I had a kind heart, but I had a black belt in the rhetoric of intellectual superiority and many eager students.

It's hard to describe what it was like to attract people (platonically and otherwise) based solely off being a smug asshole who knew too much. Fandom culture sometimes feels way too close to home, I feel like one of those people who misguidedly relate to Tyler Durden, except it's Gregory House and Wholock. I'm pretty sure that the few and unfortunate summer-camp-for-gifted-teens girls who tried to approach me before I realized I was unique in being aro/ace- they projected some hateable tumblr sexyman on me. and that's-that's harrowing.

I don't feel like any of the changes in my life have truly come from anything except realizing the things that were wrong with my body the whole time, except that one thing. The thought of someone wanting to be "the Watson" or "Wilson" to my dysfunctional bitch witticisms IRL has grown kind of horrifying.

[xygled]

The Reason Why the Brand Has to Invest in Outdoor LED Advertisements

Advertising can be seen everywhere in daily life, and today's social advertising has developed very rapidly. Various advertising models are full of popular media such as TV, network, and plane, and have become an indispensable part of the people's daily life. Faced with overwhelming advertisements, people slowly lost their interest in watching. When the charm of traditional advertising is gradually lost, the launch of a new advertising model to better attract consumers' attention, stimulation and guidance of consumption become a thinking direction. LED new media advertisements should come from time to time. With their unique creativity, high -definition angle vision, and large -scale interactive functions, it has become an ideal choice for outdoor advertising advertising.

What are the advantages of outdoor LED ads?

1. Strong visual impact LED advertisements with large size, dynamic, dynamic, and sound painting can fully promote the sensory of the audience and effectively convey information to guide consumption. In the face of overwhelming advertising, the limitedness of the audience's memory space and the infiniteness of information dissemination have gradually become a scarce resource. Therefore, the attention economy has become the largest size to test the advertising effect.

2. Wide coverage Outdoor LED displays are generally installed in high -end commercial areas and traffic hub areas with a dense flow. By communicating with consumers at a high frequency, the strong desire for consumers to buy.

3. Long release period Outdoor LED advertisements can be played uninterrupted 24 hours, and the transmission of information is all -weather. This feature makes it easier for the audience to see it, which can better guide potential customers, so that merchants can achieve better publicity results at less costs.

4. The audience's resent rate is low Outdoor LED advertisements can play programs to more audiences through live and timely and in a timely manner. Including special topics, columns, variety shows, animations, radio dramas, TV series, etc., the content is rich, which avoids the contact obstacles caused by the conscious active avoidance of advertising audiences. The survey shows that the resentment rate of outdoor LED display ads is much lower than the resentment rate of TV advertising.

5. Improve urban grade Government organs use LED advertising to release some government information and urban promotional videos, which can beautify the image of the city and improve the city grade and taste. The LED display is now widely used in stadiums, venues, advertising, transportation, etc. It reflects the economic, cultural and social life of a city.

The main reason why LED advertising is favored by outdoor advertising media companies is the product advantage of the LED display itself. As the fourth -generation emerging media, the LED display integrates modern high -tech such as environmental protection energy saving, high -resolution imaging, natural and delicate color, displaying video and text and wide perspective, which fully meets the technical requirements of modern advertising medium and urban population. Observation requirements are the perfect combination of high -tech and traditional media. In addition, the continuous breakthrough of LED display technology has also brought various new changes to outdoor advertising dissemination. For example, outdoor high -pixel LED display has improved from product performance to display effects. The intelligent control of the brightness of the display screen effectively removes the light pollution caused by the display screen. Limited and the picture is more delicate. Outdoor LED display ads have more prominent characteristics and advantages compared to other media advertisements. The increasingly advanced LED technology provides an opportunity for outdoor advertising to enter the LED era. In the future, the intelligent LED display will lead the audience to see intuitive interaction from a distance, which will really shorten the distance between the media and the audience. Read the full article

[spinningwebsandtales]

Imagine Eddie Painting Your Nails

Eddie Munson X FemReader

Rating: T

Warnings: Suggestive themes

Word Count: 1,061

(A/N:) I have been doing a Stranger Things rewatch here recently (been a fan since it first came out) and now I’ve started on season 4. I had seen the Eddie hype but I truly didn’t join the bandwagon until that first scene in the first episode and I understood completely why everyone loves him. I’m on episode 7 so far but I couldn’t wait to write something and then I had this idea on my way home from work and had to write it. I still have some Top Gun stuff I’m going to write but this was just too good. So enjoy and until next time happy reading! ~Countess

Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson the native outcast, the pariah, and terror of Hawkins Indiana. Teachers were sick of him, parents shunned him, and the kids avoided him like the plague. But you, you called him boyfriend. While others only looked at the outside you really truly saw what lingered on the inside. Now you looked at him sitting cross-legged on his bedroom floor with tongue sticking out of the side of his perfect mouth and brow furrowed in concentration. You sat on his bed, leg outstretched as he held your foot, ever so gently and gingerly painting your toenails.

“Eddie,” you giggled, “don’t burst a blood vessel. It’s just my toenails.”

He sighed setting the brush back into the bottle, “Sweetheart. Honey. Light of my life. It’s not just toenails, these are toenails that are connected to your toes. That connect to your feet. That connect to your legs which connect to your…”

“Watch it,” you warned teasingly, earning a cheeky grin from the long haired metalhead.

“That means that while they may just be toenails to you, to me they are part of the perfection that makes up you.” He had stood up during his rant so now he was leaning over you, long hair of curls brushing your cheeks, “So that means I must create absolute perfection to match you.”

“Okay ease up there Shakespeare and finish up.”

He nodded sitting back onto the floor, back in the zone. You admired your fingernails he had painted not too long ago. The shiny black a color you normally wouldn’t wear on your nails, but after Eddie had talked you into letting him paint them you were now quite fond of the color. Whenever you would look at his handy work it would remind you of him and how that even simple moments just sitting in his room letting him paint your nails was special.

“Hey Eddie.”

“Hmm,” he hummed still concentrating.

“You’re actually really good at this,” you complimented. Despite hiding his face with his hair you could still see the dusting of a blush. “Oh so the mighty Eddie does blush.”

“Shut up,” he growled mockingly. Growing tired of waiting for him to finish you stretched out backwards. Your back popped from the strain of sitting like you had been for almost an hour. Eddie continued his work uninterrupted but he couldn’t help but steal glances at you while you were preoccupied looking around his room while laying down. Normally he didn’t care what people thought of him but whenever you were planning to come by he always made sure his room was the cleanest part of the trailer house. He’d even changed the sheets on his bed. He had never felt this way before until he met you. Now his whole world seemed to revolve around you.

 Despite being on an extremely different wavelength than him, you both found yourselves actually sharing the same interests despite such a difference in social status. You still had both your parents, you did well in school, and it seemed like you had a good amount of friends. Eddie was different. Sure he had his own group of buddies but they were the outcasts much like him. But then he met you and everything changed. The Freak found his purpose and it shocked you both when he first asked you out. You had hesitated at first but there was something inside that said to give him a chance, so you did, and now you were here and you couldn’t be happier. You found more in common with the so called outcast of Hawkins and you found that the music you normally listened to (since it was socially acceptable) wasn’t really your taste at all. When you had first heard Metallica when Eddie shared his cassette collection you were hooked. Iron Maiden followed Metallica then Dio. Now you were a covert Metalhead in Eddie’s opinion and he was proud.

Eddie lowered your foot stirring you from your thoughts. His eyes were searching as you had been quiet for a little longer than normal.

“All done,” you asked looking at him while he stood up.

“Yep,” he stretched before launching himself onto his bed. His impact caused your whole body to jump up and when you landed you couldn’t help but laugh. Grabbing a pillow you whacked him causing his hair to stick up a little more than usual. He rolled over onto you, pinning you down underneath him.

“Careful Munson,” you growled before smiling. “You’ll ruin all your handy work.”

“That’s okay I can redo it. I kinda like touching your feet,” he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Ew gross Eddie,” you pushed against him but he didn’t budge. He kissed your forehead just enjoying your presence.

“Kidding,” he cooed. “Maybe.”

“Ugh.” Then you grinned menacingly. “Oh my gosh Eddie my nails look so rad. I just can’t get over how rad they are.”

“No! Stop it!”

“Totally tubular man. The radness can’t be contained,” you screeched when he started tickling you. He laughed as you tried to get away but his weight kept you from escaping.

“Okay! I give,” you relented and he eased his attack.

“Y’know I hate it when you do that.”

“I’m not sorry,” you replied trying to regain your air supply.

Eddie set up before messing with the collar of his shirt. He only did that when he was really thinking about something hard. “Out with it Munson,” you said scooting closer.

“It’s nothing.”

“Yeah sure nothing. Spill it.” You jabbed his side, poking him until he relented.

“I think I love you,” he blurted while his face blushed deep red. Now it was your turn to blush. You never thought he could surprise you anymore and then he went and said that. You had questioned recently if he even did, you’d both been dating for awhile now and he never said those three words that every girl longed for. You felt like you loved him but you didn’t want to scare him away if he wasn’t ready to hear them. You took his hands kissing his rough knuckles gently.

“I love you too Eddie Munson.”

He stared for a couple seconds, processing everything before he leaned in taking your lips with his. He didn’t know what he did to deserve you but whatever it was he was so thankful.

[captainpikeswoman]

Oooh maybe having a thing for Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s voice would be fantastic! He has such a soothing to e of voice and yet he can still sound so commanding it’s sexy!!

He really does have a lovely voice! Hope you like it! (Sorry I could resist this gif though 😂)

Having a thing for Captain Picard’s voice would include:

•the first thing you notice about the illustrious Captain of the USS Enterprise is his voice. Many people notice his physical form first, but not you- it’s his voice. And that does in part come from the fact that for the majority of the time during your shifts he’s just a voice played over the computer.

•working in your department you have an important job, but it’s not like Engineering or Medical- the job that you and your colleagues do often go without crisis, without problems and without a lot of special attention. But it is of course essential.

•so you get to have weekly conference chats with the Captain via the computer, so that he can keep working without interruption. And oh how you look forwards to those meetings! To listen to his voice- no matter how standard the question and answers may be, is some sort of treat!

•and then one day you make a startling, exciting, pertinent discovery! And you’re summoned to the bridge to meet the Captain and deliver the news in person! You’re buzzing for the entire journey and as the Captain invites you to sit and explain everything in his Ready Room you’re a little over-awed. But Riker and Deanna are there too, and you flawlessly deliver the exciting information.

•Captain Picard is very impressed! He starts a speech about how much he values the underrated hard work of you and your whole department- you hang onto every word, eagerly lapping it up and beaming under his praise. You don’t even notice Deanna smirking to herself, she could feel the very powerful enjoyment the Captain was providing you!

•after that Captain Picard insists on meetings happening in person weekly, and it’s the highlight of every week for you! To get twenty minutes of Picard time entirely uninterrupted!

•and then one night you’re in Ten-Forwards as a poetry recital is underway. You’re spellbound when after a rather lengthy recital by Data, Captain Picard gets up and starts to recite some of Shakespeare’s sonnets. It’s like watching magic unfold before you! You find yourself a little dewy eyed as he finishes and you applaud louder than anyone else! He sends you a small smile.

•and then Q had to intervene. He spies on the Captain often enough, so he knows all about your little crush on the man. He finds it pathetic, and yet he owes Picard something special, so he meddles- he’s trying to help. Q locks you and Picard in a very small, very hot room together! You can’t help but panic as the room grows hot, you have to strip down, and when the room seems to start shrinking you burst into tears! It’s not the Captains arms wrapping around you that pulls you out of your fears and tears- no, it’s when he starts soothing you. He begins to sing little French nursery rhymes and you’re almost instantly soothed. Captain Picard is very confused at how quickly you settle, but he doesn’t stop.

•you do eventually get out of the room- Q’s meddling has had all of no impact on the relationship. Which naturally, infuriates the God like entity.

•but that wouldn’t be true. You and Picard are closer now, when you talk it’s not only about work- but about feelings and interests and more!

•which is good, and yet terrible too! You’re completely smitten by the man, and people have started to notice. Deanna, Worf, Riker and even Data have all spotted the reliable and repetitive reaction you have when you hear Picard’s voice. You go all soppy and submissive, you have to hear him out.

•but Picard doesn’t realise quickly or easily. It’s not until you lock horns with Lwaxana Troi when she begins to interrupt an important speech being delivered by the good Captain that he starts to slowly put two and two together- Lwaxana hadn’t done anything wrong really, but the way you berated her! It was like you were scolding a small child. (Secretly he enjoyed it.)

•he eventually works out (after an embarrassingly long time) that you have a thing for his voice, and it causes him a little embarrassment but a great deal of pride too! He likes that you like his voice.

•and that’s when he makes the decision to invite you for dinner…he intends to turn off the Universal Translator and let you hear him matter away in his native French like you’ve asked to experience.