#and now i'm like 'i'll take a course or two over the summer depending on what's being offered'

[autumnoakes]

me: i don't think i have seasonal depression, at least not for winter. i enjoy the colder weather and i don't understand why people are bemoaning the shorter days. i like the nighttime???

me: *has a random and unexplained 6 month depressive period, starts craving summer weather, and then starts to perk up once the sun comes out and the days start getting longer*

me: hm. okay.

[stormyrainyday]

how vengeful gasher subverts the beach episode: a study on tetsuya watarigani

for mayblade day 8 - beach

i mentioned earlier today that because of ATLA the words 'beach episode' deal unfathomable psychic damage to me, and it got me thinking. ATLA's "the beach" is iconic for being a subversion of the typical beach episode, a trope which usually entails a bunch of characters from a show getting together in a low-stakes, kinda fanservice-y self-contained plot. they get together on a bright summer day and small shenanigans ensue, and by the end of it they all grow and get a little closer as friends.

beyblade definitely does have an episode like this: metal masters' "we meet again! wang hu zhong". team ggg train on the beach, get into mild conflict, meet with old friends, and come out of the experience smiling and having bonded as friends. we even get the characters dressed up for the occasion

do you know, however, what other episode takes place on the beach? episode 5 of metal fusion: vengeful gasher

if you are like me, vengeful gasher won't even really register as a beach episode to you at all. sure it takes place on a beach, but it is so far removed from what a beach episode typically entails that it's hard to call it one. i'm going to argue, however, that this is what makes the episode compelling to study in this lens.

(for the purposes of this analysis i'll be talking about the second half of the episode as the beginning half is more what i consider necessary setup for the meat of it. so when i say vengeful gasher, i am, for the most part, talking about gingka and tetsuya meeting on the beach onwards)

the most obvious difference in the two screenshots is the time of day. a beach episode usually takes place in a bright, sunny day, and that makes sense; that is when it's a good time to go to the beach. furthermore, the sun and light often symbolizes energy and life, as well as happiness. good, fun things happen in the daytime, and that makes it a good setting for a feel-good episode.

in contrast, the main part of vengeful gasher takes place at night time, a time that is usually more somber, reflective, or even sinister depending on the genre. this also makes sense: gingka is not here to have fun. he's here to confront a guy who's been going around the city and intentionally damaging beys (something that is shown to be pretty devastating to the blader, especially later in the season during the reiji fight).

The beach is deserted of all other people as well; it't quiet, and much more serious. Though tetsuya is a minor gag villain, at this moment the audience doesn't know this. He has hurt kenta's friends, he's kidnapped madoka, and he's expressed serious desire for confrontation. The stakes of this fight are, for this point of the season, incredibly high. This is a far cry from the frivolous conflicts that typically characterize beach episodes.

It is over the course of the remainder of the episode that we learn tetsuya's character is antithetical to what our characters believe about beyblade. tetsuya is a liar and a cheat, and not above using petty trickery to get his way. his goal of fighting isn't to win battles or form rivalries; all he wants is the opportunity to damage other peoples' beyblades. this point will be important in a second so hold on to it.

the episode then comes to tetsuya's Traumatic Backstory™️, where we learn that once he was upstanding and had someone for whom he deeply cared for, but due to a betrayal, he has now given up on others entirely and only engages with them as a means to deploy his petty tricks. he has no desire to engage with gingka's lessons about friendship and solidarity

this is well and good, and pretty normal villain stuff. tetsuya is then defeated and madoka returned (by benkei-- we'll get to him in a moment). they explain that gingka won because his friends were there for him, and for a second he truly seems to be taking it in. he's then offered an olive branch. madoka forgives him and tells him not to scratch beys any longer. she even offers to repair mad gasher, so long as he apologizes to the people who's beys he damaged.

of course, tetsuya being tetsuya, and this episode being an anti-beach episode, basically spits in the face of the peace offering. he runs away, unconvinced.

as stated earlier, beach episodes usually resolve with the group of friends having had fun and feeling closer to each other after whatever minor challenges occurred during their time there. people had fun, and the episode wraps up nicely in a self-contained story.

the power of friendship isn't entirely absent from this episode but it is at play in varying degrees

madoka, kenta, gingka, and kenta's friends certainly are closer after the experience. they are our conventional protagonists, so the conventional beach episode trope works on them

similarly, benkei is an antagonist, but he walks away from this episode conflicted about the nature of his relationship to gingka and his friends. he doesn't know why he helped madoka, and contemplates at the sea alone after the fact. he is a villain character that gets converted later, and the normal beach narrative magic works on him too.

tetsuya, on the other hand, outright rejects the concept of friendship. he stands by his revenge and reappears later hell-bent on causing problems for everyone, whether it be setting traps in the survival battle, telling sob stories during battle bladers, or pretending to be friends to make main characters let their guards down. the key thing about tetsuya is that by now, we understand that he is a joke character. his tactics are slimy and he has no real strength as a blader and relies on dirty, if comical, tricks to get his way. thus he subverts the typical narrative that would be at play in this style of episode

tetsuya's tricks in episodes going forward all rely on the similar tactic of subverting expectations. the most obvious example is when he told the crowd at a match that he had to win for his dear sick friend, taka, and moved them so deeply that his opponent forfeited the match (the punchline was then revealed that take was a crab).

all of this to say: tetsuya is a gag villain that relies on playing with expectations, and his introductory episode shows this in his actions (we expect a normal bey battle, and we get pulled into increasingly ridiculous ways to cheat). however, the way the episode takes a common trope-- the beach episode-- and turns it on its head is also representative of tetsuya as a character, and thus serves as more or less as an excellent way to show what to expect from him going forward, even if the symbolism isn't immediately obvious when watching.

it's also fun to note how it's a pretty unserious trope they chose to subvert for one of their most unserious villains. i thought that was a neat touch.

a few other things i thought were interesting but didn't know how to fit into the essay below the cut

no one had a good time in this beach episode: tetsuya lost, kenta is angry at his friends' beys being broken, madoka got kidnapped and put in a sand pit, and benkei is conflicted emotionally at the end of all the events. this is extremely typical of an encounter with tetsuya going forward

this episode bears some surface level resemblance to the ATLA beach episode: it also takes place at night, has minor villain(s) of the series recount the traumas that turned them into the people they are today, and EVERYONE crashes out-- no one has a good time. however, despite also being a subversion of the trope, the ATLA episode is very, very serious tonally and serves an entirely different function to its own plot than vengeful gasher.

tetsuya gets covered in mud in the final round against gingka. oftentimes in literature, a character getting submerged/covered in water symbolizes a pivotal turning point in their development (as water often symbolizes baptism or rebirth). however, tetsuya is covered in mud-- in other words, dirty water-- which could symbolize how the opportunity for the change of heart was there, but he is too jaded and corrupted to embrace it

similarly, the fact that madoka simply has to turn gasher upside down to reveal the smiling face in the scratches represents that the potential to change is in tetsuya and has been all along. he, however, is making the active choice to reject it.

also on the topic of being covered in water: tetsuya's major change of character from a selfless guy to one driven entirely by revenge takes place after he is thrown in the snow, and it starts to snow around him. by the time he confronts taraba and echizen though, it has stopped snowing, meaning his change of character is complete

tetsuya taking on crabs as his representative animal reveals insight on his character too. just as crabs have a hard shell and pincers to protect their soft abdomens, tetsuya keeps his own demeanor, well, crabby and snaps at anyone who attempts to genuinely connect with him. he is still a vulnerable person, and he believes the only way to protect himself from getting hurt again is to prevent exposing that vulnerability ever again.

thanks for reading! if you noticed more please talk to me about it please i love tetsuya he's unironically one of my top 5 favorite characters in this series please he's so fucking funny i need more love for him

[thegreathomestuckreread]

maybe if i get all of this out of my head i will be able to relax to sleep. this is probably gonna be a little disjointed.

i just feel like the second half of this year my entire life just fucking imploded. i got covid for a second time in july and it's completely fucked me in precisely the ways i spent years screaming at everyone about. it feels like i'm paying with my life for everyone else's negligence, i never stopped masking and being careful and now i'm the one with long covid. i know that's not how the world works but it's just not fucking fair

i barely finished my summer contract with significant accommodation, i haven't worked since then (end of august), and now the dream position i was waiting all year for has opened for applications and i can't fucking do it. i can't do it. i don't have the energy

one of my uncles died suddenly and unexpectedly in november, he went in to have one if his kidneys out and fucking bled out from medical complications, and now another uncle is dying from three different types of cancer with less than a year to live, and that's with doing chemo, it's only two months without

it feels like my own parents' deaths are creeping up on me and i haven't even established myself as an independent adult and now it feels like i never will because the economy was making it hard enough when i was able to work and take care of myself but now i can't even fucking do either of those things

i'm hearing from my dad about how my cousins are taking care of my uncle while he's doing chemo and it terrifies me that i don't think i can do that for my parents if they end up needing it, i don't think i can take care of them if/when they need that and simultaneously in that situation i'm going to lose their care for me because i'm still very dependent on them

idk it just feels like the height of my life is over and everything i have to look forward to now is just scary bad shit, all these fucking huge terrifying things are looming over me in the future and i hate it. i have no idea how i'll survive after my parents are gone

and it's like. i need to fucking chill because i'm not alone. but i also don't have a very wide network to rely on and i'm terrified of needing to rely on that so heavily

and the worst worst WORST part of all of this! is the fucking isolation that comes with trying not to get sick again because FUCKING NOBODY GIVES A SHIT ABOUT COVID ANY MORE. i'm so fucking lonely and touch-starved but i can't do anything about it without risking my fucking life because no one cares any more

and like. okay. i know that everything i'm freaking out about is further off than it feels, and that with time i will learn more about my body and how to handle it and things will get easier for me. my mother has already assured me that her and my dad already have their own plans if they need care in their old age. and plans and supports for me and for my own independence and all that will come into place over time. and my parents very likely both have, at bare minimum, ten more years left in 'em, which is a long time. and i'm not alone. i'm not fucking alone in this. i know this

it's just too much. it's too much at once. and i miss my fucking partner. and their dog and their mom. and staying overnight at their place all the time. we talk all the time of course and we do phone calls and video calls but i haven't been able to see them physically in months. i miss going shopping by myself. i've needed to go buy new winter boots for months but i never have the fucking energy. it feels pointless anyway because it's not like i'm ever leaving the house for anything besides being ferried to medical appointments and back. i miss my fucking job working in the arts, and all the wonderful coworkers i would be working with in that new position if i could apply to it. i miss feeling like i had some idea of what the future might look like for me. i don't know any more. i didn't even have a detailed plan just start working full-time and move out of my parents' place. ideally in some fuzzy further future get married and have kids. like, none of this is like a precise plan, just very loose goals, but all of it. it's all gone now

i know things will get better and easier it's just. it's just a lot. and i'm still mourning everything i lost. and fucking angry that i'm even going through this when i am one of the only people who never stopped giving a fuck about covid. and looking around me and seeing still everywhere no one cares any more

ugh idk if this helped anything lol i'm probably just gonna have the same meltdown again in a couple weeks because that's my life now i guess

[stargazer-sims]

The Art of Redemption

(part 15)

previous // next // story index

—————

A lot can change in a week.

Beth-Anne is astounded at how much progress Nikolai has made in just seven days. Considering how goal-driven he is, she probably shouldn't be astonished, but his quick transformation is more than she could've reasonably expected. His physical recovery is on track, he's gotten back his energy and focus, and he seems far less anxious. It’s a relief to her, seeing him returning to his old self.

At his checkup on Wednesday, the doctor and the sports therapist both cleared him to walk without crutches, and the sports therapist fitted him with a compression knee sleeve that he's supposed to wear when he's active. He's allowed to walk on the treadmill for up to thirty minutes a day, broken into ten-minute sessions, and he's supposed to keep up with his physiotherapy exercises. No leg weights and no stationary bicycle, the therapist said, which he frowned at but ultimately agreed to.

The thing Nikolai appeared to be most pleased about was the fact that he no longer requires weekly checkups. The sports therapist said he'd have him come back in two weeks' time to check his progress and possibly increase his exercise level.

"You'll have to come back by yourself," Beth-Anne told him. "Or get your grandfather to bring you if you don't have your car back by then, because I'll be in South Korea with Brett."

"Junior Worlds. Right. I'm sure Grandpa can bring me." He turned his attention back to the therapist. "So, in two weeks I should be able to start running again?"

The therapist bestowed him with an amused smile. "Athletes are all the same. You're all in a rush to be rid of your restrictions. But yes, if you do everything you're supposed to, in two weeks you should be able to do some light running on the treadmill. Perhaps you can do outdoor running and use your leg weights and ride your bike a couple of weeks after that."

Nikolai's next question came as no surprise to Beth-Anne. "When can I skate?"

"Let's give that some time."

"Yes, but how much time?"

"I think he's looking for a realistic timeline," Beth-Anne intervened.

"Another six to eight weeks at the very least before I'd be comfortable clearing you for that," the therapist said. "It may be longer, depending on your progress. Ideally, I'd like to see that knee fully stable and I'd like to see you regain some muscle before you get on the ice again."

Nikolai counted on his fingers. "Eight weeks would be... mid-May?"

"About then, I think," the therapist said.

"Okay. I can live with that. I'll be busy doing my coaching certification course between now and then anyway."

That was another thing. Even before his appointment with the doctor and therapist, he'd gone ahead and signed himself up for both the basic and advanced coach training courses.

He's going to need the basic certification just to be permitted to work with kids without supervision from another professionally certified coach, and the advanced level is necessary for him to work one-on-one with students who are training to compete in officially-recognized national and international events. The basic course is just four days long and the next available one is at the end of March. The next advanced level course is taking place over the last two weeks of April and the first week of May.

The timing couldn't possibly be more fortuitous, Beth-Anne thinks. He should be able to return to the ice around the same time he receives his full certification. Most group skating programs pause for the summer, so that will free up some of her time to work with him, to help him rebuild his confidence on the ice if he needs that, and to teach him everything she knows about teaching others. With any luck, by the time group classes resume at the beginning of September, he'll be ready for a small group of his own.

As soon as they got home from the sports medicine clinic, Nikolai went straight to his room. He came back to the kitchen only a couple minutes later with his skate bag, sat himself down on a kitchen chair and promptly pulled off his socks.

"What are you doing?" Beth-Anne inquired.

He glanced up at her, his expression plainly broadcasting that it should be obvious and she she shouldn't need to ask. Still, he replied, "Putting my skates on."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I miss them," he said.

"Okay, but don't you dare stand up in them. Just because you're not on the ice, that doesn't mean it doesn't count."

"I won't, I promise. I just want them on. I miss how they feel on my feet."

Fair enough, she thought. She watched him slip his feet into the boots and meticulously lace them up. He sat there with his skates on for the next half-hour, while she made sandwiches and they ate lunch together. After lunch, he took them off again and put them away, and she didn't make any further comment about it. The way she saw it, if it made him happy and it hadn't done him any harm, who was she to question it?

Slightly amused at the memory, she wonders how many more times she'll catch him with his skates on between now and the middle of May. She doubts it was a one-off, and she has no trouble conjuring up a mental image of him contentedly wearing his skates while he reads, or eats, or writes something for the new online blog he's created to chronicle his coaching journey.

She smiles. She's watched him grow from an impulsive and sometimes silly teenager into a mature and responsible adult, but it's gratifying to know that he hasn't completely lost his adolescent whimsy. In some ways, he's still very much a kid, and she thinks those qualities of playfulness, imagination, resilience and courage will serve him well, not just as a coach and teacher but in his personal life too. He may be going through an exceptionally difficult time at the moment, but she can see the light at the end of this dark tunnel and she's sure he can as well.

He's going to be all right, she tells herself. It's still going to take time, but he sees the way forward now, and I don't believe anything's going to stop him.

She doesn't have enough words to describe how much she admires him for that.

This morning, she'd awakened with a sense of lightness she hasn't felt in a while. Her concerns are all still there, of course, but she has the feeling this is going to be a great day despite all the problems and worries crowded at the back of her mind.

That stuff can wait.

Now that Nikolai is off his crutches, she decides today is the perfect day to get him off the bench and let him come down onto the ice with her. She can introduce him to all the kids and let him interact with them. He knows Stan's grandson Marek, and she's certain he's already bonded with little Eden, but he still hasn't met the girls, Everleigh, Madison and Sienna. There's also her Saturday preschool group for him to meet, and her two Novice division students, Katie and Ruby. She hopes all the kids like him as much as Eden seems to, both for his comfort and theirs.

She climbs out of bed and does her best to hurry through her morning routine. Regardless of her efforts, however, when she makes her way downstairs, she discovers that Nikolai has gotten out of bed ahead of her. He's already showered, dressed and in the middle of making breakfast. The scent of coffee wafts across her nostrils.

"Morning, coach," he greets her. "Your makeup looks good."

"Thanks." She gestures toward the stove. "I see my cooking lessons are already paying off."

He grins. "Well, I'm not ready to host my own cooking show or anything yet, but I think I'm doing all right."

She's treated to her favourite ham and cheese omelette, fried potatoes, and cut-up red grapefruit drizzled with honey. It may not be gourmet, but it is delicious and she enjoys every bite. It's especially pleasant to sit down to a meal she didn't have to prepare for herself.

"I could get used to this," she says, as she savours the final bite of grapefruit. "You making us breakfast, I mean."

"We can make it a regular thing," he says. “Turns out I like cooking. It’s not as daunting as I thought, so I’m sure I could be in charge of making breakfast for us.”

"Oh? So I take it you've changed your mind about going home?"

He swallows the last of his coffee and sets the mug down carefully. "I've been thinking about it. I was kind of worried that me being here was too much for you, but if you're okay with me staying, maybe I will stay."

"You're not too much. I like having you here. It's nice to have company, but like I told you before, the choice is entirely up to you."

"I'll stay for a little longer, then," he says. "Anya's staying with her grandparents for some reason. I don't know if she's planning to go home soon, but if she is, I... kinda don't want to be there."

"Understandable, but you know you'll need to deal with that situation at some point."

"I know." He rotates the empty coffee mug between his hands. "I think I'm just scared."

"Of Anya?"

He nods. "Is that stupid?"

"No, I don't think so," Beth-Anne says. "I can see how she'd be scary."

"I want a divorce, but I don't want to fight about it. All I want is the house and my cat. She can have anything else she wants. Money, furniture, the car... whatever. I just want us to live separate lives from now on."

"If you want my opinion, you'd be better off living separate lives."

"It's obvious we can't have a life together any more," he says. "The problem is, I don't want to talk to her about it because I'm scared she'll cause a scene."

"In that case, maybe you shouldn't talk about it with her. Maybe you should hire a lawyer and get them to do the talking for you."

"Maybe." He runs his thumb along the rim of his mug and doesn't meet Beth-Anne's eyes. "I just don't want any drama. You know I hate that. If I got a lawyer, I'm worried the whole thing would drag on for ages, and Anya would tell everybody about everything, every chance she got. I'd rather just agree that it's over, do the court paperwork ourselves and get it out of the way as quickly as we can."

"If that's what you want, then you'll have to swallow your fear and tell her," Beth-Anne says. "I know it's hard, but you have to believe in getting what you want. That's..."

"...that's part of how you succeed," he finishes the sentence with her. All of a sudden, he's smiling again. "You know, I told Eden that."

Perplexed, she says. "About... divorce?"

"No, about winning skating competitions. Remember, you said that to me for the first time way back when I was seventeen? When I was having that big existential crisis because you were my third coach in my first three years at Senior level.”

"You thought the problem was you."

"Well, it sort of was, according to Uncle Stan."

"But it was because you were too good, not because you weren't good enough," she reminds him.

“I know that now, but it was a struggle to get my head around it at the time. The whole thing was pretty stressful.”

"I know, but you handled it like a champion, and it didn’t take you long to settle in with me.”

“Because you promised you’d stick with me no matter what, and I trusted you. I felt safe with you. That gave me a lot of confidence, and it let me relax and enjoy myself a lot more."

“I remember. One of the first things I asked you was what you wanted, and the first thing you told me wasn't that you wanted to win. You said you wanted to be happy and have fun."

"Yeah, but I still wanted to win. I wanted it really bad, and I was frustrated because I wasn't doing as well as I thought I should with Uncle Stan or my other coach before him."

"I could tell you wanted to win," she says. "I can tell you still do."

"I do," he concedes. "Winning might look different now, but I still want to. I think if I can help somebody else the way you helped me, that'll feel like winning to me just as much as it does to them."

"I think it will too," Beth-Anne says. "It did for me when I watched you win, and it's the same with Brett and Mariah and the others."

"And they'll be more likely to win if they're happy and having fun, right?"

"Right."

"But, even if they don't win, the important thing is that they're still doing what they enjoy."

Beth-Anne nods. "You're going to be an excellent coach."

"I hope so," he says. "I want to make you proud."

"I'm already proud of you," she tells him. "You're the best son I never had."

He smiles. "The son you always wanted?"

"Not always, but definitely from the moment I realized my life would be a lot emptier without you in it," she says. "And I'm glad you're staying."

"Until I finish my coaching courses at least, if that's all right."

"Absolutely. Consider this your home for as long as you like."

"Thanks," he says.

They finish their breakfast and do the washing up as quickly as they can, and manage to get out the door right on schedule. Even with a stop at Tim Horton's for more coffee, they make it to the arena at 7:45 on the dot.

It's still not early enough to get there before her first students arrive, though.

She's torn between laughter and exasperation when she spots Eden Seong and Marek Zelenka peeking around the edge of the propped-open door from the corridor that leads to one of the practice rinks. When Marek sees her, he gives her a brief wave. Then, he leans down to say something quietly to Eden, which Beth-Anne can’t hear. The kids grin at each other.

The next thing Beth-Anne knows, the two little boys charge through the doorway and race across the foyer, straight toward her and Nikolai. They’re both shouting Nikolai's name at the top of their voices.

Nikolai reaches out to catch Marek, but both boys seem to misinterpret the movement as an invitation for a group hug. Somehow, Nikolai ends up sitting on the floor with Marek and Eden half on top of him and looking like they're competing to see who's more capable of squishing him. All three of them are laughing.

"Nikolai, it worked!" Eden practically yells.

"Yeah!" Marek chimes in. "I don't know what you said, but it totally worked!"

Beth-Anne isn't entirely sure what Eden and Marek are talking about, but she doesn't get a chance to ask before someone else appears in the doorway. It's Stan. He has a small skate bag in each hand, and several wisps of silver hair escaping from his stubby ponytail. If she didn't know better, she'd say he slept in the sweatpants and long sleeved t-shirt he's wearing.

Stan jogs over to them. "I see the chaos has manifested," he says, nodding at Nikolai, Marek and Eden. "I believe these are yours now."

"Thanks. I'm so excited," Beth-Anne says, deadpan, but she's fighting like hell to hold her laughter in and keep her face neutral. Stan looks as if he can't wait to make Marek and Eden someone else's responsibility, and she's dying to know the story behind why he has both of them, and why they're here so early.

Stan holds out the skate carriers. "Boys. Your responsibilities..."

Marek and Eden scramble to their feet. Eden takes the purple skate bag from Stan's left hand and Marek claims the blue and white one from his right.

Eden cradles his skates against his chest with both arms as if he's holding something incredibly precious. He beams at Nikolai. "You fixed everything."

"I'm glad it worked out," Nikolai says, as Stan steps forward to give him a hand up. "But I'm sure it wasn't all me. I'd say Beth-Anne had something to do with it, and I think you must've been fairly persuasive on your own."

It clicks for Beth-Anne at that moment. Nikolai must've talked to Eden's parents about his future as a skater. She hadn't realized he'd talked to them, and she guesses he must've done it the previous Saturday when they came to pick Eden up after class. She'd noticed them arriving and she'd been peripherally aware of Eden leading Nikolai out of the rink area to meet them, but she hadn't interacted with them herself as she'd been occupied with setting things up for her preschool group.

It hadn't been until later in the week, after what she thought would be Eden's next-to-last individual lesson, that she'd gotten the opportunity to bring up Eden's athletic career with them again. They seemed to have softened their position, but they still hadn't completely made up their minds at that point. Evidently, they'd given it significant consideration since then.

"No, it was definitely you, Nikolai," Eden insists. "Mommy said she was sorry because she didn't think about it from my point of view. She said she and Dad were too worried about something bad happening to me on the ice to see that something even worse would happen if they made me quit. And I think part of it was 'cause they really listened when you told them how sad and depressed you were when you thought you wouldn't be able to skate any more."

Beth-Anne turns toward Nikolai. "You told Mr. and Mrs. Seong that?"

"Yeah," Nikolai admits. "I don't know if that was overstepping, but I felt like I had to try to convince them. I didn't really know how to approach it, so I just... went with honesty."

"You probably should've mentioned it to me," Beth-Anne says.

"Sorry. It actually didn't occur to me."

"It's okay," she says. "Just let me know next time if you feel the need to speak to one of my students' family members."

"I will," he says. "But, it really didn't cross my mind to say anything about last Saturday. I assumed you would've seen me talking to Eden's parents. We were in the hallway, right outside the windows."

"Never assume anything," she says, and to Eden she asks, "Should I expect to have another chat with your mom and dad today?"

"Yeah!" Eden says enthusiastically. "Mommy told me yesterday after school that I can keep skating, and she said she'd discuss everything with you today."

"Then he called me, 'cause he was so excited," Marek adds. "And I was excited too, so I invited him for a sleepover, so we could celebrate."

"You invited both of you for a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's house," Stan interjects. "Don't forget that important detail, Marek."

"I see," Beth-Anne says. "That explains why you look like you can't wait to pass them off to me."

"We had to go to Grandpa's house," Marek explains. "My parents aren't really into skating, but Grandpa gets it."

"The only thing Grandpa wants to get right now is a couple more hours' sleep," Stan says.

"Don't you have a group class this morning, Stan?" Beth-Anne asks.

"Hmm... at nine, but that gives me an hour or so to nap in the car. I might've been able to keep up with these two living hurricanes when I was your age, but us old people need proper rest, you know."

"Old people," Beth-Anne scoffs. "You can still run circles around most of us. But, go on. Nikolai and I can take these two from here."

Each of the boys grabs one of Nikolai's hands, and they start to pull him in the direction of the other practice rink. Marek glances back at his grandfather. "Yeah, don't worry Grandpa. We'll take it from here."

"Hmph. 'Don't worry, Grandpa' is a phrase that should be banned," Stan grumbles.

"Everything'll be fine, Uncle Stan," says Nikolai. "I've got them."

"Another phrase that should be illegal; 'Everything'll be fine, Uncle Stan'."

Marek's only response is a mischievous giggle, and Nikolai makes an inelegant snorting noise in his effort not to laugh.

Beth-Anne stands back and watches for a few seconds as Nikolai and the boys make their way across the foyer. He's definitely won their hearts, and it's already clear that little Eden has won his. She doesn't want to get ahead of herself, but she's thrilled at the news that Eden will be allowed to keep skating, and she envisions an amazing future for him in the sport.

For him and Nikolai. If ever two people were meant to be together as coach and student...

No. Don't let your imagination run away with you. One day at a time, and one step at a time, don't forget.

But, she can't completely suppress her elation. She'd woken up with the feeling that today would be great, and so far it's turning out exactly that way. She's glad of it. After making it through the turmoil of the last several weeks, she and Nikolai deserve to have a good day.

Stan steps up beside her and drapes an arm around her shoulders. "Well, he's a natural, isn't he? Your Nikolai, I mean. He's a hit with the kids."

"It would seem so," she agrees, smiling.

"I told you it'd all work out, didn't I?" He gives her shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

[hzbinnerdlover]

Porn Star Love

(Yes I'm immediately writing after posting- I can't help it I'm bored lol let's see how long it takes me this time. Usual snz kink warnings blah blah blah let's get to the good shit)

"Eh'shuuuue!!!"

"Gesundheit"

"Ah'chiiieeeeeew!!!"

"Gesundheit, again."

"Heh...heh...AH'SHIEEEEEEW!!"

"Gesundheit- Bless you, Jesus", Vox sighs as he reaches into his pocket and fishes out a handkerchief, handing it to his lover. "Summer Allergies are hitting you hard aren't they? You sure you're gonna be okay to work?"

Valentino quickly snatches the handkerchief and rolls eyes and gives a very congested reply. "Des- I'll be f'dine Vox. I don't exactly have a choice now do I?" He gives a huff as he blows heavily into the piece of fabric, more than once. Once he's finished he folds rhe cloth and hands it back to Vox, who promptly puts it into his pocket again.

"Alright, just don't go too wild in there okay?", the elevator door opens and the two overlord step out, Vox reaching up to kiss Val on the cheek. "I'll see you later, love you hon." He gives a smile as he walks off towards his office to work.

Val sighs as he rolls eyes, heading to set rather annoyed as another itch comes in. "O-Oh you gotta- ACHEEW! Be fucking- ASHIEEEW! Kidding me. Ugh....", with a damp sniffle he walks in and crosses his arms. "Please tell me everyone is here and ready to work?" Glancing around he notices that one notable fluffy spider wasn't here, his antenna twitching in annoyance.

"Where. Is. Angel? Someone better fucking answer me!!!!"

Travis gave a small squeak as he gulps and nods. "Um- he's getting ready still sir...he says he'll be out soon." Facepalming hard Val gives a much louder groan. "Fucking ANGEL!" Storming off towards his dressing room he rubs his irritated nose and knocks on the door loudly. "ANGEL! I swear your hot ass better be fucking ready or I'm gonna-" he stops mid sentence when the door opens and the spider demon reveals himself wearing one of his usual slutty outfits, crossing his arms.

"Jeez will you calm your tits, I'm here okay-? I'm assuming the set is read-", looking at Val's face and sees the bright red coming from Val's nose and blinks, wondering what happened. "Um- it's ready right?"

"Yes Angel, it's BEEN ready. And you weren't. So let's get a fucking move on!" Sniffling rapidly he feels the itch coming again and shakes his head. "Not again- Hi'shuu! Hi'shuu! HICK'SHEEEEW!!!!"

"Oh jeez- bless ya Val"

"Heh-HEH'ZZZUUU! EH'CHIIEEEEW!!!!"

".....um, bless y-"

"HA'SHEEEEW!!!", sniffling desperately he rolls his sleeve slightly over his hand, sneezing into it as tho his life depended on it. "Wh-Why do I- ACK'CHUUUU!!! KI'SHUUUU!! Have to suffer through this?"

Finally took a moment to catch a breath through the sneezing chaos, rubbing his head as he felt a headache start to form.

"Bless you- lemme guess. Allergies?"

Val simply nods. "Allergies. And it's fucking hell." Angel gave hum a sympathetic look as he reached over and gently caressed his arm. "Oh you poor thing...do you want me to get you some tissues...? You sound like you need to blow your nose hon."

Sniffling again Val gives another nod. "Dat would be wonderful Andel Cakes, than- Heh-HI'SHUUUU! Eugh. Excuse me. Gracias." Angel nods and quickly rushes into his dressing room, coming back with a travel pack of tissues and hands Val a few.

"There ya are, I always make sure to keep a few packs handy, so I got plenty more if ya need them." Val takes the tissues and empties his sinuses with a loud blow and a sigh of relief. "That's so much better. Thank you."

"Hey of course", Angel says as he gently rubs Val's fluff* Why don't we go back to set, but you only br there to observe today. Sit back and let Travis take over today, okay? I'll even be your own personal assistant today~" he chuckles as he goes and rubs his chest gently. "Come on daddy, what do you say hm? Sound good...?"

Val glances down at him and gives a chuckle and nods. "Alright alright, I suppose we could today. I'm to tired to really use my voice. Besides, how could I not when you're being so...so convincing...I-" quickly Val looks away and hides face into the tissues in his hand. "A'SHIIIIEEEEEW!!!! HA'SHOOOO!!! I-IP'SHIEEEEEW!!!!" Giving a couple tired sniffles he groans wiping his nose with the now soaked tissues.

"Bless you there toots, here. Lemme take those off your hands", Angel insists as he carefully takes the used tissues, walking inside the dressing room to toss them out. He then takes his hand and smiles softly.

"Come on, let's get you to a seat here." He says as he starts dragging Val back to the set, immediately sitting him in the director's chair. Val immediately slumps down and leans back against it, watching as Angel instructs Travis to do the directing today.

The constant itch just wouldn't leave him alone, and having too big of a sneezing fit on set just wasn't gonna do for him. Fighting back as much as he can he raises his coat/fluff over his face and tries to stifle. "H'ssh! H'ssh! H'ssh!", resulting in high pitched, squeaky sneezes. Luckily he was a good distance away so no one could really notice.

As the next few shots started to get taken, he did his best to observe closely, doing what he could to ignore his pounding and itchy sinuses, massaging them with his fingers before retreating his face back into his coat.

"H-H'sssh! H'sssh! H'sssh! Ugh..." unable to hide the damp sniffle Angel finally glanced down and eyes widen. "Val? You good there hon...?"

Val gave a nod as he let out a small congested cough. "Y-Yeah fine- just a bit itchy in here is all-", he holds up a finger to give him a moment, hiding back into his coat. "H'sssh! H'ssssh!"

Angel stared for a moment as he listened to the high pitched stifled sneezes, trying his best not to laugh as he covered his mouth. "Oh my god- pfffft- that has the be the cutest thing I've ever heard."

"Hey! Don't fucking laugh at me you bitch!"

"Haha- I'm sorry I'm sorry I'll stop. Lemme see if we have any allergy meds okay? I'll be right back", he leans down and gives Val a kiss on the cheek before quickly rushing off.

Val rolled his eyes as he looked at the scene going on, trying to focus on thus hot bdsm scene as he shakes his head.

"God fucking-" he mutters to himself before hiding in his coat once again. "H-H'sssh! H'ssssh!" The stifling was getting harder and harder to control. "F-Fuuuck...H'sssh! H-H'SSSSSH! H'SSSSSH!!!!" He hears Travis call cut as he looked around.

"Uuuuh, anyone else hear that high pitch sound?", the crew started looking around for the source as they finally turned to Val's direction. "H-Heh...H-H'SSSSSH! Don't you fucking stare at me. What are you looking at! H-Heh-HE'CHIEEEEW!!! HECK'SHIEEEEW!!" Unable to hold back he brought his sleeve to his face and sneezed again. "HIP'SSHUUUUUU!!!! Ugh...."

Travis blinks for a moment before nodding. "Oh um- Gesundheit Mr.Valentino sir"

Val only nodded in response as he laid back, exhausted from the fit as Angel finally returns with the meds. "Here are are, let's have ya take these yeah?" Leaning he hands it to Val, who immediately swallow the pills dry as he groans.

"I don't think I can- SNF- do this. Angel, will you take me back to my room. My head hurts so bad..."

With a softened look he nods and quickly takes out some more tissues for Val. "Yeah of course babe, come on. Let's get going." Val nods as he takes rhe tissues and blows his nose again, groaning as Angel carefully steadies him. "We're gonna getcha a nice bath for your sinuses, maybe turn on a humidifier, I'll getcha some warm tea, and you can just relax all day there hon", Angel cooed as he gently massaged Val's fluff, the poor overlord simply giving a nod.

"Mmm....sounds nice. The rest of you better get back to fucking work. I'll let you know when I'm ready to come back", he announces as Angel starts walking him off.

"Ugh...thank you Angel, for taking care of your poor...poor daddy here. It means so much to me here."

"Of course of course Val, like I said, I can take care of you all day today if you need me to. I'll make sure you-" he stops for a moment as Val turns away. "I-IP'SHIEEEEEW! A-AH'CHUUUU!! Ugh....SNF excuse me"

"Bless you- like I was saying", he continues as they step into the elevator and gives a soft smile while dabbing Val's nose with a tissue. "I'll make sure you're resting as much as you need to."

(Edit- this took me almost a week cause again I've been busy as Hell TvT I'm so sorry- I hope yall enjoy at least- I know I had fun writing this one.)

[morgan-weston]

meeting is a pleasant place || eva & morgan

TAGGING → eva anderson & morgan weston

LOCATION → psu mixer

TIME FRAME → 7/13/2024

NOTES → eva and morgan meet at the mixer and quickly start flirting

Eva Anderson

Dressed in an orange low cut, satin romper, Eva ran a hand through her hair as she sauntered over to the bar for another drink. "I'll take a martini please...*dirty*." She called out to the bartender, who was cute and would have probably been on her list of possible options for the night if she weren't dedicated to mingling with PSU staff and students. Once her drink was handed over, she was about to take a sip until she noticed a handsome man on the other end of the bar. "Hey." She stated, smiling politely as she slid closer to him. "It's Morgan, right? Guy with the horses that love Shania?"

Morgan Weston

There were more people than Morgan was used to; he figured that would happen, when he'd signed up for a summer course, and had been invited to a mixer between students and staff. It wasn't a problem, it just took some adjusting. Alcohol definitely made it easier to adjust though, and that was why he had headed straight to the bar, asking for an ice-cold beer. Leaning against it with his side, he was watching all of the people excitedly chatting, as he took a sip of his beverage. And then he heard a voice. Looking over, he greeted the gorgeous woman with a gentle smile, followed by a chuckle. "Guilty. I'm gonna be known as the guy with the Shania-loving horses now, aren't I?" Morgan stood properly, revealing the height difference between the two, before extending his hand, so he could greet the girl. "I never got your name?"

Eva Anderson

It didn't take much to realize that Morgan wasn't a people person like herself and some of the others around here were, which was also a nice change of pace, but Eva was never one to back down from any sort of challenge. She would get a conversation out of drywall if she tried hard enough , so she was going to get something out of him. When he confirmed his identity, she couldn't help but giggle softly. "You are, but that's actually not a bad way to be remembered. Not that your face alone isn't memorable enough." Was she flirting? The answer was always a hard yes. Sipping on her martini, she raised a brow as she shook his hand, taking note of the size of said hands. "It depends. If you're a student, then it's Professor Anderson. But if you're staff, you can just call me Eva. The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure."

Morgan Weston

It wasn't uncommon for Morgan to hit up a bar every now and again, just to have a cold one, and watch whatever sports was playing; and he'd sometimes strike up a conversation with the people sitting there. Sometimes he was lucky enough that that person was even attractive. This was one of those cases. Extremely attractive. He wasn't great at taking compliments well though, and his face started to get the slightest hint of red. "Well, if that ain't a line." He said, impressed by her forwardness. His eyebrows shot up, his hand still shaking hers. *Professor*? "It absolutely is all mine, *Professor Anderson*." For a moment, Morgan's face read 'even more impressed' - if he didn't know any better, he'd say there was a giant neon sign hanging above his head reading 'impressed' with a giant arrow pointing at him. But then he remembered that their hands were still holding, and he let it go, coming back to reality and not this cartoon version of them. Pushing his already rolled-up sleeves of his green plaid shirt up his arms, he leaned back against the bar, eyes directly on Eva's. "What do you teach?"

Eva Anderson

Noticing the tint gracing his cheeks, Eva smiled in response. One thing she adored was anyone who wasn't afraid to let their facial expressions or body language just go with the flow. "I'm a charmer, apparently it's an Anderson trait." She teased, though she could count on two hands the amount of times her entire family was praised for such a thing. Trying not to let her own face show the deflation when he pulled his hand away, she simply smirked. "Communications. Primarily two classes: Intro to PR and Advertising, and Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising." Eva stated proudly. "What about you? Are you a student, or are you about to be tortured by students too?"

Morgan Weston

"It definitely comes naturally to you," Morgan praised, slightly nodding his head to further his point. The confidence was attractive to him, but he figured that Eva already knew that. She seemed like the type of person who would be very aware of the effect she had on other people, and how to use it to her advance. He took another sip of his beer, as she listed off her accomplishments, and once again, he didn't hide just how impressed he was, as he swallowed the beer, the bittersweet taste coating his mouth. "Those were a lot of fancy words, young lady, ya gotta break 'em down for me. What do they mean?" Morgan asked, a little cheeky smile showing. "No, thankfully I'm just a student for the summer. I'm taking a course in business marketing over the next few weeks. I'm hoping it'll do my own company some good, y'know?"

Eva Anderson

"Thank you." Eva grinned as she downed the rest of her martini, and then sat the glass back down on the counter. She could tell that he wasn't turned off by her confidence yet, so it was probably a good thing that she wasn't unleashing her full ego on the poor man. Nodding along when he pointed out that he didn't understand the class titles, she shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm gonna be teaching future marketing and communications kids, as well as influencers, how to sell themselves, their brand, their business, etc. It's one of those 'teach what you know' situations basically." She explained with yet another 1000 watt smile. She hadn't even expected Morgan to be a Business student, let alone have a company, but now she was even more interested. "What sort of company do you have? Something with horses?"

Morgan Weston

Morgan was naturally a quiet man. He had no issues engaging in conversation with people; he wasn't shy, or anti-social. He just wasn't a boasty or loud type. But he enjoyed talking to people, and getting to know them. Eva was no exception. The smiles she was sending him were now permanently ingrained in his mind, it was just that captivating. A quiet 'ahhhh' escaped his lips, as he nodded, finally understanding it all. "That's gotta be interesting- I mean, there must be a lot of different aspects to consider, lots of groundwork to cover. How long have ya been teaching for?" Morgan put the empty beer bottle away, and let the bartender do their work, while his own attention was still 100% on Eva. "Yes, ma'am, that's correct. I'm a horse wrangler. You need a horse to perform in your movie, you call me." Morgan said proudly, and stood up straight, putting a hand in the pocket of his black jeans, whilst running the other against his well-groomed beard. "I'm just trying to learn a few tricks here, to help keep the business going."

Eva Anderson

Although Eva's main intentions tonight hadn't been to talk about work much, at least not with students, there was something about diving into it with Morgan that she didn't quite mind. Maybe it was the fact that she could sense him being more reserved than half of the other people she'd talked to, so keeping things professional seemed like the best option (for now). "This will be my first year teaching actually." Her mind was still getting used to the idea of her being a professor now, and even saying it still hadn't allowed it to fully sink in yet. Morgan's accent made her swoon just a little bit, yet she was sure that most women probably swooned over it as well. "I dont think I've ever met like an actual movie animal wrangler before." She hummed, which was odd considering how many movies her father had done over the years. "That's actually smart though. Knowing the ins and outs of the business side of things could be really helpful, but so could marketing. I mean, do people just call you for the movies, or do you have to like sell yourself to get your horses booked?"

Morgan Weston

Full lips formed perfectly into an 'o', as he silently mouthed 'wow' to himself. "You appear so professional! I would never have guessed this was your first year of teaching," Morgan said, hand moving from his beard, and gesturing instead. Leaning in so he could lower his voice, Morgan said, "If you have any trouble with any of ya students, just send them my way - I've got a big stable that could do with a few extra hands." He moved back again, but it wasn't completely lost on him just how good Eva smelled, when he'd been a lot closer to her. Sweet. Enticing. Classy. Shrugging, Morgan tried to stay humble when it came to his company, but he couldn't deny that he was proud of what he'd been able to build. "We have a few competitors, but we pride ourselves on being different from them, in terms of our training techniques. More gentle; the horse leads the way. I want to figure out if that can benefit us, in an ethical marketing way." Chuckling, Morgan ran a hand through his hair, before shaking his head. "But I'm sure that's boring to hear about, so please, tell me more about yourself. Eva. Professor Anderson."

Eva Anderson

Eva giggled at the compliment, and it wasn't the first she'd heard it but it was still funny to her. "I'm being behaved since students around, but I'm sort of wild sometimes. Before coming back here, I spent the last 10 years working for a talent agency. I was a teenage beauty influencer so after I got all of my degrees, I decided to try my hand on the *other* side of the marketing and PR for the new generation of celebrities. That taught me how to be professional so I can turn it off and on." She clarified with a nod. It was a blessing, in her opinion. Morgan talking about his horses was precious, and honestly, she wanted nothing more than to see him in action with them. "That's really good. I know there's some horror stories out there about animal wranglers being hard on the animals, so I like that you're different." Eva smiled. "It's not boring at all, but are you sure you want me to tell you more about me? i'm a lot more tame now but during my teen years? I was trouble."

Morgan Weston

Sort of wild sometimes - this wasn't Morgan's first rodeo (quite literally), and that only intrigued him, to hear more of. "What does 'wild' consist of?" He asked, moving a step closer, so that he could slide his arm over the bar, leaning against it again. That way, they were actually the same height. Humming, Morgan nodded along as he listened. It sounded like Eva had lived a thousand lives in basically no time, and Morgan wanted a run-down of every single one of them. "You've got a lot of experience under your belt, huh? Have you always been living here, in L.A.?" He asked her, eyes roaming over her features, and taking them in. She was beautiful, in a dark and mysterious way - something that didn't seem to align with her personality, but that was probably what made her so captivating. "Well, y'know, when you're dealing with animals that are doing this as a job - and as your job - you wanna make sure you treat them the best. They don't know what's going on, so I'm not about to make their life even worse." Morgan justified, before putting his elbow on the bar, and his hand on his chin, gesturing that he was ready to listen. "You can't tell me that you were trouble, and then not give me some examples."

Eva Anderson

Watching Morgan step closer as he pushed for more details about her wild side, Eva smirked. "Oh, I get wasted and start dancing on top of bars, stripping a little bit, and indulging in any attractive people that are around." She teased, though that was pretty much how most of her nights out went, and she had sort of gone into tonight expecting that exact same thing too. Studying how much closer he seemed to keep getting, she shook her head at his question. "No, my parents raised us in Dallas, so until I was forced to enroll in PSU after high school, it was just trips to LA for events and stuff." The way his eyes were roaming her body was starting to warm her up more than the liquor coursing through her body, but she didn't mind it at all. A man that looked like he did talking about being gentle and nurturing for his animals was unfamiliar territory, but she was definitely a fan of it now. "That's actually really sweet, and exactly the kind of thing you should be using for your business marketing. I'd hire you, or your animals, in a heartbeat." Of course Eva's business mentality would kick in while she was flirting, yet she couldn't help herself. She should have expected him to be more curious about her troubled past, so she simply shrugged one of her shoulders. "I've been arrested for public indecency, public intoxication, driving under the influence, and disturbing the peace — and that was all before my 18th birthday. I was basically following in Lindsay Lohan's footsteps."

Morgan Weston

“Hold on, I’mma get my notepad out, so I can note down where you go to party,” Morgan joked, a playful smirk on his face. “Oh, you’re from Dallas? I love that place- I guess that’s not very surprising. But it’s a nice place. D’ya ever miss it?” Morgan was hoping he wasn’t asking any intruding questions or overstepping any boundaries, but he missed Montana a lot, and he was curious to hear if anyone from outside L.A. missed their home state. “Yeah? Well, in that case- here,” Morgan dug into his back pocket to pull out his wallet, grabbing a business card to hand to Eva. ’Morgan Weston, Hollywood Horse Wrangler.’ “My phone number is on it; y’know, in case you ever wanna…hire me, and my girls.” Morgan offered her a flirty smirk, the card sticking out in between two fingers. ”And look at her, she’s having a resurgence period, and everything!” Morgan said with a big grin on his face. “You lived your youth to the fullest, huh? Did you have a favorite cop? I never got into the kind of trouble you did, but I did break a few windows, and start a few fights, and whenever Officer Malcolm picked me up, I knew I’d get the good treatment.” Morgan revealed to Eva. He really wasn’t one to judge.

Eva Anderson

"Good!" Eva giggled at his joke, though he probably should be taking notes to see her again, not that she was going to blurt that out just yet. "But nah, I don't really miss it. I miss some of the food, and I do go back and visit sometimes, but most of my family is out here now." She hummed. "What about you? Where are you from, and do you miss it?" She questioned curiously. Most people she met hardly ever talked about their hometowns since LA had been a staple for them all at this point, but she didn't mind hearing about that sort of thing anyways. Raising a brow when he went for his wallet, she smiled when he flashed a business card. She did love it when any business owner carried their cards on hand at any and every event, just in case, so she eagerly took the card and glanced over it. She eyed the phone number before she glanced back up at him. "I'll see what I can do for the business, but is this number just for business, or do you take personal calls on it too?" She asked, not even trying to hide the way she had to bite her lip in anticipation. Eva would probably use it for both either way, but she did at least want his take on it. Smiling as he mentioned LiLo's resurgence, she tucked the card into her clutch before her own curiosity was piqued at his next set of words. "I disliked all of those cops equally, but hang on. Breaking windows, starting fights? Don't tell me Mr. Gentle Horse Wrangler has a bad side?" She teased, leaning in even closer to the man. "Did you *win* those fights?"

Morgan Weston

The way Eva's giggle sounded in Morgan's ears was like sweet music, and it only fuelled the fire to keep trying to make her giggle. It also fuelled the confidence-fire within him, knowing that he was able to get that out of her. "The food there *is* amazing, I'll give ya that," Morgan agreed softly. "Montana. I miss it every day, but I'm at a point in my life where I need to try out new things and new places, and the rest of my family's here, so," The tall man shrugged his shoulders. L.A. wasn't exactly his cup of tea, but it was exciting being here, and trying to make a name of himself in other places than just his hometown - plus, wanting to establish some sort of relationship with his siblings. Morgan watched Eva scan his business card with her eyes, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise at her question. He took a moment, humming lightly to himself before he spoke up. "Mhmm, there'll be something very wrong with that number, if you talk to a secretary, or someone else. I'm available on that phone, day and night." He watched her bite her lip, keeping an eye on how it slipped between her teeth, and he had to force himself to tear his eyes off of them. Morgan clumsily adjusted himself against the bar, finally able to look away for a moment, until he felt her move closer to him. A sound escaped his lips. What the hell was that? A nervous laugh? Morgan cleared his throat and nodded. "I did, surprisingly. But I was also feisty back then. I had a lot of rage, as a 15-year old, and used a lot of unfair moves against my opponents." He paused, furrowing his eyebrows, but still keeping smile on his lips. "I'm sure you've seen a hell of a lot of people with bad sides, working for a talent agency, in La La Land, of all places though, right?"

Eva Anderson

"How often were you in Dallas?" Maybe it was for a movie, or maybe he was there for fun, but now Eva needed to understand why their paths hadn't crossed before right now. "Montana, huh? That place is like full of mountains and Yellowstone, right?" She hummed. It definitely wasn't somewhere she recall checking out before, so she knew very little about it, clearly. It did give her something else to pick his brain about later though. Once he confirmed that he was available at the number on his card day and night, she made a mental note to store it into her phone after this whole thing. "I'll keep that in mind." She promised. She was forward, sure, but she wasn't gonna hit him up the second they left here. Eva would never come off as desperate, and she'd want him to be waiting for at least a day first. The noise he let out was one she found enticing, and it only made her grin back at him. "I don't know, I don't really see the feisty side in you just yet, but now I kinda want to. I also want to see these 'unfair moves' too." She pleaded, though she was sure those moves weren't sexual but either way, she needed to see this sort of thing in action. Taking in his question about some of the clients she'd worked with, Eva groaned as she nodded. "It was bad before, but it's gotten worse since content creating became a legit career path. Like kids who make one video that take offs get thrust into stardom overnight and have no sort of etiquette, so they come out here and go batshit crazy. Or worse, they were already showing their bad side in their small town so you bring them out here and you realize that the viral videos didn't tell you how they were off camera. It's almost like raising someone else's adult children."

Morgan Weston

"Maybe a few times a year," Morgan started, before following up with a reason. "Dallas has the biggest equestrian center in Texas, it's a good place to go, to scope things out. And eat, obviously." He said with a grin, his eyes finding Eva's. His life consisted mainly of his work, but he wanted to make sure that he did also indulge in other activities outside of it. "That's correct, ma'am. If ya like nature, it's the place to go. It's beautiful." He could speak for hours about the place. The mountains, the forests, the rivers; how he could spend *days* without sleep, just soaking it all up. Now, there was new terrain to be explored, and it excited the tall man. "You seem a lot more familiar with LA, than I am - d'ya think you could show me around some day? I haven't really had the time to explore any good eating places, since moving back here." Morgan suggested, a slight hint of a flirtatious tone in his voice. Did he want to see Eva again? Absolutely. Did he want it to be in a much less...professional setting? Without a doubt. A suggestive pair of eyebrows lifted, and he smirked to himself. He'd never think that his little rebellious stint during his teenage years would be interesting, but here Eva was, proving him otherwise. "I'm sure you'll catch it some day - just keep hanging onto me, and it'll show up." He promised her, having leant in closer to tell her, like it was a secret just between the two of them. Groaning, Morgan couldn't imagine how to deal with what Eva had voluntarily worked with for ten years. "I take my hat off to ya, I don't know how you did that. I'm really impressed. And now you wanna pass on that wisdom to the next generation. That's admirable. Truly."

Eva Anderson

Thinking it over, Eva nodded. "Right, we do have that, don't we?" She asked, giggling at the sudden realization that she had known about the place even if she'd never really been there herself. Perking up as he confirmed what Montana was mostly known for, she was sure that her thoughts probably needed a filter and yet, since they didn't, she was already getting ahead of herself. Luckily before she could even embarrass herself (possibly anyways), he asked her to be a tour guide around LA and she grinned. "I'll show you around LA if you take me back to Montana sometime and show me around." She offered, and it was a fair trade in her opinion. "But I certainly wouldn't want a man of your caliber to starve, so I can definitely show you the best places to eat." Eva teased. As if she needed any other reason to stick around Morgan, the promise of getting to see his rebellious side was a guaranteed way to leave her hooked, as was him inching closer to her. "Then I guess you're gonna be stuck with me for a while, Mr. Weston." She stated and winked. He didn't know what he was getting himself into with her, but she was quite eager to find out just how long he'd actually stick around for. She found herself blushing this time at the praise, which she was sure she didn't entirely deserve but would accept anyways. "Thank you. I feel like teaching other nepo babies might give me a run for my money, but I figured that for the ones that genuinely want to know the ins and outs of the business, it would help to have an experience professor. But let's see if I still feel this way after this first semester." She joked.

Morgan Weston

It would've been nice to have known Eva sooner, because he always felt like he wanted to explore Dallas when he visited, but never knew where to start - she would've been a good tour guide to have. Grinning, Morgan nodded agreeingly and stuck his hand out, so they could shake on it. "That's a deal, and I'mma hold you to it." He told her. Morgan hummed delightfully to himself. They were setting up some good agreements here, and he loved it; he got to spend more time with Eva, get to know her better, and he definitely didn't hate how flirtatious it was between them. "I'm looking forward to it, Miss Anderson," He quipped back, matching her vibe completely, but not being able to hold back that slight blush on his cheeks as she winked at him. He chuckled nervously to himself, looking down at the floor with a grin for just a second, before he looked back up at her, now catching her blush, after his compliment. It was cute and he really liked having that effect on her. It only made him strive to have it more on her. "I'm sure you'll be great! Although, should ya have a bad day or two, I'll always be here with a glass of wine, and a homecooked meal - just say the word." Morgan promised her, imagining just how difficult it might be to settle into a completely new job; and also, selfishly, wanting to spend more time with the girl in front of him.

Eva Anderson

Glancing at the hand being offered to her again, Eva eagerly placed her hand into his and shook it. "You can hold me to whatever you want, cowboy." Why was she starting to sound desperate? Maybe it was the whole cowboy thing that was getting to her, but she definitely needed to calm her ass down, if at all possible. That all went out the window when he said Miss Anderson with that country drawl, and if not for her still gripping his hand, her knees probably would've buckled under her and she'd be on the ground. "You might not be saying that after putting up with me for longer than just tonight." She taunted, though she had ways to keep people glued to her, one way or another. Flirting with people was never this enticing, but Eva knew better than to hone on it too much, so she simply intertwined fingers in his as he opened up the floor to something else that could reel her in. "Homecooked meal? A man who wrangles horses *and* can throw down in the kitchen? Are you single? There's no way you're still single when you seem to check every single box a woman would be looking for." She hummed, and although she wasn't about to ask him to wife her up right here at a bar, it was quite shocking that some other lovestruck woman hadn't. "I will most certainly keep that in mind though. What's your favorite thing to cook?"

Morgan Weston

'You can hold me to whatever you want'. Images started flooding Morgan's mind. They weren't clean or family friendly; rather the opposite. It caused him to bite down on his lower lip, gently letting it go again after a moment. He wondered what it might feel like, to have her teeth tugging on his lips like that. What it'd feel to wrap his arms around her small body. What kind of sounds she'd make when he- clearing his throat with a small cough, Morgan smirked. "I like a good challenge," he told her, instantly missing the images that his brain had produced just a few seconds ago. Although, he figured, it wouldn't even be much of a challenge. It felt natural to stand there, and flirt with Eva; he figured that, as a quiet man, everything else would feel just as natural and easy. Her small fingers felt so soft and gentle against the calloused skin on his, but it was a welcomed feeling, that had him weak in the knees. He couldn't help but laugh out loud at Eva's comments. She was sweet. "Yeah, I'm single. I don't know, work just took over for a while, but I'm kinda tryin' to live a little more now. That includes actually spending time learning new recipes, y'know?" Morgan naturally took one step closer to Eva, and their bodies were almost touching now. He could pretty much feel the sparks between them. "My granny taught me how to make the best fried chicken, but I also make a mean spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken and dumplings," Morgan told her, that accent coming in thick on the last part of 'dumplings'. He leaned in, his lips brushing against Eva's ear, so he could tell her, softly, "But if there's something you like- whatever you want, Miss Anderson, I'm at your disposal."

Eva Anderson

Watching the man bite down on his lip, Eva didn't know how the hell she wasn't already pulling him away from the bar, yet she wasn't jumping the gun with him this early, regardless of how badly she wanted him to. They were both up for a challenge, which was both tempting and dangerous. Morgan's entire demeanor was foreign to her, yet she was yearning to spend more time getting to know him — and in more ways than one. She glanced down at their hands as he spoke, still baffled by him being single when he was clearly husband material, or at least what she'd heard of such requirements since that wasn't her forte. "A hard working man who cooks? I feel like that's unheard of around here considering we'd all rather pay someone to do it for us, so all of the PSU women will be drooling once they get to know you better." She pointed out, and she was lucky that she wasn't the jealous type of she'd be trembling now at such a thought. Luckily she wasn't worried about anyone else, but especially not when he started talking about the food he could make and inching even closer to her. The accent only made it all better, and Eva was for sure drooling now. "Is it bad that I want to try all three dishes you just named?" She asked, humming as she closed what little space was left between them and pressed her body against his, letting him whisper into her ear before she smirked in response. "I can think of a few things I like..but I should probably act like a lady and tell you to treat me to a real dinner first *before* I let you have me as dessert." Eva stated, licking her lips as she met his gaze.

Morgan Weston

There was clearly this whole ’big city girl / small town boy’ thing going on between Eva and Morgan. It seemed like she knew LA better than any of the people that Morgan had even done business with – and that included big Hollywood producers. She was dressed in a sleek dress, showing off all of her attributes, and it made it difficult for someone like Morgan to think straight. He was used to dust blowing in all directions, worn-down jeans and 15-year-old boots that needed to be mended twice a year but still kept going strong. It was attractive to him, that there was this clean and elegant girl clearly knowing what she wanted and knowing how to get it. If Morgan didn’t know better, he’d say that he could be wrapped around her finger in no time, if she wanted. He couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head at Eva’s comment. She was being too sweet. He’d been too busy to date in the last few years, and his ex-girlfriends hadn’t been too thrilled about his presence being more on work and the animals, than in their relationship. “With the amount of crazy talented folks in this place, I doubt that’s the case,” Morgan said and looked around; it really was a pool of purely attractive people, it had actually been a bit of a shock when he first got to LA. The feeling of Eva’s body against his caused the hair on his arm and nape of his neck to stand up, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say that his facial hair was doing the exact same thing. There was an electricity coming from her, that caused him to be slightly speechless, especially after he heard her response. When she pulled away, Morgan’s eyes went straight from her eyes to her lips, and he caught that pink tongue of hers, seeing the wetness forming around the curves of her mouth. It was like his brain short circuited or something because for a few seconds, he really couldn’t make up any words. ’Say something, goddammit!’ “God, you’re gonna be the death of me, Eva Anderson.”

Eva Anderson

Eva didn't know why she was so thirsty for Morgan like she was when he wasn't even her typical type, yet then again, she hadn't seen an authentic cowboy in LA that wasn't just doing it because they were a country singer or dressing up for some themed event. He was a complete breath of fresh air amongst the same old shit she saw daily, and that whole Southern gentleman thing was enough to get any woman riled up. She was baffled at his reaction to her words, seeing that he clearly didn't understand the power he possessed. "Crazy? Yes. Talented? Debatable, since some of them are just cute and thriving off of the nepotism alone. But most of us wouldn't know our way around a kitchen or a farm like you do, and you're fucking hot, so I have a feeling a lot of these women will be drooling." She would know after all, since she on the verge of doing so herself. Luckily she could keep herself composed, to an extent anyways, so her drool was internal only. For now. It was hard to maintain it when Morgan's body language gave away his own desire for her, but Eva was managing to contain herself as best as she could. She caught the way his eyes trailed from her eyes to her lips, and if she were more willing to just cave and throw herself at him, this was the moment she would have done it. Once he finally spoke up again after a brief moment of silence, she grinned. "Oh, I plan to be, Morgan Weston. But I should probably give you a break for one night and let someone else get to know you too, so how about you just let me know when you want to start the LA taste test? I'll make time for you whenever you want." She offered with a wink.

Morgan Weston

Letting out another laugh at Eva's comment, he could definitely see the truth in what she was saying. LA attracted lots of crazy people, it was so different to the slow and safe pace of Montana. But with that being said, Morgan still found it admirable how people put themselves out there, whether or not they had talent - maybe that was him being naive though? Hearing her compliment, a full blush suddenly appeared on his cheeks, feeling it spread to the slightly exposed chest underneath the shirt, like a wildfire that couldn't be put out. He laughed nervously, using his free hand to scratch the back of his head in an attempt to buy himself some time, to figure out what to say. "I'm flattered that you of all people think so," he started, before following it up with, "given not only your knowledge about the ins and outs of the business in this city, but also because of how incredibly sexy you yourself are." He was never this forward, with anyone, but it was almost like something was radiating off of Eva and transferring into Morgan's body, because he suddenly felt confident enough to say something like that. His eyes found her deep brown ones. Oh, how he could get lost in those little speckles of emerald green that revealed themselves when the light hit them just right. "I'm sure you've also got a line of people, dying to speak to you. Selfishly, I want that time to myself now, but I'm gonna let you go, 'specially because this is a 'mixer' after all. But it was a pleasure, Eva." He said, softly shaking the hand he still had a hold of, not wanting to let go of it. "I'll make sure to let ya know when I want you. And your time." For a moment, Morgan just stood there, taking in her beauty, in case this was the last time he would see her. No, that wasn't necessary - he was determined to see her again. "Bye." Giving her hand one last squeeze, he let go of it, and made the difficult decision of walking away.

[creations-by-chaosfay]

My to-do list is getting fuller, but I don't mind. Staying busy is vital to avoiding madness. Especially when that to-do list involves commissions.

Star Story - commission, begin handquilting

Mug rug - commission, bird theme, fabric and pattern pulled

Mini quilt - commission, fpp 18x18 inch crow, forest and wood theme, quilt top only

Four piece coaster set - commission, hobbitcore meets slavic grandma, old fashioned, whimsy, floral

Placemat sets - shop item, two sets of two placemats, purple celestial theme

Five piece dining set - giveaway prize, dessert and treats theme, four placemats and a table runner

Three piece dining set - gift, two placemats and insulated table runner, OSU Ducks theme

Single placemat - gift, unicorn theme

Lap quilt - gift, begin handquilting

I'll be going to the fabric store to pick up extra wide backing for Star Story, the mini quilt, and possibly the four piece coaster set. I have no idea what slavic grandma fashion is, so that will need a little research. Hobbitcore, to me, is lots of green, brown, and plants.

If anyone wishes to commission me, there are still slots available. Please snatch those up.

I'll have the placemats and mug rug done by the end of this week, and have all the pieces cut and prepped for the placemats. Those will likely be finished by the end of today, and mug rug tomorrow. Handquilting will begin tomorrow, and the morning will involve washing the dining room floor and basting the quilt. I tend to work up a sweat doing those things because it's a lot of hard work, and will likey leave me wiped out for a few hours. Basting takes me about one to three hours, depending on the size of the quilt.

The mini quilt and four piece coaster set will definitely be finished next week. The mini quilt is just the quilt top, nothing else, which definitely speeds things up. It's all foundation paper pieced as well. I will also begin the giveaway prize next week if I don't have any other commissions.

Then the week after that, complete the giveaway prize and work on the housewarming gift for a friend. He and his father are buying a house and moving in together, both are HUGE fans of the OSU Ducks (local team), and a two person dining set will be a fantastic gift. Especially since they plan on decorating the dining room with all things OSU Ducks.

If I have no other commissions after this, I'll just focus on my niece's birthday gift of a unicorn themed placemat. My sister and mom describe her as the girliest girl to ever girl, and she loves all things unicorns. I have unicorn fabric and a unicorn fpp piece. I will also work on finishing the handquilting for Star Story and build up inventory in my shop.

Star Story will likely be finished in mid-July. When I have the handquilting complete, and have no large commission to work on over the summer, I'll be handquilting a lap quilt gift for a friend. I made the top a couple years ago, but he made it abundantly clear he's fine waiting because paid projects come first. Handquilting will be done in the afternoon, seeing as mornings are so nice in my sewing room but it's too hot to be in there after about 10AM.

Ah, yes, my summer routine is sewing in the morning (I'm up at 5AM), handquilting in the afternoon, no working after 6PM (dinner), and in bed by 9PM.

Commissions will be closing June 1st, so you had best grab one of my slots now. Prices will increase when I open them again in September. I now have a very good idea of how long it takes to finish things, and have given myself a 10% pay raise from $25/hour to $27/hour. Now that I know handquilting twin size quilts is around 80-100 hours, and queen size 100-150 hours, the prices will reflect this. Queen size quilts will start at $4300 USD, twin size quilts at $3000 USD, etc. King size quilts will take between 300-500 hours, done over the course of 18 months to two years (to prevent burnout I'll take breaks to work on smaller things, as advised by other quilters), which is why prices for those will start at $11,300. I well and truly do not want to make a king size quilt, but that much money is extremely good incentive. As with all projects, if you cannot pay 100% immediately, I'll accept 50% upfront. For a king size, that's nearly $6k. Do I think anyone will commission me for something that large? Absolutely not, which is why I'm not concerned. I will, however, add it as an option when I reopen commissions later this year. If someone does commission me for it, I'm getting our plumbing replaced; the guy who owned the house prior to us buying it was a landlord, and he installed illegal plumbing that's causing problems. We were quoted nearly $12k last year, and have no means of paying for it. A king size quilt will take care of that.

Now I need to eat, convince my husband to get out of bed, go to the fabric store, and then get home and do some sewing.

[studyblr-perhaps]

I noticed mathy looking notes in your post earlier. I've just returned to school after a 10 year break and I've never been particularly good at math. I'm taking a remote double time math course over the summer semester that starts in a few weeks and I'm a bit nervous as I've never taken math remotely. Do you have any pro-tips? :)

Hello! Tbh I don't think I'm the best person to ask for tips related to math, considering I barely just pass all my math courses. But I haven't failed any so yes. Disclaimer: I don't really know what remote learning is, but I'll assume it's similar to either the online classes we took during covid, or pre-recorded classes which we can watch later on. So my tips will be considering these two scenarios.

First of all, I think it depends on what course you're taking. Is it a specific course, like linear algebra, geometry, calculus, or any of the sort. If it is, I'd advise you brush up on the basics of those once (i.e. trigonometry and stuff for geometry, limits and all for calculus etc). Although I am sure your teacher will definitely go over the basics, most of the times the difficulty in solving maths lies in not being able to understand the basics.

If your math course is a non-specific course, whenever they start a new topic, they'll probably provide some basic info. Same as above, always understand that first. A lot many times in maths, I have come to realize, you can solve a lot of questions by knowing just basics, and not formulae.

Second, Solve questions. This is something I myself don't do often (thus the barely passing marks) and karma has bit my ass a lot many times for this. Maths is a skill, and you can only hone it by doing as much problems as you can. Now, don't overwork yourself and stress over all questions, sometimes some just don't solve no matter what you try.

You don't need to do every question in your practice problem sets, just to the most varied one. That is, if two questions have a similar approach for an answer and you know how to get to the solution after doing one, don't do the other. You can save that time and brain space for a different question which has a slightly different approach. Warning: some questions look solvable but then you sometimes get stuck on it halfway, be careful while judging which questions you know and can skip.

Third, make notes. It seems basic enough but I don't just mean the lecture notes. Make a separate sheet of just formulae or theorems which you require. You can use that sheet when you're solving practice questions. As you keep solving, you'll realize after a while you wouldn't need that formulae sheet at all. And if your examinations allow cheat sheet, you've already made one!

Fourth, google. Don't know the question, google the entire question word for word. Don't know a concept, google it. Can use chatgpt? Use it. Be honest when you're practicing, but when you can't understand or solve a question, be honest and just google it. 8/10 times the answer (or related similar question's answer) will always be there.

On the same note, youtube has some really good teachers. I do not know what level course you're taking, but Khan Academy and Organic Chemistry Tutor's videos has helped me way into two years of college. You can try these channels, or you can try other ones you find and like, too!

Lastly, find past questions. This is an occupational disease (if you can call it that) which has been ingrained into me after high school and the ridiculous amount of college entrance exams I had to give. Also Asian. Definitely also because I'm Asian. Questions which come in the exam are barely anything which you use practical knowledge for. I have done many many projects with my friends and none of us have ever used maths in the way we use and write in exams. Exam taking is a skill (I am bad at it) and it measures how good you are at taking an exam than how good you are at the subject. Sadly they do in the end judge us based on scores, so past year's question papers is absolutely necessary! A lot of times the questions are similar (my quantum mechanics midsem was the exact same as the previous batch's only the values were different. Same question, same concept, same approach to solution.) This will definitely give you an upper hand at solving exam questions.

And that's it! That's all I can think of right now. But please remember, learning is unique to each individual. What works for me may not work for you. Always, tweak and twist and experiment on what works best for you, and go with that. Sometimes it's exhausting, and it's okay if you spend an entire day binging a show (definitely not speaking from experience, nope). Just know that the next day, you'll pick up your pen and continue on your journey with maths!

TL;DR: brush up on basics, practice questions, use google and youtube to it's fullest, get past year exam papers, take rests and don't feel guilty, it's alright sometimes.

With that being said, thank you for the ask! I hope your course goes amazing and you have a wonderful time with it!!!!!!

Happy learning!

[lubdubsworld]

Blackberry Winters.

Part 1

Check part one for warnings 💔

Part 2.

Namjoon stared at his mother, her words registering but not quite sinking in. He blinked, a couple of times and swallowed dryly, trying to gather his wits that felt like they'd been scattered to the four winds. There was a dull ringing in his ear, a feeling of impending horror and he had to fight to bring himself back to the present.

"She is...?" He couldn't even say it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realised the irony of it. It wasn't supposed to makes him feel that way. The reason he had taken her to bed was for this : a heir to take over the duties of the head alpha after him. And yet, he knew that he couldn't just ignore all the things that would come with having a pregnant mate. All the added responsibility.

At the heart of it , Namjoon was exhausted.

He had been trained for this position but it didn't make it any easier. His wolf yearned for solitude and serenity, peaceful quiet where he could contemplate life and all its mysteries but the duties and responsibilities kept piling up. He had no time to indulge in such whimsical fantasies. From daybreak to sundown, he drowned in problems that demanded solutions, issues that required his intervention and he was always giving so much of himself to so many.

It was as taking a toll.

And now here was the promise of another new soul. A pup. Fully dependant on him for survival. It was hard to be ecstatic.

" Why do you look so surprised? Have you not been sleeping with her?" She frowned, moving closer to the small wooden bench in the corner of the room. She sat down, primly adjusting the large swathes of her skirt. Even at her age, she was a beauty and despite being a widow, she was treated with great respect by all the wolves in the clan.

" I have... Of course...I just didn't expect her to ...so soon. " He muttered hesitantly. He made a quick calculation, Conceived at the end of autumn meant the child would be born at the end of summer. Rains and more rains. He would have to commission the weavers to make a lot of warm blankets and thick bedding for the babe. And make sure that all the birthing huts had their roofs mended. He felt an ache in his chest. He knew he had to have a heir. It was part of what he was responsible for. But he wasn't ready to be a father yet. Especially not with someone like her.

" You haven't been very subtle in your disdain for her, Joon. It makes me wonder of perhaps I have failed in teaching you the ways of a husband." His mother's sharp voice made him wince.

His parents had been deeply in love with each other. His mother had been an equal contributor in running the clan, his father's most trusted confidante. He couldn't imagine having something like that with the woman he had rather recklessly chained himself to for life. But he couldn't be openly defiant in front of his mother.

So he bowed.

" I've tried to talk to her mother. She looks at me like I'm some marauding villain."

Lady Kim scoffed.

" Because, for all she knows, you may as well be one. Think of who she is, how she was raised. Her mother died when she was eight and she has been keeping house for her father since then. It Is a miracle she knows how to read a few words and to write her own name. Old man Gong is unkind and cruel and I've only ever watched him treat her like an unruly dog that needed discipline and never like his own flesh and blood. She knows men to be cruel and powerful and capable of doing her great harm. Add to it your status as the head of the clan, of course she thinks you're dangerous. "

" am I to be blamed for her childhood now?"

" Don't be obtuse. That is not what I'm saying. I just want you to consider her upbringing, before you write her off as dramatic or hysterical. "

Namjoon sighed deeply.

" Alright, mother. I'll try to talk to her again. "

And he knew that he had to. If he wanted some semblance of peace in his life, he would have to make an effort with his wife.

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

Jiah sat by the haybale near the barn, cross-legged on the dirty floor as she watched Misu and Loshim, two of the stable boys tend to the horses. She stared at the careful way they brushed the large beasts, their tone gentle and soothing as they murmured reassurance to the agitated animals. She found it fascinating, how even an animal that powerful could feel fear and anxiety. It made her feel better about her own shortcomings.

From a very young age, she had known of her flaws. She was jittery, prone to cold sweats and breathing problems, easily frightened and absolutely terrified of confrontation of any kind. Her parents had been, to put it lightly, unkind. They had seen her as a burden, as something broken and useless and cumbersome and that had done nothing for her self esteem.

To make matters worse, they didn't let her attend lessons with the other omega girls, her education limited to scribbled writing on granite with chalk when her father was feeling bored or charitable. She could read a few words with difficulty . Could write her name out if you gave her some time and patience.

At first, her ignorance had been embarassing but over time she realised her education wouldn't serve her much purpose.

She thought of herself as something temporary and fleeting. Not meant to leave any lasting impression on the world. So it was alright if she didn't know what every other girl her age did. She was going to live and die in that hut near the boundary walls..... She would have no use for fancy words or exotic dances.

Or so she hd always believed.

So when the head alpha had asked for her hand in marriage, she had nearly passed out from her heart giving out.

Namjoon was seven years older, almost thirty winters old and she had only ever caught glimpses of him when he came to check on her father's watchpost occasionally. He was a tall man, strapping and intimidating with dragon eyes that glowed red. And one evening he had stopped by her side when she had been tending the beets and potatoes in the small vegetable garden out back.

He had stared at her for a few long minutes while she had sweated in nervousness and then he had promptly asked for her father. When the man had Stepped in and told her father that he was looking to make her his bride, the old man had been jubilant while Jiah had been confounded.

She hadn't wanted to say yes but she had been too much of a coward to say no. Besides, she didn't know if saying no would have any repurcussions....she didn't want to risk offending the literal head of the entire clan. What if they banished her? What would become of her then?

And so she had said yes. And here she was.

Mated to the man for life, her wolf connected to his and his mark on her neck and now....his child in her womb.

She felt the familiar stirring of panic, digging her nails into her palm to ground herself .

Jiah had long come to terms with the fact that her mind was not her friend. It sometimes tried to attack her , tried to make her feel irrational things. It convinced her that she was a bother, that she was useless, that she was a burden. It also tried to tell her that she was in danger, that she had to run and avoid and get away, even when she was perfectly safe.

When she had first come here as the head Alphas new wife, her brain had wrecked havoc on her senses. Had made her feel like a hunted animal, always cowering and hiding and trying to disappear . Namjoon had tried to be friendly, tried to be courteous and all she had done was hide and recoil, skin ice cold and words practically non existent. She hadn't said a word to him those first few days and even the bedding had been a nightmare, her entire body stiff as a board and she knew that he had probably felt like he was making love to a corpse.

She regretted it. Deeply. But there was not much she could do about it now. Besides she wasn't sure she even wanted to. It was obvious her husband's affections lay elsewhere. She had seen the way he looked at that courtesan. Had seen him sneak out for walks with her, had seen them huddled together in the room with all the scrolls and leather bound books.

Jisoo was a beautiful omega, well read and trained in musical arts. She played the gayageum and the flute, knew how to entertain guests with a perfect ceremonial dance and she was always at the helm of every festivity, dressed in vibrant fabrics and full of life.

She was also madly in love with Namjoon.

Jiah sighed, watching the horses paw at the dirty stable floor. She wanted to get to know her husband, yes. But she knew that even if she did, he would only find her wanting and inadequate in all ways.

And that was just not acceptable .

She maybe self aware when it came to her short comings but she also had her pride.

She would rather live like this. Tucked away like an embarassment, hidden like a dirty secret because then there would be no piercing gaze weighing her against her peers and declaring her broken.

Yes.

Pregnant or not, she wanted nothing to do with her husband.

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

" Are you feeling well now?" Namjoon's voice startled her, eyes going wide as she looked around the resting quarters , gaze finally falling on the man standing near the large table on the side. Namjoon was bent over the rough oak surface , papers spread out in front of him, an oil lamp burning bright nearby, casting a sepia shadow on the man himself and she hesitated, debating the pros and cons of excusing herself to go see his mother instead. Maybe claiming a headache?

In the end she did neither, resolving to at least make an effort with this.

" I'm well, alpha. " She swallowed the lump in her throat. " I'm sorry for inconveniencing you. "

He straightened, turning around to look at her finally.

" Do you wish to move into another room?" He said briskly and she startled.

" Another room?"

" Now that you are with pup, there's no reason for us to keep sleeping together. I prefer having my own space. "

Jiah felt the blood rush through her ears. This shouldn't hurt but it did and she could feel the self loathing flood her senses. She stared down at herself, the lack of beauty and the utter lack of any kind of elegant upbringing. Of course he didn't want to stay with her any longer. What had she been thinking , agreeing to this farce of a mating?

" I... Alright. "

Namjoon turned away from her.

" Good. I've already arranged for all your things to be moved to the west wing , next to the gardens."

Far away from his rooms, Jiah thought bitterly. The sudden realization that Namjoon had been looking for some sort of brood mare and not a mate hit her . And it suddenly made sense that he hd picked her.

Someone easy to boss around.

Someone who wouldn't demand anything from him, loyalty or affection or attention .

And it irked her for some reason.

Why did he get to treat her that way? Why must she put up with it?

But she stayed quiet because she wasn't sure what to say.

" You can leave now, Jiah. " He said dismissively and she hesitated before stepping out of the room.

And she wondered if with her departure, someone else would be taking her place in his bed.

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

Authors Note : would you guys like first person narrative or should I continue in third person? 👀

[annzybwrites]

a-slime-draws-near said: was snufkin always a vampire, or did he get turned while in the south and is trying to act normal but he also feels very tempted to drink moomin’s blood. or the moomins are a vampire family and moomin turns snufkin when he gets mortally wounded but he doesn’t take it well that he’s become an undead creature without his permission u_u. is there sparkling involved 🤔

Thank you for your interest. I shall now extrapolate on my many thoughts XD

I want to briefly talk about your idea of the Moomin family being vampires and turning Snufkin to save his life, because that would ALSO be an AMAZING concept!! I hadn't thought of that originally, but that's so cool!!

As for my original idea: No sparkling, Twilight vampires. We're going all the way >:3

I really like the idea of Snufkin having been turned into a vampire over winter, and he's unsure if he even should go back to the valley or not or if he's too dangerous for such a peaceful place. Depending on when during the winter he's turned, he'd have to find a hospital or a local blood bank soon and steal some blood for himself (he would never want to take someone's blood directly; that's so personal and invasive). After awhile I think he'd realize that as long as he has a fair supply of blood that he's just the same as before, except that now he can no longer enjoy the sun's rays on his skin, which would be something he mourns the loss of. He also has to handle new and heightened senses, as well as an increased speed, agility, and strength that he's not sure how to control yet.

He'd make his way back to Moominvalley right on time, I think, realizing that the moomins or the witch could probably help him find a cure for this. I think it would be really funny if he just came back in the dead of night being all, surprise, I'm a vampire now! And the moomins kind of just stare at him for a moment as they process that.

When Snufkin asks for help finding a cure, Moominmamma says she'll check all of Grandma's old recipe books, and Moomin says they could go to the witch's cabin to ask her about their options right that minute. Little My's the one who's like, "Wait, how have you survived till now? Where did you get blood before??"

"I stole it from hospitals along the way."

"How often do you have to drink blood? How much do you have to drink??"

"Not much; a liter every two weeks keeps me sane."

"How are you going to get blood now?"

"Well... I'll just journey to a nearby hospital every week --"

"That would be so annoying," Moomin interrupts, his heart doing strange somersaults in his chest. "You could just... drink my blood?"

Before Snufkin could even try and come up with some kind of excuse as to why he should not do that, Moominmamma speaks up gently, "Dear, you hate getting your blood drawn."

(Not me projecting how I faint whenever I get my blood drawn onto Moomin, heavens no)

Moomin flushes with embarrassment and insists, "This is a bit different than a blood draw!"

Unfortunately, this sparks Moominpappa to proudly and bravely announce that he'll be the one to sacrifice his blood for the sake of Snufkin's health, and he heads off to the Snorks' for the equipment he needs to get his blood drawn every week ("I know you said every two weeks is fine, Snufkin, but surely you'd be even healthier if you drank more regularly!")

That's pretty much how I see the intro going, haha. The "cure" for these types of vampires will be unicorn blood, I've decided, but unicorns haven't been spotted in decades so Alicia goes on a hunt for one while the witch tries to find something else to help Snufkin in the meantime.

This could potentially be where the sparkling bit comes in XD Maybe the witch comes up with a potion so that the sun won't burn Snufkin's skin, it'll just make him sparkle. That way he can actually enjoy the summer instead of only being able to spend time with Moomin and the others at night.

And, of course, the best part of any romantic vampire AU: of course Moomin smells insanely delectable to Snufkin. Obviously his blood would be the most delicious substance on the planet to him, if he'd let himself indulge.

[zenkindoflove]

Thank you @shardminds (also your username is metal af).

🍓 How did you get into writing fanfiction?

I read wrestling fanfic when I was 12 (for Jeff Hardy/Trish Stratus lol) and then when I binge watched That 70s Show at 16 in 2005 before season 8 started, I got super into Jackie/Hyde and was like hey I wonder if there is fanfic for them and remembered FF.net. They were my first ship I felt compelled enough to want to start writing my own fics too. That was the first fandom I was more I'd a participant in and I've been forever changed since.

🍇 How many fandoms have you written in?

5 (T7S, Twilight, The Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, and now ACOTAR. I mayyyy have written one or two real person fics back in the day on livejournal too lmao).

🍈 How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

Since 2005 so almost 20 lmao. Which is wild AF.

🍅 Do you read or write more fanfiction?

Depends. Overall I've read more of course but when I'm deep into writing multichapter fics like I am now and with my busy life schedule I don't have a lot of time to sit down and peruse. I have a lot of Elucien fics that I've put on my TBR which I have felt bad doing. But Summer Heat will be over soon and I'll take a month off between it and the sequel and will get more reading done.

🍌 What is one way you've improved as a writer?

Oh certainly my ability to finish a long fic. In my younger days I abandoned way more than I finished. It's certainly a skill you must learn to maintain the stamina, interest, and motivation. My goal for this fandom is to not start any multichapter fics I can't finish.

🍑 Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

As I learned in the last two weeks, my posture lmao. Which I always knew was bad but I reaped the terrible consequences of it when pulling a muscles in my back/neck. It doesn't help that I have a very standard office job too so my whole life is just screens and having to sit.

🍉 What's your favorite type of comment to receive on your work?

Omg any comments really but especially ones that are very thoughtful and tell me what they liked and what thoughts it inspired in them. I also love when people point out specific quotes of text that they particularly liked.

🍋 What is something you've been too nervous or intimidated to write but would love to write one day?

Outside of an original novel? Lol, in fanfic there isn't much that makes me nervous these days especially in terms of topics or tropes. But I will be branching out soon and writing more Eris x OC (Alexius) solo fics and I am nervous that it's just not really something people want to read on their own. I have observed that Eris x male OC is very uncommon. Most OC fics the OC is a woman and most Eris is gay/bi fics he is paired with Azriel and very occasionally another canonical character. I've gotten some of my Elucien audience invested in them in Summer Heat but branching out on their own is going to be a grand experiment.

🍇 What made you choose your username?

This is the same username I made on FF.net when I started writing T7S fic in 2005. Jackie and Hyde shippers were called Zennies because of an early storyline of them in Season 2 where Hyde teaches Jackie to be zen (cool). So I wanted to play on that and came up with zenkindoflove and have never changed as it's become sort of a part of my fandom identity having it for so long.

No pressure tags: @crazy-ache , @lucienarcheron , @animezinglife , @clockwork-ashes . And anyone else who wants to do this! Was very fun!

Answer the questions and tag five fanfiction authors you know!

Thank you @metalbvcky. NPT for @mrs-illyrian-baby @doasyoudesireandlive @km-ffluv @labella420

🍓 How did you get into writing fanfiction?

As a teen I was a voracious reader and tried to write my own stuff based on other books I'd read. I also loved ST:TNG and wanted dearly to be in an episode and had lots of the books. I wrote my own ST stories with OC's (gratuitous self inserts), but they never went anywhere. In my late teens I read some Xena fanfic on the internet. But that was it for a great number of years.

At the beginning of 2021 I sat and watched the entirety of the MCU films in chronological order (I'd seen most of them before and was mainly a Thor gal.) I fell down the Stucky rabbithole. Deep. I decided to look up fanfic. AO3 was now a thing! I wrote (a very poor) Stucky fic and here we are, almost 3 years later

🍇How many fandoms have you written in?

As my ST stuff never made it further than my parent's old PC in the days of dial-up, I won't count it.

I've written for MCU, various Chris Evans and Seb Stan Characters and one fic for RWRB. I've been toying with writing a one-off Criminal Minds fic as a gift for a friend.

🍈How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

Three in July since I first published anything on AO3.

🍎Do you read or write more fanfiction?

I try to balance it out. If I have a period of hyperfocus writing I try to then go through a period of reading. I read on both Tumblr and AO3, so try to keep that even as well.

🍌What is one way you've improved as a writer?

Getting betas to pick me up on tense changes, overuse of words and rogue commas. Reading more. Practising. Writing outlines for longer stories so I don't go off-piste.

🍑Do you have any bad habits as a writer?

Getting bored half-way through a long fic, especially if the first few parts haven't had a lot of interaction. Which is why I try to write the whole thing before I start posting.

🍍 What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Engineering courses at MIT and, for a separate fic, Violet wands, including the ways to use them and the differnt types of accessories you can use with them. I even watched a Youtube video.

🍉What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Any comment! Anything that gives me the validation I need!

🍐What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

I wrote a transformation into Tsum-tsum fic that was both cracky and smutty. That's pretty niche.

🥭What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Action scenes. I loathe them. I'm constantly wondering if they are long enough, and make sense.

🍏What is the easiest type?

Short things that are either PWP or fluffy slices of life.

🍑Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

Mainly on my elderly laptop on G-Docs, and in every moment I can - normally afterwork before dinner and on Mondays when I don't have work.

🍋What is something you've been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

There are a few characters and ships I haven't written that I'd like to. And I suppose I'd like to write a proper long, over 100k fic at some point.

🍇 what made you choose your username?

When I made my AO3 account I felt as though that at 40, and only really starting in Fandom in this way, I was late to the party, so that is who I became.

[dreaminae]

We All Need The One Friend

Chapter 15

Sure, distance makes the heart grow fonder, but it also drives the brain aloof. Or so, that was Liv's take on her current situation. Almost four weeks went by since the big family dinner blowout where Billy and Jordan learned of Liv's drinking. Four weeks since her father's overwhelming disappointment swallowed Olivia whole with a growing fear of being sent away for help once more. Four weeks since her fear led to Liv, running away for help from the one person who she hadn't been in contact with for months -- her sponsor. And four weeks since Liv was giving a large wake-up call when she found her former sponsor behind bars for attempting to steal from her very own parents.

That night Olivia saw what could be her possible future if she didn't receive proper treatment while she still had the chance. Despite her fear of being sent away, she returned home after hours of dodging calls and texts from her loved ones. She walked into her home ready to accept the help, no matter the consequences. And perhaps that why fate played into her hands.

Fore when Olivia returned home, she found both her parents welcomed her with open arms, simply content that she was alright. Following the long night, Liv was surprised to find her family already with a suitable compromise. Instead of shipping her away, Billy and Laura decided upon an intensive program that allowed Liv to remain at home while she recovered.

Later into that evening, Spencer dropped by for what they both knew would be their last moment together for a long term. Acknowledging that they both had things to work on, they agreed to delay their romance until they were both in a good place to be together for real. They weren't breaking up or taking back the feelings they once declared. No, they were -- as Liv put it that night -- 'playing the long game'. Sealing their goodbye with a heartfelt kiss, they parted ways.

Focused on her recovery, Olivia found a new sponsor and confidant in Nurse Joy. Admitting her dependency upon Alcohol, and accepting responsibility for falling off the wagon, Olivia began her road to recovery. Meanwhile, Spencer centered his time on football and plotting his plan to bring Crenshaw a state championship.

Ignoring their constant desire to be together they cut off all physical communication, choosing to stick to the everyday messages to check in on one another. It wasn't until the night of Jordan's second concussion they were able to be in each other's arms.

Utilizing each other as helping shoulder through damaging announcement of Jordan's future in football, they found comfort in their buried affections. Having each other's back when Simone dropped the marriage reveal, Spencer and Liv supported each other when confronted by Billy and Laura.

The secret marriage only adding to Liv's troubled life as Laura grounded her into the next century for her deceit. Life toppled their trivial matter with the death of Tamika, shaking Olivia's inner social justice warrior to its full-frontal.

From leaking footage of Tamika's wrongful death to protesting for the indictment of the guilty officers, Liv found something bigger to be a part of. Her best intentions leading to backfire as Laura took the heat of alleged bigoted D.A. Learning to accept her mistakes, Liv tried to make the best of a complicated issue.

She and Kia's devotion to cause, sparking Spencer to follow suit, persuading his team to take a knee during their most important game. Inspiring by the Crenshaw team their opponents took a knee in protest. As a result of more football teams following Crenshaw's players in taking a knee, Crenshaw was granted another shot at the state championship.

Everything seemed to play into Liv and Spencer's hands, except the main thing they both desired since summer. It was all in a matter of timing, and they both couldn't help but anticipate when that moment would finally arrive.

So when they found themselves planning a surprise party in honor of Spencer's mom earning her college degree, the anticipation rose to a new peak.

"So no gouging out my eyes?" Liv playfully joked, allowing herself to make a joke of the foolish comments people were making about her online.

Spencer scoffed as if insulted. "What, those pretty eyes? You crazy." His eyes drifted from the direction of her eyes to her lips.

Olivia smiled softly as he quickly shifted back to their original conversation, unsure if now was the right time for them to share that type of moment. "You gon' help me fix this came or what?" He questioned with a crooked grin.

"Yes," Liv replied with a cheeky grin as she hopped from her seat, wondering how long he'd wait to make a move.

The next hour and a half flew by with them baking the cake while making basic small talk to catch up with one another. They discussed Liv's daily meeting with nurse joy and how her recovery was coming. Liv caught Spencer up on Jordan's everyday hobbies since his time away from football, while Spencer tried his best not to admit to Liv that he was aiding in Jordan's desire to return to football. Their topics switched until they circled back to Spencer's upcoming game against Westlake, and how Olivia punishment lifted just in time for her to come see him play.

"You'll be my personal cheering section." Spencer goofed as he iced the bare cake.

"Of course. I'll be decked in your jersey number and sporting Crenshaw colors all night." Liv giggled, imaging herself ornamented in Spencer James merchandising. "I'll be shouting the loudest. Go, Spencer! Kick some Westlake ass!" She shouted cheerfully, causing Spencer to chuckle.

"And what about I finish kicking Westlake's ass?" He wondered aloud. "Do I get a prize?" He inquired with a lifted brow.

"You'll have won the state championship for Crenshaw and saved your school. What more could I give you?" Liv snickered, sipping her lemonade.

"I can think of a few things." Spencer flirted causing Liv's cheeks to redden as she swallowed her refreshment.

The knocking of the front door interrupted their flustered juncture. "I'm should...um..you know..."

"Don't worry, I will still be here when you get back." He chuckled towards her rattled nature.

He frosted the cake as Liv dealt with a package delivery on behalf of the coach baker. Shortly after leaving the package in the living room, she rrutrned. Her reserved nature now contained after she took a moment to compose herself.

She returned to the kitchen with more pep in her step resolved with knowing that the moment she and Spencer both delayed was finally arriving, and all she had to do was lead it.

Eyeing Spencer with a twinkle in her eye she cheekily leaned over close to his direction, dipping her finger in the canned frosting. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" She inquired sassily, catching his attention as she strutted a few feet around the counter.

"Girl, you know I got skills." He responded cockily, earning a snicker from Liv as she shut the refrigerator to from putting leftover baking ingredients.

"Hey, I was thinking that we should have that graduation won't playing at my mom's party," Spencer suggested, humming his ideal tune aloud.

Olivia listened to the tune with a puzzled expression. "Umm, that's the wedding song."

Spencer eyed her strangely, confused as to how he got the two melodies muddled.

Giving him a sympathetic grin, Liv rubbed his arm, comforting him. "Hmm, you'll get it." She laughed as Spencer twisted his face in slight embarrassment. "It's okay." She added jokingly.

Rolling his eyes, Spencer gestured down to the finished cake. "Well, what do you think?"

Liv analyzed the frosted cake, impressed by how well it came out. "It's good." She complimented with growing suspicion. "Like really good." She added, smirking at Spencer. "You've done this before, haven't you?"

"Maybe like once for my moms birthday..." He dragged out, sensing that his cover was blown as he smiled crookedly. "And maybe all of Dillion's birthdays." He admitted, redhandedly causing Olivia to laugh.

"Alright, you caught me." Spencer chuckled, then grew serious. "N'all but, I just wanted to get your mind off everything." He confessed wholeheartedly, hating the low amounts of times he witnessed a real smile from Liv over the last few weeks.

"You did," Olivia assured him, touched that Spencer went found the energy to help her through the day's mess, even though she was meant to be helping him today. "You made me feel a lot better." She added, wanting him to know that his intentions were highly effective.

Spencer simply nodded, content to help in any way he could.

Liv smiled thinking back to how their last few hours together reminded her of the summer they spent together. No matter if it dumb shows or extended time at the mall shopping, Spencer remained glue to her hip just to make Liv happy. If he noticed she was having a bad day, he'd make a stupid joke to make her laugh. When she felt alone and needed someone to talk to, Spencer spent hours on the phone with her. When she felt like crumbling, he was always the rock that steadily held her up.

"You've done that before too." Olivia slipped out, letting her affection take over. Her eyes darted to his with a knowing twinkle.

Spencer observed her stature, finding Olivia in control and sure of herself. She beamed gently with a slight tilt of her head as if waiting to see what he would do next. She wanted to know if he still wanted her, and this was her way of conveying her yearning for him. With an assured confirmation that she was ready, Spencer took this as his cue.

Without saying another word he walked towards Liv, ready to give in to their passions. His head tilted in the opposing direction of Liv's as they both leaned in to close the small space between them.

However, right when their lips were about to meet Spencer's phone buzzed. Spencer grunted under his breath, annoyed by the bad timing, but reached for his phone nonetheless. Liv sucked in a tight breath, frustrated by another halted moment.

Remaining with barely an inch separating them, Liv took matters into her own hands. Literally.

"Spence," Liv mumbled, topping the hand that held his phone with the palm of her hand to gain his attention. His phone continued to buzz, as Spencer gave Olivia his awareness. "Yeah."

"It'll still be there afterward." Liv sighed with an unsure smile, gently pulling his phone out of hand. Her finger dragged across the screen, rejecting the call. "But I'm right here. Right now." She remarked, locking eyes with him, lust emitting from her own. "And I don't know about you but I'm tired of waiting." She snickered sassily, earning a smirk from Spencer.

Liv eyes danced from Spencer's brown orbs, falling to his lips, then back to his eyes. Cupping his face, she brought his lips to hers for a kiss that was weeks in the making.

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Californian Dream (Pt. 09 of 11)

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Reader

Word count: 2.9 K

Summary: Being part of one of the richest families of California doesn't mean you're happy. Your life is boring, and you're surrounded by meaningless people and their meaningless talk. Even during Summer, with the break you have from college, there's nothing good going on. Nothing but the new pool guy, Billy, the most handsome man you ever saw. You were successfully avoiding him, not wanting to act like an idiot in front of the guy until Billy accepts to be your date for a fancy gala you're forced to attend. The night was going well, even better when he sneaked you out to go to the beach. But a gang of criminals breaks into the party, kidnapping the heirs to the wealthiest families, which includes you. So, for your safety, your parents want you to stay with Billy, living in his apartment until the criminals are caught. And that could take weeks, maybe even months.

Warnings: Light violence

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{Stranger Things Masterlist}

{Dacre Montgomery Masterlist}

×

Future

For the third time today, you hit Jimmy with the fins as you walk by, pretending you didn't notice. He groans and you bite back a giggle. “If you do that again, I swear I'll fire you.” He sings songs, putting the price tags on the new regulators that got here today.

“You can't fire me. I'm very good at selling stuff.” Putting the fins on its place you turn to look at him.

“The Padawan always becomes stronger than the Master.” Crossing his arms, he squints his eyes. “I taught you everything you know, Lily flower.”

“Yup. And I mastered every single aspect into perfection.” Walking around the store, you make your way back to the counter, letting your hair down, running your fingers through it. “I'm a Jedi by now.”

“You're getting cocky. I think you're spending way too much time with Billy.”

“Well, we're living together and dating so...” You move to stay behind the counter, drumming your fingers on the wooden top. “I'd say that yes, we spend way too much time around each other but I wouldn't change a thing.”

“You're the only couple I know who started living together before even starting to date,” Jimmy says, finishing with the regulators and moving to the new swimsuits, starting to organize them by color and size.

“Yeah, it wasn't the conventional way but it worked, didn't it?” Biting your lip, you try to hold back the smile that always comes whenever you think or talk about Billy. It's been a month since it became official, and things have been going well. Very well. The life you had before is a distant memory you don't even visit it anymore. You're still watching the news here and there, some of your old friends were released and the investigators are getting somewhere. But the truth is that this your life. A real life for a change, where the days aren't pointless, and you do love the friends you have, people with who you don't have to watch your manners or think before saying something. You can laugh out loud and make a mess if you want.

“It did. Look, this is girl stuff, can't you–. These are different sizes but they look the same.”

Rolling your eyes, you walk over him, pushing him away. “They're different, Jimmy. You're clueless.” Looking through the bikinis, you take one off the hook. It's blue and pink, with black symmetrical lines all over it. “I really like this one.”

“It's nice. I bet Billy will like it.” He says in a sassy tone, and you roll your eyes again.

“Alright. Can you put this in the back for me? I'll buy it.” Handing him the piece, you focus on reorganizing everything, paying attention to the clients in case anyone needs help. You're humming a soft song when you feel someone approaching, so you turn on your heels to find a guy walking over the swimsuits. “Hello. Do you need anything?”

His lips break into a bright smile, which you respond with a small polite one. “Yes. I was wondering what tank I should get.”

“It depends. If it's just for recreational purposes, the one with atmospheric air.” You say, finishing with the bikinis and turning to give the guy some attention. “Come, let's check them.” Gesturing, you walk to the other side of the store, almost in the back where the tanks are.

“What's this Nitrox thing?” He asks, stepping closer to the tanks, his hand brushing on your thigh. You move away, but since he didn't seem to notice, you decide not to give it much thought. Probably just an accident.

“That's for long dives. It's a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen.” Shrugging your shoulders, you lay a hand on a nearby tank. “But I assume it'll be just for fun so the atmospheric one will suffice.”

“You know a lot about this stuff.” His smile grows wider, and he gives you a little wink.

It makes you giggle. Is he trying to flirt? “I'm still learning.”

“What about... This one?” Stepping closer, he reaches out for a tank behind your back. You know what he's doing now, so you're quick to step aside before he can pin you against the wall.

Taking a deep breath, you roll your eyes. “Trimix. For depths beyond 130 feet. Which one will you take?”

“I could take two atmospheric tanks if you agree on coming with me for a... Recreational dive?”

“Nah, I don't think so.” He's not planning on buying it, so you make your way back to the counter. “First of all, I don't know how to swim. And second, I have a boyfriend.” Tapping on the counter a few times in a happy rhythm, you focus on the other customers around.

“And why haven't your boyfriend taught you how to swim yet?” He comes to the counter too, leaning on it, making you stand up straighter. “Or... Maybe he can't.” He giggles.

“Oh, he can.” You smirk. “He was a lifeguard during his time in Indiana.” As you speak, you see the man himself, walking closer, an eyebrow raised at the guy talking to you. Biting back a smile at his jealous face, you look at the guy again. “He's amazing, actually. Handsome, strong.” Raising your voice just enough for Billy to hear, you lean on the counter too. “But he's also kind and generous. Honest, trustworthy.”

“Sweetie, nobody is perfect so don't even try to make me believe he is.” The guy chuckles, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, no. He's not perfect. Billy has problems with anger and he absolutely hates when guys try hit on me.” The moment you're done speaking, Billy touches the guy's shoulder, strongly pulling him away from the counter. “Hi, baby.” You say, giving Billy a bright smile.

“Billy, my dude.” The guy says, nervously stepping back, hands raised. “Didn't know the girl was with you, man.”

“Now you do, so back the hell off.” His thunder voice gets people's attention, but you don't even bother.

“Alright, alright.” He mutters, walking backward until he's in the middle of the store, where he finally turns around and leaves.

“Let me know if you want the atmospheric air tank!” You shout, laughing a little.

“Seriously, why the hell–” Billy starts, but his words fade when he looks at you.

Shrugging your shoulders, you giggle at his expression, leaning a little closer to him. “What?”

“Of course guys will hit on you.”

“Uhm... Care to explain it or am I supposed to guess?”

“You look good, that's it. And all this friendly act when you're working here. The kind smiles, politeness... Guys are stupid, they'll think you're interested.” When Billy leans over, you don't move away, a smirk coming to your lips when his face gets dangerously close.

“So... Are you calling yourself stupid?” You whisper, taking his bottom lip in between your teeth. Some people are starting, you're sure. They all know Billy around here, but it doesn't bother you.

“I was stupid. Now that I'm with you, I'm the smartest man on Earth.”

“Doesn't make much sense, Billy.”

“Doesn't have to.” He rolls his eyes, lips finally meeting yours.

“Hey, hey!” Jimmy exclaims from somewhere behind you. “You can take this home, alright? Remember rule number one? Not making out in work hours?”

“My work hours were done seven minutes ago so...” You snap, turning on your heels and waving at Jimmy. “See ya at the bonfire.”

“See ya, Lily flower.”

“Bye.” Muttering, you sigh at the name he calls you.

Walking hand in hand with Billy, you wonder when you'll be able to tell them the truth. It's tiring to hold on to this lie. It's the only thing left to open up about. That, and the fact that you're, well, rich. Sitting shotgun, you look at the people walking on the sidewalk, quietly thinking.

“Hey,” Billy calls. “Everything alright? Did that guy–”

“No, no.” You assure him, shaking your head. “If that idiot tried anything you'd know.”

“Then what's wrong?”

“It just sucks that they still think my name is Lily.” Running a hand through your hair, you sigh. “I'm (Y/N). And I'm afraid they'll be mad when I tell the truth about who I am, who my family is. I don't wanna lose them.”

“Princess, you're hiding your identity for a very good reason. They know about the kidnappings, I'm sure they'll understand when you tell them the truth.” Billy lays a hand on your thigh, and you stretch your arm to massage the back of his neck. “They're not like those pricks, they'll understand.”

“I hope so. I'm sick and tired of that Lily flower shit.”

“Yeah, I bet it sucks being named after my car.” He says, a smirk on his lips.

“What?” You breathe out, smiling. “Are you finally letting me name your car?” You basically jump on your seat, leaning over Billy to place kisses all over his cheek and jaw.

“Keep that up I might even let you name our future kids.”

His words make you stop, freezing, slowly moving back to your seat. Kids? Is he joking or something? Does Billy even want kids? And does he want them with you? This was never brought up before. Billy nervously moves in his seat, clearing his throat. “What?” It comes out almost a whisper.

“No, just... It just...”

“It's alright. I don't...” Billy enters the small parking lot beside the building, stoping on his usual spot. “Anyways, we still have to deal with things when I'm allowed home, so...” You step out of the car, a little flustered, walking side by side with him. “Until that happens we can just...”

“Yeah, we can wait until you break the news to your parents, then–”

“Yeah.” You cut him off, taking his hand. “We still have time since neither the police or the investigators seem to be anywhere close. So let's have fun now and talk about the future later.”

“Let's focus on the bonfire for now.”

“Beach party!” You exclaim, giggling when he pokes your side on a ticklish spot.

An hour later, you're at the beach, in a long skirt and blue top, talking about the most stupid things as the huge bonfire sends flames up to the sky. You're seated on a huge beach towel, eating burned marshmallows. The wind is fresh and the sky is still fading into the black for the night. Leaning against Billy, you giggle every time he places a kiss on your shoulder. There are way more people here than planned, but nobody seems to care. The music is loud, but the voices are louder. Over thirty people are either by the fire or playing on the water, and you've never felt this... Carefree. Or happy. The same people your parents despise so much, are now the best people you know. Just a bunch of kids having fun, not thinking too much, not overthinking their manners, or looking at others with judgmental eyes. This is easy, effortless.

“Billy!” Someone calls, waving their hand over the fire. “A little help with these coolers!”

“It's Austin.” He says, and you move a little to let him get up. “Finally some food and drinks.”

“Yeah, I'm thirsty.” You complain, turning your attention to Stacy as Billy walks away. “So. You and Jimmy. When is it happening?”

“Shhh.” She takes a look around before standing up and pulling you with her. “He doesn't make a move, so I'm starting to give up this idea,” she says when you're away from the others, near the deck of a small snack bar which is almost closing.

“You like him, and he likes you. What's missing?” You ask, not sure what else to do to help. Jimmy often comes to you for advice, and you do your best to push him into asking Stacy out. But after three weeks, it hasn't happened yet. But if it was a double date... “Oh! Gosh! It's so damn obvious!”

“What?” She giggles, pinching her eyebrows together.

“Double date. Saturday. Movie theater.” You say, winking at her. “You two are coming and leave the rest to me.”

Giving a little jump, Stacy pulls you into a hug. “You're the best. I can't believe I haven't come up with this idea myself but I'm so thankful you're my friend.”

“I'll get you two together.” Pulling away, you assure her. “It's a promise.”

“Thanks.”

“You're welcome.” Linking arms with her, you start making your way back to the fire. Your eyes find Billy in a distance, and you're just about to change direction when a girl walks over to him, arms immediately wrapping around his neck, her lips chasing his. You stop in your tracks, freezing, throat suddenly dry. Relief washes over you when Billy pushes her away before she can kiss him, holding both her arms when she tries approaching him again. “The audacity of that bitch.” Stacy mutters, and you nod.

“Why don't you go ahead, I'll... Go there.” Gesturing at the snack bar, you step back.

“Lily...”

“It's alright. I'll just get something to drink.” You know the drinks just got here, but you don't care, you just need some time right now. Turning your back at her, you climb the few wooden steps that lead to the snack bar's small balcony, where some tables give the clients a view of the ocean, holding your skirt so it won't get into your way. When you get to the deck, you walk to the very back, where's dark since half the lights are already off.

You don't know why you're feeling so bad. Billy pushed her away, but still, you're... Angry. Stacy is right, the audacity of that bitch... But if she felt like she could do that, she was one of his many... Flings. And it kills you to imagine them together. Leaning over the wooden railing, you put both hands on your head, the wind messing with your hair.

“Hey, there.” Billy's voice reaches you and, taking a deep breath, you turn around with a half-smile.

“Hey...”

“Stacy told me you saw Amanda grabbing me.” He starts, coming to stand beside you. “You know that–”

“Billy, I saw you pushing her. I'm not mad at you, I'm happy, I just...” Throwing your hands in the air, you sigh, letting them fall. “I just don't like the mental pictures I'm having about the two of you.”

“You're jealous.” He states, and when you look at him, he's trying to hold back a smile. “That's how you cope. You like to be alone. I like punching the guys in the face.”

You didn't want to, but you're chuckling anyways. “Yeah, I kinda noticed that.” Billy comes closer, pinning you against the railing and you wrap your arms around his neck.

“It'll take a while for people to believe I'm actually dating someone this time. But they'll get it, I promise.” He places a soft kiss on your lips. “Even if I have to shove away half the girls of California.”

“You're so cocky, did you know that?” You give him a light push, but you move alongside him, leaving the railing behind. “But it's okay. I just... I hope I won't... End up like one of them. Being pushed away.” With a low voice, you look down, the very thought of it breaking your heart a little.

“When you're falling asleep you have the habit of moving your feet,” Billy says, and the subject is so damn random you raise an eyebrow, staring back at him, shrugging your shoulders. “And you take deep breaths as you relax, and it means you snuggle closer to me every time. And almost every morning you find a way to hook a leg around me so I can stay a little longer.”

“You'll have to help me out here because I don't follow.” Furrowing your eyebrows, you cross your arms.

“I was never that intimate with anyone. And I never wanted to, that's why I never took any girls to my apartment.” Billy softly rubs your arms, and for some reason, your attention falls on the exposed part of his chest. The idiot doesn't seem to know what buttons are for... But you don't care. “But with you, I... I want this. And when the issue with your parents is over we will talk about what will come next and–”

“Oh my God!” Someone from inside the snack bar exclaims, turning the TV volume up. “They got them. The police got them.”

After exchanging a glance with Billy, you both rush inside, eyes on the TV. And yes, the police got them. The journalists show the commotion, an abandoned place, all wrecked, as the criminals are dragged out. And the hostages they still held. Soon enough everyone from the bonfire is here too, silently watching. You're relieved, of course, to know the people you grew up with are being released. But it means you'll have to face your parents, and finally make the changes in your life permanent. With a hand on your heart, you stare at the TV without paying much attention.

“Wanna get out of here?” Billy whispers on your ear, and you nod, following him out of the snack bar.

Guess you'll be talking about the future a lot sooner than you thought.

×

@multific @dontxfearxthereaper @nope-thanks @nikkixostan @shinydixon @clockworkballerina @infinitelycharmed23 @lilred91

[lutiaskokopelli]

Hello! I'm sorry I haven't got a chance to talk to you in a whille, so how are you doing today?

Hi! Don't worry about that, every message you leave makes my day no matter whether it takes a while to arrive or not! Besides, it's summer, so I'm not expecting a lot of people to spend their days online haha. Even when I come to my lab, practically everyone is on vacations right now. I hope you're doing alright yourself!

As for myself, there's not much surprise there but I'm busy as ever haha. I've had two weeks of vacation in the end of July, but they probably weren't enough to fully recover -- I'll probably take one or two more weeks in September or October to recover a bit more. I'm working now, but I'm being chill.

It's frustrating when experiments don't work and I keep getting errors when I try to run my simulations, but that part is just research for you. We're called researchers after all, not finders lmao (although it'd be great for everyone if it were the case, but I guess having science advance a thousand times faster would have both its perks and its cons. It already advances fast enough for humans to not be able to catch up properly.)

As for my stories -- Unfortunately for everyone's sanity, mine included, I've fallen back into my old Undertale hyperfixation for the nth time, which means that I'm working not only on TFS, but also on my old Undertale fanfic, which I'm loving far too much to abandon. (To be fair, it'd be more accurate to say that I'm less Undertale trash than I'd be "LWtQ trash." The Undertale fandom is... something.) I wish I weren't that addicted to it, but its plot is just so intricate aaaaaaa If you thought TFS had a complex plot, then you have no idea what my stories are like when I actually HAVE a plot planned from start to end. It's the type of story where every single sentence in the narration (and in some characters' dialogue) can be read a number of different ways, depending on what you already know of the plot. It's not the type of story for everyone of course -- either you love that sort of plot or it's the type of story that gives you headaches. But since I'm personally a reader of the first category, I just can't help but love even more writing that sort of story.

(As for my Gravity Falls comic, my motivation is nonexistent. Good thing is that it means I won't work on a third story at the same time as the other two, cons is that it means I can't even find the motivation to finish the summary I wanted to give the readers because I've reached the point in my notes where it's just written "stuff happens here" without any details, and therefore I can't exactly close that chapter just yet.)

Anyway. Rest assured, I don't plan on working on that Undertale fanfic as often as I work on TFS, let alone on updating it as fast as I should update TFS. Heck, I don't really plan on posting anything until I've written at least a few more chapters, so I could have a buffer of chapters to post slowly and all. But I'll admit it's a bit hard to put it down these days and do anything else. Still, now that the basic preparations are over, I'll go back to drawing TFS. I really want to finish the remastered version and catch up to where we left off as fast as possible.

TL;DR: I'm extremely busy with both PhD stuff and fan-stories stuff, and I'm definitely tired both physically and emotionally, but as always I love what I do too much to give up on anything haha. I'm doing my best to look after myself and stay as reasonable as possible. I hope I'll be able to post again soon!

[devinescribe]

Back Then

Part 9 to '100 Promises'

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

"Hey, call me back when you get this, or um... when you have a minute. I know you're busy, but... just... call me when you get the chance," your voice softly said through the phone. It sounded like you had been crying. He sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. "Fuck... (Y/N). She really needs me right now, and I'm at work. Damn it," he cursed, leaning back in his chair.

You had to go up to Iwate, as your mother had called the night before in tears saying your grandmother had passed away. He knew how much pain you were in. You were always close to your grandmother. He quickly dialed your number, putting the phone up to hear ear, listening to it ring. He tapped his fingers on the desk anxiously, reading through the paper that explained the basis of what the game was so he could have a distraction. He heard you pick up. "H-hello?" You sniffled. "Hey (N/N), how are you holding up?" He asked. He heard you laugh softly. "Not well at all, if I'm being honest. I wish you were here with me," you said, your voice shaky. It pained him that he wasn't there. "I wish I was there to help you, but I really can't... I'm so sorry (Y/N)," he said. The door to the office opened, and he turned quickly, seeing his coworker. Niragi pointed to his phone in apology. " 'Ragi... can we video call later? Please?" You asked. "Yeah, yeah... we can do that. I'll call you later, I promise. I have to go though. I'm so sorry again (N/N)," he said, trying to excuse himself without sounding rude. "Ok... thanks for calling. I know you're at work, so thank you for making time for me... Bye, love you," you responded. He could hear the tears in your voice. "No problem. Love you too, bye," he responded(is that... weird? Because I do that my friends, and I just- I don't know-.) The line disconnected, and he dropped his head into his hands.

"That your girlfriend?" His coworker asked. He had forgotten they were in they room. Niragi lifted his head from his hands, and shook his head. "No. She's my friend," he responded. "Oh. You two much be close then?" His coworker questioned. Niragi nodded. "Did something happen? You seemed to be fustrated at something," they observed. "Oh, no.... it's just that her grandmother passed away, and she's... she's handling it. But, it's hard on her, as expected. She keeps saying how she wishes I was there to help her, but I really can't," Niragi explained. This coworker of his was one of the pleasant ones. One the ones who did their fair share of work, and wasn't annoying. So, by that logic, Niragi didn't mind them. "Oh... that sucks. My condolences to her..." they said sincerely. Niragi knew they didn't really know how to... people correctly. What that mean was, they were kind of awkward, but so was he. Maybe that's why they didn't really get in each other's way. "Maybe you could say it's a family emergency? If you're that close with her, of course." They suggested. They walked over to his messy desk, pointing at a picture. "Is that her?" They asked. Niragi nodded. "I think that was from... oh gods... two summers ago? Yeah..." he muttered. "I mean, it's probably not a good idea to lie to the boss, but if you're that worried, I think it's a justified lie," the said. Niragi nodded, but didn't say anything, getting lost in his thoughts.

"I um... I came to give you this. The client changed their mind about a few things," they said, placing a folder of papers down. "Oh you've got to be fucking joking me," he groaned, before quickly apologizing for his language. Sure, if he was alone in his office he'd swear, but there was someone else in the office now. That wasn't exactly work appropriate. "No, no... that's... that sums up everyone's reaction. Especially since we were so close to being done... well, I'll leave you to it," they said, leaving with the soft shutting of the door. He sighed, picking up the file, reading through the changes. He tried to concentrate, but his mind was elsewhere. You had taken time off before to help him, so why couldn't he? What if he did what his coworker advised? He made up his mind quickly, not really thinking of anything other than the fact that right now, you needed him. And you were always there when he needed you. You always took care of him, even when you didn't need to.

He dialled your phone number again, this time, it was a video call just like you asked. "Hey," you voice greeted him. You were in what he assumed to be your bed at your grandmother's house. "'Hey. So... I may or may not have lied to my boss about something, so if he asks, promise you'll go along with it?" He asked. "Umm.. depends," you responded. "Ok, I'll tell you in a second. Just... come open the door it's freezing out here," he said, a small smile on his face. Your eyes lit up, and you dropped the phone running downstairs. He could hear your footsteps, and ended the call. You opened the door, and hugged him tightly.  He almost stumbled from your attack, but hugged you back. "I- I thought you had- had work?" You questioned, drying the tears that had started. "Yeah, so... if my boss ever asks... um... just-" he stuttered. ''What did you tell him we were married?" You laughed. "Not... exactly?" He hesitated. "You told him we were engaged, didn't you?" You asked. "I needed to come up with a believable lie, and it was the first ting that came to mind, please don't be mad," he explained nervously. "I'm not... thank you for doing... all of that to come here. I really appreciate it," you said, bringing him inside. Your mother hadn't made it yet, as she was on a trip in America. She'd gotten the news over call, so you were alone in the house. Well, that was until Niragu showed up, but you're glad he did.

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

It was the middle of the night, and you couldn't sleep. There was always something keeping you up. You threw the blankets off of your body in frustration, standing up. You walked into the kitchen, and grabbed a cup, filling it with water. "What are you doing up so late?"

You jumped, dropping the glass. It shattered on the floor, spilling water and glass everywhere. You looked up to see Niragi. "Haha. I can't sleep," you explained, picking up the larger pieces of glass. "Well that sucks," he said, leaning on the counter. "Yeah, I'm going to go on a walk to see if I get tired," you said, drying up the water. "(Y/N), it's night time," he said. You finished picking up and nodded. "I'm... well aware," you responded confused. "You're a woman... going out for a walk... at night. Alone," he reminded. You sighed looking down. He was definitely on the right track. "Right... uh, I'll just go to my room then... we don't have plans tomorrow do we?" You asked. He shook his head. "You know what? No, come on. I'll drive you around, yeah? Let's see if we can find something to get you tired," he said, grabbing his keys off the counter. You grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Can I get my hoodie? It's cold," you asked. You were in a tank top and a pair of spandex. "Yeah. I'll be in the car, don't take too long," he said, leaving.

You quickly ran to your room, throwing on your favorite hoodie. You also grabbed a pair of tennis shoes from your closet, slipping them on. You snatched your phone from your dresser, putting it in the pocket of your hoodie. You ran to the front door, locking it, and closing it behind you. You ran out to his car, opening the passenger side door. You felt the warmth from inside the car, and goosebumps appeared on your skin. You got in quickly, shutting the door as you did. "Ready?" He asked. You nodded, and he began driving.

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

"Alright, it's the moment of truth, which mental breakdown thing will we do today?" You questioned. He laughed. "It's 2 in the morning, we're drunk, and having mental breakdowns. Twinsies~" he said. You laughed, leaning on him. "No but seriously, cutting my hair is a big no, so tattoos or piercings?" You questioned. "Both. Let's go!" You shouted, grabbing his arm. "Woah Woah woah. Before we go, what do we do if a cop pulls us over?" He asked, being serious. "Nothing. ACAB bitch," you giggled. "Ok, and I'm driving-"

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

All in all, you two had moments that seems like you were the main characters of the whole world. Of course, during high school you two were cautious about what you did, seeing as you still had to worry about your bullies and fathers. But after high school? Oh, no. You two were the kids that didn't have to study for the test because you were to smart. Staying out at parties and keeping perfect grades was your guy's thing.

You two would stay up doing projects out of your own ambition. The essay was due in a month and needed to be 3 pages? You would both finish and turn it in the week it was assigned, and it was 13 pages. Of course, that was a problem, seeing as you would extend yourselves past your limits. It was a thing you were taught to do as children to be overachievers because you would do anything to please your parents. Even if you knew they would never be pleased.

Maybe that's why your previous relationships hadn't worked out. There was 4 in total.

The first broke up with you because he didn't like Niragi. What did they want you to do? Drop your childhood best friend? No way.

The second cheated on you. Niragi had warned you, but you didn't listen. He had said that he thought you were cheating on him with Niragi.

The third turned out to be a manipulator, which you caught on to quickly. He tried to manipulate a girl who grew up with an abusive father, who takes forensics and psychology classes. So, in short, he was a dumbass.

The fourth... the fourth was just annoyingly clingy. He didn't want you to talk to other guys, and didn't let you as independent as you wanted to be.

One thing they all had in common though, was that they didn't like Niragi. They expected you to drop your best friend for them, something you wouldn't do, and didn't plan on ever doing.

"What are you thinking about?" Last Boss whispered next to you. It caught you off guard, and you jumped. "Ah, sorry... just... thinking about stuff. Nothing important," you said. He nodded, going back to whatever he was doing beforw. Niragi smirked, nudging you with his elbow. "You got Last Boss to talk to you? Oh he must like you a lot," Niragi teased, rather loudly. You rolled your eyes, and you heard Last Boss scoff. "What are you? The guys from high school?" You said. His face scrunched up in disgust, and you saw his hands grip onto his gun. You cautiously moved away slightly. "Don't compare me to them," he spat. You nodded your head to his gun. "Then don't act like them."

[chwesangel]

My sunshine ☼ Felix

Lee Felix x Reader

Neutral reader + Fluff + Non Idol AU

Words: 1.8k+

As the weather grew hotter, your feelings for your best friend grew too. Felix has been the light in your life since the moment you met in middle school but recently your feelings had turned more romantic than platonic.

—

5 years ago

"Can I sit here?"

You looked up toward the voice and met eyes with a soft looking boy who's cheeks were dusted with freckles and a light blush.

You smiled and nodded, giggling when you saw him fumble with his backpack as he moved into the seat next to you. "I'm Y/N." You said, holding out your hand for him to shake.

"I'm Felix." He responded and took your hand.

'Oh my gosh... Tiny...' you thought to yourself, looking down at his hand. "New here?" You questioned.

He nodded and before he could say anything else your teacher started class.

3 years ago

Ever since the afternoon Felix sat next to you, you guys were practically attached at the hip. Today the two of you were sitting on his couch playing Mario Kart and after what felt like the 20th round he put the controller down and looked over to you.

"Ready for school tomorrow?" He asked.

You shook your head. "No, not really. What if we don't have any classes together? Who else am I supposed to talk to?"

He laughed. "I'll still see you at lunch and between classes and after school and literally every second we're not in class."

"Promise you won't replace me with someone else though? And especially not a girlfriend or boyfriend. I come first." You joked

He laughed and held out his pinky. "I swear on my gaming skills"

You gasped and linked your fingers. "Woah that's a big risk, sunshine."

Sunshine. You had started calling that one night you guys had stayed up later than usual and we're sitting on your roof.

4 years ago

"Are you okay?" he asked, laying a hand on your shoulder.

You nodded. "It's just been hard I guess. School stresses me out, friends are too much drama anymore."

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"Just you being here with me is helping. You make my days easier and my life brighter. Like my own personal sunshine."

He smiled at that. "Your own personal sunshine, huh?"

"My sunshine." You laughed and poked his cheek.

1 year ago

You sure hoped Felix's gaming skills reflected his broken promise. Near the end of the school year he had started dating one of your mutual friends, Melody. Now don't get me wrong you were happy for him but he completely brushed you to the side.

Every time you wanted to hang out there would be something else taking his attention. "Sorry I can't, me and Mel have a date tonight." or "Not tonight, I have to help Mel study. Summer school, you know?" and your least favorites were the "I have to cancel tonight, Y/N Im sorry. Mel asked me to come over."

You were glad they got along so well and that he was so happy but you hadn't hung out all summer. Them constantly being together would be fine if he hadn't straight up canceled plans to hang out with her without a second thought.

By the end of the summer they had broken up and you got your best friend back. You spent the next two weeks taking care of him and doing anything you could to make him feel better. Deep down you were almost happy about the breakup which killed you. You felt guilty but then again, could anyone blame you for being happy that Felix was spending time with you again?

—

Now it was the last week before summer began. The last week before you were finally done with school. The last week before you and Felix would be adults and have responsibilities that took up most of your time.

You guys agreed that you'd be roommates once you moved out of your parents houses. You agreed that you'd help each other with anything and everything. You agreed that regardless of what happened, you'd support each other endlessly.

As the final day of school came to an end, you and Felix walked out of the building with a cheer, the air filled with laughed and excitement for summer.

"Soooooo Y/N," He started as you guys got into his car. "You thinking beach bonfire or drive-in movie to kick off the start of our adult lives?"

You chuckled and thought for a moment. "Bonfire, then we climb up to my roof like we used to and just talk, yeah?"

He nodded "Sounds perfect." He said with a smile.

—

The sun had started to set and you were in Felix's car again, driving down to the beach. He had the radio loud and the two of you sang along to whatever overplayed song came on. Everything felt perfect in that moment and you silently prayed that it would never end.

Once you had reached your destination, you guys grabbed whatever you would need and made your way out to the beach. The blanket had been laid out and he got the fire started, Felix took a seat next to you.

"I don't think I'm ready to grow up, Y/N." He whispered.

You laid your hand on his back and rubbed slow circles. "Me either but we're going to be here for each other through everything, right?"

He nodded. "I know that I kinda sorta broke the promise last time we did this but can we promise each other something?" He said whole holding out his pinky.

You took it in yours. "Of course we can."

"We'll still be there to support each other even if someone else comes into the picture? Even if we get married and start a family with someone other than each other?"

Other than each other... You didn't want to start a life with anyone other than him. You wanted him to keep being your own personal sunshine. You didn't want to have to share. But you couldn't tell him that.

"I promise, sunshine." You said with a smile.

The night carried on slowly, but you wouldn't want it to go any faster. At some point you had ended up in his arms, laying against his chest. You could hear his every heat beat, every embarrassed noise he made when you brought up an old story, and everything bright laugh as you two reminisced about all the times you had spent together while growing up.

You two grew up together. He was there for every heartbreak when your crush didn't like you back, he was there to comfort you every time your parents fought, he was there to help you study for every test and there to take you out for ice cream to make you feel better if you failed, he was there for every big moment of your life.

Just as he was there for you, you were there for him. You saw the good, the bad, the scared, everything. If someone had asked what your world was like before him you probably couldn't answer.

Because over time he had become your whole world.

Every time you looked at him your heart was filled with so much joy you felt like it could burst. It wasn't until recently you had realized how beautiful his laugh sounded, or how dull the world seemed when he wasn't by your side.

You had fallen completely in love with the boy who you had relied on since the first day you met. You could only hope that maybe he felt the same.

"We should probably get going so we can actually sit on your roof to stargaze while the stars are still out." Felix laughed and shifted to get up.

You stood up and stretched before staring to gather your things and Felix put out the fire. Once you were back at his car you put everything in the trunk and before you could get in Felix stopped you.

"I love you, Y/N. I really don't know where I'd be without you." He whispered while pulling you into a hug.

You hugged him back as tightly as you could and held onto him like your life depended on it. "I love you too, Lix. More than anything."

You two stayed like that for a minute before he pulled away with a sigh. A smile was plastered on his face as he walked to the drivers side and got in.

The drive was silent except the gentle music that came from the speakers and Felix humming along to it. He pulled into your driveway and the two of you walked over to the side of your house and climbed up onto your roof.

—

You guys had sat for awhile, talking about plans for the future, how you felt about school being over, summer plan, anything and everything you could.

Eventually the topic had moved to love, family, once again your guys' future. You felt nervous as you debated telling him about your feelings. Once you had decided you would you went to open your mouth to say something but he spoke up first.

"Y/N, I can't imagine a future that isn't with you. You're all I can see. I'm so in love with you... I just wish I had told you earlier. I understand if you don't feel the same I just... I wanted you to know..." He said while taking your hand in his.

"You mean that?" You whispered back to him.

He nodded. "With all my heart."

"I love you too. I have for awhile now. I love you a lot more than I knew I could actually." You said.

He smiled and leaned in to kiss you. When the two of you pulled away he smirked at you and said "Who needs to look up when I can see the stars in your eyes right now."

You rolled your eyes at his cheesy line and tapped the tip of his nose. "Yeah well I can find at least three constellations in your freckles right now. You're even prettier than the night sky, you know that sunshine?"

"That's ironic." He laughed and kissed you again.

—

Years had passed and you and Felix were together now. Despite the occasional arguments that all couples had, everything was perfect. You were happier than you knew was possible with him and he felt the same. Living in a small apartment in the city with your soulmate made each day feel like heaven on earth. He was your heaven on earth.

With your hands interlocked, you guys walked along the same beach you had gone to the night you confessed to each other. At some point he stopped and when you turned to look at him he was down on one knee pulling something out from his pocket.

"Y/N, remember when I said I couldn't imagine a future that wasn't with you? Well I wanna make that a reality. You are my future. So will you marry me?" He said with a worried smile on his face.

You laughed excitedly and nodded while he got up to kiss you. "Of course I'll marry you, sunshine." you whispered with a smile as big as possible.

(Admin Angel ☀️)