#and right now they are saying to NOT cancel. KEEP the services if you're already subscribed (and weren't planning on unsubscribing)

[rebloggingrexan]

[getosbigballsack]

Testing the waters to see if you all would like to see something like this.

Trust fund baby Gojo x Older woman reader!

"I wanna make it up to you, Satoru. I'm sorry." He pouts at you cutely, but he still pulled you from your knees, spun you around and pressed your breast against the bathroom glass.

"Then spread your legs if you wanna make it up to me mommy."

How did you end up like this, getting railed by your client Gojo Satoru. Let's get into it.

...

Trust fund baby Gojo Satoru, who is completely smitten with a woman who is twice his age. Nobody knows about this rich boy’s secret. Hiding beneath the flashing lights, tabloids, and rumors about him, nobody knows about the nights he spends locked up inside his apartment wrapped up in your arms and snuggled between the plush, cushions you call breasts. He’s in heaven when he’s with you.

Sucks to say, though, you weren’t his to hold for no longer than what he paid for. You weren't his. You didn't belong to anyone as a matter of a fact. You're just a quote unquote "whore" who provides escort/prostitutional services to young men who are in need of a woman who is older than them.

A woman who they can proudly relay on and call mommy.

A woman who the trust fund baby Gojo Satoru can proudly call mommy.

No one needs to know about the hidden kink he hides beneath his smile. It's the one thing he keeps private. It's the one thing that truly brought him peace. He's so happy laying here right now with his head in your lap and your fingers threading through his hair. Both in nothing but those matching silk robes and a bowl of fruits at the side of his head. Candles lit in the dark room, the rosy scent filling up the room. It's perfect. He only wishes moments like this would last.

"Satoru baby?" You called out to him, breaking him away from his wild train of thoughts. He slowly opened his eyes to stare at you. The small crinkles appearing at the corner of your eyes as you smiled down at him awaiting for him to answer.

"Yes... mommy?"

You chuckled a bit, fingers gently massaging his scalp before leaning forward to press a kiss on his pointy nose. "Do you plan to keep me here like this all night?"

"Would you rather if we do something else. I'm quite comfortable like this you know," He answered as he slowly closed his eyes.

"Well this not on a schedule for tonight."

"And so! What's the rush. I'm sure we can lay like this for a few moments, can't we?" He asked you.

"I have another client to attend to Satoru," you informed him, still combing through his hair, all while watching as his brows dipped and his cheek bones hardened a bit.

"Another client?" He asked, he eyes slowly reopening to stare up at you. You gave him a light nod. "Oh!" He whispered before lifting his head from your lap and quickly stood up.

A deep, heavy sigh fell from your lips. However, you followed suit and stood up as well, just waiting for what's about to come next. You knew that he would probably say something a bit out of normal terms of agreement, you were prepared to answer or to just comment on anything he had to say about your session with any trust fund baby like himself.

But what he said next, shocked you.

"Cancel it!" Pink lips pouting ever so cutely as he stared down at you with glossy blue eyes just wait for you to answer.

"Wh... what?" You stuttered.

"I dont want you to go. Cancel it!"

"Satoru, you know I can't do that." You reminded him. Of course, he knew that you never cancel an appointment with a client for a selfish trust fund baby like himself. It's in the contract that he signed with you, along with a few other things that he promised not to do, things that he had already done, and you allowed him to.

"Why can't you? Is it because of the money?" He asked. A gasp fell from your lips as you looked up at the pouting boy before you.

"No, Satoru. It's just my policy. I provide you with the service that you're paying for, then move on to the next client. You know this, too."

And he did know, but did he care? No. "I don't care, I said fucking cancel it."

"No!"

"I can pay you for his session Y/N. Just fucking cancel it. I booked you for the whole night."

"No, Satoru, you booked me for a session," you reminded him.

"No, you said it's for the whole night," he argued.

"I never said such thing," you argued back. You were about to say something else when Gojo whipped his phone out from the pockets of his robes. He unlocked it, found whatever he was looking for, and started reading.

You: Hey, baby boy, mommy's not busy tonight. Would you like for us to have a session for the whole night.

Gojo: yes, you promise?

You: I promise. Tonight is gonna be just for us.

"You promised the whole night," he said as he stuffed his phone back into his pocket, bent down to pick up grapes before standing up straight to glance at you. "I don't give a fuck about policy or whatever the fuck it is you just said. It doesn't change the fact that you promised. It's not fucking fair for you to do this to me. Haven't I been a good client enough to deserve this one night?"

You said nothing only stared at him. How could you forget about a promise like that?

"You not gonna answer me?" He said as he turned away from you and headed to the door. "Fucking fine then, you can leave. I don't need you any more. I don't wanna do this anymore. You got another client to go fuck off with."

"I'll transfer the money back to your account."

"Don't! You clearly need it more than I fucking do."

Then he left, leaving you standing there in the middle of the room, where he took so much time preparing for the both of you. Guilt washes over you as you began collecting the pieces of garment that Gojo hurriedly stripped from your body earlier during makeout sessions.

You felt bad for breaking your promise to him. You remember him asking weeks in advance, and today, you sealed the deal. You told him that he'll be able to have you for night. So why did you break your promise.

You sighed as you stripped from the silky robe, and as you were about to get dressed, you heard him turning on the shower and the sound of his adorable little whimpers in the bathroom.

What were you gonna do?

...

Cancel the appointment with the next client, of course. After all, you did promise Gojo that tonight it's just going to be you and him. Thats how you ended up on your knees before him, with his massive cock in your hand, gently pumping your fist up and down on his length. You wasted no time taking his entire length down your throat, gagging as you stared up at him with teary eyes. And despite him fight as the pleasure your mouth provided him with, Gojo was some how that you cancel the appointment with the other client.

But you sucking his cock won't change his mood. So after a few word exchange and Satoru has you standing on both legs that were spread wife enough for his cock to abuse your pussy. He did just so, wasted no time thrusting into you hard and fast. Holding you firmly against the glass. Watching as you giggling ass recoil with each thrust of his hips.

He was gonna keep you like this in shower until he's satisfied after all Trust Fund Baby Gojo, gets what he wants and right now he wants fill your pussy with his cum, even though he was 25 years old and you're nearly forty.

...

[wannaeatramyeon]

Adventures of YOUR part time job in the Lookismverse: Part 2

Part 1 here. G/N. You still work the graveyard shift in a convenience store. Some bizarre characters return. Part 3

Your first day on the job, your boss had told you to greet everyone that comes through the door in a cheery voice and with a customer service smile. All you could think was fuck that.

He told you it was so people could approach you for help, as if your uniform wasn't a huge flashing sign, and so potential shoplifters would be deterred. Again you think, fuck that, because at the first whiff of any danger you're going to go hide somewhere secure and out of sight. There ain't no way you're risking your life for a minimum wage part time job.

Except now you're on your own and sure it comes with a little bit of danger and wariness but you don't have to and don't plan on greeting any people again.

So you thought.

.

.

You spot him a fucking mile away. DG strides through the doors and you're not sure to ignore him completely or to say anything.

It's like he wants you to acknowledge him from the furtive glances he keeps giving you but something about his shifty behaviour makes you keep your mouth shut.

Heavens, hasn't this guy ever heard of subtle. He's in an all white get up once again, hat on, mask on and the most eye-catching blinging Chanel necklace known to man. You think you might go blind if you stare too much at it.

So does he want attention or not?

"Hi," he says, standing in front of the counter. He's empty handed.

You want to say 'Hi DG, going for discreet tonight huh?' or 'Sorry your last album sale sucked' or 'I heard they're cancelling you for bad mouthing BTS'. None of them feel right. You settle on "Welcome. How can I help?"

He asks if you recognise him this time and from the way your eyes bug out to say obviously, he then proceeds to ask how.

You pause because you don't know whether this guy is serious or whether there's a hidden camera somewhere.

After what feels like ten minutes, but in reality is probably ten seconds, you gesture at him. At everything. His hair, his white outfit, his necklace. It’s not exactly like he’s going to blend in with the crowd, is it?

He gives you a nod and leaves.

You watch him exit and proceed to climb into the flashiest car you have ever seen, parked right in front and across three (one, two, THREE!) handicap bays.

You think he's most definitely an attention seeking narcissist.

.

.

The guy that bleeds all over your floor comes in again.

You know it's him because he apologises for bleeding all over your floor and that he scared you so much you called the police. In all honesty, you completely forgot about it but even the mere mention of that pisses you off.

"It's fine," you tell him even though it's not, not really, but at least this time he's not bleeding and he has apologised twice already so as long as he's not gonna be weird, you'll accept his apology.

Except he does turn out to be a weirdo because he gives you a grin and you think he looks pretty cute even with his lip and nose scar, then he makes it weird with a wink and you think what even is this, who winks at people anymore.

He must have mistaken your cringe for encouragement though, as he continues to ask if you need any help with your shift and he can call the boys to help you out tonight as an apology for the other week.

You're not sure if this is a pick up line or if it's a threat. Either way, you decide it's the latter as you make up your mind that he must be a psychopath because only a psychopath would wink at strangers.

You tell him no. He doesn't seem deterred and tells you his name is Jake. Your first thought is to cover the name badge pinned to your chest but he's too quick. He says your name, and that he hopes to see you again.

You give him a nod and hope he leaves.

.

.

This oddball in sunglasses is unbearably smug as he slides his ID over to you.

You check out the date of birth and it's fine.

"It checks out," you give his ID back and ask him to pay for his cigarettes.

"Don't you have anything else to say?"

You frown at him because what does he want you to say? Like oh I knew you were a Capricorn (or is it Aries or Cancer. You don't know, you don't really know your signs). Or does he want you to comment that it's a flattering picture of him on the card because in all honesty, it's not. 

Still, he obviously expects something because he's standing there not doing anything.

"We take cash, card or you can pay through your phone."

That isn't what he's looking for. He tenses up, and you think he rolls his eyes at you but he's got sunglasses on-

Oh. This black eyed bastard. Does he expect an apology for the last time? Well you're not apologising for shit, you're just doing your job. It doesn't matter if he's of age. Rules are rules. No ID, no sale.

You stare at him instead with your polite customer service smile that actually means leave me alone. He stares back.

You stare. He stares back.

You stare - and you think that you must look like an idiot just standing there with a vacant smile but it's worth it in the end because the guy sighs, pays for his cigarettes and leaves.

Good. You hope he chokes on the smoke.

When your temper has cooled, you also feel a pang of sympathy as you wonder what sort of hard life he has had to look like that at 20. Poor guy, he really should quit smoking.

.

.

You're sitting outside on the curb on your break. It's technically loitering, your manager told you the first time he saw you and you consider hitting him because not only do you have to stand under terribly unflattering lights and deal with the goddamn general public for hours - now you can't even sit outside and breathe some fresh air?

Somehow you manage not to, which means you never got arrested for assault and that's pretty good, you suppose. It's nice to not be arrested.

Anyway, he's not here now, and he's not here most shifts so you loiter to your heart's content. You make sure to loiter extra hard tonight.

"What about this? So much better than fucking Duke Pyeon, right?" Someone comes up to you with music blaring out of tinny speakers. You consider sprinting back and locking yourself in the store. It's 4am and nothing good comes from speaking to strangers at 4am who like to blare shitty music.

Except he's not a stranger because you recognise the music style. It's so bad that you know that there is no way two different people on Earth would come up with the same sound. In fact, it actually gives you such a visceral reaction that you look for anything close by to jam in your ears.

There's nothing and you want to cry. For a brief moment you consider bashing your head into the ground.

You hold back, contemplate saying it's fine except you can't bring yourself to lie when it’s so clearly not. It’s not fine at all. You think it might be what the military or covert agencies play to torture people.

You don't look at him, keeping your eyes glued to anywhere but his face and mumble your break is over and rush back in.

He doesn't follow you and you give a brief thanks to whatever great overlord is looking over you and protecting your sense of hearing. 

You wonder if that guy is actually part of an elaborate plan from your boss as punishment for loitering, or if he somehow knew you took an extra seven minutes on your break yesterday and he’s now taking extra precautions so you’re not stealing any more company time.

.

.

The hair dye guy is back, this time buying another colour.

You recognise him from the H on his forehead and you know that he has unsuccessfully dyed his hair because if his hair looked like that last time then there's no way you would have even noticed the H.

It's awful. Blotchy and patchy and you're certain that you don't stock that colour. How on earth...

He tells you he's studying to be a hairdresser.

You never used to think hair could feel pain, but you distinctly hear millions of tiny screams from your own head when it realised this butcher might one day get his hands on innocent people's locks.

.

.

Just when you're on your way home, one foot out the door, you hear someone call you.

"It's me, Y/N!"

Maybe the voice should be familiar but you don't place it at all. You look at the guy towering in front of you with a blank face.

"Daniel." he says, as if that should jog your memory.

Who?? You say nothing.

"Daniel Park." You look him up and down and think what the fuck, this isn't right.

"Daniel. Park." he stresses as if you're the insane one and it's perfectly acceptable for apparently some guy you haven't seen for a year to say hi but look completely different and sound completely different.

You're not an idiot. You know puberty is a thing but jesus christ. It can't be him. Even the bone structure is completely different.

"Ok." you say because you're still not sure if this guy is Daniel or whether he's just crazy. You're 99% sure it's the latter and keep one hand in your pocket, ready to attack with pepper spray.

Although if this is Daniel Park, you wonder how good the plastic surgery technology is these days because you wouldn't mind adding an extra inch or two to your height.

"I'm just in the middle of working out," he says, "in a junkyard." he adds and you wonder what is happening in the world. This guy is definitely insane.

You're a second away from pulling out the spray but then he tells you he's gotta go or else he's going to get beat up (Again. What the fuck.). He says it's good to see you and you tell him likewise because that's the correct thing to say.

You hope you never see this crazy person again but most importantly you think about resigning because this store just seems like a magnet for freaks.

Maybe you can get a job at your boyfriend's Taekwondo studio. Surely the fact you know nothing about Taekwondo wouldn't be an issue.

[aropride]

spotify's current price for premium in the US is $10.99/month, which is a dollar more than before they raised it for the first time recently. the average mcdonald big mac in america costs approximately $5.15. at the new price, you are losing the equivalent of 1 mcdonald big mac every 5 months, which is a tragic loss. however, if you cancel spotify premium, you will be gaining the equivalent of over 2 mcdonald big mac every month, or 25.6 mcdonald big mac per year.

you are a 14 year old tiktok user living in america. (no you're not, i know. we're playing pretend right now. come play in the sand with me. do you want to build a sandcastle). it just so happens that the 13th of april is your birthday, and you just had a birthday and got some birthday money. you've been getting really into [popular artist of ur choice], and you want to listen to them while you're on the bus to school, so you buy spotify premium. you start with the 3 month free trial and when it ends you remember how unbearable the ads are and renew your plan. you have this plan until you go to a four-year college, when you get the student plan. once you leave college, you split the family plan with 3 friends (you have 3 friends after leaving college, so you're already winning). you keep this for a year before becoming disillusioned with streaming services and cancelling your spotify premium plan for good.

in high school, you used spotify premium for 52 months, at $10.99 a month. in college, you used the spotify student premium plan for 48 months, at $5.99 a month. and before you began downloading music off the internet, you used the family plan for 12 months and paid one quarter of the price, $4.25. overall, you have spent $877.03 on spotify premium in less than a decade, not accounting for price changes. this is equivalent to over 170 mcdonald cheeseburger. if the average american eats fast food 1-3 times a week, and you mcdonald cheeseburger two times a week, that's 85 weeks of cheeseburger. 1.6 years of cheeseburger.

or let's say you're a tumblr user. you run a blog where you mainly post about various 80s and 90s rock musicians, and you enjoy listening to music. you've been thinking about getting spotify premium because you're using the free version and the ads are annoying. you figure even though it's $11/month, spotify premium is probably the better option.

a year of spotify costs you $131.88. five years is $659.40. a decade is $1318.80. 60 years is $7,912.80.

or maybe, you post about your desire for spotify premium and your tumblr mutuals immediately start keeling over and sobbing and writhing in pain. your friend stresses the importance of physical media and the fun of piracy, and you decide to believe them and you go to the nearest record store. the store i'm currently looking at online, which i won't say the name of because it's fairly regional, sells cds. most of them seem to be around $13 new or $8 used. you don't really care about buying things used as long as they work, so you tend to go for the used options, but you can be talked into a little treat every once in a while. you burn some CDs from your favorite popular artists, because you know they won't miss the $50 you just saved yourself, and then every month you buy yourself a cd or two from the record store.

after a year, you've bought 13 used cds and 2 new ones for a total of $130. after five years, you've spent $650. after a decade, $1,300. and in sixty years, when you're in your elder years, you'll have spent a grand total of $7,800. but unlike in the alternate universe where you spent $7,912.80, you own all the music you bought (or burned onto CDs). you can pass things down to your grandkids/pet fish/guy down the street who's really into vintage technology who will be excited to inherit them. or over the years if you're less interested in an artist's music you can sell them and get (some of, if not all of) your money back. and when spotify takes your favorite artist's music down or when your phone suddenly breaks, you can still listen to your music. music that you paid for.

you're an american. will you buy cheeseburger and rock and roll disc as god intended, or will pay the devil $10.99 a month to steal your soul?

[mad-hatter-memes]

ENA (Season 1) Quote Starters

Feel free to edit the quotes or change any pronouns

Auction Day

"Can't you hurry? We need to go find a spot!" "Today's item must be super special! What do you think it is? "I'm too stupid to even imagine anything..." "All your existential troubles will go away soon, okay?" "That dog looks like he has something to say, if you get what I'm saying!" "No no no, that was very weird, what is wrong with you?" "Was that a rain-rock I just felt?" "Oh shoot! They are going to cancel the auction!" "Darn, life is so unfair." "Rude! You should ask before doing that, you know?!" "I'm sorry...my stuppiness never ends..."

Extinction Party

"Salutations, Sir! May I please enter?" "I have some urgent information to communicate to my pal, [Character Name]" "Present a blood-sample at once!" "What now? Are you going to shoot me or something?" "Please speak to me through the body language of the gods." "You must be on a real special quest here today" "Could you direct me to the correct way to reach [Character Name]?" "Can't you simpletons lend me some privacy?" "Perhaps you shouldn't with an untrained mind like yours. You could die" "It looks like the fisherman became the fished, am I right?!" "Can you say ANYTHING that makes sense?!" "Everything here is so weird." "Are you drunk again?!" "I don't see anything here, you are making a fool out of me..."

Temptation Stairway

"Hey, [Muse Name]! Check out this neat trick!" "Look, there are already some people here" "I wanna go home..." "I don't like this party..." "I'm allergic to people!" "I keep hearing voices inside my head...they tell me to eat my veggies!" "I just had the bestest idea: We'll make a bet!" "Whoever reaches the top of [Location Name] and makes their wish first, has to pay the debts of the loser." "Pay your debts? That sounds awful..." "No way! The [Character Name] is here!" "The bet's on, now let's get 'em!" "I can't go on, I won't achieve anything!!!" "What conspiracies are we cooking on the menu today?" "Would you like to buy treats to remember this beautiful event?" "I'm horrendously sorry, but I've been assigned to a sacred mission and I ought to make haste." "I believe I'm in dire need of your services to learn my current whereabouts." "Well, how much longer until the next celebration?" "Go away, our [Character Name] is no longer giving out horoscopes!" "Why are you looking at the banana like that?" "Identify yourself you disgusting banana worshipper!" "You are all living a lie!!!" "Why is everyone punching me so softly today?!" "Quit the hitting and finish the job!" "It looks like I'm the best and you're the worst!" "...Where are we, anyways?" "Dearest chum, could I inquire how your physical form was able to reach this place in such a short duration of time?" "Would you kindly reveal the wish you made to me?"

Power of Potluck

"Could you be so generous as to sing me towards the fun?" "Aren't you entertained enough?" "Golly, you sound positively starved of fun!" "I...don't recognize this strain of joy." "Say, why all the tears? Aren't you supposed to be cheering?" "It seems I've lost my way to the next act, I'd rather not miss it." "You're up on stage, lady!" "Take your role and play out joy to all audiences!" "How could a chore like this jollify someone anywho?!" "What's the flavor of today's voyage?" "I sense that there might be a touch of exaggeration in your joy." "You have been coming here persistently-over and over." "You need not return here anymore..." "You were supposed to ring-rong the bell and run. Not enter the WRONG damn place!" "For the last time...It's called ring-rong run!!! Have you even played this before? "How fun was it inside anyways?"

[shankothepervyclown]

Coach wants you on the team part 3 (CNC Gay fantasy)

The next day was Wednesday and you didn't have football practice after school but you hung around the gym at every opportunity and after school you sat outside the gym for a bit before heading home. There was no signs of coach. But tomorrow you had practice. And again the next day you hung around where you thought you might run into coach but never saw him.

All through practice he seemed completely indifferent. When practice ended he didnt even give you any extra laps, he just left. But you stayed and ran laps. All the while thinking what you did to make coach upset.

Then on friday at lunch you decide that you are going to coach's office. So you walk down the hall past the gym, past the change rooms to the end of the hall. On one side is the girls gym teacher's office and on the other is coach's. You knock on his door.

"Come in." You hear him say with a touch of annoyance in his voice.

You walk into his office and close the door. You look for a lock to the door but there is none. You quickly move a chair to block the door.

"What are you doing here?" He demands.looking at you sternly.

"I want to know what I did wrong...I'll do anything you want Coach." You say getting down on all fours and crawling towards him. He pushes his chair back from his desk to talk to you but you crawl closer and get under his desk directly in front of him.

"This is not the right time." He says but you start rubbing the crotch of his pants. You undo his belt and unzip his pants. Taking out his massive package. You start eagerly sucking his cock and massaging his balls. You feel him move his chair closer to him and put his hand of the back of your head.

"Mmmmmmm mmmmm mmmmm" you are trying to turn him on but you are also super horny. You have been dreaming of this man using your mouth again none stop. You are deepthroating him and looking up at him and he looks like he is loving it.

"Mmm baby." You hear him moan softly. "That's my good girl" finally those amazing words you couldnt stop repeating again and again in your head. You do not stop taking his big dick all the way down your throat until you can feel that hes getting close. You start to suck and lick the tip while stroking his cock with you hand. You could probably have used two hands but your other hand was still massaging his manly balls.

Coach is laying back in his chair. "Keep going. Ahhhhhhhhhhh......." and you can feel your mouth completely fill with his steaming hot cum. You hold it in your mouth for a moment savoring its salty sweet taste you, were now clearly addicted to it. Looking up at him you swallow and smile at him.

"Am I still your good girl Coach?" You ask still kneeling on the floor still half crammed under his desk.

"Yes your my good girl" he said kind of quietly. Moving his chair back to let you out, you crawl towards him.

"I think should be the coach's assistant from now on. So I can help you whenever you need." You say looking into his eyes.

"Yes. You're now my assistant." He agrees. Nodding his head as he finishes tightening his belt and straightening out his clothing.

"Coach I think I need you cell number. So you can reach me any time." You say as you finally stand up. Your coach writes his phone number on a post it note and hands it to you.

"For the record, I was not mad at you. Things are....stale with my wife lately." He says trying to not make direct eye contact and instead looking towards the trophy case.

"I'm glad I could be of service to you Sir. And for the record I'm sorry I'm not in uniform. " you tell him before going and moving the chair from the door.

"I guess I'll see you at practice after school Sir?" You asked eagerly.

"Thunderstorms all this afternoon and this evening. Its already raining outside. Practice will be canceled. " he says looking disappointed. "Lunch break is over in 3 minutes so you better hurry out." Coach says motioning his hand towards the door.

You leave and after school you go home disappointed. Your first practice as Coach's assistant, canceled do to rain. You would have to wait till Monday to get another chance with Coach.

But you text him Friday evening after dinner to make sure that he had your number and you tell him that he can contact you anytime.

[inghrafn]

Every month, our employer issues a "system news" document which we're supposed to read from start to finish. That's how we discovered an odd item: a mysterious training scheduled to take place at our branch. No title, no topic, no named presenter. A total brick wall.

Our supervisors could tell us very little other than that attendance was mandatory. The lack of further information made them uneasy. It's one thing to withhold confidential details from the rank-and-file. But from management? Unheard-of.

To thicken the plot, something extraordinary was taking place within the branch calendar. To make room for the Unknown Seminar, every program, meeting, and class booked for that date had been hastily canceled. Events that had been months in the making, speaker's fees already processed, budgets already spent... poof. All for a single training, and not even a full-day one at that.

And ultimately, that was what gave the game away.

According to the plan approved by the commission, our branch would open for a few hours, then close to the public and remain closed through the afternoon, and then open again for the last few hours of the business day. Now, while we might have early closings, late openings, or even full-day/full-system closures for (planned) staff symposiums or (unplanned) weather events, the only reason to close ONE branch during the MIDDLE of the day is for an emergency evacuation.

Holy shit, I thought. I bet it’s an active shooter simulation.

Here I need to stop and say this. I think that our administrative team means well. But they work within a literal security enclosure, and that definitely influences how we customer service employees view their safety as opposed to ours. We're out on the floor, fully accessible to a public which often presents us with disruptive, illicit, abusive, combative, menacing, and occasionally violent behavior. At every crisis-situation training we take, we are told "Run, hide or fight". The implicit message is "You're on your own." We try our best to keep it together and provide excellent service. But our workplace is filled with employees struggling with massive anxiety, trauma, job burnout, and chronic stress-induced illness. Do we really need a live drill on top of that, complete with local cops tricked out in riot gear wandering around our workplace?

All of this is precisely what I told my department head. I asked her to please, PLEASE advocate on our behalf and impress it upon administration that such a drill would NOT be in their staff's best interest-- in fact, it would be a cruel breach of trust.

It already was. Upper management began to circulate a new version of the plan which I learned from a good friend who happens to also be a supervisor. One day, she openly agreed with my suspicions. The next day, she flagged me down and told me the following. I need you to know that a county agency that I am not allowed to name has requested our facility for their own training. During that time, all staff will stay in the building and work at their desks. They will not be participating in this training in any way. That is all I can say about it. But while saying all this (in a weirdly stilted manner, as if reading off an index card), she stared at me pointedly as if to say, You and I know this is bullshit, but play along, okay?

As it turns out, it WAS bullshit, and EVERYONE knew it. Eventually HR sent out a sheepish email admitting that the county agency booked to use the facilities was in fact the SWAT Team, and they would be enacting live exercises that might be potentially "triggering". As a result, ALL staff would be sent home-- but if you thought you could handle it, SWAT could use some civilian volunteers to take part in the drills...

So there it is. We called shenanigans. Our supervisors did the right thing and took our (and their) concerns up the ladder. Upper management reconsidered and modified the plan. But I do not feel better. Knowing that they were willing to lie - and to direct others to lie - to keep a lid on their real purpose is flat-out disturbing.

The benefit and curse of being an AuDHDer is that we are obsessive sleuths who fixate on details, clues, inconsistencies, holes in the narrative, plot points out of place. We are hellbent on uncovering the truth even when it only attracts odd “hmphs” and rolled eyes. Yes, I nailed it. Go me. But now my alarm bells are on a hair trigger. My sense of trust is shaky. My perseverative brain has been in fourth gear for weeks. I'm not sleeping, and I can't focus for shit; I feel like my entire quota of willpower has been used up on this wild hunt. And at the end of the day... who likes a Cassandra?

[coolxatu]

welp dark timeline has won. ACP is already gone for the majority, and we now enter into the partial funding phase

for those that haven't been cut off yet, depending on how and who you received the ACP benefit through, you may still have internet until the end of may if you're lucky.

i can personally vouch that verizon at least has guaranteed its ACP recipients that currently use any of their prepaid wireless services will continue to be funded till may 31st.

this includes:

Straight Talk

Total by Verizon

Simple Mobile

Safelink

Walmart Family Mobile

Tracfone

Go Smart

Page Plus

Net 10

not sure if any other providers are doing the same, so i recommended checking out what your isp has to say about it. ive heard that some providers may even start giving out their own discounts in the future in order to keep ACP customers from canceling their contracts.

i encourage everyone that was enrolled in ACP to check out the link below to see if there are any local internet assistance programs in your state or city that you may qualify for

if you currently recieve EBT or medicaid then you should qualify for a free lifeline phone, which provides both free monthly cell service and a few GB of data each month. many lifeline providers allow you to use your own phone with their service if its compatible, but they will send you a free cheap smartphone if you need one. keep in mind that only one lifeline phone is allowed per household, even if your household members are just roommates.

you can apply for lifeline using the link below

i know better than anyone how depressing this whole situation is, but hopefully this won't be a forever thing. this program has helped too many people to just disappear for good like this

good news is there seems to still be some congress members pushing for a funding renewal. maybe if we kick up enough of a shit about it, we can force congress to expedite getting this program restored. might even help if we start rallying about it idk

23 million americans are about to loose affordable internet access, surely there has to be something more we can do about it

for me personally, i use a verizon based lifeline service so i still have one more month of unlimited internet before i get demoted from to like 4.5GB a month. thats just enough for necessary and emergency use, but i wont be able to do much else with it. i live right by a library tho and have family that are close enough to visit often, so i'll get by somehow

but most ACP recipients aren't as lucky as i am. my sister has already lost her internet, and many others have as well. not everyone lives close to public wifi sources, and unfortunately not everyone that qualified for ACP will also qualify for lifeline. for many people this was their only way to afford internet, and its loss will be felt deeply for a very long time.

my condolences to those that have already lost their internet, wishing you all the best in the difficult times ahead of us. be joining you guys soon o7

RIP ACP

government is trying to ban tiktok meanwhile millions of poor and disabled americans are about to completely lose their internet access at the end of april because congress wont renew funding for the affordable connectivity program

hell fucking world

[pattywagon2go]

Transit Talk Thursday

Transit Talk Thursday: If you’ve been around the transit space as much as I have, one common “criticism” that is lobbed at transit (especially trains) is “But the train doesn’t make a profit!” with the response from transit advocates being “It doesn’t have to make a profit”. But for someone not within the transit space, that sounds a little counterintuitive. "Why shouldn't transit make money?", you may ask. And that's a good question. I mean, why shouldn't it make money? Who doesn't like making some extra money, especially if the profit helps with a public service?

Before I explain why transit doesn't always make a net profit, I want to attempt to understand the argument of "Transit has to make a profit" so many people keep yakking about. As far as I can tell, the argument stems from how transit is almost always going to be a government owned and operated type of deal. There are exceptions, but that's out of the scope of this post. Anyway, in any place where capitalism is the main economic policy, there tends to be a desire to run the government as a private business, where it turns a net profit. And to turn a net profit, you have to, well, turn a profit through something you're providing, i.e. transit. Now, I won't get into the minefield of how government spending works, since I am not an economics guy, evident through how I have a life, but so far, this sounds simple enough. Just make the trains make money! How hard can it be?

Well if it were easy, this post wouldn't exist then, lol.

Note that this next section will be focusing on trains, but transit buses largely work the same way.

As many of you will be aware, trains cost money to ride. And on the surface, it may seem like it would be easy to just use the money you get from fares to fund the trains. And whatever leftover you have, you keep as profit. And in some instances, yes, you can indeed turn a profit from just fares. But that's not always going to be the case.

Obvious statement ahead, but everything in this world will have a cost. And with trains, that's no exception. Running a train from one destination to another will cost a certain amount of money to do so, such as the crew paid on the train, to maybe the fuel required to run said train. So if you want to turn a profit from fares alone, you're going to need riders for your train. But what if you don't have enough riders for a train to make running it profitable? You could just not run the train, but that leaves a lot of people without a connection from A to B, some of which won't have another option beyond the train. Okay, so if we can't cancel the train, how can we turn a profit? You only really have one option for that, and it will be to raise the fare price. If you raise the price of the fare, then hey, problem solved, right?

Not exactly.

This is going to be another obvious statement, but people don't like paying a lot for something. They would ideally want to pay as little as possible. So if we were to raise the price of our fares to cover for the trains we want to run, then this can easily turn some people away. Some may not want to pay over a certain amount for the train, no matter whether they need it or not. And then suddenly, we can't make a profit anymore! So what do we do now? We could raise the fare price again, but then more people won't be willing to pay. This continues until the fare is so expensive that no one wants to pay. Now we'll never make a profit at this point.

So raising prices to cover for the train isn't going to work, now what? Surely there's going to be another way, right?

Well, there might.

Let's say that the train already has enough people to be profitable on any journey it takes. Hooray! We don't have to raise the fare price now! This must truly be the best of times!

And indeed they are, but nothing in this world is perfect. What happens when ridership slouches? Then you're stuck in the death spiral I just described before. And you can never predict when ridership can slouch. It can either come from something like a network shutdown, to even something that just forces people away, like what happened with Covid.

Now, I'm not going to be stupid and say that transit flat-out can't make a profit, because it sure as hell can. Brightline is a big example of this, where its a private company that runs trains. Yet, how isn't it bankrupt? The answer is simple: Real estate.

Brightline's main revenue stream isn't from train fares. Rather, it's from real estate investments around their stations, as Brightline is owned by a real estate company. So in theory, this is the way to go, right?

Unfortunately, people who say "the train must make a profit!!!!!!!" will unanimously freak out if a government run service tried this business model, so good luck trying to appease them. And even so, this strategy really only works regarding land around a station, which is something a government owned service can do anyway. So what Brightline offers is something that can already be provided by a traditional public service.

And I might as well say it now, but there's a big layer of hypocrisy to this whole transit profitability argument when the same people who say that use these gigantic toll free highways which very damn well are NOT making a profit, let alone any money to begin with. But, y'know, let's not talk about that and instead just throw flack at transit for not making any money.

In conclusion, I just don't understand this argument about transit needing to make a profit. At it's core, it's going to be god near impossible to have them make some kind of extra dough, and even so, why should we be trying to extract money from a public service to begin with? It's a public service people, not some product you buy at the store! Oh and also, if you're gonna say transit should make a profit, also say the same thing for the goddamn highways! Those aren't nearly close enough to making a profit, yet you don't seem to give a shit about that! What gives?!

Sigh.

At the end of the day, transit is meant to help people get around, not hurt them by bleeding their wallets dry. Leave that for cars instead, please. Thank you.

[kmp78]

Crowning excuses

Prince Harry is traveling alone to his father's coronation. No one knows why Meghan and the children stay at home – but how they talked their way out of Charles.

A couple sits on a very large sofa in a very large bungalow. The sofa cushions are as white as the clouds in the California sky, which arches rainless over this imagined scene. On an immaculate lawn, the staff plays with two happy toddlers. Everything seems fine, only the silence of the parents seems a little too intentional.

Meghan (after half an eternity): Why should I stand on an old balcony and wave to an island people who hate me? I'm not going there.

Harry: All right, honey. But we can't tell Dad like that. Never complain, you know the game.

Meghan: Your father already knows why I'm not coming. There is no need for a lame excuse. Never explain, you know the game too.

Harry: After all, Dad officially becomes Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

Meghan: I wonder how someone is supposed to defend the faith and the Commonwealth if he already fails with his daughter-in-law. But good.

Harry: You have to imagine a coronation like that, like a... like a...

Meghan: … Oscars?

Harry: Exactly. Except that you're the only nominee and you're the only one to win in all categories. From best actress to best production design to best animated short film.

Meghan: Still, I don't owe your father and his snobbish entourage any more explanations. Should he watch our Netflix documentary again if he has questions.

Harry: Of course you would also get the Jean Hersholt Award for Humanitarian Service in Filmmaking.

Meghan: It's good now, H, you made your point. Great thing, such a coronation. But not for me anymore.

Harry: We could say Archie fell out of the saddle playing pony polo.

Meghan: Don't say something like that!

Harry: Lilibet has premature wisdom teeth and keeps crying?

Meghan: Grandpa would answer coldly: clench your teeth!

Harry: Archie and Lilibet couldn't take intercontinental flights since they...

Meghan: stop! let the kids out of there

Harry: Your passport has been lost and the California authorities no longer make exceptions for normal people like us.

Meghan: I'm definitely not mentioning any passport. Has gone wrong before.

Harry: If we don't offer anything, the reporters will besiege your father again. God knows what they're offering him this time - and what he's telling them.

Meghan: That's exactly why we got out. So that we don't have to keep explaining ourselves. You promised me: Save is the final word. You used at least 400 pages.

Harry: Just this one more time. Come on!

Meghan: Fine, I'll call him.

Harry: Yes! And what do you say?

Meghan: That the invitations to Archie's birthday are already out. That nobody takes children's birthday parties as seriously as California mothers. That they have long since briefed their nannies, who in turn have long since bought gifts that are far too expensive. And if we cancel Miley now, we'll never have to ask her again. In short, it is my sacred duty to complete these celebrations without taking my smile off my face.

Harry: He'll understand. Here, take my phone. Already ringing.

Everyone knows why she's not coming: it's because she can't face the public or the family. 😏

GOOD.

If we never see or hear from her (or her son-husband) ever again, the luckier we'll all feel. 🙏

[outrunningthedark]

Lol we’re not gonna see anything similar to what happened with the cw. That long awful story was entirely different to anything going on with Disney and abc. I’m actually quite surprised you fell for the strike bait article from Disneys ceo. ABC is their flagship channel, meaning they’ll sell off all their cable ones that no one watches anymore like freeform before they ever touch abc.

Now, see, if you scrolled back just a little bit (literally to yesterday) you would realize that I already said I don't anticipate cancellation or a selling of assetts because OG has the advantage of employing Angela Bassett for as long as she wants to work: I don’t expect anything with OG to change right now because it has the luxury of employing one of the biggest names in the business, but I do think a decision to cut ties isn’t ENTIRELY out of the question with these simultaneous strikes. Secondly, I notice you conveniently left out the struggles NBC is having, a network owned by the juggernaut that is Comcast. I purposely put that in because had I just used CW the response would be "...that network is broke, though". As for your confidence that Disney wouldn't sell off ABC, I don't think this fandom is in a position to declare certainties when it's been wrong about so many things :P You sound just like the anons and blogs saying FOX's budget was doing fine in s5 and (particularly) s6 despite CLEAR evidence to the contrary based on the kind of stories being written. ;) Selling ABC still allows them to switch programs to Hulu, the one service Bob Iger is willing to keep.

And just for fun: According to this podcast, a sale of Disney's TV assets is going to be in the 8 billion dollar range at minimum. Do you really think it's a guarantee that a billionaire clings to a dying industry (as seen in just how "low" that number is vs. Comcast buying NBC for 13 billion in 2011) over easy money? 🤔 The way some of you approach this topic...I'll pray for you when this show is off the air for real. You're obviously having a tough time learning to let go.

[kangseluigi]

Not to sound old and jaded, or like I can't navigate the internet, but when are automatic renewal subscriptions gonna be made illegal?

Cause I swear it gets worse and worse. It sucks enough that micro-payments for apps/games renew themselves every month unless you turn it off, and each app does that differently. Some in-app, some in the payment app, so you have to go to paypal/your bankaccount and revoke access, which takes time to figure out in the first place and then time to do

but then you also have those websites and apps that give you a 1-month trial period before charging you for a full year at once, which is usually immense amounts of money for most people, and there too, because they don't charge you for the trial period, usually, it's not always something you can pre-emptively revoke on paypal et al, so you have to search through their shitty app/website for ages trying to find out how to cancel it before you get charged

naturally, they hide that as best as they can, and google gives you as many unhelpful results as possible too and would rather bomb you with advertisements than help

and it is entirely designed to

make most people too annoyed/tired to deal with it and put it off for a while, until it's too late and they got charged, which in turn annoys people too much to contest it and demand their money back (even more so in that "every person asking for a refund is a Karen" climate corps have created) and also takes time and often just gets shot down, but you can't sue them because it may very well be seen as your fault and most definitely costs more money than they took from you, so you'd just cause a precedent if you're successful, which is great, but doesn't seem worth it

screw over disabled and neuroatypical people who struggle navigating large amounts of texts, sticking to schedules, dealing with frustrating, fruitless labor etc etc

screw over technically less advanced people which I hope I don't have to explain

exploit children/teens who have no concept of finances and often also find it difficult to wade through several redirects and mountains of text explaining nothing before you finally find out how to cancel it.

Like I usually cancel any subscription I use a free trial for on the first day, right after signing up for it, just to be safe, and I already don't do subs like that when I don't need to, but they keep making it harder to find in the first place, some don't even state their pricing anymore, so you can't even figure out if their services would be worth it, or plan ahead for a case where one does slip through your fingers.

And sometimes when it does happen you can reach out, ask for a refund and get it, since they probably make enough from people who don't ask for one, but I also saw cases where it was all "whoopsie daisies can't do, sorry, but you can get a coupon for us :)" bitch as IF

Some also make it sound like the moment you click "cancel now" your account will be disabled, instead of after the trial/paid period runs out, which of course is the case, but it does make people hesitate to be safe.

And even the ones that do state pricing etc, usually do it in the shittiest and misleading way, where they say "it's only $12 a month!" and only state that they bill for the entire year at once in fine print. Because people who can afford 12 bucks a month, and need the lowest rate, are obviously the ones who cannot afford to lose $144 at once.

If you have no problem with these services and can navigate them just fine, that's great, but please consider them from the perspective of other people. People who usually struggle only slightly in day-to-day live, like people with ADHD may suddenly be bankrupted because they wanted to find out a little bit about their heritage or try out a youtuber-recommended service like fucking audible, or wanted to test through the various VPNs, since they are desperately needed but differ slightly.

[turkisherlockian]

The Hat - Request [Benedict Cumberbatch x Reader AU]

Summary: Y/N is a young director who worked with and has a crush on Benedict Cumberbatch. He finds out that she used to write fanfictons about Sherlock and decides to give her a gift.

Word count: 1941

A/N: Happy birthday @shackleschains 🎂🎉❤️ I hope you like it! 😸

-----

''You never worked with Y/N before, have you?''

Benedict smiled and turned to Y/N. They developed a great friendship while working together, Y/N got on well with everyone and they all had so much fun.

''Yeah,'' Benedict said, ''I wish I met her earlier, though. She's a great director, she's energetic, magnetic, amazing...''

''Tell them something they don't know, Ben!'' Y/N nudged him and they all laughed, ''I'm just kidding...''

''No, seriously, that's what everyone thinks about you.'' He smiled.

''Aww... Thank you.''

''Alright, love birds...'' This made them both chuckle, ''So, Benedict, what was it like working with Y/N?''

''I had so much fun, it was great. She was great. She might be young,'' He grinned, teasing Y/N, ''But she has a brilliant mind and she's going to prove that in the film. Not that she needs to.''

The interviewer smiled as Y/N blushed, he turned to her, ''What was it like to work with Benedict?''

''You know, I'm known for my short films and this is my very first time directing a film, so I was really anxious because... Well, he is Benedict Cumberbatch!'' Benedict smiled as she continued, ''He's been very helpful, understanding... He's very clever! Just amazing. It was an honour to work with him, and I hope we can work together in the future, as well.''

''I hope that too, young lady.''

''I'm not that young!''

Benedict grinned, ''Yes you are, and that's great. You're a genius.'' He hugged her with his left arm, pulling her closer as she blushed.

''Well, turned into a complienting competition...'' Y/N grinned, ''Thank you so much. You're so kind.''

Benedict nodded with a smile, then turned to the interviewer who asked a question to Y/N again. ''We've been told that you're a Sherlock Holmes fan and you used to write fanfictions... Is that true?''

Y/N facepalmed as Benedict turned to her with a frown, ''Why didn't I know this?''

She pulled back, her cheeks burning. ''It's embarrassing!''

''No it's not!'' Benedict chuckled, ''It's adorable.''

Y/N rolled her eyes playfully, ''Alright... I was a huge fan. I wrote and read a lot, just like any teenager would do.''

''That's why it's not embarrassing, darling.''

''So...'' The interviewer interrupted them with a smile, ''You started filming things at a very young age, didn't you?''

''Yeah... I started with small things, really. I filmed my toys, my pets, making short clips, you know. Then I started filming nature and went to courses as I couldn't get accepted to a film academy. However, my short films got thousands of views overnight - which was crazy, and now here I am. And I'm so happy to be here.'' She smiled and turned to Benedict, which he replied with a comforting touch on her back.

The interviewer turned to Benedict, ''How would you describe your character, Benedict?''

Y/N couldn't focus on what he said as she watched him, he was beautiful. She could study his features as they were still so close to each other. His lips, eyes, eyelashes, beautiful skin and every single detail on it. She wanted touch him terribly.

''Y/N?''

''Huh? Sorry, I got distracted...''

''You must have been tired... Thank you for the interview, Y/N, Benedict, it's been fun!''

They shook hands as they got escorted outside, a car waiting for them.

Benedict got into the car after her and sighed, ''You're exhausted, aren't you?'' he asked with a smile.

''I am... How about you?''

''I'm shattered... As I'm old...''

Y/N chuckled, ''You're not old!''

Benedict shook his head with a grin, then turned to her. ''You'll get used to it. Interviews, fame, fans... Papparazzi and their cameras that follow you anywhere you go. But I need you to know that, Y/N, you're really good at your job. I didn't get the chance to say it properly earlier, but I really enjoyed working with you. I hope we do it again.''

She teared up quickly, feeling honoured. ''Thank you so much,'' she smiled, ''I feel the same way.''

Benedict nodded and smiled, squeezing her hand gently, ''I didn't say it to make you cry...''

''I know,'' She nodded and wiped her tears with her shirt's sleeves as the car got closer to the hotel. ''So... Are you free tomorrow?''

''Yeah. What for? I mean, doesn't matter why you asked, I just...''

He chuckled as the car stopped and he opened the door before getting out and giving her his hand. She took it with a smile as she sniffled, then got out of the car as well. ''Would you like to... Have dinner with me? In my room?'' He blushed, ''I mean, I have something to show you...''

Y/N nodded and smiled, ''I'd love that...''

They walked into the hotel together and got into the elevator. ''What time should I come?'' Y/N asked.

''I'll be back at around seven. How about seven thirty?''

''Sounds good...''

Silence filled the cabin as Y/N bit her lip, then it stopped and Benedict followed her outside. ''I'll see you tomorrow, then.'' He said with a smile.

''See you... Sleep well.'' Y/N smiled too and nodded, unlocking her room's door.

Y/N couldn't sleep, not at all. She kept thinking of what he was going to show her, what could it be? Also, she tried to avoid the embarrassment of the fact that she did write fanfictions and smut. People still knew even though she deactivated her account. And Benedict found out. He found out!

She was just a teenager, she had no idea that she could meet him one day, let alone work with him!

However, her eyes were aching and she was really tired, so she drifted off to sleel quickly.

-----

Y/N woke up to the sound of her phone, it was vibrating violently.

She sat up in horror and took it, unlocking it quickly. Y/N checked WhatsApp first to see what's going on.

Her friends texted her asking if Benedict and her were dating, the interview was posted on YouTube - that was surprisingly fast, and a photo of her looking at Benedict in love, was everywhere.

Y/N took a deep breath, everyone thought they were dating! Did Benedict know about it? If he did, how did he react? Would he be angry at her? No - she's done nothing wrong. Except for having a crush on him and looking at him like that...

She bit her lip and replied to her friends' messages, but didn't post anything online. She didn't know what to do, she didn't even have an agent or someone she could ask what to do. Maybe I could ask Benedict, she thought, but she was too embarrassed by the way she looked at him. What would he think? Did she ruin his reputation? Did he have a partner already? Y/N sighed and got out of the bed.

She put her phone away and turned it off.

Y/N had the whole day for herself until dinner if Benedict wasn't going to cancel it. She knew he wouldn't do such rude thing, but... She felt exposed. It was embarrassing. However, she wanted to look nice for him, so she spent an hour deciding on what she was going to wear. Y/N did her best to spend time, but there were still a few hours until dinner, so she turned her phone on and started reading what people think.

''I'll kill myself if they're not dating!!!''

''He's too good for her.''

''She looks so in love! I mean, who wouldn't?''

There were a few memes too, she was grinning and sending them to her friends before an unknown number called her. With hesitation, she picked up.

It was Benedict's PR team, asking her to not make a comment about the situation yet.

If his team knew, Benedict would know it too.

Thankfully, it was 6 PM and she could start getting ready. Y/N chose a white, puff sleeve and square neck summer dress and combined it with a chain necklace. She put on some makeup after getting her hair done, then checked her phone to see what time it was.

7 PM.

Time passed quickly as she tidied her room, and she put on her perfume before leaving her room right at 7:30.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N knocked on his door and smiled when he opened it.

Benedict couldn't take his eyes off her for a while, ''Hi, umm... Come in...''

''You look lovely...'' He said as he gestured her to take a seat.

''Thank you... So do you... Handsome, I mean. You look handsome. Not just right now, you always do, Oh God, please never compliment me again...'' Y/N blushed and covered her face with her hands as she sat down. Benedict chuckled, ''Thank you darling.'' He sat down in front of her, ''What would you like for dinner?''

Y/N hummed and shrugged, ''I don't know... You decide.''

''How about pizza? You love pizza.''

This made her smile. ''Sounds great.''

He got up to call for room service, then ordered her favourite. Y/N was fiddling with her fingers as Benedict came back, ''What's wrong?''

''Nothing... I mean, you heard about the rumors, didn't you?''

Benedict smiled, ''Do you really care about them? People always make assumptions.''

Y/N smiled too, Assumptions, she thought, but I do like you.

She sighed as he offered his hand. Y/N looked up at him in confusion. ''I'll show you something.'' Benedict said with a smile, then led her to the bedroom when she held his hand.

Y/N's heart was beating fast as she saw a gift box on the bed. Benedict picked it up and turned to her, ''This is for you.''

She was surprised, ''I... Why? I mean, it's not my birthday...'' Y/N chuckled mervously. ''You receive gifts only on your birthday? What a shame. Well, it'll change, darling. Now, open it.'' He said excitedly.

Y/N smiled and bit her lip, opening it. She looked up at him in shock, ''No.''

''Yes.''

She chuckled, can't believe her eyes. It was a deerstalker. The deerstalker that Benedict used, actually.

Tears welled up in Y/N's eyes as she put the box on the bed and took the famous hat out of it, touching it. She couldn't help but smiled as he spoke, ''I wanted to keep it after filming the last season.''

''This is the best gift I have ever received! Thank you!'' Y/N exclaimed as she hugged his neck on tiptoes, earning a chuckle from him and a warm hug back. ''You're welcome, sweetheart. I'm glad you liked it.''

Y/N pulled back but her arms were still on his shoulders, and she felt her cheeks burn as he looked into her eyes and then, at her lips. Y/N closed her eyes as she felt his soft lips on hers, feeling like she ran out of oxygen in a second. Benedict pulled back quickly for her liking, so she kissed him lovingly. ''I like you.'' she whispered, and then regretted it immediately. What if he told her he did not? It would break her heart.

However, Benedict grinned. ''I like you too.''

They kissed again and Y/N pulled back as someone knocked on the door. He let out a low groan, which made her wet, and then pecked her lips. ''It must be room service.''

Y/N nodded with a smile and followed him, the hat still in her hands. Benedict turned around with the tray to see her wearing it with a grin.

-----

After dinner, Y/N posted a selfie of them, her wearing the hat. Then they started reading comments together.

"He made her wear the hat!'' Someone commented, making a reference to Janine's words in the newspaper.

And in the end of the night, he did make her wear the hat.

---

Feedbacks are always appreciated! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. ❤️😸 And you can turn on notifications if you want to know when I post a fic!

[alj4890]

Angst Prompt

Requested follow-up to One Fateful Night

Part 2: The Dark Before the Dawn

A\N Sorry again for One Fateful Night’s angst. This picks up right after and goes a little into the future for Liam and those that survived the earthquake. It gets pretty dark in places and is long, but I think it ends on a hopeful note.  

@gkittylove99 @darley1101 @krsnlove @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30​ @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @ofpixelsandscribbles @twinkleallnight @lodberg @sweatyrysconnoisseur @motorcitymademadame

Masterlist

The rest of the unity tour was canceled. Unable to speak his reasons why he couldn't do it, Liam left that in the hands of his father and Regina. He didn't want to face the people without Riley by his side, without Drake standing steadfast, without Maxwell's unfailing optimism, without Hana's gentle support.

He had simply lost the will to fight.

Olivia had returned with him to the palace. Neville soon followed, insisting that he would do whatever Liam needed him to. Kiara, devastated by Penelope's death had retreated back to her family estate. Rashad was sent to Domvallier to recover from his injuries. Bastien refused to take time off and was doing his duties from a wheelchair.

Liam ignored all of it. He went to his chambers and remained secluded from the world for days. He refused entry to anyone who knocked. He simply sat there staring at the few mementos he had of those he had lost.

He flipped through the photographs Maxwell had insisted on taking of the three of them through the years. He paused at the few his mother was in, wishing she was here now to tell him how to move on from something like this. She had encouraged his friendships with Maxwell and Drake, knowing he would need them to face life in the public eye.

And now he would never have them again.

Setting the old album aside, he reached for the key chain Riley had given him the night of the Coronation. Thinking of that night and their confessions of love only to be so cruelly parted...his head dropped as he carefully set it back on the table. Next he picked up the pearl he had given her. The plans and hopes they had while meeting in secret. It had helped him through every moment he was kept from her side.

He then lifted the photograph Anna had taken of them for their engagement. Liam's fingers trembled as they brushed against the image of Riley. Her smile so warm. Her eyes so filled with joy.

Reaching for a decanter, he attempted to metaphorically drown his sorrows. In one night he had lost everything he had held dear. How was he to go on from this? There was no enemy to slay, no way to find those he loved and rescue them. Nothing. Nothing except funerals to attend. Nothing but giving them to the cold, unforgiving dirt.

All he had ahead of him was visits to graveyards. He knew his father didn't have much longer to live. It would be just one more loss in his already devastated heart.

Death was what his life had become. He had feared that when his mother was poisoned. Many a night he would wake up crying at the thought of being completely and utterly alone. This long forgotten fear rose up within him, showing that it hadn't been a nightmare. It had been a premonition.

Dropping his head in his hands, he sobbed into the void that had become his only companion.

*****************

Armed with a key, Olivia forced her way into Liam's room. With the first of the many funerals coming up, she knew she needed to get him prepared. The public would be looking toward their king, needing to see him standing against the worst life could throw at him.

Her steps faltered when she saw him. He was slumped over in a chair. Empty decanters sat in front of him, a few tipped over on the table with drops of whiskey spilled out.

The tumbler he had been using had fallen to the floor. The remnants of his drink had stained the Persian rug. His clothes were rumpled. Nearly a week's growth of beard had darkened his sunken cheeks. Dark circles under his eyes completed the look of a man trying to escape his tormented thoughts.

Olivia had to harden her heart. There had always been something about Liam that brought out an unusual softness in her. But that was not what he needed. He needed order. A purpose. Something to get him to step back out in the world.

Grabbing his shoulder she shook him hard.

"Liam!" She snapped in a louder than usual tone. "Wake up!"

He opened his bloodshot eyes with a slight groan. He weakly raised a hand to his head while trying to escape her unyielding grip.

"Get ready." She ordered. "We've got things to do."

"What things?" His hoarse voice cracked.

She ignored his question.

He forced himself to focus on her bustling about gathering his clothes before going into his bathroom. He could hear her starting a shower.

She returned with a determined set to her chin. "Hurry up." She pulled him out of his chair. "We don't have all day."

He stumbled forward, catching himself against a dresser.

Olivia bit her lip as she watched him painstakingly retreat into the bathroom.

Taking a deep breath, she bent to the task of straightening his room. Her gaze fell on the objects he had been using for his only source of company. Tears sparked her eyes when she noticed the photographs.

It wasn't fair. Liam might think he was the only one to suffer with his losses, but she was just as deeply affected. They had been her friends too. A family of sorts, one of her choosing after losing her own at such a young age. She couldn't help but depend on them. Maxwell had been the chipper, up for anything brother she wouldn't have thought she needed. Drake had been her sparring partner, always keeping her wit sharp for any upcoming altercation. Riley...

How had the one she never could quite see completely as her enemy become an actual friend? She had won Liam from Olivia, and yet...and yet Olivia had been grateful. If there was anyone in this world who saw and loved Liam like she herself had, then it was Riley.

And how could she not care for someone who did as Liam deserved?

It was all for nothing. Olivia was left alone once more. Perhaps even more so than when her parents had died. At least then she had been able to lean on Liam. Now he could barely function. It was now her turn to be the one he could depend on in their friendship.

He stepped out, pulling her from her thoughts. He stood there as if at a loss of what to do, whether he should even bother putting forth an effort.

Olivia brought him a jacket and held it for him to slip on.

"We'll eat on the road." She told him, giving him a push out the door.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"A few places." She told him. She glanced back behind her where Regina had remained out of sight. The worry on the Queen Mother's face eased some at seeing Liam out of his room. She nodded gratefully to Olivia before retreating in the shadows to report this small success to Constantine.

****************

Liam stared out the window as Olivia drove him through the capital. He ignored the people going about their day as if the world had not stopped. He didn't bother to focus as he used to on the state of the roads or on some of the older, historical buildings.

He simply didn't care. He figured it was only a matter of time before these things were taken from him too. The terrorists were probably lying in wait for when they could destroy the last of what had once meant something to him.

"I don't suppose you've spoken to anyone at the hospital." Olivia said, cutting through the oppressive silence.

Liam merely shook his head.

She waited in the hopes he would ask about Hana and Madeleine. She needed to see that the old, kind to a fault Liam was still there, only buried amongst his immense sorrow.

The silence stretched once more between them.

"I have." She said, fighting against tears of frustration.

He didn't move. He simply stared out the passenger window.

Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Madeleine's recovery is slow yet steady. The doctors believe though that her fair skin will always be marked with scars."

Liam didn't even blink.

Olivia grit her teeth. "Hana though has not been having an easy time."

Liam stiffened somewhat at that.

Olivia pressed on. She was determined to get him talking. Hopefully once he started he could get rid of the despair that was destroying him.

"Her parents want to take her home to Singapore but the doctors don't believe she is strong enough yet." She swallowed down her own lump of emotion. "When she was told of...of..."

Liam finally face forward. "Told of everyone dying on us? Told that I had failed in saving anyone?" His bitterness slashed across Olivia's stuttered denial at that last one. "Told that her life would never be the same again?"

"Liam, you--"

"I don't want to hear it." He responded.

"You must!" She yelled, hitting her steering wheel in her anger.

Liam didn't flinch. He didn't act like he had even heard her.

"Hana needs you! Madeleine does too." She turned into the hospital parking lot. "We all need you to--"

"To what?" He roared. "Give more empty promises that we will get through this? That we will find our way back?" He jerked his seatbelt off. "I respect them too much to lie to them. The last thing they need is a broken man trying to rally their spirits." He opened the door. "Find someone else, Olivia. I'm not the man they need."

"You are!" She scrambled out, tears falling down her cheeks unheeded. "Liam, we all need you right now. Friday is the first set of funerals. We need you there to help us say goodbye."

Liam walked off without a word.

"Liam, please!" She pleaded, chasing after him. "Even if you can't speak during the service, let those of us who love you help you."

He paused before gently pulling his arm out of her grip. "I'm sorry, but I can't do what you ask of me." His bright blue eyes were filled with tears as he raised them to hers. "I'm done, Olivia."

"Liam, you're allowed to grieve." She reached for his hands. "Take as long as you need. But your friends and country need to grieve with you."

"They won't after I inform them of my decision." He took a deep breath. "I'm giving it up."

"Giving what up?" She asked.

"Everything. The crown. The throne." He looked about. "I'm leaving this country and moving somewhere that isn't filled with memories."

"You can't!" Olivia grabbed the lapels of his jacket, shaking him in desperation. "You can't let the terrorists win! We--"

"Why not?" He bit out. "They might be the right rulers for Cordonia. My legacy has been nothing but death. My brother gave it all up because the pressures were slowly killing him. My mother died trying to do what was right. My father gave up the crown because he is dying. I've done nothing but bring death and destruction to those I love the most." He gripped her wrists and wrenched them from his jacket. "I can't do it anymore."

"Yes, you can." She followed him when he walked off again. "Just try a little longer."

He laughed bitterly. "Try? Why? My reign is already marked with uncertainty. I'm a king without a queen or heir." He released a deep frustrated breath. "What's the point, Liv? Every time I try, I get knocked down. Losing...losing Riley, Drake, and Maxwell..." He shook his head. “It is too much.”

"Promise me you won't decide anything today." Olivia pleaded. "Please?"

He ran his hands over his face. He looked up as if for divine intervention before nodding. "I won't hold the press conference today."

"Good." She relaxed some. She knew now that she would have to fight him these next few weeks over his decision. The last thing she wanted to see was his giving up on his destiny in the midst of his grief.

Slipping her arm into the bend of his she tugged him toward the hospital.

*******************

"Come in." Hana called out.

She didn't want anymore visits from her parents but couldn't bring herself to tell them. Hearing that her marriage prospects were now completely gone due to her injury had done nothing but bring her further into depression. Did they not see that what she had lost was so much worse than the lower half of her left leg?

Her dearest friends, her best friends, those that knew her better than anyone on earth were gone.

And I didn't get to say goodbye. I didn't get a chance to save them. Nothing.

Olivia smiled softly at Hana. "I brought a surprise."

Hana sat up straighter when she saw Liam sheepishly appear.

A sob burst from her lips as she reached for him to hug.

Liam's Adam's apple bounced a few times as he struggled to swallow his sorrow. He couldn't ignore her need for comfort and hurried over to hug her. Olivia quietly stepped out so they could grieve in privacy.

"Oh Liam!" Hana cried against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry." She clutched the material of his leather jacket, wishing they would all wake up and realize this was nothing but a dream. 

"I'm sorry." He choked out. "I couldn't save them." His tears began to fall freely. "I failed them, Hana. I failed you. I failed everyone!"

She pulled back and gently cupped his face. Blinking through her tears she shook her head. "You didn't fail any of us, Liam. You saved me and Madeleine. Bastien. Rashad and--"

He clung to her. "What am I to do now? Hana, you know I can't face life without Riley. How can I go on after this?"

"I don't know." Hana hugged him again. "But you know Riley wouldn't want us giving up on life." She glanced down at her legs under the blankets. "No matter how hard it is, she would encourage us to keep fighting."

"Hana, Riley was my life. My heart." He lowered his head into his hands. "She was my strength to keep moving forward no matter what was thrown at us."

Hana reached from some tissues, sharing a few with him. "I know. She gave me the bravery I needed to tell my parents that I was more than a marriage prospect for some noble. Now..." Her breath hitched. "Now I don't know what I am or what to do."

Liam moved off her bed and collapsed in one of the chairs by her bed. "What are we going to do?"

Her hand found his. "We help each other. Isn't that what we would hope Riley, Maxwell, and Drake would do if they had lived and you and I had died?"

He wished that had been the case. Not Hana, but that he had been the one Death had come for. He would gladly switch places with them, anything to escape this unending ache in his heart.

He felt Hana's hand squeeze his.

He looked up and saw her trying to be brave for his sake.

Liam didn't know if he could. "I've been thinking of abdicating."

Her lips parted in shock. "Abdicating!"

"Everywhere I turn there is a memory of them." He explained. "I..." He gave up speaking.

"They wouldn't want you doing that, Liam." She reminded him.

He knew she was right, but he couldn't think of moving on as if his very heart had not been ripped from his chest.

"They say when a person loses a loved one that they should wait a year before making a big decision." Hana said, lacing her fingers with his. "Maybe that is what we both should do. My parents want me to go back to Singapore, and I've been tempted to so I won't be reminded of everything."

Liam slowly nodded. "I wouldn't blame you if you did move back home."

"I think what I need is to be with you. Olivia. Madeleine. All of those we still have." She tried to explain. "I need those memories, no matter how much they hurt, to help me heal."

Seeing that he didn't know how to take her advice she gently squeezed his hand again. "Why don't we wait on any decision and just try to get through these next few days."

He eyed her suspiciously. "Did Olivia tell you to say something like that?"

Hana felt her first laugh in over a week burst out. It sounded hollow, as if her body had forgotten how to make the joyful sound. "She might intimidate me at times, but no, she didn't put me up to this."

His lips curved somewhat before settling once more into a thin line. He knew from her words and Olivia's that no one would accept his abdication.

*****************

Madeleine did her best to look presentable. She picked up the small mirror she had insisted be left on the small bedside table. Her eyes touched on the angry, red scars gracing her face and head. Her arm and legs bore others that were long and jagged.

Taking a deep breath, she fluffed the hair that had not been lost in the deep gashes to her scalp. Refusing to give in to the need to cry over something she had no control over, she smoothed her covers and waited to greet her king.

Olivia had shared with her what he wanted to do. Madeleine knew what the fiery duchess wanted her to say and act when she saw him. But she thought she knew how best to respond.

With plan in place, she looked up when she heard a knock to her door.

Liam came in at her bidding him to do so.

He didn't pause in his walk to her bedside like so many did when they first saw the extent of her injuries. She felt her proud façade crack at that. Only Liam would be kind enough to pretend there was nothing unusual about her current hideous state.

Her own parents had handled it horribly. Her mother had been unable to look directly at her without bursting into tears. Her father had bemoaned the fact that she hadn't been able to trap either prince or any other well standing noble before her looks were destroyed.

Just what any young woman needed to hear when awakening from a near death experience.

Liam bowed over her hand while placing a kiss upon her scarred knuckles. "My lady, forgive me for not checking on you sooner."

Madeleine swallowed before asking him to sit. "How have you been?"

His red eyes lifted to hers. "How do you think I've been? I've lost three people I loved. The country lost them along with Penelope and her family. Portivira is destroyed. The Sons of the Earth burned the royal orchard." He slumped in his seat. "I've lost everything, Madeleine."

"Not everything." She corrected. "I know I'm not Riley or Drake or Maxwell." She grimaced at trying to find the right words. "But I am here for you in whatever capacity you need."

"Thank you." He replied automatically. "Your dedication to Cordonia is to be commended."

"It's not--what I meant--" Madeleine closed her eyes briefly when tears pricked her eyes. "Liam, I meant I will be there for you. As a friend." Her nose wrinkled. "As odd as that sounds, I am sincere."

He nodded once more. "Thank you."

They both sat there lost in thought.

"Do you," he cleared his throat, "do you think I should abdicate?"

Madeleine's eyes narrowed in thought. She knew her next words could possibly be the most important of her life.

"Have you done something that could or has harmed Cordonia?"

His eyes widened some. "No."

"Do you no longer care for our people?" She asked.

"No, of course not." He muttered.

"Do you not wish to help them?"

"It isn't anything like that."

"So, your reason is something more selfish." Her green eyes hardened when they met his. "Like Leo, you decide to walk away when ruling becomes too much work."

Liam got to his feet. "It isn't like Leo's reasons! I lost the woman I was to marry. My best friends! Everywhere I turn I am haunted by what was and what could have been. How can I possibly fight Cordonia's enemies when I've lost my sources of strength?"

Madeleine sniffed dismissively. "Every person has lost someone that was their support. If everyone gave up when that happens then this world would crumble to dust."

Liam took a step back from her cold tone. "Madeleine, don't you--"

"Don't I what? Miss any of them? Are saddened by their deaths?" She allowed her sorrow to show. "Of course I do. I might not have been thrilled to be tossed over for Riley, but I would have had to be a blind fool to not notice what she did for you and Cordonia. The same for Maxwell and Drake."

Liam sat back down. "Then what do you think I should do?" He looked down while his bottom lip trembled. "Riley made me a better king."

"Then by all means think of her when you must make a decision." Madeleine told him. "Liam, for whatever reason, fate has placed you as King of Cordonia. You." She stressed. "We've all known you were the better ruler when Leo was our crown prince. It is a great burden, but one that you've never hesitated to carry."

He ran a hand over his eyes. "I wanted to do what I could for the country."

Her lips eased into an approving smile. "As all rulers should be." Reaching over, she patted his shoulder. "I know it won't be easy, but I can't think of anyone better to guide us into the future."

"I feel so lost." He admitted to her. "How can I guide anyone when I no longer have the ones who were my own compass?"

"You'll find a way." She said with certainty. "It may take time, but you will."

He sighed before running his hands through his hair. "I'm so sorry, Madeleine."

"For what?" She asked. "The earthquake was something no one could stop."

"I know." He stood up. "But I'm still sorry."

She nodded in acceptance.

Liam kissed her hand once more and promised to do better checking on her and Hana as he left her room.

Madeleine slumped back against her pillows when her door clicked shut. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she hoped she had somehow said the right thing to him.

Turning to bury her face in her pillows, she allowed the tears to be for herself, Liam, and those they had lost.

******************

That afternoon, Liam departed from Olivia and insisted taking a walk by himself. He went to the private beach and slipped out of his shoes and socks. Rolling up the cuffs of his pants, he began to walk slowly along the shore, allowing the waves to roll over his feet.

He flipped his collar up when the early fall breeze blew by, hinting at an incoming cold spell. He thought it served his mood perfectly. The summer that had once been his world had ended, bringing the cold cruel reality to crash down upon him.

His happily ever after had truly been a dream not meant for the real world. He should have known that he couldn't bring a fairy tale to life. It couldn't survive the cruelness of fate.

He continued his stroll while thinking of his visits with Olivia, Hana, and Madeleine. His conversations with them had only paused his decision. Even if he were to wait as long as Hana suggested before abdicating, what good would it do? He would still be unable to regain what he had lost.

"Liam?"

He paused and turned to see his father walking towards him.

"May I join you?" Constantine asked.

Liam gave a brisk nod before focusing once more on the waves lapping at his feet.

They walked on in silence for a spell. Constantine glanced every so often at Liam’s face, searching for any word that could possibly help his son.

"Who is next in line to the throne?"

Constantine stopped in his tracks. "Who is next in line?" His eyes narrowed in concern. "Why do you ask?"

Liam shrugged. "Shouldn't an unmarried, childless ruler know these things?"

"Son, you have your whole life stretched before you. Give yourself time to grieve and heal. Then--"

"My enemies are at the door." Liam snapped. "Even if I somehow survive them and whatever next hell Cordonia thrusts me into, I will still be without a wife or heir."

Constantine gestured weakly toward a set of lounging chairs. "Sit with me for a moment."

Liam's brief burst of anger turned to resignation when he noticed his father's trembles. Placing an arm around him, he helped ease Constantine down.

Liam took the chair next to his and focused on the ocean. He wondered how he could still find such beauty in it when it had been the final place Riley and Drake had lived.

"I'm going to abdicate, Father." He stated.

Liam was surprised by the silence that followed his declaration. He expected his father to be pleading with him to reconsider or furious for even thinking it.

Instead, he found his father looking more sympathetic than he had ever appeared before.

"I made the same decision when your mother was taken from me." Constantine admitted softly.

Liam's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yes." He cleared his throat. "Your mother was everything to me." His gaze became distant as he was once again in the past. "She was life itself, my strength." His lips curved into a bitter smile. "She never held back her thoughts and opinions on how we should rule." He met Liam's eyes. "I loved her with my entire heart."

Liam ran his hands down his face. "What," his voice was raspy, "what made you decide to remain king?"

"I'm afraid it wasn't one out of duty or believing anyone needed me." Constantine admitted. "My reasons were purely selfish. I knew the only way to find the ones who took my Eleanor from me was to be in absolute power." His hand balled into a fist at the memories. "For years, vengeance kept me focused on my kingly duties."

"When did it change?" Liam asked.

"It was actually you that opened my eyes."

"Me?" Liam's brow furrowed. "What did I do?"

"You were ten years old." Constantine's lips curved into a tender, proud smile. "Leo was his usual, rebellious self. He had just turned sixteen and was supposed to attend his first official ball. He was trying to get out of it when he found out he would be obligated to dance with every visiting nobles’ daughter, regardless of how attractive they were."

Liam's eyes narrowed as he tried to recall that night.

"As I was walking past the ballroom, I heard your gentle, yet firm correction to his behavior. You were reminding him what a good prince was supposed to do. Be there for his subjects. Kind. Understanding. Sacrificial." He chuckled again. "It was just the slap to the face I needed."

Liam slumped back in his chair. "That ideal is meaningless."

Constantine slowly nodded. "If I had heard it after your mother died, I would have dismissed it too." He reached over and placed his hand on top of his son's. "Time doesn't necessarily heal all wounds, but it does help in how we view them." He swallowed. "There were years where the very thought of your mother brought me to my knees. Her loss was like a festering wound that never eased."

Liam knew that feeling all too well.

"But now, though I miss her just as much as I did before; my memories of her bring me comfort." He squeezed Liam's hand. "They make me grateful for every single second I was allowed with her."

Liam blew out a shaky breath. "Well, unfortunately I can't find and fight the earthquake that took Riley. I don't see the point in being king for revenge."

"True." Constantine nodded. "But Riley, Drake, and Maxwell believed in you. They went on the unity tour for you, for your reign to be successful. Not for themselves. Not for Cordonia. All because they thought you and you alone were worthy to be king."

Liam swallowed a few times as stray tears fell from his blue eyes. "I don't deserve it. I didn't deserve their faith or..." He huffed while wiping his eyes. "I'm not worth it."

"They would say you are." Constantine swung his legs to the side and pushed himself up. "You remaining king is a way to honor them and their efforts to help you be the best one you can be."

Liam pressed his palms to his eyes as a sob tore through him. When he felt his father's arms come around him, he buried his head against his shoulder while shaking with his cries.

Constantine gently rubbed his back while promising he was there for him. That he wouldn't have to go through this alone, that he had him, Regina, and those of his friends that had survived.

Liam clung to him, unable to speak.

Father and son clung to each other as the sun set.

********************

The next few weeks had Liam attending and speaking at the funerals of those that were no longer with them. He didn't bother to try and mask his heartache in front of his people. The nation was touched by his honesty and mourned with their young king.

Constantine and Regina remained by his side. Olivia and Neville traveled with him to each graveyard. Hana and Madeleine were allowed to attend some of the funerals. Rashad stuck by their sides, even helping to push Hana's wheelchair.

Seeing them each time he took the podium reminded him of why he was doing this. His father's words about honoring his beloved and best friends gave him the strength to speak of the type of people they had been.

He didn't know how he got through those first few weeks. Though it took a great effort, he forced himself to get back to his duties. Routine helped him remain focused on what he needed to do and gave him opportunities to continue to grieve.

The rest of the unity tour was canceled. Liam instead spent his efforts in rebuilding Portivira and in replanting the apple orchard. Out of respect and because he couldn't stand the thought of a ball without Riley, he canceled the rest of the year's planned balls and palace events.

With little chance to catch the king in a position that would bring about his downfall, the Sons of the Earth were soon desperate and making foolish decisions to attack during the daylight. Many were rounded up by Bastien's elite task force. Anton was found holed up in a long forgotten Nevarkis stronghold and died in a shootout with the king's guards.

After months of turmoil and uncertainty, Cordonia was once again in a state of peace.

Constantine lived long enough to see it come about. With his sons and wife at his bedside, he quietly passed away after telling them each how much he loved them.

Liam kept working. After two years, he hosted his first ball, an engagement one for Rashad and Hana. He had smiled and gave a sweet toast to the couple, all while remembering his own happiness he had once had with Riley.

As the years went by, he was able to think back on Riley, Drake, and Maxwell with a soft smile on his face.

Then the fifth year as king, he was approached by Madeleine.

"Liam, I think it's time for you to host another social season with potential suitors."

A denial rose to his lips.

She held up her hand to silence it. "I know, but you need an heir."

"There is already an heir. The throne goes to Olivia if I die."

"Liam." She huffed. "The crown needs to be stable. The people want to see you happy with a family." She shrugged her shoulders. "Cordonians are a sentimental bunch."

A family. That had been his heartfelt wish for years. Could he do that? Have one without his Riley?

"I will think about it." He conceded.

Madeleine smiled at him. "Good." She curtsied and left him alone.

Liam rocked back in his desk chair. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling.

"My love," he whispered. "What should I do? You were the only one I could ever picture myself marrying. Mother to my children." His brow creased. "Am I ready to try to find something that can’t possibly compare to what I had with you?"

He closed his eyes, wishing he could find the answer.

"Liam, dear?"

He opened his eyes and looked up at Regina.

She smiled warmly at him. "You fell asleep. Dinner is ready."

He apologized and rose to follow her out.

He halted mid step as the afternoon sun glinted on Regina's silver hair. The answer he needed was right there. He looked back up to the heavens.

His lips curved softly. "I understand. Though no one can ever compare to you, perhaps I can have the kind of luck my father had."

[msmarvelouswinchester]

Hey Sweetheart

Summary - Dean was suddenly pampering you too much. Not that you don't like it, but what happens when a Winchester lets his guard down?

Pairing - Dean x Reader, Sam x Reader (platonic)

Warning - Fluff, so much fluff you will have cavities (check the tags for more warnings)

"Hey Sam, have you seen your brother? He's not in his room," You said plopping down on the chair beside Sam.

"Nope", Sam replied without taking his eyes off his laptop's screen, "he is probably in the garage".

"I swear that man loves his car more than his own girlfriend", you grumbled causing Sam to chuckle but you saw Sam's eyes were still glued to the screen.

"What are you upto? Sammy?" You waved your hands frantically in front of your best friend trying to gain his attention and also annoy him.

"Y/N", he warned but a little smile was playing on his lips, "Y/N come on, let me work".

You pouted at Sam, "Leave that laptop of yours for-"

"Chef Winchester at your service, Ma'am", You were startled by Dean's sudden obnoxiously loud voice.

"Wha-you made this?" You pointed at the plate of homemade burger and looked at Dean who had a proud smile on his face.

"Try it. It's tastes real good", Dean grinned.

"Dude? Where's my burger?" Sam asked making you giggle.

"Are you my girlfriend? Go get your burger from the kitchen", Dean said and pecked your cheek lightly. Sam left the library with a huff. You took a bite of the food in front of you and moaned loudly when it's delicious taste hit your taste buds.

"That good, huh?" Dean smirked.

"Oh God Dean! It's amazing. I love you", You moaned.

"Me or the burger?" Dean wiggled his eyebrows.

"...buhguh", you spoke with your mouth full. Dean placed his hand on his chest and put on a hurtful expression. "And here I thought I will take you out on a date tonight", Dean pouted at you.

Your eyes widened at his words, "What is it Dean? Am I m-missing something? Is it my birthday today?"

"Oh come on. Can't a guy just pamper his girlfriend for a day?" Dean rolled his eyes.

"Not when the end of the world is near", you teased.

Dean sat down on the chair where Sam was previously sitting. "Can we, for one fucking day forget that God is trying to kill us? Chuck is MIA and Sammy is always keeping an eye out for any unusual activity. I just want one day for us. If that's not what yo-"

You silenced him by pressing your lips to his. He pulled you closer deepening the kiss and only let you go when you both felt your lungs screaming for air.

"I love you and I would love to spend an entire day, heck my entire life with you", you smiled softly at your boyfriend.

"Dinner date tonight. Meet me at the garage at seven", he pecked your lips and got up from the chair.

"De, where are we going?" You narrowed your eyes at him.

"It's a surprise", Dean winked at you.

"Dean! What am I supposed to wear if I don't know where we are going?" You asked.

"Trust me, you will find the right dress", he winked at you again and sauntered off to somewhere inside the bunker. You went towards your room to find an appropriate dress.

"A date tonight, huh?" Sam smirked at you as he emerged from the kitchen.

"You know it's bad to eavesdrop on someone's conversation?" You raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shut up but honestly Dean is really happy you know even with the end-of-the-world crap hanging over our damn heads. You both deserve this day", He smiled at you.

"Well you want to clear out of the bunker for tonight or do you have noise cancelling headphones?" You teased.

"Oh I'll be out of the bunker as soon as possible and leave you lovebirds alone", Sam chuckled causing you to laugh with him.

You went to your room and found a box lying on your bed. You suspiciously opened the box to find a beautiful blue dress. Your eyes widened when you realised that it was the same dress you saw at a shop during your last hunt. How did Dean even manage to buy the dress? A note slipped out of the dress when you picked it up from the box.

'Hey sweetheart, hope you liked my surprise. Don't worry, I have a bigger surprise planned for you tonight. Love ya baby"

You looked at the time, you had another two hours to get yourself ready for the date. You had a stupid grin on your face that you couldn't seem to rub off. You had never seen Dean being an adorable sweetheart like this and truth be told, you were already in love with this side of Dean.

Two hours passed by. You got dressed and put on some light makeup. You didn't see Dean in that two hours and the suspense was killing you. You reached the garage as the clock struck seven but you froze when you saw the scene in front of you.

Dean was all dressed up. He was wearing one of his FBI suits without the tie and that made the look so much better. There was a table set in the middle of the garage. How did he bring the table up here? Or was it already there? Dean was arranging the chairs and he didn't notice you. The clicking of your heels made him look up at you.

"Hey sweetheart you look beautiful in this dress", Dean smiled at you and came closer, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"Wha-what is all this, De?" You looked at Dean.

"Do you like it?" Dean caressed your cheek with the back of his hands.

"I love it", your eyes turned moist, "I love you so much Dean Winchester".

"I love you too, sweetheart. Come on let's go to the table. I made your favourite for the dinner", Dean slowly guided you towards the table.

You took a seat at the table but you froze when you saw the man in front of you. It was not Dean.

"Surprise Y/N", the man in front of you smirked, "Nice dinner date Dean arranged for you. I always knew he was a hopeless romantic".

"C-chuck?" You got up from the chair, "Dean?! Where is he?"

"Dean? He is right behind you", Chuck pointed.

You looked behind you to see Dean lying on the ground writhing in pain. You rushed towards him. "H-hey", he managed to speak out.

"What did you do to him? Sam?" You called out.

"Sammy is not here. Remember you told him to clear out of the bunker?" Chuck shrugged. You looked at Dean and noticed that your hands were red. Blood? You turned Dean on his back and saw that he had a large gash on his stomach and blood was seeping through it.

"Is this your grand ending? To kill us when we don't have our game face on? You coward", you eyes were starting to tear.

Chuck didn't say anything but let out a dark chuckle and snapped his fingers. You looked up and saw Chuck had disappeared.

"Dean? Hey, hey, stay with me. You're gonna be fine, okay? Cas, I hope you can hear me. I need you right now", you prayed. Tears were now flowing freely down your face.

"H-hey s-sweetheart", Dean's breathing was laboured, "Pr-promise..me, you won't do anything s-stupid. P-promise me, y-you w-will take c-care of Sammy. I-I lo-love you s-so m-much...i-it's going to b-be a-a-alright".

"No no no, De. Keep your eyes open. For me please. I love you. You-you are gonna be just fine", You wrapped your arms around him, "Damnit Cas, where the hell are you?"

Dean gave you a bloodied smile and his breathing became shallow-

You woke up with a gasp. You realised that you had been crying in your sleep. You wiped the tears from your eyes and got up from your bed. You reached the library of the the bunker and saw Sam sitting at the table nursing a glass of whiskey and occasionally rubbing his temples.

"Don't you think it's better for your headache if you go to sleep rather than staying up all night drinking?" You asked.

Sam turned around and gave you a sad smile and you could see his eyes were red indicating he had been crying. "Why are you not sleeping?" You kept quiet. "Bad dream?" Sam asked you softly and that simple question made the walls that you had been putting up since that fateful day break down. Tears started streaming down your face. Sam got up and pulled you into a hug, trying to soothe you. But you needed him. You needed Dean.

"I know we gotta a-accept t-the fact that h-he is not co-coming back", you hiccuped, "b-but I-I can't. He's gone, Sammy. H-he is gone".

"Hey, hey, shh..shh. No one's telling you to move on right now. Take all the time you need okay?" Sam's voice was soft, "We both are hurting now but you know what I'm proud of my brother. He saved the world once again. He defeated Chuck. He-" Sam's choked on his voice.

"I'm proud of him too Sammy. He is a h-hero", you sniffled into Sam's chest, "I love him so much. It hurts, it hurts really bad. He left me a note, you know", you pulled out the note from the pocket of Dean's flannel that you were wearing.

"We're gonna make it through this. Together. Dean would want that for us to finally live a happy life away from this hunting but you can take all the time you want, okay?" Sam assured you.

You showed the note to Sam. He read and pulled you into a hug again. A single tear rolled down the younger hunter's cheek. You clutched onto Sam as if your damn life depended on it. You closed your eyes and remembered the words on Dean's notes.

"Hey sweetheart, promise me you won't do anything stupid. Promise me, you will take care of Sammy. I love you so much. It's going to be alright".

.

.

Forever taglist - @donnaintx @devil-in-my-boots @amandamdiehl

[panicinart]

A nanny to replace with someone new part 1

Brahms x transman/transmasc reader

Please take my writing privilege away when it's past midnight

There arnt any trigger warnings here and at the moment no gendered words or pronouns is used! I guess there is a bit of queer coding(???) if you squint but nothing to serious or specific

Your phone vibrated with a new message send to you. Scrambling it out of your pants with hasty and shaking fingers while the other hand tryd it's best to not let the travel suitcases fall on the floor. Giving it a quick glance your lips curled into a smile, it was your best friend asking how the flight into the UK was.

So you gave her a quick message on how you got the worst seat imaginable. The guy next to you constantly gave you weird glances, he tryd to be sneaky about it, looking at your way when he thought you were asleep or occupied with something else. The smell that receded from him wasn't pleasant either, betting your left arm that he didn't shower for at least 3 weeks straight.

A few seats away was a couple that constantly started a loud argument with each other about the most random and unimportant things imaginable. When the fly attended tryd to calm them down the whole scenario got even more chaotic, making a kid that was another few seats away cry loudly. You would feel bad for the child if it wasn't for your enormous migraine building up. The only good thing out of the situation was when a bag of salted snacks got accedntly thrown to your way, giving you a free extra snack.

As you clicked send an announcement made it's self know with loud static noises. The train had a one hour delay. At this point your nerves were on edge. With a heavy sigh you walked out of the airport to the underground, at least there was now some time to look at the airport stores. Buying a few snacks here and there and seeing the cute souvenirs lighten up your mood a bit, and you even found a pharmacy!

Munching at your last chocolate bar and swallowing the pill for your migraine as you clumsily walked down the stairs to the subway, you eyes skimmed for a clock, and there it was, old and a bit rusty but it worked just fine showing that it's currently 7:43 pm.

'20 more minutes'

you thought, as you gave it a quick glance with a groggy look,

'Might as well give her a quick text'

•hey,sophie the train has a delay probably will come in like an hour late if everything goes well.

It took a few minutes until she texted you back

▪︎Yea I already thought that, can't have shit in public transport >:/

•yea,,, so,,, how is the babysitting going? Is the kid as bad as the last one you took care of???

▪︎Nope! How should it when it's a doll :)

•....

....

....

a what???

▪︎A doll! It's one of those weird porcelain ones that look like a small child. It's even live sized! I was already weirded out that a couple this old would have small children of their own but that? A whole new level of weird

•,,,,what are you doing with it????

does it just hang around or do you actually take care of it??

As you waited for an answer another announcement was made, the train that should come in now 15 minutes should be here earlier.

You would have made a small victorious smile if the question didn't come crashing down like an avalanche.

Why do they keep it? Why do they need a babysitter when it's just a doll? Why is it live sized? And most importantly, how in the fresh fuck did they managed to let the train come earlier the thought. While being lost in your mind with questions your phone took you back into reality when it vibrated.

▪︎Nope! I just let it sit in the corner, sometimes I put a towel or blanket over it. It's stare is really fucking creepy....

•oh,,, so free money I guess, pretty cool.

hey sophie what was the name of the family??

Something with shire right??

Chestershire??

▪︎Heelshire, why do you ask?

•just out of curiosity, maeby there is an article about them and the doll.

i mean they are a well know family so I can imagine there is something out there about them. also my train is coming later then planned.

they made an announcement that it should come earlier the thought but,,, I think I won't come over today for the sleepover, I'm just too tired, sorry for the late cancelation

▪︎It's fine (Y/N)! You had a shitty flight so I can understand that! So we see us tomorrow :) ?

•ye

▪︎Awesome, can't wait to show you the creepy doll!

And with that the chat ended, your train already making a big entrance with the loud hald of it's heavy metallic wheels.

You took the suitcase back into your hands and tumbled your way into the train.

Looking around, you accepted defeat that there was no seat left for you, your mood slowly dipping from tired annoyance to about to having a small fit. But that wouldn't help your progress, so you swallowed your anger down and leaned to one of the metallic poles. Wobbling a bit from left to right and needing to catch your suitcase to not let it roll over a passengers feet as the train started moving again.

You grabbed your phone, hesitating for a bit

'Do I really want to know what the fuck is going on or???'

You just shrugged your shoulders and gave it a go, the heelshire family is a rich pompous family you're sure there is something about them on the internet.

Aaaaand you were right, it didn't even took a second when hundreds of articles pooped up with dramatic headlines.

Terrible fire at the Heelshire mansion

Mysterious fire in Heelshire property

Heelshire, how their live turned quickly into a nightmare

These were the few that caught your interest.

You gave the articles quick reads, your tired eyes switching between almost falling shut from tiredness and going wide at the gruesome details on the tragedy.

Well that gives you a few indications on why they keep it.

'It's probably some kind of coping mechanism....'

You don't really see yourself as someone who's heart gets torn apart everytime you hear a sad and tragic story, but you still can't shake the heaviness off it all, a family losing their only child in an enormous fire that up to this day nobody knows were it came from.

Too keep your mind off the whole thing you looked outside, still having a bitter expression of the new info as you admired the houses.

It looks like your heading towards a more suburban area, making it look like one of your old English telenovela that you watch every now and then.

As the sun slowly goes down and engulfing the area in beautiful colors was quite a bit breathtaking, infact so breathtaking that you almost missed your station.

In a moment of panic you pushed yourself out of the train almost dropping a few things in it, but luckily you had everything with you.

With lazy steps towards a billboard your eyes scanned the map for the area, the bus stop wasn't far away, just a few minutes walk, but your heavy arms slowly giving up and your feet starting to hurt didn't really help.

You got your headphones out in hopes that listening to your favorite music makes the whole thing a bit more bearable.

Even tho it was just a tiny bit left until you arrived at your destination, somehow everything went wrong one way or another. You almost missed the bus and then one of it's tire pooped, making you wait for the next one that came in like half an hour.

Then one of your water bottles wasn't closed properly making some of your stuff soaked in it, destroying your notes, drawings and a few comics you had with you in the process.

When you arrived in the small but cozy hotel a woman had a giant fight with the manager. One of her kids didn't stop bothering you with weird and uncomfortable questions about your appearance. While the other didn't keep their grabby hands off of you. Then when she finally finished her rant on how the room service didn't left a small piece of chocolate for her children like always, she had the audacity to give you a 'tch' when she walked passed you with a slightly disgusted expression. The manager and her assistant apologized for the inconvenience and offerd you some candy as a sorry gift for the inconvenience, you don't want to sound like a glutton, but it did make you forget about the whole thing for a bit.

Finally you managed to get your keys. On the way to your room you almost dropped all your stuff becoming a clumsy mess that just wants to sleep.

As you opend the door impatiently you more or less threw your stuff on the chairs and floor quickly unpacked your pajamas and hastily puting them on. Dropping your body on the softest bed you ever were able to sleep in like a rock. To say that you were happy to finally be here is taking things way to lighty. With a happy sigh you closed you eyes for the well deserving sleep.