#and what kind of lizard did i see this morning it was a cool lizard and i didn't get a picture for inaturalist

[vamptastic]

how the fuck do you reheat rice without it drying out

[glitterdisposition]

how to recover after having a complete crying breakdown in front of ur bf TWICE in one night

[thebookowal]

Doodle time, in class 👍

(so to clarify in my school, we have a strict rule not to bring any electronics, from home so we’re not allowed to bring our phones )

octopus, DJ by @ntls-24722

he just popped in my head doing those cool poses supposed

I think that sentence rhymes 😝 I know I didn’t make them really chubby, even though I really do I just need to practice more

oh yeah and here or there is some thing I got really inspired off by an animation called,the worm

It’s actually pretty cool and it gives you the chills not that much but the ones (want to have another episode ) kind of chills

and it had a detective that somehow give me vibes that what if Fritz before he got reincarnated what, if -what if Fritz wasn’t or didn’t go through what he did in his childhood and in fact, he lived a normal life and become a detective. He looks like a very suitable person, but of course our Fritz, insane personality makes him much suitable to be fritz ✨

edit : here he is 👇✨

NTLS!! You have to go see him tell me what do you think??? doesn’t look like friends without reincarnation (or if it didn’t happen at all) ???

Here is my fellow boy oh, by the way, I think that is inspired by Ntls as well I remembered to draw something similar to it but this guy I think he’s a lizard. I don’t know where he is yet. I just know that the colors are completely different. And his food is different. But I don’t know I named him bubbles by the way bubbles DJ what do you guys think? I don’t know yet. They already covered up that he only walks on four legs, and he rarely walks on his two back legs

Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah!!!!!

where is this? Funny thing happened as well with him every single time I try to draw him fully I don’t draw the tail full in

There is one of them

oh yeah and on top is actually the diabetes celebration day for men. My friend told me about it and it was supposed to be I think right now to other people two days ago

look at him very cute with a stormy out 😚

Here is him sleeping he like to sleep with his mouth open all the time I mean with the song out just creating a puddle of saliva And here it is this fat hundred XL ass boy dancing he was in my head, the whole entire lesson, and I said “I had to draw it!”

I have never in my life draw big shoes. I am really proud of the big shoes that I did here. Oh yeah, and this guy is name is puppet I know it’s very taking, but I thought of killing him that because I can do whatever the hell I want with him, I could create them to be a cat like in the picture down belooooow

I have been sleeping for two hours for two days now and my head is throbbing so this is one of them him checking on me

because I couldn’t handle it. I literally fall asleep. While I am writing notes.

And yeah, I was drawing this underneath the table because the teacher was right beside me and if they saw me, they might actually go through it and tell me why aren’t you writing I guess that’s all

good night everybody or good morning or good afternoon or whatever time you have right now bye I need to go to sleep. I have a lot tomorrow.(thanking about DJ will go to sleep.🤭)

guys is it normal that my body shaking it’s really shaking violently while I’m writing this I think it’s fine I don’t know. Is it ??

[nsomniacsdream]

Some Like it Hot

Grott the gargoyle was enjoying the luxurious sun pouring down into his grotto (A convenience store back lot) when the call to adventure came. A letter, to be specific. A letter from a woman he knew as a child, Jerrica, who had become a schoolteacher for a local kindergarten. Jerrica had been a cool kid, didn't try to pull his tail or whine about his wings meant he should be able to fly her around. They hadn't so much kept in touch as she did occasionally drop by to get him a box of donuts and help him pull an iguana out of the storm drain (they did that all the time, something about that stormdrain was like iguana catnip). Jerrica was very politely asking his assistance in providing some animal learning for her class. After he chewed it over with a pizza crust, He was sure he knew exactly what he should do. So he started a lap of his grotto, talking to each of the best behaved animals that lived in the lot. An iguana named Gene, a python named Pit, and a baby gator that just wouldn't stay in the canals, Kevin. The next morning, he packed them all in a radio flyer wagon and started down the block wearing his nicest vest (he stuck with vests because they wouldn't bind down his wings after he ripped the armpit seams.) This particular one was khaki and made him think of steve irwin.

Jerrica greeted Grott at the door, and pet his cowlick down and kissed the sides of his snout. "Thank you so much for coming! The kids were so excited when I told them I knew an actual gargoyle!" Grott handed Gene to Jerrica with an admonition to behave himself. Pit and Kevin curled around Grotts arms and all three were set down on a table in front of the classroom. Grott an Jerrica split a box of mixed donuts and some coffee. Before you knew it, the kids were filing in, all flapping signed permission slips at Ms. Benton. They couldn't help themselves from oohing and aahing over the first gargoyle they had ever met. Grott felt glad that he could meet all these kids and leave a good impression. Ambassadorial status was a priviledge and a burden sometimes. In the meantime, Kevin had made his way onto Ms. Bentons desk and gotten into a threat display fight with a staple remover after already losing one with the stapler. Gene had slid down on a sun puddle at the corner of the table and was basking. Pit had managed to snag a donut and gotten it stuck behind his head after he wiggled thru the donut's hole. It wasn't a problem yet, but he kept sneezing from all the powdered sugar on it. As all the kids had arrived and been settled into their beanbags, Grott loosed Kevin on the floor and told him to stay out of trouble. Gene wokeup with a start as Grott scooped him up and carried him draped along his arm up to the first row of children. "Do you kids know what this animal is?" There were several timid voices that said "lizard" or "florida puppy". "This is a green iguana, even tho you can see he's not all green. This is Gene. He lives near me, he's a good guy. But the green iguana is an invasive species here. They're originally from central and south america, but came here on boats full of food. Iguanas are cold blooded, which means he can't keep his own body warm, so you'll usually see them laying out in the sun. Gene is a nice guy, but he gets excited, so I'm not gonna pass him around or anything." Grott handed Gene the Iguana to Jerrica, who placed him gently back into the sunlight coming through the window. Gene blinked a few times then huffed and laid on his tail, falling asleep. "The next animal is one that a lot of people find scary, so I'm going to tell you about him first. Burmese pythons are a kind of snake. They started living here in the late 70s, but they're also invasive. They've spread throughout almost the entire state. Burmese pythons can be very big, and that scares people, but they're almost never a threat to people. They only attack if they don't have any other options. So don't approach them in the wild, if they get cornered, they might attack to be able to escape. Pit here is a really good guy, look how big his eyes are! they hunt at twilight so they see really well in the dark. And do you see these little pits along his mouth? He can see heat with those. So when a warm food is in a cold shadow, he can still see them!" Pit was winding himself back and forth between ms. Benton's arms behind Grott, and the kids were mesmerized. Pit was enjoying all the attention but he was also getting a little wiggly because he was excited. "Pythons are also cold blooded! They like to curl up where it's warm. Don't bother them, because they can be jumpy if you spook them." Grott turned and found Pit even with his face. Pit slid forward and curled himself around Grott's horns, which were cooler than the surrounding room and would help him cool down and calm himself. Grott looked like a Gorgon a little bit, with his stony looking skin and snake on his head.

"I have one last friend here to meet you today. Kevin is a little alligator. Alligators are some of the Oldest species in the world, and they haven't changed a whole lot in the whole time. They're very well adapted to their environment (shallow water with low visibility)." Kevin, hearing Grott talk about him, had run from under the table and was strutting back and forth in front of the kids. Kevin loved when people talked about him, since he loved himself so much. Grott stepped forward and swept Kevin back a little bit from the kids. "Alligators can be Very dangerous. Even Kevin here will get much larger and will try to eat anything that he can catch that fits in his mouth. So never approach an alligator. Kevin is super cute and has a nice singing voice" and at this point Keven started squeakign at the top of his little lungs "but he is still full of teeth and bites without really thinking about it." The kids all lined up, and got to pet Gene's back, tickle Pit's chin (if they wanted to), and scratch Kevin's back and tail while he squeaked his happiest squeaks. Some of the kids tried to squeak along and it got really loud, with all the squeaking and laughing. Kevin got overstimulated and started barking at kids who got too close, so Grott felt it was about time for everyone to pack up and head home. Jerrica helped, and the kids were asking questions the entire time, and some of them asked to touch his wings, and were surprised that he was softer than he looked. Grott was pretty worn out, after the wagon pull here, and talking in front of an audience is never easy, althought Grott preferred children, they were more open about learning about things before they judged them. Pit had slid himself down into a groove in Grott's vest adn was pressed up against his ribs, keeping himself warm. Gene was dead asleep, and Kevin was still trying to get another chorus of squeaking going. Jerrica offered Grott a hug, being careful not to squish Pit, and a lot of the kids lined up for hugs too. By the time Grott was able to get back on his way to the Grotto, the sun was already going down. There was no traffic on the sidewalks, so they made good time, and Kevin jumped out of the wagon at one point when a pigeon was strutting by. But finally he made it back to the brightly lit lot and slid Pit around the Power Transformer for warmth, and Gene went on top, fo rhe same reason. Kevin wasn't ready to settle down, so he ran around the lot croaking and trying to catch any birds that landed (he managed to snag a seagull, but it was too big and pulled itself free and flew away). Grott went inside and got a beef jerky and cheese stick pack, and settled into the hammock he had strung between a tree and a light pole. Listening to Kevin sing about how scary and big he was, Grott fell asleep.

[askthechronoverse]

Chapter Six: Kind Hearts Don't Grab Any Glory!

Last Chapter •||• Next Chapter

The forest was full of energy far too early for the dark clad adventurer as he opened his front door with coffee in a mug that had a picture of his face that was clearly drawn by a child. Hawkodile and another hybrid creature, this one an alligator crossed with an eagle were exchanging blows while a flamingo with a turtle shell watched eagerly.

"Hm. Gonna be that kinda morning." Rex muttered into his cup as he walked next to the flamingo. "You fightin' the winner, Pinky?"

"Yeah!" She turned to see who had spoken and laughed. "Did we wake you, old man?"

"Nope. But ya are on my lawn." He put his cup on the windowsill. "That means I get next as the host." He smirked.

"You? Don't make me laugh. Ya look like ya couldn't beat a drum solo."

"And you look like you should be on a bubblegum wrapper. We could always fight for next. I'm game if you are." He hit his left palm with his right hand balled in a fist.

"Don't cry to me when ya break your back!" The flamingo charged at Rex, who hit her with a left hook that sent her to the ground. She shook her head and laughed wildly. "Oh it is so on!" She came at the man with a flying kick, which he blocked with his arm. Another punch sent the shelled bird into a tree between the lizard rivals. They stopped to watch the flamingo rush at Rex, who countered the flying kick with a cross punch to her shell. Her kicks gained blinding speed, but the man was able to roll in time to avoid the more devastating blows.

"Dude. Who is that guy?" The gator lifted an eyebrow, flexing his black wings. "Hey! Guy! Flamurtle! We're fightin' over here!"

"Eaglator! Ya ain't the most important thing in the forest! The old guy's good!" Flamurtle finally landed a kick on Rex's chest, sending him into the side of his house.

"I ain't that old, Pinky!" He ran at Flamurtle with a Superman punch aimed at her shell. She spun around, dazed for a second.

"Bro. Can ya take this somewhere else? You'll get in the way!" Hawkodile sent a haymaker Eaglator's way, taking his rival by surprise.

"I guess you got a point there." By this point, Flamurtle had charged Rex again, but this only got the bird trapped in a headlock. Rex shrugged. "But this is my front yard. I should get a say who fights and who doesn't. I'm not a fan of rebuildin' my cabin every week." The punk bird slipped out of Rex's grasp.

"How we gonna settle this, old man?" Eaglator growled.

"First: I'm in my early thirties. Not that old. Second: I say we do this like Tyler Durden." Rex grinned wildly. "We create a fight club. It does mean we gotta play by some basic rules, but it'll mean we can avoid this crap."

"Ugh. Rules. What, so no low blows and stuff like that?" Eaglator rolled his eyes.

"Nope. Actually, one of them is literally 'one fight at a time'. Nothin' too restrictive." Rex leaned on a tree. "So. You guys wanna listen, or do we just go back to fightin' each other in a big pile? I'm cool either way."

"OK, bro. I'll hear ya out." Hawkodile flexed his wings. "What's a fight club?"

"Just that. A club where we fight." He was glossing over the more chaotic and anarchical aspects, but that wasn't relevant for this plan. "Two guys at a time in the ring. One fight at a time. No weapons, just you. If someone taps out or goes down, it's over. Fight goes on as long as it has to and we keep this little agreement between us four. If ya can agree to that, I think we can have some fun here."

"I'll agree. Those rules ain't bad." Hawkodile approvingly nodded.

"Eh, it's gonna be a change, but I'm down if it means I finally get some action." Flamurtle shrugged.

"Does that mean we don't get to fight any other time?" Eaglator folded his arms.

"Actually, no. Outside of the ring, I don't care whatcha do. I know ya got a thing goin' on and I ain't here to change that. Just make sure we all get a chance to hit each other in the name of sport… or training… or whatever."

"Fine. If Hawkodile's on board, I'll do it."

"Looks like we're doin' this. Let me go clear some trees." He gestured to a field close enough to be seen where they stood, but far enough away to not have flying fighters hit his house.

"Ya gotta let me help, little man. I bet I can get the trees cleared with my kicks faster than your punches!" Flamurtle rushed off to start clearing trees. The remaining three combatants worked to get a fence around the perimeter with the felled trees.

"Shocked he ain't tellin' us we can't fly. He's a human and the rest of us got wings." Eaglator rolled his eyes as he worked to hammer some logs into the ground.

"I don't think we gotta worry about him. I heard he has a punch that can cause earthquakes. I'm almost insulted. I think he was holding back on me." Flamurtle sat on top of an already hammered log.

"He probably was. I heard he went soft. Used to be the most feared thing in the whole galaxy." Eaglator laughed. "Why give that up to hang out with the Unikingdom royal family?"

"I don't think you've seen the guy when he's fired up, bro." Hawkodile propped a log up for Eaglator to hammer. "He's got some scary energy, I hear. It'd make my life harder if he tried to level the planet or something, so I'm glad he ain't about that right now."

"Hey! Little man! Were you holding back on me before?" Flamurtle shouted to the Master Breaker, who was in the process of installing a door in the area.

"I was about to ask the same thing, Pinky! Your kicks were weak!"

"I wanna get first fight with you, little man! It is so on!" Flamurtle shouted back, wings flitting with raw aggressive energy. The three men finished their work and the flamingo flew down to join them. "By the way, I so need to tell Owlamander about this. She'll want in, too."

"Ok. Here's how this is goin' down. Hawk and Eaglator, finish your fight. Then me and Pinky. Then winner of both fights gets the last one. We cool with this?" The other three agreed. "Cool. Go for it, guys." Rex walked to the door and closed it, waiting for the fight to begin. Flamurtle took a seat on top of the fence. The fight soon began, the two fighters clearly evenly matched. The fight went on for a while, during which Rex left and returned with sandwiches for the group. He jumped up on the log next to Flamurtle and offered her one. She took it and ripped into it.

"Why are ya here in a place like this, little man? Ya could be anywhere with the skills I hear ya got."

"I'm tryin' to find myself. I've been lost for a long time, in more ways than one." Rex looked at the fight, but his mental focus was on Flamurtle.

"Action Forest is some place to do it. You having any luck?"

"Not really. I think I got close, then I'm faced with my past mistakes again. I got time, though. More time than ya might think."

"I feel like ya got this. If anyone can, it's the famous Master Breaker. Ya just gotta do some breakin' in here." She pat his head roughly. "Don't worry. I'll knock some sense into ya soon."

"Wouldn't want it any other way, Pinky." Rex heard a shout from below them. Eaglator was tapping out. "Looks like we're up. No holdin' back this time, promise." He jumped down and smirked. "Hawkodile is the winner this round. Time to finish what the oversized lawn ornament and I started."

"Let's go, wingless wonder." Flamurtle beckoned Rex with her hand to make the first move. "Show me the strength that made the stars fall out of the sky! Ka KAW!" Rex turned and headed for the closest part of the wall to him. "Come on! You gonna chicken out now?"

He jumped to the top of the wall. Hawkodile could see the unbridled and deep well of rage behind the human's dark eyes, an anger that burned hot enough that it would swallow most weaker men whole. He wasn't sure Flamurtle saw this as well. The human jumped off of his perch and flew to the ground, fist held straight in front of him. Hawkodile made it his business to know Rex's fighting technique. He was already starting with his ace, the punch that helped end the universe. He wanted to step in, but the attack connected with the target before he could: the ground? Why did he miss Flamurtle? It took a few moments for the move to make sense.

The impact of the Master Breaker Punch caused Flamurtle to be knocked off her feet by the shockwave and blinded by the neon blue and green energy. Rex took advantage of the confusion and slammed into the flamingo with a spinning back fist, followed by a series of alternating left and right hooks. An uppercut sent his sparring partner flying skyward.

"Ya wanna call it now, Pinky?" He shouted, the fire in his eyes not letting up. "I could keep goin' all day."

"Death from above!" The flamingo flew at the man with terrifying speed and force, leg extended for a flying kick. She drove the man into the ground, emitting a scream that sent soundwaves into the hole Rex made with his body. She flew above the hole and laughed. "Get the lead out, old man! Come o-ah!"

Rex grabbed her left leg and used it to pull himself out of the crater, then threw her to the wall like a shot put. He rushed out to where she landed and hit her with an overhand hook to the beak. He then smashed her with a fury of jabs and hooks, yelling as he landed each frenzied punch. She blocked a few of the hooks, but most of them broke through her defenses.

"Love the fury, little man!" She threw her opponent a left hook, which landed on the side of his face. "Love the passion!" She jumped up and tried to hit him with a roundhouse kick and another soundwave attack. He blocked the kick with his arms, but was blown away by the yell. "Keep my heart racin'!" She tried to hit Rex with a spinning kick, but Rex grabbed her leg and threw her again, hitting her with an uppercut before she hit the wall. Hawkodile could see Rex was almost on a kind of autopilot now, letting his inter rage guide and strengthen his attacks. He would be interesting to fight, if it came to that in this arena. Another throw from Rex and Flamurtle was out cold.

"Rex gets the win." Hawkodile bellowed. He rushed to Flamurtle, who he was able to wake up. She staggered out of harm's way as the crocodile made sure she wasn't too damaged. "Flamurtle, don't push yourself next time. He had ya on the ropes. Think of this like training, not a real fight. No shame in tappin' out."

"You know I go all out, Hawk. That's all I do." She smirked. "Man, if I didn't have a nemesis… Woo!" Hawkodile rolled his eyes and walked over to Rex, who was doing circular breathing to calm himself.

"Rex, are you down to fight? Ya can back down if ya think you can't handle another." Hawkodile could see the man tremble and hear a jaggedness in his breath.

"I gotta keep up. I'll be fine." Rex waved Hawkodile away. "Are you ready, bro?"

"I'm ready when you are. Just gonna tell you what I told Flamurtle: Don't push yourself. This ain't the big leagues. Ya have nothing to prove."

"Let's go. Come on." Rex took a fighting stance.

"Alright, bro. You got it." Hawkodile's stance was defensive. He watched Rex's eyes and could see that fire again. Would it ever die down? Was that why he insisted on fighting despite needing a break? Rex charged at him with a heavy right hook, which wasn't hard to block. The two spent a few minutes just exchanging heavy blows until Rex jumped up on the fence again. Hawkodile flew on the fence next to him and knocked the man back down to the arena floor with a low sweep. Rex slowly got up, breathing heavily. Hawkodile didn't know if he should be in awe at his opponent's determination or worried. "Eaglator. Bro. Call it. He doesn't look good." This was answered with Rex setting up a Master Breaker Punch, the gator watching intently. He teetered on the top of the fence as he lined up his target. Hawkodile braced for impact, but his opponent simply fell off of the fence without finishing the move. The hawk caught him and put him on the ground. "Bro! Call the fight!"

"The guy said it himself, bro. Fights go on as long as they need to. He's still lookin' to fight. Look." Eaglator pointed to Rex, who connected a haymaker at Hawkodile's turned back. Hawkodile hit the ground and rolled his eyes. He blocked a few punches from the human before grabbing him by the collar.

"Bro. This fight is over." He threw Rex over his shoulder. "He may wanna fight, but he's not like us. He needs to build up to that."

"Ya gotta push yourself to get to where we are, Hawkodile. Let him finish the fight." Eaglator grabbed the human and set him down. "Ya hearing this, bro? He thinks you're weak." With a bellow, the human rushed at the hawk chimera, the fire burning hotter than it had all day. One punch and the fight was over… for Rex. Hawkodile threw the human on his shoulder, staring daggers at his eternal rival before walking out of the arena.

[atiny-piratequeen]

Motha, first off hi 🩶🩶 hope you’re day is going well and that it finished off with a sweet and cool end 💯💯 but I had a thought, who in the kpop industry do you think knows everything about everyone?

I’m not sure if you watched mean girls (cause the last time I remember you said you didn’t) but one of the antagonists is a girl named Gretchen and her ‘thing’ was that she knew everyone’s secrets in the school, she knew everything about everyone and if you wanted some tea, all you had to do was get her to crack and she’d start spilling the beans.

So who in Ateez do you think would be that person?

And who in the kpop industry behind the scenes amongst all the different idols and groups gives you the aura of “I know all” ?

I woke up with like 3 hours of sleep after having a break down in my DM's well...dms (lol) after playing dnd and then my eyes were fucked for most of the morning afterwards. My boss asked me if i was okay and when i told her what happened she like, gave me a hug and some encouraging words and i almost cried (again), then gaia gave me a hug. And then i did cry (again, again), some of our patients were really fucky, and we ended up having to emergency buy a new ac because my room was entirely too hot, my ac was blowing mfing hot air into my room, and even PELE was ready to fucking throw in the towel (you know when an Australian lizard thinks its too hot its too fucking hot)

However, im doing a lot better now than i was earlier and ive slowly kind of worked out of this episode so we're gonna count that as a small victory.

I have not watched mean girls bUt i asked gaia and she said Jackson because he seems to fucking know literally everyone and from what she can see, he bonds very quickly with everyone and collabs with everyone because of that.

For me, I think Jooheon. Literally everyone from every corner of the industry knows Jooheon and he's been respected and been making friends with everyone under the sun since No Mercy. I feel he literally knows shit about everyone because everyone just gets around him and spills their entire life to him. Which...wig, yeah mood.

As for ateez, we both unanimously agreed it was Wooyoung. That man collects friends like fucking pokemon gym badges and its honestly quite impressive. Woo definitely has routine tea spills in the back of the music shows

[dougrobyngoold]

Hike to Parco della Murgia Materana & Sassi Tour - Matera, Italy

We had a busy day today! We started the day off with an early morning hike across the gorge to the park. There is a suspension bridge that allows you to cross the river, to get to it we had to walk a ways into the Sassi area to Porta Pistola. We had some great views and saw this beautiful sculpture next to the road on our way to the path:

We had to skirt around a barrier to get to the path - it looked like the path was closed, but there were other people walking on the path, so we decided to go around the barrier and walk across the gorge. We hiked from Porta Pistola to Belvedere on trail #406, with an out-and-back spur to Madonna delle Tre Porte.

It was a steep descent down to the bridge and the trail was a bit slippery, but we made it down safely. The wildflowers were incredible and the views looking back at Matera were stunning.

As we were coming down the slope, we could hear frogs - they were so loud! We couldn’t see them, but we sure could hear them!

We made it across the suspension bridge - kind of fun to make it rock and roll!

From the other side we could see the frogs swimming around and this turtle (the photos aren’t great due to how far away we were).

Lovely views of Matera as we climbed up the other side of the gorge toward the park.

Sasso Caveoso.

Sasso Barisano.

Our first cave!

View from the second cave - all of the caves were man-made. Called “negative architecture”, because they removed materials to create the structures.

One of many lizards we saw along the way. We also saw one long, black snake - he moved too quickly and I wasn’t able to get a picture.

Chiesa Sant Agnese, our first look at one of the rock churches:

Another lizard, who was willing to show off his colors along the trail:

One of the dried flowers we saw near Belvedere, the overlook in the park.

Madonna delle Tre Porte - the rock church with three entrances:

We saw a lot of snails attached to plants - it looked like they were responsible for the death of this one:

View from the overlook in the park.

We had to wait for this guy to sprint across our path! 

One last look before we made the climb back up to Porta Pistola.

We headed back to our place to cool off and rest a bit, as we had a guided tour scheduled for 1:00 this afternoon. On our way back, we stopped at a local deli and picked up some items to make a little pasta for dinner tonight....we might have also purchased a little wine, bread, olives, and cheese, too!

When we got back to our place, there was a message from the tour company telling us that we needed to be at their office at 12:00 to pay. So we hustled over there and then we had an hour to kill before the tour. We wandered around Matera and took in a few of the churches:

St. Frances of Assisi Cathedral (above) and photos from the inside of the chapel (below).

Amazing organ with painted panels below it.

We did not see the name of this church, it was very tiny and hidden between a couple of buildings.

Chiesa del Purgatorio - yep, Purgatory Church. There were skulls and skeletons on the front and on the door (below).

Our tour lasted for two hours and took us through Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso. We visited a Cave House which allowed us to see how people lived in the caves - basically, they shared the space with their livestock and family. Living with no sewer or water, the only air was what came through the opening/door. The conditions were not good and the people living in the caves suffered due to these poor living conditions.

View of Sasso Caveoso from one of the viewpoints our guide took us to.

Inside the Cave House, looking into one of the living areas in the cave. The stable area was just to the right on the other side of the opening and the family bed was to the left.

One of the troughs that channeled water to the cistern in the cave.

Food storage area in the cave.

We also visited one of the rock churches (above) on our tour. This one was quite elaborate and was used up until the 1950′s. Our guide said that it is difficult to determine how old the caves are due to the negative architecture. Usually, structures can be dated by material that has been used in construction. In the case of the caves, nothing has been added and the sandstone has been there all along, making it difficult to determine when a cave was constructed.

Painting of the crucifixion - notice that there are two arms on the right hand side of the picture, indicating that the scene had been painted over at one time.

View of the caves on the hillside across the gorge from Matera.

One of the flowers that grows in the walls of Matera.

Great view of the gorge and the trail that we did earlier today.

A family of wild boars that came out of one of the caves on the hillside below us during our tour, glad we didn’t run into them on our hike earlier today!

One of the best viewpoints - it is on top of a cemetery. The clouds were amazing and we managed to dodge the rain!

One last look up the gorge and at Sasso Caveoso.

Ciao from Matera!

[lys1]

Congratulations! You waited so patiently <3 This is another Asra x fem!reader for you. NSFW. 5218 words. 

Playing With Potions

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The late spring morning air was warming up to be a balmy 75 degrees. You had your skirt pulled down and up, tucked in the back of the waistband, forming makeshift shorts. The shop was somewhat quiet, yet the din from the streets made its nimble way through the open windows.

You descend the ladder to the box of ingredients you were unpacking. They had come in the previous evening and Asra had promptly asked you to “organize them later”. Of course you said yes, the two of you shared this shop after all, and the work that came with it.

Asra himself was bustling behind the counter, sweeping the wooden floors free of the dust and fallen ingredients. He stops momentarily to pick up his cup of tea and take a long sip. The jasmine tea's steam billows into his face as he sighs with content pleasure.

The floorboards creak as you step down and Asra looks over at you, gaze soft. "How's the supplies look, dear?" He asks curiously, returning the cup to it’s coaster.

"Ah," you muse, counting the small containers in your hands. "Looks like we will be all set on lizard toes for a while, I think our supply captain read 1000 instead of 100." You can't help but chuckle, it couldn't be helped, at least you wouldn’t have to order more for a while.

Asra's eyes open a little wider, "oh my." He laughs, "I suppose we won’t". He sets his broom to rest against the counter and bare feet pad over to you, his deep-purple eyes examining the products.

You feel his hand settle on your waist subconsciously; a side effect of being close to one another. You breathe in lightly, smelling the sweet scent of coconut and honied biscuits wash over you. Asra's breakfast choice was apparent.

"Mm," you say, turning so the two of you were face to face. "You smell delicious."

Asra smiles, box in his hand now a little less important. "Care for a taste?" He teases, eyes falling to your parted lips. He sets his lizard toes aside and joins his other hand at your waist. You look up at him through your eyelashes and nod.

He is a mere millimeter from sealing the gap between you when the bell of the shop jingles merrily.

"Ah jeez," you huff good in good nature. "I forgot we have jobs and responsibilities."

Asra laughs at your obvious disappointment and steals a small peck. "Unfortunately, we have to eat somehow." He then turns away and walks back to the counter to greet the customer.

The man is short and has a little round face. He looks extraordinarily nervous, and this catches your attention. Yours and Asra's shop is well known in the city and the townsfolk trust their magicians. You hadn't seen anyone come in here looking so nervous, and maybe even a little embarrassed.

"What can I do for you, sir?" Asra asks charmingly, resuming his position behind the counter. Briefly you let yourself admire how nice he looks, comfortable in his shop and expertise, before turning back to the box you were supposed to be dealing with. Not, however, letting your ears miss the conversation.

"I," the man starts, already fumbling with his words. "I, well look. I need help." He finishes plainly, nervously clutching his shirt between his pudgy hands.

Asra smiles kindly, "many do." He says, tilting his head and examining his new client. "Are you here for a card reading? Need to get some answers?"

The man groans as though he is already exhausted with the conversation. "No, I already know what I need. I have the answers. I've heard about this place. The ways you can help people. I live an hour out of the market and I made this trip just to see you."

"We're flattered, for sure." Asra says calmly, you can hear slight annoyance in his tone from all the ambiguity. The visitor is none the wiser though. "To help you though," Asra continues. "I'll need to know what you need."

"Alright I need a potion," the man finally reveals. "One that will help me... with performance." His cheeks are redder than a bell pepper in the sun.

Asra raises a white eyebrow, "performance? Are you an actor?"

"No!" The man's voice came out in a strangled whisper, obviously trying to keep it down. You roll your eyes, chancing a glance over your shoulder. The shop floor wasn't that big, of course you were going to hear everything.

"No," he said again, this time a little more composed. "What I mean is... my sex life performance." The truth comes out. Your visitor wipes his forehead with a dirty rag from his pocket. "My wife and I well.. we've hit a slump," he explains. "And I've heard of potions that can help with that kind of thing. Stuff that will completely change the game." His eyes are shining now, imaging life post-performance potion.

Asra looks uncertain at best. "I see," he starts, shooting you a glance. "That.. does exists. But it takes awhile to make. And the price isn't cheap either."

You shove the last of the crow feathers into their designated drawer while listening. You have never heard of such a potion, but you were also still learning. Asra sounds a little unsure though.

"Price isn't an issue," the man sounds desperate. "I'll pay anything."

Asra sighs, he feels bad for the man wringing his hands before him, practically crying for a cure. "Alright," he finally concedes. "I'll make it, but you'll have to come back in the morning. This kind of thing takes all evening to brew."

Your customer nods vigorously, "I can wait." He says. "Tomorrow morning, yes! I'll be here!" His excitement apparent, he bows a few times while backing out of the door, tripping over his own feet.

The door closes with a sharp bang and the bell rings furiously. Asra blows air out of his mouth so that itf ruffles the curls between his eyes.

"Well," he says after a moment. "A sex performance enhancing potion was not what I was expecting to make today." He rubs his temples, eyes closed and looking thoughtful.

You grin at him from the shelf as you pick up the empty shipping box and rest it on your hip. "That's quite the name, I've never heard of a potion like that."

Asra laughs and opens his beautiful eyes to look at you. "Yes, you'll have to forgive me for not teaching you that kind of magic, it's not the.. safest." He ends uncertainly. "I don't even know how this guy found out about it. It's not talked about much amongst us magicians.. and it's certainly not a common one."

Immediately more questions than your mouth can keep up with flood your brain. "So how did you find out about it? And why isn't it safe?" You ask the two more important ones, eyes following Asra as he finds a piece of paper and quill to use.

He dips his quill in the register's ink well and starts scratching down what you presumed to be ingredients. "I've been studying magic for years, my love." He says simply, "and before you ask, no I haven't used it on myself." He looks up at you, mischief dancing in his pretty eyes. "I'd like to think my sex game is up to par." He adds innocently, licking his lips seductively when your ears tinge pink.

You brush imaginary dirt off your shirt sleeves and huff. "I suppose it's pretty good." You mumble. It almost feels like a lie to just describe it as "pretty good" but Asra doesn't need you to stroke his ego right now. You do that enough falling to pieces beneath him every night.

Asra is well aware of your attempt to keep him humble and laughs lightly. "And to answer your other question," he says, turning back to his ingredient list, "messing with ones body like this can be dangerous. You have to be very precise."

You nod as he explains, it makes sense.

Potions are always brewed in pots over a magic fire so you put yourself to work, removing a medium sized iron pot from a hook on the wall and carrying it to a fire stand. Asra is busy himself, opening various drawers and adding seemingly random ingredients to a basket he has looped over his arm. Iris petals, newt eyeball, and some shimmering gold flakes. You smile watching him, your gorgeous magician; smart and able.

In no time at all Asra has a bubbling pot of sweet smelling liquid stirring before him. You stand beside him, observing curiously.

"Why are you wearing gloves?" You ask, taking note of the large leather gloves that clad all the way up your lover's forearm.

Asra continues to stir and looks over at you, happy to hear your eagerness to learn. "I can't risk even a drop of this touching my skin. It's so strong, and will immediately absorb into anyone's skin, leaving them..." He shakes his head and trails off, amused. "That's why it has to brew so long, to burn off some of the potency."

Your mouth opens in amazement, taken aback by the idea. This is the real deal you decide, stepping back a couple inches in precaution. After watching the potion bubble for a couple more minutes you stretch and grab the watering can sitting by the floor of the door.

"I'm going to water the plants," you inform Asra, waving your hand briefly until the can is full of cool, crisp water. Gods knows there are at least three dozen inside and outside of the shop.

Asra is humming in confirmation that he heard you as you open the shop door to the plants hanging outside. You don't get very far before you're blindsided by a streak of purple darting through your legs.

Escape!

"Faust?!" You yelp, dancing around the squirming snake as she winds her way under and into the open shop. A loud, booming bark makes you jump again. This time a large hound dog is rounding the tight corner from the side street and barreling full speed towards you.

All hell breaks loose. The water can is up in the air, crashing wildly into the side of the building. You are thrown back onto the dusty floor and a mass of fur and teeth race past you, paying no mind to your yelling.

Help!

Faust is racing around the floor, narrowly avoiding the jaws of the angry dog she seemed to have aggravated. There's a large crash from inside and you cringe, hearing bottles break and wood crunch. You look back, scared at what you might find.

The shop is a disaster, papers strewn, vials broken, and potion pot toppled. Asra is groaning on the floor, obviously doing no better than the rest. You glance at him worriedly, taking quick notice of the potion he had been making spilled everywhere, even on him.

You snap your fingers and the dog's growl, who was cornering Faust by the bookshelf, turns into a whimper as you lift him up with your magic. "I'm sorry pooch," you sigh, "but we can't have you eating our friend." With a wave of your wrist the hound is out the door and down the street in an instant. The hinges creak and bell rings as the door is once again closed to outside.

Thank you!

Faust wriggles happily, red eyes glowing in relief. You guess she got up to some trouble with the local fauna. She slithers up the stairs quickly, leaving you to look around at the ruined shop.

"Ah, fuck," Asra's words cut through your thoughts like a knife. He's laying flat on the floor, chest heaving as though he just ran a marathon. Sweat glistens on his tan skin, covering him from head to toe.

You step over the broken bottles and kneel at his side. "My love?" You ask, unsure of what to do. It was obvious what had happened, it didn't take an expert. The potion that was supposed to be for your customer was now soaked into Asra's glowing skin.

Asra opens his eyes and you swallow hard. You know that look, and it nearly makes you start trembling where you sit. Lust is prevalent, clouding Asra's eyes until they're a dark amethyst color.

"You-" you start to speak but are cut off by Asra sitting up abruptly. His face is close to yours and his breath washes over your lips, hot and wanton. He looks positively desperate, just the sight of you sitting before him doing wonders.

"Please," Asra's voice comes out low and husky, he watches your chest rise and fall quickly as a result. "Can I please have you, right now."

You could almost call him asking like that soft and innocent, if it wasn't for the raw, hungry look he was giving you. His eyes were traveling everywhere across your body, leaving an invisible line that you could almost feel burning into your skin. Your lips parted and you let out a soft gasp, the power that kind of look had over you was astonishing. You shifted your legs under you subtly, feeling the result of the hot atmosphere low in your stomach.

"Tsk, tsk," you had to tease for a moment. "Closing the shop at midday for some fucking?" You reach up and cup Asra's cheek, feigning uncertainty. His skin on your fingertips burns white hot and you have to hide your amazement.

Asra's eyes narrow, he knew you too well. With a quick flick of his wrist you hear the deadbolt on the door slide into place. It's only a second later and both of his hands have found a place on either side of your hips.

"Why do you torment me?" he asks, pulling you close so your legs straddle him. "Can't you see I'm getting enough of that from this damn mistake of a potion?" His words are almost shaky, as though he can barely speak anymore. He presses his hips up to meet yours, and a soft sigh escapes his lips as he finally gets a little friction.

You dig your nails into his shoulders and gasp, the feeling of Asra so obviously in need is enough to make anyone go wild.

You can't resist grinding down lightly and Asra's eyes practically roll back at the sensation. "How can I say no to such a pretty face," you whisper, completely in love with his reaction.

That was enough for Asra and without added words he gathers you up in his strong arms and lifts you both. Your head falls back pleasurably when his lips find your neck. It only takes a few quick steps on his part to bring the two of you into the plush back room.

The purple cushions lining the cozy futon sink in gently as your back hits the mattress. The room has a slight pleasing haze as sandalwood incense burns at the table. The smell washes over your senses and a new wave of sensuality comes over the room.

Asra's hands hold you firmly as his lips continue to press lovingly into your skin. He hovers over you, one leg pressed between your legs, causing your hips to involuntarily move along his thigh.

"I need you out of these clothes," Asra groans, lips being stopped at your chest where your shirt has suddenly become a hindrance. He's already tugging at the hem, untucking the loose fabric from your waistband. You raise yourself to your elbows and help him pull the shirt over your head. At once it is thrown over Asra's shoulder and his eyes are set on your bare skin, drinking in the sight of his lover.

You smile at his admiration and lay back again, stretching your arms above your head and arching your back. You feel his hands on your stomach, traveling up to rest on your breasts. Your skin prickles with desire, flesh lighting on fire from his ministrations.

"How did I get so lucky," he breathes out, looking down at you with a look filled with love and passion. He rests the tips of his fingers on your nipples and swirls them lightly, leaving you to twist in torturous pleasure beneath his touch. "Everything about you is beautiful." Asra continues to flatter, lowering his head so his curls tickle your stomach. He licks a long line from the dip of your hip up to the valley between your breasts.

After a few moments of tasting your supple skin he moves his hands to the top of your skirt and tugs. You lift your hips in compliance and the fabric slides down your legs easily. Asra licks his lips as your body is finally fully presented to him.

"I could feast on you," he announces, voice lowered with need. "And I wouldn't go hungry in a lifetime." These words he whispers into your inner thigh, they tickle your skin softly.

You watch with bated breath as the man before you adores his lover. It's hard to keep your moans controlled as you feel his sinfully good tongue lick you in a way that can only be described as ecstasy.

Asra shifts into a more comfortable position, lying on his stomach and he brings your legs to lay comfortably over his shoulders. You shudder as you feel his hot breath flutter over your dripping slit. He doesn't waste anymore time and lowers his face to enjoy you.

Your thighs squeeze his head lightly as your body arches in response. Asra is devouring you as though you were a feast and it was the only meal he is to have in a lifetime. He grips your legs tightly to keep you from moving and covers your slit with his mouth, sucking for a moment on the tight nub at the top. He groans happily into your skin before moving down to lick your hole.

"Oh please, yes," you run your trembling hand through his hair and raise your hips up to meet his greedy mouth. He laps short, quick strokes first, stimulating you into madness.

After a moment he slows his tongue down to swirl languidly, looking up at you. You make eye contact and groan at the erotic scene of him eating you out. "That mouth of yours is too skilled for its own good," you whisper, fingers digging into his scalp, trying desperately to savor every swipe of his tongue.

Asra smiles against your folds. "I live to make you feel good, my dear." He says, pausing a moment. "You intoxicate me. Your smell, your taste. I couldn't get enough even if I had all the time in the world." He presses his lips on each one of your thighs with hot, open mouth kisses.

You blush at his words, feeling amazing under his praise. "Come here," you command softly, pulling on Asra's hair lightly to guide him back up your body. He kisses every inch of skin he passes before finally reaching your lips.

"Mm," he hums, taking your face in his hands. "But these lips, are like the finest honey in Vesuvia." He lifts your head so your mouths meet. It's a hot and feverish kiss, full of staggering amounts of love.

You press your body into his and relish in the feeling of kissing Asra. Your mouths are opened to one another and your tongues meet in fiery unison. While you enjoy the kiss you allow your hands to roam. Your fingers find his shirt buttons and you start to undo them as best you can, only a little distracted. It takes just a minute and you sigh happily into his mouth when you finally remove the annoying clothing.

You part a moment to admire the divinity of his body; prostrated before you. He was calling himself the lucky one, but you could probably make a pretty good argument for it being the other way around. He looked absolutely glorious in the hazy glow of the room.

As you reach for the waistband of his pants and rest your fingers playfully on the skin above it Asra breaks out in goosebumps at the fluttering feel of your touch.

"Ah," he breaths out, raising himself to his knees and closing his eyes. Clearly, he's enjoying the attention finally being on him.

"You are the one with the potion affecting them." You say, drawing a line from one hip to another. "It'd almost be criminal to ignore you for any longer." Your eyes fall to the bulge straining under Asra's pants, just begging to be free. A smile plays across your lips as his breaths quickens significantly.

"I.. wouldn't complain." He finally manages to say in a strained tone.

You smile, maybe a little too satisfied, and hook your fingers under the band. "I know." You chuckle, pulling. The trousers catch a moment on Asra's hardened length before slipping down to his knees. You take time to admire the sight before you, licking your lips. Asra is panting slightly, looking down at you lustfully as your eyes graze over him.

He grabs your head on either side and looks into your eyes. "Please," is all he can croak out.

You swallow thickly and you feel yourself dampen even more at his begging words. “I’d like nothing more" you say; need dripping heavily from your words. You lean forward and kiss the tip of his leaking slit lightly. Asra's body shivers with pleasure when your soft lips meet his aching shaft.

You take a breath before closing your mouth around his tip. Your cheeks hollow and you suck in deeply, enjoying the small sounds of pleasure emitting from Asra's lips. He groans even deeper as you finally swallow down his whole length, tip sliding down the back of your throat.

"Ah fuck, baby," he stutters through gritted teeth, fingers threading through your hair. He thrusts into your mouth without hesitation, reveling in the way you feel around him. The pace is fast and vicious, leaving no time for extra room for breathing.

You choke back your gasps and feel the involuntary tears prick at the corners or your eyes. Your hands fall to your sides as you let Asra use your mouth how he pleased. Licentious noises ring around the room as he sinks his member into your mouth relentlessly, moaning at each stroke and the salacious feelings that come over him.

His grip tightens in your hair as he pounds into your face. You open your mouth as widely as you can and take him in, ignoring the slight pain of labored breathing. The feeling of being used so mercilessly is intoxicating, and you close your eyes, enjoying the pleasure that overtakes you.

With a loud pop he pulls out of your drooling mouth, leaving you to be the one groaning in disappointment.

"I'm sorry love," he huffs dazedly, need heavy on his features. "But if I don't stop this now I'm cumming in your mouth."

"That doesn't sound so bad," you complain, sticking your tongue out so Asra can view how much you want it. His eyes darken considerably and he looks ready to break.

He takes a breath in sharply, steadying himself before holding your face gently in his hand. "As much as I want you fuck your face, that pussy of yours I know is dripping for me and I have to comply." He chuckles, running his thumb along your lip.

You whimper at his words, practically climaxing at the suggestion. You meet his eyes in a needy manner and nod. "Oh, Asra," you start, already seeing excitement flit across his face at the mention of his name. "I want you more than I can even describe to you."

To this Asra inhales sharply, thumb still hooked in your mouth. "Tell me how you want me," he says, barely able to contain his own desire.

"I want you to fuck me from behind," you begin, knowing exactly how to please his ears. "I'm going to cry and moan, and beg you for relief but you will know better." His eyes widen in ecstasy but you continue anyway. "I want you to give everything you can to me, without holding back."

Asra seems to snap right in front of you. His features immediately seem to plead for consolation. "You'll get what you ask for." He growls, fingers tightening in your mouth. You lick his thumb seductively and the action throws him over the edge.

Asra's hands fly to your waist and hold you firmly, you're flipped over; ass to the heavens greeting him. He swallows at the sight and digs both palms into the flesh, enjoying the feeling immensely. "So needy and ready for me," he groans, finger finding your entrance and slipping in easily. You gulp at the warmth of having fingers enter you. Asra is unrelenting and curls them cruelly against your walls.

"Just fuck me already!" You cry, unable to hide your desires anymore. You hear Asra laugh behind you, yet despite this you know he is dying to sink himself into you.

"Alright, alright." He concedes, taking your hips in his hands. "If you insist."

You feel his tip slide against your slit and shudder, craving the feeling of him inside you. It doesn't take more than a moment before you feel him start to enter you. You lay your head down, turning your face so you can watch Asra take you from behind.

His lips are parted in a silent moan as he relishes in the feeling of your walls around him. You sigh softly as he fully sheaths himself in you, a small tremor passing over your body from the pleasure. One moment, two moments pass as you both bask in the feeling of being connected.

"Give me your hands," he commands, slowly sliding in and out of you, giving no care to his agonizingly slow pace. Soft gasps are falling from your lips as you try to register his request.

Carefully, you cross your arms behind your back. It's no use to keep the blush at bay as you take in the dirty scene. Your face is pressed to the pillows, unable to move much as Asra takes your wrists and pins them to your back. Your ass is raised in the air to meet his rhythmic thrusting.

Asra grips one of your thighs with a free hand and quickens the pace a little. Your eyes shut tightly as your body responds. You can feel his tip hit deep inside of you with each snap of his hips. It's unrelenting and you have to catch yourself from begging for more.

You feel the fingers around your wrist tighten a bit as Asra's breathing speeds up behind you. You know that he's set on giving you as much painfully slow torture as he can manage himself, but you also know that potion is working against him. There's nothing he wants more than to let go and pound you into the mattress.

"Baby," you choke out, words bouncing along with your bodies. "I know you want to fuck me so good right now." Your voice is deep with seduction. "Please just fill me up like I know you want to." You finish your plea, watching his face with satisfaction. His eyes are darkened with desire. He takes just a few more strokes before slowly to a stop inside you.

"You asked for it," he warns. He only takes a moment to let go of your wrists and flips your body so you're facing him. He cages you in on either side and licks his lips as he stares into your eyes. His hungry mouth meets yours in a kiss full of fire. You can melt into it for only a second before you feel him grab your hips and pull you flush against him; Your cries drowned by his lips as he sets an erratic pace, skin meeting with loud slaps.

"Fucking hell," he groans, still kissing you between words. "You feel like heaven on earth. You're so hot, and I can feel your insides squeezing me." He explains, hot breath falling over your face. Your cheeks burn at his descriptions.

You loop your arms around his neck and press your chest into his. Your skin meets, shining with sweat and burning from love. Asra presses back, savoring the feeling of your nipples brushing against his.

You start to feel that familiar blossom of unreleased pleasure pool in your lower stomach. Asra's shaft is hitting you just right, sending jolts of satisfaction right to your core.

"Oh-" you stop and whine pleasantly when he shifts angles. "Fuck. Please yes, don't stop!" Your arms drop and nails dip into his biceps and you grit your teeth from the hot delight searing through your body.

"I couldn't even If i wanted to," Asra answers, words strained as his grasp on himself starts to crumble. His breath is leaving his lips in short pants now and you can almost see the resolve to hold on slip away before your eyes.

He falls into you, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist and thrusts into you with all of the strength he can muster. You bury your face in his neck and take hold of his hair. You can feel Asra's body shuddering to not let go.

You bring your lips to his ear and bite his lobe. "Won't you come for me sweetheart? Please empty yourself in me." You whisper.

Asra takes in a sharp breath and you hear him choke at your words. They were enough to push him over the edge and he rams into you with a low, strangled cry.

Your head falls back and your mouth opens in a silent scream as Asra lets himself go in you. Your legs shake violently of their own accord as you feel your orgasm wash over you, leaving your body in euphoric fire.

Asra's lips immediately find yours as you ride out your orgasms together. You kiss him passionately, all of your senses in overdrive. His kisses are soft, and sweet, a clear declaration of his love. Happiness rushes in like a flood as you enjoy the afterglow. After a minute Asra removes himself from you and joins you in laying down, sides still heaving from the activities.

"My dear, how I love you." He says with a smile, running his fingers in slow, soft circles on your stomach.

You turn on your side and look into his eyes. He looked content, and his cheeks were dimpled from his growing grin.

"I love you too," you return, hand falling into his. His skin was still warm. The two of you lay there for a while, out of breath and simply enjoying the presence of one another.

Eventually, Asra sits up and looks down at you with humor in his eyes. "Well, I think I can tell our buyer that we did an extensive review of his product and it does, in fact, work."

Your face breaks into a smile and you laugh at Asra's words. "Oh goodie, I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear all about it."

[dourpeep]

WAIT. I'm losing my mind over that friends to lovers post you reblogged. All I can think about is college Albedo + mutual pining, romantic tension, and friends to lovers OTL

- Leaving little post it notes in his bag or inside the cover of his textbook to tell him to have a nice day or remind him to take care of himself because you know he has a tendency to work too hard sometimes!! And what if he meets up with Sucrose and Timaeus because they like to catch up and sometimes discuss their research or homework, and they see Albedo hiding a grin behind his books and think that he's solved a particularly difficult problem but it's just a cute little note you slipped him when he wasn't looking

- You stay up studying for exams with Albedo and he dozes off on your shoulder so you sit there afraid to move because you don't want to wake him but you're also dying inside

- The two of you go to the library to work but eventually get distracted so it turns into the two you sitting close together on a couch and reading each other sections from your favourite books

- I can also see him as someone who rambles about labs or new research he's absolutely taken by. Weeks later when you mention something he said before, he's a little surprised but you just tell him that you tried your best to understand everything because you know it's important to him and maybe his heart skipped a little

- Going off your headcanons: Albedo looking for little specimens and deciding it could be a fun outing with Klee so she can get some sunshine and you find the two of them in the park. You end up joining them and Albedo's heart softens seeing you and Klee laughing and smiling together!

- I remember this little headcanon you had where he snorts when laughing sometimes and imagine Albedo letting one slip out while he's with you, and Kaeya teasing him later on.

- Eventually, his friends start asking if the two of you are together because of the silent affection and teasing between the two of you. Albedo knows he likes you but he's scared a relationship will ruin everything and you're too important to lose even if it means he never says anything, but little did he know, you have feelings for him too.

Anyway, I hope you have a nice day and week! Sorry about this monster of an ask lmao

NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR ALBEDO

NEVER

Like... there are two characters that I seldom, if ever, turn down and that's my beloved Albedo and beloathed Scaramouche- If you don't want me to shut up about a topic??? Like just utter word vomit???? Bring them up. Bring them up, I dare you--

Okay okay okay okay now lemme just--

oops. 1.4k words. Enjoy your headcanon drabbles, courtesy of me being a hard simp for Albedo--

College au Albedo is pretty close to how he normally is! Brilliant, though having difficulties with making friends and keeping said friends, getting carried away with experiments (did you know if you're on good enough terms with the professors, they'll vouch for you so you can use the lab when there aren't classes using them?? Yeah)...so the friendship that you have with him is certainly the closest one he has.

It'd be the kind where you knock on his dorm or apartment door at 11:45pm with some takeout and your textbooks and he'll let you in without a second thought. You slip inside and settle on the floor next to the coffee table cross-legged, setting the food out as if you don't live a good walk away. He wasn't going to sleep any time soon anyway.

Like the kind of friendship where your hand instinctively slips into his to tug him towards something cool you found or to the café where you tend to go after classes.

Even after you get to your destination, you don't let go.

Now that that has been established--the little notes you slip into his bag or on his books really began as a little reminder. Despite his keen intellect, Albedo tends to easily forget things because his mind is always going onto the next thing. So, being the great friend you are, would just slip a note to remind him to take breaks, eat a snack, or that you're supposed to go and meet Sucrose and Timaeus after class to prep for the upcoming exams.

Neither of you really know when they began to turn into doodles or 'seemingly platonic declarations of adoration'. It's normal for friends to write a heart besides "Don't forget I love you!", right? Yeah.

The smile that makes it's way on Albedo's face is unmistakable the moment that Sucrose accidentally stumbles upon a sticky note carefully tucked in one of his notebooks.

-

Speaking of Albedo and his tendencies to get carried away with stuff, he often functions on...minimal sleep.

Those nights that you pop up at his place to study or just hang out, he often ends up dozing off, glasses sliding uncomfortably down the bridge of his nose and hair tousled out of it's usual style.

You never plan to stay the night (though even when he's awake he insists you do because it's not as safe at night to make the commute home), but you can't just disturb his sleep when it's the first time in a while that he's probably gone without taking a capsule or two of melatonin to help himself back into some semblance of a sleep schedule.

It's these moments that you remember just how soft his hair is and just how nice his shampoo smells.

Also that he's a cuddler.

You awake in the morning, back aching and eyes squinting against the sudden brightness of the world around you and limbs tangled with your best friend. He's unbothered because his face is half-shoved against the crook of your neck.

-

With the library, you often find yourselves in a little game. There's so much to learn and so, so many topics through the old vanilla-scent found between pages!!

So trips to the library end up with the two of you digging and sifting to find a topic you've never heard of, sit and read for 15 minutes, then proceed to explain said topic the best you can (without looking!!). It almost always ends up with a few chuckles from Albedo as you fumble explaining (and half-making up) information and Albedo's (unfairly) great short-term memory winning out.

Speaking of...between actually studying and your little topic games, Albedo turns to you to bounce off his current observations and ideas. Sucrose and Timaeus, though both in similar majors as Albedo, are busy with their own projects and research to the point that they don't really have the time to help with stuff as extensive as his research.

Annnnd, naturally, since you don't have anything better to do and are almost always by his side, you play that part!

You listen intently no matter how dense the subject may be and no matter if you do or do not have the background knowledge.

When you ask him to explain something you don't quite understand, he can't help but blink in surprise because you were listening??? And wanted to really understand? You prove time and time again (even days, weeks later) that you listened to every word that tumbled out during his rambles.

And of course you do! Albedo's one of the most important people to you, so it's only natural that you want to show interest in his interests.

Also it's pretty cool to find out those random bits of trivia (like lobsters and their repairable telomeres-).

--

Klee!!!

Oh man, the first time that you met Klee was a pretty hectic day for Albedo. Due to his Aunt Alice's incredibly busy schedule, he tends to care for Klee on days that he doesn't have class.

However, that particular day he just barely finished class before he had to go and pick her up from school.

With you in tow, that is.

Immediately, the little girl brightens up at your presence, no doubt excited from what she's heard about you (listening in to Albedo's conversations with Alice and the embarrassed tone in his voice when he realizes that he's let your name slipped again and now Aunt Alice wants to know about this particular friend who's captured dear little Bedo's attentions). He's relieved when Klee doesn't immediately reveal that.

From then on, Klee insists that Albedo invites you for every outing they have.

The cafe for a quick treat? The bookstore to sit and read a few books?

"Oh, please please please?? Can they come Albedo? Klee promises that she'll be good!"

Who is he to say no?

But above all, those park days are his favorite. You end up running around with Klee, lifting her up so she can reach a particular leaf on a branch, squatting down to see a bug or lizard that she's entirely enthralled by--all while Albedo sits under the shade of a tree on a blanket, sketchbook and pencil in hand.

You don't know it (even though there's many occasions where he's shown you his sketchbook), but the pages are filled with your smile.

-

Around you, Albedo's found that he's most comfortable.

There's no need to hide insecurities or hold his tongue when something particularly exciting comes to mind...nor does he hold back in his laughter. Especially with your insistence that his laugh is cute.

That scenario with Kaeya is entirely an accident, proof of just how used to your presence he's become.

It's a late night and you're out with a bigger group of friends than usual, some friends that Albedo's only known since the start of college, but definitely good ones.

With a drink in your hand you all sit at a large table, chatting about anything and everything when you crack a joke and Albedo snorts.

Not like a snort with his normally quiet chuckle, either.

Instead, he's laughing hard, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes and stomach hurting (and maybe it's because of the few sips of drink he's had) and he snorts. The moment the sound escapes him and he's trying hard to calm back down, Kaeya grins.

He's most definitely one of the first people to put two and two together.

After all, Albedo keeps to himself, even around them. But with you around? There's a certain spark of life that ignites.

-

It's no surprise that the two of you are close when all is said and done.

But that doesn't stop either of you from choking and cheeks from flushing when someone asks if you're a couple. It happens often--too often to count--and ranges between Kaeya's teasing comments and a few sweet words from an elderly woman passing by your table at the cafe.

And you laugh--you and Albedo--because no, no, you're just friends.

Right?

Then the light hits your features just right, illuminating you in a soft glow that makes your eyes shine and--

It's undeniable the way that he feels for you. The sudden quickening of his heartbeat is proof enough. You slide your drink towards him for him to try and he does the same, eyes unable to leave your lips as you take a sip and then smile.

Between the cracks of his appreciation, of this warmth, dread seeps.

Though...that was just over a week ago.

Sitting down back at his apartment, your head resting on his chest and your hands intertwined while you watch whatever's on tv, you shift. Your lips meet in a sweet kiss.

And Albedo wonders how neither of you managed to see it sooner.

[miniscrew-anon]

The Cold War

@st0rmyskies HSH Edition because I cannot stop. I am shaking the whole household in my brain like it’s a snow globe

I dedicate this to everyone who knows The Struggle of home temperature regulation with roommates who span from radiators to lizard people.

———-

It starts with Warriors.

"78 degrees?" Wars looked down his nose at the temperature dial, perfectly manicured eyebrows cocked in offense. Having the heat pumping through the house in the middle of April was ridiculous. Especially when anything above 75 was sweating weather. He placed one hand on his hip and another to his head, sighing dramatically.

He did not spend 89 rupees of Time’s money just to have his foundation leak off his face, thank you very much!

Wars turns the temperature down to a much more reasonable number and nods contently to himself. He considers his good deed of the day done and returns to the kitchen table to steal the paper before Time can.

-----

74 degrees?!

Legend scowls, hands rubbing at his exposed knees furiously. He’d felt cold all morning but he thought it was just him. What kind of psycho would ever put it that low? That's goddamned sweater weather! And in April? When the winter chill was still in the air? What hairy mongrel could ever be comfortable in anything under 75? Does he live with goddamned yetis?

These assholes are lucky he doesn’t have the funds for black diamonds, or someone would be getting it in their charm bag for this.

The sullen young man turns it up, scowling all the while.

-----

"79? Are you for fucking real?" Wind hisses. He was already pissed that the whole house had central heating and only one thermostat that controlled the temperature everywhere. But having to trudge downstairs just to find someone actually set it to near 80 made it worse.

He’s sacrificed a lot of comfort to live with Twilight’s rejects, but this was too far. It’s like these assholes want his fucking computers to overheat.

Wind mutters angrily and twists the dial to something more reasonable.

----

"Okay, this is just ridiculous."

Twilight knows he's probably more used to the heat, being a country boy who spent his summers out in the field, but he finds it crazy that anyone could be comfortable at 72 degrees. Especially when it's still so nippy outside! Spring had only just begun, after all. And all of the shade from the nearby buildings made it that much cooler. Twilight had come in from the garden to warm up and he was not happy that warmth was nowhere to be found.

He grabs the dial and twists, putting it at 77. Then he pauses, thinking. It feels pretty cold outside now that the sun is setting - maybe he should turn it up a bit more to be safe. He turns the dial thrice more. There! Now the house will be nice and cozy.

------

Wild wipes sweat off his forehead and frowns at the dial. Someone must have accidentally bumped the thermostat - no one in their right mind would heat a house to 80.

Wild in particular liked it nice and cool, especially when he was busy cooking away over a hot stove. Which he had been for the last three hours while he made an experimental batch of pistachio and salsa cookies. He doesn't usually mind the heat but he's been baking all day, and opening the oven when it's already hot is like exposing himself to the gates of heck. He's pretty sure he's gotten a sunburn with how warm his face feels.

So he whistles cheerily and turns it down to a comfy 70, positive that everyone would be thankful he fixed it.

------

Hyrule shivers, wrapping his white coat around himself.

Maybe it was because the outside was so warm but the inside of the house felt cold. He takes off his crocs and hides them away in the back of the closet where Warriors wouldn't have to see them. Hyrule crosses the foyer and checks the temperature.

Apparently someone in the house is hot-blooded. Maybe a bit crazy, too, since 70 degrees for a house is a bit beyond the norm and pretty far from Hyrule's own range of comfort. Legends, too, now that he thinks of it.

Hyrule turns the heat up to 82. He wants to quickly warm the house before he has to go upstairs and listen to Legend no-doubly complain about the cold. But he'll turn it down before he goes upstairs so that he doesn't accidently cook his friends.

Hyrule goes into the kitchen for the first real meal of the day and promptly forgets about the thermostat in the face of homemade lasagna waiting in the fridge.

-----

Sky is Dying.

He'd gone to sleep on the couch in the living room and had woken up in the pits of Hell. He was panting and sweating, shirt soaked through and sticking to his body. When he'd gotten up from his nap he'd left a literal sweat stain on the upholstery.

Who set the temperature to 82?! Satan?!

He smacks the dial and turns it down until he can feel cool air start pouring out of the vents. Sky sighs in relief at the cold, leaving the thermostat to go sit down on the couch that sits directly under one of the air vents. He lays down, fully aware that he left the temperature a bit too low. He means to get up and turn it up, he really does, but the cool couch is so inviting. And when it does get a bit nippy he just pulls the blankets hanging over the back cushions and wraps himself up.

He promises himself that he'll get up and change it. Soon. Just after he closes his eyes for a bit. Just a few minutes, that’s all.

-----

Climbing up to the first floor felt less like walking up a flight of stairs and more like climbing the Hebra Mountains.

"Who the fuck turns a house into an ice box." Four hisses, staring at the thermostat from his self-made blanket burrito. The dial lay at a measly 67 degrees.

The mechanic had lugged his tools up from the garage with him because he'd been certain that the thermostat was broken. After all, what other explanation could there be for the house to suddenly become a part of the Arctic Circle?

But nope - turns out one of his housemates is just off their fucking rocker!

He reluctantly frees one hand and braves the arctic to dial up the heat. In retaliation for his numb fingers and chattering teeth, Four turns it up to 85. Both to piss off whatever abomination made the house that cold and also so that he'll regain feeling in his extremities faster. He returns to the garage, unapologetic of his actions.

------

In the middle of the night, a ferocious monster stalks the halls. Awoken from his slumber, sweat-drenched from the heat of the two winter blankets that had earlier been necessary, a killer searches for his prey. Down and down he travels, eyes glowing with embers of malice.

There, at the bottom of the stairs, he spots the target of his hatred. He stands before it and stares down, glowering and near foaming at the mouth in anger.

Funny how something so mundane could cause such fury. He takes hold of it, hands trembling with pure hatred, and twists.

Then, with all the strength, savagery and burning hot rage that has built within him over this last hellish day, he pulls his fist back and mercilessly sends the accursed thing straight to hell.

-----

The next morning, breakfast is unusually charged.

Wars is serving looks for breakfast, eyes narrowed and searching. Legend, in turn, lurked in the dark shadows of the room, startling housemates with his silent yet hair-raising presence. Wind had his phone out, scowling every time he felt eyes on him. Four, in an unusually sour mood, made bitter eye contact with everyone who happened to glance in his direction. Wild nervously served scrambled eggs with fresh veggies and pork sausages while Hyrule hovered near the coffee station with twitchy fingers. Twilight and Sky engaged in a conversation consisting entirely of eyebrow quirks and quick glances.

Time sips his coffee calmy, the picture of serenity despite his bruised knuckles.

And just outside those kitchen walls lay the latest victim of the Fierce Deity's wrath.

The thermostat: shattered, broken, and forever trapped on a mild 75 degrees.

[bogleech]

So warning for just this first paragraph involving parasites and unsanitary substances, so you can skip this first paragraph and none of the rest is like that, but as cool as I think parasites are I still don’t want them in my body anymore than I want to be killed by an elephant seal (my favorite large mammalian predator that can still navigate land) and in any case if you’re cleaning up animal mess with nothing but paper towels in your hand and you don’t expect anything in the mess to vigorously move and try to get away you can have the kind of lizard brain panic that leads to thoughtlessly putting a handful of paper towels in exactly the closest receptacle even if that’s a toilet and paper towels don’t go in the toilet. So I clogged the only toilet at almost midnight and I felt so terrible I thought I should go to the one 24 hour supermarket we have and get toilet-specific drain cleaner because regular drain cleaner can wreck a toilet or even cause a dangerous explosion (it’s because of gas building up in the U-bend). I called ahead and they said they had some so I got in the car but then the car wouldn’t move. Last week an indicator light had come on to get the timing belt changed, so I found a real honest mechanic just the other day and he actually said our timing belt was perfectly fine and probably good for a while so I didn’t need to get together $500 to get a new one. So when the car suddenly wouldn’t move just days after this, my mind skipped any other investigative process to conclude it was absolutely probably the timing belt or some mysterious equally bad thing and in the morning I would have to call a tow truck to take it to a shop and there would go money I really don’t have to spend. So with my brain fried by all the above happening in just the same hour I called a lyft, which I’ve actually never done before, so I didn’t bother to download the app and I used the website. The lyft guy was a real nice older man who questioned me enough about my day to find out we were having car trouble but he couldn’t figure what might be wrong. He let me know he’d be around probably when I needed the ride back especially because he had to use the bathroom very urgently so we got to the 24 hour supermarket and he ran in and I went to find the toilet stuff. It turned out the staff I talked to just had no idea that you needed a special kind of draino (or any of its knockoffs) for just toilets so while they had three different brands of unclogger they did not have a single toilet friendly variety, and anyway it took about that long for me to connect that a toilet unclogger would probably take all night to work and by then I could call the apartment’s repair guy who has a plumbing snake anyway. So the lyft guy was already gone when I came out but when I ordered a lyft home it did indeed show the same man with the same car was going to be picking me up. As I stood waiting right in front of the same supermarket however I received texts that he had already arrived and I couldn’t see him anywhere in the parking lot, and when I tried to figure out how to text him it said I’d need the app to do it and by then it told me he was leaving and I missed my ride so this time I downloaded the actual app to get another lyft. This wound up being a different nice older man who was just as chatty but this one knew exactly what happened when I described how the car behaved. So anyway this has never ever happened in my entire life which is surprising given my uncannily unreliable short term memory and distractability but I guess because I live right down the corner, like just a short walk from multiple truck stops I had finally after all these years forgotten to put gas in

[love-archon]

A Day With The Genshin Characters: Liyue Edition

Today's going to be a busy day! Check your planner for who you'll be meeting with- as one of the esteemed members of the Liyue Qixing, you cannot afford to be late to any appointment. 

• 6:00, Ningguang: Morning Tea 

Although you say you love your job, waking up at un-archonly hours has to be the part you like the least. Even getting up at five in the morning, the hour when tigers prowl, is still not enough time to prepare for a meeting with the Tianquan. You rush around frantically choosing the best outfit, fragrance, and hair arrangement to present yourself to Lady Ningguang, and you're halfway out the door when it hits you- you forgot to bring a gift with you!

"Right on time," Ningguang says, pleased. You smile, hoping she won't hear your heart beating from anxiety. "And what a lovely present, too... is there any doubt you were appointed as one of the seven Qixing?" (You can't tell if it's her rare praise, or the sheer altitude you're at within the Jade Chamber, that's making your head spin).

• 7:00, Keqing: Business Meeting 

You barely have time to rest before Keqing whisks you away to Yuehai Pavilion. You're very close friends, and you admire the girl for her tenacity and diligence. The conversation flows easily as you walk to your destination under a cloudless sky. It's a wonderfully sunny moment, but the moment the doors lock, you mean business. In the next two hours, you conquer matters that would normally take days to resolve, and the two of you exchange grins. 

"There we go!" Keqing breathes a sigh of relief, pushing away the last stack of papers. She holds up her hand, and you high-five. "You know, I like how easily you keep up with me. You even caught mistakes I would have missed... things like this make me even more certain Liyue is better off in human hands."

• 9:00: Check In With Ganyu

With such a hectic schedule, Ganyu is your saving grace. It's always important to check in with her, just to make sure nothing you have planned catches you by surprise, and sometimes you wonder why others rarely do the same. She's quite lonely, and often mentions how nice it is that you speak with her every day and bring her gifts to help with work. It may be part of your job to be courteous, but... it does help her feel less lonely and conflicted with herself. 

"Qingxin flowers? Thank you so much." She accepts them gratefully, smiling at you with warm eyes. "I still have that new stationery you gave me, too. You're so kind for remembering the things I like!"

• 9:30: Talk to Beidou

The tea in the Jade Chamber was just a front for Ningguang to spring a request on you- meet with the captain of the Crux Fleet to discuss her... recent smuggling habits. But Beidou merely laughs heartily when you arrive. A crewmate tosses her a sack of Mora, and she slits it open, letting the payment shower over you in a spray of gold. And then, before you know what's happening, you're roped into helping them find a treasure rumored to be lost beneath the waves. 

"So, Ningguang though sending her star diplomat would get me to let up, huh!" You blush, wondering how you could be so easy to read under her ruby eye. "I was impressed by your words, and how well you fought by my side. But the annoyance of the Liyue Qixing is of no concern to me."

• 12:00, Tartaglia: TEACH HIM A LESSON!

As the member of the Qixing that oversees diplomacy and foreign relations, it's you that must meet with the Fatui Harbinger. He's quite good at playing pretend- all your underlings believed he was a naive, careless young man, and easily manipulated, too. And all of them ended up suppressing the urge to break something after they were done conversing with him. On your honor as one of Liyue's seven stars, you vow to not make their mistakes. 

"You're asking why I don't try to drive you mad?" he said, setting down his fork. You'd caved in and given him one after watching him struggle with chopsticks for far too long. "You're the only one who isn't a bore to talk to, that's all-" so this was on purpose?!- "and besides, I want to challenge you to a fight afterwards! Your vision's getting quite dusty from neglect, comrade. Let's fix that!"

• 2:00, Yanfei: Discussion of Legal Matters

Yanfei's counsel is an invaluable treasure. Especially when dealing with an opponent as vicious as Snezhnaya's Fatui, who deserve to have her wrath unleashed upon them. You walk to her office with a gleam in your eyes, and are delighted to see an equal fire already blazing in hers. For the next few hours, you two take the "suggestions" Tartaglia passed on from the Northland Bank and scheme on how to best tear them to shreds with the law.

"That man-childe's been giving you trouble again, huh," she giggles. "What did he come up with this time~? I've been waiting for an excuse to bring out the latest edition of my lawbook!" And with that, Yanfei slams it down, and the sheer weight of it nearly cracks her desk. "He won't know what hit him!"

• 4:00: Free Time

Of course, "free time" simply means that you have no meetings scheduled for this hour, which lets you adequately prepare for the next day's events. Tomorrow is your appointment with the Feiyun Commerce Guild, which you already know will require great patience and strength of mind. Because the head of the guild, and his eldest son, the future head, are- to put it mildly- not very bright... it's fortunate, then, that the second son Xingqiu has a good head on his shoulders.  

"Tomorrow, you should go straight to me instead," Xingqiu informs you cheerily, handing you a popsicle. Apparently, he keeps them around for his friend Chongyun, who's off to complete another exorcism. "I'll be sure to set everything in order." His eyes gleam. "And then, I can tell you the latest developments in 'A Legend of Sword'!"

• 5:00: Catch Xinyan's Concert!

Liyue's one and only rock musician isn't hard to find, thanks to the designated performance spots scattered around the city. You stop by at the raised platform where she's rocking out, where other people are listening as well. Xinyan strikes a peace sign in the air, and her vision glows with energy before the stage erupts with pillars of fire; her audience bursts into cheers and applause, and she's beaming as she leaps down to meet you. 

"Wait, seriously? You really changed up the rules a lil' so it'll be easier for me to hold concerts here?" Her eyes shine as they scan the papers- one of the many results of your work today in Yuehai. "Thank you so much! Wait-" she picks up her guitar again, giving it an experimental riff. "Let me think up a quick song for ya as thanks- I insist!"

• 6:00: Wangsheng Funeral Parlor 

Lately, you've been sent particularly determined requests from the other nations about allowing tourists to observe the ancient funeral rites. You already know the answer's gonna be a hard no, but the laws written by Rex Lapis state that you must check with the director anyway. She's not there when you arrive, so a consultant, Zhongli, brings you tea while you wait for her. You sit together in the fading sun, waiting for Hu Tao's familiar song to rise above the hill. 

Zhongli takes a quiet sip from his cup, closing his luminous eyes. "Although it was Rex Lapis who created the laws, they are not meant to be set in stone. Humans must revise the contract as they see fit, so that it will not erode with the passage of time." Something makes you feel as though it's more significant to him than you know. Then, he smiles slightly. "But, just looking at the people leading the way in his absence, like you... there's no need for me to worry."

• 8:00: Dinner; Request Chef Xiangling

The Wanmin Restaurant, run by Chef Mao and his daughter, is a breath of fresh air. While the rest of Liyue is divided between the "Li" and "Yue" styles of cooking, Xiangling pays the conflict no mind. Instead, she's not afraid to be daring and experiment, blazing ahead without worrying about what others think. You can see some similarities between her and Keqing, but it's best not to mention it after that disastrous banquet they organized together... 

"Had a rough day, didn't you?" Xiangling asks, her golden eyes twinkling as she hands you the steaming hot bowl. "Well, for you, I made sure to prepare your favorite dish! I hope you don't mind if I added a lizard or two this time- I'm kidding!" she adds quickly, upon seeing alarm flash across your face. 

• 9:00: Return Home

After everything that happened, you're eager to collect the reports from your subordinates and head home to draft new revisions for Tianquan Ningguang to look over (and then, hopefully, get some rest). But as you're walking on the path to your neighborhood, you spot a little girl sitting in the grass, clutching her head. Alarm rises in your chest as you rush over to see what's wrong, and why she's alone- only to realize with a start that she's the child that returned from the dead.  

"Thank you for taking Qiqi back to Bubu Pharmacy," she says, reading solemnly from her notebook (where the entire thank-you script is written). Even when you set her down, she's still reading the pieces of paper. "Will you tell Dr. Baizhu where I got lost? Please and thank you, again."

• 10:00: Sleep

In the end, you never did get to those revisions. You can hear your fellow Qixing scolding you in your head, but at least you got plenty of other things done; the well-oiled machine that is Liyue will still keep running on thanks to the tasks you accomplished today. Someday, even the adepti will have to acknowledge the ability of humans... you turn in your bed to feel the coolness of the other side. Speaking of adepti... the night air coming in... reminds you of... "Xiao..."

"I thought you were in danger," the adeptus huffs. The moment you said his name, you'd finally fallen asleep, but it still brought Xiao to you- balanced on the windowsill, hair waving in the breeze. "Still... I'm... glad that you're alright," he admits, glancing at you to make sure you're not awake to hear. "Rest well, bright star of Liyue." And then, with a sound like a sigh- or was it the wind?- he's gone.

[verse50]

Heat

It was the first weekend over 80F and we took full advantage of it on our six acres. Friday night we let the kids loose on the rock pile, loading up the trailer for the dump, then packed them off early Saturday for soccer camp. All morning he bush-hogged the treeline while I wrestled the sunken raised beds into shape. This house had been so neglected when we bought it two years ago. Finally we had the time and money to make it nice again.

I was pulling weeds when he tromped out in chaps and ear protection. Chainsaw hanging from his belt. That and the sweaty dirt on his face made me look a bit longer.

“I’m gonna saw up that alder and then get to the stairs,” he half shouted. Bush hogging will do that to you. He grinned and took out his ear plugs. “The beds are coming along, maybe-” I was on my knees and gazed up at him quizzically.

“You’re not wearing a bra,” he said, at the perfect angle to peer down my shirt.

“Nope!” I agreed, and swung myself back and forth. It looked and felt like two water balloons bumping in a pillowcase. Then stuck out my tongue.

His mouth set. “I gotta get the stairs done today.” Then he was gone into the brush, chainsaw revving. I bent down again to the weeds, trying to drown my frustration with deep breaths. 

He was so hard to read. I was a free spirit, a spitfire, and he was a calm, methodical engineer with a heart of gold. There was no better man on the planet, I was convinced, but gosh sex was tough with him! It took him so long to adjust to change. A toe ring. The tiniest gold nose ring. A tattoo on my ankle. Introducing him to my vibrator. I had to pace everything at six month intervals or it was too much.

 But once he got used to it...holy fucking shit. He basically dissected that vibrator and and studied the user manual. Found similar ones, tested them on me like I was a guinea pig. Even took me to a toy store in Dallas then fucked the daylights out of me until 3am. And then...it all petered out like a spent firework. I would try to keep the energy going, keep him interested, but I could never tell what worked. He was pretty shy about sex, almost embarrassed. He wasn’t comfortable with dirty talk. We couldn’t really sext because his job required cellphones be lockered except at lunch. We could go months on once a week then he would surprise me with a two day fuckfest, like a volcano erupting. I lived for those times but could never figure out how to make them happen more often. All it did was make me ramp up with excitement, feel more free, then try to cram myself in a box again. He was such a good man, though. I just needed to be more patient, less wild. I ripped up the weeds angrily.

The sun was high when he came in for lunch. I had sandwiches, chips, and his favorite tea ready. There was even more dirt on his face and I sat there awkwardly, trying to equate my silent chip-crunching husband with the dirty woodsman I wanted to pounce on.

“I think I’ll build out the landing a bit from the stairs, maybe put in a new handrail,” he said. I sipped my tea and nodded. “The driveway could use some gravel.”

“The trailer has all the rocks in it still,” I pointed out.

“Mmm. I’ll go to the dump first, then hit Home Depot and Brother’s Fieldstone.” He looked at me as if I had just appeared at the table. “You’re wearing a bra now.”

“Uh-huh.” I cut off a smart-ass retort and became very busy fishing pickles from their jar. “I’m gonna work on the petunia baskets.”

After the peck on my cheek he would be gone for at least two hours. I ripped off my bra, blasted Slayer on my bluetooth speaker, and delved into the hanging baskets. By the time I had repotted everything and cleaned up the cobwebby  lounge chairs I was a filthy mess. Shower time.

You couldn’t see our house from the road. I went out on the deck in just a towel, then threw it off and lay naked on a chair, basking like a lizard. Big fluffy clouds blocked the sun momentarily, then shooed away when I spread my legs wide. Everything needed to dry. My hair would need a serious flatiron session. Idly I thought of him coming out of the forest...rushing home...making a beeline for me...a naked woman tanning herself alone...so easy to take advantage...helpless...but there was a shotgun behind the door...

Damn it, I thought. Can’t even have a fantasy and it gets all practical. He’s wearing off on me. I looked at my phone. About 30 minutes of naked freedom left- I should water the baskets again. I picked up the hose and my phone rang.

“Hey baby,” I said, working up the cheerful wife tone. He really was wonderful. I just needed to...not need so much.

“Baby, guess how much the lumber cost for the deck, right now?”

I thought for a minute. It has been awhile since we did a major project. “Um, I think we did the brown house for under $600?”

“Yeah, well, I priced it all out. It’s gonna be over $2000! We can’t swing that now. It’s insane, the prices. Never seen anything like it. And Brother’s is out of pea gravel!” He was worked up. This man stuck to budgets religiously.

“O my God! No, you’re right. We can’t do that now. The deck will be fine for awhile, definitely. It’s sturdy at least.” The sun was so hot on my back. I stared at my shadow, waving the limp hose to and fro.

“So I emptied the trailer and uh, checked everything out. Since we can’t do anything more on that today I, um....” he coughed. I waited, cautiously easing on the water. “I went to that new little toy store in the strip mall.”

Water spurted out onto my shadow. “I see. What kind of toys?”

“The only kind!” His voice rose. The hose engorged and gurgled. “I found one like your pink one, you know that does the swirly thing, too? But this seems to be a softer material, a better grade of silicone, I think this company merged with a big distributor and, uh...”

My mouth twisted. It was just like him to get carried away on technical aspects. “That’s so sweet, baby. What are you wanting to do with that?”

“I want to use it on you.” He was almost whispering, as if there were seven other people in his F-250. “Like Dallas.” It was such a distant memory. I couldn’t work myself all up again, it was too exhausting. But he went to the store, my dear husband...he wants something.

“You can do whatever you want to me, baby,” I said sincerely. “Just come home and we can hang out the rest of the day.”

“I don’t want to hang out. I want- I want you to not wear a bra again. I don’t want you to feel, uh, like you have to put it back on? Around me?”

I aimed the water where my shadow’s pussy would be. Cool drops sprayed up onto my flushed skin.

“I’m not wearing a bra right now.”

“What?”

“I’m naked out on the deck. Been tanning after I took a shower.”

Silence. He was gunning the truck, I could hear the roar.

“I hope you’re bringing some wood home for me.” VVVBBBBRBbbbbRRRRrr.

“Baby, if you can just let me plan stuff. It’s easier for me. I’m sorry I’m slow and I disappoint you. I wanted to tear your shirt off there but I’m just never sure...I don’t want to do anything you don’t like, I don’t want to hurt you- really- just let me plan sometimes and maybe try to go along? I promise I’ll do better, you are so sexy-” sfhkhfffffppp. His phone cut out. I stood there, dumb, watching the water drip my shadow off the edge of the deck. He had never talked to me so much at one time. “-if I can plan and know in advance that you like it we can do more, you drive me crazy you know that, right?”

I took a deep breath. My legs were shaking into the damp, hot wood. “How do you want me to be, when you get home?”

Pause. More gunning. “On the deck chair, doggy. Ass in the air. Wait- I need to shower first.”

“No, you don’t. You’re sexy with the dirt on you. I love it.”

“You do?”

“Yes, I love my sexy, dirty husband.”

“Ok.” He was firm. The blinker was on, he was at the intersection ten minutes away. “Ass up, doggy. Hands by your side. Face turned away from the stairs. I don’t want you to see me. I have-have- a special delivery.”

I turned off the water. The whole deck was soaked. Not one basket had gotten a drop. “Ass up ready to receive. I’ll be waiting for you, baby.” I was so excited my words came out slowly, bouncing through a lump in my throat. The sun was cold and hot at the same time.

“If you respond well there will be future appointments.” His voice was full of confidence before the phone shut off.

I almost tripped on my way over to the lounge chair. Fortunately my towel was there in case things got really wet.

Thank you to @daily-esprit-descalier for sharing the photo that inspired this story.

Linktree

[bored-mumma]

Sebastian Stan - Fluff Alphabet

MASTERLIST

Bucky Barnes version

A = Attractive. What do they find attractive about the other?

He loves your passion. How even little things in life can get you excited and happy. He also loves your strong will. You two being in the lime light takes a strong personality and you match that perfectly.

B = Baby. Do they want a family? Why/Why not?

He really wants kids. He likes to imagine Sunday mornings, your children waking you up and you all making breakfast before spending the day playing games and just being a close family. Nothing makes him happier than thinking of his future family.

C = Cuddle. How do they cuddle?

No matter how warm the nights get, Sebastian likes to be snuggled entirely under the blankets. Usually one of you will be spooning the other but if its too hot then just either your legs or arms are slightly tangled.

D = Dates. What are dates with them like?

Sebastian doesn’t do ‘little’ dates. He sweeps you off your feet every single time. You’ll come home from work expecting a normal evening at home to find some new fancy clothes and jewellery lying down on your bed, along with a note telling you what time to be ready by. Bang on time, Sebastian knocks on the door (you live together but why not be romantic and come pick you up like he used too) with a bouquet of your favourite flowers. Before driving to a beautiful restaurant, champagne sitting there waiting. All evening he would throw compliments at you, repeating his love. If you felt like it, you two would go for a walk along the sea front or just drive randomly and talk away.

E = Everything. You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…)

You are my light.

F = Feelings. When did they know they were falling in love?

He couldn’t really give a proper time when he knew he was falling for you. It just kind of happened! He knew he missed you when you were gone, even if you spent all day together. He knew he dreamt of waking up to your face everyday and he knew his heart skipped a beat every time you kissed him. One day he just realised ‘holy shit, i love you’.

H = Holding Hands. How do they like to hold hands?

I = Impression. First impression/s?

You two got along very well. Your personalities just clicked and the two of you became friends fast. It took a few months, but that friendship soon turned into love.

J- Joker. Are they into pulling pranks?

He loves them, a lot more than you did. Barely a day went by that Sebastian didn’t play some sort of joke on you. Usually you find it funny and playful but other days you want to slap his pretty face.

K = Kiss. How do they kiss?

Most of the time Sebastian will hold your chin with his finger and thumb, tilt your head up and kiss you deeply. Although sometimes he’ll be a little more rough and grab your waist, pulling you towards him.

L = Love. Who says ‘I love you’ first?

You do. After a particularly breath taking date and nearly six months together, you finally felt as though you were ready to say those words. When you uttered those words, Sebastian grinned at you before saying it back.

M = Memory. What’s their favourite memory together?

You two were walking home from a lovely date night a restaurant. You both had a few drinks so couldn’t drive and you were struggling to catch a taxi so decided to take a longer walk across the parks. It was a stunning night and half way home, he placed his jacket on the ground and the two of you lied down, watching the stars and resting your feet. Feeling merry anyway from the drinks flowing through you, you lied there for nearly an hour, just joking together and sharing kisses.  Going from the last letter, this was the moment you looked up at each other and said I love you for the first time. 

N = Nickel. Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?

You are so, so spoilt. Literally anything your eyes land on, Sebastian will buy it for you. Even stuff you had never seen or even heard of, if he thinks you’ll like it, he’ll buy it, Date night? He’s got you some new clothes and jewellery for it. Anniversary? You cant see the floor in your home from all the gifts. And birthdays are just insane with the amount of stuff he gets you.

O = Orange. What colour reminds them of their other half?

Sky Blue. A lovely calm, stunning colour that reminds him of summer days. Days he loved to spend with you. He would often buy you some sky blue jewellery, making a matching dress too. 

P = Petnames. What petnames do they use?

You two are cringe as hell and like to think of the most sickening names for each other as possible. Bunny, sugar-plum, precious. Just as cringy as possible to make each other laugh.

Q = Quaint. What is their favourite non-modern thing?

Sebastian's a simple man and loves the simple things. One of those things is a gentle bike ride. On a hot day with the cold breeze cooling him, he loved to just bike through the country and forget about life's trouble for a while.

R = Rainy Day

A busy man leads a busy life. Rain or shine, his days barely change. Although on the rare days you both have a day together with nothing to do and its pouring it down outside, he was known to drag you out in it. Whether to just dance in the back garden or to go for a quick run, Sebastian loved to just be out in the rain for a while with you. It felt like a reset for you both and it was those moments you treasured the most.

S = Sad. How do they cheer themselves/others up?

As most people know, Sebastian talks to his therapist often. You try not to pry too much, knowing if he wants to share his feelings with you, he will. But you can always tell when he’s feeling a bit down. It’s usually cured with a cup of tea, cuddles and you dragging your nails gently across his skin to make him feel relaxed. Sometimes he’ll talk to you about what’s bothering him, other times he just wants to feel your touch.

T = Talking. What do they like to talk about?

You two are low key conspiracy theorists. You will often find you both having deep conversations about a theory you saw online or about a new documentary. Whether it was something like aliens exist all the way to the queen is a lizard, you two would have debated on it. 

U = Unencumbered. What helps them relax?

As said above, he loves to feel your nails dragging across his skin. He felt most relaxed when lying in bed on his stomach, you lying beside him and dragging your nails along his spine. He would get Goosebumps from it and always felt like he could fall asleep right there and then.

V = Vaunt. What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?

You and your career! Sebastian was your number one fan and would brag about your acting success every chance he could. Even if he’s doing an interview about his own movie, he’ll still slip in there how proud he is of your new project. He couldn’t help it.

W = Wedding. When, how, where do they propose?

It was your two year anniversary and you two decided to take a week off of work. Nothing special planned, just a week to relax and actually get to enjoy one another's company. Sebastian watched you with admiration as you cooked dinner, watching the way you sung along to the radio and how you refused to let him help, insisting on spoiling him. As you stood at the stove, Sebastian walked to the bedroom and grabbed a little box from his bedside drawers. Going back to the kitchen, he stood behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, head resting on your shoulder.

“This wasn’t how i planned it,” He said, letting go of your slightly to open the box and show a beautiful ring. “But i couldn't wait any longer. Will you marry me?”

X = Xylophone. What’s their song?

wonderful tonight - Eric Clapton

Y = You. You are the ___ to my ___ (e.g. the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

You are the honey to my bee.

Z = Zebra. If they wanted a pet, what would they get?

Sebastian has always wanted a dog! You two ended up adopting a puppy together.

[after-witch]

White Picket Fence [Yandere Overhaul x Reader]

Title: White Picket Fence [Yandere Overhaul x Reader]

Synopsis: You’ve been with Kai Chisaki for three years. Your life is quiet and cozy and soothing. But what do you do when you realize you want more?

For request: Anonymous said: i love the way you write overhaul!! may i request more of him, please? what would he do if reader develops stockholm syndrome and wants to do the things which normal couples do, even wants to marry him or have kids? thank you!

Word count: 2200-ish

notes: yandere, stockholm syndrome

You should really ask Kai to get a new sofa for his office. His current one, the leather one which used to be shiny and pristine and rather intimidating for someone used to sitting on ratty chairs pilfered from curbs, has definitely seen better days. 

The seats are lumpier, now that you've spent years--3 years, one month, 3 days, but who's counting--in his life, sprawling on the sofa. Reading, napping, doing endless hobbies. Snuggling, when he was in the mood. An endless parade of legs and limbs, pillows and books, growing tiny scratches etched with your fingernails that you sit on to cover them up.

His entire office has your touches, now. The blanket you asked for last Christmas, a big fluffy bright purple affair, is draped over the back of the couch. He keeps your framed embroidered pieces on his desk, because--you assume, but he won't confirm, because he thinks it will hurt your feelings (it won't!)--he can easily stow them away when he has meetings to hold. You don't embroider much, anymore, but it was fun to take on a new hobby.

Kai is kind like that, to give you new hobbies to do. He doesn’t even mind when you get bored of them and move on to something else.

Your books are not as easy to stow away in case of guests, you think. They're scattered here, there, everywhere. In stacks, on shelves. You know there's one stuck under the sofa but you didn't really like the first book in the series and you've decided it should stay put as a result.

Bookmarks, some handmade, others handed over by Kai as a gift for this or that, sticking out of the well-worn pages. Once, you snuck on YouTube during your highly limited, highly precious tablet time (earned, as it were, over the past 2 years) and stumbled on a DIY for making resin bookmarks stuffed with trinkets, glitter, flowers, ink. You’ve yet to broach the subject with Kai, because one, it would mean admitting you snuck on YouTube but two, you don’t think he’ll let you work with resin. But, still. The seed has been planted and when it sprouts, you’ll get the nerve to ask him.

Your sleeping bag is in the laundry, wherever the laundry happens to be, but on colder days you like to spread it on the floor and have reading or hobby marathons while he works. It's childish, but he humors you. He always (mm, no--usually--he did shoot down requests for the dog, the cat, the fish, the rabbit, and the lizard) humors you. You appreciate that about him.

And you appreciate this moment, right now. You're curled up on the sofa, half of the soft blanket in your lap to keep you warm. A book is in your hand, something new from the best-seller list that Kai brought home in a tidy store bag. He brings lots of gifts, and you appreciate every one of them. Although Kai does make you declutter every month. If you didn’t, your room would be simply stuffed with gifts. You don’t begrudge him this, since he lets you keep anything that’s especially precious to you. It’s a fair trade--you’re precious to him and he keeps you, after all.

He's typing away on his laptop, the sound so familiar that it's practically white noise, and you sit on the couch and read. It's quiet. It's comforting. It's... domestic, really.

And it makes you sad.

Lately, sitting in Kai’s office--these quiet moments, these nice moments, just make you sad. You don't know why. Things are good right now, but you just feel weighted down, heavy. Lost and bored and aimless.

But it shouldn’t make you sad that you’re enjoying a new book. Maybe you’re sad about something else. You can’t remember having a bad dream. The outfit Kai picked out for you this morning was cute enough. You didn’t stub your toe getting into the tub. Kai didn’t tug on your hair when brushing out the knots. So… what’s wrong?

You turn your attention back to your book, trying to shake the feeling, shake the obtrusive thoughts that sometimes find their way to the surface now and then. But the words don't want to leap off the page, weaving a story in your mind that takes you into someone else's life and narrative and world for a few precious hours.

And here, again--you don’t know what’s wrong. It’s an interesting enough book, as books go. It's a domestic novel about domestic squabbles, a husband and wife who are 15 years and 3 children into their marriage; living in the pristine suburbs, tired of working and parenting and painted fences and tired of each other.

Maybe the book isn't clicking because you can't really relate. You would never get tired of such things, you think. To have a fence! Oh, to have a yard. Or maybe even have little children, with lives to manage and nurture. Wouldn’t that be nice?

You don't have those things. No--you can't have those things, can you? Your world has been shrunk down to a few rooms. Your bedroom. The bathroom. Kai's office. The clinic. You've made those rooms cozy and comforting. With things and time. But how could you have a toddler, a fence, a dog that barks too much in these limited walls, in this limited life?

And… how could you have any children running around when Kai has never expressed an interest in that sort of life with you. Oh, you've kissed. A few times. The memory of them makes your cheeks hot and you squirm, just a little, on the couch. You like to take those kisses with you at night, under the covers. But it's never been more than kisses, than light touches, than holding hands or feather-light strokes of your neck.

He's never gone further, never so much as asked. You also take this realization with you at night, though by morning the thoughts are gone. Now, in the daylight, they hit you hard and you can’t sleep to make them go fuzzy and grey.

Does he not want you in that way? You're not a virgin, and you don't know if he is, or isn't. But you thought you were attractive enough to... want. You kissed, he did kiss you, he does still kiss you now and then, but why not something more?

Maybe you were ugly. Maybe he felt pity for you. Maybe the kisses were just to keep you from going stir-crazy inside these walls and this life that never went anywhere. He was never going to want anything more than occasional touches, was he? And this was going to be your life, embroidering and reading and fussing about sleeping bags until you were old and grey and useless. A life wasted, a life slipped through the cracks. Your chest hurts and you wish you could fall asleep to make yourself stop thinking.

"(Y/N)? What's wrong?" Kai asks, keyboard silent, laptop humming.

Oh. You've been staring ahead this entire time. You feel cool tears wet on your cheeks. You do this sometimes, drift and stare and cry, and never seem to realize it. So you wipe your cheeks, and you smile. You don't want to worry him. He has so many things to worry about, things he won't tell you, because he knows best--you couldn't hope to understand his work. You are too naïve and kind, and he's got what your 90s-era self help books (you had a phase for reading them last January) call "street smarts."

When he doesn't resume his work, you try again. "It's nothing," you say, light and airy. "I was just thinking about a book."

Instead of typing, he shuts the laptop and your stomach immediately feels like it's going to float away. No, no, no, you've distracted him. He said he had a lot to do today, he said that! Why couldn't you just read your book and be good. Now he'll be upset and distracted and worried and it's all your fault.

You instinctively move over to make room as he sits down on the couch. You don't want to look at him, but you don’t want to not look at him. So you force yourself to smile, force yourself to look--not too happy, but, pleasant, and keep your eyes focused on his shoulders. He rests his hand on top of yours. You look up at his face--it’s only polite, it’s only kind--and the instance your gazes meet you immediately crumble. You cry. Ugly cry, the kind of crying you really hate to do. His look of surprised concern makes your heart twist. You really are bothering him.

But you have to know.

"Why don't you want to marry me?" Your voice is soft and hoarse and aching. Through your tears you see his look of genuine confusion, surprise--and even something sadder, something akin to hurt.

You want to explain. You want to explain how you've just realized that you'll never have kids and a nice big yard and he'll never come home from work to a good meal and kids running on hardwood floors to greet him. You'll never have a wedding with a fancy dress and tasteful invitations. You'll never argue with neighbors about your dog getting into their yard. 

You'll never learn to cook anything more than the shitty microwave meals you ate before you met him, because you've never even seen a kitchen in this place despite being here for years. You’ll never have any of it, except what you read about it books. How do you explain that you’re jealous of a bitter, old married couple because at least they had a life together?

The hand resting on top of yours squeezes and you finally feel the blustery courage to let it all spill out. The words come tumbling fast and thick and laced with a froggy hoarseness.

"Why can't we have a normal... a normal life? I can't have," you swallow, and take a shuddering breath. You're open, you've learned so many lessons to be open with Kai, but expressing these thoughts makes you feel queasy. What if he gets mad? 

“I can't have kids and a big yard and a dog that the neighbors don't like, because I'm here, in these little--these little walls and little rooms, and how can we have kids if we're not married, and how can we be married if you've only kissed me a few times? Why don't you want to be with me? What's wrong with me?"

You're hyperventilating now, and there's an old tingle that you've suppressed, the fear and rage and helplessness that once made you scream and throw and punch walls. You think about the book under the sofa and hate it so much for being there. You think about your embroidery sitting prettily on Kai’s desk and you want to rip out every single thread.

You think you really break open, about to grab something and just destroy it, when suddenly Kai’s gloved hands are on your cheeks and his mask is gone and oh, his lips are on yours and is that tongue you feel--it is, it definitely is--and he’s never kissed you like this, deep and warm and soft and wet.

He pulls away and you’re dumbfounded and you must look dumb, too, because Kai wipes away a stubborn line of drool on your bottom lip and chuckles, low and light. He leaves the ugly, thick tears that have stained your cheeks.

“Do you really think I don’t want to be with you?” His thumb strokes your lips and the seam of the glove tickles and sends a hot thrill shooting down your stomach. “Do you think I haven’t imagined our… future?”

His touch is soft and his words are soft and his gaze is familiar and comfortable; the look that makes your stomach do fumbles, the look he gives you when he’s letting you know that you’re being silly again.

“I… I don’t know,” you say, your shaky breath ghosting over his thumb. “It’s just--”

He presses his thumb on your lips and you quiet down, and you listen.

“I’m waiting until you’re ready. You know that I know what’s best for us, what’s best for you, don’t you?”

You nod.

“Then you know that we will have all those things--” you ignore the voice inside you, so small and silly now, that’s insisting you-won’t-you-won’t-you-won’t--- “but only when you’re ready.”

He smiles, and you smile, because you know that he’s right. You wipe away your own tears and grin, sheepish and feeling so ridiculous for having a fit right in the middle of the day like this.

You let yourself be tucked in, let Kai drape the soft blanket over your legs. He presses a kiss to your forehead and your lips tingle with envy. You watch as he goes back to his desk and sits down, as he replaces his gloves and his mask. All is well, all is back to normal.

Kai starts typing, and you let the white noise soothe you as you pick up your book and flip open to your bookmark. Maybe tomorrow you’ll ask about the resin.

[nataliedanovelist]

GF & MvsM - Wanna Talk About Dinos?

This crossover was inevitable. It just works too well. Maybe one day i’ll write a fic about how the folks at Gravity Falls handled the robot-apocalypse. Probably shrugged it off. “Eh. We’ve had worse.” Haha! What if Stan and Ford, cuz they were out sailing, had no clue what happened and when they came back they were like, “Wait, what?”

For now, please enjoy this fic of Aaron making a new friend...

(credit goes to @stephreynaart for her OC Jacob) ~~~~~~~~~~ “Hi, would you like to talk to me about dinosaurs?”

Aaron asked this question more times than he could keep track of, but that wasn’t going to stop him from asking it. It started as a dare from his big sister two years ago, but now it’s a fun hobby. When fifth grade isn’t overwhelming him, scaring him with mountains of homework and horror stories about how hard middle school is going to be, and when he’s run out of YouTube videos to catch up on, he is on the hunt for fellow giant-lizard-lovers like a hungry Ceratosaurus.

“No, okay bye.” But it did get a little tiring to always cross out names and phone-numbers on the phone book with red ink. Hey, a dinosaur of a way to find phone-numbers was appropriate. He read the next number, dialed it, and after a ring or two he asked, “How would you like to talk with me about dinosaurs? No, okay thank you.”

Aaron crossed out another name and sighed, taking a break since he reached the end of a line of numbers. Maybe he should just be grateful for Abbey and accept that no one else wants to talk about the Jurassic Period. Or the Cretaceous Period. Or the Triassic Period. But then a big, old, gray-tinted ad distracted him. He grinned, thinking it would at least be fun to give them a call, and he dialed the number.

Private home phone-numbers were fun, but businesses were also fun! Poor, bored workers would gladly talk to him rather than crabby Karens, and they got paid for it! So Aaron smiled as the phone rang, and he grinned when someone picked up.

“Thanks for calling the Mystery Shack, you’re talking to Mr. Mystery himself! How may I befuddle or bewilder you?”

“Hi! How would you like to talk with me about dinosaurs?”

“Oh, dude! I’d love to, but I’m scheduled for a tour of the Oddity Museum in three minutes.” The man said, and Aaron grinned continuously, because it sounded like Mr. Mystery really wanted to talk with him about dinosaurs. “But hey! Can you hold on for one minute, I think I know a guy!”

“Yeah, sure mister!” And Aaron was greeted by the sound of a catchy jingle about buying t-shirts and mugs and snowglobes. He smiled and wiggled his feet along to the music as he looked outside at the beautiful late-fall afternoon, entertained while he waited.

~~~~~~~~~~

Soos was on the hunt. He planned out the house in his head. Abuelita was taking a nap upstairs, Melody was organizing the upcoming tour, and Stan took Jacob out for ice cream, so he might be…

The owner of the Shack grinned when he stopped at the doorway and saw the man he was looking for, sitting in Stan’s chair, reading a book.

“Uncle Ford!”

The old sailor smiled up at the young man. “Yes, wh-...”

“Do you think you could answer the phone for me? I have a tour and I think this customer’s request is right up your alley.”

“Uh… sure, but w-...”

“Thanks, you’re the best!” And Soos was gone before he could address Ford’s confusion.

Ford was a bit lost, having little to no business with business, but he had learned at this point to trust Soos, so he picked up the phone beside him and was immediately greeted with a sweet, “How would you like to talk with me about dinosaurs?”

Ford grinned and closed his book. “I would love to! All three periods are equally as fascinating to study, but the Triassic contains some of my favorite dinosaurs!”

A young voice gasped on the other line. “Mine, too! Everyone thinks the Jurassic period is so great, and it’s pretty cool, but the Triassic gave us Plateosaurus and the Brachiosaurus!”

“That’s very true! You know, it’s very interesting, maybe depictions don’t include feathers at all, which is a bit frustrating, but perhaps after the news has spread they will incorporate more feathers on merchandise and textbooks.”

“YES! That’s what I wanna do when I grow up, help draw better-accurate dinosaurs!”

~~~~~~~~~~

The phone rang on Sunday. The Shack was closed today, so Stan lazily answered it and was greeted with, “Wanna talk about dinosaurs?”

“Sixer, phone for you!”

Ford ran into the living room, elbowed his twin out of the chair, and took the phone. “Hello again, Aaron! Now, where were we? Right, so Australopithecus. … No, I don’t think… Oh! No, homo habilis was erect, Australopithecus was never fully erect.”

“Maybe he was nervous.” Stan groaned, getting to his feet.

Ford shot him a look as thankfully the young boy on the other end didn’t catch that and happily shared some more fun-facts about homo habilis.

~~~~~~~~~~

While most college students were excited for Spring Break so they could get drunk or lose their virginity, Katie was excited because her family had planned a special secret roadtrip. She was careful to keep up with her family and talk to her parents and brother frequently, but Aaron had a hobby he wasn’t talking about that his parents found out and were thrilled about. Aaron had made another friend.

Rick and Katie did some research and the tourist attraction sounded right up their alley! In the middle of the woods, tons of weird stuff, and a fun roadtrip filled with diners and attractions. They decided to surprise Aaron, and they made up a lie that they would spend Spring Break in California with Katie so she could show her family around San Francisco, when in actuality they would be traveling up the state to the Redwood Highway and see the oddity place, and maybe even allow Aaron to meet his new pen-pal. Or, um, phone-pal.

So after bombarding Katie with hugs the Mitchells threw her luggage into the car and drove off. Aaron turned to Katie and excitingly asked, “So where are we going first? Can we go fix the Golden Gate bridge by painting it gold?”

Katie laughed and ruffled his hair. “Maybe later, right now I wanna show you guys this fun store right outside of town. Here, check out the videos I made for my classes!” And she pulled out some airpods and gave one to Aaron.

“Cool!”

Rick and Linda smirked at each other as they drove north. By the time they reached a little diner in Redding, CA, it was very clear to Aaron that they weren’t in San Francisco anymore. “Come on, just tell me where we’re going!” The boy begged as he fed Monchi a fry.

“The best kind of prizes are the surprises.” Linda quoted.

“Eric, Deborahbot5000, where are we going?”

“Sorry, Aaron, we cannot give that information.” Eric said, he and the other robot sitting politely in their seats, happy to be a part of the social interaction.

“Yes, Mother will bury us if we disobey.” Deborahbot said matter-of-factly.

“What?! No I won’t, sweeties.”

“Won’t you ground us?”

The family laughed and Aaron let the topic go; if he was honest, he loved a good surprise. The big family stopped in a motel just at the California-Oregon border, and the next morning after muffins and coffee and orange juice they were on the road again, passing dozens of trees that made Rick feel at home. Katie happily recorded the trip, trusted to be the documenter for another fun roadtrip, with hopefully not as much mortal peril.

Aaron watched as they left the highway for a simple road, and they passed a big sign. The boy gasped and caught what was happening. “No WAY! Really?!”

“You know, I hear this Mystery Shack even has a Sasquatch.” Rick commented while Linda pulled out a pamphlet from the glove box.

“It says here it’s full of odd things you’ll never see anywhere else, even a dinosaur footprint…”

“Wasn’t there a rumor of there being a Bottomless Pit?” Katie asked, pointing her camera at Aaron to get his reaction.

“Thank you thank you THANK YOU!!!” Aaron cheered, hugging his Dad’s neck and kissing his Mom’s cheek.

“Hey, no worries, buddy.” Rick eased, fixing his shewed glasses. “We wanted to see this place, too!”

“Why don’t we eat a quick lunch and then we’ll take the backroad for the attraction? There’s a coupon in here for a diner made from a giant log!”

And so after being served by a pretty blonde teenager at Greasy’s, they drove through town to get to the backroad. Signs made them confident that they were going the correct way, as well as Eric and Deborahbot5000’s GPS. Then as they turned a corner, a big triangle-shaped building came into view. Aaron grinned at the giant sign with a missing letter. People were already leaving, arms full of souvenirs and one or two already wearing their new hats or t-shirts. Once Rick parked in the Free Parking Lot, Aaron spilled out of the car and ran for the shack, but he stopped.

Katie caught up to him and patted his back. “You cool, man?”

Aaron shrugged, holding his hands in front of him and his shoulders up to hide his face a bit. “I-I dunno… What if… What if he doesn’t like me?”

“Hey, I get it.” Katie admitted. “When I first met my friends I was really nervous. I had talked to them online for weeks and I was worried it wasn’t gonna be what it was all cracked up to be, but it was. Your system worked! You found another dino-lover! You earned this moment. Just take in a deep breath and be yourself, cuz you’re a pretty cool dude.”

Aaron smiled up at his big sister. “Thanks.”

Trusting Eric and Deborahbot5000 to watch Monchi and make sure he used the bathroom, the Mitchells went inside the shack. On the porch there was an ice cooler, a sign reading schedule times for tours of the Oddity Museum, a Help Wanted sign, and two rocking chairs with a game of checkers between them.

Inside the store a few customers filled up the gift shop, alongside t-shirts, snowglobes, a vending machine, a door beside ti that read Employees Only, a bookshelf full of comic on one side and old newspapers claiming alien sightings on the other, a fish tank holding a monkey-mermaid, and barrels full of spaceship keychains and dino claws. A new section called Camping Stuff caught Rick’s eye, selling backpacks, lanterns, flashlights, batteries, canteens, and compasses. Katie opened a comic called Lil’Stanley and laughed at the swears, taking a pic and sending it to her friends’ group chat. Linda looked into the barrel full of patches and grinned at all the fun designs, while Aaron stared happily at the mer-monkey.

The Employees Only door opened and closed and Rick watched as a man in a suit, fez, and eyepatch walked up to the lady at the register and kissed her cheek. The woman smiled lovingly and left while the guy who resembled a gopher checked a customer out. Rick waited until the buyer left to approach the register, leaning an arm on the counter.

“Welcome to the Mystery Shack, dude!”

“Thanks! So, this is gonna sound weird, but my son Aaron talks to a guy here about dinosaurs…”

“No way!” The owner interrupted excitedly. “Good to see you, dudes! I’m Mr. Mystery! Wow, you guys came a long way, huh?”

“Nah, only from California. My daughter is attending art school there.”

While the men chit-chatted and Linda joined them, Katie noticed a guy walking up to Aaron and looking at the mer-monkey. She smiled and tried to read the comic without being too nosy, but she kept her senses on her brother.

“Hm, quite fascinating, isn’t it?” The man in the blue hoodie said. “But I think my favorite is the fossilized footprint. Could be Nanuqsaurus hoglundi.”

“The Polar Bear Lizard?” Aaron clarified, touching his chin as he looked at the dino-print, his back to the man he was talking to. “Maybe, but they’re from Alaska. It’s possible plate tectonics did cause some fossils to be relocated here, but it could also be a Nanotyrannosaurus lancensis footprint.”

“The Dwarf Tyrant? Could very well be. Would you like to talk about dinosaurs after your tour?”

Aaron’s eyes widened as the voice was finally familiar to him. He turned and looked up to find an old man smiling up at him. He had fluffy gray hair with a white stripe running around his scalp, wrinkles by his eyes due to smiling, a cleft chin, glasses, and wore a blue hoodie with a maroon sweater underneath. His hands were behind his back and he smiled down at Aaron warmly, while the boy was jittery and overly-excited. He took in a sharp breath and had to fight every muscle to keep from leaping through the screen door. 

“H-H-Hi…” He peeped. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Y-Yeah, sure! I’d love to! I’m Aaron! Er, wait, you already knew that.” And he held out a hand to shake.

His phone-pal, Ford, chuckled and got on one knee to be eye-level. “Greeting, Aaron! It’s nice to formally meet you.”

Aaron shook his hand and noticed something. He had six fingers on his right hand. A quick glance told Aaron he also had six fingers on his left hand. Aaron grinned with sparkling eyes at his new friend, while the old sailor smiled warmly at the boy that reminds him of his niece and nephew when they were young.