#as it is I'm going to do my bare minimum and go home. tomorrow I'll try to do better.

[dellieghtful]

LADS: Period Pain Simulator

🍓A/N: Yeah, I'm on my period too~ hope this can bring in a good laugh or two. This will be my bare minimum effort for the week since I have work tomorrow lol this is the fastest thing I was able to finish 2nite

SYNPOSIS: Period pain and men. That's it.

📍characters: Xavier, Zayne, Rafayel, Sylus, Caleb (Separate) Looking to get notfied? Tag yourself here!

XAVIER

Actually volunteers to try it out to better understand how it goes for you during your monthly visit.

"This is actually fine". He says, before you crank up the pain at the highest level, there you could see Xavier succumbing to the pain, going all out on all fours on the floor. Gripping the area near his stomach, gasping out in pain. "Holy fucking shit!" He groans out, attempting to stand up by grabbing the edge of the chair before he stumbles over a non-existent bump on the floor and falls face-first on the floor.

Prefers to either crawl on all fours or drag his body from point A to point B because of the pain. You asked multiple times if he was okay but Xavier only responded: "Crank it up, I can take it".

He in fact, could not take it and ended up passing out on the floor and waking up to find himself on your couch with a pillow under his head and a blanket over his body.

"You know, you didn't have to go through it". You said, his head now resting against your lap as you comb through his very soft and messy hair.

"I did it so I could understand your pain. I don't want you to suffer all that and not get the comfort you deserve." He says, looking up at you as he holds your hand firmly against his chest. "I'll work hard to do more for you." He promises, placing a kiss against your hand.

"That's so sweet, you definitely deserve a good treat for all your trouble," you commented as you reached out to grab your phone. "I hope Charlie's bakery is open, we can have him deliver those cookies you like".

Xavier's smile twitches and slowly forms into a frown. He hated to admit it but Charlie's cookies are good and he definitely needed the comfort food after the hell he just went through. Xavier made sure to make a mental note to sneak into Charlie's bakery and nab his cookie recipes to make some for you during your period week.

ZAYNE

Being a doctor grants him the knowledge of understanding your monthly cycle and struggles so, being given the opportunity to actually try out the simulator was a chance for him to actually better understand how it affect the human body.

At first, everything was fine. The first two settings were tolerable and then he decided to crank it up a bit, that's where Zayne started to feel the actual roller coaster ride of hell.

Just to make matters worse, Greyson entered his office to discuss a new case they were expected to dive into in a few days.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Greyson asks, lifting his gaze from the documents and eyeing Zayne with much concern.

Zayne who was clearly uncomfortable with the hell he inflicted upon himself, stands at a very awkward position, with his hand on his couch holding for support and another attached to his hip in hopes adding pressure would somehow ease the pain.

"Never better". He responds with a tight smile. That same day, he came home to you with flowers of your favorite type and bags of your favorite meal. When you asked what it was all about, Zayne could only respond by pulling you in a tight hug and peppering you with the sweetest and softest kisses all over.

RAFAYEL

He passes out and doesn't make it pass through the first setting.

Cuddles you non-stop after waking up from his pain-induced experience.

Rafayel was basically attached to you like a newborn Koala, refusing to let go. "Come on Rafayel. I have work in a few minutes". You whine as you try to untangle yourself from Rafayel.

He whines and continues to grip your waist tighter as he sprawled himself on your couch like an octopus, trying to weigh you down.

"No! That was like hell for me, how much more would it be for you? Stay at home and let me take care of you, just this time". And when I tell you, Rafayel gives out the sweetest and cutest pout you'd ever seen, it's hard to say no to such sweet face.

With your leave for the day granted, Rafayel wasted no time in ordering you all your favourite meals and giving you all the kisses and cuddles he could offer before it was his turn to get all the cuddling and babying treatment from you.

SYLUS

A lot stronger than you think, he actually could handle the pain even if it was nearing the highest. But you could definitely tell he was about curl up any moment.

Sighing, you get up from your seat and walk towards him, wrapping your arms from behind and bring him closer to your body with your head resting upon his.

Sylus, suprised by your sudden gesture could only put out a small smile on his lips as he gently flips through the files he was so intrigued on reading.

"You know, you could call it quits and we can go out for some good seafood". You commented, hugging him a little tighter.

"And let you gloat about how I can't handle pain? Please. There are many things that I face on a daily, this is just a little bump on a road of trials". He comments, pulling you a little closer to him because whether he would admit it or not, your warmth and all that you are were enough to drive the pain away.

That same night, he burns the pain simulator to ashes, out of sight, out of mind

CALEB

Crumbles to the floor as you hit the highest setting on the simulator, groaning and panting on the floor as he tries to rub his stomach to ease the pain.

"Between getting shot and this, I'd choose getting shot any day". Caleb says, as he curls into a fetal position before changing forms and rolling himself on the floor like a log.

Doesn't pass out but chooses to drag his body from point A to B across the apartment, you could actually see him crawling towards the couch before collapsing on the floor with a loud thud.

Not long after, Caleb rips off the simulator from his body and pulls your body onto the couch for a long cuddle. "That shit was nasty, I can't believe that happens to you monthly!".

Afterwards, Caleb decided to make your day as special as he could. He pampered with all the things you could ever want and need because he cares for you that much. "I'll make sure to make it easier for you each day." He promises to you and he always kept his promises, making sure to fulfill your every request without complaint.

[coff33andb00ks]

Rule Breaker - Pt 1

max verstappen x single mom!reader

{next}

face claim: none, random pinterest find warnings: cursing, max is broody, jos is an asshole, fluff, barely proofread, idk red bull team aside from Max, Checo, and Horner... (y/n's bestie is named after my irl bestie bc she told me to write this, and y/n's son is not named after Magnussen i swear) Summary: Max has it all...right? Besides, he's too busy collecting trophies and completing side quests for anything else. Until... You moved across a whole ass ocean to start over, uprooting you and your son's lives to become social media admin for cars that drive in circles. word count: 4293 auth.note: hiii new to writing for f1 so I'm posting this in the middle of the night and hiding in bed - feedback greatly appreciated. also this is forbidden love/he falls first/friends to enemies to lovers

"Hey Max, come meet the new social media admin."

On his way out, he barely heard the words. But they registered and he immediately turned, knowing how important it was to have a good rapport with the social media personnel. He only had to meet them, then he could leave and go to the team apartment and… He didn't know. Pass time in his sim until he couldn't hold his eyes open. Maybe he'd go for a run until he was close to exhaustion. Or see if Lando was in the country and they could go out together. It was only when he was about to pass out that he was able to sleep and not be plagued with dreams.

His eyes swept the small office, swiveling to focus on the new face. She smiled, giving him a little wave as she set down her slice of pizza.

"Max, this is y/n. Y/n, this is Max."

"Hello," he said, watching as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Hi, sorry." She took a sip of her drink and wiped her mouth again. "Sorry – It's so great to meet you."

She was American. Walking over, he extended his hand. "Where are you from?"

Shaking his hand, she smiled up at him. "Well most recently I was with—"

"No, no, where in America," he corrected.

"Oh! North Carolina. I try to keep the country accent to a minimum but sometimes I slip up." She motioned to the pizza box on the desk. "You want a slice?"

No, he had to leave. His work was done, he didn't need to hang around and kill his precious down time. Besides, his diet was strict for the next few days, what with the race coming up. He had to focus on… Within fifteen seconds he was sitting across from her, holding a slice in one hand. One slice wouldn't hurt, he decided as he took a bite. "How long have you been in England?"

"About three weeks?" She glanced at her watch and nodded. "Three weeks tomorrow. I was staying at an Airbnb until a week ago when I moved into my apartment."

He nodded. "Are you going to be based here or go to the races?"

"Races. Gonna be living the glamorous life of travel and hotels and surviving on caffeine and sugar," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"It's not so bad."

"I'm sure I'll get used to it. You've been doing it for, what, half your life now?"

Shrugging, he took a sip of his water. "More than that, really. Are you saying you don't travel?"

"Not like this. I lucked out with my last job because I was able to do it mostly from home. I think I went up to New York or out to Cali maybe six times total? But I know I can do it," she added when his eyebrows lifted. "It'll just take a little getting used to, especially with a little one in tow a lot of the time."

That surprised him. His eyes immediately moved to her hands, which were completely bare of rings. "A little one?"

Y/n nodded, her eyes lighting. "He's three."

"What's his name?" Max asked. It was none of his business about the boy's father, anyway, so he wasn't going to ask about him. And he didn't even care.

"Kevin." Her smile was both shy and sparkling.

His chest tightened. Kevin, he knew, was one of the most loved children in the world. "What's he like?" The words came out and only after saying them he realized he wanted to know.

"He's… He's Kevin." She laughed. "He asks a million questions and will talk to anyone about anything. He's high energy but has laser focus when it's something that interests him – Like the other day I took him to the park. I expected him to be running around and trying out all the swings and stuff, but he spent an hour crawling in the grass following a caterpillar."

"Laser focus can be good at times," Max told her, earning a warm smile.

"I know. He comes by it honest because I do the same thing when I'm working."

"Will you be bringing him to the races?" Finished with his pizza, he shook his head when she nudged the box towards him and sat back to finish his water.

"Yeah. Not all of them, but to the next few. I already talked to Mr. Horner and Wanda about it," she said quickly, as though expecting him to be upset about her bringing her child to work. "He won't be in the way. My best friend – Ellie, she's his godmother – is traveling with me to Imola and Monaco to watch him for me. But her new job starts the first of June so I have to make arrangements before then."

"Does he like racing?"

"He's three," she deadpanned. "He loves anything with cars or trucks."

"You'll have to bring him to the track—"

"He also loves fart jokes and bugs."

Max blinked at her, snorting on a laugh when she grinned at him. "Fair enough."

"I do have to warn you, though," she said carefully, standing to gather the napkins and throw them into the trash. Closing the pizza box, she used a clean napkin to wipe off the desk. "He likes McLaren."

"It's the orange livery isn't it?" Max sighed. When she nodded, he shrugged. "I'll do my best to not hate him."

She giggled, letting out a snort.

And, for the first time in six months, Max felt lighter.

*-*

"There's my lil doodle bug," Viv cooed as Kevin leapt off the couch and ran towards her. Dropping her purse and work bag, she scooped him into a hug. "Hi sweetheart. How was your day, hm?"

Her son grinned, squeezing her tight. "I fell in poop!"

Viv froze for two seconds and leaned back a little. "What kind of poop?"

"Dog. Yes, it was fresh. Yes, he had a bath. Yes, I washed his clothes," Ellie announced as she came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Your dinner's almost done – How was work?"

Viv kissed her son's cheek and set him down so she could pick up her bags. "I spent the day reading protocols and policies and signing contracts. Oh, and getting my uniform."

Ellie took the knapsack stuffed with team shirts and jackets. "Good thing you love blue huh?"

"No kidding." She glanced over to Kevin, who had climbed back onto the couch and resumed lining his hot wheels along the back. "How was he today?"

"He was fine. You worry too much, mama," Ellie said gently, following y/n to her bedroom. Setting the knapsack down, she took the work bag and reached inside to switch off y/n's work phone. "Ah, ah, you're off now. You don't officially start work until Monday, so they can't expect you to be on call."

"Yes ma'am." Y/n held her hands up in surrender. "I'm gonna change and get him tucked in then I'll eat, promise."

"Perfect. Bridgerton tonight?" Ellie asked on her way out the door.

"You know it!" y/n called after her.

Once she'd changed into sweats and an old t-shirt she went to the living room. "C'mon, doodle bug," she said softly, smiling when Kevin slid off the couch without hesitation. She helped him pack his cars into their cubby, telling him about her boring day at work while she led him to the bathroom so he could brush his teeth. Then to her bedroom, wishing she had been able to afford a larger apartment so he could have his own space. But he didn't seem to mind, and more often than not he ended up crawling into her bed during the night. Something she treasured, because she knew that all too soon he would be "too big" to share a bed with his mama.

Three storybooks and a rambling made up tale about a one-eyed dragon and the princess that saved him from the evil knight later, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and turned off the light. "Good night, sweetheart. Sweet dreams," she whispered before she left the room.

"So I met Max Verstappen today," she told Ellie a few minutes later while fixing her drink.

"Ooo Mr Tu Tu Du Du himself?"

Y/n snorted. "Yeah, that one." The chicken alfredo with a side of broccoli looked so much more appetizing than the greasy pizza she'd had for a late lunch, and she almost felt like she'd cheated on her best friend for ordering takeout.

"What's he like?" Ellie asked, scooping a little more sauce over the noodles.

"He's nice."

"Just nice?"

"I mean, he asked me surface level questions and laughed at my lame jokes? Yeah, nice." Y/n pulled her plate away before Ellie could push more food onto it and sat down to eat. "Everyone's been so nice, Ellie…"

Her friend squeezed her shoulder. "I'm so glad. I have good news, too."

Y/n lifted her eyebrows, unable to speak because her mouth was full.

Ellie sat down, smiling brightly. "I spoke to HR today and Kev will be able to use the daycare."

Gulping down her mouthful of food, y/n gasped. "Oh that's great!" she cried, feeling the weight of worry that had been plaguing her for three weeks lift. "They're sure?"

"Yep, you just have to come in with me before the first and sign a document giving me permission to take him from the premises."

"Excellent, we can go in the morning? I have to go in after lunch to get my kit. Camera, laptop, all that. And Wanda told me to get more shirts so I don't have to worry about laundry while on the road – Oh and I'll be getting our passes."

"Kevin is so excited about Italy. He wants to see the leaning tower of pizza."

"Bless his heart, maybe I can take him one day."

Plans made, she finished her late dinner and did the washing up then changed into her pajamas before settling on the couch to watch Bridgerton. They were rewatching the series so she didn't feel guilty about scrolling her social media, finally biting the bullet and following all of the RedBull people she knew from headquarters.

"You are the bane of my existence… and the object of all my desires."

"Ugh," Y/N and Ellie whined in unison.

"So much nicer than you've had me hard since we met," y/n muttered.

"Let's be real, practically anything is better than that," Ellie agreed.

They finished the episode and y/n headed to bed, keeping as quietly as possible even though she knew her son could sleep through anything. Digging her work phone from her bag, she powered it on to check for any missed messages, smiling slightly when she saw Max had added her on WhatsApp. Adding him back, she was about to turn the phone off again when a new message popped up.

👋🏻

Rolling her eyes, she replied with the same emoji and waited a few seconds before plugging the phone in and turning on do not disturb. She wasn't going to have a late night chat with Max Verstappen of all people. He was probably just being nice, she told herself as she brushed her teeth and did her skincare. Wanda had told her that Max added everyone but rarely messaged anyone aside from Mr. Horner or the engineers.

Besides, she wasn't there to make friends, she reminded herself as she climbed into bed. She could be friendly, but she was there to do a job.

And no flirting with him either, she thought, immediately wondering why the idea had popped into her mind. She would never – okay, she might, if unintentionally. She knew it was a protective thing, knew it was because she had the undesirable need to have everyone like her. But she couldn't do it. Not with him, especially. He'd probably laugh in her face. He was younger than her and probably had a never ending line of gorgeous women waiting to please him.

Before she switched off the lamp she glanced over at her sleeping son. A living, breathing, very real reminder of what she'd gone through just four years ago. And she knew she couldn't go through that again. She wasn't strong enough. She refused to endure that torture and heartache. Kevin needed her, so she had to be strong for him.

Not to mention there was a no hanky-panky clause in her contract?

She had barely closed her eyes when she heard his toddler bed creak. Lying there, she listened to his feet whispering against the rug, smiling in the dark when he slowly slid the covers back.

"Mama," he whispered, and she reached for him. He snuggled close, tucking his head under her chin as she pulled the covers over them.

"Love you, sweetheart," she murmured, pressing a kiss into his hair.

"Love you, Mama."

*-*

"I think it's good, yeah," Max said, eyes scanning the screens of data from the upgrades. "It'll be great for turn seven." Nodding, he listened to the engineers as they went over potential upgrades for Monaco. Once the meeting was finished he grabbed his water bottle and left the room, ignoring the almost immediate phone call from his father. He knew it was his dad without checking, and strode down the hall, intent on leaving and heading straight for the airport to go home. Where he could ignore everything and everyone until Sunday when it was time to fly to Italy.

Rounding the corner, he lurched to a stop as a small child darted in front of him, his giggles echoing down the corridor. The little boy stopped and looked up at Max, blinking slowly.

"Hi!" He waved.

"Hello." Max heard rapid footsteps and glanced up to see y/n iquickly approaching.

"Kevin Scott—"

"I've got him," Max told her with a quick wave, squatting down to the boy's level. "So you're Kevin?"

The boy nodded, light blonde curls bouncing on his head. "I'm Kevin. That's Mama."

"I'm Max. I heard a lot about you."

Kevin's eyes widened. "You know Mama?"

"About this much." Max held his thumb and index finger barely a centimeter apart. He quickly looked to y/n, who was walking up behind Kevin. "I work with her."

"Ohh… She's gonna take me to see cars. D'you like cars Mister Max?" he asked seriously. As though cars were the most important thing in the universe.

"More than I like myself some days," Max quipped, reaching to check the miniature car the boy was holding in his hand. "I drive one like this."

Kevin gasped. "Do you got it here?"

Max chuckled. "We have a lot. Do you want to see them?"

"Please," the boy said, and Max couldn't have said no under any circumstances.

"You have to ask your mum," he said gently. "And maybe say sorry for running away from her?"

Kevin immediately turned to his mother. "Mama I sorry. Can Mister Max take me to cars?"

She sighed, squatting down to fix his shorts. "We've gotta be more careful, sweetheart. And yes, Mister Max can take us to see the cars."

Kevin spun to face Max again. "She said yes!"

Grinning, Max nodded and stood.

"Thank you," y/n said softly. "I'm sor—"

"He's three, yeah?" Max reached to place his hand on the boy's head, gently guiding him closer when he started to wander off. "Don't apologize for him being a child."

She tipped her head at that, then nodded, grabbing hold of Kevin's hand as Max turned to lead them back down the hallway he'd just left. "I only came by to get my kit, and his aunt had paperwork at her new workplace to finish up, so I had to bring him."

"I'm glad you did." Max gave her a gentle smile, using his card to open the door leading to the back of headquarters. "Have you been back here?"

"Only on my tour the other day."

"Just stick with me," he said. They wouldn't be entering the engineer or design areas, only taking the corridor to the garage. Otherwise they'd have to travel all the way to the main entrance and walk around to the back, which would be tedious for her son.

"I'm under contract and signed an NDA, and it's not like I'd know where to go to sell team secrets," she told him. "And I wouldn't even know what I overheard."

"Not a car fan?" he asked, accepting the model car Kevin was shoving at him. Slipping it into his pocket, he guided them along the curving corridor.

"Eh… Kinda? I like racing. I don't understand all the mechanics to it, I just like the adrenaline of watching twenty guys drive really fast. And I can admire good craftsmanship, like a Bugatti or a McLaren, ya know?"

"What do you drive?" Max asked, using his card to open the door to the garage. Met with the faint aroma of rubber and asphalt, he inhaled deeply, catching with it a lighter, more pleasant scent.

"Nothing at the moment. I've been taking an Uber to and from the apartment," she explained. "I'll probably get a used car after my first paycheck."

Max furrowed his brows, stopping on the catwalk. "You haven't gotten paid yet?"

"No? Well, only my signing bonus, and that's gone to household necessities like rent and food. It's fine, Max, I don't need a car right now."

What are you going to do, give her one of yours? he thought, reaching to Kevin and lifting the boy to his hip so he could carry him down the stairs to the main level. Kevin was already oohing and aahing over the neat rows of cars. "It's just me, Brandon," he called, seeing the member of the security team at the other end of the garage. "A quick tour for a new friend, yeah?"

Brandon waved and disappeared around the corner.

At the bottom of the stairs, Max set Kevin down, ushering him to the nearest car. The boy's excitement was contagious, and Max gleefully told him about each one that he'd driven, helping the boy climb into each and press buttons on the steering wheel. Laughing when Kevin made racecar noises, he pulled out his phone to pull up some videos for sound effects. Swiping away the notifications from his dad, he turned up the volume so the engine sounds echoed in the garage, enjoying Kevin's childish glee.

"This one you know," he said, guiding him to the most recent addition. Lifting him into the seat, he squatted down. "This is a car I drove last year, which—" He pulled the model car from his pocket and set it on top of the steering column. "—is just like the one you have."

"Wow." Kevin looked at him with pure awe. "Did you win?"

"I did. And I won the championship too."

"You're a champ-een, Mister Max?" the boy gasped.

"I am."

"Like Lightning McQueen?"

"You could say that," he chuckled, affectionately ruffling the boy's curls. Glancing over at y/n, he paused when he saw she was holding up her phone.

She peered at him over the top. "Is it okay to take pictures?"

"Of course." He had a feeling she'd already taken dozens. He stepped out of the way so she could get photos of Kevin in the car, then lifted him out once she tucked her phone away. "Have you seen the trophies?"

"No. Can we see 'em, Mister Max? Please?"

"You have to ask your mum." Turning, he sent y/n a pleading look as Kevin asked permission.

"As long as Mister Max doesn't mind," she said, rolling her eyes when Kevin squealed yay.

"It's a long walk, do you want me to carry you?"

Kevin squirmed, wriggling so he was piggybacking. "Thank you Mister Max."

His chest tightened, and he reached to adjust the boy's legs around his middle. "You're welcome, Kevin. We do have to make a stop on the way to the trophy case, though."

Next to him, y/n cleared her throat. "I can take him if you've got something to do."

"No, it's fine, a quick stop," Max assured her, motioning for her to go up the stairs first.

"A pit stop?" Kevin asked, giggling as Max jogged up the steps.

"Exactly that. No more than ten seconds," he promised.

Fifteen minutes later, he was squatting down to fix the collar of Kevin's new shirt. "There you go, mate. What do you think?"

Kevin grinned and gave him a thumb's up.

Max looked up at y/n, who rolled her eyes. "He has to be Team Red Bull," he explained with a shrug, adjusting Kevin's new cap with a grin. Thanking the merch manager, he handed over the bag of goodies he'd grabbed and motioned for Kevin to climb onto his back.

"Thank you!" Kevin called, waving enthusiastically as he was carried out.

"Thank you, Max," y/n murmured while they walked towards reception. "But please don't get him anything else."

"I won't," he said softly. "If I overstepped—"

"No, no, it's fine. He'll wear the shirts until they're too small and he'll play with the models until they fall apart. I just don't want him to think he'll get this type of treatment all the time."

"I understand." He nodded. She didn't want her son to be spoiled. Which he found admirable. "…So giving him one of my old cars is out of the question?"

She halted, jaw dropping. "Max!"

"A joke!" he promised, flashing her a grin as he jogged ahead.

"Not funny," she scoffed behind him, and he heard her huff as she ran to catch up. "Those things cost probably a million—"

Max swung around, easily catching Kevin and swinging him back onto his back. "The car for Miami was about sixteen million."

Her eyes widened. "Sixteen—" She pressed her hands together right in front of her mouth. "Million? As in sixteen then six zeroes behind it?"

Nodding, he started walking backwards, amused at her reaction. She was staring at him in shock, and her son was giggling. "It's hard to pinpoint an exact cost, because we reuse some components from race to race. A chassis, or wings, yeah? If you really wanted to know I can pull up the data and get the price for each part—"

"No," she said, shaking her head slowly. "Please don't. I'd probably faint."

"It's an expensive sport, y/n," he reminded her.

"Yeah no shit," she muttered, exhaling harshly. "I've got so much to learn."

"You'll be fine." He'd meant it to come out in an offhand manner. A generic it's okay so feelings wouldn't be hurt. But it came out gently, laced with reassurance and promise. And, before he could stop himself, his mouth opened again. "If you have any questions you can ask me."

"I can Google," she told him.

"I can change my Wikipedia to say I'm eighty-six. Doesn't make it true," he quipped.

To his relief, she laughed. "Fair point. I'll be sure and ask you."

He turned his attention back to Kevin, swinging him from his back to his hip. Reception was empty, and he set the boy down so he could explore the various displays. "He can't hurt anything," he reassured her, knowing she was watching carefully as Kevin ran over to a wing displayed on the wall.

"I just worry," she sighed.

"Why do you sound like you're apologizing?" Folding his arms over his chest, he watched Kevin walk around the large room, drinking it all in. "You're his mother, you're supposed to worry. If you didn't you would have to apologize."

"Thank you."

"He's a good kid, y/n," he said softly.

"I think so too." He could hear the smile in her voice and turned slightly to see it on her face.

Every other time he'd been in this room the weather outside had been cloudy or rainy. He couldn't remember the sun ever shining as he'd stood there to soak in all the history. Until now. It poured through the windows, causing the trophies in the cases to sparkle and the polished floor to gleam. It shone into her eyes, and he could only stare at her as she squinted a little, a tiny dimple appearing in her left cheek.

God, she was lovely.

She glanced at him and his breathing kickstarted. Unconsciously licking his lips, he cleared his throat. "You seem to be doing well, for a single mom."

Her smile faltered and he mentally kicked himself. She looked to Kevin, who was studying the Red Bull logo on the wall, and looked at Max again. "I didn't have a choice."

"I'm sorry," he said automatically.

"Oh he's not dead." She watched her son, her smile gone. "Just dead to us."

"Then I'm sorry for bringing it up." It had ruined the day. Well, alright, not the day but the moment. They'd been having fun, he'd been having fun.

You always fuck up don't you?

His jaw clenched as the angry voice from years ago echoed in his mind.

"It's okay, Max." Her gentle voice cut through the echoes of the past and he forced his jaw to relax.

Nodding, he uncrossed his arms and called to Kevin, taking him by the hand and leading him to the towering trophy case. "Come on, y/n, time to learn some history."

She snorted on a laugh but joined them, and he could tell she was paying attention as he rattled off years and races and drivers to Kevin.

You're going to fuck this up too, the voice sneered.

[luvvyouforever]

snowed in with joel ⋆⁺₊❅.

content: fluff, sweetness, no other warnings apply, bf joel, short not very beautiful writing. author's note: this is so self indulgent it hurts. i'm stuck in the snow storm rn and my power's been out since yesterday at 6pm and it won't come on till tomorrow and now that i have internet at my family's house, i'm writing this for self comfort. enjoy!

the power to joel's home shut off with a loud click followed by two groans echoing throughout the now quiet living room.

"damn," joel exhaled, pulling himself from the warm spot next to you on the couch. "i thought we'd get lucky this time."

"i did too," you responded, moving to get up from the couch.

joel immediately turned around, hands outstretched to your rising figure. "nuh uh," he grunted. "you stay in here and get the fire going. i'll go fix the pipes up, close off the doors, and bring the mattress in here. both of us don't need to be cold."

"joel, let me help. it's pouring out there," you insisted, still not allowing his strength to push you back on the couch.

it took him one swift movement to push you back down on the plush couch, causing you to bounce upwards. with an almost imperceptible groan, he bent over and placed a warm kiss to the top of your head. "stay inside, doll. i'll be back soon."

with that, he left the cozy living room to head back towards the mud room where his snow boots had only just finished melting from his last foray out to retrieve firewood. he slipped the boots back on, put on his warm coat, and stepped out the door.

you got up from the couch sooner than later, intent on getting the fire started back up to keep the home warm. joel's house in jackson was nice, but it could get drafty quick with the two floors and multiple large windows. you pulled large matches from beside the fireplace, lit up some dry pieces of paper, and set those at the bottom. slowly, you added pieces of wood on top which the fire caught on to quickly. with a few pokes and shoves, the fire was blazing in the stone and instantly, the house felt cozier.

by that point, joel still hadn't returned from keeping the pipes from bursting outside and you felt useless sitting on the couch while he did so. with a sudden resolve, you moved into the guest bedroom to pull the mattress you used for cold nights out into the living room.

it was heavy, that much was true, but the years of surviving an apocalypse and trying to live self-sufficiently in the country had built up your strength enough that dragging the mattress out of its frame, through the hall, and into the living room only built up a little sweat around your brow.

by the time you had positioned the bed between the couches, joel returned to the mud room and shrugged off his coat and boots.

"i thought i'd told you just to light the fire, little lady," joel teased, walking into the living room.

"one less task for you to do, my handy man," you said with a smile. he came over, borderline shivering, and placed his hands in front of the fireplace.

"ellie's set out back with that old kerosene heater. it'll keep that garage warm and then some. pipes are covered so they shouldn't burst any time soon."

"good, i'm glad. you get warm in front of the fire and i'll drag our blankets and quilts down here."

you didn't give him any time to protest as you placed a kiss to his damp shoulder and jogged upstairs to the main bedroom. you started with the blankets on joel's bed, added the thick quilt kept in the closet, and grabbed the pillows too. before you had moved in, joel kept the bare minimum. now, there were more pillows on the bed than you could count and his blanket collection had increased tenfold. you're just supporting local small businesses is all.

with a grunt, you managed to pick up everything from the floor and carry it down the steps. joel had risen from his spot in front of the fireplace and took to covering the outside doors with thick sheets to block some of the wind from the near blizzard happening outside.

"think you got enough, hon?" he teased, taking a break from his nailing.

"can never be too cozy," you said with a shrug. "we'll probably only need the one blanket since you already put off enough body heat to warm a small elephant."

"and that's a bad thing?"

you thought about it for a second. "when it's 95 degrees out and you insist on keeping me wrapped around you, yes."

he chuckled deeply and placed his hammer down to head back towards where you were making up the bed. he took one side of the sheet you were currently fighting with and helped you place it over the end of the bed. "can't help that you're 'bout the size of a teddy bear. i'm asleep. i dunno the difference."

"ya know, now that i'm thinking about it, the garage with ellie sounds pretty nice right about now."

"yeah, right," he said with a laugh. for the next fifteen minutes or so, you worked in comfortable silence, setting up the living room as your main room till he and the others in town can get out to work on the power supply. you fished candles out of the cabinet, he found a battery operated radio with a cd and cassette insert, and you found a few lanterns that would offer some light around the dark house.

eventually, everything was set up and now there was nothing to do but enjoy the quiet peace of the night. joel managed to dig up some cds and cassettes with the player and he had an old country tune quietly playing over the crackling of the fire.

"c'mere, doll," he finally said, offering his arm out to cuddle up with you on the bed. you gratefully took it, eager to finally lay down. joel took the left side (he always did) and you took the right. his back was propped against the couch and you easily curled into his side. his arm wrapped around your frame and within seconds, the cold dissipated from your body.

his lips met your head in a sweet gesture and you smiled at the warm comfort of it all. joel was all you needed, really. the power being out was a frustration, true. you had wanted to bake some cookies that night and you wanted to read another cheesy romance book that joel had found for you in an old store. joel wanted to keep tinkering with the old record player tommy found and he liked to end his nights with a warm shower before crawling into his bed with you.

but this was fine. more than fine. you were warm in front of the fire, his favorite music was echoing through the room, and he had you under his arms, where he liked you to be the most.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

slow kisses - Joel Miller

900 Followers Milestone Celebration - kissing prompts

bio : This story is part of the 900 Followers Milestone Celebration - kissing prompts.

person ordering: anon

warnings : fluff, married life, desire to have sex, Sarah is still small, a few curses

[my masterlist]

You were sure you had reached your maximum level of exhaustion. Such a level had to exist, right? After a whole week at work, where no one spared you, when you had to combine household duties with raising a four-year-old daughter - you had every right to feel tired.

And there was your husband, Joel. The owner of a construction company, who worked just as hard as you and had just returned home.

You heard him take off his shoes and slowly walk up the stairs. Soon, in the bathroom doorway, you saw the face of your beloved man. Hair tousled, eyes tired, but still with a smile just for you.

"Sarah, is he sleeping? It's so quiet..." he murmured, brushing his lips against your cheek.

You sighed. "Yeah, I promised her we'd go for ice cream tomorrow and she went to bed early."

"So we'll go." he rested his chin on your shoulder, wrapping his arms around your waist and looked at your shared reflection in the mirror "I'm so fucking tired... This renovation is killing me."

"I know, honey. You snore so loudly that..."

"I don't snore at all." Joel was outraged, frowning and quickly pinching your butt "You also collapse on the bed at the end of the day. Ughh... We both work too much."

He snuggled against your back and inhaled the sweet scent of shower gel. “Would you like a little you-know-what today?”

You chuckled. "Sarah's sleeping, you don't have to speak in code."

"God! I want to fuck you, baby. I miss you so much."

You both wanted to give your daughter the best, and now you were in the thick of it and a lot of things just piled on top of each other. You couldn't even remember the last time you had time to yourself or when you had real sex, not a quickie ten minutes before your alarm.

"Take a shower and we'll meet in bed, okay?" you said, turning in his arms and kissing him on the lips.

"Give me ten minutes."

But when Joel came out of the bathroom after twelve minutes, you were lying on the bed, dozing off slightly. You woke up to the feeling that someone was slowly kissing your legs and going higher and higher.

"Joel..." you moaned when you felt his still damp hair on your skin.

"I want you." he mumbled in your ear, and then... yawned.

"Oh, yes. We're so tired, nothing will come of it."

"Baby..."

Lazy, slow kisses were placed on your neck, shoulders and cleavage. Your husband's heated body would really tempt you if you didn't know what state you both were in.

"Maybe you'll just jump on me, baby, huh?" he looked at you pleadingly with his sweet eyes "You like being on top."

"Yeah, but today I'd rather be on the bottom and do the bare minimum."

"Jesus..." he groaned, burying his face in your breasts and inhaling your scent deeply "I'd like to fuck, but I'm not even sure if I'll get hard."

"Poor thing..."

You took his face in your hands and kissed his soft lips. You couldn't even kiss harder. After the warm bath, your bodies had become so lazy that they refused to do anything. Joel was so pleasantly warm, the mattress so comfortable. He didn't seem too keen on any activity either.

"Maybe I should set the watch a little earlier?" you suggested "We'll do it in the morning, before Sarah wakes up."

"My wife is a fucking genius." he sighed and slid off you, lying down next to you "I'll fuck you tomorrow. Be sure of that."

"I am, baby."

You quickly set the alarm on your phone and immediately felt a strong arm pull you to Joel's solid body. A few more slow kisses went to your exposed neck and shoulders.

"I love you. You know that?" he murmured quietly.

"I love you too, Joel." you replied, feeling the bed slowly swallow you.

"Tomorrow we'll fuck..."

"You're damn right."

You fell asleep almost at the same time. But it wasn't the alarm clock that woke you up, but a sweet promise. Something hit you hard and suddenly tore you from your sleep.

"Daddy!"

Your daughter jumped again and threw herself between you and Joel. You heard a muffled groan.

"Jesus, Sarah..."

"Get up, daddy! We're going for ice cream! For ice cream!" she babbled. You rolled onto your back and looked at the girl sitting on Joel's chest. Her small hands ruffled his hair even more.

"Give me a few more minutes, please."

But Sarah took no prisoners, and soon you both had to get out of bed. The strange feeling that you had forgotten something plagued your mind. It wasn't until the alarm on your phone went off that you and Joel looked at each other. He shrugged.

"Maybe next time." he said, winking at you. "Ice cream is much more important, babe."

[kiplex]

☆.｡.:*　Miscommunication .｡.:*☆

Caleb x F! MC SFW , a tad suggestive Word count: 1423 Tags: A tiny bit of angst, a lil fighting, Caleb being insensitive, resolved angst, Tara is a good friend, breaking and entering???, some smooches, use of "pips" A/N: OMG not me writing more Caleb stuff, and still no smut what are we doing!? I promise I have some smut in the works for Caleb as well as something cute and maybe smutty for Sylus's birthday! My requests are open if you feel like giving me something to write about!!

Caleb doesn’t have the best record for time management for someone who literally commands a fleet for a living. The two of you haven't had much time for each other recently so you took a long weekend off of work to go be in Skyhaven with him, he knew you were coming. So imagine your shock when you get to his apartment expecting to see your overly excited boyfriend, but instead are met with the quiet stillness of his empty apartment. You poke your head into the kitchen, and spot the hastily written note on the counter.

“ Got called in to be Captain Caleb today, sorry Pips. I’ll be home by tomorrow night, Sunday morning at the very latest! Made some braised chicken wings for my favorite chicken wing <3 “

-Caleb

You pinch the bridge of your nose letting out a frustrated sigh. He could’ve had the decency to at least text you, at the very bare minimum… You took planned time off, you assumed he did the same but of course, he’s the Captain of the Fleet, those rules don’t really apply to him. Regardless you’re just upset, you now; at the most, have a full day with your boyfriend who you barely get time with. You whip out your phone to call him.

…

…

…

No answer. 

Fine, that's to be expected. He’s working after all. You’re about to dial him again but he texts you first.

Caleb: Hey pretty girl! I’m assuming you made it safe and sound?

Y/N: Yep. Made it to Skyhaven, a little pissed you didn’t text me or call me to tell me you wont be here for the majority of a weekend we were supposed to be together…

Caleb: I’m sorry!!! Hopefully those chicken wings make up for it :p I won’t be gone all weekend though! 

Y/N: I know, I would’ve left Linkon tomorrow if I knew you weren’t gonna be here tonight. I wanted to see you.

…

It's kinda lonely without you.

Caleb: It’s not like you’ve never been left alone before lol, just chill out and I'll see you hopefully tomorrow night! 

“Chill and I'll see you tomorrow”!? He isn’t here to see his girlfriend and his response is “Chill I’ll see you tomorrow”??? Maybe he had an apple core where his stupid brain should be because he didn’t just tell you to chill. 

Y/N: I take time out of my schedule which is also very busy to come see you, you don’t get to tell me to chill. I’m going home. I’lll see you when your brain starts working again Caleb.

 Your phone pings a couple times in a row, a few “I'm sorries” and “don’t leaves”, but you don’t respond, you'll only have mean things to say back and neither of you needed right now. You grab your stuff which is still conveniently located at the front of the entrance and head back to Linkon. All you want is to sleep in your own bed.

You arrive at the train station in Linkon late, luckily Tara was able to come pick you up. 

“Hey girl!! Do you want me to ask or do you not want to talk about it?” She asks helping you with your bags. “I really.. I just don’t wanna talk about it.” You say, shaking your head with a small sigh. Tara pats you on the back gently. “That’s fine, I won’t push. Buuut if you need him killed just know I got your back.” She smiles, sometimes you forget how truly terrifying the bonds of friendship are. 

Tara drops you off at your apartment and you give her a hug. “ I owe you one, lunch on me next week!” “ I’ll never turn down a free lunch hehe, I’ll see you next week, text me if you need me!” Tara waves to you as she drives away.

You flick on the lights of your apartment, sighing as you drag your bags into the entryway. When you look up into your living room, you  nearly jump out of your skin when you see Caleb sitting on your couch. He doesn’t even look up at you when you let out something in between a scream and a “Huh?” he just sits there, thumbing the page of some catalog you got in the mail that afternoon. You quickly compose yourself. “So what you’re just gunna show up in my fucking living room like a psychopath?” His grip on the pages tighten along with the furrow in his brows. “I’m the psychopath!? My girlfriend who was supposed to be safe at my apartment, leaves abruptly while I'm away and isn’t responding to my texts. God forbid I'm a good boyfriend who worries!” He stands up from the couch tossing the magazine aggressively on your coffee table. “Also you need to strengthen the security on this place, I broke in through the window.” He folds his arms sulking, not entirely grasping the situation at hand.

You rub your temples. “You have the passcode to my apartment- you know what that isn’t the point right now. Caleb why are you even here? Are you supposed to be working?? That’s the whole reason we’re fighting in the first place.” Caleb scoffs. “As soon as you stopped answering my texts I took one of the ships and came over here. I’m technically supposed to be overseeing operations right now but I physically couldn’t focus because someone decided to go awol.” Caleb walks over to the entryway, his fists clenching and unclenching, a nervous tick he's had since you guys were young.  “I don’t think you understand how worried I was about you. You can’t just leave suddenly like that!” He says, grasping your shoulders. “No, I don't think you’re understanding the situation! I left because you were being a dick! I took time off of work to spend time with you, and I’m really disappointed you aren’t getting that this was a big deal to me, and when I expressed that to you, you acted like you didn't care!” You shout at tears welling in the corner of your eyes. 

Caleb recoils a bit at your tone of voice, his grip stuttering on your shoulders. “Pips… I didn’t mean to brush off your feelings like that. Believe me, this is the last thing I wanted to be doing. Working and fighting with you… This wasn't how it was supposed to go this weekend.” He removes his hands from your shoulders and wraps you into a hug, breathing in your scent deeply when you reluctantly wrap your arms around him too. “I was being a dick, but we both know work isn't something i can just say no to, however i should’ve let you know I'll admit that wasn’t the brightest idea I've had.” You sigh, nuzzling your face into his chest. “I’m sorry too, I was just upset because I couldn't spend time with you. If you ever speak to me like that again though, you better count your days.” He chuckles both of your bodies moving with the vibration from it. “Right right, I’ll be more considerate next time.” 

He pulls back just enough to look in your eyes. “Can I kiss you, or are you gunna bite my head off…?” His eyes flick to your lips. “Because, I really wanna kiss you.” You roll your eyes, pulling him down to your lips giving him a gentle kiss. “I already forgave you idiot.” He cracks a small smile before kissing you again. His hands sliding against the curve of your back, pulling you in a little deeper. “Good because I think if you yelled at me anymore I would've tackled you and you would’ve been more upset with me.” “You’re a freak you know that?” You kiss him again. “Mmm but I'm your freak.” He smiles smugly into the kiss.

Eventually you pull apart. “I’m guessing you have to dash off back to work now, right Colonel?” He shoots you a guilty look, before bringing on your hands to his mouth, kissing the back tenderly. “Unfortunately yes, however I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow, when you and I are both in Skyhaven.” You roll your eyes, the faintest smirk on your lips. “Oh yeah? How do you plan on making it up to me, hmm?” He grins. “You’ll just have to see, won’t you princess?” He pulls you in one last time kissing the junction where your ear meets your neck. “I guess I will.” 

[thessalian]

Thess vs Taking Time Off

This? THIS IS WHY I HATE TAKING TIME OFF.

Don't get me wrong - I like the time off. Hell, I need the time off. This job wrecks me the fuck up sometimes. But ... well, at the moment at least, it's looking at wrecking me up again as of this week, because it's a clusterfuck again. It's at least partly a direct result of me going on annual leave, too, which is great.

So I came in and checked the typing queue, and we were in the mid 300s. Because of fucking course we were. We'd barely started on yesterday's, despite the girls having been going for two hours. So I did some checking. Part of it is that New Girl's away today, so maybe it'll get better when she's back tomorrow. But that doesn't explain all of it. What did help explain some of the rest was that Temp was working on stuff from the 14th. Which means that someone came in on a Saturday. And I know pretty well who's who and who does what in this office, and so she was working on placenta cut-up.

She hates working on placenta cut-up, because it's long and fiddly. Or it can be, unless you have the tidy template I came up with years ago. She should have this, because I gave it to her at the time. But it would appear not, because she was unbelievably slow. I think another part of it was sheer "I won't wannaaaaaaaaa" on her part. Because she never does want to do anything that's not a simple little thing.

Which does a lot to explain why she was dawdling through those while I had multiple Monstrosities of ten minutes and up, a whole lot of Monstrosities in the 5-10 minute range, and all the Annoyances. Yes, even with Goblin working. Because Goblin was also being ... selective.

Also the doctors dropped like 300 reports into the queue today, and that was before I left, and since they leave at around 6pm at minimum... We're into the backlog stage to insane degrees. We won't get yesterday's and today's done by close of play tomorrow, so the backlog left from that will be added to tomorrow's work when Thursday rolls around, and... Well, just and. It never fucking ends, and there's no way that lazy bunch of fuckheads is going to do the amount of pushing necessary to get ahead of it. Honestly, I'm not sure we could get ahead of it even if the other girls were pushing.

The doctors come in starting at 7am now. Don't leave until at least 6pm, often closer to 7pm. So for a total of twelve hours a day, sometimes six days a week, we have multiple doctors (more and more with all the new trainees we're getting). And there's only two dedicated typists - and I mean that in all senses of the word; Goblin and I have no other duties bar typing because we work from home, and we're the only ones that regularly take the Monstrosities without an outright fight. And we're only in for five days a week, on only slightly staggered shifts. We need another typist badly. Head Honcho and Scruffman both said something about hiring someone new, but I've seen zero evidence of that yet.

It's been one day and I'm already so tired. I'm probably going to have to do overtime, and it's starting to get quite hot in the afternoon and evenings on top of my flat's pizza oven walls (great in winter, shit in summer), and I already need another week off and I just had one.

And I also know that if I have another one (well, when I have another one because I do have to take that time for several reasons, but I don't want to think about that right now), it's all going to get worse.

I can see how obvious it is that this place would fall apart without me. I mean, I guess it was probably obvious to Scruffman at least because of how my performance reviews tend to go. I kind of want to shake him or whoever succeeds him in a couple of weeks while screaming, "I MAY HOLD THIS DEPARTMENT TOGETHER BUT IT IS KILLING ME BY INCHES AND I CANNOT KEEP THE DEPARTMENT FROM FALLING APART IF I'M DEAD OF OVERWORK!"

If anyone needs me, I'll be quietly whimpering over there someplace.

[shirohige-pirates]

Hey Doll

CisFem Reader x Thatch

CW: toxic parents, manipulation, The Plan™, smut, mdni, I'll add as we go I'm kind of fly by the seat of my pants on this one.

tag list: @mfreedomstuff @harahettania

Chapter 4: Pops' Wrath

“Well, that was something.” Izou says, displeasure nearly dripping from his voice.

Thatch looks over at you, still seated beside Izou at the breakfast bar. “You okay?”

You breath in through your nose and let it out through your mouth softly before looking at him and nodding a little. “I’m certain my parents were in the wrong, whatever they said or did. Though I’ll admit I am nervous.”

Thatch gives you a big smile. “Ah, I wouldn’t worry, Pops won’t do anything to ya’.”

Izou sighs dramatically, and gives Thatch a pointed look. “I’m sure her nerves have nothing to do with being left alone with her match, on the first night of their meeting, the same day she received her book, to now be in a house full of men.”

Thatch stammers a bit before putting a hand over his face. He clears his throat a little and then goes about serving everyone a cup of tea. You see a sly smile on Izou’s face. Somehow the small interaction does relieve some of your anxiety, even though your situation is unchanged.

After a few minutes, and about half a cup of tea, the front door latches, and you all can hear the heavy, gravel-filled sigh of the patriarch of the house. Mr. Newgate must have made certain your parents left the entire property before coming back inside. A wise choice. You wouldn’t trust them to leave on their own either.

“Miss Kakusho,” he begins, and you get up and bow deeply.

“I would like to apologize for my parents’ behavior, sir.”

“Miss Kakusho,” he repeats, exasperation in his voice that prompts you to straighten up. There’s concern there too, and you can see that he’s certainly drained by whatever happened. You weren’t surprised, your parents had that effect on people.

“It has been a long evening.” He continues in a voice you feel he is trying to make at least a little small for your benefit. “We can discuss what’s happened tonight, or you’re welcome to our guest room and we can discuss things tomorrow after breakfast.”

You’re quiet for a moment, you don’t know what to honestly make of this situation. As far as you knew, your parents had not meant to get themselves forcibly removed from the property. It was, however, possible that such was truly part of The Plan, as you knew only the bare minimum required for you to play your part.

All you had now were assumptions based on the things your parents had drilled into you.

“It would be… impolite of me to impose on you and yours.” You say after a moment. “I could…” You trail off. You couldn’t rent a hotel room, you had no money and no cards or accounts in your name. You could return home, but you had no way to get home without relying on someone else.

You swallow thickly, and look down at the floor. “Perhaps… some sleep would be useful.” You bow a little, straightening up even though your eyes stay on the floor. “I’m in your debt.”

Edward Newgate hums in affirmation, but doesn’t say anything else in response. “Thatch, show your fiancée to the guest room, the one with the half bath attached.”

“Sure thing, Pops.” Thatch steps out from behind the breakfast bar and offers you his elbow. “If I may?” He gives you a bright smile, a little more flourish in his movements than needed, trying to either distract you or bring a little levity to the situation.

Nodding you put your hand on his forearm. “Please do.”

Thatch guides you away from the kitchen, and he’s quiet for a few moments, but once you’re out of ear shot of the others he speaks up.

“It’s going to be okay.” He offers up. You look up at him, realizing he’s bent a little to keep his forearm at a comfortable level for you. He seems to be so used to the maneuver that he doesn’t look uncomfortable. “If he was angry at you too, he wouldn’t have let you stay.”

You can feel yourself relax at the statement. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Pops is a big guy, and he’s got that gruff voice to go with it, he can be pretty scary even when he’s not trying to be.”

“You’re -,” you stop yourself, realizing that your words could be rude and Thatch chuckles.

“Ah, yeah, I’m not exactly small myself, huh? Seven two and the only person in the family taller’n Marco aside from Pops, and not by much either. Marco’s six nine, and Pops is seven five. Poor Izou’s barely six four, and has always felt short.”

It was obvious he was rambling because of nerves, but it was nice to have something filling the air between you, and you didn’t have anything to talk about. Thatch continued talking about his siblings’ heights until he reached the door to the guest room.

Opening the door for you, he stayed out in the hall. “It locks from the inside, there’s an old alarm clock by the bed, if you want to be up at a certain time. Ah, there should be some cotton pajamas in the closet there,” he says, leaning in enough to point to it. “We can get your clothes tomorrow, but I’m sorry you’ll have to wear what you got for a lil’ longer.”

“That’s okay, I’ll survive.” You assure him, stepping into the room. The guest room’s easily the size of the living room in your parent’s house. It feels like too much, but you don’t want to say anything with them already going out of their way like this. “What time is breakfast?”

“It’s all over the place. Everyone has different schedules, so don’t worry about it. I’m not going into work tomorrow, so I’ll be here. I would be honored to make you breakfast whenever you’re up for it.” The smile on his face is inviting, and the dusting on his cheeks endearing.

The warmth, and genuine desire in his voice makes your face heat up. You don’t know if you’re blushing, but you can feel a soft rush in your chest as the situation flusters you. Trying not to fidget, you instead twine your fingers together.

“I look, I’m… I am looking forward to it, thank you.” You stammer, hiding your face in your hands. It had been years since the last time you unintentionally tripped over your own words. Your parents had taught you how to play at being a certain kind of way, and Thatch’s seemingly unbridled honesty made it difficult to act in return. “Sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for, doll.” Thatch says and the word cools your fluster. The way he says it is very different from how your parents have ever said it, but the word itself sits on your heart painfully. Everything he knows about you is from a book that was penned by your parents plan.

Would you need to play this part for the rest of your life? Would that warmth in his voice and the kindness in his eyes fade if you dropped the act?

And what even was behind the act?

“Goodnight, then.” You say after a moment, glancing up to his eyes for just a second before looking away again.

“Yeah,” Nearly sighing the word, he seems to catch himself. Thatch straightens up a little and pulls the door closed for you. “Rest well.”

Heading down the hall, he gives the doors to your room one more glance before nearly jogging back to the kitchen. Pops and Izou were waiting for him, and Izou had made their father a fresh cup of tea. It was rare for Pops to drink anything but booze, the conversation earlier must have really pissed him off if he was drinking tea to calm down.

“She all settled in?” Pops asks, and Thatch nods.

“Yeah, I’ll be surprised if she’s still awake within an hour. I think the whole day’s worn her out.” He answers, sitting down with the others. “What in the hells did her parents say to you?”

Pops’ brows furrow and he pinches the bridge of his nose before sighing heavily.

“They offered up a plan to sell her.” He manages to growl the detestable words through grit teeth.

Izou’s eyes go wide, the teacup he was holding clinking against the saucer as he lets go of it in his surprise. Thatch is completely agog, the implication of his father’s words making him go blank. There’s no way they had heard him correctly, it was simply too ludicrous.

“Sell her… to us?” Thatch questions, head tilting in confusion. That didn’t make any sense, they were already matched, unless him or his family petitioned for a rematch, and it was approved, she was already a part of the family.

“Their suggestion was that I utilize the trade routes of the company, and any connections to interested parties, to auction her off to the highest bidder.” The tea cup in his hands shatters and he mutters a curse before Izou helps him clean up.

Thatch doesn’t even notice, his fist clenched so tight he can feel his fingernails biting into his palm. “They wanted you to…” He can’t even say the words, but his father nods.

“Seemed to think it would be a good deal for both of us.” Newgate explains, reaching over the bar and pulling a bottle of liquor out. “They were… detailed about why she’d fetch a good price.” He takes a heavy drink straight from the bottle. “Despicable.” He spits the word. “I can hardly believe they’re parents.”

Thatch growls. It’s a low, reverberating sound thundering against his ribs, as he’s trying to keep from roaring in anger. If he reacts how he wants, you’ll hear him, even so far down the hall, and he doesn’t want that. Doesn’t want to risk making you afraid of him, or of his family, not after hearing all that.

The idea that your parents would so callously bring up such a plan, however, makes his blood boil. He’s angry to think that you had to live with them all this time.

“Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t just bury them in the garden.” Izou says. He looks relaxed, but his tone is so scathingly icy it helps Thatch calm down. Knowing he’s not alone in his rage is oddly soothing.

“We can’t let her parents-.” Thatch starts and then stops.

“We can’t stop her from going home if that’s what she wants.” Pops corrects him. “She’ll be moving in with you within the next week even if she does return to them.”

“That’s too long!” Thatch barks, slamming his fist on the counter.

“She’s an adult, Thatch, we can’t detain her.” Izou points out. “If she had requested we drive her back home earlier, instead of accepting the guest room, we wouldn’t have had a choice.”

“We don’t have to send her away though.” His father points out. “I mean to ask her tomorrow what she wants to do. She can stay here for a while before moving in with you, or move in immediately if she’d rather. We can take her home if that’s what she wants, but no matter what she decides you’re going to have to be okay with it, young man.”

Thatch growls for a second before sighing, curling on the stool until his elbows are on his knees and his face is in his hands. You were so docile he was certain you’d decide to return to your parents tomorrow. You might not even believe his father, if Pops decided to tell you everything that had happened. You had no reason to trust him over your own parents.

He wasn’t even sure he wanted Pops to tell you everything. If you did believe him, what would that mean? Did you know? Had you spoken so kindly to him all evening understanding that there was a chance, however slim, that his father would agree? Was there a fear in the back of your mind that Thatch himself would be the deciding factor?

Meeting a match for the first time was already stressful enough, to be put in a position that made it worse was cruel.

“I let my parents read the book. I saw a picture of you, but I didn’t look at anything else.”

Thatch’s brows furrow and he sighs. Either you did know that had been your parents plan, and hadn’t wanted to risk getting attached only to be sold off, or your parents hadn’t let you read the book and you’d lied. Understandably so, and he wasn’t even mad at the idea of it. Who would want to drop that kind of information at a first meeting?

He didn’t know how tomorrow was going to go, but if he didn’t calm down and get some sleep he wasn’t going to be able to cook you a delicious breakfast. So he focused on that instead. Something he could control, and hopefully something you could enjoy.

[punsmaster69]

8/NOV/20XX

paps made this today.

[A neatly folded paper is attached below.]

———

THE GREAT PAPYRUS' GUIDELINES FOR TO SANS BE SAFE WHILE HE'S SORT OF IN-BETWEEN HEALTH STATES AT THE MOMENT (AND ALSO JUST IN GENERAL)

· · · . . . · · · . . . · · · . . . · · · . . . · · ·

• MUST BE WITHIN PROXIMITY A FRIEND CAPABLE OF HELPING IN CASE OF EMERGENCY!

• AT LEAST TELL ME BEFORE YOU UP AND DISAPPEAR SUDDENLY.

• GOING OUT IN BAD WEATHER IS A NO!

• EAT SOMETHING BEFORE LEAVING! THE EXCEPTION TO THIS BEING IF YOU'RE GOING OUT SOMEWHERE TO EAT.

• IF YOU START TO FEEL UNWELL TO ANY CAPACITY... STOP FORCING YOURSELF TO KEEP DOING THINGS!

• LET AT LEAST ONE OTHER FRIEND KNOW WHERE YOU ARE/WILL BE.

• DON'T REMOVE ANY BULLET POINTS FROM THIS LIKE YOU DID WITH YOUR TO-DO LIST, WHERE ITEMS KEPT SLOWLY DISAPPEARING BUT WERE NOT ACTUALLY BEING COMPLETED. I WROTE IN PEN THIS TIME! DON'T TRY IT!!

• THROWING UP/ACCIDENTAL EYE ALTERATIONS ARE AN IMMEDIATE "GO HOME".

• PLEASE COME HOME BY AT LEAST A SOMEWHAT REASONABLE TIME.

• REMEMBER TO DRINK WATER! MAYBE KEEP A BOTTLE WITH YOU.

• SLEEP PROPERLY! NO ALARMS TO KEEP YOU UP!!

REALLY. I UNDERSTAND THE FEAR, BUT BEING AWAKE FOR SO LONG DOES MORE HARM THAN IS PREVENTED.

• ALSO, DON'T WRITE IN YOUR JOURNAL SO LATE THAT YOU DON'T SLEEP ENOUGH.

• ALSO ALSO, DON'T KEEP CONVINCING YOURSELF TO WRITE WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN A STATE TO. I CAN ALWAYS TAKE OVER IF NEED BE!

• WHEN YOU NEED A BREAK... TAKE IT!!

• NO PUSHING YOURSELF TO THE BRINK OF EXHAUSTION. FOR ANY REASON!

— ★

WITH LOVE (AND CONCERN) FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, THE CONCLUDED GUIDELINES FOR TO SANS BE SAFE.

———

"THE LIST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, IF I THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE TO ADD... BUT I WANT YOU TO FOLLOW THIS."

"ok."

"EVERYONE WILL HELP HOLD YOU TO IT!"

"so you're.. en-𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵-ing everyone to enforce this?"

"YES, BECAUSE AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO, I CAN'T WATCH OVER YOU BY MYSELF 24/7."

"fair enough."

"though, gotta ask: why'd i need safety guidelines all of a sudden?"

"LET'S SAY THAT THIS IS PART OF THE WHOLE, 'LETTING ME CARE FOR YOU' THING."

"...alright. i'll try to follow it."

"seems easy enough, at least."

——

ok. first thing i can listen to;

there's this terrible pain in my eye that's not quite goin' away, and squinting at this page really isn't helping.

at all.

...so i'm calling it a night.

seeya tomorrow. probably.

yeah. not suddenly gonna dust.

even if it's the absolute bare minimum, i'm still gonna be here if i can help it.

[yui-onnero]

Sorry for the inconvenience, and I hope you’re doing well. My name is Lana, a former engineering student from Gaza🍉💔. My life was turned upside down when the war started, destroying my dreams and my home. I barely made it out from under the rubble, losing many loved ones, and my father was severely injured. He has always been my biggest supporter, and now he’s fighting for his life. I’m desperately trying to secure the treatment he needs.

I never imagined I’d have to ask for help, but time is running out, and my father’s condition is critical. I cannot afford the medical care he desperately requires. Please, I urge you to act quickly. Your donation could be the difference between life and death. Even a small amount, like $20, would make a huge difference. Please don’t underestimate the impact of your contribution, as every bit of help makes a real difference in these critical times.

Life is unpredictable—what you give today may come back to you tomorrow. Please, don’t wait. Help us now.🙏❤️

OMG!! I'm so sorry! As someone who's also suffering through their father needing severe medical care, I cannot express how desperately I wish to donate! I'd give you thousands of dollars if I had the money! Unfortunately, I physically can't because I'm still getting paid minimum wage with, again, my own father to support. I pray with all of my soul that you or someone is able to get him the treatment he needs! Please, be safe and I wish you the best in all that you embark on! Do you have a GoFundMe I can tag?

Found it! It's on CHUFFED:

Please, someone, donate! I cannot stress how much almost losing the figure, maybe only figure, in your life who's supported you through it all feels like, and I cannot sympathize with Lana more!!

Please, PLEASE, donate to help her and get her father the treatment he needs! I grew up/am poor, and I know how hard medical care can be to get, especially for my beloved father. And I know I couldn't deal with the loss of my father if he did pass, so I want NO ONE else to have to go through that. Countless nights at the hospital/elsewhere where your wondering if your father is still alive or not, knowing nothing about his condition at the moment except what they told you when you were there, if you were at all.

And it hurts.

It hurts the heart, the soul, twisting a knife into your gut and pulling out hard before stabbing back into the contorted wound over and over as your anxiety hits you like it'll kill you with one more hit, one more attack. And on top of this, she's lost many family members to these attacks...

So please donate, and I'm begging whoever comes across this to donate. Because my experience was horrible, but Lana's...Her's is worse, so much worse, and she needs our help! So please. PLEASE. Donate if you can, or spread this around Tumblr as much as you can. Reblog! Like! Share! Something that can help her, that can help Lana and her father!

Lana, know that you could NEVER be a burden, bother, nor inconvenience to me, alright? If/when I get the money, I'll donate. But until and after and during that time, my page can/will ALWAYS be a safe space for you , alright? Please keep that in mind. My tag is @yui-onnero , where I go by Yui. Real name is ||||| Heatley. This Blog can always be a safe spot for you. I will offer you all of the support I can give, and know that you will be loved and supported as long as you are on my blog. If you ever need to rant, go in my inbox. I'll respond. You wanna talk? My messages are open! If you need support, my digital, wilting arms will try their best to raise you high enough so you may soar.

I wish you the best, truly the best, only the best. I'm here for you.

-Yui / @yui-onnero

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Recouping from these last two weeks, still. Kiddo's mom texted yesterday to say they were heading out of Reno towards home, and so last night was my first night back "home" at my place. Oof. I love my bed. I guess I'm just gettin' old, but it just feels like I'm gonna need another coupla days before i'm really done resting up from it this year.

I wouldn't've gone out today at all if it weren't for the fact I needed to go to the credit union and get the two checks to put in the landlord's slot. Glad to finally get it done, just didn't have it in me yesterday to do it. I ran back over there to grab my pillow and that camping pad i had atop the "No Mattress For Old Men" bed, and ran back here.

The heat ain't helpin', but I"ve been holed up in here with the AC set on 76, which is a bearable temp, much more so than 78 or 80. It's not full-blown Texas Heat, but it's enough to make you feel drained after bein' out in it.

But it has been a very long two weeks this time. It's just wearing on my carcass harder the older I get. But If she's gonna be doing this every year, I'll be the go-to cook and bottle washer while she's gone.

Worked my butt off cookin' and bakin' for kiddo, and she appreciated it. Bunny now demands a strawberry when I walk back in in the afternoons. I done spoil't her. lol.

I've got to see if there's a bed frame comin' this week or no, because I have to take new photos for that craigslist ad. I just have the text up right now, and I need to get fresh pics of how it all looks. But I don't think I'm gonna be able to do a whole lot of anything this next two days, other than get some groceries...there was literally nothing in the house until I went out today and brought some bare minimum stuff to get through until tomorrow.

It was all about as pleasant as it could be today, it's not that it was unpleasant, it's just when I'm drained like I am now, I just have got to watch where I expend what little energy I do have. No longer apologize for it...which is, I guess, an improvement. (insert wry chuckle, mouth set in half-smile of grim determination here)

[purplesurveys]

1835

Do you have any plans for tomorrow?  Just need to take the dogs to the vet, but apart from that I can do whatever I want. I'm really happy I don't have any events tomorrow – my first free Sunday in over a month :( Sucks that I cheer for the bare minimum now but such is work and such is life.

What's the longest movie you've ever seen?  Gone with the Wind is like 2 minutes shy of being 4 hours long.

What movies did you watch a lot as a kid?  I watched Toy Story constantly. To this day it's still one of my favorite kids' movies.

How many rooms are in your home?  If you mean bedrooms, we have four.

Do you ever experience imposter syndrome?  Yeah, little bit.

What was the last place you rode to in a car?  Traveled quite a bit today actually! I was driver to my sister and her friends today as they had a girls' day out – I brought them to Salcedo for their lunch, then separately I needed to drive to BGC to show up briefly for an event a client was having (the work wasn't intense; I just dropped by to make sure things were going well).

Do you have a PayPal account? If so, how often do you use it?  I have but I never use it. I've never understood how it works so I just stopped trying to learn lol. Whenever I need to deal with international monies I just course it through my dad's cc.

Are you cold right now?  No. The aircon's on but the temperature is just right – chilly enough that I'm super comfortable, but not too cold that I need a blanket or can't focus on this survey.

How old will you be at your next birthday?  I'll be 26.

Before this one, when was the last time you took a survey?  A little bit after lunch.

Can you skip rope?  Sure. I'm not nearly as good as I used to be since my body feels heavier now, but I can still definitely do sets.

Have you ever participated in a charity fundraising event?  I've taken part in fundraisers, but not events altogether.

What is your hair like at the moment?  It's in a half ponytail, but I'll give a bigger shoutout to its texture(?) – it's a lot less frizzy today since I was in air conditioned spots all day hehe :)

Do you like cucumber?  No.

What do you like and dislike about your job? (or your last job)  I like the freebies, the cool shit I get to launch, the regular opportunities to see celebrities, and the semi-regular opportunities to work with K-pop artists/campaigns. I hate the hours, the regular disrespect for boundaries, and the unpredictability of clients/brands I handle.

Have you ever had a dream job? If so, did you give up on it, and why? Or do you happen to have that dream job? My dream job in the grand scheme of things is to do WWE PR, and while I'm not quite there and the chances getting there are quite bleak, I'm still nonetheless in the same industry.

What's the last sitcom you watched?  Friends.

What car did your parents or guardian drive when you were growing up?  The first car they had was a black Mitsubishi Lancer. When they upgraded a few years after, they still went with another Lancer – but a newer model, and it was initially blue for a few years until they had it painted to white.

Do you have milk in your fridge right now? What kind?  I think we may have a carton at the moment, but idk what type.

Are you left or right handed?  Right.

If you have your ears pierced, how old were you when you got them done?  I was a few months old.

Do you have any other piercings?  No, just the one on my ears.

What was the last thing you wrote down in the notes app on your phone?  Headline options for the press release I was drafting yesterday. I silently brainstorm 24/7 and I happened to think of two catchy phrases while having lunch, so I needed to type them down before I forget about them.

Have you ever been on a winery tour?  Nope.

When was the last time you were hungover?  May was the last time I had a particularly bad hangover.

Do you still have Facebook? If so, how often do you check it? Yes, it's the most popular social media where I live. I check mine everyday just to keep updated on news and if there are new dog rescues that need to be funded so I can donate.

Are you wearing your favourite colour today?  Nope, I don't have anything in purple today.

Would you ever want to visit South Korea?  I'd love to go back but it comes with feelings guardedness(?). Koreans are notoriously racist towards Filipinos, especially the older generation who seems to see us as below humans.

Racism makes people so weird and gross and annoying.

How many times in your life have you been in love?  Once.

Do you like your name?  Yes.

[an-aura-about-you]

so MY day blew absolute chunks!

under the cut for sickness both human and animal, vomit mention, family trouble, a near accident, and general unpleasantness.

-started the day kinda lazy and late since I was sick Sunday and part of Monday. ended up starting it so late that by the time I fed the cat he wolfed it down too fast and vomited it back up. :( so that was a thing I had to clean up before leaving.

-got a message from my sibling that our mother is Losing Her Goddamn Mind. what's going on is she's started drinking again, and this is apparently the final straw for Dad, who has decided a separation is in order for him to establish proper boundaries. so he and my sibbie are moving out into an apartment. so our mother swung right into angry and controlling and straight up said my sibling was "trying to steal her husband." a quick bullet list on that:

What??

Ewwwww!

NO!

WHAT??????????????

anyway, I told my sibbie they could use my spare keys to stay at my place if they like while I'm out at the office.

-leave for work with the bare minimum of what I need for the day to be okay: my laptop, lanyard, phone, headphones, cane, and half a bottle of Gatorade. I don't bring a lunch, a reusable cup, any of my herbal teas I use to make flavored water, and my money situation is so tight that buying lunch means it's going on the credit card. but at this point I'm like, "fuck it, I'll buy lunch."

-one bit of luck: at the lunch kiosk they're selling chicken gumbo, so I get a cup of that and it's not too pricey AND it tasted good. also earlier I overheard the lady who works there talkin' nice about me behind my back after I came in and wished the crew there good morning. (I pass the lunch kiosk on the way to the elevators.)

-the site to clock in and out was malfunctioning for me most of today. I had to send an email for FOUR missing punches, the most I've ever had to deal with. at least I can back up my presence with the group chat, my badging in and out of the office, and witnesses.

-I got some texts from the social committee, which was fine that they got to do the Valentine's Day treat bags for all our neighbors, but I was sad that I was too sick on Sunday and working yesterday and today, so I couldn't help put them together or pass them out. :( (I did get mine when I got home and it was very cute!)

-lunch time rolls around, so I go out to a nice coffee shop and get some tea. there was construction on my way, so I try looking into an alternate path back to the office. once I realized that path would take longer than going through the construction again, I turn around and on my way back I NEARLY GOT HIT BY A CAR TURNING LEFT INTO THE ROAD???? AND THEY HAD THE NERVE TO HONK AT ME LIKE I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE WHEN THEY WERE THE ONE TURNING?????????

-I get some extra work tonight because even though I'm not doing my day team's banks this week, I'm learning how to hand them out AND a night team coworker had some connection issues so I had to do two of her banks.

-I also found out that the coworker who does the day team banks this week will be out tomorrow, so I WILL have to do the day team banks then.

-all after my last break, I heard my bothersome coworker talk on and on about her conservative politics, cooking info that I know from my Le Cordon Bleu background doesn't work with the science, and medical misinformation that will likely get her killed. this is the same person who has a "strongly held religious belief against wearing masks" and "believes parasites cause cancer." her latest take is that sugar causes all ills. arthritis? sugar. dementia? sugar. glaucoma? sugar. like, what????? is any of this actually proven? by a reputable source?

-when I got home I found that the cat coughed up a hairball on my comforter. :(

[adollarforurthoughts]

Yikes pipu, it's been 2 days since I said anything. Perhaps it's cause I'm really enjoying myself with your presence before calling our relationship to an end...

On Wednesday, I woke up from my sleep cause you hugged me. It lasted barely 10 seconds cause I hugged you back then you turned over. Maybe I hugged too tight or maybe you realised that it was you hugging me. I'd like to think that it's the latter. We got ready and went to the Puffing Billy Train thingy and it was really cold. Most of the time, I was concerned because you didn't have a jacket. Even that made you upset cause I really wanted to get you one. You did found one that you liked. I wanted to get it as a gift for you but little do I know, you sneakily paid it yourself. I guess you don't want to be indebted in some sense... But I really wanted to get you a gift :( Its like you didn't let me at all. We went to see the penguins at night and they reminded me of you. Waddle waddle waddle. Tiny but mighty. Really tried to soaked all of the moments in. Your smile, your laughter and just you being happy. I was too tired when we got home that i crashed on the sofa. I remember you tucking me in. That was really sweet pipu. I didn't cry finally.

I woke up early at 6am on Thursday and took a shower. It was a day to relax and chill. Just to being you around. Somehow during Brunch we had an argument or rather you were unhappy cause you said, "That's the problem with you, you don't listen".. I didn't have bad intentions pips.. Neither did I want to judge the person... But I hope you see where I come from... I mean well for Kakak. She's achieved so much by herself and I would hope that she finds someone with big dreams. You're right, perhaps the stigma of an ex-convict still holds but at this age, we need to be the best of ourselves... Even if its not Kakak in this picture, I would hope that any partner, is able to support themselves (not with bare minimum) before taking in the responsibility of another person. You cooled down and I'm really appreciative of that. We walked around and did some mini shopping before going to Alcotraz. I love this! We looked so good in orange!!! Your face so nakal! It was so loud though. The warden was so funny. We went back home by taking Uber cause I think the both of us cannot take it anymore he he.

Today, we went to Brighton Beach in the morning. You had a flu. Most of the time I wanted to find water so you could take the meds. I know you wanted to take pics but wasn't in the mood. But you got so much better at the Sanctuary! Feeding wallabies in person! They're so cute right pips? It was a short day planned cause we finally get to go to DFO to get your long awaited Tommy H! You literally looked and me and gave me a smile. You went ahead to the kids section and started digging for clothes. Ngl, I kinda regret you not picking the waffle green top. I thought it looks nice though it's big. And when it came to payment.. Again you didn't let me get you any gift. Quite sad. I really wanted to get you something...

Tomorrow's our last day. And I'm gonna make the best of it. When we're back, I'll keep my promise of not bothering you anymore. I want you to grow and focus on what's important. Work and family. Perhaps you're right, it's too much pressure for me to be there when you have so much on your plate. But I'm always here.

Always.

[kinetic-elaboration]

February 25: Difficult Day

Oooooooh I am not thriving. And apparently neither is my internet, which is causing me a lot of problems when I myself do not have the bandwidth to deal with it. Did I not just get some sort of network upgrade???

Anyway. I am holding back the imminent breakdown as hard as I possibly can here!

I had an appointment in the middle of the day, which I really thought would be fine, but like for some reason, I got back and did not give a shit anymore. Perhaps it was just being out in the sun and heat midday? Hate to think I'm a fragile flower on that level but I needed a fainting couch. I just felt drained and tired and like I didn't care about anything. I got a smoothie to cheer myself up and then drank it too fast and got brain freeze. I did not accomplish almost anything and I was so tired I honestly feel like most of the day was a dream.

I could not bring myself to go shopping. This is bad but like, what am I supposed to do, pass out in the vegetables? So I came home and napped instead. I think I needed this sleep but I don't feel good, like, emotionally, now. I'm just trying to keep reminding myself that I can't trust my feelings or logic right now, I need to do the bare minimum possible, and I need to get back to sleep.

I wish I had just taken the back half of the day off. Like I don't think this situation was predictable but if I had somehow predicted it I would be way better off. I'm so worried about tomorrow on top of everything else but I just literally can't not go to work, like that's not on the table, so, I guess I'll just fucking manage somehow. I know I'll probably feel better but it's just unfortunate that I can't be like--and if I don't that's okay!

[captivemuses]

Okay my parents will be going home by noon-ish tomorrow so after that I'll be home all day left to my own devices while I'm on driving restrictions. At the absolute bare minimum I'll be off work for two weeks until my stitches/staples get removed but I'm going to be pushing for an extra week or two beyond that bc I do not want to go back too soon before my arm can handle stuff with kids and any PT people are convinced it's safe. Typing with one hand is a pain but with sm free time ahead of me I'm gonna be trying hard to get everything chilling in my inbox and drafts out and replied to and also get new things going with old and new moots so feel free to come hmu for anything while I literally have unlimited free time lol.

[yourfavoritetaurus]

75 Hard Challenge

My Accountability Partner and I decided to start the 75 Hard Challenge tomorrow, Sunday, October 27th. However, we are going for discipline over weight loss, meaning that we will keep going regardless of whether we fail a task. As well as adjusting some of the requirements to fit our needs. So not a 75 Hard Challenge, more like a 75 "Let's see what happens" Challenge.

Choose a diet (no cheat days or alcohol) At home cooking, no fast food or food delivery. I need to get back into the habit and I'm hoping it will help me spend less on eating.

Do two 45-minute workouts each day (One of the workouts must be outside) This will be difficult since we are entering Fall/Winter season. So, bare minimum, I want to do a walk around my community even on the cold days.

Drink a gallon of water each day Achievable. I have a 40oz Stanley so, that's 3.2 of those. I'll be aiming for 3 and those last 8oz will be my daily tea and/or smoothies.

Read 10 pages of nonfiction each day My AP and I have voiced our needs to read our Bible more, thus, we are aiming for a chapter a day. I'll be starting with the book of Matthew.

Take a progress picture each day Reasonable Ask. I'll be posting them here for an extra layer of accounability.

Overall, I'm excited, nervous, and experiencing many other emotions. Our 75 Hard Challenge is scheduled to end on Friday, January 10th, so we will do this throughout the major holidays. I expect to fall off, but I wish for more good days than bad.