#but alas those days are over and we are back home with the 2% milk. which is fine i suppose

[livvyofthelake]

anyone who wants you to think 2% milk is basically the same as whole milk is lying to you. whole milk literally does hit different people don’t always understand this. and i’d like to take a moment here to thank god for sparing me from lactose intolerance you were a real one for that my man <3

[kusagrasskusa]

Michael Myers X Short! Reader

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

I wrote this story on Wattpad (@Red_scarfed_person) and decided to post it here lol. If you saw this on Wattpad and don't believe me, you can go to my page on Wattpad and see that in my Messages, I talk about having a Tumblr account and left my Tumblr username there :)

And rereading my old story scared me. If you're here expecting a violent, fearful story, please don't read this. This is full of the sarcasm someone who lacks sleep can muster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ah yes. Y/N's favorite part of the day. Trying to cook. Was that sarcasm? Partially.

Y/N loved cooking; it was so satisfying to see people enjoy her food. But the part she hated was trying to reach the goDDAMN bowls and ingredients from the cabinets. Why did the construction workers have to put them 17 light years high?

Of course, it wasn't the construction workers' fault. It's just that Y/N is the size of a fifth grader. 4'6" tall. What makes it harder to live being so short? Living with someone who's 6'7."

You see, a while ago, there was a certain incident...

A tall male in a white mask and blue jumpsuit, brown hair and blue eyes, found himself in the home of another. He silently panted in his mask, in pain even if he wouldn't show it. Rolling up his sleeves and pulling up the bottom of his shirt, Michael started checking for severe wounds.

"Damn, you're hot..." Some short woman mumbled, turning on the kitchen light. Michael perked up, pulling his shirt back down and reaching for his knife.

"Oh, damn, wrong time to speak up? Sorry," Y/N said, not even knowing if she was being sarcastic in that sentence or not. Mainly since author-san doesn't know if their being sarcastic or not. Anyway--

Michael started walking towards her with the knife, not running since we all know that Michael can walk and still win Olympic runs. Y/N just grabbed a candy bar in her cabinet, opening it and taking a bit.

Michael was confused as hell. As a result, he stopped walking and lowered the knife. "So, you're not gonna kill me? That sucks since my dept is unbelievably high." Michael blinked quickly in confusion, thinking, then it might not be too high with short you are.

Y/N sighed, then gasped. "Oh wait! You're that boogeyman guy who everyone is scared of!" Y/N said with a small smile. She wasn't sadistic or anything, but she was sorta excited to see him.

Michael just stood there, not even knowing how to react for the first time in his life. Y/N then sighed again, throwing away the wrapper to the candy bar and shrugging. "If you decide to kill me later, stab my neck. It's very sensitive. Oh and my room is down the hall, to the left. And my couch is comfortable if you wanna sleep there."

And with those last words, Y/N walked to her room, closing the door behind her and getting it bed. Leaving a confused serial killer.

The next morning, Y/N yawned as she walked out of her bedroom and to the kitchen. Her kitchen and living room was one large room, the kitchen set to the right near the front door, and the living room on the other side of the room.

Between them is a hallway that leads to a bedroom and bathroom. It was a two story house. The top two floors had an office room, another bathroom, and a storage room.

Anyway, Y/N rubbed sleep from her eyes as she walked over to the stove and grabbing a pan. She also pulled out milk, pepper, salt and eggs and set them ok the counter. But now she needed a bowl to even put those in.

Michael heard noise from the kitchen which resulted in him waking up. He slowly sat up on the couch, turning to face Y/N. He got up and walked towards her.

"Why is this so high up," Y/N mumbled to herself as she tried to reach a bowl from a cabinet. She couldn't even reach the handle on the cabinet. Growling in frustration, Y/N gave into defeat.

But then comes Michael opening the cabinet for her, making her help and turn around. "W-Who the hell are you!" Y/N shrieked, blushing a bit. I mean, here she is, a tiny gal blocked in the corner of the kitchen by a tall, mascular guy.

Memories came flooding back and Y/N remembered who he was. "Ooooh, so you're that boogeyman guy? I remember now...wait... I let a damn serial killer into my house!?" Y/N shrieked again as Michael set down the bowl, turning on the stove.

As Y/N went through her epiphany, Michael actually started to cook. It wasn't until he was done did Y/N snap out of it. He set out two plates and cups, putting the scrambled eggs on them and filling the cups with F/D.

"W-Wait...so you aren't going to kill me? You're really gonna..." Y/N mumbled as Michael grabbed a nearby receipt and pen. He wrote down something, making Y/N shush and lean over at what he's writing.

"My name is Michael. I'm not planning on hurting you anytime soon. What is your name?" it read. Y/N was confused as hell now. Why would he spare her? What is so special about her? I should just be grateful, Y/N thought.

"I'm Y/N, Y/N L/N..." Y/N said, looking up at Michael. She blushed a bit, making eye contact. Michael grabbed a plate and cup and handed it to her, then grabbed his own and sat down at the small diner table. Well, way to go from one thing to another, Y/N thought as she sat down next to him.

As much as it confused her, Y/N still wasn't sure how she was still alive. But she was grateful she was, anyway. She always the tall male attractive, but never had feelings for him until recently.

Even if he'd refuse to get things for her that were high up, give her looks that just screamed out about her being short, and wrote down short on sticky notes and put them everywhere, she fell for him. What a lovely crush.

"Why the hell are the damn cabinets 17 light years high," Y/N growled as she climbed on the counter. Just as she was about to grab a bowl, she yelped when large arms wrapped around her an pulled her down carefully.

"Michael! Hey, let go!" Y/N yelled, trying to be serious despite how much she wanted to smile and laugh. Michael shook his head, hugging her tighter.

Despite how badly be wanted to tease her about her height, he kept quiet of course. He didn't just want a hug, either, he wanted to pull her down so she'd have to struggle to get back on the counter again. As said before, what a lovely crush.

Michael eventually pulled away, taking a couple steps back. Y/N looked over at him with a sour-sweet look, blushing a bit. She crossed her arms, "so, was that all you wanted?" Yeah, is that all you wanted, baka? ≧n≦

Michael shook his head, pointing to the bathroom. Y/N raised a brow. "What?" She asked, thinking for a moment. "You need a towel or something?" Michael then nodded.

Y/N smiled a bit, nodding. She walked to her room, Michael following until they reached the door. Grabbing a towel, Y/N walked back over to him and handed it. "It might be a bit small for a giant such as yourself, but here."

Michael nodded, then walked towards the bathroom and went inside. Y/N smiled a bit, thinking to herself about what he'd look like once he got out. It made her cheeks heat up and her heart beat a bit faster.

And about 15 minutes later, Y/N was back in the living room, watching TV. "C'mon, Saitama, beat the hell outta them..." Y/N mumbled under her breath, watching an intense fighting scene.

Y/N perked when she heard the bathroom door open and looked over. Long story short about that was happening in her mind: bad idea.

"MMMM-" Y/N screamed muffledly, having covered her mouth with a pillow that moment. Her face was red, blushing hard from the sight. The towel covered just enough on Michael to where nothing was shown, but he was h o t. Even the scars on him weren't seen as disturbing or anything.

Michael cocked his head, holding his clothes in his hands. He ignored Y/N's reaction to seeing him, since he only cared about his jumpsuit being cleaned. Of course he would act like that--

Y/N, already knowing what Michael wanted, slowly stood up and walked over. She was figitting, clearly still flustered as she grabbed his clothes. "I-I'll just, uh, go wash these..." She mumbled as she walked passed him quickly, to the washing machine and dryer.

Michael blinked a couple times, thinking about the hell he's supposed to where for the time being. Just the towel?

About five minutes passed, Michael was still waiting next to the bathroom for Y/N to come back. He just wanted something to c h a n g e i n t o.

Alas, the moment finally came. Y/N walked back out after almost crying to herself in the laundry room. Typing this out now made me realize I'm making it sound like Y/N was-- well, if you know, you know. But no, that wasn't happening. Our child, Y/N, was just flustered, ok? Yes, our child. I care about you so much reader and I love your OC even though idfk what they look like. They're a beautiful specimen. :):):):):):) Anyway, back to the story.

"H-Hey," Y/N stuttered as she walked out, waving as Michael. Michael, who kept his mask on by the way, just rolled his eyes from inside the mask, handing her a piece of paper. It said that he needed a change of clothes, to which Y/N just chuckled about. "I-I mean...Do you reallllyyy? Can't you just stick with that? You don't look too bad in it, heh heh."

Michael have her a dull look from under his mask, making Y/N sigh. "Fine, whatever. But let's be honest, I'm not gonna have anything that fits you. You should just stick with that," she said, shrugging and pretending to calm about seeing him like that. She was clearly in a flirty mood, which she sometimes gets like when she wants to annoy Michael.

He likes to out sticky notes everywhere with the word short on it, pull her off counters so she has a harder time getting stuff from cabinets, and put his hand above her head as if he was saying, "You're not tall enough to do ____." So it's only normal she would flirt to get him back. But mayyybe acting like that isn't a good decision on her part.

Michael sighed silently, grabbing Y/N"s wrist softly. "Wha--" Y/N cut herself off when Michael pulled her close, leaning down to get his face close to her's. Then, for the very first time in years, Michael spoke.

"Whatever makes you happier~" Michael whispered in her ear; his voice was low and husky. Y/N turned red immediately, incapable of even coming up with a response. Hold on- a tall, mysterious guy with a good figure pulled me close and now can speak, in a hot goddamn voice at that, Y/N thought.

Michael caressed her cheek, pulling away. Y/N had her mouth slightly parted, her eyes widened. "Yo...You can..." Y/N stuttered, not even able to come up with a sentence. So instead, she just nodded slowly, slowly walking into her room and gesturing for him to follow. Michael smiled proudly under his mask, following her.

Yes, what he did was small but Y/N was the kind of person to be a bit extra about these things. Of course it affected her. Anyway, about five minutes later, Y/N couldn't find anything for him to wear other than a large hoodie and very oversized sweatpants she got from a Plot Convenience Sale, which was kinda tight for him. But at least she had a use for the sweatpants, since that was kinda just in her closet.

Y/N took a deep breath once Michael was done changing, coming out of her room. Of course, she left the room when he got changed so don't think dirty, precious readers. Y/N looked over, smiling a bit with heated cheeks at Michael. The small moment from earlier was still bothering her.

"Does it fit?" she asked, raising a brow. Michael nodded, putting his hands in the hoodie pockets. "That's good," Y/N mumbled, staring at the ground awkwardly. A couple moments of silence later, Michael smiled from under his mask, taking it off while Y/N was too busy being lost in a daydream to notice.

"Thank you," Michael whispered as her kissed her forehead, making Y/N flinch. Because Michael appears to be as fast as light, he was already putting his mask on by the time Y/N looked up. Her face was red again, but even worse than before.

"M-Michael, did you just--" Michael was already walking away, brushing her off. "Hey, listen to me!" Y/N yelled as she caught up to him. Like hell that was going to be a one time thing, Y/N thought. I'm going to see his face eventually, she promised herself.

[letsperaltiago]

a merry little christmas

Welcome to (once again belated) door four of four! 

Behind my Christmas calendar’s fourth door is a... baby’s first christmas, pure fluff oneshot ♥️ 

Summary: It's Baby's First Christmas and Jake and Amy are taking it all in - both presents and tiny surprises from their son. Pure domestic fluff for days.

Rating: G

Words: 2.2k

Read on AO3 here

Right then and there keeping a straight face, or just anything that looks somewhat close to it, is beyond impossible.

It’s Christmas morning, six AM to be more precise, and the still rather new, little family of three is slowly making their way through the presents waiting for them under this years’ Christmas tree. As a matter of fact, it’s rather Jake opening gifts meanwhile Amy is on the couch with their two-month-old son eating his second breakfast - that is if his previous meal at three AM can be considered breakfast. Jake likes to call those meals Midnight Mac Snacks.

“They really need to communicate more,” Amy chuckles, which causes her chest to jolt just the tiniest bit, alas apparently enough that it earns her a grumpy little cry from Mac to which she immediately reacts by stroking and repositioning the tiny infant’s head. “No need to complain, Mr. Mac. Mommy and daddy are just having some fun.”

“He’s bitter because all he got for Christmas is ‘Baby’s first Christmas’-ornaments.” Jake hasn’t stopped laughing since he opened the third ornament, from auntie Roro, which came after uncle Charles’ ornament. Upon unpacking this second ornament, from Charles, matching the first ornament from Holt, it didn’t cause much worry. The new parents simply saw it as a matching coincidence and they’d just keep both. Although upon unpacking a third one, they should’ve known: it was a perfect, hilarious 99th precinct-disaster.

Fast forward to present time, Jake is sat on the living room floor with not three but six ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ ornaments for his son. Sure, they’re all different styles and designs but Jake can’t help but laugh. In retrospect, he and Amy had told the squad that baby Mac didn’t need anything grand for Christmas as he was still so small and had everything he needed so far. They told their friends to save the money and spoil Mac for next Christmas, a Christmas he’d understand much better than the current. Turns out great minds think alike and everyone’s creative take on Mac’s gift had been the same.

“It’s kind of cute that they all had the same idea.” Mac has gone back to quietly suckling on Amy’s breast, allowing her time to chime in on perhaps this Christmas’ funniest moment yet. It’s too soon to declare it the funniest as they’re headed to a huge Santiago Christmas-dinner in the evening and anything can happen there.

For Christmas morning though they very early on, already before Amy gave birth, decided to stay home as they knew it’s what they’d prefer with their very new son. Sitting there, in the moment, looking at gifts from their incredible friends and Mac quietly eating in the lights coming from the Christmas tree, they’re both thankful to have made that choice. Sure, Santiago-Christmas morning was an event that you didn’t want to miss out on but this year, with very few hours of sleep behind them and vomit on both clothes and hair, it’s nice to be able to soak in the sweet surrender of their little trinity.

“We do have the best friends.” He picks up the ornaments, hanging them on his fingers to put on display for his wife. “What do we do with these?” A sheepish smile replaces the goofy grin from before.

“I don’t know…”

The doubt on Amy’s face, biting her lip, thinking hard, is clear as day which is understandable since Jake himself doesn’t hold the answer for their little dilemma. Giving them back to their respective giver is not an option - what would Holt do with a ‘Baby’s First Christmas Ornament’? -  and getting a refund also seems too cold. Fact is that each of their friends has had the same idea: they wanted to mark and somehow be a part of Mac’s first Christmas. Jake and Amy can’t, nor want to, take that away from their son nor their friends. All in all, there seems to be no good solution but one: keep all six ornaments.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Jake cocks an eyebrow, implicitly suggesting what his wife is already thinking.

“If you’re thinking that we should keep them all and put them on the tree, then yes, I am thinking what you’re thinking.”

At just the right time, almost as if he’s agreeing, Mac lets go of his mom’s nipple before letting out a small, hazy gurgling sound. A sound he’s never made before. Both parents freeze on the spot, forgetting all and everything about the ornament-issue.

“Did you hear that?” Amy asks, making it sound as if she doesn’t believe her ears and a second opinion is needed. Having studied all and everything for her first child’s arrival, everything this could possibly imply, Amy shouldn’t be surprised that her two-month-old is finally introducing his first small noises. The fact resides very clearly on the Milestones to Expect-index, page 2, in her ‘Two month’-binder. Yet here she is, Jake right there with her, surprised by this new accomplishment of her newborn - one of many accomplishments that she both loves and, even two months in, still is a bit nervous about discovering as she just rather know her baby fully by heart already. On those occasions where Mac’s changing, something she swears happens daily, makes her feel uneasy as if she doesn’t know him at all, she holds onto Jake’s reasoning: Some tests can’t be studied for.

And no matter how much she hates that fact, Amy knows her husband is right and she does love him for reminding her whenever she happens to fall down a spiral of doubt and frantically tries to grasp for the control that lies within facts, books, and lists.

Jake jumps from his spot on the floor as if it were lava and falls into place beside her on the couch where he can hover over his incredible son.

“I did but I didn’t fully realize where it came from right away, but oh my gosh, Ames! Our son is a genius!”

“Perhaps… Or simply in accordance with average-”

“No, Amy - a genius! Like his parents.”

Her husband looking as if he could burst any second, a firecracker of sorts and there’s no stopping the explosion, Amy hurries to put down her before lifted shirt and places Mac against her shoulder. Here she hopes he can both burp and, hopefully, make another glorious sound for them to be proud of. Jake leans in as though he and Mac are to exchange secrets behind Amy’s back and the milk-drunk infant, unable to control a whole lot, waves around his arm and just so happens to grab Jake’s index finger. During these first two months of Mac’s life, this has happened a few times already, the first time being at the hospital which caused Jake to cry happy tears Still, every single time, Jake feels reaffirmed by the fact that creating this tiny human being is one of his best decisions ever - that and telling Amy Santiago that he wished something could happen between them - romantic stylez.

“C’mon, mister. Show daddy how you talk.” Jake coos even though the little man of the moment seems far from interested in or bothered by his parents’ admiration and swooning over his new talent. His mommy patting his back does feel good though, especially when it helps a burp escape and Jake, of course, has to laugh because Mac is truly and fiercely his son. “Now that’s talking!”

“Not what I had in mind but nice to know he’s burped.” Amy chimes in and replaces the soft patting with small loving strokes, hoping to soothe her boy to sleep as the next step in his ‘eat, burp, sleep’-routine - even if Amy wishes Mac would make another sound. Just to confirm that she wasn’t hallucinating before.

“Make a sound for mommy, baby. Just a tiny one.” Amy takes her turn cooing a plea but it happens to be very much in vain.

“Aaand he’s dozed off,” Jake chuckles quietly whilst using his thumb to caress the tiny fist still wrapped around his index fingers, a fist that doesn’t let go even though the owner is already fast asleep with a mix of drool and milk caught in the corner of the gaping mouth.

“That was fast.”

“I don’t blame him. Life is exhausting.” Jake is carefully pecking his son’s head covered by thing, soft, black hair and even though Mac on her shoulder blocks the view, Amy smiles and wonders how she got to lucky with these two boys.

“Bedtime?” Amy asks, expectant of confirmation of whether or not Mac is far enough gone to be moved without waking up and throwing a tantrum that’ll mean they’ll have to spend another half hour or so lulling him back to sleep.

“I sure wouldn’t mind. I did prepare breakfast though.” It comes out mid-yawn, proving Jake’s point further, as he nods his head in the direction of the pancakes, courtesy of Jake, and hot cocoa, courtesy of the local bakery that has blessed their lives by opening at five AM, waiting for them in the kitchen.

“Not you, silly. McClane. You and I are definitely having that delicious cocoa. The smell of it has been tempting me since I sat down to feed.”

They mostly call him Mac. Mac or a thousand other things like Mr. Mac, Magic Mac, baby, monkey - one time, macadamia nut - and the options are limitless and renewed every day. Jake doesn’t know for sure but this might be the reason why the full name McClane being said, the context being that it’s his son’s name, makes him feel butterflies in his belly.  Either that or because he still can’t believe they named their son that. Perhaps it’s a bit of both reasons.

“Still can’t believe you agreed to that name.”

“Must’ve been a moment of weakness for me. I was pregnant and delusional.”

Amy teases and proceeds to carefully remove sleeping Mac from his spot on her shoulder, relocating him to the safety of her cradling arms.

“Delusional from the incredible round of sexy timez we had just prior to picking his name.”

“Jake,” she scolds as if the sleeping baby, which doesn’t even grasp the concept of speaking yet, were to be scarred by their explicit flirting.

“What?”

Amy’s already up on her feet, heads down the hall and into their bedroom with Jake close on her heels.  “I remember it so vividly.” Jake points to their bed. “We were right here, post incredible sex, and we got talking about baby names because a new suggestion had stroked your mind right before I came in and wooed you with my good, amazingly hot looks.” Amy’s head whips around from where’s she’s just focused on placing Mac in his cradle, double-checking that he’s still asleep, now displaying a cocked brow and overall expression that challenges his recollections of that conclusive night. Defeat hits him and his shoulders drop with a sigh.

“Okay, you were seven months pregnant and going through a particularly horny phase - which I, by the way, loved - and I, being a dutiful husband, couldn’t decline your explicit requests. But I do still stand by the fact that I boinked my way to the name McClane.”

“Oh my god,” Amy groans, partly in reaction to her husband, partly in reaction to her sore back making an appearance when she straightens up from tugging in the baby. “Stop besmearing our child’s name. I can still change my mind.”

“I’m right though.” In the meantime, Jake has approached his wife and wraps his arms around her. Pulling her closer, back to chest, and she instantly relaxes under the pecks he places on her neck. “And it’s an amazing name for an amazing little human.”

They smile in unison as they admire the life they created, carelessly and contently sleeping Christmas morning away, before them. Wrapped up in her husband’s arms and their perfect little son to look at, a fuzzy feeling that is way beyond and greater than happiness flows through Amy’s veins. The pecks to her sweaty and tired-feeling skin pick back up where they left off, systematically and how he knows she likes it, going around her neck and shoulder-area.

“I really wanna give in to how inappropriately horny you’ve suddenly made me, but…” she trails off with a sigh.

“You can’t stop thinking about the hot cocoa.” He finishes her sentence and the pecks are replaced by a muffled chuckle that tickles her skin. “It’s okay, Ames. I’m right there with you.”

“Thank God,” she groans.

“Hot cocoa and a Christmas movie we can fall back asleep to?”

This suggestion of Jake’s that will allow Amy to give into her tiredness is what she’s wanted to hear all morning.

“Sounds perfect. Grab the baby monitor?” She turns around to follow him back to their kitchen only to see him already holding the gadget with a tired, knowing smile plastered across his face and to Amy, even with his messy curls and shirt clad with stains of baby-vomit, her husband looks absolutely perfect.

Baby’s First Christmas might just be her favorite Christmas so far.

[hatsukeii]

Hiii do you have any relationship Hc's for goshiki

Hmmm this is gonna take a bit, but I have some ideas in mind:D

Our weird bowl cut boy lol

He’s gonna be Shiratorizawa’s ace... someday.

I’m gonna split this to two parts, because I write long hcs and I wanna write out how you guys dealt with your feelings before actually dating.

👾Goshiki👾

✨Confession✨

- Really clueless at first.

- By really clueless I mean REALLY CLUELESS.

- When you joined the volleyball team as manager, he definitely tried to talk big, trying to give you a good impression of who is and why you “shouldn’t mess with him.”

- He refused to get close to you, despite your efforts in trying to get him to loosen up.

- “You’re just gonna be a distraction.”

- “I’m here to beat Ushijima and become the ace of Shiratorizawa, not make friends.”

- Ah yes, the typical no bullshit shounen anime protagonist that ends up somehow becoming the little brother of the team.

- And also ends up as a tiny crush for a certain someone.

- You don’t really know when you started noticing him that much. He was kinda just... there.

- But alas, seeing how determined he is to get to the top? Mad respect.

- Maybe with time that respect slowly became admiration and attraction.

- You wanna know how determined he is? Think Kageyama, but times ten.

- This bitch waits for everyone to leave the gym after practise, then continues to train his ass off for hours. I’m talking 4-5 extra hours of training.

- You only know this because you stay behind in the gym to clean up the equipment, and he doesn’t leave the gym when you do, which is about an hour or two after practice ends.

- Whenever you ask him when he’s leaving, he just waves you off halfheartedly, usually muttering a casual “I’ll be leaving soon, don’t worry.”

- And if you think that’s it? Oh nononono.

- There has been one instance where you saw him passed out.

- Like Goshiki trained so hard he just blacked out due to exhaustion.

- How you found him?

- Well,

- Your dumbass left your textbooks in the gym, so you had to go back and retrieve it.

- It was like what, 8 in the evening, but the lights and air conditioning were still on.

- You were already weirded out, so you decided to be extra careful. You know how high schoolers are these days, who knows what they’re doing behind closed doors sometimes.

- You creak the doors open just a bit, taking a peep.

- And your eyes land on a motionless Goshiki just laying on the gym floor.

- That scene scared the shit out of you.

- You checked his pulse, and his breathing. To your relief, his pulse was still there, although it wasn’t as strong as it should be. However, his breathing was definitely shallower than usual.

- Thank god for that emergency treatment course you enrolled for last year. You knew how to treat Goshiki almost immediately, raising his legs and keeping them up with a stool you found. What you didn’t expect, was for him to not wake up even after 5 whole minutes of you checking on him.

- That time you literally called an ambulance.

- Needless to say you definitely scolded him when he woke up, before forcing him to eat and drink something.

- Turns out for the past months or so, he’s been training for an extra 4-5 hours a day, without enough food or water to replenish himself.

- It would be about 9-10pm when he got home, where he had to finish his homework and finally get some food in his system, mostly leftovers. When he’s done with homework, it would be around 1am, which would be when he actually cleans up and hauls his ass to bed.

- He has to wake up at 5am for morning practise.

- You were about to punch him when he told the doctor all that.

- Since that worrying experience, you’ve forced Goshiki to leave the gym after a maximum of two hours.

- You walked him to the bus station after every single practise, just to make sure he doesn’t pass out.

- (And also to stare at him while he listens to music and tosses the ball occasionally, but he doesn’t need to know that.)

- Goshiki honestly appreciates the walks to the bus stop and the casual conversations you guys can hold.

- And to be honest, he was pretty surprised you’d actually go along with what you said in the hospital and “Walk him home every single day until he’s done with volleyball in highschool.”

- These days you patiently wait for him to finish his extra practise, and set an alarm for 2 hours. Once those 2 hours are up, you’re dragging his ass out of the gym with his stuff all packed neatly. No buts, nope, don’t wanna hear it.

- Maybe it was the determination you had to make sure he was safe and healthy, or the dumb conversations you had every single day about mermaids getting laid and unicorns getting horny.

- Because with time, Goshiki eventually succumbed to his feelings and admitted to himself.

- He had fallen for you. Hard.

- And there was nothing he could do about it.

- Except,

- Avoid you as much as he could.

- Poor little Goshiki was so clueless that he thought avoiding you would eventually cause his feelings to just disappear like how my dad went to get the milk.

- Whenever he saw you in the hallways, he’d just blush and walk the other way, even if it was the opposite direction of where he was supposed to be going.

- Nope, no fist bump, hi five, nothing.

- Alas, he couldn’t avoid you much anyways, since you were the manager for the volleyball team, and you also persisted on walking him to the bus stop every single god damned day.

- All he could do was try and muster up the driest possible responses to anything you said.

- “So, how was practice? You feeling anywhere near as powerful as Ushiwaka yet?”

- “Eh, it was okay.”

- “You want something to eat or drink? We can go to that boba store around the corner from last week and get something.”

- “Nah, I’m good.”

- You were weirded out, to say the least.

- Since when did Goshiki pass on boba?

- “Oi, Tsutomu, are you feeling okay? You’re acting a bit odd.”

- You raised your hand to his forehead, feeling the warmth on your palm as Goshiki flared 50 different shades of red.

- “U-uh, my stop’s there, I’ll see you tomorrow bye-” he rambled, stuttering over his words before zooming towards the wrong station.

- “What just happened?”

- All Goshiki could do was get home as quick as possible, finish all his work, eat up, clean himself, and just scream into his pillow.

- “I’ve been avoiding her for so long, why is she still stuck in there?”

- He was being so blatantly obvious with avoiding you that the volleyball team eventually had to speak up.

- That went terribly.

- “Goshiki, why aren’t you focusing these days? Is there something troubling you?” -Shirabu

- “Plus, you haven’t even spared a glance at y/n, let alone talked to her. Aren’t you guys like best friends?” -Tendou

- “Goshiki do you like her?” -Ushijima

- Goshiki almost choked on his water.

- No, not almost. He definitely choked on his water.

- “What? ME? PLEASE! OF COURSE NOT!” -Goshiki, in denial, blushing

- “Seems like you do to us.” -Ushijima, as blunt as usual

- “Well then, you should’ve just told me Goshiki. I never knew you disliked me.” 

- Oh shi-

- Well isn’t it convenient? You were standing right there with volleyballs in hand when he decided to belt out that statement.

- For the next few weeks, you both avoided each other as much as you can. You even stopped walking him to the bus stop.

- Until the day before their match against Karasuno.

- At this point, Goshiki had had enough.

- This was troubling him to an extent already, and he also had the match to worry about.

- At the end of practice, he waited until all the members of the team (especially Tendou) left the gym, before harshly pulling you into the storage room, pulling you down to sit next to him on the floor.

- “What do you want Goshiki-”

- “I like you. That’s it.”

- What the hell.

- Your mouth hung open, you face and neck feeling hot, as he made his way back into the gym, practising yet again. All you could do was sit in the storage room, still not comprehending what had just happened.

- Not knowing how to deal with this, you grabbed your stuff, and made your way home as quick as you can, not wanting to deal with the situation at hand yet. You flop onto your bed once you reach your room, and scream into the pillow out of frustration.

- “Why did I do that? That was my chance, I blew it! I’m so stupid oh my god.”

- Goshiki was also being extra aggressive with the volleyballs too. By the time he had finished his extra practise, his palms were scathed and sore, red marks scattered all over.

- During the match agaisnt Karasuno, he was extra nervous, not wanting to screw up.

- But at the same time, the events of yesterday replayed in his mind like a broken record. The way you stared at him in shock, not even making a sound. How you left the gym as quick as it happened, not sparing even a glance at him. It made him regret ever befriending you in the first place. He should’ve known that this was bound to happen.

- This led to him being extra aggressive during the match. Both teams were shocked and quite frankly, a bit intimidated too.

- Goshiki was fueled by all his pent up rage against himself, a seemingly dark aura radiating off of him on the court. He was stupid. An absolute imbecile. A moron. An idiot that put his heart on his sleeve, not once thinking about the consequences it could bring.

- When coach Washijo decided to scream “if you’re gonna stare, at least stare at a damn girl” at him, he sneered so hard at him his face was about to become permanently contorted. Even his own coach, the spawn of satan, was taken aback.

- The fact that Shiratorizawa ended up losing did not help. At all. All that did was make his day even shittier.

- Until you finally told him you reciprocated his feelings.

- Not long after the loss, the team all went their own way home, feeling miserable about the game.

- Goshiki had his earphones in, walking towards the bus station, head hung low as he silently sobbed, feeling like absolute shit.

- You caught up to him, before basically engulfing him in a huge hug from behind, nuzzling your head into his shoulder, refusing to let go.

- He was flustered, to say the least. Frozen in place, tears continued to stream down his face in steady streaks.

- “I’m sorry for your loss today, and for yesterday too.”

- His eyes widened at your apology as he furiously wiped the hot tears, his eyes still slightly puffy and his nose still red.

- At this moment, Goshiki needed someone. Desperately. In one swift motion, he had turned around and held you with an iron grip, a hand pushing your head into his chest, his back hunched with his head in the crook of your neck as he cried, this time letting the sobs and whimpers become audible. His salty tears met your skin, rolling down to your collarbone.

- “So the reason why you’ve been avoiding me was because you liked me?”

- Goshiki nodded into your neck, still crying.

- “Well I’ve liked you since the start of the school year too, so don’t worry. I’m here for you.”

- Hearing that, he detached himself from your neck, staring at you, surprised at how calm you were and how dense he had been.

- “Wait for real?”

- You were in a hurry, since you promised to run some errands, so you did the first thing that popped into your mind.

- On your tiptoes, you gave his lips a quick peck, before running away, your face completely red.

- “For the record Tsutomu, we’re dating now I guess.”

✨Dating✨

- What a sweetie.

- At first, he’s super secretive with the relationship, not wanting people to find out.

- Especially not his parents. He would have hell personally sent to him in a cute little death package if they ever found out he was dating someone.

- He tried his best not to show any trace of him being in a relationship during practice.

- But alas, Tendou once sneaked up on you two holding hands at school and instantly knew.

- This redhead announced it to the whole team that you two were dating and you almost beat him up.

- Now, he’s opened up a lot more about this than when it first started.

- No, his parents still don’t know about you two.

- But his friends knew not to hit on you, and the volleyball team would constantly tease him when you walked by, making kissy noises and over the top fake moans. Tendou once shoved two balls up his chest just to imitate you. You looked over to see your third year senior with an ahegao face, two volleyballs unevenly shoved into his shirt as he skipped around. You stared in disgust, giving him a slight scowl before turning around and continuing with your shit.

- Needless to say his other balls were absolutely wrecked by Goshiki.

- Will spoil you so badly like damn.

- Occasional gifts from lil bowl cut is something you should definitely expect.

- Sometimes you’ll just randomly find a new pair of earrings or a new phone case on your desk with a note from him, while your classmates stare in awe and lowkey envy you from afar.

- Very, very frequent dates.

- I’m talking like every weekend, and sometimes even after school on friday.

- Dates planned by Goshiki aren’t ever extravagant or anything, but god damn do they make you feel blessed. Usually it’s just to a cute cafe, maybe a carnival, or a movie date.

- Dates planned by you though? Ohohohoho he was in for so much fun. I’m talking trampoline parks, amusement parks, gaming cafes, volleyball dates, all that fun shit.

- You would let him teach you how to play volleyball, and end up laughing your ass off at how incredibly bad you were while he kinda just gives up on teaching you and goofs around.

- Your hands running through his hair is literally the best thing he has ever felt no cap.

- Likes to cup your cheeks a lot, just to make you flustered.

- (Secretly loves it so much when he’s able to make you all blushy because oh my god you look so cute.)

- You’re not allowed to sleepover at his, nor is he allowed to sleepover at yours because strict parents!

- The rare times when your parents allow you to go “help your friend Goshiki study,” you guys actually do serious studying.

- Then right after that comes the cuddling.

- Okay let’s be real, Goshiki would probably be really awkward at the start.

- He’d probably try make sure you were comfortable, so his body would be twisted into some weird position.

- But he eventually found his favourite way to cuddle with you, in a way where both of you could just lay in peace comfortably without breaking your backs.

- Most times, he would lie sideways on his bed facing you. He’d snake one hand around your lower back, the other to your head as he pulls you in close, resting you against his chest. You could hear his heartbeat, which sped up every time you nuzzled against him.

- Cute.

- Will give you pecks on the lips every single morning when he first sees you, wherever he is.

- It do not matter to him how many people are watching, he do not care. At all.

- Holds your hand e v e r y w h e r e .

- He’s also very fond of forehead kisses.

- He just finds them so heartwarming and intimate in a non sexual way.

- Every time something was bothering you, or you were just breaking down because of how shitty life was, he knows exactly what to do.

- He’d pull you into a tight hug, kissing the top of your head while drawing circles on your back with his fingers.

- If it was worse and you were crying, he likes to wipe your tears for you, kissing the stains on your cheeks, before planting a soft kiss on your forehead.

- Loves it when you wear his hoodies.

- They’re oversized on you and oh my god sweater paws are the death of him. 

- You’re honestly relieved he’s not looking for anything sexual. 

- He’s too pure for that shit, keep his innocence.

- You made a promise to cheer for him wearing his jersey whenever he played in matches, and you’ve never broken it.

- PDA.

- SO MUCH PDA.

- This boy. He loves showing you off to his teammates so much.

- “I may not be as good as Ushijima at volleyball yet, but at least I’m not a crusty single bitch.” -Goshiki to some rando that insulted his skills and personality

- “You guys go look for your own plus ones to the school dance, I’m keeping y/n.” -Goshiki to his friends

- “Stop imitating her Tendou-san, it’s insulting to her. You’re too odd to get even close to imitating her accurately.” -Goshiki to Tendou who had volleyballs in his shirt and pants

- Please just protect him at all costs, he’s so precious.

Love how the request was for relationship hcs and I ended up writing more backstory lmaoo

Still hope you liked it though I worked on this for days xx🥺🥰

[jstmymagination]

I love the BDB novels and after re-reading some of my favorites this story came to mind. Actually it’s been stuck in my head for a while now so I decided to put it on paper. this is what happens when I’m bored Disclaimer: I am not a professional writer and this is in no way related to the Wardens work so there will be PLENTY of grammatical errors😁 enjoy.

The Scribe Virgins Private Sanctuary

“You can’t let the warrior take him” you have witnessed what goes on at those “training camps” he is just a mere babe. I made a vow with Bloodletter and I intend on honoring it. The child will be trained to be a fighter and protector, he will not be just any soldier. You don’t believe that to be true, for surely if you did I wouldn’t be able to see the sorrow in your eyes every time you look upon your son. Young one you would be wise to guard your tongue with me as you are under MY protection. I know the value you hold but I will not tolerate disobedience. My male young came into the world with a piece of me that I can not take back this you well know. Even at this young age, he is much stronger than any opponent that may dare to cross his path and this includes his sire the Bloodletter. Over time he will become what he is meant to be... Pea looked up without hesitation and asked what’s that? a “Brother”

Pea looked back down at the 2 twin babes they were identical in every way same dark hair with a slight wave at the tips, same diamond eyes that sorta changed color when either of them became frustrated, and the same special glow from their mahmen. I hope that you are correct.

I have made up my mind... I will take my leave from your sanctuary when you deliver the baby Vishous to the Bloodletter. I have been hidden away here long enough and like your babes, I too can take care of myself. Many years have passed since the war has started and I would like to move on. I know now that I am alone and I would like to start life anew.

The Scribe Virgin slowly turned to face the young woman that stood before her. “And what of your duty, to the race and your people?” What will you do when it is time for you to take your place? After a moment Pea simply stated on my honor as the Daughter, only child, and last surviving member of Sir Danger son of Danger highest Princeps of the last founding family. When it is time to take my place I will...without quarrel. So be it then on your honor I will grant you leave. They both knew that she only asked out of respect because if she wanted to go, there is nothing the Scribe Virgin could have done to stop her. Pea was growing stronger and confident by the minute thanks to the Scribe Virgins father. He seemed to have taken a liking to the female. On the evening he delivered her to the Scribe Virgin she couldn’t help but ask him why? Why her? and his response was “she is but one half of the whole”

Present Day Caldwell New York Havers Clinic

Yes ma’am Mrs. Sherman the young looks well. As he moved the instrument around to get a better look at the babe growing in her belly. Havers has been in practice for so long that his Q & A segments with patients were always patterned the same. As long as he didn’t hear any dangerous words he kept the appointments moving along smoothly.

And how has your appetite been now that you moved into your second trimester?? No more nausea... good Any concerns? .... good

We have a while before we can determine the baby's sex as you know these things take time. Seeing as how vampires are pregnant for nearly a year the babies develop all organs at a much slower pace. Well, Mr. & Mrs. Sherman keep up the good work and we will see you back here in 6 weeks. Julie my nurse will take care of you from here. Havers pushed his glasses up on his nose finished his charting and quickly removed himself from the room. After checking in with the nurses' station he went to the next patient which was pre trans male with a broken leg. He never understood the fascination young people had with ATVs and dirt bikes. Why would anyone want to get on a motorized 2 wheeler and ride through the woods? One slight move in the wrong direction and a person instantly became air-born. Anyway, this was his workday one patient after another. Havers is the race's only physician in the Caldwell area, and because of this, his patient load is three times as large. The patients normally start arriving at sundown, they would check in with his nurse Julie then wait to be seen. For the most part, his evenings went pretty smoothly, Julie kept him on a tight schedule. He started the evening by doing his rounds at the clinic. This included following up with any patient that he felt the need to keep overnight. After that he started taking his scheduled appointments for the evening, these could range anywhere from a prenatal appointment to a pre-trans physical. He was normally with a patient for no more than ten minutes then it was on to the next one. However lately he was having an influx of attacked patients come in that needed emergency medical attention. For the past month, Havers was in the OR at least twice per week. Due to the nature of the injury, each time the surgeries were getting more and more invasive. When this happens then his appointments are pushed back or either rescheduled which is something he or Julie liked doing. Particularly because his patients already have a two months wait to be seen in the first place. This is why he recently started doing home visits, mainly for his elderly patients. He didn’t want them to take any chances coming into the office for an appointment and then not being able to be seen because of an emergency. So during his scheduled “lunch break” he would leave the clinic to make his house calls. Havers enjoyed this change in his schedule because it allowed him to leave for a little bit so he could breathe some different air.

Black Dagger Brotherhood Mansion

Lassiter!! I am not watching The Bold and the Beautiful, I don’t care how many times Brooke kisses another man or Ridge falls in love with the new girl. Those two always end up back together. You are correct my dear comrade, Lassiter said to Vishous but isn’t all the drama worth it?! The back and forth, love/ hate... that is what makes us tune in every day. Vishous threw him a sideye and said no it’s what makes YOU tune in. Okay V. Shouldn’t you be getting some R&R for your shift tonight? Shouldn’t you be up top tending to things?? Lassiter sporting a wide grin... shot back yeah I should be but they don’t have WiFi and Roku sticks up there so alas I’m here with you. Just as the theme music was starting....V poured a glass of goose and then walked out. Lassiter smirked and thought to himself sometimes it’s the small victories.

After leaving Lassiter... V passed through the kitchen where the doggen was prepping for the first meal. Looks like someone put in a request for Fritz’s famous French Toast casserole with Maple pecan topping. if V had to guess he would say Rhage that male was born with one heck of an appetite. Not to mention he has the inner beast so it’s kinda like he’s eating for 2? Anyway, the smell of it is always amazing something about pecans, vanilla beans, and maple.. you just can’t go wrong. Once he got down into the tunnel he decided to swing by the MD office suites Jane his Shellen had been in surgery alongside the brotherhood's other private surgeon Manny, who also happened to be V’s twin sister Payne’s Hellren, for 5 hours.

As protectors of the race, they were always in constant battle, and sometimes things got pretty nasty in the field. Last evening one of the recruits got into a nasty pack of evil vampires and although he survived he was shot in his top right femur, his stomach, and took a nasty blade to ribs. The surgery was a success because let’s face it his Shellen and her colleague are pretty godman amazing at what they do.

“Jane”, yes she says as she looks up from her charting with a smile. I stopped by on my way to the pit to see what’s doing? Nothing much Yogi is stable and after he awakes we will have a Chosen come to feed him. V loved to hear his Shellen speak with authority it was the biggest turn-on for him, actually thinking back he heard her voice before he even saw her face. She had been his surgeon when he got shot in the chest and landed in a human hospital, he knew she was meant to be his from the very first moment he heard her voice. After catching up with Jane and kissing her good day. V finally landed in the Pit.. the home he shared with best friend Butch and his wife Marissa. Butch’s bonding scent was thick in the air which only meant one thing. He and Marissa have either just started and we’re close to finishing their mid-morning sexcapade. A male Vampire bonding scent is meant to be a warning to other male vampires that this female is spoken for. After checking the security system at his control center, V checked the time which was after 2 pm he could get in a few more hours of sleep before it was time to start the day.

Que is a full-time manager at the TOP HE4VY boutique in the downtown fashion district of Caldwell. Since he was able to dress, he’s been known for his style and edgy fashion sense. Que took a liking to fashion more than anything else because it allowed him to express his artistic side. So naturally, when the word got out that an exclusive boutique-like Top Heavy was coming to Caldwell he was the first to apply. The interview went nothing like he expected, first of all, he met with the owner, Pea, at Starbucks!... of course she Insisted on him ordering a drink. He ordered Venti Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino with soy milk and whip cream. And she ordered a grande Chai Tea Latte soy no water extra hot. Que remembered everything about their first meeting because Pea had been so easy to talk too and homegirl was dressed to perfection. Lavender Chanel cashmere v neck sweater paired with fitted distressed BKE denim jeans, lavender Louboutins, and of course the ensemble was topped off with a lavender Birkin bag. Not to mention she was a full-figured woman... Pea had the kind of breast that every woman wanted to fill her bra and every man wanted to feel in his bed. She also had been blessed with hips, thighs, and just enough booty to fill in the back pockets of her fitted jeans. He loved everything about her. After she hired him then he recommended Samantha the first-generation full-time college student. Samantha only worked part-time hours due to her school schedule. She picked up shifts between her classes and on weekends. Pea was always very careful not to give her too many hours because she wanted Samantha to know that school was the priority. She also told her if you ever need anything don’t hesitate to ask. They both knew that when Pea said anything she was referring to money but she respected Samantha enough not to come right out and say it. The three of them had a great work relationship and became friends immediately. They looked up to Pea like a big sister and she embraced it. They became them on little family, so naturally, when she called Que at 7 am and asked if he would mind opening up the boutique in her place this morning, he didn’t give it a second thought. Thank you for shopping with us today Que said to the young lady that purchased the last black moto leather jacket. Nice commission off of that one he thought. $2500 jacket and I get 15% of the sale, I will take it. And when will you be getting in the matching boots for these the young lady asked? I will have to get with my boss and she can call you when they come in? Perfect... May I have your number? Que asked The lady answered quickly... I will just stop back by some time next week no rush. She took the new jacket and left the store. Shortly after that Pea came into work, this was late in the day for her. She normally was an early bird.

Hi guys, how has business been today? Not bad, both Que and Samantha answered in unison. Good, thanks for an opening for me I woke up with a migraine this morning and I couldn’t shake darn thing. If you guys want we can go out for drinks after work or lunch can be on me today... your choice. Both agreed to lunch on the next shift. Samantha was bogged down with term papers that were coming due and Que had already made plans after work. I see we sold the moto jacket I’m happy about that... I thought that thing was gonna be here forever. The lady that purchased also asked about the matching biker boots? Do you think we can get those? I have to check with the manufacturer. We might as well bring the lime green monster out of the stock room and put it on display in the front window. Maybe someone will buy the hideous thing. Samantha went to the back stock room and pick up the lime green and black moto jacket. The colors on the things were so loud that they all referred to it as the Incredible Hulk jacket. Every month her manufacturer sent a “hot item” to all of the buyers as a preview of the next season's trends. When Pea unboxed it her first thoughts were no one on this earth is going to want to purchase a lime green and black rhinestone-studded leather moto jacket. So she just kept it hung up in the back of the stock room. Are you sure you want to hang this in our window? Que asked before he took it from Samantha. Yes, you never know that jacket could be perfect for someone. Later that evening after Pea closed the boutique she headed down to the Nells Social Lounge. It was located off of Trade street which was only minutes from her shop. She liked going to this place for 3 reasons 1. the age limit was 30 and up so she didn’t have to worry about hanging out with children 2. the atmosphere was 90’s ...the music was always a mix of R&B and hip hop..not this new school mess that's streaming everywhere you turn now. And 3. They have the best-fried chicken sandwich In Caldwell. Always hot And crispy with just the right amount of seasoning. It was served on 2 pieces of “light bread” as the owner called it covered with Duke's mayo... a piece of iceberg lettuce and thinly sliced tomato. Just thinking about it made Peas mouth water.

Jace, the bouncer/doorman greeted her as she walked in. Jace had to be about 6ft 4in with a deep voice and muscular build. His eyes were dark brown almost black even and he sported a thick beard, like cotton but he always kept it neatly groomed. Same with his hair which was also long and thick, and always kept in a ponytail braided to the back. He was always polite when Pea was around but you could tell from the look on his face that he wasn’t with the bullshit. Hey young lady... we haven’t seen you in a while. I know... I’ve been trying to keep up with work you know that fashion & time stops for no one. Pea slowly walked into the bar she waved hello to Nell the owner & bartender. I will have Peach Crown in the rocks. Sure thing and would you like for me to put in an order of the usual for ya as well? Yes ma’am. While she was sipping her drink the DJ played The Dream ft. Fabulous - Shawty is a 10. This was his not-so-subtle way of flirting. And just like the clockwork, he arrived on her right side. When are you going to let me take you out? Well hello, you too... I’m sorry. I’m just not ready to date yet. Man, this guy must have done a number on your heart. I promise if you give me a chance I will take better care of it and you too. I am completely flattered but make no mistake I can take of myself. I’ve been doing it for quite some time now. How about this, when if ever I get back around to dating ...DJ AK you will be the first to know. He hesitantly accepted Pea's letdown and slowly retreated to his DJ booth. The sad part is that she could sense he was a great guy with a lot of potentials. Pea had made a habit of NOT using her senses to peek into anyone’s thoughts she always that the whole thing was just too damn intrusive however the guy had been so persistent and a total gentleman so she became curious. Honestly, the only reason she turned him down was for his protection and safety. Even though she looked and played the part of a human well. She knew that there was so much more to her that he could not find out.

After two more drinks, Pea paid the check took her chicken sandwich, and headed home. When she moved to Caldwell instantly she felt at home so the first thing she did was locate a realtor to help her find a fixer-upper on the nice side of town. Pea arrived at her home on Wallace avenue she hit the garage opener pulled her Bentley Bentayga inside and then hit the button again to close the door. Pea got out went up the stairs to the door that let her into her kitchen. After she let herself in the house then changed into her comfy spandex tights and over Sized T-shirt. Then she put the tv on to Food Network, sat down in her favorite chair with her chicken sandwich. There was a Kitchen marathon running which was a perfect way to close out the day.

Tonight I want everyone in pairs of three, it seems that our enemies are traveling in packs now. We will need to do the same. Thorment the has already released the schedules we will patrol starting with the center of town then work our way towards the outskirts. Don’t attempt to a fucking hero if you come across something that looks suspicious. Radio it in and wait on backup. After a couple of other points were made the meeting was over. Lassiter sat in on the meetings it was an unspoken duty of his. He knew that his role was to run point guard between everyone on duty. And with him spotting Devina he needed to be on his toes. He had been trying to locate her ever since the night he saw her in that wedding gown hovering over the bridge. First of all how tacky was the whole act... a wedding dress. Devina in white... Gimmie a fucking break. And after last night's disaster, he felt like she was toying with him. Yogi had been out of training for some time so he knew the proper protocol. He said that everything happens so quickly .. it was like the enemy could read his thoughts. He was in pretty bad shape by the time his help arrived. For some reason, he was in Lassiter's blind spot which again was odd because seeing all and knowing all was kinda his thing. By the time Zadist and Phury made it to him, he has suffered a gunshot and a stabbing. Good thing Manny has the RV in the field full time now because he was able to begin working on Yogi immediately. Lassiter rode in the RV back to the compound and waited on Yogi to come out of surgery before he went to his private sanctuary. He needed to recharge his battery so to speak and he also wanted to check on things up top. Lassiter was by no means hard-ass but he knew the importance of showing his face. Upon arriving he entered his room and headed straight for the shower. After shampooing his hair and scrubbing himself clean he emerges from the shower in his favorite pink feathered robe. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of how was going to assist the brotherhood with defeating Devina. He walked over to the stack of journals left to him by his predecessor and picked up the story of Charm. He didn’t particularly care for reading all of this stuff because it was all quite boring and repetitive. Also, let’s face it for the first few journals all the stories ended the same way. The war began and the Omega army wiped out entire first families. Either 1 survived to tell the story or none survived in which case the journal was incomplete ... This part of the job was just downright depressing but it was the history of the brotherhood and how it all came to be. Lassiter thought to himself... what I wouldn’t give for this to be a movie or even a soap opera that way I can just tune it every day. He tossed the journal back on top of the stack and wouldn’t you know it.. the journal didn’t land evenly which cause them all to fall over on the floor. Great!! Another mess for me to clean up. He walked over to the mess and started picking them up and restacking them. When he got down to the bottom of the pile there was a small piece of paper with an address written on it 311 Redd Ave/Fashion District..... Now, why would the Scribe Virgin have this address tucked away? He looked down at the 3 remaining books he had left to stack and wondered which one the address fell out of? Oh well finding this address is worth a trip to the city.... but first, he would need to pay a visit to Brother Vishous to get some plastic capital. After all, angels didn’t need to carry cash around. Lassiter touched back down to the mansion as the sun was setting, time to find the big guy. He knocked on the door to the pit before he entered. Vishous was sitting behind his command center reviewing security footage. Hello.. you are just the man I was looking for. Vishous responded without looking up from the screen, I can assure you that I am most certainly NOT the man you are looking for. Oh come on, I need a favor. Vishous looked up from the screen, you need a favor from me? Yes, that’s correct, I Lassiter need a favor fro you Vishous. If I grant you this “favor” what's in it for me? I will owe you one, one great big-ass favor. Anything of my choice. Lassiter nodded his head as long as it’s within my power ask and it will be yours. Vishous said deal.

Lassiter materialized downtown a few blocks from REDD AVE. This was the entrance into the fashion district a bunch of boutiques and stores that thrived on Haute fashion. This is a place where it was normal to walk past a guy dressed in designer from head to toe. Tom Ford is not just a label but a way of life for this block. Anyway, a few of the shops he approached didn’t have anything that interested him, he could tell just by looking through the windows. He walked to the end of the block then crossed over onto REDD Ave. halfway down the block, Lassiter spotted THE most stunning piece of clothing he had ever seen. It was a half lime green and half black leather MOTO Jacket!! The jacket was accented with black and lime green zippers that were completely covered in black and lime green rhinestone. He immediately looked at the name of the store which was Top He4vy. A store with this kind of unique fashion is something he needed to remember.. and well, well, well what do ya know the address plate on the building is 311 Redd Ave.

Hello, Welcome to Top He4vy Boutique!! I’m Que let me know if I can be of assistance with anything. He was greeted by a tall slender guy earlier ’20s. Muscular build very neat clean face I guess he would be considered a pretty boy. He puts you in the mind of a young man that might have pledged in one of those fraternities that have a STROLL!! Hi! I saw this masterpiece of a jacket in the window. Sure, let me grab that for you... you know you can’t go wrong with a good leather moto jacket. Que removed the jacket from the model and handed it to Lassiter while leading him over to one of the floating mirrors in the store. Looks good on you...

You know we have the matching boots as well. Would you like to see them? Sure... just then the door to the boutique opened again and 2 young ladies entered one blond and one strawberry blond. Both carrying several bags all designer of course. Welcome to Too Heavy Boutique, I’m Que let me know if you need anything. Sir let me grab those boots from the back for you... what size did you need? 11 D if you have it. Que went to the back of the store where the overstock was he stuck his head inside of Peas’ office to see if she was done with the conference call that she had been on with the distributor. He threw up his hand to wave and grab her attention. Pea responded I’m off the call, what’s up? You will never guess... there is a guy out here who is interested in buying the lime green Moto?! Que was trying to hold back the giggles... I think he may be in some kinda band... he has ALOT piercing and black/ blond hair. Very retro 80’s vibe. Well in that case let me take a peek at him.

They did this sort of thing a lot whenever someone eccentric and unique came into the store they both would service them. Just so they could gab about it later. Que found the boots in his size and then they both headed back out to the sales floor. The gentleman’s back was to the both of them as he was still admiring himself in the mirror. Excuse me sir here is that 11D for you and I would also like to introduce you to our store manager. Lassiter turned around to take the shoe and went completely into shock. Standing beside the young sales associate was a whole new set of problems.

Pea was completely dumbfounded as she reached out to shake his hand. She knew exactly what he was and by the looks on his face, he had to know about her. They both were not the humans that they appeared to be. Hi! She said in a shaky voice so I see you like the Moto jacket trying to keep a smile on her face. Lassiter cleared his throat and responded yes.... yes I do. Que broke up the awkward moment by inserting the boots. Before he could say anything one of the young ladies began pointing at a dress that was hanging too high for her to reach. Que why don’t you go help them out and I will finish up here. Sure thing.

Lassiter took the boots and headed over to one of the benches. Do you want to go first or should I? You go Pea responded. Okay very well then, my name is Lassiter and I’m a guardian of sorts. Of sorts?! Pea responded Yea ma’am... I may not carry out my tasks in the traditional sense but I am known for getting the job done. How did you find me? Pea asked. I didn’t, this address was in the book left to me by my predecessor. Um huh... so when you say left to you. Does that mean your predecessor is no longer around? I wouldn’t say that she’s always around but she is not on shall we say “ on duty” anymore. Pea saw Que looking back over in their direction so she quickly smiled and nodded toward the boots “ how’s the fit?”

Lassiter looked down and said good I will take them both. Perfect, let’s get you checked out. Que, he’s gonna take them both may you start ringing him up. After Lassiter removes the jacket and boots and fixed his clothes he walked over to the register. Que rang him up... he handed over the black Amex that V gave him along with the matching fake id. Thank you for shopping with us today Mr. Logan and please come back. Lassiter said thank you and headed towards the exit. Satisfied with his sale Que walked back to 2 young ladies. Aah Que I’m going to head over to Starbucks my latte is cold... do you want anything? No, I’m good. Hold down the fort.

Lassiter was already out of the store and waiting on Pea off to the side of the building. They casually walked toward Starbucks as if it were an accident that they bumped into each other again. Okay, I have questions Lassiter stated... Shoot... who are you?! And why are you in downtown Caldwell? Why was this address in a journal left to me? How long have you been here? And am I supposed to be helping you or should you help me? I’m so confused right now. With a giggle, Pea turned and said wow you weren’t kidding with the questions. As they approached Starbucks Pea stopped and turned to Lassiter “Before I start answering all your questions I have two questions for you .. who are you? where is Wrath? I am sorta a friend of Wraths. I mean the King. Wrath is the King and he is at home with Queen Beth and their son LW. Great!! Then to answer your questions I am no one of importance, I’ve been in Caldwell about a year now, and your predecessor left my address in that book so that I can help you. She started walking up towards the Starbucks entrance and Lassiter grabbed the door as they entered she asked him...do you have a cellphone, I will text you my home address and you can meet me there tonight around 8:30 pm. Lassiter gave her his number she pulled out her iPhone 12 Pro Max and sent him the address. taking out his phone to confirm 7912 Wallace Ave... Lassiter couldn’t help himself... oh you live in the snazzy part of town huh. Pea just laughed it off and said but of course. Pea got in line and Lassiter exited the building.

7 pm rolled around and Pea decided to go ahead and lock up the store for the evening. Que had done well for the day commission wise and so he was okay with it. Pea decided that since she was having company over that she would cook a meal for her guest. No doubt he would be full of questions for her and she needed to ready to answer them. Her specialty was southern food. A few decades ago she spent time traveling the south more specifically the Low Country and she just fell completely in love with the food. So the menu tonight would be Fried chicken, collard greens with smoked neckbones, mac n cheese, white pepper gravy, and white rice and cornbread muffins served with warm cane patch syrup.

She hadn’t had much of an appetite lately and her body was becoming achier. so she figured since soaking in her deep pool style tub wasn’t working as well as it once did maybe she should just do more. Because if she was being honest with herself... her schedule had become quite routine... home..work....maybe Nells lounge for drinks....and that’s it. Day in day out same thing over and over. Pea arrived home ready to cook. She took out the pots and pans, put on some of the soul music stations, and got to work in the kitchen. She did enjoy cooking there was something very cathartic about it. After everything was simmering and the fried chicken was in the oven warming Pea went downstairs to her basement bedroom and took a quick shower threw on pair of Nike tights and oversized T-shirts and headed back upstairs to await her guest. 8:30 pm on the dot Lassiter materialized on the Wallace block a few houses down from where Pea lived. He was only familiar with this side of town because the brothers Darius & Thorment both lived somewhere over in this area some time ago. He approached her house white with black shutters you could tell it had complete renovation done. The farmhouse look was nice and something you didn’t see in the city all the time. When he got on the porch he could smell the fried chicken he hit the doorbell and Pea answered right away. Hey, come on in. Did you cook? Yea I threw a little something together for us to snack on. Lassiter shrugged out of his jacket and laid it on the arm of the sofa. Pea walked into the kitchen and begin the lay the food out Buffett style Lassiter's eyes grew Bigger with each entree. Shall we eat first and then talk or vice versa? Grabbing a plate Lassiter said EAT. FIRST. Pea made a plate and knew she would have to force the food down because her appetite has been completely crap lately. After they ate dinner Lassiter took a deep breath rubbed his stomach and said I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve been chosen to be the protector over the king and the brotherhood but I think I’m losing ground. Our soldiers are being placed in harm's way and this new threat to them is a real bit— beast. She has so much hate in her soul and so much control over the evil. How can I fortify these guys so that they can compete because what they have now is not enough? I need to find her weakness so that I can take her out. How do you know the evil is her? The Destroyer prophecy came to light the Omega is no more And Devina assisted with his destruction. Devina? Yes, she is The Omega’s little sister. Lassiter took a swallow of sweet tea and ran his fingers through his hair. and that’s the just of it. Pea sat for a moment then got up and begin to clear the dishes. Listen, I’m willing to help educate you about your new role and possibly find a weakness for Devina. Because one thing is for sure... the only thing that combats darkness and evil is goodness and light. I have only 2 conditions 1. We train from a neutral location because I can’t have my identity be compromised and 2. No matter what we find out after 3 weeks, I get to leave and come back to normal life. Deal? Lassiter held out his hand and said deal. We will train at the brotherhood mansion it’s secure and neutral. Brotherhood mansion? Yup everyone resides there, they have plenty of room. Okay, and what will you tell them when they ask who am I? With a smirk Lassiter responded with his best southern accent: why, You’ll be my cousin Peanut from down south. Okay... so then you pick me up here tomorrow at 8 pm. I will need to make arrangements at the store.

Pea went into the store the next day good thing she had both Samantha and Que on the schedule. She told them that she had a family emergency come up and that would be out of the office for the next few weeks. They both were responsible and she trusted them to run things accordingly. Once she got home she soaked in her tub for a good long hour trying to soothe her muscles as much as could but it wasn’t helping. So she went ahead did something she never had done before which was take ibuprofen. Hopefully, that would make the muscle aches more manageable, she got packed up for the three weeks in a big rolling suitcase, a smaller duffel bag, and her purse. At 7:58 she looked out the window and Black Cadillac Escalade ESV pulled into her driveway. The passenger side door swung open and Lassiter hopped out. Nice wheels... They aren’t mine. I caught a ride with a friend Are these all your bags? Yes.. too much? I wasn’t sure what to bring... haven’t ever done this before. You are good. Pea made sure everything was locked up tight and followed Lassiter to the SUV. While he put her bags in the back she went to the opened back door on the passenger side. How are ya? A big guy said with a thick Southie accent. I’m doing well and yourself. I’m good so you just moved here from down south? Yes, the Myrtle Beach area, and this guy here is your cousin. Yes, sir... don’t let this city scare you okay. It’s a great place to live but you have to be on your P’s & Q’s. No pun intended ...Yes sir. Butch give her a break she is not that fragile. As they pulled off slowly Pea had a gut feeling that this wasn’t going to be as easy as she had planned. After a 30 minute ride and going through a series of what had to be gates due to the stop and going Pea assumed. The windows all had those shades that came up and covered them. So she couldn’t see where she was. Lassiter turned around from the front seat and said we’re here. He hopped out and then opened her door. The brother butch went around the back grabbed Peas bags. The male was HUGE ... Pea remembered studying about the brotherhood ... they were bred to be elite, the biggest and strongest of the race. Follow me Lassiter said... let’s go inside. The word mansion didn’t do this place justice it was more like a 2 hotels and palace wrapped into one big place. We walked to the double doors and butch looked up to what Pea assumed to be was the camera because the doors opened then we entered a large vestibule where Butch repeated the same Process and then another set of doors were opened by a butler. He immediately took Peas bags from butch and said madam I will place these in your guest room. Pea dropped her head and said thank you. And as she crossed over the threshold into the foyer her joints were on fire. She knew this was a mistake. So who all lives here? before Lassiter could answer Butch started running off names. My brothers Vishous by the way he likes to be called V his sister Payne, Zadist, his twin brother Phury, Rhage, Tohrment, John Matthew, Qhuinn & Blaylock, Zcor and his crew all our Shellens and young. The Rev may stop by and oh yea the king & queen Wrath and Beth and their son.

King and Queen?! As in King Wrath son of Wrath?! Holy shit!

Pea felt like the wind had been knocked out of her... how on earth was she going to make it in this house for three weeks around so many male vampires not to mention the king himself. Come on into the game room you might as well meet everyone now. Pea slowly followed Lassiter into room where she spotted Vishous & Payne first. They both resembled their mahmen. Butch started the introductions as Pea waved hello. She was introduced to Manny Payne’s husband John Matthew, Quinn, Blaylock, Layla, and the twins. The Queen stuck her head and with cutest little fellow on her hip... he truly was the spitting image of his father. Hi Lassiters cousin correct? Yes my name is Peanut but I go by Pea Well Pea welcome to our home any family of Lassiters is family to us as well. Feel free to help yourself to anything and if you need any help don’t hesitate to reach out. This little fellow wants a snack.

Here let me show you where you will be sleeping..Lassiter escorted Pea down a hall that had enough priceless paintings and collectibles, that it could have held it on at any museum. The room that Pea would be staying in was located in the middle of hall. When Lassiter opened the door Pea went completely speechless. The room was decorated like something straight out the Biltmore mansion. Big dramatic curtains the went from the ceiling to the floor, fabric wall paper, chandelier lighting, more expensive paintings, deep custom walk in closet, bathroom with tub big enough for a few people to soak in. At least I will be comfortable, Pea thought to herself. She went and sat on the edge of the bed her joints stiffened and her stomach growled. She used the restroom washed her hands and face then clamped down on her all her instincts and walked into the hall. Lassiter went ahead and setup in sitting room off from the library. He had what appeared to be volumes of the scribe virgins journals. They chronicled the battles and enemies to the brotherhood. Starting with the first warrior. this is where I think we should start? Before Pea could answer her stomach blurred out a loud roar... I didn’t eat lunch today... can we grab something quick? Sure I will have the doggen make you something... what would you like? I can do something small maybe like a smoothie with fruit berries banana and beets..lots of beets.. Beets? Lassiter said making a yuck face First of all beets are good for you and if you roast them they get sweeter. And a turkey sandwich. The sandwich was just a decoy. She hoped the smoothie would get her though the evening.

As they began to comb through the volumes... Pea started to reminisce about the time she had spent with Annalise and her newborn twins. At that time Pea was completely lost and the world she thought she knew was snatched from under her yet again. Her young life been a constant moving circus. From pillar to post she sometimes slept in a bed and other times she found shelter in screened porch. She never kept the same ghaurdian for a long period of time because it just wasn’t safe for either of them. Sometimes she was awaken in the dead of night and was told we have to move now. There was no time to pack anything or say goodbyes to people that had been generous enough to open up their homes to her. So by the time was a teenager she really was looking and yearning for a mother figure and a home . Just her luck that she would land in the hands of a women that was all business. Even though she had two young of her own it was obvious that she had no kindness or affection to spare when it came to Pea.

The Scribe Virgin had made it clear from the very beginning that Pea was there for her protection and tutelage. Starting from her first day in the sanctuary Pea began reading the journals and committing the most important parts to memory. The information all be it very interesting just did not appeal to Pea whatsoever. But since she was in the care of the Scribe she committed all her time to studying the history so that if the Scribe ever needed her expertise on any subject she would be able to supply an answer. Now after all this time her training was finally going to be useful.

Havers had made it very clear that he was not to be disturbed for at least an hour after he made his last rounds. He blocked the same time out on his weekly schedule concurrently. This was the time he did his transfusions it had been years since he had taken a vein and although the transfusions didn’t supply everything he needed. He was able to survive and He just couldn’t bare the thought of having to take blood from another women. Wether she be of noble blood or not. He felt it would be betrayal to his dearest Evangeline. Havers still remembered the way she smelled it was like fresh cinnamon n Apple spice. Her hair was black and thick like cotton with soft coiled curls throughout she always wore it down because she knew that was the way he liked it. Her smile was warm and inviting like sunshine and her eyes were the color of chocolate brown. She was everything that he could have imagined and then some. Like most marriages of high born their mating was arranged at birth. When her father found out that Havers would be attending medical school. He immediately put her on a path to become a nurse so that they would have something in common. Evangeline attend Rutgers night classes of course graduated in the top 10 percentile of her class. From her first day at his clinic, they were a natural team he admired her drive focus and dedication. She had the ability to communicate with patients on a more personable level. Whereas his approach was very clinical and direct. The knocking at door became louder then the intercom went off. Code blue paging doctor havers code blue in the ER reception area. Havers stopped his infusion pulled down his sleeves and put in his lab jacket and took off. This was the third attack in the past two weeks the patients were coming in more mangled than ever. He knew that he should reach out to the brotherhood about this since there was a pattern forming. But per his last encounter with them nothing had changed he knew he wasn’t on their list of favorite people and vice versa. Maybe he would contact his sister Marissa she was the shellen of the brother Butch He could let her know what’s going on and then she could relay the message. The only problem with that was it had been two years since they last spoke. When she upstaged him at the meeting with families of glymera. Honestly he couldn’t blame her for the way she treated him after all it had been him who started the whole thing by putting her out of their family home just before sunrise. The only way to start mending fences is to put in a phone call which is exactly what he intended to do afterwards. The preservation and safety of the race was more Important than a disagreement between siblings.

After he finished his third surgery he walked back to his office looked up the number to A SafePlace and put the call in. He was prepared to leave a message for his sister to call him back but instead she answered the phone on the second ring. Hello, this is Marissa Greetings Sister Mine, how fair thee this evening? Marissa couldn’t believe the voice coming out of the receiver It had belonged to her brother which she hadn’t spoken to in what felt like forever.

Ahh...I am well brother mine to what do I owe this pleasure? I have a number of cases that are involving brutality. All patients have come in near death their bodies near drained of blood. I’m sure that your husband and his brothers are very busy but if you could bring this to his attention. I would be completely grateful. Marissa took detailed notes and agreed to speak to Butch. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her brother until she heard his voice. She tried to keep on the line but he said he had patients that needed his attention. After Marissa hung up she sat at her desk for minute taking in the fact that her brother reached out to her. The issue of course was very urgent but the fact that Havers had taken his time to dial her up and deliver the information first hand literally had blown Marissa mind. Havers could have sent an email or one of his nurses could have called and left a message. But instead he choose to call her. This gave Marissa hope.. hope that maybe they could mend fences. She really did miss her brother. After a moment had passed Marissa snapped to attention and dialed you her Hellrens number. Hey baby... what’s doing? I just received a call from my bro- I mean Havers... he asked me to inform you about series of cases that have just now started coming to the ER. Marissa provided her Hellren with the same details that had been given to her. Butch told her that he will pass the information along to Tohrement as that was the chain of command. Marissa is there anything else that you want to share with me baby? No, no that’s all he said , why do you ask? Because I can hear something different in your voice. Well it just been such a long time since I’ve heard my bro- I mean Havers... well my brothers voice. That’s all.. Butch listened to Marissa take a deep breath and then said listen I will get this information over to the higher ups and then I’m meeting you for lunch. Marissa politely accepted the invitation and told Butch she loved him and then ended the call. Butch got up from the bar in the great room and made his way upstairs to Wrath’s study ... he knew that Tohr would be in there working with Wrath. It was almost time for 2nd meal and since he was taking Marissa lunch... he wanted to deliver the message and get moving immediately after.

Butch took to the stairs two at a time and when he reached the top he continued a slow jog until he reach Wrath’s office. The door was open which was a good sign maybe he could get in and out without many questions. He gave a light tap on the outside of door as he passed through both of the massive brothers looked up at and greeted him. Sup Butch.. hey I just got a call from Marissa. You will never guessed who contacted her today... Tohr looked at Butch and said.. I despise guessing games, while Wrath said is this really necessary? Not in the least Butch replied. Apparently Havers wanted to give us a heads up on some patients that he recently treated in the ER. He noticing a pattern of mangled body parts or the bodies being nearly drained of blood. Wrath lifted his wrap around shades and rubbed his eyes while Tohr got up and started walking towards the window. Do we know how many people have been effected by this? Havers did not say.. Butch please thank Marissa for me and see if Havers would be open to us possibly speaking with one of the victims. Tohr I will need you to handle this first hand... I would like to assist if possible Butch spoke up. Very well Wrath agreed.. I will give the brothers a briefing on this at the close of shift meeting. I’m going to meet Marissa for lunch you mind if we meet later. No problem.. hit up when you return. Butch went back downstairs and the door to head over to A Safe Place to meet up with his Shellen for lunch. He didn’t like the way she sounded over the phone and all his instincts told him that she needed him now. Marissa was standing outside as Butch pulled the ESV up the driveway... she greeted him with a loving smile. Hi baby you ready for lunch, yes but if we could talk for a moment. Butch put the truck in park and turned to give Marissa his full attention. I miss my brother. He is my baby brother and today is the first day I have spoken to him in two years. I know this shouldn’t cause me worry but it does. Would I offend you if I were to call him? Marissa you are right he is your family and so he is my family, please call him if that is what it takes to make you feel better. A lot of time has passed since your last encounter with him, maybe he has soften a bit by now. Marissa reached over the console and kissed her hellren and said I love you more and more each minute of each hour of each day.

Back in his private lab Havers tried to start the transfusion process again Hopefully this time he will be able to complete it with no distractions. In the very beginning he was excited about the possibility of vampires being able to live off of intravenous blood transfusions. It would mean wonders for so many people. Not having to rely on another the sustain a healthy balance blood diet. But alas in all the years of trials he just hadn’t come across the right combination to call the is process a success. When he rolled up his jacket sleeve there were needle sticks and track marks up and down his arms. If one didn’t know any better they would swear he was using drugs. The fact of the matter was he could only use a spot once. After that the spot became very tender and developed a dark purple bruise under the skin that healed at an extremely slow pace. He figured this had to a side effect from the transfusion. After a very careful observation he located a spot on left forearm, inserted the needle and began the IV pump. Evangeline my dearest I miss you so much. How does one heart heal after experiencing pure love and friendship. I miss you everyday my shellen, I miss the life we made with each other plus the little life that grew inside of you. With tears in his eyes Havers reached over to his computer pulled up his playlist and selected How Came You Mend A Broken Heart By Al Green. This is what his life had become memories, sorrow, sadness, patients and transfusions. Over lunch Marissa shared Havers story with Butch. Havers wasn’t always a pencil pushing buttoned up robotic nerd. He was once considered to be the life of the party. He had a great sense of humor and was very skilled in basketball. Butch had a hard time believing that one but whatever. However once he lost his shellen and child he became a different person. Butch remembered how Tohr was when he came back after he lost Wellsie. He wouldn’t wish that kind of pain on anyone. Butch suggested in a round about way ... maybe it’s time for your brother to move on. To be honest Marissa had thought about herself a time or two but how do you tell that to a grieving widower? After he dropped Marissa back off to

[jinsai-ish]

Welp, I guess I'm gonna start posting all the things. It's all old, from when I actually had, you know, free time. I also have no idea how tumblr works in terms of stuff like cuts so if people want to read the nice formatted stuff it's all up at jinsai.livejournal.com.

Any complaints can be forwarded to the otter.

First up, Pet Shop of Horrors drabbles:

Title: Imprisoning the Elements

Rating: G

Word Count: 100

Pairings/charecters: DxLeon

Notes: Response to challenge #6 (elements).

You can pick up earth, hold it in your hands. You can shape it, toss it into a box. But the wind will flow through your fingers, laughing at you. Water flows, but it will hold shape in a container. It can be imprisoned, remaining water. But fire…

Only one of two things can happen to fire enclosed in a box. It will die out, smothered for lack of nourishment. Or it will burn down the sides of the box, flickering merrily at your futile attempts to catch it. 

There are days when D can’t stand to look at Leon.

Title: Of Lizards and Rats, Mirrors and Hooks

Rating: PG

Word count: 100

Pairings/characters involved: Robin Hendrix, Medusa, Despair

Notes: Cross-over with the Sandman, response to challenge 7, bystander pov.

She looks at her mirrors, the rats scrabbling around her feet. Ah, there. Platinum blonde hair, blue eyes. Rich, handsome, talented, and utterly apathetic save for his reptiles. Drowning in the shadow of the prince, Robin Hendrix is one of her favorites. 

A new development, that lovely young lizard. She sees Robin creeping out of the frame of the mirror, step by dreamy step. Digging her hook into her cheek, she nearly smiles. The rats scamper in fear. 

Nice try little god.

Despair is patient.

When Robin looks into Medusa’s eyes, he almost misses the hook behind the prince. Almost.

Title: The Price

Rating: G

Word count: 100

Pairings or characters involved: the Chief, implied Leon/D

Notes: response to 8 "Beneath the Mask." I wanted to focus on the chief, wondering what his job costs him. Rather understated I think, but please let me now whatyou think.

Wrenching open his door, the chief gestured for the ranting detective to take his leave.

“Out! Leon, it’s Valentine’s Day. All the criminals are off romancing their mistresses. Why don’t you take off a bit early? I’m sure you can think of somewhere to go.”

Leon blustered a bit, a faint red tingeing his cheeks. But he grabbed his coat as he did so, brushing past a winking Jill. The chief humphed.

“Finally, some peace and quiet!” 

Left alone in his office, the chief twisted the gold ring on his left hand and stared at a phone that wouldn’t ring.

Title: Einstein's Truth

Rating: G/PG

Word count: 100 (not including quote)

Pairings or characters involved: D/Leon

Notes: This one was a pain to cut down to 100 words but it's done. Response to challenge 10 on the theme of time. Inspired by raison d'etat's wonderful fic "Unwilling Sleep" and the following passage from "Properties of the Light" by Rebecca Goldstein.

The passage of time is nothing real. It is a chimera spun out of gauzy consciousness, and nothing more, a frightful apparition tossed up by our mixed-up minds. We know this from Einstein's physics, which shows us a time as stilled as spread space. Time is static, the flow unreal: it is Einstein's truth, and it is the truth, falling straight away from the conditions of perfect symmetry imposed on the geometry. The ebb, which seems so terrible and real, which seems to carry off one's every treasure, leaving one like a chest spilled open on the waves: unreal, unreal.

“Einstein’s Truth”

At forty-five, calluses have long since formed on once-smooth palms. This is the choice he made. 

The aroma of hothouse flowers manages to cover the hospital smell, signs of the respect the officers at the precinct held for their chief of ten years. Leon’s resting now, the bullet that had tore through his chest no longer paining him. Eyes shut, D rests his head above a stilling heart. Somewhere he knows that he is pouring tea for a loud-mouthed, loving detective. As Leon drifts away, into past and future, D knows that this time, it is his turn to search.

"The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion. (Albert Einstein, shortly before his death)

Title: Sakura

Rating: G

Word count: 100 

Pairings/characters: D/Leon (implied)

Notes: Reply to challenge 12 (seasons). Post-series, with D in Tokyo ala Nemuki special. Inspired by the latest "Flowers and the Detective" from volume 6.

It is summer in Tokyo and past-time for some rigorous spring-cleaning. D assigns tools and tasks, arming himself with a duster.

The denizens of the pet shop are winning against dust and dirt when D stumbles upon a box stashed in the corner of his room. Within lay the gifts his grandfather sent from his own visit to Japan: the rake, the fan – and the kimono. D reaches for it, his hand unsteady. Suddenly chilled, he wraps himself in the kimono, trying not to remember widened blue eyes and blossoms falling to the ground in rushes of color and scent.

Title: Just Another Part of the Job

Rating: PG 

Word count: 100

Pairings/characters: The Chief (anyone know his name?), Leon 

Notes: response to challenge 13, waiting. Just a bit of fun at Leon's expense.

Fingers the color of rich chocolate milk tapped impatiently on the desk. The hollow thuds landed in counter rhythm to the ticking of the clock. The chief scowled at a stack of files, then back at the time piece. Ten more minutes. If those reports weren’t in his hands by then he swore he’d – The phone rang, interrupting his mental threat.

Nine minutes and twenty-one seconds later a panting Leon burst in the door, shoving a large folder at the chief.

Orcot was a damn good detective, but he was the absolute worst when it came to completing his paperwork!

Title: Statistics

Rating: PG

Word count: 140 (sorry!)

Pairings/characters: the Chief, Leon (implied D/Leon)

Notes: Response (albeit too long) to challenge 14, numbers. Takes place right after the first "Flowers and the Detective" story. 

Yesterday they had posted the annual report for the 14th precinct: 1,038 cases of robbery, 69 rapes, 700 vehicle thefts, 1,065 aggravated assaults, and 19 homicides. That wasn’t counting the officer who had lost his life in the line of duty.

“Dammit Leon…”

“Chief?” Awakening for the second time, Leon’s bleary vision picked out the chief’s face, focusing on his eyes, red and dry as the Martian surface. As red as the petals from -

“Gattolotto...” Leon winced in pain. “Where’s D?”

“I made him go home; he was here all night.

“We caught the dealers. You’ll probably get a promotion out of this. But don’t think this means you’re not an idiot for getting shot.” 

But the chief smiled. Last night they hadn’t known if Leon was going to make it. And he had already attended one funeral too many.

Long I know. But I did research! lapdonline.org and http://www.losangelesalmanac.com/topics/Crime/cr03ea.htm

I'm assuming the 14th to be under Central of Central Bureau as they service Chinatown, among other areas. And anyone else notice that before getting shot Leon is "Officer" and "Detective" after? Maybe just a translation error but it worked. *shrug*

Title: Selling Vinyl Siding

Rating: PG

Word count: 100

Pairings/characters: Leon, Sofu (implied D/Leon)

Notes: Response to challenge 16, family. 

“Selling Vinyl Siding”

Since meeting D, Leon had suffered a lot of weird-ass dreams. Man-eating rabbits, and all that crap. But that last one had really taken the cake.

“If you leave my grandson alone, I’ll give you anything you want.” 

Leon had recognized the man, nearly a mirror-image of D, save his eyes matched and lacked the glimmer that always hovered in his D’s. 

He had said this out-loud and D’s creepy grandfather glared.

“What is it you want? Riches, power, immortality? Never see him again and I’ll give you an immortal life!”

Leon had never laughed so hard in his life.

Title: Father's Day

Rating: G 

Word count: 100 

Pairings/characters: D/Leon

Notes: Response 2 to challenge 16, family.

“Father’s Day”

Leon only spoke of his father once and he held very still while he did so. His lips moved, but the shadowy blue eyes blinked slowly, the rise and fall of his chest barely discernable. D gently pried the tea cup from his fingers and refilled it, his hand lingering over the Detective’s as he returned it.

D never spoke of his father. But sometime at night, when the darkness seeped from the corners of his room to surround, he’d tremble slightly. That’s when Leon would hold him, clutching D tightly and mumbling soothing words that had no real meaning.

Title: Odile's Spring

Rating: G

Word count: 100 

Pairings/characters: Jeanne La Croix (from vol. 5, Dance)

Notes: Response to challenge 17, cold. I would have to say that of all Count D's one-shot customers, Jeanne and her story "Dance" are my favorite. :)

"Odile's Spring"

March in St. Petersburg is cold in a way that L.A. could never understand. Jeanne clutches the freshly-made bread close to her chest, the warmth soaking through her gloves to chilled fingers. Her parka is thick enough but still she envies the thick fur of the husky that runs past, chased after by laughing children. Jeanne smiles, loving the sound of the language, the thick accent that warms her ears. Her leg muscles loosen and her feet begin sweeping gracefully over the frozen ground. In Russia, Jeanne La Croix dances amid a flurry of snow, falling softer than swan’s down.

Title: "A Token of my Esteem"

Rating: PG

Word count: 100 

Pairings/characters: Leon/OC, implied D/Leon

Notes: With D gone, someone had to try and pick up the pieces. Post-series. (#31, token) 

It was raining the night she met Leon. Drunk as he was, he held the umbrella steady as they walked to her apartment. Sometimes, when she was too caught up in a client’s portfolio, he’d bring coffee and donuts. They were the only sweets he could stomach. He never talked after sex. They never made love. When she told him the company offered her a prestigious job in Tokyo, he shrugged. She left him the apartment.

She recognized him the second she entered the pet store. She strode out, fighting back tears, a red palm print marring D’s perfect complexion.

Title: "And a Pocketful of Raindrops"

Rating: G 

Word count: 100 

Pairings/characters: D, Leon, Chris (implied D/Leon)

Notes: Reply to challenge 33, dance. 

“And a Pocketful of Raindrops”

Walking out of the restaurant, Count D, Leon, and Chris strode directly into the downpour. Puddles dotted the sidewalks and a heavy, slow rain was falling. Chris seized the moment to puddle-jump, soaking the Count and his brother in the process. 

“Christopher!” D glared at him, brandishing an armful of wet silk.

“Aw Count, live a little!” Leon joined Chris, swinging him around in an odd little jig.

“Detective! If you must dance, at least show him how to do it properly.” 

Brushing droplets out of his hair, Chris gaped at a bewildered Leon, roped into waltzing in the rain.

Title: Trick or Treat?

Rating: R

Word count: 165 

Pairings/characters: T-chan/surprise

Notes: #35 -Trick-or-treat. A new pairing for me. Let's see how it goes.

"Trick or Treat?"

Tetsu thrust hard into the pliant body beneath him. Finally the Count had seen the light. Sure, it was a bit sudden and completely out of the blue, but the toutetsu wasn’t about to protest. Not with the writhing body beneath him, the long nails digging into his back. He growled at the scent of his own blood, moving faster and deeper. As the Count arched up his back Tetsu leaned down and licked the sweat droplets off of one blushed nipple. The Count tasted of fresh peaches and cinnamon spice. At climax two cries echoed in the room – a loud howl and a shrill scream.

The toutetsu allowed his lower body to rest against that of his lover. Slowing his breath, he meet the Count’s mismatched eyes, only to stare in shock as black hair grew and shaded into red. A pair of sly golden eyes glittered up at him – a fox’s eyes.

Ten-chan leaned up and nipped the frozen man-eater’s nose. “Trick-or-treat T-chan.”

Title: Kindred

Rating: PG

Word count: 100

Pairings/characters: the Chief, Leon, Jill, other

Notes: Challenge #36, instinct

“Kindred”

Leon depends on his instincts while Jill prefers research. He’s hotheaded, she’s too trusting. Ted’s a joker, Marianne’s a cynic, Phil’s always late. But they’re all good cops. All the men and women who serve under him are. The chief won’t tolerate a dirty cop, or a lousy one. If that keeps him from the coveted promotion to commissioner, so be it. 

As long as officers like Orcot and the others are on the force, he knows he’s not the only one kept up late at night by the dead’s silence, names slipping from his lips in a broken mantra.

To be continued...

[iwillgiveyoumyhappiness]

임영민, Lim Youngmin

anonymous asked:

Hi, could I request Lim Youngmin with prompt list 2 #22. Please and thank you! I can’t wait to see what you write for it!

Group: AB6IX

Member: Youngmin

Prompt: “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice.”

.

.

.

You glanced up from the cash register, keeping an eye out for the cute guy that often shopped at the store you worked at. He came there pretty much every Sunday for groceries and you’d had a few nice conversations. 

Overall, he seemed like a decent guy. He always smiled at you brightly, he never gave you a hard time, and he even helped you with bagging whenever he wasn’t in a rush. 

He’d come with his friends a couple of times, and even they were nice. 

The only thing that annoyed you was that you felt so inferior whenever he walked through those sliding doors. You couldn’t help but feel like he was just being nice to you to be polite, not because he actually liked you. 

There was nothing particularly grand about you. You stood there day-by-day, working for minimum wage in your name-tag and khakis (which had a hole in the left pocket, mind you). You smiled, you waved, you made small-talk, you took money and you calculated change. 

You felt bland, and you were positive that’s what he must’ve seen as well. 

Just a messy pile of mediocre... Bleh. It’s not that you wanted to be hit on by some random guy, but something in your chest was telling you that it might be kind of nice. You couldn’t remember the last time you were called beautiful.

Even if things fell through, at least you could be confident in the fact that, “Hey! At least someone thought I was pretty”. You hadn’t been feeling that recently. You were too lost in your own head, thinking negative, bland things. 

That guy, however... He felt different. 

He had a different presence than you; an aura, if you will. The way he walked and smiled and spoke all made him feel untouchable to you. Almost intimidating, to be honest.

You laughed at yourself. “Intimidated by kindness,” you huffed. “That’s rich.” 

You went through your day as normal, customers flying past in a blur of polite chatter, credit cards, milk cartons and eggs. It was around 5PM that you felt a familiar shift in the atmosphere. 

Your gaze lifted from the book you’d brought with you. You read it from time to time whenever things were slow-going. You leaned a little over the register, just trying to catch a glimpse of him. 

You knew he had to be there. 

“What’re you doing?” you heard someone chuckle. 

You gasped and jumped, almost losing your grip on the counter. You quickly got a hold of yourself, but not without a ceaselessly panicked look in your eyes. 

You spun around, coming face-to-face with just the person you were looking out for. 

Lim Youngmin. 

He was wearing an over-sized gray hoodie that swallowed him whole, even with his long features. His hair was a little messy, but it was masked by the baseball cap on his head. He had an eyebrow arched in amusement. 

Maybe it was just because of the shock of having him directly in front of your face so suddenly, but it was the first time you’d noticed how tan he’d gotten. 

It was pretty. 

You cleared your throat and rubbed the back of your neck. “Oh, you know...” You tried to think of a good excuse. “Stretching,” you settled on lamely. 

He fought back a smile. “Stretching?” he echoed. 

You nodded unconvincingly. “Yes?” You hadn’t meant for it to sound so much like a question, but there was no fixing it now. 

He chuckled. “Is that right?” It was clearly rhetorical. He leaned against the counter, resting his chin on his palm. He looked up at you with a hidden sparkle in his eyes. “Can I ask you something?” 

You shifted under his gaze. “Sure,” you said. “Anything you want.” 

“Can I flirt with you a little bit?” he asked. 

If you’d had water in your mouth, you would’ve choked on it, but alas; you only had saliva. 

So, you choked on that instead. 

Youngmin reacted immediately, running around the counter and rubbing your back to soothe the hacking fit. He laughed under his breath. “Is the thought that repulsive?” he asked. 

You sucked in the last of your coughs, your eyes widening. “It’s not bad at all!” you assured him. Unwittingly, you had whipped around and grabbed his hands which had started pulling away from your back. “I just don’t see why’d you’d wanna flirt...” you trailed off. “With me.” 

He looked down at your hands, cheeks a little flushed with giddy pink. “Well,” he started, looking down at floor with a shy smile on his lips, “I guess you haven’t noticed, then.” 

You furrowed your brows. “Noticed what?”

He looked up, meeting your eyes. He looked excited, yet nervous. “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice,” he said. 

You froze, your eyes widening. “That... No, you misunderstand,” you stuttered lamely. “That’s just ‘cause—”

“But I guess you haven’t seen the way I look at you,” Youngmin interrupted. 

You tilted your head. Maybe your brain was malfunctioning, because you obviously didn’t hear that correctly. “I’m sorry,” you began. “Come again?”

He squeezed your hands. That was the first time you realized that you’d grabbed his hands, and it sent your mind into a frenzy. “I’ve been looking at you in a, ‘Dang, she’s kinda cute’ type of way,” he said in a bashful way. “And, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you’ve been looking at me in a, ‘Dang, he’s kinda cute’ type of way.” 

You gently pulled you hands away, shuffling away from him by a few inches. “You’re not wrong,” you said, pulling at the hem of your shirt, “but you also intimidate me a lot, so...” you trailed off. 

He seemed shocked for a moment, but then he smiled. “Well then, we should get to know each other better,” he said. You looked up at him with an arched brow. “I wouldn’t feel good if a hardworking employee such as yourself was put through a hard time because of me.” 

You chuckled a little. “Really? That’s what you’re going for?”

He nodded confidently. “Yes, it is,” he said proudly. “And it’s what I’ll stick with.” He sighed, but he was still smiling. “Nothing has to come of it if you don’t want it to, but...” He shrugged cutely. “It’d be nice.” He gave you a thumbs up as he started walking away. “No pressure!” he called.

You shook your head in comic disbelief. “Where are you going?” you called after him. 

“Home!” he replied, waving as he got to the sliding doors. “I just stopped by to say that!” The doors closed on him, cutting off his words. With an eye-roll, he swung his arm around until it reopened. “I’ll catch you next time, okay? We’ll see how we feel then.” 

You started to answer, but the door closed again. You decided to just laugh instead, but you definitely would think about how you felt about Lim Youngmin—the man that inspired and frightened you in equal turn.

Maybe something could come of it.

.

.

.

Mkay. That was soft. 

Thanks for the request, Anon! I had a lot of fun, and I hope you stop by again. 

Have a good day/afternoon/evening/night!

[ayakashiramblings]

WTFur-Real Episode 2: Nachi’s Real Age

Right under our noses, in homes, cities, sofas and even laps. One in five of us owns a cat. Yet, only one person in the entire Capital knows what is called…. a Nekomata.

The passion for loving a Felis Silvestris Catus yokai has yet to take off. Dozens of experts just have to attribute such a blasphemous phenomenon to the fact that… it is hard to determine a true Nekomata’s age. That, and maybe the fact we don’t even know if it is an Ayakashi or not.

Is his age merely defined by the very lips that move to meow… but like a newborn kitten instead of a teenaged cat? Will we have to accept that his frolicking in the fields is to be expected of long-honed instincts or new urges surging through a young body? How are we to capture the timely essence of this puzzling creature? To do that, we…

You.

RA! Yura wants you to do this.

Damn it.

Gaku… are you still mad at me?

No, I am simply wondering how did you restore this in perfect condition with that wand of yours while I had to hunt down all those expensive components to make ANOTHER unnecessary one. Nope, no big deal. So, what are we doing?

We are turning into Ayakashi detectives, unravelling this feline enigma from the mystic mountain shrines to a Milk Hall swarmed by dozens of dust bunnies and even random streets Nachi just has to travel on.

Our journey begins here, at home, and the first piece of information I offer is a confession: 

I know Nachi cheats on his diet.

A lot of my research takes place out in the field so I can study how he moves in his natural environment. Studying an animal in the wild without disturbing his natural behaviour has never been easy, but over the past few years, ever since I turned five, I have learnt to gather intel… from sources that he encounters along his perilous journey for defying everything the veterinarian has told me to give him as we follow him.

With a bounce of a ballerina, senses so acute, he can pinpoint all the food coming his way from every vendor… dried sardine, vegetables, flowers…

Damn, this guy gets a parade every time he’s here.

Here, it seems, Nachi will now take a cat-nap right in front of our first stop: Milk Hall Raccord. We must hurry to meet someone who could possibly provide valuable insight into the shared history of the Nekomata and the people he has entranced.

Living for a long time (longevity) and the growing old (ageing) are two entities fused at the hip (original or replacement). Those very processes elude several fine specimens. Like how living a century is something all too familiar for this Domeki proprietor: Oji-san.

Here, he is busily practising his energy-saving methods with his Tengu-branded cigars. He always welcomes customers, and that is what we are to him at this very moment stepping through the empty halls of Raccord.

"Ah, bright eyes and... Gaku? Weird pair. Guess the 2nd date went well?"

Dementia is seriously creeping into his poor body just minutes into the very serious interview.

"Just so you know, this interview it better not be the omurice recipe because if Aoi ever finds out the secret ingredient, I know he will kill me in my sleep."

"We just want to ask you some questions about... what you have seen."

"Well, I saw this pretty lady..."

Ok, leave this one to me. It needs a blunt touch.

"No. We mean, when you were younger. Like, way much younger. And if you ever saw an unusual cat."

"Exactly, I was talking about a pretty lady. A pretty cat lady."

Who would have thought at the very first stage of our travels we would chance upon this rare fountain of knowledge? Fountain being that he is flooding all of our senses with some tales of all the ladies the used-to-be-young Oji once tried to court. We silently sip on the milk in serious contemplation… of how this lady has… and I quote from the notes I am taking… ‘long hair’, ‘manicured nails’, ‘pearly whites’, ‘an amazing… derriere’, ‘poor balance’, ‘was a vegan’...

"Wait, you said it was a cat lady?"

"Yup."

"She... sounds a bit too human."

"Oh, she was one. And she is dead by now I think."

"... Then why did you say she was a cat lady."

"Because she loved showing off her claws. Rawr, she was feisty."

It was then we knew… we should have gone with Ginnojo and Kuro first.

Then, after what seems like an eternity, the very pair marches in.

Here is the cool man who works at Kusanagi Books, the small book lenders next to this very restaurant and witnessing legendary events.

Why does the title card say Gin-Gin?

One word. Kuro.

"Hmmm.. A nekomata in the Edo period..."

"Truth be told, I haven't even encountered that many ayakashi species. It was only when the era ended that I saw more coming into the Capital."

Alas, it seems that Nachi has not crept into the hearts...

"Then again, I did meet a Bakeneko once."

"Wait, really? What about it?"

"It screamed a lot."

…

...

"The blood was more purple than red."

Make. Sure. Nachi. Never. Ever. Sees. This.

Noted. Cue transition?

Please.

Here we meet another loyal regular and possible informant: Kuro! He is a performer in the wildly successful Lorenzi Circus Troupe, this happy-go-lucky guy can put a smile on anyone’s face with one of his signature hugs.

D’aww.

Gack!

Hugs that should have embraced the fluffiness of a beloved Nekomata in his younger days.

“Hmmm… I have hugged a tiger!”

… I am changing the questions.

Go ahead, I give up.

“Ok, since everyone is gathered here… ahem, to put it lightly, how does it feel being more… senior or junior to the others?”

“It’s interesting learning from the others and seeing how the Capital has grown. Nobody even knows that more Ayakashi are coming to the city so we remain vigilant.”

“But also welcome them. You youngsters these days have all sorts of interesting things.”

“It’s great hearing all sorts of stories from Old Man and Gin-Gin! And they are living proof!”

Could that be Nachi’s feelings that have sustained his cute, fuzzball form? The indomitable thirst of justice, love and patriotism? Oh, such loyalty only possible in...

Er… MC?

Shh… this is getting good.

Yeah, so is Nachi getting good-to-go for home.

Gagh! After that cat!

MC, are you sure you can handle the camera and cue cards? It's pretty bulky.

Oh, I'm not holding the cue cards, Kuya is!

... He is just snoring... Wait, there is something floating above... Oh wow, he is actually... lifting them with his snores…. Also, what is he doing here?

Koga had some business with my father so he dropped him off here. Also, Koga’s distracting Nachi with petting him as Tama.

Indeed, observe how Nachi/Tama’s head lolls back, eyes closed in pure bliss as Sir Koga gets just that right spot. That’s it, Koga, scratch it. Scratch it while we scratch the surface… of Nachi’s 9 lives with two beautifully aged instruments.

“Hehe, oh my lady. Ne’er is there a dull moment when thou art beside me.”

The mysterious Yura used to dwell apart from society in an abandoned shrine. Having lived for over 1,000 years, his wisdom is an invaluable asset to the team and now, could be our greatest asset in this mystery.

“Maybe because she was dull enough to forget that we had known her past-self.”

A machinist by trade, this genius craftsman is known throughout the Capital by his pseudonym “Mr Kakyu.” Frankly, Gaku should have been called ‘Silver Tongue Tangled By MC’.

“By the way, how is the popcorn brother?”

“Sweet enough to sate my cravings. Many thanks, brother Gaku and milady MC!”

As Yura happily indulges in the caramel treat, he reveals,

“Well, there is one thing that I think is pertinent to this fine entertainment form...  pray, may I know what are those Nachi dons in his human form?”

A cheap abomination. We already did that with Kuya.

“Hmm… well, the only cat I saw with thee 1000 years ago wast just a kitten.  Weak at yond, and not coequal medicine couldst solveth half of its ailments.  Only thy loveth hath kept that him going.”

“I… didn’t really interact with Nachi in the past that much if he really was that cat 1000 years ago. All I remember was him tailing you even though he was bo-legged.”

“Hey, MC, why aren’t you narrating?”

“... Sorry, just had something in my eye.”

“What? Oh, don’t worry MC! I got you something!” came the boyish exclamation out of nowhere.

To MC’s shock, Nachi had suddenly thrust a whole bouquet of flowers, vegetables… and dried sardines and chicken wings into her face.  

“Hope you like it, MC! I got it from all these nice people!”

Of course, he is enshrouded by the warmest of sunlight and MC’s arms at that moment. So, we have come to the stunning conclusion… he is a baby to be protected. People say you choose a dog but the cat chooses you.

What people can’t say but I can say is that Nachi is the best friend you can have in any book of your life. From Dawn to Night.

Epilogue

Nachi tried to get both cameras working with his claws. This time, not even the Kagura bell wand could save them.

We then deduced he is probably really one of those naughty teenagers. 

A/N: OMG. I did it. I... dunno if it is worthy of being a series though, LOL. But this has been fun! I hope you guys like it and if you didn’t or found this weird (because I did at some points), feel free to shoot a message here.

Bold: Gaku’s voiceover

Italicised: MC’s voiceover

Normal: Characters conversing/MC or Gaku narrating

[finalforms]

01: The Framberry

The creating and eating of food has always been synonymous with love and contentment for me, and so sharing it feels personal. This is by no means a unique feeling, and I am by no means an accomplished cook or food writer, but here I am anyway. 

As a Major People Pleaser, I need to have the food I share with someone be great, regardless of whether I made it myself. At my worst this has led to crippling anxiety when I have to make a decision about what to cook or where to go out to eat because what if it’s not great that means I’ve made a mistake and that means a regret we have to think about in the shower and drown out with Netflix. At my best, I am in my kitchen, chatting and laughing about everything and nothing with people I deeply care about, as they dot in and out to help me with chopping this or washing that, and eventually, magically, there some food for us to eat, and I am totally at peace with the world. Also at this happy end of the spectrum is when I find a restaurant or an item of food so good that I can’t help but shout about it to anyone and everyone. 

There’s a little French bakery on King Street near Ravenscourt Park called Patisserie Sainte-Anne. It’s run by a Franco-Japanese family and almost all of the bakes are sublime and very French bar the Japanese loaves of Pain de Mie (aka Chocupan aka milk bread) which they make every Saturday. West London has a particularly high French-speaking population, which was never clearer to me than when I visited the shop and tout le monte parlait français. An ideal version of me would be speaking French to the bakery owner too, but alas I never did gagné cette baguette. 

As I’ve always lived within a mile of the bakery, I’ve been there a many times, either to sit in or take something out. I seem to have a solid memory of every single time I’ve visited, most likely because I’ve always been happy stepping through their jingling pastel pink door. I don’t know whether that’s more to do with the bright pastel decor and the smell of fresh croissants, or because I’ve almost always gone in with or to buy something for someone I care about, but I’ll credit both in equal measure.  

One particular piece of patisserie that is top 2 and not #2 is something they call ‘the Framberry.’ It’s a raspberry mousse cake and chocolate ganache on an almond biscuit base finished with a Barbie-pink white chocolate mirror glaze and raspberries and macaron shells on top. It’s gorgeous to look at and a complete joy to eat. Even though I can’t eat it myself anymore, I’m always excited to gift it to someone dear to me. It’s sort of become my ‘default’ gift, but I’d wager this is a better default than a bottle of wine. No seriously, just look at the thing.

And now,  presenting, ‘To All The Framberries I’ve Bought Before’:

I bought my first Framberry along with some macarons for me and E to share in 2015. I was probably/definitely more hyped about it than he was, but hey, it’s the thought that counts. 

I loved it so much that I bought it again just for myself a few months later. It was still perfect.

My mother and I shared a Framberry on a bench in Ravenscourt Park, as a last hurrah before the transplant. We’d actually go there quite often over those months, to get a pain au chocolat and coffee to take on a walk, and/or (but usually ‘and’) a pear Normandy tart for later. This was my last one, and therefore tasted the best. 

For C to eat on the bus home when she came to visit. Her additional birthday cake that year was also from Sainte-Anne, an insanely good chocolate torte on which they iced a birthday message. She texted to say she ate the Framberry on the bus home and that ‘oh my god it’s amazing.’

For Y’s birthday/cheer-up present, along with her hand-painted JVN birthday card. I think it was a good move because we’re similar in our approach to showing affection; she got me a box of themed doughnuts on Valentine’s Day.

For K, J’s girlfriend, as a birthday preset because food is always good and I didn’t feel we knew each other all that well yet and of course I needed her to like me. Am I buying favour? Yikes. It’s cool, we’re closer now. 

For A & Z, for having me over for dinner after exams, along with flowers for Z and a small jar of my grandmother’s homemade chilli powder for A (the only food gift that could ever surpass the Framberry). I walked to the station with a bouquet of irises and chrysanthemums in one hand the Framberry in its little box with the bakery’s pink & purple cat logo sticker in the other, wanting this to be my life always. A made incredible broccoli mac and cheese and I admired their beautiful plant-filled flat and related very hard with Z over lo-fi hip hop beats to study to. I got a text from A an hour after I’d gotten home telling me the Framberry was a revelation and I wanted to Han Solo it out with an “I know” but I, Lieutenant Commander People Pleaser (that’s right I promoted myself), just felt validated as hell.

This little dessert is one I fully back myself on to the point where I secretly want to watch everyone I’ve ever bought one for take their first bite and tell me how much they love it, but that’s creepy so I’m just about restraining myself. If I could make it myself you bet I’d rave about it more than I already do. For now, there is Patisserie Sainte-Anne.

[haydenandtrish]

A tour of Brussels

From historic to hipster. Timeless beauty to rundown surroundings. Nestled within a country that was once a battlefield for World Wars, revolutions and rebellions – it has seen its fair share of bloodshed and misery. The French, Dutch, German, Austrians and British have all staked their claim to the lands at one point in time. They have rebuilt their city from the ruins of war and have created their own culture within Europe. Now an independent multicultural city flourishing with pride for their craftsmanship, food, craft beers, art galleries and more. Welcome to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the unofficial capital of the European Union, we can’t wait to show you around. 

All right, let's go. We begin in Koekelberg, north of Brussels. The outskirts of the city are more residential – just like anywhere. It is far cheaper to stay here and we were able to gain a greater appreciation and understanding for the city by being immersed in a more authentic area where few spoke English and fewer tourists were in sight. The area was more run down than the city, the cleanliness was subpar but renovations were happening down streets and we got a bargain breakfast of pastries for only 2 Euros, we can’t complain.

Anyway, back on track. Getting around. Our choice of transport in this city was the Metro. The stations are denoted on street level by a sign with a white M on a blue background. One thing to mention is that the Metro system in every city is exceptional – so far. Our Guide to the tram system. Admittedly it’s a little confusing at first, but the routes are displayed in straight coloured lines with dot points indicating each stop. So, as long as you know the destination you want, don’t freak out, take your time and read the lines until you see your stop. Which platform to be on is easy too because they will put one sign at two separate entrances and your particular stop will only be on one of them.  A little tip: Google Maps is a literal lifesaver. It tells you step by step where to go and it will list your suggested stops. 

All tickets purchased are valid for all public transport within Brussels including the tram, local city buses and Metro.

Ticket Price:

A single fare ticket is 2.10 Euros and valid for one hour from activation.

A full day is 7.50 Euros. Be careful with this one though as it is literally one day, it stops at midnight on the day of purchase.

If you are in town for a few days then a travel card may be of more interest to you. It is 5 Euros to purchase but you can top it up as needed. You can buy these form most Metro stations and you save up to 1 Euro per trip.

If you haven’t guessed already, Hayden and I elect to walk nearly everywhere we can. Yes, because it’s free, but also because this environment is completely new to us and we want to see every little bit. Walking gives us the freedom to make our own route, to stop where ever we want and admire every nook and cranny – and its Europe, so there’s many of those. Brussels is also a smaller city so the monuments, museums and galleries are all quite close to one another. 

Food. A perk of staying outside of the main city is that it is cheaper than central. Le Familial is where we got our cheap pastries from. We ventured out for dinner on our first night at 5:45pm only to learn that most kitchens do not open until 6:30pm. Like I said in our last blog post, Europeans love their late starts and later finishes so definitely keep that in mind for your travels. We chose a restaurant/bar and ordered a couple of drinks to wait it out. Le Scenarios could also be slash night club because behind a makeshift wall was a small club with confetti all over the floor and tiny platforms for dancers. It turns out a lot of places replicate this same design so you are not short for options on a night out. For dinner we enjoyed some pasta dishes with a glass of red and a crepe covered in chocolate for dessert

We also had the best kebab shop down the road from our accommodation too. If you are a potato lover like me, you’ll die over the fact they put fries on them. But that’s not surprising considering that the potato frites (fried potatoes) originated in Belgium. We cannot remember our exact shop, but similar ones are everywhere. On that subject, you cannot miss tasting the fries, there will be a huge line, yes, but they are worth it. Thick chips with a perfectly crusted outer layer that crunches and exposes a fluffy inside. I learned that it’s because they deep fry the fries twice. They are perfect. 

What to see.

Our walk started off at one of the higher points in the city and we worked our way down. We caught the Metro to Louise where we saw Palais de Justice or the Law Courts of Brussels. It was under construction when we visited but the mammoth craftsmanship was evident even behind the piles of scaffolding. We then walked over to the Infantry Memorial which was beautiful and daunting in its own right. Behind it was an incredible view of the city which also had an elevator to get down into the streets.  

L’atelier en ville This place is a funky café that we thought was worth mentioning. It is a café, art gallery, clothes shop and wooden bench top store all in one. We later figured out this was the ‘hipster’ side to Brussels. So if you want a little more modern, less touristy, more artsy and more party, then this is the side of Brussels you want.

Mannekin Pis This little guy is one of the best-known landmarks in Belgium. The fun thing about the mannequin boy is that he is dressed in costume to commemorate each major celebration, event or festival. You can view all of his costumes displayed at the Museum of the City of Brussels. There are actually three little statues. One of a boy peeing, one of a girl (Jeanneke pis) and one of a dog (Zenneke).  And a lot like Pokemon – you gotta catch them all, so keep your eyes peeled because they are not very big and can be around any corner. 

Brussels Park There are many parks in Brussels, but this is the one we escaped into when the parade for the150 years of the tram in the city got a little too overwhelming. Its entrance is directly across from the Belgium House of Parliament too. The park is pictured below and it is incredibly busy due to the parade but it was still a nice park to be in. 

Belgium Chocolate Village For 6 Euros per person, you are able to explore the Belgium Chocolate Museum. We found this self-guided tour extremely informative and delicious. We learnt about the history and process of gathering the cocoa beans, how chocolate is made, and where nearly every different style of chocolate originated from. We were able to stand in a class where the chef showed us how to create ganache chocolate, and yes, there was a taste test too. Some of our favourite moments was seeing the sculptures made out of chocolate, they were huge and the smell of cocoa was euphoric. It’s no wonder we finished our tour in the café upstairs to subdue the cravings. Hot chocolate that was made with frothed milk and chunks of dark chocolate was my poison, whereas Hayden stuck to a chocolate milkshake. However, if you are not interested in the museum and tour, that’s fine. There is a chocolate shop on nearly every block anyways. Plenty of opportunities to treat yourself. 

There is plenty more to discover in Brussels, but what we were not prepared for was stumbling across a fun little parade. Just our luck. Labour Day and 150 years of the tram parade. 

We continued on our walk with one destination in the back of our mind – Grand Place. It was almost humorous because I was asking Hayden to get photos of some trees because the branches were mended to create fences – honestly, I just thought they were cool. We walked alongside the tree fence around to the front and saw the most incredible looking building. I said ‘This has to be Grand place, or Kings Palace just look at the detail’. We tried to pinpoint where we were on the map to no avail. But alas, I spotted a young boy in a blue vest which symbolised he could help with information. We found out that no, this was definitely not Grand Place, instead it was Notre Dame du Sablon (Chuch of Our Blessed Lady of Sablon). A gothic-style Catholic church from the 15th century. 

He went on to explain that we were standing in Rue de la Regence. The significance of this little street? It was lined with hundreds of trams. Why? Because the city was celebrating 150 years since the tram was introduced. There was every single model of tram that had ever been driven in Brussels laid out in order of year. 

There was also going to be a parade beginning at 1400 hours. The trams were to be driven through the centre of the city. We walked past crowds of people, past a makeshift grandstand and behind it was at least 12 different food stalls. We got mojitos and fries and sat down to enjoy what was around us. By now we had been out for hours, and although I enjoy public things, I absolutely despise being in crowds, they just tire me out. I was ready to go home. I was a little disappointed we hadn’t seen Grand Place, but our day had been filled with so much excitement I was content. 

We headed back down to Brussels Central Station ready to catch the Metro back home when we spotted an exceptionally busy street, so of course something had to be down that way. We garnered up the energy and made our way down. We stepped around the happy buskers, we admired the street markets and then we were left completely and utterly speechless... We had finally found Grand Place. And it is most definitely its namesake. 

It’s incredible. A huge square that leaves you feeling minuscule. Gilded buildings that leave you feeling, well, poor. It is comprised of the Hotel de Ville (Brussels town hall) and Maison du Roi (Museum of the City of Brussels) famously facing one another and the Guild Houses completing the rest of the shape. There is detail in every little thing from the post lamps to the pillars, from the carved stonework to the gold decoration. Each building is so innately different but perfectly matching the grandness of their home. We literally spent an hour there, in that square, taking in each building, taking a million photos, looking up at the incredibleness of the Grandest place I’ve ever seen – so far ;). Being labour day, it was incredibly busy. Hundreds of people were in that square at the same time, but we never felt overcrowded. Now it was finally time to go. We had come to see what we had wanted to see. We walked back to the Metro and headed back to our beautiful Airbnb on the outer skirts of the town.

Always with love  Trish

[nctverse]

imagine if jeno had a crush on you…

im crying i meant to post this ages ago but tumblr is a bitch

 hey, its finally here though

anonymous asked:

can i request a jeno scenario/headcanon where he has a crush on you (and you have a crush in him too) and tries to make you understand but you've never been in a relationship so you're oblivious to his attempts and you just think he's just behaving weirdly ? Thankkks💞 - hp anon (who is still crying over the fact that you've never read/watched harry potter)

genre: fluff

words: 1.5k+  i usually dont write long things but do you guys want my fics to be longer or shorter??

masterlist

i honestly don’t think he’d really be shy of his feelings per say

who am i kidding

hes a shy goofy and awkward mess

but its the endearing, comical awkwardness that always seems to lighten the mood and make you smile

he wants to tell you but

1: he doesn’t know if you like him back

2: he doesn’t know how to tell you

so he just kinda hopes you’ll figure it out and catch on

but alas

the two most oblivious people on the planet just have to have feeling for each other

so of course hes trying so hard to get you to notice but some?? how?? you?? aren’t??

okay so onto the actual story part

jeno was thinking all day on how he could possibly find a way to convince you to hangout with him for the 5th time that week without seeming mega creepy

even though it would be hard for him to seem creepy to you since he’s your best friend

plus you liked him 

then it hit him

he immediately sent you a cute short text

“hey can i pick you up in like an hour and a half i wanna go to the mall but i don’t wanna be alone”

he typed out the next message but hesitated before finally he was hit with a sudden wave of confidence, biting his tongue and pressing send 

“… and i miss you”

he tossed his phone after sending the message and covered his cute blushy face.   

he couldn’t believe that he suddenly had the courage to send that message, but he didn’t regret it at all

when you read the message your heart LEAPED

but of course you being you, you brushed off the message saying that hes just trying to be a good friend for you because that’s what friends do right?

you responded excitedly, not further questioning the meaning behind his confession as you felt you had come to a sensible conclusion on your own, typing out “of course, dummy. ill be ready!! i miss you too :(”

once jeno read your response, his smile faded slightly

he was slightly upset you didn’t read his attempts, but he couldn’t be too frustrated since he wasn’t being direct either.

he shrugged off the negative feeling, and decided to focus on the fact that he gets to see you again

he figured there will be another chance for him to drop another hint while you guys were out anyway

the mall trip was definitely an adventure

you both started out walking around with drinks, have cute casual conversations filled with laughter and teasing

him, being the gentleman he is, offered to help you find clothes to buy as you always loved having a second opinion

he walked into the store with you, helping to search the racks.

not long after he pulls out a silky button down shirt in your size

you chuckled “you and your button ups” teasing him since he basically drowns himself in a plethora of button up shirts

 nonetheless, the shirt was stunning

he handed you the shirt and you added it to the small pile of clothes you have collected to try on before heading that way, motioning for jeno to follow you

he sat in a chair outside the dressing room

he had to wait outside the dressing room for obvious reasons but he insisted that you come out and show him what the outfit look like

You go in and change into the first of 2 outfits

you come out, a little embarrassed under his stare as he critiques the outfit, but he thought you were so captivating.

he had nothing negative to say

he thought you couldn’t possibly look any better than you did standing in front of him in that outfit

until you tried on the one he chose

when you stepped out in that silky button down shirt he chose, his jaw dropped.

literally

flustered at his reaction, you quickly ran up to him placing a hand on his chin, pushing upwards, effectively shutting his mouth

your other hand naturally cupped his cheek

“close your mouth you dork!” you whispered quite loudly, your face mere inches away from him

his hand instinctively came up and rested on top of the hand that rested against his cheek

his gaze fixated on your beautiful eyes, level with his since you had to lean over a bit to accommodate for the height difference as he was sitting and you were standing

his stare was intense, drenched in enamor

there was no way for you to hide the intense blush that crept upon your cheeks

finally, against your deep desire, you pulled away, standing back up straight, his hand falling back down to his side

“okay i’m gonna change back then we can check out” you managed to speak with only minimal stammering before retreating back into the dressing room.

you shut the door before turning around and resting your back against it, hand coming up to comfort the fast beat of your heart against your chest.

this was like heaven and hell for you

you were so confused by his actions because in your book it was impossible for him to have feelings for you

but at the same time you of course liked him 

you just hated how it felt as if he was playing with you, even though you knew he would never do that

jeno sat on the chair, now alone, mentally beating himself up for not confessing right then and there

at least he knew for sure that he was gonna do it before you went home.

after finally collecting yourself you changed out of the outfit, putting back on your own clothes

you knew for sure that you were buying those two outfits not even just because jeno loved them on you, but because you loved them on you too

you draped the two outfit over your arm,opening the door to exit the dressing room, mentally preparing yourself to face jeno again

as you exited, jeno approached you with his usual smile, offering to carry the clothes for you as if you two weren’t milliseconds away from kissing a couple minutes earlier

you took him up on his offer, handing him the clothes before walking with him to the check out line

the line was empty so you both walked straight up to the cashier, jeno handed them the clothes before proceeding to step in front of the card reader

 you took out your wallet nudging him with your hip with a cute “excuse me” thinking he was unintentionally in the way until he also takes his wallet.

“jeno you don’t have to-” you started, catching his drift before he cuts you off “well i mean i kinda dragged you here, plus,” he looks at you as the cashier scans the last item, “i want to.”

jeno’s eyes whip back to the card reader as the cashier announced the total, sliding his card in with absolutely zero hesitation

you huffed, putting your wallet back in your bag and briefly wrapping your arms around his waist, thanking him before taking the bag of clothes from the cashiers extended arm

after walking around the mall a bit more you guys finally decided to get going as it was getting late

the walk home was a short one but you guys wanted to take a slightly longer route in order to milk the time you both had together

you began to get slightly fed up with jeno acting as if nothing happened so you finally decided to confront him about it

“ hey, what happened back at the store? are you just gonna pretend like nothing happened?” your voice slightly weak as you were totally clueless as to how he would respond

“actually no i wasn’t, i was hoping you would catch on but obviously your didn’t,” jeno teases before becoming more serious “I like you. i dont know how you haven’t noticed, but i really like you. sometimes it feels like im going to burst-” jeno began to ramble slightly, contrary to his usual persona

you cut off his words by reaching out for his hand, intertwining your fingers, for the first time as more than just friends

he looked at you, his naturally beautiful smile lighting the sky better than any star, receiving and cherishing every feeling you attempted so send through your warm touch

he stepped towards you, so you were finally facing each other rather than beside each other, bringing his face close to yours

he paused for a moment, breath ghosting over your face like a feather, wanting to make sure you were entirely comfortable before he proceeded

his answer was clear as you looked back into his eyes with the same, unimaginable level of enamor that dripped from his gaze

he leaned in slowly, wanting to savor the innocent intimacy, bringing his hand up to cup your cheek as your unoccupied hand rested against his chest

the moment you felt his lips against yours was when you felt your whole world change for the better

as if time stopped and every single planet and star in existence aligned just for you

your stress seemingly fading away as you fell harder than you ever thought you possibly could

you already knew he was gonna be the death of you, in the best way possible.

[artificialqueens]

Hold On To Me Chapter 12 {biadore} - imafuckinglibra

Idk how to intro this so let’s all just do a collective miss vaaAAANJjiee. Okay now, Chapter 12. Yay. Bc I like numbers ending in 0 or 5 I’m very tempted to end this fic on 15 but we’ll see (probably not wops) I had a beta this time which was cool thanks for the help babe. And other than that we have some hurt, some fluff and some smut so enjoy bitches. K bye.

“When’s the last time you saw him? Or was that it?” Detox peeked out from behind her mirror with one eye already lined, too intrigued by the story of how Danny ran out of Roy’s classroom to finish the other.

“No.” Roy desperately, with his head back, downed the last of his mocktail. He was over this no alcohol rule his doctor put on him. In the words of the nosey Detox - he’s had it. Officially. “Yesterday I saw him and some…douchebag, making out.”

“Ooh…ouch.” The other queens getting ready with Detox’s reaction echoed throughout the room.

“Yeah.” He somberly nodded dropping his gaze to his now empty glass.

After Danny ran out he tried going after him to explain but the teen was quicker than expected. His inhumanly long legs carrying him much faster than the injured Roy could ever keep up with.

He tried calling endlessly afterwards getting the number from Shane, he even tried from Shane’s phone a few times eventually even calling his mother when Danny hadn’t shown up to school two days in a row following the incident.

The only other option he considered was actually going to his home to confront him and declare his love and more importantly explain that everything was some horribly fucked up misunderstanding.

That was until Danny finally showed up that Thursday with Dan, or as he had decided on calling him, Milk, with his arm around him.

Just the sight of someone else clinging onto the boy he loved so much broke his already cold heart into a million unmendable pieces. But finding them at the end of the day disgustingly lip locked in the hallway pressed up against Danny’s locker really pushed him over the edge.

After that he was unconsolable. He threw things in his house, breaking furniture, paintings, anything within reach before he collapsed onto his couch a complete and utter mess.

He had never felt so helplessly alone, so lost in despair and heartbreak that nothing seemed worth it anymore.

He had started debating if the main character Alfred Jones from the book his juniors were assigned, Doctor Fischer of Geneva or The Bomb Party, had the right idea after losing his wife.

He had lost his own Anna-Luise and that glass of whiskey laced with prescription pain medication to take away all the agony had started looking more and more appealing by the passing hour.

Lucky for him the friends he had previously hated for putting him in this predicament was still there by his side, Shane and Raja, helping him pick up the pieces. What pieces they could that is.

Alas the show must go on…

He had returned to school the next morning avoiding any interactions or even having to look at Danny or his new apparent boyfriend.

Acting completely on auto pilot, an emotionless robot as he went about his day. Sure it’s been a while since he’s dated but he never remembered feeling this way, this shattered.

He did his duties, assigned homework, ate his lunch alone in the same excruciating silence he had grown so accustomed to and when faced with Danny in day to day life he shut down further. Blanking out completely to avoid facing the inevitable heart break creeping in again.

He even somewhere in his robotic haze accepted his friends’ invitation to their show. He didn’t exactly feel in the mood for drag, both his injuries and his heart were still too sore to put on a gown and go be productive which is how he ended up here, watching his friends getting ready while he read a book.

“Wait was the guy he was face sucking with like really tall and pale? And gorgeous?” Detox, now with both eyes winged, popped out again.

“Why? One of your discarded trash?” He snarled in her direction.

“Moewr, but no. Willam mentioned it’s his late birthday party tonight and that they had to organize a date for him.” She started digging through her phone that was laying on the table next to the endless amount of powder foundations. “This guy.”

Roy got up to take hold of the phone. Examining the photo lit up on the screen of the one and only, big and milky in an ice skating outfit. “That’s the one.”

The one asshole who’s teeth he wanted to kick in so hard he’d have to stick a brush up his ass to clean them.

He was a pretentious douche who acted above everything and anyone just because mommy and daddy were some kind of lawyers who raised a spoilt brat.

“So then it’s like an arranged thing? It’s not a real thing.” Courtney tried reassuring bringing him a glass of what he hoped was wine and not just grape juice. “One glass can’t hurt right?”

“Thank you Jesus.” He took the much needed alcohol and threw his head back after taking a big swig savoring the taste and feel of it burning slightly down his throat.

“He wouldn’t have been that mad if he didn’t care or was planning on going to find a new man, right?” Raja chimed in. She had a point.

“He’s a teenager, Raj, their brains wor…” His rebuddle got interrupted by a loud ringing coming from Courtney’s bosom.

“That’s something you don’t see every day…” Detox got up pointing to Courtney. “Behold the great vibrating slut. Latest in technology.”

“Shut up.” Roy growled in the very obviously drunk Detox’s direction keeping his focus on Courtney.

“It’s Danny.” Courtney went pale even through the multiple layers of make up when she pulled the ringing device out and looked at the screen.

“Why would he?” Roy tried grabbing the phone from her hand but she was quicker than him and answered it.

All the other queens immediately came running to circle them, the room dead silent as everyone eagerly tried to listen in on their conversation.

“Daniela?” Courtney carefully spoke.

“Is he there!?” Her phone didn’t even need to be on speaker to hear Danny’s yelling over some incredibly loud music and cheering.

“Who? Roy? Yeah, right here.”

“Put him on!” He nearly screamed.

Hesitantly handing the phone to Roy they could hear some very loud screeching coming from the other end.

“Danny?” Roy spoke, his heart pounding out of his chest getting ready for an earful and a half.

“Roy? Roy! Where are you?”

“At the club? Listen I…what’s wrong? Why are calling? Are you okay?” Recognizing the panic in his voice made his already racing heart speed up tenfold.

Shit this was not good. Flashbacks of the last time Danny called like this replaying on a never ending loop in his mind.

“No…” The soft sob could barely be heard. “I’ll wait at the same 7-11 as last time just please come get me I…I don’t know who else, who else to call. Hurry please.”

Shit!

In a moment of sheer panic Roy dropped his wine, not even bothering to acknowledge it as he grabbed his keys and rushed to his car before anyone could stop him.

He didn’t need any more motivation. Danny needed him.

-

He shouldn’t have listened to Chris.

‘Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!’ Danny cursed his friend and his ‘ingenious’ plan from the previous day, replaying the conversation in his mind while he waited for Roy.

Maybe he shouldn’t have called him but he was desperate and it was too late to turn back now.

It’s a long walk, and the music is loud. She sees an old friend, as she walks through the crowd. Puts on her best smile, but underneath it she’s a broken girl…

The deep voice of Justin Warfield filled the confined space he was in. After running out of the classroom halfway through the day he made a beeline straight home.

He’s never been a runner, he hates running, he hates exercise in general let’s face it - but that day he ran. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him away from anything Roy Haylock.

But that was nearly 3 days ago.

He’ll never get you, he will never understand. He’ll never get you, you can find a better man.

The singer repeated as the pace and volume of both his singing and the music picked up every time he sang those two sentences, repeating them in a seemingly never ending loop.

“You know you can’t run away from him forever, babe.” Chris tried comforting his friend over the phone attached to the dash as Danny turned down the music.

The minute Danny laid eyes on his best friend on the screen over facetime all the emotions he had been holding back pushed their way through the wall he built.

It was good though, it was what he needed. He needed to get it all out before he pulled into the parking lot of his school and had to face Roy. No.

Mr Haylock.

From now on their relationship was strictly teacher/student. Nothing else.

He had decided that while taking a bath day 2 of his wallowing. It was too painful to return to school where he’d have to face his former love especially in the same place that he had found his love with the man he hated most in the world.

Raja Gemini. Fuck his real name, the less he knew of this queen the better.

He couldn’t continue his depression fueled mini vacation for too long though. His mom had caught on to his fake illness being well, fake, and forced him back to school after apparently one of his teachers called.

She even sweetend the deal by letting him use her car while she was away with Jerry for the weekend to a wedding for one of Jerry’s cousins or something. He honestly wasn’t paying attention.

Like an aimless zombie wandering through the house anything someone told him went in one ear and straight out the other thanks to his liquified brain.

He didn’t want to think, about anything. About school, about music, about weddings - everything led back to Roy. And Roy was the one topic too excruciatingly painful to ever think of.

“I can actually.” Danny retorted in a very ‘matter of fact’ tone pulling up to a stop sign.

“You know you’re just being a total cliched Libra and avoiding conflict right? But you’ll need to suck it up and just do it sooner or later.” Dammit why did Chris have to be right.

“He’s a Cancer.” Danny added softly hoping if he could change the topic to astrology Chris would let it go. Which he didn’t.

“So he’s feeling even more shitty than you then!”

“Maybe.” He was right. Again. “I’m hanging up on you.”

“Why? Because I’m totally right?” Chris shook his head with his lips pursed to the side in Danny’s usual chola manner.

“Totally.” He scoffed.

“What about a little bit of revenge?” Chris offered taking a big sip from the long skinny straw of his Starbucks.

Spoken like a true Sagittarius, if he was Chris he’d had already forgotten about Roy and moved on. Maybe he should think like a Sagittarius once in a while though? So what? Roy obviously didn’t care about him?

“Go on?”

“Yay.” Chris eagerly clapped his hands like an excited school girl. “Okay so you’re going with that Dan guy tomorrow night right?”

‘Ugh gross.’ He internally rolled his eyes.

“Yeah?”

“First of all, he got a nice ass?” Chris’ smile grew and he wiggled his eyebrows making Danny laugh for the first time in days.

“You’re such an ass whore! Oh my god!” He squealed before throwing a dirty look at someone in a red convertible cutting past him.

“Am not! Danny!” Chris’s smile fell into a very offended look as he drew Danny’s name out in a long whine. “I’m emotionally charged to their eyes. You know that I’m not like that.”

“She’s emotionally charged to that ass.”

“Whatever. Babe…it’s fucking obvious though. Maybe like flirt a little with Dan, make it look all cute with him and totally get back at Professor ‘two birds one dick’.”

He couldn’t, no way. He didn’t even like Dan he just exuded cockiness that was a total turnoff for anyone with eyes. No way.

And Roy…he couldn’t hurt Roy. Oh god, here comes that all too familiar heavy chest feeling. The pulling in his heart yearning for Roy causing his eyes to water up again.

He missed him. Life without him just felt so empty, so worthless.

He shook his dangerous downward spiral off and hung up on his friend blowing him a kiss first as pulled into a parking spot next to Aaron.

‘Fuck my life, fuck it hard.’ He sighed to himself spotting an all to familiar milky brunette standing with the others.

“You are so beautiful I could die, especially when you’re singing like ugh, your voice is just to die for.” Dan rambled on, trapping Danny with his arms on either side of his shoulders against his locker.

“Uh…thanks, man.” He nervously smiled. His mother raised him better, if you have nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all.

Oh but he really, really wanted to say something.

“Yeah like it just speaks to me you know.” Dan leaned his head down closer towards him, clearly not picking up on the obvious hint that he did not want to kiss him as he was backing up further into the painted metal locker.

“Like really, really speaks to me.” He breathed his disgusting warm breath against his lips sending icky chills down Danny’s spine right before their lips made contact.

‘Roy. Roy. Roy…’ The name kept repeating in his mind hoping if he chanted it enough he’d magically summon his knight in shining slacks.

Sure enough he did.

‘Oh no.’ His plan backfired when he suddenly saw how this would look from Roy’s perspective.

He had found Roy hugging his friend I mean that’s nothing compared to this right? One thing was for shit sure. Roy catching him pressed up against a locker with his hands tightly gripping each side of Dan’s jacket to try and push him off as Dan pressed his thigh between his legs definitely was not going to look good.

‘Roy.’ He tried silently calling him back when all the older man did was turn in another direction with an expressionless face. He could feel the tears bubbling up again from seeing the man he loved so hollow. ‘Roy, please.’

-

The drive there was such an unsure haze Roy was amazed he actually pulled into the right 7-11 parking lot or into a 7-11 at all. He must’ve broken at least 50 laws getting there but fuck it, he made it.

He saw Danny pacing with his arms crossed furiously clutching each side of the opposite bicep. Only taking a break from his pacing to take a long drag from his half burnt out cigarette.

“Daniel!” He jumped out of his car running towards him. “Are you hurt? What’s wrong?”

Before he got too close Danny spotted him, turning in his direction as what seemed like a well of never ending tears came flooding out. “Fuck you!”

“Yeah,” He snorted nodding. “You said that already what else is new?” Roy’s sorrow and fear was slowly turning into rage.

Why was he being this douche? This wasn’t like him at all, this wasn’t the Danny he knew or fell in love with. He wasn’t ever hostile, he was sweet and caring and sure he was feisty but at least within reason.

“Is that really why you called me here? To tell me to go fuck myself? Really queen?”

“No! It wasn’t.” Danny threw his cigarette away and stomped towards Roy, catching him off guard by grabbing hold of each side of his beautifully dimpled cheeks with his ice cold lanky fingers. His glossy hazel eyes staring directly into his soul. “I fucking hate you, I hate you Roy.”

“Then why call me.” Roy’s voice cracked, he was trying to put on the most put together facade all week but he couldn’t. He was a mess.

Even more now knowing that Danny, who had clearly moved on, was holding him like this for presumably the last time. Just this skin on skin contact he so longed for threw the armor he had built up right out the window.

“Because I was scared and alone and fucked up and the only person I wanted to be with was you…” Danny let go of him and turned, walking away from him to wipe his eyes with the back of his sleeve.

“Well you have a fucking hell of a way of showing it. It’s been a week and you won’t even answer my calls? What the fuck?”

What was this? Heartbreak? Anger? Loss? Everything crashing down on him all at once in such a muddled mess he couldn’t even recognize what he was feeling.

“Like you really even cared.”

Roy shook his head and turned around to head back to his car. Fuck this. Halfway to his escape he stopped dead in his tracks, he needed to know one last thing.

“Why didn’t you call…It. That thing you were sucking face with.” There it was. The last nudge that pushed him straight into blind rage.

He said it was such a strained voice that it completely rattled Danny’s entire world.

Clearly having struck a nerve Roy watched Danny’s pale expression turn bright red. “Oh! Oh! You’re one to fucking talk!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Open relationship remember. You know,” Danny pulled another cigarette somewhere out of his military jacket’s pocket. “You always do this, ever since the hotel room even, even before that you lead me on and then, of course because I’m so fucking stupid, I fall for you! And then you just break my heart moving on without ever really giving a fuck about me, huh?”

“You are fucking stupid, Danny!” Roy shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping it would make Danny’s bullshit ramblings stop so he could finally speak.

“Fuck you!” Danny screamed loud enough that probably even the family of four trying to eat their dinner in China heard. “And fuck Raja!”

“Raja? Raja!? This is about Raja!” He probably looked like a fucking lunatic when he suddenly threw his arms in the air in defeat as he started laughing. “Danny…Raja is even dumber than you are!”

“Oh thanks I feel so loved.” Danny rolled his eyes lighting the cigarette he just pulled out. “You’re so fucking selfish you know that? No wonder you’re alone…oh wait, you’re not! You have Raja! You’ve had Raja all along!”

“You ignorant fucking brat!” Roy took a step closer furiously gesturing with his hands ready to wrap his fingers around Danny’s pulsing neck.

“Tell me I’m wrong then! Tell me I wasn’t just some young side meat you wanted to use any way that suited you to cheer up your pathetic little life.”

‘This. Fucking. Bitch.’ Roy thought being left speechless simply standing there staring at him.

If only he knew how much his words were hurting him, how much every snarl was like an jab straight through his chest.

Actually he knew exactly how painful his words were, even saying them hurt Danny. Having to resort to yelling and screaming at the man he loved when the only thing he wanted to do was be held by him. It was killing him.

Rotting him slowly to the core, destroying everything left of him every time Roy clapped back.

“You are so fucking wrong!” He gave up with a sigh, dropping his hands defeatedly to his side. ”You want to know why? Get it in the car.” 

Roy walked back to his Mercedes opening the passenger side for Danny first and furiously pointing at the seat. “In, Noriega!”

‘Is he being serious? Get in his car? Fuck no.’ Danny continued his internal freak out.

Pondering if this was some kind of rouse to lure him into his car to pull a bad 80’s gangster movie inspired stint and drive him to a deserted location to murder him. Especially now after their little verbal sparring match.

Reluctantly Danny stomped to the car as if his boot clad feet had a of life of their own, mumbling something about hating his treacherous body for betraying him like this as he slumped into the elegant black car.

Roy’s hands holding the steering wheel with such a tight vice grip his tan knuckles turned white.

He should’ve known it would be Raja that was at the bottom of this mess wether he knew it or not.

He had to repeatedly remind himself of his friend’s good intentions and how he’d been there to help him otherwise he probably would’ve strangled him with as much ferocity as he was gripping his wheel.

If he had just fucking killed Raja like he had promised years ago, but no. He just had to grow a heart and give that little amazing, kind hearted weasel a chance to burrow himself a comfy little home.

“Raja! Raven!” Roy stormed in backstage, all the queens still at their tables painting their faces jumping up in unison like one fucked up Mexican wave when he threw the door open.

“Is everything okay? Where’s Danny? Is he…” Raja followed Roy’s pointing and spotted the awkward teen standing outside against the car’s door and ran towards him. “Danny! Hi! Listen I can completely explain everything, okay.”

“Why am I here?” Danny looked over to Roy with a very annoyed expression.

“Because you got into my car, despite your whole ‘I hate you’ speech. So It’s either because you want to kill him that badly or me. Which is it?”

“Neither…” Danny’s rage seemed to have dwindled and the teen was left looking down at his hands, fiddling with his nails’ chipped paint. “I didn’t, I told you I was alone and just needed you.”

Through his earlier rage blinding him Roy had completely missed all the signs. His disheveled make up that was running down his flushed cheeks, his brightly colored vomit stained pants, the bruised knuckles slowly turning blue and purple…

“It was your party.” He thought out loud. Roy’s harsh tone now gone as he hesitantly stepped closer, as if carefully approaching a wounded animal. “Danny…where’s Dan? What happened?”

“Chris didn’t show up like he was supposed to and…Dan, he’s been like really I don’t know. He’s super gross. He like stalked my YouTube page and he wanted to keep making out but never actually talk to me. So when he tried making a move earlier I punched him.” He shivered at the memory with his eyes still on his hand examining the bruising around his knuckles, flinching when he tried wiggling his little finger. “And then I called you.”

“Why me? Why if you hate me so much did you call me?” Roy was now right in front of him looking up into those beautiful, still puffy eyes.

“I don’t hate you.” He admitted with a croak before the tears from earlier resumed. “But you shouldn’t be with him. I hate you because you’re with him! Not me! It should be me!”

There it was. They say once you name something you give it power.

Now it made sense.

He had given his greatest fear the chance to escape and outed it to the world and now there was absolutely no going back. The realization that Roy was no longer his leaving him an empty shell of what he once was.

Roy stepped closer quickly grabbing he sobbing boy just as he collapsed into the same broken mess he had been just a day earlier.

Holding him tightly keeping said shattered shell together, his toned arms around him being the only comfort Danny would ever need again

“It is you. It’s only you, it’s never been anyone else but you…” Roy shushed him holding him tightly caressing his head with his fingers tangled between the messy dark brunette mop.

“But I saw…” He looked up at Raja, the incredibly tall queen still standing by the back door of the club clutching her pearls.

“But you didn’t think.” Raja intervened with an almost motherly voice.

“Raj,” Roy spoke up with the most composed tone he’s managed all night shaking his head. “Not now.”

Raja nodded with a faint smile and went back into the club, leaving the pair alone once again.

“Come on, back in the car.” Roy ordered reaching behind Danny to open the door for him.

-

“Alright. Let’s get you cleaned up first and then we’ll talk about this okay? Sound like a plan?” Roy clapped his hands together as if he was addressing his class.

He had brought Danny back to his apartment so they’d have a safe space to discuss everything, hopefully calmer than earlier.

At least if things did get as vocal as in the parking lot they wouldn’t have to worry about breaking anything, Roy already took care of that earlier and swept the proof under the rug.

“Yeah.” Danny nodded with a whisper. He was dead silent the whole ride home, not once even acknowledging Roy or where he was bringing him.

The older never even pushed him to open up either, instead he just held his shaking hand in his rubbing the back of it lazily with his thumb. He knew all to well that once you opened that flood gate and had to verbalize your feelings you had to relive them.

Even just thinking about the torment Danny must’ve been in to make that big of a scene nearly drove Roy down the same deep pit. He wouldn’t wish reliving that despair on anyone let alone the broken boy he loved with every fibre of his being.

“What time does your mother expect you home?” Roy looked at his watch.

“Out of town. A cousin’s wedding or something with my stepdad.”

“Alright then.” Roy nodded. He flicked on the small bathroom’s fluorescent light and all the memories of the first time they did this came flooding making his heart ache as soon as he hid. “Bath or shower?”

“Bath.” Danny cocked his head in the tub’s direction and took off his jacket as Roy turned to put the water on, being quicker than him though he stopped him by grabbing his hand. “Don’t.”

He wasn’t ready to be without Roy yet even just for a bath. He’d been without him far too long and he physically couldn’t take any more of it.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Roy smiled walking up to the young man who was drawing him closer by the hand.

When they were only an inch or two apart Danny leaned forward, cupping Roy’s ever so slightly stubbled face to pull him in for a very feeble, shakey kiss.

This was it. This was what he needed, what they both needed to finally ease all that anguish.

Slowly Roy’s hands found their way to Danny’s hips, pulling their bodies closer as the intensity of their kissing grew. Their lips parting to eagerly take in more of the other.

Danny’s hands snaked down from his face to the bottom of his tight grey shirt feeling at every inch of Roy’s flat stomach at they did, breaking their kissing for only a second as he flung it off over Roy’s head.

“I missed you…” He breathed into Roy’s mouth just as the older was repeating the same thing with his shirt.

“I missed you too, so much you don’t even know.” He quickly slid his hands into the back of Danny’s tights and into his briefs to feel down his round ass, pulling both his pants and his underwear down swiftly in the process as Danny guided them back.

His now more stable hands fidgeting between them working on unbuckling Roy’s jeans so he could finally be his again.

When Roy’s back hit the bathroom wall with a quiet thud he spun them around and reached for his medicine cabinet next to Danny’s head.

Danny, with his palm flattened against the wall, stretched his arm around taking Roy’s growing erection in his other hand becoming impatient as he jerked him off slowly through his boxers.

Roy’s hand, just as impatient as his partner’s, dug between the bottles and miscellaneous lotions while his mouth explored the back of Danny’s neck. Peppering gentle kisses along the smooth skin till he found the small half full bottle of lube.

Once he heard the pop of the plastic cap flicking open Danny clumsily hooked his fingertips into the waistband and slid Roy’s boxers down just enough to let his cock spring free. Roy wasted no time in squirting a heavy amount of thick clear lube onto himself. Meanwhile Danny reached the hand previously jerking him off up around to hold onto Roy’s neck, pulling his lips back against his skin as Roy lowered his knees to enter Danny easier.

With his hands on Danny’s somewhat curvy hips Roy gradually inserted himself into his tight young asshole. Hearing the low whimper escaping between gritted teeth from the younger pinned between him and the wall.

“Ow…ow ow.” Danny quickly bit his bottom lip to avoid the involuntary cries suddenly coming out of his mouth. He knew tensing up would make this unnecessarily more difficult than it needed to be but the ice cold lube unexpectedly against his entrance made him flinch, not helped that he had forgotten how much Roy actually stretched him.

Roy felt Danny’s body tensing up further, his asshole tightly clenching around him making entering him any further nearly impossible without hurting him. He quickly moved his hands to Danny’s chest. Holding onto his non-existent pecs feeling his heartbeat racing against his fingertips.

“Sh, I got you, baby.” He soothed Danny with another kiss on his neck till the younger relaxed, his hands joining Roy’s holding onto them as the older started his steady thrusting.

He could tell by the sincerity in his sweet nothings the older meant it - he had him and without hesitation he’d protect him as he had done so many times before.

A light bulb went off in the back of his muddled mind, illuminating the one thing that’s been so clear all along but hidden beneath layers and layers of doubt and fear.

“I love you…I love you…” Danny started softly chanting, breathing it out in time with every new thrust Roy made.

The three simplest words that he’d been yearning for finally spoken. Roy hadn’t anticipated what an earth shattering impact they’d have on him but here they were.

He knew without a shred of doubt he’d give up everything in a heartbeat for this boy, throw away everything he was just to hear those 3 words every day for the rest of his life.

Roy let go of Danny’s torso and with his hands on the wall each side of the younger he gradually pulled himself out.

Grabbing the condom that he’d forgotten from the tall box he accidentally knocked over earlier in his hunt for lube he spun Danny around.

Kissing him deeply as his hands trailed down his sides to his backside and with a firm grip on his soft cheeks he picked him up.

Not a good idea with his bruises but who cared, nothing in that moment mattered except Danny. It was all he could focus on. The love of his life he so nearly lost. Might still lose…

With Danny’s long legs wrapped around his waist as they walked down the hall to the bedroom they were already in the perfect position when Roy went to sit down on edge of the bed.

Muscle memory took over as he slipped the condom on as speedily as he could without needing to look while their lips remained locked. Hungrily searching for comfort in each other.

“I love you too…” Roy breathed out when Danny pulled back from their kissing, biting his lip again to avoid any involuntary responses slipping out this time he lowered back down onto Roy’s waiting cock.

Maintaining silent eye contact with his fingertips gently on either side of Roy’s jaw Danny started steadily rolling his hips. Each testing the other person’s declaration of love, waiting to see if either would run.

“I love you, Danny.” Roy repeated his words even fainter this time.

This was it, this was real. Roy really loved him. Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain real. Sid and Nancy real. Sacrificing himself without any hesitation real.

He loved Roy and Roy loved him. It was the only certainty between them.

With Danny’s fingers intertwined behind Roy’s neck, their kissing grew intenser, deeper as did their movements. Roy soon feeling down his back leaving a trail of goosebumps behind he reached down to hold onto his ass guiding his every steady move.

Nothing about there interactions were rushed or had the usual roughness of their previous encounters, they were smooth and intimate.

The gentle touches of their hands and lips lingering wherever they made contact, savoring this deeply personal cathartic moment.

Even when Danny picked up the pace of his hips, the slapping of their bodies and the crinkling of Roy’s pants still halfway down his thighs remained drowned out by their soft grunts and moans.

Their bodies saying everything they had hoped to say without either ever having to utter a single word.

Soon Danny’s head lifted exposing the tender flesh of his neck stained red from arousal, his lips pressed against Roy’s furrowed damp forehead. “More…please, give it to me…more.”

The hands gripping his ass moved back up and Roy’s arms snaked their way around his back, enveloping his small frame to pull them as close as physically possible.

His hips thrusting up faster to meet Danny’s now hurried riding, the moans escaping Danny’s lips growing more strained as the petite chest pressed against Roy’s rose and fell quicker.

Roy’s head nuzzled against Danny’s collarbone, biting into the delicate, tender flesh to muffle his grunting. This was definitely going to leave a mark but so be it, let it. Let the world know that he was his.

“…oh…shi…” Danny’s body starting trembling in Roy’s grip, a hot load of cum shortly after following shooting out between them onto Roy’s chest. The sticky, pale white liquid leaking down his body to the bruise around his gut.

Roy eased up on his hips’ movements to allow Danny to ride his orgasm out at his own pace but the younger never let up.

“Don’t stop…” He breathed out “…more…”

Ceasing his teeth’s gnawing into his collar Roy moved his lips up to trial kisses up his lover’s pulsing, heated neck to his jaw. The tenderness in which his lips worked a striking contrast to harshness of his black nails digging into Danny’s sides.

The grip of Danny’s skinny arms still around his neck growing tighter with every smack of their bodies as did the coil in his abdomen.

This was how Roy wanted to die, right here lost in Danny’s arms forever.

“Baby…” Roy warned and Danny picked up the pace for him, increasing the intensity in which he rode him to bring him closer to his desperately needed release.

“…give it to me, babe.” Danny encouraged.

With a final deep, almost painful groan Roy climaxed, clinging as tightly possible onto the body between his arms scared of falling apart if he did.

-

“Sorry.” Danny finally spoke when Roy climbed into the white porcelain bathtub sitting down behind him.

They were seated in the deliciously warm water that filled the tub to the brim with bubbles. Roy behind Danny against the back of the tub with Danny securely between his legs leaning forward with his hands resting under the water on his shins.

“For?” Roy asked putting his messily tangled hair into a bun at the top of his head, wiping away any stray strands of hairs to kiss along the small hickey forming on his neck.

“Everything I said…” Danny looked down ashamed of what he shouted during their fight, lifting his hands to now run them up and down along Roy’s spread thighs on either side of him.

He felt mortified that they ever even had such an argument, it was good to get everything out and in the open but not like that. Not in that ugly manner.

“Don’t be.” Roy’s hands slid down Danny’s shoulders to the ones on his thighs. “I don’t blame you, I deserved it. You had your heart broken because I’m an actual fucking idiot and you’re right, I was selfish.”

The guilt of everything he’d put the younger through with his overthinking slowly gnawing away at him forcing him to face his greatest fear, himself, and apologize. Swallowing every last bit of pride he had to do it.

“You weren’t.” Danny shook his head.

“No I was. I shouldn’t have just been so quick to dismiss you because of my own stupid insecurities, I should’ve listened. If I had known earlier that those idiots tried that shit I wouldn’t have asked you to leave like that.” As he spoke Danny leaned back, his back now against Roy’s well toned chest and his head in his shoulder. The skin on skin contact even more soothing than the water. “I did want you to stay, I really did, but I didn’t want you to be miserable here with me when you’d rather be with your friends.”

“Fuck my friends.” Danny scoffed, titling his head back so he could look up at Roy asking silently for a small kiss.

“You don’t mean that.” Roy rested his temple against Danny’s when his head returned to it’s previous spot in the nook of Roy’s collar.

“I do. Jay heard Dan likes me and invited him to my party, but he thought getting invited was some kind of, like, I don’t know…me asking him out and then Chris told me to give you a taste of your own medicine and fucking show him off or something.” He scrunched his face up in disgust at the memory. “So fuck them all, hope they all get some kind of STD.”

Roy laughed at his shady ass comment and wrapped on arm under Danny’s arm to drape it over his chest with his hand on Danny’s shoulder like a seatbelt shielding him from any further harm. Physical or emotional.

“Alright then. Where even is this great Chris? You said he didn’t show?”

Danny trailed his hand along the arm over him to distract himself as the sudden intense longing for his friend hit him.

“He didn’t, his grandma got sick and he’s super attached so he stayed behind.” He hooked the fingers of his other hand between Roy’s and lifted their now clasped together hands, examining his bruised knuckles. “Dan…”

“Milk.” Roy interrupted. Fuck he hated that kid. He wasn’t worthy of the same name as his love or anything better than the absurd nickname he had dubbed him. “Fuck him too, he can get an especially nasty STD.”

“Asshole.” Danny laughed, making Roy’s heart flutter. “He’s such a gross ass kisser though. He fucking tried to grope me, man. So I punched his ass.”

“Atta boy!” Roy praised proudly and brought the clasped together hands to his lips to gave each purple and red knuckle a gentle kiss careful to not hurt him. “But this might be fractured, I’ll take you to the doctors tomorrow if it’s worse.”

“Okay.” Danny sighed. Time to face the inevitable. Like a bandaid. “So what’s the deal with you and Raja, honestly? Why did you take me to see him?”

“Oh that.” Roy laughed. “I actually wanted to introduce you to Raven, you remember her right? About Raja’s height, tan, heavy ass make up with that silicone face.”

“Yeah I think so why?” Danny thought back to their New York trip together where he met a Raven.

Roy raised their hands up in front of Danny’s confused face again and playfully wiggled his ring finger. “That’s his husband you dumb bitch.”

“Oh…” Danny felt his cheek growing every shade of red imaginable and started sinking lower into the warm bubbly water. It was the only alternative to hiding his head in the dirt from embarrassment like an ostrich who was just caught with his pants down.

Roy picked up on his attempted evasiveness and pulled him back up laughing at his cartoonish blushing face.

He swaddled Danny with both his arms now around his chest, even the one still holding onto his. “You’re so precious when you’re all stupid.”

“Hey.” Danny pouted looking up at him again, his heart dropping when he saw Roy’s expression falling again.

“He actually tried going after you too to apologize for him and Shane giving you the dad speech to try and scare you.”

“They did?” Danny got a sinking feeling in his chest for not seeing through their tough guy act from the beginning. If he had this whole situation could’ve been avoided. He was usually so in tune with people’s energies why did he miss it?

“What you thought you saw at school was Raja feeling like horse shit and coming back to apologize for what he did after I cut him off.”

The memory of Danny’s upset face when he looked up at them flashing through his mind’s eye.

“You did? Why?”

“They were trying to be smart asses and instead they ended up hurting you. I don’t want anyone in my life who’s going to hurt you regardless of who they are.” Roy’s voice got low.

Danny stretched his neck up to kiss Roy as a thank you, like a princess kissing a knight after he rescued her from some great evil.

This guy really genuinely cared about him. How that was even reality absolutely stunned Danny. “I love you.”

Roy’s face lit up at the words, the way he said them in his sweet voice only adding to the butterflies in his stomach.

“I love you too.” He returned the kiss with another drawn out one. “And don’t worry I don’t think they’ll try it again.”

He reached for the hamper next to them with the grey bottle of body wash Danny had bought him on it.

“They won’t?” Danny rested his head back in it’s spot and kissed Roy’s neck.

“Nope.” Roy splashed some of the warm water over Danny’s chest before squirting the soapy charcoal colored liquid onto him. “Totally kicked their asses.”

“Legit.” Danny nodded impressed with Roy defending his honor so gallantly. Purring as Roy’s hands went about massaging the soap onto his skin. “Can I stay the night?”

Roy smiled kissing his temple. “Sure, baby.”

-

“Hey. Can I go through your music?”

“Yeah, sure.” After their bath and impromptu make out session as they were drying off Danny’s stomach starting growling uncontrollably loud.

Thus Roy promptly went to work making them each something to eat as the younger explored the house.

“What happened to your tv?” Danny shouted from the living room while Roy was reading the instructions on the back of a frozen pizza box he found in his freezer.

“Uh…nothing.” He panicked.

‘I broke it.’ He thought remembering how he threw one of his books at it in a fit of rage over seeing Danny with another.

“Mh-hm.” Danny came back into the kitchen a moment later with his lips pursed and the slow piano intro of Placebo’s Running Up That Hill following him.

Roy turned on the oven to preheat it and turned back to Danny walking over to him just in time for him to come up to him surprising him with a hug. Holding onto him tightly with his chin on his shoulder.

It doesn’t hurt me. Do you want to feel how it feels? Do you want to know that it doesn’t hurt me? Do you want to hear about the deal that I’m making?

There were no words, just the couple embracing each other tightly making up for lost time as the song continued playing around them.

With everything now explained calmly thanks to the relaxing high of both their amazing moment of intimacy and the long hot bath things could go back to normal.

Not entirely normal. After declaring their love for each other probably nothing would ever be normal again.

That was a future Roy’s problem to deal with though. The absolutely only concern on present Roy’s mind was engraining every little detail of their domestic bliss with his arms around the guy he loved swaying to a song he loved into it.

It was as if the man he was 48 hours ago no longer existed, Danny had completely stripped every fear, every worry, every negative thought from his mind and replaced it with images of them laughing like children wrapped in towels making bubble beards.

His doctor had been right, he might’ve been talking about his bruises but it fit the context so let’s go with it.

It had to get worse before it could get better.

And sure when things did get worse they were just plain disastrous, I’m talking hurricane Katrina level disastrous. Nonetheless in the end it was all worth it a million times over.

You, it’s you and me. And if I only could, I’d make a deal with God, And I’d get him to swap our places, Be running up that road, Be running up that hill, Be running up that building… “Roy?” Danny finally spoke interrupting his peaceful thoughts.

“Hm?”

You don’t want to hurt me, But see how deep the bullet lies. Unaware I’m tearing you asunder…

“I’m dropping out…”

[literaphobe]

i was tagged by @romanticcstylez !! (legend) 

rulez: list 10 songs you’re currently obsessed with and then tag 10 people

Rough - GFRIEND (i was really into this song like a year or two ago?? but then i randomly thought hey,, i haven’t heard this song in a while so i put it back in my playlist and the rest was history im obsessed again this song makes me feel like im in a field of dandelions and its kinda snowing a lil and i should be dancing and also clocks are ticking THAT BEING SAID the actual meaning of this song title in korean is ‘running through time’ how do u get ‘rough’ from running through time?? wtf man who translated this shit but yeah rough is the official english title and did i mention that this song is about a bunch of girls yearning to tell their crush that they like them but they either keep missing their chance or get too scared BUT in the music video there are no men around?? and at the end all the girls get real happy to see one another and they’re riding bikes and shit anyway i assume its a song about a bunch of girls who are in love with girls but are too afraid to tell them bc wlw cowardice and it makes sense bc the song makes the world out to be a lot tougher and scarier than it would be for a straight couple IN CONCLUSION i like this song and therefore its gay)

Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea - Fall Out Boy (FUCK ANYONE WHO DOESN’T THINK THIS IS THE BEST SONG IN MANIA- im just kidding, i mean, it’s the best, but that’s a personal preference for me?? i love this song so much i want it playing always i could listen to only this song forever and i’d probably be okay with that?? like this song is a drum storm and it’s yelling at me and i LOVE it love the yelling v v good there’s also some french?? wordplay shit idk so that automatically makes it sexy it makes no sense yet is also v deep?? is it deep?? who knows. in writing this very pointless explanation as to why i like this song THE ONLY THING THAT’S EVER STOPPING ME IS ME HEY sorry i’ve listened to this song like 3 times already while slowly typing all this out and oh my god it goes so hard!!!!! it goes so fucking hard i love it i love this nice thick and hard song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it deserves a music video im so mad like its so fucking good when mania dropped FOB didn’t give me no warning they didn’t prepare me with a random mv that made no sense and gdi STAY FROSTY ROYAL MILK TEA DESERVES AN MV also im naming a fic after this song word for word hgdfjghadjf i should stop tldr this song makes me feel like i can take on the world i feel so powerful when i listen to it also i listened to it like a fourth or fifth time i think hoo boi) 

The Ballad Of Mona Lisa - Panic! At The Disco (SAY WHAT YOU MEEEAN TELL ME IM RIIIIGHT AND LET THE SUN RAIN DOWN ON ME come ON this song is so fucking good!!!!!! its creepy how good it is it makes no sense in a way but it speaks to me so hard!!!!!! it’s like good!!!!!!!!!! like the bells?? esp in the beginning and throughout the whole song tbh also the drums and like the drum buildup to the chorus was SICK and so was brendon urie yelling in song at the top of his voice that i enjoy recreating i’ll stop here bc i can’t keep fucking making these so long)

Emperor’s New Clothes - Panic! At The Disco (if it weren’t for this song i would have said that the ballad of mona lisa is my fave p!atd song but alas here lies a sick banger!!!!!! got sick lyrics that i haven’t analyzed but it got sick beats!! okay given the way i explain why i like this song it seems like i don’t even like it but i do okay!!)

All Falls Down - Alan Walker, Noah Cyrus, Digital Farm Animals (god i got some weird nostalgia shit attached to this song?? my sister first got me into it when we were on vacation in Finland and the thing is i usually don’t care too much for being abroad like places are just places and no matter how dope or wild a place is i put it into a ‘cool concept’ box and i tuck it somewhere in my mind and at the end of the day i’m glad i had some experiences but i like being at home-- BUT whenever i listen to this song i think about being in the bus in finland and it’s a long ride so it’s quiet but i’m listening to this song as i stare out the window and look at the snow dusted trees that pass me by each of them unique and beautiful and something i can’t help but anticipate;; i think about that time we were in this supermarket and i bought a ton of candy and the song came on over the speakers and me and my sister got so excited i think about how the sun set at 2 in the afternoon because we were deep into winter and i remember holding onto my dad as we drove through a crazy snow that was kinda stormy on this KTV like thing and it felt like there was no one around for miles and we went really fast,,,,, and a part of me feels like i’m there again, i’m still there, yet i’m here and i want to go back?? cold as shit but yeah i always feel Finland™ when i listen to this song so i can’t bring myself to skip it!! also its like a heck of a bop)

Earth - Sleeping At Last (what i love so much about this song is that i discovered it on accident?? i was listening to venus by the same artist at first and then earth came on and when it ended i was blown away. venus is also a good song that has a very sweet beginning but it doesn’t speak to me like this song does which i’ve heard someone say is about global warming?? which is hilarious anyway FAULT LINES TREMBLE UNDERNEATH MY GLASSHOUSE BUT I PUT IT OUT OF MY MIND LONG ENOUGH TO CALL IT COURAGE TO LIVE WITHOUT A LIFELINE I BEND THE DEFINITION OF FAITH TO EXONERATE MY BLIND EYE TILL THE SIRENS SOUND IM SAFE sorry god thats so good i love this song i was playing it one day while we were playing mahjong and the rule is if u win a round u get to play ur music on the speakers until someone else wins and my sister told me ‘do u have to play this song it sounds so depressing’ and god that just made me love this song more bc she’s right it has this Sad vibe but in a way it also goes hard?????)

The Last Of The Real Ones - Fall Out Boy (this song is sadly lower on the list than it deserves to be but thats prob bc i am not as into this song as i used to be STILL it is a VERY good song with a wicked piano beat in the beginning and before frosty dropped this was my favorite song in mania and honestly i’d easily still consider last of the real ones the second best song in mania?? song is very good and i like to think that it’s objectively very good so i don’t think it’s just me who likes it!!) 

Death Of A Bachelor - Panic! At The Disco (THERES A REASON URIE NAMED THE ALBUM AFTER THIS SONG!! its bc it a good song and its just so?? raw?? just pure brandon doin his dope job, pulling those wack vocals and making me go wowza!!)

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics (i wouldn’t say i’m obsESSED with this song its just i put it on my playlist and i can’t remember why but i like?? can’t skip this song it’s just good and like wow its good) 

Dragostea Din Tei - O-Zone (SHUT UP DON’T JUDGE ME)

anyway i’m so sorry for bein so extra i didnt need to be yet here i am doin a tag game after 28594940 years so here are the people who im forcing to at the very least glance at my bullshit: @chelseperetti @fourdrinkamy @linettithelezbian @distractingchildishmarriage @juliadorable @bisexualinetti @jakeperalta @beatcopjake @startofamoment @proofthatihaveaheart

[goddamnitaisha]

Hey dear @asreoninfusion,

remember a time before you were a popular blog Sefikura BDSM Kink Queen? 

When you were too afraid to make a blog? And were too afraid to message me because you worried you would annoy me? Before we met in real life. 

Hahaha you sent me anon messages in a time I received multiple anons a day. I had to give you a nickname because I wanted you to sign your posts. I gave you name options, you chose the name anon-sundown. I wanted you to continue talking to me, because you were cute enough to be adopted. You suggested writing about your funny life experiences.

Now, I kept all these messages for years. READ THEM BOTTOM TO TOP. You might want to copy them and put them on your own blog.

Love,

your friend Aisha

anon-sundown asked you: 10 hours ago You couldn't actually see the driver; all that was visible were two hands sticking out through this massive bunch of bananas, clutching the handlebars with a white-knuckled grip, and a little face peering round the edge.

anon-sundown asked you: 10 hours ago But the favourite two-wheeler incident was the banana man. People would often cart around huge amounts of food or stock for the local shops they owned; this man was transporting bananas. A /lot/ of bananas. To this day I have no idea how he managed to balance them all on there, but it is safe to say there was significantly more banana than man.

anon-sundown asked you: 10 hours ago We used to see all sorts of insane things on two-wheelers. Across the road from the Croc Bank there lived a man who would regularly drive a fully grown goat around on his bike, with the animal casually draped over the back. One time we saw two men driving along with an eight foot length of PVC pipe... lengthways. They were holding it /across/ the bike, taking up almost the entire road and forcing everyone to swerve all over the place to avoid them! (Fairly standard driving for India, then.)

anon-sundown asked you: 10 hours ago Let's have a non-animal related story for a change. In India they were big on their motorbikes - or two-wheelers, as they call them. They tend to be a lot cheaper and more accessible for most people, so they made up about 40% of the traffic. And the amount of stuff people would cram onto those things! It wasn't at all uncommon to see a family of four or five squashed onto the one bike.

anon-sundown asked you: 12 hours ago One other thing the macaques used to do - and I have no idea where they learnt to do this, if it was instictive or they had learnt it from someone - was floss their teeth. The zookeeper would pull out a strand of their hair and hand it to the monkeys, and they'd start flossing! That soon became an integral part of the feeding show, getting them to clean their teeth afterwards for the visitors to see. We were often the ones doing that, so it's a good thing both my mum and I have very thick hair!

anon-sundown asked you: 12 hours ago Even if they weren't playing with the hose, most of the monkeys would still stop and stare while you cleaned, then try to imitate what you were doing. My mum once brought in a little toy broom to give to them while she was sweeping, see if she could get them to copy her and do some of the work! (They weren't buying it.)

anon-sundown asked you: 12 hours ago In the complete opposite of the spider monkeys, the macaques loved water. The cleaning always took twice as long as it should have, as the monkeys would come and play in the spray when you were trying to hose down the floor and rocks. On more than one occasion a zookeeper (usually my mum) was caught playing skipping rope with the monkeys and a stream of water.

anon-sundown asked you: 12 hours ago Cleaning their enclosure was always a two person job; one to do the cleaning, and the other would stand there with a hose, keeping the monkeys at bay. Fortunately, the macaques monkeys were much friendlier. You had to make sure not to get too near to any of the babies - the mothers were very protective of their young - but other than that they were quite happy to have company in their enclosure.

anon-sundown asked you: 12 hours ago Most of the time the spider monkeys would grudgingly accept an intrusion at feeding time. They weren't pleased that someone was in their space, but they knew that they got food out of it. Even so, they could be vicious buggers, so the zookeeper would always carry a water pistol in with them. If the spider monkeys got too close or too aggressive, you just squirted them with the water pistol and they would back off!

anon-sundown asked you: 12 hours ago At the Hunter Valley Zoo in Australia there were also monkeys, although these were part of the zoo rather than the local wildlife! We had two species; macaques and spider monkeys. The macaques were a big friendly group, playful and generally very nice. The spider monkeys, on the other hand, were not. Their enclosure was /their/ territory, and hoo boy, they did not like their territory invaded. Oddly enough, the only thing they liked less than having someone in their territory was... water.

anon-sundown asked you: a day ago Fortunately, he missed the food. But he did knock over a bottle of milk belonging my little sister (who was very little then). Somehow he managed to set it spinning right around, squirting milk out in every direction at everyone while we dove for cover. Having very successfully got our attention, the goat then hopped back down and made for his balcony, only to run straight into the closed glass door. We let him out there just to get some peace!

anon-sundown asked you: a day ago He's obviously gone for my apple cores, sticking his head into the bin to get at them... but then his horns had got caught, and he couldn't get himself back out past the swing lid. So he just pulled the whole thing off. and then, flailing around like a mad thing trying to dislodge the lid, charged upstairs and jumped right up onto the dinner table.

anon-sundown asked you: a day ago One final piece of background information; I like eating apples. I used to sit at the computer in the front room downstairs, happily munching away, and throw the cores into a little bin with a swing lid just by the desk. This is relevant. So, the goat sneaks into the house. The family is all sat down for dinner, minding our own business, and the first we know of it is hearing a huge ka-clop, ka-clop, ka-clop as the goat comes absolutely flying up the stairs with a bin lid stuck around his neck.

anon-sundown asked you: a day ago As it turned out, we needn't have worried. The goat's reaction to the big scary dogs was to headbutt them, full in the face. The German Shepherd was the one scared of the goat! After the goat had grown a bit and become too big for the balcony, he was relocated to a nice little shed outside. But he still believed the balcony was /his/ balcony and his home, and thus would regularly sneak into the house and charge upstairs to try to get back there.

anon-sundown asked you: a day ago When the goat was just a little thing, it used to live out on the balcony on the second floor of our house. This was because we also had two dogs, an Australian Cattle dog and a fully grown German Shepherd. The former was about twice the size of the goat, and the latter three or four times bigger. We introduced them regularly, but didn't want them to share the same living space until the goat was a bit more grown up and less likely to be intimidated by the big scary dogs.

anon-sundown answered you: a day ago rp-sephiroth asked:

Hahahahaha, I loved the story of the goat. It made me really happy on a less than happy day! xD You're so full of good things, I can't imagine why you still hide. Over the past few weeks you've come across as a pretty rad friend. xD <3 Yes, you make me happy!

Ahhh, thank you! I’m so happy I can make you happy. ^_^ I have another tale of the goat for today’s silly story.

anon-sundown asked rp-writer-aisha: 2 days ago Oh! And just out of curiosity, how are you making the keyblade? I cosplayed Aqua one time and made Stormfall for her. It came out... okay, I guess, but a bit fragile. Someone leant on it and snapped it. orz So anyway, I'm interested to see what method/materials you're going to use. :)

anon-sundown asked rp-writer-aisha: 2 days ago I know what you mean about the self-acceptance thing. v_v And for me it never seemed reasonable or fair to expect anyone else to like you when you don't even like yourself. (This thinking is a significant part of why I'm always so terrified to talk to anyone new; it just seems so rude to impose my shitty self on them. orz) But I like you, and I'm sure the other people you mentioned who send you messages like and accept you too! It's probably not worth much, but there's that at least. ^^'

anon-sundown asked you: 3 days ago Then the goat came trotting along, looking pleased as punch with himself, with three or four cigarettes hanging out of his mouth. Ah, of course. The builder took off after the goat to try and get them back, but alas, it was too late for the cigarettes. They were chewed to pieces and covered in goat slobber. And the poor builder never did get to have a smoke that day.

anon-sundown asked you: 3 days ago The goat was also around. And goats, as you may know, will eat just about anything. On this particular day, 'anything' was the builder's entire packet of cigarettes that he had left out. He came asking us if we knew where his cigarettes had gone, and for a good while we were all searching around the area he'd misplaced them, scratching our heads.

anon-sundown asked you: 3 days ago Originally, Avoca Drive was bought as a plot of land, and my mum and stepdad had a house built on it. We moved in as soon as we could, with just a few finishing touches like carpets to go down and a concrete path to lay outside the front door (the latter of which meant we had to climb out a ground floor window to get out the house for a day or two while the concrete set, that was fun). So there were a few builders around, just finishing up whatever they needed to do.

anon-sundown asked you: 3 days ago While we were in the same house as the wombat incident (henceforth to be known as Avoca Drive, if I need to reference it again) we also owned a goat. And this goat-- oh Goddess, this goat. It was a donation from another family; they had won the goat in a charity auction, raising money for African villages and 'Give a Goat' sort of projects (hence why they were auctioning a goat, I suppose). But they discovered after the fact they didn't have the time/space to look after a goat, so it came to us.

I perched on the back of the sofa (up out of reach of marauding wombats; I wasn't taking on that thing either) and laughed at everyone. Eventually my brother joined me up on the sofa, and the wombat was led away to its overnight bunk in the cupboard under the house, where it the proceeded to keep everyone up all night trying to dig through the foundations.

anon-sundown asked you: 2 minutes ago He tried to shake the wombat off, changing direction and speeding up. The wombat only sped up after him. They ended up running round the room in panicked circles with my brother shouting for mummy. Mum swept in for a rescue attempt, but was not very successful. They /both/ ended up running round the room being chased by the wombat.

anon-sundown asked you: 3 minutes ago Now, this wombat had been trained at Taronga Zoo to follow people around, so the zoo keepers could easily get it to go where they wanted. So when we let it out to have a wander in the front room it began to follow around my brother. He was only ten at the time, and not terribly pleased by the large hairy creature tailing him at a distance far to close for comfort.

anon-sundown asked you: 5 minutes ago Okay, so back when we lived in Australia (as my stepdad is Australian; everything is always his fault), he and my mum owned a zoo in the Hunter Valley, several hours drive north of Sydney. We had acquired a wombat, a transfer from Taronga Zoo. Since our house was directly along and right in the middle of the route between Taronga in Sydney and the Hunter Valley, it was decided the wombat would stay a night at home to break up the journey.

anon-sundown asked you: a day ago We eventually got the noodles back after my mum went and yelled at the monkeys, though it wasn't terribly effective until the monkeys hissed back and scared my little sister. Then my mum actually got angry with them, and she is rather scary when angry. The monkeys dropped the jar and ran off, and thus victory was ours.

anon-sundown asked you: a day ago One time the door to the house was left open and two monkeys broke in. One stood guard at the door while other darted into the kitchen, jumped up on to the counter and proceeded to raid the cupboard. They made off with a jar of pot noodles and took to a nearby tree to try and prise the thing open (without much succes).

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Wednesday 8 July 1835

7 40

11 40

No kiss. very rainy morning and 59 ½° at 8 25 am a little while in the barn and stabling - breakfast at 9 - fair about or before 10 - in and out then till 12 ¼ - wrote the following and sent it by George at 12 ½ to ‘J.E. Norris Esquire secretary of the Halifax District of the West Riding Election committee’ ‘Miss Lister begs to enclose to the secretary of the Halifax district, fifty pounds, the amount of her subscription towards the election of the honourable John Stuart Wortley for the West Riding. Shibden Hall Wednesday 8 July 1835’  - George returned in ½ hour bringing back the note Mr Norris being ill in bed and George not thinking it right to leave the note in the hands of Mr N-‘s clerk whom he (George) saw at the White Swan - till 2 ¼ wrote and copied letter to Mr Bewsher asking what steps I ought to take to get permission to have my model of Switzerland (daily expecting its arrival from Geneva - 7ft 4 by 4.8 in. (French) forwarded to me here, unopened - Messrs. Hammersley will pay for me any expense and duty required and give any information respecting the prime cost - then went downstairs to speak to Marian and she kept me talking till 3 40 - afraid I shall not die so rich my uncle left me, alas, afraid I shall ruin - will keep me - buy  in my books for me and allow me £300 a year - but would not buy a foot of the estate - would do for me but nothing for the estate - very much obliged to her, but hope........ promise to send George and my own cart with our dirty things so as to save John Booth once a week - Marian no good humour at first but my calmness and temper got her right and I believe she likes and respects me more than she does anybody else   Said I could not remove my mother’s bones to Halifax my father having the right over these and Marian being his ssole executrix - out at 3 40 down the old bank to Mr Parker’s office - nobody at home - went to Whitely’s - paid A-‘s and my aunt’s and my own bill there - then back to Mr Parkers - still nobody but a young clerk or writer   writing out notices of claiming a licence for Northgate house in the name of Thomas Greenwood - left a note on the desk asking for my bill up to 1 July and to know what Messrs. Alexander ask for 3 navigation shares and observing that the last Wakefield road divided is not entered in my cash account - asked also to whom I should send my subscription to the Wes Riding election - returned by John Bottomley’s - saw him - he is building a dry-walling cow-place - then to George Naylor’s - saw him in the potato field just below the quarry - he and Freeman much disappointed not to have it - F- had set it about that he was to have it and everyone believed it -‘he had some of my papers had he not?’ no! and I supposed he never would have - but if he himself said anything of this  (GN said it was done in Mr Briggs’s time) I knew what he must allude to - on my uncle’s death I had much to pay and not much to receive and I gave F- my bond for some money but it had been paid off a year or 2 before Mr B-‘s death - Like other people I might sometimes want money and sometimes have to spare but however this might be I had all my papers at home and should keep them there - those people who would not take my note of hand or bond might keep their money for anything I cared - home at 6 20 - dinner at 6 ½ - coffee - sometime with my father and Marian - then 20 minutes with my aunt till 9 ¼ at which hour tea downstairs - skimmed over the paper - wrote the last 25 lines of today - fine after rain (showers) during the morning till about 1 - F61° now at 10 35 pm - went to George N- to tell him that he must go and pay his rent to Washington = the rate of £50 per annum and then get himself registered as a voter - he will go on Saturday - afraid if he was a blue nobody would buy milk or anything of him - oh! said I never mind - never what you are - you may give a yellow vote for anything they know - but get registered I don’t want to hurt you - he said farms should be lowered - well ! said I you give yours up, nobody else shall have it at the same rent - he joked and asked what I would give him for giving up - oh! get a valuer - Washington will value for me - I’ll take you at your word - and you may step into Pickells’s shoes, and live at Whiskam cottage and look after things for me - he said if he could get 2 days a week carting of Hainsworth, he would keep his 3 horses - if not must sell one at least - asked me £30 for a good brown horse aetatis 7 this spring.

[awkwarddystopianwarlord]

A Thursday

The day had already started out cursed when the night before I realized that I had to work two hours earlier than I thought. Thank the gods I had looked at my planner before going to bed but realized I would only get about six hours of sleep. We’ve all had that feeling though, haven't we? You think you know when to show up for work and thus plan your bedtime schedule accordingly and just before you call it a night, gracious serendipity allows you to double check the time you start your shift and that’s when you think, “oh bugger”. It’s a blessing to catch that before actually waking up late and showing up way past when you should but nevertheless, you go to bed with that fear and stressed feeling. And that’s exactly what I did.

And so the day actually begins. As I go about my morning routine, I have to mentally hype myself up whilst simultaneously finding inner peace and tranquility in preparation of the unknown chaos ahead.

Now, walking into the drug store is a crucial time to gather visual intelligence on what the rest of the day might look like. I scout out how many customers are currently wandering the aisles, how many are lined up at the front till. Is there a backup cashier currently serving the masses as well? I do all of this on my dreaded walk to the staff room. My eyes dart back and forth taking in the entire layout of the premises, my earbuds play some calming, subdued tunes to keep me at ease.

As I make my way to my locker, I arm myself as if for battle: Xacto knife in one pocket, fancy ink pen I claimed as my own in the other, wee notebook with all the codes and cheats I need to operate my till because I will be damned before I call a supervisor for help and face the loathing customer I’ve had to put on hold. I fill up my water bottle since it’s the only way to remove my mask to breathe after running around like a lunatic to help seven people at once. I keep my knee brace in my locker for I already slathered both knees with A535 rub and jammed insoles into my shoes. With my till and lottery counted, I am ready to head out to face my doom.

I realized that I had jinxed myself when I thought it was rather quiet. Satan decided to pay me a visit and ensure the entirety of the island decided to grace this singular drug store with their presence. Now, whilst seniors day is generally absurdly busy, especially when they’re receiving bonus points for the last Thursday of the month, today it was just insane. I was bound to my till for five hours straight. The flood of people was never ending. Adrenaline gradually kicked in as I continuously leapt over the bagging section of my till to help incapable consumers on the self checkout and back again to help impatient consumers at my counter. I found myself evolving into a god. I flew from my till to the self checkout, to random aisles to confirm that the customer doesn’t know how to read, to the till again so I could rapidly print up lottery tickets that were destined to lose.

All the while the crimson tide from my uterus is threatening to overthrow the plug I put in to keep it at bay and situate itself into my pad. This was an unappreciated portion of the day. It became a race against my own body. Would I make it until my lunch break that was planned at 2:30 or would the power of my reproductive system claim victory. It was the latter. Leaving the poor back up cashier on his own, I went to replug my leak and recollect myself in the time it took to do that. When I returned, the line had multiplied. There were two now as everyone had merged to be served by the remaining cashier. I was  forced to do a speed round to clear away the new line without making the main line commit mutiny, enhancing my godlike abilities all the more. Caffeine fails to work on me, but how my mind grew to function in those moments, I’m assuming that sensation was similar to what those who have chugged four coffees are like. I was hyper, high on the chaos of having an unending hoard of customers. My knees were suffering, there was a terrible pain in my neck, my stomach was bloated to the extent that I could pass off being some five months pregnant and the line never ended.

Take note, the entire time I was losing brain cells at a concerningly fast rate, my customer service was as pleasant as ever. I managed to convince everyone I served that I was a cheerful young lass with an abundance of patience and sanity. If only they knew that I just told them to take their time so I could take my own time to bury another portion of my mental wellbeing that died inside.

To make matters even more peachy, my lunch break ended up being a half hour late. I was on total autopilot at that time. My brain was completely gone by 2:00. All I could think about was that I was not supposed to still be here. I was supposed to be eating chilli and not enduring an endless surge of middle aged yahoos that all thought they were so unique and funny when they rang the little bell at my till while I was scanning their seven jugs of milk because the sign said to ring for service. It was almost surreal by the time I was relieved to go disappear into the staff room and…

Find that the lock on my locker was completely jammed and would no longer unlock. My embarrassingly bland chilli and hoodie that I planned to hide in both kept hostage within the metal cube like prisoners. The gods were mocking me at this point. I was blessed enough to have a work friend, who I was going to eat with, buy me lunch in the food court we were now allowed to go back to. Alas when I had twenty minutes left of my sacred hour of escape, I had to find assistance to release my belongings from my deceased lock.

It took some tries, but a manager finally succeeded in cracking the lock open with a screwdriver and hammer. As wonderful as this was, the stress of having thought I was forever barred from my bike and house keys was not a welcome feeling on top of all the rest of my unwelcome feelings that had accumulated throughout the day. And I still had two hours to go.

As it was when I left, the behemoth amount of humans were still filling the store. There had in fact been a small lineup outside the building when I came back from the main part of the mall. My computer was desperately protesting by glitching every two seconds, forcing me to click the same three buttons over and over again in an attempt to unfreeze it. I just wanted to go home.

There was no calm until there was.

Right when the evening cashier came to trade places. The moment she arrived, the line was no more. There was peace and quiet. The store appeared abandoned, there was such a lack of customers. All the torment I had dwelled in dissipated as soon as I no longer had to dwell in it. The mockery was at it’s finest in that moment.

And so the day had ended for me. I walked like a weary soldier coming home from war to the staff room to count my till. My body and mind had aged six decades over the course of the day. I was the senior I had spent hours serving as I hobbled to collect my backpack from my now open and exposed locker and bid my fellow survivors of the day farewell. At least Fridays are the antithesis of this ridiculousness.