#but if i took the risk and it paid off then I'd be very happy

[lifeascaty]

i'm feeling down for silly work reasons and my brother's fiancé is away for the night so I thought there was a pretty good chance he was still awake for once so I texted him and said I needed a compliment and he jumped to the occasion even though it was a weird request to receive out of the blue at 1am on a Saturday morning so then I told him why I was sad and that sometimes working in the film industry wears me down and he was all "of course it does. you go out and pitch shows and movies and yourself knowing that the majority of the time you're gonna get a no but that it's worth it for that yes and you've already had yeses and you'll get yeses again and it's okay and not surprising that sometimes it wears you down but you'll get back up again and be okay" and honestly it was just so sweet and at one point I genuinely got teary when he said he told people I was tough because there's no way he could handle the uncertainty and rejections that naturally come with the territory and then he sent me a picture of his cat snuggled on his lap and she was such a cute black void 🥹

Anyway. Past me would have been so happy to have these problems. i should remember that.

[finniestoncrane]

2.5k Event Request - Egon Spengler x Fem!Reader word count: 875 a/n: listen, if i thought for a minute that egon was getting his jollies from spying on me after i'd showered i'd be putting on such a fuckin show ;-; cw: voyeurism, peeping, masturbation, handjobs, cmnf 🔞minors dni🔞 • masterlist • kofi link • tag: finnie2.5k (to follow or to block)

There was very little to do in the long hours between call-outs. It could get boring, and lonely. And while pornography had killed both of those little nuisances before, it was getting hard to satiate his growing lust for you by imagining your face on the bodies of the women on the screen or in his magazines.

And who was it really hurting, if you never found out? And you hadn't so far, not once of the many times he had snuck up to your room to satisfy his darker urges.

The floor creaked regardless of whether someone was walking over it, your door never quite closed which meant it could be pushed open just a crack, enough for him to see. It was an exercise in stealth, but one he was happy to risk for his pleasures.

The sound of the shower turning off, pipes clunking as they relaxed, signalled his cue. The others were clueless, not caring much what he was up to as they assumed it was always something deeply scientific, and therefor, more often than not, boring. It meant none of them paid attention to Egon as he took long strides to quickly make it to the hallway outside of your room, set apart from the barracks he slept in with the others.

Pushing the door open slowly, carefully, he was pleased to see he was just in time to see you drop the towel, exposing your back to him, water dripping down your spine and curving over your rear. His fingers quietly unzipped his fly, hand diving in under the fabric to palm at his cock. He wished he could relish the view, but you were so quick usually. There was little time to enjoy the show, so he pushed into his underwear and began pumping at his stiffening cock.

As his palm slicked up the shaft, you bent over suddenly, legs spreading enough to give him a perfect view of your cunt, open, exposed. The sight of you in that position was a first, and a whimper of arousal trickled out of his open mouth. Hearing the sound, you whipped your head towards the source, walking towards the door, body jiggling in a way that only made him harder, impossible to move in time to hide.

You'd caught him in the act. Standing there, eyes unblinking behind the lenses of his round glasses, usually pale cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Well? Do you have an excuse? Or are you going to stand there in stunned silence?"

That was exactly what he did.

"Wow. Egon Spengler, lost for words. I never thought I'd see the day. You know, you could have said you were studying me, or observing me. It wouldn't have been ok, but it would have at least been funny."

You were enjoying this a lot more than you should, but there was something deeply flattering about it. And knowing he had a thing for you, the way you had one for him, felt like a win, regardless of how creepy he might have revealed himself to be. In fact, the little bit of creep, the nasty, devious nature of the act, only made him more attractive, and you felt your morals falling to the side as you caught a glimpse at his still hard cock pushing against the front of his pants.

"Well... are you going to keep going? Or are you too shy now?"

He swallowed the lump that had collected in his throat, nerves and saliva and fear falling to the pit of his stomach with the audible gulp.

"A little bit pathetic, Egon. The things you've seen, and you're scared of me?"

You took a few steps towards him, watching his eyes widen and his pupils growing darker.

"I'd like you out of my room, please. But I'm not cruel. You can finish first."

Egon opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He was caught in confusion, not enitrely sure what you were suggesting, or at least not wanting to believe the scenario playing out before him, which felt too good to be true.

"I suppose I'll have to do that for you then, will I?"

From where you stood, a few steps from him, you reached your arm out and ran your palm along the tent at the front of his pants, biting your lip to stop from smirking at the soft whine that trembled out of his open mouth.

He looked terrified, but eager, as he bucked his hips towards your toucch. Deciding to lessen the threat, you dropped to your knees, offering him a bit of dominance, if only suggested, as you reached into his open fly and pulled out his cock.

Curling your fingers around his long length, you let out a soft giggle, eyes flicking upwards to catch his as he stared unblinking at you, unsure of how to take what was happening. It could have been a trap, and he was smart enough to not trust anyone at first glance. But your touch was soft, inviting, and the way your lips parted in a satisfied moan was enough to have him relaxing into your grip, running his fingers through his thick curls as his knees began to buckle.

[windy-trickster]

A Mouse in The Snake's Coil

Another night of work as Roddie Lamare moved about the dining area, taking orders and sending them back to the kitchen, grabbing prepared food and bringing them to their respective tables. Night in and night out, this was his routine. This was his work. And honestly? He loved it. He loved finally having SOME semblance of balance and routine to his life, which was one a jumbled mess of job hunting and trying to pay his bills. He had been so nervous applying for the job at this high-class establishment, assuming the worst before even putting his application in. But he needed a job, he needed the money. So, he took the risk and went for it. And it turned out great! Wonderful, even. Now he had a job that paid him good, a boss who was on his side [for most things] and he could finally pay his bills! And have a little cash left over for other things. Tonight had been no different: Customer orders, he pens it down, sends it back and brings the food to them. Rinse and repeat for several hours. The dinner rush passed, and it seemed to slow down, Roddie was cleaning up a couple nearby tables when the little overhead doorbell went off, signaling the arrival of a customer. Roddie looked up and greeted the man like he did with every other customer, a bright smile and cheery tone. This guy was... Definitely different from the regular clientele. He wasn't dressed fancy nor did he give off that typical air of self-importance that all Highbloods did. Dressed casually in a jacket and jeans, heavy boots covered in... Some kind of gunk, the Indigoblood flashed Roddie a friendly smile and greeted him back. The two had a chat as Roddie wrote down his name, taking him to a table and watched the Indigoblood get all situated. Roddie held his pen and pad, smiling as he awaited the order. But was a little surprised when the other didn't order, flashing him another friendly smile before speaking. "🗡So. You're Vic's new server boy, yeah?" Roddie blinked and nodded, being caught off guard by the question. "🗡AH! Knew it. He seems to like hirin' cuties from what I've heard. And I've known him for quite a bit, y'know?" "Oh! You have? Boss never tolD me he haD any frienDs! Well... He Doesn't tell me a lot of things. But I'm very happy he's got someone in his corner!" -> The Indigo let out a booming laugh, leaning back slightly in his chair. "🗡Yeaaaaah. Me and ol' Vic go waaaaay back. Known each other since wrigglerhood. We've grown a little distant, but we're still pretty tight. And y'know... I kinda want to get to know YOU a little more too. Any friend of Vic's is a friend of mine." Roddie felt his cheeks flush a little at the blunt invitation to hang out with someone who looked... So cool! And made Roddie feel so comfortable despite having met this guy for the first time. He rolled the idea around in his head for a moment, feeling the flutterbugs kick up in his stomach. This was excited! How could he say no?! "Uh- Sure! I'D love to! I like makin' frienDs y'know!" -> The Indigo, who introduced himself as Jailyn, grabbed Roddie's hand and shook it. "🗡Great. I'll come by again at some point. We can make plans then, yeah? Now uhhhh. Hit me up with the best you've got here, mkay?" Roddie nodded and hurried off to the kitchen area to get his protentional new friend the best in the house. He was so excited! Too excited to realize the trap he just put himself in.

Vicnet Carbon - @alternias-madness

[bengiyo]

Moonlight Chicken Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

It's been an incredible week reacting to this show, and I've been particularly enjoying some of analysis from @telomeke and @respectthepetty, particularly this examination of the film Jim can't watch anymore. I'm also taken with how much homage and respect for film tradition that exists before them permeates Aof's work; there's a quality to this show that reminds me of Wong Kar-Wai that I can't exactly place yet.

Last time, we learned that Praew was pregnant, and Mark Pakin made me cry when Saleng received the dowry Jim acquired for him. Jim currently can't afford car insurance, and backed into a pair of folks on a motorcycle. Wen paid the folks off, further connecting the two of them. Speaking of Wen, he and Gaipa are now at quiet war over Jim, who is definitely in danger. Elsewhere, Li Ming opened up to Wen about his desire to travel, and began bonding with Heart (and, coincidentally, our hearts).

We're opening with Wen's work with this mall to demolish all of the traditional and street vendors. Hate how this is happening everywhere. Even Americans want street food. Look at how popular food trucks are.

Chapter 3: The Dream of the Eternal Moon

Gaipa is not happy about his mom helping them convince people to sell their businesses, and seems to be holding his tongue. I think Khaotung said that Gaipa completed college, so it's possible that his mom isn't keen on keeping her stall because she thinks he can take care of himself.

Well she's not wrong about traditional neighborhoods becoming a tourist attraction, and demolition being a missed opportunity.

Gemini and Fourth have learned a lot in their training. They use their eyes really well for newcomers. Heart seems genuinely happy to teach someone else how to communicate with him. I also like how they only have one pad and pen. It's very clear who is trying to say something that way, and the other has to agree by surrendering the tools.

Saleng is never gonna miss a chance to tease Jim.

Jim's existence feels anti-modern in so many ways. Despite his struggles, he donates to a community event and refuses promotion. You can see it affecting Wen, because it makes him uncomfortable to wear his work badge in the face of so much local camaraderie.

I like Jim's half-joking, practical view on faith. It's something he turns to when he's troubled, and believes helps him; or he convinces himself that they have already helped.

When will a man look at me the way Wen and Jim look at each other?

Oh snap a flashback. So Papang gets to play the man who made Jim give up on love? They took the risk to open this business together, and now he's gone?

Why would Beam leave his phone unlocked if he's seeing someone else?

How long has Jim conflated his failed romance with the beef he has with his homophobic sister?

At least the landlord came face to face to talk about the future of the diner. It also seems like he just assumes he can have whatever food he wants?

I'm with Li Ming. Why does a man with an upscale bike and is planning to sell off their livelihood deserve a free meal?

I'd be angry if I was Jim, too. Sleeping with someone working to demolish your livelihood and community, and who you let into that world?

Gaipa and Jim may get along, but does Jim know of his mom's role in this as a facilitator? Also, not sure how to read Saleng looking at them from the balcony.

Li Ming is failing school, and it doesn't look optimistic.

I wonder if Fourth will be playing a loser in 23.5 degrees as well. Both of his characters we've seen recently aren't great students, and have a lot of obstacles in front of their dreams.

Man, I really hope tensions ease between Li Ming and Jim. I never like when the kids in our extended family circle are at odds with us like this.

Absolutely losing it over Li Ming's Sesame Street "Everything I know I leaned on The Street" shirt.

I like how careful Wen is with Li Ming. He only asks questions so Li Ming can voice his frustrations, and then gives a gentle nudge to express those feelings clearly to Jim.

It's really clever to show Li Ming picking up on sign language as he's struggling with school. Shows that he's not dumb; he's just unmotivated with school.

Also, we can confirm that the chin thing is a Fourth thing with Gemini.

Not keen on the teens raiding the liquor cabinet, but I don't see Li Ming resisting a cute boy.

Interesting, this is Wen's stepdad, and he offers useful perspective on managing complicated romances.

"We're just friends," he says as he drinks Jim's beer of choice.

Oh no, the teens think they're clever by watering down the liquor.

Again, it's interesting seeing Gemini and Fourth twice right now, because Fourth looks down at Gemini's lips at similar timing as in My School President.

I feel like Fourth must have grown after filming this. Gemini seems taller than him here more than he does in MSP.

This notion of a hard life in America being better than life in Thailand is hinted at in The Warp Effect as well, and reflects conversations we've had with Thai friends we have locally.

Wen is tactful. Jim draws the class line between them, and Wen doesn't challenge it.

Aof wasn't lying. Fourth and Gemini are very cute together.

Very excited about the secret sleepover.

We finally see Alan. Hello, First Kanaphan, my beloved.

Drama tomorrow! À demain!

[pokeexehasstoppedworking]

Diamond In The Rough Ch11 A New Life- College Life That Is P4

"Emerald!?"

Your voice had just blurted it out loud and for everyone to hear, so if you didn't have her attention before you sure did NOW! The shock of her face let you know that she absolutely recognized you and was just in much shock as you were. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped to mirror your look as the two of you stared at each other before Gordie broke the tense silence by stepping around the frozen Emerald, the snow crunching under his feet as he approached you with a bright smile. Opening up his arms to you.

"Hey, my diamond! Lemme give ya a hand there,'' he said gesturing to one of the heavy food bags you were holding.

"UH.." You shook your head. "Y-Yeah! I just need to have help loading these on Venom." You decided to not give Emerald any more attention and just look at Gordie.

"Oh. Is she ok with that?"

"Yeah. She helped me carry my stuff to the dorms, so she wouldn't have any problems helping me carry it back home, and she's very strong. It'd be no problem." You smiled at him and an instant sigh of relief fell from your lips when he reached over to grab the biggest bag from your arms and easily swung it over a shoulder. Those gymnastics of his must've really paid off making him stronger than he looked. "Thanks.''

"I wouldn't want to have you fall and hurt yourself again. You may be as strong as a diamond but I'd prefer it if ya didn't take any real big risks."

You smiled back and turned to venom who still looked confused at the houndoom growling behind her as if half trying to hide, but held still when you walked back over to her. She was such a good girl. She held still the whole way only giving a happy thrum-purr sound when you complimented her on how strong she was. She didn't even buckle once under the weight of the bags as you both heaved the bags onto her back. She could easily walk with them on her back, so still mostly ignoring Emerald you just went about your business with Gordie following your lead. But you couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Shock- EMERALD!? She was back!? HOW!? WHY!? What could she possibly be doing back in Circhestor!? You were sure she graduated last year! Could she have come back for Cerberus? Maybe but you highly doubted it. She took WAY to long to decide to come back and get him, and why would she pick now of all times to do so? On top of that how would she have known to look for him here? She didn't even look in his direction here. And besides, even if she did, there was NO WAY in heck you were giving him back to the person who abandoned him and didn't take care of him properly. Anger- OH YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY ANGRY!! HOW DARE SHE SHOW HER FACE AROUND HERE AGAIN AFTER ALL THE THINGS SHE PULLED!! Abandoning her pokemon, leaving a whole mess for you and Stacy to clean up, causing countless sleepless night because of her endless complaining and noises, and now she had the gall to make a move on your boyfriend!! Oh you could feel anger from just from yourself, but someone was boring holes of rage into your head. Gee...You wondered who that was. 

"YOU!?," a raged will voice shrilled. 

You groaned as Gordie sharply turned to look over his shoulder a few stomps were heard crashing through the snow and only stopped a little ways away from you because Gordie suddenly stepped out to put himself between you and a furious looking Emerald. In fact, he moved so suddenly and fast that it made you blink and jump a bit.

"OI! Bloody back off," he spoke in a stern voice at Emerald, a tone that which made her stop right in her tracks and stare at the taller gym leader who dared to step between you both, blocking her from even getting near you. "Look lady! I dunno what your problem is but I've been dealin' with enough people who seem ta have a problem with my girlfriend for no reason! So why dontcha bugger off!?" Emerald didn't say anything after that, and you had to lean far sideways in order to look past Gordie's form and spot Emerald who had gone silent. Staring at Gordie like he'd just slap her...Well you supposed he did. Slap her with some reality she most likely needed. "Hm?" With a hum he rose a brow and turned his head towards your movement as you poked your head around his form, and he pointed at her. "Oi. Y/n, you know this girl?"

Emerald looked to you too and scowled like you were the problem, making you frown deadpanned back. "*sigh*...Unfortunately. Gordie, THIS is Emerald. She was my roommate last year."

Gordie only stared at you for a long silent moment before calmly looking back to Emerald. "Oh. So that's why your name sounded...familiar to me."

Well you guessed having Gordie talk to her in a calmer tone gave back her confidence because instead of the scowl, she completely did a 180 and lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. ''That's right! We were roomies all year! Oh wow! It's been such a long time, (Butchered-name here)!"

"....It's Y/n."

"Right, right! Omg! It's been forever since I've seen you!," she fake gushed with a strained grin, "I can't remember the last time we got together and talked! We should get together sometime, and you can introduce me to your boyfriend here and..." She gave Gordie another smile which made you scowl harder. "maybe he- Uh! You two can show me around town.~"

BIT- She wasn't even TRYING to hide the blatant flirting she was doing with Gordie with you literally RIGHT THERE!! How entitled WAS this bloody girl!? He stood there smiling and batting her lashes trying to look all 'cute' in front of Gordie who didn't look the least bit interested. In fact he just stared blankly at her. You were about to GO at her, heck! Probably even throw hands if you felt more like it- but before you could lunge at her, Gordie did something that completely took the both of you off guard. 

"So you two were good friends huh?", he suddenly asked making the two of you look at him. You looked at him surprised but then confused, meanwhile Emerald continued to beam.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that we were friends exactly, but she's a pretty cool person! We had fun together though!"

"Oh. Is that so?" You both were taken aback at the harsh tone he had dropped all of a sudden, and you only watched as Gordie leaned forward towards Emerald who felt silent again. Shocked frozen smile on her face. "Tell me somethin'. Was that before or after you left her to clean up your tepig pen?"

And. You. Both. FROZE. Stunned. Staring at Gordie like he just grew another head in front of the both of you. The silence grew with each passing second the two stared at him from the bomb he set off. An aftermath of the effect he was creating in front of you as he just ever so terrifyingly, calmly stared at Emerald, who by now had a jaw dropped, wide eyed look to her. As did you, but the only difference was that Gordie's rage wasn't directed at you at all. The amount of tension increased the longer he stared at her before he just tilted his head and hummed at her.

"Hm. ....No answer? That's ok. S' not like I was actually expectin' anything acceptable even if ya did bother to blabber somethin' out. But that's what ya did right? Now what m' trying to figure out is if that was 'fore or after ya abandoned the houndoom."

 As if to help Gordie's case against her, you heard a growl behind you and look- !? And BARELY lunged just in time to grab Cerberus who charged. "CERBERUS NO!!" You had acted on your instinct you'd develop when traveling with the guys and had twisted your body around to lunge yourself at the houndoom, crashing into his front and sending the two of you two the ground. You'd barely grabbed him around his neck and clung onto him tightly as he continued to bark and struggle beneath you. HOLY FU- IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO WRANGLE A HORSE WITH HIS STRENGTH!! The pokemon continued to claw at the ground and bark despite your desperate grip around his neck. "NO!! DOWN BOY!!"

Gordie had just stayed standing unflinching this entire time and only calmly watched you wrangle your houndoom (just barely-), meanwhile Emerald had SHRIEKED upon Cerberus lunging at her, and in true fashion fell backwards, scrambled away on the ground through the snow, and made a big fuss about it. Screeching some babbles about 'that beast going to attack her' or something like that. You couldn't hear her over Cerby's barks. Her shrieking and the barking made a fair amount of people look your way to see what the commotion was all about.

Gordie whistled. "Wow. He really doesn't like you," he spoke calmly still, "So..M' gonna guess it was after ya abandoned this guy. Otherwise he wouldn't have acted like that."

"GET IT AWAY FROM ME!! DO SOMETHING!!," she shrieked demanding at Gordie who again did nothing but stand there but did eventually look back at her.

"You know...It's highly illegal to poach pokemon and bring 'em into another region where they can cause problems, right?" She could only looked horrified between him and Cerberus. "More so it's highly illegal to buy said pokemon from said poachers. ...Now unless you have a bloody good excuse for why you'd have an un-native pokemon in Galar, I'm inclined to believe you got that houndoom through illegal means. Ya wanna comment on that?" She didn't answer-

"GORDIE!!," you wailed as your grip on Cerberus began to slip. "A LITTLE HELP HERE!!"

"Huh? Oh. Right!" He turned back to you but not before giving one last look at Emerald. "Don't worry. I'll do as ya ask..I get it away from you, but don't forget I've forgotten what you did." He pointed directly at her. "You're already in deep trouble, so expect a visit from Officer Jenny for your actions. An' if you EVER come near my girlfriend again, I'll make sure you're banned from Circhestor faster than you can imagine!" 

Emerald didn't even say anything. In fact she didn't even look back at him. She turned and scrambled on hands and knees to stand up, falling with a splat noise into the slush once getting all soaked once, and ran as fast her expensive heels could allow her to through the snow. All the while Gordie stared her retreating form down and you still held onto Cerberus to keep him from chasing after her. He continued to bark even after she disappeared from sight but you refused to let him go until he calmed down and quit the barking, although he still stared off where Emerald disappeared with a scowl on his face. Phew. That could've ended badly. 

"Hey. You alright?," he asked extending his hand towards you and you nodded reaching up to allow him to pull you up. "That was quite a catch there. Quick thinkin'!"

"Yeah, but it wouldn't have happened if she hadn't treated him so badly."

"Oh. So that was the same Emerald you've told me about huh?"

You nodded. "Yeah. But I have NO idea what she's doing back here! She was supposed to have graduated last year! I didn't think I'd ever see her again."

He could only hum..."It looks like the movie's gonna have to wait. I need to make a few calls."

"Does that mean you're gonna be busy again?"

"Nah. Jus' means I have to make a call before we can chill is all. C'mon. Let's get out of the cold and then we can sort everything out." He gestured towards the direction of his house and you nodded again.

"Yeah..But wait. Are you alright?"

"Uh...What?"

"How you just kinda snapped back there?" You gestured at nothing. "I've never seen you get that serious before since-...Well since the cafe incident. It really surprised me."

He stared at you some more, before he coughed and looked away with a sheepish look. "W-W-Well...Y-You've a-already been through s-s-so much since ya arrived in Galar. I-I don't want you to have ta deal with anymore drama especially if I can prevent it. Y'know? I-...I don't like the thought o' someone hurting my girlfriend-"

He was stopped and snapped back to you when you grabbed his hand and smiled. "Aw.~ I'm so lucky to have a big, strong gym leader to protect me.~" You cooed and immediately he gained a pink color to his face. You gently tugged his hand. "C'mon. Let's get out of the cold. Alright?"

"Uh-....U-Uh huh."

You wished that would've been the last you saw or heard from Emerald but that turned out to not be the case as you would come to find out. Gordie had taken the liberty of walking you and your pokemon back to your dorm rooms to make sure you got back alright, and you smiled at such a sweet gesture from him. The rest of that day went well, you watched a movie or two and Gordie took a thirty minute call outside before coming back before you left. You had no idea who he called or what was said, but you had a pretty good idea what it was about. But that wasn't the last dose of Emerald you had that particular day. It all started when you got back to the dorm room. Topaz was still in living room where you all last left her surrounded by her books and papers, and she had remained calmly silent as you went through the motions of greeting Gordie good night and started dragging the bags of food to the small kitchen area before you heard a voice. You were just in the middle of dragging a bag to a corner before pausing when Topaz spoke-

"Hey. Y/n." You looked up as she calmly stared at you from the sofa. "May I talk to you for a sec? It's kinda important."

You were confused but nodded. "Sure. What's up?"

"I-...Well-..*ahem*" She hesitated as if she wasn't sure what to say for a moment before she inhaled and let out a sigh. "Do you remember when I asked you if you really were dating the gym leader?"

You rose a brow confused...but slowly nodded. "Yes. What about it?"

"This might sound a bit strange, but did you by chance run into a woman with green hair while you were in town today?"

At this you froze, and your brows nearly shot off your face at what she just said. "......Why would you ask something like that?"

"Because my cousin just called and tried to complain about you before I hung up on her."

GLASS SHATTER. WAVE

Her words cut through your mind like a knife through butter. A cold feeling of ice dumped down your throat and landing heavily into your stomach. Slowly..your buffering blue screened brain was able to comprehend the words that were spoken to you...and you ever so slowly looked back at Topaz who continued to stare at you tiredly. 

"....By any chance on a totally unrelated note, is your cousin's name Emerald?," you slowly asked.

Now it WAS Topaz's turn to look surprised at you. "Yes...But how did you know that?"

You inhaled. "You might want to sit down. It's a VERY long story."

LLLLOOOONNNGG story short....you received some very, very, VERY horrifying news. A LOT of horrifying news. Topaz was horrified to find out what she did last year and what she put on both you and Stacy. You didn't spare her any details about what she did, and Topaz delivered some grim news of her own. Not only was Emerald her cousin, but because of the school pairing everyone with old roommates if they were still registered within the school, you had unfortinately find out that the 'mysterious' third roommate and the person Topaz had been talking to on the phone was in fact EMERALD!!!

"You've gotta be kidding me!?"

 Are you telling me any moment she can just walk on in and live here again!? With her loud  voice at all hours of the night!? And her entitlement!? And leaving more messes for you to clean up!? NO!! NUH UH!! ABSOLUTELY NOT!! YOU WERE NOT GOING TO HAVE HER BACK IN HERE AGAIN!!! What if she tried doing something petty to get back at you!? Or worse what if she tried to take Cerberus or do something to him!? There was no way in heck you were going to let her in!! 

Topaz only sighed and nodded. "Yes. I'm afraid it's all true."

"Buy why is she back!?"

"She failed what should've been her final year last year. Apparently she was caught having blackmailed her ex boyfriend into doing most of the work for her. In my opinion she should've gotten expelled, but my aunt convinced the school board to give her one last chance...But she won't be here for long I'm afraid. She hasn't been showing up to her classes because she's too busy off doing whoever the heck knows! She's had the gall to ask ME to just do everything for her," she angrily said with a scowl, "Of course I refused because who would agree to that?! The school is already talking about expelling her if she doesn't start coming to classes regularly again! They're patience is already thinned out from last year! And after finding out everything now-....'' She shook her head. "I think I should call my aunt. She deserves to know what Emerald's really been up to when she's not around."

You nodded in agreement. "I think I should call Gordie too." If there was going to be trouble, then you needed to let Gordie know beforehand so this could be stopped before it could even started. "Even if she doesn't do anything it'd be good to give him a heads up."

Topaz nodded in agreement. "I'm all for you doing that. If you need anyone to back you up, I'd be happy to talk to him myself."

"Thanks, Topaz. I appreciate it."

"Of course. Now if you excuse me, I need to make a long distance call."

Needless to say you didn't sleep well that night and Topaz got her phone out almost as soon as you were gone from the sofa. You weren't sure what the aftermath would be...but you felt like you should make that call sooner rather than later. You had Sparky call Gordie but he must've been busy or asleep with how late it was but you left a message to him explaining everything before sleeping yourself. You wouldn't have anticipated the immediate reaction the following morning. It was a Sunday, a day you DIDN'T have to go to classes and you felt exhausted from yesterday, so you just decided to sleep in. And you did sleep in...Until a series of furious knocks on the dorm's door woke you up from your sleep.

KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK-!!!!

It woke you groggily from your sleep and turned your sleepy head towards the pounding as it continued and didn't stop. In fact it only continued to get louder, and louder with each passing moment. You stared at your room door until you heard Topaz's angry voice-

"Alright, alright! I'm coming! Stop it already!," she shouted angrily as you heard her stomp past your room's door and towards the dorm room's door. 

You just decided that was that and just go back to sleep, curling up on your side and having a few of your pokemon cuddled up to you. You barely registered the soft hurried, and worried mumbles between two people, there was more knocks but this time from your own door making a few of your pokemon turn towards it and you groaned again.

"What is it?!," you groggily yelled from the covers. You weren't in the mood to be bothered and if it was Emerald, you did NOT want to be bothered AT ALL!!!

"Y/n, wake up! You have a visitor!," Topaz's voice shouted back from behind your door.

"If it's Emerald, tell her to go eat snow!!"

"It's your boyfriend!"

There was silence for about a minute as your tired brain was given time to process what Topaz had shouted at you....But after you immediately sat up almost knocking off Rena with a yip from the Glaceon. Gordie was here!? Why!? Did something happen?! Fearing the worst, you immediately got up and yawned with a stretch, slowly rising to your feet and shuffling towards the door.

"Ok, ok. I'm coming!" That was it. You just walked on over to the door and opened it- "GAH!?!" And was nearly tackled to the ground when two arms just grabbed you in a big bear hug. "What the-"

"Thank Arceus you're alright!," a male voice said relieved and it took your tired brain a moment to realize it was Gordie. 

"What the- Gordie!? What are you doing here?!," you wheezed from his grip.

Eventually he pulled you away and you got to see his face which had a worrying look on it. "I got your message this mornin'!" Huh? What messag-...Oh, wait. Yeah...You called him last night. "I thought something might've happened to ya, so I came 'ere first thing. Thank Arceus you're alright. I nearly had a heart attack!...Again."

"Oh. W-Well don't worry. I'm fine. But...there is some stuff we should talk about I wasn't able to tell you last night, so you might wanna sit down...and give me a moment to change outta my pajammas."

Things were-....Things were...

FINALLY LOOKING UP FOR YOU!!

It was all smooth sailing FINALLY. As if Arceus himself finally decided to give you a break for all your troubles and trials and everything else you had to go through. Because after you sat down that morning and explained to Gordie your situation- 

He. Became. FURIOUS!!

Which each word you spoke, he slowly started turn more and MORE and MORE red to the point you thought he'd literally melt the snow outside if he stepped outside like this. During the explaination Cerberus came out of your room and went into Emerald's where all her things were being stored sniffing the air until he stopped at one box. His head tilted curiously at it...and starting pawing at it until he could get it open enough to stick his head in and rummage around. By the time you were done, and being backed up by Topaz, Gordie looked about ready to self combust right then and there.

"I see....Well then. It looks like I'm gonna have to move faster than I anticipated." He inhaled sharply before standing up and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Thank ya both for bringing all this to my attention. Well I can promise you that she'll be no more trouble, but first I'll be speakin' with Mr. Flake about her stay here. Until then you both just relax and carry on with your usual life. I'll take care of everythin'."

No one saw Cerberus walk back out of Emerald's room with a pokeball in his mouth and disappeared back into your room with it- But other than that-...Well, Gordie kept his promise. Because you didn't hear again from Emerald or hear OF her until the very end of that month just right after Halloween. Topaz received a very, very, VERY angry phone call from Emerald that you could hear from all the way in your room even with the door locked. She went on and on and ON about blaming Topaz for getting her not only kicked out from college but for her mom cutting her off and now she'd be forced to move back home and not allowed to attend again, and on top of that blaming her somehow for getting a visit and very, VERY big fine from Officer Jenny. Ah! So Gordie actually made good on his word concerning that. Which meant you didn't have to worry about her coming around her ever again. Although you did ask Topaz once when you saw her-

"Hey. Are you going to be alright? I mean she is your cousin."

"Don't worry about me. I love her but she's more spoiled than bad milk! I saw this coming sooner or later. I'll be delivering back her stuff before she moves back home and sorts herself out, but that'll be it. You just don't worry about her anymore."

And you..didn't. In fact you felt really relieved! You never saw or heard from Emerald again and one day after classes you came home to find all the boxes in Emerald's room gone and the room was beautifully empty and best of all CLEAN!! You wouldn't have to reclean it at the end of the year again other than a quick dust and sweep. No over stuffed drawers. No trash to be picked up. No nothing. You couldn't say you didn't feel the tiniest bit sorry for Emerald, but considering all the trouble she caused on her own, you can't say she didn't have it coming either. Sigh. But other than that, life continued. Classes were the same, you delivered another important assignment in your Science and Culture class. You made a bar graph on which berry wild pokemon liked the most and seeing if it just varies in one species or if it depends on a pokemon's personal preferences. Good thing you did most of these things ahead in your own time. Gordie seemed to be in a highly better mood too! He started holding your hand more, putting an arm around your shoulder, and being more affectionate....All with a red face and stutter of course. Cute!~ Your cooking classes in Home Ec were getting better too! After all it was the only reason you decided to take that class again anyways. It helped you practice your hobby which you hoped to turn into a career. Everything seemed perfect!...Until one day. You were just studying for one of your battle studies a plate of jerky next to you, when Cerberus came over, whined, and pawed at your lap begging for a treat. Without looking you reached over, grabbed a piece, before giving it to him before patting his head.

"Good boy."

He whined happily before turning treat in mouth and walked away. You sat there still when another similar built figure came up to you, whined, and also patted your leg. You briefly turned to look at the begging mightyena, before reaching over, grabbing a piece, and giving it to him. The mightyena gave a happy bark before taking it and you again patted his head before he left.

"Good boy."

You sat there and continued to read....Until you paused..and snapped behind your shoulder.  F/c eyes widening at the two dog pokemon standing there eating their treats as you just stared in silence.

"....What the heck!?"

Meanwhile in another part of town someone else was having their own problems. It was just another day for him really. A lot of stressful things had been happening and it was just a month and a half away until Christmas which was the busiest holiday of the year, so why not take a break and sort through his mail? Just a day for him to just relax and not have to worry about anything. It was one of the days he could quite literally let his hair down, with a drink in hand, and allow a few of his pokemon out to shuffle around curiously the large amounts of mail he got on a daily basis. ...In fact he might as well sort through all of this today. He had nothing better to do, and he knew Y/n was busy today so this would be a good way to pass the time. And so he was there, drink in hand, sorting through a few letters he randomly plucked from a box when he saw something that made him pause in his tracks.

"'Ello...What's this?" 

It didn't seem special at first. Just a white envelope with a red seal on it. Not something that'd really stand out. That was until he saw the Pokemon League's symbol in the wax seal on it. It made his eyes widen and his hand immediately grab it to hold up to blue eyes for a better look. It was a letter from the gym league alright, but more than that, it was from someone he knew all too well it seemed.

"Lee huh? I wonder what he could want. He could've just called me instead of writin' letters," he mumbled to himself. The glass was set down in favor of him having both hands free to help open the letter and see what the paper could say inside. Certainly Leon's handwriting...And he rose a brow confused at what he read. "What the heck's a Galarian Star Tournament?"

[dustswordfinder]

Day 30

It's day 30 again, the day I trapped the dragon.. wait.... I can use this! This is a golden opportunity to meet the dragon, because I know for sure it's going to be trapped.

I rushed over to the spot where I placed the trap the last time, careful to not be seen by past me I waited for the trap to be sprung. It took about 3 hours but the waiting paid off.

At first I thought I was seeing things, just a quick blur of gray against gray. But I started noticing it was getting closer and with each hill I'd see it. Then suddenly before I could react I heard the trap go off.

I knew I didn't have long to act so I quickly sprung into action and set about undoing the trap. All the while I was apologizing for not being able to stop the trap and talking about how I was going to free them. As it turned out the dragon had a rider, which was rather surprising and took me aback for a moment.

When I had gotten them free I quickly went about resetting the trap and moving its position. Which went much faster than I anticipated because the other two quickly sprung into action and skillfully assisted me. At the time I was confused as to why there were suddenly two people helping me and how they knew this trap.

One of my questions was answered as after we finished with the trap, one of them turned into the dragon. The other quickly hopped a board and helped me up as well. I was super grateful for the assistance as I could hear the running foot steps from my past self.

The ride was surprisingly really smooth for how fast we were going over the hills. In fact I didn't feel a single bump on the ride, but the ride was super intense it was like I was a smooth high speed roller coaster. The ride lasted for almost a minute and when we came to a stop we were super far from where the trap had been at least maybe a 1 mile at the very least.

The rider, named Natt helped me down from the dragon named Newt. I collapsed on the ground as soon as I was off, Natt started to panic and was about to start CPR but I was quick to prevent that. This series had simply worn me out and I needed a moment to collect myself. Natt continued to hover at least until Newt walked over and flicked them on the forehead telling them to give me some space.

The two of the quickly set up camp as I wrote more in my journal. Once camp was set up we started to chat while eating. Apparently Natt was the Nancy from the time break I caused, I straight up started crying when I found this out. I thought I had straight destroyed my future self but as it turns out I just allowed them to become their own person. Through the tears the two of them explained who Newt was and the three of us cried harder in the process. After the tears I swiftly punched Natt in the arm, scolding them for risking their life the way they did the day Newt was born. I then thanked them none the less for being so thoughtful.

They also explained how they believe their existence works. Which helped me connect a lot of dots about how time seems to work here. After comparing stories for the rest of the day we noticed that it was getting late and went about setting up a system on how they can find me again. We came up with a plan after I told them about the ability I possess to wear I can keep items I write on. The plan involves a system in which we'd both carry a tally sheet for each meeting. That way even if it's a future Nancy or whatever we'd know what not to talk about at the given time. I'm also to start my day by lighting a fire and carrying a flag which will help in quickly tracking me down.

I then informed them about how I found a bunker and they both agreed that was our next goal as a team. The two of them were tired from the past few days of searching for me. So I hugged them both and we settled in for the night.

As an aside I'm so happy to have these two come into my life, I've always wanted siblings.

First - Prev - Next

[echantedtoon]

Diamond In The Rough Ch11 A New Life-College Life That Is P4

"Emerald!?"

Your voice had just blurted it out loud and for everyone to hear, so if you didn't have her attention before you sure did NOW! The shock of her face let you know that she absolutely recognized you and was just in much shock as you were. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped to mirror your look as the two of you stared at each other before Gordie broke the tense silence by stepping around the frozen Emerald, the snow crunching under his feet as he approached you with a bright smile. Opening up his arms to you.

"Hey, my diamond! Lemme give ya a hand there,'' he said gesturing to one of the heavy food bags you were holding.

"UH.." You shook your head. "Y-Yeah! I just need to have help loading these on Venom." You decided to not give Emerald any more attention and just look at Gordie.

"Oh. Is she ok with that?"

"Yeah. She helped me carry my stuff to the dorms, so she wouldn't have any problems helping me carry it back home, and she's very strong. It'd be no problem." You smiled at him and an instant sigh of relief fell from your lips when he reached over to grab the biggest bag from your arms and easily swung it over a shoulder. Those gymnastics of his must've really paid off making him stronger than he looked. "Thanks.''

"I wouldn't want to have you fall and hurt yourself again. You may be as strong as a diamond but I'd prefer it if ya didn't take any real big risks."

You smiled back and turned to venom who still looked confused at the houndoom growling behind her as if half trying to hide, but held still when you walked back over to her. She was such a good girl. She held still the whole way only giving a happy thrum-purr sound when you complimented her on how strong she was. She didn't even buckle once under the weight of the bags as you both heaved the bags onto her back. She could easily walk with them on her back, so still mostly ignoring Emerald you just went about your business with Gordie following your lead. But you couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Shock- EMERALD!? She was back!? HOW!? WHY!? What could she possibly be doing back in Circhestor!? You were sure she graduated last year! Could she have come back for Cerberus? Maybe but you highly doubted it. She took WAY to long to decide to come back and get him, and why would she pick now of all times to do so? On top of that how would she have known to look for him here? She didn't even look in his direction here. And besides, even if she did, there was NO WAY in heck you were giving him back to the person who abandoned him and didn't take care of him properly. Anger- OH YOU WERE ABSOLUTELY ANGRY!! HOW DARE SHE SHOW HER FACE AROUND HERE AGAIN AFTER ALL THE THINGS SHE PULLED!! Abandoning her pokemon, leaving a whole mess for you and Stacy to clean up, causing countless sleepless night because of her endless complaining and noises, and now she had the gall to make a move on your boyfriend!! Oh you could feel anger from just from yourself, but someone was boring holes of rage into your head. Gee...You wondered who that was. 

"YOU!?," a raged will voice shrilled. 

You groaned as Gordie sharply turned to look over his shoulder a few stomps were heard crashing through the snow and only stopped a little ways away from you because Gordie suddenly stepped out to put himself between you and a furious looking Emerald. In fact, he moved so suddenly and fast that it made you blink and jump a bit.

"OI! Bloody back off," he spoke in a stern voice at Emerald, a tone that which made her stop right in her tracks and stare at the taller gym leader who dared to step between you both, blocking her from even getting near you. "Look lady! I dunno what your problem is but I've been dealin' with enough people who seem ta have a problem with my girlfriend for no reason! So why dontcha bugger off!?" Emerald didn't say anything after that, and you had to lean far sideways in order to look past Gordie's form and spot Emerald who had gone silent. Staring at Gordie like he'd just slap her...Well you supposed he did. Slap her with some reality she most likely needed. "Hm?" With a hum he rose a brow and turned his head towards your movement as you poked your head around his form, and he pointed at her. "Oi. Y/n, you know this girl?"

Emerald looked to you too and scowled like you were the problem, making you frown deadpanned back. "*sigh*...Unfortunately. Gordie, THIS is Emerald. She was my roommate last year."

Gordie only stared at you for a long silent moment before calmly looking back to Emerald. "Oh. So that's why your name sounded...familiar to me."

Well you guessed having Gordie talk to her in a calmer tone gave back her confidence because instead of the scowl, she completely did a 180 and lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. ''That's right! We were roomies all year! Oh wow! It's been such a long time, (Butchered-name here)!"

"....It's Y/n."

"Right, right! Omg! It's been forever since I've seen you!," she fake gushed with a strained grin, "I can't remember the last time we got together and talked! We should get together sometime, and you can introduce me to your boyfriend here and..." She gave Gordie another smile which made you scowl harder. "maybe he- Uh! You two can show me around town.~"

BIT- She wasn't even TRYING to hide the blatant flirting she was doing with Gordie with you literally RIGHT THERE!! How entitled WAS this bloody girl!? He stood there smiling and batting her lashes trying to look all 'cute' in front of Gordie who didn't look the least bit interested. In fact he just stared blankly at her. You were about to GO at her, heck! Probably even throw hands if you felt more like it- but before you could lunge at her, Gordie did something that completely took the both of you off guard. 

"So you two were good friends huh?", he suddenly asked making the two of you look at him. You looked at him surprised but then confused, meanwhile Emerald continued to beam.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that we were friends exactly, but she's a pretty cool person! We had fun together though!"

"Oh. Is that so?" You both were taken aback at the harsh tone he had dropped all of a sudden, and you only watched as Gordie leaned forward towards Emerald who felt silent again. Shocked frozen smile on her face. "Tell me somethin'. Was that before or after you left her to clean up your tepig pen?"

And. You. Both. FROZE. Stunned. Staring at Gordie like he just grew another head in front of the both of you. The silence grew with each passing second the two stared at him from the bomb he set off. An aftermath of the effect he was creating in front of you as he just ever so terrifyingly, calmly stared at Emerald, who by now had a jaw dropped, wide eyed look to her. As did you, but the only difference was that Gordie's rage wasn't directed at you at all. The amount of tension increased the longer he stared at her before he just tilted his head and hummed at her.

"Hm. ....No answer? That's ok. S' not like I was actually expectin' anything acceptable even if ya did bother to blabber somethin' out. But that's what ya did right? Now what m' trying to figure out is if that was 'fore or after ya abandoned the houndoom."

 As if to help Gordie's case against her, you heard a growl behind you and look- !? And BARELY lunged just in time to grab Cerberus who charged. "CERBERUS NO!!" You had acted on your instinct you'd develop when traveling with the guys and had twisted your body around to lunge yourself at the houndoom, crashing into his front and sending the two of you two the ground. You'd barely grabbed him around his neck and clung onto him tightly as he continued to bark and struggle beneath you. HOLY FU- IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO WRANGLE A HORSE WITH HIS STRENGTH!! The pokemon continued to claw at the ground and bark despite your desperate grip around his neck. "NO!! DOWN BOY!!"

Gordie had just stayed standing unflinching this entire time and only calmly watched you wrangle your houndoom (just barely-), meanwhile Emerald had SHRIEKED upon Cerberus lunging at her, and in true fashion fell backwards, scrambled away on the ground through the snow, and made a big fuss about it. Screeching some babbles about 'that beast going to attack her' or something like that. You couldn't hear her over Cerby's barks. Her shrieking and the barking made a fair amount of people look your way to see what the commotion was all about.

Gordie whistled. "Wow. He really doesn't like you," he spoke calmly still, "So..M' gonna guess it was after ya abandoned this guy. Otherwise he wouldn't have acted like that."

"GET IT AWAY FROM ME!! DO SOMETHING!!," she shrieked demanding at Gordie who again did nothing but stand there but did eventually look back at her.

"You know...It's highly illegal to poach pokemon and bring 'em into another region where they can cause problems, right?" She could only looked horrified between him and Cerberus. "More so it's highly illegal to buy said pokemon from said poachers. ...Now unless you have a bloody good excuse for why you'd have an un-native pokemon in Galar, I'm inclined to believe you got that houndoom through illegal means. Ya wanna comment on that?" She didn't answer-

"GORDIE!!," you wailed as your grip on Cerberus began to slip. "A LITTLE HELP HERE!!"

"Huh? Oh. Right!" He turned back to you but not before giving one last look at Emerald. "Don't worry. I'll do as ya ask..I get it away from you, but don't forget I've forgotten what you did." He pointed directly at her. "You're already in deep trouble, so expect a visit from Officer Jenny for your actions. An' if you EVER come near my girlfriend again, I'll make sure you're banned from Circhestor faster than you can imagine!" 

Emerald didn't even say anything. In fact she didn't even look back at him. She turned and scrambled on hands and knees to stand up, falling with a splat noise into the slush once getting all soaked once, and ran as fast her expensive heels could allow her to through the snow. All the while Gordie stared her retreating form down and you still held onto Cerberus to keep him from chasing after her. He continued to bark even after she disappeared from sight but you refused to let him go until he calmed down and quit the barking, although he still stared off where Emerald disappeared with a scowl on his face. Phew. That could've ended badly. 

"Hey. You alright?," he asked extending his hand towards you and you nodded reaching up to allow him to pull you up. "That was quite a catch there. Quick thinkin'!"

"Yeah, but it wouldn't have happened if she hadn't treated him so badly."

"Oh. So that was the same Emerald you've told me about huh?"

You nodded. "Yeah. But I have NO idea what she's doing back here! She was supposed to have graduated last year! I didn't think I'd ever see her again."

He could only hum..."It looks like the movie's gonna have to wait. I need to make a few calls."

"Does that mean you're gonna be busy again?"

"Nah. Jus' means I have to make a call before we can chill is all. C'mon. Let's get out of the cold and then we can sort everything out." He gestured towards the direction of his house and you nodded again.

"Yeah..But wait. Are you alright?"

"Uh...What?"

"How you just kinda snapped back there?" You gestured at nothing. "I've never seen you get that serious before since-...Well since the cafe incident. It really surprised me."

He stared at you some more, before he coughed and looked away with a sheepish look. "W-W-Well...Y-You've a-already been through s-s-so much since ya arrived in Galar. I-I don't want you to have ta deal with anymore drama especially if I can prevent it. Y'know? I-...I don't like the thought o' someone hurting my girlfriend-"

He was stopped and snapped back to you when you grabbed his hand and smiled. "Aw.~ I'm so lucky to have a big, strong gym leader to protect me.~" You cooed and immediately he gained a pink color to his face. You gently tugged his hand. "C'mon. Let's get out of the cold. Alright?"

"Uh-....U-Uh huh."

You wished that would've been the last you saw or heard from Emerald but that turned out to not be the case as you would come to find out. Gordie had taken the liberty of walking you and your pokemon back to your dorm rooms to make sure you got back alright, and you smiled at such a sweet gesture from him. The rest of that day went well, you watched a movie or two and Gordie took a thirty minute call outside before coming back before you left. You had no idea who he called or what was said, but you had a pretty good idea what it was about. But that wasn't the last dose of Emerald you had that particular day. It all started when you got back to the dorm room. Topaz was still in living room where you all last left her surrounded by her books and papers, and she had remained calmly silent as you went through the motions of greeting Gordie good night and started dragging the bags of food to the small kitchen area before you heard a voice. You were just in the middle of dragging a bag to a corner before pausing when Topaz spoke-

"Hey. Y/n." You looked up as she calmly stared at you from the sofa. "May I talk to you for a sec? It's kinda important."

You were confused but nodded. "Sure. What's up?"

"I-...Well-..*ahem*" She hesitated as if she wasn't sure what to say for a moment before she inhaled and let out a sigh. "Do you remember when I asked you if you really were dating the gym leader?"

You rose a brow confused...but slowly nodded. "Yes. What about it?"

"This might sound a bit strange, but did you by chance run into a woman with green hair while you were in town today?"

At this you froze, and your brows nearly shot off your face at what she just said. "......Why would you ask something like that?"

"Because my cousin just called and tried to complain about you before I hung up on her."

GLASS SHATTER. WAVE

Her words cut through your mind like a knife through butter. A cold feeling of ice dumped down your throat and landing heavily into your stomach. Slowly..your buffering blue screened brain was able to comprehend the words that were spoken to you...and you ever so slowly looked back at Topaz who continued to stare at you tiredly. 

"....By any chance on a totally unrelated note, is your cousin's name Emerald?," you slowly asked.

Now it WAS Topaz's turn to look surprised at you. "Yes...But how did you know that?"

You inhaled. "You might want to sit down. It's a VERY long story."

LLLLOOOONNNGG story short....you received some very, very, VERY horrifying news. A LOT of horrifying news. Topaz was horrified to find out what she did last year and what she put on both you and Stacy. You didn't spare her any details about what she did, and Topaz delivered some grim news of her own. Not only was Emerald her cousin, but because of the school pairing everyone with old roommates if they were still registered within the school, you had unfortinately find out that the 'mysterious' third roommate and the person Topaz had been talking to on the phone was in fact EMERALD!!!

"You've gotta be kidding me!?"

 Are you telling me any moment she can just walk on in and live here again!? With her loud  voice at all hours of the night!? And her entitlement!? And leaving more messes for you to clean up!? NO!! NUH UH!! ABSOLUTELY NOT!! YOU WERE NOT GOING TO HAVE HER BACK IN HERE AGAIN!!! What if she tried doing something petty to get back at you!? Or worse what if she tried to take Cerberus or do something to him!? There was no way in heck you were going to let her in!! 

Topaz only sighed and nodded. "Yes. I'm afraid it's all true."

"Buy why is she back!?"

"She failed what should've been her final year last year. Apparently she was caught having blackmailed her ex boyfriend into doing most of the work for her. In my opinion she should've gotten expelled, but my aunt convinced the school board to give her one last chance...But she won't be here for long I'm afraid. She hasn't been showing up to her classes because she's too busy off doing whoever the heck knows! She's had the gall to ask ME to just do everything for her," she angrily said with a scowl, "Of course I refused because who would agree to that?! The school is already talking about expelling her if she doesn't start coming to classes regularly again! They're patience is already thinned out from last year! And after finding out everything now-....'' She shook her head. "I think I should call my aunt. She deserves to know what Emerald's really been up to when she's not around."

You nodded in agreement. "I think I should call Gordie too." If there was going to be trouble, then you needed to let Gordie know beforehand so this could be stopped before it could even started. "Even if she doesn't do anything it'd be good to give him a heads up."

Topaz nodded in agreement. "I'm all for you doing that. If you need anyone to back you up, I'd be happy to talk to him myself."

"Thanks, Topaz. I appreciate it."

"Of course. Now if you excuse me, I need to make a long distance call."

Needless to say you didn't sleep well that night and Topaz got her phone out almost as soon as you were gone from the sofa. You weren't sure what the aftermath would be...but you felt like you should make that call sooner rather than later. You had Sparky call Gordie but he must've been busy or asleep with how late it was but you left a message to him explaining everything before sleeping yourself. You wouldn't have anticipated the immediate reaction the following morning. It was a Sunday, a day you DIDN'T have to go to classes and you felt exhausted from yesterday, so you just decided to sleep in. And you did sleep in...Until a series of furious knocks on the dorm's door woke you up from your sleep.

KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK-!!!!

It woke you groggily from your sleep and turned your sleepy head towards the pounding as it continued and didn't stop. In fact it only continued to get louder, and louder with each passing moment. You stared at your room door until you heard Topaz's angry voice-

"Alright, alright! I'm coming! Stop it already!," she shouted angrily as you heard her stomp past your room's door and towards the dorm room's door. 

You just decided that was that and just go back to sleep, curling up on your side and having a few of your pokemon cuddled up to you. You barely registered the soft hurried, and worried mumbles between two people, there was more knocks but this time from your own door making a few of your pokemon turn towards it and you groaned again.

"What is it?!," you groggily yelled from the covers. You weren't in the mood to be bothered and if it was Emerald, you did NOT want to be bothered AT ALL!!!

"Y/n, wake up! You have a visitor!," Topaz's voice shouted back from behind your door.

"If it's Emerald, tell her to go eat snow!!"

"It's your boyfriend!"

There was silence for about a minute as your tired brain was given time to process what Topaz had shouted at you....But after you immediately sat up almost knocking off Rena with a yip from the Glaceon. Gordie was here!? Why!? Did something happen?! Fearing the worst, you immediately got up and yawned with a stretch, slowly rising to your feet and shuffling towards the door.

"Ok, ok. I'm coming!" That was it. You just walked on over to the door and opened it- "GAH!?!" And was nearly tackled to the ground when two arms just grabbed you in a big bear hug. "What the-"

"Thank Arceus you're alright!," a male voice said relieved and it took your tired brain a moment to realize it was Gordie. 

"What the- Gordie!? What are you doing here?!," you wheezed from his grip.

Eventually he pulled you away and you got to see his face which had a worrying look on it. "I got your message this mornin'!" Huh? What messag-...Oh, wait. Yeah...You called him last night. "I thought something might've happened to ya, so I came 'ere first thing. Thank Arceus you're alright. I nearly had a heart attack!...Again."

"Oh. W-Well don't worry. I'm fine. But...there is some stuff we should talk about I wasn't able to tell you last night, so you might wanna sit down...and give me a moment to change outta my pajammas."

Things were-....Things were...

FINALLY LOOKING UP FOR YOU!!

It was all smooth sailing FINALLY. As if Arceus himself finally decided to give you a break for all your troubles and trials and everything else you had to go through. Because after you sat down that morning and explained to Gordie your situation- 

He. Became. FURIOUS!!

Which each word you spoke, he slowly started turn more and MORE and MORE red to the point you thought he'd literally melt the snow outside if he stepped outside like this. During the explaination Cerberus came out of your room and went into Emerald's where all her things were being stored sniffing the air until he stopped at one box. His head tilted curiously at it...and starting pawing at it until he could get it open enough to stick his head in and rummage around. By the time you were done, and being backed up by Topaz, Gordie looked about ready to self combust right then and there.

"I see....Well then. It looks like I'm gonna have to move faster than I anticipated." He inhaled sharply before standing up and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Thank ya both for bringing all this to my attention. Well I can promise you that she'll be no more trouble, but first I'll be speakin' with Mr. Flake about her stay here. Until then you both just relax and carry on with your usual life. I'll take care of everythin'."

No one saw Cerberus walk back out of Emerald's room with a pokeball in his mouth and disappeared back into your room with it- But other than that-...Well, Gordie kept his promise. Because you didn't hear again from Emerald or hear OF her until the very end of that month just right after Halloween. Topaz received a very, very, VERY angry phone call from Emerald that you could hear from all the way in your room even with the door locked. She went on and on and ON about blaming Topaz for getting her not only kicked out from college but for her mom cutting her off and now she'd be forced to move back home and not allowed to attend again, and on top of that blaming her somehow for getting a visit and very, VERY big fine from Officer Jenny. Ah! So Gordie actually made good on his word concerning that. Which meant you didn't have to worry about her coming around her ever again. Although you did ask Topaz once when you saw her-

"Hey. Are you going to be alright? I mean she is your cousin."

"Don't worry about me. I love her but she's more spoiled than bad milk! I saw this coming sooner or later. I'll be delivering back her stuff before she moves back home and sorts herself out, but that'll be it. You just don't worry about her anymore."

And you..didn't. In fact you felt really relieved! You never saw or heard from Emerald again and one day after classes you came home to find all the boxes in Emerald's room gone and the room was beautifully empty and best of all CLEAN!! You wouldn't have to reclean it at the end of the year again other than a quick dust and sweep. No over stuffed drawers. No trash to be picked up. No nothing. You couldn't say you didn't feel the tiniest bit sorry for Emerald, but considering all the trouble she caused on her own, you can't say she didn't have it coming either. Sigh. But other than that, life continued. Classes were the same, you delivered another important assignment in your Science and Culture class. You made a bar graph on which berry wild pokemon liked the most and seeing if it just varies in one species or if it depends on a pokemon's personal preferences. Good thing you did most of these things ahead in your own time. Gordie seemed to be in a highly better mood too! He started holding your hand more, putting an arm around your shoulder, and being more affectionate....All with a red face and stutter of course. Cute!~ Your cooking classes in Home Ec were getting better too! After all it was the only reason you decided to take that class again anyways. It helped you practice your hobby which you hoped to turn into a career. Everything seemed perfect!...Until one day. You were just studying for one of your battle studies a plate of jerky next to you, when Cerberus came over, whined, and pawed at your lap begging for a treat. Without looking you reached over, grabbed a piece, before giving it to him before patting his head.

"Good boy."

He whined happily before turning treat in mouth and walked away. You sat there still when another similar built figure came up to you, whined, and also patted your leg. You briefly turned to look at the begging mightyena, before reaching over, grabbing a piece, and giving it to him. The mightyena gave a happy bark before taking it and you again patted his head before he left.

"Good boy."

You sat there and continued to read....Until you paused..and snapped behind your shoulder.  F/c eyes widening at the two dog pokemon standing there eating their treats as you just stared in silence.

"....What the heck!?"

Meanwhile in another part of town someone else was having their own problems. It was just another day for him really. A lot of stressful things had been happening and it was just a month and a half away until Christmas which was the busiest holiday of the year, so why not take a break and sort through his mail? Just a day for him to just relax and not have to worry about anything. It was one of the days he could quite literally let his hair down, with a drink in hand, and allow a few of his pokemon out to shuffle around curiously the large amounts of mail he got on a daily basis. ...In fact he might as well sort through all of this today. He had nothing better to do, and he knew Y/n was busy today so this would be a good way to pass the time. And so he was there, drink in hand, sorting through a few letters he randomly plucked from a box when he saw something that made him pause in his tracks.

"'Ello...What's this?" 

It didn't seem special at first. Just a white envelope with a red seal on it. Not something that'd really stand out. That was until he saw the Pokemon League's symbol in the wax seal on it. It made his eyes widen and his hand immediately grab it to hold up to blue eyes for a better look. It was a letter from the gym league alright, but more than that, it was from someone he knew all too well it seemed.

"Lee huh? I wonder what he could want. He could've just called me instead of writin' letters," he mumbled to himself. The glass was set down in favor of him having both hands free to help open the letter and see what the paper could say inside. Certainly Leon's handwriting...And he rose a brow confused at what he read. "What the heck's a Galarian Star Tournament?"

[blueicequeen19]

Innocent Pt. 9

After our time together in the church, I couldn't get Rafe out of my mind. I hated to shower because then I washed his scent off me and out of my hair. I found myself tracing all the places he'd kissed me with my fingers, molding it into memory. I was infected by Rafe Cameron and I couldn't wait to see him again. I was sad to learn that he had gone to the Bahamas for a few days with his dad the next day. I don't know why I'm so disappointed that he left without a good-bye or even bothered to tell me last night when we were together. I huffed in disappointment but Leah snapped me out of it, offering me some M&M's she'd just paid for.

"It's sad, yaknow? John B and Sarah." Leah's comment snaps me out of my funk, reminding me that Rafe's sister had died and never once brought it up. And I'd never asked. Guilt seeps in deep to my bones. "Why do you look like you're going to be sick?" Leah widens her eyes at me.

"I uh, just feel bad that we didn't really know them." I lie and she knows I'm a liar.

"Whatever. I know you got the hots for Rafe Cameron." Leah calls me out just like that and nervous laughter slips from me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I snatch the M&M's from her and pour some in my mouth. She swats at me and takes the bag back.

"Did you sleep with him? You seem different. Lighter, maybe? Like you're happy." Leah eyes me suspiciously and I cave. I spill my heart and soul about the ongoing situation that is me and Rafe Cameron and she downs M&M's like popcorn. Minutes tick by before she finds the ability to speak again.

"Do you think you'll do it again?" Leah wags her eyebrows at me and I laugh.

"I don't know. Maybe? I want to get on birth control but I can't do it without my parents finding out." I sigh.

"Just go to the clinic. Tell them you don't have insurance and you'll get it for free." Leah shrugs so casually. The last time I'd asked my mother about birth control she'd told my father and it didn't go over very well.

"Do you want to carpool to school Monday?" I changed the subject.

"Uh duh? I'll pick you up. We don't want to risk your car making us late all the time like last year." We both giggle as we finish off the M&M's. I was thankful school was starting back up so I didn't have to spend mornings hiding in my room at home. Tomorrow is Sunday which means the store is closed and Leah insists we go to the clinic to start birth control. I agree but only if she goes with me. I settle on an IUD so I don't have to worry about hiding or forgetting pills. This way my parents will never know.

Monday rolls around and the whole school is quiet over the loss of John B. Sarah went to the Kook Academy but a lot of people here still knew who she was. The whole thing was sad. I couldn't believe John B was charged with murder of the sheriff and Sarah ran off with him anyway. They took a boat head on into a tropical storm and the cops lost them, ruling their deaths an accident. They chose to die together instead of being apart if John B had gone to prison. After school, Leah takes me to the store and she's quiet the entire drive. I can tell she's having a hard time keeping her mouth shut. I'm about to call her out on it when she finally speaks.

"I heard something today." She blurts, casting me a nervous look.

"Okay? What was it?" I question, checking my phone again to find zero messages from Rafe.

"The Pogues are telling people that it wasn't John B that shot the sheriff. It was Rafe." My phone slips from my hands and hits the floor board. We roll to a stop at a stop sign and Leah meets my wide eyes. I can't think of a single thing to say. Is this why he kept saying he was a bad man? Did Rafe really kill the sheriff? He all but told me he'd hurt someone. He'd told me so many times and I hadn't listened. I thought he was just trying to scare me away.

"I thought you should know." Leah says softly as we pull up at the store. I nod and get out without another word. I relieve my mother and take over managing the store with my mind running a mile a minute. What had I done? What am I going to do?

[cozycottagetarot]

Who's Coming In & Why? (General)

Here’s the thing… I'd love to tell you this is all love and friendships, but it’s not. It’s more of a who’s coming in to help you move forward.

Still, I’m posting it because it may still resonate with some people.

However, I will do a second reading of the same topic in the future focusing on love and friendships in particular.

Check out my Paid Readings ✨

PILE 1 — The Inspiration

Energy surrounding them: Queen of Pentacles

I see this as being some person you need to move you forward, be it a general mentor, someone with a career, or someone to get you motivated to get up and take action (the latter comes through strongest) . They could be well off, not necessarily lavishly rich, but more so in the sense of being a better situation than you. There could be a nurturing or gentle energy to them as well.

The vibes I get: Vision boards, goals, goal setting, power move

Why they’re coming in? The Empress, Judgement, The Tower (all reversed)

There may be some kind of disharmony in your life, particularly with you. You may be too much into your masculine energy (logic and material) and neglecting your feminine energy (nurturing, intuition). It could be a matter of self confidence and unhappiness with how your life is going. This person is coming in to put you back on track, and shift your perspective. Them entering your life will help you to face your fears and release any self doubt you may have. They may help you to avoid ending up in a bad place. Because all your cards keep coming out reversed (even though I didn’t want to take all reversals) I see it as a sign as well to don’t be afraid to start anew, instead of trying to situate everything exactly the way it was in the before. Like that quote/saying that goes something like-- "don’t be afraid to start over because this time you’re not starting from scratch, your starting from experience?"

How they'll help you? 10 of Swords, 9 of Wands reversed

The only place to go from here is up, but you need to stop being so stubborn about it. This person coming in is going to help you get your back you drive to 'fight' so you can pursue happiness/goals in a new way.

Potential Struggles? Knight of Wands, The Star reversed

Be careful your inspired action is not really impulsivity . You’ll have to do some inner work as well. You may compare yourself to this person and risk falling back into the same state again. You need to take responsible actions, get in tune with your emotions and work on your confidence and any anxieties you may have. Healing from the past as well, because your past isn’t your future.

PILE 2 -- The Therapist

Energy surrounding them: The Star

The energy surrounding the person coming in is one of calm and stability, and that is what they will bring to you. This person is going to help heal you, be it professionally (a therapist or psychologist) or unintentionally (someone who triggers our healing). This person is going to feel like everything will be okay.

The vibes I get: therapy, a guiding star, two people sitting and talking, letting your soul speak

Why they’re coming in? 6 of Wands reversed, The Moon, 6 of cups reversed

This person is going to help reveal the truth about a situation. Particularly if you haven’t had the best things happening a) in most of your life, or b) in this particular chapter or your life. This person will help you realise the things that weren’t your fault, the things you can change and the things that all come down to your beliefs. You may come to realise with the help of this person, that a lot of fears and limitations you have are self imposed. Not only that, but this person may help you figure out what your positive inner voice sounds like and help you to embrace it. Any dreams you’ve had hidden away (sleep dreams or goals-dreams) may also become more clear to you. After this you’ll be able to move forwards in live. The past won’t hold you back anymore. You’ll be able to move on or view these events that took place through a new lense.

How they'll help you? 3 of Wands, 8 of Swords reversed

The blindfold is going to come off. You’re going to be able to move forward in your life. The work you put in is going to help you move forward with a new found confidence and belief in self. You’ll be able to take your life into your own hands.

Potential Struggles? king of pentacles & ace of swords

You may struggle with the whole process of breaking through and envisioning a different future for yourself. Also, seeing your growth and how mature and stable (as in the different areas of your life) you may have become may take you some time or be difficult.

Pile 3-- The Sage

Energy surrounding them: The Emperor

The person coming into your life has a strong energy to them. They are most likely older than you or at the least has a very wise energy to them. They might not be the most emotional or expressive, but they are reliable.

The vibes I get: Someone with an otherworldly energy or wisdom. Someone established. You can't help but notice them.

Why they're coming in? 4 of Pentacles, The Chariot, Page of Cups

This person is coming in to show you how to find and build security in many aspects of your life the right way. You may be holding onto things that aren’t good for you and this person is going to come in and force you to ask yourself why. Also potentially isolation may be something you need to deal with. You may be currently playing defence. But once you allow yourself to let go, you may find new things, people, and opportunities come in, better than you image. You may find yourself becoming someone you really want to be as well as finding yourself in the beginning stages of tapping into your emperor energy.

How they'll help you? Strength reversed, Knight of Swords

They’re going to help you tap into your inner strength so you can take the necessary actions to help yourself. They’ll help trigger the arrival of big changes in your life.Things will finally start to flow.

Potential Struggles? Judgement, 6 of Pentacles

You may feel resistant at first, feeling as if they don’t know what they’re talking about and are just trying to bring you down. You may be hesitant to take their advice or trust that they have your best interest in mind.

** Gandalf. Gandalf came to me but I don’t know why as I know practically nothing about him. 😬 Maybe you do!?

Pile 4-- The Charmer

Energy surrounding them: 8 of Cups reversed

The person coming in is going to scare you, but not in a bad way. You may have this happy, “I’m put together” facade, and this person is going to be able to see right through it. They have the ability, literally or metaphorically, to bring you into something better and that may leave you feeling afraid.

The vibes I get: Someone clever and charming. Feeling flustered. Oh no, I have a crush.

Why they’re coming in? Temperance, 9 of Pentacles, 8 of Swords

They’re coming in to show you that if you stop allowing fear to keep you where you are, peace, balance, and contentment will find you. The situation you may be staying in may not be a result of your actions, and taking the steps to get out of it may be difficult, but this person is one hundred percent here to challenge your reasoning for why you can’t.

How they'll help you? The Magician, 10 of Swords, The High Priestess reversed

They’re going to show you magic. I’m feeling like you might develop a romantic or platonic crush on them. There’s just that vibe. They’re going to show you how amazing you truly are. They’re going to show you that you have the ability to make things happen. They’ll help you create that ending and see your new beginning.

Potential Struggles? Knight of Cups reversed, 2 of Wands

This person most likely isn’t going to stay long and that may throw you off guard. This all feels very fast paced so their quick arrival and departure may leave you feeling a little bit broken hearted. Be careful you’re not investing too much headspace and emotion in this person.

Pile 5-- The Cheerleader

Energy surrounding them: 3 of Swords reversed

This person has a very calm healing energy to them. I feel like if you’re going through a heartbreak in particular, the prominent pain of it is going to start disappearing. I actually redid your reading and the vibes I was getting before were not good ones. I felt like I was trying to shoo it away, and the reading felt like it was about someone leaving you who had hurt you so I think that’s what this could be. This could also be someone from the past. An old friend in particular.

**As for the person from the past, to help you figure out if this reading is for you— i was thinking back of the cards I pulled and this person felt emotionally immature and manipulative, though I’m not sure it’s intentionally. Were you trying to fix them? To make them feel better? But they were so stuck in their toxic habits/mindset that they just ended up sending your world into turmoil? Because that came through strongly just now.

The vibes I get: thank you, troubles disappearing, a sigh of relief

Why they’re coming in? King of Swords, King of Cups reversed, 4 of Cups reversed

This person is coming in to help you move on from the pain and worries that you have been in. You’re ready to get back to business and this person will be there for you. Cheerleading came to me as well, so that’s what they’ll be— your cheerleader. You’re also going to be stepping into a new chapter of maturity and level headedness. Any responsibilities or ideas you’ve been putting off, this person is going to help you with them.

How they'll help you? 9 of Wands, The Empress reveresed

Like I mentioned before, they’re going to help ease your anxieties, pain and sadness. With The Empress rx, ‘makeover’ came to me as well and I got super excited, so maybe that’s what you need and this person will help you with? They’re going to help you sort your emotions, make sense of everything and feel confident, attractive and capable again.

Potential Struggles? The World, Page of Wands

Setting your world back in order is going to take some work, but the results will be worth it. The only caution would be don’t rush your actions, without thinking about the consequences fully.

———

Disclaimer: I read tarot for self reflection and guidance purposes, but as always, this reading is for fun and entertainment purposes only. I may include advice for if you find a particular topic resonating, but it is in no way meant to replace any kind of professional advice. Any reading I post is in no way meant to act as or replace professional advice of any kind. You know yourself and what’s going on in your life best so I ask that you trust yourself above all else. Prediction readings are to be seen simply as a potential outcome. Finally, please take only what resonates from the reading which may be some of it, all of it, or none at all.

[itsadamcole]

arranged - pt.2

fem!reader x drew mcintyre

reader and Drew go to America for reader’s surprises ...

word count: 5.5k+

warnings: prince!drew, just a lil bit angsty, definitely more fluff than part 1, smut :)

— and here’s part 2. enjoy —

part 1 || masterlist || request an imagine here

~ 18+ content below - read at your own risk ~

You and Drew land in Orlando. It's late January, and a huge temperature difference. It feels more like summer in Florida than it does in Scotland, where it's super cold right now.

A smile hasn't left your lips since you took off, and you're excited to see Candice.

Speaking of Candice, she waits by baggage for you. When you see her, you drop Drew's hand and your things before running over to her. You hug her tight and she says, "Okay, okay. Relax, princess. It's nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too," you say, looking at her. "I haven't seen you since the wedding."

Candice laughs and says, "It wasn't that long ago." She looks at Drew. "Your husband has gotten handsomer since I last saw him."

You giggle and say, "It hasn't been that long, Candice."

She smiles and says, "So, anyway. Come on. The trainers and doctors want to give you a full physical at Full Sail to make sure you're cleared to be in the match this week on NXT."

Smiling, you say, "Sounds great." You look back at Drew. "Ready?"

He nods and says, "Of course."

Candice drives you both to Full Sail University, where NXT is broadcasted from. She asks questions about what married life is like, how Scotland is, and how it's been over there since you married Drew.

It's a short drive to Full Sail from the airport so she doesn't get to many questions in.

During the physical, the doctors and trainers make sure your in tiptop shape to compete. You've lost some muscle mass since you haven't trained in months but it's not that big of a deal. They do the whole work up.

After you've been medically cleared to compete, Hall of Famer Triple H finds you. He says, "Y/N, welcome to Full Sail. We're very happy to have you here as part of our roster in NXT, even though it's for a short amount of time."

You smile and say, "Thank you, Mr. H."

He hands you a black leather folder and says, "Inside, you'll find a part time NXT contract that will have you as part of the NXT roster for six months. Your husband says that after six months, you will no longer be able to compete. As a part timer, you're slotted to be in three matches, one match every two months."

Your eyes widen and you look at Drew before you say, "I thought this was a one match deal."

"I pulled some strings," Drew says before winning at you.

Triple H says, "As of right now, your matches will be against Candice this Wednesday at NXT, a match against an opponent of your choice at Takeover: London in two months, and a match against an opponent of your choice at Takeover: Glasgow in four and a half months."

Your jaw almost hits the floor and you say, "Takeover matches? Like, actual pay-per-view matches."

Everyone in the room laughs and Triple H says, "We wanted to make your last few matches memorable ones. I've spoken with William Regal about this and he's on board. Are you?"

Quickly, you read over the contract and sign it. "I'm on board," you say.

"Welcome to NXT, Y/N," Triple H says, holding out his hand.

You shake his hand and smile. "Thank you for this opportunity," you say.

He smiles and walks off. You look at Drew and he has a huge smile on his face.

"I haven't seen ya so happy about something before," he says.

You smile back at your husband and you say, "I'm living my dream because of you, Drew. Thank you."

Drew says, "I just got us here. Yer talent is the reason yer living yer dream."

"You've never seen me in the ring before," you say, giggling.

Your husband says, "I get t'see ya in the ring on Wednesday."

You smile and shake you head, leaving to go to the hotel to get some sleep so you can train all day tomorrow before Wednesday.

***

Wednesday gets here too quickly. You've brought your old gear with you to wrestle in. It's definitely more revealing than you remember.

You stand in your little dressing room and look in the mirror at yourself.

The shorts got tighter and shorter, and the crop top now tightly hugs your chest. Your cleavage is very exposed and you hope to God that you don't have a wardrobe malfunction while in the ring.

Now that you're the princess of Scotland, you have a lot to be conscious about.

Someone knocks on your door as you're tying up your boots. "It's me," Candice says. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," you say.

The door opens and Candice walks in. She smiles when she sees you in your gear. "Damn, you looked good in the gear then and you look good now," she says. "Anyway, I was thinking. I want to cut a promo before our match tonight. Just a short one. I'll say how a princess shouldn't be in the ring with someone like me and we can go from there."

You nod and finish lacing up your boots. "Sounds good," you say. "I'm assuming that my signing has been a secret?"

Candice nods and says, "Yeah. Drew's being kept out of the crowd until our slot so it doesn't give it away too early that you're here."

Someone calls your name and Candice's name. It's time.

"I've never been so ready to get back in a ring," you say. "Ever since I left, it's been marriage and princess lessons. I'm ready to wrestle again."

Candice smiles as the two of you walk to the backstage area. "You better be," she says.

Several NXT superstars are in the backstage area. The Undisputed Era, Finn Balor, Io Shirai, Timothy Thatcher, Tommaso Ciampa, Rhea Ripley, Johnny Gargano, Indi Hartwell, and Shotzi Blackheart just to name a few.

You stretch out as you wait for your music to hit.

It's been too long since you felt this rush of adrenaline. Before every match and every promo for Ring of Honor, you'd feel a rush of adrenaline to get you pumped up. You last felt this in your last ROH match a few months ago. It's been too damn long.

Candice's music hits and she walks out. You listen to what she says carefully.

"Rumor has it we're in the presence of royalty tonight," Candice says. "Apparently some princess signed with us a few days ago? That's the rumor anyway. I don't think she even deserves to be in an NXT ring."

That's when you're handed a microphone before your music, I Like It Heavy by Halestorm, hits. Of course it's a clean version of the song because this is WWE but it's fine. You're making your entrance for the first time in months.

The crowd loses it as you walk toward the ring in your sparkly red and black gear. You step into the ring.

The music fades out and you're face to face with Candice. She smirks and asks, "Oh, did I hit a nerve, princess?"

You hold your microphone up and say, "I don't deserve to be in an NXT ring?" You scoff. "Please, Candice. I've fought to be here."

Candice says, "You're Scotland's princess. That's the only reason you're here."

These comments are hitting you hard, but you fight through.

"Listen here," you say. "I am a NWA Women's World Champion, a two-time NWA Women's World Tag Team Chanpion, and Impact Knockouts Champion. I deserve to be in this ring for my talent, not by my title."

Candice says, "Then let's go. You're dressed. I'm dressed. Let's get a referee out here."

The crowd cheers and you yell "bring it" into the microphone before throwing it down.

The match begins shortly after. You have Candice in a headlock and you're trying to bring her down onto her knees. She pushes you off of her into the ropes. You bounce off and hit her with a clothesline.

You say, "Oh, look. The princess is the only one still standing."

The crowd laughs and Candice hits the mat before getting up. You're locked in a grapple with her a few seconds later. After a bit of struggling, Candice knees you in the stomach. You cry out and clutch your stomach, falling to your knees. She hits you with a running knee to the jaw, and you sell it well. You fall into your back, knees bent with your feet beneath you.

Candice pulls at your hair to get you up, and the ref warns her of the hair. She says, "Get out of my ring."

You snarl, "Go to hell."

Then you elbow her hard. She backs off you, creating enough space for you to perform a spinning heel kick. She falls but you get her up into your shoulders into a fireman's carry.

You hit the Falcon Arrow on her and go in for the pin.

One. Two. Three. The bell rings and your music blares. The crowd goes insane. You spot Drew in the front row where he would mostly be off camera. He's looking at you in awe as he applauds. You smile as the ref holds your arm up, declaring you the official winner.

***

Days pass by since your match with Candice. It's all you talk about whenever you get the chance. Drew just smiles and listens as you tell him about the rush you felt being back in the ring.

You're driving to your hometown, a little suburb outside of Manhattan. It's been a quiet ride, and that's because Drew is asleep.

Timezones and jet lag have not been your friend during this trip, but it's easier for you to get used to the time change than it is for Drew.

You pull up to your childhood home and tap Drew's shoulder. "Hey, sleeping beauty," you say. "We're here."

He stirs and looks out the window. You smile and he says, "This is yer old house? It's so small."

"I didn't have much," you say. "My parents scrapped together what they could to pay for wrestling school when I was 14 until I was 17. I told myself then that I'd make it in wrestling and I'd pay them back for what they paid for me to go to wrestling school."

Drew looks at you and asks, "Can we go inside?"

You shake your head and say, "It was foreclosed. It belongs to the bank or something. It would be illegal to go in."

Your husband looks back at the house, which has fallen apart with age. It's a one story house. It has one bedroom, a tiny bathroom, and one room that holds the living room, dining room, and kitchen areas.

Drew says, "This while time ya were over here struggling, I was living it up as the prince of Scotland with my rich parents. I used to throw tantrums because they wouldn't get me the newest toy or take me on vacation with them, and your family couldn't afford either."

"We made it through," you say. "My parents live in a beautiful two story house in the nicer part of Manhattan. I paid them back right before I left for Scotland. Every story has a happy ending, Drew."

He smiles a bit and he asks, "Even ours?"

You smile and say, "Especially ours." You lean over the middle console and press a kiss to Drew's cheek. Your lips linger a little too long and he turns his head. You pull back a bit and meet his eyes.

That's when the butterflies flutter in your stomach and your heart races in your chest.

Slowly, both you and Drew lean into each other. Your eyes flicker to the lips you've only kissed twice, once at your wedding and once at a public event right after the wedding.

One of Drew's hands moves and rests on your cheek. You instinctively lean into his soft touch a bit.

Your lips are centimeters away from Drew's. Your noses touch as Drew's other hand moves to cup your other cheek.

"Tell me to stop if ya don't want this," Drew whispers.

You nod a bit and say, "I want this, Drew."

Then his lips brush against yours. A feather light touch. It makes you lean in more because you want more.

Drew guides your lips to his. Your eyes flutter closed as you kiss Drew. Your hands wrap around his wrists as he cups your face.

His facial hair tickles your chin and upper lip as the soft kiss continues.

It's like your first kiss all over again. Your first kiss was at your wedding in front of thousands of people. This one feels different. You never felt butterflies or your heart race when you kissed Drew at your wedding. You do now.

Drew pulls back and looks at you.

"How come ya never kissed me like that at our wedding?" he asks.

You say, "Because I didn't want it then. I wanted it now. I wanted the kiss."

He smiles and pecks your lips one more time before saying, "Show me yer favorite spot."

Giggling, you say, "I can't drive with you holding my face. Hold my hand if you wanna hold something."

Drew smiles and lets your face go. He takes your hand as you drive to your favorite spot.

Your favorite spot, or your safe spot, is a small park. You pull up, and get out.

The sun is setting, and you have a perfect view.

After taking Drew's hand, you walk over to a park bench. You sit down and Drew sits beside you. He wraps an arm around your shoulder as you both watch the sunset.

Drew says, "Ya don't have t'stay if ya don't want."

You look at him and ask, "What are you talking about?"

"In Scotland," he says. "Ya don't have t'stay. Being king isn't that important t'me if it means that ya don't get t'keep wrestling. I saw ya in the ring the other day, and it's all ya talk about. Ya love wrestling, and I don't wanna take that away from ya."

You turn so you're facing him as you say, "I'm happy in Scotland. Yeah, it was hard at first. I had to come to terms with possibly never wrestling again, and I did. Until you surprised me with this trip. I love that you did this for me, and for that, I'll help you become king and I'll be the best damn queen Scotland has ever seen." Drew smiles and you throw your legs over one of his legs.

You continue with, "Plus, I may or may not have fallen for you completely so I'm not going anywhere. Til death do us part, remember?"

There's almost a sparkle in Drew's eyes when you tell him that you might have fallen for him.

Your husband smiles and says, "I, uh, might've fallen for ya completely too."

You smile and lean into Drew. You kiss him slowly and softly. He kisses you back, pulling you closer to him.

The kiss is slow and full of passion. Your heart pounds in your chest as your lips move against Drew's.

Drew pulls back again and he says, "Let's find somewhere t'stay tonight. Do ya have a favorite hotel?"

You nod and say, "Yeah, it's in the city. Let's go."

The two of you get up and head to your favorite hotel.

***

The San Carlos Hotel. It's a cute little hotel, and not over the top fancy. You rent out a suite for the next few days, and they tell you that your stay is on the house because you're royalty. Sometimes being a royal has its perks.

The suite is a one bedroom suite. A full bathroom and walk in closet. Plus a living room area with a couch and a flat screen, and a kitchen.

Drew smiles when you unlock the door. You both walk in and you say, "Home sweet home while we tour New York."

He looks at you and say, "I'm glad ya didn't take the out when I offered it, Y/N. I didn't know ya were happy in Scotland. Honestly, I thought ya were miserable."

Giggling, you walk up to Drew and say, "Scotland is a beautiful country. I'm happy to be its princess, and eventually queen."

Your husband says, "Scotland's beauty is nothing compared to yers, Y/N."

Your cheeks heat up and say, "You are one unbelievably cheesy prince, you know that."

He laughs and says, "I take good pride in that. It's a talent."

Laughing, you begin to unpack. Drew disappears into the living room.

Once you've finished unpacking, you walk over to the window. You cross your arms over your chest and look out over the city that never sleeps.

Cars are still on the road and people are milling around on the sidewalks even though the sun has set.

You smile and keep looking out the window, until a pair of arms wraps around your shoulders. You don't have to look to know it's Drew. You lean back into him.

"I'll miss New York," you admit. "The city is always buzzing. It's the city that never sleeps, you know."

Drew presses a kiss to your temple and he says, "Just because we're gonna be king and queen doesn't mean we can't leave the country. We're not locked down in Scotland when we ascend the throne."

You sigh and say, "I know."

The two of you stand like that. You both look out over the city for several minutes.

Drew asks, "So, I did good?"

Nodding, you look up at Drew. "You did more than good," you say. "This has been the best trip of my life, and I'm glad you're here with me."

Your husband says, "I hope we can actually try at the relationship thing. I have a lot to learn still and-"

You lean up, pressing a soft kiss to Drew's lips to cut him off. He's caught off guard by the kiss but he kisses you back.

After a moment, you pull back and say, "We're gonna try at the relationship thing." You smile. "But I know that you know a decent amount about some parts of a relationship."

Drew says, "I know a lot less than ya think I know."

You turn in his arms and ask, "So if I asked you to, I don't know, take off my clothes, you wouldn't know how to do it?"

His face gets flustered as he stammers, "Well, I, uh, I know how to take off clothes, Y/N."

"I would hope so," you say, teasing him.

Drew smiles and says, "Listen, I don't know much about relationships but I know a lot about the physical parts."

You stare up at Drew and say, "Show me what you know."

"Y/N, we just talked about trying the relationship thing," he says, smiling. "I don't think we're ready for the next step."

A smile forms on your lips as you say, "We've already skipped a step or two. What's one more?"

Drew pushes some hair out of your face before he cups your face. He says, "I wanna do this the right way, Y/N."

You look up at Drew and you say, "There is no right way when we're in this situation."

He laughs softly and says, "Yer not wrong."

Leaning your head up, you say, "So show me what you got."

Drew smiles and leans down, bringing his lips to yours. The kiss is slow at first, full of passion. You wrap your arms around Drew's waist, holding him close to you.

His tongue swipes across your bottom lip, asking for access. You part your lips slightly. His tongue slips into your mouth. You let out a soft sigh into the kiss.

Your heart is racing in your chest at the thought of Drew taking off your clothes. You've seen him without a shirt on, but he's always seen you clothed.

While you're busy thinking, Drew's fingers have started working on the zipper of the jacket you're wearing. He pushes the jacket off of you and you pull away from the kiss.

Your eyes meet Drew's and he asks, "Ya really want this?"

Nodding, you say, "I want this." You untuck the shirt he's wearing from his pants.

Drew smiles and picks you up by your waist. You wrap your legs around his waist as he walks toward the bed. You giggle and wrap your arms around his neck. You take out the hair tie that's keeping his hair in a ponytail.

"I don't want your hair up when we're together," you admit. "I like it down."

Your husband lays you gently on your back on the bed. He looks down at you and says, "Anything for my princess."

You giggle, "So cheesy."

Drew leans down and kisses you. Your fingers slide up into his long locks. One of Drew's hands roams your body over your clothes while you start to unbutton the button up that he's wearing.

Several months ago, you and Drew wouldn't even touch each other. Not even hand-holding. Now, you're underneath him on a bed.

Things have definitely changed for the better over the last few weeks between you and Drew. It feels like euphoria when he kisses you or touches you. You can only imagine how it'll feel when his fingers find their way into your pants or under your shirt.

You're barely able to control yourself as Drew's lips move from yours to your neck. Your eyes flutter closed and you run your fingers through Drew's long locks. His button up now hangs open after you got it unbuttoned.

Drew kisses and nips at the skin on your neck as you push the open button-up off his body. You run your fingers gently up his now bare arms until your hands cup his face. You bring Drew's head up, bringing his face out of your neck. You're breathing a little heavy as you meet Drew's pretty blue eyes.

You lean your head up and press your lips to Drew's hard. One of Drew's hands runs down the side of your body, grazing the side of your breast. You almost shiver with anticipation as Drew's fingers reach the bottom of your t-shirt.

He pulls away from the kiss and looks down at you. You sit up a bit and lift your arms over your head. Drew pulls the t-shirt off of you and discards it somewhere in the room. You're left in just a plain, black bra and pants. You didn't think you'd be doing this or you would have worn a fancier undergarment.

"God," Drew says, eyes wondering over your half naked upper body. Your cheeks get hot as he looks at you underneath him.

He shifts his weight so he's kneeling between your legs. He pulls your hips toward him. You feel the bulge in Drew's pants against your clothed crotch and you gasp slightly. Your husband sits on his heels as he looks at you.

You stare at Drew, waiting anxiously for him to make a move. Your heart racing wildly in your chest.

Drew hooks his fingers into the waistband of your leggings, pulling them off your body slowly. They join your shirt on the hotel floor. He leans down and starts to lightly kiss your belly. You giggle and look down at him. His lips trail up your belly until he reaches the bra you're wearing. He undoes the front clasp and the bra falls open, exposing your breasts to Drew. Your breath hitches as he uses a finger and plays with one of your nipples. He kisses the other breast before sucking on that nipple.

You bite back a moan as you slightly arch your back off the mattress. The hand playing with your nipple moves down your body. Drew's fingers slip into the waistband of your panties and you sigh. You lick your bottom lip as his fingers inch closer to their target.

Your husband's eyes flicker up to your face and he watches for your reaction as two of his fingers run through your slick folds. Your eyes flutter closed and you smile, grasping onto the blankets on the bed.

His fingers tease your clit and you say in a whispered tone, "Don't tease." Drew teases your entrance and you let out a quiet moan.

"That was the prettiest things I've ever heard come from ya're mouth," Drew stares.

You get all flustered and say, "It's not nice to be a tease, Drew."

He presses a light kiss to your jaw and mumbles, "Tell me what ya want, princess."

Almost begging him, you say, "I want to feel your fingers inside me. Please."

Gently, Drew starts to pull off your panties. The fabric is thrown to the floor and you pull off the bra. You're completely naked in front of Drew, and you feel comfortable. You trust that Drew won't do anything to hurt you. He's the kind of man to make sure that you're okay with something before he does it.

Drew runs a finger through your soaked folds before he pushes that finger inside of you. You bite your lip to hold back your moans. Drew's hovering above your naked body. His lips are on your neck again, nipping at the skin and definitely leaving marks.

His finger moves in and out of you. You let your lip go and let out the moans you were holding in. Then Drew adds a second finger. You gasp and moan, "Drew."

"Making ya feel good with just my fingers?" Drew mumbles against your neck.

You nod frantically and say, "I love your finger."

He smirks and says, "I can promise ya that they love ya too."

The speed of his fingers quickens and your hips buck off the bed. You moan his name and a few profanities. A knot forms in your stomach.

You're intoxicated with how Drew is making you feel. You love the feeling of Drew's fingers inside of you. His touch makes you feel euphoric and waves of bliss overcome you with every flick of his wrist.

Your walls clench around Drew's fingers and you cry out, "Drew, I'm about to cum!"

The Scotsman's voice drops a tone and he asks, "Ya gonna cum from my fingers, princess? Do I make ya feel that good?"

Nodding, you desperately say, "I need to cum. Please."

"Go ahead, my love," he says.

Your legs begin to shake as you release all over Drew's fingers. More than you ever have for anyone before. Moans pass your lips as well as Drew's name mixed with profanities. Your breathing is labored as you come down from your high. Drew kisses you as you try to catch your breath.

Your lips move feverishly against his for a few moments before Drew gets back on his knees. You sit up with him between your legs and undo the button on his jeans. You look up at him as you push the dark blue fabric off his body. He's left in his boxer shorts as he sits back. You crawl onto his lap, straddling his huge bulge. You run your fingers down Drew's chest and he looks up at you.

"I have t'get something if we're gonna do this, princess," Drew says, pecking your lips. "Unless ya want to start producing heirs t'the throne right now."

You giggle and say, "Let's wait a year before we start doing that."

He smiles and snakes his way out from under you. You sit on the bed and watch as he grabs a little silver package out of the travel bag. He walks back over to you and you move to the edge of the bed.

You hook your fingers into the waistband of his boxers and pull them down. Drew watches you as his erect member pops out of the boxers. His big, and thick. You swallow a bit and look up at Drew.

He's smirking down at you before ripping the tiny package open and sliding the contents on himself. Drew pushes a piece of hair out of your face and says, "Be a good princess. Get on yer back and spread those beautiful legs for me."

You don't say anything, you just do as your told. You scooch yourself back on the bed and lay on your back. You spread your legs a bit as Drew crawls up to you, hovering over you between your legs. The tip of his member runs through your folds and you sigh.

"I've been missing out on a lot," you admit, looking up at Drew.

Your husband lightly kisses you as he says, "I have a lot t'offer."

Smiling against his lips, you say, "I can see that."

Drew props himself up on his arms, hands on either side of your head. You stare up at him before he asks, "Are ya sure ya want this?"

You nod and say, "I've never wanted anything more."

Then he pushes inside you. You gasp at the small amount of pain you feel before it goes away, turning to pleasure. He thrusts slowly into you, moving deeper every few movements. His length starts to fill you little by little. You're a moaning mess beneath Drew, nails raking up and down his back.

When he's fully inside you and you're adjusted, his hips speed up. He starts thrusting harder into you. Grunts leave his lips as moans leave yours. You wrap your legs around his waist so he has better access.

"Oh, fuck," you cry out. "Don't stop, Drew. Oh, faster. Please."

He listens to your wishes and he moves faster. He leans down and brushes his lips against yours. You lean your head up for the kiss and he pulls back slightly. You chase his lips and they barely touch his.

The tip of Drew's member finds your g-spot and you cry out. That's when he knows he's found the target, and he moves faster. His member slams into your g-spot over and over again. You scream out his name mixed with profanities several times as he fucks you into the mattress.

The same knot from earlier forms in your stomach as Drew builds you up to a second orgasm.

Drew's finally kissing you. Your lips move against his breathlessly and your nails dig into his sides. He twitches inside of you and you mumble, "I'm about to cum, baby."

"Me too," Drew says. "Together."

You nod. He moves a few more times before you both cum at the same time. You around him and him into the condom.

Drew kisses you messily as you both ride out your highs. Your hands are on his face as you messily make out with him.

He pulls out of you and pulls back from the kiss. You whine a bit as he ties off the condom, throwing it away. Drew helps you under the comforter before joining you. Drew spoons you from behind with one of his arms draped over you. You hold his hand as you press your back to his chest.

Both your breathing and Drew's breathing have returned to normal. He leaves soft kisses on your shoulder and a smile is on you lips.

"That was amazing," you say. "I really could've had that the entire time instead of fighting with you."

Drew lets out a breathy laugh and says, "I should've just talked to ya about everything sooner. We could'a done that a long time ago."

You giggle and say, "Now that we have done that, I don't know how long I can go before we do that again."

Your husband says, "Whenever ya want, princess. Hell, if ya wanted another go then I wouldn't say no."

Looking back at Drew, you say, "Calm down. You just made me cum twice within several minutes. I need some time."

Drew smiles and says, "Of course. Were ya seriously about that waiting a year before we start trying for a baby?"

"Of course I was," you say, turning and facing Drew. "I would love to have a baby with you, but I want to make sure that it's something we both want. I'm ten year younger than you, Drew. We have some time."

Your husband smiles wide and kisses you. "I am so in love with ya, princess," Drew coos against your lips.

"I'm so in love with you too, Drew," you respond.

Months ago, you hated the thought of marrying Drew just for him to become king. You never even wore your rings behind closed doors. Now, it's changed into something more. An actual relationship where you love Drew and he loves you.

That's all you hoped for when you said 'I do' to the prince of Scotland.

—

tags: @drewmcintyrekoccsrocbwdgfan

[ask-runaan-anything]

Ethari said he got hypothermia once. What happened there from your perspective?

He was an utter fool who nearly got himself killed just to win a race, and when I found him he nearly killed me, too! *huffs for breath, trying not to remember how scary that was*

It was his boots. When Lachir and I tracked Tethu's yowl and found the two of them huddled together, out of the snowfall, under an outcrop, Ethari was nearly senseless with the cold. Tethu was wet, too, from hauling him out of the river, and licking his hair to get the water off could only do so much... but his boots, you see.

*swallows hard* I've seen more than my share of people sprawled on the ground, with their boots pointed haphazardly, because they're... not home anymore to orient their feet together. They won't be getting back up, ever again. When a person merely trips, their body tries to keep itself together, keep limbs pointed in useful directions, not painful ones. But when a person... falls... They can land like a dropped puppet. Boots are one of the easiest ways to spot that difference in body position. Elbows are another, but Ethari's top half was buried deep in Tethu's fur. His boots, though... Well, I took one look at how they lay in the dirt and nearly perished on the spot.

Turns out, that's just how Tethu had dragged him from the river. He'd hung onto his shadowpaw's fur with unshakeable resolve, but it took all his strength, and he had none left for organizing his feet when Tethu flopped down with him to keep him warm and alive.

I've rarely felt the hand of fate as heavily as I did in that moment. When I saw him move, when I dashed to his side and felt his warmth, heard his voice, I... I let myself breathe again. Because I think I'd forgotten how, for a few moments.

He wasn't in as much danger as I feared, so I bundled him against me on Tethu and let Lachir lead us home. He shivered like a tree in a windstorm the whole time, but that was alright. If he'd stopped shivering, then I'd have been worried.

Once I got him home, I half-carried him upstairs, with Tethu trying to help and nearly crushing me against the wall half the time. He was not interested in waiting anywhere else, and he was cold and wet too. Lachir snuggled with him to keep him warm at the foot of our bed while I got Ethari properly dry and snuggled him under a pile of blankets using the standard hypothermia recovery method. I even took my hair down, in case it helped keep us both warmer. I think it did.

I paid extra attention to his beautiful hands, even though they were freezing cold. I couldn't risk him damaging them! He needs his hands to make his beautiful creations. So I held them and moved them and tucked them up into my hair to get them warm again. Ethari couldn't hold on very well, so when they'd slip out, I'd tuck them right back in. We lay there for a long while, with him shivering and me holding him close and wishing I was hotter. But eventually he warmed up... and promptly dozed off. I finally decided it was safe for me to do the same, and when I woke, Ethari had found enough flexibility in his fingers to tangle them in my loose hair. I may have shed a happy tear, but shhh, I hid it in his hair. I finally knew he'd be alright.

But then I had to tend to him for a couple of days, and Tethu kept trying to lick the wounds he'd made in Ethari's arm, and Ethari kept trying to get out of bed, and Lain and Tiadrin and Rayla kept coming by for silly reasons so they could ask how he was, and Tiadrin had a birthday, and I had to send some of my assassins out to secure the cilff top so no one ever fell from it again, and Tethu kept trying to snuggle with Ethari when I had to leave his side and Lachir would try to pull him off and they'd bicker-

*longsuffering husband sigh* Somehow, we all survived. But I never want to see Ethari's boots pointed in different directions like that again. So now, when it's cold and we must travel, I make sure to stay right by his side at all times, and hold his mittened hand so he doesn't wander off and get his boots confused.

[hetaestoniahq]

Promise

For the Day 5: History prompt of @estfin-week 2021! Late I know ^^"

_______

"Who are you?"

The words spoken sounded very familiar, yet there was a slight difference to it that made it feel strange for his ears.

"Uhhh-." The dirty blonde didn't know what to say. He had been chasing some Vikings by sea but had at one point ending up not being able to keep up and losing sight of them. He wasn't lost, he's too good at navigating for that, but he noticed the closest shore to be here, so he chose to come check out the area, with the hope for some resources and to maybe even find the Vikings he had been chasing.

Instead, on the beach he was found himself face to face with a stranger, with the feeling he's a personification like him, that he's never seen before, yet immediately he had been struck with a feeling that this is not a foe to fight.

Here the two now stood, the blonde boy around his age staring at him questioningly, yet seemingly also a little on guard while he on the contrary was lowering his.

With no answer coming from him, the stranger spoke up again "Are you from the south?" he assumed.

The southerners eyes widened a little, he gave a small firm nod as he glanced around his surroundings. The blonde who he can only guess to be the personification native to the land he has step foot in, seems to be completely on his own. Though for all he knows, the boy may have an army awaiting in the deep woods that borders the beach.

"So it's you. " The boy blinked with a bit of surprise.

"You've heard of me?"

"The Vikings don't come around here much, because they fear me, but I've still heard things about these folk by the sea who can be quite dangerous." The blonde explained, this piqued his interest.

"Of course they call me dangerous, because I am," He responded with a confident grin, his newfound possible future friend raising a brow at this. "Why do they fear you though?" He asked. You look so harmless.

"I'd rather not tell you in the risk of scaring you off. " The personification stated with a smile as he crossed his arms. He took this as a challenge. "Hah! Try me." He challenged.

"Maybe later. "

"What?! Oh come on!" the southerner groaned in annoyance.

The secretive boy let out a small laugh at his reaction, making him forget his annoyance, he likes this guy. "First, tell me your name." he was no asked.

"Tell me yours first." He responded back.

"Suomi, now yours."

"Suomi, huh..Well, it's kinda complicated on what my name really is." He pointed out, he goes by many names, Ugandi, Sakala, Vaiga, Mõhu, Järva, it goes on, what he goes by depends on where he is, and at the moment, he's not anywhere in the counties. What name would I go by outside my land? He really hadn't thought of that before, nor has he paid attention to what others may be calling him.

"Well, where did you come from?" The boy now asked tilting his head.

"Virumaa. " He recalled where the chase had first begun.

"Then I'll call you... Viro."

"Viro!" Estonia was startled by arms suddenly wrapping around him and clinging on for dear life. He flinched a little and attempted to pull away until his mind fully processed who it was.

"Soome?" Estonia spoke with surprise as he looked at the male in surprise, despite the painful aches on his body he felt at ease in his arms.

"I'm so happy to see you - you have no idea how much I've missed you." Finland murmured, refusing to let go as if he was afraid that the Estonian would disappear if he did.

Usually, Estonia would have been delighted to just enjoy the presence of the Finn, but he had a small struggle to breathe especially with the pain he was experiencing, the Livonian war was still on going and had already done some damage. The whole reason he is standing here right now is because he went to Sweden and asked for his protection, in turn to become an underling to him. At this point Estonia has ceased to try becoming free, at least for now, since he last time he tried to kick out the foreign rulers, it ended up causing him more bad things than any success.

The fact that it had been the last time he saw the Finn too didn't help.

The familiar beaches that brought back a few memories came into view as the blonde had found himself once again on a small ship to this land, but unlike the very first time when he had been chasing someone to bring pain to, he was rather looking for someone to make an agreement with, and now there was a whole town here.

"What a relief it is to see you." Estonia spoke as the Finn approached wide eyed, before smiling. "I can't believe it - Viro! Are you okay? I heard what happened with the crusades." Finland spoke with worry in his eyes as he looked over the Estonian.

"I am doing quite well. It took awhile but I've managed to get things under control and am working towards getting them off my land once and for all."

"Really..? Both Denmark and the Livonian Order? That's.. Incredible." The blonde spoke in a bit of awe before his expression faltered a little the more he stared into the eyes of the Estonian. "How are you going to kick them all out? With all the people that live there?" the Finn now wondered,.

"I'll do what I'll have to do." "Like what-" "I would like to speak with Sweden, please. There are matters I need to discuss with him. " Estonia cut his friend off, turning to walk towards the main area of the town.

When Estonia had managed to find Sweden, he told him of the deal he wanted to make. Sweden will come help him with the uprising, and in turn, Sweden gets Reval. Sweden agreed to this, and so Estonia was on his way to go back to continue fighting.

"I hope, things go well." Finland spoke as he was about to depart.

Estonia looked over at the nation, still holding the clever confident smile he had been the whole time here. "I know they will. See you soon. "

He was so wrong

"I almost thought I won't see you ever again." Estonia admitted as they sat outside together, it was summer but still a bit chilly outside, which didn't matter much as they sat pressed together against eachother, Finland cautious as to not possibly touch a spot that could cause pain to the still recovering Estonian.

"Almost thought incorrectly." The Finn commented, Estonia turning to sadly gaze at the blonde.

"After two centuries, I was afraid it could be possible. " he spoke, the two staring right into eachother's eyes. Finland's expression faltered to the more serious tone, yet still remaining soft and comforting. He gently took the Estonian's hand, their fingers slowly intertwining together.

"From now on, we'll stay together and try to make sure no nations tries to pull us away from eachother again, got it?" Finland spoke, his voice firm and sure of himself. Estonia's eyes shined with affection as he gave a small nod.

"Got it."

"Promise?"

Estonia hesitated, a promise is a very important thing, is it a promise possible to keep? He's had people promise things before, only to break them in the end. Yet again, this is Finland, not someone else, no one can compare.

"..Promise."

No more separation, if they wish to survive in this world, they need to stick together.

Yet.

As Russia towered over him, having managed to finally take him from Sweden after decades of trying, all Estonia could think was.

Now he's a promise-breaker.

. . .

|| With the beginning about their languages not being that very different, I want to note that the language split may have happened around 1000AD or so, and their meeting is somewhere before that, so their languages had yet to actually be different to the point that it would be hard to understand. I can imagine at that point it was only starting to sound a bit stranger for eachother.

Anyway hope you enjoyed my crap writing ||

[sortavibing]

Hii could I request a matchup please?

My name is Eva, i'm 17 and any pronouns work for me.

I'm asexual but for a romantic relationship i usually prefer boys.

I'm 5'2 and i have grayish blue hair at the moment. I don't stick to any specific clothing style, I usually just wear what I like tho. I have pretty big eyes ( I used to be called an alien bc of them when i was little) and I am half russian.

I am a libra sun, leo moon, sag rising and an ESTP 8w7. I was told that i am pretty intimidating when you first meet me, but after you get thru this facade i am usually a really hyper person. I joke around all the time and sometimes i can be pretty mean but nothing too bad. I love anything that gives me an adrenaline rush (i'd risk anything most of the time just to have fun). I really like having late night talks and laughing with my friends. I dislike when i'm told what to do and when people pry into my life. I usually like to keep things light hearted in my relationships. My favourite color is blue (many of my friends have told me that they associate me with it bc my ig account is blue themed and i've had blue hair for almost 2 years now). I am really interested in the spiritual side of life.

My top kin is Ryo from devilman crybaby, and from haikyuu i kin Tendo and Oikawa

In a relationship I look for a partner that will keep things exciting between us and is able to make me laugh a lot.

(thank you in advance for this♡)

hi eva! thank you for requesting! ack i tried to dye my hair grayish blue, but i didn’t tone my hair or bleach it enough, so now it’s a really dark greenish color and i am suffering😐 anyways here’s your matchup!

generating matchup...

matchup: complete

i match you up with tendou!

what first drew him to you was how you shared a lot of the same traits as you did, so he was really excited that he found someone who is able to be as chaotic and spontaneous as he is. he immediately wanted to get to know you better. he wasn’t really phased that you first came off as intimidating, and you guys quickly became really close with each other.

tendou will ask you to dye his hair, and tell you to surprise him with any style or color that you think would look good. so far, he has had nearly every color of the rainbow, different clumps of hair dyed different colors, and that greyish blue you have so he could match with you. his favorite color so far was hot pink, and he has done it at least 3 times.

he loves to listen to you rant about whatever comes to mind, and he will be sure to chime in and agree or disagree with whatever you are saying. you guys have gotten into playful arguments about the stupidest things like if a frog worked at mcdonalds would they get paid the same amount as a human. you guys do get deep sometimes, but most of your conversations are on crack and it’s god tier comedy.

tendou will call you at like 3am and just bother you until you sneak out of your house, and for the rest of the morning you guys will just go insane, like mixing different energy drinks, climbing statues, and vandalizing cars (with washable chalk spray paint :)). tendou’s snapchat story is full of blurry pics and videos of you guys doing this shit, and at this point, people are so used to it that they don’t even question what you and tendou are doing.

he thinks your eyes are really pretty, and he will never stop telling you just how beautiful they are. he has experienced people calling him mean names in his childhood as well, so he just wants you to know that everyone who was mean to you was full of shit and they were all lying through their teeth.

tendou loves when you surprise him by going to his games. he definitely plays better when you are watching him, and whenever he successuflly shuts down a block, he will scream “DID YOU SEE THAT EVA!” and point at you. after the game, he will show you his teammates, and he will keep on talking about how lucky he is to have you, and you are his good luck charm.

one of your first dates with him was at a boardwalk amusement park, where you guys just went crazy and went on all of the highest, scariest rides with like no breaks in between, and it was just one adrenaline rush after another. after you guys finished every ride you wanted to go on, you and tendou got some ice cream and walked down the shore to calm both of your nerves down, and tendou chases the seagulls while you laughed and took videos.

every few weeks, you guys have late night karaoke sessions in the comfort of your room, and you and tendou just sing (pretty badly) all those loud, fork in a blender type beat kinds of songs (money machine, NEVER MET!, molly, etc.) while jumping on the bed and just enjoying each others company.

he loves to give you his hoodie, or let you wear one of his jerseys because it shows everyone that you are with him, and you aren’t afraid to tell people that you are his s/o. since most people didn’t want anything to do with him when he was younger, you not being ashamed to say that you are his s/o makes him feel much more accepted and happy with himself.

overall, you guys are such a chaotic couple, and whenever you guys are together, it’s just a constant loop of “what crazy shit will we do next”, and it’s honestly the best thing ever. you guys care about each other very much, and tendou just wants you to know how beautiful and funny you are, so he will tell you at every chance he gets.

i hope you enjoyed! i’m trying out this sort of new layout, and i think it’s nice so imma do this from now on :)

[ziamhaze]

Hi, I hope you're well! I just want to start off by thanking you for all the wonderful fics you have blessed me with!

I just finished Red vs. Black and was hoping you wouldn't mind answering some questions I have. As someone who risks his own life to save others, how does Liam justify being with someone he knows has killed innocent people? It'd be one thing if Zayn had only killed those directly involved with what happened to his family, but he's killed innocent civilians over minor inconveniences (such as the teenagers in the convertible). Does Zayn still think he is justified in doing so? Does he ever feel guilty about it? If not, how would Liam and Zayn be compatible if their moral compasses are so different?

Also, did Zayn's father ever make his way to the UK? Or was that just a lie he told Zayn to comfort him? Does Zayn ever find his family, especially his younger sister?

I know it's a lot, but I'd really love to hear your answers if you want to give them! Again thank you for all of your wonderful works!

So sorry it’s taken me this long to reply, but I didn’t forget!

To start I’d like to thank you for clicking, and finishing, Red vs. Black.  It isn’t the shortest of fics, nor is it the most delicate - to put it lightly.  For the latter alone, thank you.

These are such poignant, important questions.  Ones that are nearly word for word what I asked myself while planning the ending.

                         SPOILERS FOR ALL OF RED VS. BLACK

1)  How does Liam stay with Zayn after learning of all his senseless killings?

Honestly, I questioned this the most when feeling out the concept.  As a fic writer it’s expected of me to write not only a romance, but also a happy ending.  Of course fics exist that do neither, but they’re very rare and not exactly well-loved.  And truthfully, a massive point that I wanted to get across - and which in effect answers this question - is that despite people’s pasts, they cannot overcome them without being given the opportunity.  100%.  No ands, ifs, or buts.  For a prisoner to assimilate back into society and not go back to their old ways, they need to be trusted with a job.  With a salary (no matter how small), they need to trust themselves to be able to not buy anything that may contribute to poor habits: drugs, alcohol, weapons, gambling, a means of transport that will give them the ability to visit bad influences (more of a psychological thing, but still).  A lot of prisoners are never given this opportunity (especially in the United States), and therefore fall back into their old ways, which are more often than not coping mechanisms to deal with the fact that they can’t fit into society as easily as privileged people to begin with; it’s a terrible cycle.  However, there are plenty of success stories of those that truly wish to change and are lucky enough to stumble upon an employer or mentor or sponsor of some sort that hands them an inkling of hope/trust that they use to fight their way back up.  The fic is fantasy, and while Zayn’s story is rooted in real world PTSD, I think the prisoner analogy is easy for us to envision and therefore, understand why Liam acts the way he does.  I also made it a point in the last scene when they’re talking things out to have Liam voice his contingency: if Zayn so much as spits at anyone, he’s done for.  That’s to say, he’s not wiping his slate clean just yet.

2)  Does Zayn still feel his useless killings were justified?

I’m going to answer assuming that you’re referring to the time after the fic ends.

Looking back at his actions is something that would be inevitable when he starts therapy, and this is a perfect example of one of the questions his therapist would ask.  You may not like my answer, but as an author I find it imperative that I speak of my characters realistically and to keep them true, not how I want them to act.  That said, yes, Zayn would still find justification in why he’s done what he’s done.

There are a few instances in the story where this is actually explained.  Take the scene in the bar with fancy mixologists.  Zayn begins to get aggravated over the people in the room simply because they’re ignorant to the feeling of significant pain.  There’s also the scene where he’s back home in Cheshire and Harry straight out tells him, he may be furious at the unfairness of the world, but he needs to learn how to come to terms with it.  It’s not going to change.  This right here is what a therapist would work with him to do, and also why I had Harry be the one to bring this up in the story - he is one.

I know it sounds incredibly foreign to the average person, but trust me when I say that people struggling with anger problems founded in (un)fairness, exist.  I’ve spoken with professionals about it.  Add on crippling childhood PTSD and a villain like Zayn can definitely be born.  It’s why treatment is needed, and why the answer is ‘yes’ in the beginning of Zayn’s journey to peace.  When his answer switches over to ‘no’, that’s when it’ll be outwardly apparent that he’s beating his ailment.  Unfortunately, for many, the inner battle with mental health is lifelong; the answer ‘no’ will never turn solid.

3)  Does Zayn feel guilty about the above?

Again, there are a couple times when I write Zayn to literally mention how he feels zero guilt.  However, if you really really pay attention you’ll notice that these instances aren’t villain related.

For example, meeting Liam’s parents:

After handing his father and Zayn each their tea, Liam looks between them suspiciously. "Leaving the two of you in a room together was a bad idea."

"Don't know what you're on about," Geoff replies innocently. "We were just talking about cars, weren't we Zayn?" Even with all eyes on him, the pressure of lying doesn't get to Zayn. It never does.

"Yeah," he agrees, bringing his drink up to his lips carefully, "cars."

Or, after Zayn walks out from the comedy club:

"It takes a lot of courage to get up there and do something like that, don't you think?"

"Not really."

Liam looks to the side, hoping that he can interpret more from Zayn's answers by seeing the expressions that go with their frankness. "So if I signed you up, you would do it?"

"Why would I want to make a room full of strangers laugh?" Zayn retorts, his right eye scrunching up in distaste, like it's a mannerism of his provoked by moronic questions. "I don't have a superiority complex." Liam thinks he might, but. "I know I'm better than those people, no mediocracy to cover up here."

So we’ve got those, but then we’ve also got this massive character point:

Right as the last of the snake's body emerges, Zayn snaps his fingers, triggering heavy hip-hop music to flow through his headphones and drown out the man's blood curdling cry.

If he could permanently damage people who deserved it, not always because they did something to Zayn, but because he liked to play god and throw them a massive curveball like life had done to him, then why shouldn't he? So long as he pulls his soundproof headphones off the little robot on the inside of his right arm to avoid listening to the pain his choice brutality caused, there's no valid reason he shouldn't take advantage of the gift he was given.

From where he's sitting, he probably won't be able to hear anything, but he fastens the equipment over his ears just in case.

All at once, the atmospheric sounds of central London, mixed with the terrified screams of those in the burning building beneath them, hit Zayn at full force. The sensory overload alone would normally be enough to piss him off, but tack on his protection from audible trauma being taken and being spoken to while in villain mode, and he's seeing red as deep as the pits of hell he knows he's destined for.

I wrote Zayn’s headphone usage as a way to alert that the reader that he does, in fact, feel villain-related guilt.  He can’t act on his anger without them on.  He’ll have his victims screams stuck in his head, and he’d never be able to handle that a.k.a. there’s zero satisfaction from their literal pain.  Think about that and it’ll answer your follow-up question.

4)  What happened to Zayn’s family?

Zayn’s father meant what he said - he’d do whatever he needed to reunite his family.  That wasn’t a falsity at all.  The problem is money.  And politics, but let’s start with the issue of money.  It took Yaser nine years to save up the amount he paid to have Zayn and Waliyha smuggled across the border.  The whole concept of smuggling is that it’s a cheaper option than the legal one.  So if we look at this, you can see how long it would take him to save for three adult visa fees, three adult plane tickets, and enough to stay afloat for a month or so when they get to England.  Now add in the politics of the early 2000s and the Afghanistan/Pakistan region.  We know that Yaser fixed air conditioners for a living.  No person with that average of a background is going to have an easy time immigrating anywhere.  Even so, would it really take him over 18 years?  While it’s plausible, perhaps a man with such determination would find another way.  Or...was that unnecessary because he was fed lies?

Think about it.  After several weeks and no word from his children, don’t you think he’d cause a riot?  He’s the type to drive over to Badar’s house and demand his relatives get in contact with him to find out what’s going on.  But, given the flashback Zayn has, it’s obvious that Badar never planned on accompanying any of the children to the UK, and if that’s the case, he clearly couldn’t return to Quetta.  I imagine a fully rehearsed story was told to all of the children’s parents about how they were killed somewhere along the way.

As for Waliyha, her whereabouts were told to my gang over on Patreon a while ago.  In short, yes, she’s still alive and I plan on pitching the book’s sequel to publishers as a graphic novel series revolved around her location.  Louis’ dark web bot finally found a hint as to where that might be, so Zayn and Liam go on a journey across Europe to find her.  Each issue would (probably) take place in a new city and involve both fighting a single bad guy.

Just a quick reminder to anyone who reads this, Red vs. Black and all involved characters are my intellectual property and cannot be replicated, manipulated, or stolen.

Again, thank you for your question and time!  I know my fics aren’t short and take a huge time commitment to finish.  If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to send them my way!  I’m super busy writing the next story and doing critical work, but I promise I’ll get around to it.

[wonder-wonpil]

lotto (1) ; prologue

Warning : excessive cursing, degrading terms towards women, triggering content, violence, and such. This is a mafia! au. Read at own risk.

Inspired by the MV Lotto by EXO, therefore this takes place during the Lotto era.

lot·to

ˈlädō/

(n.) a lottery game similar to bingo.

When you live in this city, surely you've heard of the name EXO being associated with dangerous, mature stuff. Drug dealing, loan sharking, human trafficking, and the list goes on. They're very powerful -- so powerful, in fact the police didn't dare interfere with whatever illegal business they're doing.

It didn't help that they were pledged under the SM Alliance with other dangerous mafias such as themselves -- NCT, SUJU, F(X), and many more. In short, EXO aren't people you'd want to get involved with.

"Hi!" An overly cheery red-haired man greeted. He had a good muscular build for someone who's a little shorter than average.

The man was no other than Byun Baekhyun -- genius spy and the leader of EXO's second raid squadron. He had a messy, unruly red hair, and a pair of brown eyes, in addition with that playful grin on his child-like face.

The man rolled in the room with a wheely chair, stopping where another man was standing behind the counter with a stoic expression.

"I'm in charge of desk today, much to my displeasure. How can I help youuu...?" Baekhyun squinted his eyes before looking to the other male, a smirk present on his face as he cocked his head to the side, waiting for an answer.

"Sehun," the man, presumably named Sehun was a tall man with a nice build, with blonde locks and dark brown eyes, and a stoic expression, preferably because of his thick eyebrows. So to say, he was a beauty. "I'm here to see Suho." Sehun said curtly.

Baekhyun's eyes widened -- not in surprise, but in amazement. He pulled a knife out of his back pocket and Sehun watched intently as Baekhyun started twirling the knife.

"You want to see the boss?" Baekhyun began. "I mean, yeah, I can arrange a meeting. But you're a man with a brain. How much are you willing to pay this starving man?"

Sehun slammed a heavy suitcase worth of money on the counter, but Baekhyun didn'n't seem phased, nor surprised.

"I need to see him," Sehun repeated. "Fast."

Baekhyun was still looking at Sehun with the same amused expression, "You're young, Sehun. Are you sure you want to pay this amount of money for a trip to hell?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Sehun frowned, but his faltered voice didn't escape Baekhyun's ears. Of course, Baekhyun was a professional spy. But in all honesty, "spy" is just a cooler word for stalk and eavesdrop.

"Jongdae -- Oh, Bacon? The hell is taking you so long?" Another voice -- a rather feminine one, this time -- piped in on the conversation.

Not long after, the owner of the voice stepped out of the same door where Baekhyun rolled in. The woman was shorter than Baekhyun -- with her ponytail and brown eyes, a bottle of beer in her hand.

She looked half-drunk, with lidded eyes and a slurring tone, and faint tear stains on her cheeks. She was pretty, to say the least. Sehun wondered why, but decided not to push it. She was probably one of the girls Baekhyun brought home from a strip club EXO owned.

"Oh, a client?" She asked, taking a chug from her bottle, "Sorry, my bad."

"He wants an exclusive meet and greet with Suho," Baekhyun smirked. "I don't know, can we make it happen? Poor guy's paid quite a lot."

"Eh, with Myeonie?" The woman asked, leaning on the counter after taking another sip of her beer.

"Who's Myeonie?" Sehun asked to no one in particular.

Baekhyun continued, ignoring the younger (yet taller) man. "Funny, really, paying for your death."

"Nice, young lad, I like the spirit," She flashed him a thumbs up before taking another sip. It made Sehun wonder how old she was, she looked no older than him.

"But my advice; you need to stay away from that crazy bastard. He's nuts, I tell 'ya." This time, she offered the bottle to Baekhyun, who happily took a big gulp.

"You're not anyone I know, nor you know me. So here's my advice for you; stay the hell away from my business." Sehun growled.

"Feisty, nice. But sorry, anything involving him --" she pointed to the red-haired man who has happily chugging the drink, "-- involves me, whether you like it or not."

"Who would've thought? For a good two minutes I thought you were another one of his whores he sleeps around with." Sehun countered.

At his words, the woman's eyes widened, a look of hurt flashed on her face as Baekhyun slammed the bottle down, using the knife to press on Sehun's neck.

"Ay, we've had rude customers, but Boss ain't going to be happy you said that to (y/n). Have some manners." He warned, the malice in his voice crystal clear. Sehun was frozen -- he didn't know what to do. He knew this man was dangerous -- but not this dangerous.

"So she's Suho's whore?" Sehun blurted before he could stop the words from coming out of his mouth. He silently cursed to himself -- why can't he be quiet for once?

"Why, you piece of shi-" Baekhyun, anger and annoyance now present on his face as he lunged forward to grab Sehun's collar while the other aimed for Sehuns's neck. Sehun didn't have time to step back, everything was happening so quickly.

"Baekhyun, that's enough." (y/n) told him with a stern voice as she pulled on Baekhyun's shirt. Had she wasted another second, Sehun would already be bleeding to death with a knife down his throat. Although it's not half bad, Baekhyun had managed to make a cut -- deep enough to draw a little bit of blood.

Sehun's eyes widened -- what the hell just happened? He let out an exhale he didn't even noticed he was holding in. Had she not pulled Baekhyun back, he would be six feet under. That is, if they gave him a proper burial instead of dumping him in with the other victims. Oh no, Sehun was far too beautiful for that.

"But, (y/n)!" Baekhyun whined as the so-called (y/n) grabbed the beer and sighed.

"I'll go arrange the meeting, but don't say I didn't warn you." (y/n) gave him one last glance before heading out to where she came from.

"Ah, sorry about that," Baekhyun apologized with a dangerously uncomfortable smile that made Sehun shift. "But I'd watch my words if I were you. Be glad I didn't kill you on the spot, yeah?"

Despite not understanding what Baekhyun said, Sehun got the message. He grunted, signalling that he understood.

"Yo, Baekhyun!" A tall man -- taller than Sehun, even -- came rushing in where Baekhyun and Sehun were sitting in awkward silence. Well, at least it was awkward for Sehun -- Baekhyun was too busy laughing at his phone to even notice.

"Chanyeol!" Baekhyun said in between gasps of air his lungs lacked from laughing, shoving his phone to the new person.

"OH MY GOD HE REALLY DID THAT?!" Chanyeol bursted before laughing along with Baekhyun, making Sehun rolled his eyes. They were grown man in the mafia, damn it.

And this man was Park Chanyeol, the red-haired leader of the first squadron in EXO, also known as the man who lead a raid which resulted in two warehouses down the ground.

"Anyway, (y/n) said you can bring the brat inside." Chanyeol motioned to a rather offended Sehun. Baekhyun rolled his eyes before calling Sehun to follow him in the door.

"So, your name is Sehun?" Chanyeol asked, trying to make the situation less awkward. Sehun responded with a stern nod, "Whoa, it's just me. No need to be too serious now, okay?"

"I mean the chances of you being alive after meeting up with Suho is reeeaaaally small," Baekhyun added as they kept walking down a dark corridor. "Especially after that (y/n) incident."

"Oh, what (y/n) incident? Do tell me more." Perched Chanyeol, who was looking at Baekhyun curiously. Sehun just stayed silent, he knew better.

Just as Baekhyun was about to tell the story of the titled "(y/n) Incident", another man stumbled out of the room on his right.

Sehun didn't recognize him at first, as he was wearing a cap over his face. Odd, because who wears a cap in their own room?

The man quickly took the cap off and tripped over his own steps, quickly rushing to where Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and Sehun stood.

"Oh my god, m-my mug broke. You know what that means, right?" The ebony-haired man spluttered. By now, Sehun recognized him as Chen, EXO's technician and hacker. He wondered if that was his real name.

"Your mug broke?" Chanyeol repeated, looking clueless.

"Oh my god, I can't believe this. I have to go find (y/n), shit--" he began, stumbling over his own words.

Baekhyun told him that (y/n) was with Suho, and Chen quickly muttered a thank you and headed further down the corridor in a sprint. He did trip a few times as he was only wearing a pair of socks besides his hoodie and jeans.

The trio continued walking, but Baekhyun and Chanyeol -- or Dumb and Dumber, Sehun liked to call them -- had forgotten about the "(y/n) incident", much to Sehun's relief. Sure, he didn't know who (y/n) was, but if the genius Chen who's hacked through many security systems was looking for her in such a rush, she must be a pretty important person. Or, Sehun thought, she can just be a maid and Chen is just finding her to clean his broken mug.

The next person who greeted them was Kai, the brown-haired sharpshooter of EXO and the one in charge of the strip club. Baekhyun let it slip that he was more flirty than he ought to be.

"The sun's getting low, you're not going to bring a girl home?" Baekhyun questioned with a laugh. Kai only laughed back, before responding with a disappointed sigh.

"Yeah, since (y/n)'s still around and all. You know how she feels when we do the do when she's around. And she's in a bad mood," Kai let out another sigh. "Apparently the jerk turned out to be more of an asshole than we thought."

"What? She should've told us!" shouted Chanyeol, and Sehun was staring at him with a weirded out expression. Who was this jerk? "No wonder Jongdae's mug broke!"

Yeah, Sehun was getting himself in some pretty weird shit. Why do they associate a broken mug with (y/n)?

"I'll tend to her in a few, she's got Jongdae. I'll take this brat to Boss first." Baekhyun told him, motioning to Sehun. Kai nodded at him with a smirk before going on his merry way.

Sehun didn't want to speak any unnecessary things, but the curiosity was eating him away. So he opened his mouth and asked, "Who's (y/n)?"

This time, it was Baekhyun and Chanyeol who stared at him with a shocked expression. Sehun rolled his eyes, how ironic.

"Who's (y/n)?" Repeated Chanyeol. "Who's (y/n)?"

"That's what I asked." Sehun growled. Baekhyun only shook his head with a grin while reminding Sehun to keep walking.

Eventually, at the end of the corridor, two oak doors stand tall. Baekhyun knocked before a new voice answered, "Come in."

Baekhyun grinned as he opened the door to reveal Suho sitting on something best described as a throne the other end of a long table. Suho was a man who, despite the pink hair that oddly suited him, emitted a dangerous vibe -- even from the other end, Sehun could feel his cold onyx eyes on him.

And to the seat beside him, there was a man with blonde hair who was looking at Sehun in shock. He seemed to recognize Sehun, and Sehun as well. The man was Xiumin, or Minseok -- practically the only one in EXO Sehun was acquainted with.

"Sehun?" Minseok had muttered, but it echoed loud enough for the whole room to hear. Baekhyun turned to him in surprise.

"You know him?" Baekhyun asked. Minseok responded with a slight nod before turning to Suho.

"This is Sehun. He and I grew up in the same orphanage together along with Luhan," he told Suho. "We haven't spoken in quite a while, though."

Suho turned to Sehun with an amused smirk. "So, you came to visit your old friend?"

"Partly," Sehun replied. "I wanted to see you, too."

This only intrigued Suho more. "Ah, really? My pleasure. For what business, may I ask?"

"I have a criminal record," Sehun began. "I killed a few people, and I've done drugs and such. The police are on their way to track me down, so --"

"No," Suho cut him off sternly. Sehun glared at him. "No, we are not going to be your hiding place from the police. You do you, because in the end you'll burden us."

Sehun continued, "I want to join the mafia. And before you ask, I know what I'm getting myself into."

"And why, exactly, should we accept you?" Baekhyun snorted from Sehun's left, making the younger glare at him. Baekhyun didn't seem phased, though.

"Because I'm qualified?" Sehun raised a brow. Baekhyun, now eye to eye with the latter, challenged with a "Qualified by who?"

"By SM, of course." it was Sehun's turn to snort. All eyes in the room seemed to widen as they stared Sehun in shock.

Suho let out a hearty laugh, one that Sehun thought sounded a bit insane. "It's been a while since the SM Alliance reccomended someone. The last person was Baekhyun, right?"

Baekhyun scoffed as Chanyeol laughed. "Guess you're not the special one anymore, Baek. Tough battle."

"Please," Baekhyun rolled his eyes. "I'm obviously better and more skilled. You're not helping, Chanyeol."

"Very well, let me see the pass." Suho extended his hand, and Sehun placed a slip of paper on his palm. Sehun internally sighed. This was it, he was going to reunitw witu Minseok and Luhan, and start his new life, and -

"Junmyeon," a familiar voice called and entered the room from a different door, the one near Suho -- or Junmyeon, Sehun took it -- was (y/n).

"Oh, I take it you met the brat. He's an SM reccomended?" (y/n) hummed as she glanced over Junmyeon's shoulder, reading the pass with him.

"Guess you're not so special anymore, Bacon. Suck it, no more bragging." (y/n) laughed at Baekhyun, who turned beet red of embarrassment, which Chanyeol interfered with, "I said the same thing!"

"Anyway, welcome aboard, Oh Sehun," Junmyeon smiled. "You obviously know me, I'm Suho. Or Kim Junmyeon, the leader."

Everybody followed with simple introductions. "Byun Baekhyun, second raid squadron leader." Baekhyun said spitefully.

"Park Chanyeol, first raid squadron leader." Chanyeol followed.

"Kim Minseok or Xiumin, whichever you prefer," he shrugged. "First assassination squadron leader. Eldest. Glad to have you on board, Sehun."

"Ah, I take it that you met (y/n). This is Kim (y/n), my cousin, professional hacker and my second in command." Junmyeon smiled.

As soon as the words sunk in, Sehun's heart sank as well. Yeah, he just called the boss's cousin and apparently second in command that he's never heard of a fucking whore.

He was so fucked.

[markdecastroweb]

If just one of these 10 tips saved you from a lottery disaster I'd be happy

Oksana Zaharov, 46, from Edgewater, New Jersey, asked a lotto store clerk for a $1 New York Lottery scratch-off ticket. Instead, the man mistakenly handed her a $10 Set For Life ticket. That mistake won her $5 Million.

Richard Buss threw the slip in waste paper pile after checking the first draw, but Dione had a last minute doubt and retrieved the winning ticket worth £1.8 million from the bin. Photo: Daily Mail

We all make silly mistakes every day, but fortunately most of them are fixable.

But what happens when you have a $10 million piece of paper without any identification on it, just sitting on your table, ready to blow away in a gust of wind? You'd be shaking in your boots.

Always sign your winning ticket straight after.

The first rule when getting any winning ticket is immediately write on your name, address and sign it. Photocopy it. Then you can breath a little easier.

There are many other problems that can mess up your win. So please read this short list for the essentials and follow each one.

The 10 tips include choosing your game right through to claiming a prize:

The Tickets:

#1 - Check your numbers are entered correctly. You only need do this task once with the Silver Lotto System: Double check that you have entered all the numbers correctly and you have the right number of tickets. One Silverite told us he forgot to throw away his test ticket and played it, so he paid for two sets of numbers - one of which was wrongly filled out. Take the time at the beginning to check your numbers, because it's the only time you need do it.

#2 - Keep your original coupons - the tickets with your Silver Lotto System numbers on - in an envelope, pouch or a folder. I was standing behind a lady in a lottery store one time who pulled out a very wrinkled lottery ticket and it had to be put through the machine twice. They finally entered it manually because it couldn't be read properly and that took a long time. Your tickets are permanent, they have to last a while, so make sure they are protected. I use this custom cover provided from the lottery store, shown in the photo above.

The Game:

#3 - Are you playing the best game for your money? You’ll get better odds with the lowest number of ball numbers, and numbers. If you have a choice of two games with 5 balls and 42 numbers, or 6 balls and 75 numbers, go with the first one. It will usually have lower prize amounts, but the chances of getting a jackpot prize is much higher.

Big queue? Select less popular days to play.

#4 - Are you playing your game on the less popular days? This means fewer players and the chance of sharing less of your prizes with them. Talk with your lotto store to see which games are the least popular, and play those.

#5 - Are you concentrating on one game only? The lottery is one event where it pays to focus on just one game only. Don’t get tempted to spread your tickets round several games... you are just diluting your odds. Stick to one game through thick and thin.

#6 - Make sure you have left enough time to play before the game's deadline.This post is an excellent example of how one player lost $27 million by not meeting the deadline.

#7 - Are you a member of a private lottery syndicate? Make sure you have the rules of play and ownership clearly set out before you buy the tickets. Or get into my Winner's Circle where it's all done for you.

The Win:

#8 - Get your tickets officially checked afterwards by the lottery store’s machine, even if you only have a few, and they don’t appear to be winning tickets. The risk of reading the numbers wrong and missing out on a big prize is too great. Your failing eyesight and smudged tickets could make the difference between $10 and $10 million. There's many examples of winners who thought they'd only won a few thousand dollars - which magically 'turned' into millions - once the numbers were read correctly.

Get your store to check your tickets. Photo: Journal-News

#9 - Get your tickets and receipts back from the lotto store when you win. This will help you later if there is any confusion over the ticket numbers. Don't throw them away, but store them safe for at least a year - the usual cut-off time for claiming a prize.

Not a good idea to let your dog guard your winning tickets!

#10 - If you have winning tickets of any value, keep them in a safe place until you can take them to the store or lottery organisation. The best place is in a bank safe, but sometimes that's not always possible - if you win in the weekend for example. Here’s some ideas for hiding them while you wait to visit the lottery headquarters to collect your check.

If just one of these 10 tips saved you from a lottery disaster I'd be happy published first on https://188lotosite.tumblr.com/