#but just this morning I was complaining to her about this weird meeting with our boss

[the-tenth-arcanum]

I signed up for a mentorship scheme back when I still had some hope in my heart, and today I had a call with my mentor and needed to share my screen and I completely forgot I had a tab open on LinkedIn job postings

[skyahri]

How They Found Out P2 |Naruto Men X Reader| HC

Part One Masterlist Ko-fi

Characters: Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara, Kakashi Hatake

Summary: The aftermath of your relationship becoming public. Part two to How They Found Out

Warnings: Mentions of sex, marriage, kids. Pretty low key tbh.

- - - - -

Sasuke Uchiha

What an absolute nightmare.

Once you heard the front door shut, Sasuke basically collapsed on top of you.

He groaned. His night had been ruined, and on top of it, Naruto was sure to cause drama for the coming days.

"It's okay, Sasuke. They were sure to find out anyway."

"Our relationship going public and Naruto catching us having sex are two very different issues, and it's a bit concerning that you think I'm worried about the latter."

You kick him off of you with a laugh and suggest a shower. There was no way your escapades could continue on after all the fuss.

The next morning, you basically had to drag Sasuke out of the house.

He'd been moaning and groaning and grumbling since last night, so much so that he started to sound like Shikamaru.

Who knew Sasuke could complain so much.

Once you were out the door and the second your friend's eyes caught you, they pounced.

All at once, they hounded you about what Naruto may or may not have seen (Naruto has a habit of being a bad storyteller, so who knows what actually went down)

Sasuke refused to answer any questions until the chaos had settled down. They did eventually, albeit reluctantly.

"It's true."

That just sent them all reeling again, begging for details.

You two already discussed what you'd keep secret and what you'd share, so the meeting went pretty smoothly once everyone agreed to keep their composure.

Until fucking Sakura started asking questions about your sex life.

After that, you zipped your mouth and refused to answer anything further.

They'd just have to live on not knowing anything.

Shikamaru Nara

After news got out, Ino decided it was her place to convince Shikamaru to, in her words, "be a man and ask her out already!"

He ignored her, convinced she was full of it and brushed her off.

But her words lingered in his head.

Your friends were all beginning to settle down; Naruto and Hinata had just gotten married. Talk of kids had started to circulate in the group.

Were you wanting marriage and children?

The slow buzzing quickly turned into an almost constant fog in his mind. He'd never been so distracted before.

What a drag.

Within the week, he was knocking on your door.

"I need to ask you about something."

Weird. You could read him pretty well at this point, but this energy he was putting off was new.

"What's up, Shika?"

"Do you want to get married?"

Your eyes widened and jaw dropped. When you tried to answer, you found yourself at a loss of words.

"I mean, damnit, I- do you want to get married eventually? Or have kids at some point?"

You stared at him like he had two heads.

"Are you feeling alright? Why don't you come inside?"

He didn't fight you. He walked in and sat at your table in silence while you made him some tea.

You'd pried it out of him that Ino was behind this sudden change, and assured him that things would be okay.

"Look, I never brought it up because I know you're not a feelings guy, buy yeah, I guess I would like to have a family. I thought that's what you wanted, too?"

He got that irritated look on his face. The one he always gets when people ask him to work.

"It is, but,"

"But don't worry about it. I work on your time, so whenever you're ready."

You gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He let out a sigh of relief, glad to have fallen into such a situation with someone who understands him so well.

"Not too long, though. It's been almost two years, Shika."

On second thought, this was a total drag.

Kakashi Hatake

The next morning, you two made sure to bump into his students.

They seemed rather pleased with themselves, that they had been the ones to finally catch Kakashi lacking.

It only took a single look for Sasuke to realize it was all fake. They'd been bested by their sensei once again.

That quick glance he got from Kakashi told him not to say anything to the others, which he hadn't planned on anyway.

"Kakashi sensei, why didn't you ever tell us you were seeing someone?"

He set a hand on Sakuras head and ruffled her hair.

"I try not to share my personal matters with children. That's what friends are for."

Enter Gai, who happened to hear.

"You didn't tell us either, Kakashi."

He just shrugged, sending Gai into a fit.

News traveled fast in the village. What else is to be expected when romance rumors come up about the Hokage?

Kakashi was actually very calm about the whole thing.

Despite dreading this day for a long time, he was actually very content with the outcome.

There had been so much going on when you initially got together. Wars and death and PTSD and all that.

But now was a time of peace. A perfect time to actually start living, and this was just the beginning.

[pinkynana]

cw : stepbro!nahyuck x fem reader, stepcest, mention of somnophilia (but not written in detail), pussy eating, threesome, blowjob, degradation, praising, unprotected sex, breeding kink, breast play, dumbification, tell me if i missed anything

a/n : i'm sorry for being away for a month. i'm gonna disappear for another month, i think. sorry. also, this was an anon request that i wanted to do longer (and might be a series)

living away from your parents bcs of college was normal. what (didn't) irritate you are your two annoying step brothers, hyuck and jaemin, who constantly visit you. and by constantly, this means everyday and sleepovers during the weekend. you always say they bother you but it actually gives you company. living alone can be scary for young women like you. 

one morning, you bent down to grab your bowl in the lower cabinet. what surprises you is the feeling of jaemin's hips meeting yours. you squeaked and gasped when he even pulled you closer to him. "good morning. having breakfast?" he asked innocently. 

"yeah, you want some?" you pushed him away gently. "sure. you'll make some for me?" you nod, taking two bowls instead of one. "how do you like to eat your oatmeal?" you finally turn around to see your step brother's face. 

"aren't you such a good girl?" you felt shivers run down your spine when he slid his finger down from your chin to your jaw. you didn't know why he was looking at you with such eyes. "huh?" 

"asking me what i like." this time, he trapped you in between him and the counter behind you. both his arms next to your hips and his head tilted. you blinked, feeling a weird hot tension. 

"i like mine with honey." you said with an awkward smile, trying to break the tension in between you two.

"sweet." he kisses your cheek. 

he does that all the time. so does your other step brother, donghyuck. you thought it was just a sweet gesture between step siblings but these days it felt different. 

jaemin finally left you alone so you could make him the breakfast you promised. but just few minutes after, donghyuck came along as he smacked your ass with no guilt whatsoever. "hey!" you frowned. "that's not very nice." you weren't sure why you felt embarrassed. siblings joke around like this all the time, right? including step siblings, right? 

donghyuck licked his lips before saying "you've no plans today?" he asked, looking at you in your pajamas still. he knew that if you had plans, you'd wash up before breakfast or sometimes you'd just grab breakfast outside. but you're here in the kitchen with no signs of going out. 

"it's a lazy day, i think." you shrugged. "how's this?" you scooped a little bit of your honey oatmeal to his face, asking him to have a taste. if only you knew that he couldn't care less about whatever the fuck you're cooking. so he pushed away your spoon. 

"wanna have plans with me?" 

"i said it's a lazy day." 

he rolled his eyes. "yeah, the plan is to have a lazy day together." 

"i don't mind but you know, if you're gonna stay here might as well-" 

"i'll be in your room." and there goes your hopes of having your brother to pay rent with you since they've been hanging around a lot with you. of course you love them but it's a capitalist world you live in. 

"jaemin, if you don't get here and eat your oatmeal, i'll put strawberries in it." 

-

"we can just watch movies?" hyuck suggested. "that's boring." jaemin pushed him slightly. "i can teach you guys how to crochet? or maybe cross stitch?" you smiled at your own suggestion.

"honey, it's a lazy day, remember?" hyuck looked at you. 

"fine, i'll just take a nap. you guys do whatever you want." you stomp your feet to your room, acting upset to your step brothers. 

"look what you did, you upset our baby sister!" jaemin complained. "shut up, let her sleep. she said we could do anything." donghyuck smirked, which made jaemin immediately understand his ideas. 

-

having a dream where both your step brothers grope you in your sleep shouldn't feel that good. waking up with wet panties with no one by the side of your bed shouldn't feel this lonely. is lonely even the word you're looking for? 

you wonder if it's a bad thing that you want to touch yourself to the thought of those two. you've never touched yourself for someone in real life. it's always fictional men that make you feel this way. so why is it that your brothers are the ones you thirst for at the moment? 

riding your pillow with nothing but your undergarments on while thinking of hyuck's fingers that touched you in your dreams. the kisses that jaemin gave you on your stomach, your breast. thinking that your step brothers had leave your apartment, you let out loud moans, calling out their names. 

you felt your body jump when suddenly your bedroom door opened with jaemin and donghyuck. you don't know if it's a good or a bad thing that donghyuck literally had his dick out, jerking himself off. you blinked in confusion. 

"i thought you left." you said. 

"when our baby is this sexually frustrated? of course not." jaemin held your chin up so you'd look at him. embarrassment was the only thing you felt at the moment. you probably looked like a disgusting whore to your brothers. 

they loved it. 

"want us to help you, baby?" though you were ashamed, you couldn't help but say "please." 

"up, now." you sat up so jaemin could remove the pillow you were riding. he sees the wet patch on it and on your panties. "dirty girl." he smirked. "i gotta clean you up. lay down for me, pretty." you obliged. 

as your head fell on your pillow, you see donghyuck still jerking off on his dick. it made your mouth water. his cock looked so delicious to you. 

while you fantasized of giving hyuck a blowjob, jaemin had taken off your panties and gave your pussy a kiss. "you can move whenever you want, okay?" he said before finally devouring your nasty clit. with just the feeling of his lips there, you were already pulling his hair and moaning like a bitch. 

"fuck, you look like a cheap slut like that." you hear donghyuck said. "ride his fucking face, whore." you weren't even aware that you obeyed donghyuck's order. you moved your hips on jaemin's lips like they had their mind of their own. "wanna suck you.." you looked at your step brother who was degrading you. 

"oh, you really are a fucking whore." hyuck was nowhere gentle with you. he pushed your face down into your pillows as he climbed on your bed, kneeling in front of your face before giving you what you thirsted for. 

in just a few seconds, hyuck was already thrusting his cock into your throat. "that's right. since i made you cum in your sleep you gotta make me cum in your mouth, got it?" and when he said that, you couldn't help but smile.

so what happened before wasn't a dream? they really did touch you while you were asleep. or could this situation still be in your dream. 

"so fucking sexy. you look so sexy smiling with my cock in your mouth. of course i gotta reward you with my cum, right? wanna swallow my cum, huh? you dirty slut?"

before you could nod, you felt jaemin's dick enter you hole that he made out with earlier. and suddenly everything felt so good. you were practically in heaven. you couldn't believe that you questioned your morals while you masturbated earlier. who cares about morals when you could have big dicks inside you? 

"her real reward is my cum in her womb. gonna make sure she gets pregnant today." jaemin said as he thrusted into you harshly. "my good girl. always obeying me. always make me feel good." your head went dizzy with the praising from jaemin and degradation from donghyuck. "you're squeezing me so tight, baby. that feel good?" jaemin's balls hitting your cunt felt like the thing that has been missing in your life. you finally understood the tension you felt from earlier this morning.

you wanted to have sex with your step brothers. 

"gonna cum." hyuck grunts, still thrusting at your mouth. "gonna cum and you're gonna swallow, alright? be the fucking whore that you are." donghyuck holds your face on his last thrust, keeping it steady like that so he could cum deep in your throat. he sighed once he released his hot liquid and pulled out. "what are you?" he strokes your hair. 

"lee donghyuck's cumslut." your answer gave you a kiss from your step brother where he could even taste his cum on your lips. you then smiled happily before you continued to moan from the feeling of jaemin's cock throbbing inside you. 

the moans went louder as his hips went faster. it didn't help that donghyuck was now sucking on your bouncing tits. 

"fuck fuck fuck, need to fill this hole up." jaemin groaned as you felt him pour his cum into your pussy. it was no surprise that you loved every feeling of it. 

as jaemin pulled away and went to the bathroom, hyuck stayed right there with you, still sucking on your boobs.

"dude, i'm going home." the both of you hear jaemin half yell from outside of your room. 

"yeah, you go do that. i'll have fun with my little fucktoy." donghyuck intertwined his fingers with yours, adjusting his position so his dick meets your pussy.

[tacticaldiary]

Dead Flowers Don't Grow

PAIRING: Kuroo Tetsurou x Reader

SYNOPSIS: "You can't fill the void with gifts. Flowers. You...it's like you're giving me these things to shut me up so I stop complaining you're never there-"

NOTE: All fanfic is timsekip. I'm taking requests!

MASTERLIST

"Make a diamond."

She jumps at the voice, clutching the ball to her chest. Kuroo stares at her, leaning against the doorway with something akin to a sheepish smile quirking his lips.

"...What?" She questions, not quite meeting his eyes because everything didn't just magically fix itself after a night of sleep. The wound their argument tore was still fresh, still hurting despite the half hearted compromise they'd come up with last night, a promise to deal with it in the morning.

She's been antsy all day, has taken to cleaning out their storage room. The ball in her hands was packed away in a box they never opened, worn and proudly used.

"Your hands. Make a diamond with them to set." Her husband studies her for a moment, before pushing off the doorframe to approach. Warm hands encompass her own, tug them up to hold the volleyball above her head. He positions her hands correctly under it, arms wrapped around her. "Like this, see?" He says quietly, because there's no need for raised voices in a space so enclosed, with emotions already teetering on a tightrope.

A glance over her shoulder earns her a glimpse of those familiar eyes, wrinkled at the side from smiling, a gaze as sharp and analytical as it is warm and playful.

It takes a lot to not lean into his warmth. She's still angry at him, still feeling the burn of humiliation and the sympathetic stare of her waitress.

"You did this a lot?" She mumbles, pushing the ball to her fingertips, then back into her palm. Kuroo doesn't move away, lets his hands rest on her waist instead, loosens out a silent sigh of relief when she doesn't push them away.

"Nah. Kenma was our setter, I was a middle blocker."

"Kenma?" He stifles a laugh at the incredulous tone.

"Can't imagine him running around, can you?" He smiles. "He was pretty damn scary on the court though. Hinata and him had a weird rivalry thing going on."

She hums, brings the ball down to her waist and silence follows.

It still stings, the wound is fresh. There's nothing like being forgotten that makes you sober up.

"Can we talk about it?"

Her husband's voice is soft but a crack in the silence, thumbs rubbing up and down her waist.

"What's there to say?" She shrugs, pointedly staring at the floor. "You forgot about me. Again."

"I didn't-"

"You did." She cuts him off. "You did, Tetsurou. It was the first date we planned in weeks and it ended the same it did the last two times."

"I'm sorry."

Frustration bubbles up in her chest, the muttered words make her flash back to the quiet, fresh bouquet of roses on their dining room table, the box of expensive chocolates on her nightstand when she woke up .

"You can't fill the void with gifts. Flowers. You...it's like you're giving me these things to shut me up so I stop complaining you're never there-"

"No, that's not...never, I'd never." He cuts her off, because the thought that he'd do something like that is disgusting, and doesn't speak to what his character actually is. "That wasn't my intention, sweetheart." He tugs her around by her shoulder so he can look her in the eye, show her there's nothing but honesty and guilt and regret etched into the lines of his face.

"Tetsurou." She sighs, and it goes straight to his heart. "I want you. You. My husband. I sat at that restaurant for an two hours yesterday waiting, thinking you couldn't have forgotten again, or that you'd at least text me you'd be late or something."

He nods immediately. "I was stupid-"

"You were."

"But it's no excuse-"

"It's not."

"And all I can say right now is that I'm sorry." Kuroo pleads with his eyes for her to let him speak and after a moment she allows it. "I know you've heard it a thousand times, but I promise this is the last one. I didn't...hadn't realised how bad it had gotten until today." He really does look remorseful, guilt lining the tension in his shoulders that she fights the urge to knead away at. Instead she loosens a slow exhales, lets the ball drop at their feet.

"Is it so hard to want to spend time with me? To work a normal amount like everyone else?" The questions comes out tired, a little small and damn if that doesn't break Kuroo's heart into splintered that hurt.

"Fuck, of course not." He says quickly, hands cupping her cheeks. His thumbs stroke across her cheekbones, eyes a little wide with alarm. "Of course not, I want the best for you, want you to be happy."

"I don't want the best, then." And when she looks at him there's such earnest honesty in her eyes. "I want you. It's enough, Tetsurou. You're enough for me."

Kuroo doesn't quite seem to know what to say to that. His mouth opens and then closes, silence hanging in the air. It's obvious her words have taken him aback, and it makes her soften, quells some of the frustration from before. Slowly, as if trying not to disturb the silent processing going on, her hands come to circle loosely around his wrists, head tilting ever so slightly into his palm.

It's almost a full minute later that she sees him swallow harshly and nod. "Okay." It's quieter than before.

"Okay." It's a promise and a reassurance in one.

This time she allows Kuroo to pull her in, winds her arms around his neck as his face burrows into her hair, lips pressed to her head. One strong arm curls around her waist, the other cups the back of her neck and she's perfectly content to stay there.

Things were far from okay, but results were only rewarded through consistancy and effort, traits she knows her husband has buckets full of to give to others. He was odd, sometimes, got in his head and took responsibility for things he didn't need to, but maybe that's why they worked so well.

A boat and his anchor.

An anchor and her boat.

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(20/11/2024)

[pangea11]

This is the right date, right?

(⁠・⁠∀⁠・) .❥

Wonyoung x F!reader

Word count: 1.519k

Synopsis: Going to another blind date your dad set you up with, you find yourself liking the girl your dad set you up with or was she really the person your dad set you up with?

Who would have thought that my dad isn't as homophobic as I thought he was? My whole life, I have watched my dad complain about the movies we were watching whenever LGBTQ is involved yet here I am sitting in front of the same sex in a romantic cafe that my dad apparently set me up for.

    "Do you drink coffee?" She asked, her eyes fluttered to meet my gaze and I felt my whole mind and body freeze. But before I could stare any longer, I snapped back onto reality making sure I'm not making any weird like impressions on the lady.

    "Oh yes, I drink coffee." I responded.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! I mentally facepalmed myself. I don't drink coffee! How am I supposed to go on now?

Before I could even go back on my words she cut me off. "Wait here." She smiled before standing up and going to the counter to place our orders.

    "Yes, good morning. Could I get two americano, please. And I'd also like two of your gigantic cookies. That's it thanks." I heard her saying nicely at the lady behind the counter.

What the absolute flip does Americano taste like? No, seriously, I have no idea.

A soft pull on the chair in front of me pulled me away from my thoughts. "Wonyoung, you didn't have to pay for me." She simply chuckled softly at my antics. "Oh don't worry, it's not such a big deal, you know. This is, after all, my first ever blind date that my parents set me up for."

A soft gasp escaped my lips. "Well if it's your first blind date then I should've been the one that paid then." The concern lingered in my voice as each word escaped my mouth.

    "No, it's fine." She waved her hand in front of me while she smiled sweetly at me. I nodded as I understood her while my eyes averted on the ground but then a thought slipped in my mind and my head snapped back at her, earning a small warm chuckle from her.

    "Should we do an ice breaker?" I asked her.

    "To get to know each other?" She asked with one eyebrow raised while her head tilted to the right.

I felt my lips quiver by her subtle pose. So, I simply smiled at her and nodded. "We already know each other's names so let's just skip that part."

She raised her head up subtly, thoroughly thinking about what question she should ask. For once, and finally, my dad has set me up on blind date with someone who's actually really pretty, both inside and out.

For the past couple of months, my dad has been setting me up with some males who clearly do not even resemble the ideal man my dad was talking about. They were either boys, dudes, and guys, you know what I mean? I mean, they're not men, but who would've thought that the man I would like and adore would be in a woman instead, particularly, this woman in front of me.

Her eyes seemed to have lit up when she finally thought of something. To be honest, she did take her time to think about the question, but surprisingly I find myself waiting patiently for her. If this were someone else, would I have acted the same?

    "Earlier you told me that your father set you up for this blind date, am I right?" She said while her elbows were propped on the table, her fingers intertwined against each other all while supporting her chin that rests on top of her fingers.

I nodded eagerly, encouraging her to continue.

    "And then I told you that my parents set me up for this blind date." I nodded in agreement but then a smile appeared on her lips, then she chuckled awkwardly or was it nervously? "I'm sorry, I'm bad at starting conversations. Could you start it instead?" Her face looked apologetic and her cheeks turned red as she gazed at me. I couldn't help but burst out giggling at her adorable demeanor.

Soon our laughter died down and I finally opened my mouth to talk, but before any words could form, our orders were delivered by a waiter and left.

We talked for what felt like seconds as it ended too quickly. I find myself lowkey sulking because we need to go our separate ways and call it a day.

    "Thanks Wonyoung, I really enjoyed today. It was definitely top tier compared to my other dates." She laughed at my statement. "Yeah, I had fun too."

As we walked out of the cafe, the chilly night air collided with my skin and a shiver trailed down my body. I brought my hands around my exposed arms.

A good day to wear a sleeveless shirt, my ass.

But soon, the coldness was replaced with warmth, as a warm brown coat enveloped my upper body, fully protecting me from the cold. My eyes gazed at the person who put it on me; it was her, obviously.

Her hands gripped the lapel of her coat and she gently crossed them, one side above the other, securely keeping me from the cold.

    "Don't underestimate the power of spring. It may be warm by daylight, but it's unbelievably cold by night." She smiled down at me before leaning in slowly to leave a chaste kiss on my cheeks.

As she leans away, her soft eyes meet mine and I don't know if it's because of the cold why her cheeks were red but I sure hope not.

    "I know it may be sudden, but I felt like I've known you for so long and I hope that we can continue seeing each other." Her hands never left the lapel of her coat as one of her eyebrows were raised again with her head being slightly tilted to the left. I guess it's one of her habits, her habits that I could adore all so effortlessly.

Speechless, I just nodded eagerly. Of course I want to keep meeting her again, I want to keep hanging out with her often— I want to live the rest of my life with her.

She handed me her business card and smiled at me before turning around. I grabbed her wrist before she could leave her spot. "Wouldn't you get cold?" I asked her, my voice was leaking with concern. She immediately faced me with a smile on her lips.

    "You'll keep my heart warm though, won't you?" She smirked at me sheepishly before laughing at my blushing state.

I'm absolutely going feral. My mind is going crazy and my heart is trying to win an imaginary racing competition.

"It's fine, you need it more considering what you're wearing beneath that." She said before turning around.

But then she turned to face me once again, she leaned closer to my ear. "You can return it on our next meeting. Also, next time let's have tea instead of coffee." She whispered, a giddy smile never leaving her lips, before leaning away and then finally taking her leave.

A few minutes later, I entered our house after taking an uber to go home. I slipped off my shoes and set foot on the white tiles.

    "I'm home!"

My dad immediately rushed in getting a view of me, it was as if he was waiting for me; he was.

    "How's my favorite daughter?" He said teasingly and I rolled my eyes at him.

    "I'm your only daughter..?"

    "Exactly! How was the date? Did you have fun?" He said waiting for my answers excitedly.

When he mentioned about the date, a smile immediately crept on my face, my hands instinctively hovered over the lower half of my face to cover my red cheeks.

My dad's eyes widened at my flustered state and a proud smile appeared on his lips. "So..?"

    "It was perfect!"

    "It was perfect?" He echoed, repeating what I've said but with a much more questioning yet amazed tone.

    "She was perfect, dad!"

    "She was perfect-." He echoed excitedly once again before stopping upon realization. He stares at me confusingly while I was busy trying not to fall on my quivering knees as I remember her smiles.

    "What do you mean 'she?'"

    "What do you mean? The girl you set me up with? Jang Wonyoung?" A confused gaze met another confused gaze.

    "I set you up with no girl.." He said slowly.

    "So, she wasn't my date?" He shook his head. Ohh that makes a lot of sense now.

Instead of making a big deal out of it, I shrugged it off. So what if she wasn't supposed to be my date? We enjoyed each other's company, so what?

    "Whatever, dad. I like her, I think I'm going to keep on seeing her." I walked past his speechless state and went directly into my room.

I plopped myself down on my mattress and hugged my pillow, the giddy feeling never escaping my nervous system.

    "Jang Wonyoung.." I muttered under my breath as I took in a deep and content sigh.

Y'all, Im thinking about whether I'll make a part two of this. Lowkey really enjoyed making this one even if it means I just ruined my sleeping schedule lmao. ෆ⁠╹⁠ ⁠.̮⁠ ⁠╹⁠ෆ

🌈masterlist🩷

[seronsalk]

A pretty little nightingale...

Part 1

Alastor x female reader (sorry gents and non-binary pals, I'll do you next!)

Masterlist AN: An idea I've been obsessed with recently...sorry if it's bad. Dividers from our lovely @saradika-graphics Warnings: Mention of Violence

"Sometimes I stare at my ceiling for so long that I forget where I am. I forget I am in a fiery pit where at any moment a knife could be jabbed into my shoulders or back and twisted. At any moment I could be killed, kidnapped, tortured, or even feasted upon. Would I taste good? Would my killers be satisfied with my death or would they too be disappointed in what I could have been for them? And even now as my alarm goes off, I wonder where my soul would go if I did one night, not wake up."

The morning in hell was pretty normal to the morning's you were alive. Wake up, get ready, go downstairs to the club, dance and sing. That beautiful structure, belting one's heart to an audience every day with no worry.

Until you found yourself doing the same thing, but in your afterlife. In hell. You will forever curse yourself because who else would you blame for your eternal damnation?

As you walked down the stairs to the dark empty club, the other performers were there already practicing.

"Look who rolled out of bed! And how is our princessa this morning?" Dante spoke, he was an insufferable demon to be around this early in the morning, and that Spanish accent rolled off his tongue right into his trumpet. He was a beautiful demon; all the musicians were. It made you wonder why such pretty boys were stuck down here with you.

You smiled at him before speaking, "doing just fine til you opened your mouth, save your air for the horn." Another musician whose name was Hernando, forced everyone to refer to him as Sir Pesci for some weird reason then spoke with a laugh in his voice. "As if saving his air would help him sound better!"-"Hey Hernando, did your mom get the flores I sent her?" Dante suddenly spoke. "Ahhh, vaffanculo," the Italian man cursed back as he waved his hands dismissively at Dante.

You laughed at the scene as the other band members didn't understand a word being said under the accents before they all turned to you. It was warm-up time and it would go on for at least three hours.

By the time the jazz club was about to open you had dolled yourself up. The servers and bartenders had finally rolled in.

Throughout your shift many older sinners had trotted in at the sound of the music. But as you went to take a break in-between songs Dante came up to you. "Y/N, apparently some big shot wants to talk to you backstage."

You looked at him curiously, "Why m-" but you were cut off by your boss. He was an arrogant man who cared less for what others thought of him unless they were giving him money or popularity. One time just to get him to hear you when you complained about fixing the door in your dressing room, you had to pay him twenty bucks. He was built like a bull and like a bull, he sometimes charged in without thought or reason.

"Y/n let's go, got a big customer who wants to meet you!" he dragged you away with his bulky hands. Dante gave you a shrug as he walked off.

Alastor's POV:

It was a normal day in hell, he strutted down the road cane in hand. He was on his way to the cannibal colony to meet with Rosie.

When demons saw him they would jump into traffic or even through windows to avoid his gaze. His devilish constant smile sent even the tougher, bigger demons groveling.

As he was walking though, his ears twitched. The sound of jazz, but more prominent, a beautiful voice. He could recognize the song immediately, Heatwaves, by Ethel Waters. He followed the voice around the corner of the street and saw some demons trickling into a club. He twirled his cane in interest and his smile became wider.

He walked towards the bouncers, two of the biggest mobsters stood strong and firm, but one look at Alastor made them sweat. "Good'ay my good gents, tell me what is this fine establishment about then?" A little hint of Alastors transatlantic southern accent sprung like cattails in a bayou.

One of the bouncers spoke in an almost whisper, "It's The Spotted Fawn jazz club, sir." Alastor's smile widened in interest again. "Well, pay me no mind gentleman, I simply will be taking a look around." And with that, he walked past them and a second later one of the bouncers told the big boss.

He walked in, it smelled of rye and smoke. He loved the atmosphere, it was like he was in New Orleans all over again.

Then your voice struck his ears like lightning. He looked over towards the stage, jazz musicians playing behind you as you sang. Your h/l h/c hair bouncing as you swayed your hips to your own song.

Your boss had interrupted his train of thoughts, "Why I wouldn't have expected the radio demon to be in my club-welcome sir." He offered his hand to shake and Alastor's smile twisted as he ignored his hand. "Charming establishment you have here sir! I appreciate people who are still following the more traditional...ways." Alastor spoke his eyes wandering back to you as you danced on stage with one of the musicians.

"Say, my good man, who is that lovely dame singing?" Alastor inquired as he twirled his cane. "That'd be y/n sir, one of my finer performers." Y/n....your name twirled circles in his mind. You were gorgeous, as was your voice.

And for the first time in a while, since his mother and Rosie, he felt admiration for a woman. He spoke again, "Well I would love to meet h-" he was cut off. "2k upfront," was all the bull-built man said. Alastor's neck basically snapped as he looked at him, "Excuse me?" he said. "I don't trust any of you overlords and the last thing my performers need is the attention from one of you causing them, or me, problems. You wanna talk to her? Pay me or strike a deal sir." This bull had no class it made Alastor cackle. "Normally I'd kill you where you stand, but because I'm feeling generous about how lovely this establishment I'll let you off with a warning. Talk like that again towards me and I'll pull your guts out and serve them to your customers." His radio static backed his voice like a snarling panther. "Now about this deal, tell me what do you desire?" "Follow me we talk business in the back." The bull led Alastor away.

The bull brought her into his office, where Alastor was sitting. Her eyes widened a little, but she quickly sat down. "I was told you wanted to speak with me?" she asked. They were alone now.

EN: Hi guys so I like this idea, I was gonna make a part two, but let me know what you think!

[wzrd-wheezes]

Nothing More - Pt 1. R.L x Reader

Remus Lupin x Reader.

1.2k

Warnings: Nothing crazy in part 1, flatmate remus and reader, alcohol, swearing, slight angst if you squint.

A/N: Not going to lie this fic took me way longer than I care to admit and I'm planning on making it a multi part fic so please let me know if you'd like me to carry this on! Not a great deal happens in this part but there's going to be a lot to come lol

It was late evening and Y/N was cooking dinner in the kitchen of the flat that her and Remus shared. Remus was sat up on the kitchen counter crossed legged, drink in hand, staring melancholically at the floor. He was complaining, as he often did, about his life. 

“I’m just bored, you know?” he said, taking a sip of his beer, “I just feel like I’m stuck in this time loop with the most boring, repetitive life ever and it’s making me go insane.” 

Y/N rolled her eyes at him playfully, used to this kind of behaviour from her best friend after their years of friendship. 

“At least you’ve got a repetitive, boring life with a best friend that’s as good as I am.” she grinned, reaching over and taking the beer bottle out of his hand and having a swig. 

“Oi, no fair taking away one of the joys in my life,” he protested, “You already eat most of the food I make, at least let me keep something.” He snatched the bottle back from her with a laugh. 

“I’m literally cooking you dinner right now, idiot.” 

“I think my life would be so much better if I just moved to another continent altogether.” he groaned, looking at Y/N with a half-joking expression. She let out a snort and he looked at her quizzically. 

“You need to have a drink.”  

“I’m having a drink, idiot.” he parroted her from earlier, flashing her his beer. 

“No. We need to go out for a drink. To a pub or a bar or something so you can distract yourself from this weird existential crisis that you’re having.” she said, taking the pan off of the stove and portioning the food into dishes. “I’ll give James and Sirius a call. They’re always up for a spontaneous night out.” 

“They’ll just get drunk and start singing,” he chuckled, “Fine, but you have to look after them if they get plastered. Also, if I wake up in the morning and Sirius is half naked asleep on our sofa again, I’ll kick off.” 

They wolfed down their dinner and both retreated to their rooms to get ready. Y/N made a quick phone call to James and Sirius who were both on board with the idea of an impromptu night out. She was stood in front of the mirror zipping her jeans up and deciding what shirt to wear when her bedroom door swung open.  

“Are you ready yet or wha-” Remus stood frozen in place as his eyes fell on her body. Y/N’s head snapped round and she quickly covered her chest with her arms, albeit wearing a bra. A blush crept onto Remus’s pale cheeks and he quickly backed out of the room shouting an apology over his shoulder.  

“Sorry about bursting in like that, I didn’t think.” Remus said apologetically when she walked into the living room having finished getting ready. He was stood leaning against the kitchen counter drinking another beer. His oversized leather jacket hung from his shoulders and he had a cigarette tucked behind his ear. “I should’ve knocked or something.” 

“Remmy, I don’t think you’ve ever knocked before you come into my room,” she laughed, unphased by what happened, “Besides, it’s not like you’ve never seen some tits before.” 

He chuckled awkwardly, setting his empty bottle down on the side and ushering her out of the door while mumbling something about being on time for meeting the others. 

Sirius and James were already at the bar when they arrived and waved them over to where they were standing. It took a mere number of seconds before Sirius had order a round of drinks and handed them out. They made small talk for a few minutes, Remus standing awkwardly next to Y/N after their encounter from earlier, his cheeks still tinted pink. Y/N excused herself to go to the bathroom and Remus was left alone with the two other boys. 

“Have you guys just shagged or something?” Sirius quizzed, smirking slightly. Remus spluttered, all but spitting out the drink he had just taken a sip of. 

“What?” 

“Oh, come on, Moons.” James nudged him, “You’ve been blushing and looking awkwardly at her ever since you got here. What happened?” Remus took a breath and downed the rest of his drink. 

“I walked in on her changing earlier and I may or may not have seen her boobs.” He blurted out quickly. Sirius barked out a laugh. 

“Bloody hell, Moony. You’ve seen some boobs, big deal.” James laughed. 

“Oi, leave him alone. I remember the first time I saw some boobs.” Sirius said sarcastically. 

“Yeah, I remember it vividly and you definitely weren’t this excited.”  

"It’s not the first time I’ve seen some boobs and I’m not excited.” Remus rolled his eyes, “It’s just that it’s her and-” 

“And you’ve been pathetically in love with her since we were at school.” The other two boys said simultaneously. 

“I am NOT.” he replied, “she’s my best friend, that’s all. Nothing more. I’m just worried that she thinks I’m some weird pervert or something.” 

James cleared his throat and jerked his head to the side, gesturing towards Y/N who was making her way back over to them, manoeuvring through the crowds of people. It was a Friday night and the bar was packed, the lights had been dimmed and drinks were flowing freely. Most people had packed themselves onto the dancefloor, their sweaty bodies pressed against each other while their hands clutched onto their drinks. 

“Are we going to dance then, or what?” Y/N asked, grabbing her drink back from Remus who had been holding it while she was gone. The boys nodded and followed her to the crowd of people.  

One thing about going out with Sirius Black is that he buys rounds of drinks like it’s going out of fashion. He makes sure his friends have a drink in hand at all times. This being the reason that the four of them were now quite drunk. Sirius and James swayed tipsily to the music and Remus laughed at them. He noticed suddenly that Y/N wasn’t stood with them anymore. Assuming that she’d just gone to the bar for another drink, he wandered over. His eyes danced over the bar and across the sea of bodies that were surrounding it. No sign of her. Sighing, he ordered himself another beer and decided to carry on looking. His eyes darted quickly around the room before finally landing on Y/N, he smiled and started walking over. The smile soon dropped from his face as he realised what he was seeing. Y/N had her arms tangled round the neck of a guy, his hands resting on her waist as he kissed her. Remus’s knuckles went white as his fist tightened around the bottle of beer he was holding. His jaw tightened and he swore that he felt his stomach drop. 

“Fucking hell, Moons, we’ve been looking for you for ages.” Sirius’s voice suddenly spoke. His eyes followed Remus’s gaze to where Y/N was standing, “Ouch.” 

“It’s fine.” Remus’s voice came out strained, “She can do what she wants.” 

[liquid-luck-00]

Red Binding 6

Maribat March Day 6: Bad Luck

@maribat-calendar-events @maribatserver

First *** Previous *** Next

~~~~~~~~~~

This isn’t right. Marinette complained for the millionth time. No matter what she did or what plan she concocted, there was no way to get Jason out of the League without inciting an incident.

I know and we hate it too.

The only option is for us to leave on our own.

It was still weird having him in her mind. Passing through the celestial realm opened a gate that let them speak to one another like they do their Kwamii, but it’s taking some time to get used to it. But when they do, the two of them could talk for hours about their lives after meeting Plagg and Tikki. But never the time before.

But can’t we do something? She started to run scenarios again.

We can’t, pixie, not without you being caught, or revealing that I am the Vicis. It’s just bad luck and our hands are tied.

But that shouldn’t mean you have to suffer, there, now.

Bluebell, it’s best if we don’t involve either of you in our escape.

She means well, Plagg.

I know Sugar Cube, but the facts stand. We can’t have you help us without war being incited by either side.

I have to agree with Plagg. Tikki resonated the sentiment. And it will always be a cold day in hell when that happens.

Hey! I’m smart, and can see reason.

When you aren’t hungry, you glutton.

The two started bickering. Meaning they left them alone for a moment.

You are leaving in the morning. The ritual is done, and no one is the wiser of what you learned. Jason tried to make her feel better, but the knot in her stomach was growing.

But it doesn’t feel right.

I know it doesn’t. But I’ve survived worse, unfortunately. His tone was bitter, and she figures his life was never easy. She just wants to be there for him, she wants to be his friend, and friends protect one another. Right?

Promise me you’ll try and find me when you get out. Her voice was soft, broken from her irritation. She was on the verge of tears in her room.

I promise. His voice was strong, resolute. And that seemed to give her a bit of courage too.

We are going to have to figure out a way to keep in touch, if we want to find each other after this. She started to joke. She felt him laugh on the other side of their connection.

Well, we’re gonna have to figure that one out.

There isn’t a question in that. I’ll be waiting Jay Jay.

So will I Pixie Pop.

They both dropped their conversation as they both drifted off to sleep.

•••

It was a few hours later she felt someone about to knock on her door and she woke up, quickly getting dressed. An uneasy feeling settling in her stomach. She got up and opened it, seeing one of the commanders arrive to escort her. "Are you ready for your departure?"

"Just give me one second." She closed the door again. Went to grab her bag, then stepped back towards the door and removed the final wards, she still had in place.

She opened the door and nodded, following the ninja that was supposed to escort her. Out in the courtyard she was met with Guardian Shun’itsu and Ryuku, along with two other commanders and the woman, who she later found out was Talia Al Ghul.

"Now that we are all here we can begin our way down, to get all of you back to your temple." Thalia spoke, her tone even, but she knows better. She’s been around them plenty these past few weeks, that something is telling her, something is very wrong.

They made their way down, when they arrived at the village, and when she thought that at least two of them would leave, she was very wrong. Four ninja, assassins, joined them in the car. Two in front, two behind them, and she, the Guardian, and his student sat in the middle. When they arrived to an airfield, alarms began ringing in her mind. She doesn’t know if the other two thought the same, but she started to slowly weave a spell around them.

There wasn’t a signal, not even a sound. They attacked.

"Merdé" She used Tikki’s creation magic, and a bow staff fell into her hand.

The three of them never let them watch as they trained, while they were in the compound. So none of them knew exactly how proficient they were with any weapon. But that didn’t stop them from attacking. The spell she wove, only softened any impact, that doesn’t mean she couldn’t get hurt still. She redirected a blade that was aimed at her head, and it sliced right through her cheek. She didn’t have the time, or even luxury, to check in see how her two companions for doing. She was able to take down one of the assassins. Pinning him to the ground, before knocking him unconscious.

She jumped off of him as a second assailant launched towards her. He was just as well trained, and seem to have not joined in the fight until now. Which was bad luck for her, he was fresh, where she just took down someone who is three times her size, and more than likely a whole different weight class. But she kept fighting, she glanced to her side for a brief second, and saw Ryuko fighting the third commander, while Guardian Shun’itsu was holding off attacks from Thalia.

Her brief distraction allowed the assassin to land a hit on her, making her fly backwards, a good three meters, knocking her into some sort of metal structure. She’s trying to shake her head as she stood, to get rid of the dizziness, but her world only span faster.

She looked up and saw Lord Doreiku frozen still.

And then she saw her, Talia, step back, pulling a bloody knife out of his chest.

She heard Ryuko scream.

In a flash of red light, and there floating in the air was a Kwamii. They were bright red with black tipped horns, Longg.

They looked down in utter shock. As the air around them rippled. Lightning, rain, and wind whipped around them. And then she screamed, her emotions getting the best of her, and the emotions that Longg conjured the storm with, rammed at her very being.

Marinette calm down. She faintly heard Tikki, but she couldn’t stop it.

As the water touched her skin, it morphed.

She saw Ryuko, fall over Lord Doreiku's body, while Thalia walked towards Longg.

"No." She growled and the liquid flew towards the woman.

Acid covered her gloved hand eating away at the fabric, as she quickly removed it before it was able to damage her skin.

Marinette stalked forward. Putting herself between the woman and the kwamii floating above her companions.

"Think very carefully about your next move. I am the Ladybug. I am the personification of creation, and creation is not always kind." Thalia looked as if she was going to laugh, but something made her stop and actually look at her.

Marinette, is not an imposing, nor intimidating figure, of any kind. But the power she wields is not meant to be taken lightly. "If you mistake my words for bluff, I cannot guarantee that any of you will leave this area alive."

"So you are to make an enemy of the League of Assassins?" The woman rose a brow, challenging her.

"You were the ones who attacked us first, we were acting out of self-defense, and you were the one to take a life. Don’t forget, the reason you can use the pits of Lazarus again is not only because of the order, but because of me. Who knows, if you continue to use the wells of destruction as you do. Perhaps the League would destroy itself." She knows it is true, Ra’s keeps order, but it is out of fear not respect.

"You know nothing of this world, you’re a child."

"I might just be a child, but I can promise you this." That was when the winds and water stopped falling onto the ground, Ahe acid dissolved spots into the pavement in the middle around them. "I will never perform this ritual again, so long as you or Ra’s controls the league."

This time Thalia laughed.

"Let us see how long that promise can actually keep." She quickly jerked her head to the side, and the three shadows (two shadows and the third hung limply between the two) started to walk away.

Mari. Tikki whispered by their connection.

"We have to get him home." She looked behind her, Ryuko spoke with tears streaming down her face.

"How?"

"Allow us." Longg and Tikki were both now physically present.

"Are you sure?'

"We were bound for a very long time." Longg descended. "It is the least I can do for him."

"Let’s get home." She extended her hand to the other girl, pulling her to her feet. "We have a long way to go."

"Okay." The girl’s voice was broken with that single word, and a little piece of her broke.

After all the good luck she had, of course the bad luck would have to be this bad to balance it out. She sighed as they made their way out of this airfield and towards the town a few miles over. Let’s just hope her bad luck ends here.

It didn’t.

In fact they got to the station three minutes after the train departed and were stranded until the next one would pass through, in five days. Or they could take a series of trains to reach the one they missed, but they would leave by the end of the day. Take a guess which one they chose.

It wasn’t easy, but eventually they made it home, but they had to recall the events that led them there to Su-Han and it still hurt.

Next

~~~~~~~~~~

Permanent Taglist: @jennifer-rose123 @toodaloo-kangaroo @joydone07 @mizzy-pop @starling218 @crystalqueertea

Taglist: @shizukiryuu

[all-the-things-2020]

Late Night Talking - Chapter Eight

Summary: Em had a rough day at work. Dieter makes her feel better.

Rating: PG-13 (nothing graphic, Em is still shy about writing explicit details about her relationship, lol)

Word Count: 4800+

Tag list: @rhoorl @avastrasposts @readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @gwendibleywrites

Dieter insisted on driving himself home after the accident. He called me when he got there, complaining about what a pain in the ass the drive had been. The butt jokes continued throughout the week, accompanied by a few photos of the stitches to prove that he was healing up. 

“Dieter, I have enough pictures of your ass,” I told him on Thursday. “Besides, I’m going to see it in person tomorrow night.”

”You can never have enough pictures of my ass,” he replied. “Which, by the way, is looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

Friday morning I put my overnight bag into the trunk of my car. I was going to drive straight from work to Dieter’s place, since I would be back tracking if I went home first. Fridays are always long, but that one felt like an eternity. We were busy, but the beginning of school rush was starting to die down and I had pockets of downtime when my mind was able to wander. And it wandered toward Dieter.

Traffic was horrendous, of course, but I managed to get to Dieter’s house after only a two hour drive. He greeted me at the door wearing a pair of baggy pajama pants and an old Pac Sun t shirt. He was barefoot.

”Nice look,” I said as he wrapped me in his arms.

”I’m an invalid,” he said. “These are my sick clothes.”

”You’ve been to four meetings and a doctor’s appointment this week. You aren’t an invalid.”

He pouted. “But my butt hurts, baby.”

I tried to keep a straight face but it was impossible. Pouting Dieter always makes me laugh. 

We spent a quiet weekend, watching movies and making out on the couch. Dieter couldn’t go in the pool because of the stitches, which made him a bit grumpy, but otherwise it was the romantic weekend we’d attempted to have the previous week.

”I’m out of town all next week,” he said Sunday morning as we lazed in bed.

”Yeah, I know.” I laid my head on his broad chest and he stroked my hair. 

“Won’t be back in L.A. until Saturday night, so I guess we won’t see each other next weekend.” His hand played with my earlobe.

”It’s okay,” I said. “We’ll FaceTime.”

”Not the same,” he said, nibbling on my neck.

I sighed. “No, it’s not, but we’ll see each other the weekend after. You’re driving out, right?”

”If I can,” he said. “No, yeah, definitely. I’ve got a bunch of meetings and shit for the press tour that week but I will make sure I get out there on Friday. Play the entitlement card. ‘I’m Dieter Fucking Bravo. I make my own rules.’”

”Just don’t piss off anybody important,” I said. “I understand if your work messes with our plans. Work has to come first unless it’s an emergency. That’s what my parents always said.”

”Fuck that,” Dieter said vehemently. “People come first. Relationships come first. Work … work is important, but it’s not everything.”

”Okay,” I said carefully. I’d touched a nerve and didn’t want to probe it too much right then. “But I do understand that you have to do stuff for work. So do I.”

He mumbled something I didn’t catch and then distracted me by sliding one hand between my legs while he kissed my collarbone and I stopped thinking rationally for a while.

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

[Text message conversation between Dieter and his publicist]

CARMEN: So, I need to know something.

DIETER: What?

C: There’s a weird rumor floating around and I need the truth.

D: Shit, now what?

C: I’ve heard two versions. One is you were injured “in bed” and needed stitches in your backside. The other is you had a fight with your girlfriend, broke some glass and she pushed you onto it, also requiring stitches.

D: Fuck. I did get hurt at Em’s but it wasn’t in bed and we didn’t have a fight. I fell off the fucking bed trying to reach the smoke alarm to change the battery and I broke a lamp. I landed on it and cut my ass cheek. That doctor promised he wouldn’t say anything to anybody.

C: I don’t think it was the doc. This isn’t coming from the public gossip sites; it’s word of mouth rumors in the industry.

D: Probably someone at my agent’s office. I was telling him the story because I had to reschedule a meeting so I could go get the stitches out. So what do we have to do?

C: Nothing. If either rumor breaks containment, we put out a statement clearing things up. Tell what really happened. If not, we ignore it.

D: Does Em know?

C: I haven’t said anything to her. Figured that’s your job.

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

“People are saying what?” I was driving home from work when Dieter called and almost swerved off the road.

”One version is you were pegging me and ripped my butthole,” he said. “The other is we had a big fight, I broke some glass, then you pushed me down on it.”

”But … who would believe any of that?”

”Dumbass people,” he said with a sigh. “The shitheads at the gossip websites who would say anything for clicks. Look, I know this is ridiculous, but Carmen has it under control. If anything makes the mainstream, she’ll issue a statement.”

”Holy shit, what if my aunt hears any of this?” My mother’s sister was one of those stick-up-her-bum church lady types, mostly because she’d converted in her early twenties. Converts were the worst. I loved her dearly, but we did not see eye to eye on most aspects of my personal life. She’d already made it very clear to me that she thought I was sinning by engaging in premarital sex.

”It won’t get that far,” Dieter said. “I’ll tell Carmen to get out ahead of it. Get a statement out to the gossip rags. Let them know we’ll sue if they say anything that contradicts it.”

I was almost home. “Deet, how the hell do you live like this?”

”Everyone has rumors told about them,” he said. “I’ll bet your co-workers talk shit about you.”

I had to admit he was probably right. It wasn’t just students who were stuck in the high school paradigm. Any time you trapped a group of people in one place for hours and hours each day, they did what humans had been doing for millennia: they talked. The rumor mill was alive and well on campus, although as adults we were more circumspect than the kids were. 

“I still don’t like it,” I said, pulling up in front of my condo. 

”Nobody likes it, babe,” he said. “It’s one of the prices you pay for fame. And big paychecks.” He sighed. “I need to get back on set. I’ll see you next weekend.”

”See you then,” I said. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying “I love you.” It was a little bit silly, but I had vowed that I wouldn’t say it until Dieter did. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself.

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

It had been a shitty day. We’d gotten a delivery of over two hundred boxes of math textbooks. Each box held six books and we needed to get them all unpacked, stamped, barcoded and out to students ASAP. The books had been ordered on time and should have arrived in the summer when there had actually been time to process them, but the publisher had screwed up on the first print run and they ended up backordered. I’d been unpacking boxes and stacking books on carts all day and my back was killing me. This work was usually done by volunteers and kids needing community service hours for graduation, but with the kids all in class, it fell to me and the textbook clerk, along with a couple of helpers loaned to us from the front office. All I wanted to do when I got home was take a hot shower, pop a handful of ibuprofen and crash on the couch with my shiatsu massager.

Things weren’t going to be easy until we got the job done, but at least I didn’t have to drive to Hollywood that weekend; it was Dieter’s turn to drive out to my place. I kept telling myself, You just have to make it through two more days.

As I pulled into the driveway, I noticed two things. First of all, Dieter’s bright red Audi was parked in front of my condo. Second of all, Dieter himself was sitting on my front step, reading a book and drinking what looked like a tall glass of my neighbor Mrs. Gutiérrez’s iced tea.

I climbed out of the car. “What are you doing here?”

“My meeting tomorrow got cancelled and I’m free for the rest of the week, so I thought I’d come out early, since I didn’t get to see you last weekend,” he said, setting down his book and glass. He stood up to hug me but I cringed when he did. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, we had a billion books to unpack today and my back is killing me,” I told him. “You should have called me before you drove all this way. I’m not going to be very good company.”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he said. “Of course, I was halfway here when I realized I was going to get here way before you got home.” He scratched at the back of his ball cap. “Your neighbor was worried about me. She brought me some iced tea so I wouldn’t get too hot.” 

I looked next door and saw Mrs. Gutiérrez peeking out her front window. I waved at her and she gave me a thumbs up. “I need to get you a key,” I said without thinking. Even though we spent the weekend at each other’s homes, we hadn’t exchanged keys yet. It was the next step in our relationship and here I’d jumped into it without discussing it with him.

He smiled. “That would be nice,” he said softly. “We can get a copy of my keys for you while we’re at it.”

I felt my face flush. We’d been dating for almost three months at that point, and I knew he was in it for the long haul, but I still felt a little giddy every time we took a step toward more intimacy, more permanency. And those three little words still loomed unsaid.

“Let’s get inside,” I said. I fumbled with my keys and dropped them. As soon as I started to bend down to pick them up, I knew I’d made a mistake. “Ugh,” I groaned. “Can … can you get those for me?”

He reached down and swept the keys up, his free hand going immediately to my back. He rubbed it as he put the key in the lock. “You really did a number on your back, didn’t you, babe?,” he said, frowning. 

“Yeah,” I admitted. He took my bag from me and ushered me carefully into the house. “Look, all I want to do is eat something, take a mega dose of ibuprofen, and collapse on the couch with my back massager. You don’t have to stay. It’s not like I’m going to be much fun.”

He looked at me as if I was an idiot. “First of all, I’m not driving all the way back to Hollywood just to turn around and drive back the day after tomorrow,” he said. He pushed me gently down onto the couch and sat beside me. “Second of all, I’m not leaving you alone if you’re in pain. And third of all, I’m here to see you, not have fun.”

I raised my eyebrow and he immediately shook his head. “That didn’t come out quite right, but you know what I mean,” he said, sliding his arm around my shoulder and playing with my hair. “Let me take care of you, okay?” He pressed a kiss against my cheek and I relented, laying my head on his shoulder. 

“Okay, but there’s not much you can do except keep me company,” I said.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he said. “I know about back pain, believe me.”

After making me promise not to move a muscle, he left me on the couch to flip through the channels looking for something to watch (I didn’t have all the streaming services he did, just basic cable, which drove him nuts) while he heated up some leftover pasta I had in my fridge. We ate on the couch, watching reruns of “M*A*S*H”. 

When we were finished, I tried to help him take the dirty plates into the kitchen but my back had stiffened up enough that I only got about two inches off the couch before I froze. “Oh, oh, ouch, ouch,” I whimpered. Dieter pushed me gently back down.

“I got it,” he said, kissing me on the forehead. He took the dishes into the kitchen and detoured to the bathroom to fetch the bottle of ibuprofen. “I didn’t know it came in such big bottles,” he said when he came back. 

“Costco,” I said. “And if you were a woman, you’d buy the industrial size bottle, too.” I opened the top, shook out four pills and popped them in my mouth. “I live on this  stuff one week a month.”

“Okay, time to get you in the shower,” Dieter said. “Some hot water will loosen those muscles a bit.”

He helped me stand up and I headed — slowly — toward the bathroom. “Let me know if you need any help, okay?,” he said.

“I’m fine,” I said, brushing him off. “I’ve been taking showers for years.” 

I closed the door on him, and turned on the water to give it a chance to heat up before I got in. The moment I stepped into the shower and the hot water hit my back, I let out a little moan. Standing up hurt but the hot water felt incredibly good. I stood with my back to the showerhead, letting the water hit my lower back. I slowly bent forward, gently stretching the muscles as the heat loosened them up a bit.

I’d been in there for about fifteen minutes when there was a knock on the bathroom door. “How’re you doing in there?”

“I’m fine,” I called out. “Just enjoying the hot water.” The door opened and Dieter stepped in. “What are you doing?” My instinct was to cover myself but all I had handy was a washcloth, which wasn’t going to do much good.

“Oh, please,” he scoffed. “I just wanted to ask if you have any massage oils.”

“Um, no,” I said. We had the shower curtain between us, but it was fairly sheer and it felt very awkward, especially since Dieter was making no effort to avert his eyes.

“Hmm, okay, I’ll see what you have in the kitchen,” he said, turned around and left. I stayed in the shower a few more minutes, then turned the water off, got out, and wrapped myself in a towel.

The door opened again and Dieter whisked me into the bedroom. The bed was turned down and the new lamp on the nightstand was on its lowest setting. Relaxing music was playing on the speaker on my dresser. “Um, sweetie,” I said, “I told you I wasn’t up for much.”

He shook his head. “I know,” he said. “I’m going to give you a massage.” He gestured toward the bed. “Take off that towel and lay face down with your head on the pillows.”

“You just want to look at my ass,” I joked as I followed his directions.

He smacked me lightly on the butt.  “Behave yourself,” he said, climbing onto the bed behind me. He straddled my legs and started lightly prodding my back. “Where does it hurt? Here? Here?” Once he had a good idea of the extent of the affected area, he got up. “Okay, all I could find was olive oil, so if you smell like a salad when we’re done, I’m sorry.” I heard him pour some oil out and rub his hands together to warm it up. 

The bed dipped under his weight again as he resumed his position. His broad hands began to stroke up and down my lower back, his thumbs digging in now and then to work out the tension in the muscles. The oil let his hands glide over my skin and it felt absolutely delicious. “Oh, yeah,” I groaned. “That feels amazing.”

He chuckled. “I like to hear that,” he said. I felt his weight shift as he leaned forward to kiss my shoulder. Then he sat back and continued working on my sore muscles. Soon I was melting into the mattress and I barely noticed when Dieter climbed off the bed, pressing one last kiss to my shoulder. “Get some sleep, babe,” he said softly.

The next thing I knew, my alarm was going off the next morning. Dieter grunted beside me. “What the hell?”

I slapped the alarm clock to stop the annoying beep. “Go back to sleep,” I told him. “I need to get ready for work.” I started to crawl out of bed but he pulled me back. 

“Call in sick,” he said. “Stay with me.”

“I can’t,” I said, although I was very tempted. My back felt a lot better but it was still a bit stiff. “We have a shit ton of work to do and if I don’t go in, they won’t get a sub to cover for me.” I kissed his forehead and went into the bathroom to start getting ready for work.

Dieter was sound asleep by the time I came out, and I got dressed to the sound of his quiet snores. Before I left, I scribbled a note, which I left on the kitchen table beside my house keys.

“Thanks again for last night. I feel so much better! Leaving my keys so you can go out if you need to, lol. See you when I get home. XOXOXO”

I locked the door from the inside, pulled it shut and headed off for another long day at work.

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

Work was better than the day before, partly because we’d finished most of the heavy lifting already, but mostly because I knew Dieter would be waiting for me at home when I got done. My co-workers made a few comments about what a good mood I seemed to be in, but I didn’t take the bait. It was enough to know he’d be there when I came home; I didn’t need to brag about it.

It felt weird to knock on my own front door when I got home. Dieter opened it a tiny crack. “What’s the password?,” he said, squinting warily at me. 

“Open the damn door,” I said.

“Correct,” he said, opening the door and letting me in. He led me to the couch, where there was a glass of wine waiting for me. As I sat down, he slipped my shoes off and pulled my feet into his lap, massaging them gently. 

“Oh, my,” I said. “What did I do to deserve this treatment?” 

He shrugged. “I just thought you’d probably had a rough day at work again, and I enjoyed taking care of you yesterday.” He dropped my feet and pulled me in for a kiss. “Besides, it was kind of nice playing house husband today.” He winked at me and got up from the couch.

“I changed the sheets on the bed, ran a few errands, and I’m actually cooking dinner,” he said. He came back with a set of keys in his hand. “Here are your house keys back,” he said, dangling them in front of me, “and I added a set to my place.” He dropped the keys into my hand. Two brand new keys were next to my slightly worn ones. I fingered them gently.

“I got copies of yours for me,” he said. “Hope you don’t mind, but you did say I needed them …”

“No, no, thank you,” I said. So it was official. We had full access to each other's homes. I felt a weird fluttery feeling in my stomach and I grabbed his hand, pulling in in to press a kiss to his palm. 

He dropped back onto the couch beside me, humming happily. He caressed my face before leaning in for a lingering kiss. “As much as I enjoy this,” he said when he came up for air, “I need to check on dinner.” He stood up and headed for the kitchen. I picked up my wine glass and followed him. This I had to see.

He was opening the oven to check on whatever was inside, and I caught a glimpse of a plastic tray. “Aha!” I said. “You bought that.”

“Well, yeah,” he said. “I said I was cooking dinner, not that I made dinner. There’s a semantic difference.” He poured himself a glass of wine and took a drink. “Now get out of the way, because I need to cut up some veggies for the salad.” He pulled several bags out of the fridge and plopped them on the counter. “Do you have a cutting board?”

I pointed at one of the lower cupboards and then stepped back, leaning against the end of the counter to watch. He found the cutting board, selected a knife from the wooden block on the counter and started to work. “Stop watching me,” he said after a few minutes. “I keep waiting for you to tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

“You’re not doing anything wrong,” I said. “I just enjoy seeing this domestic side of you.” He made a face and flipped me off. I shrugged. “You’re the one who said you liked playing house husband.”

He laughed. “Okay, I deserved that,” he admitted. “Now go sit down and wait for me to call you to the table.” He pointed at me with the knife.

I retired to the living room to finish my wine and flip through my mail (which Dieter had helpfully brought in and placed on the coffee table). Nothing of real interest except a 20% off coupon for Kohl’s and a catalog from Daedelus Books. I sat those aside and tossed the rest in my “stuff to be shredded” basket, which was starting to get a bit full. I made a mental note to work on that soon.

I settled back to thumb through the catalog as I sipped my wine and before I knew it, Dieter was in the doorway. “Dinner’s ready, honey!,” he said. He was wearing a stupid frilly apron I kept in a drawer; my aunt had given it to me one year for Christmas and I’d kept it to wear on the rare occasions when I baked.

“You look ridiculous,” I said, giggling. 

He spun around. “You like it? I found it in the drawer when I was looking for a pot holder to get the lasagna out of the oven with.” 

“It’s you,” I said. “But please, take it off, or I won’t be able to eat for laughing.”

He grumbled something about slaving away over a hot stove all day and not getting any respect as he untied the apron, balled it up and tossed it back into the kitchen. Then he pulled my chair out for me and we sat down to eat. Veggie lasagna; a huge salad full of cucumbers, radishes, grape tomatoes, and feta cheese; and a crusty loaf of Italian bread with herbed olive oil for dipping.

“This … this is amazing,” I said, looking around at the food, the wine, the fact that he’d actually gone through my mismatched cutlery drawer and made sure our knives and forks were all the same pattern.

He shrugged. “Like I said, I had fun today.” He pointed at me with his fork. “Just don’t expect this all the time, okay?”

After dinner, he put away the leftovers. “See, I planned ahead,” he told me. “This way we have dinner for tomorrow night all squared away.” He tapped his finger against the side of his head. When he came back out, he had a big bowl of mixed berries and a can of whipped cream.

“Is that dessert or do you have something weird planned for the bedroom?” I teased. 

“Both, if you’re lucky,” he said. He sat the bowl down, took the cap off the whipped cream and squirted a dollop on his finger, then dabbed it on the tip of my nose. He sat the can down in front of me and went back into the kitchen. He came back with two slices of pound cake on saucers. “And you thought I was being kinky,” he said, shaking his head. Then he leaned down and licked the melting whipped cream off my nose.

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

The next morning, Dieter barely stirred when the alarm went off. I slipped out of bed, got dressed and headed off to work, leaving him another note on the table.

“Can’t wait to see what you have planned for tonight. XOXOXO”

Work dragged on and on, as Fridays were wont to do, and of course I got a last minute phone call that kept me a few minutes past quitting time. Finally, I was free for the weekend and hurried home, only to find Dieter’s car gone. Instantly, my heart sank and I chided myself. If he’d had to leave, he would have texted or called me and I had no messages. He must have run to the store or something and just wasn’t back yet.

I went inside, flipped through the mail and poured myself a glass of wine. As I was leaving the kitchen, I heard a key in the lock and the door opened. “Hi, honey, I’m home!” Dieter called out in a cheesy sitcom voice.

“That was supposed to be my line,” I said. 

He had a bag in his hand, which he dropped on the coffee table. “I had to drive further than I thought I would,” he said. He opened the bag and pulled out a bottle. “Actual massage oil,” he said. “So you won’t smell like a salad this time.”

“This time?”

He grinned. “You wanted to know what I had planned for tonight,” he said. “I thought you might like a full body massage.”

“Only if I can return the favor,” I said, taking the bottle from him. “Mmm, lavender and sweet almond oil. That sounds amazing.” I opened the cap and took a sniff. I felt myself relax instantly.

“I’ll give you a massage tonight and you can give me one tomorrow,” he said. “But only if I get a ‘happy ending’.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“You are disgusting,” I said. “But don’t worry, you will.” I handed the bottle back to him. “You’ve taken such good care of me, I’m going to spend the weekend taking care of you.” I took his face in my hands and kissed him greedily. I’d been waiting for this moment all day. 

“I’m glad you said that,” Dieter said when we came up for air. “Because I have an idea …”

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

I was nervous. Dieter’s idea has sounded good but now that it was time for me to roll over onto my back I wasn’t so sure. Things had started out as a normal massage, just like the night before, but now it was time for the “happy ending” he’d envisioned. The rules were simple: the one being massaged had to simply lie back and enjoy; the one doing the massaging was only able to use their hands (and mouth) to pleasure the other. This meant that I would be completely exposed to Dieter’s view, something that I had mostly avoided so far.

I wasn’t exactly ashamed of my body, but I was self conscious about it. I was an average middle aged woman. Things sagged and bulged after decades of dealing with gravity, I knew that. But Dieter worked in Hollywood. He was surrounded by perfect bodies all the time. 

“Can we turn off the lights?” I suggested when Dieter prodded me to flip over.

”Of course not,” he said. “I have to see what I’m doing.” He flopped down next to me. “I want to see what I’m doing,” he added quietly. He brushed a lock of hair away from my face. “I think you’re beautiful.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re just saying that because you’re horny.”

”First of all, even if I am horny, I’m not getting any tonight because of the rules of the game,” he said. “So let me enjoy what I can. And second of all, looking at you is enjoyable. Thinking about you is enjoyable. Touching you is enjoyable.” He smiled a crooked smile. “Watching you cry out my name is enjoyable. And third of all …” He kissed me deeply. When I was discombobulated enough, he flipped me over onto my back. “That’s better,” he said. Then he proceeded to play the game exceedingly well.

So well that we both won. Three times.

[hwa-stars]

Skirt lifter (Chapter 2)

Genre: High-school au, slow burning love, fluff, mention of mature language (+14)

Pairing: non idol!Park Seonghwa x fem!named reader

Summary: In which Park Seonghwa is accused of being a pervert.

Word count: 1.264k

Taglist: @dinossaurz (if anyone wants to be added to the taglist, please comment)

"But, you already left me a nasty bruise" the blond guy complained.

"Oh really? Then get ready for other" I raised my fist one more time to punch him.

"Oh no! Not this time love" he grab my fist twisting it behind me and I started fighting. "Would you chill?"

"Would you let go of me?"

"Will you stay still?"

"Will you stop putting your horrible breath near me?" The blond seem to let go of me to discretely tried to smell his breath.

"Damn Pororo, for someone whose name mean princess you are really quite the opposite"

"Well for someone whose name is Seonghwa, you're quite stupid" I snapped and he look confused.

"What?"

"I said you're stupid " I repeat crossing my arms "And a pervert!"

"First of all, I'm not the one who lifted your skirt" he defend himself putting a hand on his chest. "Secondly, I was crounching because I was looking for my earring and you happen to be standing there" he pointed to his ear without earring. "Lastly, I don't need to look up though girl's skirts, they voluntarily do tha-"

"Do you really spect me to believe that?" I cut him off.

"Well, yes. I could just show you if you want" He said taking out his phone.

"No stupid! I meant with you not being the one who lifted my skirt" I shouted frowing "And it doesn't help you that you have girl's pictures in your phone" I point out annoying.

"I was just kidding" He chuckled showing me his gallery. It only have some selfies of him, his friends and a dog. "Now do you believe me?"

"I don't even know why I'm still talking to you"I said before starting walking to my house.

"I believe I deserve an apology" He came to my side with his hands inside his pocket.

"I believe I'm the one who deserves the apology" I glared at him.

"We could apologize to each other?" He suggested.

"Yeah, no. Leave me alone and I'll never lay a hand on you again blondie"

"That doesn't work for me. You know a bruise is appearing on my face, rigth?" He pouted pointing his face.

"Aww poor thing and whit an apology will make it better?"

"No, but a kiss might" he wink at me.

"There you go" I kiss my fist and punch his shoulder.

"Ouch!" He winced and cry dramatically "Anyway, where do you live?"

Thankufully, I live 10 minutes away from the campus so it's a short walk.

"Where do you live? I asked avoiding the question.

"I live at the campus"

Our school offered dormitories, lucky them to live with friends and privileges. I had to decline since I couldn't afford to live there and neither leave my mom alone at home.

"Sorry to break it to you love, girls are not allowed inside" He pouted and I just want to punch him so hard. "But I could sneak you inside, you know?" He smirk playfully and I rolled my eyes.

"You sound better with you mouth closed."

☆☆☆☆☆

"Minseo, are you home?" My mother's voice echoed when I arrived.

"Yeah" I called out.

That's weird, it smells like my mom's food. It's weird for her to be at home, she arrives at the morning.

I made my way to the kitchen and when I arrived I found the table full of food.

"Wow, what's the occasion?" I asked as I grabbed some food and ate it.

When I was eating the food I heard the door of the bathroom open and close and I looked at my mother.

"Minseo, this is Jongseong. I met him at the store" my mother introduced us with a smile on her face.

He was tall, middle-aged wearing a white long sleeved dress shirt and some slacks.

"It's nice to meet you, Minseo" He smiled at me. "Your mother has told me a lot about you." I only bow respectfully.

"Come and sit! I'm almost done with the cooking" My mother said signaling the seat at the table.

"Actually, I won't be joining tonight. I have to meet with a classmate to make our project" I explained "I just came to drop my things."

"Can't you go after dinner?" My mother asked with a disappointment face and I shook my head.

"No, it's kind of urgent this project" I lied to them "But have a nice dinner!" I fake smiled at them walking to the door.

☆☆☆☆☆

I didn't know how to feel about what happened at my house, it's not the first time my mother bring some man to the house. She's pretty of course, but something about her bringing new man inside our house every week doesn't feel right.

I entered the nearest convenience store with my hands tucked in the pockets of my hoodie.

"Leather jacket, tattos and boots" Jongho snapped his finger at me.

Choi Jongho, he works at the convenience store and he's the closest to what I'd call a friend. After several visits at the convenience store, we somehow found a friend in each other and made a tradition in which he would guess what type of guy my mother had brought at home.

"Actually, quite the opposite. This one has suit and tie"

"Oh man!" He fake pouted while giving me mi favorite ramen and drink "That's new."

It was a tradition that if he didn't guess, he would buy me my favorite ramen and drink. I don't know why he did this, since there was only like 10% of chance in which he could win, so far he only have guessed once.

"I know" I muttered sitting near the counter "I punched someone today"

"Anything new?" He asked while preparing my ramen.

"It was a boy"

"No way!" He gasped dramatically and I nodded. "Look at my bad girl getting into fights. The next time you come, you'd tell me about your adventures at the principals office."

I like Jongho's company, he is pretty funny without being invasive. He was like the older brother that I never had, it's a shame that I only can see him at nights because of his school.

"Was he handsome at least?" He take a seat next to me.

"Really? That's what you care!" I shouted rolling my eyes at him "No, 'why did you punched the guy'?" He shook his head.

"I figured out he deserved it, it's not like you punch people just for fun" he grabs a spoon and eat ramen too. "So, was he handsome or not?" He asked again.

"No, he wasn't " I snapped eating my noodles and Jongho hand me a tissue.

"Here's a tissue, you have some bullshit on your lips" he sarcastically pointed out and I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, his handsomeness doesn't make up the fact that he's a pervert."

"And the plot gets more interesting"

"Shut up Jongho!"

"What made you think he was a pervert?"

"He lifted my skirt!" I shouted

"Omg, how dare he!" Jongho facked a gasp.

"I hate you so much."

"I love you too. But it is possible that it was an accident?" He suggest.

"I don't know Jongho, he tould me he wasn't the one who did it" I explained taking a sip of my drink. "And he followed me home, demanding an apology from me."

"And did you apologize?"

"Of course not"

"Maybe he was telling you the truth."

"Probably" I sighed " Whatever, I don't think we'd be talking to each other again."

"Well, he knows your address, so never say never." He winked at me.

[pink-tonic]

A New Week and a New Teacher📰

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Warnings: Mentions of Rana being a creep to the girls (flirting with underaged female students + with the reader)

The weekend comes and go, and I'm left with my thoughts about Kana. The article that was published on Friday hasn't been updated, and everywhere I check there doesn't seem to he a mention of the nurse from other news outlets.

I hope that this was all just a misunderstanding and that he will be here today. If he really did go missing, then it's another problem that the school will have to deal with.

When I make it school this morning, I go to the nurse's office after I switch out my shoes. There is hope in my heart that Kana is there walking around, waiting for me.

I tell both of the siblings that'll be back soon, and I quickly turn around and make my way to the nurse's office.

When I make it to the white doors, I slide it to the side and I step inside.

Inside I'm met with... someone else.

It's a different nurse. It's not Kankoshi or Kana. The nurse has short black hair, and she's wearing glasses. She turns around from what she's doing and looks at me.

"What might you need?" She asks me. Her tone feels cold, unlike Kana. She pushes up her glasses and walks over to me.

"I was just wondering if Mr. Kana was here," I tell her, ready to turn around and leave.

"Oh, him. I'm not sure when he'll come back. What might be your name? Is it (Y/N) by any chance?" She asks me as she places her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, that's me. Why?" I ask her, wondering what she might want from me.

"I was told you were helping him out. I was told to tell you that the uniform needs to be returned. Orders of the headmaster when I first got here."

The uniform... I forgot about it.

"Yes, I'll return as soon as possible. Thank you for telling me," I give her a short nod, and I turn around and leave.

So Mr. Kana is really gone. I wish I could know where he went, but maybe that type of case would be too large for me to handle.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

"Ugh, I can't stand that guy," Taeko blurts out as the three of us set down on the rooftop to eat our lunch. She pops open her bento box and starts eating quickly.

"Why? What happened?" Her brother asks her as he starts to eat too. His voice holds a tone of worry, wondering what made his older sister so angry.

"We have this new teacher. He's just a substitute, but he is so annoying. I don't know how they hired that guy!" Taeko complains to the both of us.

"Well, what did he do?" I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.

"What didn't he do?" She replies back, "He was flirting with all the girls, even me. And it was just so... so weird! You shouldn't be doing that to us!" Taeko continues on, hoping that we will understand.

"Why don't you tell another teacher?" Taro suggests, hoping that his idea could make her calm down.

"They would probably want evidence of what he does," Taeko says with a sad tone, playing with her food with her chopsticks.

"How about recording him?" I now suggest, hoping that could help her.

"Okay, sounds good. But how do I do that?" She asks me back.

"Oh..."

"Exactly," she quickly says back, "I can't just take my phone out and record him during the middle of class. He'll kick me out and tell me to go to the guidance counselor. I'm about to graduate, and I don't want that happening."

"I forgot that you're graduating," Taro tells her with a slight smile, "But we still have a three months or so before it happens."

"Yeah, but this stupid teacher is getting in the way. He shouldn't even be called a teacher. They should take his teaching license away," complains further about the man.

I want to help her, but I can't. I doubt that the teacher would be interested in me in the first place, and it would be hard to record him. I don't have the needed items to bug his classroom and get evidence about what he is doing to the girls.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

The bell rings, and Taro meets up with me. Our classes are just down the hallway from each other, but we usually meet up on the first floor.

"I'm curious, (Y/N)," he starts off as we approach the stairs, "I wonder how the teacher looks like. I can't be the only one wondering, right?"

"Yeah, I wonder too. From what I'm hearing, it seems that Taeko is the only one complaining about him," he informs him about what I heard throughout the day from the third year girls.

"How about we go check before everyone leaves?" Taro asks, hoping that I'll agree to his suggestion.

"Let's just make it quick," I tell him as I we start going up the stairs.

We quickly make it to the third floor, and we walk over to class 3-2. We make sure we aren't seen by anyone inside of the room. We peek our heads into the classroom and take a look inside.

"That's him? Taro asks, dumbfounded by how the substitute teacher looks. I'm sure he had his own thoughts about how the teacher looked like, but nothing could have prepared him for what he really looks like.

His clothing looks normal for the most part. It's just that his half of his chest is exposed.

I couldn't lie and say I guessed right. I was just as stunned as Taro. I was expecting someone older, not a young teacher doing all this.

"Crap! He's coming over!" Taro tells me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Taro rushes off and down the hallway. He must have thought that I ran too, but I'm still standing in place.

I see the teacher walk over to me with a smirk on his face. I can't form any words, and I only stare at his approaching figure.

He eventually makes it over to me and leans against the doorframe. He crosses his arms over his chest and looks at me. I can feel uneasy as I feel his sharp, red eyes looking over my smaller figure.

"What brings you here, little thing?" He asks me with another smirk forming on his face.

"I was just... I...," I cursed myself in my head. Why was I stuttering? I knew why I was here, but at the same time I didn't want to admit it to the teacher. I felt it was too embarrassing.

"How cute. You can barely form any words," he teases me, his smirk only growing bigger from my stuttering.

I start to feel myself get flustered at his comment and at my own actions. I want to run away and go with Taro. I secretly hoped that Taro would come back up and take me away.

"I usually have the girls come over to me. You're the first boy to come here. How interesting," he continues on, knowing that I won't be able to respond to him.

He tilts his head and asks me a question, "You're not a first year, right?"

I shake my head, "No, I'm a second year."

"That's cute. A second year student has even fallen for me. How about I let you come inside, and I can teach you what the third year students are doing. Think of it as a head start," he moves aside to let me in.

"No!" I blurt out loudly. My words take him aback, and he gives me a smile in return.

He turns around, "Well, my door will always be open for you."

He closes the door, and I'm left standing alone. I blink, and I look around, hoping no one say what transpired.

I quickly leave and met up with Taro. When I make it to the first floor, I'm met with Taro and Taeko.

"There you are!" Taro calls out to me as he sees him go into the locker area, "What happened? I'm sorry I left you there by yourself."

"I'm fine. He just scolded me, that's all," I lie to Taro, not wanting to worry him about what happened.

"Okay. What happened?" Taeko asks, wondering what we got ourselves into.

"We just went to your classroom to see how the substitute looked like, and he caught us...," Taro tells his sister with a little bit of shame seeping into his words.

A look of surprise takes over Taeko's face, "Really?"

We both nod. We expect her to scold us or even laugh at us getting caught.

"Just don't do it again, but do you see what I mean?" She asks us.

"Yeah, I can't believe they let him walk in like that," I tell her.

"I know, right? He should just be fired at that point," Taeko rolls her eyes as she speaks.

"Let's go to the clubroom. Maybe writing will help you?" Taro asks her as he points to the stairs.

"Yeah. I think that would help me," she answers happily. She seemed ready to start writing agian after a week of the club being closed.

All three of us start to make our way to the stairs and into the clubroom.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

"You gotta be kidding! It's raining?" Taeko complains as we stand a few feet away from the entrance.

"None of us brought an umbrella," Taro adds on, as he watches the rain to continue to pour down to the ground.

"We can't just stay here. We have to leave eventually," I tell the siblings. I would hate to get wet, but it's the only thing we can do.

Taeko lets out a sigh and nods her head. "You'll just have to run through the rain then," Taeko tells us before letting out a sigh of disappointment.

We step closer to the doors, and we put our bags on top of our heads, in hopes that our heads will be spared from the rain droplets.

Once we're all ready, we start to run. I can almost feel myself slipping, but I am able to retain my balance. The three of us keep running under the dark sky.

Taro and Taeko make it home, and I'm all alone. I only have to run a little more before I'm finally home.

I make it home without trouble, and I slam the door behind me. I take off my shoes and I drop my drenched bag to the ground.

I'm finally home.

[emmy-dekarios-bg3]

Heart of the Weave - chapter 50

As I get the fresh fruits and vegetables washed off, I keep thinking about how sweet and considerate Gale is. Not too long ago, he took Jenevelle to the Academy with him on one of his short days at work. It was weird being home alone without the baby for a few hours, but his colleagues and students absolutely enjoyed seeing the baby in her immortal glory. He told me, “She really is the easiest baby in the world. She slept soundly in the baby wrap while I taught lessons, and if it weren’t for some of the students observing her in admiration, it’s as if she wasn’t even there.” I’m not sure why this memory just pops up in my mind while I’m preparing the freshly-picked food from the garden, but I can’t help but think about it. I truly am grateful for Gale.

“Good afternoon, my love.” I hear the front door shut and notice him walk around the corner and into the kitchen where I’m standing. “I’m finally on a vacation. Granted, we will be traveling during that time, but I’m grateful nonetheless.” He approaches me and kisses the side of my head, and now it’s like my whole world begins to spin. In a good way, let me clarify. I turn to lock my gaze directly on him, noticing an immediate smile on his face. I could stare at him all day.

“Well hello professor,” I mutter, smirking at him. He lets out a laugh as he takes Jenevelle out from the wrap that’s tied to me and holds her close. “I hope your day was alright.”

“It was, but I missed my two girls as usual.” He chuckles and grabs the warm bottle sitting on the counter to feed the baby. “It smells delightful here. Preparing meals for our adventure, I assume?” We leave first thing in the morning, with Karlach and Wyll meeting us here at the crack of dawn. I just realized I’ll need to chug the hell out of some coffee.

“You bet! Sandwiches, bagels, fruit… Just for the trip there of course. Why let all this delicious fresh food go to waste?” He sits down with Jenevelle, admiring her as she drinks her bottle. I’m still not over the way he looks at her while she’s eating. SWOON.

“I’m definitely not complaining. When we get back to Baldur’s Gate, we can all have a delicious dinner at one of the restaurants close by. Jenevelle will not be happy getting up so early, but I’m sure she will fall back asleep once she gets in the stroller.” I smile as I get tomorrow’s basket filled with delicious food, and then place it in the cooler. I’m so nervous on the outcome of what’s ahead of us and the future for Karlach and Wyll. I have to tell myself internally that we just need to wait and see; overthinking won’t do any good. I sit next to Gale, noticing he’s heavily focused on our daughter, a smile curling from his lips as our daughter finishes our bottle.

“I’m sure we will be away for a few days. I’m exciting to be revisiting the Elfong Tavern though and potentially seeing familiar faces. How are you feeling about the entire situation?” Gale places the empty bottle on the stand next to him and begins to burp Jenevelle.

“I’m excited for our friends and I truly hope this works out in their favor. They would make amazing parents. I only have two concerns, one of them being that this won’t work out for them, and two…” He hesitates, and I study his face as I await the rest of the sentence. “If it does work out, and I see you in your glowing glory, I worry it will make me want another baby. I know I literally just said having a second would be a terrible idea.”

My eyes widen as I try to comprehend the words he just said. I can’t imagine us having another baby, only if the baby will be immortal. I can’t imagine loving another child outside of Jenevelle. Is he possibly changing his mind? I wonder what brought this on out of the blue.

“Well, after you see my raging hormones, I’m sure it’ll change your mind,” I tease, managing to get a light smile out of Gale. “Maybe you just miss watching me grow a child?”

“You’re probably right, love. If we were to have another baby at any point in time, I’d want to adopt. I love the idea of cooking for our child and watching them grow. I grieve the life Jenevelle could have had. I often think: what would she be like as a five year old? A teenager? A grown adult? She is forever frozen as an infant, all because of the damned devils. But I love her so very much, and I can’t imagine life without her.” He clears his throat and cradles our daughter in his arms, placing his gaze on me with gentle eyes. “Enough of the sad banter. We’re going on an adventure tomorrow and I look forward to it. With you by my side, everything is exciting.”

I worry about Gale and what’s been going on with him the past couple days. He still manages to smile at me and be the affectionate husband I love so much. Part of me suspects he wants another baby but isn’t sure how to tell me directly. He’s right though, on all accounts. After Gale places Jenevelle down for her nap, we decide to pack our bags with clothes and other necessities needed for the upcoming trip, as well as Jenevelle’s things as well. I can’t wait to visit again, especially since it’s been cleaned of all evil and crime, and we finally have access to the Upper City.

“So the moment we make it to the city, I’m sure it will be evening. We can eat and rest at the Elfsong Tavern, and the following morning talk with Jasik and get a plan going for this exciting surrogacy journey. What do you think?” Gale suggests, his face lighting up as he folds his dress shirt and places it in the pack. I smile back in response and snap the pack shut, fully prepared for our journey tomorrow morning.

“I couldn’t agree more with you, love. I’m excited to see what the journey brings us.” I observe Gale as he places his fully packed bag onto the floor. He then places his hands on my waist, staring heavily into my eyes with his cheesy yet handsome grin on his face. “What is it?”

“I just love you. You’re my world, you know that?” His lips touch my forehead, bringing chills down every inch of my body.

“I love you too, Mr. Dekarios,” I murmur as I maintain eye contact with him. “You look like you want to say something else?” He chuckles and pulls me in closer to him. I brush his wavy brown hair out of his face as he closes his eyes from relaxation. I can feel the tension of his body leave as his shoulders loosen up.

“Nothing bad. I’m just nervous is all. Please don’t worry about me.”

Everything is set for our little trip. I take a deep breath as I open up our windows, staring down at the ocean waters below as they sparkle under the afternoon sun. I close my eyes, feeling the breeze of the air brush gently against my cheek…and all I can see is the image of my smiling baby. My wedding day. The surrounding area of Waterdeep. I can basically smell the fresh scent of coffee as I imagine myself strolling down the streets. I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be… Yet part of me misses Baldur’s Gate, and I’m so excited to visit again.

Tick.Tock.Tick.Tock. As I hear the sounds of the clock in our room breaking the dead silence, I feel a hand touch my shoulder, nearly spooking me. My reaction to jump at every little touch and sound after a period of silence is still very much alive.

“Oh honey, did I scare you? Is everything alright? I have dinner made waiting for you on the table. You’ve been out here for quite some time now.” While it only felt like five minutes, apparently it’s been much longer than that; I must have been quite in the zone.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, I got to relax as I was staring at the ocean and I didn’t realize how quickly time flies by. I’ll go get the baby up from her nap.” I place my lips on his, feeling his hands touch my butt gently. I smile while our lips are still locked intimately, leading to him chuckling.

The rest of the evening consists of a delicious dinner, followed by playing with the baby, a hot bath, and reading a nice and comforting book in bed. The book is called A Midnight’s Kiss and it’s a calming read about an elven woman who meets the love of her life, who is a traveling blacksmith and has to leave after several months with her. She tries to find a way to be with him on the roads, but his job is very hard to accommodate with her. It makes me realize even more how truly grateful I am that isn’t me, and that Gale has such an amazing career that truly makes him happy. Him and I against the world.

[setagaya-division]

ARB Birthday Special: Yorii Sakuma

~~ March 14th ~~

"Music is the thousandth of a millisecond between one note and another; how you get from one to the other - that's where the music is."

Login Lines:

*Yawns* "That was a good night's sleep... I wonder if Elliot cooked breakfast. ...Huh? What... is this?! A stack of pancakes with sprinkles and whipped cream? What's all this about? ...And what's with the lit candle? There's a note under the plate. It says, 'Happy birthday, Yorii!' ...It's my birthday?!"

"...Oh my god! It is my birthday today! Awesome! That means today is officially all about me! ...Well, everyday is all about me, but still! Now, I can do all the things I want to do with no repercussions!"

Voice Lines:

"I received a ton of letters and text messages from my fans wishing me a 'happy birthday'! My cell phone keeps buzzing me cause of all of the messages I'm getting on PROFILE. Not that I'm complaining, of course!"

"But still... hard to believe I'm 16. It feels weird. Not in a bad way, but just weird-weird, cause I don't feel 16. ...What's even weirder is that I haven't even known Mina or Elliot that long..."

"Kanra-chan called to wish me a 'happy birthday!' That just totally made my day! I'm so happy right now! Just knowing she went out of her way to do that..."

"...kind of ironic that she could do that, but my own "mother" and creator couldn't bother. Peh, what am I saying? Why would she waste her time? After all, compared to my dear older brother who my mom pays more attention to than any other of her precious "children" I'm not... perfect."

"Mina! Thanks a lot, big sis! I'm glad you're here too! I know our initial meeting wasn't the... best way to start a relationship. ...B-but, let's not drudge up old stuff! Today's a happy day! ...Aww, thanks, big sis! I care for you too!"

"So, what did you get me for my birthday?! What's this? A... star projector that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker? This is awesome, Mina! I'm definitely going to use this thing tonight when I go to sleep! I can't wait to fall asleep to music playing while looking at the stars! Thanks again, Big Sis!"

"Elliot! Thanks a lot, Big Bro! And thanks for the pancakes this morning! Those things were delicious! You should think about making those everyday! ...Aww, why not? Special occasion? Bah, who needs a special occasion when sweet stuff is involved? ...Bah, you're a party pooper, big bro. ...Wah! No! Don't take my gift back, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, really! ...Sheesh, big bro. Where's all this confidence at when you're at school, huh?"

"So... what did you give me? A... humidifier? ...For sore throats and such? ...Wow, I'm surprised you remember that, bro. That was months ago when I mentioned that! But still, thanks for this bro! I'll definitely use it when I can!"

Mina Lines:

"Happy birthday, Yorii-kun. I'm glad to see you've reached the age of 16, which is a shock in, and of, itself. ...Well, considering the trouble you get into, I'm not wrong for saying that. ...Our initial meeting? You mean when you hypnotized me and tried to get to serve you? Yes, you're right. That wasn't an ideal way to start a relationship. *Sighs* No matter how much you annoy me, I still care for you, Yorii."

"Anyway, here is your birthday gift. I saw this in a store window one night, and I'd thought you might like it. Yes, considering how much you love music and the sound of your own voice, I knew it was a smart decision to make to get it. ...You're welcome. Just don't disturb me or Elliot with your music, okay?"

Elliot Lines:

"Happy birthday, Yorii! I'm glad you liked the pancakes! I saw the recipe on the Internet and decided to make them. ...No, we cannot have them everyday. For one, eating all that sugar isn't healthy. Plus, they're only for special occasions. ...The answer is still 'no', Yorii. ...If you're going to be this way, I can always return this gift I bought you. ...That's better. And please don't mention school right now, please."

"So, you mentioned a few months earlier that your throat was hurting from all of the singing you had to do. So, I looked online and heard that using a humidifier can now only clear a sore throat, but make it easier for you to sleep, so I bought you one. I'm glad you like it, Yorii. Use it well!"

[theadventurerslog]

Quest For Glory III: Wages of War | Part 2

The Adventurer's Log

More exploring of Tarna and shoppin'. Well, a bit of shopping anyway. I didn't have much time before the bazaar emptied out for the day. I also wanted to keep an eye out for the katta, Shallah, to deliver the note for Shema. I bought some honey and a bead before evening fell.

I stopped in on Kreesha and was able to chat with just her while Rakeesh was still stuck with, I mean, conversing with Rajah. I asked her again about magic and she offered to perform a ritual with me for a magic staff. It's an amplifier and a container of the user's spells. It's a thing of magic and doesn't really exist in the world so it needs to be summoned each time it's used. But I needed to find some magic wood.

In other news I learned Rakeesh was once the king of Tarna but gave up his rule to defeat the Demon Wizard.

But perhaps not permanently I guess.

Then I returned to the inn, which is pretty at night.

I also discovered each table can be examined for a different silly result.

Then it was bedtime.

My room has a storage chest so I don't have to carry everything with me but my weight was still fine so I continued to cling to all my things.

I ate my breakfast which was "very tasty, even if it was a bit strange." which they make a point of saying every time. Ohhh, that foreign weird food.

Day 2 and more shopping. I bought some fruit, a waterskin, and there were zebra skins for sale, but I didn't currently have a use for that, which didn't stop me from the beads, but they were cheaper. I wanted to make sure I got what I figured I'd need sooner first. Still trying to avoid the QFG 1 money woes...

I another section of the bazaar I found Shallah.

He was happy to hear about Shapeir which he misses though he seems happy here. And I delivered the letter from Shema who turned out to be his aunt. Points! I also bought a carving of a leopard.

The meat seller is a dog person and he was very...enthusiastic. Very chatty. Very.

I bought some meat! I made him very happy. He otherwise didn't have much to tell me, but not much in a lot of words. But he was very happy.

There was also an amulet salesman who seemed shady.

I didn't have the option to buy any amulets. Maybe just as well. Or maybe not. What if there are moose out in the savanna! Savanna moose! I could use a moose repelling amulet; we've had one in our yard before.

Anywaaay:

There was also a cloth salesperson selling cloth and robes. And a drummer drumming away.

After my shopping, I still had plenty of day left, so I nervously decided to poke out into the savanna. Maybe I could find some of what I needed before having to return in time for the coming peace council. I figured I could at least hopefully find the fruit of the venomous vine since I had some directions there (South east of Tarna).

And I very quickly ran into a big dinosaur thing.

That was a scary first thing to run into! But flame dart saved me as usual. I got a beast horn from it.

Then I ran into some kind of crocodile man critter...and died. And I forgot to save after that dino fight! Which means I lost the horn too whatever it might be for. Not off to a good start here.

At least I got a fun death message...

I fought another lizard guy on my reload and won at least... yay.

I found the venomous vines with the fruit I needed for the dispel potion.

And meerbats, how cute.

Good old fetch spell got me the fruit safely.

If you get too close to the vines they grab and poison you and you need to cut yourself loose causing them all to disappear. Not helpful if you still need the fruit. And I was hoping for a death, but I guess not.

I couldn't figure out if I could do anything with or for the meerbats, so I left.

I started to head back to Tarna, but then because the game told me I didn't want to be late for the morning's meeting and forced me back, automatically dumping me to bed at the inn. Can't complain this time! Saved me a trip back, though I may have wasted a healing pill, and my trip out was fruitful.

The next morning opened with the peace talk.

So, emissaries were sent to the Leopardmen to find out the problem. They got attacked by something unknown. There was one survivor, Khatib Mukar'ram and through his account and evidence, the attack looked to involve the Leopardmen. Reeshaka Dar Kreesha wasn't found and was presumed dead or captured by the Leopardmen.

Then there was arguing whether they should be taking revenge and whether they even be helping the Simbani people against the Leopardmen because ew, humans. Kreesha cut in to say that her magic indicates the involvement of Demonic activity. If they're involved they're the true enemy here.

Rakeesh swore on his honour to bring peace to Tarna. If he fails he'll be deemed honorless and be banished. And I'll be going along with him on my own honor I guess, even if I did give up being a Paladin.

Then we were sent to Rajah again.

More grumping and arguing and I was sent out to meet Rakeesh at the gates once they were done.

So then it was off to the Simbani village together while Rakeesh gave me more information.

Probable demon involvement. He also talked about the Simbani and that they have a great distrust and dislike of magic--so once again don't use magic there. Sigh. But he also suspected that's part of the root cause of the conflict with the Leopardmen who are magic-users. Being a magic-user myself he suggested I might be able to gain their trust and help to convince of the serious consequences of going to war.

We also made camp and he noted that if I haven't gotten one yet I should get a tinderbox when I return to Tarna. So, that's something I missed! I didn't see who sold them, but definitely something I'll look for when I get back, so I can camp out if need be.

Then we arrived.

We met up with Uhura and she brought us to see their leader, the Laibon.

The Laibon is also all rah rah war. If the Leopardman chief was brought to his knees before him then they could have peace. So, this was going swimmingly.

The Leopardmen have always been their enemy. They're sneaky and can't be trusted. Worst of all is they use magic. Cue me doing a little shuffle step over here.

Now they've stolen the Simbani's Spear of Death and for that they shall die. Then they'll longer be their enemy.

Rakeesh still tried, hoping for a way to resolve the conflict without waging war. He wanted the Laibon and the Leopardman Chief to speak their grievances before Hall of Judgement in Tarna in hopes of a peaceful resolution. The Laibon wasn't having it and we left.

We were moved to Uhura's hut to speak with her. Rakeesh commented on the Laibon being gracious to see us, but he got the feeling we weren't welcome. Uhura noted that while much honor was lost with the Spear of Death being stolen, the Laibon not listening wasn't right.

Laibon grumps aside, the Simbani still held a celebration for our arrival.

Then we went to the hut we'd be staying in. Rakeesh decided he'd head back to Tarna at first light. He didn't believe the Laibon had told us everything and wanted me to see if I could earn his trust and find out more. He also wanted me to search for the Spear of the Death as finding it could be used to convince the Laibon that war isn't necessary. And he further advised me to find magic wood for the Magic Staff from Kreesha. Not too many asks here, buddy.

He also provided some general directions. The jungle is to the east. The Leopardmen have a hidden village there protected by magic. There's also supposed to be a magical lake somewhere to the south as well.

I went to bed and sure enough, Rakeesh was gone the next morning.

Next time I'll explore the Simbani Village and whatever else I'll fall into. I need to get back to Tarna for a tinderbox too... I have no idea where to go for magic wood but finding that soon would be nice, so I can shop and deal with it in one return trip to Tarna. But exploration first!

[poupeesdecirque]

Travel Blog - Büsum (North Sea) - 20/21/22 September 24

Took me the whole week to finally have time to write the travel blog for my trip to the north sea. I can tell it was an amazing weekend and a lot of things settled for me, Mom & I had time to talk and we didn't have each other much this year bc it was either me or her traveling or working.

I didn't expect work to mess with me so hard that I wasn't even able to think of putting the photos onto the laptop... I am currently trying to work through a huge backlog. But more important if you are interested read further, a post with some HQ impressions of the trip is queued up and will be posted later on :)

Friday

It was not the first time for us to travel to Büsum, i like the small town it's very relaxed and I love the wattenmeer, i love just walking there and therefore I was looking forward a lot to this trip.

Did you know the area there is known for cabbage? So yes that field is a lot of ... cabbage.

Arrived we were able to check into the Hotel and visited a restaurant that had opened last year in the place a very good pancake place was once before. They had closed in spring though as there was a fire ... I am glad they were able to reopen.

After eating a Kaiserschmarrn we walked around the town. We had planned to take photos later on so we decided it would be best to check restaurants for dinner while taking a stroll. The weather was beautiful and reserving a table was the smarter choice here.

There were truly quite a few interesting things to see... like those french bulldogs (if you take a photo you were asked to donor something for animals which we gladly did).

Then we went out for photos. I took overall 5 dolls with me, can you spot which one got photos here :D?

The day ended with us having dinner at a rather traditional place. This is only the second time I had fish without batter... I am proud I have progressed so far from being a picky eater. It was quite late already, we fell into bed.

Saturday

As you might know I am an early bird... I took the time and went out for a small walk to enjoy the sunrise a bit before we attended the hotel buffet.

The hotel we stayed in is over 100 years old and the walls are decorated with 100.000 shells from all over the world, it was impressive.

My only complain here is that the serving sizes were itty bitty small... like 1 serving of yogurt was 1 teaspoon.. for someone who loves their yogurt it felt weird to get more than two servings (which was still only two teaspoons) :') the buns were like 1/4 of a normal sized one.

Anyways after breakfast we had planned to hike. Morning the Watt would be ours as there was supposed to be ebb and in the afternoon we decided to walk in the other direction this time as Mom never went to Deichhausen.

Inbetween we went to a Cabbage festival, met Mom's cousin and got some snacks. We had to hike over the Deich and there were several herds of sheep munching through the grass.

In Deichhausen we just relaxed for a while before we went back over the Deich and were greeted by a lots of sheep again.

There was also the Manga Day and we went to a Bookshop (I actually restricted myself oh boy so many good books) and I got those three previews for free, it's the first few chapters each. I haven't had the time to read them yet.

Here is my snack from inbetween and what I got for dinner. The Burger is with a potato-vegetable patty, topped with halloumi and roasted veggies. Side was Coleslaw and sweet Potato Fries. If you know me... you know I need to end my day with something sweet.

Then we watched the sunset once more (top photo). I was incredibly beat as I managed to walk almost 35k steps that day and even watching TV in the evening was too loud for me.

Sunday

The last day came way too soon as we only had the half day to hike once more, then we wanted to check out an old car/US car meet up, and ofc the drive home.

Once more itty servings at the breakfast. Can we talk about the croissants? The cereals next to them are NORMAL sized... so tiny.

We took a long stroll in the Watt before we headed to the meet up.

It was really interesting but I have to say the noise, the people and the sunlight lead to a sensory overload for me, I dodged two panic attacks and just wanted to flee :') so we did.

Before we went home we OF COURSE had to buy some cabbage. ... there is a lot of cabbage on my menu this week.

Traveling back took forever because of traffic and blocked roads (4 hours for a 2,5 hour distance). I'm just glad the next time I travel to Hamburg will be by train.

[creativityleftthechat]

Best of both worlds (5)

Neteyam x Tayrangi!Metkayina!reader

Summary: You and Neteyam separately spend a calm morning that quickly gets turned upside down when he decides to pay you a visit.

Words: 2713

Warnings: angst, anger

Masterlist

Previous part

"Yes Tsireya, like that is good. You have to grind the flowers very finely." Your mom praised your sister as they prepared yet another portion of your ointment. The treatment was annoying, especially now that the wound has started itching, but your mother was very satisfied with how well it was healing. You hoped that recovery would go faster than your mother had promised. As your mom trained your sister, you were sitting a few feet away from them, carefully sewing a broken loincloth. Their company was appreciated because you weren't alone and bored. Their conversation drifted to the back of your mind as you recalled your brother's ridiculing comments from yesterday evening.

"Damn, it seems like all the forest girls must be weird if they both fall for the first girls they meet here!" Ao'nung greeted you as nicely as he always does. As soon as the Sullys left, you and Tsireya were ushered over to the group around Ao'nung by Rotxo. You knew he meant well, but as always, Ao'nung had to spoil your good mood. "Ao'nung, did you ever once consider that they are just being nice? No? Being friendly might be a foreign concept to you but other men are genuinely nice. You should try it once in a while, it might make you tolerable." You countered with just enough venom in your voice. The mood got very bad, very fast, which didn't go unnoticed by the others. "Aww, come on Y/n, it must be flattering to have them fall for you. I can think of worse people to flatter you than the sons of Toruk Makto. They are just enchanted by you and Tsireya." Lorell tried and failed to lighten the mood. You, Ao'nung, and Fayem now scowling at her. Rotxo, ever the diplomat, tried his luck. "Well, they seem to be settling in at least. The beauty of our reefs isn't going unnoticed and they seem to like our food. Guess the forest people can adapt after all." That actually did lift everybody's spirits, agreeing with the good food, especially this evening. Ao'nung mumbled something about the beauty of the reefs under his breath but you didn't pay much attention to it.

That last part got you thinking. Ao'nung was in an unnaturally friendly mood this morning, even to you. Something felt off but you couldn't point out exactly what it was.

The morning went by peacefully and by noon the ointment was ready to be applied, your sister had filled up some other supplies and you had managed to repair the loincloth. "Your wound is healing well. This ointment is lighter than the one we've given you so far. You don't have to wear the bandage anymore. Don't overwork yourself, you still need to recover, but you can do some light work again. You can go swimming for a very short time again. No longer than twenty minutes in the water and immediately reapply the ointment when you get out. Your sister will be with the Sullys tomorrow, so I will require your help in the afternoon." Your mother inspected the wound and then carefully applied the ointment. "Thank you, mom." Smiling at your mom, happy that your hopes came true. While you weren't overly thrilled to join her the next day as an assistant, the news of fast recovery gave you enough motivation to get through that without much complaining. It wouldn't be too bad, you join her occasionally if Tsireya is otherwise occupied, so you picked up a thing or two.

For now, Tsireya and your mom were packing some bags to go and collect rare plants that your mom wanted to show her when there was a knock at the front of your marui.

Neteyam was excited to go hunting with his mother this evening. He spent the morning tending to his ikran and checking his hunting equipment. After he was done with that, he passed by Tuk and Kiri, who were collecting some seashells while he was on his way to the training pools. He saw his dad training with Tonowari and he was getting good. The other warriors were around as well, goofing around, roughhousing and just being silly. Neteyam recognized some from the party yesterday, their fresh tattoos still standing out. He also saw Fayem and was about to leave to not let him ruin his good mood when the warrior mounted his tsurak. Neteyam just had to stay and see if the guy actually had any skills. To his annoyance, Fayem really has what it takes and moved very smoothly on the warrior's mount. He huffed, got up, and decided to spend some time with you. He figured that your day must be rather boring, your dad was with his, your mother most likely was out practicing and since Lo'ak was nowhere to be found, he must be with Tsireya. Leaving you on your own, since he earlier saw Ao'nung with his friends.

He approached your family's marui and knocked gently on the side.

You went to the front and greeted Neteyam, asking him to come in. He followed you inside, glad that you were in a good mood. "Neteyam, it is nice to see you! What are you doing here? I thought you must be busy preparing for your hunt this evening." You smiled at him as you settled by the fireplace. Neteyam sat down next to you so that you were facing each other. "Oh yes, I prepared everything this morning. But now that I have some spare time, I thought I would visit you. Since your family seems to be busy, I figured you would be rather bored and wanted to see if you would like some company." You still smiled at him but his assumptions confused you. "Neteyam, they aren't all..." Before you could finish your sentence, Tsireya walked into the room, getting both of your attention. "Oh, Neteyam, it's nice to see you." She greeted him. Instead of greeting her back, he looked at her confused. "Tsireya, where is Lo'ak?" His voice had a worried undertone. You and Tsireya exchanged a look to make sure you both heard it. "Neteyam I don't know where Lo'ak is, I last saw him yesterday at the festivities...with you." The worry on Neteyam's face quickly got mixed with fear. "Oh no..." Neteyam got up and turned to leave when you stopped him, gently gripping his wrist. "Neteyam, what is going on?" Now you were concerned as well. He turned towards you, looking between you and Tsireya. "I haven't seen him since breakfast. I thought he was out with you. He isn't with Tuk and Kiri because I saw them, he isn't with my dad because he is with yours and he isn't with my mom because she decided to go into the woods nearby on her own to look for good hunting grounds other than the water." He was very upset by now. "Ok, ok, we can go and look for him, don't worry." You squeeze his arm, trying to calm him a little, as Tsireya goes to ask your mother if she may leave. She doesn't tell her why, to not alarm her. The three of you separate, trying to cover as much ground as possible.

You head towards the seawall terraces while Tsireya takes an ilu to search the various reefs underwater, along with the different training areas. Neteyam searched the village and the beaches nearby.

He was heading back, hoping one of you guys was more successful, when he overheard Ao'nung talking to Pxairo. "Ha! That will teach these freaks a lesson!" Pxairo chuckled at that but quickly stopped when he saw Neteyam approaching with a furious look on his face. "What did you do?!" He demanded answers. Ao'nung realized that Neteyam was serious, leaving no room for excuses. Neteyam tightly gripped Ao'nung's shoulder, staring at him when Ao'nung didn't answer him. "Where. Is. Lo'ak?!" Ao'nung averted his gaze, intimidated by Neteyam, before he explained, "We took him out hunting..." But since Lo'ak was still nowhere to be seen Neteyam's grip on Ao'nung got even tighter. "Well, where is he then?", he hissed. Ao'nung looked up at Neteyam, then averted his gaze, looking towards the wall separating the village from the open ocean before he looked back at Neteyam. That said everything Neteyam needed to know as he roughly pulled Ao'nung toward their fathers.

You returned from the seawall terraces hoping that the others were more successful in their search. On your way, you saw that a lot of people had gathered in one of the common areas. Picking up your speed, you hurried in that direction. As you got closer, you saw Tsireya standing at the side. In the middle of the commotion, you saw Ao'nung with Neteyam holding him in a tight grip. You couldn't hear what they were saying as you quietly approached your sister. "Hey, what is going on?" You whispered. She looks at you, worry evident in her eyes as she leans towards you, whispering back: "Ao'nung took Lo'ak out hunting...outside the reefs." As she leaned back, she saw the change from confusion to anger on your face. Only seasoned warriors were allowed to go out there and even they weren't allowed to go alone. It wasn't only dangerous, it was bordering on suicide. You looked back towards the center of attention where Jake and your dad were listening to what Ao'nung had to say when all heads turned towards the water. Getting off an ilu, Lo'ak stepped next to his dad. You couldn't exactly hear what they were saying but your father was scolding Ao'nung when Lo'ak interjected, obviously taking the blame judging by his father's reaction. As the crowd dispersed Lo'ak walked off but Ao'nung was on his tail. You had to witness how Neteyam and Lo'ak took the blame for a mistake your brother made, and you were furious. Tsireya saw your clenched jaw and the way the muscles in your arms strained in rage. She laid a hand on your shoulder, trying to calm you down but the look on your face made her release your shoulder without another word. Neteyam walked in your direction, catching each other's eyes in passing. You saw the hurt and disappointment in his eyes. He was blaming himself, thinking it was his fault.

You also left the scene, returning to your family's marui. As you waited for Ao'nung and the others to come home, you tried to gather every ounce of goodwill you had inside yourself to stop yourself from beating the shit out of Ao'nung when you saw him again. Tsireya was the first to return she knew this wouldn't end well. You and Ao'nung never got along but after what he just did, she knew she had to say something. "They made up, you know." You glance at Tsireya, irritated, not understanding who she is referring to. "Lo'ak and Ao'nung, I saw them talking. They seemed friendly. Their disagreement seems to be over. They were really getting along." You scoffed at her in disbelief. You were about to reason with her when Ao'nung entered the marui with a smile on his lips.

"Are you insane? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR GODDAMN MIND?" You immediately started screaming at your brother. His smile vanished but Tsireya was content as long as you were only exchanging hostile words. "What is your problem?! This is none of your concern!" He got defensive but his voice was a little less loud than yours because he lacked most of the anger. "None of my concern?! You send him out there well aware of the dangers and you. Left. Him. There! AND THEN you let HIM take the blame! You can't even stand up for your own decisions! You were willing to let him DIE just because you have a problem with his looks!" By now you were up in Ao'nung's face, poking him hard in the chest with every sentence. Ao'nung held your gaze, ignoring the pain in his chest. "Well, he isn't dead and we are fine! You got exactly what you wanted! It is over, so what is your problem?" Ao'nung was so fed up with you talking down on him, always up in his business and belittling him with everything you did. "What is my problem? Ao'nung, you act irresponsibly like a child and put others in danger! Luck is the only reason that Lo'ak is ALIVE right now and you stand here acting as if nothing important happened and everything is fine?! How can you be so unbelievably immature?!" Hurt crossed Ao'nung's face. Tsireya knew that her brother's biggest insecurity was that your father saw Ao'nung as irresponsible, so she knew that you hit home with these accusations. You were unconsciously rubbing salt into the wound, which was the biggest problem between you two. Tsireya was afraid you might physically hurt your brother, but your parents walked in before the situation could escalate any further.

You stepped away from Ao'nung and ignored him for the rest of the evening. You just hoped that Neteyam was still allowed to go hunting with his mother, considering how much he was looking forward to it.

The next morning, you were still avoiding Ao'nung as you and your siblings went to meet up with the Sullys. Tsireya was the puffer between the both of you but she gladly chose ignorance over violence every second of the day. It concerned her where you left off yesterday with both of you deeply hurt and angry at each other but much too proud to talk to the other or even attempt to make a step toward the other. She hoped that the Sullys would lighten your mood at least a little.

Rotxo and the Sullys greeted the three of you upon arrival. Tsireya made sure to stay between you and Ao'nung, just in case. They were all in a light mood and that melted your cold facade at least a bit.

When Lo'ak explained that he got rescued by a tulkun, all the Metkayina kids were confused. "The tulkun haven't returned yet. And anyway, no tulkun is ever alone." Ao'nung argued. Lo'ak seemed offended by that. "I know what I saw! It was a tulkun and he had a missing thing, a stump on his right." A scarred, lonely tulkun? There was only one tulkun you could think of but that wasn't possible. You looked at Tsireya and saw on her face that she thought the same. "Payakan." You concluded. "He is a murderer." Tsireya explained to the Sullys but Lo'ak shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "No, he saved me." Lo'ak argued. "Lo'ak, he killed Na'vi and other tulkun." Ao'nung argued. But Lo'ak stayed stubborn. "He is no killer." Tsireya leaned toward Lo'ak, trying to get her message across more clearly. "Lo'ak, you are lucky to be alive." But Lo'ak shook his head and stood up in a hurry. "You guys aren't listening." Against Tuk's protests, he calls an ilu as he dives into the water.

Tsireya was worried about Lo'ak and felt bad for not supporting him. "I don't want him to feel alone. I believe that he was saved but he shouldn't challenge his luck like that. Payakan still is dangerous, so are the waters behind the reefs and I don't want Lo'ak to get himself in danger." You tried listening to your sister as you walked around the beach but your mind wasn't fully there. "I'm sure he will come around. He is just sulking, give him some time." You tried soothing her worries. You heard Pajakan's story like everybody else in the village but something wasn't fitting. He was said to be a ruthless killer, not a gentle soul that safes lost Na'vi. Yet you believed Lo'ak more than a story that, in the end, was no more than a rumor. You hugged Tsireya to comfort her before you said goodbye.

The rest of your day was spent gathering the blossoms of a plant that only bloomed once a year. The essence it contained was very effective with infections, especially for children, therefore it was important to your mom to gather as many as possible. It wasn't thrilling but you understood why she asked for your help.

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