#but lunch is the only time where i can take a breather and i just KNOW people will wanna rehearse more bc everything is shambles this year

[courfeyrec]

thinking about how i will probably be forced to spend my lunch break tomorrow rehearsing even though it's the only time i have free at all on a show day bc some people don't realise just how much i have to be doing and i. am. dreading. it.

[senyuuno]

REPLENISHMENT

Scene: When the Genshin men were either low on energy and drained and seeks for a breather

Note: Short Scenes; Fluff with just a tiny…little bit of suggestive content.

Alhaitham

He sighs in frustration as he takes a look on the piled up scrolls and documents on his table—the next batch of his unending paperworks.

Alhaitham brought his hand on his temple, gently drawing circles as he massaged it. It is during that time that a knock made him sigh again.

“Come in,” he only urged as he expected another batch of documents.

When he saw it was you, Alhaitham’s furrowed brows only relaxed and gave you a tired smile—“Y/N…”

You went into his front as he swivels his chair to your direction as he still remained seated. His gaze on you were soft as he sighs again.

“What’re you doing here?”Alhaitham asked, a small smile displayed on his face.

“To get the documents…but…” You turned around to see the unfinished batch of documents as well as the properly stacked scrolls which are done, before turning back to him.

“…tough works, huh?” You added.

Alhaitham stood up and pulled you by the hips as he hugs you—“Just a bit. Only for a bit, Y/N.” His hands rested there as his chin rested on the top of your head.

You chuckled as you pat his back—“Mhm. Am I some kind of an energy refiller?”

“I’m on a tight rope right now,” Alhaitham mumbles as he pulls you again; his hands drawing small circles on your lower waist.

“Yeah?” You chuckled

“Yes. If I could, I could do you right here and now—“You cut him off by lightly smacking his back.

“—but…but…I’ll be fine with this kind of refill as for the moment.”

Kaeya

Kaeya was walking along with Jean and Lisa as they discuss on the matters regarding the sited domain near the Cliff. As he only came back after his clearing with the hillchurls and the Cryo Regisvine, as well as the case on Stormterror, tiredness is evident on his face.

“So what I’m saying is, shall we ask the traveler to help again?” Jean asked. Lisa ponder for it in the moment as he nodded.

“How about you, Kaeya?” “Kaeya? “Kaeya?!”

It was only then that Kaeya was brought back to reality. As he realized it, they were walking back to the office.

“Ah, can you repeat that? It seems that I’m a bit airy today, huh?” Kaeya asked as he smiled.

“You…ugh, alright. So about the incident near the--….”As Jean started explaining again, he catches a glance of you walking on the library. Immediately, she cuts off Jean and said—“Heh~Is that so? But don’t you think that it would be better to talk about it at a later time? Tomorrow at lunch, yeah?”

Jean was supposed to answer back when Kaeya added something again—“Right? Well then, I have another task to do, so please excuse my absence. See you~” Kaeya took fast steps as he leaves the two on the hallways.

It was only a minute when he spotted you near a bookshelf. A smile displays on his face as he approached your back and snakes his arms on your waist, his head rested on your shoulder after he kisses it.

You flinched at first and ready to throw a hand; when you realized it was Kaeya you sighed in relief.

“I thought you were busy?” You ask and looks over your shoulder to see his face bit, only to be greeted by the top of his head.

“I am…I just slipped away,” he said as he pulls you closer. Your back touches his front body as he breathes in your scent.

“Kaeya…we’re at the library,” you reminded him when his hands started going up, his head still rested on your shoulder.

“It’s fine. No one can see.” He said as he started relaxing on your warmth.

“No.” You commented as you flip a page on the book you were holding.

“Then…may we move to a more private place?”

Ayato

Upon finishing his last meeting, Ayato took large steps as he strides on the garden where he had last seen you.

As he spotted you talking with Ayaka under the tree, he halted his steps as he wonders if he could excuse you. But it was one of those rare moments that he had seen Ayaka fulfilled as she enjoyed her time with you. But…he needs you.

Ayato can only watch you from afar as his mind debates on what to do next.

“Y/N…” he whispers.

His hands flinched as he really wanted to take your hand and excuse you. But then, he only stood there, watching over you and Ayaka as she hears your gentle laughs and small chuckles. He smiles too. Should he just go back and work? But he doesn’t have energy to do it though. If he takes a nap at home, would it be fine? He…he needs you though.

As he continued to ponder, you were infront of him. He only noticed it when you waved your hands to his face—“Ayataoooo~ Teyvat to Ayato~”

“Y/N?” “Heh~ what are you doing here? Done with the meeting? You should’ve joined us with Ayaka a little while ago,” you said. Ayaka? Ayato peek on to where the both of you were at a while ago and had seen that Ayaka wasn’t there anymore.

“Where is…Ayaka?” “Ah, she said she had somewhere to attend to.”

“Is that so?” He mumbles.

You smiled at him, opening your arms wide as if urging him to hug you. He chuckled as he finds it endearing as he went into your hug. His face buried on the crook of your neck while his hands wrapped around your waist.

“This is…nice,” he said as his voice almost purring.

“Thank you for your hard works,” you told him as your hands caress his back. He immediately relaxes at the touch.

“If this is what I always get after each works, the hard works are all worth-it,” Ayato said as he slightly leans away and kisses you on the temple.

“Thank you, Y/N.”

[safetycar-restart]

KINKTOBER DAY 27: CUNNILINGUS [CARLOS SAINZ X READER]

NOTE: This is an NSFW fic with sub!Carlos and dom!reader. If you are under 18 or uninterested, scroll past. Alternatively, if you like what you see here then consider checking out my blog :))

This work forms part of a kinktober series where I discuss a different kinky concept with a different motorsports athlete every day. We also discuss the concepts in more detail on my blog so if you have any thoughts, feel free to stop by!

(this takes place in au we have where reader is a successful businesswoman and Carlos is her subby househusband, if you'd like to see more you can check out the 'house husband Carlos' tag on my blog)

Carlos ADORES eating you out, and it's something that you must let him do at least 5 times a week or else you'll have a very pouty and unhappy house husband. He must taste you regularly! You cannot deprive him of this!

Sometimes you'll decide to challenge him and not let him cum for a few days, edge him until he's so hard it hurts and then wait for his erection to go down before tucking him in a cage for a few days. But you can't do that with eating you out.

You can't decide he isnt allowed a taste for a few days, that would be cruel and unusual punishment and poor Carlos would not be able to take it.

Carlos has two favourite places he likes to eat you out (though he'll happily do it literally anywhere).

Firstly, when you work from home.

Well he just adores when you work from home full stop, because then he can bring you snacks and show you how well he cleans and make you lunch and kneel for you while you eat and pop his head into your office for kisses. Amazing.

But the absolute BEST part about you working from home is when you call him and let him knee under your desk and eat you out while you work. It's amazing.

He'll happily kneel under your desk, eating you out like a starved man, getting as many orgasms out of you as he can. He only stops when you push your chair back and pull him away by his hair. He will not stop on his own accord, absolutely not.

The other time he loves it the most, is lazy Sunday afternoons spent by the pool. Carlos keeps the backyard in perfect condition of course, the pool is always sparkling and the grass perfectly cut and the furniture always clean.

You have a little bar and barbecue area next to the pool, which Carlos keeps stocked with all the ingredients needed for your favourite cocktails.

You always go for a swim together when you have Sunday afternoons free, with Carlos usually choosing to swim a few extra laps than you.

You'll settle down on one of the loungers next to the pool, enjoying the sun and then Carlos will come and join you. Rather than laying on the lounger next to yours, he moves your legs apart by your ankles and then settles between your legs. He lays down there, his head against your belly and lets the sun dry his back.

Pretty soon he's shuffling down and staring hungrily at your bikini bottoms, a silent request to have a taste. You always let him of course, and he quickly pulls your bikini bottoms aside, not even bothering to take them off.

That's how he spends the rest of the afternoon, eating you out in the sun. Sometimes you'll pull him off for a breather, and then he just lays on your stomach and enjoys the sun. Other times you'll tell him to go make you a cocktail, and he'll go happily, an absolutely obscene bulge in his swim trunks.

He makes your cocktail and then settles right back down between your legs and goes back at it.

[gadriezmannsgirl]

Gavi+kissing on the beach?

Love your account,im in love with it💋💋

You had always told Pablo you loved the beach, at any time you loved it. On the mornings? You loved it. At lunch time? Loved it. At night? Loved it.

You loved playing and laying on the sand, you loved the sea, you loved the happiness it brought you and the happy moments you can create with your loved ones, you loved the sun kissing your skin, you loved the ostras and the little things you could find underwater. You loved everything from the beach.

So, when you were stressed out by school/Uni stuffs and there was nothing that could help you out, Pablo decided to step in.

"Venga, vámonos bonita" He said coming in and sit besides you, closing your laptop

"¿Qué diablos-? ¡Pablo!" You exclaimed "I-"

"You'll come with me and we'll take a little breather, it's just for two hours, then you'll come back and finish everything but right now you need a break" You huffed watching the determination on his face

"I'm good"

"No, you're not. You're stressing out so much, I can clearly see it through, you aren't thinking straight, you just wanna finish and it isn't that way. You'll calm down and I'll help you relax so when we come home you can have a fresh mindset and get every work done" He looked at you nodding "Go and put something light. Like a dress, shorts or something, princesa. We are going out" He said leaving with your laptop underneath his arm leaving you without a choice.

"Where are we going?" You asked him exclaiming

"Somewhere nice" That's the only thing you heard from him before you heard the back door closing

...

"You brought me to the beach?" You ask smiling at Pablo who was busy parking, he hums nodding with a smirk on

"You needed a breather, I could see you stressing out more than you usually do" He sighed happy with his parking "And while I'm happy you're such an applied student, too much of it, it's bad and mostly when the homework you're doing is for the next two weeks"

"I wanted to get ahead of a few tasks" Pablo shook his head smiling lightly getting out of the car, you grabbed your things and felt your door being open

"C'mon, miss. Let's get inside the water"

"I didn't brought a bikini"

"But you did brought underwear which is basically the same thing" You smile at him "If I had told you that we were going to the beach my surprise would've been ruined" You laugh watching him secure the car and start walking with you hand in hand.

You started walking around for a few minutes in silence, your shoes in your free hand and his in his free one, the sun was starting to disappear slowly, there wasn't people around, only you two, you leaned into Pablo's arm and closed your eyes taking in the sea scent

"Wanna ahead to the water?"

"I told you I don't have a bikini"

"It doesn't matter" He let go of your hand and started undressing himself, being left in his boxers "Vamos, bonita. I know you like the sea a bit too much" He ran towards the water and splashed himself underneath it as you laughed "¡Bonita!"

"¡Voy!" You shook your head smiling but still took off your jean short and your white shirt, your clothes next to Pablo's as you jogged towards the water "¡Maldición! This is freaking cold!"

"I'll warm you up, come here!" You roll your eyes walking and hissing when the water touched a dry part of your body, when you met Pablo, you instantly wrapped yourself into him. Leaning down, now that you were a bit taller than him, you kissed his lips as a thank you way

"Why the beach?" You asked after a while of silence

"It's your favorite place"

"And you my favorite person" He smiled and you could see a bit of pink on his cheeks "Your distraction plan could've worked in any other place, you just needed to be present"

"It wouldn't have" He said shaking his head "Because you wouldn't have gotten your mind out of it, the beach on the other side csn make you simply forget anything" You smiled at your boyfriends knowings of yourself

"I guess that's true" You said softly "But your kisses could've done a similar job to this one"

"Oh, you will have my kisses, they are all yours" You giggle feeling his lips on your face "You don't even have to ask for them, you just take them"

"In that case" You said before leaning down to press your lips against his, your mind forgetting about every single homework you wanted to get ahead on, you were enjoying your moment with your boy.

Not everyone gets out of their own doings to help someone else but the boy was one of a kind and he was yours.

°°° °°° °°° °°°

Taglist: @gaviypedrisbride @stuckinaf4nfiction @elijahslover @azzpenswrld

[thesullengrrrl]

We'll Meet Again - Chapter 4

Rosie and Elaine spend the day around Hammersmith.

A/N: Hi, hi, hello there. Here's the AO3 link of you prefer reading there! This chapter is a bit of a slice-of-life chapter so it can be a little longer than the previous chapters. Again, thank you for reading! On to the chapter!

Chapter 4: little corner of the world

Upon learning that her reservation did not push through in the art gallery she was intending to visit, Elaine made her way back to the hotel. Happy fucking birthday. She scanned every establishment she passed by, hoping to find a friendly-looking café where she could sit and take a breather. Few more fancy charity shops and various stores later, she found Hilly’s—a small café with outdoor seating. She sat at the table nearest to the sidewalk and read the menu. 

“What can I get you, miss?” a tall blond waiter in a navy apron asked her.

“Uh, a flat white, please.” 

He scribbled her order and left. She checked her watch and saw it was only 8:30 in the morning. Few more hours left before she sees him again. 

Her phone pinged and before she could even open the message, Bunny was already requesting for a video call. Rolling her eyes, she clicked the green button. Her friend appeared from the other side of a screen, on her bed and wrapped in a blanket. Elaine’s eyebrows furrowed with worry. 

“Bun, are you all right? It’s like three in the morning in New York now,” she said. 

Bunny cleared her throat. “Yeah, but I can’t sleep because I watched Scream.” 

“Why would you do that? You hate watching horror.” 

“I’m tired of being the only one who hasn’t seen it, so I did,” she explained. “So, what are your plans today?”

Elaine’s order arrived. “We’re gonna have lunch later.”

“Later?” Bunny asked. 

“Yeah, later,” she confirmed, sipping her flat white.

“Why not meet him now? You got nothing else going on.” 

“Well…we said lunch. What if he made plans too?” 

“I don’t think there’s much to do in Hammersmith before nine in the morning. That guy might already be awake and picking out clothes for later.” 

Elaine laughed at Bunny’s idea. “Come on, what if he went out?”

“Then go back to 2026,” Bunny sighed. “Lane, are you afraid of getting to know him?” 

“I’m afraid?” Elaine scoffed. “I’m meeting him for lunch!”

“When you could meet him right now! Honestly, Lane, come on, don’t be afraid to get to know the guy.”

“I’m not. If I am, then I wouldn’t be here in Hammersmith,” Elaine defended. “Also why would I be afraid?” 

“Hammersmith was a last minute decision. You were supposed to stay in Norfolk this entire trip,” Bunny reminded her. “That’s why you didn’t write to him, too, right?” 

It was true. In New York, she was decided. She was going to see him in Hammersmith. However, the moment she stepped foot in Norfolk, her stomach churned. Now what? Should she go? Would he like to see her? Without any notice of arriving? 

In the end, her desire to apologize and curiosity got the best of her and asked her dad to drive her.

“Okay, correction. I never sent anyone a letter from the present to the past, that’s why I never sent him a letter. I never dared, which in hindsight, was a rookie mistake,” Elaine clarified.

Bunny sighed, her face softening at her friend. “Lane. You seemed happy when you called me last night. Why not have it while you can?”

Elaine kept quiet for a second. She sipped her coffee, thinking about Bunny’s words. She could be happy this weekend. She could have fun and drink and just enjoy her life away from her phone or the pressures of work. 

In 1943, she’s just Elaine from New York. Alleged Robert Rosenthal’s girl. Not a time traveler.

Was she actually afraid of getting to know Rosie? To see what’s beneath the guy?

“Hey,” Bunny called out. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she answered, putting her cup down. “I’m fine. I was just thinking about what you said. And I get it, weekend with a cute pilot? Who wouldn’t want that? It’s just that, I know how this ends, Bunny.”

“I know that, but isn’t it better to experience this again? Than never again? You never really time traveled intentionally until now, so why not enjoy it? Make this like your last hurrah or something,” Bunny encouraged. “I know you’ll know what to do this time.”

Elaine could only smile at her friend’s words. Knowing she was right (again), she simply nodded. “Okay. I’ll try to enjoy this weekend with him. Dance, laugh, whatever people did at that time.” 

Bunny smiled, finally sleepiness evident to it. “That's more like it. You already know what you’re going to do. You’re just afraid to admit it.”

“Again, with that advice!” Elaine complained.

“You’ll get it soon, Laney baby. Don’t forget to bring me something. Happy birthday!”

“I thought you would not remember!” 

“Why would I stay up until this time? Love you Laney!” 

“Love you too, Bunny. Thank you so much.”

The phone darkened and went back to her home screen. Bunny liked having these dramatic exits. When she finished her coffee, she asked for her bill and left a few notes. 

Minutes after, Elaine found herself lying in her present day bed. She watched the sun beams hit the table and the floors. It was a beautiful day, clear skies and everything looked alive–even the buildings and its pastel colors. Is the weather the same in his time? 

She looked at her watch and it said 10 in the morning. Is he still asleep? Is he awake? Did he have breakfast already?

The wardrobe is wide open. The clothes hanging in her rack seem to call to her, as if asking her to choose now and get herself in 1943. What is a good color to wear today? Remembering her green collared dress, she stood up to try it in front of the mirror.  

After trying her other dresses, she settled on the first dress and fetched her coat. She went inside the wardrobe and closed her eyes.

******

Taking a deep breath, she knocked at room 217. Few seconds later, Rosie opened the door. He was wearing a brown plaid housecoat over his pajamas and his unkempt curly hair all over. She smiled at how cozy and boyish he looked, away from his usual clean and poised demeanor.

“Elaine! What are you doing here?” Rosie questioned. 

“Is that Birdie?” a voice from inside yelled. 

“Bucky’s there?” Elaine asked. As if on cue, Bucky appeared behind Rosie, his aftershave strongly smelling from his face. 

“Birdie! You’re going out on a date with my boy later?” Bucky wondered. 

“Date? I’m not so sure—” Elaine answered, motioning her hand towards him.

“I haven’t really—” Rosie cut off, stammering out words.

Then they started talking over each other about the mechanics whether their upcoming lunch is a date or not. Rosie pointed things out to Elaine while she countered them, and vice versa. Bucky watched the two talk it out, amused by the pair’s confusion and reasoning. 

“You know what!” Elaine declared, making her voice louder. “It’s not a date. It's lunch. Okay?” 

“And why not?” Bucky challenged. “Don’t deflate my boy’s ego here, Birdie. He’s been trying to pick clothes for half an hour now.” 

“That’s not true!” Rosie denied. 

Elaine ignored their ribbing and spoke. 

“If we,” she started, motioning her hand to her and Rosie. “Declare that it is a date, then there will be pressure to impress each other. We’ll just shoot ourselves in the foot and then it won’t go well. So it’s just lunch. We decide at the end of the day, right, Rosie?” 

Rosie seemed satisfied with her answer. “Yeah, at the end of the day.” 

Bucky Egan passed through between them, the strong aftershave and perfume wafting from him. “Well, you two better let me know. Thanks for the razor, Rosie.” 

He winked at Rosie and went to the room next door. 

Rosie and Elaine looked at each other.

“So,” Rosie started. “Why are you here again?” 

“I had a ticket for this gallery but it got canceled. And now I’ve got the whole day,” she answered. “I was thinking…maybe let's have an early lunch? Go watch something?” 

“Are you…asking me on a date, Elaine Byrne?” 

A beat.

“We’ll decide at the end of the day.”

He placed his hand over his mouth, fighting a grin forming in his face. “You know what, just let me get myself fixed and then I’ll come for you.” 

“All right. Just slip a note if you can’t make it,” she teased. “Gotta report it to Major Egan, no?”

“He expects it.”

“Okay. See you later, Rosie.”

“I’ll be fast,” Rosie promised. She nodded.

He watched her open her door. Elaine absentmindedly gave him finger guns and when she realized it, he was beaming in amusement. Instead of feeling embarrassed, she just laughed at herself, finally entering her room. 

Maybe I could enjoy this weekend.

*****

When Elaine heard the knocking, her heart started beating really fast. She knows it’s Rosie. She knew she was dressed decently enough to not be a sore thumb in a sea of actual people from the forties, and yet, she still found herself gazing at the mirror and nitpicking whatever she could in her face or dress. 

“Elaine? It’s me,” a voice announced from the other side of the door. She smoothed her dress, inhaled deeply, and went to the door. Opening it, she saw Rosie without his uniform—in a blue shirt tucked in a burgundy vest with a jacket over it and some blue pants. His hair is neatly combed and with less pomade. He looked…like a normal person. 

“Hey,” she greeted breathlessly. Hey?? 

“Hi, I thought you couldn’t make it,” Rosie smiled. 

“Gotta keep you on your toes, Rosenthal. Shall we?” 

They walked towards the elevator and entered inside. There’s an operator which pushed the button that said G. Moments later, it pinged and they were out of Brooke Green. The day was now slightly cloudy, yet no visible signs of pending rain. 

“Can I ask you something?” Rosie asked, turning to her.

“Yeah, sure.” 

“How long will you be in England?” 

“Until Monday. Why?” 

Rosie paused. Of course, they only have the weekend.

“Rosie?” she called. “Where are we going, by the way?” 

“Major Egan suggested a place called Hadley’s, which is a pie shop, I think. He says it’s homey, classic British,” Rosie answered. 

Few more blocks later, they reached a small shop painted bright yellow and had a wide grid window. Above the door, there was a rectangular sign with Hadley’s written in cursive. The inside was already full, but they were able to snag a table on the sidewalk. 

A middle-aged white haired woman came to their table. She handed the menu and brought out her pen and notepad. “What can I get you, darlings?” 

The two browsed the small selection of the menu. It consisted of classic British cuisines and Elaine is not familiar with some of them. 

“What do you recommend?” Elaine asked the lady. 

“Pie and mash, love,” she answered.

She smiled. “I’ll have that. How about you, Rosie?”

“I think…I’ll have the bangers and mash, please.” 

The lady quickly wrote down their orders. “Dessert? How about jam roly-poly?” 

Both of them did not know what it was, but the word jam is enough to convince Elaine. The lady took their menus and went back inside. 

“Do you know what a jam roly-poly is?” Rosie questioned when he was sure the lady was out of earshot. 

“No, but jam sounds nice. It’s probably some biscuits and jam. Or scones.” 

He nodded. While they wait, Elaine thought it would be a good idea to ask questions. 

“What do you write home?” she wondered. “I’m sure you can’t talk about your missions.” 

“I omit my missions, of course,” he answered. “I just tell my mother I’m fine.”

“Even when you aren’t?”

“Even when I’m not,” he confirmed. “I don’t want to worry her. Who knows, she might suddenly appear in the base and demand to see me while I’m in the air.” 

“Do you want me to worry your mother?” she joked.

Rosie chuckled. “No, please don’t. She’s had enough worry with my sister.” 

He felt a little self-conscious. He looked at Elaine. It has been a while since he went out with a girl since he was focused on his training, and no one in the base caught his attention. Is he boring? Should he say something? This is the first time they’re spending time with each other in broad daylight! 

“Here we go!” The white haired lady appeared with a tray of food. Their food arrived still smoking hot. Elaine wasn’t exactly sold with the combination of mashed potatoes and smashed peas, but the pie was perfectly golden brown and the smell made her stomach rumble. Rosie seemed pleased with his choice as well. 

“Do you have any plans after lunch?” he asked, slicing a piece of sausage.

“No, none really. Why?” 

“I thought maybe we should go watch a movie,” Rosie suggested.

What films would be shown today this year? She thought of Casablanca or maybe catching an early Hitchcock film. Seeing Psycho on its actual release date a few years back made her ecstatic. 

“Sure,” Elaine agreed. “What’s good these days?” 

“Not sure. I mostly watch movies from the base now. Whatever they send us, that’s what we watch.” 

“What do they screen? Recent films?

“Sometimes. Mostly it’s comedies, which I found out can be boring if you watch it a couple of times,” he answered, then popping a piece of sausage in his mouth. 

“How come?” 

“I guess I want a variety? Horror, drama…but then I get it if they send comedies only. The last thing they want men to feel is to think much of home,” he reasoned. 

“That makes sense.” 

Elaine took a few more bites of her pie and the jam roly poly was served on a plate. It looked like a pudding with red jam in it. She asked what jam it was, and the lady replied that it was strawberry.

“Have some,” she offered, pushing the plate towards him. He forked some and popped in his mouth. She liked how he could be unguarded when eating—she watched him enjoy the gravy-slathered sausages and potatoes and couldn’t hide his disdain towards his peas. Half of it was gone, probably to be polite.

Rosie asked for the bill. When the waitress handed it to him, she took out her wallet. When he noticed this, his eyebrows rose. 

“You know I’m paying, right?” Rosie told her.

“I know,” she acknowledged. “But I am going to leave a tip.” 

Rosie stared at her with curiosity. “All right…”

He pulled out his wallet and took a few notes and left it on the table. She motioned for the bill to be handed to her and gave a few notes and pennies. After that, they fetched their coats and went on their way. 

She noticed that they were walking so close to each other that their fingertips touched. She turned to him, curious on what he would do. His eyes were straight ahead, but she noticed his eyebrows furrowed for a moment. Amused, she shook her head and turned to the road. 

*****

Elaine picked Casablanca when she noticed Rosie’s face upon mentioning how beautiful Ingrid Bergman was in the film. The man has the biggest crush on Ingrid Bergman, she thought when he smiled at the mention of her name. Who wouldn’t have a crush on her? 

They lined up for a short while and their film will start in five minutes. Elaine got themselves a bag of popcorn and two cups of soda. The lights turned down and the opening music to the film started. Elaine already watched this for quite a long time ago, so she turned to him to watch his face. His face looked calm, but when he turned to her, he smiled and motioned his head to the screen.

*****

“With the world crumbling, we pick this time to fall in love.”

“That’s pretty bad timing.” 

Elaine found it jarring to watch a war-adjacent movie while being in the war. She can only imagine what these people could feel. A few sniffles were heard, and some men wrapping their arms on people beside them. 

When she turned to Rosie, he wiped his eye from the scene before him. 

*****

“But what about us?” 

“We’ll always have Paris.” 

Elaine’s eyes started to form tears. Yes, she has seen this film before, but it doesn’t mean it won’t affect her. She leaned on Rosie, who himself was also getting emotional seeing Ilsa reason with Rick to come with her. He hesitantly placed his arm around her shoulder, rubbing her arm to comfort her.

“Is this okay?” he asked. 

“Yeah, you’re good.”

She looked up to him and he seemed to sense it and he gazed down at her. They stared at each other, ignoring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman for their own moment. Her watery eyes glistened against the light from the screen. 

They have each other, not in Paris, but in London.

Rosie was about to lean in to her when a man screamed, “Just get on the plane! Come on!”

“Shush!” a woman complained and it followed a chorus of same concerns.

The yelling made them snap out of their little reverie, and sat up properly. Rosie focused on the screen while Elaine cleared her throat. The people cheered when the plane flew away from Morocco, away from Rick Blaine, away from the Nazis.

When the lights went up, Elaine saw some women wipe their eyes with their hankies, while some men tried to be discreet about it. 

Rosie was one of those. 

They remained in their seats, waiting for all the people to leave so that they would not be crowded. 

“Did you like it?” Elaine questioned.

“It was all right,” Rosie replied, trying to be nonchalant. “They’re all great.” 

“‘All right’? You were sniffing,” she observed. “I won’t judge you. When I first saw it, I cried. Snot and all.” 

Rosie chuckled at the mental image. “You cried that hard?” 

She shrugged. “Movies make me emotional.” 

“They make me emotional, too,” he admitted. 

*****

They passed by a curious photo booth near another establishment. She pulled his sleeve to stop him from walking further.

“I thought these were only a thing in America,” Elaine said, her hand running through the sign. “Do you want to?”

Rosie looked at what she was referring to. “Yeah, sure.” 

He took a few coins from his pocket and they entered the cramped sitting area. They sat beside each other and Elaine pulled the curtains to close. Rosie placed a coin in the slot. Moments later, the flash started lighting up. 

They both didn’t have the time to practice their poses and were surprised when the flash lit up. It stopped and the machine whirred lightly for the photo to print. 

“How long is it going to take?” Rosie asked. 

“A minute, I think.” 

True to its advertising, the photo came out after a minute. It came out as a framed photo of them completely candid. Rosie blinked, while it captured Elaine mid-speak. She passed the picture to him, who was also disappointed with the result.

“We should do two more,” Elaine said, jabbing her finger in the picture. “We’re so unprepared.”

“What the lady wants, lady gets,” Rosie said, smiling and pulling her back to the cramped sitting area. 

This time, they properly sat beside each other. 

“Now, we just smile,” she directed.  Rosie nodded. 

He placed the coin in the slot and the flash lit up again. After blinking for a few seconds to let their eyes recover, Rosie inserted another coin and waited for the blinding flash. 

The photos came out clear this time. The first one was them smiling towards the camera, which they were both pleased by. The second one was the two of them, looking at each other, like the first one they had at Minton’s. 

“So, which one are you going to take?” Rosie asked. Elaine picked the one where they’re looking at each other. He took the one she did not choose and pocketed it in his jacket. 

They continued walking, now aimless where to go but neither wanted to go back to the hotel yet.

*****

“What’s your zodiac sign?” Elaine questioned. 

“Uh, huh,” Rosie started, his index finger and thumb on his face. “I’m not sure but I was born on June 11th…”

“You’re a Gemini?” 

“Yes!” Rosie confirmed. “That’s what my sister said. She loves reading those on the papers everyday…I think my mother scolded her once for that.” 

“Huh, a Gemini. Interesting…” Elaine trailed off.

“Why is that?”

Aside from the fact that most of the men I’m attracted to are Gemini? Nothing to see here, Robert! 

“Geminis are intelligent, witty, curious…” Elaine recited.

“That seems about right,” Rosie deadpanned. 

She lightly slapped his shoulder in amusement. “That’s conceited. You don’t believe in astrology, do you?” 

“Isn’t it obvious?” 

“Well. It’s fine. I just think that there’s something comforting about believing in it. Some things are just out of your control,” she shared. 

“What about you, what’s your zodiac sign?” he asked.

“I’m a Scorpio. November 6.” 

Rosie looked at her, then slowly realized today’s date. 

“It’s November 6 today.” 

“And you haven’t greeted me!” Elaine ribbed.

“What, I didn’t know!” he argued. “You should’ve told me, maybe we could buy you a gift or something.” 

Elaine laughed. “I’m joking! It’s okay, don’t worry. I will happily treasure our picture as a gift.” She then tapped the pocket of her coat where she kept it.

“How old are you, then?” he continued. 

“I’m twenty-eight,” she admitted. “How about you?” 

“I’m twenty-six,” he replied.

She groaned. “Seriously? God, that makes me feel old.” 

She remembered being blackout drunk on her 26th birthday, and this guy’s just bombing Nazis and leading men to battle. Greatest Generation, indeed.

“If it helps, you don’t look a day over twenty-five,” Rosie replied sincerely.

“Fuck off,” Elaine laughed. His eyebrows rose at her casually dropping an expletive. “Oh, god. You know, I used to think that getting older is nice. But now that I’m actually nearing thirty, it’s just terrifying.”

“Why is that?” 

“It’s terrifying aside from the biological clock, it’s because…I feel like I can’t afford to make mistakes anymore. If I have a coupon book of allowable mistakes, I’m probably on my last leaf,” Elaine explained, sighing. 

“But I also know that people make mistakes no matter how old they are. It’s confusing, knowing whether or not you should beat yourself up over a mistake. Or until when.”

Rosie only nodded, not knowing what to say. He wondered what mistakes she made.

“Sorry, that was depressing,” she apologized

“No need, it’s probably birthday blues,” he assured her. “Would you like a balloon?”

“If you can find a red one.” 

“All right.”

Little did he know, his eyebrows were furrowed. Elaine saw this and placed the tip of her index finger to ease them. “Men could get wrinkles too, you know.” 

Rosie relaxed and she removed her finger. 

They fell into silence. Only the sounds of children enjoying themselves and distant passing of cars remained. Elaine promised Bunny she would enjoy this weekend. With him sitting beside her, the clear skies, the gentle breeze in her face…it’s her good omens.

Rosie cleared his throat. “Major Egan and I will be heading to the Palais later. Do you want to come with us?” 

Elained turned to him, nodding. “Should I meet you there or you’ll just knock?” 

“We’ll come get you,” he answered her. “Is seven okay?” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

*****

At exactly seven p.m, two knocks filled the air. Elaine opened up the door and saw two American officers standing before her. Bucky and Rosie looked dapper and fresh with their crisp dress uniforms and styled hair. The image of two army officers ironing frantically made her grin.

“My, my!” Elaine exclaimed in her best transatlantic accent. “Two officers, for little ol’ me?”

“Yes ma’am,” Bucky replied, tipping his hat. Rosie’s eyes are only at her, admiring her in her new red dress. It was cut low and made him a bit anxious about men who might ogle her. She had a gold necklace with a pearl pendant and small pearl earrings.

“Shall we, boys?” 

An elderly woman in the hallway shushed them. Bucky caught her glare and he winked at her. Meanwhile, Elaine and Rosie waved at her. Before the elevator doors closed, she leaned towards the opening to see the old woman. 

“Have a great night, you beautiful lady!” she screamed, winking at her. The two men had to pull her back before the doors caught her hair.

“Are you drunk already?” Bucky questioned. 

“I wish. You know one day, there will be songs written about how we only have tonight,” Elaine shared. “Tons of it. We don’t have enough of that right now.”

The two men only turned to each other both in confusion and amusement.

“It’s her birthday,” Rosie whispered. 

“Ah,” Bucky nodded in understanding.

*****

When they arrived at the Palais, Bucky was able to easily snag seats for them, thanks to his newfound friendship with the bartender Rick. He ordered a round of drinks and some bowls of peanuts to snack on. 

After a few shots among themselves, Bucky stood up and extended his hand to Elaine. 

“Already?” she asked. 

“I’m gonna borrow the birthday Birdie, Rosie,” Bucky explained. “Gotta show the ladies how I move.”

“Won’t it scare the ladies more?” Elaine teased. 

Rosie was surprised with this, but she immediately leaned to him and whispered, “All the slow songs are only for you.” That promise was enough to convince him. 

He nodded at them and the two took off the dance floor. 

*****

Bucky and Elaine hit off the dance floor and two jauntt dances later, they came back to their booth, sweaty and thirsty. Elaine took a hanky and dabbed her face and neck with it, while Bucky took a shot. She excused herself to go to the ladies room. 

“You like her, huh?” Bucky observed. 

“Yeah, she’s…nice,” Rosie replied, feeling a little embarrassed to talk about his date with his officer. 

“You do know we’re only here until tomorrow night, right?” he reminded him. “Don’t get too attached. You might never see her again.”

“Yes sir,” Rosie whispered.

Bucky drank from his glass. “Weekends are for dalliances like that. We still have to go back, you know.” 

Probably for you, Rosie thought to himself. “Are you speaking from experience, sir?” 

“Maybe.”

The two watched Elaine walk back to their table. 

“What did I miss?” 

“I’m gonna go back out there and I now hand Birdie to you, Rosie. I know you’ve been wanting to dance with her since lunch,” Bucky teased and walked back to the dance floor. 

“That’s not true,” Rosie denied. 

“No need to be shy, Rosie,” Elaine patted his shoulder. “I’ve spilled my guts in the park, so no big deal. Shall we?” 

Like the first time they met, she led him towards the dance floor and squeezed through couples until they found a decent enough spot for them. 

Rosie slid his arm on her back and Elaine intertwined her fingers with his. Then they started swaying along to the music. 

“I think Bucky likes dancing with you,” Rosie commented. 

“Good job, Sherlock,” she teased. “Anyway, I prefer dancing with you…twinkle toes.”

His eyes widened. “How did you—” 

“I have my ways,” she winked.

“Why does Major Egan keep calling you Birdie? I feel a little left out,” Rosie asked. 

“Aww, don’t be,” she assured him. “When I introduced myself, he heard it as Byrd, not Byrne. Then he just came up with Birdie.” 

Rosie nodded. He wondered if he could come up with any nickname for her, since Bucky’s nickname for her is witty and personal enough. 

“I don’t think I’ve greeted you,” he observed. “Have I?” 

She shook her head. 

“Happy birthday,” Rosie said, smiling. “How's twenty-eight so far?”

Elaine looked sideways, acting like a child thinking. 

“Hmmmmm. I don’t feel anything yet. Maybe later.” 

*****

We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when…

The familiar line from a sultry female voice made Rosie and Elaine turn to each other. It was a very different version from what they heard in New York, which was sung by a male singer. This version felt more heartfelt, sincere, and apt for the two. 

“I think I like this one better,” Elaine told him. He nodded in agreement. Rosie watched her watch the lady singing, who was wearing a sparkling black evening dress, complementing the Palais’ atmosphere. 

She sensed him looking at her, so she turned to him. “What is it?” 

“Can I..?” Rosie whispered, his eyes lowering his gaze to her lips then back to her eyes.

Oh boy.

Elaine’s eyes widened at him. For a moment, she debated if this was the right thing to do. But with the music and his blue eyes seemed like the only good things left in the world…why would she say no? 

She nodded, letting go of any control. 

And in the middle of the dance floor, while the band plays their song, he leaned in ever so slowly until his lips captured hers. The sensation of his mustache was something new to her, but she did not mind. They held the position for a few seconds until he pulled back. His lips still parted open, while she beamed at him. 

Elaine rested her head at the crook of his neck and they continued to sway to the music. She couldn’t think of anything else other than this place—smoky, under the lights, him in her arms, his hand at the small of her back…when was the last time she had something like this? 

Rosie rested his cheek on the side of her face that he could reach. At this moment, no war could reach them. He’s not a pilot. There’s no Major Egan telling him not to get attached. As long as their song plays, he’s just a twenty-six year old man in a foreign land, dancing with a woman whose worn out note resides in his cap. 

But I know we’ll meet again, some sunny day…

*****

It was midnight.

The jazz band and the people around them are still going. Bucky is still dancing with a platinum blonde. Elaine and Rosie watched him from the sidelines, leaning her head against his shoulder. 

“Are you tired?” Rosie asked.

“A bit. This is what twenty-eight feels like. Tired by midnight.”

He chuckled. “Do you want to go back?”

She nodded. 

The two stood up and squeezed on the dance floor to say goodbye to Bucky. 

“Thank you and good night, love birds! Happy birthday, Birdie!” Bucky screamed. 

Rosie led Elaine out of the crowd until they reached the exit. The cold air blasted to them, a welcome change from the stuffy air of the dance hall. He took her hand and they walked towards Brooke Green. 

“I thought my feet were going to fall off,” Elaine commented.

“You danced with me and Bucky, and I thought he wasn’t going to let you go,” Rosie replied. “He enjoys dancing with you.” 

“He’s a good partner,” she added. 

Rosie suddenly slid his arm at the small of her waist and dipped her. “Is that so?” 

“I was being objective!” Elaine defended.

“So he’s a better dancer than I am?”

“Yes!”

He lowered her even more. “Really?” 

“Robert, get me back up!”

“Who’s the better dancer first?” he continued.

“Fine! You!” she surrendered, giggling. “Idiot.”

He lifted her back again and leaned down to press his lips against hers. Elaine wrapped her arms around his shoulders, deepening the kiss. When they parted, her gaze went to his slightly swollen lips. She kissed it lightly and looped her arm around his. 

“Let’s go home.” 

[itneedsmoregays]

The Steff Pearce Series - Assertive

"Hi there! Welcome to Brewtiful, what can I get you?"

Steff had assumed cash register duty after returning from her lunch break, giving Meena a much-needed breather. Her ma Andrea was now helping the young elephant with preparing the customers' orders, which Cassie then served to their designated tables. Over half the seats in the café were filled.

"Yeah, can I just get an espresso to go?" The middle-aged goat before Steff asked.

"Sure thing." She punched his order into the register's screen. "Anything else?"

"No."

The skunk retained her smile despite his blunt reply; she was used to some customers being in too much of a hurry to remember their manners. "Alright then. Ma, did you get that?"

"Yep, I got it." The porcupine replied before turning back to her larger co-worker. "Alright, Meena, now just carefully add the cinnamon on top and that's table three's order done."

Meena nodded, a stencil clasped in her trunk. "Thanks, Mrs Pearce."

Steff smiled at her friend's progress; she had once again offered Meena the chance to work part-time for her family while she and Ash were still in the process of moving in together. Though anxious at first, the elephant eventually agreed to it and the whole Pearce family had been nothing but helpful toward her. Not to mention all the customers greatly appreciated her kind services.

The young skunk turned her attention back to the goat. "That'll be $2.49 please."

Fumbling about in his pocket, he finally pulled out some change and placed it in Steff's open palm. Taking her time to count the two dollar coins and half dollar coin carefully, the skunk then typed in the amount and swapped them for a single penny. She handed it to him with a smile before closing the register again.

"Where's the rest?"

That caught Steff off guard. "...Sorry?"

"I gave you three dollars, where's my fifty cents?" The goat asked, glancing back and forth between her and the penny in his hand. Steff blinked in confusion.

"Um, sir, you... just gave me two fifty. That makes your change a penny."

The goat's brow furrowed in annoyance. "No, I gave you three."

"Uh, actually, sir, you did give her two dollars and fifty cents." The hippo waiting in line behind him spoke up. "I saw it myself."

"No, I didn't. I had four dollars in my pocket and now I only have one." The agitated goat turned his attention back to Steff, holding his outstretched hand with the penny before her. "I know I gave you three, so give me the rest of my change."

In the past, Steff would have remained silent or stepped aside to let her moms handle something like this. But she couldn't back down here; she knew for absolute certain that she was right in this situation. This goat was reprimanding her over nothing.

"Sir, I'm sorry but you've made a mistake." She said, her smile faltering slightly. "That man behind you is right, you gave me exactly $2.50. Believe me, I know a half dollar coin when I see and feel it. Now could you please step aside? You're holding up the line."

"Oh, so you think I'm stupid?" The goat asked harshly. "Is that it?"

Steff then lost her smile completely. "What? No, that's not what I'm saying at all!"

At last Andrea walked over to the counter, the freshly-made espresso in her grip. "Steff, is everything okay?"

"Just a little misunderstanding, Ma." She replied after taking a breath. "This gentleman seems to think he paid me three dollars for his coffee and that I owe him fifty cents."

"Because she does." The goat cut in, still frowning directly at her. "I know she does."

"Alright, alright, let me check the cash register." Placing the cup down, the porcupine scrolled through the list of previous purchases on the screen. All the while, the line of customers grew. After checking the amount of cash inside the register, and even reprinting the receipt just to be sure, Andrea finally looked up.

"Well I've checked, sir, and you definitely gave my daughter two dollars fifty." She said, adjusting her glasses. "So she did give you the right change."

Unsurprisingly, the goat wasn't swayed. "That's nonsense, I know I gave her three dollars! I have one dollar left in my pocket!"

"Alright, listen, pal..." Andrea's rebuttal was cut short by her daughter holding her hand up, much to her surprise.

"Sir, you're just repeating yourself now." Steff spoke firmly. "I'm sorry, but the amount of cash in the register is up by $2.50. So I'm afraid you didn't, simple as that. You may have a dollar in your pocket but that's not a mistake on my part."

"This is ridiculous!" The goat's raised voice, coupled with his hand slamming on the counter, caught Cassie and everyone else's attention. Steff didn't even flinch at the sound. "I'm not leaving this spot until you give me my fifty cents, you little liar!"

Up to this point, Steff had just barely tolerated this goat's stubbornness. But that 'liar' comment was the last straw.

"Excuse me, sir!" She snapped. "I am many things but I am not a liar! For the last time, I am not gonna give you change that I don't owe you! And since you won't stop being rude to me, I'm not asking you this time; I'm telling you to take your coffee and leave!"

Pointing to the door, the young skunk never once lost her nerve at his accusing gaze. Both Cassie and Andrea were speechless; never had they seen their daughter raise her voice at a bad customer, much less stand her ground against one.

Finally the goat let out a huff, shoving the penny into his pocket before seizing his coffee from the counter.

"Fine. Screw it." He grouched, turning on his heel. "I'm never coming back here again." Steff just made out the words "stupid" and "can't count" that the goat muttered under his breath as he stormed past the waiting customers and straight out the door.

At last, the silence in the café shattered with the customers in line applauding. Finally noticing, Steff straightened her glasses bashfully. "Oh, I, uh... I-I'm sorry about the hold-up, everyone."

Tray still in hand, Cassie immediately came behind the counter to give her daughter's cheek a smooch. "Well done, sweetheart."

"I see Ash's boldness has been rubbing off on you." Andrea grinned, patting her on the back.

"Steff, that was really great." Meena added, giving her friend an impressed smile. "I never could've done that."

"First thing to understand about this café, Meena: the customer isn't always right." The older skunk told her.

Still blushing beneath her fur, Steff thought back to her girlfriend's comment on her capacity for assertiveness from over a year ago.

Huh. I guess that day finally came. She thought to herself. Thanks, rock star.

Clearing her throat, she turned her focus back to serving the hippo customer. The moment he stepped aside to find his table, Steff's eyes popped open as the next customer came forward.

An all-too-familiar porcupine with a hand on her hip and a very proud smile.

"Told you you had the confidence to stand up for yourself, angel." Ash said coyly. None of the customers behind her complained when she stood on her tiptoes to lean over the counter and kiss Steff.

[final-girl96]

Firefly Chapter Fifty-Six

YN

I woke up and looked around. It took me a few seconds before I remembered what had happened and where we were. When I did I sat straight and looked towards Joel, who was lying on the floor of an old frozen yogurt store. He was bundled in the sleeping bag that Ellie and I managed to get him into so we could drag him here. “How long was I out?” I asked. I was looking to make sure Joel was okay, pulling the sleeping bag tighter around him to make sure he stayed warm. When I didn't get and answer I turned my head to look over where I saw Ellie last. “Ellie?”

She wasn't there, though. “Ellie!” I stood up and walked to the counter, leaning over it to look towards the back of the store. “Ellie!” Still no answer. “Fuck!” I slammed a hand on the counter and went back to Joel. “I'll be right back. I need to go find Ellie,” I whispered and kissed his forehead. The horses were in the store with us so I knew she hadn't gone outside. The lock for the roller door was on the floor where I was so she hasn't locked us in here either.

I grabbed the lock and headed for the door. “I'll be back as soon as I can and Ellie will be with me.” I pulled the door up enough I could duck under it and then closed it behind me. I slipped the key to the padlock in my pocket after locking the door. I didn't want to leave Joel there alone and vulnerable just in case those guys did find us. When I turned my back to the door, I took a deep breath and looked around. “Where are you Ellie?” I walked to The left of the store beside the frozen yogurt shop we were staying in. All the stores were locked up tight.

Being in a mall brought back a lot of memories pre-outbreak. Spending hours walking around with friends just to do something. Half the time we wouldn't even buy anything besides maybe an Auntie Anne's pretzel or maybe have lunch at the food court. The mall was always just the hangout spot and a great place to get away from the Texas heat. Sometimes we would decide to see a movie if something was playing that we wanted to see.

Looking at this place it was very obvious that it was once used as a refugee center. The shops might have been bored up but the way curtain areas of the mall were blocked off said that people once took a stand here to try and survive. That told me Ellie was somewhere in this mall trying to find first aid supplies to help Joel. I wasn't feeling so great myself. I was feeling weak and fatigued from the blood loss. I had to take a breather after walking up the escalator because I was so drained of any kind of energy.

I turned left since that was the only way I could go and walked down to the end until I saw an American Doll shop. The door was ajar just enough for someone to duck under. I removed my flashlight and gun, cautiously walking over and kneeling down to look under the door. Speaks floated in the air in the beam of light. “Well, I'm not going in there.” I stood up and looked around. Right beside the doll shop was a pharmacy and right before you got to the gate for that shop, which was open enough for someone to crawl under, was a dead clicker.

I walked around the clicker, knelt down, and looked under the gate. There were no spores in the air, so I crawled under. The pharmacy was a mess, shelves were disheveled and bare of product. Behind the counter was an open door that led to the back, so I went that way. An empty first aid box lay on the floor, and to my right was a busted out window. “You're really going to make me look for you, aren't you?”

Ellie

I went through the snow filled photo store which led into a nail salon. Slumped against a wall was a man and beside him was a first aid kit. It was clear the man had died a while ago so he wouldn't need the supplies. There was some gauze in the kit and that was it but it would work. There had to be one in the military helicopter on the other side, I just needed to get to it.

I shoved the gauze in my pocket and ducked through the hole in the wall. The stairs were blocked so I could go down then. So instead I jumped over the railing of them, landing on the snow covered floor below. I ran over to the gate that blocked off the stairs that led to where the helicopter was. “Thank you, military.” The only problem was that the gate had a button that needed to be pressed to open it. I need electricity for it to work though.

“Anyway to get this on?” I looked down to the floor and saw a thick orange cord. “Follow the cables. Right, Joel?” I looked I'm the direction the cables were going and headed that way. It led me to double doors that have the word maintenance above it. The doors led to the back of the mall where I assumed all the offices, loading docks, and storage was.

I walked down the corridor, flashlight on, and gun in my hand. I jumped over two large crates that blocked the hall. A cat jumped down from one of the crates and ran off, scaring me. “Oh God, fucking cat.” I continued down the hall, trying one door but it was jammed.

The further I went down the worse it got. Half the hall was flooded. “Oh my God, that's freezing.” I walked through the freezing water until I came to doors that I could open. They led to the loading dock. The whole place was flooded but there was a generator on the platform. I went over and tried it but it wouldn't turn on. “Nothing?” I checked the Gas gauge. “outta juice.” Looking around I found a gas can. “Maybe I can get gas from one of those trucks.”

Yn

I jumped through the broken window and followed the footprints that were left behind in the snow. I had to go through a couple of stores that had been snow filled due to the caved in roof. Then I jumped over the railing of the stairs. The gate door was locked and couldn't be opened without power. When I looked down to the ground, there was an orange cable. “Follow the cables,” I whispered.

I followed the cable into the back area of the mall, eventually coming to a Parr that was flooded. “Fuck. This is going to be cold as hell.” I took a deep breath and walked through the water until I came to an open door. There on the platform beside a generator was Ellie. But there was also something else lurking in the dark. I slowly walked up behind her and covered her mouth before she could scream. “Shh. It's just me. We need to be quiet. There are stalkers in here.” She relaxed and nodded her head.

[dajaregambler]

HeliosR - Lock On The Lost Night - Chapter 12

Translation of chapter 12 of the event ‘Lock On The Lost Night’ from ‘Helios Rising Heroes’.

Oscar: Rest well, Brad-sama, Keith-san. I pray that this will get resolved soon.

Keith: Sigh….. What do we do, ‘m gonna die from sleep deprivation at this rate……

Brad: If you want to sleep, then sleep.

Keith: Aah? ….What are you gonna do then?

Brad: I’ll take care of some paperwork since I can’t seem to fall asleep.

Keith: Naw hold on, yer being way too much of an idiot now. Don’t start working if ya can’t go to bed.

Brad: ……..

Keith: Geez…

Brad: …..!

Keith: Sleep. Laying down and closing yer eyes is enough to get some energy back

Keith: That much you oughta know, yeah? You’re the one that’s dozen of times smarter than me here, yanno

Brad: ………..

Keith: Haah, ‘m seriously beat. What the hell kinda day was this……

Brad: ….Goodnight

Keith: Yeah yeah, g’night. See ya tomorrow.

---The next day

Brad: You’ll receive information from the research department tomorrow. We will go over the concerns that were raised now at that time too. That’s all.

Keith: ………

Brad: Oi, it’s done. That should be an end for any short notice meetings. We’ll return to my room for the time be--

Keith: Do ya seriously not wanna get outta these handcuffs or sumn’!?

Keith: Why are ya working again today!? Yanno I put up with it ‘cuz I thought that was all for yesterday only!?

Brad: Today has its own fair share of work.

Keith: You workaholic! Square bastard! You oughta be cuffed to work instead!

Brad: I’ll attempt to finish work earlier than I did yesterday. You focus on finding ways to relax.

Brad: That aside, I need to prioritize the work in front of me. There’s also another meeting in an hour. We’ll have lunch until th--

Keith: I’m at my damn limit!!!!!!!

Brad: ……!

Keith: If that’s how yer gonna act, then I’ll do whatever I feel like doin’ too

Brad: Oi, what are you up to now. Do you want to go somewhere?

Keith: Wanna go drinking

Keith: For me that’s preeeeeetty important. The same amount as work is to ya… nah, way, way more important than that.

Brad: Wh- Wait! Where are you planning to…

Keith: That sports bar. Since the owner knows ‘bout us already

Brad: Once this is over you can go on your own.

Keith: I ain’t gon’ wait for that! Making me work without breaks, I’ll go crazy if I don’t get a breather…

Keith: Besides, won’t those handcuffs slip off by getting stupid drunk? That’s the best way to relax in my opinion

Brad: Stop messing around. I told you I can’t neglect my---

Keith: Shuddup

Brad: Wha….

Keith: If ya won’t be quiet and come with me, then I’ll have to drag you through the air like this

Keith: Heh, come over here, there’s nothing to be scared of

Brad: S-stop! Put me down, Keith!

-

Keith: ~~~~♪ Al, cohol, alcohol~... Ah

Brad: ………..

Keith: Knew that yer pride wouldn’t forgive ya for being treated like a balloon.

Keith: Heheh, it’s my win. Looks like I’m gonna have some of the best alcohol 

Brad: I will shove each and every negative consequence from abandoning hours of work in your hands to deal with, you bastard.

Keith: Oooh, scary…. I mean it’s just a half day? I can handle that much, y’know

Keith: More importantly, it’s time to drink. I’m ready to dive in any second n---

(Phone rings)

Keith: Hm? If it ain’t the owner calling me now

Keith: Yo, what’s up?

Bar owner: “Keith, can you come to the bar now?”

Keith: Ooh, how timely. I just happened to be on my way there now---

Bar owner: “I finally realized where I saw that rosary of yours from yesterday…..!”

Keith: Eh…..

[mikaharuka]

7 Snippets, 7 People

So, I noticed this new tag game that @late-to-the-fandom posted, and decided to jump on the open tag, because why not? From what I've seen, the concept is seven snippets with a common thread

I'll tag (no pressure): @tsunderewatermelon, @udaberriwrites, @mrsmungus, @sliebman10, @writingpotato07, @oceangirl24, @danceswithdarkspawn, @kayedium-writes, @sarahlizziewrites, @axolotlsupremacyowo, @alpaca-clouds, @frostedlemonwriter, @aohendo, and the open tag for anyone else interested.

For my seven snippets, I figured I'd capture the evolving friendship between Beau and Mike, over the 14 chapters of Apricity that are up.

-

1 - Amethyst Impasse (Ch 3)

While Mme. Allaire took attendance, a hand tapped lightly on his desk. Beau looked over to find a conventionally cute, slightly baby-faced blond guy. “Are you Beauregard Swan?” “Yeah, though I go by Beau. And you are…?” “Mike Newton.” He nodded at the half-Korean boy. “Looks like you already met Eric.”  “He helped me find the room in time.” Beau looked at Eric. “Thanks again.” “All good!” Eric grinned at him. “By the way… what classes are you taking?” Beau put his schedule on his desk and motioned at Eric and Mike. “Honors student, huh? Definitely not me… we might share lunch though,” Eric said. Mike looked at the schedule. “We share a lot of classes… but in different blocks. We have AP Bio together after lunch, though. Did you need help finding the rooms?” “I think I can find them, but I’ll be sure to ask if I need help.” Mike nodded at him. Right then, Mme. Allaire called out another student for texting in class. Mike and Eric quickly turned their attention forward, not wanting to get called out. Beau was secretly grateful; though he appreciated their kindness, he needed a quick breather. He wasn’t used to that level of interaction or attention yet - hopefully that would change soon.

2 - Cerise Blossom (Ch 6)

Mike was only a few yards away from Beau when everything went down. Maybe he could help him make sense of things? Beau would have to ask him later, but for now, he read Mike’s messages. Mike: ‘Beau. Just wanted to check in’ Mike: ‘Hope you're feeling a bit better’ Mike: ‘Reply whenever works. No rush’ Mike: ‘Make sure to rest though’ Beau appreciated the space Mike offered, but he wanted to ask him about the accident. Or should he? He wasn’t exactly in the best state of mind. Maybe, Beau could give himself a few days. Beau: ‘On my way home now. Everything’s good’ Mike: ‘Glad to hear. We were really worried about you’ Beau: ‘I bet the gossip mill is running at full speed’ Mike: ‘More like it's working overtime lol’ [...] Mike: ‘Should I tell the others if they ask?’ Mike: ‘About the accident, I mean?’ Beau: ‘Sure, tell them whatever’ Mike: ‘Will do. Go home and get some rest’ Mike: ‘I’ll try to keep the others away for now' Mike: ‘We’ll figure out the notes and homework’ Beau: ‘Thanks Mike’ Beau: ‘I'm ready to call it quits for the day’ Mike: ‘See you when you get back’

3 - Jade Challenge (Ch 8)

It would be really useful to see Mike’s brain pick the hospital mess apart, but… “I… err…” Beau flushed slightly. “If you don’t want to say, that’s fine. Other clues will show up.” “No, it’ll be better to get everything on the table now.” “Are you sure? You’re looking a bit… err…” “It’s fine. It’s just… this is going to sound really stupid, but… uhh…” “Beau - we’ve already sailed well past stupidity into outright supernatural conspiracy.” “Oh my god. Mike! We’re full-blown conspiracy theorists now!” Beau cackled loudly. Mike put his head in his hands. “What even is my life right now?” “You sure you want to ask me that?” “Point. I can’t imagine what that feels like.” “Well, it became your problem ever since you overslept and ran late that day.” “Oh come on! I was just trying to do some last-minute studying for the midterm!” “And where did that land you?” Beau asked smugly. “...point. Again.” Mike shook his head. “So… what was your idea?” Beau sighed. “It’s a long story.” Oh well. In for a penny, in for a pound. [...] “I know everyone makes eyes at the Cullens, but wow. That’s certainly… uh… intense.” “Hey, you’re the one who asked!” Beau exclaimed. “I know, I know, thanks for sharing.” Mike appeased him, holding his palms up. “I do see why you think it’s related, though.”

4 - Azure Mystique (Ch 11)** [**this takes place in Agni: Nakshatra, Ch 3's fire/star phase]

The two boys stood frozen for several moments before Mike broke free first, tapped on Beau’s shoulder, and led them both outside. Once the door closed, Beau addressed him. “Dude, what the fuck,” Beau said in a rush. “That’s… one way to put it.” “How the fuck is this getting so complicated?” “You’re asking the wrong person, dude.” “No seriously - what is this? Some kind of cosmic joke?” Beau asked more rapidly. Mike looked Beau over and furrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought, before grabbing his free hand and leading him back to the coffee shop they visited earlier. “Let’s get something to eat before we head back. We should still make it back by nine,” Mike looked back at Beau. “Besides, it looks like you could use a strong mint tea.” “Huh?” Beau paused for a moment before he snorted. “Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks.” Beau looked over the other boy, deeply grateful for his steady presence through the entire mess they were caught up in. Mike pulled him along before Beau picked up the pace to match his stride. “What about you? It must be pretty crazy for you too.” “I just need some time to think over that info dump before Saturday. That’s all.” Beau really hoped that was the case, for both their sakes.

5 - Sapphire Precipice (Ch 12) 

“Wait.” Beau narrowed his eyes at Mike. “What were you thinking about just now? And don’t say ‘nothing’. Because I know something had your attention just now.”  Ah… well, shit. This was awkward. Beau continued a bit sharply. “You have this subtle, far-off but focused look when your mind runs off. It’s hard to spot, but I noticed it after spending the month with you.” Of course he did. Beau was more observant than most people, with only a slight delay in reaching the conclusions Mike did. If anything, this was inevitable. Mike really should have known better. “I…” Mike faltered. “Honestly, given everything that’s happened so far, I doubt you’d faze me much.” Beau’s lips quirked slightly. “I mean, this is me we’re talking about…” Beau wasn’t wrong - he owed him the truth, considering the situation. Still, he’d have to watch himself closely going forward. “I…” Mike forced himself to continue. “I didn’t plan on hiding anything. I didn’t want to, really. It’s just that things kind of got out of hand, and somehow…” Beau’s face softened slightly. “I get it, dude - trust me, I really do. But at this point, we need everything on the table to make the most of today’s trip, right?” Of course he was right. Mike sighed and resolved himself.  [...] “Would you have said anything, if I hadn’t asked just now?” “Yes. Later today, to be exact.” Mike met Beau’s eyes. He needed- no, wanted Beau to believe him at least on that count. [...] Beau paused, turned around, and gave him a smile. “Earlier, you said that part of why you kept quiet was because you were worried about me. That goes both ways, you know? So you’re not off the hook yet… but thanks. For helping me. For being around in general. I’m not sure how I would’ve reacted or handled any of this without you around… so yeah!” Beau finished before speeding off to the red sedan. How was Mike supposed to respond to that?

6 - Sangria Totality (Ch 13)

“You’re exactly as he described you,” Mina said as she met Mike’s eyes. “What?” Mike turned to Beau. “Hey, do you gossip about me during your little sauna sessions?” “Obviously not, you idiot. Why would I even do that?” Beau retorted. “She’s clearly talking about Edward.” “Huh? That makes even less sense! We barely even talk outside of AP Bio - what is there even to gossip about?” “Don’t ask me, dude,” Beau shrugged before considering him more thoughtfully. “Hmm… though now that I think about it, he has mentioned you quite a few times.” “Of course he has, dumbass. We’ve been bugging him this entire time about this mess of a mystery, and you’re the one who talks to him all the time outside of school.” Beau snorted. “Obviously that's true, but he also mentions you when-” A sudden burst of laughter interrupted them. The two boys turned to face the gold-eyed girl who was trying and failing to stifle her laughter and keep a straight face. “Sorry, sorry,” she said after calming down… though that smile never left her face. “He’s right about Edward, but that’s a completely different issue.” No? No it wasn’t? What the hell was going on this time? [...] “You didn’t talk to your dad after the bonfire last weekend, did you?” “Of course not!” Beau looked at Mike like he thought he was stupid. “What would I say to him? ‘Hey Dad, did you know that the Cullens are vampires and that magic is real and this strange mark showed up on my body? Of course I didn’t say anything to him!” Mike sighed. “At least your dad knows, so this won’t come out of the left field for him… but my family has absolutely no idea about any of this.” Mike turned back to Izumi and Mina. “That’s why I can’t stay here. I have to get back to Forks tonight.” “You don’t have to worry about that either,” Mina spoke up. “Charlie told your parents that you’d be staying with him and Beau in Seattle tonight and they seemed fine with it.” His parents went along with that story that easily?  Hmm… to be fair, though, his parents had no reason to think that Chief Swan was covering for him - after all, Mike spent quite a few nights at the Swan residence over the past month. Besides, it wasn’t like Chief Swan lied about anything.

7 - Midnight Freefall (Ch 14)** [**this takes place in Prakriti: Nakshatra, Ch 6's prime/star phase]

“Err… the situation turned out okay in the end, but Beau got this tiny scratch near the mark. Don’t worry though - it was quite minor and Mina looked it over. He’s doing fine now, probably off doing his own thing in peace,” Mike concluded rather quickly. “That certainly explains a lot. I am relieved to hear that Beau is doing okay. However…” Carlisle took a few steps towards him and Mike would be lying if he said that his first instinct wasn’t to step back - though he held his ground in the end. “I believe I asked after you, Michael. Are you faring okay, or at least well enough at the moment?” Why was the doctor asking him that? [...] “You don’t know what’s going on, then?” “There are a lot of mystic phenomena out there and I could make a few educated guesses with enough time, but no. I do not know very much right now.” “You…” It was Mike’s turn to look away awkwardly. “You know you have to talk to Beau at some point, right? You say you don’t know much, but he knows even less than you do, so I’m sure he’d appreciate any information… considering the circumstances.” “Yes, I am aware,” Carlisle said with a somewhat resigned tone. “I will speak to him and do what I can to resolve the circumstances as quickly and efficiently as possible.” [...] He… he really knew nothing at all. It wasn’t just the lack of control, but also the lack of foresight to even look within himself. Just stumbling in the dark, thinking he’d made sense of the hand he’d been dealt, only to find out he’d been doing it all wrong - wasting his time and energy and whatever else until a few hours ago. And even then, it wasn’t Mike who initiated the breakthrough - it was Beau and his throwaway comment. ‘Because it’s harder to see things when you’re in the middle of the mess.' Beau said that to him, but it wasn’t like the other boy was distanced from the mess. Hell, he was right in the middle of it! Even deeper than Mike was! Yet Beau still had that presence of mind, that way of pointing Mike in the right direction and sending him off. Really, Mike was an idiot for not talking to him about the colors before that morning.

[xxxdreamscapexxx]

Helloo, lovely!!

Okay first of all I can't believe it took me so long to finish the story. I just kept getting so flustered at work that I had to finish reading while I was at home. Then I wanted to be able to write this while at home and when I finished the story I was just too tired to write all of this.

So immediately when I read the summary I knew I was going to love it. I knew you were writing something that involved anal play, so I was already excited to read this. Already I have to say you did such an incredible job.

Starting off the story with masturbation, I thought was amazing. I do not see that happen in stories often unless it’s specifically an act of being a brat or mutual. With this, it was just pure desperation and I loved it so much. I mean who doesn't love a good self-love moment? Then being so sweet with mommy Wanda in the kitchen, I need her immediately. The endless amount of pet names makes me weak in the knees. I loved it when she unintentionally made R reveal what she did while on her lunch break. R just had so much guilt about breaking a rule that she couldn't help but tattle on herself.

The first night of punishments. First and foremost, which I know you already know, I love impact play so much. The teasing combined with the spanking is just so good. THEN when she moves up R’s body and is hovering just above her face. Showing how wet that ‘punishment’ made HER. I love it when a woman sits on my face to this part had me, RED. Then she uses R for her own pleasure the rest of the night. Teasing her with thoughts of what could have happened if she behaved herself. The amount of orgasms Wanda had in this story was beautiful.

The next day. Honestly, R held out longer than I could have. I think I would have had a sneaky orgasm in the shower. It was so good that Wanda almost caught her touching herself while on her lunch break, again. The way Wanda just gets straight to business when she gets to R’s office is incredible. The fact that they almost get caught but even that doesn't stop Wanda from trying to devour R. I love that Wanda can immediately smell R’s pussy on her fingers and knows what she was doing before she arrived. The edging during this part was another moment where I had to take a breather. Because wow, edging gets me so hot now. It's so cute how after all of that they still had a nice lunch. Then later that night the punishments Wanda had for R had me dripping honestly. Butt plugs. What can I say, I love them. The way Wanda gets R prepped to take it is sexy. The slowness and intimacy of it, being so vulnerable for her. I want to experience this immediately. The fact that Wanda is always in charge no matter what position she's in is so insanely hot. I want to be inside her right now.

It was around this time I decided I needed to wait until I was home to finish this story. When I finally had the time I wanted to make it a little more interesting and maybe this is too much info but I really wanted to read the rest of the story with a butt plug in. I got one very recently and it was only the second time I had tried it and it was mind-blowing to have it in while reading.

It's honestly so real that R still could not be patient enough to wait for Wanda to get home. I'm not sure I would be either. The way R really thought Wanda would let it go because “she was just getting ready for her” is so funny and cute. The amount of teasing in this story is incredible. The pussy slap with the dildo did unspeakable things to me. So did the line “Mommy has to settle for your ass instead”. Drippingggg. When she starts playing with R’s ass I think my face was a permanent shade of red. The teasing words, the praise of how good her ass feels, the closeness of it all. I love it so much. When she finally gives in and decides to please R and she wants her inside of her ass again. My god, it made me feel so desperate to be filled this way by her. The aftercare too makes me feel so warm inside. It's so sweet and good to see the way Wanda truly cares about comfort and intimacy above all.

The next day Wanda is just so perfect. Driving R to work and picking up dinner. The sharing of the desert and Wanda feeding R was just so cute. My heart melted a little bit honestly. Now, I feel like I have to say beforehand. Office sex makes me feral. To me, it's one of the best places for semi-public sex. The desk is so conveniently there and the addition to work uniforms (I'm talking about suits here;)) makes it so so sexy. The possessiveness that Wanda exudes in this scene is so hot. The internal battle she faces of whether to be gentle and make love or claim you and make you think of only her. I wonder how many pairs of panties R would ruin in a day if she changed every time she got wet thinking about Wanda. Being taken from behind is one of my favorite positions and reading Wanda take R over a desk this way had me throbbing. Then when she started to take her in the ass I felt like I was going to combust. Also, the way she is begging for it, omg id do anything for her. The fact that Wanda enchanted the strap and could feel everything had me seeing stars. The praising, and the fact that she did make love to R the way she wanted to. But also claimed her in a way that nobody else has before. When they came together and Wanda filled her ass with cum and then plugged it up so as to not waste any. I felt so feral after reading all of this and desperately needed a release. Especially after feeling the butt plug while reading half of it.

This is very long lol and I am so sorry but I did say I would tell you all my thoughts. I'm not even sure this is all of them either. I'm sure if I reread it I would have lots more. Your work is always so phenomenal, I'm in awe every time. So anyways thank you for reading and I hope you have a lovely day!!!

-⭐️

Hi, little star! Oh lord, I love that! I love that you put so much effort into this review. I know! Masturbation isn't often approached, I think because, most people find the description of shared sexual scenes more interesting to read... And yeah, I often focus on the reader's experiences and pleasure, so switching it up and focusing on Wanda's needs was so fun to do. And WAW! I have to say, knowing that you decided to try your new plug while reading the story makes it sooo hot somehow! It must have given you a whole new perspective on R's experiences throughout the story. That is... I'm mind-blown! And I love that the intimacy and the careful tenderness of those scenes really shows. I set it up that way and I wanted it to be a gentle, emotional moment and I'm so happy it came across that way! Oh, never apologize for long reviews! That is honestly the best part about sharing my stories! Just reading what you guys think and what resonated with you and what made it hot, what you thought was interesting or exciting, that's the most rewarding part! Thank you for sharing! Truly, I was so happy to wake up to your review and I read it first thing and I can honestly say that it's a great way to start my day! Thank you, little star!

[pacifierbby]

* ੈ✩‧₊ THE CEOS ASSISTANT

* ੈ✩‧₊ Landos' dad has taken ill rather quickly, and everyone in the Norris enterprise knows about it. Some are upset that they won't get a perfect boss like he was, but some are more sceptical about who the Norris Enterprises are taking on to be the boss of this place. Everyone asked Lilly, the CEO's assistant, but like she told everyone, she didn't know. It wasn't until Monday came around, everyone at their desk doing their work, when a man came in very nicely dressed in a black suit with a Rolex on the left wrist. Lilly had seen this man before, but where? It was when he only got closer that she knew it was Mr. Norris, son. Will there be hatred during her time working with lando or will there be something more between them?

୨ৎ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 LN4 x female

୨ৎ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 swearing, slight toxicity , rude lando, kissing , sexual innuendos.

୨ৎ 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 1,840

- 𝑴𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻 -

CHAPTER TWO: ̗̀➛ slowly waking up from the sun that was appearing through the blinds that you had forgotten to shut last night softly getting up from the comfort of your bed not really wanting to see Lando today knowing he will instantly be on your mind but like you said he his just your boss and you don't really do relationships with work colleagues. You will forever keep that promise to yourself.

Taking a small swig of your cup of tea to fuel your energy for the day that is planned ahead scroll down on your laptop looking through your diary making small notes in your booklet people say you are over the top with planning. Still, you just call it being well organised some love it some hate it., you're not really bothered you know when to catch up on paperwork or what paperwork needs filing with all the sticky notes that are on your board in your office and you do love it that way Mr Norris always said one day you be a good CEO of your own building with all these organisation skills you just laughed. Still, he knew that it made his life a little easier with the small things you do.

"Here's your daily iced coffee" Stephanie spoke placing the Starbucks cup on her desk when she saw you walking through the glass doors "Thanks love" "Oh and Mr Norris is going to be slightly late today he had something brought up at home" sighing a little knowing that you won't see Mr Norris for a bit "well I hope Mr Norris is okay" Stephanie nodding her head worried about her old boss but she didn't miss Lilly small relaxing sigh "we need to talk later" winking at her Lilly giving her a confused look "well see you at lunch".

settling everything down at her desk the notice board slowly became less and less full however the stacks of paper on her table weren't sighing sitting on her chair she might as well go through these damn papers if Mr Norris isn't even here yet wanting to shoot whoever keeps putting these papers on her desk like this instead off putting them in alphabetical order her floor surrounded with paperwork with plastic wallets on the side and a paper case ready to be stored. Pausing with annoying knocking like the police are about to raid the place quickly opening the door Lando stood with an annoying look on his face his hands crossed around his chest "I've been knocking on this door for 5 minutes are you deaf?" laughing at his dumb comment "no I'm sorting these stupid papers since someone placed them on my desk messily" copying his body language Lando rolling his eyes moving his eyes to the floor pointing "well clean that mess and meet me at my office we need to talk" wanting to shut the door in his face but you have morals, unlike that prick. Lando leaves you standing at your office door huffing taking a quick breather grabbing your laptop from your desk leaving your so-called mess for later.

Banging on his office door two people can play that game you thought hearing the annoying come in opening the door to Mr Norris sitting on the edge of his desk his shirt rolled up to his elbows gulping a little "What did you need to talk about Mr Norris" Lando looking over from his papers "we have an important meeting however it is not in the UK" nodding a little confused because your old boss never took you to other parts of the countries for his meetings "okay but what's this in for me your dad never took me to the abroad meetings I have always done the back work" Mr Norris stood up walking slightly in front off you feeling the body heat onto you making you step back a little "well how my father worked and I how I work is completely different and I need you to write down notes also Mr Neville is bringing his assistant" nodding.

however, you did meet Mr Neville once. He brought a weird vibe towards you but something that you didn't dare to tell your old boss knowing it was one of his big contracts. "where is it" you spoke softly "'We're going to Spain tonight" "Tonight!" you began to say "but I don't finish here till 7. I need to pack" Lando shrugged "We're only staying for 3 days in my villa" There's his dickhead attitude again. Of course, he's got a bloody villa in Spain bet his daddy brought it for him "I'll pick you up tonight at 10 o clock please don't be late you now may carry on with the rest of the day today's meetings has been cancelled Stephanie done that for us" annoyed that he went behind your back and asked the admin to do your work but I guess he saved you the time. You now know why he was late the fucker was packing for tonight not even bothering to email you anything about this three-day trip.

Walking into the dining room Stephanie sat in the back away from the rest of their colleagues for "this talk" Sitting down Stephanie gave you another iced tea this girl differently knows how to make your day even better "Well" she began "Well what" sipping your tea " you and Mr Norris" shaking your head "god no he's a prick he has no respect for women" shuddering even thinking about the subject "well what was with that relaxing sigh from before then Lilly I'm sorry but I'm not daft but you defiantly have some sort of feelings for that hotty" sighing "alright maybe I do have tiny little feelings but he's annoying do you know we're going to Paris tonight he didn't even email me about any of it like a boss should do you know that I need to be organised" she started laughing about your organisation habit "and the fact he told you to cancel meetings I mean I'm his assistant I don't know when admins tend to that stuff" Stephanie put her hands up "hey he told me to do it when he walked in this morning couldn't exactly say no but feel sorry for you when you do cancel meetings you get nothing but shouted at by his assistant" laughing nodding at that sore subjects "part of being the assistant" Stephanie taking a sip of her drink "when do you leave anyway" looking up from messing with your cup " tonight" you softly spoke " tonight!" she shouted a little louder than she should " shhh that's exactly what I said" "but you don't have enough time to even pack you leave here at 7" agreeing "that's all that I said Stephanie frowned "now i understand why you keep calling him a prick how about i come to your tonight and help you pack ill bring the wine " laughing nodding "that would help me a lot "well I've got to go back now Steph but see you tonight " looking down at your watch standing up "see you later love" waving to you.

The day went quicker than you thought you finally finished with the supposed mess all put away in the correct files you even answered emails that had been in your inbox for what seemed like months However you didn't get to see Lando for the rest of the day usually he's in and out of your office finding something to moan about or giving you more god damn paperwork to go through. so you were slightly thankful for that

Turning off your PC for the night grabbing your coat and bag from the coat hanger placed in the corner of the room Making sure everything was safely locked away since you won't be here for a week turning the lights off closing the office door behind you.

Quickly turning around accidentally hitting your bag on something hard "Ow" the man shouted lightly "watch where you swing that bloody thing" gulping a little "Sorry Mr Norris didn't expect you to be behind me" turning around and facing Lando "Well I was coming to your office to see if you want a lift to your house since its 7 o clock and we need to get to the airport at 9" you just nodded since it was the only kind gesture he actually given you this week. He probably won't let you live it down that you accidentally hit him with a bag but I guess you've wanted to hit the smug smile off his face when he says something rude and the fact that you hit him accidentally gives you little brownie points to yourself "why you smirking" Lando spoken up watching you closely in the lift mirror "oh nothing" dropping the smirk not even wanting to discuss about the thoughts that you had in your mind he just nodding not wanting to continue on with the conversation any longer making you sigh in relief thankful that he didn't get anything out of you like he usually did.

The car ride home was silent the radio playing quietly in the background Neither you nor Lando spoke a peep to each other since the lift scenario "So I see you later then?" Lando just nodded parking up outside your house. noticing the lights were on telling you that Stephanie was in "I'll text you before leaving my house, see you later" You nodded. softly closing the passenger door and waving to Lando watching him drive away Lando did not even bother to watch you get in your house sighing you can only dream girl.

The packing was a lot easier with Stephanie's help and of course with the wine. Both off you settled on the couch the suitcase near the door not even thinking about it anymore "So will you ever see you and Lando off something more" spitting your drink out a little "Uh what.." you began to speak "You know exactly what I said Lilly " looking down at the wine glass something interesting at the moment " well I don't really know Steph he puts this rude attitude on and I don't really get it likes he's hiding his real true self I get it he's my boss and he has to be firm sometimes but is there any point of the dickhead that he actually throws at me" Steph nodded understanding "like he his a good looking lad sad the rude energy just ruins it. but you're right Steph even though I just met this man I can't help but fall for him but I know he's my boss and I forever keep my promise that workers and relationships will stay separate" Looking at Steph's shocked face quite surprised that you even confessed "well no more wine for you tonight your confessing way too much" both of you laughing however neither of you are aware that Lando heard everything from the front door.

© pacifierbby works

𝑻𝑨𝑮𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻 ✧˖*°࿐ @sltwins , @eloriis

[pyrettawychwiggin]

The Rantings of a Chairside Tooth Fairy - A Prologue, Part 1/2

Note from the author: Being a dental assistant is... a mixed bag. It differs from assistant to assistant based on where they studied (if they studied), what country/state/province they work in, what office or specialty they work in, etc.

For the sake of this series - I am a registered dental assistant in western Canada, and as of the time of this entry, I've been assisting for about four years.

These rantings are my own, and don't necessarily speak for all dental assistants out there. Our job can be incredibly unfair and rip-your-hair-out-frustrating sometimes, and I've found that sometimes, screaming into the void is a good way to cope.

That's what this series will be. Just one itty-bitty tooth fairy who needs to blow off a little steam.

Consider this a prologue to my rantings. This post will just kind of tell you a bit about myself, how I got into assisting, and the posts to come will be all the juicy stuff that other people who work in the dental office may be able to relate to on a pretty personal level.

In this series, I'll be going by the name of Fae Rhee - for no particular reason aside from it makes me giggle.

Alright, let's get into it...

Let's set the scene...

It's a chilly evening in the middle of September. 2019.

There's a woman, mid-to-late twenties, twiddling her thumbs behind the counter of some little neighbourhood convenience store. And she's perpetually fed up.

Yep. I'm that woman. Fae Rhee.

Everything about this place bores me to tears; the shirt they make us wear is equally as itchy as it is unflattering. The customers? Generally entitled and entirely lacking in basic empathy. The hours? Garbage. The benefits? Non-existent. The pay? Don't even get me started.

A mixture of rain and snow is blowing just beyond the glass doors of the thankfully empty store. There's still a little daylight left, but I've got another four hours left to go in my shift. That sun'll be long gone by the time I get out of here.

This isn't where I saw myself when I was younger. If you'd told me in my teen years that I'd be standing here of all places, you'd have been met with the shocking realization that I even lived long enough to see adulthood, followed by the utter disappointment in myself.

Don't get me wrong- I've been working retail and customer service basically ever since I took on my first job at a fast food joint when I was 15. I see no shame in working in any of these positions. No, my disappointment stems entirely from my unhappiness. I was supposed to accomplish so much more, do so much more, be so much more. Yet here I am, where every agonizingly slow second that ticks by feels like another second wasted - and for nothing.

I pop out for another cigarette - the only way I was about to get a breather outside of my pathetic little lunch break. There's no customers, anyways. I thought to myself. That should pass the time if nothing else.

I step outside to see a middle-aged man sitting on the cement at the edge of the parking lot. He's a familiar face - one of our regulars. He's very clearly homeless, and he looks rough around the edges, but as far as my interactions, he seems a decent dude. He's never caused any trouble, and he only comes in to buy food and cigarettes whenever he's scraped enough to manage that much.

When the manager's around, he demands that he not be served, but when the manager's not around, the man's more welcome than most of the asshats that I have to serve with a smile.

I pop back in and ring through a couple goodies under my employee discount and head back outside, taking a seat beside him.

I hand him a cigarette and a sandwich and we shoot the shit for a few minutes before a familiar car pulls up.

"Fae!" my manager pops his comically large head out from his car. "I'm not paying you to stand outside the store and suck on cancer sticks."

"I'm on break. Besides, look around you." I stretched my arms out to gesture at the empty store and parking lot. "Not a soul in sight. I'll be all of five minutes."

"Is he eating one of our sandwiches?!" he spat. "I thought I told you not to serve him."

"I didn't. I served myself. I bought the sandwich. So technically, it's mine."

"And he's eating it because...?"

"I decided I didn't want it after all. So I'm sharing it with him." I shrugged. "Last I checked, that wasn't a crime."

"You should have thrown it out!"

"Well, that's a waste of money and a perfectly good sandwich."

"Just get back inside, Fae." The manager sighed in resignation, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't want to have to write you up again."

"Yeah, yeah." I put out my nearly-finished cigarette and purposely left my unopened bottle of ginger ale with the homeless man. As I opened the door to the store, I mumbled under my breath. "Did you come here on your day off for a reason, or did you just need someone to yell at?"

"What was that?" he said, folding his arms as he followed me inside.

"Nothing at all, boss-man. Now, what can I help you with, and please make it fast. As you can see..." I popped behind the counter and eyed the empty store. "I'm a very busy woman who needs to get back to doing her very busy woman things."

"I just came to check on the store."

"Well, as far as I can tell, everything's still in one piece," I sighed. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, actually." He pulled out his phone and started texting someone as he spoke. "Jenna won't be in at her usual time - I need you to work overtime tonight."

"Can't," I clicked my tongue. "Got plans."

"Cancel them, then," he shrugged, clearly disengaging from the conversation. "No one else is willing to come in, so you drew the short straw. Sorry."

"I am leaving at eleven," I replied, gritting my teeth in irritation. "Whether there's someone here to man the store or not."

"No, you're staying until one." The manager rolled his eyes and tucked his phone away with a sense of finality. "It's already been approved by the DM. Figure it out."

"Are you kidding me...?"

"And at least try to look busy, will you?" He opened the door with a look over his shoulder. "Better for our image. 'Night."

Fuck your image.

I leaned over the counter as he shooed the homeless man away before driving off and let out a groan of frustration.

A few minutes later, as I scrolled my phone to pass the time, I saw an ad that caught my eye.

'Tired of your dead-end job? Apply today to start your journey into a new career!'

"Huh. That timing, though." I chuckled under my breath. "It's a trades college..."

I frowned, lingering on the ad for a moment.

I barely graduated high school. Most courses from any college or university I could go to required courses I never took. I filled up my time with band, choir, jazz and musical theatre, and mostly skipped the other classes. Hell, sometimes I even skipped the music classes just to practice music on my own down the hall.

There was a time I wanted to be a meteorologist. Or a marine biologist. Maybe an actress, or a singer. Perhaps a firefighter.

Now? I didn't know what I wanted anymore. The options available to me felt unattainable at best.

Yet for some reason, this ad that I would have mindlessly scrolled away from any other night had me frozen in place.

"Ah, well. What's the worst that could happen?" I tapped on the ad and started filling out an intake form. "They'll probably take one look at my transcripts and laugh, but it'll beat spending my afternoon here of all places."

I clicked on the final 'submit' button and was met with a message:

'Thank you for taking the time to fill out our intake form! An admissions counselor will be in touch with you within 24 hours.'

Good for me. I think I deserve to go home a little early today. I stretched, making my final decision. I headed to the back room to change out of my shirt, leaving it haphazardly on the manager's desk, locked up and left the store behind me for the last time. Good riddance to bad garbage. Anything has to be better than this.

To be continued...

[evilprince-puppet-translation]

Home Voice Lines (Aquilegia)

Translation of Aquilegia characters' home voice line

Note:

It is not listed per their relationship level

The voice lines for their interaction with other factions will be on another post since this will be mainly focused on the members within the faction itself

I'll update the list when they add more seasonal voice lines

Claude:

Voice Line 1: I don't actually stay up late all night every day, contrary to what everyone says. My men are such worrywarts that it troubles me.

Voice Line 2: There's nothing like a cup of tea when you're tired. Shall I specially brew one for you?

Morning Voice Line: Good Morning. Do you slept well?

Afternoon Voice Line: It's this hour already? Let's have a tea break. How about meringue cookies?

Night Voice Line: You should rest now for tomorrow. Me? I'll work for a bit longer. I want to finish these up by today.

Seasonal Voice Line (Monsoon): Bored because of the rain? There are still many indoor games and knowledge you can do and learn.

Seasonal Voice Line (Summer 1): You can feel the atmosphere of summer. I think the only one who can handle summer among us is Oscar. Eric looks like he's not good with it.

Seasonal Voice Line (Summer 2): Missions under a blazing sun are life-threatening. Take care of yourself to intake plenty of water. Do you understand?

Halloween: Trick or treats, huh. Have you prepared treats? Or were you hoping for a trick from me?

Seasonal Voice Line (Summer 3): The days are still hot. I'll need to go and check the horses at the stables to see if they're feeling exhausted.

Seasonal Voice Line (Fall): How to spend the nights during fall? Nothing better than reading a book with a cup of tea in your hand. I have to finish my work now too.

Eric:

Voice Line 1: How do I spend my holiday...? I dropped by the library or the book shop. I often read mystery books and the likes.

Voice Line 2: I'm just doing what I can do to my best. I'm not concerned about others' opinion.

Morning Voice Line: Good morning. I've prepared myself to brace the mission for today as well.

Afternoon Voice Line: It's already this time of the day? I wonder if Captain has eaten his lunch properly yet...

Night Voice Line: I still have work I need to do. Just because it's night, I won't excuse myself to relax.

Seasonal Voice Line (Monsoon): The rain just keeps pouring... I need to take good care of my cherished rifle so that it won't rust.

Seasonal Voice Line (Summer 1): I sweated quite a lot. Let's go cool down at the stream. It feels great when you dip your legs in it.

Seasonal Voice Line (Summer 2): It sure is a seething heat... Good health management is also one of my duties. Please make sure to drink plenty of water too.

Halloween: Please control yourself even in Halloween. I'm not playing around, you know.

Seasonal Voice Line (Summer 3): The sunlight is still as scorching as ever. Looks like the autumn is still far away.

Seasonal Voice Line (Fall): I spend more time on my desk as the weather gets colder, I find myself getting into drawing.

Oscar:

Voice Line 1: Yo, what's new? Don't get yourself too worked up, take a breather with Big Bro here.

Voice Line 2: What's your favorite food? I'm thinking of whipping up something for you this time. Don't expect too much on the look though, since it's a guy's cooking.

Morning Voice Line: Morn'. Did you sleep well yesterday?

Afternoon Voice Line: Yawn~, nothing beats the sleepiness after eating a lunch. Now, let's take a short break~

Night Voice Line: I wanna hurry up and complete the mission so I can go drink. How about you too?

Seasonal Voice Line (Monsoon): I don't really feel like doing things when the air is damp~ Let's just blame it all on the rain.

Seasonal Voice Line (Summer 1): I want to go swimming in cold water when it's hot like this. I'll ask the youth to come along too.

Seasonal Voice Line (Summer 2): It's hot! It's a season where the beer tastes delicious after a mission.

Halloween: Trick or Treats! I don't want treats, gimme the booze!

Seasonal Voice Line (Summer 3): The heat still lingers around. The weather should cool off soon, so let's bear with it for a bit longer.

Seasonal Voice Line (Fall): You can't leave out singing and playing the guitar when you're thinking of what's the best to do in long nights. Let me tell ya, my guitar play is pretty popular.

Claude + Eric:

Voice Line 1:

Eric: Captain, would you like some tea? I've also prepared meringue cookies.

Claude: How thoughtful of you, Eric. Sure, I was just craving some.

Voice Line 2:

Claude: About this report, can you submit it by tomorrow morning? Sir Adjutant.

Eric: Of course. Please leave it to me, Captain.

Voice Line 3:

Eric: Staying up late again? Isn't maintaining your own body's health condition one of soldier's responsibilities?

Claude: Oh dear, Eric's eyes cannot be deceived. I need to improve myself better too.

Claude + Oscar:

Voice Line 1:

Claude: Oscar? You still haven't finished writing your report, where do you intend to go?

Oscar: Tch, caught me in the act... Oh, Captain commander. Yeah, yeah, I'll submit the report now.

Voice Line 2:

Oscar: Take some breaks once in a while. It's been a long time since I've seen you relax.

Claude: I've taken rest during spare times. But to have my subordinate worrying about me, it seems that I'm unfit as a commander.

Voice Line 3:

Claude: So you're here, Oscar. Disappearing without permission is a violation of duties regulations.

Oscar: I didn't expect Captain himself to search for me. You don't need to be concerned about me that much, I won't go anywhere.

Eric + Oscar:

Voice Line 1:

Oscar: How's it going? If you wanna spar, I'll be your opponent.

Eric: Yes, please. However, I won't allow you to go easy on me just because of our power differences.

Voice Line 2:

Eric: What should I do to be as strong as you, Sir Oscar...

Oscar: Don't obsess over it like that. That's one of your strong points but to me, that's also your weakness.

Voice Line 3:

Oscar: Hey young man. Will you be alright on the next mission? If you're worried, let Big Bro come with you.

Eric: No need. Please stop treating me like a child.

Group Voice Line:

Claude: I thank you both for your hard work. I'm sorry since we've just returned, but the situation has changed. Would you review the strategy till tomorrow morning?

Eric: Of course, Captain. We'll definitely complete it by tomorrow morning. Let's go, Sir Oscar.

Oscar: Ugh~ Are you serious!? You're really working me to the bone. Jeez... I'll definitely finish it quickly.

[domi-scu]

It’s the climb

I can’t believe we’re still struggling with waking up at decent time and need an alarm (which we ignore for an hour before actually getting up).

Either way, we tried to get ready as quickly as possible so that we can head out to Railay and check out the climb to the Lagoon. We still didn’t get there until just before lunch but there was an attempt! We took our usual water taxi, walked through the long street of shops to East Railay, which is really just a port for longtail boats with some fancy hotels, and started following the signs to the Lagoon.

We figured we could use a little caffeine boost and had a coffee near where the path started under the mountain. We watched some monkeys, while also watching our belongings from being stolen, and were lucky enough to see a monitor lizard lazily strolling amongst the tourists. I was really hoping that since the route to the Lagoon is a little more difficult, we wouldn’t have to deal with crowds but that was just wishful thinking. Tourists everywhere!

I’m not sure what I expected but the start of the path to the Lagoon was not it. It started to the side off a walkway between the mountain and some trees and you indeed do need to start climbing right away. And I don’t mean a steep hill, actual climb with only some ropes hanging along for a better grip if needed.

I very quickly realised that people are idiots who don’t care for their own safety and much less for others so this would be a much slower experience because we’d not only have to watch our own steps but also everyone else’s around us. Everyone seemed to be in such a rush that they didn’t care about almost literally climbing on top of each other, not letting others through. Ropes were also useless because others would grab it at the same time which meant that if they unexpectedly swing or pull the other way, you’ll go flying down. So we took a very chill approach to the whole thing and let people pass us every chance we got just to avoid unnecessary injuries.

The first wall we had to climb felt a little unexpected but there were quite a few places to hold on to and stand on so it was very much doable. We also made it up fairly quickly and walked over to the Viewpoint to take some pictures and see both of the Railay beaches. We ran into some actual climbers (unlike all the other people in flip flops) who gave us a heads up that the path down to the Lagoon gets a lot steeper and more difficult. I figured it’s probably okay because it’s not like it can get that much steeper than what we just climbed up, right? Wrong.

We start heading down the first wall (there was about 5 in total?) and I’m still wondering what the hell were the guys on about because yes, it’s a bit more rough but still very much doable. If you don’t count the idiot tourists that is. Some asshole decided to try and ‘outrun’ everyone on the wall by climbing next to them and so I essentially ended up holding his whole weight on the rope with my forearm because I guess he didn’t see me standing right in front of him? We very quickly decided to let him get as much ahead of us as he wanted to.

Under the first wall, there was about 100m long path through the mountain opening which, with a bit of sun something through the trees, looked almost magical. We had a bit of a breather and went to check out the wall number two. Now this is where I started to understand the warning about it getting a lot more difficult. The ‘steps’ in the wall were not as clear anymore (and in some parts non existent) and it was also really hard to find places to hold on to and you really had to rely on the rope. This was then made more tricky by the fact that halfway down the wall you have to move over to the other side and grab another rope, all without having anything steady under your feet so you’re really just leaning against the wall. It wasn’t impossible but definitely harder.

But then I had a moment (when switching ropes of course), when I simply couldn’t get enough grip with my feet and slid down a little. Nothing catastrophic, didn’t even get a scratch but it was enough to fuck with my confidence and I was really hoping that the hard bit was over. Spoiler alert- it wasn’t. Of course it wasn’t.

At this point, we’re both dripping sweat, have dirt everywhere and I need to pee. I have a quick look down at wall number three and I’m slowly regretting my life choices. As previously, Alex goes down first and I’m starting to realise I might not make it. But at the same time, I can already see the Lagoon and it’s really not that much further so I keep going. But about two steps down, I can’t find a place for my foot and there isn’t really anything to hold on to. I quickly consider my options and decide I’m done. The little break in confidence earlier did it for me and I’m not going any further without imagining myself splattered on the rocks with no one around to get me out.

Although we were so close, Alex decided to come back up with me and not finish the climb. He said that the couple more walls that we had left got even more complicated and even if I managed to scale down this one, I would possibly give up after. Oh well, I guess we won’t be using our travel insurance, which I’m quite okay with.

While I was waiting for him to come back up, I listened to the Czech couple next to me who were waiting for their friends. Now this will be important later but I generally don’t like to admit that I understand any Czech/ Slovakian people unless I absolutely have to or unless there is an opportunity I just can’t pass up. We took a little break while they started climbing back up and I guess they stopped to see the Viewpoint on their way.

By the time they were climbing down the wall that lead to the main path, we were about halfway through. There were quite a few people so we didn’t really rush and started talking to a girl who was climbing down alone. Which is about when the Czech people caught up and pretty much went straight through us. We got out of the way, slightly annoyed but whatever, at least we can get rid of them right?

One woman from the group was a lot slower than the rest but we were letting her go through as well as the rest was shouting for her to hurry up. She just informed them she doesn’t want to step on/ over us and that she’s on her way. That’s when the ‘faster’ (and much more rude) woman from the group says ‘oh, just ignore them and go through. They don’t know how to climb’. I know an opportunity when I see (hear) one so I replied (in Slovakian) that we indeed do know how to climb, we’re just not fans of falling down a rocky hill on our holiday. The faster woman got even faster and the slower one seemed quite grateful that she finally shut up.

The rest of the mountain after that was pretty uneventful and we were rewarded by a mama and baby monkey at the end of it. But man, it was definitely time for some cold beer and lunch.

Once we took a shower back at the hotel and got all the dirt off, it turned out I actually did manage to get quite a few scrapes and bruises on my legs but it’s nothing major and it was definitely worth the fun day.

Alex has been going on about needing a haircut since we got here (because apparently he has too much hair and it’s so very hot… I wouldn’t know what long hair feels like in the heat), he found himself a barber and went there for a quick cut. Except it wasn’t all that quick so I ended up walking around a lot more than I originally intended. But at least a found a shop with elephant trousers for 100 baht so I’ll be going on a big shopping spree soon. Can’t wait to buy that extra suitcase!

[pxepoety]

Title: Where are my friends?

November '21

The first time I self harmed without realizing it, I came one of my best friends that I met earlier that school year. She couldn't handle me that way because it was so out of my character to her, and said that maybe I should just take a day off from socializing or else I will be overwhelming to others (mainly her, possibly a tip for myself, who knows). A breather is what she said works for her, and that I should try it. Great, but I knew I needed a friend, some sanction, not a breather. How can I tell someone who feels they can't share and handle my pain, that that's what I needed? Am I scaring them away? Lacking social intelligence and social cues about when, where, and how to be a person?

August '22

Fast forward a year, and an expensive traumatic experience happened to me. Lost and scared and alone, I came to another friend who at the time I believe I fell in love with; in love with an idea of her, but she actually studied abroad for the majority of my infatuation. Or maybe that love was real because of the way she saw and treated me last year before her abroad-- she treated me as a real person.

Rushed by emotions, I impulsively trauma-dumped to her via text. I tried and tried to talk to her in person about it many times, but she was unavailable, so a text was my last resort before anything bad could've happened to me. I cried in between the lines of the texts,

please! Reach for me! I'm calling for help! I'm in pain and I need someone!"

But she couldn't read that. Instead, she cried at how overwhelming I am. Fuck. I did it again. I knew trauma dumping the story I gave her out of nowhere was inappropriate and unattractive, and I'm sorry. I broke my character because I wanted a friend to see me as the real me: lost, in pain, and lonely. She told me she believes she's not the right person I should be telling this kind of stuff to. Ouch, because I thought of only you when I was going through my troubles. She told me that maybe I needed friends, like quality friends. Maybe, like you? I thought.

I screamed inside my head, behind my tears that were falling in front of her. We sat in silence for a couple minutes for the rest of the conversation before I took her back to campus with a "start over?" Handshake. Great.

Reflection: January '23

I feel sorry that I've distanced myself from the first friend a bit to this day, but that's what she asked for, right? We don't hang out as often around school, only regressed to waves around campus and once a week lunches at the dining hall to catch up. Our school schedules are different this year so we logistically can't see each other as often as last year anyways, but is that really a proper excuse? Because of what she told me back in November, I don't think I can face her as close of a person as I could back then anymore. She told me she can't handle people like the real me, so I'm doing her a favor I tell myself.

I feel sorry for my friend who learned too much about me. Our relationship was heading somewhere totally different; a road that for now I can only dream of. Instead, I had to relearn a lesson. Maybe self sabotaging a second time is what it takes to truly learn something about yourself.

I learned that I don't have friends. I learned that I miss you. I learned that I miss myself, and who I was before all of this. I miss you *** & ******.

[aamethyst000]

hungover morning - Nov 21,22 8:49am

good morning! after drinking and hanging out with my friends, for once, I feel the hangover. I didn't take any pills this time, didn't eat and only had water. how can so many people still decide to continue drinking?? after experiencing even a little bit of hangover, all I want to do is stay in bed. however, because it is Monday and I apparently like to torture myself. I can't exactly go back to sleep or take a nap like I usually do. I might miss my alarm and end up forgetting to make my little brother's lunch, so, I am going to stay up till then. hf was it ever cold earlier, too. I got out of bed just shivering. now I am just debating if I want to make a pot of coffee or not.

10:50am - so, soon after I made a pot of coffee, I got invited out to go drink with my best friend again and she wants me there now and not this afternoon! lmao she just doesnt want to be patient. I am on my first cup of coffee, just had a toke. then, I am going to go take a shower after I put on pizza pops for my little brother and I. I will be bring a cup of coffee with me too while I go have fun hanging out with my friends. I'm really glad I didn't make the decision to take a nap! I'm pretty sure I would have missed my alarms if I tried. my stomach has been grumbling all morning, that means one of many things:

1. that I genuinely am hungry and have an appetite to eat

2. that grumbling will turn into stomach pain and lose my appetite

3. stomach pain(s) but still have an appetite

OR, this one is f u n to deal with.

4. body heat, sweat, stomach grumbling, getting dizzy, needing to lose a few layers of clothing, and just endure the whole experience.

it sucks, but what can I fckn do? take gravol and fall asleep? take some stomach medicine that I do not have rn? actually, lemme look it up in the pharmacy stores

11:33am - my best friend is getting impatient lmao, like very impatient 😂 I told her this afternoon and she still wants me down at her place before 1230 or 1 lmao

12:07pm - welp, I dealt with the body eat thing WHILE eating, like damn. I am impressed, however, I do not think that will happen again. that was difficult to get through without wanting to back out of this hang out with friends. that is what I am trying to avoid for today. after today though, I will probably need a week of recovery 😂😂

1:05pm - take a breather, I am not going to argue with them. I get where they are coming from. HOWEVER. they are both talking about how there are schools "forcing" kids to learn how to be Trans. then fucking talking about how men dress up as women to snoop on afab people/women and being a fucking Pedophile. now I am glad I am hanging out with my best friend to calm down.

3:11pm - I am at my best friends place now, I am 6 shots in. two cups of coffee in, and had something to eat. I am shocked I am even drinking again. we are having fun chatting away, being loud. she will be leaving in an hour to meet up with her family. and now they are starting drama with their exes partners lmao. oml and I am not even stopping them lmao I will be having a few more shots to help deal with this lol