#but that still limits me to what I can carry home in a backpack

[positivelyqueer]

Because I agonised for an hour or more this morning on how i would get groceries before 'allowing' myself to order them to be delivered:

You don't have to push yourself to your absolute limit constantly as a disabled person to prove you are worthy of care and support and recovery/improvement/symptom management. (I know this is a broad spectrum that varies for each person).

Abled people do strictly unnecessary things to make their lives easier all the time. You're allowed to do that too.

[blackcat-star]

[Married] Wiege.

Husband!Jinwoo x Fem!Reader.

« Someone who loves you | That's all he needs »

_____________________________

"흠, 음, 아가 (Hush, my little child)

어서 잠들거라 (And drift into your dream)

눈을 감으면 낙원에서 (A place where you can leisurely play)

뛰놀거라" (Our paradise)

Night has fallen over Seoul. It is time to start your bedtime routine which will help you unwind and sleep deeply tonight.

The moon radiates its bright light from the night sky tonight as it floats above like a large shining pearl. A soft spring wind moves across the landscape and enters the small room of a house near the city limits.

The pale curtains move slightly with the passing of a soft wind. Soft moonlight enters through the window to brighten the space where stuffed animals mingle with children's books in a pleasant and magical setting.

The room remains dark because the main lights are off while the night lamp shines softly and moonlight enters through the window.

Tonight is another quiet and peaceful spring night.

People who want peace should choose to live in the areas beyond the city limits. The outer city area remains quiet throughout the night with no vehicle noise or crowds like downtown but instead offers peaceful sounds of a baby sleeping next to its mother.

Sung Jinwoo remained still at the entryway while gazing into the room. He had just returned, he always came home late, his wife often nagged him about it. What could he do, the night was his territory, the most suitable time for all investigations and crimes. His job was to investigate and detain criminals, it sounded heavy and tiring.

But he did all this just to return to the warmth of his family's love.

His liitle, beloved family.

You were sitting by the crib, holding your little child in your arms. Your lips moved slightly, singing a lullaby in a deep, sweet voice like honey, so gentle that it made his heart skip a beat. You reached out to pat his back, your eyes strangely gentle.

He should have showered, changed, and crawled into bed like every other day. But that lullaby stopped him. Fixed him there, as if if he stepped into... this peaceful moment, it would shatter like glass.

Suho slept soundly in his mother's arms. Enveloped in the warm breath of mother's arms, mother's heart and the warmth of home.

Jinwoo's heart suddenly felt like it was melting.

He never thought that one day he would be able to start a small family of his own. The E-rank hunter back then never thought that his life would be like this, he didn't even dare to dream. Back then, he only cared about how to live, how to make money, he didn't think about falling in love, getting married, and having children.

Looking back at himself now, Jinwoo felt that he had accomplished so much. This was the greatest achievement he had ever had.

His wife and son.

You used to be a very strong and free-spirited person. You were always full of life and enthusiasm. Now that image has been replaced by a gentle image of you, the image of a mother and a wife.

You were once the brightest light on the battlefield.

He met you during the most chaotic days of his life.

A young girl with eyes that never looked down, walking through the ruins of a destroyed gate as if victory was inevitable. I once told him.

"This world is cruel, Jinwoo. But if we don't fight it, who will protect the weaker ones?"

You once stood alone in front of a high-level ogre, blood flowing from your forehead to your chin but my lips still curled into a smile. You once carried the wounded Jinwoo out of the battlefield, cursing profusely while your hands trembled with worry. You once rushed forward first, drawing your weapon from your backpack and shouting.

"Back off! Let me clear the way!"

Jinwoo never forgot that small but burning figure. Like a flame that resisted the storm.

You were never afraid. You were the first person to teach him how to hold a knife properly, the first person to swing a shield for Jinah when she was ambushed near the school gate. You were the one who climbed over the corpses of monsters alone to save a living child. And who once said, "We do not fight for fame, but for those who cannot fight."

There was a fire in you - strong, fierce, unyielding.

Yet, you were the one who put down your weapon first.

During your daily morning routine you started talking as you both drank coffee on the balcony. During your morning coffee you asked "What if I stop wanting to fight tomorrow? All I want is to become a wife and mother while devoting my time to my family."

Jinwoo paused to think before responding with a smile. "You made me realize this is the most lovely statement I have ever heard."

You smiled. Those eyes were no longer as fierce as on the battlefield. But gentle. Soft. But still you.

Jinwoo entered the room, very quietly, as if afraid to break the warm image. He sat down next to you, looking at the little boy who was dozing off. Suho's jet-black hair was like his, but those plump lips and rosy cheeks - they were clearly yours.

You didn't say anything, just leaned against your husband, your hand still patting Suho's back, the lullaby still on your lips.

"부드러운 (The gentle wind)

바람이 춤추고 (Writing its symphony)

간절하게  (The morning comes)

숨결을 스며들 때 (Unshaken and so certain)"

Suho is still sleeping soundly in his mother's arms.

Little Suho doesn't need to worry about anything, because his mother is always here to take care of him, his father is still here as a strong shield, protecting him from nightmares. And the shadow soldiers, always silently following behind, making sure everything is okay.

Suho was born with all the joy and love, so don't worry about anything, just sleep well, sleep soundly.

Jinwoo gently touched his son's cheek with one finger. The baby moved slightly, his tiny hand waving as if welcoming his father's presence, then lay still in your arms.

Then he looked at you. The soft light fell on your face, highlighting your eyes and lips.

In Jinwoo's eyes, you were always beautiful.

Jinwoo suddenly wanted to cry.

He would give anything for moments like this.

He would give up everything, even his blood and life, just to be able to keep this moment forever.

Jinwoo reached out, gently grasping the hand that was placed on Suho's back. That hand was still as strong as before, pulling him back from the brink of life and death. Now, that hand was caressing a small creature, with all the gentleness in the world.

The moonlight fell on your hair, creating a soft glow around your face. You were no longer the warrior you once were – no more blood, no more wounds, no more strong eyes that always looked forward. Now, you were Suho's mother. Jinwoo's wife. Home.

He just sat next to you, quietly listening to Suho's steady breathing, your lullaby, the spring breeze gently blowing through the window, and... the sound of his own heart beating.

He had thought he was dead, since the day his father went missing, then his mother fell into a coma, since his heart was covered in darkness, since he stepped into those dark and bloody dungeons. He had thought his heart would only live for fighting, for revenge, for protection.

But after he had solved everything, his heart beat for something else – for love.

Jinwoo lifted his gaze to study the window frame. The moon shines like a perfect round pearl in the night sky. The spring breeze continues to softly move through the grass blades as if a gentle spirit touches everything.

"자연스레 (Without a word)

품을 거야 (You will embrace)

노래하던 바다" (The endless sea that sings)

TAfter the song ended you placed Suho back into his crib.

Jinwoo held you close as he asked "Do you need rest?"

You leaned against his chest for support and pressed your face into his muscles while saying "Yeah...Suho tested my patience tonight and took forever to fall asleep."

He laughed quietly before placing a kiss on your hair and said "Thanks, love."

You studied him as you asked, "Why do you thank me?"

Jinwoo held your hand softly while keeping his gaze fixed on the peaceful face. "For choosing me. For staying here. For giving me a lovely family."

The moonlight remained suspended like a precious stone above the night sky. The soft spring air brought the fragrance of flowers and the night's fresh air into the room. Inside the small room three hearts made a soft family beat as they all throbbed in harmony.

"You are my home."

"And you are the last person I trust to turn my back on without defense."

_______________________

the song lyric: Wiege - Alien Stage

_________________________

Part of LIFE WITH YOU.

__________________________

[idontplaytrack]

All the snuggles

AJ Campos x fem! reader

Warnings: self-indulgent :p, fluff, reader is very whiny, age regression, sickfic kinda

- w.c.: 2.8k

After receiving a very concerning text from you, AJ’s been trying to reach you to no avail. “Gabi, can I have your keys?” 

“Sure.” Gabi handed it over to her sister, noticing the concern on her face, “What’s wrong?”

“y/n’s sick, I think. And she doesn’t have anyone at home to look after her.” 

“Flu?”

“Not sure, but she just threw up.” AJ sighed, “I’m gonna go over to her house.” 

“Yeah, go. Keep me updated if you can.”

AJ grabbed her backpack and left the lecture hall in a hurry, speeding to your house in Gabi’s car while being careful not to go over the limit. AJ let herself inside, promptly locating you in your room, curled up in a fetal position. 

“Hi, sweet girl.” 

You looked up, vision clouded, but you knew it was AJ because you heard her voice.

“I’m sorry you’re not feeling good, bubs.” She rubbed your back after sitting down next to you, “You threw up, huh.” 

You nodded, sniffling pitifully.

“You’re alright, hm? You were so brave.” She stroked your hair, kissing the side of your head, “Does your tummy still hurt?”

“No, my head.” You gulped, choking on a sob. 

“Do you want to go over to my house, honey? Would you like that?” She asked quietly, guessing that you were most likely having a migraine episode given how you were constantly shielding your eyes. You nodded, rolling over to snuggle against her leg. AJ couldn’t help but chuckle, “Sweetie, we gotta go in a minute.”

“Don’t wanna get up.” You mumbled.

“Okay, then can I get up to pack you a bag?” She asked, still stroking your hair.

“No.” You pouted, nearly bumping your nose into her leg. You scrunched up your face. She laughed, “Come on, you’ll be able to see the whole time. I’ll be right here. You wanna pick out a bag?”

You shook your head. “That’s okay, I got it.” She assured, then started to pat your head for awhile before moving her hand to your back. It doesn’t take long for you to get sleepy and be successfully lulled to sleep whenever you were with her— especially while regressed. “No.” You muttered, but your eyelid were drooping shut then fluttering open. AJ saw this coming, this little truck of hers always worked. She kissed your eyelids gently, then your nose, then your cheeks. You giggled groggily.

Last but not least, she pressed a tender kiss to your lips. You smiled, then she saw your body relax and you’d fallen asleep. So…she got up and went ahead to pack you a bag. She had some of your stuff at her place, but it wouldn’t hurt to have more just in case. AJ was done with the task in just about five minutes and carried the backpack properly on her shoulders before she’d picked you up and carried you downstairs to her car— after she’d made sure that you were holding onto your favourite plushie. She put you in the front seat with her, buckled you in and reclined your seat somewhat. Putting your backpack in the rear seat, she started the engine and drove off from your house.

It wasn’t a long drive, but she was glad you were still asleep and resting. She carried you inside and put you on her bed, catching your favourite stuffed Pua when it fell. It didn’t hit the ground. Putting him back in your arms, you seemed calm again. And while you were still out, she got ready the needed items for when you were dealing with migraines. Medication, fully filled water bottle, snacks and candies— to bribe you into taking your pain meds.

What finally woke you up was her dog, knocking over the bottle of painkillers. It was a little odd how small noises like that had the ability to wake you from your sleep.

“Hi, sweetie.” AJ smiled, patting your side as you laid next to her. She was sitting next to you and scrolling through her phone, but set it down since you’d woken up. She loved the sleepy/slightly confused look you had on your face, but she also knew you were a bit upset about getting woken up from your nap. “Ollie woke you up, huh.” AJ chuckled, rubbing your back soothingly. At the mention of his name, AJ’s Bernese Mountain Dog climbed into the bed to join in. “You wanna say hi?” 

You now had your head in AJ’s lap and petted the dog. He was happy to see you. This made up for knocking your pill bottle off the nightstand. “Okay, let’s eat something then take your meds, hm?” AJ nudged you to sit up. Doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t be leaning against her though, because you were. “My head hurts.” You sulked. “I know, sweetie. That is why we’re gonna make sure you have some food in your tummy before you take the pill okay? It’ll help you feel better.”

“Can I have Goldfish?” You requested.

AJ nodded, “Got ‘em right here.” Reaching over to grab the bag and your bowl, she poured some onto it and handed it to you for you to munch on. Then, she gave you your water bottle too. “Drink some water too.”

“Okay.” You replied, chewing on the crackers as you spoke. She pinched your cheek, making you scrunch up your face. “Do you want me to put the pill in some yogurt or pudding?”

You shook your head, holding out your hand for her to place the pill on your palm. “Alright, here you go.”

You swallowed that with a sip of water. “Attagirl. Good job.” AJ ruffled with your hair, “The pain will go down soon, okay? Just take some deep breaths. You want snuggles?”

You grinned, nodding eagerly and immediately flopped onto her, head first on her lap. “At least you’re smiling now. I don’t think this is very comfy though.” You then crawled into her lap and she just held you like she knew you liked. 

“Are you gonna nap again?” She asked in an airy tone, tickling your tummy. Shelaughed a little and shook your head, saying, “Nooo.” Hearing the jingling of Ollie’s collar, he got himself comfy too and laid down right where you could easily pet him. And you did, you gave him those head scratches he loved for a bit and soon, he fell asleep. “Aw, you got Ollie to fall asleep.” AJ noticed. You beamed, reaching up to do the same to AJ. She squinted, “Heeey, what’re you doing, honey? I don’t need head scratchies.” 

“But you like head scratchies.” You answered softly, though you’d stopped the action, your hand was still on her head.

AJ tried to have a stern look on her face so that you would listen to her and rest. But even then, you weren’t all that interested in listening and ruffled with her hair. AJ’s serious face cracked within seconds, getting replaced by a loving smile and she said, “I do like head scratchies. Thank you, baby.” 

Your sulk disappeared, then you smiled looking at her with such a curious and soft gaze. AJ smiled harder, her heart melting at the sight You really trusted her so much, the fact that you would get sleepy around her, even though you weren’t actually feeling sleepy in the first place? AJ was so glad that she could be your safe space, your person. Lightly, she kissed your forehead while holding you closer. “I don’t wanna eeeeep.” You squirmed, she didn’t want to, but she laughed. “Baby.” She grabbed onto you tighter, “What you doin’? You literally chose to lay in my lap.” 

You stuck your tongue out at her.

“Wow.”

“Wow.” You parroted her. 

She just glared at you— as a joke. She had all the time in the world right now to entertain you. AJ didn’t mind this one bit. So you looked at her too, the eye contact doesn’t waver until one of you laughs. And that’d be you.

AJ chuckled, “I won.”

“Hmph.”

“Come on, take a nap while you can.”

“I’m not eepy.” You mumbled.

“You’re not feeling well though, just close your eyes. You don’t have to sleep, honey.” 

Despite your resistance, both of you dozed off and had a pretty decent nap. You woke up first to the sound of someone coming home. It was definitely Gabi, the two sisters lived on their own.

“Hi, y/n.” She peeked into the room. Your eyes were barely open. You just gave her a smile in response and continued being held by AJ while you had your head on her chest. “I’m sorry, did I wake you up, cariño?”

You shook your head. 

“You hungry? I bought us food.”

Again. You shook your head, not talking. The medicine was starting to wear off so you were also starting to return to how you were like earlier in the day.

“Still don’t feel good?” Gabi asked, noting the closed curtains. 

You just looked at her. She knew. “Maybe later, then. Drink some water, though.” You got off from AJ’s lap and took your water bottle from the nightstand, taking some cautious sips. She smiled when you put your bottle back down, “You bored?”

You nodded, rubbing your eyes. 

“Wanna watch TV? I can help you set it up.”

Your face lit up slightly, she held out her hand, “Yeah? Come on. Remember your Pua.” Gabi reminded, you grabbed him before you got out of bed and held onto Gabi’s hand padding into the living room. 

————

You plopped onto the couch, covering your lap with the throw blanket draped on the couch. “What do you wanna watch?”

You proudly held Pua up to give her your answer. “Alrighty, Moana it is.” She laughed, “Here we go. You wanna eat yet? No?”

“No.” You actually answered. Gabi left the conversation at that, letting you watch the movie in peace while she went back into AJ’s room to check on her. After that, Gabi went to freshen up and change into a new set of clothes before joining you on the couch. Sneaking glances at her food, you eventually got a little tempted and stole a french fry. Gabi gasped playful, “Excuse you?”

“Pleaseeee.”

She couldn’t help it but let herself chuckle once again, “I’m kidding. You can have as many as you want.” 

“Nooo.” You answered, giggling, “Is yours.”

“We can share.” She told you.

“Hey, Gabs.” AJ woke up too.

“Oh good, you’re up! I bought dinner, it’s in the kitchen. Go get yours.” Gabi said, tilting her head towards the kitchen. “She doesn’t want to eat yet.” AJ hummed in response, smacking a kiss on your cheek when she walked past you. You giggled. 

She came back to the couch and you moved a bit so she would have space to sit next to you. “Can I have candy, AJ?”

“Hm, no.”

“Whyyyy.” 

“Because, you know how you get when you have too much candy.”

“I want a little bit.” You frowned, holding your thumb and index finger slightly apart to show your point.

“No.” AJ insisted, so you just sat there while hugging your Pua and continued sulking.

“Don’ttttt give me that look.” 

“Pleaseeee.”

“No ice cream, no chocolate, no candy. Especially not if you don’t want to eat your dinner.” 

The sisters watch tears well up in your eyes, you were defeated. You tossed Pua to the side and basically sat there staring at the TV, not even processing whatever was going on in the movie. The headache was creeping up on you once again, you were frustrated and beginning to be in pain like before, you didn’t have the appetite for anything and just wanted to have a little sweet to cheer yourself up. Of course, neither of them knew that. 

You scooched away from AJ to sit at the far end of the couch, knees hugged to your chest to hide your face and cry. Because of a mixture of reasons. But the pain was the main factor. They left you alone to let you calm down, both assuming it was nothing but a tantrum that you would get over in a few minutes. You soon disappeared from the living room to grab your water bottle, and you began chugging whatever was left in there in despair, hoping it would help your hurting head. Nope, not a chance. This wasn’t due to a lack of water intake, but a full blown migraine. 

You wound up running away to throw up for the second time that day. Nothing but water and what was left of the Goldfish crackers came up, you were miserable and pissed, hating that the point could get to the point of making you so nauseous. You hated throwing up but had to go through that alone— again . Rinsing out your mouth, you sat on the floor by the bed. A shaky sigh left your lips as you sniffled, rubbing your forehead in annoyance but it didn’t help. You heard footsteps, then someone crouched down next to you. It was AJ, and you just backed away. You made her mad and you didn’t like that. 

“Baby.” She stroked your head. “Come here.” 

And, you broke. You cried. She sees you cry. “Don’t feel good.” You hiccuped, “I sorry- I—” She engulfed you in a hug before you even finished your sentence. “No, no.” AJ rubbed your back, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t worry.”

“I don’t like throw up, AJ.” You wailed.

“I know, I know.” She soothed, still rubbing your back as she pressed a kiss to your shoulder. “You’ll be alright, baby. I promise. We just need to take the medicine again, okay? Come on.” 

You hesitantly took the painkiller again, then ate some fries from your portion that Gabi’s bought for you. Eventually, you slowly dug into the rest of your dinner, much to AJ’s relief. Only after the meds kicked in, of course. Towards the end of your meal, AJ slides a handful of Hershey’s Kisses to you silently on the coffee table. You saw them and smiled before finishing up the remainder of your chicken burger. 

You retreated to the room earlier that night, just sitting with the blanket over your legs with Ollie next to you. He licked your face, making you laugh and pet him. “Hi, Ollie.” 

He looked at you, then proceeded to lay on you as much as he could. You basically just cuddled him, leaning over him to put your head on him. He was a big dog, AJ’s had him since she was twelve. 

“Hi, sweetie.” AJ knocked on the bedroom door, “You left Pua outside.” 

“Oh.” You sat upright.

“Here.” AJ sat down next to you. “I’m sorry for getting upset over you wanting some candy.”

“Is okay.” You answered, you weren’t ever upset by her not letting you have some candy. You were only crying because of the migraine, everything else just triggered the tears easier— including AJ telling you ‘no’ to sweets. It was fair for her to say so, considering that you tended to easily get a sugar rush, especially this late in the day.

“Ollie, can I have my turn to get some cuddles with her, bud?” AJ chuckled over her words, jokingly squishing his flesh. He moved off of you and AJ pulled you onto her lap, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “I love you. I always will, even if I’m in a bad mood. I’ll just need a minute.”

“I know.” You snuggled closer to her, she grabbed Pua and waved to you with his leg. You laughed. “Sometimes…” You continued, “Sometimes I do that too, AJ. Is alwight.” 

AJ sniffled, getting teary eyed. You really held no real anger within you, it was all because you weren’t feeling well and thus feeling frustrated because you didn’t know how to make yourself feel better.

Resting her chin on your shoulder she continued, “Do you wanna finish the movie?”

You two ended the evening finishing up the movie that was playing at dinner. Then, got ready for bed together and promptly crawled under the covers all cozy. “You’re always ready for snuggles, huh.”

You nodded, grinning while you did grabby hands at her.

“One second.” She cracked a smile, hanging the face towel back on the hook by the bathroom sink. 

You whined, pouting. “Baby.” She squinted, laughing, “I’m right here. Come on, okay, okay. Snuggle timeeee.”

You squealed when she smothered you with kisses. “I think, you need some tickles.”

“Noooooo. I need snuggles.” You gave her your best ‘please eyes’, just staring at her until she melted. That always worked. “Okay, you’re right.” She smiled, a sigh leaving her lips, “You, my love, are getting all the snuggles you want.”

“Yaaay.” You muttered, “Can we go play tomorrow, AJ?”

“Sure, honey. If you’re feeling better tomorrow we can go out, okay?”

“Okay. Ni-night, AJ.” 

“Sweet dreams, honey.” AJ leaned down to press a gentle kiss to your head, “I love you. To the moon and back.”

You giggled groggily, “That’s silly.”

“Yeah?” She smiled hearing your laughter, you nodded, snuggling even closer. You love the warmth. “Okay, but I love you. Always. Never forget that, okay? Promise?”

“Promise.”

🏷️ Tag list: @arandomeee @ashecampos @auliisflower @cheesysoup-arlo @frogs00 @ludoesartandstuff @pda128

[ceilidho]

tell me something nuclear winter ghoap NOW!! (bo)

BO!!!!! ok you wanna read what i've got so far?? it's not very much but here's what i have for my project that's tentatively titled "permafrost"

At first, it comes as a series of lights in the distance, a gentle rain like a cascade of falling stars. And then, it goes dark.

It happens over the course of several hours. By the time the dust settles—and it never settles, never really settles, always hangs in the air and renders it unbreathable, unlivable—and the sirens quiet and the last few screams die off, there’s hardly anything left. Hardly anything left living. 

The initial blast doesn’t reach up the country and, for that, Johnny lasts the months after the first nuclear bombs are dropped. Somedays, he can barely recollect the hours after the initial impact; they come back in foggy chunks, stumbling out of his house, boots crunching over the glass that had been blown clean out of the windows, covering his eyes against the flash of light and staring out into the distance at the mushrooming cloud of smoke just cresting the horizon. The bottom falling out of him at the sight.

More bombs hit other parts of the continent, several in Russia, throughout Asia and down into Africa, and across the pond as well. The world goes up in flames in an hour. In his cabin up in the Scottish Highlands, crutches jammed under his arms in his haste to limp his way outside, he sees the blast and then hears it a minute or so later. A roar rippling through the air. 

It shatters the world. 

In the present day, the boat sways where it’s roped to the wharf, the waters choppy. Johnny sits on the deck in a foldout chair, fastening a new head onto his ax, fixing the metal wedge over the eye to hold it in place. The blade is cleaner than the one that’d just cracked, sharp from being run over the whetstone. He pulls his scarf back over his nose when it slips down his face.

His cabin in the Highlands hadn’t been a viable choice for longer than a few months, not after the cold had finally begun to set in. Too far up north. He’d made his way down south over the course of weeks, bringing with him only as much as he could carry. A bittersweet goodbye to the summer home of his youth, a hand laid flat against the door before turning on his heel and starting the long trek south.

It’s not any warmer farther down south, particularly around the coast where the wind gets bitterly cold, sinking into the bone. He’d found the boat on a whim, the only structure still relatively intact and, most importantly, isolated.

Making his home on an old boat might not win him any awards for brightest idea, but the downside to traveling further into the country, away from the untenable glacial weather up north, is that it coincides with the areas where the bombs were dropped, leaving limited options for shelter.

Months pass. Years pass. 

His ankle healed funny all those years ago from prolonged bouts of starvation before desperation kicked in and from traveling miles on foot. He’d driven a portion of the way down north until the roads had outlived their usefulness—asphalt cracked, chunks of bedrock spiking up out of the ground. The rest he’d managed with his crutches and a single backpack, leaving the car to rot some three hundred or so miles up the country.

It's some strange occurrence, Johnny thinks at age thirty-something (he’s lost count), that his lot be murky, for death to miscount. He witnesses an apocalypse and comes out the other side. Happenstance. Coincidence, that he’s discharged from the military not a month before the first bomb hits London and leaves a crater that never fills, that never heals. A pockmark in the earth. 

His lips twist bitterly. The price of a long life is a barbed and slick soul. 

​​Immortality sometimes occurs to him, or godship, but neither option rests well with him and Johnny wonders if this is how gods are born: not of sea foam but of inevitability, of miscalculation, of death's err, of smallness, of acorns he carried as a child through pastures behind his summer house.

He sniffs. Cuts that memory off at the quick.

Johnny gives himself a couple more minutes to fiddle around with the ax before looping it into the gear loops on his backpack and buckling it in.

[MISSING STUFF HERE]

Much of the city has returned to nature, rubble encased in snow and ice; the stores have long been looted or reduced to ash from the blast. 

[literallyjusthereformods]

I've Been Holding This Hand For Eons And I'm Not Gonna Stop Now

It’s the first day of college, and it’s finally the day I get to meet you.

I’m walking down the stairs. My legs are trembling, but I make them still.

You look different. You always do. But you’re still the same. I can tell by the way you look at the flowers.

It’s the same look you used to give the ferns all the way back then, before the flowers existed. 

The red ones were your favorite.

They still are. I see you unconsciously searching for them. The way your eyes light up when they fall upon the blood-colored petals in the school’s garden.

You don’t see me yet. I’m pushing through the crowd. I’m slinking between backpacks and vests in a sea of first-time scholars. 

I’ll be the one to reach you first. I always am. I always will be, friend.

I’ve held your hand for eons.

I remember when you picked me up off the street in your motorhome. I had been walking for thousands of miles. You took me into your home, and I laid beside you in your bed. Me, in my dingy leather coat. You, in your old faded t-shirt. 

You liked to listen to the radio, in that life. It had been a novelty for a few decades, but this was the first time it had caught your attention.

The radio waves buzzed in the air as my blood soaked into your shirt. We were chest-to-chest on the floor, and you were holding the knife.

We cut fruit open together in the summer with that knife. The bees would circle us curiously, and we would kiss with fruit juices still on our lips.

I had a feeling that blade would be the same one you used to end me. 

I remember the adventures we had in the existence before that one. We were two thieves in a city too big for us small creatures.

We were cornered on the edge of a rooftop once. Your life flashed before your eyes.. I carried you for six miles across the skyline… to the outskirts… in my arms by the power of my wings. You trembled the entire way.

But we made it. We landed in a condemned factory outside of city limits. Once your feet were on the ground, you fell to your knees and began to cry. I stayed with you, through your panic. I spread my wings over us both when it began to rain.

The next morning we took a taxi back into the city and stayed in a rundown motel.

We died young, in that time around.

We were running for our lives from law pursuit. I looked back for just one second at what horror we had done. It was just a second. 

I felt the blood running down my face before I heard the sound. Pieces of my skull hit the floor. 

You, in your panic, had pulled out your gun, and you had cut the dead weight from your escape.

You didn’t make it out of there. You were gunned down seventy-three seconds later. They rained upon you a hell of bullets, for your singular one.

I had tried to run from you in a time before that, but in that life my wings had been born undone. They were small, and could barely unfurl. You had the advantage in a barefoot chase, and I was snared by the ankle in one of your traps. Hunter’s pride and gluttony shone in your eyes when you came to my side, as I lay exhausted on the ground. What you did with me, I never found out. But a century and a half later, I’m convinced that one pelt that hangs in the museum is mine.

I step out in front of you, and hold out my hand. “Hi, my name’s Siruan. Would you like to walk together?"

Surprised you stop, looking me up and down. Then, you silently take my hand.

Your thick, hoofed fingers are wrapped gently in my talons.

I’ve been holding this hand for eons, and I’m not going to stop now.

[clatterbane]

One good thing that came out of today's early morning trip out for more bullshit bloodwork: I found some promising-looking vegetables, which are pretty exotic by local standards but remind me of home! One of the benefits of living in an immigrant-heavy neighborhood. (Doesn't really matter where from IME, just as long as it's got longer warmer growing seasons there.) Hasty lap shot of today's haul when I was about to head home.

Much better view after getting home! Some nice young examples of one common Middle Eastern variety of summer squash, along with some okra. Which was borderline overgrown by my standards, but it didn't feel like it was going all tough and dried out yet--and it's the nicest fresh okra my admittedly near-hermit ass has spotted in years.

On the way home this morning, I got Mr. C to drop me at the nearby shopping center, so I could pick up an Instabox package (shoes) and enjoy the weather and a little exercise while "strolling" the rest of the way.

It was still early enough that at least half the businesses weren't even open yet, but that also meant that things were enough less busy that I felt like I could get in more easily for a better look at a couple of stores I'd wanted to check out more. One of them a halal butcher shop with attached fruit and vegetable shop just across from there, obviously run by the same people. Both are usually mobbed enough that I haven't felt like shoving myself in--especially with the chair.

The butcher side was still not looking so accessible, even with only a couple of other customers in there, plus a few workers finishing getting things set up for the day. I also figured that I didn't really need to go on an early-morning meat buying spree in hot weather--much less when my backpack was already completely full of shoebox, and carrying capacity was already pretty limited. So, no meat for me.

The other side did, however, lure me over with some gorgeous plums. Which sadly turned out to still be so hard that I noped away from those. Yes, I am that produce prodder, and I can be particular. Was hoping they would have some nice leafy greens out front today, but no such luck.

But, then I did spot the okra and then the squash.

I didn't grab much today, since I am the only one in the house who really likes either thing. Plus the okra was running the equivalent of US$7.69/kg, or roughly $3.50/lb. 😓 Squash was $2.90/ or $1.30/lb by comparison. I got away at about $2.50 for both of them together, which really wasn't at all bad by local standards. I am also cheap as hell sometimes and also still mentally comparing with prices on locally grown squash and okra in a much more rural area 15-20 years ago when I was last buying anything back home.

I am also now lowkey pining for some Floyd County peaches, and J. Random Farmer's cantaloupes that he's selling off his truck by the road. Then there's the fresh just-picked regional variety corn. 🙄

If that okra is any good and I see more there in nearly as good a shape, I may have to pick up enough more to try pickling a few jars of it. That's one thing that I do miss sometimes, and I don't really want to try with the frozen stuff--which is usually better for cooking than what I see fresh anymore.

The produce side also carries a bunch of dried fruits and nuts, and some other loose bulk goods including some interesting-looking Afghan brown sugar in like fist-sized chunks which I'd never seen before, but made me think of panela or jaggery. May need to try me some of that.

Also looks like the place to go if you want a sack of pumpkin seeds or similar at reasonable prices! Today I did not, and also did not particularly want to carry that home in my lap because that would have been the only place for it.

Their produce is all out front, but I did go ahead and bull my way back through the rest of the store to get a good look at the dry goods. Needed to shove a couple of obstructions out of the way in the narrow aisles, but I was the only customer in there at that point and idgaf. It was well worth a look around. May need to go back another morning after a few things that looked good.

There is also a spice shop a couple of doors down, which always smells heavenly to go past but is usually so packed that even Mr. C hesitates to peruse it on foot. There were few enough people in there too that I had to roll through and case the joint. Did look and smell like some quality stuff at decent prices. Also some pretty good looking bulk bin dried fruits and nuts and other snack items, and some assorted Middle Eastern sweets. I didn't buy anything there either today, but will probably need to make a morning raid on that too before too long.

But yeah, the day was not all bad. I also got to see a delightful young Boxer out for a walk on the way home.

[mbenz1357]

Sorry it's been a while... life just a bit busy but anyway another batch of Pokemon Sky Trekkers! Quick warning it's been a while since I saw Yugioh GX, so some things might be off. Without further ado...

Jim "Crocodile" Cook

As it was stated in Duel Links, Jim dropped out of South Academy and quit dueling for a while. After doing some traveling, he ran into Axel along the way after the latter graduated.

After they both Fell to Poke-Earth (more specifically Galar's Wild Area) they at first feared they were in the Different Dimension again, but that theory quickly died when they A) noticed the area was less of a wasteland and B) saw Shirley, Jim's pet crocodile has turned into a Krookodile. She's become sort of a middle ground between eebydeeby and mystery gift.

While decently smart as a croc, becoming a Pokemon gave Shirley true sentience. Jim once pointed out to the crew, "It was like getting to know her for the first time"

While she can walk alongside him more easily now, Shirley still likes being carried around like a backpack.

He participated in some archeological digs when traveling with the Sky Trekkers, although he feels a bit... iffy about reviving fossils. The only reason he has a fossil mon on his team was because he saved it from poachers who stole a Tyrunt from some scientists, and the Tyrunt didn't want to leave him.

In a similar vein, Cara Liss is on his shit list when he heard about her poor Frankenstein abominations of fossil mons.

The Eye of Orichalculm gives him minor Aura sight, but he still keeps the eye bandaged because, unlike a Lucario or an Aura Guardian, he can't turn it off.

Him and Hanji tend to be research partners often, and like Dogday, he does tend to make sure they don't go overboard

Axel Brodie

Axel had to do a lot of paperwork to still use his gun despite it only shooting cards. (A lot of the crew still raise their eyebrows at that)

He did modify the gun a bit to also fire pellets made from Type Gems. (Law enforcement have similar weapons)

After a while and some convincing Axel and Jim did Duel to demonstrate how it works. (Aoi: "Still don't really understand how your world revolves around this card game... Axel: "Well, man, no one's home is normal from an outsiders perspective. Aoi:"....Well I suppose I can't argue with that logic."

He's one of the few people who can arm wrestle Donkey. He doesn't win, but he lasts longer than most.

Gammamon

His egg was found in the Wild Area by Shirley. It triggered some nesting instincts.

When he hatched as a Curimon, nobody really knew what he was. They thought he was a new pokemon since all he said was "Curi!"

But until he digivolved into Gurimon and started to say more words (granted, they were mostly things like "Play!" and "Hungry!" but still) was when even Jim and Axel, whose pokemon knowledge was limited, realized this probably wasn't typical.

When he finally became Gammamon, he could finally speak full sentences and say he was a Digimon not a Pokemon but...

Jim- "All right, squirt, what's a Digimon?"

Gammamon- "... I dunno!😃"

Shirley still sees him as her baby and constantly fusses over him.

It wasn't until they meet another Digimon, a SymbareAngoramon who's fighting in the Ferrum League, that they had a more complete picture about what a Digimon was.

Him and the other Sky Trekker kids, June, Cody, and Ika, are his best buddies and get into a lot of mischief together.

After a while, Gammamon could digivolve into his champion forms depending on his emotions.

BetelGammamon for when he's feeling strong and confident

KausGammamon when he's feeling light and carefree

WezenGammamon for when he's being protective

And even GulusGammamon for when REALLY mad, sad, or depressed.

PHEW! This took me forever cuz I really had to think about what I wanted and even then I'm not 100% on it, especially with Axel.

Well, there's one more headcanons post for the Canon Sky Trekkers as I call them before we get the OCs. See you next!

[ashrillvenheim]

Awakening Past

Chapter 20

NOTE: I mentioned in the previous chapter my method of limiting myself to the pages I write. Well, in THIS chapter I seem to have FORGOTTEN. The ones that come after if I have stuck more to that rule XD

pairing: Ashley Graham x Leon S Kennedy.

Content: (+18) romance, angst, gore, erotic/suggestive themes at some point, slow burn, violence, action, self-harm, death talk,

If you're a MINOR DON'T keep reading, thank you.

Archive of our own / WORK LIST / Awakening Past Masterlist

prev/next

Narsson drank water for the twelfth time and cleared her throat softly. Here she thought the trip was going to be exciting and she would have a lot to talk about. They'd been provided a private jet for their trip to Norway and Enma would be elated... if Ashley wasn't quiet and impassive as an iceberg. What had gotten into her? She thought about asking him, but then... she remembered their mild confrontation days before, when she told him she was sleeping with Leon. It was definitely normal for her to be angry.

The teacher sighed and got up. 

"I'm going to get something to drink, want some?"

Ashley let out a single grunt of denial and Enma rolled her eyes walking to the back seats of the plane, where Leon, Chris, and Jill were. Redfield saw Narsson's long face and leaned back in the seat.

"Is something wrong, Enma?"

"I don't know what's wrong with Ashley, but she looks like she's carrying a ticking time bomb about to explode."

This time it was Leon who breathed heavily.

"Yes... yesterday... she came home very angry."

The three of them turned to him.

"And do you know why?"

The agent kept sliding his finger across his cell phone, reading the latest news.

"She didn't tell me, but..." he fell silent suddenly, remembering how she undressed in front of him.

"But?" asked Narsson with some impatience.

"She had a date, so whatever it was, something had to go wrong."

Enma's eyes widened in surprise. Ashley had gone on a date? With whom?

"Did I know him?"

"Narsson," Leon's voice was a little dry. "This is not the time for gossip, okay?"

The woman was surprised at the man's blunt tone, feeling a shiver run down her spine. It was as if... he was also irascible about Ashley's situation, had they fought? The truth was, it was burning Leon alive inside that night. The one date night Ashley had and she came back barely an hour and a half after she left. Something went terribly wrong. And from the way she asked him half naked if there was something wrong with her, he could tell it had been something that Dylan had done.

He raised his blue eyes to Ashley's seat in the back and caught her profile looking out the window. When they got back, she would have a little chat with Dylan.

"Ladies and gentlemen passengers, please fasten your seat belts."

Narsson hurried back to her seat next to a mute Ashley and they waited for the plane to land.

*

Time had decided to go against them. They had arrived in Oslo, where one of those rare summer storms would take place and the temperature was lower than they had expected. Even when they arrived at the hotel, they were notified that a polar front and probably snowfall would be coming in the next few days.

They went up to their respective rooms with little more than their carry-on bags, something that Narsson found horribly hard.

"I still don't know how you can travel with so little," said the anthropologist. 

Ashley dropped her backpack in the closet and plopped down on the bed.

"What more do you need than clean underwear, a toothbrush, a bar of soap, and two changes of clothes, huh? All that stuff fits in a bag and you have plenty of room left over."

Enma growled indignantly and Leon laughed softly, aware of the influence he had had on Ashley's attitude. Efficient and simple. Enma grunted at the blonde's response and went to the bathroom.

"I'm going to take a shower before you tell me to use the rain for that too."

Jill laughed and pulled out her things. They split up the rooms, leaving the three-bed side for Jill, Ashley, and Enma, and Chris and Leon the double on the other side of the room.

Ashley turned her head toward the large window and watched the dark clouds beginning to form on the horizon. She didn't mind the cold, in fact, it was pleasant to her in regards to the smells. Winter and autumn were the times when she had the least headaches, as the humidity made them cooler, unlike summer. Her thoughts were lost as she heard the voices of the agents in the background and Leon became aware of her absent air. He was still thinking about what Narsson had asked him on the plane. They were on an official mission and all he could think about was what had happened that night. Ashley hadn't told him anything else and it was eating him up inside. He sighed heavily and tried to think of something else. He glanced at the clock and grabbed his jacket.

"I'm going to go ask what time dinner is." He turned around to head out of the room.

"I'm coming with you."

Leon froze as he heard Ashley's voice and saw her walk past him. The man stood transfixed for a second, where he met Chris' eyes and he gave him a soft affirmation, encouraging him. Kennedy took a deep breath and walked out with Ashley into the hallway.

In the elevator, Leon felt his nerves churning in his stomach and decided to pull out something to chat about before Ashley noticed, although she probably would have already.

"Do you think I can't manage to ask about dinner?"

The soft laugh Ashley let out made the man suddenly calm down.

"I don't trust your Norwegian."

"The receptionist knows English."

"Yes, but the gentleman who works with her doesn't, so what do you do if he attends to you?"

Leon smiled.

 "I trust my sign language skills."

"Well, I don't."

Leon finally laughed and they were silent for a few moments. He thought about it and went to part his lips to ask her about the incident when the metal doors opened at reception. Ashley walked out first and Leon followed with a sigh. She could feel the tension between them since the argument they had at the museum, where he reproached her for only having eyes for Narsson. After that happened about her dinner and they hadn't spoken again. And she didn't like it at all.

She snapped out of her thoughts when they approached the counter and an elderly man served them in Norwegian. Leon turned to Ashley who gave a mocking pat on his chest and struck up a conversation with the man. Leon stood listening to her engrossed, when suddenly his cell phone vibrated. The man took his eyes and attention away from the counter and slid his finger across the messages, seeing a number he didn't know. It was Emily. He arched his eyebrows and opened the notification, not expecting what he saw next.

It was a piece of news. A short, unfocused video of an altercation in a restaurant with a gunman. Leon's thumb paused as he read another message from Connors.

“Tell me it's not Ashie.” 

Leon was struck mute and reflexively clicked on the link to the video. It was barely ten seconds, but in the low quality, he could see a gunman pointing a weapon at some people and one of them was tapping the gun before the shot and then reducing the assailant. It was not clear. It didn't have good quality or good focus. But it had blond hair. And the way to get rid of an assailant with a gun was the same technique he used.

His blue eyes lifted to his companion, who was still chatting with the old man at the hotel, and then he looked back down at his cell phone. Emily had texted him again.

"And?"

He took a second and then typed in the answer. If that video was real, the time Ashley arrived... how agitated she came back... it fit that situation. He told Emily and she replied.

“Has she told you about it?”

“No.” He replied.

“I see...” Connors took several seconds to text her again “maybe it's not her, if she didn't tell you it could just be a fluke.”

Leon knew Emily didn't think so, any more than he did. Because it was too much of a coincidence. But he answered her the same way, trying not to make a big deal out of it and then saying goodbye to her. But now there was already a demon inside him demanding to know what the truth was. His muscles were tense again and his heart was racing as he saw Ashley finish speaking and look for him in the crowd. It didn't take him long to find him and walk towards him.

"They have food service for the rooms, they have dinner here very early."

Leon affirmed without replying and Ashley arched her eyebrows.

"Is something wrong?"

The agent summoned all his training and answered matter-of-factly.

"Yes, the jet lag is killing me and I think I'd like to take a shower before I order dinner."

Ashley didn't doubt his words. She had no indication that he was telling her a lie, so she nodded and turned toward the elevator. Leon watched her walk and his countenance became somewhat more serious. Luck smiled on the man when no one else entered the elevator with them. His mind was going a thousand, still replaying the brief video he had seen, but he wasn't going to mention it to her, that wasn't right. So he opted for what he thought that day when he walked into her house and almost got naked in front of him.

"Ash, what happened that night?"

He heard Ashley's heart skip a beat and turned to look at her.

"And don't tell me 'nothing'."

The blonde sighed, aware that there was little she could hide from Leon at that point, but... she didn't want to tell them about her misfortunes.

"I guess everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong."

That was her answer and, honestly, Leon had expected something more elusive. Even if it was vague, it told him enough about the situation. He clenched his fists.

"Dylan did something to you?"

Ashley could sense the irritated tone of the question and for a moment she felt again everything she went through that night. Everything that made her arrive at Leon's house almost in tears and almost undress in front of him. He had to swallow his breath before answering.

"Why do you care so much? I didn't ask you about Narsson."

There went that little knife again. Leon frowned at his companion's hurtful words, but he didn't hold it against her. He was just being honest.

"Because I care about you, Ash, and... I've seen you down since then."

Those words made Ashley feel guilty for what she had just told him and she sighed to make amends for her defensiveness.

"I turned out not to be his type."

Leon watched her. Wasn't she going to tell him about the armed man incident? Or maybe she wasn't because it hadn't really been her.

"And what was his type?" he asked, wanting to see what else he could get out of her, but he didn't expect Ashley to give him a blunt answer.

"At least not one that could break his arm with her bare hands."

The elevator stopped with a "ding" and Ashley stepped out first, leaving her interrogator behind. She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to describe the way Dylan looked at her when she took the gunman down, when she almost dislocated his shoulder. She didn't want to tell him about the helplessness she felt when her date had idealized the Ashley who sang drunkenly that last time. A woman eager for romantic affection and with a seductive, mysterious air. That was the image Dylan had had of her. And that was shattered with a simple show of force.

Ashley clenched her fists, holding back the lump in her throat. Even that night she refused to cry out of shame that Leon would hear her. And she still carried a needle in her chest. Was it that hard to like someone in all her ways? She opened the door and walked in with a sigh, followed by Leon, who looked at Chris with a long face. Redfield understood that whatever conversation they'd had, it hadn't improved the situation they were in much.

"Any news?" was all the brunet could say as Ashley jumped into the shower.

"We have to order the food," Leon explained, sitting down in the shared living room. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Ashley grabbed her sleepwear and walked quietly to the bathroom. It definitely hadn't changed a bit and worst of all, he knew she hadn't told him the whole truth. Was she ashamed to tell him? Leon thought for a second and finally growled to himself. How could she tell him about her romantic emotions when he himself lied to her every time she asked him about his? 

God, he was such a jerk.

*

After everyone had cleaned up and made themselves comfortable, they called room service to order dinner. Narsson had been lying in bed from the long trip, so Ashley took over translating the orders. Chris, Jill, and Leon listened to her like children, still amazed by the strange language that sounded alien to them. Ashley managed to tune out a bit by speaking in another language she had so far only shared with Narsson, and a part of her started to feel better when she was done.

When dinner arrived, Enma awoke from her coma and they ate together in the living room. They planned out everything they would do tomorrow at the museum and got a few things in order. Chris and Jill ran down the list to Narsson about the confidentiality of the trip and the half-truth about the BSAA's involvement as a means of security and blah blah blah. They all knew Narsson would end up doing her own thing, so they would make sure to keep an eye on her.

With their bellies full, it didn't take long for them to go to sleep, and although not everyone's mind was at ease, the fatigue of the trip ended up dragging them deep into the darkness of dreams.

*

They had brought a lot of new pieces with them since the last time Narsson came. It was Ashley's second time traveling to Oslo, the first being the year she started paleobiology at Amherst. Her amber eyes swept over the various display cases that protected specimens of the fossils found by Narsson early in her career as an archaeologist. Through the glass, she saw the three agents prowling the hallway with watchful eyes, on the lookout for any movement. She noticed Leon looking at some old bronze pieces and for a few seconds she remembered their conversation in the elevator. He knew perfectly well that he was hiding part of the truth from her, he was no fool, but at least he had been considerate enough not to bring up the subject again. At least for now.

"Narsson, long time no see."

A male voice sounded next to her speaking in Norwegian and Ashley saw a man hug her former tutor.

"It's been a while, Professor, do you remember my student? Well, she's graduated, she's not my student anymore," smiled Enma pointing to Ashley, who shook the man's hand.

"Of course I remember you, young lady. How's your Norwegian?"

Ashley smiled broadly. 

"Much better, sir."

The professor arched his eyebrows in surprise and clapped his hands proudly.

"Impressive."

Graham felt a great satisfaction come over her as the three of them began to chat and this time she actually managed to follow the conversation.

As the three of them chatted, Leon watched Ashley get into her sauce. Chris and Jill noticed the way he was looking at the president's daughter and decided to mess with him a little.

"You're going to erase her face from staring at her," Jill whispered in a mocking tone, causing Leon to turn quickly to her.

"Just listening," he turned to the other relic, but Chris rounded his broad shoulders.

"Yeah yeah, sure Kennedy. Hey, were you able to figure out why she was that mopey on the plane?"

Leon sighed, remembering the video and the conversation in the elevator.

"Sort of, although she didn't want to tell me."

Chris and Jill looked at each other and it was the woman who followed.

"Are you sure it's nothing serious?"

Kennedy thought long and hard about telling them, but he didn't want there to be any problems later, so he opted to tell them what Ashley had mentioned.

"It was a date gone wrong. Very badly," he finally punctuated, looking at the red stone bracelet on his wrist.

"Is she like this because of a bad date?" Chris was surprised and Leon glared at him.

"What, she can't be like that?"

Chris was amazed at Leon's sudden change in attitude and shrugged his shoulders with a sigh.

"I'm not saying she can't, but we've all been there, haven't we?"

"I think you and Jill have rejected others more than you've been rejected."

"Well, I mean, yes, but you get the same hard time," Jill justified.

This time Leon laughed derisively.

"No, it's not the same at all," he growled under his breath, the voice of his memories taking power in him, making him think of his past relationships and how they made him feel like a loser.

Chris and Jill sensed that darkness in Leon's words and were aware of how little they knew some facets of him. Chris cleared his throat and tried to work something out in the direction of the conversation.

"And... has she told you why?"

"No," the man answered in a whisper, ‘she just walked into my house all of a sudden and undressed.’ he thought to himself and then added. "But whatever it was, it's something that asshole told her."

Jill stared at him for a few seconds and Leon turned to another display case.

"You're not... jealous?"

Leon stiffened.

"Me? Jealous of what?"

Valentine jabbed his elbow gently.

"Of that guy asking her out."

He looked at her with reddened ears and frowned, looking away.

"I'm just pissed off because he gave Ash a bad evening, not jealous."

He remembered the dinner they shared after Ashley's presentation. On how they laughed and played. It was a very nice evening and that was how the one the other day should have been.

"He doesn't deserve her then," Chris said in a firm tone and Leon looked at him.

"Definitely not," he agreed with the dark-haired man as he looked through the glass of the display case at Ashley's figure.

Narsson chatted a while longer with his old professor while Graham said goodbye to him to go and explain the situation to the agents. The three turned to her.

"Well, he said-"

"Ash, in our language," smiled Leon. Ashley looked at him in confusion, until she realized he had continued speaking Norwegian.

"Sorry, we've been talking about Narsson fossils and the like."

Chris crossed his arms.

"What's the latest?"

"It's not a clue per se, but he mentioned to us that to the north, in the direction of Tradheim, in the more coastal area, they are carrying out small excavations in search of ancient Scandinavian vessels or objects. They seem to have found primitive sites half a year ago and started digging about a month ago," Ashley explained, looking at the notes in her notebook.

"It doesn't seem to have much to do with what we're looking for, does it?"

"No, but in Spain I doubt the miners in that town expected to find fossilized parasites. You never know."

It was a valid enough argument in view of the situation, so Redfield nodded without complaint.

"And where did you say it was?"

Ashley named the directions Narsson's professor had given her and watched Chris's brow slowly crease.

"I think I'm going to buy aspirin for the trip, my head is going to burst with this language."

"Don't be exaggerated," laughed Ashley and then saw Jill and Leon's expressions. Leon responded with a sigh.

"Ever since I started going to college with you, I still don't understand shit every time you talk to Narsson."

Ashley rolled her eyes at the sight.

"I'm going to buy you a goddamn dictionary," grunted the blonde.

"Hey, that's what we got you for, right? To translate," smiled Chris, but Ashley sighed heavily.

"The one who's going to need those aspirin, is going to be me...."

The agents laughed helplessly and one of the museum guards hissed for them to lower their voices, making all four of them blush with embarrassment. Ashley scolded him and they were invited to lunch by Emma's teacher, something none of them denied. Their stomachs, already empty, rumbled so loudly they feared they'd be thrown out of the museum at that rate.

*

Chris cursed for the nineteenth time when he heard the desperate voice of the GPS.

"Shut that thing up Jill."

Valentine rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't have to if you just followed the guide, why the hell didn't you turn at the exit?"

"Because it didn't look like it went anywhere to me."

Jill wanted to strangle him. Her murderous impulses were definitely starting to burn inside her.

"What didn't you think? You're in a foreign country! What the hell does it look like to you if you don't know anything around here!" Jill burst out, unable to take it anymore.

"Please forgive me, Miss Smarty Pants! I'm sure you've got the address wrong!" exclaimed Redfield, losing his patience and about to rip the GPS off the dashboard when it spoke again.

Jill looked at him in disbelief.

"So now it's my fault? You've got some balls."

The trio in the back seat listened quietly to the scene, but all three thought the exact same thing.

They looked like a marriage.

"I'm sure you spelled the address wrong." Chris repeated, tapping the little machine somewhat aggressively. Jill slapped his hand.

"You're going to end up breaking it, you handful."

"Then fix the damn address yourself."

"The address is right, I typed it in." Ashley said nervously from the back seat. Jill put her hands up to the sky.

"Thank God! Someone who agrees with me."

Redfield grunted, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

"Then the thing is broken."

"How about you do what it says and stop complaining?" Leon finally jumped in with a sigh.

"Kennedy, you shut up, you're prettier."

The agent grunted, throwing his head back and hearing Ashley and Narsson laughing beside him.

"You're a fucking ogre when you're angry." he mumbled.

"I'm not angry."

"And a liar too."

"I'm going to break your mouth Scotty."

Leon was annoyed at Chris's tone and his name.

"Oh, I'd love for you to try, Christopher."

When they managed to stop that pitched battle and Chris finally decided to listen to the GPS, they managed to get back on course, but made a stop for gas.

While Jill gave Chris a piece of her mind for being stubborn, the rest of them went out to stretch their legs.

They had rented a van to travel to the seaside town that Narsson's teacher had told them about. It was the most discreet thing to do and right now they didn't want to attract so much attention.

Enma went to the gas station to buy something to snack on and Ashley decided to venture towards the cliffs in the background.

The wind was strong and was stirring her blonde hair furiously. It was freezing cold, even though it was summer, and she could see dark clouds in the distance approaching land.

They'd definitely been hit with shitty weather.

Ashley lowered her golden orbs toward the churning sea at the foot of the cliffs. She felt the salty sea smell fill her completely. She closed her eyes and listened to the crashing of the waves hitting the bare rock, a sound that rumbled until it rattled her soul.

"Watch out for the wind."

She snapped her eyes open and turned in surprise toward the voice. A man with dirty blond hair was looking out at the waves as she did. Gray hair already decorated his sideburns and much of his beard. Ashley was surprised she hadn't heard him, but she noticed his salty scent, just like the sea.

She stared at him silently, doubtful that it was her he was talking to. But then he turned back to her, drilling his gray eyes into the woman.

"Beware of the wind." he repeated. "For it is the breath of the ocean beasts."

Ashley sensed a slightly thicker accent, but understood his Norwegian. Seeing that she was the one he was talking to, she smiled, looking out to sea again.

"At least their breath doesn't smell bad." she replied in the same language.

The man was surprised to hear the young woman's accent.

"Are you a tourist?"

"On a business trip, looking for vestiges of the past."

The man stared at her for a few seconds and then raised his gray eyes to the vast ocean on the horizon. Silence fell between them for a few moments, deafened only by the furious pounding of the sea on the cliffs.

"Many want to know the past, for the humans of old faced monsters that no one now believes in and perhaps are still among us."

Ashley heard the man's raspy voice. Even though it sounded faint in tone, it could be heard above the thundering of the waves and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Should the humans of now... forget the monsters of the past?"

They spoke in the breaks of the waves. After the question, another deafening thump enveloped them and the man answered in that deep, mysterious tone.

"When fishermen prayed to the gods for safe crossings or when we were still discovering these lands, beasts dwelt here. Monsters that in the long northern summers did not appear, but roamed everywhere in the dark winter months, when the cold and the shadows accompanied them. They were predators that only fables described and that were only forgotten after they were annihilated with the fire of the gods and the justice of Odin."

Ashley listened in silence, feeling the cold claws of memories brush her mind brazenly.

"They sound like fearsome beasts," she said in a lost, thoughtful tone.

The man turned to her calmly.

"Tell me, miss, have you ever seen monsters?"

A huge wave hit the bare wall, rumbling in her ears even louder and deafening her deepest thoughts, but bringing out her darkest ones. The young woman's golden eyes lifted to the horizon, lost in memories.

"Maybe."

It wasn't a lie. He might think she was just taking him for an old coot, but the man knew those kinds of looks, those expressions.

Too well.

"And you're not afraid to meet others?"

Ashley took a deep breath.

"I'm more afraid of knowing they're there, but not seeing where they're coming from."

The wind swirled around the two, as if caressing them with its icy hands. The man's voice became deep.

"There are many unknown beasts in the world, there always will be."

He took a deep breath and then turned to the stranger, looking at him with his amber eyes.

"I know, just as there will always be someone looking for them."

The wind howled and shook the trees as their gazes met.

Two strangers in a secluded place, talking about monsters of the past and beasts that could still live among them.

It seemed far-fetched and any normal person listening to them would think so, but... when two people who have seen shadows in the darkness were talking... it didn't take much to understand each other.

Then the man took a step toward her and without a word held out his hand. Ashley watched him for a few seconds and then gave him hers to shake.

The skin was rough and calloused. Weathered by the passage of time and demanding work, but he felt that rough surface on her palms as well. The man nodded and turned his wrist to make her open her hand and place a small object in Ashley's palm. He closed her hand tightly.

"An amulet. May Odin be with you, traveler."

He released her hands and turned to walk silently and leave with the same stealth with which he had appeared. Her amber eyes followed the man's figure until he was lost in the sea mist. She looked down at her hand and opened her fingers to see what the stranger had given her.

It was a leather necklace with a silver medallion on which were strange runes drawn forming a kind of pentagram.

It was a compass of Vegrisir.

Ashley was surprised and raised her eyes again to the direction in which the man had gone.

"Thank you," she whispered into the wind, hoping her voice would resonate even to that peculiar stranger.

Still lost in thought, she watched the medallion shortly before she caught the scent of Leon approaching.

Kennedy reached her and looked in the same direction she had seen the stranger Ashley had shaken hands with go.

"Who was he? Did he want something?" he asked curiously and noticed the leather and metal pendant her companion was holding silently.

Ashley clutched the amulet tightly, feeling a strange energy fill her, as if the words she had shared amidst the roars of the sea had encouraged her.

She took a deep breath and turned to Leon.

"And of those pieces of advice that sometimes you have to listen to."

Leon looked at her in confusion, not understanding the meaning of the words. He went to ask, but Chris's voice calling them made him turn toward the gas station.

"Are they calling us?" Ashley asked, putting the amulet in her pocket.

"Yes, we should go," Leon announced, turning to her again.

They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds, melting into each other's eyes as the sea wind gently swayed them.

"Let's go back," Ashley whispered then, taking her eyes off him.

Leon let her pass and walked after her with a strange feeling in his body. A mixture of calmness and... uneasiness.

*

By the time they reached their destination it was already dark.

Or so it was supposed, because it was the first time they had seen the famous midnight sun. While Narsson talked with the locals, the four Americans stood gazing at the sky, absorbed, earning soft laughter from some elderly people sitting on a porch.

Enma came soon after to take them to the small shelter in the village and the agents followed her.

It was a dwelling with an area set up for travelers like them. Narsson and Ashley greeted the kindly elderly couple who had put them up, and the other three smiled with a nod.

"You definitely need to learn a few words," Ashley laughed as she climbed the wooden stairs to the top of the house.

"Do you want me to pop a vein?" Chris grunted, crunching the wood under his weight.

"You're overreacting," Graham reproached him before opening the door to the room.

The room had nothing to do with the hotel. They all slept in the same room and had a single shower to share, plus a stove by the window.

It was much more modest, but it was sturdy. The beds were solid wood and the furniture was hard.

"At least the bed isn't going to split with you, Chris," Leon scoffed, setting the backpack aside.

Redfield rolled his eyes.

"Will you guys stop messing with me? You don't seem to have anything better to do."

Jill patted her partner on the back.

"It's too much fun."

The captain grunted and finally entered the room. There were two bunks and a small bed to one side. Leon and Chris decided to take the lower bunks, while Jill and Ashley took the upper bunks. They decided to let Narsson have the single bed.

After putting on the sheets and washing their faces from the sea salt, they decided to go down to the bar run by the hostel owner himself.

They had a drink and some food at a small round table. A few locals dared to say hello and Ashley was the one who took the initiative to talk.

The locals warned them of the unstable storm that was coming and would probably arrive tomorrow or the day after. They were very friendly to them and especially to Ashley, surprised to hear her speak their language.

They chatted some more and after several drinks from the Norwegians they stumbled off.

The group waved them goodbye and laughed among themselves, feeling the tension they had built up venting a bit.

There were many who paid them no attention, but there were others with curious eyes.

*

The next day they went down to the excavation early. They thought they wouldn't sleep a wink that night because of Chris, but it turned out that he didn't snore unless he got into a bad position, something Leon was grateful for, otherwise he would have tied him up with a gag.

The temperature had dropped a lot and they had to bring out more clothes than expected, but nothing they weren't all used to, although Narsson again complained about not being able to bring the luggage.

This time Leon was the one who drove to the excavation by general vote and Chris spent the ride with his arms crossed and grunting.

Ashley watched the scenery with a blank, thoughtful stare. Her thoughts caused her to reach into her pocket and pull out the metal amulet.

She looked at the shape of the runes and the structure of the engraving for a few seconds and then slipped it over her head and tied it around her neck.

Leon watched the action from the rearview mirror, his blue eyes scanning the small metal object that now decorated her neck. And he saw Ashley push her hair aside and tuck it behind her ear, raising her eyes to the inside rearview mirror. Their gazes met for an instant and Leon quickly averted his.

The GPS told him the end of the trip and Leon parked near the dock. The five of them got out and the sea breeze greeted them again along with the cloudy and increasingly dark sky.

"It looks like it's going to rain," Chris said, watching the storm clouds. They put on their jackets and walked towards the area cordoned off by archaeologists.

Narsson decided to go ahead to talk to the expedition leader while Ashley approached some of the workers. On the other hand, Jill, Chris and Leon scanned their surroundings, alert to any threats.

Some of the DSO department thought that sending so many agents to simply investigate was too much. The BSAA had already sent Chris and Jill and for the President to attach Ashley and Leon to investigate was something that some of the charges were not entirely convinced of, but President Graham was quite clear with his words when he said that he did not plan to mess up again and send just one agent.

Leon knew he was referring to how he was sent alone on a rescue mission that later ended up being something much bigger and even if he had survived, it would have been easier with more qualified agents.

Leon circled the fenced off area and watched the workers hiding in deep holes.

He saw Ashley chatting with some of them and even taking notes in her notebook. Maybe what she experienced in Spain made her take that path, but she was definitely passionate about what she had studied.

It went rather smoothly. Narsson caught up with the project manager and explained that they were looking for new samples of a reptile specimen that had been found. That revelation left Enma somewhat disappointed, as it had nothing to do with the creature they were looking for, but she decided to keep digging.

Meanwhile, Ashley had ended up going into one of the holes they were working on and an elderly man was showing her some shrapnel they had found, mainly seashells. It wasn't particularly new, being an area on the coast, so the man focused more on showing her the different layers that bounded the earth, and in one of them Ashley could see a slight darker tint. He even thought she smelled ash.

"What about this layer?" she asked the man in Norwegian.

"We think it belongs to Viking times. It may be from old sieges when they burned the villages they plundered."

Graham listened carefully and inhaled, wanting to pick up some nuance, but instead sensed something else.

She stood up abruptly looking in one direction. The three agents saw her blonde head peek out of the hole and pin her eyes in the distance. 

Leon turned in that direction and listened. Had he caught a strange scent? The three agents became alert when they saw her emerge from the hole. Ashley waved goodbye to the man and walked away from the excavation, sniffing the air.

But the scent was gone.

The blonde stood looking around as Leon approached her.

"Did you smell something?" he whispered discreetly.

"It seemed familiar, but it disappeared very quickly, so I don't know if it was just a passing scent."

Leon looked at her in confusion.

"Familiar? Of what?"

She sighed.

"I don't know, I think I've smelled it before, but I don't remember where or when."

"I'll tell Chris to keep an eye open." Leon's tone of voice became aggravated and Ashley assisted.

"I'm going to see if I can get anything off the premises."

Leon watched the woman walk toward the dock and after warning Chris and Jill to be on the lookout, he hurried to Graham again. Although he knew she could take care of herself, it was best not to get too far apart.

Ashley walked down to the dock and wandered among the old boats. She stopped in front of two men mending some fishing nets, and they looked at her with some suspicion. Graham approached and could hear one of them muttering disdainfully.

"Excuse me, may I ask you a few questions?"

The instant she began to speak their language, the fishermen's faces changed completely. They remained in their seats and looked at her intently. Leon stood back as he listened to them chat. He could see how well Ashley was doing and... how cheerful she looked.

The more she talked to the fishermen, the looser she felt. The anxieties that had populated her mind on the plane and a few days before were dissipating.

Like that feeling Dylan had put her through... the one that gave her the impression of being desperate for attention and physical contact. Like she was just looking for someone to share a bed with.

It made her feel like a desperate fool.

But there... no one knew who she was, where she came from or what she did, and yet she managed to connect with the locals just by speaking their language. They didn't look at her as a fool or see her as a piece of meat to pick at.

She felt... valued.

At one point in the conversation, she asked them about villages the Vikings used to ravage or even legends of monsters attacking villages. At first, she thought they would laugh at her and her wild questions, but far from it they told her about old tales and local myths.

And finally, she got to hear the word "monsters."

Ashley's eyes fell on one of the fishermen and she asked him about it.

They seemed to be tales for children who didn't want to listen to their parents, but Ashley felt there was something more behind the stories. There was something sinister that made those words almost come alive.

She asked them if those tales were from the area and the other long-bearded fisherman nodded, telling her that that whole area of coast suffered many raids and... misfortunes.

They talked without realizing that their voices sounded lower and lower and slower. Ashley noticed the fishermen's eyes, elusive and darkened by the passing years... or experiences one didn't want to know about. When she was aware of the depth of the men's words, she decided to ask one last question.

"Are any of your places nearby?"

Both fishermen looked at each other for a moment and then felt.

Leon watched Ashley say goodbye to the men and walk back to him. He sensed her amber eyes look to a distant area and knew she was thinking of something.

"Any leads?"

"I have been told that a couple of kilometers from here there are remains of an old fishing village, which was abandoned, they don't know if by a siege by Vikings or... by something else." Her last words were barely a whisper that sent a shiver down Leon's spine. The man looked in the same direction as she did and then put his finger to the small earpiece he, Chris, and Jill were wearing.

"Kennedy here."

A few seconds passed.

"I hear you." Jill's voice answered.

"Ash has spoken to some locals who have mentioned some old ruins. How's Narsson doing?"

"She is still with the manager, Chris has gone with her to look at the geological maps they are showing her. It looks like what they are looking for are old subway caves throughout the area that were buried."

Leon was thoughtful for a few seconds.

"Okay, I've got you on the line. Ashley and I are going to go ahead and take a look at the area. I'll keep you updated."

"Okay."

Kennedy pulled his finger away from his ear and turned to his partner.

"When Chris and Narsson are done, they'll come to our location. Do you have the radio on you?"

Ashley lifted her jacket to show him the device tucked inside a plastic holster. Leon reached up and gently took the backpack from her.

"Come on, I'll take it for a while. I'll follow you."

"Thank you," she said before setting off for the area the fishermen had told her about. Maybe they would get some answers there instead of more questions.

*

The sky turned dark and the storm clouds looked like they were going to engulf everything beneath them. The wind began to blow hard and to shake the treetops furiously.

The two figures walked silently along an old muddy path, now overgrown with brambles.

Leon began to hear thunder in the distance and raised his sapphire eyes to the overcast sky.

He didn't like thunderstorms. He turned to Ashley and the first thunder rumbled like an angry celestial drum. He watched her cringe for an instant and knew she wasn't too amused either.

The two walked in silence, their minds sinking in that sea of memories they shared.

In the storms and... in that night.

"Look."

Leon's voice brought Ashley to her senses and she raised her eyes to the craggy cove between the cliffs. It was farther from the sea than the town they had been in and at first glance it just looked rocky and overgrown with trees and grass.

They walked until they reached the place and as they approached they could see small vestiges. Small piles of stone covered by the moss of yesteryear could have been a stone wall to keep the animals in the corral.

Ashley knelt down to pull up some weeds and look at the bare rock blackened by some past fire. There was nothing left to indicate that there had once been a village there, only traces of stone and a very old nail that Leon had found while digging in one area.

Another clap of thunder echoed in the sky and the first drops began to fall. The two put on their hoods and continued investigating.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Leon asked, running his palm along crags made in the stone and then turning to face her.

He saw her crouched down as the rain poured down on her.

Graham stood up silently and looked around.

"Yes, this is it," she whispered. He stood motionless for a few seconds and then crept through the trees with Leon until they found a stranger abandoned on the ground. It was overgrown with brush, brambles, and moss, but it was strangely round. Leon and Ashley pulled out their knives and without a word began to cut and bring to light what was underneath.

A pit. Or what was left of the silhouette of one.

It seemed that at a more present time, someone had closed the hole in the well with timbers of questionable sturdiness.

"Well, this is something," Ashley said not quite sure what to do next.

Leon picked up a small stone and threw it into the plugged hole. He listened carefully and sighed.

"It doesn't look very hollow, maybe the earth has filled it in by now."

They both sighed and the rain got louder, making Leon's head buzz more.

"Maybe we should go ba-"

Ashley pushed him against a tree and covered his mouth in a second. Leon tensed and looked at her in confusion, but when he met her eyes he knew something wasn't right.

Ashley remained static. She inhaled softly and her pupils constricted. She let go of her partner's mouth and hid behind another tree trunk. Leon saw her tie her backpack tightly and then pull her pistol from her thigh holster.

Leon reflexively did the same and all his muscles tensed violently.

He glanced sideways at the woman and watched her lips move slowly.

"We've been followed."

Leon frowned and made sure the gun was ready.

The thunder began to deafen the place and Leon found it increasingly difficult to hear anything in the pouring rain. But for Ashley it was the ideal situation. The rain accentuated the smells more, expanding them and making them reach her more easily and clearly. She closed her eyes, listening to her racing heartbeat and steadied her breathing.

She sensed the shades of her followers and recognized them.

They had the same scent as the mercenaries who tried to kidnap Narsson.

For a second she thought about how they had found them, but if Wesker was as smart as Chris claimed, then it wouldn't have taken him long to come to that conclusion. Researching Enma's background was enough to find the museum where he displayed his old find. They would probably talk to Narsson's professor as well and he may have stopped by his classmates so the man could tell them where they had gone.

He was definitely a man you didn't want to have as an enemy.

Leon heard some whistling and had to make a great effort to make out the footsteps. He cursed inwardly at the intercession of rain and raised his gun, ready.

Ashley motioned for him to wait. They were still approaching.

"Where the hell did they go?" someone said in the background.

The footsteps were becoming clearer even to Ashley. A violent clap of thunder split the sky and Leon had to quickly cover his ears. He gritted his teeth and his blue eyes locked on Ashley's on the other side. They both looked at each other in silence as their hearts thundered in their ears. They didn't look away from each other as they heard the voices getting closer and closer.

Ashley breathed in softly and sensed three people... no, five. 

It was a small group like them, probably recon. Both Chris and Jill had mentioned to her that Wesker was not a man who was on the front line other than when necessary, so he may not have even gone all the way to the coastal town they were in and stayed in Oslo. Redfield also let it slip that he was no ordinary human, that he was a bioweapon himself, so she assumed his scent would be very different from that of the mercenaries.

He let the air out gently. He didn't want to form mist and give away his position.

"Look for them, they should not be far away." Another man's voice was heard in the undergrowth. "Do you have the thermal scopes?"

Leon and Ashley tensed suddenly and looked at each other in alarm. If they used those sights, they would be hunted down in a second. Graham raised his hand and his heart skipped a beat as he caught a scent approaching Leon. He motioned to his partner as another clap of thunder made Leon curse. The agent stuck to the log and waited.

And waited.

It was as if time stood still as the rain seemed to fall in the background. Leon stopped hearing it for an instant and focused on the footsteps as his heart pounded in his chest with a drum. 

He was close.

 He saw the tip of a rifle peek over the side of the tree trunk. He filled his lungs and held his breath. 

He had only one chance. 

First the gun. 

A hand peeked out. 

An arm... a shoulder... 

The soldier's eyes met the agent's and before he could even blink, Leon grabbed him by the throat. 

He tensed all his muscles and strangled him with all his might while covering his mouth. Ashley watched the man struggle in trying to break free from Leon's deadly grip, but to no avail. She smelled the adrenaline and watched his eyes roll until he stopped moving. 

Ashley felt her heart shrink as she saw the body left dangling in Leon's arms and he didn't blink. His face was now serious and hard as steel. There was no room for doubt or emotions. Only instincts. 

He thought the soldier's threat had passed, but then a beeping sound began. Leon and Ashley both blanched. 

"There!"

Shots whistled and the two ducked behind their trees. Leon looked at the soldier and saw a small bracelet. That made that sound. A bullet hit the trunk at Leon's head level and the man grunted. 

"Fuck," he shot in the soldiers direction. Ashley mimicked him, trying to spot his pursuers in the bush. Kennedy took firm aim and when he heard footsteps, he fired. One man screamed as he was hit in the shoulder and Ashley pushed back another.

Leon put his hand to his ear and pressed the receiver. 

"Chris!" a bullet made him flinch with a jolt. "Jill!" he called into the transmitter. But the sound of a click silenced him. 

Leon turned around. 

Ashley turned around. 

Between them flew a spherical object. A grenade. 

They saw it in the air. The rain stopped. Their hearts thundered in their ears. Their bodies rose up burning. 

Run. RUN. RUN. 

Ashley pushed Leon with her body and they fell into the hole of the well before the explosion. Wood and earth showed and the bomb shattered the rock walls. And they fell.

***

His ears were ringing between the impact of the grenade and the roar of the water. He felt a body clinging to him in the fall. 

"GET AIR!" 

Leon only reacted to Ashley's shout an instant before sinking into the icy water. They held on with all their might as the current swept them through those underwater tunnels. They shielded each other's heads and held their breath and the violent shaking. They felt the agony and the fear of not knowing if there was an end. If they would make it out. When the current spat them upwards. They stuck their heads out in desperation and breathed in pain. They gasped and swam until they touched the rough crevice. They groaned in pain and grunted as they climbed onto land, feeling their whole bodies scream. They had suffered bumps and abrasions. Leon looked at his legs with cuts, torn cloth and blood slowly oozing out. They were minor injuries, so he didn't take much notice of them. He turned quickly to Ashley with his heart in his fist and barely breathing. 

"Ash-" he coughed the seawater from his throat and watched her spit out the saltpeter. He saw some cuts on her hands and noticed her arms and back, but, like Leon's, they were only superficial.

He crawled over to her and pushed her hair away from her face as her gasps echoed in the cavern. 

"Are you... okay?" he asked breathlessly. She raised her eyes and clung to his arm. 

"Yes,... And... you?"

Leon looked around and took a shaky breath. 

"I'm fine." It took a few more seconds for their breathing to calm down. They stood up in pain and looked at the place where the torrent of water had spat them out. 

"Where are we?" Leon said, wringing the water out of his jacket and pulling his hair back. 

"It's salt water, so we still have to be on shore,” she replied, opening a backpack to make sure she hadn't lost anything. She was thankful she had packed samplers of plastic bags. After inspecting it she stood up and began to feel cold. 

"We should find a way out before we get hypothermia," Leon said rubbing his hands together and looking at Ashley. She inhaled deeply and arched her eyebrows.

 "I smell ... wood?"

Leon looked surprised. 

"Wood? Which way?"

She sniffed and pointed to a narrow gap between the walls. 

"That way." Ashley's tone of voice was a little louder and Leon grunted, covering his ears. 

"Speak softer, please," he whispered. His eardrums were still ringing from the explosion and the salt water that had gotten into his ears didn't seem to be coming out. It was a very unpleasant sensation that was just giving him a headache. 

"Sorry," she apologized in a whisper and then took his hand and led him. "come."

Leon let himself go. He felt terribly dizzy, as if he had been hit several times with the palms in his ears. He heard Ashley's footsteps mixed with the swaying of the water inside his ear canal. He grunted in frustration and watched Ashley squeeze into a small hole. He slid sideways and waited for her to reach the other side and then followed her to him. 

"Fuck... I barely... pass..." he gasped holding on to the stone so he could move forward. 

"You need to do less pull-ups, your pecs are too big," she scoffed in a soft voice wanting to take the heat off the situation and was happy when she heard Leon laugh under his breath. "My pecs are perfect." 

"Then tuck in your belly." 

"Idiot."

This time she was the one laughing. Kennedy finally managed to get out, but saw Ashley slip as she gave him her hand to pull him up. He grabbed her like lightning and they both fell down the slippery rock. It was more of a startle than anything else. They made it to the end unharmed in the blink of an eye. They got up carefully so as not to slip again and stood in pity. 

"Wow,” Leon whispered, shining his flashlight on the old and worn wooden structures. A graveyard of Nordic ships.

The hulls were mangled and almost rotten to the core, but the isolation of the cave had ensured that they had been preserved until now. Leon and Ashley approached carefully and Graham originated the wood full of algae and verdigris. 

"How long has this been here?" Leon lifted the flashlight to the masthead on the bow and then slid it down to the wreckage of other vessels. "They look like shipwrecks." 

"Yes, maybe the ocean currents dragged them through the caves." Ashley took out the knife to scrape the surface of the wood and then opened the backpack. 

"I'm going to take samples... shit."

Leon turned to her. 

"What's the matter?" 

The plastic canisters had broken from the impact they'd taken underwater. Ashley rummaged through the bottom, pulling out the unusable and was glad she'd packed bags of blood to use as possible liquids, something she didn't take to the expedition in Spain. 

"I don't have many containers, most have broken, but I think I can manage."

With great care and patience, she chipped the slippery wooden surface and inserted the remains through the tube of the bag. Leon watched her for a few seconds and then walked around the other side. The echo of the water between the tunnels echoed in his ears like waterfalls, making it difficult for him to even hear Ashley. He kept an eye out for an unlit area and an old plank that sagged under his weight. And he heard a creaking sound. Leon froze and all his muscles tensed. He didn't move, wondering what that had been.

"Ash?" he called to his companion with some urgency. "I think I stepped on something... that's not wood.

Ashley turned and finished putting the bag away quickly. She ran to him with flashlight in hand and shone her light at his feet. She knelt down as she saw that some of it was wood, but underneath was something else. Graham lifted the splinters with the knife and whispered.

“Lift the foot slowly.”

He obeyed gently and lifted the drop of rotten wood, letting Ashley see what was underneath. When she saw it, the flashlight almost fell off, and she gasped for air for a second.

Bones.

He had stepped on a skull. But her horror didn't end there.

When Ashley pushed aside a large chunk of wood, the two of them suddenly moved away.

A plaga.

They both saw that the creature was pierced in half and realized what that meant.

“That... is much bigger than the ones in... Spain,” Leon whispered, circling the body. “Haven't you smelled it?”

She shook her head. 

“Everything smells like salt and seaweed, it is very difficult to perceive such old and small smells.” She paused, following Leon, who found the other half of the plaga. “Besides, this... looks like the ones from the grotto I found in Spain.”

“The ones that were dismembered?”

Ashley nodded.

 “Those were far below even the catacombs we were in.”

Kennedy was silent for a few seconds. 

“So they're older than the ones Ramon had inside.”

They both internalized what that meant: the creatures had been around for a very, very long time.

Finally, Ashley reacted and pulled out the knife to extract samples of the plaga.

The water hadn't ruined the analog camera, so she was able to take some pictures.

“Ash, here's more!”

Leon had found an area overlooking the water where there were more bodies or remains of what had once been humans. From the looks of it, they had fought off the parasites, as they were all impaled, burned, or dismembered. It looked like the reason for the shipwreck was the plagas and the ship was at the mercy of the ocean just like the bodies, ending up being washed up there.

“Here, go take pictures of all this. I'm going to finish taking samples from inside the ship,” Ashley said, handing him the camera.

“Be careful.”

She smiled at him and walked to get between the skeletons of the old ships while Leon put his photography skills into practice.

Inside the ship, the smell was terrible. Ashley had to hold her breath every time she scratched the decaying surface filled with algae and some other mollusks.

The place felt... forgotten. As if time had disappeared and everything the sea had washed up there had become a mere eternal mausoleum. The air was heavy, and the cold went through the bones, making both Leon and Ashley shiver.

“When we get out, I call for the shower first,” Ashley said, grunting in disgust as a seaweed fell on her head.

She heard a soft chuckle in the background. “We'll draw lots when Chris and Jill find us.”

Ashley pulled out another baggie and saw that she only had one more left. She couldn't take too many samples.

“Jill?” she then heard Leon call out to the ex-cop. “Jill, do you read me?”

Leon could only hear choppy sounds and noise. He grunted, trying to focus all his attention on getting a response. They had to be looking for them; the explosion would have alarmed them. Leon and Ashley had locators, so at least they could track them.

He focused again on trying to hear his companions over the earpiece.

And a board hit his head.

Leon fell face first into the puddle of water he had been photographing. He jerked his head out with a grunt, but he was grabbed by the throat and plunged back into the water.

Who the hell was that? He hadn't heard him. He had been so focused on catching something from his companions that he had let his guard down.

He struggled with his attacker and felt his lungs burning from not being able to catch his breath. He managed to land a kick to his attacker's head, and he fell backwards. He came out of the water gasping and saw one of the soldiers. He must have pulled out a knife, and he saw Ashley emerge from between the boats. The man lunged at the officer with the gun, and Leon raised the gun, pointing it at his head.

But the man was quicker. “Knives are better for close combat, rookie.”

“FU-”

Leon dodged the fatal stab, but the blade sank into the side of his waist. Leon roared and grabbed the man by the wrist, striking him in the head. The soldier threw his body over him, and they both fell into puddles on the stone. Leon screamed as the man pulled the knife from his flesh and stopped him as he went to stab again.

Ashley jumped on the soldier's back, deflecting the knife and keeping it from plunging into Leon's chest. He hit her in the temple with his elbow, but she didn't let go.

She only saw red and smelled blood.

They wouldn't hurt him. Not anymore. She wanted to protect him. Save him.

Leon punched the soldier in the stomach, making him grunt. The agent threw him into the air with a kick, and Ashley didn't hesitate. She charged at him, and the soldier hit her hard, but she managed to cover herself and answer him with a hook that sent him reeling.

“Don't hesitate. Don't think. Act.”

She couldn't see. She was blinded by adrenaline and fury...along with terror. Her body moved on impulse, drawing the knife.

She dodged a kick and plunged the blade into the soldier's thigh. He screamed, but before he could react, she drove the knife into his neck with the violence of a hammer.

The man convulsed for a second before going still and falling dead to the ground.

Ashley gasped uncontrollably. The blood was warm, and the smell was suffocating.

The stench of blood... rancid and... hot.

“LEON!”

She couldn't stop. There was no time to think about what she had just done.

Not now.

Leon's grunts tore at her as she dropped to her knees beside him.

There was so much blood. Too much.

“God, God, God...” Ashley pulled off her jacket and pressed it hard against the wound, wrenching a scream from Leon. “Put it there, Leon, please!”

He ran for his backpack as he heard the man's pained moans.

This time, he was the one bleeding out. Not her.

Quickly.

She went back to him and pulled out some small towels she had stuffed in the backpack. She pulled out bandages and a first aid bag she always carried with her.

Leon was sweating and shaking. His face was paling by the second.

“Hold on,” she sobbed, lifting his shirt to see the wound. It was on the side of his waist. She didn't know if it had hit any organs—maybe not, as it was too far on the outside—but he was bleeding a lot.

She quickly took out the disinfectant and poured it all over the wound.

“FUCK!!!” he roared in pain, biting his other hand to hold back his moans and grunts of agony.

Ashley's eyes watered and clouded over. She had to hurry. Her hands couldn't shake now. “Please, not now.”

“Don't fail me now,” she whispered as she pulled the suture needle out of the little metal box.

Leon was running out of strength, and the color was leaving his skin too quickly. Ashley hurried to sew with her heart in her throat and tears in her eyes.

“No...no...please...hold on....”

She closed the wound, but the scarlet puddle that had formed was worrisome.

“Leon?”

She got no answer.

“Leon? LEON!”

She felt for a pulse and held back a scream as she felt how weak it was.

Blood. He needed blood.

She thought quickly. She was a universal blood donor. Yes, yes, she could give it, yes, come on.

Almost hyperventilating, she pulled the last remaining bag out of the backpack along with needles. God, she never thought she'd need these, she'd only brought them for fluids, and now she was going to do a homemade blood transfusion.

Either that or Leon would die.

She strapped the belt to her bicep and dug the needle into her vein. As the bag began to fill, she cut the sleeve of Leon's T-shirt and pushed the thin metal into his pale veins. She secured the IV and lifted the bag, then opened the path.

The time it took for the red liquid to flow down the tube into Leon was agonizing.

This was madness. She didn't even know if it would work.

She could only wait.

And with every passing second, she felt like a part of her was dying.

She didn't know how much time passed or how much blood would have entered Leon's body. She was still pressing on the wound with trembling hands when she heard a grunt of pain.

She turned breathlessly to him and sobbed with joy when she saw those eyelids part.

“ God... Leon... Can you hear me?” She whispered brushing sweaty locks away from his face.

 He took a second to focus his eyes and then look at the woman.

“ Ash... Are you okay?”

 Ashley laughed through her tears.

“ That's what I should be asking you... you idiot.” She stroked his cheek and Leon gave her a faint smile.

I need a few more minutes to fully regain consciousness and see Ashley's blood rushing into him.

“Are you... a walking hospital... or what?” he whispered weakened, but feeling the energy return to him. He hissed when Ashley moved the hand he kept pressing on the wound to see if it was still bleeding.

The towel was clean.

“ Being it was good for me.” And she took his pulse again, calmer now, and wiped away the sweat. - How are you feeling?

“ Wonderful.” he sighed with a soft laugh that made her grunt. “ Have I earned the first turn in the shower?”

Anyone would think this situation was absurd. That he wasn't behaving like a man who had been on the verge of bleeding to death. But Ashley knew he was doing it as much for her as for him.

“ Maybe I'm going to have to help you take a shower.” she joked now with dried tears.

 Leon smirked.

“ That doesn't sound like a bad plan.”

Ashley laughed softly and wiped her nose with her free hand smearing it with Leon's blood. The smell of iron and became so intense that it even eclipsed the scent of the salt surrounding them. But right now he didn't care if he couldn't smell other smells, now he just wanted to see Leon recover.

But the adrenaline was starting to drain out of her and her thoughts began to take hold.

She had killed a person.

She still felt the warm sensation of blood on her hands. Her body had acted alone and before she knew it there was a man lying on the ground with her knife through his throat.

Her body began to tremble and her breathing to shake.

But it had been so fast... everything had turned red when she saw Leon full of blood.

As if it wasn't her.

She didn't feel the hand that touched her wrist and the voice that called out to her. Only a sharp pinch made her react.

“ Ash.” she turned to Leon with dilated pupils. “Breathe.”

It took her a second to process that word, but she saw Leon do it and unconsciously imitated him.

“ That's it. - he whispered, breathing in and out with her.”

He may have been through a lot of things, but killing a person wasn't one of them.

And Leon knew how hard it was. He knew all too well.

They breathed together and even Leon stopped feeling dizzy. It seemed Ashley had given him enough blood.

“ I'm doing much better. The wound seems to have clotted, doesn't it?”

Ashley gently lifted the cloth, even she looked surprised.

“ It's very fresh, if you move too much it will open up, but it's not bleeding, did... my blood help?”

Leon sighed heavily.

“ Whatever it was, it is welcome.”

Ashley laughed softly.

“ You're not dizzy anymore?”

“ No, it was just in time, thank you.”

She smiled and let the air and heaviness out of her body, now fully stained with Leon's blood.

“ Be still for a while.”

“ Yes, ma'am.”

“ I'm going to take the-”

It was like nightmares in slow motion.

That strange feeling of stillness that he saw everything in great detail, but at the same time he was unable to react.

And what he saw was the nightmare coming back to him.

He saw a deformed face. Teeth closing around Ashley's shoulder.

And a scream breaking his ears again.

The pain of his wound disappeared and his instincts made him grab the hilt of the knife still plunged into that man who was no longer human.

But a monster.

He saw the teeth sink into her flesh and all his muscles pulled at the fist, severing the head all at once as it fell rolling to the ground.

Ashley brought her hands to the hollow air of her neck and shoulder. She felt the blood between her fingers, but it barely came out.

What it was doing was burning.

She looked at Leon and then at the man she thought she had killed. She saw her partner's eyes widen like saucers and terror fill his expression.

“ No... no, no, no, no, no, no, no.”

He looked at her in despair and when he saw those black veins spread from the bite, he felt like he was going back to that night.

To the same place. To the same nightmare.

“Leon what's hap-”

Ashley began to cough and her throat tightened. Her eyes contracted and her body began to shake and sweat. Leon grabbed her tightly.

This couldn't be happening.

Ashley's breathing became somewhere between ragged and anguished.

This had to be a nightmare. No...not again...not her.

She saw his amber eyes bloodshot and as she screamed at him. Leon didn't process her words, it took him a while to understand that she was asking him to release the IV.

What IV? Then he realized they were still sharing blood. Leon's thoughts stopped working as he watched those black veins spread across Ashley's skin. He began to feel hot. An unpleasant tingling running up and down his body.

He called out to her until his voice rasped from the effort as he watched her tremble more and more and the burn by the second. He was unable to react, but a part of him knew what was happening, what was happening to them. And he remembered the nightmare.

It was another bad dream. He just had to wake up.

He only had to wake up.

[aigeneratedportraitofdoriangray]

well, there goes, damn near everything else i owned; me and a coupe other strays out here were using a vacant old home as, mostly a stash space for the bulk of our belongings (because, we should not be confined to carrying our ever fiber of being in one backpack nor burdened with the weight of everything we owned if we do not want to limit ourselves to the former), and for getting out of the worst of the weather. it was very much a "worst kept secret" of the neighborhood kinda thing, but no one -openly- seemed to mind, and in fact were either quite kind to us or happy to ignore us as we made no trouble, one household on the other side of the spot even ran us a cord to use electricity occasionally and gave us a old microwave and toaster, among a few other trinkets.

but it seems someone did not like us, and either took it upon themselves to remove all of our stuff, or got the cops to to it for them. but near everything we had was taken, not even thrown in any nearby trash for any hope of retrieval. luckily we all word world weary enough to put some extra care into hiding a few of our most important things but all of our basics are gone.

lost mostly, was clothing, anything we did not hide well enough or were currently carrying with us is gone. this means: all our pants, shirts, etc, and the basics like our underwear and socks are gone. that last, is of course to anyone who knows, a major loss. being able to change socks regularly is very important for us who live a lot of our time on our moving feet, even more-so when regular full bathing is not guaranteed. we also all lost a a lot of our hygienically items, i always carrying the oral care essentials, some soap, and deodorant so i at least have those but the others are not quite as lucky. i know where i can get a lot of what they lost for free fairly easily, if not the best quality, but some things like shaving needs and basic skincare items are not as easy to come by.

a few people in the neighborhood have talked about trying to get some items together for us, but, if anyone else can help out, i am going to pool anything i can gather over the next few days or the week, from donations or plasma if i can donate or hopefully the little odd job or two i have been discussing with some friends, together to help replace stuff for all of us.

if you can add anything in CASHAPP: $cryptiditpyrc VENMO : @cryptidcoin (i regained access but this is still not the ___________________________best option as i have to transfer it to a card ___________________________prone to monthly fees, forgotten ___________________________subscriptions being taken out, etc)

[ivoryminitower]

Echoes of Home: 9 - Steve ("why did we come here?")

Echoes of Home: FFXIV AU OC – WoLs on Earth

Original Me is working these days, so he could spare a bit of money for us, as long as we didn't go nuts.  I'm going to define "going nuts" as more than a hundred a week and stay under that until we get stable.  Doing what, I don't know.  But gathering is looking good, so as long as we can sell things for cash we might be okay.

We found copper near town.  It's funny that there were so many TV shows that had people stealing wire and pipes to sell because copper was so expensive, but I checked the commodity prices for it and it's only about five dollars a pound.  So if anyone really is doing that, all they're getting is maybe beer money.  Not enough to live on, unless we have enough copper that people will wonder where we got it.  And why we didn't have a truck to haul it around in.

I had to explain to Tsu'na that people here don't have inventory space like we do.  For the first time, as we sat in the diner, she looked around and noticed the bags and backpacks and briefcases and packages people carried.  "So people are limited by what they can carry?"

"Or put in a vehicle, yeah." I took out ten gil and stacked the coins on the table.  "If they had gil it would take up space and have weight.  A hundred gil would be ten stacks like this.  A thousand would be ten times that and probably fill the table.  A million would be a thousand tabletops full and…"  My eyes ran over the room. "...maybe fill the restaurant."

"And we each have millions."

"Yeah.  A good part of why this world switched to paper money a few hundred years ago." I showed her a dollar bill.

She looked it over, rubbing it between her fingers. "It seems flimsy."

"Kinda, yeah.  It tears, it burns, it stains, but it's lighter than metal.  Though a million of those can get bulky and heavy too.  Which is why a lot of people today don't even carry cash.  They use these instead."  I handed over "my" debit card.  "You get this from a bank.  When you go to buy something, you give that to the merchant, he sticks it in a machine, the machine tells the bank you want them to give the merchant money.  You don't have to have the money on you."

"But you have been using the paper money."

"Yeah, because I don't have my own debit card.  This is a copy of Original Me's, so if I use it I'm spending his money.  He says it's okay, but we can't do that forever."

"So you will get your own card?"

"That takes a bank account.  And that takes ID.  And ID takes identity, which we really don't have.  We can't prove we're in the country legally, so we can't just walk up to a government office and get ID without worrying about arrest and deportation.  Um...kicking us out of the country."

"To where?"

"They don't care.  Probably Mexico.  Where we still won't have ID."

"And what will we do about this?"

"I'm flattered by your faith in me, my love."

"That does not answer my question."

"Yeah...There's people who sell fake ID.  I don't know how to find them.  It'll probably take a lot of money...more than Original Me's got lying around."

"And they do not take gil."

"No.  I mean, if I knew what gil was made of, we could maybe melt it down and pass it off as gold or something.  Then we could buy most anything."

She picked up a gil coin and turned it in her fingers. "I never thought about what they were made of."

"Probably something more valuable than copper.  Anyway, the machines keep records of who does what where, so that's another reason to not use them if we don't have to.  Cuz sooner or later people will wonder who we are and where we're from and why we haven't paid taxes ever."

"Is all this why we are hiding?  We are hiding, are we not?"

"Part of it.  And like I said before, we don't want to be around confused and upset humans.  If we told them we were from another world, it's possible people would think us crazy enough to lock us up in a hospital, where they'd try to convince us we were crazy to think that way.  Or it's possible people would believe us enough to lock us up in a laboratory, where they'd try to study us to figure out what we were.  Or they'd get scared and try to hurt us or kill us or something, because there's people who really don't like different."

She stared at me a long time before asking, "Why did we come here, Husband?"

"Wasn't my idea.  I thought the Circle would take us some place outside Eorzea.  I didn't know where."

She sighed and reached over to lay her hand on mine. "What was it you once said?  'I can think of worse ways to spend eternity'?"

"Remembered that, did you?"

"Of course."

"Yeah, well.  Let's worry about one day at a time."

[prepperjournal]

Let’s be honest: prepping can wear you down. You spend years stocking up, learning skills, training your mindset—and then the world doesn’t end. In fact, it kind of stabilizes. The shelves refill, gas prices dip, the power stays on… and next thing you know, you’re asking yourself: Why am I still doing all this? That feeling is preparedness fatigue, and if you’ve been in this world for any length of time, you’ve felt it. It creeps in during the lulls—when society hasn’t collapsed (yet), and your bug-out bag just sits in the closet gathering dust. The adrenaline of 2020 has long worn off, and now it’s easy to wonder if maybe the normies were right all along. But let me tell you something: fatigue is normal—but failure to adapt is deadly. Why Preparedness Fatigue Happens Prepping is, at its core, an investment in the what if. And like any long-term investment, it can feel unrewarding in the short term—especially when the “crisis” never quite arrives. Here’s why it hits hard: - Life stabilizes. There’s food on the shelves and Netflix on the screen. It’s easy to let your guard down. - People mock the lifestyle. If you’ve been called paranoid more than once, you’re not alone. - Prepping becomes routine. Inventory checks, rotation, repairs—it all feels a little pointless when there’s no urgency. - Burnout is real. Especially if you went hard during COVID, it’s natural to ease off the gas now. But here’s the truth: just because nothing bad happened yet doesn’t mean you were wrong to prepare. It means you were early—and that’s a hell of a lot better than being late. The Cost of Letting Your Guard Down The problem isn’t that people stop prepping. It’s that they stop thinking like preppers. That mindset—that quiet alertness, the habit of asking “what if?”—that’s what makes you resilient. Lose that, and you’re just another person standing in line at the grocery store the night before a storm hits. Related: The Sensible Prepper – A Practical Guide to Real-World Preparedness How to Beat Preparedness Fatigue Without Burning Out You don’t need to live in a constant state of alert. You just need to stay sharp. Here’s how to keep the edge without losing your sanity: 1. Rotate Focus Areas Don’t try to do everything at once. Break your prep goals into monthly themes—one month is food, the next is comms, then first aid, and so on. - Keeps things fresh - Builds depth in specific areas - Makes progress feel tangible again Bonus: Great time to restock expired meds or rotate pantry goods. 2. Schedule “SitReps” Once a quarter, run a self-assessment: - Inventory your gear - Revisit bug-out or bug-in plans - Re-evaluate threats based on current events Make it a habit, not a reaction. 3. Bring Others In (Carefully) If you’ve got family or a tight-knit group, give everyone something to manage. Delegation builds resilience—and reduces the mental load on you. Spouse into food storage? Let them own it. Kid wants to learn comms? Hand them a radio and let them dig in. Related: Home Fortification Tips – Securing What You Can’t Leave 4. Do a Gear Check—Then Train With It Sometimes fatigue comes from too much theory, not enough hands-on. Pick one piece of gear this month and use it: - Build a fire with your ferro rod - Cook dinner on your backup stove - Run a dry bug-out drill with your bag Feeling stale? Put your hands on your gear. Cofiyard Propane 2 Burner Camping Stove with Carrying Bag, Portable Folding Gas Stove for Camping, Backpacking Camp Stove for Outdoor Cooking, With 17,000 BTU Adjustable Burners for BBQ, Tailgating - Foldable Design Camping Stove: The portable camping stove features a unique hexagonal symmetrical design, folds away nicely, and fits in the included carry bag. When you have limited space, everything that can get smaller is a bonus. It's one of the must-have camping essentials for outdoor adventures - The Stove is Perfect for Family Cooking: Thanks to its well-designed spacing, it can comfortably fit two 10-inch frying pans, allowing them to be centered for optimal cooking. This compact gas stove enables you to prepare a variety of meals simultaneously, making it an essential part of your camping gear - Double Burner Camp Stove: The portable gas stove features a dual burner design with two adjustable burners. You can have a coffee percolator on one side and a kettle or fry pan on the other, providing versatility for your camp kitchen - Total Output Of 17,000 BTU: This portable stove delivers powerful heat for all your culinary needs, from simmering sauces to searing steaks. Each burner has an independent control knob. Propane can last longer because of the precision heat control - Outdoor Backpacking Stove: Our foldable camping stove folds down to just 9.5" x 9" x 4.6". It's compact enough to fit in a backpack and take on the trail with you. Ideal for backpacking, camping, spring camping trips, car camping, and motorcycle camping, this camping essentials item is perfect for any outdoor enthusiast $116.99 Buy on Amazon 5. Shift from “Doom” to “Self-Reliance” If everything you read and watch is about collapse, corruption, and catastrophe, of course you’re going to burn out. Balance it with skills that build self-reliance, not just survival: - Gardening - DIY repair - Financial prepping - Off-grid projects Prepping isn’t just about surviving a crisis. It’s about living with less dependency—now. Final Thought: It’s Not About If—It’s About When You didn’t prep because it was trendy. You prepped because you saw the cracks before most people did. If nothing ever goes wrong, good. But if it does—and we both know it probably will—you’ll be ready when others aren’t. Preparedness fatigue doesn’t mean you’re done. It means it’s time to adjust, recharge, and refocus. Read the full article

[suckitsurveys]

Do you prefer bar or liquid soap? I like the foaming soaps best.

What’s the speed limit on your street? I’m not sure, there aren’t signs posted and I don’t know the laws regarding side streets like that. I THINK the limit is 30mph unless otherwise posted, but I can’t find something that confirms that for small side streets.

When was the last time you wore your favourite article of clothing? I am wearing one of them right now. It’s a black Fleetwood Mac hoodie with the Rumors album cover on it.

Do any of your family members have an upcoming birthday? The next one is my sister’s in July.

On a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best, rate your last kiss. Always a 5 :) .

What is your favourite flavour of Jolly Ranchers? Watermelon.

Where was your Facebook profile picture taken? Starved Rock Stater Park.

Do your parents smoke? My mother did.

Would you rather bake cookies or a potato? Definitely depends on my mood.

Who was the last person to stay the night at your house? My niece.

Do you live close to a park? Yes, there’s one right around the corner.

Is your favourite animal endangered? One of them is.

Have you eaten pizza in the last week? I have. There was pizza for lunch/dinner yesterday at the event I worked.

Who was the last person you added to your contacts list? One of the people I worked with at the event I just mentioned.

How long does it take you to shower? like 10-20 minutes depending.

Do you prefer a brand of bottled water over others, or is it all the same? I don’t really care, but I tend to favor Smart Water thanks to a certain spokesperson lol.

Have you used Wikipedia today? I tried to find out one of the new SNL cast members’ birthday and the first search result was a snippet from their Wiki page, if that counts.

Are you better at writing fiction or non-fiction? Neither.

Do you know anyone who has moved to a different state? Yes, a handful of people I went to high school with have moved to different states, as well as a couple cousins.

How many pens can you see from where you’re sitting? A bunch. I have a pen/pencil cup on my desk that I like to keep well stocked lol.

Have you ever dated someone one grade/year above or below you? I never really dated anyone in school.

What language do you think you’d be good at? I don’t know. What language do you think you’d fail at? I don’t know.

Do you still have a landline phone at your house? Nope.

What is your current desktop background? Here at work it’s a fan art drawing of the mountains of “Hollywoo” from BoJack, including the sign and.BoJack’s house.

How big is the television you last watched? It’s 55in.

Have you ever been stung by a bee or a wasp? Nah.

How many schools have you been to in your lifetime? Preschool, K-8th, high school. two colleges.

What is the middle name of the last person you texted? Allen.

Are you of legal age in your country? Yes.

Why did you last visit a doctor? New glasses.

Would you prefer an ice cream cake or a regular cake? Both are good.

How old is your best friend? 29, 34, 35, 39.

What is/was your high school’s mascot? Wildcats.

Do you carry pain relievers with you at all times? No. But I have a “travel” backpack that has essentials in it that I take if I am going to be gone somewhere all day, and that includes pain relievers.

Where is your mother right now? Dead.

What was the last thing to make you smile? Something my coworkers were talking about.

Are you currently saving up for anything? A new mattress. And spending money for when Ellen and Sarah are here.

What’s the view like from your bedroom window? We are in the basement and our bedroom window is level with the driveway.

Generally speaking, do you prefer sweet or savoury? They have different connotations for me. Like “savory” is a whole meal and “sweet” is just a dessert or treat, so they are different and I can’t really choose one over the other?

What would you do if you got home and you saw your house had been destroyed? Blah.

When did you last go outside, and what for? Earlier this morning when I came to work.

Who is your favourite Sesame Street character? Cookie Monster. Though the recent Elmo memes made me a fan.

How often do you check your emails? My job consists of me answering emails all day. And I only check my personal email if I am expecting something lol.

Do you have any plans for this Thanksgiving? Probably eat?

What colour is your backpack? I have a mini pink iridescent one I use daily.

Would you slap the last person you talked to for twenty dollars? No.

What search engine do you usually use? Google.

How much did the shirt you’re wearing cost? I’m not sure, I bought it a long time ago.

Patrick Stump or Pete Wentz? I’m good.

Do you know anyone who gives way too many hugs? A little bit, yeah.

What time do you usually wake up on Sundays? Depends.

Have you whispered today? Probably. I’m always whispering shit to myself lol.

What grade did you get on the last test you took? I have no idea.

[1800dojaejung]

Crush on You | HJS

❄ Summary: Joshua hates the idea of you being all alone for winter break so he wants to surprise you.

❄ Pairing: Joshua x GN!Reader

❄ Genres & AUs: Fluff, friends to lovers au, college au

❄ Rating: PG

❄ Warnings: None just Joshua being the sweetest

❄ Words: 3.3k

❄ Note: First fic of 2023! Big thank you to @toikiii​ for reading this over for me! This is an old fic of mine that I’ve been meaning to get around to rewriting when I was feeling especially soft. My brain simply would not rest and I literally couldn’t work on any other wip until I got some of these Joshua feelings out. The swiftness at which he shot up my bias list since last year is unfair because I didn’t ask to be this down bad for him, yet here I am.

I told myself I’d start working on my Seventeen wips in the new year and here we are - soft hours for Joshua are open forever!

Being broke during winter break sucks. Being broke during winter break and alone sucks even more. Being broke during winter break and being alone and being in a whole different country sucks the most.

You plan on buying your plane ticket to go home for the break early on. You tell yourself over and over again that you’re going to get it months ahead of time. Of course what you plan and what actually happens are two different things.

September is when you’re going to get the round-trip ticket. If you get it out of the way three months in advance, you won’t have to worry about doing anything last minute or having to pay more as the day grows closer. You have the money in your account and as soon as you finish your homework for the week, you’ll sit down, get the ticket, and plan the trip.

Unfortunately, you make the fatal mistake of allowing all of your friends to squeeze into your dorm room to celebrate the coming weekend. Thanks to the half-full bottle of soju that spilled all over your laptop, you learn two things that day; one is to never let a group of college boys drink excessive amounts of alcohol in your dorm room. The second thing is to never let a drunk Kwon Soonyoung anywhere near your expensive things ever again. Ever.

October rolls around and after buying a new computer and making sure Soonyoung knows that he’s indebted to you for basically the rest of his life, you’re back to saving up again. That’s short-lived though when you leave your backpack, which just so happens to have most of your textbooks in it, on the train.

This time you mostly blame Seungkwan. There’s a new restaurant opening in Gangnam that he really wants to try and everyone else is either busy or doesn’t want to go. He has to bribe you with a free meal, but you ultimately agree.

The problem is, he gets so caught up in trying things and gushing over the food that you miss your train back to campus, meaning you’ll likely be late for curfew. He pays the bill and the two of you sprint to the train to catch the next one. Once you reach your stop, you have to push through the abnormally crowded train passengers to get out, and in the process, your backpack is forgotten on the seat you and Seungkwan shared and you don’t realize that your bag isn’t slung over either of your shoulders until the train is long gone. While, yes you blame the incident on your forgetfulness, Seungkwan had told you that he'd carry your backpack and then didn’t so it’s still partially his fault.

November is your fault, which you can admit. Dragging along as many of your thirteen closest friends as will go with you to a SHINee pop-up shop in Busan means more planning and money than you account for. At the time all you have on your mind is getting your hands on as many limited edition fan items as possible, but once you’re faced with the double-digit number in your bank account, irresponsibility and guilt settle heavily on your shoulders.

December brings on tests and projects almost nonstop which barely leaves enough time for you to sleep and eat, so your mind is on school and school alone. You’ve seen the holiday decorations and heard plenty of people talking about the upcoming break, but your homework takes precedence over anything else.

After months of excuse after excuse, and you simply forgetting, here you are now; alone while all of your friends have already gone home for break, most of them only having to hop on a train to get there. Barely anyone is on campus at all and the few students that did stay back are unfamiliar to you so you choose the solitude of your own room for the next week.

Your family doesn’t have the funds to get you a ticket, so your financial irresponsibility is your problem and yours alone. Of course, your friends offer to pay for your ticket home, which when you decline, their next suggestion is to let you go home with one of them, but you turn them all down on that offer too. You want them to enjoy their time with their families and not have to worry about their foreign friend tagging awkwardly along.

You regret your decision just a little bit as you trek through the freshly fallen snow to the bus stop. The fact that the school's cafeteria would be closed with most of the staff gone, hadn't occurred to you either, which is why you found yourself in the small tteokbokki place about fifteen minutes away from school on New Year’s eve.

You’re in the middle of grumpily stuffing your face full of rice cakes when your phone rings on the table. After glancing at the contact name and photo, you quickly swallow the food in your mouth before swiping your finger across the screen to answer the phone.

“Yeah?”

“Is that any way to greet your lovely friend?” A chuckle comes through the line making you scoff while simultaneously trying to ignore your rapid heartbeat.

“You're Joshua, you don't count.”

“Are you saying if I was Jihoon or Jeonghan you would've answered nicer?!” He gasps in faux offense.

“I don't know, maybe. Neither of them has hit me in the face with a door you know,” you taunt, trying not to laugh. You’ll never let him live down the fact that your first time meeting was due to him accidentally smacking you in the face with the door to your shared math class.

“How long are you gonna keep bringing that up?! I said I was sorry!” Joshua lets out a deep sigh and you can practically hear him sulking over the phone. “Anyway, where are you?”

“Tteokbokki,” you simply answer, not needing to explain where since he’ll know “Why?”

“Go back to your room.”

“What?”

“I sent you something and you have to hurry back, like, now.”

“Bu-”

“I'm serious you have to go now. I’ll time you and if you aren't there in less than twenty minutes, I'm sending it back.”

“You can’t just unsend a mailed gift!”

The sound of the dial tone is his reply.

You usually aren’t one to listen to people demanding you to do things. You can admit to being pretty stubborn and petty at times and you can proudly say no if you didn't want to do something.

Well, unless the one telling you what to do was Joshua Hong.

You did a flawless job (in your opinion) of hiding the fact that you’ve, more or less, fallen for one of your best friends. All of your male friends were handsome and fun to be around, but there is something about Joshua that you can’t put your finger on, but it makes you feel so many things for him. His sweet smiles always make your heart practically beat out of your chest. His laughter makes you weak in the knees; the sound is like your favorite song. Anytime you sit close to him, you find yourself daydreaming of being more than friends, the urge to hold his hand always at the forefront of your mind.

Obviously, you haven’t told a single soul about this and you plan to keep it that way. The last thing you need is to disrupt the dynamic of your newfound family with a silly little crush, but you still can’t help the giddy feeling you get around him or the way that you tend to do nearly anything he asks of you.

Today is no expectation as you promptly stand up, throw away your trash, and beeline out of the restaurant and to the bus stop to go back to campus.

With your boots caked in snow, palms sweaty, and breathing labored from fast-walking to get here, you’re back at your building and rushing into your room. Upon stepping inside, you instantly note that it looks different than the way you left it.

Your walls, which are usually covered in posters, now have sparkly, silver stars hanging haphazardly around the room. There’s a string of blinking fairy lights hung up on the ceiling, a few feet above your head and there’s a candle burning that smells strongly of sugar cookies. Sitting on your desk is a small artificial Christmas tree complete with rainbow-blinking lights and a little gold star on the top. Your eyes only scan these things briefly before they land on the man sitting cross-legged in the middle of your bed. His phone is next to him, playing a soft R&B song that you can’t name, but it sounds nice. He’s wearing a red and white sweater and a glittery ‘Happy New Year’ headband. Joshua’s wide, bright smile completes the ensemble.

“Surprise!” Joshua bounces off your bed and throws his arms in the air.

You’re still standing in the doorway, unsure of what to even say. A jumble of things runs through your mind, but the only thing you manage to get out is, “How'd you even get those lights on the ceiling? You’re not that tall.”

Joshua throws his head back and laughs in response. “I show up here when I'm supposed to be at home and turn your room into what looks like the holidays threw up in it, and that's what you say to me?”

As if a switch is flipped, you snap out of your daze and kick your soggy shoes off, tossing your coat on the back of your desk chair and plopping down on the edge of your bed.

“Okay then, why are you not in California and how did you do this?” You try your best not to sound as giddy as you feel and ignore the somersaults your stomach is doing under your sweater.

“Well, as you know I did go home.”

“Yes, we all facetimed for Christmas I’m aware.”

“Don’t interrupt!” He playfully scolds, and it makes your face heat up. “As I was saying, I went home, but I was still thinking about you here alone and I just couldn’t stop imagining you sitting here with no one to celebrate any of the holidays with and I hated it. So, I bought a plane ticket and got back here this morning to surprise you. I actually didn’t know if you’d be in your room or not, but when I came by you were already gone so I let myself in and decided this was a better surprise than showing up with the decorations in my arms and making you put them up with me. Worked pretty well I'd say.” Joshua pats himself on the back and admires his work with a pleased grin.

“Okay… but why?”

“Why what?” Joshua sits on the bed next to you, your body going rigid. You try to create some distance between the two of you, the usual butterflies in your stomach going insane.

“Why did you go through the trouble of setting all of this up and leaving your family? During the holidays of all time.”

Joshua's face is suddenly serious as he turns towards you. “Because I know you. I know when you're unhappy, even when you try and hide it. You've been unhappy all month and I could tell. When you’re sad about something you get weirdly quiet all the time, whether you notice or not. You also get more agitated than usual and you stare off into space a lot.” He scoots closer to you ever so carefully. “We've known each other for two years so I've had plenty of time to pick up little things about you. I probably know more about you than you think.” Joshua shrugs and glances away from you. His tone has been casual, but you don’t miss the blush that spreads over his face.

“So… you ditched your family early to come back to school during break and spent your time and money on decorations for my room because you wanted me to not be unhappy?”

“Well, I mean you're my friend, obviously.” His face is still turned away from you, but the strain in his voice is noticeable. Seeing Joshua act so flustered gives you a boost of unexpected confidence, so you decide to see how far you can push this conversation. Admitting that you have a crush on him terrifies you to no end, but maybe you can gauge his feelings.

“But I'm also friends with Mingyu and Chan and they didn't go out of their way to do this for me.”

“Yeah, but they're not clever enough to think of doing this. And they're also nowhere near as nice as I am.”

“What about Wonwoo? He's pretty smart. And Seungcheol is actually the sweetest man I've ever met. If anyone would've planned all of this, it would've been him,” you say matter-of-factly.

Joshua finally turns to look at you then, clearly offended.

“What do you mean?! I’m very sweet! How about that time I brought you all of your homework and let you copy my lecture notes that whole week you were sick! And the time last year that I surprised you with EXID tickets for your birthday! And let us not forget all the food I’ve made and bought you when you have cravings! I’m so nice I don't know how you stand it! Seungcheol sucks." He puffs out his cheeks and crosses his arms, a pout forming on his perfect lips.

You have to turn your head and change the giggle you nearly let out into a cough.

“Well yeah, but Seungcheol always compliments me. He also makes sure that when he gets coffee for himself before our Tuesday morning class, that he brings me a caramel latte since he knows it’s my favorite. You've never brought me anything before our class.”

Joshua’s brown eyes stare into yours as you talk, his jaw clenching in annoyance, but you keep talking. “Oh! And he always holds doors open for me. Let's not forget what happened the last time you and a door were anywhere near me.”

“Not this again -” He groans out through gritted teeth.

“And, Seungcheol also makes sure any restaurants we go have plenty of nut-free options for my allergy and -” Joshua grabs your waist, tugging you forward and sending you falling against his chest. When you look up at him and your eyes meet, he hesitates for only a second before bringing his lips to meet yours.

He moves his hands up to cup your face and turns his head, aligning your lips at a better angle. Your fingers grip the front of his sweater, hands bunching up the fabric.

Kissing Joshua Hong is only something that you dream about and keep to yourself, but this moment, right now with him, is better than any scenario your brain has conjured up on its own.

The two of you lose track of time, nothing mattering except how soft Joshua’s lips are and how good he smells, and how warm his hands on you are.

It isn’t until you need to breathe do both of you pull back slowly, neither of you really wanting to do so. Once your eyes flutter open, they widen, the realization of what just happened hitting you. Joshua on the other hand looks much more relaxed - relieved even.

“I can’t believe you kissed me,” you breathe out, almost in a whisper, afraid that if you’re too loud you’ll wake up from what you’re still convinced may be a dream.

“I can’t believe you kissed me back.” The two of you share a quiet laugh.

“Is that why you came back to do all of this for me?”

Joshua gives you a look that very much feels like a non-verbal ‘duh!’ “I thought it was obvious honestly. I’ve wanted to kiss you since I first met you.”

“With my bloody nose and all, huh?”

His pretty face twists in agony at your teasing. “You’re going to make me apologize for the rest of my life about the door huh?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Our kids are going to ask how we met and you’re going to tell them that their father nearly knocked you out and had to rush you to the campus infirmary and how for the rest of the day I stalked you around school to make sure you didn’t randomly pass out because I gave you brain damage.”

You chuckle at his dramatics, telling your heart to stop trying to leap out of your chest at the idea of kids and a future with Joshua. You’ve been more than friends for less than an hour at least - you have got to calm down.

“Oh, before I forget, no more talking about Seungcheol like that anymore, okay? And I'm going to tell him not to bring you lattes in the morning because I'm going to do it.”

“But your classes on Tuesdays don’t start until eleven.”

“Guess I'll just have to get up early and meet you then. I’m going to be nicer than Seungcheol can ever hope to be. You’re mine now so no one can be nicer to you than me.”

“Whatever you say, Shua.” You roll your eyes at him, fighting back a giddy smile.

“Good. Now that that's settled, let’s pack a bag for you.” Joshua hops off of the bed and drags your suitcase out from under your bed.

“What? Why?”

“You wouldn’t let me buy you a plane ticket back home, so you're coming home with me,” he says as he bounds over to your closet. Just as you open your mouth to object, he puts a hand up. “You're not going to spend the rest of the break here alone. I got a round-trip ticket for myself and one for you too. The flight leaves tomorrow morning, so we should get your stuff ready now.”

Crossing your arms, you watch him casually look through your clothes. “And what if I didn’t like you back? You didn’t even know that I felt the same way about you.”

He only shrugs. “Honestly? I didn’t plan that far ahead. I just wanted to get to you so you weren’t lonely anymore and I’d figure it out from there.” He emerges with an armful of your sweaters, beginning to neatly fold them and set them in your open suitcase. “But now I don’t have to vanish off the face of the planet due to embarrassment and a broken heart which is good because I told my parents I was bringing you back. My mom is super excited to meet you.”

The thought of going home with your friends was awkward to you which is why you turned everyone down. The thought of going home with your used-to-be-friend-who-is-now-your-boyfriend makes you just as nervous, if not more, but even so, you don’t object as you join Joshua in packing your things and set your bag by your door for the morning.

The two of you spend the rest of the night cuddling, something you never want to stop doing with him as long as you live. When the countdown to midnight starts, you watch on your laptop as a new station counts down and as soon as midnight hits, Joshua’s pulling you into another kiss, this one just as magical as the first.

Your lips are still tingling when he pulls away and rests his forehead against yours.

“Happy New Year, Y/n.”

“Happy New Year, Shua.”

Sleep comes next for both of you, Joshua mentioning that the flight is pretty early and that you need your rest before dealing with the chaos of the airport. He rambles a little as you fall asleep, going on about wanting to take you to all his favorite places back home. Just hearing the excitement in his voice helps you decide that maybe visiting his family wouldn't be so bad. Especially if he keeps kissing you the way he does and looking at you with those soft, sparkling eyes. Hell, if he asked you to fly to the moon with him right now, you’ll likely say yes without a second thought and not regret a single thing. Not as long as you’re with him.

[softykooky]

sanctuary: seven

summary: the absence of you is a void that they never thought they’d have to experience again. they were fine before they met you. but the sky would fall before the boys would be fine after you’ve gone. 8.03k words.

genre: mafia au, ANGST, poly au

pairing: ot7 x reader

warnings (READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION) :  toxic and dysfunctional familial relationships, mentions of domestic abuse (physical and verbal), swearing, ptsd & trauma, poor mental health, mentions of anxiety & panic attacks, eating problems, alcohol abuse, abandonment issues...

rating: NC17

author’s note: okay I lied there’s going to be another part! I just couldn’t fit all that I wanted and I figured it was better to give you guys something now instead of making you wait another century for me to wrap up the story. please let me know if I forgot anyone in the taglist! please let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy!

♡ series masterpost ♡ 

Just leave.

Just leave.

Just leave.

Like a cruel rhythm or a drum that keeps on beating in your chest to remind you of the pain that rips through your heart. 

You’re such a fool, Y/N. 

Should you blame them for growing tired of you? Even snapping at you like they did, or did you deserve it? It was so easy for you to wither back into the mindset your father had trained you to adapt at the slightest intrusion. Now, after that massacre in the kitchen with the people you trusted with your whole being, you weren’t sure if it was possible to think otherwise. 

Through the warm tears that have clouded your eyes, frantically stuffing the little belongings you have into a backpack is otherworldly difficult. Your heart hurts. Your soul hurts. Your entire being hurts and you can only wonder how many times a person can be pushed aside and unwanted until they just completely break. You wonder how close you are to that point. 

There’s anger running through your veins, cocktailed with devastation and confusion, but you’re not sure what it is you’re angry at. Were you angry at them? Could you ever be angry at them, even after they did something like this? You weren’t sure what to feel anymore, but that wasn’t important. 

There was one objective in sight: pack up and get the hell out before you let anyone else completely destroy you. 

But even then, you can’t help but to think about how they hadn’t even bothered to come after you. None of them did. And it ignites a different fire of pain that you’re finding harder to ignore. You’re halfway through shoving your shirts into the backpack when a soft voice sounds from your doorway. Jun is standing there, fiddling with her apron and warm sympathy on her face. 

“Y/N, sweetie, they’re just...maybe give them some time. Please don’t go”, Jun sighs. 

“No, Jun. They don’t want me here anymore”, your voice cracks at the realization. “I’m not going to stay and be unwanted. I won’t do it again. I-I can’t.”

When the last item is tucked into the pocket of your bag, you swing it onto your shoulder. The weight of the backpack feels as though it’s pulling you deeper into the ground. Like you are sinking and there is nothing you can do but wait until your head is submerged. 

“Jun…” you breathe out, wiping away a warm stray tear, “could you...could you tell them that I’m sorry? I-I’m not sure what for, I guess for everything. But could you just tell them?”

Jun nods solemnly, though the reluctance is clear on her expression. Even she can recognize that you have nothing to apologize for. “I will, honey. Are you sure about this?”

“I have no choice, Jun. I love them and I-” you cut yourself off. 

This is the first time you’ve been able to say it out loud. You love them. You’ve fallen in love with them and the timing could not be worse. But all in all, you consider yourself lucky. There was no way you would have recovered if you confessed and all seven of them inevitably rejected it. Perhaps this fight just saved you the great pain of knowing they cannot love you back. 

“And I need to go.” 

You’d have to leave before dinner. Through the back door.  The one that no one thinks you know about but as always, no man gives you nearly enough credit as you deserve. You’ll tell the guards you’re going out for a walk and pray they don’t question the overstuffed backpack you’re hauling. You’ll just open it and run and…

Find a new home? A new life? Find a new set of souls that will cherish and care for you and make you feel like you’re actually meant to be in this world? 

You love them. That much you know is true. And perhaps people like you weren’t meant to have love in this world. 

“You’re excused, Lee. Be grateful you’re still here.” The venom in Namjoon’s voice remains clear as day, even after your ungraceful departure from the kitchen. You had left so abruptly with so few words that they weren’t able to even try and stop you. 

They still can’t see straight through the searing anger that pulses through their entire being. Anger at the world, and the traitors, and the idiotic rookie that lost them thousands in shipments. 

But the anger at you had faded a long time ago, the moment you bolted out of the kitchen and up the stairs. However, the boys were nothing if not stubborn. Why did you have to get in the way of their business? Why couldn’t you just remain kept away, for them to keep safe and away from the dangers of the outside world?

Jimin is the first one to make a move to the staircase, up to where you were packing, trying to be stealthy until the leader catches a glance of him. 

“Jimin. Stop. Just let her cool off”, Namjoon sighs, pinching the space between his eyebrows to relieve his tension headache. He was usually the sensible one. The leader of the pack telling everyone to keep their cool. But the load on his shoulders has been getting far too heavy and you were the light breeze that caused it to collapse. 

“You should wait to calm down before you talk to her, anyway. That vein in your forehead might pop out of your skin”, Hoseok snidely remarks. 

Jimin scoffs, running a hand through his hair for the umpteenth time that day. 

“Everything we’ve been doing has been for her best interest. Why is she making this so difficult?”, he exhales, frustration still licking at every word. But with a mere glance at Jimin, anyone in the room could tell that he truly held no antipathy towards you. That his words were coming from an unresolved pool of anger that had been bubbling away for ages.

“You don’t think she means it, do you?”, Taehyung mutters, eyebrows still creased in intensity. “The leaving part?”

“Where could she go Taehyung? We’re all she has at this point”, Yoongi speaks. A layer of irony coats the room as Yoongi remembers the words he had spat at you in the heat of the moment. A vicious declaration to tell you to leave, and he feels a string of guilt twining itself around his lungs. He numbs it away, of course. As he does everything else. 

Jin takes a deep breath. “Listen, we’re all stressed and sleep-deprived. Why don’t we just calm down separately and talk it over at dinner? I’m sure by then, this whole thing will be completely forgotten.” His words sound sure and steady. Jin hopes they don’t notice the worry that bleeds into his voice. 

A chorus of agreements and hums quietly sound across the room as the seven of them shuffle out of the kitchen and slowly saunter into their respective rooms. And as they tiptoe past your bedroom, where your door was shut tight, the boys can’t help but feel the rationality that has begun to trickle back in. The logic and reason that had abandoned them during the fight had slowly returned, and the thought of you on the other side of that door made them all want to barge in and hold you again. 

Maybe they overreacted. Maybe they were wrong. Pride, however, was a stern mistress, and the potential consequences of their actions hadn’t yet reached their thoughts. They hadn’t realized the poison of their words.

 They would wait a bit longer. 

Everything would be okay after dinner. 

The first thing you realize after leaving is that you chose the wrong pair of shoes to attempt an escape on foot. Of course, you had to be wearing the new ones that the boys just bought you that hadn’t been broken in yet. The heel was digging into your skin painfully, undoubtedly leaving red marks and calluses. Your feet ached with every step, but you had to soldier on. At least until you found somewhere to rest for a bit and figure out where the hell you would go.

 A glance down at your phone has you eternally grateful for your past self for remembering to charge it. Hopefully it would last you until you found somewhere for the time being. 

There was no more family in the country besides your immediate ones. And you’d rather swallow knives than go back to that. The thought of them makes you sad though when you remember Soyeon.

 You wonder how she’s doing. The things she’s been up to. Is she shopping as much as she always does? Is she happy? Does she miss you? The train of thought makes you scoff at your own patheticism. Even after everything, you couldn’t find it in yourself to hate her. You would always love your sister. 

The Bangtan manor hadn’t been as far away from the city as you had thought. On the other hand, you weren’t exactly paying attention to the time. Just let your feet carry you where they wanted to and stared blankly at the passing ground, trying to empty your thoughts as best you could. The sky was beginning to darken and the wind blew a bit colder but you refused to let it slow your pace. You couldn’t let yourself feel. Not yet, anyway. 

The first motel you see is the one you enter. It’s not grand by any means; more of a fixer-upper. The wallpaper was peeling, the carpet reeked of age and dust, and the receptionist was chewing gum and scrolling absentmindedly on her phone. The place was a dump compared to what the likes of you tended to live in. But you had limited cash, and this would have to do. 

It takes you three times clearing your throat for her to notice that a customer was at the front desk. 

“Hello. I’d like a room with one bed, please.” 

She doesn’t hide her blatant scrutinization of you, visibly looking you up and down with something akin to disapproval. Her phone is tossed on the counter annoyedly and she snaps her gum, wheeling her chair closer to the computer and clacks away on the keyboard. 

“ID and payment, please”, she drones, holding out a hand without sparing you another glance. When she looks at the card you have placed in her palm, there is a spark of recognition. The Yoo family name. She must have seen your name in the paper or something. The ambassador’s daughter. In a place like this?

You are eternally grateful when the receptionist says nothing; just hands you back your card and dangles a key from her red-nail polished index finger. You two exchange no more words. The only sounds in the lobby are the clinking of the metal key, the padding of your footsteps on soft carpet, and the smacking of the bubblegum between her lips. But it is enough to begin to allow the loneliness in. The fear of it all. The uncertainty and utter devastation that you have left behind the one place that had just started to feel like home. 

When the door of your motel room closes, and it is just you... 

You with the clothes on your back, the necessities in your bag, and all the feelings you have kept bottled up for weeks on end. It is more than easy to collapse in a cathartic heap as soon as the lock clicks in place. 

Who cares if the walls are paper-thin? You scream it out on the undoubtedly dirty floors. The agony of being so close to happiness only to have it ripped away from your hands. The pain of knowing them, only for them to push you out of their lives. 

You don’t weep for anyone else. Not the seven boys you loved, not Soyeon, not your father, not Jun. 

You cry for Y/N. 

You cry for the realization that maybe the thing you’ve been chasing your entire life is simply not in reach. That peace was something you had to fight for, completely alone. That they don’t love you back, or even nearly as much as you loved them. If they did, you wouldn’t be here, desperately trying to hold yourself together for what seems like the billionth time. If they loved you back, well...you reckon that reality only exists in your surreal dreams. 

There were distant cousins. In the states. And if you could get a hold of them, you had faith they would be willing to fly you over. You could spin an excuse at the drop of a hat. Maybe something about wanting to see America for a while and get away from your normal routine in Seoul. Something about needing space or enjoying time with missed relatives. They’d believe it. You’ll leave as soon as you can, hopefully in the morning. 

Naturally, this night is sleepless and you swear the sky is darker than usual. It’s starless, and even the moon is nowhere to be seen, hidden behind overcast clouds and you want to cry even more. Because after everything, is it still too much to let you feel the light? Is it still too much to let you rest under a gentle nightscape? 

You make a promise to yourself. To Y/N. 

You wouldn’t let her chase after pipe dream happiness anymore. You wouldn’t let her be so naive, so hopeful for something better. You’ve had your chance at finding it, and after more bumps and bruises, have come to the conclusion that maybe it merely does not exist for you. 

You promise her a lifetime of loneliness and solitude. But those are familiar things. Comfortable things. And you would take that over a broken heart any day. 

As soon as they fell onto their respective beds, all seven of them had drifted off to sleep. It seemed that days of constant work, chugging black coffee, and pulling consecutive all-nighters had taken its toll, and the boys finally caught up to the pure, unadulterated exhaustion. 

The seven of them slept through the night, plans of dinner completely forgotten as they glued themselves to the comfortable bedding. Unfortunately, with needed rest came a clear mind and the realization that they had been completely and utterly horrible to you ever since it all went down. 

Jungkook is the first to wake up. He brushes his teeth and slips on an outfit with a rapid fervor, ready to put everything behind him and just...hold you. Because he realizes it’s been weeks since he actually has, and maybe that’s just the thing he’s been needing. To feel your frame in his arms and hear your soft breathing. 

“Taehyung! Get up!” Jungkook pounds on the door of his hyung’s room. He hears shuffling from the other side, and a rustled bedhead emerges from a dark cavern.

“What Jungkook? It’s too early for this”, he grumbles, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

“Hyung we all slept like the dead through dinner. I’d rather not let this whole thing with Y/N marinate for any longer. Get up and let’s talk it through, I know you miss her like crazy too.” Jungkook does his best to keep his voice down since you were still sleeping in the room beside Taehyung’s. He has to round up all of them first before asking you to come out. 

So he does. Sweeps his floor and the one above to awaken the other six men. Jin and Namjoon were the only others who were dressed and ready to tackle the day. The rest of them moved like zombies to rid themselves of the sleepy fatigue. 

Somehow, they all manage to congregate in front of your door, nervously staring it down while the tension in the air choked them. It’s unnerving. The radio silence coming from your room. You must be really upset, and reasonably so. Hoseok clears his throat, twisting his hands together out of nerves, and glances at the others. 

“Well? Should I knock?”, he whispers. The other six nod solemnly, glaring at the door like it might combust at any moment. 

He steps forward gingerly and raps on your bedroom door thrice. The seconds trickle by like molasses, even slower when there is no sound from your end.

 He knocks again.

 Nothing.

 A third time. 

Complete and utter silence. 

“Y/N?”

Hoseok’s eyebrows deeply furrow, and with trepidation, he twists the doorknob and swings it open. The bedsheets are made, duvet untouched and pillows stacked neatly against the headboard. The curtains are drawn and everything looks fairly clean. Almost as if there was no one in there in the first place. Now that he looks closer, the only sign of you being there was the vase of brown and wilting peonies on the bedside table. The ones they had gotten for you months ago. Even your scarce amount of belongings were nowhere to be found. 

In the ache of the silence, nothing can be heard but their utter shock. Their minds jumping to the worst conclusion but still in denial because there’s no way that you would do that. No way they could have lost you when they all loved you so much. 

“M-maybe she’s in the basement. Or the library. I’m sure she didn’t….she hasn’t….”, Jimin cuts himself off as he drifts off into all the terrible possibilities. Namjoon yells at the guards downstairs from the second floor, and the sounds of their rushed footsteps to find you in this giant house is the only noise that reaches their ears. 

“Jun!” Taehyung hollers down below, where she is undoubtedly fussing away in the kitchen or slaving over a boiling pot. The woman calmly emerges upstairs with a sharp gaze, head held high and shoulders stiff in her posture. There is no emotion on her face, except the faint disappointment as she stands in front of the seven men.

“Where is she?”, Yoongi growls, stepping forward like a huffing beast, but Jun remains unbothered.

“Where is who?” Jun monotones. 

“Don’t play dumb, Jun. Where is Y/N?” She scoffs at the concern dripping in Yoongi’s voice. How ironic that the very person who maliciously told you to leave was now in pieces at your absence. 

“I was surprised you even noticed. It’s not something you’ve been doing as of late. Noticing”, Jun calmly retorts. She’s never been one to be afraid of them. Never scared to stand up to them, because though they were grown men, they often still needed some mothering. 

“What the fuck does that even mean?” Jungkook spits, frustratedly gripping at his hair.

“Is it not true, boys? Y/N’s been practically invisible to you these past few weeks. Who knew it would take a mere fight to finally get you guys to pay attention to her.” Jin’s reflex is to immediately respond with an argument. But the words die on his tongue when he realizes the truth in Jun’s statement.

The seven of them stare at her in silence, still high-strung on stress and anger, but intent to listen to her words. 

“She left.”

The two words that they had been so desperate not to hear sound like a death knell when they fall from Jun’s lips. Their blood runs cold, and the temperature in the house drops to subzero. A moment frozen in time and all they can do is be forced to come to terms with their actions . The room immediately explodes into desperate questions and exclamations to their head housekeeper.

“Where is she? Did she say where she’s going”, Hoseok tearily yells.

“Did she leave a note?” Jungkook chews on his lower lip until it bleeds.

“When did she leave? She couldn’t have gotten far.” Jimin grabs Jun by the shoulders, forcing her closer as if he could look in her eyes and pretend she was lying.

“Excuse me if I am speaking out of turn, Sir”, Jun clears her throat, “but what did you think was going to happen?”

The seven of them are stunned into silence, swimming in utter confusion and worry about where in the world you could be. If you were in danger at all. 

“She’s been left by herself for weeks. In this big, cold house while you all were wrapped up in your business. Tried talking to you so many times, but you all pushed her away.” Jun sighs disappointedly.

Her words ring with truth, and perhaps that is the most painful part about it all. The boys can’t do anything but stand there and listen. You were dear to Jun, and she wouldn’t let the fear of standing up to her intimidating bosses keep her from saying the things you didn’t have the courage to. 

“Y/N, she...she’s been struggling. Did she tell you that? Wouldn’t sleep for days, so I sometimes snuck melatonin into her afternoon tea. But still, she’d come out of that bedroom with dark circles that almost looked painful. I’m surprised you didn’t hear her toss and turn all night, Taehyung.” Jun spares him a glance. Not malicious or accusing. Just genuine curiosity and it makes Taehyung want to burrow himself into the ground. 

Namjoon’s heart drops as Jun continues speaking. How could they have been so oblivious to everything? So out of touch and wrapped up in other priorities that they seemed to completely forget about you? Arguably the most important person in their life. 

“Sometimes, she even refused to eat. Couldn’t even stomach a cup of soup, and she’s gotten so thin, I had to tailor all her clothes.” 

Jin’s eyes widen at the statement, his throat in knots and the sinking feeling in his gut only magnifying. Like ice water to warm skin. That’s how Jun’s words felt to their system. Like they had been so blind this entire time, so distracted by everything else that they forgot someone who had become one of the most important people to them. 

“Forgive me for speaking my truth, sir. But I’ve never quite felt such disappointment when I heard the things you said to Y/N yesterday. A-And I don’t condone her decision to leave. But can you blame her?” Jun sighs, exasperated as her worry for you seeps into her consciousness. 

Jimin pushes away the tears that have clouded his eyes, looking down at the marble floors so that no one sees the gloss that wasn’t there before Jun started speaking. He pretends not to notice the way Jungkook’s tremulous and shaky breathing, or the way Yoongi’s fisted hands have turned completely white from the tension. All he can think about...all they can think about...is you. 

Hoseok coughs, clearing his throat and steeling his voice to not show emotion. “Did she tell you where she was going?”

Jun shakes her head solemnly, twisting her apron in her hands. The boys begin to make their way downstairs, tension in the air thicker than ever and only one priority clear in their minds.

“However…”, Jun’s small voice stops them in their concentrated footsteps. “While she was packing, she told me to say one thing to you all.”

It’s expectant. They almost don’t want to hear it at all. Hearing it would affirm that they are completely undeserving of you. That you are an angel among beasts whose love language is to destroy and wreck. That maybe leaving them would be the best thing to happen to you. 

“She told me to tell you she’s sorry. For everything.”

Everything is what you deserved. Everything is what they would do to prove that to you. 

Korea from the view of your aunt’s private jet was a bittersweet revelation. It was beautiful. So achingly and hauntingly beautiful with the ghosts of your past and the shattered promises for the future. If you squint, you could still make out remnants of the Han River. Traces of a place that seemed to cry for you as you left for the states.

You didn’t want to be truthful to yourself. You didn’t want to admit that you wouldn’t miss Korea because of the people or the landscape or the weather. You’d miss it because they were there. That home had been so close you could nearly taste it. 

The trip was a chaotic blur. You faded in and out of sleep, in a hypnotic trance that proved to be your body’s self-defense mechanism to repress every emotion you had felt since you left. Stewardesses offering you flutes of champagne, drivers loading and unloading your luggage, the words of everyone around you flowing in and out like a stream of water that you ignored. 

“I trust everything is to your satisfaction, Y/N? Really, you must come visit more often. Your uncle and I have missed you terribly.” 

Your aunt had always been a kind woman. She was from your mother’s side, and like everyone else, so oblivious to the true nature of the Yoo family. How sinister things truly were behind those closed, gold-plated doors. Their house was grand, large enough so that you could make yourself scarce and wouldn’t be a disturbance. Though you couldn’t help but to notice the lack of boyish voices drifting down the hall, or the rhythm of Taehyung’s hands on the keyboard in the room next to you. 

You offer a kind smile to the butler, who gently sets your singular backpack on the plush bed that screamed out your name. 

“Thank you so much for everything, Aunt Kim. I promise I’ll transfer over the money for the plane fees and carry my weight around here for the time being.” 

Your words make you nearly wince with the uncertainty of your wobbly plans. Where would you even get the money? Ask your father? Ask them? 

“I....I promise to be out of your hair as quickly as I can”, you shakily breathe, failing to convince yourself. Yet your aunt only holds a kind smile and a warm gaze.

“Stay as long as you want, dear. It’s the least we could do to repay everything your family has done for us over the years. Especially your father.”

You know you cannot blame her oblivion. Not when it is such a well-guarded secret. Yet her words douse kerosene to the fire in your chest. Tugs at the stitches of the subconscious wounds you have yet to heal. It makes you remember them. Your boys. How they would burn at hearing such words, grit their teeths and spit poison at anyone who held your father’s name in a high regard.

Or would they? After everything, you’re not so sure anymore. Painful or not, it makes you miss them even more. 

So you smile. Bite your tongue, hold your fists at your side, and thank her again for the kindness she has shown you when you had nowhere else to run. America felt different. The air itself seemed like a culture shock. Being the ambassador’s daughter had prepared you for fluency in English and how to carry yourself diplomatically, but the journey ahead was bound to be rough. 

For the first time in your life, you would be the only one you had to care for. Not Soyeon, not your mother, not Bangtan. You’d have to do this by yourself, now, and though all the emotions you have locked away will inevitably return to confront you, this sanctuary for now would have to be enough.

You were surprisingly more difficult to find than the boys had expected. Traveling alone with no clunky belongings meant you were able to move more quickly than they had anticipated and the motel you stayed at was paid for in all cash. However, nothing in the city could really happen under Bangtan’s watch, and here you were. Video footage displayed on the screen of their basement office, and they can only feel heartache as they watch you through the screen. 

“She checked out in the morning. Got picked up by a gray SUV and taken to the airport.” Taehyung drones, eyes still glued to the screen. Like looking at your pixelated face would bring you closer to him somehow. He missed you. They all did. 

“The plane’s not registered with any public company, so I’m guessing it’s a private one belonging to her family.” Taehyung adds on, leaning forward in his chair to rest his elbows on the table. The air was tense with frustration. Anger at themselves and at each other for letting his happen. For making you run away. 

“Any idea where it’s going?” Yoongi quietly murmurs from the end of the long table. 

“America.” 

America. You felt so discouraged and hurt by them that you had to go all the way to America. They did this. This is their fault.

“So? What are we waiting for? Tell the guards to prep the jet to America. We’ll bring her back”, Jimin gawks at Namjoon, who nurses a glass of scotch like it’s his lifeline. The room falls silent awaiting their leader’s course of action, but the six of them are left speechless when Namjoon himself starts laughing. The kind of laugh that sends chills down their spines. So raucous yet emotionless. So full of hidden pain. Namjoon tips the rest of the glass down his throat, looking at them all with a hopeless expression. 

“What makes you think she wants to see us? After what we put her through? Hell, I’d be surprised if she lets us within a 10 foot radius.” Namjoon’s words are cruel, but they can’t help but to believe it to be true. 

“N-No. She’ll understand that we were stressed. I-If we just explain everything, I’m sure she’ll-”

“Don’t you remember what happened in the kitchen? What Jun said? She’s been withering away for weeks, Jimin, and none of us gave enough of a fuck to notice. We made her feel invisible.” Namjoon chuckles, but there is only pain in his tone. One that he drowns out with another swig of top-shelf whiskey. 

“We can fix it. We can go to America and fix it”, Hoseok stares down the leader, insistent on making efforts. 

“No we can’t Hoseok”, Jin’s brows furrow, eyes lighting with fire, “Jun said she didn’t sleep. She didn’t eat. I wouldn’t take us back either.” 

The boys know better than to take it personally. They were all heartbroken in the wake of your leaving, so desperate to get to you yet ashamed of themselves, apprehensive of if they even have the right to chase after you. 

Jungkook leaps up from his seat, chest huffing and hands raking violently through his hair. He paces back and forth, eyes swimming in hurt and frustration until it all seemed to combust through his body, flinging his office chair to the side to find any form of catharsis. 

He spares a poisoned glance over to Yoongi’s direction, who still sits with his eyes glued to the floor, as if ashamed of his mere existence. 

“You.” The malice in Jungkook’s voice is crystal clear.Yoongi’s shirt collar is acquaintanced with Jungkook’s fisted hand, and he grips onto the older man like a viper to its prey. As if blunt force could make you come back. The other five boys could only watch. 

“You did this. You told her to leave. Now she’s gone. I loved her, Yoongi.” Though Jungkook’s words are pumped with antipathy, the sheer devastation is heard most through it all. Yoongi doesn’t fight back. Doesn’t even make a move to push the younger off or shield himself from oncoming hits. Just sits passively with a monotone expression, staring into Jungkook’s eyes with a blank gaze.

“You’re not faultless. You yelled at her too.” 

No, none of them are faultless. And perhaps Yoongi’s words were the nails in the coffin, but they all had part in pushing you to that brink. Jungkook’s eyes gloss over with defeat, and the grip he had on Yoongi’s shirt loosens. He steps away, unable to meet any of the gazes of his older brothers or the footage of your distressed face on the flat screen monitor. Leave. That’s all he’s known to do.

“Jungkook?” Yoongi holds no anger in his voice. It stops Jungkook in his tracks as he waits for his hyung to finish. 

“I loved her too. We all do.”

They can only pray they’ll get to tell you. 

The diner two blocks away from your aunt’s apartment complex is the last place anyone would expect Ambassador Yoo’s eldest daughter to be, much less employed at. You had spent the last two weeks scouring the area for a place that would take a girl with no prior work experience, a pending student visa, and no contacts or references. But here you were, working a minimum wage job and saving every penny to make something of yourself in this entirely new country. 

It hasn’t been easy. Trying not to think about the seven boys that you left back home. The seven boys that you love so desperately and hopelessly, and foolishly thought they felt the same. It’s in the wee hours of the night that you toss and turn, closing your eyes and imagine yourself back at their manor. You will your brain to manifest the clacking sounds of Taehyung’s keyboard from across the wall or the footsteps of Yoongi’s bulky shoes when he walks past your door every night. 

You miss them compulsively so. And perhaps they do not deserve your thoughts or heartache, but it belongs to them. Even after everything, you still belong to them. But you won’t give yourself the luxury of thinking you mean more than someone who they took pity on. 

The days are the same. You get up early in the morning, put on a pot of coffee by yourself much to the disapproval of the housekeeper. Though it’s baby steps, you feel more independent this way. The coffee is terrible, of course, but it’s the thought that counts. 

You leave before your aunt even leaves her bedroom, dedicated to your full-time job and earning money whenever you can. The pay is almost humorous, and a week’s worth of your labor probably equates to what Soyeon spends in a day. But it is your work. Your money. And though everyday starts and ends with heartache and longing for a life you once had in your grasp, it feels refreshing to learn to only need yourself. 

“Y/N”, your manager sighs as you stumble through the door with frazzled hair and painfully dark under eyes. “You’re late.”

“I know, I know, I’m so sorry. Traffic was insane this morning. It won’t happen again.” Your hair is expertly swept back into a haphazard bun, fiddling with the apron around your waist before jumping to the orders that have begun to get cold on the counter. 

The work was simple. Slow. But it was honest and enough for you. The diner was calm; a refreshing environment from the one you had in Korea. 

“Here you are, sir. Black coffee and a side of toast”, you muttered in a sugary sweet voice, fake smile stretched on your face to hide the perpetual pain in your chest that has not went away since you left the Bangtan house. It’s easier these days to just not think about it. To completely repress the trauma of your father and the boys and the failed therapy. The smile drops as soon as you turn around to walk back to the counter. 

“Rough morning?” Lina’s voice is gravelly, rough from the coffee and 15-minute smoke breaks she takes every lunch. 

“Something like that.” You collapse onto the cashier counter, holding your head in your hands to will away the pounding ache of your temples. 

“First it was me completely sleeping through the morning alarm. Then it was the bus detouring and making five extra stops they usually don’t”, you huff.

“Y/N?”

“And don’t get me started on the fact that I decided to drop my phone in a puddle when I was running here.”

“Y/N.” Lina’s voice cuts through your venting monologue. She stares past you, as if there was something behind you captivating her attention. 

“I think someone is staring at us from across the street.” Your brows furror at her words, whipping around to the window. When you see him. The air in the diner thins until it completely disappears, and the breath is stolen from your lungs. 

Your paled face and shaking hands is what he sees from where he’s standing, clad in a black hoodie that covered his head, but you could recognize him in your sleep.You are both frozen in time and chaos, staring at each other like you both did not belong. Eyes glued to the other like you are both too good to be true.

 Are you imagining it? Through the tears that reflexively pooled in your eyes and the way your body quivers, are you finally going insane and imagining a person who has been plaguing your mind for weeks? 

Your feet carry you into action when your mind is still stuck in shellshock, bursting out of the diner doors with desperation on your tongue, hands reaching out as if it would span across the streetlight and bring him closer. 

“Jin?” You are not quiet. You scream his name across what feels like a chasm, but is only just a couple meters away. Your legs usher you into the open street, and cars veer and honk to avoid your form, frozen on the crosswalk. 

It takes you one second to blink and him one second to disappear into the crowd. Like he was never there at all and your mind was playing cruel, evil tricks on your already crumbling soul. A ruse that Lina was in on, just to torture your decimated spirit. 

Could you allow yourself the luxury to think that he had come to see you? You didn’t know if you even wanted him to, didn’t know if you had it in you to forgive and forget.

“Jin.” 

It comes out as a shaky whisper under your breath. A broken voice that longs for something she cannot have. Something that was so far in space and time it now felt like a figment of your imagination. You allow a tear to fall, your heart to crack a bit more, and return to the diner.

“Where have you been running off to these days?” The words are snide. Coated in feigned concern and curiosity and meant to be a jab at Jin’s recent absence in Bangtan activities. They are easy to fall from Yoongi’s lips as he steals another swig of the McKellan whiskey he’s been saving up for a special occasion or a rainy day. What more fitting than to mourn the space in his heart where you used to be. 

Jin stays silent, only giving the intoxicated Yoongi a heavy eye roll and trudging past him. To say that the seven men were in terrible shape after your departure is a gross understatement. But Yoongi’s onset alcoholism seemed mild compared to how the rest of the boys were faring.

Both Taehyung and Jungkook haven’t left their rooms since finding out you were in America, only the sounds of their computer keys, heavy footsteps, and the empty food plates left at their doors to signal that they were alive in there. Namjoon had thrown himself into work, picking up the slack of all the other boys and sometimes emerging from his office at the early hours of dawn looking like he hasn’t slept in a week. His gaunty face and the way his once fitted shirt now falls loosely on his shoulders tells Jin he hasn’t eaten much either. 

Hoseok could more often than not be found in the training room, breaking and bruising himself to numb him from the pain of losing you. He takes it out on the poor gang recruits that were unlucky enough to be chosen to spar with him. 

And Jin? Well, Jin spent his days away from the house. Away from the business and the drugs and the people. He never tells anyone where he’s going or when he’s coming back and they are all too drained to try to ask. The boys live together but not truly. Just exist and breathe in the same space and too resentful of themselves and the others to fix the fragments you left behind. They miss you. Long for you and burn for you like they never have for anyone else. 

See, it’s one thing to not know where you are and be forced to be away from you on the basis of ignorance. But to know your exact location, have the time and resources to easily get to you, yet can’t come to you because they’ve hurt you immeasurably is a different kind of torture. A different kind of ache that haunts their souls at every waking moment. You are so close and so far away, and they only have themselves to blame for the distance. 

“Jun, can you make a meal for Namjoon? I’ll take it up to him.” Jin sighs to the housekeeper, shedding off his coat on the kitchen stool. 

Jun nods knowingly, fully aware of the effects your absence has had on the masters of the house. And she is not blind to Jin’s indifference or the way he is doing worlds better than the others. 

“He’ll probably try to yell at me and make you go away first. But he’ll be thankful eventually.” Jin nurses a cup of tea to warm him after his journey. Ones that he takes every week and for days at a time. 

Jun nods again, assembling a tray of food that Namjoon will undoubtedly leave to get cold either at his door or the end of his desk. Before he leaves, however, Jun spares the man a knowing glance and a sad smile. 

“You may want to return the private jet more promptly next time, sir. The others have gotten...wary.” 

Jin’s eyes widen at her words, frozen for a millisecond in his footsteps as realization strikes in that he hadn’t been as inconspicuous as he thought. He says nothing as he departs from the kitchen. Only stares at the marble floor and wonders what would be the next time he’d get to see you. Even if from a street’s distance. 

It takes four syncopated knocks before semblance of a noise emerges from behind Namjoon’s closed door. It comes in the form of an angered grunt, but Jin is no stranger to his leader’s brunt. He opens the door with no further permission. 

Namjoon is in worse shape than he had expected. His hair is another level of unruly, greasy and matted and looking like the man ran his hands through it a billion times. The paperwork strewn across his desk and floor reflects the mess in Namjoon’s own head. Like he is suffocating himself in his work but still finds breath in his lungs. Still finds you in his thoughts. 

“You need to eat”, Jin states demandingly. Namjoon only hums in response, keeping his eyes glued to the work in front of him. Jin pushes the tray into his line of vision.

“Eat, Joon. You can’t work if you starve. Y/N would want you to eat.” 

Your name makes his pen stop writing. Makes his eyes widen like he hasn’t heard it said aloud in ages. It’s pathetic to Namjoon, really. How much one person has affected him.

“How would you know what Y/N wants, Jin? How would any of us?” He sneers, resuming the scribbling on his paper. Jin sighs dejectedly, opting to leave the food on his table and not be bothered with trying to help someone who so clearly didn’t want to be helped. He turns around to leave. Until Namjoon opens his mouth again. 

“Unless….”, he teeters, “you do know what she wants.” He tosses the pen and papers aside, crossing his arms and sitting back in the desk chair. 

“Unless you’ve been going behind our backs to see her.”

Had he been turned around facing Namjoon, the younger would have seen the clear exposed truth on his face. The blatant and unhidden look of guilt and shame that he quickly masks once he whips to face Namjoon. 

“What are you talking about?” 

The responding statement is quick. Too quick. Too accosting. Namjoon squints his eyes. 

“Only the several days these past weeks you’ve disappeared from Bangtan’s radar. The bills for the jet fuel sent to my directory. The pilots you’ve been pulling away from our forces in Korea to personally tend to whatever shady business you’ve been hiding under my nose.” 

Namjoon’s words are rapid fire, piercing into the facade that Jin thought he had so carefully crafted. He should’ve known nothing goes unnoticed under the leader’s eye. 

“Namjoon, I-”

“Just be glad I didn’t tell the others. Especially Jungkook.” The thought of the youngest makes him sigh. Jungkook has always been so volatile. A ticking, emotionally-charged and codependent time bomb hiding under that muscle and masculinity. Namjoon knew better than to expose something like this just yet.

When he looks up at the man standing in the doorway of his office, he’s looking straight past him. Through the window like it was you he saw in the sky. Observing him now, up close and with more attention, Namjoon finally gets to truly see him. 

On the surface, Jin is faring worlds better than any of them. He’s clean and freshly showered, hair coiffed to perfection like it usually is. He dons a black button up; perfectly ironed without a crease in sight. But Namjoon knows him better than that. Jin looks so utterly drained it stirs sympathy in even the darkest of hearts. His eyes communicate something his words can’t: Seokjin is completely lost without your light. 

“I’m sorry.” The words come out breathily. Like he’s been waiting to say it all this time but couldn’t. 

“I just…”, he stares down at his hands, “I just needed to see her. See if she was doing alright after we…” Jin trails off, not able to face the truth of their actions just yet. And though there is lingering anger in Namjoon, he can’t help but to feel his distress vicariously. 

“You know, she’s a waitress now. At this small, run-down diner downtown. With a cute little apron and everything”, he chuckles softly, sadness seeping in every word. 

“She lives with her aunt and uncle, and walks everywhere because she doesn’t have a car, at unholy hours of the night which keeps me up every night constantly worrying about her. But that’s Y/N, isn’t it? So careless of her own safety and well-being.” 

Namjoon refrains the smile that creeps on his face at the thought of you. 

“She was smiling when I saw her. I could still see she was sad but she was smiling. Like she always does just so other people feel happier around her.”

“Jin, you don’t have to-”

“And she’s lost so much weight, Namjoon. She was trying to yell out for help and all we did was ignore her.”

Jin’s words are nails on a chalkboard. Vinegar in wine. It makes them both nauseous and rueful, and the oxygen in Namjoon’s office suddenly becomes all too suffocating. Your presence, or lack thereof, has left a heavy residue on the walls of the manor. 

The two boys sit in silence for a moment, before the sound of thumping boots on hardwood flooring echoes down the hallway, getting louder as it approaches the office. The door is nearly taken off its hinges as it violently swings open. Taehyung stands in the threshold, sweat on his brow and chest huffing up and down like an overexerted engine. He is pale in the face, hands trembling at his side and the sheer shock in his gaze tells the two older men that the words preparing to slip from his tongue are not going to be pleasant. Jin and Namjoon brace themselves for impact. 

“It’s Y/N”, his whispered voice quivers. Their hearts drop. 

“There’s been an accident.” 

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[oreoambitions]

I just want to crosspost this from the Yosemite National Park facebook page, because I think it’s a really important message for anyone who spends time in wild places. Apologies if it has already been crossposted.

Speeding Kills Bear We get this call a lot. Too much, to be honest. “Bear hit by vehicle, dead on the side of the road.” Sadly, it’s become routine. I log the coordinates into my phone, gather the equipment I may need, and head to the location. This call came in cold; it sounds like the collision happened sometime around noon and it’s 4 pm now. The location is an hour’s drive away, so by the time I get there it’s well after 5 pm. I pull off on the shoulder, lug a large backpack of equipment over my back, and head off down the road. My job here is easy, really: find the bear, move its body far away from the road to prevent any other animals from getting hit while scavenging on it, fill out a report, and collect samples and measurements for research. Then I’m off on my way again with another number to add to the total of bears hit by vehicles this year—data we hope will help prevent future collisions. Pretty callous. However, the reality behind each of these numbers is not. Per the coordinates I was given, I’m still a few hundred yards off, so I continue down the road scanning it for blood as cars whiz by. I try to remember how many times I’ve done this now and, truthfully, I don’t know. This is not what any of us signs up for, but it’s a part of the job nonetheless. Then something catches my eye. It’s small and artificial, and laying in the middle of the road. As I walk closer, I see that it’s a broken shapeless car part, likely from an undercarriage. More cars whiz past. I turn my gaze from the car part down the embankment on the side of the road and there it is.   A cub. Its tiny light brown body laying just feet from me and the road, nearly invisible to every passerby. It’s a new cub—couldn’t be much more than six months old, now balled up and lifeless under a small pine tree. For a moment I lose track of time as I stand there staring at its tiny body, but then the sound of more cars whizzing by reminds me of my place and my role. I let out a deep sigh and continue on with my task.   I pick up the cub—it couldn’t be much more than 25 pounds—and begin carrying it off into the woods. I have no certain destination; I’m just walking until I can no longer hear the hiss of the road behind me. I see a grassy spot surrounded by a semi-ring of down logs and gravitate towards it. The least I can do is find it a nice place to be laid. I lay it down in the grass protected by one of the nearby logs and sit back on the log opposite of it, slightly relieved that it looks far more in place now than when I found it earlier. I take another moment and then continue with my work. I slide off my backpack, remove a binder, and start the assessment. It’s a female. This immediately triggers thoughts of the life this bear may have lived—perhaps she would have had cubs of her own—but before I finish that thought I hear a stick break and look up. Just beyond the ring, there’s a familiar figure intently staring back at me. It’s another bear. Surprised, I stand up quickly and the bear runs off into the brush but stops not far off and looks back at me. Acting on instinct, I pick up a stick and smash it over a tree to scare the bear further away. I stand there quietly, listening as I hear the bear’s footsteps tapper away.   A few silent minutes pass, and I settle back into my task. Timely coincidence, I think at first. It could be a bear coming to scavenge or this could be a common crossing area for whatever reason—we did have another bear hit and killed not far from here last week. But then I hear it, and it changes my mind completely. From behind me there’s a deep toned but soft sounding grunt. I immediately know what it is. It’s a vocalization, the kind sows (female bears) make to call to their cubs. I turn and look in its direction and there she is, the same bear from before intently staring back at me. It’s no coincidence. I can feel the callousness drain from my body. This bear is the mom, and she never left her cub. My heart sinks. It’s been nearly six hours and she still hasn’t given up on her cub. I can just imagine how many times she darted back and forth on that road in attempts to wake it. It's extremely lucky that she wasn't hit as well. The calls to the cub continue, sounding more pained each time. I glance back finding myself hoping it would respond to her call too, but of course, nothing. Now here I am, standing between a grieving mother and her child. I feel like a monster. I get up, quickly pack my bag, and get out of there. It is time to go even though my task is not done. Quickly, I set up a remote camera. Why? Every year we report the number of bears that get hit by vehicles, but numbers don’t always paint a picture. I want people to see what I saw: the sad reality behind each of these numbers.   So please, remember this. Remember that when traveling through Yosemite, we are all just visitors in the home of countless animals and it is up to us to follow the rules that  protect them. Go the speed limit, drive alertly, and look out for wildlife. Protecting Yosemite’s black bears is something we can all do. Learn more at http://keepbearswild.org/vehicle-bear-collisions/.

[thr-333]

Just Another Class Trip :)

Part 1

No, no ignore the smily face i assure you it means nothing foreboding, nothing foreboding at all.

Next >

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“It’s suspicious,” Marinette glares as they leave customs.

“What would that be, Mari?” Chloe yawns, not bothering to dedicate her limited remaining brain power apparently.

“Lila,” She whispers back, “She’s been so quiet all the way here,”

“What about how she weaseled her way into first class?” Chloe yawns again, sleep mask resting on her head.

“Or tried to steal your bag,” Kagami says with venom, her having saved Marinette from that disaster.

“Accused you of giving her the wrong flight time,” Adrien adds, somehow being full awake even after their long flight.

“Slipped metal into your pocket so security would go off,” Chloe downright glares at Adrien, but would never admit to the bags under her eyes.

“Came by and woke you up every time you fell asleep,” Kagami looks at her pointedly, shadows under her eyes being her only give away.

“Too quite,” Marinette whispers, the list going largely ignored as they approach the security scan.

“Just relax Mari,”  Adrien pats her shoulder, not enough to break her concentration, “Lila will be so distracted by being in Gotham she won't have time for you,”

Adrien was wrong.

Of course he was wrong.

This is Lila they're talking about.

“Oh Marinette!” Lila all but yells as Marinette is placing her bag in a tray, “I’m so glad you didn’t go through with it,”

Marinette cringes, the security guards all looking her way as Lila dances off. She just sighs as she is escorted away by the airport security, to the protest of her friends and not much else.

“No sir I am not holding any firearms or weapons,” Marinette answers as monotone as possible, the security guard didn’t deserve her ire not matter how tiresome this was getting.

“We interview the source,” Oh no “Apparently you were discussing terrorist activities,”

“I was not sir, Lila must be mistaken,” Yep big mistake, I’m sure that's all it is , “I’m simply here for a class trip,”

“You’re wearing a bulletproof vest,”

Yeah probably should have left that one at home

“My parents are protective, they know how dangerous Gotham can be,” They were not fans of the horror stories Aunt Selina used to tell her from this city, “They insisted I have it as protection,”

While they most certainly wanted her to be safe the vest was more her idea. It was also more for enabling trouble than avoiding it. At least she was trying to be safe about secret crime fighting.

“Makes sense,” He sighs from across the table, checking through some paperwork, “You’re seventeen, here on a class trip right?”

“Yes sir,”

“Well if you’re here on a Wayne funded trip they probably did and extensive background check,” He pauses for a minute looking deep in thought, “Alright then, you can go,”

That seems kind of lax

“Are you sure?”

“We literally have super villains walking through here every other day,” True that, “You’re holding no weapons and have been endorsed by the Wayne's that's better than most people that have been in here,”

“Well if you’re sure,” Marinette stands awkwardly walking to the door as he waves her off, “Is there anything I need to sign, or…”

“Unless I want to fill out extra paperwork, no,” He seems so tired, Marinette wished she could get back at Lila for making his job harder.

“Have a good day then!” She smiles brightly, getting a small one in return.

She leaves, the security guards handing back her bag, fortunately not mentioning the miracle box or her Kwamis. She smiles brightly, even with Lila trying to ruin her trip she could still enjoy her time here in Gotham- and her phone buzzes with an Akuma alert.

With a sigh, Marinette ducks into the nearest bathroom, locking a stall behind her.

“Kaalki,” The Kwami zips out of her bag, “Tikki, Combine,”

With a flash of light followed by another she appears in Paris dropping Kaalki’s transformation.

She looks over the city, some Akuma attacking the Eiffel tower. At least they didn't seem to be the brainwashing type, she didn’t have Chat Noir there to help with crowd control.

With a flip she jumps, planning to kick the Akuma on the way down. They dodge and she lands in front of them instead.

“Well, well if it isn’t the bug,” The Akuma, in a horrible patch work costume mocks, a purple mask appearing over their face, “Hand over your miraculous!”

How about you come and make me Hawkmoth? I promise to stick that cane up your ass

Oh how she wishes she could say just that, but it wouldn't be very Ladybug of her. Why did the younger her have to have a stick up her butt?

“Not today Hawkmoth,” She says instead, making sure to put the practiced amount of enthusiasm into it, “Or any other day for that matter,”

“How are you going to save Paris without your little kitty cat?”

How are you going to beat me with that terrible fashion sense

Besides Chat Noir deserved a break. At least she hoped he was taking a break, he couldn’t tell because of secret identity reasons. It wasn't like she had any right to stop him, she was having a vacation in Gotham right now, and she was out all the time for work. She could manage without Chat for a while, he deserved that much.

“I will do whatever it takes to protect the people of Paris,” Ladybug remembers to answer the question.

“Hand over your miraculous now!” The Akuma lunges at her

I should have chosen a different persona

She dodges the beam of light that can’t mean anything good. Jumping back to get some distance.

Chat Noir had the right idea

She bites back the cutting remark on the tip of her tongue. Instead throw out her yo to wrap around their arm. The Akuma pulls it forward, sending her through the air. She leans into it swinging around to get a better vantage point, studying the monologuing Akuma below.

Maybe I can for Starling

She has created Starling as a vigilante identity to use in Gotham, if the class was ever in trouble. No not if, when . With a sigh she summons her lucky charm getting a table tennis paddle.

Although I’m only meant to use that identity as a disguise to protect the class

The only thing that stood out was the Akuma's hand, she'd have to gather more information before striking.

Maybe Starling can have a word or two with Lila, that could be fun

She drops down in front of the Akuma. They seemed to like monologuing, maybe all she had to do was probe a little bit.

“Why would you want to side with Hawkmoth?”

“This is my family's greatest heirloom it has been passed from generation to generation for centuries, some fool broke it and I was crushed having disappointed all my ancestors!” The Akuma holds up a broach type jewel, “But Hawkmoth- Hawkmoth brought it back and now my greatest and dearest treasure will forever be-”

Ladybug smacks it to the ground, crushing it underfoot.

The Akuma looks at her shocked, letting out a long drawn out gasp. Marinette does not meet their eye as she catches the Akuma. She throws the paddle she used to smack it out of their hand into the air to cast the cure.

I must be really jet lagged, I’m usually at least a little more creative than that, but it worked

She pretends not to see the reporters coming in for interviews, seeing the victim and their broach in one piece. She makes a speedy exit, needing to transport back to Gotham before the class get too ancy.

“I’m sorry the rented bus left a long time ago,” The attendant informed her, looking sorry for the dishevelled teen.

Marinette groaned, so much for running around the airport for thirty minutes with a dead phone. Thanking the attendant she sulks off to collect her bag instead, she’d have to figure another way to the hotel.

She spends another hour hunting down her bag. Chasing after leads of people who might have mistook it. Checking again with Airport security, who again pulled her aside for having a suspicious missing bag. Luckily the security guard before defended her, she brought him a coffee and two for herself.

“Maybe someone will return it?” Tikki whispers, her and Kaalki hidden in the folds of her scarf.

“It’s fine Tikki,” Marinette sighs, halfway through her first cup in under a minute, “I have replicas of all of them anyway, I’ll just grab some samples from the MDC fashion show,”

She’d have to stop by later, the outfits should have been transported last week along with most of her recent catalogue. The only problem was all the other necessities she lost. But that wasn’t a problem, she carried the miracle box in her backpack and that's all that really matters.

“And some of my… special outfits when we go back home,”

She had altered her current outfit to transform into her vigilante disguise. Her scarf pulled up and could be turned inside out into a mask. Her skirt could be transformed into a cape and hood combo. A zip down the middle of the skirt to split it for the cape and a zip up hood that lay flat along her skirt. She simply turned it inside out and wore it around her shoulders. Combined with a bullet proof vest it wasn't half bad, her belt full of weapons could always be hid under her skirt which was a big plus.

She sighs waiting for a taxi in the cold Gotham air, hating it more than most. Although she supposed superhuman strength was a fair exchange for extra cold fingers. Marinette fought to stay awake, she had also been holding Kaalki for so long she was starting to develop the ability to sleep standing up and would doze off randomly. Certainly helpful at times, but not right now.

“Hello,” Marinette is startled out of her drowsiness.

She looks at the hesitant young man before her, looking just as tired as she is.

“Hello?”

“Is something the matter?” Something sparks at the back of her mind, a feeling she often gets from Chloe whenever she is helpful.

Do I look that bad?

“Just a mix up with transportation,” She smiles, he clearly knows it’s fake.

“Do you need a ride?”

“No I’m-” She sighs, what could go wrong getting in the car of a random person in Gotham, “Yes, I do thank you,”

“Over here, I’m Tim by the way” He stifles a yawn, leading her towards a limousine, the door being opened by a driver.

“Marinette, here,” She hands over the extra coffee, “You look like you need it just as much as me,”

Tim looks at her like a god sent, taking the coffee as they reach the limo.

“Good call Alfred,” Tim whispers to the driver, slipping into the car.

“Hello miss, I am Alfred Pennyworth,” She shakes his hand, something stronger fires at the back of her mind, a true holder perhaps? But Chloe was a true holder right?

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” She smiles, trying to assess what miraculous would suit him.

“Best get inside Miss Dupain-Cheng,” She climbs inside at Alfred's behest, “Gotham is awfully cold for a Lady,”

She gets the feeling that is not chivalry.

“Where to Miss Dupain-Cheng?” Alfred asks, already in the driver's seat.

“Wayne hotel please,” She pulls her backpack onto her lap, still regarding Alfred suspiciously.

“Traveling alone?” Tim asks absentmindedly, still nursing his coffee cup.

“I’m here with my class, they left without-” No that's no good , “I got held up they went ahead,”

“Class… staying at the Wayne hotel…” Tim mumbles to himself.

“I believe what Master Tim is trying to ask is if you are part of the Martha Wayne foundation trip,” Alfred informs from the front seat.

“Yeah that,” Tim takes another scalding gulp of coffee.

“Yes I sent in the submission, I’m still surprised we got it,” Marinette had been thrilled at a trip to Gotham, it is where her Aunt Selina lives after all.

“You seem very responsibility Miss Dupain-Cheng,” Alfred complements, “Almost as if you could shoulder the weight of Paris,”

“I didn’t say where I was from,” Marinette tenses getting more than a little unsettled, he seemed to know something more.

“Not to worry, I have close connections with the Wayne's and was aware this years class was from Paris is all,”

“I see,” Marinette nods along, the possible meaning behind the comment still being concerning.

“We forgot your bags!!!” Tim suddenly yells, jumping up and making Marinette jump, they both curse in sync as they spill coffee on themselves.

“It’s alright!” luckily the coffee landed on her black tights, so no noticeable stains, “My bags were stolen,”

“Oh…” Tim relaxes back, “Wait… that's not alright at all!”

“It’s fine, I already have a plan to get some spare clothes and I just need to run to the store,”

“Right… to the Wayne hotel was it?” Marinette nods and Tim starts tapping away at his phone.

She fishes out some wet wipes from her bag, passing them to Tim, who looks confused until she points out the growing coffee stain. With a smile and a few more taps at the phone he takes them off her.

“Left behind and bags stolen, doesn't sound like your Lucky day,” Alfred presses, and he needs to stop, it could be chance, surely its just chance.

“I guess not,”

You don’t know the half of it.

“Well I hope the rest of your day is much better,” Tim bids as they pull up to the hotel.

“Thank you, and thank you so much for the ride,” Alfred opens the door for her to get out.

“Not a problem,” She waves them off, watching them disappear down the street.

They’re nice, probably wont ever get to see them again, thats a shame

“Dick! Holy fuck!” Tim kicks down the door of his brothers room, “I just met the nicest girl who's had the shittest day on earth,”

“First of all welcome back, how was your trip?” Dick greets hanging from the ceiling as Tim takes his desk chair, “Second, what are you talking about?”

“Met a girl at the Airport who didn’t have a ride, she gave me coffee,”

“That's enough to buy your loyalty,” Dick grins, Tim flips him off.

“Listen, she's part of that Martha Wayne Foundation trip and her class left her at the Airport!”

“What?!” Dick drops from the ceiling onto his bed, “Thats so dangerous, especially in Gotham,”

“Right?! She even had her luggage stolen!” Tim pushes the chair over to Dick, “And she was still so nice, even after an eight hour flight!”

“You said she was part of the Wayne foundation trip?” Dick asks, getting a nod from Tim, “Yeah, we are definitely seeing her again,”