#but with all the road closures it was the best we could find

[wiltking]

takhlakh lake

[thestrangestthing89]

Reasons I think Byler is getting together early... 1) Everyone thought byler would get together at the end of S4 because there was so much build up and tension between the two. It made sense with the story to fit that at the end of the season, so much so, that people were anticipating it. 2) The constant interruptions, mainly by Jonathan. They don't need to be interrupted if nothing is happening. Both scenes in Lenora that get interrupted were flirty scenes with a lot of tension. If Jonathan hadn't interrupted this, what would have happened? There is a strong implication that something would have. Otherwise, why bother doing it. There are several other conversations that get interrupted, like the one on top of the car, where things were getting personal and they were on the edge of saying something. They are close to saying what they want to say and being honest. 3) The original plan of Jonathan's that Will and Mike agree to, is to go back to Hawkins and help their friends. It wasn't to find El. When Mike realizes this he goes to have his second talk with Will (the one where Will is kneeling on the floor). He stresses they are a team. If their original plan was to go on a less stressful road trip back to Hawkins, what would have been happening with them? Because that letter El left Mike was a break up letter that Mike is moving on from. (I don't know anyone who would have thought they were still together with someone after being told they weren't going to see that person again for months, possibly years, and weren't going to be able to communicate with them during that time. Who would be waiting around indefinitely? Mike was moving on the second he threw that note out.) 4) The audience needs to start rooting for Mike again and he needs a redemption. Will brings out the best in Mike and he knows him best. So I'm not surprised we have hints that they are filming a lot together. Getting to see the side of Mike who is in a healthy romantic relationship is an important part of his character arc. Especially given how much this show likes to compare Will and El. We need to actually see him with Will to know that this is better for him. Without seeing this side to Mike, there isn't as much of a chance for the audience to reconnect with him because we would still not get to see him when he's at his best. 5) Will's character arc has been about embracing his sexuality and using that as a source of empowerment. A thing that doesn't have the same impact if he doesn't actually get to act on his identity/sexuality until the very end. Seeing both Mike and Will be confident and comfortable with themselves would provide closure to both of their arcs. 6) Other character arcs relate to byler getting together - mainly Jonathan. Jonathan is struggling to find himself and feels very strongly about protecting his family. He feels responsible for them and doesn't want to leave them. Part of this is because they moved away from Hawkins (where their friends and support are) and part of it is the loss of Hopper, who has been helping protect them all. Hopper returning helps a lot. But there is also the added component of Will being gay that I think would still make it harder for Jonathan to want to get his own life if he isn't sure how Hopper would respond to this. Plus, I don't see him leaving Will if Will feels sad and alone and is still having problems with Mike/El. El's character arc also plays into this because her independence has to do with her and Mike breaking up. A thing I suspect already happened by the end of S4. But El really hasn't seen what a healthy romantic relationship even looks like at this point. Byler could be a good example of that for her. Not to mention would be a good reason for Mike and El to clearly end things with each other. El has had trouble separating herself from Mike and uses him as a safety net/backup caretaker when Hopper isn't there. It's not good for her. Knowing that Mike wants to be with someone else could push her to stop being so fixated on him and learn to rely on herself instead.

7) I suspect that one of the main themes of the show is going to be how love saves the world - in opposition to how El's anger has saved them (and not been affective at saving them). Byler being the key to this, and Mike being the heart. There needs to be more interaction with their relationship. Will is the main character and the hero of this story. If his romance is saving the world, we need to see it. And Will deserves to have this whole story play out and not just have it be quick at the end. 8) Just because a lot of other shows have the main couple get together at the end, doesn't mean this one has to do the same. They have inverted plenty of tropes already, this could be another one. Plus, all of the other endgame couples are already together (or mostly together). Byler not getting to have a relationship that we see sticks out as them not wanting to show the gay couple specifically. Which I don't get the impression is an attitude they have. 9) The outfits we have seen Mike and Will wear so far in S5 have been a lot of blue, yellow, and green. They match. Couples on tv shows usually match and they have for several seasons now. But the green is an interesting addition. We have seen blue be associated with Mike and yellow with Will and now we are seeing them wear their own colors along with the other persons. The green (a mix of those 2 colors) suggests that they are already together. 10) I don't think they are going to push this as a love triangle. The time to do that would have been S4 when there actually was one. We got Will pining for Mike, Will standing between Mike and El, tension with Mike and Will, El being confused by some of Mike and Will's interactions. There was something going on with the three of them this season. But the promo/posters didn't suggest this. We know mileven is either over or almost over so there is no point pretending like this is ambiguous. Especially when most of the audience is rooting for Will/byler.

[cheynovak]

Brotherly Betrayal Part 2

Dean Winchester x Y/N x Sam Winchester   

Warnings: cheating, angst, hurt, ...   

Side note: English isn’t my first language.  

This part is just pure pain and angst

*Does not follow The SPN storyline * 

-- 

Recap part 1:  

Sam didn’t seek for a new romance but when he met Y/N she seemed to have everything he wanted in a girl. After introducing her to his brother they recognise immediately each other from a spicy night together years ago.   

After a year of fantasising about each other, one night they couldn’t resist the lust anymore, and give in.  Y/N decided to leave Sam, Dean can’t stand to see his little brother heart broken.  

-- 

The air hung heavy with silence, broken only by the soft hum of baby’s engine and the rhythmic tapping of Dean's fingers on the steering wheel. Sam sat slumped in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but his mind lost in the labyrinth of his thoughts. 

It had been a month since Y/N, had shattered his world with these simple words: "I'm sorry, Sam, it’s best we go our separate ways." The pain was still fresh, like an open wound that refused to heal. He had tried to make sense of it all, to find some semblance of closure, why would she say she cheated, with who did she spend the night.  

But the questions lingered like ghosts in the shadows. 

Dean glanced at his brother, his heart heavy with concern. He knew Sam was hurting, "Sam," Dean began cautiously, "you know you can talk to me, right? Whatever's on your mind, I'm here for you." 

Sam sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping even further. "I appreciate it, Dean, I really do. But I don't even know where to begin. It's like... I thought we were happy, you know?”  

Dean nodded sympathetically, his grip tightening on the wheel. He had seen Sam at his lowest, had watched him weather the storms of heartbreak before. But this time felt different. Probably because Dean felt guilty.  

"Did she say why she ended things?" Dean asked gently, afraid, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Sam shook his head, his jaw clenched in frustration. "No, not really. Just... that she hadn’t been faithful, and that said she needed space, needed time to figure things out. But I can't help but wonder... was it something I did? Something I said?" 

Dean watched the road ahead, the headlights cutting through the darkness like a beacon in the night. "I know this is tough, but you got to believe me when I say it wasn't your fault. Y/N's a great girl, but sometimes people just... drift apart. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong." 

Sam nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. "I know you're trying to help, Dean. And I appreciate it, I really do. But I can't shake this feeling, you know? Like there's something I'm missing, something she's not telling me." 

Dean's heart clenched at the pain in his brother's voice, the anguish that echoed in every word. He wanted to tell Sam the truth, wanted to confess the role he had played in Y/N's betrayal. But the guilt weighed heavy on his conscience, a burden he wasn't sure he could bear. 

"Sam," Dean said carefully, choosing his words with utmost caution, "did Y/N ever mention... not being happy? Like, was there something she felt was missing in your relationship?" 

Sam furrowed his brow, his mind racing to recall the countless conversations he had shared with Y/N over the past year. "I mean, she mentioned just... you know, normal relationship stuff." 

"I need you to listen to me, okay? And I need you to believe me when I say... Y/N wasn't entirely honest with you." Sam's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze snapping to meet Dean's in the dim light of the car. "What do you mean? What did she say?" 

Dean hesitated, rubbing his neck. But he knew there was no turning back now, knew that the truth would set them free, no matter how painful it might be. ”I eh, heard her talking to Charlie before. 

His voice filled with remorse, "Y/N... she missed the intimacy, man. And when you couldn't give her what she needed, I guess, she... found it somewhere else. I'm sorry, Sam," Dean said quietly, his voice heavy with guilt, "I should've told you sooner.” 

The Impala rolled to a stop in front of a motel, its neon sign flickering feebly against the backdrop of the night sky. Sam stepped out of the car, his footsteps heavy with exhaustion and resignation. He trudged towards the motel room, his mind still reeling from the revelations of the past hour. 

Dean lingered by the trunk of the car, his eyes fixed on the dimly lit window of the motel room across the parking lot. He knew what he had to do. As Sam disappeared into the shadows of the motel, Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.  

He scrolled through the contacts until he found Y/N's number, his thumb hovering uncertainly over the call button. 

"Hello?"  "Y/N," Dean said evenly, his voice steady despite the turmoil raging within him, "we need to talk." 

There was a moment of tense silence on the other end of the line, the static crackling like electricity between them. Then, finally, Y/N spoke, her voice soft and hesitant. "Dean...What... Why are you calling me?" she asked, her words tinged with uncertainty. 

"I want you to do the right thing," Dean said firmly, his grip tightening on the phone. "I want you to give my brother another chance." 

Y/N's breath caught in her throat, the weight of Dean's words hanging heavy in the air between them. "Dean, I... I don't know if that's possible. Things became too complicated." 

Dean clenched his jaw, his frustration bubbling to the surface like a volcano on the verge of eruption. "Complicated or not, Y/N, you owe it to Sam to try. He loves you, damn it. And he deserves better than to be left wondering what went wrong." 

“Don’t blame me for everything Dean! Last I checked you were there with me.” He knew she was right, he knew that his own actions had played a role.  

"I know," Dean said softly, his voice heavy with remorse. "I know I messed up, Y/N. I should've never let things go as far as it did. But that doesn't change the fact that Sam deserves better than to be left in the dark." 

“If you really believe he needs the truth, you tell him you slept with his girl, I think he is hurt enough. ” she hangs up the phone. For a moment, Dean was frozen in place, she was right, he didn’t have the guts to tell him. Little did Sam nor Y/N knew Dean chose this motel, the one close to Y/N’s workplace.  

-- 

The morning sun cast a warm glow over the diner, its cheery facade belying the tension that hung heavy in the air. Sam and Dean sat at a booth near the window, their plates untouched as they waited for the waiter, seeing how Y/N emerged from the kitchen. 

Dean glanced up as he saw her approach, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of her. She looked tired, her eyes red-rimmed and weary, but there was a steely determination in her gaze that he couldn't help but admire. 

Y/N hesitated as she reached their table, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched her notepad to her chest. "What can I get for you guys?" she asked, her voice strained but polite. 

Sam glanced up at her, surprised but his gaze searching her face for, hoping she would meet his eyes. "Just coffee, thanks," he said quietly, his voice tinged with sadness. 

Y/N nodded, her movements jerky as she scribbled their order on her pad. "Coming right up," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she hurried back towards the kitchen. 

Dean watched her go, his heart heavy with guilt and regret. He knew he had put her in an impossible position, had forced her to confront the consequences of their actions head-on. As Y/N returned with their coffee, Sam watched Y/N closely, his heart heavy with longing and uncertainty. "Y/N," Sam said softly, his voice tinged with desperation, "can we talk? Please?" 

Y/N's eyes flickered with apprehension, her gaze darting nervously between Sam and Dean as she searched for a way out. "Sam, I... I can't," she said hesitantly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm at work, and I just... I can't do this right now." 

As Y/N disappeared back into the kitchen, Sam was left alone with his thoughts.  

-- 

After her shift she walked to the nearest motel, knowing the brothers would be staying there. She saw how Sam walked out the door. Knowing him, going for a walk to ease his mind.  

The sharp rap on the door jolted Dean from his thoughts. He swung the door open, expecting to see Sam standing on the other side, but instead found himself face-to-face with Y/N, her expression stormy and her eyes ablaze with anger. 

"Y/N," Dean said, taken aback by her sudden appearance, "what are you doing here?" 

Y/N's jaw clenched in frustration, her fists balled at her sides as she glared at Dean with unbridled fury. "I can't believe you guys would show up at my work like that," she spat, her voice dripping with disdain. 

"You can't just barge in here and expect me to drop everything just for your needs," she snapped, her voice rising with each word. "I have a job to do, Dean.” "I know I messed up, Y/N," Dean said softly, his voice tinged with remorse. "And I'm sorry for that. But we need to talk. You and Sam need to. We need to clear the air, to put an end to his pain and uncertainty."  

"Okay, you want to talk.” She said still angry “Let's talk." Y/N crossed her arms. “Tell me Dean, the real reason you showed up uninvited after me telling you to let me be.”  

"The real reason?" Dean repeated, his voice steady despite the turmoil raging within him. "The real reason is because we care about you, Y/N. We care about what happens to you, and I couldn't just stand by and watch you push Sammy away." 

Y/N's eyes narrowed at Dean's response, her arms still crossed tightly over her chest. "Is that so?" she said sceptically, her voice laced with bitterness. "Or is it because you couldn't stand the thought of me moving on without you?" 

Dean winced at the accusation, the sting of her words cutting through him like a knife. "Y/N, it's not like that," he protested, “I-I’m trying to make things right." 

"And I appreciate that. But it's not that simple. It's not just about saying sorry and expecting everything to go back to the way it was, you don't get to barge into my life and expect me to welcome you with open arms after everything that's happened." 

Y/N took a deep breath “Look me in the eyes, Dean. And tell me you want me to get back together with Sam. Tell me you’re here for his feelings instead of your own.” Her eyes stared in his.  

With a heavy sigh, he met her gaze, his eyes filled with a mixture of vulnerability and determination. "Y/N," Dean began, his voice soft but resolute, "that night... it meant something to me. More than I can put into words." 

"I'm falling for you," Dean admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. Dean reached out, his hand trembling slightly as he gently cupped Y/N's cheek. "But Sam will always be my brother, Y/N, I will always put him first." he said sincerely.  

Y/N's eyes brimmed with tears "Dean" she whispered shaking her head, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. “Shh.” his thumb tracing circles on her cheek as he leaned in closer. "You don't have to say anything" he said gently. 

"Y/N," Dean said softly, his voice thick with emotion, “I will push my own feelings away. Just... just give Sammy another chance.” Y/N reached out, her hand trembling as she gently brushed her fingers against Dean's hand on her face. "Dean, I ran away not because of what happened between us that night," she confessed,  

Her voice barely above a whisper. "I ran away because... because I'm falling for you, too." Dean's heart skipped a beat at her words, the realization dawning on him that their feelings for each other ran deeper than either of them had dared to admit. 

His head leaning in until it was just inches away from Y/N's. With a soft exhale, he let his forehead rest against hers, their breath mingling in the small space between them. 

"Y/N, I..." Dean began, his voice faltering as he struggled to find the right words. Her eyes brimmed with tears, her heart breaking at the pain in Dean's voice. 

Y/N's fingers found their way to Dean's cheek, her touch gentle and reassuring as she caressed his stubbled jawline. Dean closed his eyes, allowing himself to bask in the warmth of her touch, the closeness of her presence. 

 "Dean, please," she pleaded, her voice tinged with desperation. "I don't want to hurt Sam any more than I already have. But I can't ignore what happened between us. ”  

Dean's heart plummeted like a stone in his chest as he felt a cold wave of panic wash over him. Slowly, he pulled away from Y/N, his gaze shifting towards the doorway where his brother stood, his expression unreadable. 

Sam's eyes flickered between Dean and Y/N, his jaw clenched in a tight line as he took in the scene before him. For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the sound of their ragged breaths echoing in the small space. 

"Sam," Dean began, his voice trembling with apprehension, "I... we can explain." 

Sam's eyes betraying the storm of emotions raging within him. He took a step into the room, his gaze never leaving Dean's as he spoke, his voice low and steely. 

"I think I've heard enough," Sam said quietly, his words like a dagger to Dean's heart. "I'll leave you two alone." With a heavy heart, Sam turned on his heel and disappeared from the room, leaving Dean and Y/N alone in the wake of his departure. 

"Sam, wait!" Y/N called out, her voice thick with emotion. Sam paused in his tracks, his back still turned towards her. Sam, please," Y/N pleaded, her voice trembling with urgency. "Let me explain." 

Sam turned to face her, his eyes weary but filled with a flicker of hope. "Explain what, Y/N?" he asked quietly, “How you forget to mention you slept with my brother? That's worse than being cheated on.”  

"I'm sorry, Sam," she said softly, tears glistening in her eyes. "Sam, I..." Y/N began, her voice catching in her throat as she struggled to find the right words. "I didn't mean for it to happen. It was a mistake, a moment of weakness." 

Sam's expression hardened, his jaw clenched in frustration. "A mistake?" he repeated, his voice tinged with bitterness. "You call sleeping with my brother a mistake? But you just confessed you’re love for him!" He points at their room.  

Y/N winced at the harshness in Sam's tone, the guilt and remorse swirling within her like a tempest. "Sam, I'm sorry," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for any of this to happen." 

Sam's gaze softened slightly at the sight of Y/N's tears, his own heart heavy with conflicting emotions. "Y/N," he said softly, his voice tinged with sadness, "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to feel." 

Y/N reached out, her hand trembling as she gently trying to grab Sam's arm, but he pulled away "Sam, please," she pleaded, her voice filled with desperation. "Please don't shut Dean out. Please give me and him a chance to make things right." 

"I don't know if I can," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Sam," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "do you want me to leave, tell me what I need to do, what you need?" 

Sam's gaze softened at her words, his heart aching with the pain of their fractured relationship. He reached out, his hand finding hers and squeezing it gently.  Sam replied quietly, his voice tinged with sadness, "I don't want you to leave. But I need some time to think. And then I need to talk to Dean."  

-- 

Dean and Y/N sat in silence on the end of the bed waiting for Sam to return.  

When he walked in the room Y/N gave a soft hurt smile to Sam and left the room to take a walk in the cold night. Leaving the brothers, giving time to talk.  

Sam's voice cut through the tense silence, his eyes fixed on Dean with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. "Dean," he began, his voice steady but tinged with emotion, "I need you to promise you’ll be honest with me. I need you to tell me, everything Dean.”  

“Starting with, why... why Y/N?" 

Dean's heart clenched at the question, the weight of Sam's gaze bearing down on him. He took a deep breath. "I wish I could give you a simple answer. But the truth is... it's complicated." 

Sam's brow furrowed in confusion, his expression a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "Complicated how?" he pressed, his tone tinged with urgency.” You know we had a... a night together years before you met her, right.”  

Sam nodded. "And since the moment you introduced me to Y/N, she's been on my mind. Constantly. 24/7. I couldn’t stop thinking about that night Sammy." Dean scratched his neck not knowing is continuing was the right thing to do.  

"When Charlie came over, I overheard Y/N talking about her sex life." Sam's eyes widened in surprise, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice tinged with apprehension. 

Dean hesitated, his mind racing as he struggled to find the right words. "Y/N mentioned how different we were. She compared the two of us." he explained carefully, "and how she wasn't really happy, now.” 

He met his brother's gaze, his eyes filled with sincerity and remorse. “And then the three of us watched a movie together. And... and when Charlie left, we stayed for another movie and then... I kissed her.” 

“Is that when...” Sam couldn’t finish that question. “No, she stopped it and took off. We were distant for a while.” Sam nodded, remembering the awkward tension in the bunker. “So, when?” Dean searched his face, trying to see if he really wanted to know.  

“The night after the bar, you two went home early together, you fell asleep when Y/N dressed up all sexy for you..." Dean began, his voice faltering as he recounted the events of that fateful evening, "I got home earlier, Y/N was in the kitchen, upset, couldn’t sleep, still in the babydoll dress.”  

Dean swallowed before continuing. “She was surprised to see I came home. I told her I didn’t sleep with that girl from the bar, I couldn’t, I thought of her all the time. And she said you fell asleep before... That's when it happened. Y/N and I... we... " 

Dean couldn't finish his sentence “Just once, Sammy.”   “Yeah,” he looked at the floor.” Because she left the day after.”  

After a deep sigh Sam continued "I trusted you, Dean," his voice breaking with the weight of his betrayal. "I trusted both of you." Dean felt his heart shatter at the pain in Sam's voice, the guilt and remorse consuming him like a wildfire. "Sam, I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for any of this to happen." 

“But, you have to believe me she means more to me than just another one-night plaything. I wouldn’t have done it if it was just sex. I tried to fight it I really did. But I guess we had a little too much to drink to hold back.”  

But Sam shook his head, his gaze filled with a mixture of anger and hurt. "I don't know if I can forgive you for this, Dean," he said quietly,  

“I’m eh, going to go away for a while. I need time to think. I need you two to give me some space.” Sam said getting up ready to leave. “I’ll eh stay at Jody’s for a while.”  

Dean nodded and watched his brother leave the room.  

---

If you liked this, please check out my masterlist for other stories.

Tag list:

@yvonneeeee @suckitands33 @mostlymarvelgirl

[january-summers]

No one look at me right now. I started thinking about how the new season is going to undo one of the most defining qualities of Epsilon as an individual if that really was Tex in the trailer. Because of all the iterations of Leonard Church - Director, Alpha, Epsilon – Epsilon was the only one who managed to Let Go of Allison, to stop chasing her ghost, to be able to grow past that grief.

And then I started thinking about the fact that Epsilon is different from the two other Churches because of that, but why?

Because it was just the point in the narrative for him to get over her?

Or because as much of an impact as Epsilon left on Washington, Washington left his own impact on the AI. Washington, who was pretty social before Epsilon, who shows an emotional growth and maturity as the seasons progress, who encourages Carolina to find a balance between moving on and forgetting completely when it comes to her grief over her own lost love, York, left even the barest hint of a road map for Epsilon to have personal growth outside of his predefined Churchness.

Or because Epsilon was Alpha once, and he was reconstructed in Alpha's image, but not Alpha's image of himself. Epsilon is reconstructed in Caboose's image of Alpha. Caboose, who saw the best in Alpha and eventually learned himself how to let Church go, who, when faced with the option of saying goodbye or saving Church, chose to say goodbye even though it hurt him so much because he understood he couldn't erase what had happened even if he brought Church back.

And I feel like it matters that even though Epsilon didn't originally 'remember' Tucker, it was his mental image of Tucker who called him out on how shitty and stalkery the 'follow her down through the layers' thing was. And not just because 'Tucker's the snarky judgemental one.'

And I do enjoy the 'do we have to call them canon?' later seasons, because they continued this theme of closure and grief with (Caboose and) Carolina, except like Epsilon, she managed to confront her grief and move on. She might still love York, but she's not going to chase his ghost to the detriment of others, and she might feel like she's failed in her duty to Wash by letting him walk into that bullet, but they're going to get through it all together. She faced the thing her father did, and she did better.

I just.

Carolina said herself “Dad died when Mum did.” And yeah the Director lost himself to grief when Allison died.

Alpha was within the Meta, with Beta, when the EMP went off killing all the AIs in the Meta's head.

Epsilon managed to start healing from that bullshit.

Like, I'm pretty sure he reabsorbed the Epsi-Tex (Texsilon?) fragment he made when he did that, and that's where she went, but dude. Please. He was moving on, he had reached Acceptance.

Epsilon, who's entire identity is based on being someone else's memories, broke free from that in built script.

When Epsilon died, it wasn't chasing someone he had lost, or fixing the mistakes of his past, it was to save the people he had.

Don't get me wrong, I adore Tex, and I would love for Alpha|Church and Beta|Tex to have a happily ever after (they are way too dysfunctional for it to be considered healthy by normal standards but let them do them it's more entertaining that way) and I'm happy Epsilon's not dead anymore, but just let me lie here for a while having feels over the reasons why Epsilon|Church could do what Director and Alpha couldn't.

[idyllicwillowtree]

A Good Pair (of Skates) - Part 3

Genre: Steve Harrington x fem!reader, afab!reader, skater!reader

Summary: Steve’s in love with his childhood best friend and he does everything he can to keep his feelings a secret from you. A rollerskating injury might change that.

Word count: 4.4K

Warnings: swearing, friends to lovers, slow burn, injury, broken bones, mutual pining, mentions of drunk driving, surgery, anesthesia, medication, mentions of selling drugs, steve’s feeling very insecure

Author’s note: Please read part 1 and part 2 before reading this one or else it probably wouldn’t make much sense! 

Thank you so much for reading my first story! I had so much fun writing it and I can’t wait to share more. Feel free to let me know if you have any feedback or comments, I love hearing from you!

Part 1 | Part 2 | main masterlist

Part 3

It had been eight whole months since you had broken your arm and Steve still hadn’t made a move on you yet. You two have had some close calls, but nobody was brave enough to cross that romantic threshold yet.

It was driving Robin and Eddie insane.

Steve assured them that he would ask you out eventually but in reality, he probably never will. He’s convinced that his whole self-worth would come crumbling down if you said no, it just didn’t seem worth it.

He even thought about distancing himself from you for a while. Steve figured he could get over you, he just needed time. But that plan crashed and burned the second you saw him and smiled. You hadn’t seen him for a week so you jumped into his arms and told him how much you had missed him. After that, he was too weak to leave you for that long ever again.

“You’ve fought actual monsters before, but you’re too scared to ask out a girl?” Dustin said with a teasing smile.

“Hey! I seem to recall a nervous little middle schooler who had similar problems,” Steve glanced away from the road to look at the curly haired boy.

“I wasn’t…okay, maybe I was a little nervous. But this is Y/N we're talking about, the sweetest person ever!” 

“Exactly! That’s what makes the stakes so high. I don’t want to ruin the friendship and lose her forever.”

“Even if she did say no, you’d at least have the closure to move on.” Steve’s eyes widened, “but she’s not going to say no, so you don’t have to worry about it,” Dustin added.

“You don’t know that.”

“Sure I do! And the longer you wait the more likely it is that she’ll find someone else.”

Steve was actually counting on that. He’s hoping that if he could see you happy with someone, even though he knows it would break him, it would at least give him a good excuse to move on. Since the “avoiding you at all costs” plan didn’t work, he thought this one might.

Dustin eyed him suspiciously, “you don’t actually want that to happen, do you?”

Steve stayed silent, the car turning into the school parking lot. Once he stopped his BMW at the drop off area, Dustin turned to him. 

“Steve, you’re a great guy. She’d be lucky to have you. Stop being stupid and go get her, she doesn’t deserve to just wait around for you.”

Before Steve could ask him what he meant by that, Dustin was already out of the car and heading towards Hawkins High. 

-

“Yes ma’am, I understand. Unfortunately, we don’t get movies that are currently in theaters.”

“Oh, but my husband loves sports films. And I just think that Rob Lowe is so handsome,” the elderly woman reiterated for the third time.

“It would be nice if we had Youngblood, but like I said before-” Steve stopped as he heard the gentle purr of your Volkswagen Kleinbus outside. Robin rolled her eyes, already on her way to assist the woman once Steve inevitably abandons her to greet you.

He opened the glass doors and stood in the doorway. Steve watched as you ushered the younger kids out of your car and into the arcade next door. You gave Max a handful of quarters before turning towards Family Video, locking eyes with Steve.

You took a deep breath and approached him with a small smile. Steve noticed something was off, your smile not quite reaching your eyes. You were anxiously squeezing your left wrist and chewing on your bottom lip.

“Hey, Stevie.”

“Hey, doll. You okay?”

“I-I need to tell you guys something.”

-

“So, you guys know how I fell outside in the parking lot back in the summer?”

You were pacing slightly in front of Steve and Robin as they sat in the Family Video  breakroom. 

“When that drunk asshole almost ran you over? Yeah, I think I remember,” Steve said sarcastically.

Unfazed by his sarcastic tone, you continued to pace, “well, I went to the doctor–”

Steve stood, his chair legs squeaking against the floor, “is everything okay?”

“Y-yeah, yeah totally,” you stuttered, trying to calm Steve’s worry. You know he’s about to get even more worked up with what you were about to tell him, “well, sort of…”

“Okay…” Robin said expectantly.

You chewed your lip, “It turns out my left wrist wasn’t sprained… It’s been broken this whole time.”

Robin and Steve’s jaws dropped to the ground. The silence was tense as your eyes shifted from one friend to the other.

“It’s- you…broken?” Steve stammered.

“How are you even functioning?” Robin translated for him.

“Honestly, I have no idea. I mean it hurts a bit when I’m at work but I just figured a sprain takes a while to heal and I’d be fine after a bit. But then eight months went by and it still hurts.”

You work at a 50’s themed drive-in restaurant that makes the wait staff use roller skates when serving the customers. Those four weeks you worked while your right elbow was healing  were stressful enough for Steve, but now he knows you’ve been doing it all with an untreated broken wrist too. 

Steve looked at your left wrist, you were still anxiously rubbing at it so he gripped it gently to release it from your hold. It looked the same as it usually does, no obvious swelling or bruising. 

“Why don’t you have a cast?” Steve asked.

“Umm…I will after.” You said, trying to avoid eye contact.

Steve glanced over at Robin, checking to see if she was as confused as he was. “After what?”

“...surgery.”

“WHAT???” screeched Steve, causing Robin to jump slightly.

“Y-yeah, I need surgery,” you laughed awkwardly.

Steve was not amused, “it’s been broken for eight months and now you need surgery?! It was that goddamn doctor at the emergency room, wasn’t it? Let me call my dad, I’m sure he knows a good lawyer-”

“Steve,” you gripped his wrist with the hand he wasn’t already holding, “it wasn’t his fault.” You were surprised by his willingness to call his father and wanted to shut that idea down immediately. He never called him.

“What do you mean? Of course it was! He probably didn’t even look at your x-rays.”

“Well, that’s the thing. Apparently, fractures in the bone I broke don’t even show up on an x-ray until, like, 10 days later. So he was technically right, I guess.”

Your shoulders were slumped and you were avoiding eye contact. Steve realized his first reaction probably didn’t help you that much. He was quick to assign blame when he should’ve been comforting you.

You let out a quiet “oof” as Steve wrapped his arms around your waist and squeezed. You slithered your arms around his broad shoulders and let him hold you, breathing in his floral scented hair products. 

“I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with this for so long, I had no idea,” Steve said, voice muffled by your hair.

That wasn’t completely true, he had some sort of idea that your wrist was still troubling you. You started doing everything with your right hand once your elbow healed up. Putting your seatbelt on, opening doors, and carrying shopping bags all became right-handed tasks. After a while, Steve thought he was reading into things a little too much. He felt a bit obsessive so he chose to ignore it, now he was hating himself even more for letting you go on like this. The guilt was already starting to eat away at his gut.

“It’s alright, Stevie. It’s not your fault,” you pressed your nose further into his neck. Steve could’ve sworn you read his mind.

“Dude, that sucks!”

Steve almost forgot Robin was here. He reluctantly let you go so you could receive a hug from her too.

“The good news is we can have a bunch of movie nights while I’m recovering, if you guys are down.”

“You’re not even going to be able to get Steve out of your house this time,” Robin said with a smirk. She remembered how insistent Steve was to take care of you when you were in a cast the first time. All the doting would’ve driven her insane but you were so patient with him and had even made sure he was taking care of himself at the same time. 

“Shut it, Robin,” he hissed.

-

The day of the surgery approached faster than you would’ve wanted it to. It felt unnatural to willingly let a bunch of strangers force you to sleep while they cut you open and screw a piece of metal into your bone. The worst part was that Steve had to work today, you were hoping he’d be the one to take you to and from the hospital. You knew he’d make you feel relaxed and safe but you had to settle for Eddie instead.

“M’lady, your chariot awaits.” Eddie bowed dramatically at the waist and gestured towards his van. Despite it being 4 AM on a Saturday, he was still as hyper as usual. You would’ve laughed at his theatrics if your nerves weren’t overwhelming you so much.

The chill hit you immediately when you opened your front door, reminding you to get your coat. The phone in your house started ringing as you turned back inside, but you ignored it. It was probably just a telemarketer.

“Hang on, Eddie. I just need to grab my coat.”

Eddie followed you inside and looked around, “your folks home?”

“Nope, why do you think I need you to drive?”

He shrugged, “I dunno. Maybe you just wanted to hang out with your favorite person.” He smiled at you innocently.

“I already asked Steve, but he’s working this morning,” you deadpan.

“Ouch, sweetheart,” Eddie grabbed his chest, “I didn’t have to wake up at the ass crack of dawn to take care of your sorry ass.”

“I know, but you did, because you love me,” you said smugly. Finally, you found your coat right when the ringing of your phone had stopped. You walked up to Eddie and kissed him on the cheek, “thanks for your help today, Eds. I really do appreciate it.”

“Of course. C’mon, let's go.” Eddie wrapped a comforting arm around your shoulder and started steering you towards the door. He stopped when the phone rang through your home again, “you need to get that?”

“Nah, I’m sure it’s just someone selling something. Let’s go before I lose my nerve.”

As you approach Eddie’s van, you hear the distant slaps of shoes running across the sidewalk. Not paying it any mind, you assumed it was just an early morning jogger. That was until you heard your name.

Looking down the street, you spot Steve sprinting towards you and waving his arms frantically. He was wearing his flannel pajama bottoms, and a sweatshirt he must’ve thrown on last minute. His hair was sticking up at odd angles and as he got closer you could see the wrinkles from his pillow imprinted on his face. He was stunning.

“Hang on…give me…a minute,” Steve said through gasps of air.

Eddie’s eyebrow quirked up behind his bangs, “jeez, Harrington. Has it been that long since you’ve done cardio? You only live a few doors down.”

“Shutupmunson,” Steve managed to breathe out. His hands were on his hips, head tilted towards the sky. You couldn’t help but stare, Steve looked so beautiful, all flustered and tired. “I just needed to make sure I saw you before you left.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, I tried calling but you weren’t picking up so…I ran and, uh, now I’m here.” Steve said as he scratched the back of his neck.

Eddie’s eyes widened. Was this it? Was Steve finally going to confess? He wished there was a phone handy so he could call Robin, but in the meantime he’ll just wait in the van.

“Steve, you didn’t have to wake up so early. You need your beauty rest,” you said teasingly.

Steve had been going around in circles in his mind thinking about your upcoming surgery. It isn’t a risky procedure but you never know, things go wrong all the time. He just wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to you and you didn’t know how much you were loved. Loved by him. 

 A last minute confession before you went under the knife seemed like the perfect romantic gesture. At least that’s what Robin told him.

“There’s- I should- I should say…” 

“What is it, Stevie?”

But alas, his nerves got the better of him.

“Uhh… good luck! I know you’re feeling nervous, but you’ve got this!” Steve’s voice raised a couple octaves higher.

“Thanks. I guess I am a little nervous,” you said with a shy smile.

“Come here,” Steve pulled you closer, holding your head to his chest and rubbing a comforting hand up and down your back. He felt as you squeezed him back, refusing to let go.

Eddie rolled his eyes. He had been watching from the rearview mirror, ready for the declaration of love, but of course, Steve chickened out. Again.

-

Robin dropped the stack of tapes on the counter that Steve was resting his head on. He jumped up at the sound and tried rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“What the hell, Robin?” Steve mumbled.

“Eddie told me what you did. Or rather, what you didn’t do.”

Steve blinked at her. Robin was glaring at him with her arms crossed against her chest.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he deadpanned.

Robin huffed and walked off to return the tapes back to the shelf. Steve watched her go with a raised eyebrow.

“What? Now I’m getting the silent treatment?”

“Yup.”

Steve rolled his eyes at her lack of commitment, “the silent treatment? From Robin Buckley?”

Robin spun around to face him, “yes, Steve! Maybe I’m just annoyed that my friend is hopelessly devoted to someone who…” doesn’t have the nerve to ask her out. Robin trailed off, realizing half way through her point that she was about to tell Steve your secret.

“I’m not hopelessly devoted to her, okay? That seems a bit dramatic, even for you.”

Robin and Steve jumped as the glass door swung open, causing the bell on the door to rattle violently. Eddie came busting in, eyes wide and scanning the store for his friends.

“ROBIN, I can’t fucking take it anymore!”

“Eddie, don’t,” Robin warned, like he was a dog about to do something he knows he’s not supposed to do.

“What the hell, Eddie? Did you just ditch Y/N at the hospital?!” Steve interrupted.

“Seriously, Robin. It is causing me actual physical pain,” Eddie said, blatantly disregarding Steve’s question.

“I’m in the same boat, Eddie, but we promised.”

“I know, but-”

“EDDIE! Did you leave Y/N alone at the hospital?” Steve yelled, getting tired of being ignored.

“Yes,” Eddie said simply, “what are you gonna do about it, Steve?”

“I can’t- you were-...what??” Steve was deeply confused but mostly he was just pissed off. You were all alone at the hospital, probably in surgery now. If something were to go wrong, there wouldn’t be anyone there for you.

“Go do something about it, Harrington! If you leave now you should be able to get there before she wakes up.”

“B-but what about the store?”

“Why are you questioning it? Just go, Steve!” Robin yelled.

“Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you. Putting away tapes can’t be that difficult, can it?” Eddie said, directing the last part to Robin because Steve had already vaulted over the counter and was out the door.

-

“Surgery went very well. She should be waking up in the next few minutes,” a nurse said, leading him through the post-anesthesia recovery room. Steve was anxious to get to you, he felt bad that you were here alone, even though you weren’t conscious for most of it. He needs to see you with his own eyes before he can allow himself to relax even a little. 

Steve took a deep breath as the nurse slid the privacy curtain to the side, revealing your sleeping form.

The only new thing about you was the thick plaster cast on your left hand that was tucked in a sling and elevated by a couple pillows. Steve smiled down at you, relieved to see your face again. You were sleeping so peacefully, deep and slow breaths expanding and contracting your chest. He didn’t hesitate to grab your uninjured hand to bring to his chest as he sat on the edge of your bed. The nurse left him alone so he leaned down to place a delicate kiss on your knuckles. His thick fingers brushed a wayward strand of hair away from your face before delicately grazing the back of his hand against your cheek.

Steve thought back to Robin and her insistence on getting him to admit his feelings to you. She seemed to think you liked him back but Steve never allowed her to get his hopes up. That never stopped him from dreaming about what he’d say to you, if the moment were to ever present itself.

I guess I could try it out to see how it sounds… 

Steve glanced around the room to make sure no one was listening in on him. “Hey sugar… glad surgery went well,”  Steve looked at the ceiling before puffing out a breath, feeling a bit silly all of a sudden, “look, I’ve been having difficulty telling you this because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship but…I don’t know, you’re just so amazing, and sweet, and caring and it’s just gotten harder and harder to pretend that I’m not completely in love with you anymore. You’re the greatest person in my life and you make me feel so secure and loved. I always find myself thinking about you and smiling from ear to ear and I just…I love you so much.”

Before Steve could think, you moved your hand out of his grip and face palmed him, pushing his head back.

“Get the fuck outta here,” you slurred. “Woah, is that your real hair?”

“O-oh, hey Y/N. How’re you feeling?” Steve said nervously. He’s hoping you’re too drugged up to have heard his little confession.

“Y’know, I rather you didn’t,” you said lazily, your hooded eyes not focusing on anything in particular. 

Steve’s brows furrowed, “didn’t do what?”

“Love me.”

Steve paled. Any sliver of self-esteem Steve had was ripped from his grasp. He knew you could find someone better but a small part of him thought you liked him back. Those lingering gazes, soft touches, and the teasing from his friends were all just some sort of facade. Some sick joke at his expense. Of course this is how it ends.

“S-sorry,” Steve mumbled, trying to blink away the tears gathering in his eyes.

“I don't love you, ya idiot! Cause I love Steeeevie,” you sang. “I love Steve with all my heart, and more.”

Steve’s eyes widened and his cheeks flushed. What is happening?? “uh, I-I think you’re a bit confused, doll.”

“I thought you knew? You’re always teasing me ‘bout it,” you said, swatting at him lazily. “Y/N’s feeling real good right now, Eds. Like, reeeeal good. You should totally sell whatever they got me on, you’d make a fortune!”

-

Eddie looked so silly with his new Steve haircut. You made sure to tell him that a few more times.

“Ser’sly, Eddie you even smell like him. Did he tell you his Farrah Fawcett secret?” You tried leaning into him to get a better whiff of his hair but he was easily able to pin you back down to the bed.

Kinky, you thought. 

You probably just exposed Steve’s deepest secret but for some reason you didn’t care. All you could do now was laugh hysterically at Eddie’s attempt to look more like Steve.

Eddie seemed uncomfortable. Maybe embarrassed was the right word. You were probably being really loud, but you were on cloud nine with whatever drugs they’ve got you on so you weren’t worried about anything at the moment. Plus, Eddie dressed like Steve to make you feel better, and it worked. Your friends were so thoughtful. 

“One time I braided Steve’s hair. It was soooooo soft, and it smelled like flowers. Pretty, pretty, flower boy.” Eddie was just staring at you owlishly, so you kept going, “I just always feel the need to smush his face onto my face, y’know? I love him so much! He makes me feel like– holy shit, what happened to my arm?”

-

Steve was a bit stumped.

On one hand he desperately wants to believe in your drug influenced love confession but he couldn’t help but feel a bit skeptical at the same time. He didn’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position if you didn’t actually mean it. He didn’t want to get his hopes up just for it to come crashing down. Again.

Steve drove you home and put you to bed where you immediately fell asleep. He sat by your bedside, contemplating his next steps. Overthinking everything, as usual.

Once his restlessness started to set in Steve made himself busy. He spent the next couple hours cooking meals you could save in the freezer and tidying up your house. It helped keep his mind busy so he wouldn’t go crazy thinking about what you had said in the hospital. 

Eddie, Robin, and Max stopped by in the evening with your favorite takeout but you were still sleeping. Steve wasn’t hiding his huffy attitude towards Eddie, still mad he left you at the hospital. Eddie just ignored him and did his best to hide his smug smile.

“So, did you tell her?” Robin said.

“Robin,” hissed Steve, “not in front of the kid.”

“Oh, Steven. It’s so sad that you think I don’t already know,” Max said condescendingly. 

Steve rubbed his face in embarrassment, “am I really that obvious?”

“Yes,” Robin, Eddie, and Max all said at the same time.

“Great, that’s just great” Steve grumbled as he leaned back in the armchair he was sitting on.

“I’m just surprised Y/N doesn’t see it,” Eddie added.

“What don’t I see?”

Everyone’s heads whipped towards the doorway of the living room where you were now standing. You still looked tired but you were standing on your own and not slurring your words anymore. You adjusted the arm resting in the sling with a slight wince, the strap digging into your neck. It had been a few hours since the surgery and you haven’t had any pain killers since.

You were trying to hide how uncomfortable you were but Steve saw right through it.

Steve stood to greet you, “hey doll, how’re you feeling? Let’s get some food and medicine in you,” he said, trying to change the subject.

“Okay, thanks Stevie,” you smiled but furrowed your brows at him, like you were trying to remember something. The adorable tilt of your head was making his knees weak as he escaped to the kitchen. 

Steve brought you a pill, a glass of water, and some food to nibble on as you sat in his previously occupied chair. He kneeled next to you, offering the pill and then the water to wash it down.

“How’re you feeling, Y/N?” Robin said from her spot on the couch she was sharing with Max.

“Fine, I guess. I’ll be better once this medicine kicks in.”

“Well, you look like shit,” Max said bluntly. 

“Thanks, Maxine,” you said sarcastically, “Geez Eddie, you letting just anyone in my house while I’m passed out, huh?” You chuckled before noticing everyone’s confused looks, “what? I’m just kidding.”

“Y/N, I didn’t take you home from the hospital. You don’t remember that?”

Over your shoulder, Steve’s eyes widened as he started waving his hands around, trying to get Eddie to shut up. Steve didn’t want to jog your memory, hoping you two could just live in blissful ignorance in hopes of saving you both from embarrassment.

“What? Yes you did. I woke up and you were…” 

Steve watched in horror as your face dropped and your cheeks reddened in realization. Steve could practically see the memories coming back to you as your breathing started speeding up and your jaw kept opening and closing. It was all coming back to you and you were absolutely mortified.

“Wait, what’s happening?” Robin asked, observing the matching blushes on yours and Steve’s faces.

“NOTHING,” you and Steve said at the same time.

You finally looked at him, taking in his wide eyes and pink ears. You groaned in embarrassment before standing up quickly and slapping your hand to your forehead. 

“Sorry, I’m gonna…I just need to, ugh sorry,” you were scrambling to come up with a good enough excuse to leave but it was just making you more flustered. “Steve, I’m sorry I didn’t– I didn’t mean to say, fuck, I mean maybe I did. I just…shit, shit, shit,” you started smacking yourself in the temple in an attempt to get your brain to work properly.

Steve observed you for a moment. This wasn’t the reaction of someone who regretted what they said because it wasn’t true. Your reaction showed Steve that you regretted it because you thought he didn’t feel the same way. Steve didn’t wait any longer, he couldn’t.

“Fuck it.”

Steve took one big step towards you and took your face in his hands. Before he could chicken out, he pressed a soft kiss to your lips. He felt your body stiffened on impact, but it felt too good to stop. He slotted his lips perfectly into yours as he took it all in. Reluctantly, Steve slowly pulled away as it hit him. He just kissed you.

Holding his breath, he hesitantly opened his eyes to apologize but he sees you unable to move. You keep your eyes closed for a few moments, letting your mind process what just happened. The moment it all clicked was when you finally looked back at him and grabbed his shirt collar to bring him back for a desperate kiss. Steve furrowed his brows as he kissed you more passionately, trying to savor the taste of you. It felt like you were having an out of body experience, although that could have been the drugs kicking in.

You both forgot about your friends that were still in the room until Max said “I’m gonna call Mike, he owes me ten bucks.”

“It’s a little weird watching our friends make out, isn’t it?” Robin turned to Eddie, expecting to exchange a long-suffering look with him.

Eddie sniffed hard before aggressively wiping at his eyes, “you kidding? It's beautiful.”

-

main masterlist

[tobiasdrake]

Can't enter the Mystery Labyrinth until after work, but I've done a lot of thinking and I've reached a decision.

On a scale of "Makoto did nothing wrong" to "I'm gonna fuck up Makoto", my personal stance falls far on the "fuck up Makoto" end of the spectrum.

I still don't know what his endgame is. Why he went to such elaborate lengths to bring the Book of Death here and get himself pulled into the Mystery Labyrinth.

But reflecting on it, I don't think I care.

As weird as these words feel coming out of my mouth, I. Kind of. Agree. With Yakou?

Not in the way he expressed it: Men exist solely for women, so you need to put Kurumi above all other considerations!

But more specifically, he isn't wrong in a more general sense, when he expresses that the relationships we have with each other are what drive us forward. That we need to stop and thinking about what's best for the people that we care about when making our choices.

The Trolley Problem of feeding WDO-apprehended criminals to Kanai Ward is... complicated. I genuinely don't know where to stand on that, though I'd have a higher opinion of it if Makoto hadn't ended homunculus research and was instead trying to find a permanent solution instead of this stopgap.

But to make this happen, Makoto also killed a lot of people who unambiguously didn't deserve it. Some of whom I liked. He took two besties from me as well as several other characters I was fond of, and a couple I was less so. I can't overlook that. I want blood.

I said before that it made me feel proud to help Yakou carry out Huesca's assassination and avenge his wife. If that's what he needed for closure then I was happy to help him do it.

Now I feel like I'm in his shoes. Makoto killed Halara, Vivia, and Fubuki - and yes, even Desuhiko. His plan is responsible for the deaths of Aphex, Real Zilch, Melami, Zange, and Pucci. He paved this road in blood.

I don't believe in punitive justice. I don't think the function of a well-reasoning legal system should be to hurt people. The focus of the state should always be on rehabilitation.

But at an individual level, I also don't believe that cold, dispassionate logic is superior to raw emotion. The ability to feel is what makes us alive. I stood by Yakou because he was a man undergoing intense grief, produced by Huesca in an attempt to conceal Huesca's own financial misdeeds.

Like the Theater Girls, justice was denied to Yakou, leaving revenge as his only possible avenue for closure. I could never hold that against him. The emotional wellbeing of a victim far outweighs the physical wellbeing of an abuser. I will never blame a victim for doing what they need to do to feel whole again, even if it comes at a cost to their life.

Now I feel like I'm standing there in those same shoes. It is not justice to retaliate against Makoto. It was not justice to assassinate Huesca. But like Yakou and the Theater Girls, I am not of sound mind and cool head. This isn't about justice. There is no avenue to justice. I want revenge.

[airkewld]

September 7th 2023 | Cores for Heroes Submission | M. Ford | 1963 Beetle

I served in the USMC from 05-09. I went through boot camp at MCRD San Diego and School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton CA. I was sent to 7th Marines in 29 palms the end of January and February 14th we left for Iraq. I had to learn everything on the go, baptism by fire. My 1st tour was in a town called Husaybah Iraq, on the boarder of Syria, and the Euphrates river. Was a wild west kind of town. My 2nd tour was in a small town called Kubaysah, just outside of Hit Iraq. My journey took me to Baghdad to testify against two bad guys we caught throwing grenades at our patrols. The best part of that trip was swimming in Sadam Hussain's pool, and i have the picture to prove it! My 3rd and last tour was in Karma and NE Fallujah, sadly having to leave my post early I was sent home due to my Dad's untimely passing. Upon arrival back in the States I also lost my great grandmother within two days of being home, grateful I was able to tell her goodbye, wish I could have had that closure with my Dad. My Dad and Uncle Dave brought me up with a love of cars and Racing. My first car was a 69 bug that I drove while in HS and sold it before I joined the USMC. I regret selling it to this day and no pictures remain of it. My favorite past-time was cruising in my 69 bug all over the Columbia River Gorge corridor and county back roads. After moving from Oregon to Texas I decided it was time to build something. So I found a 1963 that I am currently restoring from the ground up. The theme for this bug will be USMC, going to call it the "Teuful Hunden" bug or as most people know it "Devil Dog". It will be painted red, with gold doors and rims, the Marine Corps colors. This build is really helping me find parts of me I left over seas. It's going to be a long build being a disabled veteran and on a budget. I have been ordering all the new body panels first. Was going to order a pro beam with disk brakes and a Freeway flyer with disk brakes from Air kewld but having a chance to win them is really awesome of you guys. Thanks for the opportunity and your time. M. Ford USMC

M. Ford is entered into our Cores for Heroes Program here - https://www.airkewld.com/Cores-for-Heroes-Program-s/2532.htm

To date, we have 12 submissions to win and we have raised $445 dollars of our $10,000 goal.

In our honest opinion, the US Armed Force members, are so under-appreciated. The PRO's are finally in a place to put a plan together that helps everyone that participates, but more importantly, those who served or serving.

Details will slightly change as we get more context, but here's the idea.

I want to give back to those who have fought for our freedoms, regardless of our political beliefs. I didn't fight for my country but my father did and he is fighting PTSD, mental disorders, agent orange, etc., etc. I get to build products for the greatest clients in the world because of it. So, how do I make something happen?

The PRO's need cores. The AirkewldArmy has cores. Within the AirkewldArmy community, reside members of the US Armed Forces that want/need/could use a boost in their life, whether it is financially or upgrades to their favorite VW.

To give some context on our Core Program, the PRO's need certain parts to make our PRObuilt Line of Classic Volkswagen Drive-Train Components. In the past, the PRO's would print out a prepaid shipping label and rebate an order if our client/s sent that core in and it checked out. Payment would be reimbursed to the client, store credit or trade for something else, would take place. With a unique but small twist, a BIG change can make a humongous difference.

If our current or past clients, the AirkewldArmy, sent their cores in, based on a value proposition, the PRO's would give them the opportunity to win two ways. The first, for every $10 in core value, would be one entry on a quarterly drawing to win Airkewld Swag, like work shirts, tee's, hats, stickers and air fresheners, $100 gift cards to Airkewld.com or even a $500 Visa/Airkewld gift card. The second, for every $10 in core value, once the PRO's accrue $10,000 in cores, the PRO's select a Hero, to receive a Complete Airkewld Drive-Train Package or $10,000.00 (Our CEO would fly to them and personally hand them the check), delivered to their door, FREE of charge. Heroes would enter by telling their story, both about their military experience and passion for their Classic Volkswagen.

Airkewld receives usable cores. The AirkewldArmy wins FREE Stuff. Together, the PRO's and the AirkewldArmy show appreciation to someone who deserves better, our Military Heroes.

Who's ready to make a difference today?

[dilfdoctordoom]

The prompt you got about justice for Peter perfectly illustrates exactly what's wrong with vol 3. The movie focuses on abuse victims getting healing, closure and set on a new path they deserve except Gamora who it blissfully ignores is one of the biggest victims of all.

She's not given multiple scenes to explore how she feels about a family she was robbed of. She's not given any scenes about what it was like to be 9 years in the future, find out her abuser murdered her and that she would have to build a new life while lots of other people know her as a guardian never got to be. Her own struggles are absent in vol 3 and that echoes through the fandom/audience.

You mentioned some people think this is feminist because she doesn't end up with Peter and that's really sad. Being single doesn't equal automatic feminist win and if people's feminism isn't intersectional or taking context into consideration they're doing it wrong. Gamora being loved, supported and fought for by Peter and the rest of the guardians in the other movies was not anti feminism. Especially with her being played by a woc. It's more obvious when you see people absolutely adoring how all of vol 3 is about Rocket getting loved, supported and saved by everyone.

Being sidelined, kept away from regaining her superhero team, having no arc of her own and miniscule representation on merch is also not feminism. More women, more poc, more diverse heroes, more women included on merch etc are all things fandoms have said they want and vol 3 said bye bye bye to a lot of that with Gamora. It's as if more people are happy she's not with Peter due to troubling concepts of what makes a strong female character than angry she was murdered. That's the exact opposite of feminism.

I'm sorry if this reads as ranty. I don't mean for it to. It's just getting harder to be at peace with this being the end of the road for Gamora. I don't think she was a perfect character but I do believe she was one of the best they had in the mcu before her murder. I am still trying to grasp what it means that they wanted to murder the first woc lead character we had so her abuser could advance and what it means that nothing about vol 3 portrayed this as something heinous we should all be upset about it.

This does read as ranty and this is the perfect place for that as I am consistently ranting about how Gamora was ultimately treated.

Gamora's very presence ruins everything Vol 3 aims for. The message of escaping your abuser and living your own life, becoming your whole self, falls hilariously flat when she's included. You cannot try to have that message alongside fridging a woman to make her abuser more sympathetic.

Add in how this movie even brought up Thanos's abuse-- it's treated as a punchline for the most part. The only time it isn't a joke (like with the eye scene between Nebula, Gamora & Peter) is when Nebula says "it's worse than what Thanos did to me" after finding out what happened to Rocket. That line drives me crazy; abuse isn't something that can be measured, as a basic thing, and if Gunn really wanted to try that... tell me which one of these characters is 70% cybernetics.

Gamora's such a non-entity in this film. Of course she gets to be mad at Quill-- but she doesn't get to speak to the others Guardians, doesn't get her new relationship with Nebula fleshed out, gets a single throwaway line about her alternative self having escaped Thanos. Does she know the details of how she died? Does she know she sacrificed everything for Nebula? Does she know she begged Peter to kill her?

We have no answers. Fuck, it's barely acknowledged that she knows Thanos murdered her.

I get that Gamora is green, but people really don't seem to get that she's played by Zoe Saldana, a woman of color, and how that does impact things. WOC get held up to very different standards and while there is obviously overlap in harmful tropes, it's insane to pretend that there aren't different ones applied to women of color. Acting like Gamora being robbed of a love interest that brought her true joy is feminist isn't a girlboss move; it's fulfilling a trope that women of color don't "need" a love interest.

What happened to Gamora was just sickening and so was the fandom response. There are a million think pieces on why what happened to Natasha was wrong; there isn't even a quarter of that for Gamora, when hers was, objectively, worse. I despise what happened to Natasha but god, at least it wasn't done to uplift her abuser.

I think it's also very telling how these characters have been treated post-mortem; Natasha received a solo movie & was memorialized in Hawkeye. Gamora... gets everything that mattered to her stripped away like it's nothing, her most important relationship (with Nebula) goes stagnant, and her horrific murder is brought up as a silly little joke.

Yeah, Gamora's treatment is rooted in a lot of sexism, but also a lot of racism and it's that second bit that has heavily impacted how the fandom reacted.

There's a lot of overlap between misogyny and racism in regard to the Guardians women, specifically, Gamora and Mantis, and there's also this strange refusal to see it addressed.

Seeing the interview Zoe Saldana gave recently really made it worse, IMO. She spoke about how even she wanted Gamora to return to the Guardians, but that wasn't the story Gunn wanted to tell... so now, just like us, she's left hoping that maybe in the future, Gamora gets to have her family back.

The Gamora aspect honestly killed the Guardians trilogy for me. I think it breaks the established pattern of the past 2 movies in a bad way, is nonsensical a finale to that story, and is overly reliant on downplaying the suffering of women to glorify a fucking raccoon.

[mousemilf]

Dear lady mousemilf,

Whats the best toxic way to tell someone that they've upset you by not being there for you enough? My current idea is to not contact them and see how long they notice

You could also add a healthy way but i will not be taking the high road here :( sorry

anon,

i understand wanting a petty approach, but with ur plan but whats bound to happen is that youll end up even more hurt and disappointed when you realize they can go wayyyyy too long without noticing. like all its gonna do is prove that theyre REALLY not there for you and youll end up full of resentment while theyre not even aware of the situation. youll hurt the wrong person (yourself.) remember the old adage: "if he wanted to, he would."

you could go with a modified version where you continue contacting them about anything superfluous or selfish, but ghost whenever they need YOU for anything and take days to respond with an unsatisfactory explanation/apology. i find "soft ghosting" to be more satisfying and effective than hard ghosting or blocking, because it doesnt give the target a sense of finality or closure and strings them along leaving them confused until they give up.

in order for soft ghosting to work though, you need to ask yourself if they rely on you as much as you are relying on them. is the relationship a two-way street? or are you the only one traumadumping and venting to them? i think its only valid to be upset at someone "not being there for you" if you are there for them in an equal capacity. you might think, oh but i would be there if they needed me, but that doesnt actually impact anything. if they arent reaching out to you for support, the relationship is still imbalanced. they might be wanting a casual friendship, or they might not feel comfortable opening up for a variety of reasons. its still unfair to expect a level of support that for whatever reason they dont get from you. if the relationship is imbalanced in that way, i think its best to cut contact and find other friends with the same expectations as you.

im not meaning to imply that any of that is the case, but its something you need to consider before moving to the conclusion that this is a shitty friend you should exact your revenge on.

in my experience though, if you arent getting enough out of a friendship or relationship, its not a straightforward issue that can be resolved through communication. you cant ask someone to be there for you more in the same way you could ask someone to idk schedule plans 3 days in advance or stop bringing up triggering subjects. if they arent there for you its either because a) they genuinely dont care and communicating wont make them care; whatever level of support it does result in will be forced, insincere and temporary... or b) they arent able to handle your needs and you gotta stop looking for support where it cant exist. trying to fix a situation like this will only lead to resentment. stop pouring your energy and emotion into this situation and move on.

anyway. i think this is an issue you should just walk away from, but if you want to be petty and taper off communication by soft ghosting then more power to you. we never take the highroad here at mousemilf dot tumblr dot com.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter - Monday, July 31st

BUFFY: (to Willow) Your costume is perfect. (Whispers) Nobody's gonna know the truth. You know, about you. WILLOW: (bemused) Costume? BUFFY: (pouting) You're already in character! Oh, I shoulda done that!

~~Restless~~

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor. Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here.

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

I Know What You Did Last Summer (Giles, T) by Will_Conqueror1

Bloodbath (Spike/Buffy, M) by Apache Firecat

passing through (Buffy/Spike, PG) by Amina

Does that taste funny to you? (Buffy/Spike, PG) by To Be Hers

[Chaptered Fiction]

Girls Invented Punk Rock, Not England Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Dynamite

Salmagundi Chapter 53 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by MaggieLaFey

Don't Fall for Rock Stars Chapter 91 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by scratchmeout

Rigor in Research Chapter 74 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Soulburnt

She's a Hoot Chapter 19 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Desicat

Dawn the Vampire Slayer Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, R) by LJ94

100% pure fluff (ish) Chapter 23 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Amina

So, what's new with you? Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Amina

do you wanna dance? Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by sunshine-of-my-lifetime

Hi Daddy Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, PG) by SzmattyCat

Doing my best to get back to you (Ain't nothing I'd rather do) Chapter 25 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Fortes775

Word of the Day Chapter 26 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Nupalie

Sweet Childe of Mine Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only) by Chopper01

The Time Between Chapter 28 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by JayeMaru

Blackout Chapter 54 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by bewildered

Stab in the back Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only) by MelG_2005

Jigsaw Chapter 27 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Dusty

The Roads not taken Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Lluvia

Closure Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by The Danish Bird

Truces Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, PG) by Amina

Best Wishes From San Francisco Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Kanita

Through the Years Chapter 31 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by DarkVoid116

The Time I Dated a Puppet Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, R) by ClowniestLivEver

Flukes Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by MillennialCryBaby

Keepsakes Chapter 37 (Buffy/Spike, G) by violettathepiratequeen

Shall We? Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Ginger

Part of the Family Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Harlow Turner

Creative Solutions Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Harlow Turner

Dream Chapter 12 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Dusty

[Image, Audio & Video]

Video: Giles Video by TheScholarlyStrumpet

[Fandom Discussions]

Do Watchers choose their jobs? by cvscvs2

Funny spike moment by Flimsy_Reveal4399

Just realized that Vincent Kartheiser... by Particular_Ad_1435

Episode: Passion by aeryn1227

The Tara/Buffy moment in Season 6 by Sorrymomsdead

How did you discover buffy? by Dappich

did the writers intend for OMWF to actually be sexual assault by redskinsguy

The Buffy movie is a dramatization of Buffy's origin story as told by Tucker's brother by jamjamboba

Warren was the scariest villain by HopeMikaelson69

A Thought I Had by Seer77887

Anyone else love "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie? by jdpm1991

What could have made "The Initiative" better? by Extrospective

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

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[theeyeofinfinity]

How a thousand lifetimes becomes one.

I think part of my process of dealing with things that bother me are to almost think them to death. I will sit and almost cauterize my spiritual wound with the hot piece of metaphorical steel that is my source of hurt, pressing it to myself until its numb and sealed. I think I’d rather it be that way than running from it. It would just follow the trail of blood i leave behind and find me over and over again. That i feel is infinitely more exhausting than a brutal week or weeks or month of just sitting with it and then moving on after but i digress. I’ve been thinking about all the beautiful moments shared. I think about the time i spent out in the woods behind your parents house. Sitting by the tree that was claimed so long ago and the many trips i took to find it. I remember the peace i felt sitting there and imagining a version of us that never stopped loving each other. Seeing how happy i was to sit with my best friend. Flowers in your hair while i gave you a piggy back ride by the river. Laughs and talks about our struggles in life and how happy we were to have this little pocket of earth to escape from our day to day. Happy to have each other, knowing we’d never leave or love anyone else. It brought me closure because the two that belonged together both died together. We are different people and in essence not them anymore. Thats why we can never have what we had before. So I’d go to pay my respects maybe once a week after work or if a storm was coming. Found the fastest ways in and out so i could watch the little movies in my head before having to race against the sun.

I remember when i felt like i couldn’t stay away anymore and started looking at your page. Seeing that you had found my coordinates and went there yourself. Part of me always hoped I’d run into you. I knew i never would because its not a place youd be in casually to begin with. I remember seeing the post about going on an adventure somewhere secluded. And then leaving an address for me to follow. I remember how conflicted i was trying to decide what i should do. How i begged myself not to go. I wanted to leave it behind like i had promised myself because there was no point in prolonging my own suffering. I unblocked your number just to see if youd say anything as the days got closer. I remember how much my heart fluttered when i saw your name come up on my screen again. I knew i had to go but i didn’t want to tell you. I wanted you to be surprised. But i told you anyway out of fear youd be asleep and i wouldnt be able to find you. Youd already expressed frustration that i wouldnt be coming so i felt compelled to. I got there after what felt like an eternity on the road. I found you. Spent the night talking, watching the stars, and eventually connected in a way that seemed impossible. We had bound ourselves together yet again. I remember laying there the day after just as confused as you were. Scared of what the future might bring. In some ways i was right to be.

I remember how we would talk so often and feel like we had so much to say. So much to catch up on. So happy to feel each other again. We started to bond so much and i felt like i was the only thing that mattered to you. So happy that we came back to each other that youd hold on so tight that I’d never be able to get away again. I started opening myself up to the idea of loving you again. One night while i was in your apartment we had another passionate night. We were so intertwined and i remember how serious you got telling me how glad you were that i was your first. How thankful you were it was me. I spent every day since wishing for another night like that. I remember going to trivia night and hearing “mirrors” come on after we talked about you telling me how much the lyrics matched us all those years ago. Hearing it again when we went for ive cream from a lady street performing. i remember taking you that train tour in the middle of nowhere. It was pretty and cool to sit and watch the scenery. We met a cool waitress there and i got the utmost satisfaction being outside the train while it went through a tunnel. Cold but memorable. What i remember most is getting our picture taken at the end and the waitress told us to look at each other like we were in love. I looked at you and you just looked straight at here pretending like you didnt hear it. It kinda hurt but looking at that picture was just a reflection of how things have been for a long time. Me loving you and you looking away. We got to go explore the old haunted assylum turned hotel that we almost stayed at, looked at some cool shops, and tried out a really tasty bakery. It was also the trip i gave you a stethoscope. I did a bunch of research to see what brands worked the best and finally found one i thought would suit you well. I was so excited to give it to you and the look on your face made it worth the wait. I wanted you to know that through it all, even if you didn’t believe in yourself, youd always have me in your corner cheering for you. I believed in you and us more than anyone ever would or could. You would also carry a piece of me and that sentiment with you for however long you kept that stethoscope in use and in a sense have me there for support whenever you were hard at work.

I remember our trip to go get your motorcycle and you telling me how good i looked on it. I was so ready to ride listening to my music but you wanted to keep talking to me and it made me smile the whole ride back. I also remember waking up at just the right moment when you had texted me late at night to ask if i was awake when you had gone to take a ride on said motorcycle. How the timing of me being there when you need me most always amazed me. I let you come crash at my place because it had started to rain and kept you warm. I was so happy to be your warmth… and to just have you there unexpectedly. I remember the first time not cooking hello fresh but making you soup and grilled cheese from scratch. Our movie marathons and watching top gun and its sequel with you for the first time. Now i’ll never see those movies without thinking about watching it late at night after your shift, cozy together in bed and falling asleep to a video of a fire place. I remember being there for you while you moved out and basically did it all with just you, while your roommate acted off and pushed you aside, i was your rock and finished it out with you. One night that we spent together and you packed my lunch and made me coffee and sent me out with a hug and a kiss. How for a split second i could imagine the happiness I’d feel being with you, coming home to you, you being my everything for the rest of my life. Or when you showed me your pill remover and i asked you to try it on my favorite shirt and it made a hole in it. The gasp and the look on your face made me laugh and all i could feel was love for you. I remember driving out to firefly on a whim to see you just because you said you wished i was there. Hell, i flew to new orleans just to see you. The whole thing was crazy from the start and even while on the plane i kept thinking to myself, “ i cant believe im really doing this…”. It was cool, new place, same girl i couldnt stop loving. From the cool stores and stands, bourbon street, “bagnets” and the aquarium we went to on our last day, i think you were my favorite part every time. Even if it ended with the worst heartache i had felt since the day you left... I remember taking you to jingle ball right after you took me because i wanted to surprise you. Not knowing that because of how eager i was i had given it away. And how chaotic the night we went to yours was, insane traffic that made us so late we couldnt go eat dinner, parking in the wrong spot and walking around a college campus trying to figure out where the concert was without telling me why we were there. Having you finally give up and tell me so i could help find the way. All i could think to myself was just how much i love this woman. It was also the night i unveiled the bad bunny playlist i made for us that took me a while to make. I listened to every album he had and picked all the songs i could tolerate and was going to show you during MY trip to jingle ball with you but you looked so sad and stressed that i pulled it out early. All the small dates scattered around. All the nights i came late in the night just to spend a few hours with you. Some of those nights my nose would whistle and i wouldnt know why but it would annoy you but i thought it was kinda funny. The chemistry when we’re both at our best is truly unmatched. Its a shame the last things i’ll remember is watching it all go cold as you started to back away and in my panic holding on so tight that you flew away. My heart will always remember. What a world isnt it? Reduced to being a ghost for the rest of eternity…

[lunaetis]

@avaere asked :

his journey home and back had been long as it had carried the harbinger far away from the biting plains of the snowcovered mountains deep within snezhnaya, and up familiar roads to a camp which had been... empty.

days on his feet, tartaglia hadn't expected to be traveling behind mondstadt's walls, his travelling attire still wrapped around him. yet, he saw no other option. for while the campfire was there alongside the residue of their hideout, there was no traces of the swordswoman. where, oh where would a lawrence go when the stars came out and the campfire died down?

he had never quite embraced the bard at the bar's floor. there was something about the singing fellow that irked the harbinger, yet somehow managed to entertain him at the same time. perhaps it was the way the bard's eyes drew to the heavy boots that made their mark on the wooden floor, or how they seemed to ignite in a mischievous glimmer at the sight of his rather obvious attire. he was a harbinger, after all, who hadn't heard of him?

or maybe... it was how the bard changed the tune on his lyre, from playful to gentle (almost sweet and romantic) as tartaglia made his way over to the familiar, homely sight of a face his heart reached out to.

"my ... what are we drinking tonight?" lips turned into an adoring, smitten, smile as tartaglia sat down onto the bench across eula. with their distance finally having come to a closure (for now), he was quick to raise a gloved hand towards her, first removing the glass which had been sipped on prior to his arrival, then reaching out to cup her cheek. there, a thumb would grace her cheek, voice warm as he gazed into eyes; " i'm home, eula. "

unprompted. || always accepting

─「エウルア」─  it had always been cold close to new year.

                she could see the look of concern glazing those AMBER HUES of her best friend when she turned down the invitation to join them in the celebration of lights that were only around the corner. the festive air had never been her thing, as she knew full well any JOYOUS OCCASION was better spent without her presence. after all, who would want someone who reminded them of the torturous time they had spent under the ruling of a tyrant ? the knight understood it well, and she also knew that her friend meant well.

                for their sake, it's better that she spent the night alone.

                the thought of trekking the snowy mountain of dragonspine came to mind. there, she would usually find peace and comfort in silence. yet, it was to no surprise that she hadn't been up there for many a night now. when was the last time she visited the peak of the snow-covered mountain ? she couldn't remember well.

                the ABSENCE of someone had made that place much lonelier than she remembered.

                the lawrence heir found herself escaping to the local tavern she had frequented, retreating from the eyes of public and occupied the INNERMOST CORNER TABLE so that her being here wouldn't disrupt anyone's time. the taste of alcohol and the effect it brought seemed to quiet her troubled mind. maybe, it'd be better if she had retreated from the city during those winter celebration. she didn't belong in such atmosphere. the laughter, the blessings, a damned soul like herself should know her place.

                gloved digits came to caress over the crimson insignia she had worn over her left chest, and the organ inside ached dully. how long had it been since she had seen him ? the silence was deafening, that was why she couldn't bear seeing the empty campfire they used to share.

                but it was a voice that snapped her out of her reverie.

                a question, a greet, one that upon hearing that familiar voice alone was enough to have her heart skip a beat. the sight of a HARBINGER came into view, donned in thick traveling coat and snow-tainted boots. his attire alone spoke of the distance he had traveled, the miles he crossed from one nation to the other, the exhaustion presented in his very form, or even the SNOW clinging to his clothing was proof of where he had been, and that he had not stopped ever since —

                " tar ... taglia ... ? " even her own voice sounded unsure, as though him appearing right before her was that of a dream she had conjured up in her own mind. and she had, so many times prior. so many times that she thought this was also her own yearn playing tricks on her once again. that is, until his gloved digits found their ways to her cheek. the warmth spreading from his heated glove a reminder and a PROOF that he was real. the realization of it all made her lose her own voice for a moment, only hearing her heart pounding against her ribcage as though it was recognizing how its owner had returned.

                " i'm home, eula. "

                home, he said. not simply i'm back. him, who had literally returned to his BIRTHPLACE and his rightful home away from here. yet, he said that he was home as their eyes connected.

                they say home is where the heart is. was that why she felt like she never had a home ? not within the walls of mondstadt, not upon the freezing peak of dragonspine, not in her travels to borders and other nations. only ... only when he was here. only now that she ever felt like she belonged. in his warmth, in his touch, within his reach.

                gently, her gloved hand came to clasp over his own, pressing it tighter to his cheek and she closed her eyes momentarily, as though to reaffirm to herself that he really was here. like a child having found the person she had been searching for. quietly, she pressed her lips to the middle of his palm. a tender, yearnful kiss lingered there for a long, long time. at that very moment, she felt nothing but him.

                " welcome home, tartaglia. " and with you, i am too.

                from the DRAGONSPINE'S PEAK, one would be able to see the fireworks in the distant, coming from the city of mondstadt as the year came to a close. for many years, the KNIGHT had watched those explosive lights from various locations; up close upon the secret spot near the church, the quiet area near brightcrown canyon overseeing the cider lake behind the city itself, or even this very same snowy atmosphere she was right at this moment. as the END OF THE YEAR drew near, one chapter was ending and a new beginning was to be formed. every year, she would remind herself who she was, who she strived to be despite the others' opinion, just so that she wouldn't lose sight of herself. year after year, without fail.

                my name is eula lawrence. i am a knight of favonius.

                this year, however, instead of a reminder, it was a confession.

                a silent, wordless confession made as her lips were claimed by the same person who owned her very heart. the countless stars above them their only witness.

                my name is eula lawrence.

                and i am in love with a harbinger.

[isntthatwrite]

Week of 10/14-10/20

Card for this week: 8 of Swords (reversed) - we've gotta question those self-limiting beliefs this week!! interrogate where you may be putting the walls up and preventing yourself from fully pursuing what you want/deserve. it's a great week for taking stock of where you might be standing in your own way (potential for some inner victim mentality.............. idk.....) and letting that shit go! negative patterns be damned. libra season of justice continues and this week we're introspecting.

Transits/Astro forecast: i'm incredibly biased, maybe no one else in the world shares this opinion, but i love venus in sagittarius. after the depths of venus in scorpio, we have to ask the question - what if we just had a little fun with it? what if we could balance finding relationships that deeply respect and value us with keeping things enthusiastic, yet lighthearted? and cultivate relationships that are passionate, yet still allow us to feel a sense of freedom? the last week or so has had chiron opposing the last libra transits, lots of heavy scorpio/pluto has been around in the last few weeks as well, this has not been a particularly light libra season. i'm calling upon ms venus in sagittarius to bring us to the fun. this week's transits smack of dreaming and desiring anew in relationships - let yourself have fun!!

current retrogrades are jupiter, chiron, saturn, uranus, and neptune. i literally felt pluto go direct last week. very much looking forward to closing out that cycle! 2008-now has been a crazy ride.

monday 10/14 - sun square mars, venus opposite uranus rx- a day for self-soothing and taking the road less traveled. tensions may be high, anger and anxieties emerging. build in some extra decompression time. on the other hand, venus opposing uranus will bring some fresh energy to your relationships and partnerships. change and evolution will be keywords here.

tuesday 10/15 - venus trine neptune rx - a day for romantic daydreaming! despite the odds, yesterday might've sparked some new and fun desires in life, love, and creative expression. in honor of the last bit of venus in scorpio, let your yearnings be as outlandish-seeming as possible and imagine that your wildest dreams seem really quite attainable. love is as vast as we can allow it to be.

thursday 10/17 - full moon in aries, venus sextile pluto, venus enters sagittarius - goooooodness. feelings will be LOUD today. after these dreams and desires and wishes of the last few days, there is a tidal wave of enthusiasm to get you moving. the road less traveled proves to have made all the difference once more. there is somehow an equally strong "closure" energy and "start fresh" energy today - expect some turbulence! sometimes starting anew immediately reminds us of what was left behind. keep going!

this week has an interesting mix of "dreamer/romantic" energy, "starting anew" energy, and "closing out cycles" energy. letting go and beginning again go hand in hand here, ride those waves. most importantly, forgive yourself. forgive yourself for the coping mechanisms you're faced with that were created as a protection measure, but now tend to stand in your way. they kept you afloat, and now it's time to re-interrogate what will best serve you.

[trustedpackersandmoversblog]

6 careful moving tips to follow when moving!

Looking for extensive yet simple heartwarming ideas for your move? Do you have an upcoming move booked from Bangalore for packers and movers in Bangalore? If so, you can always refer to useful moving ideas and moving tips that are readily available online. If not, check out some integrated packaging and moving ideas below!

Take the most important things with you: When you're on the road planning a move, pay special attention to the belongings you take with you. Know that your gear is not just one or two, but many things that you want to take with you. So take a big bag with you which can hold all the essentials and which will help you go through the moving journey without any difficulties. You can keep extra clothes, medicine, blankets if you are moving in winter (or otherwise), some snacks during the trip, games, toys for the baby, books to read, etc. Now you can think about how to put them all in one bag. Well, you don't have to have them all in one bag. Make a separate bag for food and groceries (disposable items) and move comfortably.

Plan your hiking route ahead of time with experts: It does not matter if you are moving for a long time or if you are moving locally, if you are going on a transit trip, it is important that the hiking route is discussed and planned with professionals. After all, they are the ones who will take care of your move and manage your move from end to end. Since moving is a labor-intensive process, we would say that you should always hire a full-time professional moving company with considerable experience in expanding packing and moving services. Keep track of the weather where you are moving as it will affect the move one way or the other. Winter hikes are usually delayed due to road closures during fog or monsoons. So if you're thinking ahead, movers can help you plan just as effortlessly.

Choose the shifter that suits your needs: Give the most time to the research phase when browsing transmission options. Only list moving companies that you believe have significant expertise in the field. Check the credentials of the company by looking at the certificate of registration and other supporting documents, including license, insurance and credentials, as it is essential to hire a mover with a well-developed knowledge of the field when choosing a moving company. assures you of everything you can expect from your move. In order to find a suitable moving company that can meet your moving needs, you must first fix your specific needs so that you can check whether the company you are considering is right for you or not. .

Read carefully about the services and costs: As we mentioned in the previous point, be sure to check the price structure when you look at the services offered on the movers' websites. Generally, all reputable movers have a wide range of professional moving services that they offer to clients with different packing and moving needs. And since a move or any move is a complex matter, it is of utmost importance to meet all related needs with the most suitable moving services. When looking at moving services, check the prices as well so you can decide which ones to choose. Special items for your home, including display cases, furniture, pictures, paintings, etc. would require special handling, while items such as plants, vases, and wall hangings would require exceptional packaging that could only be provided by a specific packing and moving service. So familiarize yourself with all of them before proceeding with one.

Let the packing task go on elaborately: There is no need to rush the movers to get your house-moving task done at the earliest. The movers are anyway proficient in their task and they know what is best for your belongings and what kind of assistance and handling they would need. So, let them attend to your belongings efficiently, and do not intervene unless you feel there is a need. Simply be there and oversee the process when they work on your goods. Guide them to the complicated spaces that you want them to tackle and tell them about the distinct packing needs you have for your high-value, precious items so that they can be attended to well. If depending on your household size, the packing task takes more than the presumed days, let it be. You just inspect if every item has been packed within the moving carton appropriately and if all the cartons have been labeled.

Be an informed individual always: The professional packers you have appointed for your house move project will be there to guide you in every stage of the move process but as the customer, it is your sole responsibility to check if everything has been worked out appropriately. At the same time, check if the cartons you packed from your end are ready. Keep in mind all the packing and moving hacks you read ahead of the move because those will help you to cautiously look over the move. If you know everything that it takes to enjoy a safe and secure move, and you are aware of the moving scams and mishaps that happen during relocations, you would already know how to make the best decisions and move homes wisely, without shedding money unnecessarily and losing the sanity of your mind.

We tried to discuss some crucial moving aspects in this blog. We hope you will pick up some worthwhile pieces of advice from this post to prepare for your upcoming move with the movers and packers in Bangalore!

[kittylover776]

Runaway Bride

Third chapter of ‘Runaway Bride’ is out! Wanted to get this out sooner but had a bit of trouble deciding what direction to take it. Writing multi-chapter fics can be a bit of a struggle for me compared to one-shot stories, but I’m definitely working on getting the hang of it.

Wanted to thank everyone including @aellathedreamer who has helped inspire me when it comes to this teeny tiny fandom. If it wasn’t for your support I probably wouldn’t be writing this.

I’m hoping to get this out on ‘Archive of our Own’, I’m just waiting to get approved for an account. Websites confuse me sometimes. 😅

Anyways, hope you all enjoy and have a Happy New Year! Wish everyone the best for 2024! 🎉🎊😁

Chapter 3

The silence was almost deafening as Margaret sat in one of Belgravia’s palace vehicles, the only thing audible being the sound of Christmas music playing on the radio along with the slow rhythm of her breaths. She watched the outside world turn to grey as large clouds started to gather above her, blocking any visible sunlight from shining through.

The past few hours felt like a blur as the weight of her decision started to dawn upon her. Not only did she walk out on her wedding day, an event that would unite both Belgravia and Montenaro as trusted allies, she also broke the trust her ex-fiancée’s family had in her and her own kingdom. She could only imagine what Edward’s parents must be thinking right now. King George was probably furious, as he should be, for he had insisted immensely that the ceremony must proceed, and to make matters worse she had also agreed with him, making her seem hypocritical. His wife Queen Caroline was most likely disappointed, but could also understand why she did it. The look she had given both her and Edward before their wedding showed she had some remorse over the whole thing, but couldn’t do much due to her husband’s iron fist.

And Edward…well, she assumed he’d probably be relieved, if not confused about the situation. Margaret knew his heart belonged to Stacy, that he made clear. She always knew Edward deserved better. Stacy seemed like the perfect fit for him, even if he had no clue as to what she truly looked like, he still fell in love with her. She only wished she had introduced them sooner the second they switched back. At least then he would have some closure.

A small bump in the road shook Margaret from her musings. Her gaze traveled to the side-view mirror as Belgravia’s palace began to fade with distance. There was no turning back now. If she wanted this plan to work, she had to think positive.

Donatelli noticed Margaret’s worried expression as she stole a glance at the duchess.

“We should be reaching the airport soon, your grace.” She said behind the wheel, breaking the silence between them. “So long as traffic won’t be an issue we’ll have no problem getting there on time.” Normally they would have a driver escort them, but because they were on the down-low, as well as leaving the kingdom, it was best to leave as little traces as possible.

The duchess smiled at her. “Thank you.” She replied thankfully. “Do you think Edward would notice one of his cars missing?”

“I’m sure they could easily replace another vehicle if they wanted to. It’s Frank I’m more worried about noticing.” She muttered the last bit in dismay. “That man has been on to me since the beginning of all this. Should he find out he’ll probably have my head.”

Margaret hummed as her thumb smoothed over the small locket Kevin had given her as a present. It was technically supposed to be for Stacy, but because she was disguised he couldn’t tell the difference. Her eyes locked onto the photograph inside, taking in the scene with a warm smile. The three stood in front of Santa Claus, each giving their own smiles. Margaret felt warmth at the happy image, the memory replaying in her mind over and over again, remembering every detail of it.

They looked so happy together, as if they were a family. She remembered Olivia telling Santa she had wanted a new mom for Christmas (a statement that caused Kevin to choke on his coffee) and insisted the two of them join her in the photo.

The duchess then looked at herself, her smile waning slightly. Even if it was her standing there, the image she saw looked like Stacy, the woman Kevin actually cared about, someone he had known for years. Margaret knew she wasn’t her, and could never be her, but it still stung knowing deep down despite the good times they shared during those vast few days, it wasn’t real. He’ll never know the true person he grew close with during that time.

And worst of all…she’ll most likely never see him again, a fact that made her eyes start to water.

Donatelli could hear Margaret’s breath hitch as she gave a quick look at her. Her head was down facing her lap, still fixed on the locket. Her eyes seemed to glaze over as she looked on the verge of tears. Margaret had told her what had happened prior between her and the male baker, and could only imagine the dilemma she must be going through.

“You miss him, don’t you?” ‘Telli asked gently, breaking the tension that had surfaced during the car ride.

Margaret lifted her head up at the question. She looked at her assistant, attempting to wipe away any trace of tears that might have surfaced.

“Is it that obvious?” She sniffed, giving a nervous smile.

“From what I can tell, yes.” The woman replied. “I know this must be difficult for you, but it’s important to note that he along Ms. De Novo were simply visiting. They weren’t planning on staying.”

“Believe me, I know.” She admitted after a few moments. “It’s just…out of all the men I’ve met in my life, I’ve never known anyone like him. He’s sweet, generous, and very charming. Not to mention spontaneous.” The duchess grinned. “He showed me a life I always wanted. I only wish I got to spend more time with him. Olivia too, for that matter.” She started to deflate a bit. “Perhaps I could’ve told him the truth. About everything. He at least deserved that much, right?”

‘Telli was about to respond, when the Christmas music playing on the radio ended, followed by a news report that caused the duo to remain silent.

‘We interrupt your current program to bring some important news. Bride-to-be, Duchess Margaret Delacourt, future princess of Belgravia, and fiancé of Prince Edward has suddenly disappeared, following her ceremony, according to attendees of the royal wedding. A warrant has been sent out to by the king to search the palace, as well and the whole kingdom for the missing monarch. If anyone has any indications of her whereabouts, please do not hesitate to call-‘

Immediate silence stretched through the vehicle as Donatelli flipped off the radio, both women wearing blank-like expressions as they looked at one another in concern. It seemed King George wasted no time putting out a search for his son’s missing fiancé, which meant it was only a matter of time until they were found. Donatelli pulled the car over as they thought upon their new predicament.

“How much do you want to bet they’ve already got guards at the airport out looking for us?” The duchess asked.

“From my experience, I say a pretty high chance.” ‘Telli replied. “If news of this spreads fast it could mean trouble should we try and blend in. I don’t suppose you have a ‘plan B’ in mind, your grace?”

Margaret pondered for a moment, trying to think of another solution. Belgravia’s airport would most likely be swarming with guards, so that was definitely off the table. They could try and lay low in a near-by motel, but even still should anyone with access to recent news be aware of their absence, it could mean they would be recognized on the spot and be reported immediately. Of course, she could tell them to be discreet about it, but she wouldn’t want them to lie to royalty on her behalf, especially to the King.

Montenoro was also not an option since King Dennis was probably well-aware of her grand escape at this point, and was probably expecting her to run back home. She hated lying to her uncle, considering he had done so much for her over the years along with her other uncle, Lord Perceval, but knew she couldn’t go back without a ring on her finger, so it was best to avoid them as well.

Of course, there was one place she had in mind, but even still it was risky, and she could never know how long it would be before anyone connected the dots of her whereabouts. Still, the thought of visiting there made her smile. Stacy had told her many fond stories of the place, and she would be lying if the thought of visiting hadn’t crossed her mind as of late, especially when she was seconds from waltzing down the isle.

It was decided. It’s the only choice left that they had, and she only hoped they could pull it off.

With a determined look, Margaret faced ‘Telli again in full confidence, already having a plan in mind.

“We’ll have use a different airport. If we leave straight for Lavania, we could take a private jet there and avoid any future complications. I doubt the people there had been informed yet, since I’m guessing they want to keep this discreet for the moment, so it shouldn’t be so difficult. From there we can decide our next move.”

Donatelli gave a proud smile at her declaration, giving a nod in response. Starting the car again, she shifted into drive and continued on, making a bee-line for Lavania before it got too dark. Luckily, the drive would take a few hours at most, so at least they would be far enough to avoid any search party.

As soon as they reached the boarder for Lavania, they felt a wave of calm wash through them at the relief of not being potentially followed. The sun was beginning to set above the horizon, the dark clouds long-gone and giving a sense of peace as they continued to drive through the small town.

As soon as the airport came into view, Donatelli pulled into the reserved parking area, an attendant who worked there immediately coming to their aid. He gave a small bow before helping them with their luggage.

“We’d like to reserve a private jet please. If it’s alright, we’d like to keep it discreet.”

The attendant gave a nod of understanding, immediately setting to work and informing a few other employees of her request.

As they made it through a private hall that led to one of the jets, Donatelli couldn’t help but express her concern as she addressed the duchess.

“Where exactly are we heading to, your grace?” Her voice was low as to keep the conversation between them. “You hadn’t exactly filled me in on that part.”

Margaret felt a flutter fill her stomach as she had the perfect location in mind. She looked up at her and gave a wide smile, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

“Chicago. We’re going to Chicago.”

[survey--s]

639.

Did you ever used to make cookies, cakes or pie with your grandma? No. One of them was in her eighties by the time I was old enough to cook/bake with her, and the other was a raging alcoholic who didn't even know who I was half the time, ha.

Do you burn incense? No, but I do burn scented candles.

Do you smoke weed? Nope. The smell is awful.

Have you actually been through a devastating natural disaster before? No, thankfully not. England is pretty "safe" in that respect. We do get floods most years but nothing serious thankfully. Occasionally I need a day off work due to road closures but otherwise life carries on as normal for the most part. What fast food place, in your opinion, has the best french fries? McDonald's or KFC.

Do you believe one day aliens might take over Planet Earth? No. I don't think aliens would have any interest in this dumpster fire of a planet, lol.

Do you like soda pop? If so, which is your favorite and least favorite? Yeah - lately it's been Dr Pepper but I do like Pepsi Max and Tango as well, depending on my mood.

Does it bother you when people burp around you or do you do it too? It depends? I mean, if close friends/family do it it's just kind of normal to me, but I wouldn't want to be with someone who burped in a cinema or fancy restaurant or something.

When is the next time you’ll talk to the cousin you’re closest to? I'm not close to any of my cousins.

When was the last time you saw a bird? What kind of bird was this? I have no idea, there are birds everywhere around here. It was probably a pigeon, blackbird or seagull.

How old were you when you had the chicken pox? I was about six.

Ever had a friend named Alex or John? Alex, yes. I've actually never known a John my age before.

When was the last time you painted a picture? Years ago. It's been at least a decade if not more.

What kind of stuff do you like on your hot dogs? I'm not a fan of hot dogs.

Where did you kiss the last person you kissed? In the kitchen.

What’s your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? It depends on my mood, honestly. I have a few favourites.

Has someone seen you naked in the past month? Yeah.

How many concerts have you been to? Maybe 8-10 overall, but not for a long time now.

Do you think it’s right for straight guys to get their tongue pierced? What wouldn't be right about it?

Last thing you drank? Dr Pepper.

Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced? I've had my nose pierced for 13 years now.

Would you ever donate blood? I can't donate blood. They've never been able to find a vein.

Have you ever driven without a license? No.

Are you ticklish? Yep, extremely.

What are you listening to? The final Lord of the Rings is playing but I'm really not paying it much attention, it's just background noise really. I might even put something else on.

Describe the main problem with your last relationship? He was a compulsive liar.

What’s on your shower curtain? It's just plain glass door.

What cartoon/anime character can you most relate to? None of them really.

Do you have any pictures of celebs saved to your computer? No.

Do you like turtleneck sweaters/shirts? No. I love the look but they make me itch and sweat so badly, lol.

Do you find hands attractive? Not especially.

Do you think it is silly to give names to vehicles, or other inanimate objects? No.

Do you ever wear a robe? When it's really cold in the winter, yeah.

Is there a hair color/style you really like but don’t think you could pull off? Blonde hair.

Out of all the Disney/Pixar animal “sidekicks”, which one is your favorite? Maximus from Tangled! <--- yes! Or Sven from Frozen.

If your mom was a teacher, would you want to be in her class? Nope.

As a kid, did you love playing on Neopets? I never played Neopets or anything like that, really.

Would you ever get a pet turtle? Why or why not? No, just because I have no idea how to care for them.

What shop/store/brand would you model for, if given the choice? No thanks.

If I search your room will I find birth control? No.

Have you ever witnessed a birth? Only on television.

Have you ever been told you were a good writer? Yes, in school.

Is the last person of the opposite sex you texted single? No, we're married.

Which Scooby-Doo character are you most like (Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, Velma, the monster, Scrappy?) I've never watched much Scooby-Doo.

Describe your dream wedding where money is no option. I'm happily married already, I have no real desire to spend loads of money on what is basically just one day.

Do you have a birth mark? Where? Does it look like anything? Yeah, on my chin. It looks like spilled food, lol.

If you were blind for the rest of your life… what would you miss seeing the most? Sunsets, the sea, my family and my animals.

What is the most outrageous thing you’ve done for God? You're asking the wrong person, I've never been interested in religion and I've certainly never believed in any kind of God. What person in the Bible do you most closely identify with? Nobody.

If you were to write a book what would it be about? I have no real desire to write a book.

Who do you admire the most? I don’t really get the concept of admiring people. < Same, I always struggle when faced with this question. Idk…I just don’t care enough about anyone to hold this kind of lasting feeling for them. <--- yep.

Who was your hero when you were a child, and what did you do to be like them? I didn’t have any heroes.

If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be? Poverty.

The last piece of roadkill you saw, what kind of animal was it? A fox I think, or a squirrel.

Has anyone ever cheated on their boyfriend/girlfriend with you? Yes. I didn't know he was in a relationship at the time, though.

Who/what is the last thing you kicked? The kitten's little furry ball toy thing. List 5 things that have happened in the last 7 days. (They can be anything at all, anything that’s happened involving you, or your family, friends, partner) I saw my mum on Friday and we spent the day together. All the cats went off their food so we had to find a new brand they'd all eat and that wouldn't give them the shits. I finalised my plans for next weekend when we go to Manchester. I rediscovered my love of Dr Pepper. We finally got round to ordering a new bed.

Do you like The Hunger Games? The books were okay but I wasn't really a fan of the films.

Random fact about the person you love/like? He loves fishing.

What would you do if your ex contacted you? Block the number. How many pets do you want? And of what? We have three cats and a dog which is plenty for us. In an ideal world I'd have a horse but there's no way I could afford it or have the time for it right now, to be honest.

Have you ever asked someone out? Yeah.

Is the last person you kissed a virgin? No.

Who makes you the happiest? My family and my animals.

Has someone smacked your butt in the past week? Yeah.

Was your last kiss standing up, sitting down, or laying down? Standing up. What are your views on spontaneous human combustion? It's pretty freaky to think about.

What was the last zoo/aquarium you went to? Uh, just the local one. It's pretty crap, really.

What does the last message in your Facebook inbox concern? Angela, Reena, and I were discussing the alcohol options we can have tonight when we have our sleepover at my place.

Who is your closest friend of the opposite sex? What’s the best thing about him? Probably Hans. He’s funny and has got great advice for everything. 

How did you meet the person you fell hardest for? Online dating.

What was the last alcoholic drink you had? I think it was just white wine.

What did you last take medication for? A headache. What was your favourite thing about the person you fell hardest for? His overall personality.

Are you a strong swimmer? I'm not a bad swimmer but I wouldn't say I was strong. I haven't really swum properly in years, to be honest.

What is your favorite combination of colors? Purple, green, grey and black.

When was the last time you screamed out loud and what were the circumstances? I can't remember.

Can you describe your father in one word? Stubborn.

What’s the first movie you ever recall seeing? Pocahontas or Lion King.

Do you still watch movies intended for children? Of course, all the time.

What was your worst fear as a child? Have you overcame that fear? Bears. And I mean, I'm not exactly going to come across bears in rural England, lol.

What’s your younger sibling’s name? I don't have any siblings.

Have you ever had a churro? Yeah, I love them.

How is/was your chemistry class in high school? I hated chemistry.

What was the first thing you ate today? Peanut butter and banana on toast.