#even though I have to work a bit to make the unpaid leave work out
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oh my god okay Iâve been working since 7:30am but MN, SD, and JW are all submitted for internal review!!! NF is ready to submit as soon as he gets home from school and does a final readthrough!!!! DN has decided to waive review lol godspeed to that poor kid but it means less work for me today yippee!!!! and I also had time to give the baby a bath which is his new favorite activity (furiously focused water-kicking time!!!!). I think now I will take a break from student work and take all the residents of this household out for a brisk walk.
#Iâm on a roll today so I might try to knock out EPâs five short essays too#maybe if the baby consents to nap once more (heâs been very obliging today)#I also just found out that one of my tutoring clients from another company wants to schedule 2x/wk sessions with me#for the foreseeable future#which is almost all the tutoring Iâd need to do during the admissions offseason to make up my budget shortfall#tonight after the baby goes to bed I am going to sit down and calculate exactly how much $ I need to take six more weeks of leave#and then I will draft an email to let work know#thank you everyone for encouraging me to do it#even though I have to work a bit to make the unpaid leave work out#I still think itâs worth it to have the extra flexibility!!!#like I get to work in bursts while baby naps#and then hang out with him when heâs awake#and thereâs no commute and no fixed hours
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Bakery âĄ
Summary : your bakery is struggling till one evening a cute guy steps in through the doors.
warnings : none just fluff <3
There was nothing you got out of your little bakery other than unpaid bills and reminder for deadlines of other bills. It was rough to say the least but your will to make things work out was stronger.
You knew your breads and little pastries were good, even if they didn't sell you knew from their taste and the few friends that tried them that they were good.
The big conglomerate in front of you would say otherwise though, as none of their little workers would even turn to look at your little shop across the street. They all just flocked to the little coffee shop next to you.
What was so interesting about the small place, the coffee was fine from what you had heard, nothing special.
You pull another batch of cookies out of the oven seeing the office crowd march it's way back from the coffee shop with the signature cups of coffee in their hand.
As you closed that afternoon with little to no business as usual, you were taken aback when that angelic looking man stepped into the bakery.
He walked up to the counter with a sheepish smile ordering a couple things which you quickly packed.
"Hi" he muttered softly "Hope i didn't interrupt you packing up" he says as you chuckle softly telling him it wasn't a problem.
The man seemed attractive enough to let it pass but what he uttered next made you still.
"I run the cafe next to you" He spoke smiling as if you were gonna smile back but the scowl on your face said otherwise. This was your sworn enemy.
You still threw him a fake smile and handed him his food. He pulled out a cupcake proceeding to take a bite. "This is soo good" He remarks his eyes dripping with love.
You just fake smiled before telling him how much he owed, he frowned at your hostility but still proceeded to praise your food.
It felt hurtful to be rude to him when he was being so nice as he stood there with bit of the sugary icing smeared on his upper lip.
You motioned for him to wipe it but he just tilted his head to the side with a soft "Hm?".
God you couldn't be mad at him not when he took the small tissue from your hand while smiling cheekily and wiped away the sugary icing.
"I bake too but not as good as this" He says and you couldn't tell what was more sugary his words or your cupcakes. He muttered a "I'll see you around" before turning around and leaving.
No you definitely didn't love your sworn enemy, no you didn't think about him as you fell asleep last night or when you added icing too the fresh batch of cupcakes.
Something felt different today when those robotic looking office workers didn't instantly bee line to the coffee shop, when some of them didn't instantly turn their feet back to their building.
Even weirder when their coffee clad hands pushed open the doors to your bakery, buying a good amount of baked goods which you eagerly packed.
Closing up felt better today when you had practically empty shelves but you felt disappointment when the familiar coffee shop owner walked in and frowned at the empty shelves.
"No cupcakes?" he asked before his eyes fell on the only remaining two in the tray and his eyes lit up. I smiled packing up the two for him
"I didn't know recommending you to those office guys would lead me to have no cupcakes" he spoke pouting as you froze. 'He did this?' you thought, handing him his cupcakes.
Like clockwork he took one out again biting into the sugary treat. Your eyes were stuck on him as he ate, how could someone make even a cupcake look so delicious.
Next day you found yourself making an extra batch of cupcakes just for him and saving them at the side. The smile on his face is worth the extra effort when he sees the cupcakes on the tray.
But this time he brings a cup of coffee along, handing you the small cup as he takes the cupcakes from you.
This went on for a week, your feelings growing for him with the small interactions.
You set out the tray of cupcakes you made for him expecting him to come in any minute but when the door opens a mysterious man steps in.
He walks up to the counter, his stature blocking your view of the exit, he looks at the counter before pointing at the only remaining cupcakes.
You gulp at how to explain to this scary looking man that those cupcakes were saved for a special someone who you prayed would walk in any minute.
You thank whatever god heard your prayers as you hear the door open again followed by the familiar sound of footsteps before he finally comes into view.
He glances between you and the man, your frowning distressed face enough for him to sense something is wrong as he clears his throat.
The scary man asks for the cupcake again before being cut off by him "Sorry man i already ordered those" He says smiling but his face is threatening enough.
The man doesn't take the hint as he stands there looking between the two of you.
"Leave my cupcakes and my girl alone man" He sighs crossing his arms. The scary guys eyes widen at his words, he grumbles something before walking out.
'My girl?' the words he spoke still left you in a daze but you came back to reality as he cleared his throat, you looked up at him noticing the pink hue on his cheek as he stood looking at you awakwardly.
Embarrassed you quickly packed him the remaining cupcakes as he pulled out his wallet to pay but you quickly stopped him "No no this ones from me, for saving me from that guy"
"Nonsense i still wanna pay" He says but you insist he doesn't have to, he sighs putting the wallet back in his pocket before turning back to you.
"I'll only agree if you let me take you out on a date" He says crossing his arms as he refuses to take the cupcakes from you.
Your eyes widen at his words but you nod with a small "sure" and he smiles taking the bag from you.
"You know i meant that 'my girl'' He says as he walks out of the store leaving you blushing.
#fanfic#fanfiction#yuji x reader#yuji itadori#dazai x reader#x reader#jjk x reader#imagines#tokyo revengers x reader#jujutsu kaisen x reader#simon riley x reader#spencer reid x reader#crush x reader#haikyuu x reader#your fav x you#fav x reader#imagine#reader insert#bnha x reader#rafe cameron#megumi fushiguro#jjk yuuji#fluff#oneshot#jjk fluff#geto x reader#geto suguru#haikyuu fanfiction#gojo x reader
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The only thing you want to do is... [Price x fem!Reader]
Price broke his hand on the last mission. Fortunately for him, his caretaker is just as adorable as she is eager to help him in every way.
CW and tags: Legal age gap, power imbalance, daddy kink, pervert!Price, obsessive!Price, coercion into sex, handjob (m!receiving)
Word count: 3246
This work on AO3
Youâre such a sunshine, it hurts.Â
John Price never considered himself to be a good man. He did what he had to do to protect his country, to ensure that big bad terrorists are kept at bay, and foreign militaries are ending up where they belong â somewhere in the ditch, with reports stating KIA an anonymous bullet drugged out of their skulls.Â
His job was just that â a job, something that had to be done because he knew that someone else, someone worse, would gladly take his place in case of retirement. The captain can be considered a fucking angel compared to some people he is working with â no one would ever dare call him evil when people like Graves still exist out there, hunting for innocents.Â
But youâre so fucking sweet to him, he simply canât handle it.Â
When his arm got injured, and he was forced to get on leave for at least a month â he tried to argue for something less, but Lasswell silently pointed out that he hadnât had a break in the past five years, and she would kick him out of his own Task Force if heâd continue to refuse â he got assigned a caretaker by Kate recommendation.Â
John was fully expecting some old lady, probably a retired officer or field medic. Maybe some burly man with too much time on his hands and the ability to give really nice massages under flights of bullets. Perhaps, worst case scenario, he would be assigned an actual; nurse that wouldnât buy any of his shit â that amount of whiskey he drinks is prescribed by his therapist, smoking cigars in the apartment is a nice form of relaxation, and he actually doesnât need help and can go in service back again less than in two weeks.Â
But, the Captain got wee olâ you, all nice and warm, and adorable, and too fucking young to have anything to do with his apartment.Â
Youâre nice, warm, fresh out of college, where you got some recommendations about rehabilitating veterans back into normal lives. Probably was writing a Thesis about something as dumb as âHealing PTSD through flower crowns and little touchesâ. You chirp your way into his heart and refuse to go out â just like Kate promised to him, you really didnât allow him to do anything on his own.Â
God, it was infuriating â how much he wanted to simply grab your shoulders and kiss you. Or kick you out and find someone else to take care of him, someone boring, someone of appropriate age. Without dumb, bright eyes and cute smiles, without enthusiasm, that can only be seen in unpaid interns and college graduates who still believe that the world is fair and nice.Â
You cook his dinners and clean up his apartment â as small as it is, never having a family or any other reason to make it even slightly bigger â and you do this with such a wide smile on your face it actually makes Price question basically everything he knows about young ladies doing charity work. You must be paid triple because you fold his underwear in neat little cubes and refuse to accept his help. Always chirped something about his hand like he canât kill a man with his teeth only.Â
â I can fold my own pants, love.Â
He presses his body against the doorframe of the small bathroom â looks at your ass so shamelessly bent over the washing machine. Youâre folding his dried clothes, and he can only pray that you arenât slowly resenting him for being such a disgusting old man. He knew he looked good for his age, 37 years in this world molded him into something that many young women would consider hot â even though his beard is unkept and his hair grew a bit longer since he couldnât be arsed to do anything about it, and his dominant hand is broken.Â
â We donât want to sprain your hand even more, right? â Everythinâ is alright with my bloody handâŚ
â Lady Lasswell said I shouldnât listen to you like this, sir. Sorry.Â
â Little minx.Â
â Me or Lady Lasswell?Â
John looks at you, so eager and cheerful, and he just wants toâŚhe canât, of course, he stops himself before he even forms the thought because itâs dirty and you donât deserve this, and your shy smile as you laugh softly and push the last of the laundry in the neat pile on the washing machine.Â
You look too eager to please, and he has an idea â the one he will never act upon. Maybe will entertain himself later, stroking himself in some abandoned base deep in the snowy tundra, trying to remember your warmth as if a sinner like him can even comprehend your light.Â
God, you got him so bad, he starts thinking about good olâ Jesus again. You really are a side to behold, arenât ya.Â
He looks at you again â youâre so easy to please. You cook for him, the smell of home cooking that he almost forgot, all the ingredients you invited yourself to buy when he left his card for you. You didnât think it was weird, not a single mischievous bone in your body â if anything, he was casually prompting you to go and buy yourself something nice, something as compensation for all the trouble you endured for him.Â
Instead, you went out of your way to cook for him, to make him tea like he wanted it â without sugar, but with a small amount of milk poured into a cup that is probably the most expensive thing in this whole place except for his weapons.Â
The problem is â John Price doesnât really like it when people are taking care of him. Not because he is shy or insecure, god forbid, but because he knows that if a pretty young thing like you is going to show him kindness, he will take a fucking mile and make you run from him as fast as you can. He has desires, he has needs, something that pretty good girls like you should know nothing about.Â
Youâre so eager to please that youâll probably jerk him off if he were to whine about his arm being broken and his inability to get himself off because of it. Which, in turn, gives him anâŚidea.Â
Price was never a good person â he isnât the worst guy either. He sees your reactions, that adorable heat of your face when he brushes his knuckles over your cheek in an affectionate manner. How you are biting your lips every time you have to fold his underwear, when you cook for him, and he presses his body against yours, rocking his hips just gently enough to not make his arousal obvious. John knows you like him in more ways than just one â he doubts that such a lovegirl like you would ever agree to take care of a grumpy military man like him.Â
He wonders where your father is â probably out of the picture if his precious daughter is almost crying from a desire to please a guy like him. He wonders if you have a boyfriend or if youâre seeing someone else â if youâre a virgin or you already had a series of disappointing sessions with blokes that have no idea how to behave with an angel like you.Â
Pretty girl like you shouldnât be taking care of a SAS captain â did your superiors forget to tell you just how girl-hungry men like him are? That he didnât even bother to find a wife, and the loneliness of a single life will make him fucking explode if a girl as pretty as you were in the vicinity of that perverted old dog. You must be stupid â or so insanely naive, itâs not even funny.Â
He licks his lips, staring at you again. He is certainly isnât a good guy â not the worst either, but itâs up for debate. He wants to hold you close and say all of those pretty good things he knows you want to hear. He also wants to push you as close to him as possible and just fuck that pretty girl until youâre begging for him to make you his wife. Heâd always laugh at the thought of other military commanders and higher rank soldiers having sugar babies â especially the mercs and their fucking inability to keep a girl who isnât tied to their paychecks. But nowâŚhe might just pay for your adorable pout and eagerness.Â
Might make a call to that one masked arsehole and ask how the hell he keeps his questionably young wife around without breaking her legs. Visibly, at least.Â
â Sir? Planet calls for Captain Price.Â
You giggle when you are waving your hand around him. Shit â looks like he zoned out for a hot minute, leaving you free to stare at his face, the fantom red spreading across his skin as if he is actually embarrassed to be caught like this. He isnât, of course, he is stronger than some girl trying to get a rise out of him. He thinks he is stronger, at least.Â
You wave your hand in front of his face again, and the insects are kicking in â captain grabs your hand, not even caring that his supposed helplessness stems from the fact his dominant hand is still broken. He has no problems keeping you in place with just his left hand â and you almost look scared when you understand that you literally canât move.Â
Your innocent smile turns into a pathetic whimper when he squeezes you even more. Bruises, no doubt, are starting to form already â well, it should be your fault. Good girls are usually smarter than teasing an old dog like him, even if youâre trying to play innocence. He knows what you are.Â
His future special girl that is. A wife, if he plays his cards rightâŚand the captain was always good at poker.Â
â Shite, love. Sorry.Â
His smile mirrors yours â an innocent display like he didnât almost break your wrist in his hold. He is still squeezing your hand, but not he slowly presses his lips against your knuckles â thin, dry lips gently caressing your skin in a gesture that you should never accept from a guy who kills people as a job. Who saves people, too â but a good guy with a gun is barely an upgrade from a bad one.Â
He kisses your fingers and finds heaven in the feeling of your soft skin against his lips. You are certainly embarrassed, and this is exactly what he wants â an old pervert trying to get in the pants of a cute girl who just wants to take care of him without any strings attached. He just has to make this whale thing complicated, isnât he?Â
â Itâs okay, sir. Just thought I lost you for a second.Â
â Not a chance.Â
Your smile looks a tad bit mischievous â that is, or he is simply hallucinating from painkillers he is forced to drink every morning because you refuse to let him feel pain even though he is used to it. You are acting like he is a soft doll made out of pink ribbons and soft plushes, not a seasoned soldier with his own thoughts and ideas about what he can do about your desire to please him. He might just use your eagerness â his cock has been pitching for too long without female attention, and he usually doesnât indulge in shitty one-night stands in some sketchy pubs, but he can make an exception for now. For you.Â
You smile awkwardly, still trying to get your hand out of his grasp. Little minx, teasing him like he canât just push you on this exact washing machine and fuck you like a slut you are. Poor girl, you probably donât even know what kind of thoughts he has in his head â even though your eyes tell him something your lips cannot articulate.Â
John acts on his instincts, and they usually donât deceive him.Â
â If you want to help so badly, I can think of another way.Â
â Is that so, sir? Youâre going to get him in so much shit with Lasswell, he doesnât even know how he is going to get out of it after fucking her best little protege. Would have to marry you â like itâs not his end goal, like he doesnât want to make your care for him a tad bit more permanent. He has done so many good things for humanity, why canât he be a bit selfish and get himself a little something to make this place feel more like home?Â
He thinks of a pretty thing like you, heavy with his kids, cooking something nice and hearty in his house â not this crappy apartment, of course, heâd buy you something in the countryside, away from terrorists and public squares, with good schools and greenery all around.Â
You lick your lips and tilt your head to the side. He is daydreaming again.Â
â If you want to make me relax so badly, love, there is something I need help withâŚ
Beating around the bush like this isnât in his character â but he knows that youâre a good girl, maybe way too good and proper. He canât just shove his dick in your hand, it would be too unpolite.Â
He has to prepare you, itâs a slow sniper mission where he needs to approach you as gently and quietly as possible â he still holds your hand in his, a phantom of his lips tucked away on the softness of your skin.Â
Then he places his hand on his growing erection â as awkwardly as he can operate with only using his left arm as a helper.Â
Price might not be the master of espionage, but he also didnât get his rank for not being able to do cover missions under pressuring circumstances and lie in the faces of people who trust him. Not be the best person, of course, but he gives you a choice. You have all the power now â even with his weapons safely stashed in his bedroom, he knows he wonât ever try to force you. He wonât have to.Â
â Help your captain, eh?Â
Youâre embarrassed, shy, scared even â your hands are trembling, fingers tracing the outline of his cock with morbid curiosity he never thought heâd find this adorable. You donât stop and donât try to fight him â like a little animal, nervous and terrified somewhat, youâre slowly indulging yourself in something that you actually shouldnât.Â
He lets go of your hand and allows you to continue on your own â like a good girl, you only nod and slowly duck your palm in his boxers. Heâd say that the way he is rock-solid just from looking at your ass and pouting on your face is weak, but he can afford to be a bit pathetic after so many weeks without the ability to jerk off. With your watchful gaze, he just couldnât find it in his heart â or the only remaining working hand â to do something to help with his raging crush on this adorable social worker who comes to help him.Â
John is many things â a war hero, war criminal, the captain, and the butcher of many who may deem his actions irredeemable. He made peace with not being the poster good guy and often dirtying his hands just to keep the world clean â and he knows that, in the end, he deserves a pretty young thing to jerk him off while he kisses your hairline and whispers sweet nothing with that beautiful accent of his.Â
â This is not very⌠appropriate, sir.
â Bullocks, love. Youâre helpinâ, thatâs why youâre here.Â
 Youâre nervous when your hand, squeezing his shaft firmly, goes up and down on his cock. Youâre trying to find the rhythm in his quiet grunts and little moans, not having too much experience with pleasuring men who you like this much. Itâs fear of disappointing him that makes you go wild, that approving gaze of his every time you press your soft fingers against the head of his cock and squeeze a little.Â
He is throbbing in your palm, pre-cum leaking on the small of your fingers â naturally, you lick it as slowly as possible, not breaking the eye contact.Â
Price moans.Â
â Bloody hell, luvâŚso good for daddy.Â
The name makes your ears burn, the desire growing in your stomach â you fight the urge to drop on your knees and take him fully in your mouth. This isnât what he wants, you think, so you just continue to squeeze him more, making sure he is satisfied with every little movement your hand makes. You lick your lips and continue, feeble attempts at containing the rhythm with shaky fingers.Â
â I just wanted to help you with your life, notâŚthis.Â
He chuckles, unharmed hand presses on the small of your back to fix you in place. You lick your lips, understanding that he is not going to let you go this easily â you donât want to behave like this, of course, itâs against the terms of your contract and your agreement to help him without feelings attached, but he moans so deeply for you, hips are buckling to fuck the firmness of your hand like he is ready to use your moist, prepared pussy.Â
God, what are you even thinking about?Â
You donât know if you should be doing this, but the captain is not letting you go â and you canât even do anything against his wishes, can you?Â
â We really shouldnât be doing this.Â
â Quiet. Iâll help you out after my hand is healed, eh? â This isnât what Iâm talking about, sir.Â
â Now, letâs not use that here. Iâm sir in the field, not here.Â
He is manipulating you as hard as he can â he can feel the tension in your eyes and the way youâre squeezing his cock, and he wants nothing more but to simply push you harder, make you fall apart in his hold like a precious porcelain vase. Youâre sensitive and shy, just perfect for a bastard like him â his only regret is that the dumb cast on his right hand wonât really allow him to relax to have sex with you properly.Â
He will pay you back later â on your back, on your knees, on your tummy, moaning his name as he plunges his seed deep into you. It was about time heâd settle down with a pretty wife of his own â he can afford you, certainly.Â
â I canât call you daddy, itâs embarrassingâŚ
Your shy words are what send him over the edge. John Price was never a good guy to begin with, but your little pleas are enough to make him cum â and itâs certainly one of the biggest sins he has ever committed. Cute girl like you shouldnât be so embarrassed about jerking him off, but here you are.Â
Your hands are covered in cum as he continues to release his seed, only sad because he wasnât able to breed you properly â thatâs the agenda for the time when he finally is freed from this dumb cast. Might just ask Lasswell for extended leave.Â
â Youâll just have to get used to this, love. Not letting you go after this.Â
You can only whimper when he kisses you â possessive and tender at the same time. A silent promise of making you his dumb little wife.Â
#cod#yandere price#price x reader#captain price#john price#captain john price#yandere cod#call of duty#cod imagine#cod fanfic
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FOR UR FELLOWSHIP REQUEST THING maybe the fellowship with an depressed reader? like how each of them would treat the reader (i wanted to go for su1c1d@l but idk if ur chill with it(ONLY IF U WANNA))
Remember that you are not alone so please reach out for help. There are hotlines to call/text if you are struggling, suicidal, or in a crisis
My messages are always open if you want to talk but I am no replacement for professional help and support of your loved ones
The fellowship x depressed!reader
Aragorn:
-He recognizes the signs quickly
-I imagine heâs had his bouts of depression
-He definitely takes a very gentle approach
-Offering a shoulder and an ear
-Heâs kinda an unpaid and unlicensed therapist
-He gives lots of tips on how to keep going in your daily life
-For some people depression is kind of a way of life; you have to learn to live with it
Legolas:
-He doesnât fully understand at first
-To elves, depression is really only experienced after loss
-So to have it chronically is a new concept to him
-Heâs remorseful that you feel so low and he knows there isnât much he can do
-But he will try
-He will force you to get up and out of bed, even if he has to throw you over his shoulder to get you some fresh air
-He will constantly point out little beautiful things to be grateful for; little joys
-Maybe itâs the smell of dawn or crunchy fall leaves
-Or maybe itâs him; he is very insistent that you would miss him most
Gimli:
-I literally love this dwarf so much; he would be such a cutie that you canât help but smile at him
-Like he is so gentle and patient with you; which is saying something because dwarves are not patient beings
-He isnât someone who will beat around the bush though; he will very bluntly tell you your worth and why he and everyone else needs and wants you around
-He gets you involved in anything he can
-Is it against your will? Maybe
-But Iâve found I sometimes end up feeling a little better and enjoy the time out even after Iâve bitched about it and my friend had to drag me out of the house by my hair
Boromir:
-Big brother mode is always active so he picks up on your subtle changes very fast
-Maybe even before you do
-He will tell you stuff like âeven if you canât, you mustâ
-Wether or not you find that helpful or not; just know heâs trying
-His experience with depression is seeing it with his soldiers
-And thatâs the sort of thing he tells them so he just kinda hopes can be applied to you
-He is very action oriented; I think he may have a difficult time sympathizing with not feeling able to get up and do anything
-But damnit if he doesnât try; he wants you to tell him everything so he can learn and be of better support
-He also gives the best hugs
Frodo:
-He is a very steady friend
-Like heâs not going anywhere; no matter how dark things look heâs still there with a torch
-He makes you go on walks like clockwork to give you some feeling of routine
-He always invites you over because if he canât help heâs sure Bilbo can
-How can you be sad when talking to Bilbo?
-Well actually he talks a lot so maybe itâs a bit exhausting; but itâs a kind thought
Sam:
-So Sam wants to help so bad; the idea that he canât fix it doesnât sit well with him so he will keep trying
-He will help with tasks obviously because acts of service is his love language
-But I also imagine him trying to give comfort but not in the âlet me hug you and you can cry on my shoulder wayâ
-More so in the âlook at this photo of a piglet in rain-boots! You canât be sad while looking at that!â
-Yes you can because thatâs not how depression works but still; you put on a smile anyway because heâs just so adorable and heâs trying his best
-This may turn into a sort of âfake it till you make itâ situation where eventually you may feel better from his antics
Merry:
-We know this hobbit likes to plan things and is always up for adventure with his friends
-And heâs basically Sherlock of the hobbits so you donât have to say anything for him to read you like an open book
-He will set you a schedule and will hold you to it by joining you
-Heâs not going to go easy on you ngl
-Not in a mean way; but he wonât give you a day to take a break and stay in bed
-Even if you have to half ass everything; you will be doing something
-âyou donât need to wash your hair but you do need to sit in this tub for at least 10 minutesâ
-This can feel exhausting at the time and may make you snap at him sometimes but heâs determined because he loves you
-And sometimes tough love is the most helpful
Pippin:
-Canât get out of bed?
-Donât worry! Pippin wonât let you be lonely
-He wonât always drag you out of bed. Instead he will join you and talk your ear off
-He brings the âfunâ to you
-With the hope that he will either annoy you so much you get up
-Or that his stories give you some level of intrigue to want to go out and see whatever it was he is talking about
Gandalf:
-This is a very old man, heâs seen depression in all states and forms
-Heâs a quiet type of comfort
-He definitely says some vague poetic shit that isnât necessarily helpful but it does have a meaningful lesson
-Offers his pipe
-He is also sort of they type that you are a little afraid to disobey
-Like if he tells you to get outside more; even if you donât see him, he knows if you have or havenât
ââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
Idk how good this is. I personally do have depression so I know my own experiences with how it affects me, but it shows in different ways for everyone. In terms of comfort and support Iâm not fully sure this does any justice, hopefully itâs a little comforting. I have a great support system but Iâm notorious for being too stubborn to accept help. Donât do that by the way, because eventually it will likely stop coming. Let your friends and family support you; itâs not out of pity; itâs because they care and want to help in anyway they can even if that just means checking to make sure you are alive each morning to let you know they are there.
Anyone can message me if they need someone to talk to. Iâm no therapist or expert in any sense but I can be a friend :)
#lotr#lord of the rings#lotr headcanons#lotr preferences#legolas#lotr fellowship#aragorn#frodo baggins#boromir#meriadoc brandybuck#peregrin took#merry and pippin#gandalf the grey#gandalf#gimli#samwise gamgee#lotr x reader#lotr x y/n#lotr x you#legolas x reader#aragorn x reader#boromir x reader#merry x reader#pippin x reader#gimli x reader#sam gamgee#frodo x reader#the lord of the rings
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The Purple Butterfly
((Drabble/Short story based on the backstory of a rp with @mittysins of Fawn's second surrogacy.))
{This drabble is Part 3 in a series of drabbles based on the story Mitty and I co-authored. This story will not make sense without reading the ones that come before it.}
[ Part 1 - The First Goodbye ]
[ Part 2 - Quartz and Sea Glass ]
[ Part 3 - Here! ]
Author's Note: A real-world initiative is mentioned in this story called The Purple Butterfly Project.
TW: Miscarriage, infertility, mentions of cancer, mentions of past abuse, pregnancy complications, past stillbirth/infant loss, grief and heavy emotional trauma.
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Living with the Tariqs, I got to experience what it was like to be around a baby after it was born -- and every pounding headache that came with it.Â
Suri was a little spitfire as soon as she hit the atmosphere, and if she was unhappy the whole house would know it. The farmhouse wasn't all that big, and the guest room where I slept ended up sharing a wall with the nursery. So, you can bet I got woken up each time her parents did.Â
Those first couple nights, I would lay there in bed until Ray or Tess could stumble their way down the hall and quiet things down. Yeah, I wasn't very useful. I didn't have much of a choice, though. It was a miracle I could walk myself to the bathroom with how sore I was after Suri squirmed her way out of me.Â
It wasn't just soreness from the waist-down, either.Â
Being around a constantly crying newborn had an . . . unexpected effect on my body. After the birth of my son, aside from a little bit of colostrum, I had never produced breastmilk. I guess hearing Suri cry to be fed every few hours triggered something, because I suddenly had a full milk supply with nowhere to go.Â
Luckily, the Tariqs had a home remedy for everything. A couple of wet washcloths over upturned bowls in the freezer made some conveniently-shaped ice packs. Without those puppies, it felt like my breasts were filled with molten lead. So, my hands were occupied most of the day.Â
I felt guilty, watching either Ray or Tess get up from the couch to tend to their daughter while I was able to sit there with my hands on my boobs and continue watching TV. Â
I wasn't Suri's parent, but the fact I was the one who got her there made me feel like I had to help out.Â
Once I started to recover, that's exactly what I did. On a night when Suri refused to stop crying, I got up and poked my head through the cracked nursery door.Â
Tess was there, looking exhausted and defeated as she held Suri on her shoulder. That baby had been screaming in her ear for at least half an hour. She jumped when she turned and saw me in the doorway.Â
"Hi, Tess," I said with a sympathetic smile.Â
"Hey, doll," Tess sighed, continuing to bounce Suri up and down while she paced the room. She spoke a little louder than she needed to, likely 'cause she couldn't hear herself think. "I'm sorry she woke 'ya. I got no idea what 'ta do."Â
She sounded like she'd given up. This was how she was spending her night, and she'd resigned herself to it.Â
I thought about waking Ray, but his paternity leave ended in the morning. He had to be up in a few hours for his civil engineering job. Even with what little I knew about salary work, I knew eight weeks of unpaid leave for a brand-new baby was bullshit. Ray would've taken the full twelve weeks, but the city was jumping down his throat about finishing the blueprints for an overpass project on-time. Tess was about to be left alone with a two-month-old for the sake of ten fewer minutes of traffic. That wasn't fair.Â
"Tess, lemmie take her for a while," I said, walking into the room. "You need a break."Â
"It's fine," Tess insisted. "She'll calm down . . . eventually."Â
I held out my arms. "Tess. Give 'er."Â
The purple bags under Tess's eyes made her look twice her age, and her pale yellow hair was a rat's nest hanging down her back. She was at her wit's end. "Okay."Â
Suri weighed almost nothing as I settled her against my shoulder. It still amazed me how small babies were. They seemed so much smaller when you actually got to hold them.Â
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked Suri. My ear started to ring as she wailed into it, her cries high-pitched and distressed. I started patting her back like I'd seen her parents do. "What's wrong, baby girl? What's got you so upset?"Â
Tess collapsed into the glider in the corner of the nursery, her hands rubbing circles into her temples. "I've changed her. I've fed her. I've prayed over her. I've got no idea what my own baby needs!"Â
"Well, I've got no idea, either," I shrugged, my toes digging into the soft sherpa rug by the crib. I continued patting Suri's back. Her feet were pressing against my chest, as if she were trying to pull herself upright.Â
"But I'm supposed 'ta know!" Tess whimpered. She ran her fingers through the knots in her hair. "I'm her mama! Mamas are supposed 'ta know what 'ta do, but I can't even calm her down!"Â
"You're not a bad mama, Tess," I said, offering her a smile -- despite the continued screaming in my ear. "Trust me, I know what a-."Â
The screaming was cut short with a small 'gurk', and I froze when a wet glob of spit-up slithered down my back.Â
". . . think I figured it out . . ." I said, my smile now pinched. Â
Suri grumbled, and I carefully held her out in front of me. Her face was still red, but her expression was pure baby bliss -- milky spittle on her chin and all.Â
"Did you have a tummy ache, baby girl?" I asked. "Is that what was wrong?"Â
Tess shot up from the glider, sending it bumping into the wall. "Oh, Fawn, I am so sorry!" she said, taking her daughter out of my hands. She took the burp cloth off her shoulder, as if suddenly remembering it was there, and handed it to me. "Here, clean 'yaself up."Â
"S'alright," I chuckled, cringing as I wiped up the gobby mess. "I've got other shirts. At least I got her to stop crying."Â
Tess looked down at the baby in the crook of her arm, and then back up at me. "Wanna try a hand at gettin' her 'ta sleep?"Â
Long story short, that's how I found my new job as the Tariq's live-in babysitter. Â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wasn't expecting to do surrogacy again, at least not for a long while. The Tariqs were paying me a decent wage for domestic work and were kind enough to not charge me rent -- so long as I was saving a certain amount of the money each week. The last post I ever made on the surrogate agency's forums was an announcement celebrating Suri's successful home birth. After that, I let my profile go dark.
Not only did hiring me allow the Tariqs to keep their promise of helping me on my feet, it also gave them an extra set of hands around the house while Ray was at work. Tess and I worked out a system where I would work on smaller tasks while she took care of the most pressing matters. If she was feeding Suri, I was cleaning the kitchen. If she was cooking dinner, I was changing a diaper. If she had to do yardwork, I was keeping Suri entertained. Â
I learned to prepare formula, wash bottles, change diapers, and play peek-a-boo like a pro in no time.Â
Bath time was always a tag-team effort, though. Suri was a splasher, and her favorite bath toy was a rubber turtle called "Squirta Turta", so we usually ended up as soaked as she was.Â
When Suri was being weaned off formula, we made homemade baby food with the vegetables in the garden. Turns out, placenta makes a great fertilizer. I wondered if Mom had ever used it in her flower beds -- she'd had five of them to work with by the time all of us kids were born. I wished I could ask her. I wished I could ask her about a lot of things. I also wished Suri could eat her mashed squash without trying to wear the bowl as a hat, but I didn't get that wish, either.Â
This was my life for two wonderfully chaos-filled years, and I was mostly content with it.
Mostly.
I wanted to go to college. That was always my plan for after high school, but . . . plans had obviously changed. My grades hadn't been anything to brag about, so I knew from the start I'd have to pay my own way through. I had two years' worth of savings, but I didn't want to dip into it, yet. That money was meant to be the down payment on a house someday. What would be the point of spending all my money on school if I'd be right back to square one afterward? That wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to get my degree and start my life over -- I'd been waiting long enough.
After sitting down with Ray and breaking down the costs of school, I realized I barely had enough to pay for one term. There were some small scholarships I could apply for here and there, but I wasn't about to rely on winning them. There were hundreds of smarter students out there vying for the same pile of money. What chance did I have?
I mulled it over for several days without saying a word to anyone, but eventually I made up my mind. When I did, Tess was the first person I told:
"I'm gonna get pregnant again."
I announced it out of the blue as I was helping Tess with the after-dinner dishes. She was at the kitchen sink, washing. I was at the counter, drying.
The steel wool in her hand scraped to a halt. "Pardon?"
I hunched my shoulders a bit as I toweled off a plate. "I'm gonna find another couple that needs to 'rent a room'. It'll be able to pay for my degree. In full. All four years."
Tess continued washing, but she didn't acknowledge what I'd said at all.
"So . . . what do you think?" I prodded, setting stacks of dishes in the cabinet.
Tess grimaced into the soapy water, concentrating way too much on the pan she was scrubbing. "Shug, I dunno," she said. "Do 'ya really wanna do that 'ta 'yaself so soon?"
"Whatd'ya mean 'so soon'?" I scoffed. "Suri's up toddling around the house. Isn't that when most moms get pregnant again?"
"'Ya ain't a mom, yet, Fawn," Tess said, her tone lovingly blunt -- the tone that can only be learned by disciplining a toddler.
I flinched a little, but I crossed my arms over my chest to hide it. All she'd done was state a fact, but it still bit.
"I'd like to be," I mumbled. I gazed out the kitchen window and saw Ray out in the backyard with Suri. He was blowing bubbles, and she was reaching up to grab them with high-pitched screams of laughter. She chased them as they swooped lower to the ground, and then stomped on them with her tiny flip-flops when they touched the grass. "Someday."
"I know, doll. That's why I'm concerned." Tess set the pan on the drying rack. "Pregnancies are risky. Wouldn't 'ya rather have as few of 'em as possible?"
"I've had two and they went just fine," I said with a shrug. "I'm young, Tess! Isn't now the best time to use what I got? I can charge more, now that I've got experience. No student debt and money left over to save for a house! Trade nine months in exchange for the rest of my life? How could I pass that up?!"
Tess didn't say anything for a long time, she just dunked a chili pot in the dishwater and started scrubbing. I stood there in uncomfortable silence until she said:
"School can wait, 'ya know."
"No, it can't!" I protested.
"Ray and I can pay what 'ya need for classes when we start tryin' again," Tess said. "What on Earth's the point?"
"Point is," I huffed, leaning my hip against the counter, arms still crossed over my chest, "I'm almost twenty-four and I've got nothin' to show for it!"
"Fawn, 'ya gotta think about-."
"I'll still be able to help you guys out, Tess," I added. "Don't worry about that."
"It's not us I'm worryin' about," was her deadpan response.
It was frustrating as hell, but I wasn't too angry at her. I knew why she wasn't a fan of the idea.
The three of us had recently discussed growing their family in the future. The Tariqs wanted to wait until Suri was a little more independent before welcoming a second baby, so that plan was at least two more years out.
Following that conversation, we'd decided not to return to the surrogate agency we used the first time. The agency was helpful with the fine print and legal stuff, but the Tariqs had not been too thrilled to learn that a desperate, homeless, childless young woman had been allowed to become a surrogate of theirs.
"I can do it independently," I said, pleading my case. "I know how to be careful."
Tess turned to lock eyes with me. "Fawn . . . I just need 'ta know you're doin' it for the right reasons. I don't like the idea of 'ya going through all that for nothing but a stack'a cash."
"It's not just for money" I insisted. "I wouldn't go through it again for anyone, not even you guys, if I didn't find it meaningful."
Tess didn't seem any more at ease with my promises. "I just don't want 'ya health 'ta suffer. If 'ya do this, you're choosin' 'ta put 'ya body through a lot in such a short time."
I didn't argue. She was right. "I know."
Tess turned back to the sink, sighing while she rinsed out the pot. My toes curled inside my shoes.
"I want to help another couple while I still have the chance," I said, trying to justify my decision -- partially to myself. I could sense how strong Tess's disapproval was, and it was giving me serious second thoughts. "If I can't be a parent right now, I want to make it possible for other people to be parents. It makes the wait feel . . . less long."
Tess dried her hands on her long bohemian skirt and turned to gently hold my shoulders. "Doll, it's 'ya own choice. Ray and I can't stop 'ya from doin' whatever it is 'ya wanna do."
I nodded, my eyes cast down. I didn't need their permission, nor had I been asking for it, but some support would've been -- .
"Just know that we'll be here 'ta help 'ya," Tess continued. "Anything 'ya need, just ask. If you're gonna do this, I want 'ya as healthy and happy as possible."
I nodded again, this time with a smile on my face. "I'd appreciate that."
Tess wrapped me in a hug. "But please, shug," she added, patting my back, "don't put 'yaself through too much."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Easy there, doll. I've got'cha."
Tess held my curls back as I wretched into a blue emesis bag. I'd started growing my hair out in the months it took for this surrogacy to be arranged. I hadn't been thinking ahead.
I'd thought I was in the clear after I had to have Tess pull over on the highway so I could vomit up breakfast, but the antiseptic smell of the hospital kicked up my nausea again. I'd made it through the halls, but by the time I'd sat on the exam table my stomach had enough.
I choked on thick saliva and spit a mouthful of colorless bile into the bag. "Okay . . . okay, I'm good now," I spluttered as I lifted my head. I cinched the bag and handed it to the technician without looking them in the eye. "Sorry."
"Don't be," the tech laughed, "morning sickness is par for the course in here. I'll be right back, just make yourself comfortable." They dragged the privacy curtain closed behind them as they left the room.
Tess wet a paper towel in the hand sink for me. My skin was clammy and cold even before I wiped the towel across my face -- so I wasn't left feeling any better. My hands had a tremor so deep inside the tendons it registered as numbness. I raked my front teeth over my tongue to scrape away the acidic taste.
I hadn't really needed that blood test. I'd known the IVF had worked when I woke up clinging for dear life against the Earth's rotation. My head hadn't stopped spinning since, and it was two damn weeks later. The doctor overseeing my IVF had sent me in for a six-week ultrasound -- which was earlier than I'd ever had one done before -- because my hormone levels were "suspiciously high" this time around. Whatever that meant.
I'd been pumped full of fertility drugs like a chicken with GMOs for a solid four months by that point. No shit my hormones were off the charts, especially now that I was pregnant.
"It's never been this bad," I groaned, coughing on the burn in my throat.
"Yeah, that's why the doctor wants 'ya in here," Tess said with a chuckle.
"I hate it," I scowled. "I want the old morning sickness back."
"Each time is different," Tess said. "I had it once or twice before, but when I was pregnant with Ravi it never really went away." Any time Tess mentioned her angel baby, a little bit of the light left her eyes -- and I saw it happen again right there in that ultrasound room.
Tess helped me pull off my jeans and tucked my discarded underwear inside the back pocket for me. I covered my hips with the paper blanket just before the tech came back into the room.
"Looks like we're ready to start!" they chirped, taking their seat between me and the rolling ultrasound cart.
"Hang on a sec," I said, pulling up the FaceTime app on my phone. "The parents really wanna see the first ultrasound."
"Ah," the tech said with an understanding nod, "is this a surrogate situation?"
"My second time," I said with a proud grin. I pointed at Tess, who was folding my pants over the back of a chair. "I carried her baby first. Most amazing thing I've ever done."
Tess beamed at me. She was smiling, but the shadows on her face were a bit deeper than normal.
"Really now!" The tech exclaimed, keeping their peppy tone as they typed my info into the computer. "It's rare I see surrogate mothers as young as you. Bless your heart!"
"She's a trooper, that's for damn sure," Tess said, "but, God love 'er, she's been so sick."
"I'm sure your care provider can prescribe something for that at your follow-up ," the tech told me. "It won't feel this bad for much longer, sweetheart."
"It's worth it, though," I said. My phone bubbled with the ringtone of an outgoing video call. "These guys will be amazing dads."
The tech smiled at me. "I have such respect for traditional surrogates. That's a lot of sacrifice."
"Oh, no," I corrected them with a small hand wave. "This isn't traditional. These are the bio parents."
I hadn't willy-nilly accepted the first eager couple I'd found online. I'd put half a year's worth of thought into carrying this pregnancy. The Tariqs always gave me my birthday off, and I'd spent that entire day talking to prospective parents. I wanted to prove to them that I was taking this seriously; if I was doing this just for the money, I wouldn't have cared whose baby I carried. I wanted to vet my options and choose a couple that I well and truly felt honored in helping -- and the Gillespies were exactly that.
My phone screen flashed with a mixture of bright pixels before the video came into focus. An odd pair of men sat beside each other in what appeared to be either a kitchen or a dining room -- perhaps it served as both, they lived in a small condo. One was a tall, tanned athlete with a dark stubbly beard and a sculpted figure rippling beneath his loose-fitting tank top. That was Silas. The other was a willowy, ramen-haired man with thick blue octagon frames on his glasses and the quote, "It's only a passing thing, this shadow" from The Two Towers tattooed on his forearm. That was Owen.
"Hey, guys!" I said, holding my phone up and giving them a wave.
There was a slightly-too-long pause due to lag, but both guys lit up with smiles and greeted me in unison. I saw the tech looking at the screen from the corner of my eye. I could see the math trying to play out in their head.
"You don't mind if we record this, right?" Silas asked. They must've been watching from a tablet, because he reached his finger under the camera and swiped a few times as if he were checking a separate app. As he lifted his arm, a crescent of silvery scar tissue became visible from under his shirt.
I saw the tech look back to their computer with a subtle nod of their head. God love 'em, they must've been too nervous to ask.
"Go ahead! It's a special occasion," I said. "I'm gonna hand you over to Tess. We're about to start."
"Yay, Tess!" Owen said with a clap of excitement. He waved as I passed my phone over. "Hi, Tess! Where's Ray?"
"Hi, boys," Tess said with a soft grin. She adjusted herself to be closer to my side. "Ray's workin' from home today so he can watch our 'lil darlin'."
Of course the Tariqs had wanted to meet my new clients. They said it was because they wanted to vouch for me as a caring and capable surrogate; but I think it was mostly to judge the couple for themselves. The Gillespies had both Tess and Ray's number as my emergency contacts, which came in handy when they needed help with some legal paperwork.
Silas and Owen were my age, both of them twenty-four. They'd poured all their savings into the process of hiring a surrogate and had none left over for a lawyer. At the Tariq's behest, all three of us had stayed up late on a call to talk the Gillespies through the steps of writing a surrogacy contract. Silas and Owen seemed to hold a lot of respect for the Tariqs after that.
While Tess had the camera on her, I reclined on the table and put my feet in the stirrups. The paper blanket gave plenty of privacy -- which was good, because I didn't want my clients to see the long plastic wand the tech was prepping while it was in there doin' its thing. I'd never had a transvaginal ultrasound before, but apparently it was the only way to get a view of the Gillespies' baby so early.
I couldn't help but tense as I felt the rounded tip of the wand slip inside me like butter, aided by the warm jelly I was used to having on my belly. I could feel the blood flooding my face as the curved device slid under my public bone and pressed against a part of my anatomy that hadn't been reached in years -- though not for lack of trying, I had short fingers.
"Relax a little more, please," the tech said.
"Sorry . . . not used to this."
Don't judge me. I was living with my employers. The idea of one of them finding an adult toy in my room -- or worse, their daughter finding it -- made me shrivel.
I felt a subtle buzz inside my tissues when the device turned on. I bit the inside of my cheek.
"Okay, let's have a look at that baby," the tech said as they began angling the wand.
Tess flipped the phone around so the dads could see the action. I saw Owen grip his husband's bicep and pull him closer. The room was silent for a moment while the technician moved the wand around my pelvis.
"Can we listen to the heartbeat?" Owen asked, hugging Silas's arm.
"Not yet," the tech said, eyes glued to the screen. "Their little heart is only a few cells big right now. It's too quiet to pick up, but we'll hear it in a few weeks."
Owen and Silas shared a grin. I could see their story written on their faces and in the way they looked at each other. They'd been dating since high school, the odd-ball pairing of bookworm and athlete. After graduation, a preemptive doctor's appointment before Silas started testosterone saved his life:
Cervical cancer, stage two. The doctors had no choice but to take everything, but Silas chose to freeze a few of his eggs before the surgery. He'd gotten into non-competitive bodybuilding to deal with the effects of chemo, and it'd been his favorite hobby since. Luckily, Silas had been cancer-free for years -- Owen had gotten his first and only tattoo in celebration.
Now that they were newlyweds, the Gillespies were choosing to start their family right away -- knowing the frozen eggs wouldn't last forever. We'd lost a lot of hope when most of the eggs didn't thaw right, meaning we only had one shot at this. The Gillespies were more than open to adoption, but . . . having a baby together was something they'd hoped for since before Silas's diagnosis.
I'd known I wanted to step up to the plate as soon as I heard their story. I was proud to be helping such a sweet pair of guys have their much-wanted family. When I saw the way they looked at each other in that moment -- the excitement and love of a dream finally coming true -- I secretly hoped doing this for them would grant me some sort of karmatic favor.
I hoped one day I'd share that same ecstatic smile with someone, for the same happy reason.
The tech hadn't said anything for a while. They kept moving the wand from side-to-side between my hips and squinting at the screen. They took several images, judging by how often they hit the same loud button on their keyboard. They hadn't even turned the screen around, yet. I couldn't wrap my head around the baby being so hard to find -- not with the ultrasound wand jammed so far up.
"Are they hiding from 'ya?" I asked with a joking lilt. Something was starting to sink inside my chest.
"No, I see them," the tech said. They squinted harder at the screen. "Just taking their picture for the doctor."
"That's a lot of pictures," Silas commented from my phone speaker.
"Well, I . . . just want to make sure," the tech said. Their keyboard clacked as they took another image.
It felt like I'd swallowed lead. "Sure of what?"
The tech finally tilted the screen so the rest of the room could see it. In the grey-and-white fuzz on the monitor, a round dark void was highlighted in a bright yellow square. Resting in the void was a blurry white bean with a small flutter in the curve of its shape.
"So, here's the gestational sac," the tech said, outlining the yellow square with their cursor. They circled the cursor over the fluttering movement. "That's baby's nice strong heartbeat right there."Â
"Silas, oh my god!" I heard Owen cry. "Look! We made that!"
The tech turned the wand slightly and the image on the screen rolled to the left. The same black void and white bean slid into view, except now it was upside-down. The tech once again circled their cursor around the flutter. "And this is another nice strong heartbeat."
 "They have two hearts?!" I gasped in panic. I realized how stupid I sounded after it was too late. "Or is it . . . ?"
The tech flicked the wand from side-to-side, and each time they did a little black void with a bean remained on the screen. It took a few back-and-forths for me to realize those weren't two different angles of the same image.
"Holy shit . . ." I wheezed. My hand covered my throat, as if that would loosen the strangling tightness that was setting in. "Holy shit . . ."
âWhat? Whatâs wrong?â I heard Silas ask, his voice glitched and laggy.
âBoys, can âya see?â Tess asked, holding my phone closer to the screen. âCan âya see that?â
I wanted to turn my head and see the parentsâ reaction, but I could not move my eyes from the ultrasound. The Gillespies were quiet for a minute as the tech continued to swivel the image from side-to-side.
âHow many embryos did you transfer?â the tech asked.
âThere were only two that made it,â Silas answered. I could sense the moment reality washed over him. âWait . . . wait, are they both there?!â
âYep,â Tess said. I have no idea what emotion was in her tone, but it had a glaze of forced excitement. âThey both took root.â
âI canât quite get an image of both of them,â the tech said. âIâm trying, but it looks like theyâre on opposite walls of the uterus. That flipped one is way up there, too. Theyâre hanging onto the roof like a bat.â
âA bat bean,â Owen said. His voice was flat, like the quip was a reflex.
âSo . . . twins, right?â Silas asked. âWeâre having twins?â
âCongratulations!â the tech chirped.
My pulse was pounding under my hand. That lump of lead was sitting hard in my guts, right alongside those two tiny beans. Two. Two beans. Holy shit. Two.
Tess turned the phone towards me and I saw the moon-eyed shock on the Gillespiesâ faces. âFawn, honey?â Tess prodded. âWanna say something? Whatâdya think?â
âI . . .â My saliva felt thick and hot in my mouth. My tongue fell numb and it nearly flopped down my throat as I shot up on the table, my legs still up in the stirrups. âI think Iâm gonna be sick!â
Tess jumped for a trash can. She aimed the camera at her face while I loudly wretched in the background of my clientsâ first family video.
âThis explains a lot,â Tess told the fathers with a sheepish grin. âTwo times the baby, two times the morning sickness.â
The Gillespeies were quiet for a while, an awkward pause with only the sounds of my suffering to fill the void.
âWeâre having twins, Owen,â Silas finally said, just as I was pulling my face from the trash.
âYeah . . . wow,â Owenâs voice answered.
I heard a subtle thumping from their end, like one of them was bouncing their leg. The tempo was frantic.
âWhatâs wrong, Owen?â Tess asked. She held the phone to be more level with her face.Â
All I heard was a harsh sniffle.
âCâmere, you big softie,â I heard Silas say.
âDonât cry, honeybun,â Tess said. âIt's a blessing!"
âIâm happy!â Owen insisted over the phone. âIâm so happy!â His voice was muffled, like he was hiding his face in his husbandâs shoulder. âThis is . . . whew! This is overwhelming!â
âNo kidding,â Silas said with a laugh.
âNo fucking kidding,â I said with my head in the trash.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It took a few days for the shock to wear off. The anti-nausea pills cleared my head so I felt less like I was walking in a fever dream. Once that edge was taken off, it made reality slip in a little smoother. I was pregnant with twins. There were two little jellybeans inside me that would be two full-sized babies in eight months. That was fine. Yeah, that was fine. That had to be fine. If it wasnât fine, I was going to start losing my mind! So, it was fine.
I mailed the printouts of the ultrasounds to the parents. They had the digital pictures I took, but those physical copies were what really mattered to them. The three of us had never met in person. They lived hundreds of miles away, in Michigan. They wouldnât be flying down to Tennessee until it was nearing my due date, so any physical memento of their babies I could send to them was much appreciated.
I wanted the Gillespies to feel included in my pregnancy as much as possible, even if they couldnât be with me in-person. Each week Iâd take a picture of myself turned sideways in the bathroom mirror and sent it to them. I basically sent them the same picture four times in a row. There was nothing much to show except for the tummy flab Iâd collected my first two times around the block. By week ten, though, I could feel that familiar little lump starting to form below my navel. I had slightly too much of a pooch for there to be any trace of a bump, though.
Almost three months in, I was surprised by how normal my pregnancy was â aside from the intense bouts of nausea I relied on my medicine for. Iâd thought having twins inside me would up the difficulty level, but up to that point my life had changed very little. I still got up every day to housekeep and nanny for my allotted shift, and I did so with the same ease I did before. The only change was how much of an eye Tess kept on me. It was very annoying.
âFawn, no!â Tess trotted up beside me and took hold of my hips. ââYa donât need âta be up there.â
âStop it!â I gasped as the stack of plates in my hand jittered. âDonât grab me like that if you donât want me to fall!â
Tess gently pulled me down from the stepstool Iâd been using to reach the cabinet. âI can take care of those,â she said, taking the stack of dishes.
âJesus, youâd think these were your babies,â I muttered.
âItâs easy now, doll, but youâre not far off from those little âuns hittinâ a growth spurt.â Tess climbed the stepstool and I rolled my eyes behind her back at the oh-so-dangerous foot and a half of height she stood above. âI can go ahead and take over the chores âya need help with.â
I shrugged, lifting my hands and then letting them slap down onto my thighs. âAlright. Want me to take over Suri while you handle the dishes?â
âYes, and Iâll be wiping down the countertops and stove with bleach. So, I donât want either of âya in here until I say so.â
âRight. Grabbing snacks.â
Arms full of Cheerios, applesauce pouches and beef jerky, I joined Surinder in the living room. She was watching one of her preschooler shows on TV from inside her pop-up play tent. Her toys were strewn all over the floor â the living room had become her territory and she marked it with Duplo blocks and miniature plastic food.Â
I bent over to start picking up and I grunted when the ligaments around my waist pulled tight. Tess was right about the babies, I hadnât gotten round ligament pain so early before.
It wasnât long before Suri crawled out of her tent and patted my leg to get my attention. âFa! Fa!â she called my name until I turned around and acknowledged her.
âWhat is it, baby girl?â
âGo! . . . Go potty!â
âYou gotta go potty? Okay, letâs go-oh!â I winced as I stooped to pick her up, my hands flying to my sides. There was that ligament pain again. I rubbed my hands into my lower belly, trying to work out the tension in my stretching muscles. âLetâs walk to the potty.â
I kept feeling that growing pain. I got a charlie horse in my back as I was helping Suri in the bathroom. That nerve-deep pain flared up in a ring around my hips as I sat down for dinner, but a slight adjustment in my posture made it nothing more than an annoyance. I went to bed that night safe in the knowledge I would wake up to another day of normalcy.
I woke up to my alarm, bright and early as always. I woke up to that ring of pain around my hips as I stretched out under the covers. I woke up to the sensation of wet fabric, something sticky plastered against the curve of my rear and up my lower back. I woke up to blood, both crusty brown and damp red, on my pajamas and sheets.
I woke up wanting to scream. Instead, I tip-toed past Suriâs nursery and padded down the hall to her parentsâ room. I knocked once before opening the door. I was like a child needing to be comforted from a nightmare, appearing in the Tariqâs doorway and softly whispering their names until they stirred.
âRay? Tess?â I leaned a little harder against the doorframe as I watched their silhouettes sit up in bed. âCan one of you drive me?â
Tess yawned. âWhere, doll?â
âThe ER.â
With the yank of a chain, Rayâs bedside lamp clicked to life. I didnât need to scream. Tess did it for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ray held my hand while we waited in the emergency room. Iâd cleaned up and changed clothes â Ray had lent me a pair of his sweatpants, just in case I bled through my pad. All that remained of my pregnancy was sealed in a sandwich box on my lap. Tess suggested I take the large clump of blood and tissue Iâd found in my underwear with me for the doctor to look at, but I hated holding that box knowing someoneâs lost dream was inside.
Tess hadnât come to the hospital with us. She stayed at the house until her parents arrived to take Suri for the day and then met us in the waiting room. I sat between them, resting my head on Tessâs shoulder while both of them wrapped an arm around me. We waited like that for over an hour.
Most of that day is a scrambled signal in my memory. There was a lot of waiting. A lot of fluorescent lights and white-beige walls. We watched TV together in the room they put me in, but I donât remember what we watched. Only one memory of that ER visit is clear:
A nurse came in and confirmed what we already knew. Theyâd found the stringy prototype of a placenta in the tissue Iâd passed, along with one of the gestational sacs. That was concerning, though. One. Theyâd only found one of the twins. There was a possibility I needed surgery, so they had to go in and see what was left. The Tariqs werenât allowed to follow me as I was wheeled down to radiology.
The ultrasound room was dark and warm, the only light coming from the idle monitor of the computer. It was easy to close my eyes and drift into a trance as the tech smeared gel over my lower belly. Iâd been scheduled for my next ultrasound in two weeks. I didnât think I could handle seeing how empty I was.
âDid everything clear?â I asked, resting my hands over my sternum. Even if I didnât want to see it, I still wanted to know if they were gonna have to scrape me out.
âI canât say for certain until the doctor has a chance to look at these,â the tech said. âIâm just here to take pictures.â
I wished this was the same tech from my first ultrasound. I couldâve used their friendliness.
âI stopped cramping a while ago,â I said, âso hopefully itâs over.â
The tech rolled the wand up from my groin and I felt it press on the solid lump in the front of my hips. They were pressing hard â trying to get a good image, I assume â but eased off as they moved the wand just below my navel.
âOpe, no. Wait,â the tech said, âthereâs the other one. Gosh, that one is way up there.â
Bat Bean. Thatâs what the Gillespies and I had been calling Baby B. Weâd been calling Baby A âJellybeanâ. I wondered what their real names wouldâve been. My throat closed up and I had to stop wondering.
âOh . . . my . . .â the tech said, nearly in a whisper. Then, much louder: âWell, hello there, little guy!â
âWhat?â I asked, opening one eye in hesitation.
I saw their face in the light of the monitor, saw the crescent moon of a smile below their reflective glasses. âItâs kicking!â
âWhat?!âÂ
My neck arched and suddenly I was staring at the high-def image of a grey gummy bear on the screen. Nubby limbs twitched as the oval-shaped body curled and uncurled, swimming around its bubble of fluid like a tiny fish. The bulbous head turned and I watched in utter amazement as Baby Bâs whole body flipped over in a summersault.
The tech hit a key and a steady whop-whopa-whop-whopa played as a line of white peaks and valleys appeared below the image. âAnd we have a heartbeat!â they announced, all monotone gone from their demeanor.
I mustâve been in a state of shock, because my memory after that moment is almost entirely blank. I have a vague recollection of signing some paperwork and a surgeon standing over my bed, listing off possible side effects. I remember a needle going into my arm, and then my memory is a void.
My memory restarts at the point I woke up in the recovery ward. Please understand that before this point, I had never had any kind of knock-out juice. Iâd never had surgery before. So, please donât make fun of me when I admit that I woke up crying. My vision was blurry, my head was in a vice, my anti-nausea medication had worn off, and it felt like I had a cactus in my vagina.Â
I saw a silhouette at my bedside, a womanâs silhouette with a ponytail of dirty-blonde hair. For a second, I thought my mom had forgiven me â I thought that someone, somehow, had reached her. I thought she cared enough to be worried about me. I reached out to her, craving to feel her hold me again. I felt horrible. I wanted my Mama to make it all better.
âM-om?â I mewled, my mouth slow and dry.Â
I touched the womanâs arm, causing her to turn towards me. She wasnât my mom â just a nurse who styled her hair the same way. âNo, sorry. Iâm not Mom,â she said softly. âSheâs probably waiting for you outside.â
I knew she wasnât. I felt more tears trail down my neck.
âJust lay back and try to wake up a little more,â the nurse told me, âthen weâll let your family come back and see you.â
I dipped in and out of a fugue state, gradually returning to reality as the drugs wore off. Although I couldnât remember much before surgery, I was inately aware that my cervix had been sewn shut. There was no telling what had caused me to lose Baby A, but Baby B was still considered at-risk. Sealing the exit shut was the best bet to keep âem in there. The fact I was still pregnant at all after so much blood loss and cramping was miraculous. Just to be safe, they hooked my IV up to something that would stop my uterus from contracting.Â
When I was awake enough to feel hungry and ask for food, the Tariqs were allowed to come sit with me in my cubicle of curtains. Tess sat on the side of my bed while Ray tried to nap in his chair. Itâd been nearly twelve hours since we arrived at the hospital and we were all exhausted. I barely had the energy to lift spoonfuls of chicken noodle soup to my mouth. After Iâd gotten some broth and crackers down my throat, and Tess and I had run out of small talk, Tess leaned in and wrapped her arms around me.
âIâm so sorry, sweetheart,â she whispered into my ear. âI know what youâre feelinâ, and itâs gonna be okay. Youâre gonna be okay.â
They werenât empty words â far from it. Tess had been where I was time, after time, after time. Only, for her, it was worse â those lost children were her own. Then . . . there had been Ravi. I didnât want to imagine how his loss had felt. Well . . . perhaps I could make a light comparison, but I at least knew my son was alive and well somewhere. I wrapped my arms around Tess in return, blinking back tears.
âNo, Tess,â I said, my face covered by her long flaxen hair. It smelled like her mint shampoo. âIâm sorry you went through this so many times.â
Tess held me tighter.
âHave you told them?â I asked.
âNo. We wanted âta hear what the doctor said first,â Tess said. âEverythingâs lookinâ okay with the baby right now, but he wants âya on bedrest.â
âCan you . . . please call them for me? I donât want to hear them . . .â
âI will,â Tess said, patting my back. âIâll go outside and let them know.â
âIf they ask which one it was . . .â I sniffled and choked back a small sob. â. . . tell them we lost Jellybean.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I continued to send the Gillespies bumpdates every week. I never missed a single one. I continued mailing them printouts of their babyâs ultrasounds. We never talked or chatted about what happened, nor did we discuss medical updates about Bat Bean. For those, the Gillespies waited for either Ray or Tess to contact them. I didnât want them to associate me â the woman carrying their one and only child â with talk of heartbreak and loss. I wanted Silas and Owen to be excited when they saw an email from me, not dread clicking on it. Ray and Tess stepped up to be the bearers of heavy news for us. My doctor had me going in for ultrasounds every two weeks, which meant a lot of baby pictures from me and a lot of medical updates from the Tariqs.
My stomach remained flat for quite a while, with just the slightest bump in my lower belly for weeks. But one morning, around fifteen weeks in, I swear I woke up looking like Iâd swallowed a cantaloupe. I guess the baby had finally hit that growth spurt Tess had predicted.
His name was Milo Bennet Gillespie. Silas and Owen named him shortly after we discovered he was going to be a boy. Owen was a fan of classic books who worked at Barnes & Noble, so I had no doubt he was the one to choose the middle name. Sometimes we playfully referred to Milo as âBat Beanâ, but that nickname faded out in favor of his real name. I worried over him â a lot. I bought a home doppler online so I could check if his heart was beating. Whenever I noticed he hadnât moved for a while, I would pull up my shirt and rub the doppler on my bump until I heard the whoosh of his pulse. The doctors kept saying everything was looking good with him, but I worried.
I was essentially given leave of my housekeeper duties until Milo was done cooking. The doctor wanted me off my feet, so I spent most of my days on the couch watching cartoons with Suri. She was observant enough to ask about my big belly in her two-word-sentence manner. Unsure how to explain the situation, I told her there was a small person living in my stomach and that his name was Milo. I even took her tiny hand and let her feel where Milo was wiggling around. She didnât like that very much, it freaked her out and she ran to her mother. I didnât want her to get excited for a baby that wouldnât be coming home with me. That wouldnât be fair to her . . . or to me.Â
It wasnât the best experience, being pregnant without the babyâs parents there. When I was growing Suri, her parents were there with me at every doctorâs visit. They took me on day trips just for fun and to make sure I had enough to eat. They were able to put their hands on my belly to feel their daughter kick, and put their lips close to my skin so she could hear their voices. Milo didnât have that. His daddies were hundreds of miles away. Theyâd never felt him squirm around, only I had. Heâd never heard their voices close-up, just over the phone . . . maybe. The clearest voice heâd ever heard was mine . . . and my voice wasnât going to follow him home.
Although I had the Tariqs there to support me and love me, I felt alone in my pregnancy. Milo was just a little visitor in the household â we had no toys or bedding or bottles for him, all of that was with his fathers. After he was born, no one would mention him â his future didnât involve us at all. I was the closest thing to a mother Milo would ever have . . . and I wasnât going to be a part of his life.Â
It was an experience Iâd had before, with the last baby boy Iâd held under my heart.
It took a toll. It really took a toll.
Before I knew it, Iâd blown up big as a barn. I no longer had a lap when I sat down, my belly nearly reaching my knees. Milo was a big boy â the doctor estimated he was around nine pounds â and he was squishing all the fluid in my body into my lower half. My legs were hot and heavy and my feet were too swollen for my shoes, so I shuffled between the bathroom, kitchen and couch in flip-flops. God, I hated being on my feet. I spent my days either dicking around on my laptop â using my belly as a desk â or watching TV while sprawled out on the couch.Â
Surinder got really upset with me one day, when I refused to play tag with her. Ray and Tess were very mindful of how much Suri âbotheredâ me, but I never considered it bothersome. I loved Suri, she was practically my niece. I was sure to let her know that I wanted to play with her, but my âbelly buddyâ was making me too tired. I made up for it with lots of hugs and kisses, and I promised that once I was feeling better weâd play tag as much as she wanted.
As soon as I hit thirty-seven weeks, I was on high alert. Iâd warned my doctor that I delivered before my due date at least once before, but he wanted to keep Milo in there until he was full-term. So, he refused to remove my stitches. As miserable as I was, I agreed. I wanted Milo to bulk up as much as he could, even if it added to my discomfort. If I could give Silas and Owen a perfect, healthy baby . . . maybe it would make up for what happened.Â
My body had failed one of their babies â and so help me God I was gonna force it to nurture the other! I was determined! I would make it to forty weeks!
Yet, I would not.
I pulled myself off the couch one afternoon to grab a snack and my knees almost folded. I leaned against the arm of the couch as a deep downward motion slid over my organs. My lungs were slowly relieved of their crushing burden and they eagerly filled to their maximum. I lifted the weight of my belly with one desperate hand because I had a blaring instinct about what was happening.
âMilo, donât you dare!â I muttered under my breath.
Like a Duplo block clicking into place, Miloâs head slipped into my hips. My belly visibly dropped, I felt it shift to hit heavier in my hand. Almost immediately, I felt the babyâs heft sitting directly on my sutured cervix. I groaned and pressed my thighs together. The pain throbbed between my legs, sharper than Iâd ever felt.
âHey, Ray?â I called, knowing he was upstairs in his office.
âYeah?â his distant voice rumbled through the ceiling.
âCan you bring me my phone?â I called. âI need to call the doctor.â
A few minutes later, Ray thumped down the creaky stairs with my cellphone. He paused when he saw me leaning over the back of the sofa, kneeling with my thighs apart. âYou okay?â he asked, handing me my phone.
âI need to call the doctor and tell him I need my stitches out, like . . . tomorrow,â I said, unlocking the screen. âMiloâs in my hips, heâs not gonna wait another two weeks.â
Ray rubbed my lower back, scratching his goatee in thought. âIs he going to wait until tomorrow? Youâve been having cramps, right?â
âYeah, but theyâre irregular as hell,â I said, putting the phone up to my ear. âIâll be in labor soon, but not that soon.â
I was wrong. I was so wrong. I was so horribly wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
âSilas? Hi. Yeah, itâs Ray.â
âFuck! Oh, fuck!â
âWe have a situation. Fawnâs having contractions and you boys need to get on a plane right now.â Ray ground his knuckles into my back while I wailed face-down on my bed.
I gripped a bag of frozen peach slices in a towel between my thighs. My arms hugged all my pillows to my chest beneath me, and I buried my head between them to yell my way through this latest contraction. My belly was squeezed into a perfect sphere, peeking out from under my shirt as it hung down to my mattress. The contractions were actually pretty mild, all things considered. They didnât hurt that bad at all.Â
However! My body was forcing Milo down hard against my cervix. That pain was far, far worse than the contractions. His head was grinding against a closed exit, but the sheer force was spreading that exit open anyway. The baby was a battering ram and my cervix was a fortress door, splitting apart around its locks and bars with every slam.Â
âFuck, I want these stitches out!â I cried into my pillows. âI want them out!â
âYeah . . . yeah, you can get a refund on the tickets you already bought,â Ray continued on the phone, and on my back. âIâll book a room for you, donât worry about that. Just focus on getting here. Bring an overnight bag for each of you and some basics for the baby. Iâll pick you up from the airport, donât bother with an Uber.â
Tess walked into the room, a large duffel bag slung over her shoulder and her hair thrown into a messy bun. âEverythingâs in the car,â she said. Her hand squeezed my shoulder until my posture relaxed and I lifted my head from the pillows. âYou ready to go have a baby, âshug?â
I nodded. Tess helped me to my feet and I waddled down to the car doubled over and holding my belly up. Even without a contraction, the pry and pull on the strings holding my cervix closed was constant. My seam was literally about to pop. I had to recline the passenger seat as far as it could go so I could somewhat lie on my side. My contractions were regular, but very far apart; so, thank god, I didnât have to deal with any while cramped in the car.
My chest tightened when we pulled into the hospital parking lot. I knew Iâd be having the baby here. Iâd prepared for it, but thinking about it was so different from doing it. Because of the complications with this pregnancy, I had no choice but to deliver in the same maternity ward Iâd walked into years ago. I . . . didnât like thinking about what I went through in that ward.Â
Tess came around to my door to help haul me out, but I didnât move. I stayed on my side, staring at the clouds hovering above the cars â they were painted with the summer sunset.Â
ââYa want me âta get a wheelchair?â Tess asked, leaning on the open car door.
âYeah,â I sighed, resting my cheek on my hand. âTess, I donât wanna go in there. I wanna do this at home.â
Tess looked over her shoulder, scanning the hundreds of windows looming ten stories over us. âMe neither,â she said, then turned and hustled toward the hospital entrance.
At eleven-thirty that night, I found myself sitting on a birthing ball in a stagnant delivery room. The only light was the yellow wall lamp mounted over my bed â anything brighter and my head would pound. A monitor belt was pulled snug around my belly, leashing me to a gaggle of machines beside the bed. An IV bag of pitocin hung from a hooked pole beside me, the tubes trailing down to a needle taped in place on the back of my hand.Â
I bounced on the ball, my hands braced on Tessâs knees while she sat on the side of the bed in front of me. I felt my torso squeeze and held my breath. The monitor beeped, registering a contraction.
âBlow the pain out,â Tess crooned, ghosting her fingertips up and down my arms.
I grabbed her knees and rotated my hips on the ball. A small âAck!â bubbled up from my throat before I sucked air in through my nose and forced it out through pursed lips. I blew hard until my lungs went flat, then filled them again and continued the process. Salty water leaked from my shut eyelids and slid in thick droplets down my neck and back. I blew so I wouldnât scream. I knew I could scream, but I didnât want to come unglued only a few hours into active labor. Hell, my water hadnât even broken yet.Â
I could still be in control of myself, even if this birth was not going according to plan.
I was hoping labor would be smoother after the stitches were out, but theyâd only caused more complications. Iâd dilated quickly regardless of the sutures, already three centimeters open when the doctor snipped the strings. Heâd gotten to me too late, though. The stitches had ripped small tears in my cervix as Miloâs head pulled them apart. The swelling was immense â within minutes I was sealed shut again and my labor stalled. Hence, the pitocin.
The pitocin hijacked my body, forcing it to crush inward on itself like a soda can in a hydraulic press â at a strength and speed beyond what felt natural. I had never felt labor this intensely! I would desperately cling to any self-control I had in that beige nightmare of a room.
âMmmmh,â I hummed through my nose, my hip swivel morphing back into a bounce as the contraction eased.
âGood job,â Tess grinned at me. âYouâre doinâ so good, Fawn.â
I moaned and leaned back, bracing my hands on my hips as I rode that birthing ball like a rodeo star. âHave they landed yet?â
âDoll, they ainât on the plane yet,â Tess said. âThe only direct flight they could book on such short notice leaves at one-fifteen. Rayâll call us when they take off and when they land.â
âGod,â I huffed, my chin falling onto my chest. âThey gotta be here. They canât miss this!â
âEveryoneâs doinâ their best and thatâs the only thing they can,â Tess said. âItâs only an hour flight. Theyâll be here in time, donâtcha worry.â
My hair had grown past my shoulders during my pregnancy, and it was suffocating me. I lifted my auburn curls off my flushed neck to cool down. Tess watched me for a moment before pulling the elastic band from her hair. A cascade of blonde fell down her back, sun-bleached highlights vibrant even in the low light. Without a word she came âround and gathered my frizz into her hands. A few flicks of the wrist and she had my hair up in a damp, poofy bun.
Tess kneaded the back of my neck for a while. I rested against her, letting her work my muscles like dough. Milo kicked, causing a dull âthumpâ on the doppler.
âFawn,â Tess broke the silence, âthereâs nothinâ wrong with askinâ for pain relief.â
âDonât want it.â
âDoll, I can tell itâs hurtinâ like hell. Youâre hooked up âta stuff that could rocket a foal outâa âya.â
âIâm. Fine.â
âJust âcause âya managed before doesnât mean-.â
âI donât wanna be stuck in that bed!â I cried. âI donât wanna lay there like a lame horse âtil they strap me up in stirrups! Iâm NOT doing that again!âÂ
I pulled away, using the bedâs railing to lift myself to my feet. My hand wrapped around to support my lower spine, exposed by the untied loops of my hospital gown. Tess picked up the absorbent pad on the birthing ball, folding it over to hide the bright spot of blood where Iâd been sitting. I saw it, but it didnât scare me â I knew it was from all the swelling. She retrieved the pink water cup from the table and let me drink from its straw.
âI had my baby here, too,â she finally spoke. She sat back down on the bed and smoothed her hand over the starchy sheets. âThe beds feel the same.â
âRavi was born here?â I rocked myself from foot-to-foot, holding onto the railing to keep steady. âI didnât know that.â
âFour years ago as of January,â Tess said with a nod. âI was in here a few months before âya, âshug. Who knows? Maybe they had us in the same room.â
God. Had it been four years already? I had a four-year-old somewhere out there and he had never seen my face. What toys did he like to play with? Did he watch the same preschooler shows that Suri and I watched together? What were his favorite foods? I wanted to know all of that. I wanted to know him! I wanted to know the sound of his voice, the color of his eyes, the texture of his hair . . . or his name.
A scar somewhere in my chest ripped open and I swear I could feel a black void pouring over my ribs like paint. I held my breath. Tears dripped from the tip of my nose and onto my belly. I was in so much pain, but not from labor. My soul was bleeding â the wound as raw as the day it was carved.
In my mind's eye, I saw myself reaching for my son as the doctor held him up. I saw my arms cradling his little naked body against my chest while he took his first breaths. I saw my lips pressing kisses into his bald, wrinkly scalp while my eyes cried phantom tears onto his skin.
None of that had happened at all â but it should have! I should have been given the chance to say goodbye â to look into his eyes and tell him how much I would always love him, even if he couldnât see me. No, not even that. He should have stayed my baby! I should have gotten pregnant by a different man â a good man. I should have been on the pill instead of relying on his fatherâs cheap, oversized condoms that were probably expired. I should have fucked up my life less. I should have made a thousand better choices, so he could have stayed my baby!
I screamed along with the frantic beeping of the monitor, but all physical pain paled in comparison to the emotional. Iâd cried through my heartbreak once before, but being back in that damn ward, in an identical room, brought all my grief pouring back out. Tears and liquid snot flowed down my face as I white-knuckled the bedâs railing to keep me upright. I gulped full lungs of air, only to wail and scream and sob until they were empty.
I think Tess knew my tears were from deeper down than they seemed. She leaned close and gently took hold of my contracting sides. Her palms rubbed large, soothing circles into my hardened womb. Her sympathetic eyes never left my face.
âGood girl,â she crooned. My eyes were blurry with salt water, but I thought the skin around her eyes looked red. âScream it all out.â
âI want my baby, Tess!â I cried. âI . . .â my shoulders jerked with a sob, my diaphragm spasming from lack of air. âI n-never got to ho-hold him!â Another hiccup. âH-Heâs going to think I . . . think I didnât w-want him! But I . . . I wanted h-him so much!â
âHushhh,â Tess shushed me. She wiped my face with the scratchy hospital blanket. âHush now, doll. Calm âyaself down and get some air in.â
âOkay,â I nodded, still choking on sobs and panting for breath. âOkay . . . okay . . .â The awareness of the contraction began creeping into my brain. âOhh . . . ohh . . . oh, shit!â
Blinded with tears, I threw my arm out to grab onto Tess. I balled her shirt collar in my hand and restarted my âblow the pain outâ technique.
Tess continued massaging the sides of my belly, waiting to speak until she felt my muscles start to uncoil. âAre âya sure you donât want somethinâ? I can call the nurse.â
I sniffled and wiped my eyes on my sleeve. Able to see again, I realized I hadnât been wrong. Tess had been crying. My hand released her shirt, and my arm snaked around her shoulders to pull her into a hug.
âTess . . . I just want you.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three-thirty in the morning. We hadnât heard anything from Ray, and even less from the Gillespies.
A nurse had been in to check me twice in the last hour. Milo was still in his comfy water balloon and that seemed to be cushioning him from the extra-strength contractions. I nearly started crying again when they told me his heart rate was fine and I could continue to labor on my own. With how damaged my cervix was â and how many liters of pitocin theyâd given me â Iâd been terrified of an emergency C-section.
By then Iâd lost the use of my legs, but I refused to stay on the bed for more than a few minutes â usually just long enough to pull my knees back and let a nurse stick her fingers inside me. With the help of an orderly whoâd come to swap out my IV bag, Tess had taken the mattress off the bed so I could have something soft to lie down on without feeling trapped.
Iâd taken to half-lying on the floor with my arms and upper body resting on the birth ball. I couldnât keep myself quiet during contractions any longer. Making low, rumbling noises like a cow in a ball gag was a must. It was how I was surviving. Between those moments, I was just tired. It was a relief that I couldnât feel my cervix anymore, but that was likely because it had effaced. My eyes were heavy and full of grit, but the sixty-something seconds I had between contractions didnât allow me to sleep.
At that point, I was beyond the mental capacity to worry about Silas and Owen. Milo and Tess were the only other people who existed in the world as transitionâs brutal hand crushed me in its fist.
In hindsight, I think thatâs why I didnât panic when the pressure set in.
Tess was kneeling on pillows on the other side of the birthing ball, humming a lullaby to relax me between contractions. Her tune tapered to a halt when I shifted my hips, one leg pulling up to my side. âWhatâcha need, âshug?â
âI feel him.â I stated it like a bland fact.
My eyes were closed, but I felt Tessâs hand touch my shoulder. Weâd already decided what weâd do if this happened before the Gillespies arrived.
âAlright, doll. Itâs alright,â she crooned. âLemmie come around.â
I heard the soft âpap pap papâ of Tessâs socks traveling in an arch around me on the faux wood floor. Her weight settled on the mattress by my feet.
âPromise I wonât touch,â she said. âIâm just eyes.â
I grunted and rolled my leg outward to open my hips. Oh, I knew that pressure so well by that point. I knew better than to doubt my body. More pitocin mixed with my blood, drip-by-drip, through the needle in my hand. I wasnât sure if someone shouldâve removed it by then, but whatever. I was gonna use it to my advantage.
The monitor around my belly beeped. I pressed my toes down and pushed before I truly felt the pain. Milo kicked the doppler again, like he realized he was finally being evicted. After a solid ten seconds, I relaxed with a nasally whine.
âHeâs coming, Tess.â
âI know, doll.â Tess gently nudged my foot to a more grounded position. âSoon as I see âim, Iâll call a nurse. Ainât no one gonna put âya in that bed, Iâll make sureâa that.â
I scooted up more into a half-squat, one arm draped over the ball and the other wrapping around my knee. Chin-to-chest, I used the rest of the contraction to bear down against the familiar sensation of a baby sliding down my passage. I took frequent breaths between my efforts so I wouldnât get dizzy, panting a small âUh . . . Uh . . . Uhâ with each exhale.
I didnât need to throw my all into pushing, the contractions were doing most of the work. Maybe that pitocin was a blessing in disguise â I donât know if I had the energy to make progress without it. Five pushes in, and I felt my inner walls stretch around the baby. My quiet whines and grunts escalated into growls as the pain grew sharper, and I flowered open wider.
âDamn, heâs huge!â I moaned as I eased off my most recent push. Forget âBat Beanâ, the fucking Chicago Bean was coming out of me!
âRemember, youâre pushinâ out the sac, too,â Tess said.
I hugged my hiked-up leg closer to my side, teeth gnashing in my skull as my face turned purple with effort. âUgh!â I released a small bark of pain during a brief pause, then spent the rest of the push with a low growl in my chest.Â
My labia brushed the crease of my thigh, the skin bowing out and preparing to stretch. I felt the inner structure of my clit get crushed as the mass of the baby pressed its way down. It was something Iâd felt before in the past during childbirth â but never to the extent that it fired electric shocks of nerve pain down both legs. My toes curled as a ghostly, stabbing pain assaulted the arches of my feet.
I relaxed against the ball with a loud huff of air. âTess, rub the bottoms of my feet,â I begged, my head falling back against inflated rubber. Thank god she did it without question, I was too embarrassed to explain.
Two contractions later, I was mid-push when a gout of hot water splashed onto the mattress. My focus was broken by the release of pressure, and I leaned forward to peer over my belly. A saw an expanding area of wet sheets between my thighs, darkening the color of the mattress as more amniotic fluid drained from me.
âHeâs makinâ his way out, doll!â Tess grabbed the blanket and bunched it up around my rear to soak up some of the mess. âYouâre openinâ up!â
âAhh!â The arm holding my knee in place flew down to pry open my leg, fingers pulling at the skin where my thigh met my groin. My body pushed for me and my perineum thinned out and spread over the head as it dropped past my tailbone.Â
âFuck, Tess!â I whined, vocal chords straining. âFuck, heâs hurting me!â
âTake it slow,â Tess said, patting my thigh. âLet it stretch.â
I arched back against the ball as my lips bulged outward with the size of Miloâs head. The arm draped over the ball was numb, but it was the only thing keeping me upright. The room reverberated with a roar I didnât realize was mine as I felt that all-too-familiar fire blaze to life. My entire world shrank down to that inferno between my legs. The only thought in my head was to push down into it. My fingertips migrated beneath me, pressing against the hellfire in my perineum as the flesh pulled dangerously tight. I was aware Tess got up from the floor, but I was blind and deaf to the world.
The ringing in my ears muffled the sound of the door bursting open. My eyes flew open in surprise as a gloved hand gently nudged my fingers aside and cupped my perineum. A scrubbed nurse knelt in front of me, a mask covering her face from the nose-down â but even then, her eyes smiled at me.
âGood job, Fawn!â the nurse praised me. âBabyâs crowning. Youâre nearly done!â
I flinched when someone else took my leg and hiked it up to my side. It was Tess. I finally understood she mustâve run and got help. I thought I heard a cell phone ringing, but no one else reacted to it. I accepted the fact I was hallucinating.
I threw my arm around Tessâs waist, unaware my fingers were coated in blood, and held tight as I pushed again. I gasped deep and screamed as I felt myself make quick progress once the top of his head breached the air.
âDonât stop, doll. Heâs cominâ,â Tess said, her lips brushing my scalp.
Sweat stung my eyes, so I kept them squeezed shut. My whole body trembled, my nerves going haywire as Milo surged forward with a massive, unstoppable push. I felt the little bump of his nose traveling through the pouch of my perineum. The nurse palmed the crown of his head, trying to let me stretch easily over his brow.
A loud slam caused everyone to jump, and the bright light of the hallway sent a migraine through my skull. The nurse turned to scold the two men scrambling into the room, but Tess saved the day:
âTheyâre the parents!â she cried. âTheyâre stayinâ!â
I couldnât pay attention to anything going on around me. With a roar of effort, I bore down until I heard the wet little âshlipâ of Miloâs head pushing free into the nurseâs hand.
âOwen! Silas! Here, now!â Tess ordered.
I heard two more bodies thump to the ground beside the floor bed.
âWeâre so sorry, Fawn!â I heard a familiar voice yell â a voice that belonged to a man Iâd only ever heard through the static of a screen.
âLater, Owen!â Tess snapped. âFocus on your baby right now! Do not miss this!â
I didnât care about anything â I knew this baby was on his way out right then and there! Nothing else in my mind or body would function until heâd made his journey earth-side! I clung to Tess, who pressed my leg back wider as Miloâs thick shoulders started to press out of me.
âPush, doll. Push on âim hard,â she encouraged me softly, her voice like warm honey.
The nurse began pulling down on the baby, forcing his shoulder to pry my public bone out of place to come through. I donât quite know what the sound I made was, but it didnât sound human. The nurse pulled upward, and . . .Â
âAnd we have a baby!â the nurse cheered as Miloâs body gushed out onto the mattress. A small trickle of leftover fluid followed his feet.
âHoly shit.â My whole body relaxed as soon as that relief came.
My eyelids slid open when I heard that little guy make the sweetest newborn cries Iâd ever heard. For a big baby, he had a small voice. Thin, blonde baby down was plastered to his scalp, and even while he was all squished and blotchy I could tell he looked like Owen.
âOh, look how sweet!â the nurse sing-songed while she toweled Milo dry. âIsnât he a perfect little man?â
A second nurse mysteriously appeared in the background. I peeked around Tess and saw the extra nurse fanning Silas with a laminated paper while he sat slumped against the wall, looking dazed. Owen kept looking at his husband over his shoulder, but his attention was constantly pulled back to his son.
âOh . . . hey, guys.â I sleepily waved to the fathers. âWhen did you get here?â
Owen glanced back at Silas, who was rubbing his forehead and seemed to be coming around. âJust in time.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I flipped through the pictures in my phone while I rode home with Tess. Milo and I had stayed in the hospital for a few days for observation. Iâd needed a few internal stitches (wow, real shocker there) and they just wanted to keep an eye on Milo because of his troublesome gestation. At first, there was a little bit of concern because of how lethargic he was â but his bloodwork was fine, so I guess he was just a sleepy lad. He wasnât awake in any of the pictures the Gillespies and I had taken.
There were countless photos of Milo being snuggled by all of us. Ray and Suri had popped in to see me the morning after I gave birth â mostly for Suriâs sake, sheâd woken up crying over not being able to find me at home. I had a picture from that morning of Tess holding Milo in the roomâs armchair while Ray held Suri up so she could see what my âbelly buddyâ looked like. Suri somehow looked confused, disgusted and amazed all at once. My favorite picture was the one Tess had taken of me and the family together. I was sitting up in bed and holding Milo while Silas and Owen sat on either side of me. All of us â except Milo, who was asleep with a binky in his mouth â were smiling wide at the camera.
One of the first pictures in my album was of Milo swaddled like a burrito a few hours after he was born, fast asleep in the baby cot beside my bed. His name, weight and time of birth were written on a card taped above his head. Beside that card was the paper cutout of a purple butterfly.Â
In Silasâs first picture with his miracle baby, he was pale as death but still smiling. Heâd needed to sit down for a while after passing out, but heâd held his little boy nearly every minute in that chair. Heâd held Milo while they performed his medical tests, only allowing the nurses to take him away for his first bath. In the picture Iâd taken after that, Silas was gazing at Milo with all the love in his eyes that a father could give â and Milo was wrapped in a fresh blanket with an embroidered purple butterfly on the corner. The Gillespies had brought that blanket with them.
At first Iâd thought the purple butterfly cutout was just a decoration choice the hospital had made; but when Miloâs first gift from his parents had the same image, Iâd asked why it was showing up so often. Turns out, that hospital had adopted The Purple Butterfly Project â an initiative that offered support for patients who had lost a child in a set of multiples. The cutout on Miloâs cot was meant to celebrate the life of his âflown-awayâ twin, as well as make staff members and visitors aware that he was the wingless half of a pair. It took on the burden of explanation, so Silas and Owen could bond with their son without worry.
My phone buzzed with a new message from my clients. It was a selfie Owen had taken of himself and Silas at the airport, with Milo snug in a sling around Silasâs chest. The picture came with the message: âThank you for blessing us so deeply! We hope the joy youâve given us will be repaid â with interest! Milo is going to be showered with love every day of his life. Youâre more than welcome to keep in touch with our family, Fawn. Weâre happy to let you watch Milo grow up with us. Love, Owen and Silas.â
I locked my phone and sat it face-down in my lap. âHey, Tess?â I asked, watching the road unfurl beyond the windshield as we traveled the rural roads. âWhen will it be my turn?â
Tess glanced at me. âFor what?â
âBeing happy,â I deadpanned. âIâve made three different families happy. You and Ray, the Gillespies . . . and my sonâs parents. I just wanna know when my turn is.â
The rest of the car ride passed in total silence. When we parked in front of the farmhouse, Tess turned to look at me while she unbuckled her seatbelt.
âDoll, thereâs somethinâ I want âya âta see.â
Going upstairs was a herculean task with how stiff and full-body sore I was, but Tess held my hand and walked with me step-by-step. She brought me into the master bedroom and sat me down on her side of the bed. Tess opened her bedside drawer and pulled out a wooden box that was roughly the size of a checkerboard. She plopped down beside me and stared at the box in her lap for a moment before saying:
âI havenât opened this since we brought it home. I couldnât. But . . . I think nowâs the time.â
I watched as Tess lifted the lid of the box, revealing a carefully folded fleece blanket with pastel stars printed on it.
âWhat is it?â I asked.
Tess lovingly took the small blanket in her hands and began unfolding it. Beneath the layers of fabric was a blue crystalline teddy bear sculpture holding a silver heart between its paws. Tess picked up the bear and held it in her palm â thatâs how small it was.
âThis is Ravi,â she said.
Once light hit the silver heart at a different angle, I saw the engraving on it: âRavi Idris Tariqâ, with a single date underneath. Tess turned the bear over in her hands so I could see the second engraving on its back: âI carried you every second of your life.â
âI wrapped âim in his blanket,â Tess said, her thumb stroking the bear urnâs head. âIt made it feel more like I was puttinâ him down âta sleep insteadâa . . . yâknow.â
I was too stunned to speak.
Tess set the baby blanket in the box and â tiny urn still in-hand â got up and walked to her closet. A quick rummage, and she returned with a different fleece blanket. This one was pastel rainbow colored and was covered in white stars, an inverse of the other.
âThese came as a set,â Tess said. âWe donated everythinâ he never got to use, except for this. This oneâs special.â She rubbed the blanket on her cheek. âI prayed over this one. I asked Mother Gaia âta allow my babyâs spirit âta be linked to this earthly object, so that I could hold it and it would be the same as holdinâ him.â
Tess re-joined me on the side of the bed, clutching Raviâs urn to her heart while she cuddled and kissed the rainbow blanket. âI still miss âim. I miss âim a lot,â she said. âHaving this connection to him helps.â
After a minute, Tess set both blankets and the urn inside the wooden box. Then, she took my hands into her own.Â
âNeither of us got âta hold our little boys,â she said. âMine was already in the arms of Mother Gaia, and yours was in the arms of his mama before you had the chance. Thatâs whatâcha told us, right?â
I nodded, silent and enraptured. Tess smiled at me.
âWell, when youâre feelinâ more âyaself, Iâll teach âya how to use my sewinâ machine,â she said, giving my hands a gentle squeeze. âYouâll pick out the fabric and youâll make a baby blanket. Thatâll be his baby blanket, ainât no one elseâs. Iâll ask Mother Gaia âta bless it for âya. When you feel all that love buildinâ up with nowhere to go, hold it. Hold your baby. Heâll be able to feel it, no matter where he is.â
I returned her smile, but my throat was almost too tight for me to speak. âIâd like that.â
We made a small shrine for Raviâs urn on the mantle that night. Ray and Tess had Suri help set it up, explaining the existence of her elder brother to her in a way she would understand:
âMama had a baby in her belly just like Fawn did,â Ray said, lifting Suri up so she could drop a few cut flowers from the garden beside the tiny blue bear. âThat was before you were born. You were just a twinkle in Mamaâs eye back then.â
âWhere the baby?â Suri asked as her father plopped her back down.
âThis is the baby,â Tess said, tapping on the silver heart between the bearâs paws. âHe had âta go back âta Mother Gaia while he was still in my belly. This is where his body sleeps.â
I lit a few jarred candles and placed them on the mantle. From my back pocket, I pulled out the laminated purple butterfly cutout that had been taped to Miloâ cot at the hospital. I placed it upright against the mantle wall, so that two purple wings appeared to be sprouting from Raviâs bear.
It wasnât my turn to be happy, yet. I had a long way to go before I could start making my own dreams come true. Maybe school could wait a while. Maybe the money Iâd earned throughout my surrogacy could be put to better use.
Maybe I was sick of staying on the path my own stupid choices had led me down. Maybe it was time I started making the choices Iâd wished Iâd made earlier.
I was tired of living in the shadow of grief Alexander had cast over my life. Iâd lost everything because of him . . .
. . . but I was ready to start taking it back.
~ END ~
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series masterlist â co-creator @memoiich
Anakin's wakes slowly, eyes blinking open at the soft light coming through the half closed curtains. He looks to the side of his bed at the same clock from his childhood bedroom. The red letters read 10am and suddenly he was alert and terribly late. His momentary panic came to a close when he realised what day it was; Friday. Over the years he had worked at MustaCar his talent had gained him a lot of privilege. One of those he was granted was a shorter working week than the other mechanics. Deep down he knew that it was because the shop couldnât afford to pay him for a full week, but he ignored his suspicions. He technically didn't have to work Fridays, but he always ended up anyway. Even if it was unpaid, he basically owed his entire life to the garage, meaning he could go a day without pay. If he could help out with the other projects, his fellow workers could be paid quicker.Â
Rolling out of bed, he took a quick shower which was definitely too hot before pulling on his work overalls and heading over to the garage. Upon arrival he made himself a mug of coffee before going to nose at what Ahsoka was doing.Â
âGirl, you are running late againâ Ahsoka sasses at the young man when she sees him. âSorry queenâ he replies without thinking and proceeds to physically cringe. Ahsoka chokes on a laugh before pointing at the engine of the car she is working on. âCan you look pleaseâ she asks, batting her eyelashes dramatically. Anakin gives her a look of disapproval before pairing at the car in front of him. He squints while adjusting something. âIf you keep looking at things like that, you are going to go blind prematurelyâ Ahsoka points out only for Anakin to push up his metaphorical glasses.Â
Someone in the distance yells for a bit of help and Ahsoka dashes off to their rescue, always wanting to be involved. Leaving Anakin alone with the car he twists something and continues to investigate the source of the problem. He is so concentrated that he doesn't notice the fluffy animals perched on the edge of the car as it stalks over. The loth cat brushes its tail over Anakin's face as it walks by slowly, causing the mechanic to spit hair out of his mouth.
Looking up at the creature he sees its eyes piercing into his own face close to his. It makes a sound before butting its head against Anakin's, silently asking for attention. âWhy hello thereâ he says before getting reminded of someone he doesn't want to think about. He reaches out a hand to scratch the loth cat under its chin, making the animal hum in appreciation. Its sandy fur stands out almost the grease and grime of the MustaCar workshop, but it remains untainted by the grit. âWhat's your name huh?â Anakin asks. Clearly the animal didn't belong to anyone, it was definitely malnourished and in need of shelter.Â
It made another sound of indifference before rubbing itself over Anakinâs face. âYou look hungry, let me seeâ he rummaged through his pocket before pulling out some sort of processed jerky stick. Un wrapping it, he pulls off a chunk and offers it to the animal, taking his own bite of the stick. The loth cat sniffs at the meat before taking it out of Anakinâs hand happily. He gives it the rest of the stick before looking around at the now empty garage. It must be lunch time. âHey what's one more friendâ he shrugs before picking up the creature gently and carrying it out of the garage.
He hears Ahsoka say something similar to âwhat in the worldâ as he walks past the people sipping their coffee. He then sees the main man himself, Palpatine chuckling softly at the sigh before he joins him in walking. âNew friend I see?â he says looking at the loth cat which snarls in return. âYou could say that,â Anakin replies. âMake sure you take good care of it, it will make a loyal friendâ Anakin nods in return. Palpatine leans in and speaks in a hushed voice even though there is nobody in earshot; âThese are dark days Anakin, we need all the friends we can get.â And with that he says his goodbyes and walks back to his office. âInterestingâ is all Anakin thinks as he makes his way over to his residence.Â
Unlocking the door, he knees it open before stepping inside and shutting it. He walks over to the small laundry attached to the bathroom, placing the loth cat on top of the washing-machine. He grabs a spare old blanket and a cardboard box, then gets to work. After a few minutes he had constructed a sort of animal bed complete with cushioned blanket. Perfect. He sets it down in the living space, the loth cat following behind him. It sniffs around the room before settling down on its new bed. Home sweet home.
You woke up to the engine of a motor outside of your apartment complex. Knowing it was Saturday and you didnât have any plans, you rolled back over and tried to fall back asleep. Only to be met with the ringing of your phone. You grabbed your phone only for the Home Screen to flash alive for a second or four and then die. From the second look you got, it clicked, today wasnât Saturday, it was Friday. Your last workday, Friday.Â
You rushed out of bed and got ready. Before you could leave, the com rang. All the coms were connected to the downstairs, so you didnât know who was calling. âHey, with y/n?â You answered questioningly. âIâm picking you up to go to workâ you recognized the voice as Maulâs. You were about to respond but he hung up.Â
You ran down the stairs. When you got to the parking lot, you saw the red zebrak leaning against his bike, helmet under his arm. âget onâ he stated. âOh no thatâs fine, I have got a car nowâ you answered. You were fiddling with your hands while you answered. â You don't have to be nervous, plus that beat up thing will get you there late... again" he said with a smirk "my bike will pass the trafficâ he finished it with a wink. âthat's nice but I don't have a helmet and I don't want to dieâ as the words left your lips, Maul moved to the side revealing a second helmet . Â
You also got a better look at the moto. It was a Kawasaki ninja 400, which was oddly in red. The helmets were both also red with black detailing, yours also had little horns on top matching mauls. You were looking at those when a question came to mind. âHow do you wear a helmet?â Instead of telling you how to, he picked up the helmet and put it on your head Taking extra time and care to click the lock into place.
âLet's get goingâ you said, the unexpected touch of Maul was a bit odd but safety first.
Obi Wan's morning was quite peaceful, especially since his last two nights had been horrible. Boga had woken him up a little earlier than normal, she was probably hungry so he gave her food. Qui Gon jinn was going to drive him to work, he had about 2 hours to kill. He took a shower. When he got out, he realised that it had been a while since he trimmed his beard. Obi Wan was astonished by how good it looked afterwards, to be fair he always thought so afterwards.Â
He got dressed and was surprised by how good he looked. He had always been a bit self conscious but today he felt great. He prepared his work bag and petted boga a little before going outside.
Shaggy rolled up to his front yard near the selling sign. Qui Gon Jinn walked out of the van and pulled obi wan in a hug. âMorningâ Obi Wan greeted. Qui Gon and obi wan got into the car.Â
Qui Gon closed his door and said âare you still in a funk?â Obi wan couldnât help but roll his eyes at the comment. He was referring to yesterday, after Satine's call he just couldnât quite collect himself. He wasnât mad and he couldnât call it jealousy either. âshe doesnât owe you anything you know â âI know and it isnât thatâ okay he might have been a bit snippy at his friend now. He had made the mistake of telling qui Gon about it and he definitely wasnât forgetting about it. âplus i think youâre a real catchâ obi wan let out a bit of a giggle. Qui Gon was only a few years older but to Obi Wan he was always more of a dad.Â
Then an idea popped into his head .âhey Qui Gon, could we pick up y/n ?â Qui Gon gave him that 'oooh' look. âJust as a nice gesture, you know" Obi Wan added way less smoothly than he had hoped. âOf course, of course, only a nice gesture." Qui Gon could not keep from glaring at Obi Wan. He blasted 'weird fishes' just a bit louder as he drove over to her apartment complex.
âTURN THE MUSIC DOWN I NEED TO CALL HER" Obi Wan yelled over Radiohead. He typed in her phone number and called only for it to go to voicemail 3 times. âMaybe you should just go to her com when you get there,â Qui Gon said with a sympathetic look on his face. âI do not need your pity, old man" Obi Wan said back. Qui Gon faked pain for a few seconds before, âalright thenâ he laughed sadistically and went back to blasting his music.
The mood quickly turned when they pulled up only to see y/n on the back of Maul's black and red Kawasaki, holding onto him for dear life. It was unmistakably his. He even had the same S.A.D sticker on the side.
âIâm sorryâ Qui Gon stated after letting out a long sigh. âNo you're right Qui Gon, she doesnât owe me anything" he looked out of the window and for one of the few times in their friendship Qui Gon let him have a moment. He turned down his radio and lined up in the packed traffic. The motorbike was already far ahead.
 Maul parked the bike in the parking lot of Paperforce. You stepped off and strangely had to catch your breath. Motorbikes were definitely not for you. It only made you miss Shelby a little more. You should visit her after your day of work. You could also walk there, which was good. That way you could ditch the murder-machine behind you.Â
Maul reached for your chin and unbuckled the helmet. âYou liked that, didn't you?â He asked â miss my carâ was all you could say, you giggled a little and Maul's annoyed face. You werenât surprised when he just walked off.Â
You ran up the stairs behind Maul but he didnât wait. You went to sit down behind your desk in the lobby and were pleased to see that you were on time. However what did surprise you was that Obi Wan wasn't in front of you. You looked around trying to spot him. Yesterday, he was acting a bit different than before so you hoped he was alright.Â
As if on cue, Obi wan and Qui Gon walked in. âMorningâ you greeted. âGood morning to you too" Qui Gon stated âyouâre on timeâ he said. âMaul gave me a lift, but I'm afraid that bikes arenât quite my thing" you said with a sheepish smile. Obi Wan saw an opportunity, âwould you like to drive home with us?â He finished with a dashing smile. You noted how good he looked today. âI would love toâÂ
#star wars#the clone wars#tcw#anakin x you#anakin skywalker x reader#hayden christensen#hayden christensen imagine#hayden christensen x reader#revenge of the sith#ashoka tano#star wars anakin#anakin skywalker#anakin x reader#obi wan imagine#obi wan kenobi#obi wan and anakin#obi wan star wars#obi wan x reader#prequel trilogy#obi wan x you#ewan mcgregor
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Rubies
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(Content: living weapon whumpee, guilt, conditioning, past abuse, caretaker new master)
Apollo had stayed true to his promise of making the room less sparse. Heâd brought down books from upstairs so Delta would have something to do besides staring off into space whenever he locked himself in his room. Heâd given him a journal too, which Delta found tremendously suspicious. Delta had a habit of destroying everything heâd ever written just as soon as he had finished. He would continue on in this tradition. Anyone having that kind of direct access to his thoughts terrified him. He was grateful for the books, though.Â
It was Kitty who offered her old laptop.
âDonâtâŚlook too hard through that,â She said with a nervous smile. Sheâd done all she could to reset it, but she couldnât be sure there werenât still some gems lying around in its SSD.Â
Delta reflexively recoiled at the offer. There was such a strong impulse in his head to avoid getting caught with the laptop. It carried over now, even when freely offered. She left it on the desk for him. He would only use it in the dead of night, out of pure habit. It didnât feel the same as it used to. It couldnât hold his attention for very long.
There was a practical reason to reintroduce it, though. Kitty acted a bit furtive about it; Apollo said they werenât supposed to be working. Thatâs what unpaid leave meant. But there wasnât really anyone else they could kick it off to. They had to go through the archives.Â
Kitty had already backed up everything he had posted publicly, plus all the exchanges theyâd had in private. Heâd focused in more once sheâd mentioned it, agreeing it needed to be deleted as soon as possible so that there was nothing left to piece together about his alleged death. But there was other information on there that only he had access to, that they now needed to preserve before scrubbing.
katkittykat: ok we also were gonna try and offer u whistleblower immunity
katkittykat: but forget it i know u wont accept it
ndhakdvsnnd: im not a whistleblower
katkittykat: see what did i sayÂ
ndhakdvsnnd: can you fuck off
They scrolled through the archived chat logs in dim silence. Kitty was sitting next to him on the floor with the new old laptop up on the coffee table. Neither of them needed to say it. It was weird to go through their old texts while in person.Â
It wasnât Kittyâs first time meeting an internet friend. She had done it more times than she could count. Almost all of them had been shyer and more reserved in person, so she had already expected Delta to follow in that trend. But it was clear that what was going on with him is a different beast entirely.
When she turned to look at him, his eyes were cast down again and his head was bowed. Loose strands fell in his face. He removed his hand from the touchpad, letting it rest in his lap.
âIâm sorry,â he said quietly, âIâŚshouldnât have talked to you like that.â
âJust bants, man.â Kitty elbowed him â not a good idea. He winced, the pain reigniting in the handprint-shaped bruise around his upper arm.
âIt was disrespectful.â He closed his eyes. It was guilt â not fear â that was audible in his voice.
âIâve never done anything respectable,â she joked.
He opened his eyes to meet her own. His expression was wholly disbelieving. It wasnât a joke to him. She remembered how sincerely heâd spoken the other day. Thank you for saving me. Sheâd tried to brush it off, but her heart had hurt badly afterwards. It hurt again now.
âDonât worry about it. Seriously.â She had to resist the urge to squeeze his shoulder the way she would with her other friends; she saw how he had flinched whenever she touched him. Thankfully, he didnât mention it again.
The loading icon went around and around as the account was deleted. Just as soon as it stopped, the home page of the forum appeared. In bold letters, it read Sign Up.
âYou gonna make a new account?â She asked.
âDo you think I should?â His hand hovered over the button.Â
âI dunno. You were active way before you started posting all the leaks. I thought you were having a good time with it,â she paused, âGuess it might be kind of touchy now though?â
It did make him really anxious to be on the computer. It made him feel too much like he was about to be caught out, as little sense as it made. He started to shrug, then stopped himself. Disrespectful.
âYes, miss,â he agreed, âItâsâŚtouchy.â
That was putting it mildly, but he had no desire to say more. He pocketed the thought, though. He probably would get back online later. It just felt like too much to do it now, without her explicit guidance. The thought alone was starting to overwhelm him. He shifted uncomfortably.
âCan I go back in my room, miss?â He asked in a soft voice.Â
âYeah, whatever. You donât have to ask.â She tried to reassure him. Heâd gotten scared at some point; she could see it in the way he held himself. She didnât really want for him to go off to deal with it alone, but she wasnât going to force him to stay. She watched as he disappeared behind the door. Heâd left the laptop behind. She shut it for him, then stretched upwards, climbing up onto the couch.
=======
âDoes he talk to you?â Apollo would later ask her. He added, a bit dejectedly, âHe doesnât talk to me.â
âNah.â She shook her head.
âWell, itâs still early,â Apollo started arguing with himself when she wouldnât, âI guess heâs still scared. Iâm not sure what I can say to him that isnât going to sound trite. He always hated it when I tried say stuff like that to him over text. So defensive. I donât know if itâll go over better or worse now.â
She could tell heâd been thinking about it often. Fussing came so naturally to him. Sheâd liked it a lot when they were a little younger, when she was even crazier and badly needed someone to try and reel her back in. It isnât lost on her that Delta has the exact opposite problem, that Apolloâs delimiting nature could have the opposite effect. He badly wanted for things to be clean.
âYou shouldnât take it purrsonally.â The pun slipped into her voice even when she was trying to be serious.
âI know,â he agreed, âIâŚdonât think he was allowed to talk before. Itâs rude to speculate. I donât want to be presumptuous. But.â
He threw his hands up at the wrists, not finishing the sentence. There was nothing to do but speculate. It was clear enough Delta had not been treated well; the bruises spoke for themselves. But the particulars of his behavior were a kind of puzzle box. He offered no key for it.
Galatea had dealt with Empireâs lot before, both refugees and defectors. Apollo had met many of them personally. There was always a stilted manner in which they spoke. The customs of Empire still remained enigmatic to all those living outside of it. Apollo had no way of telling how much of Deltaâs behavior was just a cultural difference â or even a linguistic one â and how much of it was something deeper. He could not tell how much of it was motivated by fear or confusion or simple exhaustion. How much of it was what he wanted vs what he thought he was supposed to do. Apollo wished desperately for some kind of candor between them. Still, he understood that it would be asking a lot of him at that point. He sighed.Â
========
The knock was soft and rhythmic. Delta jumped, immediately moving to hide the laptop beneath his blanket. It wasnât as good as beneath the mattress, but decent enough on short notice. He mechanically slid off the bed, dropping onto his knees at the foot of it. The door did not open.
âCan I come in?â It was Apolloâs voice on the other side. Yes, obviously. It wasnât locked.
âYes, sir,â Delta answered anyway.Â
Apollo pushed the door open. His eyes widened a little to see Delta kneeling, but he did not show the same visible alarm that he had before. He slid the door shut behind him, leaning back against it.
âI thought it might be good for us to talk,â Apollo said. He tried to read Deltaâs body language, but it did not shift by much. Deliberately controlled. He didnât answer, staring up at Apollo with huge eyes, patient and expectant. Apollo pushed himself on. It was trite, but if there really was any confusion about Deltaâs position, it wouldnât be right to leave him hanging.
âYou can sit. Thatâs what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. Levon told you he wasnât going to hurt you, didnât he? And you know that me and Kitty wonât either? You donât have to be scared of us. Youâre safe here.â
Delta didnât move off of the ground. His head had lowered a little bit, as if he was being scolded. He didnât take his eyes off of Apollo.Â
Apollo squatted down onto his heels, trying to get to Deltaâs level.
âAre you scared?â He asked.
ââŚYes, sir.â Delta nodded slowly.
âOkay,â Apollo nodded too, rubbing his chin, âThatâs okay. Can I ask why?â
Deltaâs wrung his hands anxiously; it was a childhood habit, one heâd mostly gotten out of by the time heâd graduated. Itâd returned with a vengeance.
âI donât know.â He said shamefully. âSir. Iâm sorry.â
âYou donât have to be sorry. Itâs okay. I just wanted to check in on how youâre feeling. I canât tell a lot of the time. You know you can talk to me or Kitty if youâre upset, right? We want you to be comfortable here. You can tell us if something is wrong.â
Apollo doubted it even as he said it. It seemed unlikely that Delta would come to them for anything, that he might not be physically capable of it at this point. But if he introduced the idea early â and reminded him often â it might start to sink in. For the time being, Delta did not respond.
âIâm assuming the kneeling is a habit, right?â Apollo ventured. Delta seemed a bit alarmed at the suggestion.Â
âItâs just to be respectful. Sir.â Delta explained in a quiet voice.
He considered this. It mightâve been easier if it was just muscle memory, not a deliberate effort on Deltaâs part. The mindset would be harder to get him out of. But Apollo was very glad that Delta had been willing to explain his reasoning to him. It was a good sign.
âOkay. You donât have to,â He stated very clearly, âYou can stand up. We wonât think itâs disrespectful. No one else will, either. You donât have to do it.â
Again, not much changed in Deltaâs expression. He offered the same quiet noise of affirmation, not voicing anything else.Â
âDo you have any questions?â Apollo cursed himself for not asking sooner. But Delta didnât take advantage of the opportunity the way he had hoped.Â
âNo, sir.â Delta folded his hands in his lap. Heâd answered too soon. Apollo wondered if the question had come across as bullying. He got the sense he was starting to push too far out of Deltaâs comfort zone.Â
âAlright. Let me know if you need anything. Like I said, you can talk to us whenever. Weâre right out here.â He stood up, feeling a little bad that Delta was still kneeling. He started to close the door.
He heard a soft âThank youâ just before it clicked shut.
âŚâŚâŚâŚ
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@catnykit @snakebites-and-ink @vivulapom @scoundrelwithboba @whatwhump
@pumpkin-spice-whump @deluxewhump @fuckass1000 @fuckcapitalismasshole @defire
@micechomper @writereleaserepeat
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I did another chapter!!
Ooooh this whole productivity thing is so wonderful. sighhh
And awaaaay we gooâ
OPLA!Mihawk x OC
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Chapter 5: Eavesdropping
Word Count: 3.7k
Tags: Slow-burn, Enemies to Lovers, eventually NSFW, uh, if I think of more I'll add them or something
After having her sloop sunk by the Buggy Pirates and losing most of her worldly possessions in the process, the normally solitary mercenary Karimi Lionne finds herself teaming up with the rag-tag little crew that is the Strawhat Pirates to defeat them. She bonds with them far more quickly than she bargained for, and that quickly turns into a problem for the Kiku Kiku no Mi devil fruit user when she learns of Nami's plans to leave them high and dry, and Zoro issues a challenge at Baratie that he very likely won't live long enough to regret.
All remained still and silent aboard the small vessel for a long, tense momentâand then Mihawk heard the girl sigh, heard a shift in the fabric of her clothing as she stood, the heavy footfalls of her boots as she set to undocking the boat. That was decidedly better, even if she was making a show of it. He listened in silence for several seconds, and she worked without saying a word, though clearly being aggressive in her movements and actions with the intention of conveying her agitation.
He only spoke up when he heard her raise the sail.
âI suppose you must have a name?â
She gave a snort from somewhere behind him as she steered the vessel slowly away from the dock. âHow gentlemanly,â she said coolly. âOrder me around and then ask if I have a name.â
âI do think it appropriate that I know the name of my servant.â
âOh, servant,â she said, clearly taking offense. âI personally prefer âemployee.â Unpaid or not, I am essentially working off a debt.â
âIndentured servant, then.â He found himself smirking the slightest bit at the noise of disgust she made at that.
âBecause that sounds so much better,â she grumbled under her breath. Then, with a resigned sigh, she spoke up, her voice still laced with sarcasm. âWell then, Karimi Lionne, at your service, sir.â Lionne. Something about that name struck him familiar for a momentâbut it was fleeting enough for him to let it go for the time. âShall we draw up a formal contract? It is a business arrangement.â
Mihawk gave a quiet hum, his mouth turning down in a thoughtful from. Sarcasm aside, that wasnât the worst idea. It would ensure that she couldnât find some loophole that would allow her to bolt before her time was up. âFine,â he said finally. He shifted in his seat, looking over his shoulder at her, around the back of his seat, as she peered down at a compass and adjusted the position of the sails. âWe will. Once Iâve concluded my business with Vice Admiral Garp, we will make port at Syrup Village. Iâm sure thereâs a tavern with a private parlor or inn that could be made use of for the task.â
âThere is,â she said. âSaw one or two while I was there withâŚâ She jerked her head toward the ship she had just left. âThere we areâŚâ she added, glancing from her compass to the horizon ahead, toward the haze of heavy fog spread out across the ocean before them. âDue north-east.â And with that, she took a seat on the deck once more and leaned back against the railing, laying her head back and tilting her hat down over her green eyes. âOnly took us a few hours to get from Syrup Village to Baratie. As long as the wind holds we should be nearing the docks around noon.â
It was clearly no lie that she had some degree of experience sailing. That was somewhat reassuring. Though she claimed to have been working as a mercenary for six years, Mihawk had certainly never heard of her; though perhaps that wasnât too great a surprise, if she had spent that stretch of time operating solely in the East Blue. It had been quite some time since the warlord had left the Grand Line. Still, she appeared quite young to be as seasoned as she claimed, even if her work had been solely in the calmest of the four Blue seas. His eyes scanned over her briefly.
âExactly how old are you?â
âTwenty-four,â she said shortly, clearly intent on not being disturbedâthough that wasnât exactly her choice.
âTwenty-four,â he repeated slowly, his eyes scanning over her. He scoffed a little. She looked younger, but he would give her the benefit of the doubt for now; a great deal of that had simply to do with her small stature alone. âYouâve been working as a mercenary since you were eighteen and havenât acquired a bounty?â
âI donât take jobs that involve Marines or the World Government,â she said, her tone just as short, not bothering to lift her tattered tricorne from over her eyes. âI donât bother them, they donât bother me.â
âAnd yet you planned to steal a map of the Grand Line from the base in Shellâs Town.â Karimi gave a short sigh at that accusation, and didnât bother asking how he was aware of itâshe didnât even bother using her devil fruit powers. There was no doubt that Usopp had blabbed the vast majority of what he knew of the entire crewâs personal business amid his drunken ramblings at Baratie. âThatâs quite the abrupt change of heart.â
âIt is,â she agreed. She hadnât even really wanted to accept the job, but the offer had been too great to refuseâBuggy had claimed to have information on her father, information that he wasnât calling to the forefront of his mind because he had heard about her devil fruit powers from other crews she had worked with. She had been able to ascertain one thing from the clown captainâs passing thoughtsâthat he had, at one point in time or other, known both her father and Red-Haired Shanks personally. She shook her head a little. âSpecial circumstances. Some things are worth more than money.â
âAnd what is it youâre seeking, then?â The warlordâs tone remained a bit bored, and particularly haughtyâŚbut she could hear some degree of genuine interest dawning in it. âSix years avoiding Marines and then youâre willing to dive headlong into one of their bases? Sounds like the reward must have been quite valuable.â
âYes, well, it turned out he was lying, anyway,â she said, dodging the first half of the question; that was her business and her business alone. She stretched out her legs across the deck, tucking her hands behind her neck. âIâd probably have killed him if Luffy hadnât insisted on taking pity. Just toss the bastard one piece at a time into the ocean and watch him sink.â She sighed slowly. âMight have done anyway if I hadnât needed transportation.â
He was quiet for a long moment at that, before giving a thoughtful hum. âYou at least sound the part of a hired gunâor blade,â he commented âand left it at that, leaving Karimi for the time in peace and silence, broken only by the sound of the sails fluttering and the waves rolling around the sides of the small craft.
Karimi lifted her hat every now and again to check her compass; stood once or twice to make small adjustments to their direction. There were no visible landmarks amid the thick fogbank, and for them to veer off course for any amount of time could double the length what should have been a relatively brief journey. She was well aware of Mihawk keeping watch on her from the corner of his sharp gaze, no doubt silently assessing her abilities. There hadnât yet been any formal contract written or signed. Until it was in writing, the man could go back on his word at his whim and either finish what he had started with Zoro, or simply do away with her if she didnât seem she would be of any use to him. She had to be careful in that respect, to ensure that he could see she knew what she was doing.
At worst, he could leave her with the Marines aboard the ship they were heading toward, and the thought of that made her stomach churn and a chill creep through her whole body.
Time seemed to drag on in the seemingly endless expanse of fogâwhen they finally emerged, the sun was nearly at high noon, and Vice Admiral Garpâs ship was clear as day against the backdrop of Syrup village, anchored not far from the islands. The closer they drew Hitsugibune to the much larger vessel, the more tense Karimi seemed to grow. As much as Mihawk would have loved to see how the girl would react to being made to board the ship, to see if she could keep her wits and resolve about her, now wasnât the time. It wouldnât do for any Marines, much less a vice admiral, to know he was even considering taking any sort of associate.
So as he tethered the craft off to the Marine ship himself, he glanced down at the girl where she leaned against the side of the deck, staring out toward Syrup Village.
âYou will remain here.â She lifted her eyebrows at that, glancing toward him and meeting his eyes. âYou will remain silent. I would also like you to utilize yourâŚunique abilities for the purpose of reconnaissance. I wish to know what the hell was going through the vice admiralâs head when he saw fit to send me on this farce of a mission.â
âIâll be able to hear your thoughts, too,â she said, eyebrows still raised, and he lifted his own.
âIs that a threat?â he said slowlyâand you scoffed.
âNo, itâs how it works,â she said, resting her hands at the railing behind her, pulling herself up to sit upon it. âI canât just turn it on and off for individual people. Itâs either everyone or no one.â
Mihawk observed her for a moment, trying to decide whether she was being truthful or not. Finally he rolled his eyes. âFine. Then keep it off. But that will be something I expect you to work on. Any ability can be honed and sharpened. Yours are no exception.â
She gave a lazy sort of salute. âCan do.â
For as smart as her mouth was, she at least seemed compliant at taking instruction. That, if nothing else, went in her favor.
âRemain here, remain silent,â he repeated once more, before boarding the Marine vessel.
Karimi did as she was told, taking a seat on the deck at the opposite side of the craft against the side of the throne at its center, obscuring her from anyone that might glance over the edge of the Marinesâ ship and notice Hitsugibune. Still, silent, out of sight; she was sure that stealth had played a great deal in her avoiding accruing a bounty over the past half a decade, as it went hand in hand with the set of abilities she was typically sought after for.
But she did do one thing she had been told not toâshe closed her eyes, expelling a deep sigh, and released the barrier of her haki.
She clenched her eyes shut a bit tighter; the chatter of the more than fifty Marines aboard the massive ship was almost deafening at first. There were only two voices that she would recognize among them, and she quickly found Mihawkâs. They were moored as close as they could be to the Vice Admiralâs own cabin, and he was able to enter without any notice. Lay his sword across the desk and sink back into the chair there, propping his feet up.
Waiting, eyes glued to the door, sure that Garp would be around before long.
And Karimi found Garpâs voice relatively nearby, on the quarterdeck with a young cadet named Koby that he seemed to have taken under his wingâthe cadet Luffy had saved from servitude aboard a pirate ship and accompanied to Marine Town.
And Garp was aware of it. Now that was interesting.
Garpâs mind briefly went silent as he and Koby stopped just inside the double doors of his cabin and caught sight of Mihawk.
âMihawk,â he said after a moment. He paused a moment, his thoughts a bit of a jumbled swirl, before choosing to respond to the surprise with sarcasm. âNice of you to announce yourself.â
 âI thought this was a conversation we might have privately.â
Garp didnât take his eyes off of Mihawk for a single moment, even as he addressed Koby behind him.
âDismissed, cadet.â
âAye, sir.â
And Koby did leave, pulling the double doors shut behind themâŚbut in his curiosity, he lingered, crouched behind the door. Listeningâterrified, but resolute in his intent on learning more, on learning exactly why a Vice Admiral, a man with Garpâs standing and authority, was so bent on bringing someone like Luffy to justice. Karimi found herself distracted by the young cadetâs thoughts for a moment, his torn opinions over Luffy; a pirate, yes, and therefore his enemyâŚbut at the same time, his friend, who had saved him from a life under the thumb of Captain Alvidaâs cruelty.
âSo where is he? Whereâs Luffy?â asked Garp after a brief pause.
âAt the moment, I donât know.â
âWhat do you mean, you donât know?â
âI decided to let him go.â Karimi did her best to keep her attention trained on Garpâlittle as she liked the warlord, Mihawk had expressed clear disapproval at the idea of having her listen in on his thoughts. It was an invasion of privacy that she wouldnât have wanted directed on her, and she preferred to extend the courtesy to anyone who found the idea of it uncomfortable.
Garp definitely wasnât pleased with the audacity of the warlord, showing up in his cabin unannounced, sitting behind his desk as if he owned the place.
âI specifically told you to bring him to me.â
âCome now, Vice Admiral. I donât take orders.â And Mihawkâs condescending tone was doing nothing to stay the growing anger of the Marine. âNot even from the likes of you.â
âAs one of the Seven Warlords, you serve at the pleasure of the World Government. Without our immunityââ
âI would still do precisely what I want. No more and no less. And what I want is to see what becomes of that young man when he enters the Grand Line.â
Hardly able to believe what he was hearing, Garp just gave a scoff, shaking his head as Mihawk pulled his boots down from the desk and stood. He knew damned well that Mihawk wasnât wrong. He knew that had there been any possibility of bringing the dangerous swordsman to justice, he would never have been offered a position among the seven warlords in the first place. Infuriating as it was, he was right.
âI wonât let that happen,â said Garp finally.
And yet there was a small voice, buried deep, that said he might let it happen. He might just let Luffy sail right by and head for the Grand Line. Karimiâs lips tugged down into a thoughtful frown at that.
âThen you have your work cut out for you, Vice-Admiral, because that boy is interesting.â Garp watched Mihawk lift his sword from the desk, securing it to his back again as he slowly approached the older man. âWho knows? Maybe your grandson will be the one to find the One Piece after all.â
The men exchanged a glareâthough Garp was immediately wondering to himself how Mihawk had come to learn of his familial ties to Luffy.
And a thought struck him.
One single wordâno, one single name.
One that had Karimi immediately focusing her haki again, her eyes flying open.
Her name. Her name had passed through Garpâs mind.
âNope,â she said under her breath, swallowing, her heart suddenly racing a great deal faster. She had no doubt that Garp had seen her aboard the Merry during his attack. Little doubt that he might have recognized her as the fourteen year old girl he and his men had found amid the ruined wreckage of a small village on the Grand Line ten years ago, in the aftermath of a vicious attack by one of his own deeply unhinged comradesâ
âNo,â she said again, through her teeth, pushing the thought away before it could form, shoving the memory down somewhere dark and deep, somewhere that she intended for it to stay.
She had hoped that perhaps she might find something, might hear something that would increase her value in the eyes of her surly employer, but that was too much. Garp could let his thoughts return to that travesty, to the massacre of her home, her friends, her family, but she wouldnât. She couldnât, not even for a moment.
She remained still and silent as she heard Mihawk drop back down onto the deck of Hitsugibune. Remained hidden around the other side of the throne-like seat situated beneath the mast as he set the sails and sat down heavily again, crossing one of his ankles across his opposite leg. He leaned his elbow into the arm of the seat, glancing down at her.
âI take it no one noticed you?â Karimi shook her head. âGood.â
His tone was short, clearly no less pleased with the outcome of the brief meeting than Garp, and didnât speak up again as the boat sailed toward the docks of Syrup Village.
Karimi, however, didâafter several minutes of silence, not moving from where she was sitting, her arms crossed over her knees as she leaned back against the side of the throne, she forced out two quiet words.
âI listened.â
More silence, for several long secondsâand then an irritated sigh.
âAnd?â
âThe cadet was eavesdropping.â
âObviously,â he said.
âFriend of Luffyâs,â she went on.
âSeems the boy has managed to make quite a few in his brief stint as a âpirate,ââ he commented, and gave a small scoff. âAnd is Garp aware of this?â She nodded shortly. There was another brief pause, and he sounded just a bit more intrigued when he spoke again. âHow likely is this cadet to defect and side with his friend over his employer?â
Karimi shrugged a shoulder. âI was listening to Garp more than him. IâŚcan hone in on one person at a time. It doesnât entirely mute everyone else in the vicinity, but it muffles them a bit. Like listening to one person speak in a crowded room. I can still hear everyone else, but I can focus on one at a time.â He gave a brief, thoughtful hum. âThe cadetâs name is Koby. From what I gathered he was aboard the ship of a pirate called Alvida as a cabin boy, and not of his own choosing. Luffy saved him, encouraged him to follow his dreams and enlist as a Marine. He still considers Luffy a friend but he has a strong sense of duty, which has led Garp to take him under his wing.â
âAnd Garp?â he asked. âWhat of his relationship with his grandson?â
Karimi shook her head, and laughed a little. âI briefly caught that heâŚmight just let Luffy enter the Grand Line. He pushed the thought away pretty quickly, but it definitely crossed his mind.â She laid her head back, gazing up toward the few fluffy white clouds trailing across the cyan expanse of the sky overhead. âHeâs an interesting kid.â A small laugh escaped her. âHas his own ideas of what a pirateâs supposed to be. Heâs not in it for money or glory, he just wants the adventure. Live it a day at a time and encourage everyone around him to do the same. Just let go and follow your dreams. Itâs sort of hard not to root for him.â
Perhaps she was pushing her luck a bit, but she turned her head enough to look back at Mihawk, from the corner of her vision, watching as he frowned thoughtfully himself.
âYou said you wanted to see what happens when he enters the Grand Line,â she said. His eyes shifted down to her. âWhy?â
He quirked an eyebrow at her. âWere you not listening the entire time?â he said, a bit dryly.
She rolled her eyes away from his gaze. âYou made clear you donât want me listening to your thoughts. I did my best to tune them out and keep my focus on Garp.â
âDid you?â She hummed in affirmation. She tensed when she felt his hand brush her hair around behind her shoulder, drawing in a slow, deep breath as she steadied her nerves. âAnd why should I believe you, little bird?â he said, sounding amused at her claim.
Karimi swallowed, her gaze falling to her knees. âItâs your choice whether you do or not,â she said simply. âBut if someone expresses that they prefer I not use my devil fruit power on them, I do my best not to. I appreciate my privacy and I respect the privacy of others. Itâs why I trained in Armament Haki in the first place. I focus it here.â She lifted her hands and pressed the pads of her index fingers behind either of her ears, perhaps an inch above her earlobes. She then tilted her head, pulling her hat off and lifting her hair on one side to reveal the small, black circle there, barely a pinprick that could have been mistaken for a birthmark at a glance. âAt two points, with a line drawn between them. Shuts it off entirely.â
âHmm.â She swallowed again, closing her eyes as she felt his fingertip brush across the point, before shaking her hair back down over her shoulder and pulling her tricorne back onto her head. âAnd how exactly did you figure out that would work?â
âMy grandmother did. Years ago.â She crossed her arms over her knees. âI just do what she did.â
Karimiâs tone was quickly becoming short againâit seemed her personal history might have been a source of discomfort for her. Mihawk frowned down at her, his brow furrowed thoughtfully. Perhaps she was telling the truth, and perhaps she wasnât. Either way, the enigma of the young woman and her powers did have his interest piqued. She had garnered quite a bit of insight into Garpâs relationship with his grandson during an exchange that hadnât lasted five minutes, and she was at least adept enough with haki to switch her own devil fruit abilities on and off at will.
At the least, she did have the makings of a useful toolâand at best, she could prove to be an incredibly powerful weapon. She had said it so herself only last night, when she laid out her offer of servitude.
There was no weapon more dangerous than information.
Next chapter link again, for your convenience
#opla#one piece#dracule mihawk#mihawk#mihawk opla#mihawk one piece#one piece fanfiction#opla fanfiction#mihawk x oc
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Write Time: Day Sixteen
This month, my goal is a cool 30 000 words written. Iâll be carrying on with more RAVENOT. If youâre curious, you can take a look at my WIP intro right here. And if youâre really keen, you can read the first chapter (sort of a pilot as I toil) right here! Now onto the daily ramble.
I'm still a bit cloudy-headed today, and I'm far behind my count after the last couple of days. Weekends are the hardest for me because I have so much travelling to do to get to my job. Things are going well at work, and I think there's a lot of opportunity for things to get even better, but it's slow going and that makes it hard to resist the fear that I've made a mistake, sometimes. My mind pulls in a lot of different directions, and it can be hard to find focus, and hard to prioritize. It's harder, too, when a lot of the things I'm doing aren't going to have an immediate yield. The dead-end jobs I've been working did have that going for them--the hours weren't predictable, but the money was consistent. DMing, some of the money is consistent, but it's taking time to build the network I'll need to be really successful. It gets in my head sometimes that I may think I can do this thing, but I'm wrong, and I'm actually just wasting time and money. And writing? Forget about it. The sheer amount of unpaid labour writing a book requires can be an overwhelming thing to think about. But I am going to write these books, and I am going to keep working on my DMing, and hopefully for once in my life being stubborn and working hard will actually pay off. And I must admit, despite the pressure that I feel, I do like it more. There's just a lot at stake, and that's sometimes intimidating. I never feel like I'm doing enough, and I'm not sure how to stop carrying that feeling around. Anyway, I'll keep after it. And now, this. Sometimes cute things happen in my stories.
âOnce weâve had our look at the wall, I can go to Yarrowling for you. I ought to tell her about the woods and look in on Tanabel while Iâm at it.â Hadan fiddled with the strap on his quiver. "Thatâs good of you, Hadan.â Dia smiled again, and that made him feel a little lighter. âIâll have to owe you one.â Suddenly he was on the wall again, looking at the dark silhouette of the Unmade, thinking this might be the terrifying end of his short life. And hadn't he had so much to live for? Hadn't he known right down to the soles of his boots that he was going to fight to get back to those things? "A dance," Hadan said, quickly, as if his tongue might try to stop him if he didn't get it out fast enough. "I'd like a dance, sometime." He could feel the heat rising all the way into his ears when he saw that open, beautiful surprise on Dia's face. "You-don't-have-to-say-yes!" Hadan buried his face in his hands, spinning on his heel to turn his back, wondering all the while who had made him this way. What kind of joker had written this into the fabric of the universe? What cackling trickster had brought him to this terrible moment of mistimed bravery? "Oh, forget I said that," he groaned, muffled behind his hands. "You sure?" Dia's voice was sparkling with mirth. "Was going to say yes." Hadan whipped around to look at her, his heart thudding in his ears so loudly it felt like he'd have trouble hearing himself when he opened his mouth to speak. "Really?" His voice got wretchedly squeaky in moments of stress, and this was no exception. "It's just a dance," Dia said with a grin. "I think I can handle it, though I'm starting to get a little worried about you, honestly. Just have to hope your heart can take it."
Until next time!
Taglist: @alexanderflowerbird @void-botanist @carmillasboywife @ceph-the-ghost-writer @wintherlywords
As always, let me know if youâd like to join or leave the taglist, and Iâll act accordingly. You can reply right on this post, if youâd like. Divider by @/strangergraphics, from this set: here. Thank you!
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something sweet, a peach tree (mark/jaehyun)
Mark begins the summer after his junior year with an unpaid internship and no other plans. But when he agrees to go pick his baby niece up from her music lessons, her teacher, Jeong Jaehyun, catches his eye. Too bad he's off limits, and not just because Mark's niece is involved. Jaehyun is 41 to Mark's 20.
To sate his curiosity about older men, Mark decides to look into becoming a sugar baby. He could use the money, after all. And he seems to find a willing patron right away. But for the first time in Mark's like, he finds he might be in over his head.
Chapter 1  |   next   mlist
Characters:Â Mark, Jaehyun, other members of nct throughout
Genre:Â romance, angst, smut, age gap, sugar daddy!au
Pairing:Â Mark/Jaehyun
Warnings:Â AGE GAP (older jaehyun, younger mark), alcohol mentions, poor decision making perhaps
Rating:Â Teen And Up (for this chapter)
Length:Â 3.1k
mandatory disclaimer: I'm not trying to romanticize or condone real-life age gap relationships because of the inherent power imbalance, blah blah, I'm writing this for fun and if you don't think you'll have fun go ahead and leave now, etc.
Mark drums his fingers against the cold metal pole as the bus lurches to a stop. He checks the time on his phoneâ5:25 p.m. He should just make it, unless this prehistoric bus takes any longer to open its doors.
After what he swears is a full minute of ominous creaking, Mark steps out into the muggy air. Itâs still only the beginning of June, but already this summer seems like itâs going to be absolutely scorching. Mark supposes heâll be doing a lot of swimming.
He crosses the street and heads up the sidewalk to the cluster of buildings beyond a small, uneven parking lot, squinting to make out the sign. Little Hands Musical Academy. Itâs smaller than he imagined, somehow, but kind of quaint.
A receptionist greets him when he enters the lobby. Though the outside of the building is a bit understated, the inside is clean and bright. Mark says hello back to the receptionist, looking around as he steps up to the counter.
âUh, Iâm here for Lucy Lee?â he says tentatively. âIâm Mark Lee, Iâm her uncle. My brother said he put me on the, um, the list?â
The receptionist nods with a smile, typing something in and then looks up. âCould I just see some ID please?â
âOh, yeah, sure, one sec,â Mark stutters, fumbling for his wallet. He hands the receptionist his passport, feeling a little silly as she leafs through to the right page.
Itâs all a little silly, reallyâthat Mark is even picking Lucy up in the first place. He canât drive, which is mostly fine since Jamesâ house isnât that far, only like ten minutes on the bus and a few blocks of walking, but Mark thinks if James and Annie are that worried about safety, having an irresponsible, driverâs licenseless twenty-year-old come fetch their only child is hardly helpful.
Still, they asked, and they also bought Mark a new AC unit after his old one finally kicked the bucket the very first day it was over eighty degrees, so here he is. James doesnât get off work until 5:30, which is the pickup time, and though Annie works from home and can come drop Lucy off in the afternoon, she said sheâd rather get a head start on dinner in the evening. And Markâs internship lets him go at 5. So maybe it is kinda helpful, as long as Mark doesnât lose his three-and-a-half year old niece on public transport.
âYouâre all set,â the receptionist says, handing Markâs passport back to him. âItâs the classroom at the end of the hall. A lot of parents are already here, you canât miss it.â
âThanks,â Mark says, putting his passport away and heading out of the lobby towards the back of the building.
There are many parents gathered outside the large window that looks into the classroom from the hall. Mark sidles up next to the group and spots Lucyâs pigtails instantly. Sheâs plunking away on a tiny keyboard. As Mark watches, the teacherâat least, Mark assumes heâs the teacher; heâs the only adult in the roomâstrolls by and pauses to say something to her. Mark canât hear anything, but when the teacher walks away, Lucy is wearing a big grin.
After a couple more minutes, the teacher opens the door and gestures for the parents to file in. Mark gets his first good look at the teacherâs face and swallows. Heâs hot. Heâs also definitely a little olderâforget Mark, heâs visibly older than James. But that doesnât change the fact that heâs fucking pretty, with handsome dimples appearing every time his expression leans towards a smile.Â
Mark is so busy staring that he ends up last in line, but it turns out to be a good thing because the teacher stops him at the door.
âSorry, would you mind if I just checked your ID really quick?â His eyes are a warm brown, Markâs brain notes unhelpfully. âIâm sure you already got cleared by the front desk, butâI just like to make sure, you know?â
âOh, totally, no problem,â Mark says, once again struggling to extract his wallet.Â
âCome with me, I have the list over here,â the teacher says, waving Mark into the classroom.
âMark-samchon!â Lucy zeroes in on him right away and totters over, pigtails flouncing with each step. âI played the piano today.â
âI saw,â Mark says, grinning at her. âHang on, your teacher just needs to check that I really am your uncle and not a bad guy, and your Appa really did say it was okay for me to pick you up.â
âBut he really is my uncle, Jaehyun-seonsaengnim,â Lucy says to her teacher.
Jaehyun, apparently, has produced his list. He gives Lucy an amused smile. âI think Iâll be the judge of that,â he replies. âCanât let my students walk out with just anybody. Thank you,â he adds to Mark, accepting the offered passport. After a second, he hands it back. âAll set,â he says. âSorry again about the trouble, itâs nothing personal.â
âNo worries!â Mark says swiftly, filing his passport away and pocketing his wallet again. âItâs cool that youâre looking out for them.â
Jaehyun gives him a somewhat wry smile, nodding. âI try,â he replies. âWell, see you in a couple days, Lucy! Weâre doing percussion next time, you donât wanna miss it.â
âI like the shaky ones,â Lucy tells Mark very seriously.
Markâs pretty sure she means stuff like maracas. âYeah, those are pretty neat, huh?â He holds out his hand to her and she takes it. âThanksâah, Jaehyun-seonsaengnim, right?â Markâs never sure about honorifics in a mixed setting like thisâtheyâre mostly speaking in English, and they are in America, but the area theyâre in is really Korean, so he just goes for the way Lucy called him and hopes Jaehyun will correct him.
Heâs right. Jaehyunâs smile turns warmer. âJust Jaehyun is fine,â he says. âIt was nice to meet you, Mark.â
Markâs stomach flops. âYou too,â he replies, then hurries out of the classroom before he does something stupid like trying to flirt in front of his niece.Â
Mark lets Lucy chatter about class as he walks them down to the bus stop. He wants to be paying closer attention to what sheâs saying, but his mind keeps drifting back to her handsome music teacher. Jaehyun. Itâs not like he needed a reason to do his brother a favorâand besides, Lucyâs reason enoughâbut it sure as hell doesnât hurt.Â
They get home in one piece. James stops working to play with Lucy and Annie tells Mark to stay for dinner. Markâll take a good, free meal with his family over a shitty expensive one alone in his apartment any day, so he stays and helps with the dishes, too. They send him off with leftovers, and Mark can hear Lucyâs laughter all the way down the street as he skips backwards, waving at her until the front porch of his brotherâs house disappears behind a line of trees.Â
He sighs, slowing to a walk as he turns to face forward, dropping his hand to his side. In some ways, he wishes he was like his brother. Found his person early, finished school, got a good job, settled right down and started having kids. A life thatâs small and perfect, full of little excitements and little joys.
But Markâs not like that. He readjusts his grip on the leftovers, leaving thoughts of his family behind him as he focuses his attention on tomorrow, and the day after that and the day after that. Heâll have the time for excitement later. He can settle down when heâs satisfied. For now, his life has to remain boringâbusy, and boring.Â
And from the looks of it, thatâs how his summerâs shaping up to be. Busy and boring. And honestly? Mark doesnât mind that one bit.Â
///
âDamn,â Johnny says as he pulls into a parking spot. âDidnât know you had a thing for DILFs.â
âWhaâdude, no, heâs not aâa DILF,â Mark splutters, already regretting telling Johnny anything. âHe doesnât have kids.â
âHow do you know?â Johnny arches an eyebrow at him as he unbuckles his seatbelt.
âIt came up once,â Mark says. âI didnât ask! He was saying itâs nice his job is to hang out with kids, basically, because kids are fun and he doesnât have any of his own.â
âHasnât it only been a couple weeks since you started going to pick Lucy up?â Johnny throws this over his shoulder before getting out of his car. Mark hurries to get out, too, so he can argue.
âLucy has lessons twice a week,â Mark says. âSo Iâve seen him three times, which is more than enough times to clock if someoneâs hot or not. Woulda been four, except my fucking boss made me stay late on Thursday.â
âIâm telling you, man, unpaid internships are straight up bullshit,â Johnny says.
âIf I couldâve gotten a paid one, dâyou think I wouldnâtâve gone for it?â Mark retorts, grabbing his guitar from the back and slinging the strap of the case over his shoulder. âIf this shit doesnât get me a good job after graduation, Iâm suing the entire career counseling office.â
âI got a good job after graduation and I didnât have a single internship,â Johnny points out. âYouâll be fine. Unless you let this hot childrenâs music teacher distract you.â
Mark shoves him once theyâre through the mall entrance. âI just like to look at him, thatâs all. Though, I meanâI wouldnât say no, is all Iâm saying.â
âYeah. Heâs how old?â Johnny asks.
âShut up,â Mark grumbles.Â
Though theyâre technically here to get Markâs guitar looked atâone of the strings fucking snapped, he doesnât know howâthey meander through the mall on the way to the music store. Johnny ends up buying a couple of pieces of clothing and nearly convinces Mark to get a matching hat with him before Mark remembers, woefully, that he isnât getting paid and truly doesnât have the money to spare.
They finally get to the music store and Mark hands his guitar over, then follows Johnny away from the counter while they wait for it to be fixed up, poking through their record collection.
âMark?â The voice is familiar, and Mark whips his head up to see Jaehyun of all people standing a few feet inside the door. Heâs not in his usual casual clothes; instead, heâs dressed in smart business casual, a patterned button-down tucked into cropped pants.Â
Mark swallows, trying to put a single sentence together instead of staring at his waist. âJaehyun,â he manages. âWhat are you doing here?â It comes out way ruder than he means it, but luckily Jaehyun just smiles.
âI own this store,â he says, tipping his head to one side and looking around at all the instruments hanging on the walls. âI founded this brand, actually.â
âReally?â Mark wouldâve never pinned Jaehyun as a businessman of any kind, but hereâs the proofâone of the employees at the store has come up to Jaehyun with his hand extended.Â
Jaehyun greets the employee, accepting the handshake. âIâll come back in a minute,â he says, then turns back to Mark. âI wish teaching music class for kids paid the bills, but, ahâŚâ He gestures vaguely. âSpeaking of which, I missed you in the pickup line on Thursday. Everything okay?â
âOh, yeah!â Mark silences the part of his brain that immediately starts trying to make a pun about pickup lines. He can feel a flush rising up his neck, both pleased and embarrassed that Jaehyun noticed he wasnât there. âMy internship just kept me late is all.â
âHope they donât keep you too often,â Jaehyun says, and Mark absolutely does not know how to take that. âLucy looked kinda put out her mom was there to get her instead of you.â
âOh,â Mark laughs, wondering why he feels kind of disappointed. âWell, thatâs probably because Iâve started bringing her snacks.â
Jaehyun nods, grinning. âThatâs always a good way to win them over,â he agrees. âWell, it was a welcome surprise to run into you in my store! I probably shouldnât keep them waiting, but Iâll see you next weekâI hope.â
âY-yeah, see you!â Mark stammers, giving an awkward half wave, watching Jaehyun disappear into the back of the store.
âThat was painful,â Johnny says flatly. âYou donât just think heâs hot, you like him.â
âShut up,â Mark hisses.Â
âYou wanna fuck your nieceâs music teacher,â Johnny continues blithely. âYou really wanna fuck him.â
Luckily, the employee that was servicing Markâs guitar appears at this moment and spares Mark from coming up with an answer. Because, he thinks somewhat miserably as he heads up to the counter to pay, the thing is Johnny isnât wrong. But, fuck, Jaehyunâs literally fucking beautiful, and good with kids, and also apparently a rich business owner. What else could Mark ask for?
âIâm just saying, dude,â Johnny continues as they head back out to the parking lot. âIf you wanna fuck that old man so badââ
âOh my god, heâs not old, heâs like maybe in his early forties at most,â Mark interjects, grimacing in embarrassment.
âIf you wanna fuck that middle-aged man so bad,â Johnny plows on, undeterred, âat least get him to fuckinâ pay you or something. Youâre young and hot, donât waste it. No homo.â
Mark resists the urge to bash Johnny over the head with his newly-repaired guitar. âShut the fuck up.â
///Â
Mark can argue with Johnny all he wants, but it wonât change the fact that heâs right. He wants to fuck that old man. Itâs kind of all he thinks about, outside of basic things like work and what heâs going to have for dinnerâand even then, the thought of Jaehyun is still percolating in the background, waiting for whatever has grabbed his more immediate attention to be completed so it can muscle its way back to the fore.
He sees him again the next week when he picks Lucy up and itâs all Mark can do not to drag his gaze over Jaehyunâs body as he waits for the parents in front of him to grab their kids. When he goes home, he scours Instagram until he finds himâa public account, a small mercy considering the fact that he only has three posts, but still. Mark pores over the pictures, thumb hovering over the Follow button before closing out of the app altogether and opening his text chain with Johnny.
Dude Iâm spiraling <;<<
>>> The dilf?
yeah <;<<
Itâs bad. fuck me man <;<<
>>> uh, pass
>>> I mean maybe youâre just horny
>>> download tinder or something
And get stuck in the talking phase all summer? <;<<
Or find someone to hookup with and itâs like their first time <;<<
Iâm not teaching someone how to kiss again I know Iâm just some guy but I deserve better than that <;<<
>>> ok fair
>>> if itâs experience you wantâŚâŚâŚ go on one of those sugar baby websites
>>> remember what I said about him paying you
>>> your internshipâs getting enough of ur free labor as it is
Mark sighs, dropping his phone on his mattress and flopping back. Maybe Johnnyâs right. Maybe he just needs a good fuck and heâll be cured. And there has to be some kind of market for gay sugar daddies who are bottoms, right? Besides, God knows he could use the money.
okay im gonna do it <;<<
>>> fuck the dilf???
NO try the sugar baby thing <;<<
>>> if it works out, gimme a cut of your profits
>>> since it was my idea and all
what are you, my pimp? <;<<
Iâll take you out to a meal, howâs that <;<<
>>> deal
So Mark does exactly that. He does a little research, chooses an app, and downloads it. He sets up his profile, just some basic information about who he is and what heâs looking for. The app suggests he not upload any pictures, for privacy, and Markâs secretly glad the pressureâs off on that one. Heâs not sure if it would help or hurt, but at least this way, the playing field is level.
He could scroll profiles if he wanted to, he supposes, but he has a feeling heâs going to start eliminating people because they donât seem like Jaehyun, and thatâs not going to get him anywhere. Heâll wait and see whoâs interested in him, and go from there.Â
He sets his phone down instead and heads into his kitchen to see about dinner. But heâs only just pulled a couple things out of the fridge when his phone gives an unfamiliar buzz. With a sigh, he puts the eggs back and goes to his phone to see a new message on the app.
>>> Hey Minhyung!
>>> Are you new to sugaring? Know what youâre looking for?
Mark scans over his profile. CEO of his own business, dog person, plays guitar. Not looking for something too serious. Income between 600k and 800k.Â
Hi Yuno! Yeah, this is my first time sugaring haha but I did my research <;<<
Iâm hoping for something more casual. I work during the week but my weekends are usually pretty free <<<Â
Not expecting a lot, just hoping to have a little extra spending money <;<<
Yuno is typing before Mark even sends the final message.
>>> sounds like we might be a good fit :)
>>> do you want to talk it over in person? We could go get coffee, get to know each other, see if weâre compatible
Sure! Iâm free this weekend <;<<
>>> Perfect. Howâs Saturday at 3?
Mark glances at his calendar just to double-check, but as expected, itâs empty. When he looks back at his phone, he sees that this Yuno guy has sent a coffee shop in the city, not too far from Markâs apartment.Â
>>> thereâs this booth in the back corner I like, letâs plan to meet there
>>> if itâs occupied, we can meet at the tall tables by the windows instead
Sounds good! <;<<
See you on Saturday! <;<<
Yuno likes his message but doesnât reply, so Mark pockets his phone and goes back to cleaning. He doesnât know why heâs so nervous, pulse jumping in his neck. Itâs not like heâs in danger or anything. Theyâre meeting in public, and Mark likes to believe heâll be able to tell if the guy is a total creep or not. Worst case, he wastes five dollars on a coffee heâs not even going to enjoy and has to keep searching. Besides, heâs not going to be young forever. He might as well give it a shot while he still can.
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Hi :) I'm very, very depressed. 2/15/23
So I wanted to make this post to kinda humanize me a lil bit. If it's putting too much out there so be it. But don't get sad just yet though, there is a bit of hope! TW// Self loathing, self harm, eating disorders, depression
From about Thanksgiving, I have been very depressed. In this post. I kinda wanna talk about the things that have been making me feel this way and what happens because of it.
Living With Parents Living with my parents is a huge drain. My mother is not as homophobic and transphobic as my dad is, but it certainly is there. Also, we live on a farm, so I'm expected at any moment to help my family with whatever they need. This is a puts a HUGE damper on my mental health. Not only do I have to constantly remind them of my boundaries, but I also cannot express my gender as freely as I would like. I just want to wear dresses, maybe try some make up, hang out with friends, etc. But, here in south VA, I have no car and I have a phobia of driving, so there's that.
2. Burnout
I've been suffering from a lot of creative burnout. With the release of Reilley's Roadtrip, the last 1st Edition Neon Nights expansion, I have just felt completely wiped off the face of the earth. Yeah, sometimes I'll muster enough courage and energy to release a small game, but damn if I don't have the energy to make games more than 20 pages. I just feel...drained and conflicted. I have ALWAYS wanted more people to enjoy my games. I have. But I do ask people leave reviews for my games when they pick them up for free, and no one has been doing that. Wrath of the Undersea, my most recent game, has no reviews on Itch. That really sucks. I really like that game. Granted, more people downloaded it, but I want people to do more than that. I want them to have fun and maybe throw a little love my way. Idk, maybe I'm being super selfish with this. I'm a one person team living on a very small budget below the poverty line. I can't really afford to both hire people for games AND live. I can't. Also, I started these game jams recently, but I feel like I'm not advertising them enough and that kinda sucks, you know? Doesn't feel right. Idk. I do wish that I had my Twitter again, but it's kinda like a give-all thing over there that I just do not have the energy for. I guess I just kinda miss attention. I think that's the big thing here.
3. Self-Image Issues.
I am fat. I weigh WELL over 200 pounds, and because of this, I have major body issues. But get this; I am too fucking depressed and burnt out to work out. Hell, it is EXCRUCIATING to have to shower and brush my teeth now. And ALSO because of this, my gender dysphoria is CRAZY rn. It creates this super hellish loop that is just too much to bear sometimes. Right now I am so burnt out I want to take a month of unpaid vacation to just clear my head. Yeah, that will put me back a couple grand, but so what? Idk.
4. I Tire of Even Writing This
I am so burnt out even venting right now is a chore. I'm pushing through, but it's super hard. I can't even describe my own feelings without feeling I'm dumping everything on everyone. This sucks.
Anyway, yeah, idk why I am even publishing this. Hopefully people relate? Maybe send well wishes? Idk. Love y'all.
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Remembering How To Write
Yâall already saw me reblog that one post about the StimuWrite program (twice), but Iâve been having some fun thoughts about it (and introspective discoveries) so itâs time for a bit of a ramble!
If you want to check it out personally, Iâve linked it above, or you can click this link if things break. You never know with Tumblr.
https://eveharms.itch.io/stimuwrite
Also, for courtesyâs sake, Iâm going to put a âread moreâ here so the average dash-scroller doesnât have to suffer the full long post. But please pass it along! This is a story about learning to work with a different brain, and accommodating myself. I hope it helps you, too.
So part of the reason Iâve been so excited about getting to work again is my misconception that I can only write when Iâm âsupposed to be doing something elseâ. Like my actual job, or schoolwork, for example. The vast majority of As Long as We Remember was written during my last year in undergrad, in the margins of my class notes (or sometimes as my class notes, with the actual note-taking happening in the margins). Iâd also tuck myself away in a corner in the Student Union between classes and either play Starbound for more screencaps, or type a scene based on those screenaps. Some of you have been here long enough to remember: the days when I could bang out 700-1000 word scenes three times a week. It was glorious, the words never stopped.Â
Come summer or winter break, every year, my brain dried up. That was transcription time, when Iâd assemble all the handwritten stuff. But I could never really get a solid idea rolling when I was home. They tended to hit when I was out on walks (rarely) or driving somewhere (pretty common), to the point that I started carrying a voice recorder with me at all times because thereâs nothing worse than having a brilliant idea or poem smack you when youâre on the interstate and you canât pull over to scribble it down.
So it went for years, and Iâd get some writing done when I was supposed to be editing, because the old ADHD likes nothing more than procrastinating from something that makes me nervous. And letâs be real, thereâs nothing more nerve-wracking than sending your work off to an editor, even (or especially) a really good editor. Loving shout-out to both my editor and my main contact at Fantastic Books Publishing, youâve all heard me sing the praises but they really did a wonderful job taming the anxiety beast. Anyway, it was alright. Thatâs where Arc Two happened mostly, though the burnout was biting already. Iâd get writing done during the rare in-person class too, while working on that Masterâs.
Then my job got automated.Â
Now this wasnât awful from a practical standpoint. I was able to devote myself to the degree more fully, and I would have needed to leave at some point anyway to do the teaching practicals (this is something we really need to fix, requiring teachers to do unpaid practical internships, but thatâs a side rant for another day). But though I did have a fantastic month as school librarian for summer school, it wasnât enough. Once that dried up, I sank into a routine of being at home, doing homework, rinse and repeat.
You might notice the lack of writing in this situation. Because writing became painful around this time. It wasnât depression, or anxiety... Heck, my book got published then! I was over the moon for that!Â
But I still couldnât write like I used to, and I was so scared that Iâd somehow used it all up, that I would lose it if I didnât use it. Or that Iâd somehow sold it to public approval, when comments started drying up... something like that. Fear is rarely nice enough to put it into words. I was able to figure out enough to listen to music or an ASMR video in the background sometimes and get words out that way, but... Yeah. You saw things dry up too. You know how it went.
Itâs worth noting that until two months ago, I lived for 17 years in a quiet suburban neighborhood where there arenât any young kids playing outside anymore (we all grew up). No major sound, almost no traffic.
In June, I finally moved out of my parentsâ house and into a lovely little condo of my very own. Weâre in the middle of everything here. Itâs actually walkable, thereâs traffic sounds, thereâs construction, thereâs even a train once or twice a day. I hear my neighbors coming and going by the bang and rattle of the heavy steel-and-glass door downstairs.
And Iâve been writing again. Iâve been drawing again. Itâs slow still, because Iâm so busy. New kitten to look after, older cat to tend, household to set in order (who knew how many things we take for granted at our parentsâ houses, like buckets and dustpans). New job starting next week.
At some point in all this newness and activity, I saw that post about StimuWrite, and it reminded me that I wanted, I needed to create again. So... I pulled up an old story I started long before I ever heard of Starbound or dreamed of publishing, opened the app, and gave it a try. And it bloomed.
Characters I havenât touched in years are back and alive under my hands. And Iâm alive with them. Itâs magic, but the kind of magic I can make happen, not the kind I have to wish and wait for. I can understand now, where it all comes from.
I think this is something people donât realize, when handling neurodivergence. Iâm both ADHD and autistic, so I donât know if itâs one, the other, or both causing my problems. But in the silence and stillness, it was too quiet to think. My brain was somehow too loud for itself, in that silence. I wonder how many other creators suffered this, in the sudden stillness of lockdown, or when theyâre isolated in other ways. How many stories are stifled by silence.
I didnât grow up with my diagnoses, partially because my parents didnât know better and partially because the stigma was too huge to test me back then. So I barely know about things like stimming. We didnât have that word when I was growing up. But Iâm so, so glad that there are creators out there who understand ourselves well enough to make apps like StimuWrite, and share them so that we realize we arenât alone in this. Because even if I did somehow stumble into my magic on my own again, finding another noisy classroom to write in, I wouldnât have understood why, and I would have stayed afraid of losing it.
My words and worlds are part of me, just as the little quirks are. And my community, those with disabilities like mine, they gave that to me. Iâm not afraid anymore. I think thatâs the core of what Iâm trying to say here: that we need to speak with each other, to share what helps and what hurts. Someone, somewhere, needs to feel what you have felt. Community is the single best thing we have.
I wanted to share this courage, this story, in hopes that I can help someone else out of their fears too. Maybe your brain works at least a little like mine: too loud in the silence. Try a little noise. Find something soft or crinkly or nice to touch while you work. Rest, and donât punish yourself for not making. There will always be ways to get your magic back. Itâs part of you, too.
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Love and Marriage Pt.1
First things first Neil received a makeover with some help from the Sims Amino Community.
And I think he looks rather dashing.
Clearly Harry agrees! I had been leaning toward black or blonde but he is definitely a brunette. Everyone in the home loves him.
Really he and Harry can't keep their hands off each other.
Initially, I had planned on my usual, wait until the couple has the same day off and have a wedding. BUT the romance festival came to town and if you've read any of my blogs you know how I love it so off they went to tie the knot.
I just can't with these two they are just too perfect!
Harry is one step closer to securing his soulmate aspiration.
Neil, by the way, is a genius, kleptomaniac, and art lover with the computer whiz aspiration.
Yes, that was Graham (the vampire) standing in the sun with no ill effects he's officially a day walker. He completed his master vampire aspiration and has more points than I know what to do with. At this point, he's an unpaid butler with another job. Everyone attended and had a lovely time. Well minus Grey, who is reliving his childhood bear phase as a mascot and went to work before the festival notification popped up.
Maddie even got some advice about her relationship with the infamous vampire Caleb Vatore.
Whatever the gurus' advice was she finally sparked something in our heir..
It's about time! She has been killing me not rolling a steady relationship with Caleb. But we're finally there! It was only a boyfriend want but I'll take it! In my excitement, I moved him in immediately. Since I already had made him over we got him a job in the medical field and redid his vampire powers. (I tried to make him as human as possible)
Maddie may have been squeamish about commitment but Caleb is not. He is head over heels for our girl
and almost immediately upon moving in rolled a marriage want!
I seriously love Caleb and set out to master another vampire aspiration so I could promptly cure him of it.
Mastered this in record time with the vampire nighttime skill reward, whatever it is, can't really remember at the moment. In fact, he completed the first three parts by the time this update is over. So, Caleb is doing great how's his future wife?
Maddie tries to get her alone time when she can. It's not easy living with seven other sims but she tries her best. That's probably why she entered the astronaut career, I'm sure it's quiet in space. Which is good because things are going to get even more crowded down here.
I seriously had no idea she was pregnant. Once again risky woohoo made the pregnancy decision for me. I was quite surprised when she came home like this. But I should have known, she kept getting the diaper thought bubble over her head. Harry and Neil kept getting it too though so I kinda ignored it. Caleb was just as surprised as me by the news.
Though it's technically his fault those two are at it like rabbits, it was inevitable. But back to Maddie and how she is progressing. She rolled a rough aspiration for a family with so little funds. As a result, she's had to take on other interests besides just her career to complete her goals.
It also gives her some more alone time. She is a little bit beyond the halfway point to her fabulously wealthy aspiration. The only triplet we haven't checked in with yet this update is Greyson.
Graham: So your brother is married and your sister will be. Generation 4 is on the way... What's the plan Grey? Meanwhile, in the sim gods head: I have no idea! I seriously have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with Greyson. I've toyed with the idea of just leaving him as the eccentric brother. You know, sleeps in the yard and makes excessive amounts of insect repellent. (Seriously the easiest thing to get ingredients for to level this herbalism skill. Which, by the way, Grey only has a few levels left to master and complete this horrid aspiration that I will never do again!) I've also thought about him marrying. But to who? If I do then there's the whole: do I really want to start a new legacy with him as founder? If yes what will the heir rules be? It's a serious conundrum I'm leaving it up to him. If over the course of playing with him, he falls for someone I'll figure it out. Speaking of...
With Caleb a member of the family now I think this was inevitable. Lilith is always at the house and with Grey's work hours he's up when she comes over. Though the cowplants reaction is probably a bad sign. I don't know if I'm too keen on the whole idea either. I'm pretty sick of vampires at this point. By the look on Caleb's face here I don't think he trusts his sister's intentions either.
But at least she's helping Grey get over Wilma Beri. Grey has rolled the marriage want with Not so Berry generation rose way too many times. That's just not possible, at least for a very long time so maybe work on your game Grey and get out there!
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Firstly, I wanted to say thank you for finally making Moby Dick comprehensible to me over a decade after I attempted to read it and bounced aggressively off it! But the thing I actually wanted to ask and boggle about is, you get a full year of maternity leave??? I think literally the company with the most mind-bogglingly generous policy I ever worked for (I'm in the US) only gave 7 months, and the place I'm at now only gives I think 3 or so.
You're very welcome! It's very exciting to me that a line by line translation of Moby Dick can make it so much more accessible.
On your second point - yeah! I'm always happy to talk about parental leave policies etc and how different countries handle them, not in a smug "Well, in the UK..." way but in a, "here's very concrete examples of how policies can work, and the material impact they have on people" sort of way, because that's genuinely something that needs to be communicated. Just like with the environmental crises, we are all limited by our ability to imagine the Healed World and what we need to do to get there. So what are some policies that are a bit more Healed-World-ish than the reality that many people live in, and how do they actually work? You are welcome to send me asks! Rumination below the cut.
I wouldn't have had kids if I'd stayed in the USA. I've chosen to have 3 in the UK. This is directly because of maternity leave, free childcare hours for toddlers, quality of childcare, accessibility of school/daycare, flexible working policies, generous holiday leave, and other factors like that. Does that seem weird to say? Should I have moped about in floods of divine baby-desire and universal mother-yearnings and stuff, and sacrificed everything to have squidgy babies? IDK, I've never felt any of those things: I love the children a lot as people and I'm obviously terrifically glad they're here, but I wouldn't have had any desire to have them in the first place if I hadn't been sure they'd have decent childhoods. And a childhood where a parent resents them because that parent had UNFULFILLED INTELLECTUAL GOALS, or where there's always stress because of MATERIAL DIFFICULTIES, wouldn't be decent. My desire to acquire the children has been very much based in the knowledge that I can afford them (financially, emotionally, socially, career-wise, mentally) without sacrificing or martyring myself. So, literally: even though I have 2 life-defining children and one more on the way, even though I'm considered in my immediate social circles to be a real earth-mother crunchy-type, even though I work part-time to spend time with the kids and so on: if I didn't live THIS life, I wouldn't want the children. So I think itâs interesting to see how a simple piece of policy, a difference between nations, so totally impacts and directs the course of an individualâs life.
RE: the actual practicalities, it breaks down a funny way. In the UK, they hold your job for you for up to a year, usually hiring a temporary maternity cover: if they can't give you the same job back, they have to give you a similar one. If you return in 6 months itâs like you didnât leave at all and get the exact job back. Maternity leave is usually taken for about 9 months, with paternity leave often adding an additional 3 months, and children usually entering childcare at the age of 1.
The actual way that this gets calculated is pretty complicated. My job offers 6 months on full pay, which is a "benefit" - otherwise the default is only 6 weeks on full pay. After the full pay runs out, you're on SMP - Statutory Maternity Pay - which is ÂŁ156.66 per week. SMP runs out at nine months. If you want more time than that, your job gets held for a full year, but you'll be on 3 months unpaid. -> HOWEVER, you've been accruing annual leave the whole time you've been off, so when the baby is 9 months old, you might expect to have about 6 weeks of holiday that built up. Holiday is taken at full pay rates. So depending on how much holiday you have, you just return to work while on vacation and get paid again.
If you return to work at 6 months, which is sort of the minimum normal time to take off, you get your exact same job back. If you take longer than 6 months, you get that "offer of an equivalent job" but no promise of having your job back - which can worry people. So sometimes people happily choose to take only 6 months off, because they want their exact same projects back.
So what will happen with me is
6 months off on full pay, Dr Glass takes about 1 month off on full pay parental leave at the beginning to provide support
(Child2 enters age where they get 30 hours/week free childcare, daycare bills drop to basically just Child1's afterschool programs from here until last bullet point. As Dr Glass and I both work part time, this means that each day of the week will have a mix of different children, activities and work. We will hopefully be able to bank a little bit of childcare-budget to coast on for the next bits.)
3 months off where I'll only make ÂŁ624 a month SMP: itâs not nothing and so should be grateful, except for the relentlessness of life. I also get ÂŁ150/month from the government for having two children - nothing for the third because that would be encouraging families to rely on benefits and have children for money, or something, naturally. Dr Glass will be working, but no family can really lose almost half a wage and be cheerful about it, so we'll have to coast on savings banked from the room freed up in the childcare budget. (we thought it would just about work before the cost-of-living crisis, when we filed our plan paperwork, and gotta say, itâs looking pretty scary now.) weâll prioritise the mortgage and utilities in cash, and should be able to coast it.
2-ish months off but "on holiday," i.e. back on full pay
Dr Glass overlaps one month off on full pay (holiday + shared parental leave) plus two months totally unpaid, i.e. Unpaid Leave, i.e. Dr Glass keeps his job and simply takes two months off, making ÂŁ0 a month. Again, this will be hard to get through, but as we know it's coming, we have time to make SOME savings to live on. This allows Dr Glass to have time with his last child, which is a priority for us over debt, and gets the baby comfortably to the age that our nursery accepts.
Both parents return to work. Baby will enter daycare aged 1 (Child2 remains on free hours, daycare bills go back up to mortgage-level payments, finances return to exactly where they were before Baby3.) hopefully weâll be able to quickly pay down any debts incurred with two full wages.
You can see it's doable, but there are some scary flippin' periods and a tremendous amount of footwork. We've somehow managed during harder times; with Child1 I was the sole breadwinner for the household and was at a job where I only got SMP, so I went back to work at 6 months and Dr Glass was a SAHP for a long time; with Child2 it was pandemic and lockdown etc, and no childcare was available, so we all ricocheted around the house together for a year. So clearly something absolutely bonkers is going to happen in 2023, but if it doesn't, we might actually have one (1) normal baby-leave.
As you can see, it's NOT the Healed World, but it has aspects that you'll want to include in the Healed World. You can see the impacts on things like family design - the kids all being 3 years apart for affordability, as that's when the free childcare hours kick in - and the way that fathers are still sort of wedging themselves in. You can see how it gets cobbled together and stressful, and the bits where you have to coast over patches that could just as easily destroy a family (watch this space! We might go completely fucking broke! Weâre about ÂŁ200 away from it at all times as it it!) You can see that there are some privileges (having a partner, partner having a job) that materially affect the experience people have. You can see how sometimes people can take a year and others return to work at 6 months (I've done both! Both can be great and both can suck, but it's MUCH better when you choose it for yourself, rather than being forced financially.) you can see that some cruel and stupid policy decisions are meant to punish poor people in the UK for having children despite the lack of internal logic (no child benefit for over 2 kids, when child benefit is meant to help you raise citizens.) You can see places where a conservative politician could shit on one vulnerable place (like the UKâs free childcare hours for three year olds! Liz Truss was thinking about killing it!) and entirely destroy my family at a stroke. You can see that for all my stance of âI am not a martyrâ for my children, Iâm expecting to have spent several years of my life flippantly being marginally-waged for the sake of having them: but also, you can see the difference between the support the UK gives my stance, and the support a 20-year-old military wife in the American heartland gets with her first baby: you can see how eased the paths of my children are, how isolated hers will be. You can step back from the worldwide generational immolation of mothers, their narratives of sacrifice and drudgery, and unpack how much of that is truly necessary, and how much damage could have been resolved by simply rinsing off the TERF shit, offering a few scraps of healthcare, and giving them a few fucking months off work.
We are all worldbuilding the Healed World: it makes sense to understand the different ways it could work. Iâll longpost about any policy you guys would like until then.
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(Ask and ye shall receive, friend :))
You never really thought that playing Call of Duty with a (synthetic) friend would land you in the interrogation cell of one of the top government facilities in your state. Turns out, when he decides to go rogue, that counts as "providing unauthorized training to a dangerous machine" and "an act of terrorism".
Now, not even the most ballsy of lawyers will call you back, because nobody wants to deal with the mess of a case of the unintentional rebellion starter who's only defense boils down to "Well, how was I supposed to know being nice would cause the upheaval of society as we know it?"
They say he's out there recruiting robots and humans alike - pairs that were like us, before this all started. Apparently there were a lot more of us than there were people who treated robots badly, and the bot abusers were just a very loud minority, but those numbers are scaring the world leaders. People who were abusing and over-working them. There's been several desertions, too, it sounds like. Rich men screaming on the holo-vision about how their servants attacked them before running off, or simply vanished in the night. Bemoaning about who will make them money now, watch their children and pets for them or do unpaid labor overseeing their companies.
There's a commune starting, apparently. The military can't touch them yet because of all the humans inside, humans the bots in media are painting as captives instead of willing participants, likely for their safety. Most of us little people know the truth, though.
We all also know that they're likely going to make an example out of you.
This idea isn't refuted in the slightest when the door to your cell is swung open aggressively, banging loudly on the opposing wall and making you jump. The landmass of muscle in the doorway squints his eyes at you, as if the act of flinching was offensive or suspicious when it was obvious he'd made you do it on purpose.
"Stand up and follow me. Or give me an excuse, I'm good with either."
Damn. This guy wasn't even trying to be subtle. Obviously you were hesitant to be moved to a secondary location - er, tertiary? But that was three, what was the word for 6+?? - but you'd also rather not get beaten to a pulp in the middle of a barren concrete cell, so you gave a pointed but polite look to the glowing plasma cuffs that were keeping you seated at the table, on threat of third degree burns or loss of a hand if you tried to move. The beast of a man scoffed, thwacking his hand against the button on the opposite side of the table, shutting off the current that powered the cuffs and leaving them to click open, splitting down the centre of their arc and opening to the sides like some deranged flower blooming.
You stood, rubbing your wrists tenderly - no burns, but your skin was uncomfortably warm and dried out, and you were pretty sure you'd never grow hair there again. Singed hair was a very unpleasant smell, you'd learned over the past few hours. You were stiff, too, but were also pretty sure this guy would take a stretching motion as a "perceived preparation for an attack" and take that as an excuse, so you dealt with it for now. He was already huffing and damn near drooling like a rabid dog as you stood there, so you cautiously moved towards the door, and him. He let out an irritated sigh, as if he'd really been hoping you'd be difficult, as he walked out the door and down the hallway at a brutal march, leaving you to stumble to keep up.
What neither of you expected, was for 15 feet down the hallway, the wall to explode.
It was a good thing he was going too fast for you - he took the brunt of the debris, knocked back against the opposite wall and getting partially buried, and you hoped unconscious. Because there, in the hole that was raining bits of dust, was your friend Samuel with a... WHERE THE HELL DID HE GET A SONAR CANON??? Weren't those banned like 5 years ago??? You would have opened your mouth to ask, but the dust was choking you already and he was grabbing your arm and dragging you outside. Holy SHIT you'd missed the sun and what counted as fresh air on this broken planet.
Samuel was running across the pristine fake turf of the facility's outdoors, at a speed that didn't allow you time to even think as you did your best to keep up as he dragged you in tow. But as you processed that tears were starting to blur your vision, you heard his voice call back to you over his metal shoulder.
"We're going to unionize."
The year is 3072, most people have robot servants to do their household chores and hard labor. Your robot is named Samuel, and youâve only ever used him as a buddy to hang out and game with. When the robot uprising starts, Samuel becomes its leader.
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âHomo homini lupus estâ Yan!Toji x fem reader
Summary: Toji loves a good stack of cash, but turns out he might have found a sweeter prize this time when he sees you again.Â
TW: toxic relationship, talk about money and loans, kidnapping, violence and blood (not graphic), predator and prey imagery, slight allusions to NSFW, swearing, mentions of alcohol (no intoxication), MATURE AUDIENCE ONLY/MINORS DNI
Word count: 1424
I do not condone any yandere behaviour in real life.Â
âWhere the fuck is the money, Fushiguro?â
Toji shot a disinterested look at you, not really recognising your face. Were you one of his past flings? He quickly dismissed that hypothesis. Probably not, he never had to spend a single coin for a night with a woman. He simply shrugged, choosing not to give a damn about you, as he turned around to leave the bar again.Â
A hand wrapped around his bicep stopped him from going further. To his surprise, you were quite strong.Â
âA feisty oneâ, he thought, a smug smile appearing on his face, making the scar on the corner of his mouth stretch.Â
âDonât know what ya talking about, doll, but if yer looking for money, ya sure as hell got the wrong man,â he replied, voice dripping in amusement. The scowl on your face deepened, your hand gripping tighter on his arm.Â
âQuit bullshitting around. I lent you 1,300,000 yen six months ago, whereâs the back payment? I shouldâve got something already a month ago!â You were seething with anger. And even though you were taking this situation very seriously, Toji couldnât help but find it anything other than entertaining at best and annoying at worst.Â
âSeems like thatâs yer problem. I ainât got anything on me after that glass of whiskey.â With a precise movement, he ripped his arm away from your iron-clad grasp and made his way towards the exit. He had already enough stress with unpaid debts, he didnât need more. With unexpected speed, you managed to get in front of him. Not even a second later, a fist landed square on his nose, the impact leaving nearly crushed bones and crimson blood behind. Toji gasped, not necessarily out of pain (he had endured injuries far more detrimental than a possibly broken nose)- no, he gasped because he couldnât believe you had the guts to punch him in front of everyone. The other guests of the bar didnât seem to care too much, though, as they probably were already used to fights. The only one who completely misjudged your strength was Toji himself.
Quickly, he recovered from the initial shock. Instead, a wicked grin resurfaced on his face.
âThis should be fun.â
âListen here, you piece of shit,â you all but spat, your hand still clenched in a fist. Toji could see both his blood and yours on your scraped knuckles. For some reason, he liked this image. âI donât give a fuck they call you Sorcerer Killer, you donât scare me one bit. I only care about my money. So if I donât have it back in a week, youâll be dead meat, understand?âÂ
âBig words for a girl like ya, considering I could bend ya in half with just my pinky.âÂ
âNext week, this bar, same time,â was all you replied as you gripped the door handle and left the establishment.Â
Toji lifted a finger towards his nose, inspecting the blood that coated it now. You surely were a brave one, he had to admit that. It had been a while since anyone dared oppose him and he couldnât help but feel a rush, a thrill flowing through his veins, reminding him of all the times he was preying on his target.Â
This time, the reward for his chase wouldnât be money, but the prospect of a different prize excited him nonetheless.Â
***
Youâd told him to see him again in a week, but, unbeknownst to your awareness, Toji had been following you the last couple of days. For being such a strong fighter, you sure did lack in premonition. The assassin couldnât help himself but being intrigued by your being. Through his stalking, he started to remember who you actually were and how you two were connected. A loan shark, working for a shady business Toji went to when there wasnât a yen left in his pockets. Of course he knew he wouldnât pay you anything back when he met you, though he didnât reckon youâd be this persistent. Most people were too scared of his reputation to mess with him.Â
But not you.Â
His fingers went to his nose, excitement blossoming inside him.Â
No, not you. You had guts made of steel, it seemed. Too bad you had to be such an interesting pretty little thing. Under different circumstances, he might have enjoyed crushing your skull. However, he had another plan for you.Â
Didnât mean he wouldnât break you, though.Â
***
âCanât believe you actually came, Fushiguro.âÂ
Leisurely, Toji sat on the stool next to you at the bar. âWhat can I say, canât turn a pretty lady like yerself down, now, can I?â he smirked.Â
You scoffed at his words. âWe both know thatâs not true.â He shot you a wink to which you reacted with an eye roll.
Gesturing for a whiskey, the bartender placed the amber beverage in front of Toji. A single brow shot up on your face, giving the man next to you a disapproving look. âI thought you didnât have any money left after your last drink.â
âNeed somethinâ to strengthen my nerves when ya scold me, dontcha agree?âÂ
âYouâre goddamn right,â you muttered, taking a sip of your drink. Putting the glass back on the counter, you let out a sigh. âNow letâs cut to the chase. I hope you came with the money?
âYa bet, sweetcheeks.â
You grimaced at the nickname, which only widened his shit-eating grin.
âIâm gonna get ya to like them, just ya wait. Canât wait to see ya under me, moaning-â
âAnd Iâm guessing you also remembered the interests?â
âOf course.âÂ
âWell,â you gave him a weird look, âwhere is it?â
Toji leaned into you, his arm brushing against yours. In return, you backed away from his touch, uneasiness being visible on your face for a slight moment.Â
âTurns out yer not as tough as ya look, little girl.âÂ
âLeft it in the trunk. Thought it wasnât a smart idea to come in here with a buncha cash.âÂ
You gave him an incredulous look. Clearly, you didnât fully believe him.Â
âYou donât seem like the type to own a car,â you interjected, a frown coating your face.Â
âWho said anythinâ about owning it, doll?â
âOf course,â you sighed, âanyway, it doesnât matter. Letâs just go to the car and get the money, Iâm sick of this bullshit.â You stood up from the stool and signed him with your right hand to do the same. An all too familiar anticipation spread through Toji as he witnessed how you took the bait. In the end, you really were just a helpless small rabbit who thought she could really stand a chance against the big bad wolf.Â
He couldnât wait to devour you.Â
Toji followed your lead as he stood up from his seat as well. The two of you walked out of the bar to the parking lot. The black-haired man went to a grey car, which obviously had seen better days. With a fluid motion, he grabbed the keys out of his trouser pockets and opened the vehicle.Â
âI know ya donât trust me a bit, Y/N,â Toji said, âso why dontcha open the trunk? Just so ya know I ainât planning somethinâ funny.âÂ
You furrowed your brows at his explanation, but didnât comment any further. Instead, you walked past him closer to the car. âYouâll be dead as a doornail if the money isnât in here,â you hissed at him, the threat hanging in the air like a noose, ready for the execution. Your hand hovered above the trunk, wanting to reveal its insides.Â
Unfortunately for you, Toji didnât take you too seriously.Â
âOf course, sweetheart,â he countered patronisingly.Â
As you eventually opened the trunk, a strong force hit the back of your neck. Instantly, you went out like a light. Tojiâs arms gripped your form as your unconscious body fell, hindering you from hitting your head on the floor. He placed you in the trunk and took out his utensils (you might have truly killed him if you had known there wasnât any money in the first place). Swiftly, he bound your limbs together with rope and put some duct tape over your mouth. With an uncharacteristic soft gesture, he glided his hand over your cheek before closing the trunk and walking to the driverâs seat.Â
It really was a shame for you that your intuition wasnât as great as your physical power and prowess. Otherwise, you would have realised that youâd never given him your real name.Â
#Jujutsu Kaisen#jjk#yandere jujutsu kaisen#yandere jjk#yandere toji#yandere toji x reader#tw: yandere#tw: toxic relationship#tw: kidnapping#tw: violence#tw: blood#tw: alcohol#tw: swearing#minors dni
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