#finally preparing to open my online store!!

[mintjeru]

I'm excited to announce that my first digital independent zine, "Outlander's Playlist," will be released soon! It contains Genshin Impact fanart, each piece dedicated to a specific character and loosely inspired by an original VOCALOID song. Stay tuned for more information!

Release date: 15:00 ET, Sunday, February 11, 2024

[felixcloud6288]

It's Hurricane Season so I'd like to share some advice as a life-long Floridian who's experienced a few things. This is going to be directed primarily to people living in areas at risk of blackouts which could last several days.

Preparations

Aside from food, water, and gas, some things you'll want to make sure you have are flashlights and batteries. Make sure to refill any medications you might need.

From @dea-certe: Fill up all vehicles and maybe a few gas containers now. Firstly because it will be more expensive in the storm aftermath, but also because it will be harder to find. I went to five different gas stations to find fuel at one point and was kicking myself because I had used so much has keeping the phones charged and keeping the heat going.

Get raincoats in case you need to go outside cause the wind will destroy any umbrellas.. If you can't get one, take a garbage bag and tear a face hole into it and use that.

Also, get bug repellent, especially mosquito repellent. Mosquitos breed around still water and there will be a lot of still water.

And if you have an infant, make sure to stock up on diapers, baby wipes, etc. Even if you don't have an infant, baby wipes can be useful to help keep yourself clean.

You might want to buy some gardening gloves as well to make the post-storm cleanup safer.

SUPER IMPORTANT FOR SANITY AND SANITATION: get caught up on laundry and dishes. No power means no running water. Don't make things worse by not having clean dishes or clean clothes to use. While you're cleaning, change your bed sheets as well. Once you have power, change your sheets again.

Also, download any games, ebooks, shows, etc you can onto any battery-charged electronic devices you have. It will help your sanity when all you can do is wait.

From @metadata-uber-alles: My recommendation re: radio is to make sure you have an actual AM/FM radio, one that can run on batteries. You can probably thrift it if you don't have one already. Most radio stations stream online too, but if the power goes out you'll be rationing your phone battery and may not have internet.

Finally, while you should ideally board up your windows to protect them from debris, make sure at the minimum that all your windows are closed. Wind pressures are going to suck air out of any openings in your home.

Food and Water

First and most important: DO NOT BE A HOARDER!!

Even if your home has no power, that doesn't mean your local grocery store has no power. You can expect some reduced supply due to damaged supply lines and a spike in demand, but you shouldn't be worrying about empty shelves. At worst, have the amount of supplies you might need for 10 days. If you normally go to the grocery store every 2 weeks or longer, just stock up the amount you normally would.

Buy more items that are less likely to spoil and don't need refrigeration. When you have no power, prioritize eating anything which requires refrigeration (milk, cheese, meats) or has a short shelf life (bread).

Demand will be higher in preparation, and supply will be diminished for a bit, but supply issues only become unbearable when people start hoarding.

As for water, you'll need a surplus since you need water for so much. I cannot stress this particular part enough:

You need water to flush your toilet.

If there's somewhere with running water you can go when you need to poop, use that whenever possible, but you need water available at home to refill your toilet's cistern if you don't have that option (either time, distance, etc).

Make sure you have a supply of drinking water. Don't go buying every water bottle you can find (See the bit about hoarding), but you should buy more than you might normally use. Instead, gather water through things like your sink or from a hose into any sealable containers you might have . If you have a bathtub, fill it up just before the hurricane. If you have a pool, that's another source of water. If no debris got in the pool, you can use it for bathing. If you have empty buckets, you can get some additional water during the hurricane by filling them with large rocks or bricks and leaving them out in the open to collect the rain water.

Different water sources will be used for different purposes:

bottled, canned, or other store-bought water: Drinking, cooking, and refrigeration (explained later)

Water in unsealed containers: refill the toilet cistern

Water in a sealed containers: bathing and cleaning (Can also be used for the toilet)

As mentioned with food, supplies at your grocer will be reduced but not necessarily empty. You should be able to buy enough additional drinking water and be able to also use it for cleaning, giving you more water for the toilet. The tip about gathering rain water will only work once. There will likely be no rain for at least a week afterward.

In case you need to evacuate

Keep tabs on whatever emergency alerts are available. Check what your local radio channel is or what sites to check online. Make sure you know how to get to your local shelter, including alternate paths in case a road is inaccessible.

Load your vehicle with anything you might need to bring with you before the storm so you don't have to spend time looking for them and double checking when every minute could count. Pack some pillows, blankets, and extra clothes just in case. Also include anything you cannot risk losing for school or work like laptops.

Refrigeration

Without power, your fridge is now just a giant cooler and a ticking bomb to being a biohazard. Fill it up as much as possible. Cold air escapes easily when you open it and heat disperses fastest throw the air. Remember how I said you should buy extra water? A fridge filled with cold water will stay cooler longer. Any liquid will do. Fill your fridge with water bottles, soda cans, beer, fruit juice, whatever. As long as it doesn't spoil at room temperature. Milk can technically help too, but since it spoils you shouldn't keep much of it and should use it quickly.

Additional things like fruits and veggies will also help. What matters is you want to reduce the amount of empty space and fill it with anything which can keep the temperature down. Put a frozen block of iron in for all I care. Just don't have a super empty fridge.

If you have a generator

Good for you. You're not completely without power now. But you need to set priorities on what to use it for. Generators can only supply so much power at a time so you can't just hook everything to it and expect things to work out.

Top priority is the fridge. Twice a day, morning and evening, plug the fridge to the generator and let it run for two hours to cool things down. Don't hook up the fridge when you don't expect to open it (like when everyone is asleep).

Second priority should be charging cell phones, laptops, and anything else like that. Depending on your circumstances, you can charge them at work, from your car, etc so only hook them up when batteries are low.

Third, comfort. I understand this will be stressful, but hooking up your tv and gaming computer isn't the best idea. If you've done what I suggested earlier, you'll at least have something to watch or do without needing to hook it to your generator. Like with the above electronics, you might be able to find other ways to charge them, but only attach them to your generator when you don't need to worry about necessities.

Finally for the love of god, DO NOT HOOK AN AC TO THE GENERATOR!!. Air conditioners draw a lot of power, especially once the room is hot. But your generator can only do so much. The AC will kill your power supply really quickly. Use a fan or the AC in your vehicle if you need to cool down.

Also worth noting, if you have an electric vehicle, that could potentially be used as well. I don't know specifics, but look into that if you own one.

Final notes

This is not comprehensive and I may be wrong about some things.

Please refer to actual expert sources for comprehensive help.

This is just suggestions from someone who has to deal with this every year and has figured out how to deal with the aftermath. Your living conditions may be different so please check how to handle any concerns unique to you.

Stay safe and do not give up hope.

[vrajitosarehaos]

Healed (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

summary: you finally come out of an emotional sadness and decide to go out with Bucky to dinner, without thinking about who you would end up running into.

words: 3219

A/N: My other blog where I published my one-shots (thewxtchwhowrites) was deleted out of nowhere without explanation, so now I upload it here on the main one. Enjoy 💖

You were carefully walking down the stairs and your heels started making noise as they hit the steps, causing Bucky and Steve who were talking near the door to turn to look at you.

Bucky looked nervous, and it was no wonder, the truth is that he had not been on a date in more than 70 or 80 years, with everything that had happened in his life these last few years since the 40s.

Steve seemed to calm him down, when the blond turned to look at you he had a smile on his lips, he looked like a proud older brother.

As you walked down the stairs you wondered how you had really gotten to this day, and the truth is that the whole series of events had been very convoluted and fun...

Or at least now that you were feeling better.

You had been depressed for a couple of months and it was because your boyfriend with whom you had been in a relationship for five years had broken up with you overnight with a simple message:

"I can't keep doing this, forgive me."

Your eyes began to fill with tears as you continued reading as best you could:

"I owe you what I am today. And it hurts me to tell you this, I don't know, I feel like I'm really screwing up by leaving all these years behind." Your tears no longer let you see, your vision was blurred. "But I want to make that decision and continue alone from now on. Maybe we can be friends in the future."

Bastard. You thought to yourself, it was obvious that there was something strange about his behavior after you both had your last movie date, but you decided not to listen to your intuition even though Natasha had warned you.

"I don't know, honey, I think you should be prepared…" Natasha sat on your bed and sighed, taking one of your pillows in her hands, and noticing one of the photographs you had on your wall where you and your now ex-boyfriend ex-boyfriend, were at a Coney Island fair with ice cream on your faces.

"But Nat…" You said while shaking your head. You were delusional, without a doubt. "We've been together for five years, I don't think we'll break up. He's just a little stressed because his business isn't going well."

There were times when your ex-boyfriend would disappear for weeks, claiming that he was busy working or trying to run his business (a music store that his grandfather had owned for many years) and sometimes when you logged on to social media after work, you would notice that he was still online sharing posts or tweeting, although he didn't respond to your chat.

Sometimes he'd leave you on 'read' or sometimes he just wouldn't seem to open the chat, which was… strange.

Until it happened.

Even the final message of that long paragraph of excuses had a rather late apology that said:

"I'm very sorry, not only for the moment in which I'm telling you all this. But also for what I've put you through and how I treated you, not speaking to you for weeks and then coming to you to write all this shit."

That last message definitely led to long hours of crying, especially at night in your room at the Avenger Compound, not wanting to leave your room, maybe just to eat with everyone or for missions, and then return to your room.

You were even more temperamental during missions, you hit harder, and you were even more reckless, which Bucky noticed immediately, he knew that attitude and hatred.

The first thing Nat, Wanda, and Maria Hill did when they found out was brought you ice cream and have a girls' night out, which ended relatively well, at least until Wanda put on a movie and the guy's name was your ex's.

A couple of nights later you heard a soft knock on your door, you were crying as quietly as you could, and you thought that maybe you had woken up Steve or Nat who were sleeping in the adjoining rooms, when you got up and opened the door, it was Bucky.

"Bucky?" You asked with some confusion.

"I… I brought you this." Bucky took a cookie out of his pants pocket, when you took it you could feel that it was broken. "I accidentally sat on the cookie while I was on my way here on the motorcycle, sorry."

That, even if it was something simple, made you laugh, and maybe it was the first time in five fucking months that you laughed sincerely and not in a forced way.

Bucky after you thanked him, he nodded softly with a shy smile on his lips and left saying goodnight.

You look at Bucky's face as a smile began to form on his lips as you walked down the stairs, it seemed like he saw the most beautiful thing on the planet and he even had a small bouquet of flowers for you in his hands.

As soon as you finished walking down the stairs, Bucky approached you at the bottom of them.

"You look…" Bucky started to say, but stayed silent.

"Do I look too dressed up? Is too much?" You said nervously, touching your hair and ironing your dress with your hands at the level of your stomach, it had been Nat and Wanda's idea to groom you as if you were a little doll even though you weren't totally used to it.

“No, you look like an angel…” Bucky interrupted you. He continued to look at you with those blue eyes, it was a kind, sweet look. You felt your cheeks redden and you let out a nervous laugh.

Steve raised his eyebrows at such a compliment, and since you had your back to Steve, he took the opportunity to give Bucky a thumbs up.

"Oh, this is for you." Bucky gave you the small bouquet of flowers that you took carefully, they smelled delicious.

“James, you didn't have to do it." you said in a whisper, looking between the flowers and Bucky.

You didn't remember that a man had ever given you flowers before, your ex in itself was not a person to give you that type of details and you, sometimes, didn't allow yourself to receive them either.

But for some reason with Bucky, the fact that he gave you those details, it felt different.

“It's true.” He put his hands in the pocket of his black pants, nodding at your comment. "I didn't have to, but I wanted to do it."

That comment caught your attention.

Steve patted both of you gently like a father and opened the door to the compound, smiling.

"Have fun…" Steve looked at you and nodded his approval as if you were his little sister. "But not too much."

Steve looked at Bucky when he said that last sentence, that was definitely a warning to him, Bucky just shrugged and let you take his arm as they walked to the motorcycle to Izzy's.

Honestly, you don't know how it happened, but it happened.

You began to spend more time with Bucky as the days and even weeks went by, first he asked you for help to play a prank on Sam by painting Nightwing as if it were a stingray and recording it to show in the group chat that you all shared.

Then you would help him with technological issues or you would end up sitting in the compound's cinema watching old movies while you listened to him tell you things about how things were in those times.

And maybe some embarrassing stories about Steve.

You discovered that he was chivalrous, opening the door for you and even letting you in first by placing either of his two hands just under your back in a protective manner. Even when you had to take something somewhere he offered himself, not allowing you to do it.

Including the bowl of popcorn, because he didn't want you to get burned.

You thought that sometimes Bucky was an exaggerator, but you began to notice that he did things that even your ex-boyfriend had stopped doing after being together for a while.

When you and Bucky went out on the street, he always offered you his right arm, since he felt a little insecure offering you his left arm, the mechanical one. However, that insecurity started to disappear and then he didn't care which arm you grabbed as long as you held his arm when you walked.

The times when neither of you could sleep and you stayed talking, whether in your bed or his, he didn't fall asleep while you were talking about those topics that you were both passionate about, nor did he change the subject, he just watched you with attention.

Bucky even remembered the things you had said to him a couple of months or weeks ago and that you didn't even remember what you had said to him.

You were healing little by little, starting to be you again.

And somehow he was healing too.

If you were at one of Tony's parties or maybe at a mission meeting, sometimes you would look at Bucky when he wasn't looking at you, and the other way around would also happen, and if you caught each other looking, both would just smile like a couple of fools and look away.

One night you heard a soft knock on your door, you recognized that soft knock, when you opened your door it was Bucky again, but he looked different tonight.

"Hi..." Bucky said slowly, seeming a little nervous, his right hand resting on the frame of your door, trying to look casual. "I wanted to invite you to dinner, well, it's not really a dinner."

You could notice and see Bucky's nervousness when trying to say things as he had (probably) rehearsed them in front of the bathroom mirror and he added:

"Or yes, maybe it is, I don't know."

You interrupted his rambling with a smile on your lips, gently raising a hand to the level of your chest.

"Yes..." That's what you said, you noticed how his eyes softened at the fact that you had agreed. "Yes, I'd like to go."

He nodded repeatedly and sighed in relief, letting out a soft chuckle.

"So Friday at eight sounds good to you?" Bucky was clearing his throat, trying to hide his excitement that you had accepted dinner, you nodded. "Okay, I'll see you on Friday."

Bucky quickly kissed your cheek, wished you goodnight, and left without stopping smiling like a fool.

When you two arrived at Izzy's, Bucky greeted Leah with a smile, she seemed surprised but happy that she now finally saw him with someone other than Mr. Nakajima, especially seeing you walk in with him.

You and Bucky sat at one of the tables and you had a sneaking suspicion that someone was watching you, but you weren't sure after all there were more people than usual today, it was Friday.

After a couple of laughs, drinks, Asian food and bad jokes, a few caresses on your hand from his you noticed out of the corner of your eye that someone was approaching the table and you swore it was a waiter.

But it was your ex.

“Y/N…” Your ex said in a firm voice, looking from Bucky reluctantly and then back to you. "What are you doing here with him?"

The audacity of this idiot. You thought as you heard those words come out of your ex's mouth.

"The real question is, what are YOU doing here?" You responded rudely as a frown began to form on your forehead.

"So you're the… man who broke her heart." Bucky told him in a calm voice, but he was really trying to stop himself from smashing your ex-boyfriend's face into the pretty little sushi boat that was on the table, because he didn't want to ruin your night.

Bucky slowly stood up from the chair, making your ex jump a little, maybe he was nervous with Bucky's presence.

And the truth is he should be nervous.

Bucky was quite tall, strong and even if he didn't have a vibranium left arm, he would have enough strength to change your ex-boyfriend's health status to deceased if he tried to go far with you.

And on top of that he had to avoid at all costs breaking the second rule that he had agreed upon with Dr. Raynor in therapy: No one gets hurt.

Your ex scrunched his face in disapproval at Bucky's words, not believing what he was hearing, but now you understood many things, you had been receiving notifications on social networks, especially from Instagram indicating that your ex occasionally looked at the stories you published.

Part of you didn't understand why you continued to have him on Instagram, perhaps because you used that social network very little, but whatever, now you understood what your ex was doing there.

"What? N-No, I was confused…" Your ex started to speak, he even tried to get a little closer to you, but he couldn't since Bucky gently moved his left arm that was covered by a glove. "Now my mind is more than clear and I want us to go back Y/N."

Bucky tried to talk to him by placing his right hand on his shoulder.

"Look, son…" But your ex just moved, removing Bucky's hand from his shoulder.

"Don't call me son, we are the same age, pal." Your ex responded aggressively, while rolling his eyes, looking back at you.

Very few knew that Bucky was actually 106 years old, which if you had been in another situation you would have found it funny.

"Look, I don't know what you've been through in these eight or nine months, but she and I are together, and she's not interested in getting back with you or anyone else." Bucky spoke in a fairly firm tone of voice, being respectful.

You began to feel anxious, you felt your stomach turn not only from nervousness, but from the embarrassment you were experiencing in the establishment, many of the people at the adjacent tables were looking towards you.

"Are you really going to throw away all these years together with me, by being with him?" Your ex-boyfriend spoke softly, as if he was trying to manipulate you. "Y/N? I know you haven't forgotten me, you still love me, I know that."

You looked between both men, there was some doubt in your eyes or that's what Bucky thought he saw in you, maybe it was embarrassment.

You got up from your seat and enter the bathroom of the place with tears in your eyes, on many occasions you had dreamed of something similar, dreams that ended in nightmares that you tried to ignore some nights, many ended with your ex calling you different things like 'bitch', 'whore' or 'ungrateful witch' while throwing things at you or shaking you.

You ended up waking up drenched in sweat many nights, breathing heavily and then crying silently until sleep overcame you, although those tears and nightmares ended up being silenced by Bucky on more than one occasion while he slept next to you, stroking your hair or hugging you in his arms.

You had entered the bathroom and locked yourself inside one of the stalls, you were hyperventilating, you didn't think the wound would reopen again, you really thought you were over that, you didn't know how much time had passed, you were just sitting on the toilet seat with tears in your eyes.

Until your train of thought stopped when you heard the door to the women's bathroom open wide, hearing soft footsteps coming in and seeming to have stopped near the mirror.

"Y/N?" It was Leah's voice, it sounded soft because the bathroom had quite an echo. "Are you okay, do you need anything?"

"He's gone?" You asked shakily, leaving the bathroom stall, as soon as Leah saw you with your makeup smeared with tears, she gently tilted her head, giving you an empathetic look and approached you.

Leah nodded at your question.

"Yes, between Mr. Nakajima, Bucky and I, we took that being out of the restaurant." Leah rolled her eyes, she reached into the pockets of her apron for a handkerchief with a couple of flowers embroidered on it and wiped your face. "I really thought James was going to break his face, I was already thinking about what to replace the restaurant furniture with… they are made of old wood."

Both laughed at the comment, although you also imagined Mr. Nakajima, who had a bad temper, pushing your ex out of the restaurant door.

He was a man with a quite volatile temperament, like Bucky's.

When you returned to the restaurant you didn't see Bucky, he was outside leaning on his motorcycle, you said goodbye to Mr. Nakajima who was also leaving the restaurant with you and of course to Leah, thanking both.

Mr. Nakajima opened the door for you and let you out first.

"Pretty ladies first" Mr. Nakajima said with a kind smile, which made you laugh, and that made Bucky turn his head to the door of the establishment and approach you.

"Are you ok?" Bucky gently took your face in his hands, caressing your cheeks with his thumbs.

You looked into his eyes and you could feel that he was still upset by your ex's attitude, in fact, he seemed a little uncomfortable, perhaps remembering your look of doubt.

You nodded silently. You had a thoughtful look again.

"Honey…" Bucky began to speak softly, lowering his hands to his sides. It was the first time he had called you that pet name since you had started talking and going out. "I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with."

You remained silent, listening to what he had to say.

"I have nightmares at night, I have anger issues, I'm 106 years old…" Bucky chuckled, looking away from your eyes for a moment to see a couple of people crossing the street during the lonely night. "Even other problems, especially because of my past, so I will totally understand if you want to get back with him."

You didn't know what your expression really was, but Bucky seemed surprised as he looked back at you.

"What? I said something wrong?" Bucky asked, maybe you looked at him like he was crazy.

"I'm really going to have to talk to Dr. Raynor." You said nodding with a smile on your lips.

Bucky looked at you confused, he didn't understand what the mention from his psychologist that he was seeing it had to do with this conversation.

“Oh please…” You rolled your eyes, sometimes you forgot that Bucky was born before penicillin. "It means that I'd be crazy if you think I'm going to choose my ex. I like you, James B-"

Bucky leaned forward, crashing his lips against yours and bringing his hands back to your face, your eyes instinctively closed, enjoying the kiss which became more intense and then you both separated, gasping for air, without saying a word...

You two now knew how the other felt.

[certifiedfreec]

i can’t stop thinking about neighbor!graves… pt. 2 🤔

thank goodness for the nextdoor app! (pt. 1)

saw this pic on pinterest and thought…yeah…that’s our man <3

🏡 you and your cuddly cat theo are finally settled into your new house! it was a much-needed change to the mundane routine, and the place is adorable. you ultimately picked this one because of its large windows- perfect for theo to sit in the sun and watch what was happening outside. it also has hardwood floor- no more cat clawing at the carpet. hooray! you thought that your sweet kitty was handling the move well, but you notice that he’s hiding under furniture more often. all the articles online said it could take time for cats to adjust to a new place, so you chalk it up to that.

🏡 one afternoon you drag your first big grocery store haul into the house, calling out for your precious theo as you close the door, but he doesn’t show. hm. he normally scampers right up to you when you’re home. you reason that he’s still hiding somewhere, so you go ahead and get started on dinner. after still no sign of him hours later that night, you resolve to checking every corner of the house, and he’s nowhere to be found!! a panic rushes through as you hurry to turn on all your house lights out front and scope your yard real quick, unable to find him in any shrubs or plants. fully planning on walking the entirety of your neighborhood and knocking on every door to make a search party, you suddenly have an idea: maybe there’s a neighborhood app i can post his picture on.

🏡 you immediately do just that, finding the nextdoor app and punching in your information. you post a picture of theo- your favorite one where he’s cuddling with his beloved bird toy- and write a brief caption saying you’re new to the area and that you’d be more than happy to give cash to whoever finds him. within minutes, you’re receiving all kinds of good luck messages and “nope, haven’t seen him”s, and they all make your stomach swirl. damn cat. he’s probably living it up while you’re sitting there terrified for his wellbeing. as you’re waiting beside your phone and watching all the messages roll in, you’re fully prepared to stay up all night and start driving the streets, until a few minutes later a new private message bubbles up onto the screen.

🏡 it’s a picture of a man, pretty fit-looking from the few features you can see, and he’s holding a cat that scarily resembles theo. do you dare feel relieved? you read the comment underneath the photo. “is this him? little guy followed me home on my jog. let me know!” you’re about to cry tears of joy as you zoom in on the picture, pinpointing the unique stripes around theo’s eyes. that was in fact your little guy. you answer in a blur, “yes, that’s him! thank you so much! can i come get him?” the man, whose nextdoor display name is “phillip g.,” answers you in seconds. “i’ll bring him over. what’s your house number?” you send it to him, and he tells you he’s actually a handful of houses down from you. you allow yourself to feel relieved as you wait those dastardly two minutes, nearly jumping when you hear a firm knock at your door.

🏡 you open the door, and you find theo cuddled up to what can only be described as pure handsomeness. look what the cat dragged in- literally. “phillip g.” has dirty blond hair and tan skin, with pale blue eyes and a rugged scar that rests on his sharp cheekbone. he’s got a perfect straight nose and the slightest blond stubble, and he’s wearing a pair of black sweats and a dark grey tee that cling temptingly to him. “there you are,” you finally say, not entirely sure if you’re directing it toward him or your cat (where has this beauty been all your life??). part of you honestly can’t blame theo for following this guy- yeah, he was definitely living it up while you were panicking.

🏡 “hey there,” he replies to you with the most delicious twinge of southern drawl, and you quickly step aside to give him room to come in- he’s pleasantly surprised that you’re even better-looking in person ;) “let’s get ya inside, bud.” phillip steps into your home, prompting theo to hop off and trot over to his food bowl like nothing happened, as if you weren’t just about to go DEFCON 1 for him. it makes you both snicker, and then you thank the gorgeous stranger profusely before trying to offer him some money. he only shoos it away with a “no problem, he’s a great lil’ man,” and he explains to you that theo started following him back to his house during his jog that afternoon. when he got home, he immediately climbed onto his lap. the traitor!! you’re in disbelief; he’s never cared for other people that deeply. you wonder if theo knows something you don’t- perhaps he’s a feline matchmaker? 🙏

🏡 while you two chat about the neighborhood, theo struts back over to the entry area where you are and brushes up against phillip, almost like he wants to make you look like the worst owner ever. “i promise he likes me,” you laugh, and phillip flashes you an unforgettable grin. “i guess i’ll take your word for it,” he teases, and then he adds sincerely, “i’m actually gonna miss him, y’know, he was my little amigo today.” he kneels down to scratch behind theo’s ears and god does his back look good in that shirt, and you don’t even think as you blurt out “well, feel free to visit him whenever you want.” he stands back up to his full height, smiling again. you barely miss the once-over he gives you. “i just might take ya up on that.”

🏡 you’re surprised to see that he actually does! phillip makes a point of stopping by during his jogs sometimes to check on theo (and you, obviously <3), and man oh man does he look fantastic all out of breath in his workout gear :’) he also fills you in on the drama at all the other houses- a wealth of knowledge, this guy is! turns out those jogs are a great way to collect information- he’s very strategic, it seems. theo acts like jesus christ himself has arrived at your doorstep every time he’s over, of course, bounding into his arms and purring uncontrollably. you feel ridiculous when you get a pang of jealousy toward your cat- if only you knew all the ways phillip wanted to handle you :))

🏡 it all feels so nice and neighborly with the way phillip’s checking up on you both, that southern charm working its way into all your thoughts late at night. he hits you with the occasional “sweetheart,” or “darlin’,” and it never fails to make your heart (and something else) pound. you end up exchanging numbers the next time he jogs by, and he uses it at the perfect opportunity to see if you wanna tag along on his next trip around the neighborhood. he totally doesn’t just want to see you in some tight leggings… you tell him you’re not the greatest runner, so he insists on walking instead :’) he’s such a sweetheart!

🏡 like clockwork he’s at your door a few evenings later, and you’ve changed into some comfy clothes that he immediately wants to tear off of you. theo’s incessantly demanding his phillip cuddles, snuggling into his toned arms with no intention of moving. that stunning neighbor of yours looks at you with a mischievous grin. “say, why don’t we bring ‘im along?”

🏡 it’s equal parts endearing and ridiculous, the sight of you and phillip taking turns holding the most spoiled cat in the world during your walk <3 part of you likes to think theo has decided your fate- and you’re not opposed to it at all. it’s a nice evening, and phillip ends up telling you while you’re gossiping about the other neighbors that his career in the military has always prevented him from having a pet of his own. he doesn’t reveal much about it, just that it demands long periods of time from him, and seeing theo has actually done lots for his war-hardened spirit. poor baby, there’s so many other ways you could help him relieve some of that stress :((

🏡 there’s something you say that must kinda insinuate that, because suddenly you’re rerouting to his house so he can get you both some water. might as well stay for dinner too, he’s quick to add ;) he’s just got such a big crush on you that he can hardly stand it! theo already knows the lay of the land when you go inside, and he proceeds to dart off somewhere in the spacious home while you admire phillip’s minimally rustic décor. no wonder theo escaped here, you think. phillip gets your glass ready, but before he hands it to you he puts down a fresh bowl of water specially for your precious boy next to the temporary litter box and food he must’ve picked up for him when he escaped that day :’) yeah, that’s a man right there- look how good he cares for your baby! he could take care of you like that too!! <33

🏡 neither of you really care about the water at this point, and phillip decides that this is the perfect time to show your own kitty some lovin’ ;)) there’s not much buildup needed for you to end up completely spread open on his soft bed, workout clothing shed immediately before his skillful fingers are pumping and curling in your soaking pussy, hitting that sweet spot scarily fast. you always thought he was a sweetie, but you learn that he’s got an ego on him, wanting to hear you beg to cum all over his hand :/ you’ll do anything he asks though, and you’re soon rewarded with that sweet, hot release that coats his digits :’) he makes you clean one of his fingers while he licks your slick off the other- you guys just make a great team <3

🏡 you thought his fingers stretched you? his thick cock practically splits you apart, and he’s cooing at you “doin’ so good for me, darlin,” “knew ya could take it, sweetheart,” “that’s it, baby,” as he watches you bounce along his entire length. your flushed face, your little moans, it’s the prettiest show he’s ever seen! :’)) he’s stopped making you beg to orgasm at this point since the tight circles he’s rubbing on your clit are producing so many, but he is making you tell him who’s getting you to feel this good. “tell me, darlin,’ use your words. who’s makin’ you cum so much, huh?”

🏡 it’s incredible- phillip fucks as good as he looks! he must have more stamina from all that jogging. he puts you on all fours, arching your back with his hand as he feverishly rocks his hips into yours. he loves to watch you suck all of him in-you’ve never felt this full! not much longer after he starts pounding into your tight cunt from this angle, he’s groaning your name along with a strained “fuuuuuck,” and you feel his warm release coat your insides. he’s so glad he got that second workout in!

🏡 you both hop into his unbelievably nice shower to clean up, and pretty soon you’re drifting off to sleep in his bed, whole body sore from getting taken care of so thoroughly :’) phillip holds you the whole night, but when you wake up the next morning he’s got theo in his arms, who is happily purring away. you realize that the little fucker is responsible for all of this, and maybe he’s just as strategic as his neighbor-slash-future-parent. phillip is ridiculously smug when he chuckles at you, scratching behind your sweet boy’s ears. “i hate to tell ya, darlin’, but i think theo likes me more.”

[bad268]

Could u write a princess of Monaco and Arthur lecrelc , I see this being written so much for Charles and none for Arthur

thank you :)

Queen of Monaco (Arthur Leclerc X Reader)

Fandom: RPF/Formula 2/3

Requested: Clearly (haha we have the same mind bc I was already drafting this before you requested it)

Warnings: death of parents and brother (mentioned), google translate, the Monaco curse is affecting Arthur now and that's a warning itself bro. I am in denial about the race results today, so I made this to make me happy.

Pronouns: She/Her

W.C. 4108

Summary: The beginning of the relationship between Arthur Leclerc and the Queen of Monaco.

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

~~(@/Arthur's insta from January 29, 2023)

It was a normal day in Monaco. It was not a race week, and there were no pressing matters to attend. I had just returned to Monaco last week after attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, but I just received my Bachelor's degree and wanted to return home before starting my Master's. I decided to take my first semester online, so I could go home and spend time with my family.

When I got back, my parents urgently began to train me for the throne even though I was not next in line. Despite having an older brother who was scheduled to become the King of Monaco after my parents, he had to serve in the military before he could move forward. They wanted to have me prepare in the event that something happened to him in battle. 

I had never really been in the public eye due to my brother being the next in line. He was always the one attending meetings, trainings, and keeping up appearances. I was free to do as I pleased for the most part, but in 2015, they sent me to a training school in London. It taught the basics of monarchy and the foundations of how to run a country. It was the same one my brother attended. Even in my spare time, I found my passion in mechanical engineering and aerodynamics. It took some persuasion, but my parents allowed me to attend MIT after my graduation because they were so sure that I would not be needed. My brother is in the final stages of the training. All he needed to do was finish the last few months of military training, and then he would be crowned. 

Upon my return, I learned that my mother was ill, so they wanted to get my brother crowned quickly. However, they practically had to start from square one since I was provided very minimal training in London. My father was furious, not at me, but at the situation they had been placed in. They told me the best thing I could do while they prepare the training is to memorize Monaco as it had been nearly seven years since I had been here. 

I was walking down the pier, looking at all of the little shops that lined the pavement and the boats at the dock. There was a small ice cream shop, a couple of clothing stores, a few restaurants, and a salon. I realized that I had not had my hair professionally done since before college, so I thought it would be a good idea to treat myself.

“Bonjour, comment puis-je vou aider? (Hello, how can I help you?)” A lady greeted me as I stepped through the door. It was a small shop, no one else was in there, but it was cute and welcoming other than the fact that I could not remember French for the life of me.

“I’m sorry, my French is no good,” I replied sheepishly, fully prepared to leave, but the woman stopped me.

“Oh, not a problem, dear. My name is Pascale, what can I help you with?” She smiled, kindly, leading me over to one of the chairs. 

“Well, I haven’t gotten my hair done in almost four years, so I think it’s time to freshen up,” I explained. 

“Oh perfect, I can most certainly help with that,” She laughed, placing an apron around my shoulders. “Are you thinking about dye, highlights, trim, cutting…” She started listing more but I couldn't follow along with all of the terminology. 

“Uh, probably just a trim,” I chuckled, “my parents would kill me if I showed up with short, dyed hair.”

“Not a problem at all,” she grinned and began cutting the ends, little by little, as we made small conversations. “What do you do for work?”

“I actually don’t have a job at the moment,” technically, “but I just came back from the United States. I was at MIT for the last four years, getting my bachelors in mechanical engineering and aerodynamics, and before that, I attended boarding school in London.”

“That’s interesting,” she hummed, “Sounds like you like Formula 1?”

“Not so much the races. I just like the cars,” I laughed in response. “I like learning what could make the cars better, faster, stronger, and safer, but the actual races aren't something for me. I watched one too many accidents end badly, so I can never find enjoyment in it anymore. The last race I went to was in Japan, and I lost my best friend.”

“Oh, I’m sorry about that, dear. If you ever need to talk, I’m here,” Pascale consoled. I looked at her confused through the mirror. She just set the scissors down just as her phone got a notification. She pulled out her phone and opened the notification. It was a text message with a picture. “That is my son, Charles, and his best friend, Pierre. They’re in Formula 1. They went out karting today, and he just sent me this.”

“Oh, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly! I know them,” I recognized immediately. “That’s your son?”

“Yeah, he’s always had this passion for driving, so I’m proud to see him living his dreams,” She smiled, putting her phone back, and resumed cutting my hair.

“Well, I’m proud of him too, and I don’t even know him.” I laughed. 

“Maybe, if you’d ever change your mind, you could join us for a race,” Pascale offered. “Only if you’re up for it.”

“I’ll have to see, but probably not,” I declined nervously. 

“It’s not a problem, dear,” She said, patting my shoulders. “But you are all done. How do you like it?”

My hair was shorter by a couple of inches, but it felt so much lighter and healthier than it did earlier today. “I love it so much, Pascale! Thank you so much! How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing, just promise you’ll think about joining us? It would do you some good to get to know more people, and you could even check out the cars before the race! If you’re not comfortable staying for the race, you can always leave. Just promise you’ll think about it before immediately rejecting it?” She pleaded.

“Fine, I’ll think about it,” I laughed, “but only because you were so persuasive!”

–

The next time I was out in the streets was nearly a week later. My time was being packed with different trainings and attending private events, but nothing public yet so as to not stir up controversy. I decided to go to a local bakery and get some tea and some food. The food in the castle just did not compare to my favorite bakery. Not by a long shot. 

When I walked in, there were not a lot of people in there. It was a small shop with only two tables and a counter. There was the person behind the counter, Ella, and three people at the tables. One sat by himself and the other two occupied the second table. I approached Ella and ordered a tea and sandwich. She said she would bring it right over once it was finished, and I approached the man sitting by himself.

“Bonjour,” I greeted, my French was slowly coming back to me but not enough to carry a full conversation. The man looked up from his phone at me. He had blue eyes and shady blonde hair. He had airpods in and took one out as I approached the table. “My name is Y/n. Would it be alright if I sit with you? The other table is filled.”

 “Of course,” He responded immediately, moving the bag that was hanging on the other chair to the floor. “I’m Arthur.”

“Nice to meet you, Arthur. Thank you for letting me sit with you,” I laughed, taking the seat that he pulled out for me. “I really appreciate that.”

“It’s my pleasure,” He chuckled along, “It was just empty anyway.”

~

That was the start of an inseparable bond. It was strange having someone so close again because even though I had some friends in school, they were never as close as Arthur was. For the first couple of months, any time that was not filled with training was spent with each other. Whether it be chilling in his apartment, driving around Monaco, boat rides, and random trips around France and Italy, we were content with doing random acts of entertainment. It didn’t take long before he asked me to be his girlfriend.

One thing we knew would be difficult is the time commitments. With his recent change from Formula 3 to Formula 2 and more royal training for me, we knew it was going to be more time-consuming. That didn’t stop us, however. Tuesdays were the most random day of the week, but neither of us had any responsibilities.

One day in particular, the day before he was set to go to Australia, we were at his apartment, and I was helping him pack since he *conveniently* forgot. We had gone to get smoothies and acai bowls earlier that morning before heading to his apartment. Then, after we ate, we put on some music as background noise while we packed and conversed back and forth.

“Would you ever come to a race with me?” He asked as he pulled a couple of shirts out of his closet. “I know you didn’t have a good experience at the last one, but would you be willing to give it another time?”

“I don’t know, A. I get anxiety just knowing you’re racing,” I explained. Moving to fold the shirts he’s pulling out. 

“That sound like an improvement!” He laughed, jumping over and wrapping his arms around my shoulders as I put the folded clothes in the suitcase. “When we first started talking, you said no immediately. Now, you’re saying you don’t know.”

“What can I say?” I leaned back into his embrace, “You are pretty persuasive.”

“What are the chances of you coming to the Monaco Grand Prix with me?”

“The odds are in your favor since I don’t go anywhere,” I laughed in response. He turned me around in his arms. He was pouting and had his head tilted slightly. “No, don’t do the puppy face. You know I can’t say no to that face.”

“Please?”

With a heavy sigh and a joking eye roll, I caved. I was about to vocalize my decision, but my phone started ringing. This time, my sigh was out of annoyance after seeing it was from Mila, my personal guard and trainer.  “I need to answer that, but yes, I promise to go to the Monaco Grand Prix with you.”

“Of course,” He exclaimed, kissing me all over my face. “I will take care of everything. You go take the call, and I’ll finish packing in here.”

With a small smile, I walked out of his bedroom to the living room and stepped out onto the balcony before answering the phone. “Hi, Mila. What did I forget?”

“Nothing, but are you near the palace?” She responded. Just the tone of her voice made me nervous.

“Not really, I’m about 20 minutes away. Do I need to head back?” 

“Yes, let me know when you get here.” And with that, she hung up. I walked back in to see Arthur with his suitcase fully packed by the door.

“I need to head home,” I started. “Something’s not right.”

“That’s fine,” He reassured, pulling me into a hug. “I’ll need to head out for my flight soon anyway, so I’ll walk you to your car.” 

During the drive back, my mind wandered. Was there a meeting I missed? I couldn’t remember having anything scheduled on a Tuesday. Most meetings were on Mondays or Wednesdays and policy training sessions were Thursdays and Fridays. Maybe there was a last-minute meeting.

Pulling through the gates, I texted Mila once I parked in our car park, and a few guards were waiting for me. “Hi, what did I miss?”

“Y/n, we need to talk,”  one of the guards, Chris, said, and right then, I knew things were worse than I thought. We walked through the corridors to reach one of the meeting rooms, but the only person in there was Mila. The guards immediately turned around and left the room.

“Mila-”

“Have a seat,” She cut me off, gesturing to the seat next to her. I took it hesitantly as I looked at her skeptically. “So, I’m not going to beat around the bush with this. As you know, your mother, the queen, was sick.”

“I assume she died then? That’s what this was for?” I cut her short. However, there was something on her face that said she wasn’t finished. “Okay, I’ll let you continue.”

She shook her head dismissively, “No, it’s fine, but you’re right. She passed away early this morning.”

“So my brother will be crowned when he comes back?”

“That’s the next news,” Mila paused. I encouraged her to just rip the bandaid off because I was getting impatient. “Your father went to the base to get your brother, but there was an explosion. There was a gas leak, and somehow the building they were in exploded. We’re still waiting on the details.”

“Wait, so my entire family…” I trailed off, but she knew where I was going. She just nodded solemnly as she pulled me into her side. “So that means…”

“It means you are to be the queen.”

~

Third POV

Ever since the Melbourne Grand Prix, Arthur has been talking about how his girlfriend was going to join him on the paddock for the Monaco Grand Prix. To say that his friends and brothers teased him would be putting it lightly. Any chance they could, they asked questions about this “girlfriend” of his that they had never heard of, and Arthur was willing to spill all of the details. On the Thursday before the Monaco Grand Prix when he was driving to the track with Charles, he accidentally let it slip that he actually had not heard from her recently. He asked Charles to check his phone to see if she had texted him recently.

“Wait, you haven't heard from her in over a month and you’re not at all worried?” Charles asked, very concerned for someone he’s never met.

“No, we’ve definitely texted recently,” Arthur responded in disbelief. When they pulled up to a red light, Charles showed him that the last message from her was April 1. “No, we’ve definitely talked.”

“Here, pull over. We’ll switch, so you can call her, and I’ll drive us the rest of the way to the track,” Charles said, already getting out of the car as soon as they were on the shoulder. He immediately dialed her number, and after a few rings, it went to voicemail. He thought about leaving her a voice message, but she was already calling him back before he could start.

“Hey, traffic is hideous, but I’m almost there,” She started her explanation. She was sitting in the backseat with a couple of guards, and Mila as her driver took them to the track. “Are you already there?”

“No, we’re not there yet,” he laughed. “Charles and I are still stuck in traffic, but we noticed that I hadn’t messaged you since the Australian Grand Prix. Thought I would call to see if you were still coming.” Charles was half listening to the conversation, but he was smiling to himself, hearing how lovestruck his younger brother sounded.

“Oh, definitely,” She chuckled. Mila nudged the girl with a knowing grin. “I’ve just been insanely busy recently, but I promised. On the bright side, I finished my training!”

“No way, I’m so proud of you, ma chéri!” Arthur cheered. Charles was a little confused as he pulled into the track, but let it go, knowing Arthur would explain it later. “Does that mean there will be a ceremony or something?”

“You could call it a ceremony, yes,” She giggled. She noticed that they were only a few blocks away from the car park of the track, so she turned her phone away toward her shoulder as she directed a question to Mila, “Could I jump out and meet up with Arthur before the race? I promise I’ll be careful, and I’ll be in the box before it starts.” Mila turned to discuss it with one of the guards who was entirely against it. “Please, I won’t leave Arthur’s side, and you know he’s trustworthy.”

“I won’t let her out of my sight, Mila!” Arthur’s voice could be heard through the phone despite it not being on speaker. She gestured to the phone at her shoulder as Mila tried to reason with the guard.

“I’ll go with you,” Mila said as she started collecting their passes and jumping out of the car that was stopped in the traffic going into the parking lot. Y/n immediately climbed out of the back, pulling her phone back up to her ear.

“Alright, Arthur, where do you want us to meet you?”

~~

First POV

“You seem to have gotten shorter since Melbourne,” I laughed as I ran into Arthur’s arms from where he was waiting at the Dams garage. 

“You’re wearing heels,” he pointed out after we pulled away. “What are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?”

“You say that like you don’t like me in heels,” I teased back.

“Ok, lovebirds,” Mila pulled our attention away from each other, “I am going to head up to our seats. Don’t tell anyone I left.”

“Your secret’s safe with me. Thank you, Mila,” I responded as she started walking away.

“You have seats?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to rely on you for the passes for Mila, so she bought us hospitality seats,” I explain. It wasn’t the whole truth, but I could not just tell him that in the open. “Is it possible to talk somewhere away from the cameras?”

“You’re not breaking up with me, right?” He immediately jumped to conclusions.

“No, no, no, no,” I quickly shut down. “Je t’aime trop pour partir, mon amour. I just want to tell you something. (I love you too much to leave, my love)”

“Je t’aime, ma belle, (I love you, my beauty)” He whispered, pulling me in for a light kiss before leading me back towards the driver’s room he shares with Ayumu. “Make yourself comfortable.”

I took a seat on one of the beanbags as Arthur sat right next to me. I took a deep breath before deciding the best way to tell him was just to say it fast. “Arthur, I need to tell you about my family.”

“Are you trying to have me meet your family already? You could meet my brothers and maman today if you want,” He rambled.

“I can meet them, but you won’t be able to meet my family. That day you left for Australia was the day I found out they passed away.” I paused looking at his reactions. He looked sorrowful as he grasped my hands and ran his thumbs across the backs of my hands. “Maman had an illness, and papa went to get my brother from the base.”

“Your brother’s in the military?” He asked.

“Was,” I answered. He looked even more confused at that before I continued. “He was serving in the military as his last stage of training. Kind of like my trainings, he had to serve in the military.”

“What kind of training did you need to do? Was this part of your degree or something?”

“No, that’s the big secret I haven’t been able to tell you,” I whispered, putting my head down as I felt guilty for not explaining this sooner.

“Anything you have to say, I will accept you either way,” He reassured me as he pulled me into his chest and kissed my head. “I understand that you have your reasons for hiding some things, so whatever this is, it is not going to stop me from loving you.”

“What if it is complex with more spotlight than you already have?” I asked, throwing my head to rest on his shoulder and looking into his blue eyes. “What if it’s a big change?”

“When we go public, it will be a big change, but I’m willing to do anything for you, ma princesse.”

“Reine, (Queen)” I whispered.

“Quoi? (What)” He responded just as fast.

“What if I told you my parents were the king and queen of Monaco? And my older brother was the prince of Monaco? And now that they’re gone, I will be the queen of Monaco? What would you do?” 

He went silent for a few seconds before whispering, “Are you serious?” My silence was enough of an answer for him to jump up, pulling me with him as he starts laughing and spinning us in circles. He set me down after a couple of spins before holding me at arm's length,  “I would completely understand. I mean you probably didn’t plan on taking the throne because of your brother, and you’d just come back from studying. I only tell people who need to know, and when we met, I wasn’t someone who needed to know. We haven't talked since you found out, so I could never be upset with something like that.”

“But now, if we tell people, you will be heavily scrutinized as people will see you as a potential king,” I signed, happy to know he isn’t upset with me, but still wanting him to see all sides before completely agreeing to move forward. “You’d have more on your list.”

“The only question I would have is if it would interfere with racing,” He turned serious.

“I would never let them keep you from your passions,” I laughed. “They have to respect it by order of the queen.”

“Well, then I would see no issues against continuing to be by your side, ma reine,” he chuckled with a mocking bow.

“Merci mon beau prince, (Thank you my handsome prince)” I mocked back, “now by order of the queen, go win this race.”

~~

“And Arthur Leclerc passes Fredrik Vesti in the final turn of the race,” Crofty shouted over the radio during the final lap of the race. I was up in the hospitality seats with Mila and the guards but headed down to the pitlane a couple of laps before since I was going to be presenting the trophies. I was standing at the pit wall with Charles, Lorenzo, and Pascale, who I met (again) just before the race. “The Monaco Curse is broken for Arthur Leclerc as he wins his first Monaco Grand Prix!”

 I left the pit wall to meet everyone at the podium and stopped to meet up with Mila on my way over. She and the guards escorted me through the crowds. “I’ll tell you now, one of you will need to tell Arthur not to out our relationship when I give him his trophy.”

At the podium, I stood behind the steps as Alice announces the winners. “In third place, we have Théo Pourchaire! In second place, we have Frederik Vesti! And in first place, breaking the Monaco Curse, the home favorite, Arthur Leclerc! Presenting the trophies today is the future Queen of Monaco, Y/n.”

“I’m proud of you,” I said to Arthur as I handed him the trophy.

“Merci, now if only Charles could win,” He joked, taking the trophy and posing with it.

“I’ll tell him you’re talking crap about him,” I teased back, moving away to grab the next trophy for Dams. I handed them all out and expressed my congratulations to the other two drivers before posing for the picture and immediately ducking back as I knew Arthur would try to spray me. I walked down the stairs to meet up with Charles before he heads back to Ferrari for his own race. “Arthur’s talking shit about you. You better win.”

“I’m starting sixth, so we have hope,” Charles responded as he rolled his eyes.

“Just don’t box for hards at the last lap again and you’ll be fine,” I laughed as if it were really that simple. 

“Maybe I broke the curse for both of us or maybe I just had some good luck today,” Arthur said, coming up behind us and throwing his arm around my shoulders.

“Oh yeah, what good luck did you have?” Charles teased, punching Arthur into me.

“Maybe just the future queen of Monaco.”

~~~~~

© BAD268 2023. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[jymwahuwu]

hi! It's my first time sending ask so I am a bit nervous hehehe... What do you think about small breast darling? Will Jingyuan loves them? I want to heard your opinion about this, thank u! 💖

Hello 🤗💓 Thank you for sending. Don’t be nervous, here are Jing Yuan’s thoughts on small breast darling. I really think Jing Yuan will accept darlings of all body types as long as he falls in love😹

-CW: yandere, non-con, abuse of trust, nipple stimulation, overstimulation, mentions and some descriptions about lactation

✧- If this were to describe other people, it might seem disingenuous, and as if they don't have an opinion of their own. But- Jing Yuan's acceptance and worship are all based on love, and his openness is extraordinary. He adores darlings of any body type. This is also reflected in the preference for breasts.

✧- Jing Yuan noticed that your small breasts were small and exquisite, flat, and covered by a layer of fabric. He stopped himself from peeling off the obstructing piece of fabric.

✧- On a quiet afternoon, the raindrops wet your shirt. The clothes absorbed the moisture and clung tightly to your skin, revealing the lines and structure of your bra and breasts to the world. Jing Yuan is your considerate friend, providing warm tea and shelter from the rain. He had a lot of self-control so he didn't start jerking off.

✧- He ordered some bunny and kitty bras in your size from an online store. Don't dig into why he knows your exact bra size. By the way, Jing Yuan ordered matching underwear.

✧- Until one day, the preparation is completely completed. Seize the opportunity and flip your bra up immediately. You exclaimed, covering your nipples with your hands in panic. "Jing Yuan…!? What are you doing?" Firmly but gently fixing your hands on your head, prohibiting you from any resistance.

✧- Poor you, you always thought Jing Yuan was a trustworthy friend/general before this.

✧- Finally get a close look at your nipples. That is a wonderful experience that cannot be replaced by any number of photos automatically sent by the surveillance system. Your areolas tremble, stiffen and bulge under the gaze. Lovely flat hills. "Don't look - don't look at me like this!" You struggled awkwardly, your breathing quickened and your eyes flickering.

✧- Being caught up in a storm of desire without explanation. Your nipples were being caressed, sucked, rubbed and swirled by his thumb, occasionally given a light pinch. Those sensitive nerve endings continuously transmit pleasure to your mind, "Don't-don't…" You moaned, your waist bounced up, your legs rubbed against each other restlessly, and the petals were glowing with water.

✧- Refuse to have any part of your body other than your breasts touched…for now. Like a lion who has found a favorite toy, he teases his little rabbit and attacks. You threw aside your dignity for a moment, letting out some high-pitched moans and your vagina twitching, begging for his cock to come in. Not allowed. Nipple orgasms are the only thing you get for hours.

✧- "Stop touching… no more… can't…" You express your meaning intermittently, desperate and helpless, not knowing why Jing Yuan is so obsessed with your breasts. You feel like there's nothing left to get wet, you're drained - but at the same time the deep, wet marks on the quilt continue to grow.

✧- When that cock invades and expands your soft and warm walls in accordance with your "will", it does not mean that your breasts are ignored. A pair of custom-made bunny vibrators are glued to your nipples, the wet slaps humming along with the mechanical sound. You twitched helplessly.

✧- When sowing seeds, Jing Yuan is daydreaming about the day when your small breasts will secrete milk. By then your nipples will be swollen, and the smooth and sweet milk will be pumped out… The breast pump will be ready now.

✧- For those who don’t understand the charm of small breasts, Jing Yuan’s point of view is: Lost pearls are usually covered in dust. Their ability to see one of these colors is permanently lost throughout their lives.

[heartfullofleeches]

Scavenger

Reluctant monster darling my love..... (concept/potential series - warnings for mentions of suicide, death and cannibalism)

The monster who never wanted to be....

You thought you'd die the night they grew in. Serrated, needle-point fangs sprouting behind the rows of canines and incisors all your years. You knew this day was coming - someday, but decades of preparation couldn't cushion you from what was to come. The jaw-splitting of each individual tooth tearing through your gums and the floor of your mouth, slowly losing the ability to eat most foods day by day. The cravings.

Your own blood worked for a while. About a month at best. The more you tore open the healing wounds on your arms and legs the deeper and thicker your blood began. Like copper molasses. After that, you didn't know what to do. You couldn't take another humans life - even if you were never one to begin with. You broke into hospitals, blood banks, freshly graves. Your stomach howled at the scraps and rotting flesh you forced into it. With those teeth; those claws, it was clear whatever you weren't designed to live on blood packs and dead meat. You need it fresh. Raw. Live prey. It's everywhere.

No. No!... People aren't food. They're your friends... People you see everyday. They deserve the right to live like you.... Just like you...

And then it happens.

Walking home alone, over a rarely crossed bridge - the smell hits you first. The undeniable stench of blood - the freshest you've ever smelled. Hunger stabs you so deep you check your stomach for wounds. You look everywhere. What's left of your human mind tells you to call the police and run. Someone's hurt. You'll hurt them more. The internal battle is fierce - come to find you had already lost from the beginning.

They were already dead. Dragged onto shore by the lake's current. You had to pray they didn't suffer. You had to pray they'd forgive you for what you'd do. You were starving. It was the only way. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You repeat - but there's no one to listen. No one to witness as you lick their bones clean and bury them in hollow grave. You found no identification on them. Only a letter. You lost the meal that would've keep you full for days as you read it.

You visit that bridge everyday. The sight of the disturbed soil makes you nauseous at first, then you're numb. They were gone, you're still here. That doesn't make it right, but.... but.. It happens again.

There at the shore, a body. Another letter, this time tucked into a wallet. You... Knew this person. Not well, an old classmate or coworker you never spoke to, but you knew. What happened to them since you last saw them. You.. do what you have to - conscious enough to take their meat back home, but after storing it away, you look them up online. Everything seemed fine on the surface - til their water logged phone powers back on.

An alternate account, pleading for help on days they posted pictures with sunny smiles to their main. Questioning their place in life, begging for something anything to make it all worth it. Their pleas went unheard. Every single one, until you found them. How long had they been in pain?

You find accounts on forums for people like them. People with nothing left to live for and waiting for that final push. Easy targets for something like you. You'd never go hungry again - so you reach out... to help.

You know first hand what it's like to suffer. You don't want to see anyone else in pain. You saw a family member of that old acquaintance one day. The grief in their eyes crushed you more than the pains of hunger ever could. You'll atone for your sin of living on by helping whoever you can. When you can't - you'll go out to search for your next meal.

Eventually you began to notice the signs of people down on their luck in your day to day. You tried not to look at others to avoid your hunger flaring, but it's so hard to ignore. You befriend these people. Ease your way into improving their outlook on life, and getting the help you can't provide. People gravitate towards you for your kindness. You see it an expression of your guilt. You try to slip out of their lives just as you came, but some of them just can't let you go. You're an angel. A saint. They want to give back to you what you've given them. They see that same sadness they once had in your eyes and want to do whatever it take all alway. They reach and reach, but you only drift away. They search for all they can find out about you - and one of them finds it.

A journal, hidden beneath your bed. Mere snippets of the live long torment you've endured. They didn't want to invade your privacy, but you left them no choice - and now they see why. Reading your crimes, the reasons you held out your hand to them - it brings them to tears. They truly had met an angel. An angel that needed their help as much as they once needed theirs.

-

A new neighbor moves. Amongst all the pleasant greetings from everyone else in your complex, they visit you of all people first. They bring a big slice out of a casserole they had just made. You politely decline, but they insist. You take a bite. It's good. Really good. Good enough for you to swallow. You can eat this. All the spices and seasonings, you can taste them. Your stomach feels so warm and full from the first bite alone. You're completely stuffed by the time you finish. Licking the plate, you freeze! You..... can eat this.... Why can you eat this? What's going on?

Then you notice the bandages around their arm.

"Hey, Y/n... Did you know the taste of beef is really overpowering? I made beef and pork meatballs the other day, but all I could taste was cow.... Is it the same for you?"

[tangerinesgf]

Miniature trains

Tangerine x reader, Lemon x platonic!reader

Summary: You bought a whole set of miniature trains. Featuring Lemon.

Disclaimer: English is not my first language and this is not proofread so any mistakes are my own

Tags/Warnings: none, just fluff and some language

A/N: Based on real events (meaning, yes, I actually bought these mini trains and they're adorable). I started picturing how the twins would react to these trains and that's how this happened.

"You bought what?!"

Tangerine had come back from the grocery store with some final ingredients for tonight's dinner. Lemon was joining the two of you tonight.

He found you sitting on the floor in the living room. You were surrounded by discarded plastic bags that had all been opened. There was another pile which appeared to be yet untouched.

"They're miniature trains!" You said, voice full of excitement as you picked one of them up from the coffee table next to you and holding it out to your boyfriend.

"Look!"

Tangerine was not impressed in the slightest. He narrowed his eyes at the train you were holding out. It was looked like sushi.

"Didn't know they had sushi trains."

"They don't, Tan, don't be ridiculous." You said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"This is Diesel dressed as sushi, you can collected a bunch of them with different skins."

The deep frown on his face was adorable. He looked at you like you had grown another head.

"Why?"

You had no idea why you had bought the mini trains, they just looked so cute that you hadn't been able to resist them.

"Because... mini trains."

Tangerine chuckled at that.

"Can't believe I killed people only for you to buy some fuckin' miniature trains with that money."

"Lemon buys shit like this all the time." You recalled his special edition Thomas & friends train collection he showed you the first time you were at his place.

"Yeah, but I expected better from you."

You rolled your eyes at him and reached for another bag. Tangerine moved over to the kitchen, starting the preparations for dinner.

"Oh my god, this one smells like caramel popcorn, it's extra rare!" You shouted in excitement.

"Whatever you say, luv." He couldn't help the smile that formed on this face.

As much as Tangerine tried to be annoyed he found your enthusiasm over those stupid little things adorable. Lets just say he was staring more than actually cooking dinner.

Lemon had his own key to your place so neither of you had to get up to let him in.

"Hey guys- are those miniature trains?!" Lemon didn't even bother taking off his jacket or shoes before rushing over to you and the trains.

"Yeah, good to see you too, mate." Your boyfriend rolled his eyes at the lack of acknowledgement from his brother.

"Yeah, yeah... where'd ya get these?"

"Ordered them online it was a really good price, look this one's for you." You picked up one of the trains, which Lemon immediately recognized as Thomas, only this version had all kinds of different colors. Like a rainbow.

"He reminded me of you."

You handed the train over to him and before you know it, you were trapped in a bear hug with Lemon. You gotta admit though, he gives the best hugs.

"I love it, knew there was a reason Tan was keepin' ya around."

"Hey!" Tangerine shouted from the kitchen.

"I got one for you too, babe." You untangled yourself from Lemon's hug and reached for a another train.

"It's Gordon dressed as an astronaut." You showed it to Tangerine, but since he was in the kitchen and you in the living room, you were pretty sure he wouldn't be able to see it.

"The fuck am I supposed to do with a train dressed like a fuckin' astronaut?"

"Maybe put it on your bedside table? All you have there anyway are your cigarettes' and a book."

"I'll think about it."

And while that wasn't a lot, you considered his consideration a win anyway. For Tangerine that was a lot already.

"Are there more of these?" Lemon asked.

"Yeah, you can collect all of them." You said as you handed him the sheet on which all of the trains were displayed.

"Alright, where's your laptop? We're gonna get ya the complete set."

As you and Lemon rushed to find your laptop to buy more miniature trains, Tangerine took a break from chopping the vegetables and walked over to the coffee table.

For a moment all he did was stare at little train dressed as an astronaut. He gotta admit, it did look kinda cute.

He'd never told anyone but for a while when he was a kid he'd dreamed to someday go up to space. But that's all it had ever been. A dream. Tangerine shoved the thought back inside and picked up the train.

"Fuckin' Gordon.." he scoffed.

He stuffed it inside his jacket pocket never again leaving without it.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it!! Feedback is always appreciated<;3

Taglist: @venusthepirate @bratdoll666 @waiting4ff @avocado-writing (lemme know if you wanna be added)

[cheriecelestial]

Melody of a Muse

disclaimer *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ angst, eventual mature content, crude humour, strong language, typos, grammatical errors, cliché moments

genre *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ drama, romance, Band AU, Reverse Harem

a/n *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ because I think I could take all four of ‘em. Tho I seriously need to come up with a better title than that lame ass one I’m currently using (I’m accepting suggestions)

╰ ┈➤ Chapter List

╰ ┈➤ Master list

Chapter One

𝔊oing live in ..

3

2

1

"It's ya girl Irris. How's everyone feeling today ?" The blonde girl chirped infront of the camera as she subconsciously adjusted a lock of hair in front of her face. As soon as she logged in, comments flooded into her chat. She glanced at the numbers on her neon screen and smiled, satisfied with the viewership. She started her stream with usual one sided small talk and usual pleasantries. Her hand reached out to adjust the light source to directly focus on her face. Y/N, or as she went by online - Irris, noticed that she might've applied a bit too much highlighter that gleamed under the pastel purple monochromatic light. But of course that didn't bother the fans one bit , in fact they probably felt that she looked like a fairy. Despite how burdening it might have felt sometimes, Y/N was used to public attention and enjoyed it thoroughly.

" Today is a very special day. A day worth celebrating.", the girl beamed and the comments seemed to pour in rapidly. Fans just grew more curious by the second as to what she was going to announce. Y/N skimmed through the comments suggesting the most bizarre things, from relationship announcements to pregnancies to switching career paths. The wild guesses earned a chuckle out of the blonde woman.

"No no it's none of that but first - " she started with her hand disappearing from the audience's line of view. The woman took her sweet-sweet time in retrieving the items she prepared for her stream. The reactions of the impatient and curious crowd never failed to fascinate her.

"Ta-da" she smiled as she produced a bottle of strawberry champagne and a wine glass. A wine glass ? What for ? asked the audience.

"I have some good news and awesome news. Which one first ?" She winked playfully at the camera. She could almost hear her fans the excitement of her fans resonating from the chat.

" So good news first. My contract with Abssosque Entertainment is up so I'm officially free and the awesome news is ..." she trailed off as if waiting for imaginary drum roll ,"I got an offer from Teyvat Entertainment and I'll be a part of the Teyvat Family soon !" On hearing this the chat went nuts.

Irrisisluv : YASSSSKEHAKD QUEEN PURR💅💅✨

Nyako7 : The queen finally getting the treatment she deserves (๑>◡<๑)

Kai00 : SLAYYYYY

Irrissimp : Now that our goddess is out . Time to burn that shit down. Get the gasoline boys.

Gangstagurl23 : CONGRATSSSSS BAE

Icantstoptwinkling : * insert Dobby voice* Mother is free .

Irrissteponme : Irris lookin fine as fuck like Excuse me? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry.

Princessmurderkill : Ahakdhabskalja I can finally die in peace .

Mikosslut : Yaemiko x Irris when ?

Kaeyaismyreligion : OMGGGGHAJHSKA YASS YAEMIKO X IRRIS IS A NEED . MOMMYx2

Childessluttywaist : Those Teyvat bitches better treat our goddess the way she deserves or else imma commit a felony.

" Yes yes I know. I'm excited too. I wonder what Teyvat Ent. has in store for me. But I know that I am going to thoroughly enjoy my time there for a fact." After replying to a few more comments and addressing some questions, she poured herself a glass and champagne and did a cheered a toast towards the camera. Drinking on stream was a big no-no but she thought that it could be excused just this once.

" Hey Y/N have you seen my -" she heard her door creak open and saw her brother, Dainsleif. " Oh I didn't realise that you were on a stream. I'll come back later." He quickly apologised and turned to leave

" No no Dain. Wait. We were just celebrating. Come sit" She patted her hand on the couch and smiled encouragingly. Dainsleif paused for a moment and then walked in and took his spot next to her. " Hello guys" he started awkwardly, somewhat unfamiliar with streaming.

However Y/N smile dropped when she saw her chat. The excitement and bubbling joy of her fans had turned into ruthless and horrible hate comments. She bit the inside of her cheek till she tasted blood. Her brother noticed how the atmosphere changed and her sister's sunny disposition turned gloomy. " I should go. I have work anyway ." He said with a melancholic smile. Y/N looked up and nodded wordlessly. She knew that resisting would only look her brother look bad. She wanted to say how the people are wrong about their perception of her brother, how he wasn't the one at fault, how all of this was so unfair. But she couldn't.

Celebrities can't do that. They can't be angry, sad or even frustrated. God forbid they exhibit any other emotion apart from unfaltering happiness. However there wasn't anything she could do about it, there was no way to change the way people thought. So as much as she disliked it, she just accepted it as her fate and went with the flow - switching her brain off and putting on her practiced and perfectly curated selling smile. It left a bad taste in her mouth but that's what people liked so who was she to complain .

" Anyways people. Let's not dampen the mood." She clapped her hands and continued as if nothing happened. After the 'celebration', she continued with her usual stream content. And as she kept talking, the chat gradually regained its joyous fervour. About an hour's worth of streaming, she said her goodbyes and wrapped up her stream.

" Fucking finally" Y/N got up and stretched. " You done ?" She heard her brother's voice from the living room. She walked into the living room and saw him lounging on the couch, watching some hallmark romance film. " What tells ?" She plopped down and cuddled into the fluffy blanket on the couch. "You never cuss on camera", he stated in a manner of explanation and she scoffed ," You know 'cause I got manners and shit ." She spoke in a tone she never used on camera. On air, her voice was always atleast a couple octaves higher than her real voice.

Her brother chuckled at the stark difference between Irris and Y/N, consequently earning a smack from her. Y/N titled her head onto her brother's shoulder and said in a somewhat melancholic tone " I'm going to miss this."

" Me too"

" Can't you come with me ?" She sprang up and looked at him pleadingly. Her brother just groaned wearily," You know I can't. I made a promise."  A promise. Right. With the person who got him in the mess he was. Y/N was bitter that her brother cared about that person enough for basically ruin his career. But deep down she knew that it wasn't the person that caused him to do it, it was his own sense of morality. She sometimes really hated how righteous her brother could be. She looked around the room and saw all the cardboard boxes labelled with her stuff. Her brother would have been able to leave that god awful company and come with her, had that promise not held him back.

" Whatever"

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

With the final riff of Diluc's guitar and the bang of the drums , the lead singer hit his last note . Kaeya and Childe whooped at the crowd and they cheered back . The members waved at their audience as their leader Zhongli , better known as Morax , delivered the ending thank you message. The arena was filled with applause and chants of their names . Kaeya tapped his mic and began speaking," And as promised." He looked to Diluc who rolled his eyes at his brother's antics but nonetheless took his guitar pick, kissed it and tossed it into the crowd. All of them left their spots and stood at the edge of the stage in frenzy to catch it. " Everyone thank you for coming ."

" We are DCKZ !"

And with the final cheer, the stage fell dark. The members hurried backstage and were instantly flocked by staff, offering them water bottles, towels and what not. " Man I'm beat." Childe, the main rapper, huffed. "Me too" Kaeya hummed in agreement.

"Today's  show was stunning. Good work everyone." Albedo, their manager, clapped his hand together and offered them an encouraging smile. "Bedooooooo-" Childe whined and tried to engulf the shorter blonde man in a bear hug but was pulled back by Diluc grabbing the back of his collar. " Go shower first you sweaty piece of shit"

"Right back 'atcha Luc" he scowled and shook Diluc’s hand off. Albedo let out a small sigh which sounded somewhat like a tired laugh and waited for them to settle everything amongst themselves. He was way too used to this by now.

After everyone was done with showering and a change of fresh clothes, Albedo waited for them in their van parked backstage. The drive was started with the usual - Zhongli trying to catch some rest with his head leaned back against the seat. Kaeya and Childe bickering about something and jointly annoying Diluc, who in turn snapped at them.

Childe's phone chimed with an app notification and his eyes widened. "Everybody hush !" He commanded loudly , waking up Zhongli in the process.

" Wha-" Zhongli mumbled in a daze. Kaeya peeked over the main rapper's shoulder and saw what he was watching ," Simp" is all he said. Diluc raised his eyebrow in questioning. He acted like he didn't like the drama but deep down he really enjoyed it. Especially considering that his deepest darkest secret was that he often rented a hotel room to go and watch every episode of 'Keeping up with the Shogun' so that no one finds out and teases him about it.

" It's some YouTuber he follows. Irris, is it ?" Zhongli guessed and the ginger nodded wordlessly without looking up from the screen.

" What's so special about her ?" Diluc scoffed. According to him, all YouTubers and influencers were the same - pretty faces with zero substance and a bad case of celebrity complex. And in his defence, he had never come across anyone who disputed his belief so he  had no reason to believe that she would be any different either. He saw influencers as pretentious, vain, overpaid salespeople and the word invoked images of reality celebrity, artifice, undeserved riches, wastefulness and  textbook narcissism . And Childe liking her made her all the more repulsive to Diluc.

" Don't you dare disrespect my waifu !" Childe barked defensively, causing Diluc to merely roll his eyes and look away. Kaeya turned to Childe and grabbed his shoulders," Hey buddy we've talked about this. You can't wife random women you've never met . Hmm ?" He cooed as if talking to a five year old though given his behaviour he might as well be one. " She's not random ! She's Irris ! And plus I've met her at a YouTube seminar once" Childe protested, cradling his phone closer to his chest almost as if his phone were Irris and he was protecting her from his fellow band members.

" Everyone please just calm down." The three turned their attention to their leader who had visibly grown tired of their bickering. " Whatever I bet she's just as fake as the others" Diluc muttered to himself and sunk further back into his seat , not wanting to debate the topic any further. " What did you just say you emo fatherless edgelord motherf-" The youngest fumed as looked like he was ready to pounce on the red head any second.

" I believe -" the four were interjected by their Manager's voice from the driver's seat. He had been listening to them much like he often did, however he never felt the need to intervene in their conversations. So naturally, everyone was surprised at Albedo's words. " - it's unfair to built a prejudiced perception of her on your previous understanding of influencers and Tartaglia's liking. Additionally, her job entails multiple facets such as modelling, streaming, hosting variety shows apart from just being an influencer and she also so happens to be a proficient dancer. So I think it's best you research a bit more and form a more educated opinion."

He's totally a hardcore stan. The thought resonated in band members' minds in unison.

They silently agreed to not discuss the topic further in fear of offending their manager. Albedo, though younger than all of them, held respect in everyone's eyes. He was a skilled worker who had gotten them out of numerous potential scandals and becoming victims of the cancel culture. He was someone who did his job a little so diligently that Childe sometimes questioned if he even had a social life at this point. But Kaeya and Diluc knew that he was going out with a sales manager from their company and regularly babysat his colleague's daughter. Heavens know where he gets the time for that.

"Diluc -" Childe looked up from the screen with a look of sheer surprise and glee. " What ?" Diluc asked annoyed.

" Can you please tell Jean that I love her ?"

" What the fuck -" And before Diluc could react further Childe added ," Irris is coming to Teyvat"

" HUH ?!"

taglist - @sleepykittycx / @kentply

[hyperfixationstati0n]

When You Know, You Know (Pt.2)

An: lmk how you feel about this :) Idk where else to go form here as I didn't plan on making multiple parts but if a part 3 is wanted I'll figure it out!!

Pairing: Spencer x bookstore!owner!reader

Content warnings: none really, swears a little, both spencer and reader are still hella awkward

Word count: 875

Part one

I waited and waited for Spencer to come in again. 3 weeks of waiting, actually. I was starting to think I’d scared him off, although I didn’t know how I managed to do that. I was sulking, standing in front of the register with Lennon on a particularly slow day. Rose, the angel that she was, was helping stock books while I attempted to focus my mind and work on packaging online orders.

“I’m just delusional. I scared him off and now he’s never coming back!” I exclaim, earning a sideways look from Rose across the store.

“You can’t scare someone off if you’ve never talked to them,” Lennon says with a laugh. For someone younger than me he was such a bully. (lovingly, of course)

“But I did talk to him. And he knows I hide from him whenever he comes in.” 

“Girl, I swear to god if you don’t let me help you find that man’s Instagram or something I will lose my mind. you need to get out of your comfort zone and make a fucking mo-“

The bell chimed. My eyes widened. Lennon shut his mouth as quick as he opened it. 

Spencer was standing in my store, standing there with an awkward yet charming smile and a wave. I wave back, feeling my cheeks flush. As soon as he walks down an aisle, talking to Rose, I hit Lennon on the shoulder.

“Go take inventory or something.” I say under my breath.

“Ohh, so you like the register now” He teases, his voice a little louder than I would’ve preferred. I playfully shove him away and try to collect myself. I was going to act natural, I wasn’t going to be weird. I was going to be myself. I told myself he was just another customer, however untrue to me that might be. 

Thankfully though, this time around I had more time to prepare what I was going to say, something I needed if I was going to get through a few sentences with him without fumbling my words. He came to the register with a stack of 4 books. Seriously, my curiosity was piqued. How did he read this fast? I noticed this time one of them was a poetry book; ‘Leaves of Grass’ by Walt Whitman. Interesting. I always took note of what people were buying, and obviously, he was at the front of my mind. This selection surprised me. 

“You’re not hiding!” He comments. I nod and smile, slightly embarrassed at the fact he had pointed it out. 

“It’s very out of character, I know” I was trying to come off as witty, but truthfully I could only pray that what he saw. “so, how are you?”

“I’m great actually. I finally have a day off and decided I could come pick up a few new reads.” 

I nodded slowly but the question was still on my mind. I had to know.

“I hope I don’t overstep with this, but do you actually go through books as fast as you’re buying them?”

A smile twitches as his lips, a slight pink tinge covering his cheeks.

“I-yeah, I do. I…read really fast.” His voice seemed a little nervous. I wouldn’t press the matter right now, but it definitely caught my attention.

“I can tell” I chuckle softly, hitting a few buttons on the cash register as I finish ringing up his things. “You definitely bring a lot of business here”

He laughed softly, a sound I could’ve relished in. But my own mind stopped me-I was supposed to be acting normal. 

Then the unexpected happened. After he paid for his things with actual small talk from my end-he lingered. For once I was glad we didn’t have much business today, I got to really talk to him. He was kind, and clearly very smart. I found out we actually had a lot of mutual interests. Talking to him was weirdly easy, even if I had this consistent feeling of butterflies in my stomach. But then I heard his phone go off with a text.

“Shoot…I hate to cut our conversation short but I have to go.” He says as he tucks his phone back in his pocket. I nod, albeit a little sadly. I had Lennon's voice in the back of my mind 

“Make a fucking move, make a fucking move, make a fucking move…”

It was now or never.

“I was wondering if…maybe, only if you want…do you want to go out for coffee sometime? When you’re not working.” 

His eyes widened and I had this temporary moment of fear before his eyes softened and he smiled.

“I would-I would really love that.” 

I gestured slightly to his phone.

“Can I give you my number?”

“Oh yeah, yeah! yes, please do” He fumbles to get his phone back out and unlock it, only having one hand to do so as the other was still holding his bag of books.

I put my number in, and we said goodbye, but just as he was about to leave I asked one last thing.

“Spencer?”

He turns and looks at me again, waiting.

“How fast do you really read?”

“20,000 words per minute.”

What have I gotten myself into?

[acutiewithagun]

Taglist: @oleander-nin

Word count: 1,609

Mic Testing - Chapter One: Small Artist

You checked the clock as you hoisted your instrument case strap over your shoulder. Backpack also slug over the opposing shoulder. Time read six twenty six, perfect, you could beat the morning rush. 

Walking out of your apartment, you make your way down the dead sidewalks of New York City. You didn't live in the worst area, however it was a ghost town at six in the morning. 

It was a chilly morning so you had grabbed a hoodie on your way out. The light breeze brushed against your cheeks as you hummed, matching the rhythm your steps made. The air quality wasn't the best, but you could breathe as you crossed a few streets. People popped up as you got closer to your destination, a shopping district. It wasn't large or anything, but it still managed to get you attention.

You make a few final turns as you spot the first store. You smile seeing the shopkeeper, Mr. Kendly, sweeping the store front of his toy store. As you pass the front you give the jolly fluffy man a cheerful smile and a wave, "Up early Kendly?" The bright older man gave you a wave in return. "You appear to be as well, Superstar."

You frown at the nickname the store owners of this district have all given you. "Yeah, if I ever become one, I'll let you know." You gave him a wink as you walked past his building. Making your way to the wide area at the end of the line of shops, you place your case and bag on the ground.

You flip open the metal clasps while rolling your shoulders. Pulling out your guitar, you then place it gently on the ground as you open your bag and pull out your fully charged microphone. You managed to get a decent wireless one online, it's not as loud as you'd like, but you spent a ton of money on it. You also pulled out the mic stand that you got as a present a few months ago.

You carefully stand up and carefully adjust the stand to your liking, popping the mic in place. You squat back down and take out a cheap folding chair, then turn the guitar case around as you pick the guitar up. Slinging the strap over your shoulder you move the guitar to a comfortable position before pulling a chip out of your pocket. 

After a few years of coming here you were  accustomed to this song and dance. You checked your watch, seven fifteen, nice. You were earlier than you originally wanted, editing took less time than you planned. But you could still get some attention this early in the morning. You set up the chair, just for breaks.

Tuning the instrument, you see a few of the regular people that like watching your performances. You give a smile and talk into the microphone. "Mic testing, requests pending, and music ready." A few people in the small crowd that had formed clapped, earning a light laugh from you.

"Alrighty, I'll sing a few of my songs and then I'll start taking requests." With that you started strumming a few cords to the first song. You hummed along with the instrument as you looked over the tiny gathering of people. It consisted of a mix of humans, mutants, and yokai.

It was strange when you first saw the mutants and yokai. You thought such beings were only in myths and storybooks. But it turns out they lived right below the very city you lived in. Adjusting wasn't too hard, you're a pretty open minded person. But you've seen your fair share of hatred towards the unfamiliar species.

After strumming a certain cord you opened your mouth and started singing. The sound of your clear voice filled the shopping district as people walked around. As you performed a few people would step out of the crowd watching you and throw money in your case which you would then thank with a bright smile.

A flash of green and purple caught your eye as it hurried through the crowd. You had finished your prepared set and cleared your throat as you looked away from the mix of colors. "Ok, at this time I'll take any requests for songs. If I don't know it, I will look up the lyrics and sheet music."

You went through the rest of your day, taking requests, giving out your social medias, and just being a street performer. But for some reason that the feeling of being watched plagued your mind. Seeing as you are performing it wasn't an unusual feeling. But your gut kept warning you about it.

As you folded up the chair you shook the worries away. You were probably just being paranoid, you were performing, people watched you all the time. You started packing your chair and microphone stand into the bag. You heard a few footsteps approach as you lowered the guitar in its case.

"Hey Superstar, are you done for the night?" You give a nod as you check your watch. "Yep, it's six, a bit too late to continue." You look up and smile at the lady standing in front of you. She's the sweet middle aged feline yokai that owns a bar a street away from your normal performing location, Mrs. Madeline. "Just remember to take water breaks and breaks to eat." 

Smiling, you properly put your backpack on and pick up the now closed guitar case. "Of course, I even brought extra water bottles today. And if this is another plot to try and get me to perform at your bar, it's still a no. I'll do it as a favor but you can't pay me." She scoffed playfully and waved her hand around dramatically. "Never, I was just concerned for my favorite small artist. Now, how's the new album coming with your publisher?" You winced slightly and rubbed the back of your neck. 

"Still awful, now I have to add one more song and film a music video. I have no idea where they think I have that type of money from. But I'll figure something out." Mrs. Madeline clicked her tongue and shook her head, crossing her arms in annoyance. "Greedy blood sucker, well you know I can always block off some time from customers if you need a filming location. Or just give me a call if you have any issues you need dealt with."

Despite her sweet smile, you knew she didn't mean a simple chat. She really is just the kindest to people, unless they cross her path somehow. You chuckle and shake your head as you start walking off. "No need, getting a new publisher would be too much work. Thanks for the offer, have a nice night." She gave a wave as you returned it. "Remember to stay safe."

You laugh, putting the one hand not holding onto your guitar case in your pocket. "I always am." With that you turn a corner and start your trip home.

All the people at the shopping district and surrounding roads knew you by now. They were all close and kind people. It was strange considering, it's New York, there's always something wrong to make everyone bitter. But no, the collection of shops and businesses just had a happy vibe to them. 

You stumbled upon it a few years ago when you first started street performing. And you've been performing there ever since, slowly but surely making friendships with all the store owners. You insisted on calling them by their last names out of respect despite the many attempts from them to be called by their first names. So in turn they started addressing you as Superstar as a tease.

There were only about eight stores in the shopping district you performed in. Most grocery stores, a toy shop, a butcher shop, a little boutique, and one of those hobby shops. It was pretty busy, all things considering. 

You waited for the crosswalk light to go off and checked your watch again. Six forty-eight, fun. The sun was setting behind the tall buildings and skyscrapers that littered the city. Car lights and business neons were the only things that provided sufficient lights as you trudged up the stairs of your apartment complex. You opened the door to your apartment and all but fell inside.

Only to be caught by your lovely roommate who looked rather done with your overreacting. You scowl at them and stand up, playful shoving them away. "I'm home, bugger." They took a few steps back as they folded their arms. "Mhm, anyways, dinner is on the counter. I have exams to study for, so don't bother me." 

You give them a playful wave as they sulk back into their room. You and this roommate weren't particularly close, but you had a system. Dinner would be switched off depending who got home first. Chores were just do them when needed. Speaking of dinner, you looked over at the counter and saw instant ramen sitting there. You rolled your eyes and threw your bag onto the couch, along with your guitar case. You made your way to the counter and snagged the semi steaming package up. 

You flopped down on the couch with a fork you picked up on your way there. Eating the food and mulling over the day. It was just like all the others, the same routine. Well minus the feeling of being watched as you walked home. You just chalked it up to the paranoia from earlier. You weren't that special, nobody would out right stalk you…

Right?

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

It's Always Been Us - Michael Kinsella x Reader (Chapter 3 - Michael)

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Michael Kinsella x F!Reader

Story Summary: The continuing saga of Michael and Reader from Michael's PoV, starting with the morning after It's Always Been You.

Warnings/Tags for entire story: S2E7 & S2E8 AU, Oral sex (m & f receiving), p in v sex (like... a lot of it -- these two have 20 years to make up for), past attempted non-con (if you've seen S2 you know what's up), other additional tags to be added as we go along.

Word Count: ~2400 for this chapter

A/N: And we're back with part 1 of Mikey and Reader's big date! Enjoy!

Michael took a deep breath as he walked back down Y/N's driveway. He honestly hadn't expected their conversation with Anna to go nearly as well as it had, but thankfully Anna had ultimately agreed to stay away from Bren.

What Michael wasn't pleased about was the newfound knowledge that no matter how much he had tried to protect Y/N from his father's predatory ways, Bren had still managed to get his hands on her. 

As he had sat and listened to Y/N recount her trauma, it had taken every ounce of self-control he had to not go hunt Bren down and kill the bastard right then and there. The only reason Michael was sticking to the plan was because he finally felt like he was at least getting a chance to be happy, and he didn't want to fuck that up by going back to prison for killing his father in broad daylight.

He shook his head. He had a lot to do in order to prepare for his and Y/N's date and not a lot of time in which to get it all done, so he needed to focus.

He had already made dinner reservations online, so next on his list was flowers.

Florist Dublin, he typed into the search bar on his phone's web browser, scrolling through the list of results until he found a nearby flower shop within walking distance that also happened to conveniently be located next door to a wine shop.

As he walked there, he grinned to himself at the thought of possibly having gotten to take Y/N out as teenagers, a bright smile blooming on her face as Michael shyly handed her a single red rose upon picking her up for their first date.

"Good afternoon," the clerk, an older lady with gray hair, said as he entered the shop. "May I help ya, sir?"

"Err, ah, yes, ma'am," Michael replied, looking around at the different arrangements. "I'm lookin' fer some flowers."

The clerk let out a gentle laugh. "Well, ya've certainly come to tha right place, dearie. What's tha occasion?"

"Well, it's fer a date." Michael couldn't help but smile. "A firs' date, actually, but she's been my best friend fer years." 

The clerk nodded in understanding. "Do you know wha' kind a' flowers she likes?"

Michael thought for a moment. In all his years of knowing Y/N he actually had never known her to have mentioned receiving flowers from anyone. "Actually, no."

"Okay, in tha' case, maybe roses? It's a classic tha' never goes out 'a style." The clerk pulled out a binder, flipping through it briefly before turning it to face Michael then pointing at the photograph of a bouquet of roses. "Perhaps a mix of yellow and white then, symbolizing friendship and new beginnings."

Michael nodded. "That sounds grand. How soon can ya have it done?"

"Luckily we keep plenty of roses on hand, so… twenty minutes or so?"

"Perfect." Michael paid for the flowers then popped into the wine shop next door to look for a bottle of champagne while he waited for the bouquet to be ready, then on a whim he went into the hardware store across the street to look for some LED candles.

He collected his purchases and headed home, putting the roses in some water to keep them fresh until the evening.

He marked them off of his to-do list then smiled as a text from Y/N arrived. Ya busy? 

Nah, not really, Michael replied. Just straightening up around the house.

Good, because I need some help deciding what to wear. 

A new message arrived, this one with an attachment.

Michael's throat went dry as he opened it. Fuckin' hell.

Y/N had sent several photos of herself modeling various lingerie sets, the marks Michael had left on her proudly on display. 

Michael swallowed before replying. Honestly, pet, ya look beautiful in all of them.

Mmm, so that means surprise ya, then?

One more photo arrived. Y/N was topless in this one, her left arm strategically covering her breasts.

Michael huffed out a breath, fighting to keep all of his blood from rushing south. Keep that up and we won't even make it to dinner.

Maybe that's what I'm counting on.

Michael grinned. Patience, pet. You're definitely gonna need your strength for later tonight.

Mmm, I'm looking forward to it. 

Me too. See ya soon, love.

Michael stuck his phone back in his pocket and finished unloading his purchases, putting the champagne in his refrigerator before setting the candles up.

He headed upstairs, changing the covers on his bed before going to take another shower.

As he stood under the hot spray of water, his mind drifted back to the photos Y/N had sent him earlier that day.

He could picture her spread out beneath him, little whimpers and moans escaping her lips as Michael slowly peeled whichever lingerie set she had chosen to wear off of her then kissed and marked his way down her body to her warm, waiting core --

He shook his head. He was already running a bit behind, he didn't have time for shower fantasies at the moment.

He hurried through his shower then pulled on a suit before drying and styling his hair.

He examined himself in the mirror. The last time he had worn a suit had been at Jamie's funeral over a year ago.

Y/N was one of the few people who had always known the truth -- that Michael, not Jimmy, had been Jamie's biological father -- and had agreed to accompany Michael to the funeral despite Amanda's explicit demands for a private service attended only by family.

Y/N may not be a Kinsella in name , Birdy had said when Amanda had protested Y/N's presence, but she is family. She has every right to be here as the rest of us.

After the service, Y/N had gone back to Michael's with him and held him as he had privately cried over the loss of his son. "I'm here fer ya, love, ya can let it out," she had murmured into his ear while gently stroking his hair. "I know, it's okay, I'm here, I've got ya."

Once Michael had cried himself out Y/N had pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead and gotten up from Michael's sofa.

He had assumed she had been getting ready to leave but instead she had returned with a warm, wet washcloth and gently wiped the tears from Michael's face before grabbing a blanket and covering the both of them up. 

"I'm not goin' anywhere," she had said after Michael had said as much. "Not as long as ya need me here wit' ya."

In hindsight, Michael was surprised that he hadn't confessed his love for her that day. The emotions that had been rolling around in him had been a strange mix of grief over the loss of Jamie combined with his love for Y/N and gratitude for the comfort she brought to him. 

He shook his head. He wasn't going to dwell on the regrets of the past, he was going to focus on his future with Y/N. 

He made sure he had his keys and wallet then headed downstairs, grabbing the bouquet of roses as the cab he had called for pulled up.

"Good evenin'," the cab driver said as Michael climbed in. "Where ta?"

Michael gave Y/N's address. "And then 1900 Bar and Restaurant."

The cabbie nodded and input the addresses into his GPS. "Alrigh', we'll have ya at yer firs' location in a jif'."

Michael sat back as the cab began to move, and a couple of minutes later, the cab pulled up to Y/N's.

Michael opened the door. "I'll be right back."

He walked up to Y/N's door and rang the bell, butterflies beginning to flutter in his stomach.

He could hear Y/N's heels clicking across the floor as she approached the door, and after a brief pause, the door opened.

Michael's heart skipped a beat.

Y/N looked breathtaking in a long black dress with a slit up the side and a top that covered her chest and wrapped around her neck, hiding the love bites Michael had left on her the night before.

…As beautiful as she looked in it, Michael couldn't wait to get her out of it later.

He mentally shook his head. Dinner first, then dessert.

A slow smile spread across Y/N's lips. "Hello, love."

Michael smiled back at her. "Ya look mesmerizin', pet." 

He held the roses out. "These are fer ya."

Y/N took the bouquet. "Oh Mikey, they're beautiful."

Michael rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Tha, uh, tha woman a' tha shop said they symbolize friendship and new beginnin's."

Y/N gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I absolutely love 'em. Let me go pop 'em in some water before we go."

Michael nodded. "Okay."

He waited as she went to put her flowers into a vase, then they headed to the waiting cab.

He opened the door for her and gestured for her to get in. "Ladies firs'."

He waited for Y/N to get in then slid in after her, taking her hand as the car began to move once again.

Y/N smiled over at him. "By the way, ya look amazin' too, love."

Michael grinned. "Thank ya. So how was yer afternoon?"

Y/N shrugged. "It was grand. Went ta tha grocer's and finished up some housework, then got ready fer our date. How was yers?"

"Same. Ran some errands then got ready fer tonigh'." Michael gave Y/N's hand a soft squeeze. "Ya have no idea how many times I've imagined gettin' ta take ya out on a date. I still can't believe I'm actually gettin' tha chance."

"Me too." Y/N squeezed his hand back. "I never thought ya'd feel tha same way about me as I feel about ya."

Michael shook his head. "I've loved ya fer a long time, pet."

They rode in comfortable silence the rest of the way to the restaurant.

After thanking their driver, Michael slid out of the car then extended his hand to Y/N. 

Y/N took it and stepped out, a beautiful smile across her face.

Michael opened the door to the restaurant and they walked in.

"Good evenin', welcome to that 1900," the maitre'd said as they approached the host stand. "Do ya have a reservation with us?"

Michael nodded. "Fer 6:30. Name's 'Kinsella'."

The maitre'd tapped on a computer screen. "Ah, yes, sir. Righ' this way."

He escorted them to a private table near the bar. "Here we are. Yer server'll be righ' wit' ya."

Michael nodded as he pulled Y/N's chair out for her. "Thank ya."

Y/N smiled up at Michael as she sat. "So gentlemanly. Thank you, love."

Michael sat across from her with a grin. "Yer' welcome, pet."

He looked around. "This is nice."

Y/N nodded as she opened her menu. "Yeah, I've heard good things."

A few seconds later their server walked up to pour them each a glass of water and take their drink orders.

After they had gone, Y/N gave Michael a cheeky grin. "So… Michael, tell me a bit abou' yerself."

Michael chuckled and took a sip of his water. "Well, I'm widowed with a 16-year-old daughter, I spent 8 years in prison, and I'm hopelessly in love wit' my childhood best mate, who's tha mos' beautiful woman I've ever met both inside and out."

Y/N let out a light laugh. "Hmm, well okay, I can work wit' tha'."

Michael gestured to her. "Your turn. Tell me about yerself."

"Well, I've never been married and have no children but I do have a sort-of niece tha's always been more like a daughter ta me, and I'm also hopelessly in love wit' my childhood best mate, who is the sweetest, kindest, mos' caring, loving, and handsome man I've ever clapped eyes on."

Michael grinned as their server came to deliver their drinks and take their orders. "Glad ta see we have somethin' in common then."

Y/N shot him a wink. "Few things."

Michael shook his head. "Seriously though, love, thank ya for always bein' there fer me."

Y/N bit her lip, then nodded. "Yer' my best mate and one of tha mos' important people in my life, Mikey. Nothin's ever gonna change tha'."

Michael nodded back. "I feel tha same way about ya too, pet."

Their conversation flowed easily throughout dinner, switching back and forth from their usual jokes and good-natured ribbing with each other to more serious topics, like Y/N's latest shifts at the hospital and their discussion with Anna earlier that day.

Michael was still curious what Y/N had spoken privately to her about, but believed Y/N when she had said that Anna was fine physically and that if she had been in any sort of danger that Y/N would let him know.

After they had eaten and he had paid the check, he bit his lip with a smile. "So I was wonderin', uh, would ya be interested in continuin' tha evenin' by comin' over ta my place fer a nightcap?"

Y/N grinned as she pretended to think. "Well, I don' normally go home wit' someone on tha firs' date," she replied, "but we've been gettin' on so well tha' I don' see the harm in one drink."

Michael stood and held his hand out to her. "Shall we, then?"

Y/N stood as well and took his offered hand. "Yeah, let's go."

They headed outside and hailed a cab, then were on their way back to Michael's.

Michael's stomach fluttered in anticipation as they pulled up to his house. 

He took Y/N's hand as they stepped out of the cab. "Well, here we are."

Y/N gave his hand a little squeeze as they walked up the driveway to Michael's front door. "Jus' so ya know, this has been tha bes' firs' date I've ever been on."

Michael smiled. "Yeah, fer me too."

He unlocked the door and led her inside, hoping that the rest of their evening would go just as well.

[junkomc]

Cod x OC【title：Afterglow】第16章

（NSFW/18+ / MｘM / bottom oc）soap x oc/ghost x oc/price x oc/ Pierson x oc / oc x oc

​>>>１・２・３・４・５・６・７​・８・９・10・11・12・13・14・15・16 ​・17・18・19 (Part 1 scheduled to end)

※英語は母国語ではありません。主にGoogle翻訳を使っていますので、読みにくいところがあるかもしれませんが、ご容赦ください。翻訳版の後に日本語版の小説を載せています。

※English is not my native language. I mainly use Google translation, so please forgive me if there are some parts that are difficult to read.

The Japanese version of the novel is posted after the translated version.

――――――――――――――――――――――――

Chapter 16:Gap （gaz & jet）/Jet finally gets to talk to his father. But he learns a shocking truth...

That day, 141 was gathered in the Briefing Room, where Laswell gave them a progress report and the future plans.

Delta Force and TETRA secured the missiles, and a large amount of firearms was also seized. The head of RSU, Al-Qadr, was also captured in Russia, and the operation was successful, and the threat of a HEMP attack was over, but Jet and the others decided to head to Japan as planned to capture the number two hiding in Japan.

Laswell opened his laptop and explained while showing the screen. A large photo of Radan, the number two of RSU, was displayed, and Jet stared at the man as if to memorize every detail. It was completely inappropriate to feel this way about a terrorist, but he looked like an actor in a movie, and Jet thought he was quite a handsome man.

"Radan's hiding place is a foreigner pub called "PUB SERENA" in Kabuki Cho, Tokyo. The shop is owned by a Persian man, but it turns out that Radan entered the country six months ago as a co-owner, even obtaining a management visa. Shows and performances are held on the first floor, and at first glance it looks like a normal pub, but on the second floor, RSU and other criminal organizations and brokers are forcing women and men who were brought here on short-term visitor visas and entertainment visas into prostitution. SERENA has long been under the watch of Japanese police for violating the Entertainment and Amusement Business Act and the Prostitution Prevention Act, but since Radan joined the management, it has become a hotbed of illegal employment and overstaying of foreigners, and as I said earlier, human trafficking."

When Laswell finished speaking, she looked at Jet.

"...This time, I'm going to have Jet infiltrate the store as a customer with the public security personnel. There's a possibility that RSU members are in the store, and there's also a possibility that there's a bioterrorism weapon somewhere in the store. Now that we've lost the missiles and Al-Qadr, their movements are completely unpredictable. We need to be extremely careful so that customers and employees don't get hurt."

"Infiltrate as a customer..." Soap muttered, then looked at Jet, who noticed and nodded. It meant "don't worry," but Soap still frowned and looked dissatisfied.

"We're leaving in two days. Everyone, be prepared. Especially Jet, your father wanted to talk to you. Apparently, your father will be welcoming you at Camp Zama. Why don't you talk a bit before you meet?"

Laswell's words drew the attention of the members to Jet.

"Eh...I didn't hear that my father would greet me...I didn't have to go out of my way to do that...I see...I understand."

"Also, I have something to discuss with Japanese public security after this. Would you like to join me? Jet."

"Yes of course"

Laswell led Jet out of the conference room, and the remaining members looked at each other.

"Daddy Issues?"

John muttered, and Ghost glared at Soap, saying, "Shut up, Johnny."

Price and Gaz looked at each other and shrugged.

After the online meeting ended and Jet returned to his room, he was staring at the number displayed on his smartphone, wondering what to say. It was his father's number. The man who had ruined his smooth life.

What should I talk to him about?

Just as he was thinking that, a call came from that very number.

"... Yes, Dad?"

"...Jay, how are you? Is everything going well? How's Britain? Are everyone on the team nice?"

As he was asked one question after another, Jet was at a loss for words.

This was just like a conversation between a "normal parent and child."

It's true that Jet and his father were a normal, close family until his parents divorced.

Although he was passionate about education and was stricter than most families, and often had various restrictions, he was still a good father. That all came crashing down when her father betrayed her mother. Now that Jet finally gotten over his intense dislike and hatred, He is able to suppress my feelings and talk to him, but when Jet think about what his father did to his mother and how it affected his life, Jet can't go back to his old relationship easily. Jet still wishes he could keep his father out of his life forever if he could.

"...I'm fine. How about you? You're busy with a lot of things, aren't you? Especially right now..."

"Yeah, to a certain extent. But this time, the mission itself is mainly handled by the Public Security Bureau. The Self-Defense Forces will only respond after something happens. You'll be coming over here the day after tomorrow, right? We only have a little time to talk, but I'm looking forward to seeing you."

Jet was starting to get fed up with his father's inoffensive conversation, who spoke so calmly, as if he'd thought out what he was going to say beforehand...

"Jay, I'm so sorry that things turned out like this. I didn't want to get you involved, but I recommended you because I thought you were the right person for the job."

His father had rarely ever apologized to him in his life. That's why Jet was surprised, but the apology was not something he could accept easily.

"About this? You didn't want to get me involved? About what? I have no complaints about the mission. I don't regret coming to live in America and joining the U.S. military too. What I still can't forgive is that you abandoned my mother!"

"Well...About her... Actually, I'm thinking of remarrying once this has settled down. With her..."

Jet was so shocked that he nearly dropped his phone. He wanted to believe that he had misheard something.

"What?! What are you talking about?! Are you out of your mind?"

"It can't be helped that you're angry. Actually, your mom contacted me three years ago when you left the Army... and we started talking again."

"Did my mother contact you?... Did you get back together because she contacted you?"

"No way! I've regretted it ever since we broke up. Of course, I cut ties with the woman I had been cheating with a long time ago. I've been lamenting my stupidity for a long time... I wanted to see her, I wanted to apologize, and I was waiting for the chance."

Jet's father's words overlapped with Pierson's, and he felt dizzy and sat down on the spot.

What a convenient story. If He regret it later and apologize, can we go back? ...But what if that's what she wants?

"Is that what my mother wants?"

"...Yes, that's what she and I want. To live together again."

Jet was speechless. He never thought his mother would want the same thing.

Will I get back together with the person me betrayed?

"...Okay. I'll talk to my mother again. Well, I'll be up early tomorrow, so see you in Japan."

Jet spoke one-sidedly, and even though his father was still talking, he quickly tapped end call and forced his father out. The phone slid out of his hand and fell in front of him, and Jet, sitting on the floor, thought vaguely about Pierson and himself.

Maybe I am just like my mother?

Why am I trying to meet Pierson again when I thought it was over? Maybe it was because I still loved him?

"That can't be!" Jet shouted to himself in the empty room, scratched his head, then suddenly remembered something and hurried out of the room.

"If you're there, please open up!!"

Jet knocked on Gaz's room.

Gaz heard a loud knock and Jet's panicked voice, and immediately opened the door, thinking it was an emergency.

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

Gaz seemed to have just showered and smelled amazing, so Jet narrowed his eyes at him and thought to himself, "It's a great loss for all gay men that such a handsome guy isn't gay."

"There's something I really need right now..."

"What? What do I have and can give you? I'll give you anything then."

Jet knew Gaz was straight and nearly burst out laughing, thinking it was like a gay porn scene, but he managed to hold it in and shoved Gaz back into the room.

"Sorry! I know this is sudden and rude, but I really want that!"

"So what is that? Please tell me more clearly."

"Price gave it to you, right? Whiskey. You have it now, right? A bottle."

Jet thought that if he didn't drink tonight, he would go crazy.

The only way to get alcohol without leaving the base at this time was to go to Price's room, but he knew he would definitely be turned down, and it was easy to imagine that they would just end up having sex. To be honest, that was fine. I'm sure if I have sex with Price intensely, I'll be able to forget all about my messy feelings.

Get drunk, feel great, and forget everything by tomorrow morning. That was fine though.

But he didn't want to use Price like that.

It's because he cares about me seriously.

Then Jett thought of someone other than Price who had alcohol.

The other day, he saw Price secretly handing Gaz a bottle of whiskey in front of his room. It was late at night, so they probably thought no one was watching, but Jet clearly saw it and remembered it. And Jet thought that since he was kind, he would definitely share it with him if he asked.

"You... you knew a lot about that... did you see it?"

Jet nodded excitedly and approached Gaz.

"Just a little as payment for keeping quiet... please... I really feel like drinking today..."

Gaz folded his hands and thought for a moment, then said, "Just one drink. After you drink, go back to your room and sleep."

When Gaz said that, Jet jumped on him without a second thought. The height difference between them was not that big, so the hug fit perfectly. Gaz accepted Jet's hug without hesitation and gently stroked his back to calm him down, so Jet was engrossed and enjoyed Gaz's warmth for a while.

“Thank you…really.”

“Anyway, did something happen that made you have to drink?”

Gaz pulled Jet away from her, put her hands on Jet's shoulders, and looked into his face.

"A lot of things... Where do I need to start talking to you...?"

That evening, Jet ends up having not just one drink, but four drinks, and tells Gaz about his sexuality, about his father, about Pierson, and everything about himself that Gaz doesn't know yet. He listened to him very sympathetically, wiped his tears when he started crying, hugged his shoulders, and gave him lots of warm hugs. If he were gay, he would have just stayed in his bed for the night, but Jett never wooed a straight guy, no matter how drunk he was.

Gaz escorts Jet, who is unsteady on his feet, to his room and makes him take off his boots and clothes, leaving him in his underwear. Then I tried to put Jet in the sweat　pants and shirt that met the bedside

"What a wonderful husband he is..."

"You think so, don't you?"

Gaz laughed mischievously and Jet laughed too.

"Don't let me put any clothes on... I'm hot so I want to sleep like this."

"Okay, see ya. Goodnight Jet."

Gaz ruffled Jet's head and left the room.

Jet thanked Gaz for keeping him company until the late hours of the night, and for the first time in a long time he had resented the fact that he wasn't a woman.

Below is the Japanese version

～（１６）溝～

その日、141は会議室に集められ、ラズウェルから進捗報告と今後の予定について聞かされていた。

デルタフォースとTETRAによりミサイルは確保され、同時に大量の銃器も押収された。RSUのトップ、アル・カドルもロシアで拘束され、作戦は成功を収めHEMP攻撃の驚異は去ったが、日本国内に潜伏しているナンバー2の確保の為に、ジェットたちは予定通り日本に向かう事になった。

ラズウェルはラップトップを開き、画面を見せながら説明する。大きくRSUのナンバー２のラダンの写真が大きく映し出され、ジェットはその男の細部まで記憶するようにじっと見つめた。こんな事をテロリスト相手に感じるのは全く不謹慎だったが、彼はまるで映画に登場する俳優のようで、中々の男前だと思った。

「ラダンの潜伏先は東京・歌舞伎町の外国人パブ“PUB SERENA”だ。この店はペルシャ人オーナーの店だが、ラダンは共同経営として経営・管理ビザまで取得して半年前に入国していることが分かった。一階ではショーやパフォーマンスが行われていて一見普通のパブだが、二階ではRSUや他の犯罪組織、ブローカーが短期滞在ビザや興行ビザで連れてきた女性や男性に売春を強要させている。そもそもSERENAは前から風俗営業法違反や売春防止法の違反で日本の警察も見張っていた店だが、ラダンが経営に加わってからは外国人の不法就労や不法残留、先ほども言った通り人身取引の温床にもなっている」

ラズウェルが話し終えると、彼女はジェットの方に視線をやった。

「…今回はジェットには客として公安の人間と一緒に店に潜入してもらう。RSUのメンバーも店内にいる可能性もある上にこの店のどこかにバイオテロ兵器がある可能性もある。ミサイルとアル・カドルを失った今、奴らの動きは全く予測不能だ。客や従業員に被害が出ないように細心の注意が必要だ」

「客として潜入…」ソープがそう呟いた後ジェットに視線をやると、それに気づいたジェットは彼を見ながらうなずいた。それは「心配するな」という意味だったが、それでもソープは眉間に皺を寄せ、不満そうな顔をしていた。

「２日後に出発だ。各々準備しておいてくれ。特にジェット、君の父上が話したがってたぞ。キャンプ座間では君の父上が出迎えてくれるそうだ。会う前に少し話をしたらどうだ？」

ラズウェルの言葉にメンバーの視線が一気にジェットに集まる。

「えっ…父が出迎えるなんて聞いていませんでした…。わざわざそんな事をしなくてもいいのに…。そうでしたか…、わかりました」

「それから、この後日本の公安と詰めておきたい話があるんだが、君も同席してくれるか？ジェット」

「はい、もちろん」

ラズウェルはジェットを会議室から連れ出し、取り残された他のメンバーは互いに顔を見合わせていた。

「―Daddy Issues？」

ジョンがボソリと呟くと、ゴーストが「…黙れジョニー」といってソープを睨んだ。プライスとギャズも顔を見合わせて肩をすくめた。

オンライン会議が終わり、部屋に戻ったジェットはスマホに表示された番号を見つめながら悩んでいた。それは父親の番号。順調だった自分の人生に台無しにした男。

今さら何を話すのか…

そう思ったその時、まさにその番号から電話がかかってきた。

「…はい、父さん?」

『…ジェイ、元気か？そっちでは順調か？イギリスはどうだ？チームのメンバーはみんないい奴か？』

次から次へと質問され、ジェットは言葉に詰まった。

こんなのはまるで、“普通の親子“の会話だ。

確かにジェットと父親は両親が離婚するまでは、普通の仲の良い家族だった。彼は教育熱心で、一般家庭よりは厳しく、色々と制限されることも多かったが、それでもいい父親だった。それが、父親が母親を裏切ったことがきっかけですべて崩れてしまったのだ。今は激しい嫌悪感や憎しみをやっと乗り越えたからこそ、自分の気持ちを抑えて会話することができるが、それでも彼が母親にした仕打ち、そして自分の人生にどのような影響を与えたかを考えると、簡単には元の関係には戻れない。ジェットは、今でもできる事なら父親を自分の人生から永遠に遠ざけたいと思っていた。

「…元気だよ。そっちは？色々と忙しいんだろ？今は特に…」

『まぁな。だが、今回のことは任務自体は公安がメインで動いているからな。自衛隊はあくまで事が起きてからの対応になる。お前も明後日こっちに来るんだろう？話す時間は少ししかないが、お前に会うのを楽しみにしてるよ』

まるで言う事を事前に考えていたかのような淡々とした喋り方、当たり障りのない会話を続ける父親にジェットがうんざりしはじめたその時…

『…ジェイ、こんな事になって、本当にすまないと思っている。巻き込みたくなかったが、お前が適任だと思ったから推薦したんだ』

父親が自分に謝罪することは今までの人生でほとんどなかった。それだけにジェットは驚いたが、その謝罪はジェットにとって素直に受け入れられるものではなかった。

「こんな事？巻き込みたくなかった？何について？任務についてなら不満なんてないよ。アメリカで暮らすことになって米軍に入隊した事も後悔してない。俺が今でも許せないのはあんたが母さんを捨てた事だよ！」

『その、母さんの事なんだが…実は、今回の事が落ち着いたら再婚しようと思っている。彼女と…』

ジェットはショックでスマホを落としそうになった。また、それが何かの聞き間違いだと信じたかった。

「はぁ？！何を言ってるんだ？！正気か？」

『お前が怒るのも仕方ない。実は3年前、お前が陸軍を辞めた時に母さんから連絡があって…それから再び話すようになったんだ。知らなくて当然だ。母さんには口止めされてたんだ』

「母さんが？！…父さんはどうなの？…彼女から連絡が来たからよりを戻したの？」

『まさか！別れてからずっと後悔していたよ。もちろん浮気相手とはとっくの昔にきっぱりと縁を切っている。俺は自分の愚かさをずっと嘆いていた…。彼女に会いたくて、謝りたくて、ずっと…そのチャンスを待っていたんだ』

父親のその言葉がピアソンと重なり、ジェットは眩暈がしてその場に座り込んだ。

なんて都合のいい話だ。後で後悔して謝ればまた戻れるなんて。…でも、彼女がそれを望んでいたら？

「母さんがそう願ってるの？」

『…ああ、母さんも父さんも、互いにそう望んでる。再び一緒に生きることを』

ジェットは絶句した。まさか母親も同じように望んでいるとは思わなかったからだ。

裏切られた相手と再び一緒になる？

「…わかった。…また母さんにも話を聞くよ。それじゃあ、明日も早いからまた。日本で会おう」

ジェットは一方的に喋ると父親がまだ何かを喋っているのにも関わらず素早く通話終了をタップして強制的に父親を閉め出した。スマホは彼の手からするりと滑り落ちると目の前に落下し、床に座り込んだままの状態のジェットはぼんやりとピアソンと自分の事を考えた。

もしかしたら自分も母親と同じなのか？なぜ自分は終わったと割り切った筈の相手と再び会おうとしている？もしかしてまだ愛しているから？

「そんなわけはない！」ジェットは誰もいない部屋で一人叫ぶと、頭を搔きむしり、何かを閃いたかのようにハッとし、慌てて部屋を出た。

「いるなら開けて、お願い！！」

ジェットがノックしたのはギャズの部屋だった。

その大きなノック音と普段あまり聞かないジェットの大声に、ギャズは慌てて扉を開ける。

「どうした？何事だ？」

ギャズはシャワーを浴びたばかりなのか、とてもいい香りがしてジェットは思わず目を細めた。こんなにいい男がゲイではないなんて、全ゲイ男性にとって大きな損失だな…とくだらない事を考えていた。

「どうしても今必要なものがあるんだけど…」

「何？俺が持ってて君にあげれるもの？だったら何でもあげるけど？」

ジェットはギャズがストレートだとわかっているので、このなんともゲイっぽいやりとりに爆笑しそうになったが、なんとか堪えてギャズを部屋に押し戻し、そのまま一緒に無理矢理部屋に侵入した。

「ごめん！突然で無礼なのはわかってるけど、どうしてもアレがほしい！」

「だからアレってなに？はっきり言ってくれよ」

「…プライスから貰っただろう？…ウィスキー。今持ってるんだろう？ボトル」

ジェットは今夜は飲まないと頭がおかしくなりそうだと思ったのだ。

そして、この時間に基地から出ることなくアルコールを手に入れるには、プライスの部屋に行くしかなかったが、絶対に断られるのもわかっているし、そのままなし崩し的にセックスになだれ込む事は容易に想像できた。正直それでもよかった。はじめてプライスに抱かれたときのように、彼の腕の中だとむしゃくしゃした気持ちや何もかもを忘れさせてもらえる。

酔って、最高に気持ちよくなって、明日の朝にはすべて忘れる。それでもよかった。

でも、そんな風にプライスを利用したくなかったのだ。

彼が自分の事を真剣に想ってくれているからこそ。

そして、ジェットはプライス以外に酒を持っている人間を思いついたのだ。

この前、プライスの部屋の前で彼がこっそりギャズにウイスキーのボトルを渡しているのを見てしまったのだ。深夜だったので誰も見ていないと油断していたのだろうが、ジェットはハッキリとそれを見てしまい、覚えていた。そして、優しい彼ならきっと頼めば分けてくれるとそう考えたのだった。

「君…よく知ってるな…まさか見てたのか？」

ジェットは興奮した様子でコクコクと頷き、ギャズに詰め寄った。

「口止め料としてちょっとだけ…お願い…今日はどうしても飲みたい気分なんだ…」

ギャズは両手を組み、少し考え込んだ後「一杯だけだぞ。飲んだらすぐに部屋に戻って寝ること」

ギャズがそう言うと、ジェットは思わず彼に飛びついた。彼とは身長差があまりないので、ハグをするととてもいい感じにフィットする。ギャズは嫌がることなくジェットの抱擁を受け入れ、ポンポンと背中をたたいて宥めてくれたので調子に乗ってしばらくその温かさを味わっていた。

「ありがとう…本当に」

「それにしても、飲まなきゃいけないほど何かあったのか？」

ギャズはジェットを自分から引き離すと、ジェットの両肩に手を置きその顔を覗き込んだ。

「色々とね…君にはどこから話さないといけないんだっけ…？」

その日の晩、結局ジェットは一杯だけでなく4杯飲み、ギャズに自分のセクシャリティの事、父親との事、ピアソンとの事、ギャズがまだ知らない自分のことをすべて話した。彼はとても親身に話を聞いてくれ、途中で泣き出す彼の涙を拭い、肩を抱きしめ、温かいハグを沢山くれた。彼がもしゲイだったら、そのままベッドで一晩過ごすところだったが、ジェットはどれだけ酔っていてもストレートの男性に言い寄ることはなかった。

ギャズはふらついた足取りのジェットを部屋まで送り、ブーツを脱がせ、服を脱がせ、下着にすると側に会ったスウェットとシャツを着せようとした。

「なんてよくできた旦那様なんだ…」

「そう思うだろ？」

ギャズがいたずらっぽく笑うとジェットもふふふと笑った。

「服は着せないで…熱いからこのまま寝たい」

「わかったよ、じゃあね、おやすみジェット」

ギャズはジェットの頭をくしゃくしゃと撫でまわすと、部屋を出て行った。

ジェットは最後まで自分に付き合ってくれたギャズに感謝した。彼は本当にいい男だと思った。自分が女でないことを久しぶりに恨んだ瞬間だった。

～to be continued～

[puuung1]

My book series Love is in Small Thing Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 in new English editions, are currently available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/s?me=A2FK9CAAEGNND9

I've always wanted my books to be more accessible for fans all over the world, and the long journey to make that happen is finally over. I'm really happy. It's a very tearful moment for me. You won't know how many challenges I've had.

Since the publication of my first book in South Korea in 2016, it has also been published in various countries, including Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Turkey, Japan, Brazil, China, Philippines, and Russia in their respective languages. 🇰🇷 🇮🇩 🇹🇼 🇻🇳 🇹🇷 🇯🇵 🇧🇷 🇨🇳 ��🇭 🇷🇺 Although unofficial, I made a small number of books by myself and sold them to small fans in 2014. I also opened crowdfunding on Kickstarter in 2015, and thankfully, 1,800 fans participated, so I was able to make limited edition books and send them to fans around the world.

However, I had one concern – continuous inquiries from overseas fans looking for English versions of the books. At the time, I felt helpless, but I decided to approach the Korean publishing company that had published my books and asked if they could add English translations to the captions in the book's illustrations. Fortunately, they agreed, and this resolved my initial concern. Eventually, in April 2020, revised editions with English translations were released.

However, at the end of 2019, when the decision to release revised editions was made, my second concern began. It was to find a way to sell my books to fans all around the world. Creating an online store was not an easy task, but I managed to resolve it using an e-commerce platform called Shopify. The real challenge was international shipping. Shipping costs from Korea to many countries abroad were prohibitively expensive, and I had no prior experience with international shipping. I worried about whether fans would be willing to pay such high shipping costs. Despite my concerns, I had no alternative. I diligently searched for a trustworthy shipping company, opened an official website in February 2020, and began preparing to sell my books.

Although I had hoped that this would resolve my concerns, a much larger problem arose, affecting not only me but the entire world: the COVID-19 pandemic. I couldn't have imagined that the pandemic's impact would be so severe. In April 2020, I started selling my books with great aspirations, but the pandemic brought global logistics to a standstill. Immediately after opening the website, I received orders from a lot of people around the world. I had packed all the orders and was ready to ship them, but I received notifications from the shipping company stating that they couldn't deliver to most countries. It was a moment of utter frustration after all the hard work. Orders continued to come in, but there was no way to send them. All I could do was apologize to the customers via email. Fortunately, everyone was understanding, but it took nearly a year to finally ship my books to all the customers. I had no idea that selling something to people living in other countries would be so challenging. Over the course of a year, I faced many trials and tribulations and finally overcame the obstacles.

The concerns, however, did not end there. Over time, I continued to receive comments and emails saying, "I want to buy your books, but the shipping costs are too high." I searched for ways to reduce shipping costs but couldn't find a solution. Since I wasn't a large-scale retailer sending out many international shipments, I couldn't negotiate significant discounts. So, I started looking for other alternatives.

There were two potential solutions. The first was to sell my book on Amazon using Amazon KDP – a print-on-demand model. The second was to sell my books on Amazon by producing my books in bulk and stocking them in Amazon FBA. However, I couldn't bring myself to produce the books in bulk and stock them in Amazon FBA, so I chose Amazon KDP and began selling my books in August 2020.

Has my journey reached its conclusion? Selling my books on Amazon and reading customer reviews, I found a new issue – the quality of the books. Print-on-demand is a method where books are produced and sent out as soon as an order comes in, primarily focusing on text-based books, which led to less-than-ideal paper and print quality for illustration-heavy books in terms of cost. Now, the final solution I'm going to attempt is to produce my books, stock them in Amazon FBA, and sell them. And it took a whopping three years. The long journey to make my books accessible to fans worldwide at reasonable prices and shipping fees has finally come to an end.

My books are now available on Amazon, and you can purchase the new English editions. I am extremely pleased to offer you high-quality English editions at an affordable price with reasonable shipping fees than before. Especially in these new editions, 25 additional unreleased illustrations are divided into two books. I hope this is good news for those who wanted my books but couldn't purchase them until now. I am deeply thankful for your ongoing love and support for my work.

[camels-pen]

The Power of Plywood

Summary: Vlad finally swears for real.

based on @madmedlyw's prompt ""Danny stopped at once, his mind pausing for a second. Did he… did he hear it well? Did Vlad just curse like… like a normal human being?" A.k.a. the one time Vlad had a legitimate reason to drop his sweet-related swears and surprisingly over a mundane situation."

Ao3 Link

The battle was hard fought. Wet napkins littered the coffee table in between smashed remains of oatmeal cookies, the smell of smoke and charged ozone was potent in the air, and there was a faint ringing in his left ear from a small blast fired very close to his head.

Today was supposed to be it. The new Doomed game would come out in less than an hour, last he checked, and he’d prepared for months to pick it up in the morning and have his friends come over to play it with him, completely undisturbed by anything ghostly.

He bribed, he begged, and he beat up every single one of his usual rogues to make them back off for the day. And for once, everything was working in his favour.

Danny glared at the man sitting on his living room couch. 

Mostly working in his favour.

Vlad had of course decided that today of all days was a good time to try his “be my evil son or else” shtick again. 

And, because his dad had been present when he answered the door, Danny couldn’t just physically throw Vlad out. 

“Really, you’re being quite ridiculous, Daniel. I’m not even asking for much.”

“I’m not killing my dad and I’m not moving to your stupid mansion.”

“Cinnamon scones!”

Thus here they were, glaring at each other while Vlad attempted to dab at the juice Danny had just accidentally spilled all over his dumb suit. The seventh cup he’d spilled so far. And Danny himself was putting out the last of the fires on his hair—a consequence of Vlad’s eye and finger blasts shot in retaliation to Danny’s antics.

Anytime his dad left the room, Danny would quietly cuss Vlad out left and right, either because he was trying to annoy the man into leaving or frantically patting at singed hair. Vlad was in a similar state, growing increasingly irritated and vocalizing his distaste at each new stain—whether from juice, liquified cookies, or some combination of sticky ectoplasm and things he found between the couch cushions that he threw at Vlad—or particularly creative curse from Danny.

Vlad hadn’t really been swearing, but the sentiment was still there; the man had named more cookie types in this one visit than all of their other encounters combined. As the time dragged on though, he mostly started cycling through fudge, Moravian spice, and shortbread cookies.

Danny glanced at the clock. Time was ticking away, less than a few minutes until the store opened and he wasn’t really sure how else to get rid of him. He needed some way to get Vlad to leave or at least preoccupied and soon if he wanted to get a copy of the game before they ran out.

Feeling the pressure mount, he feigned checking his phone and grumbled, “Mom wants your help with something in the lab.” 

Vlad raised an eyebrow, hardly glancing away from his attempts to salvage his clothes. “Is that so? And why should I believe you?”

“I wouldn’t tell you about it if it didn’t sound serious.” Danny rolled his eyes. “She said something about an explosive and needing steady hands. She also said Dad is too clumsy for it.”

A disgustingly smug look grew on Vlad’s face. “That does sound about right. I suppose we’ll have to continue our chat when I return.”

Danny scowled and pooled together a bit of his energy in his palms under the table, an evenly mixed ball of snow and ectoplasm starting to build in his hands. Vlad would hopefully be too distracted to dodge in time and the explosion should be just big enough that the anti-ghost security system came online and started shooting at him, allowing Danny to finally get his game in peace.

Just as he was about to let loose though, Vlad—who had just gotten up—smacked his foot on the leg of the coffee table and hissed a loud, “Fuck!”

Danny stopped all at once, his mind pausing for a second. Did he... did he hear that right? Did Vlad just curse like... like a normal human being? 

“Motherfucking piece of cheap shit—!”

He gaped, watching the man curse worse than any sailor he’d ever met. Watched him hop around and violently vocalize his pain in a way that made Danny’s earlier tirades seem like nothing.

The ecto-snowball in his hands disappeared as he watched starstruck.

As much as he wanted to laugh, the feeling of awe was overwhelming. This was probably the first time Danny had ever even considered the thought that Vlad might be cool.

All this time, and it only took stubbing his toe to finally cut loose from his stupid cookie curse substitutes? Danny would’ve dropped something on his foot ages ago if he knew that.

Then all Vlad’s hopping around got him to smack his other foot into the coffee table and he started cursing even louder. 

“Son of a fucking carpenter’s thick ass wood scraps little bitch!”

He even changed into ghost form so he could float instead of trying to stand on either foot. 

Danny was struck with an idea.

He pulled the Thermos out of his bag and Vlad, completely unaware until it was too late, was sucked into it.

“You have got to teach me how you came up with those sometime,” Danny said, shaking the Thermos a little. He could faintly hear the tail end of a denial and a cookie curse, but he decided to ignore it. One way or another, he’d get Vlad to teach him.

Just then, his phone alarm went off. Danny startled. “The game!” He quickly flew the distance to the store, excited thoughts running through his head about the new game mechanics and enemies to experience. He got there in record time and went straight through the door.

He panted as he stopped at the register. “One… Doomed: Night of Dreams… please.”

The cashier stared at him a moment, unblinking, before pointing to a sign behind her.

Danny looked up. There was a digital counter on the wall behind her with the words “Copies of Doomed: Night of Dreams” written above it.

The counter was at 0.

He slumped. “Oh sugar cookies.”

[newbietrainer]

(Brain was not going to give up on this idea, so here's Gou and Haibara singing this song at a karaoke lounge.)

As the music starts, Haibara would sway in place a bit. Gou would join in once the drums and guitars started, nodding his head along.

Haibara brings her mic up to her mouth, singing in time with the lyrics.

"A simple stage A wish bringing out our thirst A thread pulling every nerve Until you find a soul to match your strength.

As the summit comes to life The horizon's in my sight But I'm falling into the sky.

So much-"

As the next part starts, Gou bring up his mic now to sing too.

"-hope is here in both our hands As we brave a storm of waves and Still we've yet to spread our wings out"

It goes back to just Haibara for a moment.

"But the time is now!"

The pair get into the song now, putting their all into it together.

"Get down! We won't let you go! This time, can you bring us down? Back up! Fly far through the sky BLACK ROVER!

Let's go! All together now And at last! This world can't slow us down For now, let's dye it all in black BLACK ROVER!"

A small break in the lyrics allow both to catch their breath and compose themselves. It was Gou's turn to handle the singing for a while.

"Another play I've seen it so many times You see it too, but lack the sight Why do I even try... when it's all the same."

They go back to doing this as a duet, both of them just smiling and enjoying themselves.

"Everyone recites the script But I'm not meant to follow it Won't sit back, I won't blend in with the cast You won't see me hide behind a mask.

So much hope is here in both our hands As we brave a storm of waves and Still we've yet to spread our wings out But the time is now!

Get down! We won't let you go! This time, can you bring us down? Back up! fly far through the sky BLACK ROVER!

Let's go! All together now And at last this world can't slow us down For now, let's dye it all in black BLACK ROVER!

As more join and stand beside me The void doesn't feel so empty I know there is much more in store Let's open that door!"

Another break in the lyrics, Gou nodding his head to the song's beat. Haibara prepares for one last solo before the end.

"Just open your eyes, like us Just open your hearts, like us Just open the world, like us We know we are reckless."

Back to duet for the final time.

"Just open your eyes, like us Just open your hearts, like us Just open the world, like us Don't stay! Don't blame!"

"Let's ride!"

"Get down! We won't let you go! This time, can you bring us down? Back up! Fly far through the sky BLACK ROVER!

Let's go! All together now, And at last this world can't slow us down For now, let's dye it all in black BLACK ROVER!

As more join and stand beside me The void, it doesn't feel so empty I know there is much more in store Let's open that door!"

Gou reaches a hand out in a snapping position.

"Let's go next stage."

He snaps just as he says stage. The pair were panting, but had enjoyed themselves a lot.

"Woooo! That was awesome you two!" Torako had heard them both sing before, but that was over their mics online. Hearing them in person was a lot different.

"Hihihihi, th-thanks Tora-chan." Haibara didn't let herself laugh all that often, as she had a laugh similar to a hyena cackle. It and her choice to wear spotted, muddy grey clothes got her the nickname Hyena back at her school.