#hassle-free vacations

[ajaiswal654321]

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[kids-worldfun]

Eight Tips for a Hassle-Free Long Vacation with Your Family

When you go on a long holiday with your family, then it is all the exhilaration of bonding, frolicking, and making of marvelous memories. Still, the reality is that this needs a lot of planning to make it a smooth and enjoyable experience for one and all, especially with a family having many generations, comprising little kids or old people – and maybe even a pet. Without proper organization,…

[o0sleepingdead0o]

Prepared for Anything

Part 2, MasterPost

Danny stared at the ceiling, bored, as the creepy clown laughed manically at a camera. Danny hadn’t been in this dimension for two minutes, (he’d portalled directly into Joker’s hideout) before he was promptly tied to a chair. He could get out of it easily.

Thing was, there were others here, restrained more thoroughly than Danny. They wore colourful, armoured suits and were obviously the vigilantes/heroes of this. . .place—Gotham? Danny’d heard the name mentioned a few times now—This Freakshow wannabe was obviously one of their villains. 

Danny had been hoping someone would show up without having to draw attention to himself. What was this dimension’s stance on halfas? Or ghosts?

But no one had come yet, it had been an hour, and he was getting stiff from sitting here so long without being able to move his limbs.

Danny heaved a loud, exasperated sigh-groan at the ceiling. The guy, face-painted like a toddler who’d gotten into their parent’s make-up, suddenly stopped monologuing. 

Good. It was getting annoying.

“Are you done yet?” Danny complained much like the impatient teenager he was. “I’ve got crap to do, wrap it up, would you?”

Danny came here to explore. He was not exploring. He should be exploring and it was all this dude’s fault.

Danny supposed he could go all ghost on him and bounce, but he came all this way. It wasn’t much of hassle, but still. Danny was stubborn. He knew this.

The warehouse was silent. The creepo wasn’t talking, anymore, he wasn’t doing anything, and Danny deigned to lift his head from where it’d been thrown back on the chair.

The costumed people were looking at him in horror.

Danny wasn’t sure why.

The walking fashion disaster began to cackle with condescending amusement.

Yeah, okay, whatever.

Danny ignored the man’s delve into something about Danny’s impending doom, or threatening him with pain, and something, something, something. Something about broken this, burning that, yada, yada yada, when Danny got an idea.

Behind the chair where his hands were bound, knowing no one was behind him, he quietly broke the ropes on his wrists. The vigilantes—a red one with bandoliers crossing over his chest and one who wore a largely grey and black suit with an R emblem on the left side of his chest—were valiantly trying to dissuade the psycho to leave Danny alone, who now realized the said psycho was coming towards him, carrying a crowbar.

How original.

The Joker, as Danny heard someone call him at some point, he’s not sure when, leaned in close. His breath stank. 

Danny made a disgusted face. “Do you not brush your teeth at all? Gross, dude.”

“You won’t be mak—“

Danny punched him in the jaw. The guy went down pretty easily. 

Danny made an annoyed noise as he bent down to untie his ankles from the chair legs. He muttered to himself. “Stupid villains, always gotta get in the way, why can’t I just have one nice vacation, huh?”

“How did you do that?” 

Danny looked up at the red one. “Do what?” He asked, standing and stretching with satisfying pops.

“Get free.”

“Oh. . .” Danny reached into his hoodie sleeve and pulled out a small hand saw. He guessed he coulda used a knife, but it was the first thing he'd thought of.

The guy spluttered. “You just keep a saw in your sleeve?”

“Yep.” Danny popped the P. No need for them to know he can make portals. As tiny as needed. “You guys want help out of those, or what?” Danny gestured to the chains keeping the two bound on the floor.

“No, Joker’s goons outside probably has the keys, we have back-up. . . .coming. . . .where did you get that?”

Danny didn’t miss a beat as he crouched to get a grip on the chain with the large pair of bolt cutters. “Ah, ya know, never leave home without a good pair of bolt cutters.” He offered. The room they were in was pretty bare, saying he found it “lying around” wouldn’t work. It’d be pretty obvious.

“That is absurd.” The younger one said. “Where did they come from?”

Danny snapped the red one free and moved onto the angry eyebrows one. How did they still emote so well through those masks? “Just had it on hand.”

“But wh—“

“Oh look! There ya go! I gotta go, nice being held hostage with y'all.” Danny ignored their calls for him, climbing out of the nearest window and disappearing.

[surielstea]

A Sudden Elopement

Based on this request.

Pairing: Azriel x Fem!Reader

Summary: After Reader and Azriel suddenly get married without telling any of the others, the silently watch while every one figures it out for themselves.

Warnings: just fluff.

A. Note: just a short fic because I feel bad for being inactive as of late :c but the good news is, is that I’ll be very active for Eris week!! So keep an eye out for more Vanserra content 😻🙏

1.7k words

My eyes drooped with exhaustion as I attempted to keep my focus on the book I was reading. I was seated between my mate's legs in his lap, leaning back against his chest while he combed his scarred fingers through my hair. I sighed and closed my book, deciding I didn't have enough energy to read another chapter. I tossed it to the side of the bed and shifted lazily, flipping around to meet his hazel eyes gazing down at me.

"How was your book?" He hummed and I mumbled something he couldn't decipher while pulling myself up and stuffing my nose into the crook of his neck.

"That good, huh?" He teased, his arms moving to wrap around my waist.

I nod, tightening my grasp on him, needing him closer, lazily clinging to him like moss to a damp wall, infectious and dependent. But he didn't seem to care, only returned my embrace with the same tenderness "We should get married," He said softly and my eyes widened, now fully awake.

"What?"

"We should get married," He repeated with a casual tone.

"As in, right now?" I tilt my head, raising a brow at him.

"Well," He gave me an incredulous look. "Not right now, eventually, I want to marry you," He reiterated. A soft smile pulls at my lips.

"We've only been dating for a few months," I argue and even in the dim lighting I can see him blush.

"Yes, and we've been best friends for a decade," He argues and my smile widens, I straddle over his hips, sitting up and debating it.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd marry you now if I could, but do you really want to go through the hassle of planning one?" I speak logically but it's as if he only heard the first half of my sentence.

"Let's get married, right now," He grinned wildly and I flushed pink. "We don't have to do the hassle, you hate parties anyway. It can be just us, somewhere far or close I don't care. I just want to marry you," He expressed, intertwining our hands as I debated the irrational and sudden decision.

"Though I love how eager you are, I don't have a dress— much less, we don't have rings," I explain. "And as rich as you are, your funds are not bottomless," I say but he remains looking at me with the same loving look.

"Tell me exactly how you want to do it, and that's how it'll be done," He prompts and lets go of my hands, favoring placing them on my waist as I leaned down on my elbow, propped up against his chest.

"Well, it being just us doesn't sound too bad," I say, tracing shapes on his bicep with my free hand. "And I'd want to have a pretty gown, and I'd want to have our ceremony somewhere beautiful." I flick my eyes up to meet his unfaltering gaze. "And rings, I want everyone to know we belong to each other," I add quickly and his smile grows.

"Anything else?" He tilts his head but I shake mine, cupping his face and leaning down, kissing his lips softly. "I think, I just want to be your wife," I finalized and that seemed to have pleased him because the next thing I know he's flipping me over and kissing down my neck. And despite my exhaustion, I knew sleep wouldn't come until dawn.

—————

"So, how was your trip?" Feyre said excitedly, settling into the barstool beside me.

Azriel and I had gotten back after a month's vacation only a day ago, but everyone was eager to catch up. So we landed ourselves at Rita's, a local bar beloved by the citizens of Velaris. "As romantic as it sounds," I say with a soft blush, propping my head into my hands.

"Gods, I wish Rhys would take me on a surprise trip like that," She sighed dramatically and my smile grew. We hadn't told anyone why we actually went, that our trip was more of a honeymoon, less of a vacation.

"I know," I turned back in my stool to look at my husband who was surrounded by his two brothers. "It's all still such a daze," I smile dreamily, looking back to my friend who was frozen in her seat, staring directly at the cut sapphire on my fourth finger.

"Are you engaged?!" She practically shouted and I giggled, shaking my head.

"Az and I decided to get married while we were gone," I shrug as if it was a casual thing. I didn't want it to be a big deal, because it wasn't really, we were the last of the group to tie the knot.

She just stares at me, slowly, she shifts her head back to the three males at the other end of the room, right at that chain around Azriel's neck, a silver ring hanging from it. He couldn’t wear rings because of his scars, but he still wanted to have that physical element of our marriage, as if to display how taken he was.

She nearly fell out of her chair at the realization, then tackled me into a hug, holding me tight as I giggled at her antics. "My gods, congratulations, I would have been sending gifts all week!" Feyre claimed and I shook my head at her nonsense while she pulled away.

"It's not a big deal Fey, if they haven't figured it out yet— you're the only one who knows," I smile broadly, looking back at Azriel, who happened to already be staring at me.

I brought my hand up, gesturing to the ring on my finger, then to his brothers. Silently asking if they notched yet. Azriel shook his head with a mischievous smile and I turned back to Feyre with a smirk. "I can't believe you guys didn't tell us," She huffed as if she'd failed me as a friend.

"As much as I would've loved for you to be there, it was hilarious watching how clueless you all were," I claim and she gives me a sidelong glare.

"Oh cmon," I lean over in my stool and bump her shoulder with mine. "Now you can be in on it. Who do you think is going to be last to figure it out?" I ask, gesturing to the group behind us who were all mingling with Azriel.

Feyre turned to look, the three-winged Illyrians all chatting with Morrigan, Nesta, Lucien, and Elain all accompanying them. "Cassian," She bets and I smirk, narrowing my eyes on the group.

"I think Rhys," I say, crossing my arms over my chest. Feyre cracks a smile. "Whoever's right pays the tab," She says, slipping out of her barstool and I nod, agreeing to the challenge even though I knew damn well Rhys would be covering the tab regardless.

We saunter over to the group, wicked smiles on our faces. Feyre goes to Rhys, intertwining their hands while I come to stand between Cassian and Azriel, my husband putting his arm around my shoulders. "What's that look for?" Azriel asked me, noticing the mischievous glint in my eyes.

"Feyre and I have a bet going, and that's all you need to know," I shrug and he arches a dark brow but doesn't say anything more while silky shadows swirl up my calves as if they were trying to beckon more information out of me but I didn't budge, just leaned into his side and watched Feyre as she tried her hardest to get her mate to realize the wings on me and Azriel's fingers, eager to win our bet.

It took much longer than I thought it would for them to realize. Lucien and Elain had spotted it that night, pulling me to the side to ask about it. Morrigan and Nesta had done the same one night later, interrogating me and Azriel as if we'd committed a crime, they seemed to think not telling them was against some friendship code.

But Rhys and Cassian hadn't noticed that night, or the next, or the next. It wasn't until I was training with Cassian and punched him square in the jaw that he caught sight of the ring on my finger. He brought his fingers to his cheek, wincing as he saw blood when pulling his hand away.

I cringed. "Sorry, I forgot to take my ring off," I murmured shamefully, taking the sapphire off my fourth finger. He paused, staring at me curiously, with no malice in his eyes despite the fact that I just drew blood.

"Where did you get that?" He tilted his head. I froze. Would it be considered cheating me and Feyre’s bet if I told him Az gave it to me?

"I'll give you one guess," I sent him a wink and his brows shot up.

"No way," He whispered. "He proposed?" His arms went out wide and shock. I fought back a laugh. "Well, yes, but we got married already, when we took that month off to go to the Summer Court? That was our honeymoon," I shrug and his eyes nearly bulge from their sockets.

"He didn't tell me!?" Cassian exclaimed as if he was the one to be married.

"We didn't tell anyone, everyone else already figured it out." I chuckled and his eye twitched. "Rhys doesn't know, me and Fey had a bet going to see how long it'd take," I shrug. "Turns out longer than expected." I hummed and he scowled.

"Well, you think you know someone," He huffs pathetically and I laugh.

"It's not like that Cass," I roll my eyes while walking over to my water and placing my wedding ring down beside it. If he was actually upset I don't know what I'd do, and I found myself thanking the gods when he cracked a smile, unable to keep the facade up for too long.

"Me and Az are going to have a long talk about this," He warned and I chuckled, getting back into my fighting stance on the mats.

"All I ask is that you return my husband in one piece," I say, smiling at the sound of calling Azriel my husband.

"Fine, but only if I get to be the one to tell Rhys he lost the bet." He hummed, getting into his own stance.

I grinned wildly, Feyre was going to rage. "Deal."

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[magiccath]

Emergency Dance Party

Tenth Doctor x reader (ambiguous relationship) (could also be any Doctor if you ignore the Converse comment)

Summary: In which the Doctor and the TARDIS come up with a way to make your week a little better

A/N: I wrote this for myself MONTHS ago and kinda just forgot to post it. Also, he's so pretty in this GIF

Today wasn’t your day. It hadn’t really been your week either. You were tired, grumpy, and beyond fed-up. It wasn’t anything in particular, but rather an accumulation of small things combined with a general discomfort. 

You walked into the TARDIS control room, hoping that the familiar hum of the ship might calm your anxieties. The Doctor was busy with the console, fiddling away with the controls. He became aware of your presence once you got a few steps into the room before promptly faceplanting. 

The thump made him turn towards you before rushing to help you up. You met his flustered concern with your own exasperation, accepting his outreached hand begrudgingly. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, still holding on to you. 

“Just my luck,” you groaned to yourself, adjusting your footing. “I’m fine,” you grumbled, pulling your hand from his to brush off your shirt. “It’s just one of those weeks.” 

“The kind where absolutely nothing goes right?” he asked, leaning back against the console casually. Your eyes drifted to the floor, his dirty Converse catching your eye. He was wearing the white ones today, his ankles crossed gently over each other. 

“Yeah,” you sighed, really feeling the weight of the week. 

“I think I have just the thing.” He grinned brightly. You loved his smile, it was always lopsided and giddy. It reminded you of a kid on Christmas or a serial killer. It depended on the day.

“I don’t really feel up for an adventure,” you admitted, slumping into the control room chair. You didn’t have the physical or emotional energy to run after the Doctor. He had promised “stress-free” trips in the past, and they always ended with some form of chaos. When you traveled with the Doctor, there was no such thing as a “beach vacation”, at least not in the traditional sense. Usually, such expeditions ended with something blowing up.

“Don’t worry,” he laughed, “we don’t have to leave the TARDIS for this.” 

You watched him move about the console in his regular manner. He did this for so long, that you started to think watching him was supposed to be the activity for the day. Before you could question his motives, he made his way over to you. He was holding something, but he hid it behind his back so you couldn’t see. 

“Please tell me that’s not a duck,” you groaned, remembering the Doctor’s last surprise. That one left the ship in shambles, and single handedly destroyed your favorite shirt. 

The Doctor frowned, “What’s wrong with ducks?” 

“Nothing,” you laughed lightly, “I just don’t want to have to chase after another one.” 

The Doctor nodded sheepishly, remembering the hassle you two had when he brought a rouge duck onto the ship. He still hadn’t put the kitchen back together, and that had been months ago now. 

“Well, it’s not a duck,” he explained, moving his hands to the front of his body to show you what was in them. He held the large, bright pink button under your nose excitedly. 

“What exactly is it?” you asked, peering at the strange object. For all you knew, it could be the TARDIS self-destruct button. You didn’t trust big red buttons, and you certainly didn’t trust pink ones.

“Just press it.” he grinned. You searched his eyes for a moment, trying to figure out if it was safe or not. After some deliberation, you rested your hand warily over the button. 

The Doctor nodded, encouraging you to push down. You squeezed your eyes shut and did as such. 

When nothing blew up, you opened your eyes warily. The ship transformed before you: the lighting was different, a disco ball lowered from seemingly nowhere, and the floor tiles began to light up in synchronized patterns. In a matter of seconds, the TARDIS had turned into a magnificent disco. 

You raised your eyebrow, clearly confused by the change of decoration. You didn’t know the TARDIS had a disco mode. You could only assume it had been installed in the '70s. 

“Emergency party button.” He smirked. “Press it again,” he urged. 

Gently, you pressed the button again, and music started to fill the room. The distinct opening beats of your favorite song brought a small smile to your face. 

The Doctor threw the button across the room recklessly before holding his hand out to you. You took it, allowing your smile to fully take over your face. 

“Emergency dance party,” he explained, grasping both of your hands. 

“With my favorite song?” 

The Doctor nodded, clearly proud of himself. He wasn’t always the most observant, but when he was it made your heart melt. He knew the little things, like how you took your coffee, what your handwriting looked like, and your favorite meal of the day.

“How did you know?” You laughed. 

“You told me once,” he smiled, his eyes showing all of the love he had for you. 

You smiled back, all traces of sadness and frustration leaving your mind instantly.

The two of you bounded, jumped, and danced your way through the TARDIS for hours, laughing and smiling until it hurt. When you couldn’t dance anymore, you collapsed on the floor in a fit of giggles, simply enjoying each other’s company. 

It was the best part of your week, probably even the best part of your year. By the end of it, you couldn’t even imagine the sour mood you had been in before, basking too much in the joy of the moment. 

At the end of the day, all it took was an emergency dance party with your favorite alien to boost your mood. 

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 15

PREVIOUS

The thing is… FF is aware that he should probably be medicated. You might be saying well isn’t he taking his ulcer medication? The answer is yes he is and when he is getting close to missing a dose Nicky’s usually the one that texts him with six frowny face emojis asking if he took his meds (they have a system, he takes his meds and then he texts Nicky)

No, he knows that he should probably get on something for his anxiety. Betsy has offered to get started on getting him on the right cocktail, his grandma thinks it’s a good idea, and Nicky has offered to get him as much weed as he needs to chill out, he knows a guy. Andrew is probably only going to stab him and threaten him not actually hunt him for sport, in his moments of clarity he can accept and understand that.

But there is nothing in this world that he wants less than to get back on anxiety medication. The world had been grey, it muted everything in the world for him, he faded completely into the background of his own life, and he couldn’t even grieve-

He was almost thankful for his step-dad’s sudden arrival in his life and how quickly his mom forgot about him to spend every waking moment she could on him and his children and then their children. It was two years of nothing and then his mom stopped picking up and refilling his prescription because it was too much of a hassle to keep picking up every month.

“He’s not anxious, see he’s fine. He doesn’t need it anymore.”

The withdrawal and the emotions that came afterwards had been hellish. He’d collapsed into his Grandma’s arms and begged her not to call his mom. He spent an entire month of summer vacation feeling like he was going to die and when he got back he found that no one had even missed him.

He swallowed the hurt, all of his emotions felt so much stronger now that he’d lost them for two years. If he has reactions like he’d had before he knows his mom will put him back on the medication.

The town is small and everyone talks. He knows about the dog walker’s poop flinging scandal, he knows about how the butcher’s left pinky got put back on wrong when he’d cut it off, he knows that the kid down the street paid $40 for a bag of oregano that he thought was weed, he knows that lil susie is in counseling because a girl should probably not be establishing cult rituals around her barbies.

He can’t react, can’t let people know he’s dying from anxiety because his math teacher sighs when he hands over his test. Can’t let anyone know that he has to put his head between his legs and take deep breaths before he can go into the cafeteria. His only solace is that all of the foreign language teachers love him, it’s easier to accept a compliment or comment in a language his family doesn’t use.

His step family treat him like the guards outside of Buckingham. Anything for a reaction y’know? He tells himself he does not care and for the most part he doesn’t.

He signs up for Exy in middle school because he just wanted something to do and it was the sport that had the same meeting days as his grandma’s bowling league. She picks him up from practice and they get ice cream together afterwards, she’s the only thing he has since Great Gran passed not too long after he got free of the medication.

He still feels her fingers checking behind his ears on occasion, a joke now that he’s off his meds referencing when he was too zoned out to care about hygiene. He still remembers her looking at him and feeling like she was seeing more than just him, “You’re a Smith. The last one when me and my daughter go. We’ll all be with you whenever you need us.” She promises.

He thinks it’s just respectful to get her favorite scent when he needs her help. He was raised to be respectful.  Lavender still makes him think of her and he hopes his grandma left some on her grave recently.

He knew he’d have to wait to go to college. His mom is putting on the pressure now that he’s 18 saying he will have to pay rent even though Greg is older and definitely isn’t. He plays Exy and thinks about how he’ll handle his life between 18 and 25, he puts all his anxiety into the game and maybe the coach notices something.

He must have noticed something.

The Foxes don’t offer positions to kids who don’t have something going wrong for them.

Coach Wymack and Dan Wilds wouldn’t be there in his little bum fuck nowhere town in Washington if his coach hadn’t sent a tape and an explanation.

He could admit that he knew about the Foxes. He looked up to the vice captain a fair bit not just for his game but also…well the Butcher was national news. Vice Captain Neil’s story was all over the news and maybe he was just a little bit in awe of someone who could stand his ground after all of that. Watching Vice Captain Neil Josten give shit to every last reporter who gave him any shit? Inspiring.

He just didn’t think it’d be a good fit for him.

He’s not like the rest of the Foxes. Dan talks about them all in broad terms, how they’re all fighting to become something and grow beyond the unfairness that was out of their control. FF is tough to convince but he’s a pretty good defensive dealer, Dan and Coach Wymack both want him.

Dan eventually has to go because she has an interview for a coaching position out this way but Coach Wymack just hands over the rental car keys and Coach Wymack stays.

Coach Wymack stays and they keep talking. FF talks about everything and Wymack eventually just says “Well, you’re still here despite all of that aren’t you? Sounds like a fighter to me. I think you’ve got what it takes to carry that weight with some help and I can promise that you won’t have to deal with those jerks past your high school graduation. You’re not going to be the first Fox who I help out from under some asshole parents and you won’t be the last.”

So he signs a contract, he’s 18 he can do that AND buy cigarettes now (he won’t. That’s how Gran lost gramps when dad was still young but he COULD. Much like he COULD go into the town’s only sex toy shop but that would be back to his grandma faster than the cigarette purchase to be honest and he isn’t THAT interested in what’s in there.)

He finishes up school but the assistant coach is a friend of his step dad and mentions that he’s signed to the Foxes. It’s just one week between his graduation and when Coach Wymack is coming to grab him

Suddenly he exists in his house for the first time since they all moved into it after the wedding and it’s the WORST. The want things, they want promises, they want assurances, they want to pretend and act like he’s always been there.

He flees to his Grandma’s house and texts Coach Wymack asking if there’s ANY chance he can get picked up early because he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to talk if he calls the man.

Coach Wymack comes for him and shoulders him past his ‘family’ to the rental car but the panic attack he sees in the car ride to the airport when his family’s car follows them all the way to the rental drop off means that he HAS to see Betsy.

Betsy is nice. Betsy teaches him how to breathe through stuff. Betsy teaches him how to ground himself in reality. Betsy tells him that the Starbucks girl probably doesn’t hate him. Betsy suggests he get on some medication.

He said No.

He’s scared out of his MIND in Palmetto but it’s better than-

He prefers to feel things.

Betsy tells him that it shouldn’t have been like that. His mother should have taken him back and gotten his prescription adjusted until it wasn’t like that.

He still declines.

Andrew gets suspicious about him knowing Russian after that game of Never Have I Ever and Nicky keeps almost letting it spill right by him. His stomach hurts the CVS girl keeps pepto for him behind the counter.

He still declines.

He prefers to feel things.

You can’t enjoy the thrill of a 100% on a Kanji Basics midterms without the anxiety of the Oral presentation. You can’t feel the true satisfaction of getting a blender for 25% off + 50 dollars of in-store credit without the flop-sweat of the searching eyes of a woman wearing PINK branded lounge wear. You can’t keep friends if you have no ability to empathize with them even if you’re worried you’re annoying them or ‘humble bragging’.

Fear is better.

Betsy tells him if he’s ever ready then she will help him. His Gran tells him she loves him. Nicky says “Look there’s a strain called White Russian. That’d be funny right?!”and FF agrees but declines to sample it.

Right now, as Nicky smudges eyeliner under his eyes and tugs at his shirt for the 80th time, he thinks it might actually be better to feel nothing.

He’d woken up from his…nap? He might have fainted actually? But he did it on a bed and it lasted for like 4 hours? So does that count as a nap? He wants to ask but also doesn’t want to worry anyone, maybe he could ask Aaron that if a Friend faints and doesn’t wake up for four hours is that a nap or a medical emergency? Just curious.

When he had emerged from Nicky’s room Captain Neil and Andrew had herded them all into the Maserati and they’d gone out and gotten McDonald’s for a late lunch. The only comment he had gotten when he’d asked for a happy meal (his stomach could not handle anything more) was whether or not he wanted the toy.

“Yes.” He answered panicked at the sudden question.

He got his Megamind toy, accidentally shone it into Aaron’s eyes when he pushed a button. “Shit that’s bright” before he apologized and shoved it in his jacket pocket.

They hung out at the house for the rest of the day.

They watched movies, played Mario Kart (how is Captain Neil this bad when his reflexes on the court are so good?) and did some homework. Andrew seemed to actually like the brownies which is why FF probably woke up from his... still haven’t asked Aaron if it’s a nap or a medical emergency.

He has a square and even at room temperature they taste great.

When it started to get dark they all went to go get ready. FF had gone to get whatever clothes Nicky had prepared on but had found himself sat on the man’s bed (so much glitter, seriously how can one bed have so much of it?) and Nicky holding a pencil to his eye and telling HIM not to flinch.

“Gonna have all the….” Nicky pauses and adopts a look on his face that means that he’s thinking incredibly hard about something. “Wait how have we been friends for MONTHS and I have no idea how you swing?” FF is caught off guard for a few moments because it’s the first time that Nicky has verbally confirmed that they are, in fact, friends and…

Wow.

That’s so nice.

He thought it was just Nicky’s innate inability to leave something to suffer needlessly that had the upperclassmen helping him. (FF has watched Nicky go out of his way to give cats food, turn turtles back onto their stomachs, and walk into traffic to stop cars so that a duck family could make it to a pond. He just sort of figured he was the same level of pathetic)

Wait.

What.

“Wait, what?”

“How do you swing?” Nicky repeats.

FF knows what he means but doesn’t want to. “With my left hand.” He responds and hopes Nicky drops it because the long and short answer is: he doesn’t know. He has no idea.

“Ohh dirty!” Nicky makes a jacking off motion with his left hand and FF feels embarrassed sweat cover his body, “NO! Don’t ruin my work!” Nicky yells fanning him with his hands so the eyeliner doesn’t run. “You know what I mean Smithy. Swing for girls, boys, both, neither? What am I working with here?” He asks wiping at FF’s cheek.

“I don’t…know.” He admits because deflecting is OBVIOUSLY not his strong suit. Twice in a row it’s brought up weird sex stuff.

“C’mon don’t be embarrassed. Even if you’re straight you’re obviously an Ally.” Nicky smiles.

“No it’s not…” he flushes okay he is embarrassed but that’s because he REALLY doesn’t know. Like how the hell did he get to college and have ZERO idea about what he’s attracted to or if he’s just not attracted to anyone? He’d been focused on not screaming for the last decade and that hadn’t really left a lot of room to consider how anyone looked. He’s getting used to having friends and three whole group chats (he’s bad at responding to them, overwhelmed by the idea that whatever he says can be revisited and picked apart forever but still, THREE!)

“I really have no idea.” He repeats.

Nicky blinks at him. “Okay well, college can be all about figuring that out then! No worries my sweet boy, we will figure this out.” Nicky pats his cheek.

He feels a little better.

“Alright, let’s go to Eden’s!”

Oh fuck that’s right.

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

NEXT

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings @blep-23 @dreamerking27 @andreilsmyreligion @belodensetdust @rainbowpineapplebottle @yarn-ace @iwouldlikesometea @lily-s-world @obscureshipsandchips @booklover242 @whataboutmyfries @sahturnos @pluto-pepsi @dreamerthinker @passinhosdetartaruga @leftunknownheart @aro-manita-muscaria @hologramsaredead @Chaoticgremlinswishtheycouldbeme @tntwme @tayspots @nick-scar @crazy-fangirl2524​ @blue-jos10​ @stabbyfoxandrew​ @splishsplashyouropinionistrash​ @sammichly​ @the-broken-pen​ @bitchesdoweknowu​ @very-small-flower​ @ghostlyboiii​ @its-a-paxycab​ @bisexual-genderfluid-fan​ @cheesecookie​ @theoneandonlylostsock​ @foxsoulcourt​ @blueleys @adverbialstarlight​ @elia-nna​ @can-i-just-stay-in-the-corner​ @nikodiangel​ @foxandcrow-inatrenchcoat​ @hallucinatedjosten​ @satanic-foxhole-court​ @vexingcosmos​ @chalilodimun​ @insectsgetcooked​ @angry-kid-with-no-money​ @queer-crows​ @lilyndra @themugglemudperson​ @readertodeath​ @apileofpillows​ @mortalsbowbeforeme​ @hellomynameismoo​ @next-level-mess @youreonlylow​ @interstellarfig​ @notprocrastinatingatalltoday​ @percyjacksonfan3​ @queenofcrazy27​ @bsmr261 @ghostlyscares​ @spencellio​ @adinthedarkroom​ @harpymoth​ @sufferingjustalilbit​ @anxietymoss​ @oddgreyhound​

The requests to be added to the tag list got spread out across a few different mediums on this one so if I missed you then just ask in the replies!

As stated before if you’re up here and I spelled it right but you  didn’t  get a notification there might be something switched around in  your settings that won’t let me tag you properly?

[yandere-sins]

Hello! Hope you’re doing well! *Pulls up a PowerPoint* this is my pitch for king’s favorite concubine going yandere for the new concubine, instead of seeing them as a rival-

Very convincing! (Also sorry, this got long!)

It's hard enough to leave your life behind to serve someone you don't know and never thought you'd be good enough for. For a moment before your carriage passes through the large gate to the palace, you consider jumping out and running, start over from scratch but at least be free. But the pressure is too high, your body tense and unmoving until you hear the gate close behind your back.

People rely on you. Your family, your village, the whole entire nation. You might not be the noblest of nobles in the country, but apparently you were pretty enough to stand out to the King regardless of your ranking in society. And now, you have a duty to fulfill. For yourself, it feels like an empty oath you take when you swear your loyalty and servitude. But for so many other people it's a chance to become better than they were, and since they speak your name so highly now that you are the King's new concubine, there's at least some improvement coming from this.

You are a little cynical. You can admit that.

It's just that next to the King, with all eyes on you, you seem to be the only one who's unhappy. The King is happy, the court is happy, the people are happy. Just you are not. You are a sacrifice for the greater good, and you feel like no one would understand what you're going through if you told them, telling you to just be happy you were chosen. So you grin and bear it, both the snide looks of nobles who think you are a little too blant for the castle, and the expectations that are put on your head—regardless if you want them or not.

Just when you are alone do you get to heave a heavy sigh when you think no one is watching. However, someone is indeed watching, much to your chagrin.

Even worse: It's not just a gossipy maid but the previous favorite concubine of the King who you avoided like the pest. You can imagine how it must feel to be replaced so easily, and no doubt, the same would happen to you to as soon as the King gets bored. But against your expectations, the first meeting with her doesn't end in putting you down and laughing at you with her cronies (the other concubines that never even made it to favorite). Instead, she sighs too, telling you she knows.

At that moment, you feel understood for the first time.

When she invites you to tea, you expect the hassle of having to socialize with countless rejected noble concubines, but it ends up as just you two, in some corner of the garden with merely her personal maid to attend you two. For a while, nothing gets said while you two sip your tea and eat delicious snacks. But eventually, she laughs lightly, telling you that for nothing in the world would she want to switch with you again.

She points out all these little things that bother you, be it about court or the King himself. She knows your pain too well, and at the end, you're tearing up, salting your tea with your tears. You thought she'd take advantage of your misery when you let your mask slip, but she hugs you, pats your head, tells you that you're doing great. She sees you—the real you—and she accepts you exactly as you are, with all your cynical thoughts and longing for freedom.

From then on, you two have something that could be considered a friendship. She can't save you from the nights you are summoned to the King, and she's not always there to shield you from the gossiping mouths. But at events she's by your side, the King pleased to see his favorites so close, and she teaches you all the things you need to survive in this enviroment.

You two are so close, people gossip about your relationship, but you no longer care. You enjoy taking vacations with her, shopping with her, riding horses and drinking tea. Things are certainly looking up, but against your expectations... you are not replaced. Months go by, then a full year. The King doesn't take a liking to anyone else who's presented to him, only relying on you and the occasional other concubine he lusts after.

It makes you desperate.

So desperate, in fact, that one day, you tell the last favorite concubine about your plans to escape. You ask her to come with you, share a new life with you as normal people somewhere far, far away. Without the luxuries and careless life you have at court, but also away from the King and this dreadful society you will only ever looked down upon by. You tell her your plan and that you are sure you two can make it, assuring her that even though her family is far more prestigious, they won't suffer from her betrayal to the King.

It takes a while to talk her into it, but eventually, she takes heart and agrees. You're overjoyed that your best friend will be with you on this journey, no matter how hard it will be. You finally can save yourself and the person who saved you from breaking from all the pressure that had been put on you. So you tell her where to meet you and when, departing so no one may get suspicious of you two plotting something.

Late at night you're packing your bags, filling the with jewels and other, light-weighted, expensive things you can sell for a small fortune. You put on your peasant garbs and feel ready to finally leave behind this awful place, when your door flies open, guards storming into your room just before the King marches in, furious.

You can't think of one reason how he could have possibly found out, but as you receive the scolding of your lifetime, your face burning from the beating, you look up and behind the King, the silhouette of the person that meant everything to you standing in the doorway, and your heart feels with betrayal despite the way she flinches every time you get hit.

Naturally, charged with treason, you are thrown into the dungeon, not knowing what happens next. The King made it clear he wanted to hang you for betraying him, so now, instead of longing for freedom, you have to fear your death. Days pass by, and you start not to mind the mice and cold so much anymore, when your cell door gets unlocked, a soft coat being wrapped around your shoulders. When you look back, you can't help but scowl at the face of your former best friend, the person you trusted most.

"You have to understand," she sighs, falling to her knees behind you, hands landing on your shoulders. You try to shrug her off, but she leans against you, and you can hear the guards' armor clanking as if to warn you not to do anything to the current Flower of the Kingdom. "I cannot leave this place. I couldn't have gone with you, and besides, isn't it much better here? I had to... had to stop you somehow. I thought this would be the best option."

Tears are welling up in your eyes as you listen to her bullshit excuses, the betrayel weighing too heavy on your mind. She's now crying too, trying to make you face her, look at her at least, but you vehemently deny her that satisfaction. Her tone changes immediately, going from rueful to angry as she asks you what else she should have done? That you'd die out there for sure, since you aren't capable of handling the real outside world no matter what you think!

You still refuse to look at her, but she yanks at your hair, forcing you around and before you know it, she slapped you so hard you're seeing stars. Dumbfounded you stare at nothing in particular while your cheek burns, the concubine sinking back to her knees sobbing, asking you for forgivness and revealing that she asked the King to forgive you. It sounds like she's convincing herself when she says, "Everything will go back to normal. We'll just pretend nothing of this ever happened and we'll continue to live like before. That's fine right? At least we'll always be together!"

There's nothing really you can say to her even then. The whole situation feels more bizarre than when you heard that you were going to be the next concubine for the King. Nothing could convince you that things would go back to normal—what's normal anyway?—and besides, you didn't want this normal. You wanted to get away, to be free and unburdened by your responsibility as concubine. Not continue the same, pitiful way you had before.

Somehow, she must have read your thoughts. After staring into your blank eyes for a while, she just seemed to snap. Her tears dried out, her stare turning void of emotions as her hands creep up to your neck, fingers wrapping around your throat.

"Don't even think about it. Don't you dare think about leaving me again! You'll never leave my side again, so don't even dream of it! You will stay here, with me, and serve the King for the rest of our miserable lives. I will not let you go, do you understand?"

She has more strength than you expected and as she shakes you angrily, your vision begins to blurr, air growing thin as you grind out a broken, "Yes!"

All of a sudden, the pressure is gone and you keel over, gasping for air, just short from passing out. "Good," she mutters, satisfied even though she doesn't look convinced yet. "Remember your promise, or I will not safe you next time. Next time, you can rot here in the dungeons for all I care."

With that, she leaves. Leaving only the warm coat behind that she brought you. It's hard to keep up with the new revelations, understand that selfishness put you into this position, and that from a person you trusted. Who you wanted to start a new life with. Not only did she betray you, but she also switched your life around. For what? To play pretty concubines for the rest of your lives? Prisoners who could afford whatever they wanted as long as they sold themselves out to a just as cruel and selfish king?

It doesn't take long for someone to fetch you from the dungeon, wash you and clothe you appropriate for your standing, while the tears never stop falling. Until, eventually, you are brought before the King, forced to kneel to the man who ruined your life, while your previously best friend stands by his side, mouthing the words,

"Together. Forever."

All while the King, once again, asks you to swear your loyalty to him, your misery repeating.

[r0-boat]

Larry with pregnant! S/o

Larry being cute over his pregnant significant other

Sfw cut for length

Cw: pregnancy, domestic

It is no secret that Larry is a busy person. He takes his job as not only an accountant but a gym leader and an elite four member very seriously and somehow still has time for all three and to have a pretty average romantic life.

His life was just about to get busier when you announced your pregnancy to him. Those onyx eyes widened in surprise as his lips parted, the most emotion you've seen from him since the two of you got together. Covering his mouth with his hand, you could see his cheeks and his ears Flushing as those onyx eyes of his sparkled with Glee. Felt the butterflies in his stomach, the same butterflies he had felt when he first fell for you.

Surprised to no one he still came into work for a while but a shock to everyone he started coming to work not on time 9:00 on the dot no this time he would come early,. In Larry's brain he wanted to be an excellent husband and father of your child and provide for the both of you, he didn't expect you to work in fact he himself would slightly discourage you from working, but he would remind you that it is your choice.

You noticed ever since the reveal of your pregnancy; your lover had become a little extra protective over you. Occasionally he would fret about sharp objects, furniture, and Pokemon, your safety when you are home alone. He called or texted to check in almost every hour when he was in the bathroom on break or between battles when he waited eagerly for the next Challenger.

When his coworkers asked about Larry coming in early, he dropped the news of your pregnancy months after you had told him(Larry is bad at telling people things). Hassle, with great interest, asks how far you are, and when Larry answers, Geeta, with a confused look on her face, responded, "What are you doing here then?" And thus his boss & his coworkers all collectively convinced him to finally use his vacation hours and go home✨

Here he was paid vacation, and all this free time. You are happy that partner and honestly a little surprised that Larry decided to stay home with you you knew how busy he was and didn't want to get in the way of his work.

Ever since Larry started to stay home, you begin to notice more things how his hand would idly start to drift towards your pregnant stomach. Your Larry before was never one for physical affection, but now, it seems He couldn't keep his hands off you.

Larry's fretting has gotten worse; now, suddenly, you're not allowed to do any more physical labor anymore. The guy even started cooking/bringing home food. Anytime he saw you doing something anything, he would say, "Here, let me help." and suddenly, he's doing the entire thing by himself while you're just standing there. You always hear him ask you if you need anything.

Larry was not used to having so much free time, so much so that he still kept himself busy attending to you; now that Larry was home, suddenly, you are no longer allowed to move from your bedroom. At the same time, Larry promised that he'd have a whole room remodeled into a nursery for the baby. It was lovely of him to think about your aching body, but you really wanted to help because this was your baby too.

Larry was a pretty average cook, but he always tried to make or get anything you craved.

His Staraptor would always try to settle atop your stomach as if you were its nest; you think it's the cutest thing, but Larry worried that his partner's sharp claws piercing your stomach would remove his bird Pokemon from you.

[pigeonwhumps]

BBU masterlist

General contents: pet whump, dehumanisation, amnesia, PTSD

(I've also put disabled whumpee under some of the links – this is a disability that isn't PTSD or I'd have it for all of them!)

Series

Bug and Company

Bug's 18 when they're handed over to BetterPets by their foster parents, going through various owners and sets of training before being freed for good. This is their life, and that of those they've touched.

Contains: lady whump, multiple whumpees, disabled characters, recovery whump, caretaker new whumper, mutual caretaking

Finding Safety

After being kidnapped, dumped at WRU, and shipped to the USA, Cass isn't having a good time. And then Tyrone takes him to be his ring-fighting Guard Dog, alongside Aaliyah, a Romantic he already owns. Now he's definitely not having a good time, and nor is Aaliyah. After losing everything, they need to build their lives again, but with Aaliyah not remembering her past and Cass unable to reach his, it's a challenge, even with assistance.

Contains: lady whump, multiple whumpees, disabled characters, recovery whump, caretaker new whumper, different caretaker *actually* new whumper, mutual caretaking

Pets of the Silver Screen

In the silent film era and the early days of the WRU, young pet number 95, real name Eloise, is bought by film producer Hayes Fletcher to star in his productions. A few years later, he hires Agatha from Foster Montgomery to be her stunt double (read: to scar in scenes where it's necessary, because Eloise is too valuable), and the two young woman strike up a somewhat unwilling friendship.

Over a decade of working on- and off-screen later, it's the roaring twenties, pet liberation is starting to grow, and they're more than ready to leave. Enter Ira Waterhouse – a woman who's had just about enough of the pet industry and is willing to take in two runaways. But WRU is expanding, and running a newly-acquired safehouse in London's docklands isn't a piece of cake. Especially when the two former pets Ira's running it with are a) famous, b) wanted for burning down a film studio, and c) even more traumatised than she originally assumed...

Contains: lady whump, multiple whumpees, disabled character, historical whump, recovery whump, mutual caretaking

Sanctuary

Anita and her grandmother Indira are thrown into the world of pet ownership when Theo, a profoundly deaf unwanted box boy, is mistakenly delivered to the animal shelter Anita works at.

Meanwhile, 785, Theo's bonded, is now struggling to survive Eleanor alone.

As long as she's useful, anyway.

When 785 is refurbished and sold, meeting a defiant illegal pet named Cass along the way, she ends up living alongside a Pet who seems to know her far too well. Meanwhile, Theo discovers that the person he cares about most in the world barely remembers his existence, and Anita is in way over her head.

Contains: lady whump, multiple whumpees, disabled characters, recovery whump, caretaker new whumper, whumpee turned caretaker, mutual caretaking

One-shots

Outside

Ceci talks to Bless about going outside.

Contains: recovery whump, caretaker new whumper

Do you think Guard Dog designated pets should be legally required to wear an auditory identifier in public?

Opinion piece on a proposed law feat. Ade Olayinke vs David Cooper: "Guard Dog class pets will have to wear an auditory device such as a bell collar or proximity alarm at all times whilst in public spaces."

Cry for help

Melanie finds an abandoned pet on a street corner.

Contains: disabled characters, whumpee turned caretaker

Artwork and graphics

Pet Paper and Liberation magazine covers

WRU recruitment brochures

WRU pet wrapping service

Promotional cereal box

WRU x Happy Meal McDonald's advert

Bring Your Pets to Work Day

Petblr dashboard

Fanwork for @octopus-reactivated's Pet Paper – layout for @cowboy-anon's article 9 Essentials for a Hassle-Free Vacation with your Pet

Rent-A-Pet advert

Other

BBU Community Days 2023

BBU Community Days 2024

[velvethana]

PHONING... 𓂃 ࣪˖ Pearl.

Vacation is reaching its end and you find yourself growing restless as you wonder if you’re ‘boy of the summer’ feels the same way as you do.

જ⁀➴♡ wc 6k ✧ fluff

"Hello? Did you hear anything I just said?"

You opened your eyes, the sun blaring in your face. Turning slightly, you recognize the familiar voice and match it to the face in front of you. Chaewon sat, snapping her fingers in your face.

“Sorry," you said. "What were you saying?"

You were sat between Chaewon and Yunjin on the beach, spread out lazily lounging around on beach towels.

The guys were out messing around in the water.

The sun blaring in your eyes wasn’t worth the hassle of trying to catch a glimpse.

Despite how early it had been in the hang out, you already felt yourself beginning to feel sun-sick. The hangover from the night before certainly didn’t help either.

It was eighty-seven degrees already, and it was just the after noon so you were sure that it would get even hotter as the hangout progressed.

When the summer vacation had started with your friends, you were already counting the days until it ended.

It wasn’t that you weren’t a fan of it, you definitely weren’t against the parties and the guys but you had your studies back at home that you wanted to get back to.

Now that the summer was ending, though, you wished that time would come to a slow.

“I said, what are you going to wear to Heeseung’s party?" Chaewon repeated.

She'd lined your towels up close, so that was like the two of you were on one big towel. Despite you arguing that she would block your sun, she simply winked at you.

She rolled onto her stomach to be face-to-face with you, placing your chin in her hands.

"I don't know," you said, shielding your eyes from the sun once again.

She had tiny sweat beads on her nose and she hummed for a moment as if in deep thought.

She said, "I'm going to wear that new sundress I bought with Kura at the outlet from the boardwalk."

You closed your eyes again, swallowing the dry lump in your throat. Since you were wearing sunglasses, she couldn't tell if your eyes were open or not anyway.

“Which one?"

"You know, the cute one with the pink ribbon that ties around the neck. I showed it to you, like, two days ago." Chaewon let out an impatient little sigh as you gave her a sheepish smile.

"Oh, yeah," you said but you could tell that she knew you still didn’t remember.

“You’re still thinking about him, aren’t you?” A familiar mischievous smirk grew on her face and you opened your eyes just to roll them.

“Is Kura coming to the party?” You asked, attempting to change the subject.

“Nope,” she said popping the ‘p’ sound. “Says she’s too busy for it.”

“Well, I don’t blame her. Last time she came she had to hold back Yuri’s hair… not a fun time.”

You hummed in response, recalling the night. Heeseung’s parties were mainly just an accumulation of all the random early 20 somethings visiting for the summer looking for free drinks, it wasn’t unusual for someone to have one too many.

“You know, Beomgyu is going to be there…” her voice trailed off into a whistle and you sent a glare her way, sitting up.

“I’m not thinking about him. Plus, Jake is the one who invited me. Wouldn’t it be rude if I hung out with another guy?”

Chaewon’s eyes trailed behind you, widening a bit before she shook her head and smiled at you again. “I’m sure Jake wouldn’t mind, he’s a dog anyways he wouldn’t care.”

“A dog? Nice, Chae.” You snickered, causing her to rapidly wave her hands in front of her in defense.

“I meant in a golden retriever way! If anything, he’d probably be happy for you.”

“Right…”

You started to say something else, something nice about the usual crowd you saw at the parties or even an excuse of being ‘too tired’ from the bonfire last night but suddenly felt ice-cold aluminum sticking to the back of your neck.

You let out a yelp as you quickly turned around, shooing away in whatever direction the cold can came from.

In turning, you came face-to-face with Yeonjun, crouched down next to you with a dripping Coke can in his hand, laughing his head off.

You glared at him, wiping off your neck. You were starting to get sick of him and his friends entirely considering how much they occupied your mind— and days in general.

“What the hell, Yeonjun?”

He was still laughing, which made you even more annoyed as you pushed yourself to stand up, shoving his shoulder.

“God, you're so immature."

"But you looked really hot," he protested. "I was trying to cool you off!”

Chaewon and Yunjin laughed at this, Yunjin turning fully to face the commotion.

“Nice one, Yeonjun. Very smooth.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and he flashed her a charming smile.

You didn't answer him, placing your hand on the back of your neck. Your jaw began to feel really tight, and you could feel all the other girls staring at you expectantly.

Yeonjun’s flirting was just a part of being his friend, after all. Everyone knew that it wasn’t necessarily targeted, though he did always say that you were his favorite to mess with so that could be debatable in your eyes.

And then Yeonjun’s smile slightly slipped away and he said, "Sorry. You want this Coke?"

You shook your head, and he shrugged before retreating back over to the water.

Yunjin shook her head, turning her attention back to the magazine she was flipping through. “Guys never learn…”

As she trailed off, you felt blood rush to your face out of embarrassment. Normally you would entertain his flirting, hell sometimes you were even the one to initiate it, but the past few days all you could focus on was him.

It was annoying, really. Yeonjun and you were always playful together but over this summer specifically, things seemed to change. Now all you wanted to do was talk to his friend but it seemed like he was ignoring you for some reason.

Still, your annoyance with his friend being taken out on him was less than fair and you knew it.

Being mean to Yeonjun was like being mean to a puppy. There was just no sense in it and you’d just feel bad afterwards. Too late, you tried to catch Yeonjun’s eye, but he didn't look back at you.

Chaewon sighed, “always tearing men apart. Aren’t you, Y/N?” She asked in a low voice.

You lay back down on your towel, this time face up hoping to hide the regret on your face.

You took a deep breath and let it out, slowly. The music from Kazuha’s phone was giving you a headache from the volume.

Chaewon leaned over and pushed up your sunglasses so she could see your eyes. She peered at you with concerned eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It's just too hot out here." You wiped sweat off your forehead with the back of your arm.

"Don't be embarrassed. Yeonjun can't help being an idiot around you, he likes you."

"Yeonjun doesn't like me," you said, looking away from her.

It was obvious that you were trying to convince yourself.

Yeonjun did sort of like you, in the same way a boy likes his favorite toy. You were well aware of the fact that he liked you: you just wished he didn’t.

"Sure, he's totally into you. Just like Jongho, just like Shotaro. I still think you should give at least one of them a chance. It'll take your mind off of you-know-who."

You turned your head away from her and she said, "How about I do your makeup for the party tonight? I can use that cute pink glitter you liked last time!”

The idea of getting ready with Chaewon was comforting, even if you weren’t too keen on going anyways. “Sure.”

"What are you going to wear?"

You shrugged before noticing she had begun scrolling through her phone. Realizing that she hadn’t seen, you replied.

"I'm not sure."

Chaewon nodded, eyebrows knitted tightly together as if the decision was a crucial one.

"Well, you have to look cute because everybody's gonna be there," Chaewon said.

You had caught onto her emphasis of the word ‘everyone’ but decided not to comment on it.

"I'll come over early and we can get ready together." You nodded, closing your eyes once again with a deep sigh.

The bonfire casted a warm glow against the darkening sky, flickering flames dancing in the cool evening air.

You sat, Jisung’s arm draped around your shoulder as you downed another drink. Despite the close contact, everyone was well aware that the two of you weren’t together.

For the most part, everyone knew that you were single. You had made it very clear, despite your constant flirting that you weren’t looking for a relationship in the slightest— hell, usually when the summers would end you’d completely go ghost on everyone to return to your normal life.

What happens in Busan stays in Busan and all that nonsense.

Amidst the lively chatter and laughter, you had noticed a boy chatting with Yeonjun, silhouette illuminated by the fire's light as he fiddled with the a camera in his hands.

You’d seen him plenty of times before but never managed to talk to him by yourself, usually getting wrapped up in conversations with Yeonjun and his other friend, Kai.

Shrugging off Jisung’s shoulder you gave him a quick excuse, though he was too immersed in his conversation to even notice.

“Yeonjun! Who’s this?” You asked, stumbling a bit as you plopped yourself onto the log next to them.

Yeonjun’s eyes widened a bit at your suden appearance but he quickly eased into it, pulling his friend into him with a proud smile.

“Choi Beomgyu! Choi Beomgyu, this is Busan’s dear party girl, Y/N.”

“Beomgyu. Just Beomgyu.” The guy gave you a smile, though all you could focus on was his hair at the moment and how soft it looked.

“Not property of Busan, Yeonjun. I just come through sometimes…”

“Right. Y/N here is our summer storm.”

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow, “summer storm?”

“Every summer, returning to break boys hearts.” Suddenly, the idea of boasting about your reputation filled you with embarrassment.

You shook your head, letting out a forced laugh. “He’s joking! Obviously.”

“In other news, I haven’t seen you around much. Are you new here?” Beomgyu nodded.

“I guess you could say that. I usually come with Yeonjun and the others, just not big on the whole party scene.”

Yeonjun let out a dramatic wail, “poor guy stays in the vacation house the entire time. I tell him it’s no way to spend the summer but he never listens!”

The idea of spending the summer inside their vacation home did sound painfully dreadful— not that it was a bad home or anything, you’d been over a few times to hangout with Yeonjun and Soobin but it was fairly small to fit all four of them— or five now, you suppose.

The idea that there had been another guy with them the entire time that you never met made you the slightest bit annoyed at Yeonjun for not introducing you, especially considering how cute he was.

“I get it, a fellow introvert.” You said as Yeonjun gave you a bewildered look. “Fellow? You’re the least introverted person I know.”

Upon noticing the glare you gave him, Yeonjun’s mouth quickly reverted to his normal pout before he let out a hum of realization.

When people called you a chameleon, you always thought it was a bit funny. Although it was true in some ways with how you would change and shape yourself to match those around you.

The nickname didn’t bother you, though the scaled animal itself was less than appealing to be compared to.

“Regardless,” you started. “I can respect it. Sometimes it's nice to escape the chaos, you know?”

Beomgyu nodded before a small, playful smirk grew on his face, looking up at you. “Summer storms bring chaos wherever they go though, don’t they?”

The heat that you felt rush to your face had you clearing your throat before letting out an embarrassed laugh, reminding yourself to punch Yeonjun for calling you that later.

“R-Right…”

It must have been obvious that Beomgyu had you flustered because Yeonjun snickered before excusing himself, rushing back to the bonfire, probably to gossip about whatever was going on with the two of you with their friends.

“It's quieter over here, at least.” He said, taking a drink from the cup he was holding.

You wanted to ask what he was drinking but it seemed to just be water.

“Well, what's your story then? What do you do when you're not dodging party invitations?”

Beomgyu shrugs, tilting his head slightly. You notice how his hair frames his face so perfectly and again, you find yourself fighting the urge to brush it out of his face.

“Mostly just listen to or make music. And you?” Your eyes widened a bit at the idea of him making music.

Throughout your years visiting, you’d surely met hundreds of guys who claimed to be musicians.

Some were surely better than others but you couldn’t help but roll your eyes after the third time. Claiming to be a musician just felt like the oldest trick in the book now.

Despite this, you found yourself interested in Beomgyu’s music specifically as you shuffled closer slightly. As if it would somehow serve to let you know more about him.

“Oh, you know, the usual. Hanging out with friends, smoothies and açaí bowls… hitting up every party within a ten-mile radius and waking up with the worst headache ever thanks to Soobin’s mystery concoctions.“

Beomgyu gave you a look as if to ask if you were crazy, “I wouldn’t put anything in my body that Soobin makes. That’s your first mistake.”

A genuine laugh slipped and you shook your head, leaning in as you held eye contact with him. Unlike you expected him to, he didn’t seem to shy away from you.

Most strangely, you found that you couldn’t read him at all.

It stayed like that for a while.

“Let’s take a picture together! To preserve this memory. To new friends, right?”

“Sure. To new friends.”

That moment it felt as though the hands of time stood stilll; Beomgyu and his camera smile— a flash of something real.

Your heart fluttered at the click of the camera’s shutter, and that was it.

The two of you talked until the evening, agreeing to meet again once the sun came up.

You knew that you would be hungover and dreaded the idea of getting up early but decided to deal with it to spend more time with him.

And so you met up once more, traveling down the beach’s trail as the moon came out for awhile; the trail lights glowing warmly creating a halo around him.

He’d offer to take a photo and you’d gladly pose for him, grateful that he wanted to remember you.

With each click of the camera, the clock would pause and resume its ticking with your heart on the dial.

Beomgyu had agreed to come out to more parties for the promise of seeing you and you found yourself searching for him at every function.

The two of you began to emerge during each other’s off hours simply to connect as often as you could, summer’s clock ticking away.

There were a few whispers about you and your new ‘boy toy’ but you couldn’t find it in you to entertain them like all the times before.

Something about him grabbed you, genuinely, for the first time in years. Anytime you thought that you had nailed him down he seemed to surprise you again.

Your ‘Mr. Mysterious’ quickly became ‘Mr. Perfect’ in your mind and as embarrassing as it was, you found yourself checking your phone often for his texts.

Despite your seemingly contrasting personalities, you felt a genuine connection spark, conversations somehow flowing effortlessly.

And that’s how you found yourself completely overthinking everyday leading up to the end of summer.

The idea of going from talking to and seeing Beomgyu everyday to not at all was sickening to you.

Something you never worried about before, the mere idea of him forgetting about you made you nauseous.

Though, you were far too prideful to ever truly admit that to someone, it was fairly obvious to everyone around you with how your behavior had changed.

Rejecting any and all advances toward you, instead opting to look for that familiar head of brown hair and finding yourself waiting for him.

Impatient as always, you’d stand with your arms crossed tapping your feet in annoyance at the curious glances thrown your way but the second he would show up, the biggest smile would make its’ way onto your face as the world melted away.

You wondered if he himself had noticed that change or if he thought that was just how you were.

Saving yourself and your time for him, precious nights spent partying without a care in the world had turned into nights focusing only on him. Or alternatively, your nights being ruined when he didn’t show.

The rest of the summer seemed to fly by quickly, regardless of how agonizingly slow it felt waiting for him to make a move.

There were times when you were sure it would be it, quiet moments in the car before he had dropped you off at home. Your breath hitched as he looks at you from behind his glasses, only for him to smile and give you a ‘get home safe.’

That was the last night you had seen him, a week and a day ago. You would be embarrassed of how long you had been keeping count if you weren’t upset by it.

In the end though, you guessed that was what you got for waiting around for some guy.

“Y/N, you’re spacing out again.”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.” Kazuha laughed as she turned back to the mirror, applying her lip gloss.

“You know, even if Beomgyu doesn’t show up I’m sure Yeonjun will.”

“Beomgyu will show up!” Chaewon cheered, pausing for a moment while she applied your eyeliner.

She must have noticed that her voice came off much too certain as everyone in the room gave her a confused look.

She laughed nervously before continuing. “I-I mean… I asked Yeonjun and he said he was going, so…”

“Right.” Yunjin said, drawing it out as she straightened out her bangs.

“You said he hasn’t answered you in a while, right?” Eunchae asked from the doorway, shoveling spoonfuls of fruit loops into her mouth.

“Uh… yeah.” Your voice was quiet and it was obvious that you were embarrassed about it.

“Want me to send a pipe bomb to his house?” She asked, eyes cast down as she scooped up more cereal.

Chaewon paused to slowly turn to Eunchae who shrugged, causing you to laugh and relax the slightest bit.

“I don’t think blowing up Y/N’s boy of the week is good for the singles’ economy. Who knows, he might come back in the cycle.”

“I don’t care if he shows up, anyway.” Kazuha and Yunjin silently shared a knowingly glance.

Chaewon frowned, fixated on the glitter she was applying to your eyelid.

Eunchae smiled, dimples showing as she shook her head. “He totally got you, didn’t he?”

A part of you wanted to deny it, but the silence that fell over the room with soft music playing from the speakers was enough to tell you that there was no point anymore.

No matter how many times you’d argue, swinging like a pendulum between yes and no— you’d always reach the same conclusion.

You always wondered if the mind answered to the heart. The way it always conjured up things that weren’t there. The prizes he won for you at the boardwalk’s arcade and the way he held your hands in his as he tried to teach you to play some dumb shooting game.

You didn’t pay attention to the screen and he laughed with you focused on him being so close.

There was never a chance for you to try and change how you acted around him, he saw right through it.

Maybe that was the reason you found meaning behind everything he did when it came to you.

How he plagued your mind like a disease, invading your space like some irritating bug you couldn’t quite catch.

And you could never place what was so different about him compared to everyone else you had talked to. Something about being with him felt like being home, somehow.

So despite the growing irritation, you would wait until summer’s end.

Wanting the mirage knowing it will never be enough.

But your heart doesn’t have eyes and the mind cannot resist when it asks.

You sighed. “Maybe he did.”

The beach house party was already irritating to you once you arrived. The girls kept together as they all went to get drinks and you set off on your own.

And even though you swore it wasn’t to go find your pest of a guy friend that you may or may not have had a tiny crush on, it was obvious that no one believed you.

The party had been loud and crowded like all the ones before but now the mass amount of sweaty people just irked you and dancing seemed far less appealing.

Maybe you had finally gotten over the scene and preferred something much more down to earth and personal.

It made you sad in a way, but you chalked it up to the fact that things always change.

Only the golden sand stretching outside into the horizon provided comfort as you peered out to the waves through the pane of glass.

Torches outside lined the perimeter and flickering flames adding a warm glow to the gathering as a few stragglers hung outside.

The sliding glass doors blurred the boundaries between the inside and outside and you felt drawn to the deck, eventually giving up on searching for Beomgyu.

Considering he hadn’t been answering your messages anyways, you assumed he wouldn’t bother talking to you even if he was there.

“Y/N!” A familiar voice called for you and before you could turn, a heavy arm found its way around your shoulder as the guy practically dropped into your lap.

“…Soobin?” You gave him a confused look. The two of you had talked tons of times but you wouldn’t consider you particularly close.

He also wasn’t one to play into your usual flirting so for him to, quite literally, throw himself at you was strange.

“Yeah, yeah!”

“Are you… okay?” There wasn’t much concern in your voice. After all, you’d seen Soobin drink a fair amount of times and he seemed to handle the morning after well enough so you figured he’d be fine.

“Yeah! Yeah, I was looking for you.”

“For me?” Now, there was a bit of concern in your voice. A small part of you nagged at you for being so selfish but you brushed it to the back of your mind.

“Yeahhh…”

“Why?”

He hummed, raising an eyebrow at you with puffed out cheeks. As cute as he was, you were already beginning to feel a little annoyed.

Curse you for being sober.

Gently, you reached out, pinching his cheeks where his dimples were. “Spit it out?”

“Oh! Yeahh, Beomgyu’s looking for you.” At this, your eyes seemed to light up and betray you as Soobin’s smile grew even wider, taking notice.

The deck was adorned with string lights and colorful lanterns that must have begun blurring together for Soobin as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

Knowing the feeling all too well, you let out a sigh. “Stay here, I’ll get you some water.”

Standing up, you gently pushed him off of you and he frowned.

“What about Beomgyu?” His voice called over to your retreating form.

You let out a huff as you waved a hand back towards him dismissively. “What about him!”

As you made your way back inside, lounge furniture was scattered throughout as guests were spread all over.

A makeshift bar was set up in one corner, stocked with an array of cocktails and chilled beverages. When you reached the table, grabbing a cup and sharply turning to make your way to the kitchen a body suddenly blocked you.

“Y/N!” Looking up, you sighed with relief.

“Jake, hi.”

“You’re not drinking?” He asked, motioning to the empty cup in your hand as he held his between his lips.

Ignoring the way he had asked as if he was genuinely shocked at the idea, you shook your head.

“Maybe later. Right now I’m getting water for a completely wasted Soobin.” Jake nodded, gently guiding you by your arm to move behind him as someone shoved the two of you.

He gave them a glare before returning to you with kind eyes. “Don’t let me stop you then. I just wanted to let you know that Beomgyu’s been looking for you.”

It was almost like the mention of his name alone gave you a headache with the way you audibly groaned.

“Thanks, Jake.” You said with a thin smile, pushing past him as he gave you a confused look.

Finally reaching the kitchen after a few minutes that felt like ages, you filled the cup with ice and water before returning to Soobin.

Stepping through the glass door once more, you saw the all too familiar back of a head.

“Beomgyu,” You started.

“Hey, Y—”

“Y/N!” Soobin cheered, pulling Beomgyu in close to him and pointing. “Y/N’s here! You were looking for her and now you’re here. Both— you’re both here. My favorite couples here!”

“Not a couple.” The two of you said in unison.

Even though you had said it as well, you couldn’t help but feel upset by how quick he responded. How hypocritical.

Soobin looked between the two of you before groaning, taking the cup out of your hands and downing it.

“AH— Ice water? Are you trying to kill me?”

You shrugged, sitting on the opposite side of Soobin from Beomgyu.

“I was hoping the cold would shock your nervous system back to normal and factory reset you or something.”

Soobin paused for a minute before nodding. “Very smart. I admire woman in stem.”

“Don’t you mean women?” Beomgyu asked, amused.

Soobin just shook his head.

“Why did you drink so much anyway?” You asked.

It wasn’t like Soobin was a prude when it came to drinking but more often than not, him and Kai were the sober ones of their friend group. At least, unless they were celebrating something.

“Wowww, I am so glad you asked.” Soobin motioned from you to Beomgyu, leaning back slightly.

“Take it away.” He said, only for Beomgyu to shoot him a look that you couldn’t exactly read.

Soobin deadpanned at the silence before letting out a huff, pushing himself up clumsily and stretching. “I am.. celebrating!” He raised his arms up for only a moment before they dropped to his sides.

“You,” he started pointing at Beomgyu. “Do the thing. I’m outta here.”

With that, he stumbled away to go find Kai. You furrowed your eyebrows at the fact that he had basically just thrown you to the wolves but decided to chalk it up to the fact that he was inebriated.

“So…” Beomgyu began to trail off and you huffed, arms wrapping around yourself for comfort.

If he had asked, you were just cold.

“You haven’t answered me in a week. That’s kind of a dick move— actually, no. Not kind of. It is a dick move. You’re a dick, Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu let out an exasperated sigh and you opened your mouth to berate him before he nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Expecting him to argue back, his lack of defense made your annoyed expression morph into one of confusion.

“…Huh.”

“I was a dick,” he started. “I should have answered you, there’s no reason for me to not have. I think I just needed some time to myself after getting burnt out from going out so often and I got caught up in my own world. I’m sorry.”

His response was clear and communicative and you found yourself feeling embarrassed for trying to start an argument. Because he wasn’t like any other guy you had talked to and you seemed to forget that.

“I’m sorry for being rude.” He shook his head and smiled.

“You just missed me, right? You have a reason to be hurt.”

The familiar feeling of your chest tightening made you clear your throat. “As if…”

Beomgyu laughed. “Alright. You missed my camera, then?” He asked, holding up the camera he had in his lap.

You hadn’t even noticed it throughout Soobin’s antics but now that it was in front of you, your eyes became fixated on it.

“Maybe just you.” You muttered, putting your hand over his and pushing the camera back to his lap gently.

“Knew it.”

“Don’t get cocky.” You said with a huff, finally meeting his eyes, not even realizing that he moved closer in Soobin’s absence.

“I couldn’t. Never with you. You keep me humble.”

With him sitting in front of you, eyes as warm as always you found him only confirming what you were afraid of.

You didn’t just love Beomgyu, you were in love with him.

“I think I hated being away from you more than anything. Like, ever.” Beomgyu paused for a moment before nodding.

“Me too.”

You shook your head, “well it didn’t seem like it.”

“I think missing you was easier for me because of all the pictures of you I have.“ Your breath almost caught in your throat at the comment, imagining him hanging up the photos he had taken on each of your outings in his room like precious memories.

“I forgot that just because I got to see you everyday, that didn’t mean you could see me. Sorry, Y/N.”

And it was true. Despite your bugging Beomgyu much preferred to be behind a camera than in front of it and you didn’t want to bother him so eventually you had stopped asking.

All you had was one shaky photo of Beomgyu next to your drunk self, both of you giving a thumbs up. An embarrassing photo that you would rather take to your grave than make your lockscreen for all to see.

“You better make it up to me. Summer’s already ending, you know…” your voice trailed off and he could sense the hurt behind your words as you pulled your knees closer to your chest.

Despite the loud music from inside and the few stray party goers outside with you both, the moment felt way too intimate for your liking.

“You’re right. We’ll just have to make the most of it, right?”

Another annoyed sigh came from you and you turned, cheek pressed against your knee as you glared up at him.

“So, you excited to get back home to your girlfriend?” Beomgyu raised an eyebrow at you.

“My… girlfriend? Y/N, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

You groaned, “then why haven’t you asked me?”

Your voice was barely above a whisper and you were sure that he didn’t even hear you. Before you could try and backtrack, he chuckled.

“God, you’re impatient aren’t you?” Straightening back up, you gawked at him.

“Me?! Impatient? I’ve been waiting, like, all summer!”

“I meant right now,” he said mindlessly combing through his camera’s gallery.

Eventually he stopped, turning it to you. On the small screen, fuzzy and dark was the photo of the two of you that first night you had met only illuminated by the fire nearby.

Before you could ask him why he was showing you that, he cut you off.

“I had to ask Yeonjun beforehand. Since I’m such a good friend.” His voice was teasing as you rolled your eyes.

“And before you deny him liking you, I already know that he did.” You reminded yourself to curse at yourself later for being so predictable.

“Anyway, he was cool about it so I just had to think over how I wanted to tell you how I felt.”

“How you felt?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“I think the best ways for me to communicate are through music and pictures, so I wanted to do something with those.” He let out an irritated huff before gently handing you his camera, your eyes still fixated on the photo of you both.

Shuffling through his side bag, he pulled out a folder. It was a normal white folder but on it was small doodles of bears and other animals. It was cutesy, not what you were expecting, but cute.

“But, I don’t have access to any of my recording stuff here so I figured the pictures would have to do.”

You hesitated for a moment to open the folder before he nudged you. Gently, you opened it up and slid out the photos. They were physical prints of all the photos he had taken of you and the one you had taken together.

“I think that the best pictures are ones we take of the people we love.” He said, voice a bit quieter than before as if not to scare you.

The kindness in his words hit you and the weight held behind them made you almost want to cry as you were reminded all over again.

You loved Beomgyu.

And you almost wished that you never did because loving him was like being ten years old again, scaling a tree with your eyes bright and skyward as the sun shined down on you, wanting only to get higher and higher, without a thought of how you would get back down.

Because the comfort in knowing he would be there to catch you if you fell was worlds more painful than the idea of falling at all.

Falling into the realization that if you were to lose him and the summer, a whole universe would go along with him.

In changing yourself for every guy that you’d talked to, entering stages for some momentary fun only to leave in the morning and forget once summer ended, you picture all your other selves, standing in line like a row of dominoes; separate but part of the same disjointed whole.

None of them felt like you, not anymore. Not when he saw right through you like this.

Yet, how could you hold a single one accountable when all you wanted was to be loved?

The realization for Beomgyu had come much too soon for his liking. Almost as if he had fallen face first into love, simultaneously knocking the air out of him while helping him see things much clearer.

How much easier it got for him to imagine you as a young girl. To think about your worn-out heart, breaking for the things you couldn't hold on to such as childhood pets and toys. The wish that he had met you sooner, if only to love you for longer.

The moment that the realization had come, the flash had hit you as he stared at you through the view finder. Your prettiest smile through his lens, he could somehow taste the salt of the sea when you both were miles inland.

Whenever you were together, the ocean felt like a fractured memory of when you had first met.

Your reputation never mattered to him, everyone had something they were known for. Who you were in front of his camera: he believed in that version of you. He loved that version of you.

He loved you.

And in the moments where you would slip, showing some sign of sincerity with your soft spoken words and your gentle glances, he had always known.

How you threw yourself blindly at the world and its people, hoping that it would always open its arms up to you and find you a home.

You weren’t some disastrous storm wreaking havoc— he found a pearl a much more suitable comparison. Like the ones you would look for on every beach, the place you felt most at home.

A pearl. Soft and sensitive to the world around it, yet as beautiful as the ocean it made its’ home.

જ⁀➴♡ phone in ᝰ.ᐟ

[wrens-versus-the-world]

The Porcelain Puppet

Chapter two: the porcelain puppet

:D

It has been two nights since I went to the shrine. And I'm still not exactly sure what happened when I got home.

I remember the blue eyed man, and the older man who had half of his face covered, and I think Dottore was there too, but when I woke up I was alone and there was no sign of a break in.

the only indication that that night actually occurred is the bite(?) where my neck and shoulders meet.

But I don't really have time to dwell on it since I still have my list of things that I need to do while I'm here.

Speaking of my list, I have crossed off 'go to a shrine'. next on my list is to have some ramen from a ramen cart.

Time skip:

After changing and trying to find a shirt that would cover the bite, I finally left and decided to go to the ramen stand that I saw when I got lost (trying to find the shrine).

As I walked down the street I couldn't help but subconsciously touch where the bite was. It throbbed slightly in response.

"what exactly happened that night?" I asked, to no one in particular, as I found myself thinking back to that night.

Flash back (this occurred after he bit you, you were in and out of consciousness (you could hear bits and pieces but couldn't move))

"Dottore have you had any luck locating the balladeer?" the older man asked, his question directed at his blue haired associate.

"Clearly not, yet jester." the blue haired male said sarcastically to the older man as he ran his fingers through my hair in a comforting manner.

"We must find him before he gets caught by the hunters, it would be quite the hassle to have to deal with them once again. The last time we had to deal with them we lost too many." the greying man said solemnly, attempting to get Dottore to care more.

"oh please pierro, I'm sure it can't be as bad as last time, hah, I'd be surprised if they even looked for us, after all they are now more focused on the abyss, they even allied themselves with the adepti under morax's control." Dottore responded seemingly bored with the conversation, and continued to enjoy playing with my hair (although I was too out of it to notice).

"mmm" I groaned trying to move.

the two men stopped their conversation, seeing if I'd have anymore reactions.

"dear, you really ought to go to sleep, you ___ _uite a bit of b_o_d." Dottore said, although it was quite hard to focus on what he was saying as it became harder to hold onto my consciousness.

"Dottore, I recommend to mark her or at least try to protect her, your presence will stick to her like flies to honey." Pierro warned, "she seems to be an interesting human, even Childe seems to think so." he finished, before disappearing.

there was a long moment of silence followed by a sigh from the vampire.

"I do suppose he's right, but" he paused, "you are quite the specimen, would you allow me to take a closer look at you." he asked, knowing that I had fallen asleep and could no longer hear him.

end of the flash back:

I shook myself out of my thoughts, "gosh, I really need to stop thinking about this, I'm on vacation, in Japan nonetheless! I need to enjoy myself." I said trying to motivate myself to actually drop it and think about something other than the blue haired male, the ginger and the older greying male who lived rent free in my thoughts.

I let out a sigh.

'what has my life become?' I thought to myself.

after a few minutes to walking I finally reached my destination, the ramen stand!

A smile found its way to my face and I picked up my speed to reach it, almost as though i was afraid it would up and disappear if I were to look away.

I got up to the stand and got the attention of the chef.

"Hello! what can I get for you?" the chef asked, his voice laced with a heavy accent.

"a yes I would take the (your pick of ramen)!" I answered enthusiastically.

"ahh, good choice! It'll be out soon." He said and I handed him the yen.

It was just as he said, moments after I ordered the chef poked his head out of the curtains and motioned for me to come over, handing me a bowl full of (your choice of ramen).

it was the best ramen I have ever had, the broth was so rich and the noodles were fantastic, the flavor was so much stronger and more authentic than the ramen back in (my country).

After I thanked the man I began to walk back to the hotel, on the way I saw a convenience store. I decided I'd just buy some food from there and make myself some dinner at the hotel, opting for a lazy night.

I walked into the store, the bell on the door ringing as I entered, alerting the staff that there was a new customer.

I greeted the staff and began to search for the ingredients to make curry. I saw a picture of it on the window of a store , and wanted to try my hand at making it myself.

Feeling satisfied with all of my ingredients, I walked up to the counter and handed the food to the cashier, who typed it into the machine.

the total appeared at the top of the cash register, and I set my money in the small bowl allowing him to count it and hand me back my change.

I muttered out a small thanks in japanese, as I walked out of the store.

'Huh he must've given me an extra bag, oh well' I thought to myself as I made my way down the short path back to the hotel.

as I let my eyes wonder, i noticed a piece of porcelain laying on the ground.

it looked almost as thought it was a piece of skin, I slowly bent down, my curiosity winning, and picked it up.

"huh, it really is just a piece of porcelain." I said to myself, looking at it in more detail, it had some ridges and it was more matte then glossy which was quite strange. 'Who would want a matte skin color dish?' I wondered. after looking at the porcelain for a while I noticed that there was a pile in an alley.

My curiosity once again got the better of me, and I wondered into the alleyway cautiously.

I bent down to get a closer look at the pile, seeing that it had a kimono mixed into the pile.

Although I was curious i didn't dare to touch it, it was far too suspicious.

I stood up to leave, before a voice stopped me.

"hey human, where do you think you're going with a piece of my body!?" The voice boomed in japanese.

I turned around to look for the owner of the voice to see just the pile of porcelain.

I cautiously inched closer to it, and once again leaned down near the pile of porcelain, the broken piece still in my hand.

"who said that?" I quietly asked. Gaining no response I quickly stood up, looking all around the alleyway, there still was no one there.

"Who Said That!?" I asked once again, this time a bit louder.

once again there was no reply, my eyes fell to the pile of porcelain.

I stared at it for maybe two, three minutes, waiting for the voice.

"curiosity killed the cat" I said to myself as I leaned down to the pile for the nth time. This time I put my hand into the pile and moved a few pieces around, I'm not sure what I was looking for.

I moved the cloth that some of the porcelain was in and came face to face with a porcelain face. one with purple eyes, and to top it all off the face was sneering at me.

"fucking took you long enough" he sneered

"AHHHH WHAT THE FUCK, WHO THE-" I screamed as I stood up and backed away, the grocery bags left behind.

"Stop shouting you're going to make a scene." the face said , calmly almost as though he wasn't a fucking face that was attached to nothing.

With his words I felt myself sink to the ground.

"You know dottore don't you?" the face asked me.

"how do you- no why does everyone keep asking me that!?" I asked, scooting back over to the face I gently picked it (him?) up. maintaining eye level,

"oh everyone of my kind, even some humans know of Il Dottore, he has quite the reputation, you must know?" he said, clearly enjoying my fear.

"What do you-"

"what do I mean? huh, I won't spoil, let's just say he had some interesting habits back in the day and still maintains them occasionally." The face answered nonchalantly almost trying to shut down talk of dottore.

In the spur of the moment I got an idea.

I set his face down,

"hey, what are you doing."

"you'll see."

"human answer me what are you doing?" the face continued to ask as I began to set pieces of porcelain into my extra grocery bag.

it took about three minutes to pick up all the pieces, leaving only the face and kimono. I picked up the face and opted to put in in my jacket pocket earning a mouthful from the face, and then put the kimono into the grocery bag along with the porcelain pieces.

The walk back to the hotel was quiet except for the quiet clinking of porcelain, the staff gave me a look when I came in but paid no mind to the bags in my hands.

once i got back to the room, it was like a burden had been lifted. I quickly unpacked my groceries and placed them where they needed to be. I then laid out the kimono, so that I could start working. Somewhere during this time I pulled the face out of my pocked and set him down (propped up in a way so he could see what I was doing).

After my preparations were complete, I began to piece the porcelain back together in silence. It took me somewhere around four hours but I eventually had his body fully pieced together, all that was missing was his face.

I looked back to him, and he met my eyes. I reached over his body and picked up his face and then set him down onto where he pieced in.

and almost like magic all the cracks disappeared and he looked like a human once more.

"why'd you help?" was the one thing he asked

a/n:

I really like writing this so far, I'm kinda going for a bit of a mystery kind of vibe?

I think it'll be more emotional and less 'cracky' than the ayato one I'm currently working on lol.

so this'll definitely have some more serious themes, like mental health, etc.

on a separate note: look how cute this scara-cat is!!! (he'd totally scratch up a couch and not feel bad XD)

[cerealboxlore]

The number thing, I recommend numero 18

WIP #18: Loose Ends Tied Up In A Bow "Holy moly..."

Billy Batson was a boy who had seen wonders beyond the minds and imaginations of man. From monsters to the mythical and magical, Billy was accustomed to the strange nature of the universe and participated in being an active part of it.

He'd been to the depths of hell and farthest corners of space, experiencing what many could only dream of as a superhero. However, nothing could ever beat the pure joy of a childlike sense of wonder when experiencing something new.

Nothing could beat a cool-looking train.

"Billy! If you stop staring at the train, you might be able to get on it with the rest of us this century." Billy's sister, Mary, shouted at him, with a drawn-out yawn from the check-in entrance. She may have sounded irritated, but she was just as excited for this trip as Billy, if not more. Neither of them had gotten any sleep last night, staying up late thinking about their first family vacation together. They'd planned all the things they'd do together and all the sights they would see, the only thing the both of them didn't plan for was sleep.

Mary was not unfamiliar with the age-old tradition of traveling for vacations with family, but for Billy, this would be his first time ever leaving Fawcett that wasn't related to Captain Marvel or Justice League business. This would be his first time just...relaxing, with his new family, the Bromfields.

Naturally, Billy was hesitant at first, but with Freddy promising to look after Fawcett in their absence, sorting out any potential problems with the League, and most of their major rogues locked up in prisons at the present, Billy was eventually convinced to take some time off. Billy believed he was bullied into it by Mary and Freddy, but he wasn't too upset about it in the end.

What could go wrong on a train anyway?

Stopping his admiration of the cool train in front of him, Billy gleefully sprinted back to his family. Mr. Bromfield ruffled his hair the moment he got close and reeled him into a side hug, trapping him in his arms.

"Aha! There we go, Nora, I think we're all here now. Our boy's not getting left behind like some cheesy "Home Alone" sequel. Lord knows we don't need more of those movies going around." Nick Bromfield chuckled. The dad humor was something Billy was trying to get used to.

"Oh, Nick. Let the poor boy go, his hair is all a mess now. Here, give him to me." Nora Bromfield coerced her husband into setting Billy free, but upon the taste of freedom, he was just met with another trap which was Nora Bromfield "fixing" his hair. She cupped his face and pushed his hair back with a comb, straightening it out. Billy once again struggled to escape the arms of a loving parent, but ultimately let Nora comb his hair in defeat.

He never knew having loving parents could be such a hassle.

Mary did, apparently, as Billy heard her laughing at his misery. His face flushed red over feeling so fussed over. Suddenly, Billy felt a devious little idea pop into his head.

"Uhh, hey, Mrs. B, I think Mary's hair needs some help, too. You know, the hair she's hiding under her hat because she didn't want to tell you her hair was bad today?"

"Oh! Thank you, Billy. I need to get on that. Mary! Come here, let me clean up your hair real quickly. No, a hat is no excuse to be lazy about your hair. Come here- no don't hide behind your brother! Remember, we're sleeping in the same cabin. You can't run from your mom!" Mary zig-zagged away from her mother's comb in her hands, glaring at Billy with an expression that could make Medusa shake. Clearly, neither of the twins liked being fussed over, almost like cats who hated baths. Billy couldn't help but laugh in return.

While Nick Bromfield sorted out the check-in line for them, Nora Bromfield got to embarrassing her kids in front of everyone else around the train station. Multi-tasking parents. You can't get any better than that.

The Bromfield family were so busy smiling and enjoying their time together, that none of them had even realized they were being watched by a pair of glaring eyes. Eyes that would follow them on the train soon after.

[razorblade180]

9 Days of Lancaster Day1: Late Night Texting

After a very dangerous semester at school has come to an end, many students used their free time to vacation or visit. Ruby and Yang were no exception to this trend. Their mom and dad had been delighted to have them back, and Ruby was all to happy to boast about her team’s accomplishments. However, perhaps she had gotten too used Vale.

Between the trip and stories, Ruby retreated to her room for the rest of night to relax; her social battery sapped. That was until a text notification on her scroll made her eyes sparkle.

“Hey crater face. Did you make it home safely?”

“No. Airship crashed and we had to fight grimm everywhere.💀”

“So what you’re saying is I should call you Crater Maker?”

Ruby snickered at his dumb joke. She walked into that one. “Made it home just fine. How about you?”

“Didn’t go home. Not worth the hassle.”

“Ah, that sucks. So your entire team is at Beacon?”

“Nah. Pyrrha went home. Ren and Nora went on a trip just outside the kingdom.”

“Why didn’t you go with them?”

It took a minute to get a response. Ruby was sent a photo of Jaune giving her a blank stare that had “take a guess” written all over or it.

“Right, silly question. So you’re all alone at the dorms?”

“I mean…Weiss didn’t go home either apparently. I bumped into her at the library.”

“So you’re all alone at the dorms?”

“……”

“Yeah pretty much.”

“Anyways, shouldn’t you be entertaining your folks?”

“Yang had the covered, I’m cozy in bed. It’s late.”

“Not really. It’s not even midnight yet.”

“Time works differently when parents ask a hundred questions. I barely answered half! It was fun though.”

“Do they now about me?”

“Like…your existence?”

“Rubes…😭😅”

“OH!”

“I chickened out. They now you’re my friend though! Just…not the other stuff.👀”

“Then I guess it would be weird if I visited you?”

“Don’t tell me you miss me already?”

“I always miss you when you aren’t around ❤️”

Ruby felt her cheeks get red. How could a few words on a screen unravel her in such a way? It was down right silly. Still, her heart skipped a beat seeing the next message.

“I wish you were here.”

“Get some rest; you’re being silly.”

“Ah, my heart. So cruel 💔 😭”

“Oh hush lol.”

“I wish you here too…”

“Is that an invite?”

“At this hour? My dad would murder you. Do really miss my face that much?”

“It’s a cute face with a precious smile.”

“Hmmm I’m not sure if I believe you. Do you really miss me?”

What came next derailed her thinking. It made Ruby audibly gasp as she put her scroll face down while blood rushed to her cheeks from the proof Jaune had sent her. Ruby slowly flipped her scroll and began frantically typing.

“Someone is bold tonight.”

“Too bold???”

“….I didn’t say all that.👀”

“Airships are still running. So, are you sneaking out or am I sneaking in?”

To think it only took close to two days of separation to make them both a little more than stir crazy. Then again, it had been much longer since they were alone. Ruby wasn’t even mad about his boldness, just flustered and mentally trying to reason with herself. She really didn’t want her dad to murder him, and she doubted mom could stop him from doing so. Even so, sneaking out and back was a tall order.

“I don’t think I can sneak away without someone eventually knocking on my door. As for you visiting, that’s your life Jaune Arc. I’m not going ask you to throw it away.😭”

“Fair. We’ll see each other soon enough. 😊”

“DON’T ACT CUTE AFTER WHAT YOU SENT! I ALMOST YELLED!”

“Haha, my bad. Anyways, I’ll stop distracting you for now. Luv ya Rubes.”

“Luv you too and stuff. ❤️”

Ruby put her head face down in her pillow and groaned. She was both very proud and disappointed in herself. Darn the adorkable dummy! She had gone to bed rest and now she trying not kick her feet and smile. Jaune had never been bold before. It was kinda nice. Maybe being separated had its merits? Although…

Ruby: (HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SLEEP NOW!?)

[nancypullen]

Riquewihr and Kaysersberg

Today was utterly lovely. Strasbourg is snug up against the French/German border and the mix of cultures is obvious everywhere. We decided to rent a car at the train station and journey a bit south where Switzerland gets involved. We picked up the keys (they gave us a BMW suv for the price of a compact!) and drove through more beautiful countryside.

Aha! JUst what we were looking for- Riquewihr! The enchanting village that inspired Beauty and the Beast. We drove through vineyard after vineyard and found our way to the magical spot.

Cobblestones, medieval buildings, and old wells and fountains down every street.

The Alsace region is home to a large population of storks. The legend of storks bringing babies started here. Children who want a baby brother or sister leave a sugar cube on their windowsill hoping to lure a baby-carrying stork. So there are stork souvenirs everywhere, and as sweet as the legend is, I don't need stork hot pads, magnets, coffee cups, or statues. BUT, another symbol that appears everywhere that i just love is...

hearts! They're all over the place. These late blooming geraniums on the front of a crackled 15th century building are accompanied by a trio of sweet hearts.

Window boxes, shutters, curtains, fences - even cookies and pastries were heart-shaped. It put a smile on my face.

After a few hours wandering around beautiful Riquewihr we decided to ease on down the road. Again, over the river and through the vineyards we go. Pardon my photography, these were taken through the windshield.

This time we were looking for Kaysersberg, and we found it! I liked it even more than Riquewihr.

We roamed and roamed, eventually stopping for a late lunch.

I had a delicious quiche and a salad. The mister chose another tarte flambe. He's hooked.

After satisfying our tummies, we continued to explore and uncover more information about Kaysersberg. "The name is German for Emperor's Mountain. The high fortress that dominates the town serves as a reminder of both its strategic importance and its warlike past." The town was first mentioned in 1227, when Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor purchased the castle and began to refortify it. During the Middle Ages, Kaysersberg prospered. In 1648, the city became a part of France, although most inhabitants continued to speak German. From 1871 to 1918 (and again from 1940 to 1944) Kaysersberg belonged to Germany. It's now part of France again and lucky for us, still so very beautiful. Before we turned the car back toward Strasbourg we decided to gather the ingredients for a yummy charcuterie dinner in our apartment. We scored cheese and sausage in this shop.

Nuts and sweets in here,

and even found a bag of delicious local grapes. Oh my, what a feast we had tonight! Is there anything better after a long day than snacking in your pajamas? Anyway, that's it from me tonight. I should have given you a bit more info on Riquewihr, and I'll probably do a bit of a summary of this trip when we get home. But I'm pooped and I took wayyyy too many pictures to wade through tonight. Tomorrow is a light schedule. We'll get up whenever we get up, walk to train station and hop on a train going to Colmar. We've read good things and would like to see it for ourselves. It's a quick 30 minute train ride which leaves us the bulk of the day to wander. Trains between Colmar and Strasbourg run all day so we can return as we please. Isn't that a nice, hassle-free day? Exactly what a vacation should be. Until tomorrow, dear pals. Stay safe, stay well. XOXO, Nancy

[activeacres7]

How to Sell Land Quickly in the Southeast and Beyond: A Comprehensive Guide

If you’re looking to sell your land, understanding the market and targeting the right buyers is crucial. Whether you’re in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Michigan, this guide will help you navigate the process. From finding reputable land buyers to learning how to sell land online, let’s explore how to secure the best deal for your property.

We Buy Land: Quick and Easy Sales Solutions

If you’re looking for a fast sale, companies that advertise we buy land can offer an efficient, hassle-free process. These buyers often purchase land as-is, meaning you won’t need to invest in costly improvements or repairs. It’s a great option for those who want a quick cash offer without navigating the traditional real estate market.

Land Buyers in Georgia: Attracting Local Investors

Georgia’s booming economy and diverse landscapes make it a hotspot for buyers. Land buyers in Georgia are interested in everything from rural farmland to suburban development plots.

Highlight the potential uses of your property — such as agriculture, residential development, or recreational use — to attract serious buyers who are ready to invest. Selling land in Georgia requires a targeted approach. Whether you’re marketing large acreage or smaller plots, showcasing features like access to utilities, proximity to major highways, or unique natural features will help attract buyers. Engaging with local real estate agents and listing platforms can broaden your reach.

Land Buyers in North Carolina: Tap into a Growing Market

With its scenic mountains, bustling cities, and thriving agricultural sector, North Carolina attracts a diverse range of buyers. Land buyers in North Carolina are often looking for properties near popular destinations like Asheville or Raleigh. Highlighting your land’s potential for farming, development, or vacation homes can attract these buyers.

Sell Land in North Carolina: Showcase Your Property’s Value

When you decide to sell land in North Carolina, providing detailed listings with clear photos and descriptions is key. Make sure to include information about zoning, access to utilities, and any unique features. Buyers often look for land that can be used for multiple purposes, so emphasize flexibility.

Land Buyers in South Carolina: Targeting the Right Audience

South Carolina’s charm and economic growth make it an attractive market for buyers. Land buyers in South Carolina are drawn to properties with development potential or natural beauty. Whether you’re selling land for residential use or agriculture, showcasing these aspects can help you secure a fast sale.

Sell Land in South Carolina: Key Strategies

To sell land in South Carolina quickly, make sure your listings emphasize any standout features like water access, wooded areas, or proximity to tourist attractions. Partnering with experienced real estate agents or using online platforms can help you reach a wider audience of potential buyers.

Land Buyers in Tennessee: A Thriving Market for Land Sales

Tennessee offers a mix of urban and rural appeal, making it a desirable location for buyers. Land buyers in Tennessee are often looking for investment opportunities or recreational properties. Highlight the proximity to popular areas like Nashville or the Smoky Mountains to attract interested parties.

Sell Land in Tennessee: How to Stand Out

When you’re ready to sell land in Tennessee, be sure to highlight key attributes like acreage size, access to infrastructure, and zoning flexibility. Marketing your land’s potential for residential, agricultural, or recreational use will draw in more offers from motivated buyers.

Sell My Vacant Land Fast in Michigan: Streamline the Process

If you’re wondering, “How can I sell my vacant land fast Michigan?” the answer lies in connecting with cash buyers and using online platforms. Michigan’s market for vacant land is growing, especially in rural areas. Cash buyers often close quickly, making this a great option for those needing a fast sale.

Sell Land Online: Reach Buyers Nationwide

In today’s digital age, the ability to sell land online opens up opportunities to reach buyers across the country. Online platforms allow you to showcase your property to a wider audience, increasing the likelihood of a quick sale. Be sure to include high-quality photos, detailed descriptions, and clear contact information to engage potential buyers effectively.

Conclusion

Selling land doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Whether you’re targeting land buyers in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or looking to sell my vacant land fast in Michigan, understanding the local market and leveraging online platforms will help you close the deal quickly. From partnering with we buy land companies to using online listings, these strategies ensure a smooth and profitable sale.