#he bought groceries... 😔

[soulmissed]

@freekzout: 47 – slice of life. (from the duo!)

found family starters, accepting

ruth is upset about something. (nope. someone. funke’s the genesis of her vexation. auggie smelled his trouble – and him, in general – a mile off.) ruth has the disconcerted body language which warns funke, answer me or else.

august strays near the door, plastic bags dangling from each hand. “ yo. ” the world’s most awkward, well-mannered yo. “ i, um. bought us groceries. ”

[aezuria]

uptown girl!

"she's been living in her uptown world, i bet she's never had a backstreet guy" —billy joel

content: mortal au!leo valdez x reader

╰┈▸ info: stuck-up reader (she gets character development later), cursing, reader is ~18, early 2000s core

notes: stella finally posted a fic !? (pls tell me if u enjoy i need validation 😔)

this has got to be the worst way to start summer ever. first, your morning was ruined by a bird shitting all over your car window—not a mess you had the time nor the patience to clean. then, on your way to pick up your friends for some much needed girl time, your car had the fun idea of breaking down. great. it left you on the side of the road, dialing up your father. which, when you think about it, really wasn't your fault! your precious ride just spontaneously combusted or something. nothing to do with the fact that you've crashed the front about seven times since january. after all, you'd gotten them fixed! it should be the mechanic's fault. or maybe, this car was cursed!

but of course, your dad just had to disagree. apparently it was his "last straw."

you winced away from the phone's speaker as his voice burst through. "you have been so ungrateful lately! when you asked for that car, i bought it for you! i looked over the fact that you don't even have your license yet! all i asked was for you to take care of your things!" he cried. from the tone of his voice, you could imagine the creases dug into his forehead. okay, now you felt bad. just a little.

before you could apologize, he finished with, "you just wait until i get there, young lady."

leave it to him to take away your guiltiness.

"dad!" you watched in horror as the truck towed your sleek red baby to god knows where. you turned your stricken expression on him, hoping to elicit at least a little bit of sympathy. but it seemed like his mind was made up on this one. dammit.

he crossed his arms sternly, putting his foot down. "let's go. we'll talk more in the house."

"-so you want to ship me away to some place crawling with bugs and creeps for the rest of the summer!?" you screeched along with the chair as its legs slid across the kitchen's tile floor.

your dad raised his hand in a placating gesture. "now, now, just until your car is fixed. it might not even be a whole month." he shrugged. yeah, real comforting. "and the city's a nice place. we lived there when you were young, remember?"

"no, i don't remember." you snapped. you did remember, but that brought on memories you'd rather not have right now.

he sucked in a breath. "alright then. it won't be so bad. we still have that apartment, and i got it cleaned up recently. it'll teach you some responsibility and independence." he nodded, satisfied with his decision.

you opened your mouth to snark at him again, but he continued, "and you won't be completely alone. there's a nice young man who will be fixing up your car, just down the street from the apartment building. i asked him to show you around when he has the time. and you'll have your phone, so make sure to call me, okay?" his strict behavior gave way to the soft spot you knew he had for you.

"...okay," you agreed reluctantly. once he really made up his mind about something, there was no changing it, so there was no use in arguing.

he smiled, patting your shoulder gently. "great. now pack your bags."

"be sure to buy groceries, and do the laundry, and clean every so often-" your father rambled on and on. if he was this worried, why wouldn't he just not go through with it? and why was he acting like you couldn't do basic chores!? it's not like you ever did them, but they couldn't be too hard, right?

"i get it dad." you rolled your eyes, staring out the car window. the buildings were all drab, painted in browns and grays, without a single bright color in sight, save for the red stop signs.

he pulled into an empty parking spot in front of the building. your insides recoiled. you swore it didn't look this... dilapidated all those years ago. or maybe you just had better taste now.

"we're here! looks like it's got a lot of.. character." he tried to cheer you up, but even you could tell he didn't think to check how it looked. it would've hurt too much to do so.

your lip scrunched in distaste. "i can't spend a single second in there."

"don't worry, it'll be over before you know it." with one last reassuring smile, he turned and left.

the apartment itself wasn't too bad, it was all cleaned up, just as your father had said. it smelled faintly of lemon cleaner, pillows fluffed and spritzed. your room was cold despite the warmth that came with summer. the pristine sheets were unfamiliar against your skin, as if you were tucked into a hotel bed. the sound of tire rolling against pavement never ceased, people had places to go, places to be even in the dead of night. a draft through your window made you shiver. you should close that in the morning. you curled in on yourself like you did when you were little, only this time there was only the unfeeling fabric to hold you, instead of the warm, long forgotten embrace no one could quite replicate.

you cringed at the shoddy place your phone had led you to, and looked up at the peeling paint sign that read: valdez mechanics. how charming. you even debated touching the rusty doorknob, but it swung open before you could turn it. which would be nice, if it didn't almost smack you in the face.

"watch it!" you hissed, side-stepping in time to see a boy your age walking through. his hair was a mess, and there were grease stains all over his face and clothes. his fingers were tap, tap, tapping away at his leg, to the rhythm of the song blaring inside. you think he'd be cute if he wasn't so dirty.

“sorry ‘bout that!” he laughed sheepishly. he stared at you for a moment too long before asking, “you here for the thunderbird?”

“yes,” you said shortly.

he chose to ignore your clipped tone, flashing you a smile. “come on in then, yeah?”

you followed him into the tiny shop, already wanting to leave. the place smelled of oil, and you could barely find a clean place to sit on. there were tools thrown everywhere, the floor sticky with dried up grease.

“i’m leo, by the way.” his voice snapped you out of your judging thoughts as he led you to the back. you finally saw your car, propped up with the hood open.

“y/n.” you barely glanced at him as you rushed over, examining the damage. “so? what’s wrong with her?”

he gestured with the wrench in his hand—when’d he get that?—and pointed to the engine. “well that’s all busted up, so i’m gonna have to build a new one for ya. i’ll do you an oil change too and-“

“yeah um, how long will it take?” you interrupted, giving him a smile you did not want to have on.

“i’d say three to five weeks? depends if i have any other stuff that comes in so…”

three to five weeks of your summer wasted away here? when you’re supposed to be having the best time of your life before college!?

“are you serious? can you get it done sooner? i can pay you some more-“ you reached into your purse.

“whoa!” he caught your wrist. his hands were clean now, must’ve wiped them on a rag. “money won’t make me work faster, honey.” he let go and shrugged. “sorry.”

honey? “well then what will? cause i need to leave as soon as-“

“some help, maybe?”

you blinked at him, utterly flabbergasted. “you want me to help you? the person who’s paying for all this?”

“technically, your father’s the one paying,” leo pointed out. “and y’know. you don’t have to help, of course. it just might make it go a bit quicker…” he trailed off, dimples poking through as he tried to hide a cheeky smile.

you huffed. “what do i have to do?”

”i am not sticking my hands in those.” you defied, shaking your head firmly.

leo scoffed, flapping the gloves around. “come on! this is the cleanest pair i have!”

"put this here?" you asked, shoving a part that you forgot the name of into an empty space.

"hm?" leo looked up from his fiddling, jaw dropping in horror. "no no no!"

"oh i know how to do this!" you exclaimed as he gave you a screwdriver. "my dad always said 'lefty loosey, righty tighty.'"

the boy nodded. "yeah! try it out." he pointed to a loose screw.

you successfully tightened it (to the right), giving him a proud smirk. "see?"

"yup." leo grinned at your enthusiasm, even though it was the most basic thing ever. "try and tighten the rest. i'll be right back."

a loud clatter made leo jump from across the repair shop. he rushed over to you, finding the parts that were supposed to be screwed together in complete disarray. "uh, maybe you shouldn't help..."

"really?" you deadpanned. "i hadn't noticed."

"sorry." he laughed. "scooch."

you pursed your lips. no one told you to "scooch" before. but you moved over anyway.

"wanna keep me company?" leo slid his gloves on and began putting the contraption back together.

no, you thought. but you didn't have anything better to do other than wander the city like a clueless idiot. and you hated looking like an idiot. "fine."

the shop was quiet, save for the occasional clanging as leo worked on the engine. his rambling was cut short as he focused on his work, something you didn't know he could do.

"nice car you got here. i've always wanted to drive one of these." he patted its side appreciatively. "where'd you buy this?"

scratch that. maybe he could only shut up in two minute increments.

"don't know. my dad bought it for me." you looked around, not even bothering to hide your boredom.

"right." leo laughed. you found he did that a lot. "must be nice."

your eyebrows knitted in confusion. "i guess?" what did he mean by that?

"i hate it here. it's so boring!" you complained over the phone. cooking dinner had been an absolute mess. “and that leo guy is so weird.”

"give him a chance, will you? he could show you around town, maybe teach you some manners…” you father muttered the last bit.

"what?"

"nothing! all i'm saying is give that boy a chance. who knows, he could be a great friend."

“‘great friend’ my… foot.”

[neptunescore]

Charlos - divorce

For the driver lauring and random word

Prompt word: Divorce | Pairing: Charlos

Can be read as part 1 to this

Carlos knew he was crying, could feel the slow wetness against his cheeks, the uncontrollable shake in his fingers as his body refused to cooperate with him.

The phone in his hand slipped slightly — the call had long ended, yet the device had remained in its position next to his ear. A slow stream of acknowledgement coursed through him —

It was done. It was over. There was nothing more after this.

He didn’t know what to do now, should he go and make the breakfast smoothie he normally had at this time? Go cut up half the strawberries he normally did, pour half the amount of milk he usually did? Should he go look at the unfinished nursery they had so meticulously been planning? Figure out what to do with the newly bought pastel blue crib, the baby monitor so recently installed?

Should he ignore the missing half of his heart? Force himself to breathe the same amount with half his arteries gone?

He didn’t know.

How had it even come to this? They were doing so good. They were planning to adopt a baby, for god’s sake! Carlos had only bid Charles goodbye a mere week ago, kissing his husband softly on the lips as the other man boarded his flight to go attend another one of those nonsensical Ferrari meetings. They had shared a happy smile— had said the usual ‘I love you’s’ to each other. Charles had said it, he’d clearly told Carlos he loved him. His lover had looked straight into his eyes and told him he couldn’t wait to be back, to finally go and look at the adoption centres that they both had so joyfully made lists of.

Yet, here Carlos stood — his whole world crashing down in front of him, legs trembling as he tried his best to remain upright; tried his best to ignore the absence of the slimmer, paler body that he’d grown so accustomed to having next to him.

The Williams driver sat down, body creaking and groaning as it settled against the hardwood floor beneath him.

How could Charles do this to him. How could he do this.

Sure, the leaked photos of them together were sudden and undeniable — their fingers intertwined as they stood next to each other in the vegetable aisle of their local grocery shop, smiles on both their faces, noses an inch apart and eyes crinkled with love — but Carlos had thought that this was finally it. They’d finally come out; he’d finally be able to hold his husband’s hand in public, finally be able to kiss his cariño openly after a particularly good race, wrap his arms around the other during race weekends without having to worry about anything.

A cold laugh left him.

Oh, how he’d thought. How he’d believed.

What a fool he was, calling Charles excitedly in hopes of sharing his joy with his husband. What a fool.

He’d been met with nothing but silence, an extended ring as his call went to voicemail; Carlos had thought nothing of it, pressing the dial button a total of two more times before coming to the conclusion that Charles must be busy — and it was probably time for him to sleep anyway, Charles would probably call him later and then they could finally celebrate.

What a fool.

The only thing he’d received from Charles was a four line text. Ferrari wanted them to act like it was just another old teammate photoshoot. The tifosi wouldn’t accept this relationship. Ferrari couldn’t accept this relationship. Ferrari would drop him if he were to remain with Carlos.

The dark haired man had laughed, he’d laughed and laughed, laughed when he realised Charles had blocked his number, laughed when Charles’ lawyers had called him, laughed when he’d been told that the divorce papers would be mailed to him, laughed as he choked and sobbed and left bloodied marks against the kitchen counter he’d gripped.

Carlos’ head thunked against the rustic floor.

God. Let this be a nightmare, god. Give me mercy, god.

WHAT ABT A HI? A HELLO? A HOW R U DOING? DO I LOOK LIKE A COMMON WHORE ANON??😔 Nah lmfao I hope this matched ur expectations💗, I did get a little bit carried away with it though😭 (in my defense I WAS listening to 'traitor' by Olivia while writing this😤)

Divider by @cafekitsune

Rules and detailes☆°•~

[sea-of-dust]

Yukari giving chocolate for GN! Reader!

What if I just told u this was a request and tuumblr loves posting my drafts and posting unfinished works. Annon I'm sorry 😔

She made them! I be it you'd be able to smell it in the dorm which is why the s.e.e.s memmbers kept you from comming home. "You shouldn't come back yet" "and why's that" Minato emails back with little to no time in between "I wanna go grocery shopping with you" "oh" he bought her 3 hours.

Three hours used to the fullest with Mitsuru next to her with silicon trays. "What if the chocolate melts them and they eat plastic?" "Try not to worry so much about it" as she pours it you and Minato are almost two blocks away from the dorm. "We're two blocks away" "on it!" You notice him see a reply to an email but he quickly hides his phone in his pocket "Minato you've been on your phone alot what's buggin' you?" "Nothing"

you shrug noticing the sound of loud thundering footsteps closing in on you, trying to see who was causing the noise only to be met with a poster. "Y/n~" Jinpei appears from behind the poster grinning cheerfully yet you can sense blatant mischief in his expression. "There's a new gadget in town for two, you should help me buy it" "what is that even for?" "Oh I don't know" he walks back, his face facing you dramatically "two tickets to see the new movie that came out a few days ago" you flash back to Yukari raving about how much she wanted to see it, your face gets deathly serious. "Where's the theater?" "THATS THE SPIRIT"

Yukari, while she was grateful they could help did get a bit worried when you didn't come back until sunset with Jinpei and your emo tag along. "We're alive!" Jinpei bursts open the door with you two following behind. "Where the heck did you guys go to stay out so late" Yukari pounts seeing her you nearly fall into her arms. "I missed you" you look up at her with unfocused eyes, holding her to stay steady. Glaring at the both of them, she helps you to the couch near the entrance. "Yukari" you hand her the tickets with unstable hands. "I got the tickets to a movie you wanted to see" you smile brightly contrasting how beat up you sound. "The line was huge" Jinpei interupts "I think we almost drowned" "for a few tickets?" "There was a sale" you mumble out. She wraps her hand around your arm pulling you closer to her, using this as their cue the room emptines to just the two of you.

"Where ya going" as she gets up she turns to you "I have something for you" as if she woke you up with those words you sit patiently watching her come back with a plate. "You made chocolates?" A bit stunned she looked away "I guess the smell gave it away" she lays it next to you and her "They're all for you" "no" "huh?" "Lets share them, it would be unfair if you didn't get to atleast try them ya know" a bit more flustered she takes a bite with you. Biting into them you stretch yours out slowly the caramel stretching out. "You know me so well" you remark after finishing the first one. "Yum.." You muttered that under your breath but she still heard it. "I got you to say yum" she smiles proudly. "Really?" You look down again picking it up "they are really good guess it slipped out"

[catindabag]

TBOSAS on Crack short take (4)

*This is how “The War Assignment” went*

Dr.Gaul: So my dear extra Tributes- I mean, Mentors, tell me what you like about the war?☺️🤭

Livia: How rich my family got!💅

Persephone: The Maid Stew- I mean, the meat stew. It was animal meat, I swear.😐

Lysistrata: The friends we made along the way?

Felix: Affordable health care?

Palmyra: The rabid raccoons!

Arachne: Free sandwiches!

Sejanus: Ask my Pa!😡

Pup: Honor?

Clemensia: Power!

Festus: Loyalty?!

Coryo: The turkey!🦃 Definitely the turkey!

Dr.Gaul: The What?!

Coryo: The turkey I got from the government after my father was killed by the rebels.😀

Lysistrata: Um- Coryo, do you need to see a therapist after this?

Coryo: Lizzie, I’m too poor. I can’t even afford my own groceries without my sugar daddy- I mean, without my boyfriend’s money.

Sejanus: I’m Coryo’s boyfriend by the way-

Juno: We know, Plinth.🙄

Sejanus: Just saying~.

Lysistrata: But-

Felix: Coryo’s right. Our “prestigious” school can’t even afford to hire a professional therapist.

Lysistrata: How come, Class Pres?

Felix: You didn’t hear this from me, but ✨The Academy✨ is currently facing bankruptcy.😔

Lysistrata: Bankruptcy?!

Felix: Yup. And before you ask why, it’s because of the infamous Heavensbee Hall Flooding Incident.

Lysistrata: So it’s our fault?!

Festus: Always has been, always will be.😌💅

Dr.Gaul: Children, I’m still here-

Coryo: Felix, remind me again why we flooded Heavensbee Hall with pink glitter?

Felix: For the extra credit-

Festus: It was actually Breen and Anderson’s bright idea. So-

Androcles: Hilarius Heavensbee was in on it too!

Hilarius: You guys peer pressured me first to join your disastrous escapade!

Gaius: Yeah, we did! But you’re the one who bought the pink glitter from Mama Cardew!

Dr.Gaul: Children, listen-

Hilarius: It was on sale!

Gaius: It wasn’t! We could’ve bought a cheaper version from the Capitol Black Market!

Dennis: True. My shady beautiful mama could’ve easily given us a 50 percent discount if you guys had listened to me.

Dr.Gaul: Children-

Persephone: And buying the pink glitter was my idea!

Juno: Excuse me?! As I recall, I was the one who suggested to use pink glitter in the first place!

Persephone: But Festus and I were the ones who flooded that damn hall for you, Juno!

Juno: How dare you-

Dr.Gaul: Will you f*ckin’ brats shut the f*ck up?!

Everyone:. . .

Dr.Gaul: Why are you like this?!

Coryo: Like what?

Dr.Gaul: Shut your useless mouth, orphan!

Coryo: But-

Dr.Gaul: Who told you to be this stupid?!

Coryo: *leans closer and whispers to Felix* Yo, Class Pres, is she talking about me or all of us?

Felix: Both?

Festus: Doc, to be fair, most of us are already stupid. So-

Dr.Gaul: Get out, Creed.

Festus: Or what?

Vipsania: I can’t believe he just said that.

Coryo: And in front of crazy Gaul.

Felix: Sorrows and prayers to you, Bestie.😔

Festus: Thanks-

Dr.Gaul: You wanna fight, Creed?!

Festus: No-

Dr.Gaul: Another word and I’ll feed you to my snakes!

Sejanus: Dr. Gaul’s angry again!

Felix: Run!

*Highbottom lurking in the shadows*

Casca: What the heck is wrong with those kids?!

Prof.Sickle: Nothing. It’s just that half of them are literally war orphans who lost their marbles a long time ago.

[crosbyism]

Damn girl, is Leon considered average in Germany? Or in Germany you can just see walking models everywhere?

girl? there’s a girl running this blog? damn, no one told me, i’ll have to find her and kick her out like i’m a shitty landlord trying to break a lease in order to shadily increase the rent through legal loopholes 😔

bro, i saw leon facedown in his beer with his econ 201 buddies last oktoberfest. i’ve seen him in the chips aisle of the grocery store and picking up a sixer of nothing but the most questionable canned beer in the supermarket (bitburger. why he would betray his local kölsch like that idk, you’d have to ask him). i think i met him at a house party two years ago where he was telling some girl he got really into biking and bought himself a thousand-euro racing bike. he bought crushed ice at the gas station with three bros the other week on their way to a party. a friend of a friend introduced me to her douchey-but-funny-and-charming-in-a-sarcastic-way engineering-major boyfriend and i’m pretty sure it was leon draisaitl. he talked to me for half an hour about his half-baked shitty political opinions which made it clear that he doesn’t understand tax brackets

(hilariously, btw, this topic comes up semi-regularly among german hockeyblrs, see this and this ask i’ve gotten)

[feral-mouse]

OOOH ASK GAME BINGO

cursed thought as I was trying to think of a ship, Ronny x Theo (that poor Brit is going to get EVISCERATED)

or worse, Davis x Theo (terrible, horrible, I'm going home)

Honestly I think the idea of them together is pretty interesting 👀. Idk if Theo would ever be interested in Ronny though 😭 lsjfjks. But ough, I can just imagine Ronny meeting Theo while he's working, and Ronny is immediately interested in him. Not just because of his looks, but also because of his personality. He would start showing up more to mess with Theo. And if Theo ever liked him back, Ronny would NOT be prepared for that AT ALL psjfjjs. But not that that's a bad thing 👀. They would be horrible for each other lol

THEO AND DAVIS ON THE OTHER HAND- oh my god Theo is gonna have such a horrible time. DAVIS WOULD TREAT HIM SO HORRIBLY 😭. I feel like Davis would remind him a lot about the people who bought Theo and took him away from his home, their relationship would be so toxic 😭. Davis would take advantage of how obedient Theo is 😔. And I mean, Ronny would to, but in the sense of "oh please cook something for me and buy the groceries ok thank youuuu 😊" psjjfksk

[possessionisamyth]

Love imagining Leon being kind of obnoxious when it comes to doting on Carlos. Maybe Carlos cuts his hand because he's tired but it was his turn to cook dinner and he's stubborn. The wound bleeds worse than it actually is, but Leon wraps it up and teases no handjobs for a while before kissing the bandage and each of his knuckles. Each time Carlos tries(with no effort) to get his hand back between said kisses Leon's like "not done with the check up." The onions burn in the pan, and take out is ordered.

It's winter and they're out and about, but Carlos is shivering in his nice coat because it's nice, but not super thick. So Leon's like "i got you", and grabs a spare coat from the car that's this marshmallow stuffed monstrosity. Carlos refuses to put it on because it's ugly. Leon insists. They have a chase for a little bit until Carlos is later seen wearing the ugly but warm coat.

Rock, paper, scissors to decide what snacks get bought from the grocery store. They always tie several times before a winner is decided with some taunting between, so the build up prior to the result is dramatic. When Leon finally wins the stand off, he puts both options in their cart anyway.

Or Carlos walking into his office to see a bouquet of flowers taking up half his desk with a card attached that reads "I'll buy us a new jeep 😔". Doesn't answer the concerned texts Carlos is sending him, and then Leon comes to pick him up from work in a nicer jeep. Nothing bad happened. The transmission just went out on the old one.

The ATM eats Carlos' bank card, and he has to wait a few weeks before they ship him another one, but Leon asks to be taken to the ATM. He gets the card out. Carlos is not sure how legal that particular measure is, but he's broken worse laws and he has his card back.

I love them a lot.

[shadow0-1]

💤🍰🕷❤ :>

💤 SLEEPING - do they fall asleep easily? what helps them sleep?

Noo kjsbdgkjb but who does sleep easily? Talking to people usually helps him sleep, but if there’s no one to talk to then he’ll just start working again until he passes out at his desk KSJDGDKG

🍰 CAKE SLICE - favourite cake flavour? are they specific about types of cakes?

Tres leches, his grandmother owned a bakery and he definitely ate too much as a kid. He's not too picky about his cakes, but doesn't end to like (grocery) store bought ones because they tend to be too sweet (he's getting old 😔)

🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

Jax’s biggest fear would definitely be losing someone he cares about again :) He's mildly claustrophobic and has an irrational fear of seeing spooky shit standing outside in the middle of the night (stemming from looking out a window in his parents cabin one night and seeing a bear standing up and staring back at him)

❤️ RED HEART - their love language(s)?

Physical touch 🏃‍♂️

[jazzcoffeeartcafeofficial]

Went to the pawnshop today and sold my cutting machine and got $25 from it, the other day I sold some games and the same thing $25, though I feel bad because I had to give up on a couple my brothers bought me... 😭 but I'm placing $40 in my savings for my move and keeping $10 to buy little groceries, cause we don't have anything here. No job still, I even tried with my old job but he doesn't want to hire me because I was always "back and forth" and It was unintentional....I was dealing with one of my case workers plus the other caseworker that has yet to call me back with another job, I gave up on the workforce cause they weren't helping at all but adding unnecessary meetings. And the other one, manpower..nothing. so when my old boss told me that, I had mentioned to him I was not dealing with them anymore, and mind you he told me that in front of the customer and ofcourse when he was busy with the customer's order, I just took off and tried so hard not to cry in front of my uncle.😔 When I got home though I did.. so hard.. I was crying hard to my mom cause I hadn't been able to find any job or get hired at any place I've applied at ...and I was so stressed out cause I'm not the only one struggling, we all are. 😢

So yeah...only way I can make money is just to sell my stuff so I did. Some of it at least.

Just thought I update you all on this. It's been really rough.

One of my uncles is doing me a favor by reteaching me how to drive, which is something I had been wanting to do forever, I took Driver's Ed a year or two ago but hadn't taken the test cause I hadn't had the money or time to do so, so thankfully he is reteaching me, that way I am prepared for the test and prepared before my move to another state to start a new life. And since I'm not working, might as well work on that right? Of course I've been doing other things too at home. Singing my songs, hoping I can release my album this year on Halloween or next year. I am also in the process of doing some college courses for my basics, hoping I will qualify for Financial Aid.

[loiswolf]

Day 46 July 16 Ignace - Upsala 108kms

This morning was the first rainy morning I think I’ve had all trip. First I popped over to Subway to collect three more cookies for the road.

Again there was absolutely nowhere to stop for a coffee today and only one rest area, I needed some supplies.

I left a bit later than I intended because I’ve been trying to figure out where I’m staying a few days ahead. Everything is booked out so it’s very stressful finding places to stay. I also have a deadline because I’ve booked a flight home and to get the extra baggage allowance for Shirley, I made it a bit sooner than I would have liked.

So I had pinkie and the poncho on when I left this morning. Yesterday was a bit cooler than usual and today was even colder….with rain.

It rained pretty steadily for the first 25kms then seemed to stop. The road was good again so I just put my head down and pushed on. I don’t think I put my foot down at all until the rest stop at 46kms. That’s very unusual for me. There are usually a couple of toilet stops after my breakfast coffee and some unlayering. The plastic layers were keeping me warm so I left them on.

Another lovely rest stop presented itself right where I had estimated it.

There was even shelter so I didn’t have to sit on wet seats. I enjoyed a few of my cookies and read my kindle while my plastic layers dried off a bit.

There were two motels a bit under 10kms ahead and I was hoping I might be able to get a cup of coffee out of one.

The first one was at least open but there was no one there. I walked into what I thought might be the breakfast room hoping to score some leftover coffee but unintentionally walked into their kitchen. If I was staying at that motel I would not be wanting to eat breakfast from that kitchen. It was disgusting!

The second place was closed and there were some big black clouds approaching so I thought I’d better move on.

The wind was supposed to be behind me today and I was hoping to cruise into Upsala being pushed along by a tailwind. It was not to be. The wind was all over the place and often pushing me back. The hills seem to increase in number over the last 30kms.

The sun came out so I stopped to take off Pinkie and then took off my long sleeves as well. It was suddenly warm. There wasn’t much to photograph today so I took this where I stopped , only because there was something to lean Shirley against.

When I took those photos I noticed the time on my iPad had changed. I think I lost another hour.

Since there are not many photos and I didn’t get a proper break I thought I’d put in some fond memories of past breaks which I didn’t post.

This was the coconut cream pie I had at Sophie’s 30kms before Cedar Creek.

And this was an absolutely delicious treat I indulged in when I was in Winnipeg. I bought it at a specialty cake shop when I went out for groceries and enjoyed it back in my apartment.

Back to reality…eventuality I cycled into Upsala which is a very small place. I couldn’t see the motel so I pulled into the service station/general store. The shop man told me the motel was another five minutes up the road. I did mention that distance is measured in kilometres, not time, as these estimates are very unhelpful for a cyclist. Everyone here, including the signs, measures distance in time. 😔

He was kind of sweet, rather like a character off a TV show who talks with a slow drawl and a big smile. I purchased some food off him for dinner tonight, rearranged everything on Shirley, then rode off.

It was only another three kilometres to the motel. The owner here is like another TV character, a bit like a retired policeman. The motel is old but ok.

This lovely park is across the road in case I want to swim. I don’t.

Apparently there are bears around! I thought I’d passed all that. It sounds like the people next door have bears in the room judging by the way their kids are thumping around. I hope they go to bed early!

[ghosts-and-blue-sweaters]

Prayers, Julia, prayers <3 I hope uni unravels itself & becomes a little less chaotic sdhjhgfdfghj. aaaaaah that’s such a lovely message oh my goodness!!

I am !!! alive! I watched Ghostbur’s doomday stream last night which was Something (I watched the clip where he sneezed like ten times i just. could Not stop rewinding to watch it again. this is a sign that i am mentally okay & normal) and today I bought a little slice of cake at the grocery store that was SEVEN DOLLARS!!! AND IT WAS NOT A BIG SLICE OF CAKE!!! The pain and terror of being a girl with celiacs, truly truly. And honestly it wasn’t the best cake in the world I would put its value at maybe three dollars 😔

Apart from thatttt I am weirdly tired at the moment? And yet I persevere and tumblr blog through the fatigue. Survival!! I’ve been thinking about writing fanfic today so I might do that...

Julia!! How are you today? :]

GRACE!!!!!!!!!!! HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !!!!! i am well i am good i am Slightly losing my mind over uni already but its OKAY!!! (its not okay i already have 116 flashcards for my FIRST course. THE FIRST!!!!) but ANYWAYS!!! went to church today..... message was really good :] about the joy we should have when we come to worship God and how it fills us up. and then i talked to my besties and now i am back home.. pensive... studying.... and i have to wake up at 6 am tomorrow... but we will survive

[ofstormsandsaints]

You could do a post about Yui and her outfits when she was still living with her father in the church (along with some headcanons)? It's canon that Yui had a rather austere and humble life, so I'm guessing her clothes were always used or second hand.

It's longer than I expected-

Fashion Headcanon - a Yui Komori lookbook

Humble coquette meets the church girl roaming in a forest full of violets.

-Her colour palette is soft. So, so soft.

-Beige, white, pale pink, baby blue mixed with bits of faded navy blue and brown.

-Loves plaid pattern or those very delicate floral designs on clothes, colours slightly washed out, making everything cohesive.

-Doesn't mind vibrant colours in general. She finds beauty in many, many things but she knows that jewel shades will look garnish on her.

-Yui prefers when her clothes aren't too tight around her chest. Her tops are generally puff sleeved, off-shoulder with ruffles on the neckline to blur the shape of her torso.

-That, even before those fuckers would make her self-conscious about her chest. Pricks.

-When wearing tank tops or t-shirts, she would wear a cardigan or a wrap-up top that has subtle strips of white lace at the end of its sleeves.

-She's simply more confortable with showing her legs or her shoulders. For instance, she loves how her pale curls fall and brush the line of her shoulders. (but the diaboys too😔)

-Knitted mittens, square necklines, lacy lolita socks, vintage chiffon blouse embedded with little flowers, myosotis, daisies, stars of Bethlehem.

-She knows how to sew and to mend her clothes when it's needed. She is cautious with her belongings though.

-Wears second-hand clothes. Because life at the church was obviously more austere and Yui grew without the materialistic need to buy and own stuff just to see it piled up in her closet. Plus, she never wanted to appear spoiled rotten or anything.

-But she likes second hand clothes also because the fabric is soft. It's comforting for her to know that the clothes she owns now, had a life before.

-These grandma blouses with small embroidered details on the sleeves or on the collar ? Stan.

-Second hand fashion allowed her to explore a different sense of fashion - to create outfits that looked good on her and not trying to look like models in magazines. So you can find a sweet blending of reminiscent 2000s and 60s fashion in the way she dresses.

-Keeps her outfits simple and practical all in all, because she's known for being quite active.

-She cooks, cleans, helps the nuns in the garden or during charitable works.

-Therefore, she would never wear heels too high, skirts too long or too short.

-When going out to do some groceries, she always ends up looking at some shops, as there is something soothing for her in watching all these different clothes and shoes displayed behind the window. She doesn't buy anything, but she envies just a little bit the groups of girls who enter these shops, giggling and ready to buy something nice.

-No jeans or leather jackets like the girls of her age. Her father didn't allow her to wear those - he never even bought her clothes.

-Well. Not never never, but until very late, Seiji would only gift her books, stationary supplies, some tea...but never clothes, makeup or jewellery. This, combined with a certain solitude and the absence of a feminine figure in her life, Yui didn't have much choice but to observe a lot. She wanted to care about her appearance. She didn't know how at first.

-Interestingly, books and art influenced her style. Without even realising it, Yui would become the modern version of spring faerie, living a peaceful life in rhythm with the bell and the services.

-Spends hours making jewellery.

-The floral hair pins and the matching necklace? Her doing.

-She is crafty and loves doing activities that require patience and creativity, pearls glistening under the sun, tinkering with little hearts and stars. Nothing complicated. Just what she needs to give that graceful faerie twist to her outfit.

-She works like this, at her vanity or on a bench outside, in front of the garden for hours. Sewing or crafting the most precious details that no one except her will notice. She works until her eyes are tired and the tea remaining at the bottom of her cup is cold. But it is during time like this, that she feels the most a peace. The happiest.

[nishipostitz]

how haikyuu boys’ lips feel and are when getting a lil kissy kiss

gn!reader x kenma, kuroo, kageyama, suga, and suna

tw! little to none 💀 but uh, there is chapstick transferring through a kiss... reader apparently has no upper lip in kageyama’s.. older reader in suga’s.. this is all based on the vibe that theyre giving 😭 so pls dont come for me im sensitive, but even if you did, i could try to talk back 😔

kenma 

- since we’re starting off with kenma.. i’ll say one thing. the last time i watched haikyuu was at least 2-3 months ago, so i don’t remember everything. but i do remember not seeing kenma down any drinks. 

- i know he has the roughest, driest and desert like lips. i just KNOW he’s the type that doesn’t put chapstick on. tbh i dont either

you were applying your chapstick on your lips before leaving to go get groceries for dinner. you put on a heavy load, bc you KNEW kenma would ask for a kissy kiss before you left. and just like that, you were right. “then can i get a kiss before you leave?” he asked with his adoring eyes never leaving the screen. you smirked. gave him a kiss, and made sure that some chapstick was applied on his lips. you both released from the kiss and you smiled before walking away. at least i won’t be kissing the desert for the next few hours. kenma had no idea that chapstick was smothered on his lips until he licked his lips while playing his games. “hmm, i guess y/n ate some peaches before leaving..”

kuroo

- he’s the type of bf/husband that would tell his significant other to drink water and be hydrated, then forget about himself

- same for when talking to his teammates

- but i think his lips aren’t dry, but they’re not MOIST. they’re plump, but- whatever. he’s chapped. he’s the type that bites his lip skin

“kuroo can you please stop biting the skin off of your lips? maybe go drink some water or hydrate yourself?” kuroo looked over at you while cutting the vegetables. “hah you’re right! when was the last time i even drank water..” “KUROO!” “joking! it was.. actually idk” you slapped your forehead. “no kissy kissy’s for you unless you treat your lips some kindness” kuroo was flabergasted(3.0 yes im just so creative with words). “fine” he said as he slumped against the fridge to get himself some water. then, he applied some chapstick, “what about now?” he asked with his eyes trying to cutely seduce you. “a little better ig, not sure tho” “well why don’t we try it out then?” you didn’t have time to reply, and kuroo was already making the next move. 

kageyama

- he’s a kenma 2.0 bro

- bitch is the whole savanna

“uh babe, there’s a package for you” he said as he arrived home. he just finished his daily jog around the neighborhood, and decided to check the mail on his way, finding a package that was for you. “well, not necessarily, it’s for you” he felt special(twice). you bought something for him. but really, this was for him and you. kageyama was still confused. “how so?” “well, i bought this lip care product to hopefully help your lips become more kissable..” you said with a little sass. he pouted. “am i not kissable enough” he asked. “not quite. i don’t necessarily like kissing the savanna” kageyama was offended. “so this is to help my lips become more kissable?” “apparently it helps making your lips plumper too” you said as you tried to read the instructions. “that’s what you need. you got no upper lip” now you were offended. *smack*

suga

- my bae. my lifeline

- has the plumpest, most soothing and soft lips

- damn his lips are softer than any other. even your pillow

- DONT ASK ABOUT THE PILLOW

honestly, suga has great care over his body. his body is well kept and healthy, his figure is CHEFS KISS. his mental state is pretty clear and stable, and most importantly, his LIPS are just SO SOFT. he was currently writing an essay for his project, and you’re supposed to be on the side proofreading it for him since you’re a year older and already passed this class, except you’re so distracted by his physique and just flabbergasted(4.0) on how you scored a man as beautiful and talented as he was. “you know, if i could, i could totally kiss you rn, but ik how distracted you’ll be bc im amazing” you say bluntly. suga blinked a few times, trying to process what you said. “wouldn’t it be the other way around? since you’re already enamored by me, and if we kiss rn, you’ll just be even more distracted than you were in the past hour since you love me and my lips so much” you were now on pause mode. “huh, you’re right. but that doesn’t matter. come give me a kissy kissy pls, i’ve been doing a great job proofreading” “the only thing you’ve been reading are my lips when i was reading out my essay” you blushed. he sure was a smart cookie. STOP BC I SOUND LIKE A BOOMER

suna

- he’s a mix tbh

- it really depends. he seems like the type to go hours without drinking water bc he’s so distracted with his phone and watching atsumu volleyball fails on yt and tiktok

- but when he DOES drink water, he downs gallons of it..

“suna” he looked up at you. HAH LOOKED UP. youre shorter BAHAHAHS. “what” “i heard water is a good source for keeping lips nice and not dry” you say as you eyed him. “that’s exactly why i’m doing whatever i’m doing right now” you rolled your eyes. “well don’t do it at a restaurant.” he put down his 6th cup of water. “i’m doing it so i can get let’s of kissy kissies for the night. “well, you should’ve done that throughout the day. bc doing it rn, isn’t going to ‘undry’ your lips quick enough.” “oh wanna bet?” he asked with a smug smile. let’s say that you won the bet, and there’s a pouty suna. 

[hermannsthumb]

For the Spring Prompts 28. Under the weather (bad spring allergies bc I myself am dying rip)

28. Under the Weather

from spring fic prompts meme here

feeling this one today 😔 spring allergy gang unite. set loosely post-movie, you can decide where/when

—————————

Newt’s efforts to sneak back into the apartment undetected after his run to the grocery store are less out of courtesy to Hermann—poor, sniffly, sleepy Hermann, who has been languishing away dramatically on the couch under a throw blanket watching oldschool Doctor Who since ten that morning—and more out of the desire to not be accosted with complaints about an aching throat or repeated, throbbing headaches before Newt’s even finished unpacking the frozen stuff. Newt can only take so much. Is that mean? It’s maybe a little mean, but to be fair, Newt knows that he’s just as annoying when he’s sick, and Hermann puts up with it a whole lot less than Newt does. Newt’s the goddamn patron saint of patience compared to Hermann. No, that is mean, Newt isn’t being serious. He loves Hermann, and he’s sorry he isn’t feeling well, because he’s a good colleague/roommate/quasi-partner(? Hermann can be very hard to pin down to a label, but they live together and kiss a lot now, even if their arguments have only decreased by a marginal amount), and it’s his job to tend to Hermann’s needs.

Even if it’s just seasonal allergies. And Hermann gets them every year. And Hermann complains about them every year. And if, every year, he becomes convinced he has the flu, or pneumonia, or a terrible, terrible cold, and spends a few days watching Newt wistfully while Newt heats him up chicken noodle soup or tosses his favorite sweater in the dryer for a few minutes for extra coziness, like he's on his deathbed or something and trying to savor the rest of their time together, before finally getting up and announcing that he was overreacting and is really quite fine now and going back to snapping at Newt for forgetting to start the dishwasher or leaving the soy milk out on the counter again. Like clockwork. Newt could mock up his own highly accurate predictive model if he wanted to be annoying. 

He locks the front door behind him with the world’s quietest click. It’s not quiet enough. “Newton?” Hermann calls drowsily from the living room, and, despite all his complaints, Newt can’t help but smile. Drama queen he is, sick Hermann is also kinda cute. It doesn’t hurt that sick Hermann gets ten times more cuddly with Newt.

“Be there in a second, babe,” Newt says.

The low hum of barely-audible TV dialogue suddenly tapers off. Newt hears the springs of the couch squeaking and groaning as Hermann, presumably, sits up. It’s not the exact couch they had in their lab (Hermann had that hauled off as garbage while Newt was still recovering from his double-drifts in medical, the bastard), but it’s pretty identical to it—they were maybe feeling a little nostalgic while they were thrift shopping for furniture. Just as noisy, just as comfortable.  “Have you got the lozenges?” Hermann’s voice is scratchy.

Newt got the lozenges. Newt got oodles and oodles of lozenges. Newt has so many lozenges in his tote bag that it’s actually almost too heavy to carry. Newt bought every single lozenges in the entire store, every brand, every flavor, even the flavors he knows Hermann hates, God forbid anyone else get a tickle in their throat, because they’re fresh out of luck. Newt fought for those lozenges out of sheer love for his colleague-roommate-partner, and he would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant Hermann’s throat felt even a tiny bit better. (He also just got kinda tired of hearing Hermann clear his throat and pointedly remark that he would be endlessly grateful if someone cared about him enough to, say, run out to the store in the rain, and...) “Dude,” Newt says, “I have so many lozenges. Also, can you just call them cough drops like a normal human being?”

Hermann mutters something grumpily. “And the tea?” he says.

“And the tea,” Newt says. Newt didn’t get as much tea as he got cough drops, but he still got a stupid amount. “And the soup, and the tissues, and the Advil, and the cookies, and—”

Hermann shuffle-clacks into the hallway, throw blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders like a shawl, mis-matched socks peeking out at Newt from under the cuffs of his pajama pants. His nose is rubbed red. Newt smiles again. “Aw, Hermann,” he says. “You look so miserable, it’s kinda adorable.” He wants to wrap Hermann up in his arms and big-spoon him until the end of days. Or, at the very least, bundle him up in another sweater and a million more blankets so he’s never cold ever again. He couldn’t help himself from turning the heat on before he ran out to maximize Hermann’s comfort, even though he knows Hermann will complain about it later when he finds out. (It’s April, after all, it’s not like they really need it, and they’re just running up their oil bill for no reason. But Hermann is toasty, so Newt is happy.)

Hermann whaps a grocery bag with the end of his cane. "Where are my biscuits, you wretched little man?”

He sneezes. Newt tosses him one of the little foil packages of weird British cookies he had to get from the international aisle, and Hermann catches it in the crook of his arm. “Thank you,” he says primly, barely concealing his delight.

“I’ll make you tea,” Newt says, and waves Hermann off when Hermann makes to grab the tote bag of lozenges. “Get back on the couch, come on, you shouldn’t be getting up. Lemme unpack the bags and I’ll get in there too. It’s soooo gross out, you have no idea.” Hermann sniffles, blinking at Newt with pitiful, watery eyes, and Newt feels his heart wobble a little. “Dude, seriously, get back in there before I kiss you and get all your germs and get all gross and sick like you, and then we’ll both be sick, which will totally suck.” Which won’t happen, because these are just Hermann’s usual allergies, but Newt’s practiced enough by now to know that humoring Hermann is the best course of action. It leads to the least amount of arguments, anyway. “Tea, and soup, okay? And cough drops.”

“Hang your raincoat up,” Hermann says, and, just as primly as before, attempts to tear open the cookie package with his teeth as he shuffle-clacks back to the living room. 

Hermann’s moved his blanket nest around a little to make space for Newt on the couch, and, when Newt finally finishes unpacking the groceries and drops down next to him with a yawn, he immediately settles his head down into Newt’s lap the way they’ve done a million times before. He groans quietly when Newt pushes his fingers through his short, badly-trimmed hair. (Newt always thought Hermann’s DIY haircuts were a result of wartime stress, but then the war stopped and the haircuts didn’t, which means they’re apparently deliberate, which raises about a hundred other questions.) He’d like to do this kind of stuff with Hermann outside of sick days, but he’s not totally sure how to breach the subject without bearing his soul a little more than he’d like. Like, hey, Hermann, I know we share a bed and file joint taxes and stuff, but would you be weirded out if I held your hand every now and then? You would? Okay, cool, nevermind. “I feel dreadful,” Hermann moans. “I’m quite certain I’m dying. I won’t say it’s been a pleasure knowing you, Newton, but it’s certainly been interesting. Oh. Could you use your fingernails again, please?” Newt obliges, and Hermann makes a weird, contented, almost catlike purring noise, leaning into Newt’s touch, his eyes fluttering shut. “Newton, darling,” he says. He has cookie crumbs at the corner of his mouth.

Newt bends down and kisses his forehead. Hermann’s skin is cool but sweaty, probably from his fifty layers. Not at all feverish. Good. Newt wasn’t kidding about the predictive model thing, but he still can’t help but worry for Hermann, just a little bit. “I put honey in your tea,” he says. “It’s on the table whenever you want it. So is the soup.” Newt likes soup that has noodles shaped like rocketships and stars and other dumb things like that, so he’s always secretly a little glad when Hermann lets him do grocery shopping and he can get that instead of the boring low-sodium healthy stuff Hermann always gets. He also knows that Hermann likes the soup with fun shapes, too, so it’s a win-win for both of them. 

“Dear, wonderful Newton,” Hermann mumbles. Newt brushes cookie crumbs off his sweater. “I haven’t the faintest idea what I’d do without you. You’re the most—”

“I know,” Newt says. 

“And—”

“I know,” Newt repeats, tugging on a strand of Hermann’s hair.

Hermann bats him away, wrinkling his nose, but then catches Newt’s hand to press a clumsy kiss to his knuckles. Newt’s heart feels kinda funny again. “Um,” he says. Hermann’s thumb rubs in a circle against his palm. He blinks up at Newt, and there’s something tender and warm in his eyes that makes Newt’s mouth go dry. “Um. W-want me to unpause the show?”

“Mm,” Hermann says.

“Cool,” Newt says. “Um. Let me know if you need another blanket or something.”

“Mm,” Hermann says again.

[neighborhoodparker]

I posted 13 times in 2021

12 posts created (92%)

1 posts reblogged (8%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 0.1 posts.

I added 26 tags in 2021

#theredemptionseriesdrafts - 5 posts

#trsdrafts - 4 posts

#neighborhoodparker - 3 posts

#steve harrington - 2 posts

#billy hargrove - 2 posts

#steve harrington x reader - 2 posts

#steve x reader - 2 posts

#steve harrington imagine - 2 posts

#steve imagine - 2 posts

#steve harrington fanfiction - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 27 characters

#steve harrington fanfiction

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

See the full post

22 notes • Posted 2021-09-01 05:18:40 GMT

#4

Just wondering if you have any info on where and when your book will be available? Also, please tell me you’re including peeves, his energy was always a nice part in the books.

So I’m currently packing to move, which was VERY unexpected in my schedule of things and has unhinged my previous timeline 😔. I’m hoping once I get settled in my new place and get everything else sorted out that I can get a timeline out for everyone! But they will be available on wattpad and ao3, I know for sure, and the only monetary expenses that I really ask for are coffee donations on my ko-fi (IF ONLY ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE AND THE PERSON DONATING IS ABSOLUTELY SURE OF THEIR DECISIONS). The books will be free to access! And yes!! Peeves will for sure be included!!

38 notes • Posted 2021-08-22 16:06:57 GMT

#3

Panacea

Summary:

Months after moving out on your own to a small town by the name of Hawkins (and promptly transferring your school records to Hawkins High), you’ve found yourself as the token girlfriend of the highly-acclaimed Billy Hargrove. You seem to have it all - a hot boyfriend that every girl could only dream of, straight A’s and a golden 4.0 GPA, and not a single parent or guardian to hold you back. But the truth is, dating Billy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You’ve found that it’s lonely - he never shows up when he says he will, tries to pepper up his apologies with bouquets bought last minute from the grocery store down the street from his house, and - almost worst of all - he never even bothers to open up to you. You’ve seen glimpses of his home life, heard stories of what goes on behind closed doors from his younger step-sister on the nights she finds herself on your doorstep, and deep down you know that this relationship isn’t any good for you. People always say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree - and Max knows that Billy is a nuclear bomb set on a path for complete annihilation that will take you out with him once he finally detonates. Enlisting the help of her self-declared “baby-sitter” is all she can think to do - but she knows that Steve Harrington, with his familial history and his too-big-heart, can save you from the Death Zone. 

Chapters:

(shitty) short introduction

Extra Scenes:

Inspired Works:

Song Inspiration

40 notes • Posted 2021-07-22 03:04:22 GMT

#2

Panacea [0]

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Word count: 1,635

Warnings: Mentions of triggering/tough topics - such as abuse, racism, sexual coercion, and overall just toxic relationships. This is a general warning that will accompany every part of this little series. 

Summary: The one where you are given an introduction to your story.

Taglist: @sydneekomspacekru

(shitty) short introduction | part 1 | part 2

Roane County in Indiana, otherwise known as Hawkins, was supposed to be your new beginning. It was your way of starting over - of leaving behind your deadbeat father and your dead mother, of purging yourself of the sins of your family. Indiana was a huge change, especially in climate, when it came to your place of origin in middle-of-nowhere Arizona. Admittedly, it took you a while to get used to the colder temperatures - but you did what you’ve always done; you adapted. This was a skill you had to learn from a young age, especially with how poisonous your relationship was with your father. And, thankfully, your adaptive nature enabled you to quietly slip into the social structure that made up Hawkins's High - your extroverted, friendly nature helped as well, gaining you quick traction among the clichés of popularity. It was with ease that you blended in among those in town that held good names; after all, your mother had lived here for the first seventeen years of her life. Even though she had chosen to leave Hawkins all those years ago, you were welcomed back with open arms - and it was like you had lived your entire life within the small square footage that made up the strange town.  You have to suppose that a town of this magnitude never truly forgets who it marks as its own. 

And, well, it didn’t take long for Hawkins to mark you as one of its own. The ease you had with moving there seemed to infiltrate every aspect of your life. You got good grades - A’s on practically every assignment, quiz, and test, got along well with the teachers and the students, had no difficulties finding a job at the local diner, and you even hit the jackpot with a bewitching  significant other. At least, that last part is what every girl in your friend group told you. Now, Billy Hargrove was - in and of himself - a conundrum, to say the least. This was something you had figured out quickly about him; right after he had decided that your welcome to the town from him was his shirtless body hefting your heavy boxes into your new apartment. Before promptly deciding to spend the rest of the evening in the local diner with you, flirting more than you had ever seen a teenage boy do. In a way, you were still set apart from the others. Because you saw behind his façade; you saw behind the flirtation and sex appeal. There was a brokenness that you had only ever seen in one other place, and that was in the eyes that stared back at you when you looked in a mirror. The life he had at home wasn’t good - and your suspicions were confirmed the first night his younger step-sister had showed up to your apartment with him sprawled out in the backseat of his Camaro, with wounds that only could have been inflicted by a man in a drunken rage. 

His sister, Max, was another person you had quickly formed a bond with. That night, when she brought Billy to you because she had no other place to take him, she found out just how far your generosity could spread. From that moment forward, after you had patched up the wounds on a moaning Billy, your apartment became a safe haven for the two of them - especially for Max. Every time their house gets too loud or too violent, Max finds her own way to you; a frequent occurrence that caused you to give her your spare key. Unfortunately, though, Billy’s conundrum of an existence only grew bigger after the night you patched him up. Even though you were supposed to be his nepenthe - the one thing that takes away all his pain and sorrows, the one thing that helped him heal - he refused to admit that you did anything to help him. In his mind, it was a weakness he couldn’t afford and - frankly - that never happened. Honestly, you see more of Max these days than you do of Billy. And you’re naïve about it. You think that just because you’re helping Max that you’re helping Billy; you believe that he’s embarrassed and doesn’t want you to be pulled into his horrific domestic life. 

You’re naïve because you think you can fix him. You see the broken parts, the fragmented sides of this unhealed child that’s become your boyfriend - and you think that if you give him enough time, enough patience, that he’ll come forward, that he’ll let you help. But he won’t. Because, frankly, Billy Hargrove is past saving. He’s headed down a dark path and you’re only going to be caught in the crossfires. But you don’t know that; not consciously, anyways. He’s never laid a hand on you, so you think that things are okay. You don’t understand that it’s not okay that he doesn’t show up, that he yells at you when he gets mad and doesn’t talk about it after. You think that this is just his way of coping - that it’s different from what you did when you were with your father. And what makes your naivety even worse is that you swore you would never end up in a relationship like your mother. You watched, physical altercation after physical altercation, as your mother became more beaten and more bruised - and you swore, you promised, you vowed, that you wouldn’t become your mother. You broke that. Because you didn’t know that your parents started out the same way that you and Billy did. And as hard as it is to take it in, you are just as doomed as your mother was. You don’t have enough love to spare to put him back together again. But love isn’t what can fix him. Nothing can patch a boy together when he has crevices as empty and deep as Billy. 

And this doesn’t begin to touch the things that he does with you that you know are wrong. He’s a very high-driven, sexual person - and this is something that you found out decently quickly once you officially got together.  It never mattered if you were in the mood for it or not, you were too focused on trying to meet his needs when he finally told you about them that you didn’t realize just how bad coercion is. You think that you have it good because everyone else is jealous of the intimacy you have with him. You don’t realize that his coercion, his guilt-tripping to get you to please him is just assault. And even though he gets aggressive when you’re in bed, when he bruises you because you’re not doing something the way he likes, you don’t see the red flags. Deep down, you know that the way he treats you is wrong - but he’s never laid a hand on you outside of your private time together, so you think it’s okay. You think what you have is love and that it’ll get better once you get him out of his toxic household, but that’s not true. The abuse he experiences is so profoundly engrained in who he is that the toxicity will only follow him once he leaves. He might get out of the house, might leave behind his asshole of a father, but he is another victim that will fall into the idiom of the apple not falling far from the tree.

That’s just another way in which you and Billy are more similar than most people think. He’s turning out to be just like his father - and you’re heading down the same path that your own mother did; despite all your best attempts to pledge to her gravestone that you’ll be different. Your childhood was spent watching an abusive relationship pave itself; your father was always under the influence of something, whether alcohol or drugs, and it ignited an anger in him that could only be taken out in physical ways on your mother. You spent enough nights hiding in your closet with your blanket and pillow, trying to get away from the sounds of your mother begging and pleading, that you’d think you would know to get out of whatever you have going on with Billy. And one thing that makes you less similar to him, that sets you apart, is how you both coped with the abuse you’ve seen in your homes. You turned to books and school, delving into every interest and hobby that popped up as you grew. You found friends and a way out of the house and hyper-focused on how you would one day get out. But Billy, he turned to other things - like cigarettes and working out and blaring loud music. He found hookups and hyper-focused on how he was one day going to get back at his dad for all the pain, all the suffering, the man had caused him. Perhaps, in a way, you were two opposing sides of a coin - and maybe that was just another thing that added to your naivety about your relationship with him. 

You watched as your father, day after wretched day, slowly killed your mother. You watched as she dug her own grave, watched as your father finally - after years of her surviving - put her six feet in the ground. And Max, the girl who’s practically become your own little sister, the girl who would do just about anything to see you get away from her older step-brother, is determined to save you. The way she sees it, your fate is now in her hands - and it’s not something that she, or her “baby-sitter”, will take lightly.

50 notes • Posted 2021-07-23 19:34:17 GMT

#1

Book: Novitious

Word count: 2,191

Summary: Cedric dies. Cho wasn’t the one dating him.

Drabble, Cut Scene, or Request: Drabble! A version of this may potentially be seen in the books.

She felt like she had been sitting here for hours. The sleek wood seat underneath her rear had grown uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that no matter how much she shifted she was unable to find peace in her lower back and thighs. At this point, she was nearly ready to burst out of her own skin - her whole body was trembling in anxiousness for Cedric, her Cedric. Amos had long ago given up on trying to comfort the young girl. Instead, he had his own worry plastered across his body - shown in the way his right leg continuously brushed up and down against her left, shown in the worn fingernails he had started chewing on, shown in the way his eyes continuously raked across the hedge mass that filled what was once the Quidditch pitch. 

Cedric’s favorite sweater had been pulled over her small frame before they had left the Hufflepuff dormitories to come to the pitch. It was a little big for her, as the sleeves fell past her hands and the left shoulder had slipped down to reveal some of her bare skin. She also had his most favorite, well-worn scarf curled loosely around her neck; he had given it to her as an extra way to keep her calm. The way his scent engulfed her from the clothes did take an edge off of her consuming anxiety, but it didn’t stop her body from shaking uncontrollably. She knew that something was wrong. Her gut was continuously twisting in on itself, making her feel nauseous and light-headed. She swore her heart was beating millions of beats per minute - she almost felt sick from how hot her skin was growing. In an effort to cook herself down, she shoved the sleeves up to her elbows. Her eyes made contact with Amos as she looked at him for the billionth time in the past ten minutes alone.

“He’ll be okay.” Amos whispered, offering her a shaky smile.

She wasn’t sure if he entirely believed the words he was saying to her. His whole posture screamed unease, and the glistening in his eyes was telling her that he felt the same undeniable sense of horror bubbling very deep within his bones. She took a deep, soft breath before forcing herself to return the smile. It felt awkward and out of place on her lips; she knew now wasn’t the time for such pleasantries. She shifted once more, leaning her right side into Neville’s left. He offered her a quick squeeze of her opposing shoulder, but his eyes were transfixed on the hedge looming in front of them. She had to assume the reason she was so anxious was because of everyone around her. Her empathic tendencies were making it way worse than it needed to be. Cedric would be fine. She didn’t think Dumbledore would want to risk losing someone so kind, so good, so strong. He would want him when the war she knew was on the horizon finally collapsed upon their reality. 

Her hand found Neville’s, lacing their fingers together. She had been continuously going back and forth between holding his hand, leaning against him for comfort - and offering her own shoulder for Amos to briefly lean against as new waves of anxiety drowned over him. She had lost track of where her boyfriend was in the maze a while ago; if she was asked, she wouldn’t be able to tell how much time had passed. It felt like an eternity since he and Harry had disappeared within the misshapen claws of the final Triwizard Tournament task. 

After she had grasped his hand, trying not to hold it too tightly, she managed to steal a glance of two forms appearing outside of the maze. Her view was then obscured by the sudden movement of everyone around her; their various builds jumping to their feet in lieu of celebratory noises. The music began to play, but she couldn’t fight the panic that began to build in her chest. It bubbled quickly. It simply started around her heart as it constricted, inching down inside her before it slammed into her lungs - taking all air out of her body as her diaphragm was soon swallowed by what she could only recognize as dread. It quickly spread after, making every inch of her body feel numb. She was caught off-guard; she wasn’t sure why she was experiencing such hysteria. Another deep breath filled her lungs as she noticed Amos was trying to get through the horde that kept him stuck by his seat.

Her body went to follow, but was quickly pulled to a halt. Neville was gripping her hand in a fashion that almost hurt. She met his eyes with confusion - he was filled with an emotion she couldn’t quite place, like it was a mixture. Dumbledore was yelling at Harry in the background. Every sound made it clear to her that she had been shoved under water, that she was on the verge of drowning in something she hadn’t yet discovered. She realized, with shock, that the emotions he was showing were a mixture of fear, sorrow, and distress. He discovered something she didn’t. Her eyebrows furrowed as she went to follow Amos again and his grip tightened, preventing her from moving.

“Nev, are you crazy? Let me go,” She tugged her arm. “Cedric’s there.”

“Isobel, you can’t go down there.” He stated.

“Neville, let me go.” She pulled against him again, starting to give him a glare.

“Is…” He trailed off.

“Neville. Let. Me. Go.” She demanded. 

Her attention was drawn away from him for a split second, allowing her to see as the crowd around her paused - almost as if they were all involuntarily holding in the same exact breath. He seemed to grip even tighter on her wrist - and she cried out in response. He was trying to keep her from seeing something traumatizing, but was hurting her in the process. She could almost feel the regret of it oozing out of his body. 

“You’re hurting me.” She almost growled, starting to become hysteric as she tried to pull away from him. ”Neville, please let go.”

He refused, but it didn’t matter. In the next second, screams from Amos were filling the air - letting everyone know his anguish in something that had to do with his son. She slammed her foot against Neville’s groin without even thinking. She jerked her hand back as he doubled over in pain but she didn’t stay to make sure he was okay. Her body moved on it’s own as she shoved through the crowd, pushing and shoving to get down the stands, down to where she had briefly seen the outline of Cedric and Harry. 

Someone was calling her name. She couldn’t tell who it was in her state of pure alarm, but if she had glanced back she would have seen Neville moving to grasp Draco’s arm - to hold him back from running to her. It was difficult to get through the mass of students, almost like they were all attempting to block her from getting down to the Diggorys. She could hear the older man sobbing, and she knew that the feeling she had in her gut since she had said goodbye to him wasn’t a mistake. Something awful, terrible, wretched had happened out in the maze. 

She finally broke through the horde, and all anyone could hear was a loud, awful, gut-wrenching shriek. Laying there, in his father’s arms, was the first person she had really loved with her whole heart. And he was pale. Lifeless. His eyes stared blankly at the sheet of stars above him, his chest giving no movement. His father was clinging to him like he was the only thing still anchoring him to the world. The grief she felt yanked her forward; it made her legs collapse, her lungs stall, her eyes widened. She was caught by the rough embrace of someone - nearly taking both of them down to the ground with the blunt force of her anguish. She barely recognized that it was Harry as he pulled her into his chest. He tried to hide her from the heart-breaking sight in front of her - even though he knew it would forever be etched in her mind.

Suddenly she was seven years old again, breaking as Draco’s arms held her. Suddenly, she was back in the home she hadn’t seen in months - back in the manor that she had lost so much of her childhood to. Draco was holding her tightly, almost like he was scared she would sink through the floor and disappear if he didn’t try to hold all of her pieces together. Suddenly, it was her mother splayed out on the marble floor, her spiritless body outlined by a growing crimson puddle. She wasn’t fifteen, collapsed on the field of a Quidditch pitch in the arms of Harry. She was at home, witnessing the cruelty of her father; witnessing her world crashing down around her. She was experiencing a pain she thought nothing could ever beat. Her sobs were filling the large foyer of her father’s home, echoing throughout the empty space that was just so previously filled with screams from her mother, that was filled with Draco begging her to stay back with him. 

And it didn’t matter if she was fifteen or seven. Because her heart broke all the same. The pain in her chest was immense, vast, monumental. It engulfed her. Her heart had been seized out of her chest and thrown at the ground, just before it was stomped, crushed, pulverized underneath the cruel heel of life. She shattered as her brain filtered through a long list of everything she would never get to see through with Cedric, filtered through the myriad of things his father would never live to see, filtered through the life they one day could have had. And she was that fifteen year old collapsed on the pitch. She was the fifteen year old girl struggling to stay afloat as her grief threatened to drown her. She was the fifteen year old girl who had just lost the one thing that had seen her through her darkest moments. 

There she was, wishing the same blond-haired boy was there holding her as her whole world churned, tumbled, disintegrated. But she had a brown-haired boy instead, one with uncontrollable locks and teary eyes hidden behind crooked frames. She took what she was given, accepted that she had lost that blond-haired boy two years ago, accepted that she had Harry. She forced her hands to relieve their tight grip on his jersey before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning her forehead against his shoulder as he hugged her tightly to his shaking form. He was crying right along with her and she wanted to help him, wanted to comfort him and reassure him that everything would eventually be okay. But she didn’t want to lie to him, she couldn’t. She didn’t believe that they would be okay again. Cedric was a loss to the Wizarding World. He was a loss that she didn’t know that she could bounce back from, that anyone could bounce back from. He was a lively, beautiful soul that had offered her a safe haven - he had given so many people hope that things would turn out okay. 

Instead, Harry was here - comforting the girl who was always there for other people. It broke her even more to think of how she was failing to help those she loved, but she couldn’t calm herself down enough to help him out. Her chest was still heaving with panic and, though the tears had stopped, her shoulders still shook from the force of now silent sobs. She was terrified that he would let her go, that he would help her back to her dorm and leave her alone. She didn’t want to be left alone; she hadn’t been since she had first met Cedric, since she had moved in with Sirius. She couldn’t handle this loss. She didn’t know what would happen if she was left alone. 

“Harry, do you think you could carry her? Let’s clear the area. We’ve already got most of the audience out.” A rough, cracking voice spoke up - pulling her attention away from her screeching thoughts.

She only moved to cling more securely to Harry, squeezing her eyes closed as the owner of the voice pulled them off the ground. She didn’t want to get another glimpse of Cedric. It was already carved into her brain. It took her far too long to process that the voice belonged to Mad-Eye Moody, but she didn’t care. She was more worried that Harry would decide she was okay alone and would leave her. Even so, she was more worried about the feeling of dread growing once again in her stomach. It was almost unsaid between the two of them that they knew that Cedric’s death marked the beginning of the war. This would only be the first of many deaths that would completely alter her existence.

53 notes • Posted 2021-08-22 03:38:54 GMT

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