#how do I tell my parents I'd like a professional to look into my head and tell me tf is wrong with me

[immeg-12]

Sometimes I feel like I'm at my limit omg

[echobx]

Rafe and reader sharing the bed for the first time 😉🍆😘

author's note: I'm so sorry that it took me so long to write this. I hope you like it. (roughly edited only)

word count: 1k

warnings: Ward being a shit father (that's just canon tho), light trauma talk, smut, p in v (unprotected), pull out method

"Will you let me in?" The text Rafe sends you wakes you from the light slumber you fell into just moments before. It was long past midnight but you got up anyway, tying the satin belt of your robe around your middle while making the way downstairs to meet him at the back door. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?" you ask him in a hushed voice. "Had another fight with Ward," he replies just as quietly. Rafe never calls his dad what he is, at least not to you. Maybe he's more comfortable to show his true feelings around you, because he knows you wouldn't judge him. "Can I come in now?" he asks and you nod, stepping to the side and closing the door behind him. "You still know where the guest room is, right?" you whisper and he stops to look at you for a moment. "I'd rather not be alone right now." His adam’s apple bops as he looks at you, as if he's close to tears and you nod. "That's okay. Then we'll sleep in my room."

Rafe has been in your room about a million times, and not once has it felt as special as that night. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" you ask while sitting down on your bed, cross-legged and prettier than he could remember. "Just didn't do exactly what he wanted and he flipped. The usual," Rafe shrugs and looks at his feet. "You wanna go and get cleaned up?" you smile and he actually thinks he doesn't deserve you being so gentle with him; never judging or hurtful or anything bad he can think of. You're purely sweet and nice and nothing like what he would ever be able to deserve in a billion years. The hot shower washes away most of his pain, at least the one that sits in his muscles, leaving behind what his father had made of him ever since he was a child. "When you're done you can wear this. I'll put it on the chair," you tell him while putting one of your brother's sweatpants down. Usually when Rafe stayed over your parents were aware of it, he rarely showed up as late as he did just now. You were truly concerned about it though, because the time spans in between these incidents are growing slimmer. You can only imagine what it must be like for him, never having had any real issues with your parents. But not everyone is blessed with a loving family, which is why you try your best to emulate it for Rafe. Give him a place to stay, a shoulder to cry on, basically anything he can ask for and you'd see to it. “You're really okay with me sleeping here?” Rafe asks, walking out of your en-suite; hair still wet and dripping and his abs on full display. You gulped and gave him another smile, “one hundred percent.” “Thanks.”

“You know I don't deserve this, right?” Rafe whispers while lying by your side and you turn around to face him. “Who said that?” “I do. He does. Everyone knows it, your parents too. I don't deserve you, not as a best friend, not at all. You're too good to me. And I'm scared I might ruin you.” He voices his fears quietly, almost inaudible with the soft humming of the a/c. “I don't care what they think. You deserve to be treated good, because you are good, Rafe,” you assure him but he doesn't believe it. “You don't know everything. The things I did- You wouldn't like me if you knew,” he shakes his head and you take your hand up and cup his cheek. “How can you know that for sure if you haven't told me? And maybe if you think I would leave once I know, then we have a lot more to work on.” You never intended to play therapist for your best friend, but he needs someone he can trust, and you know he won't trust a professional. But when he tells you about the things he did, what his father made him do at times but more so what he did for his dad to gain any type of gratitude from the man; your heart nearly stops. “He used you. He still does,” you whisper, scooching closer to Rafe and putting your arms around his waist while placing your head on his chest. “He's the one that doesn't deserve you.” Rafe knew he was in love before, but the way you accept him even after he told you all is the nail in his coffin. He will never want anyone the same way he wants you, but he's sure that acting on it would lead to worse things. “Do you really think so?” he asks slowly and you nod against his body. “I know it for a fact. You shouldn't do anything for him any more. Not when he tells you and especially not when he expects it but doesn't say so, because then when it goes badly he'll blame it all on you.” You sound more furious than you intend to, but Rafe is completely enamored by you.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” he whispers as you lean your head back into your neck to look up at him. “Why would you want that?” You don't understand it, not because he isn't handsome and literally everything you could dream of. No, you don't get it because he could have anyone, so why would he want you. “Can we make a pact?” Rafe asks with a smile and you nod. “Good. You teach me how to be normal, and I teach you that you are the most desirable woman in the whole world, because I am right,” he speaks softly, his voice laced with desire. “Maybe I can do a deal like that,” you giggle but before you can actually make fun of the idea, your lips are engulfed by his. Soft and warm and strong as he presses himself against you, turning you around to lie under him. “Do you want me to stop?” Rafe asks and you shake your head. He looks even prettier like that. On top of you with a primal desire in his eyes and a loving smile on his lips. Your hands run over his abs and soon after his body is lying on top of you, fully pressing you into the mattress with all of his weight. His hips slowly roll into yours as he tries to pace himself to not hurt you or make too much noise. “So deep,” you moan against his hand that is placed on your mouth. “You're doing so good for me, baby,” Rafe praises you, pulling your legs up to close behind his back so he can hit even deeper, which you hadn't even thought possible. “Gonna cum,” you threaten and he smirks, bringing a hand down to your clit and rubbing harsh circles until you clamp down around his cock. “That's it, baby. Soak me, pretty,” he pants and as soon as you finish he pulls out and cums all over your stomach. “Guess we have to take another shower now,” you giggle and he pulls you into another kiss, toe curling and maybe you can accept that you aren't that bad. Maybe he was right, after all he had chosen you and not anybody else, and you would keep choosing him too if he let you.

please don't copy and/or post my work onto other platforms! ~e©ho

taglist: @redhead1180 @spideysimpossiblegirl @drwstarkeyy @princessmaybank @ijustwantttoread @kys4-20 @immyowndefender @julczimozart @m2m2m2 @mochimms @itsme-again @hoe4sunarin

[boizandgurlzinthehouse]

𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐁*𝐓𝐂𝐇 (𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐑𝐀)

; 𝐆𝐔𝐍-𝐖𝐎𝐎 𝐗 𝐅𝐄𝐌!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐈. 𝐍𝐎 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐖𝐒, 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐒.

summary: killing kim myeong-gil would bring many people satisfaction. as hyeon-ju, gun-woo, woo-jin and the others begin to plan on how to do it, choi knows that there's someone in seoul who would take part in it with much pleasure.

wordcount: 3.348k (i got a little bit excited, the other chapters gonna be shorter don't worry)

tw: swearing, almost-fighting, so just plain bloodhounds-things (i update this section with every new part of the story)

author's note: i watched the k-drama in one day, it's wonderful. a little explaining for the "y/h/c", i wrote it with creme-blonde haired character so i'd recommend some extreme or light color. other than that, it's free for every hair color!!

in the burger shop, the pregnant silence after gun-woo's confession about the loan and his mother's café shop was broken by the arrived burgers, brought by woo-jin. hyeon-ju's face became hard again.

"as you heard, my grandpa is no longer a loan-shark. he provides zero-interest loans to people in need. but we occasionally come across punks who try to take advantage of his good heart. yang jae-myeong was one of them. he lied about his mother needing to get an operation. he borrowed ten million won and vanished. it took me half a year to track him down. i saw him begging in front of a train station. at first, I thought he had really become homeless, but i noticed how clean his teeth were as I was passing by. so i tailed him, I found out that he and his goons were pretending to be homeless and stealing IDs from actual homeless people. they use the IDs to create shell corporations and open bank accounts. then they con loan sharks and take out loans anywhere from tens to hundreds of millions of won. this tactic was so professional, we thought there could be someone behind yang jae-myeong. i heard that this person had connections to yang jae-myeong. do you know him?"

after the photo was shown, they talked about how to follow yang jam-myeong's gang, but before the trio stood up from the table, hyeon-ju nodded to the guys to stay sit. digging into her jacket's pocket, she took out a piece of paper that seemed to be like a photo.

"before you begin stalking the gang, i want you to find this girl. i didn't have the time to talk to her, since i was searching for yang jae-myeong, but now i want you two to talk to this girl. gun-woo, tell her about the loans your mom signed and what happened after. she's hard-headed and kind of keeping to herself."

"fine, but who's she?" woo-jin asked, as gun-woo looked at the picture. long y/h/c hair, the mask was on her face, but she had wide, clear speaking eyes. ones like woo-jin's, the ones you look in and can read from them without a loud word.

"she's y/n. i heard my grandpa talk about him on the phone, this was the only picture i could get about her. she doesn't have instagram, facebook or any of these apps, i took this from my grandpa's office. it's possible that she won't open up to you, but it's a must to talk to her."

"yeah, i get it. but why do you want us to find her?" gun-woo was also interested about this question. was she an enemy? young kids can also be stolen by criminals and raised by them, to be as loyal as a dog can to do anything for theirs.

"y/n is good, don't worry. as far as i know from what my grandpa said on the phone, she is someone whose parents were close to my grandpa. she followed her father's track and trained herself in the most brutalist martial arts, like the israelite krav maga, the russian systema or muay thai."

"aisssh, i wouldn't want to confront her in any way", woo-jin said. gun-woo thought about these fights; he only saw muay thai on tv, and that seemed really dangerous in itself. he knew that as soon as they begin to track the girl, he's gonna search up the other two martial arts on his phone.

"yeah, me neither" gun-woo added.

"will you two do? and asking for her phone number?" hyeon-ju asked, the guys nodded.

"yes, of course. but i'll bring a white flag just in case", woo-jin answered as they stood up from the table.

a few hours later, gun-woo and woo-jin were on the streets, wandering around buildings.

"fuck, how can we find someone in a town where nearly ten million people lives?" woo-jin asked. gun-woo looked at the picture. 

“hyeon-ju said that she’s a pro in martial arts. maybe we should look in the gyms?” 

woo-jin patted his chest, “look, a real genius here.” 

going to every gym around the town, gun-woo and woo-jin began to lose hope. 

“maybe she’s working today or just doesn't feel like coming down to train.” gun-woo began to think about what to tell hyeon-ju if they don’t find the girl. she sure will be pissed or angry, but this is a really difficult task. 

“aish, gun-woo, don’t be like that! would you say something like this? people like us, people who train daily, their safe place is the gym. feeling sad? go to the gym! feeling happy? go to the gym! did your date went well? go to the gym! you just broke up with your girlfriend? go to the gym! look, for every problem, there’s a solution, and the solution is called–”

as woo-jin talked and talked, gun-woo thought he’s hallucinating. on the other side of the crosswalk, a girl tapped on her phone. same (y/h/c) hair, same (e/c) eyes, the same way she dipped her shoulder as she looked behind her, even the black sweater was the same. she wasn’t tall, the arms of her sweater weren't puffed from muscles. maybe she isn’t y/n, but they can try. 

“woo-jin, look. do you think that is her? y/n?” he asked, cutting off his friend. woo-jin looked at the picture, than at the girl, than at the picture again, and the girl again. 

“honestly, how could we know if we don’t ask her?” woo-jin smiled, just as he always does when he’s in some doubtful situation. they began to walk behind the girl. she wore earphones. woo-jin went to tap her shoulder, but when he touched her shoulder, the girl turned around, grabbing woo-jin’s wrist to keep him still so she could punch him in the face, gun-woo hurried to stand beside woo-jin. the girl took out the earphones with her free hand. 

“what the fuck do you want from me?” she asked, looking up from under her eyebrows, looking from one second to another at each of them, like she waited for some attack. she really was a pro, gun-woo said to himself. gun-woo had to admit that she was quite pretty. not like pretty girls from clubs or his high school and university, or the nurses at the marine, but some pretty girl that his mother would like to date him. he bent deep down. 

“we are sorry to disturb you, but we have a question. we don’t mean harm, we don’t intend to hurt you” he said fast, and the girl let go woo-jin after looking at the guy, and making sure he nodded. the girl turned, pointing to one of the restaurants. 

“can we talk while i eat? i just came out from training, i’m starving.” woo-jin and gun-woo nodded, following the girl. 

“so, what did you want to ask?” the girl began eating. woo-jin looked at gun-woo, who watched her dainty fingers grabbing the utensils. he sighed and took out the photo, placing it down to the table so the girl could see, she stopped eating instantly. pulling up her eyebrows, she distanced from the table a little bit. before any of the guys could talk, the girl began to speak fast and stark. “are you from the police? the secret service or some fucking spy-bullshit? what the fuck do you want from me? it doesn’t matter, i shouldn't talk to any of you, i’m not gonna do this shit. how did you get this photo of me?” gun-woo wanted to talk, but the anger in her eyes made his mouth shut. “doesn't matter, i hope i'll never see you again.” she began to pick up her things. gun-woo thought about hyeon-ju, sir choi, her mother, and the ugliest guy that beat him up that night in the coffee shop. 

“we just want to ask you about your name,” he spoke clear. “we’re just curious if you’re y/n or not. anyway, my name is gun-woo, and he’s woo-jin.”

“yeah, why? you probably know this because you have every information about me.” she replied, her chest rising and falling a little bit faster than usual. 

“no, we don’t. we… so, well… we know a man who’s name is sir choi. and her granddaughter… her granddaughter told us to meet you.” 

y/n looked around herself, like checking if someone else was there as a spy or some third wheeler, but when everybody was lazily chomping down on their dinner, being on their phone with some boring video or tweet, she slowly sat back down. sir choi’s name moved something in her, because she leaned closer to the guys. 

“if that’s what about i think it is about, then this is some serious shit. really, maybe the most serious shit in seoul’s money and business history, so if you truly mean sir choi’s name, than i really recommend you two to turn around and walk away from all of this. understood?” gun-woo sighed. 

“i think that i’m deeper in this than i wanted to”, he replied, the girl looked at him from under her lashes. 

“what do you mean? is this about loans?” gun-woo nodded, the girl looked up to the ceiling, sighing, letting out a long whisper of swearings. “then we aren't talking about the price of my dinner, aren't we?”  

“we don't talk about money, we talk about catching the men who are behind this.” woo-jin continued, y/n looked up at him, smiling sadly. 

“i hope that you are alright in the head, so you can understand that this is nearly impossible.” 

“it is not, believe us. we gonna find a man who’s in contact with them.” y/n sighed, looked to the side, looking at her phone. 

“how can i trust you two? really, anyone can talk to me about this, anyone who took loans from the old man.” “we found this photo of you in sir choi’s office.” 

“you two? how did you get into sir choi’s office? not even his closest people could get there.” gun-woo looked at woo-jin, sighing. 

“well, not us, but his granddaughter. her name is hyeon-ju, we are her so-called bodyguards.”

“i don’t know anyone who’s name is hyeon-ju. so, summing up, not sir choi, but his granddaughter wants to talk to me? why?” 

woo-jin looked at gun-woo. “can we talk a little bit?” 

“sure.” y/n responded, turning back to her food. woo-jin gulped. 

“should we tell her about the plan? yang jae-myeong? but what if hyeon-ju wants to tell her this?”

“i think she would understand it better if we told her. she doesn't know who we are, and sir choi’s name means something to her, but in this case, sir choi doesn't know about our mission.” woo-jin shrugged his shoulder, turning back to y/n. 

“it’s about catching a man who’s in connection with the loan-sharks, and the one smile capital. since hyeon-ju told us to find you, we think that you’d be interested to catch these guys.” 

“this is real, they have some repayments for me.” gun-woo somehow knew that this wasn't about money, but how could he ask when they knew each other for two hours? 

“so, are you in it, or not?” woo-jin leaned forward, offering his hand for a handshake. y/n pointed up her forefinger. 

“one talk. only one session with hyeon-ju, and then i decide whether i'm in or not.” she stated, woo-jin and gun-woo nodded, while they smiled lightly. looking at each other, they shared the ‘we made it’-look, making the girl scrunch her eyebrows. “okay then, where and when should we meet tomorrow? i guess this can't wait, if that’s so important that you found me.” y/n brushed her hair behind her ear, gun-woo didn’t miss the tattoos on her fingers, and the 

“maybe… tomorrow at noon? here, in front of this restaurant.” gun-woo offered, the girl nodded. 

“deal. see you guys tomorrow!” she said as she stood up, gun-woo stood up too. he didn't know why, he just felt that he needed to accompany the girl, no matter where she went home. 

“wait, y/n!” the girl turned around, woo-jin looked at him like he had some shock or something. “where… where do you go home?” 

‘to yongsan, and you?” she asked, gun-woo’s eyes lighted up. 

“me too. would you mind if i… so, maybe we can go home together?” he asked, hoping that the girl wouldn't mind. 

“yes, we can. goodbye, woo-jin!” she answered easily, bidding goodbye to the guy beside gun-woo. after she went out of the door, woo-jin began to lap gun-woo’s back. 

“aye, gun-woo! did little y/n just trickle some love into your heart?” he asked grinning, gun-woo shook his head. 

“no, it’s just… what if she gets into trouble at night? it’s dangerous.” gun-woo answered innocently, making woo-jin do a little ‘tsk’ in the corner of his mouth. 

“by her grabbing on my wrist before he almost punched me to death, the one who needs protection is me!” woo-jin dramatized the situation, pointing at his wrist. 

“she didn’t do anything, and she won’t again. she seems… peaceful.” 

“yeah, well, stopped beating me because she found his prince.” woo-jin continued the teasing by adding some eyelash flutter that girls do when they find someone really handsome, making gun-woo roll his eyes. “okay, well, just go. and tell me everything when you get home. or… if you haul up at hers. or i hope that your house has thick walls and your mother doesn’t mind the constant whining noise!” he giggled, having fun. he could tease his friend forever, now that this girl was in the picture. 

“woo-jin-ah! don’t do this!” gun-woo replied, making woo-jin laugh. 

“okay, okay! have fun, and bring her too! don’t forget to ask for her phone number!” 

“goodnight, woo-jin.” 

stepping out into the chilly night air, y/n waited for him. they began to walk to the bus station. gun-wo thought about what he should ask from her. family? no, that's too personal, and they just met today. he wasn’t good with girl stuff, only had one girlfriend and she dumped him after two months, when he applied to the marine. 

“so, since when do you box?” she asked, making gun-woo looking at her wondering. 

“how… how did you know that i box?” y/n snapped with her tongue, looking at him. she had pretty eyes, and although her mask was on, she seemed like this was the easiest question in her entire life. 

“when your friend grabbed my shoulder, his grip was firm, his palms are not too big, but they are strong. he lifted his other arm, just in case he needed to protect himself. i think i even saw your friend on the tv. you two are muscular, it can be seen from under jackets, but your legs’ aren't as muscular as your torso. in other martial arts, you need to train your legs too, to kick as strong as you can, but in boxing, you only use your arms. oh, and bodyguards are most of the time professional agents, but you two are young. or am i wrong?” 

gun-woo didn’t know how to respond, he wanted to tell her how cool it was to deduce what they did, just from looking at them. 

“no, you are right. and… hyeon-ju told us that you are a pro in many martial arts, so… since when do you train?” 

“since my childhood. it’s not that difficult, many movements and styles are similar.”

“did you fight competitively? like, in championships?” 

y/n shook her head. 

“no. only in gyms, i don’t like championships. you can get burned out easily. but i guess, since you asked that, you do championships. what is it like?” 

gun-woo smiled under his mask. y/n was really cute as she asked about him. otherwise, maybe he could never tell her these things. he wasn’t a man of words, and only a few times he knew what to say. 

“you would like it, really much. before covid, the arenas were filled with people, and the energies, the mood was really high and good.”

y/n hummed as they got on the bus, sitting beside each other. gun-woo protested that he should sit on the outer seat, and as y/n didn’t sense any dangers from him, she accepted and sat down. 

“i hope that this hyeon-ju girl is cool, because i had some cat fights with others in the last weeks. girl fight in the gyms, you know.”

“cat fights? with girls?” 

“yeah, but it wasn't so serious, i wondered where all the girls were, who'd ripped each other apart. a year ago, those fights were brutallic, like some freaking mma-cage fight, and now… at there, we say about these lazy gym-championships that there were no claws, but only strokes.” 

gun-woo snickered. 

“and these gym fights, do they pay well? or… do you work somewhere?” 

the girl looked at him, scanning him from bottom to top while leaning to the glass window, leaning on her elbow, tilting her head. “you don’t look like a drinker, so i don’t think we would meet at my workplace.”

“you're a bartender? woo-jin would like this! he likes to drink, sometimes, always saying how good he can bear alcohol.”

y/n laughed. 

“yeah, he looks like the typical tough guy who grew up on the bad side of the river, but when the two of you constantly looked at each other, i knew that he’s just as rookie as you.”

“yeah, that’s right. we began to work recently at sir choi, we are his granddaughter’s, hyeonju’s bodyguards. but she said she don’t need bodyguards.”

“but if she doesn’t need you, then how did you stay?” 

gun-woo sighed. 

“i… i begged for her to stay. i have a debt to work off to sir choi.” 

“oh, so you work down the loan sir choi gave you, and this is the way you are affected personally by these loans?” 

gun-woo thought about that night. when in-beom beat him up, when the boss threatened him not to call the police because his mother would end up dead, when he felt like he can’t do anything. looking at y/n, he didn’t want this girl to get involved in this business. gulping, gun-woo nodded. 

“yeah. my mother too.”

“you work for your mother and her protection? you take life danger upon yourself so that she doesn't get hurt?” y/n asked, pulling together her eyebrows. 

“we could say so.”

y/n sighed, looking forward, leaning back on the seat. looking at her hands, picking at the tattoos she had on her fingers. after a few seconds, she bent closer to gun-woo. she had dauntlessness and bravery in her eyes, without a blink of her eyelashes. her lashes were longer than usual, giving her the attitude on the outside as on the inside. pressing the get-off button of the bus, she gathered her bag in her lap. 

“i understand it now. in this case, count me in, too.” 

gun-woo looked at her. 

“why? you doesn’t even know what is this about, this is serious danger, y/n.” 

y/n shrugged her shoulders as gun-woo let her out from her seat, as they stood, y/n gave her a piece of paper. 

“because it’s personal for me, too. see you tomorrow, gun-woo.” 

gun-woo bent deep down as the bus stopped. 

“thanks, y/n, for talking to us, and not beating up woo-jin.”

y/n giggled, and bent slightly down too. 

“thank you for giving me an opportunity.”

as she got off, gun-woo sat back, folding out the paper. it was her number, they didn’t even ask for her number and she gave it to him! on the paper, there was a little message too. 

show this to hyeon-ju. you guys forget everything. make sure she notes my number. and don’t worry, we are going to figure this out, one way… or another. y/n. 

𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃.

author's note: i hope you liked the first chapter. sorry for my english, it's not my first language, and i just got back to writing after a looong break. leave a like or comment if you liked it!! by babes

ask for taglist in comment or here

[olivianyx]

UPDATES ON MY JOURNEY

Heyy all! I've been focusing on my senior professional medical year and it has been stressful. So here are some things I manifested effortlessly and a few things without me thinking about it. Long ass post ahead! ⚠️⚠️

1. Getting more pocket money than usual. Like my parents usually transact in my account like a $80 or $100 AUD per month. But in both feb and march this year, they transacted me $500 and $700 AUD! Plus! I occasionally find $10 or $50 cash in my classroom or on the streets sometimes (and they come lie next to my feet 😭) I'd ask everyone in my class if it's theirs, and they say no. What do y'all expect me to do? Like go and give it to the university management?? 😭 hell no, so i kept it lol.

2. MANIFESTED DIOR'S LIP OILS!! 😭😭 LIKE 5 OF THEM 😭 YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I'VE OBSESSED WITH LIP OILS 😭😭 AND I WANTED THE RASPBERRY ONE SO BAD, AND GUESS WHAT? I MANIFESTED IT ALONG WITH 4 OTHER SHADESS OMGGG 😭😭😭

3. My crush giving me hints that she's obsessed with me 😭 like she literally told me 'you're so sweet and caring, I've never met a person like this after my grandma' cus her grandma passed away recently and she was so depressed. She even had an eye infection, so she stopped coming to the uni. So i had to make sure she's alright, and met her everyday cus she needed someone real bad. Like she needed to talk to someone and get that thing bothering her outta her head. I was there all along whatever she was going through (don't come at me y'all, ik if we help someone they would say all these things but she's my crush lol so) She's also getting real close to me, like she tells me how annoying people are lol. She loves skin ship, physical touch, being clingy around me, and complimenting me 😭😭 so these are the hints 😭 like friends wouldn't do that right? Would they?? (My friends diss me right in front of everyone 😶)

4. I've always been the type to care too much for the silliest things, nowadays I don't really put my energy into it and become all anxious. My anxiety levels have completely gone down like I'm literally cool asf?? Even while being in public?? Literally yess

5. Manifested getting my hair coloured next week! and my mom permitted me! For my cousin's engagement in april, I wanna be there like the hot younger sister I am lol. I just wanna make my relatives and their kids jealous cus they made fun of me when I was younger (my younger self has been dreaming for this moment) so why not a revenge glow up?? 😭

6. Losing weight even though I eat like a pig due to my study stress. Like literally I ate a 5 course meal one day and lost 2 kgs the next day? (cus I randomly checked my weight for 2 days cus I had to submit my height and weight to the university student records)

7. Getting a natural blush on my face! Like it's such a game changer, I look like a movie star y'all 😭✋🏻

8. My teachers complimenting me for my discipline and high scores. As yk uni professors don't even give af bout students and they complimented me??

9. Getting into a new friend group! My old one was too toxic and they would always bully me (verbally) my new friend group is literally soo damn enjoyable! Like they're the cool kids of the year 😭 and now I'm one too!

10. As I mentioned in my older post that I'm moving into an apartment. We moved in and it was too difficult for me to sleep as the place was new and also there we're disturbances in the night time like stomping noises or playing loud music at night. So the neighbors there were too sweet that they introduced and comforted us that it's okay and if something's bothering us they'll take care of it. And they literally made the people who we're causing those disturbances to vacate out 😭😭✋🏻

11. My hair getting shinier! It was brittle before as I was severely anemic, now my baby hair is back and it's shining ✨

12. I overheard my parents conversing that they should make me audition for an entertainment company....like what? 😭😭✋🏻 when I asked them once years back they denied giving me a 4 hour lecture and now they wanna make me audition?? Like literally 😭 y'all watch me at the Grammy's (after 5 years lol)

13. Getting into the void on command or intention.

14. I literally get free foods everywhere I go 😭😭

15. I got free gifts from my uncle who's living in France! He works at a fashion company and he sent me perfumes and a few outfits (I can't reveal it I'm sorry)

I ONLY WAS THINKING ABOUT GETTING MY LIP OIL, GETTING CLOSE TO MY CRUSH AND FOCUSING ON MY STUDIES. THE REST, I MANIFESTED WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT.

SO WHAT NEXT?

I've decided to respawn to my waiting next month. I'm still scripting how my waiting room should be... So it might take time for me. So till then I'm gonna be strengthening my self concept even more, and also getting more and more excited to be in my waiting room! I want my waiting room to be like a more like a sci fi movie and a princess fairytale combined 😭 (ik I'm weird). Like I just want my favorite anime characters to be there to help me script my DR ✋🏻 So I'm kinda in a more excited mode lately to script my waiting room! Will give you updates on how my waiting room will be in a future post! So until then take care, love you, byeeee byeeee!

- olivia 🤍

[calware]

dear calware, I'm not sure how much you know on the topic of Doc Scratch, but I was wondering, why is the common consensus around him that he's like a creepy pedophile? after rereading his messages with Rose, he seems more tone deaf and weird than a fully on creep. is there something I'm missing?

scratch isn't "literally" a pedophile (or a hebephile, which is the accurate term for this situation) which we know because of this

but at the same time, that is still the Way he's written

(i'm sorry if this following explanation is confusing.... i really do not have the right wording to describe it) it's almost like a metaphorical representation. he's a child predator in every way but the actual sexual attraction. the way he's written references the behavior of actual child predators and is meant to signal to the audience that this is the Kind Of Character he is. it's a literary tool(?)to tell the audience that he is literally taking advantage of characters in various ways (as well as straight up abusing damara) while at the time comparing it to child sexual abuse

but if you do want literal actions on his part, he does Literally groom young girls and they are his targets for manipulation

also, directly from the author commentary (which. is not 100% serious at times. but i do think it sometimes offers some actual insight):

I know I just said a bunch of stuff about [DD] maybe being a creep. But look, this is just my OPINION here. I don't think he's actually being creepy about this. I think he has a genuinely parental attitude toward Aradia and wants to see her succeed in her violent and underhanded schemes. See how he wants them to conduct their business with efficiency? He's way too professional to go Full Doc on these girls.

Another peek at Rose suggests she's still at it with her creepy uncle, Doc Scratch.

Then you have a few beats of conversation which bring Equius to mind, such as the creep-factor

[Dirk and Equius] have this creepy-guy streak running through them, with strange or offputting interests, and seem to get a quiet kick out of making others uncomfortable through demonstrations of these fascinations. [...] I'd say these self-examined qualities are just drawn out, isolated, and inflated both for dramatic effect, and also as critical write-up of those qualities existing within many human beings in general, which I would like to think is grounded in a creative process involving a certain degree of humility about some of this bullshit. I like all these characters here, but that doesn't mean I think their unpleasant qualities are good. It just means I am harnessing and heightening those qualities for creating strong villainous portraits.

We start getting the sense that the entire purpose of this conversation, from Doc's vantage point, is just to passive-aggressively manipulate Rose into peering directly into one of his cursed testicles. Wait, my youth pastor is literally barking like a dog right now for some reason. Probably because I put him on a leash and tied him to a post in the backyard. I guess I fucked up again? I mean one of Doc's seeds.

Maybe it's fair to say I have a higher than average tolerance troubling content. But even I have to admit to shuddering a little when I read Doc's creepy lines toward Rose. I think Doc's creep factor toward girls is most likely channeling part of Caliborn's personality, which almost seems to revolve around his horrid attitude toward women. For Caliborn, this weird combination of wrathful misogyny, yet fixation and obsession with certain girls, is obviously central to the type of real-world profile he's meant to portray. But when his personality is more muted among the collective in Doc's head, those qualities come across as more "restrained," "polite," and "flattering," which arguably just makes it all creepier. The result is a creepy dude profile that also exists in the real world, sort of adjacent to the Full Caliborns out there. There seem to be many stripes of this kind of unfortunate male behavior, which all exists in a broader family of sub-Caliborns. The Docs, the Eridans, the Cronuses… They're all sketchy in different ways.

Doc sitting back just to "watch" is another creepy Equiusism. Remember that was a thing with him.

I wonder what Jade would think if she knew she had in her possession since childhood one of Doc's testicORACLES!!! Oracles. The word I meant to say was oracles, not anything else. Anyway, like I was saying, how would Jade react if she realized every time she played with one of her beloved toys, she was actually fondling this weirdo's plump, juicy oracle. I know you think my youth pastor may have something to do with this peculiar outburst, but you're wrong. I "dismissed" him recently, because he told me with great pride that I learned everything he had to teach me. I don't need anyone to keep me from shoving my foot in my mouth anymore, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know. Now let's watch this grieving teen receive a demonic message from an evil puppet's big fat nut.

bonus commentary from book 6 that has nothing to do with the post:

We're reaching a specific kind of story partition. Not the end of an act, but the end of a year. Also an end of "disc," which is a kind of meta-partitioning I just made up for the purpose of closing the book on two years of content, as well as being a good meta-device for introducing the Doc sequence we're about to get into in the next book.

"next book"...... sad

[starlightshadowsworld]

Descendants except Ben is actually very not cool with the love potion cookies.

But he doesn't release the news. Because he knows how badly it will reflect on the VK's as a whole. He knows they'll all be punished and lose even the fragile hope of ever escaping the island.

Ben won't do that to them. He was always too selfless for his own good. But he's also hurt and afraid for the first time he's been with Mal.

She looks confused and he almost laughs.

"What? Did you think I'd be okay with this? I humiliated myself infront of everyone, I've lost my girlfriend and the trust of my friends because of you."

Ben shakes his head so this was karma.

"You played with me. Just like everyone said you would. I didn't believe them because I wanted to give you a chance."

Lot of good that did him.

"I won't tell."

That suprised her and he smiled. All polite and professional and she flinched at the sight of it. They'd all grown accustomed to Ben's real smile.

"I'd be sentencing every VK to ever exist. No one else would get the chance if this got out. So no need to curse me, or whatever it is you want to do."

"I wouldn't curse you" said Mal and it hurt more than it should that he didn't believe her.

But why would he? He had no reason too. Ben simply smiled again and left. He told Audrey a lie, grovelled and apologised, a prank gone wrong and he was so sorry.

He was even if it wasn't his fault.

Ben moved out the way when Jay tried to put an arm around him. He focused on Doug whenever Carlos tried to speak to him. Made an excuse when Evie made herself known.

And steered clear of Mal at every turn. Eventually Mal told them all what transpired and to their suprise they shared her feeling of guilt.

They'd never cared how their actions would affect others. Maybe it was because Ben had been the first person to truly see them. To see not children of villian's but children.

The mission didn't feel as important now. Disappointing their parents didn't seem nearly as bad as knowing Ben may have just given up on them completly.

He had treated them as he treated everyone else. He was a safety net in an unfamiliar world, warmth when they'd only known cold.

That net was gone and they had no one to blame but themselves.

And Ben was still protecting them by hiding the truth. He could've had them hunted down and imprisoned but he chose to leave them free.

Oh sure he kept an eye on them, but it was to ensure they wouldn't hurt anyone else. Ben didn't care they'd hurt him, like the true hero that he was.

... Maybe it was time they returned the favour and protected him too.

[strawberrynightmere]

Bad Cats!!! [Part 3]

Warning ⚠️: yandere tendencies, mention of (temporary?) re-homing, mention of financial struggling (idk how to exactly put it), an attempt at writing a professional sounding email.

A/n: Sorry, this took a while, I had things to do. This is a bit longer than what I expected.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

It finally happened. Your boss' incompetence has set back the whole company. You knew it would happen eventually, but you thought that by then, you'd be working somewhere else. There's still no reply from the places you applied to and the bills! What are you going to do now? The obvious thing is to cut your food supply short, but that's still not enough.

And how are you going to take care of Andrew and Ashley? You can't just toss them outside. That's inhumane! You've grown attached to those two and they have also grown attached to you. Besides, they've been living here with you for some time, and you're afraid they won't be able to adjust to the streets again.

All of this has been brought up in your conversation with Julia. Unlike Nina, Julia knew how to offer helping you.

"What if I take them in until you get back to your feet."

"You would do that? Even take in Ashley?"

"Yeah! You said they got tamer over the time, besides when introduced to new people. I can deal with that for the time being."

You wanted to cry in releaf. Like a boulder just fell off of your shoulders. You make the arrangement with Julia and end the call.

"Meow?"

Andrew was right at the doorway looking at you with what you can pinpoint was concern.

You crouch down to his level and pat his head. "Everything is alright."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

You were waiting for Julia in the park, where you said you two would meet. Andrew and Ashley were in their cat carriers wondering why they were here and what was happening.

You hear footsteps running in your direction. It was Julia!

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic." She said out of breath.

You take her to the bench you were sitting on to rest a bit. While she was resting, you, for some reason unknown to anyone, spoke to Andrew and Ashley.

"Listen, you two will be staying with Julia, temporarily, please be good to her. I'll come back for you as soon as possible." Then you turn to and tell her what she needed to know about the two.

Meanwhile, Andrew and Ashley were confused, to say the least.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

The time the cat siblings spent with your friend was unpleasant. Ashley hated everything about this situation. She hated the place they were living in. She hated Julia. She hated how she treated them as babies. She hated that Andrew was unresponsive the whole stay.

"Are you still going to stay quiet?"

At this point, she'll die of boredom and frustration.

Speaking of which.

Ashley slaps her brother with her little back paw.

"Are you gonna talk now?"

"She left us."

"Huh?"

"She. Left. Us." Andrew repeated, emphasizing each word.

"Well, watcha gonna do about it?"

"Something I should've done before."

That surprised her. It took only a moment for her to realise what he meant.

"Oh. Oh! My god, really? Are you actually gonna do it? You are gonna listen to me. This. This moment is so much bigger than me! I'd like to thank myself for holding up for so long. My parents... can continue to rot in Hell where they belong."

Andrew just rolled his eyes at his sister's dramatic speech, like she was gonna get some kind of reward.

"But anyways. This episode is titled 'Andy and Leyley and the-"

"You're not going."

"Huh?!"

"You'll stay here and distract the human. She still can't tell the difference between us."

Ashley sinks down to the floor.

"And Leyley is stuck with the crumiest job possible."

"Daww, don't worry, Leyley. We'll pick you up very soon." Andrew assured in a teasing tone.

"Ha ha ha! Fucking asshole."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

One rejection letter after another. You were losing hope. You're gonna end up homeless at this point.

Slumping your head on the table.

Ding!

An email from your current job. It's probably gonna beo something like half of the company being let go. Whatever. You click on the email.

---

Respected workers of [COMPANY],

It has come to us with a heavy heart to announce that [REDACTED] from [DEPARTMENT NAME] has been forced to let go.

As you are all aware of the current setback in this company. We are glad to announce that this is just a small hiccup, and in soon time, the company as a whole will soon be able to function like before, and you'll be able to receive your full payments.

For any questions you have, please email us.

With full regards

[RANDOM NAME]

P. S. As for the new manager of [DEPARTMENT NAME], the position will be vacant until further notice.

---

This has to be a dream. You rub your eyes to confirm. Yep. It's real. So many questions were forming. Was any of this possible? What was this feeling right now?

Who cares! You won't have to worry about this anymore. You won't have to worry about finding a home for Andrew and Ashley or the possibility to send them to a pound. You won't have to worry about starving or being homeless.

And the best part? That sucker of your boss finally got fired.

Wait. Andrew and Ashley. You'll have to see until next month if you'll be able to take them back. Right. It's late. You'll tell Julie about the good news in the morning.

"Meow."

What the...

Black fur, green eyes. Either you're hallucinating from the lack of sleep and the lack of nutrition, or that really was Andrew sitting at the doorway.

You carefully get close to the cat and stretch your hand out to him. And then you feel his little head rubbing against your palm.

"What are you doing here?" You ask in a voice that was right above a whisper. "I can't take you back just yet. I need to call Julie."

Picking up your phone from the table, you dile Julie and wait for her to pick up, but there is no answer.

"Gess, I'll return you back there tomorrow."

As you say that, two arms trap you at the table where you were sitting. Turning around, you see the same man from your dreams. Black hair and green eyes. It suddenly dawned on you.

"You're not taking me anywhere."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

A/n: There were a lot of possible plots I was working on, and honestly, this one was the only one that was working out for me. Hope you enjoyed it.

[autistic-duck]

It really sucks when you realize that a survivor's mentality is not a sustainable model for working full-time.

I can't go into every day thinking, “Oh, if the bathroom is occupied during lunch then I'll just wait to pee when I get home” because that is survival. I'm just surviving until I can get to a safe time and place. I am literally holding in pee for eight hours straight, feeling more and more pain because I can't figure out a better time to go to the bathroom.

I can't keep doing that.

Every day, it becomes, “If you can just sit still for a couple more hours, you'll get to move a little bit.”

Or, “if you can just hold in the tears until you can sneak into an empty room, you'll be able to make it through the day without anyone knowing you're upset.”

(Click “keep reading” to hear a more detailed explanation)

I started work this week, and I had completely forgotten just how awful it is to try and exist in a way that doesn't seem off-putting (or scary) to other people.

I had to do two eight-hour blocks of time alone away from home, which I hadn't done since high school, and I'm already realizing that my old methods no longer work.

I legitimately can't mask the entire day anymore. I can feel my joints groaning under the stress. My cells are feverish with the desire to stim. My mind is slowly melting under the fluorescent lights. The voices, the droning voices of professionals, buzz in my head and make no sense. I take notes, but the words look like no language I've ever spoken.

I can't keep pretending to understand what's going on.

But I'm also new to telling people that I'm disabled. The only people who know are immediate family and friends and the psychology clinic that diagnosed me. I want to be proud and confident, to just ask for and demand help, but I can't imagine anyone actually believing me. Nobody helps me when I ask for something because they decide it isn't important.

My sensory issues aren't “bad enough.” My social struggles are just “excuses to be rude.” My stimming is “attention seeking.”

Why did I choose education as the field to go into? I'm not cut out for this new “customer service” teacher mentality. I have to have good interactions with everyone all the time? Just so parents want to send their kids to our schools? How is that even possible? I have a hard time smiling at people who are nice to me, so how do you expect me to smile when someone is yelling at me for failing their student because they didn't turn in their work?

The education system is broken, and I'm just one disabled person who is just now realizing that their disability might actually stop them from keeping their dream job.

How do you advocate for yourself when you grew up thinking that self-advocacy was selfish and evil?

I literally just realized that I can't eat food or respond to greetings if I'm stressed. Showering used to make me feel relaxed before bed, and now it's the only thing preventing me from crying right before sleeping.

I want to learn Spanish, write in my journal, cook healthy meals, exercise in the morning, drink plenty of water, sleep comfortably at night, and spend time with friends who don't make me feel guilty for existing. I want to be able to go to the bathroom whenever I need to. Why does that feel impossible now?

If anyone has experience with advocating for a disability, especially high-functioning and heavily masked autism, I'd really like advice. Who do I talk to? What do I ask for? How do I explain my struggles and keep a job?

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for lying about my hair routine?

So, I (25F) don't have a lot of things that I am proud of, appearance wise. But the one thing i AM proud of is my hair. I have these, like, really soft and pillowy brown curls. Like, big fluffy 3A-3B ringlets.

My hair has always been curly, but I was bullied and harassed as a kid for it because I am the only person in my family with curly hair. As such, no one knew how to help me take care of it, so I'd have people both in and outside of my family telling me that I looked like a slob, that I looked lazy, that I looked like I'd just rolled out of bed, etc.

My hair WAS frizzy and messy, but whenever I tried to do something about it, I'd have people tell me I was just trying to be special, and that I knew it looked better straight, so I should just get over it and do the thing that I knew would make it look good. I grew up in Mormon country, so the pressure to look "professional and respectable" (read: conventionally attractive, thin, and white) was very heavy. I either straightened my hair or put it in a tight braid for about a decade before finally going to a curly hairdresser, having her cut it all off and starting fresh some 4 years ago.

Now that the damaged hair is fully gone and I know how to take care of it all, my curls are flourishing. I can't go anywhere without someone complimenting them. It's really lovely.

Now to the part where I might be an asshole. A lot of the people I grew up with (family, my mom's friends, people that go to my parent's church) have also noticed my hair, and are always asking me about my routine.

Now that the natural hair movement has sort of taken off, suddenly the women that got on my case about looking "lazy" and "ratty" and "homeless" all want curls, even if (especially if, in a lot of cases) they don't have a naturally curly hair texture.

Like my mom, for example, has had thick, gorgeous straight hair her entire life--like, it could barely hold a curl even if you used an iron and gelled that shit in place. And she was always complimented for it! But now that the women on her instagram page are showing off their curly girl methods, it's the only thing she can think about, and she talks about how jealous she is of my hair all. The. Time.

So, it usually goes like this. Someone I know compliments my hair and asks me about my routine. I try to laugh it off, then they ask for products, and I tell them that I just use normal head and shoulders shampoo from walmart. They ask me what method I use, I say that I just wash it, sleep on it, then brush it out in the morning--the same routine they always told me to use as a kid. And they seethe, because that's what they've BEEN doing, and it clearly isn't getting the same results. And I just go "well, I guess it has more to do with your natural texture :)" and move on.

I told my sister about this, and she told me I was being an asshole--that these ladies have moved on from their weird prejudice, so I should let it go and explain what I do and why it probably wouldn't work for them. I know it's petty. I know the nice thing to do would be to explain how my hair texture works and so on. But I take a lot of satisfaction in watching these women be jealous of something that they used to shame me for, so I'm okay with being petty. I guess I know I'm an asshole, but am I justified in it?

What are these acronyms?

[stargazer-sims]

Count On Me

Like your favourite chair, I'll hold you close whether you lose or win. I'm that breath of air flowing out and flowing right back in. I hope you know that I am here, always close and always near.

♫ Count on Me - Diana Ross ♫

_______________

This will make more sense if you've already read Full Circle and Broken Glass

CONTENT WARNING - violence, death

_______________

"Ugh... I suck." Fox sinks onto his sister's couch with all the grace of a seal flopping onto a beach rock. He leans his head against one of the decorative cushions on the back of of the sofa and lets out a groan. "I never imagined I'd screw up a conversation so much. And with my own kid, no less."

Now that he's calm, he realizes how exhausted he is. He navigates difficult situations all the time at work with kids in care, biological parents, foster parents, and professionals connected to each of his clients, but none of those interactions ever seem to drain him as much as this one conversation with his teenage son has.

He'd shared everything with Clancy in the car on the way over to her house, all about his confrontation with Forest and what had led up to it in the first place, and about his frustration and sense of inadequacy to handle it. Clancy was sympathetic, but he could tell she also had a lot she wanted to say. To her credit, though, she hadn't offered any of her own opinions in the car. She'd let him talk

Clancy hands him a mug of tea and then sets her own mug on the coffee table before sitting down next to him. "You don't suck. Your kid sucks."

"No, he doesn't."

"Okay, maybe not him personally, but it sounds like his attitude could use a serious adjustment."

"I don't know where we went wrong," Fox says. "None of our other kids are like this. Not that they're angelic or anything, but the other five combined don't give us as much trouble as Forest does. I thought we were parenting them all more or less the same way, but we must've dropped the ball with Forest."

"I don't know why you think it has to be your fault, or Takahiro's," Clancy says.

"Because we're his parents."

"And?"

"And we're supposed to teach him how to be his best self," he says.

"Kids are individuals, you know," Clancy points out. "You can try your hardest, but at the end of the day, they're the only ones who can decide if they're gonna be the best version of themselves or not. Forest is seventeen. He's going to make his own choices whether you like them or not."

"Yeah, but I hoped he'd make better ones."

"We all want that," Clancy says. "I want Grey and Frankie to make good choices too, but they're getting to an age where I have less and less influence over them. Especially Frankie. A sixteen year old with a driver's license and a part-time job? That kid thinks she owns the world."

"I'll bet she's never openly questioned your love though, or looked you in the face and told you to shut up."

"She knows better than to do that," Clancy declares. "She's free to make her own choices, with the understanding that every choice has consequences. I might not be able to spank her any more, but she knows I'm not above handing out other punishments."

"You know Taka and I don't punish our kids."

"Maybe you should," she says. "I know you guys are into that gentle parenting or whatever, but sometimes trying to reason with a kid is about as effective as banging your head against a brick wall. I'm not saying you're failures as parents, because you're totally not, but I think a few well-placed slaps on the bum when he was little might've done Forest some good."

"Violence isn't the answer, Clancy."

"Nobody's telling you to commit violence," she counters. "People shouldn't be indiscriminately hitting their kids every time they make some little mistake. All I'm saying is that on the occasions when using your words isn't getting the job done, sometimes you have to use other methods."

Fox sets his tea down on the end table and then turns to fix his sister with a level gaze. "Such as assaulting children?"

"Oh my God." Clancy lets out her breath in an audible huff. "I see where Forest got that hard head from."

"Excuse me?"

"Fox, you're deliberately missing the point," says his sister. "Look, I know spanking was never in your playbook, and it's fine. It hasn't been in mine either since Frankie was maybe six or seven years old. My point was, sometimes just talking to a kid isn't enough. Sometimes they need a stronger message."

"Such as?"

"Such as consequences that make them think about their actions. Some people have to learn things the hard way."

"I guess that makes sense," Fox concedes.

"Of course it makes sense," Clancy says. "Forest needs to understand he's not entitled to a free ride through life and that he can't get away with throwing a tantrum when things don't go his way, and you and Takahiro need to teach him that before someone else does, 'cause they won't love him like you do and... you know."

"We'll give him a safety net, and other people won't."

"Exactly."

Fox sighs. "Why can't parenting be easier?"

"If I knew how to make it easier, I'd write a book, make millions of dollars off it, and retire from the police force." Clancy gives him a half-smile. "Incidentally, if you think you've got it hard, you should try parenting by yourself.

"Sorry," Fox says. "I wasn't thinking of—"

"No, don't apologize. I was the one who brought it up." She reaches for her own mug of tea. Several seconds pass as she holds the mug between both hands and gazes into it. "The actual parenting part wasn't any less difficult when Garrett was alive. It's just... I miss being able to discuss things with him, and I miss us backing each other up."

"I don't know how you got through it," Fox tells her. "I'd be devastated if anything happened to Takahiro. I have no idea how I'd survive losing him."

"You'd survive," Clancy says. "I can't tell you how, but you'd do it somehow. If you were on your own, you'd have no choice. You'd find a way to do it for your kids."

His sister is right. As much as he knows a part of him would want to lie down and surrender, he would go on for the sake of his children, just like Clancy did. "I guess I would."

"You would," Clancy reiterates. "Sink or swim, you know? It's what you've got to do."

Fox nods. "I know."

He recalls the day, eight years ago, when his brother-in-law Garrett died. It had started as a perfectly normal Friday in early August, and Fox had been at the office finishing some paperwork and writing notes on the files one of his co-workers, Chloë St-Jean, would be overseeing for him while he was on vacation for the following two weeks. His mind hadn't been entirely on the task. He'd been too busy daydreaming about his family's upcoming camping adventure. He pictured himself playing and exploring with Taka and their kids, spending hot, hazy afternoons painting by the lake, making s'mores and singing campfire songs, and then snuggling by the slowly fading fire with Taka after all the kids were tucked into their sleeping bags.

Lost inside his own head, he barely acknowledged the approaching sound of police sirens on the street outside his office window. About fifteen minutes later, the distinctive wail of ambulance sirens racing past the building didn't entirely register either. It was only when Chloë dashed through the open doorway of his office with her phone in her hand and a wild look in her eyes that he pulled himself away from his reverie.

She announced herself with, "I just got a call from my brother."

"What happened?" Fox asked, and then because Chloë seemed so upset, "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he and Belle are fine, thank God. They're shaken up, probably like everyone else, but they're not hurt."

"What happened?" he asked again.

"Fox! There was a literal high-speed chase outside your window, like twenty minutes ago, and you didn't notice?"

"A high-speed chase? In downtown Willow Creek?" He was thoroughly confused and knew he sounded incredulous, but he couldn't help it. "I heard the sirens, but I didn't realize—"

"Davian said the car the cops were chasing crashed straight through the front of the building where his studio is," she explained, breathless. "Some people in the building got hurt, and Dav said they could hear shooting outside and he thinks somebody might've died, but he didn't know if it was a police officer or one of the bad guys or somebody else."

As things unfolded, Fox learned that more than one person had lost their life. While Chloë was still in his office, trying to calm herself down after the phone call with her brother, Fox's own phone rang. It was his sister.

"Fox, I need you." Clancy's normally strong, assertive demeanour had been replaced by a voice so weak and small that he almost didn't recognize it. "I got a call from dispatch. It... it's Garrett. There was a situation... something happened downtown."

She offered as much information as she knew, and asked Fox to meet her at the hospital. When he arrived at the ER, he found Clancy, her partner Harry, and two uniformed officers standing in the waiting area, apparently heedless of the handful of unoccupied chairs. To an outside observer, Clancy might've seemed steady and composed, but Fox could tell she was a hair's breadth away from losing it. He couldn't speak for Harry or the two patrol officers, but he knew why Clancy wasn't sitting. The instant she let herself relax, she'd fall apart.

The uniformed cops started to move toward him as if they might try to stop him from getting to his sister, but Harry reached out and put a hand on one of their shoulders. "That's her twin brother. It's fine."

Fox hadn't wanted to be right, but the moment Clancy was in his arms, she let out a sound that was so filled with anguish that it couldn't have been mistaken for anything else. Then, she began to sob. It was as if every tear she'd never allowed herself to shed throughout her life finally burst out of her in an almighty flood.

He'd never seen his sister like that before, and he hoped to God he'd never witness anything like it again. He didn't know what to do, so he just held her as tightly as he could and let her cry.

Clancy was wholly incapable of getting any coherent words out, so it was Harry who told him, "He didn't make it. Garrett, I mean." The detective clenched his huge fists and growled, "That bastard got him."

Harry went on to explain that Garrett and his partner had responded to a 911 call from an employee at a downtown bank who reported an armed robbery in progress. Just as they arrived on scene, the two armed suspects exited the bank and jumped into a waiting car where a third person was already behind the wheel. That, Fox learned, resulted in the chase Chloë had seen from her office window. Harry couldn't say if the getaway driver had lost control of the vehicle or if he'd smashed through the front of a building on purpose, but the collision had effectively ended the chase.

The driver of the getaway car was killed on impact. The back seat passenger, who was still armed with his gun from the robbery, scrambled out of the car and attempted to escape, but he was injured too. He fired at other officers who'd arrived on the scene, but he didn't get far before they were able to disarm and apprehend him.

Meanwhile, Garrett and his partner were checking on the front seat passenger. The guy was obviously injured, and according to what Harry found out from Garrett's partner, they thought the man was unconscious. When Garrett reached in through the smashed car window to check for a pulse, the man suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed Garrett's wrist with one hand and whipped out a previously concealed knife with the other. Before anyone had time to react, the man plunged the long, sharp blade directly into Garrett's neck.

The paramedics made a valiant effort to save him, but he'd passed away in the ambulance, less than a kilometre from the hospital.

"This job's a fucking nightmare some days," Harry concluded. "We all know the danger, but it's like you put it out of your mind so you can get shit done. And then you develop this thing where you start to believe it's never gonna happen to you. Or to somebody you love."

Clancy and Garrett had loved each other passionately, and they both knew the risks. They'd met when Clancy was still a patrol officer too, and despite the warnings of their parents and their fellow officers that getting involved with another cop wasn't a great idea, they would not be deterred.

Six months after they met, Clancy earned all her qualifications to become a detective. Six months after that, she and Garrett got married in a stunningly elaborate ceremony. complete with a police honour guard made up of their colleagues and friends.

They were over the moon when baby Francine came along, and just as elated at the birth of Greyson three years later. It was obvious to everybody who knew them how devoted they were to each other and to their little family, and their bond only grew stronger as time went on.

They loved like there was no tomorrow, as Garrett's mother had put it, or in Garrett's own words, "Make it count. Do all the living you can while you've got a life to live."

Fox was left utterly shaken by the description of his brother-in-law's last minutes. He couldn't imagine what it must've been like for Clancy to hear it again.

"Can I take her home?" he asked Harry.

At that, Clancy raised her head from his shoulder. "No," she said weakly. "I can't go. Not until I see my husband."

So, they waited.

When a doctor eventually came out and said Clancy would be permitted to view the body, both Fox and Harry went with her. When she saw her husband lying on the gurney, with a pristine white bandage across his throat, Clancy let out a scream so feral that Fox struggled to accept it was coming from a human. The sound of his sister's pain and the image of her cradling the pale, still body of her husband had haunted his dreams for months after that.

When they finally did depart the hospital, Fox had to guide her to his car. She stumbled along beside him, seemingly unaware of anything, mumbling things to herself that Fox was unable to comprehend.

He'd been afraid to leave her, so he took her to his own house. Knowing Frankie and Grey were safe with Garrett's parents, he made the decision to let them stay there undisturbed for the time being. Clancy was in no condition to help her kids, and Fox knew they'd be even more traumatized by what had happened if they saw their mother in that state.

As soon as they walked through the front door, Takahiro was there to meet them. He held out his arms to Clancy and she stepped straight into his waiting embrace. Open-hearted Takahiro, with his gift for comforting others, didn't say he was sorry or utter any meaningless platitudes. All he said was, "We're here for you."

Fox could visually observe the tension leaving Clancy's body. She sagged in Taka's arms and whispered, "Thank you, Takahiro."

It wasn't until the next morning that Clancy was ready to be with her kids, and even then she wasn't able to tell them about Garrett herself. It was actually Takahiro who’d broken the news to them and, in his gentle way, answered their questions about what dying meant.

Fox was grateful. He wasn't sure he could've handled it as gracefully as Taka did, and when he said as much to his husband later, Taka's response had been, "It's all right. Sometimes people need help from someone who's one step away. Close enough to care, but not too close to see things in perspective."

That piece of wisdom is something Fox has carried with him ever since. He thinks he fulfills that role in the lives of his clients, his niece and nephew and his friends, and he's taught himself to recognize when he needs someone to step into that role for him. As much as he wants to prove he's grown enough to manage things on his own, the truth is that he can't keep all the proverbial balls in the air by himself. No one can.

"Hey."

Fox realizes he's allowed too long a pause in the conversation when his sister's one-word sentence interrupts his reminiscence. He glances over at her. "Sorry."

"You okay?" she asks.

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"About...?"

"Garrett," he admits. "Sorry if that's weird."

"It's not," Clancy says. "I was thinking about him too."

"Because of what I said?"

"Not really," she says. "There isn't a single day where I don't think about him at least once. Sometimes it's the most random thing that'll remind me of him. Like, when I accidentally burn the toast at breakfast, or when I catch myself squeezing the toothpaste in the middle. That annoyed Garrett so much. He used to say I was wasting it."

Fox smiles. "Taka gets after me for being a middle-squeezer too."

Clancy releases an abrupt laugh. "A middle-squeezer?"

"That's what he calls it. He's an end-squeezer, and he thinks that's the only correct way to squeeze out toothpaste. He also thinks there's only one correct way to put a roll of toilet paper on the holder too."

"There is. I had it on good authority from my late husband."

"We have to heed the experts," Fox says.

"Yeah," says Clancy. "God, I miss him. Sometimes I still come up with stuff I want to tell him, and I have these moments where I think 'I can't wait to tell Garrett when I get home from work'. But then I remember, and... yeah."

"So then you call and tell me."

"I'm glad you don't ignore my calls, even when it's about something dumb like seeing a stray chicken in the parking lot at Tim Hortons."

It's Fox's turn to laugh. "Can you imagine the lame jokes Garrett would've made about that? But yeah... you know I'll never ignore your calls. I'm here for you, one hundred percent."

"Same goes for you," Clancy says. "And you're not wrong about the jokes. Garrett thought he'd be a great stand-up comic, you know. He used to write down all his best material, as he called it. Kept it in a notebook in the apartment."

"The garage apartment?"

"Yeah. Well, it wasn't the garage apartment then, but you know what I mean."

As far as Fox knows, Clancy and Garrett's attached garage had never actually had a vehicle in it. The previous owners had been using it primarily for storage, and when Clancy and Garrett bought the house, Garrett decided it'd make a perfect family room. They had the garage door removed and replaced by a regular wall, had a small bathroom built in one corner, and moved in their big-screen TV, exercise equipment, pool table and an old sofa Clancy got from one of their cousins. Fox and Taka had spent many evenings hanging out with Clancy and Garrett, chatting and watching movies while all the kids played together nearby.

After Garrett passed, Clancy had the space converted into a bachelor flat so she could rent it out and supplement her income. She hired a contractor to construct a kitchenette and to install a separate entrance so her tenants wouldn't have to enter or exit through the house.

"Do you go in there much?" Fox asks. "To the garage apartment?"

"Only to collect the rent, or to fix stuff or clean up after somebody leaves," she says. "I gotta go in there this weekend, actually. I thought the student I had was going to stay for the whole school year, but she up and left. Decided she was going to move in with her boyfriend instead. She left it looking okay, but I still have to clean the floors and give the bathroom a good scrub."

"If you need help, let me know."

"Why? Are you going to send your kids to..." She lets the sentence fade and then grins at him. "Oh, wait."

"What?"

"I just had a genius idea," Clancy declares. "It's brilliant. Kind of a win-win, you might say."

"So, tell me what it is."

"You really could send one of your kids to the garage apartment. I mean, if Forest wants to move out so badly, maybe he should."

"And you think he should move in here?"

"Why not?" says Clancy. "He has a part-time job, doesn't he? He could pay me a little bit of rent every month. You wouldn't have him disrespecting you under your roof any more, and he'd learn how to be responsible for himself."

"I don't think he could do that, being totally on his own."

"He wouldn't be totally on his own. I'd keep an eye on him to make sure he's not going completely off the rails." She winks conspiratorially. "We just wouldn't tell him he's being surveilled."

"He wouldn't last a week," Fox says.

"Weren't you ready to let him run off to Japan by himself earlier today?" Clancy inquires.

"Do you think I actually believed he would?"

"You called his bluff."

"I did," Fox confesses.

"I'll bet Mom and Dad didn't believe you'd run away, but you did. They didn't think you'd make it on your own either, but you did that too."

"Fair point, but the difference between me and Forest is that my life was actually terrible and I had a valid reason to run away. I had to get out of there, and I was ready to change. Plus, I was twenty-five and fully educated."

"True, but the end goal is still the same," Clancy insists. "Look how much getting out from under our parents' roof did for you."

Fox considers it. He likes Clancy's plan in theory and he's thankful that she's willing to covertly supervise Forest, but he's not totally convinced his son could cope with being independent. As much as he wants Forest to learn that particular lesson, it'll defeat the purpose of the experiment if Forest begs to come home after only a few days.

"I'll have to discuss it with Taka," he says.

"I'd be concerned if you didn't," Clancy replies. "You can let me know what you decide, but don't take too long, okay? I want to advertise it for rent again if Forest isn't going to be moving in."

"Okay," Fox says. "Hopefully, we'll be able to let you know by the weekend."

[nicoleheichou]

Girl Of My Dreams - Chapter 50: I 🩷 You

¤ masterlist ¤ 《 prev | next 》

Synopsis: Sakusa was the type to always get things done on his own, but now that he's forced to juggle between his successful pro-volleyball career and being a single dad, what happens when he enrolls his daughter in a new preschool and meets his daughter's new teacher? Will their relationship remain professional or will it evolve into something more?

Once you returned from your day out with Mrs. Sakusa, you found yourself spending the night avoiding Kiyoomi. You'd stick to his mother's side or use Kimi as a buffer. You didn't want to have that talk with him. You were nervous to hear that although he said you were his end game that maybe you were way more attached than he was. You didn't want to hear him tell you that you were getting ahead of yourself.

But now that Kimi had fallen asleep and was now comfortably tucked into bed, you knew the conversation was inevitable. "Can you stop avoiding me now darling so we can talk?" Kiyoomi says as he closes the door behind him, leaving a small crack to let the light shine through knowing the little girl can't sleep if the room was completely dark. You let out a sigh before nodding. "Okay." He puts out a hand for you which you hesitantly take, letting him lead you out onto the back porch and allowing him to help you settle onto the porch swing before placing a blanket over your laps. For a moment it's silent, the both of you just enjoying the night sky and the quiet the countryside brings.

"Do you want to tell me why you're avoiding me?" He questions while turning his head to the side so he could get a better look at you. "You know why I am." You can't help but pout not wanting to have to spell it out for him. "Actually, I don't. I don't know what I did to have you avoid me after we'd spent the whole day away from each other." He replies, a hand coming up to ruffle his curls. You notice the frown etched on his face, clearly not happy with you having avoided him the whole night.

You let out a sigh. You know you're being immature by pretending you don't know what he's talking about but you're worried he might not feel the same way, that he might think you're way too attached. "It's nothing you did Omi. It was what I did. I'm sorry I told you I love you and that I love the brat." You cover your face in hopes he doesn't see the redness of your cheeks even if it is dark out.

"Say that again." He says while gently prying your hands away from your face. Your eyes meet his before he's repeating himself. "Say that again darling." You let out a breath before mustering up the courage to repeat yourself. "I love you. I love you and Kimi." The biggest smile appears on his face, you could swear you've never seen him smile like this, you're worried if he smiled any wider that it would split his face in two. "I love you too darling. A lot." It's your turn to smile, the apples of your cheeks hurting from how wide you were grinning.

"Don't ever apologize for how you feel darling. Especially when it comes to love. Why would you think I'd be upset?" You just shrug your shoulders, unsure why you were even worried in the first place. You should have known that Sakusa wouldn't judge you or invalidate your feelings. "I thought you'd think I was getting ahead of myself." He moves a stray lock of hair behind your ear before looking into your eyes, a look of disbelief on his features. "And you don't think I am? I introduced you to my parents. I told you that you're my end game and I haven't even officially asked you to be my girlfriend. Darling, I think I'm more in love with you than you are with me."

You let out a laugh before you're burying your face in the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry for avoiding you. I should have known you'd be so understanding." You mumble against him which causes him to chuckle. "Why are you so perfect?" You can't help but whine, feeling a little embarassed that you wasted the evening avoiding him. "I'm far from perfect. But I want to remind you that you can always talk to me okay? Whatever it may be, I'm here for you and we'll get through it together. Okay?" You nod, knowing if you opened your mouth to respond that you'd start to cry. How did you get so lucky? He plants a kiss on the top of your head. "You love me?" He lets out a chuckle before nodding. "Yeah. I love you."

You hear the sliding door open, causing the both of you to turn towards the direction of the door. You're met with a toddler rubbing at her eyes. "What's wrong baby?" You question as you watch her make her way towards the both of you. "I woke up and I was alone." You can hear the wobble in her voice. "Come here brat. Did you think we left you?" Sakusa questions as he reaches for her. She shakes her head before she's being pulled onto her dad's lap. "I know you and mommy wouldn't leave me...but I couldn't find you or mommy and I was lonely. I don't want to be alone." You can tell she's pouting and you can't help but feel bad for her.

"Why don't we get you back in bed baby. We'll stay with you so you aren't alone. Does that sound good?" You suggest knowing she's still pretty tired if the yawn that escaped her lips was any indication. She nods her head before putting her arms out, signaling for you to carry her. Sakusa happily passes her into your arms before he's ushering the two of you inside. He can't help but smile when he watches Kimi easily melt into you, arms wrapping around your neck as she plants a tired kiss on your cheek. "I love you mommy." You don't skip a beat, quickly responding to her declaration. "I love you too baby." Sakusa wanted to engrave this moment in his brain, to replay whenever he was having a bad day.

Um I love them??

Leave a comment or send an ask to tell me what you think!

And welcome to all the new readers! Glad you could join us. 💜

Taglist: @taelia15 @dorkange @sexyandcringe @szeonn @natriae @whore-for-anime @diestheticu @loveinhaikyuu @youraggedybitch @mikk-o @erenisms @akisrandom @confusion-lord @aikochan4859 @trashy-simp @somniari-94 @pillboxmb @astrrnmy @all-in-the-fandoms @mattsunnn @kunikame @daninaninani @juniorhooter @crayonwriting @beans-and-jeanes @lvrjjun @sosiegate @grassbutneo @saaraunicorn @lalalemon101 @sunahyejin @sugusshi @roselleviennesstuff @queen-aria-things @hello0i @oopskashish @wolffmaiden @shakesqueer444 @julia-1901 @blkladyelle @marinarihearts @oikawas-toris @carlgrimm @zekeslefttit @rory-cakes @nomnom21 @noayuusukki @yukimaniac @the-jester-calamity @everytimeswift

[lodeddiperactivate]

Part 2 High Society | Prowler!Miles Morales x Reader

Writer's notes: I guess I have to also include this but read this lil PSA. Make sure to also read my writer's notes in Part 1, Part 3.

It's been a few days since your dinner party, and you couldn't quite get Miles Morales out of your head. You were attending business school at Columbia University and decided to head on over to the library to do some studying. Books on one hand and phone on the other, you mindlessly scrolled through your friends' social media posts, that is until you bumped into someone just outside the library entrace.

"Sorry, it was my fault, I-," you started to apologize when you realized it was Miles. You blinked once, twice, to make sure it was really him.

"Careful," he responded. His half lidded eyes and smirk made you catch your breath.

"Miles?"

"Y/N, I didn't know you go here."

"Uhm yes, I do. What about you?"

"Helping out in the library is another job to make ends meet," Miles said as he slowly eyed you up and down. You couldn't quite put your finger on him, and it doesn't really help you're in denial about the fact that you're physically attracted to him.

This week was particularly stressful. You were a year behind and all of your friends had graduated already, doing things they're passionate about. As for you, business school was you parents' idea, and since you don't know what you want, you went along with it.

You weren't aware that you were in deep thought until Miles spoke, "Seems like you have a lot going on," he paused. "Wanna grab something to eat?"

The walk to where this eatery Miles had told you about was quite far but still walkable. He said it was a "hole in the wall" type of place, and that they had the best Puerto Rican food.

When you reached the place, the first thing you noticed was the aroma that filled the entire place. It was like being transported to another world where people float when they smell pie being cooled off on a window sill. You haven't realized it until you've gotten to the place that you were famished. Miles greeted some of the customers, including the cook, and led you to a corner booth.

"This place smells like heaven. Well, I don't know what heaven smells like but if it's nothing like this, I'd rather go to hell."

"I assumed you had tasted better food considering you're a L/N."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Your family is one of the richest and most powerful in the city," he paused and looked at you with a deadpanned look before continuing, "I had the idea that you had professional chefs cooking you anything you want, whenever you want." He said as he picked up the menu and started to flip through the pages.

"Don't lump me in with the rest of them," you said pointing a fork at him. "And I know what you're insinuating, Miles. You're telling me that my family's business is evil, I agree. I'm against them using people and treating them like cash cows. I'm on your side." You noticed how your voice hinted a bit of frustration towards the end.

Miles lifted a brow and said, "Is that why you're in a very prestigious business school?"

"Maybe I want to learn how to turn the company into something more ethical," you said proudly, maybe you were convincing yourself more than you were trying to convince Miles. Miles didn't say anything. Instead, he ordered for the two of you. You waited until the waiter walked away. Miles had interlocked his fingers and was eyeing you carefully. You started to become uncomfortable.

After some thought, you decided to speak up, "I should go." Miles did not speak. You decided to stand up, and that's when he stood up, walked over to your side of the booth, and sat down beside you before you could walk away.

"I'd like to leave, Miles," you said meekly.

"No," Miles said as he placed an arm on the back rest of your chair. He leaned in and placed his other hand on yours, which was visibly shaking. You realized that it was true, you are indeed spoiled, privileged, and you know nothing about the real world. If something was to happen to you now, you wouldn't know what to do. Your heart started to beat even faster when Miles leaned even closer to whisper something, "I'm not gonna hurt you, Y/N." You looked up at Miles and gave him a half smile.

When your food had arrived, he moved the hand that was at the back rest of your chair and placed them gently on your thigh. He picked up a fork with his other hand that was previously holding yours and started eating. When he noticed that you weren't eating the food, he softly squeezed your thigh and said, "Eat, mi princesa." You weren't sure if he was being condescending about it but it made your heart flutter a bit.

First bite was indeed heaven. You let out a half moan as you closed your eyes and savor the food in front of you. You saw Miles smirked from your peripheral vision. You're both halfway through your food and you started to relax. You were impressed Miles was able to eat his food with his one hand still on your thigh. Disregard the fact that you were scared shitless a few minutes ago, you decided to test his limits.

"So, Miles," you said as you moved closer to him so that his hands go just a bit further up your thighs. You were wearing a light blue satin skirt with a simple button down shirt. "What other jobs do you have?"

Miles had looked down on his hand and couldn't help but give your thighs another squeeze. He swallowed the food he was chewing before speaking, "Wouldn't you like to know, mamí."

"Yes, I would like to know that's why I asked." You said in your most bratty voice ever just to see how he would react. You have been prim and proper your whole life that this moment right here is giving you some kind of excitement you can't really explain. You would definitely be caught dead if you spoke like this in high society.

"Keep talking to me like that and I'll show you what else I can do." Miles had leaned in so close your lips were inches away from one another. Without breaking eye contact, you feel his hands move up and started rubbing your clit through the fabric. You quickly turned to see if anyone was watching. Thankfully, everyone was busy eating.

Miles continued to rub you and you let out a sigh. You had not realized it but your whole body was leaning into his touch. You felt warm all of a sudden as you let out a breathy "Please, Miles."

All of a sudden, Miles had stopped and picked up a glass of water with the hands that were on you. You pouted at him and he smirked.

"Finish your food, and let's get out of here."

ATSV masterlist

[allison3k0]

Y'ALL I GOT TO SEE MR S TODAY AFTER SCHOOL AND IT WENT SOOOO WELL 😭😭😭

Okay so, after 4th period I went to my locker quick before going to see if he was in his classroom. He was indeed in his classroom. AND FIRST OF ALL I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE HIS BEAUTIFUL FACE IN PERSON AGAIN- Okay so basically I walked into the room and as soon as he saw me he went "Hey!" in a surprised/excited tone that I never hear him do with anyone else. Mind you during this whole conversation we were standing kinda far apart, just cuz I didn't wanna be too bold and get too close yk. I'm gonna write out our conversation from memory so y'all can read it if you want.

S (Him): Hey!

A (Me): Heyyy

S: How have you been? How was your summer?

A: I've been good, my summer was good, went travelling a bit

S: Oh, where did you go?

A: Just out of town by a few hours, went on vaycay for a bit too

S: Oh, did you drive, fly?

A: Drove, lots of driving haha

S: Did you go with the whole family?

A: Yeah, me and my two siblings plus my parents in the car

S: Oof, that could be tough

A: Yeah, especially when it's us trapped in a car for 5 hours at a time

S: Yeah I see how that could be difficult. Take a nap with earbuds in or something *Does his cute hrrhrr type laugh that I've never seen him do with any students, only with parents and other teachers cuz he's comfortable, good to know he's comfortable with me.*

A: Yeah, and played games a bit

S: Oh yeah

(A student walked in looking for another teacher so he helped guide them to the classroom and came back, giving me time to take the Oreos out of my backpack)

A: Also, I have something for you

S: Oh?

A: *Handed him the Star Wars Oreos*

S: No way! Are these the Star Wars Oreos where you get the dark side or the light side?

A: Yup, I noticed you like Star Wars and I saw them at the store and thought I'd buy them for you. (I previously saw them at the store with my friend and she bought them for me to give to him another time after that)

S: Thank youuu! Let's see which one I got *Opens it* The dark side ooooh (He said in a "spooky" voice) You want one?

A: Sure

S: *Opened the package more and put the box out towards me*

A: Thank you, I haven't tried these yet

S: Me neither, we'll see how it tastes

A: *Awkwardly ate the Oreo in front of him, trying not to look like a fatty by stuffing the whole thing in my mouth, instead I took a bite.*

S: Mmm

A: Oh yeah, it's like a normal Oreo

S: Yeah, it's good though. Thank you!

A: Of course!

S: So, how was your first day?

A: It was good, I was so nervous today though, and my mom was almost crying while I was leaving the door

S: Awww (Made the cutest pouty face)

A: (proceeded to talk about how my classes went while he paid close attention while smiling so wide I could see his gums)

S: Oh yeah, so you've got a heavy semester then (I have advanced English and advanced Psych this semester)

A: Yeah, not too bad though

S: What do you have next semester?

A: French, peer helping (class where I'm a TA for a semester) and music

S: Oh so you have an easier semester then!

A: Yeah, it'll be nice when I'll be applying for scholarships and whatnot

S: Yeah. Are you still taking band?

A: Yeah we actually start jazz band this week

S: Oh yeah I saw that in the anouncements

A: Yeah

S: Are you in concert band too?

A: Yeah

S: Oh wow, so you're gonna be having some more long days

A: Yep, also, do you like my outfit today? (Gave him a little turn, wearing the outfit I had planned that's inspired by his outfits but he didn't realize, ALSO HE WAS WEARING A BLUE SHIRT WITH A COLLAR AND KHAKI SHORTS SO WERE BASICALLY MATCHING)

S: Oh yeahhhh, very professional looking

A: Yeah, thank you (I wanted to tell him it was inspired by him so bad but didn't cuz I'm a chicken LMAO)

*Awkward silence/tension and eye contact*

*We talked more about my school year*

*Another awkward silence*

A: *started picking up my things* Okay, I think I'm gonna head out

S: *starts picking up his things* *As we're packing up and leaving the room* Well, it was nice to catch up with you, and I'm sure I'll see you around in the halls

A: Yeah I may come in here after school to work on some animation work or other work I gotta do

S: Well, that's fine, you can do that, I trust you *Does the hrrhrr laugh again*

A: You trust me enough to lock up the room so (I stayed after school until like 4 a bunch of times to get work done, he left before me and had me lock up the room for him before, I mean he locked the door but he told me to close it on my way out when I did that)

S: So, did (My Bestie, we'll call her M) M have a good day too? Have you seen her today? Do you share any classes?

A: Yeah (proceeded to tell him what classes we share and that she had a good day)

S: Oh that's great, what about next semester? *He closes the door and locks it*

A: *Told him the classes we share next semester*

S: Oh yeah, that's great!

A: Yeah

S: *Starts to walk up the stairs so he can leave that way* (Oml I felt like Romeo and Juliet) Well, it was really nice seeing you again and catching up (OML THE WAY HE WAS SMILING SO WIDELY)

A: Yep, byeeee *Waved at him*

S: *Waved back and went off as I left too*

TLDR; He was so adorable and smiley and had the best/nerdiest reaction to the Star Wars Oreos I gave him, I felt so special 🥺❤️

I'M FREAKING OUT Y'ALL HE WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE ME, HE WAS SO CUTE AND NERDY, AND HE WAS SMILING SO WIDELY AND HE DID HIS ACTUAL LAUGH AND IT WAS SO AMAZING AND OML I FELL FOR HIM HARDER HELP

Update: Apparently he DID see my email and responded but I didn't see it. He said "Hello! Sure, A. I'll be in room 102 (His classroom) after school." AAAAAA

[nebulablakemurphy]

Through Love And By Love (Pt. 8)

Summary: Twenty-Two years ago, Draco Malfoy used the imperius curse to slow Voldemort’s rise to power. No good deed goes unpunished. Warning: this series contains mature subject matter surrounding use of the imperius curse, discussions of trauma and mental illness; reader discretion advised.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Their book is well received, all things considered.

Rosanna is meant to return to the Holyhead Harpies shortly after the birth of their second daughter, Arlo. A perfect little girl, with her mother’s strawberry blonde hair and her father’s eyes. At her pregame assessment, the on call doctor determines that she is expecting... twins.

Draco is overjoyed. Rosanna is overwhelmed.

She isn’t snippy, they don’t fight; she just sort of skates along. Like there is no fire left in her.

That afternoon, Draco leaves, with a kiss to the top of her head. “I love you, darling. I’ll see you later.”

“Love you.” She pats the side of his face. “Have fun.”

Instead of heading to lunch with Pansy and Blaise, like he’d told her; Draco sets off to have lunch at the ministry.

He is welcomed into Archer McVay’s office with open arms. “How are you, Draco? Long time no see.”

Rosanna and Draco have made themselves scarce, upon returning to the manor. Neither of their parents have seen much of them or their grandchildren.

“I’m alright. Thank you for meeting with me.”

Archer can see the distress scrawled across his son-in-law’s features. “You look like something is troubling you. Please, take a seat.”

Draco sits in the chair opposite Rosanna’s father. "I feel quite awful, coming to you like this." He begins fidgeting with his shirt collar, feeling constricted in the material. "Our marriage is sacred, I hate to betray her trust. But I don't know what else to do."

"I'd like to help." Archer leans forward. "If it makes you feel any better Ron, Hermione and Harry beat you to it. They were in my office about a week ago, expressing their concerns."

"What did they say?" Draco shifts.

"They thought she 'looked ill, not at all like herself and like she hadn't slept in a fortnight.'" The older man explains.

Draco can deduce which member of the trio had made each comment. "She's been having night terrors, nearly every night. She doesn't want to sleep because of it. Rosanna is an amazing mother, the girls haven't noticed a difference. But I worry, she's quite literally running herself into the ground. I've tried all I can think of," Draco sighs. "But everything that used to help is only taking the edge off."

"Have you ever heard of post traumatic stress disorder?" Archer removes his glasses, running his fingers down the bridge of his nose.

“No.”

"She's not alone, it's very common. I won't name names, but more than one of her close friends suffer from it as well." But it's not his story to tell.

"What happens...if she has it?" Draco asks, nervously.

"The first step is to have an assessment by a professional. But generally speaking, she would go to therapy, maybe they'll prescribe a potion for her to take. Everything is done on a case by case basis, so any care she receives will be especially tailored for Rosanna." The older man explains, patiently.

"But if this is, the stress disorder, from the war. Why hasn’t it happened before?" It's been years since the war, years of happiness.

"Everyone is different. Something might have triggered it, or maybe things are resurfacing that her mind may have repressed. I would talk to her, son. Have you tried that?" Archer asks.

"I don't want to upset her." Draco runs a finger over his wedding ring. "With the pregnancy and the girls-"

"That's exactly why you should get her the help she needs. She'll be grateful to you in the long run, if not right away."

———————————————————————-

Narcissa and Lucius began building a mansion on the empty land of the Malfoy property, shortly after Leo was born. They left the manor to Draco and Rosanna before standing trial for their crimes, just in case.

Lucius had served just a year and Narcissa avoided detention all together. Using her husband's sentence to complete their new home.

Subsequently, Draco's childhood home received its own drastic make over. He marveled at the way they made it theirs. With colorful paint and curtains to properly see the sun. A small, intimate, table for family dinners, cooking supplies, music, and most importantly; with love. It is everything he dreamed it would be.

Draco enters the manor, soft humming greets his ears. He follows the tune, Rosanna and the girls are in the sitting room. His wife seated at the rear, Leo in the middle, Arlo at the front, wriggling with her doll in hand.

Ro runs the brush over Leo's platinum locks as the four and a half year old does the same for her little sister.

"Hello loves." Draco greets, quietly, not wanting to startle them.

"Daddy!" Leo waves, making no move to break away from the chain.

Arlo shrieks, toddling over to him. He catches the eleven month old in his arms.

Rosanna taps her oldest daughter's shoulder, signaling that she's finished her braid. Lovingly running her fingers over the plait, before Leo charges her father.

"Oof," Draco huffs, when she collides with him. Tangling her limbs around one of his legs and holding fast. Like an animal to a tree; giggling wildly all the while.

Rosanna smiles, pushing soft waves behind her ear. Dark circles, under tired brown eyes, she is still the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eyes on. "How was lunch? Blaise and Pansy good?"

"Quite well." Draco grins, feeling guilty for lying. "How are you feeling, darling? Were these two behaving for you?" He turns his eyes to his daughters.

"Perfect angels," Rosanna yawns.

"You should take a rest, I'll fix dinner after a while." Draco steps toward her, Leo still affixed to his limb, Arlo in his arms.

Rosanna shakes her head, "I'm fine."

"Alright," he doesn't push. "Shall we put on a movie then? Have some popcorn?"

"Yes, Beauty and the Beast!" Leo demands.

"Again?" Rosanna laughs, that's the fourth time this week.

"It's my favorite, Mummy." Leo has an American drawl on about sixty percent of her vocabulary. But Rosanna has always been Mummy instead of Mommy.

"Clearly." Draco chuckles, indulgently.

"I'll go pop the corn." Ro pushes herself to her feet.

Arlo and Leo are engrossed in the film when Draco peeks over. Rosanna sound asleep, Leo moves to Draco's opposite side as her mother begins to snore.

"Why is Mummy so sleepy?" The little girl wonders, looking up at her father with wide, brown, eyes.

"Growing babies in your belly is hard work," Draco explains, tapping her nose.

"Did I make her tired?" Leo wonders, turning to mother. Arlo is still cuddled up against Rosanna, little head resting on her chest, contently.

"Just a bit." Draco admits.

————————————————————————

As they ready for bed, Draco notices how Ro hesitates to climb onto the mattress. She stalls as long as she can, fumbling around in her jewelry box.

"Love?" He calls her attention.

"Hmm?" She forces a grin, crawling beneath the covers, she's been caught.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Draco sets his book aside.

"Sure," she settles, back against the headboard, "what's up?" Brown eyes fall on him.

"How would you feel about talking to someone about, your night terrors?" He moves his hands to her hair, releasing it from the bun she's twisted it into.

"Oh," she snaps her mouth shut. "It's nothing."

"But it is..." He hesitates, "I'm worried, sweetheart."

"Ok," Rosanna is taken aback and maybe a bit defensive. Pulling away from his touch.

"I can make some calls, find someone. All you'd have to do is show up." Draco drops his arms to his lap.

"And bare my soul to a stranger," she adds, bitterly. "What if something is wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you." Draco says, becoming perturbed. "Even if there were, you won't face it alone."

"Would you go too?" Rosanna wonders.

'I will love you more than any obstacle that stands in our path. I will love you more than any battle we may face. I will love you more than you have ever been loved. I will pull you back to me, if ever the universe tears us apart.' Those are the words he'd whispered against her flushed skin on their marriage bed. That is the promise he intends to keep, all his life, "consider it done."

————————————————————————

Rosanna's first appointment is that Monday, following her dress fitting for Ron and Hermione's upcoming nuptials.

"Do you think you'll be pregnant again next spring?" Hermione asks as the seamstress takes Rosanna's measurements.

"That's a good question." They hadn't discussed it yet.

"Are you holding out for a boy?" Hermione says, playfully. Rosanna's children are a joy, she can have however many she likes, as far as Hermione's concerned.

They hadn't really been 'trying' for either gender. They agreed to a large family. Both being only children left them wanting siblings for their kids.

"I'd like a boy," Rosanna confesses, a little Draco. "But I'll be just as happy with all girls."

"Have you thought anymore about the open position at the Wizengamot?" Hermione wonders, when she heard about the job, Rosanna was the first person to come to mind. "They've been looking for a Legilimen for a while. I know you'd be brilliant-"

"Can I ask you something?" The words tumble from Rosanna's mouth.

"Anything." Hermione crosses her legs, setting her wedding agenda aside.

"Did you ever have...problems, after?"

Hermione meets her eyes in the mirror, twirling the modest, round, diamond ring, Ron proposed with, around her finger.

"Ron, Harry and I...we really went through it. Not to say you didn't! Well, I've read your book and- What I'm trying to say is I think that we all-" Hermione stumbles around for the proper verbiage.

"We're all a little fucked up?" Rosanna offers.

"For lack of a better term, yes. There's no shame in getting help if you need, but there is shame in knowing you need help and ignoring it." Hermione remembers having a similar conversation with her fiancé. "Ron struggles a bit more than I do. But we both see a counselor, it's loads better; talking it out with someone. Sorting through everything, you'll feel better."

"Draco said he'll go too, separately and together. I just don't understand why all of the sudden I can’t sleep without-" Rosanna breaks off, looking down at her feet; because she can barely stomach the sight of Hermione.

"What is it, Ro?" Hermione demands.

Rosanna shakes her head.

Hermione's mouth twists into a smirk, masking her disappointment. "We used to share everything, now you avoid me like the plague. It was nearly impossible to get you here. If you don't mind, I'd like to know what I've done.”

"You didn't do anything. I did." Rosanna replies, quietly.

"What are you on about, Rosanna?" Hermione is officially concerned. "You’re not making any sense."

"I can still hear you screaming. I can hear Ron, in the basement.” Rosanna breaks off to collect herself. "Losing his mind, trying to get to you. And I sit there, on the nice comfortable bed, in the nice comfortable house; being celebrated for conceiving a child that I never really had any part in creating. I don't know what to do. Because if I attack Bellatrix, and I hesitate, or if something doesn't go as planned; then she'll kill you and Ron. She'll call Voldemort and he'll kill Harry. So I sit there, and I do nothing." The blonde shakes her head in frustration.

"You did do something. You summoned Dobby and got us out of there. You pulled the only card you were sure they'd care more about than letting us go. You lied about knowing it was us. You pretended something was wrong with Leo to get us out. You did everything you could. I might not be standing here today if you didn't think fast and use your resources." Hermione comes to stand aside of Rosanna, the seamstress having long disappeared.

"I'm sorry," Rosanna covers the inside of Hermione's left forearm, where 'Mudblood' is scarred on her skin. She often does the same to Draco's mark, almost as if she were trying to absorb some of the pain from the marking itself.

"This is not your fault." Hermione puts her hand over Rosanna's. "Please don't think I blame you for a second. No one blames you. When you cast the healing charm...in that moment, it meant everything to me. I struggled with leaving you there, we all did for years. You were our friend and we just...left you." Hermione's voice breaks.

"You couldn't take me with you. You couldn't get to me, even if you wanted too. There wasn't enough time." Rosanna shakes her head. "There was no reason for you to feel guilty all this time."

"Spoken like a true hypocrite." Hermione cocks her head to the side.

Rosanna bumps Hermione's arm.

“I want us to be close again, Rosanna. Next time there’s something going on, you tell me straight away.” Hermione chides her. “I miss my best friend.”

“I miss you too.”

————————————————————————

Rosanna is not pregnant at Ron and Hermione's wedding. After the birth of their twin daughters, Vega and Polaris, they have their hands full. Draco and Rosanna are out manned, two to one. Both grateful they decided to attend counseling. Their relationship, as well as their mental health, has improved tremendously.

"I can't believe you guys are married," Rosanna laughs, full, happy, and thoroughly intoxicated by the alcohol she's consumed.

They lie horizontally, shoulder to shoulder. Ron and Hermione in the middle, Rosanna and Harry at either end, staring up at the spinning ceiling.

"Can't believe you married Malfoy." Ron remarks, no heat in his voice.

"I can't believe Harry hasn't married Ginny yet." Hermione tacks on, squeezing her husband's entwined fingers.

"I can't believe we all made it here." Harry confesses, he's a depressing drunk.

"Way to kill the mood." Rosanna rolls up onto her left elbow, addressing him over the newly wed couple.

"Are you taking the mickey, Malfoy?" Harry laughs.

"Scared, Potter?” Rosanna cocks a brow.

"Enough,” Draco protests, from the doorway. "That's my line." He reaches for his wife’s hand.

"Oh no, he’s found us." Ron groans.

"Don't take her,” Harry frowns.

"We're having a proper cuddle." Hermione pulls Rosanna against her side.

Draco squares his shoulders. "She's my wife, therefore she'll only be cuddling me from now on."

————————————————————————-

Draco and Rosanna attend eight more weddings in a matter of two years, which is more inspiring than not. Like the world is finally starting to heal itself.

Harry and Ginny have a son, James, he's perfect, a spitting image of his father.

After all the years of being cordial, Draco is still hesitant to hold the newest Potter.

"Potter doesn't want me holding his boy." He shakes his blonde head, as Rosanna attempts to hand James over.

"Go on Malfoy, you should be a pro by now." Ginny says in good spirits, despite being slightly sleep deprived.

"I am a bloody pro. But I've never held my former nemesis' offspring, it's a bit different." Draco teases, allowing Rosanna to ease the infant into his arms.

"Look how sweet he is." Rosanna coos, stroking the baby's dark hair.

Leo is fascinated by the little boy. Being the oldest she's always been rather maternal to her younger sisters.

Arlo peaks over the blankets as Rosanna lifts up the identical, platinum blonde, blue eyed twins, for a better view.

Vega points.

Polaris giggles as James wiggles a bit in the blankets and passes gas.

"I think your kid's having a poo on me." Draco scoffs, at the irony of it all.

"Well done, son." Harry chuckles, kissing Ginny's forehead.

Draco turns to Ro, "when are you going to give me another one of these?" He nods to the baby in his arms.

"I thought we were done." Rosanna nearly chokes on her own saliva.

"As many as you'll give me." He murmurs, the baby nuzzling him. Surrounded by his daughters, his wife and dare he say their friends; Draco is the happiest he's ever been.

————————————————————————-

Rosanna didn’t take the position at the Wizengamot when it was first mentioned to her, she needed to get her mind right. But when the job reopens, she all but pounces on it.

The team is thrilled to have her, she works interrogations and makes their job very easy.

Her position opens doors for Draco within the ministry. He trains under Harry Potter himself and becomes one of the most prestigious aurors the ministry has ever seen. Even still, he's never truly trusted or accepted by a handful of his colleagues.

Rosanna sneaks into his office on her lunch break, decorating the room in baby blue confetti. A bottle with a howler slipped inside sits on his pristine desk.

They'd waited until birth to learn the genders of their other children. But this is to be their last and Ro was dying to know. So at the appointment to confirm her pregnancy, she finds out.

"We're having a boy!" Draco nearly faints, once the card delivers the news.

He reaches out, stroking the blue confetti at the edge of his desk. A son...he is having a son. His heart leaps and then tightens, painfully. This is far different from daughters.

People look at them and see their mother, kindness and bravery and light. People will look at their son and see him, cowardice, cruelty and dark. What a terrible fate to condemn a child.

Then again, the bond Draco has with his mother is second only to that of his wife and children. To be the only son in a family of daughters, to be his mother's boy... Loved all his days with an affection meant just for him, their son; sung to sleep each night with a tenderness only Rosanna could give. To know the adoration and wisdom of his father without boundaries. To have a proper father... what a beautiful gift to bestow a child.

Part 9

[hufflepuff-16]

Perfectly sane -゜゜゜

Sirius Black x gn! Reader ( ゜ρ゜ )

Summary: The reader is a charity worker and comes to inspect the living conditions of Azkaban, where she meets the notorious Sirius Black.

A/n: This was a request, but I accidentally deleted the request 😅 so I hope whoever sent it has found it.

Warnings: Poor prison conditions and mentions of torture and suicide.

Link to my Masterlist

Sirius was imprisoned in Azkaban, the prison for the most heinous dark wizards and sorcerers. It is a grim, gloomy place. There are no bars: the prisoners are kept trapped by the Dementors that roam the prison and drain the happiness from a person. Most come out of Azkaban insane, their brains and minds broken from the torture of the dementors. Sirius was convicted for the betrayal and murder of Harry Potter's parents and for supporting the dark wizard Voldemort. He was sentenced to life in Azkaban.

"Good evening, Mr Black." You said, standing in front of his cell.

Sirius didn't react to your presence, his blankly staring eyes locked on some distant point in space. His hair was dishevelled, and his face haggard. His skin was paper-pale, his clothes were stained, and he smelled of dirt and neglect, and the metal chains that bound him were heavy and cold. The Dementors that guarded him sucked up all joy and happiness, creating a cold, desolate place. And yet, despite all the odds, he managed to smile at your greeting.

"Good evening to you as well."

"I'm a charity worker who is campaigning for better rights for prisoners!" You say with a professional voice.

The words seemed to take Sirius by surprise. The blank stare he had kept since you entered his cell faded, and a glimmer of hope seemed to enter his eyes.

"Oh really? That's wonderful! Tell me, what rights in particular do you want to improve for those in Azkaban?"

You were surprised by how sane he sounded, at least have the prisoners you spoken to laughed their heads off like maniacs.

"Um... just health and safety,"

Sirius smiled at your concern.

"Health and safety. It's a very worthy issue. And tell me, are you seeing any success so far? Have any of the rights improved for prisoners?"

You chuckled a bit. "Well, considering the state you are in, I would say I'm doing a pretty piss poor job!"

Sirius nodded thoughtfully.

"These dementors are a cruel bunch, aren't they? I'd say you're doing more than most would, fighting for their rights as you are."

He seemed to perk up at the mention of your cause, looking directly at you with a hint of hope in his eyes.

"But tell me… does your cause have a name? An organization? If there's anything more I can do to help, I'd love to get involved in any way I can."

"Umm. Ok? You are a prisoner!" Maybe this man was crazy? He was acting as if he wasn't locked up for henious crimes.

Sirius laughed, a soft, hollow laugh.

"Fair point. But one does not have to be free to be involved in a cause. My freedom will come again… and when it does, I will do my utmost to make a difference."

He sighed, his eyes downcast.

"But I do not know when that day will come... and that is why I need to do everything in my power to make it come sooner, you see? But to do that... I need support. Allies. Friends."

You felt sorry for Sirius Black. He was a notorious murder who worked for voldermort and who betrayed Harry Potters parents. He says he's going to be let out, but he has a life imprisonment.

Sirius met your gaze earnestly, his eyes serious and sombre, his tone solemn.

"I know what I have been convicted of, and I do not deny my misdeeds. But even criminals deserve a fair trial. I have been convicted under false pretences through lies."

His deep voice was firm.

"I've made mistakes, and I've done terrible things. But I am nothing like Voldemort. It is all a great injustice, I swear it. And I swear I will make it right when I am free again."

You didn't know what to say, he was a very convincing actor?

You cleared your throat. "Mr Black, can you answer a few of my questions?"

Sirius nodded, the faintest smile grazing his lips, his grey eyes meeting yours without fear or hesitation.

"Yes. Of course. Please feel more than free to ask me any questions you wish. I will do my best to answer them truthfully... to the best of my ability, that is."

He smiled cheekily, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I am not a perfect person, I'll admit. But I am who I am, and I will tell you whatever you ask."

"Ok....when do you get showers?" He looked dirty but not extremely dirty, as you might imagined a man who has been spending twelve years in Azkaban.

Sirius tilted his head at the question. He paused, seemingly processing it for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.

"We have access to showers once a week. Although I admit that's about the only thing we are provided with."

He shook his head.

"Even the water is freezing cold. It's all just so bloody miserable, this place. I don't wish it upon my worst enemy."

"Ok, when are meal times and what do you eat?" You very much doubted he got three meals a day he was stick thin.

Sirius looked amused by the question, his grey eyes twinkling with a playful glint.

"In theory, we get three meals a day; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But we often go without food, and when we do get food, the portions are pitiful.

He sighed, shaking his head.

"All the guards in this wretched place get off on this... this torture. They take pleasure in our suffering. And they do whatever they can to ensure that we get the barest amount of sustenance needed to avoid total starvation!"

"God.....that's awful," you mutter.

Sirius nodded, his expression solemn, but then the hint of a playful smile entered his eyes.

"It's a horrible place, no doubt about it. And some of the things that go on here… well, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Sirius leaned in and lowered his voice a little, giving you a mock-conspiratorial wink.

"But I tell you a little secret. Sometimes, the dementors go too far, and some of the prisoners end up dead as a result!"

"DEAD! I thought the absolute worst a dementor can do is give you a dementors kiss, they take your soul?"

Sirius looked grim.

" That's true. The dementors can do worse, though. Some prisoners have gone so mad from the constant assault on their minds that they have killed themselves. The dementors just walk past as if nothing had happened, as if they weren't the ones who did it... and then they go and suck out the soul of the corpse for good measure."

Sirius sighed, looking disgusted.

"Like I said, a horrible place."

You go quiet for a moment, the ministry will face the wrath of your team, and you will send the minister down here if you must. This was absolutely unacceptable.

You clear your throat.

"Thank you so much for all your help, Mr Black. My team and I will be in contact with the ministry."

Sirius smiled and nodded.

"You are quite welcome. I apologize that we could not discuss better matters; these are some very dark times indeed for the world. But please, do not hesitate to reach out if there is more I should know."

He looked curious, the slightest playful grin curling at the corner of his mouth.

"If you do not mind me asking, this "team" of yours... do they have a name?"

"We are the magic welfare association!" You say proudly.

Sirius's eyes lit up at the response, and he gave you a wide smile, his bright and energetic demeanour returning.

"I like it. And tell me, what is your job within this organization? You must be the boss, judging by the way you were interrogating me!"

He gave you a playful wink.

"I must say, you are quite well suited for the role."

You laugh. "Yes, you could say so, well I must be going.....oh, I almost forgot!" You hand over a bar of chocolate "to help with the dementors."

Sirius's face lit up instantly, and a wide smile spread across his face. He took the chocolate and looked it over before giving you a cheeky grin.

"I am not one to turn down free chocolate. Thank you, I will very much enjoy this."

He leaned in close, his eyes twinkling as he lowered his voice a bit, giving you a look of mock-conspiratorial secrecy.

"Tell me, how did you manage to acquire this chocolate?"

He leaned back and gave you a curious wink.

You whisper back teasingly, "magic, Mr. Black, magic."

You begin to make your way to the exit.

Sirius laughed, looking genuinely amused by your reply.

"That is certainly one way to do it."

He flashed you a warm grin and gave a gentle nod.

"Enjoy the chocolate." You say with a giggle.

"And please, do come back to see me."

"I would like that very much." You say softly as you exit Azkaban gates.

The End

[deadless-corpse]

December 26, 2023

I adjusted my shirt collar, it fit nicely, it looked nice. It was your typical business casual outfit. I tried to pretend like I wasn't stalling as I stared at the massive building, The Agency.

I took a deep breath and walked through the tinted glass doors. A secretary sat at the front, clicking through emails. I recognized her, Abigail, sometimes I'd bring donuts to work, I always let her get first pick. We didn't talk often but I've always respected her.

I cleared my throat, "Uhm, I'm here to get my license, may I speak with the man in charge?"

She didn't even look up from the screen. "Nope, I can put your name in if it's something important. If you want to get your license you'll have to take the exam after paying a fee and filling out some paperwork."

I sighed, thought something like this would happen. The man is always busy doing nothing. "Well can you tell Mr. M that Chad Harrison is alive and well and that Sunny-D is ready to get back to shining?"

Her head snapped up "Logan!? But you died!"

"Let's just say I got better." I smiled at her and she held her face in her hands. She was snickering but also sounded on the verge of tears.

"Just give me a second." She turned back towards her screen, pushed up her glasses and quickly emailed the boss.

We made small talk while waiting for a response the topic of kids came up eventually.

"I'm sorry we can stop talking about this if you want, I know what happened to your son..." She says apologetically and I quirked an eyebrow. What is she talking about? She's acting like he's dea-

Oh.

Ohh!

Of course she would think that! To them Bennett has been missing for 3 years and the police gave up on his case. Considering he was taken by the same people who killed me, it would only be logical to assume he's likely dead as well.

Now how do I go about explaining that my son is alive and well?

"Don't worry about it, Bennett's okay." I said carefully.

She gave an odd look, "But wasn't he...?" She trails off.

I haven't spoken to her much, I don't know if she's the type to run off and tell somebody what I did. I know she's a mother as well though, if anyone is a half decent parent they'd break the law for their kids. I gave her a serious expression.

"He was taken, not killed. I wasn't going to let my son be taken away from me." All I can do is hope she understands where I'm coming from.

She nodded once, an agreement to keep quiet between two parents. I sighed in relief. She perked up as she saw a new message in her inbox. It was him and it was about damn time as well.

"He says to send you right on up." She chirps, and I grinned.

Finally, my days of relying too heavily on others comes to an end. I can finally help my daughter find out who she is and provide for all my kids. Fucking finally!

Well...that is if the man will take me back...

I told her bye and that it was good to see her again before I made my way up to the elevator. I pressed the button to the top floor and then the close doors button. Deep breaths, Chad. Don't let your anticipation make you impatient.

I then realized I had been non-stop pressing the close doors button until they had finally shut. That's always a good sign.

I audibly groaned, I have too much energy. I have to be professional when I get up there. Stop! Pacing! In! The! Elevator!

I could have kissed the ground when I finally got out of that metal confining hell. I made my way to the back office, I saw a few people turning to others and whispering. Just say something if you want to say it! Ugh... I'm too riled up for this.

I put on a decent performance as I walked into the bosses office. "Hey! Christ, it's been forever!" I spoke to him like an old friend. Get him to remember why he liked having me around. Be nice, don't rock his shit again.

"I really can't believe you're alive, Mr. Harrison." He looked at me with the same awe and wonder as a child looking at an elephant in the zoo. It felt weird being looked at like an exhibit rather than a person.

"I can hardly believe it either, sir." I sat down in the seat across his desk.

"I take it you're ready to get into your old line of work?" He asked nonchalantly as he started filling out some paperwork he had on his desk. Maybe he was good at putting on a show of things too.

"Yes sir, if not for myself then for my kids." That was one thing I was completely serious about. Except I was partially doing this for Noir as well.

I'm tired of him risking getting arrested to provide for everyone. He says he doesn't care but I sure as hell do. I'm not going to see him behind bars as long as I'm alive.

"It's always been a bit of a mystery, Mr. Harrison. So if you don't mind me asking, what did happen to you that night?" He was just curious I'm sure. He doesn't really care what happened to me he just wants to know.

It was just me and Bennett, Noir had been out at an interview. I was watching his interview on TV, I always had taken a bit of pride in how far he had come. It was nice to watch him laugh and talk and answer questions. I wanted to know just as much as any viewer.

I heard something shatter, Bennett was crying. I stood up before I realized what I was doing. I began to run to his crib but I was stopped by a Blonde in the kitchen.

Fast. Fast. Fast.

Everything was going so fast. I was angry enough to kill them with my bare hands. No one was going to take my son from me. But they did. And I'll never forgive myself for letting it happen.

It was late, there wasn't much light to use. They got the jump on me and suddenly I'm lifted off the ground. I didn't have time to think about what had just happen. I look down and I'm bleeding like a fountain. A spike of earth jabbed through my stomach and then pulled out leaving me bleeding out on the ground.

"Th- That smarts." I grimaced and tried to pull myself back up.

I couldn't stand.

I couldn't stand.

I remember trying to crawl, with what strength I had in my arms I wanted to at least make an effort to save him. "Bennett! Don't worry buddy I-I I'll get you!" A boot into exposed flesh and I can hardly breathe.

They picked me up by the collar and grinned at me. "Thanks for babysitting but he's ours now." They dropped me back on the floor. I grasped at the gaping hole in my stomach and I wheezed. Behind her was Noir, in a stunned silence.

They left and Noir ran over to me. He was hysterical and I couldn't blame him. I tried to comfort him, tell him how much I cared with what little I had left in me. Blood loss makes your brain think in strange ways because I do remember thinking about how handsome he looked. I was bleeding out, I should have been thinking about that.

I could see the guilt and panic in his eyes, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. My vision was slowly going dim and black around the edges. Dying. I was dying.

It felt odd but sorta nice. Every bit of me was shutting down, losing my last bits of control. It was cold and warm at the same time. I could feel Noir's arms around me. I just wanted them to be okay. That was my family as far as I was concerned.

"Harrison."

Then it was all gone. Black, deep nothingness, feeling like I was swimming through an endless pool only to resurface three years later. Gasping awake in–

"Harrison!"

"Ah- Sorry. You were saying?" It happened again, those moments I get so lost in thought I lose sight of what's going on around me. Happened a lot after my parents died. I mean I watched them get blown up. That was definitely not the McDonald's they promised.

"What happened to you? Who killed you?" He pried. I hate this guy so much.

"It was.." I remembered what me and Noir talked about but still I didn't want to say it. "It was Noir... my old sidekick, yah'know? And the Belle's were with him too." It made my stomach churn just saying.

Noir is so sweet, he's hardly a villain. How could anyone be so stupid as to believe he would do something like that?! Fuck them, seriously. As a friend he was always doing some weird thing to help me out and as a partner he's been the most affectionate person I've ever been with.

How many people tell you you're their favorite person every night before you go to sleep?! Or! Or! Tackle hug you everytime you get home and threaten to kill anyone who harms you? Has anyone ever told you that even if the mask is hard to take off they'll always see who's underneath it? Hmmmm???? Don't think so.

He's a wonderful person, he just has a hard time realizing it.

"Ah... I see. That's what the everyone suspected. He made quite the show of 'trying to find the real killer.' Honestly though I don't know why if he was just going to revert right back to villainy."

You need your job, Chad. You have kids, Chad, you need your job.

"That's precisely why I need my job back. I want to be his nemesis and of course money never hurt anybody."

He gave a small chuckle, good.

"We never exactly fired you. We'll have to figure out the logistics but we'd be happy to work with, Sunny-D again." He gave a wink. I could vomit on his face.

"Sounds great, can't wait to be back on the field."

January 14, 2024

I walked out to the mailbox. I wasn't wearing anything special, just some shorts and a T-shirt. It was cold out but not bad. Noir begged me to put on a jacket, even offered me his cloak, but I was only going to be out for a minute or so.

I grabbed a few envelopes, a newspaper (who still reads those?), and a magazine. Walked back in, it was nice and warm. A bit warm for my liking but Noir was cold blooded or something so I didn't mess with the temperature.

"I came back alive!" I called out. I thought it was funny, he didn't.

"Oh shut up." Noir emerged from wherever the hell he was. You could never tell with him, I wouldn't be surprised if I found him hanging upside-down on the ceiling. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time he'd done it anyways.

"I don't mean anything by it, love." I set the mail down on whatever was closest to me and gave him a hug.

"I know..." He murmured quietly as he rest his head on my shoulder. "I just don't like thinking about it."

"I'm sorry, I just– I cope through humor." I tried to explain. I should really be more thoughtful. "I'll try not to do it again." I kissed him on the cheek – it always felt nice to be able to do that. "But hey, I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. You're going to have to kil–" I cleared my throat. "politely and democratically send me away if you ever want to get rid of me."

He gave a small laugh. "See! It is funny sometimes." I said with a grin.

"Stoppp!" I knew it was half heartedly said though.

I picked him up and he laughed and kicked around as I spinned him in the air. "Put me down you scandal!" He softly hit me on the arms.

"As you wish, my lord." I then proceeded to toss him on the couch. He screamed, more out of amusement than terror. I pounced on him and tickled him until he was weeping and yelling mercy.

Bennett and Cresent peaked around the corner in a bit of fright, I suppose Goon was used to this stuff already.

"What is you doin' to him, Daddy?" Bennett asked, it occurred to me that this might look a bit odd from an outside perspective. To a child it might look like I was doing something dangerous but to an adult...

"Torture!" Noir exclaimed dramatically.

Bennett gasped and I waved my arms in defense. "No! No. There's no torture going on here."

"I think they were just tickling each other." Cresent says, calmly.

"Yes! Thank you, it was just that." I sighed with relief. I'm so grateful that kid has an ounce of sense.

"What's tickling?" Bennett made a weird expression and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Essentially torture." Noir said, that little bastard!

Bennett gasped again and Cresent shook her head.

"No it's not, he's just being dramatic as usual." I explained with a groan.

Cresent took my side but a bit more politely. Regardless of who was correct though, somehow, Noir managed to convince the kids to all tackle and tickle me.

It was hell, in a really fun way. Goon ended up joining in on the chaos too. It was nice to be there with my family even if I couldn't breathe 90% of the time. After a while they all left me alone so I could catch my breath.

I couldn't quite remember where I had set the mail. I knew I had set it somewhere but I didn't really pay attention to where. After a while of searching, I finally asked Noir who pointed to where it was, in obviously plain sight. I faced palmed but thanked him and he laughed at me.

I picked it up and sorted through it. Not important, not important, magazine, newspaper, not impo- wait that's from the agency.

I ripped it open and there it was, an official document and my license down at the bottom. Work starts the week after next.

Yes!

YES!

"Cresent!" I called out for the girl, she'd want to see this for certain.

@vaporeon2010317 @boredgoon @sirlordevil @the-belle-siblings