#i didn't even realize until 5 pm that all i had eaten was a handful of chips

[pumpkinland]

also i just realized the only things i ate today. the entire day. were a bubble waffle, a handful of chips, and an english muffin. why am i not hungry

[vacayisland]

@!; Bakin' with the heart! Branch / Baker Troll! Reader (pt. 2)

"Tag list"! @storydays @chamille-trash @valvalentine69 @starzwithapen @ykvlanq @apieceofcathair3 @kitthefanfickat @cyb3r-st4r

ꨄ︎. Unknowingly to Poppy, Viva, and his brothers, Branch has managed to regularly visit your little bakery in Pop village. Well, at first it started off as an one-a-week visit, that he wrote off as a 'pick-me up' treat at the end of a long and hard week. Then it became bi-weekly, a treat to start off his week with and a treat to end his week with. And then it became thrice a week, and so on and so forth until he began to come in every day. You became used to this simple, yet effective, routine where Branch would come in at exactly 5:30 pm sharp every day; It was right before your dinner rush, hours after your lunch rush, and somehow always the time of day where you didn't have much work.

ꨄ︎. And you weren't sure whether you should be impressed, or a little scared, that Branch had managed to figure out your schedule so well! You would put a tray of goods in the oven at around 5:15, latest 5:20, to be ready to the dinner (more dessert) rush that would come. Branch knew that, and so he would always come in 'early' to be able to be the 'first' of today's 'hot menu'. Those weren't by your words either, he had actually told you that one day and you had gawked in his response, since it wasn't a very Branch response. Yet, overall, you found yourself always growing a little excited when five o'clock hits, as you knew Branch would be coming to talk soon enough.

ꨄ︎. His visits started brightening your day, really.

Today was a little different though, as usually when 5:30 rolls around you would be up front and waiting for Branch, and this is what he had gotten used to; opening the door of your little Bakery, being hit with the smell of fresh baked cookies and breads, and then seeing your face. It always made his heart jump a beat, maybe two, but he always did his best to act cool. Yet, today his heart didn't skip a beat and your service counter was oddly void of your presence. Then Branch noticed the way your bakery didn't smell as fresh as it usually did this time of day, what wafted in the air were scents of the already baked goods; not the rising and cooking goods that usually came from your oven. That made him worried; You had never not been up front by 5:30 pm.

ꨄ︎. "Hello?" Branch called out into the Bakery, nerves building up in his stomach as his mind went wild with possibilities of what could be happening. You hadn't started a fire, at least not one that had hit the front of the Bakery. You didn't close your Bakery early, your open sign was still hanging and anytime you left the Bakery you marked it as 'closed'; even if you were just going around the corner to talk with some friends. There wasn't any health code violations, because your Bakery would have been shut down and Branch secretly always made sure you were in regulation. The more possibilities he ruled out, the longer he didn't get a response, the worse his nerves got. "Hey! (Y/N)? Are you in here?"

ꨄ︎. Branch did get a response this time around, "Branch?" which caused him to whip his head around with excitement before it flattened upon seeing it was not you. It was an ever so confused Poppy, who held a bin of baking ingredients, and next to her was Viva and Smidge. "Oh hey Poppy." Branch mumbled, shrugging off Poppy's sudden appearance a little hastily upon realizing it wasn't you. He didn't mean to be rude, or sound rude at all, yet he was a little more concerned at your sudden abnormal schedule. I mean, what if you got eaten by a Troll-eating plant?! Branch failed the miss the confused, and slightly concerned, looks that the three made before Viva and Smidge carefully walked around Branch and over to a set of tables. Poppy, on the other hand, walked over to Branch with an ever confused smile, "Branch?... Why are you screaming for (Y/N) inside her Bakery?"

ꨄ︎. Well, Branch couldn't exactly tell Poppy what he's been doing for the past few months: visiting you basically every day, chatting for a good thirty minutes to an hour before leaving. No, Poppy would get overly excited and basically call Branch out on the (horrifying) truth of his visits. So while stood there frozen, muttering a very long "uh" to Poppy, Branch took the first escape goat that someone would give him; without even thinking about it. "Branch! Don't tell me you're here for the baking class too!" Smidge questioned from behind the two, crossing her arms. Branch didn't fully process what she had said in one go, yet he only snapped his fingers and pointed at Smidge with a nervous bit of laughter, "Yes! That I'm here for that!-" That was before Branch did a double take, glancing behind him at Smidge, "wait what?" Baking classes? You had never shared that idea with him, and usually he would be the Troll you tested new recipes on! Yet, Branch's confusion was never answered, as Poppy simply grabbed his hands and took his attention away "Oh Branch! And here I thought you were making secret trips to the Bakery to talk to (Y/N). Pft, silly me! Come on, you can help us set up!"

ꨄ︎. Well, it was safe to say that the Baking class was just a little awkward at the start. Seeing as how Branch never signed up for the class, making you a little startled when you saw him helping out Poppy and Viva, and how Branch overheard that you had changed the recipe they were making last minute. And Branch would be right to assume that the last minute change of plans was because of him.

ꨄ︎. "A baking class?" Branch asked as everyone went home, having offered to help deep-clean your Bakery kitchen after everyone had been baking in there. Somehow, it had left the two of you alone and you knew there was a conversation that needed to be had. A somewhat awkward one. "A baking class that trolls need to sign up for, Branch! And you showed up unannounced." You mumbled back in a slightly correcting tone, unsure how Branch even managed to get tangled into your little side gig. Not that it was illegal by any means yet you had just though the would be out foraging for his base a little longer today! So, it was a real shocker to you, and your plans, when that was the opposite. Branch paused and glanced over at you, unamused. "Oh wow, that makes it so much better, doesn't it?" You could feel his sarcasm from the other side of the kitchen. You rolled your eyes at him, "It makes you just as guilt as me if we're playing this game, Branch." But you were used to Branch by now; Branch and his odd ways of showing that he cared. "Why were you even here? Today, you had told me, you were restocking on your bunker!" "So you planned around me?" Branch quizzed as he went back to work.

ꨄ︎. And Branch wasn't exactly sure what you were going to day; He thought you might deflect the situation and tell him no, you weren't planning around his schedule (when you clearly were) and he was just reading too much into things. But the last thing he expect you to do was softly sigh and stare down at the stainless steal table, cleaning a certain spot in circles. A small frown etched on your face, the type of frown that made Branch pause in his own cleaning again. "Hey I-" Branch started after a long period of silence, not meaning to upset you. His eyebrows frowned upward as he began to walk over to you, yet you only shook your head. "No, no. It's fine just," There was some sort of chuckle in your somber tone, "I should have figured I could never surprise the one Troll that always seems to know when something is going on!" And that thoroughly made Branch confused; Surprise him? What were you on about?

ꨄ︎. You would explain to Branch, a little later while cleaning in silence, that you had planned for that class to make a rather special Christmas dessert (seeing as Christmas was only a few days away now). Not one that was exactly in the spirit of Christmas, yet one that was more in the spirit of giving, if that even made sense. And Branch could tell you were dancing around your explanation, trying to muster up one without giving away your plan, yet you ultimately couldn't.

ꨄ︎. "I wanted to make a batch of double chocolate chip cookie with a fudgy center." You would finally admit to Branch after dancing around your explanation for a while; not wanting to admit to him what you had originally planned to bake. Branch only cocked his head to the side though, raising an eyebrow at you, "But those are one of your summer cookies." He would point out, "Why would you make them now if-" And you knew he had put two and two together by the way he had paused, his eyes going a little wide before a small "oh" escaped his lips. His eyes stayed to the floor for a moment before they looked up at yours, noticing that you were slightly more embarrassed. That only made the tips of Branch's ears flush as he tried to contain his emotions so his face wouldn't flush red either. "I was making them for you." You spat out before you lost your confidence. "You had been telling me how much you missed that summer cookie and I thought, hey, why not bring them back for a limited time? And well... I was planning to surprise you with it... Until you kinda... you know." "Oh..." Branch mumbled again, his eyes darted down to the floor. He felt his heart beat against his chest, and the way his stomach tied into a knot. Only you had been able to make him feel that way.

ꨄ︎. Dammit. Only you made him feel this way and he knew why.

[lovee-infected]

Husband!Leona x Housewife!Reader: Birthday surprise

As you have your birthday today, Leona has a plan to prepare a party for his one and only beloved wife; however, uncle Ruggie and your babies almost burn the house down to ashes when you're out...

Happy birthday @jessamine-rose !♡ Now suffer-

Warning(s): None, just a review on Leona's chaotic father experiment trying to babysit his neko babies.

Note: This work is the continuation of a personal au I wrote for @jessamine-rose s/o and Leona have 3 adorable kittens (babies) in this au; The elder two are twins , a girl named Kaede and a son named Haruki while the baby gremlin is a sweet but chaotic cinnamon roll girl named Lucy (Lulu).

At last, it's here: The big day. Not only Leona seems have been expecting this day to arrive for months, or perhaps, he's been waiting ever since you had your previous birthday last year.

Not that you thought previous birthday celebrations with them lacked anything specific or was incomplete in a recognizable way; but it didn't change the fact that you didn't seem to have enjoyed them either.

Leona is the prince of the afterglow Savannah, after all. As her wife your birthday was nothing less than a national holdiday and he always tented to prepare royal celebrations ever since you married him.

But for some reason, that formal and majestic aura seemed to bother you in a way; perhaps because you preferred to be actually spending time with Leona and your family instead of having to stay in the same spot for hours with your back straightened as you greet thousands of strangers and the rest of the royal family.

Not that you ever spoke of how uncomfortabe and annoying all of those birthday ceremonies were, but you almost let out a relived sigh when Leona tells he isn't going to put out another of those extravagant celebrations.

The night before your birthday, Leona comes to you and mentions hoe it's been a while since the last time you had some time for your own, and he's right: From the day you gave birth to lulu you've been awfully busy with housework and caressing your babies; not that your life could be any sweeter than it is now but you had to admit- You somehow missed the old days when you had more time to spend on your own...

Leona recommends you take a day off, as a birthday treat! You're free to go shopping, take a short vacation to the beach or simply go to your favorite cafe and enjoy your favorite drinks and beverages in peace, meanwhile Leona would take care of the house and kittens so you can have today for your own and all~

Of course you accept his offer, you give him a small kiss on cheek and thank him, the two of you head to your bedroom and you are given the opportunity to sleep on Leona's warm chest for the rest of the night.

Thus you leave the house the next morning after, and now it's time for Leona's secret plan. He's already prepared anything, your favorite flowers, your favorite desserts and food, a very expensive perfume you had liked before, color-matching costumes for both him and the kittens, tiny cute accessories to decorate the house with and at last, tens of gifts from different things he sure knows that you'll love.

Ruggie is charge of cooking, so he gets to preparing muffins and cupcakes while Leona takes care of decorations: Designing the entire house with flower petals, baloons and colorful ribbons would've taken him hours if he were to do that by hand, but using his extraordinary magic skills, the whole house is perfectly decorated and prepared in a second *Chef's kiss.*

Just as Leona is about to let out a proud smirk and return to kitchen to see how Ruggie is doing with he cooking, he hears a sound. He turns his head to find no one but baby Lulu, chewing the decorations.

He runs to her and takes the ribbons out of her mouth, opening her mouth a second time and carefully look through it to see if she's eaten any of them or not. Oh God, he promised that he'd take care of everything when you're out, he just can't let you return home and find out that your baby has swallowed paper, what will you even think of him? Irresponsible partner? Unworthy father? No, he must make sure that baby lulu would be all same and sound until you return home.

He hugs Lulu and puts her on a corner with several baloons to play with, far from anything dangerous she could chew but then baby Lulu discovers a new hobby: popping balloons.

Her tiny fangs have just popped out and her gums often hurt, so she just wants to get her fangies on anything she could chew or bite and wow, this baby is not only totally unaffected by the loud sound of balloons popping right into her face but also finds it quite amusing. Baby begins to laugh loudly and chase after more balloons to chew as she has discovered a new hobby, and before Leona could've stopped her, she pops 5 more balloons with just one bite-

Leona picks her up immediately because if Lulu continued to chew balloons like this nothing of them would be left until you get home-

- But all of a sudden, he smells something rotten, followed by a trail of smoke coming from kitchen. He immediately puts Lulu down and runs back to the kitchen to see what in the great seven's name is happening there-

Leona jumps into the kitchen- just to find Kaede and Haruki screaming and crying as Ruggie's trying to take the black-rotten cupcakes out of the oven. Leona asks what the hell has happened and Ruggie explains he was too busy separating the twins because they couldn't stop arguing whether their mama would like caramel syrup as the topping or sprinkles, so Ruggie totally forgets about the overcooked muffins and cupcakes in the middle of their arguments.

Leona tells him to pull himself and start over- But Ruggie aruges that he won't be able to concentrate on both babysitting and cooking if that's how it's going to be. Leona growls and tell Ruggie to stop being such a wacky hyena and just get back to work without messing up again- And Ruggie explodes.

He starts shouting, Ruggie legit starts shouting in a rare, angry tune which terrified everyone even Leona. He roars that he won't be doing shit until Leona actually pays him for once, and the two start arguing. Just as the chaos is burning the kitchen down, Lulu decides uncle Ruggie's leg looks quite delicious to bite, and in a matter of second Ruggie is screaming as the baby lion's fangs literally pierced into his flesh.

The whole house is filled with smoke, Lulu has taken the entire decorations down and Leona's trying to seprate baby Lulu's fangs from Ruggie's leg. Twins are terrified, so the silently sneak out of the kitchen to call the right person to come for help...

It's past 10 pm when you're done with your day off. You've been giggling over how a day off was just what you needed after a long time, you had told Leona to call if anything went wrong, and thankfully, you didn't receive any calls from him while you were out. Leona really seems to have toughed it out as a father, huh?

You knock at the door, waiting for someone to open it. After a 3 minute delay you take a small look through the house and realize the lights are off. You just get in using your keys and suddenly, a loud "SURPRISE!" makes you jump back and the lights are back on, revealing Farena, Cheka, your kittens and very, very very tired-looking Leona and Ruggie standing in front of you. Leona gives you a weak smile as your confused gaze meets him, at last, they managed to clean the mess up before you got home.

Twins welcome you with a warm hug as they lock their tiny arms around your waist, digging their faces into soft fabrics of your clothes as if they hadn't met you in days, and of course, 12 hours of chaos without mama at home is enough to make them want to never be left alone in the house with uncle Ruggie and dad again-

Ruggie is trying his best not to be rude but he quickly approaches you, wishes you a very happy birthday and excuses himself saying he really needs to be home by this hour. You question the bandages wrapped around his leg, asking if he's alright? Ruggie just- Gulps nervously before turning his head back and stare at Leona who is holding Lulu... Ruggie nods quickly and leaves your house asap, poor boy... maybe you should call him sometime later and asking if he's doing fine?

Back to the party, Farena chuckles as he tells you how his younger brother has been DESPERATELY making plans for his beloved wife's birthday for nearly two months-! Farena explains that Leona even refused to accept Farena's help when he was firstly coming up with the plans, but Leona insisted that he wanted to manage everything on his own.

Aaaaaw Leona's face is a must-see now, his ears dropped down in mild embarrassment and frustration, feeling like a silly child in front of you. Damn- If it was on him he wouldn't have asked for Farena's help once in a thousand years even if if Ruggie and him had ended up burning the entire house; but he must admit, he's glad that twins asked for his help because- It would've been impossible to manange to do all the work on time without his help.

Aaah at least your birthday party didn't turn out to be a horrible mess, but at what cost? Great seven, he was supposed to be your one and only man tonight but right now he's nothing but a fuzzy cat wanting to pass put on his bed.

Yet he still manages to keep his eyes open, at least until you're done with the birthday party and Farena and Cheka are finally out; leaving him alone with you. Gosh, he looks so- you can't even find tje right adjective to describe this but all you can say for now is that you've never seen him this tired before.

You gently take Lulu, who has already fallen asleep in his arms and take her to her bed, asking Leona if babysitting her was difficult by any means. Leona tiredly shakes his head in a no, saying how much of a wonderful girl she was when you were away, and you can tell how much of an awful liar he is.

When the kids are asleep, you come to sit next to a lifeless Leona on couch, damn, just what happened to this household when you weren't around?

Leona's too tired to explain, he just sighs and apologizes for your birthday not being even *close to the best it could be, just to meet your laughter.

Oh lord, he is being quite desperate at the moment ha? Leona was always the dominative and demanding one, to have him serve ypu on your birthday... Oh dear, isn't that already the best birthday gift possible?

You excitedly start to tell him how this birthday was just the best you could've ever asked for: Freedom, A golden time to be spent for your own desires and not anyone else, and aside all of these, you return home just to face a secret party waiting for you!

But most importantly: He had gone through all of these... for you, to make you happy.

You tightly hug him, wrapping your arms around his neck and bringing his face closer to yours. Aaaa he looks so cute like this, just like a tired pouty can wanting you to spoil him and to be honest, he's going to need you spoil him for a week at least for him to recovers from that 12 hours of chaos.

It's been a long day, for both you and him. So he just kisses your forehead and bridal carries you to your bedroom afterwards; wrapping his strong arms and thighs around you and jailing you in his embrace. You gasp at the warmth, truth be told having your face burried in Leona's firm chest like this was something you never got used to even after being married to him for years. Damn lion knew how to leave a flushed mess out of you, huh? You chuckle as you struggle to release yourself but hell, the jerk simply pretends that he's already fallen asleep.

Just as Leona's arms are jailing you into his embrace he wonders, today probably didn't turn out to be as good as he'd planmed but well... at least you're happy. That's what he wanted when he whet out of his way planning for today, after all. But he can tell the experiment made him come to appreciate you even more, thinking that you've been caressing all three of your babies for years all on your own while Leona wouldn't have even made it for half a day if Farena hadn't saved him...

[runwithwolvcs]

You Know I'm No Good - t w o

Temptation vs Freedom

Warnings (future chapters): Drugs/Alcohol, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Jealousy, Mental Health, (Mentions of SA, but no details)

I don't like memories because the tears come easily, and once again I break my promise to myself for this day. Its a constant battle . A war between remembering and forgetting.

Back in her darkened bedroom, Tallulah still couldn't wrap her head around her current situation. The rest of the night consisted of her being introduced to people who seemed to know more about her then she had wanted, clearly word spreads fast around La Push. Josie had introduced her to some of her friends that had arrived later, after the tribal stories. Clearly only there for the party. They seemed nice, but they were definitely not the type of people she would choose to be friends with herself.

Lenna had made herself scarce throughout the entire, to which her twin stated was typical behaviour. But Tallulah figured it had more to do with her presence than anything else. Tally couldn't help but look for the tan boy she had locked eyes with, something about him was so alluring. It was almost frustrating, Tallulah Forester doesn't get captivated by anyone, not ever. She was the captivating one, at least that's what Xander had always said. “You're like a tornado, with pretty eyes and a heartbeat. Luring in bystanders until you’ve ruined their lives..That's what I enjoy so much about you”, that was the last thing he had said to her before she had left his house party the night she had been caught. Their relationship was a mess, both of them struggling for control, even if it meant hurting each other in the process. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, but it was all she ever had. She craved it in an almost masochist way.

Tallulah's phone had been off all night, not in the mood to deal with the onslaught of messages she was sure to get, now that she had a moment to breath by herself she figured she may as well read them, 1 5 messages from Lina and 3 missed calls, her best friend, was more than likely freaking out, consumed by guilt over the fact that their lies to their parents had been crossed. 7 messages from Kit, who she figured was already trying to plan how to spin this to make herself the victim, as Kit does, and 1 lone message from Xander, the only one she read before she shut off her phone to go to sleep.

That sucks :(

Was all that it said.

-

After a lot of tossing and turning in the bed that was almost too soft, mixed with the pillows that weren’t soft enough, Tallulah drifted off to sleep. She dreamed of the boy who had taken her by storm, his smile seemed brighter than the sun and the way he laughed was like music to her ears. They were on a cliff overlooking the ocean, she could see that he was talking, but couldn't hear what he was saying, she watched as he stood up and walked towards the edge of the cliff, looking as though he was about to jump, she stood up in a panic--

Tallulah startled awake to Kira shaking her shoulder gently, a soft smile graced her face. It was raining, but Tallulah could tell it was early morning.

“Tally, sweetie, you’re dad and I would like to speak with you before he goes to a meeting” she said quietly, “Get dressed and meet us downstairs in ten minutes,” she spoke, the smile never leaving her lips. Tallulah groaned, not one to be a morning person in the slightest, she swung her legs out of bed, toes touching the cool hardwood floors. She could hear low murmurs outside her door as she heaved herself out of bed, still not used to her surroundings she walked to her two duffle bags and sifted through the clothes before settling on an oversized, green long sleeve to cover the stick and poke tattoos that littered her arms, with ripped, loose, blue jeans. One disappointment at a time, she thought to herself as she got dressed. She grabbed her hairbrush from her bag and ran it through her hair, leaving it to lay in its natural waves down her back before quietly heading downstairs to whatever talk she was awaiting.

She was met with Kira and her father sitting at the kitchen table next to each other, and as they beckoned her over to sit, she noticed the thin, blue rectangle laying in the middle of the table. The same blue rectangle she had so carefully hid in her room back in Seattle, or so she thought. She could feel anger begin to bubble in her belly as realization dawned on her, her mother had been through her room.

She sat expectantly, waiting for her dad to chastise her for using drugs, or even alcohol, as a minor and how that could affect her future, but he looked to Kira to begin. The gentle smile that was near permanent on her stepmom was almost comforting in the moment, almost. “Tally”, She starts, “We are aware of your.. pastimes, in Seattle, however, we will not be encouraging that same behaviour here.” she sounds like a damn counselor, Tallulah thought to herself. She’d honestly prefer being yelled at. “We have a few ground rules that we expect you to follow, as we do Lenna and Josette.” Kira continued, “Under no circumstances, will we allow drugs under our roof, including nicotine,” she says referring to the vape sitting in between them, “Or alcohol that does not belong to your father and I. If you are to partake in these activities and are caught you will have consequences.” She looks at Joseph, as if they had rehearsed their own parts, looking towards her dad expectantly, “Secondly,” He speaks up, “As we expect with the twins, any boy, or girl, that you are,, having relations with, we expect to meet, no sneaking them through bedroom windows.” Tallulah cringes internally, it was one time, she wanted to yell. “Curfew will be 11:00 pm on school nights and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, no exceptions.. Understood?” he asked, looking at his eldest daughter. She wants to argue with them, tell them that policing her life won’t make her change, not the way that they wanted her to at least. That was something her mother learned the hard way. She had taken the door off her bedroom when she had found out she was sneaking out in the night, which only caused Tallulah to start sneaking out the front door instead, right in front of her.

“You done?” she asks, yawning, this wasn’t new to her at all, and she really didn’t care to be frank. The two adults look at each other, Kira nodding her head in Tallulah's direction, Joseph sighed before tossing a key chain on the table next to her vape. A small house key was connected to what looked like a car key. “Choose one.”

Temptation or Freedom?

Tallulah spent the rest of the day running errands with Josie, who had offered to show her around the reservation. They had stopped at Monets, the local cafe, run by the Littleseas, its the go to hangout spot, according to Josie. Who happens to be friends with Colin Littlesea, the eldest son of the owners.

Tallulah picked at the half eaten muffin sitting in front of her as she waited for Josie to return with a refill of both of their coffees. They were so different from each other, Tallulah drinking hers black, while Josies consisted of mainly cream and sugar, just like their personalities, but for some odd reason they clicked.

The car her father and Kira gave her was originally supposed to go to Josie, so that the twins no longer would have to share their current one. Finding out that alone made her reconsider her choice, at least a nicotine addiction only really affected her, but with a lot of reassurance from Josie, and the simple ask that Tallulah help run her errands eased her guilt. She didn't want to upend the twins' life, it wasn’t their fault her parents decided to force her to move to La Push. While Josie seemed to enjoy her presence, Lenna did not, and it's clear now she was avoiding her.

Tallulah gazed around the quaint yet homey cafe, its hand painted walls consisted of the same trees that surrounded the reservation, it was peaceful. She looked towards the door as it chimed, alerting the staff of new customers entering, a group of extremely tall, good looking men walked through the door, causing the calm energy to shift with their booming laughs, everyone seemed to be used to this behaviour, considering she was the only one to look in their direction.

Her eyes followed the group of boys, taking each one in, by the time she reached the last, he was already looking at her. Paul Lahote. The largest of them all, in height and muscle, she thought to herself as her eyes raked his body.

Josie setting her coffee down in front of her broke her concentration on the boy, her attention fully shifted to her half-sister. “What do they feed the men here? They are all so tall” Tallulah asked jokingly, to which Josie laughed, shaking her head. “Not all of them. Just the ones who hang around Sam Uley. Some people say he's giving them steroids but dad swears against it. So does mom.” She watched Josie grimace, and cut her off before she could correct herself, “--I’ve seen boys roided, they look nothing like them.” she spoke before taking a sip of her coffee. Josie nodded, an almost fascinated look on her young face, “So it's true then..” At this, Tallulah raises her eyebrows, “ what's true?”

“Your mom sent you here because you got mixed up with some guys who did drugs or whatever. At least that's what Lenna said she heard dad say”

Of course she did, so much for a fresh start, she thought.

Tallulah rolled her eyes, “Sort of, I guess --”

Now she was being interrupted, a large looming figure was now standing at the edge of their table, greeting Josie, she watched as the younger girl blushed in response, before saying “Hey, Ethan. Uh, this is my older sister, Tally or um, Tallulah,” Josie fumbled over her words as she introduced her. Tallulah looked up at the towering boy with a half smile, nodding her head as a way to say ‘hey’ , Ethan nodded back before asking, “I didn’t realize you guys were sisters. Do you go to school off the rez?”

Tallulah shook her head, “I did but I just moved here from Seattle. I start at the rez school tomorrow.”

He nods before engaging with Josie in conversation about some project they were working on and she can’t help but look over at the boisterous table in the far corner, she can see Paul and another boy glance at her as they talk, she excuses herself from Josie and Ethan, the coffee in her mug no longer appetizing and itching for her little blue rectangle in that moment.

Tallulah makes her way up to the bar-like counter, the waitress coming to take her order almost immediately. She orders a sweet tea, hoping to wash some of the lingering bitterness from her mouth, hoping it would help curve her cravings. She can feel someone come up next to her but doesn't bother to look who it is as she fiddles with a napkin, the waitress comes to take their order and their voice sounds like velvet in her ears despite the hint of gruffness to it.

“You're Joseph Forester's daughter, right?” She hears him ask, she looks in his direction to see he's already looking at her, a small cocky, smirk toying on his lips. He already knows the answer clearly. She wants to roll her eyes and tell him to fuck off, but she can’t bring herself to do so. So, she nods and softly says, “Yeah, Tallulah.” This causes him to actually smile, like he's thankful she didn’t just blow him off. That hot, cocky persona is nearly untraceable now,

“I’m Paul Lahote.”

[xiazoxio]

Chapter 1 - "Flicker"

Word count: 1.2k

A/n; oop- part 1 omg! I made it only 1.2k words because I was busy being a 🤡 hehehh-

There's a surprise moodboard at the end c:

------

I've finally come to the realization that maybe,after all these years, she wouldn't be coming back.

I placed the cup I was previously holding back onto the counter. My tears felt suffocating at this point, they never stopped. Salty and bittersweet sorrow was always a nostalgic feeling no matter how many times I've tried to impede it. They were always reminiscent of the fact she was never coming back. 

I took in a deep breath, like I could breathe only when my presence was accompanied by sadness.

I leaned back on the cool wall, jolting me up a bit,from the contrast of the warm bed. I started thinking. 

Was that dream real? Or was it just another one of those stupid,stress nights?

I unconsciously looked at the gently swaying window, reflecting the orange hue of the rising sun, the curtains dimming the light from completely blinding me. There, a slit between the curtains and the window was present. Beautiful cotton skies,swirling with intricate clouds and vibrant dream-like colors of hints of pastel blues and indigos. The clouds forming a beautifully ornate pattern across the sky after the rain, something I'd seen for the first time. 

The little plants growing beside the window frame were luminous with life. They gave off a fresh scent that made breathing a bit easier. The lovely scent pricked my nose, chuckling a bit at the thought. A few chirping birds passed by, a mother and her child, her children emulating her,singing sweet songs.

The little window gave me just the tiniest bit of hope of restarting.

-

I was holed up in this apartment for the rest of the day, having been given a holiday due to heavy rains for the past weeks. Of course, I continued on lifelessly until today, where I wanted to do some activity.

Still having the reminder that rain will be pouring down later this day. 

I started planning on what to do. I counted the stakes this was just a lucid dream, or it wasn't. I've never had these dreams, half of the excuse that I hadn't been able to snap out of my own haze of ignorance. 

If it really was real, I started planning ahead.

Acceptance.

My heart ached for a minute as I stared at the word I'd written down. It was almost on impulse my mind acted upon, but it was showing that I had started to think about this more rationally than an emotional view.

I brainstormed for steps to start, my hands not fast enough to keep up with my mind, a reason for my messy handwriting.

I need to start thinking about our old,happier times instead of mourning for the ones we won't be able to spend together.

This sentence alone made an appearance of a bittersweet smile.

I may not remember those times too brightly, because back then, we didn't know we were making (lost) memories, we just knew that we were having fun.

-

5:36 PM

It was the same dream I'd gotten last week.

The same road I'd inevitably run down, the same pattern of warm blood that'd slip through the cracks of the jagged road, the dreadful feeling of fear creeping up on my back as I came to a screeching halt in front of me.

The pitiful stares of people around me as shock stilled my body.

But then I woke up.

A dry path of drool still embedded on my skin as I lifted my head up to see the papers around me, small pictures of us scattered on the grey,cold desk. I fell asleep. 

I stared at the ticking clock for a few minutes,confused thoughts still clogging my mind. I slowly processed what was happening around me and stood up.

I turned right,hearing a loud purr.

Munko laid on top of my bedside drawer,dangerously close to pushing the lamp off,but taking more interest in the stray fibres of my pillow cover. I walked over trying not to startle her and slowly picked up the lamp, keeping it beside the drawer. Munko stretched out onto the space the lamp had previously taken over, as if mocking its victory over the space. I laughed at her antics and picked her up, making sure her claws weren't tangled within the fibres of the pillow cover.

I walked out of my bedroom, leaving the half written papers on my desk to fly with the outside wind however they wanted,hoping they wouldn't fly out the open window.

I slowly let her down from my arms onto the floor. She walked towards her food bowl that laid empty,with only small crumbs of the dry food I'd feed her at times. I remembered to feed her and walked over to her to pick up the bowl. She'd instantly meow as loud as possible whenever there was her bowl in my hand, because she knew I was going to feed her a bunch.

I kept the bowl on the counter and,like muscle memory, completed the task before I knew it. I was still thinking,however, about what I should exactly do. Enko's instructions were quite vague, only to "move on".

Of course, I had the internet too. But just as a precaution,maybe I should wait for her instructions. It is her undying wish, after all.

I picked up the bowl after Munko had eaten and licked it clean to pour in some water and get her to drink some,even if only a little.

Making sure she'd drink at least some, I searched for my phone. The apartment was too silent,too tormenting for my thoughts.

I searched for my phone, located it and sat on my bed, browsing through my music playlist searching for some background noise. It'd work even if it was static, I can't handle silence for long. 

Music was like a form of comfort.

I'd always find something related to my problems, having something to relate to and knowing that person who sang it was also going through the same thing always gave me some form of reassurance. It comforted me.

But music only helps you so far. 

There are times when even music can't read your feelings. Feelings are complicated and hard to understand. They're always deeper than the surface. No words can describe, whether unique or common, no word could ever.

People say that a person who understand the depth of your emotions is your soulmate, and to hold on to them with a death grip.

However, this concept was quite a mess to me.

I put my phone down as beautiful rhythms emitted from it. 

I was lost, for once. It was a new feeling. A mix of stress, confusion yet excitement and thrill. It felt refreshing. Life was seeming vibrant and colorful for the first time,new fluttering feelings dancing in my chest, and my heart pounding in happiness as small flickers of thrill run down my spine.

Is this what living feels like?

I don't want to lose these feelings, this new feeling of ebullience, a ball of child-like happiness. 

I want to make everyday count,every day to remember, and every moment to be filled with contentment.

Maybe I'll try something new tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

-