#i didn't want to live my life that way going through his phone and computer but with how tech smart he is

[novadreii]

like really, imagine a man lying about his whereabouts to you and then digging his heels in that he was right to do so when caught because he knew you would be mad. just internally justifying destroying your trust in him for a possible reaction that future you MIGHT have had. not even a little sorry, and looking at you as the bad guy because you're hurt and upset for being deceived. the right thing to do would have been to take the ensuing shitstorm on the chin, apologize and promise to never intentionally deceive me again! bc there is no excuse for betraying trust, and you certainly can't blame a reaction that hasn't fucking happened yet! what backwards ass fucking logic.

[luvacookie]

ur such a smart girl.

armin helps one of his best friends with her physics lectures.

❥ warnings : mildly nerdy ! armin, shitty physics terminology, not proof read, oral (f & m receiving), face fucking, slight degrading, praise, softdom ! armin, sub ! reader, blk fem coded.

❥ cookie for ur thoughts ? : i needed to write smthing for minnie, it woulda been so criminal if i didn't omg

“armin, are you coming?”

he shook his head, eyes not leaving his computer screen. “can’t. promised y/n i’d help her with her studying.”

eren groaned, staring at his bestfriend. “arminnn. can’t you cancel? you’re always with that sophomore.”

“dude, i promised. i’m not going.”

eren sighed. he left his room, closing the door behind him. armin closed his computer screen, rubbing his tired eyes.

his phone began buzzing beside him and he picked it up, smiling at the contact photo of you and him.

“arminnnn! are you still coming over?”

“of course i am princess, in about fifteen minutes. why? are you okay?” he responded, his eyes still closed.

“yes yes, i just wanted to know if you would be down for pizza after? my treat.”

he smiled. “sure, anything you want.”

you grinned, kicking your feet on your bed. “mkayyy, see you soon.”

you hung up, dropping your phone besides you.

“you’re so in love it’s sickening,” annie commented from her desk, picking at her chipped nail polish.

you scoffed. “i am not in love. armin is my best friend is all.”

she rolled her eyes, picking up her bag. “whatever you say. i’m going to reiner’s now, don’t fuck on my bed.”

you ignored her, scrolling through your phone. once you heard the door click shut you jumped out of bed, picking out an outfit.

you settled on some checkered pyjama bottoms and a pink lacy crop top, just in time for armin to knock on your front door.

“hiii,” you greeted him, pulling him in for a hug.

he hugged you back tightly, his arms wrapping around your waist. “you okay?”

you nodded enthusiastically, letting him go and dragging him into your dorm.

“make yourself comfy, i’m gonna go grab my stuff,” you told him, leaving him to re-familiarise himself with your accommodation.

he wandered aimlessly, picking up little trinkets he hadn't noticed before that you and annie had placed around the living room. he had been taking a photo of baby you and your family when you walked back in the room, books in arm.

"mkay, i'm ready, where do you wanna start?" you asked, making yourself comfy at your small dining room table.

he sat beside you, flipping through your pretty physics notes. "how about here?" he pointed to the notes you made last lecture.

you nodded enthusiastically, pulling out your laptop. you typed in your password and armin's heart could have burst at seeing you and him on your home screen.

"i remember this day," he said, smiling at the photo of the two of you.

you pulled your screen towards you, hiding it from him. “aha, yeah…”

armin watched you shuffle in your seat, typing in your needed web page before turning the screen the right way.

you settled, flipping to a clean page in your notebook. “mkay, so i don’t get these points…”

hours passed as you tried to force physics into your head, desperate to drag your average up.

armin watched as you became became frustrated, sighing and pouting how you do when your annoyed.

“ ‘min i just can’t remember, i don’t wanna waste your time. accept that i’m just bad,” you sighed, burying your head on the countless flash cards on your desk.

“i don’t think your bad, in fact i think you’re quite smart, just distracted,” he hummed, tapping his fingers on the desk.

“no. i’m just bad,” you giggled sadly, rubbing your eyes.

“do you trust me?” he asked, disregarding your statement.

“yeah, of course,” you responded instantly. you did trust him, with your life practically.

he stood up from the table, grabbing you by the hand.

“where are we going?” you asked, letting him lead you to wherever.

he pushed your bedroom door open, locking it behind you. your heart jumped slightly in your throat, wondering what it was that armin had in mind.

"still trust me?" he asked, his eyes trailing over your body.

you nodded meekly, moving back to sit on your soft bed covers.

"i'm gonna help you focus, my way," he mumbled, stalking towards you.

a slight shiver erupted over your body, the way his blue eyes stared at you did criminal things to your state of mind.

"what is your way?"

he sank down in front of you, settling on his knees. your heart was seriously on the verge of spitting itself up, the view of armin on his knees in front of you felt religious.

his hands played with the waist band of your pyjamas, tugging them down agonizingly slow, leaving you in your plain white thong.

his hands rested on your knees gently, slowly prying them apart, which you let happen with no resistance, something that pleased him.

he slowly kissed his way up your plush thighs, nipping every so often, making you release little whimpers. music to his ears.

just as he reached the damp spot on your panties he looked up at you, his eyes inspecting your face. you whined, squeezing your thighs together lightly to get him to keep going.

"what's the equation to hooke's law?" he asked innocently, scraping his blunt nails up and down your inner thigh.

you blinked, confused. he hummed and placed a light kiss to your clit through your panties, making you whine out for him.

"tell me then."

you fumbled over your words, you knew the answer to this but it was hard to think of much when a god-sent angel was on the verge of making you cum.

"s-spring constant times the stretch," you whined, reaching your hand out to comb through his hair.

he placed a kiss on your thigh and then your clit, moving his hands to your ass to pull you in closer. he moved his hands to your panties, pulling them down to leave your pussy bare for him.

you whined at the feeling of his breath tickling you, a contrast to your normally cold room. he rubbed slow circles on your clit, making you moan lowly.

"equation for resistance," he mumbled, looking at your face.

"f-fuck armin i-" you whined out.

he pulled away from you, making you pout and breathe heavily.

"don't give me that face princess. the more you get right the quicker you get to cum," he mocks, tracing light shapes on your inner thigh.

you sighed, annoyed. "i don't know armin! please! i promise i'll be a good girl for you—"

he shook his head, giving you a small smirk. "goddamn it. i can't say no to you when you beg like that."

he doesn't give you a chance to respond as he continues his assault on your clit, switching between sucking and licking. he enters his middle finger gently, fucking you with it softly, the contradiction making your brain hurt.

you lie down on the bed, the stimulation throwing you off guard. "fuck min- i'm gonna-"

he shushes you, his mouth unwavering, the vibrations making the coil in your belly unwind faster. he moves his finger inside you quicker, feeling you squeeze him tighter.

"mm- shit- cumming-!" you moan, the pleasure washing over you.

that didn't stop armin from devouring you, he wasn't done with you just yet.

he only began to let up when your thighs threatened to crush his head, not that he would have complained if they did. he left small, wet kisses as he trailed along back to your mouth, kissing you feverishly.

you could taste yourself on his tongue, enjoying the freak nature that armin was displaying with you. he pulled away from you slowly, a clear string of spit following him as he studied you with low eyes.

“gonna be a good girl f’me ? like you promised baby ?” he asked, reaching for your hand. he carefully moved you to the floor, placing you on your knees in front of him.

you nodded eagerly, willing to go to the edge of the earth for this man to give you another orgasm. “i will, min.”

he smirked at you, moving your hand towards the tent that had grown in his sweats. you started working as if you were on autopilot, palming him roughly and drawing out low groans from the back of his throat.

“can i pull these down please ?” you said, breaking armin’s momentary bliss.

“of course you can baby,” he responded, watching your perfectly polished acrylic nails break past the waist band of his sweats and boxers in one go.

you pulled them down slowly, letting his dick snap up and slap against the lower part of his stomach. you had been staring for too long as armin tapped your pink lips with his tip.

“open up baby,” he mumbled, watching your jaw widen to fit him in comfortably.

you let the saliva build in your mouth before you started bobbing up and down slowly, swirling your tongue over the tip. armin let out low whimpers, grabbing your hair and turning it into a makeshift ponytail.

you began to pick up the pace, balancing by placing one of your hands his thighs and using the other to rub the length that couldn’t fit inside your mouth.

“fuuuuck baby girl… just like that, use that tongue of yours hm,” he encouraged, lightly pushing your head further down his length.

the intrusion of his dick grazed the back of your throat, making it constrict and you gag and causing him to let out a particularly loud moan. spit began pooling out of your mouth and travelling down him and your face. you eventually tapped out, coming up for the air your lungs were lacking.

you inhaled deeply, your head resting on his thigh. “couldn’t breathe—”

armin pet your head softly, “did such a good job baby girl. can you finish it for me ?”

your breathing became less erratic so you nodded, desperate to do well for him. you took his length in your hand and moved up and down, squeezing as you reached the tip.

more strings of whimpers and moans escaped armin’s lips, his hand having a strong grip on the side of your hair as a way to relieve the pressure building up inside of him.

you kitten licked the tip and placed light kisses on it, causing his dick to twitch. when your breathing finally relaxed, you allowed his length to hit the back of your throat, causing armin to loose his mind.

he grabbed the back of your head and began abusing your mouth, using you however he liked.

“such a pretty fucking mouth huh? shame it belongs to such a slut, letting me fuck your face like this?” his voice came out hoarse, his hips beginning to stutter and slow.

you moaned at the roughness of his movements, the vibration and constriction being his final straw. without warning, his cum shot down your throat, forcing you to swallow it all.

“s-shit— are you okay baby ?” his normally soft demeanour returned, pulling his cock out your mouth and pulling you off the floor.

you nodded and opened your mouth to show armin that is cum was gone.

“swallowed all of it!” your voice came out rougher than usual.

he kissed your mouth gently, stroking the back of your head as he did.

“well done baby, i’m so proud of you,” he mumbled, pulling you in for a hug.

you welcomed his embrace, sinking into his body.

“get you all cleaned up then order that pizza ? we can be done with physics for today,” he said into the top of your head, the sound reverberating through your body.

“yes please,” you responded softly.

armin chuckled at you in a teasing manner. he was stuck with you for a very long time.

[stevesjockstrap]

Helping Hands

Written for @stevieweek Stevieween prompt “This is what you’re doing on Halloween?”

Rated M • Stevie/Eddie • female, confident, bisexual Stevie, platonic stobin, modern era, no UD, meet ugly, happy ending • wc 700

She hadn't really planned to be at the laundromat on Halloween night, it had just sort of happened. It was empty, everyone apparently joining in the festivities. But it was a Thursday this year. She worked tomorrow morning.

She was bored, though. Pulling up Robin in her phone to FaceTime, she got an immediate soured look on her face. "This is what you're doing on Halloween?"

Stevie rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom, I'm trying to get fucked this weekend and I needed to wash my mattress cover." She laughed as Robin made fake gagging noises at her.

"You're at work, not doing anything fun either," she reminded her.

"I guess. But everyone knows I live vicariously through your adventures. I hate the laundromat," Robin groaned dramatically.

"God forbid one night of my life is unglamorous, Bobbi," she laughed. "I'm bored, though."

Robin huffed at her fake pout, pretending to be annoyed but putting her phone on the holder that was just for these scenarios, so she could still work on her computer while gossiping with her friend.

"You know what else is unacceptable? Why can I deep throat dicks but I gag when I brush my tongue?"

Robin snorted so violently she sent herself into a coughing fit, doubled over out of sight. Stevie grinned and, enjoying wreaking havoc, continued. "Speaking of dicks," — there came a louder groan amongst the coughing — "Guys are always so into girls squirting, but they've never been the ones to actually get me to. It's only been girls."

Before Robin could catch her breath from the increased laugh/coughing, a man appeared around the corner from her.

"Uh, excuse me miss, but a-are these yours?"

They both looked down at the small scrap of red fabric in his hand. Her lace thong.

He continued, his face nearly as red as the underwear, "They were stuck in the dryer."

Stevie blinked, just realizing she hadn't heard this person come in and didn���t know how long he'd been listening to her inappropriate conversation.

But she had never been shy about these things. She smiled cheekily and flicked her hair over her shoulder, reaching out and feeling the roughness of his hand as she took her panties from him. "Oh, thank you…?"

He flicked his eyes over her quickly and she held back a grin.

"E-Eddie, I'm Eddie. I work here, I mean — I-I help the owner out sometimes, w-with the machines. I'm good with my hands." He winced, probably not meaning that to sound the way it did, especially with what he had just overheard.

"Is that so, Eddie?" Stevie purred, sliding closer.

He ran a hand through his own hair nervously, and she took her time looking him up and down. He was in some sort of work jumpsuit, with letters on a patch she didn't recognize. His hair was long and wavy, a little tangled and messy in a way that actually worked for him. It made her want to yank it. He had full lips and big brown button eyes. He was also quite a bit taller than her, which she definitely liked.

"I know that look," Robin called out from her phone. She'd forgotten about her. "Go ahead and ask for her number, buddy. Trust me, she's a sure thing."

"Hey!"

They both ignored her though, Eddie’s cheeks reddening.

“Better yet, ask her if she needs help putting the waterproof mattress cover back on her bed!”

Stevie quickly hung up on her alleged best friend. Leaning in again, she instead decided to go for broke. “So, Eddie.” He looked like he was about to swallow his tongue. “Tell me, what is your stance on chocolate chip pancakes?”

Eddie surprised her with a chuckle and a wry grin. “I have to say I am pro pancakes of any species.”

The diner down the road was just as empty, and she agreed to bring Eddie to her apartment when it was clear the waitress was trying to close but didn’t want to be rude.

He did end up helping to wrestle her mattress cover back on, and proved it wasn’t just girls who could put it to the test. Good with his hands, indeed.

Dividers by @/enchanthings & @/fuctacles

[ofstarsandvibranium]

My Sweetheart: Part 2

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary: You purchase a vintage sweetheart bracelet from an antique store and with it, comes the spirit of the woman who owned it. Through her, you go on an interesting journey to find out what happened to her old lover.

Part 1

It's been two days since you've basically taken a ghost back home with you. Said ghost named Dot who was attached to the sweetheart bracelet you bought. In the few days since discovering her, you've discovered that she can be pretty powerful. She'll open doors, knock things over, stuff to grab your attention. While she does have a lot of energy, communicating with you can take a lot out of her sometimes. Now it's day three and you're at your computer with a pen and paper beside you to see if she can give you the name of this Jamie person.

You watch as the pen moves a bit but doesn't lift. You're sure she's trying her best, but it kind of frustrates you. You want to help Dot so she can move on and so that you can get back to living your regular life, completely alone without your newfound ghost roommate.

Ways to talk to ghosts

You type the words into google and click on the first link you see: ouija board, a spiritual medium, pendulums, rods, voice recorder, or a spirit box.

Out of all the options, you felt like the ouija board would be the best bet to communicate with Dot. So later that day you go to your local Target and purchase a ouija board, because, yes, they do sell those there. The board being considered as a game.

Later that night, after you've had dinner, you sit in your living room. You have the ouiji board set on your coffee table. The lights are off in the room except for a few candles you lit. You place the sweetheart bracelet beside the board, hoping it'll bring as much of Dot's energy as possible. Beside that, is a pad and paper for you to jot notes

You take the planchette, sliding it over to HELLO.

You take a deep breath, "Dot, are you here?"

With your fingers lightly touching the planchette, they slide towards YES on their own.

"Alright. What is your full name?"

You watch at the device slides over each letter to spell out D-O-L-O-R-E-S-M-I-L-L-A-R-D.

"Dolores Millard. Okay. Nice to meet you, Dolores. But I'm assuming you prefer Dot?"

YES, she says as it slides to the upper left of the board.

"Alright, Dot. Who is this Jamie you want me to look for him? Why do you want me to look for him?"

J-A-M-E-S-B-A-R-N-E-S

"James Barnes? Uuuhh, is there anything else you can give me? Does he have a middle name? It'll make things easier to looking him up."

B-U-C-H-A-N-A-N.

"James Buchanan Barnes. Alright. Give me a second," you pull out your phone and type in James Buchanan Barnes as well as 1940s.

You went through a list of men, Dot either telling you YES or NO. Then it hit you, "Wait. Hold on."

You type in BUCKY BARNES to google and tap on a picture captured of him and Sam Wilson, "Is this your Jamie? Is Bucky Barnes your Jamie?"

YES.

"...well shit!"

_______________________________

Bucky didn't expect things to go this way. He didn't think he'd find himself working beside Captain America again. However, he did find it therapeutic in a way. Sure, he still went to therapy, just not with Dr. Raynor anymore, but this was a different kind of therapeutic. This was him doing good, to make up for all the bad he's done as the Winter Soldier.

The newly renovated Avengers Compound in upstate New York was where Bucky stayed a majority of his time. He still had his place in Brooklyn when he needed to get away from Sam and the newbies, but, for the most part, this was where he can be found.

"Uh, hey, Mister Barnes?"

Bucky looks away from the tv to see Kamala looking at him confused, "What is it, kid?" He asks the young Avenger.

"So there's this lady in the main lobby asking for you. She said it's important?"

"Define important."

Kamala shrugs, "I don't know. Something about a bracelet and a lady named Dot."

Bucky's brows raise in interest, "Dot?"

"FRIDAY?"

"Yes, Bucky?"

"Bring up the CCTV footage of the lobby?"

"Got it," a holoscreen appears and you're seen sitting in a waiting area. Your leg is bouncing, your fingers are tapping on your lap.

"Is she someone you know?" Kamala asks.

Bucky shakes his head, "Nope, but she's mentioned someone that from my past. So I guess I'm gonna talk to her."

Kamala excitedly asks, "Need backup?!"

He chuckles at her eagerness. Even after working with Carol and Monica, Kamala is always wanting to jump in to help, "I think I'll be okay. You can watch the live footage if you want, just in case."

"OKAY!" Kamala plops herself onto the couch where Bucky previously sat and watched the holoscreen eagerly.

It takes a few minutes for Bucky to get to the lobby. The new Avengers Compound is much bigger now after Thanos destroyed the first one.

His brows furrow as he thinks about Dot. It's been literal decades since he's seen her. He knows she's long passed away after looking her and several other of his loved ones up on the internet. She ended up marrying another guy, had a few kids, and a few grandkids. She died about a decade ago.

When Bucky entered the lobby, you spotted him immediately. One of the security guards rushed to stop you, but Bucky held his hand up, "It's okay."

He then looks at you, "Do I know you?"

You shake your head, "No, sorry, um...can we go somewhere private?"

It's Bucky's turn to shake his head, "Sorry. Since I don't necessarily if you're a threat or not, this is the best we can do."

"Alright," you sigh and pull up your sleeve to reveal a bracelet, "Does this look familiar to you?"

Bucky looks down at your wrist and gestures, "May I?" You slip it off and place it into his metal hand. He looks at it and suddenly remembers, "Dot. I gave this to her before I was shipped out for the war."

"Right. Okay, so, um...do you believe in ghosts, Mr. Barnes?"

He snorts, "Call me Bucky, and, I mean, I've fought aliens, super soldiers, died and came back a few times now, so, sure, I guess ghosts are real. Why?"

"Soooo it seems that Dot's spirit is still connected to this...realm...? Anyway, she's attached to this bracelet and her spirit asked me to find you. I think, maybe, for some closure?"

"Is Dot here now?" Bucky asks, a bit, weirded out by this whole thing.

You shrug, "I don't know. I can't see her."

"Then how'd you communicate with her?"

"She wrote on my steamed up mirror the first time and then it's been primarily through ouija board."

"Those things actually work?"

"Seems so. Anyway, I'd really appreciate it if you helped me give her spirit closure so I can start living a normal life again, sans my new ghost roommate."

Bucky snorts. You're very interesting. It seems you're also very determined and a little desperate to solve this Dot situation out. Bucky's not busy. Sam's away on his own mission, so that leaves Bucky to some free time.

"Yeah. Sure, I guess I'll help."

"Thank you!" you fist bump the air, "Should we start now?"

"What exactly should we do first?"

You slip off your tote bag that you've been carrying and pull out the ouija board you've been using, "We can make contact with Dot?"

"You're...efficient," you shrug and Bucky chuckles, "Yeah. Sure. Okay. Um, we need to get you clearance first so, uh, come with me." You follow him to the desk and watch as he discusses your clearance badge to one of the security. You never thought buying a pretty vintage bracelet from an antique store would lead you to meeting an Avenger.

[authorsharonforester]

Sticking To A Writing Routine

​Welcome. Today, I will show you how hard it is to stay on track with writing and the ways to overcome it. Here at home, I will currently express that I haven't written in a long time. 

The trouble with that is that I really want to, and despite that, I am not writing. I have a hard time sticking to writing a little bit every day because I am worried about how I will finish my work and the work it takes to do my writing and then edit it.

People have different reasons why they procrastinate writing. For all of us, it doesn't mean we enjoy writing. We are just afraid of failure in some way. For example, for me it is the process of editing and how much work it is going to take. My brain tells me that I will never finish the editing process because it takes so much time. I want to do things that will take very little time.

The story I am working on is about an alien that joins his people's plans on wanting to invade planet Earth, but the alien doesn't want to partake in this mission, and meanwhile on Earth, a girl and her friend are desperate to meet a live alien. This is a novel that took me three years to write when I was a little girl. I have written the entire thing on paper and now I need to type it on the computer.

It is important to keep yourself accountable for getting the work done. I am on camera because I want to show you that it is possible to come and stay on track in the writing process if you really let yourself do this. There are different ways to hold you accountable. You just gotta pick the types that work for you because everyone is different.

-Make a schedule and stick to it -Make a goal and stick to it -Make a checklist and work on it for a duration of time -Make a sign in, sign out sheet -Set a goal for the day -Get someone else to keep you accountable -Dedicate a day for your tasks

What works for every single person is different, so it is important you find what works for you, whether it is something from this list or something you come up with on your own. What works for me is this (when I am disciplined): Setting a goal and using a day to accomplish it. ​ Let me tell you how I found this. I was roaming through YouTube one day when I found an interview with Stephen King on there. I clicked on it because the title said he was talking about how he was making books so fast. He went into the conversation to mention that he sets the goal of writing SIX PAGES a day and then having the entire day to accomplish this. He also mentions that when he is being overcome with obstacles in writing, then he will use that time to take breaks, and what he does in those breaks is either eat a meal, shop at the door for things he needs or do a chore. He uses his breaks to do something he needs to get some practice in his personal life instead of being distracted by the phone and TV, which is really important to getting anything done. It is like being at school at home. Sometimes it makes it easier to think of it as an assignment he needs to get done. All these little things work as a motivator for him while he is working. Then he will start over the next day until he reaches his day(s) off.

This was inspiring to me because everyone else always came up with ideas that didn't work for me, such as the list above. For me, working under a time limit didn't work because I didn't know what to expect to come in randomly in my life. Others are able to work under pressure… It all depends on who you are and that you pick what works for you. As long as you pick something that is realistic to you, then you are on your way.

The last thing that you need to remember is that you need to start with small goals and just write! before you set yourself up with bigger goals and worry about editing, or else you will never get anything done because you are overwhelming yourself. We will overthink everything and then end up messing up our own stories.

[phr3ia]

I Got Isekai'd Into A World Where I'm Just The Side Character (Wuthering Waves x Fem!Reader) [Chapter 4 : The General]

Jiyan rode his horse through the gates of Jinzhou, the city walls looming over him like giants. The place was buzzing with life, and the smell of food drifting through the streets made his stomach grumble. He knew he should head straight to meet Rover, but the tantalizing aromas of the dishes were just too good to resist. 

"Just a quick bite." he muttered to himself, heading straight for Panhua's Restaurant.  His stomach was calling, and he wasn't going to ignore it.

He made his way to the restaurant. It was a place he knew well. The food there was enough to fill one's belly and even their soul.

He stepped inside, greeted by the familiar scent of cooking oil and spices. A woman looked up from her work, a smile lighting her face. "General Jiyan, welcome back. It's been a while."

"Panhua... it has been too long. I am sorry I didn't come by sooner. I hope you are well? How are things here?" He asked as he took a seat at a table near the window. The sun was beginning to dip lower, casting a warm glow over everything. He watched people walking by, enjoying the peace of the moment. He ordered a dish, relishing the anticipation of a good meal.

"Things are going well for us. We're blessed. Even with the chaos around us, we still manage to bring joy to our customers. And thank you for asking. My family and I are doing well. Your men often come to visit, and they speak highly of you. Ah, here's your order." She placed a steaming dish in front of him, and Jiyan waited until she left to take his first bite.

He savored the flavors, finding comfort in the familiar taste. It felt like home. He ate slowly, taking his time to enjoy the meal. He glanced outside, watching people enjoy their evening. It was a sight he wished everyone could experience.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

You just chilled in the inn all day, doing absolutely nothing.  You didn't want to bother Rover, knowing he needed some rest.

You stared outside the window, wondering how people even managed without their phones and computers.  You knew about the Pangu Terminal, but that was it.  "Seriously, what do people even do for fun around here? There are no malls, arcade or anything." you sighed, shaking your head.

You were lost in thought, but then your stomach growled, reminding you that you hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. 

"Wait a minute... Rover gave me some money yesterday, didn't he?  He said I can spend it however I wanted....Man, that guy is so thoughtful." you mumbled to yourself, a smile spreading across your face.

You quickly changed on the clothes Yangyang had given you and headed out to grab something to eat. 

You went to the restaurant where Rover, you and the others ate last night, you gaze scanning the room. It was full of customers, but you immediately sighed in relief when you spotted an empty seat, although your hopes were short-lived as you saw a man seated across from it. You approached him, your confidence making it clear you weren't afraid to ask for permission. "Excuse me, sir. Mind if I sit here?"

The man, glanced up from his meal, a hint of curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Not at all. Please do."

You settled into a seat, placing your blazer beside you. You started talking to yourself, "Finally, I can have a break. I've been running errands all day and I'm so exhausted. If only Jinzhou had some sort of public transportation. It would save me a lot of trouble."

Jiyan chuckled softly, drawing your attention. "Sorry, I couldn't help but hear what you were saying."

"Oh, Uhm..." you slightly feel embarrassed. "I guess being alone makes me forget that I'm not the only one here."

"Oh, great. Now he's going to think I'm completely nuts." you thought to yourself,  cringing internally.

"No worries, I don't judge. I'm glad someone is honest these days." Jiyan took another bite, a hint of a smile lingering on his lips.

You picked up the menu, flipping through the pages with confusion written all over your face. "Umm... I have no idea what to order."

"Um, excuse me. I'm kind of new here, so could you recommend something from this menu?" you asked, extending the menu towards the man in front of you.

Jiyan chuckled "No problem. The stir-fried beef with vegetables and rice is there best seller. The beef slices are tender, and the vegetables add a nice crunch to each bite."

"Stir-fried beef, got it." You ordered the dish, relieved you wouldn't have to struggle with it. "Thank you, by the way. You're really helping me adjust to this place." You sipped your water, feeling more relaxed.

Jiyan's brows furrowed, giving you a curious look. "So, you're not from around here?"

You hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to tell him the truth. "Well, no. I'm from a far away place. I just arrived in this city recently." You hoped explaining it briefly would satisfy his curiosity.

"Ah, I see. Where exactly is this 'far away place' of yours? And what brought you here?" Jiyan asked, genuinely interested.

You swallowed, deciding to keep the details of your Isekai situation to yourself. "It's a long story. Let's just say that I got here in a very unexpected way." you responded, hoping he'd understand.

"Ah, I see. Well, Jinzhou might seem a bit different compared to your hometown, but it's a place worth getting used to." Jiyan smiled, watching as you waited for your food.

"Whew, good thing he didn't pressed it any further." you thought, letting out a silent sigh of relief as you glanced at him.

You looked at the man's face, studying him for a moment before speaking. "My apologies, I don't believe we've been properly introduced. May I know your name?" you asked, extending your hand to shake.

"My name is Jiyan." he replied, offering a small smile as he accepted your handshake. He too, had no intention of disclosing his true identity, preferring to keep his personal life separate from his duties.

"Nice to meet you, Jiyan! I'm Y/N." you said with a beaming smile.

"Here's your order!" the waitress exclaimed.

Your eyes widened as the dish was set in front of you, the steam rising from the plate further enticing your senses. "Oh, wow, this looks amazing!" you gasped in fascination, your mouth watering at the sight.

Jiyan couldn't help but smile, watching as you eagerly picked up your spoon and fork.

You immediately dug in, taking a generous bite. "Mmm, this is heaven in my mouth," you praised between chews.

Jiyan laughed lightly, amused by your enthusiasm. "I'm glad you like it. It's my favorite dish."

"Good taste in food usually means a person has a good taste in many other areas of life as well." You stated casually, smiling at him.

Jiyan returned the smile. Your straightforwardness was somehow refreshing to the General. "Well, I'm glad I passed your judgment on that front." He continued eating, enjoying the company and the delicious meal.

Jiyan finished his food with satisfaction, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Y/N. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Jinzhou and, hopefully, we'll cross paths again." Jiyan offered his hand for another shake.

You nodded in agreement, feeling grateful for the brief encounter "Likewise, Jiyan. Thank you for your help. Enjoy the rest of your evening." you said, shaking his hand firmly.

With that, Jiyan bid his farewell, leaving the restaurant to meet with Rover. You, on the other hand, returned to the inn, thinking about him. Not in a romantic way, but in a sense that he made you feel totally comfortable, like he was born to be a protector or something.  It was weird, but you kinda liked it.

Little did you know, that the man you shared a meal with was an important part of keeping Jinzhou safe from harm.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

End of Chapter 4 🥀...

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

[lyon-amore]

Au in which Jake and MC knew each other before the events of Duskwood and were a couple. MC is my character. Events based on chapter 4

    He took out his phone after being told that what they were doing was dangerous. He needed to calm down.

    It hurt because it was true. And also, because he couldn't drag her with him. That's why he left that night. To protect her from him.

     He looked at the photo he had with her on his phone. It was one month before he had to flee. When everything was much calmer. Happier. He didn't even know why he hadn't deleted it like the others, he had even forgotten that it was the only one he had left on his phone. That photo had never come to light. They both took the photo to joke with each other wearing those headbands with rabbit ears that a friend of hers had bought for a group costume with her friends for Halloween. He remembered putting it on his head, laughing. Joking with each other. Remembering why he fell in love with her.

     A smile appeared on his lips. A sad one.

     He ran his thumb through his girlfriend's hair? Was she still? According to her, she no longer had a boyfriend. Or perhaps she had told him this as a joke because she knew it was him? Maybe Macie knew he was the same Jake she'd dated from the conversations they'd shared on the phone. Many of the things they had talked about were things she knew about him: His hobbies, his taste in movies, his favorite animal... He must have had at least one suspicion.      Jake hadn't even broken up with her, he just left one night, without saying anything. Disappearing in everyone's lives. Of her life. Without a farewell. He abandoned her. He wondered if she hated him for doing it. She was the only person who truly trusted everyone he had ever had around him, and yet, he couldn't risk her in the danger that he alone had put himself in.

    When she wanted to speak in their second conversation, he saw that he had a chance to do it again, wanting to give her a little clue about that night when he decided to break that barrier that he had put up to not want to fall in love with her because he saw it in a bad way.

   “If you had to take something to a desert island, what would you take?” He remembered her voice and her smile, a contagious one.

    Macie had approached Jake while they were both waiting for each other's friends. He had always avoided talking to her and Macie at least wanted to have a good friendship with him if he didn't want to date her.

   "I do not know," he shrugged, not knowing what to answer. No one had ever asked him that question. “I guess I would take my computer with a flash drive to connect to the WiFi network remotely.”

   “Can I go to that island? Surely you will need someone to comment on all the series and movies you watch.”

    He rolled his eyes at her self-invitation.

   "I did not tell you that you were invited," he replied while leaning on the bar table with a malicious smile.

   “So you were going to reject me?”

     No. He didn't reject her. Not that night and not the next.      It was strange that someone he had met five years ago, his way of seeing her had changed. He saw her with different eyes. He no longer saw Hannah in her. He saw a different person.

    It was a curious thing how they had gotten along so well. Together they had been a team. Macie cared about his opinion and had listened to him when he had a problem and if it was about computers, something she didn't understand, but she always looked for a way to help, perhaps her methods were crazy, but it made him laugh. And he did the same. He listened to her problems and complaints about her part-time job and helped her how to do his university work better and, at the same time, listen to her fanaticism for her series and movies. He didn't understand it either, but he liked to see how her eyes sparkled when she talked about them.

     And Macie also listened to him talk about everything he liked and always watched his movies or series with curiosity. Even video games. He remembered when she would sit on his lap while he played and she would encourage him to defeat some boss or she got so involved in the stories that she even insulted the villains or cried during the emotional scenes. Her reactions were adorable.

     Both gave and both received. She had even gotten along well with his friends and it didn't bother her that he was with them sometimes, since she also had her space when she was with her friends.      And, when they met up, it was as if they hadn't seen each other in years. He really loved her like he had never loved anyone.

     He still remembered when her parents accidentally caught them in her apartment on a surprise visit. They wanted to take their relationship slowly before meeting her parents, but that changed when he couldn't hide anywhere.      Her father didn't like him, but what father doesn't like his daughter's boyfriend? But unlike her mother, she accepted him quickly.

     But he had changed the day he disappeared from his life.      All that joy had disappeared, he chose solitude. He knew it was better to isolate himself and not have anyone near him so they would be safe.

    “I keep wondering what made you fall in love with me,” he told her once they were in bed, tracing circles on her bare shoulder. His voice had sounded muffled. Jake didn't look himself anything special, much less after his last relationship.

   “Are you really wondering that after a year of dating?” Macie looked at him with a smile, snuggling into his body. She traced the outline of his face with her finger, tickling it. “I can see in your eyes that you are a good person Jake, you are always willing to help everyone and the day we met, you behaved very well with me” Little by little, Jake began to smile, listening to her words. His heart was beating fast as he saw how her face lit up talking about him. “You don't know how happy I was to meet again, I thought I would never find the man who made me know that love exists again.”

      He was surprised to hear those words. If it was really true, he felt proud to be the first man he fell in love with.      He lifted her chin a little, kissing her slowly.      After parting their lips, he whispered.

   “I am glad to have met a true angel who has made me happy after years of not knowing what that word meant.”

They both belonged to each other. They had to be patient to take the step, but they immediately connected. If reincarnation existed, they were sure that in some other life they must have been together too, because such a great attraction seemed crazy to them.

     Jake leaned his head back, letting out a sigh. He didn't understand how Hannah had made them meet again like that.      Plus Macie had never met Hannah in person or communicated with her without him knowing. She also hadn't seen any photos of her that he remembered. Since they talked about everything. There was nothing they hid from each other.

    Except for his hacks into the most important files that existed in the country.

 "Don't worry, Jake, whatever your decision, I'm going to support you." Macie took his hands, caressing them lovingly. “If you don't want to, you don't have to tell her.”

     For the first time he had told someone the story of his mother and father, how he had sisters he had never met.      He didn't go into much detail explaining their names, but he did go into how happy he felt to talk to one of his sisters years ago and that unfortunately, he had to cut all connection with her.

   "Sometimes I feel like I am a terrible person for not having told her." His words sounded like a whisper and at the same time, as if he were stabbing himself with them. What he had always wanted was to be able to have contact with his sisters, but he knew it wasn't a good idea. “And I am sure he would be a terrible brother to them.”

    Macie placed her hands on his face and smiled at him. It was a smile that showed affection.

   "You would never be a terrible brother, I have seen how you take care of your son's boss when he stays with us because he is busy, you are a great big brother to every child who feels alone" He looked at her eyes. They showed sincerity. She really meant it “Maybe not now, or maybe not tomorrow, but the day you find yourself ready to enter their lives, I will be there to support you.”

   “Promise?” He took her hand lovingly and kissed her palm “Will you be there?”

   "I will always be there," he saw how she blushed from that kiss, he couldn't help but smile when he saw it. “Through the good and the bad, I will always be by your side, Jake.”

   "I also want to be there for everything you need, Macie, I am never going to leave you."

   “Promise?” She tried to imitate his voice and he laughed.

   “Promise, angel.”

     Did that count as the first lie he'd told her since they'd been together? Because in the end, he couldn't fulfill it in the hardest moment in her life, sharing the same feeling as when he was little and experiencing the same thing.      He felt bad when he had to talk to her again, remembering that he wasn't by her side when that car accident happened in which only she survived. It hurt him to have read that news and not be able to contact her directly. Not being able to say that everything was going to be okay, that he would be with her supporting her.

    Yes. Macie probably hated him for leaving without saying a word. For leaving her alone. For not having kept the promise.

     And surely also because of that last conversation. Maybe she thought he didn't like the idea and years later thought it was just another lie, when in reality, he was happy that she cared about his opinion.      Macie wanted him to be part of something special, although with her, he already felt that way.

    They were returning to their apartment while walking. He had lent her his jacket and she looked small with the garment on. A few minutes earlier, she had joked that she was wearing a giant's garment, raising her arms in a funny way. Jake didn't know it, but thanks to him, Macie brought out her funny side, always wanting to get a laugh from her boyfriend.

   “Jake…” the young woman's voice sounded almost like a murmur.

   “What is wrong, angel?” Jake squeezed her hand lovingly, smiling at her.

    Macie was thankful it wasn't so brightly lit that she didn't see his cheeks blush every time he called her that. She liked the nickname, yes, but she still couldn't get used to it, it felt like a nickname that was too big for her.

   "There's... Well, there's a party tomorrow at Valley of Silence..." She intertwined her fingers with his, nervously. But from her voice, she could tell "And my mother wants you to come because it's... familiar."

    They stopped walking. Jake was surprised by what she was implying: That he already belonged to the family. Or that was what he had understood.

   "I told her that I should talk to you first because it's clearly talking about something important." Macie started playing with the buttons on his jacket, trying to stay calm as she explained, Jake just watched her as she explained. “Since it's about introducing my boyfriend to the rest of my family, not just to—“

    Jake couldn't help himself and placed his hands on her face, leaning in to kiss her. He liked that she had thought about how he would feel about this proposal and that it was a big step for their relationship. He already knew how important her family was to her and that she wanted to share it with him was something special.

   “Do you know how happy it makes me that you ask me?” He asked her, with a big smile.

   “I haven't asked you anything yet.” Macie frowned, noticing the warmth of his hands mixing with the heat of her cheeks. “Would you like to accompany me?”

   “I would accompany you to the end of the world,” his response came out with a laugh.

   “You don't have to exaggerate so much either,” she rolled his eyes, letting out a weak laugh.

    Jake clicked his tongue and hugged her. She looked up, her eyes shining with happiness.

   "I am not exaggerating," he carefully brushed her bangs, slowly lowering his fingers down her face, caressing her. “you have made me want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

   “Really?” He compared her excitement to that of a little puppy. Her smile was so wide that she couldn't help it.

   “Really…”

    The feeling he had with her was of belonging to a home. They might not have been together more than three years, but those two years had been some of the best he had experienced with her. And he wanted them to last, for that happiness to continue to exist forever.

    They arrived at the apartment, and stood kissing on the street. I was grateful that no one was there or they would have been embarrassed.

   “Try not to stay up late working on the computer, Mr. Computer Technician,” Macie joked, playing with the straps of his sweatshirt.

   "Do not worry, I will not, but do not stay up studying either, you have to rest, you promised today," he kissed her forehead and she nodded afterwards.

    They both made sure they had their well-deserved rest. They knew they had no limit when they had to work on important things and they reminded themselves that sometimes they were human.

   "Does that mean I can spend the rest of the night watching Damon?" She raised her eyebrows with an amused smile.

   “Only if you think of me when you go to bed,” Jake whispered in her ear, and Macie's body trembled with emotion.

   “I always do it.”

    The young woman's mischievous smile now made him nervous. Macie laughed, giving her another kiss on the lips.

   "So... Are we going to pick you up at your apartment tomorrow or are you coming here?" She separated, approaching the door, taking off her jacket to return it to him.

   “I will come early and this way you prepare me for what I will find,” he took the garment and put it on. He avoided smelling it knowing that he would be intoxicated by her perfume.

   "Yes, because there is a lot to prepare for, I'm still not used to it and I've known them all my life," she joked and Jake laughed. “Tomorrow at eleven then come.”

   "I will be here promptly," again, he left a kiss on her lips, then on her forehead.

    What a shame that was the last time he was able to see her.

     All those memories came back as soon as he saw that photo. A simple photo that reminded him that he and her had had a happy life together, although not for long.      Was it good to reconnect, after having rejected her and saying that he was that Jake she had been dating for two wonderful years? Was it good to tell her and see if she would accept him back into her life?

    It was not good. After having broken so many promises and hurt her, he didn't deserve her to love him again.

     He pressed the photo and hit the delete button. The question of whether he wanted to do it or not made him hesitate.      He looked at the photo and those memories that had returned did not leave his mind. Again, that feeling of happiness had returned after meeting her again. Once again, wanting to have a normal life with her had returned. He wanted to repay the pain he had caused during those four years that he had not been with her, wanting to explain everything to her. Maybe she wouldn't forgive him, but at least his conscience would be clear.

    He licked his lips and pressed the 'Cancel' option, squeezing the phone tightly. Macie was the only thing he really cared about in this world, apart from his sister, but the feeling was different, it was about having shared so many things that had made him feel alive for the first time in a long time, about finding that person who had made him happy. And now that she had returned to his life, he wanted to be selfish and give a chance to what perhaps destiny had done: Bring them back together.

     He opened the chat and looked at the last message he had sent. Would he be able to talk to her again? He had hurt her and maybe she would be angry for not telling her from the beginning that it was him.      The atmosphere was still quite heated.      He took a deep breath and wrote. At first he hesitated, but he hoped those words would serve as a start to starting a real conversation. ---------------------------------------------------------

Jake Macie. I am your Jake. ---------------------------------------------------------

    He waited for her to answer, although those words might leave her confused and make it seem like he was laughing at her.

    He watched as she began to write and his heart skipped a beat. ---------------------------------------------------------

Macie You’re not my Jake… You're my idiot And I’m telling you this by not telling me from the beginning, I already knew it was you from our conversations And you owe me a big explanation But for now, I'm angry 😠 So don’t expect me to answer you now Moron … I missed you so much… ---------------------------------------------------------

    He laughed, shaking his head at her messages. He could imagine her pressing her keys hard like she did every time she was angry, The poor phone must have been paying for the anger he had to receive at that moment. And clearly, it was not the time for arguments after what had happened.      He didn’t want to argue with her now that he could have told her. ---------------------------------------------------------

Jake I understand. I understand that you are angry. When we are calmer, we will talk about it. And I have missed you too :)

Macie Are you sure? Or are you going to disappear again? Leaving me alone?

Jake Of course. I will not disappear again, Macie. Not even to leave you alone. I promise to tell you everything.

Macie I know your promises...

Jake I can assure you, that my promises are still valid. Although it may seem like I have betrayed you, that is not the case.

Macie … Do you swear to me? Swear to me you’re not lying on me now It is true that you will tell me everything, I know that you will not disappear again That we really had something special Please, because I couldn’t stand it…

Jake I swear to you angel. I swear that every word I said to you is true, that I never wanted to hurt you. You were and always will be important to me, Macie. And I am sorry. I am sorry I was not by your side when you needed it most. This time it will be different. ---------------------------------------------------------

    If at that moment Jake had seen the activities on her phone, he would have known that she had also seen that photo that he had also seen, remembering that happiness they once had, wondering if everything was real or he simply took advantage of it to use it as a passing amusement and meanwhile, Hannah was his real girlfriend. The woman he was so desperate to look for.

    Macie clutched the phone to her chest, reading his words. One part of her wanted to believe him, the other simply wanted him to disappear again so she wouldn't have to repeat that pain she had felt for four years. Her tears did not stop flowing from her eyes, falling down her cheeks. A small smile appeared on her face, proud that she had been right all along: That was her Jake. The love of her life.

   "You really... You really always impress me, Jake..."

[sirthisisa-wendys]

THOSE OPTIONS WERE SO AMAZINGAHAHAHAGFAGADA BUT ILL PICK A MIXTURE OF "Big Daddy who will fight to keep him family alive and safe" AND A TOUCH OF ANGST ON TOP

Done and done!

Monsters: Keizo Arashi x Fem!Reader

wc: 1.2k

tw: angst, violence, bro IDK what timeline this is except Bonten and IDK what I just wrote but I'll figure it out lol

masterlist

"I saw, I saw monsters!"

Keizo is huffing as the music blares in his ears. The stroller in front of him is perfectly at rest, as is the child inside of it. He glances down at his son and sees the one-year-old sleeping, nestled in the warmth of the blankets with his little hat on.

Keizo keeps running, his feet slapping against the pavement as he pushes and huffs and lets the sounds in his ears drown out the soundlessness of the neighborhood. It's a good neighborhood, one that is perfectly safe and inviting for him to start a family.

There's something about the slow life, the lack of running around for survival and for a chance to be seen, that makes Keizo feel uneasy, but it's getting better.

The music in his ears pauses, and for a second, Keizo wonders if he accidentally jostled the phone, but then your name echoes in his headphones.

"Hey," he answers breathlessly, and your voice wobbles a little before you murmur,

"Hey, are you..." You pause. Keizo stops, frowning. "Are you in the garage?"

"No," he replies and looks back in the direction of the house. "Is there--"

"I think there's someone in the garage." Keizo easily turns the stroller around and begins to pound the pavement back to the house.

"I'm on my way back. Stay on the phone, and don't go into the garage." The adrenaline in Keizo's body ramps higher, and multiple scenarios run through his mind as he makes his way back to the house.

"Please be careful," you whisper. The jog is shorter than he thought it would be, and Keizo finds himself at the front door of the house, opening it slowly after punching in the code. He rolls the stroller inside, and you're there, standing at the top of the steps with the phone against your ear.

"Keizo," you murmur, and there's something in your voice that's a warning. "Keizo, don't panic."

It feels as if you're a thousand miles away at the top of the stairs. Keizo reaches for his son and pulls him close, careful not to wake the toddler as another person's face shows up at the top of the stairs. Keizo's hand instinctively holds onto his child a little tighter, and his breath hitches.

"Why are you here?" he breathes, and his old friend gives him a sad smile.

"You have something you're not supposed to have." Keizo's heart clenches, and when he looks at your face, you seem to look more guilty than scared. "Where is it?"

"What are you talking about?" The child in his arms stirs, and Keizo lowers his voice. "Takeomi, what are you talking about?"

"The hard drive." A tear slips from your eye, and you whimper. Keizo wants to run to you and hold you against him, but he's frozen to the spot. The hard drive.

It had been a gift from Waka, something he'd tucked away long ago that was his passkey to living a life free from any pain and suffering. Something that would keep Bonten at bay.

"I don't have one," Keizo lies. "We don't even have a computer here."

Takeomi sighs, and it's a sad, awful, and painful one. "I know you're trying to move on. I know you've left us in the syndicate behind. But Keizo, think of your child. Your wife."

"I don't have a hard drive," Keizo restates just as calmly as before. "If I had one, I'd give it to you, friend."

"Then why did we get a signal from this house that it had been accessed?" Keizo blanches. He doesn't even look at you, but when you burst into uncontrollable sobs, he knows.

"Baby," he whispers. "What did you do?"

"I'm sorry," you choke out. "I didn't know." Shit.

"I don't want to fight you, Takeomi," Keizo states, hardening his resolve.

"You won't be fighting me," Takeomi replies. "Not if Manjiro has any say."

"It's triggered," Keizo mumbles, stroking his son's back carefully. "If multiple attempts to access the hard drive are made, it sends out information--"

"We know." Another voice joins the mix, and Keizo turns to watch a familiar face emerge from the shadows of the office. Kakucho Hitto joins the fray, holding a cell phone aloft. "Wakasa told us."

Keizo bristles. "If you have so much information, why did you--" When Kakucho places the cell phone in the line of his vision, it takes Keizo a long moment before he can decipher the image on the screen. And why wouldn't it take long? The person was nearly unrecognizable, save a few tufts of purple and blonde hair. His stomach revolts, and before he can vomit on the floor, Keizo grits his teeth together, swallowing the bile in his throat.

"Now," Kakucho begins, turning the phone away. "You have a child." Every instinct in Keizo tells him to give in, to fight until the bitter end. But he can't. Not when his son is lying on his chest.

As a matter of fact, every single part of the conversation had been terribly quiet, save your sobs. Keizo looks at his son, understanding that he is the only reason he's not dead right now. His son commands the room without even being awake.

"Give us the passkey and--"

"I really don't know it." Takeomi hisses, and Kakucho pulls out his gun, aiming it a little to the left. A little too close to his son.

"You'll figure it out, I'm sure. Or else---"

"Takeomi," Keizo pleads, looking up at his friend. "Take the fucking drive; I don't care. But I can't help you open it. The one person who knew the passkey is long gone."

"Who is it?" Keizo angles his head at the phone in Kakucho's hand.

"He told us that Takemitchi had the code," Kakucho replies. "We don't know where he is." Kakucho swings the gun toward you, and Keizo's entire body wants to lunge to block him. But his child is in his hands. "Where's the hard drive?"

"In- In the office. Top left drawer of the desk." Kakucho disappears, then reemerged with the piece of equipment.

"You say Takemichi knows?"

"He's the only one Waka trusted." The two men leave you and Keizo almost as silently as they came, shutting the garage door with a click and retreating with the hard drive in hand.

"It's only mere hours before they find out that's not the one," Keizo hisses, placing his son back in the stroller and stroking his cheek absentmindedly. You wipe your fake tears and nod. "Get the bags. We leave now."

"What about Wakasa?"

"He died protecting us," Keizo mutters, going up the stairs and rubbing his eyes fiercely. "Protecting you. We have to get to Naoto and Takemichi before them."

"What about the house?"

"What about the house?" Keizo replies, frowning.

"You're right."

"Takemichi will know what to do next."

"Are you sure?" you ask, placing your hands on his shoulders.

"I'm more than sure," Keizo whispers, touching your cheek. "He's never been wrong before. He won't be wrong now."

[deadbydangit]

Okokok hi I'm back and I have such a silly little scenario

So we all know a lot of the killers are from old times, and a lot of the realms are modern. I'm thinking how funny it would be with old killers seeing tvs and light bulbs and cameras and just generally modern stuff lol

Killers being Twins, Plague and Huntress!

-🌱

Love it! I actually did something like this in my Adventures in Texting fic. But I would love to expand on this. Please enjoy. I'm actually going to do part two of this since I have more ideas.

With a killer from past times discovering new technology

Twins, Plauge, Huntress

Twins

There might've been some technology in their time.

But they were always on the run and living in the wild.

There is no way they've ever seen any of it.

So when you turned on the lights without a candle, they both just froze.

How?

What is this?

They might even be a little bit frightened.

Assure them that nothing will hurt them.

Explaining technology will be difficult.

Mainly because they fear it's some sort of black magic or something.

The people who were after them after had weird rituals and weird contractions.

What if you're one of them?

You're going to have to prove you aren't.

Once she gets used to the lightbulb she isn't as frightened.

They'll slowly warm up to the idea of using technology.

They learn fast, so it doesn't take long before they're using it regularly.

Charlotte likes phones.

She can always reach you if she needs you.

Victor really enjoys anything that plays music.

From record players, to CD players, to iPods and everything in between.

You've improved their lives drastically with these experiences.

And they can't wait to share more.

Plauge

She is arguably the oldest one in the realm.

There was no technology when she was alive.

She figured that the lightbulb was just some strange candle cover.

But she finds out it isn't, she'll be memorized.

Did the gods take the power of the fire and condense it into this little glass tube?

She has so many questions.

If the gods didn't do it, then who did?

Humans!?

Blasphemy!

Humans shouldn't be trying to harness that type of power!

And they stuck those people in that box?

That's horrifying and cruel.

They aren't stuck?

But how are they in there then?

Maybe lead her to the conclusion that the gods gave humans knowledge on how to build such things.

Out of everyone, she is the most hesitant to embrace these changes.

However, she does like the lightbulbs as it was a frequent hassle to keep candles burning.

She might never fully embrace technology, but she is grateful for what you have shown her.

You must've been sent by the Gods.

Huntress

Out of all of them, Anna is probably the one closest to modern times.

It's heavily implied that she was around during the cold war in the late 1940's.

Even so, she lived the life of a hermit in the forest all her life.

So she wouldn't know regardless.

If she had found a phone before you introduced her to one, she would've thought it was a weird rock or something.

And she would've thrown it at someone.

Then she would've wondered why the rock looked like broken glass now.

If you show her how a phone works, she'll be in complete awe.

She can hear you through this rock!

Anna can be a little dense, so take your time explaining things.

You'll also have to show her how to be more careful with technology.

She's a very strong person, and the idea of a light touch doesn't make much sense to her.

Now she wants to know more!

A computer?

What can it do?

How does it work?

She's a very curious individual.

Make sure you're around when she tries something new though.

She has used things wrong and broken them in the past.

Then she starts to feel guilty.

Anytime you show her something new, she gets more and more excited.

But how could she not be excited when the coolest person ever is showing her all these new and amazing things?

[voraciousvore]

The Giant (15/16)

***Contains violence***

------Chapter 15------

I knew Chester had a point, of course. If I was going to stay, I had to learn to live around other giants, especially Chester's family. I didn't want his parents springing a surprise visit on us, much like the incident that occurred with Jasper. However, Jasper had no prejudice against humans, and he had only ingested me by accident after all. He had been cordial and friendly once everything had been explained. I couldn't expect the same courtesy from Chester's parents, apparently. They might even intentionally harm me. The thought terrified me.

I would prefer to be introduced to them on our terms, when we were ready. I suggested to Chester that if this was really what he wanted, he needed to break the news to them and arrange to meet up once they had processed the new information. Perhaps, by giving them some time, they might cool off and accept his decision to date a human before I had to actually come in contact with them. Chester agreed, but I noticed he was dragging his feet in regards to actually talking to them. At first, I didn't pressure him, since I wasn't too keen on meeting them myself. His procrastination, however, started to concern me. Was he that afraid of telling his parents?

"Chester? Are you going to call your parents and tell them?" I nagged. He was typing on his computer. He had been working on his writing while avoiding the issue at hand.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with one hand. "Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. I don't want to put your safety at risk." He regarded me forlornly. "I just... want us all to be a family together. I want you in my life completely, I don't want to have to hide you from my relatives like I'm ashamed of you."

"I feel the same way Chester," I agreed softly. "You don't have to worry about me, I can defend myself with my magic if need be. And of course I'll have you to protect me too."

"You... really mean that Jackie?" Chester inquired. He laid his chin on the desk so his face was closer to me. I could just barely reach his lower lip with my hand if I raised my arm. I kissed him where I could, on his chin.

"Of course," I answered.

"Alright. I'll go call them then." He grasped me in his hand and walked over to his phone, a landline on the side table in the living room. Giants didn't have cell phones apparently. I had noticed previously their technology wasn't quite as advanced as ours. He sat down on the couch and placed me in his lap. He picked up the phone and paused. Taking a deep breath, he dialed the phone number and waited. I could hear the phone ringing on the other side through the speaker. A click as someone picked up the call.

"Hello?" a deep baritone voice spoke. The voice alone sent a chill up my spine.

"H-hi Dad," Chester began, tripping over his words a bit.

"Chester," the deep voice said flatly. "Now this is unexpected. Haven't heard from you in a while."

"R-right. Sorry Dad, I've been... busy." An awkward pause. Why was Chester so intimidated by his father?

"What's this about, boy? Speak up." There was an edge of irritation in the remark.

Chester was starting to sweat. "Well Dad... I wanted to introduce you and Mom to someone. A girl I'm dating."

"Mmmm... it's about time Chester. You've been single too long. We can't let our bloodline die because of useless sons."

Chester reddened. "Um... about that... the thing is..." He was getting tongue-tied.

The voice on the phone huffed with impatience. "Whatever you want to say, just tell me tomorrow. You can bring the little lady by to our house for supper. I'll have your mother prepare a nice meal."

"Wait Dad-" Chester tried to speak up, but his father had already hung up the phone. Chester stared down at the phone in his hand as the dial tone hummed. He placed the phone back in the holder, still staring off into space where the phone had been. He remained frozen for a minute before crying out in frustration and burying his head in his hands.

"Goddammit!" he cursed. "Why can't I ever get through to him?" He ran his hands through his hair, exasperated. "What are we going to do now? We're in so much trouble!"

"Can you call him back?" I questioned. Chester's anguish was scaring me. I hadn't expected him to have this much trouble talking to his dad.

"Even if I do, I don't know if I'll have the courage to tell him," Chester confessed. "He's going to kill me. He's going to kill both of us."

"Calm down Chester, you're his son. It can't be that bad." I was trying to assure myself as much as him at this point.

"You don't understand. My dad is... scary." Chester blanched. "He's huge, even by giant standards. And he has a monstrous temper. He's a violent man." Wide-eyed with horror, I could only look up at Chester. "When Jasper and I were young, he would beat us for the most trivial things we did wrong. He was always disappointed in us for taking after our mother. She's smaller than him, and we turned out small too."

I tried to imagine Chester, the gargantuan giant I knew so well, as small, and I simply couldn't. "Can we just not go?"

"No," he grunted. "If we don't go, he'll get suspicious. He's going to find out either way."

I tried to think. "What about Jasper? Maybe he could convey the message if you're too anxious. We could at least invite him to come with us. For moral support." Chester ruminated on the idea and nodded. He picked up the phone again and called his brother this time.

"Hey there ol' Chestnut, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Jasper, as always, was loud and cheery.

"I've made a terrible mistake Jasper. I've invited myself to our parent's house tomorrow for dinner. With Jackie."

Jasper audibly gasped into the phone. "Why in the world did you do that? Do they know she's a human?"

"That's the thing. I couldn't bring myself to tell them. Do you think... you could call them up?"

There was a long pause. "I'll try."

"Call me back when you're done." Chester hung up. "And now we wait." He caressed me affectionately with his fingers while we idled. Neither of us spoke. We simply took solace in each other's company.

"I suppose this was going to happen sooner or later," I mumbled.

"Yeah," Chester agreed. "It would be much worse for them to drop in unannounced and find you here." I quaked at the thought. Chester closed his fingers around me and petted my back with his index finger. The phone rang and Chester seized it on the first ring.

"Well?" he asked expectantly.

"Well. I talked to Dad." A dramatic pause. "I told him that I went to your house, and met your girlfriend."

"And?"

"And... I told him she was nice."

"And?!"

"And pretty. And brave. And that she's a good match for you."

Chester groaned. "So you didn't tell him."

"Nope," Jasper admitted. "Sorry brother. I tried, I really did."

"Will you at least come to dinner tomorrow with us?"

Jasper exhaled. "Alright. I'll meet you at your house."

"Thanks brother." Chester set the phone back in its cradle and looked down at me in his lap. "We should probably get some rest. It's going to be a rough day tomorrow."

In preparation for the dinner, I used my blood magic to create as much human meat as I could, to placate the hungry giants and maybe prevent them from trying to consume me. I performed this labor the prior day, so I would be well-rested for the big event. I had a strong feeling I would need my lightning to protect myself. I was not going to allow myself to be eaten again if I could help it. I was done with being defenseless.

As the time drew near, Chester became inconsolable with stress. He couldn't remain still for long and would get up out of his chair and pace the room, fussing over everything. He was driving me crazy, since his constant worry was stressing me out too. Fortunately, Jasper's arrival helped ease the tension. Jasper was always a positive guy, and having a strong ally by his side seemed to calm Chester down.

When we were all ready to go, we got into Chester's car and drove to their parents' house. I rode on Chester's shoulder, leaning on his neck, and I could feel the tautness of his muscles as he moved. Though we mostly rode in silence, I tried my best to comfort Chester by massaging his shoulder and neck with my hands.

I was surprised to see that Chester's parents lived on a large estate, not an ordinary house. As we pulled in through the gates of the property, I spotted from my vantage point on Chester's shoulder fields of wheat, cattle and horses, and an artificial lake that was no doubt stocked with fish. Their domicile was a large, lavish mansion built with stone, like an old castle. Chester nudged me off his shoulder into his hand and stepped out of the car. Jasper hesitantly followed behind him as he walked up the stone steps to the front door.

I noticed with some trepidation that the door was very tall, even for a giant. Chester reached up with his free hand and grabbed the iron knocker on the door, slamming it a couple times against the wood with a crash. Heavy footsteps approached from inside the castle that rumbled the ground. I gulped and sank down lower in Chester's huge hand. He held me securely against his torso, ready for anything.

The door opened to reveal the most gigantic man I had ever seen in my life. I quickly put my hands over my mouth to muffle a cry of terror. Chester, standing at his full height, barely came up to the giant's chest. Not only was he tall, but also broad and beefy, massive in every way. He was hairy, too, with a fearsome beard and long hair. Oddly enough, he had an eyepatch over one eye, with a long scar that ran from his forehead, under the patch, to halfway down his cheek. I felt like a tiny bug as he towered like a skyscraper over me, indeed over us all, a giant amongst giants.

"What is this? Where's the woman?" the giant boomed in his bass voice. Chester and Jasper stared dumbly up at their father, unable to speak. The colossus's eye drifted downward to me and I had to use all my willpower not to duck and hide under his gaze. His eye narrowed darkly. "Why did you bring a human here? Is it for dinner? Your mom already cooked something."

Chester opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and managed to say, almost in a whisper, "that's... my girlfriend."

We all stood motionless, as if frozen in time. The words stuck in the air like a thick cloud. Chester's father didn't react right away, almost as if he couldn't understand what he just heard. As the news slowly dawned on him, his face evinced disbelief, then twisted into murderous rage. He turned red, almost purple, and his visible eye grew white-hot with uncontrollable wrath. His huge hands balled into iron fists.

"WHAT?!" he exploded. His voice was deafening, and we all flinched in response. His eye burned into me, then glared with the full force of its heat at Chester, who looked as if he wanted to disappear into the floor. He raised his fist and punched Chester in the side of his head, knocking him out cold. Chester fell back and his brother caught him before he hit the pavement. As Chester's arms went limp, I tumbled out of the safety of his hand and landed on his belly. His dad slammed the door in our faces and I could hear and feel him stomp away in his dwelling, cursing loudly.

"Well. That went about as well as expected," Jasper commented. He carefully laid his brother flat on his back on the porch. "I'll go inside and try to reason with him. Jaclyn, it would probably be best for you to stay out here." I couldn't have agreed more. Jasper stood up, collected himself, and went inside.

I sat down on my boyfriend's chest and waited, trying not to succumb to the dreadful fear growing inside me. From inside the mansion, I could hear a lot of screaming and banging around. While I wasn't able to hear the specific words, I doubted much progress was being made. The deep baritone of his father's voice shook the walls. I heard Jasper's familiar loud mouth yelling, and a woman's voice too, calmer but stern. After she spoke, the other two went silent. They started talking again, but not as aggressively as before.

Chester moaned softly as he regained consciousness. He brought his hand up to his aching head, where a purple bruise was starting to form. He tried to get up, but dropped back down as he was overcome by dizziness.

"Chester, are you alright?" I asked. He gripped me in his hand and pulled himself into a sitting position, still holding his head.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I'm sorry Jackie. I knew this was going to be a disaster."

"It's okay," I responded gently. Just then, Jasper came back outside, nursing a bruise of his own on his shoulder.

"You can come in now. Mom's cooled him off a bit," Jasper said through clenched teeth. Chester glanced at me, and in spite of how frightened I was, I gave him a determined nod. We had already come this far. No turning back now.

"Alright." Chester stumbled to his feet, inhaled deeply, and stepped inside. We entered a big fancy foyer, and Chester took a right into a living room with elaborate couches. A woman came up to him, obviously his mother. Although she was of course huge to me, she was delicate and petite for a giantess, shorter than Chester. She was very different than the father, physically his polar opposite. I understood what Chester meant now about taking after his mother, in regards to size, although he still mirrored the masculine qualities of his father. She had light green eyes and long, light brown hair. Every move she made exuded grace and femininity. Her hands floated when they moved and her feet seemed to glide.

She stopped when she saw me. She stared at me coldly, clearly not approving of Chester's choice of a mate. I didn't know what to do, except stare back at her. I felt so small. Not just in the literal sense, but like I was an inferior person, as if I didn't deserve to exist.

Chester, in an effort to reduce the tension, cleared his throat and interjected, "Mom, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Jaclyn. Jackie, this is my mother Gwen."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stammered out, "it's nice to m-meet you... Gwen."

She sighed, then replied, "nice to meet you too. I just wish it weren't under these circumstances." I was stung by her words, which seemed to imply I wasn't good enough for her son.

To my surprise, Chester spoke up in my defense, with quite a harsh response. "Mother, you're being rude. I love her. If you can't respect that we are going to leave now."

His mom raised her eyebrows in shock. I suddenly realized Chester's father had materialized in the doorway on the other side of the room, and had been listening to our conversation the whole time. I felt nauseous. He strode over with his massive bulk, still seething beneath the surface.

"You really mean that?" he inquired, his deep voice resonating through the room. His presence filled the space with a threatening aura that loomed over us.

Chester stood his ground. "Yes. With all my heart."

His dad reached out his hand. "Let me see her." Chester and I both turned white. "I won't harm her. Give her to me," he demanded, thrusting his hand forward again. Chester looked at me for permission. Inside, I was crying with fright, but now was not the time to show weakness. I stood tall and proud and prepared myself the best I could. Chester, with trepidation, handed me over to his father. I stepped into his father's gargantuan hand, walked to the center of his palm, and got down on my knees for stability.

His hand was rough and calloused, and made even Chester's huge hand look miniature. From my perspective, his hand was like a landscape of warm skin, with massive fingers curving above my head. If I angered him, he could easily close those fingers around me and squeeze the life out of me. I was prepared for pain and rough handling, but to my surprise he was gentle, making sure to move slowly when lifting me up to his face. I had the feeling he had handled humans before, and maybe didn't always crush them in his hands.

He glared at me with his good eye, and I stared back, unwavering. I knew a man like him would respect strength, not cowardice, so I fought the urge to cower and turn away. I wasn't able to stop my body from shaking, however. When the giant saw my hardened, determined face, he couldn't help but chuckle at me, the tiny creature in the palm of his hand trying so hard to be brave. This reaction was the last thing I was expecting and broke my concentration.

"Do you know why I hate humans?" Chester's dad questioned me, becoming serious. I knew if I spoke my voice would tremble, so I simply shook my head. "They took my eye from me," he continued, pointing to his eyepatch, "and they took my home away. What do you think about that?" He scowled and I could tell his temper was flaring up again.

I wasn't sure how to answer, but I realized he was testing me. I was also painfully aware of how miniscule I was, that he literally held my life in his hand, and could turn me into a lifeless corpse with a simple flex of his fingers. So I chose my words very, very carefully.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," I acknowledged, "and it's tragic the way things turned out. My hope is that giants and humans could live together in harmony. I'm in love with your son, and I want to stay with him here, in the Land of Giants." I gazed into the dark pool of his eye with intensity. He stared back, as if trying to see through me, into the depths of my soul. His sharp features softened. With a grunt, he handed me back over to Chester, who immediately cupped me in his hands to his chest. Hidden by his fingers, I permitted myself to shudder and gripped his shirt tightly, feeling the warmth of his titanic chest against my body. In response, Chester tightened his grip around me protectively.

"Let's eat dinner," his dad declared, lumbering out of the room. Everyone followed him into the dining room and his mom hastily began setting out the food on the immense wooden table. Chester and Jasper sat on one side, strategically placing me in between them, and their parents sat together on the other side. Chester's mom had set the table for five, naturally assuming that the new girlfriend was a giantess, so the chair and plate at the head of the table sat empty. I had brought with me my own eating utensils and dishes, appropriate to my size, that my parents had gifted to me during my short stay in the human realm.

His mother had made a fantastic feast of ham, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Chester served me up, cutting out small pieces of his own dinner and placing them on my plate. While I tried to act normal, I must confess I was both scared and nauseated, eating dinner with four colossal, ravenous giants. Just like Chester, they all had voracious appetites, shoveling truckloads of food into their bellies, with the exception of Chester's mom who ate with manners and poise. I half expected one of them to grab me off the table while I wasn't looking and stuff me inside their mouth.

Conversation was stilted and superficial, with Jasper doing most of the talking. I was quiet, only speaking when directly spoken to, and mostly to the two brothers whom I was more comfortable with. Every once in a while I caught Chester's father staring at me, and I met his gaze with determination. However, he wasn't as belligerent as he had been in the beginning, and he appeared to be looking more out of curiosity than malice. He was starting to come to terms with the inescapable reality that his son was dating a measly human. The mom snuck a glance at me a few times as well, and even rewarded me with a small smile when my eyes met hers.

Chester offered his family the human meat I had created with my blood magic. They all eyed me with interest, surprised by this new development, and sampled the succulent flesh. Unlike Chester, none of them had eaten any humans recently, and they savored the meat on their tongues. I had managed yesterday to manifest about three pieces per giant, so they each had multiple morsels to enjoy. They looked at me with newfound admiration, enough to make me uncomfortable, as their mouths were watering with desire. When asked, I demonstrated my magical ability, creating a few small chunks of meat that were greedily gulped down.

Overall, the dinner was a little awkward, but not too bad. Certainly better than anything I had expected from our first encounter. With time, I believed his parents might even warm up to me and accept our relationship together. We left in high spirits. Jasper took the wheel, and chatted and laughed the whole drive home. Chester held me in his huge lap, caressing me with his hands. I was relieved the ordeal was over, and sat content in the large soft hands of my giant boyfriend.

Chapter 1

Chapter 16

[clonerightsagenda]

Ok last 'the gang is working at Goddard now' post from discord before I call it a night, assuming tumblr will let me post this one

Kat only loosely related, but although the Hephaestus doesn't have a CAPCOM (too far away) I wonder if closer low Earth orbit Goddard installations have one and if they, like NASA CAPCOMs, are all former astronauts. Probably not, I would think, since if you've got 1 person filtering all communication you'd probably want it to be one of Cutter's more… informed people. now imagining Jordan doing a CAPCOM stint since she's comms Jordan: What, you say the hull isn't damaged but you were hit by something. Was it round? Perhaps…. melon-shaped? Klein who's up doing a satellite launch from a station or whatever: I'll kill you Gill Klein’s just never gonna live that down huh Kat unfortunately he literally didn't Gill Rip Kate : ) but also :’ ( Also remind me what CAPCOM means because I’m like “the video game company?” Gill Concept: the Hephaestus crew doing a shift or two on CAPCOM to unwind after a long day of dismantling Goddard Futuristics from the inside out Kat capsule communicator basically they're the single line of communication between astronauts and the ground, to streamline stuff and they're usually astronauts because they know what the crew is doing more personally "In the context of potential crewed missions to Mars, NASA Ames Research Center has conducted field trials of advanced computer-support for astronaut and remote science teams, to test the possibilities for automating CAPCOM." hm. Maybe Goddard has AI capcoms Gill The Sensus series’ predecessor line, perhaps Kat Some poor asshole on a low orbit station: We've got an ammonia leak Automated CAPCOM: Please choose from the following options. Press 1 for a personnel issue. Press 2 for a maintenance issue Astronaut: We're dying Kate Pfff Kat someone: we've got some crew hostility in one of the low orbit stations Minkowski: Put Eiffel on CAPCOM for a few days. Either they'll calm down or they'll unite in being annoyed by him instead. Win win Kate Their secret weapon Gill Minkowski likes doing CAPCOM to unwind but Lovelace finds it stressful bc she’s way worse about being a backseat driver Kat Minkowski: Finally normal simple problems to solve. It is usually a pretty simple, boring job. Until something goes wrong Gill meanwhile, Lovelace: What do you MEAN you've never had to duct-tape a water reclamation system back together?? Kat Haha yeah. Former astronaut capcoms have creative solutions LEO crew who can get new supplies shipped up basically whenever: We could just… trash this broken part and order a replacement Lovelace: Why when you can mcgyver this solution with only moderate risk to life and limb Gill the Hephaestus Mission and the crew themselves gain such a reputation that when the rumors start circulating that Minkowski got her current job by killing Marcus Cutter ("and did you ever meet Marcus Cutter?") half the company is lowkey terrified of her Kate “Ohhh look at YOU with your cushy life, you can just order a NEW part. Back in MY day my boss came up there personally with a gun and shot at us” Kat Haha It’s a very different life being right next to earth easy mode Gill LEO crewmember whispering to another one while their commander is on the phone: God, I hope we don't have to go through a teambuilding exercise run by Isabel Lovelace… Kat Although I suppose it makes it even easier for cutter to send goons up to harass you Kate True… “Hey, can we have a new part?” “No, but you can have Victor Riemann! Have fun!”

Gill Alternatively: "Uh… we think we need a new part… ma'am." Minkowski: …okay? Let me get the word out to the supply team. "You're… not gonna send Warren Kepler and his minions with them like Mr. Cutter used to, are you?" Minkowski: What? No. Most of them didn't even come back from Wolf 359. "/sighs and other noises of audible relief, oh thank god!" Kat now imagining SI5 showing up for no goddamn reason on a resupply shuttle and the mission commander being like "i didn't order you" and closing the hatch crewmember: don't those burn up on re-entry commander: not my problem Gill Telling command you need help? Admitting human weakness? That's a Kepler-ing. Kat Yeah well does it admit human weakness to have to be let onto the station before you burn up with all the dirty laundry and other garbage when the capsule gets sent back thru the atmosphere Eiffel hearing about life on LEO stations: I can't believe this. They got new underwear sent up to them though it's a dangerous game… .Terry Virts had two consecutive underwear shipments explode thanks space x Cutter: The Andromeda station's psych evals are too far in the green. Blow up their next three laundry shipments.

[wrestlersownmyheart]

“Chances Are” Ch. 12 (Book 2 In the “Chances” Series) Finn Bálor X OC

Pairing: Finn Bálor X Female OC Summary: After a traumatic childhood and a murder attempt that left her with a heart condition, Miracle Seanoa wants nothing more than to find some peace and fulfillment in her life. Working as a writer for WWE, she's shocked when Stephanie McMahon takes a gamble on her skills and assigns her to a new RAW roster member. None other than Finn Bálor—the man who'd long ago saved her life and captured her heart.

Finn Bálor left his career as a police officer behind in order to chase his true dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Working incredibly hard within NXT, he soon finds himself drafted to Monday Night RAW. He's shocked to see Miracle again, but even more shocked is he to see what a stunning woman she's become.

However, someone else has had his eye on Miracle for a long while. With his infatuation turning to a deep, dark obsession, he's not going to give up on her easily. Finn will have to resort to his past skills as a cop, to protect the woman he loves.

Because if her weakening heart doesn't kill her, her stalker just might... Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with WWE. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination.

Chapter Content & Trigger Warnings:

Chapter 12

Two Months Later…

Miracle was just finishing putting her laundry away when her phone rang. Without thinking, she picked the phone up and answered it without looking at the Caller ID. "Hello?"

"Miracle, thank God… I've been trying to reach you for days."

"Finn? What's wrong," Miracle asked. Truth be told, she'd been avoiding his calls, knowing they'd simply weaken her resolve.

"Gerald quit his job. He's disappeared according to his family-his brother. Baby, you need to come home."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Miracle shook her head to clear it. "You still think that Gerald is the one who attacked me? Finn, it's been two months and I've not heard from him or the attacker. Don't you think they'd have found a way to reach me by now?"

"Maybe he's trying to throw us off," Finn said softly. "I don't know, but something is off about all this, Miracle."

"Listen Finn, don't freak out. But, the attacker sent me roses right before I left my apartment. But he's not done anything else since then-"

"HE WHAT?"

"I said don't freak out," Miracle scolded. "My point is that I'm safer here. He knows where I live in Florida. He has no idea where I am right now though."

"I need to see you, love."

"I'm sorry, Finn."

"It's been two months. How much time do you need?"

"As much as I need," Miracle replied.

"You can't run from me forever."

"Maybe not," MIracle shrugged even though FInn couldn't see her. "But I'm still hurt Finn. That pain hasn't gone away yet."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are, Finn, but that doesn't change anything."

A twinge of nausea hit her stomach then. That was happening more and more lately. Usually when she thought of Finn and how much she actually missed him. Her call waiting signaled she had another call.

"Listen, Finn, I need to go. I have another call coming through."

"No, wait. Put me on hold. Come back when you're done. I'm not finished talking to you."

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, okay. Hang on." With that, she went to her other line and answered, "Hello?"

"Hey beautiful, did you like the roses?" A voice rasped.

For a moment, the comment didn't compute. "Wh-what? Who is this?"

The line clicked.

Breathing shakily, she went back to the line that Finn was waiting on. She tried to calm herself before speaking. "So, what else do you want to talk about?"

"What's happened?"

Amazed he could read her so easily, she shook her head and fought the dizziness that was threatening to claim her. "N-nothing."

"Baby, you sound terrified. What. Has. Happened?"

"Nothing, Finn. Really. Just a prank phone call."

"Why are you trying so hard to be brave? He called you, didn't he?"

"Yes, okay? Yes."

"You need to come home."

"No. It was just my cell phone number. He doesn't know where I am."

"Please, Miracle. I'll beg if I haf'ta."

"Daddy knows where I am," she confessed. "If I need anything I can contact him."

"That's not good enough, lass."

She could have sworn his voice cracked. "I'll be fine, Finn. Don't worry about me. I have to go. Bye."

With that she hung up and tossed her phone aside. Immediately, it started ringing. Checking it, she saw it was Finn again. She ignored the call.

The nausea intensified. To the point she wondered if she would be sick. She groaned softly and laid down on her bed, willing the sickness away.

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

Over the next few days, her symptoms of dizziness and nausea only grew more persistent. In fact, she blacked out at one point. Luckily she landed on the sofa. It frightened her enough upon waking though, that she headed to her car and went straight to the urgent care clinic in town.

Now, as she finished filling out her paperwork and handed it in, she sat and waited for her turn to be called back to an exam room.

The wait was not long as there weren't many people ahead of her. Soon she was seated in the exam room and her vitals were being taken.

"Your blood pressure is a bit elevated but nothing too serious. What are you seeing the doctor for today?"

"I am having some chronic nausea and dizziness. I actually passed out on my sofa earlier today. I thought it might be the flu or a stomach bug or something."

"Goodness. Well, we'll certainly get to the bottom of what's going on. The doctor will be in in a few moments."

With that, the nurse closed the door and Miracle waited about ten minutes before a doctor came in.

"Hello, Ms. Seanoa. I'm Dr. Newell," He introduced himself. "What can I do for you today?"

"Well, I am hoping you can help me find out what's wrong with me. I have chronic nausea and dizziness. I'm so tired all the time-"

"Can I ask you when your last period was?"

"Well, yes, it was…" She stopped to think. "It was… Actually it's been a couple months since I had one. That can't be right."

"Is there any chance you are pregnant?"

"Oh, no! No, I couldn't be… I-"

She did recall Finn's little mishap while they were making out, however. That was a couple of months ago.

"Oh, God…" Miracle said softly. "I- I think I possibly could be."

"We'll run a test. It'll take a few hours to get the results but I can have the nurse call you with those."

Miracle nodded, now in a daze. I'm pregnant, she thought to herself. It's the only thing that adds up.

She drove home after having her blood drawn. She was sure what the result would say. She could practically feel the little life bubbling up in her womb.

"What will Finn say," she wondered aloud. "What will Mom and Daddy say?" Then a dark thought hit her. "What will my cardiologist say?"

But at the end of the day, it was her baby. Hers and Finn's.

And no one could take that away from her.

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

Hours later, Miracle got the phone call that she was indeed pregnant. The doctor referred her to an OB-GYN and in the meantime prescribed her some prenatal vitamins. Now she had a decision to make. Who to tell first? Her parents, or Finn. Telling Finn would mean revealing to him her location, because she was not going to tell him over the phone. Likewise, with her parents.

"I'll invite them to the cabin," she thought aloud. We could have dinner and I could tell them then.

Before she could change her mind, she picked up her phone and called Ella.

"Hi, Mom," she greeted when Ella picked up. "Listen, I have something important to tell you and Daddy. Do you think you could make the trip to Uncle Jeff's cabin?"

"Of course, baby," Ella replied. "Your father is on a trip, but I'll pack for me and Nathan and grab a flight to Nashville International Airport. Joe will have to take a redeye flight because he's in L.A. right now for a show."

"Okay. Be safe, Mama."

"You know I will," Ella retorted.

After saying their goodbyes, Miracle ended the call.

"How in the world do I explain to Mom and Daddy that they are going to be grandparents," she thought out loud. I'm scared of how Daddy will take the news. What if he hurts Finn?

Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, trying to relieve her stress. The last thing she wanted was a miscarriage. Ever since it occurred to her that she was pregnant, she wanted nothing more than to have Finn's baby. How Finn felt about it was unknown to her, but no matter what, she was having this baby.

"So, Finn, you can get on board or get out of my way," she thought aloud.

Deciding to take it easy the rest of her day, she took a walk outside in the woods and enjoyed the sunshine.

Little did she know, a pair of stone cold eyes watched her as she hiked through the woods, seemingly not a care on her mind.

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

Joe's phone rang and he immediately answered it upon seeing that it was Ella.

"Hi, baby, what's up," he greeted.

"Miracle says she has some important news to tell us and she wants to do it in person. Can you get a flight to Nashville tonight after the show?"

"Of course," Joe answered. "I'm off for the next two days anyway. What's this news about? Did she say?"

"No she wouldn't say. I'm going to try to get it out of her before you come if that's okay with you. It has me worried, I can't lie."

"It's fine. As long as she tells me as soon as I get there," he reasoned.

"I'll talk to you later. I need to get me and Nathan packed and get to our flight."

"Okay, I will see you when I get there. I love you, Ella."

"I love you too."

The two hung up and Joe went about his business of getting ready for the show, his mind full of worry now.

"What could be such important news," he wondered, lacing up his boots.

"News about what," Finn asked from nearby, eager to hear anything about Miracle.

"None of your concern," Joe replied with a glare. He'd still not fully forgiven Finn for his aiding in Miracle being hurt, even though he did save her life. "Family business."

"Is she okay," Finn demanded. "Really, Joe. I need to know."

Joe puffed out a sigh, "She's fine as far as we know." He glanced up at Finn then. "And thanks for telling us about her attacker sending her flowers. I doubt she would have ever told us. The only reason I didn't go drag her back here is because she has a point. The guy doesn't know where she's living right now, he did when she was in Orlando."

"I still think she'd be safer here. With us," Finn retorted.

"Well, she happens to disagree," Joe shot back. "At the first sign of any danger I'll bring her back, you can bet on that."

"She's a plane ride away," Finn grumbled under his breath. "How in the world would we get to her in time?"

Joe shot him another glare, but said nothing.

Even though Finn's instinct was to go find Miracle and drag her back with him-caveman style-he tried his best to ignore those instincts. They would only push Miracle away further.

"She's got to come back sometime," he thought out loud. "She's got to."

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[yoosungdaddy1]

Broken Boy Eren x Reader

You woke up the following morning with a beaming headache.  The sun blazing through your curtains, warming your sheets. Ah todays the day, you thought. It had been six years since you were in Eldia. Its not like you was running away from home. Your Parents and all your friends lived there. You had left in Junior high  to live with your aunt to pursue your studies ,and fell in love with the city of Marley and been there ever since.  Marley didn't have any schools that  you could attend that would complete your degree. You had been going to Lago University for the past two years that's as far as the program would allow for your autonomy degree, but Eldia had the perfect school for you. It had been years since you've seen you're friends.  It didn't bother you though life goes on. You gathered your last suitcase and jamming it into your small, white, Honda civic, when your phone starts to ring

mom~ sweetie me and your farther are at the airport we don't see you

y/n~ The AIRPORT MOM  I wont be there for another four hours!

mom~ What I thought you said 10Am

y/n~ That's when my plane leaves 

mom~ Oh god let me go get your farther he even has a sigh with your name embarrassing  himself ill call you back 

You had grown up in a beautiful house surround by acers of land, both your parents were wealthy on their own, money was never an issue. You were a golden child. 

You had finally made it to the airport. Rushing as you only had 30 minutes until take off. You looked at your watch as you ran to the boarding lines.

I'm gonna make it.  I'm gonna make it , you yell to yourself speeding through the airport like you formed wheels.

You were finally on your plane, taking a deep breath ,looking out your window just before the plane took off. You wondered what Eldia was like. It had been so long but your wondered  about your old friends. You wanted to know how everyone was doing, where everyone was. You questioned if they would even noticed you anymore. Doesn't matter, you thought to yourself. After 3 hours your plane lands. The fresh smell of trees and damp grass bringing back memories in the air. 

"Sweetie over here! " Your mom shouts waving her hands as your dad held up a welcome home sigh.

you smile walking in their direction " Hey mom, Hey dad." The smell of their clothing reminded you of your old house. Your parents were both pretty young. You was an only child and your mom had you at 16.

" You're coming to the house right? We're gonna cook your favorite meal." Your mom ask grabbing your arm

" I can't I have to go to the Dorms  first ." You sigh in frustration. You had completely forgot you had to conform your dorm in the office when your transfer date was official. Your parents dropped you off at Rose university. The campus Huge with three budlings being for classes and another three being dorms. .  You made your way to the front office. Anxious and excited at the same time.

" Hi I'm Y/N I just transferred from Lago University and I was coming to conform my dorm room." You said to the lady at the table.  She was young maybe in her late 20s. She had pretty long black hair and big brown eyes.

" Ah the Marley girl. You don't look like a Marley girl" she smirks handing you paper work for the available dorms. You ignored her comment. Looking at the sheets only three rooms were currently availably and each had a roommate. room 111 was 960 sq feet, two bed rooms one bath, room 007 760sq, two bed rooms 2 baths, and room 205 980sq feet, two beds 2 in a half baths.

" I'll take room 205. " You smile sighing your name. she inputs all your information into the computers and hands you a key.

"You're all set. You'll get your schedule tomorrow morning.  I hope you like it here."   you look around, the campus bigger than your old one. You had no Idea which buildings were the dorms and which were the classes.

"Shut up." a familiar voice shots. You turn to see Connie standing inches from you.

"y/n? Is that you is that really you?" He says grabbing your hands

" What the hell are you doing here!" He shouts squeezing your hands tighter.

" I just transferred to finish off my degree here." You smile unfazed at how tight he was gripping  you. He wore a Green bottom up and black jeans. He's hair still short but dyed jet black.

" Oh god everyone gonna love this!" He shouts  jumping with excitement 

You thought to yourself just who was everyone.

" Give me your schedule let me see, let me see." He pouts with his hands out, gripping air.

" I haven't gotten it yet but can you help me find dorm room 205. " You ask holding up your key.

" 205 I think that's near Mikasa room." He says gliding his chin with his hands.

Mikasa... your heart was skipping beats. Mikasa was one of your best friends and the thought of her being there made you excited.

You follow Connie to the dorm. You was on the third floor. The hallways crowed with students and the smell of weed sprayed the air. You unlock the door and Connie follows. The room seemed empty but you were unsure if anyone was actually there. You looked in the kitchen, which was fully stacked. The living neat and clean. There were two rooms one on each end and a hallway restroom. You opened one of the following doors trying to find which room was empty and there you seen Historia giving Eren head.

You stand mouth dropped to your knees. Connie follows mirroring your reaction.

"What the fuck!"

[doyouknowbtsswag]

Out Of Character |Han Jae Joon|

I literally see no ff on this man go watch Doctor Stranger it’s so good

(Spoiler alert)

I sighed laying on my bed tired from the night shift I just had. Unfortunately being one of the top doctors at the hospital I had to go in more frequently. I got up my hair a mess and my eyes red from lack of sleep. I looked over at the clock seeing that I was most definitely going to be late. I walked to my small bathroom looking myself in the mirror. I brushed my teeth and splashed water on my face to try and wake myself up. I brushed my hair and pulled it into a highish ponytail. I applied a little makeup not much considering how much time I had. I changed into a white button-up shirt with a black skirt. I made sure to wear a pair of spandex shorts underneath. I changed into black flats and grabbed my keys running out of my apartment. I got into my car and drove to the hospital. I groaned realizing I forgot my water bottle, not that it matters I'll probably end up drinking coffee instead. I heard my phone start to ring but ignored it considering I was driving and didn't want to get into an accident. Once I made it I quickly found a parking spot and went straight to my office. I waved hello to some of my fellow workers and made it to my office. I put my doctor's jacket on making sure I was more presentable. I sat on my chair and looked at the schedule. Great booked for surgery in an hour.

"You didn't answer your calls"

I looked up and saw Jae Joon with two coffee cups in his hands. He handed me a cup before sitting down in front of me.

"Good morning to you too" I mumbled drinking my coffee. "I was rushing to get here so I couldn't pick it up."

"I told you to rest," He said concerned. "You'll be the one in the hospital"

"What are you, my dad?" I said.

"I heard you have surgery at 12," He said taking a sip from his cup.

"Yeah I'm looking at the scan now," I said looking at my computer screen. "It looks like an angioplasty, there are only a few values I have to work with."

"Be careful with that one" He said pointing to a part of the scan. "That would be the one to start with"

I nodded making a mental note to myself. I felt a hand on the time of mine and a small tug.

"Come on let's walk outside to wake you up"

"Why" I whined "Don't you have work to do? Plus I have work to do"

"If your talking paperwork for patients no I finished it all last night" He tugged my arm. "It won't be that long 20 minutes"

"Talk about me needing rest" I grumbled as we made our way outside the nice breeze making me relax a bit. "But fine"

"Your good at what you do at your age," He said looking forward there wasn't too much of an age gap he was only in his early thirties and I'm in my middle to late twenties.

"Guess I studied hard enough" Little did he know it wasn't my choice. He doesn't know about the things I've been through or the people I lost. He only knows that I'm looking for my brother who I lost a few years ago trying to escape the hell hole we lived in.

Flashback

"We're cornered," I said panicking trying my best to stay calm.

Everything seemed to have happened in a blur. My brother's girlfriend clinging to life and our plan failing. Hoon managed to get us out of the building but not out of safety. There was nothing we could do considering there wasn't any transportation except for a motorcycle. One motorcycle that can only ride two people. I looked at Hoon and he looked at me. I started to tear up at my brother's frantic look.

"Just go," I said holding back tears. "I can our run them and hide, you take Jaehee"

"I can't leave you behind," He said tearing up himself.

"You have to," I said and pulled the motorcycle over. "I'll find you"

"I can't"

"Hey I'll find you" I smiled crying. "Pinky promise"

"Pinky promise," He said his voice cracking.

"Now go!" I said giving him one last hug as I watched him drive off. I saw cars drive after him and prayed he'd be safe.

"There's one" I heard someone say and looked over seeing a man with a gun.

"Shit" I bolted to a populated place a bullet skimmed through my shoulder but thankfully didn't do much damage. I ran into one of the stores to hopefully get out of his trail. I gulped and watched him pass the store making sure to hide behind the shelf. I sat there until the store closed and walked out having nowhere to go.

"Hello? Earth to Y/n?" I saw a hand wave in front of me.

"Are you okay?" Jae Joon said placing his hand on my back. "Do you want me to do the surgery?"

"No, it's fine I just spaced out" I mumbled. "So what were we talking about?"

"Nothing important," He said taking a sip of his coffee. "Do you need a water bottle?"

"Why would I need a water bottle?"

"I didn't see it in your office and it sticks out when it's there because of how many stickers you have on it."

"I was in a rush like I told you"

"Your gonna be the end of me and I don't say that often"

"Whatever" I smiled rolling my eyes. "You have to admit you love me though"

"I do very much that's why you need sleep," He said seriously.

"You act so out of character when no one's around" I smiled. "I like it"

"I'm just more comfortable around you"

"Look at the time I have to get going now"

"Good luck, remember about that one valve"

"I will" I smiled and kissed his cheek jogging inside to where I needed to go.

[nootymcnoot]

Xiyeng lore time. This was mostly done via my school computer and I only recently managed to send it over to my phone. This’ll probably have some mistakes ( I’m not a writer ) so bare with me chat!!!!

Xiyeng and his brothers were born from broken pieces of planets. He was a product of Venus, while his brother’s origins are currently unknown. Their births caused what is known as 'meteorites' to fall onto earth, causing a loud crash. Life around their landing areas were sucked of their natural resources. Plant life and fruit dried up and withered, their natural energy all going to the burning rocks that had crashed onto the Earth.

Him and his brothers barely got used to the life there. The second they all arrived, havoc broke loose as they burned through the overwhelming power that scorched through their bodies. Once they had all settled however, they soon realized something. This planet had more to offer than they had expected. They were all infatuated with the many wonders this world had to offer, every new bit of knowledge making them wide eyed with curiosity like a child to a fantasy book.

It was a wondrous time. They spent their lives like this for years as each day was a new adventure. Time was needed for them to learn the language the mortals used, it was time consuming, maybe even caused a few fights here and there. But thankfully, they ended up speaking their tongue too.

Years they spent on this world, building their own home deep in the very woods where they had first landed. Sadly, an argument broke out over the questioning of their birthplace.

One wanted to return to the stars and see beyond this planet, another wanted to venture far out to explore the seas and the skies, and another wished to remain on this planet to live out the rest of their lives here. Xiyeng, however, couldn't decide as to who he wanted to come along with, he wanted them all together after all.

But things didn't go as simple as he had hoped. Instead they all had gone their separate ways, all of them promising to at the very least meet again on special occasions. Xiyeng did not want that. Family needed each other, family needed to stay close, but this was not what he had in mind. So instead he lived the next few years in that same old house they all used to live in.

The floorboards had long since withered and the walls were scraped of their paint and decorations. He sighed, sadness leeching onto his voice like a parasite to his very heart. It ached. It slammed at the walls of his very soul. But he could manage, that was until he met Wukong.

Now, Xiyeng had never met a talking simian like him and his brothers, so Wukong was certainly a fright to his sensitive heart. The monkey jumped and screamed the first time he saw the sage, it was as if he saw the most terrifying creature to grace this plane.

But... no. Wukong was anything BUT a threat to his life. He liked to call himself "The Monkey King" or... in a longer term, "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven" which was certainly a mouthy title. Xiyeng kept to calling him Sun for short. Mostly for the fact the king's grin was like a burst of sun rays after a long storm. It was nostalgic and comforting for the cinnamon furred simian, and it seemed Xiyeng's mere appearance had the sage smiling from ear to ear.

It wasn't long until the orange scarred monkey was introduced to one of Wukong's closest friends, The Sixed Eared Macaque. [and or Macaque for short.] He never had much conversation with the raven furred warrior, he was always busy with himself or off in the shadows. Which was something he had quickly come to notice. Macaque was a rather good guy, pretty funny here and there, but nice to hang around when things got overstimulating one day.

Everything had changed in the matter of a year however.

He hadn't realized it then, but 'The Brotherhood' had plans to take down The Jade Emperor and the celestial armies. "I'll be back so we can spar again, I wanna show you how much stronger I've become once I'm the emperor!" he had said to him by the stream, words filled with such determination and assuredness Xiyeng almost believed him. He bit his tongue in doubt that day though. And sure enough, Wukong never returned that day.

Neither the next.

Or the next.

Or the next…

Or…the next.

The weeks had turned into months, and the months had turned into years at that point. Xiyeng lost hope once the 4th year mark rolled by.

Wukong wasn't returning, and he had no idea on why he thought he was going to. Not even a simple visit from Macaque. It was as if they both disappeared one day.

Centuries went by, civilization had advanced and so did everyone else. Xiyeng stayed the same though. Each day was the same schedule and the same routine. He still lived in that cabin, now fully changed into a home he could call his own when the years had changed and the seasons had passed. He knew more now, and with that he was self-fulfilled in this life. He didn't need anyone anymore and neither did anyone in return. Fruits and veg from his own garden were all he needed, along with the occasional wild life that would find their way into his home. Xiyeng had befriended a few monkeys during his time alone. Soon he had a small tribe of simians by his home almost every day.

It was great company from the usual silence that lingered in that wooden prison, and he honestly couldn't hope for anything else.

That was until he felt the whole earth shake when a wave of power shook the very core of the dirt below. He had been sleeping that day with a tiny pile of other monkeys, and when it happened, they all jolted in alarm and fled outside. Xiyeng was both terrified and confused.

He hadn't felt the earth shake that violently since the day he and his brothers first landed here. So that was... very concerning. When he opened the door to his cabin, he immediately ran through the treelines and out to the coastline where the sand and the ocean connected. Far off in the distance he could see land, perhaps even the flicker of city lights he hadn't seen in a while.

That had to be where it came from.

With a deep inhale, he changed his form into that of a hawk and flew out towards the direction of the city. This would most likely be the first time ever that he was going to go there.

Once he arrived by nightfall, he realized how much utter destruction there was from his point of view. Quickly he reverted back to his original form, brows furrowed close in alertness and with a lingering fear of what had caused this. However, he couldn't sense the threat. Which definitely only heightened his nerves compared to when he saw the utter chaos from before. How did mortals just casually live like this? even he wouldn't be able to sleep at night safely knowing something like this could happen just outside his door.

(End of season 1 episode 1.)

[stardustedknuckles]

So I woke up to the power out. No storm. No indication of a fried squirrel. I sent a very carefully worded text to my dad who lost his job last month asking if the utilities had gone through, and seemed like they had. With no computer to work on and nothing to shield my ears from the sounds of the cats self administering their morning baths with gusto, I decided to go for a walk.

Now. I'm of the belief that there's nothing wrong with leaving the door unlocked for ten minutes to walk around the block. My father, who believes every stranger is a potential threat, drilled it into me early on in our move here that the front door needs to be locked on every walk, no matter how short (unless it's to the mailbox). He has a doorbell camera, so he knows if I don't. Whatever. I lock the door. I don't have to bring my keys (which was the biggest reason I left the door unlocked) since he got a keypad for the garage door. I can come back in that way and have for about three years.

Well. Those require power.

I pulled the front door shut behind me this morning and immediately cringed. My heat intolerant ass was outside, legs already feeling weak, without a wallet, morning vitamins, water, or food, and no knowledge whether the QT a mile away would take tap to pay on my phone (which I had to set up as soon as I got to the park, and thank the gods my cashapp card has an app function that lets you see its information so I COULD set up tap to pay).

I've busted the door open at my mom's with a credit card a few times and figured I could probably do it our front door, if I only got a card. It was 8 in the morning though, and I wasn't sure who was up.

(On the way to the park I passed a lady getting into her car with a giant dog. On the way back, I saw her front door was open about a foot and two cats were outside. I stopped and called out into the house. No response. I knocked, called again. Nobody home. The cats went inside. I shut her door. I really hope those were her cats.)

My nosy neighbor was out and about to leave, and though it would cost me friendly grilling about my life, my dad's life, and any potential lives that might intersect with ours, I thought she might have a credit card she didn't care about. She at least had a dog, which I got to pet while she explained she doesn't carry any cards she doesn't use and she doesn't give her information to credit card companies because big data is coming for us all.

She's not entirely wrong, but the faded trump/pence bumper sticker on her truck had my visibly queer ass nodding a bit more enthusiastically than I might otherwise.

When I finally extricated myself from her (no, I'm still not interested in essential oils, I have allergies to them, thank you for thinking of me, uh-huh, you too!) I checked the mail. I've been home alone Monday through Friday for weeks since dad got a new job and took the car, and I'm not very good at keeping up with the mail, so I hoped to find one of those fake cards they send you in hopes you'll call and get a real one. No dice. I was proud of myself for that idea and everything.

By then, we were hitting the low seventies and the morning mist was dissipating. The sun wasn't fully out yet, but it was unmistakably warmer, and me in my pants with an antihistamine in me from yesterday (they cause greater heat intolerance). There was a man loading his truck a couple driveways down. Never met him before, but I'd seen him. I approached, gave him my name, and sheepishly relayed the morning to him. Thankfully everyone else's power was out too, so I didn't sound too much like I was asking for him to aid and abet a break-in.

He agreed to help but wanted to be the one to do it - as in, "I'll walk with you" and didn't want my paws on his card. He gave the front door a really good try, but privately I still feel like he gave up before he could get it. Still, I was grateful for him ruining a card trying to help me and we tried the shittier door that led to the inside of the garage. Deadbolted. Goddammit dad.

Fast forward to him showing me a trick on the sliding glass door with a screwdriver - we had built up something of a friendly bond through adversity by then, though I never did get his name - which didn't work but reminded me that even though I'm really careful to lock windows (no cracks for spiders to get in that way) I might have left the kitchen window unlocked from when I opened it for my cat. We both tried using the bricks of the house to hop up and see if the latch was shut before we would try prying off the screen.

The latch was shut, and as I dropped back defeated onto the cracked concrete slab that could and had been very generously described by realtors as a patio, hot and starting to sweat, I put my hands on my hips and squinted up into the yellow porch light. And in a very rare DC 10 perception check, I REALIZED what I was seeing.

I must've made a noise, because neighbor guy looked to me with a little confusion. I pointed. He looked, tipped his head, processed. His whole face cleared. He wasn't the sort to laugh easy - gruff, built like an electric foreman, which is to say like my stepfather - but he shook his head with a little smile and made sure I could get in the garage before pushing up the bill of his cap with a finger and wandering off back to his day with his screwdriver.

My day hasn't even started yet. The email my dad (2.5 hours away) forwarded me before my walk estimated it would be four hours before the power came back. I knew it wouldn't take that many, but I didn't dare hope it would only take two. I told my supervisor then that I would keep her updated and I've still got two hours before that time hits. I spent half of one writing this, and I'm going to take ten more to eat something, and then I'll hop online and get busy.

But man. What a morning.