#i haven’t had a proper meal for 3 days and WHY? no clue

[entropys]

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[jorvach]

Been using the Take Notes - Journal of the Dragonborn mod for Skyrim to, well, take notes in an ingame journal for a kinda-sorta fanfic. Here’s what I have so far, plus some screenshots to set the mood.

---1. Some Life Experience--- Master Drogolf has sent me all the way to Riften to pick up some kind of magic crystal! He wouldn't tell me what it's for, but I'm sure it's important... though not important enough for him to go in person. When I asked about that, he said it'll be a chance for me to explore the real world a bit, rather than just sitting around in the tower in Helgen and reading about it.

I can't argue with that, so I'm off! First stop, Riverwood!

---2. City on a Hill--- Riverwood was a pleasant little village, and the people were friendly, but I didn't stay long, being excited about seeing the big city for the first time! Whiterun sits atop a great hill rising up from the plains, painting a breathtaking picture! The Jarl's palace, Dragonsreach is at the very top, looking down on the city. The stories say the dragon Numinex was held captive in that very building... How I wish he was still there, I've always wanted to speak to a dragon! Sadly, they're all extinct. And then there's Jorrvaskr, mead hall of the legendary companions warrior band. This city is truly steeped in history! But before learning all about it, I should head to the local inn and get a hot meal!

---3. Journey to the East--- During my stay in Whiterun, I did some odd jobs for some of the citizens, earning me enough coin to prepare for the journey through Eastmarch, which is supposed to be far more dangerous than the area between Helgen and Whiterun. That much is true, for on the border between Whiterun Hold and Eastmarch stands Valtheim Towers, home to a small gang of bandits. Or I should say, -was- home to bandits. As soon as my spells felled their leader, the rest of them fled into the hills, leaving the main road to the east a safer route... for now.

It's getting late, so I should find a place to rest. Perhaps that ruined tower set into the mountainside.

---4. Kaidan--- The tower turned out to be some kind of hideout for the Thalmor! Fortunately, it seems to have been almost abandoned, as there were only two of them inside. Good thing, as I'm not sure I would've fared well against a full garrison of Justiciars! They also had a prisoner, a man named Kaidan. I freed him and helped him get his equipment back from the Thalmor, including a large Akaviri sword inscribed with some strangely familiar runes. For aiding him, Kaidan has offered to become my bodyguard to repay the debt. I tried to tell him he didn't owe me anything, but he wouldn't hear of it, and so I've earned myself a travelling companion! I shall have to ask him about the runes, but for now, I really need some rest!

---5. Inigo--- We've arrived in Riften at last! While renting a room at the nearest inn, the innkeeper said that she'd been asked to watch out for someone matching my description, then handed me a strange note asking to meet in Riften Jail... Weird. I'll look into it later, for now, I should meet with the court wizard and collect Master Drogolf's crystal. --- Terrible news! Wylandriah, Riften's court wizard, tells me that Drogolf's crystal has been stolen! I'd rather not return from my first real adventure having failed, so I'll try to find some clues as to who stole it, and where I might find them. Following up on the mysterious note from the inn seems as good a place to start as any. --- I met with the one who left the note, A Khajiit named Inigo. He seems to think he tried to murder me, which is why he turned himself in to the guards and has been wallowing in guilt ever since. I tried to tell him he was mistaken, but he wouldn't hear of it, and begged me to kill him. I refused, of course, but still, I couldn't find it in me to just leave the poor fellow to his despair, so I offered to let him join us in our travels, to make up for what he thinks he did. Kaidan didn't like it, but something tells me Inigo can be trusted. Time will tell if I'm right.

Unfortunately, he didn't know anything about the crystal. Back to square one.

---6. Lucien--- A priestess of Mara, Dinya, said she saw a shifty-looking man handing over something that "looked like a soul gem, but green" to a figure in a black cloak! From what Dinya overheard of their conversation, the cloaked person might be going to Falkreath! It's not much to go on, and I don't even know for sure if it's the right crystal, but it's all I have. Luckily, a merchant is leaving for Falkreath very soon, so we could hire on as guards and get to Falkreath quickly! --- We asked around at Falkreath's inn, but apparently, strangers clad in black are common here. No surprise, considering the famous graveyards in these parts. After a fruitless, day-long search, we took a room at the inn. The next morning, as we were having breakfast, we were approached by a pretty fancy-looking young man in even fancier clothes, who asked us if we could take him to Helgen. He wants to meet with my master, apparently. After finding out about my apprenticeship, he became very enthusiastic, and offered a large sum of gold to escort him there. Having no further clues, I suppose I'll have to return home empty-handed... hope the crystal wasn't too important.

---7. Black Wings--- Something horrible has happened! As we approached Helgen, we saw great plumes of smoke rising from the town, and then heard a terrible roar! And then, taking wing from within the walls, a massive beast with wings black as night! A Dragon! Helgen is ruined, burned to ash and razed by the might of the dragon. We couldn't find anyone left alive, and Master Drogolf's tower, the only home I've ever known, is nothing but rubble. We didn't even have time for a proper search, as the dragon flew off toward Riverwood. Inigo insists we must follow, to warn the townspeople of the danger, provided they haven't already been slaughtered too. As much as I would like to stay and mourn for my home, I knew he was right. --- We've each been dealing with the events at Helgen in our own way. Lucien has been borderline panicked ever since, and talks incessantly about anything and nothing to keep calm. Kaidan is even more silent and brooding than usual, and is constantly grasping his bow, watching the skies for any sign of the dragon. Inigo, bless him, has been trying to keep our spirits up with jokes and encouragement, but I can tell he's shaken up bad. And as for me, I alternate between grim determination and feeling like I'm a daze, like I'm only having a terrible nightmare.

---8. A favor for a Jarl--- Riverwood was, fortunately, not burned down. We continued on to Whiterun to warn the Jarl of the danger. Jarl Balgruuf seems a sensible man. When he heard our news about Helgen, he quickly commanded his Housecarl to send men to protect the other settlements in his hold. He also introduced us to his court wizard, a somewhat abrasive man named Farengar, who has been studying the history of dragons. He's asked us to delve into a ruin in the mountains above Riverwood, named Bleak Falls Barrow, in search of something called a Dragonstone, supposedly a map of ancient dragon burial sites. --- As people say, Bleak Falls Barrow is full of Draugr, undead monstrosities who patrol the halls and strike down intruders. Their eyes glowing in the dark chill my spine. What with that, and the destruction of Helgen, it'll be a miracle if I ever get a peaceful night's rest again! Unexpectedly, Inigo is also terrified of these undead, despite being an adventurer of great experience. Perhaps I'll ask him about it sometime. For now, we will continue into the dephts of the Barrow, to find the Dragonstone.

---9. The Word Wall--- We've found the Dragonstone! In a sealed tomb deep in the barrow, it rested in a sarcophagus with a powerful Draugr, perhaps their leader or something - if Draugr have any kind of hierarchy... Something weird happened when we approached the back of the tomb however. There's a wall with a bunch of ancient writing - a Word Wall, Kaidan called it. When I got closer, I heard strange chanting and saw some of writing glowing? And then it was as if the world went dark, save for that noise and light. When I came to, the Draugr had risen from it's sarcophagus and was fighting my friends! Fortunately, they slew it just as my eyes cleared, and they seem no worse for wear. I'm very confused about what happened to me, and the others are clearly concerned about it as well. Still, I feel fine for now, and we need to return the Dragonstone to Farengar. If I'm lucky, maybe he'll know something about the Word Wall too.

---10. Success Story--- We got the Dragonstone back to Whiterun, and were well rewarded. Farengar even promised to look into the incident at the Word Wall! I suppose I'll return to Dragonsreach and ask him about it later. For now though, Inigo's suggested we celebrate our success with a hot meal and a bottle of mead or two, so it's off to the Bannered Mare for that - and a good room for the night afterward! It feels like ages since I've slept in a warm bed! ---

[mldrgrl]

Broken things 3/24

by: mldrgrl Rating: varies by chapter, rated R overall  See Chapter 1 for summary and notes

Melvin is out the door as soon as Mulder is in eyesight of the ranch house.  He can see the older man step out onto the porch and then stand a little taller and pull the tails of his vest taut.

“Am I wrong, or does my nose detect the makings of noon dinner on the stove?” Mulder calls.

“With the size of that nose, you’re probably smelling what’s cooking in Fort Worth,” Melvin answers back.

Mulder chuckles and brings Blondie to a stop in front of the house.  He motions for Katherine’s bag and then takes her hand while she gathers her skirts and brings her leg over the side of the horse.  He holds her about the waist to help her down and she pitches forward slightly and ends up pressed close to him.  He eases her to her feet and keeps his arm around her for maybe a bit too long, but it feels nice to him to have her there.

“Who’s this marvelous young lady you brung to us?” Melvin asks, and the moment is broken.

“She’s called Katherine,” Mulder answers.  “Send Trevor on out to put up Blondie, I’d like to bring our guest in and introduce her.  Set another plate for dinner.”

“Trevor,” Melvin calls over his shoulder.  He takes a small hop down from the porch and reaches for Katherine’s hand.  “Melvin Frohike at your service.  Welcome to Broke In, lovely lady.”

“The name of the ranch,” Mulder explains to Katherine.  “Alright, settle down, old man.  You act as though you haven’t seen a pretty woman before.”  He kicks Melvin lightly in the seat of his pants just as the young ranch hand that he had requested be sent out appears on the porch with a napkin tucked into his shirt.  “Trevor, excuse me for interrupting your dinner, could you please put Blondie up?”

“Yes, Sir.”  The boy takes the lead from Mulder and takes the horse away.

“Alright, come in, come in,” Mulder says.

Melvin scurries down the dogtrot ahead of Mulder and Katherine.  “You boys make yourselves presentable, we got a lady in the house,” he calls.

There’s a scraping of chairs and utensils.  Richard and Jimmy jump to their feet, wiping their mouths on their napkins.  Jesse stays sitting, slurping from his bowl until he looks up and then jumps up as well, spilling stew on the table and dribbling on his chin.  

Mulder removes his hat as they move down the broad hall and hangs it on a peg just outside the door of the dining area.  He hangs Katherine’s sack there beside his hat and guides her into the room ahead of him.

“Boys,” he says.  “This is Katherine.  She’ll be joining us for dinner and then accompanying me into town.  Katherine, that blonde beanpole over there to the left is Richard, and then we have Jimmy beside him and the creature without any table manners is his brother Jesse.”

“Ma’am,” they all murmur.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Katherine answers.  

“Go ahead and sit yourself here,” Mulder says, pulling out the chair at the head of the table for her.  After she sits, the rest of the men do as well, glancing at her and each other as though they’re searching for the proper etiquette to resume their meal.  Melvin is already ladling out a bowl of stew for her and he passes it to her along with a spoon and a napkin.

“Some lemonade, Madam?” Melvin asks.  “We got cold tea or coffee too if’n you have druthers.”

“The lemonade would be fine, thank you.”

As Mulder dishes out his own dinner, he observes there’s a slight tremor in Katherine’s hand when she picks up her spoon.  He also notices that her breathing is slightly labored, coming short and fast from parted lips.  It hadn’t occurred to him before, but with nothing in that sod house, this might be her first meal in some time.

“Melvin, do you think we might still have a tin of soda crackers in one of those cupboards?” he asks.

“I reckon we sure might.”  The little man hops up from the table and begins to search the cabinets.  He returns triumphant with a tin which he hands off to Mulder.  Mulder opens it and then passes it across the table to Katherine.

“Stew might be a little heavy for this time of day unless you’ve been laboring,” Mulder says.  “The crackers will soak up the broth nicely though.”

“Thank you,” she answers, with a nod, taking the tin from him.

Normally, the boys rush through noon dinner, eager to get back to their chores and the horses, but they eat slowly.  Jesse even attempts to hold a spoon, which Mulder has never seen him do before.  Trevor returns and has to squeeze his way into a place at the bench seating beside Richard and Jimmy.  Melvin dominates the conversation with business chatter, giving Mulder a run down on what some of the horses have been up to all morning.  

One by one, Jesse, Richard, Jimmy, and then finally Trevor excuse themselves to continue their work.  Each man brings his bowl and cup to a wash basin near the stove and they nod politely to Katherine before they leave.  Mulder asks Trevor to please hitch up the Tilbury to go into town shortly.  Melvin gets up to start cleaning dishes and Katherine quickly rises as well.

“I can help,” she says.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Melvin answers, waving his napkin at her.  “You are our guest of honor, my dear, and you won’t lift a finger.”

“Don’t you worry about him,” Mulder says, wiping his mouth before he rises from his seat.  “Let me show you the place before we leave.”

She looks to Melvin.  “If you’re sure I can’t help.”

“You go on with Mulder.”

“Well, now, you’ve seen our kitchen and dining area, let’s come back through the dogtrot and I’ll show you the rooms.”

“The dogtrot?”

“That’s what we call this open hall here.  We keep the front door open most days and the back door as well.  It’s good for circulation.  In case you hadn’t noticed, it can reach the same temperature as hellfire out here on the coldest summer day.  This helps with the heat.”

“That’s quite clever.”

“I thought so as well.  Now this first door on the left is where I sleep.  And this one here to the right will be yours, if you decide to stay on.”

“Mine?”

“It’s a guest room right now.  Occasionally there’s a need for people that travel through for business dealings with me to have a place to stay.”

“I can’t take that, then.  I could easily just take a bit of space in the kitchen.  If I stay on, that is.”

“You will do no such thing.”  Mulder opens the door to the room.  “It’s not much but the necessities right now but you can make it up however you like.”

Sensing a protest coming, Mulder moves them on to the last room, across from the kitchen and dining area.  He has saved the best for last in the hopes of impressing her.  He pauses with his hand on the knob.

“This is the washroom,” he says.

↭

She’s feeling overwhelmed.  Mulder has just shown her a room, in the house, which holds a copper and wooden bathing tub and an indoor pump and stove for heating water.  He tries to explain a system of pipes and wells and how they work, but he gives up and tells her he actually doesn’t have a clue how it really operates, just that it does.  The boys, he says, don’t trust it, and prefer to go into town for a Saturday night bath and shave.  Not only that, in the back of the room there’s a closet which is really a privy.  She’s never seen anything like it.

After they leave the washroom, the tour of the ranch continues out of the back door.  A rather large water tower stands some yards away.  To the east of the main house is a bunkhouse the ranch hands share and to the west of the house is a barn, stables, and a corral.  She’s surprised to learn that there are more than just horses kept here.  In fact there are chickens, two cows, several hogs and a handful of suckling pigs, some sheep, two goats, and a black and white herding dog called Queenie.

“We call her that because she thinks she runs the place,” Mulder says.

“Mulder!” Richard calls from the barn door.  “Trevor says you want the carriage hitched up.  You want the hackney since Faithful Jenny needs to break in the new shoe?”

“That’s fine,” Mulder tells him.  Richard tips his hat in acknowledgment and disappears back into the barn.

“How many horses do you have here?” Katherine asks.

“Right now, fifteen.  Six of them should be leaving us by the month’s end and then I’ll be bringing back more to replace them.”

“What do you do with them?”

“Take care of the ones that need taking care of.  For the others, break them, train them up.  Sell them.  Board them at times.”

“I can see why you prefer the land I was on.  Why you’d want it.”

“You can?”

“It’s flatter.  More prairie grass.  And full access to the creek.”

“All true.”

Richard and Trevor interrupt the conversation by bringing the carriage out with a horse the color of mahogany and a black mane.  All four of the horse’s legs are snow white and it has a white diamond just above the nose.  She almost gasps it’s such a breathtaking creature.

“That’s the most beautiful horse I’ve ever seen,” she says.

“You like her?”

“She’s so...majestic.”

“That is precisely why she earned the name Lady.  Let’s go get your bag and then we’ll head on into town.”

He insists she borrow a leather valise to use instead of her burlap sack and she transfers her meager possessions into the case.  He carries the bag for her out to the carriage and ties it to a shelf just under the seat.  He helps her up and once she’s settled, he and Richard unfold an accordion top to shade them from the sun.

The carriage rides a little smoother than a wagon.  It bounces a bit and moves fast.  She’s only been to town one time and she’s unfamiliar with the road.  The land is so vast and it all looks the same.  She can’t believe she had been considering walking to Fort Worth.  She would never make it if she tried.

“You know all there is to know about me,” Mulder says.  “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

“I’m sure I don’t know all that there is.”

“Everything important, I would say.”

Her palms begin to sweat and she hides her hands in the folds of her skirt.  If she tells him everything about herself, he might change his mind about everything.  He might not be so kind to her.  She doesn’t feel right about deceiving such a nice man, but there are things she must withhold for now.  At least until she’s absolutely certain he would not look at her differently or think less of her.

“I’m not very interesting,” she says.

“You said you’re from Virginia.  Whereabouts?”

“Norfolk.”

“What’s your family name?”

She hesitates for a beat to decide if it’s too much.  “O’Brien,” she finally answers.  It’s a half-truth.  The O’Brien are her mother’s people.  

“Irish?  Did your people immigrate from the famine?”

“I don’t know.”

“Brothers or sisters?”

“I told you before, there’s no one.”

“Yes, you did tell me.”

He doesn’t ask her any more questions and she feels a bit ashamed of herself for rebuffing him.  She takes a few surreptitious glances at him to see if he might be affronted, but he appears to be passively concentrating on driving the carriage.

“Would you like to try?” he asks.

“Try what?”

“Driving the carriage.”

“This carriage?”

He laughs.  “I don’t see another out here.  You can’t do any damage, here, take the lines.”

“Oh, no, I…”

“Sure you can.”  He pulls the carriage to a stop and then passes the lines over to her.  “You’re driving from the right, so with your left hand, just lay the strap down over your index finger and hold it down with your thumb.”

“Alright.”  She does as he asks and then looks to him for further instruction.

“And now slide this strap between the third and fourth fingers of your right hand, like so.”

“Like this?”

“Perfect.  I’m going to slide the whip into the grip of your right hand here and you’ll keep it angled with the natural tilt of your wrist.  Now, you just tickle Lady’s back lightly and tell her to walk.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.  This road is pretty straight so there shouldn’t be any worries.  If she acts up, I’m right here.  And if your arms tire, let me know.”

“Alright.”  Her heart quickens a bit so she can feel it thump against her chest and she sits up straighter in the seat.

“Keep the lines slack as well, just like you’re doing now.”

“Okay.”  She turns her wrist a little so that the tassel that dangles from the end of the whip lightly touches the horse’s back.  “Lady, walk now, please.”

Mulder laughs and she smiles broadly when the horse starts to walk forward.  Her grip on the lines feels awkward and unnatural and it takes more effort than she thought it would to keep them slack and light.  Her back and shoulders are soon sore, but she does not want to give up the control that quickly.  Maybe ten minutes pass before she tires to the point that her arms grow heavy.

“I think I need to stop now,” she says.

“Put a bit of pressure on the lines, very slowly.”

“Whoa,” she says, but the horse does not stop.

“Whoa, Lady,” Mulder calls, and he covers Katherine’s hands with his own, adding the appropriate amount of pressure to bring her to a stop.  

His hands linger and her heart quickens again.  She wants more of something in that moment that she can’t understand or describe.  She imagines turning her palms up to him and letting her fingers slide into his.  She imagines pressing a little closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder.  She imagines him putting his arm around her.  She imagines a peace that she’s never even experienced before.

His hands move off of hers and she gives him control of the lines and sits back, rubbing her hands over each other to work out a little of the soreness in her wrists.  He starts the carriage forward again and announces that they should be in town shortly.

[ginnyweasleywannabe]

Treasure Hunt Chapter 3

Final Word count 5272

Find on AO3 at "Inthemiddle2"

Marlene wouldn’t normally consider herself a light sleeper but she was on edge. Which is why she was groggily looking at the clock on her night stand to see it read 6am. She was hoping to get a little more sleep before what was bound to be a long day. She had just closed her eyes when she heard a clang in the kitchen. She shot up remembering what had originally woken her up was the sound of the front door jingling and then opening. She looked to her phone seeing if she had received any new messages. Last night, after packing, she sent Marc a text asking him to text her when he knew he would be coming home, he hadn’t responded which meant the rudding in the kitchen wasn’t him. She looked around her room for anything that she could use, the best she could find was an old coffee mug.

Marlene quickly and quietly moved down the stairs, she made her was down the hall. The kitchen was open to the living room, she was at the corner. OK it was time to buck up Marlene, she turned the corner eyes closed and tossed the mug at the intruder. It wasn’t her best plan but the mug smashed into the cabinet as the man ducked. Marlene didn’t see anything as her eyes were closed but she could hear the mug shatter.

“What the fuck, McKinnon?” Sirius Black was just looking back and forth between the shattered mug on the floor and the girl standing, in a very small tank and shorts set he noted, with her eyes closed and arms to her chest.

“Oh thank Merlin, it’s just you” She released a breath and lunged wrapping her arms around him.

“’Doing alright by myself’ my ass” he rolled his eyes.

Marlene stepped away from him and glared. She instantly missed the heat he was providing.

“What are you even doing here? You’re early.”

The truth was Sirius had always had issues sleeping. Something Marlene was unaware of because he slept relatively peacefully with her. Anyway he had been up early and he knew she had been missing Marc. Also yesterday was a big day for her and he felt bad her day was ruined. His plan was to sneak in and make her blueberry pancakes. He wanted to start their little adventure on a good start.

“Couldn’t sleep so I figured I’d use the spare and get here early. Might as well make pancakes.” He just shrugged, he wasn’t in the mood to go into all the under feelings for their situation.

“Oh” She blushed at his admission. Marlene wasn’t sure what she expected but him coming over to cook her pancakes was not it. That was unexpectedly sweet of him. “Well you still could have sent me a text so I wouldn’t have been scared shitless.” Her words didn’t have much bite to them. He was just looking back at her, god why was she blushing so much. “Well I’ll go get changed and you can get cookin’ good lookin’”

Marlene froze with what she just said---and why had she used finger guns. She just turned on her heal. Once she was out of sight she mouthed ‘oh my god’, Why did she just have to blurt out everything she thought.

Sirius on the other hand was holding in a smile. He could tell she was embarrassed, she practically ran out of the room. He got to work making the pancakes

Marlene came back down dress in cut offs and an old t-shirt of Marc’s. Sirius passed her a plate.

“Thanks for this, I haven’t eaten a proper meal since Marc’s been gone.” Marlene was digging into her pancakes.

Sirius just laughed, the girl could eat, especially something sweet. “Yeah I saw all the left overs in the fridge. You got me hooked on Foo Lin’s orange chicken.” They ate in silence for a few minutes before Sirius felt like he needed to tell her, “Congratulations on yesterday by the way. I know how hard you worked for it.”

He was looking at her so sincerely she was sure he could the red in her face.

Marlene needed to snap out it, “So are you ready to go? I’ve just packed a small weekend duffle.”

Sirius nodded and picked up her plate to rinse.

After gathering up the last of her belongs, they made their way to the front door. Marlene stepped outside and looked around for Sirius’ car. He took pride in owning nice things which is why she was confused as to why she didn’t see the latest black Jaguar he usually drove.

“Um, Black? Where’s the car?”

Sirius just smirked at her, “Oh James didn’t tell you?” This was going to be fun he thought, “I sold it and bought that.” He was pointing to the black BMW motorcycle.

Marlene’s eyebrows shot to the top of her hairline, “A motorcycle? You want me to ride five hours on a motorcycle? Why didn’t you say something last night?” Her voice was rising in pitch.

“Come on, McKinnon, it’ll be fun!” He was loving every moment of this.

“Where do we even put our bags? It’s just not practical. No. I mean nope, not gonna happen” She couldn’t believe he thought that this would work. She couldn’t believe she thought this whole trip and plan between the two of them would work.

Sirius took her duffle from her shoulder and lifted up the seat to the bike. Marlene peered over his shoulder, hmm it was surprisingly spacious in there. Sirius gave her an I told you so face and the sat down. Putting on his helmet then turning to hand her the spare. Marlene was still standing. Unfortunately she didn’t have many other options…

She begrudgingly took the helmet, “You bought this when?”

“March” Right after they broke up.

“Merlin, what midlife crisis were you going through in March.” Marlene huffed and wrapped her arms around him.

Sirius knew she was also making a jab at their breakup but he was choosing to ignore the remark, “Hold on tight, McKitten.”

She dug her fingernails into him with the teasing nickname.

Five and a half hours later the bike rolled into a small diner off the main square of Godric’s Hollow. Marlene hopped of the bike and ran inside telling Sirius to order her a fizzy. She HAD to pee. Sirius rolled his eyes, the bike was practically still moving. This was also after they stopped twice on the ride up because she had to pee.

Marlene emerged from the bathroom. She glanced around the cozy pub to land on a young waitress laughing at something Sirius had said, her hand resting on his shoulder. Hmph. Marlene slid into the booth across Sirius. Plastering on her sweetest smile she said, “Sorry Lover, you know how the baby pushes on me.” Rubbing her stomach, she turned to give the waitress her an it is what it is face. The waitress just grimaced and went to get their drinks.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, “Jealous McKinnon?”

Marlene just smiled sweetly, “Not a bit Black but her face was so worth it and anything I can do to make your life harder.”

They had placed their orders. Sirius was watching Marlene, despite having already ordered her food she held the menu up to her face. Her eyes were glancing around the room never quite settling.

“Okay what are you doing?”

“Hmm?” She didn’t even fully look at him

“You are looking around the room like two big men in black trench coats are going to walk through the door with gun to Marcs head.”

Marlene let out a sigh and set the menu down, “Well I don’t know. I just thought maybe we’d see something that would give a us clue on where to start.”

“Alright, Well we know that this is where Godric Gryffindor is from so why don’t we check the library to see if there’s anything in the towns history.”

Oh that was a smart plan. Why hadn’t Marlene thought of that, “Well no, not all of us knew that. How did you know that?”

“My family, they were nutty about the history of Hogwarts.” He just gave a shrug, his family was always a sour subject.

“Hmm, why didn’t you say anything last night when I brought it up?”

“It just slipped my mine really until we were riding up here.” The truth was last night he kept getting lost in thought about Marlene rather than what was coming out of her mouth. It had only been one night but he was really enjoying spending time with her again. She always made him laugh and kept him in line. He wanted to use this trip to make things right between them.

When the waitress came back with the check Sirius paid, stating Marlene could get the next one. He gave the waitress his dazzling smile, “Could you tell us where the library is?”

She smiled back to him, “Sure love, its just around the block. Across from the old graveyard. You probably passed it on your way in.” She then turned to Marlene, “You’ll love it! It has a big selection of ‘How to be a better mother’ books.”

Sirius held in a laugh, “Well that sounds perfect doesn’t it, Lene-y Babies” He stood up, gave the waitress a nod and proceeded to walk out. Marlene just shuffled out of the booth behind him with a scowl.

The two made their way into the library. It was beautiful, Marlene couldn’t believe something like this existed in a small little town like Godric’s Hollow. She was taking in the big atrium that stood in the center with two story halls branching off in all directions. Sirius was watching her. She loved to read, they would often have nights where he would play games and she would read. They loved to just sit there and enjoy each other’s presence.

“C’mom nerd, we’ve got work to do.” He place his hand on the small of her back and ushered her towards the sign that read ‘Town History’.

The two of them pulled a few books about Godric Gryffindor. Marlene was reading one about the town history and Sirius reading about Hogwarts.

They had been there for a few hours and Sirius was really starting to get bored. Well actually he was bored of reading about an hour after they started but he knew she wouldn’t leave that soon. Now he was also hungry, it was almost 6. The library was about to close anyway.

“Marls”

“Mars”

“Mars Bars”

“Marlene!” Finally he gave her a poke in her side. She let out a yelp. The librarian gave them a glare. She looked to be a hundred years old and sharp glasses that rested on the bridge of her nose.

“Huh, sorry! Merlin look at the time.”

Sirius stood up to stretch, “Whatda say to ordering some takeout and finding a place to crash for the night. We can go over the notes at the hotel.”

Marlene looked conflicted, Sirius knew she would stay here all night if they would let her.

“They’re about to close this place anyway Mars.” He offered her a hand up.

She took it but with more force than she was expecting so she was pulled into his chest.

“Sorry” She stepped away from him sheepishly. The two walked to the front desk to check out.

The old librarian had a permanent scowl on her face. Her name tag read ‘Pince’

Sirius turned on his best charming smile, “Madam Pince, I hope you have a lovely night,”

She just let out a humph eyeing the books they were holding “The town seems to be very popular these past few weeks. First that handsome gentleman,” She said it a whispy voice, “And now you two.” That part coming out very unimpressed. Sirius smile fell. But Marlene seemed interested in the comment. She quickly pulled out her phone and pulled up a picture of her and Marc from this past hols. She practically threw it in the old women’s face, “This man??”

Pince stared at the photo lips pursed but eventually stated that yes that was the handsome man she had been talking about, he was so kind. He had been into the library a few days ago. Marlene to turned to Sirius with the biggest smile, “He was here! He was here, Sirius!!” She thanked the librarian like she had just told her she was cancer free.

The two walked to Sirius’ bike, Marlene smiling like she had just won the lottery.

“Alright, chill Cheshire cat, she just told us what we already suspected. Marc had come to Godric’s Hollow” He lovingly rolled his eyes at her antics

“Yes but she saw him a few days ago! We’re not far behind him, he could still be here!” And then in smaller voice, “and he’s ok. He’s alive.”

Sirius knew she was trying not to think about the other possibilities, “Of course he’s fine McKinnon. Didn’t you know that Marc walks on water! He soooo handsome and sooo kind, no one could harm him”

His teasing voice had worked, Marlene let out a giggle.

The bike roared into a small dingy parking lot. As Sirius switched off the engine he looked over his shoulder to Marlene, “You’re sure this is the only place in town?” It was an old one story ruddy motel.

Marlene grimaced, “Maybe its not that bad on the inside.”

They walked into a little 2 by 2 meter room. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years. Marlene gave the little bell a ding. An old man hobbled out of a door in the back corner.

“Hiya, I’m Tom! What can I do for ya?”

Marlene smiled at the old man, “Hi Tom, we were hoping we could get a room?”

“Oh sure! You guys are lucky! We’re all booked up except for one room!” He leaned forward and gave a sly smile, “The honeymoon suite”

“Oh, Well actually-“ Marlene started but Sirius cut her off

“That sounds perfect!” He grabbed the keys with a little heart keychain and steered her out of the office. He was smiling wide while they walked to their room. Marlene was just scowling at him.

“Relax, McKinnon its nothing we haven’t done before. Besides he said it was all he had left, it’ll probably be the nicest room here.”

He swung the door open, boy was he wrong. Marlene concluded the only thing that made this a honeymoon sweet was the extra flowery patterns all around the room. The bed and the wallpaper matched. Also there was hot pink shag carpet.

Marlene let out a bark of a laughed, between breaths she said, “Oh my… Merlin…” She finally caught her breath. She had caught sight of the single bed, she knew it was going to be, obviously but seeing it sobered her up. “Well pal, you’re going to pick up the pizza. I need to shower and read over the notes.”

“Or we could deliver and I could join you” He wiggled his eyebrows

“Pfft, dreaming Black” She gave him a shove out the door.

Sirius walked to the office to ask Tom where the best place to get pizza was. He wandered into the small office to find it empty once again. Sirius gave the bell a little ding. Tom came hobbling out.

“Hiya, I’m Tom! What can I do for ya?”

“Hi Tom, I just checked into the honeymoon suite. I was hoping you could tell me where the best place to get pizza is from?”

“Oh yes, yes” Tom was a classic old man seeming to remember and forget every few minutes, “You and that pretty blonde” He kept giving Sirius this knowing smile and raising his eyebrows up and down.

“One and the same!”

Tom never seemed to stop smiling, “Well as for pizza the best place would be the leaky cauldron just off the square. The best restaurant in town!”

Sirius was pretty sure it was the only restaurant in town seeing as it was the same diner they had ate for lunch.

“Right, well I guess I’m off” Sirius made to leave but Tom stopped him.

“Wait! Why don’t we just order it here and I can call your room when its ready! You see not only do I own this fine establishment but I also own the cauldron!” Tom didn’t even really give Sirius a chance to answer. He was already on the phone ordering them a medium pepperoni.

“So what brought you and your bird to this little town?” Tom was definitely a chatter.

“She works for a university and his doing some research on the towns history.” Sirius figured this was close enough to the truth without giving too much away.

“Oh! Well if you’re doing town history you should talk to Bathlida Bagshot! She not only wrote all of the books,” Tom leaned in like he was about to share a secrete, “She’s as old as they come. Been around from most of the history that’s been written.”

Sirius thought this was an interesting secrete to be sharing seeing as how Tom also seemed old enough to be around when the towns history was happening.

“That’d be great! I’d love to get her information.”

Tom began digging around in different cabinets around the office, “So how long have you and your lady been together?”

Oh great now here come the personal questions. Sirius figured it was karma, he had been the one to imply that they were together.

“Since February” He was convincing himself that this was just the easiest answer. He figured it would be weird to say that they weren’t together after they had accepted the one bedded honeymoon suite. Also he wasn’t going to unload all of their relationship drama on an overly friendly man who asked a simple question. So yes, that’s why he said February. Not because that’s when they had officially started. Not because he hasn’t even truly given another girl the time of day since February.

“Oh well that’s sweet. I would’ve guess longer just by the looks of ya. You can see the love between you. I see the way you look at her, you’re in love.” Alright so Tom was officially a batty old man.

“Right.” Sirius wasn’t sure how to respond to the man. “So Bathilda?”

“Oh Right!” Tom snapped his fingers, and turned to the desk, suddenly finding the record book he had been looking for. Right by where he should have started Sirius noted.

“Well here you go, now you go back to your bird and I’ll give you a ring when the pizzas here”

Sirius took the little card Tom had scribbled the information on and made his way back to their room. He was NOT in love with Marlene. He liked her, yes. He may have even loved her at one point but in love? No definitely not. He would admit to himself (only himself) that yes he had loved her at one point. She was perfect, even in her flaws he saw her as perfect. Marlene was too good for him. We they were dating things were great. He was starting to get it when people said you person is just different. He felt that with her, she was so easy going. But Marlene had been abandoned once by her parents, Sirius felt this pressure that if they were together it meant they were going to stay together forever. He wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. He had also been burned by his parents. They destroyed everything they touched. He broke up with her for selfish reason but now he was choosing not to give into his want for her sake.

Sirius opened the door to their room to find Marlene in nothing but a towel wrapped around her.

Marlene let out a shriek “Black!!! Get Out!!” She pulled the towel tighter.

Sirius was just grinning at her. The bastard was actually grinning at her. Not moving!!

He let out whistle, “Well this is quite the welcome, McKinnon”

“Get out!!”

Sirius placed his hands on his hips, “Now McKinnon this is my room too you know.” Marlene rolled her eyes, “At least turn around, Perv!”

Sirius held his hands up in surrender and slowly spun around while she changed. “Its nothing I haven’t seen before.”

She huffed and told him he could turn around.

He was just smiling at her, not saying anything.

“What?” Marlene asked with an annoyed huff

“Nothing… you’re hot” Still just smirking, hands on hip

“I know that.” Marlene was scowling on the outside but flushing on the inside as she bit out.

“Okay.”

“I get told that a lot”

“Okay.”

“By lots of people, boys and girls”

“Okay.” Why did he keep drawing out his okay like he was teasing her.

“Not that I need validation from strangers or you!”

“Never said you did, McKinnon”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

The pair just stared at each other. Marlene was trying not act unaffected by his gaze, she felt like he was looking into her soul. Sirius was admittedly not looking into her soul but rather her wonderfully long legs in her short sweat shorts.

She couldn’t take it anymore and turned to get on the bed, “So what about the pizza you were gone for like 15 minutes?”

Sirius moved towards the bed where she was laying out papers and books, he let out a puff of air, “Yeah well apparently Tom owns this 5 star hotel and the 5 star diner we ate in earlier. Serving the best pizza in town. He was insistent that he would just have it delivered and call when it was here, so I could ‘get back to my super hot blonde bird’” The smile again.

Marlene shoved, “He did not”

Sirius shrugged, “Maybe not but that was the gist of it.” Wink. “Anyway he did give me the information of some old lady who he thinks we could talk to about town history.” He handed Marlene the card.

“Wait, I recognize this name! She wrote like five of these books!” Marlene stared digging around the bed.

Sirius reclined with his hands behind his head. He went to turn on the tv but Marlene snatched the remote from his hands,

“We have work to do.”

“Alright tell me what you got Sherlock”

Marlene turned to face him.

“Ok Well you were right this town is named after Godric Gryffindor, he was born like a million years ago. He and the other founders each gave some special item to be buried under the school. Almost like a time capsule, it was supposed to be opened this year.”

“Why this year?”

“Apparently this was the year was the 300 hundred year anniversary of the something called the Hallows, I’ll explain that in a minute. Anyway, this guy Dumbledore became head of the school but his assistance wanted to steal the items because of some old wives tail that they’re magical. So he hid them, BUT THEN one of the students named Tom Riddle stole it all which is why we’ve never heard anything about opening the capsule because it’s gone and since forgotten.”

“Okay yeah I read a little bit about the items in,” He rooted around and found the book he was looking for pulling it into his lap and opening it to the pages. “Here. See it says that that Godric Gryffindor gave a sword. The sword could supposedly slice through anything and it was unbreakable. It was supposed to have belonged to Lancelot. Rowena Ravenclaw gave a Diadem?” He quirked an eyebrow

“It’s like a crown”

Sirius looked up from the book and found that Marlene was closer than he had expected.

“Right. Um Well, the Diadem had once belonged to the Queen royals and apparently the queen who wore it could live and rule forever. The Helga Hufflepuff gave a golden chalice, yes that chalice, the Holy Grail. If you drank from the cup it would heal you of any wounds. And finally, Salazar Slytherin gave a locket. The locket gave you the power to hear the voices in others heads. The wearer could use it to exploit others darkest thoughts and fears.”

Marlene let out a whistle. “Do you think its real? The magic?” Sirius wanted to know.

Marlene turned her whole body towards him, “Yeah I think I do. I mean I feel like I have to otherwise what was all of this for? I know it sounds crazy but my mom told me a story once… before she left.”

“Marlene…” Sirius whispered and move to grab her hand but before he even got close she sat up straight.

“She told me that she was working in Peru one winter and studying these writings on a cave. They spoke of this great love, that the people bonded together under the stars and in the cave would be together forever, they wouldn’t have love for anyone else. Anyway that’s where she met my dad and they got married there. Sometimes I think it has to be true and that’s why they leave to go around the world with each other. There isn’t love for anyone else, just each other. Its dumb I know but it was the best excuse I could come up with as kid for why they didn’t stay. And its nice to think that they’ll always have that powerful love for each other.”

“So yeah it has to be real, otherwise Marc is missing for nothing and my whole career becomes really boring”

They both let out a small laugh at the end of that statement.

“I hate to tell you McKinnon but your career is boring and you’re still a major nerd no matter what”

Marlene shoved him down, “Anyway….Tom Riddle. He was this Nazi sympathizer during the war. He believed all their propaganda about the science branch. He thought if he could find the founders items then he could live forever and help Germany win.”

“Aka he was barmy”

“Exactly. But I guess he briefly got a job at the university to get access to ideas as to where it was. Dumbledor trusted him and Riddle stole it all and any gold he could find in the university. He disappeared, most guessed to Germany but it was never confirmed. So that’s really where the story ends but Marc found his diary and in it Riddle said he went to Germany but the fall of the axis powers happened almost as soon as he got there. He came back with Nazi treasure and the founders items. I don’t know much after that besides Godric’s Hollow. I’m not sure where to go from here but maybe Bagshot will have answers.

Marlene shrugged. She felt exhausted. Sirius could see it, she looked like she had just told someone their dog had died.

He moved his hand to her thigh, “We’ll figure it out Marlene. Marc with be okay.” He squeezed her thigh, “I promise.”

They had somehow moved close, their faces only inches apart. Marlene’s eyes flickered from his eyes down to his mouth then back up to those piercing gray eyes. Sirius was searching for something in her eyes, something telling him to stop but maybe it was just because he didn’t want to see something that screamed stopped so he started to lean in. Their eyes closed, his lips about to brush hers…when the phone rang.

Sirius let out a sigh.

“You should get that” Marlene’s voice came out small, she was worried if she spoke any louder he would hear the shake.

He rolled over and picked up the hot pink (roto dial? Where were they?) phone.

As he turned his back to her to talk, she released the breath she had been holding in. She could feel the red on her face. What was that?? God he says some sweet thing and she turns into this stupid melt at gray eyes girl. She would pull it together.

Sirius stood up and turned to her, “That was Tom. The pizza’s here.”

Silence

“Okay so I’ll go grab it.” He spun on his heal and was out the door.

Closing the door behind him, he leaned his head against the wall outside. What was that?? He wanted to kiss her so bad in that moment. He wanted to reassure her everything would work out. That he would make sure of it. He needed to pull it together. He was here to prove something to her. He didn’t want to throw it away on some silly kiss, first she needed to understand what he meant when he kissed her.

Sirius gave his head a shake and pushed off the wall. He opened the door to the office and once again found it empty. Where did this man go? He gave the bell a ring and out came Tom.

“Hiya, I’m Tom! What can I do for ya?” Yep. Batty old man.

“Hey Tom, uhh Sirius” He pointed to himself hoping to jog the old mans memory. He had just called him about the pizza.

“Oh yeah! I got your pizza right here!!” He pulled a box out from behind the counter and opened to show Sirius a heart shaped peperoni pizza. “For you and your lady’s special getaway, on me!”

Sirius thanked the man and took the pizza, he hoped Marlene would get a laugh out of it and not blame him.

He wouldn’t have to worry though because he opened the door to a sleeping Marlene. He just took in the sight. All of the lights were still on, papers and books spread out over the bed. She had one on her chest, clearly falling asleep while reading it. He could tell she wasn’t faking by the way her mouth hung open. Marlene was mortified that she was a mouth breather when she slept, she wouldn’t fake that. Also he could just tell, he knew her too well.

Sirius sighed and set the pizza down on the dresser, he took a slice for himself quickly eating it. He went over and gave her a small nudge. She didn’t even open her eyes.

“mHmm”

“I know you’re tired Love but you should eat” It was the softest whisper

Eyes still closed and more than half asleep, she just rolled away from him, “no too tired, come to bed baby.” Burying her head into the pillow. She was already snoring again by the time processed what she had said in her sleep state. He tried not to think too much on it. She was sleeping but still there was this warm feeling in his chest as he moved around the room picking book and papers off the bed.

Sirius stripped down to just his boxers flicked off the lights and climbed in the bed. As soon as he was settled in the darkness a sleeping Marlene rolled to him. Her head going to his chest and swinging a leg over his.

Sirius knew he should try to roll away but she just looked so peaceful snuggled up to him. He couldn’t turn away not when he knew she had been losing sleep the past couple weeks. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. Sirius pressed a kiss to the top of her head and closed his eyes. He would deal with the rest in the morning.

[yanderecandystore]

Can we get more of the teachers with their lab escapee S/O????

Well, sure! I think it's a really different headcanon, it reminds me of asmrs where the Listener can hear their thoughts. I wish I could implement more of this, but not necessarily that the darling is actually hearing the yanderes thoughts, but that the reader (you) can see what they're thinking.

TW/Tags: continuation to a previous hc about mind reading darling who is a monster with more human traits than monster ones (so there is spoilers in this post, go read the first one if this storyline interests you) // homesickness of a home you have never been in // how about we have two "endings" in this one? I'm feeling dangerous >:3 // also a lot of meta language and fourth wall breaking that just came to me?? Like- out of nowhere.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

Raining [Yandere! Teacher OCS x Mind Reading!Reader - Headcanon]:

Because of course it's raining. Especially now that you're here, in a random cold and wet alley, trying to block the noises from the thoughts that come from the citizens.

It's been four days since you were here, eating scraps you found along the way. You didn't manage to do much as their voices and thoughts were overbearing. The fact that you may be considering going back to their homes, going back into their death trap was starting to sound so much more appealing than staying here all alone, suffering and starving.

You don't want to go back, you know they could probably hurt you. And you don't want to deal with the Bright Vision Corp anymore, you have heard rumours of humans being quite unfair in these types of facilities, you're afraid you may have a gruesome punishment awaiting for your return.

All that you wanted to do was to find your family, your kind, your home! Your true home. You feel like a piece of you is missing yet you don't know why, why would you be missing something you never had?

Why would you miss the affection and comfort that you have never had? That you have never experienced?

Why do you feel so alone when you have been all by yourself all your life? There are so many questions and no answers, and it seems like your whole life is just based on this.

Questions, confusions, no answers, no resolutions.

Your head hurts from the lack of food and proper water that you have consumed these days. Maybe you should go to sleep in hopes of restoring some energy.

I'll let you choose your path now, but it's not exactly the end from here, it's just a point where the story creates two different routes. If you're wondering why, it's because I don't know what to do with this plot line lol. So I tried creating something that may or may not be cool (I just hope it's fine with you).

→ A: You finally find a clue:

Now, in this convenient dark place, the idea that you in your worst moment is going to find a beacon of hope in a pile of garbage is just as absurd and cliche as it sounds. Yet, would you really be surprised I mean, I'm personally a cliche story teller (I have to admit that), and also-

How else would you expect to find clues about other possible monsters like yourself, if not in a place like this? Where no unwanted eyes are going to find it, where only those that need to see it, will see it!

I think you're a smart person dearest, being an experiment inside a secretive facility does help you learn some form of "street smarts". Or in this case, secret passwords/codes?? My point is that you have learned at least some forms of secret codes and how to read secret messages.

Maybe you're imagining stuff, maybe you shouldn't be reading stuff that is written on abandoned alley's walls and interpreting them as some sort of hint to find your kind, even more absurdly, to find your family.

But hey, it's a desperate time- Whatever clue of a place you need to go it's already enough for you.

Who knows? Maybe luck is at your side this time around.

→ B: You go back to them:

While looking around the place you can see many types of written phrases across the walls, which you ignore thinking it was some sort of art. You heard people like to do it just for fun, so why even bother looking at them?

You just feel really, really cold and hungry. You don't have time to look at nonsense.

You wonder if the sounds are becoming more silent because of the lack of humans walking around, or because your mind is starting to go blank once again. It's both comforting and frightening, is this the end? Are you going to die?

You fall unconscious once again, but this time worrying if you'll ever wake up again.

While you're curling yourself into a ball to protect yourself from the rain, unaware of your surroundings, a familiar figure comes in.

Worried that you may be sick and lost, they take you away. Yet of course, you didn't really know what was happening, as you were too tired to move yourself and make an effort to see who it was, or to even stop them.

And like that, you're back into their arms.

🍎 Madeline Allen part:

You would probably wake up with the smell of food, it smells so tasty. You guess your unconscious self wanted to alert you of the sweet scent of a glamorous heavy meal. You don't think you ever got the chance to experience such a thing, just smelling cooked food was already way better than the scraps you ate in the alley or the food given to you by the Bright Vision Corp. Of course, everything that is good ends abruptly.

You tried to stand up as soon as you realized where you were, but of course, you couldn't, because that would be too easy. You were trapped into the couch, by…. Blankets? It isn't too tight so it doesn't hurt you, but the knots are really strong.

You look everywhere to try and find the one person that has done this to you, only to find yourself alone in the living room. You can hear something, someone in the kitchen. I guess she still hadn't finished cooking, she didn't know when you would wake up, so she tried to be patient and not wake you up herself.

You try to break free but to no avail, Madeline comes in surprised that you're finally awake. But something seems very, very different about this encounter.

"- Oh dearest, are you okay? I hope I didn't tie you up too tightly." Her expression shows you that she is waiting for a response. But you can't hear her second voice, you can't hear what she is thinking so you keep your mouth shut.

Which was really disheartening to her, she hopes you aren't mad, maybe you're cold or hungry right?

"- I'm making dinner for us. And after that you can take a bath and we can sleep to calm down and- In the morning we can talk about all of this. How does that sound?" She says, coming forward. You frantically shake like an animal trying to escape, trying to scare her until she lets you go.

"- And if you would prefer, you can sleep wherever you want! My bedroom is upstairs, and you can sleep on the couch if you want, it is a folding bed." She is trying her best to make this situation comforting to you. It would be a shame if you ran away again.

"- I don't care where I sleep, I don't want to stay here with you!" You scream as loudly as you can. I mean, hey, maybe someone is going to help you?

She is still coming towards you, her face is emotionless and you can't help but feel extremely unsafe around someone you can't read their thoughts. I mean, you still can read it, but you can't tell what she is thinking about and that is absolutely terrifying to you.

This is probably the first time you actually felt nervous around her. Her penetrating gaze mixed with affection and maybe, anger??

"- Oh dear, that's a shame-" she leans down towards you and pinches your cheek with her right hand while the left is making a "no, no" notion "- Cause I don't think you have a choice this time."

🍎 Matthew Robinson part:

You would probably wake up with the smell of food, it smells so tasty. You guess your unconscious self wanted to alert you of the sweet scent of a glamorous heavy meal. You don't think you ever got the chance to experience such a thing, just smelling cooked food was already way better than the scraps you ate in the alley or the food given to you by the Bright Vision Corp. Of course, everything that is good ends abruptly.

You tried to stand up as soon as you realized where you were, but of course, you couldn't, because that would be too easy. You were trapped into the couch, by…. Blankets? It isn't too tight so it doesn't hurt you, but the knots are really strong.

You try to look around, although the whole ambience is pretty dark as almost all the lights are out and it's night time outside. You thought you were lucky to be all alone, until you saw the figure sitting next to a dim lamp, reading a book.

He was tired, you could see that in his expression. He was tapping his foot impatiently as he awaited you to wake up. He thought that food may have turned cold if you didn't wake up earlier, yet his mind prevented him from waking you up.

You can't see well, but you noticed that he wasn't wearing glasses while reading the book. He was only trying to distract his mind but he was obviously disturbed by the circumstances of these past few days.

"- Hello." He says. Tired as usual. You of course, don't answer.

"- I have made us dinner-" He continues "- And after it, I can prepare a bath for you, I think you would appreciate it after staying out in the rain." He says in his monotonous voice, as his second inner voice seems awfully quiet. You can't hear his thoughts for some odd reason.

This is probably the first time you ever felt so frightened by not being able to hear thoughts.

You tried to hold your anger, but you couldn't help but spill out venom as you turn your head towards him- "- As if I would eat anything coming from you."

You would soon start to regret those words as you see him sigh and get up from his seat. Not showing anything through his thoughts or expressions, although his tone does seem to be one of affection and- disappointment, by your current sassy attitude towards him.

"- You haven't eaten proper food in this couple of days, and when I found you, you were freezing from the cold rain-" Leaning down towards your trapped form, sounding absolutely done with this whole situation.

"- I don't think you are in position to deny my help."

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[carrottuan93]

Haven't met you yet | Mark

Masterlist (2/4) | part1 - part3 - part4

Starring: MK x You

Tags: Mark Tuan, Fluff, Destiny, Waiting, Christmas, Bookworm, Nerd, Love, Fate

Total WC: 1420

You felt an agonizing level of pain hitting your head the moment you open your eyes to the sound of some lowkey hip-hop playlist in the background that you know nothing about. You don’t remember setting up your spotify on loop for the rest of the night but still you find the music suit for your taste despite hearing it for the first time. You shuffled on your bed, uneasy with the throbbing sensation of your cranium being drilled in the process. You sat down on your spot and were greeted by a glass of water and aspirin purposely located on a nearby table to tend on your painful hangover. Your eyebrows creased in confusion as you roam your eyes around the unfamiliar black and white interior of the room. Eyes squinting, you placed the partially emptied glass on the table after drinking the medicine and still you’re in no better means of explaining as to why you’re feeling weird today. You give your head a slight massage and a few taps on your cheek as you gather your composure. You noticed that you slept on your black above the knee dress and must have forgotten to switch into your pajamas last night, which explains you still have your coat intact when you went home but it is missing already by the time you woke up. Where could it be? You shuffled at the edge of the bed and slumped on the ground looking for your stilettos when you came across the sight of a shoe cabinet filled with converse sneakers aligned in pairs as well as an open dresser filled with different varieties of hoodies and men clothing that are too foreign to be included in your own cabinet.

 “Shit!" reality hit you like a thunderbolt in a desert void of air, cutting all possible passageways for blood to flow freely on your circulation as if you became anemic at one point in your life. The lucid interval took effect when sobriety woke your being upon hearing the sound of someone using the shower and the smell of fresh shave accumulating on the slightly opened bathroom door. You gulped as you start to look for your sanity being thrown away on the windowsill and you're mentally preparing to jump outside as well because you still have no clue on how you ended up in a different room. What have you done for Good lord's sake?

 ----

 You glanced on your phone whilst taking your 3rd cup of coffee for the day. 10 minutes before 5pm, you read as it flashed on your screen. You haven't eaten any decent meal ever since you left the stranger's room in a hurry this morning. Fearing that you'll be seen by the guy in the shower, you escaped in the flash of a lightning. To make your day even worse, you cannot find your stilettos underneath his bed and you even grabbed the wrong coat on your way out. Worry haunted you like a madman after discovering that you accidentally went to room 1207 across your unit 1212. You're mentally skinning yourself alive by breaking into the lion's den without even knowing whom did you spend the night with. Your best friend sent you tons of messages asking for specific details because you’ve been sending her cryptic texts about your situation. You weren’t thinking straight and the bile in your stomach is rising up like it’s about to explode any minute now. But you can’t escape your work with your current dilemma that’s why you need to stay sane until you meet with Eunhee tonight.

 "Ms. Y/n, thank you for submitting the report on time even on a holiday. I know it must be troublesome for you to go here while you're in the middle of your Christmas spirit but we’d like to fully adhere to our schedule on time before new year. Mr. Raymond is an important client, so we need to make sure that we're being transparent at all costs.” After a meaty discussion with your senior, you gladly took a breather when your meeting adjourned. You’re an accountant and being part of an accounting firm surely entails hours and hours of long work leaving you with no time at all for yourself. It’s a busy season as usual but you won’t miss out the holidays for your busy roll. You’d like to check your schedule on your planner but to no avail, you misplaced it last night. Since you’re carrying it wherever you go, you’re 101% sure that you left it on the unit across your place along with your other stuff. You haven’t had the opportunity to claim your things this morning due to the embarrassment crisis that is weighing down on your shoulder. Your current work engagement with this particular client is a big deal for you, so you chose to save your ass from being reprimanded by your boss and being late to work. Maybe your best friend can think clearly than your wasted self. ‘Just kill me already’ is all you can tell your poor being. You heard your phone rang all of a sudden and Eunhee’s name flashed on the screen.

 “Girl, where the hell are you?” You must be zoning out. You reached the brink of your anxiety when the clock’s hand struck to eight, wondering how come 3 hrs has already passed with you just sitting on your cubicle.

 “Eunhee, I’ve been through a tough day and I don’t know how to explain my current situation but I’ll be there in a second I promise.” And the Amazing Race Christmas edition has begun. Dressed on your black turtleneck blouse tucked in your skinny jeans, you complete your party outfit with a stylish beanie to match with your caramel trench coat so as not to look underprepared for the occasion. You then rushed through the nearest macaron store to grab your order and have decided that you just finish doing your makeup inside the uber to maximize your time. Geez, it’s freezing cold outside and the streets are filled with lovebirds which only made your stomach turn into a sour milk. You’re famished by the time you arrived at the address Eunhee sent you and you were welcomed with her bright smile and her expression demanding for an explanation.

 “I know that look on your eyes Eunhee but feed me first before I prepare for my death bed.” You hugged her so tight like your world depended on her. She dragged you inside the house which you believe to be Jackson’s place. You didn’t think of Jackson as some kind of a party jock but sure this guy knows how to throw a proper party for a group. His house is warm and inviting, you gotta commend his taste for classical music filling the air but he’s nowhere to be found. You’re slowly getting into the holiday mood, with a few acquaintances that you meet along the hallways and a feast filled with nothing but sweet treats, you began to think if you went to a gingerbread house instead of an adult’s party.

 “Before everything else, where are the drinks?” You need a booze so you can open up easily to Eunhee but she ordered you to pick a paper inside the bowl in return.

“Calm down, Jackson’s little cousins from the US are coming as well so you won’t be expecting to see liquor at this early hour. We serve the kiddie treats first and we move on to a full-grown up party in the midnight but you gotta choose your secret Santa first.” You gave her an inquisitive look and wonder what secret Santa is she talking about? You picked a random green paper.

 “Wait, what’s with the secret Santa thing?”

“Everyone is required to bring a gift for someone else”

“I wasn’t informed? You didn’t tell me!” Maybe today’s series of panic attacks aren’t enough for your breakdown but here’s the cherry to the cake.

 “Oh my god, Y/n.” Eunhee gasped in shock just in time when Jackson entered the living room in his bright holiday spirit.

“Hey Y/n. Looking good tonight, huh? You like my place?” He went over to Eunhee and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.

“My first time going to your place feels like home, Jackson.” You smiled at him and you could tell he came with a company.

“That’s nice to hear. But girls, I want you to meet my cousin from LA, Mark.”

[angstymdzsthoughts]

Ignorance is a bliss

Imagine if “come to gusu with me” ends up with wwx passed out of exhaustion before he could reject the offer. Lwj did brought him to gusu and under the jurisdiction of the elders, after wwx is nursed back to health, his demonic cultivation must be sealed and he must received say maybe 15 lashes as punishment for straying off the righteous path before were sent to seclusion with lwj so that wwx will finally be ‘cleansed’. Wwx wasnt happy ofc but what he could do with his powers are sealed away? Now , 5 strokes of discipline whip may cause a cultivator bedridden for months, how about to a non cultivator ? It must affect them severely so that is why discipline whip can never be used to a non cultivator. Lwj was forced to a house arrest guarded by three disciples due to him trying to (forcefully) persuade the elders to not hurt wwx. Lwj never thought that the elders were so hell bent on punishing wwx , where he promised wwx that gusu will be his safe haven (oh lwj, ignorance is a bliss).

The elders of Lan assumed that wwx’s core is still intact but maybe diminished due to demotic cultivation. So they still proceeded with the punishment. But halfway through the session, wwx lose consciousness and healers were called to heal him so that they could finish the punishment.However, upon trying to heal him , the healers discovered that wwx does not have a golden core. Lxc was horrified and ultimately barked an order to bring wwx to the sect’s infirmary to put him to rest. Glaring at lqr and the elders , he told them if wwx did not survive the ordeal , they would have become a murderer.

Lwj was devastated on the state wwx in. Wwx had a bad fever due to infection despite how hard the healers were trying to use medication. Bandages were changed thrice a day to ensure the infection does not spread to other parts of body. Wwx never gained consciousness for 3 months. He was delirious in fever as his health rapidly declining over the days. Healers concluded that wwx may not he able to perform his daily routine without help as the whip has cause major backlash on his physical and mental health.

After a discussion, the lans decided to finally informed the jiang sects of the situation wwx was in. JC was on his way when wwx woke up. Wwx was in confusion and struggling to get out of his bed. Lxc and lwj had to restrain him to ensure he doesn’t hurt himself. The last thing wwx remembered that his back and legs were excruciating painful and people in white robes are the cause of it.Paranoia settles in him causing wwx to be on alert every second and never utter a single word after waking up, not even to lwj. For wwx, lwj has brought him to gusu because he hated wwx so much that he let those people hurt him. He was betrayed.

Although he was reluctant at first, he forced himself to eat to regained his strength and escape this hell. When the jc arrives at gusu with a group of disciples , lxc and the elders met them at the entrance leaving lwj and wwx alone at the room. Wwx for the first time spoke to lwj, requesting for a new change of robe. “I just dont want anyone to see me in this dirty robe” . Lwj acquiesced.

When lwj came back with new set of fresh robes and a basin of hot water , wwx was gone. Due to the envoy from Jiang sect , the entrance was not guarded as usual and wwx miraculously managed to flee gusu. Wwx put his guard up even he has successfully escape and ran to the most secluded part of Caiyi town. After resting for few hours and after the adrenaline was gone ,wwx realised that he was severely injured and crippled. His left leg cannot be bend without causing painful jolt like feeling. Him running all the way from gusu to caiyi with a bleeding back and hurting leg was indeed a miracle. Now , if walking was painful , then running was courting death. With careful planning using his survival skills and experience , wwx continues his painstaking slow journey and enters a forest , opposite direction of gusu and lotus pier. Wwx was last seen by a fruit vendor of Caiyi Town ; limping away without a trace.

Lwj without a doubt used an inquiry to find wwx , but wwx was an ambitious lad. Wwx somehow managed to create a talisman that can hide his presence even to spirits. Jc has issued posters all over the place , in hopes that someone might give an intel for him to find his brother but to no avail , no one has a clue of where wwx has been gone to. Wwx - like a ghost , has disappeared . JYL and JXZ was also at deeps end, unable to trace her missing brother. Other major sects also keep an eye for wwx, though the Lan clan has claimed that wwx’s demonic cultivation was sealed and was severly injured, who knows what can that young man do ?

Timeskip to 13 years later, JL LJY and LSZ (assuming that the siege never happened, but lwj adopted a-yuan as per requested by wq and wn to ensure he was raised at a proper & healthy background and the wen remnants survived and disperse for safety) was attacked at goddess temple only to be saved by a mystery crippled guy with mask (JL: a non cultivator nonetheless!) (LJY: what an amazing talent ! Only using talisman to beat the statue!). The teenagers were awestruck with the masked man’s skill, that they wanted to thanked him with a meal and few drinks but was rejected and the man leaves.

JL who never accepts no for an answers suggest to secretly follows the man so that they can send drinks or some offering for him to his house instead. Ljy and Lsz tagged along as they were curious of their saviour after all. A non cultivator cannot detect presence like a cultivator do, so the man was unaware that he was tailed. Upon arriving an old shack with a small potato farm , the man limped and sat with a grunt. Taking off his mask , he took a bottle of water and consumed a few concoction of medicine before coughing. The teenagers was surprised on the living condition of their saviour. JL however upon seeing the face of the man, went wide eyes.

“That man, he was in the poster my jiujiu used to issue around LP . My A-niang talks about him a lot,” looking over his other two confused companions. “I can never forget that face. The face that always make my mother cry upon looking at his picture and frown at his name. He is my missing big uncle , Wei Wuxian of Jiang Sect.”

“Ah i heard about him. Apparently our Elders punished him until he was missing his golden core , i think? Or is it the other way around?” Ljy spoke. “But i think the limping was the consequences from our Sects’ punishment. That time , Lan sect and Jiang Sect almost broke the treaty. I heard Madame Jiang managed to convinced your uncle to stop”.

They saw the man plowing a part of his potato field ,who occasionally stopped due to his heavy cough and resume his work. “Wwx , he is the person my father has been looking for the past 13 years. I need to let him know” Lsz finally spoke, smiling.

“Oh my potatoes , I hope you grew up fat and yummy for this master over here! I need more money , or i wont be able to buy medicine. You dont want me to die yet are you~” sang wwx. The 3 looked at each other and finally decides to leave for their respective inn, bringing a joyous news for their leaders.

Next day, both JC and lwj accompanied by the 3 went to wwx’s house. Both heartbroken on the state of the old shack . Knocking the wooden door and clearly listening on the voice mumbling from inside “who the hell would come here early in the morning at middle of a forest”, jc and lwj was shocked on the physical appearance of their missing person. Sunken cheeks and dark eyes as indication of fatigue , limping , voice hoarse from sickness and the obvious whipping scars marring from behind his neck to under the ragged clothes , jc couldnt help but to greet wwx with a hug , holding him so gentle in fear that wwx would break with the slightest of strength. Wwx frozen in shock couldnt hug back but made eye contact with lwj. “Weiying, please forgive me that I couldn’t protect you. I am very sorry.” After 13 years of internal pain and agony , wwx for the first time shed his tears . “I forgive you , so you all should leave me alone. I am a burden. Im no longer a cultivator , but a crippled man with not much time to left. I am nothing but a burden. Please” sobbed wwx.

“Idiot. Give us a chance to take care of you. A-jie misses you so much, every day and night. You haven’t met your nephew , Jing Ling . Don’t you want to eat her soup? And about your health, i can call WenQing to help you. She is still the best doctor alive. Come back with us , okay ? And no one will hurt you. “ jc.

Wwx was shocked to hear wq was still alive and her name was spoken by jc without an ounce of hatred. What have been happening for the past few years he have been isolating himself ? With shaking hands , he grabbed jc’s robe and nodded. He made another eye contact with lwj and could see how sincere he is from his eyes. Maybe , all this time , the fact that lwj hates me and sending me to my demise was all a misunderstanding?

“I am no more a cultivator.”

“It’s fine , WeiYing”

“I cannot contribute to Jiang sect anymore.”

“Who cares about that, idiot?”

“I’m going to be a burden !!! I cant even walk properly. My health is deteriorating”

“WeiYing, if tired , I can carry. Let me take care of you when sick”

“Lan Zhan, i dont want to go to gusu”

“We can go anywhere other than Gusu.”

“I wont let you take a single step to that damn place , no offence Second Young master Lan”

“None taken.”

———

(Alternate ending)

Wwx was still unconscious and attacked by a high fever due to infection in his wound. Numerous method has been used to mitigate the after effect of the whip , but to no avail. Infection starts to spread to his legs, and wwx was delirious and moaning in his sleep due to pain. The severity of the wound caused both of his legs to sepsis and the healers has no other way than to amputate the legs to make sure that the infection will not spread internally.

After the surgery of removing wwx’s legs , the infection are able to be minimised but still needs to be monitored. Still, wwx has no signs of waking up. Lwj was loyal to his side , taking care of changing the bandages . Every night , lwj had a nightmare of the reaction of wwx waking up with no legs . One particular nightmare that haunts him the most is weiying took out his own life out of despair. Lwj couldnt sleep for two nights watching over wwx after that nightmare occurs.

After 6 days, lqr visited the room and berates lwj for neglecting his duty as a student of Lan sect. Lwj angrily talks back, and was taken to kneel in the hall for one day. When he came back , no one was watching wwx. He came back with pure silence from wwx .Where there should a ragged breathing from wwx , it was only silence. Wwx’s usually pale lips was ashen. Bandaged chest that should be heaving was still. Wwx finally succumbed to his injuries after 11 days of fighting and lwj (again) was not by his side. His sect (again) are the cause of pain for his beloved ones and has taken everything from him.

—-

Wow took this one hour and a half. This is my second time posting here. 😋 enjoy?

-b

[thorne93]

The Softest Fire (Part 3)

Prompt: Rosaline Vaughan had it all: fame, money, power, glory, a high status job. Until, one day, she woke up, and realized something was missing from her life.

Word Count: 2091

Warnings: dealing with animals(??), language

Notes: First Fantastic Beast fic! I could NOT have done this at all without @arrow-guy​​​. They have created a counterpart to this fic, writing it from Nora Vaughan’s perspective (Rosaline’s cousin/adopted sister). Fic aesthetic done by @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo​​​.

1921, that’s when I began my journey with Newt. Now it was 1925 and Newt had declared that he would be traveling alone for a year. Together, we’d amassed far too many creatures to keep safely together in the suitcase. They needed proper room to run and proper room for me to treat them. That’s when we expounded on his basement, creating small worlds, environments for the creatures to inhabit, at least until they were ready to be freed. 

Newt said he would take Frank to Arizona during one leg of his trip, making me ecstatic. I would be heartbroken, and miss him dearly, but ultimately, he deserved to be free and happy in the wild.

While he would be gone, it would be up to me to care and feed for the animals. Being that it was a full time job, Newt stated I would be allowed to stay at his flat, in case anything went wrong, I would be right there to tend to them. 

Before he shipped out though, we had four amazing years together. Oftentimes, I’d be at his home already tending to the creatures in the basement, feeding, washing, healing. He would be working upstairs, working on the book, or out at the library gathering information, or up at Diagon Alley purchasing books or things for travel. If I knew he was on his way home, I’d run up and make a quick meal or snack for him. Something he never asked for, in fact, he had no clue what it was the first time… 

“Rosaline!” he called downstairs.

“Yes?”

“Did you make something to eat?” he questioned, confused.

I jogged up the stairs, wearing trousers, of all things. I still felt foreign in these darn things but, Newt had insisted I wear something more proper to chase down critters in the wild. “What? Oh, yes, I did. Not for me though, for you,” I explained, gesturing to his small table. “Is that alright? It should still be warm,” I noted, rushing towards the plate and removing the aluminum foil. 

“No, no that’s fine. I just… didn’t know. This is… great. Thank you, I haven’t eaten all day.” He sat down, pulling up to the table and tucking a napkin in his collar. “Well, wait, what about you? Have you eaten?”

I waved him off. “No, no, but I’m fine.”

“What? Nonsense. It’s eight o’clock at night, and you haven’t eaten. Come, sit with me,” he encouraged, pushing a chair out next to him. 

“No that’s your dinner. That’s fine. I’ll be okay. Thank you though. I’ll go take care of the firedrake.” 

“Rosaline, don’t make me pull rank,” he slightly teased. “Please, some company would be nice.” 

I smiled gently at his kind request and finally acquiesced and sat beside him, grabbing a fork. “Alright, but only because you begged, remember that,” I joked. 

That night was a rather good indicator of how our nights went. I made him a small dinner or snack if he was out late, and he’d return to happily feast on it. Sometimes I joined him, sometimes I went home to my own flat, other times, he did the same. I would arrive in the morning and he already had coffee waiting for me on the table, made just the way I like. 

Life for us felt right this way. Taking care of each other, and the creatures. I hardly ever really missed the Ministry. On rough days with a wild animal, or days that we ran into trouble from other wizards, I longed to be back at my simple job, for a split second, but ultimately, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. 

Nora and Theseus popped in and out on the regular. Nora would come down and help me with feeding if I had a little too much on my plate or needed to take a second to tend to Newt’s dinner. Theseus and I sometimes shared a cup of tea, waiting for his brother to return home. In this time, I got to know him well, much better than at the Ministry. 

Learning how different the two brothers were was highly amusing to me. Newt was so much like Nora. Always up for adventure, never one to let anyone tell them what to do, never afraid to back down from a fight. They’ve always been brave, incredibly knowledgeable, always on a new book each week. Nora and Newt were both eclectic, going against the grain.

Theseus and myself seemed to share an interest in politics, current events, studying magic to its fullest extent, following rules, playing by the rulebook. Both of us calm, soft spoken, traditional. 

Today marked the day that Newt would set off for his voyage. One year, around the globe, without me. I was sad that I wouldn’t get to help him in his adventures, but we both knew and agreed I really needed to hold the fort down here. Nora promised to stop by at least twice a week to make sure the Kelpie we rescued hadn’t drowned me. Not that he would, he was a gentle giant, but anything could happen with these beasts. 

He was all packed and ready to go.

“Okay and you know the augurey has a wound on its head--”

“Yes,” I assured as Newt was backing towards the door with his suitcase. 

“And the thestral needs to be cleaned.”

I nodded. “Yes, I know. Every Friday.” 

“Yes and--”

“Newt!” I stopped him, soft pleading in my voice. “I can handle this, alright? I’ve spent the last few years with you, day in and day out with these animals. I think I know my way around. Everything will be fine, I promise.” 

He made an apologetic face and bobbed his head. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry I just--”

I nodded, quietly responding, “I know. It’s fine.”

A small smile came onto his face. 

“You better go before you miss the boat…”

“Right… Well… I’ll be off then…” 

The two of us stood there awkwardly for a moment. Newt went for a handshake, but I leaned in for a hug. Then we switched, pulling his hand back to go for a hug but I suddenly shot my hand out. The two of us were blushing messes by now. Typically, we only waved to each other at the end of a day or bid each other good night. But this was different… He would be gone for a year and I had no idea what dangers or issues he may face. He was a brilliant wizard of course, but it was in my nature to protect and lead. 

“Hug?” I questioned finally, wanting to be past this.

“Yes,” he agreed, laughing before we finally embraced properly for a few seconds. 

“Alright, better catch your boat now…” 

“Right… I’ll write you.”

“Yes, of course.” I nodded and he was finally out the door, on his way, taking with him my usual warmth and happiness. I heaved a sigh and turned around to head down to the basement for the morning feedings.

-------------------------------

“He’s been gone five months, Nora,” I complained as I sat down one of the bowls on the table. She’d dropped by for lunch and I had been feeling pretty down lately and as soon as I saw her, for some odd reason, the floodgates that were my mouth opened. 

“Yes? Well he is on a year long journey, Rosaline, you know this.”

“I know, I know. But I haven’t heard from him in three weeks either,” I fretted before checking the gravy and then adding it to the table. 

“He might not have time. He is busy. He’s working. He may also be writing you when he gets the chance. Maybe mail is slow.”

I shot her a stern glance at her excuses. “Never this slow. Is he okay?” 

“Yes, of course, it’s Newt. He’s perfectly capable. Why are you so distressed?” she questioned, peering up at me before taking a sip of her tea. 

I sat across from her, now that lunch was fully prepared. “I--I don’t know. I just… Ever since he’s been gone I’ve been a ball of nerves, worrying. That’s just not like me…” 

"When did this worrying start?"

"The moment he left," I said, pulling my brows together.

"And how do you feel when he writes you?"

"Um, elated I suppose. I'm beyond happy to know he's okay and that he's doing what he loves and getting to gather more information for his book.... Why would I be anything but happy and excited?"

"Had you been working for, say... I don't know, Theseus. Would you have the same reaction? Would you still be just as excited to get his letters ?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "No, no... No... Theseus is fine and all but he and I aren't close like Newt and I are."

She let a chuckle escape her lips. "Sounds to me as if you've caught a love bug, sweetheart."

I gasped, shocked. "Newt? Newton Scamander? No... Haha.... No. That's ridiculous. He's my boss, Nora!"

"You've spent practically every day of your life over the past five years with him, watching him treat those animals like his children. He's gentle and kind. I can't blame you for falling for him."

"Nora, this is preposterous. You and I both know men have never, ever been on my list of things to concern myself with. Why, out of all people, would I be falling for Newt Scamander?"

"Just because it's never been at the top of your list of concerns doesn't mean you weren't falling for him. You find what you want or need most when you're not looking, Rosaline."

"You're a sap."

"And you're oblivious."

"Nora, please. Can you honestly see me loving him? You were his assistant before I was, does that mean you're in love with him?" I accused, pointing at her.

"Can't say it does. Mind you, he's nearly eight years younger than me, and I never spent as much time with him as you did." She raised her eyebrows at me. "And if I'm remembering correctly, you had a soft spot for him while you were in school."

I screwed my mouth to the side, becoming defensive. "That was merely a reaction to the injustice that occurred with Leta Lestrange. If it were anyone else I would've done the same thing. He was an excellent student and classmate. He never caused any issues. He's sweet....”"

She leaned forward, a mischievous look on her face. "He's sweet, and...?"

"And what?" I snapped playfully, getting up to refill her tea and do anything to avoid addressing this.

"You're arse over tits for him, dear cousin. No shame in it!"

I nearly dropped the teapot I was holding at her words. "Eleanore Vaughan!" I gasped.

She cackled, throwing her head back. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. You know your secret is safe with me."

"You think just because I miss my boss and I eagerly await his return, and I can't help but think of him all the time, and yes he may possess all the qualities of a husband, if I ever desired one, and he's funny and kind and talented -- " I stopped and glared at her.

Grinning and wiggling her eyebrows at me, she leaned back in her seat. "Need I say more?"

"Okay... Then what do I do with this information?" I questioned uneasily sitting down. "I've never... you know... "

"If you want to tell him, do it. If you don't, I'll support you either way."

I stared at her, my mouth open. "That's it? That's your grand advice? Where is your gusto when I need it?"

"You think I have any kind of experience here that I can apply? My longest relationship has been with the kneazle that wandered into my shop one day and didn't leave."

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. "Yes but... how do I even go about this? I can't just blurt out my feelings, can I? Isn't that a little... faux pas?"

"How would you normally bring up something important with him?"

"Approach him in between tending to the animals. Just... say 'Newt, I need to discuss something with you'."

"Then do that. If it doesn't work out, then wait till the time feels right and tell him."

"You make it sound easy," I muttered.

"But I never said it would be."

I sighed. "I suppose I have news then, when he returns home."

She grinned. "Perhaps you do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[cas-kingdom]

i was extremely bored so found this 105-question questionnaire and filled it out. you guys can do it too if you want!

 1) Are you in a relationship with somebody? No.

2) Do you hate more than 3 people? Probably.

3) How many houses have you lived in? 4.

4) Favorite candy bar? Crunchie! (That’s honeycomb and chocolate heaven for those of you who don’t own the luxury of having them in your country).

5) Favorite shoes? Nike.

6) Have you ever tripped someone? Oh, yes.

7) Least favorite school subject? Science, unless it’s biology, which isn’t so bad.

9) Do you own a Britney Spears CD? No.

10) Have you ever thrown up in public? Yes. I was 8, in school, and threw up in front of my class. So fun. Really, it was my parents’ fault for sending me in despite me saying I felt sick; they thought I was trying to get a day off school because my sister was ill, too. Sucks to be wrong.

11) Name one thing that is always on your mind. A lot.

12) Favorite genre of music? Probably pop. Whatever Take That is.

13) What is your zodiac sign? Pisces.

14) What time were you born? 9:06 am.

15) Do you like beer? There’s a dark berry one I don’t mind, but I don’t drink much alcohol.

16) Ever made a prank phone call? Yep.

17) What is the most embarrassing CD you own? I don’t own any CDs tbh. 

18) Are you sarcastic? Of course not. (That was sarcasm).

19) What are your favorite colors? Blue and yellow! 

20) How many watches do you own? I have a few, though only one proper one which I wear most days, but it’s an expensive one.

21) Summer or winter? Winter. The sun gives me headaches.

23) Favorite color to wear? Black or white with blue denim. (I’m boring).

24) Pepsi or Sprite? Sprite.

25) What color is your cell phone? Silver and white.

26) Where is your second home? Ireland! 

27) Have you ever slapped someone? Not that I can remember. I’d like to, though. ;)

28) Have you ever had a cavity? Yes, but only recently, weirdly enough.

29) How many lamps are in your bedroom? 2. Are you supposed to have any more than that?

30) How many video games do you own? No clue. Apart from Sims 3 & 4, Minecraft which I bought when I was like 11 and haven’t played in years, and tons of old Nintendo games…. Yep. No idea!

31) What was your first pet? Poppy, my black and white cat. My parents adopted her before I was born and she was put down when I was 13. She lived to be over 20!

32) Ever had braces? Yep. Currently have them now which sucks because the treatment will probably be set back now that my next appointment has been delayed over 3 months due to the virus!

33) Do looks matter? Someone’s looks become a little less attractive to me if their personality isn’t just as beautiful. (How sappy?)

34) Do you use chapstick? After I brush my teeth because my lips get dry. ;(

35) Name 3 teachers from your High School. Mrs Drake, Mr Cherry (isn’t that an awesome name?) and Mr Romero.

36) American Eagle or Abercombie? I’m not American but I do visit and my Granma had an apartment in Florida so I have a few Abercrombie clothes.

37) Are you too forgiving? Probably, yes.

38) How many children do you want? 3. Twin boys and a little girl.

39) Do you own something from Hot Topic? Again, not American!

40) Favorite breakfast meal? Pain au chocolat!

41) Do you own a gun? There’s a water gun somewhere in my back garden.

42) Ever thought you were in love? Not with anybody who isn’t fictional.

43) When was the last time you cried? Uh, a few days ago?

44) What did you do 3 nights ago? I can’t even remember what I did last night.

45) Olive Garden? La Panera? Never been to either, though my sister and I will go to OG after lockdown’s over.

46) Have you ever called your teacher mommy? No, but I’ve called my science teacher Grandma (they have the same name). 

47) Have you ever been in a castle? I’ve been in loads!

48) Nicknames? A few. My best friend and I constantly call each other ‘Bitch’ and my Dad has called me ‘Monkey’ since I was born. I have it tattooed in his handwriting.

49) Do you know anyone named Bertha? Who knows someone called Bertha? (No offense if your name is Bertha).

50) Ever been to Kentucky? The only US states I’ve been to are Florida and NYC.

51) Do you own something from Banana Republic? No. Had to look up what it was. Thought it was a crazy Government party.

52) Are you thinking about somebody right now? Alexander Skarsgard. Why? Who knows. (We all know).

53) Have you ever called someone Boo? No, but I’ve been called it.

55) Do you own a diamond ring? No, but my mum and sister own a few (passed down from my Granma).

56) Are you happy with your life right now? I wish.

57) Do you dye your hair? A little. It’s a bit blonder that it is naturally.

58) Does anyone like you? Who knows?

59) What year were you born? 2000 and something....... maybe.

60) What were you doing in May of 1994? Rooting for my parents to meet and have me.

61) Do you own a Backstreet Boys CD? No.

62) McDonalds or Wendy's? Wendy’s. I hate McDonalds.

63) Do you like yourself? Sometimes.

64) Are you closer to your mother or father? Probably my mum, but that’s only because my dad and I are so alike we often find it difficult to speak about what I speak about with my mum. 

65) Favorite physical feature of the preferred sex? Oh, where do I start? Give me a guy with long-ish hair and we’re good to go.

66) Are you afraid of the dark? Sometimes.

67) Have you ever eaten paste? Like toothpaste? Probably accidentally.

68) Do you own a webcam? No.

69) Have you ever stripped? Not in front of anyone…

70) Ever broke a bone? 2. My shoulder and my tailbone. Both by falling off my horse. I know, I know.

72) Do you chat on AIM often? I don’t even know what that is.

73) Pringles or Lays? Never had Lays. My favourite crisp (or chip to you Americans) is paprika Pringles.

74) Have you ever broken someone's heart? I don’t think so.

75) Rugrats or Doug? Who what where?

76) Full House or The Brady Bunch? FULL HOUSE. Even if I’d watched The Brady Bunch, my go-to will always be Full House.

77) Did you like your high school guidance counselor? We don’t have those over here.

78) Has anyone ever called you fat? Don’t think so. I’m underweight so if they did they’d be an asshole or blind.

79) Do you have a birth mark? One on my thigh.

80) Do you own a car? I will after I learn to drive.

81) Can you cook? I can try.

82) 3 things that annoy you: Background noise when I’m trying to concentrate, people who think they know something when they don’t, those who think they can dictate my life for me... (among maaaany other things).

83) Do you text message often? Not really. I speak to my friends on social media.

84) Money or love? Love, but money is important, too.

85) Do you have any scars? A few. The most prominent one is on my forehead from when I ran into the corner of the oven door and tore a hole in my head. I was at my Granma’s at the time and she almost had a mini heart attack.

86) What do you want more than anything right now? To leave my house.

87) Do you enjoy scary movies? It’s my best friend and I’s go-to genre of movies when we’re together. Never alone, though.

88) Relationships or one night stands? Relationship. Please.

89) Big Red or Juicy Fruit? What on earth does this mean?

90) Do you enjoy greasy food? Not really.

91) Have you seen all the Rocky movies? Nope. None.

92) Do you own a box of crayons? Probably somewhere in my house.

94) Who was the last person that said they loved you? My dad.

95) Who was the last person that made you mad? My mum. Not ‘mad’ mad. Just upset and a little angry.

96) Who was the last person that made you cry? Refer to previous question.

97) Who was the last person that made you laugh? My parents when my dad almost had a heart attack when my mum pretended to throw the spider she’d caught at him.

98) Who was the last person that you fell for? My dog.

99) Who was the last person that instant messaged you? My best friend.

100) Who was the last person that called you? A woman about a job interview.

EXTRA QUESTIONS!!

101) Name one thing you want to stop. Right now? The Coronavirus.

102) What's your dream holiday destination? New Zealand and Iceland.

103) Who's your celebrity crush? I have too many to be considered healthy. But Hugh Jackman... I love you…

104) What's your favorite video game? Sims.

105) What's your favorite song right now? Probably Snowman by Isak Danielson. Forever my fave.

[lilikags]

Rebecca Glisson (original story based off prompt)

Prompt: every baby is taken away by the government and returned when they are ten years old. They never remember what happened in those years, but they always recognize their parents. You, however, remember everything. And those aren’t your parents.

Huff. Huff. Huff. I felt my heart beat faster than it ever had. My legs ached, sore from running. My long, dark brown hair almost fell out of its ponytail, and it covered my eyes, which were sore from tears. 

"Stop right there!" a voice called out. It sounded like it was from an officer. oh no I ran harder, going in whichever direction my legs would take me. Though I knew I wouldn't be able to run much longer, I kept running. It's all I had left to do anyways. It was my only choice- my only choice to stay alive. 

No matter what, I was going to keep running, until I couldn't. Yes, until I couldn't. Until the officer caught up to me and grabbed me by the arm. "Let go!" I struggled to break free from his grasp, but he was too strong for me. I knew that from the very start though; there was no way for a mere 10 year old child to be stronger than a grown man. Soon enough, I passed out, probably from fatigue and exhaustion, and I was taken to the place I'm in now.

I didn't introduce myself, but that was intentional. But now I will. I'm Lila- Lila Harnsworth. Just call me Lila though. Actually, my last name isn't Harnsworth. It's Glisson. Though, I've been told my family's name was Harnsworth, but they're wrong. They lied. The government lied. I haven't a clue as to why they would do this, but they do- my parents. Like everyone else, I was taken away as a child by the government and am supposed to be returned to my parents when I turn 10. My birthday was a few days ago, and I was returned to "my family". But they weren't my family. It was someone else's family. How did I know? They didn't look like my parents at all. I've always had a good memory; I could remember the best of details of just about anything I saw ever since I was born. Apparently the government must have forgotten about it, because they wouldn't have sent me here if I knew it wasn't my family.

The first day was nice. Mrs. Harnsworth made me my favorite food, mashed potatoes and gravy, and Mr. Harnsworth and David Harnsworth, their son, treated me nicely. But then, yesterday, they started acting a bit strangely. All of their reactions seemed much more fake than the day before, and I knew they had to be planning something. I couldn't just outright tell them I knew something, since they would probably just force it on me. So, I tried to play along, but it didn't' work. In the end, they still got to me. 

That night, I was going to bed in my little room, which was big enough to hold a bed and a table, with a nice little chair. The walls were painted a happy yellow and decorated with flowers. I fell asleep quickly, for a reason I'm not exactly clear on. I suspect I was drugged, but I'm not completely sure. When I woke up, I was more tired than usual, which I also think is a side effect of a drug I was most likely fed during dinner. I attempted to open the door, but it wouldn't open. The door seemed to be locked from the outside, and I couldn't get out. I called for someone to open my door, but no one answered. I waited until lunch to call for someone again, and no one answered. 

I was done staying with this family. They acted nice, drugged me, and locked me in a room. I knew I'd probably live a miserable life with them. I had one escape route- a window. I picked the lock on it with a paperclip and slid it open. I hopped out of the window and landed on my feet. It didn't hurt too much, so I just started running. I just wanted to run as far as I would, maybe meet a family who would take care of me. Maybe I'll find my real parents. Who knows. But all I need to do now is survive. That's my number one priority.

So, back to the present. I'm in a police department, in a prison cell. Yes, a prison cell. It sounds horrible, doesn't it? Putting a child in a prison cell? It's bad, just not terrible. I'm looking out the window, wondering if I could escape from there. I have two options. One, convince the officers to take me to my real parents. Two, run away again. 

The first one is better if they actually comply to my request, but I doubt it. Two seems like the better option, but there's a good chance I'll get caught. So, I'm just sitting here. 

"Hey, kid," an officer with a warm smile greeted me. I waved back, trying to act casual. 

"We're going to have to talk to you. You know running away from your parents isn't good, right? You must miss them already though, right? We'll get you back to them as soon as possible. Don't worry." he looked at you as if he was trying to reassure me, and I do pity him for not realizing that something that definitely off with that family. It was so obvious even a ten year old could tell. 

"Actually," I started, to get his attention. "I would like to speak to your team as well. I would like to have a nice, long discussion, so please prepare some time. I won't rush you though, I know you're busy, so it's only fair for you to choose the time. After all, I'm the one with all the time in the world."

His eyes told me that he was surprised with the way I spoke, but he refocused himself quickly. He decided to play along, and said, "Alright. We'll call you when we have time to talk. Sound good?" 

"Yes," I confirmed. 

So, the only thing I could do is wait.

~Timeskip: the next day~

I woke up at sunrise. I know I'm never going to grow tall like this, but I've been on alert for too long recently. It's been affecting my sleep, but that's okay. I'm getting enough sleep, so it's fine. I stretched and waited for the next meal to come. I was staring out a window when the officer from yesterday came back, "If you're ready, we can have that conversation now if you like."

I nodded, and he guided me out of the cell. I didn't' bother to look at the hallways closely, I was too focused on what I was going to say. He took me to a room with a table, and it had some chocolate chip cookies on it. *So, they're going to bribe me with cookies?* He took one for himself and offered me one. Reluctantly, I took one and ate it. It was really good. Guess it was supposed to make me put down my guard. It won't work as well though, since I've figured it out. I waited a couple minutes for the one who was going to interrogate me, and a woman, maybe in her 40's, walked in. 

"Hello, Lila Harnsworth. It's nice to meet you." she shook hands with me.

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you too," I responded.

"I heard you requested a meeting, is that right?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"I assume the reason you wanted to talk with us is related to your actions?"

"Yes, I would like to speak about that. I remember everything I see. I remember my family from years ago, before I was taken away. And when I was "returned to my family", I was taken to the wrong family. I'm not  Lila Harnsworth. I'm Lila Glisson. If possible, could you return me to my family?"

I waited for an answer for a whole minute, staring that the woman in front of me. 

"Lila, you must be mistaken. There's no family in this town by the name of Glissen. You're Lila Harnsworth, the youngest child of the Harnsworth family. I'm afraid we'll have to return you to Mrs. and Mr. Harnsworth." 

I was about to object, but I knew it would make it even worse. I was escorted into a police car, and I looked out the window the whole ride.

When we arrived at the Harnsworth house, I had my head down and looked only at the ground. For now, I'd have to stay until I could formulate a proper plan. And I bet they locked the window too. I'd have to find another way out then. 

I was taken back inside, and I was greeted by the couple with "warm hugs and kisses". They were so fake I was still surprised everyone else couldn't tell.  I kept looking down as much as I could, looking as monotone as possible. 

Slam. A door slammed open and everyone turned around. There stood a beautiful woman with the same dark brown hair and green eyes as me. I knew it right away. It was my mother, Rebecca Glisson.

Thank you, my dear friend AC for this prompt! I love it uwu <3

Credits: Original header image is by Alberto Lucas Pérez on Unsplash

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Weight-loss Methods - How often Must You Weigh On your own?

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You just weighed your self-worth and that is not what scales are for.

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Clever Scale Use

What is "wise" usage of the size? How often need to you weigh yourself? That depends on in which you are in your weight reduction plan.

When you have misplaced all the fat you need and so are as part of your upkeep section I like to recommend weighing by yourself the moment per week. The moment every week is commonly ample to properly check and maintain your pounds.

After you are in upkeep for six months I recommend you weigh by yourself when per month. By now you will have produced the life-style behavior needed to manage your body weight.

Inside the starting, when you're just starting off your weight-loss method I like to recommend weighing you two to 3 times per day. Yes, you study accurately, weigh oneself 2-3 periods a day.

Are you currently Major?

Indeed! What on earth is a scale? It's a suggestions software. It tells you how powerful (or ineffective) your method is. The more normally you receive opinions the greater typically you'll be able to modify your plan to regularly supply the outcome you would like. You make a way of life improve because of the like and respect you've on your own. Weigh oneself for feed-back, not self-esteem.

Let us go on trip!

How about a highway journey? Any time you go on a road excursion you take the time to plot out your class and choose over a real looking time-frame for arriving at your spot. Let us go! You can get inside the vehicle and start driving. How frequently are you interested in comments on your own development? Constantly.

You're frequently checking to make positive you happen to be staying over the road. That you are usually generating micro corrections to maintain your course. You would not think about sleeping at the wheel. It might be disastrous; you'd be environment your self up for any key wreck.

You happen to be over a vacation. Your very own personalized fat reduction and wellness journey. You totally have to crank out feed-back on how your program goes quite a few occasions a day otherwise you are sleeping within the wheel. You may haven't any clue as well as a might be environment your self up to get a major weight reduction and wellness wreck.

Bear in mind...

The dimensions is not a spot to stand to remind on your own to get started on self discuss re-runs about what a terrible particular person you might be. You're a great person!

The dimensions undoubtedly can be a product used to offer you regular feed-back and help you continue to be on strategy. Appreciate your self by supplying on your own suitable suggestions. I do know, you still have some trepidation about weighing oneself 2-3 instances every day. You might be concerned you are going to just beat on your own up whenever you stand to the scale. You will not. You'll move beyond destructive self converse.

You might be going ahead with good intention and beneficial self speak. The size won't measure your worth, only you are doing. Weighing by yourself 2-3 times/day might help you defeat your worry in the scale. The greater usually you do anything you worry without the need of unfavorable outcomes, the fewer you may dread it!

When Ought to I Weigh Myself?

You may would like to weigh your self while in the morning before you consume breakfast. This can supply you with the minimal conclusion of one's personal body weight fluctuation and can give you the facts you have got to established your day by day calorie purpose. If you have accessibility into a scale, we recommend weighing your self appropriate just before lunch. Ultimately, weigh oneself correct before you try to eat dinner. This measurement does two issues. It provides you with a further data point for measuring your fat over time and it reminds you never to overeat at meal.

Fluctuations

Your bodyweight may well fluctuate 2-8 lbs . during the day. Weighing oneself typically (2-3 occasions) will educate you how your body's fat alterations each day.

The number of calories in a very pound of unwanted fat? 3,five hundred energy. So, after you stand on the scale and see your fat has absent up 2 kilos considering that the final time you weighed on your own four hours back; check with, have I eaten 7,000 excess energy within the very last four several hours. Probably you have not (especially should you be sticking to your program). For those who haven't eaten an extra seven,000 energy how did you get 2 lbs .?

You may have had some meals and water. Foods and h2o weigh anything. A quart of water weighs about two kilos. Should you weighed on your own then had a gallon of water and hopped proper again around the scale, your fat might be almost nine pounds heavier. But it really was just water. Who cares about drinking water body weight? We treatment about fat--losing it, and muscle-- preserving it.

Your-Weight Loss-Wellness-Solution is centered on maximizing body fat decline even though retaining your lean, captivating muscle groups. Being aware of how your fat changes whenever you eat and drink, and becoming in a position to evaluate how many calories you've eaten considering that the very last time you weighed permits you to fearlessly stand on the scale and receive feedback. Exactly what type of comments do we get from the scale? That relies upon on what sort of scale you have got.

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We enjoy such a scale mainly because it actions far more. It will give you more information to track the usefulness of the application. Must you care regarding your system excess fat percentage and hydration level? Totally! They are essential pieces of responses on your good results.

Imagine if you get rid of twenty lbs and fifty percent of everything you have dropped, ten lbs, is muscle mass? You have got efficiently reduced your metabolic process by nearly five hundred energy! That may be a substantial phase backwards inside your quest to lose fat.

Keep an eye on One's body Fat Percentage

Monitoring your whole body unwanted fat share will allow you to definitely modify your diet and exercise routine for maximum body fat decline while retaining your gorgeous, calorie burning muscle mass. Why should you treatment regarding your hydration amount? Recall, your body can only metabolize excess fat optimally when you find yourself correctly hydrated and an correct hydration amount will give you a far more correct entire body extra fat proportion reading.

The scale is your close friend. It lets you to definitely measure your development on the every day foundation. Set by yourself up for fulfillment by anticipating little, reliable alter.

Take Absent Guidelines:

Weigh your self 2-3 instances a day. While in the morning in advance of breakfast, at lunch if you have obtain to the scale and appropriate prior to deciding to take in supper. Make use of the scale to trace progress and also to keep you on program. By measuring your development usually you can make true time modifications for your method to be able to insure you are burning just as much excess fat as you possibly can. Realizing your entire body body fat percentage and also your hydration level offer you added feedback allowing for you to definitely good tune your extra fat decline

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Weight-loss Remedies - How frequently Should You Weigh You?

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ou action on the scale, oh no, your fat is up. Quickly you begin berating you. "I am so pathetic. Why are unable to I control my pounds? I just retain having fatter. I am so frustrated."

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You just weighed your self-worth and that isn't really what scales are for.

Scales can be a opinions resource. Comments is essential to monitor your gap, where you are vs . where you choose to be. A instrument is one thing we use to create our existence a lot easier. A scale can be a opinions software. Intelligent utilization of the scale is likely to make your life less complicated and allow you to definitely reach your objective extra speedily.

Sensible Scale Use

What exactly is "wise" usage of the scale? How frequently should you weigh by yourself? That relies upon on in which you are in the fat loss method.

Any time you have shed all of the body weight you wish and therefore are in your upkeep phase I recommend weighing oneself once per week. At the time per week is commonly more than enough to efficiently keep track of and manage your weight.

Once you are already in routine maintenance for 6 months I recommend you weigh oneself at the time a month. By now you can have produced the lifestyle patterns necessary to maintain your excess weight.

Within the starting, when you're just starting off your weight reduction software I recommend weighing yourself 2 to three situations on a daily basis. Of course, you read through the right way, weigh your self 2-3 periods every day.

Do you think you're Serious?

Sure! What exactly is a scale? It is a opinions software. It tells you how efficient (or ineffective) your system is. The greater frequently you get opinions the greater often it is possible to modify your system to consistently supply the final results you desire. You are making a life-style transform as a consequence of the adore and respect you've on your own. Weigh yourself for suggestions, not self-esteem.

Let's go on holiday!

What about a highway vacation? After you go on the street vacation you are taking the time to plot out your class and decide with a sensible time frame for arriving at your destination. Let us go! You can get inside the car and start driving. How frequently do you want feed-back on your own development? Continually.

You might be continually examining for making positive you will be being over the highway. You are usually building micro corrections to take care of your system. You would not look at sleeping in the wheel. It might be disastrous; you'd probably be location yourself up for a main wreck.

You will be over a excursion. Your own individual fat loss and wellness journey. You certainly must produce suggestions on how your program is going numerous times per day otherwise you are sleeping on the wheel. You can haven't any clue plus a will be environment your self up for the main fat loss and wellness wreck.

Keep in mind...

The dimensions just isn't a spot to face to remind your self to begin self communicate re-runs about what a horrible individual that you are. You're a amazing particular person!

The dimensions unquestionably is a unit utilized to offer you normal responses and make it easier to continue to be on approach. Like oneself by offering oneself proper suggestions. I'm sure, you continue to have some trepidation about weighing on your own 2-3 times on a daily basis. You happen to be fearful you may just conquer you up each and every time you stand to the scale. You won't. You may shift past unfavorable self chat.

You are shifting ahead with constructive intention and positive self speak. The size doesn't evaluate your well worth, only you are doing. Weighing you 2-3 times/day should help you defeat your panic of the scale. The greater normally you are doing one thing you panic without having negative success, the much less you are going to panic it!

When Should really I Weigh Myself?

You may want to weigh yourself while in the morning prior to deciding to consume breakfast. This will provide you with the minimal conclude of the personalized pounds fluctuation and may supply you with the data you must set your day by day calorie target. When you have obtain to the scale, we suggest weighing you appropriate ahead of lunch. Finally, weigh you correct before you decide to consume evening meal. This measurement does two factors. It provides you with an additional information place for measuring your pounds over time and it reminds you never to overeat at evening meal.

Fluctuations

Your bodyweight could fluctuate 2-8 lbs each day. Weighing yourself usually (2-3 moments) will educate you the way your body's bodyweight variations throughout the day.

The number of calories in a pound of body fat? 3,500 energy. So, after you stand within the scale and see your pounds has gone up two lbs because the final time you weighed oneself 4 hours back; talk to, have I eaten seven,000 added energy from the last 4 hours. More than likely you have not (primarily if you're sticking in your program). In the event you haven't eaten an extra seven,000 energy how did you achieve 2 lbs .?

You've had some foodstuff and water. Food items and h2o weigh something. A quart of drinking water weighs about two lbs. In the event you weighed yourself then had a gallon of h2o and hopped ideal back again within the scale, your weight might be practically 9 kilos heavier. However it was just drinking water. Who cares about h2o fat? We care about fat--losing it, and muscle-- maintaining it.

Your-Weight Loss-Wellness-Solution is centered on maximizing excess fat reduction even though preserving your lean, captivating muscle tissues. Knowing how your pounds adjustments whenever you try to eat and drink, and being ready to evaluate how many calories you've eaten because the last time you weighed lets you to definitely fearlessly stand about the scale and acquire responses. Just what type of feed-back can we get from the scale? That depends on what type of scale you have got.

What sort of Scale?

You can find effectively two diverse forms of scales accessible.

The fundamental toilet scale. It just lets you know exactly how much you weigh.

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--Also on Wattpad--

Mouse Trap, pt. 3

“I can see you just fine.”

“Oh… Oh, my god,” Lauren breathed in her own panic and filth, slid down her wall with her back to it, toppled in a puddle of regurgitated food, sweat, fear, and tears.

If she was indeed in one of his spaces as it had appeared, then it was sensible that he could see her whenever he desired. Knowing how or, worse, why, however, was another story that she wasn’t sure that she wanted to read. As exciting as the technology seemed, was she as safe as this overbearing onlooker tried to claim?

With every new action and word, Lauren’s confidence waned.

The enhanced zoom on the screen was then stretched further out, revealing the entire plaza that held Lauren and later, eventually, the whole block in which it was contained. Everything not within a certain radius from the center was smudged into a blur, almost as if he rubbed it all out for himself, giving all that was untouched a tilt-shift feel. Her form, now more antlike than ever, was illuminated in a bolder, verdant glow to differentiate her from everything else, which proved immediately useful.

Mesa Metro was, in her eyes, the miniature megapolis she had only envisioned it was to him up and over yonder.

The snapshot then became a living map of sorts, changing to a silent video with a snail trail in Lauren’s same green hue following her as she exited the area, taking some insectile public transit as far as she could go before walking the rest of the way. The rest of the days between then and now was spent with her glow spiraling in the same place as where she currently was: home, never leaving, never having expected a response.

With as much surveillance as she had for her things and how dystopian Mesa Metro could be at times, she never felt more out in the open than she did now. Luckily for her, there seemed to be no footage of her inside the house. Still, how much had he already learned of her domicile with her glasses and watch just sitting there?

Did his omnipresence include space within walls, too, or various altitudes of places, or other angles than the locked bird’s-eye – more like a midday sun’s eye – view? What were the chances he already figured out her house’s floor plan and her place in it?

“I haven’t gotten to probe your existence from end to end to know for sure, yet,” a new message started, somehow still legible from her further distance away, “but much is already clear.”

“Y-Yet?” Lauren echoed, audibly coughing from her own confusion. Whether he meant that he hadn’t finished or hadn’t started, she could only wonder... and hope he’d reconsider both options.

But she didn’t have to, for long.

“One could say I’m already halfway deep in prodding, managing this conversation and all,” the transcriptions continued. “So, why stop now?”

Lauren’s heart sank, her wishes vanishing like his words every few seconds. ‘Halfway?’ In only some minutes!? She was officially stuck in quicksand with not enough calmness to get herself out. The remaining semblances of peace she could imagine were all in the after, nothing in the now. With that crater from a pen’s cap still fresh in memory, multiple visions of ends of days once again flashed in her head, ranging from elongated and cataclysmic to subtle and swift, all of his doing, surely, and it was all her fault.

“Well… with you not having manipulated your new ‘update’ for some time, now, perhaps you’ve seen enough of it.” Truer words had never been spoken. Lauren had seen enough of a lot. “Though with that research I appear to have interrupted, I would’ve guessed otherwise, believing you’d want as much as you could get.” That statement did nothing to relieve Lauren, either, proving he could go and had gone further into her data – her existence, even – on top of reading her psyche unfortunately well.

How deep would he go? How far could he go?

The dictating carried on. “You’ve fawned over me with your tiny files up to moments ago, and you’ll continue to do so. But in this now, despite all that…”

The ellipsis lingered, and Lauren waited for a judgment to be dealt unto her. Whatever she was to get, she deserved. She couldn’t say the same for Mesa Metro and all past it if it came to it, despite their flaws; she prayed she’d be forgiven when it was all over. That end wouldn’t be today, it seemed, as the foul stench of a new purpose – extreme subjugation or maybe just her upchuck – began to waft over her.

“…I grow tired of this single-handing for what should be a two-way affair, so I shall leave you to satiate.”

Before she could say or think anything else about this whole encounter, the disembodied domineered, shutting down his presentation, sucking every visual and word into a simulation centered on the screen. For uncomfortably long, it left a frozen void in which Lauren could only stare at her drained, draining self as she pushed off the wall and crept toward it.

Just as it started, it was nothing again.

Time went as slowly as her computer was dark, and she hated having to think for herself again. There were too many new variables now, and none of them made any sense.

“What… the fuck… was that?” Lauren interrogated herself, running a hand through her stringy hair, slumping in her chair. “Was… Was that shit real? Any of it?” With the pains in her body and the wetness on her clothes, there surely was no denying something bizarre went down just now. But saying that this was the first time she had ever gone delirious and malnourished in her own home would be a lie.

It was late. Lauren hadn’t gotten proper meals, exercise, sleep, or sunlight for days. The lack of lights on her computer showed that it wasn’t merely on standby or sleep mode but was entirely shut down, probably from inactivity. Her glasses and watch mirrored that, fading to a dim lime on the now dormant network connection. Her phone had died. Her room was a mess. She was a mess.  

Her present was a repeated past and a probable future. Nightmares as daydreams were a constant for her. While there was no way of denying the astral projection and municipal annihilation from days ago with her data and the outside news, she couldn’t think of any sane reason why a higher being like that – he – should waste effort on someone – something? – like her. Directly her.

She didn’t deserve the attention. She never did before, so why now?

Lauren could feel the essence of sleep attempt to overtake her, pulling her toward another haggard hibernation at her desk, despite her bed being within reach. On instinct, she began to pull her hoodie’s hood over her head and retract her arms out her sleeves to make a makeshift cushion that’d hopefully bolster her and any nearby gear and tools on her eventual fall out of consciousness.

A crick in her neck was eminent in a couple of hours as her figure faltered down… but the Fates decided to bring it in early with some sun.

Just as her eyes were to close, the computer suddenly awakened, shining its near-blinding light across Lauren’s scleras. She jerked back into action, seeing her lock screen come into focus.

“S-See?” she argued through a yawn. “It was just an update, after all. No need to worry.”

With no intention of continuing research further into the morning, Lauren decided to just play it safe, checking that the update didn’t set any progress back. If it had, she’d have to make a journey into one of her several external drives or servers and make a new surface-level copy. Going from program to program – note-takers, stimulators, other data aggregators – all appeared to be well, softening Lauren’s heart for a quick retiring to bed.

Her last stop was her blueprinting software, where she had a deconstructed view of the materials and layers used to construct her space-warping lenses and its logging watch supplement. So much technology stuffed within such a narrow space. Companies tried to do less with less success, yet here Lauren was, literally going out of the box, out of this world.

It was a marvel to see in action, and it was even more marvelous that it worked. Lauren knew she had prowess – she wouldn’t be freelancing, otherwise – but she was also her harshest critic. The collections of her own comments on her own works badgering how and why she did things in a particular way (and how they somehow managed to work) probably weren’t right for her mental state, but they pushed her to work harder with each new design.

The text and links in her margins and other documents linked externally were worthy of their own analyses and bibliographies. They all followed a just-as-intricate organizational system, too, categorizing thoughts by time, purpose, solution, and the like, along with graphic dividers like color, font, and size. With how frequently Lauren looked at her green sheen and its related script during testing and active use, she vehemently didn’t use them to jab at her own processes.

So, despite her tiredness, it was clear to see the lone flag of that scheme, amidst the waterfall of colorful banners and bubbles, slightly bolder and more massive than the rest.

“What?” Lauren questioned, scratching her scalp with uncertainty. Doing so showed her that she required a shampoo session, finding filth collecting under her nails, but that was an issue for another time. “Did… Did I make this?”

Hovering the mouse cursor over that flag, she found its author listed as not her name or alias but instead “<null>,” leading to several possibilities, all discomforting. A) it was her own comment, and self-referencing was apparently terrible, now, B) an invalid character was put in the wrong place, which could have its own map of reasons, or C) an unauthorized entity had gotten access to the system. Nothing in the background showed any signs of a virus, and nothing in the foreground gave any clue as to which cause was the true one. So, with bated breath, Lauren clicked twice and dove in.

The window hung for a period, a loading circle replacing the pointer and her anxieties with doubts of security again. She knew that doing anything when not at 100 percent or at least sixty percent had such a high probability of something going wrong or something important going missed. But she couldn’t back out now, not with her computer likely to lock up. Luckily, all stayed free and open, and that flag dimmed from being accessed. Though, from the looks of it, there was no reason why its reference should’ve frozen her system as it did.

It was a PDF with just a handful of pages, and two of them were blank.

The bookends were empty, and the inner layers didn’t have much to them, either. In fact, one of the pages was an exact copy of a print that Lauren had already made. Her materials list as diagrams was reposted as the second page. The page after that was similar, except that about half of the items were deleted. But the last page was a puzzle: an almost literal puzzle.

The second page was copied again; however, the missing items that Lauren knew were replaced with a new set in a similar style. They were all recognizable in some way, reasonably findable from a store or online, but a combination that she had never considered. Both as a group by itself and in totality with everything else, the question was how they all fit together.

Its creator, quickly made visible to not be herself, clearly knew what they were doing with the additional subtitle in the footer of the page: ‘to satiate.’ At the realization, a chill ran down Lauren’s spine.

It hadn’t been a dream.

There were no instructions, just visuals, and as the genius she was, Lauren knew what they all were meant to be, stating their purpose with a wheeze,

“An earpiece.” An optimized headset with a mic and speaker from which she felt a disgusting aura of déjà vu.

This was his earpiece: the one that put her in this debacle in the first place.

If her intuitions were right, then the construction wouldn’t be complicated. Maybe time-consuming, sure, based on the glasses and watch being the bases for it, but not hard. They would make things harder if she went through with making them, though. But did she really have a choice?

She was just a circuit in his machine, instructed to make new circuits for new machines for her circuitry in his machine to interact with the said machine and its circuits. It was laid out in front of her, like her monitor’s light across her face, including what would probably be an everlasting truth:

Her death would be heard.

[silvensei]

In This Mad Machinery

A human and an android swap bodies, resulting in identity crises, existentialism, philosophy with the boys, and fun!

Detroit: Become Human | gen | 20k | rated T | introspective comedy/sci-fi

Chapter 3 (2.5k words) | [AO3 link] | [first] | < prev | next >

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A bell chimed above the door as it swung open. A portly woman turned around from the counter, a practiced yet warm smile and greeting at the ready. When she noticed who her new patrons were, she paused and propped a hand on her hip. “Well, look what the cat dragged in!” she teased amicably. “Hank Anderson! Haven’t seen your face ‘round here in ages!”

“Sorry, Bel. You know how life gets in the way,” Connor said, parroting Hank’s briefing from the car. “Is the usual still on the menu?”

“Aw, hon,” she laughed, “joshing as always!”

Connor smiled. He had no idea what that meant.

Fortunately, she turned her attention to the other member of his party. “As much as it’s good to see an old favorite, new faces keep the business going. Name’s Ysabel.”

Hank waved. “Connor.”

“Well, Connor, want a menu? It’s just your typical array of diner classics, but with enough pizzazz to knock your socks off, guaranteed!”

“Oh, no, thanks, ma’am, just a coffee for now.”

“Two cuppa joe and a patty with the fixin’s.” She waved them off and adjusted her apron. “You boys go make yourselves comfortable, y’hear?”

She left for the kitchen. Hank ushered Connor into the diner proper, over to the rows of red booths with black and white marbled tables. With windows on two sides, natural light filled the space. Only a handful of other tables were occupied, people chattering amongst themselves. It wasn’t terribly spacious, but in the way that it felt cozy rather than claustrophobic.

Hank settled in a corner booth, his back to the wall. “She seems nice,” Connor commented, sitting across from him.

“Bel? She’s more than nice. She’s probably the closest thing to an angel I’ve got.” His head turned to look out the window, letting Connor notice a momentary bout of erratic flickering in his LED. “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, but she still makes this place seem like a mother’s kitchen. Just home recipes abound. And to top it all off? She don’t take shit from no one.

“One time—” he laughed, “—One time, ages ago, Jeffrey and I came by for lunch just pissed off. An easy drug bust flipped right around and left us with nothing, sending us right back to the drawing board. One officer was so furious she quit that morning. So we came in here, fuming, cussing up a storm, just miserable bastards looking to drown our frustrations in some good ol’ comfort food; it was too early for booze, but hell, did we come close. Bel came over with absolutely not the right thing, like soup and salad or something. I’ll admit, I was a bit of a hotheaded prick back then—”

“‘Back then’?”

“Watch it, boy,” Hank warned with a grin. “Anyway, I snapped at her, saying I wasn’t in the mood to deal with this, we didn’t want this, how hard was it to grill a fucking burger, I didn’t even have my coffee yet, and so on, and she shut me up by throwing a glass of water in my face. It was nearly empty already and didn’t have ice, but it was enough to do the trick. Then she said, ‘If starting over is so easy, why don’t you kids stop bitching and suck it up?’ Then she walked away.” Hank rested his chin in his hand, the smile still on his face. “It was the literal smack to the head that I needed. She gave us the soup n’ salads on the house as an attempt to get us to eat healthier. The coffee was free, too, but it was mostly hot sauce to get back at me for yelling at her.

Connor’s own smile had only grown. He wasn’t entirely sure why; it seemed like an involuntary response. “If that’s not the definition of a guardian angel, then I don’t know what is.”

“What can I say? You really do need a friend around who’s not afraid to knock some sense into you.”

Connor leaned back, sinking into the red cushions. This was comfortable. Natural light diffusing through the windows; fun conversation with the white noise of other discussions over quiet music he couldn’t place; the ever-present aroma of a kitchen hard at work; a pleasant warmth from the sunlight (without the radiation). He would like to come here again.

With such fond memories, though, why hadn’t they come here before in the six months Connor had known him? He decided to ask.

Hank continued looking out the window. His expression shifted into something Connor couldn’t interpret, but the brief red light gave him some clues. “It just seemed a bit boring to bring an android to a restaurant, y’know? You don’t really eat and all….”

“You boys gossiping over here?” joked Bel, sliding two mugs of coffee onto the table. Connor jumped; he hadn’t heard her approach. Or maybe his ears did, but his attention was focused elsewhere. Bel laughed. “Late nights at the bar making you jumpy?”

“Ah… not so much anymore,” Connor improvised. “Some late nights on the job, if anything.”

“Oh, I’d bet. Between homicide and android rights cases, you two are probably set on work for the next couple years.” She fished around in the pocket of her apron.

“Where did you hear about our casework?” asked Hank.

Bel found her target and deposited a couple small cups of thirium into the bowl of half-and-half creamers. “All over the news, hon! You’re really paving the way for androids in the work force. Setting the bar pretty high, too, while you’re at it.” She smiled before whisking off to other tables.

“As nice as ever, that Bel,” Hank commented. He inspected one of the thirium cups and asked, “How is this compared to plain old creamers?”

Connor’s hands hovered around his mug. He lacked his infrared temperature sensor, his unfamiliar tactile senses only told him ‘hot,’ and he couldn’t even remember what a fourth-order differential to estimate heat loss through radiation looked like. He’ll just give it a minute or two to cool. “I’m sure thirium doesn’t taste pleasant, but because the android program recognizes it as essential to mechanical function, it won’t register the taste. It’s just used like a nutritional benefit.”

Hank’s nose scrunched for a moment as he regarded tainting his sacred drink. Then he shrugged, poured one in with a stir and downed a gulp. He stared past Connor, eyes narrowed as he critiqued the taste. There was a smattering of yellow in his LED. “Mmmmm,” he soon hummed. “0.12 calories.”

A snort of laughter caught in Connor’s nose, which turned into a short bout of coughs. The tickle it left in his nasal cavity was completely alien. “Shit,” he choked out. Hank was much better at containing his reaction to just a smirk. “I don’t like how involuntary that was.”

“Hah. Welcome to the club.”

“And hot off the presses!” Bel swept over to them once again, setting a platter in the middle of the tabletop. “Did the onions myself! It was such a treat to break out the cheddar patties again, too; they just go to waste when you’re not around.”

Connor sat mesmerized. He and Hank had gone to many—if not most—burger joints in and around Detroit, but the hamburger in front of him was the tallest, most layered sandwich he had ever seen. Two burgers, flecks of cheddar dripping from them, overflowing with caramelized onions, roasted peppers, mushrooms, slices of some other cheese, lettuce, pickles—is that macaroni? A sharp kick to the shin snapped him from his trance long enough to thank Bel and send her off. “Lieutenant!” he hissed. He leaned forward to keep his voice down, regretting the full whiff of that savory, melty scent he got. “Do you know how many calories are in this?!”

“With this head of yours, I do now, yeah. And no way am I telling you, impulsive programming be damned!” Hank set a devious grin in his borrowed expression; this mischievous image of his doppelgänger made Connor uncomfortable. “Give it a try. I can guarantee it’s delicious.”

He knew he shouldn’t. It was unhealthy, grease-laden, and caloric. As if the burger wasn’t enough, the bed of beer batter waffle fries that coated the plate with accompanying cups of barbecue sauce could’ve been a meal on its own. It also smelled incredible.

It was technically a command from Hank, he realized, but without a HUD of objectives, it was nothing more than words. Nothing binding about it.

But it smelled so good.

He picked up the burger, leaving in the steak knife skewer holding it together. Before he could second-guess himself, he took a bite. There was a crunch from the brioche, a different crunch of the onions, then too many to distinguish, each with its own flavor that he had no previous reference on which to base any categorization, but together, it was splendid.

His instinct was to isolate and analyze each individual component, but without his tech, it was just a bombardment of information. By the time the taste stopped overwhelming his senses, half of the burger was gone.

Hank was swirling the coffee around in his mug, expression dripping in ‘told ya so.’ “A goddamn culinary masterpiece, right?”

Connor took another quick bite (getting mostly onions and macaroni) before he replaced it on the plate. He wiped off his hands on a paper napkin to buy processing time. “Lieutenant,” he said. “Hank. I still disapprove. But I understand now.”

“Fuckin’-A right!” Hank took a bite out of a waffle fry. “Listen, I get that you guys don’t need to eat, but it wouldn’t kill ya every now and then. CyberLife at least could’ve built in better taste buds. All I’m getting is calorie count and salt content, not any of the finesse.”

Trying a fry for himself, he noted the tang that he deduced as saltiness. Though not the main dish, they were also quite good. He took another. “It’s not vital to androids’ function—”

“And it’s not ‘vital’ to come and eat out like this. It’s just fuckin’ delightful.”

That is true. Much of his existence these days isn’t spent out of necessity. He didn’t have to pet Sumo, but it made him happy to do so. Munching on a third fry, he realized that humans were the same, except with more of a sensory benefit, like the fluffiness of Sumo’s fur. Why weren’t they the ones with compulsive programming? It seemed like they would need it more, what with all these distractions that can physically affect their mental state. “Ohh…,” he realized, “no wonder addictions are such an issue.”

“Now— hold on, now, how’d you jump to that conclusion? Like, yeah, but—” Hank’s LED began blinking. He flinched from something before raising his eyebrows. “A call from Jeffrey. Now this’ll be interesting.” He hesitated before he looked around the room. “I, ah, should probably take this elsewhere, ‘case it’s on the down low.”

“Tap the temple to answer,” Connor advised as Hank slid out of the booth and went to the door.

Connor crunched another fry, one that was extra crunchy. He should probably pay Bel soon and get a box for the rest, should they have to leave in a hurry. If only he knew how much two coffees and a—shit.

He picked up the untouched coffee. It was barely warm now. Unhelpful one-track human brain. Can’t even set a reminder in the background. He took a sip. It didn’t warm him or anything, but it tingled his tongue in a sort of dry, sharp way. Coffee was bitter, right? He didn’t think it would be this bitter, but Hank did like his coffee black. Despite complaining he couldn’t taste much, Hank’s mug was completely drained.

He spotted Bel this time as she approached. “Could I get a box for the rest of this? It sounds like we might have to leave soon.”

“Always off to save the city, you two are. I’ll get this all wrapped up in a jiffy!”

“And how much do I owe you?” Connor asked before she left with his plate. He was pretty sure Hank’s wallet was in his left pocket.

Bel cocked a grin. “Hon, has it really been so long you don’t remember?”

He paused. “Got two coffees this time.”

“Oh, silly me, that’s true! How’s an even ten bucks sound, then?”

Connor couldn’t help a small frown. “That seems a bit low….”

“Nah, call it a ‘welcome back’ discount.” Her expression lost its teasing edge, becoming something warm. “It’s good to see you again, Hank.”

While he liked the woman, if the conversation was going to turn sentimental, he wasn’t sure how well he was going to keep up his act. “It’s good to see you, too, Bel,” he replied before bringing his cold mug to his lips, hoping to end it there.

“And I hope you kept your talent for parenting.”

Connor almost choked. “What?”

“You were always a good father.” Bel was looking over his shoulder, off down memory lane. “Cole was the brightest kid in the county. But while more tragedy has befallen you than I would wish on anybody, I still hope Connor’s lucky enough to be in the same kind of care.”

“No, sorry, Connor’s not my son, he’s a detective—my coworker—not to mention an android.”

“Which means he might need it most, eh, sugar?” She shifted her weight and her gaze, looking back at him. “Sure, he looks what, twenty-five? Thirty? But isn’t he a new model? He probably ain’t even three yet, and he’s been deviant for way less than that. A father figure to show him the societal ropes sounds perfect to me.”

He felt like a process or ten had stalled. Fortunately, Hank returned to the table, so Bel took his plate and left with no more than a wink.

“Jeffrey wants us at the office today,” Hank said. Connor blinked and took a breath, trying to not focus on Bel’s inanity. (RK800 androids were the most advanced—hot off the production line immediately—he didn’t need—)

“Specifically, he wants me,” continued Hank, “so technically, he wants you. Said it shouldn’t take long.”

Connor cleared his throat. “So why didn’t he call me directly?”

“He did. A few times.”

Startled, Connor quickly dug out Hank’s phone. The screen lit to two missed calls, one new voicemail, and some new emails. “Oh….”

“Not so easy when it doesn’t directly invade your brain, huh? Now can you forgive me for not texting immediately?”

“I thought we were supposed to be unraveling the secrets of existence, Lieutenant, not dissecting your communication and dietary habits.”

Hank laughed. In Connor’s opinion, it didn’t sound right with his voice, but it made him smile nonetheless. “So, are we both going or just me?” he asked.

“I dunno, what else am I gonna do?”

Connor hummed. “It’s Saturday, right? Markus might be home.”

“Markus? As in rA9 Markus?”

“If CyberLife keeps this up, he’s bound to hear about it sooner or later, so why not tell him now? He usually checks in on his human on the weekends.”

Hank shrugged. “Might as well, I guess. Gives me something different to do. Where’s he live?”

“Around. Don’t ask me, you’re the one with the GPS today.”

Bel returned once more and set a cardboard box on the table. “Well, boys, it was my pleasure!” she boomed. “Y’all better come back soon, alright?”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Hank said with a smile as he stood. “Wonderful coffee.”

“Aw, c’mere!” She pulled him into a hug, something that didn’t fluster Hank at all. When the embrace broke, she held him by both shoulders and said, “Oh, Hank, he hugs like you already!”

The real Hank’s eyebrow twitched. “What…does that mean?”

“Nothing, nothing!”

Connor avoided their eyes until he found a ten and some ones in his wallet and handed them to Bel. He picked up the box and used his free arm to give her a quick hug. It was warm. Nice. “Thanks, Bel.”

“Anytime!”

[next >]

[squidneysidney]

Auston Matthews - He Left to Continue His Dream

Word Count: 1,286

Pt. 2

Thank you,

SS

 Part 1 Part 3 Part 4

Life in Boston is good; aside from the cold weather. Being from Arizona, the weather was definitely something that I needed to adjust to. Other than that, I couldn’t ask for a better experience here. I have friends, good grades, and a job that pays the bills. Though, some would say that I am often too busy. I like it, there is just enough time in the day for me to go to my morning classes, work for a few hours in the afternoon, and study before I turn out the lights.

Today is no different, I went to my morning lecture and now I am currently at the coffee shop, working an 11 to 5 shift. I got a job at the local coffee shop near the school last semester where the owner is an older man that hires students from Boston University and gives flexible work hours. Which I am very grateful for.

The shop isn’t too busy today, just a few of the regulars getting their usual order. I just finished making our traditional espresso when the bell above the front door rings. Customarily, I greet the new customer stating, “Hello welcome to Empresso,” as I have said many times before. I continue making the previous order before looking up to see who walked through the door.

“Wow, that is some way to greet a friend that you haven’t seen in a while. You didn’t even bother to look at me. That is really hurtful,” I look up from the espresso that currently has my attention. A smile prominent on the 6”1 boy’s face standing in front of me.

“McAvoy? What are you doing here?” I question the hockey player.

“I could ask you the same thing. You are a bit far from Arizona might I add,” Charlie chuckles at me, “Now, come on. I want a proper greeting.” He says as he opens his arms wide initiating a hug. I step around the register to hug my friend that I have not seen since last year.

“It’s good to see you, Charlie,” I say as I hug him.

“You too kid. Now,” he says as he releases me of the hug, “why don’t you tell me what you are doing here in Boston. Last time I talked to you, you said you were going to Arizona State to be a Devil.”

“A Devil just wasn’t me, you know? I think I am more of a Terrier. What do you think?” I question.

“You go to BU?” Charlie asks surprised, “Why haven’t I seen you around?”

“I keep a low profile, going from classes to work,” I state shrugging, “Once I found out Auston was going to Toronto there wasn’t a reason for me to stay in Arizona. I was only planning to go there so I could stay close to him.”

“Speaking of him, how is Mr. Golden boy doing up there? I haven’t talked to him in a while,” Charlie questions.

“I have no clue, I haven’t talked to him since he left for Toronto,” I say, looking anywhere but at him. I grab a rag in the sink next to me and begin to clean the surface in front of me.

“That is surprising,” he says shocked, “I thought you guys were going to be friends forever.”

“Excuse me, are you going to order something?” an impatient customer interrupts us.

“Oh right, sorry. I’ll just have an espresso I guess,” Charlie says, pulling out his wallet.

“No, don’t worry about it. This one is on the house,” I say, handing Charlie his drink.

“Thanks, Kid. Let’s hang out soon, I’ll text you, yeah?” Charlie takes his drink and begins his path towards the door.

“Yeah, for sure,” I yell back at him.

It’s been a month since Charlie came into the coffee shop. He did as he said he would and texted me asking to hang out. We’ve been hanging out almost every day since. It felt good to have him around even though Charlie was more Auston’s friend. I found out that Charlie too goes to Boston University because he got a full scholarship to play hockey here. Which, isn’t surprising, Charlie is a very skilled player that anyone would want on their team. Today, Charlie and I are going to our usual place to eat before his game. The waitress takes our order once we sit at our designated table.

“I talked to Auston the other day,” he states looking at me.

“Oh yeah?” I look down.

“Yeah, I asked him why you guys don’t talk anymore and you know what he told me,” I stayed quiet, waiting for his answer. “He told me that he tried talking to you but, you wouldn’t answer when he did. Why is that?”

I sigh, “it was hard for me when he left for Switzerland. He was my only friend and he left without warning. When I tried keeping in touch, he wouldn’t answer. I was hurt. He promised that he wouldn’t forget about me but, he did. Not wanting a repeat, I stopped talking to him when he left for Toronto. I knew it was going to be even harder to talk to him with how much that city loves their hockey and the league being more demanding than the one in Zurich.”

“Did you tell him that’s how you felt?” He questions.

“No. How could I?” I finally look up at Charlie. “He is living his out his dream and doesn’t need to worry about texting his friends from back home.”

“You know you just weren’t a friend to him, you were his best friend. If I know Auston like I think I do, it is hurting him just as much as it is you.”

“I doubt that. He is busy traveling and playing hockey. Not to mention all of the female attention,” I say the last part under my breath.

“Ahh, so that’s what this is about,” Charlie states smiling from ear to ear, “You like him don’t you?”

My face turns red, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” I look anywhere but at the boy sitting in front of me. Okay, yeah, I do like Auston but he never liked me back so there was not a point to tell anyone my feelings towards him. Including, his friend I am currently sitting with. Before Auston left for Zurich, he had a girlfriend named Megan that drove a wedge between us. It hurt that he had a girlfriend, but it also hurt that he let her push me away from him. Now, it is known that Auston gets around and I don’t think I would be able to handle it knowing how he is.

“Wow, I’m surprised I haven’t figured this out earlier. It all makes sense now. You don’t think you can compete with the other girls, do you?” Charlie states, more than questions.

“No,” I pause, “I don’t need to compete with them, he doesn’t see me that way.”

Charlie looks at his watch, up at me, and back at his watch. “As much as I want to continue this conversation, I needed to head to the rink 5 minutes ago,” he puts cash on the table, enough to pay for both of our meals. As he stands up to put his jacket on, he pauses, “I think you are just as clueless about his feelings for you as he is about yours.” He pushes in his chair, leans in to give me a kiss on the forehead as he does every time.

As he walks towards the exit, I am left in my seat to ponder what was just said to me.

[chocleanne]

Too tired

Characters: BTS’ Taehyung x Reader Genre: Angst and a hint of Fluff Word Count: 2,970

Rolling his head to the side, Taehyung sighs. This is the fifth Corona he finishes in the last two and a half hours, the clear bottle now joining its peers on the small neglected carpet. He can’t exactly tell the last time he cooked a proper meal for himself, but it was some time around last week, or the week before… maybe.

He had been rejecting Jimin’s texts inviting him to join in on club nights with the other boys. Even if he called, Taehyung just told him he was too busy. He just wasn’t in the mood, he hadn’t been in the mood for anything since that night you left. His life had become a loop of sleeping, showering, half-heartedly slurping in some instant noodles whenever he felt his stomach growl, and watching some senseless movies or series on Netflix until he felt like sleeping again. He hadn’t been to the studio in a week, and whenever he showed up before that, he could barely walk or was absolutely hungover.

He just can’t take you out of his head. Showering reminds him of you, he could swear he can smell your body wash in the morning when he wakes up, or your hair tickling his neck whenever he turns around in his sleep. He could swear he can hear your quiet huffs whenever he presses play on yet another episode of Breaking Bad, your fingers running through his hair right as his eyelids start to give up on him, pulling him into a dream where he’s complaining, trying to work on his first solo song while you jam out to your favorite song.

You’ve never had the most gifted of voices, but he didn’t mind. He used to love hearing you trying to hit especially high notes, your voice cracking in a way he found funny yet endearing. He was just so head over heels for you, when did that change? He started to come home just one hour later than usual, that hour eventually becoming two, three, six… More often than not you were already fast asleep whenever he came home, and he was too tired to wake you up, so he just turned his back on you and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He stopped sending you good morning texts whenever he woke up to an empty bed due to you being at college, he stopped sending you heads up texts when he knew he was going to be late for dinner.

He stopped waking you up with sweet kisses on your neck whenever he had a free day, sneaking a hand under your shirt to let his fingers feel your warm skin whenever you’d watch a show and cuddle on the couch. He stopped paying attention to your rants about your day, focusing more on his texts with Hoseok about a move he couldn’t get quite right that afternoon during practice, he stopped cracking jokes at you and teasing you for being too short to reach the utensils in the kitchen. He stopped being your boyfriend until one day you decided you’d had enough.

He was sitting down on his desk, writing and scribbling and scrunching papers as he had been for the past three days, brows furrowed in concentration when you appeared from the side, holding two dresses in front of you. “Hey, Mozart,” you teased and he hummed in acknowledgment. “Blue or green? You’re wearing your green shirt, right?” To your last question, he arched one of his full eyebrows without lifting his head from his notes “Me? Why would I wear that now?”. You licked your bottom lip and stared at his back in disappointment, you were expecting this to happen anyway. “Our three years dinner, Tae. The reservation was for today,” you reminded him calmly, holding onto the bit of hope you still had. He turned around to face you and let his eyes roam over your figure. He can’t deny he felt a pinch of guilt tug at his heart at that moment, but that didn’t stop his calm words when he looked at you in the eye. “I’m sorry, babe, I’m really tired and I think I’m finally getting somewhere with this.”

Your face dropped completely when he just sent you an apologetic smile and turned back around to keep scribbling on his notebook. It was that simple for him, an ‘I’m sorry’ and a small smile fixed it all. But it wasn’t, you were tired of ‘I’m sorry’s, you were tired of excuses, you were tired of him being too tired for you.

“Sure, don’t worry about it.” You spoke your preset words and walked back to your shared bedroom to leave both dresses back on top of the bed. You stepped into a pair of black jeans and threw on your favorite hoodie, not one of his. It took you about twenty minutes to throw as much of your stuff as you could inside of a backpack and call one of your friends to ask if you could stay with her for a few days.

As you reached for your phone charger on the corner of his desk, he took a quick glance at you and had to do a double take to realize you didn’t have your usual sleeping clothes on. Instead, you were dressed to go out. “Where you going?” he asked casually and for the first time noticed how you had put makeup on and done your hair. He was forced out of his small inspection by the words that left your lips next.

“I’m leaving.”

You spoke to him with such a serene tone and looked at him with such a normal expression that he thought it was a joke at first, so he just played along. “Leaving where, I bought dinner on my way back from the studio when I went to che-”, he was interrupted by you once again. “I’m serious, Tae. I’m leaving. I can’t take this anymore.”

His expression changed so quickly that it was almost funny. His eyebrows furrowed and he let his eyes shift towards your fingers holding tightly onto the strap of your bag. “Because of the dinner? Don’t be dramatic, we can go out tomorrow night. I’ll come home early, I promise. Now go change.” He spoke in a condescending tone as if he were speaking to a child before going back to his notes yet again and you could feel your ears heat up at that moment.

“The reservation was for tonight, though. I made it three weeks ago, and I told you. But of course, you were too tired to pay attention,” at this point, he just dropped his pen and turned on his chair with his hands on his lap and looked at you with a bored expression, eyes begging you to continue and finish already so he could go back to focusing. “You’ve been too tired for the last six months. There hasn’t been one single day where you haven’t told me you’re too tired to watch a movie, too tired to touch me, too tired to have dinner with me in our kitchen. Were you even listening when I told you last night that my partner for my thesis decided to drop out and now I have six months to complete a one-year work on my own and I have no fucking clue where to start? I don’t think so, you were probably too tired for that too. You’re not the only one here with stuff to do, with a schedule to keep and deadlines to meet. You’re not the only one here staying extra hours working on your stuff and stressing over it. But you know what? You are the only one that’s too tired to be with me, though. I’ve been having a shitty time trying not to come to my fucking boyfriend with my problems because he’s “too tired” to cope up with me. And you know what? That’s not right at all, I shouldn’t need to stress about that as if I was whining twenty-four seven. I’m leaving and I won’t be on my phone, so don’t call me or text me and expect me to reply. I’ll take a few weeks, not too long, and text you to meet up and talk once I’ve decided if I want to stay in this relationship or not, and I will hear you out if you have anything to say. I love you, Tae, but I hate feeling like a nuisance when I do not cling to you not demand attention from you all the time.”

He took a deep breath once you were finished and brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “You’re being childish, Y/N. We’re not sixteen,” he replied shortly, not being able to recall something on his behavior lately that was worthy of such a scene. “If that’s what you need, take your time.” He looked at you straight in the eye and you figured there was no use on saying anything else, so you just turned around and stepped on your shoes before disappearing out the door.

Not being ones to cry, neither of you shed a tear that night. You spent the night ranting to your friend in anger and Taehyung buried himself into his lyrics until his eyes gave up. It took him three days to notice you really weren’t coming back. He had expected you to come home the next day but you didn’t. He was used to your warmth on the bed whenever he came home so sleeping on the big bed on his own after two years became a little too uncomfortable and cold.

On the fourth night, he tried texting you for the first time.

To: Y/N

C’mon, don’t make such a huge deal out of this.     12:36 a.m

As expected, you didn’t reply. It just angered him, he still didn’t understand why it was such a big deal, it’s not like he’d never been busy before. You’ve been dating him for three years, Jesus Christ! He was a musician, weren’t writer’s block and bad moods supposed to be part of the hassle? Well, he technically wasn’t a songwriter, but he was trying something new, couldn’t you just cut him some slack?

Coronas became his best friends that night, and he had kept drinking them until he had no other choice than to go to sleep or drop his stomachal content on the toilet yet again. Namjoon had sent him home with a kick in the ass and an Advil tablet the fourth consecutive night he showed up to practice almost speaking another language from so much slurring and tripping over his own words.

He had spent those two next weeks as a zombie, living mainly on the couch of your shared apartment and his side of the bed. At the moment your text arrives, he’s starting to get up to head to sleep and the notification sound makes him jump slightly and falling ass down on the couch. “Who the fuck is texting me at three fucking a.m?”

From: Y/N

Is it okay if I come over tomorrow night?      3:15 a.m.

He looks around and curses at himself for making such a mess. He replies with a quick ‘Sure’ and silently thanks you for not wanting to come in the morning when he’d still be hungover out of his mind. He makes sure to set up an alarm and swallow a couple of Advils after breakfast before starting to clean up the mess that was the apartment. He surprises himself with the amount of instant noodles packages he’s managed to hog up in the span of two weeks and does his best to leave the apartment as good as it would be on a normal day with you.

You arrive at exactly eight p.m, drenched from the suddenly pouring rain and he won’t admit he spent a little bit more than five minutes choosing his ‘casual, just playing games’ outfit, but he pays it no mind when he pulls you in quickly before shutting the door. He hands you a towel and gets you dry clothes from the wardrobe. You can’t help but feel a sting of warmth cross your heart at the way he helps you dry your hair off so gently and the fact that he got you your favorite pair of sweats to change onto. You two have take-out dinner and try your best at small talk about your time away. You tell him about your friend’s son and his little quirks and you two laugh for a few hours, toning down the tense atmosphere with some neutral talk.

You didn’t come to have a date, though, so you eventually get serious and call his name to tell him what you resolved in your two weeks away, wanting to hear his response as well. He, nevertheless, surprises you with his response. “Can we talk in the morning? It’s raining, and it’s late” you look at the clock and he’s right, it’s slightly past midnight. “you look tired too, why don’t we just sleep for a few hours and then I’ll listen to all you have to say, no interruptions?”. You stay silent and look at him, thinking how lame his convincing sounds but you comply anyways.

You two head to bed and lay down, both laying on your backs. It’s like the tense atmosphere from before has come back before he turns on his side to look at you, his expression serious as he stares at you directly in your eyes. “I know you didn’t come here to talk,” he speaks calmly yet not dismissive this time and you turn your head to look at him. Your heart starts to feel heavy when you stare back at him and see the small hint of sadness in his eyes. “I came to pick up my clothes,” you tell him in a small voice, breathing slowly and feeling your world flip upside down when he says his next words.

“You’re wearing Jaesuk’s earrings, I’ve always thought they were obnoxious,” he smiles faintly and you bite your lip, trying to hold back the tears at the mention of your college mate. He had been your support ever since Taehyung started shifting away from you and you slowly fell for him, finding the smallest excuse to leave Taehyung. At the moment it seemed like a good idea so you wouldn’t hurt his pride, but he knew. Taehyung isn’t a dumb guy, nor an innocent one, and the dam in your eyes gives in when he lifts a hand to brush his large thumb across your cheek. “I’m sorry,” is all you can mutter before your voice breaks and your throat starts to hurt as you cry silently.

“No, I’m sorry I lost you like this and gave him the opportunity,” he shakes his head slightly and brushes your hair behind your ear. He isn’t crying, but you can tell by the slight pout tugging from his lips that he’s fighting the tears just as much as you were. You know him so well, and you are so in love with him, with the Taehyung in front of you right now. You turn on your side so you’re now facing him with your whole body and you bite your lip.

“I’m not going to give up, Y/N. I was an asshole but I know now what it is to be without you and it’s not what I want at all. It’s not what you wanted either, and I’ll try my best to get you to feel like that again. I will get you back, okay?” He speaks with a firm tone and you can’t help but start sobbing. Why’d he have to change? This is the Taehyung you know, not the one that you’ve been living with for the last six months. Why did he have to change and give you the perfect chance to fall in love with someone else? What if this is just because you left? What if this is just one more of his excuses? You cover your face with your hands, not baring his stare anymore and he pulls you closer by your waist.

You cry into his chest and let his strong arms wrap around you, wrapping your own around his torso and pressing your forehead to his shoulder, eyes closed until you fall asleep like that. You’ve been missing his touch for the past six months and getting to feel it again under this situation was making your heart shrink with too many emotions. Happiness for being between his arms, relief because he wasn’t mad at you, guilt for having run to another man so fast, fear of this being just temporary, insecurity because of your feelings towards Jaesuk… You just couldn’t bear to think about it anymore so you end up falling asleep.

Taehyung buries his face in your hair and waits until your breathing slows down to finally inhale deeply and let a few tears escape his eyes. He feels so stupid, he’s disappointed on both you and himself for letting this happen. He doesn’t want to lose you, though, that he knows for sure. You two have been through too much for this to be the reason it all ends. He doesn’t know how he’ll manage to fix the mess he made with his friends in the past two weeks and with you in the past six months, but he’ll find a way. Not today though, today he’ll hold you to sleep and revel in your warmth. He doesn’t plan on leaving the bed or you today, today he’s just too tired.

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing after literally (not misusing the word) years so yeah, also yes this is totally an excuse.