#i must have all perfect supplies and plans before I begin

[echoofawind]

For the AO3wrapped asks: 3, 6 and 30 please. 💚

Ahhhhhh!!! Thank you so much for asking ☺️☺️

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

This is also my answer to 28 : 😅 'Finally 39'. I don't give two pop tarts how it does on AO3. Don't care about kudos/hits/anything. I wrote that piece for me because I was inspired. I didn't have any outside expectations I had to meet. It wasn't a gift for someone (I sign myself up for too many gifts and they all wreck me and my writing because of the pressure I put on myself to be "good") . That story felt like a home run on fandom for me.

I'm proud that I put myself first in that writing. I did what I wanted. And I love the result. I hope to write more for me in the future.

6. Favorite Title Used

Lol, I forgot this was indeed 2022, wow. 'Clone A Wand' . I thought the euphemism was so obvious and cracked me up. I was surprised when folks didn't immediately figure it out. I need to finish the smutty epilogue for that one.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

It should be intuitive, and it's not a new revelation: how quickly the ideas and words flow when I get out of my own way. When I can find a way to remove all of my self imposed restrictions and limitations and roadblocks, it feels almost like flying.

Thank you for the ask!! ❤️❤️❤️

[alwritey-aphrodite]

"wow I really cant speak huh? must be how pretty you look" with tasm! Peter parker

Peter knows he’s not exactly the epitome of suave and charming. He’s a little awkward, lanky and clumsy despite his choice of extracurricular, and May says he still leaves the house without his clothes matching or ironed most days. Still, he can’t help but want to talk to you, even when he trips over his words and makes a fool of himself every single time.

“Hey, can I sit?” He asks, voice too loud for the quiet library as he gestures towards the empty chair across from you. There are plenty of extra seats, open tables scattered all throughout the room, but you’re like a magnet, and every time Peter sees you, he can’t help but make his way over.

“Go ahead,” you respond in the appropriate volume, with a smile that makes your eyes shine as he sets his bag down, backpack thumping against the floor and causing all eyes to settle on him once again. He’s quick to pull out his own supplies as you turn back to your open textbook, highlighter gliding across the page every few minutes. Peter gets no work done, but he really can’t be blamed because how is he expected to focus when you’re so beautiful when you’re concentrating? Terrified of being caught staring, he turns back towards his blank page and scribbles some nonsense, hoping you don’t think he’s a complete weirdo.

He’s so focused on trying to look like he’s busy without actually doing anything that he doesn’t notice when you shut your textbook and slide it into your bag, and he nearly jumps out of his seat in shock when you lean forward to tap your knuckles against the table.

“Wanna grab lunch?” You ask, leaning across the table to keep your voice down but all Peter can focus on is how pretty your hair looks, illuminated from behind like an angel.

“Yeah, sure, that would be awesome,” he struggles to form any sort of concise or cohesive sentence, but you smile anyway, leaving him to miss your proximity as you straighten up and haul your backpack onto your shoulder.

It really is a beautiful day, and it seems like the entire city is in a good mood, celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of warm weather and sunshine. It won’t last long, and soon everyone will be angry and rude and hot and miserable, but for now, the weather is perfect and people smile as you walk past.

“I’m so ready for this semester to be over,” you say as you tilt your head upwards, like a flower seeking out the sun, and Peter’s so enamored he almost forgets to respond, until you sneak a glance out of the corner of your eye, your lips quirked up in a teasing smile, something less soft but no less beautiful than the smile he typically receives.

“Oh yeah, me too,” he manages to reply, your knuckles brushing against his as you swing your arms while you walk.

“Any big plans?” This time you tilt your head towards him, and the full force of your attention is almost too much, almost enough to make Peter’s heart stop and his brain shut down. He doesn’t trust his brain to create a full, coherent response, so he just shakes his head, smiling as you reply, “Me neither,” before he even gets the chance to ask.

The two of you stop by one of the many cheap takeout restaurants near the library, grabbing your food and finding a bench to enjoy the weather, keeping your head tilted up to the sun as if it’s truly magnetic, as if you don’t have a choice but to bloom. Peter tries his best to be a good conversationalist, but he’s got so many thoughts and feelings swirling through his brain that every time he looks at you, or can feel you looking at him, he’s unable to respond the way he wants to.

“Wow, I really can’t speak, huh?” He asks rhetorically after stuttering over his words for what seems like the millionth time, “Must be how pretty you look.” He spares you a sideways glance, a little afraid to look at you fully, but he can’t help but grin when he sees your mouth open and close, silently attempting to form a response. He laughs and you follow suit, leaning against his side with the force of your giggles and sending him into a spiral all over again. You'd been on equal footing for a minute, but even as his heart pounds against his ribs and you straighten up again, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

[tragedybunny]

hiya! for the Very Secret Santa =) would love anything fluffy and sweet with just Astarion or Astarion/Tav enjoying a starry night outside. Thank you in advance!

Hope you enjoy this gift! Very special thank you to @satanicspinosaurus for the lovely beta work.

All the Wonders Of the Night - Astarion x GN!Tav

It was the middle of the night, and you were trekking outside of Baldur’s Gate like someone who either didn’t know or didn’t care about the possible dangers outside the walls. Being outside those walls was an important part of your plans though 

You’d spent the night in Rivington, and now you left the last road, and plodded south through the open fields. 

“Where in the hells are you dragging me,” your companion fussed behind you, causing you to smile. Astarion had made strides in the last couple of weeks, but he was still somewhat the irritable vampire you had met on the beach that day. It also seemed that he wasn’t exactly fond of surprises, but this would be worth it, and he must have trusted in that to agree to come with. 

“Not too much further my Love,” you called back behind you, as you navigated your way forward.

“You’re lucky I adore you,” he returned, sounding a bit more chipper. Perhaps he was aware he had come off a little hostile a moment ago. You tried not to correct or police him too much, but there were times it was hurtful and you couldn’t help but say something. 

“I offered to carry the pack,” you remind him teasingly. 

“And let you claim you did all the work?” You must have slowed a bit because he’d closed the distance to wrap his arms around you. “You’d like that wouldn’t you,” he asked, nuzzling into your neck. 

“I could never think to steal your glory.” You answer, grasping his hand to pull him along beside you. 

A few more minutes and you’ve reached your destination, a moderate hill rising out of the grassy plain surrounding it. It’s not much elevation, but it is higher than where you stand. “Up we go,” you say brightly and hear a sigh beside you, which may or may not be sincere. 

The top of the hill offers a calm view, the Chionthar, a dark ribbon on the horizon, and Baldur’s Gate, a collection of lights. Around you, a sea of grass ripples in the gentle night breeze. Not a single stray cloud disrupts the gleaming sky above. A night as perfect as you could ever ask for. 

“This is it,” you announce brightly. 

Astarion looks around skeptically and begins to shed the pack he was carrying. “I’m going to trust you on this one, darling.” 

Taking the pack from him, you kiss his cheek softly, pretending not to notice how he still flushes at small, affectionate gestures. “You won't be disappointed.” 

The heavens are moving though and you'll have to make haste to be ready in time. The supplies in the pack really just amount to a couple bed rolls, some extra blankets, a bottle of wine, and a bit of food for yourself. You’re not so worried about Astarion getting hungry as you’re used to finding yourself the snack when he’s peckish. Quickly, you arrange everything into a comfortable little spot to lay back and look at the sky. 

“Make yourself comfortable,” you say, inviting him to join you as you settle onto the bedrolls, wrapping a blanket over your legs. 

“If you insist,” he says with a grin that you know means mischief. 

In a moment, Astarion is sprawled across your blankets, head in your lap. “You’re like an ill-behaved cat,” you chide and run your hands through his curls. 

“You wouldn’t want me any other way.” A kiss is blown your way, and you just sigh, because you know he’s right. Instead, you fumble your way around him to open up the bottle of wine, without moving him from your lap. “Not to be impatient darling, but I am a little curious why we’re out here.”

You let the first sip of wine wash over your tongue before you answer. It’s white, sweet, melodic, and fruity - the kind of wine Astarion claims to hate. The truth, you know, is that he can’t taste the same as he did before his current state of being. Even the darkest, deepest reds taste cheap to him. You give him every happiness that’s at your disposal, maybe in time you’ll be able to give this too. But for now, tonight will have to do. 

 Taking a glance at the heavens, you gauge the time. “You’ll see soon en-'' Your words are cut off by the first falling star, streaking across the sky. Apparently you were off by a few minutes in your calculations. 

“Oh…” Had you managed to render Astarion speechless? Even with your slight error in timing, his crimson eyes are locked on the sky in enchantment. 

The first falling star was accompanied by another soon after and you poured Astarion a glass of wine even if he’d fuss about the taste. He took it without complaint, head still nestled in your lap, as even more bursts of light filled the night sky above you. 

The rain of stars began to rhythmically fall from the heavens, a dazzling display of lights. The two of you were uncharacteristically silent, attention rapt to the phenomena above you. You let your hand continue to run through Astarion’s hair, every once in a while caressing an ear or skimming your fingers along his forehead. In response, he snatched your hand, alternating between gentle kisses and playful nibbles each time. 

When the pace slowed a bit Astarion finally shifted, pulling you down so that you were lying next to him for a proper cuddle. “So,” you asked nervously, wondering what he’d made of the surprise. 

“That was quite lovely my sweet. And you went to all the work to drag me out here to see it.” He nuzzled against your cheek, leaving soft kisses. 

“Does that mean you enjoyed it?” Face buried in his curls, you inhaled. 

“I..,” his voice catches a little, “I did. You can’t see much of these things from the places I was spending my nights in and obviously Cazador wasn’t going to let us wander off to go star gazing.” You give him a light squeeze, a quiet acknowledgement of that small piece of everything he endured, not even the autonomy to look up at the stars. “But I do have to ask why you decided on this particular outing?”

“You see, it is beautiful, but it’s something beautiful you can only see at night. The night holds a lot of wonders that one can’t experience in the day, you included.” 

“Oh, stop,” his voice trembles.

“I brought you out here to show you, the night is vibrant, alive, and full of wonderful, beautiful things. And I’ll have no regrets about living my life in it, if I get to share it with you. I know you’ve been worried about that.”

Astarion sniffles and buries his face in your neck. “I suppose this means there’s no changing your mind.” 

Your arms tighten around him, holding him close. “You’re stuck with me. I love you, and I want this life with you more than anything.”

Above you, stray stars still fall as you kiss Astarion softly. Relaxing into your touch, you feel his hand on your waist, gripping as though he never wants to see this moment end. But tonight is just the first of many to come, nights as numerous as the stars still standing firm in the heavens.  

@micropoe10 @writingmysanity

Tag list:

@mxxny-lupin @azu21 @tallymonster @dependsonthedream

@sunfire-ancunin  @bambamwolf87 

@fayeriess @lumienyx @lisrelly

@elora-the-slutty-songstress

@bhaalbaaby

[goosefruit]

5 times vanessa brought you flowers (drabble collection)

vanessa shelly x fem!reader

tw: none

a/n: i need her to show up at my door with a bouquet of flowers ples

Hydrangeas

The first time Vanessa showed up at your door with a bouquet of flowers was on the night of your first date. 

She nervously shuffled her feet, wondering how you might react to her last-minute grocery store purchase. In her defense, she had just finished working a night shift mere hours before she had to start getting ready for tonight. 

An arrangement of baby blue hydrangeas laid in her arms, with little white flowers filling the gaps. 

Vanessa had stood in the flower section of the store for a good half hour as she tried to decide on the perfect offering for you. The obvious choice would be roses, but she was afraid of coming off too strong. 

After all, she had only known you for a week, after dancing with you at a bar. Even then, there was a spark between the two of you that she had never felt before, and she knew that she would do anything to have this work out. 

So she decided on something perhaps even more thoughtful than roses. 

The hydrangeas had caught her eyes the moment she saw them. They were the same shade of blue as the sparkly aquamarine earrings you always wore (she knew because you were wearing them the night you met, as well as in most of your Instagram pictures). Something about the delicate hue reminded her of your soft smile and gentle eyes.

Those same blossoms of blue were seen in your favourite vase for months after, its petals dried and preserved.

‎‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ°•. ✿ .•°

Wildflowers

For your one year anniversary, Vanessa had planned a picnic in a nearby meadow. 

You sat under the warm May sun with your eyes closed, leaning against your girlfriend's shoulder. The occasional cool breeze tickled your skin as you basked in the sunlight, sighs of delight falling from your lips. 

In every direction, fields of colour stretched on for miles. Flowers of all shapes and sizes were beginning to wake from their winter slumber, with many already in full bloom.

Groggily, you opened one eye to admire how wonderfully Vanessa’s blonde locks gleamed in the afternoon light.

“Hey honey,” she smiled when she noticed you staring. Giving you a peck on the forehead, she began to stand up. “I’ll be right back.”

You thought about following her, but were in way too comfortable of a position for your muscles to want to move. Instead, you laid back on the picnic mat and listened to the birdsong overhead. 

Vanessa returned soon after, prancing towards you in her pretty pink sundress. She held out a brilliant bundle of wildflowers: reds, blues, oranges, and yellows amongst various shades of green. The stems were tied together with a blade of grass, assembled into a perfect little bouquet.

“For you, my beautiful girl.”

‎‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ°•. ✿ .•°

Lilies of the Valley

This time, Vanessa had to ask the Internet for help.

You and her had been in rocky waters for the past week, arguing over trivial things such as who was going to do the dishes. 

She knew that you were only matching her attitude, as she had been quite unfair in how she spoke to you lately. Really, she didn’t mean it—the long, stressful shifts at work had gotten the better of her, but instead of talking it out, she pent up those emotions until they overflowed. 

Vanessa knew she had to do something to clean up the mess that she had created. 

A Google search for apology gifts gave her a list of ideas, and she set out for the store while you were at work one day. It took her several tries before she found a florist that supplied what she was looking for.

The vase held a bunch of delicate little white flowers, each hanging off of thin green stems in rows. There must have been at least a hundred of them, every one perfectly bell-shaped. 

She recalled that you had once stopped to admire a patch of these on a walk, which is why she recognized them almost immediately when they came up on her search. Apparently, they symbolized apology, amongst other things. 

Knowing that she would already be at work by the time your shift ended, she left the flowers alongside a note on the dining table:

My dearest Y/N,

You are my world, but I haven’t been treating you like it lately. I’m sorry that I’ve been a terrible communicator, and for taking out all my stress on you. You didn’t deserve that.  

I got you a little something here: Lilies of the valley. It has a pretty name, just like you.

I know it doesn’t make up for how I acted, but take it as a token of my love. Really sorry I can’t be home tonight; you know how my shifts are. 

Maybe we can do something fun when I get back?

I’m going to do better from now on, my love <3

-Nessa

‎‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ°•. ✿ .•°

Roses

On Valentine’s Day, you received the sweetest, reddest roses. 

Vanessa had taken a day off just to prepare for the occasion, taking it upon herself to decorate the entire apartment with candles and petals. 

At her insistence, she picked you up from work, wearing a suit so nice it made you feel underdressed in your plain blouse and jeans. The look was completed by a rose between her teeth, one corner of her mouth lifted in a gentle smirk. You giggled at how ridiculous but sexy she looked.  

She presented you with a bouquet she had hidden behind her back, a dozen more roses bound by lace and gold wrapping paper. 

Each flower had been carefully handpicked by her, the process having taken her nearly half a day at the florist’s. She made sure to select only the most vibrant ones, with every petal intact, for her babygirl. 

They smelled so good, it made your heart flutter. Of course, you knew that roses were known for their fragrance, but something about getting them from the love of your life made the sweet scent all the more mesmerizing. 

To top it all off, the lace holding everything together had the same colour and pattern as that chic white lingerie set you knew she loved seeing you in. 

You took a mental note to change into it before the evening’s fun.

‎‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ°•. ✿ .•°

Paper flowers

You were puzzled when Vanessa took an unusual interest in the crafts section of the dollar store. 

Your girlfriend had never expressed herself as an artistic person, always leaving all the home decor DIY stuff to you. But now, she was buying stacks of coloured paper and disappearing to her office with them for hours at a time. 

You had been reading on the couch one Sunday afternoon when you felt her hands cover your eyes from behind. 

“Don’t peek! I have a surprise for you,” she whispered excitedly. 

You nodded, keeping your eyes shut as she set something down on the table in front of you. 

“Okay, now open your eyes!”

The product of her mystery project blew your mind beyond words.

In a tall glass vase, she had placed paper flowers of all different colours, each resembling different species with shocking accuracy. They were folded with such neatness that you immediately understood why it had taken Vanessa so long. 

“I saw a video online, so I knew I had to make some for you,” she grinned cheekily. “The papercuts were all worth it.”

You grabbed her face and kissed her, all while a singular thought circulated through your mind: How many other hidden talents did this woman have?

[beatingdrumspouringwine]

Personal Dionysian Ritual

This is the ritual form I use for my Sunday worship (or, in this case, first-day-of-Anthesteria worship). I think this may hit closer to Catholic or Christian formats than historic Greek pagan ritual formats, at least if the book Hellenic Polytheism - Household Worship is to be believed. But this format is just a bit easier on me in terms of supplies, time, and ability to keep it semi-covert. I don't have the ability to light fires in my current space, but when I do, I usually include a prayer to Hestia at the beginning and end.

Dionysian Ritual (for Sundays) (Usually) (It's not set in stone)

Approach the altar or worship space. With you, there must be:

A bowl or other vessel filled with water (can be small).

Optionally, you may have:

Wine

Barley

Sea salt

Divination tools (I prefer tarot, or Sappho/Homeromanteions when I can get my hands on it).

A candle or other source of heat/light/incense (smells, basically)

Place the bowl of water either in front of your statue of Dionysos, or, if no statue is available, in a central spot in your space of worship. The wine and extra supplies may be placed anywhere else. Begin:

Orphic Hymn to Dionysos (Apostolos N. Athanassakis translation) I call upon loud-roaring and reveling Dionysos, primeval, two-natured, Thrice-born, Bacchic Lord, savage, ineffable, two-horned and two-shaped. Ivy-covered, bull-faced, warlike, howling, pure, You take raw flesh, You have triennial feasts, wrapped in foliage, decked in grape clusters. Resourceful Eubouleus, immortal God sired by Zeus when He mated with Persephone in unspeakable union, Harken to my voice, O blessed one, and with your fair-girdled nurses, Breathe on me in spirit of perfect kindness.

After the Orphic hymn, consecrate the bowl of water to make khernips. You may add salt if desired.

Dionysian Khernips Prayer (In between each verse of the Khernips Prayer, I move from just having the bowl on the altar, to holding the sides of the bowl, to holding the bowl up for the last verse.)

After the Khernips Prayer, I pray to Hagios as I actually ritually wash myself with the newly made khernips.

Hagios (For every verse of Hagios, I start with washing my face, then move to washing my hands, and finally sprinkle khernips on my feet, especially if I'm planning on dancing. This isn't actual washing, but more like lightly splashing water on the different parts of me that I wash.)

After Hagios, if there is wine, then I consecrate that, which I'll link my prayer for below. If there isn't, then I libate clean water (will be writing a prayer for that at some point soon), and move on to the next part of the ritual.

Wine Consecration to Dionysos (From the part where I say "This is the gift that..." through to "on the slopes of Mount Kithairon", I raise the wine towards my statue Dionysos as though toasting Him, which is inspired by art showing Maenads serving Dionysos wine.)

After the wine consecration, I pour out a libation of wine to Dionysos while praying my prayer to Dionysos Theoinos:

Theoinos

After the prayer to Theoinos, whatever happens next is up to you. If I'm doing any divination, I'll say a prayer to Dionysos Mantis before going ahead with it. Otherwise, I may dance, or talk about my day, or simply do prayer after prayer after prayer until I've kind of exhausted my talking point. Since most of my rituals are done at night, however, the consistent part is frequently the end, which is my second prayer to Dionysos Nyktelios:

Nyktelios II

And there you have it! I definitely finished this a bit later than I was planning, but that's okay - I got it out, and that's all that matters! I hope everyone has a good night and a beautiful Anthesteria, and that this was helpful to some degree :)

[bwabys-scenarios]

Fixer Upper

Part 9

Perv!Kurapika x Fem!Reader

part 8

part 10

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(Name)’s friend had a small cabin near the beach she’d offered to loan her for a few days. From Tuesday to Thursday, they’d be staying in a few towns over to enjoy the beach.

When they arrived home, Leorio left to go and start packing his stuff. They had a few days before the cabin would be available, so they had plenty of time to plan.

“Everyone get to bed! We’re going to be having a down day tomorrow, and Monday we’re going shopping for beach supplies.”

Killua nodded as he rubbed at his eyes. “Yeah, okay. Come on, Gon.”

The two leave to their rooms.

(Name) sighs before crashing onto the couch, not even knowing the skirt of her dress was lifted just enough to expose the pink panties she’d worn to the Barbie movie.

Kurapika didn’t notice at first either, he was too busy pulling off his shirt. That was until her back arched and cracked a bit, causing her to groan and him to look over to make sure she was okay.

He didn’t think this day could get any better, but the view he saw certainly… did something for him.

Her butt was firmly in the air, her clothed pussy on full display. Her cute thigh highs squished her thighs perfectly, creating a sight he thought he could only see in heaven.

‘I want to…’

He stopped himself before he even finished that thought, moving away from the couch and towards his room.

“Going to bed, goodnight.”

“Night…”

He heard her whine slightly as she stretched before he rushed to his room. He barely got the door closed before he was slipping his hand into his pants, panting as he stroked his cock. The door was still slightly cracked open, and he realized if he peeked out, he could still see her cute butt poking up into the air.

‘This is… dirty.’

But he couldn’t stop looking. She just looked so perfect on display, all for him to enjoy.

‘Fuck, fuck, fuck…’

She whimpered out, rubbing her back lightly. It must if hurt from carrying around those big boobs all day.

“Kurapika…”

He stopped, eyes going wide. Did she happen to see him? That couldn’t be possible, she was facing in the opposite direction.

“Did he go to bed already?”

She pushed herself off of the couch, moving so her butt was pushed in his direction, her panties moving to the side ever so slightly.

It was enough to make him cum instantly, gasping as he painted the door.

“Kurapika?” she called out again, this time beginning to turn towards his door.

He slipped his hand from his pants and ran over to his desk, grabbing a tissue she’d supplied for him and moving to wipe off the door.

“Hey, are you asleep?”

She knocked on the cracked door, causing it to open up. Thankfully he’d wiped the door clean before she opened it, holding the tissue in his hand relived.

“No, I’m awake. Do you need something?”

His cheeks were still flushed and his limbs weak from his orgasm seconds before. Kurapika felt soft, his eyelashes fluttering when she bent slightly to smile at him.

“Can you unzip me? Leorio was going to, but he forgot and now he’s gone.”

Kurapika wanted to bang his head against the wall. “… yes, of course I can.”

He followed her up to her room, now noticing how easy it was to see her underwear when he was following right behind her.

“Ugh my back is killing me! I knew wearing a bra without any support was a bad idea… but this dress is strapless.”

Kurapika was not listening to a goddamn thing. He was too focused on her cute ass. “Uh huh.”

They walked into her room. She instantly kicked off her Mary Janes and lifted her leg onto the bed to pull off her thigh highs.

‘She’s going to kill me.’

He watched as she pulled the first one down before he had to turn to avoid getting hard again. He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of her, especially after spying on her like a perv minutes before.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

She turned his way, her back to him. He stepped forward and stared down at her back.

‘It’s just her back. Don’t you DARE get hard over her back you fucking idiot.’

He pulled the zipper down.

‘God fucking damn it.’

The sight of her bra made him grow hard yet again, and there was no hiding it in these jeans. He pulled the zipper the rest of the way down before turning.

“You’re going so soon?”

He paused in the doorway, gritting his teeth. All Kurapika wanted to do was go to his room, jerk off, and pass out.

But the innocent tone in her voice made him sigh.

“Do you need me to stay?”

“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to watch a movie with me. Since it was… interrupted last time.”

Ouch. He’d forgotten he’d pretty much abandoned her a week or so ago to find a member of the phantom troupe. She’d stayed up all night waiting for him, and he couldn’t even call to ease her worries.

Usually, Kurapika would push these guilty feelings away and just sleep, but after his orgasm he was feeling… soft. Easily mailable by her hands.

“… sure. You get changed and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

Kurapika internally groaned, looking down at himself with a sigh. ‘I’ll change into some baggy pajama pants. Should… hide it…’

———————

(Name) walked downstairs wearing a nightgown and a green face mask. He wanted to tease her for it, saying she looked silly, but knew if he did she’d have plenty of ammo to throw back at him.

“Imma pop some popcorn! We gotta eat quietly though. Just the smell is enough to wake up Gon…”

She sighed, and pulled the popcorn from the cabinet. Kurapika was curled up on the couch, a blanket covering his form. “Shouldn’t we just not eat it then?”

“Nah, if he wakes up I’ll just give him some horse tranquilizer.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s like a melatonin gummy for him.”

The blonde stared at the TV. ‘What the hell is wrong with that boy?’

Kurapika huffed when she sat the bowl of popcorn in his lap. “It’s hot! I’m gonna grab us some lemonade!”

He popped a few pieces into his mouth. ‘Mmm… I haven’t had popcorn in years.’

(Name) plopped down next to him, curling her legs against the side of the couch. She leaned until her head was comfortably against Kurapika’s shoulder.

Usually he would have pushed her off subtly or moved away, but right now he was feeling… cuddly.

Although he didn’t move to hold her close, he did allow her to stay.

“What do you want to watch? I’m thinking a ghibli movie.”

“I don’t care, you can pick.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but picked a random ghibli movie.

It happened to be Howl’s Moving Castle.

“Oooh, this is a good one. I think you’ll like it!”

Kurapika only nodded, leaning his head against hers. It was the only contact he’d allow himself to make.

The movie started, Kurapika barely able to pay attention. He was too focused on (Name)’s soft scent and comforting warmth.

A few minutes in, he felt (Name) pull away slightly. She seemed excited, bouncing in her seat.

“Ahh, it’s Howl.”

Her eyes almost twinkled when a blonde man appeared on screen, offering a hand to the main female character. Kurapika hadn’t bothered to learn her name.

The man looked… awfully familiar. His blonde hair, soft feminine appearance, and pretty eyes made Kurapika tilt his head.

“Is that… your favorite character?”

She nodded, her eyes never leaving the blonde haired man.

“He’s been my favorite ghibli character for years.”

Kurapika smiled. “I see.”

‘She did say my butt was cute earlier… and that she likes my hair…’

The movie continued on, (Name) occasionally gasping or cooing at the screen. “Hehe, look! Aren’t they just the cutest?”

The girl on screen reminded him of her. She was a bit insecure, but to everyone else but her she was beautiful.

“Yes. They are.”

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She looked gorgeous, even in the low light of the living room.

She caught him staring, sending him a wink. “Pay attention to the movie, sweetheart.”

Kurapika blushed. She wasn’t usually the type to confront him about his staring, even though he was sure she could notice it. (Name) was a hunter after all, she couldn’t be that oblivious.

“Ah… it’s almost over.”

She seemed a little sad at this. Kurapika wasn’t sure if it was because she really liked the movie, or their time together would end soon.

He wasn’t stupid. He knew (Name) cared for him quite a bit, even being told by Leorio she had a crush on him during the Hunter Exam. Of course, at the time that made him beyond happy. Kurapika didn’t know why exactly, but knowing she liked him more than the others made his heart soar.

But now, that knowledge didn’t fill him with butterflies, it filled him with dread. Had he broken her heart with what he said during York New? Had he ruined any chances he’d had with her?

‘Ruined any… what am I thinking?’

He shook the thought from his head. Kurapika couldn’t dare to think like that. She was his dear friend, someone that needed to be protected.

Protected from the danger being around him could bring.

She sighed as the end credits rolled, looking up at him with sleepy eyes. “Did you like it?”

He wasn’t sure how to tell her he’d barely paid any attention to the movie on screen, much to busy thinking about her, so he just nodded.

“I’m glad. I’m… happy I got to spend this time with you.”

She held onto his hand, a sad smile on her lips. He wanted to cup her cheeks and wipe that sad smile away more than anything.

But did he really have the right to when he was the reason for her sadness?

Kurapika patted her head. “I did too. We should get going to bed, though.”

(Name) but her lip, staring down at her lap.

“Kurapika?”

He paused. She sounded soft, vulnerable. He didn’t often hear that in her voice.

“Yes?”

Her eyes met his, the beginnings of tears tucked away in the corners.

“Will I… will I ever seen you again after you leave?”

A stab in the chest would have been easier to handle than that question. Kurapika stuttered, his eyes looking away from hers.

“I…”

He couldn’t answer her, not when his answer would only make her cry. Kurapika hated seeing her tears.

“…”

(Name) pulled away from him, hugging herself tight. It hurt him to see her so small, like she could shrink into nothing at any second.

“You’re really important to me, you know? Even if… even if you hate me. I…”

Tears began to fall down her cheeks, collecting on the throw blanket they’d been sharing.

“(Name)…”

He reached out to wipe away her tears, but stopped midway.

“I don’t…”

“I can’t stand you! You’re weak, you can’t do anything right!”

Kurapika pulled his hand back and held it against his chest. ‘Do I have the right to comfort her when I said such awful things?’

“(Name)?”

Killua poked his head out of his bedroom door, his blue eyes scanning the room until they landed on (Name). He ran forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I heard you from my room…”

Killua sent a glare Kurapika’s way before pulling her off the couch and towards the bathroom. “You need to wash off that face mask before you break out.”

She only nodded, glancing back at Kurapika before the bathroom door closed behind her.

The blonde stared at the closed door, clutching the fabric of his shirt so tightly it ripped.

‘She thinks I hate her… maybe it’s for the best.’

Kurapika stood, walking towards the TV to turn it off. On a table by the TV was a framed photo, Kurapika’s eyes widening when he took a closer look.

It was a picture of the entire group chatting about their plan in the hotel during York New.

‘Did (Name) take this?’

She wasn’t in the picture, Kurapika feeling a little disappointed. But that was quickly changed when he saw there were several photos of various members of the group framed, some of just him alone.

‘She… she put these up even after what happened…’

Kurapika bit his lip so hard it bled. She wanted to remember him when he was smiling, looking at her with those soft eyes he always seemed to have when she was around.

“…”

Kurapika walked to his room and closed the door behind him.

———————

(Name) and Killua sat at the kitchen table, Gon fixing himself a bowl of cereal by the fridge.

“Remember boys, todays a rest day, so no getting into any trouble.”

She sipped on her coffee, looking around the house. It was a mess, meaning she’d need to clean before she even thought about leaving for the beach.

Kurapika left his room, wandering into the kitchen while rubbing his sleepy eyes.

“Good morning…”

He yawned into his hand as he made himself a cup of coffee then sat down at the table next to (Name). “Good morning, Kurapika.”

She gave him a smile, before standing up and taking her cup with her upstairs. “We’ll all be resting today, Kurapika. Of course, you can do what you want, but the rest of us are going to catch up on some sleep and indulge in our interests.”

He nodded, still waking up as she left for her room. Once she was out of earshot, Killua scoffed.

“You sure fucked up last night. Do you enjoy making (Name) cry?”

Oh, Kurapika and forgotten about last night’s events. And he’d just sat down next to her like nothing had happened.

“… I didn’t mean to make her cry.”

“You never do.”

Gon sat down with them at the table, munching on his cereal. “Hmm? What were y’all talking about?”

Killua sighed. “Nothing of importance to Kurapika, apparently.”

Kurapika finished his coffee in silence. ‘Less than a week I’ll be gone and out of her hair. She’ll… she’ll forget about me eventually.’

But the thought of her forgetting about him and moving on with a different man made him feel sick.

“Kurapika, you should come to the creek with us today! We’re releasing the fish we saved last week.”

Kurapika tilted his head. “You want me to come with you?”

Gon nodded. “Yeah, it would be fun! We could even have a picnic! (Name) always packs us lunches when we go out to the creek all day.”

Killua groaned. “But Gon, going to the creek is our thing!”

The blonde raised an eyebrow. “I have my own things to do today.”

“Like what?”

Kurapika scowled. “I have phone calls to make.”

“What kind of phone calls?”

“… important ones.”

Gon tilted his head, and Killua sighed. “There are no phone calls, are there?”

Kurapika stayed quiet.

“Alright, so he’s coming with us then!”

It seemed like Kurapika didn’t have much of a choice, so he downed his coffee and left to get dressed.

——————

(Name) began packing the three lunches in the kitchen. Gon and Killua had left to grab some buckets from the garage, leaving Kurapika and (Name) alone.

He lingered in the kitchen, watching her from a distance. She finished packing their lunches before turning to him with a shy smile.

“Hey um… about last night…”

Kurapika froze in his spot, nearly dropping his cup of coffee.

“I… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you those questions. You don’t have to tell me anything, and I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

Kurapika blinked. ‘Is she… is she apologizing? No…’

“Even if you… hate me… I won’t hold it against you, you’re still always welcome here.”

‘Stop. Don’t say those things. Don’t.’

“So… just forget about what I said. Let’s just enjoy whatever time we have together!”

She gave him a final smile before the front door opened. Killua and Gon walked in carrying buckets.

“It’s show time. Kurapika, I hope you know how to work a pole.”

“A what!?”

“A fishing pole.”

(Name) held a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Kurapika just sighed and followed them out the door, carrying their packed lunches with them.

“Make sure you keep up, we will leave you behind.”

“Killua! No we won’t, that isn’t nice.”

Kurapika didn’t respond, only focusing on memorizing the route to the creek. If Killua did end up leaving him behind, he’d have no trouble finding his way back.

They arrived at the creek, Gon and Killua instantly releasing the fish they’d saved last week.

“During a few weeks in the summer, the creek goes down and a lot of the fish die. Me and Killua will catch as many as we can then release them when the creek is full again.”

‘That sounds like eco-terrorism.’

Killua tossed Kurapika a fishing pole, the blonde catching it immediately. “Do you know how to fish?”

“Yes, Killua. I’ve had to fish to feed myself on numerous occasions.”

Killua scoffed. “Yeah, sure. We’re going to be surprising (Name) with fish for dinner tonight, so make sure to use your ‘skills’ and catch as much fish as you can.”

The two frowned at each other before Gon stepped in between them. “Hey, let’s save our energy for the fishing!”

Killua was the first to catch a fish, holding it up with a proud smile.

“Oh, I’ll get a picture for (Name)!”

He snapped a picture of Killua holding up his first catch.

‘Why does she need a picture of him holding a fish?’ Kurapika thought, before turning his attention back to his own fishing pole.

A few hours passed, Kurapika being the only one without a single catch.

“Didn’t you say you were good at fishing, blondie?”

The blonde huffed. “I didn’t say I was good, I said I knew how to fish.”

“Then do it?”

Kurapika dropped his pole to the ground and began to walk off.

“Killua, don’t anta… antony…”

“Antagonize him?”

“Yeah!”

Killua sighed. “Hey, blondie, get back here! Don’t you want to do something nice for (Name) after making her cry last night?”

The blonde stopped in his tracks. “… would bringing home fish… make her feel better?”

“She always gets happy when we bring home fish! Well, at least fish to eat.”

Kurapika walked back over and sat by the creek again, picking up his pole and inspecting it.

“Killua.”

The white haired boy walked over. “Yeees?”

“Why is there a gummy worm on my hook?”

“For good luck of course!”

Kurapika threw the gummy worm into the dirt. “I hate you.”

“Feelings mutual, blondie.”

————————

After placing an actual worm on his hook, Kurapika was able to catch several fish. Of course, it wasn’t very easy. He had to climb down into the creek with a net to catch them, slipping on the mud and falling in several times.

The walk back home was humiliating.

Kurapika’s hair was wet, with leaves and little sticks clinging to his blonde locks. His tabard and shirt were slung over his shoulder.

Killua and Gon didn’t look much better. The two looked like they’d been mud wrestling.

‘I mean technically Gon did wrestle that alligator… still don’t know how he won.’

Said boy was holding the buckets they brought, all full of fish of varying species.

Kurapika recognized most of them, besides the strange… sea urchin thing? Did it have eyes? Oh god it was looking at him.

The blonde faced forward. All he knew is he was NOT eating that.

“(Name) is going to be so happy! Oh Gon, I told you to throw that thing back.”

He pointed to the sea urchin thing. “Oh, I’m keeping this one as a pet. I’m naming him Hanzo!”

‘(Name) won’t like that. Her and Hanzo hated each other.’

Kurapika thought back to their time fixing the boat before the 4th phase. Hanzo and (Name) butted heads a lot, often because Hanzo didn’t know what personal space was.

He remembered when he fell and hit his head, and she stayed with him through the night, even though she herself was in pain.

‘She’s always been there for me…’

Kurapika was glad they’d reached (Name)’s house, because he didn’t want to think about how often she’d saved his ass and helped him through tough times.

Would he have done the same for her?

———————

“Oh wow, look at all this fish! You sure caught a lot, didn’t you?”

The two boys smiled wide as she cooed and gave them hugs, praising them. “Fried fish sound good to you two?”

“Mhm! With fries!”

(Name) giggled, patting Gon’s head. “Of course.”

Her face always took on a different form when she was looking at the two boys. While she was almost always soft and gentle, it was like her soft nature intensified tenfold when they were around.

Killua seemed pretty attached to her. Had he been that way when he’d last seen them in York New? Kurapika couldn’t remember him seeming so content in her presence.

“Kurapika, I heard you caught a lot too. You did a great job.”

Something about her praising him made his heart race. It almost made him feel giddy.

“Oh, um… it was no trouble.”

Killua scoffed next to him. ‘He’s awful at hiding how happy she makes him.’

Kurapika wasn’t surprised at how easily she was able to descale and gut the fish. During the Hunter Exam, she’d been the one feeding him and Leorio when they were stranded on that boat.

“Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes. You boys go wash up. You can use my bathroom, it’s bigger.”

The three trudged up the stairs, dropping their muddy clothes into her hamper.

(Name)’s bathroom was big, it had both a bath tub and shower. The two boys started the bath before jumping into the shower.

Kurapika raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you two getting too old to be bathing together?”

Killua raised an eyebrow. “We’re both guys, why does it matter? Plus Gon can’t wash his hair by himself. He always gets soap in his eyes.”

“Usually Aunt Mito or (Name) comes in and helps, but Killua does it when they can’t.”

They rinsed off a majority of the mud before jumping in the soapy bath. Kurapika sighed.

‘She babies them too much. He can’t wash the soap out of his hair? Isn’t he 14 already?’

Kurapika made sure that the two weren’t paying attention when he pulled his own clothes off and stepped into the shower.

There was a pink loofa, several soaps and body scrubs, and shampoo on the shelves.

‘Oh, I forgot to grab my shampoo…’

He shrugged and picked up her bottle, squirting some of the shampoo into his hand before rubbing it into his hair.

Kurapika would never get used to how his body reacted to anything that reminded him of her. Sometimes it was arousal, and sometimes a soothing feeling settled over him.

Like now.

He felt his tired muscles relax when he began to run her soap into his skin. He thought about using her loofa, the fluffy pink thing tempting, but he decided not to. Using her soap was one thing, using the object she rubbed all over her naked body was another.

Oh no, now he was thinking about her taking a shower. (Name) rubbing herself with the loofa, humming to herself as the suds washed away to reveal her breasts and bare p-

Kurapika’s eyes snapped open. He couldn’t think about that, not now. He tucked away those thoughts for later, when he could think about her in the privacy of his bedroom.

Kurapika let the suds rinse away, staring down at his naked body. He had a few new scars from recent missions, and he was still a bit underweight. (Name)’s meals were certainly helping him come back to his normal weight, but just a few weeks wouldn’t cause any major changes.

He wrapped a towel around his waist before stepping out.

‘Oh. I didn’t bring any clothes up either.’

Kurapika was about to sigh and take a walk of shame down the stairs when he spotted a pile of folded clothes on the counter.

On top was a pair of his pajamas. He picked up the shirt and sniffed it, sighing when he could smell the lingering scent of (Name)’s perfume.

‘She brought us a change of clothes?’

He put the clothes on and wrapped his towel around his neck. ‘Maybe she’ll dry my hair for me again…’

Kurapika allowed himself this small amount of happiness.

He glanced to where the boys were in the bathtub, nearly laughing when he saw them playing with random bath toys. It was a rare sight, Killua smiling and acting like the kid he really was.

Kurapika let them have their fun, walking out the bathroom door and closing it behind him. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, (Name) was waiting for him.

“Come on.”

She pulled him to the living room and had him sit on the floor as she dried his hair. “You know, your hair is looking a lot better. Maybe you should just start using my shampoo.”

He didn’t answer, his eyes closed and his head leaning against her knees as her fingers ran through his hair. It was relaxing, and Kurapika was realizing that he really liked his hair being played with.

“You’ve got such pretty hair, Kurapika. I’m glad you’re taking better care of it.”

She finished drying his hair, running her fingers through it one last time.

“… you’re too kind, (Name).”

She hummed. “So I’ve heard, but I don’t think anyone can be too kind.”

‘You can, (Name).’

He remembered the way her face dropped during one of their arguments in York New. Kurapika was so sure after that, he’d never see her smile at him again.

But here she was, letting him lean against her knees as she dried his hair. Him, the man who broke her heart and called her so many mean names. She was doing this for him.

And part of him hated her for it.

“I need to get back to cooking. Will you tell Killua and Gon dinner will be ready in five minutes?”

Kurapika stood. “Of course.”

——————

(Name) dried both of the two boy’s hair as Kurapika made his plate.

“Oh, I cut up some fruit too! It’s sitting in the fridge, could you take it out for me, sweetheart?”

He paused, but recovered quickly. “On it.”

He glanced to the group as he pulled the bowl out. Gon was waiting patiently at (Name)’s feet as Killua got his hair dried.

“All done, go and make your plate.”

Killua stood and Gon too his place.

“I got my hands full with all of you, ya know?”

She squeezed Gon’s cheek, who laughed. “Sorry, but you’re the best at drying hair!”

“Haha, I’m not sure how good of a skill that is to have, but thank you.”

Killua made his plate and sat at the table, farthest away from Kurapika.

“Alright, you’re done.”

Gon jumped up and ran to make his plate, (Name) following behind him. “I’m starving! I could eat all of this!”

(Name) giggled. “You can have as much as you want after I make my plate.”

The four ate dinner, Gon and Killua recounting the fun day they had. It didn’t take long for them to finish their food, the two yawning.

“I think it’s about time for bed. Why don’t you two watch some TV for a bit then get some sleep? I’m gonna go shower.”

She placed her plate in the dishwasher, closing it before sighing. “We’ve got to go shopping then leave for the cabin tomorrow evening. It’ll be a long day, so get plenty of rest.”

“Yes, (Name)!”

Gon gave her a hug before she went upstairs. Kurapika noticed Killua watching her go.

The white haired boy looked… anxious? He was playing with drawstring of his sleeveless hoodie and tapping his foot.

‘Did something happen?’

Kurapika decided not to pry, instead sitting on the far end of the couch and watching some cartoon movie with the two.

He enjoyed spending time with them as well, even if Killua was a bit rude. Kurapika didn’t hold it against him. Mostly.

“Killua, we should get going. It’s getting late.”

Gon pulled Killua to his feet and started to lead him to their shared room.

“… alright.”

The two left, Gon leaving the door cracked open behind him.

‘I should sleep as well. With them, there’s no telling how exhausting tomorrow may be.’

The blonde entered his room and closed the door behind him. If he wanted to sleep, he’d need to jerk off first. He didn’t want to have another wet dream, it made it hard to be around (Name) after.

Though, jerking off to the thought of her didn’t make him feel much better. Besides the overwhelming amount of pleasure, that is.

———————

Kurapika awoke to the sound of someone sneaking down the hallway. A normal person would have never noticed this, but the blonde was far from normal.

He tiptoed to his door and peeked out, spotting Killua running up the stairs.

Kurapika would have ignored it and gone back to bed, but the brief glance he’d gotten from Killua’s face made him worry.

He looked absolutely terrified, something Kurapika had never seen in Killua before.

The blonde concealed his aura, waiting a moment before walking upstairs as well. By then, Killua was long gone, the only indication of where he’d gone being (Name)’s door, left cracked open.

“Killua? Shh, it’s okay.”

Kurapika could hear (Name) talking in a low, soothing voice. He peeked through the crack in the door to see Killua holding onto her, his head on her shoulder. He was blubbering nonsense, his tears soaking into her tshirt.

“I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never leave you alone again, promise.”

‘Leave him alone again? What is she talking about?’

“It… it happened again. Another nightmare about when you…”

(Name) shushed him and scooted over. “Come on, it’s late. You can just sleep with me tonight.”

Killua climbed in without a second thought, clinging onto her like a child would his mother.

“I thought this might happen. You were anxious tonight, right?”

Killua nodded slowly as she ran her fingers through his hair. “Yes… sometimes I remember that day and… can’t stop thinking about it.”

She sighed. “I really wish you would let me enroll you in some therapy. Could do you some good.”

Killua was silent, (Name) realizing he’d fallen asleep. She hummed softly and continued to play with his hair until she fell asleep too.

Kurapika watched the two with soft eyes. She was holding onto him so tenderly, even in her sleep. It was clear the two had bonded greatly between the time Kurapika had seen them last.

‘And… they’re hiding something from me. Something big enough to have traumatized Killua.’

He walked back down the stairs, spotting Gon standing in the hallway.

“Did Killua go to sleep with (Name)?” Gon asked. Kurapika nodded.

“Yes, they’re both asleep now.”

Gon sighed, pushing some hair out of his face. “Sometimes Killua wakes up from some awful nightmares, and the only one that can calm him down is (Name). Something… something happened. I’m not sure what, but Killua was really hurt by whatever it was, and he won’t tell me.”

Kurapika reached out a hand to pat Gon’s shoulder. “It’s not easy telling others about the things that have hurt you. It may take him a while, but I’m sure he’ll open up to you eventually.”

‘If I was around a little longer, maybe they would tell me too.’

He walked back to bed after saying goodnight to Gon. It was 1 am now, meaning he’d have to be up in four hours for a few phone calls before leaving to go shopping with the group.

——————

“Alright everyone, let’s split up to cover more ground. Killua, you’re coming with me. Kurapika, Gon is with you.”

The group were at a local grocery store. Killua had been quiet all morning, clinging to (Name)’s side sleepily.

“I’ll text you the grocery list, okay?”

Kurapika nodded. (Name) walked away hand in hand with Killua, laughing when he leaned against her. “Aww, still sleepy? You can take a nap when we get home.”

The two watched them leave before Kurapika sighed. “He sure is being clinging today.”

Gon nodded, placing a box of cereal into the shopping cart. “Yeah, he usually is after he’s had a nightmare. It’s like he’s scared she’ll disappear or something.”

Kurapika bit his lip. ‘Does his nightmare have something to do with (Name)?’

Kurapika jumped at the sound of his phone going off, realizing it was just the grocery list (Name) had sent them.

The two finished the list easily, meeting back up with the two at the cash register. They checked out, and drove home.

“Okay, I’m going to pick up Leorio, you boys start packing your bags. Killua, you go get a nap. I’ll pack your bag later.”

Killua shook his head and held onto her sleeve. “I’ll go with you.”

Kurapika blinked at the way (Name)’s eyes softened, her hand cupping his cheek. “Oh, of course. Come on.”

He followed her to the mom van, climbing into the front seat.

Kurapika and Gon watched them leave. “It must of been bad for him to still be so clingy.” Gon said, a worried look on his face.

Kurapika nodded.

The two left to pack in their respective rooms. Kurapika packed using the small black suitcase gifted to him by (Name).

Killua and (Name) were back within 30 minutes, Leorio with them now. He seemed to be talking softly with (Name) and Killua, having that same soft look (Name) had when Killua had a nightmare.

‘Leorio must know as well.’ Kurapika thought, frowning.

He knew that they all had grown closer while he was gone, but they’d never been the types to keep secrets from him. Kurapika couldn’t be angry though, he kept plenty of secrets from them.

Leorio walked in, pulling a suitcase behind him. “I haven’t been to the beach since the Hunter Exam! I can’t wait!”

(Name) giggled, Killua following close behind her. He kept a hand on her shirt, and hadn’t said a word since he said he was coming with her earlier.

“I ordered some takeout for dinner. Let’s all do some cleaning up before we have to leave in a few hours. I’ll be folding laundry.”

She handed out brooms and gloves to everyone as she went and sat on the couch, beginning to fold the laundry she had recently washed.

Killua lied his head on her lap and slept as she folded. No one complained, it seemed everyone could tell he’d had a rough night.

“Are you excited, Gon? I know you come from an island but-“

“Yep, I’m very excited!! Last time (Name) took us to the beach, Killua got super sunburnt, it was pretty funny.”

Kurapika snickered. ‘So he gets sunburnt easily?’

“I don’t think you have any right to be laughing when you’re as pasty as Killua.”

Kurapika blinked at Leorio. “Oh. I guess you’re not wrong, I have been… inside more lately, I guess. No time to get a tan.”

He glanced at himself in the mirror again. Slowly fading dark circles under his eyes, a pale face. He didn’t find himself particularly attractive, he wandered why (Name) had called him pretty so many times.

“Well you’ll have plenty of time to soak in the sun when we’re at the beach!” Gon clapped him on the back, smiling.

“You always know how to cheer someone up, Gon.”

The blonde ruffled Gon’s hair as he laughed.

“Alright you two, get to work. I don’t want (Name) having to pick up your slack.”

Gon and Kurapika stuck their tongues out at Leorio before starting their work.

———————

After eating an early dinner, the group piled into the mom van. Leorio was driving, with Kurapika in the passenger seat. Although killua was doing better after his nap, he still requested that (Name) sit next to him in the car. She didn’t seem to mind at all, something that made Kurapika sigh softly.

“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable for you in the front seat? You get motion sickness, right?”

(Name) laughed. “I’m surprised you remembered that, Kurapika, but I’m fine! It’s not that long of a drive anyways.”

He didn’t argue with her, there was no point. When (Name) decided to do something for someone else, it was hard to convince her otherwise.

The group began their drive, Leorio watching the road and singing along to some random pop song on the radio. Kurapika didn’t want to admit it, but he was also excited to spend some time under the sun and in the waves.

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination, just two hours.

The group left the mom van and began to unpack.

“Why did we bring groceries with us? Couldn’t we just shop here?” Gon asked as he carried the ice chest inside.

“Well this place probably has higher prices because of how many tourists there are, so it’s better to bring food from home.”

Kurapika nodded. “Yes, that makes sense. I’m glad you thought of that, (Name).”

She perked up from his compliment, happily strolling inside with Killua close behind.

The cabin was nice, with three bedrooms. The first was the master bedroom, with a queen sized bed, bathroom, and walk in closet.

“This one is mine!” (Name) said with a smile. No one argued.

The second room had two queen sized beds and a large dresser.

The third room had a bunk bed, a trunk full of beach toys, and a small bathroom,

“There’s also an extra bathroom down the hall, with a shower and bath.”

Of course, Killua and Gon claimed the bunk beds immediately, leaving Kurapika and Leorio with the second room.

“Everyone get unpacked and sleep. We’re getting up early tomorrow!”

[goatswithtoast]

Pt. 4, Earth Kingdom, Cole

The group has been 'on the road' for a bit now, and they've helped wherever they could. Stopped a robbery in one town, found a lost goat-dog in another and had Ultra be a float in one town's parade ("So realistic!")

They decided to stay in a town to get more supplies and let Ultra rest for a few days. However, once they reached the town center, they were faced with a mile-long queue beside a well. When they asked why it was so long, they learned the trench running beside the town was a recently dried up river, following the construction of a dam. One annoyed queuer comments that 'between the river drying up and the damage happening to the town, this is the worst year they've had in ages!'

Lloyd pieces the damage to the town and the loss of a natural feature together and concludes that the spirits must be mad their river is gone. But since he's the Avatar, he'll have this fixed for them in no time! Nya offers to speed the well line up, and fills everyone's barrels in half the time the well would've taken. The gang pool their funds to pay for a room in the local inn for a couple of nights, luckily the receptionist was in the well line and gave them a discounted price as thanks.

Later that night, Lloyd had a dream of a full river getting lower until completely dry, a dark haired boy facing off with a glowing monster and a dam breaking apart.

The next morning they head over to the well again to help out. Lloyd practices filling a couple of barrels, but joins Zane in carrying them when he gets tired. Nya had filled a good few barrels before the ground begins to rumble. A house starts quivering and crumbling to the ground. A dark haired boy starts to move out of line to help the family move away from the house, but he's pulled back by what could only be his father. The rumbling stops as quickly as it started, leaving the gang completely and utterly confused. Lloyd could've sworn he'd seen that boy somewhere before.

That night, when the town was all asleep, a bright, powerful beam of light pierced the darkness with a terrible roar. Looking out their window, the gang spots a figure running towards the area the light came from, pleading it to stop. The gang rush outside to help, and as they turn a corner, they're faced with a massive monster with spindly limbs and sharp claws, It's cracked skin looking painfully stretched over it's bones. It unleashed a beam of destruction with each roar. And rushing up to face this beast was the dark haired boy from the well.

"I know why you're upset!" The boy shouted up at the beast. "I have a plan to help, if you'd please listen to m-!" He's cut off with a roar, being forced to dodge a blast. Lloyd runs up to the boy as he took cover on someone's porch. "What's your plan?!" Cole is quite surprised to see someone seemingly appear behind him, and even more so to hear they wanted to help. But if this slightly familiar boy and two friends want to help, then they can. "The spirit's mad because his river's gone. We could break that dam to bring it back and calm the spirit down. Hopefully." Turning to Nya and Zane, Cole clicks where he's seen this group before. "You're the waterbender helping with the well! Perfect! You can help me break the dam and keep the village safe!" Remembering Zane and Lloyd are there, Cole turns to them to asses them. "Are you two benders? I can't remember if I've seen you bend or not."

The River Spirit roars once again and crushes a nearby building. The gang jumps at the noise. "Doesn't matter! If we run up to the dam we can bring the river back before the spirit does too much damage!" Lloyd shouts before darting past the spirit towards the dam. Nya and Zane share a look and run after Lloyd. Cole stays stunned for a few moments before a stomp from the spirit gets him to follow the gang.

Running along the dry riverbed, the gang reach the dam. Cole steps in front of the others to survey the structure. "Ok, I've been up here a few times to find it's weak points, it's reinforced with metal, that means no bending for me. I'll have to hit there first," Cole pointed at the top of the dam "to relieve a small amount of pressure, and then work my way down to the bottom. Could you bend the water back to the river when it starts escaping?" He asked Nya. Nya nodded and moved into position. "Just shout when you're starting dirt boy!" As she moved away, she asked "Lloyd, do you want to try help me?" Cole snapped his head to Lloyd. "So you are a waterbender!" "It's complicated" Lloyd replied as he moved to stand by Nya.

Cole shook his head and turned to Zane. "So what about you? You another waterbender?" Zane fiddled with his hands as he replied with "I do Ice."

"Zane! Go down further to make sure it doesn't flood the town!" Nya shouted over. Zane quickly took the order to avoid that complicated discussion during this dire situation.

Cole had to push his questions to the back of his mind before stepping up to the dam. He took a deep breath in and out, before launching a boulder near the top of the dam. A small crack appeared, along with a small, steady stream of water that Nya quickly bent towards the ideal river path. Cole quickly continued, sending a barrage of boulders to the same spot, enlarging the crack and giving Nya (and Lloyd) more work.

Further down the river, the townspeople had been driven out of their beds and homes for fear of being destroyed. Any close enough to the riverbed spotted a man dressed in white through the darkness from behind their torches' light. One kind man approached him with a torch and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. "Are you ok there young man? Were you living in..." He vaguely gestured to the number of buildings flattened by the spirit. "Oh no, I was only staying in the inn with my friends. We are all quite alright." "Then what brings you outside with us?" "I'm just waiting here to freeze any water that threatens to flood the town once the dam is broken." The man paused, as did a couple of people huddled around that had overheard. Whispers soon started spreading. "Breaking the dam?" "He can't get away with that. They'd skin him alive." "..But we'd get our river back."

Cole had worked his way down the dam, and was now approaching the strongest area, the bottom of it. Breathing heavily and shaking out his limbs, he re-started his assault on the dam. By now, Nya and Lloyd had their hands quite full trying to control the tidal wave of water erupting from the dam. They just about managed to keep the majority of the water in the trench the river used to be. Cole had managed to leave several cracks near the bottom. Looking up at the rushing water and the sheer force of it, he figured one more strong blow would do the trick. Bending one last boulder, he brought it up to his face, took a breath and started building up momentum for a hammer throw.

Slamming the boulder into the dam brought it cracking and buckling down. The amount of water and it's force doubled, overwhelming Lloyd and forcing Nya to take a knee. Cole let out a cheer as he watched the water race down the bends towards the town. However, he caught sight of chunks of rock and metal as debris from the dam mixed with the water.

Looking over to see Nya and Lloyd struggling to control the water, Cole refrained from giving them any more stress. He hoped Zane would spot it and bend it out further down. (though what he meant by 'doing ice' he didn't know. His specialty perhaps?) Cole did his best to prevent as much as he could from falling into the water, and pulling pieces out where he could. However it was soon clear they would have to just wait out the wave.

Down by the town, the people were watching the spirit stomp around their town, still occasionally slamming into a house. Luckily everyone had moved to safety by the dry riverbed. After a few minutes, Zane picked up on a slamming sound from up the hill, separate to the spirit. A few minutes later, the first trickles of water started making their way past the town. Once the stream picked up in speed and size, the townspeople took notice, rushing to see their river return. The spirit itself seemed to slow it's movements.

However the rush of water didn't seem to calm down, and Zane spotted a massive wave rushing down the hill, headed straight to the group gathered by him. "Everyone move back!" he called back to the group while steadying his stance. As the cheers of the people turned to screams, Zane took a deep breath to calm himself first of all, before focusing on the incoming wave. He can do this, he can freeze the wave. He has to, to keep this town safe. To protect it. It doesn't have a waterbender of it's own to do so, Zane must step up. Planting his back foot into the ground, Zane shot his hands to the sky in time with the wave crashing into the bank. The arc was preserved inches from his face in white.

Everyone was frozen in shock for a moment. Several lives were being watched in flashes. Zane slowly unplanted his foot and turned to the crowd. "Is everyone alright?" The crowd went wild. Everyone forgot about the rejuvenated river for a moment as they celebrated this odd boy in white who just saved their lives.

Back up by the now-destroyed dam, the initial wave had passed, giving the group a well needed breather. Nya pushed sopping wet hair out of her face to see Lloyd looking like he could cough up a fish any second he was so drenched. Cole waded over to drop off chunks of dam he had gathered. "That. Was. Amazing!" He gasped out through breaths. "Thank the spirits I didn't go at that by myself. I would've drowned." Nya snorted and coughed. "Well, I could say the same thing to Lloyd here." Lloyd rolled over and coughed out even more water. "Me? I washed out after that wave slapped me in the face!" "Exactly, I had to keep going so to make sure you didn't drown!" Nya slapped him in the face with a wet glove. "I'm not going to be the reason the Avatar dies, no way!" At this, Cole really perked up. "The Avatar? Did she just say you're the Avatar?!" Lloyd sighed and sat up. "Yeah, came from the Southern Air temple. Nya here's my waterbending teacher." Cole just stared, gobsmacked for a few moments before shaking his head with a chuckle. "Of course you came to help break the dam.." He muttered before finally climbing out of the river. "Well then, if the Avatar and his teacher are ready, we'd better head back to the town before the sun's up. I want to see if that spirit's ok."

On the walk back, Cole remembered the other member of the group. "Oh, I meant to ask, what's up with that Zane guy?" he asked the others. "What does 'doing ice' mean?" Nya gave a long sigh. "I hope this is a long walk down, because it's a long story."

Fortunately, the walk downhill was a sufficient amount of time to fill Cole in on Zane's 'ice doing' and Lloyd's 'Avatar doing'. Cole was just about to ask Nya about herself when a huge cheer sounded from ahead. The group broke through the trees to find Zane hoisted off the ground as the town gave him three cheers. Zane spotted the gang as they approached and gave them a small, polite wave. Nya found the situation absolutely hilarious and was reduced to a doubled over ball of laughter.

Amidst the cheers, Cole looked to the town and spotted the Spirit standing amongst a couple of destroyed houses. As it's features filled out and it looked to the river to hear the sound of rushing water mixed with the cheers of the town, it must have decided that all was well and peace had returned to it's home. It then turned it's head to Cole, who stiffened under it's gaze. The Spirit bowed it's head before slowly beginning to disappear. Cole relaxed, and bowed back to the Spirit as it passed back over to the spirit world.

However, the celebrations were cut short by a shout from a dark haired man with a cane. "COLE! Where did you run off to?!" Zane was returned to the ground as the group turned to see what all the fuss was about. Cole froze as his father made his way over to the tree line. Under the scrutiny of his new friends, his entire town and the Avatar, Cole couldn't bring himself to defend himself as his father reminded him that "I had said not to go off 'gallivanting' like this! You'd only get into trouble I said. And what did you do?!" Lou paused as he looked to his son expectantly. As his father's silence dragged on, Cole was forced to mumble the answer his father wanted. "Go out gallivanting... But!-" "You'll be lucky if you get off with community service when the guards find the dam gone!" Lou warned as he grabbed Cole's arm to drag him back home. The crowd parted as they passed, with Lou grumbling about Cole's "Obsession with that dam since it was built... should've locked you up then and there!"

The gang was left standing beside the river as they watched Cole get dragged home. The high of the river returning had been knocked by the sudden interruption, and the townspeople decided it was late and time to go home. After several seconds of dumbfounded staring, Nya started making her way back to the inn for the night with the other two following soon after.

The next morning, the gang packed up out of the inn and started making their way back to the field they left Ultra in. Zane notes that seeing earthbending up close would be beneficial for his training, while Nya replies that having a teacher would be better. Lloyd thought he had found one, but he might not be able to join them.

As they walk past the river, they see the townspeople happily gathering their water with no wait times. Among the people are two similar figures having a hushed conversation. The taller of the two gestures to the people around him, evidently referencing their newly returned happiness. "I just tried to do what was right for the town. And do right by her." The man with the cane looks down for a moment before taking his son's hand. "And I just didn't want you to get hurt." Cole's expression softened before he gave his father a hug.

As the reconciled pair began to walk back to their house, Lloyd ran up to them. He shared how well Cole controlled the destruction of the dam and prevented it's debris from flowing far. Lou was impressed, but confused as to why this boy was telling him this. Lloyd then explained that he was the Avatar, and would be honoured if Cole could teach him earthbending. Both Lou and Cole were taken aback by this offer. In their silence, Lloyd further explained that he had decided to learn the elements while helping as many people as he could. And if Cole accepted, he would join them.

A smile formed on Cole's face at the promise of adventure, helping those who needed it and being asked to teach the Avatar. He turned to his father to gauge his reaction and was met with a face full of worry. He gave a fond sigh before reassuring his father that he'd be ok. His father sighed before agreeing and urging him to pack the right clothes.

Just as the gang had finished fixing the reins to Ultra, Cole strode through the trees, bag in hand, ready to go.

Part 1 (Nya, Zane +Kai) | Part 2 (Lloyd) | Part 2.5 (Morro) | Part 3 (Meetup) | >Part 4 (Cole) |

[bethanydelleman]

Northanger Abbey Readthrough Ch 28

His departure gave Catherine the first experimental conviction that a loss may be sometimes a gain.

Ding dong the witch is dead in London and all the children rejoice! Everything would be perfect if Catherine wasn't worried about overstaying her welcome. Such a relatable moment, even if I don't have the leisure of staying at a friend's house for a month. "So... were you planning on having me for dinner or should I skedaddle?"

Catherine burst in on Eleanor mid sentence to ask if she needs to head home, oh Catherine! Gotta love that Catherine is totally find with staying another month, to be a trust fund baby...

She did—almost always—believe that Henry loved her, and quite always that his father and sister loved and even wished her to belong to them; and believing so far, her doubts and anxieties were merely sportive irritations.

❤️❤️❤️ So cute!

I feel so much for Eleanor when she has to tell Catherine to get lost. She walks upstairs, puts her hand on the doorknob, but isn't able to open it or knock, she just stands there. Which reminds me of Fanny Price:

Too soon did she find herself at the drawing-room door; and after pausing a moment for what she knew would not come, for a courage which the outside of no door had ever supplied to her, she turned the lock in desperation

Catherine opens the door and seeing Eleanor pale, begins to comfort her, not knowing what is to come. And then when she does hear the news, she is VERY nice about it. She keeps telling Eleanor she's not offended and offers a bunch of ideas of what they can do, before the General's unkindness is fully known.

Eleanor describing her father: His temper is not happy, and something has now occurred to ruffle it in an uncommon degree. He is a treasure...

This in particular is very generous of Catherine:

It was with pain that Catherine could speak at all; and it was only for Eleanor’s sake that she attempted it. “I am sure,” said she, “I am very sorry if I have offended him. It was the last thing I would willingly have done. But do not be unhappy, Eleanor. An engagement, you know, must be kept. I am only sorry it was not recollected sooner, that I might have written home. But it is of very little consequence.”

This line is cute: Eleanor with more goodwill than experience intent upon filling the trunk

However, Catherine is somewhat offended by her manner of being sent away and she does at first refuse to continue her friendship with Eleanor:

No, Eleanor, if you are not allowed to receive a letter from me, I am sure I had better not write. There can be no doubt of my getting home safe.” Eleanor only replied, “I cannot wonder at your feelings. I will not importune you. I will trust to your own kindness of heart when I am at a distance from you.” But this, with the look of sorrow accompanying it, was enough to melt Catherine’s pride in a moment, and she instantly said, “Oh, Eleanor, I will write to you indeed.”

It lasts for like five seconds, but I think it does really show Catherine's growth. She was always too ready to forgive and gloss over Isabella's faults.

Her last thought before leaving is of Henry, poor girl!

As a last note, Eleanor Tilney is far more of a Gothic heroine than Catherine, we leave her alone in the Abbey, a tyrannical father to pacify and her brother away from home. All this time, she has been in love with the Mysterious Lord Laundrylist (Not a lord yet, but still). I love how Jane Austen includes very Gothic characters in her novels, but always in the background. Jane Fairfax is another example.

[knownangels]

stupid

wc: 2.5k

Xavier follows him out the blast-open door into the courtyard. The hospital was abandoned when the frontline was pushed back, and evacuations spread over this side of the continent. Like the vine-locked graveyard of a picnic space, the land is battle-torn and desolate.

Perfect place for them to meet. Perfect sort of circumstances; upcoming leave for Benji, a longer period of time to spare. Lovely day, really — blue sky, lack of clouds, cool breeze. 

Was perfect. Until one of them had rustled Xavier’s gear wrong, and something unexpected had rolled out.

“Benji—”

He walks faster.

“Benji!” 

When he whirls, Xavier is closer than he thought. They nearly collide. For some reason, the possibility is worse than what reality has just offered. 

Betrayal, says the back of Benji’s skull, his gut instinct, his bitterness. You were right to worry. It was too good to be true.

Xavier stands before him, eyebrows pulled but not much else. Benji realizes that, maybe for the first time they’ve been around one another, Xavier is trying to control his expression. 

He tries not to be hurt by that. There’s so much more to be hurt about. 

That’s what all this was, anyway. A larger plan with a gullible mark. Theft — of a worse sort than Benji previously thought possible.

“It’s not—“

“What it looks like?” Benji finishes.

Xavier’s whole face puckers with the force of his wince. 

“Oh fuck,” Benji barrels on, ignoring him. “I’m so bloody stupid.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Benji snaps. His heart clenches painfully. He winds a shaking hand up into his hair, pets it back until it lays flat. “Fuckin’ hell, you made it so fun.”

Xavier lifts a hand, eyes searching Benji’s face. The hand drops. 

“Makes sense, don’t it?” Benji asks monotonously, gaze locked to a spot just left of Xavier’s ear. He likes the cowlick just there, more curled than the rest of his choppy red. “I mean, me. Didn’t put up much of a fight.” 

Xavier stares at him, face still flush. His anger-locked jaw begins to soften with something; but seeing it, that tiny fragment of — of pity, fuck, if it’s pity he’ll —

Seeing it makes Benji steam hotter. Abnormally so. Suddenly, he hasn’t felt as out of control of his emotions as he had as a teenager. And with that realization comes shame, which makes the anger burn bright, which forces his mouth open. 

“And you? Probably you specifically, wasn’t it?” Benji’s laugh is as far from humor as it could possibly be. “Oh, fuck. I knew.” 

“Knew what? Benji.”

Benji takes a step back. He starts to unravel inside. “I thought you were laying it on thick, yeah? Direct right from the beginning, weren’t you. You’re a shit spy, Xavier, now that I think about it.”

And he was. He was thinking about it, and spiraling, and thinking about it, and—

He swallows hard. What must have been a manic, awful mask of humor slips from him entirely. He is very cold, all of a sudden. 

Iced, Benji takes another step, arms crossing over his chest. Try as he is, suddenly ducking with surrendered hands and worried brow, Xavier cannot pull his eyes from the ground. 

“Fuck away from me.” Benji whispers. Xavier flinches, then freezes in place. He won’t look at that face any longer. 

(can’t)

His eyes burn. He swallows again.

“When I was wounded, probably mortally, just lucky to run into somebody merciful. It’s so stereotypical. Enemy soldier in an alley, Benji? Yeah? Just happens find you, just happens to have the last of his supplies, isn’t that generous, and just happens to need to touch you to save you, what an angel. And smiles like that, because of course he does, mate, and flirts with you, asks about you, just wants you to like him, Benji, you fucking stupid —”

There’s a muffled thud, pain shoots up his hand and wrist and arm and shoulder. Paint that quite nearly wakes him out of it. 

He drops his arm, hand throbbing, heart pumping blood to new bruises. His lungs push the air from his chest to leave his mouth.

His eyes unfocus.

 Benji  stares a particular section of pavement at his feet; about one millimeter from where it begins, it arches in a strange pattern. 

He floats a bit away, then. Or maybe he already had, the second he pulled a cool, familiar sphere of material from Xavier’s pack. 

He feels rather than experiences himself move. His body move, anyway. Lungs push air in and out. Spine bends to lift, bicep contracts to adjust weight. Arm reaches for pack, for gun and holster and (most embarrassing of all) helmet. 

In training, Benji had been a record-breaker for equipment up and off. Something about the routine of all those buckles and belts did a funny thing to his brain, made the time move quicker. He’s training-efficient now; he turns to Xavier within fifteen seconds, to his estimation. Unlike training, he hadn’t been timing himself.

They don’t announce themselves. We sit here and wait for a new hole to be torn in the world. So if you want to be a sitting duck, take your time with the laces. If not, if you want to be a bastard served in a confit, then learn to move your arse quicker. 

Lieutenant, permission to inquire?

Palanivel, don’t make me regret this. 

Thank you LT. Respectfully, sir, you think any of these these ones are cultured enough to get what you mean by a fuckin’ confit?

Benji. Private. 

Sir.

You’re going to get yourself in shit someone won’t let slip, someday.

Benji laughs again. Dull, as he stares Xavier straight-on. He hasn’t got any dignity left, which means he hasn’t enough ego for shame, which means eye contact is as easy as breathing. 

Xavier’s irises look even greener wet at the edges. Such a pretty color that Benji can’t help but admire it, even now. 

“I killed for you,” Benji whispers. He feels his face curls into something ugly.

Xavier makes a breathy noise. He stumbles forward, fingers patting up Benji’s arm to cup his elbow. 

“Benji!“

And Benji does what he hasn’t done this whole time. What he should have done to begin with. 

He moves out of reach. He hopes one day his brain will let go of this particular memory. For now, the expression that falls across Xavier’s face is one that will stick — guilty and glue-like in the pit of his stomach — for awhile. 

Worse, he sticks to the act: he tries. 

“Will you listen to me for a second?” Xavier hisses. His breathing is deep and slow. Benji’s isn’t; even that makes him angry.

“I think I have been, right?” Benji hisses. “Hope you get paid overtime. Or was that all of that punched in?”

“I’m not getting—“ Xavier grits his teeth, squeezes his eyes shut. “I mean, like. I am, okay, not like that?”

“Right.” Benji laughs. “Right, sorry, you just get paid to kill. Not to lie and — and —”

For a second, fury splits over Xavier’s face. He burns to his hairline, eyes flashing, fists clenched at his side. Still, he doesn’t move into Benji’s created space. 

Then it all drains out.

Benji watches how a hundred little movements point to the sort of…deflating Xavier does then. He wonders how he ever could have believed him in the first place, when he wears everything on his sleeve like that.

“You believe that?” 

Benji turns away. “Mate,” — hates himself for hanging onto that — “stop, alright? You got me. Don’t be a sore winner.” 

“I’m not,” Xavier insists weakly. Throat dry like that, he sounds injured. His mouth twitches into a ghoulish line. It is not, but is trying desperately to be, a smile. 

“This…this is just a massive miscommunication.” 

Benji pushes him aside to go for the discarded pack. He tears through it and then finds Xavier’s tiny heist. 

“A miscommunication. Fuckin’ likely. What’s this? I mean, for all I know this isn’t the first. You’ve been taking. Stealing! The very fuckin’ thing that started this whole shit—”

“You think it’s great back home?” Xavier snarls. “You think you’re the only sad asshole worrying about his family?” His palms slap to his chest. “Fine, if you don’t want to believe me about — about that, believe me when I say I’m not taking it for some higher up.” 

“Oh, you’re bein’ altruistic?” Benji scoffs. “Gonna give it away so somebody can power something they really need, or sell it for cash?” 

“My sister wants to go to school.” Xavier shouts. He gets animated it about it, hands thrown to the sky. “Alright? Fuck you.”

“No, Xavier, fuck you.” Benji brings them nearly chest to chest. “You got all you need, don’t you. That,” he gestures with the sphere. “Intel, I’m sure.” He resists the urge to eave a hand at himself, too. You got that, he thinks, and this.

“I couldn’t be an intel officer if I wanted,” Xavier says heatedly. “I’m not—”

He falls silent. It lingers. 

“What do you do for them?” Benji finally whispers. They’re still close, but they don’t touch. 

Xavier’s head tips forward. His skull knocks dully against Benji’s helmet. 

“Entry and Extraction.” Xavier replies, just as quiet. “I’m a corporal.”

Benji huffs. “Aw, fuck. You’re not helping. That’s either a coincidence, or —”

“Or I was assigned this,” Xavier’s hand closes around the fist Benji makes. They squeeze the sphere together. “To what, fuck with you?”

“I told you troop movements. I talked about people in my company by name.” Benji sways a bit, and Xavier’s lean becomes heavier. His forehead slips to Benji’s shoulder. The strap of his pack can’t be comfortable, but Xavier brushes his face there like a pillow. Stop, Benji wants to tell him, but is unable. 

“You could have been wired this whole time. We know your radios work.” Benji slips a hand up his curved spine, feeling for a wire bulge beneath his shirt. “It’s probably more advanced than that, huh? You wearing a mic, handsome? You been wearing one this whole fuckin’ time?” 

Xavier’s shoulders shake with a dead laugh, too. “Yes.”

Benji smiles despite himself, despite the situation, feeling absolutely mad. “But?” 

“I turn it off when I’m with you.” Xavier still doesn’t touch him, hands limp at his sides. His chin tilts, their noses almost brushing. “Which I get is what somebody would say—”

Benji snorts loudly. Bastard has him going even now. 

“I really, really want to believe you. Fuck, Xavier. You’ve no idea.”

“It’s the truth,” Xavier insists. He sounds so, so sincere. He’s sounded so sincere this whole time. 

Benji swallows. It’s a pit in his throat, now. He pulls his hand free of Xavier’s and then unfurls each pale digit one at a time. Benji puts the radianite into his palm. Pushes it away, into Xavier’s own chest.

“What’s she want to go to school for?”

Xavier blinks at him. “Literature. Total collapse of our fucking world, and Em’s content to read Jane Austen right to the end.”

Benji smiles a little sadly. “Funny she exists over on your end, too. My sister loved Wuthering Heights.” 

“That’s Brontë, Benji. Jesus, get it together.” 

Benji has to escape then. He squirms out of Xavier’s orbit before he crashes to the surface. Xavier lets him go, but it takes the mercenary a moment to stand up straight.  

“Have you got the extra bandages I gave you?” 

“You know they overstock special boys like me, right?” Xavier says, but he kneels and reaches to the pack Benji discarded and holds it open, shows him the spare kit he tucked inside.  

Benji stares down at him. He wants, very badly, to touch Xavier’s boyishly smiling face. 

Believe me, it says up at him. We can go back to kissing and talking and playing stupid card games. Wasn’t that nice? Wasn’t that fun?

Benji reaches up. He touches two fingers briefly to the corner of Xavier’s frowning mouth. 

“Stay away from mine, and I’ll stay away from yours, alright?” Xavier’s eyes stay locked to him as he backs up, towards the hole in the fence. 

“Stay, Benji? Please? We can talk—” But Xavier doesn’t move. Xavier has stopped following. We can talk about it.

You could, Benji thinks. You could talk me into it. I can’t let that happen. I have to get back. 

He turns his back.

I have to confess.

*

Quinn doesn’t rage. He doesn’t act disappointed. He doesn’t discharge Benji right then there, or hang him for treason, or react, really, whatsoever. 

He watches Benji from the other side of his desk on base. Well. Metal folding table, and with more than a few dents. It squeaks when he stands, spreads his palms. 

Benji has lied again. 

He watches Quinn fiddle with the crushed bit of electronics in his palm. Xavier’s tactical mic; Benji had nicked it, a quick slip of his hand into Xavier’s back pocket. He’d plucked it free of the nylon strap. Kept that. Sentimental, even now. 

“This is…manageable.”  

His stomach drops. He clears his throat, trying not to sound worried. “We can track it, sir?”

Quinn laughs. He meanders around the edge of the table slowly. “Naw,” he drawls. “Crushed to all hell like this, not a chance. At least, no ‘verse tech interns to spare. You want to know something funny? Based on our intel, I think it was Wolffe’s team that planted the device that took that corporate office out.” 

Benji swallows. He feels ill. “Civilians. Quinn. I thought—”

“They’re fucking savage beasts.” Quinn says. He kneels down to put both hands on Benji’s knees. “I know it seems like us. I know they seem — familiar. But you have to understand, Benj, that world’s not ours. They’re different. And Wolffe.”

Benji doesn’t meet his gaze until his chin is tilted up. 

“Benji, you’re lucky, alright? That one is a piece of work. Nearly running into him? The fact you could slip him…the fact you even got in close enough to grab this.” He holds up the crushed mic. 

“I was talking on the radio to Officer Katsidis about rendezvous. About movements.” Benji blurts the lie. He blinks what he hopes are sufficiently sad eyes. “I wasn’t secure with the perimeter. I wasn’t careful. Shouldn’t—“

“No.” Quinn says. His palm flattens over Benji’s shoulder. 

“But I—”

“It’s manageable,” Quinn says. “I can deal with it. We can.”

We. 

Benji stares at him. “I saw him leave.”

“I’m not planning on chasing.” Quinn straightens, hands on his knees. “You know about roaches, Benji?” 

They had roaches briefly, when he was a child. He barely remembers, but Saha’s was nine — old enough to pick up weird cleaning compulsions from the experience. 

“A bit, LT.” 

Quinn rounds his desk. He peers out the flapped tent window, across the yard. “They need such tiny amounts of food and water. But they do need it. And once they know where they can find both, they keep coming back.” He looks over his shoulder at Benji. “They’ll even walk over poison traps, empty-headed bastards, until enough of ‘em die.” 

Benji, not for the first time, begins to regret seeking punishment. “Do we have poison traps on hand?” 

Before Quinn fully turns towards the window, obscuring his face, Benji catches the edge of his smile. 

[hyunsoolgc]

◎ PAGE 026

⸻ PROJECT AKA / audition

Hyunsoo was meant to act and think swiftly. Such is the nature of improv. The mind must spin with every possibility, churn out an endless supply of creative scenarios and characters. He typically fancies himself someone with more practical tendencies, but his proclivities toward acting give him something of an edge. He immerses himself, fully, into the role given to him by the script at the beginning, reciting lines with minimal sit down. For Hyunsoo, it is an easy exercise on his mind, but it seems that the company enjoys giving them rather stimulating challenges. Not that he would ever do much to complain.

He stands before the stunt coordinator, silent, as his mind brews. Perhaps doing something divergent from his usual would be beneficial to him in the long run. In that brief moment, he makes a decision — he would play, in this short scene, a specific sort of character. Calculating, ambitious, cold and aloof but never one to shy away from doing what he thinks is the right thing — not quite a perfect hero, far from a villain. The sort of character that has not much else to lose aside from his own pride.

When he is handed the suitcase and told it contains expensive jewelry, he questions what this man's motivations must be. Is he more of a Robin Hood? A Phantom Thief? Or the sort to do so for his own selfish means? He figures there must be something in-between, but one thing is clear: he certainly enjoys his job.

The only assumption Hyunsoo can draw is that he must have stolen this, what with his opposite being a security guard chasing after him to take it back. One short sigh, a closing of eyes — he's immersed himself in character.

Hyunsoo begins his escape, walking backward to add some distance between himself and the guard. His game is that he's weaved through a fair number of unassuming people to get here, and now stands backed into a hall with elevators that are taking their sweet time to open at his side. Only the guard between himself and the exit that would take him out of the fake casino he's built in his head.

He swings the suitcase idly by his leg, other hand stuffed in his pocket after he checks his watch. The pursuing guard stops in front of him, leaning forward to take a breather. Slowly, as if dangling a treat before a dog, Hyunsoo wordlessly lifts the suitcase in a tantalizing manner, one brow raising and a short beckoning whistle coming after. Oh, does this character think highly of himself?

His heart pounds in his ears as the guard rushes forward. He offers the smallest of smirks and takes a quick step aside to allow him to go careening into the wall behind him. A few more dodges from punches and grabs follow after, and he takes advantage of the switches positions to lift his leg into a kick that lands in the center of his chest, hand still in his pocket. It is easily caught, but Hyunsoo only moves forward until he strongly presses the guard against the wall, foot against him. There is a strangely dark, amused look in his eyes as he notices the struggle to grab for the suitcase he holds behind his back. Something in that look says: this is fun.

The battle continues, all done without Hyunsoo doing as much as lifting a finger. Soon enough, the guard has Hyunsoo against the wall, hands grasping onto the suitcase to pull toward him.

"Alright, alright, I give," Hyunsoo huffs out, feigning surrender. "All yours." It is enough to enact his plan, freeing both of his hands completely so he can grab for the front of the man's uniform and greet him with a headbutt. The stunt coordinator plays along, careening backwards and clutching his head with a loud groan. Hyunsoo gives him one final shove with his foot while he's on the ground and regroups himself. In his mind, the elevator doors finally open with a pleasant ding.

"Nice chat," he keeps his tone stoic and even as he looks down on his opponent — quite literally. "Tell the boss to up security. Next time, I want a real challenge."

He sighs while grabbing for the suitcase and adjusts his clothing and hair, attempting to appear as cool and collected as possible. However, at the last moment, his character grimaces and rubs his forehead before stepping into the elevator to make his escape. "Ah... that better not leave a mark."

[gpuzzle]

How To Start An Insurrection, A Practical Guide, Chapter I -

This is something I've been working on for a while and I started finishing up the research just before Trump nearly got shot. This is derived from a lot of readings I've made over the years, from all the military classics including both Mao and Che, to Biddle's Nonstate Warfare to cite a more recent one.

The first part of an insurrection is that you have to begin by establishing an army; more importantly, a private army that is capable of supplanting state authority in a particular area. In this, an insurrection is not that different from organized crime; the objective of organized crime is to supplant state authority (including the ability to prosecute and investigate for crimes, which is why you can have cops forming up vigilante brigades and functioning the exact same way) in a local area to generate profit.

So how do you supplant state authority and begin staging your very own insurrection? You get weapons, and you get people. You also need support of the population. Your job description is no longer whatever your job was, you are a soldier and a member of the military and you must be clothed and fed and the only thing you sell is violence.

The problem start with people. Where are you getting these people to be willing to fight and kill and die for you en masse? This is why they're often intertwined with political organization, or monetary rewards. The financial incentive to deal drugs is high, for instance. A highly politically motivated group can achieve a high degree of buy in, which is why you get things like Freikorps and Communist Militias. This is one part. The political organization aspect, including things like deeply fundamentalist logic and entrenched tribal politics, may lead to people who can provide you with sheer numbers. But it's hard to furnish weapons and especially food and clothing to these people. Food, hygiene and clothing take priority here. A small force of people who don't produce nor do they create any sort of tradable good, for all intents and purpose, is still a lot. Think of the amount of cash required to feed, clothe and wash 30 people who are not contributing directly. And that's not counting things like paper for administrative uses.

Which in turn means you have to acquire the support of the population, and of a lot of people. Think of the labor, land, resources and footprint required to feed your small group. How do you acquire that support? You either bully them into doing that for you - all the details of organized crime go here - or you achieve support because you provide a better basic system than the government. This is where things like communist literacy programs were a huge fucking deal; teaching people how to read made them very popular in poor areas and allowed a maintenance of forces. Generally, you're aiming at places where you can substitute human capital instead of actual capital - the odds of you providing better plumbing than the government are slender, but of providing better teaching or administration are high.

And then there's the acquisition of weaponry! Weapons are pricey and so is ammo. Gathering basic hunting rifles and pistols is a start, but it's far from perfect. You need ammo too. Even if you have a large amount of weapons that are improvised - IEDs, molotov cocktails, even some 3D printed guns - you are still dealing with a supply that is costing you money. Even if your plan is to use your weaponry for one particular operation that you know is going to result in your getting enough military gear to keep your operations going for a hot minute, you still need to acquire enough gear to take out your targets. And that's hard as hell.

The easiest method of overcoming those difficulties? Foreign support. Again, this is why political alignment often transforms what is essentially organized crime into an insurgency. You jack up the supply availability and even some technical knowledge, and often you are already imbued in a political organization that has access to things like a functioning bureaucracy, committed members, and local support.

There's a concept in the military of the tooth to tail ratio. How many people are required to produce and support your operations. Cross reference that with how long you plan to operate for, human consumption rates, and suddenly you have a very dire calculation at hand. The advantage is that you can dictate the tempo and when operations happen. In a weird way, you're finding a political and tactical solution to a logistical problem. You struggle mightily with force acquisition, losses are extremely significant (a single dead man in an unit of 30 is the proportional equivalent of about 71000 dead active and reserve personnel in the US armed forces) and you don't have the apparatus to force acquisition of hygiene, food and weaponry resources. But you can get population support quite easily in the area, you can use the labor you have to prepare the battlefield however you want, you get to choose when the battle happens and where, and you can make them spend a disproportionate amount of resources chasing you around while you accumulate enough power to go from annoyance to threat.

This one was a shorter one in terms of my military writings, I'm trying to keep it light for now. There will be an addendum involving a few calculations of the economics of guerilla warfare and of escalating your insurgency, so that's fun, the gang war equivalent of looking at Excel.

[lilpotatjj]

A/N: Here it starts! First of all, I'm not the director of HOTD or GOT so if something is different it's fine. It's an alternate universe. This chapter is just the start to build up the charakters and story so there will be alot more fluff, romance,angst and also maybe sex like the GOT style lol.

Uses of she/her

The suit that Bella wears looks a bit like the clothes of assassins (Assassins Creed)

Wordcount: 1.5k

Warning: mention of blood, swearwords

The start is almost the same like in the video which is awesome. For those who doesn't saw the HOTD enjoy or skip. Thought it fits perfect🫶🏻

Chapter 1

♧Merciless Queen... or not?♧

Heaven......

Clouds white as snow and a cold wind that whispers around your ears. Birds that fly by and try to avoid you as you break through the cloud cover at high speed.

2 great wings with a wingspan larger than any house in Kingslanding heroically spread and you soar over your own kingdom. The realm you inherited from your great-grandmother, Rhaenyra. Crowned Queen for the first time in history.

Sometimes you have fun and fly very close over the houses of your kingdom and make it clear that you are in charge, no matter what.

Bella looks up as you kick up the dust like every day, pulls her hood over her head and grabs some of the apples and grapes without paying.

"HEY YOU THIEF! Not again! You darn robbers!"

"lyka Horaxys!" (calm down) One of the servants commands your dragon, which snorts impatiently.

"they've struck again!".... "yes and we're already low on supplies!" .... "when will these thieves be caught!"... "they should all be burned!" a small crowd of people comes up to you and complains about the commotion the thieves are causing.

Horaxys, the golden yellow dragon, growls and wants to bend down to defend you. "JAGON (go) Horaxys!"you speak valyrian to your dragon, look arrogantly at the peasant folk and the dragon turns without reply.

"watch who you have before you, you filthy peasants!" A servant stands in front of you.

"I will take care of it and reinforce the guards. Send a few more guards into the city!" You turn around. "they are hooded thieves and all have a similar suit on. take care of yourself your highness."

The people depart and you pause thoughtfully for a moment, but then go to the throne.

"my queen....a new recruiter comes to visit you, he wishes to ask for your hand. He is great with dragons, he says." You just look completely annoyed. "let him in"

"your highness, my queen, i ask you to make me your consort. i have some qualities to offer and besides, i get along great with your dragons." he bows a little and looks at you. "By what assumption do you think you can handle my dragons well?" you look at him emotionlessly and unenthusiastically.

"i can be very assertive. so far i have been able to subdue everything, i am convinced of that" He smiles totally convinced of himself. You raise an eyebrow and stare at him. "send him to the dragon's nest"

"but your grace, that woul-...."

"he will surely want to show us what he can do! send him in and if he can win over a dragon he shall be my consort!" still unimpressed you look at the guy who realises this is his death sentence.

You smile with satisfaction while the man begins to struggle as the guards grab him. He screams and begs for forgiveness which does not interest you in any way.

"You truly bear the name 'The merciless queen' your....grace. But do not forget, after the death of your spouse and your right hand, you must marry soon. Otherwise the people will rebel and with the thieves who are obviously in cahoots here it will only become more unpleasant." One of the closer servants speaks to you and you look aside, pretty thoughtfull.

back in a house Bella puts her bow down on the table and looks at the others. "we need more supplies, the children are getting weaker!" She puts a card on the table and the others join her.

"I plan to steal the queen's supply. To do that, we have to take out the guards together. we have to make sure to stay covered and move slowly. I spy on the guards to know their routes." Bella explains.

"are you in your right mind? That would be certain death for us! going to the queen's stash is impossible and if we get caught we're dragon fodder!" the others complain.

"The children will all starve if we don't act!" she looks desperately at the others, who turn away. "You'd better go back to Bear Island, or we'll all be screwed because of you!"

Bella looks disappointed and grabs her bow with the map and leaves the room. "They're all cowards...they never had it bad themselves or they'd understand" she mumbles and climbs onto one of the higher points in the city. She marks every single guard and remembers the route of all of them. "We'll see...."

Dusk is slowly falling and Bella is getting ready. You look out of the window and seem thoughtful.

A gurgle and the first guard lies on the ground with blood pouring from his carotid artery, unable to scream. Bella continues to sneak past some guards who have not yet discovered the dead man. After 2 more dead guards, she climbs up to the large chamber when she is suddenly hit on the head from behind, passing out.

She is dragged behind by one of the guards, arms bound and no room to move.

"what... release me you little piece of shit!!!" With kicking and waving, however, she defends herself unsuccessfully.

"Your Grace one of the thieves has been captured" A guard speaks to you.

"Lock him up in the dungeon, I'll take care of him in the morning hours."

--Next Morning--

You sit in the throne and all you hear is nagging and swearing all the time when you can see who it's coming from. Bella, who has to be carried in by 2 guards as hard as she resists, finally looks at you and your eyes meet for the first time. You thought....

"What an honor...but who do I share it with here?" you look at her curiously.

"I'll tell you a shit!" .....

"can't you speak?" you tease her with a smile.

"Speak up when the queen asks you something!" one of the two guards pushes her, but you raise your hand. "enough....." you look at Bella "I know your face from somewhere.....I've definitely seen you somewhere else. Tell me your name, please...."

Bella glares at you and hesitates, but then she speaks. "Isabella May Ramsey Mormont...so what...I'm hungry, do you have anything to eat?"

"Bear Island... well well....you are the daughter of the great Catherine. Lady Mormont... what a surprise to see you here. I last saw you when you were just a child just like me. What are you doing here?"

You look at her curiously but Bella just looks down. "tell me.....you're grown up and should be in your castle, not here among the dirty folk."

"These people need food....the children. You're starving them!" She aggressively approaches you but is stopped by a guard.

"the last 2 years have been pretty bad....disease and hardly any seeds.....how do you think? the food falls from the sky?" You say it in a relaxed manner and look at her expectantly, almost as if you are playing with her. "What is that you're wearing...? Are you something like a....guild?

"I already told you....I'm not going to tell you a shit" You get up and go to her. "how old are you? You should go back to the island!"

"26.....does that matter?" she looks annoyed.

"If you leave now I will spare you...you are still so young and should lead your people! LADY MORMONT......" The undertone was on purpose and Bella looks at you but only grimaces aggressively. "I don't let anyone tell me what to do!" She spits in your face.

"Bring her to the dragon's nest! The dragons haven't had their breakfast yet!" you command angrily. "Let go of me you fucking Bastards! I'll kill you all! Let go of me!" she tries to fight but can't do anything.

You don't want to miss the spectacle and follow, when you arrive even Bella becomes quiet. There is only a low grumbling to be heard, but suddenly 2 red eyes looks directly into Bella's eyes. Her breathing quickens, but she shows no fear.

Horaxys approaches with a stomp and smells Bella. The wind of his breath blows in her face, which smells of a mixture of kerosene and spoiled meat. He suddenly yells at her, but Bella stops and just accepts her fate.

"Dracary's!" you give the order but Horaxys noticeably hesitates. He shakes and growls. You look at him confused and then at Bella. "DRACARY'S HORAXYS!" He shakes himself again and reluctantly raises his head, his throat begins to blaze and glow. He squeaks almost in pain, which you just can't ignore anymore.

He just wants to start but you stoped him. "Keligon (stop) Horaxys!" He jerks his head up and just misses Bella which is almost out of breath. "what is wrong with you?" Bella looks confused to you. "take her back into the dungeon!" completely confused, bella is brought back to the dungeon.

Next chap is in progress. If you liked it pls let me know ♡ :)

[wordonthestreettalktv]

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REMOVED FROM YOUR 66 BOOKS WAKE UP PEOPLE:

2 Esdras 9:1-25

"He answered, “Consider all these things very carefully. When you see that some of the signs I have told you about have appeared, you will know that the time has come when Yahuah The Most High will bring judgment on the world he has created. There will be earthquakes, national rebellions, international intrigues, unstable leaders, and confused rulers. When you see these things happening, you will know that they are what Yahuah The Most High has spoken about since the beginning of creation. The beginning and the end of everything that happens in this world are clear. The same is true in the world above: wonders and miracles show the beginning of events, and mighty signs show when they end. “Some people will escape destruction and be saved by their good works or by their faith. All of them will survive the dangers I have described and will enjoy the salvation provided in the land that I have set apart from eternity as my own. Then those who have ignored my ways and held them in contempt will be surprised when they find themselves in continual torment. This will include all those who ignored me while they were alive, even though they accepted the blessings I gave them.  It will include all those who scorned my Law during the time they were free to do so and all those who refused to repent when they still had the chance. The torment they will have to suffer after death will force them to recognize the truth. Therefore, Ezra, you should stop asking questions about how the wicked will be punished. Instead, be concerned about how and when the righteous will be saved. The world was created for them and belongs to them.” I said, “I must repeat what I said before. The lost far outnumber those who are saved— it is like a wave compared with a drop of water.” He answered, “The seed to be planted depends on the soil; the color of the flower depends on the kind of flower; the quality of a product depends on the skill of the worker; and the size of the harvest depends on how hard the farmer has worked. Before I created this world or the people who would live in it, no one opposed me, because no one existed. When I had created the world, I supplied it with an abundance of food and a Law of profound wisdom, but the people I created lived corrupt lives. I looked at my world and saw that it was ruined. I saw that my earth was in danger of being destroyed by the wicked plans of the people who had come into it. When I saw this, I found it very difficult to spare them, but I saved a few for myself, one grape out of a bunch and one tree out of a great forest. So let them perish—all those people who were born only to be lost. But let my chosen people be kept safe—those for whom I worked so hard to bring to perfection. “And now, Ezra, you must wait seven more days, but do not fast this time. Go to a field of wild flowers where no one has ever lived and eat nothing but the flowers—do not eat any meat or drink any wine. Pray the whole time to Yahuah The Most High. Then I will come and talk with you again.” #apocrypha The #apocrypha Secrets: Uncovering Hidden

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Chapters

https://www.youtube.com/live/2YQImYL7vec?si=kPSHMf2k8U0RnzNf

[happensss]

Gym license in Dubai I All about setting up a gym in Dubai 

Are you a fitness enthusiast trying to get into Dubai's booming health and wellness market? It may be gratifying to open a gym in this vibrant city, but it takes careful planning and adherence to stringent rules and licensing requirements. This detailed guide will coach you through the necessary considerations and stages for setting up a profitable fitness company in the heart of the UAE and acquiring a gym license in Dubai.

Market research and a business strategy

A thorough business strategy should serve as your starting point before you get into the complexities of gym licensing. To begin, thoroughly analyse the market to pinpoint your target market, rivals, and differentiators. Understanding the interests and demands of your potential customers is essential to the success of your gym because Dubai is a diversified and health-conscious market. The services offered by your gym, price policies, marketing initiatives, and financial predictions should all be described in your business plan.

Choosing the Proper Location

Setting up a gym in Dubai requires the perfect location. Due to the city's diversified population, there are a variety of target audiences, including wealthy residential regions and active business sectors. Your target audience and financial constraints will affect the site you choose. Take into account elements like accessibility, visibility, and closeness to residential and commercial areas. Many company owners choose free zones like Dubai Sports City or Dubai Healthcare City that are tailored to fitness-related industries. As an alternative, you might open your gym on the mainland, which could need more permissions but gives you greater choice with regard to location.

Regulatory Framework and Licencsing

It's time to take care of the legal parts of gym creation after you have a clear company plan and a site in mind. Selecting a suitable legal form for your company is the first step. Depending on your long-term objectives and preferred ownership structure, you may choose a sole proprietorship, a limited liability corporation (LLC), or another type of organization. Remember that several free zones in Dubai have particular legal frameworks designed for health and wellness-related enterprises. The main license you'll need is a business license, which enables you to run a gym in Dubai. In addition to the commercial license, such as the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) or the respective free zone authority where you're setting up your gym.

Infrastructure and equipment

It's essential to provide a welcoming and useful gym environment if you want to draw and keep customers. To accommodate a range of workout inclinations, your gym should provide a choice of tools and amenities. Spend money on exercise machines, weightlifting tools, free weights, and functional training spaces. It is also crucial to have enough area for personal training sessions, group fitness courses, and locker facilities with showers. Make sure your gym complies with safety and sanitation requirements, which may need inspections by the Dubai Sports Council or other governing organizations.

Infrastructure and tools

If you want to lure and maintain gym patrons, you must offer a warm and practical setting. Your gym should offer a selection of equipment and services to satisfy different training preferences. Buy fitness equipment, weightlifting supplies, free weights, and functional training areas. Additionally, it is essential to have ample space for group fitness classes, personal training sessions, and locker rooms with showers. Make sure your gym satisfies the necessary standards for cleanliness and safety, which may need inspections by the Dubai Sports Council or other regulatory.

Promotional & Marketing

Now that your gym is operational, it's time to promote it and get customers. Create a solid marketing plan that utilizes both online and offline platforms. Make a website that is visually appealing and contains details about your offerings, class schedules, and membership possibilities. Utilize social media to connect with potential customers and give fitness advice. To increase the awareness of your gym, think about providing promotional offers or collaborating with influencers. Positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations are equally effective tactics in Dubai's fitness scene.

Management of finances and compliance

The long-term sustainability of your gym depends on maintaining accurate financial records and abiding by UAE tax rules. To effectively handle your accounts, think about employing an accountant or utilising accounting software. Make sure you fulfil all tax requirements and keep abreast of any modifications to tax laws that may have an impact on your company.

Dubai provides interesting chances for opening a gym because the city is recognised for its commitment to health and fitness. However, creating your fitness center and negotiating the licensing and establishment procedures can be challenging. Your gym will be well-positioned for success in Dubai's cutthroat market with careful planning, adherence to rules, and a dedication to providing outstanding workout experiences. by consulting a business setup consultants in Dubai you can easily setup a gym business setup anywhere anytime.

[12msweekly]

Chapter 4 Text

Hello. It’s me, James Wiclow, writer of this journal and navigator for “the winter’s storm.” And I think I may have encountered a Piece of magic I’ve never seen before. I must inform you of this, as this has taken up much of my day and controlled my thoughts. I believe a very powerful force is working to force me away from the sea of forests. 

To explain what has happened, I must start at the beginning. This morning, I was getting prepared to set out on my journey to the sea of forests, to be the navigator for a simple supply run mission to the Empire of Salion. In my excitement, I woke up extremely early, so early that it was still dark, and the stars were still out. I checked the position of the stars to confirm that the Portal to the sea of forests would still appear in the same place. To my utter Surprise, the stars had changed. Drastically. No other Way is appearing, except Ways to the sea of gold.

From an academic standpoint, the sea of gold is quite significant regarding conversations about the creation of different worlds, as the sea of gold is by far the sea that is most likely to be created by an intelligent being. The quote on quote “perfectness” of the sea of gold as well as the unique shape of the planet leads most academics, including myself, to thinking that it was created by an intelligent being. 

This current situation is one for the books, to put it lightly. Manipulation of “ways” is theorized to be impossible, as completing that would require moving many major celestial bodies, but that seems to be what has happened. I do not know how this is going to effect major movement between our world and the 12 seas, as while we may be able to get to the sea of forests from the sea of gold, the dangerous nature of the sea of gold sanctions a well deserved fear of that sea. I will meet with my crew today and discuss our plans, as this is detrimental to our plan as a crew to travel to the sea of forests, as well as my personal plan to visit my friends, the elves, in that sea. 

I am curious to visit the sea of gold, as it is a sea I have yet to travel to. The biggest danger, and honestly, the only danger in the sea of gold is an effect known only as “Gold Fever.” This “Sickness,” is one of the mind. The sea of gold is functionally “perfect,” with the sea and the wildlife being docile as well as delicious. Many people wish to stay, as life there is easy. From what I have read, there is a magical effect on the sea that keeps people wanting to stay, affecting their brain with a subtle madness. Even people not under the direct effect of this spell cannot tell that their allies are under it, as the influenced thought process of the affected person seems reasonable. 

I know of some Nondoi researchers from the sea of tears have done a lot of study into the sea of gold. If my crew intends to stay here in the mainland I will contact them for their knowledge. I believe they may still be here. If we decide to go forward into the sea of gold, and possibly travel from there to the sea of forests, or the sea of stars, I must accompany them. They will die without me. 

I know during my last entry I stated that the life I live is boring, or so terrifying that it makes it all not worth it, but I must take that back for this one specific situation. I am really quite excited that I’m in a place where I can be on the front lines of discovering this mystery, and not stuck working for my father, or stuck in the navy. Whichever way my crew decides we are going, I have a feeling my life is changing for the better!

There is a pandemonium. Even stepping out of my house, the bottom 3 stories of what used to be a 10 foot tall stone sentry tower, I could see issues about. There is a large influx of boats in the harbor by my home, and as my home overlooks the sea and is perceived as being important, there were many people outside of my home, asking questions about what had happened. As well as,,, Witches. In broad daylight. 

I suppose I must explain this. Many years ago, the empires of man sought to eradicate witchcraft, and doing so they forced witches out of their homes, and eventually they ended up at the coasts of the land. These witches made agreements with pirates and other unsavory groups. For protection from the governments of man, these witches will protect these pirates with their dark magic. Zarra, the goddess of witchcraft, was so pleased that she flooded her home domain and made it into the 12th sea, the sea of curses. She also blessed all her witches with the supernatural ability to track the creation of Ways. 

With that stain on the world’s history over with, I can continue. I quickly made my way to the docks, where every manner of people from every manner of sea were leaving. From what I overheard, not only did the stars move making navigator’s jobs more difficult, but Zarra is being unresponsive, meaning witches cannot track ways as well. Another point for us in the battle against dark magic. 

I am now on my ship, the winter’s storm, and just talked with my crew. The Empire of Salion is maybe ramping up for war, which is news to me, and these materials will be rations for their people. Our mission is far more dire than I previously thought. We held a vote, and much of the crew seemed surprised in me voting to carry on with the mission. The news of this oncoming war scares me, even though it is not surprising to me that the elves are entering combat with their neighbors. 

Despite my protesting, my captain Jeanne has made contact with some witches, who say that the number of ways is increasing, and that many ways to the sea of gold are being created. This backs up the idea of the sea of gold being controlled and created by a creature. We leave in 2 hours for the sea of gold.

[thebubblesareevil]

My lab partner is dead, does that mean I get extra credit?

‘Why did she decide to take this class again?’ Barbara thought as she sat in her robotics class. She gave a sigh, ‘because that jerk that’s selling test answers is in this class and she needed to catch him in the act if she was going to report him’ she looked around as she entered the room, most of the seats in the room were taken but lucky for her there was a seat available with a perfect view of her target and the only other person sitting at that table seemed to be passed out so they won’t notice a thing. She made a beeline for the seat and started setting up her supplies, ‘its absolutely freezing right here’ she looked up to see the vent above her. ‘We’ll that explains why no one wanted to sit here’ she thought pulling out her jacket from her bag. She took out one last piece of equipment, a gift from Bruce, a pencil case with a camera on the end with a pen trigger. Her table mate had yet to move when the teacher entered, in fact it looked like he didn’t move at all, Barbara was close to checking his pulse until the teacher called his name for the third time “Daniel Fenton!” He jumped up and said here and she decides she must have been imagining things. When class started. For the most part Barbara ignore the sluggish teen next to her, and planned to do so for the rest of the semester, until her teacher announced lad partners that is. She reluctantly turned to Daniel and held out her hand “let’s work hard!” She said with a forced smile. He looked at her hand for a second before shaking her hand “sure” before laying his head back on the desk. Barbara sighs and decides to ask the teacher if she can trade partners at the end of class, then returns to her observing (spying) on Lloyd. Not noticing she wasn’t the only one observing her classmates.

After class let out Barbara approached the teaches desk, determined to get a new partner. She didn’t even get a chance to speak when the teacher stopped her. “I know what you’re going to say, and no you can’t switch all partner assignments are final unless I am given a valid cause.” Barbara sighed and headed for her locker. She just opened her locker when there was a thump on the other side of the door. She looked on the other side to find Daniel leaning against the next locker. “I’m in” she froze staring at her lab partner. It took her a moment to gather her thought before she asked “what exactly are you in”

“I don’t know why you’re spying on Lloyd, it’s pretty obvious you DONT have a crush on him, the look you just gave me proves it, so you’re planning something, I don’t care what it is but I’m in.”

“I’m sorry, you’ve been here for a grand total of what two days? Why do you want to help me?”

“Oh no offense but it has nothing to do with you. The dude tried to shove me in a locker my first day here. He’s a dick and I don’t know what he did to receive YOUR ire, but I’m sure he deserves it, so I’m in.”

Barbara freezes, Daniel tilts his head questioning. “Okay but this doesn’t change the fact that you better pull your weight in class and in this investigation.” Daniel laughs

“My weight may be half dead but I’d like to think I carry it pretty well.”

Barbara snorts “well then Daniel I do believe we have reached an accord. I do believe this is the start of a beautiful friendship”

“Please call me Danny, the only people who call me Daniel are typically trying to kill me.” He paused “well finish the job at least.” He says with a shrug

———

Miles away at Gotham city police department commissioner Jim Gordon felt a shiver creep up his spine

I will be adding more so keep an eye out this is just the beginning mwahahaha