#i wear some of the oldest metals on me on the daily

[lune-hime]

Exposed (Sidon x f!Reader)

The ornate silver neck piece made contact with the tiled floor with a satisfying clank. With each clasp undone, Sidon felt his body buzzing at the newfound lightness. The metallic chime of his final piece of garment, his left bracelet, was a beautiful sound that echoed off the vast pillared walls of his chambers. Although it already had been a day since his arrival, his muscles still ached with a dull tightness brought onto him from the journey to Hyrule Castle. A subtle form of tiredness akin to jetlag was quickly draining his energy and he could not wait to submerge himself in the ample pool that laid before him.

Sidon padded to the edge of the water, streaks of ivory moonlight passing over his crimson scales. He kneeled down, wincing as he heard a few of his bones crack, and dipped an experimental hand into the basin. The warmth of the liquid sent a shiver up Sidon’s body and he immediately slid into the water in one fluid movement. The castle maids had prepared his pool with warm water, per your request, to the exact temperature you knew he liked it. Although this was just one of the many guest rooms in the immense castle, he felt your homey presence in every corner of the chamber. It made his heart flutter in adoration.

Sinking lower, he let the water engulf his shoulders. The tension diffused out and a supple moan escaped his parted lips. Lightly treading water, his thoughts circulated through his mind much like the gentle current of the pool. The officials and champions he had rekindled with today, what was he going to eat tomorrow morning, how radiant you had looked in your formal w-

“Prince Sidon, I forgot to ask you on more question before you retired to the room!” Zelda’s melodic voice carried from the hallway. Her small but sturdy frame emerged from behind the towering door, the hem of her gown swaying about her ankles as she danced her way into the entryway. Soon after she appeared, your head peeked its way around the frame.

Perhaps it was the abruptness of the entry, the intimate solitude of the chambers, his discarded garments, or all factors combined, but Sidon suddenly felt hot. Uncomfortably hot; and not from the water.

“A-ah, yes Princess, what did you want to, ah, ask me?” He coughed, awkwardly sinking lower into the pool. He cursed the palace for having such crystal clear water.

Your brow knit into a firm line at his flustered state. Never before had you seen him act like this seemingly for no reason. When his eyes began flicking anxiously from the pile of metal to you, a wave of understanding flooded your consciousness. Sidon felt exposed. And he was embarrassed about it.

It was natural for Hylian habits to rub off on him since the two of you had started courting. When you were in the Domain, the only time you spent away from the Prince was when you were working on Vah Ruta or the one to two hours of his council meetings. With all that contact how could a few things not start to be ingrained in Sidon’s daily routine? It was clear now by the steady reddening of his cheeks that one of those habits pertained to wearing garments. Or more specifically, when one is caught not wearing them.

“Oh, is this a bad time?” She blinked, unclear of what had him acting so strangely. Sidon looked like he was about to expire in the cloud of uncomfortableness that was circling above the pool. As adorable as he looked, shuffling bashfully and avidly studying the carvings on the nearest pillar, you needed to save him. Biting back your laughter you tapped Zelda lightly on the shoulder. Her head whipped around, confusion still inscribed on her face.

“Zelda, it appears that Sidon was not expecting company this late at night.” You stated, giving her a knowing look you prayed she would pick up on. You cocked your head subtly towards the armor and Zelda gasped softly, the tips of her pointed ears running rosy. She then looked to the Prince with panic written all over her features and he returned the expression tenfold. The two of them turned from mimicking rose petals to beats instead, only making the aroma of the room more thick with tension.

“Oh my goodness! My deepest apologies, Sidon. I didn’t realize you were having, ahem, some alone time.” She cleared her throat and dropped her gaze to the floor so fast you wondered if she got whiplash.

“Well, Y/N can just tell me your answer tomorrow morning. Until then.” She stuttered, abruptly turning on her heels and disappearing behind the door. Once the brisk click signaled her departure, every muscle, tendon, and scale in Sidon’s body went lax. He sighed, tipping his head back against the edge of the pool with a gentle clunk. You took a moment to drown in his appearance. He was like a slightly wilted lotus flower with coral petals basking in the rippling droplets of indigo moonlight.

It now physically hurt to restrain your hysterics and you suddenly burst into a fit of giggles, drowning the luminated room in a symphony of laughs not unlike a songbird’s. Sidon poked one eye open and shook his head in mortified distress, still lazily leaning against the tiled rim.  

“Stop laughing, Y/N. I bet she thinks I was doing something lewd or weird. In her castle of all places.” He grumbled, raising his hands out of the water to run them over his face.

Once you had reigned in your cacophony you padded over to the pool and sat down next to his deflated form, feet dangling into the water.

“Nah. It’s okay, Si. She’s my oldest and best friend. If she does I’ll tell her the truth.” You nudged him playfully. He lolled his head to the side in your direction.

“That might be even more embarrassing…” Sidon trailed off, his face contorted into a slight grimace. You returned it with a fond smile.

“Stop looking at me like that.” He huffed, a feigned pout forming on his features. The rosiness on his cheeks bloomed once more as he lightly splashed your feet where they embraced the water’s surface.

“You know, you used to never be embarrassed about being seen without your accessories.” You stated innocently, eyeing him to observe his reaction.“They don’t really leave anything to the imagination, anyway.”

“Hylian customs are rubbing off on me, I guess.” He replied in a small voice, snaking an arm around your calf to press himself into your side. He started idly playing with your toes, offering a squeak from you. You lightly kicked out, hoping to shake him off. Instead he only scooted closer yet he resigned from his tickling.

“What did the Princess want to ask me?” Sidon inquired. He seemed to be mostly recovered from the ordeal.

“She wanted to know what you wanted for breakfast tomorrow. You left before she could put in an order for the chef.”

“Damn, that’s an important question.” He muttered, setting his chin on your knee and looking up at you with anticipation, his eyes large and blinking.  

“I was planning on telling her smoked salmon.” You informed the prince, giving his caudal fin a loving stroke. Sidon’s eyes lit up, his saffron orbs turning a brilliant gold that put the calming hue of the starlight to shame. He could feel himself start to salivate at the mention of the Hylian delicacy.

“Don’t drool on my leg.” You teased, chuckling as he gulped audibly. You were unable to convey your thoughts on the dish as the deep chiming of the castle’s clocktower replaced whatever voice you would have spoken. The twelve bells signaled it had just turned midnight.

“It’s late, we should both get some rest. We need to wake up early for the festivities tomorrow.” You let out a bittersweet sigh, not wanting to break away from the closeness you shared but knowing you would be the walking dead in the morning if you stayed up any longer. As you rose to your feet, Sidon’s head limply fell into the water, his gaze never leaving your form. Just as you were about to deliver a sweet goodnight, he gingerly grabbed your ankle.

“Please stay, my pearl.” He suggested, a gentle plea that caused your heart to skip a beat.

“Can’t get enough of me, hm?” You sang.

“A very true statement, darling.” Sidon cooed, the warmth radiating from his gaze brushing the tips of your ears and leaving a blushed residue in its wake.

“Alright.” You responded through a yawn.

“We can go back to your chambers, if you’d like.” Sidon suggested, releasing his hold on your ankle and making a move to leave the basin. You shook your head and held a hand out to stop him. He halted his movements immediately and blinked up at you.

“You’re soaked. You’ll get my bed wet. I will go get some blankets and return.” You chuckled as you strode towards the doors. He hummed in agreement, a breathy laugh puffing from his chest. Grasping the knob, you turned to face Sidon once more.

“Better keep an eye on this door, my prince. Wouldn’t want someone to see you so exposed now would we?” You warned, tone velvety and blithe. The last thing you heard before you skittered out of the room was a loud groan and the sound of an unlit candle being halfheartedly thrown at the door.

[local80smotel]

Midnight wind

pairing; V x air bending! Reader

summary; Y/N gains powers and after escaping Larkhill wants to get revenge

requested by; @scatter-mind001

rating; T

warnings; heavy mention of guard-on-prisoner abuse

word count; 2,311

A/N; I'm actually thinking of making a part two of this but I'm actually very satisfied with it! Thank you for the request!

Y/N remembered the night they were stolen from their normal daily life and how much terror pulsed through their body. The reason? Y/N's family were proud Irishmen and refused to hide that fact from anyone. They went as far as to hang the Irish flag outside their home instead of the Norsefire flag which they were commanded to do so. It became an inside joke of the neighborhood on how long it would take for the L/N family to be removed.

Some even betted money. Unsurprisingly it happened around seven months into high Chancellor Sutler's term that the raid happened. Y/N thought they would be spared as they broke down their bedroom door around 1:34 AM. Sadly they were wrong as they were 17 and was seen as being "too old" to be sent to a reclamation camp. Y/N was sent to Larkhill while their parents were sent to two different camps.

This fact was the thing that caused the kid to wail almost every hour of the day when they were forced to stay in their cell. Oh, what would they say to their parents instead of blaming them for this. They should have known they would do something as heartless as break a family up. Larkhill was, to put it shortly and simply, was living hell. The only time Y/N got human interaction was when they were getting experimented on and even then the scientists were anything but kind.

What messed with Y/N's head the most was the lack of clocks or calendars in the camp. Seconds seemed to turn into hours as they would just lay on the concrete floor and stare at the ceiling. The only thing that kept their spirits high was one of the fellow prisoners at Larkhill. The first time they talked was when snow started to stick to the corpse ridden ground. He was quiet and had issues with mumbling and when asked what his name was, he became silent for a few moments only for him to reply with an “I can't remember”.

The two of them decided to give him the name of V as it was the roman numeral for five, his room number. Y/N never knew why but V was the one that the prison guards would abuse when they would become enraged at something. Maybe it was because he didn't try to fight back as other prisoners did. When asked by Y/N why he wouldn't stand up for himself he told her “What's the point?”. V especially enjoyed hearing about the gunpowder plot of 1605 and started to idolize Guy Fawks, the man who had planned the explosion. They couldn't help but giggle when V would ask so many questions like a knowledge-hungry child.

The experiments Y/N experienced was... Something. A theory the scientists had was that an increase in air and maybe using the old-time favorite, electric shock therapy, would bring answers and results. When it came to the air theory, many of their "guinea pigs" had already died as they had been injected with 2.7 mL of air which killed them almost immediately. But somehow, after the now 18-year-old had their brain almost fried, survived and only passed out after the 1.5 mL mark.

When they woke up their food, or better yet described as slop, was harshly thrown into their room.

Y/N feeling nauseous, tried to push away the plate even though it was five feet away from them. To their astonishment, it moved and banged loudly against the thick metal door which left a dent in it. The now curious Y/N would test this new power by "playing" with the local camp rats. When they'd come into their room to eat their food, they flick a wisp of air which would hit them like a whip. As a result, the poor creature would run away squeaking in pain but luckily not bleeding.

What's ironic was both the rat and Y/N were somewhat the same as both were hungry, alone, and puzzled on this new ability. They had never used this power on the workers until they had practiced for three months. At this point in time, they knew how to control how much power they let out and what they would call an "air-blast" which was a shot a compressed spurt of air from their hands. It was hard to practice as they were being restricted in an 8ft by 8ft cell.

When Y/N attacked the scientists it was initially an accident. What caused this? They tried to eject more air into them as almost all of the scientists that worked for the camp were perplexed on how they were still alive. Once 0.5 mL of air was pushed into them, poor Y/N was sent into a panicked state as they could feel their heart starting to skip beats. They were able to strike two of the five people in the room until they were restrained and subdued.

After that, they were moved from room #4 to one of the more secure rooms. With this happening V was under the impression that Y/N had been executed or died that day. V was sent into a blind rage and well, you can guess what happened next. Around midnight, a few weeks after their move to room #12, explosions woke them from their deep slumber. When they awoke they expected to see complete darkness but were entirely wrong.

The fire was everywhere, making it hard for the know coughing inmate to focus on what was happening. Once they were able to get up they immediately looked for shoes. Sure, it sounds selfish at first but they were looking for shoes not so they could run away but so they could look for their only friend, the man in room #5. Sadly, when they heard a loud scream- no, it was more of a roar, they were under the belief that the fire had devoured him. Y/N couldn't help but fall to the ground which was covered in rubble to sob.

This wasn't fair. This place had taken everything from him; his memories, his name, his humanity, and now it had taken his life. The rest of the night was a blur as they tried to travel back to London. This took weeks as the adult was too exhausted to stay up for more than 8 hours as their sleep schedule, just like their will to live, had been completely destroyed by Larkhill. When they finally got to London it was pitch black.

Their heart stung as they walked the brick sidewalk. Their heart was breaking because V and them had talked about this back when they were still cell neighbors. They were so hopeful that they'd get to walk down the streets together once they were free. Y/N was lucky enough to find an abandoned matchbox factory. They decided to stay in the basement of the burned down building as it would be the safest choice when it came to being seen.

Slowly, over the next four years, they fixed up their new lair. They got working electricity and indoor plumbing after trying hundreds of times. The escapee finally got a television after trash diving and finding a still working 70s one. The first channel they watched was "The voice of London" as they heard through the grapevine that it was a news channel. Y/N went to channel 012 and once they saw the News host, their excitement left their body.

It, it was him. Lewis Prothero, the man who would frequently abuse the prisoners of Larkhill. Just seeing him made their blood start to boil. They instantly got off of their makeshift couch, walking back and forth as they mumbled under their breath. They could have sworn they saw Lewis' dead body that night of the fire. This simply wasn't fair.

For the next few weeks, they began to plan, gradually gathering information on where Lewis was living now. The night they finally got his extract location, they were overwhelmed with joy. Y/N grabbed their jacket, as winter was finally rolling around so the winds would nip at them, and left the bunker.

They took flight, fury making it seem like they were moving two times as faster as they should be. Y/N had learned this new ability when they lost all earthly ties after V died. Sure, flying still freaked them out but it was the fastest and safest way. When they slowly approached the building, they prepared for what they would have to do next, which was break the giant window to get inside. They took a deep breath in and air hit and kicked the window in rapid succession, shattering it after just a few hits.

Rolling inside and brushing off pieces of glass, Y/N proceeded to walk in the direction of the home's bathroom as they heard the water running. When they opened the door the first thing that drew their eye was a black mass.

“Lew-” they began their speech they had been writing and tweaking over the last weeks but stopped midway through the first word when the mass turned to them. This wasn't Lewis, this was a random masked person. Before they could ask where their victim was, the man stepped out of the way to reveal the lifeless body on the floor which had a single rose on his chest.

Anger filled them as they looked back up at the masked man. Y/N was supposed to get revenge for their long-dead friend. They RUINED this moment. How was Y/N supposed to help V heal in his grave?

“You!” they screamed as they swiped the air, turning their swipes into blades. “How dare you?! You have no clue what he did!” the man was pushed back by the amount of force the wind carried in it

“Wait let me explain!” the Guy Fawks mask-wearing murderer shouted as they fell to the ground with a knee on the floor to keep them up.

“You weren't there! You weren't mistreated!”

“No Y/-”

Using their oldest power, the air blast, tears were already seeping down their face which was twisted in what seemed to be never-ending pain. The blast hit them directly in the face as they groaned out in pain and finally fell the floor, making a loud thud as their skull hit the marble floor. Y/N strolled over to the body to finish them off so they could get some kind of revenge, only to stop with their body now feeling numb. Their mask, now cracked and was flung off of his face and now somewhere else on the floor with his hat.

“You-” their breathing became shallow as they dropped to the floor with them. “You asshole!” Y/N grabbed the collar of his cap, once again crying but now more violently. “I thought you died- you left me! You left me to suffer alone!” they laid their head on their chest as they continued to sob. V just had to lay there as their close friend cried over them. His skin felt like it was burning as the bathroom's overhead light was beating down on him. He couldn't help but start to cry too. V never wanted to leave them, he was under the impression Y/N has already died. That impression was the reason why he exploded Larkhill.

“I tried looking for you-”

“Well, you didn't try hard enough then!”

There was a moment of silence as the two friends wept next to the freshly dead body of their abuser. V moved them into a hug as he sat upright, rocking them gently as he did so.

“Stop-” they hiccuped “treating me like a baby”

“But that's the only way you'll calm down. You told me this yourself Y/N.”

They rubbed their eyes as they looked up at the severely burnt man. His skin looked inflamed from his crying. They tried to reach up and touch him but he jerked his head back the second their hand went up.

“How did you survive?”

“I can ask you the same thing.”

Y/N rolled their eyes at his reply. Typical V behavior, they thought to themselves. They stayed this way for a few more moments until the realization of where they were set in.

“Welp, we must be going now, police will come any second. We'll be executed if we're found here.” V sprang up, walking over to his mask and hat and quickly put them back where they belonged. Y/N followed suit, already walking out of the bathroom and to the window they had broken to get inside.

“Where are you going?” V asked as the night wind went through his hair

“Home?” they answered back, hoping that they could still fly now that they knew V was alive.

“But that's the completely wrong way.” they looked over at him, confusion on their face as they opened their mouth to speak before V interrupted them, oh how V had a horrible habit of that.

“You're coming home with me. I'm not letting my dear friend live on the street or in some broken-down building.” he held out his hand to them. Y/N could feel V smirking under his cracked mask and rolling their eyes gave them their hand.

[pixieungerstories]

The Captive

It was pouring rain and the staff all knew that no one was going out in that to buy a skein of alpaca and a chocolate croissant.  Not even if they were made with the good chocolate.  “Go home, Ben. It’s been a long day.  You work hard and have earned some time off.”

Ben hesitated, “You sure, Elly?”

That was when the power went out.  “Well, I am now,” Elaina replied.  

In the faint light seeping in through the windows, Ben took off his apron and tossed it into the laundry hamper.  He had the lean look of someone who was a tall 98 pound weakling in high school and was now a daily visitor to the gym.   He had some muscle mass but would never be the bulky guy he wanted to be.   His thick dark brown hair was cropped close in an attempt to keep it from sticking up in odd ways.  This was an improvement over his previous cut where he looked like he was wearing a hat made of hair.  His cheekbones were sharp. His nose was a long and straight with a hint of the freckles he had as a kid.  His eyebrows were not thick but they were expressive.  All and all, he looked like someone who, should they need to be described in a single word, the word would be sharp.  Or possibly angular. 

He kissed Elly’s cheek on his way past, “Lock the door behind me, ok?”

She nodded and flipped the open sign to closed  When Ben left, she locked the deadbolt and put the security chain in place.  Normally at the end of the day, she would wash the kitchen towels, the linen napkins and Ben’s apron.

Straw into Gold was in an old three story house.  The kitchen was now a commercial kitchen.  The dining room was the cafe.  The rest of the house had been opened up to sell wool, yarn, dyeing supplies, spinning wheels and looms.  The fireplace was still there in the parlour, still working.  There was a circle of arm chairs arranged around it where the knitting groups could meet and not be near the cafe crumbs.  

Elly would have to wait for the last of the fire to burn down before going upstairs.  She dug out a book and a flashlight before curling up in her favourite chair to read by the window.  There was a flash of lightning moments before a crash of thunder rattled the window.  She muttered under her  breath, but otherwise ignored it.

Twenty minutes later she was scooping ashes into a metal bucket near the fireplace and thirty minutes later she was checking to make sure all the switches were set to off before letting herself through the staff only door to the basement.  There was a candle and a box of matches on the top step.  She tried to strike a match by feel when George laughed from somewhere below her.

“I could do that for you, you know.”

“Thanks,” she snarked, “but I happen to like having eyebrows.”  She made sure the candle was lit before carefully going do the steep and narrow stairs.  “How are you doing down here?  Any water getting in?”

George yawned hugely, showing off a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.  “Nope.  That weeping tile you had installed really made a difference.  I am warm and dry.”

“It’s getting a bit cold up there, think you could turn up the heat a little?”

George smirked, “Is there any of the boy’s baking left?”

Elly nodded.

George’s scales started to glow faintly, “I think arrangements could be made.”

Elly brought down all the leftover baking, a copper kettle full of water, a lemon ginger tea bag and a fancy cup and saucer that had been her aunt’s favourite before Ina had passed away a few years ago.  The cafe used all antique china, but there were still a few special pieces that spent most of their time in the curio cabinet in the corner.

The kettle was set on the floor and George wrapped his tail around it.  The floor and walls were all old masonry, so the risk of fire was low.  The only furniture down here was a large wingback chair in brown leather, and a small ornate side table in carved from a single piece of dark walnut.  The table currently had a camping LED lantern sitting on it.  George didn’t like the light it gave, but Elly had put her foot down.  She didn’t like the candle smoke.

She munched a slice of chocolate cranberry bread as she tossed baking at George.  He caught them out of the air like a dog snapping at treats.

Around a mouthful of brioche, he asked, “Would you sleep down here tonight, Treasure?”

 Elly froze, tea cup half way to her mouth. “I told you not to call me that,” she said in a deathly quiet voice.

George’s tail began to twitch in irritation.  “And I have repeatedly told you it is a term of endearment.”

Elly shook her head, “I don’t believe you.  When I came down here to tell you that Aunt Ina had died, you didn’t even know who I was talking about.  I have a name, use it!”

George narrowed his eyes at her.  Whatever he was going to say next was cut off by the sound of his tail knocking over the kettle.  Elly, jumped out of the chair and backed away from the rapidly spreading puddle of boiling water.  She snatched up the lantern and ran up the stairs.  George shouted after her, “What’s the point in learning your name when you are just going to be dead in sixty years?”

She slammed the door at the top of the stairs and thundered up the next flight to her apartment on the second and third floor of the house.  She paced agitatedly in her much smaller kitchen before using a match to light her stove and setting about making mac and cheese for supper.  She still had some roast chicken that she could heat up to go with it, but right now she needed the comfort carbs.

Running a yarn store wasn’t exactly what she was expecting from her life.  The store, or at least the property on which the store was built had been in her family for hundreds of years.  It had burnt down, under mysterious circumstances in 1912, but had been rebuilt on the original foundations.  In all that time, it had always been a wool store.  It was the last house in town and always would be.  It was built on the corner of a section of farmland that butted up against the town line.

The farm was currently being leased out as pasture.  The tenants didn’t actually pay rent.  They kept sheep and tended Elly’s flock with their own.  The sheep supplied some of the wool for the store, but mostly they kept George fed.  No one knew that though.  Officially the area was just prone to sheep thieves.

Elly’s family did well.  Their crops flourished.  Their businesses succeeded.  And every generation, one woman in the family would take over the yarn shop.

It was just bad luck that she had been the oldest unmarried girl in the family when Ina had died.  It wasn’t even like she was single at the time.  She had tried really hard to talk Jeremy into a quickie wedding when Ina got sick, but it hadn’t worked.

Then Ina was gone and her choices were either dump him or wait for the family curse to get rid of him some other way.  She walked away from her job, her boyfriend and being one semester away from getting her Masters in Library and Information Sciences.

Her mother had told her it wasn’t that bad.  Maybe she could sell off the yarn and turn the shop into a bookstore.

Ha!

Mom had married into the family.  She didn’t know what was in the basement.  Now Elly was trapped in this house without so much as a dog for company.  

She turned off the stove and dumped out her pot of boiling water.  Who knew when the power would be back on.  There was ice cream in the fridge that needed eating up.

[madfantasy]

hii! sorry if you've answered this before, but how did you find your own art style? it's nothing like i've seen before, very dream-like (: i feel like with so many artists out there it can be hard to find one's own style but yours is truly unique. if it's not too much to ask, do you still have any of your first drawings? thank you 💕💕

(Oh & I'm sorry if I have answered it before, I didn't find anything on my blog so woop here comes my blaber)

Hello dear!

Thank you so much, you flatter me and my bit-som of art-som, heh. Specially that you have called it dream like— cuz 1/4 of my creations does come from my dreams. I even had a dream about Severus a couple of days ago- was explaining to him the concept of gestures in smartphones, I told him it's like pulling down a scroll, to get the notifications, lol.

Before I start side-tracking too much, yes- I can't say I do know how it happens, I guess I wasn't on the base of looking for an art style for myself, or ever considered myself an artist— or a real one? Idk. The idea of having an 'art style' doesn't register with me so I'm possibly always confused what to make of it.

I mean, I didn't go into art for art's sake. I don't enjoy beauty just for beauty's sake. It has to have a meaning, purpose, hidden dilemma you need to solve just by looking deeper; is it speaking to me, or am I speaking for it?

My only concern since the beginning of time of Mani apparating this earth and what got them into drawing anyway is: telling the story as best as possible.

I was drawing before I learned speaking. It was my instinctive language. I had something to say? Illustrated it on a piece of paper to show.

Everything I see in my surroundings or mostly in mind, I had a story to tell about. So I didn't even consider that I was making art.

I remember when I developed enough cells to be aware- I started trying to copy or capture the basics of family members, making stories about them, also games or shows I played; I drew Crash bandicoot, driving into a cliff because he was hated by his family, Tiny wearing an abaya. Pink panther cuz how tall he was weirded me out in a fascinating way, Tarzan and his special muscles, a story about an abused squid lady that eventually turn into a mermaid, a guy turning into a hero coz of some near death experience.. mmm stories about my favourite stuffed rabbit CeCe Bobo— probably the only innocent adventures I drew as a child— I wanted so badly to make them into a video game, having their parents fall into a pit of flames, heh.

And because I had daily TV episodes in my brain of whatever to occupy me from unsanitary real life; I associated with many people I love to see materlized; my characters. So I had to try & draw them exactly how they look/feel, and that's what my art slowly developed based on; is this guy the way I seen and felt him look like? If not, try other ways.

At first, I drew them with literal basic shapes, like a character would have a square face, and another heart, and if I couldn't draw circle, I used my pencil sharpener that was shaped as a circle. A method still I use to differentiate my characters (without the pencil sharpener lol)

Later, since my characters have generally my favourite things, or things I enjoy, things I appreciate— basically things from me directly or from my choices, conscious they were or not—had them chopped and scattered between the lot of them. And to learn how to do some favourite factors of them is what drives my art style I suppose. I knew I didn't want it realistic, but I also didn't want it unreal. What makes art real? That's probably the always questions I face.

Ofc, I was face with so many problems to deteriorate my passion for drawing. Like, not being allowed to draw in the first place. I had wait till everyone is gone or occupied, had to always look over my shoulder and must constantly hide every inkling of any art making, and act like the project I'm making is for school, and draw in breakfast breaks at school. I used to draw under my blanket and store my art between my books or under my pillow (never related to anything so hard like when Harry was studying magic and Dursley keeps checking on him, honestly heh). Either all that or I get the whip.

Or being told what's the point of having a style like that while everybody obviously enjoys popular styles like anime or cartoon? Why don't I draw like the popular to get noticed? I don't know how to draw anime or cartoon even if I tried. It will just show as my art style, no? Exactly like speaking two different languages with the same letters.

Or like the idea of strictly sticking to gendering things while the idea never occurred to me. The base line of how men has to be ugly and women pretty. My motto is showing beauty in everything, even in scary or messed up things hehe. But I had to consent to making my guys 'ugly' as possible to continue drawing, and if u notice a line on their throats, that's one other thing I had to do, wasn’t allowed to draw girls either. And I wasn't happy with any of that at all.

But I was able to win my right to draw anytime I like in recent years, and able to draw how I like how I use digital means. So it got better heh.

And no it's not too much, if anything, it was took me on a dusty beautiful trip of nostalgia, I thank you for it. Sadly I don't have my first drawings, and I do treasure them but they all been tossed, torn and burned before me over the years, heh.

The oldest thing I got is this, a comic made, was 11 years old I think:

Medo, a guy so beautiful that he was forced to work as a femal model, concept that felt the best to me, heh. Even tho I was in no contact with the outsider world.

He is my first solid character and I made endless comics of him.

He's develop into this -dated 2014- , he's fairy sentinel.

And I found few of my old or first time drawing them pics of the main characters in my stories, I'd love to share:

Juicy and X-bi— second ones I made. But these drawings are maybe 2 or 3 years after I made them

I know I said that lots, but x-bi was a mask wearing imaginary friend I translated into X-bi. He has almost always cold hands so I used to put my skin on cold metallic surface and imagine it his hands trying to ease the pain.

And since I had no audience home, my stuff showed at school as i drew alone, always with various replies of 'its good, but'

Juicy got me in trouble with a teacher, by a careless student that was browsing my drawings In front of them, and I was classified as mentally deranged and need help for not drawing the usual princes and white knight.

Fernando and Carlos are also old characters that expressed romance in everything they do, so when I had a drawing of them Carlos tending to a fevered Ferry, and it was snatched from me, everyone considering it intimacy and I had to punch my way through them to get it back. Being called perverted and sick in the process, even tho all they talk to me about is marriage and the process of making babies. One of them literally told me on random occasion that their heart was like a ten story building for rent, there's always someone new in and out.

Carlos is Fernando's soul guardian💛

I created General Pumbkin in school! expressing fashion in strictness with my fav hooked nose!

Axel was my joy in everything, and the most common character I got beat up for, for being girly. I don't draw him too much anymore but seeing him again made me auto happy , hes all about giving loff, darling hehe

Candy, a less brain developed babyy

Brain and Pain, my sibs fav characters from my bag, heh

And Sabine was said to me that he should be a girl to be that scared in a scary story, his story is like dark and twisted fairytales vibe that I love dearly. I'm trying to continue writing his story.

Despite whatever, I love doing art, I have to. It what gives me soul juice heh.

And thank you for sticking on my prolonged answer. I hope I didn't bore too much, I'm flooded with memories happy and bad, and they are all okay. It made me feel passionate again, so thank you for the opportunity 🙏

1.5.2020

[ajoy3fanfics]

Captive Chapter 3

AO3   FF.NET

Earlier

There were several moments of pause between when the king gave the order to fetch the oldest princess and his answer. He had collapsed into his throne, high backed and rigid, wordlessly reminding him that a ruler must sit tall and look stern.

‘You mustn’t let them see you smile, Kaname.’ He has told his young son, placed upon his knee, many, many, years ago. ‘If they see you smile, they think you weak. And you know what happens to rulers whose subjects find them easy?’

The young boy shook his head, ringlets bouncing from the movement, eyes large in worry and wonder. ‘No,’ he whispered. A boy not yet 4, and he already had a ruler's furrowed brow. He would carry the weight of the crown well.

‘They will tear you down, my son. They will strip you of your power, and ruin all that you hold precious. You must always make them think you are sterner than you are, for the good of this family, and the good of our country. That is not to say you must treat your subjects badly. Be fair and wise, but never forget that magic runs through your veins. You must never let your people forget either. If you do, the consequences will be dire. Do you understand?’

As if to prove the lesson had hit home, the young boy practiced his scowl, a look he would wear until his dying day. In that moment, the king had been proud, suppressing the urge to smile at his little heir, obedient to a fault and eager to please.

He wished he had smiled more. It was easy, in the moment, to wish to raise a great soldier, a fine leader for the country. But once gone, he mourned not the prodigal heir, but the son he once was. It was a regret he went to bed with each night and rose with every day. He carried it, heavy in his heart, the weight much greater than the fate of the kingdom on his shoulders.

In moments like these, the weight felt greater. His granddaughter, the jewel of the country, the prettiest rose in the land, was soon to be plucked from the kingdom and planted in foreign soil. The old king slumped now, head supported by his hands, bone-weary. When he heard the shuffle of the guard's feet, armor heavy on the palace floor, he readied, wanting to greet her entrance with a smile.

“My dear princess-“ he started, only to look between the silver-clad men in confusion. “Where is the princess?”

“My King,” Naraku bowed low, perhaps not low enough in some’s opinion, but royal advisors were known to be rather cocky. “The princess has barricaded herself in her chambers. She has ordered the maids away, and the guards request your permission to remove her by force.”

“That will not be necessary.” The king dismissed their concern with a wave of his hand. “Send her sister. She has never failed to quell Princess Kikyo when she turns an ill mood.”

Advisor Naraku nodded to the guard, as if offering his approval to do just that. Turning on their heels, they stormed off to retrieve the second princess and do their bidding.

“She has caught wind of it then.” The king commented.

“You can’t be surprised, my grace.” Naraku smiled, rather toothy and slyly, even for a spider demon. “Lady Kikyo matches the scholars wit for wit. She may have thought of this solution before we.”

The king nodded, conceding that it was true. “If only she had been born a man, then my troubles would surely be over.” In truth, he had not planned to rule this long, and had long looked forward to passing the crown and the kingdom, indulging in the responsibilities of being a grandfather and attending to the ladies in his harem. Fate, of course, had other ideas, and thus he was left to wait for a boy of 8 to grow.

“Our princess is gifted in many ways other ways, my lord. She will serve her purpose, as is her birth right.” Naraku tried to comfort the king, standing beside the throne.

The room remained silent, the air hot and heavy, turning his thoughts dull and vision blurry. When was the last time he slept? Two days ago, three? Not since news of the army came at least. It was only when the soft voice of his granddaughter caught his ear that he paid attention.

“Grandfather,” she bit her lip in that childish way that Kikyo never did. The king wanted to shake her- royalty does not fidget, hadn't the tutors taught her so? That was a lesson for another day. “My-Kikyo is....”

“Out with it girl!” Naraku spat, making the princess shoot the advisor a cold look. “Kikyo is gone. She’s disappeared.”

“Gone?” Her granddaughter repeated, the word lost, faded. “How-“

“The maids have not seen her since yesterday. They say she sent them off, wishing to spend the night alone. She told maid Aki that she felt a chill, and did not wish to get the others sick.”

“By all the Gods...” the old king, at a loss for words, slammed his fists into the arm of his throne, torn between disappointment and anger. How could she do this? Had he not raised her well? Taught her that the price of leadership is heavy, and requires sacrifices only a ruler could bare? Yet she ran, stole away in the night, alone and unguarded.

“Send the guards, leave only the minimum here for protection. Keep it silent, do not let the country know she is missing.” He answered.

“And what of the marriage?” Naraku prompted, “What are we to tell the king? They are expecting Princess Kikyo in 3 days time.”

“We will find her before then, surely!” The king's voice was shaking. “The girl could not have gone far without help. Did you know of this, granddaughter? Did you help her plot?”

Princess Kagome shook her head eagerly. “No, of course not grandfather. Why would she run? What is happening?”

“She is to be wed to the Hojo tribe. Their army advances and she is the key to peace. Or at least, she was to be.” Naraku added bitterly.

“She will be found!” The king yelled, anger flaring in such a way that made Kagome grimace.

“Yes, and what in the meantime? How do we hold off the invasion?” The advisor demanded.

Two sets of eyes fell on Princess Kagome.

A decision- a plot- had been made.

-.-

Her shoes were not made for this.

They were a fine silk, light in color and offering little protection if any. They were suited for the marble floors of a palace, washed daily, scrubbed bright, so as not to sully even the soles of her shoes. Yet here she was, dirt kissing her delicate ankles, filthier than she had been in years and exhausted.

She had chosen to walk, the idea of being restrained not particularly appealing; if possible, she would like to defend herself against this beast, although rationally, she knew she never stood a chance.

He was a fast walker, continually having to slow his pace to match hers. A princess should not rush, should not move in a way that made others question her dignity. Even as a child, when her muscles screamed to be stretched, she had to slow her movements and conduct herself with grace. Apparently, this rogue had little knowledge of her training, and frequently threatened to toss her over his shoulder if she did not pick up her speed. causing her to bunch the silk fabric into her hands, revealing white, creamy legs and practically sprint after him to catch up.

By the time the sun had set she was bone-weary, hungry, and afraid. She had never been so far from home, let alone in the woods by herself.

“We’ll camp here for the night.” He grunted, nodding his head towards the bank of a river. “We should wash up then eat.”

“I won’t eat anything until you tell me where you’re taking me.” She protested. She had to look a mess, hair flying out at all ends, sweat and dirt covering her face. Kikyou would never have allowed this to happen. She would have demanded the respect of royalty from the start. With one glance, the captor would have fallen in love, never wanting such a delicate woman to blister her precious feet. Kagome, unfortunately, lacked the skills her sister possessed.

“Princess, I think you misunderstand what’s happening here. You’re not in control anymore. No one is taking orders from you. Eat, or don’t eat. I don’t give a damn.”

He unstrapped the armor over his shoulders, the heavy metal falling to the ground with a thud. The weight of it must have been significant, yet he wore it with such ease. His pure strength made Kagome shiver.

He assumed a lot, for a soldier. Believing that the carriage belonged to Kikyo, the famed beauty, he did not even question that she could be another member of the household. She was to be a messenger- a stand in- yet he took her for so much more. If she wasn’t so terrified, she may have been flattered he made such a leap.

“If I don’t eat, I’ll slow you down. I’ll faint. You’ll have to explain why the Higurashi Princess was so mistreated. You obviously want to keep me alive, I would assume you were told to deliver me unharmed.”

Rolling his neck, the demon gave a soft laugh before walking towards her. Kagome stuck her chin out, determined not to show him her weak points, though she knew he could probably smell the fear, see her knees shaking. Narrowed amber eyes assessed her as he stepped closer. He was a foot taller than her at least, body firm with muscle. He could bring her to her knees with no effort.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He rolled his broad shoulders, his muscles bunching as he stretched, before brushing past her, almost nonchalant, as he made way to the bank of the river. “I don’t give a damn what happens to you.”  He looked almost disinterested in her threat. “Eat, don’t eat. Sleep, don’t sleep. If you slow me down, I’ll just throw you over my shoulder. Either way, you’re coming back with me, Princess Kikyo.” His molten eyes roved over her figure, giving her goosebumps. No one had ever dared to openly stare at her in such a manner. No one had ever wanted to, not with her sister around. Swallowing hard, she planted her feet firmly in the ground, begging the Gods for strength.

“And what is to happen to me once we reach your land?” She asked. Terror began to flood her, tales of women taken against their will, sold or forced to be part of a harem. The beast shrugged.

“How should I know?” He yawned, a move that took both parties by surprise. “My job is just to bring you back. It’s up to the king to decide what to do with you.”

Kagome considered the man before her; he was well armored, the metal precious and expensive. He was a skilled fighter but spoke roughly. What was his status? Where did he come from? Cocking her head to the side, she finally spoke.

“Who are you?” Even in her questioning, she sounded well-bred, royal. It was a question that she expected to be answered, spoken like someone who had been raised never to wait.

“I’m the man who saved your ass back there.” He smirked. “So do me a favor and don’t try to pull any tricks while I sleep tonight. I’m tired, but I rest with one eye open. Try and kill me and I’ll end you before you even get close. Try and sneak away, and I’ll hear you, find you; or worse, something out here will get to you before I do.”

~.~

Kagome did not sleep that night, and she was paying dearly for it. The last time she had gone a night without slumber it had been intentional. She had locked herself away, the candle burning bright as she cradled a book in her hands, blankets wrapped around her midsection as she devoured the text in her hand.

Back at the palace, it did not matter if she slept in the next morning, as long as she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for her lessons. Kagome would stretch out, her silk sheets cool against her skin as she lounged, pillows high and fluffed, breakfast ready on the tray.

This was different.

Each step felt like agony, and she was positive that it was pure adrenaline, a dash of fear and her anger simmering to a boil that kept her awake. That, and her captor’s constant snide remarks to keep moving.

He was relentless in his pace; did he not realize that she had never had to walk this far in her life? If Mistress Yura could see her now, mud up to her knees, hair askew and dirty with sweat, her strict teacher would faint. Or threaten to strike her; Kagome really unsure what the woman would do. Yet it did not really matter, Mistress Yura was tucked away in safety, and Kagome was assuming the name of her sister, on her way to who knows where, off to Gods knows what fate. Kagome could feel her brow furrowing, lines etching deeply into her forehead.

“I need a break.” She commanded, stopping dead in her tracks.

“Not a chance, sweetheart.” How could an endearment sound so bitter? “I’ve got better things to do than babysit you all day. The sooner we get to the village, the sooner I’m free of you.”

“I need to rest.” She said again more sternly. “My legs ache, my feet are sore, I haven't ate-”

“We’re losing daylight, Princess.” The man called over his shoulder, her title slipping off his tongue like a threat. “Pick up the pace, or I’ll sling you over my shoulder like a bag of damn rice.”

The first words he had spoken in hours, and they were vile. How could a man treat a lady in such a manner? How could he treat a person like cattle?

“You will not touch me, sir.” She bit out. “This is inhumane!”

“This is nothing.” He snapped. “A light walk in the woods. You’ve lived such a pampered life that anything real makes you wilt.”

The heat of her fury was so real she swore she felt it licking her insides. “You know nothing- of-”

“I know that if you do not shut your mouth and start walking, I won’t be as kind as I’ve been.”

Kagome's jaw fell slack. “K-kind?! You think yourself kind?”

“Princess, I’m a demon. Half demon, but still one. I can make this journey in less than a day if I run and take to the trees. But because I know you’d be sick and likely scream so damn loud you’d strip your vocal cords, I’ve opted to walk.” He stretched out his arms wide, palms up for effect. “Kind.” He smirked.

She was at a loss for words. This beast thought he was chivalrous!

“Now, if you don’t start puttin’ one foot in front of the other, you’ll see a side of me you don’t like.”

Kagome smiled menacingly as she dramatically took a step. “You assume too much. I find this side is deplorable. I can’t imagine you could get fouler.”

Inuyasha laced his hands behind his head as he casually strolled on, now satisfied that his hostage would cooperate again. “Your lack of imagination will bite you in the ass someday.”

~.~

By the time night began to fall, Kagome was sure that her blisters had developed blisters. Her muscles ached, her legs felt weak and wobbly. The soles of her slippers had worn thin, leaving her feet exposed to every rock and stick on the road, her feet throbbing and bloody.

And the hunger; she had rarely skipped a meal at home, and even when she did, she could easily call on the chef or kitchen maid to bring her some treat. Hunger had never carved its way into her bones the way it had others, and for the first time, she felt the hollow of her stomach as it ached.

When was the last time she took a drink of water? The man was a beast in more than a name.  He never stopped, kept dredging along. Did he ever thirst? Feel hunger? Pain?

She needed to stop, needed to rest. She needed to be home again, needed so many things-

“I think I-”

The world faded black as Princess Kagome fell to the ground.

[darylandbethfanforever9]

Downfall Of Us All: Chapter 11

Downfall Of Us All

Chapter 11

AN: Thank you to @jtargaryen18​ for helping e write this story, I couldn’t have done it without her.

Bucky searched the other rooms and came across piles of clothing. There was a black Chanel suit, with a white blouse, and other items of clothing. He checked the laptops, and all of them had been wiped clean. HYDRA wasn’t taking any chances. He felt sick as he remembered what Grace had said. HYDRA was going to use Jane, Darcy and Pepper as incubators for HYDRA agents. God knows, what they were going through right now. Sophie came in with a look of pure hatred, she started searching through the boxes when she pressed something. The bookcase behind Bucky opened, revealing an underground lab. "What the hell?" Bucky muttered darkly, he radioed the others and Steve cautioned him and Sophie to be careful, as they cautiously entered the room. There were Petri dishes, and four recently removed cryostasis chambers in the room. Bucky ventured further, and saw a room had no windows.

He cautiously took a look and was inwardly horrified, to see the six dead bodies of young women ranging from their twenties to early thirties. 

He looked at Sophie as they opened the door, and saw the bodies lying lifelessly on the ground. They'd been dumped like trash, wearing hospital gowns. "How long have they been dead?" Sophie asked quietly, horrified at what she was seeing. Had her mother been forced to face this daily? Being constantly experimented on and getting pregnant until the pregnancy was successful. "The two oldest have been dead for at least four weeks, but they've not rotted yet. These three youngest though, it looks recent." Bucky said quietly, when one of the women grabbed his metal. "El Diablo....his name is El Diablo. He won't stop, please get it out of me!" The woman screamed in agony, Sophie was horrified to see blood staining her legs. "We're going to get you help, don't worry." Sophie reassured comfortingly, when the woman's skin glowed orange. Bucky grabbed Sophie and pulled her behind a wall. The explosion shook the building, taking out a part of the room and smoke billowed around them. Bucky looked up to see that Sophie had conjured up a spider web to stop any debris from failing on them, he nodded in thanks. She nodded, as Bucky spoke to Steve. "Steve, you and the others better come down here. The woman just......she just exploded." He said quietly, feeling dread run through him.

"You're not gonna like it, Cap but I know what caused the explosion." Tony said grimly, no humour in his voice for once. His dark brown eyes looked grim, and troubled. "What do you think it is, Tony?" Steve asked quietly, Bucky and Sophie had re-joined the team as SHIELD agents took the bodies to the compound. None of them trusted the government to autopsy the bodies, so Bruce, Jemma and Helen had offered to do it. "Extrimis. It's an advanced form of genetic manipulation created by Maya Hansen and Aldrich Killian, using nanotechnology. It grants the human body the ability to heal and regenerate from physical damages, deformities and even psychological damages." Tony explained darkly and swallowed. "It can regrow limbs, but it's dangerously unstable. When the person with Extrimis tried to regrow the missing limb, they explode. Pepper's the only one, aside from Killian that hasn't exploded. Even after it was removed," he added grimly, and swallowed. "Do you think that's why they took Pepper? Because she had Extrimis in her?" Sophie asked quietly, Bucky standing close to her with Grace and Clint. "It's a possibility, you know. They're abducting Enhanced, Gifted, Mutant and Inhuman women. So, they took Jane and Pepper because they're both Enhanced but Darcy isn't." Bruce said gravely and sighed. That was when a flash of light appeared, and they saw two men standing in front of them. Thor, and Loki. "Have you found Lady Jane, and Lady Darcy?" Thor asked hopefully, Steve grasped his shoulder gently. "Not yet, Thor but we know who took them and why." Steve explained gently, Loki looked at him sharply. "Did HYDRA take Lady Jane and Lady Darcy, as hostages?" Thor asked intently, Steve shook his head. "No, Thor not for that reason. HYDRA took Jane, Darcy and Pepper to experiment, and breed children with them," he explained gently, seeing Thor's face turn in an expression of rage. "Do you have any idea where they are now, Captain?" The God of Thunder asked pleadingly, he still deeply loved Jane and was heartbroken when she'd left him.

"Working on," Tony joined them. "Sorry, big guy. We're going to do everything we can to find them." Even Loki's gaze was sympathetic on his brother. "Jane is strong," Loki told him. "She will last, brother, until we can find them." Thor nodded, his face grim. Steve just hoped he was right.

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They'd been back at the compound for a few hours. The bodies of those poor women were being autopsied. Sophie and Grace had disappeared into their rooms and even though Steve had invited him to watch the game with him, he just didn't feel up to it. Steve knew things like this took him back to the dark places in his memory from his decades with HYDRA and tried to keep him from going there. Some doors would never permanently close. The knock on his door was barely there, so he knew who it wasn't. Blowing out an exhale, he went to the door to find Sophie there. "Come in," he told her. Closing the door behind him, he led her back to the couch. Sophie wasn't here expecting him to act normal, to act like everything was okay. Her past was filled with shadows like his, the hurt she felt reflected in her eyes. "How's Grace?" he asked gently. Sophie shook her head. "Finally, asleep." "Are you okay?" "I'm trying, Bucky, I really am but…" Swiping at her tears, her gaze didn't leave her lap. "I just… Is there any way we can have her work on something else besides this? Can Steve help us? It's just knowing what I know now about what happened to her. Knowing what they put her through… They can't mean to put her through this. Maybe she can work on something else. With Peter. He's not even an adult yet, Bucky. He shouldn't be involved in something like this." "Hey," he whispered, watching her curl in on herself. "Come here." Pulling her in to him for a hug, he wrapped her up in his arms, just holding her. "We'll talk to Steve," he said into her hair. "I'm a little worried about the effect of all this on you. But no matter what happens, we'll get through this." Sophie held onto him so tightly, like he was the only anchor she had. They stayed there for long moments in the quiet of the room. In that moment, it was so hard to believe the outside world and all its ugliness even existed. In that moment, it was just them and feeling her heart beating against his was the sweetest thing he'd felt in years, decades. When she eased back to look up into this face, Bucky couldn't help but stare at her. Sophie was beautiful, kind-hearted. He hated everything Ross was putting her and Grace through, but he had to selfishly admit that if it hadn't happened, she wouldn't be here with him. In his arms… She deserved better. When Sophie gently pressed a kiss to his mouth, he froze. Her gaze searched his face and slowly, she smiled. When she kissed him again, he kissed her back, being so careful because it was already a miracle that she was here with him now. Her mouth was so soft and sweet...

Bucky relaxed into her kiss, smooth his flesh hand through her hair. He loved everything about it from her warmth against him to way her fingers were tangling themselves in her hair. When Sophie pulled back from his again, he could only stare at her in wonder. "That was nice," she told him shyly. He had to laugh at that. "I'm just glad I remembered how to be honest." The smile that earned him had his heart melting. "I read somewhere that you used to be quite a lady’s man back in the day," she said with a smile. His brows shot up. "You read about me?" "You were in our history books in school," Sophie explained, and he loved seeing her face lit up like that. "That was in your history books?" he wanted to know. Sophie shook her head playfully. "No, that was in some additional reading I did. I loved your story. I mean… you were a hero." Bucky shook his head. "I'm no hero, doll." "I think you are," she assured him. "You can't change my mind. You kind of live up to the legend."

Bucky didn't say anything to Sophie's words, she thought he was a hero and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. She leaned into his embrace, just needing Bucky's comfort, as Raymond and Starling settled beside them. "And you're a hero too, Sophie." Bucky said firmly, holding her close and Sophie leaned into him. She was deeply troubled by what they had found out today, and worried about Grace. She just hoped that they would find the three missing women and find her beloved nephew. Otherwise....it was just too painful thinking about it.

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Grace had only slept for three hours, before the nightmares had started haunting her again. This time it was Jane, Darcy and Pepper who were glaring at her. "You're the reason we were taken! Do you have any idea what they're doing to us?!" Jane screamed angrily, Grace could feel her heart pounding. "I'm so sorry, we're going to find you all. I swear, I never wanted this either," Grace confessed quietly, trying to remain calm but her hands were shaking. 'It's just a nightmare, just a nightmare. I'll wake up soon,' Grace thought desperately, tensing up when she saw Darcy stalking towards her with hatred burning in her sky-blue eyes. "This is you, and your sister's fault! They wanted you, but they took us instead to be experimented on, and raped! Some Avenger you are!" Darcy spat, and she saw someone else. The little boy had dark blonde hair, and dark hazel eyes. He was dressed in a pair of jeans, and a Captain America t-shirt. Zach. "Why couldn't you save me, mommy?" Zach asked upset, as she saw Rumlow behind him with a chilling smile. "Hey blondie."

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Grace woke up gasping for breath, tears swimming down her face silently as she sat in her bedroom. She felt her body shaking with sobs and buried her face in her hands. Her baby boy, her precious baby boy was out there somewhere. God knows, what he was going through or what was being done to him at this minute. It had almost been two years, and she wanted her son back. She cried silently and buried her face in her hands. She felt responsible for what was happening to Jane, Darcy and Pepper. For her son being taken away and failing to protect him. She stumbled out of the bed, she nearly ended up tripping over her converse trainers. She curled up, sobbing as she heard someone entering the room. "My baby, my baby boy. I'm sorry, I love you and Auntie Sophie loves you, and so does Uncle Peter and Aunt May. I'm sorry, god forgive me." Grace sobbed brokenly, weeping silently. Rough calloused hands, gently held her and she sobbed harder. She knew who it was, he wouldn't judge her for crying. For grieving over her son, and parents. "He's gone, Clint. I don't know why, but a part of me is saying he's gone. My baby boy's gone, but I don't want to believe it. I just want the pain to stop," she sobbed distraught, Clint held her tightly and felt his own eyes burn with tears. "Grace, we're not gonna stop looking for him. We'll find him, I promise honey." Clint promised firmly, Grace sniffled. "I'm scared Clint, I feel numb here." She said tiredly, gesturing to her heart, and Clint swallowed back tears of his own. God, he knew what she meant. He felt numb, like someone had torn his heart out and pieced it back together. But his grief for Cooper and Lila would never go away, it would stay with him. "Does it ever stop hurting? Will it ever go away, or am I going to be driven mad by it?" Grace asked numbly, her emotions were over the place and so were her powers. Clint held her tightly, feeling her relax in his arms. "No, the pain never goes away Gracie. We have to live with it and carry on. But you've got Sophie, Peter and us here to help you. You...got me." He said quietly, Grace held onto him. "Be honest with me, Clint. Do you think Zach's alive?" She asked bravely, wanting the truth from the archer. "It's been two years, with no sightings of him. But, he's a tough kid and if he is dead...then we'll make the bastards pay for what they've done." Clint vowed fiercely, Grace gave him a watery smile. "I just want him at peace, Clint. It's like I can sense him, but he's in limbo. What if we never find him?" She asked tearfully. Clint held her. "We won't stop looking Grace, we won't. We won’t give up or rest, unless we find him dead or alive." Clint said firmly, Grace sniffled.

"Let's get you back to bed," Clint whispered. "You have to rest, honey." "Clint, I can't sleep," she told him even as she let him gently ease her to her feet. "I see them. I see him when I close my eyes." "I know… Netflix then," he offered. "You don't have to sleep. We'll catch a movie or a show like we did the other night. And I'll be right here." Grace nodded. She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to burden Sophie. Since her sister had learned what really happened to her, the sadness in her eyes was more weight she carried. She knew Sophie was the older sister, would somehow blame herself. Clint was the one person who could listen to her without pity, who understood her. "Stay here? With me?" Clint nodded. "I can do that." Grace led him back to her bed. Something just occurred to her. "You were already here," she told him. "How… how did you know?" "You… I see you in my dreams, Grace," he admitted, sitting on the end of her bed. "I'll hear your voice and I'll follow it. Guess, I'm just figuring out that's… that's real." Grace moved to stand between his thighs, pulling her to him, his cheek pressed against her stomach. "I'm sorry, Clint," she whispered. "I'm not trying to… pull you into my dreams." He looked up, his grey eyes filled with concern. "I'm not complaining, Grace. I guess I want you to know if you ever need to reach me, do it. I want to be there for you." When she didn't know what to say to that, he reached up on her bed and grabbed the remote. He smiled, "So what are we watching?" "Something funny?" "No chick flicks," he teased. "I could have lived my entire life without seeing The Notebook." Grace couldn't help but chuckle at that. "You're just afraid I'll tell everyone you cry at sad movies." "I so do not," he playfully argued. "Mmmm-hmmm. Keep telling yourself that." Grace glanced back over her shoulder. "I'll go see what I've got for snacks." Clint got Netflix started and rose to follow her. "I'll come with you."

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The next day Grace was feeling slightly better. Netflix with Clint had amounted to watching one of the endless Mission Impossible movies for about twenty minutes and falling asleep. Clint was stretched out next to her, three of her cats curled up and cosy on him. She couldn't help but smile at that. Stretching she threw her legs over the side of the bed, knowing they needed to get downstairs for training. The autopsies would take place today and she needed to stay busy. So busy… Clint opened one eye, blinking like a sleepy owl to see what was weighing him down. He laughed. "My left leg is asleep. How much does one of the cats’ weigh?" "He's big boned," Grace told him. "Yeah," he said teasing. "You ready to go train?" Grace nodded, and they agreed to meet in the gym within the hour. When she got there, Steve and Bucky were already there, looking to be in deep conversation. Then Peter strolled in. He smirked at her, shook her head. "I want another shot at that." "At what?" she had to ask. Just to see Peter's smiling face made her happy. He was like having a baby brother and she couldn't resist teasing him. "At the Black Widow… thing," he told her, folding his arms across his chest. "Well, I can use the practice in taking you down, so let's do it," she said with laughter in her voice. Grace took off, running at Peter. Before she could finish the move, he shot web at her, pulling her right leg out from under her and dropping her to the mat hard. Grace was winded as she laid there, stunned for a moment. "Yes" Peter was celebrating above her. "That worked!" Sam had just walked into the gym, grinning as he watched Grace climb to her feet. "Oh, little man, you're in for it now," Sam warned, smiling at her and back to Peter.

 Grace took off again, not going easy on Peter and vaulted over him, incorporating some of her gymnastic moves. She wrapped her legs around his neck, pinning him to the floor. "Holy shit, ok I give up!" Peter shouted quickly, amazed at how fast Grace was on her feet. She laughed and helped him up off the training mat gently. "You beat me, Peter. Just need to be quicker on your feet, and we'll make you faster," Grace said amused, Peter smiled as Clint entered the room with Sophie, and Natasha. Grace smiled when she saw Sophie walk over to Bucky, she was glad that her sister had someone to help her with everything that was going on. She felt better than she had yesterday, this team was truly feeling like a family to her. And she was going to help them save Darcy, Jane and Pepper.

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The autopsies on the six unknown women was taking place, and Helen Cho with the assistance of Bruce and Jemma examined the bodies. "Signs of multiple sexual assault on the three-woman, cause of death appears to severe blood loss. Jane Doe six appears to have given birth three weeks ago, and has vaginal scarring," Jemma said quietly, wishing they knew the poor women's names. It didn't feel right calling them Jane Doe, all three women were definitely Inhumans. But aside from that information, they learnt nothing else about them so far. DNA tests were being run, and Tony was running facial recognition software with Lilia. Everyone was praying they'd find Darcy, Jane and Pepper before HYDRA hurt them. "So, all six gave birth?" Bruce asked wearily, he felt sick at what he was seeing as Director Nick Fury entered the lab. He didn't like the grim expression on Fury's face, he looked horrified and Bruce swallowed. "We found a grave near the HYDRA base, three of our agents found the bodies of three infants," Fury explained quietly, his expression grim. Bruce exchanged a look with Helen and Jemma, feeling his heart sink as he braced himself for the rage. Thankfully, the Other Guy was quiet, and not acting out but he was livid. "Send the bodies here, Fury. We'll treat them with respect, and compassion." Jemma said quietly, Fury nodded and left.

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Pepper woke up to see that she was in a bed and dressed in a hospital gown. She had no idea where she was, as she saw a with dark brown come in. "Excuse me, where am I?" Pepper asked wearily, watching as the woman did something with her IV drip. She was starting to feel groggy and slumped against the pillows. "You're in safe hands, Miss Potts." The woman said reassuringly, Pepper relaxed as she let the sleepiness take over her. Laura smirked, as she saw Rumlow enter. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. You work quickly, Rumlow and Foster only started crying when you reminded her that she got herself into this mess." Laura said impressed, by Rumlow's efficiency. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tagging list: @jtargaryen18​, @marvelfansworld​, @sapphirescrolls​, @queenoftheunderdark​, @nomadicpixel​, @redfoxwritesstuff​, and @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​, and @my-favourite-fics​

[mrsrhys23]

Snapshots 2

So this one is a belated birthday present 🎁 for @desireepow-1986

I’m using some prompts from 40 slice of life prompts

Paring: Colt x MC

Word count:

A/N: all characters belong to Pixelberry.

Permatag: @cordoniaqueensworld @desireepow-1986

RoD tags: @troublemakerinspace @lovehugsandcandy

#2: Morning routine

5am was the time Colt and Elie’s mornings started. They got dressed into gym gear, packed a bag and out the door they went. They were that couple that went to the gym together everyday but like Colt and Ellie liked to remind everyone it took a conscious effort to look that good and besides with all the junk food they scoffed in a day it was a miracle they both kept their impressive figures. So like every morning, they headed on out.

When they arrived at the gym they locked their bags safely into a locker, grabbed their bottles of water, headphones and phones and headed in. They both got onto the treadmill, adjusting the settings so it was going at both of their desired speed after putting on songs that make the both of them feel motivated, ready to get started.

At that time of the morning the gym was completely deserted, it was only Colt, Ellie and a few others. The morning was the perfect time to do this, Ellie found something quite nice about doing something so active first thing in the morning, plus she was locked into a competition with Colt on who could do the most steps in a week. So far, Ellie was winning, yes, she’d attached the thing to a whisk when she was baking, but she was still winning nevertheless.

After the gym, the pair headed home, showered, got changed and then ate breakfast. It was Saturday which meant they were having waffles that morning, hell, they had waffles most morning anyway, it had stopped being a treat quite a while ago. It was the weekend they had nothing to do so after breakfast the pair of them flopped down onto the couch in the living room and switched the tv on to watch some ridiculously pointless day time television.

#3:Doing laundry

Three messy children and two adults did produce a hell of a lot of laundry. The kids were young, Mia was two and the twins were four so they were at that age where they like to make it look like a bomb had gone off…daily. Seriously how hard was it not to spill stuff down your clothes?

The twins had convinced their father to take them to the park so he did, taking Mia along with them too so Ellie could do some housework.

It was the weekend. The mess seemed to multiply on the weekends, the twins were off school so they played with all their toys and didn't seem to comprehend how to put them away.

Ellie had just finished hoovering the living room after putting away all the toys that once littered the floor, when she heard the door be pushed open and Colt and the children sauntered in. Maddy was yelling, something about her father being irresponsible.

Ellie stood with her arms crossed after she finished gathering up the wire attached to the hoover as they all clambered in. Ellie looked straight to Colt, seeing his shirt covered in blood and it down his face. “What the fuck Colt?”

“Language there are children around,” Colt scolded.

“We’ve heard you say it before,” Maddy huffed, “We know not to repeat it.”

“That’s not the point,” Colt said.

“What happened?” Ellie demanded.

“Well….,” Colt started but his oldest daughter cut him off.

“Daddy decided to get on the swing and then jumped off but didn't land properly and face planted the floor, then his nose started bleeding, Dad started screaming, Mia was crying, people were looking at us, Elijah didn't really care and went over to the slide,” Maddy explained.

Ellie shook her head in complete and utter disapproval. It was like she had four kids, all incapable of looking after themselves and one of them was in his late twenties.

“Right,” Ellie started ready to restore order to the chaos that was her household. “ Maddy and Elijah sort out your toys and put them away properly in your rooms, Colt give me your shirt, put a new one on, clean your face and then entertain Mia.”

Luckily the children did as they were told and Ellie took her husband’s shirt after he had insisted that there was no way that she would get the blood stain out, which just all in technicality made her want to actually do it.

Ellie waltzed into their bedroom after the kids were all in bed to see Colt laying on the bed, scrolling through his phone.

“Oi,” she called, getting his attention. He looked up to her as she held up Colt’s once blood splattered shirt that was now back to its pristine white.

“H-how did you do that?” Colt asked, bewildered.

“What?” Ellie asked.

“The blood. How’d you get it out?”

“Why?” Ellie asked, with a raised eyebrow as she tossed him the shirt as she headed into their conjoined bathroom to start her nightly routine.

“I swear this is how less women get caught for murder,” Colt mumbled as ellie disappeared into the bathroom.

#9: Grocery shopping

Ellie pushed the trolley along with one arm as her other hand was latched on to her daughter's smaller one.

Maddy thought she had been sneaky by placing things into the trolley, thinking her mother hadn't noticed but of course, she had. They had just walked down the sweet aisle, Ellie not missing Maddy randomly picking things up and throwing them into the trolley, trying to hide things under other items that were meant to be in there.

“Maddy.” Ellie started as they made their way through the supermarket, Ellie picking up items off the list as they went.

The young girl looked up at her mother, “Yeah?”

“I know what you’re doing.” She was fighting back a laugh, she used to do the same thing when she was a kid. Rita and herself were locked into a competition to see who could get the most items into the trolley without their parents noticing. Unlucky for Ellie was that her father was a detective, he noticed things, so Riya always won.

It was either Maddy was taking after her mother or Colt had taught her this. “I don't know what you’re talking about,” she insisted.

“Really? So what’s all of this?” Ellie asked gesturing to the newly appeared items that she knew she definitely did not put in there.

Maddy shrugged, still going with act dumb approach. “I don’t know.”

“Sure? You really don't know how this happened?” Ellie asked, as she stopped to pick up a loaf of bread.

“Nope,” she girl said, popping the ‘p’ as she smiled up at her mother.

“Okay,” Ellie said, letting a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. Lying was wrong, she had taught her children that but it was kind of funny. She watched Maddy as they continued around the shop. Colt was definitely going to be getting a talking to when they got back home.

#13: Putting on a special piece of jewellery- (Thank you to the Anon who requested this one.)

Ellie sat perched on the end of her bed, the necklace in her hand as she turned the little metal heart over, reading the little engraved message into the silver. It was a beautiful necklace that she knew she’d always treasure.

It once belonged to her mother, who unfortunately, passed away little over five years ago. She remembered sitting on her lap and playing with it when she was a kid, she always did find it gorgeous.

The necklace was special, before her mother, her grandmother owned it and her mother before her. It had been in the family for a long, long time and consequently when her mother passed it was given to Ellie.

“What are you doing?” Colt asked, as he leaned against the doorway. “You’ve been gone for ages.”

She didn't respond and just continued to play with the piece of jewellery in her hand. She felt the bed dip as her boyfriend took a seat. “This was my mom's,” she told him, holding it up so he could see. “I guess I'm just...reminiscing. She always used to wear this, I never saw her without it actually,” she said with a small chuckle.

Ellie leaned her head against his shoulder. “I really miss her, Colt.”

“I know,” Colt sighed, he felt something be placed into his hand. He looked down and saw Ellie necklace, her looked back up to her, his eyebrow raised.

“The clasp is really stiff. I can’t do it myself,” she explained. Ellie turned away from him and held her hair out the way. She felt the cold metal of the necklace around her neck and the metal heart lay over her chest.

Colt fiddle with the clasp for a minute, muttering profanities under his breath. At long last he finally managed to do it. “There.”

Ellie reached up to touch the heart as she turned back to face her boyfriend, placing a kiss on his lips. “Thank you,” she whispered as he pulled back. Colt just gave her a small smile in response.

#15: Getting a haircut

Change wasn't something that Ellie liked all that much. She preferred things to stay the same.

Ellie headed to the hairdressers earlier that morning, she was overdue a haircut, it was getting out of hand, too long so it was becoming a nuisance. Mind she thought having shoulder length hair was a nuisance too, it blew in her face when it was windy, it always seemed to get into her food somehow. Frankly, it was annoying.

Ellie had pondered over changing her hair for a while.

After a few hours of meaningless small talk, Ellie finally escaped the hairdressers. She slightly regretted it. Her hair was now short and rainbow.

She wasn't sure what had come over her, it was just an impulse, a strange one at that but one nonetheless. The weird part was she actually kinda liked it. She was just worried about what Colt was going to think. It was one hell of a change.

Ellie made her way home, pulling her bobble hat further down to cover her ears- that was going to be something to get used to. She had never had such short hair before, it had never felt like her ears were going to fall off before.

Soon Ellie arrived back home, slipping off her hat, scarf and coat and hanging them up then placed her keys on the table and into the pot on the table.

“I’m home!” she called, making her way into the kitchen.

Colt was sat at the table, scrolling through his phone and sipping at his cup of coffee. Colt mumbled a hello, not looking up from his device. That was typical behaviour from him.

Ellie made her way over to the kettle and flicked it on, putting two sugars into a mug, a tea bag and grabbed the milk from the fridge as she waited.

“Been up long?” Ellie asked. Her appointment was early and Colt was still asleep when she left.

“No. Where were you?”

“Hairdressers- I told you last night,” Ellie groaned.

“Oh,” Colt mumbled. She actually debated whether or not he actually listened to her sometimes.

Ellie turned back around after staring daggers at the back of her boyfriends head to finish making her drink.

After she was done she took a seat opposite Colt. After scrolling through his phone for a few more seconds he looked up, taking a sip of his drink that soon ended up over the table and some of it over Ellie.

“Colt!” she yelled. Luckily the coffee had been sitting for a fair while and was just barely lukewarm. She wiped her face with her sleeve.

“Erm… Don’t take this the wrong way but….why does it look like a unicorn barfed on you? I’m not saying that I don’t like it, it's kinda cool, but why?”

Ellie shrugged,wrapping her hands around the ceramic mug in front of her to warm her still chilly hands. “I don't know...it just kinda happened. I was talking to Janet about having a bit of change and then this happened,” she explained, pointing to her hair. Her now quite funky looking hair. “Does it look okay?” she asked, twirling a piece of her new hair around her finger.

“It’s definitely different but...Yeah, it looks okay.”

“Really?” Ellie asked hesitantly.

“Yeah,” Colt nodded, “I like it.”

“Good,” she said, nodding her head as she took a sip of her drink, “So you've got an appointment next week...are you going to go rainbow too?”

Colt nearly spat out some more of his drink again. He swallowed it then looked up at her, wide eyed. “No, absolutely not.”

“It was worth a shot,” she shrugged.

#21: Birthday

Colt had been asking his girlfriend about what she wanted for two weeks now. He liked to be prepared when it came to Ellie but all she had said was that she wanted to spend it with him. He wouldn't deny he found that quite cheesy and felt a little bit of sick making its way up his throat, however, he did find it kind of adorable. Anyway, that’s what he did, anything to make his girl happy.

That morning, Colt got out of bed before Ellie and headed down into the kitchen to make her some breakfast. Boiled eggs and soldiers- her favourite.

After breakfast in bed was out of the way, Ellie dragged their blankets and pillows down into the living, switched on the tv and looked for something to watch while Colt was in the kitchen making some popcorn. They both settled down on the sofa, watched movies and ate junk food for the rest of the day, Just like Ellie had wanted.

#22: Going on vacation / #14: Packing for a trip

“Colt!” Ellie yelled from the bedroom. A few moments later Colt came running in, leaning against the doorway, smirking as he watched Ellie trying to close her suitcase. She was now laying on top of it whilst trying to do up the zipper, however, it wasn't working.

They were going away that evening and Ellie had decided she didn't need to pack before hand, like the day before like most people.

When she caught sight of him in the doorway she wasn't happy in any sense of the word. “Help me!” she barked.

Colt shook his head and made his way into the room. He sat on top of the case as Ellie worked to close it.

After it was closed, Colt was sure that wouldn't be for long since it looked as if it was ready to burst at the seams, he jumped off, looking at the case quizzically.

“Do you really need all of that?”

She stared daggers at him, “Yes!” She asked, startling her boyfriend slightly.

“Alright calm down. It was only a question,” he said, putting his hands up in defence.

Ellie wasn't the most stereotypical girl, she didn't pack her entire wardrobe when going on holiday or any of the things guys thought girls do, however, Ellie didn't remember the last time she had been on vacation so she had panicked slightly after looking through her closet discovering she had literally no suitable clothes for this trip and may have brought a few too many outfits. They were expensive so she was going to get some use out of them, even if her luggage now weighed more than her.

They were going to Zante in Greece. Ellie had been once but that was a long, long time ago. She was just really excited, they had been saving for ages for this trip and at long last they were going.

[angrylizardjacket]

of comfort and joy {Ben Hardy}

Anons asked: can you write Ben as a dad / imagine staying up late to wrap presents for yours and Ben’s kids (the original prompts have been lost i’m sorry, but this goes out to you guys)

A/N: 1562 words. So this is my second attempt at this. I lost both the prompts but they weren’t super complicated, and this fills both very nicely. 

Ben’s so careful as he slides the door shut to the kids’ bedroom, the hour just edging past eleven. He winces at the sound of the door latching closed, and he waits for a few moments, listening for the telltale sounds of laughter or the thump of little feet, but all was quiet on the other side of the door, and he let out a sigh of relief, coming to join you where you’d surrounded yourself with gifts that needed to be wrapped at the last minute.

“They’re asleep.” His voice was soft as he rested his head on your shoulder, sitting beside you on the floor with the sofa at your back, legs kicked out in front of him and resting on a stack of assorted labels and gift tags. 

“My hero; how’d you manage that?” You asked wryly, concentrating on where you’re writing ‘To Abby, From Santa’ on a soft package that contained a Harry Potter robe and wand for your eldest daughter; Ben had been reading them the series as a bedtime story for the past few weeks, and Abby, who was always in awe of her dad, was adamant that she was a Slytherin, just like him.

“Bribery.” Ben yawned, looping one of his arms through yours, tucking himself closer to you. “The boys were okay, I mean, they’re too young to really know what’s going on, but I had to tell Abs that Santa would only write her a letter if she goes to bed on time.” And you laughed softly at that, putting the finishing touches on the label before putting the present onto the pile of wrapped gifts sitting neatly beside you.

“So how many chapters did you end up reading?” You asked, letting yourself relax for the moment, leaning against him, your head resting against his. The light from the Christmas tree showered the whole room in a warm, multi-coloured light, shining off of ornaments and the screen of the TV which was muted, playing an old black and white Christmas movie. 

“Only two; we got up to the Death Day party and she was out.” He sounds so fond when he says it, warm and kind, and he yawns again, letting out a low hum of contentment. He relaxes further against you.

“Honey, there’s still so much wrapping to do, you can’t fall asleep yet.” You say, gently shaking him, and he groans, before he moves to actually turn his head and look at you.

“You’ve been working so hard to get all this ready, can we just relax for a little bit?” He asked, so wide and bright you can see the lights from the tree reflect off of them. 

“Just for a bit.” You could never say no to him.

He wraps an arm around you, pulling you close to him, and you rest your head on his shoulder, letting yourself relax in his arms. You turn up the volume on the TV enough to be able to hear the end of the movie, but not enough to wake the kids. The heater in the corner of the room has you feeling warm and blissful, even as you watch snow flutter down onto the town outside through the window behind the television. It’s hard to find in the holiday season, but you’re going to hold onto this moment of peace and love with everything you’ve got. 

When the movie ends, Ben gently untangles himself from you, standing, stretched, and turning the TV off.

“I’m gonna make us some hot chocolate, give us a boost to wrap the last of these presents before we head to bed, okay?” He says, and you reach out, taking his hand and squeezing it in wordless thanks. When he squeezes your hand back, smiling fondly, you can feel your heart flutter like it did when you’d first started dating all those years ago.

“You’re so good to me.” You murmur over the lip of your mug, eyes falling closed as you bring the warm drink close to your chest, inhaling the aroma of chocolate that rose from it. Ben pets your knee softly, and when you open your eyes, he’s sitting across from you, legs crossed, one hand on your knee and the other holding his own mug. He’s looking at you like you’re the only thing that matters in the world, haloed by the tree, expression so full of unbridled love and affection it’s almost overwhelming. 

“’cos I know how lucky I am to have you.” He says, and it’s moments like this that remind you why you married him in the first place. Gently, you take his hand and press a kiss to his knuckles.

By the light of the Christmas tree, the two of you go about wrapping presents for your friends and family. The majority, of course, are for your kids; wrapping them at the last minute was easier than worrying that they’d tear into them before Christmas, or try and sneak a peak. Abby, the oldest, almost seven and forever a daddy’s girl, loved anything Ben did, also Frozen; Micha was four and has never met a robot he didn’t want to marry, though he didn’t understand what the word meant when he announced it on a daily basis while holding hands with a transformer action figure; Roan had just turned two and liked the colour red.

“Do you think Abs is old enough for a present hunt?” Ben asks where he’s sorting stocking stuffers. Looking up, you’re confused, and he looks a little shocked, “you’ve never had a present hunt?” When you shook your head, his mouth split into a nostalgic grin. “We had them when I was a kid; you hide a series of clues around the house and the kids follow the clues to find a hidden present.” His laugh was fond, which turned to a thoughtful hum as he reminisced, “I rode my bike all around the neighbourhood one year, dad really went all out.” 

“Maybe not around the neighbourhood.” You grinned, and his whole face lit up when he met your gaze. He’s up after that, so giddy he’s practically bouncing as he swans around the house with the sticky tape, writing and hiding clues as he went, ending up with Abby’s gift stashed in the back of the pots and pans cupboard next to the oven. When he comes back, he tapes one last clue to a bauble, hanging it at the back of the Christmas tree, proclaiming it to be the starting point. After that, he settles back in, filling the stockings that hung over the mantle, and helping you wrap the last of the presents.

When everything’s done, you feel the exhaustion settling into your bones, and you take a long moment to stretch. All the presents are wrapped, sitting neatly beneath the tree, and the heater’s been turned off, and all that’s left to do is put all the wrapping paper, tape, and labels that you’d commandeered for the occasion.

“You head on to bed, I’m just writing this letter for Abby.” He said, looking up from where he was leaning over a notebook, to see you waiting for him in the door. With a soft smile, you nod, and head to your bedroom, quickly getting changed into your pyjamas and sliding into bed. He follows not long after, but instead of getting changed, he sits onto the bed beside you, grinning and holding out a neatly wrapped box with your name on it.

“Merry Christmas, love.” He says gently, and you look from the box to where he’s smiling at you, nervous and excited. You’re lost for words, heart overwhelmed with love as you start to unwrap the present.

It’s a photo frame, silver, with metal vines decorating the outside, and space enough for two photos. The photo on the left is from when you first visited him on the set of X-Men Apocalypse, probably taken by a crew member. You’d never seen the photo before, but you know it’s the two of you; he’s got his arms around you, the two of you all but nose to nose and so blindingly happy. He’s in costume, wearing a leather jacket with his hair long, curled and teased, and you’re pushing a small strand behind his ear. The two of you are so wrapped up in each other, and he’s grinning at you like there’s literally nowhere in the world he’d rather be than in your arms.

The photo on the right is from your wedding day, in the same position as the other photo, his arm around you, you with a hand holding his cheek. It’s as if you’re not even aware of the photographer, blissful and elated and in love. 

“This was so long ago.” Voice soft and awed, you look up from the wedding photo to see him looking at you with that exact same smile you remember so clearly from when the two photos were taken; the smile that made you feel like the only person in the world. “I love you, Ben.”

“I love you too; there’s no-one else I’d rather by my side to raise our family with.” He says, and you think you’re about to cry, so overwhelmed at the sincerity and sweetness that it’s all you can do to lean forward and kiss him.

[sashatrr]

Breathe with me. Chapter 16a

Chapter 15 here

Liam's jet landed in private section of airport. Holding hands, they left jet and got into waiting car. 

-So where are we? - Lina asked. She asked Liam about where they were going a few times during a flight but he said that she will find out upon arrival. 

-Where do you think we are? - Liam asked with teasing smile. 

Lina shrugged. 

-How should I know? All airports are looking the same. 

-We are in Brussels. - Liam said pulling her close. 

-Belgium? - Lina asked disappointed. She thought that he will take her to Paris or Italy. Both countries fitted for romantic trip, but Belgium? She didn't know much about that country and couldn't recall anything romantic about it. 

Liam nodded with a smile, her reaction didn't surprise him. 

-Yes, but we are not staying in Brussels. We will drive to Antwerp from here. It's not far. 

-I know nothing about Belgium so I trust you with it. 

Rest of not long drive passed in comfortable conversation. Liam was telling Lina about his childhood and his brother, Leo. 

He was getting relaxed more and more around Lina now. For once he felt like a normal man doing normal things with the woman he loved, even if he wasn't ready to admit it to her. He was really excited to spend as much time as he could with her and to forget, at least for some time, about everything that would come after the end of his so called honeymoon. 

Upon arriving to the hotel, they ordered a room service, both exhausted after a long flight. Lina was nervous during all flight, expecting plane to crash any moment and Liam was doing his best to calm her down and distract from those thoughts. After dinner both quickly fell asleep in each others arms. 

Next morning they woke up early and after breakfast left the hotel. Liam was wearing sunglasses everywhere to make sure that nobody would recognize him. 

First they visited an old looking train station. It didn't really interest Lina. It was nice looking, gold and marble but Lina was never into architecture. Noticing her indifference, Liam laughed. 

-Just had to start here. No trip to Antwerp is complete without seeing this building. 

Holding hands, they left the building and headed to a stone gates. Next seven hours they spent investigating the oldest zoo in Europe. It made Lina sick to see all those animals trapped, even tho their voliers were comfortable and they seemed to be well taken care of. 

-Nope, not doing this.-Lina shook her head trying to break out of Liam's hold. - I am already exhausted, I need coffee and to sit down. 

Liam was trying to get in the long line of people wanting to watch seals show. 

They headed to the exit and to the street filled with jewellery shops and sat at the table of closest cafe. 

-Just one more destination today, baby.

Liam saw it in her behavior, he failed to impress her so far so he was counting on new promising idea that appeared in his mind. 

After finishing their coffees, Liam lead Lina to the golden entrance of jewellery store. 

-Did you know that Antwerp is a diamond capital of the world? - Liam asked walking through doors into the store. - We can visit diamond museum tomorrow if you want. 

-I don't think that I ever heard about Antwerp at all, Liam. - Lina chuckled.-To be honest, I pictured other destinations when you offered trip to Europe. 

-Paris and Venice? - He asked stopping by one of showcases. 

Lina nodded and looked at showcase that was filled with necklaces and matching earrings. 

A man hurried over to them. 

-Goedemiddag. Kan ik u helpen?-a man asked subtly observing Liam to see if he was a potential client or just a tourist who happened to walk into the store. 

-Goedemiddag. - Liam replied. - Can we speak English please? A lady here with me doesn't speak vlaams. 

Man's smile grew even wider. 

-Off course. Let me know if you are looking for anything special. Not everything is on a display. We keep the most precious masterpieces in the office.-salesman said after noticing Liam's Patek Philippe. 

Despite Liam's attempt to look like a normal tourist, some things were still giving away his true status. 

-Danku, meneer. We will let you know if we need you.-Liam dismissed him and turned his attention back to Lina who seemed to be captivated by the beauty of platinum diamond necklace and earrings and didn't hear a word from this conversation. 

-Do you like this one? - Liam asked leaning  closer to check the stones. 

Not averting her gaze from necklace, Lina slid her hand down the  glass. 

-It's beautiful-she replied admiring the purity and simple elegance of it. 

-Then we are getting it, but I would also like to check their office for more exclusive things.

-Are you going to buy it? - Lina gasped in surprise. 

-Off course, why else would we come here? I would walk to the end of the world and back right now to make you happy.-he said and placed a gentle kiss on Lina's lips. 

Lina returned a kiss wrapping hands around his neck. 

-Well, then you need to find another way to make me happy. I can't wear any jewellery. 

Liam pulled back confused. 

-What do you mean? Off course you can.

Lina laughed. 

-No, I can't. I did it back in New York because I didn't want to ruin our night, but I have an ekzema. My skin was dealing with the consequences of it for next weeks. 

-Eczema? What's that? - confused Liam asked.

-I am not sure how to explain it. It's kind of allergy, I get it every time when my skin gets in contact with any metal for longer than twenty minutes. That includes gold, silver and platinum. 

-You can't be real, Lin. Is there no cure for it? I mean how am I supposed to spoil you if you are allergic to eighty eight percent of the best gifts I can come up with? - Liam made disappointed face. 

-You'll have to be creative then. - Lina laughed teasingly.

-You are just making it up, admit it. - His face became grumpy. 

-No, I am not. I promise you. 

-We still can get it and you can look at it sometimes? - Liam came up with new idea. 

-Really? What's the use of having it if I will never put it on? Sounds like a torture.-Lina took his hand, nodded to salesman and dragged him to the street. 

She didn't lie to Liam about eczema and right now she was grateful for having it. Despite growing closer with each other over past few days, Liam's lifestyle was intimidating to her. Traveling in private jet, luxurious cars and hotels and now diamonds. None of the things on display had a price tag but Lina knew that she would probably have to save for the rest of her life just to buy one earring from that set and she wasn't comfortable with this idea.Everything seemed to much, she couldn't explain it but she felt that sooner or later Liam would think that she is being with him for all that and not for himself. 

I never asked for any of it but I know how does it look. I wish he would stop doing this. It just highlights the fact that we belong to different worlds. Maybe I should be honest about it? 

Rest of the day they spent in the hotel learning more about each other's lives. Liam told Lina about death of his mother and lack of real family in his life, about very busy father who rarely had time for him and his brother. Lina told him about death of her parents in car accident when she was only three years old and about growing up with her aunt and uncle. They didn't have kids of their own and pour all love they had on Lina. She had a happy childhood any kid could dream about, her aunt and uncle made sure to give her all attention they could and did everything possible to replace her parents. Despite being very close with them, Lina refused to live with them after college or to accept any financial help. They did enough for her including paying for her education and making sure that she has everything she needs during college years. Accepting their help after college would make her a failure. 

Next day they spent exploring rest of the city center. They spent a few hours in Rubens House. Only there Lina understood a difference between looking at reproductions and originals. 

-Look at this. - Lina pointed at the painting  that was hanging over an old fireplace that was used for kitchen needs back in the days. - It looks like 3d. How were they doing back then? And the lights!- only now she understood how touching and amazing a painting can be. No reproductions could ever show the true genius of a master, and certainly not images she could see on Internet. 

On the second floor Lina spent twenty minutes by another painting that was picturing Queen Isabella and Ferdinand during their daily walk. Everything on it was very small but every small thing was drawn very detailed.

-How did they do it?-Lina asked again. - Did they use microscopes? Did they even exist back then? Really, I would go blind just after drawing half of it. 

Liam tried to explain her the technics of old masters but her attention already was on antique locker, every small door of which was beautifully painted with scenes from nature. 

In the next room there was a very small bed, draped with canopy. 

-See this? - Liam pointed at bed. - That's how they slept back then. 

Confused Lina looked at very short bed. 

-But how did they manage to lay in it? 

-They didn't lay, they were half sitting in it. See bunch of pillows? They literally slept sitting in bed and resting on those.-he explained. 

-Carving is so pretty. - Lina almost whispered. 

-Rubens was a businessman as much as he was an artist. - Liam explained. - He was a rich man as you can see. Most of the things we see here, in his house, are an art by itself and there was a very small circle of people who could afford them. 

After seeing all expositions, hand in hand they walked in the small garden, Lina snapped a few pictures of Liam and they continued their tour of the city. 

Very narrow sidewalks were filled with tables that were standing very close to each other. Despite lack of space, lots of people were sitting in those cafes, all facing the street and looking at passing by people. They were sitting so close to each other that Lina wondered how they can have any privacy at all. That reminded her of theaters. They all were sitting there like in the theater, almost touching each other, a street was their stage and people who were passing by were their actors. 

Liam and Lina walked through this street and came to the square with a huge, gothic looking church. 

-Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal. - Liam pointed at it. - Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp. - He explained.- We should definitely go inside. Rubens and a few other famous artists created their masterpieces especially for it. 

They waited for guid of Chinese tourist group to show their tickets and Liam bought two for himself and Lina.

Inside the building seemed even bigger than from outside. Ceiling seemed to be over ten meters in height and the stained glass windows were filling a hall with a lots of light. 

-I wonder how long did it take them to build it? - Lina quietly asked looking up at the ceiling and columns that were holding it. 

-It's still unfinished. - Liam replied. - But normally it took forty years or more to build something like this if we look at Rome for example. 

They walked to a wooden stairs standing apart and leading nowhere. Lina looked closer. It was beautifully carved but a center of composition were four female figures. 

-Those are representing four races.-Liam commented. 

They walked to a huge three pieces paintings hanging on a distance from each other. Even now, centuries after it was created, it didn't lose its beauty.

Cathedral was filled with tourists but a small area behind columns was fenced and a Priest led service for a small group of parishioners. 

Lina was amazed by the beauty of altar and everything else she saw around.

They spent a hour exploring cathedral, statues and paintings until it was a closing time.

They walked through crowded street to the small square surrounded by buildings and sculpture fountain in the corner. 

-This square has a secret. - Liam slyly grinned. - Let's see if you can find it. 

Lina looked around but saw nothing special. A building Infront of her was impressive but still nothing caught her attention. 

Liam stood on the fence of statue and reached his hand out. Lina grabbed it and stood next to him. 

-You might see it better from here. - He grinned again watching her confusion. 

-Would you give me a hint for what I am looking for or are we going to spend rest of the day here? Because I see nothing.-Lina said a bit irritated. She was tired already after whole day of walking and wouldn't mind a dinner right now. She wasn't a best person to be around when she was hungry. 

 - Card suits. - Liam decided to show some mercy remembering how confused he was when he was looking for it for a first time. 

Lina looked around in all dirrctions, at all buildings but saw nothing that would look like card suits. After three minutes of ineffective search she gave up. 

-I see nothing. Can we just get a dinner already? I can survive without finding it.-she almost barked. Her stomach was demanding food and not card suits. 

Liam laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist pointing at tiles on the ground. She saw nothing at first but then one by one groups of tiles formed a heart, diamond, club and spade. 

-Wow, amazing. Now my life is complete. Can we go now? - she got off the fence. 

-Wow you are really hungry, no kidding. OK, let me think where should we have a dinner. I have a restaurant in mind but we need  to change in the hotel first. 

-Yeah, right. - Lina growled, grabbed Liam's hand and drag him to the cafe on the empty narrow street around the corner she noticed on their way to the square. She stopped by one of two cute looking tables under a tent and sat down. - I don't need a fancy restaurant, I just need to urgently fill my stomach. 

Liam shook his head in amusement trying to suppress a smile and not to provoke her. Hungry and angry Lina still was charming. 

A smiling waiter brought them two menus but Liam declined it. 

-Hello-he said-do you have stoverij met frietjes? - he asked with polite smile. 

Waiter nodded. 

-Certainly, meneer. 

-Very well, two stoverijes, Westmalle for me and Delirium for mijn vrouw.-

Waiter nodded and walked back inside. 

-What did you order? Maybe I won't like it. I could honestly go for a burger right now.-Lina snapped. 

-Don't worry, it won't take long. It's one of Belgian national dishes and a cherry beer. You should try it at least once. - He replied 

-What did you call me?-she asked. Lina couldn't repeat it even if her life would depend on that. 

Liam wrinkled his forehead trying to recall his order. 

-Mijn vrouw? - Lina nodded.- It means my woman if to translate it literally, but also has a different meanings. 

Lina pulled a phone out of her bag and opened Facebook. 

-What are you doing, baby?- Liam asked. 

-Checking the news. - Lina replied not averting her gaze from the phone. 

-That's not very polite. I am right here and we could spend this time in conversation. - Liam pointed out. 

-Nope, I need to kill some time and to keep my mind occupied until i have my food. - she said and began to read posts chucking to herself sometimes. 

It was a new experience for Liam. Normally his dates would try to intrigue him and to spend every second charming him. But it was obvious for him that Lina got used to spending her days with him, it became natural for her and to his surprise, it felt natural for him as well. 

Ten minutes later waiter brought them their order and Lina rushed to eat it. 

-Ouch-she swallowed hard a first bite not feeling the taste.-Hoooot.-she moaned waving her hands to cool burned mouth. 

Liam laughed. 

-Slow down, nobody will steal it. - He said dipping a frie into stoverij sauce and sending it to his mouth. 

Lina frowned but slowed down and found herself enjoying taste of the food. After finishing she sipped her beer. 

-That's a good one. - she said relaxing into her chair and making a few more sips of fruity beer.-Can I have another one? 

-Careful, baby. It's called Delirium for a reason. - Liam said with a teasing smile. 

-Nothing will happen from two beers, Liam. 

He ordered another round but even before waiter brought it, Lina felt lightheaded, her head was spinning a bit. She let out a silly chuckle. 

- So good. I was really hungry. 

-Ha, no kidding. I thought that you are going to murder me if I don't  feed you In time. 

Lina finished second beer, her cheeks were burning, eyes shining. She moved her chair to the other side of the  table next to Liam and laid back. Liam rested his arm on the back of her sea and captured her lips with his. 

A kiss was becoming more and more passionate. 

-I want you, now. - she said into his mouth  feeling his erection through pants with her hand. 

Liam growled and abruptly stood up. He took a fifty euro bill out of the wallet, threw it on the table and pulled Lina out of the chair. 

-Hotel, now. - Liam said in low voice dragging her down the street. 

Next chapter

@indiacater @annekebbphotography @drakesensworld @hopefulmoonobject @jared2612 @carabeth @dcbbw

[weare-thewalkingdead]

The New Girl

Request Prompt: Can you do a Carl Grimes gif scenario where you're new to Alexandria and you're really pretty but badass too and Carl begins likes you? - Anon

Pairing: Carl Grimes x Reader

Warnings: Fluff

Y/N POV

Walking through the woods became a daily routine for me since my group was killed in the middle of the night by walkers. I came close to what seemed like a huge gate and saw a few walkers scratching at the metal. Pulling my knife, I approached the closest one before plunging my blade in it's skull. Repeating the process on the last few as the gate was pulled. I looked up curiously but was still alert in case they became hostile.

"I was coming to deal with them but it seems you have it down packed. I'm Aaron. Why don't you come inside. You can stay with us if you don't have a group.", He explained and I nodded. He introduced me to his group who welcomed me even though I am a stranger.

"I'm Rick. This is my son Carl and my wife Michonne. Welcome to Alexandria.", He smiled and I returned the gesture.

"How many people have you killed?", Carl asked and I shrugged.

"I don't know to be honest. But I've killed plenty of the dead.", I said and he nodded before disappearing in a house.

"We grow our own food. Teach the kids how to defend themselves in case something were to happen.", Rick told me as we walked up to a group of children watching two men practice fighting.

"They have to learn how to fight. It won't end well if they don't.", Carl stated as he carried a baby into the house I was standing in front of. Later that day I sat on the curb of the street just gathering my thoughts.

"They're probably being nice to me so I can let down my guard. Kill me in my sleep or something. I am alone."

"Something on your mind?", A voice asked and I jumped. I looked up to see Carl with a bandage over his eye. I hadn't noticed before but I quickly cleared my throat.

"No just wondering."

"About?"

"How do you make this work? Aren't you worried about people coming to try and take this away from you?", I questioned and he shrugged.

"We're ready for that too. My dad was always a take precautions kinda guy. We've met some crazy people during whatever this is. But we learned to adapt.", He told me and I sighed.

"Carl you mind going around the perimeter. Make sure the walkers aren't making a pile up.", Rick said interrupting us.

"No problem. What to come with. Learn the ropes?", He asked me and I nodded.

"Sure."

I walked behind the boy with my knife tucked in the holster on my hip. Following the gate I saw a few walkers so I quickly took them out before we we're noticed by the others.

"Not bad for a newbie."

"Hey, I can kill these things. Have been for awhile now."

"How long have you been out there?", He asked before killing a stray walker with ease.

"A few weeks maybe. My group got killed by those things in the middle of the night. Only reason I'm still here is because I had to pee.", I told him.

"Thank God for the bladder huh?", He said.

"Yeah. I always think of how I should've been there. But it's no use dwelling on the past.", I continued as scanned the area.

"Yeah but you surviving out here for weeks is pretty impressive. We've been moving from safe place to safe place for years now. Always hoping to get a slice of the old life back. So we make due.", He muttered

"That seems to be it.", I said as I sheathed my knife.

"For now. They always shamble back this way.", He replied and I gave a grin.

"Well you said it yourself, you're prepared for that kinda stuff. You people survive too. Like your eye, what happened there?", I asked and his gaze fell to the ground.

"Sorry.", I mumbled turning to go back to the gate. He reached out and grabbed my arm halting my steps with a sigh.

"It's okay. When we first arrived, the people here, there was no way they survive with their ways. So much Dad change a few things. Then a horde of walkers broke through. We had to sneak through the horde wearing gut covered sheets.", He started as he leaned on the wall.

"Sounds gross."

"Trust me the smell is horrible. But we lost 2 people. A woman Jessie and her son Sam. Her oldest son Ron blamed my dad for it and tried to shoot him but Michonne stopped him. He pulled the trigger and took my eye. But he's dead now so it doesn't matter anymore. Like I said, we make due.", He finished and I nodded.

"Adapt."

"What about you hm?", He asked and I frowned before lifting my shirt revealing an old gunshot wound.

"My group and I were attacked a while back. I took a bullet for my friend and stitched myself back up once we got to safety. He blamed himself for months and kept apologizing for not shooting that guy first. I told him to let it go because had I not jumped in front of him, he would've died that day.", I said and dropped my shirt.

"Well that's something we have in common. We both have been shot."

"And lived.", I giggled and he smiled.

"Let's head back. I'm sure my dad wondering what's taking us so long.", He said standing straight. I nodded as we walked back to the gate in silence. I could feel his eye on me so I turned to look at him with a confused frown.

"Is there blood on my face?"

"No. You're just nice to look at.", He said quietly with a blush.

"You too.", I mumbled running to the gate trying to hide my blush.

[yuki-yozora]

Variables - fanfic ( Underswap Papyrus x Reader ) (Chapter One)

 : !!:  Author's notes ◌ °: !!:

﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎

Hello darlings! ‧ ₊ ° “

If you don't want read the note, please, roll this part.

As I mentioned in the prologue, it's my first time doing an underswap fic, so I'd like your opinion. ˚ ˚ *

I'm doing it the way I think it would be Au if it was complete as well as the fangame, but that doesn't mean I'm 100% following its original forms. ‧ ₊ ° “

That said, I will do my best to stay faithful and make writing interesting and fun. *

The cover image was edited by me, I know it's not the best, but I tried. ° ⸼ ⊹

If I get the link or names of those who created the images I will make available. °

Remembering that I have profiles in tree communities of Undertale in pt br, if you see an Vivinare, something ( skeleton, boned or skelly) with the same post, it's me, don't be scared. ˚ ˚ *

· · ✦ · · · · · · · 1 Notices · · · · · ✦ · · · · · · ·

Fic will follow many of its original creator's ideas with some interpretations and theories of mine. Here's the link about the creator: Popcorn (His profile no longer exists, he made another and left Au, she belongs to fandom, basically)

CENSOR:

Not for fragile hearts.

CONTAINS

(in general): violence, bullying, subliminal jokes, slight depression.

GENRE:

Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Thriller & Romance

˚ ˚ * In this fanfic ⁺ ˚. *

1 Chara is a boy;

2 Has original characters.

˚ ˚ * This chapter presents ⁺ ˚. *

1 slight violence;

2 Citation to depression;

3 drama.

Attention:

Big chapter ahead.

﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎ ﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍﹎﹍ A year has passed… No news ... No trail ... not even false leads. (That fill us with hope just to take care of us.)

We.

I haven't used those words in so many days when referring to my life. Just one in the back, my brother was kidnapped. Chara was taken from me and taken where no one can find him. Your friends' parents shout accusations, as if I could hurt a single hair on your head:

"- It was certainly the oldest. After all, it's not the first death of the family. -"

Heh. People can be cruel.

We were four. He, the only boy and middle brother, only ten years old. The other oldest, Bianca, and the youngest, Daisy, were murdered by someone we trusted. Bianca's boyfriend, Elric, was on the Wizards Order. And to be accepted, the fire had to be fed with a precious commodity. He spent years fooling us into doing this… so that I could do that to him… That was two years ago. I tried to overcome my sadness, Elric was already under arrest, there was a Chara to be comforted. Gradually, our somewhat lonely new routine took shape. He made good friends who didn't judge him as many citizens: relatives of the children killed by the weirdo. Affectionate surname. We finally started to straighten up ... Until one day a couple broke into the house, terrified Doug, Chara's best friend, while frantically attacking me and the other taking my brother out of me in the blink of an eye. Despite my success in containing who attacked us, the other simply disappeared without a trace ...

It was like magic.

The search began in a human pursuit. All in vain. Police dropped the case in the fourth month, new ones were emerging. And there's no way to blame them for that (in a small, old town near the mountains, Ebottown had its high dose of violence.) The neighborhood avoided me as if infected with the plague and made a point of emphasizing how much I was despised. Escape, death. I thought of all this. But the spark of hope that he could come back kept me from leaving. And for that, I tolerate. All the antagonistic attitude of the neighborhood took me from my daily work. It just wasn't working, and my colleagues got angry every time my presence disturbed their eyes. To ensure basic survival, I accepted the night job offered by Luka, (The intimidating woman, the neighbor of the front house. Tall and powerful, with flawless black skin. Wearing her full hair or brightly colored turban, but there was always a vibrant purple, almost neon. His style of clothing was almost Gothic, spiders reminded me, for a strange reason.). The job was in a very elegant night bar serving colorful drinks and a space for parties or 'dances'. All the darkness and the bright alcohol made it difficult for people to recognize me, and anyone who dared to bother me was quickly arrested by the other bartenders or Luka, who was responsible for security. Strange to say that I felt more comfortable there than in my own home… loneliness ails me. Like now, a rainy day, with strong winds. Typical of the city. Interestingly on my day off. No strolling around, (Y/N).

* The rain outside is cold as your feelings and you know you don't deserve it.

A sigh and a roll of his eyes. I was annoyed myself. This whole situation, as if childhood turbulence was no longer enough, made the most frequent episodes of self-deprecation. Now it wasn't just my huge thighs or scars until I said enough. Or having tires in place of a perfect waist, or my abdomen getting easily swollen. No ... That's what I said, how I said it, how I breathed ... I probably needed help:

* But no one will come ...

I got. Luka was a good person, but I couldn't pour that much on her… I'm not worth it. With a flick of my tongue, I got up from the flowered carpet, centered in a bedroom entrance. I just went in there to clean, other than that, I watched the empty beds by the entrance, in silence. I closed the door carefully, looking back out of habit before going to the bathroom. A few gray floors peeled off the wall (cheap workmanship), the sink still full, but there were leaks in the pipe, the toilet was so bad it clogged up with the urine flush, the boxing was tiny, as if someone was trapping you in the closet while bathing you in cold water. Yes, the shower burned. At least I still have cute cabinets and a mirror….

Ah…

I looked into the mirror.

* After all, it's still you.

Long, curly hair, very messy and (h/c), with all the broken hair floating around (better known as fritz and he was too thin to be soft), reddish brown eyes (which weren't as red as Chara's) were probably the only things I liked about myself. Then we have my skin (s/c) very pale due to lack of sun exposure, random acne spreading, not in excess but bothering, deep dark circles, decorated with today's tear marks. A humorless laugh escaped my lips, his hand moving almost on its own, turning on the tap, rubbing the water over his face carefully. This is kind of dangerous, being alone with my sad thoughts.

" Finally. " I sighed, wiping my face on the nearest towel, hands then, as a painful smile crossed my face. " I have that." I tapped my side pocket of shorts where a deck of cards accompanied me everywhere.

It was like an extra part of me since Luka gave it to me, along with three other never-missing items: the black lipstick that Bianca wore when she came out with us, always in a pocket, the yellow ribbon of Daisy's hair on my head. her hair may look like a rattlesnake's nest, but she was always there.) and the weird book of basic flirtations that featured Chara as a pun and that he liked more than necessary (though small, no longer fit into pockets, so the his usual place next to my hip, between underwear and skin.)

I took advantage and wet my hair a little, as if he wasn't coming back to it later. Finishing up and getting some of the apparent melancholy from my face, I managed a hesitant smile at my reflection, but it returned to the cold look when something seemed to burst in the distance and the light went out. A blackout… when all I have to eat is frozen spaghetti and I'm out of gas.

So ... so ... perfect.

Worthy of a rainy day, which seemed to get stronger by the moment. Making a loud, unfamiliar sound, I emerged from the bathroom downstairs, using instincts to move without breaking anything. A kind of mind map danced in my mind, the matches in the cutlery and candles in the open closet seemed to light up like object-hunting games. I lit three candles that had already been used, then looked at the plate of food waiting to be warmed. Shaking my head gently, I put it in the fridge, even though it had no light to keep it intact, and pulled a jar of yogurt in place. This will be my dinner. Sitting at the round table with a prepared spoon, I began setting up the cards to play solitaire when I heard another noise. Much closer than the last. Slowly I took the cards from the table and stuffed them in my pocket, frowning.

A bang ... Coming from the room. Walking carefully, I approached, looking slowly out the door. My coffee table was split in half, the iron baseball bat stuck in the wood seemed to be the murder weapon. That stick was from Luka ...

More noise came from upstairs, my door still seemed to be closed. A kind of cold rose in my veins. This was strangely familiar. I looked around the room before going to the club and pulling it carefully.

* The Metal gave you a shiver of premonition.

I climbed the stairs, knowing exactly where to step so as not to make noise, but when I reached the top floor, I relaxed. The noise ceased. All doors remained closed, my room being the only exception. I peered through the door and, as I thought, he fled, as he had a year ago. The room was ruined, as if it had been a break-in party. The bed broke, the mattress was torn, as were my papers and the wardrobe on the floor, some scattered clothes, a strange substance staining the rug and writing on the wall: - You know where to find me. - My camping backpack, which I used during the research, and a book on the history of the city were in the center of the room. The open book, an image of Mount Ebott circulated there.

"... All right, all right. "

I grabbed the backpack and the book, going down and putting on my neon blue wellies before leaving. I looked at Luka's house and the staff in hand, then ran, just pushing open the door. I didn't have to walk much, she was in the middle of the room, which had several broken things. Concerned, I knelt beside her, almost panicked, but relieved when I saw her breathing. I used your phone to call the police, but decided not to wait. Finally, I have a clue. A chance to catch him. I needed to do this. I laid her on the couch and left a small note, leaving before I changed my mind.

* You are full of justice.

It was night when I started to cross the forest. The rain persisted above, making the cold run down my back. Sharp branches and thorns scraped my skin and ripped my clothes, but now I barely cared. I needed to continue. It wasn't long before I reached the clearing in front of the mountain, the place that started it all. Immaculate gray dust lay where the eternal fire lay. Not washed by rain, not carried by wind. Right there, waiting. I wiped something hot from my face and turned, the cock getting colder against my skin.

* You need to move on.

Gradually, I felt scratches burning, but I made sure they wouldn't be long enough to stop bleeding. As expected, climbing was not an easy task. The soaked, sloping ground was almost a waterfall of mud that made me slip and lose my balance as I stepped on the loose rocks. My hair, my legs, my clothes had mud on everything. I dropped to my knees as I reached one of the peaks, breathing hard as I looked into the dark cavern not far away. Lightning roused me from the trance I entered, so I started to get up, feeling someone watching me.

- It is not bad. -

With one hard blow, I tried to hit him behind me, a whistling noise was all I could get. My muscles tensed automatically with the evil laugh. " Not bad. " He sneered behind me again, his dark red cloak flapping violently in the wind, mocking his hands saluting me.

" What you want? " I growled. He started to laugh, part of his mouth visible, a large scar on the left side of his face, lips and chin. " Foolish child. You have no idea what you did when you attacked that wizard, do you? Knights are so ignorant. " He shook his head, like I was a lost cause. A gold stick with a ruby top appeared in his left hand. " So we agreed that you should be eradicated, like monsters. But you multiply like rabbits." His voice was thoughtful. " Anyway, it's trivial in our day ... But, how you attacked us ... A massacre is inevitable! " Another laugh followed.

* You have no idea what he is talking about, but decide to face him anyway.

" Does not matter. " I took a deep breath, making a decision. "I don't want to know your motives now." I watched the ruby light up with its magic. " Still ... You must be punished. "

With a speed I didn't know, I advanced and hit the club in his ribs, pushing it aside and giving him a breathlessness. A sigh of pain was all I heard before something moved away from him and fell to the muddy ground. I felt discomfort in my chest and arm, but got up without difficulty. Once again, I set off to attack, but dodging a red sphere he threw. It surprised me and the rodeo was not so successful, it scraped my arm and burned my skin. Others came and it was hard to get rid of them, the mud at my feet making me slip all the time. Adrenaline took over my body and I felt even faster, confident, almost enjoying fighting, the steady pace: side, side, spin, jump, run, roll, attack, lose. It wasn't long before I hit his face, an uncomfortable, muffled sound sounded around us, something that looked like a tooth flew away from him. He withdrew closer to the cave, making me follow him cautiously. That smile sent mixed emotions in my core. Suddenly, many spheres formed and advanced against me at high speed, barely leaving room for evasion. One of them hit me in the belly and the pain I felt was masked by the lack of mobility. No matter how much I moved, I couldn't leave the place.

" Finally. " He hardly seemed to have such a hoarse voice that he seemed. " You slippery trash. " He approached, holding his stomach, sweat mixed with rain, some blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. " Now. " He gripped my face tightly, the team being torn from me and thrown into some dark corner. " Come . " My body began to float, following it to the cave. " Com'on, not look at me like that. I'll tell you a secret. " He laughed. It wasn't too deep, there were flowers scattered all over the floor, all golden flowers, I think, a smaller hole in the ceiling where the rain fell and a larger, very dark hole in the floor. On the walls, several inlaid crystals gave the lighting a mystical feel. Suddenly I was hurled, slipping on the floor and ruining some flowers, stopping right at the edge of the hole. Barely able to move, I lifted my face to face him. I was completely defenseless. There was a macabre smile on his face, his now visible eyes glowing with blood red. "Your brother is just waiting." He whispered. " Go get him. -" And a kick threw me in my death. Soon, only darkness painted my world.

*It's the end.

· · · · · · · · · · · · · End notes

My english is very beginner, so i'm using the help of google translator. If anyone with available time can help me review, I appreciate it. (Y/N) - your name (h/c) - hair color (s/c) - skin color More legends will be added in the future! Word Count: About 2,880 If i use any images similar to the game can be found on the Gamejolt website. They do not belong to me.

[boundforwarp]

Concave mirror

Wondering. Wandering for hours, where am I? I recognize this place, but... It's a little fuzzy.

The city is quite dark, the sight of empty streets and their lamps shining not too high from above fill me with the oddest warmth. There isn't a lot here, what exactly did it want me to come here for? It stated that some sort of exact is to be found at the first elementary school I ever went to. I guess I'll head there, but this variation of town does have a certain air to it, I almost want to stay for a bit longer to see what else it could be hiding. A figure hides itself in my peripheral, quickly disappearing the second my eyes dart to it. Dang, I've never been quick enough to clearly make out what exactly it is.

There are a ton of memories here, passing by the public swimming pool reminds me of fun times with my siblings. None of us ever failed to shine with enthusiasm here, we were simply children who wanted to have fun. Our parents however, well, that was a different story in retrospect. Neither of them were having any fun at all.

Just past the pool is a field accompanied by a public park. Ahh, nothing brings me back more than this park. This place hosts a variety of some of my earliest memories. Like a time when my young mind decided to go down a metal slide, not realizing how momentum works, it is safe to say that my knee didn't really have a fun time. My siblings and I never failed to hurt ourselves here on accident, mostly due to having such insane energy. I'm happy that we made these memories, our parents though, I'm not so sure.

And finally, the street that has seen many wonderful halloween's. One of our last real halloween's, my oldest sister couldn't join because of her school studies. Sad, but also good to know just how responsible she is, the rest of us made it up to her by getting as much candy as we could. She was the most wonderful sister to all of us. Did our parents see her the same? I'm unsure of.

After going down this street I'm met with the school I attended as a young child. The green accents that accompany this building's beige colour has always fascinated me. What's interesting about this variation is that, despite being surrounded with the odd shadowy air of this dream's environment, the school itself remains unchanged. What exactly is hiding in there? What did I need to protect so much at the depths of my mind?

An uneasy feeling slowly arises as the entrance opens. Everything is as exactly how I remember it. The main office stationed on the right as soon as you walk in, and to the left just down the hall is the old food dispenser. Straight ahead being the entrance to the gym, and the library. The walls are filled with countless forms of native art. I can hear it. I can hear it calling my name, towards the kindergarten room, where I used to fall asleep and read dr. seuss books. This is the clearest memory, where it happened. Almost like it was yesterday.

I make my way down the hall, staring at the boot room just beside the room itself, looking and remembering my daily exit routine of putting my jacket on after getting outside. Recalling how that even in the spring time, I would still wear winter boots. Sometimes other kids would point out how my shirt would be both inside out and backwards. It's a little funny remembering how odd I was as a child.

It calls to me, and as I slowly open the door, my eyes close, it is hard to even see this room without wanting to break down. But this is important, I must carry on with the pain. If it has summoned me to this room, then the situation is likely dire for me.

My eyes slowly open to reveal a figure in the corner of my eye, where I used to fall asleep. I don't bother to dart my gaze towards it. If anything, the process in looking at it is almost forced back by hesitation. But this needs to happen.

Reluctantly, focus slowly shifts to the figure. And it's someone I know, from this era of time. It simply sits on the floor where I used to sleep. A shadowy aura filling the air around it, it pats a spot on the floor for me to sit. What is it going to tell me?

As soon as I sit down, it stares into me. For some reason this makes me feel more comfortable.

"Wanderer, listen to my plea. You are forgetting more and more, the events that took place here cannot be left unturned forever."

There must be something I'm missing here.

"Please persist, you are well aware of what it means to live. It is not optimal for you to let my very being prevent you from living. You shouldn't let what happened here bother you so much, I need you to move passed this. If you do not, our survival is not guaranteed."

There is a slight bit of rumbling around us, kind of like an earth quake. What's happening here?

"Wanderer, please, start doing things for yourself again. You are rotting from the inside out, this place is the first to fall of many if you do not do anything. I believe that you can do it. I know that you can do it. No one else can. There is still time."

Is it saying...

It's saying that if I choose to idle by what's happened here, it might kill me.

It's telling me to start living again, to move forward. I think I get it. I feel like the entire school is going to collapse at any second.

"And remember, no one else but you can truly help yourself."

Suddenly I fall through the floor, down a very dark hole. This is a giant empty space, where am I falling to? I turn my head towards my fall and, I see her, waiting patiently. She looks up at me and as I nearly hit the ground.

I wake up

[mystisnykoto]

The Outsiders - Chapter 02

Illumination Information

Iris stepped toward the door, watching as people dressed similar to her and Ruri walked about as if nothing was strange. The lines of their suits all seemed to glow various colors, some even with a pulsing rainbow shimmer to them. Iris looked around to see what looked like small pixels falling as rain from the sky above, as they turned to a static ripple with a metallic ping when hitting the ground. Many walked with umbrella with them to hide under, while many others did not, and seemed to run through the weather. Ruri stepped up behind Iris, looking around to the people outside, hiding herself behind her wife.

“I-is it safe out there?” Ruri asked as she looked to all the people walking around. “I-it's like we're all naked in here...” Ruri sheepishly spoke, poking only her eyes out from behind Iris' shoulder.

“It looks safe enough, and I don't think we'll need to worry too much about how we look,” started Iris as she motioned to the other people. “Everyone seems to wear the same outfit, we should be fine.” Iris stepped forward, reaching out a hand to guide Ruri outside. “Nothing to be scared of honey, no one will worry about your outfit.” Ruri looked to Iris' glowing hand, as she nodded slowly and gripping tightly. Her tail hung low and curled around Iris' leg, scared and nervous about her new surroundings. “I wonder... is there some place we can go to ask about missing people?”

“M-maybe a police st-station?” Ruri replied, looking at a number of people standing in booths on the sides of the street. “Is this, s-some sort of marketplace?” Ruri looked to a nearby vendor, holding his hand up in the air while reciting the same phrase in an emotionless voice.

“Network security is important to you and your loved ones, transmit data here for more information.”

“Submit your data here for daily funny jokes, oldest on the network since... error...” spoke another vendor, as his face seemed to distort and scrambled as he spoke out error, and then repeating.

“This place... they don't seem to sell any sort of actual goods...” started Iris as she passed another set of booths. “They just trade information.” A sound groaned out from behind Iris as she looked over to Ruri, an uncomfortable grin crossing her face as she clung tight.

“Ca-can you find one with something to eat... I was waiting for you to be home before eating dinner...” Ruri groaned as she scanned across the other vendors.

“I'll look around for something... let's ask this person,” spoke Iris as she stepped up to a booth with a pink haired girl behind the counter. “E-excuse me miss,” started Iris as the woman quickly spoke out her standard phrase.

“Welcome to Frans's Fashion, highest fashion for any need. Transmit your data for more information...” the pink-haired girl spoke.

“H-hi, umm... we would love to see your clothes, but do you know some place we can get something to eat?” Iris asked, as she waited for the girl's response.

“Welcome to Fran's Fashion...” she started to repeat as Iris waited for her to finish.

“Ye-yes, but do you know where we can eat something around here?”

“Transmit your data...” spoke the girl again, motioning to a plate with a glowing hand print on it. Iris looked to the place and then back to the girl, her look softening, with a hint of worry behind it. “Transmit.... your data...���

“O-okay...” spoke Iris as she slowly placed her hand to the panel, feeling a small buzz and shock travel through her. She recoiled her hand, as the girl smiled back.

“Thank you for your data, please standby...” spoke the girl as a series of beeping noises sounded, and a second person appeared next to all of the clerks in each of the booths. Iris and Ruri looked around, startled by what had just happened as a pair of hands gripped Iris' shoulders. “Nooo! Why did you do that! You're pink! You should kno-” she tried to get out before all of the original clerks vanished in a flash of light, as residual pixels fluttered in the air.

“We're... pink?” asked Ruri as she looked over her hands, admiring the glowing pink lines. “What does that have to do with trying to get some help?” Ruri looked up at Iris, clutching tighter as a group of walked down the street towards Ruri and Iris.

“Good delicious data, even better when it's dumb and not secured,” spoke the first man leading the group. “And have a lot of it in there, I will get my hands on it...” spoke the man as he pulled a glowing knife from his cloak. “No one will miss you...” Iris shifted, pushing Ruri behind her. Iris' eyes narrowed, as she took count of the crowd of five before her. All the while, the shop clerks continued to recite their store phrases, as a doorway ripped open in the air behind Ruri. The pink-haired girl leaned out, holding her hand towards Ruir and Iris.

“In here, now!” she shouted as Ruri looked up to Iris, nodding together as the dashed through the doorway behind the mysterious girl.

                                                                                                          “What... is this place?” asked Iris, as she and Ruri followed behind the girl. They traveled down a mostly empty street, save for the few random people sitting in alleys, their own suit weakly glowing pink, some of them with distortions and artifact scattering on their faces.

“You must be really new data to not know that much,” spoke the girl. “It's The Net, all of the different systems from the Allagan empire all link together and talk. We share data and information, and... well this is it.” Iris groaned, letting the girl know of her displeasure. “What's the matter? It's not my fault you don't know how to manage your data properly!”

“You TOLD me to do it!” Iris shouted back angrily. “You said the give you my data and you would help us!”

“That? That was just the script that I have to run for work, geez you two really need better Operators.” Ruri moaned loudly, rubbing her belly again as the trio neared an open door, with white light spilling out from it. The pink-haired girl sighed as they approached, turning to look over to Ruri and Iris. “Look, I saw your data, I know that you're barely a few revos old. But you already getting into trouble with putting your data out there, and doing it on an unsecured connection no less...” The girl paused before the open door, looking Iris in the eyes. “We'll go talk to my uncle, he should be able to help make sense of this better than I can.”

“That's good, because none of this is making any sense to me...” spoke Ruri as she rubbed her stomach. Iris spoke softly to Ruri, trying to help assure her that things would be getting better.

“What's wrong with her, she got a virus or something?” asked the girl.

“Noooo, I'm hungry!” Ruri whined. “Are you sure we can't stop somewhere for at least a small snack?”

“We'll stop some place soon sweetheart, they should have something around here, I hope,” replied Iris, looking over to the girl.

“Hungry? I... what's that?” the girl asked, as Iris gave her a dumbfounded look.

                                                                                                               “Come in, come in little Hanna! It has been far too long!” spoke an elderly man coming to the door. “Are these your friends? So good to see you with new friends!” the man spoke as he motioned for Iris and Ruri to step forward. “Come here, let me...” stalled the old man, as he looked over the pair.

“Best be careful around that green girl, I think she has a virus or something,” spoke Hanna as she swiped her hair back from her eyes.

“No, child... this is something else entirely... Come in, quickly, and lock the door.” The man moved with a seriousness and quickened pace not seen previously, as he checked over the different entrances and windows. “Tell me Hanna, what do you know of the fable The Outsiders?” The girl shrugged looking over to her uncle and back to the Valeths.

“I dunno, they come from the world beyond, act funny and strange, and they can do whatever they want,” Hanna scratched her head glancing between Ruri and Iris. “Are you trying to tell me, that these two dummies are Outsiders? Uncle, they don't even know how to secure their connections, and you mean to think they will break the script?” Hanna grabbed a small cube from a bowl on a table, quickly popping it in her mouth as Ruri's ears perked up at the sight of the girl eating. Hanna's suit lines rippled a bright blue, as Ruri's eyes locked on the cubes.

“Hang on, what?” Iris spoke up, shaking her head. “We're just trying to find a friend, and something to eat. We aren't here for starting a revolution.”

“So, you did come from the other world?” asked Hanna, as she crept closer to the pair. “From the non-digital place?” Ruri looked over to Hanna, and to the bowl of glowing cubes on the table. Hanna bounced in close to Iris, looking over every angle she could of the hyur. “What is it like over there? Do they have revo-cubes there? What about puppies? Do you have puppies out there? What abou--” she rambled as her uncles cut her off.

“Later, child. First, this is important for both of you,” spoke the man as he pointed a cautionary finger towards Iris as he reached over with his other hand to slap Ruri's hands. Ruri dropped the cube from her hand, barely an inch away from her mouth. “Don't. Eat. Anything!”

“Oww hey!” Ruri protested. “It's just a snack, and I'm starving!”

“If you want to go home, you won't touch it!” the man snapped back. Ruri slumped to the floor as Iris stepped over and sat next to her. “Two, don't do anything that would make some of this world's data become mixed with your own. And three, don't spend too long in here. Spending more than two days in here at a time will cause enough background corruption to you data that your terminal won't recognize your data as you.”

“Meaning...?” asked Iris, biting her lip as she was afraid of the answer she was about to hear.

“Meaning you won't be going home if you don't follow these rules,” the man spoke sternly, looking to Ruri and the cube sitting on the floor a few inches in front of her.

“How do you know of all this?” asked Iris, flicking the cube away from Ruri, as the miqo'te let out a soft whimper. The man sighed, looking to Hanna before looking back to Iris.

“I used to be an Outsider, like you, and I have trapped myself here...”

(Previous Chapter)          (Next Chapter)

Huge thanks to my friend Hanna for helping with screenshots and being just awesome

[mrbiglong3000]

My wife disappeared a few weeks ago, and she isn't coming back

The night my wife disappeared was... rough, for a variety of reasons.

I've lived my life to this point with the faint suspicion that I may be cursed. Bad things just... happen to me. A coffee will spill on my lap when I'm wearing white slacks. I won't notice cat hair on a dark blouse until I'm nearly at work, and just as I pull into a parking space, I'll remember that my wife borrowed it and put it into her purse instead of mine. I've purchased randomly generated lottery tickets with every single number just one digit away from the jackpot on more than one occasion.

'But wait,' I can already hear you saying, 'if your life is so cursed, then how have you managed to see any kind of success? If you wear a blouse and slacks to work, surely you must at least make a decent wage.' Well, that boils down to two factors, factors that have made me question both my suspicion and my sanity on numerous occasions- negativity bias, and the frequency at which my 'curse' strikes. I can remember plenty of times where I've been shot in the foot by what, to the uninformed, appears to be simple coincidence, but these instances are spaced out just enough to keep onlookers chuckling and shaking their heads. 'You just need to look on the bright side of things!' I've heard it a million times, and even if it's frustrating at times, it's true, really. Once you live like this long enough, you learn to laugh some of the less painful missteps off. It's easier that way.

That was how I met my wife, hilariously enough. It was a hot day- August, if memory serves- and I was just out of work. There was a little popsicle cart that typically rolled through the park around 5pm or so, and well, hey, I'm a sucker for cherry. I had my prize unwrapped and was just about to cram the thing down my throat in an attempt to drop my internal temperature as fast as possible when my phone's message ringtone went off. In retrospect, it was kind of a dumb move, but I let my popsicle hang from my mouth as I fished my phone from my purse and hurried to respond to what was surely an urgent email and not some shitpost from my younger sister. Turns out, though, that it was indeed the latter- and, well, shitpost or not, my sense of humor's been warped for years. I don't remember what it was precisely, but whatever it was, it was enough to make me snort without thinking, and that action let my already-melting popsicle slip from my mouth. I dropped my phone back into my purse on instinct and juggled the popsicle for a few seconds, but it slipped from my hands and onto the ground with a heart-wrenching smack, stopping just long enough on my lap to leave a nice, bright-red stain on the knee of my brand new khakis.

The pants I didn't really care about- spend enough years spilling anything and everything on yourself and you'll eventually learn what Borax is and how to use it- but the popsicle? That was heartbreaking. Sure, it only cost, what, a dollar? But I was hot, I was tired from a long day, I hadn't eaten lunch at work since that time I got food poisoning on the clock and lost my cookies on my desk so my blood sugar was probably low, and my favorite flavor of popsicle just splattered all over the nasty, pigeon-shit covered path. I'm not too proud to admit that I almost started crying. Almost. I didn't actually cry, just... stared at the broken popsicle on the ground, the way the sweet, melting juice cascaded between the brick pavers before it reached the grass and leached into the soil. Maybe I was grounding myself in a way, following the juice's path with my eyes to keep from focusing on the disappointment, but I sure must have looked like a fucking lunatic doing it. I leaned my elbows on my knees and closed my eyes for a minute, for the sake of maintaining composure, and I didn't look up until I felt a tap on my shoulder.

She was gorgeous- dark hair pulled up in a curly ponytail and a warm, if somewhat tired-looking smile. A brief glance at her clothes told me she was a jogger, but that wasn't really the important part. She was offering me something- a popsicle. I could even make out the red through the wrapper. Apparently, she'd seen my little juggling act from a distance, and she said the look on my face made her feel bad enough to buy me a replacement. She got one for herself, too, and we ended up sitting for a while and just chatting, Borax and daily exercise be damned. Before she left, we swapped numbers, and that was how it all started, with a random act of kindness for an exhausted stranger. After a month, we were at each others' apartments constantly, within six, we'd moved in together, and by the end of the next year, I was looking at rings. We balanced everything about each other. I was neat where she was a bit on the messy side. I couldn't cook worth a damn- and I still can't- but her oldest brother went to culinary school and taught her everything she knows. I had a tendency to think about myself, to worry about how I looked and how I stood out, but she was the most giving person I'd ever met. She even made a habit of giving blood every two months or so. She said she'd started to make ends meet, but once she was financially stable, she just kept doing it. She said she liked knowing that she was doing something good. My luck even seemed to get better after that day, believe it or not. It was almost funny to think about, but in a way, my curse had blessed me with the chance to meet her, and once I did, it was almost as if it dissipated entirely.

That brings us to now- we've been married for two years, and we were even looking into fostering. We agreed we were going to seek older children, both for the sake of moving a kid out of the system and to be sure we wouldn't need to juggle a puppy and a baby. Who needs to potty train one tiny life after another, y'know? Plus, it would be nice knowing we got a kid out of a pipeline to failure. We weren't rich by any means, but we were comfortable, and we could certainly grant an elementary-age child a life they may not get somewhere else.

I had to stay late at work that night. One of the downsides of moving up the corporate ladder is, well, sometimes it means there's more work to be done, I guess. I'm not sure if it's my direct superior offloading tasks he doesn't want to do onto me, or if I'm just adjusting, but I digress. I was late. She knew about that- I'd texted her saying as much- and dinner would be on the table just as I was getting home. Or, it would have been, if I hadn't needed to stop for gas. Oh, well. I'd be a few minutes later than I'd promised, a habit I was doing my best to break, but at least I caught it before my car ran dry entirely and I wound up out of gas somewhere stupid again.

In retrospect, I should have sped home. Maybe if I was there, I could have done something. I keep telling myself that it wasn't my fault, that I had no way of knowing what was going to happen, because that's the most logical way to see the situation, but...

The apartment was still when I got home. Dinner was on the stove, still warm in the pot and covered to keep it that way, but the television was off, and the silence burned in my ears. She liked... likes. She likes to listen to music when she cooks. She told me when we started dating that too much quiet unnerved her, and in that moment, I finally understood what she meant. I left the kitchen, flipping the hall light on as I passed the switch, and the smell started to reach me just as I got to the bedroom door. It was closed, and I stopped with my hand on the knob. I knew I didn't want to open that door. The feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that this wasn't some romantic surprise. There was a taste in the air not unlike the one a nosebleed leaves behind, metallic and tacky and unpleasant, overpowering the heavy, savory scent of garlic from the alfredo sauce left on the stove. Still, I knew that if I didn't open it, I couldn't rest. Almost as if I was on autopilot, I twisted the knob and pushed inward.

The room was dark, lit only by the ambient glow seeping between the blinds from the street outside and a dim arc cast through the doorway by the bulb down the hall. As soon as the door was open, the smell hit me like a freight train; if I'd thought it was strong in the hallway, this was overbearing, as if someone was kneeling on my chest and forcing me to breathe with my head in a sack full of hot, wet pennies. I was so thrown by the stench that I almost didn't notice the sound at first, a faint squish in the far corner. I did not turn on the light, and what I could see, I wish I hadn't. The carpets that were lit were stained deeply, almost the same bright red as my knee some three years prior, but not quite. It's almost funny, the way memories tie together like that. I did not laugh.

I wish I could say I turned on the light, confronted whatever was in that darkened corner, done... something. I wish I could say that I'd lifted the bedside lamp and hurled it at the shuddering mass in that bedroom, if only to stop the sound of its chewing for a second. I wish I could say I'd done anything at all, but I can't. And I didn't. I closed the bedroom door, stepped back into the hall, and left the way I'd came, not even bothering to lock the apartment behind me or so much as close the door. I didn't snap out of that trance until I was in the car again, driving nowhere in particular, just... somewhere that wasn't home. I got a call from the police not long after. Apparently, a few neighbors heard screaming and called the cops, and when they arrived and investigated, they found our door wide open and a trail of blood leading from the bedroom out to the balcony. Nothing else. No body, no perpetrator, nothing. Just a bloodied floor and a puppy cowering in the corner of the bathtub in a puddle of his own piss.

I came back later that night to pick up my dog. Poor guy was shaking like a leaf for ages, practically refused to leave the bathroom on his own. The cops ended up carting him out in my jacket, if only to make their investigation a little bit easier without a puppy in the way. I don't know why I wasn't shaking, too. I guess that made them suspicious, but when they questioned me, I had an alibi. Around the time the first neighbor called, I was still getting gas. I'm on CCTV feeds from three different cameras, all timestamped and verified by the cashier working that evening. I found out next that it was, indeed, my wife's blood in the carpets. The tests came back later and, when compared against her donor records, it was a match. That's... that's where the investigation ran dry. They never found a body, nor any witnesses other than the neighbors who heard the scream.

In the silence of the car trip to my parents' house that night, I found myself falling back into old thought patterns, obsessive ideas that refused to leave my brain no matter how little sense they made. I managed to keep them at bay until I pulled into the driveway behind my little sister's car and my phone rang out with the quiet chime of a message alert. Numb, I lifted my phone from the center console and unlocked it. I had one new text message, from a number I recognized. It was my wife's, and in that moment, I knew that what I saw was real, and no amount of searching would ever bring her home.

12:51 AM-

Thanks for dinner.

[dsfsposts]

Is a Bamboo Toothbrush Right for You?

As more and more people reconsider plastic products, bamboo toothbrush isbecoming a popular alternative to the plastic kind. We produce more than 359 million metric tons of plastic every year, and a lot of it ends up in landfills. Plastic isn't designed to break down. Some plastic products like straws and toothbrushes are difficult to recycle. Bamboo toothbrushes aren't a new product, but before you make the switch, find out more about why bamboo may be an excellent alternative to reduce plastic waste at home.

What is a bamboo toothbrush?

Bamboo toothbrushes are manual toothbrushes, similar in design to what you would find on any store shelf. A bamboo toothbrush has a long handle and bristles to remove food debris and plaque from your teeth. The critical difference is that the long handle is made from more sustainable bamboo instead of plastic.

Bamboo toothbrushes are one of the oldest types of toothbrushes. The earliest toothbrushes were made in China using bamboo and other natural materials, like using boar's hair for the bristles. Today's bamboo toothbrushes use nylon for the bristles like most toothbrushes today. Some manufacturers still use boar's hair for the bristles or infuse the bristles with activated charcoal.

Are bamboo toothbrushes better for the environment?

Bamboo does have a smaller ecological footprint than plastic because bamboo plants grow quickly, regrowing what was taken for the production of the toothbrush. Bamboo is also biodegradable if used in its raw form, such as for toothbrush handles.

When the nylon bristles are removed, bamboo toothbrush handles can be composted, reused as garden plant markers, or other household uses! However, just like plastic toothbrush handles, they will take up space in a landfill if just thrown away.

Fully biodegradable toothbrushes do exist, with natural fibers for the bristles. Keep in mind that these natural bristles tend to be rougher than nylon bristles, possibly causing wear on your enamel and contribute to receding gums. Speak to your dental hygienist about biodegradable toothbrushes or environmentally-friendly toothbrushes, and they may have recommendations.

Are bamboo toothbrushes good for my teeth?

Bamboo toothbrushes can be just as good for your teeth as plastic toothbrushes. When choosing any kind of toothbrush, consider the size of the head, the shape of the handle, and the bristles. Toothbrushes that can easily fit into the narrow areas of your mouth with soft bristles and a comfortable handle are the best.

You should replace your toothbrush every three to four months or if there is visible damage to the bristles. Replacing your old toothbrush with a new one will help keep your teeth clean. Suppose you have more questions about switching to a bamboo toothbrush. In that case, your dental hygienist can make other recommendations that will keep your mouth healthy while considering plastic waste.

BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH BENEFITS: WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THE SWITCH

It was while I was growing up that ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ became popular. The movement toward being aware of, and protecting, our environment came of age and everyone was looking at ways to lessen our impact on the environment. These days we have evolved to a place where we’re looking for alternatives to materials that harm our environment. One of the best kids bamboo toothbrush benefits is that it is a renewable resource that is grown organically; one of the most environmentally friendly products available.

Bamboo Toothbrush Benefits

Bamboo toothbrush benefits encompass more than just the actual contribution to saving the environment. There is also the conscientiousness of knowing that actions you are taking will preserve plants and trees, rivers and streams, far into the future.

Six Reasons To Switch To A Bamboo Toothbrush

There are a number of reusable hotel bamboo toothbrush benefits to convince you to switch from what you’re using now to bamboo:

Biodegradable. Bamboo is biodegradable. Unlike plastic, which can take up to 1000 (!) years to decompose, bamboo can decompose in as little as 4 months (although it will likely take 3 to 4 years). Knowing that you are using a material that will biodegrade so quickly is the number one reason to switch to a bamboo toothbrush.

Renewable resource. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. It is an infinitely renewable resource ensuring that the supply not diminish and that we are not removing a vital plant in the eco-system from the world.

Antimicrobial properties. This one is definitely a little controversial. ‘Bamboo kun’ is a natural substance within bamboo that helps the plant grow and mature quickly before harvesting. It’s not understood, however, if these antimicrobial properties continue after harvesting or after being transformed into household objects or fabric. It remains, however, an interesting point.

Longevity. Lest you be concerned that a material that degrades so quickly might not be reliable; let me alleviate that. Bamboo toothbrushes last as long as, or longer, than plastic toothbrushes of the same type. Bamboo is strong, resilient, and reliable for far longer than the recommended 3 or 4 month replacement rate for toothbrushes. You may be more inclined to heed that recommendation knowing that bamboo is so biodegradable and good for the environment.

Affordability. Bamboo toothbrushes aren’t any more expensive than a good quality plastic toothbrush! You can pick one up for the same couple of bucks you were going to spend anyway.

Environmentally friendly. This deserves mentioning again. Not only is bamboo efficiently biodegradable, it’s also infinitely renewable, and is strong, resilient, and reliable – making it one of the most environmentally friendly materials out there.

Things to Like:

Recycled, biodegradable packaging

Activated charcoal embedded bristles

Smooth surface for a good mouthfeel

These environmentally friendly, biodegradable biodegradable family bamboo toothbrush is also cruelty free and vegan friendly. You can be sure that your impact on the world is limited when using these daily.

The best part about these toothbrushes is that they work as well as regular, plastic toothbrushes. The BPA free bristles clean effectively and are long lasting. They are charcoal infused; which is thought to help in preventing bacteria build up in the toothbrush between cleanings. The handle is strong and smooth for a good mouth feel.

Each individually wrapped toothbrush is embossed with a number; to help each member of your family know which toothbrush is theirs.

10 Amazing Benefits of Combing Your Hair with a Wooden Comb

Nature has bestowed us with many good things, and wood is one of them. Apart from being used in various ways to make our lives more comfortable, wood can also be carved into combs and used for grooming our tresses. From time immemorial, people have been using wooden combs to maintain the health and beauty of their mane. Here are some amazing benefits of using a wooden comb:

1. A Healthy Scalp

A healthy scalp supports healthy locks, and one of the natural ways of taking care of your scalp is by using a wooden comb. When you use a wooden comb to brush your hair, it presses against your scalp and triggers the acupuncture points and also gives a massage to your scalp. All this proves to be good for the overall blood circulation to your scalp and proves to be of great benefit for your hair.

2. Nourishes the Hair

If you are wondering how a sandalwood comb benefits your hair, well, whenever you use a wooden comb instead of a plastic comb, the natural oils present in your scalp get equally distributed across your tresses. Using a wooden comb not only reduces the chances of hair breakage and hair fall but it also helps to make your hair shinier, bouncer and healthier.

3. Promotes Hair Growth

If you wish to have healthy and long tresses, then do try using a wooden comb. This is because a wooden comb improves the blood flow to your scalp, which in return helps the hair follicles get optimum nutrients. It also helps in eliminating or removing impurities by regulating the production of sebum.

4. Prevents Greasiness

Most of us may be battling a greasy scalp, which results from the uneven distribution of natural oils secreted by sebaceous glands. However, when you use a wooden comb, the oil gets evenly distributed not only across your scalp but also across the length of your hair. This leaves your hair less greasy or oily in comparison to what may occur after using a plastic or PVC comb.

5. Prevents Breakage and Hair Loss

Using a wooden comb may prove better for your hair than a plastic comb. This is because a wooden comb slides smoothly through the hair, leading to less breakage and damage. Also, it has wider bristles, which move easily through the hair. That reduces friction and helps in detangling the hair in a better way.

6. Prevents Dandruff

Dandruff can be a very annoying scalp problem and a never-ending battle with the white scaly flakes. However, using wooden combs can help you prevent this issue because it is not only gentler and softer on your hair and scalp, but also prevents any harm to the scalp that may be caused due to friction, cuts or nicks.

7. Removes Foreign Particles and Dirt from Hair

Pear wood comb is very common for our hair to attract dirt or foreign particles. However, using a wooden comb can help in getting rid of these. This is because unlike metal or plastic combs that attract such substances because of the heavy charge in them, wooden combs may easily help in clearing any such substances from your hair and scalp.

8. Prevents Allergies

Plastic or metal combs may sometimes irritate or cause an allergic reaction on the skin. If you have a sensitive scalp, then using a wooden comb may be a wise thing to do. This is because these combs are made with natural components and some of these even come with a protective coating. Hence, they are less likely to irritate or cause any kind of allergic reaction on your scalp as compared to plastic combs.

9. Prevents Static Damage

Static is one of the worst things that can happen to your hair because it makes your hair more prone to damage and breakage. This condition becomes more pronounced when you use metal or plastic combs. However, wooden combs prevent your tresses from getting static and thus prove to be better for your hair.

10. Adds Bounce

If you are wondering what the various neem-wood comb benefits are, well, a neem comb or any wooden comb can give you bouncy tresses. When you use a wooden comb regularly, your scalp will be nourished with proper blood circulation and optimum blood circulation. Together, all this will lend a healthy bounce to your hair.

Kraft Boxes Types and Their Advantages

In today's world, there are a variety of different types of kraft paper box on the market, often used for different purposes such as shipping, gifts, and packaging. However, the Kraft boxes are the most popular paper boxes that apply to the diverse range of packaging.

The Kraft boxes change our world through their various packaging uses. They bring convenience to our lives when it comes to packing so many different products. Although there is a variety of custom carton packaging on the market today, many customers still prefer packaging boxes made of Kraft paper. First, Kraft boxes are environmentally friendly because they are made of high-quality pine materials. These Kraft boxes are completely recyclable. Second, Kraft boxes are strong enough to safely preserve and transport products inside them. Third, pine wood pulp plays a very important role in the manufacture of high-quality products. In addition, the use of Kraft materials is not harmful to the ecosystem.

Kraft paper is the material that makes these Kraft boxes, which is why they are named after it. Every industry has a variety of boxes made of Kraft paper, many of which you can't even imagine. Their wide range of uses provides us with a variety types Kraft boxes. Here let me share the top 10 Kraft boxes types and their advantages with you.

This kind of Kraft box is fold-able and flat shipped boxes. They are very commonly used Kraft box style, it has a Kraft paper sleeve and a sliding drawer, both are folded with a piece of Kraft paper. The sleeve can also be made of clear plastic, our store supply this kind Kraft boxes in a number of colors and sizes, you can click below image and shop now.

We can notice this type of Kraft boxes in almost all types of stores. From confectionery shops to cosmetics, decorations and even grocery stores, this Kraft box is available on their counter-tops. The advantage of using these Kraft boxes is to attract customers and enhance their impulsive purchases. Even in big brand stores, the reception desk has these Kraft boxes for advertising purposes. Because these boxes don't require much space to place. So they are very popular with sellers. These counter display Kraft boxes can be customized to any size and shaped advertising panel to suit packing various products in the market. They are a great way to brand your products.

We all know the jewelry box in rigid chipboard or plastic. Also, Kraft boxes are another packaging made for the jewelry business. Jewelry Kraft boxes are best suited affordable packaging for storing jewelry or selling handmade jewelry on the market to make a profit. Popular jewelry brands are using these boxes to differentiate their brands from other brands. A simple and natural Kraft box with white foam insert is a nice choice for protecting and organizing the jewelry like necklace, earrings to stand out their luster.

Together with cosmetics, these Kraft boxes are perfect suit. We are well aware that products that need to be used on the skin require quality packaging to protect their internal products. As a result, we often see Kraft cartons for lipstick, mascara, eye shadow and foundation in our daily lives.

[crimsonslytherin]

I’ll Be Your Reason - Chapter 14

(First) - (Previous)  

Words: 4334

A/N: Please Note I used some parts from the book.

The early morning of his birthday, about an hour after he’d turned 13, Harry leaned on the sill of his open bedroom window to look up at the night sky. He’d been working on one of the essays that had been assigned over the summer. Harry was only able to work on his homework really late at night or with Fiona at her house. The Dursley’s had locked up all of his magical things – his broom, his books, wand and cauldron – under the stairs like they had the year before. Harry had been able to get his wand back within the first week but Fiona let him use her books so he didn’t need to worry about getting them back just yet. She insisted on him borrowing them but he didn’t want to risk her losing her books to the Dursley’s as well.  He didn’t mind having to go to her house to work on their homework, he was glad to have her help as well.

The night was rather quiet allowing Harry to hear the distinct sound of a backdoor open in one of the neighbors yards. He leaned out and looked to the right, towards Fiona’s house, in time to see her trying – and failing rather badly – at riding a broom up and over to his window.

“Fiona, what are you doing?” he whisper-shouted in amusement . Fiona looked up and grinned at him.

“Just a second.” She seemed to need all her focus to properly ride the broom. When she made it to the window Harry helped her climb through as quietly as she could. She leaned the broom against the bed before turning to him. “Happy Birthday, Harry.” She pulled him into a hug and he couldn’t help but chuckle quietly as he hugged her back. He did his best to ignore the evidence of puberty pushing against his chest. Fiona pulled away before sitting on his bed. “Ah, the witch burning essay?” She turned the piece of parchment to read some of it.

“Yeah,” Harry confirmed as he sat down on the other end of the bed. “Still bad at flying?” Fiona stuck her tongue out at him.

“I’m not a star Quidditch player like some people,” she teased.

“I’d give you lessons if we didn’t live here,” he offered.

“We could always practice at The Burrow; any word from Ron?”

“He uh, he tried to call,” Harry started. Fiona winced.

“Oh dear, who answered?”

“Who do you think? I don’t think Uncle Vernon could shout any louder.”

“Poor Ron.” Fiona shook her head. “I’m sure I could send my father’s owl and give him my number and you could just use our phone.” Harry chuckled.

“That’s okay, Fee. Maybe Hermione since she knows how to use a phone.”

“Oh well I already have her number,” Fiona told him, waving her hand dismissively.

“Talk a lot, do you?” he asked, curious. Fiona nodded.

“Mhm, mostly girl stuff, you wouldn’t be interested.” Harry chuckled.

“Probably not,” he agreed.

“So, Harry, how does it feel to be a teenager?”

“Exactly the same,” he admitted. Harry opened his mouth to speak when three owls suddenly flew in through his window. Two of them were carrying the third which they placed on the bed between the two.

“Hedwig,” Fiona greeted one of them with a smile. The snow owl nipped affectionately at Harry as he removed the parcel she was holding. She then hopped over to the unconscious owl on the bed, Errol, Ron’s family owl. The third the two didn’t recognize but it held two letters with a familiar H.

“One for me and one for you,” Harry noted as Fiona took the two letters from the owl that then flew out the window as if it were on a schedule.

“What did Errol bring? Poor bird,” Fiona cooed as she stroked the bird’s feathers. Harry took the package and tore open the brown paper to find a present wrapped in gold and a birthday card. He opened the envelop and two papers fell out, a letter and a clipping from a newspaper. Harry read the clipping aloud, quietly, and the two learned that Arthur Weasley had won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw and that the family was on summer holiday to Egypt to visit the oldest son, Bill. “Wow,” Fiona gasped seeing the moving picture of the family in front of a large pyramid. Harry opened the letter and read it to himself.

“Ron’s getting a new wand,” he told her with a smile.

“I would hope so; I don’t think we’d survive another year with that one.”

“And Percy’s Head Boy.”

“Of course he is,” Fiona groaned as she rolled her eyes. “He’s wearing his badge already.” She turned the photo to Harry and pointed it out. He chuckled.

“They’ll be back a week before school starts and he wants to know if we can meet them in London.”

“Sounds fun. What’s Hermione say?” she asked as he opened up the letter from her, the one Hedwig had been holding.

“She’s in France… Her essay is two rolls longer than Professor Binns asked for.” Fiona groaned. “And that she’ll also be in London the last week of holidays.”

“That’s awesome, what book’d she get you?” Fiona asked. Harry snickered knowing well before opening the present could be a book but they were wrong. His eyes widened and a grin spread on his face.

“A Broom Servicing Kit!” he whispered excitedly.

“If only we could get your broom,” Fiona said with a frown at the bedroom door. Harry shrugged.

“I can always bring it to Hogwarts.”

“True. Speaking of,” Fiona started as she picked up the letter addressed to her. She opened it and scanned it over. “List of books, of course, and… oh I forgot about Hogsmeade-” She paused, biting her lip and Harry let out a sigh.

“Permission form,” he muttered.

“Maybe your aunt would sign it,” Fiona suggested. He put the letters on his nightstand and noticed the time.

“Two o’clock. You should get back, Fee,” he told her. Fiona pouted.

“Fine,” she whined quietly as she stood up. Before grabbing her broom she pulled Harry into another hug and kissed his cheek. “Happy Birthday,” she told him with a grin before carefully going out the window. Harry watched to make sure she made it the less than 20 feet over to her back door. She waved at him and he gave a slight wave putting a hand to his cheek.

…

The next morning at breakfast Harry learned his uncle’s sister would be staying with them for a month. Harry, with the hopes that his uncle would sign the permission form, sent Hedwig to Fiona’s and informed her of the situation. For a whole week she couldn’t sneak into his room and he couldn’t go over to her house either. Her father had offered that he could stay at their house for the week but Harry knew his only chance at getting the form signed was to stay.

“Hey, if you need an escape our door’s always open to you,” Jonathan told him when he came over with Hedwig’s cage. He decided for the hour while his uncle went to the train station that he’d spend time with Fiona. They sat outside on the curb, Grimm lying in the sun between them.

“I can always perform a rescue mission if you need me to,” Fiona suggested. “I can be very charming.” Harry chuckled but shook his head. “Alright.” She held up her hands. “But hey, if you need to talk later I’ll be down at the playground. It’s actually quite peaceful after sunset.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

…

Fiona was sitting on one of the swings with Grimm lying on her lap when she heard screaming in the distance. She turned and looked up to see a round object floating up from the houses.

“Oh dear,” she muttered before she looked down at Grimm. “I guess Harry’s joining us after all, boy.” The cat meowed and climbed up into her arms as she stood. A few minutes later she saw Harry storming down the street pulling his trunk behind him. “Harry?” she called as she walked over. Grimm jumped out of her arms, more comfortable walking next to her as she began to jog over to him. “That’s you’re doing then?” she asked before glancing up at screaming the dot in the sky.

“She insulted my parents!” he growled out as he stopped, he was almost out of breath, huffing in anger.

“Hey, I would’ve done the same thing,” Fiona said. “But, Harry…”

“I know I know,” Harry said. “I did magic outside of school.”

“I’m sure they can just erase her memory and everything will be alright,” Fiona said.

“Let’s hope so,” Harry said. He pulled his suitcase over to the sidewalk and laid it down before sitting down himself. Fiona sat beside him and Grimm jumped up onto Harry’s suitcase. Harry pet the cat idly as Fiona leaned against him.

“You could stay with us,” she offered.

“I can’t. I can’t be near them or that house.”

“I get it,” Fiona said with a nod. “You could always stay at the Leaky Cauldron. Ron and Hermione will be there in two weeks. I could come and keep you company,” she suggested, suddenly excited. “It’ll be like a sleepover!” Harry chuckled and was glad any colour on his cheeks was hidden in the dark.

“How am I going to get there though?” he asked.

“The Knight Bus.”

“Night bus?”

“Mhm, it comes to stranded witches and wizards wherever they are and takes them wherever they need to be.”

“The magical world still amazes me,” he said with a grin. Fiona hummed in agreement. The two sat there in silence, Fiona leaned her head on his shoulder as Harry continued to pet Grimm. Fiona felt Harry shift uncomfortably and sat up.

“Do you want to ride the swings like we used to?” she asked with a smile as she took his hand and stood. “I’ll push you.” Harry started to smile back when suddenly the streetlamp above them started flickering. The wind picked up and they heard creaking metal. They turned and saw the playground parts moving. Grimm suddenly hissed and the two heard the cracking of twigs in front of them. They stood as they saw a large black dog on the other side of the street. “Harry.” Fiona took out her wand and went to move in front of Harry.

“Stay behind me,” he said as he took out his wand, held out his arm to block her and push her behind him. The dog barked making Harry stumble back and trip over his trunk. Fiona stumbled back as well but didn’t fall back. Suddenly a horn sounded and headlights shined on them as a triple-decker purple bus drove up before it hissed to a halt. Standing on the back door was Stan Shunpike, an 18- year-old boy in a wrinkled conductor’s uniform. He had a pasty face, raccoon eyes and looked like he hasn't seen the sun in years. He read from a crumbled paper.

“Welcome to the Knight Bus,” he said drearily. “Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike,” He pointed to his name tag. “and I will be your conductor this evening.” He put his paper in his pocket before he peered down at Harry. “Wha' choo doin' down there?”

“I fell over,” Harry said.

“Wha' choo fall over for?”

“I didn't do it on purpose,” Harry said as Fiona helped him up. Stan eyed Harry suspiciously and nodded slowly.

“Well, come on then. Let's not wait for the grass to grow,” Stan said. Harry and Fiona glanced around the bus to the bushes where the dog had been but it was nowhere to be seen. Stan peeked around as well.

“Wha��� choo lookin’ at?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Harry said.

“Well, come on, then. In.” Harry went to get his trunk but Stan was already getting it. “No, no, no. I’ll get this. You two get in.” Fiona took Harry’s hand and they got onto the bus. Inside there were no seats but a few beds, in one was a sleeping wizard. The two moved past the bed as Stan struggled with Harry’s trunk. As the two reached the middle Harry looked up to see a large chandelier. Behind them Stan had gotten Harry’s trunk in and was now walking behind them. “Come on. Move on, move on, move on.” The two hurried towards the front of the bus. They moved in front of the last bed and Stan stood in front of them. The little machine around his neck spit out two tickets. He ripped them from the machine before handing them to the two. Stan knocked on the glass behind him. “Take ‘er away, Ern.” Behind the wheel sat Ernie, an unshaven wizard with very thick glasses. A shrunken head hung from the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, take it away, Ernie!” it said. Ernie took a bite from a sandwich before switching gears. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride,” The head said before cackling. The bus rocketed away and all the beds slid back. Harry and Fiona fell back onto the one closest to them. Grimm screeched and dug his claws into the middle bed. The two looked up at the chandelier swaying directly above them before the beds moved back.

“Wot you say your names were again?” Stan asked.

“We didn't,” Harry said as the two held onto the bed.

“Whereabouts you headin'?”

“The Leaky Cauldron!” Fiona told him.

“That’s in London,” Harry added.

“You hear that, Ern? ‘The Leaky Cauldron. That’s in London,’” Stan said, clearly amused. The head laughed.

“The Leaky Cauldron. If you have the pea soup make sure you eat it before it eats you,” It said before laughing. Harry looked out the window watching London careering by.

“But the Muggles. Can’t they see us?” Harry asked.

“Muggles?” Stan asked. “They don’t see nothing, do they?”

“No, but if you jab them with a fork, they feel,” the head said before cackling some more. “Ernie, little old lady at 12 o’clock!” The bus came to a sudden stop to avoid the lady crossing the street and Harry and Fiona went flying. Harry into the window and Fiona into him, she quickly moved back a bit to give him room.

“Are you okay?” Fiona asked but Harry was distracted by the head counting down.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three and a half, two, one and three quarters. Yes!” The bus took off again sending the two onto the bed, this time Harry on top of Fiona.

“Sorry!” He quickly got off of her and looked up to see the Daily Prophet Stan was reading. The headline read ‘escape from Azkaban!’ below was a moving picture of a shrunken-faced man with long, matted hair, screaming. “Who is that?” he asked. “That man?” Stan sighed and closed the paper to look at the front.

“Who is that? Who is-?” Stan turned the paper to them. “That's Sirius Black, that is. Don' tell me you ne'er been hearin' o' Sirius Black?” The two shook their heads.   “He’s a murderer. Got 'imself locked up in Azkaban for it.”

“How'd he escape?”

“Well, tha's the question, isn't it? He's the firs' that's done it! He was a big supporter of… You- Know-'Oo, Black was. I reckon you heard o' him.”

“Yeah. Him I’ve heard of,” Harry said.

“Ernie, two double deckers at 12 o’clock,” the head said. “They’re getting closer, Enrie. Ernie, they’re right on top of us!” Ernie slammed two pedals and pulled a gear. The bus slowed down as it approached the two red buses. Earnie pulled down something. “Mind your head.” Suddenly the bus was squished together to fit between the buses. “Hey guys!” the head laughed. “Guys! Why the long faces?” it asked before laughing. The bus un-squished and Harry and Fiona let out sighs of relief. The bus rocketed away as soon as it could. “Yeah, yeah. Nearly there, nearly there.” The bus turned a corner and slammed on the breaks again sending the two teenagers flying once more into the window, Fiona face first then Harry next to her. The bus nudged a car’s bumper and the car alarm wailed.

“The Leaky Cauldron,” Stan said as Harry and Fiona pulled themselves away from the window.

“Ow…” Fiona whimpered as she rubbed her forehead.

“Are you alright?” Harry asked. Fiona nodded.

“Next stop, Knockturn Alley,” The head said. The two turned to see the inn keeper, Tom, get on the bus.

“Ah, Mr. Potter and Miss Gaunt... at last.” He grabbed Harry’s suitcase and pulled it off the bus before he waited for the two to get off. Fiona picked up Grimm, with some difficulty seeing as the cat’s claws were dug into the bed he was on.

“Come on, Grimm. We’re getting off, now.” The cat gladly let go and Fiona followed after Tom. Harry and Fiona got off the bus and followed Tom into the pub then up the stairs.

“Miss Gaunt, room 17 is open to you.” He held out a set of keys. “Your father was made aware of the situation and all you’re things are inside waiting for you.” He turned to Harry. “Someone wishes to speak with you Mr. Potter.” Harry nodded and turned to Fiona.

“Thank you,” Fiona said giving Tom a big smile. “Goodnight Harry.”

“Goodnight,” Harry said before Fiona went down the hall and into her room. She found her trunk all packed at the foot of the bed as well as all the required books stacked up on a nearby table with a letter perched on top.

 Fiona

 I wish you would have come home to tell us about your impromptu adventure into London with Harry but seeing the blimp of a woman flying from his house I realize there wasn’t time. I informed the Minister of Magic that the situation was dealt with – the woman is back to normal and her memory of the event was erased. Unfortunately I couldn’t fix Harry’s Aunt and Uncle’s memories seeing as they already know. No doubt he’s speaking with Harry as you read this, you’ll have to stay within Diagon Alley but you’ll be free to go where you wish there. In your trunk I’ve included some spending money, obviously don’t worry about your school books.

 Love Mum & Dad

Fiona smiled down at the letter before looking through the pile of books. She noticed the Care of Magical Creature’s book, if one could call it a book, The Monster Book of Monsters. It was growling softly as if it was sleeping. She knew her set of books would be the exact same as Harry’s since they picked all the same classes at the end of their second year.

Grimm jumped up onto the bed and curled up. Fiona double checked that her luggage and books were all accounted for before changing and going to bed.

…

The next morning Fiona left Grimm asleep on the bed before going to out into the hall to find Harry’s room. She didn’t need to ask which one it was either, she could hear the book inside. Fiona went to knock and heard a thud then a squeal. She knocked on the door.

“Harry?”

“C-Come in!” he called. Fiona came in to see him standing on the book, with one shoe on. “M-Mind getting me the-“ He motioned to the strap that had been holding the book closed. Fiona got it and Harry tied up the book.

“At least your shoe’s okay,” she said. “I was actually coming to warn you not to open it.” Harry sighed and gave her a look. “I’ll try to be quicker next time,” she said with a slight giggle.

“Laugh it up,” he said shaking his head but smiling as he put his shoe back on.

“Shall we get breakfast, then?” Fiona asked. Harry nodded and grabbed a sweatshirt.

…

“I knew you wouldn’t get expelled,” she told him with a grin as they sat at the table before ordering breakfast. “Dad bought all my books already.” Harry nodded.

“Mine were all in my room as well.”

“Well, after breakfast, what do you want to do first?”

“Ah, well, I need to go to Gringotes first,” Harry started. “Then…”

“Then I’ll make sure you don’t buy every shiny thing.” Harry frowned in confusion. “Hagrid told me one time you wanted to buy a gold cauldron first year.” Harry chuckled as he remembered.

“Imagine Snape’s face; he already didn’t like me that first class.”

“How about we stop by that Quidditch store?”

“Sure, though if we run into Oliver you’re charming our way out.”

“Agreed.”

  _________________________

The two spent the next two weeks window shopping, occasionally buying things though nothing they didn’t need or anything too fancy. More than once Fiona had to pull Harry out of a store. They ended up seeing a few students doing their shopping like Dean and Seamus in the Quidditch shop, where they thankfully never ran into Oliver. They saw Neville outside Flourish and Blotts but they didn’t stop and chat for fear of upsetting the boy’s grandmother. They saw other students they didn’t know the names of, from other houses, and obvious first years.

In the back of her mind Fiona was keeping an eye out for someone. Harry would notice her looking around when they stopped to get a bite to eat or when they walked out of a shop. He didn’t question it; he figured she was just looking for anyone they knew since he was on the lookout for any sign of Ron and Hermione.

It was the last day before term, they both left their rooms and stopped in surprise as a rat ran passed them followed by an orange cat. Grimm simply licked his paw as if it was beneath him to chase such a thing. The two walked out to the stop of the stairs and heard Ron.

“I’m warning you, Hermione! Keep that bloody beast of yours away from Scabbers, or I’ll turn it into a tea cozy.”

“He's a cat, Ronald! What do you expect? It's in his nature,” Hermione said. As Harry and Fiona reached the bottom of the stairs they found Ron protectively cradling Scabbers, while Hermione did her best to restrain a hissing Crookshanks.

“A cat! Is that what they told you? Looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me.”

“That's rich coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush.” Harry and Fiona grinned down at the two. “It's all right, Crookshanks. You just ignore the mean little boy…” Hermione cooed to her cat. Ron looked up to see the two on the stairs.

“Harry,” Ron said. Hermione turned to see them.

“Fiona,” she said with a smile.

“And Grimm,” Ron said. “A cat who doesn’t try to kill Scabbers every time he sees him.” Hermione rolled her eyes.

The four moved to the large table in the middle of the room, the boys on one side and the girls on the other, each girl holding her cat. Ron showed Harry and Fiona the newspaper clipping with his family’s vacation photo on it.

“Egypt! What's it like?” Harry asked.

“Brilliant. Loads of old stuff. Mummies, tombs . Even Scabbers enjoyed himself.”

“You know, the Egyptians used to worship cats,” Hermione said.

“Yeah. Along with the dung beetle,” Ron said.

“Not flashing that clipping about again, are you, Ron?” George asked as he and Fred walked over. George took the clipping from him.

“I haven’t shown anyone,” Ron said.

“No, not a soul!” Fred said as the two made their way around the table. “Not unless you count Tom,”

“The day maid,”

“The night maid,”

“The cook,”

“The bloke that came to fix the toilet,”

“And the wizard from Belgium,” George finished before the two sat down.

“Good morning, Fiona,” The twins said in unison as they smiled at the girl.

“Good morning, Forge, Gred,” Fiona said making the two grin before they turned their attention to the clipping.

“Harry!” Mrs. Weasley said as she headed over. Harry stood.

“Mrs. Weasley!”

“Good to see you dear.”

“Good to see you too,” Harry said.

“Oh Fiona! Good to see you’re doing well too, dear.”

“You too, Mrs. Weasley,” Fiona said with a smile. Mrs. Weasley turned back to Harry.

“Now, you’ve got everything you need?” she asked.

“Yup.”

“Yes? All of your books?”

“Yeah, it’s all upstairs.”

“All of your clothes?”

“Everything’s there.”

“Good boy,” she said patting his cheek.

“Harry Potter,” Arthur said as he walked over.

“Mr. Weasley.”

“Harry, wonder if I might have a word?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah sure,” Harry said before he started to follow him.

“Hermione.”

“Good morning, Mr. Weasley,” she greeted. The two went behind a post to talk while the rest of the table started ordering breakfast.

“How was your summer, Fiona?” Hermione asked.

“Uneventful,” Fiona answered with a chuckle. “I can’t wait to get back to Hogwarts.”

“Me too! Only two more years until O.W.L.s.”

“That is what you’d be excited about,” Ron said shaking his head. Hermione glared.

“George's nose looks positively massive in that photograph,” Fred said

“That's your nose, Fred,” Ginny said.

“Bloody hell. 'Tis, isn't it? Take after your side of the family, don't I, Mum?” Fred asked making Mrs. Weasley lightly smack his arm. She sat down and a waitress came over with a menu. Everyone ordered breakfast and after a few minutes Harry came over and sat back down beside Fiona.

“Are you alright?” she asked quietly.

“I’m fine,” he said with a nod but with a look that told her he’d tell her later. Fiona nodded.

“I ordered for you,” she said.

“Thanks,” he said with a smile.

___________________________

(Next Chapter)