#i’ll be reporting and doing whatever i can to get my work taken down but. in the meantime perhaps mass reporting will work

[rollercoasterwords]

anyway if y’all wanna report kayalibinds on etsy they’re selling bound copies of fics and blocked both me and zar when we reached out & asked them to take down our work

[ryukatters]

a/n: Inspired by that one scene from the apothecary diaries of jinshi interrogating maomao lamaksomsosk (kaiji tang you will always be famous) but with a diff twist

pairing: satoru gojo x gn! reader

content: jealous! Gojo, Gojo really likes reader but reader is kind of dense, reader is a grade one sorcerer younger than Gojo

You give Yaga a quick yet thorough debrief of your mission. You made Nanami go home, insisting that you’d handle all the technical work, since he went out of his way to save your ass when you called him for backup. Your mission had taken an awry turn from a simple investigation of some odd activity near a detention center to having to fight off not one, but two special grade curses.

Sometimes missions don’t go the way you expect them to. That’s normal. Checking in with Yaga after coming back from said missions is also customary. What isn’t normal though, is the way Satoru Gojo is standing behind you grumbling under his breath with each sentence you speak. You can practically feel the menacing aura emanating from his very being. It seeps into your bones and you have to suppress a shiver.

There’s not much you can do. The Jujutsu world’s strongest sorcerer can do whatever he wants. And if he wants to breathe fire down the neck of his poor junior? Then so be it.

“That’s all for my report, sir.”

You bow to Yaga before turning around to get the hell out of the office, far away from him. You give Gojo a slight nod of acknowledgment with the full intention to skitter out of there, but you’re stopped by a large hand gripping your shoulder firmly.

Satoru leans down to whisper into your ear, “I’ll be waiting for you in my office.”

You can’t suppress the way you shudder at his touch and the low timbres of his voice.

And with that, Satoru whips around with a slight ‘hmph’ before sauntering down the hall.

You hear Yaga sigh behind you as you shut the door. You take your time walking, dragging your feet as the ball of anticipation in the pits of your stomach sinks deeper and deeper. You take a deep breath as you grip the door handle leading to Gojo’s office.

Gojo’s sitting down when you enter. Even with his blindfold on, you can tell that his expression looks miffed. His body language too— impatiently drumming his fingers against his thigh. His uncharacteristic silence seeps into every nook and cranny, filling you with an even deeper sense of dread.

Was he upset with you? You hope you’re overthinking things.

“You asked to see me?” You start.

“So…your mission. Heard you had to fight two special grade curses.” It’s not a question, it’s a statement. Which gives you the inkling feeling that Gojo isn’t all that interested in actually speaking about your latest assignment.

“I did.”

(You want to remind him that he was in the room when you told Yaga, but you bite your tongue.)

“I see,” he hums noncommittally.

“…And?” You can feel the way his six eyes sear into you even with that stupid blindfold on. You wish he’d just cut to the chase already.

“And when you needed back up, you decided to call Nanami?”

“Yes,” you say with a slight hint of hesitation. You’re not entirely sure what he was trying to get at here. “He was the first sorcerer I saw on my recent calls.”

“Funny how I called you this morning yet you didn’t think about seeking me out for help,” Gojo pouts, idly playing with some empty candy wrappers that were on his coffee table. “Or do you just prefer Nanami over me?”

“Huh?”

“You heard me.”

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say,” you respond honestly. Because you don’t. Why is he making such a big deal out of this in the first place?

Gojo looks at you, flabbergasted. He groans in exasperation. Were the random (but constant) phone calls, lunches (and dinners), and just generally wanting to be with you not enough? What more does he have to do to make you realize?

Jealousy is a fickle thing. Satoru hates uncertainty, especially when it concerns him. It makes him feel weak. The good thing about fickle feelings is that they can be replaced by something more consistent, more complete, more gratifying. And he’s pretty fucking sure that he loves you by now, even when you’re too thickskulled to recognize that.

Satoru stands up and makes his way in front of you. He towers over you easily, bringing a hand to cup your chin and look at him.

“The next time you need something, and I mean anything— you tell me,” he says. He lacks his usual air of playfulness, instead replaced by a more stern tone— one that forces you to listen. “I can give you whatever you need.”

It’s your turn to stare now. You can feel your ears run hot at the implications with what your senior just said. “Okay, I will,” you whisper. “Thank you, Gojo.”

“Satoru.” he all but demands.

“Thanks, Satoru.”

*throws this into the tags to distract everyone from the fact I haven’t finished his bday fic*

[astronicht]

I’m anon who requested 2 and anything f1 works but maxiel if I had to choose!!!

2. running fingers through hair

(thank you everyone who prompted, these have been really helpful 2 me the past few days!!) Cited sources: i pulled some specific characterization beats from @garage-gremlin 's incredible fic over here (specifically, what max reports yuki said to him). There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to casual yuki/max, and also i guess some max/daniel feminization going on in here.

They are on the yacht, because Max thought it would be good to remind Daniel that he still has many good things. Like Max’s yacht.

It is unfortunately a little chilly, but even off Monaco that is what January will get you. If Daniel had not spent so long running around America, they could have gone earlier. But it was fine: Max was racing, and Daniel likes America and his friends there. He did not want to bring them on Max’s yacht, even though Max asked.

“We should go to Palermo,” Daniel says from the deck chair next to Max. The hum of the engines had almost sent Max to sleep, even with the cool air across his face. His jacket is practically thermal. He put Daniel in a matching one, and belowdecks the heat is turned all the way up. The hardwood floors are heated from beneath, like they are at Geri’s house. It’s all very nice.

“Palermo?” says Max. “Will you speak Italian then, Daniel?”

“I want fried food,” Daniel says, sidestepping the Italian. Max is convinced Daniel understands more Italian and French than he lets on, but that’s not hard because he mostly pretends he doesn’t understand any. He gives people very blank looks sometimes, in shops and things, when they approach him. It is a little funny.

“We can go to Palermo,” Max says easily. “If you want to be gone for two or three days.”

Getting a spot to dock at Palermo is pretty much impossible, but that can be taken care of.

“Maybe,” says Daniel. About as expected, Max thinks.

When Max had tracked down the third new number Daniel had gotten in three months and texted to politely ask if Daniel wanted to come out on the yacht (asking doesn’t actually work with Daniel — he’d texted “You should come on the yacht with me. 24th.”) Daniel had replied with “lol I’ll jump into the sea 🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️🏊‍♂️” and then showed up at 6AM the morning of the 24th.

Daniel being a little moody about Palermo is nothing, really. A little pleasant, in fact.

“Did you know,” Max says to the deck chair next to him, “That Yuki says when I cover my face I look like a girl?”

Daniel, presumably hitting pause on thinking of jumping into the sea, rolls over in his deck chair to face Max.

“What?” he says.

“When I am surprised, you know,” Max says, and models it: two hands over the lower half of his face.

Daniel mostly looks confused. And a little like he darkly suspects what happened after Yuki said this— but whatever, Max is not the one who was in America all this time, doing who knows what.

There is a pause.

“You used to let me be the girl,” Max says, to the gusting wind over the Mediterranean. The sea around them is like blue velvet, choppy but soft. 

Daniel’s face is finally blank and focused. He mouths ‘let me’ to himself.

Max rolls onto his side to face Daniel as well. This is not enough. He stands up, looking down at Daniel on the deck chair.

No need to tower. He sits on Daniel’s deck chair, his jacket whispering. He reaches out and tucks a few of Daniel’s curls a little more securely under his hat, because they are dancing into his eyes in the wind. He tucks Daniel’s hair behind his ear. Daniel’s hand comes up loosely around Max’s wrist. His mouth is parted.

“If you want to be the girl, you must of course just ask,” Max says.

Daniel’s throat works. His Adam’s apple bobs. 

Max says, “The girl can still fuck me,” and laughs, because it sounds funny to say.

“Oh,” breathes Daniel, like this is what unlocked something.

Max takes Daniel’s hand from around Max’s wrist and kisses the knuckles.

“Ah, Daniel,” he says. “You are cold again.”

[bokutosbiceps]

real deal

kure raian x f!reader | smut + some fluff | 2.2k words

summary: raian comes home from a job to find that you’ve replaced him with a little piece of plastic. he decides to show you why the real deal is always better

warnings: mentions of murder, cursing (it’s rai omg), nsfw under the cut, use of sex toy, cunnilingus, throat fucking, choking/gagging, pussy eating, fingering, rough sex, possessive sex, mating press, dirty talk

a/n: i’m dedicating this to @thebigevilsamp + @missmadness123 because i used to thirst over raian with these two so i figured you guys would appreciate this 🥹 i’m sorry for leaving LOL. oh + also @kenganparadise + @kengan-ass because i enjoyed their writing at the peak of the fandom 💕

18+ MINORS DNI

Raian swung his keys around on his index finger as he strolled back to his car, whistling a tune he’d had stuck in his head throughout his entire job. Erioh had sent him to kill some asshole who had been embezzling money from one of Erioh’s oldest friend’s company, and Raian couldn’t have been less intrigued. 

The job was easy, since the target was just an old dude. A simple squeeze of his hand had snapped the old man’s fragile cervical spine, extinguishing the last bit of life the guy had left in him. Whatever, he was probably going to die within the next 10 years anyways. But however easy the job was, it was equally long. The target rarely ever worked given his old age, and it took forever to get intel on when the old bag would show up to work. Raian was never able to figure out where he lived, either. He didn’t understand how old people could be so elusive.

I’ve just gotta go report back to old man Erioh and then I’ll finally be able to get home. Raian grunted to himself as he weaved in and out of traffic on his way to Kure Village. I wonder how my bitch is doing… Raian’s expression softened as he thought of coming home to you after being away for so long on this job. He would probably never get used to being received with such excitement and love when returning home from a job. Deep down, he loved it. And deep down, he missed you more and more as the days apart from you passed. He appreciated the short but sweet texts you would send him, telling him that you were thinking of him, or that you missed him, sometimes even complete with a cute or sexy photo of you.

Maybe he should do something nice for you. Since he was in a good mood.

Raian sneered as he slammed his car door shut after pulling up to a random supermarket. Dumb bitch, making me get her flowers. Why do women even like flowers? They’re so useless, can’t even eat them or use them as a weapon. Fucking hell. He grumbled to himself as he picked up some flowers, already knowing exactly which kind he would get since he had taken note of what types of flowers you liked to adorn the kitchen table with in the house. He could be observant when he wanted. He threw some cash at the cashier and stalked back to his car, speeding to Kure Village so he could debrief Erioh and be on his merry way to your arms.

“It’s finished, old man.” Raian leaned against the door frame to Erioh’s office, a lazy smirk playing on his lips as he watched his grandfather raise his eyebrows in surprise.

“I’m surprised it took you so long. I was starting to wonder if you’d finally pissed someone off enough to get yourself killed.” Erioh cackled at how quickly Raian’s smirk disappeared.

“Kill? Me?” Raian snorted. “You know better, you old bastard, no one can kill me.” Raian straightened once he remembered your flowers were resting in the front seat of his car, likely shriveling up in the sweltering heat of the afternoon. “I’m leaving. If you need anything else, don’t.” Raian turned on his heel and waved to Erioh as he exited his house.

“Raian.” Erioh called out to him and Raian huffed as he turned back around to face his grandfather, glaring at him expectantly. “I’m giving you the next two weeks off. Spend some time with your woman.” Erioh smiled slyly and sat down at his desk. “If I’m going to be appointing you as head of the clan anytime soon, I’ll be wanting to see that you are capable of upholding your bloodline.” Erioh gave Raian a pointed look. “Get busy.”

Raian scoffed as he continued to make his way out of Erioh’s house. Way ahead of you.

It took Raian less than 3 minutes to drive the short distance from Erioh’s house in the depths of Kure Village to his own home somewhere in the upper ring of the village.

He unlocked the front door and entered the silent house with flowers in hand, somewhat disappointed that you weren’t jumping into his arms to greet him like you usually did. It’s what he got for trying to surprise you with his return.

“Y/n?” Raian called out as he walked from the front room to the living room, stopping in the kitchen to set the flowers down on the table next to the vase filled with almost identical flowers. He heard a small buzzing noise coming from down the hall and followed the noise to the bedroom. What he found was a delicious sight.

You were lying on the California king, legs open wide, chest heaving, and lips parted in pleasure as you held something small and colorful and vibrating to your clit.

“Hmm, the fuck is going on here?” Raian’s deep drawl shook you out of your haze of pleasure, causing you to immediately close your legs and sit up in slight fear and embarrassment.

“Rai, I didn’t know you were coming home.” Your voice was breathless, your hair slightly tousled, and your cheeks held a shade of arousal that Raian found so delectable. He approached the bed in one long stride and snatched the vibrator out of your hand before you could even think to hide it. “I missed you.” You said bashfully, watching as Raian inspected the toy that fit in between his large fingers.

“You missed me so you tried to replace me with this thing?” Raian challenged, crushing the vibrator between his fingers and shifting his gaze to you.

“Nothing can replace you, Rai.” You sat up onto your knees to become level with Raian, who was still standing by the bedside, now brushing the remnant of your brand new vibrator onto the floor. You slid your hands underneath his shirt and up his chest. “Fusui just…suggested it to me. She knew I was missing you and you never told me when you’d be back…a girl has her needs, y’know.”

“So did that little fucking toy satisfy your needs?” Raian seized your hands with one of his hands and used his other hand to grip your face. You shook your head in blatant and hurried denial. “Good, I’m glad my bitch knows the difference between a piece of plastic and the real deal.”

Raian wasted no time in pushing you back on the bed and placing his knees on either side of your naked body, dragging his shirt off while you made quick work of his belt and pushed his jeans down to expose the bulge in his boxers.

“You see how hard I am already, bitch? This was your plan all along, hm? For me to come home and see my bitch all laid out on the bed for me, ready to be fucked?” Raian sank his teeth into your shoulder, rutting his hips so that his bulge was rubbing against your pussy. You gasped at the sudden contact and wrapped your legs around his hips obediently, giving him more access. “Good girl.” He growled, moving his hands down to squeeze and knead your ass.

“Rai, fuck—I missed you, so much.” You breathed, bucking your hips against his boxers, getting them soaked in your arousal.

Raian sat back on his heels, eyes raking over your naked body which was trembling with excitement at the evening ahead of you. He looked down at his boxers and frowned. “Dirty girl, huh? Getting my boxers all wet with your pussy juices.” He stood up briefly to take off his boxers, releasing his girthy cock and letting it slap against his lower abdomen. You drooled at the site of his pre-cum leaking out in beads from his tip.

Raian kneeled back on the bed and grabbed a fistful of your hair, coaxing your lips closer to his cock until it was fully shoved down your throat. He warmed his cock in your throat until he noticed tears forming at the corner of your eyes and decided to give a good, strong thrust into your mouth, causing you to gag.

“My bitch is gonna gag on my cock, huh? Did you miss the way it tastes? Are you gonna take all this cum for me?” He bullied you, fucking your throat despite your gagging and choking until he was shooting ropes of cum down into your stomach. He slid out of your mouth and let you catch your breath while pushing you back down on the bed and pressing kisses down your neck, to your breasts, to your navel, before placing a chaste kiss to your clit, making you whine and arch your back.

“Does my girl want me to fuck her cunt with my tongue?” Raian smirked at your whining as you twisted his hair in your fists, trying to push your hip into his face. “Tell me what you want, baby.”

“I want you t-to fuck me, Rai.” You breathed. “I missed your cock so much, baby.” Raian clicked his tongue before pushing one, then two, then three fingers inside of you, eliciting a high pitched whine from you that originated from deep in your chest.

“Not yet, bitch.” Raian pumped his fingers in and out of you as he licked a stripe up your clit. “I’ve gotta torture you first.” Raian continued fucking you with his fingers and licking and sucking on your clit until your thighs were trembling and he was sure you were about to cum. Just when you felt like you were about to fall over the edge, Raian abandoned your pussy, making you shiver slightly at the cold air that replaced his touch.

You lifted your heavy head to see Raian kneeling again, stroking his cock and spreading his pre-cum to make sure he could fuck you easily. You eyed his cock hungrily, remembering how just moments ago that thing had been shoved down your throat so far you could barely breathe.

Without any warning, Raian hoisted your legs onto his shoulders and leaned down in between your legs to lick greedily up your neck before capturing your lips in a rough kiss, almost feral, that left you dizzy. Raian’s lips put you into such a trance that the pressure of Raian pushing his cock inside of you made you squeal in surprise, throwing your head and arching your back, making Raian’s angle inside of you even deeper.

“Fuck, babe, how could I resist the feeling of your pussy squeezing my cock like this?” Raian picked up the pace, bottoming out with every thrust. “How much did you miss me?” Raian gripped your chin and forced you to look at him, but your eyes were rolling into the back of your head from the pleasure of Raian’s cock filling you up. “Look at me, bitch, tell me how much you missed me fucking you like this.”

You willed yourself to meet Raian’s feral gaze, which made your walls squeeze around Raian’s cock even tighter as he fucked you into the bed. “I missed you so much—baby, I-I dreamed about you coming home and—f-fucking me just like this.”

“Hm, good answer.” Raian's pace started to become erratic and his hips stuttered. “I think I’m gonna let you cum. Is that what you want?” You managed to moan out a yes as Raian’s thrusts became rougher and he squeezed your hips with his fingers, hard enough to leave bruises. He growled as he neared his release and the sound was the final straw to bring on your climax. Raian was not far behind you and he released into you as he bit your bottom lip before smoothing it over with his tongue.

Once he was sure he had emptied the last drop of his cum into your cunt, he slipped out of you and threw himself down onto the bed next to you, grabbing you by the waist and pulling you into his chest. He let you catch your breath before continuing his bullying.

“So me or the toy?” He asked through a smirk. You huffed.

“Rai, shut up. I was just desperate, you were gone for a long time.” You said the last part quietly.

Raian felt a twinge of guilt poke him in the chest. He frowned and ran his hands down your back, squeezing your ass. “Sorry.” He mumbled. Two weeks didn’t seem like that long when he was focused on a job, but he had never thought of how long it must’ve seemed to you when you had to deal with his family every day.

“It’s fine.” You stifled a yawn and curled yourself further into Raian’s chest. “Just as long as you come back to me every time.”

The corner of Raian’s mouth turned upward into what could have been regarded as a smile, had you seen it. He just grunted in agreement. Nothing could keep me away.

[ronearoundblindly]

Sneak Peek!

a Steve Rogers x Avenger!Reader excerpt

Summary: Steve reaches his breaking point when you return to the field after severe injuries.

Warnings for a touch of the spice and a vicious/hot argument. WC ~550 *This work is not in final edits yet. All mistakes are my own.

“You’re not my superior officer, and if you think for one second I did anything wrong out there, go ahead and report me. From where I’m standing, I did the work, got cleared for duty, helped out the team, and stopped you from being shot in the head.”

“Fine," Steve shouts, arms crossed over his chest, "but quit acting like a selfish coward.”

“A what?”

“You heard me.”

“If you’re gonna throw a hissy fit every time I get a scratch—“

“THREE BULLETS IS NOT A SCRATCH.” He tries—he visibly, painfully tries—to keep his cool one last time. “You weren’t ready,” he concludes, judge, jury, and executioner all poured into one star-spangled package.

“Say’s who?” You’re stepping closer, getting in his face because this is bullshit and unfair. “Last time I checked, you’re not a doctor, and you should be thanking me for saving your ass—“

“It’s not your job to save me.”

“We have the same job, Steve! We are both perfectly capable of—“

“I know that,” he barks.

“Do you? Because you don’t seem to think I can’t handle myself." You push weakly at his chest like it's a game. "Maybe you need to walk it off, buddy.”

Oh shit. You’ve done it now.

“Walk it off?! WALK IT OFF?!”

Steve charges like a bull seeing red, crowding you against the far wall, a derisive finger pointed at your heart.

“You were injured. You didn’t make contact. You went dark for days, and you could have died. Alone. Out there. Who knows how long it would have taken us to find you. No—“ he cups your chin in a tight pinch “—you want to talk about a job? It’s protocol to check in. It’s common courtesy to let me know you’re alive, and it’s goddamn rude to ignore your own safety.”

There’s a deep line of frustration carved between his brows. His nostrils flair as he waits, daring you to refute him.

“Well, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black.”

“Excuse me?”

Steve lets go of you, smacked away by your cutting tone.

“Oh, whatever, Rogers,” you taunt, rolling your eyes. “Play martyr all you want, but we both know you don’t have the authority to bench me.”

“Like hell I don’t,” he growls, grabbing your wrists and throwing your arms above your head. He weaves your hands through the cargo net behind you. The loops are tight and complicated in seconds, he’s so fast.

You can’t wriggle away.

Steve roughly throws the zipper of your uniform down, letting the jacket hang open to show nothing but your sports bra.

“Let’s see how you like feeling paralyzed—“ he dexterously undoes your belt “—exposed—“ your pants and underwear are yanked down to your ankles “—and afraid.”

His last word thickens the air on the jet. 

How can this man launch you into unbridled lust in the space of two syllables? Who. Fucking. Cares. How.

Steve’s fingertips teasingly glide over the swell of your breasts, brush down your belly, and tick their way in a casual walk between your legs.

“Maybe I should leave you wondering how it’ll all play out, leave you wondering if I’ll ever touch you again, wondering if…”

“Yes,” you breathe.

a/n: Tentatively planning to have this done to post on Sunday since the original was a 'Sweet Sunday' ask. Per usual, don't quote me on that, but I got a huge chunk done today which was likely the hardest part. Thank you to all those who sent messages of support! I won't let you down 🫡

[Main Masterlist; Old Dog, New Tricks; Ko-Fi]

Tags: @supraveng @1950schick @patzammit @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @yiiiikesmish @ashesofblackroses @bucky-fricking-barnes-reads @fallinallinmendes @deandreamernp

[bullet-prooflove]

3500 Follower Celebration: The First Man - Scott Forrester x Reader

Tagging: @a-noni-love @district447 @soultrysworld @delightfulheroshoeflap @upsteadlogic @ottitt @too-strong-to-losee @hearthockey @alice30martini @kmc1989 @tems13 @gatefleet @mrspeacem1nusone @keabbs

Companion piece to Berlin

It’s cold up on the roof, even with your overcoat. Someone’s tried to make it into a break area, they’ve pulled out a wrought iron bench, set out a couple of garden tables on either side, some battery powered lamps. You sit down upon the bench, your hands tucked firmly into your pockets as you stare out across the nighttime sky. You can’t stand to be downstairs right now, to see the sympathy in the flight team’s gazes, the pity as they fill out the reports detailing your humiliation.

You don’t turn around when you hear the door open behind you, you already know it’s Scott. You’ve become attuned to his presence in the time you’ve worked together, you’d know it anywhere. He takes a seat alongside of you and you can’t bring yourself to look at him. Your chest aches as you fix your gaze straight ahead.

“We don’t have to talk about it.” Scott says quietly as he studies the skyline. “We can just sit here together until you’re ready to leave.”

He means the interview with Simon, the man you’ve been seeing over the last four months, the one who’d seduced you to gather intelligence. You’d watched through the window of the interrogation room as he’d told Scott all of the gory details. What you liked, how you liked it.

“It had been a long time for her, I could tell.” Simon had told him as he leaned over the table almost conspiratory, as if he was just having a conversation, one man to another. “There was a look in her eyes when she came, a release. She told me afterwards about her husband but I already knew, it was the reason I picked her.”

“He’s the first man I’ve been with since Matthew died.” You find yourself telling Scott.

There’s a cruelty in what Simon did. It’s taken you three years to get to a point where you were you felt ready to move on, to let someone else in again.

You’d been stationed in Germany with Europol when you’d discovered Matthew’s illness. He had been a translator for the UN, working all over the world, he thought the travel was wearing him down until he coughed up blood one morning and by then it was too late.  He’s died only a few weeks later and it was like your whole world had fallen apart. You couldn’t stand to be in Berlin after that. You’d applied for the transfer to Budapest, become part of his team.

“I just wanted to feel something again, to remember what it was like…”

You don’t need to say the words, Scott understands.

You wanted to feel loved again, desired.

“I can’t go home tonight. ” You tell him, your voice breaking as you press your fingers to your lips. “I can’t sleep in those sheets. He was at my place last night. We...”

You’ve managed to keep your shit together until now, remained impassive in the face of it all but you’re bleeding out, Scott can see it and it’s visceral. If he could take it all away he would but he can’t turn back the clock, he can’t stop Simon from charming his way into your bed, from using you but he can make your reality a little easier.

“Stay with me tonight.” Scott says quietly, his hand coming to rest upon yours.  “You’ll have to share the bed with Tank but I’ll take the couch. Tomorrow we can deal with the sheets, we can move your furniture around, look at listings, whatever you want but tonight just give yourself the time to breathe, to process everything that’s happened.”

“Ok.” You say, your voice barely more than a whisper. “Thank you, I just…”

You can’t say how much it means to you, to have that space, to be around someone who isn’t trying to take something away from you, who doesn’t expect anything of you.

“You will get through this.” Scott promises you, his fingers entwining with yours. “And I will do everything in my power to help you.”

Love Scott? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[agaypanic]

can u do malcolm x male reader like they r assigned lab partners then become bffs then bfs? thx!

Becoming Best Friends and Then Boyfriends With Malcolm Wilkerson Headcanons

Masterlist

Request Something!

A/N: the wilkerson boys are fruity on different levels and i truly believe that lmao also tiny warning for underage drinking

***

Malcolm did NOT want you as a partner at first

He’s had plenty of experience with getting paired with someone just to do all the work

But you prove to him that even though you’re not a super genius like him, you can do your part

“Hey, Malcolm, right?” You asked your new lab partner as you sat beside him. You knew who he was; practically everyone in school did, whether they wanted to or not. But you didn’t really know how else to start a conversation.

“Yeah, and you’re Y/n?” He asked in return. Malcolm also knew who you were, because he read the sheet that had your names paired up together, but he decided to try to be polite. When you nodded, he went into the usual spiel he did whenever he got paired with someone who wasn’t a former Krelboyne or seemed like they wouldn’t pull their own weight. “Okay, look, I’m fine with doing all the work. I can do the labs, write the reports, and help you with answers. But I will not cheat and do the final for you or-”

“Woah, woah, slow down, Malcolm.” You laughed, but it was more of a ‘what the hell is this guy talking about’ kind of laugh. “You don’t have to do that, man. I can do my share.”

Malcolm seemed taken aback by this. Usually, people would just wave him off and let him work while they goofed around. He didn’t really know how to proceed.

“Oh, okay. Umm…” He looked around, trying to find something for you to do. Just because you say you can do the work doesn’t mean he believes you or necessarily wants you to. “Wanna wash the beakers and vials?”

“Very funny, Malcolm.” You grabbed the lab instructions that lay in front of Malcolm and scanned them over. “Okay, grab the vials with blue and green liquid. We gotta mix them.”

“What are you doing?” He asked, hesitantly grabbing the vials like you instructed. You rolled your eyes. For a genius, he seemed to lack some common sense.

“Doing my share, genius.” You pulled out a beaker so you could mix the liquids. “Just because I’m not a Krelboyne doesn’t mean I can’t read instructions.”

You start to grow on him after that

He’s not used to people tolerating him

If they do, they usually get annoyed with him very quickly

So the fact that you wanna hang out with him outside of class is so surprising

It had been a week since you finished your first lab project, and your teacher had finally finished grading. Your teacher had given you a joint grade for the project and individual grades for the work you each put into it, so you made sure to brag to Malcolm that you had gotten an A on your individual grading.

“Okay, okay, I get it.” Malcolm pushed away your grade report with a laugh as you continuously shoved it in his face. 

“I can’t believe I proved Malcolm Wilkerson wrong. I feel on top of the world right now.”

“Well, don’t get used to it. It was a one-time thing.” The bell rang, and you grabbed your things, exiting the classroom. 

Despite the occasional attitude and what everyone says about him, you actually liked hanging out with Malcolm. And maybe it was just your imagination, but you felt like he also enjoyed your company. You didn’t want the end of your lab project to also be the end of the friendship that was starting to form.

“So, listen…” Not wanting to be one of those annoying people that just stood in the middle of a busy hallway, you pulled Malcolm to stand against the wall with you. He looked at you attentively. “There’s gonna be a party this weekend. I don’t know if you’re doing anything, but I was wondering if you wanted to go. Or whatever, I dunno.” You suddenly felt embarrassed for hoping so much he would say yes.

“Sure!” The somewhat enthusiastic response shocked you a bit. “Sounds fun.”

“Nice, cool. I’ll, uh, I’ll give you the details later, but I gotta go to class.” You said a quick goodbye and sped away to your next period. Now, you felt slightly embarrassed by how happy you felt that Malcolm said yes. But that didn’t stop you from silently celebrating that he did.

After hanging out outside of class for non-class reasons, you and Malcolm quickly become good friends

He likes that he can do normal stuff with you, things he can’t do with his other friends

Now whenever he’s not with Stevie, he’s most likely with you

You probably realize you like him during one of your outings together

Tonight felt like a night that came once in a blue moon. It was a night that both of you were free from responsibilities, and one of you had enough money to do something besides hang around a convenience store. Since Malcolm was the one with the spending money this time, he got to choose what you would do.

“I don’t know, man. The trailer looked kind of boring.” You kicked at the movie theater carpet as you and Malcolm waited in line. He nudged you with his shoulder.

“Oh, come on, Y/n. Give it a chance.”

“I’ll give it a chance if I have a large popcorn.” He laughed at your attempt at negotiation. 

“Fine, but if we get a large, we gotta share a drink.”

“Fine with me if it’s fine with you.” You shrugged. Soon you were sat in a theater, a big bucket of popcorn in your lap and a drink with two straws in the cupholder between your and Malcolm’s seats.

You liked hanging out with Malcolm like this. There were no stressors like family or work. Just you, him, and something to enjoy. He was always noticeably calmer, more relaxed when you were together like this.

As the lights dimmed and previews started to play, you snuck a look at Malcolm. He looked so peaceful as he watched the screen, occasionally commenting on a trailer or how you should see that movie when it comes out. If you didn’t know better, you’d say he looked kind of pretty like this.

Good thing you knew better.

When the movie started, Malcolm reached over to grab a handful of popcorn. Your eyes subtly widened when you felt the slight pressure on your lap. You immediately looked forward, staring at the screen.

Maybe you didn’t know better.

You feel a little awkward around Malcolm after your little revelation

But you try to not let your feelings get in the way of your friendship

I think Malcolm would realize he likes you when he sees how you interact with his family

“Crap,” Malcolm whispered as he heard the front door open. He invited you over to study, thinking you’d have the house to yourselves. If he knew that his parents would get off work early and his brothers would be running around the house, he would’ve suggested going to your house or the library.

“What is it?” You asked, not really paying attention. The class you were currently studying for was kind of kicking your ass, so you were putting all your energy into trying to understand Shakespeare.

“My family’s home.” You tore yourself from your book when you picked up his dreaded tone.

“So?” You were confused. Yes, you’ve heard stories of how Malcolm’s family can be. But you’ve met them all before, and they seemed fine. And looking at them now, they seemed like a regular family, except maybe a little bit high-strung.

“So, I don’t want them scaring you off.”

“Oh, hi, Y/n.” Lois greeted you from the kitchen, catching you and Malcolm off guard from your conversation. “What are you guys working on?” She asked, pulling something out of the freezer for dinner.

“Romeo and Juliet,” Malcolm answered, suddenly annoyed that he had to share details of his day with his mom.

“Shakespeare is kicking my butt.” You added on. “I mean, I just don’t get it. The words are weird, and the story is stupid. Romeo and Juliet are stupid.”

“Of course they’re stupid; they’re teenagers.” You laughed at Lois’ response, and she gave you a small but seemingly genuine smile. “Are you staying for dinner?”

“Oh, no! I don’t wanna bother you, Mrs. Wilkerson.”

“Don’t be silly; you’re already here. You can call your mom, and Malcolm can take you home after.” You looked at Malcolm.

“Would you mind?” You asked quietly.

“Um… I mean, if you wanna stay, I can take you home.” Grinning at his confirmation, you got up and raced to the phone on the kitchen wall to dial your mom’s number.

Through the entire conversation you had with his mom, and honestly, the rest of the night, Malcolm couldn’t help but watch how you interacted with his family. This was the first time you’ve been around his entire family, minus Francis because he didn’t live at home. Malcolm kept you away from his family as a group on purpose because he was scared that the way they clashed with each other and the effect they had on others would scare you off.

But as he watched you enthusiastically talk to Dewey about his interests in piano and composing or with his father about his niche interest of the week, he was surprised to see how natural you seemed with all of them. It was like you were the missing puzzle piece to their chaos, to his chaos. Malcolm wanted you to stay as long as you could.

Maybe he wanted you to stay for him more than for everyone, but he didn’t care.

It takes a little while for you to admit your feelings for each other

Not only were you guys scared of rejection, but you were also scared of ruining your friendship

You two are basically suffering in silence

That all changes when you’re sneaking home after a party

“That shit was insane.” You cackled as you and Malcolm walked down the street, hanging off of each other. You both were slightly tipsy, you more than Malcolm, but not enough to forget your way home. “I did not expect that chick to start dancing on the table.”

“Me neither. I’m surprised she didn’t fall off.” You both laughed harder. When you got closer to your house, you put a finger to Malcolm’s lips to silence him. You were lucky you still had a bit of a filter because his lips felt nice. He put his hand to your mouth because even though you were supposed to be quiet, you were being so loud without realizing it. You were again thankful for your filter, because now you wanted more than just his hand on your lips. “Y/n, you gotta be quiet.”

“Fine.” You whispered in a drunken giggle, slightly muffled by his hand. After promising each other to be quiet, you unlocked the front door. Luckily, your parents were dead asleep, so the two of you easily snuck up to your room.

“Do you think you’ll be okay by yourself?” Malcolm asked, setting you down on your bed. 

“Nooo, don’t go. Pretty please.” You sealed your begging with pouty lips and puppy dog eyes. He sighed, expression softening to something you had been seeing a lot of recently but couldn’t decipher. But you liked this look a lot because he was giving it to you. Malcolm sat next to you, patting your knee.

“Fine, but just a couple minutes.” 

It’s like you weren’t thinking. Your brain was all gooey from Malcolm and alcohol. You were so excited, and he was so close to you, you couldn’t help but lean toward him and peck him on the lips. Immediately, you panicked and stood up from your bed, the speed dizzying.

“Fuck.”

“Y/n, it’s okay.” He stood up, hands stretched out in front of you to try to calm you down. But it was like you couldn’t hear him.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I did that. I wasn’t think-” Malcolm cut you off by grabbing your face and pulling you towards him. The way he kissed you made your head spin, although it might’ve been from the force of the pull. It felt like he was waiting to do this his entire life, like he was waiting solely for you.

You broke apart before you could get any more heated. You had to remind yourself that your parents were down the hall and that Malcolm wasn’t even supposed to be here. He rested his forehead on yours, the constant proximity calming you.

“Don’t be sorry.” He whispered, a hand toying with the edge of your shirt.

“I thought you only liked girls.” You muttered, suddenly confused by everything. It may have had something to do with the alcohol. He laughed a little.

“Yeah, well, I thought you did too.”

“I guess I proved you wrong again.” The two of you smiled, thinking back to how this entire thing started. “Don’t get used to it.” Malcolm kissed you again, and God, you wanted him to do it again and again and never stop.

[lolitastories]

Helpless

Description: She worked as a lawyer in New York until she received a phone call from the man she owes her career to. She knew she would be back and what she was in for but what she didn’t know is that her life would change even more than she imagined.

Part 3

Chapter 2

“I need you to get this whole reporter thing situated. Jamie will still be working but only when I say so. He will stay in the bunkhouse until then working on himself” After Jamie’s suicide attempt John told him to rebuild himself, he didn’t feel like losing another child of his. “Also check up on Cassidy and Beth” I nod getting up. I walk out his office and out the front door. It was only 8 in the morning and I could just fall down and take a long nap. The whole ranch was alive. I look to my left and see the cowboys doing whatever they do with the cattle. I have met some of the cowboys here, such as Ryan, Lloyd, Jimmy, and Colby. Not really a fan of the whole ranch life but seeing them passionate and happy here is a bit liberating. Back home it was a small town and I call it the inbetween. We didn’t have large lands with farm animals or cowboys but we also didn’t have what cities do. You could go from a quiet neighborhood with a decent amount of land to a 10 minute drive down to city hall where bars and tourists danced around until curfew. The inbetween.

“Ready for that horse riding lesson?” My gaze left the cowboys and moved over to rip putting on his gloves.

“Give me another 6 years and i’ll let you know” He chuckles walking up beside me to give me a side hug but leaving him around my shoulders.

“Have to get rid of the fear if you are going to stay around here, you know horses can feel whatever you are feeling” I shake my head with a smile

“You’re horse must have a lot of anger and entitlement” I hear Lloyd laugh from close by. “Has he been acting better?” Lloyd gives me a hurt look

“I could never talk about the boss like that” The laugh that leaves me is only cut short when I catch Kayce in the corner of my eye. He pulls the horse in the secluded section. A little boy stands by watching him as the horse starts bucking but soon enough the horse settles and runs along the ring.

“That his son, Tate” I only nod. “And that's his soon to be ex wife” I look over at the tan, thin, black haired woman walking up to the fence. “Have you been helping with his divorce?” I look up seeing a grin on his face.

“Rip Rip Rip.” I shake my head again removing his arm and walking closer to him and whispering since I don’t want anyone else to hear.

“I think you should be focused on your love life which needs the most help than anyone else's plus, you know I don’t talk about my cases unless John says so '' I wave him goodbye and turn to do the same with the cowboys. I had a long morning ahead of me and I can tell you it will be an even longer afternoon.

I went over to the office and got familiar with everything going with Sarah Nguyen. The report states the cause of death was drowning which was nothing new here. The problem will be if anything shows in her body as signs it wasn’t drowning that killed her. There has been a test of what I would do for this family and this was truly the worst. Everybody is shown right from wrong from a young age. I know it's wrong to help cover this up, for god sake I devote myself to tell the truth under oath and if this goes to court rooms I will bend myself over backwards to stand loyal. Now to stop that from happening I need to make sure Jamie’s name is nowhere connected to hers. She hadn’t published anything but I can count on her talking to people close to her about what she was writing about. I have to check up on that and the notes she surely has on the interview. The next thing wasn’t something I could do alone. Beth was attacked and the men were taken care of. It has been a hassle to shut down anything being said but so far we have done a good job. Not only does the Beck brothers have hands on this but they also found out they had to do with the whole cattle situation. I recently found out about the plane they kept. Now it was up to Kayce and the association to use that and if they need help I will step in. I look at my clock after finally getting something to eat and see it hit 2.

“Miss Reid is waiting to hear from you” My assistant said, walking through the door holding my phone.

“Make a call down to Dutton’s phone company and get Jamie's phone transfer started. Make a damage/lost claim and tell them I will be by there in an hour” She nods handing me the phone “Miss Reid”

“Y/L/N” I met Cassidy once. When she was trusted as attorney general. “John gave me a call this morning to let me know you would be stopping by” I fake chuckle. Not that I didn’t like her but something was off and I had a hard time trusting some people.

“Of course. I wasn’t going to go around him but I thought there was really no real reason to bother you since you must be busy with the new job.”

“Oh and what hectic can it be” She laughs

“Am sure, listen we could plan to get drinks because I am sure we will spend some time together soon enough, unless you have something to discuss with me?”

“Drinks sounds great right now but you’re right we have to schedule it for some other time. At this moment everything is handled although I do have something to pick with you” Ok. “It has nothing to do with the job or John but it's something personal that we can discuss this Wednesday?”

“Is it a morning drink situation or afternoon?” I pull out a sticky note.

“A late evening” I was surprised to hear that from her.

“How’s 7?

“I’ll text you the location”

“See you then” We exchange goodbyes and I hang

up the phone. I get up grabbing my things and heading out my office door. “Set this up for wednesday. Do you have the paperwork on Kayce and Monica’s divorce?”

“The paperwork hasn’t been sent from court.” I I almost faceplant myself on her desk.

“I’ll take care of it. What did they say about the phone?”

“They will have it there waiting in an hour” I thankher telling her I would be leaving for the day.

“You can go home early” I say leaving the doors. Now I have to spend the rest of my afternoon in court waiting on papers. It should be fast but what Jennifer didn’t listen to when I told her to file the papers was that she was supposed to file them with the reservation. I know I should have checked up on the paperwork sooner but I know they usually take a while so I didn’t bother. I waited the process and rushed over to the store to get Jamie’s phone before going back to the office.

“Your assistant wasn’t answering her phone” I looked over my shoulder to see Beth walking up.

“And you couldn’t press another two buttons to call me?” She gave me an annoyed look while I unlocked the door for her.

“You don’t seem to pick up your phone either” I look down at it with the time stamp saying 6 and a miss call from Beth.

“Was in a reservation filing paperwork and staying to make the process faster” I motion to the file in my hand and throw it to the table.

“Have you eaten?” She asked softly, taking a seat.

“Yes mom”

“Don’t tempt me with grounding you, I could pass as your mother” I chuckle, leaning back and closing my eyes. Looking at her wasn’t easy, knowing what she went through and I know Beth wasn’t weak but what she went through wasn’t either. I can’t see the bruises she carries and not imagine those men beating her up. Or the way Rip limped this morning because of the bullets he received that night.

“That would make you 13 when you had me” I look over at her just staring at me.

“I would have made a hot teen mother” We laughed but soon enough it died down.

“What's in your head?” She gets up making herself a drink offering me one but I deny it. I was working late and I didn’t need it to make this night longer.

“My role in this family is to keep it together for the sake of my dad” I shake my head agreeing with her. She was doing all of this for him, I knew that. “Kayce is majorly helping with this but if anything goes wrong with this divorce” She was mainly talking about his son. “Than it could not only affect him, the farm but also my dad”

“I will make it happen”

“I know” She leans back into the chair taking thelast sip of her drink. “What I am saying is that if it makes it easier and cuts the time short then I will take care of the dirty work if you need it.” That was not necessary. I know I could do it.

“Of course Beth” I smile. She sets the cup down and I get up as she heads out the door.

“You don’t need to walk me out. I can take care of myself” She leaves with one last smile closing my office door. Of course I wasn’t listening to her. I walk out after hearing the main door close. I watch her get in her car and drive away safely. I let out a yawn preparing myself for more research and making sure I had everything set on Kayce’s divorce case. Monica had made it clear she wanted full custody and would only allow Tate to visit under her rules. Kayce wanted to pull the same fight but John suggested otherwise. They agreed to go with shared custody. Once I was done with enough for the day I packed everything up again and drove to the ranch. Getting in a late dinner, warm shower, and straight to my bed seemed like a perfect end to the night.

“Get into the car” I was walking up the stairs before releasing Kayce was behind me as he grabbed my things and placed them in the back of a truck. I look over to the driver's seat and see John. I didn’t ask any question as I got in or while we were heading to our destination.

“I just want you to observe and listen” I nod, getting out of the truck together. Officers surrounded the victim on the road. The sheriff approaches John as he is examining the body. It was an officer for Rainwater.

“Am not saying it was you but that it looks like you” It doesn’t sit well with John but knowing Donnie, he knows they are on the same page.

“You can turn around if you want” Kayce says next to me

“Shh” I shush him walking closer to the men speaking but not enough to catch their attention.

“Now we know who did it” Rainwater states looking over to the sheriff

“No evidence other than the bullet in his head”

“That halts construction” Rainwater says lastly, leaving Donnie and John talking. I hear their last words and how John says he's not fazed about an attempt from the Beck brothers. He walks over to Kayce and begins talking to him.

“Native?” I shake my head. “Mexican?” I look over confused at his words. “Am just curious on the kind of person you are”

“Why?” I turn my whole body towards his direction. “Because I am involved with the Dutton family and I should maybe be involved with other people?” I know who I was and what I stood for. Rainwater chuckles a bit, looks behind me and then at me again.

“I’d like to pick your brain someday, if that's okay with you?” I nod. He extends his hand and I shake it before departing towards the Duttons. Kayce looking at Rainwater walks away and I ignore his stare getting into the car. We arrive and I walk directly to the kitchen.

“Do you want a drink now?” I look up from leaning against the island.

“No” I said a little too coldly before taking a cup.

“What are you, 8?” I laugh while finishing pouring milk into my cup.

“I wish” I whisper while walking over to her and we take a seat in the living room.

“What do you have in your agenda tomorrow?”

“Sitting down with Monica and Kayce and following up on a couple other things but I should be free until 10 and finish around lunch time”

“Want to go out tonight?” I haven’t gone out in a while. What could happen?

[kokomis-writing-pile]

A Warhammer 40K FanFic

[Author's note: This is strictly for fun. I have my Warhammer-loving partner proofread and edit my chapters. I don't take kindly to volunteered criticism. Lyra and Reid are our own characters based on us.

Additionally, I am not 100% familiar with the world to give proper world-building, but I am doing my absolute best. Thank you.]

Chapter 2: Blessed by the Divine

There was so much commotion coming from the injured soldier as he was being taken away that the guard assisting with the escort had to sedate him. The last thing he had seen before closing his uninjured eye was her, the Sister who stood with him through the fight. With him ceasing to struggle and argue, it was that much less daunting to get him to the infirmary and keep his blood from soaking the metal floor beneath him.

Lyra took the time to speak with Sister Superior Harrow about the details of what occurred and even she seemed taken aback. Their platoon had pressed forward and took a massive amount of ground from the enemy before they were annihilated group by group. It was not until it was they who were the last two standing that she had witnessed a saving grace. Lyra explained to Sister Superior that she had seen this Kriegsman obliterate a Chaos Lord with the flick of his wrist. She did not feel fear at that moment but instead, the comfort of that like a saved lamb. Never before had Lyra seen or even heard about a kriegsmen soldier using such divine power in the heat of a moment. She had heard about the existence of perpetual and those being bestowed the honor of using such powers but other than the perpetuals, they did not last long among the living as they went insane or worse. The more Lyra thought about it, the more she kept coming back to the fact he had been hit with such a harsh blast, that it knocked him out cold for a moment. Maybe that stopped whatever had happened. 

“I would like for him to be taken care of during the investigation. Please. I believe he was kept alive for a truly grand reason. I do not believe this to be of Chaos origin but of that of our God-Emperor. He can still fight. He can still serve. I just ask that he receives the best care we can for him. Reid Caldwell deserves that much for assisting me and, I suppose, saving us both,” she spoke kindly. 

Harrow gave a gentle nod. “I’ll see what I can do. Thank you, Sister Lyra. Now go, rest. I will take the report from here. If we need your assistance any further, we will come to you.”

Turning on her heel, Lyra wandered back to her quarters to disrobe and lay down for a short while. She tried to rest but her mind kept playing the scene on repeat. Her eyes had fixated on the metal ceiling above her causing her to notice every notch in the workings. Lyra rolled onto her side to look out her window at the vastness of space. Oftentimes she would count the stars to help her sleep but not this time. It was much more difficult than before. First, she had recurring thoughts of past missions, and now this, but this was fresh. The more she thought about it, the more her face grew long and she sighed. What if they found him to be touched by Chaos? What if they see him as a threat or see it as nothing more than a fluke and kill him? The last thought made her jump out of bed almost immediately. It had just occurred to her that he was making such a fuss and did not even think that they might kill him. A dishonorable death, indeed. Who’s shoulders would it be on if they did kill him? Lyra put her hands on her chest. “My fault…”

In a rush, Lyra put on her clericals and left her room to check where they had taken the man only to find out he was indeed taken to the infirmary. Only very specific persons were allowed to be taken there under certain circumstances and it certainly was not the place for a kriegsman. She could not help but give a sigh of relief hearing that news, though. If he was at the infirmary, he was in much better hands. Taken care of, just as she had asked for.

When she approached the door to the infirmary, she hesitated. She could go in there if she wanted but did she really want to? Taking a deep breath, she wandered in, her hands clasped behind her back. There were several beds lining the walls with just a few soldiers occupying them as a Chiurgeon or two tended to their wounds. As expected, there were also servitors on the side ready to assist, and the smell of blood in the air yet she did not see her soldier. Worry had started to set in but she preoccupied herself as she waited for someone to assist her. Thankfully, it was not too long before one member of the staff noticed her. She waltzed over and gave Lyra an exhausted, “Can I assist you, Sister?”

“Ah, yes. I was wondering about a soldier that had been brought in here just a while ago,” she replied.

“You must mean the Guardsman. Yes, he’s here. They’re tending to him in private. Don’t want him waking up halfway through and making a mess of things here for other patients.”

“I see, would it be…alright if I stayed for a while?”

“Willing to wait for him? I don’t see why not. We’re not overflowing today, yet. Here, you can rest here while you wait.” The Chiurgeon gestured to one of the beds away from anyone else. Just because she was not injured did not mean she could not lay there. As long as no one else needed it. 

Lyra took the offer and laid down staring at the ceiling once again lost in thought. Thankfully, time had passed and she had not realized she had finally fallen asleep for just an hour or two. When she opened her eyes, she saw him lying on the bed next to hers. Those cheeky Chiurgeons. He was within reaching distance but she dared not bother him just yet. Instead, Lyra sat up and sat on the edge of the bed looking him over. The injury on his face was terrible, the flesh having been peeled away in most places and even had a gash across his lip. It seemed like they stitched what they could but a lot was lost across his face and the bridge of his nose. No doubt his nose was actually broken. He had mild burn marks across the rest and thankfully all of the damage was only on his left side. He had bandages on his arms from autogun grazes and she could not even count all the bruises. Lyra’s eyes drifted South to his missing limb they had propped on a rolled-up blanket. It had been cleaned, packed, and wrapped and truly that was the best they could do for now. Lyra bit her thumb and sighed. She feared how he was going to act when he awoke, though she did not have to wait too much longer. The sedatives were wearing off and his primal need to be on guard had him jerking awake. Lyra gently placed her hand on his chest feeling his heart racing. 

“Hey, look who decided to wake up.”

“Where am I?”

Shaking her head, Lyra gave a crack of a smile before it was wiped away. “You’re in the infirmary. They’ve patched you up the best they can for now but you’ll be in good hands, Reid.”

“No… no no... I don’t belong here. I can’t be here. Why am I here?!”

“Reid, I need you to look at me and take some deep breaths, okay?” Lyra spoke calmly as she pressed on his chest just a bit harder to keep him in his bed. “It’s okay. I asked them to bring you here.”

The soldier paused and stared at her quizzically. 

“Something touched you out there on that battlefield and I’d say that makes you pretty damn special, Kriegsman. You saved both of us and I understand that isn’t your cup of re-caf, but I am thankful. Extremely thankful. If you want to continue to serve our God-Emperor, I need you taken care of, now don’t I?”

Reid was silent for a long while seemingly contemplating his choices. Then again, what choices did he have? Say no and get disposed of? Not a chance. “I don’t remember what I did. You said something about putting a hole in something. What did I put a hole in?”

“The Chaos Lord,” she replied bluntly.

Astonished, Reid sputtered for a moment. “I’m sorry, I did what?!” He looked around for a moment and saw the staff, giving him a look as if to tell him to quiet down so he did. “Me? I put a hole in the Chaos Lord?”

Lyra nodded. “And then he erupted and you got caught in the fire resulting in…this.” She gestured to his injuries. “If it wasn’t for you being blessed with power in our time of need, we’d both be dead for sure. You’re worth keeping alive.”

“Indeed! But we need to investigate a few things, if you don’t mind, Sister Lyra,” came a voice from behind. 

Turning sharply, she saw one of their investigators, Rey Varkov, an older tall gentleman with black hair, a blue uniform, and a robotic eye. Varkov was accompanied by two others at his side; a servitor scribe and a rather intimidating officer. “We have received your report and we have a few things to cover before we’ll allow anything further than medicae. If you’ll excuse us, Sister.”

“Of course. I’ll be back.”

Lyra wandered off away from the four of them but stayed within sight of them all. The investigator asked several questions, probing for answers for a while. While he asked Reid questions, she could not make out what they were saying, then again, she did not need to. After the servitor scribe wrote down everything, they turned away and let him be. As Varkov walked by, he calmly informed her that he was “all yours.” That was good news to her and before she knew it, she was back at his side once again before he felt too tired to keep talking. The logical thing now was to let him rest and she had some sleep to catch up on.

****

A couple of days had passed before a chiseled, grey-haired, grizzly man sat in his chair looking over the footage from the recent report given by Sister Lyra, Superior Harrow, and the questions Varkov had asked, investigating the events that took place. It seemed suspicious but nothing to really jump at. If Investigator Varkov said nothing seemed out of the ordinary, then he believed him but this footage caught by the servo skull was something else. In all his years serving, he had seen some wild and unexplainable phenomenon so he was surprised, but not too surprised. The man called for his assistant and demanded that they give the Kriegsman a notice. He was to come to the Officio Interigatus as soon as he was physically able, he had some matters he wished to assess himself.

****

“The Officio Interigatus?” Reid repeated to the assistant before they left the room. He did not receive an answer. They had said what they needed to say and left. “O..kay… Great. Whatever happened to me must have put a target on my forehead,” he grumbled.

The soldier laid there looking around the room. Honestly, he was bored and itching both physically due to injury and mentally feeling the need to be on the battlefield. That was all he knew. What he lived, breathed, dreamt. Sitting stationary did not feel remotely correct in his book. But as he thought this, he looked down at his missing limb. There was no way he could do anything. Not at the moment. Reid’s hand hovered over the left side of his face grimacing as he tried to come to terms with the condition he was in. It was like a mental flashbang. But all that subsided when she walked in.

Reid looked up to see Lyra wander in with something wrapped in her arm. Tilting his head, he tried to guess from a distance but he just was not sure until she was right next to him.

“Sister Lyra. What brings you here? You don’t have to keep checking in on me,” he spoke quietly. “I mean- I’m thankful that you do.”

“I overheard that you were summoned so I wanted to see how you were progressing in your recovery,” she replied softly.

Reid scoffed and turned his attention away from her. There was no hiding the fact he was ill-tempered at the moment but keeping his composure for the sake of keeping the peace. “Progressing to the best of my ability, I s’pose.” 

Lyra removed the wrapped item from under her arm and held it out. “It’s not much but, if you wish to continue to serve, I suppose you need a leg up in this situation.”

There was a long pause, longer than there should have been before Reid slowly turned to look at her. Forget the leg she held in front of him, did she just make a joke? And a poor one at that? He hated it but he could not stop himself from biting his lip. Never had he heard a Sister make a joke, laugh, smile, nothing. 

“That… was terrible. How dare you,” he chuckled.

“Face it, that lightened your mood just a bit.”

“...Just a bit…”

Lyra held the prosthetic in her hand letting him look it over. It was pretty basic but it would certainly do the job. After all, one could not complain about what they were given. One of the staff had come over to retrieve it from her explaining that they would prepare him for pre-op and get him situated with his new attachment as soon as possible. They continued to explain that it may take a couple more days to get him rehabilitated but he should be fine then. Lyra gave them a nod as they walked away then gently put her hand on his thigh. 

Reid felt slightly warm feeling her calloused hands touch his skin, something he truly did not deserve. “Do try to keep your chin up. You have some heretics to kill later.” Then with that, she turned and left him to his own devices. 

****

After a few days had passed, Reid was set with his new prosthetic and was up and walking again in no time. The medics chalked it up to his undying determination to just get out of the infirmary and his unwillingness to sit idle. Whatever the case may have been, he was out and ready to deal with whatever came next. The Kriegsman hobbled to the Officio Interigatus, his mind racing as to just what he was wanted there for. It could have been great news or terrible news and given the way of life in the 41st millennium, both could be bad. 

As he walked in, he could see a counsel of higher-ranking officers, Inspector Varkov, Inquisitor Magvar, and several others. There were servitor scribes ready and waiting, servo skulls to record the hearing, and cherubs carrying scrolls of all sorts. Reid made his way to the middle of the room assuming this was his final trial. He gave a salute and awaited what came next. 

“Imperial Guardsman 37456-65970-Caldwell, you have been called to the Officio Interigatus following your previous mission to Tarex-Cv8 and the use of power from origins unknown. Do you recall these events?” Varkov asked as he stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back.

“I do not,” Reid replied curtly.

“Footage was captured of this event and analyzed carefully. Where you did a great service, it is highly concerning. However, upon closer investigation, we can rest assured that power is no longer present…for the time being. Was there anything you can remember at all? Did you hear or see anything beforehand?”

Reid hesitated but replied truthfully, “I didn’t hear anything. I did, however, see a burning white light before regaining consciousness to Sister Lyra tending to my wounds. That is truly all that I remember. I launched a last attempt to kill the Heretic Lord and then nothing.”

“I see,” Varkov replied. Looking back at the grizzly man behind him, Inquisitor Magvar gave the inspector an approving nod. 

“Reid Caldwell, due to your unique circumstance, you are hereby placed under the command of Inquisitor Ivan Magvar following today’s hearing. Welcome to the Inquisition.”

Hearing those words, Reid was taken aback so much so that he staggered a little on his false limb. Being accepted into the Inquisition was the furthest thing he had expected, and without jumping through so many hoops to get there, too. Magvar stepped forward as he looked down upon the soldier. 

“However,” his rough voice boomed. “You will be watched closely. There will be no room for suspicious activity. Any of the sort will result in your extermination, do you understand, guardsman?”

Reid gave a firm salute and a curt, “Yes, sir!”

“You’re dismissed.”

[sillyflipping]

DXM 180mg hbr + weed trip report

8:10 PM: packed a bowl and smoked it. around this time, also hit the pen a few times, and a couple hits of nic vape

10:30 PM: Took 180mg DXM hbr in the form of 12 gelcaps, 15mg each. They were a generic store pharmacy brand of gelcaps, but I made sure to get the kind that contained only dxm and no other active ingredients. If you’re going to do dxm, don’t do it if there’s acetamenophin or guafinesin in whatever you’re taking because it can actually kill you, and it is not pleasant to OD on acetamenophin. Before taking the dxm I took one pill of otc dramamine to combat any nausea. The amount I took should get me to a high first plat, *maybe* a low second plat, or at least so says the dosage calculators. I’ve not done much Hbr in my past, I usually used to do freebase pills and occasionally poli (Delysm). I hadn’t done dxm in over a year now, I know it caused me a bunch of problems in my past, but for some reason lately this past week I’d just been craving it for some reason. Honestly in the past few days I’d just been fiending to get fucked up. And now, I’ve finally done it, i’ve taken my first-second plat dose and I’m waiting for it to kick in. I will try and update every hour. Also note I’ve never combined dxm and weed before, so will see if it’s any different. Also If I end up falling asleep will continue to update in the morning or whenever I wake up.

11:30 PM: Don’t notice any signifigant effects. Bit of a headache. Am lying in bed was watching some youtube videos.

12:00 AM head pounding a bit but it’s not intese pain. Just kind of a headache a bit dizzy/disoreinted bit spinny rooms spinny

12:40 AM head hurts, dizzy. This isn’t like the previous times i’ve done dxm, it’s not kickin in as hard, though to be fair I used to do freebase at higher doses and at that time I was also on abilify and lithium. Gonna try and lie down close my eyes cuz my head hurts

3am: wakw up tripping can barely type tbis. CEV’s and body heavy, dizzy visual snow room spinning. mild nausea. Feel like am on low second plat Obviously no ones awake cuz its 3am and idk

3:22 AM: I realize i mustve slept thru the peak of the trip as it’s 3am. I don’t mnow if i ever slept or if ive just been laying here in my own head my thoughts are blunted and despite the dozziness nausea and weird statitc snow visuals, it’s working to makw me not fee emotions. still tripping. hard to type

I cant belive i used to be such a dexhead that id go places like id go grocery shopping w frens back in college while off the dxm. Cant belsiwv it. This shit sucks theres way better drugs oit there this aint it

Dont really feel that cold but am shaking shivering

4am: texted a friend who was up at this hour, probably not about anytning super important. im still in the dextroverse but i think maybe im slowly comin down. There’s still visual snow and a jelly-like state about the air and atmosphere around me. I took like a 2nd plat dose and I’ll edit this trip report for more coherency and grammar once am sober

Dxm is bad trips not mentally. Mentally its pretty good but the body high is awful. Dizy and nausea spinning

4:23am: read some online calvin and hobbes comics. i never read those as a kid before but i feel like i can really understand them better somehow while trippin

4:43am: The comedown is the best part, honestly.

5AM: Still tripping, coming down. Compared to the overwhelming love and joy of a (good) mushroom trip, and compared to the depression and lonelieness i feel in my daily life, this is kinda true neutral. i feel nothing, numb. slighly optimistic tho. dont feel depressed atm. dont feel happy either.

5:40 AM: slowwwlllyyyyyy coming down. i try eating a couple spicy chips (carolina realer cheeto) to see if i can still taste, as sense of taste is often greatly diminished on dxm. The cheetos taste bland, and i feel the heat of the spice but no flavor. Sad.

6AM: less dizzy. head hurts less but still barely hurts a little bit just mildly annoying. The room stopped spinning. Am chillin on the couch, no one else awake yet

7AM: don’t think i’m still tripping, i feel a bit faded but it might be the afterglow or just general me being zooted. The sun is rising

1PM : pupils finally went back to normal size

Thoughts: Dxm fucking sucks. I felt a weird emotion that felt like how a chemical smells. Weird and numb and unable to feel anything. Awful body load. Why would you ever do dxm if you can do anything else. Nostalgia is a liar

[umbralsound-xiv]

Sentence.

I wanted to know as much as he did. I’ve seen and fought plenty of mages, and i’ve seen magic plenty before. But this wasn’t like anything i’d seen.

I heard tell she was inhibited. So what happened?

The choking noise from within the cell comes to an abrupt end, shortly followed by a thud of a body undoubtedly being dropped to the floor. Grymahtyn then wanders out of the wide open cell door and shuts it behind him, a set of keys being withdrawn from his belt to then lock the door. His gaze wanders to the cell he had just pulled X'llaya from, narrowing his gaze at the slowly thawing ice surrounding it, and the trail of blood from the lengthy hole upon it.

"Boss." Vairg greets Grym upon his exit with his usual mark of respect, having taken up post at the entrance to the solitary cells; far enough to afford them some privacy, but close enough that he could react should he need to. Q'kura and Dologadai still worked away in the neighbouring cell, muttering to eachother beneath their breath regarding their assigned task. "Take it she's out." He comments, glancing up to Grym. "...And i'm guessing this wasn't supposed to happen."

Grymahtyn met the greeting with an acknowledging nod, his steps moving closer to the Viera before he came to a new halt and glanced over his shoulder. "She is.. And no. It wasn't. She shouldn't be able to use her ice like that." His head turned back to let his pale green gaze peer at Vairg. "She broke the locks a few times as a kid, but she never tore a bloody hole in the door itself. What the hell did she even do?"

"Not sure. Started with her trying to beat the door down to get to him." He thrusts a thumb over his shoulder, following after Grym. "Then, it sounded like she was hitting it harder, unless she did something with her ice. Couldn't see, of course. But the ice spewed out pretty bad when i was beating him. Worked well enough as a punishment." The amusement on his features is plain to see... And the small mote of curiosity. "...What do you plan to do with him, now that we've got her?"

She’s the protective sort. I’ve seen enough of her like to know how they get. Deaf to reason, will do all and anything in order to keep you away from them.

Not that she could do shit to stop me. I had my orders.

Maybe she should focus on being more obedient, and then this wouldn’t happen.

But at least she makes it fun for me.

".. Aggression over obedience when he's actually getting hurt.. I see." Grymahtyn mused, then peered at the door once more. "Arnkel reported she used weapons of ice, last time they tried to grab her. But it was a set of daggers. That isn't from daggers." A brief pause lingered, as he glanced over to the open, half-broken cell door where Q'kura and Dologadai resided with the captive Viera. "Unsure. He has served his purpose."

"Mm." Vairg considers, glancing disdainfully to the room. "It makes me wonder. Though i wager she won't simply just tell you... But we can always find out..." The smirk he was well known for creeps across his lips.

"She hasn't been keen on giving any information at all." Grymahtyn grumbled, exhaling a sharp breath through his nose. Vairg's words make his gaze return to him, one brow lofting. "What do you propose?" He questioned.

"A spectacle." Vairg muses with a gesture of his hand towards Eir's cell. "The arena. You would witness whatever caused this first hand... And break her into submission, if not make it easier to do so." A small huff leaves his nose. "He's poor sport for fighting, but someone will find some entertainment in it. And at the end of it, we will have one less mouth to feed."

Silence lingered as Grymahtyn considered the proposal, the corners of his lips slowly turning upwards in an amused smirk. ".. Athilda is due a trial." He spoke, after some consideration. "Will he offer enough sport for that?"

"He'll suffice." Vairg replies, clearly enthused at the prospect. "I'll give him a sun or two to recover. But i'll make arrangements as necessary."

Grymahtyn nodded slowly. "Let me know when, and I will make sure X'llaya is in the audience."

I tire of the Viera. Who leaves Golmore without knowing how to fight? Even i learned this, and i learned it quickly.

But the jungle held no life for me. No challenge.

He served no purpose there... And he’s just about served his purpose here.

...Almost, anyway.

[heretic-saint-taliesin]

DAY 7 - SALVAGE SHIP THE WRETCHED_

[Communications commence, Boris is unusually chipper_] 

Day Seven, salvage ship The Wretched. Flight Engineer Boris reporting. Seven. Day Se-ven. Seven whole days. A week. Oh god I’ve been alone a WEEK_

I’ll just keep myself occupied. Staying still is going to drive me stir-crazy. Keep up and keep moving_

LOUD NOISES. I DON’T LIKE WHEN THE SHIP STARTS MAKING LOUD FUCKING NOISES! It wasn’t content with glitching the scanners nooooooo we had to go set off the PROXIMITY ALARMS DIDN’T WE?_

[Boris’ yelling echoes around him as he loudly wrestles with controls. An alarm is blaring in the background in a whining, echoing siren_] 

WEEWOO WEE FUCKING WOOO SHUT UUUUP! God… Goddamnit! It’s just sitting close enough to set the alarms off knowing it will upset me isn’t it? It damn well knows. It knows I’m slowly losing my mind on this ship and it’s going to try and speed up the process!_

[There’s the sound of a keyboard banging and the alarms cut out. Boris, however, keeps yelling_]

THERE. I’M SO HAP-HAP-HAPPY THAT IT’S NICE AND QUIET NOW!_

[He growls, kicks something that echoes with the impact, and slumps down heavily. As he speaks his voice is calmer_]

I miss ADAM. He’d know the difference and not just ring the fucking proximity alarm. Sure, he didn’t let us know about the asteroid we hit but there were other issues going on - but he’d certainly not fuck up this bad. I miss him. I miss Ada keeping ADAM in line_

Oh… Oh my god. I’ve done it. It’s taken a week of on and off tinkering and trying and retrying but I’ve done it! The beacon is up and responding! It’s broadcasting! Safely too - not in a way that’s going to have this thing whispering over my comms again. It’s broadcasting me speak and maybe… Just maybe someone will respond! Engineering skills finally paying off! Hollis would be proud of me!_

[He’s genuinely so excited, getting up and clapping his hands with growing hope_]

This is Flight Engineer Boris Strugatsky - Survivor of the Salvage Ship The Wretched! If you can hear this please respond! If you can hear this please come and find me! Pinpoint my coordinates and get me off this wreck!_ 

[He keeps yelling a few more times, his footsteps sounding like he’s spinning in circles until he collapses with heavy breathing_]

I am… I am going to get off this thing. The beacon is my ticket out. I just need it to work. I really hope it works. This is… Hope. After all this week this is hope_ 

[He sighs with relief_]

Two more tasks today. I am okay. I am okay. I will be okay_

I can’t let my elation at the beacon distract from everything, I still have tasks. I’m still examining the extent of the damage on board this ship in case there are more essential repairs I have to do. Even if the beacon is a good sign this whole thing is not over yet.

There’s damage everywhere I go anyway, far as the eye can see. Corridors marred with scarring from god knows what body parts this alien thing has to attack with. Given the depth of the gouges into the metal panelling I’ve been assuming claws - maybe jaws? Some of them look horribly like teeth marks_

[Pause, Boris makes a shuddering sound_]

Whatever claws this thing has they’re not something I want to be on the receiving end of. They look like they’d tear you to shreds and then your shreds to ribbons… It makes me get a cold feeling in my spine when I look at them for too long_

[Pause_]

Further along, it looks like bite marks along some of the beams and maybe something else. Footprints? Foot… claws? Are those a thing? Yes of course they’re a thing. This thing is sharp all over_ 

[Sigh_]

At least these are all old damage marks. Nothing new from last check. It hasn’t been here again since and that is reassuring_

I came back to our habitat pod and did some rummaging around. Just to see if I’ve missed anything useful_

[There are noises to suggest he is still rummaging.]

I found a journal that’s so eye-wateringly pink I know it has to have been Ada’s. She’s the only one this into pink to have something this violently coloured. I know it’s hers_

[Pause_]

It feels wrong to read it. Like… Really wrong. That was her diary and her thoughts. Even if she… She… It just feels like it isn’t my business at all_

[There’s a longer pause, and then rustling, the sound of pages turning_]

I, Boris Strugatsky, am an asshole who reads a girl’s personal diary because she’s dead. I am going to hell. I am in hell. I am still reading her diary_

[Pause_]

Ada liked to write about ADAM a lot, there’s a lot of technical stuff in here that’s way beyond even my knowledge of computing. I’m not the most tech illiterate person out there but even still some of this is… Beyond me. She could have gone really far with this. I remember her saying that this was just her entry level step to better stuff - they wanted her to manage ADAM on this ship because she wrote the code for him. She was literally the one keeping him up and alive while he ran the ship and kept the rest of us alive. Now they’re both dead_

[Boris sighs and keeps reading, muttering quietly and inaudibly before speaking into the recorder again_]

Lot of this is disparaging Doug for his pranks, I get that. Rambling about the Commander being strict and then Mary being prudish - that’s rude. Mary was nice, she just… Had a preference for not demanding we fight aliens every week. Life isn’t sci-fi and all that - and well Ada got her wish to fight an alien and now look where we all are. I shouldn’t say that_

[Pause_]

Ada I’m sorry. I’m such a fucking asshole_

She missed stuff from earth a lot. Not home but… Boba tea and bubblegum. Stuff that was rationed up here because you can’t just go back 8 light years to earth and pick them up easily. I get that. Ada was a child compared to the rest of us at nineteen so… I get that_

[Pause_]

I shouldn’t read more of this. It’s private. I’m going to put it with everyone else’s affairs and leave well alone. Time for bed._ 

Flight Engineer Boris Strugatsky Signing off_

[dailyaudiobible]

1/22/2023 DAB Transcript

Genesis 44:1-45:28, Matthew 14:13-36, Psalm 18:37-50, Proverbs 4:11-13

Today is the 22nd day of January, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It is wonderful, wonderful to greet a brand-new week together and step into it together, as we gather around the Global Campfire and move into this brand-new week. And as we so often pay attention to, it’s a brand-new week, everything that has gone before is in the past, it's a brand-new week, it’s a reset, it's a restart. Whatever we failed at last week, we don't have to fail at this, we can learn we can amass wisdom, we get discernment, we can pay attention. We get a fresh start and so, let's walk into this brand-new week together with a hope, knowing that nothing has happened yet, it's all out there in front of us. And what we do will write the story of this week, what we say will write the story of this week. May we navigate this week wisely, using wisdom as the Scriptures are so abundantly making clear to us that we need to do. So, let's do that. One of the ways we do that is to immerse ourselves daily in the Scriptures and take the next step forward together. And that next step forward together leads us back into the book of Genesis and back into the story of Joseph. We have gotten ourselves very deep in the story of Joseph and so, Joseph is now seeing his brother Benjamin. The other brothers they had to come back they ran out of food and the famine is severe. Joseph is second in command in Egypt, and he gets to see his little brother who he hasn't gotten to see. Like his whole childhood was taken from Joseph and he had to suffer through slavery and imprisonments before he became a commander, second in command and all of Egypt. So, he never got to grow up with his little brother and now he’s seeing him. He’s got all of the brothers in his house; they’re having a meal. He arranged all the brothers in their birth order, they’re astonished by this, they know something's up. They believe they’re being judged for what they did to Joseph and it's at that meal that we pick up the story, Genesis chapters 44 and 45 today and we will read from the Common English Bible this week.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word and we thank You for this brand-new shiny week that we get to walk into together, as a community here around the Global Campfire but together. We’re all sharing the same piece of history. You've allowed us to all be here on earth at this time and we thank You. So, as we move into this new week, we invite Your Holy Spirit to come and direct and bring clarity and correction and comfort into our week and into our lives. And these things that are looming out in front of us, the things that get us all knotted up inside and bring anxiety and worry, may we remember how this week started in the Scriptures, with You walking to Your friends on the lake, and they are scared, they are worried and frightened. And You said, be encouraged, it's me, don't be afraid. May we carry that, be encouraged, it's me, don't be afraid, every moment as we navigate this new week. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Good morning, everybody. Hey, it’s Annette Allison from Oklahoma City. Man, this is gonna be like a weird thing, I actually have a praise report and you’ll see why it’s weird. So, I’ve been helping out with the VA disability claim, and I finally got one. And it took a really long time, so I got kind of discouraged. You know, like one day it just finally all came together. And I’d been kind of putting off getting my ID card and getting signed up for the health stuff. Because I was like hey, you know, I’ll just save that for somebody else, you know. I got, my own health and you know, and insurance and stuff like that. And it was just one day the thought crossed my mind, you just need to get on down there and do that thing. So, I did, and it turned out like here's my ID card, it was like a wife with one of the guys I work with. And she knew who I was and she’s like telling me all this stuff. And she goes, hey, I’m gonna walk you over here to the health, where you sign up for the health stuff. And I said, I don’t really need that. And no, no, no, come on let’s go. And it was like, it was so cool. And then the person there, he helped me out, got me all signed up and he’s like, hey, let’s get you signed up for your appointment. And I’m like, ah, you know, I’m all good. No, no, no, come on, help me. Let’s just get this done. Everything was just so kind and so nice. It’s like, I didn’t really want to tell them no. Right, so, anyways, I did it and here’s the blessing part. So, I get down there and gotta do all this lab work and hey, we’ll let you know if we find anything funky. Course I wasn’t expecting nothing, you know, I’ve been good. And two days later, I get a phone call and the guy says, hey, this is so and so from the pharmacy. We’re gonna get you hooked up on all your diabetes medicine. Turns out that I have type 2 diabetes and didn’t even know it. I had no idea. It was a shock, but I knew there was something kind of wrong with me, but I didn’t know quite what. I mean besides mentally of course, you know. But it was like, man, they got me hooked up. And I feel so good. I could not believe how sick I actually was until I wasn’t. And I thank God for everything and it just, it was such a God thing, the whole way through. And I just wanna give Him thanks and praise for this blessing because some people might say, well, what a death sentence and I go, uh uh man. I feel, it’s like the biggest blessing of my whole life. So, I just wanna give God thanks and praise for taking care of me and looking out for me. So, I love you guys and you know if you’ve got those symptoms boy, you don’t know what’s wrong go, go and find out. Maybe it might be just like this and turn out so good for you. You know, you never know. So, I love you all. Have a wonderful day. Bye bye.

Hey family, it’s Valiant Val, we just heard our girl Lisa aka Philippians 4:6. I love that verse. Be anxious for nothing. Hey sis, I don’t know if I’ve ever shared my life verse, it’s Philippians 2:14, it says, oh Gosh, do everything without complaining or arguing. Good luck with that family. Let’s gather around this campfire right now. She’s our friend that has terminal cancer. But we know that God is able. Sis, your request is that you can stay in the hospital until your family member or friends come through for a place to stay. So, right now, let’s go before the throne and ask for that. Lord God, right now, we come before You, we lay it all at the cross. God, we shall be anxious for nothing. And in that Lord, we are believing that she can stay in the hospital Lord, until she can get into the care providing situation. And Lord God, there is nothing too hard for You. So, Heavenly Father, if it’s Your will, Lord God, heal our friend. Heal our sister in Christ, Father. Take this cancer from her body, Lord. Let her be a miracle, Lord Jesus. And God, if You see it to be another way and You’re ready to take her to glory, God, let it be as pain-free as possible, Lord. Please, in the name of Jesus. I love you sis. Muah. I’m praying for you.

Hi Daily Audio Bible family. This is Pamela, previously Refined by the Fine from Pennsylvania going by, Living Life Victoriously in Pennsylvania. I am being so encouraged by listening to all the wonderful love and care being shared on the community prayer. And just wanted to call in and encourage all of you as we lift one another up in prayer and encourage one another. I just want to say a brief prayer for us. Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Your son, Yeshua, Jesus Christ. You, Lord, are great and greatly to be praised. We come together boldy before Your throne of grace to find mercy and grace in all of our times of need. I thank You and I praise You for this community of prayer warriors, that we can come together and lift one another up and pray believing. We lift our voice to You and You hear our voices. And we eagerly watch to see Your answers to our prayers. I thank You and I praise You Lord. And I ask all these things in Jesus precious name. Amen.

Good morning, this is John Ransom calling from Budapest. Specifically, for you, Lisa, from the West Coast. You know, struggling with stage 4 cancer. And I was listening very intently to everything you asked for, praying for you. I know you meant for every need you have, not only for this intermittent week but for complete and utter healing. You know, I went through cancer, I went through Lymphoma, an entire year. And chemo and the whole thing. To the extent that the chemo knocked out my immune system and I need two weeks to be in isolation to have my immune system restored, you know, with stem cell therapy, etc. So, I truly know where you are at and I also know how the Lord appears in the middle of that situation. And I, my heart was glad when I heard that you see God in this situation. And nevertheless, I was very, very touched when immediately following your message, another woman called in and prayed for everyone suffering from cancer. And I joined her fervently in that. I want you to know that I’ll be praying for you from this point on as the Holy Spirit nudges me, reminds me. You know, you’re not alone. I had the Lord speak one clear message the day of the diagnoses, He said, I am doing a new thing. And I said, ok, Lord, I trust You will do it. And in the worse chemo, at three o’clock in the morning, He woke me up and I felt Jesus standing to the right of my bed. So, I pray for this intimacy with Him, and I pray for your complete and utter healing in His glorious and precious name. Amen.

Hello, this is Bonnie from Virginia. I was very thrilled to hear a boy who was 15 years old. He didn’t leave his name when he was encouraging other teenagers. And today is Wednesday, January 18th of 2023. I really get excited and very encouraged whenever I hear the children and the teenagers and young adults requesting for prayer and encouraging others. I am promising that I will pray for you, 15-year-old. God’s son, it’s very encouraging to hear that you being in that age, encouraging other teenagers. Life is long and there may be many challenges coming in your life, also. So, I will promise that you will be strong in God’s faith and will keep on encouraging others and be strong in His faith. Remember, we love you and it thills to hear that these teenagers are listening to DAB and making there __ to God. Thank you.

[thinkabitmore]

Ada Limón — “To Be Made Whole” | The On Being Project

I really believe that poetry is something we humans need almost as much as we need water and air. We can forget this. And then there are times in a life, and in the life of the world, where only a poem — perhaps in the form of the lyrics of a song, or a half sentence we ourselves write down — can touch the mystery of ourselves, and the mystery of others.

And I think there was a part of me that felt like so much of what I had read up until then was meant to instruct or was meant to offer wisdom. And here was something that was so well crafted — and people to this day will say it’s one of the most expert villanelles ever written — it’s so well crafted, and yet it doesn’t actually offer any answers. It just offers more questions. And there’s sort of an invitation at the end. And I think it was that. I think I trusted its unknowing and its mystery in a way that I distrusted maybe other forms of writing up until then.

So that even when you’re talking about the natural world: we are of it not in it.

And even as it relieves us of the need to sum everything up, to give instruction or answers, where to give answers would be to disrespect the gravity of the questions.

And we read naturally for meaning. I mean, that’s how we read. We read for sense. And poetry doesn’t really allow you to do that because it’s working in the smallest units of sound and syllable and clause and line break and then the sentence. So you get to have this experience with language that feels somewhat disjointed, and in that way almost feels like, “Oh, this makes more sense as the language for our human experience than, let’s say, a news report.”

I have people who ask me, “How do you write poems?” And you talk about process. And it’s always an interesting question because I feel like my process changes and I change. But I think the biggest thing for me is to begin with silence. If you’re having trouble writing or creating or whatever it is you make, when was the last time you just sat in silence with yourself and listened to what was happening? - Which also makes it spiritual practice. - Absolutely

So it had this kind of wonderful way of existing in an aliveness of a language, aliveness of a second language as opposed to just sort of a need to get something or to use. It wasn’t used as a tool.

And I was having this moment where I kept being like, “Well, if I just deeply look at the world like I do, as poets do, I will feel a sense of belonging. I will trust the world and I will feel at peace.” And this time, what came to me as I stood and looked at the trees was that — Oh, it isn’t just me looking. It is the world and the trees and the grasses and the birds looking back. And it felt like this is the language of reciprocity. This means that I am in a reciprocal relationship with the natural world, not that it is my job to be the poet that goes and says, “Tree, I will describe it to you.” [audience laughs] I have a lot of poems that basically are that. [audience laughs] But instead to really have this moment of, “Oh, no, it’s our work together to see one another. And to not have that bifurcated for a moment.” Is where that poem came from.

But let me say, I was taken back and forth on Sundays and it was not easy but I was loved each place. And so I have two brains now. Two entirely different brains. The one that always misses where I’m not, and the one that is so relieved to finally be home.

Yeah. I think this poem, for me, is very much about learning to find a home and a sense of belonging in a world where being at peace is actually frowned upon. Where being at ease is not okay. We prioritize busyness. “Oh, I’m stressed.” “Oh, if you want to know about stress, let me tell you, I’m stressed.” I like to tell my friends when they say they’re really stressed, I’ll be like, “Oh, I took the most wonderful nap. You should take a nap.” [laughter] I know it’s cruel. [laughter]

And the title comes from when you’re planting a tree and you’re looking for where the sun is the right space, you can draw where the circles are, and they’ll tell you to plant where the circles overlap. So it’s actually about fostering yourself in the sun, in the right place, creating the right habitat. And the right habitat for that, for all human flourishing, is for us to begin with a sense of belonging, with a sense of ease, with a sense that even though we are desirous and even though we want all of these things, right now, being alive, being human is enough. That’s really hard.

Slowdown podcast

“…as I’ve aged, I have more time for tenderness, for the poems that are so earnest they melt your spine a little. I have decided that I’m here in this world to be moved by love and [to] let myself be moved by beauty.”

“The Quiet Machine”

I’m learning so many different ways to be quiet. There’s how I stand in the lawn, that’s one way. There’s also how I stand in the field across from the street, that’s another way because I’m farther from people and therefore more likely to be alone. There’s how I don’t answer the phone, and how I sometimes like to lie down on the floor in the kitchen and pretend I’m not home when people knock. There’s daytime silent when I stare, and nighttime silent when I do things. There’s shower silent and bath silent and California silent and Kentucky silent and car silent and then there’s a silence that comes back, a million times bigger than me, sneaks into my bones and wails and wails and wails until I can’t be quiet anymore. That’s how this machine works.

“After the Fire”

You ever think you could cry so hard that there’d be nothing left in you, like how the wind shakes a tree in a storm until every part of it is run through with wind? I live in the low parts now, most days a little hazy with fever and waiting for the water to stop shivering out of the body. Funny thing about grief, its hold is so bright and determined like a flame, like something almost worth living for.

I think it’s very dangerous not to have hope. And if you can’t have hope, I think we need a little awe, or a little wonder, or at least a little curiosity.

[someonestole15]

Breathe easy, you're home now.

Polonium as it turns out, has a half-live of many years... I might have estimated that wrong then...

Cool autumn air settled in as the sun descended beyond the horizon, it would be dark soon. Sitting by the rear hatches of the APC with my feet to the ground, a steady flow of mist trailed off from the laboratory as the chemical traces were washed away.

“Hell of a day.” Valkyrie said as she sat down next to me, yawning and leaning against the APC wall.

“You said it... Any theories on where the fuel rods disappeared off to?”

“Don’t have much, but I’d guess the guards were in it from the beginning.”

“Seems like it, we’ll have to scan the personnel files once we get back, shouldn’t be too hard to get clearance.”

“You did what you could in there.” She said out of the blue, prompting me to turn around and face her.

“What?”

“Did you forget that I can see your data stream? You’re calculating how this could have gone better.”

“Right that... I feel like we are moving through different phases but not getting anywhere.”

“But we have gotten somewhere, now we just have to adapt to whatever role comes first. Be that PMC or whatever, I’ll help you through it.”

“Thanks. I...I really needed that.”

Corruption on the drive driven back, I took Valkyrie’s hand and pulled myself on my feet as Richter and rest of Gamma returned. Swiftly divided back into smaller squads who went off to do their duties, Richter stared into the mist for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Ahem, I want to thank you for your assistance with the operation.”

“What he means is that he isn’t opposed to having you join us in the CTO books. Ain’t that right Oscar?” Diana said, gently slapping Richter’s shoulder as she took a place next to him.

“Yeah, I’d say you two could be one hell of an addition to our unit. The call is all yours.”

“I appreciate the offer but I don’t think I can settle down just yet.”

“Understandable. Alright then, grab your stuff and get in the truck, we’re heading home, Gamma can deal with the cleanup.”

Fitting the mask back over my face, the filters shifted to accommodate the fresh air coming through as we climbed inside the truck and returned to the CTO base. Not much to say about the drive, same roads as we had taken to get the power plant, illuminated by the streetlights but for how long...

That question remained in my head as we sat in the conference room with Barnett, awaiting for a conclusion of Pale Flame.

“Well it wasn’t exactly a milk run, but you managed it with only few scratches to show for it, good work. Corvus’s involvement will be kept under black ink but we have a bigger issue.”

The screen behind Barnett changed to show a graph of a nuclear reactor.”

“26 tons of fuel rods are now MIA. We have to assume whoever was behind this was well equipped and well connected to pull off something like this.”

“Any idea how the plant went from a bustling scene to a ghost town?”

“We suspect that a transport aircraft was involved, most likely a helicopter. The supposed guards were playing along while the fuel rods were removed, then drawing your eyes to the chemical leak while ferrying them to the landing pad here.”

Another picture, an aerial photo of the plant. There was indeed a large H painted to indicate a landing site between reactors 1 and 2.

“They were dug in to the systems on site; we only have one image we managed to extract from the security footage, rest of it was corrupted or otherwise destroyed.”

Picture showing two men dressed in hazmat gear hauling a large crate through the plants corridor, although hard to tell with all the artifacts and missing pixels.

“We have informed the Colony leadership and the owners of the plant about the situation. This is in our yard but it is big enough that the Empire and Federation have both started their own investigations and have offered their help. X-ray, take the rest of the day to rest and report to me in the morning. Dismissed.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Corvus, stay for a bit, I have a proposition for you.”

With the door shut, Barnett leaned back in his chair and pulled up a map on the screen behind him. Taking a seat by the desk, Barnett’s face shifted from stern to calculating, his fingers trembled slightly as he signed in on the terminal.

“I am aware you have done what I requested from you two and for that, I thank you. All of this will be off the record but I’d like to ask for your help in this investigation.”

“We’ll help, but... we work best when out of sight, out of mind. No red tape, no clearances or permits, we’ll share any findings with you and you do the same with us.”

“It is good that you are reasonable. Out of sight and out of mind, I think we can work with that. Here, we have an old drone hub gathering dust just outside the colony. Owner sold it to the colony due to debts or something along that line... Long story, the place is almost off the grid, but it does have automated flight control and a comms unit and the hangar can easily fit your ship. You are a valuable asset, and this contract will be classified and redacted, and only I will have access to it.”

Moment to think, Valkyrie seemed to agree on the matter, living out of the gunship had been doable but flying constantly does take a toll on the moving parts and fuel, all of which costs money.

“Are there living quarters?”

“The hub was operated by a skeleton crew of 3 on shifts lasting a few weeks each, so there should be enough space for you two and perhaps an addition if required.”

Nomad by nature, I like travelling but having an anchor point that we can use to plan missions and store most of our gear, leaving the gunship empty for improved performance. Needle pointing steadily at green, I nodded to Barnett.

“Good, CTO is glad to have you. Welcome to Novis, I’ll inform Nikolas that you’ll be sticking around.”

“Glad to be in the books. When can we head out?”

“Your ship should be decontaminated and ready in our heliport. Here.” The captain said as he threw me a set of keys. “I’ll be in touch once you have the comms relay online. Dismissed.”

Closing the door behind me, I stared at the keys in my grip and gently shook them. Real, that was not a dream... Snatched from my grip by Valkyrie, the look in her eyes matched the smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around me.

It’s not the Corvette nor a carrier, but it will do.

[woods2006gal]

Chapter 01 - Drive

Zoey Stella York glances up at the top of the school bus when a thud echoes throughout. She brushes a strand of bright curly blonde hair behind her ear and turns her emerald green eyes, hidden behind a pair of thick black-rimmed glasses, back to the book in her lap. The chatter of the students around her doesn't stop. Sitting in front of her were Pete Ross and Chloe Sullivan. Pete was an African-American boy with a bright smile, and Chloe was a blonde-haired reporter in charge of the school newspaper. While they were friends, Zoey didn't consider them close friends. They were friends more with the son of her godparents, Jonathan and Martha Kent. As the bus nears Smallville High School, Zoey shoves the book she was reading into her backpack. The bus stops, and the students start to climb off of it. "So, anyone ask either of you to the dance," Pete asks, walking down the bus stairs.

"Not yet," Chloe replies. They glance at Zoey.

"No," Zoey tells them before walking into the crowded high school hallway. She had always been a person who kept to herself. She had been since her parents died when she was seven years old. She’s standing in front of her locker, digging through her backpack when a hand slams down onto the locker next to her. Wordlessly, she looks up to fine Shane Burke.

Shane was a senior and a star running back on the football team. He was tall with hazel eyes. Many of the girls at Smallville High had a crush on either Shane or Whitney Forman, another senior on the football team. Except Zoey wasn’t one of them. In fact, she couldn’t stand either of them. And she had no idea why Shane had taken a sudden interest in her at the beginning of the school year.

“Are you going with anyone to the homecoming dance,” Shane asks, leaning in close.

Zoey stares at him for a moment, then turns back to her locker. “No.”

Shane grins. “Great! Then you can go with me.”

Zoey grabs her binder and history book before closing the locker. “No.”

She starts down the hallway, intending to head to her history. Shane quickly follows. He drapes an arm around her shoulders. “We’ll have a great time, Zoey. What color is your dress? I want to get a corsage that matches it.”

“I don’t have a dress because I’m not going,” Zoey states, rolling her eyes. She wanted to yell at him; to scream that there was no way she was going to the homecoming dance with him because she had no interest in going at all.

“I’ll get a red one then. That’ll probably go with whatever dress you pick. Oh, and I’ll pick you up at six. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure my truck is clean.”

Shane grabs her wrist and Zoey stares at him, wondering when he was going to realize that she had no interest. Her eyes widen when he presses a quick kiss to her cheek.

“I’ll see you later,” Shane says before taking off.

Zoey walks into the classroom, utterly confused at what had just occurred. She sits down in her usual desk and shakes her head. She had no idea what was going on, but she just wanted to get through her day without any more strange occurrences.

~*~

Zoey raises an eyebrow when the familiar red pickup truck pulls to a stop in front of Smallville High that afternoon. She had stayed late to take advantage of the library being empty to do some research for a science project. Martha was supposed to be picking her up. "Is everything okay," she asks, seeing the concerned look on her godfather’s face.

Jonathan Kent motions for her to get in. "Clark was involved in an accident at Loeb Bridge," he explains as she climbs in. Jonathan was a man in his mid-forties with sandy blonde hair and tanned skin. Zoey remains quiet as he speeds over to where Loeb Bridge is. Police cars and ambulances surrounded the area. He jumps out of the truck and runs down to where Clark is sitting with a red blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Zoey stands next to the pickup, watching as a crew works on pulling a destroyed Porsche out of the river. "Clark! Son, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Clark replies. 

"Who's the maniac who was driving that car," Jonathan demands, looking at the sheriff.

"That would be me." They turn to see a young bald-headed man. He, too, had a red blanket wrapped around his shoulders with a cut on his face. He holds out a hand. "Lex Luthor."

Jonathan stares at him for a moment, then yanks off his jacket and drapes it around Clark's shoulders. "I'm Jonathan Kent. This is my son."

"Thanks for saving my life," Lex tells Clark. 

"I'm sure you would have done the same thing," Clark replies.

"You have quite an extraordinary boy there, Mr. Kent. If there is any way, I can repay you?"

"Drive slower," Jonathan retorts, then walks off with Clark.

"Are you okay," Zoey asks once they make it up to the truck.

"I'm fine," Clark answers, opening the passenger door. Zoey looks between the two Kent men and silently climbs into the truck.

~*~

Zoey walks up to the barn's loft. Jonathan had turned the area into a hangout space for Clark and Zoey; that way, they could have friends over without parents hovering over them. Except Zoey never really hung out in the loft. She would mostly stayed in her room. She rolls her eyes, finding that Clark is watching Lana through his telescope. Lana lived across the road from the Kent farm with her Aunt Nell. Her parents had passed away in the meteor shower. 

At first, the Kents had tried to keep Clark's secret from Zoey. But that only lasted a couple months. Clark and Zoey had been playing in a field when she had been stung by a bee. Typically, it wouldn't have mattered. Except Zoey was allergic to bees. Seeing that her face had started to turn blue and she started to have trouble breathing, Clark had grabbed Zoey and raced her back to the house for help. Even when she had been focusing on trying to breathe, a seven-year-old Zoey had noticed what had happened, and once she was better, she had told the Kents what Clark had done. 

"You know that's really creepy, right," Zoey says, sitting down on the old couch. A desk was in the corner with an old trunk as a coffee table. Clark scowls but doesn't respond. She constantly teased him about his massive crush on Lana. "You should just ask her out."

"She has a boyfriend," Clark argues.

"Then, when they eventually break up, you should ask her out."

"What makes you think that they'll break up?"

"Because Whitney is a senior, and Lana is a freshman. He'll go off to college, and she'll be here. Alone. They'll end up breaking up." Zoey stands up. "Anyway, Uncle Jonathan wanted me to ask you if you had gotten all your chores done?"

"Seeing as I'm not you, yes."

"Whatever," Zoey replies, then walks out of the loft. Ever since the two teenagers had hit puberty, they had become more agonistic towards each other. And nothing that the Kents did was making the two teens as close as they had been as children.

~*~

Zoey silently follows Clark down the dirt driveway that leads to the Kent farm. They notice a shiny new red pickup truck with a giant blue bow parked in front of the barn as they reach the house. "Hey, Mom," Clark shouts, running over to the truck. "Whose truck?"

"Yours," Martha answers, climbing down from the tractor. "It's a gift from Lex Luthor." She pulls out a card from within her jacket and hands it to Clark.

"'Dear Clark. Drive safely. Always in your debt. A maniac in a Porsche,'" Clark reads. "I don't believe it. Where are the keys?"

"Your father has them." A worried look appears on Clark's face as he searches for Jonathan. Martha turns to Zoey. "I ran into Shane Burke's mother at the store. She told me that you guys were going to the homecoming dance together."

Zoey rolls her eyes. “I’m not going to the dance. And I told him that multiple times, Aunt Martha. But he refused to listen to him. He must’ve gotten hit too many time while out on the football field to remember that no means no.”

“I think it would be good for you, Zoey,” Martha tells her. “You should do stuff outside of school and the farm more. Have some friends.”

“I have friends.”

“When was the last time you hung out with Pete or Chloe without Clark around,” Martha argues. Zoey remains silent. “Sweetheart, we just worry about you.”

Zoey shifts. She knew there was no way of getting out of this. “If I go to the stupid dance with Shane, then can I go to the Monet art exhibit in Metropolis next month.”

Martha smiles. “Deal. And hey, maybe you’ll have some fun at the dance.”

A strange crunching noise comes from within the barn, and the two women go inside. "I didn't dive in after Lex's car," Clark shouts, pulling his arm out the wood chipper. "It hit me at sixty miles an hour! Does that sound normal to you? I'd give anything to be normal!" Clark walks past them, up into the loft. Martha shoots her husband a look, and Zoey shakes her head, heading in the direction of the house.

~*~

"Did you know that I'm an alien," Clark asks as he and Zoey head towards the Luthor Manor to return the truck that Lex had given Clark. Zoey shoots him a confused look. "My spaceship is in the storm cellar. Dad says I came down during the meteor shower. He and Mom found my crashed ship on the side of the road."

"So, you're an alien," Zoey replies, nodding. She smirks, waving her pointer finger in the air. "Have you phoned home yet?”

Clark shoots her an annoyed look as they up to the gate outside of the Luthor Manor. After getting no reply from the intercom, Clark parks the truck, and they climb out. Clark pulls open the gate wide enough for them to slip through. He quickly closes the gate back, and they make their way inside. It was made of stone and had many details that reminded Zoey of the old European castles she had seen in pictures. They walk around the mansion, searching for the new owner. They finally come across a couple of people in a large room with a fireplace, fencing. A fencing sword is thrown into the wall, inches away from Clark's head.

One of the fencers pulls off their mask. "Clark," Lex asks. "I didn't see you."

"Uh, we buzzed, but no one answered," Clark replies.

Lex grabs the sword out of the wall. "How'd you get through the gate?"

"We squeezed through the bars," Zoey quickly says. She eyes the other fencer, a blonde woman. "We can come back if this is a bad time."

"Oh, no, no. I think Heidi has sufficiently kicked my ass for the day," Lex replies, tossing his mask on the couch. The woman nods and walks out of the room. He shoots Zoey a questioning look.

"This is Zoey," Clark says. “She’s...she's my sister. I guess.” He looks around the room. "This is a great place."

"Yeah? If you're dead and in the market for something to haunt."

"I mean, it's roomy."

Lex walks out of the room. Clark and Zoey exchange a look, then follow him down the hallway. "It's the Luthor ancestral home, or so my father claims. He had it shipped over from Scotland stone by stone."

"Yeah, we remember trucks rolled through town for weeks, but no one ever moved in."

"My father had no intention of living here. He's never even stepped through the front door."

"Then why'd he ship it over?"

"Because he could."

They enter another room. This was one filled with various types of workout equipment. Lex pulls off his fencing jacket. "How's the new ride?"

Clark exchanges a look with Zoey. He sighs. "That's why I'm here."

"What's the matter," Lex asks. He hands Clark and Zoey each a water bottle before opening up one for himself. "You don't like it?"

"No, it's not that. I can't keep it."

Lex sets his water down and turns to them. "Clark, you saved my life. I think it's the least I can do." Clark awkwardly looks away. "Your father doesn't like me, does he? It's okay." Lex rubs his bald head. "I've been bald since I was nine. I'm used to people judging me before they get to know me."

"It's nothing personal," Clark weakly defends. "He's just not crazy about your dad."

"Figures the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Understandable. What about you, Clark? Did you guys fall far from the tree?"

Clark remains silent. "We better go," he says, breaking the silence. "Thanks for the truck."

Clark and Zoey start to walk out of the library. "Clark," Lex calls out. They turn to the young billionaire. "Do you believe a man can fly?"

Clark chuckles. "Sure. In a plane."

"No, I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about soaring through the clouds with nothing but air beneath you."

Zoey stares at him. "Lex, people can't fly."

"I did," Lex tells them. "After the accident, when my heart stopped. It was the most exhilarating two minutes of my life. I flew over Smallville, and I didn't see a dead-end for the first time. I saw a new beginning. Thanks to you, Clark, I have a second chance. We have a future, Clark. And I don't want anything to stand in the way of our friendship."

Zoey and Clark make their way out of the mansion. "He's a very intense guy,” Zoey mutters.

~*~

Zoey smooths down her pale blue dress Martha had brought for her. She hadn't seen Clark since earlier that morning when they had arrived at school. She looks around the gym. It had been no surprise that Lana and her boyfriend, Whitney Foreman, had been crowned homecoming queen and king. Chloe was dancing with Pete. And she was currently standing next to the wall, waiting to see if Shane would actually come back with the glass of punch he said he would get. 

Zoey wouldn’t deny that she was actually surprised that Shane had indeed shown up to take her to the dance. She had expected this whole evening to be a prank. That she would be dressed up and spend most of the evening waiting for someone who never had any intention on showing up. 

“Hey.” Zoey looks up and finds Shane standing in front of her. He grabs her hand. “Let’s go somewhere more quieter. Get to know each other.”

Everything in her being is yelling at her to say no. But she doesn’t. “Fine,” Zoey softly says, allowing him to lead out of her the gym. She knew that Martha would be happy when Zoey told her that she found the evening tolerable. That it wasn’t as bad as she figured it would be. Zoey’s caught up in her thoughts that she doesn’t realize that Shane had led her out of the building. It’s not until she feels something pour down on her that she snaps out of her thoughts. 

Zoey wipes the substance out of her eyes and discovers that she’s been covered in red paint. She looks up to find Shane high-fiving with a few of his friends from the football team. There’s a bright flash and she finds that one of the cheerleaders had taken a picture of her. 

Silently, she walks around them and begins the journey back to the Kent farm. She knew it would take her a few hours to make it home. But at least the paint would be dried by then. She just hated that the dress Martha had gotten for her was now ruined. 

A honking knocks her out of her thoughts and Zoey stops to see a silver Porsche pull up beside. The window rolls down to reveal Lex sitting behind the steering wheel. “Zoey, is everything okay,” he asks, concerned.

Zoey raises an eyebrow. “You remember who I am?”

“Of course I remember you, Zoey. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Lex stares at her. “You’re walking along the highway, looking like you’re reenacting a scene from Carrie. And you say you’re fine.” He leans over and opens the passenger door. “Get in. I’ll give you a ride home.”

“I-I-I’m fine.”

“Zoey, let me give you a ride home.”

“I don’t want to ruin your car.”

“Believe me, it won’t be the first someone has cleaned my car that had some questionable substances in it. I’m not leaving until you get in.”

Zoey bites her lip. She really had no desire to walk home. She climbs into the sports car, making sure not to touch anything that wasn’t necessary. “It’s actually paint,” she quietly tells him. “I guess I’m not weird enough for pig’s blood. And Clark isn’t actually my brother. His parents are my godparents. But I’ve lived with them since my parents died and it’s like we’re siblings. I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now.”

“My mom died when I was thirteen. Cancer.”

“I’m sorry.”

A silence settles in the car as it drives along dark highway. She lets out a breath, seeing the familiar driveway for the Kent farm. Even in the dark, she could easily recognize it. Lex stops the Porsche in front of the gate and Zoey climbs out.

“Thank you for the ride. You can just send the bill for the cleaning costs and I’ll pay for it,” Zoey nervously tells him.

Lex smiles. “Zoey, don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you. I mean it.”

“It’s no problem.” Zoey shoots him a soft smile and starts towards the house. “Zoey.” She stops and looks at him. “If you need someone to talk to, just stop by the mansion.”

Zoey smiles and nods, then makes her way towards the house. She takes a deep breath before opening the door and stepping. “Zoey, we…oh my gosh, what happened,” Martha asks, walking over to her.

“Um, Shane and some of the football players, along with some of the cheerleaders, decided to cast me in their version of Carrie,” Zoey softly explains. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” Martha sighs. “I don’t think we’ll be able to do anything about the dress. Hopefully, the paint will wash out of your hair.”

Zoey shifts. “Is…is it okay if I stay home from school Monday?”

“Of course,” Jonathan tells her, surprising both Zoey and Martha. He was normally the one who would tell her to keep her chin when it came to bullying and to not let it bother her. “But just Monday. Tuesday you’ll have to go back.”

“Sweetheart, go get cleaned up and we’ll see about everything else in the morning,” Martha says. Zoey nods and quickly makes her ways up the stairs.

After taking a hot shower and being relieved that most of the paint washed out of her hair, Zoey finds herself in bed, unable to sleep. Even through the night had ended with her being subjected to a cruel prank, part of her felt that she had managed to make a new friend.

Zoey quietly climbs off her and walks over to her desk. She opens up the blueberry iBook. The messaging app was already open.

‘What do you know about Lex Luthor?’

Zoey bites her lip. She didn’t expect him to respond that night. He was probably busy. 

‘Stay away. Bad guy,’  is the reply that she gets.

Zoey sighs. She wasn’t sure if she believed him given her own experience with Lex. He seemed like a kind man who drove too fast in a sports car at times. She’s about to close the laptop when another message appears on the screen.

‘Zoey, stay far away from Lex. I went to boarding school with him and he wasn’t a good guy.’

Zoey quietly debates on whether to tell him what happened to her that night. But she elects not to. She didn’t want to worry home. ‘Okay, Ollie.’

You can’t go on thinking Nothing’s wrong, oh oh Who’s gonna drive you home Tonight?