#i've been sitting in dead silence for 4 hours now

[shogunish]

gojo nation..how are we feeling..

[wosowffc]

CAN SOMEONE HELP

Tw seizure

You and Leah had been living together over the last few weeks as you have just recently moved to Arsenal from munic so knowing Georgia reckoned it was a good idea a you can't live alone.

Leah has been amazing company and you had grown very close in such a small time. The girls had immediately starting taking notice of this and soon enough you and leha had too. She asked you out on a date to a roof top picnic at night and it was perfect we walked home with pizza and watch a movie.

Today we had one of our freinds wedding whos very close to the team so as a result we are all invited. It's in this historical magical looking castle grounds where streamers and strung and music is thriving after about 4 hours of speaches, the best part of weddings (not) we finally were on the dance floor all half cut. I'm not ment to drink as I take tablets but after backlash of me and leahs relationship and theories from fans as we still haven't even made it public I needed this drink well drinks (I'm quite far in)

"Ynnnn, Heyy gurllll" an equally drunk Katie McCabe comes up to me ushering me to dance with her which my drunken self happy accepted as me and the girl danced I started to feel a bit...off?

I recongnised the felling even though my drunken self drunk phased head I now this feeling. I ripped myself awy from the group to see Leah just at the side with alessia as they grabbed some wine.

"Leah" I said desperate as u grabbed her arms not even caring how I shoved between alessia as they were talking about some random stuff.

"Leah I need....leave we...not here" you words started to slur as you got weaker"Leah I should have said before, I'm sorry please." "Leah please don't be mad" you say as you fall into leahs chest her arms wrapping around you.

Leahs pov

Yn stumble toward me she was drunk yes, but this isn't her drunk stumble she takes a hold of me between alessia I wrap my arms round her back her words are slurring. I don't think this is alcohol. I know she doesn't slur when drunk I know that after the first team get together her and Katie ahd a drink off but that's for a diffrent time cause with in seconds she was dead weight against my chest as I held her.

"SHIT, less help , can someone help me" I had carried her and ran to a room to the side alessia following on the phone to paramedics as soon as I laid her down she started shaking. Violently. Her jaw clenched, arms straight by her side and all over convulsing. Alessia was saying stuff I didn't know what I was sat on my knees next to her as she was making noises and I stroked her hair back.

"Leah move please I know what to do " less ushered her away handing her the phone as the paramedics spoke to her through the phone. She put yn on her side wiping some spit away from her mouth and cheek. She lied her head so she could breathe a bit better clearing up some of the noises.

Yn pov

There were voices, they were telling me stuff saying everything's ok. I open my eyes I'm on my side on the floor everything hurts. I've had a siezure. I blink I blurring my vision to see Leah at my head she's talking calmly

"It's ok we're going to lay there for a bit ok?" She said more of a stamens but made it sound like a question. Tears trickle down my cheek to me ear and she turns more concerned.

"I'm sorry, please I'm- I should have told you le- I'm sorry" I apologise holdin her hand

"Yn it's ok we found the medical band on your ankle it's ok, I'm here when ever you need you can teach me what to do and when ever you need I'll be there"

You sit into her lap for a while in silence as tiredness takes over. Leah carries you to bed in the hotel and settles in next to you.

She rubs your back as you softly breathe next to her. She wish you would have told her, she didn't want you to feel like you couldn't. But she's here now and she knows so she will learn and she will help you when ever

[scribblesofagoonerr]

Don't give up yet, I'm not letting you | Inner Demons

⟫ Alphabet Challenge, D- Don't give up yet, I'm not letting you.

Pairings: leah williamson x teen reader, arsenal wfc x teen reader

Back again with another part, I've had a really shitty day if I'm honest and so, umm, writing this now has sort of helped, I guess?

Once again nothing has been proof-read so yeah, it won't make any sense maybe and this ones' a bit longer than the rest but once I get carried away I just can't stop so this is definitely going to have a few more parts to this one. I just don't know how many that will be, so I guess we'll see what happens.

Thank you each and every single one of you for the response to this small fic series so far, I'm so glad that people are liking it so much.

The confession you have made leaves the room feeling a tense atmosphere, the girls will not let you give up so easily so they make a decision on your behalf to help you on the right path to get better.

tw: heavy angst, mentions of SH, MH, suicide and death.

"What... What does that even mean?" Katie furrows her eyebrows as she looks at you for a more logical answer.

"I'm tired, I'm so tired and I can't keep on fighting this battle anymore" You speak quietly, afraid to meet their eyes.

Each one of them really did mean so much to you, they all look heart broken with the what you had confessed.

Steph, the Aussie girl that made you feel so loved

Kim, your captain who always talked sense into you

Jen, the brave Scots' woman who you can rely on

Caitlin, the second Aussie that you love despite how annoying she is

Katie, the Irish girl who acts all tough but is a total softie

Beth, the blonde who gives great advice when you need it

Viv, the dutch who you cheers you up when she sneaks you ice cream

Lia, the swiss girl that gives you the best hugs sometimes

& Leah, the one who stuck around and made you feel at home

Your family, you would really miss them all.

However, you knew it was time.

It was the only way, you couldn't do it any longer.

The battle was too hard, it needed to end.

"Y/N, you're awake!" Vic burst into the room and broke the sudden silence before she spins and looks back towards the door. "Less! Kyra! Lotte! Laura! Y/N/N is awake!" she shouts loud enough to get the attention of the three remaining girls not in the room.

As right on queue, the rest of the girls all run in and smile widely when they see you awake and sat up in the hospital bed.

"Y/N/N, you're awake!" Laura says as she grins at you before she walks over and hugs you.

"Hi Y/N/N!" Alessia smiles brightly, glad to see you're awake.

"Y/N/N!" Kyra shouted aloud, right down the blondes' ear beside her.

"Ow, Kyra. That was right down my ear" Alessia grumbles as she glares at the Aussie girl before she shakes her head and walks over to your beside to exchange a hug with you.

"Glad that you're awake, Y/N. You gave us all a scare" Lotte came over and gave you a gentle hug before she ruffles your hair.

None of them 4 girls had caught the glum expressions on the older girls' faces.

"So how long do you think it'll be before your back on the pitch and we can prank everyone?" Kyra questions taking it upon herself to plop herself down on the end of the bed.

"Hopefully not too long" You take the chance to put a front on in front of the girls in the room. "I'll be back before you know it and thrashing you out there!" you give her a grin to hide the deep pain inside.

"How're you feelin' kid?" Lotte glances at you concerned.

"Oh you know, fabulous. Just had the best 24 hour nap" You can't help but joke with the girls even with them all looking so distraught. "Ah come on girls, cheer up. I'm not dead yet, you know?" You tell them.

"I'm sorry no I can't do this. I can't sit here and pretend that everything is okay and fine, when it's not... It's far from okay" Leah spoke up as she goes to move off the bed from where she sat beside you.

"What's going on?" Vic asks confused, having not been in the room previously.

"Y/N/N is tired of life, she wants to give up on it" Leah tells them as her bottom lip wobbles at she tells the rest of the girls what you had said.

"W... What do you mean?" Laura asks, confused and not understanding what the blonde means.

"Y/N wants to die" Leah drops the bombshell before she presses a kiss that lasts longer than usual and then starts to walk away.

"What?" Alessia gasps as her eyes widen in shock as she looks at you.

"Wait, Le... No!" You shot up as you try and latch onto her arm. "Le, don't leave me... I need you-- Please, come back!" you shout aloud as you thrash your arms around.

"I'll go and find her" Lia is quick to follow her, leaving the rest of the girls all still staring at you.

"Y/N, you need to be careful of your bandages or there'll rip" Steph says gently as she looks concerned about your well-being now while she moves to stand by your beside.

"I don't care, I don't... I don't care! Leah! Don't go, come back!" You continue to put up a fight to get out of the hospital bed. "Please, please, c... come back!" you scream at the top of your voice.

What have you done? You made her so upset.

You've made them all so upset, your a horrible person.

Why did you have to blurt it out like that? Your so stupid.

Stupid, selfish... You're nothing but a huge let down.

The voices inside your head was taunting you, you just needed them to stop.

Watching the one person that's always stuck by your side, walk away, it hurts you more that you realise.

More than any pain you currently feel, why did you go and say that?

"Calm down Y/N/N. You'll make yourself sick if your not careful" Beth tells you as she moves to stand on the other side of the bed as she pulls you into her arms for a hug as you just break down into sobs.

"I... I don't care, I don't... Leah! Come back!" Your now sobbing as you still try and do your best to get out of bed to go after the blonde, although it wasn't any good when you had so many different wires and monitors attached to you. "Le, please... please, don't leave me!"

Why did it hurt so much for her to walk away like that? You really were so selflish.

"Deep breaths, Y/N. Just keep on taking deep breaths" Steph adds in, trying to make it to the point where you didn't get yourself too upset that you were physically hurting yourself again.

"I'll be back" Kim eyes you wearily as she exhales a sigh before she also leaves the room to go and find the two girls.

"Leah?" Lia found Leah sat slouched down against one of the walls outside of your hospital room.

Leah peers up to look at the Swiss women, "I can't be in there right now" she mumbles quietly. " I... I just can't do it, I can't sit there and listen to crack jokes about death and be so optemistic when she... when she said something like that, I just can't" she explains to the older girl.

"I know" Lia replies in agreement and moves sit beside her.

"She said that she wants to die, Wally" Leah states as she stares straight out in front of her.

"I... I know" Lia repeats as she exhales a sigh and wraps her free arm around the blonde.

"She said she wants out of life... I... I-- Why?" Leah asks in disbelief as the tears threaten to spill.

"I don't know, Le" Lia mumbles and bits her bottom slightly.

"S...She said she wants to die, Wally" Leah voice quiviers as she repeats what they heard. "She's a teenage girl, s... she has so much more to achieve, so much more-- H... How can she be so depressed about life that she would rather be dead instead?" she questions distraught.

"She's suffering Le" Lia swallows the lump that forms in her throat as she hugs the blonde in her arms. "She's been suffering for a long time and we just didn't know, but we can help now" she tries to speak positive about it all.

"I... I thought she was doing better, she... she was doing better. I don't get it, what happened that made her do this?" Leah wonders numbly as she roughly wipes the tears away and shakes her head. "We can't let her die, we can't let her give up just so easily. She needs to fight... She has to fight!" she adds in.

"We will help her, we won't let her suffer in silence anymore" Kim speaks up as she joins the two of them as she exhales a shaky breath. "Y/N is one of our own, we'll be there for her and she'll get better" she tells them honestly.

"But how can we do that when she doesn't even want the help?" Leah questions as she shakes her head in disagreement. "You heard her in there, Kim! You heard what she said, she doesn't want to live anymore, she did what she did on purpose. H... How can we help her?" she questions as her voice breaks even more.

"We need to make a plan, we can come up with a way to help her... Even if she doesn't want the help" Kim declares with determination in her voice.

"But how do we do that? We can't keep an eye on her 24/7, when we have training and stuff, can we?" Lia glances at the Scots' woman in confusion.

"We keep her in hospital where she'll be safe" Kim tells the two of them.

"And how do we do that? I imagine as soon as she gets the chance then she'll bolt out of here" Leah scoffs and shakes her head, knowing you all too well and you were stubborn when it come to some things.

"We don't let her have the chance to do that then, still is still a minor remember? Technically that means, that you, Leah, since you're her guardian so too speak, you can make that decision for her and notify the doctors of your concern for her own welfare" Kim explains to the blonde, which was somewhat true now since you had moved in with her.

"Keeping her here against her own will? She'd hate me then for sure" Leah mutters as she rubs her hands down her face, feeling the stress of everything even more when the decision was resting on her shoulders.

"She might do at first, but soon enough she'll realise that you're only doing this to help her because you love her just like we all do" Kim gives the blonde a sympathetic smile.

"Kim is right Leah, this will be the best thing for Y/N" Lia speaks up after she had been quiet for a bit.

Leah glances between the two girls that she is sat with. "Is it, really?" she asks, still unsure about it all.

"You know it is Le" Lia states, knowingly.

Okay, maybe Kim has a point there then.

This would be the best decision to make right now.

"Alright, but how do we get here to stay here?" Leah asks, not knowing how to even go about this.

"First things first, we-- you speak to the doctors, you tell them that she cut herself and has admitted that she intended to do it. That's validation for the doctors to detain her for up to 72 hours at least" Kim explains the logical side of it all.

"That is something that I don't think she will like very much" Lia frowns, shaking her head as she listens to the older women.

Leah frowns and shakes her head. "A psych hold? I don't think she'll like that very much" The Swiss women tells her captain

"No, she won't but she won't have much choice if the doctors believe she's at risk of hurting herself again" Kim confesses to them as she exhales a deep sigh. "The doctors will run further assessment to determine whether they need to keep her in for longer and in the mean time, it gives us chance to talk to Jonas and the medical staff, fill them in what's happened and create a proper plan going forward" she adds in.

"And what if you determine that she needs to stay for longer than 72 hours?" Lia questions the Scots' woman.

"Then we cross that bridge when we come to it" Kim replies to the blonde as she moves to crouch down beside her.

"I know that it'll hurt to walk away and leave her here in the hospital Le, but you know as well that this is the right way, it's the only way for her to get better" Lia says honestly.

"Remember that Y/N is our family and we will always be there for her even if she will be mad at us about this" Kim adds in.

"Oh yeah, she is definitely going to be super mad about this" Leah chuckles in realisation about it.

Sure enough you would probably be mad with her, but Leah wasn't going to let you try and kill yourself again, not on her watch.

You were her family even if you were a complete pain is the ass sometimes, but you were her pain in the ass to deal with.

[sirthisisa-wendys]

Hiiyaa any updates on Hand her over II part 4?

Well, well, well. A year later and I resurface from the dead to revive this series. Maybe I just needed this break to remind me that I love writing more than I love being a recluse. Let's see if I've still got the magic in me!

Hand Her Over II (Part 4): Kanji Mochizuki/ Kokonoi Hajime x Fem!Reader

wc: 1.6k

tw: drugs, alcohol, angst

masterlist

Hand Her Over Megapost Link

Kanji Mochizuki

Crack!

The air in Mochi's lungs hisses out of him as he swings the axe down on the stump. "I don't want this baby anymore!" He lifts the axe once more, focusing on the whistling of the air and not the memories that keep him awake at night.

Crack!

The stump is almost split in two. Almost ready for the fire he'll build inside the fireplace. Almost... ready...

Crack! Mochi's breath escapes in puffs, clouding the air around him briefly before clearing up. He's cold. His nose burns while his fingers - exposed through the enlarged crochet holes - sing with energy. There was a time that he would use this energy to fight... but these days, all he can manage is to keep you alive for one more hour, one more minute, one more second.

"The child is mine, too." Mochi gingerly lifts the pile of split wood and mindlessly traces his way back to the house. It looms in the distance like a sullen, sulking pedestrian hunched over in the snow, covered in the white drifts of the night before. Mochi stops. His breath comes evenly, but his heart sags. Inside, nothing awaited him but your tear-stained face and shrinking figure. It was hard, observing as you became a shadow of yourself, and even if the baby was his... he couldn't bear to watch you waste away any further.

"I have firewood," Mochi calls out and - not for the first time - silence greets him. But he proceeds into the living room anyways, dropping the wood into the metal holder before placing some into the fireplace. Paper crumples between his massive hands before he tosses it in with the wood. A match is struck. And Mochi tosses it into the pile of soon-to-be ash, staring at the infant flames.

You're nowhere to be found, Mochi discovers after searching for you on the first floor. But that's not bothering him now. He knows where you are and what you're doing. So instead of worrying himself to death, he sits on the couch and cracks open a well-worn novel.

You come shuffling down the stairs of the cabin as he's reaching the climax of his story, one he knows well. It's the middle of the day, and you've just woken up from a very long slumber. "You might as well be a bear," he said once, smiling at you. But you gave him an empty-eyed stare before retreating to somewhere Mochi couldn't be. Somewhere where he couldn't fuck up anymore because that's what made you happy. That's what satisfied you.

"A fire," you murmur, gazing at the growing flames with a blank stare.

"Went outside to get us some more wood." Mochi doesn't even bother to look up from his paperback, but fear courses down his back. What if he made the fire too big? Would you be upset and cry? Would you hate him even more than you already do? He knows you stayed with him in this marriage because there was no other option but--

"Thanks." Out of the corner of his eye, Mochi watches as you sit in front of the fire carefully, putting your hands out to warm them. For a second, he swears he hallucinated the appreciation, but then you turn your head towards him. "We should talk."

Mochi puts his book down in his lap and give you the courtesy to speak freely by saying nothing. Your stomach partially protrudes out of your robe, and for a moment, Mochi can see your flesh stretch to accommodate the heel of a foot. His heart leaps (though this isn't the first time he's seen this), but he hides his joy behind a mask of stoicism.

"I've been thinking..." Another flutter of energy. Mochi feels his fingers - the ones that held so much energy just an hour ago - ache to reach out and smooth against your stomach like he secretly does at night. "I want to keep the baby." An elbow presses against your navel. Mochi's eyes follow the child's every move; every atom whimpers to reach out, to connect with the child he's loved for so long...

"Mochi?" He finally looks away and into your eyes. They're waiting for an answer, for something more than just a blank stare.

"I'm sorry." The whispered apology lands without a response, and Mochi tenses, preparing for the inevitable flood of emotions. For the inevitable sign that he's fucked up. Again. You notice where he was staring, looking from him, to your stomach, and back again. After a moment's hesitation, you stand and walk over to where he is on the couch. "Give me your hand." You reach down for his arm with care, then tug it away from his book easily. With your guidance, his hand smooths over your belly, feeling every inch of your flesh tenderly.

"It's a little late to decide," you muse. "But I should... We should... keep the baby." A sob hitches in your throat, and Mochi tosses the book aside as he stands to envelop you in a hug. "I'm just so afraid." It's awkward, hugging a pregnant woman, Mochi thinks as he tries to pull you as close as possible. This is his first hug in months, but he'd be damned if he didn't try his best to love you.

"I'm afraid, too," Mochi murmurs. You lean into him, tears soaking his shirt. Crocodile tears. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't try, though."

You nod, sniffing loudly. "I'm sorry... I-- I've been so afraid and it's made things--"

"Shhh." He smooths your hair and kisses the top of your head. "It's all in the past. We don't have to go back there anymore."

Kokonoi Hajime

Koko looks at his reflection in the mirror, turning this way and that before deciding he looks good enough to go out. He places his phone in his pocket, then his keys, and finally his--

Bzzt, bzzt.

Koko pulls out his phone. Another text message from Inupi. Another apology. Another excuse. He places it back in his pocket, then reaches for the shot glass on the corner of his dresser. It's half full of something clear and sharp and tangy, but he doesn't care. He's gotten used to the taste of sharp, bitter things.

Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt.

Koko's jaw clenches, and he pulls out his phone one more time. It's you this time. You'd barely sent him any messages or dared to call him, but each time you texted, you would send the message, then delete it.

Koko, I don't know what to say other than

This message has been deleted.

Almost instantly. Before he could even read the damned thing. Koko slings the phone over to the bed, scowling at the empty screen, save four repetitions of "this message has been deleted". He storms out of the house, leaving both Inui and you behind, just like you left him behind.

This is his third week outside, out at the clubs, out doing things he knows are wrong and bad for his health and only driven by anger and loneliness. Koko leans over a bathroom toilet seat - the lowest he's ever gotten in the past year - and sniffs hard and long at the powder lined up on the paper seat liner.

"You should have a fingernail for that."

The voice behind him is well-known. Koko swipes the seat cover into the toilet and flushes before plastering a fake smile on his face and turning to Manjiro Sano. "They told me I could find you here." Koko looks at his boss while trying so hard to avoid looking displeased.

"How can I help?" Koko wonders, placing his hands in his pockets and touching the remainder of the bag of powder.

Manjiro sighs, picking his teeth while his eyes wander aimlessly around the room. "I don't need help," he finally answers. And that's when Koko realizes he's alone. There's no one else in the bathroom but him and Mikey. The silence is deafening. "Where's y/n?"

"So, you do need my help."

"Where is Inui?" Koko shrugs. Manjiro stares back.

"You got them away from me." You could give them up right now for betraying you. "How?"

"I don't know what you mean. They disappeared on me and everyone else."

"So you're in a bathroom, snorting...? Hoping that their location will just come to you out of the ether?" Kokonoi feels the singular most terrifying emotion course through his system, but he's too slow to react. Within an instant, he's against the toilet seat, and his ribs are on fire. "I don't believe a word you say, Hajime."

Mikey coldly stoops over him, knowing the single kick delivered to his body is enough to make Kokonoi squeal. Or at least... it was.

"If you lie again, you're going to wish you had more than just cocaine to ease your little love-triangle problem." Kokonoi looks up at Mikey defiantly, feeling his life trickle through his fingers. He could go out tight-lipped, or he could survive, but die a thousand deaths. "You owe me the truth. I made you who you are."

"You won't find them," Kokonoi spits, blood spraying across Mikey's face as he laughs. "You're a fucking bully, Mikey. I don't owe you shit. So, what? So you can prove you're more than a gang lead--" Kokonoi feels his fingers bending back so far that they touch his arm.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain!

Pain!

Pain...

...pain.

He's not sure of anything other than pain anymore. I can't wait until this is over, Kokonoi thinks to himself, feeling a tooth pass between his lips as he slumps onto the dirty tile floor.

Ever since they left, I've been in so much pain.

[slvt4em1lyprenti2s]

Arizona Robbin x reader - Bonding over a trauma

First posted on my Wattpad - arizona_is_my_wife

Word count: 965 (including A/N)

Arizona's POV: Owen - "Incoming trauma people, multiple car collisions 5 injured and critical 2 dead on site be ready!" Great. I've just got out a  surgery on a kid who needed a new bowel but there was some complications so it ran over and I was in the OR for like 11 hours and now this? Don't get me wrong I adore my job but I just want to sleep. I go and get a trauma gown on and wait for the ambulances.  Y/N - "Hey I assume you got called down here for the trauma as well?" 

Y/N's a cardiothoracic surgeon whom I happen to have a massive high school style crush on, she's a god. Like I don't think I've ever seen her lose a patient. Sure she may not cure them all the way and might have just bought them a couple more months but, that's better than dying on the table and if she couldn't do anything no one else could've. Arizona - "Yeah I was, I hope it's not too bad because I just got out of a really long surgery so I want to sleep so bad" Y/N - "I feel you, I just got done with a CABG it didn't take long only 5 hours but I've been at work since 4:30am for pre rounds and it now what? 6:30pm." Arizona - "Man that's rough, wanna grab a drink at Joe's after this?" Y/N - "Sure, I could do with some alcohol." Our conversation was short lived as we heard the wail of the ambulance siren rapidly approaching. Paramedic - "Female, 17 years old, multiple lacerations to the abdomen and chest, presumably a broken leg and a foreign body lodged in her chest!" Y/N - "Thank you we've got it from here."

Time skip

We managed to stitch up all her other wounds and stabilise her leg until Callie can come look at it and now we're trying to figure out what object is sitting dangerously close to her heart. I go and collect the scans to show y/n. Arizona - "Well, it doesn't look like glass." Y/N - "Definitely not glass. Wait.." Arizona - "What, what? Did you see something?" Y/N - "Crap! That's pushing  right on her left ventricle we need to get her to an OR now before it penetrates it and she bleeds out!" 

We rush her into an OR and crack her chest.  Y/N - "In all my years of being a surgeon I have never seen a girl with a piece of number plate (license plate) in her chest, what about you Robbins?" Arizona - "Yeah no, this is a first for me too."

As we continued to operate nothing went wrong, like I said, god. So before I knew it, it was time to close and for Callie to come in and fix her leg. We left an intern to close because we both just wanted out of the hospital at that point.

We walked to Joe's and sat at a table and ordered drinks, I got a vodka and lemonade she got a beer. We sat in silence for a while until she spoke up Y/N - "You know, we should really hang out more, your a very fun person to be around. You're so bubbly and fun so.. yeah just an idea." It was cute because I could tell she was nervous and in all fairness I was nervous to reply because I didn't want to screw this up. Arizona - "I'd love that, you're a very nice person to be around too y/n."

Y/N POV: For weeks we have been flirting, weeks. Yet neither one of us has made a move. This is the closest we have got to asking the other out ever, so, I took it upon myself to make an even bigger move. I leaned in and kissed her. Her lips were soft and fit perfectly against mine. I felt her melt into the kiss and all my nerves around the whole situation evaporated. Her hand trailed its way from her lap to my cheek and the other to my hip. I took the incentive to wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer. At this point air was becoming a problem so we pulled apart. Arizona - "I know it might be a bit soon so no pressure but because we've know each other for a while and with all the flirting I just assumed we could skip the whole 'talking' stage and just got straight to being girlfriends I mean if you don't want to it's fine like I said no pressure or anything.." As she rambled I just stared right into her blue orbs, they're so mesmerising and just downright gorgeous. She stopped talking to that made me snap out of my trance.  Arizona - "So?" Y/N - "Arizona, I would love nothing more than to be your girlfriend."  She smiled ear to ear as I pulled her into my embrace. She buried her head into my shoulder and we just sat there for a bit before deciding to crash at her place for the night. 

As we layed in her bed she was cuddling me, my head was in her chest and my arms around her like a koala. She wrapped her arms around my tired frame and rested her head atop mine and whispered sweet nothings into my ear as we fell into a peaceful slumber.

Don't get me wrong it was a tragic accident and I would never wish it upon anyone ever but, I am happy the trauma came in because otherwise this wouldn't of happened, I wouldn't have Arizona. My Arizona <3

A/N: First post!! It's not the best but, what'd you think? Remember to leave requests :)

[paintbrushinacoffeecup2]

Adam, Spock, and Eve -- an Analysis on The Apple from TOS

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it”, in a promised vow Adam and Eve swore to allow themselves to remain blissfully unaware of the nature of sin or face divine punishment for eating the apple that would give them this knowledge. Star Trek season 2 episode 5, "The Apple", captivates viewers with its exploration of these themes of autonomy and the consequences of blind obedience in the face of authority; or so the episode tries to sell. I would argue that it does tackle these topics in an interesting manner, though not how the writers initially intended. The crew of the Starship Enterprise continually demean the autonomy and personhood of the people of Vaal, denying them the freedom of choice and posit themselves as white-knighted heroes who would fix the unjust systems of Gamma Trianguli Six. However, the landing party fails to acknowledge that they have been here for less than a day, and their understanding of the culture of this small part of the planet is flawed. Ursula K. Le Guin’s essay, American Sci-Fi and the Other tackles these themes, highlighting how limits in our perspective leads to the alienation and dehumanization of people and practices we do not understand, which results in a denial of their autonomy.

Le Guin outlines 4 forms of alienation that have become popular in contemporary Science Fiction – the sexual alien, the social alien, the cultural alien, and the racial alien. Though each comes from a similar vein of popularized ignorance, their manifestations vary greatly in Sci-Fi. The sexual alien in The Apple takes the form of the narrative treatment of female characters like Yeoman Martha Landon. Landon’s 14 lines throughout the hour long episode quickly characterize her as a character whose femininity undercuts her competence as an officer of the Starship Enterprise. Chekov and Landon share a brief, intimate encounter early in the episode,

MARTHA: All this beauty, and now Mister Hendorff dead, somebody watching us. It's frightening.

CHEKOV: Martha, if you insist on worrying, worry about me. I've been wanting to get you in a place like this for a long time.

The conversation gets interrupted by Kirk returning and asking them to not “conduct a field experiment in human biology”. Landon is one of the only characters regularly referred to by her first name rather than her title. While this could be attributed to her low rank as a red shirt, the four other redshirt officers are still often only referred to by their last names as a sign of respect.

"KIRK: Mallory! Marple, stand back! Watch it! The rocks! (kneeling by the body) Kaplan. Hendorff. I know Kaplan's family. Now Mallory.”

Yeomen in The Original Series are often almost exclusively young women, with a notable exception being the season 1 episode The Cage, where the male Yeoman is killed to show the competency of the villain of the week. Their role is to dutifully fulfill the petty orders given by their captain, such as light administrative work or ensuring the wellbeing of the captain and his surrounding male officers. These female Yeomen are often treated by the narrative to have the sole imperative goal to be “an object of desire for the surrounding men.” This is seen especially in The Apple, when Landon voices her concerns for the Starship she is told to be quiet and sit down by Kirk, or silenced by Chekov’s seductions. Her views, questions, concerns, and opinions are constantly used as punchlines for men, as though she’s too stupid to understand the complexities of what is going on around her.

“MARTHA: But these people, I mean, if they don't know anything about. What I mean is, they don't seem to have any natural– er. I mean, how is it, done?

KIRK: Mister Spock? You're the science officer. Why don't you explain it to the young lady.”

She is alienated from the rest of the cast for being a woman, and as Yeomen often are, the women of Starfleet “are also assigned a sexed identity in their professional lives, based on their supposedly “innate” qualities” of “modesty, sweetness, fear, shyness, compassion, [and] languor.”

The social alien is one that focuses on class and hierarchy, specifically, on the lower ranks of it. This form of alienation has many reflections throughout the episode – from Kirk’s treatment of Scotty as they struggle to pull the Enterprise from the tractor beam, to the Vaalian’s role of feeding Vaal. Those who are not leading men are treated as “masses, existing for one purpose: to be led by their superiors.” Those in the Starfleet are under threat of losing their jobs – their financial security and role on the ship – if they do not listen to their superiors. The Vaalians, however, must actively choose to listen to Vaal for their instructions. There is no threat of violence as they do not know what it means to kill, nor incentive for greed as they are already provided everything they need for a happy and healthy life. As the Vaalians go to feed Vaal – their sole role in exchange for eternal life and long lasting prosperity – Spock notes that in his view, this is “a splendid example of reciprocity”. 

This point of view, however, is heavily contested by Captain Kirk and Chief Medical Officer McCoy, and is a prime example of the alienation of the Vaalians and S'Chn T'Gai Spock as Racial and Cultural Aliens. Multiple times throughout the show, Spock’s vulcan lineage has placed him in an uncomfortable position in relation to Starfleet.

“MCCOY: Negative. Did you know this is the first time in a week I've had time for a drop of the true? Would you care for a drink, Mister Spock?

SPOCK: My father's race was spared the dubious benefits of alcohol.

MCCOY: Now I know why they were conquered.”

Many of his conversations with McCoy end with a quip from McCoy about how vulcan biology is inferior to human biology, how their culture is strange and alien to him. He complains about how Spock has green blood, and a heart closer to his abdomen than his chest, even after Spock nearly died protecting them from the deadly flora of Gamma Trianguli Six. McCoy also overdoses Spock, in a blind attempt to get him to wake up from the poisoning. While these could be read as light-hearted quips to maintain the lighthearted tone of the series in face of the Hamlet-ian deaths of the redshirts, McCoy’s refusal to learn about vulcans speaks to a larger theme throughout the episode of doxastic ignorance about other people and cultures.  

The Vaalians are repeatedly noted to be happy and healthy, as explained by McCoy, as he cannot tell if they have been around for “twenty years, or twenty thousand years”... “add to that a simple diet, a perfectly controlled temperature, no natural enemies, apparently no vices, no replacements needed”. Their only natural exchange for this is the gifting of some excess fruit to Vaal each day. McCoy takes issue with this manner of living, and that the Starship must intervene, stating that their society is stagnant, and needs something to strive for. However, Spock states in the episode that the Vaalians, as any other group of people, reserve the right to choose a system that works for them. This argument continues throughout the episode, and exemplifies their alienation of the Vaal due to their ignorance, as the human crew of the Starship attempt to overthrow the system of Vaal. They eventually settle on a final course of action, with the Starship trapped in Gamma Trianguli Six’s atmosphere – to kill Vaal. This response could be predicted by LeGuin’s explanation that “[t]he only good alien is a dead alien”, especially in the context of racial and cultural alienation. The Starship landing party alienates and subverts the autonomy of an alien community because their ignorance leads them to believe they are superior . Le Guin’s essay outlines precisely in each area how this episode creates divides in its cast, both between the Starship Enterprise and Vaalians, but within the Starship as well. At the end of the episode, Spock, McCoy, and Kirk ruminate on the consequences of killing a being who was providing for an entire community of people, and the starship leaving that community with nothing but their own wits.

SPOCK: Captain, I'm not at all certain we did the correct thing on Gamma Trianguli Six.

MCCOY: We put those people back on a normal course of social evolution. I see nothing wrong in that.

KIRK: Well, that's a good object lesson, Mister Spock. It's an example of what can happen when a machine becomes too efficient, does too much work for you.

SPOCK: Captain, you are aware of the biblical story of Genesis.

KIRK: Yes, of course I'm aware of it. Adam and Eve tasted the apple and as a result were driven out of paradise.

SPOCK: Precisely, Captain, and in a manner of speaking, we have given the people of Vaal the apple, the knowledge of good and evil if you will, as a result of which they too have been driven out of paradise.

KIRK: Doctor, do I understand him correctly? Are you casting me in the role of Satan?

SPOCK: Not at all, Captain.

KIRK: Is there anyone on this ship who even remotely looks like Satan?

(McCoy and Kirk walk around Spock. McCoy is gazing intently at Spock’s pointed ears.)

SPOCK: I am not aware of anyone who fits that description, Captain.

KIRK: No, Mister Spock. I didn't think you would be.

This is not to say all of Star Trek treats its nonhuman, lower class, and female characters with this lack of respect throughout the entire series, but The Apple speaks deeply to both Le Guin’s thoughts on Alienation and Patriarchal White Supremacy, and Star Trek’s need to appeal to the larger American audience in its messaging. Landon’s alienation stems from her role in patriarchal systems that would create a divide between her and the leading male cast; The Vaalian and Spock’s alienation is due to being foreign to a capitalist system that pushes for constant productivity, and being denied agency by those who believe their own views are the ‘correct’ ones. Considering the episode was released in America during the Cold War, it’s not hard to infer that this episode was cautioning Americans against communism. However, it treats everyone who isn’t coded as a Red Blooded American Man as mindless and abused, in need of a push in the right direction. This episode tries to speak for a better, more unified divine future – to take people from a corrupted garden and give them true Eden – but it regresses directly back into idealizing colonization in its efforts to homogenize any culture it can touch.

Works Cited under the cut

Boquet, Damien, et al. ��Editorial: Emotions and the Concept of Gender.” Clio. Women, Gender, History, no. 47, 2018, pp. 16. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26934334. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

Hulshult, Rachel. “Star Trek: What Is a Yeoman & Why Did They Disappear from Starfleet?” ScreenRant, 4 Aug. 2023, screenrant.com/star-trek-yeoman-rank-disappear-why-explained/.

Le Guin, Ursula K. “American SF and the Other.” Science Fiction Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, 1975, pp. 208–10. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4238969. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

Pevney, Joseph. Star Trek. 13 Oct. 1967, episode 31. TV Series Episode. The Apple.

Trivers, Barry. Star Trek. 8 Dec. 1966, episode 13. TV Series Episode. The Conscience of the King.

Vatican. “The Book of Genesis.” Www.vatican.va, www.vatican.va/archive/bible/genesis/documents/bible_genesis_en.html. Genesis 2:15.

[nervouslaughter05]

Of Monsters and Men Chapter 5: Back Together

A/N: I'm not dead!

Apologies for the loooooong wait and the shortness of this chapter. I've had a lot going on in my life between the writing of chapter 4 and now, which has left me with VERY little free time to actually sit down and write. I joined the military, went through bootcamp, got engaged, and am now getting ready to ship off to my first duty station. Not to mention all the little things in between with a crazy ex and insane family shit.

Anyways, with that out of the way, I give you chapter 5! Enjoy!

CW: mentions of injuries (nothing descriptive), language, mentions of killing

Come yell at me on Twitter @vegas719 and my art insta @timetoart05

Masterlist

Grizzly sighs, sitting up with a wince from where she lay on the floor. Sleep was impossible for her at this point. Between the dull buzz under her skin from the insanity of the last 24 hours and the aching of her injuries, she wasn’t able to wind down. Ghost had insisted she try to get some sleep while he took the first watch–jesus christ did that man ever sleep?–and she’d been unsuccessful thus far. 

Despite how worn out she felt from the injuries she’d sustained and the work her and Ghost had done to secure the safehouse, rest seemed damn near impossible while the worry of the fate of the rest of the team ate away at her brain.

She rises to her feet, bracing against the wall for a moment before moving towards the door where Ghost was. After laying down for so long, she had a profound limp, but Grizzly knew that the more she moved the sooner it would go away. At least that was the hope anyways. 

He obviously hears her, because she knew for a fact that no one came within a 50 mile radius of the behemoth without his knowledge. 

Despite that, he doesn’t make any move to acknowledge her. He just shifts slightly like he’s trying to get more comfortable, adjusting the grip he held on his rifle. Grizzly leans against the wall next to the doorframe, not wanting to sit down again because she doubted she’d be able to actually stand back up. 

“You should be sleeping,” the lieutenant tells her, his gruff voice breaking through the silence. “And keeping pressure off of that leg.”

Grizzly shrugs, looking blankly at the ceiling. “Couldn’t sleep.”

Something unspoken transferred between them, and Ghost didn’t say anything further about it. There were nights where they’d been out in the field and had witnessed the restlessness that came from witnessing too many firefights and the like. She had her demons, and she could only imagine the things he was trying to process with the shit he’d been through. 

So, instead of tossing and turning all night long–unable to sleep, she had elected instead to get up and put her energy to use. 

“You can go rest,” Grizzly suggests to him, moving from near the doorway to standing next to him. “You’ve been up for hours already.”

Ghost doesn’t seem to agree with her reasoning, replying, “And so have you. Plus, you’re injured.”

She rolls her eyes. “Never stopped either of us before.”

They both fall silent again, noises from the woods around them permeating through the thin walls of the house. She remains standing beside him before the pain of standing becomes too much and she elects to sit down instead. She accepts the fact that now she would probably just stay in this same spot all night to avoid further aggravating her injury. 

‘It would’ve been better if you just didn’t move at all in that case,’ Grizzly thinks to herself before pushing the thought away. 

They sit in silence together, listening to a cricket somewhere in the house chirping away. It’s peaceful in the nighttime here despite the circumstances under which they arrived. It reminds her of before she joined the 141 when she was just a corpsman in the Navy being deployed with Marine Raiders. She can recall many a night in the field with her Marines that they would be camping out in their camp waiting for the next day when they’d go out in an assault. She’d be counting her supplies and checking over her medbag while her Marines joked and laughed amongst one another. More often than not, she’d end up joining in with little jabs of her own every now and then while she prepped. 

Part of her missed it, but she knew that at this point with her rank being what it was she would barely spend time actually in the field and mostly doing admin work. Since she was one of three enlisted on a team run by two officers, Grizzly was able to continue operating in the same arena as before. While the pay may not be the best or the ranking up wasn’t the greatest either, she still loved every moment of being able to go out every day for a new adventure. 

It was like a drug to her, inducing an adrenaline-laced high everytime her kit went on and they loaded up into the field. 

If it hadn’t been for Price finding her where she was stationed out in the desert of bum fuck only God knows where, she would’ve been stuck in an office doing stacks upon stacks of paperwork when she wasn’t handling the treatment of casualties coming into the camp. Thinking of Price further reminded her of the situation they were in. Grizzly finds herself wondering about the condition of her other teammates. 

Had they been captured? Were they just in hiding and waiting for a good time to make the journey to the safehouse? Had they contacted some sort of evac and were on their way to hers and Ghost’s location to get them the hell out of whatever kind of shitshow they’d all been forcefully rolled in?

She sits with her thoughts, not bothering to vocalize them since she has a feeling Ghost was likely doing the same albeit in a slightly more callous way. In a vain attempt to distract her train of thought away from worrying about the condition of her teammates, she starts to hum softly. It’s a country song she’d been listening to for days straight, not able to get enough of it. 

“Your mind is wandering, I take it.”

Grizzly’s attention is drawn to the lieutenant, taking a moment to process what he’d said before formulating a response. “Just a little. Nothing unusual for me.”

He makes a small hum in reply. “I’m very aware.”

“Speaking of wandering minds, you need to get some rest otherwise it’s going to be the both of us like that in the morning,” Grizzly tells him. “I know that I need to rest, but so do you. I’ve gone on missions in the past and functioned in much worse conditions than this.”

He doesn’t say anything, the silence stretching between them. It continues to carry on and on for several minutes before she’s convinced herself that he just won’t say anything back–<i>because of course she had to have a lieutenant like that</i>–when he actually acknowledges her request. 

He shifts so he can lay down somewhat comfortably. “Alright then, Grizzly. Trustin’ you to make sure we’re not both dead by the morning.”

“It already is morning LT,” Grizzly replies with a soft chuckle. “If my watch is anything to go by.”

She doesn’t have to look at him to know the man was likely rolling his eyes at her comment. 

“Wake me up if anything happens.”

“Aye, aye sir.”

00000

Several hours had gone by at this point, and Grizzly knew the sun was going to be rising soon. It was baffling to her how they had spent nearly 48 hours at this point in the same location when it should have been less than 12. It was all planned to be a get in and get the fuck out type of mission.

And yet.

There’s a rattling sound down the hall, which Grizzly assumes to be the fat raccoon they’d come across upon first arriving in the safehouse. She keeps listening for a few more moments, no longer hearing anything. Relaxing just enough to still remain vigilant but also so she could rest against the wall comfortably, she continues to mull over various thoughts in her brain. 

The rattling noise returns after a couple minutes, and with it come the soft whispers of a human voice.

Instantly, she’s on full alert with her rifle ready in her hands. Ghost is mere feet from where she’s sitting, so she kicks out one of her legs and jostles his chest. He wakes with little effort on her end. A brief thought questioning whether or not he had actually been sleeping all this time goes through her mind, but it’s shoved away in favor of worrying about what was going on right now. 

Albeit somewhat groggy from the look in his eyes, Ghost is already gearing up for a fight without her having to say anything. He rises to his feet and she follows suit–just at a slightly slower speed due to her injury. Heart beating in her chest and adrenaline coursing through her veins, she posts up on the opposite side of the door frame than the lieutenant and waits for further orders.

“Wait.”

“Aye, sir.”

The door to enter the house creaks open down the hall and there’s a brief second where dread cuts through her belly. Just as soon as it comes it’s gone however. Grizzly locks in and readies herself for whatever is going to happen next, knowing that whoever just entered the safehouse may very well be there to kill the both of them. 

Footsteps. Three sets.

The very familiar sound of combat boots touching against the ground halts, leaving her with no clue as to where exactly the intruders were in the hallway. There’s a few beats of silence, leaving her to think something was about to happen, and then she hears a short whistle. A pause. Another short whistle. Another pause. Another short whistle. 

Ghost whistles back once, drawing it out slightly longer and it’s repeated back. 

Grizzly releases the breath she hadn’t even noticed she’d been holding in and is greeted with the unruly mohawk of her favorite Scot. Price and Gaz follow behind him. The hours of worry she’d been carrying for her teammates falls from her shoulders and the relief which comes with it is a welcome feeling. 

She doesn’t take long to relish in the emotion, knowing they all likely needed to be treated. Grizzly kneels by her pack, instructing the three other members of her team to sit and let her treat them. Despite each of them insisting there was nothing serious they were dealing with, she still conducts full head to toe exams as needed and treats what is seen fit. Price had fought her the hardest on it, but she had refused to listen and proceeded to treat a gunshot wound to his upper thigh. Upon finishing up with her treatment to them at a satisfactory level, Grizzly goes to assume her watch again. 

However Soap, the least injured of the three–which was immensely surprising to her–insisted on taking the watch instead. In pain and finally starting to feel exhaustion weighing down her bones, she doesn’t argue much and lays down in the back corner of the small room they were all posted up in. Within minutes, sleep claims her and welcomes its calming embrace with wide open arms. 

A/N: A big thank you to anyone who has stuck around to see the new release of this chapter after so long. Love ya'll!

[spry-the-artist]

Yet another Frantic Fanfics solo run. Same stats as last time. A lot less structured then last time I feel, though I do enjoy this one a bit more since I never was all that into romance (which was last one’s main thing). I accidentally uploaded the image of the fic instead of the txt so I had to run it through an image to text translator. So, the prompts each part had are still visible (at the end of each part instead of the little “-“ separating everything)

TITLE: SELF IMPRISONEMENT

CHARACTERS : BENDY, SAMMY

There was about five different outcomes here, now that both Sammy and his “Lord” were stuck in the same room underground:

Sammy becomes free of his inky prison

Bendy kills Sammy

Sammy kills Bendy

They sit in silence

They become friends

Of course, Sammy was begging for the first option. No more summonings, no more sacrifices to attract his attention. They were stuck together, Bendy could no longer avoid him. After giving him so many meals throughout the years, well, Sammy felt like he was owed this.

Bendy would've been quite pleased with just eating the man, but Sammy wasn't just some Lost One or Searcher. He would put up a fight that Bendy quite simply didn't have the energy for. So, he had to settle for the other option he could feasibly do: becoming friends. Well, that and sitting in silence, but the two were practically immortal and it would start becoming long.

“So, uh, Sammy..."

Sammy straightened himself, “Yes, my lord?.

“You... wanna play something. Or... um... talk?"

The prophet wouldn't lie about how excited he was currently. But, he also couldn't lie that he was disappointed in not getting his prize immediately.

“I remember vaguely playing a game called Truth or Dare! It doesn't have an end so it could pleasure you for all eternity!”

PROMPT: TRAPPED UNDERGROUND

“Damn, we really do have all eternity, huh?" Anyways, what's the game about?”

***

“My Lord, truth or dare?”

The game was fun, don't get Bendy wrong, but they'd been playing it for well over 4 hours. Ah, well, may as well answer a few more.

“Truth”

Sammy went quiet for a good minute, his voice came back cold, "Why haven't you freed me from this inky prison?"

“Sammy, I-"

He became more agitated, "After everything I've done for you! I created a religion, I created your rituals, I even made sacrifices for you! There are now tens if not hundreds of lost souls who see you as their god! And yet, no matter what I do, you never give anything back!”

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

“Sammy, you know that I'm the one supposed to tell stuff, right? Not you." Sammy grunted, "Answer My Question”

“talks a lot for a guy i could easily kill..." the Ink Demon whispered, “Anyways, for that question of yours. I can't.”

“What do you mean “you can't“?! I’ve seen you place so many people in your prison of darkness, and yet you can't get them out of it?!"

“Oh, I just kill people. They get some of my ink in their system and eventually it takes over. When you're dead, it takes over a lot quicker,” Bendy chuckled, "I remember it taking over ya when you were alive. It was... slow... but you came out pretty alright! Don't get me wrong, I love having people worship me. Just..., don't expect anything out of it."

PROMPT: CONFRONTATION

Sammy sat still for far to long after Bendy said that, ‘What do you mean by that?"

“Well, when people get my ink in their system, they turn into ink creatures. As long as I exist, they're probably stuck in the same prison I am”

“No, what do you mean I was alive when it happened?”

Bendy went to pat his worshipper's head, "Ah, Sammy, don't tell me you didn't know! Surely you've seen other people drink some ink when they were alive!"

“I... don't remember much before all this..."

If Bendy could frown, he would, "Ah jeez.., well, the reason why you're wacko,” Sammy crossed his arms at that, “is because you drunk a bunch of ink. It was like poison, slowly spreading throughout every part of ya before you eventually,” he snapped his fingers. “Why... why would I keep drinking it. Surely I would've noticed myself becoming more and more imprisoned!"

"I don't know! By the way you were acting, I think it was a drug,” Bendy now scratched his “chin”, "Yeah, I remember! Joey used to drip it in your coffee! Your coffee gave you the energy you needed so you started associating the taste of my ink with good stuff. 'Ventually, you just started drinking the ink on its own.”

Sammy once again sat still for far too long. “Sorry, Sammy, but I can't get you outta that prison of yours.

You're kinda the one who poisoned yourself”

PROMPT: POISON

[globalspaceandrocketgroup]

SOUTHERN PULUNADU - August 28th, 2055 - Chapter 0 Pt. 1

HEY MILSTOV!

GOOD TO HEAR THE SKY IS CLEAR OVER THERE. WE ARE UNDERWAY WITH WORKING THROUGH HOW TO ACCOMPLISH HENAD 4'S BIG LIST OF OBJECTIVES, ACTUALLY. QUITE A SHOW WE'VE HAD WITH GRISGIA IN THE LAST STAGES OF THEIR ASSIGNMENT TRAINING - I'M JUST READY TO GET MY DESK BACK! NO WORRIES, THOUGH, I LIKE MY SITUATION IN MY TEMPORARY BLOCK, NICE FRONT SEAT VIEW OF THE GOING-ONS WITH OUR BOYS WEARING THE FANCY TIES. AS YOU'VE SAID, LOOKS LIKE MAKS IS REALLY PREPARING FOR SOME BIG THINGS. STILL JUST HOPING HE DOESN'T BRING US IN WAY OVER OUR HEADS, HA HA. WRITE BACK AFTER THAT ASSEMBLY AND TELL ME HOW IT GOES, WE'LL SEE EACH OTHER AT MUOINE'S ON THE 17TH ANYWAYS.

HOPE YOUR WEEK IS GOING FINE,

LEOPOS

I blink at the end of the letter. Good to hear Leopos still has more going for him than I.

Glancing around the crumbling concrete walls that remind me of where I am. Pulunadu. Never thought I'd be living and working here even just a few years ago.

Since then, though, I started my job with the GSRG. Not the most lucrative career path, but I had some connections and I'm excited to see where this place goes. When I applied, it was to work in Pulunadu for a few months before being transferred to the Kanitan division they were planning to move forward with. Since then, though, things with the war there complicated any groundwork they had done.

My work is with the communications side of things, designing antennas, figuring out how we're going to speak with folks orbiting Ulina roughly 200 kilometers above our heads. Except, for one reason or another, I've been assigned to work on some collaborative endeavors with the Pulari government, which basically involves me sitting in a derelict old monitoring station for the massive bundle of wires and metal that is the huge radar towering over our building. It can't be less than 70 years old and is surely just as obsolete, but hey, this is Pulunadu.

Really, I think I could get along just fine working over here IF I had any idea of what I'm meant to be doing. See, I don't speak a lick of Pulari, and nobody here does with Rutherish either. Which makes the entire process of putting me in this position pointless. After desperately trying to figure out some way to communicate and failing, I've taken to sweeping a broom around, and nobody has cared enough to stop me yet. The thing is, though, I am bored halfway to death like this. Earlier this week, I figured I could take some initiative and pull out my Pulari translation dictionary, and start doing my own research.

So, in the interest of actually getting some work done here, I just so happened to acquire some rolls of microfilm from behind a busted cabinet lock. Against my better judgment and my strict work policies, I have found myself the past few days spending hours scouring through these archival pieces.

For how terrible it would be for me if anyone reported my activities, there is not a single thing of note in any of the slides I go through. No scandalous giant secrets being held away from the public view, just charts of frequencies and hour-by-hour reports that make me feel sorry for whoever had to write them up. So, I silence the electric hum of the giant microfilm reader and let my eyes recover from its now dead glow.

At the end of the day, I walk back out to my car feeling no more content than when I started the day. Fail ass job....

HENAD 3 MISSION SUCCESS - A follow-up repeat suborbital flight earlier this month has proved the GSRG's first crewed flight program's ability to do what it needs to do. Every individual part was inspected heavily before flight and no notable failures were reported. A landing on solid ground made for a simple recovery.

Henad 4 is expected to launch sometime later this year after the GSRG shifts momentary focus towards its small-lift launch vehicle.

[sunsetdew0101]

Second Chance

Chapter 7

It was a complicated trip. Ash, Misty, and Brock looked like the living dead as they walked along Route 4. The previous day was very exhausting and stressful for them. 

After getting as far away from Mount Moon as possible, they found a clearing near the road where they set up camp and spent the night. Unfortunately, the apprehension and anxiety resulting from what had happened to them made sleeping a wink almost impossible. The result was the disturbing sight of three children trying to walk without falling on their faces or falling asleep standing up - with varying results.

When Brock almost fell along with Misty and Ash after grabbing them to keep from crashing into the ground, they decided to cut their losses, find a place to camp, and get a few hours of proper rest. Which turned out more difficult when they were all so exhausted that even the friendliest among them was easily irritated.

After finding an acceptable spot, they set up camp and made lunch for all of them. Well, Misty and Ash did. Brock was banned from any heavy work since he had a sprained wrist, much to his chagrin. They managed to compromise on Brock dictating the recipe for that day while Misty cut the food and Ash cooked. 

That would become a bonding activity between the three, and not even the distance would change. 

----

"Since we're traveling together, why not share our goals as trainers? It should make trip planning easier, at least," suggested Misty while Aisha and Brock were around a map after dinner.

"I thought your goal as a trainer was to demand payment for your bike," Ash joked as she looked at the map. 

"Ha-ha. Hilarious, Ketchum. But seriously, we'll be traveling together, we might as well get to know each other better. At least the silence on the trip will not be weird."

"Sounds good to me. Ash?" Once Ash nodded to Brock, they started folding the map.

Misty helped pack their things, and before long, they had their luggage packed and were sitting around the fire on top of their sleeping bags. Despite their previous enthusiasm, they now seemed undecided about what to start talking about. 

Ash hated tense or nervous silences. They seemed reminiscent of when she lived with her mother after they disputed. She was always the first to break the silence back then, and Aisha still had the habit, but at least she now knew that no one was testing her.

"I've always wanted to visit Alamos Town in Sinnoh. The photographs of the Space-Time Towers are breathtaking, and the city is stunning." Ash started grooming Espeon. "It also has a fascinating story, so it's a win-win for me." 

"I never heard of this city, but I heard that Sinnoh is an incredible Region, albeit cold. There are also many stories about how the Region came to be, as well as a festival in Chocovine Town, where they say that a Phione migrates there every year." Misty looked dreamy as she talked about this festival." I'm longing to go to this festival. It's a golden opportunity to find such a rare Pokemon. And it's a water type on top of that."

"You seem to really like water types," Brock commented.

"My dream is to be a Water Type Pokemon Master. There's just something about them. I really love water types. They have versatility and flexibility with their movements. They're unique." Misty had a childish smile on her face that made her look her age. "And you, Brock? What are your goals?"

"I always wanted to be a Pokemon Breeder. Choosing the right food for them, knowing the peculiarities of each species and even each Pokemon. It is an engaging and quite passionate work. It requires lots of practical work and knowledge about Pokemon, food, and berries. Even about grooming products. It brings us closer to Pokemon and helps us get to know them better." He shrugged. "Maybe not what people expect from the Pewter Gym Leader, but this has always been my passion."

"If we started caring about everything people expect from us, I probably would never have met you." Upon seeing the questioning look of the two, Ash explained. "My mom wanted me to be a Pokemon researcher. And I probably would have been able to since she had studied with Professor Oak for a while. I love reading about the new discoveries about Pokemon, new species, or even typings. But I want to be a Pokemon Master."

"Do you have a guy in mind, or are you still figuring it out?"

"Actually, Brock, I don’t have a specific type. They all have distinctive characteristics: some are faster, others have outstanding firepower, and some can withstand frightening amounts of damage. I want to learn to work with every type, extract the best in each, and work around their weaknesses. I want to know how many ways I can use a move. I can’t choose one when they’re all unique."

"Wow…” Misty looked amazed at Ash. That was the most passionate speech I ever heard. You really like Pokemon. It's more than winning something; you love them."

"It wouldn't be easy to achieve that. You will need a lot of effort and dedication to be a Pokemon Master." Brock was impressed, even if he didn't express it as loudly as Misty. 

"Nothing worth having is easy. If something is easy to obtain, we end up not appreciating it in the future. I prefer to fall and get back up again and enjoy the friendships and victories I acquire along the way than to achieve it the easy way and end up devaluing it.” 

Brock kept silent but smiled and tilted his head toward Aisha. She would go far, maybe not that day or that year, but she would achieve her dreams, and along the way, she would inspire others to do the same.

The rest of the trip was, fortunately, calmer. Budew grew by leaps and bounds, having managed to create an Energy Ball, even though he still needed to learn to control the power used in it so as not to exhaust himself. She mastered Shadow Ball and Mega Drain; the last one was very similar to Absorb, only requiring more power behind it. Ash also began to tease the possibility of Venoshock, but it was just the theory of what that move would be. She didn't want to burden Budew.

Pikachu and Espeon had a satisfactory amount of movement at the moment. Still, Ash had Pikachu learn Thunderbolt, and Espeon learn Morning Sun. Like Budew, their species wasn't known for taking many physical hits, so more long-range and damage/recovery moves were a welcome addition. After talking to Brock, Ash organized several exercises to improve their defense. It was a work in progress. 

The battles with the trainers along the road also helped them gain some experience, aside from the reward money when they won. Brock also became a frequent battle partner for Ash, and the new adversary meant that she had to be even more creative with her techniques.

“Honestly, you're a natural at battles,” Brock commented as they took a break from training. Ash had lost this time, but neither Budew nor she seemed too upset. 

“Do you think so?” 

"I am sure. You're still a little green on certain things but don't overthink while you're in battle. That's good, it makes you not hesitate. When you don't hesitate, your Pokemon trusts you, and they won't hesitate either.” He stopped to drink some more water before continuing. “One point where you need to improve is your relationship with your Pokemon.” 

Ash was confused. Both Brock and Misty had already said that she had a closeness and trust with her team that many young trainers could only dream of until months with them. Brock noticed the confused expression on her face and explained calmly.

“Don’t get me wrong. You and your team are very close, but except for Espeon, you've only met each other recently. Pikachu and Budew aren't used to all your quirks.” 

"What do you mean?"

“In a battle, whether it's between trainers or Pokemon in the wild, it often feels like an exchange of moves. Attack moves to attack, defense moves to defend, and so on. When you battle, you don't follow those 'rules'. An attack can be a defense, and a defense can be an attack.” Brock explained. “What is not wrong is simply unorthodox. But most of your Pokemon aren't used to that.” 

“How do I improve this?” Ash asked. She knew she was impulsive. Her two suspensions after breaking the noses of the kids hurting some unlucky Pokemon that got into the schoolyard were proof of that. 

“Battle with them. I don't mean when you are fighting other trainers. But between you. If you do the same thing during training, they will get used to your battle style.”

“Makes sense..." 

Aisha would take time to accept how unusual her battle style was. Many people would say that she was wrong. It was impossible to reach that much without following the “rules”. But she would learn to ignore these comments and embrace her ability to change strategy like the sea changes the tide. Her conversation with Brock would often come to her mind. 

Misty was loud. Everyone who knew her knew that. 

The sky was blue, the grass was green, and Misty was loud. It was one of the truths of the universe, and despite how difficult dealing with that was, it wasn't something Ash wouldn't change about the redhead. She didn't give up once she started arguing about something.

Therefore, when Misty began to become increasingly silent, it caught the attention of Aisha and Brock. They tried to get her to open up, but other than a few jokes about how wonderful Celadon was at that time of year, she didn't open. They discovered the reason two days before arriving at the crossroads of Route 4. It previously was a direct route to Cerulean. Eventually, they built a new road leading to Celadon, creating an alternative destination. 

The group was having dinner when Misty brought up the topic. The sun was setting, so the atmosphere had a cozy feeling as the late-day breeze rushed through the leaves of the trees.

“So, Cerulean is our next stop?” 

“That’s the plan.” Agreed Ash as she ate. “If we don't have any problems, the direct travel plan is to follow the order of Gyms recommended by the Pokemon League for those starting the journey from Pallet. At least the first ones.” 

“Cerulean's gym isn't easy, but it offers a challenge fit for trainers.” 

“Any tips, Brock?” Ash joked. 

“I'm sorry, but as a Gym Leader, I can't tell you what challenges you may or may not face in other Gyms. Out of courtesy,” he explained.

“Why not the Celadon Gym?” Misty looked slightly panicked. “I mean, Cerulean is good and all, but Celadon can give you more of a challenge. And you are already much more advanced than other trainers.” 

“While it is tempting, gyms only offer challenges suited to the number of badges you already have. Fighting on Celadon or Cerulean would offer the same level of challenge,” she shrugged. “Besides, they specialize in grass types. The only one with the slightest advantage would be Espeon, but they certainly have some contingency against psychic types.”

“You could catch a flying type to face the Gym!!! There is no shortage of Pidgey and Spearow in the Region. I'm sure you would have them ready to face the Gym.”

“Okay, first of all, if I ever had a Spearow close to me again, would be too early. Second, we don't have enough supplies for the trip to Celadon. And Cerulean is two days away; if we head towards Celadon, it will take us at least another week.” 

"But…!" 

“Uh, Misty? Is there any reason you don’t want to go to Cerulean?” Brock asked worriedly. “I honestly thought you would be excited to visit the city. Especially with Cerulean Gym being a Water Type.”

“I CAN’T GO BACK!!!” She shouted. Brock and Ash were wide-eyed while Misty stared at them with heavy breathing. She closed her eyes and repeated in a broken voice. “I can't go back. At least not yet.” 

Misty went on to explain how, after the death of her parents, the four of them were supposed to take care of the Gym. As Misty was still very young, Daisy, Violet, and Lily became the Gym leaders, even though they were already busy with water ballet shows and school. Despite this, they continued to accept challengers, care for the Aquarium, and perform water ballet. 

When she got older, Misty tried to escape from school to help out at the Gym and with the Pokemon at the Aquarium. But her sisters would eventually take her back to school and insist that she focus on studying or taking the League exams to be a Pokemon trainer. 

“I don't think they believe I can be a gym leader or a Water-type Pokemon Master. They are the Sensational Sisters, and I am the runt who got into trouble at school and skipped classes. Eventually, I took the coaching exam, and after putting my Gym Leader license on standby, I ran away with Starmie and Staryu. I haven’t returned since.”

“They supported being a trainer but not a Gym Leader?” Aisha asked. 

“Ironic, isn’t it?” 

“I think they didn’t want you to worry so soon.” Both Ash and Misty looked at Brock, offended. The older boy raised his hands in defense before explaining his point of view. 

“I'm not saying you shouldn't feel hurt by them. I'm sure their words and actions must have hurt you. But think from their point of view. Your parents died about five years ago. How old was the oldest?”

“Daisy was twelve. We had an aunt around for a while, but she fell off the map when I was seven.” 

“She was a little older than you, Misty. The Sensational Sisters have been around longer than that, but before, they had time to have fun between training and shows and do silly things. Therefore, they had to focus on you, the Gym, the Aquarium, and their careers. Alone.” Brock took a deep breath before continuing. 

“After my parents left, I had to look after my younger siblings. Billy and Tilly were only a few months old at the time. I was on my Pokemon journey when I arrived in Vermilion, and Officer Jenny told me what happened. When I returned home, I took charge of everything: Gym, provider, housewife, nanny, everything. Even with the help of the social worker, things were not easy, and Forest also wanted to help. He was seven then, so I convinced him to wait a bit before training with him to be the next gym leader.” 

Everyone knew about Pewter's sudden Gym Leader change, but no one knew the details. Only that Flint Slate had passed leadership to his eldest son. Professor Oak seemed concerned then and often went to Pewter at the League's request but never told Ash what happened.

“My point in telling this, Misty, is: When that happened, I had to grow up fast. There was no time for the normal things of my age, like Pokemon journeys, friends, dating, school, or playing. I tried my best so that my younger brothers could enjoy these experiences. Most likely, your sisters tried the same with you.” 

“They could have told me that.” 

“They could,” Brock agreed. “But the thing we least want to tell our brothers, when they depend on us, is that we are struggling to keep things afloat. They may not be perfect, but I'm sure they're proud of you, troublesome little sister or not.”

Misty let out a suspiciously wet laugh. When Brock opened his arms, she accepted his hug, and everyone pretended she wasn't crying. Aisha joined in the hug, as did all the Pokemon with them. Ash offered for them to go straight through Cerulean; she could face another Gym outside the League circuit. 

“No need,” assured Misty as she wiped away her tears. “Ready or not, they deserve an explanation. I kinda left without warning.”

The trio was on a hill watching the horizon. The midday sun shone brightly in the sky, making them squint their eyes to see. Cerulean buildings dotted the shore, and the smell of the sea breeze made the redhead take a deep breath with a smile. 

“Ready?” The raven girl asked. “The offer to pass straight still stands.” 

“Eh, that won’t be necessary,” she starts running and shouts. “LAST TO ARRIVE IS A ROTTEN EGG!!” 

“MISTY!!” 

“PIKACHU PI!!!”

Ao3

Index

<- Previous Chapter

Next Chapter ->

Fic Dividers Used Here

[flashyourgreeneyesatme]

Sick as a dog. <Bradley Bradshaw x reader>

This is my first published piece of writing but my baby, Reese Withoutaspoon aka @greatbigshiningstar is sick with Covid, and I want to make her feel better even if I’m not where near her. Love you doll hope you can imagine Roost with this.

I hope you enjoy and anytime any one of you are sick just remember Bradley would buy you your favourite soup and cut your bread exactly the way you like it!

pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x (f)reader

word count: 1846

warnings: Mentions of feeling and being sick, Bradley’s awful dad jokes, way too many curse words and sexual references (if you really squint hard enough – haha hard)

summary: The reader is home sick from the flu she got from work (can be whatever job you want I’m not going to explicitly describe what job she does) and wants to just curl up and die. Will Rooster let her be alone? No! He protect. He attack. He’s got his baby’s back! Just a cute little drabble of Bradley looking after her.

Pain. Pain is all I could feel, coursing through my body and destroying everything in its path. It's like if you gave the basic flu weapons and said, 'have at it!'. Now all I can think about are cartoon germs with machine guns shooting at my immune system until there is nothing left to destroy. Now, I'm an averagely smart person I obviously know that they don't have weapons and aren't shooting me from the inside but right now if you told me to stand up straight and count to ten, I'd be doing the macarena and wouldn't even notice the difference. I go to cuddle my pillow until I realise, I'm not even in bed I'm in my car and have been since 3 pm. 4 hours in my car just sitting there. No music. No phone. Just sitting. When did I get home? How did I get home? Did I accidentally kill anyone on my way home? I guess we'll never know.

I decide that I need to go inside and curl up and live my life in a quarantine-like staycation where I will not be talking to anyone, my best friend will be my cold bathroom floor and kid's drowsy cough medicine because I only like the strawberry flavour and apparently adult medicine manufacturers thought Let's make it taste worse than their own vomit and make them take it 3-4 times a day. Yeah, no thanks I'm okay with my kiddie medication, maybe that's why I'm always asked for parenting advice by new mums in the pharmacy. By the time I actually am able to get my dead legs out of the car, it's been 27 minutes and I stumble into my shitty home like a newborn deer learning to walk. All because of Jaida from work.

That bitch Jaida can get the flu, have a few sniffles and get on with the day. But puts everyone else at risk. Like okay, Jaida you've got a good immune system we get it! She gets to continue her day whereas I am reenacting the exorcist when I even try to drink water.  How is it fair? I enjoy my job. I want to be at my job. I unscrew the top of the medicine bottle and simply drink it like it's an energy drink, the door to my bedroom opens and I just lay on the bed. 

Suddenly I hear the front door open once again. All this time I've been thinking about myself when I forget I share this shitty home with my amazing boyfriend who has such an important job and if he gets sick, what if he can't go out on a flight and countless people die because of it? Okay nope, he's not allowed near me it is decided I am going to reenact another film, Contagion. 

"Honey I'm home!" I hear the naval officer yell throughout the house. The silence is deafening in response. He starts whistling about as if his version of echolocation will be able to locate me within the house. I stand up to back myself against the door so he cannot enter which feels like the biggest task I've ever completed. I hear him try to push the bedroom door open and fail imminently. "Why are you up against the door? Are you naked? You know I don't mind it's nothing I haven't seen before." He goes to push against the door once again.

"I'm not naked. I'm sick." I weakly croak out just enough for him to hear.

"Okay? So are you going to let me in or?" His voice is laced with confusion, boy take a hint, I love you but not happening. 

"I'm not letting you in because if you get sick you might not be able to work and if you can't work then Mav might personally send firing jets to shoot me." He can tell there's a frown on my face even behind the oak door. By now I'm sitting on the floor leaning against the door because all my energy is drained. I hear Rooster's knees drop to the floor and look to see him looking through the gap at the bottom of the heavy door and hear a little giggle. "Fuck off it's not funny!" I can't help but laugh which causes my chest and throat to hurt more. "I'm dying of influenza in here and you're laughing about me. Some widow you'd make Bradshaw." Again a fucking giggle easily escapes that man's mouth. 

"Right then if you're dying might as well get some things I've been meaning to say for a long time but never had the courage to say." He sighs and sits with his back to the door as I am also doing. A light tension fills the air. "You're a stupid bitch and I hate you. You're ugly too." 

"Right now I want you to get sick you dickhead." I lightly hit the door soon realising that hurt my whole body more than I reckoned. 

"Then open the door all you have to do is open the door and let me get my karma." His voice sounds tempting. He's got that charm that could sell the internet to an elephant. Not sure if that makes sense but I'm feeling like dumbo on wine right now so I don't really mind if my idiom makes sense or not. That man knows exactly what he's doing. Is it reverse psychology or is it gaslighting either way it's super enticing. I push myself off the floor and open the door. "Ah, a hideous monster!" He yells as I open the door. Bradley sees the upset and frustration on my face and knows I'm about to slam this door in his face. "Wait no! I'm sorry!" Allowing him to walk into our shared bedroom felt illegal to me. I keep my distance from him baking away as far as I can go before hitting the bed that stood in the centre of the room. "Am I not allowed to be near you?" I shake my head in response. 

"I'm not getting you sick dude that would fucking suck! And you're a child when you're sick so I'm not willing to play nurse. Love you, not that much." Rooster puts his hands up in a surrender-like fashion and stays where he is. His dark brown eyes scan me up and down. "Stop looking at me like that." 

"Like what?"

"Like I'm a dying puppy." My lips form into a pout. 

"I want to look after you. That's all I want. I won't come near you I promise." His fingers form into a cross behind his back.

"And how do you propose that you can look after me without coming near me." I'm sceptical about his methods.

"Get into bed." A little smile forms on his face.

"I don't see how having sex is going to help bud." Scoffs pass his lips as he has given up with my bullshit. Before I can even process what is happening his long arms have been placed onto my shoulders and pushed my back onto the mattress. A small yelp escapes my lips. "I have no energy for this." I feel the mattress consume my weight as I sink in slowly but surely. 

"Get under the duvet and I'll be back." He's off! The room is suddenly quiet as I give in to his demands and get settled under the heavy duvet which I can't decide if it's too hot or too cold for it. The first noise I hear is the fumbling noise of the cupboards and then the slamming of them. Instead of Bradley coming back to the room the front door once again opens and closes. I want to get up and see where he has gone but this bed has grown more comfortable by the second and not to my recollection my eyes start to close and I doze off. 

I don't know how long it's been while I've been sleeping but I am slowly awoken by the smell of rich chicken wafting its way from the kitchen. My eyes slowly open and I am alerted by Bradley's figure standing in the doorway. My body does a small tense reaction to his terrifying stature. "Hey, sleepysauras. Temp check!" He works his way over to my still comatose body and sticks a thermometer into my mouth. A hmmm noise comes from my chest as I feel the cool plastic on my tongue. "Okay! 101*. You, little lady, have a fever."

"That's mean." My eyes roll around my head. 

"I made cheddar broccoli soup. Just for you. Because I love you!" I stick my middle finger up at him. His laughs fill the house as he goes to fetch the amazing-smelling soup from the kitchen. The soup enters the room before he does as he is holding it out at an arm's length. "So I don't have to come near you!" Weak fake laughs come from my mouth. The tray is set on my lap and the bread is cut my way. "Even though I'm pretty sure it's a felony I cut it horizontally because you're sick and I have to spoil you." I try not to break out into a smile and or cry because it is so stinking cute. "Now eat it up."

"Yes sir, Lieutenant Bradshaw, sir!" I give him a small salute. He goes to leave, "What you're not going to spoon-feed me as well?" He stops in his tracks and does a little 180* spin on the spot. The speed of his run could be considered inhuman, he could put the flash to shame. Instead of simply walking around the bed as a normal person would, Bradley leapfrogs over my side of the bed to his side. The metal spoon is lifted from the white ceramic bowl into his hands.

"I'm going to be honest with you I have already taster tested a lot of this soup. For your protection of course." My head shakes up and down in a mocking gesture.

"My hero!" Rooster's lips move closer to the spoon, which holds the cheddar broccoli soup, and lightly blows on it. Aeroplane-like noises advance from the aviator's lips as he spoon feeds me like a child. "It's nice." Dark brown eyes squint at my choice of words. "It's delicious, Gordon Ramsey would be proud!" Pride fills his expression as he seems very impressed with his amazing cooking. As I demolish the food in front of me my stomach churns only slightly enough to make me gag but not to be physically sick. Rooster goes white as a ghost in front of me, not very well-known fact is that Roost is a huge Emetophobic. Reassurance washes over his pale complexion as he realises I wasn't going to throw up.

My anxieties of not wanting to get him sick are gone as I open up the duvet for him to get underneath with me. He willingly does so and joins our bodies together. The warmth from his body and his arm wrapped around me sends me back to sleep. 

I hope you enjoyed!

[ofhouseadama]

#4 (for the drabble thing)

4. "I could use a hug right now."

They take the first shift piloting the runabout back towards the wormhole, while Worf sleeps off a well-negotiated painkiller and Martok, well, just sleeps. Between them hangs a mutually determined silence, as if speaking about what they've just been through--the implications of Julian's replacement, the gravity of Cardassia's annexation by the Dominion and the finality of Tain's death--would rip off the metaphorical bandaid covering the proverbial bullet wound.

Four hours later, sometime in the middle of DS9's night and the Dominion camp's morning, Worf appears in the doorway to relieve them. "Sleep now. For when we return to the Alpha Quadrant, we are at war."

Garak looks at Julian, the expression on his face verging on helpless. Julian shrugs, standing, and leads them both back to the unoccupied cabin at the back of the ship. It's cramped, and windowless, but the thrum of the engine of the runabout is blissfully familiar. Taking a moment to breathe in the clean, recycled air, Julian lets his eyes flutter closed.

They're not safe, not by a long shot. But being in a small, quiet room with Garak floods his body with relief after a month in and out of prison barracks and solitary confinement.

After a moment, Garak's voice interrupts the quiet. It's small, and tense, and not a tone Julian has ever heard him use before. "Not that I'd like to start a precedent of openly communicating my needs--"

Opening his eyes, Julian looks down at Garak where he sits on the bottom bunk, picking uselessly at the closures at the wrists of his sleeves.

"I would never assume that you were."

Garak closes his eyes, tone pitching suddenly downwards. "Or admitting to a preference towards physical or emotional comfort of any kind--"

"Of course not." Julian's not even certain he would know how.

Continuing as if he didn't even hear him, Garak grimaces, crossing one ankle behind the other. "But I could use a hug right now."

How many times has Garak--in so many words, with a flippant hand gesture, with a crooked, furtive grin--told him that he's selfish, that he's unkind, that he's cruel? How many times did he say that, not knowing to explain that there was never anyone to soothe his fevers? To tie his shoelaces? To hold him gently and rock him to sleep?

His parents love may have been conditional, but at least they had the decency to rig the game so that eventually, the conditions could be met.

Julian pauses, wringing his hands in front of him. "Promise you'll tell me if I'm crowding you."

"You, doctor?" he asks, face pinched. "You could hardly crowd a vole."

"Yes, well, and after a month on prison rations I'm sure you can see through me like paper." He doesn't look forward to doing a health assessment on any of them once they return to Deep Space Nine. Easing himself down onto the bed next to Garak, he places his hand over his forearm, slowly but not hesitantly. Watching for a flinch, he slides his palm over the thick fabric of his sleeve, until his hand is covering Garak's. The only response he receives is a constrained shudder, and a ragged breath. "Are you alright, Garak?"

"Oh, as fine as I've ever been," he answers, wearing a false smile full of teeth.

"Which is to say..."

Garak huffs a laugh, a little desperate. "Rather abysmal, if you can forgive my candor, for a moment... among other things."

"Other things?" Julian feels his brows furrow together.

Slowly, telegraphing every movement, he slides one leg up onto the bed with his knee bent. Garak will have to be led, Julian realizes. No one ever taught him how to seek comfort, how to be held. And out of obedience to Tain, he never sought instruction from those who might give solace to him freely.

But Tain is dead now.

Julian threads the fingers on his free hand through Garak's hair, drawing him down until his forehead touches Julian's shoulder.

"I've really lost my touch," he murmurs, his body releasing another shudder, "if I couldn't recognize that my weekly lunch companion had been replaced without it catching my immediate notice."

Julian contains a wince. He'll have to confront that, sooner or later--that he returned from the burn conference literally a different person, and none of his friends or colleagues noticed any difference. But right now, Garak's father is dead and Cardassia might be lost to him forever.

"Oh, don't worry about that," he says. Garak's hair is greasy and limp between his fingers, but he's certain he could also do with a shower. "You got us out of there. That's atonement enough for many sins."

Garak chuckles weakly. "Some day your keenness to absolve me will get you into trouble, my dear."

With Tain and the Obsidian Order both consigned to the history books, a footnote in textbooks Federation children will read should the quadrant come out the other side of this war, Julian doubts that. No, Garak's allegiance to Cardassia now ensures that they remain on the same side. His loyalty is to the Cardassian people now, unencumbered by filial duty to Enabran Tain.

"More than the trouble we've just been in?" Julian asks, pressing his thumb and index fingers into the pressure points at the base of Garak's skull until he can feel some of the tension leave his shoulders.

He makes a sound that could be a sob.

Quietly, gently, with a tenderness he should have to try harder to scrounge up, considering his exhaustion--Julian shushes him. Acting entirely on tired impulse, he brushes a light kiss to the side of Garak's head.

"Who can say what the future holds for us?" Garak asks, pressing his mouth against Julian's throat.

[bonnymori]

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲

Word count: 2760+ (i'll try to keep bigger lengths such as this one!)

Synopsis: You meet a new classmate who's working along Nanami, you think he's fun to be around, it stands the same to him about you. Later, feelings unravel.

Contents/Warnings: (1) Itadori Yuuji x gn!reader (2) FLUFF, TONS OF FLUFF - and some comfort (3) With the small participation of... Ino Takuma!! I really like him too, that's why <33333 (4) This is pretty platonic, but also not? (5) Ending turned sorta cliché... but I liked it u.u

A/N: This boy made me run rampant... to fhe point it's not single attraction anymore I just wish him happiness (smh if only my parents knew...) also next post will be Toji's fic pt. 2! Y'all see the first part is almost reaching 100 kudos????? I'M SO HAPPY EHSODJWKDKSJD- thanks for all the new followers and the support!! <33

Ever since his fake death, Itadori has been training alone with the help of Gojo - and now, he works along a freshly new face, who belongs to a senior, founds out ex-salaryman named Nanami Kento. He's far a thousand times more strict than Gojo. Itadori doesn't really likes the change, because Nanami is a person he can't get along. This whole guy's appearance scream "work 4 life"; he has proved different, now he screams "work is shit - but I gotta do it because others won't".

They've just finished cleansing the outside of a movie theater off a few curses, when Itadori hears shouting from far behind them. Two figures approach, waving excessively. He quickly picks on Nanami's tired sigh beside him.

"Nanami! We figured out you'd be here! Our mission has been finished and we wanted to catch up to have lunch together!" A male clad in a full black outfit shouts, he has brown hair and a beanie on top of his head, looking quite content.

The other person simply trots next to him in silence, approaching with a friendly smile. They notice Itadori faster than the male, smile widening and quickly waving hello, suddenly eager to reach up to them. The gesture makes the pink haired boy perk up, curious to why the other person looked so joyful. His question is easily answered, when they tug on the man's sleeve and motion to him.

"Ino, we have a third buddy!" The dude looks at him with widened eyes. "So nice to meet you, I'm Y/N L/N! It's great to see new faces around!"

Itadori smiles at your energy, knowing already he would click with you very well.

"I'm Ino Takuma, sorry for not noticing you before! Your uniform looks cool." Itadori exchanges a few compliments with Ino, before the man turns to talk with Nanami, leaving him and you together.

"Yes! I'm Sukuna's vessel, Itadori Yuuji-desu! My type of woman is Jenn-"

You turn to him. "So, are you a first year?"

"Geh? Weren't you dead though?!"

"I was!- I am!- Please keep secret."

"Okay!"

"Ahem." Nanami coughs, drawing attention. "I requested you two to not come after me today. Itadori here is the reason why."

"That's no problem, we're very capable of keeping secrets." You threw your arm over Itadori's shoulder, him nodding along with you.

"Oh really, then remember to keep quiet about it. I'll let this slide." The group of students nervously at Nanami's intimidating tone. "But, I'll get to have my break alone."

"Gah!" Ino exclaimed, watching Nanami walk away; he also left the responsability of taking care of Itadori for you two, leaving without a word. "It really had to be today, when Nanami would take us to his favorite bakery..."

"Crybaby." You teased. "Itadori here can't go outside where anyone can see him, he's dead. So, we were to order food either way because he shouldn't be left out."

"Augh okay, it would be unfair."

"So, where are you staying Itadori?"

"At Gojo's state!"

"Whoa, I've never been there before." Ino commented, waiting as you sent a message to Ijichi to pick them up.

"He's my teacher, a very cool one!"

"I imagine! Ooookay, once we get there I'll get the food."

Itadori felt as his chest would burst of excitement, finally there was people around him again, he couldn't be less happy about it.

"Sharing is caring!"

Itadori laughed as you wrestled with Takuma for some fries, netflix long forgotten in the background, as watching the banter was way more entertaining. Most of the time, Ino rambled a lot about Nanami, while he rambled a lot about Gojo. The guy even showed him the cool scar under his beanie. He felt kinda upset after explaining the exchange was just temporary, his stay under Nanami's wing wasn't decisive, and therefore, he was more like a classmate than a partner.

Itadori also learned a lot about you. He was surprised to find out that you, although energetic, was the one to speak the lesser in conversations. His surprisement grew even bigger when you told him you're a exchange student from Kyoto, arriving Tokyo about the same month as him - thankfully, you were to say for good.

Conversations flowed easily in the air, until a voice from the doorway barged in.

"Yuuji-kun! Don't forget about your lessons! Hi kids! Bye kids!" Gojo said playfully, throwing the familiar punching bear to Itadori before leaving.

"What's this thing?" Ino asked.

"It's to help me control my cursed energy. So while I watch the movies, if I don't charge it with cursed energy it punches me square in the face. I thought I had mastered this thing already, but he insist I keep training with it." Itadori grumbles.

"At least it's cute." You commented, taking a sip of your drink.

"Until it punches you in your face without warning!" The pink haired boy barks.

The talks died down, the three of you eating quietly when another movie is played on the screen. Itadori didn't bother reading the title, it was a plain one about a zombie apocalypse that got him extremely bored, yet he kept watching still so the plushie didn't punch him in the face again; he's been keeping a record since all his last cursed energy training lessons were a sucess to this day. When his head started nodding and eyelids dropping Itadori can't remember well, about fourty five minutes of movie perhaps? Make it fifty, the second slumber took over his body completely.

When he awoke once again, it was near midnight, the clock on the wall told him so. He also noticed a soft and warm surface supporting his head, figures, it's your shoulder he's resting into, he feels an arm around his own shoulders and your cheek placed upon his hair.

"Hey, it's late." You immediately notices he's awake, calling out softly. "You should sleep on your room, or something, better to your spine."

He chuckles when you poke his side. "But I'm comfortable here."

"I'm surprised, you just met me today, and now is sleeping on my shoulder."

"I'm not, that happens often to me."

"Sleeping on people's shoulders?"

"No! Making friends quickly." Itadori likes your gentle warmth, your hug, everything makes him feel at home. "I met two more people before you for two weeks, but they can't see me, because I'm dead."

"So I'll keep you company, that's my new mission."

His eyes widen at that, a oh so little blush covering the tip of his ears.

"For how many time I slept anyway?" He asks.

"About two- no, three hours. You missed two movies, and this one is about to end."

"And you stayed here the whole time?" He motions to your shoulder.

"Yep. That reminds me I gotta pee."

Itadori grumbles, but quickly lifts himself off you, respecting your needs. That gives him some time to look around, he notices Ino is gone, and the plushie sits quietly at the other side of the couch, unmoving.

"Y/N! How did you manage to make it quiet down?" He's beyond bafflet.

"...que."

"What!"

"I said!" You arrive quickly at the doorframe, hands still wet from when you washed them. "I used my innate technique."

"Oh! How is it like?"

"It's kinda funny, gimme a moment." You left to wipe off your hands, coming back in a second. "So, just like Shoko, I produce reverse curse energy, but it's quite different than hers, I can't heal people. That's why we often call it positive energy instead. I can use it to soothe off negative energy, so the bear has no cursed energy right now."

"How does it works on people?" He felt very curious about everything, asking away like a kid.

"Since everyone has negative energy, it just makes you sleepy really. But when it comes to curses it's really practical, I can either weaken it or, if the curse is like grade three or four, I can slap them off existence completely by wiping all their energy." You were naturally proud of having a such versatile power, your own energy swirling with pride around you.

"That sounds amazing! Is it why I fell asleep though?"

"Nah, only if I did it on purpose. I guess you were just tired, hope you don't mind I decided to let you rest today."

"No way, it was a good nap."

You nodded. "By the way, Ino left to attend to a drinking party, he paid for our food."

"Drinking? Is he old?"

"Yeah, he's twenty." You chuckled, already expecting that kind of reaction.

"No way! He looks young just like us!"

"That's totally my reaction after I learned he's twenty!"

After that day, you started visiting Itadori weekly to daily, after exchanging numbers he made a little group with you and Ino, naming it the "Nanami trio". But really, he exchanges more texts with you in private, be them memes, cool images he wish to share, etcetera. Although, Ino wasn't left excluded, he ofter brough his xbox to connect to Itadori's tv room and you all would spend hours playing together; he just didn't spend much time with both of you as much. And that was okay.

For a few days, your connection with Itadori died down when he didn't reply to your texts. They would remain unread for some time, the longest being half a day, until he would spam apologies then move on with the topic. That became a routine until one day when you came over to check on Itadori unnanounced, needin to ease off your worries about the boy, only to find him sobbing in the middle of a hallway, staring ahead and beyond, his back to you.

"Ita-?"

"Egh!" Startled, he scrambled to wipe his eyes, turning to you. "H-hey, um, hi."

"What happened?"

"I- he-" His eyes didn't met yours, knuckles white in a death grip. You notice he has a few bandages thrown over his face and arms. The way his shoulders are drawn, as if he wants to shrink into himself is something you've experienced before.

"Something hard to talk about?"

He nods almost immediately, head still facing down.

"It's alright, come with me." You reach for his hands, grimacing slightly when his forceful grip is now on your hand, yet you don't comment on it. He follows you through the state wordlessly.

You two stop on the same tv room, sitting down on the couch. You then guide his head to your shoulder, gently massaging his scalp with the free hand.

"It's alright."

Those two words are chanted like a prayer for the next half hour, at some point, Itadori twisted his body towards yours and unknowingly caged you between him and the sofa arm. He embraced you with a force you didn't have in you, like he didn't want to lose one another. Painful or not, not a muscle moved on your body. He needed a shoulder to cry on.

Thirty minutes passed like seconds, you peered down only to find the boy confortably napping against your bosom; at some point you just became the cold side of the pillow to him. That's alright. It brings you joy to be the mom friend anyways. So you decided to join the sleepland aswell, arms still secured around his shoulders and the back of his head.

It feels like the nap hasn't been long, though, because you can feel Itadori's grip loosening and therefore, you're awake.

"Sorry if I broke any bones, in advance."

"Wow, and you only warn me now."

He laughs at your comeback, hands still secured around your waist.

"I'm surprised you let me uh, cuddle you for comfort - and sleep. I don't understand it? You just make me sleepy." He rambled, keeping eye contact with you while his head still rests on your chest.

"That's a piece of cake when you have younger siblings who seek for you every night they get a nightmare."

"Does that mean I can come to you again if I have a nightmare?" There it is, his togepi-kirby cutesy face.

"Are you four?"

"That's mean!" Itadori blushed, squeezing you on his arms. "I like the contact. It puts me at ease."

"Mm, do you want to talk about it?"

He gulped. "No, not really."

Your peach haired friend remained silent, and so did you. It seems he doesn't intend in letting you go soon, or he just really forgot to mention it. It gives them time to think, your younger sisted used to do that sometimes, back in Kyoto.

"Y/N, wanna watch anything?"

"Sure, have you watched Parasyte before?"

"No, let's give it a try then!" Itadori glances at the remote, then back at you - making you confused over his hesitation to move. He notices you noticed it, chuckling nervously. "To be honest, I don't wanna let go."

"It's hurting my back."

"SORRY I'M SORRY!" He jumped away from you like a cat would jolt away from a cucumber, making you snicker.

"It's okay, I just wanted to change positions."

And to tease you, but he didn't need to know that part.

He glared at you with a small pout, typing the initials of Parasyte on the search bar. Outside his line of vision, you were grinning like a idiot, his sweeteness took a tow on you. All the people of Tokyo you met really held a way different spirit from your classmates in Kyoto, Itadori being the nicest of all. It's surprising him being Sukuna's vessel to begin with; being honest, you felt drawn by it.

"Y/N, it's startiiiiing." He cut your daydreaming short, slumping on your side and propping his head on your shoulder.

"This again?" You throw an arm around his shoulders, very much like the first time he cuddled himself on you.

"Don't blame me, you're the one who wanted to change positions. Guess I'll just make some alterations since I'm awake this time!" One of his arms went behind your back and circled your waist, hand resting at your hip.

"It's definely different, since the other time you drooled on me."

"Hhgh, okay okay! Let me enjoy this." For perhaps the actual first time, you're able to watch without exchanging words with one another.

And this time, it's you who's head loll to the side, nose buried on his soft rose perfumed hair. Itadori doesn't comment on it yet, his free hand moves under your legs to lift your whole body up efortlessly when he senses you have fallen asleep.

"I remember you said it's bad for my spine, I wouldn't mind it... yours however."

The boy makes a beeline to the guest room, he sighs when there is no choice but open the door with his foot. Inside, he places you carefully in the soft bed.

Before he could leave, a hand reaches up for his sleeve.

"Itadori," He turned, looking at you. "Make me company?"

He giggles softly - you think it sounds like a highschool girl. "You should start calling me by my first name!" Itadori rambles as he climbs on the bed, arms wrapping around your waist in a motion you're familiar with.

"Yuuji, I'm tired, let me sleep."

"But I wanna talk more..." He pouts. "Also, are we, um, dating?"

You wriggle around, bringing his head down to peck on his forehead, teasing. "Correction, I want to date you."

"Uh, oh." A blush coats his face so quickly, you'd say someone dumped a bucket of red paint on his face.

"Is that a no?"

"No!"

"So it is a no."

"Christ, will you stop teasing for a second, I'm trying to talk here." He makes an angry version of his togepi-kirby face, you can't help but grin.

"You amuse me, but okay. I'll do it for you."

"Thanks." He blinks, the blush slowly fading away. "You know, I lied, not about the contact, I like the contact nonetheless-"

His hand moves to play with yours, such as tapping his tips against yours, or meassuring the palms.

"-it's you who brings me comfort."

It's also your turn to blush, that line was seriously charming.

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, we're dating now." You respond, a little eagerly. "Can I kiss you?"

"Please."

This is the best person I could ask for, Itadori thinks, keeping his eyes open as yours shut during the kiss, whom I won't change for anything else in this world.

When you both separate, Itadori feels drowsy and sleepy. His face fits perfectly on your shoulder as always.

"Goodnight, my favorite person."

[contagiousiridescence]

It takes three months, two weeks, and one day before the world is finally free of the terror that is your brother. You know this because you keep a meticulous count each day, hour, and minute in a tick-tock of apprehensive anxiety that haunts your every morning until it’s over. Until he’s good and dead for a second time, and a very convincing part of you wants to chuck his remains into the nearest volcano to ensure he doesn’t come clawing his way back to the mortal realm again.

But that would be a consideration for later. You don’t need to mourn him any more. Twice was enough for you already.

The team invites you back to their base of operations-- the Tower, you hear it called fondly-- and you accompany them out of polite acceptance because they’d asked, and Kara had turned those weary, beautiful eyes on you like she wanted you there. Maybe it’s just the obnoxious bleat of your heart in your ears again, but you also know there’s no possible way you would have even thought of declining.

So here you are. Sitting in the main room of the Tower, perched on the edge of a stool as you run your hands through the mess that had become of your tactical braid. You’re not a superhero in any sense, so you don’t have a fancy outfit to change out of or wounds to treat beyond maybe a bruise or three after Lex had tossed you about like a rag doll. The others are busy shucking off their bloodstained costumes and letting Alex dress their injuries, so for a time it’s just you and your thoughts sequestered off in a corner where you’ll be out of their way.

It’s been like this for a while. Ever since you and Kara have come to this agreement of civility, a promise of good faith and the trickling hope that maybe something resembling their past relationship might eke back into existence, you’ve been sure to keep your distance from the others. It’s not as awkward as it had been-- grimacing smiles and uncomfortable periods of silence-- but there’s still a barrier between you and the rest of Kara’s friends. Your old friends, by extension. They don’t treat you much differently, but you know distrust when you see it. You understand the underlying tension that buzzes into being when you’re around them, because it never stops prickling at your skin every hour of the day. You can work with them as you’ve done in the past. But any more feels like a fumbling attempt to build a bridge you don’t even have the mortar to keep together. You don’t deserve to build that bridge, anyhow.

And now that Lex is gone, you’re not exactly sure how much more of your help they’ll tolerate.

So, you take what you can get, and sit in your little corner with your thoughts weaving all of those should haves and regrets into a cocoon around your heart, because there’s not much else you can do in this situation but fortify your resolve to never let your anger get the best of you again. Now that Lex is gone, the pain coiled up in your chest can soften a little. It loosens just enough that you can breathe, enough that you can think beyond the one goal you’ve thrown yourself at so you didn’t have to keep staring at the truth laid bare and raw before your very eyes. But, well. Lex is dead, and you can’t really keep holding Kara to a standard of brutal honesty if you weren’t willing to drag out that last secret kicking and screaming from the sordid depths of your sorrow.

There is at least one thing you’ve learned about yourself over the last few years. It doesn’t really matter the nature of whatever it is you confess to Kara-- you just do it, eventually. Because Kara deserves to know, even if it is too late. It’s some compelling force that you’ve never been able to fight back, even when you first met and the kindling of something fresh and exciting had begun to piece you and her together. Like your own personal Truthseeker nestled into the cavity of your ribs, secure in the knowledge that Kara Danvers is the one thing, the one person , you could never truly hide yourself from.

You twiddle your thumbs beneath the sleeve of your coat as you think of this and wonder how in the hell you’ll ever be ready to tell Kara what you’ve been meaning to tell her for the last four years.

Hello friends! I got a bit sidetracked with my own wedding, but I finally remembered to post my @supercorpzine Volume 4 fic contribution! I have to be real, this is probs my favorite zine fic that I've written to date, I'm quite pleased with out it turned out. Hope you all enjoy! ♥

[breastmaster64]

hellooo still a grgbrian here 4 maybe ^_^’

if you wanna join in on the fun, just send and ask my name w a number from 1-10 bc that's all i have rn lolz

this is scrap for my task failed successfully fic! copied and pasted directly from the doc bc im too lazy to edit it lolz

(chapter 6 scrap)

After hours of Wilbur definitely not taunting Dream, he finally exits the flat with George offering to get lunch with him before he goes back to Brighton.

Quackity makes an off-handed comment about them being "lovey-dovey" that makes Dream scowl, George groan, and Wilbur grin. He places an arm around George's shoulder and excuses themselves out of the house.

Once they were a good 3 minutes away from the flat, George sighs and shifts away from Wilbur's hold. 

"You saw that right? Dream was jealous!" 

Wilbur glances at the man beside him who seems to be deep in thought. He lets out a non-committal hum, and George continues, 

"Why isn't he making a move still?! What am I doing wrong, Wil?"

They stop in front of a Nando's, and Wilbur sighs, holding the door open. 

"I mean… in his eyes, you two are dating different people."

George rolls his eyes and enters the venue, leaving Wilbur waiting as he keeps holding the door open for this old lady that prompted him to do so.

Once he lets go, he finally sits down at the spot George chose. The shorter of the two continues his rant.

"Yeah, but he's competitive enough that he's not gonna let this slide. Even you know that."

Wilbur ignores George to order their food. Once finished, he turns his attention back to the shorter and sighs, 

"You're like a needy girlfriend, George."

George furrows his eyebrows, opening his mouth to deny it. He closes it again, realizing that anything he says would make him look guilty of the accusation, and glares. 

"Whatever."

A few blocks away from the Nando's, a blond is pacing back and forth in the living room of his shared apartment. His black-haired friend watches him in simultaneous amusement and exasperation.

"How long have they known each other? And "Gogy"? Really? That's such a shitty nickname! Well… it's cute but GOD, it's so unoriginal!"

Quackity rolls his eyes, secretly recording Dream for blackmail material.

"Dude, I mean George told you why he didn't tell us. I think you're kinda proving his point right now."

Dream glares, but Quackity continues;

"Also Gogy's really fucking good, I like that."

If the "glaring daggers" saying was literal, Quackity would've been dead by now.

"... George deserves so much better than some… British fuck boy."

"And what? You'd be better than Wilbur? Dude, the only difference you two have is that you're American… and maybe the height."

Quackity chortles; Dream hits his face with a pillow. 

"No… kinda. I don't know. I don't even like George that way. I think. Look— the difference is, I've known George for what, four? Five years now?"

The shorter of the two sighs, and Dream could tell that Quackity wanted to be serious this time.

"So what? You said it yourself, you don't like George that way, so why does it matter to you so much? Even if you did feel that way for him—"

"Which I don't."

"... Right. Even if you did, you've been dating different girls and shit. Let George have his thing."

A tense silence fills the room, and Quackity starts to stand up, fixing himself in front of the living room mirror.

"I know that you're worried about George, but all I'm saying is that you absolutely have no fuckin' say on who George dates and whatnot. I mean, he doesn't do this shit whenever you start dating your new girl of the month."

Quackity puts a hand on Dream's shoulder in an attempt to comfort the blond.

"We all love George. If Wilbur ever hurts him, we just deck him in the face, easy. But for now, just let him be all sappy with the dude and be happy for him. The same way he does with you. Get your shit together."

Dream nods wordlessly, and Quackity exits the apartment.

George doesn't even like me that way… do I like him that way? What about Jen?

He sighs, messing his hair up.

Fuck this.

Back to the Nando's, George is trying his best to not yell in the venue.

"Wilbur! At least take a proper picture of me, you prick."

The man being reprimanded laughs, dodging George's attempts at grabbing his phone.

"No! You look cute in this."

Wilbur posts the picture on his story; another "cute date" post that pisses him off to no end.

George reluctantly takes a picture of the man still grinning smugly at him. Truly, damn Wilbur and his ability to be so photogenic. 

Before George could even lock his phone, a reply to his story pops up.

Dream

Hope u two have fun. Get home safe :) 

George

thanks <3

want me to get some takeout for you? 

Dream

Just get me a pumpkin spice latte pls

George

basic bitch

Dream

🥺🥺🥺

George sighs, locking his phone. He reminds himself to buy the latte and a croissant for the man, as he enjoys his meal with Wilbur.

A bit over an hour later, they step out of the facility and walk silently to the train station. Wilbur blurts out useless fun facts, and George points at random animals he sees.

It feels odd to find that you have a pretty good dynamic with someone you're not supposed to like.

Now, this didn't mean that George liked Wilbur by any means. He still thought the man was insufferable; the walking "sad boy with a guitar" trope in real life. 

[headinthestaticsky]

Frozen Within the Night Wind: Jasper Hale x Fleur Swan, Chapter 6

None of the characters in Twilight belong to me. All rights go to Stephenie Meyer.

"Baby, you don't wanna leave You'd be sorry, 'cause honestly I can make you feel better, any day Look at what you've done for me, I called it how I see You belong with me."

Stick by: BANKS

For the next few weeks Me, the Cullens, and the wolves have been keeping watch on Bella and Charlie. It wasn't an easy alliance and anytime Sam or Leah went onto patrol they wouldn't even acknowledge me. So I often patrolled with Emmett and Jasper to make things less tense. Tonight however I had no choice but to patrol with one of the wolves... a plus side about tonight though, Bella wouldn't be here... she was out with Jacob right now. I had made an excuse that I was staying with the Cullens for the night so dad wouldn't be too suspicious.

"Are you sure Darlin, I can stay behind on this hunt to be with you."

"I'll be fine...I'm sure Sam won't do anything to me. Besides, I've already hunted for the week...you haven't hunted these past two trips because of me...Go I promise I'll be fine."

He sighed before wrapping his arms around me and laying his head on my shoulder. It didn't last long however since we heard rustling behind us. We both turned to see Sam in his wolf form standing there.

"I'll see you later love."

"Bye love."

When Jasper left Sam stood next to me, he didn't look at me at all. We sat in silence for an hour when I finally decided to say something.

"Look...I know I'm probably just going to end up talking to the air tonight but...I need to get some facts straight."

Sam just huffed in his place.

"None of the Cullens turned me...if they would've gotten to me quick enough I wouldn't even be patrolling my dad and Bella right now."

Sam seemed to be staring at me out of the corner of his eye.

"I don't know who he is...but someone working with Victoria turned me...If I am being completely honest I think it's the intruder we're looking for right now."

Sam huffed again.

"And I know you are absolutely disgusted with what I am now but... I really miss you, and Emily... Seth and Leah too. But I know I can't go down there anymore and Leah completely hates my guts but I just had to get off my chest." I looked away from Sam, feeling completely embarrassed that I spouted all of that out. Then suddenly, I felt some fuzzy nuzzle into my hand. I smiled and pet him, it seems he's warming up to me again.

"Thanks, Sam..."

Our heads both shot up as we heard movement and for a split second I saw firey red curls go across the way.

"Let's go Sam!" I said and started running toward her, he followed me a second afterward. She noticed us running toward her and took off back into the woods.

"Sam go back onto your territory so she can't jump back without being caught."

He followed my command surprisingly.

"I thought you were great at self-preservation Curly, but to come right to her house, right near the Cullens isn't very smart now is it?"

She didn't acknowledge me. Suddenly... something popped up in my head... I looked at Sam and winked, I mouthed to him that I had an idea.

Victoria stopped in her tracks and stuttered.

"James?"

I stopped running and crept up behind her, not wanting to let the hallucination go to waste. Carlisle was right... this second power would be useful to me. The image of James just looked at her with deadly eyes.

"James... how are you... here?"

"What are you doing with him?" "James," asked.

"It's not like that...It just so I could avenge you." Victoria stated.

"You disgust me..."

I was just about to get behind her and grab her neck when she snapped out of it and flipped me over and sent me into a tree. She took off again, leaving us in the dust. Sam jumped back over to me and nudged me with his head.

"I'm okay Sam... we need to go back to the house in case someone else shows up again. When we made it back to the house I saw Jasper and Rosalie standing in our spot looking confused.

"What happened? Why did you leave?" Jasper asked.

"We saw Victoria and chased after her...we couldn't catch her."

"Damn it," Jasper grumbled.

"Were you close to getting her?" Rosalie asked.

"I was inches away from grabbing her by the neck... I guess the hallucination I made wore off..."

"Can you tell where she's going now?" Rosalie questioned.

"I can try... the tracking is still a little wonky sometimes." I got into that trance again attempting to track her,

"It looks like she's going to Oregon..."

"Oregon what is she going to do in Oregon?" Jasper inquired.

"I can't tell..."

Before anyone could say anything else Jacob's car pulled up, Edwards was not too far behind.

"Uh oh... this can't be good," I said, I then began to jog toward the situation, it soon turned into an argument.

"IF YOU EVER TOUCH HER AGAINST HER WILL AGAIN!" Edward roared.

"Guys don't do this here!" Bella pleaded.

"She doesn't know what she wants."

"Hey what the hell happened?" I asked.

"Jacob kissed me..." Is all she said.

"Wait for her to say the words," Edward said.

"What... Edward do you want her to be in a relationship with him? You're losing the argument here bud. bring it back!" I thought to myself.

"Fine, and she will."

"Jacob just go okay?"

"Hey, hey hey... break it up you two," Dad said, he must've heard the commotion.

"Okay... what's going on?"

"I kissed Bella... and she broke her hand, punching my face... total misunderstanding."

I couldn't help but bust out in laughter... this whole situation was something you would find in a crappy soap opera they play at 4 in the morning when no one is awake to see them.

"What are you doing back here Fleur?" Dad asked.

I came up with a lie quickly.

"Oh I forgot some toiletries... and I came back down to get them." luckily my car was still here.

When I pretended to grab my items I came back outside, Bella and Edward were gone. I kissed my dad on the cheek and wished him a goodnight and drove back down to the Cullen's house. When I came in Carlisle was wrapping up Bella's hand, everyone else was sitting in the room with them. I sat by Rosalie and Jasper, just observing the situation, Emmett walked in with a smirk on his face.

"Geez did you try and walk and chew gum at the same time Bella?"

"No, I punched a werewolf in the face."

"Badass...you're going to be a tough little newborn."

Rosalie and I looked up, now focused on the conversation.

"Tough enough to take you on." She said with a smirk.

Rosalie slammed down the paper she was reading and left the room. Bella just rolled her eyes and sighed. I looked at Jasper and he nodded, I slinked out of the room without anyone noticing or so I thought.

"Hey, Rose."

"I can't stand your sister."

"I know the feeling."

"But at the same time... I envy her too."

I pulled her in for a hug, trying to comfort her.

I heard the slight sound of a door opening and closing again.

"What do you want Bella?" I asked.

"You can go and blather about the joys of being a newborn with someone else." Rosalie added.

"Okay... Rosalie, I don't know what I did... to make you hate me so much."

"How many times do I have to say it... If you treat someone I am really close to like dirt... then I'm going to hate your guts."

Bella scoffed.

"I envy you also Bella."

"What? That's ridiculous!"

"It's not...Bella." I jumped in

"How is it not?"

"You had a choice... we didn't... none of us do and you're choosing wrong, I don't care how miserable your human life is," Rosalie explained.

"My life is not miserable. It’s not perfect, nobody’s life is perfect." Bella stated.

"Mine was. Absolutely perfect. There were things I still wanted. To be married with a nice house and a husband who kissed me when he came home. A family of my own... Royce King was the most eligible bachelor in town, I barely knew him. But I was young, I was in love with the idea of love. On the last night of my life, I left a friend’s house late visiting her newborn son, I wasn’t far from home… They left me in the street thinking I was dead, believe me I wanted to be. Carlisle then found me, he smelled all the blood, but he thought he was helping me."

"I'm... so sorry." I said... I had never heard how she got changed until now.

"That's terrible," Bella added.

"I got my revenge on them, one at a time. I saved Royce for last so he would know I was coming. I was a little theatrical back then."

"That's not theatrical... that's bad ass," I said, Rosalie cracked a smile.

"Things got better after I met Emmett, but we’ll always be this, frozen, never moving forward. That’s what I miss the most, possibilities, sitting on a front porch somewhere, Emmett grey-haired by my side surrounded by our grandchildren, their laughter."

"I understand that’s what you want. There’s nothing I’m ever gonna want more than Edward." Bella argued.

"You’re wrong again, after you’ve been changed there’s one thing you’ll want more. One thing you’ll kill for…blood." Rosalie finished, she then walked out of the room without saying another word.