#if it means I don't have to leave my house

[toastedpotatoes]

"What's all this about?" asked someone behind him during a lull in his routine. Their voice carried the distinct lilt of the Folk (good) and an air of extreme exasperation (slightly less good).

Jal turned to face them, cooking implements still in his hands. "Finally—I mean, it would sure suck if—"

"I heard you the first time," said the newcomer, voice tired and dry as dead bark. "And we do understand sarcasm."

"Oh," he said. There went his plans. "Um. Take me anyway? Please?"

They stood facing him a long while, their expression reading visibly as why do I have to deal with this? even in the moonlight.

He must've got stuck with a dud or something. Weren't the Folk supposed to be... magic? Ethereal? Something greater than what amounted to little more than a sharp-eared person with lichen in their hair?

They sighed. "First of all, if you wanted us to take you, why did you bring iron?"

"Oh," Jal said for the second time. He looked down at the pots and pans. "I wanted to get your attention."

"Well, it worked. It also made an incredible racket. Put them away now."

He hesitated—he wasn't exactly eager to lay down his best defense against things like them—but this was his best chance at getting out of his life. He set them down outside the mushroom ring.

"Second," they continued, "why did you decide that the best time to do this was the middle of the night?"

This he had an answer for. "Well, you lot always dance in circles under the full moon, don't you? Figured now would be a good time."

They sighed again, muttered something about sky folk messing everything up, and said, "Not always."

Jal was getting impatient. The night was too chilly, he honestly should have been in the fey realms by now, and instead here he was getting interrogated by some house brownie. "So can you take me or not?"

"I can," they replied. "Doesn't mean I will. Why're you so eager to get abducted anyway?"

"Why's it matter?"

"It matters because I'm the one deciding if you get to go or not. And I'm being rightfully suspicious of the weirdly-excited-to-get-kidnapped human here."

He looked around for anything else he could do besides spill his life story to one of the Folk. There were still the pots and pans—if he could grab one quick enough—but they noticed him looking and their eyes flashed green in the moonlit dark and suddenly all the knots in the surrounding trees were blinking, watching, watching—

"I want a new life!" he cried, not missing how the trees snapped back to normal as soon as he spoke. "I want a fresh start! There's nothing left for me over there anyways. My home's evicted me, my friends've all left, and I can't face anyone there anymore, and—"

"You do realize that none of this necessitates banging bowls together in a mushroom circle, right?"

"They're not bowls, they're—never mind. Just—I can't stay here anymore."

They thought a moment. "Go back to bed."

"No!" He didn't even have a bed anymore. He didn't have anything left to lose. This was his only chance.

"Give me your name, and I'll take you."

Okay, maybe he had one thing left to lose.

"I'm not that dumb," he said, ignoring the highly doubtful look he received. He rifled through his pockets for—

"Thirty dollars?" he offered.

Their eyes narrowed at the bills he held out. "I don't need your money, and it wouldn't be enough anyhow."

"Thirty dollars and I don't leave all this iron in your precious forest."

They deliberated on this, periodically glaring at the lovely assortment of metal noisemakers he'd brought with him. "Fine. Deal. Pack up your clanking mess."

"Yes!" He gathered up his things and took their proffered hand, giddy enough that it was about five seconds before he realized they were leading him away from the mushroom ring, not into it.

"Wait," he said. "You said you'd take me."

"Never said where," they replied, calmly, and for a moment it felt like the trees had eyes again.

"Wait—but—where are we—"

"Relax," they said. "Just the nearest inn. You really need to go to bed." They picked a twig out of their hair. "And so do I, to be honest."

"OH BOY, IT WOULD SURE SUCK IF THE FAE TOOK ME!" cried the man banging pots and pans together in the middle of a mushroom circle.

[spiderb00]

- Fam out #6

Sophia Laforteza x reader 

“You and Sophia never fight, so imagine Yoonchae's surprise when she found out she would have to postpone her plan for a few more days” 

Genre – Fluff     Warnings – Sophia and Yn fight, but it's the usual fam out cuteness 

(request) 

Now playing – Compass, by The Neighbourhood 

The towel on the bed was grabbed roughly, Sophia's hands squeezing the fabric tightly as she hurried downstairs. It wasn't the first time it had happened, but Sophia always let it go, every time it happened she just took a deep breath and put the towel away, talking to you about it and listening to the embarrassed apologies that came out of your mouth. But this time, she was tired.   

As soon as you appeared in Sophia's field of vision, the towel she was holding was thrown over you, covering the view you had of the television. “Seriously, Yn!”   

You quickly tried to get the towel off your head, but it seems you weren't quick enough, because now your character was on the ground, while some other player was stealing the items that were yours. “NO! Sophia, you made me lose.”   

“I don't care about your stupid game! How many times have I told you not to leave a wet towel on the bed? Seriously, Yn. How old are you? Five years old?” Running a hand through her hair in frustration, Sophia watched you get up, while throwing the towel on the sofa.   

“Yeah, but what was the point of waiting until I'd finished the match?” You say, barely having time to react when the video game controller is snatched from your hand and thrown onto the sofa.   

“I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR GAME!” Sophia says, coming closer to you, making you automatically take a step back. “THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU'D PUT THINGS IN THE RIGHT PLACES!”   

“I PUT THINGS IN THE RIGHT PLACES!” The look Sophia gave you made you think about all your life choices, and lower your voice the next second. “I mean... I put things in the right places.”   

“No, you don't! I've been complaining about your towel on the bed for weeks, but what do you do? You keep leaving the towel on the bed!” Sophia says, making your head spin.   

The shouting, the complaining, you know it's your fault, but it was all making you a bit dizzy. “I just forgot...”  

“You didn't forget. You're acting like a damn child, you were addicted to this stupid game and you're simply forgetting the basic things you used to do.” Sophia said.  

She was frustrated too, not just about the towel, but because she'd missed you lately. You were spending so much time on your video game that you were forgetting about her. It had been weeks since you and Sophia had gone out together, weeks since you had done anything nice, or romantic, or even “family”. All because of that stupid video game.   

“Well, I have the right to have a bit of fun too. Maybe I'd like to be with my company, be alone for a bit too!” You say, without thinking.   

Laughing sarcastically, Sophia pushes your chest, making you fall onto the sofa. past you, the Filipino girl picked up her phone, putting on her shoes and texting someone. 

“What are you doing?” You said, getting up from the sofa quickly.   

“I'm going out. You want your space, have your space!”   

The deafening slam of the door was the last thing you heard, trying to follow Sophia only to see an Uber pull up in front of both your houses.   

It was Thursday, the silence in the house bothered you, any noise could be heard, and that made you feel empty. The days have gone by very slowly, since your fight with Sophia, you've been getting more and more upset, the thought that things didn't have to come to this, the thought that it was all a stupid fight, the thought that you could have avoided it. It was stupid.   

You wanted to make up with Sophia, to tell her that you'd been an idiot, that you'd been childish, that she was right and that she could come home now, because you missed her so much. But unfortunately, since that day, you haven't been able to see Sophia, you've respected her space, but you couldn't lie in saying that your heart didn't race every time she sent you a message.   

“Yoonchae is waiting for you.”  

“Come back at eight, we have appointments the next morning.”  

Parking the car in front of the Kats' house, you waited for Yoonchae to get out, seeing the younger girl running towards you. “Hey, kiddo! I missed you.”   

Yoonchae didn't really understand why you and Sophia were fighting, she just assumed it must be something serious, since you've never fought before. How wrong she was... “I missed you too. It's very strange to see you and Sophia apart.”   

As you got into the car, you sighed at Yoonchae's words, you knew that it affected her too, even if only a little. She was used to you and Sophia going out together, spoiling her constantly, looking after her like two mother tigers look after their cubs, and now, it was like she was missing out on part of a good thing.   

“I know...” You say, starting to drive through the streets towards the mall, where Yoonchae would spend all your money. “I'm sorry about that, it was just a stupid fight...”  

“But you'll fix it, right?” Yoonchae's question made your heart skip a few beats.  

Honestly, you had no idea. You and Sophia had never fought like this, you'd never gone more than a day without speaking to each other, you hoped it would never happen, and if it did, it wouldn't be because of something stupid you'd done.   

Giving a tight-lipped smile, you glanced at Yoonchae briefly, only to see the younger girl already looking at you for some kind of confirmation, anything that might reassure her. “Yeah, of course.”  

Boy, you were so lost.  

The clock on your wrist read 8:30 p.m., and you knew Sophia was going to kill you. Damn it, she was already mad at you, and now this? But it wasn't your fault that you were having so much fun with Yoonchae, the younger girl's happiness was making you forget your responsibilities.   

“You're late!” Sophia was already at the door, she was probably spying on the car through the window, and when you parked, she was already ready to unleash the dogs on you.   

“Sorry, we lost track of time...” Yoonchae tries to explain, lifting the shopping bags as if that justifies everything.   

“We have appointments early tomorrow morning, and you know she has trouble getting up early, Yn!” 

“I don't...” Yoonchae tried.  

“I know, I'm sorry, we were just having fun. It's been a while since we've seen each other.”  

“You could see more of her if you came here. Or were you still glued to the video game?”   

“Guys...” Poor maknae.  

“Why do you have to be so mean?”   

“Because someone has to put this family in order!” Sophia said, sighing before pointing in the direction of the bedrooms. “Yoonchae, go get ready for bed, we have a busy day tomorrow.”   

“But...”  

“Do what she's saying Yoonchip.” You say, giving a small smile to the younger girl, who was hesitant to leave you two alone.   

“Are you guys going to fight?”  

“No.”  

“No.”  

Looking at the two of you skeptically, Yoonchae sighed, knowing that she couldn't win the 2x1. Waving goodnight, she headed for her room, leaving you and Sophia staring at each other awkwardly.   

“Sorry.” It was the first thing that escaped your lips. Sophia's sigh was heard, and you took it as a chance to continue. “I know I was wrong, and I'm sorry for that. We've never spent so much time fighting, and that scares me.” You said, pausing, wondering if you were bothering her or if she was ready to have this conversation. “I miss you, baby.”  

Looking at you, Sophia's eyes softened, coming closer to you, she hugged your shoulders. “I miss you too, baby.”   

The truth is that you both recognized how silly it had all been. You knew you'd made a mistake, Sophia was right to complain to you about your sloppy attitudes, since you'd never been like that and seemed to be in a kind of constant black hole with that new game you'd picked up. And Sophia recognized that perhaps she had stressed herself too much, getting overwhelmed with the job of leader and all the things she had to deal with on a daily basis.   

“I'm sorry for yelling at you, and leaving...” Sophia began.  

“It's okay, baby. I understand, you were overwhelmed.” You said, placing a kiss on her forehead. “I love you.”   

“I love you too.” Sophia said, moving closer and sealing her lips with yours.  

The kiss was full of love, saying all the things you've wanted to say to each other for weeks, killing all the desire you've felt all these days.  

“How about we say goodnight to Yoonchae, and you take me home?” Sophia said, looking at you with a look full of love.   

“I think that's a wonderful idea.”   

Yoonchae's voice was muffled, but the two of you could hear her saying “Come in” right after you knocked on the door.   

You could have sworn you saw Yoonchae's eyes light up when she saw you and Sophia's hands intertwined, finally getting the confirmation that everything would return to normal that she so desperately wanted.  

“We came to say goodnight.” You said, approaching and kissing the forehead of the youngest girl, who was lying between the warm covers.   

“Are you all together again?” Yoonchae asked with a smile on her face.   

“Yes, everything's fine.” Sophia said, kissing the back of your hand as you smiled at her.   

Your cloud of love was soon broken by Yoonchae, who coughed falsely to get your attention. “Well then, since you've made up, I think it would be a good time for you to meet Evie.”   

Frowning, you looked at Sophia with a slight smile, seeing that she didn't know what Yoonchae was talking about either.   

“Who's Evie, Yoonchip?” Sophia asked, a confused smile on the Filipina's face.   

Looking at the two of you, Yoonchae took a deep breath, relaxing her shoulders, only to make yours tense at her behavior.  

“My girlfriend.”  

Holy shit.   

“YOUR WHAT?”  

Hey babies, how are you?

It's been a while, hasn't it? We're already on part 6 of fam out, and I'm surprised this series has so many chapters.

Anyway, I've been very busy these days, I have some asks to answer, and I'm going to answer it!

just a quick stop around here, drink some water, stay safe

xoxo, spider

[pokemonshelterstories]

Hey! Greetings from Floaroma, Sinnoh! Kinda need some advice.

I found a really large Aron in my garage, eating my partner's motorcycle and some ewaste we had lying around. When I say large, I mean, huge. Larger than any Aron I've seen in my life. Yamaha(the Aron) now refuses to leave. My partner got mad at me for naming him, and wants him out, pronto. Yamaha's taken a liking to not just me, but my Umbreon Nightlight and my Sylveon Monster Truck. I've put Yamaha out of the garage, even took him in my pickup to set him free a ways out of town, but he keeps coming back. I adore him, and he very clearly enjoys the presence of me and my current Pokémon, but I just can't keep him because of my partner. It's caused a rift between me and my partner, who already wasn't pleased when I said I had two Eevee. (He'd even previously asked me to give one up- Nightlight has been with me since I was 12 and Truckie was a transition gift from my brother, who bred me a shiny male Eevee. Obviously, both are still with me, but my partner was very hard pressed to accept that, even after 3 years!)

How do I get Yamaha to stop coming without breaking his little heart? I feel like he's telling me he's chosen me, and I've always wanted to train an Aggron, but my partner can't forgive him for eating his motorcycle. Yamaha gets so sad when I leave him or kick him off our property and it makes me feel evil, honestly. He's not anyone's Poké, I avoid actively feeding him so he's not encouraged to stay, I drive him farther and farther away every time but he keeps finding his way back to my house. He's such a goofy, loving Pokémon and I feel bad I can't take him in. I'm a little afraid to take him to a shelter, mostly due to his size and the fact that he's very much a wild Poké, I don't want to take him and then he ends up hurting the staff or they don't have the resources for him. What do I do? Do I hand Yamaha over to the Rangers?

-a very sad Eevee dad

hm. sounds like yamaha is probably a human-bred and released pokemon. aron usually live out in mountains with rich ore deposits and aren't particularly inclined to approach humans when they're wild-born. sounds like he's having a hard time finding proper food sources if he's been rooting around in your garage. to be honest, i don't think you're going to prevent him from coming back without sending him very far away. they're not easy pokemon to deter, which is why they're considered pests in a lot of regions with metal infrastructure. i think your best bet is to get him to someplace that takes problem wild pokemon.

a shelter may or may not take a wild aron depending on their resources, but if you talk to the rangers, they can find somewhere that's equipped to handle him. i really do think he's either a released pokemon or at the very least highly human-habituated; if you were to bring him to the artazon station, for example, we would place try to place him with a home rather than have him released back into the wild. if you decide not to keep him, the rangers are the best place to take him.

that being said...i mean, i'm not a relationship counselor, but is everything good between you and your partner? i can get not wanting to keep a random aron, especially one that ate something important to him. the fact that you named him after a motor company when he ate your partner's motorcycle is honestly kind...mean-spirited, i guess? at the same time, him wanting you to rehome a beloved pokemon is also kind of a red flag. ultimately it's not my business, but if i was having that kind of conflict with paulo, i'd want to go to relationship counseling. might not be a bad idea for you two?

[777rare]

FAME AFTER DEATH...

Leaving behind A legacy...

ASTROLOGY ANALYSIS [pt.I]

People who can't ever be forgotten easily after their death and are remembered throughout generations...

THESE NOTES ARE ONLY A STUDY OF MINE AND HAS/HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN YET, SO IF IT DOES NOT RESONATE WITH YOU, FORGIVE ME AS IT WAS ONLY A STUDY/OBSERVATION OF MINE.

I DO NOT PLAGIARIZE, COPY OR REWORD ANY OF MY FELLOW ASTROLOGY OBSERVERS POSTS AND I DEMAND THE SAME IN RETURN.

!Trigger Warning! There is Mentioning of sensitive topics such as de@th, the way a person died, etc so please don't read what you cannot endure.

If you are a person who gets easily triggered please first understand that just because this celebrity has the same placement as you do, does not have to mean you will face the same demise. Other aspects and placements play a major role as well.

I have noticed similar placements in the charts of legendary people who are recognised by the massive population of the globe, no matter how many generations pass. I will go through each one of them one by one.

Mainly I have noticed how every single celebrity who is remembered for a very very long time, even for generations together have:

• True node in 5th house,8th house or 12th house and varuna and/or fama in the 8th,12th or 5th house.

• Even True node and varuna and/or fama in the degrees 0°, 17°,29°, 11°, 22° can indicate being famous and recognise for ages and generations.

• Varuna in the 4rth house makes one famous after his/her death. Why? This is because the 4rth house does not only rule the home, the mother, our mind, family, etc.

The 4rth house is also the grave, the cellar, the basement, the crypt. I read about the more deeper parts of the 4rth house once and understood that because this house is at the lowest point in the chart, this house rules everything deep and underground as well.

This house is all about the memories, the ghosts, the private things, etc. So a person having this also become widely famous after his/her death. I've noticed that the people having Varuna in the 4rth and Pluto in the 8th with vertex is very much famous for the way they died or their defeat and also their secrets being revealed after their death.

✓ 5° is well known for giving short lasting fame whereas 0°,17°, 29°, 11°, 22° show long lasting impact and fame.

EXAMPLES:

1. ABRAHAM LINCOLN

• Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S President, is famous for his achievements in political areas but the way he faced his death is most famous world wide.

✓ Abraham Lincoln had his ascendant sign in 22° which is seen in the charts of many legends, because the degrees 0°, 22° and 11° are known as the degrees of the 'chosen ones'. He did have a great impact in history.

✓ He has his True Node in the 8th house which resulted in his lasting recognition even after his death.

✓ He also has Varuna in the 8th house conjunct with Mars. Now usually,I've observed that Mars, Pluto or Uranus in this house had given many famous legends either a painful or unexpected death. Abraham Lincoln died of assassination in a theatre. Again, he is known world wide for the way he died more than his achievements.

✓Also, I've observed that Uranus (also at times, Pluto or Neptune) in the 8th house also gave certain legends a sudden death, it was unexpected or was not seen coming. Even Abraham Lincoln had this placement (Uranus in the 8th house).

2. FRIDA KAHLO

• Frida Kahlo, a Mexican painter is widely known for her many self-portraits and gained world wide recognition for her work mainly after her demise.

✓Frida Kahlo had her Varuna in 29° which gave way for lasting fame throughout decades. Also, this asteroid being in the sign of Aquarius did result in her massive online presence where people still talk about her work and her unique art.

✓Her True node is conjunct Jupiter in the 12th house which once again, resulted in her massive recognition after her demise.

✓Saturn in pisces in the 8th house resulted in, according to reports, her death caused by the overdose of a drug, suicide or pulmonary embolism (blood continuously clotting which causes great harm to the body). Not sure what was the real cause but I do know that it was related to water in her body and Saturn being the reason for the clotting and making her body parts struggle to function well.

✓Her death is also mysterious because she had Cancer in the 12th and like I said before the 4rth house is also what's hidden deep underground..unclear information. And also her 8th house rulers in the chart (pisces=jupiter and neptune) were both in the 12th house, making her death a mystery again and not so clear.

[No wonder we are always told by our parents never to talk to anyone about personal family matters because it is one that should remain hidden as people can use that to their advantage in many ways (for the 4rth house)].

✓How could I forget? She is also a Leo ascendant native which is why she had gotten fame and recognition, even if it was mainly after her demise.

3. GAUTAMA BUDDHA (THE BUDDHA)

•Gautama Buddha, also known as 'The Buddha', is widely recognised and praised as the founder of Buddhism and The greatest Buddhist monk.

✓Again, Gautama Buddha is a Leo ascendant native which gave way for fame and recognition. Now his ascendant sign is in 4° which is Moon being in the 4rth house. The 4rth house like I mentioned before is the house of deeper areas like the grave, the cellar, etc. This is one more reason his massive fame could've spread even more than before after his demise.

✓ The Buddha, the great philosopher and Buddhist monk, has his True node in 0° in the 12th house which indicates having a lasting impact on several generations even after his death.

✓He also has Jupiter conjunct fama in the 8th house which again indicates his infinitely expanded fame, being world wide after his death.

✓His Varuna is conjunct Neptune in the 6th house which makes so much sense because Neptune is the original ruler of the 12th house, being the house of deep knowledge and spiritual awakening so he will be widely recognised for his spiritual awakening and his spiritual way of living, the way he served people and lived a very deeply spiritual life. 'The Buddha' literally means or translates to 'The awakened one'.

✓He also had Pluto in the 8th house and his death was not a long gradual process or took a long time. He ate something that made him ill and his death was not expected out of it but again because Pluto is here, the way he died is often made up of a lot of beliefs than truths.

I have observed that when Pluto sits in the 8th or 12th house, a persons death, cause of death or reason why she/he was killed (if he/she was) becomes more of a mystery. It is not exactly clear and people often just speculate on it with theories and beliefs.

✓The way The Buddha died is also very famous because of how unique it was to many due to many beliefs about his death being very spiritual among his followers. He again had pisces in the 8th house which resulted in an illness or problems with digestion.

✓He also had vesta asteroid in this house in pisces which indicates a very spiritual death. It is believed that He decided his time of death.

This is Random but The Buddha had his Moon in the 4rth house which made him a 'Mommas boy', aww. Lol. I mean, yes, we can see based on history that he lost his original mother, Maya devi, but he still loved and valued his foster mother and maternal-aunt, Mahapajapati Gotami.

4. PRINCESS DIANA

• Princess Diana, a member of the British royal family, was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. She was widely recognised and adored by the world for her activism and glamour.

✓Princess Diana had her True node in Leo in the 11th house which first of all results in her massive popularity internationally and her being an internet sensation for the longest period of time.

✓Princess Diana also has her Varuna in the 8th house conjunct Venus and hence she will always remain this beautiful glamourous icon for a very very very long time moving forward after her death.

>Princess Diana is still widely recognised as this natural queen who lived by her own rules (especially during that 'revenge dress' incident👇)

and seemed to not fit in well in the royal family of Britain. This is definitely the effect of True node conjunct Uranus in the 11th house. Like I mentioned in my previous post, natives having True node conjunct Uranus are very free spirited people and are hard to tie down.

>Her True node conjunct Mars in the 11th house also definitely was the reason she was such an active social activist who provided major support for those who needed help.

She was one of major reasons why the world became more aware of such rising health issues at that time, hence she's recognised world wide for her efforts.

>Since Mars is conjunct True node she was and is still widely famous for the controversies surrounding her life and her death. She is still widely discussed for the drama in her life and how she was treated very unfairly in the family and how so much of unjustifiable actions were taken against her in the royal family.

Her death is still considered a huge controversy and mystery even though most people are certain that she was murdered by the royal family. (Mars and Pluto in the 12th)

THE ASTEROIDS MENTIONED ABOVE: FAMA(408) and VARUNA(20000)

That's it for today everyone!

I hope you enjoyed reading through this post.

A part 2,3 and probably even more will be coming where I'll be analyzing legendary icons charts like:

Bruce Lee, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Nikola Tesla, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Adolf Hitler, Steve Jobs, Elvis Presley, and so many more!

So I hope you stick around for more, and I hope you have a great day ahead!💖

[tasiawrites]

OP men reacting to their gf getting a makeover by Nami and Robin.

Luffy

Bae he probably didnt notice at first

Goes oh you look nice did you change something?? LIKE SIR I EVEN GOT MY HAIR DONE??

Doest change the fact that he loves you.

Overall 10 minutes before he needs you out of your clothes on onto him

Sanji

Certified munch right here

Bae notices and has a nosebleed immediately

Sings your praises like no other

Has to youch you

May have touched too much because now youre in a mating press

Zoro

Notices but doesnt react the way you expected

Why you dressed like the witch?

Bro please i swear he loves you but he liked you the way you were

He shows you that he likes you for you and not your clothes ifkyk

Usopp

My beloved

Blushy mess

Thinks you look good… real good

Instant boner. He cant help it you look edible

Needs to show you how pretty he thinks you look.

Ace

Oh his little bro's friends are interesting

He doesn't hide how much he likes it

He so smooth when he flirts with you oml

Who jumps on who it is never known

When you leave the room your lace is lifting

Rob Lucci

He sees it but acts like he doesnt care

He very much cares

Cares so much he askes to see you because what are you wearing

Nigga don't play, hes horny so very horny

Yall traumatized the bird…. Again

Do flamingo

He let's you out and you come home dressed like this?

This is why he doesn't let you out the house

Makes you do a three sixty

He likes it

You got your ass ate for the first time in your life so i guess that's a good thing?

Crocodile

Again, he lets you out and this is how you come home?

Actually tells you he likes it straight up.

I mean he was gonna marry you regardless but now he needs you wifed up

He learned how to teleport into pussy.

You might be pregnant now

Shanks

HORKNEEE

sir calm down

Hes so attracted to you all the time so this lil makeover means nothing but his fine shyt rebranded

He shows you why all he uses to fight with is aura

The whole ship is congratulating you on the baby when you leave your room the next day

-------

Me? Posting twice in 1 day?

I'm clearing my drafts apparently

I'm also rereading one piece

[yara0546]

Racing Hearts | Lee Jeno

Anonymous asked : Hello! I'd love a scenario featuring  only Jeno. He's dating the sister of an F1 driver – either Max Verstappen or Charles Leclerc would work. Could it focus on him spending time with her brother, perhaps including them going to watch an F1 race? He's a known F1 fan, so that would fit perfectly. Don't worry if you don't know much about F1 or the drivers, also it's ok if you don't wanna do it… thanks <3<3<3

I'm sorry if you don't like it 🥲...

୨୧ Pairing : lee jeno x reader (Charles Leclerc)

୨୧ Genre : Romance, Comedy, Sports (F1), Fluff

୨୧ Word Count : 2,000 - 2,500 words.

୨୧ Disclaimer : This is a work of fiction from our imagination. It is not intended that the plot, theme, original characters, idols, etc. portray any real-life events/people. Plagiarism is NOT tolerated on this blog. If you believe we have copied an existing authors’ work, please message us privately. thank you and enjoy :)

Masterlist

Jeno had been a Formula 1 fan for as long as he could remember, but he never imagined that one day, he'd be sitting in the Ferrari garage, watching the Monaco Grand Prix with his girlfriend’s brother Charles Leclerc.

Dating you was a dream in itself, but the added bonus of getting to spend time around F1 made his heart race almost as fast as the cars on track. However, today wasn't just about watching a race. It was about proving to Charles that he was worthy of dating his little sister.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” you teased, adjusting Jeno’s Ferrari cap.

“I’ve faced screaming fans, strict choreographers, and weekly workouts. I think I can handle one protective big brother,” he said confidently.

You laughed, but before you could respond, Charles strolled up, already dressed in his race suit.

"Jeno," Charles greeted, offering a firm handshake. "Ready to see what a real sport looks like?"

Jeno chuckled, used to the friendly banter. "Of course. But don't get too jealous if I decide to switch careers."

Charles smirked. "Let’s see if you survive the pit wall first."

You shook your head at them, sensing the silent challenge between them. "Play nice, boys."

Jeno was practically buzzing as he followed Charles through the paddock. The energy was electric—mechanics rushing around, engines roaring, the smell of burning rubber in the air.

“You okay?” Charles asked, glancing at Jeno, who looked like a kid in a candy store.

Jeno nodded quickly. "I think I just fell in love all over again. But don’t worry, you’re not my type."

Charles laughed, finally relaxing a little. “Good. Otherwise, I’d have to fight you.”

They reached the Ferrari garage, where team engineers were making last-minute adjustments to Charles’s car.

“You can stay here during the race,” Charles said. “Best seat in the house.”

Jeno grinned. “I feel like I just unlocked VIP mode in real life.”

A few minutes later, Charles was called to the grid. Before leaving, he turned to Jeno. “Take care of my sister while I’m out there.”

Jeno didn’t hesitate. “Always.”

Jeno sat on the edge of his seat, his hands clenched as the lights went out.

"Come on, Charles," he muttered under his breath.

Watching an F1 race on TV was one thing, but seeing it live, feeling the vibrations, hearing the engines scream past—this was next level.

Halfway through the race, Charles was in a tight battle for first. Jeno couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen. Even when a Ferrari engineer handed him a headset so he could hear the team radio, he barely registered it.

“Box, box,” Charles’s engineer said through the radio.

Jeno turned to you. “Why does that sound serious?”

You bit your lip. “It means he’s pitting. But the stop has to be perfect.”

Seconds later, Charles’s car screeched into the pit lane. Jeno held his breath. Within 2.4 seconds, the tires were changed, and Charles was back on track.

Jeno exhaled. “That was insane.”

You squeezed his hand. “Welcome to my world.”

Charles finished second on the podium, and while he didn’t win, he was in good spirits. Back in the paddock, he found Jeno and patted him on the back.

“You didn’t jinx me. Maybe you’re good luck.”

Jeno grinned. “I’ll take the credit.”

Charles hesitated before adding, “You know, I was skeptical at first. But I can see how much you care about my sister.”

Jeno’s smile softened. “She means everything to me.”

Charles studied him for a moment before nodding. “Then you’re okay in my book.”

You wrapped your arms around Jeno from behind, grinning. “Told you they’d get along.”

Jeno turned to kiss your forehead. “Best day ever.”

Charles smirked. “Don’t get too comfortable. Next time, we’re putting you in a simulator.”

Jeno gulped. “Uh-oh.”

You laughed. “Guess we’ll see if my boyfriend can really handle F1.”

Jeno still couldn’t believe he had spent the day inside the Ferrari garage, experiencing the race from the best seat in the house. But now, the real test was about to begin—spending the evening with Charles outside of F1, where the driver could shift his focus entirely on him.

You had planned a small celebration for Charles’s podium finish, inviting a few friends and team members to a private villa overlooking the Monaco coastline. The golden hues of sunset painted the sky as music played softly in the background.

Jeno adjusted his shirt nervously, watching Charles pour himself a drink at the bar. You nudged him with a teasing smile.

"Why do you look like you're about to meet my dad for the first time?"

Jeno sighed. "Because your brother is basically F1 royalty, and I just know he's going to grill me about something."

You laughed. "Relax. He wouldn’t have let you sit with the team if he didn’t already like you a little."

Jeno still wasn’t convinced, but before he could respond, Charles called out to him.

"Jeno, come here!"

He shot you a look that clearly said help me, but you just gave him a playful push.

Charles leaned against the counter, a knowing smirk on his face. He handed Jeno a glass—non-alcoholic, since he knew Jeno wasn’t much of a drinker during promotions and performances.

"So," Charles started, "you survived your first F1 weekend in the garage."

"Barely," Jeno chuckled, taking a sip. "I think my heart stopped a few times when you were overtaking."

Charles grinned. "That’s how it feels to watch someone you care about in their element, right?"

Jeno nodded. "Yeah. I get that feeling when I see her in the audience at my concerts."

Charles’s smirk faltered slightly, and Jeno could tell he was about to get serious.

"Look, I’ll be honest," Charles said, setting his glass down. "When my sister told me she was dating an idol, I wasn’t sure what to think. Your schedule is crazy, your life is always in the spotlight… and she deserves someone who will be there for her."

Jeno swallowed. "I know. And I won’t lie, it’s not always easy. But I love her, Charles. And no matter where I am in the world, she’s always my priority."

Charles studied him for a moment before nodding. "I can see that. She’s happier with you."

Jeno exhaled, not realizing he had been holding his breath.

"But," Charles continued, "if you ever hurt her accidentally, intentionally, emotionally, or otherwise I will personally make sure you feel what it’s like to be at the back of the grid."

Jeno laughed, but the warning in Charles’s eyes was real. "Got it. No DNF for me in this relationship."

Charles cracked a smile. "Good answer."

You walked over, slipping your hand into Jeno’s. "So, how’s it going? Are we planning a family race or something?"

Jeno smiled, squeezing your hand. "Not yet, but I think I just passed his test."

Charles rolled his eyes. "Barely."

You shook your head. "You’re both impossible."

Jeno turned to Charles. "You know, I meant it when I said I might want to try the simulator one day."

Charles raised an eyebrow. "You think you can handle it?"

Jeno grinned. "If I can handle being on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans, I think I can handle a race car simulation."

Charles smirked. "Alright then. Tomorrow morning, 10 AM. My place. Let’s see if you’re more than just a fanboy."

Jeno blinked. "Wait, I was kind of joking... "

You laughed. "Too late, babe. You’re in now."

Charles clapped Jeno on the back. "Welcome to the fast lane, Jeno."

Jeno groaned, but he couldn’t help smiling.

Maybe this whole ‘brother in law bonding’ thing wasn’t so bad after all.

[fakegingerrights]

Oh my stars this just unlocked a core memory

We got a bucket of them at a garage sale once. My sister and I divided them between us. We loved these stupid little toys. At the same time, we were also, the neurodivergent little shitlings we were, becoming obsessed with the idea of easter egg hunts. But without the eggs.

One at a time, we'd take the other's shopkins and hide them around the living room in as many nooks and crannies as we could find, and the other would have to find them all. You couldn't hide your own shopkins otherwise the other would steal them when they found them (we were insanely jealous of the other's collection) so you had to hide theirs. It also worked in the way that you had bonus incentive to find them all otherwise the other person got to keep the ones you didn't find.

When I say we had a lot of these things, I mean we probably had nearly a hundred each. And we played this back and forth game incessantly for almost two years. Our little brothers were too young to play and we were also obsessed with hide and seek but this was a happy medium.

Then, as children do, we got ahold of nail polish and covered all the shopkins in glow in the dark clear polish from Claires. We'd leave them in the sun all day then hide them and you had to find them before they lost their glow in a blacked out room.

We also had individual names and personalities for every single shopkin we ever owned. I have no clue what their real names were but for a solid 8 months our lives entirely revolved around this game and these toys. This is probably the longest stint in our entire lives (until I moved out of home) that me and my sister went without fighting. Everything was settled with a match. The goal was to eventually hide the other's shopkins so well they couldn't find any and you got to keep them all, thus making you the bestest in the house at hiding tiny objects in potentially hazardous locations.

Then one day we just... didn't play. I don't exactly remember what happened, and we might still have the collection somewhere (probably not, we've moved 5 times since then) but I haven't thought about that in years until I saw this post and everything hit me like a sleeper agent activation.

... I'm gonna ask my sister if she still has any. We haven't talked in a while.

DID YALL HAVE SHOPKINS OMG

[radiojamming]

Hades game brain rot hell yeah!! Could you do uhhh Odysseys maybe meeting Achilles and Patroclus? Idk who would fanboy over who tbh lmao

OH BOY OH BOY I've thought about this scenario way too many times :)

AU I guess where Melinoë brings people back from the House of Hades? Or Elysium? idk but she's doing it! (And background OdyDio because if I don't put Diomedes in something like this I will just simply die.)

❧ ❧ ❧

There's a joke in the upper world that goes like: Odysseus of Ithaka walks into a taverna. He asks the taverna keeper who a seat at the best table is reserved for.

"Nobody," says the taverna keeper.

"Oh, good!" says Odysseus, and he takes a seat.

---

The night Achilles and Patroclus come to the war camp in Erebus, Odysseus tries his damnedest to find something to do, very far away. Some chart that needs updating, a contact in the Mourning Fields that just might have new information—anything to keep him out of the camp.

Of course, this is all taking place during a short period of calm. Melinoë only retrieved his old comrades because she, once more, defeated Chronos. This latest defeat caused some strange effect that no one—not even Hecate—could understand. Suddenly, those frozen figures standing at the edge of the House trembled, one of the Titan of Time's spells broke, and some of his captives were released.

On the other end, only a night before that, Melinoë sent Typhon crashing down the slopes of Olympus.

It's all to say that unfortunately, Odysseus has nothing to do. Damn it.

Fortunately, Achilles and Patroclus take up post in the taverna until they're given more permanent accommodations. Even with the small stockpile of nectar that Melinoë's given him practically singing his name like particular insistent sirens, Odysseus keeps well clear of the place. When Achilles comes up to Hecate's circle, Odysseus suddenly finds enormous interest in one of Melinoë's garlic plants.

One of the little green shades makes a noise of confusion as he approaches, and then scoots away to find refuge under Hypnos' hammock.

Odysseus can't say that this isn't like him. If there was a patron god of avoiding problems, it might as well be him. Pray to me, you great procrastinators of Greece, he thinks as he checks under the garlic plant's spindly leaves for... well, anything.

The problem is, he can't think of a way to solve this. He is good at avoiding his problems, but he's just as good at finding creative solutions. Traveling in disguise, lying, getting alarmingly naked as a distraction, more lying—he's gotten quite good at this over the years.

But it's Achilles and Patroclus. And, collectively, they are very much dead. Odysseus isn't the sort of shade that can will himself to disappear in an instant, and of the two of his comrades, one of them is the son of a goddess. If they want to hunt him down, he's sure he'll be skewered by next moonrise.

Talking himself out of it isn't likely. Ah, yes, very sorry that I personally saw to it that you two got involved in the war that would ultimately kill you. It was, as the younger shades often say, my bad.

No, that won't go well.

When he spends too much time staring at the garlic and feeling that distinct sense of eyes on the back of his neck, he switches over to take enormous interest in one of Melinoë's horrible little mandrakes. Yes, it is well worth a ponder, and he simply cannot turn around for any reason whatsoever when he hears the distinct sound of footsteps.

Light, dancer-like footsteps. There is only one man he knows capable of that kind of gait.

"Laertiades?"

Odysseus, to his credit, doesn't freeze up. He just pokes and prods the leaf of that godsawful little plant and pretends that it's the most interesting thing in the world. He will not face Achilles.

And Achilles, to his credit, is... patient. Which is certainly not a word synonymous with the Achilles he knows.

Funny word, that. Patient. Makrothumia, meaning 'long of temper'.

"Odysseus."

Ah. First names.

He stands up to his full height, turning to face Achilles with the most pleasant smile he can possibly muster. Think, Odysseus! his brain practically shouts. You're clever! You're incredibly clever! Smartest of the Achaeans!

Actually, that was probably Diomedes, but he digresses. What he needs is a plan.

And what would Diomedes do?

"Ah, hello," Odysseus says pleasantly. "To whom do I have the honor of addressing?"

Not that.

Achilles—and yes, that is most certainly him, almost the same as Odysseus remembers except with a lightness to him that he did not carry on the fields of Troy—stares at him. He opens his mouth to speak twice, but closes it both times. Although Athena was not Achilles' patron goddess, Odysseus can still see the man's mind working.

Then, carefully, "I am addressing Odysseus, son of Laertes, yes?"

"Indeed, that you do."

Green eyes narrow. A test, then. "And does Odysseus, son of Laertes, recall Achilles, son of Peleus?"

Stupidly, stupidly, Odysseus leans into the worst plot his mind has ever malfunctioned upon. "Achilles, you say?" he replies, putting great effort into tapping his chin with his forefinger, staring up at Selene—who is most certainly judging him—in deep thought. "I can't say I recall the name. Peleus, yes. He was an Argonaut, if memory serves."

Deep in the recesses of his mind, he can practically see Penelope shaking her head at him. You beautiful, stupid man, she would say.

Achilles stares a moment longer, then briefly looks disappointed. Finally, he nods once at Odysseus. "My apologies, Laertiades," he replies. He puts a hand up to his heart, an old gesture from a time Odysseus is sure both of them would rather forget.

And when in the gods' names was Achilles ever apologetic?

Before Odysseus can form another idiotic reply, Patroclus calls Achilles' name from the entrance of the taverna. Achilles turns on instinct, then briefly glances back at Odysseus.

"Another time then," he says.

And then, fleet of foot as always, he's gone.

Odysseus watches him leave, watches him embrace Patroclus with one arm. Watches them blissfully happy, the way shades aren't often allowed to be.

Mentally, Odysseus kicks himself. Then he gives himself two more kicks for good measure—once for Diomedes, and once for Penelope.

---

The denizens of the Crossroads rarely sleep—Hypnos excluded. When they do, it's done in quick cat naps. Brief meetings with short-lived dreams chased in the longer shadows of the night. Odysseus, despite having his own quarters and a bed far too comfortable for a shade to use, makes very few attempts to sleep. He doesn't technically need it, but for a shade of a mortal who spent quite a bit of his life asleep, something in him still looks for the first hook of sleep out of instinct.

Tonight, in an attempt to keep away from his old comrades, he tries to sleep.

Shades dream in strange ways. Of course they do. Rather than the twisting, abstract dreams of the living, shades dream in memory.

In this one, Odysseus is sitting in his hut at Troy, legs stretched out beside the longer legs of Diomedes.

"It was never going to work," Diomedes tells him. He taps one sandal against one of Odysseus'. "You know that."

"I know," Odysseus hears himself say. This old script.

"Yet you went, regardless."

He nods, stares down at the scar on his leg, the scars on Diomedes'. As close as the two of them are now, he still doesn't know where all of those scars came from.

"It was an attempt at peace. A stupid attempt, to be sure, but Agamemnon was insistent."

At this, Diomedes scoffs. It's a well-kept secret between the two of them—most of the Achaeans see Diomedes as a loyal attack dog. Very few know that his tolerance of Agamemnon hangs on by the merest thread. Argos and Mycenae are two angry cats waiting for an excuse to scratch each other to shreds, he once said.

In the distance, they can hear the crackling fire and the unhappy murmur of Odysseus' men. No one is pleased with the result of the offer to Achilles, least of all Odysseus.

Quietly, Odysseus says, "What do you think will happen?"

Diomedes shrugs. "If you're looking for an oracle, I think you're better off talking to Calchas."

"I'm not talking to Calchas. I'm talking to you."

Diomedes is silent for a long moment. Then, he sighs and reaches across to twist one index finger around Odysseus' finger. "There is what I guess, and what I know. I know Achilles will refuse until something terrible happens. Everyone has a breaking point, and there will come a day where he finally reaches his."

Odysseus raises his eyebrows. "And your guess?"

Silence. Long, miserable silence. Those are becoming more common in this camp by the day. Then, Diomedes squeezes his finger, and Odysseus returns the gesture without a thought.

"I think his breaking point will be Patroclus."

The moment the last syllable fills the tent, Odysseus jerks awake.

He lays there on his too-comfortable camp bed, staring at the star-flecked canvas of his tent. Outside, shades whisper, nightbirds call, branches shiver and creak in the wind.

Slowly, Odysseus lifts his hand over his head, staring at his index finger. He can still feel that phantom of pressure of Diomedes' hand on his. Experimentally, he flexes the finger out, then in. Then, he drops his whole hand to cover his eyes.

"Shit," he tells no one in particular.

---

Melinoë brings back more shades on her next attempt in Tartarus. More human-shaped Elysium types. Odysseus can see a few that appear familiar, but for the life (death?) of him, he can't put a name to a ghostly face. Few shades have the strength of character to retain their shape after death. He and his comrades are exceptions.

Achilles and Patroclus seem to take it upon themselves to train these shades to form some kind of militia. Commander Schelemeus is in charge of the more shapeless, characterless brigade. These shades, though, can actually follow orders and know how to hold a weapon for more than a few seconds.

In a perfect world where Odysseus wasn't constantly trying to jam a foot in his too-quick mouth, he'd be helping.

During one of these training sessions, he watches with thinly-veiled interest. It's just another sign of how much has changed that Achilles is actually trying to teach someone how to move as he does. He has so much more patience, a gentleness to him that he never had in life unless it was for Patroclus. His voice is lower, softer, like he's speaking to a small child.

"He's a wonder, isn't he?" says a voice that most certainly doesn't belong to Achilles.

If he was another man, Odysseus would clear jump out of his skin. Melinoë's voice isn't the sort that surprises anyone, but the suddenness of it, the presence of her where there was nothing before—by the gods, he really is losing his edge.

He clears his throat, seeing saffron-and-wheat come into his periphery. "Indeed, goddess," he says.

"He trained my brother, you know," she goes on. He turns enough to see that hazy look in her eyes, the same that always appears when she talks about her family. "My father took him on as a house servant almost as soon as he'd died. I can scarcely imagine what it would have been like to train with him."

"Mm."

"You knew him well, didn't you?"

That shade of Penelope that constantly thrives in Odysseus' mind is giving him that look. Your lie is about to implode, my love.

"As well as anyone knows any legend, I suppose," he replies, stiffer than he'd like.

There is a long, blissful moment where Odysseus can almost fool himself into thinking the conversation is over. But Melinoë—clever girl—says, "You're being unusually quiet, Od."

He's too well-trained in the deceptive arts to stiffen up or shift uncomfortably. Instead, he offers her one of his best 'trust me' smiles. Historically, it's worked on everyone except Penelope and Diomedes.

"It's nothing, goddess," he says. Puts his hand over his heart for good measure. Then, a quick lie just to put a tack in it, "Just mulling over reports of enemy forces, is all. A bit much on my mind at the moment, I'm afraid."

Another moment. For one second, Odysseus thinks she's onto him. It might be a trick of Selene's light, but her red eye seems to dilate when she regards him. Like the judgment of her father.

Then, "Reports? What kind? Should I be concerned?"

If he were less in control of himself, he'd breathe out a sigh of relief. Instead, he keeps his smile in place and gestures to his table covered in its ever-present charts. "Let's have a look, shall we?"

---

Another dream. A hazy memory stained gold in Ithakan sunlight.

Penelope's hands in his hair, combing through the strands. She's humming a song that's achingly familiar, like a lullaby she sang for Telemachus when he was still a baby. She stops for a moment, smooths a thumb over a curl of hair, and laughs. It's a low, delightfully warm sound that Odysseus will never, ever tire of.

He smiles lazily, one hand reaching over to run a finger down her perfect wrist. "What's so funny, my love?" he asks.

She leans down and kisses his forehead, and he leans up to meet her halfway. "Twenty years," she says against his skin. "Twenty years and yet you still have this cowlick exactly where I left it."

Her fingers trace the spot in question, and Odysseus preens under her touch.

In that moment—as quick, fleeting, and blinding as one of Zeus' thunderbolts—he understands why Achilles did what he did. He would die a hundred times over for Penelope; he'd destroy the whole Trojan army by himself for her. Only a week ago did the servants get the last bloodstain out of the tapestries on the walls in the megaron—the last trace of evidence of those damnable suitors. Odysseus has heard the people of Ithaka calling it a massacre.

If you had her for a wife, he thinks. You would have done the same thing.

And then he thinks, unbidden, of Achilles returning to the war camp with Hector tied to the back of his chariot. Achilles, wearing the blood of Hector like a pelt, his eyes wide and rimmed in miserable red. He didn't tremble as he stepped down off the chariot, didn't allow his servants to wash the blood off his skin. I want to remember it, Achilles had said. Let me remember that I killed that man.

Penelope kisses him again, this time between his eyes. "You're thinking too much, again," she says. "That little line is back."

"Which? I've got more than one now."

She kisses it again and again, quick little pecks that draw him out of his memories and back into her embrace. "The only one from before," she says. "I'm trying to make it go away."

He lets her keep trying.

---

Melinoë is back at his table. It must be serious, as she hasn't gone to her little garden patch yet. Her hands are on her hips, watching him as he approaches from speaking with Hecate about adjusting the parameters of the warding spells.

"Goddess," he says, hand on his heart once more. Even feeling her two-toned stare on him like a physical weight, he approaches her as easily as ever. "Reports say you thrashed Typhon properly again. Undoubtedly you have a good story to tell of it?"

"I do," she says. Her voice, though, is more steely and level than he's heard in a long while. Oh no.

He raises his eyebrows anyway. "But?"

A longer stare. She's clearly inherited a family trait for intimidation, small as she is. "You lied to Achilles," she says.

Ah.

"Pardon?" is all he can think to reply.

"I spoke to him and Patroclus in the taverna earlier. He's not at all like he was in your stories, but when I asked him about that, he said you told him you had no memory of him. I know that's not true." That glare gets a little sharper. "What were you thinking, Od? Why lie to him?"

Ah, yes. That familiar sensation of getting caught in a snare of his own making. I owe you another drachma, Diomedes, he thinks.

And he thinks a little harder. His instinct is to get out of this somehow—lie and twist words over words until the whole situation is gathered up into a nice manageable package that he can promptly throw far, far away.

But Melinoë is looking at him in a way she's never looked at him before. Ever since she was young, she's always regarded him with expressions ranging between wide-eyed awe and pure delight. He's trained her in the art of smug satisfaction and mischievous conspiracy. This look, though, makes a bitter feeling haunt the back of his tongue. This look tells him that he's well and truly done something wrong.

No. He can't lie to her.

He briefly looks away, toward the opening to the taverna where he knows his old comrades are still lingering. They have their accommodations now, suitable as any in a war camp. However, they linger there and speak to the shades that come and go, sipping at the nectar that Melinoë brings them.

Odysseus could be over there, but he isn't.

"Not here, goddess," he finally says. He offers a grin just this side of sad, a tug at the corner of his mouth that feels sharp as a fishhook. He can't say what he wants to say within earshot of Nemesis or the eavesdropping Eris. That's literally asking for trouble by name. "The baths, I think, are pleasant this time of night, aren't they?"

Melinoë nods, understanding immediately. "They are," she agrees.

---

He tells her everything. The stories he withheld when she was a child—the sort that aren't suitable for the ears of children, even if those children happen to be gods.

"I framed the man who pulled me into the war, got him caught for treason, had him executed knowing full well that he did nothing of the sort," he says. Even though he's a shade, the water of the baths seems to scald his skin. There's some purifying element, he's sure. Burning away some of those old, angry lies that have lingered inside of him like festering, gangrenous wounds. "All this I did because I loathed the man. He took me away from my wife and son, but I— I was the one who suggested the oath for Helen in the first place. What right did I have to be angry?"

Melinoë sits in thoughtful silence. She isn't look at him with judgement of any kind, but rather that open inquisitive look she takes on when she's learning from her headmistress. Honestly, he wishes she'd judge him. That would be easier.

"You had a right," she says. "I can't say for certain how mortals feel, but I'm fighting the very forces that tore my family apart."

"Indeed, goddess. But this man didn't hide my family away, or attack them. All he did was remind me of my oath, and he forced me to acknowledge my own lie that I made to get out of that oath."

Thankfully, she only nods.

He goes on, shifting his gaze from her to the surface of the water. Selene's moonlight glints on it, shimmering like a silver disc. He feels vulnerable under her light now, knowing who she is and what she's capable of.

"I was the one who did the same to Achilles and Patroclus. Patroclus took the oath as well, even though he was a child. I knew that if one of them went somewhere, the other had to follow. So I brought them into the war." More bitterly, "I was the one who led them to their destruction. If I was angry enough at Palamedes to get him killed by his own men, I can only imagine how Achilles and Patroclus feel about me."

Of all the responses he expects out of Melinoë, a hand resting on his arm isn't one of them. She's not the most tactile goddess, and her upbringing under Hecate hasn't made her particularly soft. But her grip is strong and reassuring, and her gaze is firm. "Odysseus," she says. His whole name. She never does this. Then, even more firm, the command of a goddess, "Talk to them."

Whether it's her natural abilities as a goddess or some wall inside of himself that's wanted to break down for a while, he feels beyond compelled to follow her instruction. Still, he asks, "Why? What can I possibly say to them after leading them to their deaths?"

Her hand doesn't move from his arm. "Have you changed since you died?"

"I... Yes, I suppose so?" He doesn't mean for it to come out like a question, but he wouldn't be Odysseus if he didn't secretly doubt himself as a rule.

"Then why would you think they haven't changed either?"

He doesn't reply. He can't.

Melinoë's expression softens. "Talk to them, Od," she repeats, a little quieter.

He will.

By this goddess in particular, he will.

---

Odysseus of Ithaka walks into a taverna.

He sees Achilles of Phthia and Patroclus of Opus sitting at the best table, splitting a bottle of ambrosia between the two of them and smiling warmly at each other like no time has passed.

Odysseus approaches and gestures to the open seat at their table. "Who is this reserved for?" he asks.

His two old comrades look at him, dumbfounded, and then slowly both expressions turn into something fond. Patroclus is, as always, a little more reserved. Achilles smile is open in a way it never was when he was alive.

"It's reserved for King Odysseus of Ithaka, I think," says Patroclus.

"But only if he remembers us," says Achilles, like a joke.

Why would you think they haven't changed either?

Odysseus smiles and pulls the chair out for himself. "Oh, good," he says.

And he takes a seat.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

How do you think Sirius would have reacted of he got to know about regulus' story, like how he was working against Voldemort and all that? Would he have understood/forgiven him and trys to reconcile his relationship with him?

Hello 👋

I don't think Sirius ever really hated Regulus, even without knowing he betrayed Voldemort in the end.

I mean, we see Sirius kept Regulus' room unchanged, he didn't let Molly and the Order clean it up, it was left intact. A mausoleum to a brother he never got to bury. Hell, he kept Regulus' Voldemort shrine up in his room:

The Black family crest was painstakingly painted over the bed, along with its motto, TOUJOURS PUR. Beneath this was a collection of yellow newspaper cuttings, all stuck together to make a ragged collage. Hermione crossed the room to examine them. “They’re all about Voldemort,” she said. “Regulus seems to have been a fan for a few years before he joined the Death Eaters. ...”

(DH, Ch10)

Even when he talks about Regulus, Sirius speaks of his little brother as misguided, not as evil:

“Leave?” Sirius smiled bitterly and ran a hand through his long, unkempt hair. “Because I hated the whole lot of them: my parents, with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal . . . my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them ... that’s him.” Sirius jabbed a finger at the very bottom of the tree, at the name REGULUS BLACK. A date of death (some fifteen years previously) followed the date of birth. “He was younger than me,” said Sirius, “and a much better son, as I was constantly reminded.” “But he died,” said Harry. “Yeah,” said Sirius. “Stupid idiot . . . he joined the Death Eaters.” “You’re kidding!” “Come on, Harry, haven’t you seen enough of this house to tell what kind of wizards my family were?” said Sirius testily. “Were — were your parents Death Eaters as well?” “No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the Wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having purebloods in charge. [...] They got cold feet when they saw what he was prepared to do to get power, though. But I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first.”

(OotP, Ch6)

He was a "stupid idiot" for joining the DE, he was "soft and misguided" to believe their parents — these are not the words of someone who hated his brother. Sirisus' bitterness is mostly reserved for his parents and the situation they put Regulus and him in, he has already forgiven his brother. He thinks Regulus joined the DE for being misguided, not for being evil. He never thought Regulus was evil. He blames his mother for how she kept reminding him how much better Regulus was, he doesn't blame Regulus. I think Sirius loved his brother, and that he was frustrated by Regulus' choices, but he never hated him. At least, that's what it seems like to me.

And in the same scene above we see he already knows what happened to Regulus (more or less, that is):

“Was he killed by an Auror?” Harry asked tentatively. “Oh no,” said Sirius. “No, he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort’s orders, more likely, I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you don’t just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It’s a lifetime of service or death.”

(OotP, Ch6)

Sirius found out after Regulus died that he tried to leave the DE. He didn't hear about the Horcruxes, but I'm sure Sirius is correct about the why Regulus betrayed Voldemort. I wrote about Regulus here, and explained there why I don't think Regulus ever really stopped being a blood-purist. I believe he betrayed Voldemort because he got cold feet, just like Walburga and Orion, according to Sirius. I think Regulus felt betrayed by the thought Voldemort would be willing to sacrifice pure-bloods and destroy his own soul. I mean, would you like to know the man you had sworn your life and service to is in the habit of tearing up his own soul and crucio-ing people in his service?

So, Sirius knows Regulus tried to back out after he was in too deep and was killed for it. Sirius assumes it was on Voldemort's Orders (I think this is what Voldemort told his other DE and that Sirius heard it from them while in Azkaban, but that's a headcanon. Yes, Lupin mentioned it again in HBP: "I’m surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters; Sirius’s brother, Regulus, only managed a few days as far as I can remember" but Sirius could've told him that). And Sirius has already forgiven him, without knowing all the details. I don't think he hates Regulus or ever truly hated him, he hates the situation he was in and blames his parents and Regulus for being stupid enough to buy their ideologies and lies — but I don't think he ever thought Regulus was evil.

The thing I love about the Black family is that you can see there was love there, it didn't help, but there was love there. Walburga loved Sirius, but it didn't stop her from being overbearing, leveling expectations on him he didn't want, calling him a disappointment to his face, and comparing him to Regulus constantly (she kept Sirius' room untouched though, muggle posters and all. I'm inclined to believe Kreacher about Sirius leaving breaking Walburga's heart. Yes, he says a moment later that she hated Sirius, but he's replying to Sirius saying his mother didn't have a heart). Sirius loved his family, but it didn't stop him from leaving (and he was better off for leaving). Love being present doesn't mean a relationship or environment isn't bad for you.

Sirius hated everything his family stood for, and yet he keeps Regulus' room intact. And yet he stays in his mother's room and doesn't let the Order clean these two rooms. And yet he acts like a pure-blood Black, it's in how he walks, how he talks, his very Animagus form, and he can't escape it. He hates his family and loves them at the same time. This can happen, and I think this is a more interesting reading than clear-cut hate. It's messy, and complicated, and interesting. Because I'm sure Sirius used to adore his parents when he was a very young child, when he thought they could do no wrong. And then he grew up, and formed his own opinions and everything came crashing down. But all the screaming matches, the bitterness, the hate and vitriol don't erase the love that used to be there.

So I think Sirius loved his brother even when he joined the DE. Sirius' kind of loyalty means that if someone he loves kills someone, he'd help them hide the body, no questions asked. So casting dark magic and becoming a DE — when his brother does it, he's being misguided because Sirius loves him; when Severus does it, he is an evil git, because Sirius hates him. While Sirius understands people can be more complicated in general, he has his biases.

Given the chance, if Regulus was alive, I think Sirius would try and reconcile with him, especially the Sirius we see post-Azkaban. If he knew Regulus actually tried to do something to help kill Voldemort and willingly died for it (even if it made Harry's life harder in retrospect) instead of just trying to back out, Sirius would've been proud of him. And, well, he has already forgiven him. Even if I don't think Regulus sacrificed himself because he changed his mind about blood-purity.

[hello-nichya-here]

If Sansa didn't already have feelings for Sandor, do you think she could have grown to love Tyrion?

No, because her feelings for Sandor (that I wouldn't even fully describe as being in love just yet) have nothing to do with why she never developed the same level of attachment/compassion towards Tyrion.

Despite her already strong bond with Sandor, she constantly notices Tyrion's attempt at being kind to her. Before anyone ever thinks of marrying them to each other he already tries to comfort her when she's upset and protects her from Joffrey's violent outbursts, and when they're ordered to get married he offers Sansa the chance of marrying one of his cousins instead (someone younger and more handsome), doesn't let Joffrey humiliate her with the whole "undress the couple and lead them to the marriage bed" thing, and even full on tells Sansa that they don't need to have sex until she wants it - and that he'll just cope with some prostitutes if she decides she never wants it.

Truly, Sansa could not ask for a kinder captor.

Because yes, that's what Tyrion actually is: her jailer. He's another person forcing her to stay in King's Landing, submiting to the Lannisters, and he actually fought against her brother Rob, who wants to rescue her and free the North.

Tyrion himself even admits in one of his POV chapters that he's not marrying Sansa just because his father told him, but because that marriage is benefitial for him. It gives him Winterfell and a pretty wife. He knows Sansa doesn't want this marriage, yet he's playing a role in forcing her into it, even if he's willing to step aside and let someone else be the groom.

The fact Sansa is not allowed to state the obvious aloud ("I don't want any Lannister") despite everyone being well aware of it is the biggest proof that Tyrion is willing to be a kind captor, but never a true savior, ally or just neutral. If it benefits his house, benefits him, then he'll go for it, regardless of what it means to Sansa, physically or psychologically - there's even a moment in which all he has to say about how Sansa is obviously depressed after the Red Wedding is that her grief made her more beautiful. This poor girl's entire family (as far as they know) has just been killed, and all Tyrion can think is "Wow, my hot wife somehow got even hotter."

Now compare that to Sandor - Sansa COULD ask for a kinder bodyguard, and by God, she does. Over and over. In her prayers, by plotting with others who offer her help, and, more importantly, by telling Sandor himself that he's being a vile person.

And as much as he hates to admit it, her opinion matters to him to the point that he actually tries to improve himself. Little by little, without even realizing it. But Sansa very much picks up on it, to the point that she constantly thinks about him, wishes he were around, assumes that a man who saved her from being assaulted MUST be Sandor even if she knows that's impossible, and even has moments in which she questions her decision to not leave with him at the end of the second book (despite the fact that he had been in a middle of a PTSD episode and held a knife to her throat).

That's THE key difference between Sandor and all of Sansa's other potential suitors. He's in love/lust with her, yes, and he would certainly not complain if she decided to reward his compassion towards her by becoming his wife/lover - but he doesn't believe he's OWED that, and when she tells him he's not getting what he wants, not only does he back off, but he lists his inappropriate advances towards her (as well as his shortcomings as her protector, something NONE of the other men ever admit to also being guilty of) as one of the main reasons why he deserves to DIE.

When Sansa disappears after supposedly killing Joffrey and not taking her husband along, Tyrion can only throw himself a pity party about how she was so "false" when making her vows to him - nevermind that she made these vows under duress and that he broke them first by playing a role in her family's downfall. When he "saves" (kidnaps) her, Littlefinger is constantly trying to brute force Sansa into the role of his daughter AND lover, despite her obvious discomfort, and keeps implicating her in all of his crimes to keep her trapped.

But Sandor literally goes "I failed to protect her and even posed a threat to her myself, why don't I just die?" And now he's in rehab/therapy, despite thinking he'll never see her again and will thus never be rewarded. He's just genuinely sorry and adjusting his behavior accordingly because it's the right thing to do and what Sansa would want, and he wishes to honor her.

(Not to mention, Sandor is a nobody in Westerosi society. He has no money, no influence, no powerful allies, literally nothing aside from pure physical strength that he's already promissed to use solely for the KING'S safety and best interests. Him going out of his way to help her, even screaming at the king in public so he'll stop hitting her, is VERY dangerous for him)

That is what makes Sansa (mostly retroactively) fall in love with Sandor. It wasn't just because he was the first potential knight in shinning armor to offer her his protection or the one who was around the longest, but because he's the only one that doesn't feel entitled to her, despite being the one that is taking the most risks and being the one that she actually feels safer with it and would eventually become attracted to. She trust him and that allows a genuine connection to form.

To all the others, Tyrion very much included, she's a potential trophy, a compensation for a lifetime of misery, their object of affection, a valuable asset that will help them with their politial ambitions -whether she likes it or not. To Sandor, she's a person, one that is free to choose not having him around, regardless of what kind things he does for her.

Tyrion could never mean as much to Sansa as Sandor did because, despite claiming otherwise, he does not actually respect her right to reject him. He won't full on sexually assault her, but he's still holding her hostage, allowing his family to coerce her into being his wife (meaning he already went further with her than any other man as he got to kiss her, see her naked and even grope her despite her CLEARLY not being okay with it), and playing a role in killing her family for wanting to save her from this fate.

He can lie to himself about it all he wants, but he's not the hero that simply looks like a monster but will ultimately save the princess that is trapped in the tower, prove everybody wrong and then be rewarded with her affection - he's just the guy that locked her door.

[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 71 ~ Spaghetti Tuesdays

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Word Count : 7.9k

In this chapter ~ Things begin to turn up after a small, intimate moment is shared between Daryl and Rose; a much needed one at that. And after making a few new friends over a shared meal, the night only grew more blissful as the two finally adjust to the idea of building a life in Alexandria. Together.

As much as I wanted to be home, safe, and asleep, I had to get these fucking shoes off my feet. I didn't make it very far front the front door before I sat down on the porch steps and slowly pulled the heels off, but not without muttering an "ow" a few times with each foot. Though it was worth it in the end as soon as they were off, opting to sit there for a moment to collect myself, sighing quietly as I ran a hand through my hair.

The windows behind me were open just a crack, allowing the music from inside to drift out of the small space, along with the chatter that never seemed to die down. I almost felt guilty for leaving so fast, not saying goodbye to anyone as I was in too much of a rush. Although a part of me blamed it on being overwhelmed by the whole thing. Mainly because it was, well...overwhelming. But at least I could say that I tried. I tried, I hated it, I left. At the end of the day, I had to do what was best for me.

The sound of gravel crunching and footsteps approaching caused me to glance up, only to see none other than Daryl Dixon hesitantly walking down the street towards Deanna's, playing with something in his hands that I couldn't quite see from where I was.

I smirked, "Hey, handsome."

His head snapped up at the sound of my voice, a smile breaking out onto his face when he saw me sitting on the steps, "Hey."

I noticed his pace picked up the smallest bit as he now approached the house, though stopped dead in his tracks when he finally noticed what I was wearing. His eye began to trail down my body, causing me to smile sheepishly as I fought against the fluttery feeling in my stomach upon his gaze.

But he didn't stop there, as the next thing I heard was a long, loud wolf whistle coming from him while he slowly approached me once again, "Stop it." I laughed.

He grinned widely as he finally came to stand in front of me, "Come on now, gimmie a spin." he gestured, helping me up to my feet.

I couldn't help but smile as he raised one of my arms above my head, helping me twirl around to show him the entire outfit while he continued to scan me head to toe. I heard his small hum in approval and I turned fully to face him again, a faint redness dusting the apples of his cheeks.

"Ain't you a dime, sweet girl." he complimented.

"Thank you." I muttered a bit shyly.

I felt him give my hand a small squeeze, "What're ya doin out here by yerself?"

"Well," I sighed, "I was having a terrible time, so I figured I'd escape while I had the chance." I spoke dramatically before stepping back to take a seat on the porch, patting the space next to me as an invitation.

He chuckled at my reasoning, lowering himself down beside me with a huff, "That mean I don't gotta go in there?" he asked, trying to hide the hopefulness in his voice.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "Yeah, you got out of it...you lucky bastard."

A hum of amusement left him before he revealed his other hand out from behind his back for me to see. In his grasp was a single yellow dandelion he had picked and brought all the way back from the woods it seemed like. The stem was a bit smushed and the head itself looked a little sad, yet I couldn't help but smile at the simple gesture.

"Couldn't find any real flowers, so I settled for this one." he said, "Figured I'd bring ya some kinda peace offerin for being so late."

I twirled it in between my fingers before lifting it up and placing it behind my ear, "For me?"

"Yeah, baby. Just for you." he confirmed.

I leaned forward to steal a quick kiss from him, the action alone expressing how sweet I found it to be. "Thanks, love. So, how did the hunt go anyway?"

"Not exactly how I planned," he sighed, "Aaron followed me out there before I could get too far."

My eyes widened, "What?"

"Said he was lookin for some horse he wanted ta track down and bring back here, asked me to help him. And we found it, but kept scarin it off every time we got too close. Eventually the thing took off into a field with too many walkers, and they..." he trailed off with a gesture of his hand.

I sighed, "Damn."

He huffed lightly, "Yeah...damn is right."

I leaned in to rest my head against his shoulder, gently taking his hand again, "I'm sorry, hon. That sucks."

He shrugged, "Nah, it's alright. My guess is ya didn't have the best night either."

"Yeah, you can say that again," I scoffed, "But...you'll be happy to hear I drenched some asshole in beer."

"No way, I missed that?" he said with a shocked grin, "Who?"

"Deanna's son, Spencer. Picture this," I gestured with my hand, "I'm minding my own business in the kitchen and suddenly he comes in and strikes up a conversation."

"No." he said in faux disbelief.

"Oh, yes." I continued, "He starts the most boring small talk you can imagine, asking if I'm having fun, and how we're settling. But then it took a turn when he started to obviously hit on me, the whole charming guy bullshit that almost made me puke. And even after telling him I was married, he still kept pushing it. So, I eventually I dumped my beer on his head, insulted him, and now here I am."

By the time I was done talking, all of the amusement had suddenly left his eyes, and I was now left with looking at a man who was clearly about to burst into flames. Shit. Maybe I didn't fully think this through.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, shifting a bit to look away from him, "I also accepted the job from Deanna...I start tomorrow I think." I said quietly, trying to change to subject.

"He didn't leave ya alone?" he asked a bit sharply.

I sighed, "Love, I took care of it. Did you not hear the part where I humiliated him in front of everyone? I think it's safe to say he got the message."

"Nah, I heard it loud and clear." he said, his tone grumbling, "M' just thinkin I should go in there and have a word with him."

"Hm, and what exactly would you say in this delightful conversation?"

"Wouldn't do a whole lotta talkin." he muttered bitterly.

I laughed a little, "Daryl...it's okay."

He still looked a little uneasy, "Ya sure? Cause I can go in there right now and knock some sense into him."

I placed my hand on the side of his face, getting him to actually look me in the eye, "I'm sure. But hey, if it ever happens again, you're the first person I'll call to kick his ass. Okay?"

He smirked a little, "Alright..."

My knuckles gently ran across his cheek, feeling the slight prickle of his beard as I brought him in for another kiss, feeling his hand slip around me to squeeze my hip. He pecked my lips a few more times before pulling back to look at me, seeing his clear shift in emotion as he took in every inch of my face, his smile returning.

"Well, what do you think? You ready to get out of here?" I asked softly.

He nodded with a small hum, gently patting the small of my back as we stood up to walk down the steps hand in hand, my shoes dangling from the other. Though we didn't make it very far before he tugged me to a stop, clearly noticing I was barefoot.

"Why didn't ya put yer shoes on?"

A quiet groan left my lips, "Because high heels want to murder your feet, it's just science." I insisted, gesturing down to them. The back of my heels alone were killing me.

He huffed lightly, "Well, ya ain't walkin home barefoot. Ya could step on somethin sharp."

"But...they hurt."

He looked down at me for a moment in contemplation before sighing softly, letting go of my hand to stand in front of me instead. He lowered his arms and bent down into a squat, leaving me eyeing him in confusion as I tried my best not to laugh.

"What're you doing?" I asked, amused at my view.

"Hop on." he said simply, wiggling his fingers for emphasis.

My eyebrows raised in surprise, "A piggyback ride?"

"Yeah, why not?"

This time I did laugh, finding the situation much more humorous than he probably did. But I partially blamed it on the number of drinks I had tonight. I adjusted the shoes in my grasp before attempting to steady my hands on his shoulders, jumping up on his back to which he easily caught me with a grunt.

I felt him shift slightly to get a better grip on my legs so I wouldn't fall, turning his head to look at me, "Ya good?"

"Yep." I nodded, "Giddyap."

He scoffed in amusement, his hand smacking my thigh playfully before he began to walk, carrying me back toward the house.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, the heels dangling from my fingertips as I rested my chin on his shoulder, practically hugging him from behind as I savored the closeness. It wasn't like I was deprived by any means, but it was safe to say I had missed him. And after a long day like this one, he was the one person that somehow made it all go away within seconds. My comfort.

Gazing around at the houses that were lined up the street, I noticed how almost all of them were completely empty with the lights off, most likely still at Deanna's gathering. Hell, nearly the entire community showed up tonight to meet us properly, yet it still managed to surprise me how much an event like that mattered around here. Though they also might've gone for the drinks, and I couldn't say I blamed them for that. Leaving everything around was practically dead.

But there was a certain house in particular that seemed to quickly catch my attention as we were heading its direction. The lights were off just like all the rest, but a small radio was sitting just in the window, playing some kind of soft and melodic song. It was beautiful to say the least, the quiet sound only growing louder as he walked toward it, my legs instinctively swinging gently to the beat. Daryl seemed to notice almost immediately how I was drawn to the tune, his head turning again to get a look at my face. But he surprised me slightly when I felt him slow to a stop in the middle of the street.

My brows furrowed a little as I snapped out of my trance, inching a bit closer to see his expression, "What's wrong?"

He looked back at me with a somewhat anxious glint in his eye, "Yer feet still hurt pretty bad?"

"Only when I'm wearing the shoes. Why?"

He nodded slowly before loosening his grip on me so I would slide off his back. I landed gently on my feet, growing even more confused to what he was doing as he did a quick scan of the pavement to make sure there was nothing harmful that I could step on.

I tilted my head, "Daryl...?"

He wordlessly turned back toward me, his brows furrowed with a hint of nerves, before taking the shoes from my grasp and tossing them aside on the grass to the left of us. My eyes followed to see where they had landed, glancing back at him with a completely lost look, hearing him chuckle at my obvious skepticism.

His hand then extended itself toward me, "Wanna dance?" he asked softly.

My eyes widened a little, my face breaking out in a smile, "I thought you said it was pushing it if I asked you to dance."

"Well...m' askin you ta dance. Loophole." he shrugged.

I narrowed my eyes at him playfully, slowly taking his outstretched hand to silently answer his question. He smiled at my acceptance, kissing my knuckles lightly before holding our intertwined hands outward, his other coming up to grasp my waist. I followed his lead as I raised my free hand to his shoulder, and together we started to sway to the gentle music that followed. He was looking down at me with such admiration it made my heart flutter, giving my waist a small squeeze while he attempted to guide me.

Every now and then he would glance down quickly at our feet, making sure he wasn't about to step on me like he did the last time, but in all honesty, his movements were great. He looked more sure of himself, more confident with dancing than he did with asking me. As if I would ever say no.

I then felt his hand leave my waist while he lifted our hands up to get me to spin around, my dress lightly flowing around me before we came back together. As close as we could possibly get. His head came down to rest his forehead against mine, our eyes closed in content, soaking up this moment as much as I possibly could. The closeness bringing me a certain peace. I squeezed his hand lightly and a small smile stayed on my lips while he slowly spun us in a little circle, remembering what I had briefly taught him from last time.

The music was perfect, the atmosphere was perfect, and he was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the seemingly endless evening. And I think it was safe to say he agreed.

As the piano started to die down, our shared movements slowed, feeling him lift his head from mine ever so slightly to press a lingering kiss on my skin. I ravished in the moment for as long as I could, savoring every last second as if I couldn't get enough, the memory this would turn into would always be special to me now. Proof that there could still be love in a world so unforgiving.

My eyes fluttered open when I felt him pull back, a goofy grin on his face as he gazed down at me. "Have you been practicing?"

He scoffed, "Nah. Guess it just comes naturally."

"Yeah, well either way...it was great. Thanks for dancing with me, honey."

"Course." he said genuinely, pulling me in to leave another kiss on my temple, "Ya happy?"

I nodded slowly, "You always make me happy." I stated, and I meant it. He always found a way to make me smile even if I felt there was nothing to smile about, constantly jumping through hoops to uplift my mood in any way he could. Tonight was truly the best example of that.

"Good," he hummed before turning back around, "Alright, hop back on, woman."

I obliged and stepped up to place my hands on his shoulders again to climb onto his back once more. He carried me effortlessly away from the house we were once stopped in front of, purposely leaning a little back and forth so I felt like I was about to fall. I clung onto him tighter which is probably exactly what he wanted, smacking his chest lightly in attempts to get him to stop, our laughs echoing around the silent streets like a couple of fools. But I didn't really care how ridiculous we potentially looked. I hadn't felt this carefree in a very long time, and seeing him like that as well made me feel even more content.

Though right as we were approaching the familiar block. I suddenly remembered something. The fucking shoes.

"Wait, my heels." I mumbled with a defeated sigh.

At this point we were already almost back, seeing the house in the distance which only caused him to look back at me in disbelief. "Are ya ever gonna wear the damn things again?"

"Hell no." I said immediately.

"Then fuck 'em." he insisted before moving forward once again.

I let out a breath of air as I leaned my head against his, "Yeah, alright. I just hope I make whoever lives there very happy with their brand-new fancy shoes." I joked.

He chuckled, "Ya sure are generous."

I wordlessly rolled my eyes at his sarcasm, tightening my grip around him as he walked. But then we both seemed to freeze.

"Hey, guys!" came a voice to our right, both of us looking over with semi-wide eyes to see Aaron standing on his porch, waving toward us with a large smile.

I waved back awkwardly while Daryl just gave him a nod, both of us now realizing just how uncomfortable this interaction was with the position we were in.

"You guys coming back from the party?" he asked.

"Yeah. It sucked." I said bluntly.

He laughed a little with a shake of his head, "Well, then I'm glad I steered clear from that." he spoke in amusement, pausing momentarily as his eyes lingered on us. "Why don't you two come in, have some dinner?"

My first instinct was to decline as politely as I could, wanting nothing more than to just get home and go to sleep. But I would be blatantly lying if I said some food didn't sound nice. I glanced down to Daryl to silently ask what he wanted, watching him only shrug in response.

When neither of us responded, he insisted, "Come on, it'll be fun. It's some pretty serious spaghetti." he said before turning around and making his way inside.

The two of us watched him disappear behind the door, leaving it open a crack like he silently knew we would follow. We glanced back at each other again, sharing a certain look. Surely it would be rude to turn down free food.

The room was almost completely silent as the four of us ate in the dimly lit dining room, the only sound that filled the space were the forks lightly scraping on the plate and the clinking of the glasses. No one really knew how to start the conversation, especially since Daryl's slurping of the spaghetti was all the filler noise we needed for it to not be uncomfortable.

I took my time twirling the noodles around my fork, occasionally glancing at my husband to my left with amused eyes as the noodles continued to slap him in the face with every bite. My gaze eventually looked up to the other two men across from me and caught them as they shared a look all while trying to hold in their laughs, before their eyes panned toward me to which I only gave a knowing smile.

When Daryl finally took a breather to look up, our eyes were already on him, causing his cheeks to redden with slight embarrassment at all the sudden attention.

I glanced back to Aaron and Eric, "Don't worry, I keep him in a leash." I joked.

Daryl scoffed from beside me and nudged my side, while the other couple shared a laugh, getting some of the awkwardness out of the way. Thank God.

I tapped my fork anxiously, "Thank you so much for dinner, it's really great."

Daryl grunted in agreement from beside me, "Yeah, thanks." he muttered, wiping the remaining sauce that was on his face with the back of his sleeve.

"And I'm sorry again for not...having any shoes, I seemed to have misplaced them." I glanced at Daryl knowingly, hearing him snort.

"Oh, of course, and for the last time don't worry about it." Eric reassured with a wave of his hand, "You can borrow some sandals for the walk home if you'd like?"

I nodded, "That would be great, thank you."

He nodded back at me, another brief silence passing as we all continued to eat before Aaron was the one to speak, "So," he started, cleaning his face with a napkin, "How long have the two of you been together?"

"Oh, uh...about two years." I answered.

He raised his eyebrows, "Wow, I would've guessed longer, you just seem so...in sync. You guys met in this?"

"Yeah...it's been quite the experience." I confirmed, a part of my mind drifting to how life would've been if we had met before the world went to hell. How different it would be.

"Oh, I bet." Eric replied, as if he was speaking from experience.

Aaron hummed, "And you guys are married right? How long has that been?"

"Six months." Daryl said almost immediately.

My head turned to him in slight surprise at how fast he responded, but he on the other had seemed the least bit phased as he shoveled another bite in his mouth, subtly reaching out to squeeze my leg under the table. It warmed my heart that not only he knew for a fact how long we had been married, but said it as if the answer was constantly on his mind.

I looked back up at the two to see they had the softest smiles on their faces as they looked at us, Eric even placing a hand over his heart in awe. I smiled meekly at them, feeling myself get a bit flustered which caused me to take a drink of the red wine they offered in attempts to hide my embarrassment.

I cleared my throat, "I feel like you guys are my only voice of reason for this place, since you're the ones who brought us here." I huffed softly, "So, how long have you lived in Alexandria?"

Eric tilted his head, "Well, I think it's been about a year, wouldn't you say?" he asked Aaron who nodded in response, "We got here around the same time...and I guess it was only a matter of time before we got together ourselves."

"That's sweet." I smiled, watching them intertwine their hands. A part of me asked because I was curious. But another part of me wanted to be reassured that I could settle here just like everyone else.

Aaron looked at me for a beat longer than necessary, "You're still weary?" he assumed.

I shared a look with Daryl before shaking my head assuredly, "No...just curious, I guess."

He smiled a little, "I've actually been meaning to ask if you've accepted that job from Deanna yet? I know she's probably bugging you for some kind of answer."

"Yeah," I nodded, "I actually told her tonight that I was going to take it."

"Oh, that's great." he said genuinely, "Hopefully the job fits you perfectly."

"Fingers crossed." I muttered as I picked my fork back up, picking at the food to take another small bite. I felt Daryl squeeze my leg lightly in reassurance, knowing just how uneasy I was about the whole thing in the first place. I was nervous, but I was just glad I had his support through it.

"Mm," Eric hummed like he suddenly remembered something, "Speaking of. When you're out there, if you happen to be in a store or something, Mrs. Neudermyer is really looking for a pasta maker. And we're all really trying to get her to shut up about it." he directed toward Daryl, "I mean we have crates of dry pasta in here, but she wants to make her own or something."

I looked back towards him to see if he knew what the man was talking about, but he seemed to have the same blank expression as I did, swallowing the wine quickly to try and catch up with what Eric was saying.

"If you see one on your travels, it would go a long way to..." he suddenly trailed off, seeing the look on Aaron's face. There was just silence once again, and clearly we were the only ones in the dark about what was going on.

Suddenly Eric felt quite embarrassed as he stared back down at his plate, "I thought it was done...you didn't ask him already?"

"Ask me what?" Daryl voiced.

Aaron smiled a little before getting up from his seat, "Follow me."

He headed off towards the garage and Daryl was hesitant to push out his chair and trail behind, but he did nonetheless. Though not without looking back at me about five different times to see if I would follow him out there so he wouldn't be alone. I swear he was acting like a child having to go to their first day of school. Shaking my head, I silently waved him on, watching him sigh heavily once he realized he was on his own for this.

Once Eric heard the door squeak shut, knowing the two men were gone, he looked back towards me with a bright smile, "Well, you two are adorable, are you kidding?"

I just laughed, "Thank you. I could say the same about you two."

"Oh, stop." he waved me off, "I can't believe how much that man melts when he's around you. It's precious."

"So I've been told." I agreed with a small nod. "So, what did you do before all of this?" I found myself asking.

He wiped his mouth quickly with a hum, "Well, I was in between jobs, but technically the last one I had was a receptionist at an office company that sold paper." he deadpanned. My face scrunched up just as much as his was as he let out a chuckle, "Thrilling I know." he said sarcastically, "But what about you?"

"I was an undercover cop."

His eyes widened, "Oh, really? Well, no wonder they want you to be our constable, you'll kill it out there."

I shrugged, "I hope so."

"Well, have a little faith." he joked.

I laughed softly, "I just mean...I haven't been a cop in two years and all of a sudden, I'm jumping back into it at full force. It's going to be weird at first, but hopefully I'll get used to it."

"You will." he reassured, "If Deanna believes you're a good fit for the job, then you're a good fit for the job."

"That easy, huh?" I asked with a raised brow.

He simply nodded his head as if he knew best, before going back to finishing the food that remained in front of him. And for some reason, even after barely knowing the man, I somewhat trusted his judgement as he seemed confident in his words. Maybe everything would be alright.

Ignoring Eric's protests, I ended up cleaning everyone's plates from the table and taking them to the kitchen, helping the man out considering he still couldn't move around too well with his ankle. I rinsed the dishes off a bit before filling up one side of the sink with warm, soapy water, letting them soak for the time being. I was even tempted to help put away the leftovers they had still sitting on the stove, but I knew he'd just yell at me for that too, so I decided to take the highroad.

Drying my hands off with a nearby towel, I stepped out of the kitchen right as Aaron and Daryl came back from the garage. I smiled briefly at them, watching Daryl shift uncomfortably as he clearly didn't want to overstay his welcome.

"M' gonna take a piss, then ya ready to go?" he asked.

I scoffed lightly at his bluntness before nodding, "Yeah, sure."

He dipped his head before heading down the hall to find the bathroom, while I trailed back toward the dining area where Aaron was now hovering, cleaning up the wine glasses.

"Oh, I can do that." I offered.

He shot me a look, "You're our guest, you shouldn't be taking any dishes."

"I tried to tell her." Eric said with raised hands, "She's stubborn."

"I could've told you that." Aaron added teasingly.

"Hey," I said in faux offense, "I'm standing right here."

They both laughed lightly at my comment before Aaron followed me back into the kitchen, setting the glasses in the sink while I folded the towel back onto the counter neatly. "I'll let Daryl be the one to tell you the news, all good things I swear."

I nodded slowly, "Okay."

"Oh...but can I ask you something really quick?" he asked, lowering his voice a little, "He said something to me about bringing me some rabbits...is that a good thing? Or...?" he trailed off.

My eyes widened a little, "Oh, he likes you."

"Really?" he asked somewhat shocked.

"Yeah, you think he offers to get rabbits just for anybody? Whatever you said, you definitely won him over."

He nodded with a content smile, "Alright, well...good."

Before we could say anything else, Daryl emerged from the hall from which he disappeared, nodding back toward the front door as he locked eyes with me, "Ya ready?"

"Mhm." I nodded, following him out while Aaron trailed behind us to see us out.

We said our many thank you's and goodbyes to show our gratitude for dinner before we both left the house side by side, Daryl chewing on his lip nervously all the while. He looked a little unsure and I silently knew he wouldn't tell me anything until I asked. Simply because he was lost in his own little world, thinking about anything and everything that went on in that conversation I could only assume. Sometimes he just needed a little push.

"Well, are you gonna tell me about it or what?" I asked, nudging his elbow lightly.

He glanced over at me and tried to give me the best smile that he could muster, but I could tell he was nervous for a reason that was unknown to me. Aaron assured me that it wasn't anything bad and seemed almost excited about whatever the news could be, though Daryl's expression said otherwise.

"He brought me into the garage ta show me this old bike he found a while back, said I could have it. Tune it up, take it out whenever I want." he mumbled.

A few beats of silence passed which caused me to assume that was all, "Well...that's great. I mean you haven't ridden one in so long, and honestly I'm starting to miss it too."

He shook his head, "That ain't it. He said he wants me to go out with him to bring new people in. Said he wasn't comfortable doin it with Eric anymore, thinks I'll be good for it. I dunno why he offered it to me in the first place, but...the job's mine if I want it." he blurted out seemingly all at once.

"Okay..." I nodded slowly, still not seeing the problem.

He cleared his throat, "Well, what do you think?"

I blinked, "What do you mean, what do I think?"

"M' askin what ya think bout the job."

I shook my head with a smile, "Honey, it doesn't matter what I think, you're the one who's going to have to do it."

He shrugged, "Just...want yer opinion."

"Well...I think it would be good for you, getting outside these walls more often instead of being stuck here all the time. It's a nice chance to get to know Aaron, make a new friend." I paused for a moment, "But I think the most important thing is that it makes you happy, and it's something you actually want to do."

He stopped walking then, gently taking my hand in his to turn me to face him, "So, ya wouldn't be mad if I took it?"

My eyes widened, quickly shaking my head, "No, no. Why would I ever be mad?"

"Cause I ain't gonna see ya as often...I'll be gone for who knows how long while yer here just waitin on me to get back."

I tilted my head a little, "Yeah, I know...but that's okay. I mean you won't be gone all the time, you'll come back for a little then leave for a little, we'll get a good routine down. But I think it's a good opportunity to get out there; do something you'll actually like. I want that for you."

Relief was brought back to his expression as he lifted my hand up to his mouth to place a gentle kiss there, "Yeah, I want that too. Which is why...I told him I'd do it."

I smiled happily at him before wrapping my arms around his waist in a tight hug, burying my face in his chest. I will admit, this whole thing will probably take some getting used to, but I didn't mind one bit as long as he was doing that brought him some kind of joy. And at the end of the day, this seemed perfect for him.

"I'm very proud of you." I admitted quietly.

He hummed, "Could say the same thing bout you, officer." he said, his tone turning a bit teasing.

I rolled my eyes, "Quit."

But he only chuckled softly, running his hands across my back while leaning down to kiss my cheek a few times until my faux annoyance disappeared.

As we finally made it back, it surprised me to see that both of the houses they gave us were still empty, signaling that no one had made it back yet as there wasn't a single light on through the windows. Apparently, they were far more polite than us when it came to staying at the event. Though as I began to turn and walk up the steps, I noticed that Daryl's arm fell from my waist as instead he began walking away from me. My brows furrowed, watching him cross the street.

A small smirk grew on my face, seeing him move further and further away without looking back once, "You forget which one is ours already?" I joked.

Finally, he glanced over his shoulder. "Oh..." he muttered, "I thought when we agreed ta head to the house, ya meant our house."

"I did." I said, jutting my thumb back toward the structure behind me, "This is the house."

He shook his head, "Nah, it's not. According ta Aaron, that one over there is ours."

I squinted my eyes, panning back and forth between the small home and him a few times before finally confessing, "I'm lost."

A small chuckle escaped him while he slowly walked back over to where I was rooted in place, "I really gotta spell it out for ya?"

"Hey, easy. I've had a few drinks tonight, be nice."

"Yeah, alright." he smiled, "Well, I talked ta Aaron bout settin up a little surprise for ya. And that surprise just so happens to be...our house." he said, taking my hand to place something small in my palm.

I glanced down to see it was a set of keys, the dots immediately connecting in my head the moment I realized it was real. My eyes widened as I looked back up to him, pointing toward the house once more. "That's our house?" I asked, "Like...our house?"

He nodded with a growing smile, clearly feeling quite proud of himself, "Wanna go check it out?"

"Uh, yeah." I spoke as if it were obvious, practically dragging him along across the pavement as I couldn't have been more excited.

The outside was painted white with a plethora of flowers planted on either side of the steps, the multitude of colors really bringing the place to life. And on top of that it had a porch swing. He really outdid himself with that one.

I couldn't seem to get through the gate fast enough to make it up toward the door, anxiously anticipating what was inside. "You wanna do the honors?" I asked as I briefly looked over my shoulder at him.

"Nah, you got it baby." he reassured.

I smiled brightly before turning back around to unlock the handle, the keys jingling quietly as I did so, pushing the wooden door open to reveal the inside. And just by the very first look, I could already tell I loved it.

The layout was very simple, a staircase on the left and the living area on the right, the large glass doors being a nice added touch to open and close the entrance to the room whenever we wanted. My eyes darted around everything as I stepped inside, Daryl flicking the light on from behind me to bring the room a nice orange glow. I took note of all the beautiful decor as I slowly made my way down the hall, seeing it opened up into a kitchen with a small dining table and chairs just off to the side.

Everything blended together utterly flawless, reminding me just how much we needed normality. How much we deserved it. And I couldn't have conjured up a more perfect image of the home Daryl and I would settle into. The home that was now ours.

And it only got better once we ventured upstairs. There was a small guest bathroom and an extra bedroom, a place where maybe Carl could crash every now and then to get away from his crazy dad. And then the master bedroom just down the hall, it almost took my breath away.

The bed was huge, sitting in the middle of the room along with two large bookshelves aligning the walls to accompany the large windows. I was absolutely over the moon at the amount of books I had to read now, ones that were mine to keep and pick through whenever I wanted. The two extra doors led to the walk-in closet, and the master bathroom that was especially shiny. It had a tub, two sinks, and a shower with a glass door. The really fancy ones that I only used to see in movies that almost everyone was insanely jealous of.

With a breath, I slowly turned back around to face him, walking over to the middle of the bedroom and seeing the little grin he had on his face. "Ya like it?"

"Like it?" I questioned in disbelief, "My mouth hasn't closed since the second I walked in here." I said sarcastically, looking around the bedroom once more to take it all in.

He chuckled at my comment before I felt his arms wrap around my middle, resting his chin on my shoulder, "I'll take that as a good thing." he murmured.

"It's a very good thing," I confirmed, running my hands along his forearms, "I can't believe it's ours."

"Mhm." he hummed, his lips pressing against the skin on my neck. The same spot that made me shiver.

A slow smile was brought to my face the more I thought about not having to be quiet anymore, no one else being around to hear us in the privacy of our own home. Not only now, but for however many years to come. We had our own space to do pretty much whatever we wanted for the first time in two years, and boy was I planning on taking advantage of that.

I slowly turned to face the king-sized bed before us, eyeing it as I subtly licked my lips in suspense, "This room is really nice..."

But before he even got a chance to respond, I took his arms from around me and quickly moved him around my frame, lightly pushing him down onto the mattress. A look of surprise crossed his features, before it was replaced with a smirk upon watching me climb on top of him.

"God, it's such a shame we have to ruin it." I finished.

"Such a damn shame." he agreed before grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me down for a heated kiss.

I couldn't help but moan softly as the warmth of his tongue invaded my mouth, swirling around hungrily while his hands pulled me almost flush against him. He gripped my hips tightly, lightly guiding them back and forth against him to create the friction we had been craving, already feeling my stomach flutter with butterflies. My hands began to unbutton his shirt impatiently, needing to feel his rough skin beneath my palms. It was almost like magic with how fast I got to the bottom, causing him to instinctively flip over so he could shrug it off of his broad shoulders, tossing it behind him carelessly.

His mouth came back down to attach onto my neck, sucking and nipping every bit of skin he could reach all while hiking the skirt of my dress up, his hands running down to give my thighs a generous squeeze. I hummed, my chest rising and falling dramatically with every breath that passed through my lips, feeling his hands inching closer to where I needed him most.

"God...I need you." I whispered.

A growl erupted from him at the sound of my plea, not needing to be told twice as his thick fingers curled around my tights and the edge of my panties, pulling them completely off my legs in one go. I sighed shakily as his head dipped down to then leave a trail of open-mouth kisses down my abdomen, his tongue darting out to taste the sweetness of my flesh. He groaned quietly to himself, his back muscles flexing all while he slowly spread my legs apart for him to settle between them.

My hips shifted upward in impatience, whimpering at just the thought of him finally giving me what I needed. Considering how active we were when the prison was still intact, I felt I had been deprived of his mouth for far too long, seeing as he always wanted to spoil me every chance he got. Though he seemed to be enjoying torturing me now. Kissing teasingly along my thighs and forcing my legs to stay in place no matter how much I wanted to squirm.

But even he had his breaking point, one where he couldn't hold out any longer than he already had, pushing himself to the limit just as he was doing to me.

"Fuck, you taste so good." he muttered, his nose brushing against my mound.

A shiver of anticipation rolled through me, before I felt the tip of his tongue lick a slow strip up my slit, causing my muscles to flex and my head to roll back. "Oh...yes." I moaned softly.

He hummed affectionately, the sound alone vibrating through my body, before his mouth fully crashed down against my aching cunt. My eyelids fluttered blissfully, gasping in pleasure while his tongue lapped eagerly against my clit, burying his face into my folds. My hands traveled down to weave through his hair, gently tugging at the roots as if to keep him in place right where he was. A low sound rumbled from him at the feeling of my fingers in his soft locks, his lips sucking at my sensitive flesh. I felt his pace pick up with the growing excitement he seemed to possess, his hips grinding slightly against the bed as he ate me hungrily. Growing hard within merely moments.

His tongue flicked in and out of my entrance, tasting the pure arousal that pooled there, his thumb moving up to gently rub over my clit. That alone elicited a small cry from my mouth, my back arching from off the bed. "Oh my God." I sighed, pulling his hair tighter.

"Mm..." he murmured against my skin, his lips moving away momentarily so he could slowly insert two fingers into my entrance.

The whines and blissful sounds of ecstasy I let out only grew louder when he curled the digits to hit that sweet spot, feeling content in the privacy of our own space. Perhaps I even exaggerated a little just because I could. I wasn't worried about the others, or potentially even walkers hearing us with our minds hazy with lust. I felt I could fully let go.

I could hear his breathing grow more ragged as he solely focused on my pleasure, and I felt my stomach tighten as my orgasm built. But before I could focus on it for too long, he suddenly stopped, causing me to let out a muffled sound of protest feeling his mouth pull away from my core.

He pulled himself up to hover over me, his voice low and gravely with desire, "Open."

I didn't protest one bit at his demand, opening my mouth to stick my tongue out, watching a string of saliva fall from his lips and land directly into my own, swallowing it with a pleased hum. His eyes darkened further, leaning down to capture my lips in a sloppy kiss, his hand coming up into my hair while he gently sucked on my tongue. I giggled quietly at the feel of his mouth desperately clinging to mine, still being able to taste the lingering sweetness of myself.

But it didn't last for long as we were both growing far too impatient to wait any longer, the remains of our clothes shedding off in record speed. His bare skin felt burning hot against mine, the back of my thighs being pressed against his chest while he shifted between them once more, stroking himself a few times. I bit my lip as I watched intently, loving the sight of him like this. The sight that was only reserved for me, like he was baring his soul for my eyes alone. The passion and vulnerability he showed making it all the more precious.

When he caught me staring, he turned his head to press hot kisses against my ankle and up toward the side of my foot that rested against his shoulder, "My pretty angel..." he muttered, "So perfect."

I shuttered as he showered me with praise, feeling his tip push into me while his large hands now gripped onto my legs, slowly inserting himself. My eyes squeezed shut as I let out a choked moan at how good he always felt, so unreal, as if we were truly made for each other. Hearing the low and almost animalistic sounds from him only turned me on more, my hips wiggling ever so slightly as if to coax him to move. And he gladly obliged, easily beginning a steady rhythm as he thrusted in and out of me.

The sound of our skin slapping together and pent-up sinful sounds filled the room, our bodies connecting in the most intimate way. His movements were skilled and purposeful, my wetness almost causing him to slip out and falter with how aroused I was. But I couldn't help it. The vision of him bucking into me at a rapid pace, the hair falling over his hooded eyes as he concentrated, panting heavily and whimpering at the sensations. It only caused the heat in my stomach to grow once more.

"Shit," I cursed breathlessly, "Yes...yes- that feels so good." I moaned, the indication that I was close.

"Mhm." he groaned, his pace picking up to begin roughly pounding into me.

I cried out again as his dick hit that same sensitive spot inside of me, his hip rolling accordingly as if he had it memorized by now. Knowing exactly how I operated, which strings to pull in order to make me feel good. My legs began to tingle like a soft buzzing, my hands gripping the sheets below me while I gasped, feeling my entire body practically turning to jelly from his touch. My flesh was covered in a thin line of sweat as my hips jutted forward to meet his pace, trying to finally feel that release of pure euphoria.

"Come on, baby." I heard him mutter, the deep vibration of his voice ultimately causing me to chase my peak.

I moaned loudly while my body trembled with utter bliss, my orgasm hitting me so hard I could've sworn my vison went black for a moment. I felt his dick tremble inside of me, my walls squeezing him with every sloppy thrust he delivered before I heard him let out a deep grunt, quickly pulling out of me to spill himself onto my stomach. The two of us froze for a moment, coming down from the high we shared as I fought to catch my breath, my eyes glazing over, humming in deep satisfaction.

Daryl then slowly lowered himself to collapse on top of me, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck all while placing a few lazy kisses there. I smiled tiredly, my hands rubbing his back in a soothing manner and I felt his body envelope me entirely, like a warm protective shield.

"I love you." his gruff voice whispered in my ear.

My smile grew as I felt his teeth grazing my lobe, gently biting down on it, "I love you too..."

~ Thanks for reading! (This took me forever to write, but I think this might be one of my favorite chapters yet:))

Taglist ~ @justareader95 @hayley1998 @ryoujoking @sipsthecoffee @winterassassin1804 @marsmallow433 @catlalice @writingstreetspirit @silentlysurffering98 @mystictf @remuslittlesister @in0320

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

What Happens At Home: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.3k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Summary: A new team member joins due to her traumatic past, hoping that she can give some insight before more people are killed. Meanwhile, you get the house ready for Spencer's mother on Christmas weekend.

Season Six Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

"Agent Hotchner. You should see this." Felix moves a small TV to face Hotch. It's an interrogation tape of one of the sixty-four suspects. "This guy is Frank Morris."

"I do? How do I know that?" Felix asks.

"I run the damn neighborhood watch," Frank glares.

"That means you're walking around at night."

"You said the profile could include somebody in the neighborhood watch, right?"

"That's where Agent Y/N comes in."

"I know the unsub's energy. I can match it to whoever is in the crowd."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm a psychic. I see energies. Everyone has a different base energy, and the unsub left a lot of it behind at the crime scene."

"That's not possible."

"She's the real deal, and we trust her wholeheartedly. Let us focus on scanning the crowd, you focus on bringing Frank in." Hotch doesn't give him time to question you. "We're going to try something else. Can you make some officers available to run a sign-in table at a community meeting tonight? One of the things we're going to be examining is body language in a group environment."

"Body language?"

"It's something that the unsub won't be able to control even if he were to try to."

"Right. Okay, I'll have some uniforms detailed for the meeting."

"Will you also tell Brinkman that the unsub will display something that he can't control?"

"Sure," Felix nods and leaves.

"Do you think they'll be able to keep that to themselves?"

"Let's hope not."

"Hotch, Might be able to point out the unsub but you told me that I have to have facts and evidence to back up my claim. Is this going to happen tonight or will you arrest whoever I say to?"

Hotch sighs and takes you off to the side.

"We can only hold someone for forty-eight hours without cause. If we get him now, we have a clock running. If you point him out, we can be better prepared and gather evidence before bringing him in."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Don't think I don't trust you. I do. I take everything you say into consideration."

"Thanks, Hotch," you smile.

At the most recent crime scene, Derek and Emily found a laptop owned by the latest victim. Once Derek brought it back to the model home, he hooked it up for Penelope to sift through. Aubrey was a writer so you're hoping she kept some kind of journal. Maybe she noticed someone following her or she felt weird about something. It's a stretch but you have no doubt if there is anything to find, Penelope is going to find it.

With the suspects who are left, Penelope looks to see if any of them have a tech background that would allow them to modify a remote control of a garage. It might be how the unsub is letting himself into the houses.

Marjorie's family was out of town. Jill was strangled in her laundry room while her family was camping outside. The unsub was able to get through the entire house only to find a room where someone was awake. That doesn't sound like someone just randomly checking garage doors to see if one will open. This unsub stalked his victims and reprogrammed a garage door opener to work on his victim's doors.

As soon as six rolls around, you're in the back which has a great view of the entire church. People are filtering in, but none of them are the unsub yet. Derek and Emily show up after looking at each of the crime scenes.

"We just came from the last victim's house. The unsub used the garage as access. Maybe a remote door opener made to be universal. The police are saying it's random, but how could you randomly find a woman so vulnerable? Garcia's going over backgrounds again, trying to highlight anyone with tech experience," Derek explains.

"She's also doing a full workup on Brinkman and Ruiz. They had that kind of access. Has anyone seen Ruiz?"

"I saw him a while ago," Rossi answers Hotch.

"He set up everyone filling out forms, but I haven't seen him since," Spencer says.

"We need to ask for help in a different way. Tell people that we're looking for someone who might have seensomething rather than someone who did something. No one thinks that their friends or neighbors are capable of this. We should get started."

Hotch walks to the altar to address everyone inside the church while you stay in the back. The unsub has not entered the building. You didn't even have to go inside the crime scenes to see his energy. It was pouring out of it like a disease. Hotch gives a brief overview of what's going on in a calm manner so that no one panics.

"We're hoping that someone may have seen something and not even realized it. Maybe you have a neighbor who takes his trash out late, works on his car in his garage, or anything that might put someone outside at an odd hour and allow them to see something."

"Is there anything we can help you look for?" Emily asks Ashley.

"It won't be overt. The kids probably won't be afraid of their dad."

"They won't? These guys have explosive tempers, don't they?"

Your dad did.

"Definitely. Anger wasn't normal at my house. Usually, when it happened, when he exploded, it was an anomaly. A surprise. If anything, my father was overly solicitous. Too nice. If I wanted anything like bicycles, toys, and dolls, all I had to do was ask. In groups, he always held my hand. Always. Sometimes so tight, it almost cut off the circulation. I can never remember him putting me on his lap or holding me in any way."

You look away from her as you think about your own dynamic with your dad. You had the complete opposite experience with him. He was scary when he was angry. When he punished, he punished. Afterward, he'd feel so bad about how he reacted that he'd give you anything you asked for. He was overly affectionate for you and loved to hold you as a kid. It stopped when you got too old for it, but he always loved hugging you. You never saw an issue with it. You still don't, but you're confused why dread and doubt are creeping up your back when you think back on it.

"Are you okay?" Derek asks and nudges you.

"My dad did that stuff for me."

"Your dad isn't a killer."

"Yeah, I know," you whisper.

"He'd always have these talks with me. He was terrified someone would take me," Ashley continues. "He knew what was out there. Men like him. Maybe this unsub recently bought gifts for his kids. My dad used to buy me things all the time."

"What kind of gifts?"

"Anything. Everything. I told you, there was nothing... My whole life, there's only one thing I wanted that I couldn't have."

"What was it?"

"A pet."

After Hotch is done talking to the crowd, he walks over to your group, and you shake your head at his questioning look.

"He wasn't here, Hotch. I didn't see his energy anywhere. I don't think he's here but he could have blended in. There's a lot of people here. Energies tend to mush together in large crowds.

"We're gonna start with the people who didn't show and cross-reference with families with no pets," Emily explains.

"No pets?"

"I remembered I wasn't allowed to have a dog or a pet of any kind. It was more than a rule. It was a big problem for us," Ash says.

"That could be something."

"I'm sorry I couldn't point him out."

"We don't expect you to point him out. We're hoping you can help us once we have things narrowed down. Plus, I believe Y/N. If she says he wasn't here, he's probably not here."

Spencer returns with a list in his hands. "Out of the sixty-four suspects, eighteen of them didn't show up."

"Okay. Prentiss, take Ashley back to the model home, go through the eighteen names, and add the pet information." Emily nods, and the two women leave. "Is Garcia's working on technical backgrounds?"

"Yes," Derek nods.

"Okay, get her the eighteen names. Did Ruiz ever get here?"

"No. Neither did the security chief."

"As far as I'm concerned, we have twenty no-shows."

An officer walks into the church and over to your group.

"Agent Hotchner? Detective Ruiz would like you to meet him at Main and Oak. There's been another murder."

You immediately head over to the house to see Felix talking with the distraught husband of the victim. He is sitting on the front porch steps with his head in his hands, crying his eyes out.

"I know, Mike. I'm sorry. We're doing everything we can," Felix sighs.

"The unsub's killed two nights in a row. It's a major escalation."

"We need to start over," Hotch says. "I think we go back to the beginning. Local PD gave us a list of sixty-four out of the seventy-one possible males. I think we throw that out and start with the original seventy-one."

"What about Ruiz?" Spencer asks.

"He's definitely on the list."

"He didn't do it but that doesn't mean he doesn't know who did it or isn't covering for him," you whisper.

You head back to the model home but Emily and Ashley aren't there.

"Hey, Reid, where's the list of people that didn't make the meeting?" Derek asks.

He hands the list to him. "Right here."

"We need to look at all seventy-one files. We need to eliminate suspects our way, not theirs."

The files of everyone are on the dining room table, and you grab a handful of them to look through. Spencer drums his fingers down the sides of the folders and frowns in thought.

Derek takes out his phone and dials Penelope, putting her on speakerphone.

"Garcia, are you ready?"

"Yes. What do you got?"

The front door opens and Detective Ruiz walks in. Everyone looks at him like he's the suspect, and he senses the hostility.

"What's up?"

"There are only sixty-seven files here. Where are the other four?"

"One of them is mine, and the other three are the victims' husbands."

"Why would they automatically be cleared?" Derek asks.

"Wouldn't they? I mean, if you're gonna check them, you might as well check me."

"We are," Rossi states. "Detective, where are the missing files?"

"Right over here."

Felix grabs the files and hands them over to Hotch.

"Garcia, we need you to run a few more names. Phillip Long."

"Long has no suspicions on his record, no arrests, and no technology either."

"Drew Jacobs."

"Drew had a couple of arrests for assault when he was younger. I'll give you more details on that in a second. Is this the husband of the woman whose computer I went through?"

"Yeah."

"She was really unhappy with him. She said he was distant and he left her alone at night."

"He was wandering outside," Felix says. "As a matter of fact, before his wife was killed, he was my top suspect."

"He's an IT expert who travels around the world," Penelope says.

"He's a tech. Thanks, baby girl."

Emily and the Chief of Security walk through the door just now. "What's going on?"

"There was another murder during the meeting."

"Where's Seaver?"

"I thought she was with you," you say.

"No. I left her here."

Hotch takes out his phone and calls Ashley who picks up immediately. He places her on speakerphone so everyone can hear her.

"Agent Seaver," she answers.

"Ashley, where are you?"

"Without a doubt, sir."

"Where are you?"

"Yes, sir."

A look of realization falls over Hotch's face.

"Can you get out of there?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I can't do that. Mr. Jacobs told me that his daughter was frightened, and as soon as I can make her feel better, I'll come back."

She hangs up and you look at Hotch who is worried for her.

"Jacobs has her. She has no gun. Let's go."

"Son of a bitch," Felix curses.

You rush over to Drew's house. Based on the energy you can see floating out of the house, there is a child inside. It's like Ashley's childhood all over again.

"Prentiss and Morgan, take the back. Make noise. Let him know he's caught. It may be the only chance she's got."

You go with Htoch through the front door, and you keep your gun aimed in front of you.

"FBI!"

You make your way upstairs to see a little girl with tears streaming down her face and Drew standing behind Ashley with a knife to her throat.

"Drop the knife," Hotch demands.

"Daddy!"

You walk over to the little girl and pull her into you to keep her from running to her dad.

"Drop the knife!" Rossi yells.

You turn Drew's daughter toward you so she doesn't have to see what happens next. Drew pushes Ashley to the side and lunges at Hotch with the knife. You cover the girl's eyes just as her dad is shot twice in the chest. You don't waste any time in getting the girl downstairs so that she can't see her dad's dead body lying on the ground.

Case closed.

Spencer stayed true to his word and flew to Las Vegas to pick up his mom while you went back home and got the guest room ready for her. She's been having more good days so her doctor allowed her to take Christmas weekend away from the facility. Spencer texted when they landed in Virginia and once again when they were pulling up. You open the front door and smile when you see Diana.

"Diana! I'm so happy to see you! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, dear," she smiles back.

"Why don't you two sit down and I'll make some tea for you two," Spencer offers.

You lead Diana to the living room and sit with her on the couch. You wanted to wait until Christmas morning to tell her the news but you can't contain your excitement much longer.

"We have some news, Diana."

"What is it?"

You hold out your left hand to show off the beautiful diamond ring. "Spencer and I are getting married. We're engaged." She gasps happily and grabs your hand to inspect the ring further. "We'd like you to be there."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she grins.

"Would you like to watch some Christmas movies?" She nods and leans back in her seat. "Great. I'll be right back."

You walk into the kitchen where Spencer is and slink up to his side.

"I like how happy you make my mom."

"She makes me happy, too. Afterall, she gave birth to you."

Spencer leans down and kisses you, utterly and completely in love with you.

"Children begin by loving their parents. As they grow older they judge them, sometimes they forgive them." – Oscar Wilde

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[marticoresims]

My Rotational Gameplay System

Hi! There's a video on my channel about how I play rotationally, but some info there is outdated. I figured a post can always be edited, so it's a better way to share how I play The Sims 2.

What is rotational gameplay?

Playing rotationally means that you play multiple households for the same number of days, jumping from one to the other in rounds. This way, you keep the households even, have story progression in all of them, and then you can make them interact, intertwine and merge into new families, not leaving any playable Sim behind.

If you play two-three households and leave the rest unplayed, that's also rotational gameplay. There's no right or wrong way to play The Sims 2!

Setting up the neighborhood

First of all, stealth hoods. I don't want all the same Sims appearing in my family bin over and over, so I made the stealth hoods empty. This tutorial shows how to do it, but it's actually more simple than that – just go into those folders and delete all files in 'Characters'. DO NOT do it in the Documents directory!

Second, I think of which subhoods make sense for this neighborhood. I hardly ever add Downtown. Vacation destinations depend on what I need, I usually add one during gameplay if I'm planning a vacation (which is rare). I like to have one, max two university hoods, especially if they include pre-made Sims. And Bluewater Village is completely redundant, but I sometimes make my own shopping district as an extra area. For example, in my Pleasantview 2.0 I made "Goth Square" that is kind of like a downtown district with apartment buildings, restaurants, clubs etc.

Sometimes I'll tinker with seasons, e.g. Strangetown seems like warm climate, so I might turn off winter in it. Riverblossom Hills must stay default, though.

Basics and keeping track

One round is 4 days for most of my neighborhoods. Some people do it by days of the week or seasons in-game, but I can't be bothered synchronizing my neighborhood after someone moves out and it's again a summer Monday for them. If it's Thursday in the middle of winter in another household at the same time, I really don't mind.

I'm an old school gal when it comes to taking notes to keep track of played days. I have a paper notebook with the grid pattern and mark rounds as squares – each line is one day. I have a whole list of families named by last names mostly, but if a last name repeats (which is often), I either sign them with one of the Sims' first name or their last name + initials. For example, in Riverblossom Hills I have families named Roth (for the "main" Roth family still living in the original house) and Roth LF (Roth – Larch & Fiona).

These days, I use erasable pens in my notes, so no crossing out if a family merges with another or changes its name. For marking days, I still like to use a simple pencil. For side notes (such as planning someone's career or matchmaking) I either use sticky notes or draw a special square and use the erasable pens again to take easily erasable notes. If there's no space on the page anymore, I move onto another. I always keep the old pages, though! I have them pinned in the back of the notebook. Also, I only use notebooks that have tabs of different colors and each neighborhood has its color. Blue for Pleasantview, green for Strangetown, purple for Veronaville, orange for Riverblossom Hills etc. I like to match pen colors to it as well. Yes, I do have ideasthaesia.

For more "serious" neighborhoods I have an additional document on my PC in table form where I plan out the storytelling. I pretty much only have it for my Youtube let's play neighborhoods like Townieville. Fun fact: I have two separate notebooks for "work neighborhoods" and "private neighborhoods". The work one is in smaller format 😂

Here's a fragment of my Townieville notes (the Bendett-LeTourneau family takes too much space when spelled out lol):

As for aging, I made my own custom lifespan that mimics real life years (1 day = 1 year). However, I only age up Sims at "1 day away" (aka the orthodox way) when they're babies and teenagers. Babies because I want them to be 1 year old as toddlers (only Nopke somehow figured out a way to make the baby stage actually 1 day), and teenagers to give them time to attend college. In all the other stages, I wait until the last minute for them to age up on their own. I would never remember to age them up manually or throw parties, also the 1 extra day would make it difficult for me to count their age. That results in the elder stage starting at "57 days old", but I count it as 60 years old. I like to know how old my Sims are for context, that's all.

Population

My limit for one neighborhood is 16 families. If there's more, one round takes forever and I lose interest. In my old Pleasantview, I finally managed to lower the number of families from 24 to 18 and still going. It feels great! So, as you see, I can't do an uberhood/megahood.

To stop my neighborhood from expanding too much, I simply don't make too many kids. I have pretty strict rules that are based on aspirations: Family+Family is 3 kids, Family+Other is 2 kids, Other+Other is 1 kid. If both Sims have family as a secondary aspiration (and I remember that they do), I'll make them have two. It has been working pretty well, but I'm open to changes in the future. Sometimes I would even impregnate a Sim with InSimenator instead of naturally to make sure it's not twins.

I mark every birth on a certain day as a dot and letter (B/G – boy/girl) and plan newborns in advance to have babies be born at a similar time and with balanced genders, so I can match them later. Of course I do have same-sex couples and big-age-difference couples as well. It all comes out when the babies get older, but synchronizing births creates a solid basis. Usually there are no more than 4 kids born in one round.

I love townies, but I avoid bringing them into the neighborhood as much as I can (it expands the population). If two playables are not related and have the potential to be together, I'll tinker with their chemistry to make it happen. I have this mod to help me avoid marrying second-cousins, even if it's not really that big a deal in real life. I do follow chemistry very much in matchmaking though, so if there's any decision to be made between two Sims, I'll always go for the one with the higher chemistry (sort by chemistry and choose the one that appears first – even if the bolts are the same, they are sorted by points).

Wants & Fears

I like to say that I play half-wants-based. I especially like to use wants to avoid having only wealthy families. How? Only if they roll a want of getting a skill point, I'll prioritize career skill points and let them get promoted. Otherwise, they might stay at the same level for years and do other things instead such as hobbies. Even if their lifetime want is the top of a career – the Sims are responsible for progressing in their careers. I don't lock the skill wants either, only the promotion ones if a promotion is guaranteed. But keep in mind that I use mods for no friends needed for careers and less often promotions (I changed it to 85%). That way, some Sims struggle financially, some just have enough to pay the bills, some accumulate money very slowly, and some become rich fast. It's true that it's fortune Sims that usually reach the top of their careers, knowledge Sims are second place, but isn't that actually realistic? If a Sim's lifetime want is anything other than a career, I realize they won't get everyday wants regarding that LTW (unless it's a knowledge Sim with "Max out 7 skills"), so I will push them towards it, but still, not every Sim completes their lifetime want. Also, I use 50 New LTWs and Slower LTA Gain.

I do like to listen to what my Sims want to do, but if the want is ridiculous (like wanting to get married to 3 Sims at once for Romance Sims on dates), I'll ignore it. I only use wants or lack thereof for more variety and less decision-making. I use a lot of mods that change wants as well, such as Fewer Hobby Wants.

Decisions

Deciding makes me anxious. I want gameplay to be fun and the Sims to be their own people. That's why I have certain rules for choosing aspirations and careers. Here's my entire calculator that saves me in choosing careers. For aspirations, I only use the calculator sometimes if I'm not sure, but usually I look at the Sim's personality and can easily see their aspiration based on traits. Obviously I make exceptions to that rule, I WILL have a grouchy Family Sim from time to time. But I do that only if I feel a certain vibe, so no decision is needed either, I just know this Sim will be the exception. Sometimes, I make exceptions to also differentiate Sims from their parents, as personality is genetic for the most part, so it's likely for two Knowledge Sims to “produce” another Knowledge Sim and I'd like to avoid repetition. Especially with Family Sims, as with my population system it might lead to one family dominating the neighborhood. Family+Family having 3 kids and all of them with the Family aspiration? Not on my watch!

In families of more than one child, how do I decide who moves out and who stays home as an adult? If there are no other factors influencing it, the youngest child stays because the older ones moving out will create the space for the next generation. But it varies based on what housing situation the potential partner has. Oh, yeah, I don't play with elders only, that's boring.

How do I decide who changes their name at marriage? These days, I like to keep the OG last names, so if there's a townie marrying into a pre-made family, I'll keep the pre-made family's name. Gender doesn't matter. If it's two pre-mades getting married, I decide based on how many other Sims there are with that last name (do the Sims have siblings?). It's real tactical work sometimes. If I want to keep both, a hyphenated name is always an option too.

Random events

Not a lot of random events happen in my game. Mostly it's just Sims cheating. I have ACR's risky woohoo set to zero most of the time. I do have some mods that make Sims' lives more risky like more dangerous fires (this version is edited to work with the fire safety skill) or death by childbirth. But if someone dies untimely, they die. Especially if they've already had kids (which sounds cruel lol, but my gameplay is based on legacy and genetic continuity).

University

One round is 4 days, that means 4 years, so I guess it would make sense to play the "empty nest" once the offspring is in college. But I don't do that. College is frozen time. In my game, the teenager stage is 9 days – from 13 to 22. It would be too short if I treated university as passing time, as 22 is when US college students graduate. So, I mark a dot with the letter C whenever someone is "1 day away" and ready for college. It's often for the future more than the past, as I like to send a few Sims at once (you know, the babies marked 22 days earlier), so I plan ahead and need to know how many days left. I also send them to college according to their age (even if I don't have to do that with frozen time, it's fun to do), so if there's 2 years difference between Sims, one of them will be a Freshman when the other one is already a Sophomore. Also, not everyone goes to college! It's wants-based, again. If the teen has the want to go to college the very last morning of their teen stage, they go immediately. And again, exceptions. Sometimes I'll lock in the college want because I just can't imagine that Sim not going to college. I have the No Memory Uneducated mod to stop Sims who didn't want to go to college from crying about it. My university gameplay is the most strictly wants-based, to avoid having all Sims graduate with honors. Don't have a want to gain skill points, but fears academic probation? We're doing bare minimum. That kinda thing. The only want I lock in is "Make Dean's List" because it's pretty rare, and without it I was ending up with 3.2 GPA for every single Sim. This want means we're doing everything to get the highest grade possible.

Supernatural Sims

I'm not a fan of supernatural in The Sims (unless it's Planet Alades). The only occult I absolutely LOVE is ALIEN. I will have aliens in nearly every neighborhood. No Multi PT mod needed. PlantSims are cool too, but only in neighborhoods where they appear from the start. Very rarely do I let my Sims become werewolves, or especially vampires and zombies. If a Sim doesn't age, I don't see a point in playing them. Best regards to all the 'aging off' Simmers out there 😆

That's all! Now I can stop rambling about it in my let's plays and just send you guys to this post if you have questions. Phew!

[abbadoabbadon]

I saw someone on TikTok make a shitty take a bit ago that was like "you're not punk if you don't go to shows, it doesn't matter if you're disabled. I know disabled people who go! You're just fucking lazy and not punk! Poser!!"

K? Good for you? Newsflash: Not every disabled person is the same. Some people cannot leave their fucking house, even if they want to.

I would love to go to shows, I would love to be able to go and support my local scene. My disability is... oh my god? Disabling!! I find leaving the house to get my medication even taxing on my body.

I work a lot, my energy goes into working and not calling out or leaving early because of my disabilities. My two days off (not in a row either, mind you) are spent building up the energy to go back to work and burn it all up all over again until my next days off. I don't even have the energy to do the things I love anymore, like drawing and writing. Doing the tiniest thing, like even going to the grocery store, is disabling to me. Hanging out with friends and going out and doing something takes days of recovery to be able to get back up and go to work.

Not every disabled person is the same. And if you can't go to local punk shows because your disability literally fucking disables you, you are still punk, you are still valid. You're not a poser because you can't go.

People need to stop calling everyone a poser over the tiniest things. Poser has lost its meaning at this point.

[fart-gate]

If you have access to a library take that as refuge and use the building for "studying" , you can just hang out there all day and do your own thing nobody will bother you.

if you cannot leave the house every day, I suggest at least sitting outside for at least 15 min to better your mental well being and ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THIS IS TEMPORARY. YOU WILL GET OLDER AND YOU WILL GET OUT OF THAT SITUATION. THEY CANNOT HOLD YOU WHEN YOU ARE AN ADULT YOU ARE YOUR OWN HUMAN BEING AND THEY DO NOT DETERMINE HOW OR WHERE YOU LIVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. YOU ARE LOVED YOU CAN DO THIS

Make friends with ANY adults!!! School, library, family members you can trust, friends parents you can trust, etc. (please watch these folks closely for a few months before confiding in them. Sometimes being nice does not mean they are safe!)

If you can find a way to store snacks somewhere, do that. I had snacks in my closet shoved into a backpack so my mom wouldn't find it. Use anything, loose floor boards, a cupboard nobody uses, your locker at school, if your library offers lockers do that, your bureau (hide under clothes), also please make sure to take off any plastic or loud crinkly food items and put them into quieter bags like big ziplock bags !!

If you can ask your local library about resources that help with this stuff they are more than happy to help!!! They will give you resources around your area that you may be able to use and sometimes these places give out food cards so you might be able to get your own if you can't get a job.

If your parents DO allow you to get a job, please start right now. I know it's scary and hard and overwhelming to start something like that for these reasons but even just a Dunkin donuts job will get you so far in life. The money you get will get you food and you may be able to Uber yourself to places if you need.

Don't have any linked resources right now I'm on mobile but I figured I'd share a few tips that helped me. Peruse the comments for resources as well! Remember to drink water!!!!!

Anyone that follows me that has any good resources to link pls don't hesitate

i know i KNOW this has nothing to do with what you do. im sorry. but do you have any resources for surviving an abusive situation? (surviving, not getting out. i can't leave [its parents, not a partner])

hey red alert gang can we get some advice/resources for this person?

[swtt4hk]

Time Machine || Cho Sangwoo

And I'll love you forever with the fire in my soul

Maybe I could be your girl

And we don't ever say goodbye

Maybe in another life

he is gone. Everyone is gone. Gi hun , Sae byeok , Ali and most important of all , your husband , Cho Sangwoo. You won the games but at what cost? You lost the love of your life just because he sacrificed himself for you. The problem is that you don’t need the money. You just need him. If only you had realised that something was going on earlier.

Flashback

it was a random evening and you were doing the chores in the house while waiting for your husband , Sangwoo , to come from work. You were kinda worried about him tho , he had been acting…different but not so different. He just seemed like he was always thinking about something, like something was bothering him but you never asked him about it because you knew that if he wanted , he would tell you. But that day you had decided to finally ask him about it , you couldn’t take it anymore.

you heard the door opening and walked up to him. His expression was tired but still forced a smile.

—hi babe , how was work?

—hi , sweetheart , it was…okay.

—just okay? Are you sure that nothing bad has happened?

—no , babe , everything’s alright.

he told you with a reassuring smile as he hangs his coat on the hanger and suddenly a card fell from his pocket. You grabbed it. It was a brown(ish) card with a triangle , a circle and a square on the front and a phone number on the back.

—babe , what is this?

Sang-woo saw that you’re holding the card and quickly grabbed it.

—oh nothing , a random salesman gave it to me just to promote his products!

he said , trying to hide the fear that you might push it further. The truth was that it wasn’t just a card. He had been slapped by a salesman a hundred times to win the game of ddakji to get 10k₩. When he won , the salesman told him to call the number on the back of the card , if he wants to play more games like this to win money.

—if you say so…come on , I’ve made you dinner , let’s go sit down.

he let out a silent sigh of relief , as you didn’t push him any further , and he sits on the table with you. As you’re both eating silently, you decided to talk to him about his behaviour for the past month.

—honey , can I talk to you about something?

Sang-woo looked up to you and nodded.

—so um…I’ve noticed something in the past month and tell me if I’m wrong but…you have been acting kind of different lately. Is something bothering you? You always seem like you’re thinking about something and your anger issues have gotten a little out of hand even though you had been making progress…are you okay?

Sang-woo stops eating. He sets his fork down and takes a deep breath , looking deep into your eyes. He doesn’t know what to do. Should he tell you the truth that he’s in debt and that he can’t even afford buying the essentials or should he keep lying to you so you don’t get worried about it?

—I’m okay. It’s just…there’s a lot of pressure at work , that’s it. I’m sorry if I made you worried , my love , I promise I’m gonna make it up to you soon , hm?

He said reassuringly. He didn’t have much of a choice but lying to you seemed the best thing to do at the time. You let out a warm smile and nod.

—alright then , I’m sorry for asking you in the first place , I know how much of a stress your job can be…now eat! Your food is gonna get cold!

he nods and finishes his food. The hours pass slowly and the sun sets , which means it’s time for you both to go to bed. You kissed each other good night and you fell asleep. But Sangwoo couldn’t. His thoughts were keeping him up. He grabbed the card from his coat’s pocket and looked at it. Should he call the number and join the games? Leaving for some days to make some more money wouldn’t hurt , right. He called the number and he gave the information needed. He was told that he had to be in a specific location at 11:30.

11:00. He had half an hour left. He got up , got dressed and wrote you a letter before leaving. Unfortunately, for him , you heard him leaving. You woke up and saw a letter on his pillow.

“Goodmorning, my love , someone from work called in the middle of the night because I have to go on a an emergency business trip. I’m so sorry about that but I promise , I’ll be back in a few days.❤️”

Bullshit. Yes , you didn’t know much about his job but you weren’t THAT dumb to believe that someone would call him to go on a business trip IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. So you decided to follow him.

11:30. Just in time. You secretly followed behind him and a black van arrived. A man was in it and asked for a code. Red light , Green light. Sangwoo got in and the van left. You followed the van to the next stop and you decided to go into the van too. You told the man the code and got into the car. You didn’t know what that was but you wanted to find out.

End of Flashback

you got thrown on a random street , the cold breeze hitting your face after days of being closed into whatever that building was. After hours of walking , you finally arrived home. But it was different this time. You were alone. Forever. Because you had basically killed your husband. You sit on the sofa in silence , getting flashbacks from all the happy times you and Sangwoo spend and even the times you spent together in the games. He is everything to you. But now he’s gone.

You lay down on the sofa and look up to the ceiling. You feel tired but you can’t sleep. Not after everything that happened. Tears start rolling down your cheeks as you’re processing everything that happened the past five days.

—I wish I could go back in time. I wish I would’ve noticed. I wish I would’ve helped him.

you manage to mutter while crying and you slowly drift off to sleep.

…

you slowly open your eyes as the morning sun hits your face and you take a look at your surroundings. That’s strange. Is that your…old room? How could it be possible? You sold that house about two years ago…you open your phone and…

June 14 2019. This can’t be possible. This is the exact same day that you met Sangwoo…how can it be? You start panicking , lightly slapping yourself to check if you’re dreaming. No. This is real. It’s 2019 and none of the nightmare you went through has happened. Did fate give you a second chance to fix everything?

You get up and walk around the house. You can’t lie , you’ve missed this place. The silence , the girly decorations, the room that is filled with so many memories…but now it’s not the time to remember the past. You’ve got to find Sangwoo. You try to recall the time and the place he was in that day. “Come onnn , where was it? I know it was a café but which one?” Since you can’t seem to remember it , you decide to take a walk in your neighbourhood. You haven’t walked in these streets for so long…after a few minutes , you find it. “Espresso Emporium”.

You take a deep breath before stepping into the café and there he is…Cho Sangwoo. You’re about to walk towards him to greet him but then you remember. He’s supposed to be a total stranger to you. You sigh and sit on a table near him. At some point you make an eye contact and you both can feel it. It’s like love at first sight. That’s exactly how you fell in love six years ago. Just when you’re a out to give him a kind smile he quickly looks away , pretending that nothing happened. “Classic Sangwoo” you think.

Of course , the history repeats itself. You keep bumping into him during the day but neither of you talk to each other. Until one night you see him standing outside the convenience store , looking money in his pockets. He forgot his wallet and now he can’t buy any cigarettes. You chuckle to yourself and you walk up to him and offer him a cigarette.

—there. You say coldly , trying to hide your excitement about talking to him again. He looks at the cigarette for a second before taking it into his hands and lighting it up.

—thank you , you didn’t have to. He says , keeping a neutral demeanour. There follows silence but the comfortable kind of silence before you speak up.

—having a hard night? He sighs , throws his cigarette on the ground and stomps it with his foot. He scans you , head to toe , before answering to your question.

—yeah…how’d you tell?

—I’m a psychologist. I know what people think by just looking at them.

He looks at you , with a kind of weird look and nods.

—cool.

You know he’s not really the kind of person to start a conversation and meet with a total stranger but you HAVE to meet him.

—my name’s y/n. What’s yours?

Sangwoo looks away , with a kind of annoyed look.

—does it matter?

—I mean…if you don’t wanna meet me that’s okay , you’ll just miss out on meeting a wonderful woman.

You say teasingly and nudge him on the shoulder. He wants to smile but he doesn’t. He keeps it back. He doesn’t want to seem weak , especially to a woman , and you respect that.

—I’m Sangwoo…happy now?

—of course I am. Nice to meet you , Sangwoo.

…

Fast forward to some days later , you start getting closer with him , as if you don’t already know everything about him but this time you’re being more careful. You look closely to his face expressions and his movements. He doesn’t seem like he’s in debt…yet. Does this mean he lost it all when he got married to you? Yes.

One day , as you’re chatting , your conversation gets deep and he reveals some of his problems.

—I have been having some trouble with money lately…I’m on the verge of getting into debt…

well this is new. He had never told you that before. The Sangwoo you knew would have never complained about money , which hurts you because now you realise how many secrets he had been keeping from you all those years you had been married. You look at him with a soft gaze and with a look of sympathy.

—whatever , that’s my problem , you probably don’t even care.

—what? No , I do care , you’re my friend and friends listen to each other’s problems.

For a moment , you catch him blushing but then he looks away. “Ah I’ve missed that cute blush” you think to yourself. He takes a deep breath before he continues talking about his problems. And he has a lot. His business is going downhill, he’s on the verge of getting in debt , as he said before , and he’s been living in a motel. “So that’s why he never wanted to go to his place before we moved in together…”

…

Weeks pass and everyday you learn something new about Sangwoo. It’s like you met a completely different person but at the same time you get deja vu from his words , movements and the places you meet at. One day , as you’re doing some chores in the house , you hear a knock. You open the door and there he is again…

—Sangwoo! How come you came here unannounced? You usually warn before coming. You say but not in a strict tone , it’s just surprising because he usually does warn before coming over. He gets in and sits on the couch.

—I’m so sorry , y/n but I need to talk to you about something.

You sit beside him , curious about what you’re about to hear.

—what’s up?

He takes a deep breath , he bounces his leg up and down in nervousness and looks down.

—I…I got into debt…

you stare at him in shock. So he had been into debt even before you started dating?! And he still payed for everything you wanted?!

—what wait? When did that happen?

—…long ago…

—how long ago?

—f-five months ago…

—wait a minute…b-but didn’t you tell me that you were on the verge of getting into debt? Did you lie to me?

He sighs and closes his eyes.

—I’m sorry I-

—just tell me how much you owe.

there’s no response, which means you’re about to hear a big number.

—six…

—six hundred?

—…billion.

—six billion?! How did you even- you’re about to scold him but you know that if anger gets the best of you , you’ll definitely say about the time travelling thing and how you’re mad at him for not telling you anything…well…that is quite a lot but…we’ll find a way to fix it together , okay?

He blushes again , but hides it. You know that he likes you but you can’t get to like him. Not after the disappointment you’ve felt for him. Not because he’s in debt but because he was in debt and he never told you anything and that he joined those stupid games to make money even though he knew that you could make the amount of money he needed in a short amount of time. But he always insisted in paying.

Sangwoo feels a pang of embarrassment after telling you all that. Under other circumstances, he wouldn’t have told you but he felt the need of telling someone and the only person he could tell was you.

—y/n , I don’t need your help. I just…wanted to tell someone about my problem.

you stay silent. You want to protest , scream at him about why he is telling his problem to you and not expect you to help him. But you don’t say anything. You know it’s pointless.

…

The next days pass in silence. Ever since Sangwoo told you about him owing that much money , he feels so embarrassed that he stopped talking to you. You know damn well why Sangwoo doesn’t contact you and you totally get it. 6 billion is not little. But besides from him not wanting you to help , you work your ass off to make extra money. Psychologists do get payed a lot , so you already had a lot of money , so working some extra hours and a second job would totally pay off Sangwoo’s debts and more.

After weeks of working , it’s finally over. 6 billion won into your bank account. With no hesitation, you take the money and put them into a big bag to give them to Sangwoo. But you don’t wanna see him. You can’t look at him and not feel things for him. But if you fall in love again , he will make the same stupid mistake. Waste all his money on you.

Sangwoo hears an unexpected knock on his door. He opens it and he sees a bag with money in it. Even though it doesn’t have a letter with a name on it , he knows who gave him the money. The only person who knew…you. He quickly runs out of his apartment to find you. He knows you’re near.

As you’re quickly walking out of the motel Sangwoo is staying in , you hear a familiar voice —almost— behind you.

—y/n!!! Wait!!

your pace quickens and you disappear into the darkness of the night. It’s too late now. You just saved Sangwoo’s life and he didn’t even get to thank you.

Sangwoo stands still as tears run down his cheeks. The person he loves the most had run away and disappeared. He didn’t even get to express his feelings for you. He wishes he had done it earlier.

As you are walking , you stop at a quiet street and you start crying. You can’t believe what you just did. You left the person you love the most. But it is for the best. You can’t let him do the same mistake again. And you can’t let him die again.

…

after all of that , you decided to move away and start a new life , rearrange your fate. You try to forget about Sangwoo and move on with your life. “It was all for the best” you keep repeating to yourself everytime you think about it.

there was nothing left to do for Sangwoo. He had to accept his fate. It was like you vanished of the earth without warning and he keeps trying to understand why. But he tries his best to move on with his life , he pays off his debts with the money and he gets back on his feet again. He feels grateful that he met you , even though it was just for a few months. You saved his life after all.

It was all for the best.

———————————————————————

I enjoyed writing this one a lot BUT I’M SORRY IF IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE IN THE END , I WAS HALF ASLEEP WHILE WRITING THIS 😭

Anyway , more fics coming soon!

taglist: @sensationallysangwoo @chosangwooswife @nanamiscsleeve @snowgirl12 @vkeyy @lfegoeson