#if you have church tomorrow don't stay up too late

[skyward-floored]

yay feeling Weird. I think it's time for bed now.

[fire-emblem-drabbles]

Paradise Lost

Pairing: Eden x reader

Description: You weren't gonna give Bailey any of your hard earned money, not this week. Thinking you'll fare better in the woods than town this time of night, you head there. Your plan was to stay in the caves by the lake, and figure out a better situation in the morning. You don't make it that far.

Rating: Not sfw

Content Warning: fem reader with fem parts, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Guns, chasing, kidnapping, restraints, dub con/non con, first time, yandere , predator/prey, a disgusting amount of pet names honestly, as always ask to tag

Word Count: 5282

Notes: I wanted to get this out by Halloween, obviously that didn't happen. I've had this idea for a while and the draft since *checks* August 2023, apparently. It's not even the oldest one I just live like this! Eden may seem ooc but I was having a lot of fun so I just ran with it.

Bailey was out of his fucking mind if he thought he was gonna get any of your hard earned cash. You work your ass off every day, foraging in the woods and growing anything in that pitiful little garden by the orphanage, and he thinks he can just take your money now? As if. You wouldn’t let that happen.

Today was the promised day for the money. You couldn’t even remember how much it was, only that it was too much and you wouldn’t let him bully you into complacency. However… that did leave you out, alone, as darkness was slowly closing over the town. You didn’t exactly have a place to crash, either, so as you slowly walk down Domus street you try to consider your options.

You could walk down to the hospital and stay in the waiting room? They might shoo you out if you were caught sleeping though… Maybe you could try calling Sydney? But he was probably still at the church… and it wouldn’t be right to bother him. He probably wouldn’t have the heart to say no. You could break into the massage parlor and rest there as long you were out before they opened. But you had been hoping to pick up some shifts in the future, so that probably wasn’t the best idea…

Where did that leave you, though? Even if the summer air was balmy and warm, there wasn’t a chance in hell you were waiting on the streets tonight. And there wasn’t much you could do with your time and you weren’t quite scared enough yet to hit up the strip club for work. All that was left for you were the woods that had already given you so much. You fancied yourself better in a fight versus a wolf than another person anyways.

So with mind made up and confidence in your step, you head from Domus street into the woods, passing by Gwylyn’s shop and further into the welcoming trees. You always did feel more at home here anyways. You can’t help but smile as you pass by some of your favorite foraging spots and there’s a part of you that kind of wants to do a little now but you push that aside.

In the forest proper there wasn’t that many fantastic spots to rest. But then you recall the set of caves by the lake. Hopefully this late at night your schoolmates were done messing around out there. Plus, you knew a shortcut there to! It would be no problem, especially since you don’t have school tomorrow. So with new hop in your step, you begin to move that way, unbothered by the new darkness around you as the forest seems to come alive.

The sounds of insects and birds comforts you, even when you can hear the occasional wolf call in the distance. You’re already close to the lake when you pause in your step. You can hear rustling ahead, so you duck down to see… a foxboy, looking to and fro as he digs up some bird eggs. You don’t fancy yourself as someone super sneaky but you can’t help yourself, carefully sneaking forward; eyes not on the precious bird eggs but his fluffy tail. You never wanted to pet a tail more than this one…!

The foxboys ears perk up at a sound, and you stiffen. You were so close! But as he quickly turns his gaze to you, he frowns and speaks. “Trying to catch me off guard and steal?”

“N-no!” You sputter, surprised he’s even bothering to speak to you when he easily could have taken his goods and ran. “I um… you looked very soft, I was sneaking to see if I could manage to pet you a little…” You admit sheepishly to him. The foxboy changes in demeanor, turning to you with a grin.

“So you just wanted to get close to me?” You don’t like how you can see the glint of his fangs when he grins. You try to back up away but with you still crouching, the fox is able to leap on you and pin your prone form to the forest floor. “You should have just said so human, I’m unmated…” He murmurs leaning in close to you. Panic starts to seize you as you struggle in his grip.

“Not what I meant! Let me go please please…!” You try to raise your knees to shove him off you but this foxboy is stronger than you anticipated. Your every move seems futile as the foxboy quickly works to take off your clothing. You can’t help the scream you let out, desperation passing by your lips. You’re too far out for Gwylyn to hear you, though. No one could save you from this…

The foxboy digs his nails into your soft skin as he rips away your pants. You close your eyes as tears start to prick at them from the pain. You take a deep, shuddering breath to stop yourself from crying before a thundering nose rings out, blinding the dark forest a moment and clearing your running thoughts for a long moment.

As everything seems to settle, you realize it’s the unmistakable noise of a gun shot, and it has the foxboy skittering off faster than you can even open your eyes. You’re shaking, struggling to sit up and pull up your pants at the same time. In the dying light, you can make out the vague figure of a person, shotgun still smoking in their hands.

For a moment, neither of you speak. You aren’t sure if you should thank them, or start running yourself. The air is thick and uncertain, and you swallow lump forming in your throat as you look up at the person who saved you. Would they prove to be an actual savior, or just as bad as the beast before them?

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing out in the woods so late at night?” His voice is low, gruff. Even as he lowers his weapon, there’s an undeniable edge to him. Something that demands to be respected.

“Trying to stay out of trouble,” You start, eyeing his dark figure carefully. Thankfully, your pants aren’t entirely destroyed and you’re able to wear them properly, to stand tall and wary in front of your new company. “What has you saving strange girls in the middle of the woods so late?” You ask back, dusting forest debris off yourself. Trying to stay calm, casual. Hoping for the best in him.

“Was hoping to do some hunting tonight.” You don’t like the way he smirks, the way he shifts his weight from one leg to another and cracks his knuckles in his hands. “Think I’ve found the best prey these woods have to offer, anyhow.” Your throat seizes as he says this. You don’t think-- can’t think you just move.

But where is there to run? Your wellies hold up under thundering footfall but you can hear him behind you, hear him laughing as he follows suit. You can’t help but wonder if he would follow you towards town. Or if it would even be safe? There’s so much to consider, so much to avoid, the world around you quickly growing darker and darker in betrayal.

You’re coming across the river, you can hear the rushing water promising you freedom just ahead. If you could swim across, hell even jump in and just let the water take you, you’re sure your pursuer wouldn’t follow. You just had to push a little further, want it a little more, to run, run, run!

That is, until, you feel his weight crashing into you, feel your body crumple under his as he grabs you from behind. The sound of rushing water is so distant now, behind the sound of your own running blood, of your labored breathing and drumming heartbeat.

“Aren’t you smart,” He coos, grunting as you try to wriggle out from under him. But he’s stronger than you, happy to pin you down in the dirt and whisper his victories in your ear. “Trying to lose me in the river, eh? If only you were a little faster…” He tuts softly. Gods, even through your clothing, he could feel how warm you were. How soft. A prize well worth the chase, no matter how short the hunt was.

“Pl, please.” It’s difficult to cough up the word, not when he’s still leaning down on you, applying pressure directly on your overworked lungs. “I, I just…!” Oh goodness, were you crying? “I, I never… I haven’t…!” You can’t even finish your sentence, hiccups threatening your words until a sob racks your body and cuts you off entirely.

“Oh darling,” He almost pities you, but the rush of blood that went straight to his dick makes it hard to think. “Saving yourself for me?” He can’t help but growl as he leans in closer to your neck, taking a moment to truly take all of you in. He had been looking for someone like you. Someone soft and sweet and innocent, someone he could make into his perfect partner. Someone who didn’t know how to fight back.

“...S’pose least I can do is make it special. We’re close to home as it is.” You feel your stomach drop as you hear a belt being undone. You can’t help but close your eyes and whimper, expecting to feel the heat of his body that much closer to you. Instead, you feel warm leather wrap around your wrists and gasp out as you’re unceremoniously lifted and tossed over his shoulders.

Held over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, you have to give your mind a moment to catch up. You could see his shotgun bouncing along his back as he walked, unbothered by your weight. You could feel the ache beginning to start in your shoulders and elbows, forced at an awkward angle where your arms are tied behind your back. You feel your lungs start to settle into normalcy as you can finally breathe again. When you find your voice again, you can only ask “...Home?” The word feels hollow on your tongue. You don’t even know if you have it in you to fight back against him. It all felt inevitable at this point.

“Your new home.” He corrects with a smile to his tone. “Our home now, I reckon.” You decide to continue on in blissful silence as you he takes you farther into the dark of the forest. Not much time seems to have passed as the forest begins to clear out. As he moves forward, you can see dark shapes that aren’t trees or bushes, nothing you can make out now. Your not left long to wonder as you’re brought indoors, and placed down roughly on a bed.

The cabin is well lit, but sparely decorated. You can’t hardly take it in before your yanked closer to the man. Holding you by your bound wrists in one hand, he places another binding on you with his other; a collar, complete with a leash, that he wastes no time wrapping around the wrought iron frame of the bed. You were truly trapped and at his whim now. When he finally speaks again, it seems to spark you out of your stupor. When had you begun to cry so much? You could hardly see his face through the blur of them.

“I’m gonna release your hands now.” The look on his face is stern. There’s a deep crease between the lines of his eyes, and you don’t know if this man has ever worn something other than a frown on his face. “If you’re a good girl for me, this can be nice for both of us.” He places his large, calloused hands over the tie on your wrists. “Can you be a good girl?” His whisper might have meant to been seductive or calming, but it sounded grating in your ears. His deep tone promised nothing good for you.

“I’ll... be a good girl for you.” You dare not raise your voice above a whisper; you don’t move as you see him grin slightly, see a flush come to his face. You don’t even move as one of his hands comes to cup your cheek, wiping away stray tears.

“Good girls get to feel good.” He slowly unbinds the worn leather belt. He’s watching you closely, but you still don’t move, even as your wrists are freed. He looks you over as the belt is tossed aside. “Why don’t you lay down for me, sweetheart?” His pet names make you feel sick. He rubs your sore wrists, even as you move roboticly into place on the bed for him. His hands pet along your soft body, ogling you through your torn shirt and moving to look you in the eyes again. “You really are a sight for sore eyes.” he sighs, so content. You wonder if you’re the first person he’s shared this bed with. Wonder if you’ll be the last.

“Why are you doing this?” Your words seem to surprise him. They surprised you too; he was already getting ready to tear your shirt the rest of the way off your body, but your words stop his movement. “Y-you don’t have to. I-I can still be good for you, but we can… we can…” Your words die down as you take in the darkening look on his face. One last, pathetic attempt for mercy. One that is quickly quashed.

“Oh, darling.” He looks at you; looks at you all soft and sweet, and at his mercy. “You’re gonna be good for me, or you’re gonna see what happens to bad girls.” He frowns at you, as if it were obvious. “And don’t you want me to be good to you for your first time?” He looks at you expectantly, an eyebrow raised. You blink once, confused. But soon you realize; he wants you to play along. You could be pathetic, you could be weak and scared. All the more excuse to comfort and coddle you; you had to play your part right, or he would play his wrong too.

“P-please be nice to me. I’ll be good, I promise.” He likes it when you beg. He likes it when tears spring to your eyes and you go all soft and pathetic for him. Wanted to be the predator to your prey. “Just don’t hurt me.” Wanted to be the one to protect you, too. The best of both worlds, it seemed.

“And I won’t, honey.” He coos, leaning in close to your face. “Just as long as you take everything I give to you.” You find yourself nodding, too scared to speak when he’s nose to nose with you. At that, he smiles; it’s ill fitting on his face. He looks too calm, too serene.

Its worse, perhaps, that he wants to talk you through it. “I gotta get you out of these ruined clothes now, baby.” He’s starting to breath heavy, eyes growing darker with desire. You can only nod and watch as he uses his brute strength to rip open your shirt, tossing it to the side. Your bra is thankfully, treated much more gently, slid from your body until your breasts are bared open to the hungry gaze of the man before you.

He takes his time admiring them. His touch is soft, almost reverent. Far too gentle for what this is; the pads of his rough fingers catch on your soft skin, but it doesn’t stop him. Doesn’t keep him from palming your flesh, and watching with wide, breathless gaze as your nipples harden under him. “You’re such a treat.” You think you might just be, from the way he’s all but drooling over you.

Perhaps you were made to be consumed.

And God, does he ever savor; his touch moves south, ever slow. You wish he would get it over with. Wish he wasn’t so careful, that he would take what he had obviously won already. But he doesn’t; he traces formless designs along the soft dip and curves of your body, reaching the hem of your barely together pants. He lets out a heavy breath through his nose, catching your eyes. “You’re lucky I got to you in time. Gonna treat you so much better than that beast could have.” Would he, though?

The foxboy would have had the decency to make it quick. Would leave you alone after abusing you. Wouldn’t force you to look at him through it all. He wouldn’t pull down your pants with such reverence, with some sort of sick look of love in his gaze.

“I’m gonna make you feel so good.” His voice had taken on a husky tone, gravel and desire taking up space in his throat as he sees the dark spot on your panties. “And look at you, already bein’ good for me and getting nice and wet.” He pets your pussy, running his fingers over the soft cotton, taking in the shiver that passes through your body. He has his eyes on his prize now, though, and with it so close he can’t help but move fast, tearing your panties off you in one quick motion.

Laying before him, wide eyed, naked, and so, so afraid, you finally find it in you to speak again. “W-what’s your name?” It’s stupid. You shouldn’t care. You should be finding a place far away in your mind to hide while you let this happen. But you can’t run from this. Can’t run from his thumb rubbing circles on the top of your thigh, can’t hide from the drumming of his fingers on your hips. If he’s going to do this to you, if he’s going to keep you here and do so much more… You deserve that much.

“Eden.” Its entirely out of place-- for here, for him. If this was anything, it was paradise lost.

Eden is much quicker in removing his own clothing. A small mercy, perhaps; you felt suffocated in the anticipation of it all. But all too soon, the both of you were naked; Eden, hard and wanting over you, small and trembling.

“Shh, darling. I know…” He coos, scooting in close to you to pull you in a kiss. Its wrong; soft, wanting. Why does he bother with the theatrics? Why won’t he just take what he wants from you, and get it over with? Instead, he goes so achingly slow; tender touches that drive heat down where his fingers lay. His kiss is so full of longing your teeth ache from the feeling of it. “I’ll take such good care of you.” He pulls your legs apart, pushing his knees between them. The starting of a home between your very ribs.

“Protect you,” His fingers glide over your bare cunt, barely there. Were you with a man, or a ghost? What had happened to the bravado of the strong hunter that caught you? “Provide for you…” He teases your entrance with two fingers, collecting your arousal and swirling oh so gently. “Let me take care of you.” Again, he leans in to kiss you.

This time, you kiss back. It can’t have been good; your eyes are closed, screwed tight so you don’t see that love struck awe on his face and you can still feel yourself trembling, trying to move your lips against his in a way you think might please him. You have to be good for him. You have to.

“You are taking care of me,” Your voice is still soft, so afraid to speak up when you can feel him knuckle deep in you, fingering you in a careful, controlled way.

“Then relax for me,” he laughs softly, eyes moving from your face two the way your pussy clenches to his fingers. “You’re so tight, baby. You gotta relax if you want it to feel good.” He coos, those rough pads of his fingers rubbing at your g spot and having your gasping.

“I-I just…” You take a deep, fortifying breath. In. Out. In. Out. Could you manage to relax? You open your eyes to look at him, but he has the same look on his face. Obsessive, full of desire and something you can’t quite read.

“I got ya, pretty girl. You’re okay with me.” An airy chuckle leaves him as he looks to your face. “You can relax with me.” He promises. You try to. You really, really do.

You close your eyes and just try to focus on the feeling of it; lazy movements of his fingers, in and out of you. His big, warm, hand, resting on your thigh, sneaking over to your pussy to brush against your clit. It sends a jolt through you, has you gasping and clenching on his fingers and opening your eyes to look at him.

“That feel good?” He laughs, the sound almost cruel. You nod slightly, unsure if you even wanted it to feel good. You just wanted it to be over with.

“Use your words, sweet girl. You gotta tell me when it feels good.” You can’t help but whimper when he pumps his fingers and rubs your clit in tandem. You keen and chase the friction by bucking your hips, but he suddenly stops. “Told you, good girls speak when spoken too.” His warning is light, mirthful. It was a game right now but that could very quickly change. You swallow thickly.

“M-more, please.” You look up with big, wet eyes. He smiles, pleased with your quick compliance, and continues at the same pace as before. “Faster, Eden.” Your hands had remained glued to your side most this entire time, but now you’re tempted to grab his wrist, to grind against him for some sort of relief.

“That’s a good girl.” His voice is a growl, the tone deep with his desire. You feel him scissor inside you, pushing his long fingers in and thrusting quickly. You just had to focus on that motion. Focus on the electric feeling welling up inside you and chase it. Grind against the delicious feeling of his deft fingers rubbing your clit and just let go--

“I think you’re good and ready now.” It’s a near full system shock as he retreats his hands from you. You hear yourself whine loudly, before sensations come back to you and you open your eyes. Eden has a shit eating grin, even as he brings his fingers up to his mouth to taste of you. As you take deep breaths you dare a look between his legs. His fingers were nothing like what he was packing between his legs-- it was too big. He was too big.

Towering above you, as he traps you between his wide knees. He pushes your legs open wide, wider to accommodate him. “Relax just like I told ya too honey. It’ll be okay.” He reaches to grab your hand and you might had puked if you weren’t so scared. He wanted it to be romantic in every sense of the word, fitting his big fingers through yours with one hand, and holding his cock in the other. “It’s gonna feel a little uncomfortable at first, and I know you don’t like talkin much,” he chuckles, his head flush with your entrance. He looks into your eyes, making sure you hear him. “but you gotta tell me your okay, or if I need to stop.”

Why did it have to be him? Someone so accommodating. You might have had a shred of dignity left to argue with him (to fight back) if he had been mean. If he had hurt you, if he had just taken you by the river like the beast he was trying so hard not to be. But it had to be special. You, had to be special.

“Okay.” You know he won’t move until you tell him too. Perhaps he could hear how fast your heart was beating, or maybe see how your chest was rising and falling in your labored breathing. “Y-you can put it in.” Stupid girl who couldn’t even speak without stuttering. Of course he was going to treat you like a doll.

Somehow, he finds it in him to go slow; he sinks into your welcoming heat with a loud hiss. “Fuck, baby. You’re gonna be the death of me.” You don’t how far in he is, don’t dare to look as you seize up and scrunch your face. It didn’t hurt as much as you thought it might but it was still uncomfortable. “Oh baby, you gotta relax.” He laughs as he sees your face. He squeezes the hand he holds again, his free one now coming up to cup your cheeks. “Let me see your eyes, pretty girl.” Like the obedient thing you are, you open them.

“Feels weird,… Eden.” You shift uncomfortably under him. Its not enough to deter him, nothing would be at this point, but it does soften him. He likes it when you call him by his name. Must make him feel closer than the two of you really are.

“I know baby, it’ll feel good soon though. D’you feel like you could take more?” He lets out a heavy breath through his nose. How much he was holding back for you, you couldn’t be certain. You bite your lip, and decide it would be better to get it over with.

“Slow, please.” You had never felt so small as you do now. But as he pushes more of his length into you, you both gasp. You grasp on to his forearm, clench his hand as he pushes. You don’t tell him to stop.

It’s uncomfortable, the feeling of being so full. He must have bottomed out, from the way he’s panting heavy and looking down at you with half lidded eyes. “Honey baby,” You open your eyes again, looking into his. “You feel like heaven, pretty girl. Please, tell me to move.” He grunts out the words, looking for any sign from you.

“I still need, need a second.” You take a deep breath, whimpering as you shift a little. He hisses again, gripping your hip tight a moment before lessening his grip.

“Let me make it better, baby.” He’s quick to move his hand from your hip back over to your clit, rubbing small, quick, circles on it. The sudden friction has you gasping and involuntarily clenching around him, the both of you groaning at the sudden feeling. “Shh, I know honey.”

“S-slow, please. Slow down.” You keen and stress again, until Eden slows his movements, circling your poor clit with more deliberate movements. At this you take a deep breath, and close your eyes.

“Aww, my poor girl.” He coos, watching you. “I think you’re ready, aren’t you?” God, he sounds desperate. He probably is. Even if you aren’t quite ready, Eden was pretending to give you the choice.

“O...okay,” You grip the bed, taking a big intake of breath as he starts to pull out of you. Slowly, until just his head sits you than back in. You just had to focus on the sensation; of his fingers, starting to pick up pace on your clit. Of his cock, dragging against your pussy in a way that’s not entirely unpleasant. You just couldn’t look at him. At the way he held you like someone precious, how his eyes held such tenderness and concern and desire.

“Look at me, darling. Need to see you’re okay.” He pants and you unscrunch your face. When had you gotten all wound up? “Oh there’s my pretty girl.” He grins and laughs softly when you look to him. He’s picked up the pace, hand leaving your clit to hold your hip in place as he finally takes his prize. “So wet for me, so good.”

He’s starting to lose himself, like the beast he is. Thoughts of gentleness are all but abandoned as he takes and takes from you. You can’t help the soft noises and moans you make; if you were good, this would be over soon. He would take what he wanted from you and it would be over.

Until the next time, of course.

“E-Eden, I’m close.” You had been focusing so hard on that little bundle of feel good in you, you failed to realize just how brutal Eden had gotten. Slamming into your hips, bullying his cock into your virgin hole again and again. Struggling to maintain his pace, eager to feel you.

“Me too darlin’, it’s okay. You can cum when ever you want.” He was out of breath, leaning over you and looking down at you before devouring your lips. This time, he is consuming; he steals your lips, your breath, your very thoughts with the want and hunger in his kiss.

You gasp in surprise as your orgasm hits you, moaning into Eden’s mouth and clenching your legs around his waist. At this, he groans, barely pulling from your lips to stutter his hips once, twice, into your welcoming heat and cumming into your poor pussy.

You want to stay in that blissful moment. You grind against his spent cock, eager to chase the little after waves and hide from the upcoming moment. But Eden merely lets out a soft groan, pulling from you slowly and carefully, to your chagrin.

“Shh baby, there’ll be more to come.” He chuckles at your little whine. You come back to yourself, breathing heavy and looking up at him with big, wide eyes. You were covered in a cold sweat, could feel his cum in you and cooling on your inner thighs.

God, that really happened. He was still there, looking at you. You could feel the weight of the collar around your next, his eyes watching you. You were stuck here with Eden. You didn’t even have it in you to question him as he settles down into the bed next to you, happily pulling you into his arms. He seems to tire quick, sighing in content as he wraps his arms around your waist, and rests his chin in the gap between your head and shoulder.

“You’re gonna like it here, promise.” He seems to grow softer before rest. “Just have to get you use to life out here. It’ll be rough-- but we’ve got each other.” You close your eyes and try to ignore him. Rest would be your respite-- tomorrow, you could face this growing problem.

Tomorrow, you would face the trauma of being kidnapped. Tomorrow, you would deal with the consequences of losing your virginity. Tomorrow, you would see Eden’s face in the light of day and you wouldn’t even be able to hate him. Yes, tomorrow, it would be so much worse.

But tonight, you are tired. Tonight, you can pretend he’s someone you love. Tonight, it was all okay. Because you were good, you were sweet and cute and pathetic and everything he liked. And if you could continue to be just that, you would find a way out of this fine mess.

“Oh, and darling?” He hums the words in your ear, as close to a whisper as his gruff voice can make. “Don’t think I ever got your name…”

You pretend you’ve fallen asleep. Perhaps the only thing worse than his deep voice calling you those pet names, would be him calling your name as he looks at you with that lovesick gaze. No, you are already asleep; Eden sighs but doesn’t try to wake you. He readjusts against you once, and than mutters.

“Guess I’ll see in the morning…”

[angelsanarchy]

Alkaline: Euronymous x Y/N Series CH 24

Tagging: @ophelialaufey @madamemaximoff06 @forever-not-gonna-sink@ajmiila02@liquidsmoothdomme@shady-the-simp @auggiethecreator @tempt-ress @blacksoul-27

TW: Oral sex, Light Dom, Facefucking

Oystein was standing amongst his friends, hearing about what Faust did and seeing it on the news was like a wash of ice cold water being dumped over him. The shit they had been getting into since Helvete had become a thing for the black metal fans to flock to had officially crossed a line. It didn't help that he had Varg up his ass about being a poser because he hasn't been with him for all the church arson. Now he was involved and if Varg or Faust got caught up, so would he.

He walked into his apartment and started stripping out of his clothes that smelled like scorched wood. There was no saving some of the things he was wearing but he at least wanted to save his leather jacket. He shoved the clothes in a bag before jumping in the shower. He had heard the phone about 10 minutes after getting in and ran to answer it.

"Hello?" He answered out of breath.

"Hey it's me. What are you up to?" Y/n's smile came through the phone and Oystein felt a wave of relief hearing her voice.

"Well I'm currently standing naked and dripping all over the floor. You caught me in the middle of a shower." He explained.

"Haven't you heard of letting it go to voicemail?" She teased.

"Nah not for my favorite girl. What's up?" He asked towel drying his hair.

"I was just calling to see how your day was, nothing crazy. I may have sort of missed seeing you in the shop today." Y/n admitted making Oystein take a deep breath.

"Trust me, I missed seeing you too. My day was...uneventful. How was your day?" Oystein had never had a conversation with someone that felt so effortlessly normal.

"Not too hectic. I actually feel pretty good and was wondering if you would be interested in some company tonight. I'm off tomorrow-"

"Yes...a thousand percent yes." Oystein didn't hesitate and Y/n laughed.

"Okay okay, I'm out of here in about half an hour. I'll be there in a bit but put some clothes on before I get there. I don't want you putting any moves on me." She teased.

"I make no promises." Oystein looked around the apartment and knew the only thing he had to clean up was those clothes he was trashing. He tried to light a candle to get some of the charred wood smell out of the air. He ran to the corner store to grab a case of beer, some more air freshener and condoms...just in case.

By the time he had finished spraying the apartment, getting the beer in the fridge, Y/n had held the buzzer. He let her up and held the door open for her as she entered the apartment, full of smiles, a bag of food and a case of beer.

"I didn't really get you any housewarming gift so..." She held it up and he kissed her before taking it.

"I'm pretty sure you did but I'll always accept food and beer." Oystein walked the beer to the fridge as she shook her jacket off.

"Do you happen to have a shirt I could wear? I smell like work and it's driving me crazy." She asked politely and Oystein nodded retrieving one for her. She came out of the bathroom in just the shirt, her hair down and barefoot walking across the floor.

"You asked me to not put the moves on you and you come out of the bathroom like that?" She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It didn't go with my work pants...sue me." She joked letting him lean down to place another, more intimate kiss on her lips, his wet hair tickling her face.

"You smell good...better than you normally smell." She smiled.

"The shower and air freshener help." Oystein let her go as they walked into his small kitchenette.

"Are you staying the night or leaving late?" He asked holding two beers in his hand. Y/n bit her lip for a moment.

"Are you asking me to stay the night?" She asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Y/n...you're always welcome to stay the night with me." She still didn't answer and he let out a sigh walking over towards her and placing the beers down.

"Y/n would you like to stay the night with me?" He asked sweetly.

"Yes I think I would." She leaned on the counter towards him and he ruffled her hair.

"I'll get the beers open, go open the food before it gets cold and gross." She walked around the counter, allowing Oystein to walk towards the coffee table. He turned the TV on and started taking the food out.

"Hey, do you have a lot of sex in your kitchen?" She asked opening a drawer to look for a bottle opener.

"What? No? Why would you-" Y/n came out of the kitchen with the box of condoms Oystein had tossed in a junk drawer. The same junk drawer that held his bottle cap opener.

"I swear, I literally just bought those tonight." Y/n laughed at his response.

"Oh so you thought you were going to get lucky huh?" She teased bringing the condoms and the beers over to the couch.

"I'll take what I can get from you Y/n. I just got you talking to me again, the last thing I want to do is run you off or not be prepared in the event you do want to do more than..." Oystein sputtered off.

"More than rubbing one out?" She smiled. He rolled his eyes and pulled her into his side. She lived to tease him. He moved his body so that she could lean against him as they ate and watched TV. Oystein hadn't felt this content in a long time, if ever. Something about having Y/n with him, being normal and just relaxing together made him feel like his life wasn't as chaotic as it usually was.

The breaking news report of the church burnings came across the TV and she chuckled.

"This shit is ridiculous. These assholes think they're doing something by burning down random churches, like that's going to do anything." She shook her head.

"Well I mean...they're clearly trying to send a message. Burn down the institution..." Oystein offered. Y/n turned her head to look at him.

"Yeah but they aren't...they're burning down old, worn out buildings. Yeah they're sacred to them but that doesn't do shit to the expensive ones that people actually frequent." She waved her hand at the TV.

"Are you suggesting the targets need to be bigger?" Oystein eyed her surprised.

"No of course not. They haven't killed anyone yet just committed arson on a multi-billion kroner organization that gets hand outs from its constituents. Fire cannot destroy the church. They're just being idiots about what is oppressing them." Oystein no longer wanted to talk about it and Y/n was picking up on that.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to stress you out. I know they're trying to pin all this shit on satan worship and black metal. I'm sure that's got a few extra eyes on the shop." She rubbed his thigh comforting him and he nodded his head.

"Honestly, every day the shop is open I'm surprised. The way Varg keeps running these random neo-nazi's in and out of the black circle-" She turned the tv off and got up from the couch, holding her hands out.

"No Varg talk. Let's just go to bed and not think about all this other bullshit." Oystein took her hands, letting her pull him to his feet. He followed her to his bedroom and plopped down on the edge of the bed. She stood between his knees and let him rest his head against her torso. She rubbed his shoulders and he groaned.

"You have a lot of tension in your shoulders baby." She frowned trying to rub the knots out.

"My whole life is tension but that does feel really good." He admitted.

Without warning, she pulled his head from her body and got down on her knees in front of him. He looked at her confused but when she pushed her hands to his hips and pulling at his sweatpants, he knew exactly what she was doing.

"I thought you said you didn't want to lose your groupie virginity on my couch." Oystein chuckled.

"Well we aren't on your couch." She joked making him lean up and grab her hands.

"Y/n you don't have to-"

"Oystein, I just want to suck your cock and feel your cum in my belly. If you have objections to that, I will stop but if you don't then please...shut the fuck up." Y/n waited for him to protest some more but he was already hard from her palming at him. She freed his cock from the sweatpants and he kicked them off as she let her lips kiss the tip. His breath hitched in his throat watching her as she held his gaze. She wanted to take care of him, wanted him let himself relax and take the lead so that she could suck the tension from his body out of his cock. He let both of his hands rest on the back of her head as she started sucking him down. She raked her fingernails up and down his bare thighs as she gurgled and choked on his cock.

His breathing was loud and he tried to hold his moans to a minimum to avoid embarrassing himself but when she started to bob her head, he couldn't resist.

"Fuck just like that." He threw his head back, bucking his hips up into her mouth and listening to the sounds of her choking once more. The more her head bounced, the harder she sucked and he knew he wasn't going to last very long.

"Does it feel good baby?" Y/n pulled off and spit on his cock so she could stroke him while she spoke.

"It feels so fucking good. Please don't stop." He begged.

"I won't but I want you to cum for me. I don't want you to think about anything else, just me sucking your cock." Y/n commanded. He swallowed feeling how dry his throat was from having his mouth hang open to suck in air.

"I want you to talk to me." She waited for him to lock eyes with her before she put her lips back on him. He nodded in understanding and cupped her chin.

"You like sucking my cock? Like a good little slut? You want me to fuck your throat until it's raw?" He used some pressure on her jaw making her moan as she sucked.

"Be a good girl and swallow my cock down until you can't take it. I want to give you what you want. I want to cum down your throat so hard that you have to swallow it and let it fill your belly up." He could see her rubbing between her legs as she continued to choke and drool, spit hitting his hands as he moved from her chin to the back of her hair, grabbing a handful.

"I'm going to skull fuck you until your little cunt is soaking wet." Oystein moved his hips violently and Y/n moaned from the punishment he was inflicting on her throat until he was finally reaching the edge and cumming hard down her throat, stilling her motion with both of his hands holding her head in place. She coughed a few moments before swallowing and pulling off breathless. He pulled her from her knees and tossed her on the bed where he once sat, snatching her panties off with a tear and sucking on her already dripping clit. She screamed and trying to wiggle away from him but he had both his strong arms wrapped around her thighs, holding her in place as he pushed her to an orgasm.

"Oystein...I can't..." She tried as he pistoned two fingers into her cunt until he felt her squeezing around them. Her legs snaked up around him and he slowed his hands down, pulling them from inside of her and putting them to his mouth. His spent cock rest against her naked belly, collecting bits of his cum and her spit as she spilled out onto his bare knee that nudged against her sensitive core.

"I love you, you know that?" He pushed her hair off her face as they both tried to breathe. She looked at him surprised and he leaned down to kiss her sweetly. He didn't expect to her to say it back. He didn't want her to say it back to be honest. He just wanted her to know that she had him deeply and completely fucked for her. He could only hope that one day, she would feel the same way as he did.

[androgynousblackbox]

Welcome to Hazbin Vale. 1 [Appleradio]

"Hello, hello, my dear listeners! Your dear radio host Alastor is here to give you, once again, the most warming welcome to your favorite station here in our splendid town of Hazbin Vale. It's truly quite a pleasure to being back on the air after that rather unfortunate murder that happened near the studio.

Yes, indeed, truly unfortunate that an unruly teenager didn't pick a better target to pick on late at night when some individuals want to just grab some milk at the gas station and had to live the consequences. But is exactly as they say, my friends; you reap what you saw and that night the scythe of death must have felt a little bit… impatient than usual.

But there's no need to worry about that! I am sure that the thirst for death has been quench for now and there won't be any other danger on the horizon. You see, I am just cursed with an unbearable optimism, dear listener, so I am sure that you will be going home without no worry or concern in your tender, warm, little hearts tonight. Back to your lovely families who all can let a sigh of relief because there is nobody outside watching through the window. Or are there? I would close the windows and keep the lights out, just to be safe.

Back again to our waste of youth, I mean, our dearly departed young delinquent, I think I saw their foot sticking out from behind the counter at the gas station when I pased this morning. The police must have been too busy picking up all the other pieces that they missed it! If any of our valiant police officers could take care of that so the whole body could be put underground that would be lovely. For the family, of course!

I actually tried to get some comment from the police chief Husk to give you all, but someone must have skipped on their greasy filled donuts breakfast this morning because the old man Husk just shush me away, insisting that they were already taking care of everything.

Truly, how rude is that? Has the police never heard about such a thing as freedom of press? Outrageous, I tell you that! But even though I could stay and argue for my civil rights, as I had every right to do, dear listener, I instead walked away to my radio tower while humming to myself our last hit of yesterday, "Murder on the dance floor!" I don't know why I got that particularly melody stuck in my head so much.

Oh, nevermind that. For whoever may care, or be morbidly curious about it, the service for the body will be tomorrow at 9 AM in our local church. Despite the many flaws of her offpring, his mother is a nice lady that knows to stay quiet when it's convenient for her, so please, send her my most sincere condolecencies if you happened to see her. I believe she was planning to move out of town right after putting her son to rest, as she told me herself this morning on my way here. Since of course I had to make sure that she was in a good state of mind and wasn't causing a ruckus trying to say to the police things she shouldn't have.

Poor woman. I can't imagine what it must feel like to have such a loss. The sense of relief to have one less mouth to feed can be overwhelming. She will surely be missed, whatever her name was!

In other less satisfying news, the universe truly has it's own way to balance everything because as soon someone was out, someone else is comming in. That is right, dear listener, while I was having my morning stroll I happened to hear all about our new resident in town that moved to the old abandoned house at the outskirt of everything. From what I could gather by the power of people's gossip, this man is a inventor who primarly makes toys and has made a considerable fortune out of it. How nice.

He plans to revive the toy store that had to shut down two years ago when that whatisherface rude clerk was slaughtered in a particularly hilarious manner there and the cowardly owners ran away. We all remember that incident. They never did find her delicious soft hands, did they?

Another tragedy that we all mourned together, indeed. The closing of the toy store, that is. The youth does really need space to entertain themselves in a safe and controlled environment. Maybe if some teenagers had something like that growing up, they wouldn't have ended up on the ground, ha ha!

Who knows, it could even revitalize a little bit of the spark this town used to have. Now everyone is so afraid and paranoid, talking about all these sudden and inexplicable attacks as if they were worth mulling over rather than an inevitability of life. As if thinking about it is ever going to stop a knife directed to the throat. A waste of time if you ask me.

So a nice change of pace might be exactly what we all need! I heard that this inventor even brought along his own daughter, that should be starting in preschool for the next week if I am not mistaken. I haven't been able to meet the man yet, but it sounds like at the very least could be interesting for three whole minutes if I am lucky. Five if a miracle happens. Oh, along with my optimism, I have also been cursed with too high expectations, it seems.

What I can say? I am a dreamer at heart.

Ah, new blood is always rather exciting, don't you think, listener? Me, I am not particularly fond of children, especially the rude ones, but I am nothing if not flexible to whatever changes may come our way and my curiosity is always killing. That is how the saying goes, isn't it? Ha ha, we have a lot of fun here, don't we?

I think great things are about to happen here, in this lovely quaint town of ours, listener. I can feel it on the air. It's crinkling and static with energy, after so, so long. It's finally waking up. I know you feel it too.

Be sure to give the toy maker a welcome only worthy of Hazbin Vale when you have the chance. Tell him that Alastor will always be reporting the news of this town and to tune in with the rest of us whenever he wants. Remember: I am always here. I will be here to delight your ears for as long you breath and long after you are done breathing. I can never stop or be stopped. That is a promise.

Now, for the weather…"

[flatbstanley]

Sunday, 9:07 pm - Arts Quarter, San Myshuno

Katie: Still working on that case for tomorrow? Looks like you've got a pile of good evidence already.

Will: Almost three hundred text messages - and that's just up to 5 pm today. I'm sure he's sent more since Taylor took these screenshots.

Katie: I wish I could say I'm shocked, but I got almost as many when I was dealing with him.

Katie: Do you need anything? More coffee?

Will: Thanks, honey, but I'm good for now. You know something, though? I bet Taylor's going to be wanting an annulment sometime down the road.

Katie: ...Are you saying what I think you are?

Will: You spent all that time and money to get a double degree in regular law and church law - religious law - whatever the Catholic law is called.

Katie: For the thousandth time, it's canon law. And for the hundredth time, I know I'd suck at arguing an annulment case. Just thinking about it makes me feel like I'm back in torts class and Evans is about to cold call me.

Will: Now you're going to give me a heart attack. But what I've seen online, all you have to do is present a quick case to a board of three people. In San Sequoia it's two priests and a nun. You're fine with all the corporate bigwigs you deal with every day, but you're scared of a little old nun?

Katie: Have you ever met a nun?

Will: Come to think of it, no. Plenty of priests running around at UBrite, but I don't remember any nuns.

Katie: They’re ten times more terrifying than Evans ever was. Every Catholic on earth will back me up. Especially anyone who went to Catholic school.

Will: I'll take your word for it. Look, Katie-cat, don't let me talk you into doing anything you really don't want to do. I'm just saying that it's a long road for Taylor, and she's going to need some good help. Besides yours truly, of course.

Katie: Believe me, sweetheart, I know. But for now I think you're just fine on your own. Don't stay up too late, all right? Wouldn't want you falling asleep in front of the judge.

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

Angel of God -- The St. Agnes Years - Chapter One

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Matt Murdock & F!Reader

Warnings/Tags: Pre-relationship, Slices of Life, Pining (oh, so much pining).

Word Count: ~1450 (for this chapter )

A/N: A look into AoG's Matt & Reader's lives together as children, from their first meeting until their eventual separation.

November 17, 1996

Dear God, please help me to be brave, Matthew Murdock prayed to himself as the taxi he was in pulled to a stop outside of St. Agnes Orphanage. 

"Alright," the cab driver said in a thick New York accent. "Here you are."

"Come along, Matthew," the nun who had gone to pick him up from his temporary foster home said as she got out of the cab. "Don't dawdle."

"Sorry, Sister," Matt mumbled, trailing behind her.

He gripped his cane tight and adjusted his sunglasses, taking a deep breath before following her towards the entrance.

He fumbled for the railing as his cane bumped into a set of steps, slowly and carefully making his way upwards towards his home for at least the next nine years.

"Your things will be brought to your room," Sister… (Bernadine? Beatrice? Bonaventure? Matt couldn't remember, but he knew it was something with a B) said as they headed inside and down a winding hallway. "In the meantime you'll join the other children outside for recreation. Dinner is at six, nighttime prayer at six-thirty. Don't be late for either."

She opened another door and led Matt out into what he assumed was a backyard area.

He could hear other children laughing and yelling as they chased each other around.

"Ah, Sister Maggie," Sister B-name said as they walked up to another nun. "This is our new ward, Matthew. I'm entrusting him into your care -- I have urgent business to attend to."

"Of course, Sister Bernadette," Sister Maggie replied.

Sister Bernadette! That was it.

"Matthew." With that, Sister Bernadette turned and walked away.

Matt stood near Sister Maggie, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly a timid voice said, "Hi. I like your glasses."

Matt turned towards the voice. It sounded female, maybe slightly younger than him? Matt wasn't quite sure. "Thanks," he said warily.

"Are you an orphan too?"

The sting of losing his father hit Matt all over again. "Yeah," he said quietly.

A small hand slipped into his. "It's okay, I'll be your friend. I'm Y/N."

"Matt."

"There's some tables over here. Come sit with me."

Matt allowed Y/N to lead him to the tables, somehow already trusting of the young girl.

"So how old are you?" Matt asked as they sat. 

"Eight," Y/N replied. "You?"

"I'm nine." Matt paused. "Have you lived here long?"

"Yeah, since I was two. It's not that bad here, you'll get used to it. Just don't make Sister Bernadette mad, 'cause she's really strict. The other nuns are pretty nice though, especially Sister Maggie. She lets me bring books to outdoor recreation, and if we have to stay inside because it's raining, she'll let me spend recreation time in the library."

"Is that what you were doing just now? Reading?"

"Mhmm. I just started ' Where the Red Fern Grows' , have you ever read it?"

Matt shook his head. "Oh, um, no. What's it about?"

"It's about a boy who goes hunting with his two dogs in the mountains. I can read it to you if you want. I'm not too far into it so I don't mind starting over."

Matt nodded, relieved that Y/N hadn't made a big deal about his visual impairment. Most people other than his father had either treated Matt like a pariah or as someone to be pitied, but she didn't seem to mind. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

"Okay. We'll have to start tomorrow though because recreation time is almost over."

Matt nodded again. "Okay."

As if on cue, the church bells began to ring. 

Y/N stood. "Come on, you can sit next to me at dinner."

Matt smiled, relieved to not have to sit by himself. "Yeah, okay."

Y/N took his hand once again. She led him inside and down a hall, then turned left and opened a door. "Okay, so this is the cafeteria. All you have to do is sit and wait and Sister Gertrude will bring your food, but we can't eat until we say grace."

Matt nodded. "Okay."

A few seconds later a tray was set in front of him.

Matt wrinkled his nose at the overwhelming smell of overcooked meat and dried-out tomato sauce. "What is it?"

"Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, a brownie, and milk."

"Alright, children, bow your heads for grace," a different voice interrupted.

Matt bowed his head and waited.

"Bless us, O Lord…" the voice began intoning. 

" And these thy gifts," Y/N and the other children joined in. "Which we are about to receive, in thy bounty, through Christ our Lord, amen."

"Amen," Matt echoed. He carefully reached out, feeling his way around the table in order to try to find his utensils without accidentally sticking his hand into his food.

Y/N took Matt's hand and placed it on top of his fork. "Here you go."

Matt smiled over at her as he picked it up. "Thank you."

He began eating in silence. There was something different about Y/N, something Matt couldn't quite put his finger on. He felt comfortable with her in a way he hadn't felt with anyone since his accident.

He wasn't able to think about it for too long, because Y/N began speaking again. "After dinner we all go to the chapel for evening prayer, then it's time to get ready for lights out. I can help you find your room if you want. Everyone's name is on their door."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that'd be good. Thanks."

"And actually, um, I can come get you for breakfast in the morning too? Just until you learn your way around."

"Okay."

They continued eating their dinner in silence, and as soon as Matt was done Y/N stood. "Come on, we have to get to the chapel. Sister Bernadette doesn't like it if we're late."

She led Matt outside then through a courtyard to the chapel, slipping into a pew right before the church bells signaled 6:30.

A minute later Matt heard footsteps heading to the altar.

Y/N leaned towards Matt. "That's Father Reynolds," she whispered. "He's the priest here."

Matt nodded in acknowledgement.

"Good evening, children," Father Reynolds said in slightly accented English.

"Good evening, Father," Matt replied along with the other kids.

"Let us begin our evening prayer. 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit'. "

Matt joined in on the Sign of the Cross. "Amen."

Father Reynolds said an opening prayer, then led them in reciting the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Hail Holy Queen, and the Doxology.

"How many more prayers are there?" Matt whispered to Y/N as everyone recited the Apostles' Creed.

"Just one more after this," Y/N whispered back. "Then we do a moment of silent intention, then Father Reynolds will say a blessing."

"Oh, okay." Matt was about to ask which one it was when everyone began reciting the final prayer.

"Angel of God, my guardian dear," they intoned, "to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen."

Matt sucked in a breath as a thought struck him. He had asked God to help him be brave, and not even 2 minutes later Y/N had come up to him and immediately made him feel comfortable. And not only that, but she had even offered to be his friend. Maybe He sent me a guardian angel.

He turned his head towards Y/N slightly, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her. He knew she was real, because she had held his hand, but he admittedly wasn't sure what exactly angels were supposed to be like in human form.

He was jarred out of his thoughts as Y/N took his hand again. "Okay, let's go find your room."

She led Matt back out through the courtyard and up the steps of the orphanage. "Girls are on the second floor and boys are on the third."

They went up a couple of flights of stairs and down another hallway, then Y/N stopped in front of a door. "Here's your room. Bathroom is right across the hall."

"Oh. Okay." Matt hesitated. "Um, thanks."

"You're welcome." Y/N paused. "We're not allowed in each other's rooms after lights out, so I'll see you tomorrow morning before breakfast?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"It's at 7, so I'll come get you around 6:45 if that's okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

To Matt's surprise, Y/N gave him a hug. "Good night, Matt."

Matt hugged her back, the last of his nerves fading away in her warm embrace. Maybe life as an orphan wasn't going to be so scary, especially with an angel by his side.

[hastyprovocateur]

Staying up.

Tldr- you and Ellie drawing in the middle of the night

CW- none, fluff, flirting

You stirred to the sound of soft scratching. Dull stick on paper going back and forth in short strokes. Figures dancing behind your eyelids, you screwed her eyes open. A periscopic view unfolded in the late night, beyond the blanket and your limp arm.

Ellie's head sat visible from the edge of the bed.

You recalled being nose deep in a book, lying stomach down. "Hey" you helped herself up, rubbing your eyes. "Hey..." Ellie turned around, her face lit by the warm glow from the fireplace. Frigid winds blew outside. "Did I wake you?" she asked and you shook your head.

"Your charcoal did"

"Sorry about that"

"I passed out again, didn't I?" a book lay close near your pillow. Your wristwatch neatly marked where you left off. "Terribly. Legs splayed, tits out, drool on the pages" Ellie smirked, earning a smack of the back of her head. You tugged at your watch, it was almost 2 in the night.

"Why are you awake?"

"Self sabotage"

"Ellie... we're on patrol duty tomorrow"

"If they send us out right after this storm, it's not the infected we should be worried about"

You inched out of the blanket, resting your chin on Ellie's shoulder, peering past it. She had a mostly empty stretch of paper on her knees. Charcoal scribbles sat on the bottom to resemble grass.

"That's some sexy grass" you remarked and Ellie kissed your cheek.

"I don't know what to make of it..." she lamented "I thought I'd draw since I suck at sleeping"

"Now I suck at drawing too"

"You don't suck at drawing"

"I have nothing to draw"

"Hmm..." you clambered down the side of the bed, cupping her knees next to your girlfriend "Wanna see my tits?" she pointed to her chest and Ellie gave her a funny look.

"What for?"

"To get the creative juices flowing"

"It's called cum"

"It's called titspiration... you know... like inspiration... but from tits"

Ellie wrapped her arm around your shoulders, slinking a hand inside your vest to cup a breast

"Nope... I'm getting thoughts but not about sketching"

"Call them sketchy thots"

"Sketchy thots but no sketchy thoughts"

"Shut up"

"Go back to bed"

"There's this thing I live by... where I simply don't listen."

"Stay up, then, jeez"

"Don't mind if I do"

Ellie shook her head with a smile, hand hesitating as she returned to her drawing sheet, leaving cautious strokes as she wracked her brains. You picked up a piece of charcoal from the floor, giving Ellie a gentle, questioning look.

"Go ahead" Ellie shifted the paper onto your lap, supported by some hard board as she watched you keenly. You took her chance, scribbling out a fearsome form above the grass. Ellie held in her laughter "What's that?"

"It's... a... veloci... velocipastor"

"Velociraptor?"

"What else"

"You're sleep deprived"

"I am also a loyal lover who cherishes and supports her insomniac girlfriend"

"Fair enough" Ellie bit her lip, crossing your arm to draw a figure ahead of the dinosaur. Her fingers lightly squeezed her breast every now and then. You gently touched the outline she drew. A determined man, walking with fire and brimstone.

"Is that Joel?" you choked on giggles as Ellie nodded furiously.

"Is he leading the velocipastor?"

"Yes"

"Where to?"

"He doesn't know yet"

"Wait" you pressed the charcoal stick onto the sheet, creating straight towers, spires, pillars and a cross. Your hand was nowhere near as good as Ellie's but you knew shapes. You rendered the outline of a familiar building.

"Church?" Ellie chuckled, pitching in to help with some details "Is it for a sermon?"

"An exorcism" you suggested

"Joel's?"

"Yes, by the velocipastor"

"Could be a wedding too"

"Such an... extinguished... couple"

"Hey"

Your heavy eyes were half-lidded and red, head gently rolling to the side to rest on Ellie's shoulder. "I can... stay... up" you barely mumbled and Ellie stroked down your arm, watching as sure enough, your breath began to deepen.

"I told you to sleep, bedbug" Ellie stared at your silly scribbles, reaching up to add the particulars of the very moment in the corner. Strangely enough, their shenanigans had tired her out enough to partake in some semblance of sleep.

[mimisempai]

It's just a risk to take - 2/2

Chapter summary

Dream and Hob have lost sight of each other... but who knows what the future holds...?

On Ao3

Rating G - 3248 words (2nd chapter)

Time had passed since the annulment of their marriage.

Weeks became days, then months and eventually years.

He never saw Dream again.

Life had gone on because Hob was like that, he kept moving forward no matter what. 

His circle of friends had not grown, and he could always count on his two pillars Matthew and Johanna.

The only ones who knew everything about him, even his regrets.

The only ones who supported him in everything he did and who never judged him.

Like today.

They were both here with him.

It was their eyes that he met first when he heard the first note of the wedding march resound in the church. Johanna winked at him in encouragement and Matthew gave a thumbs up in support. Hob took a deep breath, tightened his bow tie, smoothed his jacket and his gaze shifted from his friends to the crowd.

He couldn't help but smile inwardly in an ironical way because of the comical repartition of the people in the church. On his side, having no family left and very few friends, there was no one except his two best friends and some colleagues. On the other side was a crowd of people he didn't know. 

His gaze continued to wander and fell on the woman who had just come through the gate on her father's arm.

Eleanor. Beautiful in her white dress, she was smiling softly, radiant with happiness.

He watched her walk down the center aisle until she arrived in front of him. She kissed her father before he symbolically gave Hob his daughter's hand with a friendly nod.

Then, Hob and Eleanor both stood facing the priest who addressed the crowd, "My friends, we are all gathered here today in this place to celebrate the union of Eleanor and Robert."

When the priest made them sit down to give his preaching, memories that Hob thought he would never find surfaced in his mind.

Dream stumbled as he got up from his bar stool and Hob just as staggering got up to help him walk, "Come on, I'll walk you back to your room."

Arm in arm, as best they could, they walked out of the bar and were heading for the elevator when Dream suddenly exclaimed, "Oh look, a chapel, it says they marry at all hours of the day and night!"

Hob giggled, "You want to get married?"

Dream, staggering, retorted, "Don't make fun of me. I've been dreaming of becoming Dream Gadling since I met you."

Hob giggled again, "Well, I want to be Robert of the Endless. It's much classier."

This time it was Dream who giggled, "Pfff so let's become Dream and Robert of the Endless-Gadling."

Hob, standing up straight, or rather trying to stay up straight, replied, with a challenging tone, "I dare you."

Dream held his gaze, took his hand and led him into the chapel, then turned back to Hob, looking surprisingly more sober. He said to him, "Robert Gadling, promise me that tomorrow you won't have forgotten anything."

Hob stepped forward and grasping Dream's face in his hands, he pressed a sounding kiss to his lips and said in a loud voice, "I promise you that if you don't forget anything either."

But in the end, they had both forgotten.

And now it was far too late.

"Please stand up."

Hob was snapped out of his thoughts by the priest's voice and stood up along with everyone else.

"We will now proceed with the exchange of consents. Eleanor, Hob, please hold hands."

Eleanor's warm hand grasped his and the priest turned to her, "Eleanor, will you take this man, Robert, to be your husband, to live together in marriage, will you love him, comfort him, honor him and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, as long as you both shall live?"

Eleanor took a small breath and answered in a clear, strong voice, "No."

Hob heard the crowd gasp echoing his own gasp.

He asked in a breath, "Eleanor...?" 

She looked at him, still smiling, "Hob... look around you..."

"But... what... what are you..."

Eleanor whose smile never left her lips repeated to him with insistence, "Look around you, please."

Hob could only obey and turned around. He could not hold back another gasp.

The church was empty.

No one was there. Even Matthew and Johanna were gone.

When he turned back to Eleanor and the priest, the priest was gone too. Only he and the young woman were left.

Shocked, he asked Eleanor, "But why? I don't understand. What's going on?"

Eleanor raised her white-gloved hand and, touching softly Hob's cheek, said gently, "Hob, you don't belong here. This is not where you belong. We have had our time, we have loved each other, we have been happy but now it is time for you to move on. Your happiness is elsewhere and in the bottom of your heart, you will remember that."

Stunned, Hob tried to intervene, "But, Eleanor...I..."

The young woman shook her head, "You know it, you will remember it... Go my love and be happy without regret. Don't be afraid... everything is fine, I am happy and now it's your turn."

She leaned forward and told him gently, "Close your eyes now."  His throat tightening, he obeyed and Eleanor whispered in his ear, "Go to him." then he felt a brush against his cheek with a final whisper, "Open your eyes now."

He heard Johanna's and Matthew's voices echoing and saying the same words to him in turn.

"Open your eyes."

Suddenly Hob opened his eyes and he was no longer in the church.

It was night and he was in his bed. 

He looked around and reality began to unfold in front of him.

He whispered, stunned, "This... this was all a dream?"

The hotel, the wedding, Dream, Matthew, Johanna and even Eleanor.

All of that! A dream?

Hob sat down on the edge of the bed and thought, remembering his dream.

After a few moments, all the absurdity, all the clues proving to him that it had all been a dream, suddenly jumped to his eyes. 

First of all, there was Matthew, Dream's faithful companion whom Hob had come to know and whom he had made a friend. But he was a raven, who spoke for sure, but a raven, not the man whose appearance he had taken in Hob's dream.

There was Johanna, whom he and Dream had seen several times since they were reunited.

Matthew's room number, 0607. June 7. The date of his meetings with Dream every hundred years, the same date that was on both the marriage certificate and the annulment. 

Matthew's reaction to the idea of the wedding being annulled. As if he disapproved. Hob remembers all those signs he had given him. All those answers that Matthew had immediately denied.

Everything was becoming clear.

He whispered to himself, "No wedding, no annulment, Dream and I are still together." Even though it had only been a dream, the feeling of loneliness when he hadn't seen Dream again was still vivid in him. But thankfully, it had really only been a dream.

He whispered again, "But why did I have this dream?"

The moment he asked himself, he knew perfectly why. 

The reason was Dream's words when he had walked him home the night before.

"Robert Gadling, how about we make our relationship something more permanent."

They stood in front of Hob's apartment door and his stranger who was no longer a stranger, had a gentle gaze as he leaned into him, pressing his lips into a soft kiss. Then he stepped back and continued, "Take your time to think about it. I'll expect your answer tomorrow at the inn, same time. But if by any chance you wanted to see me before then, just call me out loud or think my name loudly, and I'll be there."

Then Dream had disappeared leaving Hob at the door of his apartment.

One did not have to be Freud to know that his dream had been provoked by Dream's words. Before falling asleep, Hob had only thought about Dream's proposal. He had turned it over in all directions, thinking about the consequences, good and bad. Especially the bad ones.

And his subconscious had produced this incredible dream. 

Fueled by his fear of committing himself again. Fueled by his fear of losing someone he loved again.

Because this time it would be a relationship of which he had no way to anticipate the end. For the first time he would be with someone who didn't have a life span much shorter than his own. There would be no escape. 

But did he want to escape?

Did he want, as in his dream, to avoid becoming permanently attached to Dream for fear of losing him?

Although he hadn't heard them that way in his dream, Hob imagined the exchange of consent if the marriage had been with Dream.

"Robert, will you take this man, Dream, to be your husband, to live together in marriage, will you love him, comfort him, honor him and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, as long as you both shall live?"

Hob had his answer.

Of course he wanted it all. With Dream.

What he stood to lose if he didn't want to be engaged with Dream would be greater than what he could lose if it didn't work out. After everything they had been through, their dreadful parting in 1889, Dream's entrapment, that risk seemed even smaller.

He muttered to himself, "Yes, I do want all of that."

But that wasn't enough for him, he had to tell the words to Dream.

Not in twelve hours.

Now.

“But if by any chance you wanted to see me before then, just call me out loud or think my name loudly, and I'll be there."

Why should he wait?

He called, "Dream!"

Nothing.

He called again, "Dream!"

This time the lord of dreams materialized in front of him in a cloud of sand and his familiar voice uttered, "I am here."

Then Dream's expression turned worried when he saw Hob, and he asked, "Are you all right?"

Hob swallowed, rushed over to him, and grabbed his hands, the words jostling on his lips, "I have to say something, because I don't think I made myself clear. I... I-"

Dream interrupted him, telling him in a reassuring voice, "Hob... hey, easy… calm down. Breathe."

Hob shook his head, "Let me continue, otherwise I won't be able to tell you. I am in love with you. Powerfully, painfully, madly in love with you. You've gotten under my skin in a way I never thought possible. I get excited every time I'm about to see you. And now that we've finally reunited, you make me feel like I've never felt before in my life. I want you to know that. I was shaken, overwhelmed by the enormity of what you were asking of me. But now I know. I know that I don't want to wait any longer, not even twelve hours to tell you that I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I-"

Hob was forced to stop because Dream had raised his hands and grabbed his face, leaning in to press his lips to his. His fingers slid through Hob's hair, pulling him against him as he kissed the man hungrily. Dream pulled back several times to reconnect their mouths again and again, not giving them time to breathe, as if he couldn't get enough. 

When they finally separated long enough to catch their breath, forehead to forehead, panting, Dream whispered, his voice tight with emotion, "Every time... every time I think I've seen everything about you, you amaze me again and again. You can't even imagine how much I love you. How much you're the one who's gotten under my skin and have been since day one, since the first cheeky smile you threw my way."

Now that he had opened his heart, Hob was no longer afraid and he wrapped eagerly his arms around Dream's waist, pulling him against him in turn to reconnect their lips in another heated kiss, making the Lord of Dreams moan into his mouth.

Every time one felt that the other one wanted to withdraw, he pressed himself even more against him and the other one submitted, totally consenting victim of their mutual passion.

They didn't even know how long it had been since they started kissing. It was only when they both felt they couldn't continue without breathing that Dream slowly withdrew, just enough for them to catch their breath, once again.

They were panting, mouth to mouth, their breath heated and their hearts beating frantically not only from the kiss they had just shared but from all the emotions that were running through them.

Then Dream captured Hob's lips once again, but this time the kiss, though filled with the same passion, was soft and slow, with nothing of the frenzy of the previous one. I was a kiss that celebrated the new nature of their relationship and was rooted in the feelings they had for each other.

When they parted, Hob asked with a curious expression, "Tell me, you had nothing to do with what I might have dreamed last night?"

Dream looked at him, genuinely confused, "No, not at all. I don't even know what you dreamed about, it's all you. Why?"

Hob shook his head, "For nothing..."

Then his expression serious again, he asked, "Dream, where do we go from here?"

Dream grabbed his hand and, kissing it gently, simply replied, "We'll figure it out together," before wrapping his arms around him tenderly.

They did figure it out.

A few months later, it was not along the aisle of a small tourist chapel in a hotel, nor along the aisle of a church that Hob and Dream walked together to the altar. Their feet were following a path of flowers, each one more exquisite than the other. They had for roof a blue sky that no clouds came to trouble. They had the light of a warm summer sun and all around them, the shimmering nature of Fiddler's green.

It was not the music from a pompous organ that accompanied their steps to the altar, but the song of the birds and fairies who had come for the event.

There was no large crowd, no empty side, but a small group of friends and shared family. Only people they loved and were loved by, who had gathered to celebrate Hob and Dream’s happiness.

There were no white dresses either, but both of them looked stunning in their black ceremonial clothes adorned with a starry sky that scintillated with each movement.

Johanna was waiting for them at the foot of the altar to bind them in a magical way.

Her voice was clear and strong as she addressed the gathering, "Friends, we are here together on this blessed day, at the edge of this realm and the next, to witness the union of two loving souls. 

We stand where flesh and magic meet, in the company of friends and spirits. 

Dream and Hob have chosen this day to unite, to cast a bond for all eternity. A bond that not even death can break.

As nature explodes around us in all its colors, its bounty slips quietly into the serenity of this realm, then, like a soft, slow breath, exhales into what awaits beyond. 

Love is woven into this breath. Unending. Eternal." 

Johanna then turned to Hob and Dream.

“Hob and Dream, are you ready to marry?”

There was not a hint of wavering in their voices as they answered in unison, “Yes!”

Johanna continued, "And have you come of your own will, compelled by love only?”

“Yes!”

Once again their voice was resolute.

Johanna came closer and told them, "Then let us cast the spell. Repeat after me."

Heart bound to heart, 

and soul bound to soul - 

I am my own but also yours. 

Our union grows of kindness and caring, 

Of trust well-deserved 

and love unerring.

Heart bound to heart, 

and soul to soul bound - 

This love is a home of our own. 

Their voices were as strong as ever at the end of the spell, but tinged with a fragile emotion that brought tears to the eyes of many sensitive souls in the audience.

Johanna, apparently also subject to emotion, coughed to regain her composure and gently instructed them, "You may clasp your hands."

Face to face, in front of the altar Dream and Hob clasped hands. At that moment, Hob could not hold back a small gasp, realizing the enormity of what was happening. He felt his old fears trying to come to the surface but it only took a little pressure from Dream's hands on his to make them go away. He raised his eyes and there, diving into those of the lord of dreams, he felt the last remnants of fear vanish in front of the love they were brimming with.

Hob was ready.

Johanna stated, holding a red cord in her hands,  “To honor this unbreakable bond on this and all planes, material and ethereal,  Dream and Hob will now bind their hands.”

Johanna, wrapped the cord around the couples clasped hands and ties the knot loosely. 

Hob whispered so that only Johanna and Dream could hear him, "You know, Jo' you can tighten the knot."

Johanna chuckled silently, "Why darling, are you afraid he'll run away?"

Hob thought back to his dream, the moment he had seen Dream walk away from him, and looking up at Dream again he replied in a clear voice, "No."

Dream muttered, "I see I can't even expect the two of you to be serious at our bonding ceremony..."

Johanna placed her hands on their knotted hands and asked softly, "Are you ready boys?"

Dream and Hob nodded in concert.

From Johanna's hands came a golden glow that surrounded their two knotted hands as she spoke these words in a strong voice, “Dream and Hob,  as you have been, and as you will be, in this world and in every world to follow, together, may you be bound in love, now and forever!”

Dream and Hob felt the warmth of the magic spread from their hands to their hearts, binding them together unbreakably. Then the magic dissipated, the knot loosened and fell to the ground, vanishing like the golden glow. The magic had worked, they felt it in themselves, this invisible but strong and unbreakable bond. There was no longer any need for a physical proof to symbolize what bound them together. 

Johanna, with a bright smile on her face, announced, "I now pronounce you married!  This ritual is done. To all, blessed be!"

Then, to the applause and cheers of the audience, Johanna leaned over to them and with a wink whispered, "I know you've been thinking about this moment since the ceremony started, so I'm telling you: You may kiss." 

Indifferent to everything around them, there was only mutual love and devotion in Dream and Hob’s eyes as their lips joined in the kiss that sealed their union.

They would remember this wedding for the rest of their lives, as long as it lasted, because this wedding... there was nothing accidental about it.

Chapter 1

________

It was really fun to write something like this and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it 🥰

Don't hesitate to tell me. 😉

Masterpost here

Dreamling Masterlist here

[withmyhonesty]

Ritsu Sakuma - !! [Music] Voice Lines

Ritsu's My Room, Campaign, Gameplay and Idol Rank voice lines. Does not include seasonal, but I will make a full translation of them at some point in the future. Up to date as of 09.22.23.

Translations under the cut (best viewed on desktop)

My Room

Morning - Topic 1 [Idol Rank E Completed Mission 1] 一 Uuu~ I'm sleepy... but I'll do my best to stay awake. You can do it, I...

Morning - Topic 2 [Idol Rank D Completed Mission 3] 一 Even though I'm waking up normally, Suu~chan praised me. Is this a new "praise and extend" strategy?

Afternoon - Topic 1 [Idol Rank E Completed Mission 2] 一 Today's lesson will be a little more intense. I'm in the mood to do my best…☆

Afternoon - Topic 2 [Idol Rank C Completed Mission 1] 一 I'm going to have a lunch meeting with Knights. Would you like to come with us?

Evening - Topic 1 [Idol Rank D Completed Mission 1] 一 Tsukkipi~ seems to be working on a new song again, and everyone looks like they're looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it, too…♪

Evening - Topic 2 [Idol Rank C Completed Mission 2] 一 Maa~kun has been busy lately... so buy some juice for me instead, hey, Producer?

Night - Topic 1 [Idol Rank D Completed Mission 2] 一 Even if you're busy, make sure you eat well and make delicious blood for me ♪

Night - Topic 2 [Idol Rank C Completed Mission 3] 一 Is the next site later at night? If that's the case, then I, the "vampire", will be able to play an active role... ♪

Night - Good-night [Idol Rank C Completed Mission 4] 一 I'm still not used to sleeping at night, but it might be nice to be able to say good-night at the same time, wouldn't it?

Work Topic - Idol Rank E - 1 [Idol Rank E Completed Mission 3] 一 Hey, from your perspective, have I changed? Am I "growing up" properly?

Work Topic - Idol Rank E - 2 [Idol Rank E Completed Mission 4] 一 The structure of Knights has changed significantly, and we need to think of a different way to go about doing things...

Work Topic - Idol Rank C - 1 [Idol Rank B Completed Mission 1] 一 Hey, Producer. We're going to have a "strategy meeting" about tomorrow's live show.

Work Topic - Idol Rank C - 2 [Idol Rank B Completed Mission 2] 一 For now, I'm willing to accept any job that comes my way because of Anija. I'll take whatever advantage I can get.

Work Topic - Idol Rank B - 1 [Idol Rank B Completed Mission 3] 一 Now's the time for Knights to work hard and do our best, so if we put in more work, we should be able to make a comeback in the coming months.

Work Topic - Idol Rank B - 2 [Idol Rank B Completed Mission 4] 一 Fua... the secret to living a long life is to get plenty of rest as your days get busier ☆ You should follow my example...

Work Topic - Idol Rank A - 1 [Idol Rank A Completed Mission 4] 一 I've been chosen to play the lead role in a play, but I can't imagine playing the role of an older brother who dotes on the younger one... well, I'll do my best to live up to your expectations.

Work Topic - Idol Rank A - 2 [Idol Rank A Completed Mission 5] 一 Knights' next tour has been confirmed? Now isn't the time to be messing around, I have to make a strategy plan.

Campaigns

5th Anniversary Greeting 一 Even after all these years, I still feel "at home" when I sleep close to you. From now on, don't leave my side.

6th Anniversary Greeting 一 I'll continue to protect this place where I am right now. As a knight... will you come along with me?

7th Anniversary Greeting 一 If you told the old me that I'd be achieving my dreams with someone by my side, he would've been surprised. I hope this dreamy moment can continue forever.

8th Anniversary Greeting 一 It's much more fun to be awake and spend time together than sleep. Thanks to you, I can now believe in that fully... ♪

Christmas Greeting 1 一 There's a charity concert at the church today, right? It's immoral for a "vampire" to do such a job on Christmas Day.

Christmas Greeting 2 一 Merry Christmas ♪ I can't wait for Santa to come, so I'm going to bed now ~

Christmas Greeting 3 一 Merry Christmas ♪ I put a lot of effort into baking the cake for today, so don't leave any leftovers, okay?

Christmas Topic - 1 一 Merry~ Christmas ☆ I don't want to go outside on such a cold, cheerful day,  so let's eat some cake under the kotatsu.

Christmas Topic 2 一 Fuua, ahh ♪ We're all going to a Christmas party after work, so I'm trying my best to stay awake...

Christmas Date 一 I was wondering if someone like me should celebrate this holy day. But now that I'm looking at the tree with you like this, however, I don't think I care about such small details anymore.

Comfy Christmas Plan 一 Hey. It's cold here if you stand there like that. Let's get warm together in the kotatsu. Or maybe you could use me as a cuddle pillow...?

New Year's Greetings - 1 一 Happy New Year ♪ I was going to do "Sleepy New Year" again this year, but I can't sleep because of all the loud activity, so I think I'll stay up?

New Year's Greetings - 2 一 Happy New Year~ Now that I was able to say hello to you, I'm going to enjoy my "Sleepy New Year"... good-night ♪

New Year Greeting 3 一 Happy New Year~ I'm going to Hatsumode with everyone from Knights, would you like to come with me?

A Word on New Year's Day - 1 一 Nn… Happy New Year. I'll have a good "first dream" for you, so let me sleep a little longer…

A Word on New Year's Day - 2 一 It's tough being an Idol, since we have to work straight after New Year's. I thought I could sleep as much as I wanted~

Valentine's Reaction - 1 一 Fufu, thank you. It doesn't matter what it tastes like, all that matters is your "love" for me… ♪

Valentine Topic - 1 一 I made special chocolates for the Valentine's Day project, right? It's a secret who I'm going to give my "special" to. ……♪

Valentine Topic - 2 一 It's nice to make your own chocolate, but I'd rather eat the chocolate you prepared for me.

Receiving Valentine's Choco 一 Oh, are you giving me some chocolate? Thank you for going through the trouble of preparing it for me even though you're busy. Keep up the good work and do more for me~... ♪

Receiving Favourite Valentine's Choco 一 You know what I like even though I didn't tell you. As expected of you, Producer, huh... ♪ Really, I can't hide anything from you.

White Day's Gratitude Expression 一 Fufufu, a present for you~ ♪ what's inside is a secret. Well, I'm sure you'll be pleased with it, right?

White Day's Gratitude Expression (Giving Flowers) 一 I give to you, this bouquet of gypsophila. The language of these flowers is "gratitude". I don't usually say this, but I'm always extremely grateful to you, and I look forward to working with you more in the future.

White Day Topic - 1 一 When I look at the marshmallows I prepared for you in return, they remind me of fluffy white pillows and make me sleepy… don't you think so too?

White Day Topic - 2 一 I'll repay the princesses who always support me with a performance from a Knight which is sweeter than chocolate... ♪

Halloween Greeting - 1 一 Trick or Treat~ Would you prefer for me to be mischievous or let me get some sleep?

Topic of Halloween - 1 一 You must be having a hard time today with all the people you've gotten tangled up in with, right? I prepared some sweets for you, so you can hand them out.

Topic of Halloween - 2 一 I made some Halloween candy for you, so don't hesitate to eat some. Well, you definitely won't be able to play any tricks on me ♪

Halloween (Trick or Treat) 一 Trick or Treat. Whichever one you choose, I'll give you the gift of some special time as our Producer... ♪

Halloween (Trick) 一 Today, I'm a ghost who is carried to bed on someone's back. You'll have to carry me on your back and take me to a place where it's fluffy~♪

Halloween (Treat) 一 I'm already sleepy, so I'll leave the sweets for another time. Instead, I'm going to meet you in your dreams tonight. I'll give you some tasty sweets there, so please look forward to it... ♪

Halloween (Prank) 一 Well, if "vampires" exist, then it wouldn't be surprising if zombies also existed, right? If you get bitten, you might just turn into one of them... maybe ♪

Birthday (Celebrated 1) 一 Ahh, today is my birthday. I overslept and almost forgot... ☆ Yeah, Thank you for remembering me.

Birthday (Celebrated 2) 一 Ah, thank you. If I sleep, there'd be nothing worth celebrating, so I'll stay up for as long as I can today.

Birthday (Celebrated 3) 一 You remembered my birthday very well, good, good ♪ I'm genuinely happy you're celebrating with me.

Celebrating the Producer's Birthday - 1 一 It's your birthday today, right? Congratulations. I made a cake with you in mind, I'm pretty proud of this one... ♪

Producer's Birthday Celebration - 2 一 Happy Birthday, Producer. I'll wake up and celebrate with you today, you should be grateful... ♪

Producer's Birthday Celebration - 3 一 Happy Birthday~ Since you always take care of me, today I'll be returning the favour... ♪

Gameplay

Live Start - 1 [Idol Rank E Completed Mission 5] 一 I slept a lot, so I'm motivated... ☆

Live Skill Activation - 1 [Idol Rank C Completed Mission 5] 一 Well then, let's go!

Work Start - 1 [Idol Rank D Completed Mission 4] 一 It's a perfect time to wake up, so leave it all to me

Work Completed - 1 [Idol Rank D Completed Mission 5] 一 Hey, I think I did a pretty good job, what do you think?

Idol Rank

Idol Rank Up - D - 1 [Rank Up Quest E > D] 一 Nn~ I'm sleepy, so I'll thank you properly later... Fua, fu...☆

Idol Rank Up - C - 1 [Rank Up Quest D > C] 一 Thank you for watching me so closely ♪

Idol Rank Up - B - 1 [Rank Up Quest C > B] 一 Thank you for always supporting me~ ☆ I'll be sure to repay you in plenty of ways ♪

Idol Rank Up - A - 1 [Rank Up Quest B > A] 一 I will continue to "grow" from now on. I'll live up to the proud name of Knights.

Other

Praise - 1 一 Producer, are you sleeping properly? If you're tired, you're always welcome to sleep next to me.

Praise - 2 一 You can get more work done during the day than at night. You're doing the best you can, so I won't be selfish.

Reaction - 1 一 Nnh~... I'll deal with you later, so let me sleep now...

Abandoned - 1 Wait. If you're going somewhere, you'll let me know, right? I was worried because I thought you were leaving me suddenly.

My Room Selection 一 Nnh~... I feel sleepy when you're nearby. Is it because you make me feel safe?

[modestcatholiclife]

Introduction/Catholicism in the Outback

Welcome to my blog! To introduce myself: I'm a 21 year old Australian woman about to start catechism in the Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Church. I'll primarily be using this blog as an account of my journey in the spiritual life and with my other self-improvement endeavours. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Now to start my first blog post in media res.

At this time, I'm visiting my grandparents on their farm alongside my fiance, mother, and two younger brothers (18 & 10). This is our fourth day here. It's lovely being out in nature, waking up to kangaroos outside my window.

My fiance and I have been treating this as a spiritual retreat of sorts, seeking to restore our prayer life which has been falling to the wayside as of late. The two of us are staying in the cottage that sits behind my grandparents' house. I've been praying my usual minor hours of the Chasoslov (Horologion) and we've been doing a matins and vespers of sorts together, using the morning and evening prayers from our Orthodox Study Bibles. We've been using my fiance's Psalter instead of the single Psalm those prayers ask for. I'm really enjoying this style of prayer and am greatly considering adding it to my own prayer life. In addition, we've been reading through St. Cyril of Jerusalem's Catechetical Lectures together in order to prepare me for my own upcoming catechism. I still don't feel even remotely prepared but it's been a big help to my understanding of the faith.

Of course, we can't spend all of our time alone in our cabin in prayer. This is a family trip and a chance for my fiance to meet his future grandparents-in-law. This was also when we were able to tell my grandparents of our engagement, as I didn't want to tell them over the phone. This news has been passed on to my aunty who we are hoping to visit this year. She and my uncle live in Melbourne; just an hour away by plane. I've never been on a plane, or out of state, and there is a lovely Ukrainian Catholic Church in Melbourne that my fiance and I would love to see. However, the two we've spent more of our time with on this trip have been my grandparents' two dogs: Owwie the kelpie and Chanel the poodle. Owwie is very friendly and Chanel is too, though she can be rather skittish.

Though it was hot when we came up here, averaging at about 30° (that's Celsius) on our first three days, the weather has turned on us now. It's not overly cold, but it keeps raining. My fiance and I did use the pool the other day but have spent more of our time cleaning up the cottage. The last people to stay here were my aunty and uncle from Melbourne two years ago so there was a lot of grime stuck to the floors. It took us a good few hours but was well worth it. I've also gotten a start on using my self-care planner, gifted to my by a friend on my last birthday. I've written in the twelve major feasts (looking forward to the Holy Theophany tomorrow), along with all the birthdays and appointments I could remember. I plan to buy a packet of highlighters to distinguish the liturgical seasons on the year-at-a-glance section of my planner. I've also filled out a lot of my Glow Up doc, where I write out all of my goals for the year. I have one that I share with friends, a habit we started back in high school, but this is the first time where I've created one by myself. I've added additional headings (with friends the headings were: Fitness, Hobbies/Interests, Hot Girl Summer - whose most common goal was always "get a haircut", Money, School - now known as Education, Social, and Tomfoolery & Shenanigans), and gone into more detailed and personal goals. Hopefully that makes sense. It's extensive, and will become more so when I get back home to my laptop.

I haven't been doing as much independent reading I would like, only having read a few chapters of The Little Book of Skin Care by Charlotte Cho and my fiance and I have continued to slack on our exercise regime, but we still have three more days here.

And that's the end of my first blog post, the only other major thing we plan to do today is book in a time for both of us to take our driver knowledge test.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

[joyfulsoda]

Do y'all think that during the Christmas after the radio competition, Wayne is invited to eat with his family (he's a bit nervous to go, but Nick encourages him and ends up also getting invited because Ms. Wright is delighted that Wayne found somewhere to stay) and that Wayne and she get to talk things out in private.

That they come to the conclusion that everyone involved is much happier with them separated, with Wayne coming to visit the kids, of course.

And that although they loved each other at one point, sometimes things don't end up just like they were before, but that's okay because they're both finding new ways to love and other people to show their love to.

And that they can still totally be friends. They just want the kids to be happy, for themselves to be happy, and for the other person to be happy. Yes, this means that they can get coffee every Sunday at noon after she and the kids are out of church.

And that when they walk back into the room, they find that Nick is teaching the kids about the artist of a record that they had put on to play in the background. Wayne cracks a joke that that's the first time he's seen him smile while teaching, and Nick snaps back that "you've never seen me teach before," followed by him beginning to tell Wayne to piss off, but cutting himself off after getting a very stern stare from both parents.

And that while Wayne tucks the kids snugly into bed, giving them three forehead kisses each and recalling their favorite bedtime stories from memory, Nick and Ms. Wright sit quietly. She breaks the ice, though, and asks what the stupidest thing Wayne ever did when they were younger was.

And that he isn't quite sure how to answer that question, given the answer involves a fling just after their high school graduation and an act that would probably get the both of them shunned from society. (Where do you think that line in I Know A Guy came from?)

And that she reads him like an open fucking book (his face flushes like a tomato) and says it's okay.

And that she, after a few moments of silence, asks him to comfort Wayne now that he spends much more time with him, with an approving, knowing sparkle in her eye and a small coy smile.

And that after Wayne comes back to the both of them that they drink together and laugh until it's way too late, and Nick and Wayne stumble out of the door, trying not to slip on the ice lurking along every block to their place.

And that Wayne tries *quite* hard to get Nick to wear his scarf, that "you're going to catch a cold,"

"I'm not, Wayne,"

"Famous last words."

And that they end up holding each end with one hand, Wayne satisfied with the outcome in his tipsiness and Nick glad that his hand is a little warmer. Maybe he should have worn the scarf, but it would be too awkward now to take it, and he is a very proud person.

And when they get through the door, they're practically falling over each other while trying to take their shoes off to the point where they get rapidly-melting slush *everywhere* and Wayne stares at the mess, wanting to clean it up, but is able to tell himself to wait until he makes sure Nick gets to bed.

And that he does, in fact, make sure Nick gets to bed before allowing himself to get out a simple mop to sop up the water. As he works, though, Nick tells him to go to bed. He doesn't, unsurprisingly, and is promptly guided to the couch he sleeps on and is asked in an uncharacteristically gentle voice to "Please let yourself relax."

And that he stares in both confusion and awe while Nick quickly goes and finishes cleaning before he can say anything. Nick says his present to Wayne starts tomorrow, and it's that Wayne gets the entire day to not do any cleaning (aside from his rituals, of course) and that Nick will take care of anything.

And that Wayne is flattered, knowing full well it's because Nick isn't able to afford an actual gift.

And that when they say good night to each other for real this time, that there's a little bit of the energy in their eyes that they had the day just after graduation, but with much more sincerity and clarity, despite the alcohol clouding their judgement.

And that things are good and right.

And that everyone gets the happy ending that they deserve.

[william-t-sickofyourshit]

"Hey, I will just have fun, I won't get drunk or anything. I want to enjoy this and celebrate with our friends, and not get drunk and don't even remember the party." William laughed, reassuring his boyfriend. And when Sebastian commented on Eric wearing a scottish kilt, William grinned, agreeing with him. "Normally, I would be jealous of you speaking about other men like this, but this time I agree. I can't wait to see Eric in this." He snickered.

Safe to say, they were both very excited for this wedding. They snuggled under the covers together then, and still cuddled and talked for a while, before going to sleep. But they didn't want to stay awake too late - tomorrow was a big day after all.

The next day, they got up early to get ready. The wedding was planned for 1pm, and it was going to be held in the gardens of the venue Alan and Eric rented. But the invitations said to arrive around noon, for champagne and cocktails before the ceremony. This was so exciting, William couldn't wait. And it would be a very first wedding that he would attend that wasn't going to be held at the church. He was curious to see a secular ceremony.

As they were getting dressed, William couldn't help but admire just how beautiful the outfits were, that Cynthia made for them. So elegant, subtly matching... just lovely. Seeing Sebastian getting dressed and ready filled William's heart and mind with all sorts of feelings and thoughts. He wondered... if one day they will also be getting ready for their own wedding.

"You look beautiful, baby." William complimented, his voice dreamy as he got lost in all these thoughts.

For I have sinned...

The principal cleared his throat, eyes scanning the notes that he had wrote down before this meeting. It already lasted an hour, and the teachers gathered in the faculty room were becoming restless and bored. But indeed there were some things to discuss, with the concert that the senior class was supposed to perform at the end of the semester, and with recent staff changes. 

William glanced down at his watch, sighing softly. His class was starting in 15 minutes, so at least, whether the meeting will be done soon or not, he will get to excuse himself. He looked out of the window, his mind wandering. Principal’s voice turned into white noise in the background. It was a pleasant day, late summer. But William was looking forward to a slightly cooler weather. Wearing all black could really be bothersome at times. 

“And lastly, I am pleased to announce that we have finally found replacement for the violin teacher. Dear Mr Tanaka, may he rest in peace, was with us for so many years that I’ve been concerned we won’t be able to find someone as good as to fill this position.” the principal spoke. “But Mr… Michaelis, was highly recommended to me, and he indeed has impressive references. He will be starting this week, so please welcome him warmly once he will arrive. Ah yes… about that. He will arrive today at noon, I need someone to pick him up from the train station and bring over for the tour around the school. Any volunteers?” 

William was barely listening, and definitely not paying much attention. He glanced at his watch again, and saw that it was time to leave, as his class was about to start. He raised his hand to excuse himself, and little did he know, he just volunteered.

“Father William! Excellent!” the principal exclaimed. “Just don’t be late, the train arrives at noon.”

“Train…?” William questioned, raising his brow. He had a feeling he was missing something…

***

Right after the meeting, William had to run for the class, so he had little time to clarify what exactly he had volunteered for. He was a piano teacher in this Music Academy, but also he served as a priest in local church. Well respected, and rather liked. So when he later found out it was about the new violin teacher, he didn’t refuse. Who, other than himself, would be a better choice to introduce a newcome to their community?

So even though he raised his hand by accident, he accepted this fate.

After classes, at noon, William took a taxi and drove to the train station, to pick up their new teacher. Wearing black trousers, and a black shirt with a thin tie, was absolutely dreadful in this weather, so William quickly found shelter under the roof of the station platform, that provided some shade.

The train had just arrived. William had no idea how Mr Michaelis looked like, but he figured he will just look for someone carrying a violin case with them. 

He was in for a bit surprise.

@crazyvik97

[annieintheaair]

Love, what's it even fucking mean? I'll tell you what it is to me: my heart ripped open at the seams.

There's nothing harder than having to go to work after a relaxing yoga class. I feel like I'm in such a chill mood and having to go to the chaos just sounds so unappealing. I shouldn't complain though-- I was off the last two nights and will be off tomorrow night, too.

This weekend was busy and fun. Friday, Todd and I went to a brewery and then Shinayde and Brent came to join us before we got on the Witches Brew Halloween Train. The food on the train was terrible but we had fun anyway. We finished the rest of the night at Harvest Hall and then headed home.

Saturday morning was a struggle. I felt like a complete zombie but managed to get myself to my community group anyway. After that, my sister and her husband and kids came to visit so we went to lunch at this really great Italian restaurant/pizza place and then stopped by the mall for this selfie exhibit. The girls loved getting to take pictures in the various booths.

They all came over to my house for a little after that and by the time they went home, I was ready for a nap. I took a quick nap before getting ready to go out. The nap wasn't sufficient so I grabbed a Thai Tea on my way to Todd's and then we headed to a Day of the Dead festival. It was a fun night and we didn't stay out super late, which was good since we were both tired from the night before.

I thought I'd go home and watch TV but instead crawled into bed. I think I slept for about 11 hours. I was clearly very tired. When I got up this morning, I got ready and went to church. Sara and Bob invited me to sit with them, which was nice, but they like to sit on the far side of the auditorium and I prefer to be in the middle on the left. I feel off balance sitting on the right side because of my hearing loss.

After church, I went to the Fresh Market to grab a coffee from my Greek friend. He makes the best Freddo cappuccinos.

I thought maybe I'd have a productive day but came home and decided to be lazy instead. I worked from my couch today and watched TV until it was time to go to yoga. It has been such a busy weekend that taking time to slow down today was kind of nice.

To avoid wasting time during therapy, I take time before my weekly appointments to choose three feelings from the feelings wheel. I had a really hard time choosing this week but I think I'm going with sentimental, cheerful, and skeptical.

It was a long, exhausting week but it had a good finish out. We finished the series on Decisions at church today and somehow I don't feel any more equipped to make good decisions. I always feel like whatever I choose is going to be wrong.

I'm terrified of getting hurt again, which is why I have sworn off dating for now. Hanging out with Todd recently has reminded me of the things I miss, like having someone to do fun things with. At the end of the night, I come home and don't bother turning on the TV. I take a shower and go straight to bed because the loneliness hits me hard on the nights that I have to crawl into bed with just my dogs. I've been taking a supplement recently that has helped me sleep better but sleeping has made me have these dreams that feel so real, leaving me feeling overwhelmed by my feelings when I wake up in the morning. Maybe, the reality of it all and why I struggle to sleep is because I'm afraid to sleep if it means dreaming.

There used to be a time in my life when I loved having good dreams. I mean, good dreams are still always better than nightmares but waking up to realize your dreams aren't reality is a tough pill to swallow. I often wonder about dreams and if they're a way to help guide me to the right decision. Are dreams what's really in my heart? Are they showing me what I want, even when I'm afraid to admit it? I can't figure it all out and I'm not a mind reader so I never know what anyone else is thinking.

We're not getting younger, only older. There are days when I'm totally fine being alone, especially when I'm surrounded by friends, but then there are days when it makes me sad to think that giving up on dating means being alone forever. I just can't see myself getting back out there and I don't have the energy or desire to meet new people anymore. The idea of swiping on apps just sounds terrible to me. At one point, I was happy. I think about this time last year and the things we were doing, like going to Broken Bow this week. I miss that and I miss all of the fun we had and it does make me sad to feel like we failed at making it work.

Anyway, I better get ready for work.

xoxo

Annie

[hlmowrer]

Week 52: "Beanie rationing"

Okie dokie, artichokies.  Another week of Michigan winter has passed me by.  It's actually been a solid week!  One of the things that tends to get me down is the constant need to find productive things to do, and that was no worry this week.  The beginning of the week was very preparatory, as we would be traveling a lot and teaching a handful of what we knew would be very key lessons.

Wednesday I went on an exchange to Grand Rapids, with my former companion Elder Lewit!  It was a great time reconnecting with him and seeing what difference a year in the field has made for each of us.  Our day serving in GR was also a wild ride...the snow is still everywhere and the City of Grand Rapids has never heard of snowplows so there was much sliding around all over the city.  We had a stack of lessons for the day, all of which were very spirit led and good for my soul...and then there was Marilyn.  We were on the phone with Marilyn and she was not a happy camper with us...mostly just shouting random things into the phone and not listening when we said the phone was about to die...which it immediately did.  Cue frantically pulling into a gas station and begging the employees for a charger...only to find out that we had missed our exit on the freeway while trying to help her calm down.  We showed up at her place 35 minutes late, having no idea what to expect, only to find her exactly how she was on the phone  She invited us in but did not talk directly to us for at least the first 10 minutes because she was still upset.  My hopes were not terribly high, but after she began to calm down she shared why she was upset and we were able to calm her worries a bit and the Spirit was with us by the end.  She's a loving soul, and she's still willing to give church a shot even if it's hard.  Sometimes people just need a little bit of love.

Thursday I stayed in Grand Rapids so that I could have my interview with President Peckham.  It's been a long time since I had an opportunity to do that so I was very grateful.  It was good to see him and hear his stories and counsel.  He gave me a little sneak peak of what will be shared at tomorrow's zone conference, but I'll save that for next week.

Friday one of our lessons that we spent so much time planning for cancelled, but the other one happened and it went really well!  We were able to share some really cool truths about our purpose in life and everything just seemed a little bit smoother with that particular friend.  Bit by bit hearts are softened!

Saturday presented an opportunity to go on exchange with Elder Hilton in Big Rapids.  Elder Hilton is a trainee that came out with Elder Baird, and he is being trained by my good friend Elder Burrill.  It was a pretty standard day, nothing too crazy in the work but I was able to really connect with Elder Hilton and we had some conversations that really needed to be had.  It's always nice to connect with someone you don't know quite as well, and I was happy to help.  Sometimes I feel that my service here in the mission field has just as much to do with supporting my fellow missionaries as it does the people of Michigan.

And on Sunday we had Dylan.  Dylan just showed up to church out of nowhere, and when I went to go introduce myself he shared that he had been talking to missionaries online and they told him to come to church with us!  He loved sacrament meeting and we're going to be doing a cooperative lesson with his other missionaries this week.  He's a great guy, really turning his life around, and we're so grateful for him.  Sometimes God really does send a straight up miracle if we're ready for one.  I'm glad the Lord trusted me enough to send Dylan my way.

This is one of those where there's so much left to say and I'm sure what's been said could have been more organized, but I hope there was something there that may have brought you some light today.  Until next time <3

-Elder Beren Mowrer

You made it to the end!  Congratz, you get to know where the quote came from.  I left my beanie in Grand Rapids like a fool, and Elder Baird offered to implement "beanie rationing" with his one remaining beanie.  This is something we were inclined to consider, since door knocking at 9°F in the dark isn't exactly that fun of a time without a beanie.

[casspurrjoybell-33]

Wreckless - Floating Embers

*Warning Adult Content*

Finnegan

Five hours later the sun has risen and the fire is contained enough to take stock of the damage even from the barricade I'm behind.

It's not a total loss, at least not to my untrained eye.

The warehouse seems to have the most damage but half of the production floor is gone too.

Both may need to be completely rebuilt due to water damage.

The offices, somehow, don't look too bad.

I have no idea if the sprinklers went off or not and of course the fire department soaked the entire area but maybe that wing is salvageable.

I speak with the EMT's and fire chief and as far as they know, no one was in the building.

No firefighters have been hurt, either.

Apparently the security guard called it in and he was the only one around.

Good... Buildings can be rebuilt, people can't be.

I flag down the fire inspector but he refuses to give me any information, just takes my business card.

It's fair, he doesn't know much more than I do yet.

The biggest question is how it started.

If it's due to our negligence, insurance will be a nightmare.

Either way, what's next?

I call my father and the department heads and tell them the little I know.

All hourly employees and low-tiered salaried employees will get today and tomorrow off with pay.

I need to have Megan rent space in a hotel nearby so that we can start strategizing tomorrow.

I need some sleep... I need Emmett.

I feel bad showing up at his door but luckily he hasn't left for work.

"Hey darling, come in."

"I should have gone home, I'm sorry, I just... your place is closer."

"It is and I'm here so there's that. How is it?"

I repeat what I told my father earlier... I'm on autopilot. 

"It's a disaster. Parts of the warehouse are still burning."

"I'm so sorry, darling," he says, pulling me into his arms.

He feels amazing but now that I'm not surrounded by it... all I can smell is rancid smoke.

"I stink."

"I'm going to a garage, not to church. Can you get some sleep or do you have a full day?"

"I need a few hours, I have to."

I'm going to be no good to anyone if I don't. 

I'm not lucky enough to be one of those people who can survive and sometimes even thrive on five or six hours of sleep and last night I got much less than that.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, no, go to work. Can I sleep here?" 

The thought of getting back into my car and going to my apartment is too much to handle right now.

"Of course you can. There's a spare key in the wooden box on my dresser. Lock the door behind me and call me if you need me. There's yogurt and cereal, make sure you eat. Stay as long as you want and come back whenever you can."

He's too good to me, really.

"Okay, thank you. Really. Go, don't be late, I'm fine."

He kisses my dirty, stubbly cheek.

"Be safe," and then he's gone.

It's odd being in the house without him.

I've become fairly comfortable here over the past few weeks but everything shifts when he walks out the door.

I'm fine but it's strange.

I head upstairs to get out of these dirty clothes.

Thankfully he has a working washer, at least.

I decide to wash mine before the smell permeates through the entire house and take them down.

Back upstairs I go, intent on finding the key so that I don't forget it later.

I've seen the box he mentioned... I know which one he means.

I open it and it's obviously a treasure box of sorts.

There's a picture on top... him and his mother when he's maybe fourteen.

He's gangly and boy but definitely on the cusp.

A letter written in a woman's flowing cursive.

Probably from her too.

A photo of him and some army buddies in BDUs.

They have helmets on and rifles against their chests and are seated in the back of a truck in a desert, somewhere.

Some army medals and pins and his dog tags.

Random coins, not American.

An old car key and what I'm pretty sure is the spare house key.

I put it onto my key ring and feel guilty for snooping even though I didn't any more than necessary and he gave me permission to look inside.

I can't get into bed with my hair smelling like this so I take a quick shower and then climb in.

It feels good to snuggle into familiar blankets and pillows, ones I share with Emmett.

I'm asleep before I can even make a mental list of things to do later today.

I wake up groggy and thirsty.... I brush my teeth, get some water, have some yogurt and call my father.

"Finn, I've talked to the board of directors and the fire inspector. I've given it some thought and I think you may as well come on home. There's no reason to rebuild in Baltimore and we won't be able to until the arson report and insurance payments come through. You've been gone awhile, I'm sure you'd like to get back home. We'll do right by the employees, if there's anyone you really think is an asset we'll see about a transfer."

I can't think. I haven't gotten much past 'come on home'.

Do I love Baltimore? No.

Do I love Emmett? Maybe.

I will miss him horribly, that's not up for debate.

We were supposed to have more time.

"I don't think it's a total loss. We already have the site and employees, shouldn't we wait for the fire inspector's report before we give up?"

I honestly don't know what else to say.

"Finnegan, I think you should come home at least for awhile. Your mother is worried sick and you need a break. You've got this afternoon and tomorrow, wrap up some lose ends and come home. Make sure there's a security detail posted and the site gets fenced off. If someone needs to fly out in a few weeks to assess the damage, see what we can salvage and put it on the market, we'll make it happen. Keep me posted and make sure you're taking care of yourself, son. See you soon."

He hangs up and the silence is deafening.

I wander into Emmett's spare room to check on Marten.

I just need something tangible right now, something real.

He's sleeping in his little hammock so I just sit next to the cage and try to think.

My cell-phone rings, it's Megan.

"Hello."

"You sound exhausted and I know you're busy, sorry to bother you Mr. Walker."

"I've got a conference room booked and I booked a room in the hotel as well, we got a huge discount and I thought it might come in handy. I emailed you all the information. If you tell me what time you'd like everyone there I can do an email blast to management."

"Nine a.m. Thank you. Bring in the top three we have left in accounting."

Not having a department head is going to make things much more difficult.

"I need whichever of our lawyers handle tax and insurance as well."

"Will do. Also, I canceled everything for the rest of the week except your Dept of Defence appointment... I just want to confirm whether you want that canceled or rescheduled."

Shit, I've been waiting on this appointment for so long that I forgot all about it.

It's been 'coming soon' for so long that it's become a non-entity.

The Department of Defense appointment is tricky because I'm sort of going behind my father's back.

They contacted us about a year ago asking us to bid on a job for circuit boards but my dad turned them down cold.

He refuses to help the military. I'm a bit more pragmatic.

Department of Defense contracts are lucrative... Very lucrative.

They rarely go belly-up even when the economy does.

They're flexible, we can bid on those that we can easily accommodate and only when we have the time and manpower.

I see no downsides... That's not true, there's one huge downside... the appointment is tomorrow and I'm supposed to be working with my team to shut everything down.

No, I'm not doing it... I'm not leaving Emmett and I'm not giving up.... Not yet.

"Don't cancel, I'll be there. What time is it again?"

"5:00 p.m. They say to arrive fifteen minutes early to clear security."

Right, I remember thinking it was going to be a long day and being surprised that the Department of Defense didn't close up shop earlier than that.

"Send me the info."

I should head back to the site now and see what I can find out.

I need to know how bad it is and when we can get on the site and into the offices to assess the damage.

I also need to get the whole area fenced off... the last thing we need is people squatting, vandalizing or robbing the place.

[3dayweeknd]

girl idk

if there’s one pet peeve I have that really makes me insane it’s last minute decisions/changes like I makes me so mad it’s inexplicable. my dad texted at like 11:30 saying we’re going to church tomorrow morning and it’s like. That’s fine but you’ve known since last week there would be a morning mass and why have you notified us u wanna go the night before, less than 12 hours in advance. We could have discussed this at any point today we were all home and u decided to tell me after I’ve decided that I’m going to sleep late. and like I don’t mind going to church I just would have liked to know before I stayed up too late. and he knew we weren’t expecting to go to church too cuz we were all talking about sleeping in. If you were thinking about it you could’ve at least been like hey I’m considering it. I remember this one time when I was 15 after I came out and it was pride month I asked if I could go to pride and my dad said he would take me. and I was so excited and I got cute and then he said well we have to pick up grandparents from the airport then we can go. And I was like ok so I wore my little outfit to go pick them up and then time went on and we just didn’t go. And I reminded him so many times how excited I was and then he just waited until we ram out of time to say oh I don't have time. and i feel so selfish for being mad because it was his parents and they came from Vietnam so i feel like i should've known better but i was just a kid i didn't put it together. and i just wish he said no or hey i dont think we're gonna have time or if he was unsure even "ill think about it" would've been nice. because i waited and waited and getting my hopes up just to be let down last minute hurts. cuz he does it all the time esp with things i get so excited about and he doesn't see how much it hurts. im not saying the church thing hurts but i things it pisses me off cuz it reminds me of things he's done before that really hurt and he never sees it and he never apologizes and he knows i like to plan things out and know what im gonna do like we have literally talked about it and how it relates to my anxiety in the past too. Sigh.. idk I’m just mad