#in other groups I’ve been in that aren’t 12 step

[explode-this]

.

[cottoncandyswisherz]

nick sturniolo x male!oc

warnings: suggests abuse, mentions of abuse, alcoholism mentioned, meet cute

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CHAPTER ONE:

The backseat is cramped. The boxes that hold what little life I have left are stacked in the backseat and trunk. I’m 16 years old and all I have to show for it is 12 boxes. I guess that’s what you get when you’ve been a foster kid since you were eight. 

8 foster homes, 3 hockey teams, 4 tattoos, and one innocent father later and I’m here. In the backseat of an SUV listening to Mark bitch about how slow Hannah’s driving. I’d love to blame his abuse on him being drunk but he’s sober right now. Later, when he’s had a few glasses is when the full extent of his asshole-ness really shines. But even now, I don’t wanna hear it so I put my headphones, putting on my playlist and allowing Mac Miller to take me deeper into my thoughts. 

I don’t wanna move. I somewhat had a life in New Hampshire and now I’m moving almost 3 hours away to Boston. 

3 hours away from the cabin. 3 hours away from the woods. 3 hours away from my hockey team. 3 hours away from everything I’ve known my whole life. 3 hours away from my dad. 

Dad. I have my license so it’s not like I can’t drive down and see him, but I won’t be able to go every weekend like usual. We’ll figure it out. We always do. 

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Mark threw a balled up napkin at me, which irked me just a tad but what pissed me the fuck off was when he used my first name because everyone that exists knows that’s a big no-no. 

“Siles!” 

God, even his voice makes me wanna deck him. 

“What?”

“Go pay for the gas.” he demands, shoving a 20 in my face. 

I look at Hannah to make sure she’d be good in the car with him by herself. But she only nodded toward the store with a smile that can only be described as weak. 

But we’ve had this talk. It always goes the same. I ask why she stays, she says because she loves him, I get pissed and we argue, which ends in her apologizing, but staying with him nonetheless. The whole routine was exhausting, really. 

So I step out of the car, taking one earbud out so I could hear what the fuck was going on around me. The store was empty for the most part, only three or four customers and the guy behind the counter. I decided it was safe to browse the aisles to buy myself some time away from the living breathing dysfunction in the car. But as I walk around the store, I hear the familiar sound of bickering. Sure enough, as soon as I turn the corner I see 3 people. A set of twins around my age and the other one has his back turned to me. He’s a little bit taller than the other two, and he’s louder than them. 

“Chris, Skittle Littles and regular skittles are the same fucking thing, one’s just smaller.” Wrong. “It’s not this serious. We’ve been here 10 minutes, searching for candy!”

“They taste different!” Correct.

I figure I’ve heard all I needed to hear, so I move to slip past the group, but as walk by, the tall one steps to side, his back knocking into my front. Either I my balance is stellar, or his is terrible because he starts to fall, and my natural instinct is to catch him. 

As soon as my arms wrap around him, he whips around and I notice two things. 

They’re not twins. They’re triplets.

Even though they all have blue eyes, his are different. His aren’t sky blue. They’re ocean blue. Pacific Ocean to be exact. 

I feel myself drowning in them for a second. Everything freezes and I can’t breathe. 

That second passes by quickly, though, and I pull myself together, making sure he’s stable on his two feet, and go about my day. 

I pay for the gas, pump the gas, get back in the car, and put my other earbud back in. 

We’re at our new house in roughly 20 minutes. It’s small, but nice. 

It’s not the cabin, but whatever. 

It takes 45 minutes to unload the boxes and get them in their designated rooms. It probably would have take 30 if Mark would have brought something besides his case of beers inside, but Hannah and I managed. 

The only issue is that by the time we’ve finished unloading, Mark is piss drunk and knowing what comes next, it’s not something I want to be around for. So I put my hoodie back on, grab my overhead headphones and tell Hannah that I’m going for a walk. 

Frank Ocean’s singing to me as I make my journey around this town. It’s not even Boston. It’s Sommerville. Boston adjacent, I guess. 

It’s August and the sun is setting so it’s a little chilly, even in my hoodie and sweats. I love this weather. The air is muggy and it makes life even more melancholy than usual. 

I decide that since I was out, I might ass well find a job. Partly because I need money and partly because I do not want to be in that house longer than necessary. 

Being that it’s fall and people ar going to start using their fireplaces and making bonfires and shit, it wasn’t hard to find a lumber yard that was hiring. The guy I spoke to was a tall, skinny whit guy with th most aggressive pornstache I’ve ever seen. But he was chill and hired me on the spot. So now I have a job… there’s that I guess?

niyah speaks: im writing a series for pat pat (my biggest opp) enjoy guys and lmk if you wanna be on the taglist.

taglist: @patscorner @55sturn @streamermattsgf @mattslolita

[oshiawaseni]

Japan’s concept of confession and why Ochaco might not confess

“Confession” is a big deal in a country as subtle as Japan. Not all people have the courage to confess, but when starting official relationships confessions are often expected. This is what I know confessions to be like in the world of manga: Person A talks alone with Person B and shares with them the secrets of their heart. “I like you please accept my feelings.” This usually ends either with them going out or A being rejected by B. The usual reason for the rejection is “I like someone else.”

I’ve been having some more ideas about the day Izuku fell into Kacchan’s arms and how what Kacchan did for him was almost confessional in a way. He told Izuku what was in his heart, why he bullied him and that no matter how much he tried, he just couldn’t escape him. He called him “Izuku” and we saw the impact this had on Izuku’s face. 

Izuku just couldn’t believe that Kacchan was calling his name properly for the first time in 12 years, it completely shocked him, and after apologising for everything, he told Izuku, “Come home, let’s do this together. We need to help each other in this fight against AFO.” 

The conclusion of this confession was that Izuku acquiesced to 1-A’s request for him to return, but it was only really possible because his attachment to Kacchan triumphed over his motivations to stay away. It was Kacchan who broke down his walls with his apology. It was Kacchan who filled him with hope that things would be better, and Kacchan who finally hammered into Izuku how important it was for him to be part of the collective. That his inclusion was very wanted and needed, and that he in turn can rely more on everyone as well. That together, they can push forward, trusting in and helping each other.

I think what hurt Izuku the most during his solo arc was being away from his friends, but especially Kacchan. Because that day in the rain, he literally gave up on his solo vigilante mindset for him. After hearing Kacchan’s unbelievable words he had patiently longed to hear for years, it was impossible for Izuku to stay away from him any longer. As he passed out, he stumbled a few steps towards Kacchan who, without missing a beat, caught him in his arms and gently held him. This embrace told us “From now on it’ll be different. I’m gonna be here for you, Izuku.”

So to recap all of that... Kacchan became vulnerable and spilled what was in his heart, Izuku accepted his desires, with it all culminating in them becoming closer. Which is just like a successful romantic confession!?

I think after watching this all go down, something inside Ochaco clicked. A lot of the class are rushing over to Izuku when Kacchan catches him because they’re just so worried about him, but a few of them, Ochaco included, stay standing back. It doesn’t make much sense at all. But we’re given a zoom in of her without knowing any of the thoughts going through her mind.

They got Izuku back, but she doesn’t really seem all that happy. Momo says to her “this is just the first obstacle we aren’t done yet” and she agrees. Ochaco knows that there’s still more they as a group need to do for Izuku to make his return happen. But the fact that there’s a few panels dedicated to zooming in on her staying put, her almost emotionless face (mirroring Shoto’s) while she’s watching Kacchan save Izuku and his new unbridled intimacy he has with him - could be telling us that there’s something else she’s processing.

Is this moment somber for her because she realised the person Izuku needs the most is none other than the person he has openly admired since she first met him? The very same person who always bared his fangs at Izuku because he was scared him getting close?

Was Ochaco witnessing the beginning of something new between them and suddenly finding herself sidelined as a contender for Izuku’s affections?

Somehow… this could be what it was all about. And that’s why I think there’s a good chance Ochaco gave up her crush on Izuku for good when she witnessed Katsuki return his love and embrace him after that emotionally-charged apology. After this, a more defined distance between her and Izuku appears visible in their next scene together. A respectful distance of Izuku’s own choosing.

It was like a definitive line had been drawn out that can’t and perhaps shouldn’t be crossed. Maybe they both understood that the person Izuku wanted close by his side has always been Katsuki. That desire wasn’t simply a pipe dream to Izuku anymore, it had become reality. And who is Ochaco to get in the way of that?

And then it’s almost like she is bookending Katsuki’s confession to Izuku with a confession of her own about Toga, putting a close to the Izuocha chapter and she makes a comment which feels double in meaning. “I guess that means we are the same.” or You love a boy, just like I might love a girl. (To put it bluntly)

And Izuku remembers this line again after he gets separated from Kacchan and Ochaco is telling him to go. Go back to Tenko. Go back to your Kacchan.

The concept of “knowing how someone feels because you love them and always watch over them” comes up from time to time in manga. In a way, that’s also a reason why Kacchan and Izuku understand each other as deeply as they do and they aren’t afraid of showing it off. They were always watching each other from a safe distance and learning things about each other in this way. I think during chapter 322, this concept is what was happening to cause such a realisation in Ochaco. (And it’s also for this reason Tsuyu, who never had feelings for Izuku, still doesn’t get it.)

It was hard for her, knowing everything she does about Izuku’s deep attachment to Kacchan, to learn that Izuku’s affections for him weren’t one-sided and they were now closer than ever before… That’s why I don’t think she’ll want to get in the way by confessing anymore. If Kacchan’s apology was intended to be compared with a romantic confession, then Ochaco is probably aware that Izuku already “has someone he likes”… and that person isn’t her.

[yourlocalgayfrogboy]

Disaster Tim Bradford x firefighter! Reader

(As of recent ABC got the rights to 9-1-1 a first responder tv show created by Fox Network. This is a crossover between The Rookie and 9-1-1 none of theses characters besides the oc's are mine.)

Pairing: Tim x reader

Characters: 9-1-1 and The Rookie characters.

Warning: Talks of serving in war and slight injuries. Events taken from season 2 of 9-1-1

Prologue

It was a busy morning at the 118, calls were answered, people were saved, fires were put out. I walked out of the locker room noticing the team around someone. I stride over to the group, noticing someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. I smiled and stood in front of him. “Holy crap, why if it isn’t Eddie Diaz, I haven't seen you in a long time. How have you been?” Eddie smiles and brings me in for a hug. 

“Good to see you Corporal. How are you doing?” I shook my head with a smile at the old nickname. “Oh wait, you aren’t a Corporal anymore.” I took a step back and looked him over. 

“I’m good, thank you. How’s Christopher and Shannon?” I then noticed the drop in his face when I mentioned Shannon. “You guys are divorced? I’m so sorry. Everything has been so goo-” The ground began to shake and I got down low to the ground. I get up after the ground stops shaking and I check if everyone’s okay. “That was only the baby after the shock is the problem.” That's when the station radio rang. 

“Alright we’ve got to a hotel to respond to multiple injuries and unstable vantages. Police and fire have been sent out.” This must be a huge disaster to have police sent out. Well I guess it makes sense. “Y/n you were in the army correct?” I nod my head when Bobby asks this. “I want you to command this since you were a high ranking officer in the army.” I understood my assignment. We all got to the hotel and I looked it up and down. Bobby talked to the police commander and fire chief who was in charge and talked since everyone was in panic and they agreed that I’d command the scene.

I grabbed the megaphone and turned it on yelling into it, “Everyone listen up this was just the start of the earth quake, we can expect an after shock. Hen and Chimney you’re on triage duty. Paramedics, I need you stationed at each triage center. Fire, extraction and evac, if they don’t have a pulse leave them, your main focus is to get anyone with a pulse out. Police, we need blockades on the highways and freeway 12 mile radius to make it easier for ambulances to get to the hospitals. All hospitals have been notified that the trauma center and the ER will be flooded. Head injuries, open wounds, and suspected internal bleeding are immediate transport. Other officers there will be chaos and raids make sure you calm down those so we don’t have to have any of these resources used up. All right, break and get to it!” I go into the command tent and watch as everyone goes their ways. This was going to be one hectic day. 

It was a 6 hour operation, we got everyone out, minimal casualties, one brother down. I walked into the hospital checking on Hen. “Hey Hen, how are you feeling?” Hen had gotten hurt as they needed an extra hand in the disaster zone. 

“I’m all right, just a minor head gash.” I nodded and told her to get well and then walked out of the hospital room. That's when I ran into someone I worked with in the army, Tim Bradford. He never really changed, the only difference was the slight aging, but it made him look good. 

“Hey, it’s been awhile Anderson. How are you doing?” I smiled when he asked me. 

“I’m doing okay, had a busy day commanding a disaster zone. Police and fire command put me in charge since I had more experience dealing with bigger crowds from being in the army.” Tim nodded and walked with you. “How’s everything going?” Tim rubbed his neck and sighed.

“It’s been quite a  challenge, I’ve got a rookie that I’m training, she’s nice and all but she sees the world as this happy thing and the truth is, it’s not. We’ve seen things when we served in Afghanistan. You started real young, straight out of high school.” I nodded while he talked, walking alongside him. “I’m giving her a whole different side of me since she’s not seen half of what we’ve seen. I better get going and check on her. Nice seeing you Anderson.” He walked off to check on his rookie. 

[amrcnnightmre]

RULES

I will write chosen wrestler x reader & possibly create some ocs of my own that you can request I use and that i’ll use for pieces I post that aren’t requested!

This is a safe space so please be kind! but comments, interactions & feed back on my posts a greatly appreciated <3

You absolutely may reblog my work but please DO NOT repost it! writing credits to me & are my own original ideas unless stated otherwise.

things I DO write about !

I write fluff, angst, soft/happy, I do write smut but i am new to it so be patient! :), Pregnancy, characters having kids, Marriage, Divorce conflict, topics gently relating or alluding to drug issues ( WITH warnings & if i feel up to it ), Dom/sub, ice play, praising, blind folding, binding, etc.

things I DO NOT write about !

I do NOT write Foot fetishes, pee kinks, puke fetish, anything involving underage romance/sex ( that includes age play ), r*pe, period sex, incest/step-cest, sexual assault/harrassment.

PLEASE READ!

I am aware their are many things i haven’t mentioned & probably missed, please feel free to ask about other things you might want me to write about when you request and i’ll let you know if im comfortable with it!

My Masterlist will probably start off small but by all means PLEASE feel free to ask about and request anyone that’s not on the list and i’ll see what I can do, i really want to accomodate for what you all would actually like to read !!

As i said previously i’m fairly new to writing smut specifically! i’ve been writing in general since i was 11/12 ( i am now 21 ) & been apart of various roleplay groups so i have plenty of writing experience!

[glassboxdiaries]

Anubias Nana Care Guide: Proven Tips to Keep This Plant Looking Amazing!

MY LINKS SOCIALS - https://glassboxdiaries.com/socials MY VIDEO REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS I USE - https://glassboxdiaries.com/amazonpage

Anubias nana is one of the most popular aquarium plants, loved for its hardiness, beauty, and adaptability. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced aquarist, this plant is an excellent addition to almost any tank. In this guide, I’ll share my experiences keeping Anubias nana in my 40-gallon, 12-gallon, and 8-gallon tanks, and offer tips to help yours thrive.

Part of the Anubias Barteri group, this plant is semi-aquatic, meaning it can grow submerged or emersed. Unlike some other Anubias species, Anubias nana thrives underwater, making it ideal for aquariums. It’s native to Cameroon, where it grows in wet environments, especially during the rainy season. While most nurseries recommend temperatures of 22-28°C (72-82°F), it’s been reported to survive as low as 12°C (54°F). I’m currently testing this by keeping Anubias nana in my 12-gallon tank over the winter.

A common mistake with Anubias nana is planting it incorrectly. This plant is an epiphyte, meaning its rhizome must remain above the substrate. Burying it in substrate can cause the rhizome to rot, leading to rapid plant decline. Instead, attach it to rocks, driftwood, or other hardscape using aquarium-safe glue or thread. This simple step ensures a healthy, thriving plant.

Anubias nana is often called a dwarf plant, but its size can be misleading. While some sources claim it grows to just 5 cm (2 inches), my experience aligns more with Tropica’s estimate of 5-15 cm (2-6 inches). I’ve had Anubias nana grow to 15 cm (6 inches) in my tanks, making it suitable for midground or background placement in smaller tanks and a versatile option for larger setups.

Lighting is one of Anubias nana’s best features. It thrives in low-light conditions, making it perfect for setups with budget LED lights or even ambient light. However, high-light setups can lead to algae growth on its leaves. To prevent this, add floating plants or canopy plants like Java fern to diffuse light. In low-light tanks, algae is rarely an issue, and Anubias nana requires minimal care.

This plant is highly adaptable to water parameters. I’ve kept it in softwater tanks at 25°C (77°F), hardwater tanks at 18°C (65°F), and even warmer setups at 27°C (81°F) with a pH around 7. However, I’ve noticed Anubias nana is sensitive to high ammonia levels. When I cycled two tanks using 2 ppm of ammonia, several plants melted. For best results, add it to an already cycled tank.

Anubias nana’s slow growth rate is another reason it’s so popular. It rarely needs trimming, making it a low-maintenance option for aquarists with busy schedules. Its slow growth also means it doesn’t require heavy fertilization. In most cases, fish waste is enough to sustain it. Advanced techniques like CO2 injection or regular liquid fertilizers aren’t necessary, making it a great choice for low-tech or budget-friendly tanks.

Tank mates are rarely an issue with Anubias nana. Reports of fish eating the plant are often due to nutrient deficiencies causing holes in the leaves. I’ve kept Anubias nana with shrimp, snails, bettas, and community fish without any problems. Even plant-eaters like plecos and goldfish typically leave it alone.

Propagating Anubias nana is simple but requires patience due to its slow growth. The most common method is division—wait for the rhizome to grow large enough to split into two plants. While Anubias can flower underwater, viable seeds only develop when grown emersed, so division is the easiest method for aquarists.

Overall, Anubias nana is a hardy, beautiful plant that’s perfect for aquariums of all sizes. If you’re looking for a versatile, low-maintenance addition to your tank, this plant won’t disappoint. Thanks for watching, and happy fishkeeping!

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro 00:07 - Anubias Nana Care 00:25 - The Anubias Genus 00:50 - Plant Origins 00:58 - Water Temperature 01:26 - Planting 02:07 - Plant Size 03:25 - Lighting Requirements 04:06 - Water Parameters 04:54 - Tank Cycling 05:49 - Plant Maintinance 06:31 - Nutrition 07:01 - Tank Mates 08:15 - Propagation

Some of the links in this video description may be affiliate links meaning I earn a small commission from any purchases made.

[kelpan]

So, remember how in my last author's note, I said I was feeling better? "More like a human"?

Yeah, I spoke too soon.

These past few months have put me through the wringer. Super stressful work environment, and new meds messing with both my mental and physical health. I'm taking steps to change the meds, and banish this nasty depression it has kept me trapped in. I can only apologize for how long it's been since my last update, though I did my best to keep writing.

This chapter might be a bit smaller than what they usually are, but it was hard-fought for. I hope you all like it, and thanks for being patient with me.

Credit for the OC Chrysanthemum headshot goes to wwispie on Etsy/Instagram!

Ao3: Petals on a Stream of Stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Act 1, Chapter 12: Such Wonderful Coworkers

Wednesday

7:30pm

Chrysanthemum

The alarm replayed across the air, ominous and oppressive. Chrys looked towards the sound, the weight of the message sinking under her skin. Never before had she found herself in this situation; never again did she want to. The worry that gnawed at her stomach threatened to make her vomit, and the last thing anyone needed was for her to bring her lunch back out for a visit. She forced the sensation down from the back of her throat, and turned to face her partner, ready to follow whatever instructions he had for her. 

“Sun, what are you—”

Yet she stood alone. The entrance doors clicked shut, broadcasting what must have been his departure. For him to leave without a word and so abruptly was unlike him. 

Wait, what even are our protocols? What am I supposed to be doing here??

The two attendants from the Atrium stood out against the sea of quietly occupied children. If anyone here might have a shot of giving her some kind of guidance, her best bet was from other employees.

“Uh, hey,” Chrys asked, hurrying over, doing her best to project some sort of veneer of calm, lest her anxiety take control. “Everything seemed fine when I left. What the heck happened?”

Neither moved to look at her, or acknowledged that she’d spoken. Their game of “Go Fish” was more interesting, eyes locked on their individual sets of cards. Chrys waited, arms crossed over her chest, gaze pointed, until someone caved. The one on the right took that title; A heavyset, disheveled looking man with greasy hair, who offered only a measly, nonchalant shrug in consolation. 

 “Eh, she must have slipped from the group while we were walking back. Kid was there when we lined up.”

Soon the other joined in, a small, diminutive stick of a woman, likely around the same middle age as her counterpart. She clicked her teeth and added a card to the center pile. “My guess is she got distracted by something we walked past and snuck off. I’ve heard of stuff like that happening from some of the other staff. Hell, this place is like temptation in a bottle for kids.”

Chrys’s composure threatened to crack. Could they not hear themselves right now? Her tone took on a sharp edge. “What do you mean “you guess”? Aren’t you worried about her?”

“Oh chill, she’ll be fine.” The male attendant answered, unfazed. “They’ll send every mechanical bozo they’ve got in this place after her, like that creepazoid clown you’ve got here. Soon as the lights go off she won’t stay missing for long, I can tell you that.”

Chrys bristled. She didn’t appreciate the blatant, derogatory dig. “Is that about Sun?”

“Nah, the other one.” The same attendant answered. “After all, the guy’s part of security now, it’s his job to handle shit like this.”

Just then, every light in the vicinity began to fade, blanketing the daycare in a soft but artificial twilight. Some of the children shouted in mock terror, their cheeky giggles giving away their true amusement. Chrys startled out of reflex, eyes wide as she watched the scenery take on new life around her. 

Stars. So, so many stars. 

On every post, every wall, every support beam, even the ceiling and the fake clouds dangling overhead, glow-in-the-dark stars greeted her with their nostalgic light. Never would she have thought that the cheap ones she used to have decorating the ceiling of her childhood bedroom might be able to provide any sort of substantial light, but here they were, their collective amount—and likely higher quality—creating more than enough illumination to easily see by.

“See? Right on cue.” The attendant continued. “I bet you he’s the one who finds her first. Five minutes, tops.”

“Nah, it’ll be Roxy. Fast is like her whole thing. Ten bucks.” The woman chimed in with a barking laugh.

“Ha! You’re on!”

In the background of their grating banter, a new message spoke through the intercom, pulling Chrys from the conversation.

“ATTENTION ALL GUESTS: PLEASE REMAIN IN PLACE. OUR ANIMATRONIC STAFF AND SECURITY BOTS ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING. THEIR SCANS ARE FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES ONLY. LOCKDOWN WILL REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL THE MISSING CHILD IS IDENTIFIED AND RECOVERED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.”

The automated voice spoke with an ignorable note of authority, demanding obedience through command. She could only imagine how frightening this situation must be to the other children throughout the pizzaplex; To go from having the time of their lives one instant, to then finding themselves in a world of darkness and danger the next. At least the children under her responsibility seemed impervious to this, safe and secluded as they were here in the Daycare. A small blessing.

Marigold, however, could afford no such luxury. Wherever she was, odds were that she was alone, overwhelmed, without anyone to guide or comfort her. And if anyone with less than innocent intentions found her before one of the animatronics could… she closed her eyes against such a thought. The math, however, remained clear; With each minute that ticked by, the risk of this turning into a catastrophe grew. 

There had to be something she could do, anything to help speed things along. In a building this large, with all the various nooks and crannies she might have wandered into, going about this in a blind sweep would be far too tedious. Kids were masters of subverting your expectations, able to get themselves stuck in the most ridiculous of places. Pressing her palm to her forehead, Chrys dug through her memories, seeking anything notable, any sort of outlier that might give her some insight into whatever was going on in that little girl’s mind.

She’d been teary and reluctant to leave her mother when she’d arrived. Commonplace, most children suffered from some form of separation anxiety at that age. She played, she laughed, she had fun… and seemed hellbent on continually bringing up a certain ambiguous “big brother” every chance she could get. Was that the missing key? What was it she had said about him again? Something about wanting to share a pizza together, that he was some grown up that worked at some beach…

No, wait, that wasn’t it. She’d said here at the beach. Did… did she mean the pizzaplex? 

“Hey,” Chrys said, interjecting herself back into the conversation. “Is there anywhere in the Pizzaplex that’s beach themed, or, I don’t know, might be considered kinda “beach-y”? Someplace like that?”

The two attendants shared a look of confusion, glancing at the other for mutual confirmation that they’d heard her right. 

“Uh, not really.” The man replied, in a tone that made clear what he thought of her question. “The big things are the band performances, golf, the raceway…. everything else is pretty standard kid stuff, like the arcades. It ain’t really a “beach-y” kinda place, if you catch my drift.”

The woman piped in with a snap of her fingers. “Oh, hey now, isn’t one of the free zones pirate themed? They might have some beach decor or something.”

“Oh yeah, Kids Cove, right? I always forget about that place. Hasn’t it been, like, under construction or renovations for forever or something?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Internally, Chrys vibrated. It may only be a nugget, but this was more of a lead than she had thirty seconds ago, and she’d be a fool to dismiss it. 

“Yes! That’s got to be it! Marigold had said something earlier that makes me think that might be where she’s gone! We have to let someone know. How do we contact Sun? Or Moon? Is there a way we can ping them or something?” 

The pair scoffed at her. 

“Who do you think we are, Vanessa? She’s the only one with direct line access to those overpriced tin cans.” The man patted the seat between the two of them. “Listen, why not sit down and relax with us for a second? I’m sure someone will find her soon, and everything will be just fine. I promise.”

His voice dripped with a syrupy sarcasm, the kind that came across as both patronizing and belittling. In her veins, her blood boiled. A little girl was out there somewhere, likely now having the worst birthday of her life, and they weren’t willing to lift a single finger to help her? To even try?

No. Unacceptable. 

“Fine. If you won’t help me, then I’ll just go out there and find a way to tell them myself. Stay with the rest of the kids until I get back. Don’t work too hard now.”

 Without giving either of the two a chance to retort, she pivoted and left, marching her way to the entrance of the daycare, stopping only once to grab a flashlight from the charging station mounted on the wall behind the security desk before stepping beyond the gate. 

There was no way she was going to let that little girl suffer any longer than was necessary.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2023 Day 16: The Yuletide Challenge (3/3)

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Rating: G

Word Count: 2818

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emma heard her phone ding, announcing an incoming text, and she smiled to herself.  She’d bet money she knew exactly who was texting her; they’d been texting back and forth more or less every day since she’d helped him decorate his place.  She certainly didn’t want to think about it too closely, but she found herself looking forward to Killian’s texts.  He was funny…and thoughtful…and an idiot all wrapped up in one smoking hot package.

If the idea wasn’t so completely ludicrous, she’d say she was starting to fall for him.  But, of course, that was ridiculous.

Emma glanced down at her phone and read her waiting text.

Killian: Morning Swan! Tick-tock.  Nearly Christmas week, and I’ve yet to receive my third act of kindness. ;-)

She quickly sent off a reply.

Emma: Um, actually I just did you an act of kindness.  You texted me at 7 in the freaking morning, and I didn’t threaten murder.

He responded with a series of emojis that made her bark out a laugh.

Emma: Fine.  I’m free this weekend. What (PLATONIC) good deed do you want this time?

Killian: You had to tack on “platonic”, didn’t you? :(

Emma: Lol, I know you, Killian Jones, and I’m not walking into any more innuendo.

After a bit more nonsense in text message form, Killian asked her to stop by his apartment on Saturday afternoon, and they could decide from there just what her third act of Yuletide cheer would be.

Accordingly, at 2:00 pm sharp, Emma knocked on Killian’s door, waiting with more anticipation than she would have expected for her new…whatever he was…to answer.  When he finally did, she was not disappointed.  Her stomach swooped at the sight of those deep, blue eyes, the delighted smile that lit up his face.

And then she noticed what he was wearing and barked out a laugh.  He’d covered his normal jeans and button down with a large apron that said “kiss the cook”.

“So are we baking today?” Emma asked as she stepped inside and let him help her off with her coat.  “Because if we are, I can guarantee you my contribution will not be an act of kindness.”

He chuckled.  “Nonsense, darling.  Anyone can bake Christmas cookies, and I could desperately use your help.  I must have four dozen completed before tomorrow.”

“Four dozen?” she asked with a grin, “sounds like someone’s chasing a sugar high. What the hell are you going to do with four dozen cookies?”

“They aren’t for me, Swan,” he said, looking curiously uncomfortable.  “I’ve made rather a tradition of baking cookies for the children at the group home each Christmas.”

That was…really sweet.  “I didn’t take you for such a philanthropist.  What made you start that tradition?”

“Seemed only good form,” he said, busying himself with grabbing sugar and flour and the other assorted ingredients he would need.  “My brother and I lost our parents quite young and we were in and out of establishments of the sort for years.  Perhaps I see this as a small way to give back for what Mother Blue and her nuns did for us.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother,” Emma said, taking the apron he handed her and pulling it over her head.  “You gonna see him for Christmas?”

His face fell.  “He…died. In the same accident that took my girlfriend and my hand,” he said thickly.

The pain radiated off of him in waves, and Emma felt like a terrible person. Stepping toward him, she laid her hand atop his on the kitchen island.  “I’m sorry, Killian.  I didn’t mean to open old wounds.”

He turned his hand over and laced it with hers, giving a little squeeze, before finally meeting her eyes.  “No need to apologize, love.  The truth is…I wanted you to know.  Perhaps if I talk of it I can finally, truly heal.”

Emma looked down at their joined hands, feeling the oddest sense of belonging at the simple gesture.  Her heart turned over, humbled at the idea that he’d entrust her with one of the worst memories of his life.  “Well what are Yuletide good deed doers for?” she asked, her voice far breathier than she’d anticipated.

“What indeed?” he asked softly, looking at her with such a look of tenderness it made her want to run away…or fly into his arms, one or the other.

“Anyway,” she said, taking a quick step back, “what about all those cookies we need to bake?”

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

Killian pulled the last sheet of cookies from the oven and set it on the potholder on his counter before turning back to his guest.  Her hair was a mess, she had a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, a smudge of flour on her cheek…and she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.

There was no denying it anymore.  He was falling in love with her.  He didn’t know what stroke of good luck convinced her to choose him for this challenge of her family’s, but he was profoundly grateful she had.

“That the last of them?” Emma asked as she finished decorating the last sugar cookie.

“Aye,” he answered.  “We’ll give them a few moments to cool, and then we can give them a few finishing touches.”

Emma turned to face him.  “You know, Killian, I’ve never had any success in the kitchen, but this afternoon has actually been fun.”

“It has, hasn’t it,” he said with a tender smile.  “However, it seems you’re wearing nearly as much flour as went into our cookies.”

He reached up before he could stop himself, cupping her cheek and smoothing away the flour with the pad of his thumb.  Time seemed to stand still for a long moment, neither of them saying a word, both staring intently at the other.

And then she moved.  Grabbing his lapels, she pulled his lips down to hers, kissing him as though her life depended on it.  He hesitated for less than a heartbeat before matching her kiss for kiss, letting all his pent-up feelings have free reign as their mouths melded, their tongues tangled.

The heady feel and taste of Emma Swan was intoxicating, and Killian would have gladly spent hours kissing her, but much too quickly for his liking, she pulled away, breathing hard.

“That was…” Killian whispered, not sure there was an adjective in the English language powerful enough to describe what had just happened between them.

“A one-time thing,” Emma said, quickly stepping back.  

Killian looked up, surprised, and found in her eyes not the awe and wonder and love he was feeling, but something akin to fear.

“Swan…” he began, hardly knowing what he meant to say.

She’d already taken off her apron and was moving toward the door as quickly as she could.  “I have to go.”

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

“I kissed him,” Emma said quickly, hearing the panic in her voice, unable to control it.

She hadn’t known what to do, where to go, how to calm herself, so she went to the only people she trusted, her family.  Mary Margaret had taken one look at her, ushered her inside, and then promptly made her hot chocolate with cinnamon.  It was only after a few sips of the sweet, comforting brew that Emma was able to relax enough to breathe again.

“Um…who?” Mary Margaret asked.

“Killian,” Emma said.  “I kissed Killian, you know the guy I decided to do the good deeds for?”

Emma could see the excitement Mary Margaret was desperately trying to hide. “Why?” she asked, affecting a casualness Emma knew she didn’t feel.

“I don’t know!” Emma said with a shrug.  “I was feeling good.  It’s been a while.  I don’t know why I did it.”

Mary Margaret took a deliberate sip of her cocoa before responding.  “Did it mean anything?”

“No!” Emma was quick to reassure.  “It was just a kiss!  It was nothing!”

Mary Margaret deliberately set her mug on the counter and focused her full, almost motherly attention on Emma before decisively shaking her head.  “No, it wasn’t nothing,” she said.  “You wouldn’t have brought it up if it was nothing. You wouldn’t have that deer in the headlights look if it was nothing.  Talk to me, Emma.  Do you have feelings for this guy?”

“No!” Emma said, getting up and starting to pace.  “Yes…I don’t know!  I don’t know how I feel other than wanting to hop in my bug and drive as fast and as far away as I possibly can.”

Mary Margaret let her pace for a few moments before getting awkwardly to her feet and pointing Emma in the direction of the sofa before the big, magnificent Christmas tree.  “You’re falling for him, but the thought scares you, am I right?”

Emma sighed, defeated.  “Mary Margaret, I can’t do this again.  I can’t.”

“You can’t do what?” Mary Margaret said with a gentle smile.

“Fall for someone,” Emma said.  “Neal, Graham, even Walsh, they’re all gone.  There must be something wrong with me, something that drives people away.  I can’t fall for Killian only to have it all fall apart in a few months.  I don’t think I could stand it again.”

Mary Margaret leaned over and hugged her tightly.  “Oh Emma, I know you’re scared,” she said, pulling back, “but it’s worth it.  Love is so worth it.  Don’t give up what could turn out to be the best thing in your life just because of fear.”

“But…I barely even know this guy,” Emma said.  “How do I know this isn’t just the magic of the holidays talking?”

“No one’s saying you have to go off and propose to the guy, Emma,” Mary Margaret said with a grin.  “Take it slow.  Let things develop naturally.  If he’s the one, I promise he’ll be there with you every step of the way; he’ll take things as slow and deliberate as you want.”

Emma was silent for a long moment.  Was her sister in law right?  Was it possible there could be something real, something substantial, something magical and lasting between her and Killian?  The fear gradually began to recede to be replaced with something she hadn’t felt in quite some time.  Hope.

“Maybe you’re right,” Emma said finally.  “Maybe I owe it to him…to myself…to at least be open to the possibility.”

~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~

Christmas Eve was a cold, dreary day for Killian, much like it had been for the past five years.  He’d begun to hope this year would be different, that this year he’d have someone to spend the holidays with, but after that last encounter with Emma on the day of the cookie baking, he’d started to lose hope.

Killian frowned as he sat before the tree they’d spent so many happy hours decorating.  He scarcely knew what had happened.  One moment they’d been having a pleasant afternoon, the next she kissed him as though her life depended on it, and then she was gone, running away from him like being in his presence was the most loathsome prospect she could imagine.

What had he done wrong?  How had he so royally cocked up something that was turning into one of the most beautiful, meaningful relationships of his life?

Killian took a sip of the rum he’d bought in honor of the holiday (the rum he’d hoped to share with a certain gorgeous blonde).  After the disastrous way the evening had ended, Killian had decided it was best to give Emma her space, let her determine the course of their…whatever it was that they had with each other.

Perhaps it was a good idea, perhaps it wasn’t, Killian didn’t know.  All he knew was that he missed her, more than he’d ever thought possible.  He missed their daily text conversations, their banter, their flirting.  He missed her. What if that kiss had driven her away for good?  What if he lost her?

Killian took another sip, not even wanting to consider the possibility.  A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets.  He would give her the holidays, give her a chance to get some perspective, and then he would plead his case, let her know how he felt. He’d never forgive himself if he neglected to do even that much.

There was a knock at the door.

Killian looked up, confused.  Who the bloody hell would be disturbing him at 7:30 on Christmas Eve night?  He was hardly fit for company, no matter who it might be.  “Go away,” he growled, not even bothering to get to his feet.

“Um…if that’s what you want, but I was really hoping we could talk,” came the voice he thought about, dreamed about, daily.  Emma!

Killian jumped to his feet and fairly sprinted to the door.  “Swan,” he breathed as the door opened, “at last.”

She grinned, looking a bit uncertain at the same time.  “So, are you going to invite me in, or what, Jones?”

Killian stepped back hastily, sweeping his good hand out in a gesture of invitation.  “Of course, love.  You’re always welcome here.  Always.”

She smiled shyly up at him as she shed her coat and took a seat on his sofa, patting it in invitation for him to join her.  “The tree looks really good, Killian,” she said awkwardly.

“Thank you,” he said, scratching at the spot behind his ear.  Why was this so awkward?  From the first they’d been comfortable with each other, but now…now it was like there was a wall up between them.  Perhaps it would be best to clear the air.  “Swan, why are you here?”

She met his eyes, attempting a bright smile.  “Well, I still owe you one good deed, right?  I had to do four before Christmas, and tonight’s my last opportunity.”

His face fell.  “Oh, aye, the good deeds…”

Emma reached over and put a gentle hand on his arm.  “Maybe that wasn’t the only reason I came.”

“Aye?”

“Yeah,” she said, suddenly dropping her eyes, picking at the tassel of the afghan he had draped over the back of the sofa.  “I just…I wanted to apologize for the other night.”

His eyebrow raised.  “The other night?  Swan, if you mean to apologize for that kiss, please don’t.  I assure you it was both very much wanted and very much enjoyed.”

He watched as a tinge of pink colored her cheeks.  “I wasn’t gonna apologize for that.  Not really,” she said, finally meeting his eyes.  “It was what happened afterwards.  The running, I mean.  I’m sorry I freaked out on you like that.”

“Swan, you don’t have to…”

“Yeah, I think I do,” she interrupted.

“Emma,” he tried again.  “If you don’t have feelings for me, you need not apologize.  I never wish to pressure you or take advantage…”

“That’s just it,” Emma said with a hint of impatience.  “It’s not that I don’t have feelings for you.  It’s that I do.”

Killian felt his heart pick up it’s pace as his stomach swooped pleasantly.

“That’s why I ran away,” Emma continued.  “There’s this…I don’t know…connection between us that I can’t deny, and it scares the hell out of me.  In my experience people leave.  People always leave.  If I let myself feel for someone, I just get my heart broken, and…Killian, I can’t lose you too.”

Killian smiled tenderly, reaching up to cup her face, to let soft tendrils of her hair slip through his fingers.  “Swan, you need never fear that.  If I win your heart, and I have every intention of winning it, it will be because you want me.  If I win your heart, it will be the most precious treasure I’ve ever had, and I’ll guard it with my life.”

Emma smiled gently at him, leaning into his touch.  “That kind of statement should sound so sappy it’s almost laughable, but coming from you, somehow it doesn’t.”

He grinned.  “It’s a gift, darling.”

“Killian, I can’t guarantee I won’t get scared again,” she said, after a soft chuckle, “but being away from you this week made me realize something.”

“Aye, what’s that?”

“I missed you,” she said.  “I don’t want to let fear keep us from exploring what might be a really good thing.”

“Nor do I, love.”

“Just…” she said.  “Do you mind if we take things slow?  I’ve always kind of rushed into things before, but, I don’t know.  I want to make sure we do this thing right.”

He smiled, letting his thumb gently caress her cheek.  “We can take this as slowly as you like, darling.  We’ve our whole lifetimes before us.”

“Good,” Emma said.  “How about we make it official by testing out that mistletoe you’ve got hanging by the fireplace?”

NEXT CHAPTER->

[copingmechanism1899]

July 31, 2024

Hmm… it’s been a while. But now I’ve got to change. A big thing this summer: therapy. I’ve done the one-on-one thing before, but this is some group shit.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think group stuff can work for some people, and I like the handouts we get (I like having notes on paper, visible in front of me). But… most of my problems are with people, so being with people isn’t my favorite.

There are some “characters” there, but they come and go. And we’re not supposed to become friends or anything so it’s fine 90% of the time. I just, don’t talk to anyone during breaks. Sometimes people will say something and I’ll respond, we’ll have a lil back and forth, but that’s about it.”

During groups, I do my due diligence, answering questions when asked, and sharing when all of us are told to say something. I have a bit of a problem where I don’t like silence, and so when the therapists are at the front and say “Anyone? I can’t really read the vibe of the room if nobody says anything,” I sometimes say stuff even if I’ve already gone. And I fear that makes me seem like I talk lot because I also hate when people can’t stfu.

But I digress. I’m a people pleaser and a pushover so every time I open my mouth it’s a little game of “am I talking too much? Is everyone annoyed? Do they think I’m trying to make it about me?” Haha… fun inner monologue.

Schedule wise, I was at the all day “PHP” (9:30-2:30) for a while, and have since been moved down to “IOP” (9:30-12:30), so, nice. I’ve not really had a summer of freedom since before highschool. From going into freshman year of hs, into sophomore year of college, I was doing summer school. And after that, every break I was in a cast/boot/wheelchair, unable to walk.

Last summer was the first time I didn’t have summer school. I thought that I would actually do something fun, then buckle down next summer and get a job or something. But I didn’t. Sucks, but what can I do. So I thought, “maybe this summer.”

But nope, I come home, and not even a week later I’m in therapy for most of the day. (Not to mention all the dr appts I was catching up on before that as well.)

Overall I think it’s going… fine. It’s not as painful/cliché as it could be, and I think what they’re teaching is good. In theory. And that’s the problem. I’m not sure that I can use what I’m learning in the moment.

This past week, I actually went out of state with family to visit other family. And yeah, it was fun, and stressful. But overall, no thoughts. And if you asked, I’d say I had fun and list the stuff I did.

But in hindsight, there were probably someone moments where I could have used some of the skills I learned. But they never even crossed my mind.

I’m very forgetful, and another example of that is I had a convo with the therapist, and she suggested “journaling”. And gut reaction: how in the dork diaries is writing in a little glittery book from justice going to help me?

But I know “journaling” can be different. I know a lot of people do poetry (i fucking despise poetry), or just write down to-do lists or what they did that day. So I figured, hey. I’ve already done this, right? I’ll just go back to tumblr.

Whatever, she asked me to do this, when? The 16/17th? And this is my first time doing it. Yikes. Not too hot on the consistency train. But it’s a step right? They say “trying is doing” so they’d count this as a win (even if I wouldn’t).

Feels like a cop out, like I’m doing it just to do it, it feels disingenuous. But I feel worse saying that I’m not doing everything I can (no matter how stupid) to get “better.”

So I’m going to therapy, I’m taking my (newly prescribed) meds, and I’m trying so f*ing hard to “be open” and talk with my mom.

Yeah, that’s another can of worms. But it’s getting better ig. I still feel like if I’m not doing something productive, that I’m failing and disappointing people, but that’s a personal thing.

I need to working through that, but therapists aren’t there to tell you exactly what to do. And that sucks. I want someone to tell me how to not be scared of the (very near) future full of unknowns and uncertainties. Nothing is guaranteed, and I’m terrified that I’ll make the wrong choice (or that I already have), and that I’ll be a burden or a failure.

Yay, rumination (that’s something I learned about haha…). Great start to this journaling stuff.

[riot-grrlboy]

Christianity is built on spreading itself. It is a missionizing religion. As someone who is culturally Christian (celebrates secular Christmas, Easter, most of my family still attends church weekly; I stopped when I was 12), it is supposed to stick around and become the “default”. This is on purpose. My parents talk about how I’m going to “come back” to Christianity when I’m older. My sister, who for years was on the not-practicing, not-believing train with me, has recently started attending church again and becoming more religiously Christian, because she lives a Christian lifestyle and believes in Christian morals and has Christian friends, even if they don’t attend church

It’s. The point. Christianity imbeds itself in culture, in life, in your head, to the point that Christians get upset when they aren’t the ONLY ones represented in a group. You can see it with “Happy Holidays” conservative panics and you can hear it interacting with older Christians who act like it’s the *only* real religion (and, that the sects are so distinct that some don’t “count” as Christianity because it differs too far from their worldview). They love to be the default, the obvious choice, the “taken for granted” religion because that passive participation pushes their goals. I’m not going to raise my children Christian, but we’re probably going to celebrate something similar to Christmas (I’m a latin nerd so it might be more like Saturnalia) and Easter. My family will proselytize to them when I’m not there and I won’t be able to stop it. They still proselytize to me, act like I’ll come back to it, even though I’ve been to church once in the past 10 years and found it jarring and bizarre

The first time I took a religious anthro class, we debunked the use of “belief” as a tenet of religion because “belief” is such a loaded term that erases symbolic meaning, passive acceptance of (or mandated practice of) religion and, notably, ethnoreligion. As someone who is culturally Christian, it felt preposterous at first. We discussed it in small groups and all muttered “obviously belief is necessary”, but understood how narrow that perspective was only after learning about other religions and their practices. It took time, patience and many, many, many counter-examples to hammer it into our brains, because it feels obvious that belief is necessary— because otherwise, by every other definition of a religion, I would be a Christian.

Christianity also teaches that there can be “fake” Christians, a concept I haven’t heard from my non-Christian friends, but have also heard from my “not Christian” friends (Mormans, Jehovahs Withesses, the Amish, 7th day adventists and, by evangelist Protestants, Catholics are usually mentioned as “fake” or “not really Christian” because they don’t subscribe to the same TYPE of Christian worship)

Christianity is a brain worm that sits in your head and whispers “Hell” and “Heaven” your whole life, and that affects your worldview— even if you don’t “believe” in it. You still celebrate Christmas even if you don’t “believe” in it. You still talk about and know the Bible even if you don’t “believe” in it. Your family still gives you sermons and godly advice even if you don’t “believe” in it. You can still be Christian even if you don’t “believe” in it. Christianity takes over culture, morals, even opinions and tells you how to feel, and that takes a lot of unlearning, but the first step is to acknowledge and understand how deeply a Christian upbringing (even a good one! My church performed gay weddings in Tennessee before 2015, which was a huge deal!) can affect your worldview!

Sorry for the rant and the length but I felt the holy urge to yap for a minute about Christianity (because it still takes up a lot of brain space for me)

It's interesting to me that growing up Jewish seems to have given me a fundamentally different understanding of religion from my Christian friends. For me, I think that your religion (or ethnicity, since Judaism is an ethnicity) is not something you can get rid of. You can convert to another religion, but I never understood friends of mine who said that they weren't Christian, but Atheist.

"But you celebrate Christmas, right?" I asked them.

"Well, yeah," they said, "but we don't celebrate Christian Christmas. I'm atheist."

That didn't make any sense to me. Sure, maybe the version of Christmas they celebrated in their house looked more like treats and presents and less like nativity scenes and prayers, but it was still the same holiday.

So, I came up with the concept of the difference between "Not Christian" and "non-Christian". Which of course my "not christian" friends didn't understand. But my idea was that there are people who are "not christian" - mainly culturally christian atheists - and people who are "non-christian", like Jews, Hindus, Muslims, or others.

Because while both groups generally don't identify as Christian, we have different experiences. As a Jew, my experience as a religious minority is not the same as that of a culturally Christian atheist. They're not Christian, and I'm not Christian, but in different ways.

[atlanticcanada]

Halifax organization helps people who choose not to drink navigate the holiday season

The holiday season can be an overwhelming time for people who are newly sober or sober-curious.

For people in the Halifax area who aren’t sure where to turn for support, an online platform called Sober City can be a helpful resource.

Founder Lee-Anne Richardson says she felt “completely alone” while getting sober almost nine years ago. While there were traditional 12-step groups available to her in Nova Scotia, she says there were not a lot of other resources for people who were newly sober.

“For a few years I was thinking, ‘What can I do to bring community together, to bring other people who are thinking about sobriety, or who are maybe brand new sober, how can I get people to come together?’ And then in 2020 was when I started Sober City.”

Every Sunday, Richardson hosts online meetups that are open to anybody over Zoom.

“We talk about our struggles, what’s going on in our lives, hear other people’s stories and basically stay on the right track around accountability and things like that,” she says.

Richardson also provides a bar and restaurant guide on her website.

“I looked at close to 400 bars and restaurants around HRM and I analyzed their menus to see who offers a good mocktail menu, who offers non-alcoholic beer, things like that,” she says. “If you’re about to head out somewhere check and see what they have available for you if you’re newly sober or even if you just dabble in the alcohol-free life.”

Richardson says the guide can be especially helpful this month, when many people are getting together with family, friends and co-workers for the holidays.

She adds that people who are newly sober, and people who have been for years, are “bracing themselves” for this time of year, especially when it comes to receiving gifts.

“People assume if you’re over 19, well, a bottle of wine would be perfect! It’s the easy gift. But I think more people should give themselves a little more credit and be more creative in their gift-giving because, honestly, you might not know who is trying to take a break from alcohol, or trying to cut back or who has abstained completely. So giving gifts of alcohol can be very detrimental.”

Richardson says she has found more people are looking to live an alcohol-free life since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“I think a lot of people, with the boredom of staying inside over the past few years, and no one could really see what they were doing at home, so people wanted to maybe drink a little bit more, to cope too. I’ve see a big influx around that.”

She says, at this point in the pandemic, more people are questioning their relationship with alcohol.

“They’re reaching out to organizations like me and others around the city and reaching out and thinking, ‘Maybe I should cut back.’”

Richardson says it’s a great time for people to consider going alcohol-free because there are more non-alcoholic drinks available now.

“Restaurants are thinking more about us, rather than just offering pop and milk. They are giving us more options.”

Sober City is hosting a “Sober Holiday Party” with two other local organizations this Saturday at the MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning in Dartmouth, N.S.

“We’re hoping for a really good crowd. It’s just going to be mingling, free food, it’s free, everything’s free,” Richardson says. “It’s going to be an amazing way to kick off the season and be around other people who understand what it’s like to live completely alcohol-free in this city.” 

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/nVC3B0A

[meruz]

once again i am answering asks in a big compilation post. included is... gotham, patrick stump, tips about drawing backgrounds, tips about drawing in general, links to my faq, and infinity train

like.... the tv series? No... I’ve drawn dc comics fanart before, though. But it’s been years since I’ve been really into it. I like jumped ship like 10 years ago when the New 52 happened LOL.

AFJHDSLKGH I’m sorry I (probably) won’t do it again??

Actually full disclosure I have a truly cringe amount of p stump drawings/photo studies in my sketchbook right now LOL. He’s just fun to draw... hats, glasses, guitar, a good shape... but I don’t think I’ll rly post those until I can hide them in another big sketchbook pdf.. probably Jan 2022. Stay tuned........ (ominous) 

(ominous preview)

These are all sort of related to backgrounds/painting so I grouped them together even though they’re pretty much entirely separate questions.... ANYWAYS

a) How is it working as a BG artist? Is it hard? What show are you drawing for?

I think you’re the first person to ever ask me about my job! Being a background artist is great. It’s definitely labor intensive but I think that could describe pretty much any art job (If something were rote or easy to automate, you wouldn’t hire an artist to do it) and I hesitate to say whether its harder or easier than any other role in the animation pipeline. Plus, so much of what truly makes a job difficult varies from one production to the next, schedule, working environment, co-workers etc. But I will say that I think while BGs are generally a lot of work on the upfront, I think they’re subject to less scrutiny/revisions than something like character/props/effects design and you don’t have to pitch them to a room like boards. So I guess it’s good if you don’t like to talk to people? LOL

A lot of my previous projects + the show I’ve worked on the longest aren’t public yet so I can’t talk about em (but I assure you if/when the news does break I won’t shut up about it). But I’m currently working on Archer Season 12 LOL. I’m like 90% sure I’m allowed to say that.

b) ~~~THANK YOU!! ~~~

c) What exactly do you like to draw most [in a background]?

@kaitomiury​ Lots of stuff! I really like to draw clutter! Because it’s a great opportunity for environmental storytelling and also you can be kind of messy with it because the sheer mass will supersede any details LOL. 

I like to draw clouds... I like to draw grass but not trees lol,,, I like to draw anything that sells perspective really easily like tiled floors and ceilings, shelves, lamp posts on a street etc.

d) Do you have any tips on how to paint (observational)?

god there’s so much to say. painting is really a whole ass discipline like someone can paint their whole life and still discover new things about it. I guess if you’re really just starting out my best advice is that habit is more important than product. especially with traditional plein air painting, I find that the procedure of going outside and setting up your paints is almost harder than the actual painting. There’s a lot of artists who say “I want to do plein air sometime!!” and then never actually get around to doing it. A lot of people just end up working from google streetview or photos on their computer.

But going outside to paint is a really good challenge because it forces you to make and commit to lighting and composition decisions really quickly. And to work through your mistakes instead of against them via undo button.

My last tip is to check out James Gurney’s youtube channel because hes probably the best and most consistent resource on observational painting out there rn. There’s lots other artists doing the same thing (off the top of my head I know a lot of the Warrior Painters group has people regularly posting plein air stuff and lightbox expo had a Jesse Schmidt lecture abt it last year) but Gurney’s probably the most prolific poster and one of the best at explaining the more technical stuff - his books are great too.

e) Do you have tips for drawing cleanly on heavypaint?

@marigoldfool​ UMM LOL I LIKE ONLY USE THE FILL TOOL so maybe use the fill tool? Fill and rectangle are good for edge control as opposed to the rest of the heavy paint tools which can get sort of muddles. And also I use a stylus so maybe if you’re using your finger, find a stylus that works with your device instead. That’s all I’ve got, frankly I don’t think my drawings are particularly clean lol.

f) Tips on improving backgrounds/scenes making them more dynamic practicing etc?

Ive given some tips about backgrounds/scenes before so I’m not gonna re-tread those but here’s another thing that might be helpful...

I think a good way to approach backgrounds is to think of the specific story or even mood you want to convey with the background first. Thinking “I just need to put something behind this character” is going to lead you to drawing like... a green screen tourist photo backdrop. But if you think “I need this bg to make the characters feel small” or “I need this bg to make the world feel colorful” then it gives you requirements and cues to work off of.

If I know a character needs to feel overwhelmed and small, then I know I need to create environment elements that will cage them in and corner them. If a character needs to feel triumphant/on top of the world then I know I need to let the environment open up around them. etc. If I know my focal point/ where I want to draw attention, I can build the background around that.

Also, backgrounds like figure compositions will have focal points of their own and you can draw attention to it/ the relationship the characters have with the bg element via scale or directionality or color, any number of cues. I think of it almost as a second/third character in a scene.

Not every composition is gonna have something so obvious like this but it helps me to think about these because then the characters feel connected and integrated with the environment.

Some more general art questions

a) Do you have any process/tips to start drawing character/bodies/heads?

I tried to kind of draw something to answer this but honestly this is difficult for me to answer because I don’t think I’m that great at drawing characters LOL. Ok, I think I have two tips.

1) flip your canvas often. A lot about what makes human bodies look correct and believable is symmetry and balance. Even if someone has asymmetrical features, the body will often pull and push in a way to counterbalance it. we often have inherent biases to one side or another like dominant hands dominant eyes etc. you know how right-handed artists will often favor drawing characters facing 45 degrees facing (the artist’s) left? that’s part of it. so viewing your drawing flipped even just to evaluate it helps compensate for that bias and makes you more aware of balance.

2) draw the whole figure often. I feel like a lot of beginner artists (myself included for a long time) defer to just drawing headshots or busts because it’s easier, you dont have to think about posing limbs etc. But drawing a full body allows you to better gauge proportion, perspective, body language, everything that makes a character look believable and grounded.

Like if you (me) have that issue where you draw the head too big and then have to resize it to fit the proportions of the rest of the body, it’s probably because you (I) drew the head first and are treating the body as an afterthought/attachment. Sketching out the whole figure first or even just quick drawing guides for it will help you think of it more holistically. I learned this figure drawing in charcoal at art school LOL.

oh. third mini tip - try to draw people from life often! its the best study. if you can get into a figure drawing/nude drawing class EVEN BETTER and if you have a local college/art space/museum that hosts those for free TREASURE IT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, that’s a huge boon that a lot of artists (me again) wish they had. though if youre not so lucky and youre sitting in a park trying to creeper draw people and they keep moving.. don’t let that stop you! that’s good practice because it’s forcing you to work fast to get the important stuff down LOL. its a challenge!

b) I’ve been pretty out of energy and have had no inspiration to draw but I have the desire to. Any advice?

Dude, take a walk or something.... Or a nap? Low energy is going to effect everything else so you gotta hit that problem at its source.

If you’re looking for inspiration though, I’d recommend stuff like watching a movie, reading a book, playing video games etc. Fill up your idea bank with content and then give yourself time/space to gestate it into new concepts. Sometimes looking at other art works but sometimes it can work against you because it’s too close. 

Also something that helps me is remembering that art doesn’t always have to be groundbreaking... like it’s okay to make something shitty and stupid that you don’t post online and only show to your friend. That’s all part of the process imo. If you want to hit a home run you gotta warm up first, right? Sports.

I should probably compile everytime i give tips on stuff like this but that’s getting dangerously close to being a social media artist who makes stupid boiled down art tutorials for clout which is the last thing i want to be... the thing I want to stress is that art is a whole visual language and there are widely agreed upon rules and customs but they exist in large part to be broken. Like there's an infinite number of ways to reach an infinite number of solutions and that’s actually what makes it really cool and personal for both the artist and the viewer. So when you make work you like or you find someone else’s work you like, take a step back and ask yourself what about it speaks for you, what about it works for you, what makes it effective, how to recreate that effect and how to break that effect completely, etc. And have a good time with it or else what’s the point.

for the first 2, I direct you to my FAQ

For the last one, I don’t actually believe I’ve ever addressed artwork as insp for stories/rp but I’ll say here and now yeah go ahead! As long as you’re not making profit or taking credit for my work then I’m normally ok with it. Especially anything thats private and purely recreational, that’s generally 100% green light go. I only ask that if you post it anywhere public that you please credit me.

(and I reserve the right to ask you to take it down if I see it and don’t approve of it’s use but I think that case is pretty rare.)

a) @lemuelzero101 Thank you!!! I haven’t played Life is Strange but actually  that series’ vis dev artist Edouard Caplain is one of my bigger art inspirations lately so that’s a really high compliment lol. And yeah I hope we get 5-8 too...!

b) Thank you for sticking around! I’ve been thinking about Digimon and Infinity Train in tandem lately, actually. They’re a little similar? Enter a dangerous alternate world and have wacky adventures with monsters/inanimate objects that have weird powers... there’s like weird engineers and mechanisms behind the scenes... also frontier literally starts with them getting on a train. Anyways if anyone else followed me for digimon... maybe you’d like Infinity Train? LOL

c) @king-wens-king I’M GLAD MY ART JUST HAS PINOY VIBES LOL I hope you are having a good day too :^)

a, b, c, d) yessss my Watch Infinity Train agenda is working....

e) aw thank you!! i think you should watch infinity train :)

[ppangjae]

PLANET GIRL | part 1

SUMMARY. When Jaehyun turned twenty-one, he started to hear his soulmate’s voice singing an unfamiliar song in his head. He should be happy, right? Wrong. There are two things wrong with this:

He’s taken. He’s off the market. He’s in a 3-year relationship and,

The voice singing in his head is not his girlfriend’s voice.

Now what?

GENRE. soulmate!au | cinderella!au | cupid!reader | college!au | fluff | angst

WORD COUNT. 6k+ words

author’s note. after much consideration, i decided to post this fic in three parts so that it’s not as hectic! you know me, i love adding ✨drama ✨ now, before you come at me for posting this and not a made to fall in love update, this first part of this fic has been done since mid-september. i’d rather release it than let it collect dust in my drafts. so yes, here she is. happy reading!

taglist: @billiondollarworth @cafemochi @stae-yong @chanyeolscoon @ggaayyyong @soothingjae @taestannie @plump-peach @oshmendes @lanadreamie​ @justineasian​ @jjpmoans​ @beryllium-io​ @jaeismytamtation​ @noonapabo127 @hanniesbubble​ 

PART ONE. cupid | PART TWO. jupiter | 2.5 intermission | PART THREE. PLANET GIRL

“Mark, get your ass over here before I do it myself!”

“Holy shit, what’s the rush?”

“Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day.”

“And what about it?”

It’s that time of the year again; Valentine’s Day. It’s the day where people fall in love or get their hearts broken. But to you, it’s the day where you’re designated to a new target. To put it simply, you’re Cupid. You are part of a family of Cupid’s. However, you hate being called Cupid, you moreso see yourself as a matchmaker. 

Every Valentine’s Day, you’re designated to a new target. As a matchmaker, it is your responsibility to make your target fall in love within one year. If you fail to complete your mission, you will be stripped of your abilities of matchmaking. 

Last year, your target was Johnny. Johnny was an easy target to work with, for he fell in love with the local cafe barista within three months. The two of them are happily dating now and it’s almost as if they’re still in their honeymoon phase. 

Two years ago, your target was your roommate Mark. It took a while for him to fall in love. He was quite difficult to work with because he was so focused on his studies that he barely batted an eyelash at a human of the opposite sex. But you still managed to do it and all it took was to introduce him to Mina, the studious chemistry student who’s been crushing on him since freshman year. 

But this year, you’re not quite sure who to expect. 

“Are you getting your new assignment tomorrow?” Mark finally enters your room after what seems like forever, falling against your bed. He lands and lets out a soft ‘oof!’. You turn away from your desktop to face him. 

“Of course,” you reply with a quirk of an eyebrow. “What kind of question is that? Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day, the day of love and the day of heartbreak.”

“Are you excited?”

“Not the slightest bit.” You let out a tiring sigh.

“Why not?” He frowns.

“Because I have to stress over someone else’s love life for another damn year.” You shrug your shoulders as you explain. “I already have other things to stress out over.”

“You’re always granted a year per love assignment. A year is enough to make someone fall in love, right?”

You laugh. “A year per love assignment? I wish a year was enough. A year goes by with a blink of an eye. Before you know it, it’s Valentine’s Day again.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself. Why don’t you just skip out on the matchmaking just for this year?” He suggests and you shake your head.

“I can’t.” You purse your lips into a tight line. 

He lets out a snort. “I’m sure it’s possible—”

“It’s impossible.”

There are many great things about being a Cupid; you help people fall in love with each other and the outcome is always beautiful. But there are also many downfalls about being a Cupid, one of them being cursed to never fall in love. You’ve always craved the feeling of being loved by someone. As much as you hate to admit it, you’re needy for love. But the closest you’ll ever feel to being in love is witnessing the love being shared by two people, specifically between your love assignment and their soulmate.

You wonder how it feels to have someone care for you. You wonder how it feels to be sought after. You wonder how it feels to hug someone and hold their hand. But you guess you’ll never know because you’ll never experience it.

“God, I want to throw up.”

Johnny lets out a snort as the both of you pass by the seasonal section of the department store. There’s a plethora of Valentine’s Day chocolates on the shelves, along with teddy bears and heart plushies. Seeing the bright, flashing red on the days leading up to Valentine’s Day is surely a sore to the eye. 

“I know, it makes me want to poke my eyes out.” Johnny sighs.

“And what are we here for again?” You ask Johnny as you follow him to the baked goods section of the department store. Your question seems to be answered when you find yourselves standing in front of a shelf filled with ready-made birthday cakes. You quirk an eyebrow. “Who’s birthday is it? It’s definitely not Mark’s birthday, don’t even try to trick me.”

“It’s Jaehyun’s birthday tomorrow, I figured it would be sweet of me to get him a birthday cake.” He shrugs his shoulders as he points between two cakes on the shelves. “This one or this one?”

You point at the plain birthday cake on the left. “This one. You know what would be really funny? If you printed his face on the cake.”

Johnny looks at you and squints his eyes. “You're a genius.”

You have no idea who Jaehyun is. You don’t even know what he looks like. You’ve only heard of him through Johnny. The both of them host the university’s famous evening radio show, Night Night with JohnJae. You’re a listener of their show, mainly because you are supportive of your best friend Johnny. You’re sure Jaehyun is a great guy, especially since Johnny and Jaehyun share good chemistry with each other. You’ll probably get along with him well if you met him. But that encounter has yet to happen. 

As Johnny hands the cake over to the bakery chef to print Jaehyun’s face on it, he turns towards you. “And now we wait.”

“What time do you have to be at the studio?” You question.

He looks down at his watch. “I’ll make it on time. By the way, Mark has been making great song requests by this SoundCloud artist. From what he tells me, the artist is a student from our university.”

You quirk an eyebrow, gulping nervously. “Who’s this SoundCloud artist?”

“Planet Girl.” Johnny pulls out his phone and opens up the music app before handing it over for you to see. You stare at the artist’s profile. “Do you know her?”

You shake your head in reply. “Unfortunately, I don’t.”

“Damn,” Johnny lets out a sigh. “I was hoping you did. Jaehyun and I want her to be a guest on the show, it could probably help her get more attention in the industry.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” you purse your lips into a tight line. “I only know so many people in my program. I have a very small, closely knitted group of friends. They are the only people I’ve known since I stepped on campus in freshman year.”

“I was hoping you’ve heard of her, at least.” He chuckles. “But damn, her music is so good. I can’t wait until her mixtape drops. I’m sure it’ll be such a banger.”

“I should probably check her out.” 

“You should!” Johnny exclaims. “I wonder who she is.”

You fiddle with your fingers. You stare at Johnny who’s scrolling through the SoundCloud artist’s profile, adding a couple of the artist’s songs to his playlists. You blink and with a slight tilt of your head, you clear your throat. “Yeah, me too—”

“I have an order for Johnny!”

11:51 pm.

“Right before we sign off for the night, do you have anything to say to our listeners?”

Johnny has a shit-eating grin spread across his lips. He comes back into the studio with a birthday cake. It’s not just your typical birthday cake. It’s a birthday cake with Jaehyun’s face on it and it’s blown out in an odd proportion. The candles aren’t birthday candles either, in fact, they’re heart-shaped candles, perfect for Valentine’s Day. Jaehyun lets out a sigh. What is he going to do with Johnny?

“I just wanted to greet our handsome radio host slash Valentine boy, Jaehyun, a happy birthday! We have—” Johnny glances down at his wristwatch before continuing. “—nine more minutes before it’s officially Jaehyun’s birthday and Valentine’s Day. And what’s better than celebrating it with a birthday cake?”

“Is that my face?” 

“Who else would it be, doofus?” Johnny scoffs, pulling out a lighter to light the candles. Jaehyun lets out a snort as Johnny starts to sing him a happy birthday. After the happy birthday song, Johnny frowns and sends him a death glare. “Why aren’t you getting emotional? I did all of this to get that reaction?”

Jaehyun gives him a look. “And so as we sign off for the night, I just wanted to thank Johnny for his efforts in kicking off my birthday on a high note. I also want to greet everyone with a Happy Valentine’s Day. Whether you are happily dating someone or admiring someone from afar, just know that you are all in our hearts.”

“Stop being greasy.” Johnny winces. “Anyways, we’re going to sign off for the night with a song request from Mark Lee! Goodnight and see you tomorrow, here is Loose by Daniel Caesar.”

They turn their microphones off and Johnny pushes the birthday cake towards him. “Quick! Make a wish before the candles go out.”

Jaehyun clasps his hands together and makes a wish. With a satisfied grin, his eyes flutter open and he blows out the candles. Johnny’s taking a video of him blowing out the candles before dipping his finger into the icing. Jaehyun gives him a warning look but it’s too late because Johnny smears the icing on his cheek.

“You little shit—” 

“It’s midnight! Happy birthday, Jaehyun!”

12:01 am. 

It all happens quickly. Johnny’s dipping his fingers into the icing to smear more of it on Jaehyun’s cheeks. Jaehyun hears a slight ringing in his ears and his eyebrows knit together. Johnny doesn’t seem to notice how uncomfortable Jaehyun feels until he’s about to smear his cheeks with icing. 

“Jaehyun, are you alright?” Johnny asks him with a concerned look.

The ringing in his ears halts to a stop. He remembers this. He remembers his father telling him that he experienced a distinct ringing in his ears before he started to hear his mother’s voice humming in his head. Jaehyun blinks. The ringing in his ears causes him to see different specks of colours, red, blue, and even green. He feels like his head is spinning. He feels like he’s going to pass out. But it only happens for a brief moment.

Suddenly, he hears a soft voice humming a melody in his head. In an instant, the soft humming in his head stops him from seeing colours and he no longer feels faint. He’s too absorbed in his thoughts to snap back to reality. Johnny is waving his hand in his face to pull him out of his trance. Jaehyun sucks in a deep breath, almost like he’s gasping for air. The soft humming in his head slowly turns into a voice that’s singing an unfamiliar song. He’s never heard this song before.

Johnny sighs with relief when Jaehyun snaps out of his deep trance. Jaehyun looks at Johnny with slightly widened eyes. 

“Johnny, I think we have a problem.”

Johnny snorts. “What are you talking about? You’re probably just tired. We should head back to the dorms before you knock out cold in the studio again.”

Jaehyun runs his fingers through his hair. “R-Right. We should probably go.”

Johnny rests his hand on his shoulder. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s—everything’s alright.” Jaehyun stutters.

No, nothing’s alright. Nothing’s okay. 

His phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out to see a new text notification from his girlfriend. 

ara (12:03 am): happy birthday my love! and happy valentine’s day! i love you 3000.

Jaehyun just turned twenty-one. Not only that, but he just started to hear his soulmate’s voice in his head. He should be happy, right? Wrong. There are two things wrong with this:

He’s taken. He’s off the market. He’s in a 3-year relationship and,

The voice singing in his head is not his girlfriend’s voice.

Well, shit. Now what?

It’s the day you dread with your entire existence; Valentine’s Day. The campus couples flock to the local cafes and parks, the dormitories and even the campus football field. It truly makes you want to throw up. If you could take a shot of vodka for every time you’ve witnessed a couple kissing or giving each other their Valentine’s Day chocolates, you’d be shitfaced drunk by now. 

The only person keeping you sane is Mark. But even with Mark’s presence, he’s too absorbed by the presence of his own girlfriend, Mina. You guess this will do. It’s not like you really have a choice.

Today, you’re going to get your new love assignment. You’re not sure who to expect. Every year, it’s become less surprising and more disappointing. You guess it has to do with your aching desire for love, but you’re not going to dive deep into that. 

You’ll know who your love assignment is when you meet their eyes. When you meet your love assignment’s eyes, you won’t see yourself reflected through their eyes, but their soulmate, their partner you’re supposed to link them to. The moment you witness it, your year to make them fall in love begins. 

Be careful though, time is ticking.

“Can you guys stop talking to each other in baby voices?” You snap at the couple sitting next to you on the picnic blanket. 

The couple had decided to bring you along on their picnic date, just because they figured that you needed to ‘spice’ your life up a bit. You feel like a huge burden to them because whenever you’re with them, all you do is complain about all the things they do as a couple. Could you really blame yourself at this point? 

“Y/N, if only you had a boyfriend, you would know how it feels.” Mina sticks her tongue out at you and you feel your eye twitch. 

Mark lets out a nervous laugh. “Y/N is an independent woman who doesn’t need a man—”

“Yeah, your boyfriend’s right.” You cut him off, looking at Mina dead straight in the eyes. “Got a problem with that?”

“Stop giving me attitude—”

“And stop acting like I didn’t help you and Mark get together.” You snap.

She smiles and laughs sheepishly. As she gets up onto her two feet, she dusts off her straight-cut jeans before pointing towards the local cafe. “Do you guys want anything? My treat.”

“I’ll have the usual,” Mark replies. “Take my card—”

“Babe, no—”

“I’m not letting you pay for our drinks again—”

You let out a scowl, placing some cash into Mina’s hand. “Here. I’ll pay. I’m this close to ripping my hair off my scalp and it’s because of you two.”

“Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?” Mina frowns. “You’ve been petty all day.”

“Get me a double shot on ice,” you mutter. “No sugar or cream. Got it?”

“You’re just like how you like your coffee,” Mina folds her arms. “Bitter.”

As Mina is walking away from you and Mark, you fall back against the picnic blanket. The clouds come by in funny shapes today. You spot a tiny, heart-shaped cloud floating past in the blue skies. You snort, love seems to be everywhere today, even in the skies. Your eyes flutter shut. You’re so close to dozing off into a quick nap until you hear a loud yell from a couple of metres away. It’s too late for you to open your eyes and see who’s yelling because the moment you do, there’s a soccer ball flying in the air. The size of the soccer ball grows when you start to realize that it’s literally going to land right on your face—

“Nice save, dude.” Mark says as he looks at you with amusement. Just in time and with your fast instincts, you managed to cover your face with the palms of your hands to catch the ball. 

Mark’s pulling you up into a seated position. As you sit up, you see someone approaching you from the corner of your eye. 

“I’m so sorry about that!” A soft voice exclaims and you turn to your right. You look up at a woman around your age. She has long black hair and a soft face. She looks warmhearted. Her vibe radiates happiness and happy-go-lucky, welcoming and sociable. Everything you’re not. She’s sporting a soccer jersey and a pair of athletic joggers. “Are you alright? I hope you didn’t get hurt or anything.”

You wave it off. “I’m A-okay. There’s nothing to worry about. Here’s your soccer ball.”

She slightly bends down to retrieve her ball. Her long black hair blocks your eyesight for a brief moment until the wind blows it away. Your eyes meet hers and a soft gasp threatens to escape your lips. 

You’ll know who your love assignment is when you meet their eyes. Her eyes are a nice warm brown, shining underneath the sunlight. You swear you could see stars in her eyes. No, scratch that, you can see galaxies and stars in her eyes.

When you meet your love assignment’s eyes, you won’t see yourself reflected through their eyes, but their soulmate. And indeed, you look at her with slight surprise and shock when you don’t see your own reflection through her eyes. Instead, you see what seems to be a soccer player. The more you look into her eyes, the more information you obtain about her soulmate. He slowly turns around and it reveals his name on the back of his soccer jersey—

“Yuta?” You whisper.

The woman’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. She takes her ball and straightens up her posture. “Thanks again. What’s your name? I feel like I’ve seen you before.”

You snap out of it. “Y/N! My name’s Y/N. Nice to meet you.”

She smiles and her eyes form into beautiful crescents. “Nice to meet you, Y/N. I’m Ara. I should probably get going before I run late for lecture. See you around?”

You nod your head vigorously. “Yeah, I’ll see you around. Nice to meet you too, take care.”

You find yourself staring at her as she walks away. Mark looks at you as you seem to fall into a deep trance. He follows your gaze that falls on Ara. “Hey, is everything alright?”

You tear your gaze away from her to look at Mark. “What’s her name again?”

Mark looks at you with a funny smile. “You forgot her name already? Her name’s Ara.”

“Mark,” you gulp nervously. “She’s my love assignment for this year.”

Mark’s face pales. His funny smile vanishes from his face. He looks like he’s seen a ghost. You can’t seem to comprehend the expression on his face but you know that something’s not good. There’s an unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach as Mark’s mouth hangs open.

“You’re joking, right?” Mark frowns. “How could Ara be your love assignment? That’s—That’s impossible, I—”

You shake your head. “I’m not joking. I didn’t see myself reflected through her eyes, I saw Yuta—”

“You saw Jaehyun.” Mark cuts you off. “Right? Jaehyun. You saw Jaehyun, right?”

You let out a nervous laugh. “Why would I see Jaehyun? I didn’t see Jaehyun. I saw Yuta, the university’s soccer team player. He was wearing a jersey and he turned around. I saw his name printed on his jersey. Nakamoto Yuta—”

“Please tell me you’re kidding.” Mark winces.

“I’m not kidding!” You exclaim in a panicked voice. “Why would I be kidding?”

Mark palms his forehead and lets out a laugh of disbelief. He shakes his head. You stare at him questioningly. What’s happening? What’s going on? 

“Mark, you’re confusing me.” You say with worry etched on your face. “I am telling you the truth. I saw Nakamoto Yuta reflected in her eyes—”

“Ara is Jaehyun’s girlfriend. They’ve been dating for three years. Now you’re telling me that Ara’s your love assignment and you don’t see Jaehyun reflected in her eyes… but Yuta?”

“Holy shit.”

“I’m back with our drinks! Wait, what’s wrong? Why are you guys looking at each other like that?”

The image of Yuta’s reflection in Ara’s eyes never seems to leave your mind. In fact, it has been the only thing haunting you ever since. The revelation leaves you in nothing but a spiralling mess. You are required to make Ara fall in love with her soulmate, who so happens to be Yuta. But at the same exact time, to complete your mission, you must do something to end Ara’s relationship with Jaehyun.

You wish it was a joke.

It all comes down to whether you have the heart to lead Ara to her destined soulmate and end her relationship with Jaehyun or leave things for her to figure out but lose your matchmaking abilities as a Cupid.

The sticky situation makes you want to pull your hair off your scalp. It makes you want to look up to the heavens and yell at your ancestors for being Cupids, for passing down their matchmaking abilities to every generation after them, and for passing down the curse of never falling in love. 

“Stop thinking about it too much, it’s making you age faster.” 

You glare at Mark. “I don’t even know Jaehyun personally but I’m sure he’s a great guy who deserves everything in the entire universe, not some soccer player and a so-called Cupid to ruin his three-year relationship with Ara.”

“What happens if you don’t make Ara fall in love with her soulmate within a year—oh, Johnny, hey!”

Your mouth clamps shut and your head whips around. Johnny occupies the empty seat next to you and greets you with a light nudge. He nods his head at Mark. “What happens if what?”

Mark gulps nervously. He lets out a squeak. “Nothing!”

Mark makes eye contact with you and you give him a warning gaze. Johnny shrugs his shoulders and brushes off the conversation by starting a new one. “Tonight at six. Jaehyun’s apartment. We’re going to have a chicken and beer night.”

“This is exactly what I needed—” Mark points at him.

“I think I’ll have to pass on that one. I have a—” 

“Uh, no you’re not.” Johnny shakes his head. “What excuse are you going to tell me this time? Your excuses are getting lamer every time. It’s quite obvious.”

You sigh. “I’d rather study. Besides, I have a midterm coming up and the last thing I want is to tank it.”

“It’s just one night. Chicken and beer. Who turns down chicken and beer? With friends, too?” Mark tries to convince you but you’re using your eyes to communicate the idea that this will not turn out well.

“Who’s coming?” You tear your gaze away from Mark when he doesn’t seem to take a hint. You’re reaching for your water bottle to take a quick sip of water.

“It’ll be me, Mark, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Ara,” Johnny recalls the guests from the top of his head. “Oh! Yuta is coming too—”

You choke on your water. As you’re going through a coughing fit, Mark grabs your water bottle to prevent any more water from spilling onto the table. Johnny pats your back. “Y-Yuta? As in, Nakamoto Yuta?”

Johnny smiles. “Indeed. Why? Do you have a crush on him or something—”

“No!” You and Mark blurt out in unison.

Johnny gives you both a funny look. “Okay, geez, I was just joking around. Unless, you do, have a crush on Yuta, Y/N—”

“Look who we have here.” 

It’s a foreign yet familiar voice. You’ve heard that voice somewhere. You sneak a quick glance at Mark, whose eyes are wide like saucers. You could see his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he gulps nervously. Mark’s eyes trail down to meet yours. 

“Jaehyun! Ara! Perfect timing!”

Definitely not perfect timing. You mirror Mark with the same wide eyes. It’s almost as if you’ve shrivelled up or froze up into an ice statue. Johnny doesn’t seem to notice you shoving your things into your tote bag out of sheer panic. Mark’s eyes dart between you and the newly-arrived couple. 

“Hey, sorry, I completely forgot that I have a meeting with my group for our project.” It comes out as a squeak. Everyone’s looking at you and you can’t find the strength to look at any of them in the eye. But you can surely feel the attention that’s been shifted towards you. 

“Leaving already?” Johnny pouts. “I just got here—”

“Sorry!” You exclaim, standing up from your seat and making a beeline for the exit doors of the study room. You look over your shoulder. Johnny has a cute pout on his lips as he watches you scurry away from them. “I’ll make it up to you!”

“You’ll make it up to me by joining us tonight for chicken and beer!”

When Jaehyun and Ara take up the spot you used to sit at, Mark can’t help but look at Ara with round eyes. He just can’t seem to look at Ara the same way anymore, especially when she’s with Jaehyun. Mark decides to settle his gaze on Jaehyun instead, but he still feels the same. He can’t look at Jaehyun the same way either. The first person that comes to mind when he looks at the couple sitting across from him is Nakamoto Yuta. The second and last person that comes to mind is you.

There are two innocent people being brought into this mess. It’s you and Yuta.

And what’s worse is that Jaehyun and Ara are just as innocent.

You and Mark find yourselves standing in front of Jaehyun’s door. Surprisingly, it’s quiet. You don’t hear Johnny’s loud voice through the thin door. Instead, right when Mark knocks on the door, you hear someone’s faint shuffling that gets louder and louder as they get close to the door. The door swings open and your mouth slightly parts open. This is—?

“Jaehyun!” Mark exclaims, crashing into Jaehyun’s arms. 

You stand there awkwardly as you watch them embrace. Jaehyun pats Mark’s back until his eyes meet yours. Jaehyun. You’ve known of him. But now that you can put a face to his name, you’re immediately brought back to your freshman year, specifically your freshman orientation week. You’ve seen his face before. Jaehyun was amongst the popular freshmen in your year mainly due to his charisma and charm. By the end of freshman orientation week, he had become a magnet that attracted everyone to him. But not only did you remember him from orientation week, but you remember being one of the many people who were attracted to him. He had become your first university crush, but ever since orientation week, you never saw him again.

Until now.

“I’m guessing you’re Y/N?” Jaehyun asks and you find yourself snapping out of your trance. “I’d be surprised if you weren’t.”

You slowly nod your head. “Yes, that’s me.”

“The one that was scurrying away earlier?” He chuckles.

You roll your eyes. “God, please don’t remind me. That was embarrassing.”

“Nice to meet you,” he smiles and oh boy, are those dimples? 

You swoon. Too bad Jaehyun’s off the market. But at the same time, it’s a shame that you’re going to be the one to ruin his relationship and put him back on the market. You muster up a smile. “Nice to meet you too, Jaehyun.”

You and Mark make yourselves comfortable in Jaehyun’s apartment. Your eyes scan the place and just by the small touches to his apartment, you can pick up what kind of person Jaehyun is. From the LP turntable sitting in one corner of the room accompanied by a great stack of records—he has some exquisite taste in music—to the mini fridge filled with bottles of wine, you can tell that he’s a young man with an old soul. You turn to your right when you spot a piano and a microphone stand. It’s a makeshift studio in the opposite corner of his living room. He sings?

“I’ve heard many things about you from Johnny,” Jaehyun starts a conversation as he hands you a can of beer. “And Mark, of course.”

You open the can of beer to take your first sip, making sure to squint your eyes at Mark. “I hope they’re good things.”

He smiles. “There’s nothing to worry about. They put you up to the highest standard.”

You cough. “As they should.”

Mark scoffs. “You’re being too obnoxious right now.”

“Shut up,” you mutter, taking another sip of your beer. “What’s taking Johnny so long to get here? After scolding me for bailing out on every single function, here he is, pulling up later than promised.”

“Speaking of,” Jaehyun says as he stares at his phone. “His uber just pulled up. I’ll meet up with him downstairs. While I go fetch him, make yourselves comfortable.”

Jaehyun leaves you alone in silence. The moment Jaehyun shuts the door, Mark shoots you a cheeky grin. He’s wiggling his eyebrows at you and you can’t help but squint your eyes at him. 

“Why are you looking at me like that—”

“You like him, don’t you?”

You scoff in disbelief. “I do not like him like that—”

“You do.” Mark cuts you off. “I’m getting that type of energy from you—”

“Well, sorry to disappoint, I don’t like him like that. Besides, he’s in a relationship with Ara—”

“He’s in a relationship that you’re destined to end.” Mark reminds you and you frown. “What? It’s true!”

You shake your head and with a stern voice, you say, “I don’t like Jaehyun. I just find him... charming.”

“That’s all—”

“And handsome—”

“Oh—”

“And sweet.” You add. “But other than that, I don’t like him. I’m Cupid, remember? I’m cursed to never fall in love and so the chances of me liking Jaehyun? Very slim.”

Mark smirks. “But you find him charming, handsome, and sweet. Isn’t that more than enough to like someone?”

“There’s a very distinct line drawn between infatuation and love, Mark.” You state with a matter of fact. 

“So, you’re infatuated with Jaehyun—”

“What’s up party people, put your hands up!”

Both of your mouths clamp shut at Johnny’s freakishly loud voice echoing the apartment the moment he walks in. You dumbly put your hands up and Mark lets out a loud cackle. Entering right after him are Ara and—

“Yuta, my right hand and my go-to!” Mark exclaims.

You wish you were invisible, especially when Ara spots you on the couch and sends you a wave. You’re mustering up a very tight-lipped smile as you wave back at her. Great, this is going to be a long night. Jaehyun follows suit, throwing his arm over Ara’s shoulder and pecking her cheek. Mark sneaks a glance at you as you’re tearing your gaze away from the couple to take another sip of beer.

“Y/N actually came for once,” Johnny teases you. 

Everyone gathers around the small coffee-table. Scattered on the small table are three boxes of chicken along with a can of beer for everyone. You’re sitting right across from Yuta, who hasn’t uttered a single word since he got here. But surprisingly enough, his eyes meet yours and you quickly look away. Your heart begins to race. 

And your heart starts to beat much faster when Yuta never seems to break his stare at you for the rest of the night.

Yuta has definitely seen you before but he can’t seem to pinpoint exactly where he’s seen you. It must have been a fleeting moment, where the both of you passed by each other unknowingly. But after looking into your wandering eyes, after watching you chug a can of beer right across from him, he has found his answer.

Valentine’s Day.

He was biking on his way home after a three-hour lecture. Too many couples. He remembers the excessive amount of couples strolling down the busy streets. He remembers having the urge to rip his eyes out whenever he came to a stoplight and spotted a couple sharing a passionate (way too passionate) kiss. But he also remembers the sudden loneliness he felt.

Ara. He’s always found her pretty in her own special way. His first encounter with Ara was when she auditioned for the co-ed soccer team. He was seated at the bleachers as one of the head coaches who chose the new team members. She was everything he adored in someone. It was like she had her own glow whenever she ran down the field, with her hair bouncing as she ran. 

But too bad because she’s—

“Taken?”

Jaehyun let out a sigh on the other phone line. Yuta pursed his lips into a tight line. “Listen, I tried to get those concert tickets for you tonight through my connections. But all of the available seats are taken. Well, there are still some seats but the seats you wanted are gone.”

“Do you have tickets for other seats?” Jaehyun questioned.

“Yeah, but the seats are pretty far from the stage. Are you alright with that?”

He heard distinct chatter on the other phone line. He heard Ara’s soft voice and a smile threatened to escape his lips. Right… she’s taken by Jaehyun. “We’ll take them!”

“Perfect.” Yuta chuckled. “I’m on my way to your apartment, actually. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes to give you the tickets.”

Yuta turned to his right and into a familiar neighbourhood. He slowed down his bike when he reached Jaehyun’s apartment building. As he headed up a couple flights of stairs, he reached Jaehyun’s apartment completely out of breath. The door opened and he saw—

“Oh, hey, Ara.” He scratched the back of his neck nervously. “Is Jaehyun here?”

Ara beamed up at him and nodded her head. “Come in. You look like you’re out of breath. Do you want a glass of water, or something?”

“I’m good. Thanks.” He mumbled, too shy and nervous to utter anything other than those three words. Ara bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. God, why is he so nervous around her?

“Yuta!” Jaehyun said in a sing-song voice, greeting him with a fist-bump.

“Hey—oh?”

Yuta clamped his mouth shut when he looked into Jaehyun’s eyes. Jaehyun’s eyes sure do look pretty, he could see stars shining back at him. But that’s not what he saw.

He saw an unfamiliar woman. He’s never seen her before.

In Jaehyun’s eyes, he saw a woman holding what seemed like a microphone. She had headphones on and her face was illuminated by what he assumed was a laptop screen. She was singing a song he couldn’t hear. Yuta blinked, soaking in every little detail about the woman he saw in Jaehyun’s eyes. But it was not long until his face paled when he realized something terrible.

The woman he saw in Jaehyun’s eyes was not Ara.

Valentine’s Day. It’s the day he dreads the most out of the entire year. It’s the day where he receives his love assignment for the year. He has one year to make his assignment fall in love with their soulmate. But how is he going to do that when his love assignment is Jaehyun? 

Cupids are cursed to never fall in love. Although, Yuta does have sheer hope that he could definitely find love. How could he not, when he’s a hopeless fool in front of Ara? It’s this specific Valentine’s Day that he dreads the most out of all the Valentine’s Days he’s spent. Why? Because while he found out that Jaehyun’s soulmate isn’t Ara, that surely doesn’t mean that he has a chance with Ara. In fact, he’ll never have a chance with Ara. He could potentially be the man Ara will hate the most.

Because one way or another, he must tear Ara and Jaehyun apart.

author’s note. welp, i hope you enjoyed the first part! i should be able to post the second part after all of my midterms. look out for it! thank you for reading!

[helliontherapscallion]

Unexpected Encounters (Adrenaline Junkie Part 8)

Part 1     Part 2     Part 3     Part 4     Part 5     Part 6     Part 7     Part 9     Part 10     Part 11     Part 12     Part 13     Part 14     Part 15     Part 16     Part 17

Spotify Playlist (collaborative)

Warnings: minor swearing

Word count: 2,775

You walked down the now worn cobblestone path towards the main plaza of the village by Philza’s house. Whistling the first verse of the L’manberg national anthem, you wove slightly at the crowd of people gathered at the stands that littered the sides of the street. 

The village was much larger than the entire L’manberg nation. It had several different precincts with a large, diverse group of people and a few hybrids living there. It also had more amenities like shops, a library (which, to your delight, grew expansively to include more books on inventions, some being exclusively about yours. They were proud people that embraced whatever fame comes out of the area), and multiple towering office buildings.

Everything’s changed since you’ve last been here a year ago. What was now more modern used to be traditional. What was loosely populated was now bustling with people. What used to be barren was now chock full of shops and apartment complexes. It was kind of jarring to see this much change in a little over a year.

In retrospect, it was jarring how much you changed in a little over a year. The hallucinations have finally almost completely stopped along with the nightmares. They only came about once a week now. You were slowly reincorporating green back into your wardrobe. Your phantom pain has retreated into your subconscious. It was always going to be with you, so you got used to the constant pain and tingling feeling. You learned to appreciate the small things in life and just live in the moment so you would have something positive to look back on in the future.

You invented several different gadgets to help your brothers win the L’manberg War of Independence such as a portable TNT launcher, handheld long-distance communication devices (which you affectionately dubbed walkie talkies since you could walk and talk! Wilbur and Tommy were not as enthusiastic of the name as you were), and a redstone powered crossbow that continuously fired arrows until you released the trigger. Though all of your inventions were practically your babies, they did not come anywhere close to trumping your magnum opus: your metal fully functioning wing. 

After several mishaps and failed attempts, you finally made your wing correspond to the electrical impulses in your muscles so that it copied the movements of your flesh wing. It’s built out of a lightweight hollow iron and has feather shaped metal pieces protruding off from it to emulate your other wing. It was a sleek silver color that always caught a ray of sunshine and reflected it to another place. It was basically permanently attached to your body by now due to it being a pain to take on and off. It was just easier and more efficient to keep it on constantly. 

People around you stared, some in awe and some in admiration. A stark difference from when you first lost your wing. Sometimes, you resented them for treating you differently just because your name became more widely known, but you were always a firm believer that everyone deserves a second chance. Even attention seeking, unscrupulous assholes looking for cheap brownie points from their peers because ‘I knew them before they were discovered! I knew them personally, we were, like, really close!’ So for now, you tried to ignore the ugly indignation bubbling in your gut and threatening to spew out in a string of hurtful words. You were sick of being angry, especially now that L’manberg is at peace. 

You passed several people who pointed at you and whispered amongst themselves. Ignoring them, you continued onward with your head held high and your wings folded in tightly to avoid children grabbing and pulling them with their grubby little hands. It always took you a while to clean and preen them after people touched them. You hated cleaning off fingerprints and grime from the smooth metal.

Walking with a sense of purpose, you continued onwards passing multiple shops and stands until you finally reached the butcher. Opening the decorated glass door, a little bell chimed alerting the burly man behind the counter of your presence. Like the others, he stared wide-eyed at you with his lips slightly parted in shock. Great, another exhausting encounter. 

Putting on a polite smile, you broke the silence of the meat shop. “Hello, I’m here to buy half a pound of fresh ground beef. Would you by chance have any in stock?” That seemed to snap him out of his stupor.

“O-of course, I’ll get that for you right away.”

He disappeared into the backroom where frosty fog rolled out in tiny clouds. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all. Maybe he wouldn’t ask any questions or try to get to know you on a personal level.

He returned in a hurry, slapping the wrapped beef onto the counter and giving you a price. Reaching into your wallet for the cash, you paid him generously. “Keep the change.”

“I-thank you, Mx. Minecraft.”

Putting the beef into your satchel, you gave him a more genuine smile. “Don’t mention it.”

Briskly walking out, you made a beeline for the village’s main entrance. You couldn’t stand the feeling of constantly being watched and talked about anymore. Why couldn’t they treat you like a normal person? In your opinion, you were, well, you. Nothing was special about you.

As you were about to cross the threshold of the village, you heard footsteps behind you.

“HEY! MX. MINECRAFT I NEED TO TALK TO YOU.”

Stopping dead in your tracks, you closed your eyes and took a few steadying breaths so that you wouldn’t lash out at this person. You just wanted to go to your childhood home and have a nice, peaceful dinner with your dad. Was that too much to ask? 

Opening your eyes and plastering on a fake smile, you turned around and greeted him. He was a young boy, probably around eleven or twelve years old. His clothes and shaggy auburn hair were disheveled and he had dirt smeared on his face. “Hello, to whom may I owe the pleasure?”

He put his hands on his knees and tried to talk between gasping breaths. “Mx, my name’s Arthur Fox, i-it’s truly an honor to meet you. I’ve admired your work since before the war in L’manberg. You’re an amazing inventor and I wanna be just like you when I grow up. I- oooh I’m sorry, I’m rambling aren’t I?” He kind of reminded you of Tubbo in a strange way.

“No, you’re fine Arthur. Thank you for being a fan of my work, but I must get going. I have an important meeting to attend to.” You weren’t exactly lying to the young boy. Turning on your heel, you started to walk off only to feel a hand on your arm.

“Mx, I need to talk to you.”

“I really have to get going, Arthur. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“No, it’s important.”

You struggled to keep the smile on your face as you shrugged his arm off as politely as you could. This kid is determined. Too determined. “So’s my meeting. I have to go.” You started to walk off into the beaten forest path.

“Do you know about The Warden?”

You halted abruptly and sharply turned around. You let your smile and polite stature drop into pursed lips and sharp eyes.

“...Of course I do. Everyone does.”

Flinching slightly, he quickly recovered his confident facade. “No, that’s not what I meant. Do you know about The Warden?”

“Like I said,” you played stupid, “everybody does. Who doesn’t?”

He puffed his cheeks out in frustration. “Ugh, how could someone so smart be so stupid at the same time? I mean you met it didn’t you? It took your wing.”

You took a step forward and narrowed your eyes, fully facing him now. “How do you know about that? Who told you?” 

He stepped back. “I-I heard rumors a couple of years back that it got someone. I heard your name thrown around here and there.”

You gave him enough of a warning that you didn’t want to talk, but he ignored it and now he has to reap the consequences. At this point, you were so tired and drained from everyone trying to be buddy-buddy with you that you finally snapped. The only thing you wanted was to go home, you did not need this right now. 

“Well, Arthur, you shouldn’t pry into other people’s business. I’ve told you time and time again that I have to leave, yet you persist to stop me. Why? And where are your parents, didn’t they teach you any manners?”

He looked downwards and fiddled with his fingers. “They’re dead. T-The Warden took someone important to me. I… I thought you might be able to help me.”

Shit, you just yelled at a grieving orphan. You were a massive asshole weren’t you? Your eyes softened slightly and you frowned. “...I’m sorry for your loss. Is there anything I could do to make it up to you? Dinner perhaps? We can talk about how I could help you afterwards.”

He glanced up at you. “But-but what about your meeting.”

You winced. “Uh, I’m moving it forward, we have more pressing matters.” You paused awkwardly. “Do… Do you have anybody to ask permission? Any siblings?”

His shoulders drooped. “...No. I’m all by myself.”

Shit, you yelled at a grieving homeless orphan? God what kind of role model were you? 

“C’mon, kid. We’re going to my house.” 

His wordlessly followed you and avoided looking into your eyes. The walk to your childhood home was very awkward, neither of you attempted starting conversation. You sighed.

“Look, Arthur I’m sorry for yelling at you like that. That was really uncalled for, I shouldn’t have yelled or gotten mad. It’s just that- The Warden’s a… touchy subject for me.”

“It’s alright, Mx. Minecraft. You can make it up to me by… making me dinner and showing me some of your blueprints?”

He looked up to you with hope filled, sparkling eyes. You snorted. “It’s a deal, kid. We’re almost there.” 

You could see the silhouette of the house in the nearly setting sun. It was still the same as when you left a year ago. 

“Ya know,” you sighed out, “this is actually my Dad’s house. I’m just visiting him for a couple of weeks.”

“Where do you live then?”

“I live in the heart of L’manberg with my brothers.”

“That’s cool…” He trailed off. You frowned, it seems that he was nervous to meet your Dad. You probably should’ve mentioned that Philza was there to him before taking him here.

You stopped, grabbing Arthur’s shoulders. “Kid, you don’t have to worry about meeting my dad. He’s probably the kindest, most genuine man I’ve ever met. He’ll welcome you with open arms, that’s what he did with me and my three brothers. He adopted us all.”

He gave you a small smile. “Alright, Mx. Minecraft, I trust you.”

“Oh, please don’t call me ‘Mx. Minecraft’, it makes me feel ancient,” you lolled your head back and dramatically groaned out, making him giggle. “I just turned twenty, buddy. Feel free to call me (y/n).”

 Putting your hand on his shoulder, you led him to the front door. You twisted the old door knob and pushed the wooden door open.

“Dad, I’m home and I brought the beef!”

He popped his head out from the kitchen, his messy blond hair flopping onto his face. He gave you a joking smile. “Took you long enough, any longer and I would’ve locked ya out.” 

You watched as his eyes wandered over to Arthur. He frowned, revealing his frilly pink apron that Wilbur got him as a joke. Oh, you could just hear the gears in his head churning.

“...(Y/n), who’s this?”

Grinning sheepishly, you replied. “Dad, this is Arthur Fox. Arthur, this is my dad Philza Minecraft. I promised him dinner and somewhere to stay for the night. Do you have some of Tommy’s old clothes Artie could borrow for the night?”

He sighed, shooting you a we’ll-talk-about-this-later look. “Yes, they’re in the attic. I’ll grab them after dinner so he could shower before going to bed.”

Arthur timidly spoke up. “Thank you, Mr. Minecraft.”

Your dad softened and gave him a gentle smile. “It’s no problem, Arthur. And please, call me Philza. Mr. Minecraft makes me feel old.”

Arthur let out a loud laugh. Despite everything he went through, his laugh still sounds like an innocent child’s laugh. You chuckled, kids always had a silly little laugh. Philza grinned at him, a child’s laughter was something that he missed.

Arthur wiped at his eyes as his laughter died down. “I’m sorry, (y/n) said the same outside.”

“I did,” you smiled lightly at Arthur before looking back at Philza with mischief, standing up straight and putting your hands on your hips. “But I was funnier.”

“Pft, you wish. I was saying that before you were even born. So, I win because I’ve been saying it longer.”

“Whatever ya say, old man. Funniness over age.”

He playfully glared at you, placing an offended hand over his heart. “I’m not that old.”

“Ya kinda are, Dad. You’re practically turning to dust!”

He gasped. “I am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Are too!”

“Am no- wait Dad, that’s cheating!”

“You still said it though!” He sang out, grinning at you cheekily.

“No, that doesn’t count!”

Arthur’s amused brown eyes bounced between you and Philza like he was watching a tennis match. Every so often, he would giggle at something one of you said. You both took your banter to the kitchen where you and Philza started to cook. Dinner was done and the table was set in no time. There was pleasant small talk as dinner neared an end

Your dad swallowed his last bite of beef and turned his attention towards Arthur. “So Arthur, how old are you?”

Arthur gave a small grin. “I’m ten.”

“Do your paren-”

You loudly coughed, throwing a discreet glare at Philza. Mouthing ‘don’t’ from behind your hand, you took a big sip of your water and stood up. “I’ll wash all the dishes. Arthur, would you like to look at some of my blueprints while we wait for my Dad to get you some clothes?”

His eyes shined with excitement. “Yes please!”

You chuckled, putting the plates in the sink and walking down to your old workshop to grab one of the blueprints you left in a filing cabinet. You grabbed the first draft for your prosthetic and the final draft for the automatic farm.

Upstairs, you situated the blueprints in front of Arthur at the dinner table. “Okay buddy, learn to your heart’s content. I’m gonna do the dishes. If you need something just give me a shout.”

Walking into the kitchen, you filled the sink with warm soapy water and got started scrubbing. You moved your wings around subconsciously as you wiped the pots and plates clean of grease. Humming in satisfaction when you were done, you dried your hands and sat next to Arthur who was looking at your designs with complete awe. 

“You like them?”

He nodded his head so fast you thought it might fall off and started to fling questions at you. You smiled fondly at him, it was nice to see someone so interested in how your inventions were made and not just how they worked. 

You two were mid conversation when Philza walked into the room with a bundle of clothes in his arms. You grabbed Arthur’s hand and led him up to the bathroom. You bent down and rested your hands on your knees, looking at him.

“Alright buddy, everything you need is in there, clean towels are in the closet. When you’re done, I’ll be in my room just over there,” you pointed to your door. “Last door on the left. I can show you where you’ll be sleeping for the night when you’re done. Does that sound okay?”

He gave you a gap-toothed smile. “Yes, thank you (y/n)! You’re the best!”

He closed the bathroom door and you stood there. You felt… oddly fond for the boy you just met only hours before. 

Philza cleared his throat and pinned you to the wall with a stern look. “(Y/n), explain now.”

“I will, but let’s talk in my room so Arthur can shower in peace. Poor boy needs it.”

He sighed and walked into your room. You had a long talk ahead of you.

(A/N): so, how do you guys like Arthur?

Taglist (comment if you want to be added):

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[wornoutmouse]

May I request Ogun with a Black shy female reader doing a training session that leads to a little bit more 🙈

Anon please

You’re a second-generation pyrokinetic (Like Joker and Maki). Idk why but I made up in my head that you have flint-bottomed tap-dancing shoes that briefly light when you scrape your feet against the floor…..so that’s where you get your fire from 🤣🤣🤣

This one is a bit longer than normal cause i gotta build the tension

I am terrible at action scenes bruh

Chug- lift heels, slide forward, and then drop the heels at the end of the slide forwards

“Hey, Y/n!” You look up from the bland mashed potatoes and corn Company 5 had prepared. It was a hot Sunday morning and your partner in crime was as excited as ever. He stood a few feet away at the back entrance in the cafeteria. Cocking a thumb behind him, he dawns a toothy grin. “Want to play a quick game?” The game Ogun hinted at was one you were quite familiar with and one you should have known he would ask you to participate in today. “Fine, but don’t cry when I win.” You scoop another spoonful of corn before tossing your tray away for recycling. You’d need all your strength cause Ogun never lost without asking for back-to-back redos.

.You didn’t quite understand the need to be sweaty all the time, but always gave in to his whims

Ogun preferred to train in the field where the sun shined the most throughout the day at the far left of the Company. Often as you went on throughout your day-to-day training, you’d spot Ogun doing laps and practicing his attacks throughout the day.

“I’m feeling fired up today Y/n, you might want to be worried.” You close your eyes as you stretched an arm over your chest. You had yet to lose but you knew Ogun only saw that as a personal goal to get past. “Let’s get this over with, I’m tired.” The smell of smoke enters your nostrils giving you enough time to dodge Oguns boosted attack. “I told you about letting yourself known Mr. Montgomery.” You open your eyes, Oguns skin was lit ablaze with his pyrokinetic abilities.

From afar you’ve always admired the swirls that decorated his skin whenever you got amped up, and this time was no different. “I see you’re already using “Flaming Ink” what, you already scared?” Ogun widened his stance, glowing white eyes watching you shift your feet. “I’ve been working on a new move that I want to show you so why don’t you try your little fire trick.”

Curious, you scuff your shoe on the floor and draw your fire...only the fire doesn’t come. You do it again and the light goes out just as quick as it came. “What did you do?” You narrowed your eyes at Ogun. “Oh nothing, I’m just faster than you now.” You take a few steps back, “Oh that’s how you want to play it? Okay!” You take off running at the very edge of the field and Ogun is fast behind you. Internally you admit that he had gotten much faster, but a simple fact as that wasn’t going to make you lose.

Doing your best to maintain speed, you chug and draw the flames close to your chest out of Montgomery’s line of sight. It was small, mostly snuffed by the kick of your legs as you ran but it was big enough to get the job done. Similar to Ogun in his natural state, you too could throw projectiles just not as damage-inducing.

Turning around as you run, your eyes widen when Ogun appears just inches in front of you, “Surprise!” Your flame is snuffed and you tumble bringing Montgomery down with you. You prepare to feel your body be crushed by his muscled one but at the last minute your shoulders are grabbed and you flip again. The change in elevation causes you to lose a bit of focus, but you can still clearly feel Ogun cushion your fall.

“Oh wow, this looks like something out of an anime.” Ogun laughs when he finds himself lying flat on his back, you positioned comfortably on top of him. The position was completely ridiculous with your thighs straddling his stomach but you were thankful that you wouldn’t be in any sort of pain later.

“Looks like I’ll need to train harder huh?” You playfully punch Ogun’s shoulder. Even though the whole ordeal only lasted 6 minutes, you could feel your back drenched with sweat. While you couldn’t wait to get in the shower, Ogun seemed content with being in a salty state. “You’re dripping all over me you know?” Your head immediately snapped down to look at Ogun with wide eyes, “Excuse me?”

Ogun had a neutral look on his face not hinting at any humor behind his words. “You’re sweating really bad. Did little ole me get you all worked up?” He had to be teasing you at this point, but you couldn’t find a single crack in his facade. “Yeah well, maybe if you didn’t choose this big ass field with no trees I wouldn’t be 2 seconds from passing out.” You stand up, a bit wobbly, and help him up. “I’m going to go shower, you can stay out here if you want to.”

Ogun happily joins you on the way to the showers. You could hear his excitement from finally beating you. “Don’t get cocky, it was a one-time occurrence Ogun.” An arm is slung over your shoulder. In a smug tone, Ogun mocks you, “Don’t be mad cause you lost. You’ve had enough time to be cocky on your own terms.” You gasp mockingly before turning your head to spit back a remark but lose your breath from how close his face is to yours. At such close proximity, you become aware of small details. How his skin shinned in the sunlight, how Oguns eyes contained such a very specific hue of orange that they mimicked the fire of Sol almost precisely. You even wouldn’t be surprised if they would burn to the touch.

“What’s the matter, got nothing to say?” Out of instinct, you shove his head away with so much force he goes flying before landing on his ass. Before any questions are asked you deflect, “Gross I got your B.O all on my shoulders.” From behind Ogun scoffs, “How dare you, any other fine lady would be blessed to be near my manly musk.” Stifling a laugh you utter one final tease before slipping into the girl’s shower, “Yeah, manly must.”

It was endless labor as your captain followed you around, blowing that damn whistle. Given laundry duty, you had to take multiple shifts back and forth throughout each level of the building to collect everyone’s clothing. When you came across Ogun’s level your job was hindered as you were forced to wait as he sifts through his piles of dirty laundry, “Trush me Y/n, there’s a shirt that I accidentally put in here but it’s actually clean.” “Ogun if it’s in the dirty clothes then it’s dirty.” You try to haul his stuff out but he stops you. “I swear if you don’t move I’ll burn your stuff.”

Ogun chuckles, “You burn my clothes and it’ll catch your clothing as well.” Ogun reaches inside the pile you held pulling out a blank white T-shirt that looked annoyingly similar to the 12 other T-shirts you had watched him toss to the side. “Unless of course, you’re trying to go streaking which by all means I encourage you to.” You ignore his joke and pretend it doesn’t strike a certain feeling in your gut.

For your next task, you had to prepare different levels of activities for a group of 5th graders coming to the company the next day. Of course, Ogun would be assigned to the same task as well so while you worked diligently to bring equipment from the storage room, Ogun spent his time using each of the items incorrectly. “Please stop bouncing the footballs with the tennis racket before you get hurt.” Ogun ignored you as he dribbled with the racket. “Don’t be mad cause you’re not as creative as me.”

Well, as you predicted Ogun ends up getting punted in the face when he tries to toss the football in the hoop. Even though the sound it made on impact was loud and hollow, Ogun barely flinches when it ricochets. “Wow you seem pretty experienced with getting hit in the face with balls, you barely moved.” Ogun glared as he watched you pick up the football. Absentmindedly you spin the football as you speak, “You know if I didn’t know any bet-” Your speech is gargled when your mouth becomes stuffed.

While you weren’t watching Ogun through a basketball at your hand making you push the end of the football in your mouth. “Wow you seem pretty experienced with balls in your mouth, you gotta show me some time.” You cradle your mouth, it throbbed with dull pain and resentment filled your mind. “I’m sure it’ll be easy, there aren’t going to be too many inches stopping me.”

At this point, both your nerves are on high alert, and the energy in the air shifts from playful to angry. “Oh yeah?” Ogun walks slowly and calmly towards you, raising a brow when you stumble back yet still maintain your glare. The hand cradling your jaw is held tightly in his grasp, “Would you like to try?” The dare only eggs you on, “You won’t last a second.” The faint twitch of his temple lets you know you hit a nerve.

*Wheeeeze*

Both you and Ogun’s heads snap to the left. Pan stood at the gym doorway arms waving and whistle blowing, a clear attempt at reprimanding your laziness. The playful aura comes back and you and Ogun are subjected to extra work for your negligence. “This is your fault you know.” he shoots back, “I don’t want to hear it Montgomery.”

Ogun walked down the hallway in search of a new victim to torture, so it was only pure convenience when he stumbled near your living quarters and caught you just before you walked inside. “Y/n! You were absent for dinner.” You take one look at him before dashing into your room. All you wanted was to sleep, training with Ogun, and then having to complete your own set of chores plus extra was tiering. So seeing Ogun wandering out and about during the late hours only met trouble.

You jolt from your train of thought as your door is banged on. “Go away Montgomery, I’m trying to sleep.” Ogun whined, “Well you weren’t trying too hard cause you weren’t in your room yet, now let me in.” You kicked the door back, “No, now go away!”

No sound is heard, not even a shuffle. Sighing you walk towards your bed with a content smile, you’d apologize to him later but now it was your time for rest. Heavy wind billowed through your opened window making you shiver as the curtains tickle your skin. The sharp coolness made your teeth rattle but it was just the right amount of cool you needed in order to head off quickly to dream land. Turning the dial of your lamp, your room is shrouded in darkness and you climb underneath the covers. Nothing could stop the relaxation you were about to receive…….nothing but the feeling of “something ain’t right.”

Opening your eyes and expecting the worse, you are then greeted with the worst as the same fiery eyes you admired hours before, hovered above your face. “You should really close your window.” You scream and throw a punch in Oguns direction but it is in vain as he catches it and pins it down. “I should really get you back for doing that earlier.” Ogun doesn’t make any move to let you go or even speak again. “How the hell did you get there so fast?” You are unable to look away from his eyes, nothing else would have mattered anyway.

More wind blows through your curtains. “I told you I’ve gotten faster.” You can feel his breath caressing your cheek the closer he gets to your face. The hand wrapped around your wrist tightens despite your body being slackened. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah”

No one knows who moved first. All you know is that your pajamas were being ripped off of your body as Ogun aggressively devoured your lips. Tossing everything to the ground, Ogun sits above you, with his shirt was off, you are given the liberty to admire his chiseled body. Ogun makes quick work with fingering you open, watching with a toothy grin as your chest shakes and your breath stutters. “Not talking much now are you?” He doesn’t care if you respond, all he cares about is wearing you down. You pull him closer, nails dragging down his back, as your orgasm overwhelms you. “Ogun!” Your legs are hiked up and over his shoulders as he positions below you.

“Good job, I don’t want to hear anything else but my name.” The stretch was burning and filled you tightly. “How many inches you think that is?” You weakly slap Ogun’s arm as he weakly ruts into you before pulling out completely, “S-Stop making fun of me.” “ Aww, but it’s fun!” Ogun is slow and precise as he mashes his hips forward. There is no hesitation and the pace stays at a fluid toe-curling pressure. “You’re so silent now Y/n. Tell me, how does it feel, huh?” Your back raises from off the bed, “It...good-I oh god!”

The simple fact that you couldn’t speak sent tremors to Oguns cock. He wanted to tease you more, make you break. Your pussy was wet and sopping for him and not even Sol could make him stop fucking you, not when you looked so beautiful underneath him. But a mischievous streak doesn’t go away that easy.

Leaning back on his haunches, you are put back on top of Ogun, the same position you were in when on the feild. He doesn’t move and just looks at you, “What are, what are you doing?” You try to bounce but he holds you down making you pulse around him. “Please let me move.” But he doesn’t, the only movement you get is when you’re held down harder on his cock. “How many inches Y/n?” You shrug, “I don’t freaking know like 5 or something!?” You just wanted to cum not answer a random questionnaire.

Ogun uses his strength to lift you up and slam you back down. “Wrong, try again.” It takes a moment for you to catch the breath that got knocked out at the second stroke. “Do you really want me to stroke your stupid ego, fine 8inches!” You are slammed down again and this time it hits a special spot just short of your G. “Wrong again, don’t be a smart ass Y/n” He rubbed your side. “Come on, play my game for a little bit, don’t you want to cum on my dick?” Oguns hands squeeze your breasts, thumbs rotating the dark circles of your areolas leaving your nipples to tingle in need.

“Si-Six damn it! It has to be like 6.” your answer is mumbled but is loud enough to satisfy Ogun. As if you weighed nothing less than a piece of paper, Ogun uses his thighs to bounce you on his cock. Your chest bounces in his face taking his immature mind to cloud nine. He could feel the tell tell sign of his own orgasms cumming, as your ass slammed down on his shaft. “Stop squeezing down so damn hard!”

Being the person you are, you don’t listen even after you feel Ogun spill inside of you. “Oh fuck!” You rearrange your own legs and start bouncing at your own pace. The tight grip on your waist means nothing as you chase your second cumming. “Hurry up you little shit my balls are burning!” Ogun tossed his head back as his mouth releases cracked moans. His cock continued to twitch as it became softer but still stimulated. Soon, Ogun couldn’t take the stimuli anymore and pushes you down on the bed. The feeling of his fingers thrusting in and out of your pussy was a little less satisfying than his cock but you cream around it just as easily.

You lay down giggling while Ogun goes in and out of sleep. “I was right, you didn’t last a second.” “Shut the hell up, you’re like a vice.” Your sweaty state somehow doesn’t bother you as you rest in the afterglow. Your blinds continue to shimmer as the wind continues to blow. “Five and a half.” The numbers mean nothing to your muddled brain, “What?” Ogun looks at you, “5 and a half inches is the correct answer but I appreciate the 6.”

Suddenly the glow was no longer worth it.

[frattsparty]

My Heart Needed You Part 12

An: I’ve had this written for a bit and then rewrote it again, so enjoy. I’m in Florida on vacation so I might do some extra writing this week.

Warnings: Unprotected sex, language, Nestor being a sad boy. Nobody under 18!!

Tag List: @nessamc @withmyteeth @redpoodlern @lexondeck @thegirlwhowritesfics @chibsytelford

The weekend with the boys was exactly what you needed, and being able to talk with Wendy and Venus surprisingly made you feel a little lighter.

You aren’t quite ready to share everything with Nestor but you knew he loved you, and that once you are comfortable telling him you won’t lose him. What Jose did won’t change his love for you like you thought it would all those years ago.

Loading your bag into the car, you turn around and give Nero a tight squeeze, “Thank you for taking care of them, keeping them safe.”

“They’re family to me, just like you, I’m always here for you.” Kissing the side of your head he releases you.

“I’m going to miss you, Hailey!” Wendy says as she pulls you in. “Next time bring that man of yours with you.”

Chuckling, “I will, he will love how peaceful it is here.”

Next up are the boys, leaving will be so hard but you are already planning your next visit. “Okay boys, be good, I love you both so so much!” You are all squeezing each other as tight as you all could.

With another look back you see their little hands waving, “Love you guys!”

“We love you too. You are welcome here anytime.” Wendy yells as she picks up a crying Abel.

Once you’re in the car and on the road, you give Nestor a call letting him know you are on the way back.

Pulling into Miguel’s house you see Nestor waiting on the steps for you, a big smile on his face. He jogs over to open your door before you do,

“Hey baby,” he says as he pulls you from the car and into his arms.

“Hey,” standing on your tiptoes you leave a lingering kiss on his lips, “I missed you.”

Humming, “I missed you too.” Leaving one more kiss, he lets you go and grabs your bag from the back. Taking your hand he leads you inside going straight up to the room. You planned to leave your bag and change your clothes, but before you can do that Nestor has other things in his mind.

He drops your bag the second you shut the door and grabs the sides of your neck smashing his lips with yours. “Fuck, I missed you.”

Your hands have found their way under his shirt scratching his back with your nails, getting a hum of approval from him.

He grabs your ass, lifting you up and into his arms. “You can’t go on any more trips without me,” he says between open mouth kisses on your neck, as your fingers work on the buttons of his shirt.

“I promise.” Shoving his shirt off his shoulders, you run your hands over his bare tattooed chest.

You grab his face and capture his lips in a searing kiss. “Show me how much you missed me, Nes.”

“Gladly, baby.” He quickly carries you and drops you in the bathroom right in front of the mirror. “You want a show, you’ll get a show.”

Before you can respond he’s pulling at the hem of your shirt urging you to lift your arms. Then found his way to your shorts pushing those down too, groaning loudly in your ear when he realizes you had no panties on. “My girl was ready wasn’t she?”

“Always am, Nes.” Your head rolls back resting on his shoulder as his hands roam your body, gently touching and squeezing every inch.

“God you’re so beautiful, Hails.” His kisses are soft along your shoulder. You can’t help but smile at his words, as you lift your head your eyes meet in the mirror.

“You have too many clothes on, Nestor.” Reaching back you grab his covered ass, “you should change that.”

Smirking, his hands leave your body causing you to whimper at the loss of his touch, causing him to let out a quiet laugh. “Patience baby.”

“I’ve never been good at that…”

“Mm I know, you’re pretty demanding.” You can hear him unzipping his pants.

Before he can stop you, you turn so you are facing him, grabbing his face and pulling him into you. The kiss is sloppy, the sounds he’s making are primal, causing your insides to stir. “I need you, Nes.” Slowly your hand finds its way into his pants, squeezing and tugging, until you get what you want.

He pulls your hand away, “turn around, spread your legs.”

Without another word you turn, bracing your hands on the counter. He pushes his pants and boxers down and immediately grabs your hips, squeezing them tightly causing you to gasp.

Situating himself behind you he lines himself up, “you ready?”

“Yeah.”

Your confirmation was all he needed to push inside of you, his forehead landing on your shoulder, both of your moaning loudly.

“You feel so good, Nes.” You breathe out.

Gripping your hips he starts thrusting into you, slow at first and then deeper and faster. Spreading your legs wider giving him the ability to go even deeper. “That’s my girl, you take me so well.”

You can’t speak, you’re barely able to catch your breath as he moves in and out.

“Open your eyes..I want to see your beautiful face…watch what I can do to you…let you see what you do to me.” Each point emphasised by a harder thrust than the last.

Like it always has watching Nestor show his love for you does you in, you are so close, and he can feel it.

“Come on baby, let go, let me feel you.”

“Mmm don’t stop Nes,” your voice comes out more like a whine, but you could care less in the moment. Reaching your hand around you, grab his arm to ground yourself.

Holding him tightly, he can't hang on any longer and releases deep inside you.

“I missed you, Hails, and I meant it, you can’t leave me again.” He whispers while leaving kisses on your neck.

“I won’t, the boys want you to come next time.” You move from his embrace so you can face him,wrapping your arms around his neck. “I missed you.” Reaching up you kiss his lips, soft at first, but he pushes to deepen it.

Picking you up bridal style he carries you over to the bed, laying you down and then moving over you kissing down your body.

Settling between your legs he begins kissing and sucking while his fingers explore your body. You are arching into him, holding his head right where you need him. Just as his fingers found their way between your legs there was a knock in the door.

“Hailey, are you back yet? I was hoping to talk to you.” Emily’s voice came in from under the door.

Nestor’s forehead lands on your hip, while you try to catch your breath. “Think we can act like we aren’t here so we can keep going?”

He shakes his head, “she’s been asking when you were coming home. Should probably get it over with.” He slowly begins kissing up your body.

“Fine…” you roll your eyes. “Yeah, Em, I’m back, give me like 15 minutes and I’ll come find you.” You respond to Emily.

“I’ll be in your office,” she responds back.

Making his way to your neck, nibbling under your ear, “we’ll have to be fast this time.”

“I’ll take what I can get from you,” giggling. You grab the chain hanging from his neck and pull his mouth to yours and you wrap your arms around his shoulder and widen your legs for him. Adjusting he enters you slowly.

“I love you so much, Hailey.” He grabs your hands and holds them next to your head, as he kisses you slowly.

“I love you, Nes, so much.”

As you both cum together, you hold each other sharing kisses and light touches as you catch your breath.

“I guess I should go.” Scratching his neck softly, “how about tonight I can show you how much I missed you?”

“Hmm that sounds good to me, baby.” Pushing himself off of you, he leaves one more kiss to your lips and gets off the bed.

***

Making your way down to your office, you see Emily has papers spread all over. Internally you are screaming, mess, clutter, and disorganization in your office does not work for you.

“What’s up, Em?” She’s sitting in the chair moving papers around. You’re trying to hide your cringe at the chaos that is your office.

“I have an idea on something to get back at the rebels.” She rambles the words out, not taking a breath.

“I can’t know about any of this, I have to be completely dumb to anything you do, Emily.” You sit in the chair across from her, you see her face fall. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I’m here to protect the family, and to do that I have to be unaware of anything you’re involved in so I can easily fight tooth and nail to keep you out of jail, I have to know you're fully innocent.”

“If you have an idea tell them, you’re smart, so smart, you’ve clearly researched, have faith in your plan, present it with confidence.” Giving her a reassuring smile, “Trust me, Miguel will listen. You can do this, Em. Just bring your research and be confident.”

“Thank you.” Giving you a genuine smile she asks about your trip and how the boys were. So the two of you spend some time chatting before you help her get everything in order to meet with Miguel.

The rest of the day went by as normal once you got your office back.

Since Nestor was out you took some work to the bedroom and began researching everything you could about the rebels and how they function. The fact that they could hack the accounts tells you they are skilled and resourceful.

You're not sure how long you've been going over these documents and videos, but you are still awake when Nestor walks in, clearly surprising him.

He kicks his boots off at the door and makes his way over to you. “What’s all this?” He gestures towards the papers you have spread all over the bed.

“Trying to figure out how the Rebels do what they do.” You look up at him, “a group like this shouldn’t be able to hack systems or intervene in what we do, they are bigger than a small time group. I just don’t know how they do it, they have to have a major network.”

“Well there is no way your brain is working at this hour, why don’t you pack it up.” He’s gently rubbing your back and you are starting to feel how tired you are.

“You’re right.” Getting up you both start to get ready for bed, you remove the clothes and pull on one of his shirts and cuddle into your side of the bed. He scoots in behind you holding you tightly to him.

You can feel his breathing relax and his heart rate slow down, you love how peaceful he is when he clocked out of Cartel mode.

“Nes,” you say softly, not sure if he was already asleep.

He hums in response. “Baby I promised you I would show you how much I missed you tonight.” Wiggling under his tight grip you turn yourself to face him.

His eyes are closed, his long dark lashes resting on his cheeks, he’s so handsome. You can’t help but run your fingers gently from his temple to his jaw, you run your thumb across his lips before leaving a soft kiss there which causes him to smile. You move your hand to rest on the side of his neck, your thumb running back and forth in his jaw.

“I love you, Nes, more than you know.”

“I love you too.” He wraps his arm around your shoulders pulling you closer. “And I’ll make good on that promise first thing tomorrow.”

***

It has been a few days and Miguel and Nestor were in Mexico working and suggested you stay away, so you are at your new house meeting with the contractor picking out tile, paint colors, countertops, everything to make this house a home.

“Oh, I have one more request to add in for the kitchen,” you pull a photo from your bag. “I want the backsplash to look like this tile, I think it was hand painted in Mexico.”

“Is that you in the picture?” You nod at him.

“I think I can do that, I’ll call my tile guy in Mexico.” He took a picture of your photo so he could send it to his contact.

“We are ahead of schedule, Hailey, I think you’ll be in probably in a matter of a couple of weeks, maybe less.” He gives you a big smile.

“Really?!” You are so ready to call this place home.

“Yeah, all that’s left is the finishing touches to the bathrooms, and then the kitchen. We actually finished the outside area today,” your eyes lit up, “let’s go see it.”

“Let’s go!”

Your hands are covering your mouth, you are shocked as you step outside. “Oh my gosh, it’s so perfect” your voice is almost a whisper.

You had the patio cleaned up, a fire pit built on one side, and a small outdoor bar/kitchen on the other with chairs and couches facing the ocean taking in the view.

Sitting down you take it all in. You can’t believe that this is all yours.

“I’m glad I didn’t show you this first, we never would have gotten decisions made inside,” your contractor learned quickly that once you were out here he'd lost you.

“This really is perfect, thank you!”

“You’re welcome, I have to head out but I’ll lock the door on my way out so you can enjoy.” He nods to you in farewell and heads inside to leave.

You close your eyes just enjoying the sound of the waves below you and you’re brought back to the day Nestor left for basic training, when becoming a SEAL and law school was just a dream. Just a few months after high school graduation the two of you were preparing for major changes and being away from each other for the first time since preschool.

“What do you look forward to the most with college?” You and Nestor are walking hand in hand along a pier in San Diego, trying to enjoy those last few moments together. Staying at a hotel just the two of you before he flew out the next day.

“Hmm probably all the boys…” he all but growls at that. “I’m kidding baby, you’re it for me.” Bringing his hand to your lips you leave a gentle kiss. “I’m mostly excited for the beach, I plan to do all of my studying on the sand…and in a few months you’ll be back here too.”

He hummed in response, he’d been quiet leading up to his departure.

“You okay, Nes?” You spun to stand in front of him, stopping his movements and wrapped your arms around him. “Talk to me.”

“Do you think I’m making the wrong decision? Going into the Navy.” He looks down at you, “my parents aren’t being very supportive…” you can feel the hurt “they haven’t really talked to me much. I don’t think they even plan to come to the airport with me when I leave.”

You could see the sadness in his eyes and it broke your heart.

“Nes, being a SEAL has been your dream for years. You’ve always wanted to do this.” You squeeze his middle tightly, “I hate the thought of being away from you, for what this career can bring, it scares me. But I am so proud of you and I’m excited for you to go after this dream.”

You take his hands in yours and continue, “you’ve supported me with wanting to be a lawyer, all the crazy classes and college courses I took in high school, the SAT prep, all the college applications, the amount of break downs I’ve had from stress, law school is my dream and you have and continue to support me in everything. Whether or not they are there for you, I always will be.”

He quickly moves his hands to your face and bends down leaving a gentle kiss on your lips, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you grab his hand and you continue on your walk to the end of the pier. “And I can’t wait to see how fucking good you look in uniform.”

Smirking, “oh I’m going to look fine, baby.”

“Mmm I know you will, and I’m going to have to fight the bitches off of you.” He couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s my girl, ready to fight for her man.”

You made your way to the end of the pier, and you found a bench to sit on so you could watch the sunset.

You're curled up together, your legs across his lap. He gently ran his fingers up and down your legs as you rubbed the back of his neck.

“You haven’t even left yet and I miss you already.” You say as you move to rest your head on his shoulder.

“It’s going to be hard being away from you, but once I can be here I will be.” Running a hand through your hair he leaves a kiss to your forehead. “Promise me you’ll be here when I get back.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Nes. I'd wait forever for you.”

“Let’s head back to the hotel, I want true alone time with you for once,” standing he grabs your hands and helps you up.

“Carry me, I’m too tired to walk back.” You gave him your best puppy dog eyes hoping to win him over.

Chuckling, “hop on.” he squats so you can climb on.

“Honestly Nes, I know it’s going to be a hard few months but I can’t wait to live here with you.” He gave your thighs a squeeze as he held onto you.

“I know me too, Hails.” He smiled over at you.

“We can really have our own life together, no parents to tell us what to do,” you lean forward leaving kisses along his jaw, “no brother keeping us from alone time.” You mumbled in his ear knowing he gets annoyed with his brother.

Chuckling, “Niko will probably move here to keep an eye on you.”

“You’re probably right.” Giggling, “I really can’t wait to have our life here together. You’re all my heart needs, baby.”

“You’re everything, Hails. Just a few months and it’s me and you here!”

You’re brought out of your memory by a phone call, realizing that you’ve been out here long enough for the sun to go down. It was Nestor

“Hey, everything okay?”

“Em got hurt, we are heading to the hospital in Santo Padre, meet me there.” Nestor hurried out, hanging up before you could respond.