#it's only 9am and I'm already ready for the day to be over man

[mochiwrites]

the morning started good and then got an essay grade back and everything immediately just TANKED ugh

[ajeannekathleen-blog]

Is there anything not great about remote work?

Picture this: you live in the Philippines but earn USD, the job is task-based (you, yes you, manage your hours), you work at the comfort of just about anywhere, and there's tech allowance to support the best setup you can put up at home - could there still be something not great about it?

This will probably be a #WFHhuman series, but for now, I'll share the most recent realization for me.

February 16, 2024

February 15 in the afternoon Pacific time, and it was packed. I had three meetings scheduled starting at 7AM, ending at 9AM.

The first one was unfortunately a transition call - me, my boss and a US employee we're calling Troy in this journal, doing a walkthrough of his tasks because he was being let go. When I saw the calendar invite the day prior, I thought it would just feel like any other meeting I had to go to - I'd get myself prepped for the camera, drink water, zone myself in for the meeting at least 5 minutes before (vocabulary and grammar has to be summoned, of course) and attend. But boy I was wrong.

At 10 minutes into the call, it felt heavier watching and listening to Troy walk us through his doc. It wasn't the nicest doc but it was still, in all its essence, the last doc he's ever going to make in and for the company; a furnished Google doc that equates to "I'm leaving my tasks to you now, take good care of them."

Well, I had to brush these probably overly comical and dramatic thoughts off, cause I have to focus and make sure I comprehended. It's also the last and only time I can ask questions.

A little over 5 minutes before the call, we were good, and my boss being the respectful and courteous man that he is, had to bid a few words. We ended it afterwards.

With the call ending, I was then free to acknowledge the heavy load I was feeling. Slowly, it sank in how it was one heck of a start to my morning; how it was in every way, depressing. To my realization, this actually is one and two among other things that suck with remote work.

The lack of surety. The reality is, remote employment is not nearly as secure as how local private or government employment is. You can be let go anytime with or without an exit pay, with or without a specific reason. Not all, but most often, clients have considerable freedom without any legal bounds.

A lot of farewells. Given the lack of security, you have to be ready to encounter a lot of farewells - either from colleagues leaving soon from finding a better higher paying job, or from those who were let go, sometimes in the most unprecedented timings.

It's been five+ years now since I transitioned from being in corporate to remote, and it still feels like I'm never prepared for instances like this. Accountants are usually either the last to get offboarded or do not get offboarded at all, so trust me when I say I've offboarded 50+ people already and the seemingly heavy rock still gets its way to my chest every single time. I found myself breaking down at one point.

While great opportunities are everywhere, not everyone's meant to last thriving in these opportunities. If right now you are employed, be grateful and value the paid role you've been given. Do your job right. If right now you are seeking but have all the resources and time to find one, do not waste it. These are all blessings and gifts that many people pray for. I hope you can empathize and acknowledge that others may not be as fortunate, by showing appreciation for what you have.

So, a related insert: to everyone always saying "Kapag ba inubos ko pagkain ko, mabubusog ba yung mga walang makain?", it might be high time to hear yourselves and reconsider.

[katytheinspiredworkaholic]

Congrats on 200!! 🤗

I would love 🖼 a moodboard for .... hhhhmmmm how about HotchReid?

And I can't find a pencil, but I would love any blurb about HotchReid as well ❤

Eeeehhh I'm excited!! Congrats again! 🤗

I am ALWAYS on board for HotchReid, and you were my other freestyle moodboard so you get my Light!HotchReid moodboard that’s all soft and warm and romantic <3

AND IN THAT VEIN, I had an idea and ran with it so this is half blurb/half one-shot and idk where it came from but have some domestic, established relationship HotchReid C: and thank you so much for sending me the asks and celebrating with me!

--

//In which Jack outs his dad and Spencer’s relationship before they even get a chance to call it one//

--

They don’t mean to start sneaking around. Honestly they don’t. 

It just… happens.

There was no rhyme or reason for it, hiding what was very obviously becoming a permanent fixture in their lives in and outside of work. This gradual build up of moments and conversations and late nights that turned to intimacy as easily as everything else about them. Shared looks, subtle touches, feather-light at first -- until the glances turned heavy and the touches more prominent. The stolen moments turned to stolen nights, hidden behind hotel room doors or buried in tangled sheets back home in D.C. 

They didn’t need to hide anything. Not from the team, their friends they considered closer than family. But they did -- purely because they didn’t want to share this yet. Label it. Place it in those societal boxes of expectations and questions and future aspirations when right now it was… so easy. So perfect. Almost domestic in its comfort it offered, because it was theirs and theirs alone. It can be whatever they wanted it to be --

And right now, it felt like home.

-

Hotch always rises with the sun. He goes on early morning runs at all times of the year, rain or shine, even when it snows. He’s always back in enough time to get Jack up and ready for school, shower and get himself dressed for work, he’s a creature of habit and routine is his comfort zone. But now --

Now, sometimes it’s hard to leave his bed in the mornings, and the sight that always greets him when he returns from his runs makes him smile like he hasn’t in a long time. 

Spencer sleeps much later, sometimes until Hotch is done showering and has already tried to wake him up two or three times with bribes of coffee. Kissing his cheek or wild curls while still smelling like sweat from his run, and Spencer swats at him or hides under the covers without even opening his eyes. And Hotch lets him until it gets too close to the time when they need to head into the office. 

“Why does Spencer get to sleep in?” Jack asks with a tired whine, now nine-years-old and pouting over his bowl of cereal as Spencer finally drags himself from bed and to the coffee pot at half past seven in the morning. Hotch smirks and weaves around the man, scooping him close to kiss him good morning before letting him continue his trek. 

“Because he finishes his homework before bedtime,” Hotch answers his son, looking pointedly at the half completed math homework on the kitchen table. The deluge of questions were just another diversion tactic, he could see right through it, and he doesn’t let up until Jack picks up his pencil once more. 

“You have homework?” Jack asks Spencer, who sits beside him and is still rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses. Steam off his coffee the only breath of life he needs to wake up fully.

“Oh, I always have homework. Last night it was actually Morgan’s ‘homework’, he thinks I don’t notice when he slips files onto my desk.” 

Hotch sends Spencer a reprimanding look, because they both know that Morgan and Prentiss slip Spencer files all the time and he’s supposed to be putting his foot down about it. 

“He should really do his own homework,” Jack mumbles, glaring at his own math equations. 

“Well you be sure to tell him that when you see him again, Jack.” Spencer would pay good money to see that conversation, and he smiles fondly at the young boy for having his back. 

It’s barely ten minutes later when Spencer is getting up from the table and is gravitating towards the coffee pot for cup number two when Jack pipes up again.

“Hey -- was I supposed to not tell anyone about Spencer living here?” 

Hotch and Spencer look at each other, not realizing that… really that was what had happened in plain terms. Spencer did indeed live there. He couldn’t even remember the last time that he had been back to his apartment. Weeks, maybe. 

“It’s not really a secret bud, why?” Hotch asks, hesitant because… it’s not a secret, they just haven’t said anything to anyone.

“Because Aunt Penny didn’t know and now she’s sending me lots of screaming emojis.” 

Spencer looks to his phone and he also happens to have about a dozen text messages from Penelope. Most of it unintelligible key smashes and strings of pictures. 

“No texting at breakfast, you know better,” Hotch reprimands Jack as he checks his own phone. The juxtaposition making Jack scowl and Spencer snicker. Hotch finds he doesn’t have as many messages from their tech analyst, but he does have a few. The whole team probably knows already. 

He sends out a text to everyone that says ‘team meeting 9am’ 

“Guess I don’t have to take the train today.” Spencer is giving him a look over his coffee mug, amused but still hesitant. “I feel like we should be nervous, but I’m not.” 

Hotch can’t help the smirk of a smile on his face as he presses Spencer to the counter and kisses him fully, but still at least a little chaste -- with Jack making gagging sounds in the background. ’Dad, gross--’

“Finish your homework, and go brush your teeth,” he tells him without looking over. One more kiss that tastes like coffee and too much sugar, grinning a little too wide.

“I can’t tell if you’re happy, or plotting something.”

“A bit of both,” Hotch answers cryptically.

“Now I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be, I’ve been planning for this day for a long time.” But he keeps his secrets to himself as he ushers Spencer towards the bedroom -- their bedroom, he now realizes -- to make him get ready for work.

--

An hour later, the team is gathered at the round table in the conference room, and Hotch passes out binders to everyone packed with training material.

"Wait, this is an actual team meeting?" Prentiss blanches.

"How is this not about you and Reid sleeping together!?" The shock of a five pound binder in their hands seems to have taken any accusational tones out of anyone’s voices, but Hotch still scowls at Morgan’s outburst, and Spencer immediately jumps to their defense.

"We aren't sleeping together, we're…" they look at each other. "Living together. Are together."

"Dating." Hotch simplifies.

"Okay, so this ISN'T about you two 'dating'?" JJ elaborates this time, careful gaze darting between them, as is everyone else’s. 

"No, this is about how none of you noticed we were dating,” Hotch answers evenly, calmly. “If it had been about announcing ourselves, the text would have said ‘family’ meeting." 

That makes a few people smile, Penelope making a soft squeal in delight, and it changes the air in the room dramatically. 

"So ‘family’ dinner Saturday, Dave's house thank you for volunteering." Hotch says, just to wipe the smug look off the older man's face. He hadn’t said a word, yet, but with the smirk he’d been sporting all morning he didn’t need to. 

"This," he points to binders. “is a refresher course you all get to audit. Profiling 101, I want them on my desk by the end of the week. Morgan do not pass it off to Reid, you're doing your own homework this time."

Spencer can’t help it, he laughs. Hotch manages not to -- even in the face of Morgan’s comically betrayed expression.

At least Jack would be pleased to hear it.

[pedropascalssimp]

Thunderstorms

Boba fett x fem reader

Summary: jango (your and boba's son) seems to favor you, making boba a little jealous and also ✨sad boi✨ but after one particular night spent on Eadu jango finds himself clinging to a certain bounty hunter.

Warnings: Fluffy soft boba. Short - like really short because I suck😖

Part 3 to this

Tags: @anilynworlds

The ship was in complete silence, something that seemed to be a rarity since little jango was born into the galaxy. Every night since you both had left Endor after you recovered from giving birth, little jango seemed to find wailing at 3am up until 9am was the most thrilling thing in the galaxy. No matter what you did, feed him, change him, even walk him around the ship you called home, he wouldn't fall asleep. Not until you started letting him sleep in your and boba's bed that is. You didn't mind him sleeping with you both, neither did boba, in fact it put him more at ease knowing his son was safer snuggled under the furs and in his riduurs loving arms. But jango seemed to not like how boba would at least try and hold him, he always cried whenever his father held him. Tiny puffy eye's tightly shut as his little cheeks turned red as cries flew out of his mouth.

It was frustrating for boba how much his son clings to you, always tugging at your pant leg or reaching out for you to hold him, of course you'd drop everything your doing to hold the little man, placing little kisses on his chubby cheeks and loving the adorable giggles that emit from him when you do so. Boba knew he should be happy to see his son love you the way he does, he should be thrilled. But he couldn't help feeling a little envious, especially since he was strongly convinced his son hated him.

It was quiet as jango slept in your arms, you seated in the co-pilot seat while boba was beside you flying the ship through space. You didn't miss how his eyes would fall on you and your sleeping two year son. So you give him a small smile, "he's been doing good with talking, he can almost anything... Of course it's still a little none understandable at the moment" you giggle at how he words things, dink being drink and sleep being seepy, his two favorite words besides momma, It was adorable. You adore his little voice, always giggling at how he leaves Rs out of some things. But for a two year old he was a fast learner.

"I've noticed... He seems to call you momma now, but I have yet to hear him say daddy or even buir" boba sighs, voice gruff letting you know he's tired. He's been trying to make enough credits to give you and jango a nice life he said, taking on more bounties then usual, in fact, you was heading to the planet Eadu because some bounty boba was hunting was supposedly located there.

"he'll say it... Just give him some time" you reassure, but you can tell by the ever present grumpy look on his face he didn't believe you.

"I've been giving him time since the day he was born cyar'ika I can't even hold him without hearing him scream and cry, he hates me" boba grumbled as a scowl was etched on his face, brown eye's glued to stars that zoomed by.

You sigh and stand up, careful as to not wake jango up, his head resting on your chest as his little arms wrap around your neck. You walk over to boba and run a hand through his dark hair, his eye's falling on you. "he loves you boba, it was only natural for him to cry that much as a baby" you say and trail your hand down to cup his jaw, tilting his head more.

"that doesn't make up for how he is two years old and still refuses to let me hold him" his voice came out more gruff, a sign he was getting irritated. "he's a mommas boy my riduur, you spoil him to much" he muttered with a ghost of a smile on his face, his eye's holding the amusement his voice failed to display making his words some harsher, but you knew he wasn't angry nor frustrated.

"I'm not the one who buys him absolutely everything he points at when we walk through the markets" you tease boba, remembering how if he spots jango point at something with a excited glint in his dark eye's, he'd buy it.

Rolling his eyes, boba focuses back on flying the ship. "I don't want him to do without, I only get him something if he needs it" he grumbled causing you to roll your eye's this time, you knew that he did it because it was his way of showering the boy in love, buying him little toys after every hunt and always sneaking little desserts into his plate whenever you wasn't looking. Boba spoiled the boy without a doubt.

Deciding to not tease him anymore you place a kiss on his forehead making him hum happily as he peers up at you, "I need to lay him down before he wakes up, hopefully you'll be joining us after awhile" you said before walking out of the cockpit. As you walk through the ship, making your way into the small room you called a bedroom, you laid jango down easily so you could get ready for bed. As you take your dirty shirt off, picking up a clean one your about to put it on, but instead you throw it against the wall and scream in fright, for on the shirt was some sort of large spider looking bug.

Jango jults awake and looks around the room until his large eyes fall on you, staring at wear the shirt is with startled eyes.

"momma what's 'ong?" his little voice spoke up making you look back at him with red cheeks, embarrassed you screamed like that over a bug. But you was terrified of them.

"cyar'ika!? What's going on? What's the matter?" boba runs into the room with a hand on his blaster holstered at his hip and concern on his face.

You look up at him, standing with only your bra and pants on as you point at your short laying on the floor with a sheepish smile. "there's a spider on my shirt..." you muttered without meeting his eye's, To embarrassed.

Boba sighs with relief and walks over to the shirt, crouching down to inspect it. Jango starts asking you what's wrong again and you scoop him up as he watched boba intently. As your husband picks the shirt up and shakes it you see the bug fall out of the shirt and onto the floor, making you jump and scream, jango soon screaming but his sounded like glee rather then fright. Jango always watched closely whenever boba would always get bugs away from you and him or simply always helping you in whatever way possible, whether it be a protective way or a simple task.

Boba stomped the spider before it could crawl away anywhere and gives you a reassuring smile, "there, you're terrifying little friend is gone" he mused while handing you your shirt, you take it hesitantly while looking over it. Not really wanting to put that one on now you gently lay it down and find another one to put on, of course you hand jango to boba so you can slip the shirt on. But like boba expect jango starts reaching for you while repeating momma! This makes boba roll his eyes and bounce jango around.

"why do you hate me so much hm?" he asked with his usual scowl, making your son start crying. After you get the shirt on you quickly walk over to them and take jango from boba who seemed a little annoyed.

"he doesn't hate you" you sigh while calming jango down, his little cries turning to whimpers as you rub his back soothingly. "why do you always give buir a hard time? He always protects us from big bad bugs and always spoils you with toys... He's a nice buir isn't he?" you talk to jango with a smile, watching how he looks over at boba and then buried his face in your neck.

"get some rest cyar'ika, it won't take long before we arrive to Eadu" boba wasn't one to initiate anything affectionate, but you knew by the way he stood still, watching you with those big brown eye's that he was waiting for the kiss you always gave him before bed. You walk over to him and gently peck his lips, "I'll be in here in a few minutes" he grunts while leaving, the door closing behind him. You turn to jango who was already innocently looking up at you, eye's droopy. You kiss his little forehead and walk over to the bed.

"jango honey, can you say buir?" you ask while laying down on the bed, back pressed against the mattress while he peers up at you through his dark lashes.

"seepy momma" he yawns while wiping at his eye's, and although you are determined to get your son call boba buir... But he was sleepy, so you lay down and gently run your fingers through your sons dark hair. His head falling on your chest.

Perhaps you can try and teach him when on Eadu, when boba is on the hunt. It would surely surprise him if he came home and his son called him buir, hugging him if you was lucky. It would make boba happy, especially since jango acts like boba is nothing but a grumpy man who simply supplies him with food, clothes and toys.

It's been a few days since boba left Slave I in search of the quarry, but you expected the hunt go on for that long, boba was supposed to be him in merely a few hours. You walk around, holding jango close as he cries, loudly might you add. You was worried about your son, he always calmed down whenever you'd walk around the ship with him while telling him little stories. Your voice always soothing him, but today it seemed everything you did wasn't working. At first you didn't know what was scaring him, but as the loud claps of thunder shook the ship, you understood he was scared of the thunder. Eadu was known for being a stormy planet, always raining and lighting along with thundering. Something jango has never heard before, but for the first few days the thunderstorms was quiet, not entirely loud enough to be heard from inside the ship. But today the storm seemed bad, thunder so loud it drowns out jango's cries almost.

"c'mon jango honey it's okay... You're safe" you say by his ear as he screams, little voice starting to go hoarse from how long his crying has been going on, almost two hours. You sigh and walk into the room, sitting on the bed and placing your son in your lap as you hug him.

It wasn't much longer until the door opens with a hiss, boba walking in, in his armor. Helmet gone as he gives you a look of concern.

"what's wrong with him?" he asks while looking to you with furrowed brows.

"he's terrified of the thunder" you tell him, but as jango heard boba's voice, his head is turn in his direction while he reaches for boba.

"buir! I want you!" jango cries, shocking both you and boba. But boba is quick to pick his son up, holding him close while jango rest his head on boba's chest.

"you're okay my little adiik, you're safe with me... I won't let anything hurt you" he placed a kiss on jango's head while swaying softly. Jango sniffles as his cries subside, little hand reaching up to pat boba's cheek as he kisses his nose. The sight enough to make your heart swell while a smile tugs at your lips. Boba smiling a rare beautiful smile.

" 'ove you buir!" jango says happily while you stand up and stand beside them, loving the way boba's eyes sparkle with happiness, love swimming in the brown eye's you adore.

Gently placing a hand on his little back you giggle when he pats boba's cheek again. "I love you too you stubborn little man" boba grabs his little hand and placed a kiss on his forehead, making jango giggle.

"I told you he'd say it" you said, grinning at your husband. He nods and goes to hand you jango so he can take the armor off and wash away the days hunt off of him. As he does so jango tightly wraps his arms around boba refusing to leave him.

"oh come on now, I have to get cleaned up little one" boba tries to unwrap his arms, successfully do so and handing jango to you. But the little tremble of his lip and tears swimming in his eye's tells you both he's gonna cry. And cry he does while you hold him.

"jango honey he has to take his armor off" you coo trying to calm him down. Your attempts useless until boba gets back.

You tried bouncing him, tickling him, even making funny faces at your son. But he only sits on the bed and cries, "buir!!! I wan' buir!!" jango screams, and it's then his buir walks through the door wearing comfy pants and a shirt. Hair damp as he smugly walks over and picks jango up.

"it looks like he's done being a mommas boy and decided he wants to be his buirs little warrior" boba holds him with a smug smile making you roll your eye's but smile nonetheless, happy jango is finally calling him daddy now.

"he's always going to be a mommas boy, but for some reason he's just clinging to you tonight" you say while crawling in bed, slipping under the covers and watching your riduur with a amused smile. "but just you see, he's going to be cuddled up to me as soon as you lay him in the bed" you spoke matter of factly, almost cocky as you smirk at boba. He rolls his eyes and grumbles something under his breath, whatever it was made jango giggle, a proud smile on your husband's face.

As soon as boba crawls in bed he placed jango between you both, boba rolls over on his side to face you while you do the same. Jango pulls the covers up and turns to boba, holding on to his arm that drapes over him. Boba laughs at the gasp you let out, betrayal written all over your face.

"jango!! How dare you do this to me! Betraying you're own mother like this" you pout playfully and turn your back to them, a smile now on your face.

"ignore her son, she's only trying to make you feel guilty for finally treating me like I'm you're father and not some man who lingers around the ship" boba jokes, something that was rare but tonight seemed to be a unique night.

Jango listens to boba and ignored you, falling asleep while snuggled up to your husband. You turn around and smile at them. Noticing boba was also asleep. You giggle quietly and scoot closer, draping your arm over jango and placing your hand on boba's arm, taking in the tender moment you was having with your little family.

After that one night jango never wanted to leave boba's side, always latching onto his legs whenever he tried to walk or always asking him to hold him, it was cute, adorable even as jango soon decided to favor his father now.

___________________________________________

[fey-touched-trilogy]

30 Days to 70k - Camp Nano July 2022

Post three, for July 3rd...

By the time I went to bed at 9am on the morning of July 3rd, I'd only managed another three 20-minute sprints, and 1,244 words.

I got a little side tracked, fell a little behind, but I did manage to bring my total word count up to 11,362, which is enough to meet my minimum needed word count for Day 5.

That meant, for this afternoon, I only had to do an extra 2,186 to match the goal for Day 6, or an extra 4,444 to match the goal for Day 7.

Waking up tonight, I was ready to get my teeth into those 4.5k words, but literally 22-words into my first sprint, one of my neighbours decided to spark up some of the most foul smelling skunk I've ever encountered.

(For those who don't know, skunk is a colloquial term for a foul smelling strain of weed/cannabis)

You can buy CBD oil at the local shops now, and if that's too expensive, I know there are strains of it that don't stink out my *entire bloody house* but I digress.

My point is, 22-words into my first sprint and tonight was already going to hell in a handbasket...

But, I did eventually manage to drag out an extra 3,200 words, making my total for July 3rd; 4,523

I made the goal for Day 6 on Day 3, and I was only 1,200 short of Day 7's goal. Better than I expected when I woke up.

The next goal is still to get seven days ahead. To do this I need about 10k words, so I'm going to aim for 6k before bed on July 4th, and then another 4k when I get up in the afternoon of July 4th. Wish me luck <3

As for how the story's progressing, I'm up to Chapter 14 now, and I've gained two entirely new chapters that weren't in my outline, but I love them a lot!

My favourite part is that both of the new chapters are from Andric's PoV, my main character's love interest. It's letting me put in a lot more worldbuilding and backstory details than I was previously able to, and introduce his best friend, Nameer Khatri, within the first act.

Since it's going to well, I'm gonna share just a little snippet from Chapter Twelve of Changeling...

"Andric!"

For a split second, the high pitched voice calling his name made his heart still in horror. The thought that he'd walked, unprepared, straight into another encounter with Mia Harris made his stomach go cold, but then the the voice fully registered. It's false pitch, the awkward vocal tics as the speaker tried to make themself sound feminine and failed entirely, and Andric growled at the grinning face of his best friend.

"Don't do that!" he snarled.

"Oh, my friend. I'd say I'm sorry for startling you, but the look on your face just now was entirely worth any retribution you bring down upon me at a later date," Nameer said laughing, leaning against the door that led back to the rest of the school with his ankles and arms casually crossed.

He was still dressed in the uniform of a Kavian Hunter, so Andric assumed he'd come directly from his post on the front gates. A black t-shirt with short sleeves that looked simple enough, but was reinforced with tiny strands of woven plastic, making it highly resistant to the scrabbling claws of a rabid kavian. The trousers were thick leather, reinforced in places, with built in sheaths for the daggers that hunters always carried.

Nameer preferred his gun, Andric knew, but nothing took a kavian down faster than a severed carotid, and no hunter would refused to carry a blade on principle alone.

"What are you even doing here?" Andric demanded, "Shouldn't you be sleeping, or preparing the next round of torture for your students?"

"And let you skitter off into the unknown without an explanation?" his oldest friend asked, a black eyebrow arching over warm brown eyes, still glimmering with open amusement, his dark clothes and umber skin almost letting him disappear into the shadows of the windowless office.

Then his lips parted into a familiar, cheeky grin, flashing sharp, white teeth at Andric playfully. "Not bloody likely."

Andric stared at Nameer for a long moment, holding the other man's gaze, before he let a wide grin spread across his features. It was mirrored by Nameer, the other vampire's smile widening into an open grin, as Andric paced across the room. The two came together easily, right hands clasping left forearms, while they tugged each other into a hug, laughing.

"Ah, I have missed you," Andric sighed when they stepped back, and Nameer sobered slightly in response. He studied Andric's features carefully, and Andric let him until the other man let out a soft hum.

"It's rough, back home?" he asked gently, and Andric nodded.

[bubblesthemonsterartist]

How about "I'm not stalking you, exactly. It's just that you accidentally put my notebook in your bag and I'm waiting for a good moment to steal it back before you see the doodles/writing of you I did in it" Obiyuki AU?

Obi jerks his pen from napkin just in time to avoid gouging it through when Torou jostles him, nosing her way over his shoulder.

“Whacha doin there, buddy?”

He sighs, eyes towards the ceiling for guidance, but of course she isn’t looking. She’s snatching the doodle up and holding it towards a better spot of light.

“Oooh,” Torou gushes, looking down the bar at an elderly woman with a tight perm and thick makeup. She’s paying neither one of them mind, her attention glued to the TV monitor up on the wall. “He’s doing a really nice one for you, Josie!”

Josie taps her cigarette against the ashtray without looking down. “I believe it. All his drawings are good.”

Obi plucks the napkin out of Torou’s hands, ears hot. She smacks her gum and grins at him. “Don’t you think he should try to sell his stuff at a first Saturday or something?”

“I tell him that every day.” In his head, Obi groans. “Keeps telling me he needs to practice but he doesn’t have the time.”

“I don’t,” he claps back, coming over and sliding the napkin across the bar. “And paints are expensive. And toxic. And may I remind you both that I have a two year old.”

Josie finally looks down from the screen. “You should get rid of those wrinkles,” she complains.

“Now why would I hide all that beauty?” Obi grins, leaning in.

Her eyes flicker up to his. “Flatterer,” she admonishes, but he knows if her make up was any lighter, he’d be able to see a blush. She taps one cherry red nail against the edge of the napkin. “I should really ask you to draw my granddaughter one day.”

Obi grins. “Bring me a picture. I’d be glad to.”

“Why don’t I introduce the two of you instead?”

His face falls. “I’m sure she has a lot to do. Too busy for my schedule.”

Josie reaches across the way, giving his hand one solid pat. “You’re a good kid, Obi. When are you going to find yourself a nice girl to take care of you?”

Obi clears his throat. “Ah, well, you know-”

“He has one!” Torou chimes in, and honestly- death would be a mercy. “Sorta.”

Invisible eyebrows reach towards the ceiling, and Josie gives him a look. “Sorta?”

“We’re not- she’s not my girlfriend,” he sputters. “She’s my neighbor and she watches Aki a lot and-”

“And she spent Christmas with him!” Torou adds, oh so helpful.

“Oh my,” Josie lifts her drink, smacking her lips. “In my day, that was some serious business, son.”

Obi waves his hands, sweat prickling his temples. “Oh no. Things are different now. There’s nothing-“

“You should draw something for her,” she interrupts, gesturing with her drink. “Then make a copy of it so we can see her. I want to know if she’s fine enough for you.”

“She’s very pretty,” Torou confirms.

His head snaps towards her. “You haven’t even seen her!”

“Have too!” Torou shrugs. “From across the street.”

“You were spying on us?”

Torou pouts. “You texted me to wait in the car. So I, with nothing better to do than watch the door, waited in the car. I honestly don’t see what the big deal is.”

“I don’t need you embarrassing me,” he grumbles.

“Me?” she gasps, palm pressed to chest. “When have I ever done such a thing?”

He glares at her. “Now doesn’t count?”

Her grin grows. “Josie started it. I am putting her worries to rest.”

“Just keep it wrapped up this time, will ya?” Josie comments, eyes back on the tube. “Don’t need a repeat of last time until you’re both ready.”

Obi feels his whole face go hot. “I’m going to go clean the back.”

Torou’s cackle follow him to the kitchen.

~ ~ ~

It’s that point between the dead of night and the crack of dawn when he comes home, the song of the earliest morning birds interrupted by the roar and scream of garbage trucks. 

He slowly cracks open the door, taking in the mess of toys littering the floor, the glow of the TV still stuck on cartoon network barely audible in the background, Yuki’s papers and books spread out across the couch, and then Yuki herself, passed out on his recliner. Her eyes are rimmed with deep bruises, jaw slack, and she doesn’t even twitch when he closes the door behind him.

The runt is drooling all over her chest.

A pinch of guilt twists his gut. Aki must have been a real gentleman after he left.

Grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch, he tip toes his way over the boobytraps left all over the floor, fanning it on top of both of them. Adjusting the cover so it goes all the way up to the neck, he runs his hand once over Aki’s warm scalp, brushing hair away from his face - the boy would need a haircut soon, definitely. He wrinkles his nose, itching it against Yuki’s shirt before settling once again.

Laughing softly, his eyes flicker up to share a secret smile with Yuki. She is still sleeping and her face - it is much closer than he originally thought.

He pulls away, squashing down the jolt of his heart before it could put down another root. It was dangerous, too dangerous, and she had her whole life and a career ahead of her, besides. 

Running his hand through his hair, he pulls out his phone and heads towards the bathroom. 9am should be early enough to wake her up so she can get to class on time.

“Obi?”

Her voice is so soft in the way it wraps around him and he comes up short, glancing back over his shoulder. Yuki’s eyes are still closed.

“Sorry,” he whispers. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I can take Aki now if you wanted to get up?”

A sleepy smile curves her lips. “No,” she shakes her head. “Leave him. I just wanted to make sure you made it home safe.”

He swallows hard.

“Aki made something for you.” Under the blanket, she gestures with her hand. “I think we left it in the kitchen.”

He glances across the way, to the kitchen table that is just as much of a mess as the rest of the apartment, scattered with broken crayons, one of his old sketchbooks, torn paper, and half empty cups.

In the middle of it all, on top of the crumpled pile, one only slightly mashed drawing of bright colors and random shapes lays, offering itself up like recently unearthed Pollock. Obi smiles, lifting it up, and glances back towards the recliner.

Yuki’s chest rises and falls in the slow, steady rhythm of those lost to sleep, lips parted and hair fanned over his chair like a sunset. The first rays of morning light slip through the blinds, washing them both in gold.

His fingers itch.

He looks back at Aki’s drawing.

~~~

“Oh my God. Aki, no!”

Obi jerks awake just as a blur of blanket stumbles off of the recliner, barely missing sharp plastic toys it crashes to the ground.

It takes him a minute, crusty eyes blinking into the bright sunlight, but the blanket is on the move, crawling across the floor towards a screaming banshee accompanied by devilish songs with an incessant upbeat tune playing behind it.

Wait, what?

“Let me have that,” the blanket says, prying something from the banshee’s clutches and just that alone is enough to snap him awake.

Oh no. Oh noooo.

“How bad is it?” he croaks, unwinding his legs out from other him.

Yuki’s kneeling, head bowed and hair covering her face. Aki is trying to slip the phone back out of her grasp and she lets out a great and mighty sigh of defeat. “It’s locked for the next 523 years.”

Obi groans, head thudding against the cushion. He rubs his face. “Another trip to the Apple Store. Joy.”

She sighs, standing up, and hands him the phone. “Sorry about the mess. I tried everything last night to get him to settle and–”

Obi takes it from her, blanching when he sees the screen. He checks the wall clock to confirm. “Yuki,” he breathes. “Don’t you have to be in class in 30 minutes?”

He looks up at her just in time to see the blood drain from her face. She snatches the phone back and stares at the screen. “Oh. Oh no.” She looks at her papers scattered all over the couch. “Oh no, I have a test today!”

He’s up, gathering her papers and books. “Go change!” he says, tapping everything into neat piles. “Do you need a ride? Wait. No. Shit. My car is still in the shop. Should I call an Uber?”

She’s already halfway to the door. “Not if I am out the door in the next seven minutes.”

She must set some sort of record for quick change, because when he sees her next, she’s charging down the hall from her apartment with a freshly scrubbed face, clean clothes, and her hair up in a messy bun. He holds up her backpack and she finishes shrugging her jacket on.

“Thanks,” she breathes, taking it and sailing past him. “I’ll see you later.”

“Good luck!” he calls behind her, the door slamming in her wake.

~ ~ ~

It’s five minutes after she leaves that he finds his graphite pencils between the seat cushion.

Ten minutes before he realizes that his sketchbook is nowhere to be found.

And thirty minutes before he collapses on the floor of his living room, face planted into the couch cushions. 

“Fuck me.”

~ ~ ~

The knock on the door comes earlier than expected.

Obi’s hands freeze in soapy water, heart and breath caught in his throat. 

When the knock comes again, Aki turns from his toys. “Dada,” he points Foxy towards the sound. “Dada, door.”

Obi swallows with a hard thunk. “Thanks, buddy,” he says, toweling off his wet hands.

He crosses the room like a man heading towards his death sentence, takes a breath, and throws open the door.

Shirayuki’s face is flushed red, hands tucked behind her back. Green peeks up at him underneath a fan of long, orange lashes, and-

Ah, fuck.

“Hi.”

She shifts, and even the tip of her nose is red. “Hi.”

“How did the exam go? Did you make it on time?”

She nods once, sharp. “Oh, um, yea. There were two or three questions that I wasn’t sure about, but, um…”

Her voice trails off to silence. Obi decides to get it over with.

“I accidentally packed my sketchbook in your bag.”

Yuki’s blush is so deep that it’s almost purple.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Obi blurts. “I used to draw in highschool and I still do sometimes. It gets me extra tips at the bar, but one of my regulars was telling me that I should draw more and I didn’t mean to make anything weird or make you feel uncomfortable. It’s just that I came home and you and Aki were asleep and the light was perfect and-”

She holds up one hand, a startled laugh wheezing out of her. “No, no,” she shakes her head. “I should have stopped looking when I realized it was your sketchbook!”

“Don’t apologize,” he breathes. “It was my fault and if you feel like I’ve betrayed your trust or something-”

Shirayuki’s eyes go wide. “Oh, Obi, no!” she says, pulling her other arm out from around her back and- there it was. The yellow covered pad that he spent the better part of his day hoping that he put on a high shelf somewhere. “It was nice. I liked them.”

Obi’s eyes snap from the pad to her face. “Really?”

“I don’t really do art, but you’re really good,” she professes, and then- she wrinkles her nose. “Although… my ears don’t look like that.”

Obi laughs, a tense sharp bark of sound. “Ears are hard,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Can I have it?”

His face turns hot, disbelieving. “I, um- Do you want it?”

“Mm!” She nods emphatically, although her smile is sly. “Is there an artist fee? I feel like I should pay you.”

“I do it for the exposure,” he jokes weakly.

Shirayuki laughs, a clear bright sound, and oh- this could have gone terribly. He’s so glad it hasn’t. “You should be paid for your work, Obi.”

His heart squeezes. “Do you have any idea of what I should charge?”

She taps her finger on her chin, lips pursed like she does when she is pouring over one of her textbooks. “I can think of something,” she says, eyes tilting shyly. “I’m just not sure if you would like it.”

As if anything she could give him would be less than perfect. “Try me.”

She swallows, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. “Okay,” she laughs aarily, looking down the hall one way, then another. “Come here.”

Obi frowns, taking one step into the hall, keeping his foot between the door jam. “Here?”

“No, um, I mean yes,” she brushes her hair behind her ear. “But I need you to lean down.”

He does as she asks, lashes fluttering and nerves closing off his throat. “Here?”

Her lips twitch, free hand coming up to lace through his hair and pull him down farther.

“Here,” she breathes, closing the space between them.

The touch of her mouth against his is soft, charged with the pop of static and they jump back, startled. Her eyes are wide honestly- she looks more surprised than him, and then they soften, leaning back in.

This time, electricity doesn’t snap between them. This time his eyes fall shut when her mouth falls upon his, breath pouring out of his lungs in one long rush. Her lips are soft. And sweet. And lemon flavored. They shoot sparks down his spine, through his blood, and he tilts his head, fingers alighting upon her cheek.

She hums against his mouth and he can’t help but smile against hers.

Josie was going to be intolerable.

She pulls back, nails dragging against his scalp before smoothing down his hair. “Do you think that was fair payment?” she asks quietly, her eyes searching his.

Obi swallows, his throat dry. “I think I may double my fee.”

Shirayuki smiles and it is so beautiful. “You drive a hard bargain.”

“I learned from the best.”

She pulls him back down.

[tamiddyinyourcity]

11:13pm. I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

I did not expect to like this man.

Tuesday, July 9th of 2019.

11:13pm. Lying in my younger brother's room, to avoid the fatality that is trying to sleep in my own bedroom, with the grandmother who smells like she shit herself. Which she most likely has, but never seems to be in a rush to actually shower or rinse off or anything hygienic.

Gross. :/.

Anyways.

I'm... scared. I like this dude too much. I hate romantic feelings, and if anything I hate never knowing if I'm too much, or too little, for somebody else.

But it's not the only reason I'm anxious.

I also:

Am being forced to be apart of a job hiring program, that didn't even have any employers signed onto their shit.

Am going through a crisis on how ever since I turned 17, life has gotten worse, and soon I will be 19 and just about ready to kill myself when the right moment and perfect opportunity comes.

Why deal with a shitty job at a shitty job program for the summer, when it cuts out my quality time to spend with the one person who shows me some real fucking affection before they leave for school in the middle of the next month???? I wanna spend more time with them, not deal with the monotony of life and capitalism.

The job center place said "be careful of what is on social media, or places may not hire you or will just suddenly fire you".... and here i am, on the Internet, talking about suicide, sex, and how much i absolutely am devastated at the idea of working, when i would much rather be nomadic and without needing to pay a debt to society.

Feeling like a failure to society's standard, but a winner to my own, despite being too afraid of the consequences to really make my own success, by leaving the really toxic people behind me. :)

What if I just became homeless? Could i survive like that?... probably not. But eh.

If I ever got kicked out, who could i go to? I dunno.

Why is life shitty.

Sigh.

I feel weird in life.

Just... so much to be anxious about.

It doesn't help that someone I knew months ago spontaneously re-entered my life, told me all of their traumatic and personally triggering childhood memories, and then came to me for the answers.... I am ten years younger than them and barely even know how to save 40 dollars, bro, i cant fix your life....

Nor did they accept the help they pressured me to give them.

Like several other people in the job center today, asking for advice on what to write for their cover letter but still fucking shit up on their own by going "Yeah! Haha....", and then.... not taking a single fucking bit of my advice given.

.......

It just feels useless, man.

All of it.

Life is wasted on us.

All my aspirations are kinda tossed out the window. Im broke. Im tired. Life sucks.

I just really feel like shit.

And everything about the last few days has me ready to start sobbing. My boyfriend said "I'm free for hella days this week, ill hit you up when you wanna chill", and so far we still haven't met up...

The confidence I felt in my own self-government when I told my sister I would pass on re-entering the same job program that fucked me up last summer.... until she was a loser and whined to my mom, who then forced me to go. (No debating with her, or else its "you dont pay rent", even though she blatantly takes my disability checks to pay for rent when she doesnt work a job, and next thing you know, all my shit, is out on the curb.)

Spending most of today with people i didnt want to be around, who also gave absolutely no shits about me, and being taught shit that i had already known about by myself, from 9am to 3:30pm...

And of course the judgemental looks from those i was around today for my choice of an outfit and my overall exhaustation or disinterest and shyness for the day, recalling the intense embarrassment and paranoia over someone that isnt even my boyfriend from how they talk to other people during our last sorta cutesy hangout... all of that shit.

I don't know man. Its all so hard to explain.

I just feel anxious.

I want to leave. Pack all of my shit. Move into a sublet. Work a job at a boutique, instead of whatever shitty office job i get from this work program, and dress as classy as i fucking want. Have my own schedule. My own life.

Far, far away from here.

See who i want, say what i want, love who i want and be around those i choose.

....

I gotta buy hangers.

To hang up all my clothes, and purge my closet. Get rid of anything i can't carry myself...

Save money, not spending a dime.

Apply to places, make it easier for me to drop everything and leave once I finally see a good chance for myself.

I need to start loving myself again.

Not loving other people and memories of them, in the shit scented bedroom, just so I can temporarily forget how much i hate this lifestyle.

I will never leave otherwise if i let myself Alice in Wonderland my way through so much shit. Daydreaming about the boy I love and the life I wish I allowed myself to have, doesnt stop the walls from feeling sticky or from my stomach being unable to be filled at all.

....

Love myself first and no one else.

Since when my family leaves, and my lover leaves, and my friends or whatever spare love interests or "concubines" fall out of the picture frame....

The remaining image will still be of me.

Will it be me smiling and feeling glad with my new life?

Or worse?

Lets see.

11:38pm, gonna send my resume to a fuckton of places online and hope for the best.

[a-mess-abroad]

Quick note for those of you new to tumblr, you can view all pictures full size (complete with stupid captions) by clicking on them.

I’m not doing a great job of blogging this time around. I’m really trying to soak it all in. Once I get back to the States, I’ll be uploading everything from my camera and doing a big travel vlog, so stay tuned for that! For now, the best way to stay following my minute-by-minute adventures is on Snapchat: misspdt. 

On day four I arrived in Dublin. I love Dublin, but I only spent one night there before heading straight to Galway in the morning. I checked into Barnacles Hostel Temple Bar (which was so cool) and took a much needed shower. I headed straight to my favourite pub, O’Neills and was sadly a bit disappointed this time round. I wandered over to Grafton St. right around the time everything was closing and that’s when the sleepiness hit me like a ton of bricks. I walked around a bit more, got some delicious gelato at Gino’s, and then finally gave into the lack of sleep and headed back with just over 15,000 steps on my FitBit for the day. I ended up falling asleep to the sounds of drunken tourists at around 8pm and not getting up until 9am the next morning. 

I gathered my things and ran back to Grafton Street to see if I could find a passport cover like the one I got last time I was in Dublin. I luckily have a very good sense of direction and a fairly photographic memory. I found what I believe to be the shop (Article) inside Powerscourt Centre but it didn’t open until I had to be back at my hostel and on my way to the bus stop. Guess I’ll have to come back! ;) I stopped by M&S to grab some food and continue my search for bite-sized Colin the Caterpillars. The two I’ve been to so far only have the big ones and I just don’t think it’s polite to eat a whole Colin in one sitting on public transport. Even after nearly 13 hours of sleep, I still proceeded to sleep almost the entire journey to Galway. I checked into Kinlay Hostel, which I highly recommend. Side note: I’ve had the best luck with hostels so far. Last time I had a few I wasn’t super pleased with, but every one I’ve mentioned so far I would definitely recommend. 

While waiting for my phone and camera to charge, I booked my trip to the Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher for the following day on Viator. Shout out to my coworker for suggesting it to me…it saved me around ���10 on that tour alone! I headed to a very highly rated restaurant called The Pie Maker which was the definition of cosy. The food was absolutely delicious and I ended up meeting a very lovely girl there who gave me the run down on Galway. I love meeting locals who genuinely adore with their hometown. Many people don’t have great things to say about where they grew up (myself included) so I think it’s special to find people who do. SHE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT ED SHEERAN WAS IN TOWN. His little ditty about a girl from Galway has brought lots of attention to this relatively small town. I ended up at a pub she highly recommended called the Salt House. I drank my fair share of whisky and chatted with some locals. I decided to quit while I was ahead so I wouldn’t be hungover for my early start to the Cliffs.

Thursday probably deserves a blog post in and of itself, but I already included the pictures so you’re just going to have to endure this long post. First off, the tour company I went with was called the Spirit of Ireland Executive Travel. I highly recommend them because it’s smaller than the Galway/Aran Tour Company (that’s the one you’ll see everywhere) and the tour guide Phil was truly spectacular. We visited the smallest of the Aran Islands: Inisheer. I honestly had never even thought about going to the islands but booked it on a whim and WOW, I’m so glad I did! It was an absolutely gorgeous day. I rode around with a man and his horse (and dog)! Most people from my tour group seemed to opt for the self-guided option either by foot or bicycle hire, which I don’t understand. I always suggest mingling with the locals! Speaking of locals, I met a little boy who thought I was a famous YouTuber! I told him I would subscribe to his channel and to never give up on his dream. Wow! What a cute little fellow. I still can’t believe how clear the water is on the west coast of Ireland. We even saw a dolphin(!!!) as we waited and boarded the ferry back. I definitely was not expecting that! The Cliffs of Moher were spectacular, both by sea and up on land. I even sat on the very edge of the cliff (sorry mom), which was equal parts exciting and terrifying. When I was younger and hiking/camping a lot with my parents, my dad was always the one pissing mom off by standing too close to the edge. Somebody had to take his place! Before this trip, I’ve always planned my travel almost exclusively to/around big cities and I’ve quickly realised how mistaken I’ve been. Mother Nature is one badass bitch and I’m trying to appreciate her more. Huge shout out to everyone who insisted I visit the Cliffs while in Ireland. That tour was more than worth the €40 I paid for it.

We arrived back in Galway nearly 10 hours later, so naturally I needed some time to recover. I had planned to spend most of my night in a pub, but I just didn’t have it in me. Once I headed out to dinner and realised it was raining, I was ready to get back into bed. I had fish & chips at the famous McDonagh’s but truth be told, I wasn’t very impressed. I thought it was fine, but nothing worth being famous for. I grabbed gelato once again at Gino’s (sorry Dojo, but they’re my new #1). After I came back to my hostel, I started chatting with two American girls who are spending the semester in Dublin and were just visiting Galway for the weekend. I try not to associate with Americans when I travel (sorry folks) but they were lovely. I solidified plans with the friends I’m staying with while in England and then called it a night.

I’ve just checked out of my hostel (and just happened to meet a girl from Cincinnati in the process)! Unfortunately many things are closed on Good Friday in Ireland, which I didn’t think about when I booked a late flight to London. I’m going to head out in a few to see what I can find open and then I’ve got a date with HRH this evening. Stay tuned as I return ‘home’ to London, baby! (Yet another Friends reference)