#its only a 4hr drive or so

[fjordfolk]

thinking abt entering trojbertha for the breed special in may for shits n giggles but im also 😵‍💫 just thinking abt it

[alvie-pines]

my take on batfam sleep schedules (and everything else they do)

bruce

10pm - 5am : patrol [7hr] 6am - 2pm : sleep [8hr] 3pm - 9pm : work from home, sometimes dinner with the kids [6hr]

bruce has the benefit of being able to choose his own work hours and work from home. still, he pushes himself round the clock to keep on top of his life as both batman and bruce wayne. his sleep is perfectly optimized and scheduled; not a minute more than he thinks he needs to operate at peak functionality.

dick

11pm - 4am : patrol [5hr] 5am - 1pm : sleep [8hr] 2pm - 10pm : work [8hr]

dick works full time, and his body naturally needs a lot of sleep, so regretfully, rather than cutting into his sleep time he cut into patrol time to make his schedule work. ideally, he'd be sleeping closer to 10 hours, but he can't afford it.

jason

6pm - 1am : work [7hr] 2am - 11am : sleep [9hr] 12pm - 5pm : whatever he wants basically [5hr]

jason has the least time crunch, because he's the only one whose "night job" actually pays. he has a pretty passive income as a crime lord. he just needs to go out every so often and remind the streets why they pay up to him.

tim

2am - 6am : patrol [4hr] 7am - 3pm : school [8hr] 3pm - 6pm : homework & hygiene/food [3hr] 6pm - 1am : sleep [7hr]

tim is not doing so well. i hc that tim is anemic and suffers from chronic fatigue, so he needs way more sleep than he is getting. he cant negotiate his class times, and he needs to do his homework in order to pass. he's not willing to cut patrol time down past 4 hours, so that leaves him with really not quite enough time to sleep. he's married to caffeine.

duke

11pm - 6am : sleep [7hr] 7am - 3pm : school [8hr] 4pm - 8pm : patrol [4hr] 8pm - 11pm : food, homework etc [3hr]

duke is only managing because he's okay with a shorter daily patrol and doesnt need as much sleep as tim. he's also the only batfam member who actually sleeps at night.

damian

10pm - 5 am : patrol with bruce [7hr] 5am - 6am : nap [1hr] 7am - 3pm : school [8hr] 4pm - 9pm : sleep [5hr]

damian does all his homework at hyperspeed during study hall and in the car driving to and from school. because he is insane. damian also has the ability to powernap like the dead. that 1hr actually does something for him.

cass

9pm - 6am : patrol [9hr] 7am - 4pm : sleep [9hr] 5pm - 8pm : whatever she wants basically [3hr]

cass, like jason, doesnt have a big time crunch due to being unemployed and not in school. yay! she used to spend time trying to learn to read and write, but it was just frustrating for her so eventually they decided she should quit.

you may notice that there is not a single time when they are all awake and available to have a family meal. they have to plan those well in advance. its a whole event.

[die-pink-maus]

A Weekend in Vienna 🇦🇹

While vacationing in Germany, Chantelle’s (OC) best friend, Adrian (also an OC), books an impromptu trip to Vienna to visit extended family. Chantelle decides to join her for the last few days of her trip, where she meets an interesting friend of Adrian’s family who offers to show the two around the city for the weekend🤭

TW: Pretty much none, not for this chapter anyway, but things will get 🌶️spicy🌶️ in the next parts. Also there is an age gap between OC and König, she is 25 and he is about 36-37.

CW: FemOCs, female pronouns used, while both characters are technically OCs please feel free to imagine them however you’d like, ultimately the main character is the reader, I just didn’t want to use “Y/N” so I gave them names 🙈

Word Count: 1,516

*DISCLAIMER*

This is my first time EVER writing any kind of fan fiction so please go easy on me 😭 if you like where things are going, likes and reblogs would be greatly appreciated! If you’d like to see anything in particular in the next part or part(s), I’d love to hear it!

This version of König is based on the above interpretation drawn by @lettaniko (I hope you don’t mind me using it! I absolutely love this drawing it’s perfect! 🫶🏼)

I like a nice build up to the smut so if you like to get right into it this is probably not going to be for you…but if you can wait I it out I promise it’ll be worth it 😂

Enjoy! 💋

7:30am. There’s approximately 30 minutes before my train departs for Vienna, and I still haven’t reached the train station yet. I scrambled as I dashed out of my hotel room, hoping I’d left the place in a somewhat decent state and I hadn’t forgotten anything valuable as got into the elevator. I’ve been exploring Munich for the past two weeks and I’ve been having the absolute time of my life. Although traveling alone can be quite scary, oddly enough, I’ve never felt more at home. Munich is such a vibrant city, filled with all kinds of exciting things to do and I’ve met so many incredible people, it’s definitely been the experience of a lifetime. To say that I am not looking forward to going back home to Vancouver would be an understatement, but all good things must come to an end. I’d spent about a year and a half learning to speak German, and promised myself that I would plan a trip in celebration of achieving fluency, so here I am! Now, Vienna wasn’t initially on my list of places to visit when I decided to come to Germany, but my best friend, Adrian, ended up booking a spur of the moment flight last week to visit extended family in Austria and suggested I come hangout with her during the last few days of my trip. Seeing as its only a 3-4hr train ride from Munich, I figured why the hell not! I’ve heard Vienna is beautiful, and Im at all not opposed to exploring another city.

Upon arrival at the train station in Vienna I was greeted by Arian, excitedly jumping up and down while holding up a large white sign that read “Willkommen in Wien, Schlampe!” I rolled my eyes and shook my head, laughing as I got off the train and ran over to her, tackling her in a tight embrace as she laughed hysterically. “Did you have to let the whole station know that I’m a bitch or…?”

“Honestly, they should’ve known the moment they saw you.” She said jokingly. “How was the ride over?” She asked.

“Amazing, I haven’t slept that well in years. It also didn’t feel like a 4 hour train ride.”

“Trains in out here are quite quick so I wouldn’t be surprised if it somehow took less time. They definitely shit on the ones we have back home.”

“Oh for sure.” I agreed as we began walking over to the car.

“So a family friend of ours just came back from a mission in the states, he’s in the military bee tee dubs —“

“Yeah kinda pieced that together when you said ‘mission’.” I chuckled.

“I don’t drive out here so he’s gonna give us a ride back to my aunts, cool?”

“Sounds good.”

“He’s also a lot more familiar with Vienna than I am, so he offered to show us around a bit later on this evening.” Aw how nice of him. Knowing Adrian, the first place she’ll want to be taken to is the nearest bar, that girl can drink! If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my time in Germany, and my 10 years of friendship with Adrian, it’s that Europeans love their liquor. There are people from all parts of Europe in Germany and that’s one thing that remains quite consistent across the board. I also love my liquor, which is probably why I ended up fitting in so well.

We finally arrived at the car and opened the trunk to begin loading all of my luggage inside. I’d brought a small carryon suitcase, a duffle bag, as well as a large suitcase that was full of clothes I’d over packed from home, and a bunch of other clothes and souvenirs I’d bought in Munich. “Okay this one’s gonna be a tad heavy.” I warned as Adrian grabbed hold of the handle on the top. I reached forward to try to help her lift, but neither of us could manage the weight. “I got it.” His voice was low, but gentle. He had an accent, but it wasn’t overwhelming or harsh, nor did it make anything he said hard to understand. I wasn’t expecting to see the person I saw when I’d finally caught a glimpse of him…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man like this in my entire life. Adrian and I stepped back as he grabbed hold of the suitcase, lifting it with absolute ease, as if it were light as a feather. His arm muscles bulged within the confines of his olive green long sleeved shirt as he tossed the suitcase inside the trunk. My heart began to race, It felt as if I was watching him move in slow motion. “Easy peasy.” He smirked as he turned around and looked down at me, his dazzling dark blue eyes awash with amusement at Adrian and I’s prior struggle. Jesus Christ…This man is an absolute unit. He’s gotta be at least 6 foot 7, if not taller. He’s incredibly easy on the eyes in a rough and rugged kinda way — a nice low trimmed beard, medium length dark brown hair, and a smile that is captivatingly dangerous to say the least. His presence alone exudes a confidence that causes me to grow weak in the knees. “I’m König,” he smiled knowingly as he stretched his hand out towards me. I know I’m definitely not the first woman to look at him the way I am. Even though I’m trying to keep my composure, it’s very clear that he can see right through it. “And you must be Chantelle?” He asked, eyes slowly roaming about my frame from head to toe. He bites his lip slightly as they return to my gaze, suggesting so much without saying any words at all. “I — yes.” I blushed, sheepishly brushing my hair behind my ear as I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He said. “Oh yeah, König Chantelle, Chantelle König.” Adrian yelled from the backseat. He laughed and shook his head as he closed the trunk.

We arrived at Adrian’s aunts house about 45 minutes later. König helped us load all of my things into the foyer before letting us know he’d be coming back in a few hours to take us out to this bar that he and a few of his buddies on his task force frequent whenever they’re home. I’ve been thinking about him ever since he left — those mysterious blue eyes, the way he slightly bites his lower lip just before laughing at something ridiculous Adrian has said, the way his arm muscles swell beneath his shirt with the slightest movement…God, he’s sexy. I could think of a million different ways I’d want him to ruin me. The thought alone of being trapped beneath his large brawny frame writhing in pleasure as he thrusts into me over and over has me clenching around nothing. Though I’m not usually one for a one time fling, I have a feeling he’d be able to convince me. “So, you wanna tell me what all of that was about?” Adrian asked as she helped me settle into the guest room. “What are you talking about?” I asked. “Since when are you a shy girl?” She giggled. Sigh. I figured she was referencing my unusual silence during the car ride over here. “He’s hot as fuck but I’ve never seen you like that before.”

“Ugh!” I groaned as I covered my face with a pillow. She’s right. I’m not very easily intimidated. I’m quite the confident woman and I ensure everyone in the room knows it, but this was different. Almost as if our energies were fighting for dominance, and mine didn’t stand a chance. “Hey if it’s any consolation, my jaw dropped the first time I saw him without his mask too.” Mask?

“Mask?” I asked.

“Yes…the last time I was here he was on base training recruits, so I’d see him often in full tactical gear. He’s a snipper, so he wears a mask to hide his face in the field. I mean, that was hot too, but in a Ghostface kinda way”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the comparison, but I was curious to see what his entire ensemble looked like. “How old is he?” I asked.

“I think he’s in his mid to late 30s? I’m honestly not too sure, and it doesn’t matter to me either way.” She winked. “I was sensing some unspoken vibes between the two of you in the car though. Don’t think I didn’t see both of you stealing glances at each other every now and then.” She smirked.

“Stop,” I scoffed. “A man like that is definitely not single, and even if he is…I don’t know” I blushed. “I didn’t see him looking at me..”

“K well I see everything, he definitely likes what he sees, and clearly the feeling is mutual on your end as well. Looks like tonight will be interesting.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen, Adrian.” I laughed as I rolled my eyes. Nothing’s gonna happen…right?

PART II 👉🏽 A Weekend In Vienna 🇦🇹: PART II

PART III 👉🏽 A Weekend In Vienna 🇦🇹: PART III

[2024vietnamcambodia]

Day 4 Hanoi to Halong Bay

We met the group in the lobby at 8:15am to load ourselves and bags onto the bus headed to Halong Bay. An approximate 4hr drive however I think it was less than that. Part way through the journey we stopped for a toilet break as well as seeing a pearl factory in action. It was one of those typical tourist places where you snake through the process and end up in a massive shop with a long walk until you reach the exit sign.

Next stop Halong Bay to board a small tender boat to take us to the cruise boat. Finally on board there was a welcome drink and lunch. It’s an old 3-story boat but with enough character to make it interesting. But enough missing letters on signs to not help its star rating. The sign in the bathroom to not put any paper down the toilet bowl bought back memories of Spain. 😂 Phil planned his strategy which involved turning the shower into a bidet. Anyway, the room was nice and the big windows allowed big views of this stunning location.

An afternoon kayak to a small beach and then a swim was perfect. The weather couldn’t have been any better. We were so fortunate. Back to our boat to freshen up for happy hour. A negroni on the deck watching the sunset, a short cooking demonstration (spring rolls and vegetable art ie making a carrot lotus flower), and a complimentary taste of rice wine that had been cured inside a coconut for a long time taking on a coconut flavour.

Dinner was another series of dishes which were all very tasty. I’m surprised however with the amount of fried food as for some reason I had more fresh salads and steamed dishes. 🤷‍♀️

An early night. Unfortunately only one night here. More nights would’ve been easily spent.

[gayamulet]

2024 blathering

I am so stuck at what to do for volunteering this summer. And I type that out as if its a requirement, which it isn't. But! I want to! The window of time to decide if I want to return to the wildlife center is closing which is what I'd really like to do but god, the 1hr drive on either end of a 4hr shift every Friday would be...a lot again. Its a day lost from my days off, and this year Humblew00d 2 is kicking off which will also mean a lot more freelance work (sitting, it will mean sitting) on top of my 40hr/wk shelter job (moving, it is bending and lifting and constantly moving).

This is in fact made harder by the fact that, if I wanted to, I could go to clinic side at the wildlife center too.

And the only way I see making the drive worthwhile is it to expand on it. I briefly chatted with one of the educators about a kids' intro to printmaking class (as a one-off their kids camp or edu programming)- it was an offhand convo but it stayed in my head and I'm trying to get up the nerve to pitch it back via email. Because...a clinic shift AND an arts & crafts class? How amazing would that be?

I'm also just stuck as to which direction I could move in...there are outdoor stewardship vol ops much closer to me where I'd be outside, by myself, in a place I love that sounds ideal but also like...I could do that any time, maybe later when I really REALLY can't commit to the 1hr trek. And that also just doesn't seem as...useful? There are PLENTY of summer camp/outdoor education opps around as well but eh that also is like...more teen/college age oriented I think. I wish...I was brave enough to reach out to white pines. Scrolling just trustees opps has me overwhelmed...picking one thing feels impossible but its also a SELF IMPOSED PROBLEM but also after doing it for a while I can't imagine NOT doing it. Idk. Idk.

[danepopfrippery]

A friend during a particularly bad time in life said the way we felt was like having our head bleeding, brains out and asking for help and getting none. I got that feeling today while my ‘co captain’ gets to fucking be on the c2e2 ‘found family’ panel for ofmd. One day i will laugh at that. Itll be a pointed barb in a story and ill laugh and ppl will feel bad for me cuz its not funny.

I feel like i lost my baby. It took so much for me to reach out and expose myself and put Our Drag Means Slay on. I havent done anything in years part covid, part this shit seems to always happen to me. Im either a much worse person than i realize or have gullible in neon lights ob my forehead. If ud ask me if this could have happened id ask how high u were.

Ill stop bitching, prbly my last rant on this publicly. Not only did I miss my baby, get to honor my trans nephew, or have ppl go ‘oh wow what a show they put on!’ I also lost my chance to finally perform, which took so much courage to work up. And i missed seeing the awesome stuff my performers put on and i was so excited.

I thought this would be a new chapter for me. I rarely leave the house in my little shit town, and i have no irl friends, only a few online ones. W twitter and fb gone this was like my whole life.

Literally broke my body for it. Both shoulders got bursitis (had to drive round trip 4hrs for cuz rural hell) then my left hip got it. And my left wrist is also out today. I got a uti and a yeast infection from the stress.

And i was fucking thrilled to break my body for this cause and this show. Im still very proud of the cause, im not of the show.

Many ppl tried to cure my crying, i wanna thank October Noire, David Tennant, 0verboss and Megan Hartmann and anyone else who took notice.

Now my comfort show is gone. Jesus i really have nothing left in my life

[femme-enby]

Car rant

(Spent hrs w mom & various topics ofc came up)

BUT!!! Then I was stuck on my poor first car… and everyone is like “yeah that’s bc it was your first car” well firstly- so what? I imprint like a damn baby duck leave me alone.

Second of all!!!

My first car, love of my life, (and idc about sharing this info bc I don’t use this for anything but an opportunity to yap) was a 99 Camry auto V6 LE.

It had been someone else’s first car before mine, already had a decent dent the size of my head in one side of the rear bumper, and at that point it was liiiike… 17 years old? So it had been through it obviously.

And DAMN did I put that car through it so much more.

The first oil change (by me, I’m sure my dad proooobably did it when he got it) came… months after getting my license, bc by this time I was fully comfortable driving this absolute boat of a car. A friend(ly peer) invited me over, happened to ask about my car, checked my oil, said I didn’t have any, got under there & there were like… two plip plip. “Correction, you had two oil… blobs. Get in my car we’re gonna need more oil than I thought”

My dad who picked the car bc of its fortitude & reliability didn’t believe it could make a 4hr drive… so I snuck out and did exactly that at about 1a. 😂

It could get up to about 120-125mph (speeding is dangerous and expensive. Don’t do it.) fast af and only smelt a lil Smokey if you tried pushing 130mph.

Radio didn’t work so I had to keep buying MP3 to CASSETTE!!! Adapters 😂😂😂

Somehow managed to hop one of those… barrier? Curbs? The slightly taller upside down L shaped curbs, sideways, and pulled an Akira slide just to stop 6in from a tree.

Didn’t beep if you didn’t wear a seatbelt, no alarm if you had to break in bc you locked your keys in it, you were your own problem 😂

Also- if I went through 2+ too deep puddles, the AC would cut off 🤷‍♂️

By the end of my ownership of this car, I’d mashed the front in & we had to use a uh… jack-it strap? Attached to a big af work truck to pull it back out a bit… and the truck was gettin pulled more than my car was 😂 but we made it so the hood could latch. It had this big af deeeep scratch down the driver side bc a friend swore she could back it out… right into our mailbox… and then kept going… the passenger side had a lower & lighter scratch from front door to mid back door bc my first week of driving alone someone hit me… (dad’s advice on what to do on an accident before that was ‘don’t get hit’… obviously the person did not give me a valid phone number so w/e) the back bumper had a crack in it that I had covered w white gorilla tape (shit fr welded to the car. Good shit.) and the AC didn’t work.

I’d had to replace the interior driver handle 2x, the passenger handle 1x (old plastic will fr snap off in your hand) reset the driver window on it’s track 2x, went through snow, a tornado… watch? Warning? It was out there. I was determined to get home. Multiple 4ish hour trips to the beach, mountains, grandparents, a lovely city that has an amazing ice cream place and rare seasonal flavors…

Plus!!! Other drivers gave me SPACE. Fair bc the vehicle looks like I don’t care about its appearance, and probably no one else, so I NEVER had folks tryin to run me over! People got tf outta my way! AND!!! YOU COULD FUCKIN HEAR ME WHEN I HIT MY HORN!!!

Now I’m driving a super cute basically VW beetle wanna be ass car. 4cyl. Yells about everything! Fragile little thing too. Now? Ppl don’t even see me. Or they just don’t care. Sure af can’t hear my dumbass play mobile kid’s car ass horn, which apparently is a BITCH to try to replace bc it’s like… wedged up in against my front frame or some shit???

I want my old car but instead of fixin the AC or reminding me I could get a job, dad wanted to get me a NEW (er) car & gave my baby to my half sister who gave it to her mom who then never did any of the fluids until the engine SIEZED.

Idc what it takes. If I gotta go to a damn pull-a-part & various other type places and figure out how to Frankenstein a working 99(ish) V6 LE Camry… one day. I will have my baby back. I will know space. Comfort. Safety. The ability to FUCKIN MOVE when I hit the gas pedal.

[valkwriteshealth]

Saturday (Friday) Post.

Yes, I am late. Yes I forgot.

I've been busy in my defence. Christmas was busy but also anticlimactic at the same time. I feel more christmas-y now post the 25th than I did in the run up to and on the day.

I've vegged about since then, watching the NCIS season 8 boset I got under the tree. Nearly finished the season by the way.

I want to write but things keep getting in the way. I write best if I sit down and get into the mood first thing. But I've not been able to do that yet. Hopefully tomorrow I will, I've got the next few days, new years included to do so.

I'm struggling mentally with getting into the mind set to write the Aux series. I thought splitting the book up to just tackle character scenes chronologically separately. It should be the best approach to be fair, but the words aren't coming and the state of the first draft is deterring me. It's awful. It's all superficial, there's no depth to it.

And when I hit this wall, I start considering my options for other books. Do I move onto AVC2, do I do a fifth draft of AVC1? There's also could be something else in the works but I don't know yet. I am my own enemy.

Been trying to get my ducks in a row about my new years resolutions. The work out, the diet, the writing plan (under review) and now its the travel goals.

Visited my uncle's this morning. It used to be a pretty sketchy drive but it was pretty chill today, so my driving impressed my mother. Its her car, she's a worrier and makes driving more stressful than it should be and could be a possible route of my anxiety towards driving. But it got me thinking, what about a family road trip to Whitby and Scarborough? Its about a 4hr drive for us, we could do 2hrs each. They're both on the bucket list, when AVC gets published you'll learn why.

Goth festival would be cool to go to but I could live without it as long as I get to the the Abbey and the harbours. Maybe we could even hit up York on the way back. I want to see that really old street.

The fam are on board, the main issue is the pets. We'd have to take the dogs with us. We'll have to get a soft crate or something like it for Juno in the boot. My sister would flip out if we make her deal with both of them loose in the back.

I was also thinking of travelling the UK via train. I'll practice packing my bags for a camping trip but its something do able I think. Especially for day trips, like what I used to do with my mate a couple of years ago. I no longer want to rely on him for travel and I don't want to actually drive the others in our group either. Mainly because I'm the only other driver, if I got into trouble it's on me, and all but one is clued in, if thats the best way to say it. I don't want to go abroad with my friends for the same reasons, ones a space cadet, the other needs baby sitting. I DON'T WANT OR NEED THE STRESS. Like I actually want to enjoy myself on these trips?

Maybe its a cop out but I have anxiety, I recognise it, I own it, I have my ways, I get stressed out and particular. I don't want to exacerbate it. I hate that I'm also limiting myself over it.

In a similar vein, I'm also planning european trips. I originally wanted to travel all over via train but I think going by planes is the best route. I get 24 holidays to take a year. I could do long weekends, fly out thursday night return sunday night, using a single day.

This is something I'll have fun planning, I guess.

I'm unsure why I feel better about this than I do about feel going to Greece with my friends. Well I do technically and I don't but I digress.

In the mean time, the focus is on writing and I'm also going to go back to reading real physical books. Not as gripping but I know it is better for me.

Wish me luck!

[opens-up-4-nobody]

Tfw you wake up at 3 am tormented with thoughts of algal slime...

[currentlyprocrastinating]

OH YEAH

I HAD MY FIRST SHIFT TODAY!! OF MY FIRST JOB!!

it went so great :D bit of a rocky start, cos i realized i had no idea how to do anything akdvsjbs but the librarians are really nice, so they got me set up and then all was good :)

literally, so chill. i just spent the whole time reading the instruction manual for the job, chatted with a couple friends that stopped by, and like checked out a few study rooms for people

i am lowkey dreading my 4hr evening shift on monday tho. like 4 hours?? with my attention span?? IN THE EVENING?

i got so sleepy with just my afternoon shift like— akdbskvssj

anyways, looking forward to the day i get my well-deserved meet-cute 😌

oh yeah. the guys here are so friendly? and not assholes?? i mean like. yeah its college, not high school. and practically everyone is so freaking amazing here akdvdisvs

but OMG i am amazed at how guys will just. pop up to say hello, or introduce themselves and start up a conversation bc my group looked like the freshies we are lmao, or just make a quick joke about how i directed him to his class while i was on my library shift, only to wind up being in that same exact class as him. LIKE OMG?? I LOVE IT HERE

anyways. didnt mean to ramble. but yeah! things are pretty great at my college. i feel like a real adult lol. went for a drive with my friends just to go to a thrift store and get some lunch. literally my first time doing something like that. its amazing

[cannotgiveafuck]

I have to record this ridiculous side quest of an adventure before I pass tf out.

Okay. So. My friend V and I went to a weekend long larp across the country, mostly to see friends but whatever. The drive takes us anywhere from 10 to 12hrs depending on weather and stopping for food. The drive there is fine. The weekend is fine. We have fun. We stay an extra day at a friend's place to decompress before driving back.

Monday we start out at like 130pm. No problem. Suspected home time like midnight.

We hit standstill traffic not an hour out on the expressway. Womp. GPS redirects us off to a side road to bypass. Sure. No problem. It's April and there's snow and it's causing slow downs. We take the scenic route thru rural mountain side Pennsylvania. It's pretty. Until we hit standstill traffic again. On the side road.

GPS redirects us to another side road. It's been 2hrs and we are still 10hrs out.

The sideroad is actually a gravel road up the side of a hill along the expressway. Kind treacherous tbh. No maintenance. We are driving a Kia. The only way to go is forward and follow the tire tracks of those that went before us.

Our friends told us that we may know snow but we don't know mountains. Our midwest hubris takes us forward.

We very carefully crawl up the hill. One slip up and we would go tumbling down to the ditch. We start to have doubts on if this was a good idea about a mile up. There is no where to go to forward or reverse it back down. We keep going. At the top of a hill 2 miles out is a suv stuck in the snow that's like 2 feet now.

We stop the car. We have to go back.

But we cannot leave this person here if they're stuck. So we stop, hop out the car and trek on up the dirt snowy mountain side to them. It is a man and his young daughter. He said he called 911 and roadside assistance but was told it would be a few hours. V and I are dubious about leaving them bc once it gets dark it will be very hard to get out safely if at all. So we determine to help this man get unstuck.

When I say that this middle aged man from Ghana who is an accountant is terrified, I cannot stress enough how close to tears he was. Every time the suv slipped further sideways or back he had to stop and breathe. He was so incredibly stressed. Eventually V asked if he would prefer she did it for him and he was so grateful. He sent his daughter to sit back in our car as he walked in front of the suv, and V got the car unstuck, and I directed her from behind where to turn and move.

After a little bit of time we were successful.

V goes back to her car. The man goes to his. I stay behind V and direct her to reverse the car back down the mountainside. Tbh I was physically having a great time. We were already dressed warm bc of the larp - so I go stomping down the path directing them backward. Feeling like a lil mountain goat running down.

Anyway. Eventually V gets far enough she can handle the rest with her reverse camera, so I go back up to the man who's having some difficulty. Direct him back down as I can. It's slow but going.

At one point another suv pulls up to V and she has to tell them to reverse back bc there is no getting around us and they will get stuck. So they leave and V hops out and walks over, realizing we got another mile to go and its...slow.

So she goes on up and asks if the man wants her to drive and he practically sighs in relief as she takes hold. V in his car and I drive hers - we eventually steadily go back down. A cop eventually finally shows up but that point I tell him we got it so he reverses it outta there - and tbh I'm glad we helped bc at least we were 2 adults capable and calm enough to drive, and he wasn't going to be stuck there for who knows how long.

Eventually we make it back down to real roads and can turn around. And at that point the expressway had cleared. It had been 4hrs and we were still 10hrs away from home.

(Apparently the man's wife called while V was driving and he told her that they were okay and getting down, "that God sent him two angels" - which is incredibly sweet, but... very far from the truth. I am not entirely disbelieving that Hekate did not have a sway because there sure were some crossroads shenanigans at play there)

(After everything, when we were back on the road for real, we realized we both handled that very well, i joked "If you're a gay who drives, and I'm a gay who drives, whos having the mental breakdown? The man was. He was having a freak out.")

[tidalcreek]

helloooo! here are google drive links (pt1 + pt2) to my 4hr cut of the hobbit trilogy :-) specs n more details under the cut!

runtime is 4hr 9m (including about 4m of credits)

all scenes have open captions in english (either screen recorded from hbo or manually added)!!

i didn’t have access to the extended editions for this but i was able to find some of the extended scenes i wanted on yt (hence the portuguese and turkish subtitles on a few scenes which makes it a little messy with the english caps sry!!)

it’s split in two parts so i could get the quality up to 1080p but the parts are not like. two coherent separate movies its just one big guy

i basically did this for one reason which is that the hobbit movies r incredibly nostalgic to me and i love them but i avoided rewatching them for years because i have adhd and i just could not be fucked to watch 9 hours of cgi when i only cared about half of it. so here’s the half!!

this is heavily informed by the tolkien edit! i have my own criticisms of that cut (which is why i made one lmao) but i absolutely used it as a roadmap of what the story could survive without so credit where credit’s due

but forewarning because i made this specifically for my own use it’s very tailored to Me and my favorite parts of the trilogy! im a tiny bit of a tolkien purist bc i love the book very much and for aforementioned adhd reasons i always want these movies to move SO much faster than they do. but if there’s a scene that seems pointless it’s there just bc i like it and if there's a line that's missing for no reason it's just bc it annoys me :) however i Did try really hard to make this a good movie experience bc i have terminal film major disease!

here are the most significant changes i made if ur curious:

in general this cut follows bilbo/thorin/the company’s pov pretty tightly! it’s the part of the story that i personally care about most and it’s where the most coherent and interesting arcs are in my opinion! 

i could not care less for peter jackson’s cgi action scenes so most of of them are trimmed significantly or sometimes just deleted. this especially applies to the orc chase/fight scenes..i simply cannot sit through the full six minute barrel scene again. the big smaug scenes and botfa battle scenes are also especially cut down

gandalf’s dol guldur plot is completely cut (including radagast, galadriel, etc); ive never liked how the extra lore adds such huge All Of Middle Earth stakes to the hobbit (that's not bilbo’s fight and it never was! he didnt know what he was starting when he started it and neither should we!) so i took the tolkien edit’s line on this one. sorry to galadriel but i know what gandalf was doing during dos i dont need to see it 

crimes against the kiliel community: this is my most dudebro tolkien opinion but i have never loved the tauriel/legolas/kili dynamic and they have SOOO many scenes that i Personally just do not want to watch every time. i love the version of tauriel that lives in my brain but i do not vibe w the movie universe >:-( to that end both tauriel and legolas are almost entirely cut and you ARE allowed to hang me in the town square for this. im sad about it

bilbo's prologue scene is moved closer to the middle of the movie rather than introducing that info immediately in auj. i like having the audience find out about thrain and dale only once the company has seen the lonely mountain for the first time! idk if it reads as well as i think it does so lmk what u think!!

iiiii recut thorin’s funeral scene with hozier’s version of the parting glass. this is simply because ive always thought the funeral music was boring and i wanted to have fun! it’s one of the biggest changes i made to a specific scene so pls tell me if u have thoughts....it's at around 1:50:00 of part 2 if you want to skip

there are about 4 minutes of (incomplete) credits because sitting and listening to the last goodbye after botfa ends is a ritual <3

ummm thats it! if you actually watch any of this and you have thoughts please come talk to me about it!! i want to talk to you specifically!!

[atlas-writing]

Extra Drama (m!dramateacher/f!student)

a/n: i wrote this in 4hrs so its a bit iffy. and i was exhausted by the time i got to the end so its a bit shit.

kinks and shit: age gap, classroom sex, orgasm denial, choking, marking/bruising, mutual oral, unprotected sex.

summary: you stayed after school to complete some drama work with sir.

word count: 2312

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

He sat behind you, hand trailing around your neck and giving a few light squeezes as he kissed the angle of your jaw. Looking around, his normal waistcoat was discarded to the left, draped over a stack of the blue drama chairs in the corner and his shirt hung open at the top, drawing you in to get a closer look at his pale skin. The led lights gently pulsed with a red hue, casting shadows across the walls.

It was a Friday, just after school had finished and he had asked you to stay. It wasn't like it was unusual, it just never resulted in this, normally only lust-filled glances or flirty comments as you finished up the seemingly endless coursework. One of your hands trailed up his face, carving fiery lines into the skin before reaching up to toy with his long hair as it framed his face. Your fingers wound around the soft, brown strands as you pulled his head up to meet your lips in a moment of burning passion; teeth grazed your open lips as they wordlessly tugged on you to elicit a series of breathy moans and needy whimpers from the back of your throat to voice the wordless tension between you.

He let go only to stand you up in front of him as he reached up to slowly unbutton the white shirt and let it hang open to reveal the lacey bra you had worn just to bother him, you had felt his eyes drag down to your chest several times in the past hour as he stared at you. He leant back to watch you squirm under his appreciative gaze, it was hard not to bring your hands up to cover yourself, suddenly feeling self conscious at the compromising situation you had found yourself in and yet when your hands moved to hide your body, he practically growled out the same few words.

His other hand drew patterns down the side of your torso where your school shirt had ridden up, nails dragging across bare skin with just enough pressure to etch thin white lines over you. The constant pressure around your neck was enough to drive you crazy alone, but as his teeth went back to marking your jaw and what skin was still visible under his hand you could feel the heat in your core.

The more you seemed to beg for him to touch you the less his hand explored your skin, seeming to enjoy any deprived cries that fell from your mouth before lightly digging his nails into the side of your neck to silence you.

“Don't cover whats mine, darling”

The commanding words fell from his lips with a natural ease that suggested there would be consequences should you decide to ignore them, but part of you wanted to see what those consequences were; to see if he would ruin you for simply disobeying one simple command, or if he would have you crumpled under him like some used toy that had been thrown of to the side, to see if the actions were worth the punishments. Just the thought of that made a deep crimson blush spread up your face as he continued to drag his gaze over your body before seemingly making a decision, he sat forward in one fluid motion to reach out and grab you by the hips to pull you closer until you were stood between his legs as his broad hands reached up to push your shirt off of your shoulders and onto the wooden tiled floor behind you. Long fingers brushed down your front as he reached to undo the fly of your trousers, looking up at your eyes for a look of consent as he slowly undid them and pushed them down your legs in a teasingly slow manner. They fell to the floor with a soft thud as he pulled you impossibly closer to his chest, winding his arms possessively around your waist and dipping one hand into the back of your underwear. The growing wetness only worsened when he stood up with eyes darkened by lust to stride over and lock the doors before swiftly turning on his heel to look at you, looking you up and down like he was a predator and you were his prey. The familiar jovial shine in his eyes was gone, completely replaced by an expression that looked like he could devour you just by staring at you, accompanied by a widening, hungry grin and a long, pink tongue trailing over his lips with a needy pace.

It was your turn to rake your eyes down his body like a piece of meat, but your appreciation was cut short as he once again grabbed your neck, forcing you to look him in the eyes as he squeezed your neck until you felt your face turn red from the slight lack of oxygen; he let go and sat on his knees between your spread legs as you gasped for breath, trying to recover. His teeth nipped at your collarbones as he reached round to undo the clasps of your bra before he kissed and nibbled his way down, leaving large bruises across the sides of your neck and top of your chest before reaching your nipples. He took one in his mouth, sucking, biting and rolling it between his teeth while mimicking the motions with his thumb and forefinger on the other nipple; continuing as he heard your breathing quicken again, he swapped sides to draw you closer to the edge. He heard the shaky words confirming how close you were, waiting until you were right on the edge before drawing sharply away, leaving you breathless and needy. You reached out to grab his hands and return the pleasure he had given you, just so you could reach that edge between pleasure and pain; you had half the mind to just continue by touching yourself and making him watch as you threw yourself into that endless pleasure but you guessed that what would come after that wouldn't be too pretty for you.

He trailed one more look down your body before pouncing, covering the distance in a few seconds; reaching out, he grabbed your hips again but this time, fueled by lust, his fingers dug into your sides with enough pressure to start leaving bruises, claiming you as his territory with another predatory growl. He forcefully pushed you back to sit on the chair he had previously occupied as he fell to his knees and forced your legs open to stare at your core through soaked underwear that you had matched with the bra you had put on.

“All this just for me, sweetheart?” his voice purred out as he stood up and started unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his well-toned torso that was peppered with brown hair, some of which trailed down to his defined v-line just above the top of his trousers.

After watching you makeup your mind for a few minutes, he steadily returned to his position once again between your legs, this time they were quivering from the pleasure you had experienced. His lips returned to your skin just below your breasts, still denying you any more pleasure as he continued to leave even more angry marks across your skin; his fingers crept up your legs, brushing over the sensitive areas along your inner thighs to watch you try to squeeze your legs together with him between them. Just as his lips reached where his hands had left bruises earlier, his fingers looped around the band of your underwear to pull them away from your dripping core. He discarded the damp underwear with the rest of your clothes before returning his hands to dip into your core, soaking his finger in your wetness just to pull it out as quick as it had gone. You had wondered why he had done that until his eyes locked with yours as he put his finger in his mouth, swirling it around on his tongue to fully taste you. The look in his lust-filled eyes made some part of you feel feral as you impulsively leant done to kiss him just to taste yourself plastered through his mouth.

He broke it off quickly to pull both of your legs over each of his shoulders, sliding you down the chair uncomfortably and opening you for the world to see; he gave one last lusty look into your eyes before finally dipping his head to properly taste your arousal. The feeling as his tongue dragged across your entrance several times before settling to suck on your clit drove you back towards the orgasm he had denied you earlier. Two of his fingers pushed into you, spreading you apart as his tongue continued drawing patterns across your clit to push you closer to an orgasm. He finally drove you to the edge of bliss as your legs drew around his head with a bone crushing grip, but again he removed himself just before you fell into the overwhelming waves of pleasure, pulling his head back to rest on your lower leg that rested, twitching on his shoulder.

He finally broke the kiss to reach down and pull your hips up to meet his, his dick twitching just from the thought of fucking you senseless; he filled you up to the brim, the pain from being stretched so wide was a welcome sensation that bordered on pleasurable as he waited impatiently for you to get used to his sheer size. The last thing he wanted to do was rip his new toy. When he had decided that you'd had enough time to adjust but not enough time for it to fully stop hurting, he pulled back slowly before ruthlessly slamming himself back into you, moving your whole body with the force of his brutal thrusts. He soon set a steady pace as he painfully slammed into you with enough force to make you feel like you were splitting at the seams and falling apart under him as you lost your composure, moans soon turned to screams of his name that ripped from your throat making you hoarse, and even as you lost your voice from all the noises he was drawing from you, his brutally fast thrusts never once faltered as you once again fell onto the edge of an open abyss of pleasure. Your first orgasm of the night tore through your entire body as his thrusts became even more forceful, as you came his steady rhythm started becoming uneven as he also drew closer to his second orgasm. His cum filled you up again, feeling his hot seed spilling through every inch of you, his hips slowed to a slight rocking as he rode out the last of his orgasm before pulling out.

A sickening smirk spread across his face as he watched you squirm from now having two orgasms held from you as your eyes rolled back from any pleasure you were still holding on to, smirk turning into a grin as breathy moans tumbled from you while you tried to draw his head back to give you what you wanted. It seemed to drive him fully over the edge of need as he fully pulled back and stood up, hands already fussing with his belt buckle to open it up; he only paused when you reached up and pulled it open yourself, unzipping his fly and hastily pulling open his trousers to finally get a look at the tent in his boxers that his boner had created. Fingers hesitating before dragging his boxers down, his dick now stood up against his stomach until you took it in to your hands; stroking your fingers across the tip, he let out a strangled groan when you finally took his head in to your mouth and bobbed up and down, trying to take as much of his member in your mouth as you could physically fit. His hand wound through your hair, pushing you up and down on him before forcing your head painfully down on him, fitting his entire dick in your throat and holding you there until tears rimmed your eyes and spit spilt down your chin in thin lines. Precum dripped from his tip as he slipped back into a steady rhythm thrusting in your mouth; not long after, his pace stuttered as he came, thick heavy strings of his cum filled your mouth and throat as he pulled out panting.

“Swallow it like a good girl” he was still panting from the feeling of his release when he pulled your head back and watched you swallow his cum before you were both on the floor, you were on your back as he held himself up above you with hands either sides of your head and his long deep brown hair spilling from his head over you. You felt tiny as his large frame completely covered you in his shadow, his head now down to meet your lips in a kiss, tasting each other on your tongues sent sparks of electrical pleasure up your spines, hands now threading through his hair to bring his lips impossibly closer with a burning passion. Your legs wrapped around his hips to pull him back closer to your core as words left your mouth through a broken, sloppy kiss, practically begging him to fuck you through strained moans and his own breathy groans that sounded from deep in his chest.

He rolled to the side of you, facing you with lidded eyes as he reached out to bring you in for one last kiss before getting up and helping you collect all the discarded clothes, soon enough he unlocked the door and you limped out next to him looking exhausted with hickeys and bruises covering you.

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

i hope you enjoyed :)

[fumbling-fanfics]

Imagine having a second child with Viktor Drago...

So I wrote this because @lady-olive-oil was insistant on killing people off, lol. Love you Liv!

I also kind of forgot I wrote this so there was more I wanted to write but I forgot those parts.

**********************************************

You weren't meant to give birth so early. But here you were sitting in a nice relaxing bath, Lily on the bathroom floor drawing more pictures for Viktor while you soaked. If you were honest the contractions had started early in the morning, but they varied between 4hrs and 3 minutes apart. So you had ignored them. But now it was 2 in the afternoon you were pretty sure you were having contractions - the proper ones.

"Lily baby, can you pass mommy here phone please" her little head popped up beside the bath with a big smile. "Are you going to ring daddy? Can I talk to him?" she asked as she disappeared out of the bathroom.

Viktor should have been the one you were going to call but he wasn't.

"I'm going to call Aunt Jenny" you smile kissing her forehead in thanks letting her get back to her drawing. "I'll make Aunt Jenny a picture too" she states, paper rustling about. You pressed the call button next to Jenny's picture (a picture of her and lily at the beach) and waited for her to answer.

"Thank god you called. I'm so tired, I'm literally falling asleep at my desk… What's new?" she sang.

"Code Red" you whispered down the phone.

"Huh?" you can hear the frowns of confusion on Jenny's face. "Oh, Lily, I can go get her from preschool" you could here her moving around more on her end.

"No, Lily's here with me-"

"Hi Aunt Jenny!" Lily called from the floor, voice echoing off the bathroom tiles.

"Oh" Jenny was frowning again.

"The other code red, the new one. The second one" you watched Lily for a reaction but she was absorbed back into her drawing.

"Shit" Jenny shouted.

"Shit, shit, shit! SHIT! Are you sure? It's not those fake ones, those pickle hiccup contraction things" she panicked, you could hear things being knocked around and a draw open and then slam closed.

"You mean Braxton Hicks, and no"

"You're not due for like another 2 months, I'm looking at my calendar. It says on my calender" you could hear her voice go up an octave in panic. You were pretty sure she was also poking the calender too.

Jenny was down as your second birthing partner, after Viktor of course. But since Viktor was away for a fight that was still wasn't due for another 6 weeks, Jenny had happily (and in a drunken state) assured Viktor she'd be your number two should anything happen. But it would be fine because nothing would happen because you still had two months to go.

"I know, I know...Can you maybe come anyway, and maybe it'll be fine by the time you get here"

"Of course, I'm leaving now" she hung up quickly.

"Will Auntie Jenny bring me jellies" Lily asked, pencils poised in her hand.

"Maybe" you laugh, glad she oblivious to what's happening.

By the time Jenny arrived you were out of the bath and sitting in the living room on your yoga ball wondering if you should call Viktor or not.

He'd flown back to the states to fight again, and really concentrate on getting ready as this opponent was almost equal in size to Viktor. You knew if you called him he'd freak out and even fly back (or walk if he had to).

"(Y/n)!!!" Jenny practically screamed, slamming the door closed. You could hear her but not see her. Lily sprinted off to find her Aunt, and reappeared on Jenny's hip.

"Are they for real?" she asked looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I think so, they've just got worse"

"Auntie bought me jellies!" Lily waved the box and then wriggled out of Jenny's arms and ran off. At least she was occupied.

****

“Is it okay to make a call?" you asked in the back of the ambulance. The female paramedic nodded as she carried on writing things down.

Jenny was following in her car with Lily and your hospital bags.

You pressed the call button and held the phone against your ear. There was a series of tial tones, including the international one.

"Hello" it was a quick, short answer.

"Ivan, it's y/n" slight relief washed over you hearing his voice.

"Hello. You want to speak to Viktor?"

"No, no, no, no, no" there were too many no's for Ivan's liking - he felt worried but the fact you weren't crying and he could understand you made him worry a tiny bit less.

Ivan said something in Russian but you couldn't hear, it was muffled, like he had his hand over the mouthpiece. There was the sound of a metal door slamming closed and then silence.

"What's wrong?"

"The baby, its early" there was a long pause from both of you - you both didn't know what to say.

"I'll get Viktor"

"No don't...I mean I know he needs to know, but not right now. You know he'll get on the first plane back, won't think twice about the fight. I can't let him do that." Ivan said nothing but also agreed. But he also wanted to tell his son. Congratulate him, tell everyone in the training room - he had another grandchild.

"I'll let him know it was all my idea not to tell him, just try and act like everything's normal. Please?“

“Are you okay? Are you at the hospital?" the concern in Ivan's voice broke you and you started to cry.

"I'm fine. I'm on my way in an ambulance"

"Are you on your own?" he sound panicked. "Where's Lily?"

"She's following in a car with Jenny" Ivan remembered Jenny from when she came to the beach that day. Ivan was struck by how caring Jenny was with Lily - making sure she ate and drank enough while still having fun.

"She must call me" you nodded even tho Ivan couldn't see you.

"Here" the paramedic handed you a tissue to dry your eyes. "Don't worry, everything's gonna be okay"

***

Olivia May Drago, born 2 months early but otherwise healthy.

Jenny had called Ivan to let him know everything was okay - you were okay, Lily was okay (but probably had new found profession as some sort of Antinal Nurse specialising in premature babies) and that Viktor's new baby girl was okay too. It was only when Jenny came back into the room, an hour later did you realise she had been talking to Ivan for an hour. "He's so funny, Ivan" she said with a smile on her face. You raised a quizzical eyebrow at her as she peered into the neonatal cot to look at Olivia. "Did you just say Ivan's funny?“ you asked, maybe the drugs were making you hear things." Yeah, the jokes he cracks. But otherwise he says he's glad everyone's okay. I said I'll call him tomorrow"

"You should go, it's late" Lily had crashed out on the bed in the room reserved for partners to sleep on.

"No way, do you know how hard it was to get this parental leave. HR officially hate me, so I'm going to use every moment to stare at this beautiful girl" she cooed, picking up Olivia from her cot.

Lily had been born 4 weeks early, so Jenny had fought tooth and nail to have the right to use shared parental leave to help you look after Lily and the baby assuming Olivia would be born early too, despite not actually being a parent to either. She had initially demanded full maternity leave, but had settled for 3 and a half weeks "shared parental" leave. "That's what they get for not having a watertight policy" she'd smugly smiled sipping non alcoholic wine with you when she told you when you met her for lunch just after Viktor left to prepare for the fight.

You were trying not to cry but the harder you did, the quicker your eyes filled up with tears. So when you blinked they came streaming down your face. "Hey, don't you start crying because I'm gonna start crying again" Jenny moved to perch on the edge of your bed still holding Olivia.

"I know you feel bad, but don't. Everything is okay, you're okay, baby's okay. Lily's okay. I'm okay" the last part made you laugh and you brushed the tears away.

"But we need to make sure Viktor's okay, and that means not telling him just yet because we app know what will happen. I'll just keep taking a million photos and videos so he has stuff to watch. Here, hold her" Jenny passed you Olivia and grabbed her phone to take pictures.

"Do I look a mess?" you asked, aware that not only had you given birth 6 hours ago but you had also cried one too many times. "Actually, you look so good. Which makes me slightly hate you" she placed her phone down and then made grabbing hands at Olivia. "My ovaries hurt when I don't hold her" she blushed.

***

You where now sat in the hotel suite that had been reserved for Viktor. Lily was laying on the floor - half on top of the fluffy rug, half off - drawing more pictures for Viktor. You were sure she was on over 100 at this point, but it kept her occupied, you enjoyed listening to her stories behind them and writing them on the back of the picture for Viktor to read later.

She was currently drawing the picture of him winning his current fight - the one that was meant to start in 45 minutes.

You were sat on the overly large sofa breastfeeding Olivia, after having to shout at Buddy Marcella and the entourage he brought for you to leave. He'd brought a nanny with him - just in case you wanted to leave Lily and Olivia to go watch the fight. He was driving you crazy more than usual.

You didn't need help, you just needed space and for not a single soul to mention to Viktor that he had an earlier than expected baby girl he'd never seen. You'd also spoken to Ivan at length who had been extra hard and stubborn on your behalf making sure everything and everyone would be perfect.

***

Just as the fight started Olivia woke up with a cry. You half didn't mind as she'd been asleep for a long time, as if she was waiting for the perfect moment to announce her presence in the world. She was very quiet for a newborn.

You noticed that Viktor seemed to be fighting differently, quicker, even harder, like he just wanted it to be over.

But that wasn't surprising. When Viktor had agreed to the fight, there were a few additional requirements that Buddy had added in. Endorsements and a whole bunch of extra PR stuff, including promo stuff with Adonis Creed.

"Hey!" you called to Buddy. He turned around with that stupid grin on his face. "Just remembered my husband's a person and not just your cash cow" he'd then proceeded to try and butter you up but it didn't work.

***

As the ring filled with people from either team and the official referee to call the match you spotted Buddy climbing into the ring. You held your breath as you watched him whisper something to Viktor. Ivan appeared and pushed Buddy away, but you could see Viktor was getting impatient and just wanted the result said. You watched Ivan place his hands on Viktor's shoulders and he calmed down a little. The referee appeared and the camera angle zoomed back showing Viktor and his opponent standing either side of the referee.

You didn't let your breathe go until the referee held up Viktor's arms and the crowd cheered. Lily jumped up dancing around with her picture in her hand. "Told you daddy won" she wiggled her hips side to side and threw the picture in the air along with her crayons.

***

Now you felt sick. Sheer panic and you tried to organise your thoughts and your words to explain to Viktor that you were sorry for not telling him that Olivia had come early, that you cried after every phone call with him because you wanted to just tell him. But you were glad that you didn't, that there were no distractions.

"Lily, come here please" you call, her silence not always a good thing. She skips from the bedroom, her face covered in melted chocolate. Then she stop rigid, eyes wide. "Daddy!“ she screams, sprinting past you. You turn, this isn't how you wanted him to find out. "Grandpa!“ Lily screeches, almost another octave higher. She doges Viktor and throws herself at Ivan.

Viktor doesn't seem to mind that Lily skipped him. He's staring at you or Olivia, or both of you as you rock Olivia in your arms. She's quiet now, as if nothing happened. He drops his bag and slowly walks closer to you. When he reaches you, he pulls you against him, his lips rest on forehead which makes you cry.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, I'm sorry you had to do this on your own" Viktor tenderly hugs you, careful not to squash Olivia.

You pull away to wipe your face with one hand, surprised at how relaxed Viktor is. "My dad told me. I made him when I saw he had a lot of calls from Jenny, I thought something was wrong" you looked to Ivan, but he was busy cleaning the chocolate from Lily's face.

***

Everything was calmer. Everything was fine. Viktor sat holding Olivia, with Lily on his lap. They talk in hushed tones over a sleeping Olivia. Both falling quiet every so often to stare at the peaceful baby.

Viktor was stunned by how beautiful his second baby girl was. Her tiny nose, her tiny mouth, her ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes. Lily's mind was slightly blown by Viktor telling her she was once this small, even he was too.

Together they couldn’t stop looking at Olivia. Every now and then Lily gently kissed her sister - telling Viktor all the things she planned to teach her little sister - coloring within the lines, eating jellies that Aunt Jenny brings etc, eating all the chocolate you could find in a hotel suite.

By the time Ivan got back with food for everyone, it was his turn to fuss over his new grandchild. "World's happiest grandfather" Ivan announced taking Olivia from Viktor. He sat down on the couch with Olivia while you pulled out your phone to show Viktor the million photos you'd taken while he was away.

**********************************************

Tags: @ellixthea @lovelymari4 @chaneajoyyy

@honeychicana @beaminglife @amelatonin @themyscxiras @crushed-pink-petals @jojolu @endless00paradise @est1887 @cajunpeach @melinda-january @profoundlynerdywolf @deathonyourtongue @designerwriterchic @itsbqueenthings @alicesfracturedmirror

[wherewhereare]

Spill the beans Bugs! You're a source. It's more responsible of you if you provide your information in a more complete manner. Otherwise, it's fake news. 🤷‍♂️

My Inbo

GR posted 4hrs ago

2.  Gwen is on the ground in LA. She's probably headed straight to Gavin's to lay with her babies. The world is in chaos. Time to reconcile with her family. ✌❤💡 peace, love, and light to you🙏

3.  Haha! This is not a busy flight path and if the pilot had a set time to be in LA to pick someone up, he would have been there. That’s what he gets paid for.

4.  Maybe Gwen did somehow get back to LA and it’s just picking her up now to bring her back to OK. That would make more sense for a late night flight rather than the kids.

5.  If it doesn’t fly back tonight, I’m guessing Gwen is in LA and will fly back later in the week with the family.

6.  GR posted hrs ago before the plane left Also the plane would have picked up if anyone was heading back. It’s a pickup either tonight or maybe early morning

7.  My guess is the plane was empty and the pilots are staying in LA overnight. Tomorrow morning the plane will fly back to OK with the boys and maybe Todd’s family and Gwen’s parents.

8. Not assuming she’s going to stay in LA if she is going back. Especially if the plane doesn’t immediately go back. Might head back with the family later in the week.

9. Oklahoma is forecast for severe and very rainy weather for the next week so I'm not sure Gwen will head back to Oklahoma with the family right away. I'm sure the boys are already anxious with what's happening so to add severe weather warnings to the mix would be alot for them in my opinion. So much for everyone at the moment. Everything feels so heavy. Any suggestions to make it feel lighter? Ugh. I hate this.

 10. It’s on it’s way. I think it’s a drop off. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Boys private school seem like they will want a more strict schedule.

11. The plane probably flys to Ardmore for Blake because he’s not going to drive alone to Texas. But I could see him just driving someone there if he’s staying in OK and can just drive back.

 12. More likely than not, Gwen is in OK. But question is if the plane is dropping off or picking up. If no return flight scheduled then idk.

13. GR just posted with Apollo so I don’t think it’s going to pick up the boys at least.

14. Unless it's picking up fam and kids and go back to OK

15. I think it has happened on occasion that Blake has gone to Sherman, TX to catch the plane instead of it always coming to Ardmore. It certainly picks him up in Ardmore the majority of the time but not necessarily always.

16. Let me explain something.. There we're no charters to LA from Nebraska She's in OK with blake

17. Boys are 100% with GR still, so you can bet Gwen is in OK.

 18. Also, Blake has left from Sherman before when he’s been at the lake house instead of the ranch. The Sherman airport is closer to the lake house than the Ardmore one is.

19. Anonymous said: It flew from Sherman with the boys in December.

 20. Anonymous said: It’s rare but yes Blake has flown straight from TX. Usually he only does during summer at the lake house. This time of year its rare.

Anonymous said:

Your arm wrestling match is with a troll!

Anonymous said:

Sorry, but anyone who thinks Gwen is in LA is crazy. Blake didn't leave her in Omaha to jump on a private plane owned by a company with LA ties. If she needed to go to LA, he would have flown her there.

Anonymous said:

It just seems weird to me to change plans just because of coronavirus. If anything, Blake and Gwen May have been exposed to more people and city to city, fans from everywhere.Maybe safer for kids to be with GR.

Anonymous said:

She's in OK.. How would she get to LA?

Anonymous said:

This is a change then. Everyone thought GR would keep kids until after Houston rodeo. Why change schedules so suddenly? GR isn’t going anywhere and neither is Gwen.

Anonymous said:

I think GR is technically supposed to have the boys until at least Tuesday (Gwen was supposed to be in DR tonight and then the Rodeo Tuesday). I suppose it could just be going for Todd, Jen, etc. for now 🤷🏻‍♀️

Anonymous said:

The plane could be flying to LA tonight to pick up the family tomorrow morning.

Anonymous said:

They must be in texas then..

[the-static-silence-of-pastels]

Can a Heart Still Love, Even If It’s Stopped Beating?

Word Count: 5900+ (written in 4hrs from 1-4 AM, have mercy on my grammar and mistakes.)

Warnings: Gore for a bit, then just a lot of angst with a sort of happy ending (depends on who you ask). Not sure if there are any other things I need to flag, so I’ll let you be the judge of that.

There’s an unscratchable itch within him. A little left of his spine, underneath the skin of his pectoral. It’s been there since that morning, but the build has been going on for months. The itch has reached what he assumes is its peak, but he knew he’d never be sure of that. God, he hopes this is the peak. This stupid itch, so hard to scratch and get rid of, that’s been leaving him frustrated for months. But it’s something he can’t reach, something buried under skin and bone.

He feels like screaming some days. Letting out all the fury trapped within that bides its time alongside the itch. And if the fury and frustration alone didn’t drive him to the brink of insanity, the feeling sure would. He can just imagine, though it’s not his forte, what is causing the itch. Maybe it’s some kind of abnormal vessel but going on for this long would mean his death. Perhaps it’s just a stupid prank that’s been left to simmer under his skin and drive him to the foulest of moods. Better yet it could be what it feels like; thousands of tiny insects crawling around, burrowing towards the skin as if they were…

He allows that thought to trail off. Such horrid conceptions are not his field, nor will they ever be. He is resolute in such things. And yet the feeling has only been building. It’s as if he’s dipping a toe, no, his torso into the river of madness that must flood Remus’ mind.

And right on cue the tinnitus appears. He never realised it before, but it seems to appear when his thoughts fade into that direction. The direction of seemingly inescapable insanity looped around mindless madness, entangling themselves like a series of knotted snakes. Twisting, writhing, slithering to escape, and yet unable to.

He feels a little lightheaded. Maybe death has finally come for him and will spare him of this horrid itching. Or maybe it’s just his imagination. Either way he would welcome a death right now. It’s as if he can see nothing, hear nothing, feel nothing, and yet the ringing intensifies tenfold and the itching, oh the itching, the scraping of whatever inside is causing such discomfort-

‘Hey, Mensa dropout! Your line.’

Right, that’s right. The video.

‘You can’t…you can’t drop out of Mensa. Mensa isn’t a school or a college, you can’t drop out of it. Are you talking about that album by MC Motyčka?’

‘At least we got you back, cicada three-three-oh-snore. And no, I wasn’t. Just read the damn lines.’

Yeah, like that isn’t a chore right now. Where are we, where-are-we, wherearewe? Ah, there. Now I just have to make the words stop swimming. Line up, line up. Damn it. And he’s tapping his foot, of course. Look if you think you’ve got troubles, try being me prince bull-

‘Are you sure these are my lines?’

He looks so angry. Oh, like you’re such a peach to work with.

‘Yes. They are your lines.’

Lots of emphasis. Must be pretty pissed off. I don’t think I can do this right now. Let’s see if Patton’s pity card will get me out of this.

‘I don’t exactly feel up to par. Could we perhaps-’

‘Oh teach, what’s wrong? What’s got you feeling so bad? Are you sick? What’s up?’

Nice, now here come the questions. I can do this, just get them off the trail.

‘I’m in perfect health. I just think that, especially at this time, it may be a good point for us to turn in. It’s far past when we usually stop, and we can pick up perfectly well tomorrow morning. I don’t see why we must record so much tonight. And as the prince of perfectionism, I thought it a good point to bring up.’

God, he looks so infuriated. Serves you right for cutting my lines, bastard.

‘Fine, fine! We’ll pick it up tomorrow, but you better be on your game, Logan.’

‘Will do, Roman.’

Ah tension, how I have missed you. Didn’t feel like a real day until you showed your ugly, repulsive, disgusting face.

He lets his shoulders drop minutely, all the better to seem like he’s actually tired. He won’t be able to sleep though. The itch is too bad today, if he tried there’d be absolutely no way, he’d get further than laying on his bed in a mass of writhing agony.

But agony would be the right word, wouldn’t it? The itch has grown, quickly and unlike any of the other days. Now the itch has manifested itself as a burning, but that’s growing and evolving from a burning to an intense jabbing, like something is poking the inside of his skin and tracing the tip of a dagger over something so incredibly sensitive that he can’t quite quantify how painful it’s becoming and that’s a problem because emotions aren’t his forte and he can’t show pain and he can’t show weakness and-

Enough. He needs to get out before they notice something is amiss. Clean up this mess, turn off the camera and make sure everything is neat and tidy before running away from this like all his other problems. He doesn’t need their pity, their worry, all of that will only morph into concern over his position. He’ll become redundant in a heartbeat if they find out he’s imagining pains and itching under his skin. It can’t be right because imagination isn’t his forte, and none of this lines up with who he is.

But it could go the other way. They’d coddle him – Patton and Virgil – and he’d get nothing done. Not like he’d been getting anything done anyway; but that’s for him to know, not for them to know. He’d never tell them though; they’d find out over his dead body. Or whatever happens when the pain stops. Death. Maybe he’ll live, but that’s not so likely. Pain is usually fatal. At least in most cases, but he has justifiable reasons to be worried for himself.

No use being morbid. Remus would be just as upset as Roman if he knew you were stepping on his turf.

‘L?’ Was he too quiet? Virgil doesn’t speak up often and when he does, and with that sort of accusation in his eyes, it’s usually important. And if anyone else hears they might pay attention. But what clues would he have to accuse him of something being amiss. No, Virgil had nothing. No proof of anything.

‘You good? You’ve been staring at that camera for, like, a full minute. Mind somewhere else?’ thank whatever God they prayed to.

‘Fine, sorry, got a little lost in thought. Something I can help you with?’ please say no, please say no. Let me off this one time so I can get over this pain and be ready for tomorrow and this stupid script.

Virgil shook his head just a little, but it was enough of a wary gesture to warrant a head tilt before he had turned around and sunk out. He felt like sighing for that.

Camera, away. Good my part all done. Let’s motor.

God that’s painful.

He’d never really been big on praying, but right about now felt like a good time to make amends as the pain ascended quickly from pricking and burning to an almighty searing. It wasn’t quite to the level of him wanting to rip his skin off, but it was getting close. Not quite screaming to the high heavens, but around the stage of tugging at his hair with no end in sight.

Maybe it’s something on my chest. Just get it off and take a look. That was what he’d tell himself and then never have the courage to do. He couldn’t really blame himself, but then again, he could. It was his mind after all. He could do whatever he wanted.

God, he sounded crazy.

Okay, yeah no. That was not good. The pain had intensified tenfold in the space of a few seconds and he was at that stage of ripping out his own hair and allowing tears to slip down his face. His breathing grew heavy, the ringing came back, everything fading out to black though he was still conscious.

The torturous pain was synonymous with nothing else he’d ever felt before. Greater than breaking a bone and enough to make him loose and not be able to regain his breath. How anyone was able to survive this was beyond him. It was like someone had taken a metal sea urchin to his chest and was pressing it into his skin from within, rolling it around inside that cavity that housed his heart and lungs. Burning, ripping, blinding pain. At least they got one part right in songs and stories, it was blinding. Blacked out vision aside, he could still feel the ground beneath him, feel his shirt and tie and clothing. Time to find out what was making it so damn hard to breathe. If it wasn’t something on his chest, maybe he could see something within his chest.

After ripping his tie away and bunching his shirt up and over his head he had a moment of clarity as his glasses fell off, able to pick them up with precisely no spots in his line of sight. For a moment he felt relief, but that quickly faded as he summoned a mirror, heard a loud gagging behind him and saw straight through the heart shaped hole in his chest as behind him Roman doubled over in shock and horror.

That would explain the lack of breath.

Yeah, the bleeding, still wet hole shaped like a heart symbol that cut right through his chest and out the back, taking out a few pieces of his ribs and moving his left lung over. Yeah, that would definitely explain the lack of breath.

They did always call me heartless. Guess they were right. But he wasn’t heartless, wasn’t supposed to be at least. People need hearts, they do a lot of things. That’s right, isn’t it? People need hearts. Those organs that are about a handful and oxygenate the blood and keep it all flowing. Yeah, they’re needed. So why was his missing? Why couldn’t he see straight, or breathe anymore? He needed to breathe, but he couldn’t. What was stopping…oh, right. He was missing his heart.

It took less than a minute for Logan to crumple to the floor. Dead and missing one of his more important organs for living. Blood leeched out of the hole, staining the carpet a deep and wet crimson as hollow breathing grew shallow and the only witness was left pale and shaking against the wall.

He’d come to yell at Logan, tell him off for stopping their progress. He hadn’t imagined their last words to be that of a tiff not a few minutes prior. Nor did he imagine he’d be holding the now bloodied corpse of someone he’d be willing to call friend on a good day, which were most days but that was beside the point.

He didn’t even notice the tears streaming down his cheeks, noticing only when one dropped onto the pale chest, stained with blood and now stained with tears. But even with all that blood he couldn’t bring himself to care as he lay his forehead against the carcass of what used to be a living, breathing Logan. He could hardly breathe, hardly do anything but sob and cry as eventually he raised his head and began his pleas. It would always come down to this, to the pleading of life. No bargain would ever be struck to bring someone back form the dead, but he had hope. And even if he didn’t, he’d plead; because he couldn’t handle going on with this as the last memory he had of their logic.

Worry and fear brought Virgil, love and concern brought Patton. The pleading for life brought an idea.

‘Remus,’ choked and tearful, less filled with the venom it usually had and more filled with a kind of hopeless desire, ‘Remus, get out here.’

It wasn’t a plea that needed to be made twice. Once was enough to bring the usually sickly smiling side out with a sombre and emotionless gaze that lingered too long on the body for the brother’s liking. But he wasn’t about to leave his position. His post, his protective stance in the matter, lest Logan fade away or suddenly vanish; however stupid that may sound to another.

‘You’re good at this, aren’t you? You twisted little bastard. Make him a heart.’ It was a command. One none of them could refuse the call for.

With a nod, four steps and a single sweep into a crouch the tedious night began. A night that brought with it many retries, many close calls for violence between brothers, much blood lost, but finally a result came.

Pulsing in place, gently covered by the left lung and ribs, flesh restitching itself back together, they found what they so desired.

And so, they waited. Night turned to dawn, to day, to afternoon, to dusk, to night again. Whether it was out of love for the other or hatred for himself, the prince kept by the teacher’s side whilst the others worked around him. Cleaning, fixing, making it new and better. Logan would hate to wake up to a mess. Hate it.

Night became dawn again and still the vigil, a hollowed-out man, kept watch as breath was pushed and pulled from the newly repaired body. The hollow man, the tear stained prince, the ever-watchful protector of a cherished friend; no one dared to move him. No one dared to speak to him. He didn’t eat, speak, move. He barely moved his eyes from the sight before him, and yet they knew he could keep it up for as long as he cared to. They weren’t human, after all. They could survive on nothing and still thrive if their being wasn’t set in…logic.

It was a touchy and uncomfortable few days before the stirrings of a lighter sleep brought them cheer. How wonderful, how enticing, how enchanting to see some life, any life, stir from the sleeping side. No longer comatose, or not for long at least. And finally they were able to drag him away, teary and crying with an expression near ecstasy on his face, they were able to pull the last vestige of Roman from the body and get him back to where there was no death for him to be reminded of what had happened.

The subject would be one of discomfort for all of them, no side had ever come so close to vanishing form their lives before, figures the one so steeped in curious nature would be the first to try it out. How it happened, they didn’t know. Did they care? Absolutely not. Logan was on the verge of waking, of being alive once more, and they couldn’t think of the details of his close quarters encounter with whatever psychopomp that lured him to the edge right now.

Death had been a touchy subject before, taboo nearly, but now it would remain taboo for all of them forever. It wasn’t a word that conjured kind images anymore. No lifeless bodies looking serene in caskets ready to be buried six feet under. They’d be haunted by this death until they died themselves. As if that couldn’t happen soon enough now.

Sleeping would be just as bad. To know that he could very well have died in his sleep just after they’d figured out how to give him a heart back, well, sleep would always be a reminder of what could have been lost. Sleep for them seemed too still, too lifeless, too comatose for their liking. Sure, Logan hadn’t been sleeping when he die- had his close encounter. But the days following, where he could still be considered on the brink, where he still looked dead despite not having the hole and lack of a beating heart. Sleep was just too close to that. For all of them.

This wouldn’t be an issue they took lightly. And despite not having seen or heard from Remus or Deceit since they got Logan back online, they knew well and truly neither of them would dig too deep or go too far after this. Before this Remus took death too lightly in the case of friends and family, but it was uncertain how he would deal with those intrusive thoughts now, having seen and been in charge of bringing back someone so clearly dead to the world. Deceit was a different matter, not having shown up until a little after Remus. How he’d reacted was a mystery, leaving the second he saw the body. But they’d find out eventually, it would all come out eventually.

Logan woke up properly a day later, coming to while under Virgil’s care. It made the usually surly side light up for once, seeing the same set of gentle oak hues shine once more with life and awareness, in some aspect. Watching them close was no longer so heartbreaking, rather the peace that resumed was steadily making it up to the top of his list as one of his favourite things to see on the other sides. And with that he deemed it necessary to call on the others and tell them the good news, others including those who weren’t there along with those who helped out.

And that was how his gratitude towards Remus turned to despair at what news awaited the three still caring for Logan. Each allowing it to sink in as the weight it came with snagged their hearts and dragged them down to the depths of despair. How they were supposed to function was beyond them. Lacking one side they’d grown to adore and love in the way they had would be nearly enough to break each of them wide open.

The news, heartbreaking that is was, was brought to them by a regretful and mournful Deceit. Something they’d never seen and hoped to never see again. Remus, fearful and tired, kept quiet as Deceit explained their situation. As Remus was the one to create the heart, were he to forget it Logan would inevitably end up with the same fate as before. Therefore, Logan was tied to Remus in a way none of them had foreseen. Without around the clock reminding, Remus could forget, and Logan would die again, possibly to be resurrected again, but only if they could get to him in time as they had done this time. It was only, and Deceit had hesitated at that point, logical for Logan to come with them and remain in a place where Remus would always remember the act of creation he had approved.

Logan would move into Remus’ room, or he would die.

It was an idea that shocked them to the core. Froze their blood in place and chilled their bodies like frostbite. To have such a weight tied around his neck, to send Logan off without giving him a chance, it was something they had never wanted. He’d be cared for, yes, but he’d become a part of the little group that formed in rebellion of what they’d come together as. And he had no choice in the matter.

It was entirely unfair. Roman pleaded hopelessly against it, wishing he could take on Remus’ burden but knowing he couldn’t. Patton didn’t try to plead his case; he could barely talk let alone make an argument against their rock-solid logic. Virgil, well, grief will do things to a person and the five stages were not something meant to be passed through in the space of ten seconds, only for one to become stuck in place. The rage pouring off the surly side was enough to make those able to comprehend it back up, knowing he could go off at any second as Roman shed tears and Patton sat still and strangely emotionless on the couch. To gain him back only to lose him again, what cruel karma was this that had become their lives and pursued them to the point of madness.

When at last they parted ways, it was decided and over. Logan would know in due time, but they still had a few days until then. He needed strength, to stand up to the horrors that would await him.

They bid farewell in their own ways when he finally regained consciousness. After telling him of his death and their plight to bring him back they spent a few hours consoling him. Coddling what had become a shell so quickly they could barely blink between the phases. And yet they continued, they stayed. They’d seen it all in each other and couldn’t bring themselves to do much more than stay by his side as memories flashed through his eyes like a car speeding down a highway, images of the outside flashing through windows and leaving as quickly as they’d come.

It was all they could do. Sit and wait until he was in the right mindset to talk to them about it. Between themselves they’d taken to dubbing it as ‘The Incident’. A catchy name, for sure, but one that would forever haunt the insides of their eyelids.

And when at last he seemed to have brought himself to sense, to have realised he had a new lease on life, to know he was free from what bound him; then they told him of his new bonds, new shackles, new chains that would drag him away from them and to a world new and unfamiliar to him. A world that would take from him and ask for more eternally, a world that was like theirs but with no comfort, a world without them.

‘So, it would be as if I’d truly died, then?’

Those words made them choke. Spoken so casually with so little care for those around him and the trials he’d been through. Greif may have been a somewhat selfish process, but it was their process that had involved him. But they didn’t have the strength to yell or scream at him; because he was right. As he’d always been.

‘My condolences on your loss, I suppose.’

It was supposed to be humorous, but it only brought watery laughs that were too fake in all the right ways. How he was able to process this so well was beyond them, perhaps he’d seen what lay beyond the mortal realm, what he’d been forced to give up to come back. Maybe there was comfort there, but his eyes were haunted, ghostly. Whatever he’d seen had not been paradise.

‘What was there?’ came the question, courtesy of Patton, but it was something they all wished to know.

Wry was his smile when he answered, dark and gaunt, ‘nothing.’

With the waking came the chains. Not physical or literal, but they were chains, nonetheless. Remus and Deceit came to escort Logan not three days after he awoke, dubbing that a suitable amount of time for the three to bid their farewells to their fourth. They allowed a moment of tears and anguish, Logan trapped within the embrace of three sides as the heart he’d been given pulsed with life and grief. Today he’d lose something great and wonderful and gain something horrid and abominable.

They waved him off, each half chasing after him before being reigned in with the knowledge it was for his own good. A sacrifice of his life for which he was given life. A twist in their tale together that would render their friendship null and void. He’d never be able to leave, and they’d never be able to gain entry. Though perhaps Remus could be persuaded, if not by them than by Roman. Regardless of future plans to sneak into a world not their own, the trio waved off Logan and Logan was led into the darkness.

He closed his eyes against it, not wanting to let it in at first. But as it became apparent, he wouldn’t be able to move forward without his eyes being open, he decided to allow that to happen. It was his hope he could withstand what was thrown at him, what horrors awaited him within Remus’ room.

As they continued on their walk, both sides used to the walk ahead of the one not used to it, the one not used to it noticed something peculiar. A large blot of white light that only grew as they advanced, a doorway of some sort or cave entrance that called them forward. And, stupid as he was, he stepped through it after his guides.

And he blinked back against the harsh light that blinded him. The sun was warm and bright, the world around him the same. So bright was it that he began to think they’d walked into Roman’s room by mistake, that the gentle breezes and sunshine soft and warm, was the work of the creativity he knew and not the one he’d followed. And yet his guides seemed comfortable here, turning to him as if expecting something of him.

He merely blinked back at them, hoping they would say something before he made both fool and ass of himself.

‘Do you like it?’ came the first of many questions to come, a gentle one offered by Remus. And unsure of how to respond, Logan nodded. Not quite following what they meant.

‘He spent hours in here making it right for you. This will be your lobby as a sort, but a more picturesque room awaits you yonder,’ murmured the mellowed tones of Deceit, far from what he was used to but a side to the half-faced side he would not forget seeing.

As promised to him he found his room. From a door carved into a tree he emerged into a field of flowers and mirror glazed ponds. Each echoing a similar sentiment of beauty and belonging. This room, so far reserved from Remus’ usual creations, must have taken many hours to be crafted by himself. Perhaps help was offered and taken from Deceit, but by the sound of it the room was made for him by Remus alone. A great effort if the multicoloured flowers and even temperance of the sun was to be taken into account.

‘For you. If you must stay close and here, I would have it no other way,’ came gently spoken words. Words that echoed and radiated with a calm that was unheard of and nary seen from such a mass producer of madness as Remus, ‘a new start, for a new side.’

It certainly felt like it. A brand-new room decorated like a perfect world where nothing could harm or cause him pain. This world was his own to explore and take note of, and it would take a while to do so. But his heart yearned for the others, and he voiced as such with a simple longing look to the ground. They could not visit this place. This was his and his alone and as such no one could enter; truly, he’d left Remus and Deceit at the door.

But this was still within Remus’ room. He was to be a permanent guest. No longer given the freedoms he once had and secluded to a room he could exit from but never truly leave. A home as beautiful as it was lonely.

‘I know they cannot come here, but Roman can come to my room and as such you could see him in the lobby. That is, if you so wish it.’

Who had spoken such words of wonder was beyond Logan, all that mattered was the words and the meaning they held. To be able to see just one of them again would be heaven, to know he was not so truly alone as to be secluded for eternity before death. Tension would be long gone between them. Lifetimes apart, to be sure. And if they fought it would be hard to break what had been set in place by the departure of his life from the mortal realm.

Roman may not have been his first choice, but he was still a friend, still someone he cared for and loved. It was something he could agree to wholeheartedly.

‘Please,’ a whispered plea that didn’t fall on deaf ears. It would be their pleasure to do what he asked of them, after all they’d just barely brought him back to life. Remus was the djinn in his pocket now, whatever he asked for, Remus would provide without hesitation.

The first meeting went about as well as one would expect. With a shout from royalty and a cry of joy from a usually composed scholar. Their reunion brought tears to their eyes along with a great deal of smiling. They didn’t fight or argue and kept everything happy and civil. This was where Logan could connect to the world outside his room, and the only place Roman could get just and wise advice. Their meeting ended with tears and the promise that Roman would return every week with as best a report as he could give, offering a single hug before vanishing from the room and leaving Logan alone once more.

The second of their meetings was less civil. With work piling up and no way for Logan to help them, the group had become rather swamped, but with a little planning done during their meeting, Roman returned both saddened and with a schedule that was sure to work all of their needs into it. It only made them yearn to see him greater.

Third. The supposed unlucky encounter was just that. The schedule was being overwritten for their needs and wants, and they’d not a judge to fairly decide who would get what time. Roman complained their entire meeting, and later recalled that Logan listened with a tender smile and saddened eyes. Any contact with them would be good contact for him, and Roman supposed Logan had begun to miss their antics and arguing by now.

So, their fourth visit together he brought a present. A recording of them rehearsing the new video and them working in bits they hoped would make him happy. They did. Roman spent much of their time together holding the resurrected side with one arm, holding him close as he wept tears of joy and sadness into the white coat.

The meetings continued on in a similar fashion and pattern. Every few days Roman would enter Remus’ room with permission and meet up with Logan to go over what he could of what went on outside the room before leaving with a hug and a promise to return. Every time the prince returned to his room near tears, frustrated and in emotional turmoil over the fact he couldn’t help Logan more than he was. He admitted that the visits were good for them both, but the tension between himself and the other sides only seemed to grow the closer he became with Logan.

The more he vanished off to speak with the logical side, the more they grew jealous of this opportunity he’d been given. The wedge driven between them had left a small mark at first, but that was growing rapidly with no hope of getting smaller. He needed Logan to be there with him, needed Patton and Virgil to come to Remus’ room with him. Being the messenger was only good for so long before war broke out between them and with no logic in sight they’d tear each other apart at the seams.

With a heavy heart he concluded it was Logan or Patton and Virgil. So, in his hour of need, he came to the one he knew would be impartial. And Logan chose for Roman to remain with the other sides. It would be torture not seeing one another, but it was better than knowing they were the cause of the imminent collapse of Thomas psyche.

Patton and Virgil found him, teary and unresponsive to them on the couch and watching a movie they’d all decided never to watch ever again. It took no less than turning off the player and shaking Roman a good seven times for him to finally show signs of noticing their appearance in his personal space. It took much less for him to spill the beans and tell them what had brought him to such a low. And it took them all of five seconds to realise there was no winning. They wanted to see Logan, Roman could at will. They grew jealous easily, Roman felt the burden of this upon him and thus passed it to Logan. If they agree to let him see Logan again the cycle would return and continue. And then Roman told them of a meeting that sparked their interest.

A few days later Roman came to them with a soft smile and a recording on his phone. The message played on a loop for them, a familiar face echoing back sentiments of sadness and love before Roman’s shaky camerawork came to the forefront and became an opportunity to see something all rarely saw; a laugh. Unfiltered, unedited, unchanged. A loud, proud, joyful laugh with nothing in the way. A sign out and then repeat.

That became their way of communication; recorded video. In a way it was a long-distance relationship, but instead of a computer or phone, they had Roman and a phone. The messages were saved to a hard drive, there was no way either party was letting go of those memories.

With Roman as courier they knew they were getting the truth, neither Remus nor Deceit saw to stop them and in each they began to notice he gradual changes. The more emotive side of an unemotional robot. The darker mourning side of a happy-go-lucky sunflower. The loving side of someone who swore off breaking down his barriers. And a gentle and soft side to the brash and loud prince. It was a new time, a new life for them. As if on that day they’d died with Logan and been resurrected with him. This was their chance at a new life, and they took it.

Time rolled on, each day passing like the last until something came to them; a spark unlike anything they’d encountered in their little world. A spark that burned a passionate red and understanding blue. And how could they not agree to it when confessions were sprouted, and once broken bridges were mended. They could see one another; they had fallen for one another. And it was good. It was approved, adored, accepted. And slowly they drifted away, two sides unable to see the last of their group as he moved, slowly but surely, pulled towards the one he loved. How could they stand against that? Who could stand against that?

When at last their third was no longer with them it was as if he’d become a distant memory, foggy and unrecognisable. What he’d once been and what he now was, were two things so different it was hard to imagine they’d been the same person at all. But they were and they were attached to another.

In their minds they questioned it, but they knew the answer to their question. Can a heart still love, even if it’s stopped beating? Yes, it can.