#just need to add someone on their bike in the snow | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

pbandjesse · 11 months ago

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We bought a house!!! We did it! I'm still a bit in shock but I finally, finally, am able to feel excited and I honestly could cry and I just want to keep telling people. I told so many strangers today. I was, and am, so excited.

Today was so nerve wracking though. I slept but not amazingly. I was cold and lost my bear in the bed and was just unsettled. Dreams and such. When my alarm went off at 7 I was okay. And ready to go.

I got dressed and my lip was very scabby but is doing better. It would split a few times today and get blood down my face. But the wound is smaller. Progress. Healing.

While I was brushing my teeth I got a text from Alexi that the power was on at camp and if we had all wheel drive we should be good to get to camp. We all have SUVs so we would all be good even with a little bit of sliding.

I was so nervous that my stomach hurt. But I held it together and did my makeup despite how stinking cold it was in the studio. I did not want to be in there for long. And was ready to go pretty fast.

James took a few extra minutes and so I went to warm up the car and would get a goodbye kiss which was very sweet. It was crazy cold and icy today. I was worried about them biking but they are so strong. And would let me know when they got to work.

My drive was fine. Not much traffic. Everything was beautiful. But Jesus was it cold. It was 8 degrees! Reminds me of Minnesota. But because there wasn't really any wind it was just. Crisp and beautiful.

I went inside and tried to find some stuff to do. I was a bit to nervous about the house to eat my breakfast. I had a donut and was just going off vibes and nerves.

I decided I would print everything for the meeting tomorrow. My computer wouldn't connect to the printer and it took me a while to get that to work properly. But that would take a good amount of time. I would work on my drawing for the day. And just mentally prepared myself for the day.

Around 9 some workers came to install a new generator in the building. They were very nice and were glad someone was there to let them in.

I set an alarm for when I would need to leave. 1050. My stomach was in knots. I sort of wanted to go for a walk but I was to anxious and it was to cold. So I just worked on my drawings and eventually Heather was there.

I was happy to see her. She was so excited about the house and gave me a big hug and that made me feel so much better. I told her how we read the paperwork last night and how hopefully it would make everything go smoothly.

Besides being surprised supportive, she also told me that the ice at her house was so bad her SUV still slid around! Scary! And we're getting more snow on Friday. It's crazy. But we are continuing to be excited about the snow despite the annoyances. She pointed out that some of our campers have probably never seen snow. And that was just so beautiful to think about. This is their first one!

Eventually everyone else would come in. Alexi had to jump right into meetings. Poor Elizabeth hurt her neck like I did and couldn't turn her head. I helped set up her electric heating pad so hopefully that helps her. Sarah would send me some notes so I can add those into my documents for tomorrow. I was filled with nervous energy and was glad Heather gave me an email to answer to at least distract me a little bit.

But then, all of a sudden, it was time to go!! Ahh!! I said goodbye to everyone and promised to tell them how it went.

I penguin walked to the car. And let it warm up for a minute. And then I was off. 35 minutes to the new house. Honestly it wasn't much different then the current commute. I want to explore the other way the the gps suggested that was apparently the same amount of time but it was not a bad drive. And right before 1130 I pulled up.

James was already outside. We were both cold and excited. We had to wait a few minutes for Harold to come but it wasn't bad. I was just enjoying talking through things with James and being excited.

While we waited we took all the mail out of the little box. It was wet and half frozen. We found some actual mail we will send back, and we could a key? No idea what the key could be for because it didn't fit in anything. But we passed those back to Harold when he arrived.

I was excited to run around the house. James went to the basement immediately and there was no puddle. Excellent. I was slightly worried about the pipes with the cold but the house was warm and things seemed just fine.

This was the first time we have really been in the house when the sun was out and bright. The front room was nice and bright. The front and back bedroom as well. The living room space and kitchen were pretty dim, as was the small bedroom, and the bathroom and stairs were dark dark. But this is all stuff we are going to be figuring out. Things we might want to change like adding mirrors or eventually putting in one of those tube skylights.

I was surprised we get to keep the sheer curtains in the front room. We will replace the bars for sure. The rods are way way to low. But it was a nice surprise.

We went through the whole house. But once we were done it was time to head to Harold's office to finalize the paperwork.

When we got outside I saw a screw on the ground in front of our car and I was like oh dang that would ruin my day. And when I went to pick it up there were like 10 nails on the ground too!! Guys! Get it together! I picked up everything but man. I'm going to have to get a magnet and walk around the block.

Signing the paperwork was crazy easy because we had already gone over everything but we had to sign so many things. The other man that was there was from the mortgage company and he was very nice. And it was just fun. Like I felt secure and like I knew what was up and that felt really good. Harold said we did such a good job and we had good decisions and it was just great. And then we got the keys! I made everyone high five and it was just so light and full of laughter and I was just so happy.

So I decided I would share my drawing of the day. Our little house. And they were both so excited about it that I also showed them the sketches I made from each room and they were like wait this is so cool you made these??? And it was very validating and made feel really good.

And then. We were done! The house is ours! Ahh!!

After we said goodbye James said they would see me at home and I was like the new one or the old one?? Just to tease. And then I went and sat in the car and called my parents to tell them and we were all so excited and it just felt great. I can't wait to have them over and show them.

I didn't really know what to do with myself. It wasnt even 1. I thought maybe I would go look at home goods at target and think about price ranges. And I'm glad I did that. It gave me some context for what I would buy today. Nothing at target but I was proud of myself for the planning and the research.

I decided the best plan would be to go to second chance. It's to expensive but it's very fun. And I'm glad I did that! I ended up finding a ton of birthday beanies! I was literally just saying I hadn't found one in forever. And of course I couldn't remember which of the birthday hat ones I was missing but I think I got the correct ones. I may actually go back if I figure out who I'm missing. But really I just had a lot of fun digging through the boxes. I sadly did not find a cheezer.

I had a great time looking around but I did not find anything affordable I thought I could fit in the Subaru. I think we are going to have to rent a truck eventually but for now I just had fun looking around and seeing all the beautiful pieces.

I was in a great mood though and basically vibrating with excitement. Like I have not really let me be excited this whole process and now I can be excited. So I was just going full steam.

I drove to a restore next. Where I had some lovely conversations with people. I couldn't help telling people I just bought a house a few hours ago. Like how often do you get to share that. And I did have a great find!

I ended up getting a new rug and a piece of AstroTurf. Like nice fake grass. It's not as big as we might need but it's a start and for the price it couldn't be better. And I am just so excited.

After I paid I talked to a guy in the parking lot because he had an idea about hanging the AstroTurf to make a garden wall backdrop. And I told him about the house and how I was just jumping from store to store. And he thought that was very funny.

Before I headed to my next restore I realized I was starving. I went to Wawa and got a hoagie. And saw a Home Depot and thought it would be nice to go and look at paint chips. But that would be for later. I ate half of my sandwich and then continued my drive.

The second restore I got sad because I found a wardrobe I loved so much but there was no way I could get it home. Unless I rented a truck and I just didn't feel like that made sense for one piece. I talked to the worker and she was really sweet and gave me someone's number who could possibly deliver it. But I just didn't feel like it was the right moment.

So to not feel so sad I went to the home Depot to look at paint. And I think I have a some good ideas. I am hoping to get good prices and possibly utilizing restore because they have paint. But we will see what happens. Paint is surprisingly expensive! I might just go a little at a time. Like I would like to do the bathroom first so maybe I'll just pick up one gallon to start.

After wandering around for a bit I decided it was time to go. I will come back to get a real supplies I will need but for now I was just figuring out a baseline. I am really excited but I don't want to act to crazy.

I decided to go to the new house to drop off the rug and the grass. This felt so weird! It wasn't bad drive but it did feel very different. I had to go around the inner harbor instead of taking MLK. I shouldn't be surprised but I was for some reason. And then I was at our house. Alone. For the first time.

I brought the rugs in and my backpack with my ice skates. I put that in the basement. I decided the black rug should go in our bedroom. And the grass I laid out in the living room. I walked around a little. Thought about the outlets I have bought to replace. I don't think I got enough actually but I'll start replacing them soon and have a better idea of how many more I might need.

It was time to go home though. I got back here right before James got home. They were all red and frozen when they got back. But thankfully the apartment is warmer and more comfortable to be in.

I got in bed to work on a few things. And James has a call. But once they finished that they went to load a bunch of the stuff we have packed in the car. Because James is doing the first run tomorrow! I cannot believe it I'm so excited. And once they bring those boxes back I'll pack some more.

James had DND tonight. And I have just been chilling. Basking a bit. I bought a bunch of stuff for the bathroom, a medicine cabinet, storage, a shower curtain and liner. I also got some cat stuff. I spent a good amount but I am trying to get the best deals. I am doing my very best to be smart about the money we have earmarked for moving and for bettering the house.

I had some pizza for dinner. And I have been hanging out in the couch for a while. But now I think I will go and take a shower.

Tomorrow we have the consultant coming in. And me and James will do some moving. And I'm just feeling great. I hope that this good feeling just keeps going. I love you all. Until next time!!

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booksandchainmail · 2 years ago

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Pale 8.3

I like the furry animal-influenced drawings of the girls in this extra materials. Also makes me more confident in gold as a theme color for Avery (like purple for Verona or red for Lucy). And it's neat that hers have her wind shoes

THE WOOHOO

Avery sighed. Her breath fogged. The snow came down in quarter-sized dollops, wet and ice cold, each bit hitting her like a sharp jab with a finger or pen.

I can't tell if there's something supernatural going on, or if this is just what Canada's like, even in summer

Felt good, being trusted. And when so much of this place felt bad, it was like a much-needed light in a very dark place.

I think Avery has needed to feel competent and trustworthy for a while. Must also be nice that it's coming from older teens she looks up to.

Jessica had described the ruins as being like a cube. The side they were closest to and most familiar with was at the edge of two sides, wet and dark. Close to depression and apprehension. The things that lived here in this cold were well past depression and into grief and despair.

Okay, so I'm picturing this as having six sides, each a different vibe, and the familiar area of the Ruins is wet/dark, and now they're around a vertex that adds in a third side of cold. And each has it's associated emotion. I'm wondering what the other three are? I'm thinking opposites, so dry/light/hot. Those seem less intrinsically wearing down than the three we've seen, but I'm sure that a bleached bone-dry desert would suck in it's own way. Alternatively, if the other sides aren't opposing, I'm betting one is windy.

Then the waifs started appearing. They rose up out of the snow around her. A girl in a bunny hat, a boy with a bike helmet, and a girl with a leather jacket covered in zippers.

I wonder if we'll ever see Gabe or Reagan in there

There. She had a time-delayed smoke thing, for cover so she could use the black rope. Little ‘h’ with a curl on the one leg and a cross at the top.

I can't remember what planet that symbolizes, but from the time aspect I'm guessing Saturn

Gabe. Shirtless, vomit streaked across his lower face, mouth ajar, with a mushroom cut. Ten or so, skinny.

welp. That's got to be disturbing

“I liked what you said, before we did Jessica’s ritual. We chatted for a minute or so, we talked about wanting things to be better, to share, to support. More like friends are supposed to do.”

this is why Avery should be taking point this arc, if they're trying to build connections. I think the Kennet Trio have thoroughly made an impression of strength, what they need now is that genuine desire for connection.

“My best guess is this is Hunt,” Jessica said.

what is this, the Magnus Archives?

Okay, so bullet for hunt and lens for inquisition. And both are broken and wrapped in cord. The third one is a ring with a heart-shaped hole and twisted ends, goes along well with the other two. Love or romance is the obvious association, but I don't get how that fits into a triangle. Maybe binding of some sort? Thinking of a bleak twist on a wedding ring. And it would work as find -> follow -> catch with the other two.

“The Tedds? America and Liberty aren’t that strong, and their reasons are a bit shallow and stupid, but they absolutely would gun for you.”

aww, I was hoping working together/helping America get out/Toadswallow connection would make them allies

“They hear us. Do you hear me? We’ve found you. You can stop looking now, boy and girls. Life is a long and empty search…”

diversity win! The incarnation of the Hunt stalking you through the Ruins isn't transphobic

Bangles like the ring encircled the arms and rings were at the finger, and they looked heavy enough that they kept the arms from swinging as the lesser incarnation walked.

maybe rings as representing chains/shackles? Weighing someone down

“Good thing about it being Hunt is it’s about the pursuit, not actually catching,” Jessica said. “Same for Yearning.”

oh, that's the thematic link. Makes sense with what we've seen, not quite what I was guessing but that's why we have an expert

She expected a firm grab, those rings digging into her arm. Instead, a soft touch on the cheek. Avery stopped running, eyes locked to the figure, looking past the hair to eyes that had stars in them. Yearning smiled, hand resting against the side of Avery’s face.

... I think Avery in particular might be vulnerable to Yearning

Zed remained where he was, The arrow stuck through the sleeve of his leather jacket and attached him to the tree.

not the leather jacket! It's so hard to find a good one, and I'd say it's vital to Zed's aesthetic

“I see the world the Hungry Choir brought me into,” Brie said.

oh that must suck. Every time you need to look closely, see something magical, you see the world reflected through the worst nights of your life.

“Oh. Sorry.” Avery felt her face flush. Zed was mad and Jessica was offended, and Brie had her own stuff to deal with. She shouldn’t have come.

need to do some work on Avery's self-esteem. It can't be helping that her close friends are better friends with each other, and that her other social interactions are with teenagers who are significantly older

“When she kissed me. She was my friend and then she kissed me, and asked me to think on it before saying anything. So I did. And now we’re together.”

possibly the least helpful queer awakening story for Avery to get guidance from

“I’m trying to improve myself, and become someone better, that attracts cool people, but that feels shaky when we’re currently struggling with half the school hating us.”

I get the teenage (and beyond) fixation with coolness, and I get Avery wanting to improve, and a lot of the areas she's focused on seem worthwhile (confidence, assertiveness). But I think she's underestimating how well being genuine and earnest and kind and gallant will get her. Also, for romance specifically, how far being athletic will get her.

“Yeah. You could always ask those other students outright, if they want to make a connection. It’s awkward if you’re leaving, but things can be established long-distance.” “Kind of,” Avery admitted. “That’s more Lucy than me, though.” “Is it?” Brie asked, sounding surprised.

Connections are your whole thing! Take point on this one! Avery has been really good at dealing with people and convincing them to be friendly, or at least not enemies.

And I think her own lack of confidence is sabotaging the group in a way, because it means she doesn't put herself forward for things she would be good at (aside from movement), and lets the other two not notice what she's done

Though I get that the Kennet Trio are currently approaching this as a question of alliances and negotiation, which Lucy often handles, rather than friendship which is more Avery's thing. I just think that approach is a mistake.

“Fernanda?” Brie asked, interrupting.

If she's blaming the Kennet Trio for Laila's death, that could get very ugly. Best case scenario is she likes them for avenging her, but somehow I don't think that's hat's going on.

“And they gently made sure we were already aware you were gay before broaching the topic of your crush on-” “Fernanda?” Avery interrupted. “Crush? No.”

...or that. Well. I still stand by what I said

“Verona. Verona talked to you.”

dammit Verona

#booksandchainmail reads pale #pale #wildbow

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utvlift · 2 months ago

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Voyager Pro GPS: The Ultimate Tool for Off-Road Navigation

If you're an off-road enthusiast, having a reliable GPS system is essential to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. One device that has been making waves in the dirt biking, ATV, and off-road communities is the Voyager Pro GPS. Built specifically for rugged outdoor adventures, the Voyager Pro GPS is packed with features that make it indispensable for anyone looking to venture into the unknown. This blog will dive deep into the Voyager Pro GPS and why it’s quickly becoming the go-to navigation system for off-road adventurers.

The Voyager Pro GPS is more than just a basic GPS device; it's designed with the off-roader in mind. Trail Tech, the company behind this device, focused on creating a rugged, versatile, and user-friendly GPS that offers reliable navigation even in the most challenging conditions. So, why exactly is the Voyager Pro GPS becoming a staple for off-road enthusiasts?

Real-Time Buddy Tracking One of the standout features of the Voyager Pro GPS is real-time buddy tracking. If you're out with friends, each rider equipped with a Voyager Pro GPS can see each other's location on the map. This feature is essential for group rides, allowing everyone to stick together and track the group's location. Even if someone falls behind or takes an alternate path, you'll be able to see their exact position, reducing the chances of anyone getting lost.

High-Resolution Touchscreen Display The Voyager Pro GPS comes with a 4-inch, high-resolution touchscreen designed to be easily viewable even in bright sunlight. The display is also glove-friendly, so you won’t have to remove your gloves each time you need to interact with the device. The clear and intuitive display shows critical information, including speed, distance, elevation, and engine diagnostics, so you’re always informed about your surroundings and your vehicle's performance.

Durability and Weather Resistance Built to withstand harsh outdoor conditions, the Voyager Pro GPS is rugged and water-resistant, meaning it can handle rain, mud, dust, and even snow. Its construction is specifically tailored to the needs of dirt bike and ATV riders who might encounter challenging environments. You can trust the Voyager Pro GPS to keep working no matter the weather conditions, making it a reliable companion for all your off-road adventures.

Mapping and Navigation Capabilities The Voyager Pro GPS allows you to import, export, and share GPX files. With access to detailed topo and satellite maps, you can navigate trails confidently, even in areas with no cellular coverage. The device can track your ride, record waypoints, and help you discover new routes, making it perfect for exploring uncharted territories. Maps are also stored locally, so you won’t have to worry about losing directions in remote locations.

Engine Performance Monitoring One of the unique features of the Voyager Pro GPS is its engine monitoring capabilities. When connected to compatible sensors, it can display key performance metrics such as RPM, temperature, and voltage, giving you real-time feedback on your vehicle’s condition. This feature is especially beneficial for dirt bike riders who push their bikes to the limit, as it helps prevent overheating and mechanical failures.

Music and Communication Integration The Voyager Pro GPS includes Bluetooth functionality, allowing you to pair it with your phone or headset to listen to music or communicate with others. This connectivity adds convenience, as you can control your music or communicate with friends while keeping your focus on the trail. Plus, the Voyager Pro GPS automatically mutes your music when you receive calls, ensuring you’re not distracted.

How Does the Voyager Pro GPS Stand Out? Compared to other GPS devices on the market, the Voyager Pro GPS stands out because it is purpose-built for off-road use. Many GPS units are designed for city navigation or general use, but the Voyager Pro is tailored to meet the unique needs of off-road adventurers. Its tough construction, dedicated off-road features, and specialized navigation capabilities make it a better choice than a traditional GPS for anyone serious about off-roading.

The Voyager Pro GPS also differentiates itself by offering a range of unique features like buddy tracking and engine performance monitoring that are rarely found in similar devices. Trail Tech has clearly prioritized off-road safety and usability, creating a GPS that anticipates the needs of riders in unpredictable and rugged environments.

User Experience and Ease of Use While the Voyager Pro GPS is packed with features, it’s also designed with ease of use in mind. Setup is straightforward, and the intuitive interface means you’ll be able to navigate through the menu options quickly. The responsive touchscreen and organized layout help you access information fast, which is particularly valuable when you’re on the move.

In addition to being user-friendly, Trail Tech offers regular updates, so the device continually improves based on user feedback. This commitment to improvement and customer satisfaction is another reason why the Voyager Pro GPS has built a loyal following.

Is the Voyager Pro GPS Worth It? If you're looking for a reliable, rugged, and feature-rich GPS system, the Voyager Pro GPS is absolutely worth considering. Its buddy tracking, engine monitoring, and robust design make it perfect for dirt bike and ATV enthusiasts who need a dependable device for outdoor navigation. While it may be pricier than general-purpose GPS units, the features tailored for off-road use make it a worthwhile investment.

Conclusion The Voyager Pro GPS isn’t just a GPS device; it’s an essential tool for off-road enthusiasts who value safety, reliability, and advanced functionality. With features like buddy tracking, a high-resolution touchscreen, and engine performance monitoring, it offers much more than basic navigation. If you’re ready to elevate your off-roading experience, consider investing in the Voyager Pro GPS – it could make all the difference on your next adventure.

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miserirphmoved · 2 years ago

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𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐓. 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐘: 𝐆𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐖𝐎

Watch the full video here! Feel free to change pronouns as needed, please do not add to the list! xo

“you wanna do an intro or...?”

“y-yeah.... hi i’m [name]”

“... me too”

“you remember this one right?”

“i forgot to take my medication”

“this video would have ended in chaos”

��cod liver? is it?”

“so far my guess is 0 and 1. you’re gonna choke... 0 and 2.”

“tell me that’s not a person”

“okay so it’s a person”

“okay that makes more sense, it’s russian.”

“you know the spetsnaz you know those crazy, back flipping, knife throwing guys? it would make sense they’d have something like this for broken leg warriors.”

“i can’t stress enough...”

“you’re on your own buddy”

“you have horrible pneumothorax, your lung’s gonna collapse at any second just do me a favour and point this horse in the right direction”

“and to make him run faster you say: ‘oh god it hurts’”

“my ego is sky high from the last one by the way”

“i forsee me getting maybe two or three wrong”

“obviously something comes out of the woods”

“okay something i’ve learned is if it’s a dashcam, it’s russia”

“and we’re in russia, there’s no way to know what’s gonna happen”

“and on the back of the elk is a gurney carrying santa clause”

“that was really impressive”

“thank you i’ve never even been to russia”

“i’m too confident it’s a pileup”

“what i hate about this is the bikers do nothing but just get up and get back on their bikes like nothing happened, like they didn’t just get folded like lawn chairs”

“i’m racing to get in fifteenth place...”

“okay now we know what he’s going for”

“well are you not looking at what i’m looking at?”

“she doesn’t get him butter”

“alright... big gorilla...”

“i’m gonna say he charges the camera”

“right isn’t that horrifying? you ever thought about that?”

“off the top rope!”

“you got me? trust fall”

“i know exactly what happens”

“oh man we got you, you’d never guess your good friends would”

“trust issues, brought to you by”

“okay all we know is it’s january... or it’s a completely different sentence, i didn’t understand a word”

“two rights for a left”

“i have no exposition, i can’t make a solid guess.”

“this is how you walk down the stairs in your dreams”

“it’s gonna just explode...”

“have you ever seen those videos with the guys with speakers in their cars and they play a song and it blows out the windows or their cars with them in it?”

“yes... of course”

“well i own an atomic bomb and just turn it on a little bit”

“how is your home life?”

“he went to best buy and they said ‘what kind of speakers are you looking for’ and he just said ‘yes’”

“the song is indiscernible at that point”

“hey remember this movie? that was fun”

“he’s gonna get floured, tarred, everything but the kitchen sink... and then the kitchen”

“yesterday i caught a butterfly... i still have it”

“he’s/she’s so stoked!”

“he did get to see his snow...”

“you’re saying it like he died!”

“it’s poetic justice that snow is what took him out too”

“when you catch the first snow of winter, and then the first snow of winter catches you.”

“i’m gonna say they’re gonna do exactly what they’re gonna do...”

“just death?”

“i hope...”

“you can’t.... you can’t ask for better content!”

“let me preface this with... content wise”

“cha-ching baby!”

“every time i pause there’s more dogs...”

“see we’re just not thinking deep enough”

“i think it’s gonna be something great”

“someone’s gonna try to flip it and it’s gonna go all over the oven...”

“wait why am i? i’m not taking into account anything that just happened in the video just now...”

“i look insane right now!”

“i’m gonna guess spiderman...”

“spiderman’s gonna do it...”

“i’ve got nothing...”

“absolutely zero my guy”

“i was right there next to you, if anything... i was walking next to you”

“this just goes to show that humans are not... good”

“end there... say less”

“see you’re good at context clues”

“i’m a child and i wanted a nerf gun so i said nerf gun”

“this guy’s gonna honk at him and he’s gonna eat if forward”

“why is he/she looking at them like they’re the weird ones?”

“i’m in a parallel universe where people don’t stand in roads”

“i can’t tell you what’s going to happen because i don’t know what that is”

“it’s a bridge troll...”

“if the hunchback of notre dame doesn’t stand up? i’ve got nothing”

“it’s a monkey!”

“did you find my knife collection?”

#series: brandon farris ft. cameron domasky #quote prompt #sentence starter prompts #rp prompts #roleplay prompts #roleplay memes #roleplay meme #rp memes #rp meme #sentence starter meme #sentence starters #mine

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simkhira · 5 years ago

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I Have 300+ Gameplay Mods?! & Yes, They All Work Together...

Yes, you read that correctly. I have over 300 gameplay mods / overrides in my game. 340 to be exact. & Yes, they all work just fine together. By that I mean hardly any last exceptions / errors. So if you are looking for ways to spice up your game - here you go, sis:

⭐ = my ultimate faves

PLEASE SEE ALL 300+ LINKS ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE! desktop tumblr won’t let us be great.

BIG DISCLAIMER: Use these mods at your own risk! Just because all 300+ of these mods work for me, does not mean they will work for you. ALSO - when patch day comes, do not refer to this list for the most up-to-date versions of mods… I will only be updating this list when I feel like I need to.

O K A Y

let’s start with... the basics:

MC Command Center ⭐

UI Cheats Extension ⭐

More Columns in CAS ⭐

No Mosaic ⭐

CAS Background

CAS Blob Remover

CAS Immersive Lighting

CAS Tidy Accessories + Details

New Loading Screens

Cube Map Remover ⭐

Into the Light (Lighting Mod)

Out of the Dark (Lighting Mod)

Twinkle Toes (Lighting Mod)

No Fade on Sims and Objects

Build/Buy Camera (Tab Mode) ⭐

Lot Trait Effects Hider

Smaller Plumbob ⭐

& then you need... realistic socialization:

Chat Pack ⭐

Whim Overhaul ⭐

Meaningful Stories ⭐

Personality Please

Better Elders

More Face to Face Conversation

Call Over Sims (Higher Distance)

Call Anytime + Chat Longer on the Phone

Unlisted Phone Numbers ⭐

Low Fun is Boring

Family Matters (Share Big News with Family Members)

Share More News ⭐

Congratulate More

Ask What Happened More

Conversation Tweaks

Chat Standing Still

No Stand Up to Greet

No Rude Intro Animation

No Flirty Animation

Apology Fix (Don’t Apologize if Your’re the Victim)

Angry Walk-style Only When VERY Angry

Less Intrusive Conversations

NPC’s Get Out of My Convo

Autonomous Parenthood Social Interactions

Autonomous Social Interactions

Reduced Idle Chatting

Know Your Coworkers / Classmates ⭐

More Away Actions

More Social Activities

Spend Weekend With

Teach Me the Rumbaism

now let’s talk about... realistic romance:

Chemistry System ⭐

Pillow Talk After Woohoo ⭐

No Shy First Kiss

No Woohoo Dance

Shower Woohoo Tweaks

No Romance for Family

Restricted Romance Interactions

Less Jealousy

Simda Dating App

Can I Come Over?

Date Night Event

Movie Night Event

Set Family Relationships ⭐

Set Extended Family Relationships ⭐

Bathroom Privacy Tweak

Bridal Shower Event

Bachelor(ette) Party Event

Auto Engagement / Wedding Ring ⭐

Vacation Weddings

Sit at Weddings

Better Wedding Presents ⭐

Honeymoon Event

Buy More Gifts from Phone

Ask for Romantic Massage

Realistic Divorce ⭐

Traumatic Divorce for Children

Improved Relationships

No Restaurant Bill When Invited ⭐

Faster Cooking at Restaurants ⭐

Better Food Quality at Restaurants

Finish Eating in Restaurants

Restaurant Guests Overhaul

Restaurant Sit Tweak

(can y’all tell that restaurants annoy me? lmao)

first comes love, then comes... pregnancy / toddler / kids / fur babies:

Ages Behavior Tweaks

Toddlers Spawn at Parks (with Parents)

More Children at Beaches

Pregnancy Overhaul

Rub Your Baby Bump (Small Pregnancy Overhaul)

Determine Baby’s Gender for All ⭐

Ultrasound Scans ⭐

Baby Shower Event

Amazing Birth (Rave About Your Delivery)

Advanced Birth Certificate ⭐

Sibling Care Tweaks

Make Less / Clean Less Mess

Auto Brush Teeth After Puking

Auto Put Activity Crafts into Inventory

Allow Toddlers to go to Services

No Call Out of High Chair

Toddler Power Nap

Better Toddler Milk

Better + Younger Nanny

Call a Babysitter ⭐

Call a Dog Walker

Shorter Dog Walks

Dog Walkers in Other Worlds

Scold All Pets

Sell Grown Up Pets

Pet Food Serving Overhaul

More Efficient Pet Brushing

Kids Can Walk Dogs

Kids Can Order Espresso

Kids Can Ride Bikes

Kids Have More Phone Interactions

Kids Can Cook

Kids Can Do Retail

Kids Can Garden

Kids Can Make Flower Arrangements

Kids Can Make Robots

Kids Can Workout

Kids Can Do Spa Activities

Kids Can Play Guitars

Kids Can Play Ping Pong

Birthday Anytime

Let Friends Age Up ⭐

No Auto Put Away Toys

No Auto Put Away Pet Toys

No Puddles Under Tubs (Toddler Bath)

Has to Pee Walk-style for Kids Only

Better Homework ⭐

Better Grade School ⭐

Better High School ⭐

Preschool for Toddlers ⭐

School Projects are Fun

More School Holidays

25 School Vacation Days

Prom Night Event ⭐

Sleepover Event

Pizza Party Event

Field Trip Event

Family Reunion Event

Pool Party Event

speaking of school... university:

Less Credits for Degree ⭐

University Costs More ⭐

University Holidays Fixed

Higher Scholarships ⭐

Rejection Letter

Harder Distinguished Degree Acceptance ⭐

Degree Required for Promotions

Faster Run to University Class

Teens Jump to University

Choose Your Helmet

Choose Your Roommates ⭐

Roommate Age-Checks

Roommate Significant Other Fix

Roommates No Random Outfit Changing

Roommates No Random Item Spawning in Dorms

Roommates No Spawning Meals

Roommates No Trash

Roommates Sleep All Night

Roommates Less Music

College Org Members Are Uni Students

Faster University Homework ⭐

Faster Tutoring Class

Copy Graduation Photos and Diploma

No Bad Microwave Buffs

No Ghosts on Campus

Sports Fixes

Game Day Event

Graduation Party Event

once you graduate... careers & aspirations:

Plan Career Outfit

Better Work Actions

Enlist in War ⭐

Live in Business

Faster Retail Actions

Faster Record / Edit Videos on Video Station⭐

Higher Acting Gig Payouts & Royalties ⭐

More Realistic Overmax Pay ⭐

Higher Payments for Paintings ⭐

Higher Royalties for Apps/Games ⭐

Higher Royalties for DJ Mixing ⭐

Higher Royalties for Lifestyle Brands ⭐

Higher Royalties for Song Lyrics ⭐

Higher Royalties for Music ⭐

Freelancer Edits are More Successful

Sketchpad No Fees

Campaign Rally Event

Visible Political Position

Watch Political Speeches at Podium

Retirement Party Event

The University Aspiration Pack ⭐

Accomplished Lady Aspiration

Family Aspiration

Grow Up Aspiration

Teacher’s Pet Aspiration

Knowledge Aspiration

Retirement Aspiration

Romance Aspiration

Famous Pastry Chef Aspiration

Twilight Years Aspiration

All-Rounder Aspiration

Programming Genius Aspiration

Travel and Culture Aspiration

Wellness Aspiration

9 to 5 Career Pack ⭐

Night Shift Career Pack ⭐

Part Time Career Pack ⭐

Fitness Career

Health and Beauty Career

Modeling Career

Journalism Career (Adult + Teen)

Trust Fund Career (Adult + Teen)

Welfare Recipient (Adult + Teen)

Saturday Jobs (Teens)

Oceanography Career (Teens)

Private Tutoring Career (Teens)

All Freelancer Careers (Teens)

Tutor (Odd Job)

Woohoo (Odd Job) - lmao

Art Show Event

hahaha... adulting sucks:

Basemental Alcohol ⭐

Happy Hour Event

SNB Realistic Bills ⭐

SNB Banking

Invest in Stocks

Lowered Thermostat Bills

Instant Thermostat ⭐

Auto Wrinkles for Adults

Life Decider

House Warming Party (No More Fruitcake)

Door Knock Notification ⭐

Island Events Notifications ⭐

No Strangers Knocking at Your Door

Quick Showers / Baths ⭐

Shower + Bladder Reliever (don’t judge me)

Power Nap ⭐

Sleep All Night

Smarter Robot Vacuum

Functional Tide Pods

Clean Your Bedsheets

Auto Put Away Clothes

Auto Start/Dry Clothes

Laundry on Community Lots Costs

No Idle Laundry Animations / Sparkles

Don’t Prep Food Where You Angry Poop ⭐

Don’t Wash Dishes Where You Angry Poop ⭐

Eco Dishwasher

Faster Cooking ⭐

No Auto Set the Table

Ask to Cook, Bake, Grill

BBQ Event

Custom Food + Recipe’s ⭐

Custom Drinks + Recipe’s ⭐

Grannie’s Old Cookbook + Recipe’s ⭐

Bake Cupcakes in Oven

Coolers are Cooling

Advanced Fishing ⭐

Fishing Trip Event

Fish for Crabs, Lobster, & Shrimp

More Seafood Servings

More Snacks in Fridge

More Food at the Bar

More Food in the Cafe

Flea Market Every Sunday

Get to Church

just in case you... get famous:

No Fame Decay ⭐

Celebrities Never Reject Fans

Celebrities are Quarantined in Del Sol Valley ⭐

Get Famous Award Overhaul

Less Celebrity Reactions

Famous Sims Gain Followers Automatically

More Follower’s Resolution for Everyone

Free Staff (Chef, Barista, Bartender, etc.) ⭐

Gardeners and Maids on Weekends

Red Carpet Event

whatever you are... just be happy and healthy:

Fitness Controls ⭐

Balanced Calories ⭐

Go for a Walk

Hiking Increases Herbalism Skill

Power Workouts

Athletic Outfit in Winter ⭐

Healthy Drinks

Improved Meditation Stool

Improved Spa Day Tablet

Improved Yoga Mat ⭐

Craftable Pottery

Less Elder Exhaustion

Less Sickness

Longer Basketball Games

More Fun Stuff

Online Gaming with Headsets

and I can’t forget these... more gameplay mods:

NPC Controller ⭐

Improved Autonomy

Simulation Lag Fix

Simulation Timeline Unclogger

Improved Autonomy During Loading Screens ⭐

No Empty Venues When Arriving ⭐

No Temperature Deaths ⭐

No Death from Murphy Bed

No React to Stranger’s Death

Realistic Death (Mortem) ⭐

Memorial Event

Freezing Sims Don’t Turn Blue ⭐

More Club / Holiday Icons

Make Hidden Holiday Traditions Selectable

Random Holiday Traditions

Wellness Traditions

More Holiday Icons

Less Rain More Sun

Less Snow More Sun

Summer Blow-Out Event

Christmas Eve Event

New Year’s Eve Bash Event

No Ugly Rain Outfits

More Umbrella Variations in World

Open Umbrella on Rainy Days Only

No More Broken Umbrellas

Destroy Leaf Piles ⭐

Dress Code Lot Trait

Gender and More Lot Trait

Preferences Lot Trait

Add Sims to Groups During Events

No Auto Club Gathering ⭐

Flower Arrangements Slower Decay

Take Photo Overhaul (Moschino Stuff) ⭐

Snorkel Everywhere

Don’t Turn NPC’s into Spellcasters

No Role Outfits for Sages

ROM Portal Only for Spellcasters

& you also need these... much-needed overrides:

More Sponge Colors

More Sippy Cup Colors

More Dog Leash Colors

White Ice Skates

Better Food Textures (All of Them) ⭐

Hidden Bassinet ⭐

iPhone X Phone Replacement

Playing Cards Replacement

Military Salute Overhaul

Small Saucer Light ⭐

Working Medicine Cabinet ⭐

Working Alarm Clocks ⭐

Realistic Fighting Animation

Oasis Springs + Island Living Palm Trees ⭐

special thank you to all of the wonderful mod creators! seriously, I could not play this game without you guys... (no, really.) There are way too many of you guys to name without missing someone... so if you reblog this, all I ask is that you please tag your favorite modders! (& maybe even add your favorite mods?)

#ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #s4 #s4 mods #the sims 4 mods #sims 4 mods #simkhira #prettyxsimblr #s4cc #ts4cc #reblog to save a life #mods 2020 #ultimate mods list

7K notes · View notes

morkleemelon · 4 years ago

Text

nct ideal types 2021 :: dream

127 version | this has been on my mind for a bit and I wanted to write it down- these will consist of confirmed facts and then my own thoughts. the latter part is, as it sounds, strictly from my opinion and observation and may well not be accurate. this is just for fun! proceed~

mark lee:

confirmed: likes someone with long black hair who is nice (on air nct show)

my thoughts:

he moved to korea to train when he was like 13 and has been busy as a bee ever since. I don’t know his life but I feel like he hasn’t really had the chance to date much if at all yet. this brings me to think he would prefer someone who can lead in the relationship

he grew up christian and seems to still hold those ideals. although if he really liked someone it wouldn’t be an issue, this makes me think he would be drawn to someone with similar ideals

he laughs a lot and gets along well with people who are funny (haechan, yuta, jungwoo). I think that he would like someone with a good sense of humor

he doesn’t spend money lavishly and prefers to use what he has (i.e. the jansport backpack, not having youtube premium, keeping all the gifts he receives in his bag). all of this points to him preferring someone modest and not wasteful

mark got jisung a bracelet that costs over $1000 for his birthday (what a good bro I’m cry). he likes songs like ‘I got you’ by Bazzi (mark superm quarantine playlist) which is about spoiling a girl. this all makes me think that although he is frugal for himself, he likes spoiling others and would like to spoil his significant other

From Japan official book vol 1, mark said he wasn’t sure what his ideal first date would be, but he answered that it would be to go to a restaurant and have a good meal because he likes eating. So someone who’s down for simple dates and perhaps also good at cooking (because our boy can’t even make an egg)

From the same magazine, he said he doesn’t care about fashion and would like his partner to “wear what she likes”. Doesn’t seem like he goes for style much!

huang renjun:

confirmed: n/a

my thoughts:

I strongly feel like he would want to feel like the ‘man in the relationship’. he would want to feel protective over his partner and that’s why I think he would adore someone smaller than him

he’s full of chaotic rage energy (in the cutest way that would never actually hurt anybody). to balance out these vibes, renjun would match well with someone calm and sweet

looks-wise besides being a petite person, I can envision someone very cute, probably with shorter, un-dyed hair

renjun is into sci-fi movies and shows and confirmed he believes in aliens (weekly idol). I think he’d be drawn to someone with a big imagination who likes sci-fi as well

lee jeno:

confirmed: n/a

my thoughts:

jeno is really really shy (when he met yeeun from clc to mc together, they said they couldn’t even talk at first because it was so awkward). I think jeno would like someone more outgoing but not overwhelming

I feel like his ideal type is literally like renjun- a little fiesty and literally, little. jeno has mentioned that he loves renjun’s voice too, so perhaps he would be interested in someone with a nice voice

he works out a lot and likes physical activities like biking and going to the gym. I think he’d like someone who values fitness and health too

he loves animals and has 3 cats of his own despite being allergic. because of this, I think he’d like a person who loves animals too

lee haechan:

confirmed: someone with a nice voice/ singing voice. someone with shorter hair

my thoughts:

he’s so extroverted and craves attention from whoever he’s around, and that wouldn’t be an exception for the person he likes. he’d want someone who looks up to him and gives him attention

he’s still really young and even enjoys movies like the kissing booth (I’m sorry I had to bring it up because I think it’s important). ignoring the actual bad parts of that movie, I think he’s interested in that young love, dancing together at the arcade, kissing in the rain, come over to his house in secret, type relationship

haechan seems to be especially close friends with foreign swaggers line (mark, johnny, jaehyun) so I’m thinking that perhaps he likes the western vibe

during oshiete Japan, he and Yuta were the only ones who chose to give three roses to a hypothetical ‘lover’ (they had to choose between 4 types of roses to give). the psychologist said that this means haechan is “flirty and attention-seeking” which makes a lot of sense. this adds to my point that he would like someone who gives him a lot of attention and good reactions

during a recent fansign (1/23?) OP asked “what are things girls do that makes you flattered?” to which he answered “when I did something wrong and get scolded, that scary look makes me flattered”. although it’s a bit awkwardly translated, this insinuates that he likes it when he gets scolded by a girl. *jaemin voice* sexayyy. thus, I’m adding that haechan likes a someone strong headed and not afraid to scold him

na jaemin:

confirmed: n/a

my thoughts:

he has a sort of 180 personality where he’s either really energetic or prefers to be in the background. jeno says that jaemin hardly talks at the dorms after schedules because his social battery is dead. this is classic introvert behavior so I think he would vibe well with someone patient and calm

he’s the sweetest boy and he volunteers often for unicef and was even cast to sm while he was volunteering. he’d appreciate someone who shares similar values and likes helping others

I think he often doesn’t think or worry about himself. he goes out of his way to please others and help others and often disregards what he actually wants because of it (i.e. taking his shirt off at the dream show even though he was uncomfortable I’m so sad poor baby). he needs someone who is thoughtful and who reminds him when it’s time to stop and think of himself

looks-wise, I’m gonna be completely honest when I say I think he doesn’t go for looks. personality and morals are key

his favorite member of snsd is tiffany. he never confirmed if she was his ideal type, but perhaps he’s attracted to her bubbly, girly personality

zhong chenle:

confirmed: he’s only into girls (vlive)

my thoughts:

this may be a stretch, but in a live he was doing, chenle was talking about which member of wayv princesses was the prettiest. he said something along the lines of ‘ew they all looked weird’ but later admitted that kun was probably the only one who ‘looked okay’. kun was snow white which brings me to my first prediction which is that lele likes the classic chinese beauty (black hair, pale skin, elegant, gentle)

chenle loves winning and he loves to be praised. although his mbti shows that he’s an introvert, he would crave the full attention of his s/o. someone who looks only at him

during the from home live, he was asked to act out a scenario where he accidentally ate his girlfriend’s food. haechan (who was acting as the girlfriend) went “buy me 10 more” and chenle just went “okay :)”. ngl, kinda fell in love with him then but this makes me think he’d want someone to spoil

park jisung:

confirmed: likes it when people call him 오빠 (oppa) - take this how you will

my thoughts:

debuting at 14, I’m quite sure he hasn’t had the opportunity to have a relationship yet. this being said, he also seems quite innocent and shy which is why I think he would prefer someone who knows what they’re doing and isn’t afraid to speak their opinion

just from vibes, I think he would wanna be with someone like a best friend to him. someone who’s down to just hang out and talk, play video games and watch movies etc.

he’s quite tall (the tallest in dream) so I think he’d actually be ok with a tall person maybe even around the same height as him

maybe not a definite need, but I feel like he’d be impressed by someone who can dance well since dancing is such a big part of his life

597 notes · View notes

sneezefiction · 4 years ago

Text

untouchable | vi

Atsumu x Reader

desc: in which an accidental run-in with pro volleyball player, Atsumu Miya, at a 7/11 leads to a strangers-to-lovers situation… but the catch is, you have no idea that he’s famous.

warnings: slight language, anxiety

wc: 6.6k

part 5 ⚬ part 6 ⚬ part 7

untouchable m.list

—

Recap:

And for the first half of this year you found yourself falling in love. Falling for this second glance of a man.

So finding out that Izumi Kenji had a partner was a punch to the gut.

Reaching for his hand that summer was a defining moment for you. The way he snatched his hand away from yours would have knocked all the air out of your lungs if you’d had any breath to spare.

—

Laughter echoes off the sides of buildings as you make your way past food stalls and restaurants. It’s warm. A gentle breeze tussles his hair, different strands catching purple and orange light from the store signs.

There are several things that are begging to hold your attention right now.

A new café to your right is stringing a “Grand Opening” banner across its shop doors. Bike bells ring off in the distance, the wheels gently thrumming against dusty cobblestone. Groups of teenagers snicker as they pass you by, their voices carefree and teasing. Two dogs tread loyally next to their owners on the other side of the street, their claws clicking as their paws hit the pavement.

But even among all of those distractions and details, all you can see is him. The mop of messy hair atop his head. His umber brown eyes. A curious smile.

Izumi Kenji had stolen your heart slowly and carefully; he did so without a balaclava or a disguise to lure you in. And as you meander the downtown area with him, your fondness for him only grows.

Meeting him at that after-work party may have been the best thing that happened to you this year. You were comfortable - in the middle of a bar, talking to a stranger and laughing with him. And who were you to turn down the one good thing life had sent your way.

Although, with how nonexistent your social life was, you would’ve let almost anyone into your social circle. You just deem yourself lucky that it was Kenji who happened to be in your vicinity.

He’d ended up asking for your number at the end of the night - you rattled off the digits faster than you could blink.

“...if you ever need anything, just send me a text.”

It was an outstretched hand of a sentence. A bone thrown to a starving dog. Finally, there was a person you could rely on.

You took his words to heart.

After that night, it was almost unfair how easily he broke down your barriers.

It was Kenji who took you sightseeing through all of Osaka in the Winter months, making sure that you’d mapped out the area so that you were more comfortable when you went exploring on your own. Your snow boots and his became well acquainted.

He’d shown you his favorite eateries and shops, rambling quietly about his favorite pastries and old, dusty memories that came from his time spent in the area.

His jacket made its way to your shoulder when you visibly shuddered from the cold as Winter shifted to Spring. And as Summer approached, you allowed yourself to let your guard down. With distant eyes, you learned about his family and his plans. You wondered if maybe there was a place for you in that future.

Any doubts about this connection you had with him had melted away.

He was your closest friend by far… and who’s to say he couldn’t be more?

You glance to your left, a small smile working its way onto your lips. Kenji’s eyes wander the street, completely lost in thought. His expression is serene under the violet glow of street lights.

And his hand… his hand is achingly close to your own.

Its a position you frequently found yourself in: walking side by side, almost touching, but never quite close enough to grasp at his hand.

You’ve never really seen yourself as someone to make first moves, but this has gone on for too long. And your fingertips are begging you to do something about this distance between you two.

You swallow hard.

Choking back your hesitation, you brush your hand against his.

He doesn’t pull away, only sending you a quick glance. Kenji’s soft smile doesn’t budge, though he does raise an eyebrow at you.

You assume that this is a good sign. He doesn’t seem uncomfortable, the moment feels natural, and this… this could actually work.

You take one more deep breath and gingerly link your fingers with his-

But before you can even blink, Kenji snaps his hand back to his side. His head whips toward you, feet stopping in their tracks.

“What… what are you doing,” he stammers, eyes widening.

You wince. That wasn’t the reaction you were hoping for. Far from it.

“I think that’s-” You glance down at your rejected hand, eyes wide, “-kind of obvious.”

He stares at you, mouth agape. You take a step back, heart dropping. Why would he pull his hand back? Did I do something wrong-

“I’m seeing someone-” He breathes, “-you knew that.”

Like a tree branch splintering after a lightning strike, you feel as though something inside of you has cracked and split.

Your body can’t decide if your blood should turn to ice from shock or if it should succumb to the heat of humiliation rising in your chest. How did you not know this?

And why hadn’t you just asked him first?

That’s what normal people did. If you hadn’t acted based on a silly impulse maybe you would have spoken to him about your relationship with him first… but it’s too late now. And the pressure continues to build up in your stomach until you feel like a balloon on the verge of popping.

“...you knew that… didn’t you?”

Something sharp stabs at your heart.

“I had no idea.” Your reply is flat. Distant.

It twists.

“I- I’m so sorry, I could’ve sworn I’d told you…” He responds softly.

In a tearing motion, it rips back out.

“No. You hadn’t.” You say curtly, eyes glazing over.

You let on to the bitterness welling up in your chest more than you wish you would have… but who could blame you?

Tucking your hands deep into your pants pockets, you try to hold your composure.

Your mouth is uncomfortably dry and your hands are suddenly very sweaty.

What does someone do in a situation like this?

You’d always assumed that this was the type of thing to happen to somebody else. Thinking that feelings were mutual and then being struck with the fact that your “almost-boyfriend” was actually already deep into a relationship. It sounds like something out of a teenage romance novel... but it’s clear that the shame clouding your mind is not secondhand.

Unintentionally or not, Kenji had led you on… and here you are, feeling like you’ve just been publicly gutted.

He doesn’t owe you anything. No, not at all.

If anything, you owe him for all of the kindness he’s extended to you.

But that doesn’t explain everything he’s done for you these past few months.

Paying for meals even though you’d practically fought him for bills at every restaurant you’d visited together. Spending hours together on weekends when you both had work to complete. Meeting his friends, taking the train together on days when your schedules collided, exploring the city and your past with him…

You’d wondered why he hadn’t asked you out yet.

It didn’t make any sense.

Maybe he was confused too?

A thought crosses your mind that maybe he may have been using you as some sort of support system. Maybe you were just let into his life to comfort him through his own relational instability. Were you just Kenji’s escape? Is he just completely unaware?

But now you’re just jumping to conclusions. It might not be anything of the sort. Trying to piece together a story that doesn’t add up in the first place won’t help you at all - at least, not right after such a blatant rejection.

You take another step back, effectively tuning out anything he has to say. The light on his face no longer reflects something inviting; instead, all you can see is the confusion marring his previously peaceful expression.

He’s trying to talk to you, he’s taking steps toward you, he’s even reaching a hand out… but you just can’t. Not with the discomfort in your chest and a thundercloud of tension rumbling above you.

You can’t remember what shitty excuse you’d made to get out of there, but not even 10 minutes after this awkward, messy, fucked up moment, you’re on a train back home.

And everything is numb.

The shuffle and shake of the passenger car is enough to distract you for now.

But the moment you get home - the very second you kick off your shoes - insecurity comes knocking at the door of your mind.

You lay face down on the couch. The room stirs in darkness, gloom sinking into the cracks of the wall and pooling at the corners of your eyes. Because how was this fair? What had you done to deserve this? Was nothing going to be easy for you?

You let yourself cry.

Questions swim through your mind. Fears too. The pain of, once again, being alone exposes itself through heavy tears and spluttering sobs.

So you attempt to bury it all deep down...

As far from the surface as it can go...

But as most things do, these questions and insecurities will resurface.

It’s only a matter of time.

—

You noticed it from the moment you woke up.

The stiffness in your arms and the churning in your stomach were telltale signs… but as the hours rolled on and the sun sunk lower in the sky, it became more obvious.

Your lungs were fine yesterday, but today they shrink and tighten with every passing minute.

In an attempt to distract yourself, you’ve switched on the TV and turned to Netflix for comfort. It isn’t much, but the modulated noise of a baking show and a warm blanket draped over your lap blocks out some of the dizzying worries in your head.

First date nerves are a thing.

The clammy palms, the jitters, the loss of appetite… you have it all.

You’re well aware that this is a universal experience, so you try to empathize with yourself. There’s no reason to be embarrassed by it. Shame would only drag you deeper into this muddy pit of nerves that you’re so desperately trying to claw your way out of.

But this technically isn’t even a date.

And you’re not about to assume that it’s anything like one.

Just to be safe, you’ve decided that this outing would blandly be categorized as a “sporadic meet up with a stranger.” Your words, not Atsumu’s.

But just because it isn’t technically a date doesn’t mean you can’t be jittery…

You grip the remote in your hand tighter. It accidentally shuts the TV off, but that’s probably for the better. You haven’t gotten ready yet and it’s getting close to 5 pm. Somehow you’d managed to snuggle the day away in your apartment. Again.

Letting out an anxious yawn, you hop up from your nestled position on the couch.

You step into the hallway and make your way to the bathroom to wash your face. As you patter the length of the hall, you finally allow your mind to roam. It immediately hones in on your anxieties like a dog chasing a delightfully peeved squirrel.

Is it pathetic? To be 20 something years old and petrified by something as simple as a dinner date?

Your brain says “no,” but a part of you is whispering out a quiet “yes” in response. Most people would be excited to see someone after being lonely for so long.

So why are you this bothered? What’s with this piercing fragility that makes your hands shake and your skin crawl?

When did you become so… scared? Like you would crumble just by being in the presence of another person?

And then it hits you. Your head plummets into your hands.

Ever since you’d met Atsumu, you haven’t had the mental stamina to think about Izumi Kenji.

Or what he’d done to you. Or how he’d metaphorically pushed you when you were already toeing at the precipice of a cliff. You’d been a step away from falling and breaking under the weight of the past few years, and he’d shattered you in a single night.

So, yes, that would explain the current twisting in your chest. It’s also probably why you’re so worried about Atsumu. Or, at least, it’s one big reason as to why, you conclude.

But, even with this epiphany, you find yourself stepping into the bathroom, wrung dry and physically unsteady. Thinking about Kenji doesn’t make you feel any better.

Your fingers grip the rim of the porcelain sink, eyes fixed on the drain in the center.

You stare at it.

One reminder of him and you were already weary.

The glossiness of the bowl reflects a splotchy, humanesque blob back at you. You swivel the faucet handle, letting warm water coast around the bowl and spiral down the drain. It erases that human-like reflection.

If only it could wash away your problems. Now that’d be something to write home about.

The cool of the tile beneath your feet and a splash of warm water on your face is a welcome distraction… but short-lived. The water drips off of your face. You blindly feel around for a fresh towel and, after laying your hands on one, you gently pat your face down.

Blinking your eyes open, you stand up straight.

As you do, you find yourself studying a much clearer reflection than the blurry face in the sink bowl. Sunken features bore into you from the bathroom mirror. You sigh and turn to open up a medicine cabinet to grab a few facial products, applying them one-by-one.

If you do happen to crash and burn tonight, you figure you might as well look damn good in the process. Skincare would help with that.

But before you can further sink into the idea that tonight might turn into another nightmarish scenario, a friendly face, someone sunny and charming, enters your mind.

The picture Atsumu’s wavy hair and that smug smile of his. While the rest of his face is a little fuzzy in your mind, you vividly remember how his mouth quirk upwards and the electric buzz you felt from the sheer warmth of his eyes.

Atsumu has been on your mind a lot these days. And, as much as it’s been a distraction, it’s also been a welcome mental detour.

Somehow, the very thought of him coaxes your own lips to relax into a smile. You sigh, tilting your head back in defeat. So this is what 3 years of loneliness can do to a person - how embarrassing.

But you can’t deny that he gives you something to look forward to - an emotion you can’t quite put your finger on. You two share a connection; there’s some common ground that hasn’t been dug up just yet. And, for whatever it’s worth, you want to keep digging until you figure it out.

As you smooth a moisturizer over your skin, you decide that you’ll wear something nice tonight. Maybe you’ll pick out an outfit you haven’t worn before and do your best to drown your shaky hands in the fabric of a long-sleeved shirt. If it goes well, maybe you’ll have found someone who actually likes you.

If it doesn’t work out, you can just drive back home and forget he ever existed. Simple as that.

But...

You’d like to think that Atsumu could be just as sweet as he seems; assuming the worst about him would get you nowhere.

You continue to repeat that to yourself before you leave. That all you can do is hope it goes well.

Nothing more, nothing less.

—

You rest your foot firmly on the brake and switch the gearshift so that your car is in park. You rub your eyes and double-check the location on your phone’s GPS. Back at your apartment, it looked like you would be arriving at a café near the park… but you’re not so sure anymore.

Did… did Atsumu really send you here?

You never entertained the idea of him being a prankster… but if this was, perhaps, a practical joke? Well, you’re not above calling him and telling him to “fuck off.” There’s nothing stopping you from driving away and blocking his number right now.

Scrolling through the map application, you notice that you’re relatively close to several restaurants, so there is that. He’d promised you dinner and there’s an abundance of food within walking distance.

But you weren’t expecting to pull up to such a secluded location. You shiver in your seat and grip the steering wheel. Does he realize just how scary it is to meet someone at a random place like this?

Whipping out your phone, you tap a quick message containing something along the lines of “why the hell did you send me to a park.” Your therapist would probably give you a high-five for being so straightforward.

You hit send and sink into your chair.

A brief glance out your car window helps to settle your frayed nerves just a hair.

It’s not quite as empty as you thought it was. The area is just… calm. Many couples stroll along the main path, hand-in-hand. Others are sat on picnic blankets, tucking their toes into the cool grass and chattering away.

And, most comfortingly of all, it’s still bright outside.

You thank the sun that it still rests above the horizon, drenching the trees tops and green grass with deep-honey hues. People and daylight mean safety. You’ve had to learn that after living alone for so long.

A text notification pings on your phone only seconds after messaging him.

You’ll give him some credit. Atsumu is a timely texter. You’ve found yourself in more real-time texting conversations with him than almost anyone else you’ve met in Osaka. And it’s been how long since you met him? A few weeks? A month?

Atsumu’s text reassures you that you’re not at the wrong place.

At least the park was intentional, you nod to yourself. You’re doing your best to trust that he wouldn’t take you somewhere that would make you uncomfortable.

Another text informs you that he’s already seated on a bench near where you parked.

Your heart skips a beat and your head jolts upward, scanning the area. A hand also shoots up to clutch at your chest, gripping the fabric of your top.

Yep. You’re still jumpy.

But this time, the shaky hands and pounding nerves are rooted in restlessness instead of fear… and maybe a little bit of excitement?

Suddenly, the park is far less frightening.

You step out of the car, wallet and keys in one hand, and smooth out your outfit with your free hand. The wind nips at you through the fabric of your clothes, but with the sunshine painting your skin, it isn’t too bad.

Maybe bringing a coat would’ve been wiser than relying on this sweater to keep you warm… but it’s too late to think about that now.

Your eyes dart around and you trod through the grass and onto a graveled pathway. It crunches satisfyingly underneath your feet, but you can’t enjoy it when you’re so intent on finding him. With a few short strides, you’re quick to spot the back of someone’s head. A familiar head of blonde waves shines golden thanks to the setting sun.

You’re almost entirely sure it’s Atsumu.

And as if he had sensed your presence, the man in question tilts a glance over his shoulder.

His face is blank until he catches your eye.

An easy grin, one brighter than the stars, bursts into existence.

For someone so conventionally attractive, he sure looks excited to see little ole you. Raising your hand, you wave and send him a shy smile back.

He’s quick to jump to his feet and as he does, you’re quickly reminded of just how tall he is. Atsumu’s head matches the height of several tree branches. It makes you think that he’s probably walked into a number of things. Door headers, branches, signs that are hung a couple of inches too low… you’re sure he’s learned to duck and dodge over the years.

You wish you could ask him about that.

You blink.

That’s right. You can ask him about that - you’ll do that later, though.

“Hey there.” He chuckles.

His voice… it’s huskier than you’d remembered.

You spoke with him over the phone just yesterday to confirm that tonight was still happening, so why was his voice giving you chills now? It’s deep and smooth and, without the static from the phone audio, it’s actually kind of sexy.

Okay, you’ve got to calm down.

“Hi,” you reply sweetly, tilting your head.

Should you hug him? Just keep standing there? Hopefully, he’s better at filling awkward silence than you are. You’re not bad at handling social situations, but it seems safer to wait for his cues.

Atsumu keeps his hands in his pockets, “Long time, no see.”

It’s phrased as if you were both old friends reuniting after years of distance. It kind of feels that way too.

“I don’t actually think it’s been that long.” You raise an eyebrow, keeping a straight face.

“It’sa turn of phrase, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart.

That word sounds so easy on his tongue, damn it.

A few beats pass… and both of you break into grins once again.

But before you can respond, and much to your confusion, Atsumu spins on his feels to face the pathway. The pebbles under his feet shift as he takes a few steps forward.

He turns his head to catch your eye, “Well? C’mon then, let’s walk and talk,” and juts an arm out.

You stare at him for a moment, confused.

“Are ya gonna leave me hangin’? Atsumu tilts his head back, a coy smile on his lips as though whatever he’s trying to do is ridiculously obvious.

After a few moments of deep contemplation, realization dawns over your features. He’s extending his elbow out… for you? To hold onto?

Oh.

With a slight flush, you step forth and link arms with him. He grins down at you, perfectly resembling a fox you saw in a National Geographic magazine last week. This is a lot closer than you’d anticipated on getting with him; not that you’re complaining.

Although, for someone you’ve only met twice, you feel like you’ve known him for years.

The few phone calls and those text conversations have given you some insight into his life, but they don’t explain why you two click so well in person. He’s illogically familiar.

You decide not to question the closeness and instead choose to spark a conversation.

That should be easy enough; after all, he’d promised you dinner, and you were given directions to a park - you’re anything but questionless.

You lean into his side slightly and break the silence, “You smell good.”

Considering he’s crossed that line with you already, you aren’t too worried about saying it back to him.

“Thanks, I showered.” He smiles and shrugs as if to brush off your compliment, but you swear you see a fleeting blush on his cheeks.

“Thank God.” You sigh in mock relief, relaxing your shoulders.

He squints, clicking his tongue, “Okay, no need to tease. At least get to know a guy first,” but his voice is void of offense.

“So if I tease you, you won’t take me to dinner?” A curious tone rings in your voice.

“Oh, I will even if ya do. Where do ya think we’re walkin’ to?”

You snort, “Hopefully a restaurant?”

“Bull’s eye.” He winks.

Atsumu looks down at you and you can’t help but smile up at him. Your nerves had melted away like a popsicle under a blazing summer sun; all that’s left is a sweet, melty feeling that has you feeling a little too comfortable.

Maybe you shouldn’t be so trusting. Protecting yourself has been your number one goal since Kenji let you down…

But that doesn’t mean you can’t laugh or get to know Atsumu.

It just means you need to keep your expectations in check. This may seem like a date, but until he says something, you won’t jump to conclusions. In the meantime, you just need to keep talking. Enjoy it while it lasts and laugh a little.

You nudge his side, “By the way…”

“Hm?”

“What’s with bringing me to a park?”

You’ve been dying to hear this explanation since you arrived. Sure, the atmosphere is perfect; fall weather is notorious for pleasant walks and colorful leaves. However, you’d like to hear his reasoning.

“I thought we could get to know each other better before stuffin’ our faces.”

You make a face, “Well, doesn’t that sound lovely. You sure have a way with words.”

Atsumu is nothing if not blunt.

He pouts, eyes narrowing, “You gonna make fun of the way I talk now? I’ll have you know, I’ve been mocked enough to last me a life time. I ain’t all that sensitive anymore.”

You laugh and subconsciously tighten your hold on his arm.

“Alright Mr. Not Sensitive, I won’t make fun of you anymore.”

If you were paying attention to his face, you might’ve seen another flush of pink… but your eyes are squinting from the sun and Atsumu is sure to pull himself together before you can notice it.

“But I do have some important questions for you,” You begin.

Those words are sure to spark fear into anybody. This is confirmed when his arm stiffens ever so slightly and your eyes crinkle in mischief.

He swallows, “Yeah, go for it.”

“Favorite color?”

Atsumu’s eyes flick down to yours, squinting. They seem to say, “important, my ass.”

He instantly loosens, “Easy. Red.” Confidence is clear in his tone.

You nod. You don’t have to know him well to know that the answer suits him. Atsumu is fiery and he’s burned bright in your mind since you met him. If anyone should be allowed to like red, it’s him.

“Favorite food?”

“Mmm…” He furrows his brows in deliberation, “ I gotta say fatty tuna. But my brother makes some killer onigiri, though. I think that’s a close second.”

Your brows shoot up, eyes widening. He’d never mentioned anything about his family before this.

“You have a brother?” You press, leaning in to study his face while trying not to trip over your own two feet.

“Technically, a twin. But I’m the older one...” He huffs, “...and the better lookin’ one.”

Your jaw drops. “I can’t believe you hadn’t mentioned him before this!”

As an only child, you can only imagine what it’d be like to have a sibling, much less a twin.

“Well,” Atsumu rolls his eyes at you, “He’s alright…”

It looks like he’s about to change the subject, but one glance at your face is all it takes for him to realize that you want to hear more. Your eyes are sparkling. Full of vibrant curiosity… how could he stop now?

You’re actually interested in him.

“We’re really close actually,” Atsumu clears his throat, straightening up a little. “I mean, he isn’t like me at all. He’s real’ calm in comparison. A great cook. Some people say he’s handsome - but he got the looks from me, y’know?”

You roll your eyes, keeping in stride with him. “Yeah, yeah, keep going.”

“He’s good with the ladies, smart, athletic...” He rambles on. “If he’d just slow down a little, he would probably be married by now...”

You just listen, fully invested in his words.

It’s nice to hear about family - you haven’t seen your’s in a long time.

The fondness in Atsumu’s expression seeps through his abbreviated words.

He looks almost pained as he compliments his twin and amusement flickers in your eyes as you watch it all unfold. You hadn’t asked for a dating profile description of his brother, but you’re not about to shut him up.

“I bet you’d like him. Not as much as you’d like me, of course,” he smirks and your chest tightens.

The butterflies you’d thought you’d left back in highschool seem to have dusted themselves off and started fluttering again.

“But, yeah. He’s a good guy.”

Atsumu’s free hand then runs through his hair, pushing the waves back. You can see a sudden onset of nerves on his face. He’s quick to hide it though.

“And, uh, just so you know… he may or may not own the restaurant I’m taking you to tonight.”

That’s enough for you plant your feet in place. Atsumu stops as well.

He’s… taking you to his brother’s restaurant.

You gaze up at him, at a loss for words.

Is his brother going to be there? I mean, it is his place. But meeting his family? Out of the blue, like this? It’s all out of order.

You can’t help but wonder if he’s ever going to give your racing heart a chance to settle.

“Is that too much?” Atsumu is quick to cut in. His voice isn’t gentle… but even with it’s roughness, you can hear something that resembles concern.

“A- ah, no! It’s fine!” You reassure him, “I… I’m happy to go.”

His shoulders drop down again and so do yours.

There’s no point in getting worked up about it. But it’s becoming clear that Atsumu isn’t a very conventional person. Nor is he daunted by sporadic plans. Next time, you’ll ask for a point-by-point itinerary, just to be safe.

Atsumu reveals the name of the restaurant, “Onigiri Miya,” and you find yourself asking more family-related questions as you two dawdle down the pathway…

Which naturally leads to conversations about high-school.

It turns out that he and his twin were on a volleyball team together. Which makes sense. He definitely has the muscle, the height, and the spunk to be an athlete.

You know shit about the sport, but that doesn’t mean you don’t see the gleam in his eyes when he rattles off a story about one of his old games. It’s been a long time since you last listened to someone speak about something so passionately.

But there’s even more.

You hear mentions of many boys’ names.

There’s his brother, Osamu; he mentions their little spats and occasional fist fights. Although he makes sure to clarify that they’re both a lot more level headed nowadays. Next is Atsumu’s upperclassman, Kita; he’s someone Atsumu respects and fears with every inch of his being. Then there’s Suna, Omimi, Aran, and… too many others to count.

Games and nationals and several terms you can’t quite grasp swim through your head as you re-live some of Atsumu’s own memories with him.

His high-school years sound exciting, bright, and funny. Of course, those experiences would create the charming mess that is Atsumu Miya.

After padding under draping treetops, you both finally make it out of the park and onto the sidewalks.

Restaurants and small shops line the streets and pedestrians cross in groups across the narrow roads. At this point, the sun is loosing its shine, sinking beneath the trees’ branches and ever-darkening buildings. But you, with your phone in your pocket and your arm in his, feel safe.

Atsumu’s effortlessness and his blunt way of speaking really made for easy conversation.

But before you can ask him if he still plays volleyball, you find yourself standing in front of a small, bright storefront: “Onigiri Miya.” The words are plastered on a wooden board in white, chalk paint. It’s sleek and cute - if you’d stumbled upon the shop before this, you’d have walked in of your volition.

“I’m thinkin’ I just talked your ear off the whole way here.” Atsumu sighs apologetically.

You shrug, “I guess that just means I’m a good listener.”

In all honestly, you’re glad he rambled. It got rid of your restlessness and calmed your racing thoughts.

He unlinks your arm from his and your side is now exposed to the cold air. It only just hits you how physical that walk had been. Even without a coat, having him at your side had kept you warm and cozy.

How long has it been since you were comfortably side-by-side with someone? It’s been months since you’d been around Kenji… years since you last slept with someone you actually liked… but when was the last time you held a hand or wrapped your arm around someone else’s?

Atsumu’s words cut into your thoughts, “You’re easy to talk to, but I wanna hear more about you when we get inside.”

And he’s holding the door open for you, one hand clasped around the handle and the other tucked casually into his pocket. You thank him… he didn’t give you the impression of being “gentlemanly” or whatever that word meant, but you find the gesture to be sweet.

As you step inside the small restaurant, your senses are overtaken by the smell of freshly cooked rice and an explosion of delicious seasonings. There are bar stools open at the front counter and metal chairs surrounding worn-down wooden tables. The atmosphere is homely and diner-like; as though, no matter how often you actually visited, you would be treated as a regular.

Someone calls out from the back, “C’mon in, I cleared the place out for y’all.”

The voice resembles Atsumu’s style of speech; gruff and straight to the point… but a little smoother. Then you realize what that voice had actually said. There’s nobody else here.

“Alright, we’ll make ourselves at home then. I can take your-”

He scans you for a jacket… that doesn’t exist.

“You didn’t bring a coat.” He says flatly.

You glance down at your outfit, grasping the edge of your sweater and feathering a thumb over its seam.

“I forgot one.” You admit, looking back up to him, “Why? Is that a problem?”

“Nah, I was just gonna offer to take it.”

You hadn’t noticed what he’d been wearing before this, but now that you’re under the soft lighting of the restaurant, you realize he’s dressed up a little.

Atsumu removes a short, tan coat and places it onto the back of a chair. A black turtleneck sweater is revealed underneath. The fabric outlines his chest and arms in the most unfair way while the dark color pleasantly contrasts his lighter skin tone.

How hadn’t you noticed how gut-wrenchingly attractive he was before this?

With how fast things were moving and how comfortable you felt talking to him, you must’ve conveniently glossed over this fact. It’s not like you’d planned on getting to know him.

But now that you do? Well, it doesn’t hurt that he basically has the body of Chris Hemsworth. Atsumu’s definitely not some Walmart version of him though - this boy deserves his own brand of attractiveness.

You swallow hard as your eyes trail his body.

“Like whatcha see?”

You startle, shuffling backward. If you weren’t already out of your element, you sure are now. Caught red-handed (red-eyed?) staring at your not-date.

“Awh, c’mon I’m joking - take a seat,” Atsumu pulls a chair out for you, cringing when it lets out a shrill squeak on the floor. The sound rings through the air and you find yourself laughing.

In a swift motion, you jump up and onto the chair.

He slides the chair back toward the bar counter, except this time you both expect the screeching of the chair’s legs. It’s worse than nails on a chalkboard, but it’s perfect for loosening up any tightness in the airspace. This time, it’s his turn to chuckle.

He mutters out a quick, “Sorry,” but you just shake your head, amused.

Snagging his own chair, and this time lifting it off of the ground to avoid bursting another eardrum, Atsumu slides up next to you.

You lean on the counter, a hand propping up your cheek. “That was very smooth, Atsumu.”

“Thanks,” he rolls his eyes, “I try.”

“‘Tsumu? Smooth? Yeah, right,” that same voice travels from the kitchen to the front of the store.

Footsteps are soon to follow it and you’re greeted by Chris Hemsworth 2.0. Maybe you should refer to him as Liam Hemsworth? Nope, Osamu, you quickly decide, is also his own genre of attractive.

Although Osamu is dressed in a simple, black “Onigiri Miya” t-shirt and cap, he could probably be a Calvin Klein model. For someone who owns a restaurant, his muscle tone is absolute perfection - these brothers are really something.

And their resemblance of each other, though twins, is almost uncanny. You thank some unknown force that hair-dye exists, because if you saw them from a distance, you may not be able to tell them apart.

“Ah, shaddup. You’re just sayin’ that cuz you’re jealous,” the blonde snorts.

“Jealous of what? Your shit attempts at flirtin’?”

“That’s below the belt, ‘Samu. Don’t be such an ass.”

‘Tsumu? ‘Samu? That’s cute, you chuckle to yourself. Of course, these guys would have nicknames for each other. It was common sense.

You sit back as they bicker, wondering who must’ve raised these 6-foot chaotic giants. You’d love to meet them just to give them a medal and a bouquet of flowers for putting up with them. They must’ve dealt with so much bullshit.

“I could say the same to you. Ya haven’t properly introduced me yet.” He nods his head toward you, cool-grey eyes warming up when they meet yours.

Your lips quirk into a smile and before you know it, you’ve introduced yourself.

He copies your smile, though it’s much softer than your own, and begins his own little introduction; although you’re sure that, with all the information Atsumu has already listed off to you, you don’t really need one.

“I’m Miya Osamu, but that’s probably obvious by now,” he adjusts his cap, “Callin’ me Miya would be confusin’ for all of us, so just Osamu’s fine.”

He’s polite and carries himself confidently, but his voice is a little softer than Atsumu’s. Or, it is when he’s speaking to you. There’s a brotherly gentleness to his tone and it relaxes you instantly.

“Please keep in mind that I’m the better twin,” Atsumu adds, shooting daggers at his brother.

Osamu shoots them right back, but you don’t fail to notice the playful fondness behind their eyes. You can almost picture them as kids, with band-aids on their knees and mud on their clothes. They make it seem like being twins meant having a built-in best friend.

Their closeness is overwhelming.

There’s a warmth in the atmosphere, and you’re positive that it’s not just because something’s cooking in the kitchen. It feels special, just being allowed to sit and watch them banter.

And the fact that Atsumu is sharing this with you?

Well, you’re counting yourself very lucky to be here right now.

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu x reader #atsumu x reader #atsumu miya #atsumu #osamu miya #osamu #miya twins #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #untouchable series #it's been awhile since i've updated #but i hope u can enjoy it!!!

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romanoffswifey · 4 years ago

Text

Stupid Sexy Romanoff

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Summary: Tony takes the avengers on a snowy retreat, where he finds out about your crush on Natasha. He and Clint convince you to do something a little bit stupid and it does not go according to plan. At least you get Natasha’s attention.

Contents/Warnings: Fluffy fluff, some dumbass energy from many people

Words: 1,539

AN - Yes, this was absolutely originally inspired by that one Simpsons scene and it would not let me rest until I had written it. Stupid sexy Flanders.

“Woah, Y/N, I didn’t know you could shred like that,” Tony says as you come skidding to a stop next to him and Clint on the alpine snow.

The billionaire had decided to take you all on a trip to a Swiss ski resort, in the name of relaxation and team bonding.

“There’s a dry ski slope about an hour away from the town I grew in, I haven’t been in a long while but I guess snowboarding is like riding a bike,” you offer. Plopping yourself down near Clint, who was currently sitting on Steve’s shield after he’d been using it as a sledge.

“Maybe now you’re here you can convince Stark to actually go down the mountain, instead of just standing here like a baby,” the archer points to the man’s skis, “you know they have instructors here to teach you how to use those things.”

Tony scoffs. “I don’t need any instructing, Barton. It can’t be that hard surely, I mean children can do it.”

“You could always ask our friendly god of hammers for some pointers,” you say, gesturing behind you as Thor shoots past, screaming with joy. The asgardian had turned out to be surprisingly good at the winter sport and was currently having the time of his life.

When the men next to you descend into bickering, you zone out. Letting your gaze wander until it lands on Natasha, who’s stood chatting with Steve further down the slope.

You’d had a crush on the redhead ever since you’d met her during the whole thing with Loki, but hadn’t said anything to her in fear of ending up looking like an idiot.

Clint was the only one who knew and he’d been pretty useless at helping. Simply teasing you about it, as he’d decided to be an adult, for once, and respect Natasha’s privacy on the matter.

You sigh softly as you look at her now. She was beautiful, and kind of cute, with her little bobble hat and her googles on top of her head. The tips of her nose and ears slightly pink from the cold, and her flawless tresses only highlighted by the white around her.

As you follow the fall of her hair down to her outfit, you inhale sharply, coughing as the icy air hits the back of your throat.

The assassin was clad in a black and red ski suit, with a close enough fit that you could see the lines of her muscles. Along with a great view of her assets. It was safe to say that it left nothing to the imagination, and your imagination was certainly running wild right now.

Your little coughing fit had gained the attention of Tony and Clint. Making them pause their argument and follow your line of slight.

“Well, Romanoff certainly isn’t bothered by the cold. You’d think she’d want to wear something more comfortable since we’re out of the office,” says the billionaire.

“Actually it is comfy, and warm, and incredibly aerodynamic. She got it for this one mission where she had to go undercover as a prospect for the winter olympics,” Clint explains, “I tried it on once. It felt like I was wearing nothing at all.”

That comment did absolutely nothing to help your thoughts, in fact it only made them less PG then they already were. You’re pretty sure the heat coming from your face could turn the slope below you into a waterfall if you put your head close enough.

Unfortunately for you, your flustered state draws Tony’s questioning gaze from the archer to yourself.

“Erm, Y/N are you okay? You look kind of...wait a minute,” his eyes light up as he interrupts himself, “Oh. My. God. You totally have the hots for Romanoff don’t you?”

“Finally, someone noticed,” Clint happily exposes you.

“Barton, you little shit!” you exclaim in shock, repeatedly trying to jab him in the ribs.

“Oh this is great,” Tony laughs before starting to sing, “Y/N and Natasha sitting in a tre-”

“Shut it, Stark,” you hiss. Taking one of his ski poles and smacking him around the back of the legs, causing him to fall on his back in front of the pair of you with a small ‘oof’.

“Rude. But since you’re like the little sister I never had, I’ll elect to ignore it in favour of being the annoying brother right now. Does she know about the little heart eyes routine you got going on over here?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

You roll your eyes. “Does it look like she’s even remotely interested in me?”

“I don’t know, have you tried asking her?”

“This is Natasha Romanoff we’re talking about here, you think I want to risk making a fool out of myself and ruining our friendship?” you sigh dejectedly and put your chin on top of your knees. “And don’t bother asking Clint about it, I already tried,” you add when you see Tony turn toward the man, who was suddenly very quiet.

The billionaire huffs when he notices his glare isn’t doing anything to crack the archer’s resolve. But when his eyes land on the ramps that sat on one half of the snowy incline, the gears in his head start to turn.

His smirk widens when Clint throws him an encouraging look, clearly thinking along the same lines.

“Hey Y/N, why don’t you do a cool trick or something?” Tony asks while nodding toward the ramps.

“What?” you ask in reply, “What makes you think I can even do a trick?”

“Well, it can’t be that hard. I’ve seen you do loads of complicated acrobatics in training, and what about that time you flipped your motorbike over that bridge?”

“I’m sure Nat would be impressed if you did it,” Clint murmurs, trying to be subtle while eating some snow.

You cut your eyes at them both, wondering what they were up to.

“Fine,” you say. Pulling yourself up and setting off down the hill after thinking about it, it would be pretty cool if you did manage to pull it off.

Once you hit one of the bigger ramps, you lock eyes with Natasha, and your whole mind goes blank. You can’t stop staring and you’re quickly reminded of all those thoughts you’d just had. Which was not ideal, considering you had just launched yourself about 20 feet in the air.

Shit.

Instead of doing some epic flip in the air, you just sail through it and start plummeting to the earth. But lucky for you, you’re an avenger. You’re also heading for a nice pile of snow.

Snow is surprisingly hard, and you groan as you lay buried there, regretting many of your life choices. Not only had you eaten complete shit, you had done it in front of your long time crush. This was the worst trip you had ever been on.

“Leave me to my shame,” you whine as you feel someone undoing your boots from your snowboard before pulling you out by your leg.

Your embarrassment only grows as you look up into green eyes that are filled with worry.

“Are you alright, Y/N?” Natasha asks. Checking you over for any sign of blood or broken bones.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you say, not quite meeting her eyes.

“You gonna explain what that was about then?” she asks with a hint of amusement as she helps you up.

You smile sheepishly and admit, “I was trying to show off.”

“Why?”

Being this close to her now, with her hands still lightly clasping yours and an adorable little frown on her face, you can’t find it in you to lie.

“I was trying to impress you. I really like you Natasha,” you confess quietly.

Her face slackens at your words, and you can feel your stomach sink. You gentle pull your hands from hers, letting out a long breath as you look down. Waiting for whatever her reaction might be.

To your surprise, a gloved hand comes up and cups your jaw. Tilting your head back up before a pair of soft lips land on your own.

You relax into the kiss as she holds you there. Blinking slowly when she pulls back with a sigh.

“I like you too, Y/N,” she says shyly. A smile tugging at her mouth and her face just a bit redder than it was before.

“How come you never said anything?” you ask, still not quite believing this was actually happening.

“I’m not really the best when it come to this whole feelings thing, so I wanted to makes sure that you might have felt the same about me before I did anything,” she trails off.

“Oh.”

The redhead hums. “And for the record you don’t have to impress me. I’ve seen what you can do, it’s pretty badass,” she says with a wink, before holding out her hand. “Now come on, I’ll get you a hot chocolate. Think of it as our first date.”

You can’t help the grin that breaks out onto your face as you take Natasha’s hand and let her drag you back up the mountain.

Maybe this trip wasn’t so bad after all.

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff imagine #black widow #black widow x reader #black widow imagine #natasha romanoff fanfic #avengers x reader #marvel imagine #avengers imagine #marvel

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allthingsfern · 4 years ago

Text

In order, my responses to comments in Reply of my COVID19 era post that was my answer to my question “My answer to my questions: Has the era of COVID19 changed your photography? How? And perhaps also, why?“ I am so confused now...

adventuresofalgy

Algy thinks you are lucky and - certainly if compared with Europeans - perhaps quite unusual in not having experienced a more profound effect on your creative outlets and expression. Many of Algy's creative friends have experienced wide-ranging and often severe impacts on their creativity and associated motivation - and therefore on their mental health as well.

themazette

As @adventuresofalgy Jenny said.... you are lucky...

I am indeed very lucky, or as I think of it, blessed. However, it is no way a US thing, nor even a California thing. I add California, because I know many in the US and around the world think of the Golden State as a haven, a progressive, hippie filled state that is all about peace and love and marijuana. However, that is far from the truth. California is like Germany in the 1920s and 30s. There was Berlin, where there was a wildness in the city that was not shared, and was often looked-down on, by those in the majority of the country, who lived in more conservative areas and who, often, economically could not afford the grand life of partying Berliners. In California it is the same. Except for a few urban areas, the state is full of very conservative folks, and for them, like for those in the cities (and in the rest of the world) this COVID19 era has been devastating. Well, and the fires for Californians have been too.

Even in this cool college town where I live, which is lovely and quiet and inspiring, the painfully empty streets, movie theaters, restaurants, shops (think of all those unemployed people) is (still) staggering. In mid-March last year, right after lockdown, I took several phone videos of the deserted street in our town and the campus, but I could not bring myself to share them, since I knew that so many others here on Tumblr were experiencing the same desolation in many different ways. (I figured: “Why add to the sorrow we are living, almost globally?”) I was overwhelmed by the emptiness of the major (well, major for a small town of around 65,000 people) street where I live and the empty bicycle trails and street on campus. And by empty, I mean that even now, I see maybe 3 cyclists per hour, and very little car traffic. Remember, this is a bicycle town; I do not own a car, doing most all my errands on my bike with its 2 fordable baskets in the rear.

And now, over a year later, that same heavy, oppressive emptiness persists. And no, I am not used to it. And yes, I traveled over the last year, but I found the same suffocating blanket of emptiness in each city I visited, even in Las Vegas. It was unnerving. As a matter of fact, last year when I drove to San Francisco 2 months after lockdown for my birthday, I wound up getting depressed and disoriented, in a city where I lived for almost 7 years. Driving back home across the Golden Gate Bridge with tears of sadness in my eyes on my birthday was not what I expected. However, I did get some solid photos of the malaise that hung thick in the air, a malaise that physically took up the space that once was taken up by crowds of people.

Now, I am also very aware that my situation is unique. (Not a fan of the word exceptional, since it can mean both unique and special, and I do not see my situation as special.) My life situation is very unique in that I have a job I love and I work with a great team of characters. We get work done and we have fun, share about our lives. My job is often, especially since COVID19 first got noticed in early 2020, stressful and demands my colleagues and I learn (and sometimes then teach) lots of new technology and that we adapt to the vagaries of the technology gods, which are sometimes unfriendly and unresponsive. And a big part of my job is trying to figure out how to get the technology gods to like us again and grace us with their gifts. (I never realized, until now, with this discussion, that the troubleshooting that is a big part of my job is creative and probably fuels my photographic creativity. Who knew?) Yet, as a group, my colleagues and I support each other. And I am fortunate to count my closest colleague, Steve, as a friend. We have been a great emotional support to each other over the years and now through this COVID19 era. And I recently was reminded (as if I needed reminding) just how unique my work situation is because I participated in a committee that was going over responses to a UC Davis-wide survey exploring levels of employee satisfaction. My 2 colleagues who were also on that committee and I did not have the complaints that others from other departments shared. We work well together, have supportive management that share what is going on and include us (as mush as possible) in the decision making process. And as a department, we get stuff done.

Possibly the best example of how blessedly unique my situation is is what happened this morning when I was talking (yes, on ZOOM) with my immediate supervisor. We discussed the work related stuff, including how at around 10:30 pm the night before I figured something out about an online tool integration I had never done before that I knew was easy but I did not see as easy until I reread the overly complicated instructions a couple of times and just figured out how and where to cut and paste the lines of code (it was that easy, just fucking cut and paste some lines of JSON code) that got the fucking thing to work. Then we talked about his dealing with his young children returning to school and how “normal” now is not “normal” from before and how disruptive the whole thing has been, yet since we work in a supportive atmosphere (and are both salaried), he was able to deal and keep living.

Then, and you are gonna love this, I shared about my original COVID19 question post and the responses and pretty much said to him what I am sharing here.

We talked for a little over an hour. That kind of rapport is rare, for any job, anywhere.

And then there is another way my situation is unique. In some ways, previous “bad things” were actually a preparation for this era of physical distance and uncertainty. In mid-2019, from July to August, first because of my work related bowling concussion and then an antibiotic resistant infection, I was bedridden for about 5 weeks and then had several absences because of concussion issues, like sudden and extreme anger flare ups, nausea, headaches. But however bad I thought that concussion and infection were, the concussion induced forgetfulness and my desire to sharpen my mind and nurture and nourish it have lead me to become, in my old age, organized. I now often take notes of important stuff, add work and personal dates and notes to my Outlook calendar, and even know what day it is, which bugs my colleagues who often find they have no idea what day and/or date it is. Yep, unique, but the bad concussion shit got me to be organized in ways that I was never able to be before, no matter what I tried. This time, I just fucking get organized, without thinking about it too much. And if I fuck up with my being organized, like I did the other day for work, I admit it, fix it, and move on.

Preparation for isolation (and unexpected natural threats) came by way of the 2018 Northern California (the region where I live) fires that year, which caused the campus to shut down for about a week. (As my friend Steve called it, the smoking break.) And for work, my colleagues and I faced a couple of long term, emergency technical outages that impacted all of the UC Davis faculty, one of them for over a month. Pretty much on a professional and personal level, I was, if not ready, at least getting used to the WTF of whatever life decides to surprise me with. (And lets not forget the really bad fire last September, seen in this video I posted of ash “snow” falling. We did not have to shut down the campus because there was no one there anyway.)

Another aspect of this last year, and one that has been present in my life for a few years now, is the BLM movement and the brutal police violence against Black people in this country. As someone who was a teaching assistant and taught in African American Studies and worked closely with students of color on campus in a student run organization, I was and am still devastated, in part because I know, from hearing so many personal accounts, the pain many of my friends, former colleagues, and former students, are still facing and how overwhelmed they felt and still feel. I understand, if as an outsider, their emotional exhaustion. This has been going on for a while, plus add the years of anti-immigrant hate against the Latinx in the US and the rising tide of violent hate against Asians, and yes, it has been sorrowful. Heartbreaking. And I have, in several ways, including my photography, tried to capture the sorrow and resilience of US people of color. It hurts, almost physically, that many people of color are just tired of talking and dealing with the hate.

So, yes, my situation is unique, but with its own emotionally draining weight. And yes, I am extremely grateful. This leads to the other 2 comments in Reply:

kkomppa

Thank you for sharing, Fern. Very interesting. Like you, I would say my output hasn’t changed much. However, I have sought locations deeper in the wilderness. This has been fulfilling.

schwarzkaeppchen

Really interesting thoughts. We live in strange times, but creativity and motivation comes and goes for so many different reasons. My photography has changed a lot. I used to work as a photographer at events and took portraits for fun... Now I'm officially a portrait photographer.

Both of these comments point to another unique aspect of my life situation: For some of us, our photography and how we do it, has not changed much, and if it has, that has been a part of our overall experience with this art form we love so much.

For me, because of my depressive tendencies, the Zen of photography, at least the way I do it, is therapeutic. And I do not use the term “Zen” lightly here, because my spiritual life has helped me come to terms with the WTF surprises that are pretty much life, if at times the WTF of it is more impactful, as it is during this COVID19 era. And that is part of what I was trying to share with my original post: Before this period of isolation and disorientation, I was already coming to grips with the gospel truth that “creativity and motivation comes and goes for so many different reasons.” as @schwarzkaeppchen said. In no way do I diminish the anguish flared up by these bleak times that impact so many around the world. And really, when you think about it, bleak times have been a norm, at least here in the US, since late 2016, though, of course, lockdowns and physical distance make it all worse. But, at least for me, I try to learn from the bleak times, even if I abhor going through them. And when dealing with the highs and lows of creative energy, at least for me, I have a calm certainty that photography is part of my life and I do not have to worry, since I only love it more each day. And the other side to my certainty is that if someday my love of photography fades, some other treasure of creativity will replace it.

Let’s be real, because of photography. I think about stuff like this and get to have discussions with so many great Tumblr original photographers.

And I am grateful for it, and no, this is not unique to my life situation. I know many of us love being here and sharing the good, the bad, the confounding.

Please think about joining @tvoom and me for InConverversation this month. It has been a long time since we talked, and this COVID19 era will be our topic.

I am grateful for all y’all.

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enkelimagnus · 4 years ago

Text

A Castle in the Forest

Percy x Vex’ahlia, Chapter 11, 2942 words,

A Modern AU, in which Vex is a park ranger taking over the Alabaster Sierras post, and finds much more than she bargained for.

Read on AO3

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Vex had succeeded in evading Vax’s questions about the bow.

She hadn’t really given him the option to speak at all. After resting for the night, her exhaustion had melted away and left all the space for anger. She’d driven out on her truck, not on the motorcycle, but that was only because the bike wouldn’t go on the snow very well. She’d just wanted to get to one of the temples fast.

They let her walk right into a fucking trap. They hid this from her and she could have died. There is going to be a scar on her shoulder, even with the healing she’s received. She wants to scream at all of them.

What if she’s not the first one to get hit by whatever the fuck the fiend is capable of doing? What if there are bodies literring that castle, bodies of innocent people who walked in on a fiend and died because no one fucking warned them?

Her rage carries her through the whole drive, until she stops in a furious screech of tires not far from the temple and basically runs to it. It carries her as she slams her whole body into the door and it bursts open. She doesn’t care about the bruises she’ll have after this.

She’s lucky, she guesses. They’re all there. Pike, and Grog, both priests and Cassandra. Somehow, the latter’s presence is no surprise. They were acting a little weird about everything, after all.

“What the fuck is up with the thing in the castle and why did none of you bother telling me about it?” Vex roars.

She can feel her hands shaking as she balls them into fists, trying to canalize her anger at least somewhat. She’s a professional, she can’t go and yell the heads off of clergy. Or maybe she can. Maybe she needs to, right now, because they let her walk into an incredibly dangerous situation.

Grog is still holding up his axe. He doesn't look specifically aggressive but she knows he’s ready to defend his friends against her if necessary. She appreciates that, even in this situation.

“You saw him?” Cassandra asks, standing up. “Does he… look alright?”

Vex blinks.

She wasn’t expecting this. Cassandra seems concerned, but more about the thing than about the fact Vex was in close contact with it and could have died.

“He’s a smoking fiend in the shape of a humanoid and I don’t know what kind of shit he packs but it made a hole in my shoulder. A big one!” Vex snaps back. “That doesn’t sound alright to me.”

Cassandra’s face hardens in as neutral of a face as Vex has ever seen. Pike reaches for them, gently putting a hand on their arm, beckoning them to sit back down.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Pike says quietly. “Do you need more healing?”

Vex shakes her head. “No. I have a couple of Healing Spells, and my brother gave me a potion. I’m fine.”

She’s mad that they’re showing concern, when they should have told her this was a threat. Pike and Grog make it all worse. They knew, when they took down the Barbed Devil, that it wasn’t the fiend Vex had sensed. And yet, they let her be fooled, let her believe that she’d done her job correctly.

“Lady Vex’ahlia, I think you should sit down,” Father Reynal says then, with his serene priest façade that Vex wants to smash through right now.

Grog gets up to bring another chair and they all stare at her until she moves and sits down at the table. They all settle back down.

There’s a large file on the table, closed and title-less. Vex raises an eyebrow. Father Reynal takes it and pulls it off of the table, away from her prying eyes and wandering hands. Smart of him. Suspicious too. Vex is on high alert and everything right now is a threat.

“I’m not a lady,” she mutters.

“I know,” Father Reynal nods. “But I’m being polite.”

Vex rolls her eyes. “Cut to the chase. What the fuck is going on here? What is that thing and why didn’t you tell me?”

They all settle back in their seats, all tense, all very unwilling to talk. Vex isn’t budging until she’s given answers though. She’ll camp here and harass them until they crack. She doesn’t give a fuck how long it takes.

“We didn’t tell you,” Keeper Yennen starts. “Because there was no reason for you to know. The fiend cannot walk out of the castle, the trail had been condemned by our work, and the secret tunnel was… well, secret.”

Vex sighs slightly. “Until Keyleth told me about it.”

“Our dear Keyleth is not skilled in the art of deception,” Father Reynal adds then. “We should have expected this would happen. But we couldn’t take you into account when all of this started. Your predecessor, Ranger Regae was not… exactly zealous. He was either oblivious to what was happening or didn’t care enough to stop it. All the contrary to you, my lady.”

“Not a lady,” Vex repeats. “Please stop calling me one.”

They nod as well. “Apologies,” they mutter. “Now. As for your other questions…”

Cassandra bristles. “His name is Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III,” they rattle off without even blinking. “Depending on which succession law you follow, he’s either Lord of Whitestone, or just my brother, in which case I am Lady of Whitestone.”

Vex takes a second to take in all of what she’s just been told. The De Rolos are not all dead. At least two remain. She’s staring at one of them, and the other is the thing in the castle. And they’re all covering it up.

“What happened? Because that’s not a person in there anymore,” Vex points out. Cassandra flinches at that.

Well… The eyes flashing to blue and the humanoid voice could belong to a person. The part that had yelled her to run… that could be a person.

“We don’t know exactly,” Cassandra continues, despite her flinching and obvious uncomfort. “We know that he’s been possessed by a fiend. Which I’m guessing you sensed and came in contact with.”

“Do you know how he came in contact with the fiend? What kind of fiend it is?” Vex crosses her arms.

“He.. came back to Whitestone with the fiend already with him. I haven’t been able to get more details from him.”

Every time Cassandra or anyone else says something, it just adds more questions to Vex’s plate. Where was he before coming back? Why had he left in the first place?

“As for the kind,” Father Reynal interjects. “I haven’t gotten to see it up close since he became possessed by it the way he is now, but from Keyleth’s description, it seems like a demonic creature. Perhaps a shadow demon of some kind.”

Shadow demons are more difficult to take down than barbed devils, but they’re not… impossible. Between Keyleth, Pike, Grog and the others, they should have been able to take it down a long time ago… Though it isn’t just a fiend. It’s also Cassandra’s brother. That changes things, she guesses, for all of them. There’s a person trapped in there, the one that made it so Vex could get away.

That’s the thing with possession. There’s always someone else than the creature involved in it.

Vex sighs heavily, putting her hands over her face. “You haven’t told any sort of authority, I’m guessing?” She asks.

“They’ll just… kill him to take out the creature,” Pike points out. “None of us want that to happen. We want him safe. As safe as possible.”

“Or they’ll fuck up the barrier we put up and he’ll be free to roam and probably kill more,” Keeper Yennen adds. “That’s another one of our concerns, and one of the reasons we didn’t tell you. We’re aware rangers have some spellcasting abilities and we did not want to risk you messing with the barrier.”

Vex huffs. “Well, I can’t promise I didn’t do anything but I don’t think my encounter with it fucked up your spell.”

They all fall quiet then. As she looks around the table at these people, these people of faith, of knowledge, of ability, it suddenly dawns on her the mess she’s gotten into. There’s a nobleman possessed by a fiend, with a weapon from the nine hells that shoots holes into people. They’ve been dealing with it for who knows how long, and they’re not getting anywhere. They seem at a standstill.

It’s all terrible. She should run away now. Grab Vax, pack her bags, and never come back to Whitestone again.

She’s not going to succeed at her job here, not when the fiend in the castle is much stronger than she is, not when there are people who won’t let her deal with it quickly and efficiently because it would mean murdering someone. Not that she would murder someone to do her job, but… it’s just another thing to think about.

She should give up and leave.

But where can she go? She can’t go back to Syngorn. Syldor’s made it incredibly clear in the letter she read yesterday. It was only yesterday but it feels like weeks. The emotional distress and the encounter with the fiend, or Percival de Rolo… It all seems so far away.

So she has to stay, and she has to deal with this somewhat. Because there’s no way she can go back to her life when she knows about the thing in the castle. No way. She’s too… stubborn.

“I have many questions,” Vex starts after a moment. “And I want you to answer them to the best of your abilities. If you want me to help in this matter, you’re going to have to be straightforward with me. Honest. If I catch you in a lie, you’re fucked.”

She doesn’t really think she’ll tell any authority about this, but she is going to use every bit of power she has to get her way and get the answers she’s desperate to have.

“Fine,” Cassandra nods. “I think that works with us.”

Vex doesn’t reply that they don’t have a choice anyway. She’s not that big of a dick.

“My very first question,” she moves forward. “How did you know my last name?” She stares at Father Reynal, with his chestnut eyes.

He sighs heavily and takes out the folder that had been on the table when she came in. He slides it over the table towards her and she takes it, and opens it.

Everything. They have everything. They have her grades and report cards from the schools she attended in Syngorn, from the noble general educations to the specialized ones, to the ones from her training with the TWC. Things on Vax as well. And then the Shademurk. Reports on the fire, a copy of the report she wrote for the TWC about what happened. Pictures of her and Saundor at the official parties he dragged her to, both because she was the ranger attached to the Shademurk, but also because she was his trophy, and he wanted to show her off.

She remembers the specific day this photo was taken on. She remembers the pretty green silk dress with the completely open back, almost the exact color of his skin. He’d insisted she made her hair in a way that uncovered her ears. He’d made a braid of vines that wrapped around her neck in a necklace. He’d called her perfect. She’d been the only non-fey in attendance, and all eyes had been on her, and on him, because he’d brought her.

She’s smiling in the photo in front of her. It was taken when she was already tipsy on sweet and heady fey wines. That was why she was smiling so much. The evening hadn’t been pleasant. Some sort of anniversary of something where she’d obviously been there for people to stare at, for Saundor to have. He had not let her move out of his side all evening, arm wrapped around her waist, hard as stone, unmovable. Possessive. She’d already known better than to try and break his hold on her, it had been months after she’d realized he was much, much stronger than her. When he decided to hold her, there was no getting out.

She slams the folder shut when it gets to more details about the fire.

Her hands are shaking when she looks up at the priest in front of her.

“Why?” She asks. Her voice is weak. It’s shaking, it’s ugly.

“We had to know who you were, who had replaced Regae. If you’d be a threat for us and Percival,” Father Reynal explains. “I’m sorry.”

He’s not. It’s obvious he’s not. Vex gets it, but it doesn’t qualm her anger and betrayal. She grabs the file in her hands. “I’m keeping this.”

None of them deny her that. Good. She would have exploded if they did.

Her mind is swimming. The pictures of those nights in the Feywild, the reports on the fire and her escape, the fiend, the trapped noble, her father’s hatred of her, these people… all of it was too much. She needs a fucking break. But they won’t let her have one.

“I need to go for a moment,” she says. This time her voice is steadier, and she’s so incredibly glad.

“You have some decisions to make,” Keeper Yennen nods.

Vex stands up. She’s not as shaky as she expected she would be. “I’ll be telling my brother all of this. You’ve involved him.” She points at the file. “Non negotiable.”

Cassandra looks a little uncomfortable at that but says nothing. Good. She’s getting Vex to help in saving her brother, Vex is involving hers.

This is too much to deal with alone, anyway. She needs Vax by her side with this. Despite everything, she needs his presence, she needs him. They’re both unsteady and neither of them are the rocks the other needs, really. But they’ve got each other and that’s at least something. It would be horrible if they couldn’t have each other.

She walks out of the temple with barely a word. She can’t do the goodbyes and everything else right now. She can’t pretend her mind isn’t full of questions and fears and anger. She needs to take time with all of this.

It’s hard. A part of her feels for Cassandra, and even the rest of them. She can understand why they did what they did, why they hid it from her, from the world. But she’s still so deeply angry about all of it.

And the file just made it so fucking worse. It’s all there, all the things she wishes to forget, all the things she prayed there were no traces of. She hoped the fire of Shademurk destroyed all evidence of her presence there, of the months spent in Saundor’s thrall.

Just like the memories and the scars she bears, just like the bow under her bed, it’s not going to go away this quickly. She should have expected pictures to be taken of the parties, she should have expected the reports to exist somewhere in the system.

What kind of research power did they even have, to acquire such information from her schools in Syngorn and the TWC?

Fuck. She gets into her truck and punches the leather outside of the wheel, cursing out loud. She puts the file down on the passenger seat and exhales. She needs to calm down. Her hands are shaking and she needs to be calmer to drive home, or she’ll drive herself into a fucking tree.

She would have thought being researched would be the worst part. But the worst part is the memories of Saundor the research brings. She’s fought so hard to put this behind her, she’s spent months bothered by horrible nightmares, every time she fell asleep. She’s better now, but this is a lot to deal with.

She really thought she was going to be safe from him now that she was hundreds of miles from the nearest portal to the Feywild. But the memories will not leave her and the scars are still obviously on her skin.

She can’t be safe. Not when she has her memories intact and his bow under her bed. It hasn’t been long enough. Maybe she’ll be done with him in a few years, or a few decades. Hopefully it will fade away faster than what her father did.

Falling from Syldor to Saundor was to be expected, now that she thinks about it. She was desperate for approval from some sort of authority figure and Saundor was that. And he had her wrapped around his little finger within days of meeting him.

Gods, she loved him. At least somewhere in the middle. Not at first, no. It had been all for comfort and pleasure. And then… at the end, it had been fear and hopelessness. But she had loved him in the middle. She’d worshipped him.

The great powerful Lord Saundor the Forsaken.

Her forehead hits the leather covering the wheel and she sighs heavily. She’s so tired. Her fingers find the key and turn it, sending the engine roaring on. The radio turns on with it as contact is made. It’s still on that pop channel since they went for a groceries run whe Vax arrived.

It feels like it happened weeks ago. The onboard calendar says it’s the 28th of Cuersaar. Vax has been in Whitestone for three days.

#mine #fic #critical role #vox machina #perc'ahlia #vex'ahlia

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gravelish · 3 years ago

Text

North of Steamboat Springs (CO)

23 October 2021

It was 28 degrees at 7:30 this morning in Steamboat, so I scraped the ice off the windshield and took a pleasant 30-minute drive on the route I’d originally planned to ride. I had neither the gloves nor the mindset to ride in the cold. But we had all day, so I looked at some other options (below) and settled on a 20-mile loop from Clark, which is half an hour north (by car).

I parked at the Clark Store around noon and followed county roads clockwise. The ride begins with a 1000’ climb on gravel and ends with a quick descent on pavement, but most is on rolling terrain around 8200’. The switch to pavement was right round the ten mile mark. The climb wasn’t too bad, though there were several steep (>10%) pitches (and a notable lack of oxygen). The downhill was fine except for a strong gusty headwind that was tossing my bike around (I’d barely noticed wind earlier, so either it was very localized along RT 129 or it came up quickly.)

There were a few sun breaks early on, but most of the ride was awfully gray. Temperatures were in the mid forties. Most of the aspen have long since lost their color, if not their leaves, though there were occasional flashes of yellow. It definitely felt like winter was coming.

From the Clark Store to mile 8.5 (or so), I was following the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) northbound. Which was sort of cool, since I’ve occasionally considered riding the whole thing (in segments?) from Canada to Antelope Wells. I’ve read a lot about it and watched videos - it’s fun to imagine Ryan van Duzer or Lael Wilcox riding past. Instead, I just had to deal with a few pickups and a bunch of cows. The Clark Store is an important waypoint for southbound riders on the GDMBR, since it comes at the end of a very long stretch with no services. And it’s well equipped with food (groceries and cooked), supplies, a post office, and souvenirs. I picked up a drink and a bag of chips for the drive back into Steamboat.

There were a lot of options for rides near Steamboat. My original plan was the 30-mile loop around Emerald Mountain west of town, but I drove it instead early in the morning and didn’t need to ride it again (though it would be a great loop). There are plenty of roads around the ski area (Steamboat Boulevard, etc) which are probably good riding, but I didn’t really want to pedal past upscale ski condos for an hour. There are good gravel routes south toward Stagecoach Reservoir (more GDMBR) and I think one can ride up to Buffalo Pass east of town (big climb). Rabbit’s Ears Pass south of Steamboat would be a good paved climb. There is also a great network of mountain bike trails immediately west of town and a great paved trail along the Yampa River through town (and several miles farther in each direction). Caution: this is all advice from someone who doesn’t even know the place.

This is the 39th day of our road trip and this is the 25th ride. It will probably be the last ride before we get back to Seattle. We have four more days, but lots of driving and a sketchy weather forecast. Snow is expected here tomorrow morning when we drive out. When I get back to Seattle, I’ll write up a summary of the road trip with links to all the rides. And I’ll also add the rides to my Bike Journal index page.

#bike #bike journal #roadtrip2021 #colorado #steamboat springs

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aetherial-scholar · 3 years ago

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Interview with the Star Crossed Spellblade

► Name ➔ “Silas Tia.”

► Are you single ➔ The Keeper would perk a brow. “I am, though I’m not quite sure why you’d be interested in that information.”

► Are you happy ➔ “As happy as one can be when being asked questions I suppose.”

► Are you angry? ➔ “Not at the moment, though I suppose that could always change.”

NINE FACTS

► Birth Place ➔ “Thanalan, and more precisely within the Goblet. My mother gave birth to my sister and I in our home.”

► Hair Color ➔ The Miqo would perk a brow. “Alright...I know I’m blind in one eye, but can’t you see for yourself? My hair is as black as the night sky, streaks of white scattered throughout. Same as my mothers.” He replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

► Eye Color ➔ Again another brow would perk. “Seriously?” He’d ask, simply shaking his head. “Obviously my blind eye has no color in it, but my other? Some have said it’s more golden, others have said it’s more orange, so how about you decide that for yourself?”

► Birthday ➔ “25th Sun of the Fifth Astral Moon.”

► Mood ➔ “Generally? I’m told I’m relatively calm and not quick to temper, unlike a few members of my family.” The Keeper smirked.

► Gender ➔ “Male.”

► Summer or winter ➔ “Winter. Sure, it might be colder, but the world just looks nicer when the snow is covering the ground. Besides, aside from the occasional ride on my bike, or sitting out stargazing, I don’t do much outside unless Sypha drags me along for one of her crazy schemes.”

► Morning or afternoon ➔ “Both have their perks, but I suppose for me I enjoy the mornings more. Something about sitting and watching the sun rise on a new day...there are times it’s peaceful.”

► Are your parents still married ➔ “Of course they are.”

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

► Are you in love? ➔ Silas would simply tilt his head at the interviewer. “I-I am not, though I’m not quite sure what concern of that is yours.”

► Do you believe in love at first sight? ➔ “In fairness, I’ve never given it much thought, so I’m afraid I cannot answer.”

► Who ended your last relationship? ➔ The Miqo rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve never been in a relationship.”

► Have you ever broken someone’s heart? ➔ “I certainly hope not.”

► Are you afraid of commitments? ➔ “I suppose I’ve never really given it much thought...next question?”

► Have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ Silas was quick to nod his head. “My mother is quite the hugger, so it’s not often I don’t get one when I stop by to visit.”

► Have you ever had a secret admirer? ➔ Again, a brow would perk on Silas’ face. “Isn’t the point of a secret admirer for the person not to know?”

► Have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ “N-Not that I know of?”

SEVEN TRAITS

disorganized / organized / in between.

patient / impatient /in between.

outspoken / reserved / in between.

empathetic / unemphatic / in between.

optimistic / pessimistic / in between.

hard-working / lazy / in between.

loyal / disloyal / unknown / in between.

SIX CHOICES

► Love or lust ➔ “Love. While I’m sure some would argue that lust is just as good, I’ve seen love up close with what my parents have with one another, and thats something I’d like to have for myself some day.”

► Cats or Dogs ➔ “I’m fond of both.”

► Lemonade or iced tea? ➔ “I enjoy both, though if I had to pick my favorite beverage I’d likely have to say hot chocolate. Warms you up a little bit better when it’s cold. Add in a little bit of peppermint flavoring to it...can’t be beat.”

► A few best friends or many regular friends ➔ “I honestly don’t have many friends...usually stay to myself. But, if I had the choice, I’d likely want a few close friends that I know I could trust with my life than several that I couldn’t.”

► Wild night out or romantic night in ➔ “I suppose that would depend. Sypha has dragged me on a few wild adventures in the past, but there are some days I enjoy a quiet night at home as well.”

► Day or night ➔ “Night for sure. Something more calming about the world during that time.”

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

► Been caught sneaking out ?➔ “It’s not often I sneak out, but when I have, nine out of ten times I end up getting caught.”

► Fallen down/up the stairs? ➔ The Miqo’s face darkened ever so slightly. “Do I have to answer that one?”

► Stolen something? ➔ “Only when the need to do so made it to where there were no other options...”

► Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ “No, I can’t say that I have.”

► Wanted to disappear ➔ “What types of questions are these again?”

FOUR PREFERENCES

► Smile or eyes? ➔ “Eyes. Might be an odd answer coming from me since I’m blind in one myself, but I have always believed that someones eyes can tell you alot about them, especially if they’re trying to hide something.”

► Shorter or Taller? ➔ “Honestly, I don’t have a preference when it comes to height.”

► Intelligence or Attraction? ➔ “As far as I’m concerned, intelligence simply adds to the beauty one’s appearance holds.”

► Hook-up or Relationship? ➔ “I suppose it would depend on the dynamic I have with the individual. I wouldn’t be against a relationship, though it would just depend.”

THREE ABOUT FRIENDS

► Do you consider all of your friends good friends? ➔ “The few friends I do have? I’d like to think I’m rather close with each of them.”

► Who is your best friend? ➔ “My sister Sypha. Sure, her and I may argue every so often, but don’t all siblings?”

► Have you ever lost a good friend? ➔ “No, I can’t say I have.”

TWO FOR FAMILY

► Do you and your family get along? ➔ “My father and I have butted heads every so often when he’s been trying to teach me some of his magic, and again, sibling stuff with my sister and I, but I’d like to think we’re a very tight knit family at the end of the day.” Silas replied, a light smile coming to his features.

► Do you see your family often? ➔ “At the moment yes. Still trying to get my own place, so for right now I’m still living at home with my mother and father.”

ONE WHO KNOWS ALL

► Who knows everything about you?➔ “Everything? Sypha, no questions there.”

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD

► Would you say you have a messed up life?➔ “I’d say my life is rather good. Sure, I may have had some hardships over the years, but one’s history is what makes them who they are yeah?”

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devil-kindred · 4 years ago

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let love warm you

Pairing: Jesse Cunningham/Ruthie Campbell (who belongs to the lovely @ma-sulevin)

Rating: T (and full of fluffy goodness)

Summary: With the clinic getting busier every day and the holidays, as well as the annual Davenport charity function fast approaching, Ruthie’s got a lot on her mind to say the least. Add in: one ex-boyfriend, one white-lie, a hot biker who she might have feelings for, a fake-relationship, and a party where said “relationship” is on full display? Turns out Ruthie’s got the recipe for a very interesting holiday.

[or; Ruthie’s friend tell a little white-lie, Jesse agrees to play along, and the two of them find out their feelings for one another aren’t just pretend.]

WC: 7.2k | 1/1

trying the read more again so hopefully it works on desktop!

---

It’s a frigid, snow-filled day in the city of St. Denis and Ruthie is already running behind— without the added aid of steady snowfall. With the weather turning even colder this late into the month and with the holiday being just a few scant days away, it’s an understatement to say the clinic is certainly picking up in business. People staying outside too long while improperly dressed, injuries from cooking mishaps, sports-related injuries, and many others all on top of the normal everyday visits make for the busiest they’ve been in months. … And all the more reason for her to really get a move on before she’s well and truly late.

“Okay, Otto, you know the drill. No strangers in the house, got it?” She smiles as the dog barks once in response and wags his tail as if in agreement. “Good boy. I’ll see you later!” With one last pat to his head she races for the door, pulling on her coat and gloves as she steps outside and locks it behind her. She winds her scarf a little tighter around the collar of her coat as she tromps through the snow to her car— pleased that the snow build-up is minimal enough that it shouldn’t take long to clear.

Roughly twenty minutes later, she sails into the clinic, the bell above the door chiming her arrival as it swings shut behind her. She greets her two usual attendees, Belle and Elle— of no relation despite the similar name— and looks them over with a quizzical stare when they remain mostly silent and seem to disregard her presence. It’s unusual behavior for the two of them, but Ruthie shrugs it off, taking stock of the waiting room’s appearance and noting anything that needs tended to before turning to head into her office.

“You better tell her, Elle, or I will.”

Belle’s voice is stern, breaking the tense silence that had permeated the room, and Ruthie finds herself stopping short, not even half-way across the waiting room. “Tell me what?” She asks, tone wary.

“So…” Elle begins, twisting a lock of hair around her finger and offering a nervous smile when Ruthie only stares even harder. “Benji might’ve stopped in, looking for you?”

“Not unusual of him, but the way you’re talking tells me that’s not what you need to tell me.”

“That’s because it’s not—“ Belle interjects, with a pointed stare at the blonde who’s avoiding looking at either of them. “and if she doesn’t hurry up and say it, I will.”

Ruthie shakes her head as she walks into her office, stowing her belongings and hanging up her jacket as Belle and Elle get into yet another argument. She’s briefly amused by the hushed whispering between the two of them, but any amusement quickly falls away at Belle’s loud yell across the waiting room.

“She told Benji you were dating Arthur’s friend!”

“Belle!”

“I told you if you didn’t hurry, I was going to do it.” She replies sternly, unfazed by Elle’s shocked and slightly wounded expression. “You can tell her the rest.”

“Elle,” Ruthie calls loudly, face flushed hot as she exits her office. “We’re not dating.”

“Well, I just— he’s here all the time!” She sputters, waving her hands as if to accentuate her point. “And I... might’ve also said you were going to the Davenport charity thing together?”

“Estelle!”

The blonde shrinks back at the use of her full name, looking for all the world like she’d love nothing more than to crawl under the desk and stay there. “I just— I panicked, okay! I thought he was going to try and ask you to go with him! And I knew you two had a falling out a while back so I just... said you were going with Cunningham.”

“You said a little more than that.” Belle chimes in, Elle’s outraged scowl only making her grin and shake her head in response. “This is all you, Elle. I told you to look busy and you didn’t listen.”

“He walked right up to the counter! What was I supposed to do, ignore him? Pretend he wasn’t there?”

“Enough both of you.” Ruthie interrupts with a sigh, a hand over her face as she starts mentally running through her schedule. “What’s done is done, but in the future please clear any details about my personal life with me before you go sharing them with other people. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us, so please try to get along. Oh, and his name is Jesse, Elle. You’ve been spending too much time around John.”

With that said, Ruthie heads back into her office to start the day but not before sending out a text to the man in question.

| Ruthie: Any free time around one today?

| Jesse: For you? Always

| Jesse: I might be about… five minutes late? Have to help Javier with something, but we can meet at Tilly’s? I’ll buy you lunch?

Ruthie shakes her head with a smile, a laugh bubbling from her lips as she replies.

| Ruthie: Tilly’s at 1. I’ll wait.

The message sent, she silences her phone and tucks it back into her purse as she settles into her work. She’s got plenty to do, after all.

True to his word, Jesse is late but only marginally so and he steps through the door to Tilly’s with the same smile he always has for her— bright, warm, and charming. He spots her settled into a corner booth, a cup of coffee resting on the table in front of her and heads for her at a quick stride. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he greets, sliding into the booth and grabbing a menu that he passes to her. “Javier had some car trouble. Want me to get you another cup of coffee?”

“That would be great.” She answers, looking over the menu as he reaches for her cup and places it closer to the edge of the table. “Thank you for offering to do lunch.”

“Of course, I bring you coffee all the time so it’s only fair I actually feed you too.”

“Surprised you manage to bring it on the bike.” She teases good-naturedly. His presence always brings her a sense of ease, and she feels a wave of warmth when he laughs and shakes his head. She knows he doesn’t ride to the clinic with it. In fact, she’s seen him park and jog around the corner to the cafe to get it, always leaning as casually as possible against his motorcycle when she emerges to say hello. She knows, but he tries hard to surprise her so she’ll keep it under wraps.

“Were you ready?” He questions as the waitress stops by the table, giving her a nod to go ahead first when she nods. He places his own order after her’s, adding in a refill on her coffee and noting that it’s all on one ticket.

“Don’t let him have too much fun.” The waitress teases, with a smile directed at Ruthie. “He’s just as much trouble as his sister.”

“Very funny, Karen.” The woman laughs and tells them she’ll be back with their order shortly and Jesse’s still smiling when she walks away, though he looks a tad embarrassed for once. “We, the club I mean, come here every weekend for breakfast. Karen usually waits on us, so whenever I’m here without Dawn and the others…” He waves a hand to refer to what had just happened.

“Now, as happy as I am to spend some one-on-one time with you… I’ve got to say I was a little surprised.” He continues, leaning back with an arm draped over the edge of the booth. “Everything going okay at the clinic?”

“Oh, the clinic’s fine.”

“Any run-ins with the O’Driscolls?”

“No, nothing like that. I just… need a favor.”

He relaxes a little, the tension leaving his shoulders, and leans forward to rest an arm on the table while he studies her face.

“I’m happy to help. Is this favor of the ‘I need you to beat someone up’ variety or are we talking something more run of the mill?”

Ruthie makes a face and Jesse can’t help but laugh; her cute scowl only making it harder to contain his amusement.

“Belle’s family hosts this holiday party every year that doubles as a charity fundraiser— everyone that attends donates something— and one of my colleagues might’ve told my ex-boyfriend that you were going to be attending that party. With me.” She blushes a vibrant red at the sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips, ducking her head as she continues. “She might have also said that you were my boyfriend.”

“Did she now?”

“She knows about the MC, just not why you’re usually outside all the time. She means well.”

“Oh, I’m not offended. Flattered, actually. She really thinks we’re dating?” His smile is incredibly wide and Ruthie’s face burns hotter at his intensely visible delight.

“Will you go with me?”

“I’d honored to attend the party with you.” He answers truthfully, adding another teasing look. “And playing the role of the boyfriend should be easy enough. When’s the party?”

“Christmas Eve.”

Jesse blinks once, stunned into silence, as the waitress from before drops off their food before departing.

“I know it’s short notice,” Four days is hardly ample warning time, after all. “And I understand if you have things to do or… plans with someone else.”

“No, no.” He reaches across the table, taking hold of her hand as she reaches for her coffee mug. “Again, I’d love nothing more. Dawn’s spending Christmas Eve with Charles anyways, so it’s not like I’ll be doing anything else important. Besides, what kind of guy would I be if I didn’t help out the cutest doctor I know?”

She pulls her hand from his hold, clearing her throat and turning her attention to her food. “We should probably eat, now. I’ve got about twenty minutes before my next visit.”

“Of course,” he answers, settling back into the booth. “When are you free again?”

“Um… tomorrow night? We close a little early the week of Christmas, but Tuesday’s the day I’ve got the most time available. Why?”

“Well, we should probably get to know each other a little better if we’re going to be convincing, don’t you think? I mean, I know you but I don’t know you.” He studies her carefully for a moment, then asks his next question. “Tomorrow night, your place or mine?”

They only have to pretend for a single night and only while they’re at the party… but still, spending some time alone with him couldn’t hurt. If only to get their stories straight.

“Mine?”

He smiles again, a wide grin that makes her face burn.

“Perfect.”

The following day at around six o’clock, Ruthie’s alerted to Jesse’s arrival by Otto planted in middle of the entryway and barking up a storm. She exits her bedroom, having been looking through the closet for a suitable dress for the party, and quickly makes her way to the front door— shooing Otto back towards the living room.

“I’m going to guess he’s friendly?” He greets, holding out a coffee cup to her as he enters the house and peeks around the corner where Otto sits, tail wagging furiously.

“Otto? Oh, he loves people!” She answers as she takes the offered cup from him, surprised he didn’t know already. “That’s his ‘I really want to see people’ face. He won’t run over unless you tell him to.”

Jesse crouches down, and extends a hand. “Hey there, Otto.” He laughs when the dog in question comes running, barking excitedly and sniffing his hand before thumping down onto the floor for pets and belly rubs.

“Careful, you’ll be doing that the whole time you’re here.”

“That’s alright,” he answers, rubbing Otto’s belly when he rolls over. “I love dogs. Dawn and I were never able to have one growing up.”

His tone strikes Ruthie as a bit sad, and she watches for a moment longer before digging a dog toy out of the basket by the couch. “You can play with him whenever you’d like.” She tosses the ball in his direction and smiles at the way Otto bolts upright at the squeak it emits when Jesse catches it.

“Wanna play?” He stands and checks the vicinity for anything breakable, then tosses the ball into the living room and watches as Otto scampers after it. “Cute little guy.”

“Thanks!” She takes the ball from Otto when he runs back with it, tossing it back into the living room and watching as he runs after it again. “Did you want to sit down?”

“Sure.” He follows her into the living room, taking a seat on the couch beside her. “How was your day?”

“It went well. Saw a few of the regular visitors, handled some new ones, filed a lot of paperwork. Nothing too exciting. How was your’s?”

“Well, can’t have your clinic full of Arthurs.” He jokes, beaming when she laughs. “I did some work at the shop, not that there’s too much to do this time of year. Changed some batteries, replaced a starter… that was about it, honestly. There wasn’t much to do at the clubhouse either.”

“Things quiet down in winter?”

“A little.” He answers carefully, uncertain of how much to say. “Most of the club are either away on business or visiting out of town. Javier’s gone up north to see his girlfriend, Sean and Lenny are on a run, and Micah… who knows. He comes and goes when he feels like it, so it’s really just Dutch, Hosea, and John who are around the clubhouse lately.”

“Does John live there?”

“Yeah, it’s… a long story. Speaking of John,” he answers, an annoyed cast to his gaze. “He’s been acting odd lately, real prickly. You so much as look in his general direction and he’s up in arms, but he won’t talk to anyone about whatever it is that’s got him so wound up. Just clams up and stomps off like whatever is something we’re solely responsible for. It’s like talking to a cactus.”

Ruthie laughs, thunking her cup onto the coffee table as she tries not to double over.

“I’ve never heard anyone put it that way.” She replies, slightly out of breath. “A cactus?”

“I would’ve said porcupine, but that would imply he does more than mope around. We’d help if we could, but since he refuses to let us try… he’ll just have to sort it out himself.” He sets his own cup down on the table, then rests an arm on the back of the couch— his hand just shy of resting on her shoulder. “Enough about the club, tell me about your friends. Will any of them be at the gala?”

“Yes,” Ruthie answers, settling back onto the couch— moving just the slightest bit closer; just enough that Jesse could fully put his arm around her if he wanted— and tucking her legs up beneath her. “Belle’s parents are the hosts, so she’ll be there… Arthur’s supposed to attend as her date so he should be there too if you get bored and need rescued.”

“I could never be bored with you.”

Ruthie stares for a moment, lips parted in shock both at the ease of his words and the way he sounded so sincere. It isn’t until he grins that she shakes herself out of her stupor, raking a hand through her curls as she rushes to break the silence.

“Elle is also attending— you’ve met her too, she usually works the front desk with Belle— though I’m not sure if she has a date or not. Her current situation is… complicated.”

Jesse nods, seeming lost in thought for a moment but quickly turns his attention back to her.

“Any ground rules?”

“Um…”

“Such as… not being overly touchy, being too close, no kissing… anything of that nature?”

“Just don’t make it look like you’re one step away from herding me into the nearest empty room.” She jokes, touched that he was considerate enough to ask. She goes still when he lifts a tattooed hand to brush her hair back from her face with a gentle smile.

“No ravishing you in the closest room, got it.”

“Jesse—“

“I’m kidding,” he says quickly, lifting his hands in surrender. “I assure you, I’ll be a perfect gentleman. Should I prove to be anything less, you’re fully within your rights to give me a good punch.”

“I doubt that will be necessary.”

“By the way, since I neglected to ask earlier, what color is your dress? I’d imagine I should try to coordinate with you.”

“Blue,” she answers, the exact dress coming to mind the instant he asked. “Dark— maybe a shade lighter than the color of Dawn’s bike?”

Jesse nods, gaze alight. “Excellent. When should I pick you up?”

“Ah… six-thirty? It’s a bit of a drive to the Davenport’s, and the event starts at seven. We’ll probably arrive about ten after?”

“Sounds fine to me. I’ll see you Thursday?”

“Thursday,” she echoes, as he smiles once more.

When Christmas Eve rolls around, things seem to go off without a hitch. Ruthie’s ready by six-twenty, fed Otto as well as made sure he’d been let out and back in at least once, and when six-thirty rolls around, Jesse knocks on the front door— timely as ever. Satisfied with everything she got done, Ruthie pulls on her coat and grabs her purse and keys from the entryway table before she steps outside.

“Good evening,” Jesse greets, smiling brightly as always despite the cold. “Are you all set?”

“Ready,” she answers, locking the door and taking his offered arm as the two of them descend the stairs. “You left the car running?”

“Didn’t want you to be cold for long, if you didn’t have to be.” The words are warm and she smiles softly, breaking into a grin when he opens the door for her. “Thank you.”

Once the two of them are settled in and he’s gotten the address for the Davenport’s home plugged into his phone, the duo begin their drive. It takes only slightly longer than Ruthie’s estimate, mostly due to the sheer number of attendees ligering in their vehicles upon reaching the long drive up to the house. Jesse whistles lowly, dark eyes scanning over the building as their vehicle creeps ever closer. Ruthie glances his way, noting his impressed gaze as they finally pull up near the house and park just a few cars down from the doors. He waits to say anything until they’ve made it inside, however, helping her out of her coat and passing it along to the attendee before handing over his own.

“Quite the house.” He says softly, offering his arm once more as the two of them exit the entryway and step into a vast room with glittering chandeliers and marble floors. “I’m not sure what I expected when you said charity event, but this is… something. No wonder Arthur was so nervous about coming here.”

“Arthur? Nervous?”

“Shaking like a leaf.” He jokes, glancing about the room. “So, not to sound ridiculous but uh… what do you do at these things?”

“Mingle,” she answers, recalling the first time she’d attended with Belle and had been at a loss herself. “Eat, if you’re hungry.” She lowers her voice to a whisper, resting a hand against Jesse’s chest when he leans down to hear her and pulls her close with a hand on her waist. “Get slightly drunk on champagne, dance… any of those things.”

“What do you wanna do—“

“Ruthie!”

An older woman’s voice interrupts his words and Jesse straightens, still holding her close as the stranger hurries towards them.

“Oh, you look absolutely beautiful, dear.” She pulls Ruthie into a hug, then steps back. “I’m so glad you could make it! Phillip and I always love seeing you; we’re glad Belle extended the invitation again.” She turns her attention to Jesse, eyebrows raised as she takes in the tattoos on his throat and hands. “She didn’t mention you were bringing a friend along.”

“Jesse Cunningham,” he offers with a million-watt smile, tone polite as ever, even as his posture goes stiff. “Ruthie’s boyfriend. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Davenport.”

“Oh, well isn’t that delightful!” Her earlier uncertainty falls to the way-side, replaced with nothing but joy. “It’s so nice to see younger couples out and about. You know, Belle’s supposedly bringing the man she’s been seeing… but I haven’t been able to find them yet.” She laughs and waves a hand at the crowd. “It won’t be an easy task, but I’m sure they’ll turn up. Do enjoy yourselves and thank you for coming.”

She disappears into the crowd as quickly as she’d approached them and Jesse looks to Ruthie with a wry smile. “I suppose that went well.” His tone is a tad awkward, but he quickly recovers. “You look lovely.”

“You look rather handsome yourself.”

He clears his throat and smiles, turning his head as if embarrassed, and points to the table on the far side of the room. “Champagne?” He questions, taking her hand when she nods and weaving his way through the crowd with her.

They spot Arthur a good ways down, leaning awkwardly against the wall and seeming as if he feels woefully out of place in his suit. Ruthie waves when he glances their way, taking the glass Jesse hands her, and gives a soft smile when he nods in return before resuming his stationary search for Belle. It seems unlike Belle to leave Arthur to fend for himself at the gathering, but Ruthie shrugs it off, guessing she’s tending to something on behalf of her parents.

She and Jesse wander away from the table, making a circuit around the vast room until their glasses are empty, returning to grab another before doing a second walk around. They don’t get far before Jesse stops her, a hand on her waist pulling her flush against him as he bends down to say something.

“You wouldn’t happen to know Detective Fox, would you?”

Ruthie blanches, slipping her arms around him in the appearance of a hug. “That… would be my ex-boyfriend.”

“Thought so.” He murmurs, seeming slightly amused. “He’s not exactly fond of me anyways, but the whole staring daggers bit is a little new.”

Ruthie pulls back with a shake of her head, taking one of his hands in her own as she straightens. “Ignore him.” She sets her glass on a nearby tray, gesturing for Jesse to do the same. “Why don’t we dance?”

“I’d like that.” He chuckles as she leads him to the center of the room, where a myriad of couples are swaying gently to the music drifting through the air and he holds her close as the two of them join in.

They dance for a long while, making it through several songs, only stopping for a bit to eat, and then return to the dance floor— the warmth of the room making it feel as if it’s just the two of them. It’s a lovely moment, and Jesse’s about to say as much when Ruthie steps back— concern in her eyes as she looks at someone behind him.

“Hey, Jesse.” Belle greets, as he turns to face her, and offers a smile before she turns her attention back to Ruthie. “I’ve got a bit of a situation. Think I could borrow you for a bit?”

“Jesse, would you mind if I?”

“No, go ahead. I’ll wait by the stairs, take care of whatever you need to. I can always find Arthur if necessary.”

Belle gives a grateful nod and takes Ruthie’s hand in her own, quickly pulling her along to the staircase and rushing up the steps.

“Belle, what’s going on? Is someone— Oh.” The sight of Elle crumpled on the bed in a puddle of green silk is enough of an answer and Ruthie carefully shuts the door, crossing the room to take a seat at Elle’s side. “What happened?”

“Marston.”

“Oh. Elle—”

“I told him I… I wouldn’t be the back-up. That as much as I like him, that I deserved someone who would want me all the time, not just when things were rocky with someone else.” Elle’s voice wobbles, and the tell-tale shine to her eyes makes Ruthie grab the tissue box from the side table to have at the ready. “I told him I’d be here and that he needed to make his choice.”

“That’s a good thing, Elle. We’ve talked about this.”

“But what if he doesn’t show up?” She asks, the words caught in a sob. “And— And I’m just here?”

“Then it’ll hurt, but you’ll move on. And we’ll get together some night soon, you and Ruthie can come over to my place, we’ll get take-out from that Chinese restaurant you like and get drunk. Play music and dance until you forget all about him.” The words are meant to help soothe her, but only seem to make Elle more upset. “You wanna give it a go, Ruthie?”

Ruthie shakes her head and stands, leaving the tissue box beside Elle as moves to the end of the bed.

“Estelle.” Ruthie’s tone is stern, the kind she only breaks out at the clinic when things are terribly serious. “If John doesn’t show up, then he’ll have made his choice like you told him to. Unfortunately, it’ll mean it’s not the outcome you hoped for, but at least you’ll finally have an answer one way or another.”

Elle sniffles but nods, slowly standing from the bed to go check her make-up in the en suite and leaving Ruthie and Belle to talk amongst themselves.

“Think Arthur would let me kick Marston’s ass, if I asked real nice?”

Ruthie smothers a laugh, smoothing down her gown as Belle watches the en suite for Elle’s return. “I’’m certain Arthur would let you do just about anything, providing you beat him to it on that one.”

“True.” Belle laughs softly, turning to face her friend with a smile. “Thanks for coming up to help. I’ll let you get back to tall, dark, and handsome down there… but if I don’t catch up with you later on, thank you for coming to the party and have a merry christmas.”

“Thank you, Belle. I hope you and Arthur have a merry christmas too.”

With things tended to, Ruthie exits the guest room and begins the rather long trek back through the halls to the party.

Jesse leans against the stairway railing with a nonchalant air, patiently awaiting Ruthie’s return. She’s been gone for a while, but the Davenport home isn’t exactly small and with the main room filled to the brim, he’d imagine the rest of the house is probably fairing much of the same way. Truth be told, he’s having a good time… even if he’s gotten more than a few looks from some of the other guests.

It’s not a stretch to say he and Arthur were the outliers among the men present, and no doubt the clearly visible ink decorating his hands and throat had done little in earning him favor with any of them. … But so long as Ruthie doesn’t mind, neither does he.

He’s not here for them, after all. He’s here for her.

He smiles to himself, recalling how she’d stunned him to the point of speechlessness when she’d stepped out of the house— something he could never tell Dawn unless he’d want to have it used against him until the end of time. … But she truly had looked stunning; still did even with the party now several hours in and with no sign of winding down anytime soon.

He hears footsteps to his left and turns his head, expecting Arthur, and instead finding a rather familiar face staring at him.

“Detective Fox,” Jesse says, politely yet wary of the intensity with which the man is staring at him. “What can I do for you this evening?”

He’d like to think it’s something to do with the club, perhaps Fox looking for some intel on Dutch… but if that’s the case… Jesse will be no help. When he says nothing, Jesse heaves a sigh and closes his eyes briefly— now knowing without a doubt that it’s something else entirely and exactly what he’d been thinking would happen.

“Are we really going to do this?”

“Do what?”

“The whole big bad detective versus the big bad biker posturing thing. It’s a little beneath us, don’t you think?”

Benji scowls but relents, casting a glance towards the top of the staircase where Ruthie had exited with Belle a short while ago before focusing his attention on Jesse.

“Look,” he begins, the tone he uses making Jesse stand to his full height. “she seems to like you and I just want her to be happy.”

“So do I.”

“But I know your kind of people.”

“My kind of people.” Jesse repeats, his smile appearing genial but truly anything but. “And just what is wrong with my kind of people, exactly?”

“You’re a bunch of—“ He lowers his voice as Belle turns her attention their way, worry in her eyes and her hand on Arthur’s arm as he chats with the elder Davenports. “I’m not here to cause a scene and I’m not starting a fight. This isn’t the time or place. But you know.”

“Oh, do I?”

“You—“ Benji pauses, then heaves a deep sigh and collects himself before speaking again. “Just keep her out of whatever trouble you and your people get into. I don’t want to see her hurt.”

Jesse’s expression softens, all the tension and readiness to fight draining from him in a single moment.

“Rest assured I want nothing more than for her to be happy and that her safety is my utmost priority. Now, I’m not stupid enough to try and tell her what to do… but know that if I can keep her out of any trouble the club runs into, I will.”

Benji looks him over, then nods once. “That’s all I needed to hear. Enjoy the rest of your night, Jesse.”

“You too, Benjamin.”

By the time Ruthie returns, Jesse’s back at the foot of the stairs and watching with his usual charming smile as she descends to join him once more.

“Get everything sorted out?”

“Yeah,” she answers, taking his hand when he offers it and stepping down beside him. “Just needed to give Elle a pep-talk.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear everything’s ok.” He scans the room, noting Arthur fiddling with his phone and the frown etched across his features. “Did you want more champagne?” He questions, waving a hand towards the hall leading to the kitchen. “I’d be happy to grab you another glass.”

“I think the two I’ve had were enough, but thank you.” She follows his gaze, tilting her head up to look at him with a teasing lilt to her voice. “Y’know, if you need to talk to Arthur you’re welcome to do so. You don’t have to be stuck with me all night.”

Jesse frowns, looking for all the world like she’d wounded him. “I just need to check in,” he says, nothing short of absolutely apologetic. “Make sure it’s not anything with the club.”

“It’s fine, Jesse. Go on. From what Belle’s told me that looks Arthur is never a good sign, so it’s probably best someone figure out what’s going on before too long.”

“I’ll be right back, sweetheart. I swear.”

The second she nods, he’s striding across the marble flooring towards Arthur and the two of them vanish into the crowd— but not before she gets a glimpse of Arthur looking none too pleased as he seemingly explains things to Jesse. A bad sign indeed.

She scans the room for Belle, but finds no sign of her— and when she looks for Elle, finds the woman checking her phone and seeming lost in thought. Ruthie considers going over to talk to her again; to see if she’s feeling any better… but ultimately decides it’s best to let her have some space for now. Another cursory scan turns up Benji, chatting with what appear to be other members of the department as he weaves his way through the crowd.

Not exactly looking forward to a possible confrontation, she turns and steps into a more crowded portion of the room— weaving her way through the crowd in much of the same manner as he had. She makes polite conversation with anyone who stops her, finally circling back to the bottom of the staircase. There’s still no sign of Jesse, and she briefly considers digging her phone out of her purse… but the sound of the hall door opening with a thud brushes the thought from her mind.

She sights someone coming in through the doors, their suit looking slightly disheveled and hurriedly fixing their bow tie before they head straight for Elle, tapping a hand against her waist and catching her by surprise. Ruthie knows the second Elle turns and flings her arms around him, with so much force that they both nearly topple onto the marble flooring, that it must be John Marston— Elle’s former on and off again flame. He meets her eyes with a nod, face flushed red as he holds Elle close.

She’s happy for the two of them truly; pleased that her words— as well as other’s no doubt— had finally had some impact upon him— and on Elle herself— and that it would seem her friend would no longer be pining away for someone... So why is it that she feels her smile wobble, just the slightest, as she turns away? Feels a wave of sadness wash over her when she catches sight of Arthur chatting with Belle’s parents, with her at his side, finally appearing to relax when he realizes they seem to bear him no ill will for wooing their daughter?

Ruthie shakes her head, turning to make a quick retreat to the other side of the room and before she knows it she’s darting through the archway, her hands closing around the handle of the balcony door as she pushes it open and steps out into the cold. She’s certainly not appropriately dressed for the weather, far from it, and she mumbles under her breath as she wraps her arms around herself in an attempt to stave off the chill.

“All these happy couples and here I am, with a relationship that’s not even real.” She whispers, her breath fogging into little steam clouds in the frigid air.

“Little cold to be outside, isn’t it?”

“Jesse—“ she turns, lips parting and her next words falling away in surprise as he steps out onto the balcony with her— settling his coat around her shoulders. “I... won’t you be cold?”

“I’ll live. Besides, I’m a little more concerned about you.” He waves a hand at her attire, the stunning blue of her dress peeking through where her hands hold the coat lapels together. “You look beautiful, and you all wrapped up in my coat is a delightful sight... but I don’t think that’ll be enough to keep you warm.”

“Good thing you’re out here then.”

She tries to keep a cheerful lilt to her tone, but the concern on Jesse’s face as he steps closer tells her she’s failed.

“Ruthie?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Was it Benji?” He’s scowling darkly when she looks up at him, his own gaze flicking back to the balcony doors with a set to his jaw. “I’ll beat him up if you want.”

“No.” She chokes out, half a laugh and half a catch of emotion in her throat. “Can you just—“

“Take you home?” He asks, expression softening as she nods and he extends a hand— taking the one she’s not holding the borrowed coat shut with as the two of them head back inside. He’s all smiles and polite thank you’s as they weave their way through the still large gathering, giving a wave to John and Elle— still tangled up in one another’s embrace, and in the coat closet no less— and stopping only to bid farewell to Belle and Arthur. Having said their goodbyes, he and Ruthie head back outside— Jesse insisting she keep his coat despite her protests as they hurry through the snowfall to his car.

He opens the passenger side first, helping her in and making sure her skirt doesn’t get caught in the door before he shuts it— resting a hand on the hood of the car to keep his balance as he circles around to the driver’s side. He climbs in quickly, starting up the car and rubbing his hands together to warm them up after he turns on the heat.

“Should’ve asked for my gloves.” He jokes, signature smile in place as Ruthie shakes her head and searches through his coat pockets for the gloves in question. He thanks her when she holds them out, pulling them on before he puts the car in gear, slowly cruising down the drive and out onto the road.

The drive to Ruthie’s house is spent mostly in comfortable silence, interrupted every so often by Jesse inquiring if he has the heat set too high, and he holds her hand for a short while— only letting go when they get back to the more crowded section of town so he can focus on navigating through both the traffic and the weather. Thankfully, the two of them are able to reach her home without too much trouble and Jesse pulls into her driveway with a smile.

“Here, let me walk you up at least.” He turns off the engine and quickly exits the car, circling around to her side to help her out. “I’d be a lousy date if I let you go up by yourself; what if you fell?”

“I’ve walked up to my front door in conditions worse than snow, Jesse.”

He laughs but smiles when she accepts his offered hand and the two of them carefully make their way across the path to the door and up the stairs. He’s taken a half-step back by the time she gets the door unlocked, seeming hesitant to head back to the car, and Ruthie looks him over with a raised brow.

“Leaving so soon? You could come in and warm up a little, if you want.”

“Sure,” he answers, seeming a little lost— something that strikes her as being wholly unlike him. “I’m sure Otto could use some extra love.”

Ruthie laughs as she opens the door and walks in, Jesse following after and greeting Otto— who’d come running the second the door opened. The collie prances around her heels, sniffing Jesse’s coat as Ruthie drapes it over the back of the couch, and Otto barks once before giving Jesse himself the same treatment.

“Hey buddy, how you doin’?” He crouches down and scratches Otto’s ears, the dog looking nothing short of pleased at the attention. “Good boy, aren’t you?”

Ruthie laughs again as Otto barks in response and wags his tail, her face warming slightly when Jesse glances up with a beaming smile of his own. She clears her throat awkwardly, turning her attention away as she takes off her heels and sets them down by the couch— planning to put them away later. “Thanks for letting me borrow your coat, by the way. Belle will probably bring mine by the clinic next week, since it’s easiest.”

“Of course. Wouldn’t do to have my favorite Doc catch a cold.”

“Jesse.”

He averts his gaze, offering an embarrassed smile. “It’s the truth.” He mumbles, giving Otto one last scratch on the ears before he stands, walking away from Otto and stopping just a little ways from Ruthie. He reaches out a hand, as if to pull her close but hesitates and settles for taking one of her hands in his own instead. “Thank you for letting me accompany you. I had a good time tonight, the most fun I’ve had in a long while.”

He leans down, lifting her hand to press a kiss to the back of it with his gaze never once wavering from her own. He lingers for a moment, then gently drops her hand and straightens with bright smile.

“I better get out of here and leave you to what’s left of your evening.” He steps back into the entryway, pausing at the door and turning back with a gentle gaze. “You know... I’m a little sad I won’t be pretending to be your boyfriend anymore. It was fun getting to spend so much time with you, just the two of us. And to be honest...”

He crosses back to where Ruthie stands at the edge of where the entryway and living room meet, hands in the pockets of his slacks.

“Somewhere along the way, I wasn’t pretending anymore. I just... wanted you to know.” He offers a soft smile, then heads back to the door. “Goodnight, Ruthie.”

He steps out into the snow, shutting the door behind him and leaving Ruthie to stand in the living room, the warmth of her home doing nothing to ease the feeling that if she lets him go now… then she’ll never get another chance. She hurries to the door, his coat long forgotten on the back of the couch, and forgoes her heels in her haste to catch him before it’s too late.

“Jesse, wait!” She throws the front door open, knowing Otto will stay inside, and runs out onto the front porch— barefoot and freezing as Jesse halts; then races back to her and comes to a stop half-way up the steps. “Jesse—“

“Ruthie, sweetheart, it’s barely thirty degrees and snowing, please go back inside. You’ll—“

“Jesse,” she says again, the lapels of his jacket held tight in her hands as she interrupts him— where he stopped on the stairs bringing them nearly to eye level with one another. “You said you weren’t pretending anymore… well, I wasn’t either.” She plows ahead, face burning red as he stares in surprised silence. “So… let’s be us, for real this time.”

He studies her for a moment, the scrutiny only making her face burn hotter as the embarrassment sets in, before he breaks into a smile. “I’d kiss you right now, if you’d let me. A real one, not those quick little ones.”

“I’m not stopping you.” She answers with a smile of her own, knowing it’s his way of saying he thought she’d never ask. He pulls her into his arms and she goes willingly, snuggling into the warmth of his embrace as his lips brush her temple in a gentle kiss. “I though you said a real kiss.” She teases, pressing closer as the wind sends a flurry of snow dancing against her exposed skin.

“I did, but you’re freezing. Inside first, to get you warmed up. Then I’ll give you all the kisses you want. I’d even kiss you until sunrise if you wanted.”

She laughs, leaving the warmth of his arms and dashes back to the door— stepping through as he follows, shutting it behind him just as the clock chimes midnight.

“Does the offer still stand?”

“I did say until sunrise.” Jesse steps towards her and pulls Ruthie close, one hand resting on her waist as he leans down— lifting his free hand to cradle her head as he finally kisses her. “Merry Christmas, Ruthie.”

#oc: jesse cunningham #foc: ruthie campbell #x: & we'll just be (you and me)#i'm a few days early #but merry christmas kate! 🥰#i hope i did ok with ruthie and benji!

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