#like it wasn’t even our neighborhood it was my aunts

[carbonateds-oda]

I keep having this reoccurring dream about our neighborhood burning down and it’s usually just part of the house that burns, today there was like a boy I had to carry to the garage and splash water on cuz his legs had been caught on fire

[cultofdixon]

I’m in Love without You

Rick Grimes • She/Her Pronouns • Lori’s Sister!Reader • A near death experience left a lot of hidden deep emotion for a certain sheriff that held the heart of another—-to suddenly come out. But expecting to be disappointed, only leads to disappointment • ANGST/SFW • TW: Near death experience / injuries / anxiety • Flashbacks

Requested by: Anon

Lori’s death was sudden, a bit unexpected. But what were you going to do? You can only prevent death, you can’t stop it once it was set in course.

Even in near-death experiences.

You can only do so much.

It’s been about three weeks since they won the fight with the Governor and took in the Woodbury folk. As much as time helps those forget what happened, it was still a new environment for most.

“You’ve got Judith?” Y/N smiles to Beth as she nods returning the smile. She made sure the two were situated before going to retrieve her axe and pack for the run she was setting out for with Rick.

“Why can’t I go with you again?”

“Because I said so Carl” Rick chuckles fixing the hat on the boy’s head. “Gotta hold up the fort while we’re gone”

“You just want me to be useless”

“Ey, he never said that” Y/N interrupts the two smiles wrapping her arm around the young one’s shoulders. “He wants you safe and he knows you can take care of yourself. But there’s a lot of new people in our community that could use the protection. You’re the right man for the job”

“Why can’t you say things like that?” Carl scoffs at his dad quickly hugging his aunt goodbye.

“I’ll never be as good as her with my words.” Rick smiles at his son bringing his gaze onto Y/N smiling a tad more.

It felt like yesterday. Seeing that smile of his for the first time…

Even if it wasn’t for her.

________

“Mom, Y/N. This is Rick Grimes…my boyfriend” Lori smiles warmly introducing said boyfriend to her mother and sister as their mother beamed at the man.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you!” Their mother smiles shaking hands with him before being her motherly self and bringing him into a hug.

Lori quietly approaches Y/N leaning into her knowing her older sister was going to tell her something.

“He’s perfect ain’t he?”

“Sure is, sis” Y/N smiles for her and smiles a tad more when the Grimes locked eyes with her. Making her quickly turn her gaze. “You two have fun tonight” she says in her softest tone before going back to her room.

Once Y/N reached her room, gently shutting the door behind her. She felt her face heat up and the complexion change indicating the feelings brewing in her chest.

I shouldn’t be feeling this way

________

Even now…right?

Rick took the first driving shift for the run just the two of them as they were going to try the neighborhoods again before delving further.

“Our priorities are formula and anything food or medicine related. Extras can happen after” Rick states about to enter the first house when Y/N had already gotten in clearing the first room then making her way to the kitchen. “You’re eager aren’t yea?”

“Best to keeps this a day trip. We can plan for an overnight run with more people to search for far more then the essentials” Y/N replies as she knelt down to the lower cupboards to go through them and taking every unopened can she could find.

Once Y/N finishes with the kitchen she found Rick standing at the door to the room.

“Why are you just standing there? Not looking through the other rooms?”

“I was watching your back, in case of anythin’”

“I can take care of myself, Rick. Don’t forget which sister actually risked her life to get everything her family needs in your absence” Y/N pushes past the Grimes as his whole body tensed when she said such.

________

“So you’re Rick Grimes?” Glenn questions as Rick was the one to give a questioning look to the man he just met. All he said was his first name. “The only reason we’ve lasted in the building we’re held up in, is because of the eldest Dixon brother and your sister in law”

Rick was relieved to know Y/N was still alive and when he was led to the store they were held up in. He froze seeing Y/N standing there in her own frozen state.

“Holy shit you’re—“

“Is Lori alive? Is Car—-“

“Yeah. They’re alive. But not here. They are in a safe location, we are just trying to find a safe way to get back.”

“Can I help?”

“As long as you don’t pick a fight with anyone but Merle” Y/N scoffs laying the map out and pinpointing a few working vehicles along with Glenn’s route.

________

There has been other moments to prove she can take care of herself. But that was one of the key moments that showed Rick that she’s not the girl he met all those years ago…

She can handle herself

Protect herself and her group

Prioritize without jeopardizing anything

…

She doesn’t need him anymore.

The retired sheriff took lead entering the next house as it seems to have seen better days. A lot of the houses they have been in seem to have been through it. He went through the kitchen noticing some cans scattered on the floor. Unopened. Someone must’ve left in a hurry…this person could still be around. But as he was going to comment on the matter, he noticed Y/N staring at the pictures on the fireplace.

She carefully picked up a frame that held two pictures. A wedding photo in one side and who they were years later. A sort of aching pain grew in her chest when staring at the photos.

“Before your accident, did you ever think about how long you’d last with Lori?” Y/N frowns keeping her attention on the pictures. “I don’t mean like…I expected y’all to separate. I was just curious.”

“Has Lori ever talked about the problems we had?” Rick frowns watching her shoulders tense slightly once being asked such. “Did she and Shane—-“

“No! No…that was a weird thing that happened in the end of the world. We believed him when he said you were dead” She frowns setting the frame back on the fireplace. “But Glenn helped me plan a route to get out of the city from the other side, to get back to your house to see if…I don’t know. You woke up and went there first”

“Why didn’t yea?”

“Glenn brought you in the day I was going to leave to do so” Y/N states leaving the fireplace to go search the rooms avoiding any expression Rick would’ve given her.

“You…never gave up on me?” Rick asks as he follows Y/N into the bathroom watching her take the pills. “Why? Clearly my wife did.”

“Why do you care? Care now! And who gives a fuck what I think—-“ Y/N stopped speaking as she quickly pulled Rick into the room switching their bodies to block the broken pipe the stranger was holding—from hitting Rick in the head.

Before Rick can take out his gun, Y/N was already wrestling with this stranger. Must’ve been the one that left in a hurry—or potentially the one they were running from.

“YOURE IN MY HOME”

“You’re a squatter—-You look nothing like the people in the photographs” Y/N snaps losing her grip on the pipe that separated the two, ignoring what happened in a split second, as she without hesitation drew her knife from its sheath and stabbing the guy in the shoulder to get him to let go of her.

Once his window was open to avoid shooting Y/N in their tussling, Rick took the shot ending the individual’s life watching her body relaxed.

“I’ve always cared about what you thought, Y/N” Rick frowns continuing the conversation from earlier, getting a bit frustrated when she laughed to such.

“Yeah…well, it’s not gonna matter anymore” Y/N sniffled a bit, wiping her nose on her sleeve turning to Rick as he noticed the color that left her face rather quickly. “Never gonna utter words again…”

“What…? What do you—“ Rick brought himself to her side pushing her by the shoulder for her whole body to face him when he noticed. It was a short lived fight, yes. But there were many opportunities to cause harm. Like embedding the broken pipe from before into her side. “Fuck. Y/N. I-I…—-We gotta go back to Hershel”

“Yeah…okay” Y/N frowns gripping the pipe firmly, feeling the rust which was only adding more to the mess. “Gotta pull it out—-“

“What! No—you keep it in until—“

“Shut your pie hole” She groans knowing her window to do what she needed to do was closing. “Take your flannel off. The second I pull it out…you wrap it around the wound as tight as you can.”

How did this happen?! They were wrestling with it. How did it—- Rick’s panicked thoughts flooded him for a moment until Y/N suddenly smacked him back into reality, literally. Then gripping the pipe she pulled it out making Rick rip his flannel off and do exactly what was asked even if pained him to see the pain write itself on her face. Y/N bites down on the inside of her cheek to avoid the screaming in pain that could alter walkers or more psychos. When they were wrestling, Y/N’s grip slipped with the pipe giving the deceased a moment to stab her with it.

But that didn’t matter anymore. Getting back to the prison, and to Hershel was the plan.

Rick had gotten Y/N to the car they took, getting her situated into the backseat bringing himself into the drivers after she was secure. She held her side as the ride commenced, felt extremely slow to her but Rick was driving like a madman.

“You gotta keep talkin’ to me”

“Why…”

“To stay awake!” He snaps, driving over a bump and hearing her wince brought an ache in his chest. “Sorry. Sorry..”

“You know what sucks…about this…”

“What?” Rick frowns not hearing the rest. “What!” He yells which brought Y/N back to reality a moment.

“Never got to tell yea how much I loved you”

The man wanted to stop right there and question her words. But there was a small window and he needed to get back…he wasn’t going to let it go though.

She needs to stay awake.

“W-What are you talking about?”

“You…asked why…uh…I…never gave up” Y/N felt the pain get worse for a moment as she gripped onto the seat of the car. “It was cuz I loved yeah…I’ve been in love with you for years…but it never mattered”

“…Y/N, when did—-“

“Mmm…it doesn’t…uh” Y/N trailed off looking down at the pool of blood she was in. “Hurt as much…”

Right as Rick saw the gates, he pressed hard on the car horn knowing someone will come open the gates but also thought that would keep Y/N awake. But it was white noise to her in that moment. She was drowning in it.

The second the gates opened, Rick brought the car to a harsh stop and Carl noticed no one in the passenger seat making him panic. The young grimes ran over when his father had already stepped out and rushed to the backseat to get Y/N’s now unconscious form out. When Carl noticed, so did others. Which lead to Daryl quickly grabbing the kid so he didn’t interfere with Rick getting Y/N in to see Hershel as Glenn and Maggie quickly followed to see if they can help Hershel in any way.

“Let go of me!”

“You gotta let them get her to the doc, kid. You can ask questions of what happened after”

“I just lost my fucking mom not that long ago! Let the fuck go! I can’t lose anymore family!” Carl snaps at Daryl which lead to him instantly releasing him.

Once Hershel got a hold of Y/N to address her injuries and asking Maggie to help him while Glenn went to get what he asked for. But first he had to kick Rick out and the feeling felt oh so familiar.

Carrying someone you love as they were bleeding out.

To someone who can help.

But the only way for them to work, is for you to be forced out.

Rick stood in front of the cell frozen as Maggie quickly got up moving the curtains they installed to have him not watch what they might have to do. He started to shake out of anxiety, thinking the worse possible thing happening. He stepped back enough to press himself against the wall sliding down to the floor as he tried not to let his mind go as dark as it did when Lori passed.

Carl quickly joined the scene seeing his dad in the same state he was in when his mother passed. He frowns slowly approaching him and sitting beside him noticing the blood on him but not finding the words to talk to him.

It started as two. Then Carol joined to check up on the two, ask if Hershel needed anything, before eventually joining them by sitting on the floor. Next was Daryl as he perched himself on the stairs near by fiddling with his knife to pass the time. Tyreese and Sasha joined once the news spread as they conversed with Carol a bit. After a while Daryl got Rick to get up and go get cleaned up, then Beth showed up sitting with Carl making sure he was okay.

“It’s been a few days and she hasn’t woken up. But she hasn’t gotten worse so that’s the good news” Hershel informs Rick as he was left given the others had to take care of chores, runs, and Rick’s responsibilities. Beth had taken Carl back to his cell so that he can sleep given he hasn’t sleep in a few days.

“You…have any hope she’ll wake up?”

“I do. Cuz it’s been more than four days and she hasn’t come back a walker. She’s simply restin’.” Hershel gave him a reassuring smile gripping his shoulder on his way out of the cell. “Feel free to sit with her”

Rick brought himself to her side growing even more anxious watching how slow her breathing was.

“…why didn’t you say anything sooner” Rick whispers to Y/N’s unconscious body gently taking her hand into both of his. “I…I don’t know if it would’ve changed anything…because I loved her. But that didn’t mean…I didn’t feel anythin’”

It was weird…

He didn’t see it coming and frankly didn’t expect to return said feelings.

There was a small spark forever ago…

________

“Hey, you got a minute?” Rick asks Y/N who was in the middle of packing up her room. Leading to a bit of confusion on Grimes’s end. “What’s going on?”

“I thought we were gonna talk about you.”

“Well, I had a question but now I’m curious on what’s going on”

“You and Lori are moving in together. Our lease is coming up and I’m moving” Y/N lifts the box off her bed and only the pile of full ones. “You satisfied?”

“No, where are you going?”

“Out of Georgia for a while. But don’t worry I’ll be here for your wedding” Y/N quickly looked at Rick noticing how tense he got after she said such. “That’s what you were going to ask right? For my blessing? Lori is a lucky girl”

“You think she’ll say yes? Even if my job is kind of risking my life everyday”

“Only a moron would say no to an amazing guy like you” Y/N smiles warmly toward Rick as he couldn’t stop thinking about how she’s going to move. Leave both of them…leave him in a way.

“You’ll visit right?”

“Gonna miss me Grimes?”

“Always” Rick laughs anxiously as Y/N took a chance bringing herself over to him and hugging the man. He quickly returned the hug holding onto her a bit protectively. “Don’t get into too much trouble”

“I won’t if you don’t”

________

“What am I gonna do without you…” Rick frowns, feeling her hand grip onto his tightly. He quickly straightens up watching her eyes flutter open and immediately regret it because of the headache from being out cold for too long.

“Keep living” She groans slowly sitting up with a bit of Rick’s help. “We gotta do better about sweeping buildings…”

“That’s your first thought?”

“Are you saying that because you think I forgot what I said to you in a weakened state?” Y/N sighs rubbing her face a bit to get the tiredness out of it.

“How long have you felt that way?”

“How long have you?”

“It would’ve ruined everything if either of us had said anything back then.” Rick frowns feeling her hand squeeze his. “So…what does that make us no—“

Y/N cut him off by pressing her lips to his for a short moment before pulling away and watching him chase for more. Which drew a short lived laugh out of her resting her hand on his chest to bring a bit of distance.

“We should take it slow, everything was still very recent…”

“Yeah…’sides, I don’t wanna hurt yea further” Rick frowns feeling the hand on his chest move to hold his cheek as the simple touch led him to sob. “I can’t lose you”

“You’re not going to lose me any time soon”

[selenacosmic]

Romance in the office.

Chapter 28- the flames of the past.

That torturous moment that must have been just minutes felt like centuries, holding onto the love of my life as he breathed weakly, using strength that I didn’t know I had to keep him in a sitting position, unsure if that was still helping him. My mind only cleared a bit when the sound of sirens became louder, a sign that the ambulance to take him to the hospital had arrived. I don’t remember how long it took for them to arrive at the room we were in, given how large the mansion was, but they must have hurried here since they quickly carried Shingen’s unconscious body away. I thought i would follow them immediately into the ambulance, but I couldn’t move when they took him away. I couldn’t… move.

Just like that day.

————

“… lena. Selena! Are you still thinking about your grades? I told you it was fine.” A voice so sweet yet nagging called to me, a sigh following her words. “When I was your age, exams were certainly not consuming my mind. Dates, on the other hand…” her words were playful, as she gently poked my arm with her elbow with a mischievous laughter, careful to not let the groceries fall. My arms were also busy with sacks of groceries, forced to snap out of my thoughts by…

“I am sorry, aunt Ayumi. But if I don’t take these seriously now, I might slack off later on.” After everything that she has done for me, my biggest wish was to be successful enough to make her proud.

Though, aunt Ayumi never seemed to care much about these kinds of things, she always said i didn’t have to work this hard. During most of my teenage years, she was my anchor, my savior in a way. While she wasn’t in a bad situation financially, being a good composer wasn’t enough to keep us well off. It was just barely enough to pay for our food and bills, but i always felt guilty that she wasn’t able to spoil herself more with me to take care of. While I knew her as aunt Ayumi, most people would know her as Eden.

“You are still calling me aunt? I thought we had rehearsed this. Why don’t you try something like ‘mom’?”

“It feels awkward calling you that.”

“Awkward? After all these years? Maybe mom it’s too formal, how about mama?” I cringed at the word the moment it came out of her mouth, making her laugh in amusement.

“I am not a baby. Don’t say words like that in public.” I tried frowning to make a point to her that I was angry, but that didn’t stop her from teasing me mercilessly. I should pray no classmate of mine is around.

“I was only a joke, but you shouldn’t be so stiff. It has been years since i adopted you and it seems like you never get comfortable around me.” We walked side by side back to our house in a peaceful suburb, it was during weekends like these that she would ask for my help to go to the supermarket, to clean around the house or to go shopping, all of it to keep me away from studying.

While I appreciated her efforts to help me take it easy, I couldn’t really relax with so much pressure from the exams that were coming soon. Partially, I was more annoyed than thankful.

“It hasn’t been that long, though. Maybe next time, you should—“ before I could even finish my sentence, which was meant to be a request for her to stop interrupting my study time on weekends, we heard a loud crying noise. The commotion was just a bit ahead of us, as we got closer, we noticed that one of the houses in the neighborhood was catching on fire, it looked like it was just starting.

The smoke was starting to get bad, though… we should contact the firefighters immediately, even if there was no one inside. I took my phone to call for help, luckily it wasn’t difficult to tell them the location of the fire and how bad it was since it was in our neighborhood. I took a quick look at aunt Ayumi to see how she was after seeing the fire, only to noticed that the groceries she was holding fell on the ground, in the panic i didn’t even hear the sound it made. Her eyes were focused on the house, no, rather on something inside the house. I followed her gaze to see that there was a child inside, visible through the window. It seemed like a little girl that was too scared of moving from where she was.

“W-wait! There is a child inside, please hurry up!” My words were coming out in a mess, there was starting appear more smoke, making it difficult to see through the window. All I could think was…

Where is this girl’s mother?!

It looked like she was alone, but now we couldn’t see her more clearly, at this rate the firefighters wouldn’t be able to get here in time to save her. Aunt Ayumi seemed to have the same train of thought, but there was a different glint in her eyes.

“Selena, stay here and wait for help to come. Do not follow me!” Her voice was authoritative, a tone that she had very rarely used with me before.

Before I could react, she ran towards the door while I was still on the line with the emergency, the firefighters would be here soon. She had gone inside!

“Aunt, wait!” I couldn’t even bring myself to explain to the other person on the line that my aunt had gone inside the house, i couldn’t see anything. I tried getting closer to the door that was now wide open from aunt Ayumi bursting inside to get to the girl. I desperately looked inside but didn’t dare go in, it would be even more dangerous to have more people within the house when it could fall at any moment now.

I wish I could go in to help her, but I also wouldn’t disobey her orders and put myself in danger. As my thoughts began to become a mess, finally I could see a silhouette coming closer to the door, my anxiety slowly waning when I saw my aunt carrying the little girl in her arms to get out. She was cradling the child, who was hiding her face on her shoulder.

“Hurry! Get out of there!” I called out to her when I saw that the flames had taken over most of the house.

She was close, just a bit more and she would be out of danger with the girl!

But it was too soon for me to celebrate, one of the pillars inside the house began to collapse from the fire, time seemed to have gone slower as it fell down towards aunt Ayumi as she passed by. She fell down to the floor while holding onto the girl, who screamed when they suddenly fell together. The pillar trapped aunt’s leg badly.

The firefighters weren’t here yet… I couldn’t keep watching any longer, screw her orders! I got inside the house while covering my nose and mouth, squinting my eyes as I made my way towards her. My aunt was also covering her face and the little girl’s to keep the smoke from harming them, the moment she saw me I knew she was angry I disobeyed her.

“I told you to—“ irritated, I interrupted her before she could scold me.

“Now is not the time for that! We need to get you both out of here!” She flinched a bit, but nodded at my words, she knew that there was no room for arguing now.

I walked towards her leg and tried lifting the pillar, to no avail as I wasn’t strong enough to lift it. My arms were shaking from the amount of strength I was putting into it. I looked over at her, she was looking at the little girl and then turned her gaze at me. “Selena… take the girl and leave right now.”

My world sank when she said that, tears pouring from the corners of my eyes. “I am not leaving you here!”

Her gaze was more gentle, without the fear that she was previously feeling. That gaze is one that still haunts me, one of someone willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of others. “And I am not letting my daughter and this child go down with me here. Hurry outside with her, now!”

It felt impossible to decide, aunt was holding the crying little girl towards me to hold, I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes close tightly before making a decision. I grabbed the child from her, feeling the girl hugging my torso tightly and burying her face into my chest, trembling in fear, a reminder that I could still save a life here.

I speed up towards the door, jumping through it before the flames consumed the doorway completely, my arms were enveloped around the girl to cushion her fall as we both hit the ground. A faint sound of sirens were coming closer, the desperate screams of a woman rushing towards me. It was probably the girl’s mother.

Even though I could still hear ringing in my ears from all that adrenaline, my hearing was focusing on the mother, who seemed to have come home from shopping for groceries running towards her daughter. The little girl moved out from my arms to hug her mother… while my own was still inside the house.

I didn’t even see the firefighters coming closer to extinguish the flames, I couldn’t even move or respond when one of them came to ask me questions, all i could muster in a shaky voice was that my mother was still inside. I wish I could scream at them to get her out, but my body froze, my vocal cords froze. I couldn’t move…

I couldn’t move like…

————

Right now… a hand suddenly found its way onto my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. It felt like I was snapped out of my thoughts to look behind me. Shingen’s grandfather was looking down at me while still sitting on his wheelchair.

“You must go to him.” His voice wasn’t as cruel as it was before, but it remained cold while speaking to me.

“… what is this sudden change of heart?” I quickly wiped my tears from my cheeks, not wanting to look more pathetic than I already did.

“It isn’t a change of heart, rather… he would want to have you there. Only an idiot would remain by someone as stubborn as my grandchild’s side, knowing that a situation like this would happen.” I wasn’t sure whether those words were of kindness or an insult, he looked away to gaze at the door, the one where the emergency took Shingen’s unconscious body away. “That is true love, i would say. I shall not interfere with your relationship unless I see it necessary.”

Yeah, i couldn’t like this old man at all, even now. But… he was right, i couldn’t keep thinking that the same things that happened that day is happening now. I must remain by Shingen’s side, just like i promised him. “Thank you.”

“This isn’t worth thanking me for. My foolish grandchild will give you a ride to the hospital, he should be arriving at any minute now to take you there.” Foolish grandchild? Could he be talking about…?

“Yoshimoto? But how…?” As far as I knew, yoshimoto wouldn’t know of what happened here that fast, and his relationship with their grandfather wasn’t the best, unless…

“I called him while you were paralyzed there. That is worth thanking me for. Now run along to the entrance to wait for him, foolish girl.” This old man and his way of calling everyone foolish… fine, now it wasn’t the time to focus on that, i would talk with him during a calmer moment later. I got up from the floor and fixed my clothes, which were a bit stained with blood from when shingen coughed when I was holding him. I started to leave but made a pause when I reached the doorway, looking back at him. Shingen’s grandfather may be arrogant, controlling and certainly not the type to be loving towards his families, but he did care from what I could tell in the end.

“Thank you.” That was all I could say before hurrying up out of there towards the entrance. Although I was in a hurry, I still remember the way that we were guided by the butler, so going back to the entrance wasn’t hard.

And there I waited, until I saw a familiar car approaching.

He really gives me a ride when I am needing help the most, huh?

The moment the car stopped in front of me, the window lowered, I was met with sympathetic eyes. The usually elegant Yoshimoto was a mess, his long beautiful hair was tied in a bun, it looked like it was styled in a hurry. Even in that state, his voice and gaze remained calm.

“I can only imagine how you must be feeling right now, but you can tell me that on the way there.” He unlocked the car door to let me in, and I found comfort in the passenger seat beside him.

“You somehow are always there for me in these situations. Thank you.” I smiled at him, feeling grateful to have a friend like that by my side. Yoshimoto’s reaction was a bit odd, though. He looked away at my words.

“It’s nothing, I am just glad I am able to help you this way.” That was odd… his ears are a bit red—

Oh.

Oh.

Only now did i notice what was happening, and I thought it would be kinder to him to pretend i didn’t notice anything. Better to do that then ruin our current friendship.

“A-anyway, we should go to the hospital, I want to know if the doctors will be able to wake him up. A surgery is unavoidable now.” I changed the subject so that the atmosphere wasn’t completely awkward between us.

“Of course, shingen will need us once he wakes up. I also alerted Yukimura and Kenshin to go there.” And so the car began moving, this time i wouldn’t let panic take over me. Not when i could move towards him, before anymore flames consume us

To be continued….

[jaxteller87]

love bug

Jax’s POV

The roar of motorcycles echoed off all the houses in the neighborhood as I pulled into the driveway. The rest of the gang continued, heading to the clubhouse with the gritty scent of motor oil lingering in the air. Generally, I would have joined them for a little mischief and a bit of whiskey, but I had other things on my mind, more important things. Tossing my cut onto the kitchen table, I noticed a playpen out of the corner of my eye. As I got closer to it, I saw a delicate pink bow and a note written on some pale yellow parchment paper. A while back, Opie and I had stumbled upon this old thing while cleaning out the shed, a definite relic from the past but with a new purpose, seeing as how we needed to make room for the newest addition to the Teller family.

“Cleaned this up and thought the Teller family could use it. Lots of love, Donna and Opie,” the note read.

I had to admit, it looked almost brand new. In fact, if I hadn’t seen it covered in dirt and cobwebs a few weeks ago, I’d probably think it was. I wasn’t sure whether or not Amber had seen it yet, but I felt the urge to find some cute little stuffed animals to throw in there anywhere. On the off chance she didn’t already catch a glimpse of the surprise, I could surely sweeten the deal and send her over the moon in a good way.

Amber’s POV

I ran my fingers over my stomach, acknowledging the thoughtful gesture from our best friends.

“This was so sweet of your aunt and uncle, Love Bug,” I said, rubbing my belly. The cute little cat and dog stuffies that Jax added looked just like two of our current fur babies, which really made my heart melt even more. The next day, before my shift, I wanted to swing over to Opie’s and visit Donna to express our thanks. I knew they would never take any money from us, so Jax had told me to slip it into their mailbox with a note from Clay stating it was a little extra for a run they had pulled a few weeks ago.

After a sluggish day at work, I set a course for home. With exhaustion dragging behind me, I barely made it to the couch before I felt my eyelids getting heavy. Even though it was a tough day, if I’d take a nap now, I’d just be up all night, likely getting into stuff and keeping Jax awake. So, instead of catching some shuteye on the sofa, I made it my point to complete a few chores around the house. Just as I started to fold laundry on the bed, I heard a car pull into the driveway. It was Donna, most likely stopping by to see how I was getting on with Jax running some late-night errands for the club.

“Hey, girl,” I greeted her, wearing a tired smile.

​“Hey!” She reared back for a moment, “Sweetie, don’t take this wrong way, but you look like shit.”

​“Well, nice to see you too,” I joked, welcoming her in.

​“Ah, you know I didn’t mean anything by it, but you really can’t keep pulling all these long shifts in your condition. You’re going to wear yourself too thin.”

​“I know; I don’t want Jax making all the money. I want to contribute financially too, plus I like to stay busy.” I wheeled myself toward the kitchen, “Especially when Jax is out doing club stuff.”

“I get that, it’s just—”

“Seriously, Don, I’m fine,” I opened the fridge and grabbed some juice. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No, that’s okay. I just came by to check on you and Baby Teller,” she replied, settling at the table. “Did Jax say anything to you about Clay forgetting to pay the boys for the last run?”

​I knew she was hinting about the money in the mailbox, and I hoped I wasn’t too tired that I couldn’t keep up the act of playing dumb. “I think he mentioned it. I guess Bobby messed up the split, and they were just seeing it right.”

“Oh. Never knew Bobby to mess up when it came to money,” the look on her face wasn’t entirely clear whether or not she bought it or not, so I quickly kept the conversation moving.

“As for me, everything has been,” I found myself pausing, and I wasn’t sure why exactly, “good, actually.”

​She nodded, but I could feel her eyes on me as if they were pleading with me to dive a little deeper into my thoughts. “Alright,” she said in a long, condescending sort of way. “Can I take a look at the nursery so far?”

​“Of course!” I exclaimed, leading her back the hall.

As we walked into the freshly painted room, she had a surprised look, “Wow, Amber! This is beautiful!”

“Yeah, it’s coming along,” then the hormones hit me like a truck, and I burst into tears. “What if Jax doesn’t want this baby, and he leaves me?” I confessed, blurting it out and letting my vulnerability break through the fragile armor I tried to keep.

​“That’s the pregnancy talking if I ever heard it,” she put her arm around me and rubbed my shoulder.

“But, we conceived the baby, little Love Bug, while he was locked up, in front of two guards even, do you know how embarrassing—”

“Hey, stop that stuff right now. You know the SOA life is anything but glamorous. Just be glad that you and I lucked out and were able to tame our bad boys.” Donna, one of the few privy to the actual circumstances of my pregnancy, reassured me. “It could be worse…”

“Oh yeah? How?” I asked, wiping my nose across my sleeve.

“I don’t know. Like Tig could have been the father or something,” she playfully gagged.

“Yikes,” I thought about it for a minute and realized she was right, and I was most likely overreacting.

“Besides, after Love Bug is born, I’m certain Jax is going to shower you both with so much love that you’ll be the envy of every single mom in Charming.”

“You hear that, little girl? Aunt Donna knows your daddy is going to love you,” I whispered, my hand tenderly caressing the life inside me.

“Woah, hold up, you’re going to have a girl!?” Donna shrieked.

“Yup, found out yesterday. Gemma went with me,” I smiled through the tears that seemed to be a constant companion. Then, the emotions overwhelmed me once again, and I found myself with the waterworks pouring down my rosy cheeks. “Goodness, these damn hormones. I wish they would stop making me cry at the dumbest things. The other day, I cried because I forgot cereal at the store,” I confessed, trying to laugh through it all.

“Yeah, that’s the part of being pregnant I don’t miss,” Donna chuckled, “That and not being able to paint my toenails.”

“Fair point,” I chirped. It wasn’t even that funny, although very accurate, but her remark caused me to laugh like I just heard the funniest joke on the planet.

“But really, Amber, you don’t have anything to worry about. Jax is gonna love her and spoil her; love you and spoil you. I can see it now; she’s gonna have her daddy wrapped around her little finger,” Donna winked and wiggled her pinky in front of my face.

“Thank you for this,” I laughed, feeling the warmth of family support.

“Hey, anytime. That’s what family’s for,” Donna smiled.

A few months later, the hospital room filled with anticipation. I lay there, gazing at a family of orange butterflies outside the window—reminding me of the surreal and symbolic dance of life amid the chaos of childbirth.

“They haven’t left, have they?” Jax asked as he held our newborn daughter, Mary Lynn, in his arms.

“No, they haven’t,” I sighed softly, exhausted, watching the persistent fluttering.

“You want her back, Mom?” he said, flashing his pearly whites at me.

“Of course,” I smiled at him through my tired eyes and reached out for our little Love Bug. Jax carefully stood up from the seat and ever so slowly transferred our sleeping baby girl into my arms.

“Welcome to the family, Mary Lynn Teller,” I smiled, pressing a tender kiss to the top of our daughter’s head. At that moment, surrounded by the gritty echoes of the outlaw world we live in and the delicate dance of butterflies, the Teller family welcomed its newest member.

[hedgiwithapen]

Request Jaime Reyes in Pokemon Arceus setting for dammit hedgi day

Jaime carefully adjusted the satchel that the supply corps had issued him a little lower on his back, so that it wouldn’t press against Khaji Da. It was certainly strange. It looked like standard canvas, the kind of thing tourists wore to hold their valuables, only bulkier. It wouldn’t fit under clothes, that was for sure. It was also easy enough to take off and drop before the Scarab’s armor ate it.

“I do not eat your clothing,” Khaji Da said, when he pointed that out.

“Yeah, well, it goes somewhere doesn’t it? Anyways. I’m just glad this thing fits…way more than it should.” He was already spending most of the money he got for catching pokemon for the professor on clothes. It helped that he could store a couple of spare pairs of pants and kimono-like tops in the waist-pouch, on top of all of the pokeballs, potion bottles, and snacks.

“Like the pokeballs, it appears to be a hyperspace pocket,” Khaji Da explained. “Alert. There is a large Luxio approaching from your left.”

“Oh, gatito enojado.” Jaime grumbled, getting ready to dodge. The pulse of lighting crashed down where he’d been, turning parts of the sandy soil into a much more glassy soil than Jaime was comfortable with.  Even Less Comforting was Khaji’s ‘helpful’ note on just how powerful the strike had been. Back home, it could have powered the neighborhood for a night.

“Suggested course of action: deploy wings.”

“Yeah, but we still gotta find out what this thing’s weak to, for the Professor’s notes.”

“According to my data, Luxio and associated creatures are weak to: plasma blasts.”

“And what else?” Jaime asked, ducking behind a rock formation. “Specifically things that other people here can use?”

“The one we saw earlier did not handle the rockslide caused by the: Geodude  trying to kill us very well.”

“Great. Rock type stuff. Good. See, that’s the kind of thing I can report back without us getting kicked out of the village. Between your observations and my, uh… not dying, we’ll have this pokedex thing done in no time.”

“Indeed. Deploying pokeball now?” Khaji Da waited for Jaime to throw the ball at the confused Luxio.  The orb, unfathomably made of a fruit husk and a bit of polished stone, let out a spark as it locked. Jaime retrieved it.  Jaime had impressed the professor who’d found them, and his assistant Akari, with his aim. He had not let on that Khaji Da had shown him a display calculating the exact trajectory of the pokeball. While the Professor seemed more along the lines of Jenny’s dad than her aunt, he wasn’t inclined to take any risks, especially not with the grumpy captain and commander of the village who already mistrusted him for having the misfortune to fall out of the sky.

“So, are we keeping this one?” he asked.

“Negative, Jaime. It attempted your murder.”

“Angry kitty,” Jaime sighed again. “Most of them do, Khaji. We’re going to need some pokemon on our team at some point, or Zizu is going to get suspicious.”

“We can have pokemon that do not attempt to do you harm,” Khaji relented.

“Starly and Bidoof are not going to cut it, hermano.”

“That is why you have me. I suggest turning east. Notes from other sources [*evesdropping on Akari]  suggest some kind of horse lives on the plains. Perhaps they will be…friendlier.”

The horse, actually a 20 foot tall fire-breathing unicorn, had Not Been Friendlier. Jaime had waved off the Galaxy Team Nurse’s offer to look at the burn on his shoulder, retreating to the ‘room’ that Captain Cyllene had issued him.  As much as he wanted to go home--he missed his family and knew they had to be worried-- he had to admit, he wasn’t going to find a studio apartment as nice as this one for the price of ‘go look at wildlife and tell us about it after’ in Palmera.

As long as no one found out about Khaji Da, this wasn’t the worst way to spend a summer. 

[naartjie-hijabi]

As an Indian from Durban I *totally* get you with that anon ask, and ugh, I’m sorry that you’re getting that sort of thing even online. Like… sure, whilst BEE and such aren’t perfect (most black people in our country still live in the country, people on top profit), they’re not white discrimination. I went to private school and I can tell anon that while on paper things like BEE seem like they’re ’against whites’ or smth, white people here in general still have an INSANE amount of money, connections, and assets from the Apartheid era, often built on the human rights abuses of that time, and most don’t care about helping disadvantaged people in the country now. My parents saved for decades for our house, which is fairly large and built on part of the LAWN of our neighbour’s house (a several story house owned by an older white guy). His kid went to my private school, and so I found out that this wasn’t even the only house he owned. My family only paid off our house last year, since my dad had to drop out of uni as he couldn’t afford it and opted to get a job to support his family instead. He broke his leg at that job and it still hurts him because he couldn’t afford time off to get it fixed. All that inequality from Aparthied, a lot of it and a lot of its echoes are still here. To say that it’s not is… you know?

honestly, I'm just hoping that the previous anon was asking out of good faith and nothing more.

BEE and BBEEE in practice aren't great but these systems that were implemented to ensure that POC have an equal footing with white people are being abused by white people. My dad worked in a company where he was the ONLY person of colour in a management position and getting paid a basic salary whereas his white colleagues got paid more for the same job or even less but he was there for "points" - not that he was unqualified but he wasn't being treated equally.

One of my friends is white and while she is by no means rich, she's fairly middle class altho in SA that's barely anything, but she's slightly more well-off than I am. Even still, her skin colour grants her privilege in walking in places where I as a coloured person would feel so uncomfortable. In 2024, people still stare when your skin colour is different and it's so disgustingly backwards.

But I totally understand how you feel anon. my dad couldn't finish uni cause he dropped out to fight against Apartheid, my mom was friends with Ashley Kriel, a coloured freedom fighter who was killed by the Apartheid regime, my uncle and aunt had to flee the country, meanwhile my aunt back home played white because she has pale skin and my dad who's incredibly dark for a coloured man was called derogatory names growing up because of his skin colour.

I'm also so incredibly sorry for your dad and pray that things will only get better for you and your family and you're totally right, denying the realities of Apartheid and the consequences thereof is a slap in the face to everyone who suffered. The people who complain are the people who benefitted and are more worried about losing what they gained through others' losses than helping or caring about anyone that's not part of their community.

The denial of white privilege and the idea that white people are being discriminated against is ludicrous. I live in CAPE TOWN, opposite every affluent white neighborhood is informal settlements. Hell, the neighborhood I currently live in is a white area and people own FERRARIS whereas my family's car breaks down every 5 minutes.

But anyways, I truly do believe that South Africa will gey better. I love this country wholeheartedly and I just want everyone to experience the same level of privilege and have access to all that is needed to succeed in life.

[bambam1471]

Growing up in the Philippines, the holiday season always held a unique and special magic, creating memories I’ll cherish forever. Filipino Christmas is more than just a holiday; it’s an experience filled with warmth, family togetherness, joy, and centuries-old traditions that have been passed down through generations. Every aspect of a Filipino Christmas, from the early dawn masses to the abundant festive meals, radiates the spirit of unity, generosity, and gratitude. Here are a few of my most cherished memories that define what Christmas in the Philippines means to me.

The Christmas season in the Philippines starts as early as September, known as the “ber” months. This early start brings a festive atmosphere, with holiday songs filling the air and decorations beginning to appear. I still remember the thrill of setting up our Christmas tree with my family (specifically with my Lola), stringing up the lights, and hanging colorful ornaments. But nothing compared to the iconic "parol" lanterns — bright, star-shaped lights representing the Star of Bethlehem — that would glow outside every home. The parol has always been a vivid symbol of hope and light, and I will never forget the feeling of seeing those stars illuminating streets and villages, turning even the most modest neighborhood into a magical scene.

Another tradition I treasure is attending "Simbang Gabi," the series of nine early morning masses held before Christmas. The atmosphere around Simbang Gabi was unforgettable, with churches packed at dawn, the quiet yet uplifting melodies of the choir, and the faint chill in the air. After each mass, families and friends would gather around stalls selling native Filipino treats like "bibingka" and "puto bumbong." I can still remember the taste of the warm rice cakes, freshly cooked and topped with salted eggs, butter, and grated coconut. Sharing these treats in the early morning brought a sense of togetherness that felt as if the entire community was celebrating Christmas as one family.

One of the most memorable aspects of a Filipino Christmas is the noche buena feast, a grand meal held on Christmas Eve. Noche buena wasn’t just a meal but an event that brought my entire extended family together, a night when no one worried about time or the next day. The spread always included traditional dishes like lechon (roasted pig), hamonado (sweet ham), pancit (noodles), and queso de bola (edam cheese). The joy of laughing, eating, and exchanging stories with cousins, uncles, and aunts as we awaited midnight made every year feel unique and unforgettable. It was a night of deep connection and gratitude, where we appreciated not just the food but each other’s company.

Of course, Christmas in the Philippines wouldn’t be complete without "mano po" — a respectful gesture of taking an elder's hand to the forehead, asking for their blessing. For us children, this moment was special, as elders would give small gifts or "aguinaldo" in return, usually in the form of cash. It was not so much about the money as it was about feeling cherished and remembered by the older generation. Every "mano po" felt like a rite of passage, a tradition that taught us to honor family and keep our bonds strong.

Looking back, it’s easy to see why Filipino Christmases have left an indelible mark on my heart. Beyond the parols, the feasts, and the festive spirit, it is the warmth of family and community that makes Filipino Christmas unforgettable. Even as I grow older and celebrate Christmas in different ways, these memories remain a guiding light, reminding me that the true essence of Christmas lies in love, generosity, and the joy of shared traditions.

[venusdian]

The Black Aesthetic - 002

Previous | Chapter 1

"Being Black isn't an Aesthetic, It's culture."

(This is a mixture of 1st & 3rd POV) - 2.2K Words

Marí

────

“MARÍ, WHY IS MY MANAGER IGNORING ME?!” She asks, busting through my office doors. I let out a deep and heavy negro spiritual sigh. Courtney Jackson or you guys may know her as Coco Da Don, is not only my childhood best friend, but she is also a client at this agency. She was originally my client until I took the promotion, and now she’s Noah Laurier’ client, one of our best managers for the company. Now, why he was ignoring her, I did not know which means, I, unfortunately, have to send an email to see what is going on, adding more work to the already stressful workload.

I give her an annoyed groan, hoping she would get the hint, but that’s wishful thinking.

“I don’t know,” I mutter. She sits in the chair across my desk and crosses her legs.

“So, Tailah called me. You found out Greg works at E.W.?” I furrowed my eyebrows. Why are two nigglets talking about my business?

“Why are you guys talking about me?” Courtney waves me off.

“Girl, please! You talk about us all the damn time.”

“In front of your presence.” Courtney waves me off again.

“Ok, anyways. What’s surprising to me is Janine and Greg dating. No offense, is Greg even her type? I mean, she dated Tariq…” Courtney worriedly questions. I pondered the same question, scratching my head, as she had a valid point.

If you would’ve asked us back in school? I would’ve said no, but I was also dating him and was a Tier three crash out over him, but Janine and Greg have contrasting personalities. Janine is nice, bubbly, and a bit dorky, while Greg is her opposite.

“Well, it’s none of our business. They seem happy—” Courtney looked at me, unconvinced by my statement, which is absurd because I meant what I said. If Greg and Janine are happy, why would I judge?

“Courtney, stop looking at me like that. You’re giving Jim Carrey.” Courtney scrunched her face in disgust as I chuckled.

“Don’t do me.”

“Then don’t make that face.” She rolls her eyes, waving me off.

“Anyways, I just don’t believe you’re just going to take this information and just sit on it.” I let out a small sigh and sincerely looked at her.

“Look, You can think what you want, but Greg deserves someone that isn’t as fucked up as me.” Courtney rolls her eyes.

“Marí, you’re not fucked up. You’re human, just like everyone else, and you’re working on bettering yourself anyway.”

“But I don’t plan on staying in Anselm for the rest of my life, and I know Greg wants to.” Courtney sighs.

“What is your quip about Anselm.” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Quip?”

“Yeah, I learned that word doing my daily “learn a new word challenge”.”

“Quip means Witty remark… But, anyways, I just don’t want to stay in a town where my life was an ass at.” Courtney rolled her eyes.

“Oh, come on it wasn’t that b—”

“I lived on Section 8 for my whole adolescence. My mom was never home because she was either busy: Getting high, working at the strip club, or laying up with different men and pretending like I don’t exist. I had to learn how to drive at 10 because the ambulance refused to come to my neighborhood and drive my mother, who had overdosed to the hospital and pray I didn’t die. Sorry that Anselm isn’t some sweet memory for me.” Courtney looked at me feeling guilty for asking me why I hated this stupid town.

I felt bad because it’s not her fault I had a shitty mother out of all of us. I open my mouth to say something, but my phone rings.

“Let me take this.” Courtney nods, getting up. I picked up the phone and pressed my line to show busy.

“Hello?”

“Hey, girl! It’s yo Aunt Ava!” I let out a deep and heavy sigh.

“Ava, why are you calling my office? You don’t have to pretend to like me. The hag is dead.” Ava rolls her eyes.

“Oh, you ain’t gotta be like that, Marí!” I let out another sigh.

“Ava, what do you want? I’m at work.”

“I know, Me too!” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“You have a job? Since when?” Ava groans, annoyed that I asked. Well, excuse the fuck out of me! My Aunt Ava isn’t exactly known for being a hard worker. Honestly, the longest job she’s worked was being a babysitter for me when my mom used to run the streets and even then, she sucked at that too.

“If you must know, nosey! I work as a Principal at E.W.” I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. I know Ava mentioned working at a school but as principal. Who in their right mind would put Ava as the Principal? She couldn’t even be a janitor at the school if it was up to me.

“Ava…”

“Yes?”

“How?”

“I caught the Superintendent cheating on his wife.” I let out a small ahhh.

“Huh, Sounds like you.”

“yup!”

“Wait, So Greg—”

“Hmmm! What about that sexy chocolate thang.” I scrunched my face up in disgust.

“Greg is my ex.”

“And? I’m his future.”

“Ava, don’t piss me off.”

“Why do you care? He has a girlfriend currently.”

“Ava, if you don’t tell me what you want. I’m going to block your number.”

“Aight! Let me use your connections so I can get into Club Blu.”

“Why?”

“I kind of told some of my staff that I can get them in Club Blu.” I take a deep breath.

“When do you plan on going?”

“This Saturday.”

“Fine. I’ll call Johnny and have them look out for you guys.” Ava happily squealed through the phone.

“I knew, You still loved me.” I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone. I leaned my desk chair back and let out a long and heavy sigh. I’m exhausted and it’s not even half my shift.

Tailah

────

I sat at the dining room table, the pamphlet in my hand. I left work early to discuss the Gifted program with Devin. Marí’s words left a mark on me as she was right. Being in regular schooling holding Genesis back, and if it was just up to me? I would’ve signed her up for the gifted program, but Devin holding me back.

I didn’t make Genesis alone, and Devin has every right to be against the idea of putting Genesis in the gifted program, but I don’t want to stifle her growth, and I know Devin feels the same way. I just have to make him see it as such.

Devin comes into the house, and my heart instantly melts, and my clit begins to throb. Devin walks in with his white tank top dirty, and sweaty. His muscles just muscling. I wanted to take him down right then and there. His boot-cut jeans and boots just took me away. Devin walks over and kisses my forehead. His musk was so strong it was like his scent was releasing these Pheromones out of me.

“Tailah, you’re home. I thought it was going to be a long day at the office.” I shake out my arousal, focusing on the task at hand.

“Devin, I wanted to talk to you.” Devin goes to the fridge and grabs the pitcher out of the fridge, humming.

“Wassup, Tee?”

“It’s about Genesis.” He pauses and turns around, concerned.

“Is something wrong with our princess?” I immediately shake my head. I did not need Devin to go crazy. It’s already bad enough, I gotta worry about Marí going insane, but Devin, too? That’s the competition of who can crash out the best.

“No, I just want to talk about Genesis’ education.” I see his face instantly relaxing. He gets a glass from the cupboard, pouring him a glass of juice, then sits at the table with me.

“Wassup, Tee?”

“So, you know Marí went to the Parent-teacher conference, and Her teacher really wants Genesis to try for the gifted program.” Devin takes a sip of his glass, unamused.

“No.” He dryly says. I let out a long and heavy sigh.

“Why not?!”

“Because I don’t want that pressure on my daughter.”

“It’s not pressure if she’s good at it.” Devin shakes his head.

“You know Geniuses have a high suicide rate. She’s only seven, Tee. She just needs to be a child.”

“And she will be! But, she’ll finally be challenged. Mrs. Howard expressed the same thing last year. Why stifle her?” Devin shakes his head.

“Tee, I said no, and that’s final. My daughter is not doing the gifted program. If she wants to be challenged, put her in an after-school program, but I’m not putting her in a class with a bunch of prodigies that are in constant competition to be perfect.” I softly sighed. His tone was serious. I knew he was stuck in his way. I hummed and nodded.

“Ok, De.” Devin takes the pamphlet and rips it up. He walks over and tosses it in the trash can.

“If they recommend this one more time, I will come up there and act like an ass.” Devin threatens. I should be scared, but I wanted him to yoke me up and bend me over on the table and fuck the shit out of me. I look up at him, biting my bottom lip.

“You know, I love when you get angry…” I hummed. Devin leans, licking his lips.

“Oh, yeah?” I silently nod. He hums.

“Well, I gotta finish doing some work, but when I’m done, You can meet me in the shower.”

“Yeah?” I cutely ask. Devin winks.

“Yeah.” He grumbles, caressing my breasts. He bites his bottom lip and silently walks away. His touch lingers on my skin. I know, I should be upset and I am, but Devin will always have a chokehold on me. I may have not gotten what I wanted, but I’m also getting shower sex, so I call that a fair trade.

Marí

────

I exited the Zoom meeting, sighing with relief. That was my last meeting for the day, and that means after these couple of emails are sent, I can get my ass home! I got to Outlook and begin drafting a message when somebody opens my damn office door. I looked up and saw it was Noah.

“Yes?”

“Why is Courtney blowing up my phone?”

“Because she’s your client,” I explained, not looking up from my computer. Don’t be coming into my fucking office asking dumb ass questions. Noah sighs.

“I understand that. But I’m working with Alex Crane and getting her tour started. She should know that.”

“Ok, and? What does that have to do with me?”

“You’re my boss and her best friend—” I took a deep breath and looked up at him.

“You can get Alex to collab with Courtney. You know she’s been trying to get in the music business.” Noah looked at me unsure, taking a seat. I mentally groaned. When I think I can leave early, some bullshit happens.

“I don’t know if Courtney is serious about the music. It’s not like Club bookings where all she has to do is look pretty and party. Music a whole another ball game.” I sighed, pausing my email.

“Look, Courtney is serious about this shit. You just gotta give her the tools to be successful.” Noah sighs.

“Well, I can’t right now. I’m working on a couple of clearances for Alex—” I stop him, leaning on my desk, humming.

“Alex has a studio session soon, right?” Noah nods.

“Yeah.”

“Book her a session. I’ll personally cover the cost of the session. I need you to give Courtney a chance to flourish. She has the chops, but she needs a team to support her endeavors. I gave you my clients because I had faith in you. Courtney may be my best friend, but she’s also a client, as well. She wants to try her hand at music, let her. Your job is to sell it.” I sternly advised him. Noah hums, nodding.

“Alright.” Noah gets up.

“Marí? I have a request.” I hummed, looking up at him.

“I need an assistant. I have twice the workload—” I put my hand up.

“That’s fine. I’m sure I can fit it into the budget. Just talk to HR so they can place an ad out.” Noah’s green eyes happily lit up.

“Thanks, Marí.” I hummed, shooing him away. Noah left the office, leaving me at peace so I could finally leave. As I continued to finish the email, my office phone rang. I let out an irritated sigh. Who in the fuck could be calling me?! I picked up my office phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Marí I need a favor.” Tailah says through the other line. I groaned.

“What?”

“Can you get Genesis at 3:30?”

“What’s wrong with y’all legs?”

“It’s busy giving you a godson.” I gagged.

“Ok, Tailah, I did not have to know that. But, fine. I’ll get her. The last thing she needs is to be traumatized, too.” Tailah kisses her teeth.

“Love you!”

“Sure.” I hung up the phone. I looked at my desk clock, seeing it was 1:43 pm. It takes me an hour to get back into town. If I leave now, I can be there at 3:00, depending on the traffic. I guess I’ll just take my work home. Which I was trying to avoid doing, but She’s the apple of my eye, and I really want a godson.

Tailah owes me.

[yakumtsaki]

Boy do I feel iVan when it comes to this wolfwatching crap, I am OVER IT. I actually went back and checked how long it’s been that I’ve been trying to turn Jojo into a werewolf and it turns out I STARTED IN 2018. It’s literally been two Olympics, absolutely pathetic. Ok Jojo you are 200yo at this point, I really think it’s time for us to give this up and let you die with dignity.

-I’ve never done anything with dignity and I’m not about to start now!

Meanwhile, being disinherited in favor of her wife has reignited the passion in Shajar’s heart.

-Oh darling, I can’t believe you already have a new diabolical plan! It was only last night that you stole my inheritance! You’re a genius!🖤

-Don’t I know it!

Sophie can you just chill with your 20 top-careered pets, your massive lawyer pension, and all of Jojo’s money? What more could you possibly want??

-Oh I’ll tell you what I want, I want Sugar out of here!

Aw come on, he’s not that bad!

-He killed Sandy!

You hated Sandy! You literally danced on her grave!  

-Ya that’s not it, she thinks with Sugar here Sophito’s heirship is disputed.

-SHAJAR YOU GODDAMN IDIOT DON’T TELL HER THAT

 OMG SOPHIE WHO CARES

-I CARE. Now fuck outta here so we can have geriatric relations in our front yard!

-Listen, honey-

-You’ve never called me ‘honey’ before.

-Yes I have, I’m a very affectionate mother.

-No, I mean you LITERALLY have never in my life called-

-LISTEN HERE, BRAT. There, was that better?? Now, you know how much I love your cousin Sugar-

-Don’t you always say Aunt Cyn should have kept the placenta instead of him?

-Well the placenta is very nutritious. As I was saying, even though I love having Sugar around, I think the best thing for him is to leave and make a life for himself.

-Yes, I completely agree, that boy is a liability!

-Grandpa, where did you come from? 

-From another room, I definitely wasn’t hiding behind the fridge.

-Won’t Sugar have a hard time living alone?

-He should have thought of that before he destroyed his marriage!

-Didn’t you have an affair with Max Flexor?

-Yes but I wasn’t stupid enough to get caught! 

-I don’t know guys, I feel like you two have another agenda.

-Us?? An agenda???

-HAHAHA oh son, you are funny! It will be a cold day in Hell when your grandpa and I are not completely honest and selfless! 

-Hey guys, did you tell him about kicking Sugar out on his ass yet? 

-GET OUT OF HERE, SHAJAR

-So Mom and Grandpa want me to kick out Sugar.

-What? And who will change the baby’s diapers?? iVan who’s having a mental breakdown???

-𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙶𝙸𝚁𝙻𝚂 𝚂𝙰𝚈 𝙸'𝙼 𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚃𝚃𝚈 𝙵𝙻𝚈 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙰𝙽 𝙰𝙸🎵

Ngl, I am starting to feel living in our crypt might not be the best lifepath for Sugar. I mean he doesn’t even have a roommate after, you know, he killed Sandy. Ok Sugar, I’m gonna give you one more chance at a family..

..it’s over for you, Matthew Picaso! That’s what you get for pissing me off that time Sophito kept asking you out. 

-JESSICA HOW COULD CHEAT ON ME WITH THIS FREAKSHOW

-I COULDNT HELP IT MATTHEW, WE HAVE THE SAME FACE TEMPLATE. IT WAS FATE

-Jess, I know this is fast as you got divorced 2 hours ago, but when you know, you know! Marry me and let’s fill this neighborhood with our face template!

-Oh Sugar, of course I will! 

-It’s happening. It’s finally happening. I’M SO HAPPY

Ok Jojo calm down.

-I CAN’T.

I gave Jess a nice gothic makeover and moved them into this beautiful Victorian house I of course didn’t build-

-and it’s wedding time!

-OH GOD THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE

We adopted a bunch of pets from Wulf..

..and even Claire (who has a hot new look and a great life which I will cover in the next spare update) shockingly agreed to come over and let bygones be bygones, guaranteeing a more normal co-parenting situation than Sugar barging in her house to beat up Wilfred. Magnanimous queen!

-I’m literally too rich and successful to hold grudges, getting divorced from Sugar was the best thing to ever happen to me!

LOL. Well point is everything was going well-

-AND THEN SUGAR TRIED TO HAVE ANOTHER AUTONOMOUS AFFAIR WITH SOMEONE HE BROUGHT HOME FROM WORK. SUGAR WTF IS YOUR PROBLEM. WHO DOES THIS IN FRONT OF THEIR WIFE, THAT COWORKER DOESNT EVEN LIKE YOU

-I DON’T CARE. I’M NOT MADE FOR MARRIAGE I CAN’T DO IT

HOLY HELL

-GET OUT OF HERE ASSHOLE I CAN’T BELIEVE I RUINED MY MARRIAGE FOR YOU

-OH NOOOOO I’M SO SAD. Don’t worry my bags are already packed!

-Welcome back bro, don’t worry, you’ll always be in the Dean’s List of my heart! 

-NO. NO. YOU WERE GONE. I WATCHED YOU LEAVE. GO BACK TO YOUR WIFE RIGHT NOW

-I AM WIFELESS AND I’M NEVER LEAVING AGAIN. I WILL DIE RIGHT WHERE I WAS BORN: IN YOUR FRONT YARD

-YOU’LL DIE SOONER THAN YOU THINK IF YOU DONT GET THE FUCK OUT

-SOPHITO IS THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED HEIR AND HE SAID I’M WELCOME TO STAY. YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME

-WHY YOU DON-NOSED, TWICE-DIVORCED LITTLE BASTARD. GET OUT OF MY SIGHT

-I’M GOING BUT ONLY BECAUSE I WANT TO

-Aaaah, it’s good to be back in my crypt where I belong! Who should I marry and divorce next? Uncle Daniel’s wife is pretty hot. 

Sugar istg.

[aristocraticvision]

Chapter 358: An Alternate Proposal

Provided he was properly disguised, Michael enjoyed strolling with Helena through the neighborhoods near her aunt’s townhouse. Yet today, even the pleasant weather wasn’t enough to dull his disappointment.

“Are you sure?” Michael asked, stopping.

“Yes, Michael,” Helena replied. “I’m just not ready to go public with our relationship, and if I accompany you to the gala, everyone will know.

“I suppose you’re right,” Michael said. “But I’d still feel better if you were there. Just knowing you were next to me would make all the difference.”

“I know, Michael, but once we let that particular cat out of the bag, there will be no putting it back,” Helena replied. “Besides, would it even be wise for me to go? I mean, I haven’t even met your parents yet.”

Michael grinned.

“Well, I’ve been meaning to ask ...” he said with smirk.

Helena laughed.

“Well, I suppose I walked right into that one,” she said. “Very well, I’m certainly willing to meet your parents if they are.”

“I’m sure they’d be thrilled,” Michael said. “They know I’ve been seeing someone, but I’m not sure even father knows who.”

“I’d be shocked if he didn’t,” Helena said. “Your father always seems quite well informed.”

“True,” Michael said, starting to walk. “But either way, it’s time you were formally presented to them.”

“I guess I don’t have much choice now, do I?” Helena said, taking his arm. “When?”

“How about dinner this weekend?” Michael suggested. “I know they’re going to the opera on Saturday, so Friday seems like a good option. Let me clear it with mother and I’ll let you know tonight.”

“Okay, just promise me you won’t leave my side,” Helena said.

Helena stopped and turned to Michael.

“Perhaps, but they’re also the reigning Prince and Princess of Weston, Michael,” Helena replied. “So forgive me for being just a little nervous.”

“Helena, I’m going to tell you something someone very wise has told me – time without number,” Michael said, smiling and walking forward. “All you have to do is believe in yourself and you’ll be just fine.”

Helena rolled her eyes.

CHAPTER 1 | BEGINNING OF PART 4 | PREV | NEXT

Continent of Oceana | History of Weston | History of Corwyn | History of Torenth | History of Allycia

[milslol]

First Chapter of a book/project I'm writing :)

fair warning this is 3000+ words so it's kinda long but here's some bgm while you read :)

Chapter One: The Cabin in the Woods

I never really hated any of my family. To be honest, I never would have even left them if my parents were still alive. After the crash that took away my parents, I was moved into my grandparents’ house, and that’s where all the issue arose. I still adore my twin sister, and we worked on leaving our grandparents together. We always did everything together and she was in it for the long haul, supporting me through this.

I was fourteen when my parents died. Two years ago at this point. I wish there was some way I could have left my siblings better, ‘cause leaving them was the hardest part. I’ll never let go of the worries I have about Thistle, my youngest brother, who was sent to live with my aunts. I hope they’re taking their best care of him. He deserves it. My older sister,  Scarlett, is doing fine, though. She goes to college at UMass and visits me when she can. We’ve gotten way closer than we ever were before our parents died. It’s nice having someone to talk to and relate to that isn’t across the country. Scar is studying to be a therapist and has really helped me get my mental health back up from the trenches it was in before.

 And then there’s Jett. My identical twin sister and my favorite person on this earth. She didn’t have it nearly as bad with my grandparents as I did. Her fortune allowed her to move in a neighborhood nearby, just outside our family home in Orange, but god I miss her so much. She wanted –needed– to stay nearby. Finish highschool and get into a good school to help support me, and stay near Violett, our best friend. And although both of them insist they’re still just friends, I know what’s truly going on between them. I know how Violett flirts. I’ve seen it firsthand. 

Violett, I should mention, has known me for what seems like my whole life. We met in kindergarten, before I was truly me, and instantly clicked. I’ll never be able to repay her for how much she helped me, but I’m glad she’s stayed with me. We even started a band together. She’s like another member of my family. Certainly more than what my grandparents were. Her undying support is more than I could ever ask for in a friend.

Leaving everyone was like dropping a friend you’ve known all your life. It wasn’t easy, and I knew it never would be, but it had to happen. God, I really do wish I could’ve stayed near my grandparents like Jett did. I could’ve lived with Violett and stayed close to everyone, but the thought of being near that part of my family stung all the more than the loss of face-to-face time with friends. Jett and I spent months in court and signing paperwork, but it was all worth it. Miraculously, some of my extended family was able to assist in the process, both financially and as testimonials, or even legal knowledge in some cases. Emancipation was a big thing and a lot of responsibility on me all at once, but I persevered. We started the process at only fourteen: the youngest age in the country you can do this sort of thing. I wasn’t quite ready to get into the process immediately, due to my unpreparedness. I didn’t think I’d ever have to go through something like this. That damned crash ruined more than just my parents’ lives. I started researching how to escape as much as I could as soon as I heard the news. 

I knew relationships with Nana and Papi would never work out with me. The old ideas they insist are in the bible are cemented into their brains. Ideas against my and many others’ identities. I wasn’t going to change their minds, no matter how hard I tried. No matter how close the people they hated so passionately were to them. It’s crazy how people can be so angered by just a few colors. So ignorant to how the people closeted away from them truly felt. So I hid from them when I had to stay there. Jett and Vi were thankfully  huge supporters, but it was still a terrible experience. They were my escape from the reality I was facing. 

After months of contemplation, I finally set eyes on where I was going to move. Rural Vermont. I had worked at my parents’ place before they died, so jobs there weren't too hard to find. Before I left, I’d already secured a job at a pub in Celadon, the town I had decided on.

Once everything was all settled, I found a small place in that small town. It was a tight fit, but it did the trick. A two-bed, two-and-a-half-bath tiny little cabin down a long driveway in the woods. The cabin looked like it could burn down at any minute, but rent was damn cheap and the place certainly had some self-established character. It was worth it. Celadon was in the middle of nowhere and my house expressed that even more. The long, winding road and flickering orange street lamps that I’m ninety percent sure are still lit by lamplighters in the dark hours of the night made the whole town seem like the set of a horror movie. The powerlines fell so often that they were barely standing afoot any more and the trees, barren ever so much from the winter chill, solidified the spookiness of the town. But it was home. That’s all that truly mattered. Admittedly,  the house was barely standing and the power rarely worked, but  it was the perfect escape from the world. Even when laboring over the woodstove was the only way to reliably keep it warm. It was just what I wanted, even if I could never admit it to myself at the time. It was what I needed. No grandparents complaining about the state of the world. Just me. Miles and miles away from civilization. Or so I thought.

Two years had passed from when I started the process of emancipation until then, but it felt like a lifetime.  By this point, I was already sixteen. Violett was left behind, only visiting when she was able (which was twice by this point, but she’d been planning a third behind my back), and she brought Jett along when she could. Jett always knew when something was wrong, even when we were away. Twin telepathy is real, I guess. I don’t think I’d still be here if it weren’t for Jett. She kept me straight through thick and thin, and I owe my life to her. Literally. She’s saved me time and time again, in more ways than one. I genuinely don’t think I’d be the same person without her.

~~~

A couple weeks after I arrived, I finally succumbed to the boredom and started to explore the area around me trying to find some interesting things built by previous tenants. During one particular expedition, I caught the slightest whiff of smoke. I was out all day, so the woodstove wasn’t running and, as far as I knew, my house was at a dead end, so the origin of this scent was truly a mystery. I was over a mile into the woods at this point, so my best guess was that a small forest fire had started. I’d been keeping track of the areas I’d explored with some chalk I had picked up at the local market. I struck another tree with the crumbling chalk, this one a pale pink color, and heard a burst –almost like that of an explosion– followed by another whiff of smoke, this one a bit stronger than before. I ran toward what I could only assume was the origin of the sound, marking every couple of trees with the pale chalk, dwindling in size, keeping track of just how far into the woods I’d become. 

I eventually spotted a clearing, though I couldn't see a thing inside of it. As I inched closer, I took note of the surrounding area. Burned trees with dying embers softly glowed red where it appeared limbs had been cut off with some sort of hot blade. Well, that explained the scent. A hundred feet away, I’d caught a glimpse of what appeared to be an old cabin at the center of the clearing and I ventured closer, my mind wandering on the possibilities of what I just found. As I continued  marking the trees, I ventured further and further into the dense forest. The cabin came into focus, and I had never been more confused. There was no driveway. No street. Just a house in the middle of the woods that I could only imagine wasn’t marked on any maps. The trees were far too dense for satellite coverage, even in the winter, so my mind jumped at the thought of my discovery. I might’ve been the first person to discover this place. The list of questions that I had is yet to end. 

By this point, I’d pretty much reached the clearing. Taking care to stay hidden behind a bigger tree, I peered inside, at the cabin. Someone– no –something had walked out from behind the mysterious building. They looked inhuman. Their hair was a pale blue color, almost the same hue as the sky right now. Like the hair was mirroring the serenity of the clouded winter sky. This hair was straight and ended at the shoulders. Dark horns protruded from their forehead, a shape not dissimilar to those depicted on demons. Their ears were also something to marvel at. These ears looked almost elfish, but their height did not reflect this as they were standing at about eight feet. It was taller than anyone I’d ever seen. Their stature made them look like someone you’d expect to see in a children’s book, but there was one huge thing that stuck out: they wore nothing but a thin grey t-shirt and some ragged dark-colored pants, covered only by a worn panda onesie. The thing that stuck out the most, though, was the absence of shoes. This being was barefoot in the seventeen-degree weather, resisting the cold of the thin blanket of snow that had reached the surface. What had I found? 

I wandered to a different tree to try to get a better angle; to see if I was just imagining their height or maybe even this entire thing. I needed a new perspective on the situation. Apparently, this idea wasn’t great for masking my presence. The creature had caught a glimpse of me, as they turned their head in my direction and I scurried to cover behind a different tree. They did a double take but gave up almost immediately. They must have thought they'd been seeing things, or at least that’s what I had hoped. Maybe they just assumed I was an animal. A deer, perhaps. Maybe a moose. I think we have those around here.

I had adjusted myself to try to peer around the tree without risk of getting spotted again, and I had just managed to catch the being put their hand out and a little orange flame burst out from their palm with a noise of a popping sound. The same one I’d heard earlier

“Well, there’s the source of the scent and the trees.” I muttered too loudly for my comfort. I rushed behind a new tree, trying for a better angle to see them without getting caught, hoping not to make any noise from the leaves crunching under my boots as I ran. Miraculously, I didn’t end up getting caught in the glimpse of the mysterious humanoid creature. 

I’d made it as far as I had; what was the harm in running out and revealing myself? I wondered. No, I couldn't do that. That’d only be childish. I wanted to make a good impression, not embarrass myself first thing. I gave in and decided to head home so I could wait until I managed to think of a solid plan that made me seem mature.

~~~

A couple days had passed. I spent the time I wasn’t working thinking of a plan. A plan to talk to this new, mysterious being. I’m 5’7. Not the tallest grape in the bunch and this being towered over me and had fire powers. My best guess was that they’re a demon. What’s the other possibility? The horns, height, powers, even the ears, for fuck’s sake. It made sense. I had to make a good first impression so I wouldn’t get attacked. Or worse. I didn’t want to think about those possibilities.

The plan was simple. Or so I thought. 

After a few days of contemplation, my plans were set. I was going to walk to their house and just– show up, say hi, just get right to it. Hope they’re outside, and if not, I’d wait around. Wander the surrounding area until they were. I felt knocking on their door would just be plain weird. Too blunt for my taste.

And so I did. I set off in the same direction as last time, following my fading pink chalk. It’s useful for more than just getting back, I had found out. I decided to add an extra line of chalk to each of the trees I passed, this time in a bright baby blue hue. I was about three quarters of the way there when I heard a rustling sound not fifteen feet away from where I was standing. I had seen a moose just a minute before, but it didn’t make the same sounds as I had just heard. These sounds sounded like those of a smaller creature. Not tiny like a hare or a possum, but like… medium sized. Almost human-sized. I looked around, but saw nothing immediately. I knew there had to be something. Someone. And I had my bets on who it was. 

“Who goes there?” I yell out in the direction I’d last heard them in. “You can say hi; I promise I don’t bite,” I said, my voice cracking with nerves. More rustling followed this and the horns disappeared from the bush, followed by the snap of a branch. “I could see your horns. You can really use a better job at hiding next time, you know.” I called out. I wondered how they were able to fit in that bush, as it wasn’t super huge and definitely couldn’t fit someone as tall as the demon creature I’d seen just a few days before.

More leaves rustled. I turned my head and caught the smallest glimpse of the same dark red horns I’d previously seen. I assumed it was the demon creature. This simplified my plans.

“Hi. What… are you? Are you a human? I can’t be seen with you. I need to leave. Go away. My dad will send me back if he learns I was in contact with another human.” The being emerged, nervously backing away from me. They had the same face, the same horns, the same ears, even the same onesie as when I’d last seen them, but I couldn’t help but notice the fiery golden shade their hair had become. It was much longer too, braided in the back and around the horns. It was actually quite a pretty color, but I wondered how it changed so much. More notably, they were significantly shorter. They still towered over me, but now they were just over six feet. A height much less intimidating than the eight feet they were before.

“I’m a human, and best guess is that you aren’t. I’m not sure who your father is, and not sure if I’d want to know, but what I do know is that you seem more scared of me than I am of you. Honestly, I didn't think that was possible.” After I’d said that, I felt as if my words had come off meaner than they should have. They seemed almost passive-aggressive; maybe even insulting.

“Well. I guess you seem like a nice human,” A rush of relief was sent through my body. “I’m sure my parents will understand. This conversation is already long enough for them to be angry regardless. I’m Sap, by the way. Named for the yellow stuff from the trees, and as you probably had assumed, I’m a dæmon, but it seems like that hasn’t put you off too much. Do my horns make you uncomfortable? I can hide them if they do.” Their tone softened from a nervous squeak as they said this. It seemed they were slowly becoming more comfortable around me. Their hair softened, pulling itself out of the braids and turning a beautiful lavender color. The braids wrapped around their horns stayed in place, only changing to a pale pink hue, eerily similar to the chalk I had used to mark my way to their house just a few days before. I looked away before they could catch me staring. They stepped closer to me, moving to just a few feet away from me. Their shimmering eyes caught my glimpse and they appeared to be a vibrant lilac color. One of the most beautiful colors I’d ever seen.

After a few seconds of silence, I decided to finish the introductions: “I’m Indigoh Seren Trench, and no, the horns are fine, I promise. Nice to meet you. I live a few miles that way.” I pointed in the relative direction of my house. Using my middle name in introductions had somehow become standard. It’s one of the only things I still have from my parents, and now it’s just become standard when introducing myself. It’s my way of honoring them as much as I still can. “Honestly, I thought I lived as deep in this dense fucking forest as I possibly could. I didn’t expect to see anyone back here.”

“Well, Indigoh Seren, it seems you thought wrong. It’s fine; everyone else thinks that. Well, most of the time. There were two that managed to find me out here. Pretty low number for the amount of time I’ve been here. They’re all so recent, too. Maybe humanity is slowly starting to gain the intelligence it’s lacked all these years.” Sheesh. Harsh, but they’re right. Tell that to my grandmother. She’ll really get a kick out of that.

I didn’t say it out loud, but we hadn’t moved, and I was starting to get cold. I’ll never know how they don’t get cold, even with them being a dæmon and all. 

“Well, Sap, would you like to come back to my place? I can get you something to drink or eat, maybe start up the woodstove and heat up the place, though it seems like you don’t need that being out here in the snow barefoot and all.” I offered.

“Really? I’ve never been to any human’s house before.”

 "Maybe you can show me to your place instead, and I’ll meet you there tomorrow. I’ll show you to my house at some point if you really want to see it.” I didn’t tell them I had already been to their house. I don’t think I ever will.

“I think I know where you reside. Is it 114 Mulberry Drive? I remember when they built that house. Scary times. My dads almost made me move somewhere else.” They said, seeming to suddenly recall their suppressed memory.

“Yeah, it is,” I laughed it off. “Do you want to meet there tomorrow and give me the quickest route to your place? I can imagine you know these woods far better than anyone else.”

“Sounds good. See you at this time tomorrow, then?”

I agreed, and we parted ways. Out of all the interactions we had in my head when I was planning everything out, that was none of them. The meeting in the woods was quite a surprise and I never figured out what they were doing there. Or really how they ended up there in the first place.

~~~

About a week has passed since that day. I’ve learned so much about who they are, what they’re capable of, and why they’re here. Apparently, their hair changes depending on their mood. Their eyes too, but I didn’t get close enough to take note of them at all until they had stepped closer to me. Such a fascinating ability that deep inside a part of me envies. As they told me their story, it seemed like there was a lot of regret in their life. Like there was something they’ve longed for, though I’m not sure if I’ll ever learn what that something is. 

Despite the circumstances, we’ve gotten along very well and I’m very eager to learn more about them and become closer with them. I’m glad to have stumbled upon them. It seems all the fear simmering between us has subsided by now, which casts a blanket of relief over the two of us. It’s refreshing. I think I’ll stay here.

~~~

[dailyunstableeve]

Dawn

Chapter (2/10)

Miguel O'Hara x My Oc (Eve)

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“Don’t forget about the practice tonight,” Chris reminded Eve.

“Chris, you know I don’t go for practices,” Eve groaned, “those people are boring as hell.”

“What about your scores?”

“Oh wait, did you forget I’m the only one who keeps getting the best score myself?” Eve smug.

“Yeah, but what about teamwork?”

“I would rather believe the saying of, the most talented person is always the loner.”

“Oh my god, can you pick another bullshit for me?” Chris looked at Eve.

“Nah, that bullshit is my call,” Eve laughed, “don’t worry, I’ll pick you if my shift wasn’t long.”

“Okay, stay safe okay?” Chris looked concerned, “I saw what you threw away this morning.”

Chris saw Eve throw away a bag of blood stained tissues and bandages.

“Alright, keep your nose to yourself,” Eve flicked Chris’ forehead, “it's just a scratch from shift last night, no worries.”

“Okay, see you later.”

“Bye.”

Both of the best friends walked the different direction, now the best friends are separate, SpiderMan can finally observe Eve more closely, he has to wait for hours until their classes are over.

Eve had her new earphone on and blasting music, the neighborhood seemed to know Eve, all of them greeted Eve as she walked by and when she crossed the road, the cars just casually drove by her, as if they knew Eve could handle herself. The students seem to be scared of her but the others don't seem to be scared of Eve, rather than being very friendly to her.

SpiderMan took off his suit and mask, walking out from the alley like a normal citizen. Eve gave him a lot of suspicion and he wants to find out if his guesses are right.

“Hey, I heard your bathroom was leaking, do you want me to go help you fix it?” A man asked Eve.

“Oh no, did it leak down to Aunt Sally’s kitchen?” Eve took off one side of the earphone.

“Yeah, she came talking to me, I checked her ceilings and it’s from your bathroom,” the man continued.

“Sure, tomorrow morning? When I head to school, you can drop by,” Eve asked.

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

“Apprentice that, Johnny, what’s for the payment?”

“Ah you know it, my mom misses your cooking,” Johnny smiled, “everyone loves it when she has that big smile on her face.”

“I know, me too, okay, just give me a date and I’ll bring Chris with me,” Eve reached out her fist.

“You’re the best Eve,” Johnny reaches out his fist as well, they do a fist bump and Eve walks away.

Every five shops Eve walks past, at least three would ask her to stay for a conversation, most of them are just checking up on her, see whether she needed help or they have a job for Eve.

“Hi, I was wondering if you would like to do an interview with me?” Miguel walked up to one of the shops.

“Sure, no problem,” the shopkeeper said.

“I saw you and many others helping out the girl who walked past here,” Miguel started.

“Ah! You must be talking about Eve!” The shopkeeper laughed.

“Eve? Did you just say Eve?” The shopkeeper’s wife quickly walked out from the back side of the shop.

“No darling, just some interviews,” the shopkeeper settled his wife on a chair, “well, I thought the interviews about Eve had already ended for a very long time?”

“I just passed by, and I saw what happened so I was curious,” Miguel gently smiled.

“I see.”

“Well, would you mind telling me about what happened?”

“Eve is a very strong child, even though she was abandoned by her family, when one of us found her, she was crying in the back alley. Eve was just a 4 years old child, so when the news was out from this area, we decided to help her out,” the shopkeeper explained.

“What surprised us, she knows how to cook and act like a grown lady even though she's just a small child,” the wife chuckled, “this whole town is happy to have her.”

“Has anything strange happened to her before?” Miguel asked.

“Strange? Our Eve is no strange, she always looks after us as we watch over her as well, though, around her puberty age, she started to turn into a cold person, maybe it’s because she has to deal with the lady stuff so she tends to hide it,” the wife continued.

“I saw the cars just driving by her when she crossed the road, is that normal?”

“Ah that, people who live here and drove here, they were informed by Eve that they don’t need to stop for her because she doesn’t want us who’s working, late to work,” the shopkeeper said, “of course at first, we’re worried about it but slowly everyone seems fine with it, but it only apply to Eve, other than Eve who cross the road like her, isn’t our concern.”

“I forgot to ask, why are you asking these questions?” The wife asked.

“My job is looking for people who need help and help them, and I thought Eve needed it,” Miguel said.

“Oh, Eve will be fine with all of us.”

“Alright, thank you for answering,” Miguel smiled and left the shop.

After Miguel left the shop, he asked Lyla to do another deep check on Eve.

“I’ve heard so many voices before but she’s the most similar to Dawn,” Miguel thought to himself.

Miguel decided to go find Eve and talk to her for a bit but the news caught his attention, it’s Dawn, she’s on the move again.

“I need backup! Get as many people as you can!” An officer screamed at his walkie talkie.

A building from the other side of the city is on fire, while countless bodies are getting thrown out from the window, some landed on the bodies and survived but some just hit the ground and died immediately.

“Dawn.”

“Ah, SpiderMan!” Dawn seems to be waiting for him for a long time, “you kept a lady waiting.”

“So you start throwing bodies out of the window?”

“Oh, I just cleaning rubbish, they didn’t give me what I needed, so they’re useless,” Dawn laughed and threw another out from the window but SpiderMan caught the person before he got thrown out.

SpiderMan looked at Dawn, he kept having the idea that she could be Eve.

“Eve.”

“Who’s Eve? Christmas Eve?” Dawn turned back to SpiderMan, looking at him.

Dawn doesn’t flinch when she hears the name Eve.

“Let’s have a talk this time,” SpiderMan suggested, maybe this is a way to get to Dawn, since if he tries to attack her or capture her, it won’t work.

“Talk? No, I don’t do talking with heroes,” Dawn denied immediately.

“Maybe I can give you something in return, if you just have a talk with me.”

“What could you heroes give me? Money? I can just rob them. Whatever you offer me, I have all of them,” Dawn scoffed.

“Name your price,” Miguel insisted.

“Riverside park, don’t come with your suit, it’s eye-catching,” Dawn sighed and jumped off the window and disappeared.

That is a weird move for a hero.

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[twistedmindtales]

Next Door Neighbors

There have been a few paranormal events that I've experienced in my life, the first of which happened when I was rather young.  Every year, after my brother and I got out of school for the summer, we visited my dad’s side of the family who lived just outside of San Diego, CA.  My aunt, cousin, and grandparents all lived on the same block, and the neighborhood was filled with kids for us to play with. 

For some reason, which I can’t remember, my parents didn’t take us for a year or two and it was the summer of 1990 before we went again.  An older couple lived next door to my aunt that had a “banana board” style skateboard in their garage that I loved to borrow every time I went.  I was about to head over to their house to borrow the skateboard as I always did, and my aunt told me they didn’t live there anymore.  My response was probably a slight frown and exaggerated sigh, but I didn’t ask questions and just went about my way. 

Later that night, my cousin said she was going to babysit the kid who moved in next door after the elderly couple had left and asked me if I wanted to go with her, enticing me with the prospect of splitting the babysitting money and staying up late watching movies.  I gladly agreed and we headed over to the house just before it got dark. 

Once we got to the house and met the family, the parents left for their nightly outing and we started playing with the little boy we were babysitting.  He was a rambunctious 3-year-old and we were having a ton of fun with him wrestling and throwing balls around the yard for him to chase.  He started to tire around 9 pm and we went inside to put him to sleep and begin our movie marathon.

I made some microwave popcorn and grabbed candy I had stashed then popped the movie in the VCR while my cousin put the boy to bed in his room. 

We were about halfway through the movie and I noticed my cousin looking towards the hallway where the boy’s room was and I asked her what she was looking at.  She asked, “Did you turn the light on in his room?”  I scoffed at the notion since I hadn’t even left my seat on the couch. The light was indeed on, or at least one of the bedroom lights, and neither of us had remembered one being on before. 

“I got it,” I said as I paused the movie and jumped up to go turn it off. At this point, I still wasn’t suspicious of anything and really just wanted to get back to watching the movie so I dashed over to the room and it was indeed the light from the boy’s room.  The moment I stepped into his room it was like I was into a grocery store freezer.  My body bent over at the waist and I let out a guttural “Ohhh!” it was so bitter cold.

It was the middle of the summer, there was no central air conditioning in the home, and none of the ceiling fans were on.  I took a quick look at the little boy to see him sleeping and turned off the light then raced back to my cousin.

“Why is it so cold in there?” I asked with a puzzled tone as I nestled back into my corner of the couch.  “What do you mean?” she asked in reply.  “Huh?  It’s like 2 degrees in there!  It’s the middle of summer I’m over here sweating and that room is like an icebox!” My cousin acted like I was speaking a different language and just shook her head telling me she didn’t know what I was talking about. 

We turned the movie back on and about 30 minutes later, she tapped on my shoulder and had a terrifying look in her eyes.  As her lips quivered she whispered, “Tommy I thought you turned out the light…”  We both ran to her house next door so fast that I don’t remember the run and we forgot the little boy. 

My aunt and parents walked back to the house while we stayed at my cousin’s and watched through the window as they went inside.  We saw the light turn out in the bedroom and they quickly came back with the little boy in tow. 

When they got back home, none of the adults looked well and told us why the older couple no longer lived in the house. They had been brutally stabbed to death after they caught burglars in their home a few years before.  My cousin almost fainted and I’ve never had that feeling in the pit of my stomach since.

TM & Copyright © 2023 Twisted Mind Tales. All Rights Reserved.

[jonjon47]

Desire

A secret worth telling

“To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves.”

          Federico García Lorca

This is my secret.

I have wanted to write this up for a long time.

I have had the hots for my cousins from a rather early age. I stayed with their family in Michigan over the summer after I turned sixteen. My aunt got me a job working at a neighboring riding academy, painting, feeding the horses and cleaning out the to make money to help with restoring my 1958 MGTD (an antique car) and movie money. My 2 girl cousins and I would do all this sexy teasing and flirting but we were young and cousins, so nothing ever came of it… it was always the 3 of us together and that made it awkward for anyone to make a move. That was ok, cause neither was thinking of making a move…just all this crazy teasing.

There was the incident of them looking over the outdoor shower-changing area where I was taking a shower and getting dressed after swimming in the nearby pond. They got a look at me and the family jewels long before I ever even got a chance to see them in less than a rather staid 2-piece bathing suit.

Before returning to Detroit, they set me up on a date with this cute bbw that was a friend of theirs, and we got into some heavy petting, while sitting on the stairs in the living room (smelly fingers). Was that 3rd base?

Then one of my cousins, Juicy, came out to California with her husband and baby and at one point I went down to LA to stay with them. We paled around for a few days and had a great time. We even went to Disneyland. We were great together having fun like good friends, though up till then I had never had a friend that was a girl. However, there was some slight undercurrent of more than just buddies.

Sometime later she came up to the Bay Area to stay with my parents and then up to the City to do the tourist thing going to the Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf and Sausalito and all, with me. I then went down to be with her a couple of days at my parent’s home. That is where things really got intense. While sitting on the couch and watching TV late into the night we got touchy feely. Here we were watching a late movie under a blanket and I was rubbing her leg under her skirt and she was getting up close to my dick. We just sat there watching the television and stroking each other. No way we could lean over and kiss as that really would be dangerous.

We had to go out for a walk, in order to kiss and hug and express our awakening lust, outside beyond the eyes and ears of my mother and father and her baby girl. We walked around the neighborhood with these intense sexual vibrations washing over us. Pushing up against a tree in the shadows we had some incredible full opened mouthed kisses; she reached down and stroked my cock and I rubbed her pussy through her panties but nothing more came of it…at the house with the rest of the family and her child, there was no way to get down and going off in the car at night to a motel wouldn’t be possible either or maybe we weren’t ready for that step right then…

This was very, very heavy for the both of us. However, it was later clear that she had come to the decision to go beyond this steamy interlude, as I would find out few years later.

Actually, many years later, married and separated and living in Venezuela, I went up to Florida for my grandfather’s funeral and we were housed in a neighbor’s place across the street from my grandmother’s place. Juicy was in the master bedroom and I was across the hall. That didn’t last long as we spent the next 3 nights ravishing each other.

I lived very far away, but here I was on a business trip to the USA that took me close to Juicy’s home and I contacted her to see if my partner and I could stay overnight at her place, as we had calls to make in the same town. I just thought it would be great to see her again. I wasn’t really thinking we would get into any hot lusty sex thing… well maybe it was at the back of my mind to see where the feelings from before could take us but it wasn’t the intention, I had for going there. Not really, really.

Well, what would you know? When we drove up, she let us know that her husband and the father to her 2 children, was out of town on a business, and the girls were spending the night with friends.

That bit of reality changed the atmosphere immediately.

We had dinner together and as my partner didn’t speak English and didn’t know my cousin, he went off to watch TV and early to bed, and Juicy and I sat down talking, flirting really. As the evening progressed things got more and more exciting or hot, I’d have to write. I mean we did the down and dirty a few times, including forward cowgirl, back door.

In the morning, before others were up, we snuck into a downstairs ½ bathroom. Though the appendage was over worked she was determined and with skillful mouth and hands on her part, we were able to get it up and fucked quietly on the counter, front over the edge and leaning forward with me standing behind her, sort of standing doggy.

  Later.

Some years later while in Florida to help with some family business, I met up with Red-hot, my younger cousin from the Midwest, who was there to help with the same thing. For some reason we were in the same hotel, different floors, rooms, but the same place. After the family meetings we went to see Kiss of the Spiderwoman and on the way out we picked up some fast-food burgers and fries and took them back to my room to eat.

I didn’t have a swim suit with me but I went down to swim in the hotel pool in jockey, tighty-whities while she sat on the edge with her feet in the water talking with me. Obviously, when I got out the tighty-whities were partially transparent and clinging to my lower-body parts. What can I say, I was on display.

After the swim we went up to our rooms. I changed and Red-Hot came to my room to watch TV with me. There were 2 queen size beds and we each took one and settled in to watch some dumb series. I wish I knew what got us started, but it wasn’t long before she was in my bed or me in her bed and we started kissing and touching and caressing, and well we fucked like teenagers in heaven, back seat of the family sedan like hot lust.

In the morning we had another go at it and she said to do it hard. “I like it hard, do it harder, shake my world.” Or something like that.

She went to her room to change for the day and was surprised by a message from her husband who wondered where she was late at night.

We went out for breakfast and I have never see her again, though we have sent messages over social media apps.

[dancingafterdark]

...bruh

I’ve seen soooo many braindead takes on James in particular over the years (mainly him being a rampant misogynist that only killed Mary because he was mad she wasn’t getting his dick wet...like, my man, did you even PLAY the game?) but that one about him SA-ing her is...wow.

I feel like people forget that Mary herself wasn’t the perfect little victim in this scenario either. Their relationship is a tragedy: Mary loved James, but she also lashed out at him, she hurt him, and while he tried to hold on for her, because he truly loves her, he also grew to resent her — because she wasn’t his Mary anymore. It’s a surprisingly common reaction when dealing with a loved one succumbing to a terminal illness: it took my aunt six years to pass from cancer and it fucking destroyed her — by the time she finally succumbed, the sweet, loving woman who would feed all the strays in the neighborhood and be up from sunrise to sundown working on her garden was but a shell of herself, and she did her my mother — her little sister — which each passing day, every phone call or visit just trying to help her get even a little better, just to not see her suffer; it was exhausting. It broke our hearts. There were many nights where I’d hear my mom full on sobbing in the bathroom, because it was too much and she was tired of her own flesh and blood treating her as nothing more than the dirt on her shoe — and the guilt of even having these conflicted feelings still tears her up inside to this day.

Of course, it isn’t as simple as James mercy killing his wife out of purely good intentions: he’s a selfish man, riddled with guilt so much so that he literally had to craft a narrative of her waiting for him at the last place they were truly happy together to cope with the gravity of his actions. I know this is the site where nuance goes to die, but no character in SH2 is purely good or evil. James killed her wife, his Mary, that’s the big twist. That doesn’t make him a misogynist, or a damn rapist — I swear, people will say anything to villainize a canonical male abuse victim.

Also, Pyramid Head being a monster rapist is a popular meme in the fandom, but I’m sure at least one of the devs has come out and stated that his actions are just as indicative of suffocation as they are SA, and he exists to be more than a representation of James’s sexual repression. I know Freud Was Right, but still...

TIER LIST OF INSANE TAKES I'VE SEEN SO FAR ABOUT SILENT HILL 2 AND JAMES

1... Silent Hill 2 has no plot.

Yes... Someone really had the balls to say with their whole chest that sh2 has no plot at all. On the first one because it's clearly INSANE to say that this game has nothing to give at all.

2... What James did was a femicide.

When I saw this one all I could do was stare at my phone with the most confused expression EVER. James didn't kill Mary because she was a woman?!?! It has nothing to do with her gender. Did you even play the game at all? (Saw this one on TikTok so I wasn't surprised.)

3... James is a misogynist and ableist.

An argument I had on Tumblr and made a post about it. Their argument was basically, he was a misogynist because the manifestations were "oversexualized women" and it was weird af that we had to beat them to death with a pipe. They added that those manifestations are how James views women.

4... James graped his wife.

It's on the forth place because this one has been around forever. They basically use the scene of Pyramid Head in the og sh2 to justify this even tho that's not what the scene meant at all and it was a misunderstanding. Not much to say.

5... James didn't love Mary.

Not as insane as the others but still shocking. Do people really think he didn't love Mary at all? He wouldn't be in Silent Hill in the first place... Why go through all that to look for his wife that he knows is dead?? James' said "I hate you" and people ran with it. In that same scene Mary asks "If that's true, then why do you look so sad?" Media literacy where?...

|| @concord-a ||

[felix-of-all-trades]

Man. What a crazy fucking day. I don’t usually make my own posts here, but I just need to vent. It’s a long one, but I need to get all my emotions out. Trigger warning for the death of a pet.

I have two dogs, named Kevin and Carl. They’re both chihuahua mixes, and they’re both spunky, and they love camping and I love them both so much. Carl is the younger one. He still has some of his puppy energy, but he is starting to lose it a bit. I really should take him out on more walks. Kevin is our crazy old man. He has a silly temperament, and loved to explore. I guess I should say had. Still getting used to this.

The dog’s setup is in the kitchen, where the backdoor and doggy door is, so they can go outside whenever they want. We have a fence set up outside, just the normal dog fencing. We’re renovating our yard, so we were getting a much better fence soon. Turns out it wasn’t soon enough.

Last night, the wind blew over the fence, and Kevin, being the explorer he is, escaped. Usually he doesn’t go far, he stick to the neighborhood and comes back. He didn’t this time. Our neighborhood is next to a busy street, and when we couldn’t find him in the neighborhood, we got extremely worried. My dad drove out to the main road to see if he could see Kevin wandering around. This is… man. My dad came back in a panic, and told me about him. He asked if I could verify. There was no one else, my mom and sister is out of town right now. It was him. But it wasn’t a pretty sight. I’m keeping images of him safe in my arms close in my head and my heart.

We got him back home, we put him in a bag and then a box. Man, I’m shaking so hard right now. When we got home, dad set Kevin’s box in the garage, where it’s colder than the rest of the house. I think it was around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. When I got inside I immediately went to Carl. I didn’t smother him with hugs or crowd him, he still thought his brother was missing. Instead I sat next to him and I just started crying my eyes out(haha, like I wasn’t crying before).

At this point, dad was out talking to the neighbors who had offered to help us find Kevin. I came out of the house, just wanting a hug from my dad. My next door neighbor, a mother of two sons and a daughter, came up to me and offered me a hug. I took it, needing the physical comfort, and I felt safe for a few moments. After, she told me that none of this was my fault. She knew that I loved him a lot, and knew that he was well taken care of.then she asked what my favorite treat was, and offered to make it for me. I’m so incredibly thankful, and even now I’m trying to think of what my favorite baked treat is, having forgotten what it was after not having it for a long time and then this whole mess.

After we were all done talking, me and my dad went inside. We comforted each other, we cried, and eventually, we sat on the couch with Carl. I don’t know when we started talking about it, but eventually we started talking about what we needed to do next for Kevin. We were texting my mom about this so she wasn’t out of the loop and could have some input. After some back and forth and plenty of indecisiveness on my part, we all came to the conclusion that we would bury Kevin in one of our frequent camping spots, which is only an hour drive away. It’s public land, so don’t worry, we weren’t breaking any laws or anything.

We hastily got ourselves and Carl ready, and remembered and took great care to remember what we needed for Kevin. I even suggested that we pick up some flowers to plant with Kevin. Before we left, we let Carl sniff Kevin’s box. We gave him time to sniff, and we offered as many pets and pats as he was willing to take.

We get up to the campsite, and find a spot that’s a short walk away from the camp spot. The campsite we chose is actually one that my family has camped at for a long time. When my aunts were little, they made a fort there. Eventually us cousins came, and fortified it. The fort is still standing surprisingly.

We get to the spot, dad, Carl, and I, and dad lets me stay away while he honors Kevin, so I don’t have to see anything. He calls me back when he’s done, and we start placing rocks and planting the seeds. We say our final goodbyes, our see you laters, and we have another good cry.

We leave, taking plenty of scenic pictures to remember, and we talk on the way home. At first, it was the same topics as on the way there. Life, death, how we both feel that this will be good for us. In fact, we were both glad that Kevin was in a better place now. As I said earlier, Kevin’s an old man. He was 14 years old, he was getting close to the point where my parents were probably starting to think about putting him down. So me and my dad were half that he wasn’t struggling anymore. He’s being taken care of by my grandma now, and he can camp for as long as he likes.

On the way home, the conversation shifted to food, as it was 5 in the evening at this point, and neither of us had eaten. We got some food at this one mom and pop fast food place that we go to whenever we’re in that town, and we got our choice of burger/sandwich and shakes. Carl tried several times to steal our food, but I had brought some treats for him.

Eventually we talk about miscellaneous things. I don’t even remember what, but wasn’t meaningless. Eventually we were able to laugh and joke with each other. Definitely not as much as usual, but it felt nice to be starting to get back to some kind of normal. Eventually we get home, still feeling horrible and in mourning, but we felt a little better. I feel bad for what happened, but Kevin is in a better place now and my dad and I both felt like we had done good, and had chosen a proper spot. I hang out with Carl on the couch, and I eventually start watching adventure time. Not sure why, maybe I just needed the escape, maybe I needed the comfort of something familiar. My dad watches a couple episodes before we both decide we’re done, and I make a comment about what next. I wasn’t asking what was next, I knew what was next, moving on with our lives, but I think I needed the emotional reassurance that we was feeling the same as me. We discussed upcoming things. My new computer, my first pc is coming tomorrow, and I’m excited for it. I also have a job interview tomorrow, and I’m really hoping that it works out. I keep pulling up pictures of Kevin on my phone, just to remind myself that he’s okay now.

Me and my dad go and play games, I play some shitty Roblox game with my friends, and I feel okay. Of course I still feel like shit, but I feel less shitty. It’s hard to describe. I’m still incredibly sad that I can’t hold or pet Kevin anymore, but I almost feel ready to move on. I won’t forget, how could I forget. This is something that’s going to stick with me for probably the rest of my life, being that Kevin was my first pet. But I’m still excited for the future. I don’t want to drown myself in sorrow like a y/n on ao3. I think all this means that I’m processing all this in a healthy way. I hope it’s healthy. I don’t know. I’m unsure of a lot of stuff right now.

But that was my day. An incredibly shitty day, but I’m feeling a little better. It’s going to be a while for me to finally feel 100%, but I don’t feel like this sadness and sorrow is debilitating anymore, like earlier today. To all pet owners out there, give them extra love to them for me. I’m gonna start taking Carl on extra walks and giving him extra treats and snuggles(in fact I already have). Please love your pets. I feel like I took Kevin for granted multiple times and when I fed Carl after getting home, all the emotions just hit me again.

I love you Kevin, and I’m going to miss you, so so much. Keep exploring the wilderness up there, and take care of Grandma. I’ll take care of Carl and our sister for you while you’re gone. I love you so much, and I’ll miss you every day. See you later, Kevin.