#like its not internal but its like oh i have to reply to so many messages and send out emails and stare at microsoft word

[sungbeam]

𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥

nonidol!yoon jeonghan x gn!reader

2.3k words, fluff, comfort, reader is sick, technically a college au, light swearing, mentions of food, mentions of cold medication, tbh i know i advocate for platonic fics but i am also just a girl. so he does pine a little lol, slice-of-life-ish, barely proofread

a/n: there is like no plot, i just am feeling ooey-gooey about svt rn heh :') been watching so much gose recently and it's healing my soul

Yoon Jeonghan was many things, but oblivious was not one of them. “Oh my god, you're sick,” were his first words to you when you opened your apartment door. His voice was droning, perfectly unimpressed, but it masked the concern attempting to skirt its way to the surface. 

“It's not that” —your sorry attempt at denial crumbled like a house of cards as you turned away to cough into your elbow. The taste of metal lingered in the back of your throat and you winced, reaching into your bag to grab your water bottle. After swallowing down a generous helping, you said to him without looking him in the eye, “I'm fine.”

Jeonghan blinked. “That's really cute,” he replied with a thin smile. “Back inside.”

“But Jeonghan—”

���No.” He grabbed you firmly by your shoulders and steered you back into your apartment, his body waddling in behind you because of your balking in the doorway. He kicked the front door shut, shucking his shoes off with uncanny accuracy into an empty space on the shoe rack. “Shoes off, Yn-ah. Don't start an argument you won't win.”

You grumbled under your breath, but did as you were told. All the while, Jeonghan smoothed a hand over his jaw, performing mental gymnastics. How did you get sick? How much time did he have before he needed to get to campus? Could he reasonably make you soup before he needed to leave for his exam?

The first question was easy to answer. He internally smacked himself—last night: your runny nose, the vitamin C powder you added to your water, your shivers on the walk home from the library. Oh, fuck. He should have driven. Why did he make you both walk in that cold?

Guilt coursed through him as he directed you back into your bedroom. 

It was a quarter to 8, meaning he didn't have time to make you ramen and make it to his exam before the doors closed. 

“I have so much shit to do today” —another horrid cough rattled through you, and Jeonghan frowned to himself as he snatched the extra blanket out of your closet— “I can't… Hannie, there's so much I need to—”

“I know, Yn-ah,” he said softly, eyes sad and tender as he bundled you up in three layers until you were likely unable to unwrap yourself. He perched by your side, his palm grazing over your forehead to take your temperature. Hot. Not good. “But if you don't take care of yourself now, it'll only get worse.”

He glanced at his phone. Five to 8—he still had fifteen minutes. It was a blessing that you lived closer to campus than he did. 

“I hate when you're right,” you muttered. The lower half of your face was tucked beneath the edges of your blankets, so all he saw were your tired, glaring eyes. 

He smirked to himself, a fuzziness warming his chest. So petulant. “You always do,” he mused. “What did you have to do today? I'll try and help out as best I can.”

Your glare softened at the corners and your eyes flitted away from him. “It's okay. I'll deal with it all when I wake up. I—wait.” Your eyes shot wide open. “You have that exam today! You have to leave—what time is it?”

“Yah, I'll make it,” he laughed. “Worry about yourself.”

“You literally said last night that you were worried about failing—”

“And now I'm worried about you,” he countered. Satisfaction brought an impish twinkle to his eyes as you scowled at him again. “But fine, I'll leave if you insist.”

He rose from the edge of the bed, picking his backpack up to sling over his shoulder. 

“Thank you.”

With his back toward you, he could allow himself to grin. “What was that?” he called back innocently. 

“Don't fail.”

He huffed out another laugh as he reached the threshold of your bedroom doorway. Jeonghan wondered briefly if he should coax that thank you out of your mouth again, but he really did need to leave. It was awful. Everything in him was ready to throw away this exam to stay here with you. “Go to sleep, honey. I'll see you when you wake up.”

Three hours later, Jeonghan shouldered his way into your apartment, his backpack on his shoulders, his mind far away from that disgusting exam he finished, and his hands occupied with a grocery bag of items he picked up on his way here. When he left earlier, he had swiped your keys on the way out so he could let himself back in without waking you up. He dumped those very keys onto the table by the door, the gazillion key chains attached to the one carabiner clattering inelegantly loud. 

He glanced over at your closed door, hoping he didn't just wake you up. 

With a little less noise, he abandoned his backpack by the couch and made his way over to the kitchen. While he had made it in time to his exam, it had taken more willpower to center his attention on the exam itself rather than letting his mind wander to all the things he wanted to do after he was done. The to-do list spanned about five items: buy cold medicine and orange juice, decide on what food to make you, buy the ingredients for that food, persuade your TA to let him pick up your graded essay (that one, he saw on a sticky note by your desk), and come back to take care of you. 

(If the TA grading his exam took note of the small list he'd jotted down in the top corner of page five, no they didn't.)

There had been several ideas of what he could make you once he was free. He had stared at the row of vegetables in the produce department for a good ten minutes before he decided on something less usual. He could make instant ramen, but that didn't seem like the healthiest option for him to feed you. There was also seaweed soup—did he have the time to go to another store to find what he needed? No. 

His next great idea was something simple, but delicious: chicken noodle soup. 

Jeonghan rummaged around your cabinets, locating the things he needed—cutting board, knife—he opened a door and sighed to himself. So you did have pasta already. Great. 

He examined the box of dried elbow macaroni and compared it to the bowtie pasta he'd picked out. “Mine’s better,” he muttered, shelving your macaroni and bumping the cabinet closed. 

In the largest pot he could find, he brewed up a hearty chicken soup, using the bones from the rotisserie chicken he bought to add more richness to the broth's flavoring. Every carrot, onion, and celery stalk he sliced, and every piece of chicken he shredded, was done deftly and with great care. This was for you, after all, and if this soup could help you get better, then he would make it the best damn thing you'd ever tasted. 

There were plenty of things Jeonghan didn't want to do or weaseled his way out of, but he could be running on one hour of sleep, and he would still haul his ass up to make kimchi from scratch if you asked him to. 

He was stationed behind the stove, tasting the soup for adjustments, when he heard your bedroom door open. 

Jeonghan peered over his shoulder and smiled at the bundle of blankets waddling your way out into the main room, your hair sticking up in odd places, and your eyes still at half mast. “Good morning, sleepy head. How're you feeling?”

“Meh,” you said hoarsely, clearing your throat. You squinted at the sunlight streaming in through the open curtains. “What're you making? It smells nice.”

“Hm? Oh, I made you some soup. Go take the medicine on the counter and sit down; I'll bring you a bowl.”

As he reached over to grab another pinch of salt, he heard you tearing open the box of cold medicine behind him. 

A moment passed by of quiet, but his heart leapt straight into his throat as he felt a soft weight rest against his back. “Thank you, Hannie,” you murmured, forehead pressed between his shoulders. 

There were about a dozen things running through his mind at the moment—things he could say, things he could do. He was an ounce of willpower away from melting on the spot, but the heat rising from the soup pot kept him upright. “Aish… thank me by getting better, okay?”

You hummed in acknowledgment and lifted yourself off his back. When you hobbled away to sit down at the table, Jeonghan couldn't brush away the feeling that the spot your head had rested was now cold. 

“How was the” —cough— “the exam?” 

Jeonghan glanced over at you as he carefully ladled soup into two bowls. He hummed, “Could've been better, but can't really do anything about it now.”

“I'm sure you did good,” you replied, holding out your hands like a kid waiting for their turn to get candy from a jar as Jeonghan made his way over to you with the soup. “You always say you did bad when you actually scored in the top ten percent.”

“Careful, honey, it's hot.” Jeonghan continued to hold the bowl even as you cupped it in your hands, until it safely reached the table. Only then did he seat himself down adjacent to you. “Yeah, well, you always said I should be more humble,” he joked.

You picked up your spoon and gestured at him with it. “Humility and lying are different things,” you said pointedly. “Anyways, thank you. This looks really yummy.”

“I don't lie,” he drawled with a twinkle in his eye. He leaned his cheek against his fist and watched as you took a spoonful and gently blew on the hot liquid. The delight that lit up your face was enough to make him happy for a century. He inclined his chin. “Good?”

“Very good. Sometimes I forget that you're good at cooking, too.”

“Not like Mingyu though,” he chuckled and brought a spoonful up to his lips. 

You shot him a look. “You don't always have to compare yourself, Hannie-ah. I'm not talking about Mingyu right now.”

Maybe I just want to make sure, he thought, then brushed it under that large, metaphorical rug in his mind. Jeonghan gave a half-hearted shrug. 

Your mouth flattened into a displeased line. His grin widened. 

When the both of you finished as many helpings as you had the appetite for, Jeonghan graciously offered to wash the dishes. He practically anchored you to the couch by wrapping you in yet another blanket—it was a double-edged sword; you were quite cute like that and he had half the mind to ditch the dishes. Once done with his task, he plucked out a dose of cold medication to take for himself, as well. 

You eyed him from the couch as he swallowed the pills with a glass of orange juice. “Did I get you sick already?” you asked, your voice having become more nasally from your stuffy nose. 

“Not yet,” he said, “it's just preventative measures since I'm gonna be hanging around you.”

“You're not leaving?” 

Your words were one thing, but the way you peered over the back of the couch at him and the upward intonation in your voice told him something else. He smiled to himself as he walked over to the couch with his juice. “No, I was going to help you finish your work for the day, but if you want me to leave, I—”

“Only if you're not afraid of getting sick,” you said quickly. 

He sighed with an air of melodrama. “I suppose I can stay after all.” He brought out his laptop and the essay he finagled from your TA, vaguely mentioning something about his careful white lies in order to accomplish his mission. It was truly something only Jeonghan could pull off and get away with. 

The first item on your to-do list was to send out a couple emails. 

Jeonghan felt the weight of your head fall onto his shoulder, and he glanced down at you in amusement. “You're not falling asleep on me, are you?” he teased, his fingers paused from the email he was typing out while you dictated the wording. 

You shifted your head. “No, I'm still awake. Do you think this sounds too bubbly?”

“It’s not too bubbly,” he said, cocking his head to the side. “But the thing is you're not this agreeable in real life—aish! Haha, hey! Don't hit me!”

He could imagine your cute, little scowl. “I am incredibly agreeable.”

“Yes, yes.” Jeonghan lightly pat your head. “You're very lovely, Yn-ah.”

You chose to ignore the impish tone in his voice. It was what he wanted you to do anyway—believe that he thought you were lovely.  

It was difficult to parse out how much time passed, but at some point, the TV was turned on to a random channel playing some 90s sitcom, and his laptop was ditched on the coffee table. Jeonghan's legs ended up sprawled across the length of the couch while your layers of blankets covered both of you. Your head rested comfortably on his chest as he continued to watch TV in silent contentment.

Jeonghan was a lot of things, but he certainly wasn't oblivious to the fact that you took the wrong cold medicine. The box he bought had both daytime and nighttime meds, the latter of which contained melatonin to aid with uninterrupted sleep. He didn't say anything earlier when he realized, but it wasn't like he could say anything now. 

He glanced down at your face, his hand cupping the back of your head with too much tenderness for friendship. You were asleep; there was nothing he could do, no jokes to make or fun to poke. 

Him, his thoughts, and you. 

But this was fine. He was happy and warm like the perfect bowl of soup filling an empty stomach, and he had no intention of leaving until he knew that you were better. As his eyes slowly drooped closed, he sank further into the blankets and your hold, soul nourished.

a/n: pls remember to reblog + comment if you enjoyed <3

svt m.list

permanent taglist: @flwoie @vatterie @seomisaho @hqrana @ja4hyvn @outrologist @rikizm @luumiinaa @lotties-readings @tinkerbell460 @meosjinnn @hyunjaespresent-deobi @otterly-fey @floatingpluto @ethereal-engene @gyulfriend @jaehunnyy @shakalakaboomboo @eunseok-s @bless-311 @leaz-kpop-life @fluorescentloves @thesunsfullmoon @haechansbbg @kpopjackie @jundundun @http-gyu @mars101 @moonyswolf @honeyrecommends @synthwxve @thecarnivaloflies @p-d1ddy @thatonedemigodfromseoul @foivetimesthecharm

[foxmulderautism]

the fatigue feels like its deeply sunk into my skull but we move

[pears-trinkets]

.

[ghostofhyuck]

Deja Vu

It’s been months since you two broke up and Jeno got a new girl now. She’s pretty, nice, and exactly his ideal type. And yet, the ghost of you still lingers, maybe because Jeno brings her to the places you two used to go. 

Deja vu? Maybe. Or it’s just Jeno’s not over you. 

Word count: 2.2k

Tags: angst, fluff, ex to lovers (?) cheating if you squint really REALLY hard.

Song inspiration: Deja Vu by Olivia Rodrigo

AN: TDS3 D3 Jeno went topless and it was a sign for me to finish this fic. 

Also this is part two of this fic. Read it so that you can have more context, but this can still serve as a stand-alone. 

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“So, where is this ride going?” you asked. 

“If I told you, it’ll ruin the surprise,” Jeno replied. A smile plastered on his lips as he took a quick glance at you before focusing on the road. 

It was five in the afternoon. The sun’s slowly setting, and the sky’s painted in its godly gold. It’s bright and warm, as the sun’s shine passed through the window of Jeno’s Ford Mustang. You just finished your last exam for the semester. After nights of cramming and chugging down coffee, you’re finally free from the semester. Vacation is just around the corner, and what’s the perfect thing to celebrate the end of semester other than celebrating it with your boyfriend?

You watched as Jeno drove smoothly across town, going down the coastal area where the sunset’s more pleasing to watch. You slide across the bridge and the next thing you know, the sun’s following you through the long bay of your town’s beach. 

Jeno knows how much you love the beach. It’s a safe place for you where you can get away from your university. So you two just usually hangout around the coast. 

Your boyfriend parks the car near the baywalk. He quickly turns off the engine, and just like the usual thing he does, he leaves the car first and opens your car for you. 

“You don’t always have to do this, you know that?” 

“But I want to,” he said casually just like the way his arms wrapped around your shoulders immediately, pulling you closer to him. You only smile as he gives you a small kiss on the head. 

“So, where are you taking me?” you asked once again. 

Jeno only hums as he stops, that’s when your eyes widen at the shop in front of you. 

“No way!” you shouted. 

“They just opened yesterday, so why not celebrate with a cup of yoghurt?” Jeno smiled. 

“Oh my god, I’ve been craving for it for so long!” you shouted. 

Jeno only smiles, internally patting himself good job. He knows everything about you, and he knows how lately you’ve been obsessed with yoghurt. Whether it be a drink or served in a cup, you’ll love it somehow.

“Did I ever tell you that I love you?” you asked your boyfriend who only lets out a chuckle before stealing a kiss on you. 

“I love you too bub, now come on, it’s a do-it-yourself, so get as many toppings as you want.”

When you entered the shop, you immediately separated from your boyfriend, eager to have a cup of yoghurt. Jeno watched as you grabbed a large cup before going to the yoghurt machine. He was smiling ear to ear as you moved to the topping and sauce section, picking carefully your toppings because you’re still a picky eater nevertheless. 

Eventually, he joins you as he grabs a medium cup and picks some toppings that suit his taste. After weighing the cup and paying for the dessert, the two of you went out where an al fresco area can be found. You two sat at the corner, digging on the delectable treat that you two are having. 

The sun is setting and you’re halfway on your cup, you could only stare at the sun. feeling overwhelmed but in a good sense. You finally finished your semester and your boyfriend brought you to a yoghurt shop. You couldn’t help but to smile. Things are better and you just feel so lucky to be here right now. 

“Having deep thoughts again?” Jeno asked, knowing that you tend to space out sometimes. 

“No, no deep thoughts,” you told him. “Just happy right now.”

“Oh really?” Jeno teases, “can I ask why?”

You only smiled, “of course because school’s over, and I have my handsome boyfriend treat me my favorite dessert at the moment.”

Jeno only smiled, gazing at you lovingly. He wonders if days are going to be like this. He likes this life of his. In this town where it’s just you and him, in a small yoghurt shop, with the sun setting on the background. 

And as Jeno stares at you, he couldn’t help but be in awe. Thinking how lucky he is to have a girlfriend like you. 

Your attention shifted to him, making him stare at you even more lovingly.

“Jeno,” you called out. 

“What?” 

“You’re spacing out,”

“What makes you think of that, yn?” 

“Yn?”

Jeno’s eyes widened. 

“Who’s yn?” 

The girl in front of him is not you. Her hair is in a different shade, falling along her shoulders, unlike yours who you usually tie in a messy ponytail whenever you’re eating something. She’s pretty, definitely pretty that it can make anyone turn their head. 

They stared at each other for a minute. That’s when Jeno realised that your name slipped onto his lips. 

Fuck. He thought. That’s when he remembered. It’s been months ever since you two broke up. Months after that night that was full of frustrations and arguments. Jeno barely recalled what you two argued about but he knew that you were crying and instead of comforting you, he stormed out of your place.

You two didn’t break up that night officially, you called it quits over a text three days later. Instead of calling you, Jeno lets it be. Thinking that you two were just never meant to be. 

Unlike you, Jeno found it easy to get over you. He’s a charming guy, so it was quick for him to find another girl that he can love again. 

Or so he thought. Because as he stared at the girl in front of him, he couldn’t believe that he called her by your name. 

“Nothing, it’s nothing, sorry,” he quickly apologised. Shifting his attention to the melted yoghurt on his cup. 

Maybe it was his fault. For bringing her to the places you two went. Jeno knows that there are a lot of places where he can bring her, but why does he always end up in the coastal area? On a particular yoghurt shop that you love? 

Jeno couldn’t help but to question it. He thought that he’s over you but it seems like the ghost of you still keeps on haunting him. 

You who’s always cheery. You who always have a certain sweet treat every semester. You who loves bringing your polaroid camera and taking photos of the people you hang out with. 

You, who was there for Jeno. Who loved him despite his flaws and even though he is lacking in some parts, you ignored it and loved him nevertheless.

He wasn’t perfect, but you weren’t looking for a perfect boyfriend. You love Lee Jeno no matter what. And you always say that to him. 

“Hey Jen, I’m done here, should we get going now?” Jeno snapped out once again when she spoke out again. 

He stares at his yoghurt. It’s all melted and doesn’t look appetising at all. He then glances at the sun and it’s barely touching the sea. If it was you who’s with him, you two will wait until the sun sets and set out when the stars are in the sky. 

But you’re not with him anymore, and he’s with a new girl. Who’s pretty, who’s nice, and is exactly his ideal type. Jeno had accepted it, after all. It’s not only him who’s moving on. He knows that Mark Lee’s making a move on you. He watched as you laughed with him over a cup of coffee a few weeks earlier. 

So it seems like you two are moving on. Good for you. He thought. You deserve someone better than him. While he knows that there are no other girls that can surpass you, Jeno hopes that at least for his side, he can be a better man for his new girl. 

The ride home was nothing but an awkward tense. Jeno keeps on glancing at her, who’s too busy on her phone. If it was you, your eyes would linger on the view outside — even though you’ve grown up in this area, you always love staring at the view. But at some time, you’ll shift your gaze at Jeno, who’ll reciprocate your giggles with a soft chuckle. His free hand lacing around your fingers, never letting you go until you reached your place.

“Watch out!” and luckily, Jeno stepped on the brake quickly. His eyes staring at the dog that just passed by. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t —” 

“No, of course not! The dog suddenly jumped out of nowhere,” she said in a soft tone, smiling as she pats Jeno’s shoulders. “You prevented it too, and there’s no accident that happened, so it’s okay.”

Jeno could only let out a sigh. Somehow, he feels like blaming himself because of the incident, if it wasn’t him thinking about you, then maybe he’ll be more concentrated on his drive. He tried to focus on the road, but you’re in his mind no matter how hard he tries to shake the thought of you. 

He didn’t notice that he just reached her place. It was as if he was driving out of instincts. 

“Thanks for dropping me off,” she said, smiling. 

“No worries,” Jeno only said, and before she left, she gave Jeno a soft kiss on the cheeks. Jeno watches as she gets out of the car, walks through her apartment and closes the door. 

But Jeno couldn’t move from his seat. He doesn’t know what to do. Frustrated, Jeno lets out a sigh as he rests his head on the headboard. He doesn’t want to fuck up. He already ruined your relationship, he couldn’t bear to ruin another one too. 

“I’m so stupid,” Jeno whispered. He opens his eyes and looks at the road. He knows that deep inside, he’s not yet ready to enter another relationship. It’s too soon. 

Not when you spent three years together, and broke up abruptly. Throwing everything you two had. Never had a decent closure or even a proper apology from each other because of what happened that night. No. The only thing Jeno wants more is to find closure from you, and perhaps, in the better light, 

you two can finally move on and find someone better. 

Jeno knows that partly, it’s his fault that things went downhill. So it's up to him to fix everything. He turned on the engine, and without any hesitation, drove to a familiar route that he memorised by heart. It was a gamble, but Jeno was willing to see the outcome of his indecisive decisions. 

As he reached your place, Jeno didn’t hesitate to turn off his engine, leaving his car as soon as possible. 

He walks towards your apartment, a sense of familiarity welcomed him. It felt like home and Jeno tries to brush off that feeling — that odd sense of missing a place that has been a home for him for years. 

Jeno stops in front of your door. He lets out a deep sigh before knocking on the door. For a minute, no one answered.

He knocks once more. Two, three, four loud knocks, in hopes that it can be enough for you to open the door. 

But within a minute, no one answered. Jeno took it as a sign. That maybe closure isn’t for you two. Jeno tried to ease his beating heart — he didn’t even notice that it had been beating abnormally ever since he arrived at your place. 

So he turned his heels around, walking a few steps when he heard the door open. 

“Jeno? What are you doing here?” 

As he turned around, Jeno was shunned. 

There you are, with your hair in a mess, wearing your favourite cinnamoroll-patterned pajamas. He saw how your round eyes became wider as he made eye contact with you — both yearning for something. 

“I…I —” Jeno decided to go near you. “I just, want to ask you how you have been.” 

That was stupid. That was so fucking stupid. Jeno’s mind was barely functioning when those words slipped out of his mouth. 

But you didn’t take it into something. You were just surprised. Jeno’s in front of you. The sense of familiarity to the man in front of you is still there. His scent, presence, and the feelings you had for him. It’s all still there. 

And you don’t know why, but maybe you just wanted to see if he still loves you. 

Because instead of answering him, you grabbed him by the neck and smashed your lips onto his. 

But in a quick second, you realised that what you did was stupid. You broke out of the kiss, and yet your hand remains on his. 

Jeno’s gaze shifted from a surprised one to something more familiar. Lovingly. You knew that stare, you’ve always loved that stare of his. You know that because you’re the only one who he gave that gaze with. 

And the next thing you knew, his lips crashed onto yours. You couldn’t help but to kiss him back with more intensity. His arms instinctively hold your waist as you attempt to balance yourself. He pushes you backward, making you two enter your apartment without breaking the kiss.

[catssluvr]

holy cow that playlist one was perfect☹️☹️ seriously it was better than i imagined!! and i love all of the songs u used AND i loveeee stevie nicks ugh it was just perfect thank you sososo much!!!

also.. if you still want requests! i have too many ideas i fear, but i was thinking!! maybe like reader is an intern at the bau and emily meets her for the first time and its just fluff and pining perhaps?

thank u so much again!

-🐞

i’m sosososo glad you loved it 💌 your requests always make my day 🫶🏻 i’m always open for ur requests bug, show me all ur ideas 🤍 ILY

𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆, emily prentiss

emily prentiss x fem!reader

emily meets you and is immediately enchanted <3

warnings: none<3

·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛

Emily scribbles down on the papers in front of her, chin resting on the palm of her hand. It's a pretty normal day at work, no current case going on, just loads of files to fill and meetings to attend. The bullpen is almost entirely quiet, the only sounds being of pens scribbling and hushed voices.

Her gaze snaps up when she hears Aaron's office door opening and closing, expecting him to tell the team to meet in the conference room. To her surprise, he's walking side by side with a girl she doesn't remember seeing before. You.

You smile politely as Hotch introduces you to almost everyone who passes, she wonders how much more beautiful your actual smile is. It feels impossible for it to get even prettier.

You're visibly nervous, hands rubbing against your blazer before going in for a handshake. Your suit looks like it's been ironed hundreds of times as it doesn't have one single wrinkle - you made sure it didn't.

She finally notices the internship card on your blazer and it all clicks. You're obviously nervous with reason, she remembers how hard she wanted to impress and prove herself when she first started working at the bau. But she can't help but think that the way you look around the bullpen in wonder is absolutely adorable.

Hotch suddenly starts approaching her desk, you following right behind. He also has a polite smile on his face, Emily's not surprised you can even get the biggest grump she knows to smile.

"This is SSA Prentiss," He proceeds to introduce you to her, she swears her heart skips a beat at you smiling directly at her now.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Agent Prentiss." You reach out to shake her hand, wide eyes starting at her in anticipation. Your skin feels even nicer than it looks, the gentle squeeze you give her before letting go making her knees go weak.

"The pleasure is all mine." She replies, feeling weirdly at a loss of words. It's not like she can say anything with Hotch standing right there, he'd notice her flustered behaviour way too quickly.

Before anything else can happen, he's pulling you to another table to introduce you to everyone else. You glance quickly over your shoulder to find her looking, a small smile escaping your lips before you can stop it.

Emily feels giddy just from the small interaction and she's not even sure why. She knows nothing more than your name yet it's like you've bewitched her in matter of seconds.

Later you find yourself grabbing a cup of coffee before leaving, not wanting to be half asleep while driving home. It was definitely a long day, a good one nevertheless. Hard work got you here and you feel proud of yourself.

Too lost in your own bubble, you turn around and head to the exit, not noticing the figure coming right in your direction. Your coffee spills all over the person's blazer, staining it in a way you know won't come off.

Lifting your eyes, you find hers already looking at you. Your cheeks feel hot in a heartbeat, embarrassment consuming you whole.

"Oh god- i'm so sorry, Agent Prentiss." You rush to get paper towels and start not very successfully cleaning her blazer.

"It's okay, it was an accident. And Emily is fine." She reassures, pulling your hands away gently and you shudder at her touch.

"I guess that wasn't a great first day impression." You scrunch your nose and signal to her blazer. You were very confident it had been a great first day moments before. Maybe you started celebrating way too soon.

"What? Just because you accidentally spilled your coffee?" Emily chuckles with raised eyebrows, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm really sorry anyway. Is there anything i can do to make up for it?" You question hopefully, throwing the paper towels on the garbage.

"Well, there's this really nice new coffee shop in town. i wouldn't mind a free coffee. Promise i won't spill it on you as revenge." It doesn't sound like a bad idea, getting coffee with her.

"A free coffee it is." It's your turn to chuckle now, spilled coffee long forgotten. "And you better not, i don't have as many suits as you probably do."

Emily shakes her head with a smile, mentioning for you to follow as she walks to her table and grabs a paper with her number on it.

Not a bad first day at all.

·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛

love you,

cat 🤍

[wosoamazing]

Surprise

Summary: You surprise your Ma for her birthday.

A/N: Just a short one, based off this request.

It was the day before international break, a period of time in which Katie’s Birthday feel, she was upset that yet again your little family would be split on a birthday, little did she know that your Mum was planning to come visit her, she had arranged with Tony to have a break however that was after the team had already been announced, so she asked Tony to wait until the day she surprised Katie to announce that she was no longer available.

“What if I just don’t go to camp this time, they’re only friendlies” she said as she opened a present.

“Katie, babe, no, you should go, it will be okay. Oh, and also you will get your main present on your Birthday” Caitlin said, she of course knew what this was, it was you and her, but Katie didn’t.

“What is it?” “You will have to wait to find out”.

_____

“Which plane ours?” You ask your Mum, you were standing on the window looking out at the planes in the lounge, Steph and Kyra were with you, as always, except for some reason you didn’t have nearly as many bags as them, where usually you would have more than them.

“We aren’t getting on a plane today, Monkey.” She replies, “But why?”

“Because we are going to fly to Ireland tomorrow, so we can surprise Ma for her Birthday,” your Mum informs you excitedly.

“So why we here then?” “To send her photos like we always do so she doesn’t get suspicious. We’re tricking her into thinking we are going to Matilda’s camp”.

“But you say tricking is bad” you pout.

“Well, most of the time it is, but this time it’s for a good reason, so it isn’t bad”.

“Because Ma is sad, she won’t see us on her birfday and if we go and see her she will get all happy?” you question trying to make sense of the situation “Exactly” “kay”

_____

“PLANE!” You exclaim as you watch a plane take off.

“Shh, Monkey, inside voice, people are trying to work and relax,” she tells you softly in your ear before she turns to a group of businesspeople near her, “I am so sorry, she is just very excited, we are going to surprise her Ma today, she is currently away for work, and its her birthday today,”

“Oh no, it’s sweet, and that is such a cute thing to do,” one of the Women say.

“It’s alright, we’re not really doing anything that important, trying to figure out what colour to use for our design, but I’m sure Katie will be happy to see you. Oh god I sound like a stalker, my daughter is an avid football fan, she plays and wants to become a professional”. The man who seems to the boss says.

“That’s okay, but I am sorry, if I ever see you at a game, I’ll make sure to say hi,”

“Thank you, we are actually coming to the first game after international break,”

“Well, I’ll keep a look out and maybe I’ll have a gift for her”.

“Now boarding flight BA830 to Dublin, flight BA830 boarding now”

“Oh, that’s us, nice meeting you all sorry for the noise again,” your Mum picked you up and headed to your gate, you got checked in and sat on the plane, it wasn’t a verry long flight, but you still fell asleep, something about planes sends you to sleep, you had also not slept much last night as you were excited about seeing your Ma.

_____

There was a car in the pick-up spot waiting for you, your Mum had asked Eileen if it was okay if she did surprise your Ma, she was nervous that Eileen would say no as it might cause some tension/drama in the team but Eileen said absolutely, she even offered a driver to pick you up from the airport and take you to the grounds, your Mum had said it’s okay but Eileen said it was the least she could do,

You got in a car with you Mum, which stopped outside a local flower shop, you went inside with her and helped her pick out the biggest and bestest bouquet for your Ma, after you had purchased it, you got back into the car. After about 3 minutes you were there.

“You ready?” “See Ma!”

Eileen was on the sidelines, near where you were entering, when she saw you, she yelled out “Katie, can you come over here for a sec,” you Ma turned around and started jogging before she saw you and stopped, her mouth dropped before she crocked out "Y/N/N, Cait".

“Ma,” you said as you started running as fast as your little legs could go, when you neared her, she put her arms out and you jumped into them, she lifted you up to give you a big hug before perching you on her hip, your Mum wasn’t far behind her.

“Happy Birthday my love,” your Mum said as she placed a kiss on your Mums lips and hugged her, before putting her arm around her shoulders. “How?” “That doesn’t matter now does it, we’re here.” “I love you so much, thank you for surprising me and for coming” your Ma said as a few tears left her eyes, but Caitlin was quick to wipe them away.

[runningfrom2am]

the wedding // LTPF

summary: the wedding of the year, i can see it now.

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 2.7k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: capitol brat!reader, maybe slightly ooc coryo, idk i tried my best. she's a bridezilla for REAL and i wish i included more of that energy, protective!coryo, idk people are drinking alcohol? (its a wedding, so duh), also TW for Livia and r's dad just existing p much.

based on this ask and this ask!

series masterlist // playlist

Everything was perfect. Absolutely everything you had dreamt of your whole life when it came to your wedding. Coryo had told you money was no object, and therefore, you spared no expense. You had a strong theory that your father was being sent every last bill, since you knew neither of you had anything more than what the Plinth's were providing for school, but that was the farthest thing from your problem. It was the least your father could do.

The hardest part of the whole thing, even before deciding who would give you away without your father, was deciding on your maid of honour. You didn't have many good friends, or friends at all, outside of your new husband. At one point, you wondered if had things gone differently, would you have chosen Lucy Gray?

Clemensia Dovecote was a fine enough choice. "Let me just say," Her speech began, hitting the side of her overfilled wine glass with a fork. "I have called this wedding for years, and no one believed me." She shot a smile over to you at the head table. "For anyone who doesn't know me, I'm Clemensia. Y/N's Maid of Honour." She had just thrived on the title since you offered it to her which, while annoying, was good because she took her position very seriously. She was the perfect choice- she looked nice, presentable in a dress you had picked out, but the colour clashed with the yellow in the whites of her eyes and the few scales that were yet to fall off after the snake bite. She looked fine, but she also made you look better. "But like I said, I knew this would happen."

She was drunk, repeating things in a way that made you cringe internally but nevertheless, you had to watch. The lights spread across the large backyard of the Plinth's mansion lit up the night beautifully, bouncing off every white and red rose you had spread about. You were very grateful to them for allowing you to host the reception there. They had done a lot for you in the last year since you returned from Twelve.

Mrs. Plinth was very involved with planning the wedding- she loved the winter wedding and leaning into it as a theme. It worked out nicely because it gave her something to think about other than the death of her only child, and she was a tremendous help and support to you. You were truly grateful, but this day was hard on them without Sejanus there. She had mentioned on more than one occasion that Sejanus would have been the best man, and you only slightly doubted that. You wouldn't want it to be anyone else- but Coryo would have had different thoughts, you're sure.

"How much longer will this go on for?" Your now husband whispers in your ear, fake smile on his face as he also has to listen to Clem's rambling.

"I really don't know." You reply with the same fake smile, knowing that eyes were on you just as much as her.

"Some choice for a maid of honour." He chuckles.

You roll your eyes, a playful smile on your lips. "Oh, well, I would have gone with Arachne Crane but, you know..."

"Fair enough." He mumbles, sitting back in his seat. "Are you really the only woman in the Capitol who isn't insufferably annoying? You should have been your own maid of honour."

"Well it was her or Tigris, and Tigris is prettier than me so she wasn't really an option." You hum, grabbing his hand under the table as you keep your eyes focussed on Clemensia, not paying attention to a word she says.

Coryo laughs. "Tigris is not prettier than you."

"She's your cousin, your opinion is invalid." You shrug it off.

"Doesn't change the fact that I'm right." He argues, squeezing your hand.

You don't reply, and you let his hand go to clap once Clem is finally finished. You had already eaten, so now it was supposed to be the "fun part", as Clemensia so aptly put it in her speech. You found it rude, yes, but it wasn't a big deal and after tonight you wouldn't have to see her again for a while.

It was brisk out, being a winter wedding you should have expected that, but you still had another dress to change into so you excuse yourself from the table, kissing your husband goodbye as he gets up as well.

You hadn't allowed him to see any of your dresses, and this would be your third one today alone. He loved every one, and did not expect to be disappointed by the next. Or the one after that.

"Hey, congrats, Coriolanus." He tears his gaze away from your retreating figure to whoever was talking to him.

"Thank you, Hilarius." He nods, smiling politely at him and reaching out to shake his hand.

"I saw this one coming miles away." His classmate laughs. "You remember that though, right?"

"When you said that if I wasn't going to go after her you would?" Coryo asks, eyebrow raised. "I do remember that. It makes me wonder who let you in..." It's meant as a joke as he makes a point of looking past him toward the security they have at the entrance.

He furrows his brow when his eyes catch on your father standing there, arguing with one of the security guards, his wife by his side.

"If you would excuse me..." He says, walking toward them before Hilarius could even respond.

"Ugh, I know. Why did you even invite her, Y/N/N?" Clemensia complains as Tigris helps you step out of your gown.

"Who?" You ask, unsure what she was even talking about.

"Livia." She states, yet another glass of red wine in her hand.

"Oh, I kind of had to. Connections and all that." You shrug. You weren't Livia's biggest fan, she had a "greater than thou" attitude that drove you up the wall, but who in this city didn't?

"Ah, yes. Of course." She hums. "She had a lot of audacity to show up in that dress though..."

Your head whips around to look at her. "What dress?"

"You haven't seen her?" She gasps. "I thought you saw her! It's this white-based floral, really questionable for someone else's wedding. Looks like a tablecloth." She accentuates the statement with a sip from her glass.

Your jaw ticks and you look toward the door, already seeing red.

"Hey, Y/N, it's okay." Tigris rests her hands on your shoulders, prompting you to look at her. "We'll tell security, they can escort her out if that's what you want."

You take a breath, forcing a smile on your face. "Let's not bother them. I'll just go chat with her." You smile, stepping out of the dress in bare feet, quickly grabbing Clemensia's overfilled wine glass from her hand on your way out the door.

"Y/N, Wait! Don't!" Tigris calls after you, well aware of your notorious temper by now, but you don't listen.

You're in your white slip when you storm back out to the reception area through the back patio, immediately and quickly scanning the crowd for the guest in question. You know you have seconds before Tigris likely tries to stop you, but you know Clemensia won't. Then, you see her.

You're seething already. That's practically a wedding dress on its own. You would kill her.

You stomp across the ground, tunnel vision locked on her as she raises her glass to her lips, laughing, and talking with other guests, completely careless to what she had done wrong. Well, she would learn today.

"Livia Cardew!" You grin, walking up to her. "I don't recall sending you an invitation, but here you are!"

Immediately, she's taking in your appearance, giggling at your lack of appropriate attire and shoes. "Y/N! Congratulations." She says, eyes finally locking with yours again.

"May I have a word?" You ask, already grabbing her arm and pulling her away.

"Is there a problem here?" Coriolanus asks, addressing only his security as your father stands there, red-faced with anger.

"Yeah, they've got no invite." He nods, showing Coryo the list in his hands which he quickly pretends to look over.

"Oh! Sorry, yes. There you are..." He says, pointing down at the bottom and your father visibly relaxes. "Under the title there that says 'not welcome under any circumstances'... Well then." He looks at your father now for the first time, tilting his head at him.

"No, this is my daughter's wedding and we will be let in!" He demands, raising his voice.

Coryo clicks his tongue, slightly shaking his head. "No, sir, I thought we were clear on this."

"No, you said the wedding. This, if I'm not mistaken, is the reception. I made my sacrifice. Now, I'm here."

"And only about two hours late." Coryo hums uninterestedly, looking down at his watch. "Father of the year."

Your father's fuming, and it's hard for Coryo to not laugh in his face. "I paid for everything here! You can't deny us entry!"

"I can." Coryo says. "Well, actually, my apologies. Mrs. Y/L/N, you are welcome to come in, if you'd like." He smiles at her, polite demeanour flicked back on like a light switch.

Your father quickly pulls her back behind him. "It's both of us or neither of us. Go ask our daughter." He states, gripping tightly on her arm.

"Oh, no. I won't be ruining our wedding." Coryo shakes his head, firm in his decision. "I'll tell Y/N you send your love, Ma'am. Have a good night."

"No! You will let us in right now or-" Your father's tantrum is interrupted by a commotion across the yard, drawing Coryo's attention. People gasp in shock, and then he sees you, about to absolutely lay into Livia Cardew, who now has red wine all over her face and the front of her dress.

"I must be going, now." Coryo tells them, turning back to the security guard and adjusting the cuffs of his shirt to be able to roll up his sleeves. "If you don't mind, call for peacekeepers to escort him from the property. Thank you."

He doesn't have time to hear your father's angry disagreement as he walks away.

"So," You drop her arm, turning to face her. "I'm not sure if you are aware, but this isn't your wedding." You spit, gesturing to her dress. "And listen, I get it! You're jealous. That's fine, but it's extremely tacky and honestly embarrassing for you to wear a white dress to a wedding that's not yours."

Livia's lips fall open in shock, looking down at her dress before she laughs. "Y/N, come on. It really isn't that serious, you realize that, right?"

You stare at her for a moment, weighing your options. You could smash the glass over her head like you wanted to, demand that she leave immediately, or, you could 'accidentally' spill the glass on her. Before you complete the thought, you're throwing the contents of Clemensia's glass at the front of her dress, smiling as it splatters up over her face and in her hair, dripping down the front of her expensive-looking gown.

"Oops."

Livia gasps, wiping the red substance from around her eyes and flicking it off. "I thought that for one day you could be normal! God, you are vile!" She's practically screaming now.

"This is entirely your fault, you do realize that, right?" You tilt your head at her, a slight laugh under your tone. "If you wanted my husband just say that."

"I- ugh!" She groans in frustration and anger, swiping her hands over the liquid on her chest and flicking it all at you, staining the perfectly white satin of your slip. You look down at it, and then back at her. You were about to go through the roof.

The amount of people watching in the immediate vicinity is the only thing keeping you from grabbing her hair and shoving her head into the dirt. You decide to scream instead.

It turns into more of a wail, pumping angry tears into fake sad ones. Coryo is there in a second. "Darling, what's happened?" He asks, horrified as he looks between the two of you, grabbing your shoulders.

"I-" You sniff, pointing to the girl in front of you. "I just came to offer her something to change into because that is out of dress code and I tripped and-" You hiccup as he's rubbing up and down your bare arms. "It was an accident, and then she... It was just an accident! Now my dress is ruined and, and-"

He turns his gaze to Livia who just looks pissed while you ramble on about having had a little too much to drink, that was all. He's sure that's not what happened, he knows his wife better than that, but this show was not for him. He looks her up and down, visibly disgusted by her choice of dress. It honestly looks better now.

"Coriolanus that's not-" She chuckles with the shock of the accusation, shaking her head as she pleads with him.

"It's time for you to go." He tells her, looking toward a member of security who's not busy with your father, quickly waving him over.

Livia looks at the approaching security man in shock. "I didn't do anything!"

"That dress and causing a scene over it is more than enough." He states, wrapping an arm around your waist and wiping your tears from your cheeks. "Let's get you some water, Darling. It's okay..."

"It's not!" You cry, gesturing to the few small drops of wine on the front of your dress. "It's ruined! She ruined everything!"

Just as she's about to be escorted out, you make eye contact with her, offering a smug smile. She scoffs, which earns her a grab on the arm and a more forceful expulsion from the reception.

"Y/N!" Tigris is rushing across the lawn toward you, careful not to stumble in her shoes and bridesmaids' dress. "What happened?" She asks, addressing her cousin now.

"She's okay, there was just an accident with a glass of wine. We're just going to take a few minutes. I'll help her change." He explains to her.

She nods, looking worriedly down at the small stains in your dress. "I should be able to get this out, alright?" She assures you, rubbing a clean spot of the fabric between her fingers to make sure.

"Okay, thank you." You sniff, leaning into your husband's side as he guides you back up to the house.

You get inside and upstairs to what has become your dressing room and secondary bedroom over the last year. As soon as he shuts the door behind you, you can't hold your laughter back anymore. You're practically doubled over with it, and immediately Coryo understands. He chuckles, shaking his head at you.

"What a show..." He grins fondly, pulling you into a hug which you happily return.

"Oh, you liked it?" You giggle, coming down from your laughing fit.

"It was wonderful." He agrees, kissing the top of your head. "For a moment I was worried about you."

"Aw, really?" You look up at him, jutting your lip out in a pout.

"Definitely." He hums, kissing you softly. "Now come on, let's get you changed, huh?"

"Please." You nod, kissing him again before pulling back to pull your next dress from the closet. "I was supposed to wear this underneath, but now I can't." You sigh, hanging the full dress on the door before pulling the wine-stained one over your head.

"Just that will do, I suppose." Coryo mumbles, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind as you toss the slip onto the ground.

"Oh, you suppose, do you?" You chuckle, reaching up to pull the new dress from its hanger.

"Mhm." He nods, planting a kiss in the crook of your neck. "Makes my job easier later."

You laugh, blush spreading over your cheeks and flushing your chest while you unzip the back. You carefully balance as you step into the opening in the fabric, pulling it up around your waist.

"Don't rush, Darling. It will probably take you a while to recover before we can return to the party." He says, watching you adjust the skirt before you plan on zipping it up.

"Good point." You agree, but make no effort to stop until Coryo places his hand over yours.

"What should we do with all this time we have to kill, hm?" He's already leaning down to kiss over the back of your neck.

"I feel like you have an idea..." You mumble, tilting your head to adjust to his presence.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" He asks as he gently pushes the fabric back down to drop in a pool around your ankles.

"You may have mentioned it..." You turn under his palms as they land on your lower back, gently pulling you closer. "And I love you too. More than you could ever imagine, Coryo."

taglist: @totallynotkaibiased , @stelleduarte , @klplynn , @secretsicanthideanymore , @bejeweledreverie , @gloryekaterina , @andrewgarfieldsbitch , @queenofspades6 , @pepperonipastas , @ladybug0095 , @lunamothwrites , @sbrewer21 , @mus-tbe-a-weasley , @splxtscreen , @unclecrunkle , @karmaswitch , @coconut-dreamz , @nekee-lilac02 , @ooooglymoooogly , @riddlerloveb0t , @lovedbalances , @notyourwildestdream , @snowlandson-top , @too-lit-for-fanfic , @utopiakys , @deafeningballoonnacho , @roosterschanelslut , @chmpgneprblem , @cosmoetik , , @urvampgfsworld , @carolanns-world@nan-nie , @shakespearseclipse , @iovemoonyy , @notyoursweetheart-honey ,  @xyzstar , @eatpizzasass, @slytherinholland , @queenofshinigamis , @elodiebeau , @soulessjourney

[scribblesofagoonerr]

— Wee' bit of haggis in Sc0tLaNd

here we are with the request of readers' time in scotland, hope it lives up to expectations.

thank you massively to @alotofpockets as always for helping me come up with the ideas needed for chaos fc.

pairings: vivianne miedema x reader, kaylan marckese x reader

summary: readers joins viv, kaylan and myle in scotland during the international break, and of course shes' her usual self.

"Are we there yet?" Your not much of a fan of the journey, so to find out of the plan for a road trip, you weren't exactly thrilled.

"No," Viv replies bluntly from where shes' sat in the drivers seat of the camper van she'd hired for the trip.

Your literally hanging upside down of the sofa in the van even if that's not remotely safe to do, "How much longer? I'm so bored!" You can't help but complain regardless.

"Well, its' a road trip so considering the fact that we're on the road not there yet, it will be a while." Kaylan remarks, chuckling at you in amusement.

"Y/N, I've already told you before to sit up and put your seatbelt on. I'm driving and that's not safe at all!" Viv lightly scolds, catching you in the rear-view mirror of the van.

You huff and begrudingly do as your told, sitting up and buckling yourself into a seat, "Yeah, but how much longer is a while?" You question.

"How longs' a piece of string?" Kaylan chips in.

"I... I don't know-- Are we there yet?" You question for the tenth time in the past hour.

"For the love of god, Y/N," Viv exclaims, slamming her hands on the steering wheel, "We'll get there when we do, just be patient!" She states.

The Dutch womens' shouting is enough to shut you up.

Well, at least for like 5 minutes.

"Yeah, but like, when will that be?" You murmer, wearily glancing between the two older girls.

"Y/N!" Viv shouts aloud.

You hold your hands up in mock surrender, "Alright, alright. Sheesh-- You ask one little question and you get it in the neck." You mumble, innocently smiling at both Viv and Kaylan when they look at you in disbelief.

"Y/N, don't touch that," You hear Viv scold you for what felt like the hundreth time when she caught you going to press a mysterious button in the van.

It's not your fault that you're bored though, is it?

"Why not? It looks fun to press!" You protest; If someone tells you to do something then you're going to want to do it more, right?

Obviously.

"Because I said so," Viv states as you move to reach out and touch it again, "Don't touch it, Y/N!"

"What'd happen if I do?" You really were intreguied to find out what would happen if you press the button like you so desperately want to do.

"Nothing because you're going to touch it!" The Dutch women ultimately ruins your fun.

What an absolute party pooper.

"But Vivi, thats' borin'!" You can't help but whine in protest, being stuck in a moving vehicle isn't all that fun at all, "I only want to see what happens!"

"No, don't!" Viv leans forward and swats your hand away from being inches away from pressing it, "How an earth did I end up with you joining us on this trip?" She grumbles under her breath.

"Well that's simple, Vivi cos' Leah doesn't trust me to stay home alone and Kimmy refuses to deal with me, so ta-da, you're stuck with me!" You exclaim, waving your hands in a jazz like gesutre, "We're going to have a blast!"

"Fabulous," Viv mutters, trying to keep her eyes' focused on the road ahead.

You shrug your shoulders and smirk, "Blame them, not me! I don't see why I couldn't just stay home, I had so many things to do--" Your completely distracted by spotting the sheep out of the window and literally moving to press your face up against the glass, "Oh, oh, look, there's sheep! I can see them... I want to pet them!" You exclaim in complete awe of them.

You like sheep, you were a big fan of them. Nobody judge, okay?

"Uh, is she... Is she normal?" Kaylan glances at Viv, skeptically.

Viv snorts in response, "That depends what you mean by normal. I don't think shes' been tested for insanity." She remarks.

You whip your head around to look at the two older girls, "I'm not crazy, its' not proven but I'm not... I'm just havin' fun!" Your quick to defend.

You weren't crazy, sometimes the thoughts inside your head were just a bit wild though but that's what makes things better, nobody likes people who are boring!

"Oh yeah, tryng to give us both a nervous breakdown, heh. That's not exactly my idea of fun," Viv states, shaking her head.

You huff and go back to staring out the window at the sheep, "When we get out, can we please go and pet the sheep, please Vivi?" You all but beg her; They look so fluffy, you want to go and pet them so badly.

Kim wouldn't let you pet the dogs at the airport, you got the pet all the animals in Melbourne at the zoo, but you still want to pet sheep.

That'd be cool!

"No, Y/N," Viv disagrees, spoiling your fun.

Damn it.

"I'll be super careful though!" You continue to whine, wanting to get your way with things, "They don't even bite!"

Viv shakes her head in disagreement, "Yes they do and no you're not petting them," She still wasn't going to change her mind on this one, "I don't want to be the one to explain to Leah what happened when I drop you back off to her."

"Booooo!" You grumble in protest, sulking and crossing your arms, "This trips meant to be fun." You murmer, still not liking the fact of being told no.

Even though you were always told it, you thought you would get away with it this time around.

Apparently not.

"No, this trip is meant to be peaceful-- Y/N, don't touch that!" Viv exclaims, quickly moving to swat your hand away again before you attempt to touch the mysterious button once again. "I swear I'm babysittin' a literal child." She mutters.

"This weeks going to be a lot, isn't it?" Kaylan questions.

Viv exhales a sigh in response, "I can already feel the impending headache." She states.

"Look! Look! Fluffy cows!" You gasp in excitement, gesturing over to the field where you can see seem, "Moo! Do you think they can understand me?" You wonder, curiously.

You also have the need to pet them, so thats' exactly where you're heading off to now.

"Insanity... Not proven," Kaylan snorts in amusement, "Oh, there she goes!" She jokes, watching you rush in the direction of a gate to get near to the cows.

Viv exhales a sigh and shakes her head, "Y/N, come back 'ere!" She shouts, not in the mood to chase after you.

"I'm goin' to pet the fluffy cows!" You exclaim, getting to the metal gate and attempting to climb on it; You don't see the big deal about that.

"Y/N!" Viv continues to shout, grumbling under her breath before she hands Myle off to Kaylan, "I'd better go get her before she hurts herself."

"They weren't kidding when they said she bolts' at any chance she gets," Kaylan adds in, trying to stifle her laughter while she watches Viv try and catch up to you, while she trails behind.

"Y/N, get down before you hurt yourself!" Vivs' panicking that you're going to slip and break your leg, meanwhile you're non the wiser while you just try and get closer to the fluffy cows.

You rest on of your hands on the gate while you turn to look at the frantic Dutch, "Why? C'mon Vivi, its' not even that high. I'm fine!" You insist.

"Shes' definitely going to get hurt," Kaylan chimes in, catching up with the both of you finally.

Viv pinches the bridge of her nose, "Give me strength." She mutters to herself.

"Hey, guys! Look, this is so cool! I... I'm so close to this fluffy cow-- Do you have a name? I feel like you need a name," You start yapping on directly to the animal in front of you as you lean forward to try and stick your hand out, "C'mere cow who doesn't have a name!" You try to get there attention.

"Shes' literally talking to a cow," Kaylan mumbles, dumbfound.

"Y/N, that's enough. Get down before you hurt yourself!" Vivs' on high alert in case you fall.

All you want to do is pet the fluffy cow, who you're deciding on calling Derek.

Yeah, he definitely looks like a Derek.

"It's fine, it's not that deep," You can't help but roll your eyes in protest before you try and reach more towards the animal, "C'mere, Derek! C'mere!"

"Who the hell is Derek?" Kaylan questions, confused.

"The fluffy cow, duh!" You exclaim, gesturing to the cow in the field.

"Get down, Y/N!" Viv repeats.

"It's fine, its' not that deep," You mumble in repsonse.

You were so close to reaching the cow until you weren't; Slipping on the gate due to the wetness of it previously raining, means you fall back and land right smack in the middle of a puddle, which smells partically foul.

Cow poop.

"Arghhh!" You scream in absolute horror at what's happened, "EW! EW! EWWWW!"

"It was only a matter of time," Kaylan remarks before she cracks up laughing.

"Ew! Ew!" You immediately whine in digsust, "Vivi, help me up. Help me up!" You plead, trying to hold your hands out for her to pull you up out of the cow muck.

Viv can't help but snicker in amusement, "I feel like this is considered karma now, Y/N." She states.

"Its' not funny, this is gross!" You continue to whine about it, "Help me up, please!" You all but plead.

"Sure, but let me just get a photo for Kim first," The Dutch agrees, sliding her phone out of her pocket, "Say cheese, Y/N!"

Kaylan also takes an opportunity to snap a photo, "This is hilarious-- This could only happen to you, Y/N." She teases you.

"Definitely one for the groupchat," Viv chimes in, grinning at the photo.

You kindly give them both the finger while being stuck in the mud, "Somebody help me up-- This is gross!" You complain, finding the situation to be absolutely horrifying.

"Hi, I wanted to call in and check in," Beths' face pops up on the screen when Viv answers, "See how you're doin'?" She wonders.

"Well, we got to Scotland, finally," Viv breathes a sigh of relief, "The drive was tedious to say the least." She admits.

Beth chuckles slightly, "And hows' Y/N doing?"

"Y/N is well, Y/N," Viv remarks.

"Is she behaving herself?" The blonde questions.

"Don't even get me started," The brunette mutters, shaking her head, "I'm wondering how Kim coped with her for as long as she did!" She states, throwing her hands up in the air.

Beth winces slightly, "Sounds like its' been rough then."

"Y/N has already tried to torment the sheep, and the cows as well," Viv explains to her girlfriend, "I do however have a great photo to send into the groupchat of when she fell in the cow much."

"Really?" Beth breaks out into laughter, "I can't wait to see that!" She exclaims.

Viv chuckles slightly, "I'll make sure to send it over in a bit. I'm definitely gonna need another holiday after this." She admits, rubbing her temples.

"It's a good job we have Greece lined up after this then," Beth chips in.

"Oooh! Greece? I want to go to Greece?" You can't help but overhear the conversation between the two of them, "Hi Beffy!" You pop your head in the view of Vivs' phone.

"No, that's definitely not happening!" Viv states, firmly.

"Hi, Y/N. I hope you're not giving Viv and Kaylan too much grief?" Beth chuckles, waving at you.

"Oh, please. I've been on my best behaviour!" You flash the blonde an innocent smile, "So, can I come to Greece with you both? Pretty please!" You plead.

"No!" Viv exclaims in protest.

"Well it sounds like you've got your hands full there. I'll let you go and I'll pass it along to Leah that her kids' still alive," Beth jokes, sensing Vivs' frustration having to deal with you, "Not long now, just remember that." She adds.

"Counting the days as we speak," Viv grumbles, followed by a quick end to the conversation and getting back to dealing with you and your chaos.

"Y/N, are you coming to eat?" Kaylan calls out to you to get your attention from whatever TikTok you're watching while hanging upside down on the sofa in the camper van.

"Ew, no thanks," Straight away, you scrunch your nose up in disgust at the slight of whatever is on both of their plates, "I'm not eatin' that, cos' it looks horribleeeeee!" You tell them, emphasising the word to get your point across.

"Its' haggis, you haven't ever tried it," Viv looks over to you and shakes her head, "Come and at least try it before you turn your nose up at it." She adds.

"I don't need to try nor do I want too when I can see it and it looks awful!" You exclaim, still scrunching your face up absolutely ditest.

"You don't know what you're missin' here, Y/N," Kaylan chimes in.

"Oh, I definitely do. Keep that stuff away from me! That be lookin' a little nasty!" Your not sure what accent you're trying to pull off, but your damn sure you aren't trying that at all.

"Your going to get headache if you continue to sit like that," Viv mentions to the way you're sitting upside down, "And you need to eat still." She adds.

You shuffle round so your sat up on the sofa properly once the blood starts to rush to your head, "I'll eat, just not that. Where can I get a pizza round 'ere?" You wonder.

"Its' reallly not that bad Y/N," Kaylan chuckles, thinking your making a huge deal out of nothing.

"Nope, ah, ah, definitely not!" You state adamantly, shaking your head quickly, "I'll stick with what I like, thanks."

"Leahs' fussy food habits are rubbing off on you," Kaylan chuckles, poking fun at the blondes' choice of food.

"I'm all for adventurous food, but just not... that," You wrinkle your nose up in disgust at the sight of it, "You won't ever get me to try it."

"You can't judge it until you try it, Y/N." Viv states, shaking her head, "Why don't you trust a bit of mine?" She offers.

"Nope, uh uh. No way!" You reluctant to agree, bolting up from your spot on the sofa, "I'm off to go get pizza. C'mon Myle, walkies!" You call over to the snoozin' pup sat in her bed near where Viv is sat, while you move to shove your Nike Air Forces on.

"Wait, Y/N. You don't know where you're going round here," The Dutch states, dumbfound.

"I'm sure I'll be able to find my way round here," You shrug your shoulders carelessly and pick up Myles' leash, "C'mon girl, lets' go and explore!"

"I... I don't think that's a good idea," Viv frowns, shaking her head.

"That sounds like a bad idea," Kaylan remarks.

"C'mon, what's the worst that can happen?" You don't see the big deal, you're eager to explore Scotland without supervision and you really do want pizza right now.

"I-- Fine, okay but keep your phone on you and let me know how long you're gonna be!" Viv shouts in response, feeling like one of them overprotective parents; At least with you, she could hand you back after this week.

"And don't fall in anymore cow muck," Kaylan chips in, laughing at your own expense.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, it'll be fine-- Byeeee!" You wave her off before you head out the door with Myle by your side on the hunt for pizza.

"It's so peaceful round here," You think aloud, glancing down to the small pup whos' obediently stuck beside you the whole time, "We should probably head back, huh girl?"

Who are you kidding, are you really expecting her to answer you back?

The walk to find pizza ended up with you both finding the beach, just sitting there and listening to waves, its' a great tranquility to be around.

"I'd love to be able to speak to animals," You speak your thoughts aloud, sliding your phone out of your pocket to be bombarded by several notifications.

Oops?

You guess you must've been out longer than you thought given the several missed calls and frantic texts, but it's not your fault that your phone was on silent though.

"Y/N, where the hell are you?" You wince and pull your phone away from your ear as you immediately hear Viv yell down the phone, "You've been gone for over 2 hours-- Why haven't you been answering any of our texts or calls!?"

"Whoa, chill out, Vivi. I got distracted..." You admit bashfully, trying to make a joke out of it, "We'll head back now-- We're at the beach!"

"The beach!? That's over an hour away! How far did you walk!?" Viv exclaims in disbelief, "You only went to find pizza! Just hurry back, now!"

"Yeah, yeah, alright, sure," You huff in protest, not liking the fact you had to leave the peaceful beach, "We're heading back now." You add, before you end the call.

You didn't see much of the big deal about being gone for so long, its' not like you were lost in the woods or something.

"C'mon girl, we'd better go back. Your mums' loosin' her mind over us being gone," You speak to the pup, who looks at you like she understands every single word you're yapping on about and even barks.

Clipping Myles' leash on her, you start to walk back to the camper van where no doubt you're going to get a wonderful lecture about your disappearance for the several hours.

The beach was definitely worth it though, and the pizza as well.

Walking back, there's a sudden distraction when you feel the faint buzzing of your phone in your pocket, "Ello'?" You answer without even seeing whos' on the other end of the call.

"Finally, you answer!" The familiar voice of the blonde skipper speaks on the other side, "I've been ringing your phone-- Where the hell are you?" She questions.

"I went for a walk," You respond, shrugging your shoulders as you walk back to the camper van, "But Viv knows that already and I've spoke to her." You add in.

"Yeah, she knows you went for a walk, but she also told you to let her know how long you're gonna be!" Leah lectures you just like usual; You swear its' all she ever does, "You didn't do that!"

"Right, well, I got distracted!" You admit, shrugging your shoulders again even though she couldn't see your body actions being on the phone.

"For 2 hours? You've had everyone going out of their minds, Y/F/N!" The blonde still scolds you in a firm tone of voice.

You can't help but roll your eyes, "It's minor, I'm on me way back now anyways."

"Good, right, well hurry back before it gets dark--" You huff and cut the blonde off.

"Did you only phone to lecture me?" You can't help but wonder, since that's all Leah regulary seems to do.

"Yes, and well I also got sent a crackin' photo of you fallin' in the cow muck," Leah snickers on the other side of the phone, "It makes a lovely background photo." She adds.

"Wha-- That's not even funny. It proper stunk!" You whine in complaint.

You still hear Leah laughing on the other end of the phone, "How'd that even happen?" She wonders.

"I wanted to pet Derek," You mumble, letting out a small huff.

"Derek?" Leah repeats, bewildered.

"The fluffy cow," You tell the blonde, continuing to walk in the direction of the camper van, "I slipped on the gate and fell back-- It's not funny, Le!" You whine, hearing her cracking up laughing on the other end of the call.

"Oh, thats' hilarious!" Leah exclaims in amusement, "Only you kid, only you." She states as a matter of fact.

"Seriously? Alright, if you're only gonna tease me then I'm hanging up on yer!" You grumble, more than willing to end the call with the blonde.

"Wait, wait, no. I didn't just phone to tease you!" Leah protests, hoping you hadn't ended the call already, "I wanted to see how you were actually doin' other than causing trouble!"

"Yeah, fine, I got pizza-- Hey! Did you know Beth and Viv are going to Greece? No fair I wanna go!" You whine in protest, that sounds like the perfect holiday destination right now.

Leah hums in agreement, "Oh yeah, I heard about that. I don't think them pair would be able to deal with you." She jokes in a teasing tone.

"I'm not that bad!" You exclaim, earning a few looks from nearby people as you walk past them.

"Really? Cos' it sounds like you've had quite the adventure in Scotland, kid," Leah remarks, you can already tell shes' shaking her head in disappointment right now.

"I'm just havin' fun!" You insist, pouting.

"Course you are," Leah lets' out a small laugh, "Cheer up, grumps. I'm taking you somewhere much better anyways!" She tells you.

"Where?" You wonder, curiously.

"Nashville," The blonde replies.

You let out an excited squeal, "Hell yeah, I'm gonna be in my cowgirl era!" You say, trying to contain your excitement.

Leahs' still laughing on the other side of the phone, "Yeah, I thought you'd be excited about that. You need to stay out of trouble until then though!" She states, firmly, "Or no Nashville."

"Yeehaw! Ya got it, partner!" You put on the accent, grinning from ear to ear, "Nashville baby, lets' go!"

Nashville, here you come!

© scribblesofagoonerr

[twst-drabbles]

Baul 2

Summary: You hand Baul a fruit for him to peel and it leads to an unusual heart-to-heart that made you realize you may have messed up.

(More time travel shenanigans! Because I cannot resist. I like the thought of Baul giving an accidental hint and Janitor immediately mentally going "oh shit!" This is what the Janitor gets for being a fae magnet.)

You were given a strange fruit by Lilia for you to munch on. You didn't really know how to go about eating it, honestly. It looked like nothing you've ever seen, so instead of fumbling and potentially having Lilia snark at you, you left and sat down on a nearby log.

Before you know it, Baul exited the main camp and walked towards you. You both caught eyes and you just nodded to him in greeting. He gave one back before speeding up to sit right next to you.

Wordlessly, you handed him the fruit and Baul took it without question.

"You need something, Baul?" Rare was it of him to come to you. Whenever he wants to enjoy the silence, he'd usually do that by himself.

Baul took out a knife and began to peel the fruit. He took his time in replying.

"It won't be long now, will it?"

You raised an eyebrow. "…that's ominous. Mind being more clear?"

Baul sighed as he tossed the long peel into the leaves besides him. "I've heard Lilia and her Highness speaking of returning you home. To a place, far… far from here."

…yeah, you'll finally be able to go back to your time. There was no chance of being able to recreate the spell from scratch, but there was enough unique residual magical energy to manipulate and activate. All they need is to simply, let it flow into its most natural path.

"Very far. And I don't think I'll be able to visit anytime soon."

"Hmm, of course," Baul mumbled, eyes narrowing, "not when you have many friends and loved ones waiting for your return. And certainly not with this possibility of war rising high over our heads."

"Staying would do me more damage than good," your time travel isn't a secret but it's certainly hard to believe. Whether or not they believe you, you don't know, but at least Baul understands that where you're going, it's very far.

"…I once thought you a danger," Baul started, now evenly slicing the fruit, "then an intruder, then an annoyance, and then…"

You leaned forward. "And then?"

He looked up to the night sky. "And then… you became someone I can think of as a peer. Someone I can call a… friend, I suppose. And someone…"

"Hmm?"

Baul grabbed a slice of the fruit and handed it to you as he gave a most gentle smile, "And someone who I can make a promise with. A promise to cherish anything and everything they have ever given me. So that I may never forget what joys people such as you can bring."

…oh.

…oh no.

His eyes glowed with a tender light under the full moon, his body was leaning towards you as though wanting to get closer. And his smile. It was a rare sight and it was one you were hoping you were wrong about.

You were hoping that… that this wouldn't happen. That this tenderness wouldn't exist.

This is not coming from a place of arrogance. You're not assuming that you're such a catch that Baul would be willing to wait for you for four hundred plus years, rendering the existence of Sebek null and void.

It's his words, his promise to hold his memories of you close, so that he may never forget what humans are capable of. To hold close the things you have given him.

He made a promise to you.

You had already grabbed the slice Baul handed to you. He fell silent as he let go but didn't retract his hand. His eyes focused on your finger tips while you remain frozen in time.

When he made to reach closer, inching just a bit, you retracted and stuffed the slice in your mouth.

"Aren't promises too heavy for that?" You leaned back on the log, facing forward just so your internal storm doesn't show on your face, "You don't have to do that with my gifts. They're not some precious treasures you know? They're just things I make, do, and give. It's okay if you lose or replace them."

But you can't confront him in his face about it. You have to be careful, lest he shuts himself away, because you genuinely don't want to hurt him like that. Baul is… so similar to Sebek in how fiercely protective they are about matters of the heart. And the fact he was willing to let even a little hint of it slip past and not backtrack immediately told you the intensity of these feelings, and the acceptance of them.

It's dangerous. Too dangerous. You don't want anything to happen to Sebek. So you have to guide Baul away from you without burning this bridge.

"…human life is fleeting," Baul started, a soft timber, "when the time comes, and you must leave, then I will only have this to remember you by. Perhaps I will meet another human. Perhaps I will receive new gifts. But I cannot replace yours. I want to treasure them. Otherwise I'll-"

"If you forget, that's fine," you waved at Baul, casual as can be, "it's a nice sentiment, really, but you and I aren't immune to time. If you forget, even if you cherish everything as closely as you could, it's fine. All you can do is move on, Baul."

"But-" Baul leaned forward and the distress in his face had you quietly sighing.

"It's fine," you didn't want to but you had to keep him from talking, from keeping that promise, "as a friend, I just want you to find happiness. And if the memory of me brings you pain, then it's fine to forget me altogether. Just move forward, okay?"

"A human that doesn't mind being forgotten, huh?" Baul looked at you, as though trying to find something to comfort him, then gazed towards the ground, hands held together. "You… really have mastered the art of confusing me."

You didn't move to comfort him, but you sat on that log nonetheless. "I know. It can't be helped, so I can't really apologize for that."

"I'll get angry if you do," Baul's bard was very weak at best, spat out with tired laughter.

"I know, I know." You shrugged with a laugh yourself.

[ashbeneviento]

The Serpent And The Spider

Chapter One: Caught In The Web

ReaderXDonna, TAGS: Angst, eventual romance, eventual smut. TW’s: gore, angst, non consensual drugging, violence, toxic themes (TAGS+TW’s WILL BE UPDATED EVERY CHAPTER, PLEASE READ) No beta reader, sorry for any grammar mistakes! Thanks for reading!

***

Radio static vibrated against the walls of the hide out spot, then silence as you shut the damn thing off again.

“Shit…” you mumble, throwing the device across the room.

It’s been three days since the raid of those awful creatures. No doubt the rest of the team were dead by now.. especially after today.

The small and remote village you were ordered to investigate was somehow worse than the larger cities. Zombies? Those were easy. Quick to kill if you had good training and aim, both of which you and the team had. But nothing could of prepared you for them.

Straight from a fantasy tale, werewolves..or lycans rather, seemed to infect the entire village and its residents. Wasted bullets zipped through the air and not a single one fell to their knees, successfully mauling each of us one by one.

And a mutant woman with large black wings who, more conscious than a zombie seemed to rule over them. You knew she had something to do with all of this, but how?

Checking the last of your supplies, you decide it was either time to take your chances and be killed out there or die in this shed. Loading the rest of your bullets in the gun and throwing your backpack over your shoulder, you choose taking a chance.

You felt bad for leaving your teammates behind.

But you had seen what those creatures could do and decided to survive by running away. You were always like this though. Ever since you were a kid. You had to run away and leave your mother behind because she never saved you from that god awful man at fourteen. You wish you could have killed that monster too, but now you did it for a living.

The soft crunch of snow beneath your boots gave you something else to focus on, leaving the past behind and out of your mind as you walked.

There had been no signs of the Lycans in this area so you felt pretty confident wherever you were heading.

An old bridge came into view and gave you a sense of hope, anything to get you away from that village for a while would put you at ease.

Well…it would have if it weren’t for the dolls.

Hundreds, if not thousands of them meet your eye as you crossed the bridge and into another patch of woods. On the ground, in the bushes, and many dangled from the trees as if they were hung. It sent chills down your spine at their appearance. Too life like as their eyes seemed to follow you and your body shook from something other than the winter air.

“Jesus.. what kind of sick person does this shit?” You whisper under your breath.

Thankfully a clearing was up ahead and the sound of humming reached your ears.

Passing through an old gate, the source of that sound was coming from a large waterfall. And there was a house!

“Please let whoever lives here be normal…” you plead to yourself.

The outside looked well taken care of, the porch free of ice and snow. Small candles were lit by the windows, letting you know someone recently lit them.

You knock on the door a few times, taking a step back just in case. After a few minutes of waiting, you knock again.

“Hello? Is anyone here? I seem to be lost and need some help” you call out, rubbing your cold hands together.

The door creaks open slightly and a woman, well.. rather a phantom looking woman revealed herself through the crack.

“Oh thank goodness, I was-..” you begin your fake sob story before you were cut off.

“Why do you have a gun?” A low and raspy voice asks behind her veil.

You pause to look down at your holster and internally curse yourself for not hiding it.

“Well.. for protection, miss” you reply matter of factly. The woman tilts her head for a moment before shaking it.

“No weapons in the house. You’ll leave them outside” she whispers.

You didn’t like that idea at all. She was a stranger, and these people already freaked you out enough that she couldn’t be trusted. With a house as big as this one, there was no way she lived here alone either.

“I’m sorry but, I can’t do that. They have to come with me. But I won’t use them inside I promise” you say firmly, locking eyes with what you assumed were hers behind the veil. She stands there silently for a few moments more before nodding.

She opens up the door more and motions you inside, the warmth of the house wrapping around your cold body like a blanket as you search your surroundings carefully.

This strange and dark woman had a strangely homey feel about her home, a stark contrast between both. Old, for sure.. prehaps even old money too. An inheritance maybe? She was definitely more well off than the villagers…

“You’re not from here” That low, raspy voice said. Not a question, she was observing you too.

You turn and give her a slight smile and a nod.

“No. What gave it away? My accent?” You reply, not willing to give too much about yourself away to this woman.

“Your face” She answers, monotone as she tilts her head.

Yeah.. definitely creepy.

Something catches your attention down the hallway behind her, something small and moving. You couldn’t make out what it was because it moved so fast, but the phantom woman seems to pay it no mind as she gestures you to sit on the couch.

She sits on the chair opposite of you, pointing down to the teapot and cups on a coffee table between you both.

It had been days since you’ve eaten and your stomach rumbles in response before your mouth could.

“Yes please” you say, and she delicately pours you a cup in silence. She also pours herself one but lets you take a few sips and you realize she must have just made it as it was hot.

The warmth felt good going down your throat, in turn warming your stomach. You hum in gratitude as you take another sip before setting it back down.

You look up at her, ready to ask her what kind of tea it was when a strange feeling hit you.

She was right next to the door when you knocked the first time..and made tea for two before she answered it. She hasn’t taken a drink yet, and now the room looked hazy as your eyelids grew heavy.

Y/N.. you idiot! you think as your muscles began to go numb, unable to stand up from the couch as the phantom woman places her cup back on the table. You reach your hand out as you fall forward and crash into the floor.

The woman stands from her chair and rounds the coffee table to you and you unsuccessfully crawl against the wood.

“Please..” you beg with a slurred voice. The room grows dark as your cheek smacks the floor.

[nostalgebraist]

@oakfern replied to your post “it's going to be fun to watch the realization...”:

i feel like this is going to play out very similarly to voice assistants. there was a huge boom in ASR research, the products got a lot of hype, and they actually sold decently (at least alexa did). but 10 years on, they've been a massive failure, costing way more than they ever made back. even if ppl do think chatbot search engines are exciting and cool, it's not going to bring in more users or sell more products, and in the end it will just be a financial loss

​(Responding to this a week late)

I don't know much about the history of voice assistants. Are there any articles you recommend on the topic? Sounds interesting.

ETA: Iater, I found and read this article from Nov 2022, which reports that Alexa and co. still can't turn a profit after many years of trying.

But anyway, yeah... this is why I don't have a strong sense of how widespread/popular these "generative AI" products will be a year or two from now. Or even five years from now.

(Ten years from now? Maybe we can trust the verdict will be in at that point... but the tech landscape of 2033 is going to be so different from ours that the question "did 'generative AI' take off or not?" will no doubt sound quaint and irrelevant.)

Remember when self-driving cars were supposed to be right around the corner? Lots of people took this imminent self-driving future seriously.

And I looked at it, and thought "I don't get it, this problem seems way harder than people are giving it credit for. And these companies show no signs of having discovered some clever proprietary way forward." If people asked me about it, that's what I would say.

But even if I was sure that self-driving cars wouldn't arrive on schedule, that didn't give me much insight into the fate of "self-driving cars," the tech sector meme. It wasn't like there was some specific deadline, and when we crossed it everyone was going to look up and say "oh, I guess that didn't work, time to stop investing."

The influx of capital -- and everything downstream from it, the trusting news stories, the prominence of the "self-driving car future" in the public mind, the seriousness which it was talked about -- these things went on, heedless of anything except their own mysterious internal logic.

They went on until . . . what? The pandemic, probably? I actually still don't know.

Something definitely happened:

In 2018 analysts put the market value of Waymo LLC, then a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., at $175 billion. Its most recent funding round gave the company an estimated valuation of $30 billion, roughly the same as Cruise. Aurora Innovation Inc., a startup co-founded by Chris Urmson, Google’s former autonomous-vehicle chief, has lost more than 85% since last year [i.e. 2021] and is now worth less than $3 billion. This September a leaked memo from Urmson summed up Aurora’s cash-flow struggles and suggested it might have to sell out to a larger company. Many of the industry’s most promising efforts have met the same fate in recent years, including Drive.ai, Voyage, Zoox, and Uber’s self-driving division. “Long term, I think we will have autonomous vehicles that you and I can buy,” says Mike Ramsey, an analyst at market researcher Gartner Inc. “But we’re going to be old.”

Whatever killed the "self-driving car" meme, though, it wasn't some newly definitive article of proof that the underlying ideas were flawed. The ideas never made sense in the first place. The phenomenon was not really about the ideas making sense.

Some investors -- with enough capital, between them, to exert noticable distortionary effects on entire business sectors -- decided that "self-driving cars" were, like, A Thing now. And so they were, for a number of years. Huge numbers of people worked very hard trying to make "self-driving cars" into a viable product. They were paid very well to do. Talent was diverted away from other projects, en masse, into this effort. This went on as long as the investors felt like sustaining it, and they were in no danger of running out of money.

Often the "tech sector" feels less like a product of free-market incentives than it does like a massive, weird, and opaque public works product, orchestrated by eccentrics like Masayoshi Son, and ultimately organized according to the aesthetic proclivities and changing moods of its architects, not for the purpose of "doing business" in the conventional sense.

Gig economy delivery apps (Uber Eats, Doordash, etc.) have been ubiquitous for years, and have reported huge losses in every one of those years.

This entertaining post from 2020 about "pizza arbitrage" asks:

Which brings us to the question - what is the point of all this? These platforms are all losing money. Just think of all the meetings and lines of code and phone calls to make all of these nefarious things happen which just continue to bleed money. Why go through all this trouble?

Grubhub just lost $33 million on $360 million of revenue in Q1.

Doordash reportedly lost an insane $450 million off $900 million in revenue in 2019 (which does make me wonder if my dream of a decentralized network of pizza arbitrageurs does exist).

Uber Eats is Uber's "most profitable division” 😂😂. Uber Eats lost $461 million in Q4 2019 off of revenue of $734 million. Sometimes I need to write this out to remind myself. Uber Eats spent $1.2 billion to make $734 million. In one quarter.

And now, in February 2023?

DoorDash's total orders grew 27% to 467 million in the fourth quarter. That beat Wall Street’s forecast of 459 million, according to analysts polled by FactSet. Fourth quarter revenue jumped 40% to $1.82 billion, also ahead of analysts’ forecast of $1.77 billion.

But profits remain elusive for the 10-year-old company. DoorDash said its net loss widened to $640 million, or $1.65 per share, in the fourth quarter as it expanded into new categories and integrated Wolt into its operations.

Do their investors really believe these companies are going somewhere, and just taking their time to get there? Or is this more like a subsidy? The lost money (a predictable loss in the long term) merely the price paid for a desired good -- for an intoxicating exercise of godlike power, for the chance to reshape reality to one's whims on a large scale -- collapsing the usual boundary between self and outside, dream and reality? "The gig economy is A Thing, now," you say, and wave your hand -- and so it is.

Some people would pay a lot of money to be a god, I would think.

Anyway, "generative AI" is A Thing now. It wasn't A Thing a year ago, but now it is. How long will it remain one? The best I can say is: as long as the gods are feeling it.

[papaya-twinks]

also i have an oscar req, maybe he meets reader in china (implied asian? idk its self indulgence) and then he gets lost and she helps him and then they explore and she shows him chinese culture since osc is 1/16 chinese and yeah

Warnings: Fluff!

Pairing: Oscar Piastri x fem!asian!reader

A/N - for my DAUGHTER 😍😍😍 also I didn’t have time to write about like the entire thingy about them exploring Chinese culture coz I have like other requests and there’s so many 😍😍😍

You were sitting outside a restaurant, eating your favourite make of avocado toast - well, you didn’t mean to lock eyes with the cutest stranger you had ever laid your eyes on. Neither did you mean to spill herbs all down your jumper. “Oh jeez, I’m sorry,” he rushed forwards, helping you brush down the crumbs as you flushed red. What an impression, am I right?

“Not your fault,” you said, laughing it off as he smiled. Yup, definitely the cutest guy EVER. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know where the Shanghai international circuit is?” he asked, making you look up. “You’re going to the Grand Prix? You’re a fan too?” you replied, eyes wide. Little did you know. “You could say that. Im Oscar by the way,” he held out his hand to shake it. You took it with a smile, “Y/N,”.

“Pretty name,” he said, helping you stand up so you could guide him. “I’m going too, actually,” you said, “we could go together,”. He seemed to like the idea, following you gingerly through the crowd. “How long have you watched F1?” he asked, half amused at you not knowing who he was. “Briefly watched it, found out there was a GP happening near me, thought why not,” you shrugged.

“Know any drivers?” he asked, scooting beside you. “I know…Lewis Hamilton’s the best…Max is winning now, and that’s about it,” you shrugged. “Got a favourite team?” he questioned. “McLaren probably. I like their vibe,” you said, pulling a laugh from him. “Mr Piastri,” a guard greeted him as he turned to the man beside you. You turned to him, how the hell did the guard know his name? “So about me ‘attending’ the GP,” he fingers made air quotations.

“Oscar Piastri?” you blinked, confused. “Mhm,” he hummed, cheeks slightly pink. “I didn’t want you to treat me differently or anything,” he muttered as you laughed. “Guess I’ll go find my seat then,” you turned to walk away. “No, wait, you helped me get here,” he said, grabbing your arm as you frowned with confusion, “you could always join me in the garage?” he asked, definitely blushing.

“Are you sure?” you asked, eyes lighting up. “Absolutely. You could go out and show me some of the things around after the practise,” he grinned. And it was settled. You watched the race and then you met up with Oscar. “Hmmmm,” a voice said behind you, making you turn around. “What, Lando?” the Aussie in front of you groaned at the other driver. “Hm?” he said, acting oblivious. “Lando,” he blinked, rolling his eyes. “Hmmmm,” the Brit repeated, raising his eyebrows at you.

“Girl,” he gestured vaguely to you. “No shit,” Oscar rolled his eyes, tugging on your sleeve. “Wear protection, kids!” Lando yelled after you as you flushed and covered your face. Oscar certainly had interesting company.

[nameless-ken]

Silent Confessions, Loud Masks - Billy Hargrove x Reader Series

(Please reblog!!!)

Happy reading! Comment below to be added to taglist.

Word Count: 4.5K

Warnings: mostly fluff & angst, cursing

Introduction | Chapter one | Chapter two | Chapter three

Masterlist

(song for this chapter <3)

You and Robin weave through the bustling corridors of Starcourt Mall, the newest vibrant hub of Hawkins. The air is alive with chatter, the scent of fresh pretzels, and the pulse of '80s synthpop playing in every store.

“I can't wait for the homecoming game, seriously. The whole band has been putting in extra hours, perfecting our routine. It's going to be epic.” Robin exclaims, pulling you into a store full of dresses. 

“Yeah, you guys have been killing it in practice. Honestly, it's the only reason I ever show up to those games.” Robin laughs, but there's a hint of nervousness behind it. “Well, there's another reason I'm excited. You know, besides the game.”

“Oh yeah? What's that?” You question her, racking through overly puffy dresses. Robin hesitates for a moment, her fingers fidgeting with a dress in front of her.

“It's... it's Vickie. I've been wanting to ask her to the dance, but I'm always so nervous around her. We're positioned beside each other in the marching band, and I can't stop thinking about her.”

“Robin, you should totally go for it. You'll never know unless you try.” Robin's expression flickers with uncertainty, her shoulders sagging slightly.

“I wish it were that easy, but you know how it is in this town. If anyone found out... I'd be the talk of Hawkins.”

“Hey, you know I'll always have your back, no matter what. And whoever you choose to be with, they'll be lucky to have you.” Robin smiles gratefully, her eyes glistening with emotion.

“Thanks, you're the best. So, what about you? Anyone special you're thinking about going to the dance with?” You shrug nonchalantly, avoiding her gaze but Robin sees through your casual facade, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

“Come on, spill the beans. I know there's someone you've got your eye on.” You roll your eyes playfully, but her words linger in your mind.

“Maybe someone like Billy?” You freeze, feeling heated just from the sound of his name. “You don’t have to tell me what’s going on between you two but I know you better than anyone and I can tell there’s something there. So, why don’t you take your own advice and do something about it?” 

You know she’s right but you can’t help the feeling of rejection sink in that is more than likely to happen if you were to ask him. No matter how many small moments you’ve shared, you're afraid it hasn’t been enough for Billy to be comfortable showing you off like that. People in this town would consider that something serious and maybe sometimes, you wish it was. 

"Moving on," you remark, pushing aside the tumultuous thoughts about Billy and the complexities of your feelings for him. You take a deep breath, focusing on the present moment.

"So, are we aiming for cute and flirty or bold and daring for the dance?" Robin's voice breaks through your internal turmoil, bringing you back to reality.

You glance at the racks of dresses, each one shimmering with its own unique charm. With a determined smile, you shake off the lingering doubts and dive into surveying every dress on the rack.

"Cute and flirty, I think," you reply and grab the perfect dress, wanting to pick something that you like but also might have a certain pair of eyes on you the whole night. 

You emerge from the fitting rooms, twirling and admiring your reflection in the mirror, Robin being your usual hype woman. 

“Yeah Billy won’t be able to take his eyes off you.” Robin teases as you walk back in the dressing room and pull the curtain shut, shooting out your middle finger at her and she lets out a boisterous laugh. 

You walk with Robin towards the entrance of the field, the excitement of the homecoming game palpable in the air. 

“I’ll catch you after.” Robin says and you nod, waving her off and she rushes to join the rest of the marching band. 

As you approach the ticket booth, you fish out the necessary cash and exchange it for your ticket. Ticket in hand, you move past the bottom of the bleachers. That’s when you see him. 

Billy and his friends huddling beneath the bleachers, the acrid scent of smoke drifting towards you. Your eyes meet Billy's, and a shiver runs down your spine as he sends you a knowing wink, a silent message passing between you. You quickly avert your gaze, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention.

Feeling a knot form in your stomach, you focus on the ground beneath your feet, your heart pounding in your chest. Ignoring the emotions fostering within, you make your way up the metal bleachers, the seats creaking beneath your weight.

Finally reaching a seat near the top, you take a deep breath. A part of you wishes you could’ve walked up to him without the fear of judgement from his friends and a part of you wishes to keep what you have secret because in those moments of just the two of you, it’s something so special that you want to keep between you both. 

You don’t really know anything about football. As the game starts, the crowd grows louder and louder, to the point where you can’t handle the shouting anymore. After you watch Robin and the true stars of the evening finish their halftime routine, you make your way back down the bleacher steps, the slight quietness of below easing the pain in your ears. 

“Tired of the game already?” You look over, noticing Billy’s lone form in the shadows. 

“Never cared for it honestly.” You respond, walking closer to him, finding the familiar cloud of smoke surrounding him. “You know, if you keep smoking like that, it’ll kill you.” 

“Let’s hope.” You can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic or serious. You hope for the first. 

“Why are you here anyway? Didn’t peg you as someone with school spirit.” You lean against one of the cool metal bars, watching his lips wrap around the cigarette. 

“Max is here with some friends, dad made me bring her.” 

You nod, acknowledging Billy's explanation. "Family duties," you say with a hint of understanding. "I get it."

Billy takes another drag from his cigarette, the tip glowing brightly in the darkness. "Yeah," he mutters. "Something like that."

The distant roar of the crowd filters down to you, but down here, beneath the bleachers, it's more subdued, almost peaceful. You find yourself drawn to the relative quietness as you continue your conversation with Billy.

"So, how's everything else going?" you inquire, hoping to shift the topic away from school-related matters.

Billy takes a moment before replying, his gaze thoughtful. "Hey, are you planning on going to the dance?" he asks suddenly, his tone casual.

You're taken aback by the question, the unexpectedness of it causing you to pause for a moment. "Yeah, actually," you reply, a smile forming on your lips. "I'm going with Robin and some of her other friends."

Billy nods in understanding. "Cool," he says, his tone casual. "I'll probably just tag along with my friends too."

You glance at him, catching his eye for a brief moment. There's something in his expression, a hint of hesitation perhaps, as if he wants to say more but decides against it. He takes another puff of his cigarette, the smoke swirling around him like a protective shield.

“I guess I’ll see you there.” You muster up the courage to give his arm a touch, easing his anxious nature. 

“Dress pretty for me.” He comments with a sly smirk gracing his lips. 

You chuckle at Billy's comment, shaking your head in mock exasperation. "Always the charmer, aren't you?" you tease, playfully rolling your eyes.

Billy's smirk widens at your response, and for a moment, you catch a glimpse of the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he says with a shrug.

You laugh, feeling the tension between you dissipate in the warmth of the moment. "Well, I'll do my best to impress," you respond with a playful smile.

"I'm looking forward to it, little mouse," he says softly, his gaze meeting yours with a hint of sincerity.

You feel a flutter of excitement in your chest at his words, the prospect of seeing Billy at the dance suddenly feeling more thrilling than ever before. With a final nod, you turn away and walk off. As you make your way back up the bleachers, the sound of the crowd surrounds you once more, but this time, it's accompanied by a sense of anticipation for the homecoming dance.

As you and Robin enter the bustling gymnasium, the pulsating beat of the music washes over you, mingling with the excited chatter of your classmates. The gym is transformed into a kaleidoscope of colors, with twinkling lights casting a warm glow over the dance floor.

You catch sight of Billy almost immediately, his presence commanding attention even in the midst of the crowd. His attire remains unchanged, a testament to his unwavering sense of self. Despite the casualness of his outfit - jeans, button-up shirt and a leather jacket - there's an undeniable allure about him that draws your gaze like a magnet. You can't help but feel a flutter of anticipation in your chest as your eyes lock with his across the room.

You never expected his simple outfit to stir such feelings within you, but there's something undeniably captivating about Billy that defies explanation.

Before you can dwell on your thoughts any further, Robin tugs at your arm, pulling you towards an open table. "Come on, let's find a spot," she says with a grin, her excitement contagious.

You tear your gaze away from Billy, reluctantly letting yourself be led to the table. As you settle into your seat, the music swells around you.

As the music pulses through the air and Robin convinces you to join her on the dance floor, you find yourself swept up in the rhythm, losing yourself in the music and the movement. Robin's infectious energy encourages you to let go of your inhibitions, and soon you're dancing, laughing and twirling to the beat.

But amidst the swirling lights and loud music, you can't shake the feeling of someone's eyes on you. Every time you steal a glance in Billy's direction, you find his gaze fixed on you, unwavering and intense. A strange heat rises within you, and you can't help but wonder if it's the result of your dancing or the intensity of Billy's stare.

Feeling overwhelmed by the sensation, you gently excuse yourself from the dance floor, telling Robin that you need a moment to catch your breath. She nods understandingly as you make your way towards the exit. 

Stepping out into the cool night air, you find yourself in the same alleyway beside the gym, the distant sounds of the dance echoing in the background. Leaning against the wall, you take a deep breath, relishing the quietness and solitude.

But your moment is short-lived as you hear footsteps approaching. Turning, you're surprised to see Billy standing there, his expression unreadable in the dim light.

"Hey," he says timidly, breaking the silence.

"Hey.” You reply, crossing your arms behind your back against the cool brick. 

For a moment, neither of you speak, the air hangs heavy with unspoken words. But then Billy takes a step closer, his gaze searching yours as if trying to decipher your thoughts.

"I... I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he says, his voice hesitant.

You offer him a small smile. "Yeah, I'm okay," you assure him, though the truth is far more complicated than you're willing to admit.

As the distant strains of a slow song drift out from the gym, filling the alleyway with its soft melody, you're taken aback when Billy holds out his hand to you, a silent invitation written in his eyes.

For a moment, you hesitate, the weight of the past and the uncertainty of the present swirling around you. But then, something within urges you to take a chance, to step into the unknown. With a tentative smile, you place your hand in his, feeling the warmth of his touch seeping into your skin.

Billy pulls you close, his arms enveloping you in a tender embrace that seems to erase the world around you, leaving only the two of you swaying to the music in the softly lit alleyway. His touch, surprisingly gentle, sends a shiver down your spine.

"You know how to dance?" you ask, a smile playing on your lips, unable to contain your amusement.

Billy's soft chuckle fills the empty space around you, a sound that echoes off the walls. "My mom taught me when I was younger," he explains, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia. "We used to dance around our living room on nights when my dad was away."

A pang of empathy tugs at your heartstrings as you sense the weight of his past in the way he holds you now. "I'm sorry," you murmur, searching for the right words to offer comfort.

Billy shakes his head, a bittersweet smile gracing his lips. "It's okay," he reassures you softly, his grip on you tightening ever so slightly. "I haven't danced like this since she left."

“Well, I’m honored,” you respond, feeling a warmth spread through you at the intimacy of the moment.

“You’re too good to me,” Billy mumbles against the side of your head, his lips brushing against your hair. “You’re much better off without me.”

“You’re not the judge of that,” you say gently, pulling away to meet his gaze and you're struck by the vulnerability reflected in his eyes. 

"Maybe not," he concedes, his voice barely above a whisper. "But you know the many mistakes I’ve made that I'm not proud of."

You reach up, gently tracing his jawline with your fingertips. "We've all made mistakes, Billy," you say softly. "But that doesn't define who you are. It's about what you do next."

He exhales slowly, as if releasing a weight he's carried for far too long. "I want to do better," he admits, his voice tinged with determination. "For you, for myself... for her."

You nod, feeling a swell of hope rise within you. "Then let's take it one step at a time," you say, a small smile playing on your lips. "Together."

Billy's lips curve into a genuine smile, and he nods in agreement. "Together," he copies, before pulling you close once more, the music enveloping you both as you continue to sway in the dimly lit alleyway.

"Does this mean you'll stop ignoring me at school?" you ask, your voice carrying a mix of hope and uncertainty. "Will you... want to be seen together?"

Billy's expression shifts, a flicker of hesitation crossing his features. "I've been scared, afraid of dragging you into my mess."

You reach out, placing a gentle hand on his cheek, your touch grounding him in the present moment. "I'm not afraid," you assure him, your voice unwavering. "I choose you, Billy. Mess and all."

“I’m just not sure I’m ready for that.” Billy stops swaying, moving his hand from your back and runs it through his hair. You can feel him mentally pulling away before he takes a step back. 

“I’m not going to make you do something you don’t feel comfortable with but it hurts me when I can’t even walk up to you at school or outside of school when you're with your friends because of their ridicule that is always directed toward me.” You reach out your hand in the unwanted space Billy put between you. 

“What are you so afraid of? Why do you care so much about what other people think?” You watch as he runs a hand through his hair and grips it slightly in frustration.

"It's not just about what other people think," he confesses, his voice laced with vulnerability. 

“You can’t fool me Billy. This facade you always put up.”

As Billy meets your gaze, you can sense the walls he's been painstakingly building around himself begin to rise once more, brick by brick, shielding him from the vulnerability of your conversation. His eyes flicker with a mixture of relief and apprehension, as if he's been longing to retreat into the safety of his defenses but fears the consequences of letting them fall.

"I know," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper, but there's a hint of distance in his tone. "I've spent so long pretending, trying to shield myself from the pain of being judged."

Your heart sinks as you witness him pulling away, his vulnerability overshadowed by his protective barriers. "Billy," you reach out, your voice a gentle plea, but he takes another step back, distancing himself from your touch.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, his voice tinged with resignation. "I thought I could do this, but... I can't do this."

You watch helplessly as he retreats further into himself, his walls rising higher with each passing moment. "But Billy, we can face this together," you insist, desperation creeping into your voice. "I'm not going anywhere."

He shakes his head, his expression pained as he turns away, the distance between you widening with each step he takes. "I can't," he says softly, his words barely audible. "Not like this."

Tears well up in your eyes as you watch Billy disappear into the shadows, his departure leaving you feeling emptier than ever before. The weight of his absence settles heavily upon your shoulders, the alleyway suddenly feeling desolate and cold without his presence.

You wrap your arms around yourself, trying to ward off the chill that seems to seep into your bones. The echoes of his retreating footsteps continue to reverberate in your mind, a haunting reminder of the distance that now stretches between you.

A sense of helplessness washes over you. The ache of rejection gnaws at your heart, leaving you feeling adrift in your own sea of uncertainty and sorrow.

You brush away the tears staining your cheeks and summon the strength to turn around, heading back into the gym. With a determined effort, you conceal the ache in your heart behind a forced smile, unwilling to let the pain consume you in front of others.

It’s been a couple weeks since your encounter with Billy at the dance. He’s barely looked your way at school and you’ve tried to get his attention, leaving little notes in his locker or setting down freshly baked cookies you made the night before on his desk in English. 

He doesn’t touch them until the bell rings and slides them into his backpack, leaving without saying a word to you. You know that night in the alleyway, something switched between you two. There was more intensity in the way you moved together. You were practically drawn to each other like magnets until he forced himself away to avoid any sort of commitment from happening. 

You know Billy still has a lot to figure out and deal with the turmoil in his life. You just wish he’d let you in and see how much you want to help him find his way. 

The night envelops you in its dark embrace as you receive a quiet call from Billy, beckoning you to meet him at the small park down the street. Despite the late hour, you don't hesitate, knowing there's a reason he needs you.

When you arrive, the moonlight reveals Billy swaying slightly on one swing and as he turns his head at your footsteps you notice the multiple bruises marring Billy's jaw and as others hide beneath his shirt, a painful testament to the violence he endures at home. 

“Billy, what happened?” Your heart aches at the sight. You walk over and stand in front of him, looking down. 

Billy's gaze flickers with pain and shame. "The usual, my dad," he admits, his voice heavy and gruff. "He... he got super drunk and lost his temper again."

Your heart clenches at his words, the weight of his suffering settling heavily upon you. "I'm so sorry, Billy."

Billy offers you a weak smile, his eyes reflecting a mixture of gratitude and despair. "I know you probably don’t want to talk to me but thanks for coming," he says softly. "I didn't know who else to call."

“Of course Billy, I’m always here for you.” Your arm twitches, wanting to touch him but leave it at your side at the sight of him, knowing he probably doesn’t want to be touched. “We should really call Chief Hopper, Billy, this is so out of hand-”

“No. No cops. That’ll make it worse.”

“I can’t just sit by and do nothing when you’re suffering so much.” You sigh and move to sit on the swing next to him. “Asking for help doesn’t make you weak.”

“I just have to make it through to graduation and then I’m leaving. He can’t stop me then.” 

“Where are you going to go?” You pry, wanting to hear what he wants out of his future. 

“Back to California. It’s the only place I could see myself staying for the rest of my life.” He admits. 

“Seems like you have it all figured out.” A slight pang of sadness fills your chest at him not mentioning you in his future plans. You shake that thought out of your head. You aren’t even together, why would he make room for you? 

“I’m sorry for leaving you at the dance that night.” You’re surprised by Billy’s admission. 

“No, I’m sorry for pressing you. I know how difficult it can be to open up and let things in.” 

“Don’t do that. Don’t apologize for me being an asshole to you.” Billy shakes his head with a scoff before looking you in the eyes. “I can’t - I don’t know how to put this into words. This is new to me. I’ve never wanted somebody so much before in my life.”

“Then stop being so stubborn.” You give him a soft smile, trying to lighten the mood. 

“I think that’s in my DNA, little mouse. You’ll have to try harder to fix that part of me.” 

“Billy,” You reach over and take his hand, softly running your finger over his bruised knuckles. “I’m not trying to fix you. I just want to be by your side as you find your way. You deserve someone who wants to show you the good things but sticks by you for all the bad things too.” Billy avoids your gaze, keeping his eyes locked on your hands, connected between you. 

“I can’t hold your hand without noticing how wrong mine looks in yours. I don’t deserve the gentleness of you combined with my ugliness.” Your heart aches at Billy's words, his self-deprecation cutting through you like a knife. You squeeze his hand gently, refusing to let him retreat into his own despair.

"Billy," you say softly, your voice laced with determination. "You are not defined by your past or your scars. You are worthy of love and kindness, regardless of what you believe."

He meets your gaze, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "But I've done terrible things," he whispers, his voice cracking with emotion. "I don't deserve someone like you."

You shake your head, a surge of empathy welling within you. "We've all made mistakes, Billy. It's how we choose to move forward that matters," you say, your words infused with conviction. "And I choose to stand by you, to help you heal and grow, no matter how long it takes."

Billy's defenses begin to crumble, his facade of strength giving way to vulnerability. "I don't know if I can change," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We'll figure it out together," you reassure him, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not going anywhere."

A flicker of hope ignites in Billy's eyes, a tentative smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Thank you," he murmurs, his voice filled with gratitude.

“Come on, let's get you cleaned up. My dad’s at work so it’ll be just us. You can stay over if you want.” You gently tug on Billy's hand, urging him to his feet as you lead him out of the park and towards your home.

As you walk, Billy's steps falter, his hesitation palpable. "Are you sure about this?" he asks, uncertainty lacing his words.

You turn to face him, your expression comforting. "I'm sure," you say firmly, giving his hand another reassuring squeeze. "You don't have to face this alone anymore." Billy's shoulders relax slightly at your words, a sense of relief washing over him.

When you arrive at your home, you guide Billy inside, the warmth of the familiar surroundings enveloping you both.

"I'll grab you some clean clothes," you say, disappearing into your room for a moment before returning with a soft towel and a change of your dad's clothes.

“There’s a first aid kit beneath the sink if you want to use it.” You tell him, not knowing if he wants you to help him or leave him alone. 

Billy accepts the clothes gratefully, a small smile playing on his lips. "Thanks," he says, his voice hoarse with emotion and he disappears into the bathroom to freshen up.

You grab an extra blanket and pillow for Billy and set up the couch. Billy exits the bathroom, a small band-aid on his cheek, the redness from his wounds washed away. 

“You can take my bed, it’ll be more comfortable than the couch.” You gesture to your bedroom door. 

“Don’t be silly, Y/N.” He grabs the blanket and pillow off the couch and ushers you to follow him. “Unless you’re uncomfortable.” He pauses. 

“It’s okay.” You smile and close your bedroom door behind him as he walks in and sets up his pillow and blanket on your bed, carefully and slowly laying down. He winces as he rolls over slightly, grabbing at his side. 

“Do you need some ice?” 

“No, It’s okay, I’ll just wait till morning.” He watches your movements as you settle into bed beside him. 

“Goodnight Billy.” You reach over and turn your lamp off, turning on your side to face him. 

“Goodnight, little mouse.” He whispers. You watch the exhaustion take over him. In the darkness of your room, for the first time, he falls asleep. You smile, watching his eyes flutter and his breath hollow out, chest rising and falling slowly. 

You’re unfamiliar with the emotion flooding you right now. With Billy safe under your roof, you vow to yourself to do everything in your power to help him heal and grow, to show him that he’s worthy of love and kindness, no matter what demons haunt him. 

You can’t help the words that tumble out of you, unexpectedly. 

“I love you,” you whisper. “I love you so much it might be crazy to admit.”

Taglist:@msbillyhargrove @uselessbutinteresting @milestellergfs @periwinkle-quill @ghostcastaway @iletmytittiestitty-russ @missingbillyhargrove @lotionlamp @billys-pretty-babe @isimpfortoomanypeople @rosey96 @girlwifteef @miheartsedthings @empathyroad

[serickswrites]

Hello! Could you write a story where a supervillain becomes friends with a regular civilian. The civilian is insanely oblivious and doesn’t watch the news, so he just has no clue how massively deadly and dangerous the villain is. But the villain is just happy to have a genuine friend for once :) then maybe the civilian finds out or something?

Hello, friend! I absolutely can write this for you. This is such a sweet idea.

Supervillain had thought that they would be alone when they hiked to the top of the mountain overlooking City. They were wrong. A person sat at the lookout point, staring over the city.

Supervillain tried to exit quietly, not wanting to have another negative encounter with someone who knew who they were, but they dropped their metal water bottle. "Fuck," they muttered as it clanged on the ground. So much for a quiet, anonymous exit.

"JESUS!" The person said as they jumped. "You scared me!"

Unfortunately Supervillain was used to people reacting to them that way. They had been City's largest villain for many years. They couldn't go anywhere without scaring people. It had its uses. But mostly, it was lonely.

"I'm sorry, I'll just be going," Supervillain said quickly as they started to hurry away.

"No, it's ok! Wait. Do you want to join me?"

Supervillain froze. Join them?

The person started speaking again, "I wanted to climb this mountain with my friend. But they bailed. Actually I don't think we're friends anymore. It seems like they don't like me very much. Anyway, I would love for you to join me if that's ok." The words tumbled out of their mouth as they smiled at Supervillain.

"Are you sure?" Supervillain didn't know what to do.

"Positive! I'm Civilian by the way. What's your name?" Civilian held out their hand to Supervillain.

And this was the part where surely Civilian would run screaming. "Supervillain, my name is Supervillain."

Civilian smiled. "Nice to meet you, Supervillain."

Supervillain sat stiffly next to Civilian, listening to Civilian prattle away about various things about the mountain and City. Supervillain was flabbergasted that Civilian had run away screaming. Rather, it seemed like Civilian was happy to have Supervillain there.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Supervillain said, not used to having someone treat them with interest and kindness, "but you really don't know who I am?"

Civilian cocked their head. "Should I?"

"I'm on the news often, so probably," Supervillain said as they held their breath. This would be the moment. This was it.

Civilian shook their head. "I don't have a TV, so no."

Supervillain tried to not let the shock show on their face. This was...new. This person was genuinely nice to them. Interested in them. But had no idea who they were. It was...nice.

"Are you like super famous or something?"

Supervillain cringed internally. "Something like that."

"Oh cool! I've never met a celebrity before! What made you famous?"

Before Supervillain could open their mouth to reply, another hiker appeared at the trail mouth. "It's a beautiful day. Oh look there's--OH GOD EVERYONE RUN! SUPERVILLAIN IS HERE!" The hiker screamed down to the rest of their party. "RUN! CALL THE POLICE! CALL FOR HELP!"

Supervillain tried not to feel let down. So much for making a new friend. "Supervillain, why would they run from you and be afraid?" Civilian asked.

Supervillain looked away. "Because I have been terrorizing City for the better part of fifteen years. I'm...I'm the villain in the town."

Civilian nodded. "That's all? I thought it was something I should really worry about!"

"You're not afraid of me?"

Civilian shook their head again. "Are you here to hurt me? Kill me? Nope. Then I don't care. You look like you could use a friend. I know I definitely could."

[remembertheplunge]

We cannot unsee what we have already seen--the 1980's

April 28, 1988

It’s now a Thursday—

Some post scripts from somewhere in the “last” night and from yesterday by Judge David Vander Wall “The 1970’s don’t seem that long ago. The 80’s are just passing me by…” DA Mike  Stone replied “The 70’s weren’t worth anything anyway.”

I watched last evening “a A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyer. The 1920’s" :

Flappers and fun flanked by Fraud and Famine. Poo Poe Pee Do! The truth was that the poor (in the 20’s) didn’t realize they were poor until long after they weren’t!. They had a general feel of contentment despite their financial situation.

What about us in the 1980's? In the KPFA Radio Folio program guide,Life in 1968 is compared with life in 1988. The 80’s were condemned as the 1950’s relived. 1988 Yuppies are the men in charcoal grey suits. Ahhhh! But, what bridged the years is the depth of awareness setting in. We cannot unsee what has been seen. We close only to heal and tp grow internally. The individual reform we know is the only true change. Only true “life” takes place on an individual basis. More and more we learn "..oh..when I had the Mercedes and miserable marriage I was poor. Now, I am…,Me!" 

To me, 1980 or 1981 were just about like 1988 in terms of styles, attitudes, money, etc. Pretty much the same. Music hasn’t changed much. Nothing has really. And yet, imperceptibly, everything has irrevocably changed, improved. Come a bit more into its own. 

Only you, the future, may be able to give it perspective. What, if anything, do the 80’s mean to you? Don’t forget us. We are a part of your past and thus a part of you.

I offer up this diary entry to you as a revelation of one person- traveler’s time notes written during  his time-space journey.

End of entry

Notes: 9/21/2024

I love the fact taht I included the line “We cannot unsee what has been seen” in the above 1988 entry. 

That has been my fight song passing through these turbulent times where the Republican Right is attempting to cancel our collective progressive progress. They can ban and burn our books and the Supreme Court can strip us of our rights. But. We have seen. We know. We will continue to live our lives and assert our  values despite and because of their orders. We have seen. We will act. We have agency.

I also think that it’s interesting that I said in the above entry that there was not much difference between life in 1980 or 81 and life in 1988. In 1980, I was not yet a. Lawyer, I was way in the closet and Aids was not yet publicly known about. By 1988, HIV  had been  known about for 7 years in which time it decimated many lives. In 1986, I began working as a volunteer helping men with Aids through their illness and death. I had been a lawyer for 7 years by 1988 .I had been emersed in the heavens and hells of criminal law defense. I had married in 1982 a woman who I left in 1984 as I began to emerge as a gay man. By 1988, I was fully out. So, actually I was a much more evolved person in 1988 than I had been in 1980. But, maybe because the evolution took place slowly over  years, I wrote about the decade as if very little had happen.

Judge Van Der Wall was a judge in Modesto California. I spent my 40th birthday in a murder trial in his court. His clerk, Linda, gave me a happy birthday cup cake that birthday morning in court! They have both since died. I just thought Judge Van Der Wall and Mike Stone’s  take on the 70’s and 80’s was interesting. Time was  just passing them by. Have you noticed the no one now in the mid 2020’s ever talks about the 20’s? I mean the 2020’s. We are living it . We can’t see it This now has no name . It just  is. But, I imagine in 20 years, they will be screaming about “The Outrageous 20’s!"

Flappers were the early forerunners of the women’s empowerment movement. They wore shorter dresses than their predecessors had and advanced women’s rights through word and action. 

Bill Moyers was a Public TV host. He did stories on interesting people and events past and present.

Per Oxford Languages Dictionary, a Yuppie was "a young person with a well-paid job and a fashionable lifestyle."

[stevenbasic]

GITJ Post 394: Cat n Mouse, p5

Melissa had been fucking her boss, standing with legs spread by the sliding glass doors of the great room in her mother’s house, holding his limp, 79 pound body by nothing but his cock. Using her internal muscles to keep him suspended up above the ground she’d made him come with her, in spades. Dr J had utterly exhausted himself and was now lying limply in her arms. 

The dining room table lay halfway across the room. In its path through the air to where it now rested, it had broken her mom’s favorite Iranian vase. And some hanging lamps, a curio table. And the wall. 

She'd thrown the massive, nearly thousand-pound table like it was a child’s toy. 

But now, as she held him tenderly, stretched across her strong arms like a babe, the devastation on the other side of the room went unacknowledged. She cradled him. Her muscles still dominated him, cocooning him in her power and post-workout bulk, but, in the pleasant afterglow, they had already begun to soften. Her more womanly curves returning. 

Her voice - lovely in its own way - hummed to him, relaxing him as she swayed him back and forth. She watched as his eyes started to flutter, and, without a thought, she released some pheromones to help keep him awake for her, at least for a little while. I wanna snuggle.

Some 0001.55.6677.xc, a dash of 0001.55.6009.xx and, haha why not, a little 0001.55.6344.gf as well.

”y-you’re not getting tired?” he asked, pulled up against her, bare but not shivering, warmed by her likewise naked body. He’d been exhausted, but now he just felt…relaxed. Unsuprisingly, aAfter only a few minutes past his last climax, he was starting to become aroused again, aided by the indulgences of her body and fully exposed to her bare skin and firm nipples against his side. All strength, whatever meager amount there’d been, began to leave him and he slumped entirely in her embrace.  

Tired? Me? That doesn’t happen anymore. Melissa giggled. ”No, I could do this all night.” She giggled again, and brought her nose down to nuzzle his. “Oh my god you’re so cute,” she mused, “so cute.”

She had begun to notice - now that their lovemaking was over, and that her mania had mostly faded - a strange tingling inside herself. Familiar, but more intense than she’d felt in the past. It wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, if she closed her eyes and let herself bask in it for a moment…it was delicious. She knew it, she’d known this before. Someone, somewhere was jerking off to her. And not just someone…but lots of someones. She’d gotten this feeling many times, whenever she put up a new Instagram post. It was funny to her. Like clockwork, a new photo could bring about the tingles. She didn’t really know what they meant, but it kind of amused her to feel the devotion of all of her little followers doing whatever it was they were doing to themselves. But now, wow. This was a lot. What was going on? What could be bringing it o-

Oh, wait haha. I think I know. Tonight was the night of-

Melissa was brought back from her reverie by Jay's adorably timid voice. He’d begun stroking her big arm, her right one, her bicep, and he could no longer hold back his praise.

”I…I can’t believe how big you are,” he said dreamily. The awe and wonderment in his words? Poetry to her.

”haha yeah,” she replied. Despite the pride she felt, an uncharacteristic, almost demure modesty warmed her response. “And it’s all for you, sweetie. All for you.”

He flushed. Her attentions were strong, overwhelming at times. He’d never had a woman this into him before. With anyone else, it might have been scary. Well, sometimes it was scary. He’d heard the stories of the crazy girlfriends, and having one that could bench press a car could be understandably troubling. Melissa, though, was just so…beautiful. Maybe too beautiful. It made it hard to let these anxieties scare away his feelings for her, like she was worth ignoring all the red flags in the world. She just kinda made it hard to think straight sometimes. Was he blinded by his feelings? Perhaps, yes - but ignorance is bliss, right? And in moments like these the worries just seemed so unimportant.

A crash, as something toppled in the mess across the room. A plume of plaster dust blossomed into the air. It fazed neither of them. They were lost in this private, tender moment.

Juices, his and hers, still dripped out from between her thighs. Her mighty leg muscles flexed as she lazily walked them both around the room, away from the destruction. She was getting antsy again; he was growing. His member’s tumescence was starting to return and she was having a little trouble ignoring it.

Give the poor boy a minute, Missy!

“So, you train every day?” he asked, recalling her trip to the basement earlier this evening as he continued  stroking her hyper developed bicep. He’d never, ever been with someone so…physically incredible. So powerfully strong. Compared to his own body, hers was titanic.

“Pffft me downstairs, tonight?” she scoffed, playfully, “That wasn’t ‘training’. That was me just trying to, I dunno, work off some anxiety. I haven’t really trained in a long time.”

Jay cocked an eyebrow. That was a little confusing to him. “What do you do when you go to the gym? You and the girls are members of that one down the road, right? You don't work out?”

“The gym? Oh, haha, well that’s more like entertainment,” she answered, appreciating his interest in her and her routines, “I don’t go there that often really. I go to Evolution more. They have…bigger weights.”

“You mean the headquarters? Evolution?” he probed. He felt, here in this moment, an openness between them. Maybe he could, like, unearth a little more about her, or at least find out some about her connection to the pharmaceutical company that was bankrolling the study and, well, everything out about the practice.  “You train there?”

“Yes. Well, it’s more like a check-up than training, really,” she said. She was being refreshingly a bit more honest with him, but she was still watching her words, “The doctors want to keep track of my abilities. Track how much I can, like, lift. And other things.I don't really do it a lot, but it does help me get stronger, I think.”

His heart skipped a beat, with a feeling he didn’t recognize. What are these…’other things’? “C-can I ask…what exactly is happening to you?”

Oh, god. I want to tell him so bad, she groaned, silently, He deserves it, he really deserves to know. She struggled to control her breathing and heartbeat, knowing he’d be able to feel it all through her chest. She was excited not only at the prospect of telling him everything, but showing him everything. He’d only, really, had a small sampling of what she could do. If she were to tell him what she was, show him her new talents and gifts, and explain to him what she was becoming…well, just the look on his face would be priceless. As she considered it her legs, and the area in-between them, started to warm.

I have to give him a little.

“Well,” she began, “I’m not like other girls…”

“That, I know…” he chuckled, stroking her arm, glancing at the enormous breasts squashed up against his body.

She laughed too, soaking in the appreciation he had for her figure. “Yeah, but I’m, like, really not like other girls,” she started again, looking down on him, feeling the love she had for him unlocking doors, opening windows. She was glad there weren’t any cameras here, in her mother’s house (there weren’t, were there?), because she knew there would be people who wouldn’t appreciate her, uh, candor. “I’m - and this is gonna sound stupid - kinda special. Ever since I was a little girl. I’m made different. They’ve known it, my mom at least always has...”

“S-special?” he blinked, looking up at her.

“Yeah, like…things come easy for me,” she continued, “My body is able to, uh, adapt. Really, really quickly, to things I need it to do. They call it - and, uggh, sorry, I don’t always get this right - ‘Reactive Self Adapt-station’”

“‘Adaptation’?” he spoke, correcting what he thought was-

“Yes! ‘Adaptation’! That’s it, ‘Reactive Self Adaptation’, that’s what I can do.”

The furrow in his brow was sooo cute. He was mulling it over, trying to figure it out. He was so smart, he’d for sure know what it meant.

“So, like, what?” he asked, “If you need to get stronger, you get…”

“Like, really strong. Really fast.” Her response came quickly. 

“And if you need to get taller, you get-”

“Yeah, REALLY tall,” she finished, “yeah, that’s why they think I’m growing, now, shooting up.” He’s getting it!

“And, uh, wh-why do you need to be, like, really tall, and…?”

“And strong? Because you like it,” she answered, plain as day, “I started getting tall, I started growing my huge boobs even huger first because it helped me get this job, and then, well…because I liked you. And it was obvious you liked them. You liked big boobs and you liked…tall girls.”

<gulp> Jay felt exposed, not just from being stark naked.

“And if I was going to get your attention, make you my boyfriend, well…”

She pushed her chest into him.

“...these helped. And so does the hair, and the legs and the butt and all…this.”

He flushed with embarrassment, but - she noticed haha - he didn’t deny a single word. When he did finally speak, it was apologetic. “S-s-sorry…” he stammered, with his head down as if he was asking forgiveness for the entire male race. 

Good.

“Oh don’t be sorry you can’t help it,” she giggled. The precious little nervousness in his voice, his embarrassed expression was beginning to get to her. She was starting to feel naughty again. More and more tingles, throughout all this, had also been coming. They all like it, they like what they’re seeing apparently, all the little gobs. 

Melissa turned her attention back on Jay with new intent. “So, you like when I use my…abilities on you? My…’woman’s charms’?” she asked, her voice once again growing husky as she made sure to push her bust firmly into him.

Jay hesitated, but only for a moment before his honesty took over. ”Y-y-yes,” he answered.

He had no reason, she knew, to deny his attraction to her. She liked that he seemed fascinated, too, with what made her special. She was glad she’d opened up to him a bit, and told him what she could, for now. She was hoping that - with a little time - she could get him to go beyond just a sense of fascination, and he’d come to her with some of the same feelings that her little men down in the basement were growing. Nnnnngghhh oh god, Missssy, stopppp….

That could be for later, later, later. For now…

“What do you like best? My stompy feet? My Big Bossy voice?” she asked playfully, “Besides my boobs, of course. They’re my biggest superpower.”

He flushed.. 

“Seriously, what do you want me to use on you?” I’m not going to tell him I’m starting to be able to read his mind, she decided, That’ll freak him out haha. “You have an almost full-blown supergirl here…”

This time, he didn’t hesitate for long. ” Will you please…kiss me again?” he asked, his voice and eyes and face tremulous, “Like you did before?”

“When I…sucked all the air out of you” she asked, cocking her head in curiosity. That's a surprise. “Is that what you want me to do again?”

”Yeah, well, more like…” His chest trembled. “wh-when you, uh…when you breathed for me.”

Oh god, that made her shudder. ”omigod okay.” 

The feeling of her lips, suddenly on his, was sublime. She’d gathered him up towards herself, brought him in for a kiss as she held him in her arms, and then put her mouth on his. Her lips, so much bigger than his, easily wrapped around his mouth, and her tongue found unchecked access into it. He’d opened for her, he wanted her in there, and his surrender made her groan. And so she kissed him, forcing herself in deep and causing him to tense up and shiver in her arms before immediately melting again in her embrace. Their tongues slid against one another, hers pushing his back and forth, up onto his palate or down into the floor of his jaw. They played, but it was clear in their kiss who wore the pants, who was in charge. She dominated him. She’d pushed herself in hard enough so that the side of her mouth pushed up against his nose, and with just a little adjustment she now had it blocked completely.

He began to tremble, anticipating that feeling again. It wasn’t just his lips or mouth or even his whole face that were made to vibrate but the sensation radiated throughout his whole body, from head-to-toe. He quickly couldn’t breathe, and yet in that sensation, in that terrifying vulnerability, he began to feel pleasure. He felt his limbs losing their strength, and if his hands hadn’t once again found sanctuary on her breasts they might have fallen limply to his side. The pleasure from the kiss was so intense that he didn’t notice himself beginning to sweat as his body sought oxygen. Even the pain and burning from his lungs was muted, overwhelmed by the rapture of the moment until it began to build, and build, and build. He thought to pull away, when his peripheral vision began to flicker with stars,  but then he felt something sweet and powerful flow into him.

Oxygen, suddenly, was being pushed into his lungs and surged throughout his body. It revitalized him, freed him from the pain, and filled him with life. His vision began to clear and the pins and needles in his fingers and toes disappeared. His fear abated, and a new fear replaced it: the thought that the kiss might end. But it didn’t.

Melissa waited for his body to start to recover, her mouth still clamped over his. Though she didn’t fully understand how it all worked, she knew his body needed time, a moment. She was letting his blood take in the oxygen she’d given him from her lungs and replace it with carbon dioxide. She could sense when she needed to draw it out, and once again, she drew his breath from him, taking  it into her own lungs. She felt the air inside her chest changing. What her body was doing with the carbon she wasn’t certain, but it didn’t worry her. In fact, she fought back a smile as she waited for her partner to be ready, so she could breathe into him once again. 

He squirmed. Just the feeling of this new air of hers flowing into him was like taking her inside himself. He was letting her in, letting her become part of him. When he breathed out again, she let him wait, wait, wait, letting him know that it was on her accord, that it was by her mercy that he was able to breathe. She breathed into him again, with air sweeter and richer than anywhere on earth, and she felt his body shudder again in delight. He opened his body for her, and she went in, and out. Air in, and air out. In, and out. Huge lungfuls into him, and then huge lungfuls out.

She was fucking him with her lungs, and it was making her so wet.

How long had they maintained the kiss? He didn’t know but when her lips finally left every part of him tingled, and not for lack of air. Rather, quite the opposite. He didn’t need to draw deep breaths, he felt as if he barely needed to breathe at all. She’d given him what he needed. She’d super-saturated his cells with something better than the earth’s air. 

He wasn’t certain what to say; he wasn't certain he could speak.. He looked up at her, to her lips, and found them parted into a warm, brilliant smile. 

“See, sweetie? I can breathe better for you than you can for yourself,” she said.

He knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to collapse, submit himself entirely to her control. He wanted to tell her: ‘yes, please, let your lungs breathe for me. Let your heart beat for me. Do everything for me. Take away all my problems, fill me back up with yourself.’

She felt his longings, but knew that him submitting to them would take strength, strength she knew that he didn’t have. He wasn’t strong enough yet to shed everything he’d known, everything he’d been taught, everything he’d become through his however-old-he-was years on this earth. He would, though, allow himself to be taken along for the ride and maybe, along the way, she could help him find that strength.

“Jay, baby, honey,” she began, her own eyes welling up with the love she had, “you’ve taught me a lot, so much. I was always told, always taught that boys, guys, men were…weak. My mother made me see men as, like…less than human, more like objects. She told me that only women had the strength needed to…to…”

He knew what she wanted to say. Her words were failing her but it was the mantra that - unspoken as it may be - was permeating everything, changing society. She wanted to say that it was only women, superior women, who had the strength to rule the world. But, strangely, in that moment it made her feel bad, like she’d be gloating. Hadn’t he been through enough? Didn’t he deserve a little tender ignorance?

But they both knew it was fucking true. No one really needed to say it. Women were in charge.

“But I love you. I love you more than I could ever love a thing, an object, or, like, a pet,” she finally spoke, “You’ve shown me…so much. You’re so much more than my mother ever told me a man could be. And we’re perfect together.” She watched his face, read every twitch and tingle of his thoughts and emotions. “We belong together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Except you’re a small piece and I’m the…” She stopped, paused, giggled. “I’m the really big piece. And you just…fit. Right into me.”

“Oh, my god, Melissa,” he quavered, gathering something.

”Yes, sweetie?” She cocked her head, unsure of what he was going to say. Was he going to lash out?

“I l-love you so much,” he said.

Her heart, she felt, might burst from her chest. “Oh my god honey I love you too.” She was sure he could hear her mighty heart beat, that he could feel it quake his bones. It was a behemoth, bigger she felt than anything else about her and its thunder, now, would shake the earth.

It was time. She needed to ask him. She drew a deep breath. 

“Jay, sweetie, you’ve started to see all these things my body can do. But will you…” she began, looking right into his eyes, “let me…do things to you? So I can…protect you better?”

He paused, taken aback. “w-what do you mean - ‘do things to me’?” he asked, tremulously, “Wh-what are you asking?”

She knew she needed to be gentle, careful. She could force it, but it wouldn’t feel right. It would only be right, really right, if he asked for it himself. She continued on.

“Like, you’ve seen it,” she began, “Like I’ve told you. I’ve been working on myself, changing, growing, so I can be a better office manager. So I can be a better girlfriend, a better protector for you. I’ve been doing it all for you.”

She knew he was confused. He didn't know what to think. It all maybe still sounded cryptic, and she maybe sounded crazy, but she needed to ask him this. “I’ve been working on myself, a lot. But…will you let me work on you, too?  So I can do what's best for you?”

“Uhhh…” 

She could tell he wasn’t sure if he liked the idea of that. “Maybe that sounded a little bossy haha,” she giggled, “But…I am the boss, right?”

“Ummm…”

“C’mon…” she urged playfully, “You know I can make you a better man.”

He paused, not wanting to disappoint her or deny her something she really wanted to do, but he also didn’t want to commit to something when he wasn’t one hundred percent sure what she was asking. “You mean like…self-improvement?”

“Sure yeah kinda sorta,” she giggled, “I can help make it so we can have more fun? Do more of what you like?” 

“Like..?”

“Like, well….kinda like this-”

Suddenly, a huge wave of pheromones exploded from her bare flesh and skin and - just as suddenly, with one breath - he was hard. Beyond hard, he was quivering again. She’d not only taken control of his body and caused him to become piercingly aroused, erect as a pole, but she’d forced her will into his mind and regressed him back to something so much simpler. His thoughts were slowed, and his brain was made deliriously foggy. All within the course of about five seconds she had him immediately swimming in a warm sea of pleasurable feelings and - above all - they’re all totally centered on me. 

“You like?” she asked, with a crooked smile. He looked like a blissed-out child, and it made her so happy. 

“Oh my god yes Melissa please,” he replied, eyes glazed over in his adoration of her and cock a throbbing, iron monument to her beauty, “Do whatever you want to me.”

She giggled, feeling herself becoming giddy at the thought. Yes, he was drunk on her perfumes but they were only getting him to express what he truly felt. With all that stress and anxiety washed away, and with his mind clear of any big, complicated thoughts, this was who he truly was. So, she didn’t really feel bad, she was just helping him find himself. “Whatever I want?”

“w-w-whatever you want.”

She giggled again. “Okay honey, then get ready to become the perfect boyfriend.” She could do it, she knew she could do it, start reshaping things the way she wanted, and she could start right here. She was gaining more control over how things were changing. Her thoughts, and her manifestations these days, had been becoming powerful. She could make him into the perfect boyfriend, and at the same time make herself into the perfect girlfriend…and maybe much, much more. She could change them both, she could change herself into what she’d truly always wanted to be. And she could make him love it. 

So exciting!!!

“Okay okay, sweetie,” she began, taking a moment to tuck a lock of her long, thick hair behind her ear. I love how I can cradle him with one arm. “If we’re going to do this, if you’re going to let me do this for us, you’re going to need to start thinking about me a little differently.”

“W-what do you mean?”

Well, I could tell you a little about the guys in the basement. 

“So, for starters, now that you know some of the…special things I can do, I need you to acknowledge them, and acknowledge me. I need you to accept that I can do things that other people can’t. I do them all for you, but you have to accept that I’m becoming something more than, like, human.”

He shivered, there in her arms. Yes, you’re incredible Melissa. His arousal had shot an electric shock throughout his bones. He said nothing, and she pressed on.

“I’m growing, I’m developing, I’m becoming something…greater than human. Something bigger, and stronger, and just…so much more,” she said, golden-green eyes glimmering as she looked down into him, “And you’re going to help me get even better.”

“what do y-you mean?” he asked again, in a voice as small and weak as he looked, but one that was now sparkling, crystallizing with a new understanding of purpose, “m-me? What can I do?”

“Oh honey it’s easy, it’ll be so easy. All I need you to do is wish. I want you to wish, I want you to imagine. I want your dreams to go wild. And I want them all focused on me.”

“okay..yes…o-“

NGGGH!! 

Her hand had found his cock. 

“Okay?” she asked, giving him a first, long, slow stroke.

“o-okay…” he agreed, eyes fluttering as he endured the pleasure. 

“I…” she started again, “…can be so much more than your 'girlfriend'.  I can be perfection, and I need your help with that.”

“okay…” he repeated reflexively, already losing himself in the ministrations of her slow, gentle hand. In the crook of her left arm, he luxuriated in pleasure. 

She had continued to walk, slowly, around the house. They were now in the grand entry foyer. 

“So, those guys? The ones we have living in the basement?”

“yes..?” he moaned, struggling to listen as she stroked his erection. 

“They…they 'work' for us, they’re staying with us because they have nowhere else to go,” she explained, her voice soft and gentle as she continued her slow, lazy attentions on his cock, “but they're also learning something. They’re learning a new way to be, and they spend a lot of time, well…thinking. Thinking about me.”

“y-yes…” he repeated, agreeing as if he knew already. 

“Thinking about me, writing about me, making up songs and poems about me,” she continued. <stroke…stroke…stroke> “Honey, sweetie, Jay…they’re making up prayers for me. Prayers, honey, prayers. They spend their nights, and days, all their free time praying. To me.”

“oh god Melissa…” he groaned. So lost in pleasure was he it was hard to say if he was responding to her words or to her hand. 

“And, honey, these prayers, these poems and songs and all the ‘thinking’ about me…it makes me stronger,” she pushed, feeling the tingles still dancing through her skin. It wasn’t tingles coming just from the basement, though, or her old followers. These were mostly new tingles. Thousands of Channel 5 tingles. “And if I’m going to get really strong I need you to do this most of all.”

“oh god oh god oh Melissa yes.” 

“That’s right, that’s good, honey. Say that again.”

“oh god Melissa.”

They had arrived in front of a wall of photos, one he’d been examining earlier. “What were you doing, when I was downstairs? Hmm? Snooping around, looking at my stuff? Looking at old pictures of me? Here let me help…” 

With that, she shifted him in her arms so - cock still gripped firmly in her hand - he had a clear view of a framed photo, hanging on the wall. A scene on some exotic, faraway beach, Melissa as a teen. 

. 

“Here. Look at this picture of me, this picture of the girl bursting out of the bikini her mom bought for her and think, think, think. Can you do that?” She’d resumed stroking him again. “Can you think about her growing up, growing up taller, growing up big and strong? Growing up and becoming the woman you always wanted? Into the woman she always wanted to be? Making you into the man you always wanted to be?”

He felt as if he was shrinking already.

“Can you do that? Can you keep thinking about me, saying my name? Can you imagine me bigger and stronger and just so much more?”

“Yes, Melissa, god, yes.”

“That’s your new goal, that's your job, that's your passion. Make. Me. Bigger.”

“Melissa…god…Melissa…god…” She was so beautiful, even back then.

“Give it to me. Give it to me now, all you got. Make it your prayer. Make it your first little prayer to me.”

“Melissa, my god, Melissa”

“‘Goddess’ honey, the proper word is ‘goddess’”

“My goddess Melissa,” he finally spoke, his eyes plastered on the photo of the smiling young teen in the bikini on the beach as he came.

“That’s right, good boy…come, come for me,” she chanted, “Look at that picture and come for me. Make that girl into a goddess...”

===============================================

thanks to RiF for help in editing and copy