#like when you run over the vacuum cleaner cord

[guppygiggles]

You stink like.. really bad.

HEY EVERY BODY. CASPER STI-

Now everyone can see how you BULLY ME. 😭 /silly

[littlechivalry]

Threshold

Post-UD, everybody lives. Established Steddie

-

Eddie couldn't do it. He turned, ready to run, but Steve's hand clamped down on his arm like an iron manacle.

"Fuck you, let me go," Eddie hissed.

"Like hell I will," Steve replied, just as harshly. "You have to do this, you're the only one who can."

"I'd rather die."

The sales clerk cleared her throat and Eddie snapped his mouth shut.

"Are you-- can I help you find anything else," she said softly, her hands open in front of her.

"No," Steve replied. "Just this."

'This' was a vacuum cleaner. An upright vacuum cleaner with hose attachment and a retractable cord. A one hundred dollar vacuum cleaner.

Eddie felt sick. He pulled his hand away and Steve let it go awkwardly. Eddie cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, just this." He pulled out his wallet and passed over the money. Signing the warranty card in a messy scrawl.

They walked out of the store and loaded the vacuum into the back of Steve's truck.

Steve and Eddie had gotten to the car in silence but once the doors were closed it started.

"Babe," Steve said, his voice soft but firm. "What was that about? We agreed we need a new vacuum. Wayne's old one gave up the ghost and the carpet sweeper does nothing. I thought this was cool."

Eddie groaned and rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "It's not-- it's just..."

He couldn't find the words and Steve didn't press him. The interior of the truck's cab was quiet, windows muffling the noise of other shoppers moving through the parking lot, the occasional sound of their radios drifting on the air.

Eddie took a few breaths, heard Steve do the same beside him - in - out - in - out

"Can I check in," Steve says after a few breaths.

"Almost," Eddie replies and they go back to breathing.

This time Eddie breaks the silence. "It's real, right?"

"Real," Steve echoes. "The vacuum? Yeah?"

"It's -- the vacuum we have now? Wayne got it from the Johnsons before they moved to go live with their kids in Des Moines. It was a really good vacuum. Lasted, like. Seven years. The one before that Wayne found in the trash. It needed some fixing up and the hose had to be taped together but it ran for two years."

Steve hums, just a considering noise to show he's listening but leaving Eddie some spacw to talk. Eddie cannot explain how much he appreciates that.

"The stove was a store display they were gonna toss out because the wiring was bad. The couch was abandoned on a curb up in Loch Nora. Most of my clothes come from the Goodwill; Wayne's too, even his work boots. My guitar, my sweetheart, is a hand-me-down to I don't know how many degrees."

Eddie sighs and tips his head back against the headrest. The ceiling of the cab is upholstered in dark blue fabric. Eddie drags his fingers over it.

"Munsons don't get new things, Steve. Not nice ones, anyway." He blew out a rough breath. "I know this is stupid. It's just a vacuum cleaner, but--"

"Don't say that," Steve interrupted. "If I don't get to say stupid neither do you."

Eddie reached over the gear shift and clasped the hand Steve offered.

"Okay," Steve said. "Do you... should we return the vacuum?"

"No," Eddie said. "No, that's not the answer. We-- I have the money. I can afford a new vacuum, a nice one."

"A really nice one."

"And it's okay to buy new things."

"It really is," Steve said.

Eddie nodded. "We're grown ups now, Stevie. Got good jobs, a nice apartment, a fancy new vacuum cleaner. What's next, a picket fence? 2.5 kids and a dog?"

Steve smiled and pulled Eddie's hand up to his face, pressed a kiss against his knuckles before letting go and reaching for the ignition. "I'm allergic to dogs but let's get home and we can start working on kids."

Eddie reached out for Steve, pulling him across the armrest into a fierce kiss.

Steve fell back into his seat, a bright flush in his cheeks. "Wow," Steve said, starting the car. "What are you gonna do when we buy a house?"

The radio came to life but Eddie could barely hear it over his own laughter.

[aloneatpeace]

SHADOW OF THE PAST

Chapter 2

┌───── •✧✧• ─────┐

New friend of Max

└───── •✧✧• ─────┘

Dean had gone to work early promising to come back earlier. the crimes in the towns here is harmless robbery or kids breaking in private property just for dare.

the paperwork is heavy and Dean hates paper works more than anything. so used to work in busy cities that had criminal from low life thief to murders it is sudden shift that had him struggle a bit. but nonetheless he does it for you and who doesn't mind having a relaxing workplace in this field. the best part is he can eat a whole pie while working there is no worry of someone calling for urgent assistance.

you on the other hand fully enjoying the and embracing the new life. it's like dream come true for you. you have everything you ever wanted, and it still feels like a dream.

The sound of soft music playing in the house as you had arranged the two-guest room already now on to arranging the storage room. Max is just lay beside the door watching over you as per Dean request. Max would occasionally whine when you don't glance at him every few hours.

Max hair on his skin stands suddenly lifting his head he looks at the hallway intensely. his head tilted to side. his ears pick up slow footsteps standing up he walks towards you his bit on your dress demanding your attention.

"Just a minute Max." you coo at him putting the vacuum cleaner cords neatly eye still on the entangled cords.

Max snarls pulling your dress he starts pull you with him. giving upon the work you let him guide you walk toward wherever he wants. "what's is max. do you need anything?" 

you step out the storage room as you do a shiver run down your spin. Max tug you to the kitchen without letting go of your dress.

once you’re in the kitchen he just lay facing the door to kitchen. you open the fridge sighing when you nothing really is there. yeah, seems like you need to some grocery shopping immediately.

you don't want to make dean do it. maybe you can prepare everything and buy the items you both need from the store and you two can cook together. And your baby needs more food even though max food is only thing in his box he deserves more treats.

texting dean letting him know that you're going to store you set out with max to your destination.

The store is not busy at all, and cashier is sweet girl probably working for extra income smiled at you politely even swoon over max who walking around like he owns the place but politely though. pushing the cart along your isle you put everything you need in yours.

you may have spent more in the favorite part of store desserts selecting the perfect tub of ice creams and frozen dessert you at last stop. And you did not forget to pick some pie as well.

as if max knows where you’re going, he takes the lead sniffing he sit Infront his food Isle with sparkling eyes tail wagging he softly barks at the bags of his favorite which happens to be very high. you smile at him petting his head you look around once you're satisfied there is no one you decided to put your climbing skills to test moments like this where you miss dean so much.

But you would do anything for your baby.

"You might hurt yourself, there" a deep amused voice said from behind you making startle and cling on the shelf slowly put your foot down and feeling utterly embarrassing you turn to the voice max too was curious he stands Infront of you but be was not barking like he did with the neighbor.

A tall man, emphasize on the word tall, stands Infront of you a burnet hair sharp cheekbones and jawline hazel narrowed eyes shining with smile on his lips his large hands holding a bottle of organic juice and salad box that's the only thing he was carrying.

"Sorry for starling you,” he transferred his items on one hand crouching down to pet max who happily accepted the petting. " that's your favorite bubbly?". max bark in response he standing up he walks towards the item grabbing it for you with ease. he put it down on your cart.

"Thank you for that" you say politely you were still stuck with fact that he resembles your husband the same eye color tall as hell both of them. maybe you're just overthink like you always do.  but dean did mention that he has brother but that for some reason you didn't think.

you start to pull your cart "come on max " as usually he listens taking the lead.

Sam too starts to walk with you " I'm sam by the way" he said putting his hand out for shake.

you accept his hands with a small smile, not wanting to be rude to the man who just helped you. also, he seems harmless and kind.

"You from around here?"

you shake your head " i just moved in recently with my husband"

Sam hoped his surprised face goes unnoticed by you and seeing that you rather focused on guiding your cart he nods.

" I'm guessing you're also new here" you state walking towards the counter you place your items to check out.

" Yeah ... I'm here for... work." he said shifting on his foot.

you smile thankfully at cashier calmly putting everything in your bag and sam to catch up with his on bag in his hands. Stepping out of the store you turn to Sam " see you around, sam "

sam gives a soft smile nodding his head " yeah, have a good day "with that you depart from him with max walking in front of you.

the fridge and carboarded are stocked, neatly done. the house is silent the only sound is max paw moving around the house can be heard occasionally.  you were crossing out the do list that stuck to the fridge when you felt someone's present behind you.

you stop feeling the hairs on your skin standing up, the feeling of eyes on your figure intensifies. on a quick turn you look back with heart beating out of your heart but finds no one. you close your eyes for a moment running your palm down your face sighing.

the figure eyes find your figure again before disappearing. Just then max come around and looking at the closed storage room.

Sam Winchester sits on the bed in the motel that he is staying in with a book on his lap his laptop opened with a tab detailing about the town that he's in, Delchasecoos. he doesn’t fully know what reason he is here; the blurred vision still doesn’t make any sense to him.

he just hopes this journey doesn’t end with what happened last time. the last time he had vision it ended up in apartment of an abandoned building buzzing city, the scene was disturbing to say the least much like a horror movie a lone mattress and chains and takes outs on the corners he also discovered something on the basement of the building that he does not want remember it was far more sinister and petrifying but for normal eyes it may seem some teenagers prank, something they created for they found funny. but those who has knowledge and understanding the supernatural world exactly knows what it was and how malevolent it is.

Sam thought he failed to save the person but the same vision came back few months after the same vision came back startling him out of nowhere.

Everything is fogged, its like he’s watching from an old tined mirror. The women being followed by the shadow constantly waiting for her to let her guard down. Then he would hear her screams echoes around the home that they in but he can’t reach her, it’s like he is in labyrinth, in the end she is. then its changes he does finds her in the end, laying in a small pond of water her white gown drenched in water the white gown tainted with flowy red blood that sweeps out the knife that pierced into her heart.

He would cradle her in his hands screaming for to wake up, he can feel his heart beating out his chest with pain, anger and hopelessness and loss of someone he holds dearer to his heart, the felling losing his love though he doesn’t know her, her face still unknown to her.

He wakes up with body glistening with sweat and heart racing, so many question running in his head that his mother was also unable to answer. While his other vision is clearer this one has been haunting him for months.

then there are the thoughts about his brother, who run away from his family after a nasty fight with his father. Sam won’t lie and say he didn’t think about running away from his family and he doesn’t blame his brother for leaving to search for new life, haunting ghosts and supernatural creature isn’t ideal job. Though his brother and him were great at it at the end of it is exhausting and leaves thousand thoughts and doubts.

A part of understand why he left but other part hold resentment that he left him alone.

Though he feels content after helping people in needed, their grateful eyes and smile of gratitude something that he appreciates, but when he tries to sleep in night its eyes and mind never closes. A longing lingering feeling for something that he doesn’t know makes him restless. Still now his mind is ever ruing engine of a vehicle with thoughts and unclear visions, still restless.

Series masterlist

[20dollarlolita]

What the %#€&!? kind of Vacuum kills its cord when you run over it 4x? Does it have secret undercarriage blades to accomplish that with? I run over the cable at least once per vacuuming session, and it looks as good as new. Is the cable just, like, really flimsy? Idgi. But also, after the first cable replacement, why wouldn't the customer check what caused this? *baffled greyface*

Original story.

So there's a few things at play here. I think the main one, and most important one for this story, is that I believe the customer was lying about only running it over four or five times. I believe this because customers lie all the damn time about weird stuff that doesn't really matter.

The other stuff is just a case of "welcome to the absolutely bizarre world of premium vacuum cleaners."

A good vacuum cleaner needs to do one thing, and that's get crap off the floor and into the waste trap. Generally, they do this by sucking the crap off the floor with a vacuum pump, but many are also aided by a brush roll to agitate carpet. The brush roll allows the vacuum to clean the carpet deeper with less suction. This is important for things like area rugs, where too much suction will actually pick the rug up off the ground. Second, you generally want a vacuum to be easy to use. Generally, this means that you're able to move the suction head and the brush roll easily over the floor, without it sticking or being very heavy. Technically speaking, this is all that a vacuum really needs to do. It's got to pick crap up off the floor as easily as possible.

However, once people start spending thousands of dollars on their upright vacuums, they want this feeling that they need more for their money. This includes automated things like sensors to tell the vacuum how much clearance it needs off the floor for various different carpet types, cool things like auto-retracting coords, and someone to say 'fuck it, let's give it more power than Jesus Christ at a wedding,' and just shoving the most powerful pump and the highest speed brush roll into it. Most of the time, users know that they don't NEED to put the motor and brush roll on 11, but some customers don't feel like they got their money's worth if they don't attempt to vacuum their house with a tiny hurricane.

This hits this perfect trifecta of things: the brush roll is made of stainless steel with densely-packed real boar bristles on it, and is going mach 5. The auto-sensors don't detect the cord as carpet height due to being too thin, so the brush roll is very low to the ground and is being hit by a lot of the roll. And then, when the cord retracts, this machine slurps it in with gusto. Thin or weak spots that would probably be fine for years for a normal person get damaged much more quickly when it's trying to retract a 40' long cord in 3 seconds. Also, because the cord retractor is designed for a specific thickness of cord, wrapping electrical tape around a weak spot and asking it politely to not get any worse isn't an option. If the cord gets thicker, the retractor won't work, and then how will your house maids know that you're not a peasant?

An alarmingly large number of our vacuum sales are to people who are buying premium vacuums just so their house cleaners don't have to see them owning a $100 amazon vacuum. I didn't think that there was a market of "people who buy vacuums to impress other people with their wealth" but, now that I think about it, of course there's a market for that.

[businessnewsmarket]

The Water-Saving and Environmental Benefits of Garden Hose Reels

As colder months get closer, we all prepare our homes and tools for the winter, but did you know that your vacuum cleaner also needs to get ready for the cold season? Storing your vacuum cleaner in the right way this winter will definitely make it in great condition, and it will be ready for use when the season changes.

If you have a standard vacuum or an even more versatile wet dry vacuum like the ones from Giraffe Tools, a little maintenance goes a long way. Cleaning, inspecting and storing your vacuum properly not only protects it against damage but guarantees that it works at its best for years to come.

In this step by step guide, we will go over simple and efficient winter storage tips to make sure your vacuum cleaner gets the care it deserves. Let's get started!

Key Steps to Prepare Your Vacuum Cleaner for Winter Storage

1. Clean the Hose and Attachments

First take out whatever debris or dust that may have collected on the hose of the vacuum and attachments. Thoroughly clean these parts with a clean soft brush or damp cloth. It prevents clogs and keeps the vacuum ready to go when you use it again.

2. Empty the Dustbin or Bag

It is important to empty the dustbin or replace the vacuum bag. For bagless models, rinse and dry the dustbin to prevent lingering odours or buildup. It also keeps out pests or bacteria from settling out when the vacuum is stored in a clean dustbin or bag.

3. Inspect for Damage

Look for cracks, worn-out parts or any other damage. Look at the hose, cord and attachments carefully. Taking care of these things now will keep your vacuum from bigger problems down the road and will keep it running as well as new when you need it the next time.

4. Store in a Dry, Cool Place

Pick a place where there are no humidity and temperature changes. However, a closet or dry, cool storage area is the best. If you place the vacuum in a garage or basement, make sure it’s not damp.

Why Proper Storage Extends Your Vacuum’s Lifespan

There are a few simple steps, or in other words, a few simple steps it's very easy to take to store your wet dry vacuum properly, and that can make a big difference both in performance and longevity. Here's why winter storage is essential for keeping your vacuum in top condition:

1. Maintains Suction Efficiency

Cleaning and storing your vacuum right can prevent clogs and buildup, which will reduce suction. The stored vacuum is ready to deliver peak performance when you need it when you store it right.

2. Saves Time and Effort Later

A vacuum in good condition doesn’t need any extra cleaning or repairs before it is used again. Taking a few simple steps now means you’ve ensured your vacuum is always ready to go, saving you time and effort.

3. Keeps It Looking and Working Like New

Regular maintenance and correct storage protect the vacuum against the exterior and internal mechanisms from wear. This will give you better value for your investment as your vacuum will look and perform like new for years.

4. Prevents Unpleasant Odors

Over time, unpleasant smells can linger if left dirt or dust in the vacuum. This helps prevent odours and ensures your device is fresh and ready to use when it's taken out of storage.

It's a small effort with a big reward for proper storage!

Why Choose Giraffe Tools for Your Cleaning Needs?

Giraffe Tools vacuum cleaners are built to last. Made with high quality materials, these machines can easily handle any cleaning tasks, from their wet-dry vacuum or any other models.

Versatility for Every Cleaning Job

Giraffe Tools' vacuum cleaners are versatile and can be used from garage floors to household carpets. The combination of their wet dry vacuum can deal with liquid spills and dry debris so it's the perfect all in one solution for cleaning a variety of challenges.

Space-Saving Design

Giraffe Tools is a vacuum that comes with retractable cords and wall-mounted features to save space and keep your storage areas premised and neat. The thoughtfulness of this design means your vacuum is always available to use without having to take up valuable space.

Exceptional Customer Support

You know that when you choose Giraffe Tools it offers free shipping, 2 year satisfaction guarantee, and 30-day returns guarantee. These benefits provide that peace of mind and a hassle free shopping experience.

Customer Trusted Everywhere

With years of successful handling of different cleaning needs, Giraffe Tools has built a reputation for being trusted for quality products like the wet-dry vacuum that delivers excellence in performance and convenience.

Giraffe Tools delivers quality and innovation whether you are in need of a reliable vacuum for your home, your garage, or the shop.

Protect Your Vacuum Cleaner and Keep It Ready for Action

Don't let winter wear on your cleaning tools. If you own a vacuum cleaner and take good care for it to make it last longer, then you should not have to worry about when you need it to go to work. If you want reliable and effective clean you can always trust Giraffe Tools high-performance vacuum cleaners, from the versatile wet dry vacuum to others.

Giraffe Tools offers a high quality product with free shipping, a 2 year satisfaction warranty and 30 day returns guarantee.

Visit Giraffe Tools to explore the innovative way cleaning can help make life easier, cleaner, and more organized. So don't wait—clean your vacuum the way it should be cleaned, take care of your vacuum properly and enjoy the easy cleaning all year round!

[linkbuilder27]

Top Cordless Vacuum Cleaners in Singapore: A Complete Buying Guide for 2024

Are you tired of lugging around a bulky, corded vacuum cleaner? The solution could be a best cordless vacuum cleaner Singapore which offers convenience, flexibility, and impressive performance without the hassle of tangled cords. In Singapore, where homes are often compact and space is at a premium, cordless vacuums are becoming increasingly popular for quick clean-ups and regular maintenance.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the best cordless vacuum cleaners Singapore for 2024, covering their top features, pros and cons, and how to pick the right one based on your cleaning needs.

Why Choose a Cordless Vacuum Cleaner in Singapore?

The rise in popularity of cordless vacuum cleaners is no coincidence, especially in Singapore. These are some of the key reasons why people are opting for cordless vacuums:

1. Perfect for Compact Spaces

In Singapore’s bustling urban environment, many people live in apartments or condos where storage and space are limited. Cordless vacuums are compact and can easily be stored in tight spaces like closets, cabinets, or even hung on the wall. They’re light and easy to carry, making them ideal for high-rise living.

2. Convenience for Quick Cleanups

Whether you’re dealing with spilled crumbs, pet hair, or dust on the go, cordless vacuums are great for quick clean-ups. They eliminate the need to plug in and out, making them more convenient for regular spot cleaning in between deep cleans. Simply grab the vacuum, power it on, and you're good to go!

3. No Tangling Cords

Gone are the days of untangling cords and being restricted by the length of your power cable. Cordless vacuums give you the freedom to move around effortlessly without worrying about finding an outlet or tripping over a cord.

4. Silent and Lightweight

Cordless vacuums tend to be quieter than traditional corded models, which is an advantage when cleaning in the morning or late at night, especially in apartment buildings. Furthermore, these vacuums are generally lightweight, reducing strain on your arms and wrists during long cleaning sessions.

5. Versatile Design

Most cordless vacuums come with different attachments, making them versatile for cleaning a variety of surfaces, from hardwood floors to carpets, upholstery, and even your car. Some models even allow you to convert them into handheld devices for cleaning furniture, stairs, and other tight spots.

Key Features to Consider When Buying a Cordless Vacuum in Singapore

There are several factors to consider when choosing the best cordless vacuum cleaner in Singapore. Here’s a checklist to help you make an informed decision:

1. Suction Power

One of the most critical features of any vacuum cleaner is its suction power. Look for a model with high suction power to pick up dust, dirt, and debris effectively. Cordless vacuums are now available with suction power ranging from 100 AW (Air Watts) to 250 AW. Higher suction power means more effective cleaning, especially for carpets and homes with pets.

2. Battery Life

Battery life is another essential factor to consider, especially if you have a larger area to clean. Most cordless vacuums run for 20 to 60 minutes on a single charge, but premium models can run up to 100 minutes with dual batteries. If you have a larger home or need to clean multiple rooms, look for models that offer long battery life or allow you to swap out batteries during cleaning sessions.

3. Charging Time

The charging time varies from model to model. Typically, cordless vacuums need anywhere from 3 to 5 hours to fully charge. However, some newer models come with fast-charging technology that significantly reduces charging time. Consider a vacuum with a short recharge time if you don’t want to wait too long between cleaning sessions.

4. Weight and Ergonomics

Weight plays a crucial role in the overall cleaning experience. A lightweight vacuum (under 3 kg) is easier to handle and maneuver, especially when cleaning stairs, corners, or under furniture. Look for a model with an ergonomic handle that fits comfortably in your hand and is easy to operate.

5. Filtration System

For allergy sufferers, a vacuum cleaner with a good filtration system is a must. Many high-end cordless vacuums come with HEPA filters that trap dust, pollen, pet dander, and other microscopic particles, ensuring that the air in your home remains clean. Multi-stage filtration is an added bonus, as it provides extra filtration for better dust and allergen removal.

6. Attachments and Accessories

Cordless vacuums often come with various accessories, such as crevice tools, dusting brushes, and motorized heads, allowing you to clean a variety of surfaces. For example, a motorized brush roll is excellent for pet hair removal, while a crevice tool is perfect for tight spaces. Consider a model that offers a range of accessories to meet your cleaning needs.

7. Noise Levels

While all vacuums generate noise, cordless vacuums are generally quieter than corded models. However, if you are sensitive to noise or need to vacuum at odd hours, consider a model with low noise levels.

Top Cordless Vacuum Cleaners in Singapore for 2024

Here are some of the best cordless vacuum cleaners available in Singapore for 2024, each offering a unique set of features and benefits.

1. Dyson V15 Detect

Best for: Ultimate Suction Power and Advanced Features

The Dyson V15 Detect is one of the most powerful cordless vacuums available, offering laser illumination to help you spot hidden dust on hard floors. It’s perfect for deep cleaning and is especially effective on carpets and pet hair.

Suction Power: 230 AW

Battery Life: Up to 60 minutes

Key Features: Laser illumination, advanced filtration, and intelligent suction adjustment.

Pros: Powerful suction, innovative laser technology, HEPA filtration.

Cons: High price point.

The V15 Detect is a top choice if you’re looking for cutting-edge technology and unrivaled suction power.

2. Tineco Pure One S12

Best for: Smart Features and Long Battery Life

The Tineco Pure One S12 is an intelligent cordless vacuum that automatically adjusts suction power based on the amount of dirt detected. It also features a long battery life, perfect for large homes.

Suction Power: 150 AW

Battery Life: Up to 100 minutes (with dual batteries)

Key Features: Smart sensor technology, multi-stage filtration, OLED display.

Pros: Smart suction, long battery life, multiple accessories.

Cons: Heavier than some other models.

With its smart technology and extended runtime, the Tineco Pure One S12 is great for tech-savvy users looking for an efficient vacuum.

3. Shark ION F80

Best for: Dual Battery System and Versatility

The Shark ION F80 comes with a dual battery system, which provides up to 80 minutes of cleaning time. It also boasts Shark’s DuoClean technology, which makes it ideal for multi-surface cleaning.

Suction Power: Strong suction for various surfaces

Battery Life: Up to 80 minutes

Key Features: DuoClean technology, anti-allergen filtration.

Pros: Long battery life, excellent for mixed floors, lightweight.

Cons: Relatively higher noise levels.

The Shark ION F80 is an excellent choice for homes with a variety of flooring types and those needing longer cleaning sessions.

4. Bissell ICONpet Cordless Vacuum

Best for: Pet Owners

The Bissell ICONpet is designed specifically for homes with pets. It features a tangle-free brush roll and a powerful motorized pet tool to handle fur and debris effectively.

Suction Power: 120 AW

Battery Life: 50 minutes

Key Features: Tangle-free brush roll, motorized pet tool.

Pros: Excellent pet hair removal, lightweight.

Cons: Shorter battery life.

Pet owners will appreciate the ICONpet’s ability to remove hair without tangling, making it ideal for homes with furry friends.

5. Xiaomi Roidmi F8

Best for: Budget-Friendly Performance

The Xiaomi Roidmi F8 offers a great balance of performance and price. It’s a budget-friendly option that still delivers solid suction power and reliable cleaning capabilities.

Suction Power: 115 AW

Battery Life: 55 minutes

Key Features: Quiet operation, brushless motor, LED display.

Pros: Affordable, good performance for the price.

Cons: Less powerful than premium models.

For users who want an affordable yet effective cordless vacuum, the Xiaomi Roidmi F8 is a solid choice.

Conclusion

In 2024, the best cordless vacuum cleaner Singapore will depend on your specific needs, whether that’s exceptional suction power, long battery life, or pet-friendly features. The Dyson V15 Detect offers the ultimate performance, while the Tineco Pure One S12 brings smart technology and extended runtime. The Shark ION F80 is great for versatility, while the Bissell ICONpet is ideal for pet owners. For a budget-friendly option, the Xiaomi Roidmi F8 provides good value for money.

[reunionmart]

5 reasons why every car owner needs a car vacuum cleaner

As a car owner, it’s important to keep your car clean and well-maintained. A car vacuum cleaner is an essential tool that can help you to do just that. Here are five reasons why every car owner needs a car vacuum cleaner.

Don’t let dirt, dust, and debris take over your car’s interior! A car vacuum cleaner is an essential tool for every car owner

Maintains a clean and fresh interior: A car vacuum cleaner can help to remove dirt, dust, and debris from the interior of your car, keeping it looking clean and fresh. This is especially important for car owners with pets or children, as they can quickly make a car’s interior dirty.

Improves air quality: A car vacuum cleaner can help to remove allergens, dust, and other particles from the air inside your car. This can improve the air quality, making it easier to breathe and reducing the risk of allergies and asthma.

Protects your car’s value: A clean car is more likely to retain its value and be more attractive to potential buyers. A car vacuum cleaner can help to remove dirt and debris that can damage the interior of your car and reduce its value.

Saves time and money: A car vacuum cleaner can save you time and money in the long run. Instead of taking your car to a professional car cleaner, you can do it yourself and keep your car clean and well-maintained at all times.

Convenience: A car vacuum cleaner is lightweight and portable, making it easy to use and store. It’s convenient to have one in the car, so you can clean the interior of your car whenever and wherever you want.

When it comes to choosing a car vacuum cleaner, it’s important to consider the type of cleaner, the attachments, and the power. Cordless car vacuum cleaners are more portable, but corded vacuum cleaners tend to have more power. Additionally, it’s important to choose a cleaner with attachments that are suitable for your needs, such as crevice tools and upholstery brushes.

In conclusion, a car vacuum cleaner is an essential tool for every car owner. It can help to maintain a clean and fresh interior, improve air quality, protect your car’s value, save time and money, and be convenient. When purchasing a car vacuum cleaner, be sure to consider the type of cleaner, the attachments, and the power to ensure that you are getting the best option for your needs. By keeping your car clean and well-maintained with the help of a car vacuum cleaner, you will be able to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable ride for yourself and your passengers.

[babbushka]

The Rabbi Is Coming

Flip Zimmerman x Reader (Darling Jewish Wife AU)

A/N: This oneshot is based entirely off of one of my favorite videos of all time, Company is Coming by Chris Fleming. Every time I see it, it reminds me of preparing for my own family holiday gatherings, so I’ve taken it and run with it lol. I just wanted to write something short and silly for Passover, lol, and I hope you enjoy! 

Also inspired by this prompt sent in by anonymous: From your Passover prompts, will you please do this one for Flip? It sounds just like him!“They tried to kill us. We survived. Let’s eat.”

2k, crack treated seriously lol, humor. Putting a small cw for the Zimmerman’s son, in case folks don’t like reading about kids (this is the last time he’s mentioned for a while I promise lol)

                                                ----------------------

Early in the morning, just after sunrise, Flip yawns and stretches awake. The golden light of morning shines through the curtains that gently move from the breeze of the ceiling fan, and a melody of chirping birds signal the official start of morning. Despite having to get up early for work every day, Flip isn’t much of a morning person. But something about Springtime and the warmth that’s on the way makes him appreciate getting up, even on the weekends.  

“Good morning, sunshine, light of my life – ” Flip rolls over onto his side, ready to coax you out of your sleep as well, ready to kiss you and start the day together, but when he reaches you’re your sleep-snuggled body, he finds the bed empty, and frowns.

Sitting up, he looks around the bedroom. Your side of the covers are neatly made, and Flip can only blink, his frown deepening. He clears his throat, raspy from disuse overnight, “(Y/N)?”

It isn’t until he hears the vacuum cleaner going downstairs, followed by a frustrated groan echoing through the house, that he remembers just what day it is, and falls back onto his pillow with a wince, lighting up a cigarette and scrubbing a hand over his face with a low,

“…Oh shit.”

He checks the clock, sees that it’s practically seven o’clock, and gets out of bed. Pulling on a casual t-shirt and a pair of worn jeans, he leaves his room to see his son standing tentatively in his own doorway, as loud sounds come from downstairs.

“Pop?” The five year old asks with no small amount of hesitation in his voice, immediately reaches for Flip, who scoops him up and balances him on his hip.  

“Mornin’ honey.” Flip kisses his son’s cheek, and the boy giggles, clinging to him as Flip walks down the stairs.

He’s obviously annoyed that it’s not you who gets to wake him up and carry him downstairs, as he normally prefers, but Flip doesn’t know how to tell him that today isn’t a normal day. Still, the boy is always filled with questions, and his little eyebrows furrow into an all too familiar frown as they move closer to the chaos that is you deciding to vacuum first thing in the morning.

“Why is Mama acting like that?” He demands to know, as the two of them stop at the landing, watching as you, still in your pajamas, are fighting with furniture.

“Tonight’s the first night of Pesach.” Flip explains.

“So?” His son challenges, and Flip wants to laugh, because he agrees with the kid, but when you get into a mood like this, there’s no stopping you.

“So, there’s a very special guest coming for dinner tonight, and she wants to make sure the house looks nice and clean for him.” Flip sets the boy down, and he purses his lips, like he’s trying to assess the validity of that, eventually settling on complaining,

“But we already cleaned the house.”

Flip sighs, because he’s right, you spent the entire week cleaning to prepare for Passover. It wasn’t like a normal house cleaning, Passover had special rules that had to be obeyed. One of which, was the complete and total elimination of chametz, or food made from leavened dough. The other, was the koshering of the kitchen.

But he wasn’t so sure his five year old would care to hear about all that this early.

“I know son. Let’s go see what she fixed up for breakfast,” Flip leads his son through the living room carefully, before crouching down to his level and saying very seriously, “And then when you’re done eating, just do whatever Mama says, you hear me? Whatever she says.”

Just then, you come barreling through the living room with the vacuum and a tangle of cord in your hand, shouting at a completely inappropriate volume for the hour, “Zeeskiet if you haven’t made your bed just throw it away it’s too late to make it now!”

The boy looks up at Flip, and Flip immediately shakes his head and amends, “Not that.”

Flip is a good helper. He likes to help, and he wants to help, but sometimes when you get like this, it’s a danger to himself and everyone around for him to try and insert himself into a situation where you are a hurricane of anxious energy. He busies himself with getting your son settled at the kitchen table, giving him a big breakfast of fresh fruit, nuts, and yogurt, before bracing himself to venture back towards the dining room.  

“The Rabbi is coming – get rid of the couches we can’t let people know we sit!” You shout, pointing an aggressive finger at one of the dining chairs, “This chair needs to be pushed in, there cannot be any signs of living in this house.”

Flip is quick to do as you say, even though what you’re saying is nonsense – he knows better than to point that out.

“I don’t care if we have to throw everything out,” You’re mostly talking to yourself at this point, just…loudly, and aggressively, “I want this place looking like a contemporary fusion restaurant by noon.”

It was a miracle and a half that the Rabbi agreed to lead your Seder dinner, and to say that the pressure was getting to you was the understatement of the century. You had everything picked out, what you were going to wear, what Flip and the kids were going to wear; you’d been cooking and prepping all week, and now the day was finally here and you were totally freaking out.

“Flip?” You shout, walking in circles around the dining room, trying to get rid of any possible point of contamination of chametz.

“Yeah?” Flip replies, already knowing that because he’s in the other room, you probably can’t hear him. He already is walking towards you when he hears you again.

“Phil!” You call a little sharper, and Flip huffs out a laugh, his suspicion correct.

“I’m right here ketsl, what can I do?” Flip startles you by suddenly being behind directly behind you, and you throw your hands up in exasperation.

“Oh my god – we need more pillows.” You gesture to the den where the conversation pit is decked out entirely with pillows. “Can you fluff the pillows? I need these things looking fluffed.”

Flip does exactly as he’s told, and the rest of the morning follows suit.

You wandered around the house cleaning; vacuuming sweeping dusting sanitizing every possible surface, the floors, even the ceiling, shouting out random demands and requests like:

We need more flowers. We gotta put flowers in every window. Philly can you put flowers in the kitchen?

We can’t have any clothes! Everyone take off your clothes!

At that, your son cast a semi-distressed look to Flip and asked, an uncertain, “Pop?”

“Not that either!” Flip immediately answered, lest his son think it’s okay to go running around in the nude tonight.

Somewhere around hour two, your mood shifts from manic to meltdown. Your son had been instructed to make sure his toys were all nicely put away in his room, mostly to keep him out of trouble or to prevent any accidental tripping over wires. Flip though, is still running around trying to keep up with you, out of breath from your own chaos.

“What is this?” You yank the perfectly good little towel out of the oven door handle where Flip had just watched you place it, and near-tears, you groan, “This is a dish towel! We need a hand towel! What are we, barbarians?”

He’s about to say something, try to console you or at the very least calm you down, but then you come to a complete and sudden stand-still and point out, “Phil oh god there’s muffins on the counter.”

Frowning, Flip whirled around and wondered how the fuck those even got there. All of your friends knew that there was absolutely no leavened product allowed in the house, Rabbi or no, and he’s trying to wrack his brain around where they came from as you back against the wall.

“Oh my god oh – that’s it -- we have to go into the witness protection program folks!” You chuckle humorously, effectively giving up. “Shalom Rabbi! Welcome to the Zimmerman household. We live outside. We eat mud. And sticks.”

At this, you give one big overwhelmed sigh, and a little sob hiccups out of your chest.

“Hey,” Flip frowns, kicking himself for not trying to get you to take a breather earlier than this, “Hey it’s going to be okay.”

Flip gets down on the floor with you, and pulls you into a tight hug. You shove your face under his neck and cry it out, and Flip soothes your back. He knows how big of a deal tonight is for you, and he wants to do everything he can to make you happy, but letting this go on any longer won’t be good for anyone.

“I’ll get rid of the muffins, we won’t tell anyone about it, okay?” He pulls you to face him, your eyes wet and wide, your chin wobbling. He thinks you’re so ridiculous, working yourself up like this, but he loves you so much to see it regardless.

“Did you fluff the pillows?” You ask in a small sad voice, and Flip nods seriously, brushing some of your stray locks that escaped the scarf you have wrapped around your head to protect your hair, away from your face.

“Yes ketsl, I fluffed the pillows.” He kisses each of your cheeks, the bridge of your nose, your forehead.

“Okay, alright okay, everyone calm down.” You say, wiping your tears away and taking deep measured breaths, suddenly asking, “What time is it?”

“Uhh,” Flip cranes his head around to try and catch a good glimpse at the clock on the wall, wondering how the hell it’s only, “Nine-thirty.”

You blink, and blink again, and then shuffle to sit upright there on the kitchen floor.

“Oh.” You reply, pursing your lips and scratching the side of your jaw. “In that case…I’m going to take a nap.”

Flip chuckles and lets you go. You’re too much all the time, and that’s exactly why he loves you. He’s never met anyone who cares as much about something like this, than you, and he wants you to go relax while he takes care of everything.

And he does, his son a proper helper as you snooze in bed, already having worked yourself to exhaustion and needing your strength back for the long dinner that’s going to come. The offending muffins are given to a neighbor, the surfaces re-sanitized, the kitchen all prepared. Your son even sets the table all by himself, enjoying being tall for his age thanks to Flip’s genetics.

When evening falls much later, and all your other guests have arrived, you feel your pulse spike as the doorbell rings. You’re dressed to the nines, as is everyone else, but Flip thinks that you’re the most radiant thing in the universe. You’re holding your son on your hip as Flip opens the door, already extending a hand for him to shake.

“Shalom Rabbi, thank you so much for joining us tonight, we can’t tell you how much of an honor it is.” You beam, as if you hadn’t had a total breakdown only that morning, as Flip invites the Rabbi inside.

“Of course Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman, the honor is mine. And may I say, you have a beautiful home.” He looks around appreciatively, giving a nod of approval that has all the air rushing out of your lungs.

“I’m thrilled to hear you think so.” You grin, leading him through your home and into the dining room where your other guests have been happily entertaining themselves, “Shall we get started then?”

“They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat!” Flip announces, and that has everyone laughing, including the Rabbi.

And as the Seder commences, Flip looks across the table and gives his son a wink. In return, he lets out a small giggling laugh, glad that all the preparations and chaos you put them through have successfully paid off.

                                                     ------------------

Taggin’ some Flip lovin’ friends! @mochabucky​​ @sacklerscumrag​​ @artsymaddie​​ @bitchydecisions​​ @direnightshade​​ @reyloaddict55​​ @thembohux​​  @sunflowersinthesnow​​ @babayagakeanu​​ @safarigirlsp​​  @steeevienicks​​  @the-unmanaged-mischief​​ @materialisthicc​​  @hswritingrecs​​  @han68000​​ @rosi3ba3z​​ @chapterhappygirl​​​ @loverofallthings​​​  @bxnnywriting​ @groovetoob​ 

[pbelfz]

His | 7 |

Pairing: Yandere Bakugou x Reader Chapter Title: Unexpected Visitor Chapter 6 | Chapter 8 Story Masterlist Summary: You're a petty villain, and your new villain-career is forced to an immediate halt when none other than Ground Zero captures you. He's convinced that you're in need of his help to change your tainted lifestyle, and you're not going to tell him otherwise. WARNINGS: ALCOHOL

(Y/n) didn’t really know what came of their relationship after that.

She didn’t act out as much, if at all, or deliberately try to piss Katsuki off anymore, and Katsuki somehow seemed nicer in response.

She felt pathetic. All it took was a spanking to break her.

Her despair may have been mistaken for compliance, but Katsuki wasn’t about to complain either way. The house was peaceful again finally, just like before she arrived. He took the day off, intending to spend the time comforting her after her swats, but he instead found himself doing chores around the house, leaving (Y/n) to lay on the bed by herself in pain. He was restless like that. If just one thing in the house was out of order on his day off, he would spend the entire rest of the time making sure nothing else had a chance to be a mess.

(Y/n) watched him as he vacuumed the bedroom carpet, shirtless. The numbing cream and aloe vera on her rear wasn’t doing much to lessen the raw sensation she felt. She hadn’t seen it yet, but she knew it was bruised beyond belief. It just had to be. She attempted to shift in her restraints, trying to lay so she wasn’t putting pressure on her butt. It resulted in an awkward position, but at least her burning skin didn’t touch the bed. She watched Katsuki, the muscles in his back tightening with each of his movements.

“Can I help?” She suddenly squeaked. Katsuki looked at her over his shoulder with a raised brow before bending down to cut the vacuum off. He seemed to be contemplating it. If she dared to misbehave again, he could always repeat the actions of the night before; (Y/n) seemed have a different attitude now with a feasible punishment hanging over her head. He decided to give her a chance.

Katsuki sighed and made his way over to (Y/n). He unlocked her cuffs, placing the key back in his sweatpants, and watched as (Y/n) rubbed her wrists.

“Clean the patio windows,” he grumbled. “I’ll get you a rag.”

(Y/n) looked over at the patio. Depending on what Katsuki had in mind, she would be able to step outside for a bit. Somehow, the idea didn’t make (Y/n) excited as she stared blankly. Katsuki returned from the bathroom and tossed her a rag, which she sloppily caught. He handed her a spray bottle filled with glass cleaner and turned, heading back to the vacuum.

(Y/n) reached out for her crutch that sat by the bed and pushed herself to a stand. Katsuki, who was wrapping the vacuum’s power cord up, kept his eyes on her. As intense as they were, (Y/n) didn’t seem bothered. She didn’t seem bothered by anything at the moment. Katsuki was wondering for how long was she gonna keep this mopey, sulky shit going. If she was trying to make him feel bad for last night, it wasn’t working. She deserved it! She shouldn’t have run away, she shouldn’t have scratched his face, and she shouldn’t have been so fucking ungrateful. Katsuki’s gaze slowly turned into a glare as he recalled the previous night, and he had to take a breath to calm himself.

(Y/n), wincing as she hobbled with her crutch, no doubt from the bruises on her ass, slowly made her way over to the windows. She almost seemed as if she were on autopilot with one task set in her mind: clean the windows like Katsuki told her. Once at the sliding door, she stared out. The sky was clear today. The top floor really was silent. The noises of the city down below couldn’t be heard, just the chirping of a few birds flying by. It made her isolation with Katsuki feel that much real. His hard stare into her back wasn’t helping any. He was watching her every move, waiting for her to disobey. (Y/n) realized last night that she had no control over her life anymore. She did, though, have control over her actions. Somewhat, anyway. Her eyes were tired, and her tongue licked over her dry lips. Katsuki’s waiting for her to misbehave. Katsuki is waiting for her to misbehave.

That’s why she sprayed the glass cleaner on the door and began wiping.

This was a form of rebellion. That’s what she was telling herself.

Katsuki liked when she acted out, he liked when she disobeyed. She wasn’t wrong about that. He might put on an annoyed front, but deep down, he enjoyed the excitement, the drama, the toxicity. What of when she acted properly, then?

An odd conclusion to come to where doing what you’re told is suddenly an act of rebellion.

Katsuki watched her carefully as she wiped the glass, wondering if she was playing him. He wasn’t used to her mindlessly submitting like that. He hadn’t broken her down that much already, had he? No, there was no way. It was just thirty swats, just a little spanking. She was tougher than that. She’ll be scrappy again once those bruises wear off. He decided to ignore it for now, just satisfied that she did what she was told for once.

The vacuum was put away in a hallway cupboard, and Katsuki returned to start pulling the duvet and sheets off of his bed to change them. It was comfortable. Silent. Domestic.

Until a knock on the front door ensued and echoed throughout the penthouse, and the both of them froze.

(Y/n) looked over at Katsuki with wide eyes, and Katsuki met her with a similar gaze. They waited for the other to move, neither of them knowing exactly what to do in this situation. He kept his eyes on (Y/n)’s as he moved carefully towards his cell that sat on his nightstand. “Don’t move, don’t speak, don’t fucking do anything,” he bit out, holding a hand out towards (Y/n), telling her to stay put. He didn’t need to tell her twice.

His heartbeat quickened as he unlocked his phone, and it was the first time (Y/n) saw his hands tremble slightly. He never has visitors, and if he does, he plans it in advance. He’s a structured person, and for someone to come to his home unannounced… Katsuki’s either about to be extremely pissed or about to eat his own shit.

Katsuki wasn’t about to tell (Y/n), but he has several security cameras installed throughout his house (he’s fucking paranoid), and one of them is placed at his front door. He checked the app on his phone and selected the camera positioned at the front of his home.

Fucking Kirishima stood waiting patiently in the hallway, scrolling through his own phone mindlessly.

Katsuki threw his phone back on the bed and stormed out of the bedroom. “Wait here,” he growled at (Y/n). She gave a confused look to Katsuki’s retreating back, flinching as he slammed the bedroom door shut. She stood awkwardly, looking around the bedroom. Resume cleaning, then…?

“The fuck you want?” Katsuki demanded immediately after yanking open his front door.

“Yeah, it’s nice to see you too, big boy,” Kirishima gave his friend a pat on the shoulder with a smile before attempting to step into his home. Katsuki sidestepped, blocking Kirishima’s way.

“Why the fuck are you here?” Katsuki wasn’t letting up. He glared into the eyes of his hero companion.

“Whoa, whoa, easy,” Kirishima backed up a few steps with his hands up, knowing how Katsuki was. He tried to pull the reins back. “Just here to chill with you for a bit, man.” Katsuki’s eyebrow twitched.

“You couldn’t have given me a heads-up?”

“Why?” Kirishima asked, looking at his friend’s current state. He was shirtless and very obviously flustered. It wouldn’t have been the first time Kirishima cockblocked him. “Something… else going on?” He vaguely gestured to Katsuki’s form with a sly smile, and Katsuki scowled.

“No, you damn idiot.”

“Then c’mon, man! I just saw that we had the same days off today, let’s kick back like old times,” Kirishima held a smile as he wrapped an arm around Katsuki’s neck, and Katsuki groaned.

Reluctantly, he agreed. “If it’ll get you to shut the fuck up.”

(Y/n) paused her wiping when she heard a different voice accompanying Katsuki’s. Whoever it was was laughing, but Katsuki wasn’t. She didn’t know if that was a good sign or not. Should she get back on the bed? Should she hide? Call to them for help? They never discussed what she should do in these types of situations because she’s sure that Katsuki never anticipated it happening — not so soon, anyway. (Y/n) was trying to decide if she should just attempt another escape now.

She glanced around the room, her heart beating through her ears. She didn’t know why she was nervous. This was a possible gateway out of this hell! She squeezed the rag in her hands and tried to hobble back over to the bed.

That was, until the voices were getting louder. Closer. (Y/n)’s eyes widened. They were going to see her. Why did she feel so scared?

“Is your bedroom still the same, man?”

“Yes, it is. Now, get the fuck away from it.”

“Hold on, hold on! You know I love bein’ out on the patio this high up!”

Katsuki was quickly thinking of what to do. If he demanded Kirishima to leave, it would just be that much suspicious. Wait, suspicious? No. He wasn’t doing anything wrong! What he and (Y/n) had was completely normal. Why was he even trying to hide it, hide her?

Before she heard Katsuki shoot a retort at the stranger, the door was swung open, with a red-headed man stepping carelessly inside. (Y/n) panicked, unsure what to do with herself as she tried to limp towards the bathroom to hide (why did she feel like she was guilty of something?), but it was too late. Kirishima saw (Y/n) staring back at him with wide eyes.

The two gawked at each other for what seemed like ages, Kirishima’s eyes noticing the messy state of the bed from when Katsuki was in the midst of changing the sheets, before a mischievous grin crept onto the hardening hero’s face.

“You said nothing else was going on, you ladykiller you!”

(Y/n) could only imagine what Katsuki wanted to do to this man, and she’d be right. Katsuki peered over Kirishima’s shoulder at (Y/n) with a clenched jaw and a twitching lip. Before he could reply to his friend, Kirishima walked further into Katsuki’s room, his lair, and outstretched his hand to (Y/n) with a wide, friendly smile. (Y/n) wasn’t used to that. She looked back and forth between his sharp teeth and Katsuki’s glare.

“Eijirou Kirishima, but you might know me as Red Riot,” he rubbed the back of his neck, now awkwardly aware of the that his presence was indeed cockblocking his best friend. (Y/n) looked to Katsuki, who was still standing in the doorway. He leaned against the doorframe with his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, observing the interaction. “Not as big of a hero as my friend Bakugou here, but ya know… Still pretty big in my own right.”

(Y/n)’s eyebrows scrunched upward as she held eye contact with Katsuki, awkwardly taking Kirishima’s hand and trying not to lose her balance when he shook it.

“(Y/n) (L/n),” she replied quietly.

Forgetting about his previous desire for the patio, Kirishima turned back to Katsuki.

“Got a few beers in the fridge?”

Katsuki tried not to show his anger when Kirishima beckoned (Y/n) to follow them out of the bedroom. Kirishima didn’t miss how (Y/n) hesitated to tag along.

Katsuki didn’t slam the fridge door after he pulled out two beer bottles, but it took everything in him not to do so. “You okay?” He heard Kirishima ask (Y/n) as they got to the couch, probably because he noticed the limp in her step as she walked with her crutch. Or because (Y/n)’s ass was so sore she winced when she sat down. The question still made Katsuki take a deep inhale to prevent himself from snapping, ‘She’s fucking fine!’

Kirishima undoubtedly felt the unease in the air, especially when Katsuki returned and scowled down at the two sitting on his couch. (Y/n) was trying not to look like this was her first time seeing the rest of the penthouse, but Katsuki could see how her eyes glanced around the rooms, taking everything in. She didn’t know why she was playing along, helping Katsuki’s case. Red Riot was a hero, a real hero — he could help her, even if she was formally a villain.

“Where’s (Y/n)’s?” Kirishima asked, his arm draped behind (Y/n) on the couch pointing to the two beers in Katsuki’s hands.

“Gluten allergy,” he snapped, eyeing Kirishima’s arm. It was too close to (Y/n) for his comfort. He handed his friend the beer before popping open his own and sitting down on the other side of (Y/n).

(Y/n), ignoring Kirishima’s arm and the turmoil it could bring, was apprehensive for another reason. Katsuki didn’t drink often, and (Y/n) had only smelled alcohol on him a total of two times, both of them being bad nights.

He was an angry drunk.

Kirishima’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “Wow, didn’t know you guys were close enough already to know stuff like that yet.” Katsuki stared at the TV mounted on the wall with his cheek resting in his palm, suddenly finding more interest in the crime show that was playing than his friend’s comments, and took a swig of his drink. (Y/n) wasn’t making an effort to reply either. If only Kirishima knew just how ‘close’ they truly were.

She also can’t even remember the last time she got to watch television, so she was trying to absorb as much as she could of it before it would be inevitably taken away from her again.

Feeling the awkward atmosphere grow, Kirishima pressed harder. He just loved putting Katsuki in these uncomfortable positions. “Bakugou normally doesn’t even bother to learn anything about his hookups. If they’re lucky, they’ll go on one date, and then he takes ‘em to bed,” Kirishima said before pressing his bottle to his mouth. (Y/n) pulled her eyes away from the screen and glanced up at Katsuki, wanting to see how he reacted to his friend talking about him in such a way. He was dragging his free hand down his face, obviously wanting this entire situation to be over with.

“Shut the fuck up, shitty hair. It’s not like you’ve ever even gotten laid,” Katsuki said, his voice raising before he took another swig. (Y/n) was getting nervous, and she began to rub her arms to try to comfort herself. It was a habit she developed each time Katsuki got just a little too loud. She tried to focus on what was playing on the television. Somehow, she felt like she was going to get punished and blamed for all of this, and the thought made the bruises on her ass throb that much more. Kirishima laughed in response, oblivious to (Y/n)’s fear.

“Are you still keeping track of your body count?” He teased. (Y/n) felt uncomfortable with this conversation, her stomach doing an odd flip. Who would have thought that her captor was an absolute douchebag, too? What a relationship this Kirishima and Katsuki must have, for him to blatantly ask such questions of her captor and not be throttled as she would be.

“No, I’m not,” Katsuki grumbled.

“Well, that’s good! Otherwise, (Y/n) here might’ve just been another number last night!” He snickered, pulling (Y/n) closer to him, making her gasp, which caused Katsuki shoot them both an odd look.

“What?” He barked. “We didn’t do that shit. And get away from her like that,” he yanked (Y/n) away from his friend and closer to his side of the couch. (Y/n) collided with Katsuki’s bare chest, feeling just how warm his skin naturally was, it was almost suffocating. Kirishima held his hands up in mock defeat, not wanting to overstep any boundaries. Any more than he already has, anyway.

“You’re kidding, man?” Kirishima gaped. “You’ve got a beautiful girl right here in your own house, and you haven’t even treated her to your signature Bakudan Churner—!” He exclaimed, recalling a night where the two men were drunk out off of their asses, and Katsuki coined a term for one of his favored sex positions.

(Y/n) heard her heartbeat drum through her ears, hardly being able to register the conversation, as she felt Katsuki’s hands warm and tighten against her skin significantly. This would be the second time he was using his quirk around her since he took her, the first time being last night. While he was hotheaded, he did prove to have mastered his power, and his explosions never went off without him wanting them to.

“Kir—!” The man in question interrupted his friend, making Katsuki’s palms burn that much hotter on (Y/n)’s arms.

“Don’t tell me… Is she the one?” Kirishima whispered, as if anyone else were in the house besides the three of them. “You’re finally settling down!” His previous volume was abandoned, excitement overwhelming him. “No wonder I saw a new box of tampons on the counter!” (Y/n) closed her eyes to prevent herself from cringing. How could Katsuki possibly explain away that he’s been keeping track of her cycle? It’s to prevent you from bleeding on my fucking sheets, he had said.

“I—! No—!” Katsuki denied outright, his anger now turning to embarrassment. (Y/n) sat disassociating herself from the situation. She wasn’t here. She was pretending that Katsuki’s burning hands weren’t latched around her arms right now, she was pretending that Katsuki’s rage wasn’t about to overflow, she was pretending this was normal. This was normal.

“No wonder we haven’t seen you out with us in so long. You’ve been with Little Miss (Y/n) here!”

Realization flooded over Katsuki’s face as he became aware of the fact that the news of (Y/n) would spread quickly to his other friends. She was no longer a secret, no longer Katsuki’s confidential pet, meant to be hidden away from others. Things were about to change drastically, and he did not like that at all.

“Will you,” Katsuki released (Y/n), “shut the fuck up?!”

(Y/n) closed her eyes when Katsuki detonated his explosions and aimed right for Kirishima’s face. She quickly looked over their guest, worry in her heart, which quickly dissipated at the sight of a completely fine Kirishima. His quirk activated, protecting him fully from Katsuki’s blast. He held a lighthearted look as he laughed at Katsuki. (Y/n) was still silent. The privilege Kirishima must have had to be able to just outwardly laugh at her captor. What made her so different? Why was Katsuki depriving her of these simple interactions with him?

Katsuki flopped back down on the couch and glowered at the television, crossing his arms and taking a long swig of his drink.

“We’re not fuckin’ dating,” Katsuki finally griped after a few moments. Kirishima waved his hand dismissively.

“Sure, sure.”

It was quiet between the three of them for a while. (Y/n) figured Katsuki was muddling things over in his mind silently, sulking as he usually does. Kirishima looked unbothered, happy even. They continued watching the crime show, binging it, and (Y/n) zeroed in on the voices being emitted from the television. She engrossed herself in the visuals on TV, ignoring the warmth provided by Katsuki’s body beside her, ignoring how the men grew more rowdy with each drink they consumed. She just wanted to watch some TV. She wanted so badly for this to be normal.

(Y/n) sat unmoving on the couch. She hadn’t moved from her spot since she sat down hours ago, too afraid to make a wrong step and upset Katsuki even further. She was in uncharted territory, after all.

She heard Katsuki close the front door. Gently, not slamming it. Perhaps he wasn’t too angry with her? His bare feet padded across the floor, and he made his way back to (Y/n). She watched him, noticing the slight flush on his skin. He was drunk, all right. Or, at least tipsy, considering he was able to hold a conversation with her.

“Hey,” he started, his deep voice quiet for a change. He stood in front of her, looking down with heavy eyelids.

“Hi,” (Y/n) replied. Katsuki ran a hand through his hair and let out a big sigh.

“So, he’s probably gonna tell the others about you,” he said. His words weren’t slurred, but she could smell the alcohol on his breath from her place on the couch. Apparently, he was quite heavyweight.

“Yeah,” (Y/n) said, wary of what he’ll do next.

Katsuki’s hand fell from its place in his hair, and for the first time, he seemed unsure of what to do.

“It’s not your fault for,” he took a breath, “leaving the bedroom.” He was scowling, but he wasn’t meeting her eyes, he was staring down at the ground. He obviously wasn’t used to this.

(Y/n) didn’t respond. She looked up at him and waited for him to finish. He seemed hesitant about something.

He let out an aggravated sigh before continuing, “You were good today.” Praise. A rare and worthless reward, but still somehow a reward all the same. “I’m thinkin’ of maybe letting you free-roam the place,” Katsuki murmured, almost too quiet for (Y/n) to hear, and looked to the side. (Y/n) didn’t think she heard him correctly. Was he more drunk than he let on? Katsuki saw her staring up at him with a confused look before he continued.

“There’d be more rules, but,” he rubbed the back of his neck. It’ll be suspicious if you’re always in the bedroom when people come over, (Y/n) finished his thought in her own head. (Y/n) nodded, understanding their arrangement as well as her inability to say ‘No,’ and Katsuki finally met her eyes.

She just hoped that he remembered this conversation tomorrow.

[captainxflint]

Orbital Sander: Can I Use It on My Car?

Some people enjoy working on their own car, but others find it a frustrating experience. If you are in the latter category, then this is the article for you! We will be discussing whether or not an orbital sander can be used on a car and what other types of sanders there are to choose from.

What is an orbital sander and how does it work?

An orbital sander is a power tool used to smooth surfaces. There are two types of sanders: electric and pneumatic. An electrical one works by connecting it to an outlet, while the other needs air pressure from a compressor or gas can for operation. Orbital sanders use small pads, which rotate at high speeds on top of your surface area in order to level out its texture and remove any bumps along the way. 

Electric ones plug into wall outlets, but their cordless counterparts run off batteries that must be recharged between uses so they don't lose power halfway through completing their task! Before we move onto the next section about whether these tools can be safely used on cars, let's discuss what makes them more effective than using sandpaper by hand.

One of the main benefits to using an orbital sander is that it's more efficient than doing things manually, such as sanding down a wooden table or floor boards by hand with paper and elbow grease (ouch!). Also, one of its best features is not having to deal with cord tangles while you're working! Sanders are great for smoothing surfaces thoroughly in less time, which can be especially useful when taking on larger projects. 

These tools also come equipped with multiple attachments depending on what type you purchase and how powerful your needs may be. For example: some have interchangeable pads while others use oscillating ones; there are even high-powered versions designed specifically for heavy duty tasks like removing paint off metal panels!

Can I use an orbital sander on my car?

No. Orbital sanders, as well as any other power tool not specifically designed for automobiles, should never be used on cars! Instead, there are a number of hand tools that can be safely utilized on them if you have the correct knowledge and equipment to do so. 

For example: some people use paint scrapers or metal putty knives to fix dents in car doors; others choose pry bars instead which work great at removing clips from panels without damaging them! You can also check air orbital sander for auto body work review to see how they actually work. 

In all cases though, it's important to make sure your surface is clean before applying anything since dust can get caught underneath new layers of filler and cause bubbles later down the line. This process requires more time than using an orbital sander but guarantees superior results because it is done correctly.

What are the benefits of using a sanding tool  like this for your car?

Hand sanding has several benefits over using an orbital sander, which we discussed in the previous section. For one thing, it is much better at removing paint than power tools since they are specifically designed to do so! 

This means that if you're restoring a classic vehicle and want to get rid of old layers on top of new ones, then hand sanding is definitely recommended because it can be more time-consuming but will save you from having to buy supplies again once finished. In addition: some people have found success with using skil saws instead of scrapers or pry bars just make sure these types don't spin too fast around corners when used properly!

Paper comes in various grit levels, which is a measure of how rough or fine it is. The higher the number, the rougher your sand paper will be and vice versa for lower numbers. A grit level that's too low can leave some scratches on your surface while one that's extremely high may only remove paint in some areas without going deep enough to smooth out any bumps underneath!

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter what type of car you have, orbital sanders are useful for removing rust and dust. They can also be used to smooth out rough surfaces like concrete or wood flooring. If you want to get the best results from your orbital sander, use it with other tools such as a vacuum cleaner or buffer pad. Be sure not to forget about safety precautions when using power tools!

[quintessenceofdust73]

A Respite in Paradise

The Paladins had made camp in one of the lush valleys of Celadon IV, an isolated, uncharted, Earth-like sphere located in the outermost edge of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Lions were nearly drained of all power when they arrived and Keith knew they would need a lengthy solar recharge. He ordered their little caravan to a halt, and suggested that the team take some time for much-needed rest and relaxation. This was one of Keith’s orders that Lance actually agreed with and wholeheartedly obeyed.

Hunk unloaded a barbecue grill from Yellow Lion’s cargo hold as soon as they landed and began rummaging through their meager stores of exotic meats to find something to grill. Coran helped with this and then began an inventory of their other foodstuffs while Shiro and Keith helped Allura and Romelle set up the camp.

After Pidge’s detailed analysis of the plants they had collected, it was determined that the local flora would not do any harm to Kalternecker’s digestive system. When they were sure of that, Lance and Pidge had immediately led the cow to the grassiest area that they could find and laughed at her satisfied “moo” of happiness at the sight of so much green. Once Kalternecker was free of her tether, she bucked with ecstasy and frolicked in the flowery meadow along with Kosmo. Both animals were accompanied by Pidge’s ever-curious blue and green floofs which hovered over the field, silently observing it all. While taking in all the natural beauty around him, Lance had a sudden urge to pull Pidge a bit closer to him. He slipped his right arm casually around her narrow shoulders as he often did, but this time he deliberately held her closer than before. She turned to look up at him questioningly with those huge, intelligent eyes of hers, and Lance suddenly felt his cheeks warm a little. He smiled at her and was surprised at how his heart raced when she smiled back at him. He noticed that several lose tendrils of her hair had escaped from her messy bun, and that there were a few more soft waves that framed her face. She was pale after living inside of a spaceship for so long, and he knew they both had dark circles under their eyes from a lack of proper sleep. The two of them were both still in their battered armor, and both of them were sweaty and tired, but in this peaceful moment Lance could not recall any sight that he had ever seen that was more beautiful than the one before him.

They heard Coran’s voice in the distance, summoning them back to camp. Supper was ready. The smell of Hunk’s cooking never failed to make his mouth water.

Pidge took his hand and ran with him back to camp. It was nearly dusk when they all finally sat down to enjoy the evening meal.

After bestowing Hunk with many well-deserved compliments for the incredible supper he had prepared, the Paladins had all gone to sleep under the stars, and at last spent an entire evening completely undisturbed.

Even before the bright sun of this small green planet was peeking over the horizon, Lance was wide awake. The others slept on as the sun rose, still exhausted from their long journey. He stretched, then rose to his feet, not bothering with putting on his armor. Lance silently gathered up his bayard, a clean change of clothes, a towel, and his grooming kit. Then he hiked down to the nearby stream, relishing his every lungful of the cool morning air. This planet almost smelled like home, and the sound of the clean, running water was like music to his ears after being in the silent vacuum of space for so long. Lance eagerly stripped off his black under suit and then slipped naked into the cool water. He shivered at first, but then realized that his body would soon adjust to the lower temperature. He had entered the stream with his small container of body shampoo on a cord around his neck and an exfoliating scrubber in hand. With a whoop of pure joy, he dispensed a small amount of the concentrated cleanser and then rubbed it into a fragrant lather, scrubbing away the grime that had accumulated on his skin after being in a spacesuit for far too long. It was invigorating! He sang to himself and splashed around in the water with the delight of a child as he rinsed the suds and the grime away. As he lathered shampoo into his hair and ducked under water to rinse it out, he realized how long it had gotten. He hated to admit it, but he had a mullet that was as long as Keith’s had been the night that they rescued Shiro. That was the night he and Hunk had snuck out of the Garrison, following after the mysterious “boy” named Pidge...

A familiar giggle brought him out of his reverie. Eyes wide, Lance sunk down deeper into the water, his back to the nearest bank. “Who’s there?” But he already knew the answer to that, and he really hoped she hadn’t seen anything. Lance bit his lip and blushed at the thought of it. There was another giggle. Pidge! He turned to face her, but she was already scampering away. He saw her hasty retreat, noticing that she was wearing her Garrison backpack over her black under suit and her hair was falling in matted tangles from her now even messier bun.

“We will have to find another spot,” he heard her call to the other two girls. “Lance is down there.”

“Ugh! The last thing I want to see is Pointy Chin without any clothes on,” said Romelle.

“Indeed,” said Allura. “I wouldn’t want to have to look at that either.”

Lance pouted angrily, feeling momentarily hurt.

Then there was that familiar giggle again, and he strained to hear what Pidge was saying.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Pidge admitted. “I actually think he’s pretty cute,” Lance’s mouth fell open once more, his mind whirling. The laughter of all three girls faded into the distance as they searched for a more private place to bathe.

Pidge.

Pidge thought he was cute? He suddenly felt even more self-conscious about his nakedness, and once he was sure the girls were far enough away, he hastily rose up from the water, dried off, and then wrapped the towel around his waist. He set up the shaving mirror from his kit and frowned at what he saw: stubble, a few zits, and a soggy mullet with wet, too-long bangs that dripped water into his eyes. What was Pidge thinking? This was the worst he had ever looked in recent memory. Maybe she was blind without her glasses. He began to panic, searching his kit for his razor and a face mask.

After a quick but careful shave, he rinsed and dried his face, hastily donned a pair of clean blue underpants and tied back his too-long hair. Lance sat upon a large, smooth rock and prepared the ingredients for his favorite face mask. Zits begone! If Pidge liked him as much as he had hoped, he was determined to look his best for her. After slathering the green paste all over his face, he rinsed his hands and relaxed. He laid back upon the now-warm, smooth stone and closed his eyes, allowing the mask to dry in the sun...

When Lance’s mind was nearly awake once more, it was already mid-morning, and the face mask had dried until it cracked. He didn’t want to get up to rinse it off though. He felt lazy, and he enjoyed the sensation of the warm sunlight caressing his (mostly) bare skin. If he just kept his eyes closed he could imagine he was back home in Cuba, laying out in the sun on Varadero Beach, surrounded by beautiful bikini-clad women, or more realistically, with at least one particular pretty girl by his side, bikini-clad or not. His half-awake mind conjured up an image of a pale, petite girl in a modest emerald green bathing suit. Her beautiful long brown hair was wet, as if she had just emerged from the sea. She was gazing on him fondly as he slept in the sun. Paradise, he thought.

In his semiconscious daydream, the cute girl at his side was calling his name.

“Lance?”

“Hmm?” he mumbled.

“Lance, wake up.” The cute girl touched his arm. “You can’t sleep here all day you know. The rest of the team is wondering where you are, but I figured you would still be here, so I came to get you.”

His eyes snapped open, and it took him a moment to process everything. For a moment he thought he actually was on the beach in Cuba, especially when he saw the scantily clad long-haired beauty beside him.

Pidge.

Pidge with her long hair down, still damp from being washed. Not Pidge on the beach in a bikini, but Pidge wearing a green sports bra and a pair of cut-off shorts she had made herself, which was almost as good. He had no idea she was this hot. Smoking hot. Dead sexy. Was he still dreaming? He grinned at her goofily and felt his face mask crack.

Lance’s mind ran through every swear word he knew in English and Spanish, and then all of the alien swear words he knew, and then some he wasn’t sure of, but he didn’t say any of them out loud. Instead, he emitted a high-pitched yelp of surprise when he realized that he was not, in fact, wearing swim trunks and lying on a beach in Cuba, but he was, in fact, lying on a sun-warmed slab of stone on an alien planet wearing nothing but his underpants and a dried up face mask.

“I think you need to wash your face,” Pidge said, hardly able to contain her amusement. He noticed that she didn’t say anything about his lack of trousers.

“Uh, right.” Lance scrambled to the stream again to rinse and dry his face, which felt much smoother and cleaner, and hopefully blemish-free. He heard her behind him, trying to suppress her giggles and not succeeding. She gave up on silencing them and was now laughing hysterically. Lance felt his face burn hotter than the sun.

“What’s so funny?” he asked. Stay cool, he told himself. He got up and turned around, then tried to strike a confident pose.

Pidge laughed so hard that tears rolled down her cheeks. “I don’t know what’s funnier, the face mask or the mullet, or—“ she broke off, wheezing. “Or...the fact—“ She tried to catch her breath. “The fact that...you are standing there, striking a pose like a designer underwear model, pretending this isn’t embarrassing.”

Pidge’s laughter was one of his favorite sounds in the universe, and to him it was always infectious. Lance broke down at that moment and started laughing at himself along with her. He tried to cover himself modestly with his towel as he reached for his blue jeans. Then he turned his back to her and did a very silly butt-wiggling dance as he wriggled into them. Pidge was laughing so hard that she had to gasp for air. When he finally pulled up his jeans and zipped them, he turned to her and gave her his most smoldering look as the breeze ruffled his long hair.

“Now you look like one of the shirtless himbos in the ads for those trashy romance holodramas my mom watches.”

Lance sat down next to her, his sides shaking with laughter at her description of him. “Oh, no! My mom watches that junk too, and they’re the worst. I definitely want a haircut now.”

Pidge was still wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. “That’s why I’m here. Coran just gave Shiro and Hunk a haircut, but you missed yours, Sleeping Beauty.” She held up Coran’s clippers and a pair of Altean scissors. “And I missed my haircut too, in order to go looking for you.”

“Sleeping Beauty?” He said with a smirk. “Okay, I am going to pretend that isn’t sarcasm. If I’m a Sleeping Beauty, then why didn’t you awaken me with a kiss?” He thought his flirting was going well in spite of how humiliating this day had been for him so far.

Pidge blushed. “Maybe because I’d rather kiss you when you’re awake?” She said this timidly. Flirting wasn’t something she was accustomed to doing.

“You can kiss me anytime you want, whether I’m asleep or awake.” He said this to her earnestly, revealing more of his true feelings for her than he ever thought he could dare to admit. Lance was blushing in spite of himself. So much for being cool and confident.

Pidge looked at him wide eyed, then ducked her head shyly. Lance tipped her chin up gently, then gently caressed her cheek. They were both breathing raggedly as he moved closer to her. But just as he leaned down to kiss her, she pulled away.

“I can’t let you do this,” Pidge was shaking like terrified prey, trapped in a hunter’s snare. She looked ready to flee.

“Pidge? What’s wrong?” Lance reached for her. “Don’t go! Please, just talk to me. I don’t understand why—“

“I can’t be another one of those girls that you flirt with and forget about!” She she choked out. She was sobbing.

“Pidge! I would never—“

“You’re the only one that I have ever felt this way about and—“ She paused to catch a breath. “If you kiss me it has to mean as much to you as it does to me.” She looked at him boldly now, and even though her face was tear-stained, Lance thought she had never looked more beautiful or more courageous.

He was the one who was terrified now, afraid to say or do the wrong thing. He gaped at her in astonishment, stunned into silence.

Pidge waited for him to say something, but he was still just staring at her, trying to process what she was trying to tell him, and trying to figure out what to do next.

Her mind worked at light speed compared to his. She had already come to a conclusion and turned to leave.

“Pidge, wait!” Lance cried. She kept walking.

“Katie!” She did not stop. Lance knew he had to say something or his heart would shatter into a million pieces. There was no way to repair a heart that badly broken.

“Katie Holt, I am in love with you!” He shouted, and his words echoed around the valley. Then there was a frightening silence between them that caused his heart to momentarily stop beating. They might have been on a silent planet if not for the incessant babbling of the uncaring brook behind them.

She stood there, unmoving, but she did not turn to him.

“I love you. I always have. I guess I was waiting for the right time to tell you, and I was also waiting for you to grow up because you’re younger than me, and I guess I also realized I was the one who really needed to mature a lot more before I could be in a real relationship because you’ve always been more mature than me and—“

She turned around. Lance continued to babble more incessantly than the creek. It was if a dam had burst and a torrent of heartfelt words tumbled forth, as unstoppable as a flood.

“You’re the most amazing girl I have ever met in my entire life and you’re my best friend and I love being with you more than anyone else in the whole universe and I don’t just want to kiss you I want to belong to you, now and always. I want to spend a lifetime laughing with you or just listening to you say brilliant things every day or just watching the sunset with you or just being with by your side when you need me or even when you don’t need me, because I need you and I want to be a part of your life forever. I adore you, Katie, and I-“

Pidge stopped his barrage of words the only way she knew how. With all her strength, she leapt into his arms and embraced him. She stopped the flow of words at the source, kissing him fiercely as Lance lowered her gently to the ground.

Lance had been kissed a fair few times in his life, but he had never experienced anything like this. It was like flying, like being struck by lightning. It was like being born, and living, and dying, and being brought back to life again. It was like all of those things, and none of those things. She had poured into that kiss what he had been struggling to say with words that were far too meager to express the infinite.

When they broke apart, Lance just gazed upon her in shock and reverent silence.

“You are the first and only man I have ever loved and will always love. You are in my heart, and if anything bad ever happened to you, a part of me would die. That is how I love you.” She sobbed. “That’s the only way I know how to love you.”

Lance buried his face in her hair, which was soft, fragrant, wild, and very soon damp with his own tears of relief. He held her close and comforted her as she sobbed happy tears against his bare chest.

When they finally regained control of their emotions, he lead her to the stream. They both washed their faces.

“I missed breakfast,” he began. “I hope I didn’t make you miss lunch.” Much to Pidge’s disappointment, Lance pulled on his old blue and white T-shirt.

Pidge opened her backpack. In it there were sandwich rolls, snacks, and cold drinks. “I didn’t know how long it would take to find you, but somehow I knew you would be hungry when I did.” She decided to put on her well worn Galaxy Garrison T-shirt, which was too small for her. Lance grinned, hoping he could hide his expression behind the first bite of his sandwich.

“You think of everything.”

“That’s because I’m brilliant.”

“I am definitely going to marry you when this war is over, you know that, don’t you?”

“You’d better.” There was a beautiful peace between them, like the calm after a storm. “You still need that haircut.”

“I know. Promise me you won’t cut your hair though. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s too long. I can barely fit it under my helmet anymore.”

“I could braid it for you.”

“Really? And what do you actually know about braiding hair?”

“I have sisters. I used to braid Veronica’s hair until she cut it short, and Rachel’s hair is still pretty long, or at least it was last time I saw her...”

They spend the rest of the afternoon reminiscing about home and talking about their hopes for the future.

*****

Kaltenecker came to the stream to drink that afternoon, and Pidge’s floofs hovered nearby, watching their beloved human friend beside the male human she loved most.

The floofs observed their dear little human attempting to give the male human’s head fur a trim. They saw that both of them thought the result was very funny. Their little female human cried at the mistakes she made when trimming head fur, but the floofs knew it would be alright because the tall male human seemed to be pleased with her efforts nonetheless. He rubbed his face against hers many times, as they often did to her. Of course, the floofs knew that this meant that the tall human loves their dear little one, and that she was very happy about it indeed. Clearly, it was some sort of human courtship ritual.

Perhaps they would mate and have little floofs of their own one day.

But that was a story for another time.

[petitelepus]

Detroit's Toughest Alpha and Cutest Omega, Part 5

It's your fourth date. You're going to make it interesting.

You and Hank actually met again after your bar date. On the second date he took you to a nice Italian place and you two were kissed again as he took you home. It wasn't raunchy like your first kiss, but it was sweet either way. On the third date, the two of you took a walk in the park with Sumo and you told him about your family and how you used to have a lot of animals.

It was time for your fourth date and Hank had no idea what to do so he accidentally called you over his place. He had cursed and tried to unsent the message where he asked if his place would be good for you, but the message was sent and it wouldn't return no matter what he tried.

So when he got a message from you telling how you loved the idea, Hank and Connor both started to clean the Lieutenant's house from floor to ceiling.

"Dammit, should have asked her to dinner again...!" Hank cursed by himself as he pulled the vacuum cleaner's cord back into the machine. Connor came over from the bathroom and smiled, "I think it's a good idea to invite her over. The two of you can bond over Sumo and talk about our old cases together."

"I doubt she is interested in hearing how you saved my ass when we were chasing after that deviant on the roof."

"On the contrary, I heard she found it interesting."

Suddenly a doorbell rang and Sumo started barking like crazy as Saint Bernard run to the door. Hank cursed and quickly pushed the vacuum cleaner into the closet before he straightened his shirt and looked at Connor. "How do I look?"

"Very good Lieutenant." The android answered and Hank nodded, walking to the door and tried to push his huge dog to the side. Connor came quickly to his help, taking a leash and snapping it into Sumo's collar. He looked at Hank. "As we agreed, I'll take Sumo to walk and we return later."

"Yeah..." Hank grunted and Connor smiled, reaching for the doorknob when Hank suddenly stopped him. "Connor?"

"Yes, Hank?"

"Thank you."

"Any time Hank." The android smiled and opened the door. You were standing there in a dark blue dress and Sumo immediately tried to jump on you, but Connor held the dog back. You smiled and took a step forward and bent down to pet the huge dog. "Hi there Sumo! Have you been a good boy?"

"The best," Connor said happily and you smiled at him. "Pleasure seeing you Connor."

"The feeling is mutual." He said and pulled Sumo to the side with the leash. "We will take a long walk so the two of you can be in peace. Have a nice night!"

"You too!" You cheered back to android and turned to look at Hank. "May I?" You asked, motioning towards his house. Hank scolded himself internally for not calling you in sooner. He stepped aside and motioned you to come in. "Make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you." You entered his house and the man closed the door behind you. You looked around yourself in awe, like you were in a fairy tale as you took in Hank's house. "You have a lovely home."

"Thanks." Hank rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Is there, uh, something you would like to do?"

"Well, actually..." You started softly and the man nodded in your direction. "Yeah?"

"I brought something really nice with me." You smiled and reached to your bag, taking out and placing a glass bottle in the middle of the table. The Lieutenant's eyes widened as his brains provided him with a simple answer. Alcohol. No shit genius, but what kind?

"It's Scotch whiskey!" You cheered as if you had heard his thoughts.

"An imported whiskey?" Hank asked as he picked up the bottle and gave it a look-over. He remembers times he used to drink it. He wasn't one to really spend money on the quality so this was a nice change of pace. This one gad rather small bottle though.

"It's cold."

"Yep!" You nodded and run to cabinets to fetch glasses for the two of you but after going through cabinets without glasses you turned and looked at him. "Are there glasses somewhere?"

Hank got up silently and walked up to you, opened a cabinet behind you, and reached to the top shelf to pick up a couple of whiskey glasses. He offered one to you and you took it thankfully and skipped to the table to snatch the bottle.

"Let's drink in the living room!" You cheered and Hank shrugged as he followed you to his living space. You took a seat and were about to open the bottle, but you seemed to decide against it as you offered it to Hank who sat opposite of you. The old man took the bottle and broke the seal before pouring your and his glasses half-full.

"Cheers," Hank said and he and you took your first glass of the night. He felt the same burn of alcohol he was used to, but you choked lightly on your own glass. He took pity on you and put his empty glass down. "We don't need to drink if you don't want to. We don't need drinks to have fun."

For some reason, your coughing intensified. Hank was getting worried but you finally managed to stop and you looked at him with your eyes red from coughing so hard.

"I- I want to!" You stuttered as you quickly filled your glass and saluted Hank and with quick cheers, you downed the whole glass. Hank watched you in mild amusement, but when you took your third glass of whiskey he decided to take the bottle from you.

"Whoa, take a break. Whiskey isn't running anywhere." He said and you averted your eyes downward and pursed your lips like a child. That was a reminder for Hank. You were a child compared to him. There was no way he would be able to handle what you can offer for him. You needed a young man or woman to love, a loving and protective Alpha that wouldn't let you get in trouble.

"Listen, maybe we should-!"

"I challenge you!" You suddenly jumped up from your seat and pointed at him accusingly. Hank blinked, not understanding what was happening when you suddenly ran to your bag and came back with it and a pack of cards. You slammed the cards on the table and smiled at Hank.

"This is going to be a simple game. We are going to play Strip or Drink." You said with a grin that could only mean trouble.

"A what now?" Again, Hank was reminded how much younger you were. He was about to object but you started to shuffle the cards.

"The rules are simple. It's like Strip Poker, but in this one, you have to either drink or strip if you lose. The winner gets to choose what the loser loses. Simple, right?" You asked. He was about to object, but when he saw the fire burning in your eyes he couldn't bring himself to say no. Besides, you were already tipsy, you wouldn't be able to handle much more before you would tap out.

"Fine, deal me." He said and you nodded, dealing you both and you both grabbed your cards when the stack was back on the table. Hank had never really considered himself a gambler other than occasional bet through Pedro, but that little brat was usually overselling teams. The least he had was a two pair and he doubted he was going to win with that.

"Ready?" You asked and the man nodded. You grinned, "One, two, three, game!" You yelled and both of you slapped your cards on the table. Hank was right, his two pair wasn't enough to win your three of kind. You cheered and picked up the whiskey bottle. "Now then old man, are you drinking or stripping?"

Old man? You were crushing for this old man. Hank scoffed a light laugh and raised his glass to you. You grinned and filled his glass to the brim and the man wanted to remind you that when drinking whiskey they should fill it half-way, but he got caught in-game to actually care about proper ways of drinking whiskey. It was actually pretty fun, but you just started and the whiskey was already almost gone.

"Shame to end our game in the first round." Hank chuckled as he drank his glass empty. He heard a thud and looked and you had picked another bottle from your bag. Jesus woman, how big was that thing? You grinned and took the cards before offering them to your date. "We switch the dealer each round. Your turn."

Did he have any other choice really?

[cutieodonoghue]

dark gray (3/?)

summary: Killian Jones operates a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere, preferring a life of isolation, until one day a woman and a baby wash up on his little island and change his life forever.

read it on: ao3, ff.net

///

Three

When Emma wakes up, it is to the sound of a door slamming shut.

She bolts upright on the couch and her eyes are wide, her heart racing with confusion and fear, before she realizes that it is the morning and that her one-handed friend must have just left the tiny house to start his chores.

She sighs as she sits there, contemplating lying back down and sleeping for a while longer, but then she chooses to get up and search for the bathroom instead.

Logically, she searches the bedroom first, but finds nothing but piles of things lying where she swears they hadn't been the night before.

On a groan, she starts limping her way back through the living room, where she realizes that the man whose distorted version of kindness she's taking advantage of is living in filth.

There is trash everywhere and things aren't exactly in tip-top shape for a Navy Man, so she wonders as she walks through the disaster area of a kitchen, if he just doesn't clean.

There are flies swarming an overflowing trash can in the kitchen by the front door and there are scuff marks everywhere from his boots, which makes her roll her eyes. If he'd just pick up his feet, the floor would be less of a tragedy than it is.

She finds the bathroom, a tiny little thing, tucked back by the kitchen table, which is itself cluttered in dishes, beer bottles, and piles of notebooks and papers.

When she opens the door to the restroom, she is overwhelmed by the scent of grime and scrunches her nose as she manages to drop the toilet lid.

Emma examines the little room as she stands there, wincing at what looks like the start of mold on the wall of the shower, and she discovers a colony of ants that are nonsensically marching their way along the crumbling molding.

This man lives in a pigsty and she is being forced to share it with him for four weeks. Great.

After she discovers that he doesn't have any soap and that the water only runs cold in the sink, she pulls open the squealing door and studies the rest of his kitchen and pantry.

She finds that the ants continue to march into the storeroom, where he's left some food haphazardly spilt on the floor. She huffs and shakes her head, then goes to see if he has any cleaning supplies tucked away anywhere.

Emma discovers that he does have some cleaning supplies, but they appear to have never been touched or even considered as useful. They're crammed into a portion of the storeroom behind light bulbs and barrels of water that she has to work at to grab them. He has a vacuum cleaner, but she doubts it would work without the cord that has clearly been cut off for some reason.

She looks through the shelves of food and finds that there isn't much here. She figures he must have an emergency stash somewhere, and she decides she'll ask him about it later. If they're going to be stuck here together for a month, she's not going to be the one that suffers because they don't have enough to eat.

On her way back toward the living room where Henry's silence indicates he's sleeping, Emma stares at the bathroom door, at the paint chipped walls, and the ants marching along the cracked crown molding.

Almost compulsively, she goes to work cleaning the house right away.

She starts in that disgusting mess of a bathroom and scrubs every surface until she is satisfied that she won't contract a disease if she were to visit it again and it smells like a cleaning solution, a clear sign that it has been sanitized.

If her mother were here, she probably wouldn't believe that Emma Nolan would ever risk another injury while nursing one already in order to scrub behind the dusty, grimy toilet base.

Her leg is in a lot of pain by the time she finishes tidying up the kitchen and storeroom, so after wiping the dust off of the shelves of the bookshelves in the living room, Emma tends to Henry and then lies down again.

Killian hasn't returned yet, which is probably for the best, and she closes her eyes with the duster still in her hand.

When she opens her eyes again, it's because Henry starts fussing. It doesn't feel like it's been long enough for her to have slept long at all.

Suddenly, she understands why her parents only wanted one child.

She immediately goes to help and care for him, taking him into her arms with a slight struggle. His cries almost offend her. Emma definitely hasn't spent enough time around children to know what to do, but she thinks she should get him something to eat.

It's much nicer with the room clean and the trash taken out. She can actually make out what is where and the smell isn't overwhelmingly rank.

She'd discarded all of the garbage to the back of the house in what appeared to be a landfill-type pile that he'd started.

She hadn't seen Captain Hook then. She's sure he's off sulking and keeping to himself right now instead of dwelling near them.

Emma opens up the curtains to let light into the living room as she feeds Henry and then, when he's finished and burped, she settles him back into his bed of pillows so she can clean the rest of the man of the house’s mess.

She throws her hair up into a bun atop of her head using a rubber band she'd found in one of the drawers in the kitchen and hobbles around as she moves piles of garbage and creates a cleaner smelling and looking place of dwelling. She wonders if he's ever actually cleaned as she discovers a pile of clothes on his bedroom floor.

"Looks like I'm doing laundry now, too." Emma mutters, throwing the clothes onto the bed so she can wrap everything up in his probably horribly dirty bed sheets.

She carries everything out into the kitchen and throws out the garbage before she takes a tub from the storage room and fills it with water. She finds some soap and gets to cleaning everyone's clothes outside, by what appears to be a good enough place to hang the wire to set things to dry.

She handles her and Henry's clothes with care and makes sure they smell exceptional before allowing them to dry on their own line, pinned down with some clothespins she discovered in a miscellaneous drawer in the kitchen.

She keeps her eye out for Killian, but doesn't see him anywhere amongst the smattering of trees and shrubbery.

Her gaze goes to the lighthouse at the end of the beach. It's tall and white, appearing a little worn for its years. The waves rolling in against the shore remind her of the night she stood on the side of the ship and was tossed from the upper deck and to the lower one.

Her leg hurts when she thinks of it and she takes a deep breath. All she sees when she closes her eyes is her parents in mourning over the loss of their only child and it makes her want to throw up what's in her stomach.

After she goes back inside, Emma starts to prepare herself a meal of oatmeal and bread, returning to Henry to give him some attention as she makes her food.

He’s a good baby, she thinks, because when he’s properly taken care of, he doesn’t complain. She sings a little to him when she sits down to eat her food with him in her arm and pokes at his nose, laughing a little when he makes a face.

"You're too cute, Henry."

She just barely reaches for her spoon when the front door squeaks on its way open.

Killian stares at her first, his mouth open as if he was about to reprimand her for something, and then he looks around the room.

"Did you clean?" he asks, narrowing his eyes at her.

"You were living in filth. Of course I cleaned." Emma scoffs.

He just looks confused and bewildered as he searches over the room.

"The clothes and your bed sheets should be dried soon and I'll have those folded up and replaced as soon as I can." Emma takes a bite of her oatmeal. "Oh, and you had mice living in that storage room, by the way. I got rid of them. Or… tried to. I think you need to patch up the wall in there."

His eyes widen at that and she smiles smugly, looking down at the bowl in front of her again. "You shouldn't... you didn't have to do all of that."

Emma hums. "I'd thought you would have been more appreciative that I'm doing housework. You know, being a woman and all, I have no other good use." He stares at her with a clenched jaw and steps inside, allowing the door to clatter shut. "You're welcome, by the way."

He scowls a little and wipes his feet on the mat she'd discovered in the bedroom under a pile of other misplaced items. He walks over to the kitchen appliances and sets to making something.

Emma ignores the feeling of underappreciation and attends to her own meal and Henry, whose attention rests on his own toes.

"How do you get warm water for baths?" she asks. "I should give Henry one."

He doesn't answer her. He opens and closes drawers like a man plagued by fury.

Emma sighs. "Plates are by the stove. Silverware in the drawer by the sink."

He stills and she hears the two open one after another.

Killian takes a seat at the table across from her a short while later and she watches him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

He's made himself a sandwich that he eats as if she isn't here with him. He doesn't have any regard for manners or her, it turns out, and he makes little noises that infuriate her between hard swallows of breath through his nose.

"Boil it over the fire," he tells her gruffly. She's looking at Henry, biting on her lip so hard she thinks she could draw blood, and keeps her gaze down. "Shouldn't be using that leg, though."

Emma looks up at him. "I do what I want."

He sighs, pushing the last bit of sandwich into his mouth. "Your funeral."

Killian stands up and disregards his utensils into the sink, thankfully, before he storms back outside, the door slamming shut roughly.

"Your funeral," Emma mocks, sticking her tongue out toward the door childishly.

/

Killian sucks in a deep breath of the ocean air as he walks back toward the lighthouse.

His fingers twitch by his side and he reaches up to drag his hair out of his face. It's getting too bloody long, but he doesn't feel like cutting it.

He opens the door to his lighthouse and studies the pile of wood he has set up on the floor. He has decided to build Henry a bed, because it doesn't feel right forcing him to sleep in a cradle of pillows.

Even though Henry's cries can be a bother, he'd rather be able to look back at this time and say he did the proper thing.

This was the proper thing to do, right?

With a heavy sigh, Killian sits down in the chair in front of the lumber. He switches on the record player and the slow, quiet tones of the melancholy guitar begin to echo around the small circular base of the lighthouse.

He knows the song by heart, but he doesn't sing, he just listens as he works the wood and finishes shaping the cradle for the little one.

Memories of a time years ago flashback in his mind and he closes his eyes sorrowfully while he leans back.

There are letters ingrained in the wood from where he'd put his chisel years ago, the initials of a child he'd never get to meet.

Sometimes the memories come and he drowns them out in alcohol, but when he considers the present- how he has a woman and a child in his home now, and how that woman cleaned his home from top to bottom without him asking- he figures he should stay as far away from the bottle as he can.

Killian scrubs his hand over his face and averts his gaze to the photograph sitting on the edge of his desk- of he and Liam years ago. They're both grinning, but Liam has it worse, his arm wrapped around Killian's shoulders, and Killian has his uniform on. The two of them stand in front of the lighthouse while a boat sits tied off to the dock.

Killian feels a pang of regret settle in his belly and he closes his eyes as he turns away from his desk and instead toward the door.

"Apologize, you git." Killian mutters under his breath. He sighs heavily and hesitates for a few moments before he steps forward.

As soon as he stands outside in the cold, with the sound of the ocean roaring against one side of him, he hears Emma's screams and hums a laugh.

"I told you, didn't I?" he shakes his head, but rushes forward regardless.

[galadrieljones]

As You Were (Chapter 3)

Fandom: The Last of Us | Pairing: Joel x OC | Content: Fix-it | Rating: Mature

Masterpost

When Joel and Ellie take a wrong turn on their journey from Pittsburgh to Wyoming, they find themselves lost in a beautiful place with a dark and dangerous secret. While there, they meet a mother and son who, after a recent, tragic event on their family farm, are fighting tirelessly for survival. In an effort to find hope for the future, the two groups set out west together, growing closer over time, making choices and altering paths that will change the course of their lives forever.

This is an AU, starting after the events of the Summer chapter in the first game, and extending into the timeline of the second. Joel lives.

Chapter 3: The Driftless

“When you’re lost in the darkness, look to the light.”

After dinner, Joel insisted on cleaning up. Cici said she'd show him around the kitchen, the downstairs. The food had been really good, like way too good. Ellie had never had lamb before, ended up eating almost as much as Noah. At some point, though, while everybody was making small talk, she became dreamy. She was looking out the window, pressing her thumb lightly to the blade of her knife, finding shapes in the stars. Noah came over after everybody was finished with the meal and asked her if she wanted to come with him, out to the Crow's Nest, to help him with something.

"What are we doing?" said Ellie. It was probably about ten o'clock and full dark outside.

"It's a mess out there," he said, throwing the shotgun strap over his shoulder. "I just have to go haul some stuff out. You can come, if you want."

"Yeah, sure," she said. She smiled and closed up her blade. "Let's go."

But then, Joel said, "Ellie."

His voice was big, and deep, like space. Whenever he said her name like that, she immediately found his eyes. Something about choosing to stick together like they had. You can't really unstick.

"What's wrong?" she said.

He was standing with his hands in a basin, which was full of soapy water. The faucets didn't work anymore, said Noah. Nowhere in the whole house, or on the whole property. The running water was completely unusable. Ellie thought it was a little funny, seeing Joel do dishes. She'd never thought of him like that before. He wiped his soapy hands on his jeans, and then he looked down at them and seemed to reassess what it was he was about to say. She was listening. "Just be careful," he said, looking at her in a way that meant compromise.

"Sure," she said. "I will."

"Thanks, Ellie."

"She really listens to you," said Cici, once the kids were gone. She was taking the vacuum out of a broom closet by the front door. "Or is that just when other people are around?"

Joel stopped what he was doing, his hands back in the soapy water. Admittedly, he felt like a stranger in a kitchen like this. It had been too many years. "You mean Ellie?"

"Yeah," she said. "It can't be easy, with just her dad."

"Ellie ain't—she ain't my daughter," said Joel, remembering, suddenly, that Cici did not know. Noah knew, but the particulars of their relationship at large had not come up yet. It just wasn't important. "I'm just looking after her. For the time being."

"Oh," said Cici. She was surprised. "I'm sorry. I just figured."

"It's okay," said Joel. He started washing the plates with a sponge. "Back in Boston, there was a lot of...violence. A small group of us were trying to get out of the QZ," he said, scrubbing. "My brother lives out west, got some sort of set-up there, so that's been our plan, to find him. Some of us got as far as Pittsburgh. But me and Ellie, we're the only two made it this far." He looked down at the plate. It was like a coral color, porcelain.

Cici was quiet. When he turned around, she was just holding the cord to the vacuum cleaner, staring at it like she had forgotten what it did. "Well, we're glad you found us," she said. “Despite the circumstances.”

"Us, too," said Joel. "Y'all said you were in need of some real help. I've been wondering what kind."

She went to plug in the vacuum, but she didn't turn it on yet. Instead, she just stood, like she was piecing something together in her mind. "Infected,” she said. Then she was examining her fingernails. She had her hair braided about halfway down her back. She didn’t seem to want to look him in the eye. “They been tearing up our land,” she went on. “More keep coming, from up the river. And every time they do, they blow the mines on the perimeter. Yesterday, they brought down a tree. Noah had to rewire the entire valley and dig a whole new trench. I help as much as I can, which is usually enough, but given the volume of work, there’s only so much I can contribute these days, reasonably. I just—you coming along, it’s like happenstance.”

Joel took a deep breath, looked down at his watch. He had his sleeves rolled up above his forearms. “How many mines you got down there.”

“Over a hundred,” she said. “There’s IEDs, too. Some can be detonated remotely.”

”Who’s building IEDs?” said Joel.

“I am,” she said. She offered zero explanation. “All the maintenance, everything, it’s getting to be fucking impossible.”

“Well,” he said. “Like I said earlier, I’ll help in any way I can.”

”Thank you,” said Cici.

"Do you have any idea what's bringing them down, the hordes?"

"We got some idea," she said. She bit off a hangnail. She told him he needed to talk to Noah.

"Okay," said Joel. It was a little like she had given up. He didn’t like that. He knew she was keeping something from him, but he didn't press. "You know I thought we might be able to get to all this over dinner,” he went on, “but then the food turned out to be a little too good. I forgot to ask."

She started loosening the plaits of her braid, smiled to herself. "Thanks," she said. She was a subdued woman, at least for the time being. "I mean, I don't think I've ever seen a girl eat as much as Ellie."

"It's mostly canned rations in the QZs," said Joel. "I ain't surprised. Other than squirrels and rabbits, we ain't had real meat in some time. Ellie's certainly never had lamb."

"Was she born in the Boston QZ?"

"I guess so," said Joel, realizing he didn't really know. "The woman who raised her, more or less, she was a Firefly. You know that group?"

"Yeah," said Cici, leaning on the vacuum. "I do, actually. A couple Fireflies came through here, maybe five years ago. They were looking to recruit."

"Anybody go with them?"

"No," she said. "They were spouting off all sorts of plans. Said there was gonna be a cure. But they were focused up in Minneapolis. We had a whole community here, going strong for a while. It was safe. Nobody wanted to risk leaving, not on a lark like that."

“Well, that makes sense," said Joel. He finished the coral plate, set it on the drying rack, then set forth on a plate that was more of a custard yellow. He didn't ask what had happened, with their community, and why it was she and Noah were out here all alone. He washed the dishes.

Cici turned on the vacuum, cleaned up under the table, and around Joel's feet. When she finished, she put it away and started wiping down the surfaces with a damp towel. When the dishes were all clean and drying, and Joel was drying his hands on a linen towel, she brought out the rest of the wine from dinner and poured it into two small mason jars, one for each of them. They sat down at the kitchen table, trying to undo a little bit of their strife as they stared down at their wine, their hands, their knees. As two adults, they were somewhat unaccustomed to small talk. It was easier to hide things, for both of them. They were trying very hard though. Joel could tell that Cici was, not uncomfortable, but a little awkward. She just didn't know what to say to him.

"So," he said, after a little while. "Noah. He's what, eighteen, nineteen years old?"

"He's seventeen," she said, drinking. "He'll be eighteen in a couple weeks though."

"He's big for a seventeen-year-old," said Joel, drinking. "Pretty tall."

"His dad played football at Madison," she said. "He was a tight end. It runs in the family."

"You don't say."

She got a little red in the cheeks, and sipped her wine. "Noah is a good son. He does right by me, and by this farm."

"I can tell." Joel drank some of his wine, too. It was a little thin, made from cabernet grapes they had grown in a vineyard out back. That’s what Noah had said. Grapes don't grow in Wisconsin like they do in California, he'd said. But they do grow. "I will admit that I was a little surprised,” said Joel. “You look kind of young to have such a grown-up son. That's a compliment, by the way."

It was like she was trying to smile, but she hid it. "I'm thirty-six," she said. "I had Noah very young."

"I get it," said Joel. "You don't have to explain anything to me."

They sat for a little while, drinking their fruity wine and listening to the nature sounds coming in the open windows. The river rushing, snaking through the property like a silvery ribbon, the crickets big and deep. The clock on the wall.

"You know, I noticed, on the drive in, this place don't look like what I thought Wisconsin was supposed to look like."

"How so?"

"It's so hilly," he said. "With the stone ridges and the outcroppings, the rivers and the terrace farms. I thought Wisconsin was supposed to be pretty flat."

Cici got up then. She went to the record player, on a shelf by the TV, and she was rifling through a stack of vinyls. "Most of it is," she said. "But where we are, it's different. You ever heard of the Driftless Area?"

"No," said Joel. "What the hell's that?"

She chose one vinyl from the stack, slid the record from the envelope. "It's this small area around the upper-Mississippi, in the floodplain of southwestern Wisconsin mostly, some parts of Minnesota and Iowa. During the Ice Age, you know, the glaciers came down, flattened out everything. That's why Wisconsin is the way it is, but down here, in this tiny little corner, it escaped glaciation, somehow. It just missed us. There are no leftovers from the glaciers, or glacial deposits I guess, and so that's why the terrain looks the way it does, like the waterfalls and the cold streams, all the tributaries and big ridges and everything, the high forests. There's no drift. It's driftless." She was centering the record on the spindle.

Joel was looking down into his wine, feeling dumbfounded. "You're telling me the geography around here ain't changed in a hundred thousand years?"

"More or less," she said, setting down the needle. "It's some of the best trout fishing in the world, where we live."

"Y'all must fish a lot then. Does Noah get out there much with his line?"

"Not anymore," she said. Something about the sound of her voice, he knew that was the end of their talk on the Driftless.

The record player crackled and clicked. A song came on. The music filled the house. It was almost joyful. Joel had been daydreaming at first, but then he realized that he recognized the voice. "Is this Ryan Adams?" he said.

”Yeah," said Cici. “You know his stuff?”

“I do,” said Joel. “I saw him live in Dallas, all the way back in, what was it now, 2004?"

”Really?" she said.

”Really.”

”That's amazing. But you’re so old.”

He laughed. This surprised him, the sudden levity between them. “Well, I was a teenager.”

”What are you now, like forty-five?”

He gave her a look. "You gonna guess my age, Miss Cici?"

"I don't know," she said. "I'm sorry. Is that weird?"

”Not really," said Joel. "I'm just messing with you. If you must know. I'll be forty-eight at the end of the month.”

"How old is Ellie?" said Cici.

"She's fourteen," said Joel.

"What does she like?" said Cici. “I mean, what are her interests?”

Joel wrapped his hands all the way around the mason jar, as if to heat the wine within. "She likes comic books," he said. "I try to pick them up for her, whenever I find some. I've heard her sing, too, whenever we're on the road. She ain't half bad, and she tries to whistle every now and then so I think she likes music. But the place she grew up, it was basically a military prep school. Real stifling. She ain’t really used to having the liberty of interests."

"I thought you said she was raised by Fireflies?"

"It's complicated," said Joel. He swallowed some of the wine.

"I see," said Cici. "How long have you two been traveling together?"

"A couple months," said Joel, right away. "Seems like forever."

"I'm sorry about your people, from Boston," said Cici. "The people you said you lost. I don't know what to say."

Joel saw the shape of Tess, darkening the doorway. It seemed to drop a shadow, over the room, his insides, just for a second. He blinked. “You don't have to worry about me,” he said. Then he looked at Cici. Her face was pretty. Anybody would have noticed as much. "I'm fine."

Her eyes were dark, her braid undone over her shoulder. She drank her wine and said softly, "Okay."

Once they got outside, Ellie looked up. The sky swam darkly. The stars here were like nothing else, she thought. Maybe a million ribbons, maybe fishes in a black pool. It seemed to breathe up there, to teem. Teem. That was the word. She wanted to tell Joel. She thought it was a neat word, he might appreciate. She was used to feeling desperate, warm floods—of emotions, which she would then bury deep inside of herself.

She followed Noah, trailing slightly behind. They spoke little. He did ask her how she felt about it, out there. The farm.

"I love it," she said. "You're so lucky."

They walked back down to the gate where they’d first met. When they finally got to the crow’s nest, Ellie needed a boost up to the ladder, and then he followed up behind her. When she got to the top, she dusted her hands off on her jeans and looked around.

It really was like a little nest, she thought. It was totally his. There was an oil lamp glowing on a low table, and stacked up beside it were dozens of paperback novels. Names like Ernest Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, Jim Harrison. Noah started cleaning up, right away. Tidying things, sweeping the floor with an old straw broom. There were a couple bean bag chairs with neat, psychedelic patterns, and a battery-powered hot plate, and some dirty plates, bottles and mugs. She could tell he spent a lot of time in the crow’s nest, alone. She could tell that maybe he liked it to be neat and clean up there at the start of each new day.

As he stacked up the plates and things and swept the floor, she flipped through some of the novels on the table. There was one book that was open, conspicuously, on top of the rest. That one, she did not touch, for fear of losing his place. “You like to read?” she said, stupidly.

“Yeah,” he said. “Do you?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Do you ever read comics?”

“Sometimes,” he said. “I have a bunch inside.”

“Sweet,” said Ellie, looking around. There were some posters on the wall, nothing she recognized. One was for a band called Pearl Jam. “I was reading this one series. It’s called Savage Starlight. I mean, it’s stupid. You heard of it?”

“No,” said Noah. “What’s it about?”

“It’s about this chick,” she said. There was a quilt, draped over one of the bean bags. The craftsmanship was very lovely. Ellie ran her hand over the soft knitting. “Her name is Dr. Daniella Star. She’s like a scientist. She invented some kind of crazy time travel, and it’s just like, her adventures in space, I guess.”

“Sounds pretty intense,” said Noah. He dumped the dirty plates into a canvas rucksack. He set the broom against the door jamb. “There’s a comic store in Viroqua. We could go pillage it, maybe tomorrow night? I bet you’d find some of them there. They have a lot of super obscure stuff. And the town isn’t too badly looted. There’s a lot left.”

“Really?” said Ellie. “Are there any people there?”

“No,” said Noah. “Not anymore.”

“Right,” she said.

They climbed back down the ladder. Noah said, "You wanna see the river?"

Ellie said yes. Hell yes. She did want to see the river. She'd never really seen a river, not a real one, not up close. Or at least she didn't feel like she had. They went along a little grass path. Ellie looked up some more, up at the stars, the Milky Way, listening to the nighttime birds and the crickets. Then they came to a river. Noah stopped, and she stopped. It was just this small thing, smaller than she had expected, maybe ten feet across, cutting through the grassy field, snaking around like a ribbon. It was enchanted, almost haunted, how it rippled. Little rapids, here and there. It was so beautiful.

“What's this river called?” she said.

"Technically it’s a creek,” he said, surveying, real pensive. “It flows out of the Kickapoo River, which is a tributary of the Mississippi.”

“Man,” she said."This whole place. It's like, perfect. Like a dream. In the QZ, we couldn't leave. We couldn't go outside the gates. If we did, and we got caught, they wouldn't let us come back. But here it’s like, you're free. Do you love it?"

“I guess,” said Noah. He’d set down the rucksack, his shotgun. “I mean, I don’t know anything else. You didn’t like living in Boston?”

“Not really,” said Ellie. “But I guess—I guess I didn’t really know that until I left with Joel.”

"Why'd you guys leave."

"Too dangerous, I guess. Some...bad stuff happened. In Boston it was pretty bad, but then in Pittsburgh...It’s a long story."

Noah waited, like maybe to see if she was going to keep talking. When she didn’t, he just said, “So he’s really not your dad, huh?”

“No,” said Ellie. “No. He’s just—Joel.”

“He seemed to get kind of worried when you left the house.”

“That’s how he is,” she said. “We’ve been through a lot together.”

“Like back in Pittsburgh?” he said.

She was watching the dark river in the moonlight, all unfolding, the tall grasses on the other side, blinking with fireflies. “Pretty much,” she said.

He took a deep breath then, which made her nervous. He got down to one knee, opened up the rucksack, and from inside, he took out a clear empty bottle from up in the Crow's Nest.

"What are you doing?" she said.

He didn't answer. He just blew the inside of the bottle dry, and then he dipped it into the river, filled it up with water. "It's not perfect here, Ellie," he said. “I know it seems perfect to you, and free, but it’s not.” He fashioned a lighter from his pocket, let it illuminate the bottle.

Ellie crouched down beside him, curious, but confused. She looked at the water in the bottle. She sensed a darkness, all around them. In Noah’s voice, hidden in the moonlight and the greenery of the terrain. But she didn't understand. "What do you mean?" she said. "Is this about what you said upstairs, how we shouldn't drink the water? What's wrong with it?"

"All the water, flowing out of the Mississippi, down from the north, is poisoned," he said.

"Poisoned,” she said, gazing into the light. “With what?”

He pocketed the lighter, tossed the bottle into the river. They watched it sink. “Spores.”

[besthardwoodfloorcleaners-blog]

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Tips to Choose the Best Rated Vacuum Cleaners - With Types of Vacuums A canister vacuum usually has a better cleaning power than its upright cousin. But if you want a powerful cleaning without a lot of fuss, the canister model is the way to go. Canister models also have hepa filters that will remove any particles from your home and help to keep you and your family healthy. A vacuum cleaner with a powerful hepa filter is essential if you want to take the best care of your family's health. One additional option that you should consider when trying to decide which type of vacuum cleaner is best for you is whether or not you want to consider hepa filtration.

[myaekingheart]

106. Rockabye Resolve

read the scarecrow and the bell on ao3

index | from the beginning | < previous | next >

               It was rare for Chikara-sensei to be in town for any longer than a few days. Rei never really knew what it was that she did, or why Lady Tsunade always had her off on missions, but she had always assumed it was because of Chikara’s talent. It would really make perfect sense. Chikara was sleek and skilled and her superior acting abilities made her a prime spy. She could weasel information out of anyone with her glittering eyes and charming accent. After all, Naru had to learn it from somewhere. Unlike Naru, however, Chikara was not delicate. Her broad shoulders and muscular physique, thanks to years of formal dance training, made her equal parts seductive and sinewy. Rei truly could not have asked for a better sensei and so when Chikara offered to spend the afternoon with her and Sekkachi, neither could pass up the offer.

               The moment they reached her apartment, Chikara swung the front door open and warmly ushered them inside. “Make yourselves comfortable, girls” she said as she slipped into the kitchen. “I just have a few loose ends to tie up and then we can be on our way!”

               “So, uh, what exactly are we doing this afternoon, anyway?” Rei asked. She peered around through the kitchen doorway but could only catch the tip of Chikara’s house slippers. They were soft and pink with little roses embroidered on them—like what one would expect a grandmother to wear.

               “Oh, nothing too fancy!” Chikara called into the living room. “I just have to run to the thrift store to get this rice cooker repaired!”

               Rei and Sekkachi exchanged confused glances. “And a thrift store is going to help you how, exactly?” Sekkachi asked.

               Chikara chuckled lyrically as she popped out of the kitchen then, carrying what was presumably her rice cooker in a wrinkled paper bag. The cord snaked out from the opening and swung near her hand. “Oh, that!” she laughed. “Yes, the thrift store is owned by a friend of mine who’s rather gifted with appliances! So whenever something breaks, I go to him for help.”

               “Ah-hah…” Sekkachi replied, nodding slowly. Chikara smiled at them and then motioned for them to come along. The girls quickly leapt to their feet and followed suit.

               The cherry blossoms had since begun to disappear as the air in Konoha warmed considerably. Sekkachi tightened her ponytail and huffed as she walked along down winding roads and past civilians eyeing her midriff cautiously. “Yo, Chikara-sensei” she called. Chikara glanced at her over her shoulder. “I don’t want to sound rude or ungrateful because I’m not, but is there any reason you needed us to tag along for this?”

               “No, not at all” Chikara replied. “I could very well do this on my own, but I figured since it’s so rare that I’m in town like this and that our schedules coincide, I thought it might be nice to go together. Unless you’d prefer to go home, Sekkachi?”

               Sekkachi raised her hands in surrender, dropping her eyes to the ground. “Absolutely not. Just curious.”

               Rei chuckled and elbowed Sekkachi mockingly. “Oh yeah, because otherwise you had such important plans with your couch, right?” she jested. With a frown, Sekkachi swatted Rei’s hand away and muttered a gritted shut up.

               It warmed Chikara’s heart seeing how little her students had changed. She knew it was not customary for a team to stick by one another after they’d all grown up and moved on, so the maintenance of Rei and Sekkachi’s bittersweet rivalry was a breath of fresh air. Chikara turned on her heels and walked backwards as she replied, “If it helps the situation at all, I was planning to take you all out for tea and sweets after this. A complimentary little treat, if you will.” She giggled then as she shifted the weight of the rice cooker into her one arm and opened the door of a dusty little shop on the corner. Rei quickly recognized it as the same place she had seen a mechanical monkey in the window of years before, as well as the same place into which Kakashi had shoved her to avoid confronation from his students. The smell of musty upholstery and old books immediately whacked her back to those moments from so long ago. A little old man with beady eyes behind glass bottle glasses sat hunched at the counter humming to himself.

               “Hey, Chikara-sensei” Rei whispered, “I thought this place was run by some little old lady.” A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of what may have become of her. She didn’t know the woman’s name, but she remembered Grandma Teiko mentioning that they knew each other in their youth.

               “Ah, yes” Chikara nodded, “That was his sister, Komori. Last I heard she was out of town visiting a new great-grandchild.” Rei pursed her lips and nodded, mildly impressed. She wondered how old this woman must be to have great-grandchildren.

               The man furrowed his brows then as if he heard an incomprehensible buzzing, then turned and his eyes bugged out of his skull. “Chikara, my dear!” he exclaimed, spreading his arms out in welcome. “So happy to see you again! What broke this time?”

               Chikara placed the rice cooker on the counter with a heavy thud. “I’m afraid my rice cooker has shit the bed!” she announced. “It never dings anymore when my rice is finished.”

               “Hmm, that is a problem…” the old man muttered. He slid the paper bag down so he could inspect the machine. It was a bulky thing made of brass or some other type of metal—it was hard for Rei to tell from a distance. All she knew for certain was that it was extremely old.

               Sekkachi smirked at the sight of it, tilting her head to get a better look. “You know, Chikara, have you ever considered just, you know, buying a new one?”

               Chikara and the old man stared at her dumbly. “Whyever would I do that?” she asked.

               “I mean…” Sekkachi started, pouting. “If it’s broken, it’s probably run it’s course. You could get a new one that works ten times better.”

               The old man smacked his lips and pointed a shaky finger in the air knowledgeably. “If you ask me” he started, “if something can be fixed, then there’s no use replacing it! You kids these days are all so quick to throw away good appliances. Pfah! You see, they don’t make good appliances like this anymore. The new stuf is all made to break so the companies can squeeze you out of your money. Pointless, that’s what it is! Absolutely pointless!”

               “Wow, Sekkachi” Rei grinned deviously. “He really schooled you.” Taunted yet again, Sekkachi frowned and punched Rei lightly in the arm—but not light enough to avoid a red mark.

               Frowning, the old man turned to Chikara and shook his head. “Your guests are rather crass, Chikara” he pouted.

               “Yes, they do seem to be acting rather out of turn, don’t they?” she asked through gritted teeth. She pulled the two girls nearer, her grip tight and threatening. “You’ll never believe it, but these young women were my students once upon a time. Rojin, this is Sekkachi Fumeiyo and Rei Natsuki. Girls, this is Rojin Choshu, a very gifted antiquary.” She emphasized his talent with a sharp gaze as if to silently threaten them to treat this man with respect.

               Rojin eyed them up and down before nodding slowly, a small smile touching his wrinkled lips. “I see…” he mused. “Now it all makes sense. No wonder—they have the same spirit you did in your youth” he jested, turning to Chikara.

               Rei and Sekkachi exchanged confused and curious glances. In her youth? What history did Chikara have with this man, exactly? Chikara chuckled politely, replying, “An unfortunate consequence, I’m afraid.”

               Rojin laughed kindheartedly, however, and said, “I’m sure what they lack in manners, they make up for out in the field.”

               Scratching her right shoulder, Chikara smirked and assured, “I’d say so.” Rojin’s eyes skated to her hand and suddenly an all-knowing expression crossed his face. Without saying a single word, she had told him all he needed to know about just how far her students have come. Before anything more could be said on the matter, however, Chikara peered at Rei and Sekkachi over her shoulder. “If you girls want” she said with a flourish of her hand, “you’re more than welcome to peruse the shelves while Rojin and I catch up!”

               “I’ll even give you a 20% discount!” the old man said. He pulled a rickety wooden stool out from behind the counter and patted the seat, an invitation for Chikara to sit. If mending the rice cooker wasn’t going to take all afternoon, their conversation surely would. They were going to be here for a long while. “It’s the least I can do for friends of Chikara’s!”

               Sekkachi gave a single nod as she began walking away. “We’ll let you know if we find anything interesting” she said apathetically. With a flick of her hand, she motioned for Rei to follow her deeper into the store.

               The mismatched shelves were stuffed with equally mismatched knick-knacks from boxes of hair dye, likely expired, to vacuum cleaners from thirty years ago. Rei, expectedly, made a beeline for the used book section. She always had a soft spot for used books. She liked finding copies with handwritten notes in the margins and love letters on the covers. A glimpse into the lives of the previous owners, like a little fragment of their history left behind. As Rei’s index finger grazed the spine of a brand-new copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Sekkachi caught her attention from the clothing racks.

               Rei turned to find Sekkachi standing in the middle of the aisle holding up the most abysmal dress Rei had ever seen. The collar was stiff and white and shaped like the plastic cones they put on dogs at the vet’s office. The sleeves were the size of blimps. Lace and tacky fake pearls covered the entire corset and hem. “What do you say you get married in this bad boy?” Sekkachi asked, swerving her hips and pouting her lips as if that was going to make it any more appealing.

               “Not on your life” Rei joked.

               “Aw, why not?” Sekkachi whined. “Can’t you just imagine Kakashi’s face when he sees you walk down the aisle in this thing?”

               “Yeah, he’d go pale and make a run for it” Rei joked. She picked up the skirt between her thumb and index finger, as if touching it was going to burn her hand off. “I could hide an entire army in this thing.”              

               “Look at this, it even comes with a cute little headdress” Sekkachi cooed. She pulled the circlet up off the top of the hanger and shoved it crookedly onto Rei’s head. Bunches of tulle sprouted out from the ruffled base working their way to a fluffy veil crumpled down over Rei’s ponytail. “What a blushing bride!” Sekkachi grinned. Then, as she wrapped an arm around Rei, she joked in a high-pitched, mocking voice, “Oh, Kakashi! Take me, I’m yours!”

               Rei tore the circlet off her head and shoved it in Sekkachi’s face, restraining laughter. “I don’t fucking sound like that, you idiot” she rebuked. Sekkachi shrugged, grinning, as she stuffed the dress back onto the rack. The damn thing was so heavy, the hanger bowed in the middle and for a moment, Rei thought it was going to snap. “Be careful with that thing” she whispered, glancing back at Chikara and the old man anxiously. “You know what they say: you break it, you buy it.”

               “It’s not gonna break” Sekkachi dismissed. Then, after a moment of consideration, she began shoving Rei down the aisle, muttering, “But let’s get the fuck away from it just to be safe.”

               “That’s what I thought” Rei smirked. As Sekkachi veered left, Rei turned right toward a shelf of miscellaneous housewares. She skimmed past a crock pot, a set of commemorative glasses for the third hokage’s induction, and a cheese grater before stalling on a curious little package. Tied together neatly with a wrinkled ribbon was a pair of vintage baby booties and a matching blanket. Rei ran her hand across the blanket’s soft fabric—pale blue fleece. Embroidered in the corner was a happy little teddy bear holding three balloons in primary colors. She picked up the booties and turned them over in her hands, swinging the little pompoms dangling from the cuff. They were so tiny. How could anyone ever be so tiny? She ran her thumb along the fleece and a jolt of something rushed through her veins. Suddenly her face grew hot and red, her throat tightening. Rei fought with every ounce of her willpower to keep her lips from curling up into a smile. She turned the package over in her hand once again, feeling for a price tag though she knew she didn’t have any use. Before she could find one, however, Rojin called to her from the end of the aisle.

               “Those are $12 as a set” he announced. Rei startled, snapped out of her daze, as she whipped around to face him. She instinctively clutched the booties to her chest. There was a kind, sort of soft look on the man’s face as he then asked, “Are you expecting?” She watched his eyes quickly glance to her stomach as if he expected a hint of a baby bump. She wondered if he was hallucinating the existence of one with his old eyes, or even worse if her junk food diet was coming back to haunt her.

               Face bright red, Rei shoved the package back on the shelf and shook her head. “N-no, not at all!” she exclaimed. She caught Sekkachi’s eyes fall to her waist as she skirted around to inject herself into the conversation. Rei consequently folded her arms across her abdomen in an attempt to hide. In retrospect, she understood how suspicious this looked but it was better to guard herself than open the door to further scrutiny. People always manage to see what they want to see rather than the truth, anyway. “I was just, uh, you know…admiring the craftsmanship. They’re…they’re really well-made.”

               Rojin narrowed his eyes and nodded, mildly suspicious. “Ah, yes” he croaked. “I believe they were handmade. Barely used. The woman who brought them in said they were a gift for her daughter but turns out she already bought a pair that she liked better, so they had no real use for ‘em.”

               “Well, that’s dumb” Sekkachi scoffed. “I bet the old lady put a lot of work into them. Her daughter sounds like an ungrateful bitch.”

               The old man pursed his lips—it was clear he agreed with her sentiment, but not her choice of words. Rei glanced back to the set on the shelf, then dropped her eyes to the ground. She could feel her heart rate jumping, her face growing hotter. She needed to get out of here and fast. “Well, I’m sure they’re going to make an expecting mother very happy” she said before pushing past everyone toward the front door.

               Sekkachi’s gaze followed her, cocking a brow in curiosity, before turning back to Rojin. He hobbled toward the shelf to adjust the set’s display so that the booties were perfectly aligned. “That is the positive about places like this” he then said, rather wistfully. “At least someone can get some use out of these things. A much better fate than just tossing them in the trash.”

               “Yeah…” Sekkachi replied. Her eyes drifted to the blanket and booties for a moment before turning and abruptly approaching the door.

               It only took Rojin about 45 minutes to fix Chikara’s rice cooker. Rei was sure he had candidly mentioned what, exactly, was the trouble with it but by that point, all she heard was static. She rushed out of the shop before she could even say goodbye to the shopkeeper, pressing her back against the wall and gasping for breath. She was such an idiot, she was making a terrible mistake. She hated herself for thinking the things she was. There was no reason for it. It was so stupid.

               “So, Chikara-sensei” Seckkachi asked as the three of them walked toward the dango shop, “How exactly do you know that geezer?”

               Chikara chuckled and swatted the air with her free hand. “We’ve known each other for quite a long time!” she replied. “When I first came to Konoha, he looked after me. Don’t get the wrong idea, it wasn’t in any sexual sense. Rather, he acted like a kind old uncle toward me. I was a girl with a dream but no path and he helped lift me up and set me straight. Gave me a place to sleep and a warm meal every night. I would never have gotten where I am without his help and so I’ve been repaying the favor ever since.”

               “By…?” Sekkachi urged.

               “By enlisting his services!” Chikara said. “I give him my undivided business as a thank you. I never accept any of his discounts, either. It’s just not proper. He deserves to be paid full price, and sometimes even then some! I never tell him about the extra money I stick in the tip jar, though. Always take care of that when he’s not looking. He’d protest like the devil otherwise!”

               Sekkachi fought the smile threatening her lips, placing her hands on the back of her head as she strolled. She would never admit it but it warmed her heart to see Chikara keep in touch with people from her past. She never knew the details of her sensei’s life before Konoha, but she could only assume much of her life in the before had been vaulted away never to be seen again. Fading faces, connections collecting dust. But Chikara knew how to hold onto the good things. After all, that was all that mattered. Yes, only the good things.

               Amai greeted the trio warmly and ushered them to their usual table in the shop. She always knew exactly where Chikara preferred to sit: right by the window so she could get a good look out at the village. The blonde hugged Sekkachi close and asked if she had plans to come in with Hiretsuna sometime soon. Chikara arched a brow in intrigue as she and Rei sat on opposite sides of the table.

               “You sound like quite the sybarite, hmm, Sekkachi?” Chikara stated in a mockingly scandalous tone. “Amai, Hiretsuna. Who else might be on your list of ladyloves?”

               “Oh, stop it, it’s not like that” Sekkachi swatted at the air. Chikara slid a menu toward her across the table, though she knew Sekkachi never ordered anything from here. “Hiretsuna and I just come here every so often after my doctor’s appointments. It’s strictly platonic. Is it so wrong to be on good terms with the hospital staff? Heaven only knows I’m in there all the fucking time anyway.”

               As Chikara and Sekkachi conversed about the blue-haired kunoichi’s romance and chronic conditions, however, Rei’s mind wandered. She could hardly even remember stepping foot in the dango shop, she was so preoccupied with her own thoughts. And now, sitting here among the civilians, her eyes landed squarely on a group of young women a few tables over. They were chatting and laughing, all of them roughly the same age as herself. None of them mattered except for one. Situated right in the line of a strong beam of sunlight was a youthful brunette, her hair twisted up into a low bun. It was messy but perfectly so. She was plain but luminous, which Rei didn’t really understand the logic behind but it was true. A cotton blanket was draped over her shoulder and there, cradled in her arms, was a sweet little baby. They slept soundly against their mother’s breast, little hands clasped as if in prayer. Their skin glowed, their little ears almost transparent in the sunlight. Rei’s breath hitched in her throat as a daunting thought suddenly struck her on its own accord: that could be me. She felt sick the moment she thought it and wished she could cast it out of her brain immediately. Just because it could didn’t mean it should. That was a very important distinction. But if she just would…? No. Absolutely not. She was not going to have this conversation with herself. Not now.

               The longer she stared, the further into insanity she could feel herself spiraling. Logically, she knew she needed to look away. Any longer and people would notice. Any longer and the woman would catch sight of her, would grow uncomfortable, would complain to the management and have her kicked out. Rei didn’t even want to stare to begin with. She yelled at herself to just turn her head, to look down at the menu and order something and move on with her day like a regular person, but she was paralyzed. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. And that paralysis struck her with the plainest, most horrifying realization. Before she could even react to it, however, Sekkachi waved her hand roughly in front of Rei’s face and the trance was broken.

               “Earth to Rei! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Sekkachi asked.

               “I-I’m fine…it’s nothing” Rei stammered. She blinked a few times, trying to wake herself up. “I’m just…really tired. Work’s been, uh…kind of rough.”

               A knowing smile touched Chikara’s face then as she leaned back and tented her fingers. “How are things going with the ANBU, anyway?” she asked. A look of panic and confusion crossed Rei’s face at the question. She couldn’t deny Chikara answers, but also was legally obligated to keep her mouth shut. Truthfully, she didn’t even like making mention of her career in public like this at all. Her identity was her most valuable possession and she needed to protect it all costs. After all, the ANBU wore masks for a reason. Reading the sudden horror on her student’s face, Chikara pouted and swatted the air. “Now I know I’m not supposed to ask about details but you can at least tell me if things are going well.”

               Rei cleared her throat. Were things going well? She supposed so. Work was…steady. Tsunade seemed to be assigning her more and more responsibility. Rei attempted to compose herself before answering Chikara’s question. All the while, Chikara smiled and nodded along with a polite but knowing smile that made Rei almost nauseous. She tried to ignore it just as she tried to ignore the mother across the room. By the tie the three of them were finished, she was gone.

               Sekkachi and Rei waved goodbye to Chikara as they parted ways, watching her turn the corner with her giant rice cooker in tow. When Sekkachi offered to walk Rei home, the redhead was at first skeptical but also was in no place to refuse. Besides, Sekkachi had said, her and Kakashi’s apartment was on the way to her own anyway.

               “So what’s been up with you today?” Sekkachi asked, popping a cigarette into her mouth. She whipped her lighter out, using her palm as a shield as she struggled to light the end. The cigarette bobbed in her mouth as she spoke. “You’ve been zoning out and acting all weird. You freaked about the wedding or something?”

               Rei shook her head and crossed her arms. “No, not really. I’m just tired” she lied, eyes downcast. “I’ve been thinking a lot because I’m tired.”

               “Yeah?” Sekkachi asked. When she finally got her cigarette to light, she took a long drag and a look of utter relief swept across her face. Deep inhale, a moment to savor it, then a long sigh. “Thinking about what?”

               “Not really anything” Rei replied. “Just…thinking.” She hoped her answer, though vague, would be enough to sate Sekkachi’s curiosity. She didn’t have the strength to truly explain herself. She didn’t even want to explain herself to herself, whatever sense that made.

               As suspicious as Sekkachi was, she was far too worn out to press Rei further for answers. Rolling her eyes, she flicked some ash off the end of her cigarette and replied, “Well, whatever’s bugging you, just quit wasting your time overthinking it. Just tell your brain to shut the fuck up. Suck it up. There are more important things.”

               Sekkach’s delivery was so harsh and yet in this moment, Rei was grateful for her blunt honesty. She was right. Rei did need to stop overthinking it. She was so embarrassed for thinking about the things she was, but realistically what even was there to be embarrassed about? She didn’t let herself dwell long enough to find an answer. All she knew for certain was that a tiny seed had been planted in her brain—a seed which had since grown into something overbearing and unavoidable. Something almost even, dare she say, obsessive. She could feel the yearning deep in the pit of her stomach: a gurgling, twisting desperation that reduced her legs to jelly. No more overthinking it. No more second guessing or inventing reasons to turn back. She already knew exactly how she felt. As she unlocked the door to her and Kakashi’s apartment and stepped inside, she validated the thought in her head, turning the words over in her brain until they felt real. I’m ready to have a baby with Kakashi.