#maybe i'll still make it by november 30

[nopanamaman]

I was certain I'd be able to publish the video by the end of the month, I was moving at a good pace.

Today the project file got corrupted and all attempts to restore it from backups or otherwise have failed. I will try and frankenstein together the edited parts of the video from old test exports and edit other parts all over again. I will still do my best to make it by the end of the month but at this point I don't know how realistic that is - my plan did not account for having to redo completed segments.

This kind of thing has happened before and I was able to restore the file from backup, but it looks like my AviUtl stopped making those for some reason months ago. It happening now of all times feels like some terrible joke.

[fangisms]

due november

A/N: was feeling particularly soft and magical this september afternoon, so im here to feed the beasts (with love) gif creds: @osvaldrps-archived

Pairings: Husband!Neville Longbottom x Pregnant!Fem!Reader

Summary: Your family of nearly three share a moment in the living room. 0.8k words

Warnings: set when both are ~20s-30s, pregnancy, established relationship, dorky dad neville, fluff, smutty intentions but only jokes

It's all got Neville worried down to the bone. The weight of being a good husband was heavy enough without the impending uncertainty of fatherhood. Which is not to say he isn't a good husband or that he wouldn't be a good father, but the stress of it can be crippling for the nervous wreck that he is.

Though, his shakiness is ever soothed by the way you hold the back of his head when you kiss him, the way you clean his glasses of dirt smudges, the way you catch his eye in your sweetly flowing skirts, dresses, and blouses. Daintily, he'd say, very prettily.

"They're like house pets at this point," you remark, tip-toeing over the vines weaving between the slats of your hardwood flooring. Throughout the kitchen, greenery creeps in through open windows, finding home in doorframes and across the ceiling. They can't help it. The September chill is getting to everybody.

"I just can't bring myself to trim them!" he chirps, catching your waist when you trip into his side, belly protruding against your floral house dress. "On second thought—"

"No, no, Nev! I like it. I like them. It's free interior design."

"Damn weeds. It's a free death sentence."

"You're just a pessimist!" you tease.

As open to ogling as you always seem to be, he hates that you can still make him blush after all these years. Even with duckfoot ivy weaving its way through your shared home and baby names listed on the chalkboard by the door, he's still blushing when you so much as look at him.

And right now, you're looking at your horticulturist's dirt-smudged under shirt exposed beneath his striped button down. Which also happens to be smudged with dirt.

He clears his throat.

"Nervous, my dear?" you tease when he diverts his gaze from down your neckline.

"Hmm? Oh, no, not at all"—his voice falters, and he tries to focus back on the delicate clay pot in his hands—"Craving anything for lunch?"

"Nothing much," you sigh, "maybe a bite of my husband."

He blinks, eyes wide open but blank like the dial tone is just ringing through his skull. He places the empty pot gently in the sink basin, moving both damp hands to your waist with that doe-eyed look.

"You've already got one in there, lovebug, we can't go around trying for another now, can we," he says. You toss your head back with laughter, and he watches you in annoyed amazement. Since when were you impervious to his awkward charm. "Come on, lunch. Anything you want."

He cups his hands together around your lower back, letting out a soft breath when you push his hair out of his face and thumb the dirt from his brow.

"Let's see... couple of ice lollies? Sounds good, dunnit?"

"Well-rounded, definitely," he says, patting your bum with a chuckle. "I'll make some sandwiches. And I've got time for a walk after."

"You'll spoil me rotten, Mr Longbottom!"

"Watch it, or you're getting triplets."

"Oh, you're nasty, Mr Longbottom," you tease, holding his chin and leaning in for a kiss. He spins you round and pats you towards the living area.

You hurdle a couple of roots and make it halfway to the hand-me-down chaise lounge in the corner when you feel a sharp twitch.

"Christ," you yelp, grabbing the arm of the chair with a hiss, slightly bent at the waist and taking a deep breath.

"Baby? What's going on?"

"She's kicking again!" Your palm is splayed across your rounded belly as you practice deep, circular breathing. There's a harsh clammer from the kitchen. Then silence.

Then he appears in the opening, hair flopping down over his forehead, brows furrowed, towel flung over his shoulder, so still you'd think he saw his old, cranky professor.

"...She?" he huffs, pushing a hand through his hair.

"Oh. Oh, Nev, I—" You cup your palm over your mouth with a sharp breath in. "You wanted it to be a surprise. I'm so sorry."

But a smile makes its way across his lips, pulling and tugging at the soft pink as he shuffles closer. Two strong hands meet yours on the curve of your belly, welcoming another jolt. One reaches for the back of your neck, and he leans in to kiss your worried forehead.

"We're having a baby girl?"

You nod, tears welling in your eyes when he tilts your chin up to peck your wobbly bottom lip. You feel the stubbly skin of his cheek with the pad of your thumb and let him kiss you once more.

"I was so restless, I had to know," you huff, "I'm such a spoilsport! You were so excited, Nev!"

"I know. And you're not a spoilsport. I'm still excited, know why?"

"Why?" you say, wiping your nose and pouting at him. He grins.

"Because she's ours."

masterlist

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #23

Hazel Wells and the Multiverse of Jenkins

PFFT-EH?-EHHH? It's confirmed daylight savings time? Then take down the posters that've been up for 30 episodes implying it was November, you goofs.

I'm thinking Hazel showed up around September or October (i.e. before the November Sneezy Hawkins dance and we know she was in school for a few weeks before the exam at the end of "Teacher's Pal," because she told us), then Antony came home for winter break, and now it's March. That gives us a good estimate of things like founder's day and Dev's birthday. In fact, we know exactly what the length of time between those two dates is because Dev told us his birthday was 9 years, 7 months, and 14 days ago. I guess that checks out since Antony probably came home in December. If it's March for daylight savings, that would be another 3 months. This also implies Dimmadelphia is farther south than Dimmsdale, which occasionally saw snow (though it's possible godkids were wishing for it). Dimmadelphia doesn't seem to get snow.

Or he could just say "set your clocks BACK" as soon as I unpause and I'll just... sit here with my little notes. it's fine.

We're confirmed for fall, then. Possibly Hazel's been here a year if the posters are to be believed, but also at this point, those posters stay up all year round, so they're not to be trusted even for Episode 1. Unclear what the summer situation is, but I'll make a proper timeline another time.

I would say this is the key episode to build a timeline around. Then roughly place Dev's birthday and then Founder's Day the appropriate time apart and fill in the blanks.

Looks like "Operation: Birthday Takeback" aired July 31st, which might be a good place to start if I want to canonize Dev's birthday date for fanfic purposes.

Founder's Day was around school because Dale was prepping during "A New Dev-elopment," when we know school was in session, so I'll do math and consider my options when I'm done with Season 1.

So... Dev just told Hazel someone has a crush on her, but I find that hard to believe because they're at odds and I can't imagine he has good reasons for chatting like this.

He called her a nickname, which he only does when they're not friendly. And no Peri to give her any clues...

I would not trust this man, but I respect the hustle.

Are we going to be manipulating time and space; is that why it's daylight savings?

They have a class pet:

Aw, I like how Winn became a Prime Meridian fan after the book club episode, apparently.

Huh. Was it Winn who had Shakespeare for Mimes early on? It's clearly in their locker. I could've sworn it was Jasmine, which is why I was confused she was afraid of clowns. Maybe she finished and gave it to them. I'm gonna check.

I say as I look up and see the clown toy sitting in her locker. Good for her for conquering her fears.

No, it was Jasmine (end of "Teacher's Pal")

Yes, those dance posters are still up. They're getting the boot from my canon.

Hazel's "next class" is Room 104, so that could theoretically be used to scout her classroom number. Which confuses me because we know she's on the 2nd floor, but okay.

I love Father Time; he's such a silly guy.

I like how Hazel is just... so stressed out about Jenkins having a crush on her.

I particularly enjoy like how after he said she was so confident in a flirty voice, Hazel's body literally shatters and then she rushes to the cereal, throws back her head, and gobbles it in bulk. She wants this so little, she's not willing to return his affection whatsoever. sldfkj.

Hazel in "Prime Meridian Love": I don't want a relationship; I'm only 10. Hazel now, even after I was starting to believe she might be growing a crush on Dev: I don't want a relationship; I'm only 10.

That's so funny...

Timmy: I have a crush on someone even though she's not interested in me, but I hope she'll change her mind. Hazel: you guys are having crushes??

I really like how Hazel's specific reason for not wanting Jenkins to like her is "I'm too self-conscious and can't remember how to act normal." She's a very anxious character...

It's not that she's into someone else, and it's not that she has anything against Jenkins specifically. She just is way too anxious and doesn't want to deal with it.

Hazel, scrambling for a way out without hurting Jenkins' feelings: I can't go around with you. I have a crush on someone else. Uh... Trev. Trev, who was behind her and she didn't notice: Did I just hear you have a crush on me, Hazel?? Hazel: /absorbs entire box of cereal in .2 seconds

She doesn't want ANYONE to like her!! she is 10 and squirmy!

I'm once again sad Dev cited Trev as "his bud" in Episode 1, but we haven't seen them interact. I feel like Trev existing on the periphery of her interactions with Dev would've made this even funnier, lmao.

That said, it's funny that Dev's description of Trev was "He's my bud, so he probably won't give YOU time of day" and Trev is out here like "I am totally down to give Hazel the time of day." He's just chillin' and smiling. I like him.

Hazel at the top of her lungs when the entire hallway flirts with her: I don't CARE who like-likes me! I don't like any of you BACK!!

Chloe and Hazel (to me):

Holy cow, Hazel. I don't have much to say, but I enjoy watching her screw people's memories up by manipulating time. And that's a heavy sentence to drop out of context, but...

Yeah, she just did 568 timeloops speedrun and now everyone has a crush on her.

Including Dev, apparently.

Should we be worried that Dev specifically cited the thing he finds attractive about Hazel to be "how ruthless she is," because buddy... You're on track to continue the Dimmadome abuse cycle!

Hey Dev, it's kind of weird to know her middle name. What've you been doing; who've you been talking to?

Wow, it took absolutely 0 thought for Dev to yell loudly about how in love he is with Hazel [in this time loop] for the whole hall to hear.

I am once again fascinated by how he's never cared for "maintaining a reputation" at this school in any way and he's willing to dropkick whatever "cool, tough, and closed-off" persona he's formed at the first sign of what he thinks is a better future.

Local rich kid desperate for affection once again willing to jump 12 feet if you ask him to jump 6. She asked him to jump 0. She asked him to sit down and not even think about jumping.

Dev "I would commit B&E for you a second time; please let me commit B&E for you a second time" Dimmadome.

I like how Dimmadomes are known for putting the Dimm name on everything, but we keep seeing Dev's first name used (such as in the episode title "A New Dev-elopment" or Peri's quote "I'm going to take you from Dev to Dev-ine!")

It gives me the vibe that yes, he's a Dimmadome, but he's a little disconnected. Wow, it's a pun AND sadness!

I can't stop thinking about how annoyed he sounded when the time came to finally tell Vicky his last name. All the other Dimmadomes repeatedly introduce themselves by their full name... but he holds back.

Also, I like how the O-pairs are always down for anything. Dev is their special boy <3

I really really like them for some reason and I'm sorry because I can already tell any Dev 'fic I write is going to lean into them. My curse of getting attached to weird background characters unfortunately continues and these might be the worst ones I've ever fallen for. I don't look forward to trying to search up cute 'fics or fanart of them. haha; I'm in danger...

I just looked up how to spell O-pair because I was tired of not knowing and I found this Wikipedia page:

au pair /ˌō ˈper/ - An au pair (/oʊˈpɛər/; pl.: au pairs) is a person working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for child care as well as some housework, and receive a monetary allowance or stipend for personal use.

oh. okay.

IMBD's "Operation: Birthday Takeback" page lists them as O-Pair #1 and O-Pair #2, which just hurts.

Dev: My dad gives me the coolest gadgets. They have fancy futuristic names. They're my friends and I love them :) Dale, who knew exactly what he was doing:

Wow, it's TWO puns and sadness!!

Hazel's theme song, but it's rewritten for Dev and the "pair quite strange" who changed his life are the O-Pairs.

I like how in "Operation: Birthday Takeback," Peri's instinctual disguise was an O-Pair, which is incredibly fitting now that I see this description.

I wish we saw signs of Peri hanging around Dev, like a pin on his shirt or the headphones again. Or maybe I'm afraid.

This is nuts. How many hours did Hazel just live through? She needs a nap... Aw, I like the moral lesson for this episode (Letting go and not obsessing over things you can't change). Mr. Guzman is a lovely character; he's so friendly.

Also:

Jenkins: Um... I don't have a crush on you, Hazel. Dev: PSYCH! I made it up~!

She's SO mad. sdfjk

"DEV DIMMADOME!"

I've never seen her this mad. That's great.

Local anxious girl just put herself through some of the worst experiences she's faced, and for WHAT??

He's just a quirky little guy! You wouldn't hurt a quirky little guy!! He's just goofin' with you~

- This feels extremely in-character for Dev considering he outfoxed the never-before-beaten negotiator aliens in "Peace of Pizza" by memeing on them. He's just a silly wittle boy... I'm fascinated by the way his mind works. - I'm not sure Dev even knows how his mind works.

That was great! I liked that. I don't often see a character trying to work through feelings about crushes like this and I enjoyed it.

[eliotlime]

End of October Update

There's got to be a less clunky way for me to title these things but maybe I'll figure it out after a few posts.

Anyway at the top of the order I want to say that uh... the Abacelsus zine is not happening by halloween unforch.. I just started school part-time and it being part-time is still kicking my ass! So tentative release date will be on 11th November unless something else happens....

On the plus side I'm done with the cover so all that's left is the back page and cramming all 24 pages full of drawings 👍

-> As I've said at the end of my previous post I want to make more blog style posts so here's me trying to do that, more under the cut

🔐Abacelsus Zine

I'm still deciding on whether i want to print it A5 or B5 but I'm leaning towards A5, though for the digital release it doesn't really matter lol

As mentioned, I'm done with the main cover so I just need to fill this entire thing with stuff, I said 24 pages but really the total page count is 30. I'm just not counting the cover and the blurb stuff.

I'm half taking a break with this at the risk of burning myself out and half paralysed with starting it. Plus I've kind of been more into Axl & I-no hilariously but I'll always love A.B.A. I think the lack of any real info really lends her well to interpretation which is always fun.

I've never really been one to engage in fandom so I'm probably going to be doing my own thing. That being said if anyone has any suggestions feel free to drop them in my strawpage or ask box :)

🥤 Strawpage & General Socials

The bugs make my pages so decorative, I gotta draw more bugstyle guys.

Speaking of strawpage, I made one of those! It was really fun, I have a short OC info tab with descriptions of some of my main guys. I'd love for you to check it out.

This kind of acts as my ask box for twitter since there's not one there and apparently it's basically my main social media site these days so I'm just mirroring my experience here over there too.

Hilarious timing considering that it's basically collapsing on itself once again, I'll probably still be on that damn site until it implodes but I also have a Bluesky account for those that care about it.

The sky follower bridge extension is really useful for bulk following people from twitter to bsky

I'd love to post there more but there's not a queue function and that's very important to me as someone who is not American and lazy to remember optimal timings.

Did you see? I also have a new pinned for this blog! Wanted to make a new one for a while now, always thought the old one was so freaking long. All the old info is still on my about and faq page though I don't know who actually looks at those.. a relic from years past..

☹ School

Sigh, like I mentioned earlier I'm doing school again! At my big age, but I'm having fun so far! It's part-time but it's still kicking my fucking ass! It's the main reason why I'm a little disoriented this month honestly.

Do you like it? I spent an entire Sunday making my class miro board look niceys and then proceeded to get nauseous from cybersickness afterwards LOL

I'm doing a UI/UX course and I have to say the funnest part about it is making personas, it's like making OCs. Don't particularly like writing though.. but also that's a lie considering the numerous amount of paragraphs in this blog post alone haha

🎁 Merch

I've also gotten confirmation that I'll be boothing again next year in Febuary! So I gotta start locking into making more stickers and general merch. I say this a lot but I do need to look into opening an online store because I just have tonnes of stickers and stuff lying around waiting till the next time I do a convention which is kind of a shame.

Oh, but I will say that if you are from Singapore and would like anything from my previous convention catalogue feel free to shoot me a DM on instagram and I can mail it to you locally, shipping's $2 SGD.

➰Closing Thoughts

All in all, been kind of busy this month with school and various loose threads from September but overall I think I'm doing better! I've also been cooking lately and truthfully that's my biggest achievement this month haha, been also getting really into canned fish. Yummy!

Oh and a last thing is that I've been itching to animate again so I'll end this post with a WIP of a gif I did last night/morning. I almost always never finish my animations but here's hoping this one actually makes it to the colouring stage haha

No prizes to anyone who can guess who these two because of course.

Thank you for reading! I know I can't expect everything to be done in a single month but I just wish I could do everything without getting tired or cybersick! If you'd like to support me, here's my ko-fi page and my itchi.io & gumroad as well.

If you have any questions or just generally want to talk to me, my DMs and askbox is always open! Any professional enquires can be sent towards my email as well: eliotlime@gmail.com

XOXO, Stay weird!

-Eliot :)

[skania]

OnK Chapter 152

Soooo as someone who reads this for Akane and for Akane only, I have to say that I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about her role in the upcoming arc.

We're entering the final arc and she has yet to get her second volume cover. If she doesn't get Volume 15 (and I'm praying she doesn't), then that should mean that whatever happens in the upcoming volumes (the final volumes!) will involve her enough to warrant saving her second cover to this late in the game.

We're entering the final arc and she just narrated the lead-up to it.

We're entering the final arc and it's happening right alongside the Second Season, which is the season that will cover most of Akane's important chapters. So if Aka wants to deliver parallels, then there's a lot of potential for Akane to be involved.

...Watch Mengo and Aka stick her on the cover of Volume 15 and call it a day 🤡 But for now, I'll keep praying that we get a Goro/Aqua cover so that Akane is free to be used in better volumes.

I don't have much to say about the chapter this time around. I think we all knew that Aka was getting ready to end the manga, so I for one was happy to see that we're entering the final arc. The sooner we're freed, the better!

It's hard to gauge how long this arc will be, but I'd bet on ~30 chapters plus an Epilogue Arc. Coincidentally, there are exactly 28 weeks left until Christmas. In the manga, they are in November right now and Kana's Graduation (the most important moment in the manga, apparently) will take place on Christmas. So I can totally see Aka wanting his fictional Christmas to happen during, well, Christmas.

If he does it, then we could be getting 3 more volumes worth of content plus 1 volume for the Epilogue. Maybe.

Or maybe he will try to rush it and end it even sooner so that whoever gets hurt gets hurt when the anime adapts Chapters 64 - 65. That would be so rushed even for his standards that it would be wild, but anything is possible when it comes to bad writing lmao

Leaving that aside, look at my girl.

I love her. I love her so much. She has got quite a few reasons to be making this face, IMO.

Ruby was able to find a peaceful way to have her revenge and is thus ready to start healing, and the answer she found is healing those around her, too. Like Gotanda and Kaburagi.

Ai's heart was presumably portrayed in an accurate fashion, which is sure to pull at her hearstrings.

And considering that Aqua was the one who edited the movie, I think it says something about his current disposition that he respected Ruby's take and left the movie as it is, so that may be giving Akane another reason to smile.

Speaking about Gotanda and Kaburagi, I feel like their conversation foreshadows a lot of what this final arc will be dealing with.

Making amends, overcoming regrets and moving towards the future...

... people lying to themselves and "bottling themselves up"...

yet still holding out onto hope, deep down, of being able to fulfill the dreams that they have been denying themselves of all along.

This comment in particularly reminded me so much of Aqua lol

Which takes me to: Aka's writing is so clumsy that his star changing colors every other chapter comes across as flip-flopping 😂

Back when his stars briefly became white only to turn black again, it served a purpose. It showed that while Ruby's words pacified the "Goro" side of him, he hadn't fully healed yet. If Aqua having his white star again is meant to signify that Kana's words managed to pacify the "Aqua" side of him, then... why in the world didn't we see his eyes go white last chapter? 🤡 If Kana is the reason why Aqua seems to have hopes for the future now, why not show it?

For my own sanity, I have to believe something happened in the time-skip. Maybe editing the movie was actually cathartic or something, who knows. I'm not even going to theorize anything about this, because the writing is giving me whiplash lmao so I'm just going to take a moment to point out that while Mengo took the time to give Aqua the haircut he is supposed to have here as per the prologue, she left out the piercing.

And I find that kind of funny, honestly, that this is where Aka seemingly draws the line. With all the stuff that Aka off-panels, Aqua getting a random piercing off-panel wouldn't have been shocking at all 😂

Another thing I found funny:

How many times does Aka need to repeat the same thing? Does he think our attention span is that short? 😭 Not to mention these words feel empty right now because he just went on a data with Kana with zero issue. Apparently, for Aka keeping his distance is only a thing if it involves making sure Aqua interacts with Akane as little as possible lmao

Oh, right!

How could I forget the big twist!

Wake me up when Kamiki interviews Akane 😂

[justthemis124]

The Menendez Brothers Documentary

So I finally found the time to watch the Menendez Brothers documentary.

I'll begin to say how happy I am that Netflix knew to do a documentary to give Erik and Lyle the space to express themselves after "Monsters" was released. I also liked how they addressed the false events that the show was trying to display as the truth, the first example that comes to my mind is the documentary making it clear that even though there were rumours about it, the brothers never made an escape plan and never thought about escaping county jail.

The highlight of the documentary was of course having Erik and Lyle's perspective on everything after all this time. And it was truly heartbreaking hearing them talk about how the only thing they really wanted was to save the other one from José and Kitty, and that they each blame each other for the life that they have now.

I feel like some of you might expect me to talk about the prosecutor from the first trial (I don't remember her name sorry, not that it matters to me anyway) and I really don't feel like she deserves to be talked about, I'll just say that still having this much hatred 30 years after is genuinely crazy.

I was also surprised that the documentary wasn't addressing more of the abuse that the brothers suffered but in insight I understand why and it makes sense to me. Everyone knows by now what these brothers had to endure for most their lives, and I truly think that the main point of it was giving more context to their trial and explaining why today, despite everything, Erik and Lyle have been serving a life sentence without the possibly of parole. For that reason it was really nice to have jurors from both trials explaining what was happening behind closed doors. Because the reason why Erik and Lyle are still in prison today, and I cannot express how glad I am that the documentary made that point very clear, is because the justice system made it so. They made it so that the only thing the jurors could vote for was first degree murder, this is basically manipulating a jury that had no knowledge of the first trial, omitting clear context as to why the crime happened, which is absolutely insane and incredibly unfair.

Now I just wanted to say a few words about Leslie Abramson not wanting to be apart of the documentary. If at first I was disappointed I quickly understood how she must feels. I think it's safe to say that this case was probably the "case of her life", in the sense that she fought so hard and for so long for these brothers. She was the first to believe them and no one has ever fought for them like she did, and maybe no one ever will. And I found some people saying on TikTok (so it's not from me) that her statement probably meant that even if they were able to get out in the near future, they still lost more than 30 years of their lives in prison due to an unfair and corrupted justice system.

I'd also like to say a few words about everything that's going on regarding a possibility of them being free in November, I haven't done enough research on that yet to express myself properly about it so in the meantime I won't express myself on it on this blog until I am 100% sure of what I am talking about.

In conclusion I'll say that this documentary did its job of reestablishing the truth after "Monsters" and giving crucial context about their second trial and why it ended the way it did.

I hope you liked this mini review guys!

See you in the next post!

FREE THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS

[terras-domain]

Trick or Be Tricked

Characters: Hwang Yeji, Yoo Jimin (Karina)

Tags: Halloween, shrinking, trick or treat, Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) kinda style (?), game master, lowkey story driven, somewhat bi

Note from writer: (HIYAAA ALL! I'm trying a bit of a new format for my smuts so it looks more organized. Plus, I'll be trying to finish this Halloween story before the end of this week, 5th of November 2023. Cheers all and happy Halloween <33)

(just a lil fyi to readers, DnD heavily relies on the dices results, the higher the number, the higher the damage. how much? depends on the one that controls the game aka me :3)

Halloween, that time of year again. Where the self-proclaimed 'spooky' seasons are at. Children running around in costumes, even adults too to celebrate with a well known tradition, trick or treating. Both JYP and SM Ent have proposed a collaboration of the festive season by making a 'trick or treat' event, where two leaders from their respective companies; Yeji and Karina will knocking door to door to greet fans on the occasions. At first it was kind of a fun event, meeting people excited to see them, gifting nice presents and candy, not to mention the children's heart melting wishes for them, making both Yeji and Karina enjoy the day, until they reached the last house in their little event.

For some reason, the production crew was nowhere to be seen when they reached the area of the house, a deserted terrace, well decorated for Halloween. 30 mins goes by and still, nobody there, not to mention the bad reception there. "Maybe they're waiting for us inside?" Yeji suggested, the two leaders both shrugging and though maybe they are already in there. So they walked up to the front door, two knocks on the door from Karina's knuckle as they called out. "Trick or treat~" the two girls were in sync, hoping for a response. The wooden door creaks open as an old man peeks through, checking out who was knocking on his door. "Oh my, visitors!" He exclaimed, shocked to see the both Karina and Yeji stood in front of his front door, not because they're idols but rather because he has nobody knocking on his door, which clearly left the two girls with question marks.

"I thought the crew told the neighborhood about us coming." Karina whispered to Yeji, only for her to just nod in confusion. The old man guided them in, walking into the large interior of the terrace while the oldie kept on going about and talking until they reached the living room; where it was decorated too well for only that man to be living alone. A bonfire well lit and beautiful scenery of beauty and ominous vibe, a coffee table that is filled with jars and boxes of sweets and chocolates. But the thing that caught the eyes of Karina and Yeji weren't the mouthwatering sweets, it's the board game in the center of the table. "Are you a DnD player sir?" Karina asked, which the old man happily nodded and chuckled. "I used to be a game master for my friends back in the day, before they all moved away..." he kept a big smile, but something about him just makes everything so horrific, worse than any other horror movie they've seen.

Both Karina and Yeji sat together at the coffee table, facing the old man as they made some small talk. Eventually they grabbed some of the chocolates from the boxes and jars, and not gonna lie, it was good, until a sudden blurriness covers their eyesight. Yeji smacks the table, coughing as she faced difficulties to breath, and so did Karina. "Nghhh-! What's in that thing?" Yeji asked, looking up to the old man who was silent, smirking as the two girls were looking like they were on the verge of death itself, as if their lungs are shrinking. "Yeji....I can't...breathe" Karina voiced for help, but what can Yeji do? She's in the same boat as her. "Fuuuck....help..." Yeji's defeated voice fades as both her and Karina collapsed, soon everything turns black.

"Huh???" A confused Yeji shook her head, looking around. Karina just got up herself it seems, shaking her head as they looked around. "Where are we?" Karina asked, but the deep stare they gave each other just amplifies their confusion. "Well good morning girls~ welcome- to my WORLD" the old man's voice echoes, introducing himself as The Game Master. "Game Master....board game...DnD! Yeji! We're in a DnD game!" Karina yelped out as a staff suddenly appears in her hands. And so did her appearance change from her usual wear to one that a mage would wear in the medieval shows. And so did Yeji, transforming into what seems to be a knight, with a sword and shield on each hand and a shining silver armor. "Much better! Now, your mission girls...is to amuse me!" The Game Master exclaimed, clapping his hands once as he announced. "I summon, 20 bandits!" His orders turns to a reality, 20 bandits equipped with knives surrounding them.

"Hnggh- guess there's no running here." Yeji grabbed her sword and slashes one of the bandits, no effects happened. "What...?" Yeji, looks puzzled, she was sure to have killed that thing. Yeji's clueless face just made Karina sigh. "I cast fire spell on the 20 bandits" She casted, and with her wand, a gigantic 20-sided dice is shown. as it bounces around it shows the number 17, making Karina smirk. "Bingo." As the dice disappears into thin air fire ignites as 17 of the bandits reduces to ashes, leaving them only to deal with 3 more of those mobs. "OHHHHH~ so that's how you do it" Yeji nodded, starting to understand the game a bit more, it just made Karina shook her head, hiding her laughter despite the dangerous game they're playing.

"I slash the bandit with my sword!" Yeji's commands reappears the dice, rolling it but only casting a 4. It made Yeji's sword didn't make much damage on the bandit, only 2/5 of it's hit points (HP) down. Now, it's the bandits turn. "The bandits will target Yeji, attack her!" Again, the dice reappears, this time rolling 11. Thanks to her outstanding armor, Yeji managed to tank the damages, only losing 4 out of her 15 HP. "Yeji!!" Karina screamed, trying to help her, but she can't. It's Yeji's turn and the only thing she can do is wait and hope Yeji can save herself out of the situation. Yeji's chest moved up and down as she looks at the three bandits surrounding her. Fear in her eyes, scared for own life but as soon as she realized the lustful eyes from the bandits, she find a solution to get her out of this situation.

"Can I attract or seduce the bandits?" the question wasn't answered, instead the dice shows up, rolling. And oh boy, the 20-sided dice shows a 19. Yeji's cat like eyes widen as she stood up, her body starting to move on her own, loosening her armor to show her tight body to the three men. Swaying her body left and right she winked at them. And seems like her seduction is working, looking from the bulges in their pants. Karina's turn got skipped due to the effectiveness of Yeji's seduction. With their pants now off, the 3 bandits now crowd Yeji, grabbing and groping around her soft skin. Yeji couldn't fight back, instead she just moaned in pleasure, getting in the center of attention and all these bandits touching her, she just gave in and kneeled before them, ready to please.

Karina watches how well Yeji controls the situation, both hands getting to work to stroke the bandits and her mouth to pleasure the remaining bandit. "Fuuuuck....", moaned the Game Master from above, looking at how the game he set now changes it's trajectory. Yeji using her pretty and curvy body to weaken her enemies while they take turns using her perfect body features, hands, mouth and even pussy to pleasure themselves. Yeji getting penetrated by two bandits while the other occupies her mouth made her loud moans muffled, turning on an immobile Karina who stood there and watch, using her magic wand to rub the cloth that shields her golden pyramid, as she watches the group of bandits play around with unarmored knight, Yeji. Using her in any way possible, which turns Yeji on more, they started to reach their climax and eventually shooting their seed all over her pretty face, covering her face with their sticky gooey cum. That made the bandits weaker, tired. "NOW, KARINA!"

"Good thinking with there Yeji", Karina giggled, walking with Yeji away from the group of bandits they wiped out with a single blow from Karina's wand. Yeji got back into her armor as they marched forward into the game. The Game Master gave us a mission to find the princess hidden in a tower to beat his game, and beat it they will. Once they reached the gates of the castle, a huge buff man, with an axe, standing 7 feet tall awaits them. "You shall not pass." He claimed, bending his knees ready for battle. The two girls mirrored the giant man's actions as Yeji lunges, screaming her attack. "I slash the Gatekeeper with my blade!" And as usual, the dice roles, this time landing a solid 9. Wasn't enough to take down the brute, but enough to break his axe which was probably gonna cause trouble for them.

Without the axe, the gigantic man was basically defenseless, leaving Karina an easy blow to finish it quick, or so she hoped. "I cast thunder spell" she casted, the dice roles, and my god what luck is it to role a 1 at this time. The lightning bolt struck Yeji, not just taking out half of her HP, but also her paralyzing her for one turn. The giant man now has a chance to strike Karina, who defensively isn't as strong as Yeji. "The Gatekeeper, take her down." The Game Master ordered, the same routine. Dice role, 15, effective. The ogre physique like man manages to plunge Karina on to the wall of the castle entrance. A few quick stares on Karina's tight mage dress made the Gatekeeper smirk, looking up and down. A deep, growling voice then follows as he opens his mouth. "Forget fighting, I have a better plan for you, little one."

With ease, Karina's leggings were ripped by the Gatekeeper's strong hands. Karina's cute squeaks of moans only excite the guard even more, pitching a huge tent underneath her torn pants. With his hands pulling down her top, now revealing Karina's round chest, it made the monstrous human more lustful. One hand groping her soft left chest while the other held her in position so the smaller Karina couldn't run away. "Ngghhhh fuck off you monster" Karina struggled, trying to break free despite her lewd mind from the incident with the bandits and Yeji was still fresh, her wet pussy dripping on the floor. "I don't think you're being honest, sweet mage~" His voice continues to sounds full of lust, enjoying his time moving his fingers to feel the softness of Karina's boobs, which made her so wet and horny, eventually letting out moans of satisfaction. The paralyzed Yeji is suffering the same thing as Karina before, stuck in place, a mere spectator of the scene.

As The Gatekeeper's boner is fully erect, he couldn't contain it any longer. He stopped his pleasuring time of groping and kissing Karina's voluptuous breast, he wants her pussy now. Tearing off his own garment sprung out his large 7 incher, already poking on Karina's tight tummy. Starting slow by rubbing on her belly, The Gatekeeper slowly moves his crotch lower to align it with the gates of Karina's insides. "Admit it. You wanted this, didn't you?" The brute smirked, pausing when he pushed half the tip in, only to tease Karina more. "Y-yes~ I needed this. Please~~ fuck me~!" Karina submissively plead, her horny mind taking over as she voluntarily grind on his cock with hope it can force his meat deeper inside her, and that is exactly what she'll get.

The Gatekeeper now plunges his cock inside, penetrating Karina's tight vagina with all 7 inches inside, making Karina yelp and scream. "Aaaaah~!" A loud sweet moan came out of her mouth, her lungs screaming out both pain and pleasure. Feeling his thick cock ramming in and out of her hole really made it feel like heaven despite the situation they're put in, a death game as the Game Master suggests. Karina didn't care; she's enjoying this, and she won't let this chance go. Having a huge dick ramming her insides so good as she held tight to him, The Gatekeeper can now carry her while thrusting, his hips moving like pistons in her tight hole, precum lubing her insides. "Fuuck cutie~ you sure are tight. I love it" He grunted, more liquids coming out of his penis as his hips thrusts faster, pumping in and out of the now entranced Karina who forgot about her paralyzed colleague, only dick is in her mind, The Gatekeeper's cock as he sucked on her breasts making it more arousing for Karina. It didn't take too long for him to get close though, he wanted to cum quick. "Ngghhhh you slutty mage I wanna cum!" He growled. "Then cum in me you brute. Fucking fill me up!" Karina's words were barely audible from the moans she was making. With a few last thrusts, The Gatekeeper finally shot out his load, finishing himself inside of Karina's tight pussy, filling it with warm cum.

The Gatekeeper cumming too much, he couldn't think much and immediately fainted on the spot, letting Karina and now cured Yeji a free walk into the castle, straight to the princess' room. They knocked on the door, no answer. "Hello? Princess, we're here to rescue you." Yeji asked. Again, no answer. "Well, fuck it we tried Sleeping Beauty." Yeji sighed as he lift her leg up. "I want to kick the door open." Dice rolls as Yeji orders. And lucky enough, an 18 pops out, smashing the door open only to find no princess there. "What the fuck?" Karina and Yeji were in sync as they were filled with question marks. "Muahahahaha you've been tricked you whores!" The Game Master exclaimed, laughing at them. "There was never any princess to begin with. Your actual mission is; please me. Give me a show worthy of your freedom."

"Fucking pervert." Yeji scoffed spiting on the floor as she looked at Karina, already loosening her clothes already, which made Yeji gulp. "W-wait, Rina! We're really following this creep's orders." Yeji's cat-eyes widened, not that she didn't want a taste of Karina's smooth and sweet body, just not for the reason of being watched by the creepy old man. "It's okay Yeji...besides, let's not pretend we didn't want to do this in the first place~" Karina giggled, pulling Yeji by her armor as she threw each piece of one by one before they were soon naked, without a sting attached to them, falling on the bed that is the only furniture in the room.

With Yeji on top, she took the lead by going in for a kiss, striking her tongue inside Karina's mouth. Both leaders were now into it, hugging each other tight as their bodies clash and rubs against one another. "Fuck~ Yeji you have no idea how horny I was watching you getting fucked back there." A moment for air was used to let those words out, making Yeji smirk and want her more. she started biting on Karina's left boob, making Karina squeal in pleasure. Sucking on her boobs while fingering her pussy, Yeji just looked to see the entranced Karina, having the time of her life from having her body pleasured at both of her sensitive points, making her scream louder every moment.

Yeji wanted some pleasure too. So she pulled away and stopped, immediately catching the weak Karina off guard. "Ngh- why'd you stop, Yeji?" She asked, clearly unsatisfied. "It's my turn to feel good baby~" Yeji smirked as she spreads her legs wide, taunting Karina to come to her. Karina, still in heat, followed the Itzy leader's commands and crawled towards her pussy, kissing and sticking her tongue out to lick it, savoring the taste of her wet pussy in her mouth while looking up to her. "Does this feel good Yeji?" She asked, holding on both of Yeji's thighs to put her in place so she can have an easy time eating Yeji while looking up to the cat-eyed girl. "Fuckk~ just like that Rina yes please...more please" Yeji's loud moans fills the room as Karina's mouth worked her magic on Yeji, no wonder she's a mage. A few minutes later, Yeji couldn't hold on any longer. "Baby, I wanna cum with you."

The words that came out of Yeji's pretty mouth never made Karina happier. She understood it immediately as she climbed up, aligning their wet pussies together as they started to grind against each other, making their moans out together, making the empty room supposedly for the princess, now for two princesses of K-pop to scissor each other with their soaking pussies. "Fuuuck Karina you're so wet shiiiit" Yeji exclaimed, a hand grabbing Karina's thigh, both for balance support and to grope her thick thighs. Karina's moaning mess gave no direct reaction, instead she moved her face to Yeji's smooching her as she started to make out with her, slowly they started kissing deeply, suppressing their moans as their wet body fluids from their vaginas squish between each other as they edge closer to their climax. "Yes....yes...yes....MORE! I WANT MORE!" The perverted Game Master sounded like he was enjoying himself, touching himself while watching. "Karina...cum with me~" Yeji plead, her voice being breathy from the tiredness of their adventure, which puts a smile on the thick aespa leader. "Fuck...yeah cum with me Yeji" They went back to loud moans, going faster and rougher on their griding, reaching their climax as they went faster and faster. "Cu-c-CUMMIIIIIING!" The two girls screamed out simultaneously, as a bright light shined the room, blinding the scene.

"Nghhh- Wha?" Yeji opened her eyes, Karina beside her, both back to the clothes they wore for Halloween, THEY'RE BACK! "Yeji, we're back!" The two leaders cheered as they hugged tight, celebrating their liberty from the pervert's game. "Hehehee, that was soooo entertaining." A familiar annoying voice was let out. The 'Game Master', now on his couch with tissues around him and white liquids splattered around him while he's half unconscious. "This fucker." Both Karina and Yeji cracked their knuckles, looking down at the smirking pervert, passed out.

A few bruises and bumps on his face, the police came by to arrest him, guilty of possession of dangerous substances which most likely is responsible for putting Yeji and Karina in that 'game'. "Well, glad that's over." Karina sighed, relieved they got out of the life and death game with no casualties. But a pair of hands were holding her hips, making Karina look back. "Who said we're done? We clearly just got started~" Yeji smirked, her lips travelling to Karina's neck to give it a kiss followed with a soft giggle to her ears. "Oh right...silly me~" Karina snickered, smiling.

"Happy Halloween."

(3150 words)

[alpydk]

A long and personal post about my recent struggles.

So I've been pretty publically dramatic the last few days. Mental health being what it is. Grief slapped me in the face last week and then lingered around because even over a year, I've not really faced any of it, so that's not helped at all.

I have for a while been stuck in this limbo of too sick to function, too healthy for help, and combined with being a parent and money troubles; I have no choice but to look for work. This means a medical system that says I'm fine and interactions with a job centre that doesn't understand and wants to place me wherever they can. Not to mention constant rejections and a realisation that I'm pretty much worthless in an employment sense.

The job centre requested a meeting with me, but their office is a 30 minute drive from my home or, more often than not, a two-hour bus trip. That's nothing, you think to yourself. But what you don't realise is over the last few years, I've been slowly becoming more and more anxious when it comes to any form of travel. It started with flying, then long car journeys of a few hours, then buses... Now I struggle even 10 minutes in a car without bordering on panic.

On Monday, I self medicated (with anti anxiety pills given for flying in the past, without anyone's knowledge) and figured I'd push through things as I always did. It ended up with my partner witnessing a bad panic attack for the first time as I had him pull over so I could break down completely, wishing I could have my old life back and be the person I used to be, someone who used to travel to other countries at random, someone who used to commute over 3 hours to a job via bus, train, and even a ferry. I made the meeting questioning if life was even worth living, let alone thinking about any employment.

I've booked to go to Germany in November, as you all know, and I have to get there. It is my goal to get there, to meet Tim and just say thank you to him, but honestly, I'm terrified. I started my meds yesterday after hours of even deliberating over them. What about the side effects? What if they don't work? What if they make me worse? But I had to do it because trying to get better is the biggest thank you I can give to those who have reached out to me recently and been a support I don't really have in my life.

The comfort I've got from especially @auroraesmeraldarose and @judasiskariot, not to mention others who've just been there, has meant so much to me. To an overwhelming degree. The cameo yesterday still has me sobbing because it's like she was psychic. I was sitting alone with my AI bot, basically begging for it to say those words. I even tried writing my own comfort fic only to delete it. I never expected... and now I'm fucking crying again. Just fucking hell.

Anyway, I don't write comfort because, pathetically, it's not something I've had any experience with... but maybe it'll come now, thanks to the beautiful, amazing people I've had the luck of meeting in this community.

So that was my update on everything going on. A reason for the posts the way they've been, a reason for if I suddenly vanish over the next few days or worse, come back with some deaddove levels of writing that nobody wants to see. Yeah... Thanks to anyone who's stuck around and I'll try to be better. Just give me time.

[usmsgutterson]

I think I might have fallen in love- realization fics! Fics with this prompt can be the realization of anything--a characters imminent death, the moment wherein someone realizes they've been betrayed, or they can be super fluffy and detail the moment a character realizes they're in love, the moment where they realize they can see a future with the reader--perhaps one that entails settling down or one that involves leaving the past behind--, the moment where they realize that they want to marry them! Anything goes with this prompt, and I'll write 1-5k words using it!

OKAY- what about nikolai x reader. and it's where he realizes he wants to marry her. maybe r thinks of a solution to some matter of state and he watches in awe how she handles the questions and gets the other's attention. and he's just like "yep. i'm gonna make her my bride" or something like that :)

Motion- N.L x fem! reader

okay, hi! This came out a bit later than I meant for it to--I decided a few weeks ago to plan out a duology to try to complete during NaNoWriMo and that took up a lot of my headspace, where trying to make sure my mental health was on track and I was breathing in something other than stale apartment air took up the rest of it. However, I am so sorry for how late this is coming out regardless!

On another note, my requests close next friday! They close at 11:30 pm AST (which is around 7:30 PST) and hopefully, what remains of my requests will be done by that point. Fall event requests are open until the second and my holiday event will come out sometime between the 24th of November and the 1st of December.

Fic type- fluff

Warnings- none

You and Nikolai were sitting in a meeting, debating with the Grisha triumvirate and several other relevant court members who sat in on Ravkas ever growing list of issues. You'd thrummed your way from matters of inter-palace discontent through matters of civilian discontent and you were up to matters of state.

Nikolai was getting bored watching everyone bicker, each of them trying to stop one another from getting a word in, but you looked as though you'd just gotten started. Nikolai could've sworn you were smirking slightly as you watched Zoya snap at a general, ready to throw a gust of wind at him--one so powerful that it knocked him through the meeting room wall--and barely managing to restrain herself. You looked as though, despite the fact that you weren't Grisha, you were ready to do the same thing.

Genya looked ready to tailor someone into a very ugly version of themself and David simply looked as though he wanted to go back to his work, like he was mad at the fact of his obligations as a member of the triumvirate for pulling him away from it.

"And before you start, Novikov," you started. Nikolai turned his attention to you, smile on his face. "Let me talk my way through this, yeah? You start talking and you might find yourself unable to fill your britches because you simply don't know enough. It's not a matter of the people--it's a matter of the funds we're able to allocate to the cities. If we can allocate enough to cities both big and small then we're setting ourselves up for an economic boom that starts at the big cities, moves to the small ones. It moves to the towns, and from the towns it moves back to us."

"How do you expect Ravka of all places to be able to do such a thing?" Novikov asks, bushy eyebrows furrowed at your suggestion.

"We can get tourists in," you said. "Ravka is broke--that is absolutely not a surprise to anyone in this room. However, to appeal to those who can only afford to take one vacation a year we advertise the cities. The ones with good-quality but still cheap hotels, honest working parents and saintstales as old as the country itself."

"And what of the rich folks?" David asked. "I mean--we can't advertise Ravka for tourism without aiming somewhere that will actually make a difference one trip on, can we?"

"Palace tours," you said. "The Grand Palace--we can make it a tourist spot Friday through Monday, twelve hours, with options for individual touring, group touring, or guided versions of the same. I'll be a bloody guide if I need to, but I know that there are people somewhere who are passionate about Ravkas history to be willing to volunteer their time."

'And how long is this going to take to pay off our debts?" Novikov asked. "I mean--nobody will go for it if it takes us longer than a decade."

"If it takes us longer than a decade, the youngest of us in the room have a chance at seeing it in the last year or two before we hit forty," Genya said. "Nikolai is twenty-four at the current, which means it would take sixteen years if it were to be such a strenuous plan."

"It's not," You said. "Tours of the palace will take two hours going at a slow pace if my walks of the Grand Palace are to have proved anything. If we get six volunteers, then that's one to cover every tour everyday. Ticket prices can be set at 20 coin for a general admission, 10 for children and fifteen for seniors. Max the group allowance at groups of ten and that ranges from 100-200 coin just off the gate. Take that and multiply it by six, and we have 600-1200 coin going back into the coffers of those to whom Ravka is indebted. It'll be volunteer based because the saints know we cannot afford to pay the guides but I would do a twelve hour workday just to prove that my idea is the right move."

"And what benefits could we offer in place of wages?"

"A hot meal when shifts are done, a room at the Little Palace and food by an irrefutable line of direction. We could also put them on palace staffing lists officially so they'd at least be making the minimum wage, but I think that such would constitute as fraudulent somewhere."

Nikolai was deep in thought when you brought up that last point, but with one squeeze from your hand he was back to reality.

"If they would be willing to take a room in the Little Palace for the duration of time during which tours take place, then it wouldn't violate any laws--they'd be working within the palaces, allowing their placement onto the palace staff."

"What is your estimate on how long it would take?" Novikov asked. "On how long the combination of marketing the cities and the palace tours would take to pay off our debts and refill the war treasury?"

Nikolai had been looking at you how he always did--like you were the love of his life. As he watched you answer what both of you had hoped tto be Novikovs last question, he came to a realization.

"A minimum of five years," you said. "And that is with the tours going all year round. If we could have the tours going daily it would probably still be the same such estimate--we're more than one million kruge in debt with Kerch, double that with Novyi Zem, Novikov. The process for clearing Ravka of it's debts is not something that will be instantaneous unless you're willing to sell your home and give the funds to the cause? According to reports I've seen, your home could have us reasonably jumped forward if you sell it for it's maximum monetary value?"

Nikolai could see it right in front of him--two years from then, a ceremony. Watching you walk down the isle, a coronation where you were crowned as queen. A life as your husband, a life with you as his wife.

He glanced at the ring finger on his left hand--it was looking awfully bare, but if you said yes when Nikolai proposed, which he decided he would do right then, it would not look bare for the rest of his life.

"All in favor?" Nikolai asks, giving your hand a squeeze as the thought solidifies itself fully in his mind.

I am going to make her my bride.

Everyone, including a rather embarrassed Novikov, said "I" and you grinned victoriously.

Your plan was barely in motion, but it was starting to gain traction still. As Nikolai pressed a kiss to your cheekbone and the two of you moved to leave the meeting room, the same could be said of his.

[worldswithoutendings]

Eye for an eye [Michael Langdon] PT.1

Hello everyone! guess who is back after a very very long time, I'm rewatching AHS and can't help but fall in love with the antichrist. so enjoy! This might be a series, I want to test it out first.

Pairing: Michael Langdon x Female reader

Warning: none

Summary: 15-year-old you made a sort of deal with the devil, for a love life. pathetic. you know. but he comes with a different approach to what you actually want. but will it work?

You still regret the day you made the decision, the worst decision in your life so to speak of. When you made a deal with the devil. But on the other side, who can you blame? When you’re 15 years old, desperate for love, a life you wanted so badly. Due to all the influence, the neglect in your family. The yearning. You still remember his reaction to this day. Loud laughter ran through the reddened sky, ‘Sweetheart, please, don’t be so pathetic. You want to make a deal with me, for a love life?’ ‘Yes! Please’ you cried out, feeling foolish ‘Foolish, foolish little girl’ he mumbled as he sat on his throne ‘you can be so much more, you have so much potential. Yet you’re here, with me, pleading for love’

‘I’m sorry’ you whisper as you look down, hot tears flowing over your rosy cheeks ‘You’re so young’ he keeps mumbling about the great aspects of you ‘You could rule the world one day’ ‘I don’t want to do it alone’ you blurt out "oh! Now I have you talking, so you want to rule the world?” “I mean, yeah, doesn’t everyone want to rule the world at one point in their life?" his laugh echoes again ‘no one, can rule the world like you, but, I can arrange something for you. If you arrange something for me’

‘What do you want’ you blurt out ‘I want, you to be the bride, the bride to end all times, to end all days, to end eternity on this earth’ ‘What do you mean?’ you say as you try to get rid of the tears on your cheeks ‘I will give you, a husband, you have to find him first. He isn’t ready yet, I'll give you directions when the time is ri-‘ ‘NO!” you yell out

‘I want to be loved now, didn’t you hear me!? How old are you? Like two thousand years old?-‘ ‘-older my dear’ ‘Well then fix yourself some hearing aids!’ you blurt out, making Satan laugh again ‘Oh foolish girl, you’re going to give him a hell of a time’ and by that. Time stops. The sky turns back from red to gray.

You find yourself back in your bedroom, the cuts you made for your offering are gone, the dead bird has disappeared and all the candles are blown out. ‘What a joke’ you mumble to yourself as you cry yourself to sleep that night.

27th of November 2023

7:30.

Corpus ave.

Dress code: black

You can’t help but laugh, corpus ave? How fitting for a cooperative meeting. You are now 26 years of age. You did age gracefully if you have to be honest. Maybe Satan was right and was keeping you youthful for your husband.

you laugh okay quit it y/n your 15-year-old was screaming in your head about how you deserve to be loved, yet no one ever bothered to go further than a lazy one-night stand or a short conversation filled with flirtations but no invitations. You thought Satan totally saw it as a joke and to be honest, you started to see it like that too over time.

But on the other hand, you hadn’t expected an invitation to a cooperative meeting, led by Satan, or rather his Spawn. You had heard from him, Michael Langdon, ‘son’ of Tate Langdon and Vivien Harmon. You didn’t want to expect much from him so you kept your expectations low as you got ready for the night.

Stupid dress, why did I buy you in the first place?! Even though you had better dresses in your wardrobe, you also wanted to impress the people there. So you took advantage of your body, with a black body con dress, that rose up every time you walked. That means I will be sitting down for the rest of the evening ‘Miss van son!” you hear, and you look up, to see an unknown face ‘You don’t remember me? My apologies, my name is Rutherford, Jason Rutherford. We went to high school together’ ‘And you are calling me by my last name because?’ ‘Because I have to, Miss van Son’ Jason smiles. But his eyes aren’t smiling. Which says enough for you, and you give him a 20-dollar tip ‘Have a nice night Jason’ ‘Thank you, mis-Miss van Son’ Jason stutters. You sit down in the ballroom with all the people who have money. Lots of money. You feel out of place.

‘all rise’ a man screams, making everybody stand up straight ‘Michael Langdon, The antichrist.’ Michael comes through the doorway and your breath hitches oh my. He is beautiful, with deep sea blue eyes, golden hair past his shoulder, and a girl to his side. Hold up. A girl!? It’s not him you sigh why else would Satan, of all people, invite me to a cooperative meeting ‘sit down” Michael's cold voice echoes through the room ‘first of all, thank you for coming. Second of all. I want to introduce my girlfriend, soon-to-be wife, Rosalie Withers. You can not question her about anything. I will have your head on a silver platter’ He shows his white teeth at the end, and you can’t help but feel jealous, so who will it be then, the so-called love of my life.

When it’s time to socialize, you scrape your throat. Getting ready to walk to the bar for a heavy drink. Only to lock eyes with Michael. You show him your best smile and raise your empty glass at him as he opens a pathway for you to the bar. You can’t help but see him scan your body again!? No ‘Hi how are you’ or anything else? ‘Hi, how are you?’ Michael says softly ‘I’m good, thank you mister Langdon” he has to be a few years older than you.

He moves gracefully but strategically ‘You have potential’ Michael says ‘Excuse me?’ you almost choked on your saliva ‘I say you have potential’ he says a bit harder, but not harder for the room ‘Oh, thank you. I guess?’ you try to push your body through Donald Trump and Michael's body. You see how he takes a whiff of your smell and you see his eyes darken oh shit you try to pick up your pace to the bar but Michael has beaten you to it ‘a vodka soda, please’ you say to the bartender ‘Make that two, and two shots’ you hear Michael say and you furrow your brows

‘my father says I have to be polite’ ‘Well, you’re father is a shitty man’ you can’t help but blurt out. Making Michael laugh, almost the exact same way you got humiliated eleven years ago. You bite your lip on the inside and take a deep breath as you wait ‘I’m sorry, Miss Van Son, right?” ‘You can just call me y/n’ ‘you can just call me Michael’ ‘I’d rather not’ you say as the bartender puts down your drinks ‘why not?’ “well, you’re Satan offspring, I’m already... seen like a fool. Don’t want to humiliate myself that bad that I will definitely not have a-I don’t know why I’m telling you this, have a lovely night Mr Langdon’ you walk away with your drink and leave Michael with the two shots.

After you finish your drink you walk outside to feel the crisp air you’re still a foolish little girl you hear Satan roar through your mind ‘I know, thanks for the newsflash’ you say as you raise a middle finger to the ground ‘That’s where you are, right?! everyone looking down at you. Pathetic’ you mumble as you feel yourself getting irritated.

You wished you had brought a shawl or a coat but no, you thought it wouldn’t be long. Yet it’s already 2:45 ‘shit’ you mumble as you look at your phone, only to feel a coat be draped over your shoulders ‘Figured you might need it’ Michael says as he walks back to the club he followed me?! He didn’t see me flip off his dad, right? You shake your head and make your way home. Longing for your warm bed, funny enough, Michael's scent hypnotizes you in a funny way. Making you not remember going home at all. Just as you fell asleep in your bed, still wearing his coat.

[deeptrashwitch]

I GOT HIM! I have the BOCW OC! Am I probably gonna be an absolute bitch with this one? Yes, his story makes him a bastard and I'll treat him like that. Do I feel surprisingly comfty writing him? Also yes, I can give him more detailed information since I can ask at the moment and that keeps me at peace.

Ahem, now I'll tag people just to introduce him hehe. (Sorry if I missed someone)

@stuffireadandenjoy @snootlestheangel @tapioca-milktea1978 @alypink @islandtarochips

@justasmolbard @mutantthedark @midnight193

Ta-da! *points to Charles*

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

Professor Charles Moore

Name: Charles Moore (people call him Charlie)

Date of birth: 8th november, 1951 - Lebanon, KS

Residence: West Berlin (temporary)/ New York, New York

Age: 30 (73 at 2024)

Nationality: American

Profession: Professor and Internacionalist

Height: 1, 75 m

Weight: 78 kg

Blood type: A-

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Straight

Languages: English (native), Chinese, Russian

Personality:

-He is really professional, and also is a perfectionist when it comes to work. Charles NEVER gives away information that he hasn't confirmed and searched completely.

-Also he isn't really respectful when he's out of work, he can be really rude when you talk to him. To be honest, he never talks to people with courtesy unless he considers them an equal, so usually is harsh when talking.

-This man isn't the best, he might be really clever, but his attitude is horrible. Definitely not the best person when it comes to women, black people or any LGBTI people, it might sound a bit stereotipated...but he is a bastard in personality matters.

Quote:

"Why can't you fucking leave me alone, Adler? I have important work to do, I don't have time for your shit. Definitely I shouldn't have accepted this fucking deal"

Trivia:

-Charles is a chronic smoker and drinker, and no one is exactly sure of how he isn't dead or chronically ill because of it. And right now he does drink less, but still smokes like a chimney after teaching his classes.

-His voice is raspy due to the smoke, so he sounds like a old and tired old man since he was in his early twenties.

-Has written a lot of books that many professions uses them as class text book. One of his mayor uses is on the officers military school, but he has rejected any kind of conference there.

-Considers any other profession as inferior, so doesn't really has many friends on other fields.

-During his fourties, he slept with a woman he met in a bar when he came back to the US. After that, he learned that she ended up pregnant, and his reaction was mock her and walk away without even bother on asking anything.

-(on the time of the main story) He's an old man that keeps teaching, but he's lonely and is investigating who is his child. Not that he has any success, tho. (Maybe you can figure out who he's related to, I tried to make this one really similar to his child)

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

I know I made him to be a bastard, but FOR GOD'S SAKE, I hate him xd Oh, btw, he probably will appear on some snippets and will make a cameo on A Haunting Past.

*clears throat* YOU FUCKER! *pointing at Charles*

[ateez-himari]

SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES 231123

NEW UPLOAD FROM ATEEZ

ateez_official_ [🎂] HAPPY BIRTHDAY HIMARI

Happy birthday to Himari 🎉 Please leave the comments with love for her!💌

#ATEEZ #애이티즈 #HIMA #히머리

23 November 2023 • See Original

NEW UPLOAD FROM MINGI

ATEEZ(에이티즈) @ATEEZofficial

[#민기] Happy birthday angel ❤️ Our little baby is finally growing up and has now been lighting up the sky with her bright smile for 22 years. For 5 of those years I've been lucky enough to have you in my life and I'm not letting you leave it any time soon. I love you...let's celebrate! ❤️❤️❤️ #ATEEZ #애이티즈

Translated from Korean by Google

9:31am. · 23 Nov 23 · 3.7M Views 39K Reposts 1,473 Quotes 2.5M Likes

halakoala @halalalalalazia Replying to @ATEEZofficial hang on are they kissing in the first pic?! what's going on?! dating announcement?! song mingi?! min himari?!😳

lightiny @bulleobulleooo Replying to @ATEEZofficial he takes the prettiest pictures of her ��� and the way he called her angel- i cant take this anymore they're teasing us i can feel it-

Hwanakin Skywalker @hwaslegos Replying to @ATEEZofficial i've been an atiny since their debut and it's so strange to see that Hima is 22 now. She still seems like our shy little girl on the survival show😭🩵

Uyu @bulleobulleooo Replying to @ATEEZofficial KQ?? THE 1ST PHOTO?? DEFEND YOURSELF 🫣But also Happy birthday to our princess omg finally!❤️

NEW UPLOADS FROM THE MEMBERS

Seonghwa [Twitter] & Hongjoong [Twitter]

[성화] Peek a boo! Happy birthday princess! 🩵👑 Let's eat lots of cake today! [홍중] Weren't you 17 yesterday...Happy Hima Day 😘 I'll keep cherishing you and protecting you well so you can stay this happy, I promise

Yunho [TOKTOQ] & Yeosang [Twitter]

[윤호] Mari-ah finally you're growing up!❤️Happy 22nd birthday (thank you for always making such delicious food and being so shiny) [여상] Our treasure is getting older today🤗Not quite a big tiger yet though...still a cub until you turn 30, or maybe even 50 ㅎㅎ

San [TOKTOQ] & Mingi [TOKTOQ]

[산] I wonder where she's looking...to her birthday and it's today! My little nyang-teez partner happy you day❤️ [민기] A little cat sleeping ㅎㅎㅎ I wish this platform had space for all the pretty pictures I have of you :(

Wooyoung [TOKTOQ] & Jongho [TOKTOQ]

[우영] How can she sleep so soundly like this ㅋㅋㅋ Our strange little tiger is finally 22 ❤️ Time for my revenge for the cake face >:) [종호] To our little sunshine bringer of good luck happy 22nd birthday ❤️ Born at such a cold time in the year yet so warm no matter the weather

23 November 2023 • See Originals

[noellezoenoodle]

I watched I Saw The TV Glow, and it wrecked me like a truck

// spoilers for aforementioned movie and trigger warning for existential dread and religious themes

It all started in July with my 23rd birthday; even if it was an eventfully slow year, I still felt disconnected and dissociated, as if I was on another kid's birthday, born on the same day. I'm not out as a trans-woman to my family. I can't come out to them; this wasn't new. But I was getting tired of it; the idea of celebrating another year as another person was painful, hurting me mentally, on some days, even physically.

Before I knew it, another month passed by. I felt that time was going faster, that I threw away my youth, that soon I was going to be 27, 30, 60, and that I'd be dead before I could even know. I felt like I was dying, but the only thing I could do was scream for help. I yelled to somebody to save me, anybody from family, my friends, even Adonai; all who answered, but none could help me from decaying; even with my restored faith, I still felt hollow, as if my soul was nowhere to be found.

One day, while I was on my way to work, I made an appointment at a gender clinic. I knew what was affecting me, but I didn't call sooner because I was afraid of losing my family and my blurry future, Afraid of losing the harrowing comfort that normalcy brought to me. But I couldn't live like this anymore; I was willing to lose all that instead of living in a purgatory.

When I watched "I Saw The TV Glow" at the start of September, I not only saw my reflection through a black mirror, I saw my fears, my past, my present, and what-could-be future. I felt like Tara and Isabel seeing their life passing through a TV show, shattering me when the screams of existential dread came at the end; to say that this movie made me bawl my eyes out would be an understatement. I watched it at the right time in my life, and if there were ever a movie I needed to see, it would be this one.

It didn't feel like a wake-up call; by the time I watched it, I'd already made an appointment at the clinic. But it was a congratulatory message, validating my decisions. My first appointment will be in November. I know that HRT won't completely fix my chronic anxiety and make my fears go away. I know I'm going to struggle socially and financially for the rest of my life, but that won't matter because, for maybe the first time in a long time, I'll feel alive.

[einsatzzz]

KHRe Projects Updates #2

Making another update post because OCtober is over, yippeee!! I'm very proud of the art I've done this month and I think it's also the most I've drawn for an OCtober event. I hope next year I'll be able to draw even more and maybe even complete all 30 days.

And with that out of the way, I'll be jumping back into working 100% on my projects. I'll post less art this month (save for asks if inspo strikes) because I'll be working on them behind the scenes, so I'll mostly be an OC supporter this month and just catch up on everyone's OC stuff that I missed whenever I have a chill time hehehe

Anyway, here's my progress on them so far!

Wiki: I plan on doing a lot of major edits on the wiki this time. I have a few that's already just sitting by on the sandbox pages already. I'll do them topic by topic/page by page, so whenever I make a major update, I'll do a post about it here (or maybe a summary of wiki updates if it's way scattered).

Planned updates this month include adding pages for Yui and then Tsuna (if possible Reborn too! I know they're a package, I'll do my best lmao please don't shoot me, Reborn!). I also plan to add another section under Relationships > Appellations for KHRe-Occurence interactions!

Webcomic: We are so back on this one! For now my initial draft of the chapter order in terms of character debut is more or less finalized. For this first part, I decided to just cover character introductions/focus chapters for now, which I estimate to last for about 12-13 chapters (covering for 15 characters, mix of canon and OC).

I should be able to figure out where to go from that point while drawing chapters 1-13! Daily Life Arc is so important to me, I'm not skipping the good shit 😆💖✨ But I already do have a few more Daily Life Arcs in mind after that and a few mini-arcs.

In terms of assets, I'm just thankful I even managed to put together some 3d assets/references I can use for Namichuu. I also more or less have the whole school mapped. I'll be putting this information in the wiki as well, in case anyone wants to make use of it too. Now I kind of want to make a rough draft of a Namimori map hahaha

Because of this, that scene with Ryohei convincing Hibari to do the trial in the Arco Trials Arc became even more funnier to me lmao 🤣🤣

For target release, if we're just talking about Chapter 1 then definitely this November is doable. But then I lowkey want to get ahead till to around Chapter 3-5 too! I'll think about it more!

My even bigger stupidass problem is I also want to draw a webcomic that's Oniyanagi 1st Gen-centric, but I only have two hands so sjhfshvfgs Making comics is so fun ok??!! I just don't have enough time lmao

For the artstyle, I decided to just use the same brush for the comic I did with Kana and Myell's Entity. The edges for that are smooth enough while still having a pencil-like feel to it, so coloring with the paint bucket tool would be easier. I considered using the pencil brush I'm using for rough sketches right now because I'm faster with those, but yeah, the coloring. I'll also be doing a mostly "Don't look back, just keep drawing" approach, so I don't take 100 years for chapter 1. It won't be 100% clean, but maybe just decently not messy enough? Anyway, I'm still thinking of other ways to be faster at drawing, aside from just increasing my overall stamina 😭😭😭 (I get tired so easily). Time to start lifting Ein! 💪✨

In addition to the main story, watch out for any new KHRe-OCcurrence chapters that I might drop in between 🥰🥰🥰

MV: I'm working on 📺MV and should also finish it within 2-3 months while working on my other stuff (2 weeks if I mentally zoom in & obsess over it somehow). I have the vivid storyboard for the entire thing laid out in my brain now. I think finishing this will hype me up more to draw more webcomic stuff hahahaha You'll know when you see it.

✦•····································•✦•····································•✦

Projects aside, I'll be resuming posting my other commissioned art here again yippeee!! I'm just really super thankful there are people who like my original stuff and interact with me here sfhdvhfvsvf and on the flipside, I'm also super thankful that people share their original stuff with me as well (or at least where I can see!). It takes a lot of courage to share your original works out in public, so it's practically SSR-rank content for me.

I have a few oc-related project/posts (even if it's not khr-related) that I have bookmarked as well, I'll do my best to check them out this month as well! Seeing other people with projects also hypes me up and inspires me, so the more the better! fhsvdfhgvhgdfvds Honestly, this small corner of the internet/tumblr that we have going on is kind of like a comfort place for me now, love ya'll ! 🫶🫶🫶

[cinderswrites]

F A I T H :: 30 Fics in 30 Days 3256 / 30000 words. 11% done!

-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-

This challenge is something I made based off the 30k November challenge. I plan on writing one short story per day every day of November, and since I know I'll probably blow past the 30k mark, I changed the name.

-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-

"Faith" is a story about challenging beliefs, rebellion, and maybe hope a little bit.

-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-

:: WC: 3,256 :: CW: mentions of religion, mentions of suicide ::

!! The opinions of the characters in this story do not reflect my personal beliefs or stances on these particular subjects. !!

-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧-

The sun was hot against her back as Audrina trailed behind her father and his wife up the sidewalk to his church. It stood stark white against the deep emeralds of the pine trees behind it. Trees that were evergreen and thick with needles. A forest that called to her, whispered her name almost.

She wanted to be anywhere other than here, that was for damn sure.

Don’t say that.

The harsh voice of her father scolded her in her mind, even though he appeared to be calm and in a pleasant mood as he unlocked the heavy oak door to the church. The twins, her step-mother’s children from a previous marriage, stood off to the side, whispering between each other and shooting her glances with their identical pale blue eyes.

Eyes that reminded her of a dead fish.

“Audrina,” her father said, his voice stern and nasally. Her cornflower blue eyes, a blue that was actually pleasing to look at, jerked towards him like a deer in headlights. “Make sure the pews are clean and everyone’s hymnals are in their place.”

He was a shorter man, rather portly in the middle even if he refused to acknowledge it, if the strain on his white button shirt was any indication. His round face was clean-shaven and there was a tiny cut on the side of his jaw he hadn’t noticed. The blood had dried on their drive to the church and it was what her eyes focused on as he issued his demands.

Always so demanding.

She’d been free of it for the last ten years, at least. But now she was home, back in this tiny awful town somewhere in Nowhere, Colorado. They could hardly be considered a part of what the lower states were often called: the Bible Belt.

Since she was a good daughter, though, she nodded and walked through the door he held open for her. Inside the church, it was dusty and humid, typically in this time of year. It was still early summer. She’d only returned from college a few weeks ago and already she hated this place. The dust was almost thick enough to choke her, and she almost wondered why none of the parishioners helped clean the place up.

She took her time making sure everything was neat and organized like she had been taught as a young girl. They always arrived hours before service anyway. In the background, she could hear the twins still whispering, watching her like the creepy little things they were. Mary Louanne’s daughters might just be the devil’s spawn, she thought to herself.

Some time had passed and about a half-hour into the service, Audrina slipped out the back of the chapel, making her way to the front door. She was suffocating in this heat, made worse by the many bodies occupying the pews and the thick wafting perfumes that hung heavily in the air from women fanning themselves. It was a church, not a gala. She never understood why the women dressed up to talk about Jesus.

Audrina pushed open the heavy oak door, closing it behind her and turning around, wiping the sweat off her brow. Her thick wavy chestnut brown hair hung almost sadly around her shoulders, also weighed down by the humidity. If only she had an elastic, or a ribbon–

She paused in her motions, taking on the deer in the headlights look again. There was a man some odd ten feet or so from the oak door. He had his hands shoved inside the pockets of his leather jacket–Who the hell wears leather in the eighty degree summer heat?

His dark eyes flicked to her face, startled to see her as well. He shifted his weight from hip to hip for a moment, looking away, his expression troubled. She lowered her hand and folded it in front of her with the other one, watching him carefully. She’d seen him around before, usually after services, hovering on the edge. Watching the parishioners leave. Watching her father thank people and talk with them about the day’s sermon as he always loved to drone on about it long after it was over.

The man reached up to run a hand through his sandy blond hair, a messy thing that fell in loose waves around his face and down his neck. He had ear piercings and tattoos, and there was stubble on his face like he hadn’t bothered to clean up. “So, uh-“ his voice was a smooth and deep timbre, like the low hum of a bass guitar in the rock songs she sneakily listened to sometimes. “Sermon not… good today?” His question was awkward and it was clear he didn’t know what to say.

Audrina looked down with a small smile, trying not to be impolite by laughing. She glanced up at him, shaking her head slightly. “No, no,” she stuck her hands in the pockets of her dress skirt, pockets she’d sewn in herself. “It’s rather… muggy in there. I needed some fresh air, although… it’s not much better out here, is it?”

She raised her hand, blocking the hot sun and looking up in the clear blue sky. For a summer day, it was wonderful. For a Sunday, it was torture.

The man chuckled and scuffed his black boot against the ground, “Yeah, I suppose it isn’t.”

Feeling a little less on edge, she took a few steps towards him until she stood beside him, turning to face the church and look at it as he had been. “Do you need… help, or anything?” she asked with a side glance.

He seemed to stiffen a bit when she came near, even though she’d kept a polite distance between them. “Ah, no…” he hesitated. “Guess I’m just… curious, maybe.”

“About… the church?” she pressed.

“Sorta,” he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly struggling with what he was trying to say. “I don’t know.”

His sigh made her turn her head to look at him. “Well… do you want to go in for service?” she tried a different approach.

His brown eyes met hers as he scoffed, wrinkling his nose. Up close, she could see a smattering of freckles on his face. “No,” he said quickly.

Audrina shrugged, “Alright, then.”

As she looked back at the church, her hands resting in her pockets, she could feel his gaze on the side of her face. Like he was studying her. He spoke up after a minute or so of silence, “What’s your name? I see you around with the priest and his wife sometimes.”

“Audrina,” her blue eyes flicked to him as she answered, before moving back to the church. “Audrina Montgomery. The priest is my father, and his wife is my step-mother, Mary Louanne. Her daughters, the twin girls that are usually hovering around, are Sarah and Jane.”

“Mm,” he grunted in response, looking away. “Those twins, your step-sisters… they’re kinda freaky looking, yeah?” he pointed out.

That brought out a surprise laugh from her, and she tilted her head down, unable to hide her grin. “Yeah, yeah they are,” she agreed. She turned her face towards him again. “They’re always together and always whispering and watching me. It’s definitely… freaky.”

He chuckled in response, and she found it to be a comforting noise for an odd reason, “That’s fucking weird.”

Her lips twitched a little at his cursing. She wasn’t entirely a prude, she’d heard people cursing in college and occasionally did it herself, but she wasn’t used to it. Not in Lone River, at least. “So, who are you?” she questioned, keeping her voice casual and friendly as she looked at him once more.

The man shifted his weight around again, as if debating on telling her. “Miah Banks,” he finally said.

“Miah? That’s a name I haven’t heard,” she raised an eyebrow.

“It’s short for Jeremiah,” he shrugged. “Reagan gave the name to me a while ago.”

“Reagan?” her eyes widened.

As in Reagan, Reagan? The scary ruthless leader of that biker gang on the edge of town her father warned her about when she returned home? Did that mean he was also a gang member?

Miah frowned slightly, his guard going up immediately. “… Yeah, Reagan,” his tone was flat.

Audrina’s face softened, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound like that. Truth be told, I haven’t been in Lone River for a lot of years, so I’m still unfamiliar with all… well, you know.”

He nodded, relaxing a little, “I see. I guess I’m just used to people writing us off as devils in leather, or somethin’.”

She let out a soft snort. “Now, Devils in Leather would kind of be a cool name,” she smiled playfully.

Miah’s stoic-looking face cracked into a lopsided grin as he chuckled, “It does sound good. Maybe I should bring it up to Reagan and see what he thinks.”

“Speaking of leather, how are you not melting?” she looked pointedly at his black leather jacket. He didn’t even seem to be sweating.

He shrugged one of his broad shoulders, “Used to it.”

“Well, I’m not, so I’m going to move over that way for some shade,” she started walking towards the tree line. She could already feel the cooler wind from the forest beckoning her, wrapping around her ankles and pulling her forward like invisible tendrils begging her to get closer.

Miah followed behind her without hesitation, his boots crunching against the dry grass and pebble mixture. Audrina sat beneath one of the pine trees, carefully folding her skirt underneath her and behind mindful of the pine needles. He sat down near her, raising one of his knees and draping an arm on top of it. “So, you’re the priest’s daughter, then?” he asked, wanting clarification.

“Unfortunately,” she rolled her eyes, sighing. The cooler air beneath the shade of the trees was already helping her feel less like she was boiling.

He glanced at her curiously, “And you sound happy about that, I see.”

“It’s not that-“ she sighed. “It’s… complicated.”

“Well, life’s kinda like that, I noticed,” he offered casually. “Something you want to get off your mind?”

Audrina studied his face for a moment, wondering if he was being genuine. He wasn’t anything like the monsters her father tried to paint the Sons of Night as. If anything, he seemed rather… calm. She looked away, back to the church once again. “He sent me away,” she explained. “To a private school. Catholic. I lived there until I graduated, and then I went to college, and now I’m home, and it’s…”

“Complicated?”

She glanced at him and smiled. “Yeah. Complicated,” she ran a hand through her thick locks and sighed.

“… It sounds like it might have been rough on you,” Miah stated. “That school, I mean.”

“It was,” she nodded. “I wasn’t able to mail letters to any of my friends back home, and they all moved on and grew up without me. Everything had to be done according to their rules or we were punished unfairly. My father remarried and didn’t even invite me to the wedding. I didn’t even know I had little sisters until I came back, so that should tell you how much he kept in touch with me.”

She looked down at her hands, scratching at some dry skin on her cuticle. Just the thought of that awful school almost made her shiver out of habit. Miah’s voice was gentle as he spoke to her, “You must have been pretty lonely, then. Still, even.”

Audrina looked up at him, not bothering to hide the vulnerable expression on her face. “Yeah… I am,” she huffed a bitter laugh.

Miah’s eyes were filled with something like understanding as he met hers. “Sorry you went through that.”

She shook her head, waving her hand dismissively. “It’s… fine. I’m fine, really. Just figuring out where to go from here,” she let out another sigh.

“My old man wasn’t much of a father, either,” he sympathized. “He tried, but his mind was too… messed up, or somethin’.”

Miah had pulled a cigarette out of the pack he pulled from his jacket, sticking it between his lips and lighting it up. He hesitated for a moment before offering the pack to her.

Audrina stared at it, her heart suddenly skipping a beat. She reached out and took one, leaning towards him as he lit it. She took a careful drag, wrinkling her nose at the vaguely familiar taste of tobacco and nicotine. She’d smoked a few times, mostly socially, in college, but even so, she still coughed a bit.

Miah chuckled a little, exhaling a plume of blue-white smoke himself. “First time?”

“No,” she mumbled, her cheeks heating up a little out of embarrassment. “Been a while.”

“Rebellious,” he said, amused. “I like it.”

Audrina couldn’t hide the smile that comment caused, “S-shut up…”

“Anyway,” Miah continued after a moment. “My dad was the kind of person that just couldn’t handle life, I think. He ended up offing himself when I was sixteen.”

She took a drag and it went down easier this time, exhaling and looking at him in surprise. “S-suicide?” she whispered.

He nodded.

“Jeez,” she let out a breath, “I’m sorry, Miah.”

The blond shook his head, “Don’t be. It’s a selfish thing, suicide. You think you’re keeping others from being burdened by you, but really you’re just leaving behind people that need you.”

She looked at the church again. Her mind wondered what sort of deity would be so cruel to afflict someone’s mind with such torment that their only relief was to no longer exist. “Do you believe? In God, religion, or anything like that?” she asked suddenly.

Miah laughed bitterly, “Hell no. What about you? Did your little school girl pinafore and habit leech your beliefs out of you?” His tease was almost on the mark.

Audrina scoffed, shooting a glare at him. “I wasn’t a nun, jeez,” she grumbled. “But that school certainly didn’t help. I also experienced a lot in college, and that kind of helped me separate the church from reality, as it is.”

“Yeah? Were you the rebellious preacher’s daughter once daddy’s eyes weren’t on you?” he continued his almost-mocking tone, but she could tell there was no malice hidden in his words.

She rolled her eyes, taking another drag and pausing before answering. “I experimented like any other young adult, I suppose. I definitely feel like a fish out of water being back here, though.” she frowned.

“Mm, I can imagine,” he nodded solemnly, finishing his cigarette and stubbing it out in the dirt, flicking the butt away.

Audrina followed its trajectory until it settled on the ground somewhere. She finished hers as well and flicked it away in the same manner. “What about you? How… have you been, after what happened with your dad?” she asked.

Miah took a deep breath, “Better now. I was just a runt back then, so I didn’t have much goin’ for me. Reagan actually found me and took me in. Wouldn’t let me prospect until I was eighteen, though.”

“Prospect? What’s that?”

He glanced at her and smiled, “Right. It’s when you first join a club, like a probationary period. A test trial, if you prefer. Gotta prove your worth and your loyalty to your brothers and all that before you get patched in.”

Audrina took a closer look at his leather jacket, noting the various patches on it, “I’m assuming ‘patched in’ means you get something like that, and you’re official?”

“Yeah. It’s called a cut. We always wear our cuts no matter what,” he explained, and she could hear that hint of pride in his tone.

“You also said ‘brothers’. Is that what you guys are? A brotherhood of sorts?”

“Something like that. It’s hard to explain, but once you’re in the club, you’re in for life. It becomes your life, and the other members, your brothers, are your family. We protect our family, always. We always have each other’s backs,” Miah spoke in a somber tone, and she could tell that this ‘club’ of his was very serious for him.

It made her think of the church again. Always was she making comparisons, but she couldn’t help it. Religion had been her life for so long, and this biker, Miah, was speaking about something that seemed deeper even than the bond the parishioners had with their priest. Almost like a blood oath or something.

Audrina was envious. “It sounds incredible,” her voice was quiet. “That sense of family and loyalty, even if you aren’t actually related… I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

She could feel his brown eyes on her again, watching her. Probably seeing if she was teasing or being mocking. “It is,” he agreed. “Like nothing else.”

She was about to say something else when the old brass bell on top of the church suddenly tolled, its rings clanging out into the still summer heat. It made her flinch and she looked upset that their conversation had to end now.

Together, they stood up and walked back out into the summer sun, now a comfortable warmth rather than a blazing heat on her skin. The door to the church opened and people started leaving, looking red and sweaty and uncomfortable. Audrina crossed her arms over her chest and turned to Miah. “Will I see you again?” she furrowed her brows a little, frowning.

It should have been embarrassing, the almost desperate tone in her voice, but she couldn’t help it. He was like nothing she’d ever seen or experienced before. If anything, he was far more understanding than any of the ‘devout Catholics’ that were currently coming out of their sardine can.

His smile was a warm one, and he reached out to poke her cheek with one of his calloused fingers. “Smile,” he said, and it wasn’t a demand nor a suggestion. “Whatever bad shit is going on, just keep smiling, okay?”

Her breath left her, her blue eyes widening. She could feel her cheeks heat up again. “I…”

Miah reached up to brush his thumb over her eyebrow, where that strawberry birthmark marred her face like a splotch of red paint staining her skin. A mark that her father had said she was kissed by an angel, while Mary Louanne said she was branded by the devil. A mark that she was otherwise self-conscious of until this moment.

“I’ll be around again,” he answered her question, dropping his hand.

“… You promise?” she whispered.

Almost like it was ingrained in her, she could feel her father’s gaze boring into her back, knowing he’d have words for her later. Miah glanced over her shoulder, and she knew who he was looking at without turning around. “Yeah. I promise,” he said softly.

He nodded at her and turned to start walking away. She stood in place and watched him head to the old black Harley that had been parked at the edge of the gravel lot in front of the church. The roar of the motorcycle felt like something ignited inside of her.

“Audrina? Who was that?” her father’s voice sounded huffy and impatient as he strolled up next to her, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder.

Miah turned and shot her a wink before revving his bike and riding away.

“No one important,” she smiled as she lied, knowing she might have just found something—rather, someone—new to put her faith in.

[ithinkyouhealedmyheart]

30 Days of November

taglist: @myloveforhergoeson @partiallypearl @inkameswetrust (you really liked the idea)

12. Gloomy

The last thing Ashlynn wanted to do in the rain was walk home from work. The weather app on her phone had lied to her, and she hadn't packed an umbrella in her backpack. She also needed a warm coat. Watching the world from the cafe window, she frowned. The sky was grey, and rain pattered down in an erratic rhythm. No light would peek past those clouds.

"Can't you ask your boyfriend to pick you up?" Mark asked, wiping down the counter for the twentieth time. Some Karen had thrown her cold drink at him for some stupid reason.

"Boyfriend? I don't- Carlos is not my boyfriend." She furrowed her brows and crossed her arms.

"The fact he spends every other day here in the same spot by the window says otherwise." Her boss chuckled and took off his patron. "Or, I could drive you home."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'll wait out the rain."

"Ash, it's going to rain all day," Mickey said. Her hair was braided with various colors; she was sporting a rainbow.

"Okay, then I'll walk." Ash sighed and tugged her backpack tight on her shoulders.

The bell was atop the door, and she didn't turn to look at who entered the cafe. The dark-haired girl was focused on the steady rain. She could hear it tap against the gutters and rattle down the side of the building. It was louder than anyone expected but could quickly fade into the ambiance.

"Or, I could drive you."

Her ears perked, and she turned around. At the same time, he always arrived after work at Rocque Records and was the helmet-wearing singer from the boyband Big Time Rush. Carlos Garcia. Ash jumped and whirled around.

"Technically, it would be Logan driving you because I don't have my permit yet, and you would probably be squished in the back with me and James..." Now that he said his inside thoughts aloud, he started thinking it through.

It was a sweet gesture, and at this point, she would take anything instead of walking across town in the rain. Okay, across town was an exaggeration, but it was still too far to walk. She had her license but needed to get a car. The option was to ride in a car with her boss, who was more like a father figure than anything, or squish into the backseat of a BTR mobile with James and Carlos. The first option seemed comfortable, but she would have to wait for her boss to get off work; the second option would mean she was squished between two guys in an already cramped car, but it was better than waiting around and doing nothing.

"Okay."

Carlos had been rambling while she was weighing her options. He stopped mid-sentence and stared blankly at her. He was dumbfounded and maybe a little speechless. The boy floundered like a fish out of water, staring at her while she stuffed her apron into her backpack.

"I think you broke him," Mickey snickered.

"Okay!" Carlos squeaked. He couldn't contain the smile on his face. "Let me just go-" He tripped over himself as he practically ran out the door to inform his friends their seating situation would change.

Mickey snorted and laughed behind her hand. Ash chewed at the inside of her cheek. Sometimes, Carlos was like a puppy. He was so excitable and happy but also eager. It was almost like he worshipped the ground she walked on. From the window, she watched him talk to his friends. He wore a hood instead of his signature helmet, which she should have noticed when he walked in. His hands waved frantically as he presumably got his friend to move over and make room. Next thing she knew, she was squished between Carlos and James in the backseat, holding her backpack on her lap.

The brunette to her right was checking his appearance in a handheld mirror, and to her left, Carlos gave her puppy eyes. She swore there were little hearts in his eyes. But, for now, they were friends. It wasn't that she was afraid he would hurt her, but she wasn't sure if she could handle a romantic relationship. Carlos understood this despite how big of a crush he had on her.

When they go to the PalmWoods, Carlos removes his jacket and uses it like an umbrella to cover Ash from the rain. She is only an inch taller than him, so it isn't all that hard. Their proximity made her blush, but he dropped the jacket and shook off the water once inside, accidentally getting water on the carpeted floor. Thankfully, Bitters wasn't around.

"Hey, do you want to watch a movie?" Carlos asked quietly. He was half expecting her to turn him down, as most girls did. She most likely wanted to go out with James.

"Only if we watch Grease. It's my favorite movie to watch when the weather is gloomy." Ash cracked a small smile. Carlos' face lit up.

"Okay, yeah. We can watch whatever you want!" he exclaimed, trying to keep himself from quite literally jumping for joy. She followed him when he practically ran off to the elevator with a pep in his step.

Mrs. Knight and Katie weren't home because they were off doing something most likely related to girl things. All four guys were entitled to the apartment, but Carlos kicked the four of them out. Kendall and James weren't phased because they had prior plans to hang out with their girlfriends, but Logan had been in the middle of his math homework. Instead of moving, he sat down in the hall and worked away on his laptop.

"So, what is Grease?" Carlos pulled up one of the RCM-CBT streaming services to look for it on the television.

"Well, it's a musical..." Ash knew well that his favorite types of movies were action movies, but when he didn't react adversely, she let out a breath, which she didn't know she was holding.

"It's a romance movie?" Carlos didn't scrunch his face up or fake gag. That was how he reacted to his friends. "Why do you want to watch a romance movie with me?" He quirked a brow.

"It's perfect for rainy days." Ash avoided his gaze.

Carlos started the movie and stretched his arms across the back of the couch. Ash sat beside him with a platonic distance between them, but the more the movie played, the closer she scooted to his side. Until she was cuddling against him.

The energetic boy tried to hide the fact he was crying, but she reached for the tissues on the coffee table and handed them to him. She had seen this movie about a thousand times. She remembered how she cried the first time watching it. Beauty School Dropout was her favorite song. Carlos blew his nose and tried to keep it together. He didn't want to seem weak, crying in front of her, but he couldn't help it.