#my floors are tile not wood is that better or worse

[lokh]

how the fuck is my bed moving away from the wall

[unholyhelbig]

Natasha Romanoff x Reader with "Who did this to you?"

Title: Hallway Meetings

Ship: Female!Reader x Natasha Romanoff

Wordcount: 2077

Warnings: Injuries, blood, bruising, mugging, Bad Grammar

[A/n: I haven't written Nat in awhile, so here is some hurt comfort!]

Main Masterlist | Read my stuff on AO3 | Leave Requests

By the time you made it back to your apartment, the adrenaline had sufficiently worn off. The rush of energy that kept the pain at bay was the only thing that made it possible for you to sit through the bus ride across the city, the lights were much too bright and blue, your head pounding. You pressed your fingers against your ribs on the ride home, each exhalation trembling.

Somewhere along the way, the bus came rolling to a stop and the man behind the wheel huffed out at you. “End of the line.”

You were the only one on the bus, and by that time, you were fighting sleep entirely. There was no one else on the bus, and you didn’t see the point in arguing with him. His eyes were tired and dark. Something told you he was having a worse day than you were.

With begrudging compliance, you walked the three blocks to your building. You had forgotten your coat, and by the time you made it to the entrance, there was a numbness to the fingers that you refused to realize until you typed your code in and felt what real warmth was for only a moment.

The lobby smelled damp, as it always did despite the dry winter that the city was experiencing. Sickly yellow lights changed the tile on the floor from beige to green, and you lamented the fact that the elevator that had been busted since your move-in date was still in the same condition.

Any other day, it wouldn’t’ bother you. But you let out an involuntary groan at the sight before making your way up the first flight of stairs, your fingers still pushed against the aching of your mid-section. You were certain that they were broken, or at the very least, bruised. It pained you to take a deep breath.

Two more flights of stairs and the excitement of the night had worn away entirely. Your whole body pulsed with pain, with fatigue and regret for not listening to your mother the million times she told you to be careful on your way home, to keep an eye on your surroundings.

It’s not you that I don’t trust, it’s other people. Her words echoed listlessly in your mind as you searched your pockets for your keys. The group of men who had jumped you must have snagged them too, or they were lost in the shuffle of things. Either way, you were locked out, and the damn was about to break.

“Come on,” You whispered, pressing your aching head against the cool wood of the door. You suppose you should be thinking whatever higher power was up there for letting you escape with your life, just not your cell phone. But right now, it all felt like a cruel joke.

You weren’t sure how long you lingered there, but it was long enough to slide down to the carpeted hallway and lean your head against the wall. It was much too late to call your landlord, even if you could. You were suddenly content to sleep the night off in the corridor. Concussion or not, unconsciousness called to you.

At some point, you’d drifted off to the buzzing sound of the overhead lights. When your neighbor approached, you didn’t’ make any attempt to unfold yourself at the sound of her soft footsteps. She had always been so courteous when she was home, making as little noise as possible, even when she arrived well into the night. This was no different.

She put her hand on your shoulder softly, it was a stark difference from the cold of the hallway, and you startled all the same, inhaling deeply and with enough haste to make you wince, a soft “ow,” escaping your lips.

Natasha was knelt down in front of you, an undeniable look of worry on her face. The two of you had been neighbors for over a year now, and you would be the last to admit that you wanted to get to know her better. She was quite elusive, and always kind. She was a mystery to you, and that made you all the more curious.

The two of you operated on the same schedule when she was home. You often ended up walking down to the mailboxes together, sharing in small talk. She was guarded at first, but the first time you had gotten her to open up, to laugh at a joke you couldn’t even recall, you knew that you wanted to hear that sound more than once.

Natasha would help you up the stairs with your groceries, despite your protests. You would help her learn how to cook something other than boxed mac and cheese. The two of you had shared a six-pack of beer during the buildings holiday block party on the roof, despite the cold. That night, Natasha had taught you how to peg a stop sign with a snowball, her aim impeccable.

The moments were few and far between, but they meant something to you both. You hadn’t seen her for about a month at this point and figured that she was traveling. There was no mention of what she did for work, and she seemed content not to tell you, just as you were content to let her do so in her own time. 

There was a suitcase next to her door, something you had never seen her with before. She was dressed in sweats, looking casual from a long day of travel. Her auburn hair was up in a loose bun, strands falling and framing her face. You couldn’t help but think that she was stunning.

Your face must have looked pretty banged up, because you could audibly hear her breath lodge in her throat. You hadn’t bothered calling the police, nor did you see much benefit in lingering in the spot that you’d been attacked. The only thought on your mind was getting back here, certainly not with the intention of seeing Natasha.

“Y/n,” her voice was gravelly. There was a coolness to her fingers that you wanted to lean into as she lifted your chin to get a better look at the pulsing feeling around your eye. You winced as her thumb moved against your busted lip, smearing away a streak of blood. “Who did this to you?”

Her voice was hard, almost with an edge of a threat on her tongue. You’d never heard her sound this way before. She was always soft, if not quiet in her calculations. Now, you saw worry and anger etched onto her beautiful features.

“Just some guys,” you said in an exhalation. “It’s not a big deal I got locked out.” 

The attempt to diffuse her worry was going poorly. Natasha frowned at you and released your chin. You struggled to voice your protests as Natasha eased her arm tightly around your center, pulling you to your feet. You saw stars, not quite sure if it was from her sudden closeness, or the exhaustive injuries.

Natasha was strong. She held you with little effort, even as you threatened to slump back down into your previous position. She unlocked her door, and you were welcomed with a warm darkness until she flicked on the light by the door.

Her home was modest, and understated. It overlooked a beautiful part of the city, the walls lined with novels that you’d otherwise be interested in. There were undertones of vanilla and tobacco, the same scent Natasha carried like a sword, your nose pressed against the small of her neck as she led you to the sofa and deposited you there.

Natasha vanished down the hallway. If her apartment mirrored yours, she would move towards the bathroom at the end of the hall. You nudged yourself up taller on the sofa, trying not to let your blood wick into its fabric. When She returned, she sheepishly shook a first-aide kit.

She set out her supplies and you groaned when you saw the bottle of iodine and cotton pads. She had done this before. Natasha worked with ease, she unscrewed the cap on the bottle before flipping it onto the pad, a sick brown liquid sopped into the surface. You could smell it from here, nose crinkling in response.

“Stop squirming, this will help.”

You highly doubted that, but all the same, let her work at the cut that was slit across your eyebrow. She dabbed the antiseptic and you refused to pull away. You knew that you would never try to get out of Natasha’s grasp. Her hand was warm and guiding. The sting eventually eased.

She asked, “Do you remember where you were when this happened?”

“Whoever they are, they’re long gone.”

You drew in a sharp breath when she nudged your ribs by accident. A discontent frown fell across her features. It wasn’t the same look of heated anger that dawned on her in the hallway. Instead, this was one of pure concern.

“We should really wrap that, you know? There’s no cure for broken ribs, but we can ease your suffering a bit with some plastic wrap.”

Before you could answer she put the iodine on the table and walked towards her kitchen. You watched her carefully. Each movement was calculated. “How do you know so much about this?”

“I’ve been put into some unsavory positions.” Natasha returned with a meager roll of cellophane. She stood, a pink color on her cheeks. “You’re going to have to take off your shirt.”

Now you were sputtering, mumbling a few things under your breath. The thrumming of your mid-section was enough for you to agree, even though your own cheeks heated up at the thought. She had a bit of a quirk to her lip, both eyebrows raised in amusement.

You got stuck halfway through, a twinge of pain shooting through your core. You must have winced, or Natasha could read the pain in your eyes because she mercifully helped you the rest of the way out. When she was done, the two of you were incredibly close, her breath warm on your skin, goosebumps coating every inch of your body.

A budding bruise stretched across your ribs, marring the tender flesh there. Natasha exhaled deeply, you felt the action everywhere. Her fingers moved across the deep smudges of brown and black and purple. Your mouth was suddenly dry as her forehead leaned against yours. She was quieter than usual.

“This shouldn’t have happened.” Natasha was knelt in front of you again, glowering as her soft touch soothed your aching. “I’ve spent my entire life making up for mistakes that I’ve made. Trying to stop the big bads of the world when… when horrible things happen everywhere, and the truth is, I can’t stop everything.”

“You don’t need to shoulder that responsibility, Natasha.” You mindlessly cupped her cheek and she sighed into the touch, her eyes closing for a moment of gratitude. “That’s not your job.”

“It is,” She swallowed hard “it is. And it pains me that you’re hurting like this. That I couldn’t protect you. All I’ve wanted to do since the moment I’ve met you is protect you from me, and seeing you like this, God, it shouldn’t’ have happened.”

She was crying, and you thumbed them away as she had done with your blood a few moments earlier. If there was any hesitancy in her emotion, it washed away with the simple gesture. Her nose brushed against yours, cold from the journey home.

Nat smelled of melted snow and you remembered the night on the rooftop. The way your elbows brushed together as you watched the lights over the city. You almost closed the distance then and there, but she’d pulled away, and you awkwardly downed another frothy beer before she threw a second snowball, nailing the stop sign where you had fallen short.

Now, it was her that leaned in. There was a slight nip of pain where your lip had split, but it eased slowly into pleasure. She tasted like hazelnut coffee from the airport, of an edge of mind. Your fingers traced her jaw. She sighed into the kiss, the most fragile sound in the world.

You broke the embrace regrettably, sucking air through your teeth “oh, ouch.”

“Sorry, I’m sorry” she chuckled softly, nudging her forehead with her own, touch dancing over your midsection. “We really should get you patched up.”

[euphoricfilter]

𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 | 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟒

more than you'll ever know

tags/ warnings: game designer! jungkook || non-idol au || established relationship || angst || slightly better communication (yippee) || slight comfort || the start of sex fiend jungkook

word count: 1.1k

notes: no taglist !!!!!!!

☆ collaboration with @bonny-kookoo 💞 ☆

☆ series masterlist

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆.

There’s beat of silence, seconds pulling out into what feels like minutes. The words repeat throughout your mind, sticky resentment clawing up your throat. His phone screen goes black, pitiful reflection of yourself staring back at you.

You swallow down the lump in your throat, pinch of an ache dispersing from between your eyes as you force down a wave of tears. Because what is worse than unfiltered sadness in moments like these, will always unfortunately be hard-headed pride.

Something a little duller aching in your chest, denial veiling your heart as you finally work up the courage to look at him.

His eyes are still wide, mouth open a little with shock, unsure to what you had seen, what he should say.

“Fuck you” you cry, throwing his phone at him, pain ebbing across the expanse of his chest as it hits him square over where his heart resides.

Before the words can even leave his mouth, you’ve scooted off the bed, scuttling into the bathroom. The door slams, click of the lock echoing in Jungkook’s ears.

He turns towards the bathroom door, glancing down at his phone. His tongue presses into his cheek when he sees part of the message, running a hand over his face.

He hears the door to the shower click shut, silence following in the moments after. His feet dig a little deeper into the carpet as he waits, listening if you were going to turn the water on, or if this was a false defence mechanism. More physical walls between the both of you as you slowly craft the more brittle ones of your mind. The tether that was holding the both of you together slowly fraying it seems. Days of watching you, eyebrows constantly marred, pretty face downturned, every thought locked inside the dark corners of your mind.

“Y/n?” he knocks on the door, “Open up”

He hears a hiccup of a sob when he presses his ear to the wood.

“Baby, you’re worrying me, let’s talk” he urges, “Come on”

You pull your knees up to your chest, hands pressing over your cheeks to dry them a little as you swallow down another sob.

“Go away” you shout, “I hate you”

You watch as he pushes at the door handle, another quickfire of knocks vibrating at the door. Somewhere in the back of your mind you wonder if he’s able to knock the door down with raw strength alone, if this was a sliver of respect, he held for you not ramming into it until he was stood before you.

“My love, as much as I’m sure a tantrum is wanted, we need to talk about whatever is happening” he tells you, tugging at the door until the hinges rattle a little.

“I don’t talk to cheaters!” you cry, bottom lip tucked between your teeth.

Jungkook pauses, cogs of his mind slowly whirring to life as his hand pauses, millimetres away from the door.

“Cheater?” he calls out, “Who’s cheating?”

Your feet pad against the tiled floor, lock clicking before you tug the door open. Jungkook’s lips tug down into a frown when he sees you, eyes red-rimmed, bleary with tears, cheeks shiny.

“I saw your phone Jungkook” you snivel, “If you didn’t wanna be with me anymore, why didn’t you say?”

Jungkook’s mouth tips open, utter disbelief wracking throughout his entire being.

“Woah hold on” he shakes his head, “First off, no one’s cheating”

“Your phone—” you start, blinking up at him when he gently presses his finger over your lips, “Don’t shush me” you push his hand away.

“But I need you to listen” he instead takes your hands, thumbs running over your knuckles.

“Maria, Jungkook. Who is she?”

“Oh!” he pauses, “She’s helping me with something”

You pull your hands away from him, stumbling back into the bathroom a little.

“What?” you deadpan, “Getting your dick wet?”

He splutters a little, “No! Why would you even think that?” he shakes his head frantically, “I don’t even know if people her age can get wet—” he stops when he catches your eyes, sheepish grin working its way onto his lips.

“That’s beside the point” his fists clench at his sides, unease still worming its way into his heart, “There has never been a point I haven’t wanted you. I don’t think you realise how much I love you, It’s scary sometimes”

The words catch in your throat, swallowed down when he opens his mouth again.

“Just, please trust me for a little longer. I know I’ve been busy; we haven’t spent much time together… I’ll make it up to you I just need a little bit longer.”

You press the palms of your hands into your eyes, alleviating some of the ache.

“I’m staying at a friend’s house tonight” you say, long drawn sigh easing some of the tension in your chest.

“Huh?” Jungkook’s eyes widen by a fraction, hands lifting to hold you, only to hover slightly.

“I’m sick of this constant push and pull” you murmur, “I’m tired, Jungkook”

He nods, swallowing as his eyes flit across your face.

“If that’s what you want…” he nods, “I’ll drive you there. Do you want to eat before you go?”

You glance up at him, “It’s fine, I’ll take the bus”

He shakes his head, “It’s getting late, I’d prefer if you let me take you. You don’t even need to talk to me on the way… you can choose what we listen to as well” he adds.

The both of you just stand there for a moment, a fraction of the weight on your shoulders lifted.

“Hey” he murmurs, “Come here”

You step towards him, an arms distance still between the both of you.

The faintest smile pulls onto his lips, “Closer”

“What if I don’t want to?” you say, fingers tugging at the hem of your shirt.

“Then you don’t have to” he shrugs, “You know you’re in charge of your own comfort. Just wanted a hug before you left, I’ve missed you”

You swallow, fingers itching to hold onto him. You take another step forward, arms slipping beneath his own. You press your face into his chest, bottom lip quivering as your forehead presses over his heart.

“You know I love you right?” he whispers, arms squeezing you that little bit tighter.

You shrug, eyes closing when he rests his cheek against the top of your head.

“More than you’ll ever know” he hums, “I’ll make you something to eat while you pack a bag, okay?”

And with that you’re alone, phantom kiss he left you with, lingering on your heated cheek.

[bullet-prooflove]

LittleMouse!Series Part Five: Acts of Violence - Alden Parker x Reader

Tagging: @yezzyyae @neapolitantoebeans @mandy426 @kmc1989

LittleMouse!Series

Don't... - Alden hates what your doing.

Waiting - You leave your ex waiting.

In Sickness & In Health - Alden and your ex sit down to discuss you.

Bordeaux - You come home to an unexpected surprise.

It’s the third time that Alden’s tried to call you tonight and the second time it’s gone directly to voicemail. It gives him a bad feeling because you don’t turn your phone off, not since the night that one of your team members called you in crisis. You’re available to them twenty-four, seven, the same way that he is.

Something’s wrong, he just knows it.  

He breaks the speed limit on the way to your place, it’s a miracle that he doesn’t get pulled over. When the lift takes too long to descend, he takes the stairs instead, two at a time until he reaches your floor. He listens for sounds on the other side of the door before he lets himself in. There’s nothing but silence, which in itself feels ominous. You usually have a little music on when he comes over, you hate the quiet.

When he enters the apartment, the stench of blood hits him almost immediately. There’s a strong copper tang on his tongue and something inside of him just dies because he knows an act of violence has been committed in your home.

The kitchen is in chaos. There’s shattered glass across the tiles, crushed yellow petals from the roses he bought for you the other day scattered amongst the pieces. There’s crimson smears across the shards, the vivid liquid intermingling with the water from the broken vase. Your cellphone lies discarded alongside of it, the screen shattered, it looks like someone stomped on it.

The glass crunches underneath heel of his boot as he withdraws his weapon and approaches the closed French doors that lead to the living room. He catches a flash of movement through the windowpane but the darkness of the room beyond obscures his vision. He’s careful as he uses his fingertips to push down the door handle, nudging his shoulder against the door so it opens.

The living room looks worse than the kitchen. The driftwood coffee table that you adore is in pieces, shards of wood jutting out of the ruined frame. There’s a broken wine bottle decanting Bordeaux onto the rug and a bloody stem from a wine glass cast off onto the sofa. Your books have been torn from the shelf and tossed onto the floor. The door of your gun safe hangs open, almost torn from the hinges.

When he turns his attention to the other side of the room, he doesn’t expect to see you standing there, gun in your hand. It’s pointed at Kristof as he kneels on the floor in front you, his hands cuffed behind his back.

The two of you are a mess. There’s blood streaked through Kristof’s blond hair from the wounds in his scalp. There’s glass amongst the strands, from the vase in the kitchen Alden realises. You must have tried to get to your phone when Kristof had come for you, smashed him in the head. His nose is broken and it’s a bad one, the kind that’s going to result in plastic surgery in the future.

You aren’t in a much better state. Your lip is split, a thin thread of crimson running down your chin, the hollow of your left eye is swollen and bloodshot. There’s a crimson stain blossoming across the white sweater that you’re wearing, the heavy fabric is practically soaked in it. He can guess who got stabbed with the stem from the wine glass.

“Alden.” You say his name with a breathlessness that alarms him. “I need you to take over because I think I’m about to pass out.”

Love Alden? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[lovableapocalypse]

bassist!remus x fem!reader

a/n - quick drabble i was feeling kinda angsty today so heres this lol

You and Remus rarely fought. This tended to make when you did argue ten times worse. You were currently sat on your shared bathroom floor while he was sat against the locked door just opposite you in the hall. 

“Y/n please just open the door”, he sighed. 

You were angry. You walked away from the argument to stop yourself from saying hurtful meaningless words and Remus took your exit personally. He’d started to follow you and you’d shouted out “Give me 5 fucking minutes Remus!”

“Why the fuck are you just walking away from this?”

You glanced over your shoulder and refuted, “Leave me alone. Don’t fucking follow me.”

He huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes. You walked to the bathroom and slammed the door locking it in place. 

The argument had started over a simple miscommunication. Remus mentioned he was heading to the studio in a bit and you were completely caught off guard. He hadn’t told you anything about going to the studio today and you assumed you two were spending the day together. The argument accelerated quickly and soon you were both pointing fingers at each other. You were mostly frustrated, for he tried to play it off as no big deal. You two rarely had quality time together anymore, undistracted at least, and he had seemed to “forgotten to mention it” to you. 

Your cheeks were wet from tears of frustration and you were anxiously picking at your cuticles. The bathroom tile was cold against your crossed legs. Remus had first knocked and asked you to open up and when your silence became a game you heard him sit against the door. He was occasionally tapping his knuckles on the wood and saying your name, but your stubbornness was winning. 

After your heart rate slowed and you became uncomfortable staring at the shower curtain for any longer, you stood up. You opened the bathroom door slowly and glanced down at the man on the floor. 

“Hi,” he said grimly. 

“Hi,” you replied. 

He pushed off the ground and you both stared at one another. “I’m sorry”, he said to you earnestly. You nodded and looked down at your feet, “I am too”, you said. 

He grasped your elbow and said, “I should have mentioned it before, I know. It slipped my mind and I’m sorry.” 

You nodded again and he squeezed your elbow, pulling you into his arms. You wrapped yourself around his torso and mumbled into him, “It’s okay. We just never see each other anymore and I was caught off guard- I assumed you’d be home today. I’m sorry too”

He placed his head atop yours and rubbed your back soothingly. “I know, I understand. We’ve both been distracted. I miss you dearly though, I hope you know that.”

You pulled back slightly and looked up at him. “Let’s just be better about communicating and appreciating our time together, yeah?” 

He moved his hands to your face and caressed your cheeks. He nodded in agreement and kissed your lips softly. “I’m sorry I upset you.” You closed your eyes and replied with a soft “It’s okay.” He pressed a kiss to the top of your head this time and asked, “Do you want to come to the studio with me? It will be short- then we can come back here and watch that film you’ve been wanting to.” You nodded at him and he sent you a small smile. 

“God, I fucking hate arguing with you” he laughed, “You look so sexy when you’re mad I can barely think straight.” You laugh and shake your head, pushing him away. 

“You’re such a guy sometimes Remus.” He laughs and throws his head back. You laugh along at his reaction and grab his hand as you head back to the living area.

[cryptidsurveys]

Wednesday, September 11th, 2024.

Which fictional character can you not stand? There aren't any that I can't stand. I can't even think of a character that just really annoys me. I mean, some can be annoying (or snooty, manipulative, backstabbing, or whatever), but in the context of the story, it's fine.

What was the one subject in school that frustrated you because you just couldn’t process it? Math. I was okay at Algebra and Geometry, but once I reached Algebra II/Trig, my understanding of core concepts wasn't strong enough to carry me any further.

What’s the weirdest compliment you’ve ever gotten? I don't think I've ever received an especially weird compliment.

What is an occupation that you would like to do just for one day if you had the chance? I wouldn't want to actually do the job, but I think it would be interesting to shadow someone in nursing. I've just heard so many horror stories that it's become like a morbid fascination.

What do you think people have an unnecessary stick up their ass about? Anything and everything. Pretty much whatever subject you look into, there will be someone there with a stick up their ass about something.

What common advice do you think never works? Idk but lately I've felt stuck between "just ignore it" and "speak up." Neither option has produced satisfactory results so far, so maybe it's time to break out of the binary and try something completely chaotic and unexpected. ;D

What’s the best movie without a happy ending? I'm not sure.

What is something you think is actually better about today’s generation? This obviously isn't true everywhere, but overall living conditions, medical and technological advancements, transportation, access to information and communication, etc. Some of those things can be a double-edged sword or have certain pitfalls, but you know. Probably better than being a peasant in the Dark Ages. But if we're talking about people specifically, then…hmm. People are people wherever you go.

What movie has a worse love story than Twilight? I'm not much of a movie watcher, but I'm sure there are far worse love stories than Twilight.

What seems obvious to you that doesn’t seem to be for other people? That "the government" isn't hiding any aliens.

If your partner in the zombie apocalypse was the main character of the last movie you watched, would you survive? The last movie I watched was Inside Out 2, so unless the little emotion avatars in that teen girl's head can pull some seriously lucky levers, we're fvcked.

What’s the worst episode of your favorite TV show? I don't have a favorite TV show.

You can pick two artists to do a song together, dead or alive, but they have to be from different genres. Who do you pick and why? I can't think of any particular artists, but as far as genres go, maybe some heavenly and numinous choir music merged with some dark and gritty rap/hip-hop. It has potential okay!!!

What is something you would never buy again, even if you were rich? A house (or cabin or apartment or whatever) with carpet. If I could live somewhere with exclusively wood or tiled flooring, I would be so happy. Carpets are just gross.

What do you do regularly despite it being considered very unhealthy or unsafe? Smoke cigarettes.

What is something that most people find attractive in a person that you find unattractive? I can't think of anything that I find unattractive, but there are common beauty standards that are just like…eh. They don't do it for me.

Do you ever use facial masks or scrubs? I've used facial masks a few times. I don't think I've ever used a scrub, though.

What do you think of the recent trend of adult coloring books? I don't have an opinion regarding the trend as a whole. They're nice as a concept and I do own a couple of them, but I just don't have the patience.

Which fictional character do you think you’d be great friends with? I have no idea.

What would you do if you found out your toys came to life similar to Toy Story? Probably go through something like the 5 Stages of Grief, but with way more emotions. Fear, horror, sadness, guilt, embarrassment, confusion…

Do you own any cook books? We have quite a few. But do I ever use them? No.

Is there anything that you’d like to eat right now? I'm not all that hungry, but cashew chicken, fried rice, and cream cheese wontons sounds good.

What book are you currently reading? A Short History Of The World by H. G. Wells.

What is something that you believe in, but aren’t very outspoken about? I'm not very outspoken about any of my beliefs. I'm just not an openly opinionated person. I like to feel people out before getting into any kind of discussion because I'm not someone who enjoys confrontation or debate.

do you think weird it’s for someone to have never tried soda? I guess it would depend on where they lived. If they were in the US, then I would think it was…if not weird, then highly uncommon.

is there any foreign film you recommend? Naw.

do you have the same religious beliefs as your parents? There are definitely some overlaps. My dad is Jewish and my mom is what I would call casually spiritual. If you made a Venn Diagram of their truest beliefs, then I would probably fall somewhere in the middle. Then there are my own interpretations and understandings which expand into territory beyond either one of them. Overall, though, I think I have more in common with my dad because he's a deep diver within his own religion, and religion and spirituality are topics that interest me. We can have some really great discussions on the matter.

which floor of your house/building are you on now? I'm on the second floor.

are there any maps hanging in your room? No.

are you often a third wheel? or is someone a third wheel to you? I felt like that for the longest time at the animal shelter. I knew people generally liked and appreciated me, but I wasn't really fitting in. However, I don't feel that way as much now, not with the new batch of workers back in cattery. I'm still kind of third-wheely (because I'm shy/socially awkward and also a good deal older than they are), but not to the same drastic extent. I feel much more included, relevant, and free to be my silly and sarcastic self. I had it in my head that the problem might be me (and admittedly, some of it probably was and I do still have some work to do), but now it's like…oh. I was likeable the whole time?!?!

what’s the last dvd you bought? I'm not sure.

tell me about your favorite pair of jeans. I don't have a favorite pair of jeans. I basically don't even wear them anymore.

would you ride a motorcycle if given the chance? (or have you?) I've been on the back of one a few times, but I don't think I would like to ride one myself. Driving a car is enough responsibility for me.

is your hair healthy? Ehhh.

if a hotel offered free breakfast in bed, what would you order? I'd go all out. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, biscuits, maybe some fruit, coffee…

how often do you take a train? Aside from the kiddie train at the city park, I don't think I've ever been on a train. I might have gone on the one at the Royal Gorge, but I can't be certain that's a real memory and not some false recollection I settled on after the fact.

what’s your favorite led zeppelin song? Kashmir.

does your home have a balcony/deck/porch? We have a back deck and a front porch.

what does your closet/wardrobe say about you? That I spend a lot of time at an animal shelter. Probably half of my shit is animal shelter shit.

do you enjoy theatre? I don't not enjoy it. It's just not really my thing. I wouldn't want to be in a play, but I would probably go see one with someone if they wanted me to.

how would you feel about traveling abroad alone? Scared, unprepared, inexperienced, lonely, bored…like I had so much to share and no one to share it with. I'd much rather travel with someone.

who would you call a lyrical genius? Idk.

how do you treat yourself? It's time to make dinner, so I'm going to pause this here (9.10.24) and resume it sometime tomorrow… Okay. I just arrived home from a trip to the Mountain Park - which is one of the ways I plan on treating myself this autumn. I feel like I've spread myself too thin with volunteering, so I'm going to take a step back, take an extra day off here and there, and spend more time in the mountains with my dad. Other ways I treat myself include eating fun/favorite foods (so excited for holiday treats!), making time for art, and curling up in bed with my kitties and some YouTube.

do you have an interesting passport? I don't have a passport.

are you going to pursue a career according to what you enjoy? Yeah.

what’s your favorite frozen treat? Ice cream. You know what else I've been enjoying lately? Otter Pops. They're not typically something I would think to eat, but they're great for hot afternoons at the shelter when I need a quick chill out/sugar rush combo.

who supports you financially? Social security and my dad. We share our incomes.

if you wanted to go to the movie cinema, how would you get there? I would drive (or be driven).

how many pillows are on your bed? Two regular pillows, three body pillows, and two decorative pillows.

would you pay more for organic food? I might if I preferred the taste of a certain brand, but otherwise it's not something I pay much attention to.

do you prefer being awake after everyone goes to bed or before they get up? I don't really have a preference.

do you know much about feng shui? (do you use it?) I know very little, and no, I don't use it.

how would you make friends in a quiet class? Make meaningful eye contact? Lmao heck if I know. I'm quiet myself, so if other people are quiet, then it's just gonna be quiet.

are you generally a quick learner? Yeah.

what’s your favorite spot to read? At my computer desk.

did you know that buddha is not considered a god to buddhists? I was aware of that.

do you save tickets from movies, etc.? Not really.

without looking him up, who was jim morrison? The vocalist for The Doors.

when’s the last time your bedroom was painted/wallpapered? Gosh, idk. As far as painting goes, that would have been years and years ago. It wasn't even finished. As for the wallpaper, that was put up before we moved in.

teach me something in another language. Naw.

what type of music do you like and why? I've developed a fondness for classical over the past couple of years.

if you randomly want to eat something in the house, do you eat it or wait? It depends on what it is, what I've already eaten, how close it is to meal/snack time, etc.

who knows the most about you (besides yourself)? My dad.

do you have a nervous habit? (e.g. biting nails, tapping feet, smoking) Picking at my nails.

how’s your favorite pro sports team doing lately? I don't follow any sports teams.

would you be/are you a good role model to a younger sibling? No.

[theluckywizard]

Happy Friday, for Hawke: My armor falls apart, as if I could let myself be seen, even deeply known. Like I was already brave enough to let go

Hi Blue, thank you! 💖

For @dadrunkwriting I thought I'd write Hawke's arrival at Skyhold from his perspective in my long fic universe.

Characters: Garrett Hawke, Varric, tiny bit of Rose Trevelyan

Rating: G

WC: 737

Hawke sits.

The stool lists with creaks and cracks of protest as it settles under his armor-clad weight. He chuckles in agreement; the travel had been harder on his body than he anticipated in spite of keeping up with his training. He stretches his legs long before him, pushing his heels through the straw and dusty manure bits of the stable floor. 

She’s still in his line of sight, striding with arms swinging toward the upper bailey of this storybook keep, the light in her left hand like a firefly in this twilight. She sneaks a look at him over her shoulder and catching his gaze quickens her step across the yard. He’d perked up from his sleepy years of hiding when he’d been summoned by letter, but now he’s wide awake. It’s her.

Violet the Weathervane Adjuster. 

oOo

Hawke keeps his hood up as he crosses the same bailey after doffing his plate and making sure a stablehand knew to pamper Rosco properly after such a harrowing trip. There’s no hiding himself, imposing brute he is and over the years he’s learned the best way to knock back attention is to cast overly earnest smiles and wave awkwardly. Nothing unnerves people more. But Skyhold is so alive with focused activity that nobody glances at him for more than a second, and he makes his way to the upper bailey without the smallest interruption.

He just has to make it to the blazing codger who told him where to come, wherever he holds court around this crumbling bastion. Hawke flags down a young man who crosses purposefully from the gatehouse toward the inner keep— too young to be a recruit but old enough to know his way around such a place— and pitches him a silver to locate Varric Tethras and send him to upper bailey to meet with one C. Huckles, purveyor of fine cinnamon rolls.

It only takes ten minutes.

“You’d better have a Maker-damned cinnamon roll, Huckles.”

Hawke stands from the wall where he’d been leaning, chewing on one of the wood splinters he fashions for himself when he needs to keep his hands busy. He spits the splinter and grins, bending low to squash the dwarf against him tightly.

“You’ll have to settle for me,” says Hawke, feeling the heat of tears teasing at the corner of his eyes. “Fuck I’ve missed you.” Three years, ten months. Letters were a poor sodding substitute.

“How’s Sunshine?”

“Good, good. Glad to get me out of her hair no doubt.”

“How many wrong turns did you take?”

“Six and three-quarters."

"Better than I expected."

“So this Rose creature,” says Hawke, bouncing his brows.

Varric grumbles a sigh. “Inquisitor Rose Creature, to you.”

“When can I meet her?”

“I’ll grab her at breakfast and bring her somewhere discreet,” says Varric. “I have to warn you though. She’s read the book.”

“Maker.”

“What can I say, it’s a sensation,” says Varric with a dusty chuckle.

“I suppose I’ve got my work cut out for me. Setting the record straight.”

“Something tells me you’re going to have the time.” Varric kicks a saddlebag. “This all your shit?”

“Got a place for me to crash?”

“How’s a bedroll on my floor sound? Got a fireplace at least. Can’t say the same of most others around here.”

“Do you snore the way you used to?”

“Worse.”

“Sold.”

oOo

Hawke stares at the cobweb dressed joists above him, hands tucked under his head, a tumbler of tasteless brandy out of Jader on the stone tiles beside him. The nightmares that crowd his memory have stuck like scale and mail all over him for so long that a smile spreads across his face unfettered. They’d spent time together. And Lady Violet— Inquisitor Rose— had knocked the armor clear away and seen him. He’d been ready for it, but his courage rose with each collective moment beside her. He wanted to tell her all of it. He wanted to listen to all of it.

“I’ve seen you like this before, Hawke,” says Varric, setting down his reading. “As sure as the alignment of the moons. Even the Maker is like ‘ah shit, not again.’”

“Mind your book, old friend. I haven’t felt this good in years.”

“I’ll rain on your parade tomorrow then.” Varric’s fatherly assessment is always a given.

“Perfect. I look forward to your withering reality check. But for now. Self-indulgent flights of fancy. And shitty brandy.”

[world-of-fire-and-flight]

The Lair in the Woods: Part 9

A/N: …I have no note today, except to say that I didn’t have it in me to edit this part either😂

Warnings: Reference to stalking, fear, anxiety, worry, suspected betrayal, blizzard

My Masterlist | Taglist Info or Taglist Request Form | The Lair in the Woods masterlist

“Thanks,” Hero said, “I really appreciate it, Handler.”

“Yeah, well this might be the best opportunity any of us have managed to grasp yet,” they said, handing them the approval that would let them adopt Civilian’s case as theirs. “If you actually manage to get close to Supervillain and get the evidence we need to bring them down, we’d be killing two birds with one stone! Help the civilian, stop the villain, the news article’s practically writing itself now.”

Hero hummed, shifting on their feet. “We’ll see about it. I’m not so sure I’ll even see Supervillain in person, and even if I did, would I know their face? There’s still nothing to say that this all isn’t some half-cocked scheme to distract us from their real plans.”

Handler waved their hand dismissively. “It’s still a better shot than any of us have managed before. And, even if it yields nothing, at least Civilian Surname won’t be indebted to a supervillain for saving their life.”

Hero had to admit that was a good point. Too many times villains saved people for a price, but it was always the civilian who got caught or ended up dead. They’d spent a good deal of time wondering if Supervillain had backed Civilian Surname into a corner, or if Civilian was even aware of the danger they were in. They kept replaying the conversation they’d had with Supervillain the night before. Over and over again they dissected it for the hint of a threat, for a vulnerability, for something. Over and over again, Hero was left with nothing. It seemed as though their plain conversation was as plain and bare as the snow collecting outside. There wasn’t anything more to it than that. Snow was snow, and their conversation with Supervillain hadn’t had any deeper meaning or hidden message. It was simply a bargain for aid, and not even one that had left Supervillain promising Hero a favor in exchange.

Hero could’ve smacked themselves now that they’d had time to reflect on the odd phone call. They should’ve pressed Supervillain harder, forced them into a corner for a change. What made it even worse was the fact that Hero knew exactly what they’d want from Supervillain too: everything they had on them gone. Deleted. Forgotten.

They couldn’t even begin to image the data Supervillain and their team had amassed on so many supers, but Hero dreaded what the master criminal might have on them. The possibilities weren’t great, though. If Supervillain knew…Hero shook their head. They had a case. They had a civilian to save, and city to manage now that the blizzard was picking up in force.

Shoving the file under their coat, Hero zipped the parka up and braced themselves as they forced the Agency’s front door open and battled against the wind for every step they took from then on.

At least they could tell Detective they’d adopted the case and see if they’d like to work on it together. They’d try the Clerk’s Office first, but they new City Hall was closed, and with it the public records. So for now, all Hero could do was hunker down and peruse the case file until they were needed elsewhere—and hope that their little arrangement with Supervillain didn’t upend their entire life.

***

Civilian begrudgingly pulled themselves from the cooling water and wrapped themselves in an oversized towel that was as soft as a cloud. They had half a mind to stay like that forever, but knew they couldn’t, not with the way their toes wiggled against the cold tile floor of Supervillain’s bathroom. Quickly drying off, they pulled on the clean clothes Supervillain had left for them on the counter before they’d left them in peace.

Maybe they should’ve used this time to really think about all that had happened to them, but the moment they sank into that warm water and let their head fall back against the edge of the soaker tub, Civilian was lucky they hadn’t fallen asleep again. For the first time in weeks, their mind was utterly silent. The worried whispers, the tendrils of fear, the anxiety that wove its way from the shadowy corners of their mind had finally vanished. They didn’t have it in themselves to pull their mind from that peace, even they really needed to consider what they knew of Supervillain and their team, and whether or not they could really trust the help they offered.

Civilian wasn’t good with faces, but they felt as confident as they could that they’d never seen Supervillain or Medic before. Frowning as they rolled the sleeves of the too-big shirt up so they could actually use their hands, Civilian found themselves wondering instead if they’d ever know peace again.

The concern shook them to their core.

How could they ever regain a normal life after this? How could they ever really be sure they caught their stalker, and not some innocent bystander?

Civilian wondered if Supervillain would mind them taking another bath, wondering if a second would banish their new fears just as well as the first had done to their previous worries.

Sighing heavily, Civilian took one last glance in the mirror before reaching for the bathroom door. As much as they’d love to hide away for the rest of their life, they knew it wasn’t any use. Hiding didn’t do anything but prolong the inevitable, and they’d rather face it with someone by their side than alone…even if it meant trusting a perfect stranger with an inexplicable background.

The Lair in the Woods Taglist: @just-a-space-rabbit @classicplesiosaur @pigeonwhumps @heninthegarden @kaiwewi @korejon @rivalriotrenegade @alpacamelons @averyconfusedhuman @amerementdoux @istealpants @sweetpeaflower01 Let me know if you’d like to be added or removed (no reason necessary😊)! You can also fill out this handy dandy form if you’d like to be added too! A/N 2: I've been experiencing some trouble tagging people, so please bear with me while I think of a solution! I might make a sideblog specifically to reblog my writing to so people can turn on notifications without getting flooded by every single thing I post/reblog🤔

[shywhumpauthor]

can i get a little of a grumpy whumpee (haha rhymes) who isn't used to kindness with a kind caretaker pretty please

Of course! Sorry this took so long, it got buried under whumptober.

If there’s errors, just know I write this in about twenty minutes during my free and barely edited

Cw: conditioned Whumpee, mentioned torture, refusal to eat, past torture and abuse, emotional manipulation, Whumpee’s mental state is just really bad here. Idk what else to tag. Kinda recovered pet whump? Not really. Borderline abusive whumpee

“Whumpee,” Caretaker sighed, their voice betraying their exhaustion as they glanced down at the food splattered across the kitchen floor, shards of the porcelain bowl that had once homed a bowl of stew they had spent all morning preparing decorating the mess. “Did you not like the recipe? That’s alright, is there something else I can make you?”

Whumpee, who’s lips had finally begun to twitch up at the small flicker of emotion, deflated when Caretaker’s words turned kind instead of the cruel shouts they had been anticipating. Goddamn it.

“No.” Whumpee glared back, their head shaking as they straightened up in their seat. “I don’t want your stupid food.”

Why wouldn’t they get mad?! Whumpee’s mind was screaming as they watched Caretaker simply walk to the sink and grab a hand towel, crouching down to begin to clean the mess. It had been weeks, so it felt, and Caretaker hadn’t done anything. Hadn’t hit them once, hadn’t raised their voice, each day felt like an added strap around Whumpee’s chest, the pressure growing until it was about to pop and the illusion of comfort would shatter just like the bowl to reveal the truth Whumpee knew was there all along and they knew that drawing it out was only a cruel game used to hide the demon Whumpee was sure was lurking behind a layer of gentle touches and soft words. It would only be worse if they fell to the trick, despite what Whumper had said they weren’t stupid enough to fall for it again. They weren’t stupid, this time they were sure. They wouldn’t let it catch them off guard, no they wouldn’t. Not again. They weren’t that stupid-

“That’s okay, would you like take out instead? I still have that brochure of all the places-“

They droned on in that same tone, that light tone that was full of sticky, sickening sweetness that was so obviously fake it made Whumpee want to scream. They felt a fire creeping up their chest, burning their neck and their ears, room filling with a buzz so loud they couldn’t hear anything over it, couldn’t hear Caretaker’s useless words or their useless rambling about the different restaurants in town.

“I don’t want any of that shit.”

The chair scraped across the kitchen tiles with an uncomfortable sound as Whumpee stood up, their flurry of movement nearly knocking the old piece of wood over. With Whumper, that would have earned them a beating itself, how dare they mess up their good floors, do they have any idea how long it would take to buffer these out?! The curse would have cost them a slap or two, a night in the basement for sure. Maybe a belting if Whumper was already in a bad mood. God, they hated it, they hated it so much. Everything was so much easier then, and fuck was it messed up that they thought this way, but when they had the cold crack of a whip against their back to teach them what was right and what was wrong or when they felt the bite of a blade against their skin for every mistake they could accept it. They could know what was wrong, and they could know how to fix it. What cruel game was caretaker playing, with their kindness and their smiles, their wordless promises that they would never hurt Whumpee which would only rub salt to the wounds whenever the inevitable could not longer be delayed. Better get it over with, that was Whumpee’s thinking. They’d take the torture and the pain and the tears in exchange for the certainty that they were fixing their mistakes, the ability to know what they did was right or wrong. They’d give anything for that clarity, the one they were so desperately trying to drive from Caretaker now.

“I don’t want anything from you. Let me leave.”

And go where, Whumpee wasn’t sure. Whumper was gone. Dead or in jail, they didn’t know. They could have just as easily moved to a different house, across the city or across the country. Where they were didn’t matter, because Whumpee stopped caring. They hated the bastard, for everything they’d done to them, all the pain and torment. But for everything Whumpee could blame them for, they had to admit. Whumper made it easy. They didn’t have to struggle through troubles beyond their comprehension or their control any longer. It was simple. They were given tasks, and they’d do them. Do them right, they’d get rewarded. Do them wrong, they’d get punished. It was complicated, but not. After a while they grew to know Whumper. They would tell them exactly what they wanted, exactly what needed to happen. Why the hell wouldn’t caretaker tell them?!

“We can go for a walk later, if you’d like, but right now I have to finish cleaning up, alright?” Caretaker offered them a soft smile, and Whumpee wanted to scream.

No. No no no no no, it wasn’t alright. It wasn’t fucking alright. They didn’t want to go for a walk, they didn’t want to get take out from that little diner up the road, they didn’t want anything. Whumper had been clear when telling them they weren’t allowed to have wants. They’d get what they were given and they’d be grateful regardless, that’s how it worked. Why didn’t caretaker understand that?!

“I want to leave,” Whumpee spat, emotion leaking into their tone as tears stung their eyes. Their throat bobbed as a lump swelled, they wanted to scratch and claw at their neck until the tension was relieved that way. If Whumpee was there, they would have been so mad, mad and disappointed. Whumpee knew better than to misbehave like this. Whumper would remind them and punish them and then it would be in the past. They could move on and never think about it again, do better in the future. Why wouldn’t caretaker do that?!

“I know, Whumpee, we can go out in a few minutes. I need to finish in here first though, okay?”

God, why didn’t they understand? They didn’t understand, and it was driving Whumpee mad. No one understood them, not caretaker, not anyone. Whumper had understood them, only Whumper. Caretaker said they did, promised they did but they didn’t. They couldn’t possibly understand.

“Fuck you.” Whumpee’s voice cracked, fear and anticipation weighing in their empty stomach like a brick. For a moment, just a moment they saw a flash in caretaker’s eyes, and they clung onto the hope that this had finally been the thing to push them over the edge-

No.

“What’s wrong, Whumpee?” Caretaker rolled back to sit on their heels, their attention abandoning the task at hand. Whumpee’s entire body flooded cold, this wasn’t right. They were standing and caretaker was sitting, it was all wrong. No they should have been the one on the ground, kicked to their stomach or forced to kneel on the shards of the bowl they broke. Caretaker should be the one towering over them, holding a knife or a cane or whatever else they chose to use. Not this way around. “I can tell you’re upset. Would you like to talk about anything?”

That was not the response they wanted. No, no no it wasn’t! It wasn’t supposed to happen this way! Why wouldn’t they just get mad?! Why wouldn’t they hurt them already?!

Whumpee turned and fled the room before the tears could fall.

——————————————

Ew I don’t like this but needed some content, sorry anon.

Also could you maybe send in some more sortish specific requests that I can work on? I know I’ve been asking a lot and I’ve gotten some really good ones but they’re just not what I’m looking to write rn

[a-bucket-of-trash]

Damaged and Forgoten – Kelvin x Female Reader – Part 4/?

Part 3

The weeks were passing, the provisional shelter that you had made now had relatively firm walls and a functional door, it was safer, it gave better shelter from the night and the weather, it was more comfortable, especially the bed where you rested, simple but better than a mattress of dry leaves on the dirt floor. You guys were working as a team, and much better than you expected.

Kelvin was still the fittest, but your skills were catching up with him at such a speed that you would soon surpass him. Even though you still couldn't remember shit, every time you did something that you obviously already knew how to do, everything flowed.

Remembering that he had told you to trust yourself, you allowed yourself to try. This is how you realized that you were quite good at hunting animals, that you were even more than skilled at skinning them, that you could anticipate the weather just by seeing a cloud, that wooden weapons were your specialty, that you had a supreme aim. You were still in charge of "security", and your way of attacking those enemy cannibals that arrived almost every afternoon, was even more savage than before. Half the time you didn't need to hurt them to make them run, just your uncontrolled rage, yelling at them while you attacked them, were worse than a pack of them. You weren't going to let them even lay eyes on Kelvin.

And he loved it. He would always watch over you when those monsters appeared, ready to help you if necessary, but you always managed to shoo them away, and he would stare at you, gazing lovingly into your wild eyes.

On that particular day, you had a wonderful idea that kept you busy for hours, until you were done. In order to not use notepad paper, which was scarce, you decided to use tree bark, cut them like the tiles of a board game and write common words on them with a red-hot wire. Thus there were cards with "You, I, we, do, don’t, are, am, yes, no, the, and, is, not, so, but, with, for, from, it, to, was, were, be, by", in addition to various sets of letters and one of numbers.

He saw you, sitting next to you, inside the cabin, next to a smooth metal, where you began to place the many wooden tiles.

"Look this" You put the woods in order, putting together words, to later mess them up and put others back together "No paper" You looked at him, smiling "We can talk all day" You messed everything up again "Is infinite. Try"

Kelvin chuckled sweetly, which made you blush. Even though his deafness had worsened his speech to the point that it was difficult to understand him, his laugh sounded perfect. He kept laughing, clapping his hands, before cupping your face hard and kissing your forehead. He hurried over and moved the tiles, forming “You are a genius” and “I love you”.

Blushing, you writted “I will add tiles over time” and thought you put a “I feel this hapened before” and “Do we play board games?”

He touched the tile with the “Yes” before writing “Before each mision” “Is a habit” “To calm nerves”.

You thought, moving tiles, forming a “Even before this mision?”

"Yes" He hesitated "I won this time" He smiled at you, lying.

"I don't believe you" You denied.

For a long time you stayed "talking", more than anything you read what he told you about yourself, details, names, dates, events, things that felt absolutely familiar, but still did not bring anything to light.

Eventually, with some nervousness hidden in his eyes, Kelvin wrote "You are my girlfriend", looking at you, seeing you turn red as a tomato, somewhat shocked. He smiled more, he just wanted to annoy you a little, since it was a lie. You weren't, despite the fact that he had tried to death, you had never given in, despite the fact that you were single.

But despite everything, you felt that it made sense. Deep inside you were quite sure that there was reality, that those feelings that sprouted from your chest were because you loved him, because you were his girlfriend.

He moved his hand, thinking of writing a "lie", but your hands changed the direction of his face, bringing him closer to you, kissing his mouth, long and soft, what inside you felt in a mixture of relief and tenderness. A "finally" bounced in your heart.

Kelvin stood still for a moment, before closing his eyes, feeling his muscles surrender to the relaxation of his mouth tasting yours. Finally, after years imagining that. He kissed you slowly, his brain screaming at him that it was a lie, that he had lied to the woman he loved, that it was impolite. But he could not oppose, not like that, not yet. Just a little more, he wanted to engrave that in his heart, forever, before he told you the truth, before you got mad at him.

Because he knew you, he knew how you would react. He knew you'd be intense and kick his ass for several weeks, so he had to make his future bruised ass count. And within his mind arose hope. You wouldn't have done that if you didn't feel anything. And if you felt something, then he had a chance to make it real.

You didn't want to let him go, his mouth tasted like promises, and his lips kissed you so parsimoniously delicious that they made you want to stay there for a couple of days. Although you were forced to stop when you heard the scream of a cannibal nearby.

The soldier was slightly scared when you separated from him with the face of wanting to rip his neck, thinking that it was with him, although he was relieved to see you take your ax and run outside, like a bull out of control. He sensually licked his lips, completely spellbound, feeling his body several degrees hotter. He would apologize to you, with his body aching terribly after confessing his lie, but for now, he would live with that sin on his skin.

Part 5

[artistcaptainbendy]

Running from termination

chapter 1- The beginning....with snacks

It was a dark and cold night, the only light was from the moon and stars as the trees towered above. Lumberjack Krupp was walking down the same path he's always been down multiple times before, with his axe to his side. He wipes some sweat from the day's work from his head.

‘’ Ah, I love me some late night tree chopping, nothing’s better. Well, some homemade cheesecake from my sweet logroll is definitely a close second.’’ He said, slightly chuckling to himself.

He continues deeper into the wood and soon hears a sound, but not the usual woodland noise, it was the sound of someone calling his name. He stopped in his tracks and looked around to see who could be calling. The soft, calming voice spoke again ‘’ Benjamin….Benjamin….Benjamin…’’

“ Agh, not again!” he exclaimed “ I told you ghost children this before! I’m not joining your party! I’m sure that cake is a lie!’’ 

The voice kept calling to him and after a while, he noticed that this voice wasn’t the same as the ghost children from before, it almost sounded like his own voice, but different. He begins to follow where the voice is coming from, walking though some bushes and trees, going deeper and deeper into woods until he reaches a blue light and in front of him was a glowing portal to who knows where. He looked at it confused.

“What in the world is this?” he said with confusion. He looked at it for a moment , almost trying to study it and after studying it for a bit he started to turn around. “ Well, I should probably just leave it be, might just be my mind playing tricks on me again and if it is real, who knows where it goes. It could lead to some ghost ready to haunt me or maybe send me back in time to when the space aliens had control of the world or even worse…..my parents house…..’’ he shivers at the thought. ‘’ Nope! Not gonna do it, I’m just going to go home” he then proceeds to start walking away from the portal, but then stops and thinks out loud. ‘’ Then again…this could be the doorway to bigfoot and my apple peeler!” quickly turning back around he ran right into the portal, a bit of bright light hits him but quickly fades to reveal a hallway.

The hallway was darkly lit with flickering lights being the only light source.The walls were cracked and aged with webs on the corners and what seemed to be some black goo on the tile floor. 

“Umm, I think i should be going now” but as he turned around to leave, lumberjack krupp saw that the portal was now gone leaving him to only go one way….down the hall. He waited a moment and started to walk down the way, step after step until he approached a room. The room was in just as much disarray as the hall, it had a big screen on the wall and two pathways to each side of it. It seems to have been some type of waiting room with some chairs tipped over and more of that goo. The goo was what really got his attention and as he started to get closer to it, suddenly the tv turned on. There was some static, but then a clear image came though and the video started to play.   

‘’ Welcome and hello my fellow Krupps! I’m SP! Krupp! Your bestest buddy, your all around pal, and the founder of Krupptopia!! It’s a working in progress title hehe, here you can experience all the fun and thrills a Krupp can enjoy. We have a fully stocked kitchen with all kinds of food including guacamole, a massive swimming pool with swimming lessons on wednesdays, reading room, lounge, game room, ball pit, manatee viewing, venting zone and so much more!! I hope you enjoy your stay here and if you have any questions just come see me, I’ll be around bye!” The video turns off and lumberjack is just more confused than before.

‘’....ok? At least I know now this place has a game room…oh and who to talk to about getting out of here. Hmm odd, that guy looked familiar, but i just don’t know where I’ve seen him” He pondered a bit but decided to think about it later. Looking down the two paths, he chose to go right.

Walking down the hall, he could tell the withering had worsened and even more goo on the walls. LJ takes a closer look at the goo and sees that it wasn’t completely black, but had faded colors of space and stars. Before he could even question what this stuff is, a loud thund could be heard farther down the hall. He slowly walked to where the sound came from, coming across an opened door. Looking inside the room it looked as if a tornado went through, chairs thrown around, tables flipped over, and vending machines broken into. In the middle of the room someone was led over and eating some of the snacks from the vending machines.

“ Oh! Hey it’s great to see another person around here. I was worried I would be alone here, you don’t mind sharing some of those snacks do you?” he asked with joy in his voice.

The man stayed silent and slowly stood up, the same goo that covered the walls was on his arms, legs, and face. The only thing visible was his teeth as he started to make gasly noises as if it was hard for him to breathe. He took a step closer to LJ leaving a trail behind him. LJ, shocked at what’s looking at, slowly takes steps back out of the room.  

With fear in his voice he said “ I’m actually not hungry anymore, y-you can keep the snacks and I’ll just get going” He tried to reach for his axe, but the creature let’s out a rawr and charges at him causing him to run out the room and farther down the hall. Turning multiple corners and down different paths, every few seconds looking behind him to see the creature is still behind him. LJ tried to run faster to lose his pursuer, he was able to get ahead far enough and hide behind a wall. He could hear the creature run past and down another hall, he could feel his heart racing and took some deep breaths trying to put together what he just saw. He just needed a moment to relax, but then the intercom above him started to play loud static and cut to a familiar voice.

“Hello everyone! It seems we have a new krupp to join that party! Now why don’t we all give him a big welcome! I’ll even sing the welcome song!” he then processed to sing “ Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! To our fun place! Come and take a seat and have a little break! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! it ‘s great to have you here! Where everyone is happy and spreads a little cheer!” The song goes on and on. LJ starts to panic, knowing that all the noise will attract the creature to him “ shut up, shut up, shut up” he starts looking around to find a way to turn the intercom off and remembers he has an axe, quickly throwing it at the intercom and breaking it into pieces. 

He picks up the axe from the floor “ hehe, looks like I stopped it just in ti-” suddenly a giant goo fist comes at his head and he quickly ducks down as the fist hits the wall.

“ RAWR!!” The creature let out about to strike at LJ again. 

LJ runs under its arm and down the hall and it gives chase again, many twists and turns, hallways starting to all look the same, doors that won’t open, the creature getting closer and closer, he was starting to feel his heart racing faster and faster, any turn could lead to a dead end. 

“ Game room or not! I hate this place!” he screamed out, running down every turn of the halls till he reached a hallway with a single door at the end, seeing it as the only way he ran to the door, the creature not far behind him. What feels like a mile long run, he makes it to the door and is able to open it with only seconds before it could get him, he gets in the room and closes the door behind him, pushing his body against the door, banging could be heard on the other side. Looking around the room he sees boxes and other objects near him and pulls it in front of the door blocking it. 

After a moment, the banging stops and the sound of goopy steps could be heard walking away. “....HA! Can’t get me now! The power of a door and random items have saved the day again!” LJ lets out as he catches his breath, but suddenly some boxes in the corner of the room fall over to reveal someone in the shadows. Taking his axe out and pointing at the mysterious figure he asked “ Who’s there?! I’m ready this time you freak and I’ll be taking the snacks because I am hungry!” 

There was silence as the figure slowly came from behind the boxes.

“You’re…..you’re not infected?” The hooded man said, almost shocked.

“Infected? What are you talking about? And who are you?!” he stated now with more anger in his voice. 

The hooded man takes his hood off to show a face similar to LJ just without a beard and scar over his left eye.

“I’m….GP.”

[naamahdarling]

Asks! What is your favorite home-garden type vegetable? Do you prefer hardwood flooring or tile, and why? If you could camp *anywhere* in perfect comfort and accessibility, where would it be? What was your favorite consumed piece of media in 2022?

Oh man, I love the way tomato vines smell and WOULD grow them just for the smell. I don't eat tomatoes much (too acidic) but the smell, oh gosh. But my fave is CARROTS. Pulled out of the ground and washed? They're smaller so they aren't as tough and have less bitterness to the outer peel. They have something store carrots just don't have, they're so good. I ate so many from my grandmother's garden.

Well, I like hardwood better for the look and feel. The right tile is tough-wearing though. Porcelain or stone. Good stuff. So if I never had to worry about maintenance or anything, I would choose hardwood all the way, but would still want tile in some places because I do like it too.

I would let my boyfriend pick tbh because I have traveled more and camped more inside the US, but I hope he would choose one of the big national parks. Zion, Bryce, Arches, or the northwest woods. I am deeply in love with Mesa Verde, though (haunted, but also welcoming, not spooky; nothing that means humans harm is there, it's very welcoming), and also Dead Horse Point (morbid name, transcendently beautiful and absolutely magical). So one of those.

For a wilderness lover like me, you would maybe expect Yellowstone, but that place is...hmm. That's a no from me. I have been and it is a deeply unsettling place, and I don't think it wants us there. Unbelievably beautiful, but we are NOT meant to lightly traipse about there. Sacred, but not (only) to us. Sacred to the earth itself. Haunted, but not by anything that has anything to do with us. Haunted by ancient ages of the earth. I find it very spooky, and have never been able to explain to anyone quite why. Also all those mineral pools funneling down and down and down to who knows what? Deeply disquieting. I did not sleep peacefully there and I did not like seeing other people there. I did not belong. We do not belong. Leave it.

(And tbh I do believe there is ALSO something sentient in those forests that is aware of us and feels the same. Some spirit or entity. I don't mean, like, bigfoot. I mean something metaphysically much more than a cryptid, something that could be a LOT worse, if it decided to be. Some nature places are friendly. Some are not. I don't feel like Yellowstone is. It's just gorgeous and so we forget to stay away.)

Not sure on the media. There's so much that was good. But I have to say, any year that contains a new season of The Dragon Prince is just a slam dunk. Incredible show.

[obeymefu]

If the Obey Me characters found out Mc beat the shit out of a lower rank demon.

I got this idea from Belphegorspillow and asked for permission.

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.

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Lucifer

3rd Person Pov:

You never thought this day would come but here you are bloody in the HOL hallway. Unfortunately for you Lucifer was on his way to Lord Diavolo castle briefcase in hand. Hearing his footsteps you internally panic and try to gracefully look like you didn't just have (another) near death experience.

Lucifer s Pov:

'Lord Diavolo asked me to attend a business dinner at 5:30 it's 5:00 if I leave now I'll arrive at 5:20 that gives me ten extra minutes'. I think as I turn the corner. then all my thoughts disappear when I see them ,my Mc, covered in blood in the hall trying to look decent. A flurry of emotions come at me most of them being worry, panic, anger and sadness.

Mc`s. Pov:

'Omd he's coming around the corner. Lucifer's gonna get upset at me.' I see him stop in front of me staring but I can't meet his eyes all I can do I stare at the floor bloody close sticking to me . The metallic smell flooding my nose. I can hear him walking hurriedly toward me and see his shoes stop when in front of me. "Mc are you ok, what happened, are you hurt if so where, who did this." he asked me. I can hear the panic in is house as all of questions come flooding toward me. I feel overwhelmed and anxious,anxious that if I tell him he'll be angry, frustrated, sad appalled, or even worse disappointed. I tense up as I see his shadow reach out to touch me. He sees and takes his gloved hand back

We stand there for a moment still in the silence not being able to look him in the eyes,let alone make conversation. "Come" he gingerly grabs my hand after discerning I didn't need to see Simeon right away I presume. Leading me down the halls . Mind rushing , panicking till sudden confusion when we make a the and instead of the wood flooring in the halls I'm suddenly met with tile, white to be specific. I glace up to see we are in the bathroom. I can see his gloved hand motion to the toilet as if asking me to sit. Sitting down on the seat I feel my cloths stick to it, and a brief moment of confusion when I suddenly hear rushing water.

Lucifers Pov:

After leading Mc to the bathroom, mind racing flooding with unanswered questions and unease. I turn the nobs in the shower to their preferred temperature. ' I suppose the conversation we had last week about everyone's bathing temperature wasn't as useless as I thought. I mussed to my self' then quickly asked them to hop in and fetched a towel,paired with their most comfortable pajamas lay them outside the door and sit in my office till they get out. 'So many things today that I usually find to be a nuisance like how I can hear the water from the shower( abd usually mammon s singing) is turning out to be in my favor,' I chuckled. There I sat waiting to hear the water turn of and the door open, in the meanwhile I explained what I saw and did and excused myself from my dinner with Diavolo. Thankfully he understood. By 6:00 dinner was complete thanks to satan so I went to save us a plate. My brothers where confused as to why Mc wasn't eating with them and I told them we where eating in my office. Thankfully Mammon stoped pestering when I said that it's take goofy away if another peek came from him. After delivering the plates to my office and sitting down I heard the bathroom door open. realising I didn't hear the sound of water when I came in.

Mc's Pov: I feel much better now briefly glancing at my DDD for the time I see it's 6:48,'Wow' ' its almost seven, Lucifer s study is across from the bathroom he probably already has figured out I'm done showering. I really don't want I confess though so I'm going to head for my room as quick and quiet as possible. ' as I creek open the door I grab my belongings and make my way to my room. just as I think I'm safe I hear Lucifer saying " Mc come to my study" 'Damn it' I walk to his room and Nick before entering. "Hey Lucifer what's up?" raising a brown I can tell he sees through my act.

" Mc" " Yes Luci?" "What happened ealier." " What do you mean?" "...." there he sat with sat with a serious look on his face. ".... I got into an argument with a demon." he sat there silently and gave me a look that said go on. " ... I lost my cool and beat the shit out of him." "Mc-" " Dont I know what your going to say it was a stupid decision that could have gotten me hurt, I just couldn't control my temper after he tried backing me in a corner and intimidating me when he was losing the argument." " Please be better about your temper..... if I lost you I'd be ... lost you so important to me I couldn't dream of losing you in my darkest nightmare and I want to be by your side for all of eternity. Come to me if you ever need help I'll take care of in the morning." "Please allow me to be selfish and take care of you for tonight." Lucifer said while wrapping his arms around me and kissing my forehead. " Alright for tonight Luci <3."

[unknown-writez]

The Traveler and The Jester

Chapter three: The Summer Court

Part four

“I must warn you sir I’m not the best dancer.” I said in an annoyingly innocent voice as we started waltzing. “think nothing of it. I have danced with far worse. So tell me how did you meet goodfellow?” He said intrigued by our relationship. “He has a cottage not far from where I was camping out. He graciously offered me a bed there.” I answered not exactly lying or telling the truth. “Hmm…” the king responded thoughtfully “he must like you. goodfellow doesn’t tend to be nice to just anyone.” “He has shown me nothing but kindness, your grace.” I said defending puck not being able to help the aggressive tone of my voice “I could be far kinder to you. if you wished to make the court your home instead.” he said back and I could see lust hiding behind his falsely kind deceiving eyes. Acting like the comment caught me off guard purposely I used the opportunity to mess up the dance. tripping on one of the steps of it my body collided with him. I took my hands away from him and pretended to steady myself with a hand against his chest and swiftly moved my other hand to his belt unnoticeably grabbing at the key. distracting him I said “I’m sorry! I’m so clumsy! I did try to warn you sir!” Looking up at him with big helpless doe eyes earning an amused chuckle from him. After I successfully nabbed the key quickly I put my hand back on his shoulder and in his other hand again with a smooth motion the key now hidden behind his back. Him not suspecting a single thing. “I would love that sir” I said trying to send a quick glance to puck over his shoulder as we started spinning again. Puck getting the memo moved out the corner of my eye and I noticed him poof into a bird flying overhead us. in a split second I swiftly tossed the key lightly into the air puck swooping in and catching it before it could fly off as I did. covering it up I pretended to move my hair away from my neck before placing my hand back on his shoulder as a predatory look came on his face, his eyes now glued to my neck and if I didn’t know men better I would have thought he wanted to kill and eat me. The music came to an end a second after that. letting go of my hand the king placed it with the other on my waist instead and I put my now free one on his other shoulder. capturing me in place his face scanned mine drawing closer as if to kiss me but before it could happen a bright light surrounded us and in a puff of glitter I was falling back down from the ceiling into the crowd puck in his raven form next to me shooting as fast as he could to the ground turning back into a human when he reached it just in time to catch me. “puck! what the hell happened!” I scolded and he just gave me a stare that had a mixture of jealousy and shock as if he didn’t mean to do it. putting me down and instead grabbing my hand the whole court was now staring at us aware of our tricks. quickly puck shoved his hand into his pocket grabbing the dice muttering “give us something good.” before throwing them on the ground. the dice shattering in a cloud of purple smoke. as they hit the tile floor suddenly loud music started sounding out throughout the whole castle. The song play that funky music by wild cherry playing along with flashing colored lights and confetti from the ceiling. All at once everyone except puck and I broke out in a synchronized disco dance with confused and fearful looks on their faces as they did the ridiculous moves. Not being able to hold it in I laughed uncontrollably as puck pulled me through the mess running towards the gate as the madness ensued. Once we got out of the castle, puck quickly ran into and through the woods dragging me with him stopping only when he thought we were safe.

[newgentilingsblog]

5 COMMON QUESTIONS REGARDING SHOWER LEAKS 

Shower leaks are a widespread problem that can be easily fixed. If you have a leaky shower, here's what you need to know: 

Why is my shower leaking? 

There are many reasons that a shower can leak. The most common causes for leaks are: 

Poor caulking around the base of the tub or shower pan (the metal or fiberglass structure that holds up your bathtub). Caulking should be replaced with an elastic sealant every couple year because it dries out and shrinks over time. You need proper shower caulking service in Melbourne to improve shower leaking. 

Poor installation of the shower head, which leaves gaps between pipe connections and walls/ceilings that allow water to leak into surrounding drywall or insulation. 

You may also want to consider hiring an experienced contractor who specializes in plumbing repairs if you notice any of these issues: 

My shower was caulked a few years ago and it is leaking now. Why? 

If you are experiencing a leaky shower, it is likely that the caulking was applied incorrectly. The most common reasons for this include: 

The caulk may have been applied too thin. If the gap between your bathtub and tile is too large, or if there is any damage to the surface of either item (such as chips or scratches), then it will be difficult for any type of sealant to create an effective bond with both surfaces at once. For caulking to work properly, both sides must be smooth and flat so that there are no gaps between them. This means that if one side has been damaged somehow, then it will not stick well enough when you apply new caulk around the edge where these two things meet each other--and even worse yet--if your old caulk has already started cracking over time due to weathering conditions outside like extreme temperatures inside your house/apartment building being higher than usual levels outside during summer months which causes expansion within materials like wood floors underfoot etcetera 

Do I need to hire a professional for shower leak repairs? 

If you find yourself in a leaking shower, do not panic. It is common and can be easily repaired. However, if the leak is severe enough or if you are not sure how to fix it yourself, it is better to hire a professional plumber instead of trying to do it yourself. A professional will have all the tools necessary for fixing any kind of leaky shower problem and can usually get the job done quickly and efficiently. They also know what parts need replacing based on their experience working with similar models before yours--something you may not know about your own model until after doing some research yourself. You can contact New Gen Tiling for shower sealing service in Melbourne. 

What is the best way to clean my shower? 

The best way to clean your shower is with mild soap and water. Do not use abrasive cleaners, such as toilet cleaner or bleach. Avoid using steam cleaners because they can damage the surface of your tile or grout. Also, avoid any cleaning products that contain ammonia because they may cause discoloration or other damage to your tile and grout. 

How can I prevent my shower from leaking in the future? 

Keep your shower clean. 

Keep your shower caulking in good condition by cleaning it regularly, or have it replaced if necessary. 

Use a shower sealing service to ensure that all surfaces are properly sealed and watertight before use, especially if you're renting or buying an older property where this may not have been done recently (or ever). 

Get any leaks fixed quickly by hiring a professional plumber who specializes in leak repair services 

Conclusion 

If you're concerned about your shower leaking, we recommend calling a professional. They have the tools and experience needed to diagnose the problem quickly and effectively. In addition, they can offer advice on how best to prevent future leaks from happening again. 

[chicagoflooringcap]

Hardwood Floor Pictures Sorted By Hue Mr Ground Companies Chicago Wooden Floors, Flooring, Flooring Contractor

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