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theramseyloft · 3 years ago

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Shipping a Pigeon

This is not just important for breeders and rescues to know.

The recipients of shipped pigeons need to know how this works as well.

https://foyspetsupplies.com/new-vented-single/

This is the Horizon Micro Environment vented single box, currently the industry standard for shipping pigeons.

These shipping boxes are designed around the thermodynamics of air and the physiology of the birds.

They are made of sturdy corrugated cardboard, which is surprisingly well insulated!

The wide vent at the top of the box vents out warm air as it rises, drawing cooler fresh air through the smaller holes all down the sides and across the bottom on the solid side of the box, where the label is attached.

Air holes are covered by a filter, which provides a few benefits: Keeping the bird and its mess contained, moderate protection from outside contaminants, and most importantly, darkness.

Pigeons are diurnal.

Deprived of light, they basically shut off and fall asleep.

If they could see and were active, more than 24 hours with out water would leave them dangerously dehydrated.

But while they sleep, their digestion is drastically slowed; allowing them to conserve water and calories for days longer than they could while active.

I line the boxes with two layers of paper towels and send seeds with them, but there is no safe or legal way to send water, which is why keeping them in the dark for the trip is so important.

Live birds travel mostly by ground, to protect them in case of hazardous materials ending up in the same scheduled shipment.

If that happens, the live animal is simply delayed until the next scheduled truck or sent along a different rout.

Some times this results in delays. It is not uncommon for a bird to arrive a day or so later than projected, but pigeons travel very well.

If both bird and box are correctly prepared prior to departure, Pigeons are comfortably travel safe for up to seven days.

To prepare my birds for departure, I bring them in 24-48 hours before departure day and keep then in a hospital cage where they have nothing to do but eat and drink and their appetite and hydration levels can be monitored.

Both of which is done by observing the quality of the poop.

Hospital cages are lined with white paper towels to make this easier.

Paper towels wick the moisture away from a fecal sample, letting you see how much liquid was present in a ring of what’s been wicked from an individual poop.

Too much liquid with a large portion of the first day’s meal left over warns of depressed appetite.

Lots of liquid with very little food left either means that was not a large enough portion, or warns that there may be parasites present that you had no prior knowledge of.

If you give a larger portion of feed and the solids to liquids ratio corrects, then chances are you underestimated that individuals intake.

If you adjust the portion and the poop is still very sloppy and wet, it isn’t just a portioning issue and shipment needs to be delayed so that the necessary diagnostic measures can to be taken to work out what’s wrong.

If a bird is pooping too dry on the first day, it may just be stressed by the transition into a hospital cage.

If it’s still pooping dry the next day I alert the recipient that the bird is not sufficiently well hydrated and arrange to try again next week.

This is why 48 hour pre-departure holds are better than 24 hour holds.

It is always better to delay and risk the annoyance of the client to be sure the bird is in good enough condition to arrive safely than to assume everything will be fine and risk sending your client an animal that will arrive in need of medical care.

Six weeks is the bare minimum safe shipping age for a baby pigeon, as that is when their baby feathers have generally come all the way in.

New feathers are fleshy and vascular, and requite a LOT of moisture from the bird growing them, so while the baby is fledging, it is extremely prone to dehydration.

Mine go out at nine weeks, because six weeks is the youngest they can safely be vaccinated for PMV and Paratyphoid, and the soonest they can receive boosters and be fully vaccinated is three weeks later.

That puts them well into a travel safe level of development,

A word of caution on adult cocks!

While hens and young birds under four months are generally safe to ship together, It is safest to ship adult cocks with a divider!

Part of what makes pigeons such easy travelers is the close resemblance for them of a shipping crate to a nest crevice.

Adult cocks are VIOLENTLY defensive of potential nest spaces, and his travel partner cannot get away from him!!!

This can result in a travel partner getting scalped to the skull and neck vertebrae if they are lucky enough to shut down in time,

Or being kept awake and active long enough to fatally dehydrate en rout, leaving only the winning cock and a corpse.

It does not matter if the cock in question was bonded to or friends with this travel partner.

Cocks in driving mode have even scalped and killed their own mates in the confines of the shipping box.

If you are sending out a cock over four months old with another bird of any sex or age, put a divider between them!!!

A length of cardboard running diagonally from one corner of the box to the other is all it takes to ensure that both an adult cock and who ever he’s traveling with will arrive safely and whole, if you do not have the option to send him in his own box.

On arrival, place new birds straight into their enclosure, and show them where water is.

It’s important to give them a few days to get their bearings and adjust to the new normal before being invited out for bonding time.

Human-social pigeons will look to you for comfort after all this change, and will usually beg to be let out on arrival day.

At the very least, wait until you have seen them drink and eat before you let your new bird come out and explore the room at large.

Expect a new arrival by mail to be thirsty and disoriented. They just spent 2-4 days asleep in a box, the jetlag is real.

For the first few days, expect wet poop. The bird will be more interested in water than food for about the first three days, though you should see a steady transition over to water and food intake balancing out over that period.

Ideally, shipping is only done a few times in the life of a pigeon. If not from their breeder straight to their forever home;

Then from the breeder who hatched them to a breeder that wants peeps from them, and from there to their permanent pet home when they retire

Or from a rescue to a long term foster to a permanent home.

When done correctly, shipping is the safest, most comfortable means by which to transport a pigeon over long distances.

But if done incorrectly, it can be severely injurious or even fatal.

If you are adopting a pigeon from a rescue, purchasing a pet bird from a breeder, or purchasing breeding stock to add to a project, you now know what to ask the rescue or breeder about their shipping procedure to ensure that your birds travel comfortably and arrive safely.

#shipping birds #shipping safety #tw: animal death #tw animal injury

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illyaana · 3 years ago

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credits to the artists who made the fanarts I used!

Dorm Life - Shoto Todoroki

Thanks to @missuga for this collab! Sorry I gave to you late TwT Do check out their collab over here!

Tags: Shoto Todoroki x Reader, Binaural, Fluff, Cursing, Minor Angst, Kissing (escandalo)

Synopsis: A compilation of drabbles of your life during the pandemic, quarantined in the UA dorms.

Word Count: 2734

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Like my writing? Do you want a drabble specifically made for you about your love life with a character of your choosing? Check out my 50 followers event over here!

CLASSES

The Sun let its light brush against your skin, giving you a warm hug in the morning. You awoke to the pale blue skies that were painted so elegantly it made you stare. The cumulus clouds softly danced on its stage, etching a smile on your face. You looked around the room, checking for the clock to see what time it was currently.

10:00 a.m. - You were supposed to wake up at 8:00.

Worry rushed through you. The fear of you being late for class thrummed as you tried to get out of your bed.

Hint: tried.

You turned to your side and looked at the male beside you. His hands had found their way around your waist, pulling you in. His head was pressed against your shoulder. His twin-colored hair was disheveled thanks to him turning himself all through the night, His long eyelashes framed his closed lids, his lips slightly parted. Small snores came out in intervals as he snuggled into you, his vice grip around your body tightening even more.

You could help but trace his lips with your finger - it was so soft, you had to.

You pressed a kiss to his forehead, then laid your forehead against his.

“Get up, Sho - class starts in 10 minutes,” you said, rubbing his shoulder.

“I don’t want to, this is too comfortable,” he mumbled, rubbing his head on your shoulder.

“What are you, a cat?” You joked, placing your hands on his cheek, “Let me at least get my laptop on - I can tell Aizawa we’re sharing my laptop and we can just join the class here.”

“Getting the laptop means that you move - and you are not moving,” he said, tightening his grip on you.

“You know we’re going to be in trouble if we don’t join the class, right? Oh yeah, it starts in 5 minutes,” you said, slightly annoyed at him.

Shoto sighs in defeat, “Fine - but, hurry up,”

You pry his arms off of you and rush to your table to get the laptop on. Thankfully, you managed to join the class 3 minutes before it began.

“Aren’t you coming back in here?” Todoroki whined, patting the space beside him.

“Are you finally awake?” You question him.

“Kind of?”

“ ‘Kind of?’ “

“Yes, I am awake - I no longer need to sleep,” he groans.

You take your laptop and place it in the space between the two of you as you sit back on the bed. You pressed another kiss on his forehead, making him smile.

“Good morning, snowflake,” he says as he returns your kiss with one on your forehead.

“Good morning, Sho.”

“Now that you both have shown a great deal of affection, Y/N and Shoto,” Eraserhead says from your Zoom call, “Can my class finally begin?”

⁜

LUNCH BREAK

“I got the money from Aizawa for our meals! Can you all go through the menu and tell me what you want on the class group chat?” Momo shouted from the living room.

“Imagine eating great food for free?” Uraraka smiled, enjoying how our meals were paid for by the school itself, “The pandemic is amazing yet so annoying at the same time.”

You chuckle at the brown-haired girl, seeing her awe-filled expression.

“What are you getting?” You ask her.

“Hmm… maybe Udon? It’s been a long time since I ate it, and since it’s not coming from my pocket…” she eyed the menu, “I’m getting the most expensive one.”

“You know he gave a set amount for the whole class right?” You look at her mischievous expression.

“I’m pretty sure we can stay within the budget. Our class generally doesn’t spend much money on food, right?”

You looked across the room to see Kaminari and Kirishima going through the menu.

“You think those two will be reasonable with their spending? Knowing them, they’re most probably buying the whole menu plus snacks,” you say, looking at their joy-filled grins.

You saw Shoto walk beside Iida, heading towards the two males. Intrigued, you and Uraraka walked towards the group of four.

“Hey,” you say as you hug Shoto from the back, “Everything okay?”

“These two,” Iida said, anger laced in his words, “Ordered everything on the menu.”

You held back your laughter, unlike Uraraka.

“Your skills in predicting the future astound me, Y/N L/N,” she says, covering her mouth.

“Hush,” you say, smiling.

“The two of you…” Iida began, looking at the two wrongdoers, “I don’t know how your closer friends handle you two.”

You look at the scene unfolding in front of you, smiling.

Iida was full-on lecturing the two males, his hands moving in all ten directions. Kaminari and Kirishima just stood there, dumbfounded. You could see the two of them slowly spacing out from the ‘conversation’, but Iida kept going on.

“Hey,” Shoto whispered, “Wanna have a mini-date tonight? I’ll order a few things and get them sent here, and we can watch a movie together?”

“Don’t use the money Aizawa gave though - we don’t need a third victim of Iida’s lectures,” you whisper, earning a smile from the stoic male.

⁜

MINI-DATES

You opened the door to Shoto’s room, comfortably dressed in your Axolotl onesie. In your hands, you brought a hard drive filled with movies that you felt that you both would enjoy. Seeing that Shoto wasn’t in the room, you laid on his bed, waiting for the arrival of the owner of the room. Your eyes went straight to his mirror. He had slid multiple polaroid pictures of you and your friends in the corners of the mirror. Each one of the photos had a small remark, reminding you of all the memories you’ve made throughout your years in UA.

Your hands grazed on the photo he kept on the bedside table.

It was a picture of him and his mother smiling.

Your chest panged when you saw it. He had told you the story behind his scar and his life within the Todoroki household. His hatred for his father grew every day, yet he could never hate his mother - the very person who gave him the scar on his face.

“I love that picture, but not as much as I love this one,” Shoto said, pointing at a photo in the top-left corner of his mirror.

It was a picture of both of you visiting his mother with Fuyumi and Natsuo.

“I’ll admit Natsuo was not the most welcoming to the idea of me dating you, but he slowly loved you as a sibling. I did talk about you to Fuyumi a bunch of times, but she had her suspicions - that all changed when she met you, though. Mom…”

He hesitated, “...she didn’t like the idea of me dating anyone. Yet, you managed to make her like you so much, now she only asks about you whenever I call her,” he chuckled.

“My family loves you - except Endeavor, of course,” he groaned.

“He’ll come around, eventually. You, however,” you walk up to him and cup his face, “Need to talk to him properly - no filter, just say everything.”

You lie back down on the bed, patting the space beside you, “Hurry up - the snacks you bought are calling me.”

After multiple small banters, you both finally decided on Shrek and began to watch the movie.

After a while, you found yourself lying on Shoto’s chest, playing with his fingers as you focused on the movie. Shoto, however, stared at your cute expressions, taking mental notes of all the small things you did when a scene disgusted you, made you laugh or made you feel sad.

“Y/N,” he whispered in your ear once the movie ended, “Thanks for loving me.”

You turned to face the fire user, cupping his face in your hands. His fingers found their way in your hair, enjoying the feeling of your soft locks against his calloused skin. Your thumb began to move in circular motions, eager to feel his soft skin against yours. You stared into his dual-coloured eyes, enjoying the brown and icy blue flecks within each eye. He relaxed against your touch, warmth radiating from him to you.

“I love you so much, Sho - and I will no matter what happens later on.”

You shared a kiss under the glow of the pale moonlight, but all you cared about was how perfect the man you were kissing was.

⁜

TRAINING

“Hey Sho,” you say, nudging the male beside you, “You wanna train after this?”

“I can’t,” he said, looking down, “I asked Midoriya to help me with some things. The only time he’s free is after this, so…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll ask Uraraka!” you say, kissing him on the cheek, “Good luck with whatever you’re doing with Mido.”

Soon, both you and Uraraka headed to Ground Beta to train your hand-to-hand combat.

“Luckily all of us are vaccinated, or the training grounds wouldn’t be open,” you say, thinking.

“Okay, okay - you wanted to work on hand-to-hand combat, right?” You nodded.

Both you and Uraraka got into your positions, mentally preparing yourselves. You were ready to move towards her until you heard sounds coming from the entrance.

“Well, well, well - isn’t that two students from Class 3-A?” Monoma snickered.

You groaned before turning to face him.

“Hello, Monoma? Where’s Kendo?” you ask, hoping that the ginger would come and stop him.

“Kendo’s eating right now - don’t want to disturb her. I don’t mind messing with the two of you, though.”

“What’s the difference, Monoma?” Uraraka added, “We usually keep quiet, but Y/N and I would like to train, so it would be greatly appreciated if you either kept quiet or left.”

“Why would you want to train with them, though?” He said, looking at Uraraka, “They’re the weakest bitch in your whole class, aren’t they?”

“The fuck, Monoma?!” you shouted, “That’s going a bit too far, don’t you think?”

“What? I’m just stating facts; you entered the class later than everyone else, you’re quirkless since you depend on your weapons, you need to train with others so that you can win 10% of the time - don’t the facts say it all?”

“Monoma, you might want to - ”

“Stop? Why should I?” he laughed, “It’s about time someone told you the truth; you’re useless, unneeded, a waste of space, and never going to be a hero - not even a sidekick.”

“So, the student who single-handedly served you your own ass in a fight doesn’t deserve to stay, but your weak fucking self can stay?” Shoto chuckled darkly, his hand slowly freezing Monoma’s shoulder, “That’s a lot of self-confidence for someone who hasn’t fought well for 3 years straight.”

“Next time you talk shit about Y/N, don’t expect to leave without losing any limbs,” he shouted, scaring Monoma.

“Shoto,” you begin, “Let me fight my own battles.”

He stares at you and sighs. His vice grip on Monoma loosens as you walk towards him.

You run your sword against his hands, small cuts forming.

“Talk shit about me again and you won’t be standing. Get the fuck out, dumbass.”

Monoma runs out of Ground Beta, making you chuckle.

“Damn, Y/N,” Uraraka says from afar.

“That’s my lover,” Shoto says, smiling.

⁜

NIGHTMARES

You woke up to the sounds of Shoto whimpering in his sleep.

His clothes were soaked by his sweat, trails of tears strung down his face.

He was shaking - shivering.

Small screams of Natsuo, Fuyumi and Rei’s names escaped his lips along with soft sobs.

“Shoto!” You shouted, shaking him, “Wake up, it’s only a dream - they’re okay, they’re alive.”

You heard your name.

You heard his voice become louder, screaming your name in pain.

“I’m here, I’m fine,” you whisper in his ear.

“I’m right here, Shoto - I haven’t left you. I am here, hugging you. Wake up, okay?’

You heard his whimpers stop as he wrapped his arms around you. He nuzzled his face into your chest as you patted his head.

“Y/N…” you heard him mumble, “Y/N… you’re fine, right?”

“I’m fine, Sho. I’m here hugging you, aren’t I?”

He nodded, pressing his head against your chest.

“You want to talk about it?”

“No…” he trailed off.

“Okay, don’t worry,” you say, kissing him on his head.

“You want me to get you something? Milk, water…?” you ask him, slowly prying yourself off of him.

“Don’t go anywhere.”

“Ok then, koala - I’m not going anywhere,” you say, chuckling.

You hummed a song as you rubbed Shoto’s back, giving him warmth. You wiped the trail of tears and pressed kisses on his cheek.

If he needs you to be his haven, you’ll be an oasis from all the bad.

⁜

CLASS FUN

“Ok, so - everyone is here, right?” Mina said as she stood in the middle of the living room.

You looked at everyone in the living room. Everyone was excited - after all, it’s been a long time since you all did something together as a class.

“I think everyone’s here, Mina,” Shouji said, passing you your drink.

Shoto placed his head on your shoulder, groaning.

“What’s wrong with you?” you ask, worried.

“I wanted to just sleep in today…” he said, sulking.

“Come on, it’s been a long time since we did something as a class - who knows? This might be our last little thing as a class,” you retort.

He hummed in agreement, “Fine.”

“Great! Let’s bring back an old classic, shall we? The game that made all the couples in this classroom, the game that made the impossible possible,” she looked at Bakugou and Izuku, “Spin the Bottle Truth or Dare!”

“This fucking game?” Bakugo cussed.

“Relax, Kacchan~,” Kaminari said, teasing the other blonde.

“Shut up, dunce face,” Bakugo said with anger.

“Keep quiet, you two. Mina’s getting angry,” Kirishima said, eyeing the pink-haired female.

“So what if-”

“Kacchan, shush,” Izuku said, glaring at his partner.

“Thank you, my green-haired savior,” Mina said, smiling at Izuku.

“Let me re-explain how the game works; Person A will spin the bottle in the middle of the circle until it stops on Person B. Person A will play truth or dare with Person B. Clear?” Mina said, smiling.

The game soon spiraled out of control, just like everyone expected.

Kaminari danced in a maid dress, Shinsou was forced to call Aizawa and Present Mic ‘dads’ in a call on speaker, Kirishima was forced to scream “I’m hard!” out loud, and Mina sang Baby Shark to her lover - something we never thought Kirishima would enjoy.

In the last round, the bottle landed on Shoto.

The person who spun the bottle was Sero.

You knew he had something planned - you could see it in his eyes.

“Shoto Todoroki, truth or dare?” He said, smirking.

You looked at him, begging him to not choose dare.

“Truth, I guess?” he said, looking at you.

Phew.

“What do you and Y/N do when you’re alone?”

Shit.

“Take dare, take the dare, take the dare…” you mumbled under your breath, hoping he’d listen.

“Can I take the dare?” Shoto said, questioning your actions.

Phew.

“Make out with Y/N right here.”

Shit.

“Give them some privacy, Sero!” Uraraka shouted on your behalf.

“He already evaded the truth question, I’m not modifying the dare,” Sero said, huffing.

“Y/N,” Shoto said, looking at you, “Is it okay?”

You sigh in frustration, “I put us in this situation, Sho. Let’s just get it over with.”

Shoto smiled, looking at your pissed expression.

“Look at me,” he whispered in your ear, raising small goosebumps on your skin.

His hands slowly went to your cheeks, eyeing the flecks in your eyes - how they sparkled just for him and him alone. His thumb reached your lips and parted it - enjoying how you were putty in his hands. His hand slowly went from your cheek to your chin, raising it to make your forehead meet his.

“Geez, Y/N,” he said, lust filling his eyes, “You’re so perfect.”

He softly pressed his lips against yours. He sucked on your lips, enjoying the strawberry lip balm you put just before you entered the living room. Your hands gripped on his dual-colored hair, fingers entangled.

The soft kiss soon turned desperate, needy.

In, out, in, out - the synchronization of your lips.

The need for breath soon came and your lips parted from his.

“Well, that was something,” you said, laughing.

⁜

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effielumiere · 3 years ago

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The Companion 4.5

Pairing: Park Jimin x Reader

Genre: Romance, Idol AU, Drama, Comedy (hopefully lol)

Summary: A year after all their world tour was cancelled with the announcement of the pandemic, Jimin goes through a roller coaster of emotions and he can barely his emotions and he's trying so hard to stay happy. Namjoon and Jin suggested to get a puppy when they got drunk but Joon thought a human companion sounded funny to his drunken brain, not knowing that Jimin took his word seriously. When he finally finds the one who's going to be his human emotional companion, he wonders if she's up for it? And most importantly, he wonders how things would play out with him being Park Jimin and her being... well, a fan... an ARMY to be precise.

Warning(s): Sentences in italics are English words translated to Korean (that sounded confusing but I said what I said). UNEDITED!

Word count: 2k

A/N: This one is gonna be a bit short because Jimin's parts are almost in line with Y/n's, and once that happens y'all are gonna be reading from the third person POV. I won't make this series too long we're already 8 chapters in with the prologue included.

Please don't forget to like, reblog and comment on what you think about this below. The reactions I get motivate me, even the tiniest compliments teehee. My ask box is open in case y'all wanna ask stuff or if something in the story is confusing you🙂 ask awayyy

The taglist for this series is open, same goes for my permanent taglist just reply on the masterlist (The Companion) / Permanent taglist (link!) if you wanna be added. 💜Enjoy this chapter

And in honor of Yoongi Month, please check out my latest story called Girl of my dreams. Yes, it's a Min Yoongi / SUGA story, Click here or go to my profile to see my main masterlist. Thank you babes xoxo.

< four | masterlist | five >

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 2021

While we had a lot of fun and were excited of what the outcome was gonna be for our preparations for Butter and Permission to Dance, I had quite a bit more on my plate as I enter Bang PD-nim's office with the other members and our managers, on the seat next to him was the new CEO. I knew- we knew what the conversation was going to be about but I still didn't know how to act and was starting to get cold feet about the idea but Namjoon hyung kept reassuring me... they all did. They would tell me that it was all going to be okay and I'll know how to act when she arrives. That's if she says yes. That right, we still haven't tried to contact her and that was why we were called to the office right after rehersal.

"We thought about emailing her using Weverse and it's going to straight up look like a job vacancy," Bang PD started "With the situation going on; the pandemic, getting a job is not that easy especially since social distancing is implemented on work spaces an example is here at the office, most people are working from home everywhere. So, getting a job offer to fly to another country is a bit of a stretch especially since vaccines aren't fully out yet. There's a way could make her come where, but we have a time strain,"

"What's that?" Namjoon asks

"Jimin has to visit a licensed therapist to get a recommendation letter of some sorts that he really does need an emotional companion," Jin reads out the paper handed to him by the CEO, "Is it gonna take long for him to be able to get a letter?" he asks

"Not really," Bang PD says as he sits on the couch next to me "But he has to be consistently present during the session,"

I smile as I look up at them "I've been going to a therapist," I say quietly and they all look at me as if I grew two more heads.

"What?" Yoongi asks "Since when?"

"A month or so after Namjoon hyung came up with the idea," I tell them as I play with the sleeve of my sweater "I thought that maybe something like this would be requested if our reason for hiring her was to be an emotional companion so I immediately went to a therapist and have been going to her every Sunday since."

"JImin-ah," Hobi says chuckling "Smart move, man! You saved a lot of time!"

"Does it help though? Going to therapy?" Jin asks

"Not entirely," I say honestly "I don't entirely feel comfortable especially when I know that my therapist has spoken to other patients with the same issue since the pandemic and my story is just another broken record for her to endure. I sometimes feel like she doesn't make sense too,"

"All the better reason to get an emotional companion" Jungkook mutters smiling.

"If others are able to get here, then she would too," Yoongi points out "Would she have the twelve to fourteen day quarantine?"

"For her, since it's going to be for medical reasons," Bang PD looks at him "I don't think they'll delay her."

"Good," Taehyung states "So, when will the staff contact her?"

"Tonight," Bang PD, the managers and the CEO say together.

"Tonight?" Namjoon asks "That fast?"

"Yeah," my manager nods as he hands the letter that Jin hyung was reading to Namjoon and I "We're just waiting for your signal, Jimin-ah. Just say the word and we'll email it to her."

I read the letter twice, thrice. Biting my lip out of nervousness, I pass the letter to Taehyung and hold my head in my hands as I try to calm myself down and ignore the thoughts that kept telling me to stop doubting what I'm doing. It was already Spring, she would be here right before we film Butter if we got lucky and she says yes.

"What are the steps that will happen if she says yes or no?" I ask in a small voice, not wanting to think about what will happen if she says no.

"Let's start with 'No'," my manager says "if she says no, then it's simple. You find someone else, probably a local, and I'm sorry to be harsh on you, Jimin-ah. But you'll have to forget about her." I look down, disappointed and sad at the idea of not being able to be with Y/n after month of waiting for her. I was about to get another panic attack when Jin hyung spoke "What about if she says 'yes'?"

"IF she says yes, then on the first meeting we'll have Namjoon explain to her what the job really is, because it will say Executive Assistant which just translates close to Personal Assistant. And it is for a personal and a medical reason why she being hired as an emotional companion for Park Jimin," he states "But, we're not going to immediately reveal that it's Jimin she's working for. We need to see first what her reaction is going to be. Privacy reasons" he shrugs and we all nod in understanding.

"So, Jimin-ssi?" the CEO asks "When do we send the email?"

I look at the other members in question if they were sure about what I was about to do and in turn they all nod as if to tell what they've been repeatedly telling me for the past few months 'It's okay, go ahead'. I look at Bang PD and my manager who smile at me through their masks, another reassuring gesture. I look back at the new CEO and nod my head, "Tonight, please" I added making him chuckle and he motions to Sejin-nim who gives him a thumbs up.

"And now we wait?" I ask Namjoon hyung and he nods "And now we wait. Mini wait."

That evening...

"Jimin-ah!" Namjoon yells as he walks towards the living room of the door where we were all sitting and watching a movie. Well, they were watching. I was lost in my thoughts staring at the floor tired after we hurriedly moved all of the furniture I assembled from Jungkook's house to my apartment earlier after our meeting.

"We're here" I call out to him and he walks in hurriedly taking of his face mask, revealing his very wide grin.

"W-what? What?" Hobi asks "What's up?"

"Congratulations, my brother," he smiles at me "She said yes,"

Everything around me seemed to be in slow motion as the other members cheer and start hugging me, congratulating me and I stare at Namjoon in disbelief as he hugs me last. I thank them and hug them back tightly, tears threatning to fall from my eyes. If others were to watch us, they'd probably think we either won the lottery or the Olympics.

April 2021

It has been 2 weeks since we sent her the email and today was the first time I was going to see and hear her but she doesn't know I'm in the room behind the laptop and camera that was pointed at Namjoon. I rub the palm of my hands on my joggers as I wait for Namjoon hyung who was setting up his camera. The laptop on front of me had its built in webcam covered so I wouldn't be accidentally seen by Y/n.

"You ready?" Namjoon asks and I nod, raising my feet up to where I was sitting to hug my legs as a way of comforting myself.

Namjoon hyung dials her and it doesn't take long for the ringing ro stop.

"Oh, hey Namjoon," her happy voice rings through out the room.

Jungkook who was sitting right next to me nudged my arm with his elbow "It's your girl," he whispers smiling and I smile back.

"Hey Y/n," Namjoon greets her back "How did your week go?"

"It went pretty well, just a lot of information overload with the lessons" she chuckles nervously "Good thing that the lessons touch up more on verbal than written. Aside from my handwriting looking like chicken shit, my spelling is horrible."

"What makes you say it looks like chicken shit?" Namjoon grins

"An batchmate of mine from college says so, she's half Korean and she's kinda helping me with learning and all"

Namjoon nods chuckling "At least you've got someone to help you out, it makes things a little easier as long as she doesn't know who you're gonna be associated with here at Hybe"

"Well, I don't even know who my boss is," she chuckles nervously "I only know you, Jungkook and Taehyung, and the dogs"

I raise my eyebrow at Namjoon in question, I wasn't frequently updated of every detail that happened during

the meetings which was why I can't help but feel a bit of jealousy knowing she's spent more time with them and got to know them earlier than I did. I cross my arms and lightly rub my nose in annoyance and look down as I listen to them talk. Jungkook nudges my arm again as if to tell me to pay attention, but all I did was look between the two of them and muttered to Jungkook "I'll be at home, I'm tired," as I got up and left the room quietly, feeling Namjoon and Jungkook's gazes on my back.

Sitting inside the company car as they drive me home, I thought about getting a planner to write down places I want to visit with her, food I want introduce to her, the arts and culture, places I wanted to take her to dance. And as I watch the streetlights that passed by, I wondered if she would like to go to the countryside with me over on a weekend where we could stargaze and wish on the night sky, and fall asleep blanketed by the stars above us.

April 2021

I stand in front of the door to my apartment unlocking it with Namjoon behind me. The security team told me that she arrived a few days prior and that we could go ahead and visit her at my apartment where she was staying at. Swinging the door open, I let Namjoon hyung enter first and he immediately greets her, and when I look up from my spot behind the door after I took off my shoes, I felt my heart skip a few beats. She was standing in the middle of the room with her hair down, white shirt under her dark blue cardigan and jeans. As Namjoon hyung explained everything that was in the backpack I was carrying earlier, I received a phone call from our manager and had to excuse myself.

"Did you just enter the apartment with her in there, alone?"

"No," I answer quietly "I'm with Namjoon hyung, he's explaining the contract to her. How did you know where I was?"

"Security team followed you, probably didn't see Namjoon-ssi with you," he replies

"We'll be back at the dorm within an hour," I reassure him before I hung up, "Don't worry,"

And true to my word we left within an hour, and went back to the dorm. That evening, right before I went to bed I pulled out my two-year planner from my bedside table and highlighted on the things that were done today.

"Are you sure about telling her?" Hobi hyung asked me as he laid on his bed which was on the other side of the room, a moisturizing face mask plastered on his face, his phone on his lap as he looked between me and the planner in my hands. I bought a binder enough to fit 2 one year planners, "I have to, hyung,"

"So, if she asks you the very moment you spend time with her alone" he inquires "you are immediately going to tell her thwo whole truth?"

"Not right away, no," I tell him eyes widening at the idea "She'll run away if I do, she might even think I'm crazy or a lunatic if I tell her,"

"Well," he started "It does sound crazy, when you think about it. But it will make sense at some point."

"It makes sense to us," I sighed "It might not make sense to her, I'll just have to wait until the right moment."

Flipping through the pages, I land on the month of February 2022 where I planned on telling her how I found her and the real truth on why she was here that the other members, our managers, the CEO of Hybe and Bang PD knew about. The real truth on why out of all the people I could find on that app, I chose her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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nerdzzone · 3 years ago

Text

Gaze on the Shore

Summary: As the world starts to reopen, tentatively hoping the worst of the pandemic is behind them, Chris and Whitney face a new set of challenges. With busy work schedules and the pressures of normal life looming on the horizon, will the foundation they’ve built through lockdown be strong enough to keep their relationship steady or will they crack under the strain?

Chris Evans x OFC

18+

Part of the Once Bitten/More Hearts series

Note: okay, I’m not totally done writing this section of the series yet, but I have most of it done and some of it edited so I can’t resist posting it any longer. Hopefully I can write the last little bit fast enough that there isn’t a delay, but I apologize if I have to space the chapters out a bit more to give myself some extra time. For now, I’ll try to have one up every few days and I think there will be 9 in total. Please let me know what you think!

-----

Part One

March 2021

Chris was sulking.

He was a grown man and he was sulking.

The fact that he looked exactly like Grayson did when he didn’t get his own way would have been adorable had it not gone on for two days with no end in sight.

The trouble had started when Chris received confirmation that he would be needed in L.A. by the end of the month to start filming The Gray Man. We knew it was coming soon, but the news still sent us into a spiral. I’ll admit, I didn’t handle it well when he told me, but his timing hadn’t been ideal as he chose to break the news on a day when Grayson had been particularly trying. It didn’t help that Chris had been in his office for most of that day which left me to deal with tantrum after tantrum and battles over every little thing that I’d tried to get Grayson to do. By the time he was in bed, I was exhausted and emotionally drained so when Chris blurted out his little announcement, I burst into tears.

Things had been going very well for us in the first few months of 2021. We had little disagreements here and there, but for the most part, our relationship was solid and we were very happy. So, my reaction wasn’t even due to any lingering insecurities that I may have had and it definitely wasn’t because I wasn’t happy for him, but at that moment in time the thought of navigating through a long distance relationship and a sudden return to life as a single parent had me feeling incredibly overwhelmed.

Once I’d calmed down enough to explain that to Chris, he was very understanding, but the solution he came up with wasn’t one that I was particularly thrilled about either.

He wanted us to go with him.

Again, I didn’t react in the most compassionate way as I immediately said no.

The hurt on Chris’ face was clear and I rushed to explain my reasons with the biggest one being that we hadn’t been fully vaccinated yet - we’d had one dose, but I didn’t really like the idea of travelling before we’d had our second. He countered that by assuring me that the production company had already agreed to get us both our second dose as soon as possible, but I pointed out that Grayson would still be vulnerable. Chris had clearly put some thought into the situation already because he was prepared for that argument too and provided me with several articles that insisted air travel was perfectly safe due to the high quality air filters on every plane.

While that was probably true, I quickly reminded him that Gray would still have to wear a mask for the entire flight and - even though he was really good about wearing one whenever he needed to - making him wear one for six hours straight seemed a bit ambitious. It was a valid point, but Chris simply huffed and argued that I was just making excuses.

“I am not,” I’d insisted. “It’s true, Chris.”

“So, what do you want me to do? I tell you I have to leave and you start cryin’, but you shoot down the only solution I can offer.”

“I’m sorry that I cried,” I apologized. “I just got overwhelmed, but now I’m trying to be realistic. Maybe we could join you in a couple of months if things get better?”

“In a couple months, we’ll be in Europe and you won’t be able to come. Unless you’ve secretly stumbled on some kind of miracle cure and they can suddenly open all the borders again.”

“There’s no need for sarcasm,” I scolded him, frowning at his sassy tone. “I don’t know what your filming schedule is like and I don’t know why you’re so mad at me. If it was just me, I would come, but we have to think about Grayson here too.”

At that point, he was clearly annoyed. The scowl on his face was fierce and his jaw was clenched so tight that I could see the muscles straining from across the room.

“I know we have to think about Grayson!” He snapped at me. “He’s my son too, don’t act like I’m not taking him into consideration!”

His tone was unnecessarily harsh and my eyes narrowed into a glare

“I know he’s your son too! I just don’t think it’s realistic to expect a three year old to keep a mask on for six hours when even most adults find that uncomfortable.”

“He’s almost four,” Chris pointed out as if that made any difference. “And I think he’d be fine with it. I think you’re looking for reasons not to come.”

“Why on earth would I do that? I would love to come with you, but I don’t see how it’s possible right now!”

“I just told you how it could be possible, but you don’t want to listen.”

“That’s not true! I don’t understand why you’re being so difficult about this.”

“If anyone’s being difficult, it’s you,” Chris insisted. “I thought you were dyin’ to get back to L.A. to see your family. You’d get more work out there too, don’t you think it’s time you got back to that?”

That suggestion had caught me off guard and I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling very defensive.

“What’s the supposed to mean? Are you implying that I should start contributing financially around here? Because I believe I offered to do so at the start of this pandemic and you threw a hissy fit about it.”

“I didn’t throw a hissy fit!” Chris rolled his eyes. “And I don’t care about money, don’t make this about that. I just thought you’d want to get back to work, to get back to normal!”

“Well, that’s not what it sounded like,” I insisted. “It sounded like you think I should get off my ass and stop freeloading off of you.”

“What are you fuckin’ talkin’ about? Don’t put fuckin’ words in my mouth.”

“Don’t swear at me, Chris,” I glared. “If you can’t control yourself and have a civil conversation about this then I think we’re done talking.”

Perhaps it had been foolish of me to think that telling him to ‘calm down’ - even without using those actual words - would do anything, but have the opposite effect. It certainly didn’t help the situation as Chris shook his head, focusing his eyes on a spot on the counter as if he couldn’t even stand to look at me. I could see how tense he was as he mulled over my words and after a few moments he lifted his eyes to meet mine again. They were dark and angry and I knew we weren’t going to have a peaceful resolution to the situation any time soon.

“I think we’re done here then,” he decided. “Or at least we should be, before I say something that I regret.”

That piqued my curiosity as I wondered what hurtful words were on the tip of his tongue, but he gave me no time to question it as he stormed past me and out of the room.

He’d slept in the spare bedroom that night, or at least I’d assumed that he did because he definitely didn’t sleep in our bed. He’d wandered into the kitchen as I was having breakfast with Grayson the next morning so I knew he hadn’t left the house, but after a quick kiss to the top of Gray’s head, he went straight to the living room without saying a word to me. Once Grayson was finished eating, he scurried off to join him, but I busied myself elsewhere.

And that’s how it went for the rest of the day.

We avoided each other and didn’t exchange a single word. My frustration was mounting with every passing hour of silence so, while Chris tucked Grayson in that evening, I took a hot bath to try and relax and it was surprisingly effective at shifting my mood. I came out of it feeling much calmer about things and, inspired by my happier mood, I’d slipped into my pajamas and headed out to find Chris to see if I could smooth things over.

I found him in the living room, flipping through a script as he sipped a beer and I leaned on the door frame.

“Hey,” I greeted him, alerting him to my presence. “Can we talk?”

He glanced up briefly, but quickly turned his eyes back to the papers in front of him.

“I don’t have anything to say.”

His curtness had me feeling instantly defeated, but I wasn’t going to back down that easily.

“Really? We had a big argument, we’ve not spoken all day and you don’t think we have anything to talk about?”

“Nope.”

“Wow,” I bristled, shocked by his nonchalance and immediately feeling any levelheadedness that I’d regained slipping away. “Well, do you remember those concerns that I had about things returning to normal that you made me feel were so irrational? I hate to say ‘I told you so’, but if this is how you’re going to be then they’re looking pretty justified.”

That got his attention and he tossed the script onto the couch next to him as he glared up at me.

“Don’t be so smug, Whitney. Did you ever think that I might be upset because I could use some support? That I might be anxious about being on set again after so long and that I’m freaked out about being away from you and Grayson after being with you every day for an entire year?”

His sudden honesty surprised me, but I nodded my head.

“I get that, I do, but I don’t get why you’re taking it out on me. It’s not my fault that you have to go back to work.”

“It’s your fault that you won’t come with me.”

“Well, maybe if you’d given me some time to process it all instead of immediately getting nasty, it would have worked out better.”

“Okay,” Chris shrugged in a way that made it clear he was about to test that claim. “You’ve had time to think about it now. Do you feel any different?”

“No,” I scoffed. “I can’t say that I particularly feel like going anywhere with you at the moment, not with how you’re behaving.”

Chris’ jaw clenched as he shook his head.

“Why did you bother coming in here if you’re just tryin’ to pick a fight?”

“I didn’t plan on starting a fight - I came in here to talk and you shut me down and gave me attitude!” I reminded him. “I want to figure this out and talk things through.”

“If you’re not gonna change your mind then I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

I let out an exasperated groan and resisted the urge to stomp my foot in frustration.

“God, you’re such a dick sometimes,” I muttered, shaking my head. “But, okay, come and find me when you’re done being a child and we can talk then.”

Chris responded with just another roll of his eyes and I stormed out of the room in a huff, my positive mood completely shattered.

He’d spent another night on the couch or wherever he was choosing to sleep and that was how we’d ended up on day two of his sulk. Every time I walked in a room, he glared up at me like an angry child and it was really starting to test my patience, but everything changed when my phone rang just before lunch.

It was my brother, who didn’t usually call me out of the blue, so my curiosity was a good momentary distraction from my growing exasperation.

“Hey, Jack. What’s up?”

“Do you have a minute to talk?” He asked, his strained and exhausted voice instantly putting me on edge. “It’s important.”

“Yeah, of course. What’s going on?”

“There’s no great way to say this,” he sighed. “But Dad had a heart attack.”

His words made my blood run cold as my heart hammered in my chest.

“Is that a joke, Jack?” I snapped, my current stress level leaving me with very little patience to spare. “Because it’s not funny. Dad’s one of the healthiest sixty year old men that I know.”

“I know, that’s what I said, but it’s not a joke, Whitney. I wouldn’t do that.”

There was something about the tone of his voice that made my stomach turn. In my heart, I knew that Jack would never joke around about something like that anyway, but his uncharacteristic solemnity had tears filling my eyes as my brain fought to process his words.

“Oh my god,” I whimpered. “Is he okay? When did it happen?”

“He’s alright and as far as I know, he’s expected to make a full recovery,” he assured me. “But he’s still in the hospital. It happened late last night. Mom called an ambulance and went with him to the hospital and she said they did surgery this morning.”

“Surgery?” I sniffled. “Surgery for what?”

“It was something to do with calcium buildup in his arteries from what I could get out of Mom,” he explained. “I’m heading there now and I’ll talk to the doctor myself. It was a lot for her to take in, especially after all the panic.”

I felt like I was in a fog as I tried to comprehend all the information that he was throwing at me. My dad really was a very healthy man. He loved exercise and ate fairly well. His job stressed him out sometimes, but no worse than most people. It just didn’t make sense. After a moment of silence as my mind ran wild, I managed to choke out another response.

“I can’t believe this.”

“I know, it doesn’t seem real,” Jack sighed as a few tears slid down my cheeks. “But Mom did seem positive so I do think he’s going to be okay. I know it must be hard for you, being so far away.”

“I’ll come home,” I decided, wiping my eyes. “I’ll get the next flight out.”

“No, Whit, you don’t have to do that. I can call you after I get to the hospital and let you know if it’s worse than I think, but you don’t have to decide that right now.”

“I want to be there,” I insisted. “And Chris and I were talking about it anyway. He has to start filming soon and I was on the fence about going with him, but this changes things. We’ll come as soon as possible.”

“Well, if you’re sure, it would be great to have you here and mom would love to see you.”

“She’ll need help convincing him to rest when he’s home too. You know what he’s like, he never listens to her.”

“He’s stubborn,” Jack agreed. “But alright, call me later and let me know your plan. I can pick you guys up from the airport.”

“That would be great, thanks,” I sighed. “Give them both a hug for me, okay?”

Jack promised me that he would and we said our goodbyes so he could head out to the hospital.

I tried to take a moment to compose myself, but it quickly proved to be a fairly hopeless endeavour. In the end, I simply pulled myself together enough to make sure that Grayson wouldn’t be concerned by my obvious distress and went into the living room where he was watching a movie with Chris. Gray’s attention didn’t stray from the screen, but Chris looked up when I rushed in.

“I need to speak to you. Right now.”

Perhaps it was the hint of hysteria in my voice, but Chris didn’t argue. He just nodded as he slipped out of Grayson’s grasp and wordlessly followed me from the room. When we got to the kitchen, I turned to face him with my fists clenched and lips tight as I fought to hold back my tears.

“What’s going on?”

His tone was much less combative than it had been the last few times we’d spoken which I appreciated as it was already a struggle for me not to fall apart.

“You win, Chris,” I choked out. “We’ll come with you to L.A.”

He was watching me closely, his confusion written all over his face.

“Why?” He asked. “Why the sudden change of heart? Why are you so upset?”

I bit my lip as my eyes burned with unshed tears and I shook my head, unsure of my ability to talk.

“C’mon,” Chris sighed, moving across the room and pulling me into his arms. As soon as he was wrapped around me and my head was resting against his chest, a sob fell from my lips. “What’s going on?”

“My dad had a heart attack,” I cried, feeling his arms tighten around me. “Jack says he’s alright, but I want to go home. I need to be there.”

“Shit, Winnie, when did it happen?”

“Last night, but Jack just called me,” I told him, pulling back to look up at him as my lip quivered. “I’m sorry about our argument, I’m sorry about whatever I said, but can we go? Now? Or as soon as possible?”

“Of course. I can make a few calls and get us on the next flight out this afternoon.”

I felt a wave of relief before another thought hit me and tears welled in my eyes again.

“But, what about Grayson? He’ll still have to wear a mask for the entire flight. I wasn’t just trying to be difficult, I think he’ll struggle with that,” I insisted. “And we still haven’t been fully vaccinated yet.”

“We’ll be fine,” Chris insisted, his firm tone making it almost impossible for me not to believe him. “We’ll wear masks and keep our distance and make sure we’re as safe as we can be. As for Gray, why don’t I book us on an evening flight? Chances are he’ll be exhausted from the excitement by then and sleep most of the way.”

“Would that be okay?” I worried my bottom lip between my teeth. “Is this crazy? Am I just panicking?”

Chris pulled me tighter against his chest and I felt a wave of gratitude that despite the previous tension between us, he was able to put it aside and support me through this.

“Maybe a little, but it’s understandable. This is a big deal, Win. I get why you want to be there.”

“I’m just scared,” I whimpered, gripping his t-shirt. “He’s so healthy, I don’t understand how this could happen.”

“I know, but I’m sure there will be more information by the time we get there,” he assured me. “Why don’t you go and start packing for you and Gray? I’ll make a few calls to book our flights and then take him with me to drop Dodger off with my mom.”

“Okay,” I sniffled, pulling myself reluctantly away from his embrace. He turned to head to the door, but I stopped him before he got too far. “Chris? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made such a big deal about coming with you.”

He quickly moved back towards me and pulled me in for a quick, but meaningful kiss.

“Neither should I,” he confessed once our lips had parted again. “But we can talk later. It’s not important right now.”

It was important, I knew that it was. I didn’t like to let a conflict that had kept us apart for two days go unresolved, but I didn’t have the emotional capacity to hash it all out at that time and I appreciated Chris’ willingness to let it slide for the time being. I felt like I was in a daze as he dashed out of the kitchen, already pulling out his phone to make some calls and I turned towards the stairs, hoping I could hold it together long enough to organize everything we would need for our indefinite trip.

Part Two

Tags: @maggotzombie @moonlacebeam @mizzzpink @zaylaugh @flowery-mess @flowerjewels @njrronaldo7 @hockeychick10 @partypoison00 @theladybiers @sidepieces @firoozehmoon @patzammit @sparkledfirecracker @mytbel0st @chvntelle-99 @mjey12 @denisemarieangelina @elrw24

#chris evans #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fan fiction #chris evans fic #chris evans fanfic #once bitten/more hearts #gaze on the shore

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outivv · 4 years ago

Note

SBCUVBHFD- So,,, The Boys' crush who just makes it their daily mission to tease the hell out them. Like constantly hugging them from behind, kissing their hand, telling them they look handsome, often kissing their ear from behind then running out, etc. They'll even say," Hurry up and kiss me you handsome bastard." They basically just have no shame when it comes to The Boys.

Synopsis: y/n constantly teasing the tall boys + Scaramouche (because I’m in that kinda mood today, ok? 🥲)

Warnings: I cure once in Dainsleifs part, also probably a lot of grammar, and spelling mistakes this is a long one and I didn’t proofread it :’)

Game/ fandom: genshin impact

Characters: Diluc, kaeya, childe, zhongli, Dainsleif, and Scaramouche (I hope it was ok that I added Scaramouche!)

Pronouns for reader: gender neutral/ not mentioned

A/n: hello! Thank you for requesting! I’m extremely tired because I just got my first shot of the covid vaccine, but I was in a desperate need to write fluff, so fr thank you for requesting ☺️! I’ve got a slight Scaramouche brainrot right now, so I added him in the headcanons if that’s alright! But, aside from that I hope you enjoy, and remember to take care of yourself! Drink water, eat something if you haven’t yet, or take a nap!

— zhongli —

The first few times you go out of your way to tease zhongli, he’s definitely taken aback before saying something like, “ah... can I help you?” He genuinely thought that you may need something, but you only shook your head and hugged him. He wasn’t going to deny you of your wishes that’s for sure, so he wrapped his arms around you.

He’s definitely a bit flustered every time you tease him, but will try to stay composed. He’s never going to say no to you if you want a hug, or just some attention. While you’re not dating it’s definitely going to seem like you are.

He loves when you call him handsome. He can’t comprehend how much he loves it. He’ll typically smile, and say, “thank you Y/n you look beautiful/handsome/ amazing yourself.”

He really likes when you comment on his eyes. That is something that he loves. It’s difficult to explain my reasoning, but zhongli finds eyes attractive, like it’s something that he thinks is just really pretty on people. And I will frequently gaze at your eyes from afar. So when you compliment his eyes he gets super happy :)

Hates it when you run away from him after teasing him. He hates it but finds it cute at the same time. He thinks if you’re really that bold to tease him, why not stay for a bit? Surely you’re not shy? You just complimented his eyes, how could you run away from him?

When you say “kiss me you handsome bastard.” His reaction could go one of two ways. Either he’s like, “y/n! Eh hem... that... right.” While blushing profusely. Or he’ll smile a bit chuckling, and may even take you up on the opportunity. If all depends on when you say something like that. If he’s jut used to your teasing remarks then yeah he’s going to be shocked, but if he is used to it then he’ll slightly brush it off.

— childe —

Hmm... he views your teasing as a competition. But he loses every time. He’ll try his hardest, but you tease him a little bit too much and he will melt on the spot.

He’s a pretty touchy guy himself, so he doesn’t mind when you back hug him, but if he’s around some fellow harbingers he’s going to be a bit more... stiff? No... a better word is agitated. He needs to keep up a bit of an image around them, so he’s going to be pretty upset when you try to tease him.

I think he likes when you kiss his hands the most. He feels almost... sad though? His hands have dealt so much bloodshed, and you’re kissing them? Do you know what he’s done? Who he’s killed. Just so he can be alive... and in this moment with you. It makes him have a melancholy feeling, but he can’t get enough of it.

Childe craves for you to call him pretty, handsome, or just attractive. He actually likes being called pretty the most. It makes him so flustered because he’s like, “me? Pretty? ...really?” And when you nod and say, “yes you dork, I’m talking about you! You’re the prettiest boy I’ve ever met.” In a teasing tone. He gets all giddy and happy. He feels like a twelve year old who’s crush just told him that they liked him. And he loves it.

Don’t even try to run away from him. He’ll catch up. And when he does. You won’t escape the cheesy pick up lines. He knows they’re cheesy, and that’s the whole point. He knows they’re stupid, and that’s why he saves them for this event specifically.

He chuckles when you say “kiss me you tall handsome bastard.” Really? You think he’s tall? Well that added a bit to his ego. He’s chuckling but he knows that he looks as red as a tomato right now. He knows how hard he’s blushing, but he doesn’t care.

— kaeya —

Also someone who views it as a competition. But he takes it seriously. He’ll get flustered a decent amount, but you have to do things very precisely. If he teases you first, then you gotta come back 10x stronger than he was. And he’ll be blushing while trying to brush it off as best as possible. He typically isn’t prepared for you to tease him back, so it’s an easy way to win.

Loves hugs. It’s so sweet and innocent, and it makes Kaeya all soft. It’s a small break from work, his past, the world, just everything. Your arms are his safe space, and he frequently visits.

I don’t care what you say he loves when you kiss bear his eyepatch. His right side is his blind spot, so you being on the right side of him means that he trusts you. So having you near his eyepatch really shows how much he trusts you. Plus whether you know what he’s hiding under that eyepatch or not doesn’t matter, it shows that you don’t care and still love him whenever you kiss near it.

I think he kinda likes being called handsome. Like... how do I explain without fueling this mans ego. He knows. Others have told him how handsome he is. Now calling him pretty, or gorgeous? Loves it. He hasn’t been told that he’s pretty very much, so it’ll make him a little flustered. And it makes him feel super happy :)

Doesn’t care if you run away from him. You can try of course, but he’ll find you eventually. He’s going to stall for time, because he probably knows where you are, but just wants you to get all anxious. Not in a bad way of course, but in a way of “you know that he’s going to tease you relentlessly, and make fun of you a little bit.” I mean Kaeya will literally laugh at how you ran away so quickly from him. He’ll do it. Don’t test him. He doesn’t mean any harm from it, but does like teasing you.

Saying something like “kiss me already you handsome bastard” will only make him raise an eyebrow and say, “oh? Why not kiss me yourself?” Which it’s up to you to decide what to do from here. I’m not helping you, that’s on you >:)

— Diluc —

Help this poor man. He just wants to admire you from afar and tell you how amazing you look, not being so flustered he feels too nervous to talk! Almost everything gets him flustered, but he’ll get used to it after a while.

He really likes when you quickly kiss his forehead, and then go back to what you were doing or just keep talking. It makes him think for a second, but he really likes it.

He really likes when you just grab onto his arm, or hand out of nowhere. He knows it’s to tease him, but feels like he’s protecting you in a way, especially if you’re in a crowd of people. He’ll feel a little bit of pride swell up in his chest, which it’s your choice to tease him for his sudden change in confidence or not. Either way he’ll have a slight blush dusting his cheeks.

He gets so flustered when you call him handsome. Especially if you call him pretty, or anything else. Handsome is the term he’s most familiar with I guess, but pretty??? Oh boy, that’s new. A good new? Yeah definitely.

When you run away from him he’ll be a little sad, but then realize he can just catch up to you. Which he will, but he doesn’t know what to do once he actually does. He’ll probably just stare at you, and say something like, “why’d you run away” while panting like a dog. Hey just because he can run fast doesn’t mean he didn’t work really hard to catch up to you. Especially if you ran a long ways, or if you can run fast.

When you say stuff like “kiss me already you handsome bastard” he’ll be decently flustered, but depending on where you are, he’ll either kiss you on the cheek, or say “later.” And then move on. He does keep his promise though.

— Dainsleif —

Help this poor man pt 2. He doesn’t know what to do, or how to react. Should he tease you back? Should he let himself be flustered? Dammit what should he do!

Dainsleifloves subtle touches, he loves when you hold onto his hand, or brush some hair out of his face. Maybe even a little peck on the cheek. He knows that isn’t really teasing but still!

Absolutely goes soft if you touch his right arm. Treating it with such care, even though to him it looks like an eyesore. He never thought about looking at it differently, the blue veins shimmering under your touch is a gentle reminder of how he’s here today.

He loves being called handsome, pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, just everything. He loves it all. He lowkey craves your attention, but doesn’t want to ask for it, so when you call him pretty/ beautiful/ gorgeous/ etc it makes him feel supper soft and happy.

He didn’t understand why you run away from him. I mean you’ve gotta come back eventually, you left all your travel gear/stuff with him! And those are all important things might I add. Plus you left Dainsleif standing there by himself. Another important thing you forgot as you ran away.

Calling him a handsome bastard as is makes him flustered, but adding a ‘kiss me already’ before that?! Wow this man is just putty in your arms. Doesn’t know what to do other than... fill out your request. Don’t doubt him. He’ll do it.

— Scaramouche —

This man couldn’t give to flying f- oh what’s that? Giving him attention, and love that he really wants from you but flat out doesn’t know how to ask and didn’t want to seem weak? Yeah he’ll take that thank you. :D

He’s a bit all over the place when you tease him. He’s very conflicted. Because, home one side of him wants that attention, what if the other harbingers find out? What if you’re just messing with him? He’s gotta keep up an image you know.

While he’s very conflicted on how he feels about your affection, he does know one thing. He loves when you back hug him. Whether you’re taller than him, shorter, or same height, he loves it. If anyone who’s a lower rank than him tries to say anything, he’ll give them a death glare, and make a mental note for later.

He’ll subconsciously tear you a bit by wrapping a arm around you. It’s a weird way of saying “I’ve got a crush on them to if anyone says anything to hurt them, or if you try to hit on them I’ll personally murder you.” To other people without... saying that. Though he would say that, that’s not my point.

He has a weird relationship with being called pretty/handsome/etc. like it makes him feel happy and flusters him, but he’s also like “no I’m not. Me? Pretty? No. Flat out no.” He can’t just take the compliment.

Hahaha try to run away from him. I dare you. You brought this upon yourself when you said he had gorgeous eyes (he does but not the point!) so you better except your fate now. He’s either going to force you to say it again, or dare you to say it again.

Hated when you said “kiss me you handsome bastard” he hates it. But only because it made him want to kiss you more than he already did. So... that was mildly annoying to him, but it’s fine he lowkey loves you.

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pairofmelaninkweens · 4 years ago

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La Loteria: Hinata ShoyoxBokuto KaturouxSakusa KiyoomixOC BY: Aztec Brujeria

CW: Gagging, Strapon, Multipartner, M/M/M/F, Polyamorous, Double Penitration, Oral

Please pay heed to the wanings of this page...Minors DNI!

Introducing New OC Ava

Ava, MSBY team physican, had planned to lift and prepare for her powerlifting competition when she ran into her friend Kit. Seeing that Kit wanted some alone time with Atsumu Ava took the boys of her hands. A sleepover fueled by a game of shots and strip loteria leads to an eventful night...

Ava was winding down in her office and putting the last touches on the MSBY team travel health records for their away games next week. Vaccines for the pandemic? Check. Updated physicals? Check. Submitted reports to the visa office for the team? Check. She stretched her arms overhead feeling relief when her lower back popped, “I still need to lift tonight...I’ve got a competition in a month.” She walked around her desk to hang up her lab coat and stethoscope and collected her bags, “I’ll record notes at home tonight I guess.” She pushed her large glasses up her nose and blew a tendril of black hair out of her mismatched eyes, one blue and one green encased in thick raven lashes, that had escaped the messy space buns she always wore. She was five feet tall and curvy with caramel-colored skin and thick natural red lips. She competed in powerlifting for fun outside of work and always had a good time out lifting Kotaro, “Stay calm Bo...remember you get a prize.” She grabbed her keys and jacket and headed out the door. Humming to herself she locked the office and turned to head to the locker room to change and get her quick workout in.

She ran into Kit chewing the boys out when Ava smiled wide and called out, “¡QUE PASO!” Kit turned and smiled, Atsumu following behind her, “Hey pendejo, Hermana, what are you chewing out the boys for?” Kit had a small vein of annoyance pop out of her head, “I’m trying to have some quality time with Tsumtsum, but the boys have other plans.” Ave looked around them and saw Bo kicking his toe at the ground, Shoyo talking to Omi, and Omi uninterested looking directly at her. “Ah, I can see that, tell you what...WHO WANTS HOMEMADE MEXICAN FOOD AND TEQUILA?!” Ava watched as Kit’s eyes lit up and Tsumu just dumbfounded. “I’ll take them off your hand’s chica! I gotcha.” Bo bounded down the hall and came up to Ava and bear-hugged her and picked her up, while Shoyo and Omi joined in asking for tacos and arroz, “Doc you’re gonna cook fresh tortillas right?” Ava giggling, “Only if you help me. I always get stuck by myself cooking...I should call Samu…” Ava looked at Atsumu dead-eyed and wiggled her eyebrows, he groaned next to Kit, “Hurry before my brother shows up, peaches.” Kit laughed and hugged Tsumu by his waist, “Alright let’s go...you sure you’ll be okay?” Ava being shaken like a rag doll by Bo smiled wickedly, “I’ll be fine...I’ll send ya pictures.” Kit turned with Atsumu and whispered to him, “I’m not gonna lie...Imma need you to be sober to help me in the morning...How she passed and with top marks out of Med school I’ll never know.”

When Ava and the boys finally made it back to her place with the groceries they set to helping her make dinner. Ava snapped a picture of the three beefy boys in her small kitchen mixing dough and rolling tortillas out was a sight to behold, Bo in her little Mexican embroidered apron from her Abuela made her heart squeeze. She set the table and had them sit around and watched as they poured shots out and ate the food they prepared together, “You know boys why don’t we just have a sleepover?” With a full mouth and double fisting tacos Bo lit up and nodded his head in agreement, Shoyo practically jumped around, “Ooo sleepover with our dulce!” Omi took a shot, his cheeks were starting to warm up, and looked at Ava with a smirk, “What game are we playing, Naníta?” Ava smiled wider, showing her small gappy teeth, making her look demonic, “Why La Lotería of course...unless you think you’re going to lose querido?” Ava filled her shot glass and knocked back the tequila dead ass looking at Omi. It was going to be an interesting night when he followed suit and she could feel the competitive tension between the two of them.

As the hours rolled by they had cleaned up and started their game of Lotería and just like she thought Omi was a sore loser. He sat there with Shoyo and Bo in nothing but their boxer briefs and what a sight to behold with all of them chiseled and cut to perfection from them being pros. “Well, well, well...are we ready to play for higher, hiccup, stakes?” Ava had at some point lost her space buns, her thick long wavy hair surrounded her shoulders, she lost her shirt and skirt and sat in her thong and lace bra and thigh-high stockings held up by her garter belt. She lost count of all the texts she sent to Kit but she didn’t care, “What’re higher stakes than this Naníta?” Ava grabbed another shot, these men could never out drink her, “I want to dick down Bo with a ball gag and have you and Shoyo pound me into him...make me cum several times you two.” Ava knocked the shot back like a pro staring down Omi across the table. Bo looked at Ava and his mouth dropped and Shoyo immediately had a very large erection that could not be hidden by his boxer briefs, I thought he was packing, I knew it. With her mismatched gaze and reddened cheeks, she just smiled with a cocky grin, “Well? Are we doing this or not ese?” Omi went to play his hand and already knew when Ava smiled at him hungrily he had lost. He looked at Bo, “I’m so sorry...but you’ll get to cum...many times I think.” Bo blushed and he cried out as Ava grabbed him for a kiss, “Oh we’re going to have so much fun!” Ava squealed like an excited sorority girl pledging.

Shoyo shot up from the table, “Daddy’s ready to play mi pequeña dulce.” His voice dropped three octaves and Omi just stood up and headed to Ava’s bedroom. Bo picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, slapping her ass and groaning as it jiggled by his face, and followed behind them. Ava grabbed her phone luckily and sent another photo to Kit as she was over Bo’s shoulder... I did tell you I’d take them off your hands for the night….HELP!! Once in the bedroom Bo threw Ava upon the bed and watched as she bounced and giggled, “Bo, Daddy owl, I don’t think so.” Ava got on her knees and grabbed Bo by his shoulders and brought him down for a kiss. Their lips meshed and melded together, tongues devouring each other, Bo whimpering brought his arms around her as she moved to get off the bed. Shoyo stopped her by putting his thick body behind her, she felt his cock in her ass, as he brought his hands up to cup her breast, growling in her ear, “Daddy thinks you need to take this bra off.” He undid the clasp in between her heavy breast, watching as her tits sprung free catching the glint of her piercings, and guided the bra off her shoulders. His hands came up to cup her tits and began to massage them and pinch her darker tan nipples between his fingers, Shoyo was entranced with her piercings that made her more sensitive and began to tease her nipples, while he left bite marks down her throat and shoulders grinding harder into her ass making her slicker by the second. Ava moaned at the sensation that sent ripples of pleasure through her body as Omi crawled across the bed and waited for Bo to release her lips for him to get a taste for himself, whispering in her ear, “Do you like being the center of attention Naníta? Hmm, do you like when you drive us MSBY men crazy?” Omi reached up and took hold of her chin before he brought his lips towards her. Shoyo had traced his fingers down to the top of her lace thong and slipped his fingers underneath to circle around her aching clit. She gasped into Omi’s lips and he growled as he devoured her moans. Bo was behind them stroking his cock and pinching his nipples enjoying the sight of Ava being coaxed to life by his teammates, “Yeah, baby owl, You look so fucking hot like that, hnnn…” Ava growled into Omi as Shoyo sinfully slipped in his middle finger into her drenched sex grinding more and more into her, reaching up and grabbing Omi by the throat, she broke the kiss and bit his bottom lip. “Now, now, you know I won the game...It looks like Shoyo is going first since you must have forgotten.” Omi groaned as she reached down and stroked his twitching cock through his boxer briefs, “Oh, are you drenched already? You haven’t even played with my pussy yet...Jefe.”

Letting go of Omi she reached down and stilled Shoyo’s hand torturing her fluttering slick walls, turning and kissing him, she slipped out his arms and headed towards her closet. “Bo, Daddy owl, in the nightstand will you pull out the lube baby.” Bo groaned and walked to the nightstand, rock hard and aching, and pulled out the lube. “Baby owl, do I have to wear the ball gag?” Ava poked her head out of the closet and smiled, “Daddy owl, you lost the game, I want my prize.” She stepped into her strap and adjusted the harness walking out with a large-sized dildo, still wearing her garter belt and thigh-high stockings, she heard the boys moan at the sight of her as she braided her long hair and flipped it over her shoulder. She shivered in anticipation and walked toward Bokuto. She took the lube out of his hands and kissed him, snaking her hand up to the back of his neck to pull on his hair forcing him to expose his neck, “Be a good boy now for your doña and present for me baby.” He whimpered and turned around to get on all fours on the bed, “Ah, ah, ah, I’m a shortie remember...on the floor Daddy Owl.” He did just that and looked at her over his broad shoulders with lust-blown eyes. Shoyo and Omi finished stripping and stroking lazily watching the power of their little dom making Bo present for her, Omi bucked his hips slightly in his own hand and moaned at the sight of her spreading Bo’s knees. “Fuck, Shoyo, I could watch this all night.” Shoyo moaned out loud as he squeezed his fat cock so he could edge himself, “She sure knows what she’s doing.” She turned her attention towards the other two, “Okay boys, let’s play.” She held out the gag and had Omi take it, “Make sure to put it on him right, jefe, I want to see him drool in the mirror.” She caressed her hands over Bo’s thick ass and down his back before bending over him and whispering in his ear, “I want to hear you cry out as you cum from us, baby.” Bo groaned at the sultry promise from Ava

Ava stood behind Bo and watched as Omi walked in front of Bo and bent down to take his lips in a quick sultry kiss before making him open his mouth to place the gag in and strap it behind his head. “Oh, Bo, look at you so handsome like this for our Doña. You are such a good boy.” Ava watched as Bokuto shivered in ecstasy with the praise. She took her fingers and was taken by surprise when Shoyo came up behind her to slide his hard cock between the crux of her thighs, “Daddy can’t wait for too much longer Dulce.” Shoyo groaned into Ava as he bit her shoulder thrusting slowly to make sure his dick was wet with her arousal, “Fuck, I need you please.” Ava turned and took her fingers and shoved them in Shoyo’s mouth, “Get them wet daddy I need to open our good boy up.” With brown eyes rolling in the back of his head he sucked and lapped at her fingers as she let the drool coat her digits. When she pulled them out she gave him a quick kiss, “Thank you, daddy.” Ava turned her attention to Bo’s perfect ass and slowly slid her wet fingers to coax him open, first her middle finger, Bo moaned against the ball gag and Omi whispered praises in his ear while stroking his dick. When Ava felt her need becoming greater and greater she watched for the first string of drool that escaped from Bo’s obstructed mouth. She slipped her index finger in his tight ass and felt him begin to relax as she scissored him open slowly to take her strap. As his moans became louder and the pool of pre began to soak her clean grey carpet below. “Oh, daddy owl, are you ready for me baby?” She guided her strap to the entrance of Bo’s ass and slowly sank in letting him take her inch by inch; crying out against the gag and drooling more.

Ava finally bottomed out and pulled back to thrust inside of Bo before she set the pace, letting him get used to her inside of him. She gripped his hip before reaching to fist his hair and thrust into him, hearing Bo moan against his gag and seeing his eyes roll into the back of his head made Ava groan. “Shoyo...Daddy...Fuck us.” Ava heard Shoyo growl as he gripped her hip and guided his aching tip into her swollen opening and thrusted in. Ava cried out as she got used to Shoyo’s girth and length stretching her plush walls to their limits. “F-FUCK AVA!!!” Shoyo didn’t want to wait and picked up a brutal pace, slapping his heavy balls against Ava’s ass. Every thrust caused Ava to thrust harder and harder into Bo causing him to begin to cry. Omi fucking moaned the loudest as he stroked his aching cock to the sight of Bo drooling. Ava pulled harder on Bo’s hair and forced him to arch his back, “Fuck S-Shoyo!! DADDY!” Shoyo dug his fingers into her hips and knew she'd come out with bruises. “Omi please...want, hnnn, you inside, Omi!!!” Shoyo pulled out and waited for Omi. He gripped the tip of his cock and groaned as he edged himself, “Omi i'll take her ass if you take her tight pussy.” Ava kept thrusting into Bo, his moaning causing him to become more of a mess. When Omi got underneath both Bo and Ava.

Bo’s knees were on each side of his shoulders and Ava above, “Fuck, sugar plum, you look absolutely drenched,” he brought his digits to pump inside of her making her head fall back, “Your wet cunt sucks my fingers in so greedily plum.” Ava made Bo get on his knees and held his broad chest against her own as Omi guided himself into her and slowly stretched her. Shoyo cursed at the sight when he watched Omi take in Bo’s heavy sack and sucked on him while slowly thrusting up into Ava, “Your tight ass is gonna be filled now too, Baby.” Shoyo knows how to take his time and hears you whimper as he reaches in front to circle your clit exposed by the strap buried deep inside of Bo rubbing against his spot. When she felt the fat head of shoyo enter her ass she cried out at the sensation of being double stuffed by thick volleyball players. “FUCK YESS!” Shoyo finally bottomed out inside of Ava, giving her a few moments to adjust, and began thrusting. Omi reached around and took Bo’s leaking heavy cock into his mouth and began to suck on him as he felt Ava forcefully thrust into his ass harder touching his pleasurable spot, making the drool flow from his mouth. Ava was close, Shoyo was beginning to twitch inside of her and throb, “Fuck, fuck, I’m-I’m gonna cum, I-“ Shoyo thrust one final time in Ava’s tight ass and emptied himself inside of her. Omi cried out with his thrust hitting Ava’s Soft spot and she threw her head back screaming as Bo followed suit emptying into Omi’s mouth. “DADDIIESSS!!!” Ava felt herself convulsing around Shoyo and Omi while Bo shook against Ava’s body. When she finally came down she reached and undid the ball gag and slowly slipped the strap out of Bo.

Omi, after having caught his breath and waiting for Ava to let her gorilla grip on his cock relax, got up from under Ava and Bo and walked to the bathroom to grab a couple of warm washcloths. He tossed one to Shoyo who lay on his back with wide eyes, letting them uncross, “Hey, shorty, you good?” He chuckled when Shoyo took the warm washcloth and cleaned up, hissing with his sensitive tip. He found Bo hugging Ava’s midsection letting her praise him and kiss his forehead, “How is our boy doing?” Ava looked up and smiled a thousand-watt smile at Omi, “He’s a good boy, he did so good, didn’t you daddy owl.” Bo snuggled in more and inhaled Ava’s scent of jasmine and clean linen, “Mommy, I liked it so much.” Omi bent down and reached between Ava’s thighs and cleaned her up while taking her lips for a languid kiss. “Thank you, jefe, I needed you three tonight.” Ava then took her the other washcloth and cleaned Bo up. When Bo was cleaned up he stood and picked up Ava bridal style and took her to bed with Omi following behind and Shoyo sleeping on top of her midsection. The next morning she was surprised to find Ushi at her bedroom door smiling wickedly as she stirred awake, “Honey...looks like you had fun without me. I’m going to have to feed you and teach you a lesson later mi amor.”

#haikyuu hinata #hinata smut #hinata shoyuo #katurou bokuto #bokuto smut #hq sakusa #sakusa kiyoomi #haikyū!!#haikyuu!!#haikyuu smut

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phynali · 3 years ago

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so not to ruminate on things that vex me, but the past 2 or so months have been kinda shit, and i’m trucking along and there absolutely are high points and good things and joys that balance some of this out, but i need to vent out some of the negative emotions somewhere to get ‘em out. so i guess i’m doing that here because -

we’re in lockdown#6 where i live (state of victoria) and it’s hard, this yo-yo of restrictions and swinging in and out of one lockdown after another.

for those who understandably won’t know, what we call lockdown here means not just restaurant and commercial closures and mandatory working from home unless you’re in an industry where that’s impossible -- it also means no guests (0) inside you’re home unless you’re both living alone and single or else romantic partners, it means not leaving your home at all except for one of 4-5 necessary reasons, not being outside for more than 2hrs per day even to exercise, and not going more than 5km from your home unless required for work/medical/etc required reasons.

it’s intense. we spent (i think) 128 days in this degree of lockdown in 2020, never mind how many we spent in other forms of restrictions and working from home. and we’ve been back in it four (4) times in 2021 already. in-out-in-out-in-out -

it’s taking a toll on the mental health of every person i know. we get weekly emails with wellbeing and resilience tips from my job -- not just “be productive or else” capitalism but heartfelt ones from wellbeing officers with copies of articles like this one on languishing from the NYT, acknowledging we’re all struggling and directing us to the plethora of wellbeing resources our workplace is trying to provide, not only to us but reminding us they offer it to our families too.

i’m one of the lucky ones. i’m really not trying to wallow here or to pretend otherwise. i appreciate that i can work from home, even though i can’t focus when i do and it this interacts with my adhd to fuck my productivity. even if i’m so behind and delayed it feels like i’ve lost 12-18 months worth of work and it will have long-term ramifications on my career -- even so, i still i have a job. i still get paid. and i even kept my job, a bit by the skin of my teeth but i did, when my sector downsized last year. yes, the way my employer went about lay offs left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth (my own included), but i made it through.

and my sector, while affected, is by no means the worst of the collateral damage.

the yo-yo of lockdowns is taking a very very real toll on industries like hospitality, tourism, commerce. and the economy does have indirect effects on health and mental health as well. my friend, a waitress, was on her way to work the evening shift at a restaurant when she got the call about the latest lockdown. she had to turn around and go home because the announcement came just hours before the lockdown was imposed, and every place suddenly had to close by 8pm. bye bye evening shift. so much of the government support for these industries has dried up, has been inadequate.

lockdowns save lives. i don’t begrudge my state for imposing one except that yes -- i’m resentful we’re here again with only six cases. i can be both accepting and grateful and also pissed and tired and more all at once.

even more than the latest lockdown, i’m pissed about the yo-yo. that we went into lockdown in june, came out in july, went back in in july, came back out in july, are going back in now, in the first week of august. three lockdown/re-openings in 10 weeks, as if this rollercoaster doesn’t completely incapacitate our ability to plan or prepare for anything more than a week out, more than a day out -- in this case, more than a few hours out. 4pm the lockdown was announced, with an 8pm start time. as if that doesn’t have more insidious consequences on individuals and industries than a more clearly articulated and consistent approach. as if all the restaurants that got to open up this week didn’t purchase large food orders for this weekend that will spoil because they were given 4 hours notice to close their doors.

that’s the part i hate, right now more than the lockdowns themselves. consumer sentiment was at a high in april, optimism was everywhere. people felt good, and like we had a plan forward. now -- well, now my job is sending me emails about how normal and okay it is that i might be ‘languishing’ because aren’t we all?

and i absolutely do begrudge my federal government, and i’m angry with them, and this is part of why:

youtube

but i also accept, to some extent, that these decisions have all been made in difficult circumstances, and i’m not really about to pretend i could do any better.

at the same time, australia’s vaccine rollout is among the slowest and lowest at least within OECD countries. i know that’s partly because we’ve managed the keep cases low and therefore we are prioritized less when it comes to who needs the vaccines most (and thus who is earlier in line to be able to purchase) among other geo-political reasons i won’t get into, but it still very much sucks. our timeline and ability to move forward and ability to stop having lockdowns requires a mostly-vaccinated population, and that’s not something we’ll have anytime soon.

and i am a visa-holder here and my family is back in canada and with our current border restrictions leaving to visit is honestly is not an option because i wouldn’t be able to return, to work. i’m managing that distance okay most of the time despite my homesickness and frustration but my partner’s parents are older and his mother’s health just isn’t amazing and it’s weighing on him a lot.

a phd student i work with just had a parent die in another country while stuck here, had to drop everything to return, is devastated by not being by their parent’s side when it happened because it came on sudden, and now won’t be able to come back into australia after, will have to finish their thesis remotely from abroad. stories like that are becoming commonplace in certain circles, here. this student is not the first or only person i know who has been in that exact situation in the past year.

it’s enraging, and upsetting, and instills a sense of helplessness because -- there’s nothing that can really be done about it. there’s no good answer, but it’s scary to think of what could happen. i know it scares my husband. if his mother’s health suddenly dips -- does he drop everything and leave? how can he not? would i go with him or hold the fort here? what ramifications does that have either way?

right now, we’re in the first stages of getting permanent residency, my job is putting in the nomination, and this is one of those awesome high-points i mentioned. it’s a very much needed sense of security in my career and my future in this country. but while a PR application is pending and under review, you can’t leave the country, even in pre-covid times. it takes months to get the application fully nominated, accepted, then submitted, and months on months to process.

in january 2020 we had agreed that for xmas 2020 we’d return home to canada. obviously the world changed and we quickly determined that wouldn’t be the case. we pushed that plan back to july-aug 2021, then to october 2021, xmas 2021. my partner’s sister asked him last week if we started making plans, booking things for xmas, was calling to check that we’d had our second jabs. he had to explain the situation to her, that we aren’t even eligible for our first vaccine yet, that we aren’t holding out any real hope of visiting, not this year, not until mid-next.

anyway - i’m just. languishing, i guess, if that’s the word for it after all. i know it’s not the same as depression -- i’ve had episodes of that, been treated for it in different ways. this is and feels different, even if there are obvious similarities. whatever to call it, it sucks, and i hate it. and i hate the other lows and anxieties and crap i’ve been dealing with in the past few months as well that didn’t make it into this post about covid. crap with work, with friends, with goddamn car rentals of all stupid things. crap that’s making me anxious and crap that just needs processing. crap that is, ultimately, massively exacerbated because lockdowns turn us into little rats gnawing on the bars of our cages.

and i guess i just needed to talk about it somewhere, to organize my thoughts and free up some headspace (emotion space?) currently being used to hold these thoughts and feelings in place. i kind of hate posting personal crap like this and always get the urge to delete but i also have a hard time organising my thoughts if i don’t write them out with this intent to post. sort of want to go outside and scream at god, sort of want to phone up a friend and yell at him for an hour for being an exhausting ass, sort of want to be alone for a day to curl up under a blanket with a movie that’ll make me cry because raging at the universe is always so much easier when i’m alone and unobserved. but i guess since those aren’t especially kind or feasible i’ll post this instead.

anyway - if you read to the end of this for any reason, i’m not trying to be maudlin, and there’s really no need to respond. it’s just a feelings dump, sucking some of the poison out, not really much different than journalling but i’ve always been better at that online than on paper.

#ugh #personal post #just organising thoughts and bitching about present circumstances #because i'm tired of 2021's bullshit and needed to vent a bit #gpoy

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misterewrites · 4 years ago

Text

Threads of Fate 2: Electric Boogaloo (Jason Todd X reader)

Hello everyone, E here with another story! this time it’s part 2 for the story i wrote for my good friend @hains-mae last year for her birthday! so naturally it’s her birthday again cuz that’s how they work! Red Hoodie X reader. I hope you all have an amazing week. I will be trying to write my original story and post it sometime this/next week but we’ll see what happens. Stay safe, take care of yourself, for the love of all that is holy stay inside! wear masks! PLEASE! GET THE FLIPPING VACCINE IF YOU CAN!

E out, byeeeeeee! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAE!

Here’s both parts conveniently in one place for you (cuz tumblr hates me and my tags)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29955270/chapters/73737858

“Romeo and Juliet? You’re so cliché that troupes are rolling their eyes at you.”

I shoot him a dirty glare “Says the guy that has Pride and Prejudice in his jacket pocket. Yeah yeah” I cut him off before he begins to throw out excuses “I know you say it’s thick enough to stop bullets but you’re not fooling me. You love some classic romance.”

“You’re no Lizzy Bennet” he grumbles behind his mask.

“And you no Mr. Darcy yet I tolerate you all the same.”

“It’s for my charming personality.”

“Certainly not for your face.” I playfully throw back “Smooth, featureless and red isn’t exactly my type.”

“I’m surprise you have a type given your lack of taste in books.”

I roll my eyes “Oh great now the former crime lord is giving me crap about my tastes in book.”

He rose his hands in surrender “Hey, that was my edgy phase.”

“Was? You’re still dressing like a goon from indie action film.”

“You kidding? Goons wish they looked this good.”

“I don’t think any respectable goon would shop at the thrift store.”

“Low blow. Low blow.”

I give the costumed vigilante a sideways smile as we settle into a comfortable silence.

It’s been about two years since Red Hood decided to intrude my quiet life (well as quiet as life could be in Gotham) and we have developed this strange friendship.

Every moment he wasn’t on patrol or at a briefing (coughfamilymeetingcough) he spent here. At first, I thought it was just him checking up on me like some overburdening mother worried their child couldn’t handle a minute in the backyard but I soon realized this became some sort of haven for him, a place for him to just exist. Not quite relax and let his guard down but just to be. No appearances of brutality to keep up, no disappointed glances from his estranged father figure. Just him picking on me because he’s a jerk.

But then again so am I.

I nervously glance at the red string tied snugly around my finger. It pulled off to the side though not too much further from me as its other end was wrapped around Red’s finger.

Strings of fate mom used to call it. My power to see the threads of destiny tying two people deeply together. At first I thought it was love or something junk like that but now I’m thinking maybe it just leads you to someone you need and someone that needs you back.

Or maybe it is love, what do I know? All I know about my power is it makes walking the streets harder than it needs to be. Ever see those old pictures of cities with powerlines just in every freaking direction? The strings are at least ten times worse than that! Luckily they’re not real? Well more an abstract concept that I see and not physical and you know what don’t worry about it.

“So” Red spoke up after a moment “Hungry?”

“After you insulting my taste in books?” I gave a fake pout “Starving. Oh shoot, I forgot to go to the store.”

Red chuckled “You didn’t forget, Penguin decided to try to extort it for protection money.”

“Oh” I blush in embarrassment “Right.”

“And you fell back asleep.”

I waved him off “Sometimes you just wake up, see the news and decide it’s not worth it.”

“I never get to sleep in.” Red rose to his feet “but honestly I’ve always had trouble sleeping.”

The nightmares. He mentioned it once in an off hand comment when he asked me why I toss and turn at loud noises. Gotham just does that too you. Eventually you learn to get ready to bolt at any loud noises over 190 decibels. Fun fact, that’s the noise level of a shotgun fired by your ear or a rocket taking off.

Or Joker laughing on the roof of your apartment building. Let me tell you, nothing’s louder than that madman. Thunder sounds like cats and dogs once you hear the Joker’s manic chuckle just a few feet away from you. One time years ago and I can still feel the chills run down my back whenever I think of it.

“So are you going to order pizza or what?” I asked quizzically “Since you’re aware I don’t have any in the fridge.”

I could practically hear the sarcasm dripping in every word out of his mouth as he held a bag of groceries aloft “I was trained by Batman. I’m always prepared.”

Batman. Whatever his relationship with the dark knight currently is, he always spoke of him with a soft, gentle voice. A quiet pride that out of everyone in the world, the Bat chose him. But with that pride was a hint of shame. Everyone knew Red Hood hadn’t exactly made it easy on the old bat and while Hoodie was changing his ways, there was still some friction between them.

I didn’t say anything though. No point. He knew where he stood with his father figure and bringing it up would just make him sully. Besides I was way too curious to know how good of a cook he was.

I marveled in an awe silence as he expertly placed the various ingredients across my messy counter. He chuckled to himself as he cleared it to make space for dinner. I could feel my cheeks burn.

Watching him was oddly mesmerizing: His movements were precise yet graceful for someone with his build. He glided across the floor effortlessly, smoothly dicing whatever he brought one moment then by the time I blinked, he was warming up the frying pan by the stove.

Soon an incredible smell filled the air while the sizzling of meat practically had me drooling.

“Your chin.” Red motioned to my lip with a spatula. I brought up my hand and flinched at how moist it was. Okay so it was drool. Sue me! You’d be drooling too if you had to deal with waiting for whatever heavenly meal he was cooking, okay?

Desperate to change the subject, I piped up “Should be I concern how well you handle that knife?”

He gave a casual wave with said instrument “I hold the power of destruction and creation in my hand.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

Red coughed loudly “I’ve trained with various weapons knives included. You’d be surprised how much overlap happens between cooking and weapons handling.”

“Right. Sure. That’s a totally normal statement.”

“What about me” He gestured to himself “Is normal?”

“Fair point.” I conceded.

-----

“Am I forgiven?”

I grumbled a half answer as I tried not to let on how delicious this meal was. I don’t make the best money and let me tell you before this the fanciest thing I ever ate was some overpriced pasta from some restaurant chain. This easily beat anything I have ever tasted except mom’s cooking but I hadn’t had that in years.

Red snorted, his voice smooth and melodic not filtered through some robotic alternation. I didn’t really had a dining room or a dinner table so we sat comfortably on my couch, tv playing some nonsense in the background as we both took in the sight of the city beyond my modest window. The lower part of his mask retracted backwards via some kind of high tech witchcraft and allowed him to eat his food without needing to show the rest of his handsome face.

I mean I think it was handsome. I assumed it was handsome given I accidentally figured out who was under the whole persona he set up for himself. I never told him that I knew though I suspect he knew that I figured it out. He was smart even if he acted like an idiot and it really was for the best. Plausible deniability. If I never asked, he never needed to answer.

“You know if you want me to cook again, you need to forgive me. Otherwise I’m not gonna waste my time anymore.” Red threatened with a tease.

I let out an exasperated groan “Fine, fine! It’s good. It’s the best food I’ve ever had! Is that what you want to hear?”

“Naturally. Though I could never compete with Alfred. He has no equal in the kitchen. Better than my brothers though. They can’t cook to save their lives. Tim practically lives on fast food.”

I stopped shoving food into my maw as an icy chill ran through my body. The comfy silence that filled my humble apartment turned tense.

One of those names I could pretend away: Tim? Alfred? Every day common names. But together? Tim AND Alfred. Everyone knew every member of the Wayne family because they were the only rich family in Gotham who didn’t want to screw everyone else over. And he brought up his brothers. That was the final nail in the coffin.

I put down my fork slowly. I could feel myself breath heavily but I refused to see him. I refused to meet his mask with nothing but my own shocked reflection to look back at me.

“I know you know who I am.” He said simply.

I could feel the syrupy urge to look at him ebbing at my resolve.

I swallowed uneasily “What now? What happens to me?”

‘Us’ I left unasked.

Silence.

“I don’t know”

I tried to calm my breathing but I could feel panic grip at me: Does this mean he’s not going to come anymore? Does this mean I have to go into witness protection? Is Batman going to scold me?!

“But I want to.”

I couldn’t help myself. I turned to him and for one of the few times in my life I was left speechless.

I was not staring at Red Hood. I found myself not looking at the smooth, featureless mask I had grown accustom to these last two years but Jason Todd.

Out of all of Bruce Wayne’s children, Jason was the one who seemed to just fall off the face of the Earth. There was a rumor he had died a few years back but those were debunked when he appeared without warning, just walking the streets of Gotham like he went on an extended vacation.

There wasn’t too many pictures of the enigmatic Mister Todd but that quick glance I had gotten forever ago did not do him justice: He was my age. His eyes were a piercing blue that I did not know could be that shade. I know it’s cliché but I felt like he was staring directly into my soul. His face was rugged, rough but still handsome. His hair was a messy jet black but there was few streaks of white that looked too natural to be dyed.

“I….didn’t see anything?” I offered helpfully, giving him a chance to put the mask on and pretend this none of this ever happened.

His nose wrinkled as he gave me a playful scoff. I could feel my heartbeat roaring in my ears.

“I’m not that ugly. Better looking than Dick.” he joked playfully.

“I dunno. Dick’s got the better ass.” I mumbled out, still too caught guard from the whole reveal.

“But I got the muscles.”

“Yes you do.” I eyed his body carefully then flushed a bright pink.

That knocked me out of my stupor.

“Are you sure you want me to know?” I whispered, unable to keep the fear out of my voice “I mean I didn’t mind pretending I didn’t know.”

“I do.”

His face soften and for a moment he didn’t look like Jason Todd, wayward son of Bruce Wayne or the Red Hood, moral gray compress of the batfam.

He just look like a regular guy who needed someone.

Evidently me it seemed.

I took a calming breath and offered my hand. He stared at me like I’m crazy but I kept it outstretched.

He took it gingerly and shook carefully, still unsure what was going on.

“Hello Jason Todd.” I beamed cheerfully “It’s nice to meet you!”

He said nothing, instead opting to smile softly.

“Nice to meet you too.”

I stared at the metaphysical string that tied us so neatly together.

I have never seen it that red before. And has it always been that thick?

I wonder what that means.

Eh, it’s probably nothing. I had other things to worry about.

#My story #Red Hood #Reader #Red Hood x Reader #Birthday!

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betweentheracks · 4 years ago

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Heyo! Not to be too nosy here but you mentioned you're in bad health and recovering, and I just wondered what happened? Also how would it impact your career since, from how you've made it all seem thus far, it's a highly active and demanding job?

Hope you take care and get well! You appear quite strong and not like you'd take whatever has happened just lying down, so here's to you!! 🙏💓

No sweat and no worries here, I dont find this particularly invasive. If anything, I'm flattered you care to ask after me lol. 😁

A few weeks back I met a friend I hadn't seen in some time for lunch. This was against my better sense of caution that I've held firmly to throughout the pandemic, but I would feel regretful and dismissive if I didnt agree to see her while I had the chance. I should've listened my gut and stayed safely at work because this "friend" failed to mention she had tested positive (she knew already by the time of our lunch date, she has since admitted) and had figured since she had no symptoms there was no harm in being in public.

FF only a few days later and I was feeling a little unwell but had put it off as an effect of the winter blast that had just hit where I live. I'd spent half a day out in the cold and snow for a photoshoot only the day before and thought it was probably due to that since I'm susceptible to weather influenced head colds and bronchitis. Fortunately, my job mandates a rigid COVID-19 screening twice a week due to our high profile clientele and as an assurance of health and safety for us all. Mine read back with a positive and with the way I had been feeling I was immediately sent home and the company closed its doors while the building was sterilized and our clients notified.

Thankfully I managed not to infect anyone I work with nor my son. Regrettably, I did infect my best friend since we're horrifically incapable of maintaining personal space and have weak shit immune systems. We both agree it is a wonder we made it this far into plague times without it catching us.

So I went and got looked over and sent on my way with my prescription of potent anti-virals and steroids. I was well prepared to abide the quarantine guidelines and had sent my son to my mother's home for the duration so that he was out of the danger zone. It was fine, I was kinda cool and keen on getting a few days to myself to rest up and all that jazz. But it wasn't meant to last and I found trouble in the form of being unable to remain conscious much at all and would pass out constantly. After a few times of this I gave my brother (he's a doctor and vaccinated) a ring and told him that my fatigue was no joke dude and needed him to come give me a better once over than the one I'd gotten before bc I was sure I was not meant to feel this badly. He found me unconscious in the shower that night, my head battered from crashing to the basin.

After ensuring I wasn't concussed and jokes on what a hard head I have to take such a beating and show no signs of registering it beyond bruising (a joke between us due to him having once accidentally put a golf club into my forehead and fracturing my skull but that's a different story) he told me to call him regularly so that he can review how I feel and the progression of my symptoms and left. By the morning I had already had two more instances of sudden fatigue and collapsing in on myself. I had been posting on my main blog here about how I was doing and due to this I caught the concern of @peekbackstage and upon their suggestion to have my O2 levels tested it was revealed that I was having issues with my blood not circulating oxygen as it should and nearing hypoxia.

Here's the rub. I have a heart condition that is already very dangerous and bleak which limits my heart's capability of delivering blood through my body as it should. Cardiomyopathy or, as it seems better known, congestive heart failure. I've had surgery for it and it has been a while since it caused me any real issues as long as I stick to my routine of care and manage my health, but when COVID-19 infiltrated my body it immediately snagged upon this weak heart of mine and sank its fangs in.

Within a day of being admitted to the hospital I had a grand mal seizure due to the constant fluctuations of oxygen in my blood and the way my body was working double time to supplement for it. And only 2 days after that and when my nervous system had finally quieted down, I went into full cardiac arrest with a heart attack at my young age.

My next weeks were spent connected to machines doing more for me than my own body could. I developed pneumonia in my lungs, acute though it was it was still another complication that my wrecked body had to overcome as it made my already ragged breathing even worse. I was steadily shedding muscle tone and definition due to a lack of mobility and the fact that my body felt like a deadweight I could hardly take command of, and generally very weakened. My heart, the horrible thing, was inflamed and trying too hard by beating too fast, too hard.

FF some more and I was doing fairly well and treatments were showing some improvement. My heart was still being an ugly and gnarled beast in my chest and throwing weird spikes on the monitor that raised alarms. The pneumonia was retreating and I had no further seizures. It was the dawning light of my first signs that I was recovering!

It took a while more and so fucking many tests day in and day out for me get cleared for release. I tested negative for COVID-19 and was ashamed that I actually forgot that that was why I was even in the hospital to begin with, given all that happened. I have to undergo physical therapy and counseling; PT for heart happy exercises as well as to manage to my depleted muscles, counseling bc I was rocked mentally from all the almost dying and the depressive haze of being holed up in the hospital and surrounded by people who, like me, came in with COVID-19 but unlike me did not come out of it.

I'm home now. I had to have a pacemaker implanted and must stay vigilant for any showing that my heart is not performing as it should. I still have some severe inflammation and chest restriction in my airways as well as my blood vessels but nothing too daunting. I also have a full battalion of prescriptions, most for my heart, and a nebulizer to ease any breathing issues. The worst is honestly that I still am very weak and have severely limited reserves of energy.

My job is required to make me take 12 weeks of leave for rest and recuperation. This is very upsetting since I had been requested by name to be an assistant stylist at the Grammys this year which is truly a dream (especially with BTS in the mix 😩😩) and also bc I'm just a workaholic by nature and love my job. When I return I am expected to learn how to properly delegate tasks that do not directly require me to handle and slow down the pacing of my projects. My boss terminated a contract with a client that was nearing the scheduled end of our agreement and was also incredibly problematic to help lighten my workload. It's imperative that I reign in my stress levels or my heart will not last until the next surgery I'll need, so I'm gritting my teeth and letting my job be picked apart to reduce my responsibilities.

My post awaits my return but I will not be returning to full activity for a while after, which means no rifling through the racks for hours alongside the archivists in search of the perfect piece. I'll be welcome to meet with my clients and oversee the glam teams, will still be the command tower for final verdicts on which styles to use. But I will not be running around showrooms nor personally handling matters any competent trainee could be tasked with like I've always done. I will no longer be able to fly out anywhere for destination shoots or fashion shows.

If, after my next surgery, things are better and my heart stable to the point that they are hopeful of things will be reevaluated. While it is difficult beyond measure for me to relinquish the reigns of my career and be restricted in what I can do now, I am very thankful to be alive and upright when that wasn't a certainty just a little while ago. This is such a humbling experience to have survived when my stats kept dropping every day. I've been told to expect that I will never make a full 100% recovery and to expect to stall out around the 70%-90% range, with 70% being the most realistic.

My best friend (the one I gave the plague to) will be moving in with me so that I am never on my own if things go tits up and to assist in wrangling a toddler since I am currently without the energy to do so as my child is, sincerely, a crazy gremlin spawn with limitless battery life. Slowly, my life will regain some normalcy 💖

#racks asks #personal and long winded - read at own risk

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some-cookie-crumbz · 3 years ago

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BNHA, MomoJirou?

Prompts 25. "I know this looks bad, but I swear, it's not."

So many ways this could go~! Hopefully the route I took was a fun one!

Minor Trigger Warning: Mentions of Blood

Momo considered herself to be a rather fortunate woman. She had a financially successful family, a great relationship with her father and was working on things with her mother, a close-knit group of friends she loved dearly, and had started a paid internship just a few weeks back for a designing agency run by The Kayama Nemuri. She knew that she was an incredibly lucky person, that there were those who would kill for the opportunities she had been given, and made sure to wear her gratitude on her sleeve to everyone she knew. She put all her effort and energy into being a good daughter, a good friend, and a good employee, doing whatever she could through action to help emphasize the depth and sincerity of her gratitude. After all, actions were a great indicator of the merit of one's words!

But sadly… Her love life hadn’t seen nearly as many returns as the rest of her life had.

She’d had three relationships in the past and they’d all been… lackluster, to put it mildly. Her first relationship had been a situation where she agreed to date the guy more out of obligation than anything. He had been incredibly nice to her and her then-friends had insisted that meant she at least owed him a chance to prove himself as a boyfriend. The relationship had only lasted three months of her first year of high school and ended so horribly that her father had transferred her to a new school at the conclusion of her first semester.

The school she transferred to was a girls-only boarding school and where she grew into her sexual identity as a pansexual woman. She had a longer relationship with one of her classmates that started in the winter of her second year and ended in the spring of their third year, with her ex immediately jumping to date another of their peers within a week of the break up. It had been painful to watch and, for about a year after, she had avoided relationships for a while.

Her relationship after that had been even worse. She didn’t like to dwell on that ex too much simply because… Well, how incredibly awful it had been. The relationship had felt much more like the two of them getting together because they were afraid of being single in their group of friends. The two of them had nearly no common interests and her ex had always seemed to find her passion for fashion design to be a waste of time, frequently inquiring why she didn’t study something more “practical”. Momo herself, however, thought that her degree plan had been more than practical, considering her minor had been in business.

That relationship lasted ten months and ended when she learned of an affair.

She’d taken a two year break from dating after that, focusing instead on her friend and family and school. All of her friends had rallied around her after that break up, helping to lift her back up, and she had been incredibly grateful for it. They reminded her to never settle for less than she was worth, to wait until someone who deserved her commitment came around.

And then, one day, she met Jirou Kyouka.

Their first meeting had been an impromptu sort of thing. Momo’s dear friend Mina had to take her new puppy, Floofles, to the vet for vaccines and spaying. It was an overnight situation with a designated pick-up time, but Mina had to be at work during the time. She has begged Momo if, since she was free that day, she could pick Floofles up and monitor her until she herself was home. And not one to let a friend in need down, Momo had agreed.

In the lobby of the little vet clinic had sat a young woman in dark colors, with short cut indigo hair, and a snarling mass of hay colored fur in her lap. Momo had been a few minutes early and was urged to take a seat while she waited, causing her to settle into the vacancy next to the stranger and her displeased pet. Upon closer examination she realized that it was a cat, with a front paw that looked to be at an odd angle, which seemed to explain the attitude. “Oh, the poor little dear,” she murmured quietly, not thinking as the words left her mouth.

Dark eyes flickered up to her, the gleam of disinterest fading to a light of interest. Her lips twitched up in a small smile. “Thank you, but he did this to himself,” she hummed, reaching out to set one hand on the cat’s head. He responded by growling audibly and jerking his head out from under her touch. “Leave the patio door open unsupervised for one minute, and he leaps out to chase a bird. Eats shit and ends up hurting his paw.”

The cat let out a displeased hiss at his dirty laundry being aired, but it only resulted in both women laughing. The next few minutes waiting for Floofles had passed in the blink of an eye as she chatted up the cat owner, learning that the cat was named Dynamight and was just a grumpy old man trapped in the body of a young cat. Once Floofles was brought out to her, Momo asked for the other’s number, explaining she wanted to see how Dynamight was doing once his paw got looked at. And while there was genuine care about the cat’s well being involved, there had also been a selfish motivation behind it, too. Her companion seemed to know as much but didn’t draw attention to it as they exchanged numbers.

That was eleven months ago, with she and Jirou’s nine month anniversary as an official couple just on the horizon. And Momo couldn’t help but smile whenever she thought about it. Jirou was unlike her past partners in so many ways. She encouraged and supported Momo’s designing works, they shared a secret love of true crime love documentaries, and she was incredibly laid back. With her, Momo could feel her walls fall down and she felt genuinely secure about it. There was something naturally calming about Jirou’s presence and approach to life - of going with the flow and taking things as they came - that was refreshing and exhilarating. So much of Momo’s own life had been slotted around by activity start and end times, of living up to expectations both real and imagined, that the idea of simply letting things be and dealing with them as they came up was incredibly freeing.

The thought occurred to her as she stepped out of the elevator at Jirou’s apartment complex and started to make her way to her door. Normally, she made sure to reach out before dropping by. Part of it was because she didn’t like just showing up unannounced, but another reason was because of her girlfriend’s erratic work schedule. The other woman did freelance work of some kind - the details were vague and confidential - so her hours tended to shift depending on the needs of her client. Sometimes, she’d be free for a good three or four days, while other times she’d be engrossed in her projects for hours at a time. Things had been pretty quiet from what little she remembered last time they talked about work, though, so she felt things would be fine this one time.

She opened the door to the front door, unsurprised to find it unlocked. Jirou tended to leave the door unlocked in case her neighbor, a bedraggled single father, ever needed to ask for an impromptu baby-sitter. His daughter liked cats and Dynamight, as Momo herself had seen, was surprisingly agreeable with the young girl when she came by. She half expected to see young Eri settled on the couch, a Disney movie playing on the television, while Jirou prepared dinner or worked on something for a client, when she stepped in.

Only to stop just a few steps through the threshold.

A map of the city was spread across the coffee table, two large pillar candles set up at the far corners of the table, while Jirou was kneeling in front of it. She was cutting open what seemed to be a small blood donation bag with some scissors, a small wooden box to her left with what seemed to be crystals inside. After a moment, Jirou reached towards the box and pulled one out, a thin strand of yarn wrapped around the crystal. She released a slow breath. “Okay, Kyouka… This shouldn’t be too hard. You haven’t exactly used this combination before but it should work out fine,” she mumbled to herself, moving the crystal to dangle over the open lip of the bag.

Momo couldn’t help it; she gasped, loud and horrified. She was completely stunned. What was all of this? What purpose did it serve? It all seemed incredibly occult. Jirou had never seemed like the type to have such interests. Hearing her gasp, Jirou jerked to stare at her with a horrified stare of her own. She opened her mouth twice, clearly scrambling to find words to string together, before she clamped it shut with a soft click of her jaw.

They stared at one another for a long moment, eyes wide and their heart beats seeming to echo in the tiny space.

"I know this looks bad, but I swear, it's not!" Jirou yelped, finally cutting through the silence, dropping the blood bag in her hands and letting it hit the ground with a sickening splat sound. Momo felt her whole body shudder with the sound and her stomach flipped uneasily. She shifted her weight back on the heels of her feet while keeping her eyes fixated on Jirou.

“Tch! She’s gonna try and make a break for it if you don’t seal the door off, ya idiot!” For a moment, Momo was befuddled by the new voice she heard. She swore she could hear quiet, cat-like growls between their words, but… That wouldn’t make sense, right? Who does cat impressionations while speaking? Slowly she turned her head in the directions of the voice, her eyes landing on the familiar fluffy form of Dynamight sitting on the kitchen counter. His pupils shrunk to slimmer slits before he curled his lips back, the voice from before sneering, “Oh, looks like she’s starting to put shit together! Get your head back in the fucking game!”

Dynamight… Her cat… Was talking? But then… Talking cats were common of…

Momo whipped around and moved to rush for the apartment door, heart beating erratically in her chest. If this was all really happening, she needed to get out! Before a hex of some kind could be placed on her, or even worse! “Wait, Yaomomo! Please hear me out!” Jirou called out after her.

Just as her hands made to grab for the handle, it shriveled and withered into the door itself like a rotten fruit being reclaimed by its tree. A startled shriek left her as she scrambled backwards, watching with wide eyes as the rest of the door melted into the frame, the seam separating the two disappearing completely. She felt herself drop to her knees and wrap her arms tight around herself. “Oh God,” she breathed shakily, closing her eyes tightly as she heard soft footfalls approaching her. “I promise I won’t tell anyone about this! J-Just please! D-Don’t hu-hurt me! L-Let me go!”

There was a quiet swishing of wind and fabric before she felt herself being lifted slightly. Then, there was a soft and warm hand gently cupping her cheek. “I would never hurt you, Momo. Please… Even if you aren’t sure how to feel about the rest of this, please know that much is the truth,” The other woman’s voice hitched with pain as she spoke, clearly wounded by the suggestion. She peeked her eyes open to see she was floating just a few feet above the ground so that she was able to meet the other’s dark eyes. Those same eyes were pleading and vulnerable.

Momo swallowed thickly before timidly nodding her head. “I’m sorry,” she breathed softly.

“No, I understand. This… Isn’t what you were anticipating to walk into,” Jirou said with a small sigh before glancing over at the sacrificial site set up on her coffee table. “Just let me clean that up real fast, put on some tea and then I’ll explain.” Momo nodded with a bit more certainty before she was carefully floated over and set delicately on the couch.

She sat and watched in quiet bemusement as the other skittered to and fro, using what Momo could only assume was magic to help her. The longer she observed, the more relaxed she gradually became. While she worked at getting the blood cleaned up off the wood paneling, Dynamight actually rummaged through the kitchen cabinets to fish out the kettle and start filling it up. It was a little impressive to watch how he did it with his paws and teeth, though she could still hear the quiet grumbled swears he released as he did. Once all the summoning stuff and blood were cleaned up, Jirou prepared them each a cup of tea and settled into the couch seat a space away from Momo, giving her a good amount of breathing room.

She handed the cup over carefully with one hand. “I went with that citrus one you brought a while back. I remembered that one having a nice little zing to it,” she explained.

“Thank you,” Momo took a quick sip of her own cup, disregarding how it scalded her tongue just a smidge. “So… You’re a witch, I take it.” she said evenly.

Jirou nodded. “Yes, I am,”

“And Dynamight-!”

“Bakugo,”

“Huh?”

“His actual name is Bakugo Katsuki. Dynamight is just his… um.. Common cat name. Easier than explaining the logistics of a familiar,” she explained with a small nervous laugh.

“So he is your familiar,” she mused, taking another sip. The other nodded as she took a sip from her own cup as well, setting it on the coaster on the coffee table when she was done.

Jirou’s hands clutched at her knees, eyes skirting down to stare at them instead. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I’ve wanted to but… I was worried. There’s a lot of paperwork and hoops to jump through to get that kind of clearance. And even then… There’s no guarantee that you’d want to keep that knowledge. And if that happened, your memories would have to be wiped and I couldn’t see you anymore.”

Momo blinked in surprise. “Wait, what?”

“It’s a safety protocol that the higher ups implement to keep the general public safe, as well as those of us in the bureau,” she sighed, lifting her head to peek up at her worriedly. It was clear she was uneasy but was also being transparent. “Though, I suppose I should actually… Well, explain what’s going on here, huh?”

She nodded. “So… Is this related to your work?”

“Yes, actually. See, I’m aligned with what’s called the I.B.O.M.O., which is abbreviated further to I-Boom, and is short for International Bureau of Magical Events. As a representative, I have the ability to travel between this realm - the mortal plane - and the realm of magical creatures - the magical plane. As such, it is my responsibility to keep instances of magical creatures and mortal interactions limited. Part of that is tracking down rogue magicals that come into the mortal plane without the proper permissions and, if they encounter a mortal, wiping memories and issuing out punishments,” she explained, picking her cup back up and taking a sip.

“So what you were doing… Was that related to something like that?” Momo asked with a tilt of her head.

Jirou nodded. “Yes. I was trying to scry. My current assignment is to track down the heir of a noble warlock family who has apparently fled to this plane. He is apparently somewhere in this city but.. Well, since he hails from a high ranking family, his magical skills have been well-honed so trying to find him has been a struggle. I’d been hoping that by combining my scrying technique and a powerful conjuring technique using the bird blood I could… Well… Try to get some idea as to where he might be,” she sighed, letting her shoulders slump. “This is the longest I’ve ever taken on an assignment and it’s.. Well, it’s difficult.”

Momo stared at her before glancing back down at her cup. Her thumb traced along the rim of the cup thoughtfully, an idea turning about in her head. “Could… Could I help you find him?”

“Huh?”

“The fuck can a human like you do to help?” Dynamight - erh, Bakugo? - chimed in, hopping down from the breakfast nook and trotting over. He scrambled up and sat on the table, glaring her down with his ears back and fluffy tail lashing. “If a witch with as many accomplishments as Earlobes is having a hard time, what fucking chance does a mere human like you have?”

“Well, if you have an idea of around when he appeared, I can ask around,” Momo said, tone a little petulant. The sheer lunacy that she was arguing with a cat wasn’t lost on her completely - and she made note to ask Jirou later how, exactly, it was she could hear his voice - but she still felt the need to, as immature as it was. “I have a lot of connections around the city. I might be able to get you a list of suspects, since there is the chance he could do… Um… What is it called? Glamour?”

Jirou giggled a bit. “You’re right. Glamour is the tool magical creatures use to disguise their true forms,” She lightly tapped her chin in thought. “Hmm. That’s not a bad idea, actually. He could be using glamour to disguise his appearance since it’s so unique. Make himself harder to find.” Momo smiled at Jirou’s words, her heart fluttering a bit at the prospect of being about to help her girlfriend. “But… If you’re going to get involved, I’ll need to file the proper paperwork and make a protection charm for you. I want you to be safe. I don’t think the nobleman would harm you but… I don’t know the specifics of why he left the magical plan unannounced. I’d rather air on the side of caution.”

Momo nodded as she took another sip of her tea. A part of her told her she shouldn’t get this invested. It was Jirou’s work and she herself wasn’t a witch. She shouldn’t be getting involved too heavily. But… If she could help her girlfriend, wasn’t it worth it? If it gave her a chance to show how much she appreciated how good Jirou was to her, it had to be worth it.

#crumbles grumbles #MomoJirou #my fics #Gif is technically relevant #I'm p sure this is part of an AU prompt list #But there wasn't any specification on the other two categories #So I hope that it's okay I took this and just ran with it!

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rockofeye · 4 years ago

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It’s Kouzen Season: More about Kouzen Zaka and His Family

As I wrote recently, the month of May is a special time for Kouzen and his family. Kouzen’s fet/feast day is May 1 and May 2, but fetes for Kouzen are held all through the month of May in Haiti and the Dyaspora.

In English, ‘kouzen’ translates to cousin and is a title that we address Kouzen as. He comes with a lot of different names: Azaka Mede, Azaka/Zaka Si, Azaka/Zaka La, Zaka Krib, Zaka Toné, Kouzen Mòn, and many others. He also is very, very close with his wife Kouzin, and there are a whole variety of children in fanmi Kouzen as well.

Kouzen is most well known as the minister of agriculture and work, and this is reflected in how we address him sometimes as Minis/Minister. He is vital to life in Haiti, as it is him that makes the crops grow and ensures there is enough food for the lakou to survive, as well as oversees business and money. It’s often said that even Haitians who don’t serve the lwa always give for Kouzen, because he determines success or failure and can answer hunger.

In some ways, he is also the living memory of Haiti; he carries the weight and knowledge of subsistence farming and how to survive with very little. He is a master medsin fèy (literally ‘leaf medicine’, refers to a practioner of bush medicine), and is often called upon to treat illness especially for folks who can’t afford a Western doctor or even a medsin fèy in the community. He is the reminder of where many Haitians come from and what Haiti used to be: a more rural island where farming and agriculture ruled over most other businesses. It’s not a coincidence that his month of May is also Haitian Heritage Month.

He is often referred to as a lwa travay/work lwa for his indefatigable work ethic. Kouzen knows what it is to be hungry and to suffer, so he is working all the time to make sure he never has to suffer again and that his family and those that he loves don’t suffer either. His fetes are often utilized as means to determine how the next year will go; if Kouzen comes happy and enjoys himself and eats, it will probably be a good year with normal challenges. If he comes angry or upset and refuses his food and the special marketplaces made for him, that’s potentially a forewarning that there are difficulties ahead and a lot of work goes into appeasing Kouzen to change the flow of luck.

Kouzen is also intimately involved in things like immigration. He can help (or harm!) an immigration process, and can be a huge ally in getting those papers moving.

He is always very concerned about being taken advantage of. He comes as a poor peasant, and so folks often underestimate him or try to rip him off when he loans money or offers a good deal. He is incredibly sensitive to this and is paranoid that someone will steal from him. It’s not unusual for him to arrive at his fet and unpack his makout to make sure everything that was there last time he came is still there. He’ll count crumbs. Anything missing will need to be accounted for.

A well-known story from communities I am close to tells of a time when someone did a maryaj lwa in a temple and had brought things from their own table at home to place on the table built for the ceremony. When packing up at the end of the night, someone mistakenly packed the bottle of Kouzen’s liquor that belonged to the temple in the makout of the Kouzen the person married. It went unnoticed until that temple’s fet Kouzen rolled around.

Kouzen arrived and found that his bottle was not in his bag. He asked for it and when it could not be found, sat down on the floor and cried. He refused to let anything else happen until his bottle was located. Some fast thinking and a lot of luck had the person who did the maryaj at the fet and they had a eureka moment and drove home quickly. She lived locally (thank everything) and soon returned to the fet with the bottle. Kouzen had to be consoled and many promises and assurances made because even though the bottle had been returned and it was a genuine error and not a theft, he was so upset that his things had been taken.

He is an expert deal maker that negotiates for his best interests. Something common at most fet Kouzens is that a marketplace will be set up for him. It’s usually a large layout of fruits, vegetables, and maybe some special items for him to look over and offer up for sale. He is very, very shrewd and downright stingy. I’ve seen him refuse to select what he is willing to sell until someone presents him with money, and then he will pick what he thinks is a fair exchange. One evening, I watched someone give him a $20 bill, and he looked for a moment, selected a banan/plantain, and snapped it in half. He gave one half to the person who had paid him $20.

He’ll often walk around holding his chapo/hat and asking for money. Most folks will come prepared with a little cash in their pocket, but pity the person who brings their wallet. Someone had the misfortune of coming to Kouzen’s fet with a significant amount of their rent money in their wallet. Kouzen asked him for money, and when he took out his wallet and opened it, Kouzen reached in and took all the cash. He refused to give it back, and so that person made a nice gift (willing or otherwise) of several hundred dollars.

It’s often said that Kouzen is the one who works and it’s his wife Kouzin who manages the money. Kouzen may want to account for every dollar, but it is Kouzin who keeps track of where it all goes.

Folks always make him out to be greedy, full stop, and he certainly can be, but as Kouzen has known suffering he can also be very generous. I’ve watched him give money to people who were in great need and clearly say that he only needs to be remembered each week and that they don’t need to pay him back. I’ve seen him loan money to people in dire circumstances (but that money better be paid back on the terms he negotiated).

One of the most poignant moments I’ve seen with Kouzen came at his fet when someone who had sacrificed a lot to be there came to talk with him and brought him a little money. They had been struggling with finding work for a little while, and so it was a really hard trip as they did not live locally. Kouzen refused their money and told them to keep it, because he knew they needed it. Some folks thought that was extremely negative coming from Kouzen, but it was a gift. He followed up by giving them a specific lamp recipe to find work, and less than a month later that person had a job.

With all of these very important things on his shoulders and in his makout, you’d think Kouzen would come as something other than a peasant...but he doesn’t. I think that’s really important because it reinforces how close Kouzen and all the lwa are to us; even the ones who are literal royalty.

For me, in addition to all of the above, I also experience Kouzen as a source of a lot of creativity and creative drive. My relationship has developed in such a way that he oversees a lot of my art and art practice. He doesn’t care so much what kind of art or if it even turns out good, but more that I do it and keep my hands moving because that’s good for me. He has definitely been the push to put some paint on paper or beads on fabric when I really don’t want to or don’t have any internal motivation. I will feel him eyeing me and I’ll drag myself to my studio space and do something. Or, if I’m really too busy to make art or there’s some other barrier to me actually sitting down, he’ll push me to resolve it so I have space to get my hands dirty.

In terms of what someone could do for Kouzen without getting into trouble or having him be upset is to do charity in his name. If you can, donate money to a cause that supports providing for folks who are hungry, that supports agriculture that supports self sufficiency in developing countries, or even that aids folks who are homeless or unhoused. If you can donate your time and labor, even better! Kouzen values labor and hard work, and there are plenty of places that need help these days: packing food at food pantries, distributing and delivering meals, volunteering to serve meals in homeless shelters, even volunteering to help vaccine efforts would be looked on favorably by him, as it assures further survival.

I caution folks against preparing food for Kouzen without guidance; even looking at his food in the wrong way or thinking it’s delicious can make him upset and jealous, and he’ll refuse it or spoil it. There’s specific ways to even taste his food for seasoning to make sure it will taste good...don’t risk it!

I hope this is helpful; please let me know if there are questions.

#vodou #haitian vodou #real vodou #fet kouzen #kouzen zaka #azaka mede

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that-good-trash · 4 years ago

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I’m Not Okay- Chapter Three Midoriya x reader/ Bakugou x reader

Izuku Midoriya x reader/ Katsuki Bakugou x reader

Summary: You have struggled with mental health your whole life so why can’t you seem to get it under control. Will you be able to keep the same mask even though two of your classmates have seen under it?

Warnings: Depression, Mentions of suicide, Self harm, Angst, Anxiety, OOC Uraraka.

Word count: 5,015

Comment: This took so much time and I’m sorry its so long and I apologize in advance if it feels rushed and for any grammar/spelling errors. Thank you for reading and following the story this far. I have one more chapter and then two endings.

Ps. In case you needed to hear this, You matter!

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A week

A week had passed since you broke down on the shower floor while gripping Bakugou’s hand for dear life. The memory itself would always be burned into the back of your head, his words playing on loop every time you felt a panic attack coming. You weren’t cured or anything, it wasn’t like his words were a vaccine for sadness and now you couldn’t feel it. You still felt like the ground was going to give any second and that your chest was running out of room for your lungs. His words had become a way to anchor yourself to reality. When the world was falling apart and you felt stupid for feeling that way you heard him telling you it was okay that this was happening even though it really wasn’t okay. Even he wished that you hadn’t taken his words as some kind of excuse to say that it was okay that this was happening to you. His words really were meant to let you know you were allowed to be sad and feel miserable without having to fear judgement. You were struggling to use his words properly. Instead finding it easier to break down and say that it was okay that you were broken and that the world never felt stable to you and that you wished if it was going to swallow you up it would do so already.

You found comfort in Bakugou’s words and his company. He had started making extra food for himself in the morning and leaving you a plate. You hadn’t seen much of him in the morning since he was taking his training serious again and going for morning runs. While you ate in the morning usually Mina kept you company, a few days Midoriya silently sat with you. He wasn’t mad at you for snapping at him. He was worried about your mental health and you knew that he wouldn’t pry or push anymore. He just didn’t want you to feel alone even if the only way he could help was to sit with you while you ate. Both boys were there for you in different manners. It felt wrong for you to enjoy anything let alone to enjoy two different peoples attempts at helping you. You felt like you were using them, that somehow you must have gained a quirk that involved manipulation. There just wasn’t a good enough reason you could find on why they were still here for you. Midoriya still gave you the teachers lodge to eat in and even if he wasn’t in the room a single sandwich was always left along with a bottle of water. Bakugou made sure to have extra food for you every morning and during every training session watched you carefully to make sure you weren’t pushing yourself. As much as this was any girls dream it made you feel pathetic and even more like a prisoner to yourself, they were the guards waiting for a breakdown so they could wrap you up in white and toss you into a padded room.

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“L/N I’ve noticed that you haven’t been joining the rest of the class for evening activities. You have missed three movie nights, two dinners with board games, and one group training session. I know these things aren’t mandatory but it is strange to not have you in attendance.” The way Iida spoke was beyond proper. You knew that he didn’t always speak like this but it was weird to hear a teenager speak like a strict parent. If anyone else had pointed out your behavior this week you would have shrunk in on yourself. You would have felt ashamed. You couldn’t feel that way with Iida since he was like this with everyone. For months he had scolded and questioned Bakugou on his antisocial behavior so him acting this way toward you was a normal occurrence.

“Sorry Iida, I’ve just been busy with studying.” Lie number 1, instead of studying you actually took the movie nights as opportunities to cry without anyone hearing you. “I also have been having a late lunch so I haven’t been hungry for dinner.” Lie number 2. You hadn’t been eating unless it was breakfast from Bakugou or lunch from Midoriya. Beyond those meals you didn’t eat. “I’ve miss you guys as well.” You know that he hadn’t mentioned missing you but you felt like it was implied. You were telling the truth. You did miss your classmates. You all were different yet still shared so much and had a lot in common. You loved all your classmates, maybe not Mineta. If you could go back to how things were, before your mind completely betrayed you, then you would be much happier. Secluding yourself was becoming a way of torturing yourself more than a way to hide from involving other people in your issues.

“You don’t have to miss us. We are here for you; you just have to involve yourself.” Iida didn’t mean anything negative and yet you felt like he was blaming you for not participating. He wouldn’t be wrong. You couldn’t blame anyone else since you were the only thing keeping yourself from a healthy relationship with your fellow classmates. Your expression had changed from vacant to downcast. Hopelessness had contaminated your air supply. You were breathing in negative thoughts and exhaling nurturing ones.

The food that you had almost finished was no longer appetizing. You push it away and when no one is looking you dump it into the trash and toss the napkin atop it so no one would know you hadn’t finished. Well more like so Bakugou wouldn’t know. It was a Saturday morning that had no classes or responsibilities for you all to attend to. Bakugou had left around 6am for his run and it was now 8 with him no where in sight. You weren’t waiting for him to return, though apart of you liked when he would come back and shove your shoulder before going off to shower. He always smelled like caramel and his hands were always hot when he would push them against your shoulder. You shook your head trying not to think about Bakugou. Your eyes roamed over to the couches that held groups of your classmates. You knew you needed some grounding or else you would fall apart and this Saturday would be spent locked away in your room.

“Hey have you guys seen Midoriya.” You awkwardly stood in front of Asui, Uraraka, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Tokoyami. They had been in the middle of some kind of conversation that the girls seemed more vocal during. The boys stared at you blankly while the girls looked amongst each other before turning their attention back to you with varying expressions. You instantly regretted asking and turned to leave when no one answered right away. Before you could flee Todoroki spoke up.

“He left this morning around the same time as Bakugou. I’m sure I heard him mention something about personal training.” Todoroki was always straight to the point. You internally thanked him for answering without questioning your intentions. However, before you could get away Asui spoke.

“Why are you looking for Midoriya?” Now all eyes are on you again. How could you tell them that you just needed someone to be near you that wouldn’t ask questions? Someone who would relax you without having to do anything other then just sit by you. You had grown accustom to his calming presence and none judgmental personality. No matter how many times you had flown off the handle or ignored his wishes for you to open up he was still there offering you his shoulder or a safe space to breathe. A place to breathe sounded really nice at the moment.

“I was gonna ask him a question regarding a homework assignment.” It was a terrible lie, not because you didn’t sound convincing but because anyone could help you with homework. There was no reason you would have needed his specific help. Even with your confidence gone everyone was pleased with your answer. Almost everyone, Uraraka seemed skeptical as did Todoroki but he wouldn’t pry. You waited another uneasy second in case anyone else wanted to question you. Once it felt safe you turned ready to leave.

“Wait Y/n! Us girls are having a sleepover tonight. Were gonna kick the boys out of the common room and watch movies, maybe gossip, do each other’s hair. You should join us. I know you’ve been busy studying but I think it would be a good idea to take a break.” Yaoyorozu beamed with pleasure. She appeared happy to invite you and she seemed to really want you to join your classmates. She wasn’t wrong when she said you needed a break. You needed to get away from yourself, this was your ticket to do that. A free excuse to not lay in bed lifeless while raging wars behind your eyes.

“Actually, I think id like that. Thank you.” The gentle smile the graced your lips caught everyone’s attention. It was very rare to see a smile on your face these days. Had Mina been here she would have tackled you into a hug and showered you in compliments. The black and green haired girls seemed excited but the brunette seemed to show a different emotion. You would have tried to figure out exactly what one but you had to go spend the day mentally preparing yourself for a girl party. You waved bye leaving them back to their conversation you had previously interrupted. A tiny pep in your step, you felt like a tiny child who had been invited to a sleepover at a friend’s house. Maybe you didn’t need Bakugou or Midoriya today. Maybe you could take care of yourself, make the voices cease. Your smile remained as you took the elevator up to your room to get ready for the rest of the day.

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You had been productive. To normal people that wasn’t a feat but with you it was a miracle. You had been so excited about actually hanging out with people that you been overcome with energy. You cleaned your room and lugged all your laundry downstairs to wash. You had even played your not sad music playlist while you did homework. You actually finished assignments that weren’t due yet. This was progress but more importantly you weren’t crying or wishing for death to take you. You had kept the same smile on for the whole day. At one point when you gathered your dry laundry to take upstairs you had partaken in a conversation between yourself, Sato, and Sero. You had even laughed wholeheartedly. You wanted so badly to run off to Bakugou or Midoriya and tell them all about how well you were doing, like how a child runs to their parents to show off a gold star and show how they did a simple task. You wanted Bakugou to pat your head or Midoriya to get excited with you. You didn’t seek them out. Instead you kept this happiness within yourself afraid that if you let it out then it wouldn’t stay.

“Okay you got this. No breaking down, no running away, and NO dissociating.” You stood in the mirror with that ‘other girl’ reading her the rules. You had to tell her because if you didn’t then you’d forget. It was a pep talk with regulations. You looked over yourself as your reflection mimicked you. Your hair was casual and styled in the way you like it. Your outfit wasn’t revealing, instead was comfortable and modest. A pair of sweats and a black camisole made a simple enough pair of pjs. You lifted a small bag of personal items pulling the strap onto your shoulder. Even though you were still going to be in the same building as your room you decided to take some items with you so you wouldn’t have to come back for them. A small blanket you’ve had since you were a child was folded neatly on the bottom. Your favorite stuffed animal sat on top the blanket. You also had a bottle of aspirin in case of a headache form social overstimulation. A few other items like a brush and phone charger sat inside the bag as well. You were dressed, packed, and ready to go have fun; or at least try.

With a smile on your face and chest tightening from the sheer adrenaline of doing something out of the ordinary you left your room and headed to the elevator. You pass Momo’s room and knock. After no reply you assume, she must be downstairs already which makes you even more eager. The elevator takes you down to the third floor where the door opens to let Ojiro in. You give him a small wave which he returns. The doors are about to close but you stop them when you hear multiple girls’ voices. Not just the two girls who dorm on this floor, more than that. Curiosity gets the better of you leading you to step out of the elevator after a small goodbye to Ojiro. You creep up to Jirou’s door trying to convince yourself that there isn’t a reason to be secretive. You push your back against the wall next to her slightly open door. You heard Hagakure’s voice along with Momo’s. Jirou laughs about something and your chest tightens. You wondered if you were all supposed to meet here before going downstairs. You make a move for the door but stop when you are completely sure that your name was mentioned. You move slightly closer to the crack in the door glancing inside without being noticed. You see Uraraka sitting on one of Jirou’s amps. She was the one who had mentioned your name. You could hear what the topic was as she continued.

“I don’t want to sound mean but why did you have to invite Y/n, Momo.” Yes, this could be interpreted as mean but you didn’t want to jump to conclusions just yet. This may just be a misunderstanding.

“I didn’t know Y/n was invited!” Hagakure’s voice sounded excited which brought your smile back.

“Yeah, I invited her. She hasn’t been herself and seemed like she could use some girl time. Also, I know Mina would kill us if we didn’t.” You couldn’t argue with Momo’s logic, Mina was very protective of you.

“You shouldn’t have invited her. She doesn’t even like us. She’s always by herself and when she isn’t, she’s bothering Deku or Bakugou… You guys know how I feel about Deku, I know she must know that I like him. She keeps taking his attention away from us. He used to hang out with Todoroki, Iida, and I during lunch and now he just spends it with her. I bet she isn’t even sad. She’s probably just faking it.”

There was a lot you had to process. For starters you had no idea that Uraraka had a crush on Midoriya and that she felt like you were flaunting his attention. You really tried to avoid talking about it with anyone. You never wanted to hurt anyone or step on any toes and yet here you were having to ease drop to hear how people actually felt. The part that hurt most was her comment about you not liking them. You liked all your classmates, Mineta was still debatable, and you would never want to hurt them. Not once have you thought negative thoughts about any of the girls. If anything, you were jealous of them for having normal lives and functioning social skills. Even then your jealousy wasn’t really jealousy, it was more like resent toward yourself. You willed yourself to be normal or at least try and be nice to everyone when given the chance. You had secluded yourself for so long people took it as a personal jab, an insult. Despite not having done anything wrong you felt remorse. Your brain slowly pulled apart Uraraka’s sentences. Were you really taking Midoriya away from his friends? Iida hadn’t complained when he saw you that morning. Todoroki didn’t mention it when he told you where Midoriya had gone. Were they trying to spare your feelings? You knew you weren’t being selfish because in all honesty you had told him on more than one occasion to leave you alone. Maybe that was a way of manipulation, maybe you said it so he’d run after you. No, you were a lot of things but manipulative wasn’t one of them. The emotions swirling inside halted and moved aside for the worst one to make its appearance. The sour taste came with the emotion. Your fist clenched at your side. How dare she say you weren’t sad. What the hell would she know about sadness. How could she even pretend to know you like that? Your shoulders shook as you gritted your teeth. Anger, seething anger, the kind that you hated feeling. The kind of anger that could destroy lives and friendships if used against people. You begged in the back of your mind for this to stop. For your chest to untighten and fist to unclench. Your begging fell on deaf ears. A war between your reason and anger never ended well.

As you tried to calm down other voices spoke up. You couldn’t make out what they said but you wanted so desperately for someone to defend you. You wanted someone to see that you weren’t a bad person, just broken and miserable. You never meant to make anyone else miserable. A tear slowly drifts down your cheek. You don’t wipe it away because you’d rather be sad then angry. The elevator dings bringing your attention away from your ‘friends’ bedroom and to the opening doors. Ojiro walks out, now holding a drink and he’s with Tokoyami. The two boys’ glance at you and you swear there is the slightest hint of pity beyond their eyes. You walk past them and into the elevator before the door can close. You don’t dare look back but instead at the buttons. The internal battle of what button to press. Do you retreat back to your dorm and do exactly what they expect? Should you let Uraraka have her way. Your finger pushes into the 1. You weren’t going to run away, you promised you wouldn’t.

“Y/n!!!” Mina’s voice cut through any thoughts you were having as the elevator door opened. She had been waiting for you to arrive. Sitting on the arm of the couch was Kaminari, who was chatting with Kirishima. The two boys looked over at you when Mina exclaimed your name. They smiled at you while moving away from the couch. Mina had sprung off the sofa and was across the room in seconds, her arms around you with the biggest grin.

“I’m so happy that you’re joining us tonight.” Her grip loosened when you started laughing at her glee. She pulled away looking you over. You covered your chest with your arms feeling slightly self-conscience. She yanked your arms down squealing about how cute your lazy simple outfit was. You realized you could literally have come down in a trash bag and she’d love it.

“Mina you gotta let go of me, we are literally blocking the elevator.”

“Yeah you are.” The bubbly voice couldn’t hide the slight irritation it came out with. You stumbled out of the way awkwardly with Mina still clinging onto you. Mina raised a brow at the way the words were spoken. You were so thankful that Mina’s reaction verified that the words were rude and it wasn’t you just exaggerating. You both watch as Uraraka leaves the elevator walking toward the couch with three others behind her.

“What was that all about?” Mina isn’t as cheerful when she questions the gravity girls’ attitude. Even Kaminari raises a brow as he and Kirishima approach the elevator. You shrug in response to Mina’s question. You could have told her what you heard but that would just cause drama you didn’t want to deal with.

“Dude what was that about. Talk about cat fight energy. You okay Y/n?” Kaminari was a friend to all woman. He always found a way to be on two sides of a female spat. However right now he seemed actually concerned for you.

“I’m fine. I was in her way. It’s okay.” It wasn’t okay and apart of you wishes that the four of you were hanging out instead. Kaminari nods before getting into the elevator. You reach out and grab his wrist. “Sorry to bother you Denki but what are you guys doing right now?”

“You can’t bother me babe. Kirishima and I are gonna go play some video games with BakuHoe.” You rolled your eyes and the playful smirk on his face and the pet name. His nickname for Bakugou, when said boy wasn’t around, made you sigh. You personally thought it was tasteless but he thought he was hilarious so you let it slide. A part of you really wanted to join them instead especially now that Bakugou was involved. “Why Y/n? You wanna come hang with us instead.”

You knew he was trying to make a joke but he literally asked you what you had just been wanting to ask yourself. You didn’t get a chance to reply since Kirishima was closing the elevator mentioning something about Bakugou getting tired of waiting. You lost your chance to escape. Now you were being pulled to the couches that were covered in pillows and blankets. Everyone was sitting around or on the couches talking about shit you didn’t care about. Your stomach was hurting and you felt isolated even thought you were sitting against Mina. The words and conversations moved around and through you but never were directed at you. No one seemed to care that you were quiet. Even your best friend was talking and animatedly story telling leaving you in the background.

Your savior came in the form of pizza and a movie. You only ate one slice while everyone else ate two or three. The movie was boring to you or at least the pieces you caught were. You watched everyone else more than the screen. Yaoyorozu was playing with Jirou’s hair while watching the movie intensely. Jirou looked bored but you could see that she was watching just as intensely as Momo. You couldn’t tell what Hagakure’s expression was but her clothing made it seem like she was watching. You could hear everyone’s comments and reaction sounds. Somehow this was fun to them and agony to you. At some point you had drifted off only to be woken up by Mina. You wished she had just let you sleep. The girls were suggesting games to play. Truth or dare was chosen and you were now hyper aware of everything going on. Truths and dares were being tossed around and you couldn’t escape. Thankfully it started light hearted and childish. You had to admit an embarrassing childhood memory for a truth and for a dare you had to text a picture of a banana to Kaminari asking his size preference. It was fun and everyone was enjoying it, but things had to change. It wasn’t going to stay fun and playful. Soon things got into crushes and relationships, something you thought you’d be safe from. Mina talked about an ex, Asui had to call Tokoyami and say a pick up line, Momo mentioned Todoroki a few to many times for it to be a coincidence. Jirou texted the group chat that she was Bi, Hagakure snuck into the boy’s bathroom and stole Ojiro’s hair brush. It was Uraraka’s turn, she chose dare trying to escape the awkwardness of having to admit anything embarrassing.

“So Uraraka, I dare you to text your crush and ask if they like anyone and ask who.” It was meant to prove to Uraraka you were no threat. You knew that Yaoyorozu meant well and hell you wanted for it to prove that you weren’t some kind of homewrecker. She was the deepest color red that you’d every seen her. The girls were hyping you up and Mina was squealing from excitement. You waited with bated breath. You didn’t know what she texted but she asked Midoriya if he had a crush on someone. A ding catches everyone’s attention as they move closer to Uraraka waiting for the response.

“HE LIKES SOMEONE!” More cheers and giddy squeals. She asks who it is and waits. Would he really tell her if he liked her? You didn’t need to ask because the dark shadow that passes over her face as she reads the response give it away. She is turning red from a mix of anger and embarrassment. Her eyes finish moving across her screen and look up making contact with your own. Your heart stops and you really wish you hadn’t joined the party. She stands up and throws her phone into your lap. You look down and read it.

[Please don’t tell anyone but I like Y/n.]

So much for not telling anyone, the phone is grabbed from your lap so Jirou can read it. She lets out a low whistle at the drama about to occur. Momo is trying to settle Uraraka down, trying to get her to not explode. Mina looks at you with confusion. She doesn’t understand why everyone is upset since you didn’t do anything wrong. Momo fails to stop Uraraka who stomps up to you. You look up from your lap and stare into her blood shot tear filled eyes. You knew the look well because you had worn it every night. How did today start with Iida wishing you’d participate more to you being scorned.

“You did this. You somehow convinced him that your worthy of him. I don’t know what kind of trash you told him but you aren’t special. You aren’t better than any of us. You are nothing. You don’t talk to anyone like you’re to cool for our class. You don’t eat food with us like some kind of princess not wanting to eat with commoners. I see the way you look at us. Like we don’t matter. You are horrible. You have him convinced your sad or helpless but you aren’t your mean and heartless. If you were sad you wouldn’t be here. You’d go away.” Her tone fluctuated to angry, sad, bitchy, the volume going up and down. The words. Oh god the words ate at the shields you had put up earlier. You felt your skin chip away and you were exposed. Your eyes were quick to fill with tears but you wouldn’t let them fall. Your chest was tight and you hadn’t tried to breathe in fear that you would be yelled at for doing so. You had been in fights or caught the bad end of someone’s shitty day before but this. This was so much more than a bad day. This was something she had been thinking and brewing. Uraraka tore you apart because you had ‘stolen’ from her. The words were bullets ripping into your skin causing wounds that couldn’t easily be fixed. She told you things that you only heard inside your mind. Things that shouldn’t have hurt because you had become so used to yourself saying them. This wasn’t painful because you disagreed. It was painful because you hated yourself more than she could. You thought things that would make therapist cry. The only thing that could come out was an apology as you stood up.

“I’m sorry that you feel hurt. I’m sorry for what you think I’ve done. I fuck everything up. You’re right Uraraka I shouldn’t be here.” It happened so fast but you had left. You ran even though you promised you wouldn’t. You ran outside ignoring the yells of your name. The thing you hadn’t realized was the blood the dripped down your arm. They had witnessed how deep you dug your nails into your arm. They watched you yank your hand downward causing the nails to piece and slit the skin. They all yelled your name and witnessed the life leave your eyes. You were gone into the darkness of the night with only one thought in your mind. You were useless, you were garbage, you ruined everything so why would you stay. You needed the pain to stop. You knew where to go. The school buildings stood off in the distance. The roof calling your name.

Mina and Jirou rushed to Bakugou’s room banging violently. He was furious when he opened the door but stopped his explosion when he saw the tears in Mina’s eyes and the panic in Jirou’s. She didn’t even need to tell him that it involved you but she did. She explained what happened and as much as he watched to kill Uraraka he fled the building into the darkness to stop you. He had tears of frustration and fear in his eyes.

“You better be okay.”

He growled the words into the dark street as he ran to the campus. Asui and Momo told Midoriya what had happened. He stared at the girls blankly. He knew what bullying felt like and he’d never wish that on anyone. He couldn’t believe that Uraraka had done this but he didn’t have time to be mad or confused. He left his dorm yelling for them to call Mr. Aizawa and explain the situation. He didn’t know where he was going to find you but wherever you were headed you had a terrible plan and he couldn’t let you go through with it.

“I’m coming for you Y/n, please don’t do anything reckless.”

Uraraka didn’t do this to you. You had done this to yourself for years. She just gave you the final push you needed. You were so tired and miserable. This was no way to live. Or at least that what you thought as you broke into the school and started up the staircase going to the roof.

#midorya x reader #bnha #bnha x reader #bnha bakugou #bnha midoriya #mha #mha imagines #mha x reader #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #izuku x reader #boku no hero x reader

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literate-lamb · 4 years ago

Text

Man of the House | two

Sam Wilson/fem!Reader, future dark!Bucky Barnes/fem!Reader | 18+

You take the cat in, or did it take you in? And what is that god-awful screech?

► warnings(!): slow burn. eventual dubcon/noncon, eventual choking in future chapters. this is a dark fic.

|| Series Masterlist ||

a/n: more slowburn. I swear it picks up by next chapter! Sorry for the late update, work has been kicking me. taglists still open.

𝔻𝕒�� 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖

Tap. Tap. Tap. The click of kitten heels resounded as you walked, coffee cup in hand, its heat warming your cold fingers. The temperature was getting chillier as the days passed on. The once lush green foliage now no more, their hues of orange turning darker with time. The drab sky and the autumn wind didn’t make it easier, chilling you as they hung above and passed by.

Approaching the porch, you saw the white feline lounging on the steps. Its tail gave the occasional flicker, eyes imploring, as if it has been awaiting for your arrival.

“Mmreow.”

“Why, hello there!” you cooed, bending at the waist as you looked at the cat. “Have you been waiting for me?”

It gave a low murmur in return, rubbing and butting its head between your legs as a reply, leaving fine hairs on your slacks. Looks like you’ve made a new friend in the neighbourhood. A fur-riend, if you will.

“Lucky for you, I’ve brought some stuff,” you shook the bag of cat food in your other hand, smirking as you tempted the feline.

Sniffing the bag, the cat immediately became hyper, running towards the door with its tail swishing in excitement. Frustrated at your lack of movement, it mewled uncontrollably, yelling at you. Snickering, you stepped foot on the porch and set down the bag, fishing for the keys in your pocket. “Okay okay, you’re so demanding. Calm down.”

It zoomed in as soon as you unlocked the door. The fluffball looked like it knew its way around as it never once hesitated, long tail swishing as it went. It might’ve had history with previous tenants if it has been here long enough, including Mr Rogers.

Sensing your lack of presence, it stopped at the end of the hall, looked back and meowed, telling you to hurry up.

“Okay okay, sheesh, I’m coming!”

Entering the kitchen, you prepared the cat food in a bowl. The feline was almost ravenous, clawing at your slacks like it hasn’t eaten for days. That could be the case for strays, you mulled as you set down the bowl.

The house fell silent once more. Only the munching and grunting emanating from the small body the occasional interruption. You relaxed, back facing the countertop behind. Grabbing the nearest fruit bowl, you picked a peach, washed, and munched.

Slumping, you stared ahead, the antique mirror on the opposite wall occupied your vision. It was one of many, inhabiting your house in its intricate frame.

From your position, you could see the window of the back door reflected in the mirror, showcasing a small area of the yard. You felt yourself relax as you observed the fluttering of grass, dancing as they’re caressed by the autumn wind.

Sam had left in the morning, his work and apartment calling him, before you could be reunited at the end of the week. You missed him, but you enjoyed your solitude when it came, which wasn’t often. For now, it seemed you had a new companion to keep you company.

Munching on a peach, you divert your attention to the cat, watching as it ate eagerly. Humming, you had an idea.

“How about we call you Peaches?” you threw it out loud, “What do you think?”

The cat continued munching, not a care in the world. Well, you weren’t expecting much reply from a cat anyway.

“Peaches, it is then,” you hummed. Reaching down, you scratched it by the scruff. It had an immaculate coat for a stray, especially for a white cat. You found it surprising. “Let’s get you microchipped and vaccinated tomorrow, hmm?”

Leaving the feline to its own devices, you headed upstairs, dying for a post-work shower.

The blue bathroom tiles greeted your feet with their coolness. Natural light basked in through the lone window, bouncing on the walls as they illuminated the space. The clawfoot bathtub caught your eyes, its sight calling towards your fatigue body, demanding you take a dip.

Towel in hand, you stepped further into the bathroom and shut the door, shedding your clothes as you went. As you were busy pulling at your socks, something caught your attention.

The toilet seat was left up. This irritated you, terribly. You’ve always reminded Sam to put it down after he was done, and he was getting the hang of it too. Seemed like he needed another reminder.

You huffed as you shut the lid, unaware of the passing shadow beneath the door.

𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕣

“Mrreow mrreow.”

“Yes yes, we’ll get back soon,” you replied, eyes on the road. “I need to get a few stuff for dinner.”

Peaches had been whining throughout the entire car ride back and forth. In the morning, she seemed hyper yet nervous being in a moving vehicle for the first time. She wouldn’t stop chittering at everything she saw, pawing at the windows as the scenery flew by. The ride back was far more peaceful as she was confined in a cat carrier bought at the clinic. That didn’t stop her chittering though, Peaches was a talkative cat.

A day at the clinic proved fruitful as you administered Peaches her first vaccine. She whined, but didn’t retaliate, taking it like a champ. A general checkup showed she was fit as a fiddle. Further checking revealed she wasn’t microchipped, proving her a stray of the area. You were more than happy to call her yours.

Putting the gear into park, you exited the car, leaving a smidge of space on the passenger window for Peaches.

“I won’t be long,” you reassured her, tapping the window.

The mini market was located among the row of shops in the quaint town, a five minutes drive from the house. It was a cozy family establishment nestled in the corner next to a hardware store, small but sufficient for the tiny population.

The shift in temperature was apparent when you stepped inside. An elder woman greeted you from behind the counter, her smile warm, clashing with the cold fall weather. Beside her, a teenager sat at the cash register, absent-mindedly flipping through a magazine. You returned the greeting with a smile and took a basket. This would mark your first appearance after the move into the neighbourhood.

Inside, the aisles were stocked but they were devoid of customers other than yourself. It seemed like a slow day.

Taking your time in the produce aisle, you took what you needed for tonight’s dinner, thinking of a few easy stir-fry recipes at the top of your head. You passed by the pet food area, taking a few snacks for Peaches. She deserved a treat after an exhausting day.

Bringing your basket to the counter, the teen started ringing up your items, face impassive, bored with the mundane task.

“Would you like some plastic bags?” the cashier asked, her voice drawls.

“Yes, please.”

Eyes downcast, you swayed on the heel of your boot as you waited for your groceries. The rhythmic tapping calmed you. Tap . Tap . Tap .

“Are you new here, dear?” a soft voice chimed.

Looking up, you saw the older lady had approached the front, facing you. She was a short woman, grey hair fixed neatly in a bun, with oval glasses perched on her nose. Her smile never wavered, motherly in a sense.

“Yes, I just moved here a few days ago,” you answered, straightened. “I live on Gardenia Street, in the old white house further down.”

Your answer shocked the cashier, halting her movement, unbeknownst to the two of you. She immediately composed herself and resumed before anyone could take notice.

“Oh, old Steve Rogers’ place? That’s a lovely house,” the elder beamed, a faraway look on her face. “I remember when he and his wife used to host dinner parties back in the day. Peggy was always a magnificent host, and Steve was equally charming in a silent way. They never had children, those two. It was always just them.”

“When Peggy passed, it hit him hard,” she continued, her eyes turned somber. “Living in a large house by himself, it was probably difficult. I hope he found peace by moving away.”

You didn’t know how to answer, her latter statement left a heavy atmosphere hanging. It was sad to know Mr Rogers’ reason for not living in the house, at the same time it felt you were intruding into your landlord’s personal matters.

Trying to escape the unease, you tried steering the conversation away, awkwardly, “He’s a very attentive landlord, I’m glad to have gotten him as one, honestly. He’s really nice.”

That seemed to do it, for a small smile returned to her face.

“I’m glad to hear it, dearie,” she said, handing your groceries from the cashier. “Stay safe, and if you hear any rumours, just know that the youngsters here like to pull pranks all the time,” she laughed.

Curious, but not wanting to press, you took your bags and paid. You bid the old lady a farewell and rushed to your car, remembering Peaches was still inside.

“Mrrreow.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m here,” you greeted, turning the ignition. “Sorry it took awhile, bought you some treats to make up for it.”

Before you could reverse out of the parking lot, a series of knocks came on your window. Looking to your left, you saw it was the teen cashier. She gestured for you to roll down your window, her hands frantic.

“Did I leave something behind?” you asked, rolling down the window a bit.

“No, nothing, it’s all fine. I’m just here to warn you,” she said, peering through the small gap you rolled down, eyes frenzied. “You should get out of that house while you still can.”

Ah, this must be what the elder woman meant. Another one of those spooky stories.

“My grandma thinks it’s all crap, but trust me, that house ain’t what you think it is,” she finished, her eyes turning into slits.

“No, thank you. I like that house, thank you very much.”

Brows furrowed, she scoffed, “Last Halloween, me and a couple of friends went there as a dare. I swear to God, we saw a man walking through the house in the dark. I’m not making this shit up!”

“I’m sure you did,” you replied tersely. “Now, is that all? I have somewhere to be.”

Moving away from your vehicle, the teen glared at you, eyes hard. You reversed out of the parking space, watching the girl in the rearview mirror get smaller and smaller as you drove away. She never ceased her gaze, staring until your car disappeared.

Watching you drive away, she whispered beneath her breath, voice carrying into the wind.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

—

This afternoon’s interaction left you weirded out. You heeded the older woman’s advice, shutting down any outrageous stories concerning your new home. Especially from kids who trespass other people’s property in the name of dares.

Downing the last bit of tea —courtesy of your landlord— you headed upstairs, getting ready for bed.

Turning in, you shut the bedside lamp off, plunging the room in semi-darkness; the moonlight from the balcony was the only source of luminance.

Forgetting about the day’s events, you closed your eyes, falling into a dreamless slumber.

...

Screeeech!

A sudden noise awoke you. Loud and clear, like nails on a chalkboard. Like a high-pitched shriek, before fading away into nothing.

With bleary eyes, you snatched your phone from the bedside table. It read 3:25AM. Too early.

Too exhausted to comprehend, you fell asleep once more, deafened to the outside world.

𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖

The blaring of the phone’s alarm woke you up, its buzzing reverberating. Groggy, you sat up, feeling sated yet still sleepy. Either yesterday’s events were really draining, or the tea really did its trick.

Eyes still heavy, something caught your senses. You sniffed a few times, detecting a scent. Woody, sooty. The scent of a burnt wick perhaps, except it clouded every part of the room. It was familiar.

Taking in the room, nothing seemed amiss. Nothing seemed burnt, nor faulty. No chewed up wires. No spilled perfumes. Yours sat neatly on the vanity, not a single drop vanished.

The closet was the same, nothing seemed burnt as you checked. The bedside lamps and sockets were working well, no burnt fuses. You were beginning to think something might’ve happened when you awoke last night. You were starting to get paranoid.

Opening the bedroom door, nothing seemed different in the hall. Only, the scent stopped there, confined to only the bedroom. Going back in, you threw the balcony door open, hoping to air out the scent. Pleased, you left to get ready.

As soon as you left the bathroom, Peaches was in the bedroom, sat by the foot of the bed. Blue eyes clear and imploring, watching as you dressed. You wondered what goes on in her head at times.

“Come on, let’s eat,” you called, closing the balcony doors before leaving the room. Peaches trotted behind, not before giving one last glance towards the bed, or rather, what was beneath it.

—

A surprise came for you after work in the form of Sam Wilson. A bouquet of white roses and baby breaths in hand, he whooshed into the clinic dramatically with his signature toothy smile. Acting as if he was the hero of a rom-com, confessing to the heroine in front of an audience to demonstrate his undying love. To prove your point, you swore you heard the receptionist sigh.

“Dr Hottie, I presume?”

Amused, you decided to play along. “O Samuel, wherefore art thou Samuel?”

“A surprise for milady,” he proclaimed. “As payment, I require one kiss from thee.” Receiving the bouquet, you sealed the deal with a peck.

Embarrassed by the numerous pair of eyes, you took Sam’s elbow and steered him towards the entrance. This wasn’t his first surprise visit here, but you preferred the affection without the attention.

“Samuel, where is thy chariot?”

“Tony drove me here, I took the bus to work today,” he explained. “He asked if you wanted to back out of the bet, said he’ll understand.”

You grinned, tossing Sam your keys. “Tell him I’m not about being a sore loser.”

You both drove off, with Norah Jones soft falsetto accompanying in the background. The passing scenery lulling you both, soaking in each other’s presence.

As minutes passed, you began to think about yesterday’s events and what they entail. The older woman and her teenage grandchild. The teen whose stare pierced, never wavering. Her tale, which when you think about it, could’ve held some truth. The supernatural seemed like a far reach, but it didn’t mean there weren’t other possible explanations for the truth.

The more you dwelled on it, the more it didn’t make sense. Until you thought about what awoke you last night. It sounded like a high-pitched scream but at the same time it wasn’t.

Glancing towards Sam, you thought about how to bring it up to him. It could be nothing, and you hoped it was nothing.

“Hey baby,” you started. “Can I ask your opinion on something?”

“What is it?” he hummed, giving you a glimpse.

“Last night I heard something like a high-pitched shriek? It was like ‘eeeeh!’, like a firework before it goes off,” you described, gesturing. “It woke me up, but I don’t think it happened inside, it sounded distant. Do you have any ideas what it might be?”

Giving a low hum, he started tapping the wheel, thinking. “Your house has a speed bump in front, right?”

“Huh-uh,” you confirmed, confused.

“Some old cars when they hit the brakes, they produce this loud screeching sound,” he explained. “Here, let me demonstrate.”

Approaching a speed bump on the road, Sam slowed down and pressed the brakes. A loud squeal was emitted, short yet piercing. It went by fast as it came.

“Like that, except it could be louder for cars without maintenance.”

You nodded. In your heart you knew it wasn’t the same, but you let it go.

𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝕊𝕚𝕩

“Baby!” Sam hollered from across the hall. “Have you seen my razor?”

Pausing your mascara, you called out, “No, I haven’t! Did you check the cabinets?”

Sam had stayed the night, accompanying you. He held you through the night, limbs tangled in the sheets. He could never keep away for long. Always coming back.

“I did, I swore I left it on the sink last time,” he said, standing by the door with his arms crossed, a towel the only garment protecting his dignity. “Maybe, just maybe… It’s the ghosts! Wooo,” he booed, lips exaggerated in an ‘o’, fingers wiggling in the air. You rolled your eyes at his antics.

“Hurry up, I have to drop you off at the bus stop or you’ll be late,” you grumbled, returning to the task at hand. Sam cackled.

—

Friday nights were always movie nights at your abode. It was a sacred tradition between you both, unless prior engagements were made.

Sam would come over with take-out and drinks while you prepared the popcorn and blankets. Tonight, you both decided to take it up a notch; a blanket fort in the parlour with rose petals scattered, courtesy of Sam.

Your boyfriend had brought his speakers, setting them up beside the coffee table the laptop was perched. Both the chesterfield sofas were brought closer, acting as the foundation for your canopy. It was quite the set-up.

“Caramel or salted?” you got up, moving towards the entryway of the dining room.

“Caramel baby,” he replied, making a face. “Who eats salted? Those are nasty.”

Too used to his antics, you moved to the kitchen to heat up the kernels. While waiting, you began hearing faint scratching. You turned to check. It became distinct when you entered the hallway, slowly creeping, ultimately leading you to the basement.

Feeling a sense of familiarity, you pushed the black door. What greeted you was Peaches in the inky darkness.

“How did you end up in here again?” you grumbled, exasperated. This was becoming a recurring occurrence. “What do you have in your mouth?”

Trotting up the steps, exiting the basement, Peaches dropped an item by your feet before scurrying away. You heard a hiss, followed by Sam’s screech. Peaches must’ve found him.

You leaned down to check what she brought up. It was Sam’s razor.

—

That night, as you lay next to Sam under the canopy of the fort, a distant rumbling stirred you. Followed by a loud screech. It lasted for a second, but it was enough to arouse you.

“Sam, did you hear that?” you whispered, shaking your partner.

“What what?” he mumbled, still sleep laden.

“The screeching sound.”

Sam never opened his eyes, he only snuggled closer. “T’was probably cars. Go to sleep,” he mumbled, dozing off once more.

You didn’t have the energy to wake him again, knowing it was futile. Silencing all your doubts, you closed your eyes and let sleep take you. With the lingering thoughts of how the noise sounded nearer, pushed to the back of your consciousness.

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