#rave payment

[princessmyriad]

.

[blueskyheadleft010]

I am so mentally tired today.

I am literally just trying to fill out a pet application form and it’s like: “Do you live alone? Can you afford to pay us $500+? We don’t do out of town adoptions. Home inspection is required. You must meet this pet x number of times until we can decide you��re a good match. Yes we listed this pet on this website, but you must contact us directly or we will ignore your application.” Then I proceed to call them and they tell me the pet’s already adopted like two weeks ago.

Like Jesus, I know you don’t want the pet to go to a bad home, but do I look like I have the energy to deal with jumping through all your hoops?

[kremlin]

@wikwalker hi sure yes anything to give me an excuse to procrastinate the post i should be writing right now. here are all teh drugs and how to manage them. you can trust me, a drug addict

first of all: https://www.erowid.org/ , erowid always

don't be afraid of drugs, if they're the right drugs, you should do them since they will be a blast regardless and overcoming fear is also good (but outside the scope here)

OK to do as much as you want: alcohol - social benefit greatly outweighs health effects, no reason to avoid if predisposed to abuse since that'll happen sooner or later. what can i say? don't be a fucking dork. when you start drinking, really overdo it as much as possible without dying and get a few real nasty hangovers under your belt so you know how much is the right amount to drink.

weed - innocuous enough to be fine but will make you stupid in the long term. make sure to only buy from a real drug dealer and never some legal institution. cut it out when you're a "real adult". don't smoke weed and watch TV routinely, go out and do things so you naturally grow to hate it. good to go through this as early as possible to minimize the time you spend as a cringe weed enthusiast

i guess those are the only two.

ok to do infrequently (annually): "lsd" - or whatever it is, probably not lsd, blah blah blah, if it works and is sold on blotter its fine and won't make you go nuts or whatever. opt for a better psychadelic imo. see psych rule at bottom of section

mushrooms - better than acid since you know what they are. rule of thumb is to always do more than you think you want. minimum 1/8oz. see psych rule at bottom of post

dmt - if you somehow have a dmt hookup you don't need to be reading any of this. lasts 10 minutes which leads to tendency to way overdo it, don't do this, my favorite webcomic artist is permanently crazy from exactly that. using a crack pipe is also not the uhhhh most dignifying-feeling thing to do either. it's harder than you think.

mdma - for use at electronic music event or rave. overuse causes brain lesions or something.

coke - wait until you're in your 20s, have maxed out your roth IRA for a couple of years in a row, and havent missed a car payment in a similar timeframe. better still if you've worked a very shitty low paying job and know the value of a dollar. if you still find yourself buying candy you're not ready. too expensive to be worth it to get hooked on. know that you are VERY ANNOYING to anyone who also isn't high. don't fuck around with the guy selling it to you. avoid discussing or thinking about business ideas. you can't afford to make it a habit + kinda turns you into a piece of shit after a while, but at least a very interesting one

ketamine - another sick drug that rules, but save it for a special occasion. don't try and go into the k-hole your first time

rule for psychedelics - you get one good strong trip a year and that's it, make it count, always opt for doing a bit more than a bit less. but don't make it a habit, otherwise you turn into a very stupid very annoying "hippy" style cliché and believe in ghosts, aliens, crap like that.

ok to try once prescription opiates/benzodiazepine (xanax), valium, this kind of shit - worth trying so you can go "holy shit, this stuff is way way way too good to ever use responsibly" and then never do again. especially if you're white. for some reason we just can't handle this shit. if a doctor prescribes it to you, idk, that's your call to make.

ayhuasca - this is just dmt in a different form. do some other psychadelics a number of times before you do this. once you realize the whole "substantial visual hallucinations" thing is made up, its time. do exactly this: -buy root online (legal). receive box of dirt -boil dirt into "tea" (read erowid for exact recipe) -take over-the-counter anti nausea medicine or anything that will give you a stronger stomach -drink tea (its nasty as fuck, get it down quick) -have someone bigger than you keep an eye on you for the next five hours. -have the experience, which is absurdly intense, has no bearing to the real world, etc etc. don't be a bitch and throw up, if you do it'll only last an hour or so. again there is no way to provide a consistent description of the experience except that you will meet god. you only ever need to do this once and never again. trust me

peyote/salvia/etc - try em if you want, you'll never ever want to again afterwords. these are drugs for idiot teenagers too lame to get real drugs. imagine being very very sick from poison and utterly terrified at the same time. No good

whippets/nitrous oxide - just find a dentist that uses it and don't bother creating hundreds of pounds of trash on your floor for this crap that lasts ten seconds. you have to understand the extremely short timeframe coupled with the cost makes zero sense. go to a phish concert parking lot and do some people watching -- you do not want to be these people. only use is as a motivator to get routine dental exam. also if you somehow manage to make it a heavy habit your fucking legs stop working, no shit, but they start working again once you quit.

don't ever do heroin/meth/pcp - is is truly a mystery why you should never do these 🙄

synthetic weed/k2/shit from the gas station - it is so funny that they sell this as "weed that won't pop you on a drug test". its not weed. it is some dubious chemical sprayed on yard waste. smoke it to have a terrible time and go nuts. only buy drugs from legitimate drug dealers!

kratom - anyone's guess as to why this is legal but it's heroin for pussies. its still heroin

dxm/cough syrup - do you ever wonder why it is exclusively teenagers robotripping? it's because it sucks ass. is like a cheesegrater on your brain in terms of health effects with repeated usage. you're better than this king

inhalants - these are at the bottom of the list for a reason. do not huff gas. don't huff paint. do not consume computer duster. not fun + fastest way to make yourself a complete, uh, (word i can't say anymore) and then dead

not listed quaaludes- unavailable due to no longer being manufactured. these ruled apparantly

sincis2c - unavailable due to not existing, i just made this up

amphetamines - cannot provide objective take here. they're my albatross, lifelong (posted 4:55am natch)

[10yrsyart]

(quotes from Book 1 of the trilogy "the Singer, the Song, and the Finale" by Calvin Miller)

i love this trilogy and the way it describes the Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. it's allegorical in a similar way to Narnia and Pilgrim's Progress. i'm generally not one for poetry because my dyslexia makes the flowery sentences very hard to comprehend 😂 but Miller's work is understandable enough to make the story rich in imagery and feeling.

i never get tired of reading another angle of the overwhelming sacrifice Jesus made for all humankind. a payment not forced on us but gifted to us undeservingly. all that needs to be done is to accept it in understanding. a love like His can't be measured; it's so deep i can only continue to be amazed by it 🕊💙

"Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God's condemnation." (Romans 5:7-9)

transcript:

(Page 1)

The word “crying” does not appear in the Lexicon of Heaven. It is the only word in the Lexicon of Hell. -Calvin Miller (The Singer: Chpt. 10)

(Page 2)

“How did you manage to make them cherish all this nothingness?” the Singer asked the World Hater.

“I simply make them feel embarrassed to admit that they are incomplete. A man would rather close his eyes than see himself the way Your Father-Spirit does. I teach them to exalt their emptiness and thus preserve the dignity of man.”

Singer: “They need the dignity of God.”

World Hater: “You tell them that. I sell a cheaper product.” -Calvin Miller (The Singer: Chpt. 14)

(Page 3)

Decision is the key to destiny.

“God, can You be merciful and send me off to Hell and lock me in forever?”

“No, Pilgrim, I will not send you there, but if you chose to go there, I could never lock you out.” -Calvin Miller (The Singer: Chpt. 21)

(Page 4)

He sang. And then His lips fell silently apart and His head slumped forward on His chest. The Father-Spirit wept. Existence raved... -Calvin Miller (The Singer: Chpt. 20)

(Page 5)

He reached the threshold of Eternity and found the doorway of the worlds not only open but clearly ripped away. He strained to hear the everlasting wail, the eternal dying which he loved. All was silent. Then he heard the Song. “NO!-” the World Hater cried. Each man on Terra had a key. And never could they come into the Canyon of the Damned unless they chose to do it. To live there, men would have to reject the Song. -Calvin Miller (The Singer: Chpt. 21)

[void-flesh]

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[tacosaysroar]

Birthday Weekend Bullets

I’m now 45, but don’t say it too loudly. I don’t want my joints to hear.

I’ve officially introduced Adelaide to NFA, which was somehow both a very big deal and totally not a big deal at the same time. She’s only ever met one other of my boyfriends, back when she was two, and yet I didn’t feel anxious about it — and didn’t need to. Adelaide liked him, of course. In fact, she told me the next day she thought I had good taste in men. High praise from a teenage girl.

Is there anything better than a gorgeous pastry/coffee combo on a weekend morning?

These chairs reminded me so much of my great-grandmother’s dining room chairs. Same general concept and color, but hers had red leather instead of fabric. They also had claw feet, and the heads at the ends of the arms were lions with their teeth bared. I used to slide my finger inside the mouths behind the bared canines. I think all the great-grandchildren did. Her father was a doctor, and the dining room set was made for him during the Depression as payment for treatment. One of my mother’s cousins has it now, I think. I’m glad I was born when I was — the rave/club culture of the 90s was 100% where I needed to be — but I also would’ve fit right in during the Gilded Age. No doubt.

Diana’s view

Is there anything more jolly than a goat?

Excellent food/wine, a trip into the mountains, a day of vegging, and zero work for all three (and a half) days.

I’m loving my lineup of most popular posts right now.

Bonus: No less than a dozen people (literally!) stopped me to compliment me on the dress I wore Saturday. That was a delightful little birthday weekend treat unto itself.

[staysaneathome]

Not me imagining one day that a worn and withered mango is brought before Emperor Amethar of the Concordant Empire, the first of his name. She has been caught and is on trial for murder, for killing a seemingly innocuous servant of Vegetanian origin, but her final request is to be brought before the Emperor, to speak in private audience with him.

He recognizes her. Barely, the years cobwebbing his memories, but he remembers the mango who fought by Gustavo’s side. Amangeaux Epicée. The one who vanished mysteriously from before the war tent during the battle of Pangranos.

She laughs, a dry, raspy thing. “My liege, there is far more to the story than that.”

And she tells him.

She tells him of being a widowed queen, certain there were enemies all around her, placing her trust in only her faithful handmaiden, the kindly radish priest of the Bulb who did not abandon her like everyone else, and a young chili pepper she always saw as a daughter, despite the girl’s strength of character and martial prowess.

She tells him of receiving a letter, containing her darkest secret. Of meeting a thane of the meatlands and a cheesy sellsword outside the finished food pyramid, alongside her chili pepper spymaster and radish priest. Of descending into the depths to hold audience with the ones calling themselves “The Fellowship of Destiny’s Architects”, and the certainty they would all be called upon again one day.

Of escaping to Comida on the advice of her two closest advisors to throw her lot in with Tomaté. Of the summons sitting there in the carriage they were escaping in. Of being given a task: assassinate a threat to the future on behalf of the FDA.

Of not being told who the target was until the fatal blows had already been struck.

It is a miracle Amethar doesn’t rend her head from her shoulders then and there. He agrees to wait until her tale is done, one hand on the hilt of Payment Day.

Amangeaux explains the horror of learning what the FDA’s true purpose was, that it was headed by none other than the late Archbishop herself. Of running, abandoning all she loved save the one who depended on her the most. Of honing her knowledge and skills, giving herself to Gustavo, a blade to be wielded to help instead of harm. She speaks of the march to Pangranos, of reuniting with a demoted wreck of archdeacon and a cheesy knight of the Bulb. Of standing outside that tent, pretending her heart wasn’t leaping for joy at the sight of her little chili pepper grown into a fine and strong woman, of the thane turned warlord in his quest for power.

Of following the babbling, raving archdeacon when he sighted what they had come across so many years ago: a being of mold and fungus, gentle, expressive, and almost childlike. Who are connected, and communicate through emotions rather than words, who allow for the rot of death to be turned to the soil of life.

Of discovering the FDA’s taint had spread so far as to enslave an entire seventh kingdom of these beings, beneath the earth.

Of watching the Archbishop become an avatar of a monstrous existence beyond the Hungry One and the Bulb, a being of alien metal and spinning teeth that rent anything which entered it, uncaring and unnourished.

Of losing her two closest companions, her kindly radish and her little chili pepper, to its blades.

She speaks of vowing retribution. Of exterminating every last member of the FDA she could find, wherever she could find them. Of employing all the techniques she’d seen her spymaster use, oh so long ago.

Of completing her mission with this one, final death.

Amethar has to sit with this a moment.

“Why now?” He asks. “You have survived unseen all this time. You have told nobody of your crimes or exploits. Why me? Why now?”

Queen, then Lady, then just Amangeaux Epicée de la Pêche gives a tired grin.

“For you are the Concordant Emperor of Calorum,” She states, “And one of those most hurt by our actions. It is only fitting you should be aware of the seventh kingdom under your protection, and the chance to understand what circumstances delivered it to you.”

She is still smiling even when Payment Day’s blade cuts into her.

[sixhours]

WIP Wednesday

Thanks for the tags @march-flowerr and @bumblepony! I also got tagged for some last line games by @luxurychristmaspudding and @marceltheshellwithflipflopson so I'm merging them and you get a big 'ol WIP.

Feeling a lil shy about sharing this story because it’s a bit outside my comfort zone, but I like where it’s going so far.

Tagging @frannyzooey @goodwithcheese @marceltheshellwithflipflopson @luxurychristmaspudding @sawymredfox and anyone else who wants to play, as always. <3

——————

When Joel was 17, he kissed a boy for the first time.

His name was Kenny Farmington, and they were both a little drunk on cheap beer and a nice Texas night and the special high that comes from being not quite a man and not quite a boy, stuck in that in-between time when it felt like anything was possible. Joel had a truck and a part-time job at Regis Construction and his whole life spread out before him like an open road.

It was a nice enough kiss. But when Joel opened his eyes after their lips parted and saw fear rather than lust in his friend’s eyes, he knew it ended there. Everyone knew Kenny’s dad was a raging homophobe who would “whoop his ass” if he thought his son might be “one of them dirty fuckin’ faggots”.

Joel wasn’t convinced his own father wouldn’t have had something to say about it had he known.

And, oh well. Joel liked girls, too. He liked them enough to bring Eileen Folsom home and make out with her in the basement rec room at her parents’ house until his cock was weeping and his balls were blue. He liked them well enough to get to third base with Cindy Sherwood in the back of his truck. He liked girls plenty.

It was the eighties, anyway. AIDS was spreading like wildfire, and small-town Texas was hardly the place to go looking for action if you weren’t straight as a goddamn arrow.

Four years later, Joel liked one particular girl enough to knock her up, and then he didn’t have much time to consider whether he’d want to kiss another boy, because he was going to be a father.

And then there was Sarah. And a divorce. And his parents died. And Tommy went off to war and came back, and there was overtime and working doubles to keep the roof over their heads and the payment on the truck up, and who the fuck had time to think about boys or girls or anyone in between.

And then there was cordyceps. And his daughter, his baby girl, bleeding out in his arms.

And then Joel didn’t spend much time thinking about what he liked at all. He kept going for the ones who needed him without a thought spared for himself.

And then came Ellie.

Ellie, who patched up his heart and turned his life upside down and made him care about something other than brute survival again. Tore down his walls and broke him open and somehow left him whole.

Whole, and…wanting.

Which is why, forty years after Kenny Farmington, he doesn’t feel bad about imagining another man’s face, or hands, or lips on his body when he strokes himself in the shower. He doesn’t feel ashamed when he gets off to the thought of another man’s mouth on his cock. It’s not the first time he’s been attracted to a man, and it won’t be the last.

No, he feels bad because that man is his daughter’s fucking therapist. That man is someone she needs to trust, someone she raves about over dinner, someone who is, in her words, “so fucking cool”.

And his duty, first and foremost, is to Ellie.

So he tries not to imagine Ezra when his libido comes roaring back to life after years of dormancy, boiling his blood and making him feel half his age.

And he fails, miserably.

[shyvioletcat]

ROWAELIN MONTH: DAY 15

~ Meeting the Parents ~

Thank you for your patience. Get ready for some Awkward Rowan and some average editing because that's for people with better time management. Head to @rowaelinscourt for more Rowaelin month goodness,

The Sweetest Promise Masterlist

~~~~~

Aelin was hesitant to admit it, but she might have a new friend. On the way home from the gala she had been sussing out Sweet As Sugar, just see what happened next after her first successful date. Checking the page linking her and Rowan’s profiles there were a few prompts that led her through the process. There were questions that related directly to her date: was payment on time, was the information given accurate, did anything happen in his company that was not within policy. All Aelin could do was give him a raving review—Rowan had been a perfect gentleman and followed all the rules. The last was a simple query for her. Would she like to see him again? 

That was one she had to think about. Yes, Rowan had done everything right but he had very clearly stated that he was after a one time thing. He just needed her company for the gala, that was it. There was no indication that he was after anything else. On the other hand, he seemed like a decent guy and was nice enough, if not socially awkward to an extent. Would there be any harm in saying yes? If he didn’t want to see her again, all he had to do was not contact her. If he did want to, the extra money wouldn’t hurt. So once again, Aelin took that plunge and tapped through the request. 

Rowan’s reply hadn’t come through until she had finished showering and she was so ready to fall into bed that she almost missed it. He had said yes. 

Since then they had been on three ‘dates’. All had been Rowan taking her out to a fancy dinner where they ate and chatted about surface level stuff. Just asking about each other’s day or the food. Rowan really was fitting into the mildest of Sugar Daddy boxes. If he wasn’t so handsome Aelin might have reconsidered. The relief she’d felt when Rowan hadn’t turned out to be old was off the scale. 

On the first date after the gala Aelin had explained her reasoning of why she had decided to give being a sugar baby a go. The conversation had been dragging and Aelin was looking for anything to bring it back up to speed. Of course, the first thing Aelin had done waking up the morning after the gala was to Google Rowan Whitethorn. Turned out he was some big hotshot corporate lawyer who had a cold and efficient reputation. He could throw down verbally in a courtroom, but couldn’t carry a conversation over dinner. So she explained how this stunt was supposed to support her through the rest of her university degree. Rowan commended her for her resourcefulness, and she still couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not, and agreed on a weekly arrangement to keep her funds up. They’d even agreed on a pay rise now that Aelin was past the beginners stage. 

Although, tonight a message hadn’t come through today so Aelin started looking at other plans. She guessed he was busy and he’d request another meeting. There were night markets on in one of the larger parks in the city and she was determined to go. Aelin hadn’t found anyone to go with. She had thought of seeing if Kaltain wanted to go, but the chances of her being home on a Friday night were slim. Going by herself wasn’t that big of a deal. People watching was a hobby of hers. 

5 o’clock rolled around and Aelin decided it was time to get ready. She’d catch a tram into the city so she’d need to give herself time to get there. The weather was mild so she opted for jeans and a nice t-shirt, adding a light jacket for when the sun went down and the air got a bit cooler. She was going through the list of memes her friend Elide had sent her when another notification popped up on her screen. It was from Rowan, he wanted to see her tonight. 

He’d booked a table at some restaurant uptown, and Aelin literally tipped her head back and disappointment flooded her. Another stuffy restaurant? She’d rather not. The last two had allowed her to eat delicious food but she’d also been too frightened to raise her voice above a loud whisper lest she disturb the ambiance. Aelin had been looking forward to a casual evening out, where people were loud and they laughed. She was well within her rights to say no but she also wanted the money. 

There was an alternative and the worst that could happen was Rowan saying no. He was supplying the money, he had final say. Opening the chat Aelin didn’t hesitate before letting him know exactly what she wanted to do. 

>> Counter offer. I want to go to the food markets in Sandstone Park tonight. Want to do that instead?

It was no big deal, the markets would on tomorrow as well, so if Rowan wasn’t keen to change his plans that would be fine. They were on friendly enough terms that this wouldn’t be a huge drama. He did seem uptight enough that he would stick to his guns though. Thems were the breaks of Aelin’s new profession. That thought made her laugh. Being a sugar baby was by no means a career goal for her. It was currently a means to an end, nothing more. Aelin wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do once she had finished her degree. She could become a concert pianist or maybe teaching was in her future. Whatever it was, she’d figure it out once her thesis was no longer rattling every brain cell she had inside her head. 

The phone in her hand pinged and Aelin looked down. 

<< That sounds great. 

Aelin gave an excited squeal, dancing on the spot. It seemed she was wrong about Mr Rowan Whitethorn, he may not be as uptight as she thought. It didn’t take long for her to finish getting ready, declining his offer of an Uber and walked down to the tram station around the block. After a few minutes one pulled up and Aelin crammed in with the rest of the passengers. 

The city had that end of week buzz where everyone was excited for the weekend. Aelin was undoubtedly going to spend a good chunk of her time working on her thesis, but she was looking forward to a brain break tonight. 

Aelin swayed with the movements of the tram, catching snippets of conversation around her. Doranelle was just like any other city, full of people and hustle and bustle. It made Aelin feel a little less out of place and despite the different buildings and climate if she closed her eyes it was almost like she was back in Orynth. Her bouts of homesickness never lasted long. Thank the gods for technology—her friends and family were just a phone call away. 

The tram announced her stop and Aelin darted out the doors. A few last glimmers of sunlight were reflecting off the windows of the higher buildings. It wouldn’t be long until the city went dark and the night took over. Sandstone Park was a short walk away and rounding a corner the markets came into Aelin’s view. There were a variety of tents and vans, some vendors just had tables. As she crossed the final road the smells of all the foods on offer wafted over on a breeze. Thanks to her benefactor she was no longer surviving on instant noodles and had plenty of snacks to keep her going. She wasn’t hungry, but still her stomach grumbled. 

She weaved her way through the crowds, glancing around at what was on offer. Even though she was sorely tempted, Aelin held off on making any purchases and decided to wait for her date. Fairy lights were hung up in low branches of a gigantic oak to create a dining area with numerous tables set up beneath it. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and sent off a quick message. 

>> I’m under the big, old oak

People came and went with plates of food while Aelin waited. She kept an eye out for Rowan, and before too long she spotted his silver-haired head weaving through the crowd. His overall handsomeness still made her pause. This man seemed to have it all, good looks, money, a stable job. She supposed the consequence for his success was the reason for their situation. Something just wasn’t quite there personality wise. Tonight he had forgone his usual suit and tie get up and had dressed down. Rowan wore dark chinos and a light sweater on top. It was… different, and not in a bad way. 

He glanced over the crowd, no doubt looking for her. When he was looking in Aelin’s direction she gave him a wave to catch his attention. Rowan saw her, and made his way over. 

“Good evening,” Aelin said cheerily when Rowan was close enough. 

“Hey. This is…” he paused to look around, “busy.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Aelin asked.

Rowan shrugged a shoulder. “It’s different.”

“Have you not been to one of these before?” 

“Years ago, I haven’t really had the chance recently,” Rowan explained. 

Aelin was too impatient to continue with the small talk, they could do that with plates of food in front of them. “Shall we?”

They did a loop of the stalls together, just commenting on potential food choices and not much else. Then Aelin suggested that they split up and meet back under the oak. She headed straight to the vendor with fried wild picked mushrooms, served with a flat bread, and then to another to pick up a fragrant rice dish. That was all rounded out with a box of chocolate truffle selections. Rowan was waiting for her, all the tables with chairs were taken so he’d claimed a standing one instead. 

“Are you on a budget tonight?” Aelin asked, eyeing his plate while she put hers next to it. All that was on it were a variety of meats on wooden sticks, plus a salad in a paper side bowl.

Rowan looked confused. “Why do you say that?”

“Just not much variety,” Aelin said. 

“This is all I wanted,” he said simply.

Aelin was too hungry and just left it at that. Despite what Rowan said, they shared everything. It was delicious, even the meat skewers. What kept Aelin entertained through dinner was asking Rowan questions. She had vowed to make a friend out of him, if this was the painful road to it, so be it. 

“Favourite colour?” Aelin asked, loading up a slice of bread with mushrooms. They’d already been over childhood pets, school experiences and the like. Rowan’s answers had all been succinct and to the point, no reason to fluff up his words. This was probably why he made such a good lawyer. 

“Green.” Then he turned it on her. “Yours?”

“Hmm,” Aelin did have to think for a moment. “For years I tried to convince myself it was blue, but I always came back around to red. Favourite food?”

Rowan laughed under his breath and shook his head. “You’re relentless.”

“I don’t see the harm in knowing each other better considering the situation. We can be friends, you know,” Aelin said.

“A friend who I pay to spend time with.”

The dry but slightly humoured way he said the words had Aelin choking on her mouthful with a sudden laugh. “Well, it sounds bad when you put it that way.”

“There’s absolutely no way to put it that it doesn’t sound bad, Celaena,” Rowan said, his mouth trying to fight a smile and failing. 

“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do,” Aelin poked some of her food around the plate before she glanced up to throw the final blow. “I think you’re just lazy.”

At Rowan’s indignant noise, a wide grin was spreading across Aelin’s face. For a moment he looked at her with narrowed eyes but then that smile he had been fighting won. He was about to say something when he cut himself off.

“Sorry,” he said, pulling out his phone. “This should just take me a minute.”

Aelin left him to it, picking at what food was left. Rowan was just texting away so she decided to look around again. There were all kinds of people out tonight, couples, families, loud and obnoxious groups of friends. It was nice to get out every once and a while to see that despite being holed up in her room or corners of the library at the university, the world still went on. 

“Celaena?”

It was clear that Rowan had said that name more than once, and she hadn’t responded. She’d made it up to give herself some protection but it was increasingly seeming pointless and precarious. 

“Yes, sorry,” she said. 

“I was just going to ask if you wanted a drink,” Rowan explained.

“Oh, yes please.”

He nodded and then left. Aelin watched him go and contemplated a few things. Celaena had been a precaution, she hadn’t been keen to give random strangers on the internet her real name. But now, with how decent Rowan was, she wasn’t really seeing the point anymore. In the spirit of true friendship, that would be the first thing on her list she would rectify. Rowan came back a few minutes later, two cups in hand. 

“What’s this?” She asked as Rowan put a cup in front of her. 

“Old fashioned lemonade,” Rowan said just before taking a sip. 

The words were out of Aelin’s mouth before she could think better of it. “How old are you?”

“I’m 32,” Rowan supplied. “Does this lemonade mean I’m old?”

“Ah, well,” Aelin hedged. “I guess I was just expecting something else.” Maybe something a little stronger.

“How old did you think I was?” Rowan asked, leaning on the table. The gesture accentuated his broad shoulders. 

“Originally, old,” she laughed a little remembering how his blurred profile picture had done him no favours. “Very old. But not ancient, even if your social skills suggest otherwise.”

Rowan laughed, maybe one of the first true laughs she’d managed to weasel out of him. “You’re just being mean.”

Aelin laughed too. “It’s better you know that now.”

For a while they just stood there, basking in the mutual humour. Then Rowan said, “It’s meat on a stick, by the way.”

“What?” Aelin was entirely lost. 

“My favourite food, you asked.”

“Ohhh.” Aelin’s mind caught up with her. “Guess that explains dinner. Speaking of, I got dessert.”

Aelin opened the box of truffles but Rowan made no move to pick one. 

“I don’t mind which you take, just not that one,” she pointed to the one on the end. “That’s choc-hazelnut. That’s my favourite.”

“You can have all of them,” Rowan said. 

“Gods, are you allergic?” That was cause for some panic. 

Rowan just shook his head. “I just don’t like sweets.”

“You what?” Aelin had nearly yelled the words, drawing a few curious looks. When the insane man in front of her just shrugged she just shook her head. “And to think, I was going to share a secret with you.”

He gave her a look full of curiosity. “A secret?”

“I guess because you’ve paid I owe you something,” Aelin said, making sure to add enough flair to create some drama. “It may surprise you to know that my real name isn’t Celaena. It’s Aelin. I thought it safer to use a false name but since we are to be friends.”

There was an offer there, she hoped Rowan took it. 

“That’s smart,” Rowan said. “And as your friend, I thank you for telling me.”

Aelin took a sip of her lemonade, noting how tasty it actually was. “I may rescind my friendship due to the lack of sweets thing. That’s just unnatural.”

“I stand by what I said,” Rowan said. “Mean.”

Aelin was grinning, Rowan was too and she was about to start on path to at least making him try one when they were interrupted. 

There was a bright and cheerful, “Hello,” and Aelin was sure she had never seen dread take over a man so quickly.

~~~~~

This was what a heart attack felt like, Rowan was sure of it. He recognised that voice and he had no idea what ill luck he deserved for this to happen. Turning his head just a little, Rowan found his mother standing there, her hazel eyes reading far too much into the situation. Rowan knew what this looked like, but that was so far from the truth it wasn’t funny. 

“Mam,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“Your father and I are on our way to see a show and we thought we’d take a walk through the park,” his mother said. 

Shit. His father was here too. 

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friend?” 

Every implication of that word came through loud and clear. She thought this was a date, it looked like a date. But it wasn’t, it really wasn’t.

“Cel—Aelin,” Rowan kicked himself over the stumbling. He couldn’t really be blamed; he'd just learned Aelin’s name less than five minutes ago. “This is my mother Iris.”

Rowan had watched the woman in front of him damn near charm the pants off an entire ballroom, and right now was no different. She smiled, something softer than the one she’d been wearing when she teased him all night, and extended her hand. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Aelin said. 

“Likewise,” Iris gave Rowan a sly smile. 

In that moment he had a sickening thought as to how well these women would get on. He’d never have a moment’s peace if they got started on him. 

“If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” Aelin said. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Rowan watched as his mother tracked Aelin as she left. He could only imagine the thoughts going through her head. The loudest of which he could almost hear, it had something to do with how beautiful the grandchildren would be. 

“Do you have something to tell me, son?” Iris asked. 

If that wasn’t a loaded question. “No. Aelin is just a friend.” Who I’m paying to spend time with because I’m a lonely bastard with awful social skills. 

“I see,” Iris said. It was clear she didn’t believe him. 

“Rowan. What a surprise,” a male voice said. 

“Hi, Dad.”

“Oh, Evander. You have to meet Rowan’s new friend,” Iris said as she hooked a hand on her husband’s elbow. 

“A friend?” Evander said, brows high. 

“Yes a friend,” Iris reiterated.

“Stop saying friend like that. You two need to calm down,” Rowan told them. “Aelin is just that.”

“That’s a pretty name,” Evander said.

Iris nodded. “She’s very pretty too. Beautiful. Rowan has good choice in his friends.”

“Hellas save me,” Rowan muttered under his breath. He did not need his family meddling in this situation. 

Aelin returned and he didn’t miss the way that his parents’ faces lit up. 

“Hello,” Aelin directed at Evander. “Dad, I’m assuming.”

“You’ve assumed right,” Evander said. “And you’re…”

“Aelin, this is Aelin,” Iris said, far too gleefully. 

For a millisecond Aelin looked confused, and then realisation lit up her face. Rowan felt like had the distinct feeling that he was in danger. Tonight had made it more than clear that Aelin was finding joy teasing him, gods knew what she’d be able to accomplish if left alone with his parents for five minutes. 

“How did you two meet?” His mother asked, no hesitation or shame. 

“Um,” Aelin said, and she couldn’t help but smile. “The circumstances were pretty interesting.”

Rowan needed to think of an answer, and fast. “Work event.”

Iris sighed. “Trust my son to be so concise.”

“Oh, so he’s like that with everyone?”

The women laughed at his expense and Rowan let it happen. It was better than the alternative. He would rather this old oak give up the ghost and fall on him than admit to being Aelin’s sugar daddy. There were a few reasons why he kept up the dates with Aelin, he hadn’t been lying when he said he wanted to keep helping her out. But the other side of it was that he enjoyed her company, and it was so easy to spend time with her. There were no expectations. And when she had mentioned being friends tonight he’d worked hard to not show just how eager he was for that. 

“I know you’d love to stay and chat,” Rowan cut in. “But don’t you have a show to get to?”

His father checked his watch. “I’m sorry to say, but Rowan’s right. Nice to meet you, Aelin. I hope we can meet again soon.”

“Have a good night,” Iris added. “Don’t have too much fun.”

The wink Iris gave the two of them suggested that they in fact have all the fun they wanted. 

“Bye,” Aelin said to the both of them. 

Rowan added his goodbyes and he breathed a sigh of relief when he and Aelin were left alone again. She immediately started laughing. 

“Dodged a bullet there.”

The chuckle that escaped Rowan was half nerves. “You can say that again.”

“Your parents seem lovely,” Aelin added once her laughing stopped. “Your mother seemed very excited. Like it’s been a while since you’ve been giving out this kind of attention.”

Aelin didn’t know how right she was. “You could say that.”

Rowan thought he was in for it, but surprisingly he was shown some mercy. 

“I guess we can save that discussion for another time,” Aelin said. Then she piled up their used plates. “So, what should we do next?”

They ended up at an art gallery not too far away from the markets, and they spent some time browsing the displays. They kept the chit-chat art focused and their evening together seemed to wind down on its own. Rowan did the gentlemanly thing and walked Aelin to the nearest tram station. They waited for the traffic to stop just across the road.

“Until next week then?” Aelin said, giving him a smile. 

Rowan nodded. “Until next week, Aelin.”

Her smile grew just a little wider when he said her name, and then she was waving at him as she crossed the road as the pedestrian light changed to green. Rowan gave a short wave back and watched until Aelin was out of sight. He tried to deny it, but next week couldn’t come soon enough.

~~~~~

One day soon I'll get the time to play with taglists again

[thornybubbles]

Sick Love (Yandere Akira Otoishi x Reader)

**Note: Man, I struggled with this one. I just kept starting and stopping on it and getting increasingly frustrated. I kept finding plot holes and inconsistencies and it was driving me crazy trying to fix them all without completely changing what I was trying to convey. Well it’s done now and I really hope it’s good enough. I did this while taking a break from “Kinder Than Love” because I was struggling with that one too, but don’t worry, I’ll be resuming work on it just as soon as I post this!**

**Another picker wheel story prompt with a character I’ve not written for yet**

Prompt: Darling finds out about yandere's murder/s.

There was a time when the roar of the crowd was enough for Akira. Having all those people looking up at him with amazement, excitement, and awe reserved only for gods was all he needed. The way women looked at him with their eyes filled with tears and desperation as they reached out, aching to touch him, struggling to just be able to feel the fabric of his clothing or even just heat from his body as if that alone would grant them some kind of salvation…it used to be enough to keep him satisfied. 

Not anymore. 

Because THEY weren’t YOU. 

After meeting you, getting to know you, falling for you…

Everything changed. 

Everything felt empty and lifeless when you weren’t involved. 

Even his beloved music sounded dull, generic, and lacked the edge it needed to make him the star he deserved to be. 

But, he started writing songs inspired by his love for you and it launched him into a new popularity almost overnight. He put every ounce of his love and longing into his music and EVERYONE could feel it. At first he feared that the new sound would drive his old fans (what little he had at the time) away. But no. They loved it. Even the critics took notice and raved about how his songs hit harder, felt grittier and more intense than ever before. People were singing along at his performances. They never did that before. His dream of being the greatest rocker the world had ever seen was becoming a reality. And it was all thanks to you!

You had to be some kind of angel. 

HIS ANGEL. 

But it wasn’t until after he gained stardom that he realized how important you were to him. He would be nothing without you. You were the one to put him on the right path and you did it for no reason at all. You wanted no payment and asked for no favors. You did it simply because you cared about him. That’s when he realized he loved you and he could never, ever let you go. He couldn’t let things go back to the way they were without you. Even if he stayed famous, he wouldn’t be able to live without you. He loved you that much. 

But there was one thing that he hated about his relationship with you, and that was the fact that he had to keep it a secret. 

His manager kept going on and on about keeping up appearances. He told Akira that a lot of his fans would be very unhappy if they found out that he was in a relationship. For the sake of his career, he was forced to pretend to be single. Sure. Fine. He could handle that. It was safer for you anyway. Some of his groupies got a little… well… carried away sometimes. If they found out about you, they’d track you down and tear you apart. He couldn’t have that. So for your own safety, it was better that he kept you a secret. 

So maybe pretending he was single was fine when he was in the limelight. He could always make up for it later when he was home and it was just the two of you. 

But what he couldn’t handle…

What he absolutely couldn’t tolerate…

…was his manager telling him to break up with you. 

----

“What do you mean I can’t get married?” Akira demanded, straining to keep his voice from dropping to a growl. 

His manager puffed cigar smoke in his face. 

“Just what I said, Otoishi. You can’t get married. A secret relationship is one thing, but a marriage is much harder to keep under wraps. The media will be all over it!” 

“It’s not like we were gonna throw some big party or anything!” Akira protested. “It was just gonna be a private thing!” 

His manager shook his head. 

“It won’t matter. Someone will find out about it. Someone will talk. Trust me, I’ve been in this industry for a long time and I know how it goes.”

His manager leaned back in his office chair. He took another drag off his cigar before putting it out in the ashtray on his desk. He blew the smoke out and sighed. 

“While we’re on the topic… I really need to talk to you about this relationship of yours.” 

Akira’s eyes narrowed. What else could his manager possibly have to complain about? Wasn’t it bad enough that he was forbidding him from marrying you?

“I think you need to break up with your lover, Otoishi.” 

Akira felt like he’d just been shot. He stood there and stared, dumbfounded at his manager. 

“What… did you say?” he said, voice coming out in a stunned whisper. 

His manager sighed. 

“I know how it is, kid, believe me. You find someone and they’re the love of your life, you can’t live without them, they’re your world, your soulmate, yadda, yadda, freakin’ yadda..” 

Akira could feel his body beginning to tremble with the strain of keeping Red Hot Chili Pepper in check. He was getting angrier the more his manager spoke. 

“...but at the end of the day, your career should come first. Always. First of all, you can’t keep the relationship a secret forever. The only reason I haven’t said anything about it before now is because I figured you would’ve moved on to another lover by now. That’s how it usually goes anyway. In this business the groupies don’t care if you sleep around, just so long as they feel they’ve got a chance. You know what I mean? Second, tying yourself down to one lover is just a hassle. You’re young. You got plenty of time to worry about things like marriage once you’ve got your name out there. You’re already on your way to becoming a superstar, but there’s no reason to hold yourself back. Getting married? Not only will you turn your fans against you, but your spouse will start to get on your nerves. One minute you’re in domestic bliss, the next thing you know they’ll be wantin’ more jewelry or cars or whatever, then they’ll be on your ass about stayin’ out all night, or goin’ on tour and leaving them all by themselves…. It’ll turn to hell quicker than lightning. You’ll end up divorced, broke, and with no career to speak of. I’ve seen it happen a million times…” 

Akira listened in silence. With every word, he lost more and more control on his Stand. Eventually, he let go and Red Hot Chili Pepper manifested, sitting cross-legged on his manager’s desk. Akira just looked on with wild eyes as his Stand reached out to touch the phone on the desk. 

“It’s just plain bad for business. I’m tellin’ ya. You’re better off forgetting about all that romance and marriage stuff. You don’t wanna piss fame and glory down your leg, now do ya?” 

The desk phone lit up and started ringing. 

His manager huffed. 

“Hang on a sec, gotta get this.” 

His manager reached for the phone, picking it up and putting it to his ear. 

“Yeah?” he said with a bored sigh. 

Only static and shrill feedback could be heard on the other end. 

His manager jerked the receiver away from his ear, squinting one eye closed in pain. 

“The hell?” he grumbled. “Hey! Can’t hear ya! There's too much feedback! Who is this anyway?” 

Sparks flew from the phone, arching upward and wrapping around the length of his manager’s arm. Bolts of electricity encircled his body and the man’s whole frame froze up in agony. He cried out in pain and terror. One hand was practically crushing the phone receiver while the other’s fingers dug into the leather of the arm of his chair. Moments later, the cries of agony died down and Akira’s manager slumped over in his chair. He’d been reduced to a smoking corpse. His wide eyes stared blankly, the expression on his face frozen in pain and fear, jaw tight with lips pulled away from his teeth in a tortured grimace. His hand was still clutching the phone to his ear. Ever so often the body would twitch and jerk, but all signs of life were long gone. The phone on his desk had been reduced to a pile of melted circuitry and plastic. 

Akira plopped down in the chair across from his manager’s desk and began playing his beloved guitar. He really, really needed to calm down now. He plucked at the strings, belting out a laid back tune. It was soft and calm, not his usual style, but it reminded him of your soothing voice. He focused his thoughts on you, He imagined that the music was you telling him, 

“It’s okay, baby. Everything’s alright. You did what you had to. He won’t be taking me away from you. It’s all over now…” 

Eventually the murderous look on his face gave way to a dreamy, lovestruck expression. A slight blush spread across his face and he sighed, feeling much better. 

He cast a glance at his manager’s still smoking carcass and resisted the urge to spit on him. Who did that fat fuck think he was, telling him that he had to break up with you? He squinted his eyes closed, taking a deep breath, and strumming another tune or two on his guitar. No point in working his anger up again. He was going to have to leave soon. Let someone find the body in the morning. There was no chance of it being linked back to him, as long as no other nosy Stand users like that Josuke asshole got involved, it would be fine. It would be deemed a freak accident due to faulty wiring or something. He could hire another manager… one who wouldn’t pry into his personal relationships… and everything would go back to normal. 

To think that his manager wanted him to break up with you… It was madness! Akira would be lost without you! After getting out of jail, he had a hard time picking himself off the ground. Staying in Morioh was out of the question, so he left, hoping to start anew. It didn’t go as well as he planned. Getting a job was the really hard part. He couldn’t seem to find work other than gigs in sleazy bars and busking in the park. 

No one listened. 

No one heard his music. At the bars his audience was too drunk and rowdy to even look at who was performing for them. At the parks people would overlook him completely. If anyone paid any attention to him at all it was to offer him a polite smile before dropping a few measly pity coins into his jar, but no one stayed to listen. His confidence was starting to deflate and all his energy was draining. 

By the time you found him, he was as low as he could be. You came across him slumped on a park bench one evening, staring with empty eyes into a beer bottle. You recognized him immediately and couldn’t stop yourself from approaching him. 

“I don’t mean to bother you, but aren’t you Akira Otoishi?” 

His head shot up as he looked at you, sobering up almost right away. He was stunned that not only had some pretty thing approached him, but actually recognized him. 

“Uh… do… do I owe you money or something?” he asked. 

You laughed and that was how it all started. 

It wasn’t long after that, that you and Akira became an item and he fell for you in a way he never thought he’d fall for anyone. You became his muse and he began writing songs inspired by you and the rest is history. You saved him. With all his confidence and ego, he could fully admit that he would be nothing without you. You pulled him out of the depths of despair. You kept him from fading into obscurity. 

And now some low life came along and wanted to separate you? First his fans, then his own manager!? UNFORGIVABLE! 

Akira would have to be more careful. He would have to make sure that NOBODY knew about you. They would just try to make him leave you, make you leave him, or worse; actually take you away from him!. No way! Not if he had anything to say about it!

-----

You were living in a dream. You had to be, because the last four years just felt too perfect to be real. Everyday you thought about how lucky you were to have a guy like Akira Otoishi. You befriended the washed out rocker and helped him regain his lost gusto for music and living. You watched as he rose from nobody to superstar almost overnight. You never suspected that the loud, obnoxious, funny, energetic musician named Akira Otoishi would become the love of your life. But that’s what happened. Now you strolled down the halls of the music studio on your way to surprise him with some flowers. He loved it when his fans sent him stuff, but he always seemed to be more excited when those gifts came from you, a fact that melted your heart. You wanted to give this bouquet to him personally this time because you loved watching him turn into a blushing mess. 

It was late at night and there weren’t many people in the building. With the exception of the receptionist and the janitor on the lower floor, it was practically deserted. Walking down the empty halls with no sounds but the hum and buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead was a bit unnerving, but it was worth it for your baby. 

You nearly jumped out of your skin when an anguished scream echoed through the halls. The lights flickered crazily and you could feel your hair standing on end from the static in the air. Some kind of electrical malfunction? What was that scream just now? You tore down the corridor and headed for Akira’s room. He wasn’t there but you could hear music coming from the next room over. That was Akira’s manager’s office. You sprinted to the door and knocked on it loudly. 

-----

Akira stopped playing when he heard your frantic knocks. He stared at the door in horror. 

“Akira! Akira, are you in there? What was that scream just now? Are you alright?!” he heard you shout through the door. 

Panic washed over him. 

“I’m here, babe!” he answered, hoping the sound of his voice would calm you down. He got up from the chair and turned to the door just as it started to open.  “Just give me a second and I’ll…. NO! DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!!” 

Hearing the panic in his voice caused you to burst into the room. 

“What happened? Are you o….k….” 

The sight that greeted you there caused the words to catch in your throat. 

Akira stepped to the side, trying to hide his manager’s corpse from you, but it was already far too late. 

“Is he… dead?” you choked out, already knowing the answer. 

“It was an accident!” Akira exclaimed. “Something is wrong with the wiring in the building, I guess.” 

This was the worst possible outcome. You weren’t supposed to see this. You weren’t even supposed to be here right now! 

“What are you doing here anyway? It’s not a good idea for you to hang around the studio, remember?” he said. 

“We need to call someone! Paramedics or--” 

He cut you off. 

“Phone’s dead. Wiring issues.” he said in a clipped tone. He didn’t know how he was going to get out of this, but his mind was already coming up with a number of ideas. 

“Then we’ll tell the receptionist downstairs. She was using her phone when I came in. So the phone line downstairs aren’t affected.” you offered, trying to stay cool and collected. 

“No good.” Akira said quickly. 

You gave him a look of confusion. 

“Why not? Someone has to know what happened! We can’t just do nothing!” you cried. 

“Yes we can.” Akira said darkly.

That static feeling in the air was coming back. You felt your skin prickle and it felt as if something brushed past you. You heard the sound of the door behind you closing shut and locking. You looked behind you at the closed door in growing dread. You turned back to your boyfriend. He was approaching you now, guitar hanging lazily from its strap as he reached out for you. You flinched and froze, not knowing what he was planning to do. You held back a shriek as he pulled the bouquet from your hands. 

“Aw! Are these for me?” he said, burying his face into the blossoms and taking in their smell. His eyes were closed and he was smiling blissfully, a blush across his cheeks. Normally seeing Akira acting so smitten over your gifts would have you looking on with adoration, but your eyes kept flicking back and forth between your seemingly oblivious boyfriend and the corpse of his manager. 

“Akira…” you said, gulping down your growing terror. “Why are you acting so weird? Your manager’s dead! Don’t you… don’t you care?!”

“He deserved it.” Akira said, looking up from the bouquet to stare you right in the eyes. 

He decided that there really wasn’t much point in keeping you in the dark any longer. You may as well know everything. That’s the way it was with couples, right? They share their darkest secrets with each other all the time! 

You stared up at him in shock. 

“...what?” you said after finally finding your voice again. 

“He told me that we shouldn’t get married. Then he told me that I should just break up with you altogether. Can you imagine, babe? He wanted me to just abandon you! You, my little muse! So I did what I had to.” 

Your little dream was falling apart around you. All this time you’d been so smug about bagging a hot, up and coming rocker guy… all this time that you swooned over him and let yourself be swept up in a romance that happened much too fast to be normal…. It was crumbling into dust. You knew that Akira had a lot of secrets. You knew that he’d been in prison before you met him. But this was too much. Fearful tears pricked at your eyes and Akira noticed. 

“Don’t cry, sweet thing! You don’t have to worry! I won’t let anybody come between us!” he cooed and wiped your eyes with his thumb. You were frozen to the spot and unable to pull away no matter how much you wanted to. 

“You killed him.” you stated. 

“I did.” he said with a grin that made your skin crawl. 

“How?” 

You glanced at the body again. You could tell that the poor man had been electrocuted but how Akira managed to do something like that was beyond you. 

“That’s a little tougher to explain,” he said mysteriously. “Maybe it’s best if I give you a demonstration.” 

That staticy feeling in the air increased and the lights in the room started doing strange things. They flickered, brightened, dimmed, and shut off completely only to come back on moments later. The digital clock on the wall cycled through the hours at rapid speed and the damaged phone sparked worryingly. You watched the scene wordlessly, unable to process what you were witnessing. 

Suddenly a pair of arms grabbed a hold of you. You looked all around you in a frenzy of terror but you couldn’t see anything. You were being held by something that was totally invisible! Your skin prickled at the feeling of its hold and you could feel your hair standing on end. You started to scream when an invisible hand clamped over your mouth. You struggled, but whatever held you was far stronger than you. You looked at Akira with wide, fear-filled eyes. He just stared back at you with his usual loving expression. The expression looked so wrong on him now. 

“That there is Red Hot Chili Pepper. He’s my Stand. I wish I could’ve given you a proper introduction, but under the circumstances, that’ll have to wait. You don’t have to be scared of him, though. He won’t hurt you unless I want him to. If I had another Stand arrow I could give you a Stand and you’d be able to see him. But I’d never risk it. The arrow would kill you if your will’s not strong enough. Not that I don’t think you’re strong willed or anything, but I’d never take a chance with my baby’s life like that. ” 

What… the… hell… was he rambling about? 

All this talk of Stands, and arrows, and chili peppers….

You didn’t know if he was going insane or if you were. 

All that you knew is the man you called your boyfriend had murdered his manager, somehow he was controlling the electricity in the room, and you were being held captive by something he called a Stand. The thing, whatever it actually was, nuzzled into the back of your neck and you found yourself once again on the verge of tears. 

Akria, ever vigilant when it came to you, noticed your watery eyes yet again. 

“Hey! None of that!” he said, walking over and wiping the tears from your eyes once more. 

“Water and electricity don’t mix, you know!” 

He offered you a sickly sweet smile and you felt the bile rise in your throat. 

He glanced back at his manager’s body and sighed. 

“No one’s gonna look at this and see it as anything other than a freak accident. Even if Josuke and Jotaro were to find out about this and relate me to it, they can’t do shit to me now. I’m way out of their jurisdiction. We’ll just leave the body here. The receptionist and the janitor are the only people that knew that I was in here with him so I guess I’ll have to kill them, too. Probably best if we don’t leave the building in the usual way, so we’ll just go through the electrical system.” he muttered, talking more to himself than to you.

No, he was definitely the crazy one here. 

How had he been hiding this side of himself from you all this time? 

He prattled on for another minute or two before kneeling down next to you. 

“Babe, you’re shaking,” he said, noting your trembling form. “You’re… you’re not scared are you?” 

You didn’t respond. You couldn’t respond with the invisible hand over your mouth. All you could do was give him a desperate look, pleading with your eyes for him to let you go. 

He didn’t. 

Instead he wrapped his arms around you, holding you close to his chest while the invisible thing snuggled you from behind. 

“You know I’d never hurt you, don’t you?” he asked, straightening up to look at you. 

You moaned pathetically into the invisible hand over your mouth. You wanted to cry, but didn’t dare.

“I’ll come back to take care of those other two later, but first, I gotta take you somewhere where no one will find you.” 

Your eyes widened and your face went ghastly pale. You looked up at him but he just gave you a stern stare down. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said. “I gotta do it, baby! They’ll take you away from me if I don’t hide you from them! Now hang on, this will be kinda scary at first, but you’ll get used to it.” 

You didn’t have a clue as to what he was talking about, but you didn’t have much time to think about it as you were promptly blinded by a bright yellow light. You squeezed your eyes closed, hoping to block the blinding light from your vision. It dimmed a moment later and you slowly opened your eyes. You were glowing, and so was Akira! All around you was snapping, popping, sizzling electricity and yet somehow it didn’t seem to harm you at all. As Akira held onto you, you could feel the both of you being pulled towards something. You looked around Akira to see that you both were being pulled into a wall socket. You let out a muffled scream as you were pulled into the socket and forced to travel through the building’s electrical wiring. You didn’t know how such a thing was possible, but you did know one thing:

Your little dream of dating a famous rocker had become a nightmare that you would never wake up from.

[umbralaether]

What if Eisha wasn’t the WoL? What would her life look like? (For the “What if”’s)

She rose with sun, as she did every day, to begin the task of prepping for the day’s meals. She’d been moved to Mor Dhona at the request of someone she did not know— she simply went and cooked wherever she was told to.

That did not stop her from starting her morning high up on the city walls, a warm cup of tea nestled in her hands as the sun’s light bounced along the blue crystals jutting their way out of the landscape. A landscape she’d love to explore, if she were not bound to her debts. Maybe someday.

After the morning rush, she gets to work on the rest of the day’s needs. There’s bread to bake, stock to simmer, pounds of vegetables to chop. She’s head to toe in flour after the first round of dough is made— kneaded until soft, left to rise, and then scored and placed in the oven. She ponders how quickly this batch will go, when a voice interrupts her thoughts.

“Pardon, but do you have any of those cookies left from the other day?”

She looks up to see a handsome Miqo’te, bright red hair with one red eye to match leaning on the counter with one hand. For some reason, he looks familiar.

“I bake a lot of cookies. Which ones in particular?”

“The little ones, soft and covered in cinnamon. My friend, the Warrior of Light, was raving about them.” He says proudly.

The Warrior of Light. She’d heard about them, the heroics and great deeds were well known amongst the travelers of this place. She’d even heard rumors that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn were stationed here now.

“Those are my specialty. Unfortunately, I don’t have any made right now, and today’s a busy day.”

“I’ve heard such good things about them, and would like to try them before my next journey. Would you consider payment for a small batch?”

Their eyes meet, and the rush of everything around seems to still. She’d usually say no to such a request—as if she had the time!— yet something in her stirs.

“…I suppose I can set aside some time later to make some.”

“I would be eternally grateful, miss…?”

“Pantera. Eisha Pantera.”

“A pretty name for a pretty face. I am G’raha Tia, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to seeing you later.”

She watches as he walks away, wondering what it is that made her say yes. There was no denying he was charming but it felt like something more, like for a moment everything in the universe had aligned just perfectly when they’d met the other’s gaze.

[sugarpopss]

Twelve Years and Counting

So. I watched Wonka. And it awoke something within me. Like we all knew Keegan-Michael Key is hot but somehow. Seeing him in a pretty good fat suit made me insane. I want to be his wife.

Warnings: it's porn and I love corrupt police (kidding)

Not tagging ANYONE bc who tf wants this. Hiiiii Wonka fandom how are ya'll. How ya'll doing. Actually no i gave @bucknastysbabe a play by play of this movie so. Also Hugh Grant killed a cleric I think??

You can’t be married to a man for twelve years without figuring out what he’ll do for some decent chocolate. 

And by god, you knew what your husband would do for chocolate. 

To be entirely fair, a lot of people would do a lot of things for chocolate; it practically ran the city. A truffle was far more powerful than a silver sovereign. 

Chocolate was exchanged and hidden and fought over in the halls of power all over the city, and the precinct was no exception. You’d known that for years. 

You also knew that the chief of police had been taking minor bribes from the chocolate magnates for years. The fine truffles and bon-bons didn’t just appear in the cupboards by magic. You’d never really had a problem with your husbands mild corruption, either. He sometimes saved the bon-bons filled with cherry or peach compote for you, and he wasn’t really hurting anyone. The chocolate magnates had the entire city in their pocket-what was one more official looking the other way? 

That was before, though. You were sure they had upped your husbands ‘payment’ or enlisted him in some new scheme, because the amount of chocolate boxes crowding your cupboards and counter had exploded. You knew they were in his car, too, because you’d seen the little paper wrappers littering the seats. 

The amount of payment wasn’t the only thing that had exploded recently, either. 

You loved your husband, truly and honestly-you would’ve married a politician or a restauranteur if you didn’t. But you couldn’t deny that his chocolate habit was finally beginning to have an effect. 

Well…’beginning’ was a bit of a misnomer. The effect was very clear-your beloved police chief had absolutely blown up. He had gone up two whole sizes-which you knew because you were the one who took his clothes to the laundry-and your poor bed frame creaked like an old dog toy when he laid down. You could hear the stairs creaking, too, ensuring that you’d never again sleep through your husband coming home late. 

You weren’t complaining. Oh, far from it, actually. You had no interest in knowing the details of this ‘blood chocolate’ he seemed to be receiving, and your husband was less than forthcoming with information. You like your plausible deniability very much, thank you. But you also rather liked the way the bribes showed up on him. 

The belly had come first, of course, straining the belt of his uniform and giving him a proper ‘policemans paunch’. You had thought it was cute and paid plenty of loving attention to your husbands little potbelly. The weight had absolutely not stopped there, though. From a little pudgy to properly fat in a startlingly short amount of time, and all because whatever scheme he was involved in evidently paid very well. Soon you were settling into bed next to a man double-maybe triple by now-his former weight, all soft flesh and radiating warmth. 

It wasn’t terrible at all. Your husband cleaned the chocolate stains off his hands before touching you, although he didn’t seem to notice his wedding ring digging into his thick finger. He remained intimate with you, so you weren’t at all concerned that he was unfaithful. If he was unfaithful as well as corrupt, he did an excellent job at hiding it. You finally understood why your friends had raved about sleeping with men so large-it was amazing. Watching your husband heave himself on top of you, feeling his weight and warmth nearly crushing the air out of your lungs. The sheer effort of fucking into you, his arms shaking from holding his weight up, sweat beading on his skin after a few thrusts, his soft lower belly completely covering your view of where the two of you were joined. You’d nearly climaxed on the spot just from watching him have to lift his belly to get his cock positioned. 

It was the very best sex you’d had in twelve years of marriage. You’d tried to wrap your legs around his waist, but any vestige of your husbands ‘waist’ was now long gone. The best you could do was press your knees into the thick rolls of fat on his sides, but it brought you a little closer nonetheless. What made him moan, though, was when you gently palmed his heavy chest, grown so fat you couldn’t even feel the bone of his sternum. You groped his breasts like he’d done to you so many times before, taking your cues from his blissful expression strained gasps. 

And it was almost as good after the climax, when your husband first collapsed on top of you, crushing the breath right out of you. He was sweaty and overheated and so heavy, and he seemed to realize your lungs were struggling with him on top of you fairly quickly. When he’d rolled off and settled into his significant dent in the mattress, caught his breath and popped a chocolate from the bedside drawer into his mouth, it was your turn to snuggle up. You pressed close to his side, though not quite as close as lovestick teens trying to crawl into each others skin may have. It was soothing in a way, the rhythm of your husbands breathing and the crinkle of chocolate wrappers. 

You knew that when you shimmied away to your side of the bed to sleep-a necessary thing to do, because of both the heat your husband radiated and the disturbance of him getting up in the middle of the night for his 3am bon-bons-he’d quickly fall asleep with both hands resting on the crest of his swollen belly, and snore like an engine to top it off. You’d learned to tune it out, along with the creaking of the mattress springs and bed frame when he shifted or got up. 

There were much worse habits for a man to be caught in-but chocolate seemed to be the most popular. You knew much more women whose husbands hid sweets in their offices or closets than who gambled or smoked. And the effects were certainly not unappreciated, at least not by you. 

A big, powerful man, and all yours. Surely nothing would ever spoil this.

[magnolia-rhodes]

with: open where + when: g's rave, at some point early in the night

So far, so good, Lola thought to herself as she struggled with the screwtop on her bottle of rosé. Considering G's previous little outings, this could have gone so much worse. But even as the eventual sense of relief washes over her, there's still something about it all - the content of the message, the setting, the vibe - that doesn't sit right with her. It won't solve it, she knows that much, but she's certain losing herself in conversation with someone else will at least muffle the fear. And what better excuse than something practical. "Sorry," she begins, turning to the person next to her with the bottle outstretched. "You don't think you could open this for me? I'll pour you a glass as payment. Promise."

[shit-begone]

WISHES (Part 3)

Wishes (Masterlist) | Prev (Part 2) | Next (Part 4)

STORY LINE:

*Lee Chan/Dino as your best friend that suddenly confessed his feelings for you.

*Choi Seungcheol/Cheol as the annoying mutual friend who wants to be a part of your life.

The confusion began when you realized that your best friend may have offered you the world while your annoying friend that resembles a lot like your college heartbreaker, Seok-jin, wanted to be part of yours.

It was an easy-peasy thing for you, not until you had to join Chan and Cheol in a five-day vacation with the boys.

-----

PART 3                       WISHES: Bros Before Hoes

WORD COUNT        4,665

CATEGORY              Fluff and Angst

-----

You switched on your flashlight. It was you who finished first, so you glanced at Dino who was still wishing with his eyes closed, then to the tour guide who kindly smiled at you.

After a moment or two, someone across the space switched on their light; the second person to finish their plea. The world stopped when your eyes met, as if it was an answered prayer...

...with Seungcheol.

And with the feeling of sincerity still in your heart, through the dimmed silence, you exchanged smiles with him.

As soon as everyone finished their wishes, the tour guide led the group outside the cave and guided you back to the boat. He explained that you're going to hop on to another island where the lunch awaits. Everyone was excited on the idea of food. Everyone enjoyed the transfer to the next island because you have encountered flying and colorful fishes along the cruise.

As soon as you docked to the next island, you were greeted by people with lots of music and gave each one of you flower crowns to wear in the island. You gladly went to the hall where the lunch was waiting and the tourist guide took the opportunity to speak on the microphone.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen."

"Yep, that's me: the only gentleman." Joshua proudly said.

"Shut up." Vernon said. Everybody quietly giggled as the tour guide spoke in front.

"May I present to you, the chef with his seafood specialties in the house."

Everybody clapped their hands as the chef walked in.

The tour guide then continued, "We would also like to thank Mr. Boo Seungkwan and Mr. Jeon Wonwoo for booking with us and availing our vacation package. However, on the fourth day, we regret to inform you that the Jelly Fish Sanctuary is under Conservation Maintenance due to the previous hurricane. If it's okay with you, we can transfer your payment to different amenities or we could just refund you the unused fees."

"Can we make the fourth day a free day instead? Then if we want to avail some amenities, that's the time we decide?" Mingyu negotiated.

"Can that be per person, tho? Because what if I want to go Rappelling but Jun wanted Aqua Cycling? Would that be possible? Joshua asked.

"That's a better suggestion from Mr. Joshua. We'll prepare the list of all the amenities available for you on the fourth day. Whatever amount left unused will be refunded. We would want to make it more flexible for you by converting amenity stubs as transferrable. If others prefer the fourth day to be rest day in preparation for the night rave, then you can avail added amenities."

"This place is the best!" Jun stood up to show appreciation to the tour guide.

"Ten-out-of-ten service! Tiger approved!" Soon-young added.

"We appreciate your visit! Also, before I leave everyone to enjoy the delicious meal prepared by our chef, we would like to congratulate the following: Mr. Lee Chan and Ms. Y/N. For today is their seventh year best friend anniversary,"

"Thank you." You and Lee Chan said with wide smiles on your faces.

"Also to the newly engaged couple: Mr. Kim Mingyu and his future wife," The tour guide continued.

"Thank you, guys. We love you." Mingyu said.

"And finally to our newly appointed professional: Nurse Lee Seokmin."

"Thank you, thank you!" Seokmin said.

"It's an honor serving young adults like you, the place is yours. I will leave you now so you could enjoy your lunch."

Everyone cheered and thanked the tour guide. It was indeed a very nice experience thinking it's only day two of vacation. What more will happen for the remaining days here? Not to mention the wide variety of food, places and activities to choose from.

It was mid-lunch when Seungcheol walked towards you with iced coffee in his hand, "Spanish Latte, Y/N." He smiled.

"Thanks, Cheol."

"So it's really possible that you mention my name with kindness, eehhh?" He sat beside you and asked Seungkwan to pass his plate, "I'll sit beside Y/N, thanks."

Kind of annoyed of the iced coffee Cheol gave you, Chan put a few chicken wings on your plate. "Eat up, so you have energy. You're overdosed with coffee already."

"Nah, you can just wash it up with water later. I know you love coffee." Seungcheol put a glass of water on your left side.

Now to your right side, "And some greens too, so you could be healthy." Chan said.

Left, "Take my greens, too. They're healthy."

Right, "We'll go for a bowl of fruits later, Y/N."

Left, "Why can't I take Y/N for myself? You're always around Y/N."

Right, "I'm the best friend. Who are you?"

Seungcheol was nervous of Dino's question, "Uhh, I.. Roommates! I'm roommates with Y/N!"

"Ahhh. Roommates." Vernon mocked Cheol.

The group laughed to how Vernon mocked him. The laughter died when suddenly Lee Chan answered a cold: "Okay."

The group have let go of Chan's passive response. But you knew for yourself that it's not the tone Dino uses on you or anyone. It's Dino's leave-me-alone voice. He stood up and went to the fruit bar. You followed immediately so you could choose fruits to your liking.

"Dino, I want to have mang---."

"You can ask Seungcheol to do that for you, right?"

"But I thought you offered to share a fruit bowl with me."

"Seungcheol asked if he could do these things for you, then I said okay. What's wrong?"

"But.."

"Go now before your guy gets jealous." He glanced at Seungcheol.

"Dino.. I--"

"Have I not told you to leave me alone?"

He didn't, but you heard his heart say those words.

You quietly returned beside Seungcheol.

"Have you picked anything you like?"

"Yes, Cheol. Bring me cheese, strawberries and a bottle of beer."

"But your coffee?"

"I'll drink them both."

"But---"

"Actually, bring me three bottles."

"That's too---"

"I won't be rude to you. Just give me what I want."

"Right away, sugar!" Seungcheol smiled to your command without knowing what happened between you and Dino by the fruit bar.

Seungcheol immediately returned with a beer bucket containing five bottles and your requested snacks. You know for sure that Dino was intentionally taking a little more time by the fruit bar just so he could avoid you or make you leave the area before he comes back.

You picked up your coffee and asked Seungcheol to accompany you to the tree house near the boat. As you walked, you tried your best not to let tears flow down your cheeks. You reached the bottom of the tree house and climbed up the ladder.

You then looked for your comfortable place a little inside the tree house. You opened a bottle of beer and let out a big sigh.

Seungcheol looked afar as he tried to process what he needed to tell you. After all, he thought that it was the perfect time to confess, now that the both of you are finally alone with each other's company.

Just like you, he let out a big sigh.

"Hey, Y/N. I want to tell you something." He paused, "I know I have decided a little too late to tell you this but... WHAAAAAAAT THE?? HEY!!! STOP THAT SHIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!" Seungcheol was in the state of panic after he saw you alternately chugging on the beer and sipping aggressively on your coffee while silent tears fall down your cheek. He noticed that you were already on the second bottle of beer as he saw the first one roll just beside you.

"Cheol, don't tell anyone, please."

"N--no! I can't do that. Wh---wait what happened?"

You sniffed loudly to his question, "The first time that Chan told me to leave him alone was when I accidentally spilled coffee all over his draft that was due the next day. That was four years ago." You cried.

"And when was the next one?"

You cried even louder, "Just a while ago." You continued chugging on your beer. "Please don't tell Chan. I don't want to hurt him. I don't him want to see me this way, Cheol."

"I won't. But please let me take care of you. You had drunk enough in split seconds. You might faint." Seungcheol paved your hair to your ears.

Seungcheol was worried and didn't know what to do with you, reassuring him of what's going on in your mind didn't work for him. He was really worried.

The tour guide called for assembly for another transfer to the next island this afternoon. Seungcheol didn't see any signs of Dino's presence so he told you to hurry up and get into the top deck so Dino won't see you in that state.

You and Seungcheol reached the top deck and you started drinking again. One, two, three bottles as the boat glided across the calm seas. You continued crying.

Seungcheol suddenly realized what might be the reason behind Chan's harsh words to you. He was the reason; he fully comprehended this time and recalled that Chan likes you as much he does.

"Do you want me to talk to Lee Chan?"

"It's no use, Cheol."

"I could try."

"Maybe you could just let it off. Let it go. I can just talk to him after this vacation. I don't want to ruin everyone's moments just because..." You let out a big sigh.

"Because?"

"Nothing."

"You can tell me, Y/N."

You didn't answer Seungcheol because this time, you felt a little tipsy.

"Last stop for today, let's go guys! This island is the best one yet!" Wonwoo's excitement reflected as the boat docked.

You looked around, and it was indeed tranquil.

"Let's go?" Seungcheol asked.

"I prefer not to go. I'll wait for the rest of you here in the boat."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh-huh." Lesser and lesser words escaped your mouth; your vision went in circles due to your tipsiness,

"I won't leave you like this." He said.

"You should go. I'm fine." You insisted.

"I won't talk. I just want to make sure that you won't jump to the waters or fall down to the bottom floor."

You looked along the shore as you saw Dino's hair tossed by the wind. He won't look for you whenever he's upset, and you knew it.

The captain of the boat checked on you, you told him that you were not feeling well and you prefer to stay on the top deck. Seungcheol didn't say a word and just observed you while cry your eyes out.

Fourth bottle. You remembered once againthe first time Dino told you to leave him alone. He didn't talk to you until he had finished redrafting the plate that you have ruined. That was four days. But what happened a while ago was different; it hurts your guts because you knew that he was just avoidant of his feelings. He was jealous with Cheol and you didn't want to hurt him further— not after you have rejected the love he has to offer.

Fifth bottle. You don't even care about Cheol. Why is he a big deal to Chan? Although you do owe him stories of the moments on how Cheol was being a naughty guy around you. But then again, not after you have rejected what Dino has to offer.

Sixth bottle. You saw Dino scribbling on his drawing pad under a palm tree. That's what he does whenever he's upset. You have rejected Dino. You didn't even care for Seungcheol but he is jealous of that jerk.

You looked to your left and saw Seungcheol sleeping on the outdoor sleeping bed beside yours.

This guy gives a lot of headache.

You went down to look for the captain.

"Sir? Do you serve coffee in your boat?

"No. But we have Starbucks coffee cans."

"Double espresso, please." You smiled at him.

He went to the back of the boat and returned with a glass full of ice and the double espresso can you requested.

"You had too much to drink." He said.

"No, I'm fine, Sir." You giggled and returned to the top deck.

You're drunk.

Second glass of coffee. Everyone headed back to the boat. The sun started to set so you need to return to the villa for dinner time.

Seungcheol woke up from the boys' chatter. You saw Chan walk in the boat so you stood up in attempt to settle things with him right at that moment.

"No." Seungcheol grabbed your wrist, "You're drunk. You need to stop drinking and sober up first before you talk to Dino."

"I want to know what's wrong." You cried.

"Now is not the right time, Y/N." He pulled you to sit down.

"Are you stopping me now, Seungcheol?"

He sighed, "You want to know what's wrong? Huh? I am the problem, Y/N. I know for sure I hold a big part of Dino's anger. So please, can you just let me handle this?"

You took a deep breath and sat beside him. He's right. You're already drunk and you feel weak already. You feel numb to your knees; you can't even feel your nails dig down to your arms. What's left to be felt was the gap that has risen between the three of you. But despite the feelings you have to endure, you trusted Seungcheol and his intentions.

You watched the waves crash to the sides of the boat as you tried to forget what happened earlier.

When did I become a crybaby?

Is this the feeling of receiving rejection from someone you have rejected prior?

The boat docked and you decided to let go of the sad feeling. You allowed your drunken state to take over and enjoy the night.

Maybe tomorrow, everything would be fine.

"Hey, Minghao! Let's drink!" You tapped Minghao's arms.

"Sure! After dinner! I'll ask them to come around. But you're all flushed! Looks like you have drunk a lot." He chuckled.

"It's the sunburn. Don't worry." You laughed.

Third glass of coffee offered by Seungkwan.

"Enjoying the night, huh?"

"Yyyessss!!" You exclaimed.

Good thing that dinner was barbeque, so there's not much attention to whether you were seated beside Dino or not. He took his time talking to his other friends anyway.

Some already started to drink half-way through dinner. Good thing that Minghao made sure that he didn't forget his appointment with you. He tagged along recruits by the poolside.

"Here's your beer. Stop with the coffee now." Minghao said.

"I will! But where's Cheol?" You asked.

"He'll be back in a bit. I asked him to pick up cold cuts from the kitchen before going here." Jihoon said.

Seventh bottle. Seungcheol came with the cold cuts. Everyone seemed happy. Maybe everything will be alright tomorrow.

Eight bottle. Joshua was talking to you but you can't hear a sound.

-----

"Dokyeom!!!! Help!! Where's Dokyeom?!?!?!" Cheol screamed his lungs out.

Dokyeom rushed by the pool and saw you lying on the ground with a little wound on your forehead.

"What happened??" He asked, "Please someone get the first aid!"

Jeonghan rushed the first aid to Seokmin. As Seokmin was cleaning your wound, Dino came and Mingyu's fiancé started to explain: "I think she must have drunk too much."

"I think she had three glasses of coffee and six, seven bottles of beer? Or eight? I don't know. I already told her that she looks unwell. That's when she blacked out and her head hit the corner of the table as she fell to the ground." Shua narrated.

"But that's too much, how did it happen?" Dino asked in a raised voice. He angrily went to Seungcheol and clutched him by his shirt. "Why the fuck did you let that happen to Y/N?!"

"Hey, easy now." Jun exclaimed as he tried to remove Dino's hands on Seungcheol's shirt.

"Me? Should I be the one asking you that? What the fuck did YOU do to her? YOU were the reason Y/N was drinking." Seungcheol shouted.

Everyone was shocked of what's happening. They were not really expecting that this would come. Everyone pulled them away from each other.

"Oh my God. Please can someone carry Y/N to her cabin!?" Seungkwan's girlfriend exclaimed after Dokyeom secured your wound on the forehead.

Soon-young immediately responded to help.

"Careful with the wound, Soon-young. Let's help her to bed. Can a lady please come with us? She needs to get her clothes changed." Dokyeom advised.

"I'll go." Jeonghan's girlfriend offered.

Soon-young lifted you up still unconscious and the three rushed to your cabin to attend to your needs.

"You tell me, Dino. Why the hell would you tell Y/N to fuck off and leave you alone?" Seungcheol was also frustrated but he has kept his hands to himself.

"I gave you the chance to spend the day with Y/N but look what you've done." Dino gritted on his teeth.

"Chance? From you, Dino? Why? Do you own Y/N?"

"No."

"Then what, Dino?"

Dino removed his hands from clutching Cheol's shirt, "Fuck off, Seungcheol. Don't meddle with our stuff."

"That's not how you fucking treat people around you, Dino. I know that you love Y/N more than just a best friend, like I do. I'm trying to win her heart, but she keeps pushing me away. But with you? Just because you were jealous? You had the guts to tell her to leave you alone? Who are you now, Dino?"

And at that moment, everyone knew about the lingering competition between Seungcheol and Chan, in hopes to win your heart.

"Just let Y/N decide." Vernon suggested.

"Y/N won't have the capacity to decide." Wonwoo said. Everyone was in confusion of Wonwoo's statement. "Seungcheol haven't confessed yet to Y/N and I guess our guy Dino was, you know, rejected." He added.

"Trouble went in before the real deal, I guess." Minghao said.

"I told you, Cheol, you should have started with the best friend." Uji added.

"Kill me now. But what kind of best friend is Dino if Y/N is in this state?" Cheol looked Dino dead in the eye.

"For sure with the hangover and all the vomiting, Y/N can't join us tomorrow in the water park." Seokmin said as he walked to the pool side, "We might want to call the club's nurse to look aft--"

"I'll take care of Y/N." Dino and Cheol both said.

Seokmin slow-clapped "Y/N is such a beauty."

"Shut it down Dokyeom." Uji frowned.

"I'll decide." Jeonghan appealed.

"There's nothing to deci--"

"Shut up, Dino. We don't want the two of you knocking around each other." Han added, "Dino will be the morning nurse, from this hour up to lunch time. From lunch time to bedtime, it will be Seungcheol." He walked past Dino and said "You wouldn't want to tell Y/N how sorry you are while she's dealing with her hangover, eeh? By the time she wakes up, it will be Nurse Cheol."

"Case closed." Mingyu agreed.

"Jeonghan can make sense sometimes, right?" Seokmin said.

"Yaaaa!. My life is not all about cheating and ditching stuff." He defended.

"Everyone should rest now." Shua suggested.

Everyone attended to their personal matters after what happened. As Seungcheol made his way inside the villa, Jun called his attention.

"Cheol. You heard Jeonghan." Jun gestured his head to Dino who was sitting alone by the pool side. "You're not tonight's nurse. Remember? Start with the best friend." Jun patted Seungcheol's back and lightly pushed him to Dino's direction.

Seungcheol sat by the living room, having a view of Chan's frame. He was composing what he would say to Chan.

Is this the right time for a talk?

After a few moments of contemplating, he stood up and went to Dino. He grabbed two beers and opened them.

"Dino." Seungcheol gave him a bottle and sat beside him.

"Y/N told me that she sees me as a friend." Dino gulped his beer.

"What a rough anniversary, huh?" Cheol said.

"You can say that again."

"It was seven long years. Where were you? Why didn't you even try to win her heart?"

"I did. But there was this one bastard in college that played with her emotions, and when I was about to tell her my feelings, she became emotionally unavailable until came the thin line between platonic and romantic love." Dino narrated.

"If she's emotionally available now, then why the hate on me?"

"You don't wanna know."

"I wanna know." Cheol insisted.

"Well, the thing is. You're a bit taller than him, but you have the same built and his name also starts with S. That's why she's so annoyed of you."

"She told you that?"

"No. I just knew. I was just actually waiting for Y/N to tell me that you look like Seok-jin. But I guess you haven't annoyed her enough to be worthy of a night-long rant from her." Dino said.

There came a long silence before Seungcheol responded to Dino.

"She said it was the second time you told her to leave you alone."

"Did she cry?" Dino asked.

"She was scared, Chan. She told me not to tell you and she didn't want to hurt you."

Dino and Cheol continued drinking until they consumed their bottles. Dino stood up and pat Cheol's shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"No it's okay. I don't want any conflict with you anyway, especially when we can just talk it out." Cheol stood up as well.

"As long as you promise that you won't hurt Y/N, then I promise there wouldn't be any room for hurting on my end." Chan smiled.

"No way?" Cheol was surprised.

"I'm staying on cabin three. Vernon is still awake." Chan said as he tossed his keys to Seungcheol, "Swap with me before Y/N wakes up. I don't want to scare her."

"I will."

Seungcheol was all smiles with Chan's approval for his best friend. He went straight to Chan's cabin to spend the night.

-----

Meanwhile in Y/N's cabin...

"I'll take it from here, Kyeom." Chan said as he entered your cabin.

"And Seungcheol?" Dokyeom asked as he handed the care kit to Dino.

"We have talked."

"Talked?"

"Nicely." Chan added.

"Goodnight bud." That was enough for him to hear, so he left Dino and closed the door behind him.

Chan sat beside you while you sleep, carefully studying your beautiful face.

"You're so pretty, I could cry. Sorry Y/N." He whispered.

Moments later, you woke up.

"S-s-seungcheol. I n-need to vomit." You uttered.

Chan was in panic and couldn't find any basin near you.

"Can you stand tho? I'll accompany you to the bathroom."

You quietly nodded and let Chan assist you, as you thought he was Seungcheol. "I'll call you when I'm done." You said.

He prepared a warm wash cloth to sober you up a little bit. He became worried when you stopped making vomiting noises and weren't able to call him again. Chan slowly opened the door just to see you sleeping on the floor.

He delicately lifted you up and took you to bed. He cleaned up the mess in the sink and returned immediately to your side with his upper body slightly elevated to yours.

"Cheol, is Chan still mad at me?" You asked whom you thought was Seungcheol.

"No. He was not mad, not even a bit, Y/N." Chan replied.

"That's nice."

Chan saw the smile traced on your face despite the dim light made by the bedside lamp.

"But he did tell me if you could give him some time."

"Oh? That's something to frown, I guess."

"He loves you so much." Chan added

"I love Lee Chan too. Even if he didn’t hug me goodnight."

"I can do that for you while he takes his time."

"Are you, okay with that, Cheol?" You asked, still unaware.

"I'll be Lee Chan for tonight."

You turned a little to your right, faced "Seungcheol" and hugged him tight. "Goodnight. I hope you were Dino. I've got lots to tell him."

"Goodnight, Y/N."

It lightened the burden for Lee Chan— that it's still him that you wanted to get comfort from, we'll not until you find comfort in Seungcheol's arms.

-----

VACATION DAY 3

Dino woke up to the sound of your door opening at six o'clock in the morning, still having you wrapped around his waist.

"Morning, Cheol." Dino whispered trying not to wake you up.

A slight jealousy was painted on Seungcheol's face after he saw you hugging Dino.

"If only I didn't know that you're best friends, I would be jealous by now." Cheol said as he put down the breakfast he brought.

"Don't be," Chan said as he slid out of your arms, "She woke up last night with the lights dimmed down. All this time, she thought I was you. I think I should be the one feeling jealous right now." Chan smiled.

"No way?" Cheol asked.

"Make sure you get her occupied so she won't ask about me."

Dino and Cheol quietly ate together while you were sound asleep.

"I'll be back for lunch." Cheol said.

"No, I'll prepare lunch instead." Dino said.

"But my time would start at lunch."

"You should know that she wakes up for work at five o'clock in the morning. On free days, whether drunk or sober, she wakes up at seven or 7:30. I don't want to stick around any longer."

"There's a lot I should know about her, huh?"

"She's always full of surprises." Dino added.

"What else should I know?" Cheol asked.

"'YOU' told her last night that I requested to have a little time alone, and that I have told 'YOU' to let her know."

"Roger that, Dino."

A few moments have passed and you did wake up just a few minutes before the clock strikes at 7:30. Dino stood up immediately but Seungcheol stopped him from taking another step towards the door.

"Just so she could see you." Cheol said.

"Hnggg. Seungcheol my head hurts." You rubbed your eyes and massaged your head.

"Please don't rub your eyes, Y/N." Cheol suggested, "Just in time, Dino prepared breakfast for you."

"He really made breakfast for me?" You opened your eyes, and were surprised that Dino and Seungcheol were standing in front of you, "DINO!!" You reached for a hug like a baby.

Seungcheol slightly pushed Dino to your bedside and you were able to hug him.

"Where's my hangover coffee tho?" You pouted.

"The group agreed that your nurse for today would be---"

"The group?!" You exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, everyone knew about your condition today. So I was saying, you'll be with Seungcheol. They need me in the waterpark. So stop being stubborn, you should eat whatever is here and whatever Seungcheol will prepare for you." Dino stroked your hair.

"Cheol will poison me." You complained.

"No he won't. The kitchen is monitored today by Mingyu."

"Okay, hmmmm, but just a few more minutes before you enjoy the waterpark." You said still hugging Dino, "Sorry, Dino."

"No, Y/N. It's me who needs to apologize. It won't happen again. I-- I'm sorry. Really. I was just..." He glanced at Seungcheol and continued, "..Jealous that someone finally came with intentions of treating you right." He smiled.

Seungcheol smiled back at Chan.

"What made you think that all things are certain?" You asked.

"You're my best friend, Y/N. But you also need to accept the fact that Seungcheol is also a friend to me, he won't do anything to hurt you."

"But please visit me sooner, or whenever you feel better." You said still remembering what "Cheol" told you about Dino wanting some time alone.

"Please be good to Seungcheol. He knows what to do." He kissed the top of your head and slowly ceased the hug.

Dino looked at Cheol and then smiled at you. He quietly left the room and left you under Seungcheol's care.

-----

Wishes (Masterlist) | Prev (Part 2) | Next (Part 4)

[paraliveimaginesblog]

Hi there! I recently found your account and I'm in love. Anyways, could I request a reader that works at a maid cafe but Hajun, Yohei, Ryu and Chungsung doesn't know that the reader works at a maid cafe. How would they react or find out about it because to be really honest some of them I can't imagine going into a maid cafe unless forced?

Also I'm not sure if this counts as a headcanon or scenario. So write whichever character suits your fancy. I'm not really picky, I just chose a few that'd be interesting to read.

Chungsung Baek:

Chungsung was a man who’d much prefer a café of people in leather outfits with whips in hand, where the customers were never right; perhaps the more toned down restaurants where the staff excelled at insulting their customers would suffice to him (which would send a thrill through him even without a weapon in sight). The cute maid café just called to him, though, and he thought it might not hurt to briefly investigate how ‘maid like’ everyone managed to act. He walked in ready to internally criticize but he’s rendered rather speechless as you approached, not really seeing him until he was smiling up at you.  

“You look lovely… I think the material could use work, I know of something that would suit you far better. I can see if the young master is in need of a new maid, if you’re curious?”

Chungsung sees the twitch of your brow and knows he’s in for it when you’re not confined by the rules of your work, his cheeks already stinging with pleasure as he envisioned the pleasant night he’d have ahead of him.

Hajun Yeon:

You would be a fool to think Hajun wouldn’t find this out sooner or later; he always managed to sniff out secrets, and the fact you were close meant he could easily tell when you were keeping something from him. He pretended he didn’t recognize you in your uniform, treating you politely like you didn’t see the devious smile lingering on his face when you walked away to get his order. You’re on the edge of your seat, nervous about what he might do or who he might tell; in all honesty, you’re prepared for the slew of texts you’ll receive from him afterward teasing you about such a silly secret. When you arrive with the bill Hajun curls his finger in a come-hither gesture, waiting until his mouth was right next to your ear to speak.  

“You look cute in your uniform. Maybe I could admire it when you aren’t working?”

Flustered, you take his payment and consider having someone else return to the table.

Ryu Natsume:

Ryu tended to just wander where he wanted without a rhyme or reason, and the cats seemed to really like this place. You’re surprised when you’re on break, spreading some treats for the stray cats on a spare plate, that cats aren’t the only thing you’re greeted with behind the restaurant. You’re embarrassed to see Ryu but he doesn’t seem thrown off at all, greeting you enthusiastically and telling you the rave reviews of the various little cats who were now gathering for your offering.

“They really like you~ Not as much as me, my love goes up, up, up until infinity! But it’s close~”

You’re suddenly overwhelmed by his words, thankful it was dark outside so he couldn’t see your pleased expression.

Yohei Kanbayashi:

Yohei did not belong here. He did not ask to be here. He’s never been more embarrassed in his life but you had accidentally dialed him, and with no response, he’d grown a little nervous. He could hear a man relentlessly hitting on you as well and, thinking you might need a little help, he had tracked you down since you shared your location with all of TCW for safety purposes. He didn’t think this was the place, it couldn’t be, but stepping foot inside, you were the first person he saw at a table nearby. You spotted him, eyebrows raised, and darted over to where he was, asking if there was something wrong with Ryu or Shiki.

“I got a call from you and it… I was making sure you were okay. I’ll… be going now.”

You’re already trying to formulate the apology text you’d send out to Yohei later, avoiding the curious stares of your co-workers who certainly wanted to know more about the gruff handsome customer who just left.

[mariacallous]

The humble school meal is having a moment. With the nomination of Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, as Kamala Harris’s running mate, many voters and pundits are suddenly talking about school meals. And that’s good, because the stakes are high for the national school lunch and school breakfast programs since the campaigns and their parties have very different records and plans.

Since Walz became the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, an image of him has frequently circulated. In the photograph, he’s surrounded by smiling children hugging him after he signed a 2023 bill making school meals universally free for all Minnesota children. His was the fourth state to commit to feeding all children at school; now nine states have done so, and more are considering similar measures. No more forms to fill out to prove your income, which busy parents can forget or that get crumpled in a backpack. No more penalizing children when their parents fall behind on lunch accounts. Every kid gets fed, powering them up for their day’s work learning and growing.

By most measures, the Minnesota program has been successful and popular. Participation in the meals program soared, increasing 15% at lunch and 37% at breakfast compared with the previous year. Due to those increases, the economies of scale improved, and some districts have been able to invest more in scratch cooking with ingredients from local farmers. It turns out that relieving cafeteria staff of the duty to go after parents who fall behind on lunch payments leaves them more time to focus on food quality.

Minnesota’s registered voters are overwhelmingly happy with the program, too. A KSTP/SurveyUSA poll showed that 72% agreed with the legislation, including 90% of liberals and 57% of conservatives. Even 59% of Trump voters in 2020 agreed. In online forums, Minnesota commenters tend to be remarkably supportive of feeding all children, even if they don’t have any themselves or if they think the food could be better. Parents rave about the convenience and savings.

Minnesota’s success isn’t an outlier, but a consistent feature of free meals for all. A 2022 study of the national Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which provides universally free meals nationwide in districts that have a poverty rate of 25% or more, found that more kids eat when the meal is free. That’s true even among kids who were already eligible for free or reduced-price meals, suggesting that stigma is keeping many from accepting assistance. Even more helpful, families with children in schools that provide meals tend to spend less at the grocery store while still improving the quality of their diets. And, perhaps most important, research consistently shows that school meals improve students’ academic performance, behavior and health outcomes.

It’s not assured that a Harris-Walz administration would push such legislation nationally. Harris has mentioned school meal programs at least twice, once in a 2017 Facebook post deploring lunch shaming and recently on X, when she touted Walz’s school lunch program as a sign of support for the middle class. But if the Democratic ticket does put the issue on its platform or list of priorities, school meals would at least have a knowledgable champion in Walz. He has seen it work on the ground, and he knows the benefits that it brings to the vast majority of families with children in his state.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Republican lawmakers have criticized the free meals program. State representative Kristin Robbins’s complaint is typical: “All the low-income students who need – and we want to provide, make sure no one goes hungry – they were getting [meals] through the free and reduced lunch program. This [new legislation] gave free lunch to all the wealthy families … Is that really a priority?” Walz’s reply to this argument dripped with irony: “Isn’t that rich? Our Republican colleagues were concerned this would be a tax cut for the wealthiest.” The year before, the Minnesota GOP proposed a $3.5bn tax cut that largely would have benefited the wealthiest 20%. Feeding all the state’s schoolchildren, even after going over budget because it was so popular, costs only about one-seventh of that.

Republicans at the national level, too, disdain expanding access to free meals and improving nutrition standards. In March, the Republican Study Committee, a caucus to which roughly three-quarters of all Republican House members belong, released its 2025 budget proposal. It called for ending the CEP for high-poverty districts. Doing so would snatch school meals from millions of children currently receiving them, shifting that cost back to their families. It would also probably increase the bureaucracy for schools, though Republicans claim that this administrative system is rife with “fraud and abuse”. While there have been high-profile cases of fraud in the school meals programs (for instance, a Chicago area nutrition director was recently convicted of stealing $1.5m, largely in chicken wings), most identified “abuse” entails clerical errors like giving wrongly categorized meals (free or reduced-price) to kids very near the income cutoffs or ringing up a meal without one of the required components on the tray, like enough vegetables. I would also point out that, if all children got the meals free, there would be no “fraud” in giving a hungry child a school meal, and we could save the labor and cost of all that paperwork.

Reducing access to free school meals is also a priority of the now-infamous Project 2025, the conservative Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for the next administration. Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, but his ties to it are indisputable and a second Trump White House would probably be well populated with its adherents.

Regarding school meals, Project 2025 repeats the willful deception that the federal lunch and breakfast programs are “specifically for children in poverty”. In truth, from their beginnings, these programs were meant for all children. But they always made allowances for impoverished children’s access – not only poor children, but inclusive of poor children. The authors of Project 2025 argue that any expansion of free meals is against the “original intent” and creates “an entitlement for students from middle- and upper-income homes”. (I wonder what they think of all those wealthy children getting free textbooks?) Their stated policy goals are to “work with lawmakers to eliminate CEP” and to “reject efforts to create universal free school meals”.

While Trump himself may know little about school meals policy (I have never found an instance of him directly talking about it), his first administration set out immediately to relax nutrition standards set under President Obama. The very first policy announcement from Sonny Perdue, Trump’s secretary of agriculture, was that his department would seek to bring back higher-fat chocolate milk, reduce whole grain requirements and stop sodium reductions. And despite the US Department of Agriculture’s own research findings that Obama-era rules had made school meals significantly healthier and debunking claims that plate waste was increasing, one of the last acts of the Trump USDA was to propose a further weakening of nutrition standards to require fewer fruits and allow yet more usually high-salt items such as pizza and hash browns. But the clock ran out on that proposal, and the Biden-Harris administration then increased school meals’ nutrition standards.

Given the Republicans’ legislative goals and the direction of one of the GOP’s leading thinktanks, a second Trump administration would almost surely unravel access to school meals and gut hard-won, incremental gains that have made them healthier. All this despite nationwide polls that indicate a majority of US voters agree that all kids should get universally free school meals.