#reverse 1999 x y/n
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iridescent-solstice · 3 months ago
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| Fic inspired by: {Reverse 1999} A 20th Century Time-Travel Strategic RPG Game |
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Noticing her turning to leave, you panic and grab onto her wrist. A vice-like grip around it, almost as if when she leaves . . . She’d disappear and take everything you hold dear with her. 
“Timekeeper wait!” 
Vertin’s head snaps to look at you. So quickly, you swear it flew. A mixture of intense emotions written all over her face. Eyes widened in shock with her mouth slightly agape. She’s been on many missions that‘s brought new arcanists to the foundation, but never has anyone clung to her in such a manner. Its the storm, Vertin tells herself, the storm is what’s causing you to act like this. Why else would you cling to failure like her who can’t protect anyone? But then she looks into your eyes . . . Eyes that peer up at her so vulnerably. Never has anyone looked at her with such fondness in their eyes. Never . . . Has anyone but her mother held onto her like she’s their lifeline. 
“I-” You pull your arm back immediately, attempting to speak but the ability to speak has already left you. Apologies about to leave you, but she speaks up before you can even start. “Whatever it is that you wish to speak, you must be quick about it. The storm is almost here.” She speaks with finality in her voice. Ahh, another mission must have been assigned. 
Embarrassed, your eyes wander away from her face as you fidget with yourself. “I- . . . Timekeeper, I know you’re busy. It’s not my intention to keep you from your duties . . .” Trailing off again, you’re unable to speak. “But?” She says in an attempt to coax it out of you. The authoritative tone melts away to a voice as smooth as butter, so you cave. Like you always do with her.
“I know that you've been through these many times.” You swallow trying to gather the courage to speak to her so boldly. Openly for the first time. She watches you with such intensity that you get lost in her eyes. The same aloof expression as always has captivated you like no other face could ever. This causes your soul to jump to the sky in fright when you feel her hand grasp yours. Tight and warm, yet her touch is so gentle. . . . As if to say she’s here for you. “With lots of other arcanists but . . . This is my first time braving through the storm. I know you're needed elsewhere but if it's possible . . . Please could you . . . Could I stay with you please?” Your voice teeters off meekly at the last sentence. Tears welling up in your eyes, but you blink them away as you pull your hand away from hers. Face turning away in shame. “I MEAN . . . Forgive me, I just got carried away. You should go before someone comes to-” 
“I’ll stay.” Now it’s your turn to look shocked. Eyes finding hers again once more. The sad sea green ocean in her eyes moves you to huddle closer back to her. To comfort her, something tugs at your heart whenever her eyes get like that. Murky and dark, like she’s reminiscing on something that doesn’t exist anymore. Oh, how you wish you’d be allowed to know what goes on in her head. “I know what it’s like to be all alone with no one to turn to. Don’t worry about my mission, after all I'm not a timekeeper yet, so you shouldn’t keep calling me that either. My abilities are far too weak to be considered for high stake missions at the moment.” With that being said, she breaks your shared stare. An arm hesitantly wrapping around you. Looking outside the window, she observes the rain as it dances around the flowers outside the facility. “I’ll stay with you, as long as you need me to.”  Those words bring you more comfort than anything the foundation could ever offer. And they have offered a lot. Your ability is a game changer. By getting to you first, they got the first real upper hand on manus vindicate but all you feel like is a puppet they poke and prod at.
Vertin on the other hand, feels like home. God, you haven’t thought of that in a long while. Wordlessly, you lean your head on her shoulder. She lets you.
Together the two of you watch the world outside as the number on her wristwatch gets closer and closer to zero. Abnormalities beginning to appear, and soon the storm will begin.
5 4 3 2 1
. . . Her hand clutches yours even tighter and a whimper is heard. You're not sure if it's hers or yours.
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[ ᴅɪᴠɪᴅᴇʀꜱ ʙʏ: @grungenglam]
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luciddreamingcrow · 1 year ago
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hello! I really love your thoughts on vertin always stumbles upon reader on her travels. Always meeting reader who remained the same regardless of the many times of reincanation. Can you write headcanons about it? It really screams soul mate au :D
Thank you! And here are some strawberries for your lovely crows 🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
"But I love you so"
Summary:in every timeline you and Vertin are always ment to be, here's a link to a longer summary
Warnings!: MAJOR SPOILERS!!!slight angst, fluff, not proof read we die like Schneider 🗣️
A/n: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA I ABSOLUTELY LOVE SOULMATE AUS SM, ik that they are kind of dated but we deserve more soulmate aus in this world so I'll make it a soulmate au fic just for y'all, and tysm^^ the crows will love it!
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So! Imagine, while you and Vertin were students in the St. Pavlov Foundation, you two would always get in trouble by pushing the limit of the strict rules of the foundation and try to find out more and more about anything in general.
It has become a habit for the teachers to punish you two separately because as long as you and Vertin were together, everything was alright and wherever you were, wether it be in the halls, in your dorms or were sent to punishment, you guys would be having a good time.
I can see you with Vertin trying to find books in the library about the outside world, even if you weren't a big fan of reading complicated books, Vertin would be more than happy to read them at loud for you and explain you some terminologies that you don't understand.
One of her favourite memories is you two spending time in your dorms theorising about the world, what about the frog she brought in? What kind of life did it have back there?
Her second favourite is you two finding a few scraps of metal in the library, they were two circular ones that fit perfectly like rings, from then on you guys kept them as matching rings.
At last you were one of the first people that she told her plan to go and witness the outside world.
This moment marked such a significant part in your guys friendship, even if you didn't tell her your feelings you felt really honoured to go with her, getting to witness such beauty is a onece in a life time opportunity.
As Vertin gathered more children that longed for freedom just like you two, you of course helped with the plan for everyone to escape.
But you were so innocent, as much knowledge the both of you had, you were still just children, gullible and naive.
The moment you inhaled the air of the outside world you felt as the world around you was embracing you and welcoming your truth, you felt as if life has welcomed you back to life.
That wouldn't last long though, the moment you turned around you felt a sharp pain in your heart, you saw Vertins eyes widen.
She saw how life was draining out of your soul
She has witnessed the Storm
Before you could understand what was happening, the last thing you remember seeing is her, your heart sank along with her's, as if your heart was a anchor strongly attached by a thread to hers
You were gone before her eyes, that marked the end of a era, you were gone, now the world didn't exist for her, she never could feel the oxygen in her lungs the same way as you did.
The only thing that was left is your matching ring, thats it, the only evidence that you were alive in her life time. And from then on she'd wear it with her, never taking it off.
As years passed by she always had this sinking feeling that wouldn't let her be.
In one of her travels she gazed at her clock seeing how long before the storm arrived at that timeline, "in 25 minutes and 11 seconds the Storm is comming" she said as she gazed at Sonetto as she nodded.
"It's a pity, this life time is so peaceful, it feels uneasy even, but there's nothing we can do now, how about a walk? Let's saviour some of these parts at least in our memories" Sonetto murmured before they start walking along a park with a beautiful view of a lake
Before Vertin could comment at the beauty before her she saw someone
Her heart felt heavy again, it couldn't be...
She stayed like a statue gazing on the person that felt so familiar, even if their backs were turned every part of them reminded her of you, but she didn't want them to turn around, she couldn't bear to see their life fading in front of her, so she let go and went back with Sonetto to saviour this time line for as long as she could.
There were multiple times before she saw people exactly like you, they even sounded like you but she couldn't bear to get attached this much again.
But in another timeline, there you were, but the only difference was that you were a Arcanist, Vertin knew she had to collaborate with you in this time line but she still held back.
But how could she? You were here! It was you! Your memories weren't the same but yet you talked to her as if you knew her from birth.
This time Vertin finally could let go of her guilt and mourning, so as the Storm closed in instead of seeing you disappear again she took you with her.
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moon-cakiie · 10 months ago
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💋🐺
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Bonus:
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A/n: Pavia's hair is hard to draw, it took me a while to finish redo his hair ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ
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seriousaboutsiriusblack · 2 months ago
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Sirius: I told you guys, I’m not simping on Remus!
James: Then what’s this? *points at a picture of Remus shirtless*
Sirius: *snatches the picture* You saw nothing!
Regulus: Whatever you say *grabs James’ hand and leaves with him*
Sirius: *kissing the picture*
Regulus: *whispering to James, holding his phone* I am SO gonna send this vid to Remus!
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the-forbidden-pookie · 10 months ago
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Overworked
I'm late but happy bday Horropedia 🥺🫶🏻
Tw: SFW, written with a fem reader in mind, a smol amount of angst followed by much fluff.
Pairing: Horropedia (Joshua) x reader.
May this year witness the freedom of Palestine 🇵🇸🇵🇸
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Work in the Foundation was usually fine, the fact you were a Supervising Field Agent usually meant you got assigned, well, interesting field work. But sometimes the higher ups would demand evidence to backup your mission report "Claims", be it for a trial, or an open investigation, and you would need to spend all nighters sifting through both your and your subordinates' files, as well as archived news articles, archived books, archived tapes, or really anything that could be of use.
To say all that left you mentally exhausted would be an understatement.
More than anything, it makes you yearn to finish up work quickly and go home for a hot bath and indulge in your guilty pleasure: Romance Stories.
You're pretty sure anyone of your colleagues hearing about that hobby would be more likely to think they're being pranked than actually believe it.
You, who worked hard and rose quickly within the ranks of the foundation, despite your young age.
You, who thanks to your constant networking and relentless hard work, was the youngest to be awarded with the title of Field Supervisor, bar Vertin of course as she's the Timekeeper.
Exactly why, when asked, you would usually give the far more acceptable "Tennis" as an answer. Really at this point only very few people have any clue about your obsession, and only because they were your classmates back in your more innocent and naive school days. People like this fool who came unannounced, sitting uninvited on your office couch, thoroughly distracting you from your urgent task.
"And then, we're thinking the main character would be revealed to have actually been the real villain all along! Like the serial killer will still remain a separate person, but the way Blonney's thinking of doing it is making Jessica turn out to be even more terrifying!! We'll drop hints throughout the film and-"
And so he goes, on and on. He even stands up and starts pacing as he bothers you further.
You want to groan. This annoying, silly, helpless, cute, sweet, adorkable fool.
"Aren't you supposed to be grounded?" You say deadpan, "What are you even doing here?"
Horropedia stops and turns, facing you properly, "So you can talk!" He practically cries out with mock shock, his face a mask of "disbelief". "Here I thought you'd gone mute, turns out you were just ignoring me." He says as he walks over and plops down on a chair facing your desk.
You roll your eyes refusing to play along. "Some of us have work to get done, Joshua. We're not children anymore, it's high time you start acting like an adult and quit those silly, childish stories."
"Oh?" He says smugly, but you can tell you've definitely hit a nerve by calling him Joshua instead of his preferred nickname. He then proceeds to take a long look around your office, craning his neck this way and that.
You're not sure what he's planning but it can't be anything good.
"Bingo." He says just under his breath as he stands back up and heads for the cupboard you use as a make shift file cabinet. You tense slightly but remind yourself to keep a cool and aloof facade.
He places one hand against a compartment's door and asks: "So then, there isn't a hidden stash of silly, childish romance novels right in here?" He asks, tapping a finger against it.
Go big or go home. "Please, I outgrew that nonsensical hobby ages ago, do you honestly think I have the time to-"
Horropedia then grabs the door handle without permission and proceeds to yank it open-
Or he would have if the door wasn't locked shut. It doesn't even budge.
You smile smugly. "Did no one teach you going through people's belongings is bad manners?"
"Coming from the person who used to steal from my candy stash? I don't wanna hear it." He says dismissively, now focused on intently staring down your cupboard's lock.
You blush, because he's bringing back embarrassing childhood memories of your's, definitely not because he looks really hot when he stops being a lovable goof, or because of the way the light hits his side profile just right and he looks so serious in a rare picturesque way-
You snap yourself out of your reverie just as he brings something out of his utility belt, you blanch when you realize what it is.
"Seriously? Lockpicks? Who goes around carrying those?! Wait- is that how you got out of confinement?!"
Horropedia ignores you and gets immediately to work.
You spring up and rush towards him, only to arrive a second too late as he opens the cupboard with a dramatic flourish, revealing far too many books with cutesy artworks for covers, some with even more tantalizing titles. In fact, their were so many that they proceeded to slide down and out of the compartment, forming a sizeable pile on the floor.
Your stash now exposed, you do the next best thing and head straight for the open office door instead to shut it. This however is far from ideal.
You turn around slowly and as expected, the dork is giving you and adora- Infuriating smirk.
"How. How did you know they were in there-"
"Relax Short-Stuff, I just know you too well." He says, almost preening with pride at his "accomplishment".
You frown, "Don't call me that."
"Don't call me Joshua." He fires back.
You don't reply, and instead take a silent step towards him, then another.
Alarm starts bleeding into his expression, as he himself takes a step back while throwing a glance at the closed door behind you, no doubt gauging the distance in case you decide to attack.
Instead you ignore him and bend down to start gathering your precious but embarrassing treasures.
"What was that about knowing me so well?" You say offhandedly.
"Well- you used to tackle people who pissed you off so- I mean- Forget it."
Now with you both feeling defeated, he bends down to help you gather the books and says: "When do you even find time to read all of these? Everytime I see you you're either writing a report, heading to a mission or coming back from one."
"The car rides are usually pretty quiet, I can read them in peace as long as I hide the covers." You say without looking up.
After a moment of Horropedia not saying anything back or moving to help you, you look up.
"What?" You snap. You know that look, he's judging you. "If you have something to say say it."
"No, no, it's not like that I just... Do you ever get any rest? I'm pretty sure you even work weekends, and I heard you do volunteer work too. This isn't healthy is all I'm thinking."
You blink. Well yes, he does have a compassionate and sweet side too, it's usually hidden by his general tomfoolery though so you tend to forget about it. You also didn't expect him to be keeping an ear out for news about you, it's not like the two of you chat all that often either. You're caught sufficiently off guard that you now have your mouth hanging slightly open with no sounds coming out.
"Earth to (Y/N), you there?" He snaps his fingers a couple of times, and when you're still silent he sighs and continues gathering your babies- your books, and springs back up to stuff them in your cupboard, then dusts his hands off.
You're looking up at his standing form and damn, he actually looks really good from this angle, really accentuates his already impressive height-
This time he forgoes trying to talk to you and just grabs your from the waist and lifts you back to your feet, giving you a quick pat on the shoulder for good measure before letting you go.
Then he seems to think something over and places a hand on your forehead.
"You're not running a fever, but your zoning out is really out of character for ya. Good thing it's 6 already, you can clock out now." He says with a gentle smile.
The smile isn't exactly rare for him, but it also isn't something he usually gives you.
Ever since you set your sights on climbing the corporate ladder... You have been pushing everyone away, even those most precious to you. You've been taking on more and more, piling the tasks and duties up to the point where, sometimes, you just want to do something crazy and impulsive, to get the load off your shoulders even for a short while.
He's still gazing at you, but his smile is wavering. He's still waiting for an answer though.
You consider what would happen if you say yes to clocking out now, if you even gather some additional courage and ask him to hang out? As friends of course! For old times sake! But then again, if you're already that far, what if you ask him out for real? Maybe just for today, you can ignore the far too many responsibilities piled high on top of you and just-
You shake your head. "No sorry, I'm actually spending the night here, I have a lot of work to get done. I know you want to leave though, so you go on ahead, don't worry I won't rat you out so no one should come to drag you back to the school." You say with a chuckle, and wait for him to get going.
But he doesn't move. You can't read his expression, and the way the light hits his glasses isn't helping. Finally what he says is: "I guess you haven't changed that much after all."
Saying you're bewildered would be an understatement. "Huh?"
He loudly sighs, throwing his head back for added effect as he massages the bridge of his nose.
When he's looking back at you his glasses are now sitting crookedly on the space and you have to hold back the urge to reach up and fix them.
Two hands are now on your shoulders, as if to stop you from escaping the truth. "Listen." He says very seriously, all traces of his usually cheery voice gone. "I'm going to say this as plainly as possible. You're working yourself to the bone. I get it, you have some bigger picture in mind, some larger goal that I probably can't see and you're throwing everything trying to reach it but consider this. Maybe it's just not worth it. Not if you'll die long before you get to it within whatever crazy time limit you've set for yourself. Come on (Y/N), you're a field agent for God's sake, how lame would it be if you bite the dust from overworking on reports?!"
He's panting slightly, that speech was clearly coming from the heart and you really appreciate it, you really do, but ever since he first came in today you've had a nagging suspicion you've been trying to stamp down, but it was time to address the elephant in the room.
"Joshua. Why do you care so much? Because honestly the way you're talking right now..." You take a deep breath, "The way you sought me out today, the way you say all of this... I don't want to sound arrogant, but am I correct to assume that- that-"
You can't do this, if you're wrong what's left of your already dwindling friendship with him might be the price.
You back away from him. "I'm sorry never mind, forget I said anything, I'll keep your advice in mind so please just-" just go! I don't want you here when I cry!
But he must see something on your face because he's pulling you in for a hug. It feels so familiar so right that you can't help but melt into it. The exhaustion finally seems to catch up to you and you can't imagine having to trek the walk back to the dorms, much less get any more work done tonight.
You almost miss it, but you just barely make out the words "Yes, you are correct."
And that wakes you right back up.
You push back and straighten up, and he's immediately startling with you. "W-what?" He asks, looking absolutely adorable. This time, you do reach over and right his glasses.
"What did you just say? You whispered something just now, did I hear it right?" You stare at him intently, your gaze unwavering and determined.
He looks to the side, "Don't look at me like thaaaat." He quite literally whines.
"Like what?" You ask, finding yourself genuinely curious as to what he sees in your expression.
He looks back, "Like I'm one of your high priority missions. Don't give me hope if you don't mean it (Y/N)."
You're tired from a long, mentally exhausting day. Your brain to mouth filter is gone, but then again it usually is around Horropedia. You are not thinking straight but you kinda never are around this man.
You grab his necktie and snatch it down, dragging him with it. Your lips are on his in a second, he's reciprocating (thank goodness) the kiss in the next.
When the two of you break it off for air he has the widest grin he has ever given you. No not ever, but in a long time. The intense nostalgia is the last addition to the melange of feelings churning inside of you and the tears finally fall freely.
Predictably, Horropedia panics.
"I'M SO SORRY?! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID BUT I'M SORRY?!?! WAS IT THE KISS? IT WAS THE KISS WASN'T IT-"
You quickly cover his mouth before he broadcasts any more private information to the whole office floor.
"Shhhh! Calm down! I just... I just needed a good cry I guess..." You end meekly, wiping your tears away.
Horropedia stares at you wide eyed. In another situation this would be the perfect teasing material, (Y/N) actually knows how to cry?! Or something along those lines, but evidently even he has better sense than to do that, so he instead silently hugs you again, and doesn't tighten his hold until you hug him back.
You could stay in his arms forever, which sounds cliche but isn't that amazing? That you could get to think of something so silly and cliche instead of the probability of success of your next mission strategy? You take a small step back without letting go, just to look at the wall clock and debate what to do next. You can tell Horropedia is eagerly waiting for your decision with bated breath. Finally you pull yourself out of the hug.
Only to grab your purse and keys, then quickly come back to his side.
"Alright. You win, what's the plan now?" You ask, twisting a scarf high around your neck to hide your excitement.
He frowns slightly, and hesitantly asks. "Do you still suffer from insomnia?"
Of course he remembers. "It's better now but yes." Is your answer.
"Then we go on the most anti-insomnia date to help you sleep!" He announces, opening the door for you.
You chuckle and head out, waiting for him to follow so you can lock your office.
"And where are we going?" You fiddle with your keys, slipping one in the lock.
"To your dorm room?" He asks more then answers.
You freeze. "Moving a little fast there don't you think?" You turn to face him.
He flushes bright red. "Noooo!! I knew you would misunderstand!!! I meant because your bed is there and you could go straight to sleep once you feel like it!!!"
You giggle. "Oh I know, just teasing." You say wiggling your eyebrows.
He gasps "You! I! Why you! Hmph!" He turns and walks on ahead, but there's a spring in his step and he's headed towards your dorm, so you know he's not actually mad. You jog to catch up to him.
"Geez Joshua, not all of us have long legs wait up!"
And he does slow down, but he also throws you a question. "Why do you keep calling me Joshua? At first I thought it was to annoy me, but that can't be right. So what's your reason?"
You consider this carefully. After everything that just happened, admitting this truth hardly feels like such a hard challenge. You talk as you walk.
"More than one reason I guess... For starters it's what I've always known you as... Despite what I said before, you actually have changed in a lot of ways, heck you used to be shorter than me." You laugh a bit, "The name feels like all I have left from back then." You say with a sigh.
He keeps silent, probably guessing there's more, so you continue, "Also... Well, this is a bit embarrassing but everyone calls you Horropedia... I guess I kinda felt special by being the only one calling you Joshua. It's silly I know."
Horropedia stops walking and grabs your hand, halting you too. He's silent for a moment before he croaks out, voice clearly emotional "You can call me whatever you want." Then he goes back to walking while still holding onto your hand, pulling you along. And that's that.
He walks you all the way to your dorm room then stops.
"You're not coming in? You didn't change your mind already did you?" You ask half jokingly but also kinda worried.
"Nope! I'll go bring my tv and some supplies, I'll be back in an hour or so, that way you'll have time to freshen up and maybe relax for a bit?" He says with a small smile, and ruffles your hair lightly.
You blink, then processing the first part of his sentence you ask: "Why are you bringing your TV? I have a TV."
"You do?" He sounds surprised.
"Of course, how else would I be able to play my romance film tapes?"
His mouth forms an "o" shape. "That actually makes sense, I don't know why I didn't think of that. Well there's still other stuff to be brought but this definitely helps save time, alright see you soon." He gives you a quick hug before parting ways.
Now home, you proceed to tidy up the dorm room and hop in the shower, then get dressed in a comfortable but cute outfit and style your hair into something more relaxed and comfy.
You head to your wardrobe and start opening the large bottom drawers you use to store blankets and pillows, and start constructing a pillow fort on the rug, facing the television.
It's not long until you hear a knock at your door, and with less restraint then you would usually allow, you rush towards it and swing it wide open to reveal a-
A pile of shopping bags and a plushie?
"A lil help here? Actually can you let me in?" You hear Horropedia's voice as he tries to right one of the bags sliding down with his knee.
"Ohhhh!" You intone, mesmerized, "A talking pile of bags and a plushie!"
"Haha, very funny." Horropedia's head pops up and despite his words he's definitely amused.
You quickly begin grabbing the bags closest to you and realize they're pretty much all filled with snacks and fizzy drinks... All of which you know for sure are nothing like those issued by the foundation.
"Where did you even get these?" You ask, as the both of you drag the bags inside. From the corner of your eyes you notice him taking extra care not to drop the relatively large plushie.
"Oh you know, I have my ways~" He replies, going for a mysterious tone.
Do his "ways" include Vertin's suitcase? Probably. But you don't say anything, let him have his moment.
When everything is set up nicely around your pillow fort, you turn to ask him what you're watching when you find him on one knee, dramatically presenting you with the stuffed toy.
"Will you do me the great honor, of accepting my humble offering?" He asks solemnly.
You burst out laughing "Wha- what are you doing..?" You wheeze.
You bend down to grab the plushie and admire it, it's a nice medium size, aka the perfect hugging size.
"I thought you might need a little friend to keep you company as we watch-" He takes out a film tape with a flourish "This movie!"
You blanch. "Is this one of your horror films? Are you serious? I thought we were trying to put me to sleep not keep me up all night." You say with an exasperated shake of your head.
"No no listen, you're used to romance movies, they're no good to help you sleep anymore or they would've worked by now right? Maybe what you need is something to wring out all the nervous energy from you so you can relax!"
Somehow that both makes some sense and no sense at once. But then you have a realization.
You pretend to think it over. "I don't know, even if what you say could hypothetically work, and while your gift is cute, I just don't feel like it's huggable enough, you know?"
His face falls slightly. "Oh? You don't like it do you? I knew I should've brought a bigger one-"
"No, what I'm saying is, it's not the same as cuddling with a warm human being."
You wait for the mostly genius yet sometimes dumb dumb young man in front of you to connect the dots. You can tell he did when his face is the shade of a ripe strawberry.
"OH! Ohhhh!! Oh. Yeah, yeah we can definitely uh- cuddle. As much as you want. Of course."
You laugh "Dude we were just hugging and kissing in my office! Why are you getting all shy on me now?" You tug him along by the arm to set up the film.
"I knoooow," he whines, "it's just this is a step further ok? And that was an I'm-really-worried-about-her hug, and the kiss was a very emotional moment my brain just wasn't braining!"
"Whatever you say." You reply as you poke his right cheek. "You're cute though so it's fine." You giggle.
You wait for him to berate you about calling him, the horror genre enthusiast and connoisseur "cute", but all he does is stare at you with a dopey smile, just making you melt.
"Are you sure we can't just watch a romance movie?" You ask softly.
"Nah, we're being our own romance movie right now." He says as he grabs your hand and hoists you up with him, leading you back to the pillow fort. "You'll pick the movie next time."
The screen turns on, displaying the title of the horror movie you settled on. “It’s a classic!” Horropedia says, clearly excited to share the movie with you.
As you both sink into the pillows, the opening title sequence of the film begins playing.
As the horror style music plays, you notice Horropedia lean in his body closer to yours, careful to not make it seem like he was trying to get nearer.
"You can come closer I don't bite," you say jokingly, "and if I was uncomfortable with having you here I wouldn't have mentioned cuddling in the first place."
Horropedia's face turns fully red as he realizes he was not being subtle.
"Yeah... sorry."
His body shifts, and he slides one arm around your shoulders. He then speaks, barely above a whisper, "Can I get a hug now...?"
"I didn't know you were the clingy type Joshua," you start to tease, "and before even the first jumpscare hap-" but you immediately get interrupted by a joke jumpscare, a character that is not the antagonist innocently scaring their friends as a prank, yet embarrassingly managing to startle you "Eeep-" your hands instinctively grab onto the nearest object, which of course has to be his torso.
Oh dear lord. You sigh internally.
You look up at his face, finding he at least has the decency to try and stifle his laughter, though he wasn't succeeding much. But his droopy eyes were crinkling at the sides, and his smile was just too beautiful so you couldn't get mad.
Horropedia chuckles at your expression, probably finding the irony amusing, and the fact it was a fake jumpscare that did you in.
He then quickly pulls you closer to give you that hug you were just teasing him about not a moment ago.
You feel your head lean against his shoulder as he pulls you in, wrapping his arms around you as you both settle further into your cozy pillow fort setup.
"This doesn't count you hear? I wasn't scared or anything, I'm just a bit jumpy." You say, trying to preserve your dignity. The last thing you need is the no.1 horror enthusiast to misunderstand and think you're a scaredy cat, you would never hear the end of the teasing.
You could feel his chest vibrating with laughter underneath you, and he reaches up with the opposite hand and ruffles your hair.
"Uh-huh." Is all he says.
~~~~~~
By the time the movie ends, you're already sound asleep. Horropedia carefully untangles your limbs and carries you off to bed. The day did not go as he'd expected, he'd go as far to say it went more like his fantasies then actual reality.
He tucks you in carefully, being mindful to jostle you as little as possible. He's fairly certain if you go on a second date (you probably will right? This date went great right?!?!) you won't settle for anything other than one of your romance movies.
Not that he minds, really. After today he doesn't think he'll be looking at the characters on the screen with jealousy or disgruntlement. He also thinks he'll enjoy whatever you pick.
He glances at your alarm clock. Oh it was late. He'd better get moving, while he has more freedom under Vertin's supervision now he still shouldn't push his luck. He decides he'll tell you tomorrow about his new, more flexible work arrangement.
He heads for the dorm room entrance, opening and closing the door softly behind him. His last thought before leaving is he'll have to ask what you thought of his movie pick tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the river to the sea PALESTINE WILL BE FREE ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸.
If you pray, please pray for Gaza and the Westbank 🙏🏻🙏🏻
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st4rlitsea · 8 months ago
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✧°•゚⁠.⁠*Navigation°•⋆⭒˚。
Introduction, Rules, Masterlist, DNI
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Hello and welcome, this is Astra, your guide to this fine library, we don't tend to have much visitors here so make yourself comfortable and feel free to request any book that you'd like
Pls refer to me with she/her prs and keep in mind that I'm still a minor {17} so pls don't be weird, plus I'm more than willing to write for sapphic readers considering I'm sapphic myself
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Here are the requirements for requesting
Request are currently open^^
Most of my fics are going to be in a hc format so pls keep that in mind
What I'll be willing to do: fem/gn reader, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, general dating hc, soulmate au {plsplspls I love them}, f/f, gn/f, gn or f reader/m
What I won't be writing for: dark content, yandere, nsfw {that includes gore}, male reader {so sorry}, m/m
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What fandoms I'll be writing for
{I still don't have the best grip at every characters personality and motives so there's a possibility that they might be occ but I'll try my best to avoid that}
Reverse 1999
Nothing yet here...
Bsd
Beneath Pandora's box lies hope {Dazai x reader}
Honkai star rail {pref request for women}
Nothing yet here...
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DNI!
Basic criteria: homophobic, transphobic, racist, pedø etc
Proship, comship, darkship, or anyone that thinks that fiction can't affect reality
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Thank you sm for taking your time reading though, now please sit down and enjoy a good read<3
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rosaletarosie · 2 years ago
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Hello! My name is Rosaleta and here is my master list !!
•------------------------------------------------------------•
Fandoms I'll write:
- LMK / Lego monkie kid
- Undertale
- Cookie Run Kingdom
- Gravity falls
- Genshin Impact
- Honkai StarRail
( I'll be adding more in the future )
Won't write:
- P3doph31ia, R@pe and all that other bad stuff I won't do
- The basic DNI :)
(I've removed NSFW on the "won't write" area since now I know how to make nsfw stuff :333 )
Will write:
- Headcanons
- Oneshots
- What ifs ( headcanons but it's what ifs )
- Maybe even commissions or art trades :))
•------------------------------------------------------------•
Requests: Open
DMS: Open
Asks: Open
Note: Please be specific on what you want in the requests :)
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seoliee · 1 year ago
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It's been a while since I wrote something so it might be trash lolol but I tried my best because there aren't any stories for my main ;_;
Behind Those Eyes
Reverse 1999: X x reader
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"So... what is this supposed to be?"
You ask, staring at the unknown contraption X had placed in front of her desk. His handsome facial features beaming with excitement and pride.
"It's my newest innovation! Introducing the great expresso making machine!" X exclaims, his voice filled with enthusiasm as he made goofy hand gestures towards the contraption that he made.
You made an exasperated sigh, your gaze flickers to the grinning young scientist in front of you. As much as you are tired of his antics, you cannot deny the fondness you feel in your heart whenever he gives you that grin he seldom gives to others.
"What does it do exactly aside from of course, making expresso?" You ask, leaning yourself further on your swivel chair and crossing your arms waiting for his demonstration.
"I'm so glad you asked my dear (Y/n)."
And so, he went on lengthy explanation on how this new contraption of his is another step close to the great future and exaggerates how it could solve every coffee lovers dilemma.
Mainly, because the machine does the little artwork thing on the foam by itself rather than doing it themselves therefore no failures and you drink your coffee right away without any do-overs.
Perhaps, you should hide his coffee beans to lessen his caffeine addiction and knock some sense into that handsome head of his.
"Well? Amazing, right?" X looks quite pleased with himself, pertaining to the smug smile curled up on his lips.
"Yes. Indeed it is." You replied, clapping your hands and trying your best to show a genuine smile.
Though, of course nothing could get pass X's watchful eyes.
He pouts, looking as if he was about to throw a tantrum like a child. "Come on... That's the driest response I've ever gotten from you." He complains, displeased by your lack luster reply. He thought you would be so enthusiastic and basically be jumping all over the place.
His heterochromatic eyes narrows at you, as if a predator watching its prey carefully.
You had a sudden change after getting assigned to work under Madam Z. He deduced it must be because of the sudden inflation of workload or perhaps another variable he's unknown of.
Either way, he didn't liked it that much. No. Anyone, but not his (Y/n).
He heard you sigh once more, breaking out of his trance. He looked at you with concern as he sat down on top of your desk. "Hey, what's wrong? Is everything fine in your department?" He asks, sounding genuinely concern for her well-being.
You don't even know where to start. It's not like you can tell him everything you've witnessed as it'll endanger both you and him. Her lips pursed into a thin line, frowning. "It's just about the mountains of paperworks I have to do tomorrow." It's not a lie. You do always have a lot of paperwork to read and sign.
However, X had seen through it but decides not to go into detail.
"Then why don't you ask to be reassigned somewhere else?"
"That can't be done. It'll look so unprofes— woah!"
Before you could register what just happened. X had forcefully turned your swivel chair to make you face him, extending his arm to the head rest so his face is now close to yours. So close that you can practically feel his breath against your own parted lips.
His other hand was on top of your hand rested on the armrest, practically caging you underneath his body. His hypnotic heterochromatic eyes were squinted down, gazing deep into your own wavering pupils.
"I can go make a request to Madam Z to reassign you back in my department." He speaks in a hush tone, his hot breath fanning against your lips.
His eyes trail to your parted lips as he brings up his hand and runs his thumb across your bottom lip.
"I missed working with you, (Y/n)"
Before things could escalate further, you gathered your bearings together and gently pushes him off of you much to his dismay.
"B-Breaktime is over. I.. I have to go and deliver some papers to Madam Z." You hastily grab a few random papers off your desk and ran off outside the room with your cheeks flaming red and fuming.
Once you're out of earshot. X laughs and lets himself sit down on your swivel chair and glances up to the white ceiling above him.
"My dear little lamb has gotten so easily flustered these days..."
His right hand goes up to cover his peculiar yellow eyes that has a gear iris and combs back his bangs up.
"Perhaps blowing up this whole place isn't so bad." He says to himself, letting himself absorbed into his own thoughts.
He made a gun with his hand and makes an action like he shoots himself, chuckling once again to the thought.
"Just kidding..."
~•~
"Have you ever wondered what the outside world looks like?" A little version of (Y/n) asks the small gray head boy beside her.
"Sometimes. Why do you ask?" The boy asks.
Little (Y/n) continues to stare up at the glass ceiling above them and watches as birds freely flies above the globe. (Y/n)'s eyes glints in wonder. How would it feel to be free? Free from this orphanage.
"Because I want to see it. I don't wanna stay here anymore."
The boy only stared at her. A comforting silence engulfed them both before be uttered a response.
"Want me to burn everything and escape?
Little (Y/n) turns her attention to him and watches how the gear iris in his peculiar yellow eye began to turn.
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gentaro-kinniecom · 1 year ago
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Yes, My Lady?
Characters: Ada Tennant x fem!reader
C/w: none, Tennant flirts with reader constantly, she/her pronouns used for both the character and to refer to the reader
A/n: Reverse: 1999 is such a good game i love it sm, and..well inspiration struck, I love Tennant so much, shes so 🤭. I usually write the readers gender neutral but, well, we all know why i did it (for the lesbians ;P) HELP This work will be divided in various parts so i hope you guys enjoy!!! This is also my first time writing for another fandom so reblogs and likes are super appreciated!!! <3
Walking through the quiet streets of London, a soft breeze being the only sound ruffling tree leaves, it felt..eerily calm for such dangerous street.
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Even with no one in sight, that feeling of anyone jumping out of the shadows stayed with her…Goosebumps traveled her skin, hands trembling as she kept walking, trying to ignore the strange feeling within her. Quiet but deadly was the thing that came behind her, all sense of calmness had left Y/n, her blood turning cold when suddenly, gunshots could be heard behind her
“Sorry but I can’t let anyone get in the way of me and my lady”
The thing that held Y/n momentarily, crumbled to the floor, her eyes looking back to see an unfamiliar woman. She was now walking towards Y/n’s figure, her smile showed a sense of comfort; a small contrast to the climate surrounding the area
“I apologize, it seems I have yet to introduce myself, I’m Tennant”- As she spoke, a rose was taken from her coat, placing it behind Y/n’s ear -“However, your name is still a mystery to me”
“I’m Y/n..thank you for earlier”
Her words Made Tennant smile and chuckle at y/n’s demeanor. Her lips brushed her hand softly, looking at her eyes with such captivity
“Anything for a dashing lady like you, may I ask where you are headed?”
Tennant’s voice was but a whisper against Y/n’s ear, she couldn’t help but feel safe around the woman she just met…or..have they met before?
“I was heading home for the day, I might make a small detour..if you’re willing to share a meal with me that is”
She wasn’t expecting such an invitation out of the blue, even if she saved her life. Tennant agreed to it, eyes wandering around Y/n’s outfit while her arm wrapped around her waist. The restaurant Tennant chose was far from normal; in a way that its architecture was designed to look more regal, antique even. The interior was definitely better, Tennant chuckled softly upon seeing her face in awe.
“Order anything you want, it’s on me”
“I couldn’t possibly do that! Not after you’ve practically saved me..It should be the other way around, I don’t mind paying”
Taking her wallet out, Tennant sighed, pushing it back in Y/n’s pocket as she took hers out, a credit card appeared between her fingers as she was now sliding it towards the worker who quickly took them into a more exclusive area of the establishment
“Trust me, you’re worth any penny I spend on you, you’re my guest after all”
Defeated, Y/n took a seat in front of her. The evening was delightful, a couple of drinks and small talk was more than enough for them. Even the food was exquisite, there wasn’t anything else that could surpass the evening spent with her
“Thank you once more for the lovely evening”
Her hands remained on Y/n’s waist as she got her keys from the bag she wore. Tennant smiled one last time before letting her go; she walked back to her home, one empty with nothing to fill the silence but a coffee maker. The smell of coffee brought a smile upon Tennant’s face, yet she began to question herself, why was she so attracted to the girl she met today, although, she already knew exactly why, they were childhood friends. However it felt like they were destined to be with each other and Tennant was for sure following that gut feeling she had.
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A few weeks passed, things began to get worse around her area. However, there was still that light of hope that she would meet Y/n again. Apart from her job, she had nowhere to be, always cooped up at her home after work hours, unless a friend of hers was in town. Upon entering the bar she frequented, Y/n sat on one of the barstools as she drank (beverage of choice). It seems she was drunk, asking for someone while the lovely bartender tried asking her more questions about the person she was talking about. Tennant sat nearby her, placing her hat on the counter as she listened in
“She’s just so..pretty, long blonde hair..almost like an angel in disguise, she also carries um..a red hat”- Y/n paused as she saw that the bartender pointed beside her “-she’s right beside me, isn’t she?” The person smiled and nodded, taking Tennant’s order briefly before leaving you two to talk
“I had a feeling you’d be here..are you okay?” Her voice turned soft seeing Y/n’s tears run down her cheeks. She leaned closer, wiping her tears away while smiling
“I don’t know, things have been so rough since we’ve last met..it’s crazy” Y/n sighed, spending time with her as Tennant finished her drink, eventually they ended up going to a nearby park. It was surprisingly blooming with people, taking a seat beside her in a public bench, Y/n stared at the many stars in the night sky. Feeling a heavy breeze, she trembled due to the sudden cold. Tennant saw this and grinned
“How come you’ve forgotten to bring your own coat? You’re lucky I enjoy the coldness of winter”
Warmth wrapped around Y/n as Tennant took off her coat, making sure she was comfortable
“You like the winter too? I just didn’t think it would get this cold tonight..”
A sense of deja vu rushed through Y/n’s veins as they went towards her home, it felt like that same night when she was saved and brought home, without thinking twice, she held Tennant’s hand, preventing her from leaving before speaking
“Why don’t you come in? I promise it’s cozy”
Y/n added, a smile of satisfaction upon her features as Tennant entered gracefully in her home; she was right, it was indeed cozy, the area of the living room felt comforting somehow. Her eyes trailed over the medium sized radio that played some music, meanwhile Y/n sat down on the sofa, her body accompanying hers as she sighed.
“Do you live alone? Must be sad for a lady like you to have no company during the night”
Leaning on her shoulder, Y/n sighed, hands intertwined with Tennant’s as she answered her question
“Mn, yeah, I’m afraid I haven’t gotten the chance to live with someone, it’s been lonely for the past years..”
“Would you like to move in with me then?”
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Pt 2 | Pt 3 (coming soon)
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sleepingcup · 10 months ago
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"I care for you!"
Game: Reverse 1999 x Reader
Characters: Horropedia x Reader
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Fluff, Crushing on you, signs of Depression
Disclaimer: This is purely made for fun, be well aware of ooc and mistypings.
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Summary: You just woke up from a harsh nightmare that you can't recover. Finding yourself to his arms for comfort.
The world is cruel in so many ways.
And so is dreams and nightmares.
Both are brutally cruel and it can be hard to breathe, you wonder why how does people deal with this bullshit everyday. It is like a cycle of repeat that has been replayed over and over again.
"..."
Finding yourself wandering in the halls, you check the place one by one not caring about what happens next you went to do your usual job in your own office adjusting paperwork and reports so it can put the others at ease.
Getting yourself a cup of hot water/coffee/tea you need to refresh yourself from the pain it can't fully help you thanks to the brain re-remembering the nightmare. Everything hurts but you think you got used to it.
While you are doing your early morning tasks you soon got a visitor that appear to your office quietly. Facing to the person it was your best friend, Joshua who just got himself some freshly cooked hashbrowns.
"Hey (y/n)! Surprised to see you here! Can't sleep is what you are going to reply?"
"...????"
You were a bit confused as to why he was here all of a sudden, seeing as he closed the door right behind him before going straight to you. He still kept that goofy smile that you so admired.
"Want a hashbrown?"
"... Sure, thanks..."
Horropedia gave you a share of the hashbrown before sitting across from you and watching you take a bite. You stare at him wondering what he was about to say, and yet you paused yourself before you open your mouth.
Soon it was his cue to share his ramblings to you about the horror movies he watched as you listened to him, you do secretly admit that Horropedia is pretty much the best person to talk about anything else to distract your mind. Before you are a bit annoyed at him, but he does grow on you one by one.
How...?
Simple.
Compared to him and his joyful personality, the rest of the people in the ST. Pavlov Foundation are extremely strict.
If you are in two sides of the story, Horropedia and a few others secretly disobey the foundation in a different scenario, the foundation on the other hand had to be strict and check things one at a time. 'Treat them right' is what they provide, and yet you envy the people who secretly disobey the foundation sometimes.
But that is not about the foundation itself no, the situation is right in front of you.
Your own best friend or crush so to say loves to bother you.
You are in a massive distress.
Two choices in mind and yet you knew the answer.
It did not affect the strictness of the foundation, after all. Love, Familiarity, Affection, and Health care are important. Being left alone to deal with the heaviest thoughts could lead to serious incidents.
"Hey, hello~? Earth to (y/n)?"
"!!!"
You snap out of your thoughts to see Horropedia right in front of you, but you noticed that his happy-go-lucky smiling face was turned to real worry.
"...I can tell.... You got a nightmare again aren't you?"
"!!"
You were to stunned to speak, as he sighs gently pinching the bridge of his nose.
"(y/n)... We have been best friends ever since we are both from the orphanage, I am no stranger to know that you had nightmare quite often, and THIS is the face you are showing?"
The tone he say was very serious, you were about to say something more but you felt his warm embrace, "I am worried about you (y/n)! Please remember that! I had to check up on you no matter if they take me away from you, sure it does sound very cheesy but I am making it as simple as possible..."
Your eyes met his before he made a gentle smile, "I care for you, (y/n)! Even if I don't see or show like it but I am telling the truth I just need to let you know that I need you here with me!"
It took moments and yet, your vision gets blurred.
Knowing what it was, you gently wipe your face, tears are falling from your eyes. Soon you found yourself near Joshua, your lips gently touching his chest as you feel his arms hugging you closer to him. Shaking in his arms you found yourself weak as he gently squeeze you tighter.
You can't help but to tell him what nightmare you encounter as he just listens to you not even bothered to interrupt you.
"You know, you getting those nightmares are purely concerning... Oh! I know! Lets go to my room and I will help you go to sleep by watching horror movies with me!"
"... But...won't tha-"
"Relax I can just let them know that you need a rest, its only fair considering you often overwork yourself to the bone!"
Hating to admit that he is right, you had no choice but to lean to his chest with a nuzzle, he soon gets your intention and gently takes care of you and your office before carrying you to his room. He soon puts you to your room to change and grab a blanket and you did what you were told, as a result you two were now in his room. Horropedia wraps you like a burrito and snuggles you the second he opens another horror movies. You watched with him cozied up with him, and yet you found yourself leaning on him more often till you closed your eyes.
All Horropedia can do was keep an eye on you, but he isn't planning on letting you go.
He does admit to himself that he had a crush on you ever since you saved him from being caught by the foundation and plus spending time with him.
Without you knowing he feels happy knowing that he gave you a kiss on the head hoping that your nightmares are gone.
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luciddreamingcrow · 1 year ago
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Imagine Vertin, in all of her travels to find the truth she always stumbles opon you, or better said a reincarnated version of you. In every timeline she travels to she always manages to find you, at first the logical and rational side of her would tell herself to not get attached, but how could she not? In every reincarnation you remain the same, one of the only constant thing present in her life. Once the Storm starts effecting your current world she refuses to let you go, instead of listening to rationality, her emotions get the better of her and saves you, the only constant thing in her life now able to cherish you and hold you tighter for a little longer.
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moon-cakiie · 11 months ago
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POV: Pavia wants your attention and he demands for a cuddles <3
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A/N: I love this man so much 🐺❤️
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canoncallings · 5 months ago
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Archives
A
Avatar: The Last Airbender: (1)
B
Baldur's Gate 3: (1)
Bluey: (1)
Boku No Hero Academia: (1) (2) (3)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: (1)
Bungou Stray Dogs: (1)
C
D
Dramatical Murder: (1)
E
F
Final Fantasy
VII (?) : (1)
G
Genshin Impact: (1)
H
Hazbin Hotel: (1)
Honkai: Star Rail: (1)
House of the Dragon: (1)
I
Inazuma Eleven: (1)
J
K
L
M
Madness Combat: (1)
N
Naruto: (1)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: (1)
O
P
Q
R
Reverse: 1999: (1)
S
T
Tower Defense Simulator: (1)
U
Undertale Au:
Dusttale: (1) Underfell: (1)
V
W
Welcome To Night Vale: (1)
Wolf 359: (1)
X
Y
Z
Numbers
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jondalars · 11 months ago
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movies, tv shows, and books of 2024
((* is a rewatch/reread; currently watching; can’t get through))
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Jack o' Frost (s1)
Breathless (1960)
I Hear You're Rich by Diane Williams
Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (2002)
How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022)
Out There by Kate Folk
Saltburn (2023)
Bulbbul (2020)
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Oldboy (2003)
Doona! (s1)
The Guest Lecture by Martin Riker
Survivor (s7*, s46)
Carol (2015)
The Trust (s1)
Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee
The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty (s1)
EO (2022)
Turn to Me Mukai-kun (s1)
Death Valley by Melissa Broder
Past Lives (2023)
The Traitors (s2)
Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri
Celebrity (s1)
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Society of the Snow (2023)
The Batman (2022)
Lady Vengeance (2005)
Rinko-san Wants to Try (s1)
Her Private Life (s1)
The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty
Good Morning Call (s1)
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
Itaewon Class (s1)
Dumb Money (2023)
Yumi's Cells (s1)
The Eagle (2011)
Sword and Fairy (s1)
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Possession (1981)
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Audition (1999)
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
My Demon (s1)
Down Low (2023)
Plus One (2019) *
Eustace and Hilda by L.P. Hartley
Upgraded (2023)
Vincenzo (s1)
Backstreet Rookie (s1)
Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind by Donald C. Johanson & Maitland A. Edey
Scarlet Heart (s1*)
Amidst a Snowstorm of Love (s1)
Doom at Your Service (s1)
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis trans. Peter Bien
Bottoms (2023)
Suspicious Partner (s1)
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Irish Wish (2024)
Eye Love You (s1)
Marry Me! (s1)
Butterflied Lover (s1)
Kiss Goblin (s1)
The Date of Marriage (s1)
Nevertheless (s1)
Please Be My Family (s1)
The Unforgivable and Other Writings by Cristina Campo
The Skin of Dreams by Raymond Queneau
Physical: 100 (s2)
Welcome to Samdal-ri (s1)
The Holdovers (2023)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Deal or No Deal Island (s1)
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Baby Reindeer (s1)
Howards End by E.M. Forster
Anyone But You (2023)
Talk To Me (2022)
Ringu (1998)
Will Love in Spring (s1)
The Idea of You (2024)
K-pop Generation (s1)
Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat *
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas
Perfect Marriage Revenge (s1)
Us and Them (2018)
Boys Planet (s1)
I-LAND 2 (s1)
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Camp Zerobaseone (s1)
Gold by Rumi trans. Haleh Liza Gafori
So I Married the Anti-Fan (s1)
MAKEMATE1 (s1)
Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale
I Cannot Reach You (s1)
Hit Man (2023)
Start-Up (s1)
Mai (2024)
Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat *
Meet Me After School (s1)
The Double (s1)
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
Upcoming Summer (2021)
One Day (s1)
The Parades (2024)
Molly by Blake Butler
Story of Kunning Palace (s1)
Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat *
A Strange and Sublime Address by Amit Chaudhuri
Sometimes I Think About Dying (2023)
The Singularity by Dino Buzzati
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Silent (s1)
Butterfly of Dinard by Eugenio Montale
Claim to Fame (s3)
Candy Color Paradox (s1)
The Fourth Kind (2009)
Prey (2022)
Destined (s1)
L'Avventura (1960)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Lovely Runner (s1)
Throne of Blood (1957)
Y/N by Esther Yi
My Journey to You (s1)
My Sweet Mobster (s1)
A Journey to Love (s1)
Fight for my Way (s1)
A Chance Meeting: American Encounters by Rachel Cohen
A Tale of Love and Loyalty (s1)
Plainwater: Essays and Poetry by Anne Carson *
A Familiar Stranger (s1)
Maid's Revenge (s1)
The Immortal Promise (s1)
In Blossom (s1)
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idreamofplaid · 3 years ago
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In Search of a Happy Ending
Square Filled: Cooking Dinner for @spndeanbingo & Head Cannon for @girl-next-door-writes Make Me Feel Bingo
Characters: Dean x Reader; Sam mentioned
Rating: Teen
Summary: Dean is ready to do whatever it takes to have his apple pie life.
Word Count: 1607
A/N: Thank you first for your friendship @dean-winchesters-bacon and for your beta read on this fic. I know I can rely on you for “Dean accuracy”. 
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From the moment Dean said “Sam’s gone to a museum thing in Kansas City,” you knew he was up to something. 
“What kind of museum thing?” Your eyes narrowed at your boyfriend of seven months, but there was also a huge smile spreading across your face. 
“Some kind of ancient Roman artifacts or something,” he answered while he stirred the pot on the stove. Sure Sam liked that sort of thing, but you’d never known him to make a weekend of going to a museum by himself, which conveniently left the bunker all to you and Dean.
You peeked inside the pot that Dean was pretending had all of his attention. He was making a red sauce. The smell of the basil and oregano he’d added to it made your mouth water. In a pan on another burner, he was sauteing chicken. The biggest surprise of all was the chopped up carrots and broccoli he added to the chicken. This was not Dean’s usual fare.
That made you even more pleasantly suspicious. “Want to try a taste?” Dean dipped the wooden spoon he was using into the sauce and blew on it to cool it down before holding it to your lips.
The sound you made was something similar to orgasmic, and your eyes closed to fully savor the flavor. “Dean, that’s amazing.” You opened your eyes and licked your lips. Dean smiled, clearly pleased you liked it, and there was the kind of happiness in his green eyes that once had rarely, if ever, been there. Things were different now. Chuck had been neutralized. Jack was in charge of the known universe, life had gotten much simpler, and with all these changes; Dean had finally allowed himself to relax.
You walked behind him and circled your arms around his waist, easing your hands underneath the bottom of his t-shirt. Dean’s stomach was one of your favorite parts of his body. It was soft, but you could still feel the strength of the muscle underneath. And that summed up Dean nicely. Soft and strong.
He was moving the chicken around the pan with a spatula, and he laughed. “You keep doing that, baby, and I’m never gonna finish cooking this dinner.” 
“What? This?” you asked innocently, running one of your hands slowly up his torso to his chest. You’d chosen to go up instead of down, because if you’d done that it would have been all over, and this was clearly important to him.
Dean put down his cooking utensils and turned to you. He kissed you, his lips sweet and firm. “Yes. That. I promise I’ll take care of you real good later, but let me feed you first.” 
Dean liked his food. That was no secret, but he liked sex more. So, what was up?
His hands slid below your waist to hold your hips, and his eyes held yours. Each time you saw them it felt like you were touched even more deeply by the intensity and beauty you found there.
Dean’s eyes scanned your face, and you smiled. “Go sit at the table. Food’s almost ready,” he told you with a quick kiss to your lips. 
The plate Dean sat before you not only smelled divine; it looked good too. He had clearly done some research about food presentation. When he put a bottle of wine and two glasses down on the table, you knew something monumental was about to happen. Chicken and vegetables? Now wine?
Dean pulled out the chair across from you and sat down. You’d suggested the boys replace the industrial cafeteria style table with some real furniture to make the bunker seem more like a home, and they had agreed. You were still getting used to seeing Dean sitting in a wooden chair that was house worthy and at an actual table. He popped the cork from the wine bottle and poured you a glass. Wine with a cork too?
You sipped your wine and took a closer look at Dean. He was wearing that red shirt that made your heart flutter and your walls clench. It was somewhere between plaid flannel and an FBI white dress shirt on the fanciness scale. Was he trying?
That’s when you noticed Dean was looking at you too. Was he waiting for you to take a bite of your food? Waiting for you to say something? You couldn’t tell. So you cut a piece of chicken and put it into your mouth, along with a sugar snap pea. 
“It’s good, Dean. Delicious actually.” He seemed to relax a little. What was going on with him?
You took another bite while Dean drank his wine. He had relaxed some, but something still seemed a little off, so you attempted to make conversation. “How long has Sam been planning this trip to the museum?”
“It was...uh...kind of a last minute thing.” Dean still hadn’t touched his food.
You put down your fork and looked at him intently, trying to read him. Dean dropped his eyes.
“Dean, what’s going on?” You reached across the table and put your hand over his, offering him reassurance about whatever it was he was carrying.
He raised his eyes back to yours and started slowly, “Y/N, there’s something I want to tell you.”
You curled your fingers around his thicker ones to hold his hand. “Okay, Dean. You know you can. Whatever it is.”
His tongue slipped out over his lips, wetting them. “There was something I did a long time ago.” He shifted a little in his seat. 
“I...fixed myself. I mean...there was something that happened.” Dean looked uncomfortable enough that it made your heart hurt. 
“There was this one hunt and…I met a woman. Only, she wasn’t a woman. She was an Amazon. I got her pregnant, and it was... a weird Amazon pregnancy.” He waved his hand around in the air and sighed.
“The...the baby was born a couple of days later. I... had a daughter, but Sam... killed her.” Your mouth fell open.
“Sam killed a baby?” Dean’s eyes darted to yours.
“No.” He was shaking his head. “No. She grew up as fast as she was born. Sam had to kill her because she was a monster, and she was going to kill me.” Dean hung his head and let go of your hand. “But she was still my kid.”
Dean’s words were falling out of his mouth unchecked. He was telling you things he’d never said before, things that helped explain more of who he was.
He brought his eyes back to yours, and what you saw in them was heartbreaking. “I never wanted anything like that to happen again, so I made sure it wouldn’t.”
You reached for his hand again, so you could hold it. You needed to hold it. “Dean, are you telling me you got a vasectomy?”
Dean clutched your hand, glanced away, and finally ventured a glimpse back at your eyes. “Yeah. But not anymore. I mean I undid it. I can...you know.”
He was so adorably flusterd it made you love him even more. “You had your vasectomy...reversed?”
Dean sighed deeply. “Yeah. That last hunt didn’t last quite as long as I told you it did.” He licked his lips. “I can...I mean I couldn’t ask you to marry me if I couldn’t give you children.”
Your breath caught in your throat, and your heart swelled with more love than you had ever thought it possible to feel. Your heart was also pounding; you weren’t sure how to take what Dean had said.
“Dean, I...” Your fingers moved nervously over the back of his hand. Now he was the one asking you to trust him, needing you to love him.
He stumbled over his words, and it was delightful to see him so ruffled. “I mean I’m going to ask you to marry me better than this. It won’t be in the bunker kitchen. I’ll do it right. You deserve more than this.”
You stood up, walked around the table, and sat in his lap. You snuggled your face into his neck, needing to feel the closeness. Your smile was so wide you could feel it, and your heart was nearly bursting with joy. 
“Dean, are you saying you reversed your vasectomy for me? That you want to have babies with me?”
“Yes.” He was so cute when he wasn’t his usual cocksure self. 
You brushed your fingers slowly through his short, soft hair. “I love you, Dean Winchester.”
His lips were soft when you touched them with yours, and when you pulled away; his eyes were even softer. “I want to give you anything you want, Y/N. But I can’t. Not yet. I mean...I have to wait. Doc says I’m healing. I can’t...But I can still make you feel good.”
You kissed his forehead and then his cheeks. “Come to bed with me, Dean. There’s plenty of time for all that later. I just want to hold you, feel you hold me.”
Dean stood and took your hand to lead you back to his room. You left the beautiful meal he’d prepared on the table.  The chicken could get cold; the chicken didn’t matter. All that mattered was your love for each other.
He’d done it for you, thinking about a future with you, and that was what mattered. That, and the fact, Dean had basically just said he was going to ask you to marry him. All the hurt of the past could be put to rest. You’d make him happy. You would. 
Everything: @gambitwinchester @princessmisery666 @peridottea91 @logical-princey @emilyshurley @beenlovingromansincedayoneish @fangirlxwritesx67 @waywardbaby @atc74 @shaniquacynthia @mariekoukie6661 @tumbler-tidbits @67-chevy-baby @fandom-princess-forevermore @emoryhemsworth @crashdevlin @heycasbutt @jules-1999 @cosicas-cuquis @sammyimpala-67 @queenoftheunderdark @dean-winchesters-bacon @mrs-meghan-winchester @timelordy-fangirl2 @sweetness47 @hobby27 @awesomesusiebstuff @kickingitwithkirk @becs-bunker @sandlee44 @supernaturalgrandma @sea040561 @dawnie1988 @volleyballer519 @kdfrqqg @lizette50 @daisymoder72 @sorenmarie87 @lovealways-j @deansotherotherblog @mrswhozeewhatsis @spnbaby-67 @wayward-and-worn @asthesunwentdown @vulgar-library @thinkinghardhardlythinking @calaofnoldor @petitgateau911 @deanwanddamons 
Dean/Jensen: @deansyahtzee @flamencodiva @deanwinchesterswitch @feelmyroarrrr @focusonspn @akshi8278 @ladywinchester1967 @sgarrett49 @wingedcatninja @coffee-obsessed-writer​ @adoptdontshoppets​ @ellewritesfix05​ @weepingwillowphoenix​
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katehuntington · 4 years ago
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Title: Ride With Me (part 25) Fandom: Supernatural Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±6900 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family. Summary part 25: Y/N and Dean struggle with the aftermath of their split. Working together proves to be difficult, but other relationships within the ranch family took a hit as well. When the cowboy thinks the day can’t get much worse, complications arise, forcing him to make yet another difficult decision. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff,  angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak, slowburn. Crying, nightmares, childhood  trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of  addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of  blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: (opening scene) The Eye - Brandi Carlile. (Ride with Meadow scene) Home - Hans Zimmer. Follow ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: Beta’d by my mom (yes, you read that right. My mom reads my stuff and is on Tumblr). Thank you, @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish​​, @kittenofdoomage​​, @manawhaat​​, @waywardbeanie​​, @atc74​​​​​, and @winchest09​​​​​ for helping me with this story. Also a special thanks to @jules-1999​​​​​, who has offered me her knowledge about rodeo events like these, and @squirrelnotsam​​​​​, who knows Arizona like the back of her hand.
Ride With Me Masterlist
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     With frustrated motions, Y/N stuffs her clothes into a bag, not even bothered to sort the items out. Her cheeks are tear-stained once again and she wipes at them angrily. Stop crying, it won’t get you anywhere, she scolds herself, done with feeling this emotional. After all, today is Monday, just another day at the ranch, and they have a lot of work to do. Garth and Ellen did the necessary stable work, but the horses which are usually trained by Jo, Dean, and herself had three days off while their riders were in Flagstaff. 
     Dean. Just the name reverberating in her head forces her to pause her actions. She dips her chin, closes her eyes, and takes a breath. Why? That’s the question she keeps asking herself. Why did he break up with her? Why did he pretend to care, only to hurt her the way he did? Why has he become so bitter, so selfish, so unlike the man she thought he was?
     The questions remain unanswered, and she doesn’t expect they will give her any consolation either. That was the whole issue to begin with, wasn’t it? He can’t be honest. Apparently, he doesn’t think she’s capable of bearing the load he is meant to share with his partner. Apparently, she’s not good enough. Just like she didn’t meet her first boyfriend’s standards, who got tired of her spending more time with her horses than with him. Her second relationship ended in a fiasco as well, this time it was his jealousy of her success that caused the split. Yesterday proved that the third time clearly isn’t a charm. But neither of her previous significant others ever caused a cataclysm as the one Dean has left behind. Her heart is a wasteland now.
     “Are you leaving?”      She’s pulled away from her thoughts by Jo’s voice, her tone matching the horrified expression on her face. She stands in the doorway, looking down at the open suitcase on the floor and the unzipped bag. All of a sudden, Y/N realizes what the scene must look like.      “No. I’m just sorting out my washing,” she says quickly.      “Oh��” the blonde cowgirl sighs, relieved. “For a second there I thought--”      “I won’t let your scumbag cousin chase me away, Jo,” her friend assures her.
     Truth be told, though, she has been thinking about it. Last night she had typed down her information on a booking website, ready to confirm her flight back to Freeport, but as her finger hovered over the ‘confirm’ button, she closed the tab and slammed her laptop closed. The intern came here on a mission. She is going to prove to her parents and to herself that she has what it takes to run her own ranch and that she deserves that business loan. She is not going to abort just because her heart is broken, come hell or high water.
     “Well, good. I would have roped you like a cow and tied you to the saddle anyway,” Jo scoffs, leaning against the doorframe. 
     The cowgirl chuckles as she collects the last of her dirty laundry, zips up the bag, and puts it on the bed. The sight of the not-particularly comfortable mattress has her wishing she could crawl back under the covers and get some much-needed sleep. That’s not an option, however, and so she takes her hat from the corner bedpost and places it on her head. Before she goes out, she quickly checks her makeup in the mirror, but thankfully her tears haven’t smudged her waterproof eyeliner and mascara, and her foundation is still covering the bags under her eyes. It’s been a while since she hid behind the beauty-products, but the confidence Dean gave her has disappeared the second he ended their relationship, so she put her mask back on. There is no way she will give her ex-boyfriend the satisfaction of witnessing just how broken she is.
     Y/N inhales deeply and squares her shoulders, lifting her chin as she stares at her reflection. The woman who looks back at her is fierce and resilient; the complete opposite of the little girl that’s hiding inside. Of course, she doesn’t want to face the day nor the man who hurt her, but she is left with no choice. There is so much more at stake here; her future, her career. This is business, and she will treat it as such. Y/N glances at Jo, giving her a nod, and her friend smiles faintly doing the same.
     Rubbing his tired eyes, Dean pours himself his third cup of coffee. Saying that he had a rough night, is putting it mildly. The first digit of his alarm clock had already changed into a ‘2’ when he finally drifted off, only to jolt awake an hour and a half later, his bedsheets clinging to his sweat-covered skin. For the first time in years, a nightmare has caused havoc, images of his worst memories coming through cracks in the walls he built around all that childhood trauma. After freshening up, he laid in bed again while last night’s events alternated with those same disturbing scenes he saw in his dreams, the sad motion picture of sorrow and heartbreak projected on the ceiling. He gave up on sleeping around four-thirty in the morning, got dressed, and sat out on the porch until the sun came up. But no matter how hard he focused on the sounds of the night that tried to soothe him, he couldn't get her out of his mind. The pain laced in her desperate voice, the tears that fell because of him. But after those hurtful images, he also remembers that bright smile, her giggles, the sparkle in her eyes when she has achieved something. Her tenderness, her touch… It hasn’t even been twelve hours and he’s already craving Y/N, fighting an addiction for a drug he can never have again. The girl who is no longer his Yankee.
     A door squeaks and Dean glances aside, immediately redirecting his gaze back to the coffee mug on the small kitchen counter when Y/N comes into view, followed suit by Jo. Instantly, the tension in the living room shoots through the roof, the crooked, little bunkhouse barely able to maintain the strain. He doesn’t say anything, but thankfully Garth and Benny do exchange a ‘good morning’ with the girls, the silence interrupted by the casual exchange. 
     He spots her perfectly applied makeup, her hair tied back in a tight ponytail that doesn’t  allow a single strand to escape the rubber band. Her shirt is neatly tucked into her jeans, ironed and spotless, just like the day when she arrived at the ranch. Even though she looks breathtaking, the vision saddens him; she’s back to being the woman who needs to have everything under control. He gets it, though, because when she took his advice to loosen up, she let her guard down. If she had kept both hands on the reins, Y/N would have never allowed him to get so close and comfortable. Dean only made things worse for her, and now she was left to pick up the pieces of all that he broke.
     Without saying a word, he grabs his coffee and pushes the door handle down to make his exit, not wanting to make her life more difficult than he already has.
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     Ultimately, this Monday was bound to get worse with every passing minute. Dean decided to get an early start before breakfast and got on the tractor, but when the ranch hand tried to back up in order to drag the arena, he couldn't get the old John Deere into reverse. A glance underneath soon determined why and he exclaimed a loud ‘fuck!’ when he detected the puddle of gearbox-oil on the dusty ground. Turning the fresh horses out only added to his agitation, especially when the youngsters stirred up the palomino stallion Led while the wrangler was hand-walking him. The Quarter is still recovering from the nasty tendon injury he suffered on the job, and isn’t supposed to be bouncing off the concrete like a rubber ball on a leash, but tell that to an energetic horse who has barely been out of his box for the past month. Garth readied a horse for his boss, which he managed to ride before breakfast, but Dean was unfocused and gave up after thirty minutes.
     Now, they were all quietly eating their breakfast, the delicious meal giving them some consolation. Ellen observes the awfully silent crew, exchanging a look with her daughter, who with a slow shake of her head tells her mother to not bring it up, and so she doesn’t. The head wrangler is the first to get up from his seat, rinse his plate in the sink, and return to the stables. The others follow his example, the barn soon buzzing with activity. 
     Y/N works like a dog, mucking out the stable in record time without pausing. It’s a good distraction for her reeling mind, the hard labor ridding her of the frustration that boils her blood whenever she thinks of the man who ruined her faith in true love. Garth, sensing that the intern was fine on her own, took the tough job of raking the arena by hand, since machinery has let them down. Meanwhile, Jo and Dean train the animals as per usual, but there’s no bantering between them during the cool down. In fact, the wrangler’s cousin has decided to ignore him altogether. 
     Getting more irritated with every second passing, the horseman dismounts the six-year-old gelding named Santana, deciding that a light workout is enough for today. The wrangler is always careful to not let his emotions bleed into his work, but he’s finding it difficult to keep himself in check. Jo has already parked her horse next to the bay Quarter and has tacked down the buckskin without granting Dean a look. He sighs; Jo is not easily going to forgive him for hurting her friend, but he still tries to break the stifling silence.
     “Can you pass me the water?” he asks, nodding at the yellow garden hose that’s rolled up by the faucet.      Without even granting him a look, the ranch owner’s daughter throws the showerhead in his direction, the nozzle clattering on the tiles in front of Dean’s feet. He sighs, annoyed.      “So this is how it’s gonna be?” he scoffs. “I get that you’re mad, but you can at least t--”      “I have nothing to say to you,” she snaps. 
     It’s not the first time Jo is angry with him, because the two have a habit of getting on each other’s nerves. This time it’s different, though, and the bitterness in her tone sends a clear message that he has burned his bridges. Gritting his teeth, he lets the comment slide, deciding that it’s useless to fire back a counter. She has a solid point after all; he doesn’t deserve her sympathy in the slightest. Figuring that these will be the only words they exchange for at least a couple of days, the cowboy begins to hose down Santana, when Jo turns on her heels with her horse’s lead rope in one hand and her fist firmly planted on her waist.      “You know what? I do have something to say. You just don’t get to speak in return,” she kicks off, about to unleash her wrath.      Dean lifts his gaze from the dirt and sweat that he’s washing out of his horse’s coat, for the first time looking into his cousin’s fiery eyes. The petit cowgirl, who is easily nine inches shorter than the man before her, is intimidating nonetheless. He takes a breath, bracing himself for impact. Here it comes.
     “You’re a cold-hearted, spineless, self-absorbed dick, know that? For once in your life, you’ve got something good goin’, someone who was willing to look past your gigantic ego and your daddy issues, yet the first thing you do when life gets tough, is drop her like a hot potato. Do you have any idea how much pain you’ve caused the poor girl? Because I do! She wouldn’t want me to tell you this, but she cried for hours, hours, and that’s on you! Guess who had to comfort her, huh?” Jo goes off. “I am so far past mad; I am furious! I really thought you had finally found a reason to change into something better than the abbreviated piece of nothing that you are now, but it seems like Y/N wasn’t the only one who was naive.”      “You done?” the wrangler says coldly when she pauses to catch her breath.      “Go hump a cactus, Dean,” she sneers.
     With those words, Jo strides away, the large animal next to her obediently following her, well aware that now is not the time to be stubborn. The man who’s left with the poignant insults still echoing inside his head, pulls at his bottom lip with his teeth, staring at his feet for a second before he sniffs and focuses on the task at hand again. He might have pretended that her message left him unbothered, but the opposite is true. Jo could as well slap him across the face; it would hurt less. 
     Defeated, the wrangler takes Santana to his box and removes the halter from the large animal’s head. The sweet horse seeks contact, nudging her nose against Dean’s shoulder. He rubs the Quarter’s withers before he exits the stable, appreciating the only kindness that he’s received so far this morning.
     “Dean?”      He tenses, not expecting his name to fall off the lips of the woman who he parted from only yesterday. When the cowboy meets her gaze, the look Y/N gives him is as cold as the tone of her voice.      “I need a word,” she says, although it sounds more like a demand.      “S - sure,” he stutters, glancing down briefly before he looks back up again, suddenly nervous. He’s not sure if he can handle being scolded by his ex-girlfriend as well.      “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to work together anymore,” she states formally. “I’d like a new supervisor.”
     Dean cocks his head back slightly, unbalanced by the appeal. He rubs his temple, averting his eyes but then nods, acknowledging that she’s probably right, even though the request is a painful one.      “Yeah, uh - sure. I’ll ask Garth,” he stammers, estimating that he would be the obvious choice since she’s so close with Jo. He wouldn’t want their friendship to be tainted by the difference in rank.      “Okay,” the intern responds, her expression stark and strained, before she walks past him.
     Motionless, the head wrangler remains on his spot, setting his jaw and closing his eyes for a second. Somehow, he didn’t expect their first exchange to be strictly business. Her stance is so different from what he’s grown used to. Even on the night they met when she gave him a hard time, the tension between them didn’t feel as heavy as it does now. He realized when he called it quits that she would struggle with his decision, but Jo’s confirmation that she spent most of last night crying over their separation has him desperate to ease the pain.
     “Y/N…” he says softly while turning before she’s too far gone to pick up on his voice.      “I have work to do,” she cuts off, shooting him a short glare over her shoulder.
     Dean swallows thickly while watching her leave, fast and determined strides taking her as far away from him as possible. Damn it, he really did ruin his chances of even maintaining any sort of a friendship, didn’t he? He’s not sure what else he expected after the way they parted, but despite the loathing and vexed look she just shot him that feels like a bullet to the heart, he’s glad. Let her be angry, let her hate him. It will be easier for her to deal with those emotions, than just the overwhelming sense of sadness. He knows, because he hasn’t felt this devastated, empty, and incomplete since his family fell apart; he’s talking from experience.      Wishing the day was over already, the cowboy adjusts his hat and gets back to work, hoping that riding will offer him the therapy he so desperately needs.
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     Unfortunately, the day doesn’t pass by nearly as fast as Dean would like to. After riding five horses, he, Benny, and Garth use their lunch break to look at the beat-up tractor that once again has let them down. The head wrangler doesn’t mind skipping his midday meal; he would rather avoid sitting across from Y/N in a room overflowing with awkwardness, plus, he’s not hungry anyway. 
     The machine from 1979 was bound to die on the crew sooner than later, but after the farrier slash mechanic discovers metal particles in the gearbox fluid, it becomes clear that a simple oil change isn’t going to cut it this time.      “Yep, she’s toast,” Benny sighs, wiping his dirty hands with a cloth.      “Just what we need,” his friend grunts. He’s not looking forward to his uncle’s response to the setback. “I’ll tell Bobby.”      “I can if you want me to,” the stable boy - who is also responsible for the machinery - offers.      Dean purses his lips slightly, his thumbs hooked through the belt loops of his jeans while he stares at the old John Deere absently. “Nah, I’ll do it. I got a question for you, though. Do you mind supervising Y/N from now on?”      Garth shakes his head, taking in his boss, somewhat confused. “No, not at all.”      “Good,” the wrangler replies quickly, thankful that the slender employee takes on the task without question. The clueless young man didn’t pick up on the relationship between Dean and the intern to begin with, and he would rather keep him in the dark, especially now that it has ended. He knocks on the rusty hood of the tractor before he heads off. “I’ll see y’all in a bit. Can you start rolling out the hay to the pastures with the wheelbarrows? It’s gonna take a hell of a lot longer without this old thing.”
     The shade inside the stables is welcoming, and not just because it offers cooler temperatures. Dean’s eyes are still painfully sore from the lack of sleep and he rubs at them again, trying to stop them from burning. Shit, and it’s only Monday, he sighs to himself. The three-day event over the weekend means no time off for the employees who attended. The last time he didn’t have to show up at seven in the morning or earlier was late September, which means that he has been working twelve-hour plus shifts for fourteen days straight now. Work never stops on a ranch. The horses depend on him; they will always need food, a clean stable and exercise, no matter how tired, lovesick, or miserable he is. 
     The cafeteria is already empty. His aunt is probably at the guesthouses to change the sheets and towels, giving the accommodations a quick once-over. However, he finds a post-it on the long table with his name on it; ‘Don’t forget to eat. Bacon sandwiches are in the fridge - Ellen’. As the cowboy smiles for the first time today, he wonders if Bobby has told his wife anything about John’s unexpected visit in Flagstaff, hoping that he hasn’t. Knowing his aunt, she’s going to sit him down for some sweet tea and a talk, even though previous attempts of having a conversation as such proved to be unsuccessful. He appreciates her concern, though, the idea of his surrogate mom caring about him offering Dean some solace.
     The wrangler walks through the high barn doors on the other side, the sun doing its very best to cheer him up, but the rays don’t reach his soul. He makes his way to the Singer’s home, reckoning he will find Bobby there. As per usual, Dean takes off his hat and hangs it on the coat hanger, kicking off his boots before he proceeds to the office in the back of the house. After knocking, he pushes the door ajar, finding his uncle behind his desk. The place is still a mess, but the occupant’s features aren’t draped in shadows like the last time he was here. The blinders are open, the window a passe-partout of the Joshua tree, together with the paddocks and pastures surrounding it. 
     The rancher looks up when his nephew enters. “Hey, son. How’s the tractor comin’?”      “Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s fried. The oil is swimming with debris,” Dean tells, taking a seat on the other side of the desk.      “Metal?” Bobby questions. When the young man across from him nods, he curses. “Balls!”
     Dean presses his lips into a firm line, keeping still in the worn chair to prevent it from squeaking. His uncle seemed to be in a good mood after the successful show, but he can tell that this setback has put a strain on the old man’s frame of mind. 
     “You’re gonna call the service station?” the head wrangler wonders.      “No, that’s gonna cost us. We finally managed to make some money, I ain’t planning on spending it on that damned thing.” The rancher adjusts his ball cap before leaning back in his chair. “You boys can give it a go first, open up that gearbox, see what’s broken. I’ll order parts once you figure out what’s wrong with that piece of shit.”
     Scribbling something down on a piece of paper, Bobby sighs, but then returns his focus to Dean. “There’s somethin’ else I need to discuss with you.”      His right-hand raises his eyebrows slightly, his interest peaked. “What’s that?”      “It’s about Cain,” his uncle murmurs. “Apparently MacLeod didn’t tell the entire story.”      Dean scoffs, shaking his head. “Should I be surprised? I’m not sure what kinda vibes you picked up from that shady dude, but I sure as hell don’t trust him for the life of me.”      “I don’t either. That’s why I think we should reconsider that deal.” Bobby rests his elbows on the armrests of his chair, forking his fingers together in his lap. He expected some resistance from Dean, but not such a strong reaction as his nephew fires back.
     “What?! Are you serious?” he counters, perplexed. “You’re just gonna wipe it off the table?”      “Not ‘just’, but we need to consider our options,” his boss returns.      “How many options do we have exactly? Because the way I see it, this arrangement is a pretty damn good one. It’s good money, a steady income with the prospect of a huge bonus, not to mention what doors it might open for the future. This horse might be the break we need,” Dean advocates, remembering Y/N’s words clearly when she summed up all the possibilities that Cain might bring with him. “Look, I know Fergus is a proper dick, but he has a reputation to protect. There’s too much at stake for him, and I don’t believe he will double-cross us. If we deliver, he’s gonna pay good bucks.”      “And that’s where we might have a problem; actually delivering,” Bobby returns, taking in his head wrangler.      Dean draws his head back, slightly hurt, frowning at his uncle’s words. “You don’t think I can get the job done?”      “I’m not sure if anyone can, son,” the owner of the Gold Canyon Ranch states calmly. “The horse doesn’t just have ‘some behavioral issues’, as Fergus put it. He’s unapproachable, unpredictable, aggressive. That stallion is dangerous to everyone in a square mile radius. Jody rang me this morning to warn us.”      “Jody?” the cowboy returns, puzzled. He’s aware that the female rancher knows a lot of people in this business, but he didn’t expect the news of the famous stallion’s arrival would spread so fast. “How did she even know that Cain was coming to us?”      “Because MacLeod is a client of hers. Cain is currently in her stables.”
     Dean’s eyebrows hit his hairline, emerald greens staring over the desk at the man on the other side. While gaping at his uncle, questions begin to race through his mind. Jody did business with Fergus? Jody is a good trainer with excellent judgment, so if she claims Cain is untrainable, that says something. Their last conversation in Flagstaff comes to mind, the news about Gabe’s hospitalization shocking him at the time. Could his friend’s injuries be the stallion’s doing?
     Bobby watches his trusted worker process the information, rolling his chair a little closer and resting his forearms on the varnished wood, closing his hand over his fist. “I know this complicates things, but I’m gonna leave it up to you. If you think you can handle the stallion, I will trust your judgment. But I don’t want you to risk your neck for the money, Dean. We will find another way.”
     The horseman chews on his lip as he ponders, his focus capturing nothing in particular as his eyes flick over the items and documents on the desk. “We’ll have a week to evaluate him. I’ll make the call after that,” he decides. “Mind if I contact Jody to get some insight on what I’m up against?”      “Knock yourself out,” Bobby consents. “Just leave the numbers that we agreed to out of it.”      “Will do.” 
     Dean gets up from his seat, pushing the chair closer to the desk before he intends to slip out of the office before he’s stopped by his boss.      “One more thing,” the wise man says, looking over his enclosed hands. “What’s going on with you and the intern?”
     Caught, the head wrangler freezes, eyes wide with shock and pure horror staring into the hallway. Shit. How the hell is he going to answer that? Is he referring to the dance at the opening night of the horse show or the palpable tension that has surrounded the former couple whenever they were in close range of each other? Dean doesn’t know, but he has the feeling that the continuation of this conversation is going to be anything but pleasant. Composing himself before he turns back to face his uncle.
     “Nothin’. What do you mean?” He shrugs as the corners of his mouth draw down, pretending to be careless.      “Don’t play dumb, boy. I was born at night, but not last night.” Bobby glares at him knowingly. “Are you messin’ around with her?”      “No,” Dean says firmly, the truth in his words hurting him deep down.      His uncle lifts his chin, holding the cowboy’s gaze while narrowing his eyes. It’s clear that he’s not buying. “You wanna explain then why you two were like two peas in a pot in Flagstaff, but can’t even look at each other now?”
     With his hand still on the door handle, his nephew attempts to keep his act together, but then he sighs. Damn it, he was so close to making it out of this meeting alive. Oh well, what’s one more lecture, right?
     “Look, there’s nothing going on, not anymore. I - uh, I got carried away and I shouldn’t have let it,” he admits. “I broke it off. It won’t happen again.”      “Is this gonna be a problem?” his boss asks sternly. “If you two can’t work together--”      “It isn’t. Garth will supervise her from now on. Just to prevent any issues in the future,” he continues, hoping the fact that they actually discussed how to carry on as colleagues from this point forward will put the concern to rest.
     “There better be a future for her here on this ranch. I can’t afford to lose a free worker, especially not one as skilled as she is,” Bobby warns, not convinced. “I’d pray that she won’t pack her bags if I were you, ‘cause I’ll give ya one guess who’s gonna have to work twice as hard and whose ass I’m gonna bust.”      “She won’t leave,” his head wrangler guarantees, willing to bet his life on it. 
     His promise might seem based on a hopeful hunch, but Y/N hasn’t given Dean any indication to question her professionalism. She even approached him in order to change the conditions of her internship, which couldn’t have been easy for her. Their interaction will be minimized and strictly business from now on, something he reckons she will handle much more gracefully than he will, simply because she has a bigger purpose to focus on. This placement is a stepping stone to her dream of owning her own ranch, and that goal hasn’t changed. He knows she won’t leave Gold Canyon.
     Bobby observes his nephew, still bothered by the fact that he didn’t listen to him when he specifically told the bachelor not to get involved with the intern. He’s going to save the rant for another time, though, the sight of an already dejected man before him having him hold back. It seems like this is doing a number on young fellow, and considering how they were with each other at the horse show this weekend, he’s not surprised. The two reminded him of his twenties when he first got together with his Ellen. The boy is hurting, more than he lets on.      “Alright then. Get goin’, I’ve got bills to pay,” he eventually says, shooing Dean out with a flick of the wrist.
     Relieved that his uncle is cutting him some slack, he nods and silently pulls the door shut, putting a barrier between himself and the conversation he has been dreading for weeks. If only he could be able to tell Bobby that he’s with the girl he’s in love with; he would have taken the grumpy rebuke with a grin on his face. If only.
     While stepping outside, the cowboy pulls his cellphone from his jeans pocket, looking up Jody Mills’ number in his contacts. He begins to slowly stroll back and forth on the porch in its sheltering shade, the floorboards moaning and cracking under his boots as he waits with his Nokia pressed against his ear. The steady tone beeps twice before his friend picks up.      “Hey,” it sounds from the other side of the line. “I was hoping you’d call.”      “Yeah, Bobby told me about Cain,” he returns. “Kinda complicates things, don’t it?”      “I need to listen to me very carefully,” Jody starts, earnest and worried. “Do not take that horse into your stable.”
     The cowboy sighs, glancing over the land while hooking his thumb behind his belt. He figured the female rancher would try to convince him to back off.      “It’s good money, Jody, and I’ve handled difficult cases before. Cain deserves a shot. I have to try.”      “I get it, but hear me out. If Fergus offered you a deal that seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. I know you’re an excellent trainer, hell, the best that I know. But I’m telling you, we’re not talking about a stallion with some authority issues here. That horse is twisted, has wires crossed. I have never seen such behavior,” she presses. “So many people have tried to straighten him out already. I did some digging, and Fergus’ supposedly ‘million dollar prospect’ has moved in and out nine different stables over the past year. No one has succeeded.”
     He ponders, not taking her warning lightly. Jody is an experienced equestrian who has dealt with many tough animals. She even passed some horses on to him when she couldn’t get through to them. The woman is well aware of the limits to her expertise and has always been honest with clients when a horse was too much for her to handle, but never before has she doubted that the wrangler from the Gold Canyon Ranch could do the job.
     “When Gabe got hurt, was it…?” Dean wonders, hesitant, not finishing his sentence.      “It was Cain.”
     He sets his jaw, the muscles flexing under his stubble. Although he assumed it was the stallion who has put his former colleague into the hospital, it still shocks him. He continues to pace the deck in front of the Singer’s home.      “How is he doing?” he wonders.      Jody pulls in a deep breath, the message she’s about to deliver clearly a difficult one. “He’s never gonna walk again. Paralyzed from the waist down.”
     Dean closes his eyes and swallows thickly. It’s the outcome they all feared, but hearing the confirmation makes his gut churn. Losing one's legs is a nightmare for everyone, but for a rider? He can’t possibly picture it, becoming wheelchair-bound. Honestly, he would rather die than to never be able to get in the saddle again.
     “Dean, I know you believe every horse deserves a second chance, but please, let this one go. He is beyond repair. I’m not asking, I’m begging,” she pleads, a tremor in her voice. “If you take on Cain, it’s only a matter of time before you get hurt, or worse.” 
     The words are backed up by a heavy silence. The two stay quiet for a while, the words sinking in with the wrangler. Flight animals fueled by fear can do either two things; run or attack. If getting away from the supposed threat is impossible, they tend to go for the last. It’s not something the horse will even think about; it’s a survival instinct. When a naturally kind creature takes a turn like that, it becomes a thousand-pound killing machine. If Cain is truly that far gone, it is likely that he is indeed beyond saving. The trainer has to see it for himself, though, and not just because the ranch can use the cash. He realizes that if he doesn’t take on this task, someone else will, someone with less experience. If this stallion is really that lethal, the next novice trainer might make an error of judgment that will be his or her last. At least Dean has the skills. It seems like he is Cain’s last resort, because if he isn’t trainable, he will get the bullet at some point. He wouldn’t be the first horse to be put down because of similar problems.
     “Thanks for the warning, Jody,” he responds after a long pause. “I’ll keep it in mind.”      “Dean--”      “I know. I know what you’re gonna say, but if I don’t do this, who knows what might happen to him. I’ve got a week to decide if we wanna go through with it. That’s the least I can do.”      He can hear his friend grunt, frustrated, probably realizing that changing his mind was a long shot to begin with. “Just… be careful, okay?”      “I will, promise,” Dean assures. “Talk to you later.”
     The cowboy hangs up, staring at his phone for a few more seconds before he puts it away and steps out into the sun, heading back to the stables. The admonition continues to ring in his ears, and he allows the caution to imprint the decisions he needs to make in the upcoming days. After all, warned is forearmed.
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     Y/N wishes anyone had warned her how painful it is to have her heart broken by the person who made it beat just for him. Maybe she would have been more mindful then, more guarded. Maybe she wouldn’t have let him have it, had she known how careless he would be.
     Around 5 o’clock, her new supervisor said it was okay if she wanted to take her own horse for a ride. Normally she trains Meadow either before or after shift, but she got all the work done at record speed, desperate for a distraction, that all her daily tasks were fulfilled two hours before dinner. Maybe Garth detected that she needed some alone-time with her four-legged friend, because he suggested the ride with a sympathetic smile and a kind nudge, sending her towards the Quarter’s box.
     After straightening out the saddle pad, the cowgirl tightens the cinch. Meadow, who can be a bit of a grumpy mare when it comes to tacking up, stands still without moving a muscle, allowing her owner to ready her for a ride without pulling a prank like she usually does. Sometimes the cheeky horse will try to fish Y/N’s phone from her back pocket, nibble at her hat or her sleeve, or refuse to take a step aside when requested, but not today. Maybe she can sense that such an action could set her human off. 
     The horse accepts the bit when the cowgirl offers it to her, after which she pulls the headpiece over Meadow’s black-tipped ears, securing the straps skillfully. She sniffles, wiping her nose and forcing herself to keep her composure a little while longer. In a few minutes, when she’s away from prying eyes, she will allow to let the tears flow again, but not now, not yet.
     Y/N unties her horse, places her left foot in the stirrup, and swings her right leg over the back of her bay mare, softly landing in the saddle. Picking up the reins, she steers her horse away from the tack up area, the smooth leather between her fingers giving her a sense of control that she’s missing in her love life. 
     Instead of leading Meadow towards the arena, the rider guides her towards the gate that leads to the trail. Her horse had an eventful weekend and gave it her all in competition, so it wouldn’t be fair to put her through a full workout. The performance took a lot out of the willing horse who never seizes to bring her best efforts and more. Even though the freestyle only lasted minutes, the athlete peaked with a brilliant execution of the routine, which takes a lot of skill and strength. Then there’s the ambiance of a show, the new environment, all the sensory overload. The combination of all those factors did a number the Quarter, and she deserves a calm and relaxing ride, much like the young woman she’s carrying on her back. Y/N is in no state to train, well aware that the heightened emotions will get the best of her if something might not work out the way she planned, and that’s not something she wants her companion to bear the consequences of. If anything, Meadow has been absolutely wonderful, seeming to understand that her person is sad and needs someone to lean on.
     After closing the fence behind them, the girl and her horse follow the path that leads towards the hills. Cacti flank the road ahead towards the Superstition Mountains, which stand tall in the backdrop. The beautiful amber colored volcanic rock formations seem even more vibrant now that the setting sun blesses nature with a warm glow. The vegetation is much greener than it was when they searched for the herd of youngsters in the reservoir. Autumn is here, and within a couple of months, the ridges that reach for the sky will be covered in snow. It’s supposed to be a beautiful sight, at least that’s what Dean told her.
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     Now that it’s just her and Meadow, Y/N finally allows the suppressed tears to fall. The battle she has been fighting all day is one she knew she would lose eventually, she just wanted to be with her most faithful friend when the levee breaks. She doesn’t even intend to wipe the drops of despair away, knowing that she has to let it out now in order to keep up the facade later. And so the last rays of the day catch the shimmering pathways down her cheeks, similar to how the water cobbled at Willow’s Creek, where she and Dean shared their first kiss. All the memories, those perfect little moments that she thought to cherish forever, they are worth nothing now. It was all just a dream.
     Y/N transits into a slow canter, hoping that the wind in her face will chase the sorrow away. She has to feel something completely opposite to the grief that is ripping her apart. She needs to experience freedom and the bond that comes along with this unique partnership between her and Meadow, the simplicity of moving across the desert like men and their horses have been doing so for centuries. No engines, no computers, no engineering. Just two souls of completely different species merging as one. 
     Resting her free hand on her horse’s neck and gripping the black mane, she pushes her heels into the Quarter’s flanks, aiding her to pick up speed. The bay mare takes over, her rider is no longer in control, but she no longer has to be. Y/N doesn’t need to direct this movie, because she trusts Meadow with her life. If there is any being on the face of the planet that she would follow blindly, it’s her companion. Meadow has never let her down, not once, and her owner knows there will never come a moment when she will. And so she breathes in, welcoming the wind to fill her lungs with newfound courage, brought on by the majestic animal that gallops across the landscape, carrying Y/N on her wings. 
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Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if   you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog   my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).
Read part twenty-six here
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