#she makes sure nobody overworks

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

wait, Derin how did your leaving make the hospital shut down?

I used to work as a live-in nanny for a pediatrician.

Now, the thing about hospitals in my country is that they are massively understaffed and massively underfunded. This is especially true outside the major cities. The staff are worked to the bone and receive little to no help in things like finding accommodation or childcare, making working in rural areas a very uninviting prospect; staff come out here, get lumped with the work of three people (because there's nobody else to do it), burn out under the workload and leave, meaning that those remaining have even more work because that person is gone. It's unsustainable and the medical staff are doing their best to sustain it, because people die if they don't, so to the higher-ups it looks like everything's getting done and therefore everything is fine.

My friend (and boss) worked one week on, one week off, swapping out with another pediatrician. This was necessary because it would not be physically possible for one person to handle the workload for longer periods of time. The one single pediatrician had to hold up the entire pediatrics ward, which was not only the only public hospital pediatrics ward in our town, but also the one that served all the towns around us for a few hours' drive in all directions. I regularly saw her go to work sick, aching, tired, or with a debilitating 'I can barely make words or see' level migraine, because if she took a day off, twenty children didn't get healthcare that day, and some of these kids' appointments were scheduled weeks in advance. She'd work long hours in the day and then be called in a couple of times overnight for an hour or two at a time (she was on-call at night too, because somebody had to be), and then go in the next day. Sometimes she would be forced to take a day off because she physically could not stay awake for longer than a few minutes at a time, meaning she couldn't drive to work.

Cue my niece's second birthday coming up in Melbourne. I'd been working for her for about 3 years, and she (and the hospital) had plenty of advance warning that I (and therefore she) needed one (1) Friday off. That's fine, we'll find someone to work that Friday, the hospital said. Right up until the last week where they're like "oh, we can't find a replacement; you can come in, can't you?"

No, she tells them; I don't have anyone to watch my kid that day.

Oh, surely you can hire a babysitter for this one day, they say. Think of the children! We really really need you to work that day. I know we said it'd be fine but we need you now, there's no one else to do it.

There are no other babysitters, she told them. Unless you can find one?

That's not our responsibility, they said.

But I'm not changing my plans, she's got plans by now as well, the hospital knew about this one day weeks in advance, and with absolutely no reserve staff they're forced to reschedule all pediatrics appointments for that Friday. Not a huge deal, it happens on the 'physically too overworked to get out of bed' days too. I go to Melbourne, she goes back to her home in Adelaide for her recovery week, all should be on track.

My niece gives me Covid.

This was way back in the first wave of the pandemic, and there were no Covid vaccines yet. The rules were isolate, mask up, hope. I had Covid in the house, and it would've been madness for my friend and her toddler to come back into the Covid house instead of staying in Adelaide. There was absolutely no way that a pediatrician could live with someone in quarantine due to Covid and go to work in the hospital with sick children every day. And no support existed for finding another babysitter, or temporary accommodation, so the hospital was down a pediatrician.

The other pediatrician wasn't available to do a three-week stint. They were also trapped in Adelaide on their well-earned week off.

Meaning that the only major pediatrics ward within a several-hour radius had no pediatricians. They had to shut down and send all urgent cases to Adelaide for the week. To the complete absence of surprise of any of the doctors or nurses; of course this would happen, this was bound to happen, it presumably keeps happening. But probably to the surprise of the higher-ups. After all, the hospital was doing fine, right? Of course all the staff were complaining of overwork and a lack of resources in every meeting, but they could always be fobbed off with the promise of more help sometime in the future; the work was mostly getting done, so the issue couldn't be too urgent.

It's not like some nanny who doesn't even work for the hospital could go out of town for a weekend for the first time in three years, and get the only public pediatrics ward in the area shut down for a week.

[rottingghosty]

The Hunt of Joker | DC X DP

ERRORS WILL BE MADE BECAUSE I’M AN OVERWORKED PERSON

“What?” The Ghost King of the Infinite Realms hissed out in rage.

Danny stared down at where his Spymaster, a liminal who willingly stood up to take on the title to keep an eye on the human realm for him— was kneeling still as they waited for Danny to process their report. The silent in the throne room was deafening and yet his Spymaster— Lucero Castillo continued on to stay defiantly at him to showcase the seriousness of the situation.

“He’s called the Joker, he’s killed and caused more harm than I’ve realized. The person tasked at keeping an eye on him had failed and the man got away from landing in the realms for his trial longer than I’d like to admit.” Lucero said with a bitter tone, their anger obvious in the moment. Danny could understand, seeing the countless ghosts who landed in the realms because of the Joker grew.

Knowing that the Joker managed to defy death and kept inflicting it? It made Danny’s blood boil as he remembered the death of one of Lady Gotham’s Knights, the boy was young— so young that Danny wept to himself in the shelter of his own keep because that was a young boy who despite everything still tried to save his own mother. Danny felt like he was looking to a mirror every time he saw the Robin, purely because they were both teenagers— kids who had died. It was a limited time that Danny spent with Robin- Jason but enough that Danny missed him when the boy disappeared.

“You’ve kept tabs?” Danny rumbled out, his words echoing with authority that caused the ghosts in the throne room to straighten and Lucero to give a grin, their fangs glinting in the light of the ghost flames that lit up the room.

“Once I realized, I made sure to keep tabs on the clown. I figured it’d be a good premise for a hunt.”

A hunt… Lucero wasn’t wrong. A hunt would be good, it’d allow those who had been harmed by him. The ghosts will enjoy the thrill of hunting down their own killer, he’s sure Gotham’s shades and lingering ghosts would enjoy it as well. Lucero would keep an eye on the hunt, put a stop to any ghosts who stepped out of line and protect any humans.

Danny’s fingers drummed against the arm rest of his throne, the crown above his head flickering wildly as he thought it over.

“I approve of this hunt, it’s been too long.” Danny said as he gave a crooked smile before gesturing to Pandora who immediately began to speak the hunt in existence with another ghost besides her writing it down so a missive would appear before every victim of Joker that had died and lives in the realms.

“Under the orders of High King, the Hunt of the human named Joker the Maddened False Clown, the man who has denied our Mother’s embrace and who has cruelly ended lives of others before their ended time. The Spymaster has been deemed the Watcher of this Hunt and those who had been harmed by him may indulge in the hunt. The hunt will begin in a week’s time.”

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

Jason felt that something in Gotham was different, the air felt charged in a way he never felt even before his death. He was more in tune with Gotham than any other person, he knew Gotham at its core just as she knew him at his very being. It’s why he claimed Crime Alley as his when he had come back, why he dug his roots and kept digging them even if people tugged him and tried to make him change his tune about the Alley.

They didn’t understand.

Nobody understood the fact that Crime Alley is the very heart of Gotham, how she thrives on its very essence and how even at her weakest she relies on it to protect the rest of Gotham. The City Spirit loomed over him from the shadows, her hands placed on his shoulders to keep ahold of and giving a motherly croon whenever the Bats came into his haunt.

The leylines that Gotham lived on seemed to beat along as the excited trills and chirps of various ghosts were heard as he walked through the Alley, they sounded like a murder of crows in the death infested city. Shadows and blurs of greens and blues darted around, seeking. Hunting.

A soft croon from shade caught Jason’s attention, watching it peer shyly up at him with a wide childlike gaze. The shade was in an alleyway, one that Jason knew the kids around used to run after stealing some food that he knew Mrs. Jimenez purposely put on her windowsill for to take. He debated on ignoring it, wanting to head home because his skin felt too tonight, his pulse thundering in ways even adrenaline rush never could.

The shadows beckoned. Jason followed.

“Do you guys feel that?” Steph asked at family dinner of the month, her eyes darting around to catalogue the Bats reactions. Everyone looked on edgy, as if a single pin needle could drop and it’d shatter every peaceful pretense they had. Jason however looked at ease, as if he didn’t feel like he was a prey at the moment.

“Yeah, it’s made a lot of things brighter. I had to be careful during patrol because I’d start getting migraines from the lights.” Duke said as he poked his fork into his pasta, eyes hidden behind sunglasses that he wore to prevent his lingering headache from flaring into something worse.

“Oh it’s probably cause of the Hunt.”

A silence occurred before chaos erupted.

☁️☁️☁️☁️

NOTE: I am a firm believer that while Jason doesn’t remember anything from during his time dead, he knows ghost culture because its ingrained into his very being and has been aware of all the shades/ghosts of crime alley because its his haunt and he is protective of them as he is of humans. He’s basically Lady Gotham’s disgruntled feral cat and she’s basically throwing him at the shades as exposure therapy to the ✨other side ✨

also Jason casually dropping the fact of the Hunt is so funny cause he’s just reading a book while eating. Like hahaha yeah it’s cause of the Hunt :) we all had died or had brushed with death enough that we feel the excitement of the dead ! Jason is also very much unaware that the hunt is AIMED at Joker and pretty much. has a dead joker dropped at his feet by excited kiddo shades because !!! PRESENT FOR PAPA !!! before it gets yoinked into the infinite realms by Lucero.

morally grey danny because he is balance !! HE IS A KING !! he has the right to choose who dies !!! tbis was done at 2am again and scheduled to post at 7am

[clownsuu]

Getting back into your Mob!Au for Welcome Home, but I forgot everyone's rolls in the mob! Can we get a refresher of the gang's responsibilities? I know Wally is the boss, Howdy runs the bar, Frank is financial manager, and Dusty protects the vault... but past that, I'm lost!

o h m a n its been a while since I worked, or even thought about these goobers lore wise JJHFGKSFF-- like holy moly I even forgot how to draw em (so take a test doodle lmAo)

cw bug/swarm silhouettes

But what from I remember, here's a list of their respected jobs (in order of Rank)

(for the main cast for now) (there may or may not be anything missing, or added/updated)

Wally: Obviously their most "enthusiastic" Boss. He doesn't do too much besides approve/reject orders, enforce rules, and be a casual reminder that, you are indeed, here forever*. Owns several brands ranging WILDLY (from cigs, to ovens, to baby diapers etc etc. Seemingly random, totally not a fire hazard)

Barnaby: Wally's Left-hand bodyguard. The boss isnt quite the greatest when it comes to discussions with potential clients/neighbors, so Barnaby is usually the one who does all the sweet talking for him. Usually the one who recommends "party" plans.

Howdy: Wally's Right-hand bodyguard. Due to his silent nature, he's purely there to be commanded however the boss sees fit. When not on duty as a guard, he's tending the company building's bar (open to the public on ground floor) and refilling stock.

Frank: Oh goodie look who ranked up! HEAVILY overworked however. He alone deals with all of the most boring of tasks, which include (but not limited to): Keeping every single paper file organized and up to date, calling in appointments for the boss and sometimes the family members, running errands, quality inspection in case they need to call in for second or even third party quality inspection, make online orders, make physical orders, update the decorative flora, plan events, put "party" plans into motion or reject due to budget, also cancel said planned events due to Sally, make sure the nursery is stocked and full, refill not bar exclusive fridges, haggling, getting rid of evidence, planting fake evidence, and so so so so so so so so much more! an alcoholic, and not-too recently started smoking.

Poppy: The only nurse who's available 24/7. Due to her severe insistent and persistent paranoia and anxiety, her workload has been reduced considerably (and shoved onto Frank.) On weekends, on her own accord, she likes to make everyone breakfast and serve it at the bar before everyone wakes up. Usually Howdy is awake as well and helps her whenever available.

Julie: Secondary nurse and "private" assassin. Specializes in poisons/antidotes, and organized crimes. Despite being a nurse, she's rarely doing nurse work, and instead can be found constantly reworking formulas, creating mind altering substances, and hunting for someone who's perhaps willing to be her guineapig to do test trials on (nobody ever is). Sometimes takes pity on Frank and helps him with their work. Sometimes.

Sally: "Public" assassin and a complete menace. Incredibly sloppy with her work and not completely reliable with making sure someone is dead unless she's allowed explosives (She's blacklisted from ever doing so again.) Developed a love for the next best thing: tasers. Mainly used to trash enemy bases and send a message that the mob doesn't take too kindly to their recent behaviors. Basically a physical embodiment of (and nicknamed) "Cease and Desist".

[shimmering-starsun]

there’s been an insane resurgence of headcannons in the marvel fandom thanks to thunderbolts, so heres my masterlist of headcannons i’ve seen from others that I will continue to add to :)

Yelena

her guinea pig is the group pet—named Nat

insists on doing karaoke every saturday night, she and Ava eat everyone up.

Cooks for EVERYONE. makes sure they all eat enough.

laughs at her own jokes, especially the bad ones. Ava can’t help but laugh with her.

Bucky

leads group therapy seasion every tuesday.

tries* to use brainrot and slang terms, but it catches onto Alexei, so now nobody can convince him otherwise.

helps Bob with his nightmares. Sees pre-serum Steve in Bob so he feels like he needs to protect him

talks about Sam a lot, everyones tired of it.

argues with John constantly, but they always work well together on missions.

It’s a competition to see who can sneak up on and scare bucky. He’s expressionless every time and just says “wow that was so scary”

Insists on silence breaks, everyone starts speaking again after 3 minutes.

says he never cares, but makes sure there’s water and first aid for every mission.

Bob

THE little brother.

has to have some amount of light on when he sleeps. He also loves to sleep in the living room on the couch when other’s are there to listen to the soft of their voices.

May or may not be on Booktok, either way, he reads romance and mystery.

always in the corner drinking tea or a milkshake when the others are fighting.

hates cucumber, any way it’s prepared.

He always beats John in every card or board game. when it’s more than 2 people playing, it doesn’t matter if Bob comes out on top, he always gets a higher score than John.

watches cartoons to heal his inner child, doesn’t let anyone know.

>800 hours on minecraft

hard for him to accept gifts from others, even if it’s a bag of chips, he’ll say he doesn’t deserve it.

actually has a great sense of humor, can make the entire team cry from laughter just by saying something small. Takes him a couple weeks to loosen up and start joking around

Ava

likes to jumpscare people by just appearing out of thin air. Steals everyones snacks because she can.

Ultimate gaslighter, especially towards Bob. shows him those ai videos of sad cat stories and obvious rage bate and he gets pissed about it.

loves halloween and horror movies (a menace on halloween night, especially to John who she would just stand in the hallway and stare menacingly at while in a clown costume or something)

has trouble sleeping. Bucky once found her on the floor of the training room at 3am

once passed out from overworking herself, woke up and found Bob sitting next to her watching over her like a big golden retriever.

Kendrick Lamar enthusiast

Red Guardian

runs a tiktok account where he posts videos of the team (bonus, he puts filters on them and doesn’t tell)

will make the most heinous food combinations and swear they’re good.

hugs a little too tightly.

always gives a big dramatic speech before they go out, even if it’s just for coffee.

tells stories that are 90% lies, but everyone listens anyway.

John

acts as if he doesn’t care for the group, but gets worried if they don’t all text him back.

thinks he has a niche movie collection but it’s not neiche at all. horrible taste in movies (this one is very popular)

resident chef, along with Yelena.

the only one who has an actual schedule.

Gets really quiet after missions, especially if things went bad. Extremely self-critical even if it’s not apparent.

[prettypinkporkchop]

Paul lahote x female reader

Chicken Bone

Kim has been helping Emily with the kitchen while you are outside gathering wood with Sam.

"UGH, Sam, I'm tired. Don't you think this is enough for a year?" You giggle and whipe sweat off of your forehead. He laughs at you, making you glare at him. "You can stop. I don't need Paul getting upset with me for overworking you." He puts his hands on his hips, smiling at you. You hum in response and take off the work gloves Sam gave you.

You walk inside to see Emily and Kim fixing up the plates for the boys. There is enough food to feed all of the reservation but you're used to being around the pack at this point.

"WOOO HOOO!" You hear hooting and hollering from multiple men. You knew it was your imprinter and his family. You smile, and Kim rushes next to you. "Y/n, I have been thinking about this the whole time! Me and Emily have a bet. If you were to take a chicken bone away from Paul, I say he chases you. Emily says he just lets you have it." She laughs.

You burst into laughter and wrap your arm into hers. "Well then, Emily! What do you say? Kim do this to Jared too?" You look at the beauty of a woman who is pouring tea into glasses. She smirks at you two. "I think Jared would play a pity party!" Emily giggles. "I say, Jared simply wouldn't care and just pick up another chicken." You bet with Emily. "Oh goodness. This will be fun." She sighs with a grin as the boys all pile in.

Paul steps in front of you with a wide and bright smile. "I've missed you, my princess." He kisses your lips. The butterflies kick in asyou kiss him back. He pulls away and pecks your cheek and then leaves a lingering and sweet kiss on your forehead. He steps away to sit at the table next to Embry. Jared and Quil have their own conversation. Jacob, Leah, and Seth are currently at Billy's house, cleaning up for him.

After everyone finishes up, the boys do their classic thing. The dog comes out and they have to chew on a bone. You find this so funny and cute! Kim makes eye contact with you. She winks at you, mouthing, 'you first.' As Paul is chewing on the bone and laughing at Embry, you quickly grab it out of his hand and step away from him.

"Hey!" He calls out with confusion on his face. You start giggling and begin chewing on it, too. He watches you with his eyebrows furrowed. "That.. was the best bone in the whole plate." He mumbles in sadness. He sighs and sits down to pout.

Kim grabs Jared's and stands next to you. "Hey!" He gets up and she runs as he chases after her outside.

Emily is cackling while tears form in her eyes. All the men look confused. Paul is just brooding.

"We had a bet. Nobody was right." She chokes out.

So, Kim guessed Paul would chase you, but in fact, Jared chased her. And you guessed that Jared would let her have it, but he chased her! Unexpectedly, the pouts came from the hard ass, Paul Lahote.

Feeling bad, you stand behind Paul and hand him the bone. He grabs your wrist with a small amount of a grip. Not enough to hurt you but to be sure you don't move. "Y/n y/m/n, You pull this shit again, you won't be able to sit down." He growls before kissing your lips and then going back to the bone. You shiver and imagine what he is talking about.

Later that night, you get out of the shower, wrapping a towel around you. You step out of the bathroom and into your bedroom that you share with Paul. He's lying on his back with his eyes closed. You drop the towel and began digging through your drawer.

Paul's pair of warm arms pulls you into his hard body. A surprised yelp escapes your lips. "Ya know," he begins and starts leaving sloppy and wet kisses over your shoulder and neck. "Watching you chew that bone that was just in my mouth was very hot." He groans and grips harder onto your waist.

[waitingandwishing]

*runs up to u extremely out of breath and lowk dying* SBG X READER WHOS RLLY GOOD ACADEMICALLY? LIKE BRO CAN SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, TOP OF EVERY CLASS AND OVERWORKS HERSELF TO THE EXTREME THAT PEOPLE GET WORRIED?? MAYBE SHE JUST CRASHES TF OUT WHEN HER GRADE DROPS?? IDK HAVE FUN BE CREATIVE *runs away but trips over air*

— 🍋‍🟩

UM ARE YOU OKAY??? *helps you up*

-> context: if you fail, you'll crash tf out

-> fandom: school bus graveyard

-> warnings/tags: female reader, reader can speak french, spanish, and english

Imagine Ashlynn's surprise when you just whipped out another language in your french class. And her surprise when you two had gone out to a restaurant and you ordered in spanish. How did she never know this about you?

She studied with you, helped you keep an open mind and take breaks, she shared her lunch with you in the library when you were too busy. She remembered the date of your exams/tests and leaves you some snacks on your desk the morning of.

It’s just one grade. That’s what they’ll say. Just a stupid number on a paper... But that number could decide your future! 89... That number made your vision goes blurry. Not from tears. From everything. From the weight in your chest and the nausea twisting in your gut and the way your hands go numb around the paper.

Now you can’t breathe. The hallway is too loud. Too bright. People are walking around you like the world isn’t ending. So you run. You don’t even know where. Just away.

Somewhere quiet. Somewhere nobody can see the way your lip trembles or the way your brain won’t stop screaming. You end up in the stairwell. Cold concrete, dim lighting.

Your knees hit the ground too fast and your bag spills. Pens and papers and highlighters scatter like your thoughts. You sit there, breathing hard, heart thudding like it’s trying to escape your chest.

You knew the reason your grades were dropping was because of the phantom dimension. Not being able to sleep well at night was probably the cause but you couldn't help but feel like it was also partially your fault. Because if you had worked harder you wouldn't be in this situation...

You're so tired. Not just sleepy. Bone-deep, soul-sick tired. You don’t cry. Not really. Just…Shut down.

You stare at nothing for a long time. Let the ache settle into your body like it belongs there. Even now, even here, part of you is still calculating how to fix this. How to be better. How to be enough.

You don’t know how long you sit there. Minutes. Hours. A lifetime. Your next class has probably started. Great, now you're skipping class...

The stairwell is silent, except for your breathing and the occasional rustle of paper every time you shift just enough to notice how much you hurt. You don’t hear the door open. Just the sound of footsteps.

“There you are.”

You flinch. You don’t look up. You can’t.

Ashlynn doesn’t push, just eases down beside you with her back against the wall, knees drawn up like yours. Not too close. Not too far. “I was worried,” She said.

You squeeze your eyes shut. You want to apologize. You want to explain. You want to vanish. But all that comes out is a whisper, “I wasn’t good enough.”

“You don’t have to be.” Ashlynn said after a moment of silence. “You’re not a number, you’re not a... A GPA.”

You swallow hard, throat burning. “Then what am I?”

She doesn't answer right away, just sits down with you and lets the silence stretch until it stops feeling heavy. And when she does speak, you feel a lot better then before, “You’re someone who deserves to rest.”

Aiden is the type of person to not even try and still get good grades. Sure, you were slightly jealous but at least you could study together! You taught him some words in French and Spanish (Mostly insults) though so that was a bonus.

Now see, he's the type of person to always always distract you when you two are studying. You try getting something done, Aiden makes you laugh or throw paper balls at his head. Even though he's always distracting you it's also from a good cause. He just wants to see you laugh.

You don’t remember falling asleep but you wake up with your face mashed into your desk, cheek stuck to a page of notes, and your neck screaming in protest. Your eyes sting and your mouth tastes like stress and stale air. For a moment, you forget where you are. Then you see the planner. The test.

The 89.

And it all comes rushing back. Before the spiral can start again, your door creaks open, “I bring gifts!” a familiar voice sings.

You groan. “Please leave.”

“Impossible. I have entered this room with snacks and zero dignity. You will accept my offerings.” You crack one eye open to see Aiden standing in your doorway holding a bag of chips, a juice box, and a lopsided drawing of you wearing a graduation cap that says 'Human Encyclopedia (With Bonus Existential Crisis)'

“I’m fine,” you mumble, voice like gravel.

“You’re lying,” He said, placing the snacks on your desk, “Which is fair, I lie about flossing every time I go to the dentist. But you look like a raccoon that lost its will to dig through trash.”

“Wow. Comforting.” Aiden slid onto your bed, legs criss-cross, “Okay but real talk. You don’t have to be perfect all the time. It’s not illegal to crash. You’re allowed to be a little disaster.”

You sigh, dragging yourself slowly upright. You did everything right. Every lecture, every flashcard, every all-nighter where your eyes burned and your fingers cramped and you told yourself it was worth it. That you were worth it... “I just—I worked so hard. And I still failed.”

“Whoa whoa whoa,” He widened his eyes, popping open the juice box like it’s wine. “Eighty-nine is not failing. Eighty-nine is… A soft flex. A round-up-to-‘A’ situation."

You should really stop chasing that impossible, suffocating idea of "enough." But you won’t. You never will... "Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just... Stopped caring, y'know?" You muttered with a sigh.

“Okay, okay, I know it sucks but you’re still the smartest person I know." Aiden said, walking over and placing a hand on your shoulder, "And not just because you can explain quantum physics using marshmallows. You’ve survived the midterm apocalypse!”

You laugh. It’s small, scratchy, but real. And somehow, just like that, the weight doesn’t feel quite so unbearable. "Thanks, Aiden."

Logan respects you a lot. He blinks, like, 12 times when you speak fluent French out of nowhere. Honestly really confused but honestly just raised the amount of how much he admires you. You're so smart, and being that way is what makes you strong! How amazing is that?

Overthinks everything. Does he say congrats? Compliment you? Keeps trying to impress you but ends up awkwardly referencing medieval astronomy and ancient mythology instead. He does brings you calming tea though and he's also so adorable and incredibly sweet, so that's a bonus.

You don’t cry. You just... Sit there, motionless on your bed, surrounded by notes and highlighters and unfinished assignments that all feel heavier than they should.

Your body is buzzing, but your brain feels like static. You’re so tired. And even though there's a knock at your door, you don’t answer because if you did you're sure you'd collapse.

The door creaks open anyway, just a crack, and then you hear that familiar voice. “Um. Hi. I brought tea.”

You glance up and see Logan standing awkwardly in the doorway, holding a chipped mug. His sweater sleeves are pulled down over his hands. His hair’s a little messy, like he ran his fingers through it a thousand times before working up the nerve to come here.

“I—I can go, if you want,” He says quickly. “I just… You weren’t in class, and I kinda panicked. And then I remembered how you like tea when you’re stressed, so I made some, and it tastes kind of like flowers and regret, but—”

“You can come in,” You mumble.

Logan blinks like he wasn’t expecting that to work, and well, he wasn't. He stepped inside carefully, like your composure might shatter if he moved too fast. He sets the mug down on your nightstand and sits on the floor next to your bed, knees to his chest.

There's a wall of tension and awkward silence between the two of you before he speaks, “I don’t think failing a quiz makes you less of a genius,” he says.

“I didn’t fail.” You muttered.

“Right,” he nods. “Sorry. You… Crushed it slightly less than usual.”

You close your eyes. “It just sucks. I worked so hard. I feel like if I stop for one second, everything’s gonna fall apart.”

He nods again. His voice is quieter now. “But you’re not gonna fall apart... Right?”

You open your eyes, but don't dare to spare a glance at him.

“You’re the most terrifyingly brilliant person I’ve ever met,” He says. “But... You can rest, you know. You’re allowed to just… Be. Even if you’re not fixing the universe with your brain.”

You nod, finally letting yourself lean back against the pillows. The tea smells like warmth and thankfully he doesn’t leave. "Thanks, Logan... I..."

You look at him and he's staring at you like you’re made of starlight and cracked glass. Like you're enough...

"No problem."

She's just so... Great. She praises you and brings you snacks or little notes that say things like “don’t forget to eat". She looks at you like you're the smartest person in the world and then makes sure you’re resting well. All in all, Taylor's just so... Supportive.

She thinks you're so impressive to. Somehow being able to speak her language better then her is odd but she's thankful that you can remember all the verbs (I headcanon that her and Tyler don't know much Spanish because 1: Their dad's dead, and 2: Their mom never got to teach them bc she was dealing with her mental health)

You don’t even notice her come in at first. You’re sitting on the floor, surrounded by open textbooks, pens without caps, and crumpled sticky notes all while trying not to bash your head into the wall.

Your laptop is still glowing. Your hand’s still clutching a highlighter. But your brain is done. You’re staring at the wall. Not thinking. Not feeling. Just blank.

“Hey,” Taylor says softly, making you flinch slightly. She's kneeling beside you before you can speak, setting down a familiar mug “I didn’t mean to scare you, you didn’t answer my texts, and I got a little worried.”

You open your mouth to respond. Nothing comes out.

Taylor took one look at your face, the exhaustion behind your eyes, the slump of your shoulders, and doesn't tell you to keep pushing. You looked similar to her mom, and that scared her. Sleep deprived, pink eyes, hungry.

“You’ve been working so hard,” She murmured, “For so long. And I know you want to do well. I know how much this matters to you.”

You clench your jaw. Your throat burns. Your ears ring...

“But you don’t have to break yourself for it,” She said softly. “You’re allowed to rest. You’re allowed to not be perfect.”

Your eyes sting and you looked away. “I don’t want to let anyone down..."

“You haven’t,” She said almost immediately “You never have.” She reached for your hand, hesitant, gentle. “You’re more than your grades. More than your work. You’re you. And I love that version, even when she’s tired.”

Your breath hitches. And you feel yourself fall forward into her arms, into that warm, steady comfort. "I don't want to burden you with whatever mess I'm dealing with." You muttered, "You don't have to do this..."

"But I want to."

Tyler doesn’t say he’s proud and he acts like it’s no big deal. But if anyone else tries to mess with you? He’s immediately feral. He cares deeply, he’s just emotionally allergic to sincerity since he couldn't express his emotions in his childhood.

He’s lowkey checking your quiz for fun later and smiling at your notes like a dork I swear it's almost insane how much Taylor teases him for it. He buys you snacks but pretends they’re extras. (He 100% bought it for you.)

You’re just… Sitting on the floor of your room, surrounded by the shreds of what used to be your schedule and a quiz you didn’t ace. Your hands are shaking. Your vision won’t focus.

It’s quiet... You always hated the quiet whenever you were feeling like this. Until it isn’t and the door swings open a little too fast. “What the hell?”

Tyler’s in the doorway, wide-eyed, holding a bottle of water and a half-baked excuse to check on you. But one look at you on the floor, burned out and blinking too fast, and something in his chest cracks.

“You… You okay?”

The words wouldn’t come. Just silence. And guilt. And the echo of a voice inside your that said, You should be doing more.

He runs a hand through his hair, visibly flustered. “Stupid question. Of course you’re not okay.”

You try to say something, anything, but your throat tightens. He steps closer, then hesitates. “Can I... Sit?” You nod.

Tyler drops to the floor next to you like it’s foreign territory. Like he doesn’t know how to do this. Well, he does, he's done this a lot with his mom and his sister but not with a person he likes...

“You missed one question on a test,” He says finally. “That’s not the end of the world.”

“It wasn’t just the quiz. I feel like… I..." You groan, shoving your face into your hands, "It's like every time I’m one mistake away from everything falling apart.”

He goes quiet and you hate it. You'd rather have him leave than watch you fall apart...

“You’re not a robot, you know.” You blink. “I mean—hell, I know you act like one, with your eight million study guides and your color-coded pens and your encyclopedic brain... But you’re still human. You’re allowed to mess up.”

You don’t respond.

“...It actually kind of freaks me out when you push yourself like this. I know you're brilliant, but even you have limits.” He clears his throat, looking away from you. “And it sucks seeing you like this. I like it better when you're yelling at me for distracting you instead of… Looking like the weight of the universe is on your back.”

You look up at him and he rubs the back of his neck. “…I’m really bad at this.”

“Yeah,” You say softly., turning to look at your notes, “But thanks.”

He shrugs, eyes flicking to your hands. “Here.” He reaches into his hoodie and pulls out a bag of chips, “It’s not much, but… you gotta eat. And drink some water, or I’m calling Taylor to deal with this mess.”

You smile, looking at him before taking the snack, "... Thanks... I guess."

If you forget to eat? Ben will slide a sandwich beside you, no words, just a soft tap to get your attention. He'll offer you his hoodie when you're up too late in the library, draping it over your shoulders and giving a little shrug like “You need it more.”

When someone (Barron) makes a snide comment about you “trying too hard”? He doesn't speak but his glare says it all. He smiles when you talk about things you're passionate about, nodding along and reassuring you when you doubt yourself.

You don't know when your breathing got so shallow. Everything’s buzzing. Not in your head but your whole body. Your fingers hurt from writing. Your back aches. There are sticky notes on your arm.

And you don’t remember the last thing you ate. Or slept. Or felt.

You’re sitting on the floor of your room, surrounded by torn-up flashcards and an unfinished practice test. Your laptop is still open, the screen blinking like it’s taunting you.

Your thoughts began to drag, thick and sluggish, like trying to run underwater. And for the first time in a while, the thought hits you: I can’t do this. You've never felt that way before. Never... Never been so helpless...

That’s when the knock comes. Soft. Barely there. You don’t answer but the door creaks open anyway and Ben steps inside. Quiet as always. He freezes when he sees you, red-eyed, shaking, barely holding it together.

You don’t speak. Neither does he.

But then he’s kneeling in front of you. And gently, carefully, he places something in your lap. A folded piece of paper. His handwriting.

You can let yourself have a break.

Your lip quivers and your vision blurs and when your body finally gives in, you lean forward and he catches you before you can fall too far.

Ben's arms wrap around you like he’s done this before. His hand traces grounding circles across your back. He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t need to.

When your tears start to fall, he wipes them away with soft fingers. You don’t even realize you’re shaking until he cups your hand in his, squeezing gently. And then, slowly, he pulls out one more note. You unfold it.

You’re not just brilliant when you’re winning.You’re brilliant just for being here.

[throneofsapphics]

Manorian or rowaelin whichever couple you want x reader

Reader ghosts everyone because she’s depressed and doesn’t know how to communicate with her loved ones about it 🫠

a despair so dark light will not reach

Rowaelin x f!Reader

Summary: Rowan and Aelin notice you slipping away from them, and struggle to figuring out how to bring you back

Warnings: depression, negative self talk

Word Count: 1306

A/N: thank you for the request!

“I’m fine,” you insisted, turning back to your book. It was interesting, it was different, it wasn’t this, it wasn’t reality. In between these pages, you could escape to another universe where your problems and realities didn’t exist. 

Aelin sighed, she’d been attempting to get you to talk about what ‘was happening.’ There was nothing. It was nothing. You are nothing, a voice, eerily like your own, said in the back of your mind. 

That’s the truth of the matter, wasn’t it? You didn’t matter. Nothing fucking did. How would you explain that to the two people who love you more than anything else in the world? How the weight on your chest felt so heavy you couldn’t breathe but at the same time you existed in a state of nothingness where not even the brightest light could reach? You’d battled it since childhood, and although you hadn’t lost yet, there was still so much you missed every day. It doesn’t matter, you reminded yourself, I don’t care. 

“Please,” Aelin caught your attention with a gentle hand on your knee. Eyes blinking back into focus, she was ... Aelin was pleading on her knees with you, her hands squeezing each of your knees. “Tell me where you go when you do that. Let me in.” 

When you do what? Space out, you supposed. Pressing your lips tightly together, you debated. The hope in Aelin’s eyes at your pause broke part of you. You couldn’t do it to someone you loved, couldn’t let them in and get a taste of that all consuming despair that threatened to invade and poison all of your surroundings. Just on your own, you felt like the last block of a crumbling barricade against the rushing tide. Eventually, it would overflow but for now you’d do your best to hold it back. 

“Let us in,” Rowan knelt behind her, his own arm reaching over to brush against your shoulder. “Please,” he repeated her word. 

You turned your head away, “I said it’s nothing,” the phrasing had a tad more bite than you intended. They didn’t deserve to be saddled with your inconsequential issues, no matter how much they asked for it. You could handle it on your own, you’d been handling it for years. 

Are you really, thought? The voice said. 

“Then come to breakfast with us. I’ll make sure your favorites are there,” Aelin tried, her voice shaking slightly. You thought you heard her tears. You didn’t look. Couldn’t look. 

“Alright,” you whispered, a soft agreement, knowing you had to give them something or they wouldn’t leave you to your own devices. 

“Alright,” Aelin breathed as if it was a sacred vow, and you hated the relief in her voice. 

It started with the small things. It always did. One missed dinner, nobody remarked on it. Two missed dinners, nobody batted an eye. Three, inquiries about your absence. Four, someone went to look for you. 

Aelin found you sleeping, decided not to disturb you, and made excuses for your absence, that you were ill, not feeling well, overworked. 

It went on like this for months, them making excuses for why you never showed up to meals anymore. 

You never needed an excuse for work, no you were high functioning, and always took care to show up to any mandatory obligations that could have negative professional consequences. 

You thought you had it under control. Really, you were spiraling so far down into a dark place it would take the hottest sun to drag you out of it.

The next morning, you couldn’t get off the couch. They didn’t ‘wake’ you - you were a master at faking sleep - when they snuck past to go to training, maybe they should have. That invisible weight pushed you back two inches for each inch you moved forward, and eventually you gave up. When they came to get you, you feigned sleep. 

It was impossible to hide your insomnia from them, and you knew they wouldn’t interrupt what precious sleep you could get. Often they’d wake to find you asleep in strange places throughout the room, despite starting out in the bed with them. 

That afternoon, Rowan brought a healer. 

“Just figure out what’s wrong,” he said.

‘Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.’ the word echoed like a horrible melody in your mind. 

The healer took your vitals, asked how often you ate, exercised, went outside, how your mood was, if you felt depressed, and a thousand other questions you answered in a monotone voice. 

Maybe you should’ve been honest, but you didn’t want to worry anyone unnecessarily and with Rowan hovering in the corner, you felt you couldn’t really tell them. 

“Your Highness, could you please step out of the room?” The healer asked pleasantly, patting you on the knee. She was older, you could tell even with the Fae’s gift of eternal youth. Slight lines showed in her forehead and around the corners of her eyes. Signs of a happy life. 

Rowan, begrudgingly, left after you mouthed it was fine. 

“Now dearie,” for some reason her voice was soothing rather than irritating, usually you didn’t like names like that, “you can answer my questions honestly. Anything you say won’t go back to them, it’ll stay right between us and we’ll figure it out together.” 

You looked at her, really looked at her and studied her expression. Unwavering. She didn’t flinch at your unabashed stare, didn’t turn away, didn’t so much as twitch. Like she’d been doing this and dealing with these types of situations for centuries. It gave you some hope. 

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” 

“Here’s a start, perhaps there’s nothing wrong with you, just different,” her eyes lightened slightly. Perhaps she felt the weight of an order from her King. Or she genuinely wanted to help you. You didn’t know which thought was you and which was the darkness living inside of you. 

The conversation felt like a steady push and pull, a battle of wills between you and the healer. At the end, the two of you came up with a plan. One small change. Get outside at least once a day, no matter the time of day or if it was just strolling onto your balcony. 

The healer, Elka, was trained as a mind healer too. You felt slightly tricked when she revealed that at the end. 

The people who loved you most thought you were insane. But you supposed the normal healers hadn’t turned up anything and you couldn’t blame them for trying, it was something you would do after all. 

Despite your high hopes after the first session, progress was slow and you felt yourself almost worsening. 

You learned how to portray to the world that you felt alright, but in private ...

The last thing you wanted was to wake them, especially when they had busy and important things to do in the morning. In other words, the last thing you wanted was to burden them. You made your way to the old rooms you used back when you first moved into the castle, and shook the dust off one of the pillows. 

Sliding under the soft slightly stagnant comforter, you curled on your side and hugged your knees to your chest. 

For the first time in months, the true weight of your self-imposed isolation crashed down on you and you tasted the salt of a tear hitting your upper lip. 

You were woken before six in the morning to a slightly angry Fae storming into your room. 

“This is where I draw the line,” he pulled back the comforter and shifted you into his arms, bridal style. “You can sleep in our fucking bathtub if you can fall asleep there,” he pressed a surprisingly gentle kiss to your forehead, “but I’ll be damned if you sleep in another room again.” 

-

general taglist: @rowaelinsdaughter @bookishbroadwaybish @nestaismommy @erencvlt @panther-girl-124

throne of glass taglist: @i-am-a-lost-girl16

[sebastianswallows]

Nobody's Darling — 1. The Road

— PAIRING: Benny Cross x F!Reader

— SYNOPSIS: Benny comes across a girl walking alone in the middle of nowhere and offers her a ride to the nearest town. They stop at a motel.

— WARNINGS: none

— WORDCOUNT: 3.1k

— A/N: Hello, my dears! So yeah, I saw The Bikeriders because of Austin (and Tom Hardy) and of course I had to write something for it 😂 I've been labouring at it for the past two weeks lol This was meant to be a one-shot but it kept growing and I decided to split it into chapters. The plot is partly based on something that happened to me, namely I missed my stop and the bus drove me way out of the city before I realised what had happened 💀 Anyway, hope you enjoy it! 😘💕✨

Grey clouds floated across the sky. Fields of yellow and burnt grass rolled along like waves. A string of birds cut through the far horizon. The fading light of the sun seeped softly through the glass and warmed her cheek but she was happy to keep sleeping, caught in that special spot between awake and dreaming when her thoughts were peaceful, settled, and she could weave from them a pretty fantasy. The chill of a November evening didn’t quite make it into the bus but the windows were already fogging and the seats grew cold.

She woke up with a start when the wheels struck a hole in the ground and everything jolted.

“Where am I?” she groaned, squinting at the window. Her reflection frowned back but beyond it, she could see… nothing. She was in the middle of nowhere with only naked fields and swaying power lines around her. She checked her watch and her heart stopped.

“I should’ve been home by now. Oh no, I did not sleep through my stop,” she whispered to herself — but she did. “Wait! Driver!”

She got up and ran to the front, scrambling past all those empty seats, her jacket in one hand and purse flailing in the other. The driver gave her a bored expression as she leaned panting against the divider.

“Wait, please, I need to get off! Where are we?”

The man looked at her with all the serenity of an overworked drone in a dead-end job. He didn’t seem particularly alarmed to see her there, nor did he seem to care about her predicament.

“Halfway to the next town,” he mumbled as he started to slow down. “There’s another stop ‘bout a mile back.”

“Great…”

“Next bus comes tomorrow ‘round seven thirty.”

“Oh.”

She looked around again as if she could see something different from up here but it was all the same. The vastness of it frightened her and she half-wished she’d never woken up.

The driver pulled over at the side of the road and tilted the cap on his bald head, his teeth tight around a toothpick.

“You’ll be alright?”

“Yeah…” she said automatically. “Sure.”

He opened the door and her whole body began to tremble, the situation suddenly completely real. She gathered all her nerves and put one step in front of the other, and as soon as her feet were on the ground the bus started to move again, driving away.

The sun was dipping into a pool of pink and the birds that circled overhead were growing louder. She was alone in a darkening field with nothing in front of and behind her except for lamplight spilling yellow and pale over an empty road and dead grass all around. If she regretted getting off that bus, it was too late now.

“At least it was warm inside,” she muttered. “But I could never make it back in time for work tomorrow from the next town… Damn it.”

There was nothing left to do. She sighed to herself and started walking back. In her head, she tried to calculate how late it would be by the time she made it home but each result only scared her further.

“Best not to think about it,” she said. “Just keep walking…”

She hadn’t gone on such a hike since she was a little girl, and never far outside of town. She’d only walked through fields and meadows and the forest that stretched east. There was certainly no time for it since getting hired at the local newspaper, and she liked it that way. Her days were measured and predictable, her clothes were always clean, and nothing ever hurt her — except her back if she sat down writing for too long. She was scared now not just because she was alone and in the dark but because she’d never done a thing like this before. Her heels were unsteady on the crumbling tar and her purse felt heavy on her shoulder. Insects were singing in the grass and creatures rustled through it that she dared not think about. Were there snakes around here? Rats? She pulled her jacket tighter around herself.

After half an hour she came across the bus stop that the driver mentioned. The sign for it was half-chewed off and the wooden bench was worn and stained a sickly yellow beneath a flickering light. She considered for a moment sleeping there until the morning but then the ignominy hit her: to sleep on a dirty wooden bench under the flutter of moths and mosquitoes. To come home unwashed and stinky with her hair a mess and her stockings torn. And if any of the neighbours saw her… No. She walked past that bus stop and didn’t look back, and soon found herself surrounded by darkness again.

“You deserve it,” she muttered as she wrapped her arms around herself, her body ambling forward with none of the grace and poise she had half an hour before. “How could you fall asleep? You weren’t even that tired, and the bus ride is so noisy. You couldn’t wait another ten minutes to get home? Idiot, idiot…”

The walk back to the city was taking longer than she thought it would, and by eight o’clock she was still out there. The sky was sprinkled with stars and the wind was flitting gently through her hair and the creatures in the bushes were growing ever louder. If she weren’t so cold and terrified she might have felt exhausted. Her feet hurt and her back was bent under the weight of her purse and she hadn’t eaten since noon. But suddenly, in the distance, she saw a glint of something made of glass and metal — it was a phone booth. The joy that rushed through her wiped all her pain away and she hurried to reach it, nearly tripping. She felt halfway home as soon as she stepped inside its murky walls.

“Please work, please work, please please please.”

She picked up the receiver and held it on her shoulder as she opened the phone book and started leafing through for the nearest police station. They would be obliged to come and pick her up — that is if she could only explain where she was…

“Hello? Operator?” But no voice came from the other side. The tone was dead. “Operator?” she tried again, her voice growing shaky. “Hello? Anyone?”

As she kept tapping on the phone hook, desperate to reach someone, a bright light came peeking over the horizon from the direction she had just come from. It couldn’t have belonged to a car but whatever it was that approached her was fast and loud as all hell. She held her breath as she watched it getting bigger, brighter, closer. This was the only driver she’d seen the whole night and she was equal parts hopeful and horrified of just what it could be. After all, what kind of person would be out driving at this hour on a weekday?

She forgot about the telephone as she followed this strange light until it was close enough to blot out all the darkness. It blinded her for a moment but that thunderous rumble soon settled to a pur and it stopped on the other side of the road from her. When her eyes adjusted to the brightness she realised it was a motorcycle, thin and lean and silver.

Its rider propped himself against the ground on one long leg clad in blue jeans and reached into his pocket. He was tall and slender, his figure swathed in shadows, his motions simple but relaxed and almost elegant.

“It doesn’t work,” he said as he lit a cigarette. “Been broken for a while now.”

The flash of flame from his zippo lighter gave her a hint of his face. He was young, perhaps even younger than her, with full pink lips and a slight stubble, soft blue eyes, and a sprinkle of dirt like freckles on his face. There was a wildness to him and an air of gentleness as well, but his jacket was a dark denim and thick with patches, symbols that probably meant something to him — he must’ve belonged to some sort of “club”. She didn’t know much about bikers aside from what she read about them in the papers, but they’d always seemed to be a bunch of layabouts. Aside from drinking far too much and smoking she knew they got into trouble with the law, had fights, caused accidents, and were generally dangerous to be around.

“I’m… just trying to get to town,” she said in a wary voice.

“Well, I’m headed that way.”

She said nothing, her hand still frozen on the telephone.

“Want a ride?”

It was a tempting offer but one that made her shiver. She’d never been around a man like that, never even exchanged words with one, and everything that she expected from his kind — rudeness, lewdness, and a bad attitude — was suspiciously absent from him. He looked at her with those soft eyes, his long leg braced against the road, and waited. She should have accepted his offer, she should have just gotten on his bike and wrapped her arms around him, but… she couldn’t.

“No, thank you.”

He kept on smoking quietly and looked her up and down much as she’d done with him. She wondered what he saw… She was probably a pathetic sight and a strange kind of person to come across in such a place. When his eyes finally left her figure they strayed across the wilderness. There was nothing around them for miles, they both knew that, and other cars wouldn’t be around that road for hours.

“You know how far away you are?” he asked, rolling the cigarette between his fingers.

“I’ll be fine.”

“It’s a long walk.”

“I don’t want to…” She was about to say she didn’t want to ride all the way back with a stranger but instead said, “trouble you.”

He didn’t react at first, keeping that air of stillness about him that made her wonder what he thought. But after a few moments, he nodded and dropped the cigarette, crushed it underneath his boot, and with a leisurely motion mounted his bike once more and revved the engine up. Before she could say another word he’d already sped into the distance and left only a cloud of dust behind.

She almost felt sorry to see him go. Almost felt guilty too… She didn’t want her distrust of him to be so apparent or to cause offence, no matter what kind of a person he was. But she told herself he must’ve been a dangerous man and that she was better off alone than riding back to town with him. Well, she wouldn’t be riding back with anybody now… The telephone line was dead, just as he’d said. The wire must’ve been disconnected somewhere.

She wanted to cry. Instead, she began to walk once more, trudging through the dark.

The sky was as black as a curtain cast across a silent stage and against it lit from below the pale lights of interspersed lamps. The roaring of the bike got slowly lost in the road that lay before her and soon only her steps echoed to remind her of how alone she was. She watched the small light of the rider fade and hugged herself against the cold, holding the purse to her chest as if it could protect her. Her feet were hurting so much she worried they were bleeding and she considered taking them off until she looked down at the road and its uneven dirty tar. She closed her eyes even as she kept on walking, too tired to gaze out at the same old nothingness again.

But then she heard a roar floating on the wind and felt a tremble in her chest as if an earthquake was approaching, and when she opened her eyes again she saw that lone light making its way back to her. He seemed to ride back faster than he did as he was leaving and he reached her in no time at all. She slowed down to a stop and so did he, parking right beside her.

“Hey,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck in an awkward, boyish way. “Look, I’m sorry if I scared you earlier. But I can’t just leave you out here. You sure you don’t want to —”

“Alright,” she said, her voice already weak and weary. She was hungry and cold and scared that she’d never make it back to town that night. Too scared to refuse his help a second time. “Just… just get me to the edge of town. I can make my own way home from there.”

If he was surprised at how quickly she accepted now, he didn’t show it. He simply moved closer to the front of his seat and made space for her behind him.

She took a deep breath and approached him carefully as if he rode a beast, not something made of metal. It looked solid and precariously thin at once and yet he straddled it confidently. The saddle looked just big enough for two. She hopped on as best she could and tried to keep her legs together but when he looked at her over his shoulder he shook his head and laughed.

“Legs on either side,” he said. “You’ll fall off if you ride like that.”

“But, my skirt…”

He looked up and down her legs and she tried not to read too much into the way his eyes had darkened.

“Roll it up,” he said in a low and soothing voice. “Don’t worry. I won’t look.”

She held her breath as she rolled her skirt up high enough so that she could throw her other leg over the side. He waited while she settled into the position and planted her feet firmly.

“Ready? Hang on,” he said as he revved the engine up. “I’ll go real slow, alright?”

“A-alright…” she said as she placed her hands timidly around his waist.

But he didn’t go slow, at least not by her standards.

It was completely different to riding in a car, more visceral and real with no windows to protect her. She let out a little scream and clung to his body more tightly than she meant to, eyes falling shut, legs tightening around his bike. He smelled of gasoline and metal and several days’ worth of sweat cooled down by the chilly autumn night but he felt so solid in her arms, so firm and steady, even as the world flashed by. Eventually, she was brave enough to rest her cheek against his back and opened her eyes to look at the vacant countryside. It was a little frightening, as she expected, but peaceful too. As she fisted her hands in his jacket, right over his heart, she tried to peek over his shoulder but could just see the side of his face, focused and relaxed, and the white circle of the headlight. Somehow, that was enough for her. His hair tickled her forehead, feeling softer than it had any right to be, and she found herself smiling. There was something base and ancient in the way he smelled, the way he spoke, even in the way he moved. It was as if he had in him the blood-memory of an ancient Knight on armoured steed galloping alone and steadfast through the fields and woods of untamed lands.

The outskirts of town were much tamer than that, however, and before long they could see the faint lights of the outermost buildings, squalid flats, and blinking advertisements. When he started slowing down she felt herself breathe a sigh of relief. It must’ve tickled the back of his neck because he bent his head forward as if to get away — or to ask for more.

“Where are we?” she asked once the noise of the motorcycle died down.

“Marshal Avenue,” he said, easing the bike to the side of the road.

She didn’t know exactly where that was, but she guessed they were on the other side of town from where she lived. All along the street were boarded-up shops, derelict flats, and liquor stores. Across from where he parked was a building that looked to be about a hundred years old. She could hardly fathom walking home at that hour, especially through a neighbourhood like that, but it was better than being in the middle of nowhere.

“Well, thank you. For the ride.”

He lit another cigarette and dismounted the bike, rolling his broad shoulders to unwind. She got off quickly, scrambling to cover her legs in the crumpled skirt before he turned around and saw her. He gave her a look over his shoulder when he heard her fussing and slowly turned around.

“You sure you don’t want me to drive you home?”

“Yeah, I… I can walk from here.”

He looked at her and stayed quiet but there was something in his eyes behind that veil of smoke that made her curious about what he had to say. He simply nodded and turned toward that old building behind him. She hugged herself and looked up and down the street, waiting for him to say anything — to ask for money, to make fun of her for thinking she could make it home, to make a pass at her…

“Well, good night,” she said.

And as soon as she started walking away he spoke to her again.

“Hey, it’s kinda late. They got rooms upstairs.”

“What?” she asked, turning on her heels a bit unsteadily.

“Owner knows me,” he shrugged, crushing the cigarette beneath his boot and immediately lighting up another. “Could get you one for cheap.”

She shifted her weight from one foot to another and looked around pretending to think… but her eyes kept coming back to him. He puffed quietly away and gazed at her with no design behind those clear blue eyes, looking just as uncertain and awkward as she felt standing in the middle of the street. She didn’t want to trust him but a part of her responded in the same way that she did when she saw a homeless puppy.

“You mean, a room of my own?”

“Yeah.”

She looked from him to the large building again.

He could probably tell that she was torn because he helpfully supplied, “They got food too. Hungry?”

She was. It had been over twelve hours since she’d eaten or had anything to drink.

“I kind of am.”

“Me too,” he said. “Come on.”

[missmaymay13]

soft - w.smith | m.celebrini

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

w.smith & m.celebrini x oc platonic

a one shot from the original - close to you

masterlist | series masterlist

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith had a reputation.

Menaces. Chaos incarnate. Hockey's biggest children.

And they fully leaned into it.

They chirped each other relentlessly, caused a ridiculous amount of trouble, and made it their life's mission to annoy the hell out of June.

But what nobody knew?

What they would rather die than admit?

They were so, so soft for her.

And June?

June was their person.

⸻

It started as a joke.

The first time June ever stayed at their place, she had fallen asleep on the couch, buried under a blanket she 100% didn't start with.

When she woke up, Macklin was in the kitchen, making her breakfast.

"Morning, Junie," he said casually, flipping pancakes like it was totally normal behavior.

June blinked. "Why are you cooking?"

"Because you fell asleep," he shrugged. "Figured you'd be hungry."

June narrowed her eyes. "You don't even make breakfast for yourself."

Macklin just shrugged again.

That's when Will walked in.

Carrying a mug of tea.

Which he wordlessly handed to her.

June took it, frowning. "Did you guys—"

"No," Will interrupted immediately.

Macklin shook his head. "Absolutely not."

June sipped her tea.

Then—with zero hesitation—

"So when did you two decide that you actually like me?"

Will and Macklin froze.

Then—

"That's insane," Macklin scoffed.

"You're delusional," Will added.

June smirked. "Right."

But the next night?

She fell asleep on the couch again.

And somehow, mysteriously, miraculously—

She woke up under a blanket.

⸻

2.

June rarely got sick.

But when she did?

It was bad.

She had been wiped out for days, barely leaving bed, surviving off of tea, cough drops, and sheer willpower.

And somehow, without her asking—

Will and Macklin took shifts making sure she was okay.

Macklin showed up first. He didn't say anything, just dropped off soup and medicine and muttered, "Eat. Hydrate."

Then, when Macklin left, Will showed up next. With extra tea, tissues, and some dumb stuffed animal he won at the arcade.

The next day? Macklin was back. This time with an extra hoodie for her.

Then Will again, bringing more medicine because 'you looked like death' and 'we can't have you dying on us.'

By day four, she was feeling better.

But when she thanked them, Will just grumbled something about how she was 'ruining his reputation.'

And Macklin?

Just shrugged and said, "Shut up and drink your tea, Junie."

⸻

3.

It had started as a fun night out.

The team had won, the vibes were great, and June had been dragged out by the boys to celebrate.

Then some random guy had gotten way too close.

And before June could even react—

Will and Macklin were already there.

Macklin, pushing the guy back. Will, gripping his drink so tight his knuckles went white.

"Back off," Macklin said, his voice deadly calm.

The guy laughed. "Relax, kid, I was just talking to her."

Will's jaw clenched. "Yeah? Well, she's not talking to you."

June, standing between them, sighed. "Guys—"

"We got it, Junie," Macklin muttered.

And the look in his eyes?

Terrifying.

The guy took one look at them—

And left.

June shook her head. "You guys are ridiculous."

Will smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Drink your stupid drink."

⸻

4.

It had been a long week.

She had been overworked, overwhelmed, exhausted.

And finally, when she thought no one was around, she let herself cry.

Just for a second.

Just to let it out.

She barely got one sob in before she heard it—

A thud.

Then—"Oh, shit."

She looked up.

Will and Macklin were standing in the hallway.

Frozen.

Like they had been waiting outside the door.

June wiped her eyes. "You guys suck at sneaking."

Macklin cleared his throat. "Yeah, well."

Will scratched his neck. "Shut up."

June sniffled.

Then, before she could even say anything else—

Macklin was grabbing a hoodie.

Will was grabbing snacks.

And ten minutes later?

She was curled up between them, wrapped up in their tight embrace.

And they never, ever mentioned it again.

⸻

5.

June had slept in.

Which wasn't a big deal, except she was supposed to be at morning skate for media duties.

And instead?

She was still passed out, drooling into her pillow.

When Will noticed she hadn't shown up, he didn't panic.

He just texted Macklin.

Will: Junie's not here. Macklin: Sleeping probably. Will: What do we do? Macklin: Nothing. She needs sleep. Handle it.

So Will did.

When the staff asked where she was, he just shrugged.

"Oh, she's just setting up some stuff," he lied smoothly. "Running a little behind, but she's got it."

And when June finally did wake up, panicked as hell, Macklin was waiting with a coffee and a knowing smirk.

"Relax," he muttered. "We took care of it."

June blinked. "You guys lied for me?"

Will grinned. "Nah, we just... strategically left out details."

June stared.

Then—"Oh my god. You guys are so soft."

Macklin groaned. "Shut up."

Will rolled his eyes. "Go to work."

⸻

For all their chirping, teasing, and complaining—

For all the chaos and nonsense they put her through—

There was one thing that would never change.

June was their person.

And they'd go to war for her if they had to.

They just... would never say it out loud.

And June?

She knew that.

Which was why she never made them say it.

She just let them take care of her in their own way.

Because that's what family does.

[xiasgf]

edibles with xavier (18+)

since nobody else will, I’LL write a short imagine of xavier smoking weed. also this is my FIRST time so sorry if it’s ass lol

you and xavier have had difficulty falling asleep these past few weeks with the constant cases of wanderers around your area. it’s been hectic.

one evening, you’re both at your apartment thinking about how you’ll spend the next week trying to catch up on sleep. you had requested a vacation because you really needed one. but you got used to overworking and keeping yourself awake with shitty caffeinated drinks.

“xavier, have you ever tried weed?”

he pauses for a moment.

“weed? hmm, i’m not sure what you mean.” he gently furrows his brows while looking at you with a confused expression.

“the drug? c’mon you’ve probably seen people smoking something that’s really strong and potent,” you say as you scoot a bit closer to him.

you’re both seated on the floor at your coffee table, with your backs against the couch watching some movie in the background for noise.

“i guess so.” he looks over to you. “why do you ask?”

“i’ve heard it helps people relax, and sometimes they take it so they can sleep way quicker.”

“hmm… are there any negative health effects?”

“xavier, what doesn’t have any negative health effects at this point?” you give a little chuckle and reach for your phone from the table.

you make a quick search for available dispensaries around the neighbourhood and show one to xavier that’s a 3 minute walk from your place.

“here! are you down to try some edibles?” you shove your phone in his face and he pulls back.

xavier notices a slight sparkle in your eyes. she seems a little too excited for this he thought to himself. but it’s cute.

“i would like to try one. but only because you’re here.” he gently pushes the phone out of his face and gives a small smile.

“okay! i’ll get my wallet and things lets go lets go lets go-”

“you have had too many energy drinks.” xavier shakes his head.

————————————

after a little less than 10 minutes, you’re both home with all the goods. you were a bit too excited so you took one while walking out of the dispensary. the cashier explained how it works and how edibles usually hit a lot later for some people.

“feel anything yet,” xavier asks while taking off his jacket and hanging it up on the coat rack by the door.

“not yet. but remember she did say we’d probably get hungry and thirsty so i’ll get us some water. do you want ramen?”

“ramen’s good. doesn’t matter to me which flavour.”

while you walk over to the kitchen, xavier makes his way to the couch and sits while opening the package. he puts the edible in his mouth and chews it. he pauses before biting into it again.

“is it supposed to taste like this?”

“like what? shit?” you chuckle at this question.

“it certainly isn’t pleasant.”

you laugh again but harder and notice it had only been a minute since you’ve gotten home but it felt like hours-

holy fuck it hit already

your laughter echoes from the kitchen which causes xavier to jolt up from the couch and check in on you.

“what’s so funny?” xavier asks while walking up to you.

his look of concern for some reason causes you to burst out laughing again but much louder and harder to the point that you’re holding your belly.

“xavier- i thi- i think it just hit” you say as you crouch down on the cold kitchen floor, still laughing up a storm.

he looks over to the microwave. she left ramen in the microwave without water?

“y/n, you left the ramen in the microwave without water” he reaches over to pull you up off the ground.

“oh my go- shut the f- did i actually?” happy tears were streaming down your face.

“sit on the couch. i’ll take care of it.” he brings you to the couch while you’re still laughing hysterically.

“nonono you’ll just burn the place down” you laugh in his face.

he shows you a small frustrated expression. but it’s quickly broken by laughter from him. he couldn’t help but giggle at what you said, and how you’re acting right now in front of him.

“xavier, did it- did it hit you too?”

“hit? how could a gummy attack me?”

you both end up sitting and dying of laughter on the couch.

you haven’t felt this relaxed and carefree in such a long time. you can feel your muscles loosening and the tension leaving your body.

actually, you were feeling a lot more than you thought you would.

“hey, it seems you’re drifting away.” you shake your head after seeing xavier’s hand waving in front of your face.

his hand. his fingers. they’re so… slender… and long. you wonder how they’d feel inside you.

“you’re flushed.”

he comes closer to you, almost close enough to smell his breath but not quite. “hey, are you okay? do you need water-”

“xavier.” the way you whispered his name sent chills.

it was sultry and sweet at the same time. you stared into each others eyes. xavier’s eyes had grown dark, almost as if he had been possessed by something. but he knew that wasn’t the case. how you said his name just now, the look you’re giving him with your lips parted.

what felt like forever, you both rushed into a kiss. you’ve never been kissed this way before. hell you’ve never been so hungry and lustful until now. god, you can’t tell if it was the gummy running though your system but this kiss ruins you. it ruins him.

it ruins him.

he’s pushing you down, your back laying down on the couch as he carefully pulls his knee up to your crotch. one hand pushing up your leg, the other cupping the side of your face in his hands.

“mm- you have- no idea-” cutting himself off through kisses. “you have no idea how long i’ve yearned for this.”

“xavier- do you want-”

“yes.”

“heh… you didn’t even let me finish,” you sighed, looking up at him, running your hand through his hair.

“i will.”

he starts kissing down your body, starting at your jaw. your neck, but he spent a good minute just kissing, biting, sucking, licking your neck. he just had to mark you as his.

you grip onto his hair even tighter, releasing a groan from him. it sent a wave of pleasure to your core. this causes you to grind against him which just lets xavier know he doesn’t have to hold back anymore, after all these years.

he pushes up your shirt, exposing yourself to the cold air. it causes you to gasp because of the heat you both have created between each other. from your neck, to cupping your breasts and sucking on the little buds. he leaves bite marks on your chest, all the way down to your stomach. he looks up. his eyes have never been so lustrous, seeing him so close to your clothed area. he puts on finger through the waist band, trailing it back and forth.

“y/n, can i?” he continuously traces his finger back and forth just waiting for you to give him the go ahead.

you look down and make direct eye contact with him.

“please, i’ll be good.”

you shiver at his voice. it was dark, but soft-spoken at the same time. it made you weak, and you eagerly nodded a yes for him.

with no time to waste he rips your sweats off your body, leaving you in your pulled up t-shirt and blue lacy panties.

“oh my fucking god,” he whispers to himself.

or so he thought. you heard it and couldn’t help but get embarrassed, immediately attempting to close your legs together. he grips onto your thighs before they could both touch.

“no. i need it, i need this please.”

he looks up again, the same look in his eyes. you hesitate at first, but the fact he wouldn’t do anything unless you gave him permission to turned you on.

“okay.”

he grinned up at you, before rushing into the huge wet spot you’ve made on your panties. intoxicated by your scent, he laps his tongue over the spot.

you arch your back. you feel so much more sensitive than you would when you would play with yourself. it feels so good.

he doesn’t waste time with the piece of clothing blocking what he actually wanted to taste. in one swift move, they’re off and on the floor. his hands go up to your breasts while his tongue his deep in your wet folds. you shake a little with the sudden impact of his wet muscle.

you both moan at the same time. his fingers take your nipples and twist them softly but with a tinge of eagerness. you’re a mess and it hadn’t even been a minute.

xavier his licking you up, down, side-to-side as if this was his first meal in months. he had waited for this moment, but never fed into it. scared that he would be to rough, but this was bliss. he was in heaven. he glances up at you occasionally, and you can feel his smile while he’s eating you out. he loves seeing you like this.

he loved seeing you writhe underneath him. he brings one of his hands down, when you pull it up. your force caused him to get up only to your stomach.

“xavier. i need you.”

god he could come right now. his dick had been throbbing since you first said his name. you had him wrapped around your finger without knowing it. if only you knew what he thought about you. what he thinks about doing to you.

he slowly comes up and you pull him in for another make out sesh. your arms wrap around his neck, his chest heaving against yours. he pulls down his pants, boxers and throws them in a rush. you see them flying somewhere, but you didn’t care. you needed him, now.

you try to bring yourself closer to him to feel his member. he winced and moans in your ear once he feels your throbbing core against his groin.

“just put it in-” you cut yourself off with a harsh gasp as he slams himself inside you. you couldn’t help but scratch his back. you definitely left some marks even while he has his shirt on.

“oh my- fuck- you’re so w-wet- mm.” he buries his face in your neck, his lips ghosting over your ear as he thrusts rhythmically in you. moaning, and praising you for how good you feel.

“oh my god- xavi- fuck- i’m gonna-”

“yeah you like that don’t you- mm shit- when i fuck you hard like this huh? oh fuck.”

you’re in pure bliss. tears begin streaming down your face in rapture. his dick fits so perfectly inside you, touching the fleshy spot that drives you crazy.

and he loved this. he loved having you under him, washing you with praises like “you’re so good for me princess,” “so tight and wet,” “yeah keep clenching like that.” god. he can’t get enough of you.

you’re starting to feel it. heat rushing through you, from your cheeks to your pussy. you rush your hand down to your clit, but he takes your arm and places it right above your head pinning you down. your free hand is gripping his back. the scratching hurts only for a second, because no pain can overtake this feeling of ecstasy away from him.

“god- mm- i’m gonna cum- your pretty pussy- fffuck- all mine.” his thrusts are getting a bit more sloppy, and then he immediately pulls out.

he dives back into to your wet folds, vibrations sending you over the moon while he moans and relishes in your sweet juices.

“yesyesyes- oh shit- i’m gonna- oh xavier- i’m-”

“mhm cum all over my face.” he takes his hand and starts rapidly stroking his member.

him saying that is all it took. you came so hard, squirting all over his face just like he wanted. at the same time, he releases all over the floor and does not stop eating you out until you’ve completely finished.

you sit up and hold his face with your hands to pull him in for one final kiss tonight. this one was gentle, because it was your way of saying thank you and-

“i love you, y/n.”

you withdraw from him, looking at him with a shocked look. he can’t believe he said it. he tries to get away from you but your strength keeps him there.

“xavier, i love you too.”

he looks up with his dream-like eyes. he’s been longing to hear those three words. after some time, he kisses your hands and wrist.

“hmm. i told you i’d let you finish.”

[bg3daydream]

Nurture (Davrin x Rook fic) Davrin's week day 1

A short Davrook one-shot I wrote for day one of Davrin's appreciation week, organized by @datvcompanionweeks. Inspired the prompt "nurture". I'll post it on AO3 too.

Summary: Davrin takes care of an overworked, sick Rook. Davrin x female Rook, all fluff and comfort.

“It doesn't make sense,” Rook grumbled. “I was fine.”

Little more than two weeks had passed since she and her team defeated the gods, and while in the middle of helping Minrathous and every other place that had been badly hit, Rook had seemed to collapse, which was very inconvenient considering everything there was sill to do and all the loose ends they still had to tie. 

She didn't know what had happened. Sure, she knew she was tired, but she was not expecting to start feeling sick, getting worse and worse, dizzy and unwell, until she'd almost fainted. 

Despite her weak attempts to say she was right, even if her eyes were closing, Davrin had made her stop what she was doing and sit down. 

They still used the Lighthouse sometimes, and as Bellara suggested it might provide whatever Rook needed, Davrin decided to take her there. By then, she was feeling too unwell to suggest anything else.

And so, there she was now, tucked in Davrin's bed, Assan curled at her feet as if he, too, wanted to help. 

“You heard Emmrich,” Davrin said as he reached to carefully brush his buckles across her cheek, cold against her feverish skin. “You've been stressed and tired, you've overworked yourself, and you've ignored it for too long, so your body's decided to stop you itself.”

“If Emmrich says so…” Rook sighed. “But you all have been working just as hard and nobody is fainting, just me…” She was rather ashamed.

“Rook, you don't see yourself, you're always working yourself to the bone, you never stop, and you've gone through so much already.” 

Rook wanted to tell him that she did the same as everyone else, but she was so tired, it was hard to form words. 

“And me? Grey warden stamina, you know it, you've tried it yourself,” Davrin joked and Rook snorted, groaning and closing her eyes tight when it made her head hurt more. Davrin's fingers smoothed across her frown and stroked her forehead, comforting. “Now rest.”

“Alright, alright,” Rook gave up, she didn't think she could get up even if she wanted to. “Just this night, I'll get back to work in the morning." 

“We'll see…”

The next thing she knew, Rook was falling asleep.

She woke up a few hours later. She didn't feel so unwell, as if just resting a couple of hours had done her good like Emmrich and Davrin had suggested, but she still felt weak and feverish.

Davrin was with her, sat down on the bed, Assan’s head on his lap. One of his hands held one of Rook's, the other holding the notebook where he took notes for his monster manual, which he was now reading by the candlelight.

He smiled softly at her when he saw her waking up. “Hey, feeling better?”

“A bit, yes.” Rook nodded her head and regretted it when it hurt.

“Good.” Davrin leaned to kiss her forehead and then reached for a flask on the nightstand table. “Bellara made you some tea that’ll help lower your fever.”

“Will it make me understand Assan?” Rook joked weakly. 

“Let's hope no, you have to be resting, not gossiping,” Davrin joked back. He helped her sit up and drink the tea.

“This isn't as bad as I imagined,” Rook said between sips. “It's almost sweet.”

“The dalish use it for sick kids sometimes,” Davrin told her. “I remember my mom giving it to me once, when I was little.”

Rook wished she were feeling less weak, so she could ask Davrin about it. She was always eager to learn more about him, about his family and his childhood, but she knew Davrin was still conflicted about his clan and leaving them for the grey wardens, so she was usually reluctant to ask and push him about it, she'd rather let him speak and tell her things when he felt like it.

Once she finished the tea, Davrin gently encouraged her to lie down again, tucking her in. “Come on, try to sleep some more.”

She was going to say that she didn't need to, that she was fine, but she fell asleep before the words could make it past her lips. 

She woke up in the middle of the night, with the room illuminated by the fireplace. Davrin'd dozed off next to her on the bed, looking as handsome as always. Rook reached to stroke the side of his face, softly and carefully, she didn't want to wake him. Her stomach, though, decided to choose that moment to grumble loudly.

It was enough to make Davrin open his eyes, as if his brain had been on the lookout for any sign she might need something. 

He gave her a lazy smile. “You look better.”

“I feel good.” Weak, but not feverish and lightheaded. Her stomach grumbled again. She hadn't had lunch or dinner, but she'd been feeling too unwell to feel hungry until now. 

“You're hungry,” Davrin said as she sat up. “Wait a minute, I'll bring you something.”

Before Rook could say he didn't have to, that she'd go herself, he was already gone, Assan rushing behind him as if hoping for treats from the kitchen. 

Davrin came back carrying a tray with a big bottle of water and a bowl, covered so the soup in it wouldn't get cold, but the delicious smell reached Rook anyway, eliciting a demanding, almost painful grumble of her belly.

She sat up against the headboard while Davrin left the tray on the nightstand table and uncovered the bowl.

“Did you make it?” Rook asked as she looked at the rich, yummy-looking soup, reaching for the bowl.

“I'm tempted to say yes to see if you look at me the same way you're looking at that soup,” Davrin joked. “But no, Lucanis left it ready for you, he said it’d help you feel better.”

“It's so good,” Rook said between spoonfuls of soup. “I don't know if he's a better assassin or cook.”

Davrin chucked at that. “He made some dinner for me too, it was good. I guess he's not too bad, for a crow at least,” he joked. 

Once she was done with the soup, he made her drink some water and more tea, helped her to get to the bathroom on weak legs, and then took her back to the bed. 

He tucked her in again and this time, he got under the covers with her. “Come here,” he whispered, wrapping an arm around her, and Rook let out a content sigh as she nestled on his chest. 

“You're good at this,” she said softly, half asleep, while her fingers traced lazy patterns over his exposed chest. “At taking care of people. Assan, me, anyone who needs it.”

Davrin was silent for a moment, enough for her to almost fall asleep. “I never thought I'd. I'm a grey warden, I was happy to protect people, but I was always a fighter. I didn't see myself much as a caregiver.”

“Well, you're good at it,” Rook mumbled sleepily. “Very good…Assan and I swear by it.”

Davrin chuckled quietly, holding her tighter and stroking her arm. “You know…I think I rather like it,” he said quietly and Rook murmured something or tried to, but the words didn't make sense. Davrin smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Come on, get some more sleep.”

Before he'd even finished the sentence, Rook had already fallen asleep in his embrace. 

*

N/A

Thanks for reading this little thing, if you liked this, please let me know in a comment, and as always, reblogs are more than welcome.

Hopefully, I'll be posting little fics each day of Davrin's week.

Excuse my English, it’s not my first language.

[yyaktayak]

Promise U That- 01🍱

An’naie x Zilla

tags : @uceyliyahh @charmed-dreamssss @bluestrawberrypatch @prettypink-princesss

An’Naie || ya||

-Baton Rouge- Jan,10,25

“I know you all heard about Kaiser getting out of prison last week “ Kofi said as he came over with 2 plates .

big ass nigga I thought .. all these niggas do is gossip they’re worse then the females .

“who’s Kaiser ?” I questioned as I asked curious about it .

“don’t worry bout it , you don’t need to know who he is “ stated Dominik said which made me mug him hard.

“I’ll tell you later “ whispered Trinity as I smiled and continued to mug everyone else before me .

“I work for Kaiser , he’s was in there for Drug possession and sum no shit he been in there for a luh bit but you know he’s a wrestler so we got connections and he’s our cousin.“ Joshua stated .

what kinda business is he in the fuck .

“I can’t lie , they needa chill off big bro he really cool as fuck “ Z’yi said as she just chuckled at my confused face .

“mmcht how yall even kno all these lit people ?” I questioned but Ja’ide got up and pulled me away .

“I’m married to Cody as you know and Cody is Kaiser’s homeboy .. Kaiser’s Cool as fuck but alot of people make him out to seem like a bad person when he’s not .” Ja’ide stated as she fixed her a plate where no one could hear us .

“mm okay “ I mumbled quietly as I looked for a couch in here and sat on it watching the show .

I’m so tired being a nurse is hard so I’m glad I took a few months off because I’ve overworked way too much but as long this money was coming it I could tolerate it .

“mhm see what happens when you don’t sit in the house all day “ Z’yi said coming over with a small smirk

“oh girl please “

“you only come out when you wanna get food and that’s about it “ she honestly told me and she’s not wrong .

I never truly had friends until I met my girls , Z’yi , Trin , Jade & Binky I wasn’t much of a people’s person but they make me smile truly .

“we finna leave after the shower and we going ta stay at Trin & Jon’s house mk?” I nodded with my head and laid back down .

———————

I felt somebody messing with me while I was sleep making me kick them hard .

this is the 3rd time I done kicked this nigga .

“stop kicking me like I’m a lil boa lit girl “ I heard a strong accent and knew it was Jimmy .

for somebody to not be from here the twins sure have a strong ass accent .

“then stop fucking with me while I’m sleep “

“oh girl please I was tryna see if you was really sleep can’t get mad yo ass sleep with yo ass opened like a damn bubbleguppie “ Jimmy said all sassy rolling his eyes .

“Boy go on somewhea “ she said as she pulled the covers over her head again .

but I got up a little once I smelled food . I soon stopped in my tracks seeing a tall man ..

he has tattoos, fair-skinned his hair was down did I mention tall as hell? he had a scar down his face which made me intrigued .

“Na staring ain polite” Cody said chuckling .

“white boy hush , I was just looking..”

“hey Kaiser , ain’t seen you in forever “ Z’yi said .

“bitch no duh we all haven’t ..” Bianca said jokingly which made everyone laugh a little .

“wassam?” he said nodding his head at everyone .

ah , so this is the Kaiser everyone’s been running they mouths about , he don’t look bad at all.. scary as hell yes ? dangerous I’m sure he is but I don’t know people he exaggerating .

he soon looked my way and I quickly looked away on my phone pretending to type away only to hear a small chuckle from Roman .

“Kaiser dis Yb lit sister An’naie , and An’naie dis Kaiser or Damian but he prefer his real name roun’ us I’a introduce yall since yall just staring “ Jey rolled his eyes obviously irritated at the quietness .

nigga rolling his eyes ain nobody asked him to do that shit.

I looked up from my phone and shyly waved as he nodded his head up at me turning away .

mmcht the fuck wrong with him?

I hummed before getting my plate sorry right back down where I was sleep at.

“ Mm mm mm” Jimmy said shaking his head .

“I’m sick of you and to twins shit lil boa “I mumbled .

“li- lit girl me and twin older then you “

“no wonder yall asses hitting that old stage quite quickly” I said as I rolled my eyes they only pick on me cause I’m the youngest .

——————————————-

I had looked over at Kaiser seen he was looking at me then he quickly looked away at the wall

I was finna go to the store with the girls and get some wingstop .

I sighed softly I had a headache so I was ready to lay back down ..

“so whatcha think bout the gang ?” asked trinity.

“yea even though I know half of yall.. but Kaiser.. he so I don’t know interesting ..” I mumbled but they heard me because they all turned to look at me and smirked .

“I mean yea , just get yo know him nana he’s not how everyone says he is ..” Ja’ide said pulling out the driveway .

“I know but like.. he didn’t seem talkative and outgoing like the rest and yall know how bad I M I don’t like talking to people first ..” I huffed quietly .

“well love sometimes we gotta come out of our shell “ Bianca said scrolling on her phone smiling.

It’s hard trying to talk to other people first especially if you don’t know them but I guess I’ll try ..

———————————————

excuse any mistakes ! make sure to comment 🫶🏽

02👇

[bahablastplz]

All In | Chapter 7.5 (Changbin)

pairing: Lee Felix x f!reader (mafia au)

summary: You didn't know what you were getting yourself into when you started dating Yang Jungwon, notorious mafia boss. Your life gets flipped upside down when you're found beaten and bloody by SKZ, the rival mafia group, and you're quickly integrated into their lives. What will happen when you try to leave your old life behind and start anew?

chapter summary: Changbin knows what it's like to be weak but he has people he needs to protect. How did Changbin come to join SKZ?

warnings: please see series masterlist for all warnings

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“You’re weak,” he laughed at me. 

When I was in fourth grade, I had gotten the shit beaten out of me when I stood up for my older sister. This guy in her grade was constantly berating her, picking on her, making her feel less than. One time too many she had come home crying and I decided enough was enough. 

It didn’t go as planned, of course. He was two years older than me, and so I wasn’t able to stand up for her the way I had wanted to. I had gotten pulverized, more or less, but the relentless torment of my sister had stopped. Mission success? 

The night I had gotten beaten up, my sister tended to my wounds in our family bathroom. “Stupid,” she had scolded as she wiped blood from my upper lip. “You should know better. I never want you to get hurt again.” 

“Don’t tell Ma,” I had pleaded. Our mother would be sick out of her mind with worry if she saw me covered in blood and bruises. 

Our mother was a headstrong, independent woman that had raised us well. Our father had taken off when I was just a baby and I was still too young to remember him, but his existence continued to sour the taste in our mouths to this very day. Since then, our mother had been a provider, working day and night in order to give us everything that we needed. She was overworked, anybody could see that much, but she wanted to make sure she gave her children a long and healthy life. 

It was that night that I had vowed that I would become stronger. For her. For my sister. For our family. I would work hard and make sure that I would never get hurt again, but that I was strong and that I could protect my family. 

I went out looking for work the very next day. Believe it or not, nobody really looks to hire you if you’re in the fourth grade. But try as I might, I went to every business in town and begged them to hire me. I was persistent, in fact. 

“Why would we hire ya, kid?” one older man had spit at me. “With arms like yours, ya would only be a burden. You can’t lug around a potato if you tried.” I was ridiculed for even trying. But try as I might, day in and day out I would show up every morning begging for work, rain or shine. 

One day, my luck had finally passed. I guess it was their busy season or something, because when I showed up to his shop at opening I was immediately thrust into work. It was all physical labor and sure, he was right about me not having the strength or stamina yet to truly be of help. But, I had the determination and perseverance. I never complained once, and though I was slower than some of his other workers, he gave me another chance the next day when I came back. 

And so, that’s how I acquired my first job. And though my body wasn’t fully equipped for it yet, it certainly became equipped over time. Though I was small, my body started bulking up and giving me the strength to lift hundreds of pounds of materials each and every day. 

By the time I reached high school age, I was working 60 hours a week and bringing home hundreds of dollars in cash. My Ma always made it a big thing when I tried to give her the money; I never kept any of it for myself. But I needed her to know I had it handled. If it were up to me, she would never have to work another day of her life and I would provide for us and we would live happily ever after. 

It wasn’t long before I got greedy. People wanted me for my strength, after all. But once I found out that underground fighting was a thing… It was almost like I had forgotten about my vow years ago to never let Ma see me get hurt, to never have my sister have to patch me up again. I was leagues above the others, with my physique that I had spent years skillfully crafting. I never told my family the nature behind my new job, but all it entailed was me beating the crap out of other people. And people always bet on me, and they would always win of course. My technique was a little rusty at first but what I lacked in skill I more than made up for in strength. And when I wasn’t fighting and bringing home money, I was in the gym training. 

It wasn’t enough. Just a little more. Once I was stronger, I’d be able to protect them. 

Never mind the fact that I didn’t get to see much of my Ma or sister anymore, as I was always in the ring or in the gym. All that mattered was that I was powerful. That I had something to show for it. 

One day when I showed up to the ring, there was a large crowd and a lot of murmurs that I had never heard before. A new opponent? Nobody had dared to challenge me in eons. But here he was… a man that had a few inches on me in height, but definitely not in raw strength. They called him Chan? I had never heard that name before, so he must be new. 

One thing’s for sure, and that I was confident that this was a fight I could win. 

“Changbin, right? Why don’t we turn this into a bet?” He had asked me. 

I scoffed in his face. “Don’t make me laugh,” I told him. “You’re going to lose enough already, no? Do we really need to bring down your pride, your ego and whatever cash you have in your pocket? Let me do you a favor and spare you here and now.” 

The man only grinned in return. I could tell he was cocky and that only pissed me off. My adrenaline was already ready to go. 

“How about this. If I win, you’ll consider joining me and my team,” he had said. 

“Your team… Yeah, sure buddy. Whatever you say. What about when I win?” 

“If you win, Changbin, I’ll give you 10,000 dollars in cash.” My face blanched and my blood ran cold. He couldn’t be serious. He was that confident in himself?

“You’re on, man. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” We stepped into the ring and I cracked my jaw and knuckles in anticipation. I barely noticed the crowd getting larger and larger around us as we prepared. 

The makeshift ref blew their whistle and counted us down. “3… 2… 1… Go!” And we were off. I was in my element, of course. Years of training would finally pay off, I thought to myself. 

I barely had time to register how fast he was when the whistle blew. In half a second, he was across the ring and in front of my face. I blinked and saw a fist swinging for my face but had just enough time to duck, meeting his jaw with an uppercut. He took it like a champ, of course. Never had I seen someone that wasn’t instantly knocked out by the force of one of my uppercuts. I would usually save that for a finishing move, but today there was something on the line. 

He stepped back, his hand cradling his jaw for a second as he took me in. He smiled at me. Usually by now, once my opponent is humbled they would make a last-ditch effort to swing and swing, getting messy in an attempt to stake their claim and win. I saw none of that with Chan. His eyes were sharp, calculating, and for a second I almost felt like prey. 

“You’re strong,” he noted. “That’s why I want you.” 

“You and everyone else,” I told him. “Tell me something I don’t know.” 

I lunged forward, aiming for his stomach but I’m met with air. He dodged my blow? Stumbling forward, I wasn’t expecting to be swept off my feet. I didn’t even see him move! How could he have knocked me off balance that easily? 

Squinting, I saw the flash of his shadow moving. He jumped, making to tackle me to the ground but I read him too quickly. I rolled to my side, noticing when he made contact with the ground instead of my frame. ‘Two can play that game,’ I had thought. 

I’m on my feet in an instant, taking a defensive stance. 

“You’re loyal to a fault,” he said. “A family man. You’re protective, a caregiver. You want to be able to provide.” 

“How do you know all this?” I panted. I hadn’t had a fight in the ring this long in years. 

“I make it my business to know things,” he provided unhelpfully. “The top fighter in the city? Definitely my business.” I rolled my eyes at that. 

He moved forward and lunged with a right swing which I dodged with an arm. I reached to grab him but failed and instead was met with a blow right to my stomach that I had left unprotected. Holy shit. What muscle was this guy hiding? I coughed and sputtered and barely registered the sound of the crowd coming to a roar. 

He lifted up his leg as if to kick me and I was thrown into yet another defensive attack, throwing my arms up. I instinctively swung back but he wasn’t there–he had used the momentum from his kick to crouch to the ground, springing up to land an uppercut straight to my nose. I heard a loud crack before everything went dark. 

Chan later told me that I had been unconscious for about an hour. When I woke up, the crowd had dispersed and my coach was yelling at me about all the money I had lost him. Chan, in all his glory, had stayed until I was conscious again. 

I groaned. 

“So about my team,” he said, cracking a grin. “You want to be strong? You want to know how to protect your family, how to protect your mother and sister that you care so much about? There are things they need protecting from that you don’t even know about yet. They’ll be safe if you join SKZ, but if you don’t… bad things will happen to them. Let me tell you about it. Join me for a walk.” 

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

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[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Spouses worried because the farmer didn’t come home last night. (Thinking they passed out in skull cavern/mines and nobody found them)

Sure thing. Enjoy, dear anon 😊💕

_________________________________________

Poor Penny, crying quietly, will ask all the residents if they have seen the Farmer. Eventually will walk into the Clinic where her spouse will be sitting bandaged. She will immediately cry louder and hug them. Penny almost goes crazy!

Sebastian will take his handmade obsidian dagger with him and go to the Mines to look for his spouse. But ends up finding Farmer right outside the entrance to the Mines, where they're sleeping. Phew, at least they're okay. The dagger won't be needed.

"AAAAAAAA!" So, with a battle cry, Abigail grabs her sword and goes to rescue the Farmer, since she can't sit still and worry anymore. Scolds them severely when she finds out they overworked themselves and fell asleep outside again, but quickly forgives them.

Yoba, oh Yoba, where is Elliott's dear lover? They haven't returned, though they promised they would. He must do something! Gather people, organize a search. Oh, Farmer! He was so worried about them! Asleep again?! Please, Farmer. A writer's heart may not be able to take this kind of stress....

Shane wanted to simultaneously swear and hug Farmer after they were found unconscious and brought home the next day. He wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to Farmer...

Maru knows the necessity of Farmer's dangerous ore mining, but... She can't help but worry about them. And when Farmer returns in the morning, a little battered but alive, the girl thinks of making a robot to mine the ore instead of Farmer.

Naturally, Harvey's heart raced at the fact that Farmer hadn't returned last night. But when they were found, 'super doctor' mode kicked in. First - to cure the spouse, then - to scold them.

Emily is somewhat reassured by the fact that she gave Farmer a charged with good aura amulet and a couple of stones before she left that are supposed to protect them. It's unclear if they work or not, but Farmer, though only by morning, came back in one piece. Phew!!!

Nothing Alex's spouse can't handle. He believes them. But he's ready to snap out of his seat at any second and beat the Farmer off the monsters with his bare hands if necessary. Alex is a little nervous but he believes in them.

Haley tries to think of the good things. Her favorite spouse is a very strong and very brave person. She will wait for them, wait for them to come, for the worried girl to scold them a little and then hug them tightly.

Sam has to go back and forth and find something to do to take his mind off the bad thoughts. The farmer might have stayed a day before, nothing new here. But when they come back, Sam's gonna be all puppy dog-eyed, like, "I was so worried!"

Leah has plenty of tools that can easily be made into weapons, and the brave artist is ready to get her spouse out of Hell. She's a bit worried and anxious, but she'll follow them into the Mines. And she'll get them out of there.

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

i don't really mind what character you use but if you are comfortable with it could you add a one sided crush the reader has on the rover (female) and jinhsi also I'm not sure how you feel about giving kids trauma so sorry if it makes you uncomfortable but can you make the reader come from a bad family or had something really horrific happen in front of them {like a house fire or someone they like getting hurt} leading them to being overly protective of the playable characters

-from a certain witch from a far off land

Alr I'll do Jinhsi and Rover...However. No romance—as your original request was a kid/minor Reader. Ik there's nothing wrong with teen romance, but my rules have stated: all children are strictly platonic.

(PS - Anon ur name is so long 😭 how can I remember this glorious title?)

Teen!Reader, the...OTHER Sentinel of Jinzhou

You get the gist of it—you were minding your own business, enjoying the content of a very cool game...And boom, magical transfer into the game. You're freaking out, and next thing you know...

Welcome, you're god now. Rejoice in your own presence.

Did I mention that you've also bumped into two very special people yet? No? Too late, I just did :)

(Warning: Might be OOC!)

Rover

The first time Rover met you, Rover felt 1000 times older. Like, to Jue, the draconic Sentinel of Jinzhou, they was the Arbiter General that practically helped establish the civilization. With you in the picture...and your physique...

Yes, you make them feel like a very ancient elder. Someone get this Rover a walking chair or a normal sitting chair. Maybe even a doctor, they might pass away from heart failure.

All jokes aside, Rover really gets not wanting to be special. Alright, this person's been there—everyone around them were hot on their heels the moment they opened their eyes, and that's not even mentioning the Black Shores, Jinzhou's government, the Fractsidus...

"No worries, [Y/N]. I won't tell a soul unless you're ready to tell others first." They keep your secret of being the other Sentinel of Jinzhou. Did I mention that their warm smile also gives them bonus points? They make you feel protected, and they quite literally will protect you should the situation present itself dangerous.

Also, if you want to talk to Jue but need moral support, look no further. Just ask Rover. They did it once, they'll do it again.

All in all? 10/10, this Rover ain't gonna be snitching you out to the city over their dead body.

Jinhsi

The first time she met you and realized you were the other Sentinel of Jinzhou, she was evidently shocked. You were barely an adult—you had both the mentality and the physique of a teenager! You were almost like her, in a sense, and little to nothing at all like Jue...except for maybe the power you wield.

She isn't exactly sure what to do at the beginning. She wants to bring you to the City Hall, but you were only a teenager, both in mind and heart. She didn't want to restrict you to responsibilities you barely even knew of yourself. In a case, you were almost like Rover in that way—maybe you forgot your memories of your past as a Sentinel. Or maybe you were reborn as a human Sentinel.

Regardless of the many possibilities of what to do to help you, Jinhsi's first step never came anywhere near to revealing to all of Jinzhou of the whereabouts of their other Sentinel, supposedly lost to time. You needed time to get used to everything, and she can provide that time. After all, nobody knew you were back (yet).

"Trust me, Sentinel [Y/N], I will ensure your safety as much as I possibly can. You are safe in Jinzhou." Jinhsi smiles a reassuring smile. "The people of Jinzhou will always welcome newcomers with open arms, regardless of their upbringing. We will continue to uphold our traditions, for this is something we, as a nation, are proud to continue."

Safe to say, you'll be in good hands. Such a shame though you'll have to be the one to smack Jinhsi around a few times to make sure she doesn't overwork herself. Just because she's supposedly an adult doesn't mean it's okay, okay? (Team up with Sanhua, and you'll probably win)

No matter what you choose (leave or stay) to do in Jinzhou, Jinhsi will make sure you are safe and free from your supposed bonds of being their Sentinel. After all, you do want to experience life at its finest, right?

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: Man, I really need to catch up with Wuwa's 1.1 story SOBBING. I was so excited for Xiangli Yao and Zhezhi too lol—ugh, my motivation really just keeps decreasing bro. I'll try to catch up as soon as possible! Hopefully I'll do it soon— (Watch me accidentally take 30 years just to catch up sobbing)

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel’s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

[goldenempyrean]

Sleepy Scientist

〚 Notes - I wrote this AGES ago and forgot to post it... oops. I know I've been "somewhat" (a hell of a lot) absent, I've just been busy with life and other things :,) 〛

〚 Pairing - Lena Luthor x Reader 〛

〚 Summary - Lena is overworked, you take the day to make sure she rests a little 〛

〚 Wordcount - 560 〛

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Lena Luthor was chronically overworked. You knew this. She knew this. Her colleagues knew this. It was just a generally well known fact. Yet despite this nobody ever seemed to be able to get her to slow down a little.

It wasn’t like you didn’t try, you really did. But even with your countless nagging, you’d still catch Lena staying up late to work at her laptop, answering emails or typing up reports. She always seemed to be working.

Of course this was going to catch up to her. You’d warned her it would. As such, you weren’t surprised when after an exhausting week, Lena had woken up feeling crappy.

Low fever, aches and pains. All consequences of pushing herself to the brink then pushing a little extra. Lena's eyes fluttered open as you came back into the bedroom, her tired gaze revealing the telltale signs of exhaustion. With a soft sigh, she glanced at you, "I think you were right about needing more sleep."

“I don’t want to say I told you so, but…” You trailed off, shaking your head softly as you came to sit on the edge of the bed, allowing yourself to gently cup her face, “This is what happens when we don’t take breaks.”

Lena managed a weak smile, her eyes half-closed. "I know, I know. I just can't help it sometimes." She slowly sat up, looking a bit wobbly.

You smiled, taking the glass of water from the nightstand and prompting her to drink it, “How about we just take it slow today. No work, no plans. Just relax.” You suggested, taking the empty glass she handed back to you and set it back down on the side, “We could watch some of those cheesy movies you pretend to hate?”

Lena nodded, appreciating the concern in your eyes. "Cheesy movies and cuddles sound perfect right now," she admitted with a faint chuckle, slowly making her way to the living room. As she settled onto the sofa, your small little black cat jumped up and settling on her lap, causing Lena to smile down at the animal as she pet him gently, “Hi you.”

Your cat meowed contently back at her and you smiled at the pair of them before leaving to go and grab the large blanket from your linen closet. It didn’t take long to get snuggled up beside her, and before long the two of you were cuddled together, her head resting against you as you watched Titanic.

As the movie played, Lena leaned into you, her eyes growing heavier with each passing scene. The warmth of the blanket enveloped both of you, creating herself a cosy cocoon. It was about halfway through the movie, when you felt Lena stir against you, ducking inside your side as she let out a soft, sleepy sneeze.

You chuckled softly, "Bless you, sleepyhead." Gently stroking her hair, you suggested, "Maybe a short nap will do you a world of good, catch up on some of that sleep you desperately need.”

She nodded, yawning as she nuzzled further up against you. You were helpless but to look down at her, love filling your eyes as she let her head fall into your lap, “Get some rest sweetheart.” You whispered, letting your hand rest on her back, “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

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