#so if you wait an hour or two it should be available in a higher quality

[secondbeatsongs]

a recording of the tumblr CEO Q&A that happened on tumblr live on 07/11/23.

some notes: the very beginning of the video is cut off, but the audio for it is fine. and there are a few small areas in the second half of the video where the audio drops in quality a bit.

all of that is because this whole video is actually frankenstein'd together from several different audio and video sources, recorded by myself, @xccentriktigress, and @fokron, and with extra help from @eiimblr and @sharksfood!

thank you all for working on this team project with me, and for helping archive this so that others can see it! yay teamwork! :D

[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.

[petalruesimblr]

Hello and welcome back to my blog! I planned to post this about two weeks ago, but I got so busy with booking flights and reservations for my trip that I decided to wait until I returned from my vacation.

This project has been my plan for my next #FollowersGift and I’m happy that it's finally complete. It's not much, to be honest; this was just an idea I had for a career and I was unsure if I should create a part-time job again or pursue a full-time career, so I decided to do both!

The SimGuard Security Services is a full-time career based on a security company/firm while SimGuard Security is also part of that but is assigned to different lots. This took a while because aside from creating five part-time careers, I also created a full-time career that includes branches, opportunities and books, which will be fully discussed in this post. A second post will follow for the part-time careers so this one won't get too long.

Thank you to all my followers for the likes, reblogs, downloads of my content and all your kind comments! I truly appreciate each and every one of them.💜

If you are interested, click on ’Keep Reading’ below for more information and pictures of the SimGuard Security Services Career.

SimGuard Security Services

Bulk Download: Sim File Share (Full Time and Part-Times) | For individual files, refer to this post here.

As a Security Guard, you’ll be the vigilant eyes and ears protecting everything from top-secret parties to the occasional rogue lawn gnome. Duties include patrolling, deterring mischief and ensuring our clients’ properties stay as they should—intact. If you’re prepared for an exciting mix of vigilance and adventure, apply now and become part of our SimGuard Security Services!

Career Type: Full Time Available for: Young Adults and Adults Available Languages: English Levels: 10 Rabbit Hole: Business And Journalism Does it have Carpool? Yes Does it have Uniforms? Yes File Type: Package Min. Required Game Version: 1.42 Packs Needed: The Sims 3 📣All descriptions for the levels, tones and metrics as well as skills required, salary, uniforms and other details are provided on the pictures above. Right-click on a picture and select ’Open image in new tab’ for a clearer view.

NRAAS Careers Mod

Branches and wages: This career has two branches that branch out after level 5: the Management branch, which focuses on handling internal agency operations as you progress to higher ranks and the Field Operations branch, which allows for expertise in specific security fields. All the levels represent realistic roles based on the research I did for this career. If you prefer the managerial role, expect to read more reports and increase your logic skills. However, if you prefer roles like a bodyguard or security escort, expect to develop both athletic and logic skills as you take on different roles in the field. Levels 1-5 offer realistic hourly wages based on research. To compensate for the increased days off and decreased work hours as the level increases, I had to raise the hourly wages beyond the normal salary ranges for Levels 6-10 for both branches. Metrics and Books: I made a few changes to this career, specifically regarding the metrics. I originally planned to include "Reports" as part of the required tasks but I realized this was unrealistic since it was based on the Law Enforcement career, where individuals interview people, search through their trash and create reports based on those findings—tasks not typical for a security guard. Instead, I made it a custom tone and changed the "Reports" metric to "Research," which is based on the Medical career, where professionals read reports from their subordinates instead of medical journals. Opportunities: As this is my first time creating opportunities, I focused on developing just two for now, with only one of them being repeatable. This is because security guards need to complete a minimum number of hours of continued firearm training per year. I initially planned to include Martial Arts as part of the metrics but decided to make this base game compatible for now. I might release a different version for World Adventures but to be honest, I don’t have the time at the moment. You are always free to add it on your own for personal use (check my terms of use). Be sure to check out MissyHissy's tutorial under Credits for a step-by-step guide on how to do it. As stated above, you will need NRAAS Careers Mod for these careers to show up in the game and as long as you have the latest version of it, it should work for higher patches. You can also read my #psa regarding these careers, click here. I’m not fluent in any other languages to translate so if anyone is interested in translating this career, please don’t hesitate to send me a message here, comment on this post or let me know in my Ask/Contact form (if you don’t have a Tumblr account) and will let you know the details. I have tested this career in my game, so far it is working and all scripts are showing up. All feedback is very welcome to help me learn and improve my skills so please let me know if you experience any problems on your end and I’ll do my best to sort it as soon as possible.

MissyHissy step-by-step tutorial Twallan for the Career Mod S3pe

[boldlyvoid]

Come Together

18+ Aaron Hotchner x Fem Reader

Summary: Ever since the academy, Aaron and Y/N have been at each other's throats for a spot on the BAU. He got it, She didn't. Now they have to plan the Bureau's Holiday party together without killing each other.

Warnings: angst, fighting, mutual pining, enemies to lovers, Aaron had a crush on her while married. why he and haley broke up, miscarriage mentions, divorced Aaron, flirting, teasing, kissing, fingering, hate sex, p in v smut, rough sex, no condoms used

Word Count: 4.8k

Penelope is usually the one to plan holiday parties… but after last year's spiked punch— that ruined a lot of upper agents' sobriety, which wasn’t her fault at all, the director delegated to having two random people plan it together. He pulled names from a hat that just happened to be Aaron Hotchner and Y/N Y/L/N. 

She was happy to do it, and he was fine with doing it… they just weren’t happy about doing it together. The two agents couldn’t stand each other and it goes all the way back to being in the same year at the academy. 

They were tied for the top of the class, duking it out to be the chosen one for Agent Rossi’s new right-hand man. And of course, it went to a man. It didn’t matter to them that she was fantastic at what she did, or that her final score was 0.2% higher than his. He was a man so he got it. 

She got a job in CARD which, she liked, it was still an opportunity to solve cases and bring kids home to their parents… she just had to work with the BAU more than she liked and take orders from them. And then Rossi left, Gideon stepped down and Aaron Hotchner was the fucking Head of the BAU. 

She was taking orders from him. Him and his goon squad of pretty people he picked over her. 

She would’ve pushed everything aside and dealt with him, she would’ve mended things if he accepted her into the team. But he never did. After 5 applications and being looked over for everything while he hired younger and younger, she finally gave up and started to hate his guts even more. 

Now she’s in the elevator, pushing the button for floor 6 and shaking the thoughts of strangling him out of her head so she can deal with him for half an hour. He’s always so busy that she’s been waiting all week just to talk about this stupid fucking party, and the only time he has is at 8:30 pm on a Friday when she should be at home. 

She walks right into the bullpen, up the stairs and knocks on his door. “come in?” He calls. 

“Hey,” she says with a deep sigh. “Can we talk about the party?” 

“Mhm,” he nods, waving her in. “Come sit, I already have some ideas.” 

“Okay…” she sits down in front of him, ignoring all his plaques and accolades and staring down at her clipboard. “I called around and there are 3 places available that are big enough to hold us, on the 3rd Saturday of the month.” 

“Awesome, I already called a friend of mine with a Christmas tree farm and acquired 3 trees— Douglas furs, all pretty and big, we’ll just need a ceiling over 12 feet to house them,” he explains. 

“And who’s going to decorate them?” She asks. 

He shrugs, “We’ve got a big budget, we can hire someone to do it.” 

“Who did Penelope use?” 

“Herself,” he smiles that devilishly condescending smile. “I’m sure if we ask she’d want to help out again. She loves Christmas.” 

“Did you ever figure out who spiked the punch last year?” She asks, genuinely feeling sorry for Penelope. 

Penny was the only one on the team that she actually liked. 

He nods, “Dax Cooper up in counter-terrorism.” 

“Yeah, he’s an asshole.” 

“Worse than me?” He teases. “Seriously, when are you going to stop being mad at me?” 

“When you admit you hate me!” She fights back. “I did nothing to you. You’re the one who conspired with Dave and got hired here and then you purposely lost all my applications and never let me know why you wouldn’t even interview me.”

“I didn’t lose them, I put them to the side,” he shrugs. “You weren’t ready to be on our team.” 

“But the walking calculator and teen Mrs. USA are?” She laughs.

“Reid and JJ are wonderful assets,” he snaps, jaw tight and eyes full of fury. “This is why I don’t want you. You wouldn’t be a team player. Not until you get rid of the attitude and accept that this job is about more than numbers. Yes, they’re young, yes you beat me by a fraction of a percent, but that doesn’t mean you have what it takes to do what we do.” 

“I look at cases full of missing, dead and raped kids all day, how is that any different?” She honestly can’t believe it. 

“Because you look at a screen all day with facts and witness statements and I go out into the field and I talk to parents and I deal with the cops and I don’t start fights over petty bullshit,” he reminds her. “I have never called you names or signalled you out. All you do, every time we're on a scene together, is whisper and gossip and try to undermine me. You need to grow up.” 

She just shakes her head, holding in a comment that could hurt him because… and she hates to say it, but he’s right. “Whatever. Should I call one of these places and book it tomorrow or what?” 

“Do whatever you want, just give me the address so I can have the trees and decorations sent over,” he honestly doesn’t care. “I trust your judgement on a caterer, I’ll pick a band… what else would we need?” 

“Invitations, which I can handle,” she assures as she stands up to walk to his door. “I’ll cc you on everything and include the director for oversight. I’ll call you if I have questions.” 

“Y/N,” he calls out to her before she leaves. “I’m going to be looking for a new agent in a few months…” 

“And?” 

“If we can work this out by then… maybe things will be different when you apply this time?” He suggests, giving her innocent eyes and genuinely meaning it. 

“Okay.” 

—

“Did you see her last night?” Dave asks, walking right into Aaron's office with two coffees right at 8am. 

He nods, “I did… you don’t have any connections to a band I can book for Christmas, do you?” 

“The Jazz club might be able to lend us some members,” he suggests. “I’ll make a call… but I take it things went well?” 

“As well as they could go, she’s still so mad at me for getting this position over her,” he shakes his head. “I don’t know how to make her realize she just wasn’t ready. Our working together would’ve been awful. It would’ve—

“Ruined your marriage that just ended?” Dave teases. “I know you liked her, I saw the way you two looked at each other and I saw the teasing and the way you talked about her. She was more than a friend to you… I couldn’t have her on the team like that. I couldn’t see you go through what I did with Caroline.” 

“I hate thinking about how different things could’ve been if she was on the team though,” he shakes his head and stares off out the window. “We almost broke up back then, you know? We almost never had Jack…” 

“You know it’s perfectly normal for marriages not to work out, it doesn’t mean you loved her any less, it just wasn’t meant to be forever,” Dave reminds him. “You’re still friends, there’s no ill will. You never cheated, she didn’t either. You just grew apart. It happens.” 

“But now I’m single and I can pursue Y/N… but she hates me,” he sighs. “I don’t think she’ll ever stop hating me.” 

“Nasty hate sex is fun,” Dave teases, making them both laugh. “I’m serious… you wouldn’t believe the women I’ve—

“I know, actually,” Aaron shakes his head. “Strauss can’t look at you the same anymore.” 

“Hey… that wasn’t hate, it was just indifference,” he teases. 

“Whatever,” Aaron can’t help but smirk. “Can you work on the band for me?”

“I will, I’ll get them to throw in some love songs too,” Dave teases on his way out. 

This was going to be interesting. 

—

Two weeks of planning and emails blow by in the blink of an eye. 

He gets ready for the party early, having to be there to check things over and meet the band and shake hands with the higher-ups as they arrive. He has a nice suit on, a red tie for Christmas and dark green socks that no one will ever notice. But he wants to look nice. 

For her. 

He walks up to her where she’s hiding in the corner. Adorning the most stunning golden dress and holding her clipboard, making sure everything gets delivered and set up in time for the start time at 7. They still have 4 hours till then, but she’s an overachiever. And a worrier. She needed this to be perfect. 

She looked perfect. Like the 2000 Holiday Barbie brought to life. He’s absolutely astounded by her beauty he just stares for a moment before he says anything. 

“You know, you look very pretty today,” he compliments but she doesn’t take it that way. 

She looks at him like he just insulted her mother. “What?” 

“That dress, it looks nice on you,” he looks her up and down. Smiling like he has some tricks up his sleeve. “What? Can’t I think you look nice? Haven’t we spent enough time talking this last month to let me compliment you?” 

“Don’t you have a wife?” She asks, disgusted he’d hit on her. “And a kid?” 

“We got divorced back in April,” he shrugs. “And you say you want to be a profiler, yet you haven’t looked at my hands in months?” 

She looks now, noticing that he doesn’t have a ring and the tan line that should be there is long gone, which means he’s telling the truth. “Oh… sorry.” 

“It’s better this way,” he nods, giving her a sweet smile. “Is everything going to plan?” 

She nods too, “Yeah. Just waiting on your band… please tell me they’re good?” 

He laughs, “They’re great. Dave’s got this Jazz bar he basically owns with how much money he’s spent there so they owe him one… You’ll like them.” 

“Jazz, at Christmas?” She can’t believe it. “Hotch—

“Aaron,” he corrects her. “Please, for the love of god, call me Aaron again.”

“Why?” She laughs, “We’re not close.” 

“Oh, come on,” he teases. “You can’t tell me that before everything went down, we didn’t have something going on? We were friendly, I almost thought you had a crush on me?” 

She looks at him with a brow raised, “You thought I had a crush on you?” 

He nods, “And then you found out I was married.” 

“So you’re saying if you weren’t married we could’ve hooked up at the academy?” She asks. “Sounds like you liked me too, regardless of the wife.” 

“No—

“Be honest,” she begs, stepping into his space even more. “If things were different- if you didn’t have a wife and we fucked back then, would you have screwed me over for the job?” 

“I didn’t screw you over, I simply already knew Dave,” he finally admits after 10 long years. “I knew he was about to leave, he knew Gideon didn’t want to be in charge. He wanted someone to run the whole unit who wouldn’t choke— not saying you’d choke, he just knew I was already hard on the inside, I wasn’t going to lose my mind with all the shit we see.” 

“You could’ve put in a good word for me, Aaron, I would’ve been fine working under you. I would’ve loved even just an office job in the BAU, I want to work with more than just missing kids,” she begs. “I’ve done it for 10 years, now. You know that makes me strong. You have a kid of your own, you know it’s not easy to think about them missing, let alone deal with it.” 

“I know… and I was serious, I have a new position opening up and I want to give this another try,” he admits. “I want you on the team.” 

She shakes her head, “how can I be on the team when this—” she points between them. “This, whatever this is, is going on?” 

“The sexual tension?” He teases and she swats his arm. “We’ll be fine.” 

She shakes her head. “Just, give me some time to think about it?” 

“I can do that…” 

—

She watches him from afar most of the night. Talking only when they needed to, like in front of the director or on stage while introducing the band and thanking everyone for being there… she was having a very hard time being in the same room as him with all she knew now. 

She was still mad at him. 

Mad because she’s wasted so much of her life hating him when they could’ve been happy together… but at the same time she was sad for his ex-wife. She wondered how long the marriage was loveless. Did she know? Did she suspect? Who broke it off? Does he see his son? She knew he was a good man back then but, what kind of good man has a crush on someone else while married? Would he just do that to her if they got together? 

She had so many questions in her mind and they wouldn’t shut up. 

He approaches her again while she’s deep in thought, staring at the floor while she sips on a drink she doesn’t even like. 

“Having fun?” He asks. 

She shakes her head, “No.” she puts her drink down on the table just behind her and turns back to him as he begins to speak.

“Something not going according to pl—

“Why the fuck did you have to tell me you like me?” She snaps. “I was so okay with hating you for the rest of my life because I couldn’t be on the team I always wanted to join and then you tell me you like me? That if you didn’t have a wife you’d want to be with me back then?” 

He steps more into her space so they can keep their voices down and between each other, “because you deserve to know.” 

“No, I don’t think so,” she fights back. “You were never worried about me being too immature for the team, you were scared you’d end up cheating on your wife with me. I didn’t even know you had a wife until I developed feelings for you. You never wore your ring to class, we spent every day sitting together in class or at the library and you came back to my dorm a few times… you pursued me as much as I was pursuing you and then you made it my fault.” 

“I know, and I’m sorry,” he bows his head, ashamed. “My wife and I weren’t in a good place, we were talking about getting separated… then she got pregnant.” 

“I thought Jack was only—

“We lost a couple babies before him,” he admits. “I didn’t want to be like my dad. I didn’t want to knock her up and leave her so I stayed. I stayed but I wasn’t a good dad anyway. I was always at work, I missed important things with my son and she was the one to end it because she deserved someone who wanted to be home with her and my son deserved to grow up knowing his dad wasn’t always going to be there but loves him enough to be as present as possible when he is home. I couldn’t be that when I was with his mom. we’re so much better apart, I love having weekends alone with my son and doing things we like and not worrying about fighting with his mother in front of him. And she’s happier now with her new boyfriend and Jack's happy with the prospect of a stepdad who can step up in all the areas I lack.” 

“That’s a really mature thing to do for him,” she manages to give him a small, press-lipped smile. “Still doesn’t make me feel better about what you did to me.” 

“I’ve wanted to tell you the truth and that I’m sorry for so long, but when we’re together it’s always a fight. I can never get an honest minute with you, you always just come in guns blazing and my instinct is to tease you back,” he admits. “I am sorry. I wish things were different. I would like to start over if you’d allow me to.” 

“I don’t want a job on your team,” she says, stepping in even closer. Close enough to kiss him. “I can’t work with you like this.” 

“Why?” He smirks. 

“Because Strauss hates you enough as is without you fucking your subordinate,” she whispers. “I’m not throwing myself under the bus… just to be under you.”

He lunges for a kiss, pressing his lips against hers as he cups her face. She backs up slightly in surprise, bumping into the table behind herself. Aaron’s instincts are sharp, he reaches behind her and steadies it so the drink doesn’t crash against the floor and draw more attention to them. She knows the few people in this corner are already looking at them, but she doesn’t care. 

This is a kiss she’s waited a decade for. 

Her hands go inside his suit jacket, she reaches around to grasp his back and pulls him flush against herself. They break the kiss just to breathe, going in for another and another until their tongues meet and they’re the odd couple making out in the corner of the party. 

His hand slips from her cheek to her jaw, along the side of her neck and then she pulls away, “not here,” she reminds him they’re in public and he can’t touch her anywhere he wants to. 

“Sorry,” he apologizes. “How long do we have to stay here?” 

“I have to stay for shutdown tonight,” she sighs. “But…. Come with me.” 

She pats his side and moves past him, leading him out of the little corner they’re in and towards the main room. He follows her up a staircase, past people they both know and respect and they catch a few eyes but, she puts on a fake pissed-off look and they think she’s leading him somewhere to yell at him… cause that’s what they do. 

“Hey man, where are you going?” Derek asks as they pass him and Penelope sharing a plate of hors d’oeuvres. 

He’s quick on his feet, “One of the vendors fucked up, we have to chat with their boss and discuss how they can make it up to us.” 

“Oh, damn, well… have fun,” he teases. Letting them go on down the small corridor towards some offices. 

She leads him to the only open office she has access to, flicks on the light, lets him in and locks the door behind them. He’s quick to crowd her space, press her up against the door and grip her chin to tilt her attention up toward his eyes once more. She’s back inside his suit jacket, he’s so toasty-warm in there she can only imagine what it’ll be like to be naked with him.

“What were you saying about fucking up and making up for it?” She teases him. 

He smirks, “I will… but first we need to find a way to release all that pent-up frustration we have against each other.” 

She tries her best not to laugh, just shaking her head with a smile as she lets out a little huff, “Ah yes, fuck me like you hate me so we can restart fresh.” 

He cups her face with both hands, eyes darkening with lust, “you’ve been such a brat for so long.” 

“And I’m sure you know the cure for that?” She teases, pulling him in closer. One of her legs slips out of the slit of her dress and she brings it up to wrap around his hip, he’s quick to drop one of the hands from her cheek to grip her thigh. 

“I do,” he whispers, his voice so deep it makes her stomach drop with anticipation. 

He kisses her abruptly, she grips his back pulling him as if they could possibly get any closer but they can’t. Not yet. He grinds against her as their tongues meet again, his hand on her leg goes a little higher until he’s gripping her ass. The hand on her cheek starts to slip again, caressing her chest, she lightly moans into his mouth at the feeling. He’s everywhere, boxing her in against the door, but she wants more. She wants him buried deep inside of her, pounding her against the table over there, letting her know just how much he’s wanted her this whole time. 

He kisses the side of her mouth, her jaw and down her neck, letting her catch her breath just to knock it all out of her again when he starts to lightly suck on her skin. “Aaron, don’t you fucking dare,” she scolds him. 

“I won’t,” he speaks against her, just lightly nipping and sucking at her skin on his way down to her cleavage. 

She pulls her hands out from inside his jacket to roam his shoulders until one hand ends up at the nape of his neck to play with his hair. Her head is tossed back against the door, and he kisses every inch of available skin on her chest. 

He reaches down and gets both of his hands under her ass, making her jump up so he can carry her. Still kissing her neck, he moves them over to the table and sets her down. She’s just the tiniest bit taller now, he kisses her cheek again, looking her in the eye once more as he spreads her legs and runs his fingers along her thighs, realizing now she has nylons on. His hands go further, towards her aching cunt, he grips her thighs while both thumbs play with the seam of her nylons. 

“I’m gonna rip these,” he announces, finding the weakest part of the seam and tearing it open enough to fit his cock through, without completely ruining them. He moves her thong to the side and drags his index finger over her clit. “You’re fucking soaked…”

She tosses her head back, both hands gripping the table like her ice depends on it when two of his fingers plunge into her. “Oh, fuck,” she moans a little too loud. 

Attaching his lips to her neck again, he sucks on her pulse point while fucking her on his fingers. It’s hard and quick, covering the palm of his hand with her slick as his thumb rubs her clit. She’s always known his hands would be good for this, if nothing else.

“Please, Aaron? Oh my god,” She starts to beg.

“Words, princess,” he teases against her neck, teeth grazing her skin, his breath hot, it sends a shiver down her spine. 

“Wanna cum,” she whispers, breathy and so close. “On your cock.” 

“Okay,” he pulls out, bringing his hand to his mouth and licking his palm up to his fingers. He sucks them into his mouth with a groan. His cock twitches between them, jumping with excitement. 

She whines again while he undoes the zipper and tugs his cock out, “please?” 

“Hold on,” he spreads the excess wetness over his cock, stroking himself twice while biting his tongue. It clearly felt so fucking good but she knew her tight cunt was going to be better. 

He slips in slowly and her grip changes, letting go of the counter, she wraps her legs around him and grips his back with her fingernails dug into the skin. “Better?” He whispers into her ear. 

She whimpers when he doesn’t move, feeling so full, “fuck me, please? Fuck me the way I deserve.” 

He hums, kissing her cheek before looking into her eyes, all watery and blown out, her mascara started to run a bit. He tilts his head to the side, “how hard?” 

“Hard,” she looks him dead in the face. 

He slips out, pulls her off the table and turns her around so her chest is against the cold hardwood table-top and flips her dress skirt up and out of the way. He rips her nylons even more, all the way up the back so her ass is exposed. He takes her ass cheeks in his hands and spreads her apart, amazed at how her pussy clenched in anticipation. 

“Please,” she whined, almost stomping her feet with desperation. 

He slams into her without warning, making her gasp loud enough to be heard by anyone wandering the hallway outside.

He pulls out a bit and slams back into her again and again and again until the noises she’s making are complete nonsense. She whines and moans and leans against the table for dear life while pushing back against him. He slaps her ass a few times, making the sound reverberate around the room like an echo. 

He needs more friction, so his thrusts get less powerful and more rhythmic, he uses her like a toy bouncing her on his cock like a rag doll. She felt like her main purpose in life was to be fucked by him like this, it felt so good, it felt incredibly right, and she loved every fucking second of it. All those years of fighting paid the fuck off.

He slams into her cervix over and over, the head of his cock kissing the puckered spot inside again and again. Her hungry cunt sucks him in so deep, never wanting him to leave, and he can tell she’s close just from the way she clamps around him like a vice. He reached around to her stomach and drags his hand down her mound to rub her clit with his middle finger. The rhythm barely matches, but she loves the way it feels. It’s unpredictable, it’s all under his control, she just sits there and takes it like the good girl he’s raised her to be. 

“Cum on the cock you hate so much,” he insists, “I wanna feel it. I want you to cover my cock in your cum before I fill you up to the fucking brim.” 

Too fucked out to really respond she reaches one hand behind her back so he’ll hold it. He intertwines their fingers and leans forward to kiss her shoulder as his hips snap against hers with force. She starts to shake, her legs barely able to keep her up as her orgasm hits her and rattles through her body. He feels the spasm from the inside, her cunt flutters as she releases all the built-up tension in her body She’s so fucking tight he’s barely able to register his own orgasm approaching when he topples over her on the table. 

He fucks into her as deep as he can go and then stills. She can feel rope after rope of his cum pump into her, they can hear the dribbles on the floor between them as it overflows and drips out of her, along with her own. 

He kisses her back, breathing hard against her. She’s just trapped there under him, legs quaking in her heels, “holy fuck?” 

“Sorry,” he pulls back and out of her, “shit… we didn’t think this through.” 

She sighs, holding her dress up so she doesn’t make a mess. “Are there any tissues in here?” 

He looks around, “Yeah… but it’s just that brown paper towel roll like we have at work.” 

“It’ll do,” she shrugs. Watching him walk over to the dispenser near the sink in the corner of the room, he takes a bit out and cleans himself up quickly, putting himself back in his boxers before her gets some more.

He leans her forward again, kneeling behind her, he cleans her up to the best of his ability and then he repositions her thong. He even wipes up the floor before tossing the paper out. “I can’t believe there was so much…” 

She laughs, dropping her dress back down and fluffing it so it looks normal again. “10 years worth of—

“Okay,” he shakes his head with a smirk, stepping back into her space, he wraps her up and kisses her forehead, “you did so good.” 

“Thank you,” she smiles sweetly, she feels so different. There’s so much affection in her chest as she looks up at him once more. “I’m glad we got that out of the way.” 

“I’ll stay with you here while they’re cleaning up,” he assures. “And maybe later I can show you how sorry I am for keeping secrets all these years?” 

“I’d really like that… but I’m still not working for you,” she teases. 

“I guess I’ll just have to take on more CARD cases so you’re forced to see me,” he teases right back, smiling at her. 

This is going to be fun. 

General Taglist 

@ncsls0515 @stevesmunsons @reidsbookclub @sweetyyhippyy @manuosorioh @mrs-dr-reid @k-k0129 @squishyturtle @katsukis1wife @buckleyhans @mrs-ssa-hotch @ssavanessa22

[snuggerudsz]

PAPER RINGS I LH43

summary: young love, from meeting at a party to realizing they were forever. inspired by "paper rings".

pairing: luke hughes x fem!reader

author's note: this wasn't planned at all, but i couldn't move on from luke's instagram post so i wrote this. likes and reblogs are always welcomed. hope you enjoy!!

The moon is high

Like your friends were the night that we first met

Went home and tried to stalk you on the internet

Now I've read all of the books beside your bed

(Y/N) had never been the party type, but when her friends showed up in her dorm and pretty much dragged the girl out and into one of the infamous hockey team’s parties, there was very little to do other than enjoy herself a bit ー or try, at least.

Novembers in Michigan are always cold, so the young girl was clad in jeans and a sweater, bobbing her head to loud music while looking around, waiting for time to pass as quickly as possible, when she saw him.

(Y/N) was never the type to believe in love at first sight, but when she and Luke Hughes locked eyes the world stopped. All that was left was her and him, staring at each other. There was nothing else. No noise, no other people, no thoughts. The earth stopped spinning and there was only Luke. And from the second she saw him, she knew it would be impossible for her to ever forget his striking eyes and the way they lingered a moment too long on hers. And when he laughed at something one of his friends said ー probably something dumb and stupid, those boys were higher than the moon that night, ーshe knew she was in trouble. 

The girl went home and stalked him on all of his social media accounts, she went down the Hughes’ rabbit hole quickly, reaching his mom’s Facebook page, and looking at pictures of a pre-teen Luke and his older brothers, watching every video available on the internet, learning everything she could about the boy. 

The next time (Y/N) saw Luke it was at another hockey team party. This time, she walked up to him and introduced herself. And, they talked for hours, completely losing track of time. The girl spend the entirety of the night doing everything to make him laugh so she could hear it again. She wished she could have it playing on repeat because God knows it’s better than any song she’s ever heard.

The wine is cold

Like the shoulder that I gave you in the street

Cat and mouse for a month or two or three

Now I wake up in the night and watch you breathe

It’s late. Luke knows it’s late. But he can’t help and look at her, he’d watch his girl sleep all night long if he could. (Y/N) has her head on his chest, peacefully sleeping. But she can feel his eyes on her and she thinks it is the most beautiful thing in the whole world. The girl sees him through her squinted eyes. 

“I know you’re up,” Luke says, in a somewhat raspy voice because of the lack of use.

The girl opens her eyes, lifting her head and resting her chin on his sternum.

“Hey, sweet girl”, he says, staring lovingly at her sleepy face, “you’re so pretty it should be a crime.” Luke finishes, a huge, goofy smile taking over his face.

“Says you,” (Y/N) scoffs in a joking manner, while a subtle blush consumes her cheeks, “my pretty pretty boy,” she mumbles, “the prettiest of boys,” the girl says, yawning.

Luke softly kisses her forehead, then her cheek. The pair look at each other, staring sheepishly into each other’s eyes. The boy reaches down to tuck a strand of hair behind the girl’s ear and places his hand on the side of her cheek. Luke pulls her close and kisses her slowly, one of his hands cupping her cheek and stroking it with his thumb; his other hand was running through her hair. Both of their heartbeats merged with each other, he can taste forever on her lips and his thoughts race as if this is his last moment, and he’s thinking that he never felt so alive. 

He has kissed before, but it didn’t feel like this.

He has kissed before, but it didn’t burn him alive.

Maybe it lasts a minute, maybe it’s an hour, it might even have lasted a lifetime. All Luke thinks about is the kiss, and her soft skin brushing against his, and even if he didn’t know it until now, he has been waiting for her forever.

I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings Uh huh, that's right Darling, you're the one I want

[detailtilted]

Language prowess? (CHICON 2008 J2 Panel - Enhanced Edition Sneak Peek)

This is a small sneak peek of my next enhanced video. There are several funny moments throughout the panel, but I picked this one because I loved the way Jared made Jensen genuinely burst out laughing into the mic near the end.

All in all, the enhanced video should look a lot better than what's available for this panel on YouTube today. In my final edit, I used almost half the footage AgtSpooky sent me. I don't think that video is on YouTube, and it has a higher quality than the ones I did find on YouTube, especially after I upscaled it. The only reason I didn't use the whole video is because audience heads frequently block the view, so I switched to other videos as needed to maintain the best view available. You'll see some of that happening in this sample. The sample starts with AgtSpooky’s footage but switches a couple times to another source, which I've also upscaled and color corrected.

I plan to publish the full video on YouTube this Friday at around 3pm U.S. Eastern. I'll post on Tumblr the following Tuesday evening. I'm still trying to work out the best times to post, and I seem to get more YouTube traffic on Fridays, but I've learned not to post on Tumblr around the weekends so that's the only reason I'm waiting. I just want to give these videos the best chance of being seen because I'm putting a great many hours into them.

If you're interested in the video and you don't want to wait until next Tuesday, then I have two things to say to you… 1) I love you with all my heart and 2) you could check for it on my YouTube channel on Friday, or follow my channel to get notified when it's published.

Meanwhile, you could also watch Jared’s solo CHICON 2008 panel if you haven’t seen it yet. It took place immediately before the J2 panel, so my new video has direct references to it. The J2 panel will still make sense if you haven't seen it, except maybe at the very beginning, but you’ll have more context if you’ve watched Jared’s first.

[sunnyrealist]

Chapter 34: A Hidden Cave

The Sun, the Moon, and All Our Stars

Summary and Details…

Chapter Background and Summary: Sebastian and Kate are on an adventurous camping trip in the Scottish Highlands. Their first two days were leisurely, but now that their third day has begun, they're getting higher into the mountains and closer to the places they want to explore. In this chapter, the two lovers discover a cave hidden behind a large waterfall that does not appear on any map.

Pairing: 25-year-old, post-Azkaban Sebastian Sallow x Kate Mayflower (my OC)

Content warnings: In general, this story is rated 18+, so MNDI. For this particular chapter, there are no content warnings.

The full chapter is available below the cut; it can also be found on AO3 (link is posted below). Please leave some feedback. A comment, like, or Kudos would be quite motivational. 🥰

Chapter 34: A Hidden Cave

Sitting on a large rock, Sebastian unfolds his map. As she patiently waits, Kate observes her boyfriend silently studying the route. 

Being dressed for action and adventure feels so foreign to her. She had to pay a visit to Augustus Hill at Gladrags prior to the trip to acquire outfits suited to hiking and exploration per Sebastian’s strong suggestion. She could still hear his words in her head: “Dresses are completely unsuitable for the trip.” Trousers are not Kate’s favorite clothing item by any means, but she had to admit, now that they were truly trekking up mountains over rocky terrain, that they are the most sensible. Accompanied by boots, a sweater with two additional layers, gloves, and a cape, Kate wears a darker color palette than usual - browns with varying degrees of gray. 

Sebastian appears dashing and completely in his element, clad in a jacket and trousers in off-white, with a vest and cape in dark green, and boots, a necktie, and belt in shades of brown. His chocolate eyes are trained on the map, then glance at their current surroundings.

“We should still have a couple more hours until we reach the first cave,” he explains, perplexed. “There is nothing like this marked on the map. It’s strange.”

Kate, though surprised, can’t help but marvel at the gorgeous waterfall along their path. “Then it’s a lovely surprise, wouldn’t you say?” 

Sebastian’s eyes narrow as he stands up, examining the waterfall. “It is rather pretty, but this map should account for almost everything we should see along the way. The thing is - we are going in the right direction… I just can’t make sense of it.”

Kate reaches out, smiling and putting her hands over his, forcing him to fold up the map. “Do we need an explanation for something so beautiful? Perhaps we should simply enjoy it as it is.”

Sebastian sighs, the tension visibly disappearing from his posture. “I suppose you’re right.” 

He pockets the map, then puts an arm around Kate’s waist as they both admire the sight. She leans her head between his arm and chest, taking in every little detail.

A moment later, she gasps. “Sebastian… look! Look behind the waterfall! Do you see it?”

Sebastian focuses, staring. There is a tiny path leading towards the waterfall, which doesn’t seem all that interesting until he notices an opening - a cave entrance - behind it. “Was that there the entire time? I swear, I didn’t notice it until just now. How odd.”

“I don’t know,” Kate replies honestly. “Likewise. I only just saw it…”

They turn to look at each other, rather intrigued. 

“Sebastian, if this was not on the map, it could mean that no one knows this is here,” she deduces. 

“Yes, you’re right,” Sebastian agrees, intrigued. “Who knows what could be inside? Perhaps we are the first to find it in centuries…”

Kate raises her eyebrows. “There would only be one way to find out… Should we go inside?”

Sebastian pauses, running through hypothetical situations they might find themselves in. “Unmarked destinations can pose danger. If no one has been here for years and years, there could be a high reward if someone used it as a hiding place for treasure. But, I’ll admit - situations like this are high-risk.”

Kate nods. “I know nothing about this, but I trust your judgment, Bash.”

“High risk, high reward…” he muses, then puts his hands on Kate’s shoulders, making certain that she is listening to him carefully. “There could be traps. Curses. Spiders. I mean, truly, who knows.” He studies her face. “My love, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I’m not sure you’re ready for something like this. This is only your first time exploring…”

She cuts him off. “But you said that the castle we’ll explore has been abandoned for centuries, too. Why is that any different?”

Sebastian considers her reasoning. “I… I understand what you’re thinking. It’s just that caves have a more… wild and untamed nature than something man-made like a castle. Anything could be waiting in the dark for us.”

Kate smiles, pulling out her wand. “Then let’s use Lumos.” She pokes him with the wand. “My moon, this is why we’re out here, isn’t it? To have an adventure together? Come on, let’s check it out. If you’re with me, I know I’m safe.”

The worry on his face begins to fade. “Yes, that’s true… Well, if you’re this enthusiastic, I suppose we could have a look around.” He takes her hand, kissing it, then speaks in a serious tone. “Just promise me… if I tell you to do something, you’ll do it.”

“You’re not the boss of me, Sebastian Sallow,” she playfully retorts, already beginning to wander onto the narrow path that leads to the cave.

“Kate - wait! You need to be more careful. It’ll be slippery,” he warns.

Just as he finishes speaking, she loses her footing with a little shriek. She almost topples over but catches herself in time. It all happens so quickly that Sebastian can do little more than reach out. She flattens herself against the rocky wall, her eyes wide as she stares at the steep drop leading to a pool of water far, far below. Her heartbeat drums in her ears.

“Are you okay?!” Sebastian asks, gingerly making his way towards her.

“Yes,” she responds breathlessly.

“This is exactly what I meant when I said you need to listen to me,” he continued, his own heart rate speeding. “Merlin, you scared me.”

“I’m sorry.” She observes him carefully. “I know you have more experience. I guess I was just excited to try something new.”

“It’s fine. It’s fine,” Sebastian repeats. “Come here.”

Kate shuffles back towards him, much more cautious now. Her boyfriend opens his arms and takes her into his embrace.

“I don’t want to have any chance of losing you,” he whispers, kissing the top of her head. 

“You won’t. I promise - you won’t.”

“I’ll protect you as best I can,” he murmurs against her hair. “My sun.”

“And I’ll do the same,” Kate tells him. “I’ll protect you, too, my moon.”

Sebastian laughs heartily. “Oh, Kate, my love. I don’t think I’m in any need of that. Remember, I’m the experienced one here.”

She smiles. “Yes, you are. But even so…” Glancing back towards the cave, she asks, “Are you sure we should do this? I’m having some doubts now.”

“It will be fine,” he answers after a moment. “We will be fine.”

As the light slowly disappears behind them, Kate holds on to Sebastian’s arm. His eyes dart around, trying to get a sense of what the cave might be like. She can’t explain it, but she feels a sense of exhilaration along with a sense of dread. Every step forward, the sensation increases. Neither of them speak. The two listen intently for any sounds that might indicate danger, but it is eerily silent and has been since they entered the cave, despite the rushing waterfall outside.

Without warning, both of them fall over, tripping over something that feels like overgrown tree roots. Kate squeaks in surprise and then becomes more alarmed as she feels tendrils moving around her, wrapping around her legs and torso. She is separated from Sebastian, who is dragged in the opposite direction.

“Bash!” Kate shrieks, terrified as she is carried towards a wall, the tendrils growing tighter as she squirms.

“Lumos!” Sebastian bellows with his wand outstretched, bathing the area in light.

Kate gasps in realization the moment she sees the source. “Devil’s snare!”

“Lumos maxima!” he calls out. 

The plant drops him immediately, shrinking away from the illumination. Sebastian stands up quickly, rushing over to Kate with his wand held out towards the Devil’s Snare. It relaxes its grip around her until she is able to stand on her own two feet. 

She reaches out for him, trying to feel secure with a hug, but he shakes his head. “We need to move past this area - it’s not safe.”

Sebastian pulls her forward with haste, turning back to see the Devil’s Snare stretching back out across the cave floor as the light from his wand gets further and further away. 

“I should have known it was Devil’s Snare,” Kate whispers, shaking her head in remorse. “My papa would have been so disappointed to see me scrambling like that. I… I didn’t have a clear head.”

“It’s alright. Just keep your wits about you,” Sebastian requests. “We may run into more surprises soon enough.” 

After walking about ten more minutes, Sebastian affirms Kate’s feelings by sharing his own. “Something about this cave is strange. I don’t like it. I have half a mind to turn back. It just doesn’t feel right.”

“I have an odd feeling, too. It’s like I feel… thrilled… but also terrified.”

“Maybe we should leave-”

“Sebastian!” Kate shouts, cutting him off. “Wow! Do you see?!”

He squints and then his eyes land upon what his girlfriend has spotted. From right where they stand, the cave walls are suddenly growing with life - and glowing. Lined with green vines and leaves along with huge, exotic flowers, it seems like a little paradise within the darkness. The area is lit up by bioluminescent mushrooms. Common blue butterflies flit about, not at all afraid of the humans walking amongst them.

“I don’t understand… I didn’t think anything like this could grow without sunlight,” Kate muses, astonished. She reaches out to touch a yellow and pink hibiscus flower, her fingertips caressing the silky, soft petals. Her eyebrows raise when she realizes that all of the plant life feels as cold as ice, yet unfrozen. “My papa would be fascinated.”

“No, none of it could grow without light,” Sebastian replies. “This makes no sense.”

“But it is real, Bash,” Kate tells him, astonished. “Touch something. You’ll see. It isn’t an illusion…”

He reaches out to touch leaves on the vines, sharply inhaling when he feels how freezing cold they are. His eyes are wide as he contemplates how the cave could defy nature. He takes a moment to think.

“Something’s wrong here,” Sebastian finally concludes in a serious and urgent tone. “We need to leave. It isn’t right. It isn’t natural.”

A group of butterflies rushes in front of Kate. She gasps. “Sebastian, even more butterflies!” 

They fly further into the cave with Kate eagerly following. Sebastian trails after her. “Kate…” he warns.

She completely ignores him, transfixed by the display. Deeper and deeper she travels, driven by the instinct to follow the butterflies to beautiful treasure, just like she had in the forest. As nervous as Sebastian feels, his feet move forward. Something within him is bidding him to continue on, to follow his lover…

The path within the cave eventually ends, circling around a lowered pit. The butterflies flutter down below, where Kate and Sebastian cannot follow. 

From the corner of Kate’s eye, something dark flies, almost hovering up above. Not able to see much in the darkness, she ignores it, figuring it must be a bat. It certainly isn’t the butterflies; now at the bottom of the pit, they all fly in a wild circle, stuck in an endless loop, until they disappear into thin air.

The pit dimly lights up. They are no longer observing a dark and empty pit but a bookstore within the cave. 

[witchofthesouls]

So~ I’m hoping on this TFP Megatron as a dad! AU because it’s cute and funny

I’m an older sister to a younger sister who is basically my little shadow (I affectionately call her ‘my little leech’ and ‘mini me’) and I just started college and I live in the dorms. At the news of me moving, I suddenly found myself having a conjoined twin for the better part of two weeks, that includes the drive from home to my college which was a good 12+ hour drive.

I am going to spare you the goodbyes said in my dorm because there were many tears shed and according to my mom my little sister wouldn’t stop crying until she fell asleep on the car ride back home.

This whole scenario I can just see Megatron going through; his eldest daughter going to college and his youngest girl being very sad about it.

And yes, I specifically say ‘daughters’ because Megatron has ‘Girl Dad’ written all over him and you can’t tell me otherwise!

Megatron will stoic and regal and what not as his holomatter stacks a ridiculous amount of boxes to the dorms. It's a mission he never wanted, but he refused to pass it to anyone else.

Of course, he still tries to convince the eldest that it isn't too late, that there's plenty of space and resources at home, and uses examples of most of his officers that education isn't exclusive in faraway towers. They did quite well without access to higher education!

And of course, his eldest refuses because on this planet and particular country, they do have access, and she would like to explore her available options.

Megatron will take it to his grave that his spark oozed out of its chamber when his youngest viciously hugged his waist and declared she'll never leave him.

"You say that now, squirt," the oldest comments as she absent-mindedly fixes an anime poster on the wall. "But one day you'll want to be around other people. Just wait until you're older, and hormones kick in."

"Never say such an affront in my presence again!" Megatron holding his last remaining treasure to his chest.

"But I'm older now!" The treasure squeaks, words muffled by muscle and denim.

His oldest treasure laughs and kisses him on the cheek, "Don't worry, Papa. You have many decades before it hits the little squirt."

And that is what he's afraid of. Still too short of a span compared to everything else.

It actually hits youngest when they part ways and her sister doesn't follow.

(It's a campus sight to see a massive man dragging his little girl by the hand and said little girl damaging the sidewalk as she tries to dig her feet into the ground. Chunks of concrete upturn as they walk.

"Should we-"

"Mind your business. She's calling him 'daddy,' so that's no kidnapping, and I ain't ready to meet the devil. Get back to those flashcards!"

"God, I wanna know what kinda shoes she's wearing. Definitely not Sketchers!")

"We'll visit over the weekends." Megatron tells her.

"But it's not the same!" She wails back.

"It isn't, but we must make do with what we have."

And because his oldest already knew what would happen, his comms crackle and her voice pips over :: There's a petting zoo nearby, and students mentioned a circus in town. ::

Of course, Megatron makes a detour to petting zoo and slightly regrets it because his little one tries and fails to wheedle her way into taking the stray tomcat.

"Look, daddy! It's you!"

"I do not look like this thing!"

When the oldest gets photo attachments by her little sister and chokes on her dinner upon opening. "Oh, Primus, it looks just like papa!"

[lostinlewis]

Acquainted ~ Part Three

Rating: M

Words: 5457

The power dynamic between you both should be easy to decipher, on the surface anyway. Lewis is a Formula One driver and you are a journalist, both of you the best in your respective fields but still, he ranked a lot higher than you in the power standings. In reality, however, you held every crumb of power within your situationship, you were in control.

Lewis would never admit it but he was obsessed with you, smitten, he was all of the things he had never been about another person before and it surprised you both. You had known Lewis to be in relationships, in many forms, in the years you worked within the sport, but never once had you seen him unable to take his eyes off of the other person when they were in the room, nor had you ever seen him be so distracted by their presence in the paddock that he almost missed the start of a race. You were different, somehow. 

Every single race weekend without fail he found an excuse to turn up at your hotel room door. There were times he didn’t even wait until you were settled into your new surroundings, sometimes he found his way straight to your room when he knew you would be checking in, so desperate he was to be inside of you, he couldn’t wait the few extra minutes it would take for you to unpack.

This weekend was the first weekend he would have the opportunity to do so in over five weeks. You hadn’t worked the previous two races as you were ill, and unfortunately for him, you were in the part of the calendar where races were more spread out. 

He had called you to find out where you were before the press conference had even started that first Thursday, you figured he had waited around the reception of what would have been your hotel to spot you, and when he didn’t, he was straight on the phone. When he heard you weren’t going to be available for him he sounded notably irritated and if his results that weekend, and the one after, were anything to go by, clearly being inside of you gave him luck. 

Anticipation had built all of the previous week. You had bought yourself a rather expensive lingerie set, in his favourite colour of course, and a brand new dress. Whilst you felt like your usual confident self, there was a lingering sense of daring about you too, you thought of this weekend as the perfect opportunity to try something new. What fun was it when you were always so readily available for him? It was time he worked for it.

Lewis had attempted to come to your room, well what he assumed was your room, within the first hour of you arriving in the vicinity of the race, but you had switched hotels at the very last minute, opting instead to stay in the same hotel as all of the drivers, where he would least expect to find you. 

Staying in the driver's hotel was always a big no no for you, not once had you done it in your many years in F1. You thought it best to avoid any late night drunken slip ups which left you underneath one of them, but now that was pointless as you were regularly underneath a driver. You knew he was angry about not being able to find you by the thirteen missed calls you had by the end of the Thursday lunchtime. 

‘Sorry, busy day. Lots of interviews to do.’ 

He didn’t reply to your message but he didn’t need to, he was your third interview of the day, well, him and his teammate. You would be the lone journalist in the room and the thought drove you crazy. It was almost identical to the situation that had started this whole thing off. You wanted to see how he would handle it, would his desperation to fuck you mean he would make it obvious in front of his team mate? You couldn’t wait to see it all unfold. 

When sleeping with a man for whom everything appeared to come easy, whether that be money, girls or skills on the race track even, you couldn’t help but want to tease him. You had to stand out amongst his many escapades, and today you would make sure you did. 

It was only as you passed the door to the bathroom on your way to the interview room, that you thought of your next move. Holding onto either side of the cubicle, you wiggled out of the panties you had bought just for him, and stuffed them inside the sleeve of your dress. The thought of him squirming already made you smile as you made your way inside. 

You entered the room with confidence, they were both already sitting in place, waiting, in their matching race suits, the only sound coming from your heels clicking against the marble floor below your feet. He had his suit pulled down to his waist, his fireproofs stuck tight to his skin. Your mind wandered to what was underneath them for a moment as your eyes trailed down his body, you avoided looking at his face.

“Good afternoon guys.” You greeted them, pulling the hem of your dress down to ensure nothing would be exposed to him until you wanted it to be. “Shall we get started?”

You sounded off the usual questions, questions they had probably answered a few times that day already and they graciously entertained them as if they were brand new, well, his teammate did at least. 

Lewis, on the other hand, had given you hardly anything so far, treating you like you were any other journalist, treating you like the months he had spent inside of you hadn’t built a rapport between you both that meant you always got his best interviews, much to the envy of all of your colleagues . 

The moment you had been waiting for came when someone from their media team called his teammate to the door to discuss something. This was it, it was the perfect 30 seconds for you to uncross your legs in front of him, revealing your bareness to his now bemused gaze, and crossing them again once you were satisfied that he had seen enough. His lips were parted, his eyebrow raised, he had seen it all and he could hardly believe his eyes. 

His team mate rejoined you both just as you saw him squirming in his seat, readjusting his position and shuffling his race suit down his body. Was he nervous?

“Sorry about that, any more questions for us?” 

His teammate spoke, interrupting your focus on what was now a rather obvious bulge growing inside his suit. Once again, you thanked his habit of never wearing underwear under his race suit, it was always such a sight.

“Sorry. Er…no, I think that’s it for now. Thank you both for your time today. Go well this weekend.” 

His teammate stood up immediately but he didn’t move, you knew he couldn’t, his excitement would have been obvious to anyone around. 

“Coming, mate?” His teammate shouted across the room. 

“I’ll be out in a second.” He still hadn’t taken his eyes off of you, they were burning into yours so intensely, you could almost feel his thoughts.

You saw his teammate shoot you both a look, it was in that moment that he had realised what was going on between you. He quickly left the room with a surprised look on his face. 

”What happened to subtlety and secrecy?” You spoke. “Before the day is even up, we will be the talk of the whole paddock.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll speak to him.” His hand now pawed at his bulge. Through the thick material, his hardness begged for release. “You’re a fine one to talk about subtlety, there’s nothing subtle about you having nothing on under that dress.” 

“I guess it’s lucky that I only uncrossed my legs for you then, isn’t it?” 

“Come over here.” He gestured with his hand for you to sit on his lap. “I want to taste it.” 

As a tingle shot through your middle, you squeezed your thighs together in excitement.

“I really should get going, busy day.” 

You stood up to start packing away your things. You weren't exactly lying when you said it, you did have to be in another interview room in 10 minutes to interview another driver pairing. 

As you placed your notes inside your bag on the table behind where you were previously sitting, you felt his presence and then his bulge pushed up against you. His fingers graced the bare skin of your neck before his lips did the same. Soft, tender kisses worked their way right up to your ear.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t just take you here and now?” He whispered into it.

“We can’t…I have to…” 

Lewis could hear it in your voice, he knew just how hard it was for you to reject an advance from him. His knees knocked yours, spreading them apart, allowing him to position perfectly behind you. 

“I don’t care who is waiting for you in the next room. I’ve been waiting for you for weeks.” 

He pulled your dress up with one hand and released his dick with the other. He drew the tip through your folds, you were so wet that you were dripping, his breathy chuckle told you how much he liked it. 

“I really have to…go…” 

You tried so hard to fight it, you wanted him so very much but you wanted him to want you just the same. He dropped to his knees, both of his hands pulled apart your cheeks as his tongue licked straight through your folds before it entered you. 

Before you even had time to settle into being touched by him so intimately, after so long without him, he was back on his feet, pulling your dress back down your body. 

“You can go now.” 

His smirk was full of assurance that he knew he had you right where he wanted you. You took a second to compose yourself, to think of your next move. 

“Thank you. I’m sure we will see each other at dinner later.” 

You grabbed your stuff and just before you made it all the way past him, you took his hand and placed your balled up lace panties inside. 

“Good luck this weekend, I know you have struggled without me.” 

You didn’t have to look back at him to know his face was a picture. Lewis never lost, Lewis always had the upper hand, but today he didn’t, today you had won. For now, anyway. 

You had barely made it through your third and penultimate interview with another driving pairing when you felt your phone vibrate. 

‘I have had the taste of you on my tongue all afternoon.’ 

‘Good, enjoy.’ 

‘How about we skip dinner and I just eat you instead?’

You didn’t reply, as much as you wanted to, you knew you still had work to do to tease him, the panties were just the start. 

The rest of that interview was a shambles as you struggled to stop thinking about how pretty his face looked with your thighs framing it. It was then that you regretted still not having underwear on, certain that if you were to get up now there would be an obvious damp patch in your seat. For the rest of the day you insisted on waiting in place whilst the drivers left the room first instead, you were already about to be the talk of the paddock one his team mate told the world, you didn’t want to add ‘embarrassingly wet’ to the stories. 

He had left you alone for a few hours. No messages, no calls, no finding you somewhere in the paddock just so he could see you, nothing. So quiet he was, you were debating whether or not to message him first. You didn’t want him to disappear, you just wanted to tease him and his lack of contact had you worried, he had been so eager all day but now, nothing. 

You were sitting at dinner, alone, in the hotel restaurant. You had seen a few of the drivers coming and going, various different girls tagging along, typical you thought to yourself. Normally you would order room service so as to not be seen by anyone but not tonight, you wanted to be seen, you wanted word to get back to him that you were there.

Toto gave you a friendly nod as he walked past you to the table just across from you, he was quickly joined by Lewis’ teammate. Your eyes scanned the room constantly as you searched for him, he had to be joining them too…right? 

A little panic ran through your mind for a moment, your thoughts flashed to the images of the girls hanging off the drivers as they made their way up to their respective rooms, was that what Lewis was doing too? 

Then you spotted him, walking alone, thankfully. He was dressed casually, a simple white t-shirt and grey shorts, but he was still the most handsome man in the whole room and he knew it too. He walked past the various tables around you, you held your breath as he approached yours, anticipating what he might do when he saw you but needn’t have, he didn’t once acknowledge you, instead he took a seat directly opposite you at his teams table.

You were struggling to not look up at him as you attempted to finish your food. You wondered if he had looked at you at all or was he in damage recovery mode with his team mate, not wanting to make it more obvious than he already had earlier.

As you were requesting the bill from the waiter you noticed your phone light up on the table in front of you. It was him. You opened the notification and a muted video immediately started playing. You were not prepared for what the screen would show. 

Your lace panties were entangled in his fingers as he used them to stroke himself. You felt your face flush immediately but you couldn’t take your eyes off of the screen, the sudden heat that engulfed your body was almost unbearable. 

You watched as he slowly stroked himself to completion in what must have only been 30 seconds max, his cum dripping all over your panties and trickling down his fingers. 

You glanced up at him, he had been watching you the whole time of course. He smiled at you, a knowing smile, he knew that you were now trembling in your seat, overcome with the need for him once more. 

‘Still resisting?’ He messaged you. 

You didn’t reply, instead you caught his gaze once more and smirked at him just before leaving the restaurant, that was all the answer he was going to get. 

You expected him to message you within minutes of you leaving but he didn’t. He didn’t contact you at all that night, and it was only when it hit the wee hours of the morning that you realised you had taken the teasing too far, instantly you were filled with regret. You knew Lewis could replace you in a heartbeat, he was who he was and he had his needs, you hated that you had even given him the option. 

Qualifying day was always a quieter day for you, you had no official interviews booked so instead you chose to mingle in the paddock, talking with colleagues about the latest paddock gossip and occasionally glancing at the screen to see what was happening on the track. 

Lewis was doing well, P1 and three tenths quicker than the driver in second place, this was the best he had done in quite a few weeks. The other journalists, especially the ones that were so inclined, made their attraction to him obvious as they gushed over images of him on the screen. As you gritted your teeth hard to strain yourself from snapping as they shared their thoughts on the man you had grown so fond of now, you wondered if you ever really were his lucky charm; he hadn’t had you for weeks, yet he was doing well on track. 

It was only by chance that something caught your eye on the huge screen. It was a flash of colour, a tiny flash of colour, just under the sleeve of his race suit. You doubted anyone else would notice it, it was that small, but you did. You knew what that was, there was no other explanation, under the sleeve of his race suit, Lewis had stuffed the very same panties you had given him the day before.

‘Is that a new bracelet?’

You messaged him first, seeing the tribute to you that he carried with him in his car, freed you of any doubts, of any further need to tease him. You wanted him, and you wanted him now. 

‘Room 434. 9pm.’ He replied as soon as he was out of the car that afternoon, clearly he wasn't in the mood to mess around now either. 

If anyone asked, and they wouldn’t because why would they? You were heading to Lewis’ room to help him celebrate his pole position for the race tomorrow, and yes, you wanted to do that, but more than anything you were overcome with the need to stake your claim on him. 

He was staying on the floor above you so you took the elevator, not bothering for the first time about being spotted. He made you wait, and wait, you pictured him standing on the other side of the door, watching you through the peephole as you struggled to contain your excitement, but when he opened the door, you could tell he had just gotten out of the shower. He stood, topless, in the same grey shorts that he was wearing at dinner, his broad chest still decorated with little beads of moisture. 

“9:02, you’re late.” He complained as he walked away from the door, not waiting for you to walk in first. 

“Well maybe if you had opened the door faster, I wouldn’t have been.” 

He sat on a chair that was placed directly in front of his bed.

“First things first, you will drop the attitude. I think you have some making up to do, don’t you?” 

“I do?” You were unsure where to be in the room, it all felt so tense, so you settled for standing not too far from him. 

“Yes, you do. You’ve been hiding from me all weekend. I needed a release and you were nowhere to be found.” 

“From what I saw in that video, it seems like you already got it.” 

“You liked that, didn’t you?” He chuckled. “I saw what that video did to you, you could barely contain yourself in your seat.” 

“It was okay…I’ve seen better.” 

“Oh you’ve seen better have you?” He smiled as he pulled his dick out from his shorts and began stroking it, holding eye contact with you the whole time. “So this doesn’t impress you?” 

You bit your lip, fixated on his hand movement as it slowly glided up and down his length. 

“Strip for me.” Normally a please would have followed that sentence but you knew he was in no mood for manners.

You were done resisting him now, done fighting back stubbornly. You slid off all layers apart from your bra and panties, feeling shy all of a sudden. He didn’t stop his slow strokes as he watched you intently. 

“Lay down on the bed.” 

You did as you were told, you laid down on your back, your eyes fixed on him as you watched him stand up and reach for a case on the other side of the room. 

“What is that?” Your voice sounded as vulnerable as you felt in that moment. 

He didn’t answer you straight away, instead he found what he was looking for and walked straight over to you with intent. He grabbed at one wrist and tied a cable tie around it, locking you to the bedpost. 

“You thought you could take control, didn’t you?” He smirked as he strapped your other wrist to the other bedpost. “You must have forgotten who I am, baby.” 

You didn’t say a word, you watched as he circled the edge of the bed once more and came back to your side with something in his hand that glistened. 

“I said, strip.” He cut through one bra strap and then another. “You've been disobeying me all weekend.”

“I’ve been busy.” 

You tried to hold strong with your pathetic attempts at not admitting the purpose behind your weekend long teasing of him, but as you lay there topless, tied up and completely vulnerable to him you knew this was a battle you couldn’t win. You didn’t want to. 

“All weekend I’ve been trying to get to you.” He moved around the bed, eyes locked on yours, he was thriving from the innocence in them. Your body was tense, wondering what his next move would be. “All weekend long you’ve been hiding from me. Then you give me your panties, and still resist me, knowing that it would only make me need you more.” 

His fingers ran from the middle of your thigh, slowly up towards your middle. It felt like an eternity as you waited for his fingers to graze across the outline of your panties. With just enough pressure for you to feel it, he teased your clit through the material, smirking at your pathetic whimpers as every part of you yearned for him. With very little effort, he tore the panties from your body too.

“Look at you, naked and obedient. Just the way I like you.” He was unable to resist his eyes wandering over every inch of your curves. “Now tell me, are you ready to be a good girl?” 

“Yes, I will be…on my best…behaviour.” Your words were disturbed by him drawing the softest circles on your swollen nub, revelling in the way your hips buck up towards him. He knew you needed more, but he needed you to deserve it first. 

“Yes, you will.” 

He moved from beside you now and made his way back to his case, this time taking out a toy. 

“You are going to show me just how sorry you are for neglecting me all weekend.” 

And with that, he placed the toy straight on your clit, flicking the switch on with his thumb. The vibrations ran through your body with such intensity you couldn’t help but cry out. He giggled, watching your whole body shake with intense pleasure, your wrists straining against the restraints that held you in place. Your hands wanted to reach out to him, to pull him closer to you, he needed to know how badly you wanted him, you were determined to show that with every part of you. With the hand that wasn’t holding the toy on your clit, he played with your nipples, delighting in the heighted pitch of your moans every time he tweaked them a little too harshly. 

“Too much, baby?” He asked with a tone that told you he was hoping it was. You could only bite your bottom lip and nod, begging him with your eyes to go easier on you. “Fine, as you’re being a good girl…” 

He turned the pressure down a touch, the vibrations now felt a little more comfortable, you were able to linger in pleasure a little more. He let out a satisfied groan as he watched you begin to enjoy what he was granting you. 

“Oh, god…” you cried out all at once, your body arched off the mattress as you felt your orgasm fast approaching. He immediately lifted the toy off of you and stopped playing with your nipples.

“No, don’t stop, please...please...” You begged him, desperate for the release that teetered on the edge. 

He chuckled, pulling his now throbbing dick out of his shorts, gripping the base with his right hand and repositioning your head with the other. 

“You’re going to have to work for it, baby.” He rubbed the tip of his dick that glistened with pearls of his excitement, across your lips. “Show me why you deserve to cum.” 

You licked at the tip with an eagerness unmatched, the salty taste of his enthusiasm only spurred you on more. His whole body shook, you knew he loved it when you teased the slit with your tongue so you played up to it more, slowly tracing your tongue across it before he could take no more and nudged your head forward, filling your mouth with as much as you could take. 

Lewis granted you a moment to adjust to how impossibly big he felt in your mouth, even more so as you had no control with your hands still tied. Slowly he helped you find a rhythm, rocking his hips into you as you soon found an ease with the way your lips rolled up and down his shaft. 

“Good girl, just like that.” He moaned, throwing his head back for a moment as the pleasure rocked him to his core.

Once you had both found the perfect rhythm, you with your mouth and him rocking his hips ever so slightly back and forth, he found the toy once more. The feeling of the vibrations against your clit as you pleased him with your mouth felt so electric it wasn’t long before you were close to orgasming once more. 

Once more, he brought you to the edge before completely lifting the toy off. You mumbled a dissatisfied cry around his dick. 

“Not just yet, baby.” 

He picked up pace, fucking your mouth with a lot more force now, groaning everytime the tip hit the back of your throat. “Ugh, your mouth feels fucking good.”

He pulled out of you and cut your wrists free from the posts. You assumed he was finally going to fuck you now but he didn’t. Instead he went back over to his case and took out another tie. 

“I need you to sit on my face.” He said, very matter of fact. “Up you get.” 

He ushered you off of the bed so he could lay down, he directed you to sit with your back to him and he pushed you forward, bringing your hands up behind your back and tieing them in place. He had full control of your body once more but he also had access to the place his tongue loved to bury itself, your pussy. 

He positioned you so you were sitting directly over his mouth, your own mouth fell down to his dick and all at once, you both began to pleasure each other. His tongue lapped at your juices, his hands pulled apart your cheeks to grant better access as he alternated between circling your clit and tongue fucking you. You struggled to keep in place whilst sucking him, he was constantly sending waves of pleasure throughout your whole body, your orgasm so desperate for a release for so long now, it was growing with intensity with every lick. 

“Please fuck me, Lewis.” You begged him, you needed him to know that nothing compared to how he felt inside of you.

“Like this?” He asked, first working two fingers inside of you but your small sigh told him that wasn’t enough.

“Or this?” He replaced his fingers with the toy, you moaned out at the drastic size difference. “Oh, you like being stretched don’t you?”

He carried on licking your clit as he moved the toy in and out of you. 

“Do not cum yet, baby. Hold on to it for me.” 

The vibrations of his voice, the feeling of his tongue and being fucked by a toy all at the same time, was too much for you to take.

“I can’t…I can’t…hold it.” 

Before he could stop it this time, you orgasmed hard, your face fell to his thigh as your hands were still bound behind your back. You cried out loud, your whole body shaking so violently, you thought it would never stop, as he let you ride through your high on his willing tongue. 

“Such a naughty girl. I told you to save that for me.” He pulled you up by the tie around your wrists and positioned you over the edge of the bed. 

He was merciless as you had disobeyed him, he entered you with an unrelenting thrust from behind, hitting deep inside of you. You moaned out once more. 

“Show me how sorry you are…again.” He growled as he gripped the back of your hair into a tight knot around his fingers. “Take it like a good girl.” 

He fucked you, hard. His grip on your hair never loosened as he drove into you, slapping your cheeks to ensure he left his mark on your skin. He didn’t last long himself, your pussy was always like kryptonite to his willpower. As he orgasmed, he moaned out the loudest you had ever heard him, filling you up completely with his cum before collapsing next to you on the floor. 

“Fuck, that was intense.” He spoke first, waiting until the both of you had almost caught your breath. You were still sprawled out on the floor, next to each other, both of you drunk on pleasure. 

“It was. I don’t think I’ve ever…”

He interrupted your train of thought with a soft peck on your lips before snuggling you into his chest. 

The aftercare that night was amplified by how rough the sex had been. He set you the perfect shower temperature before joining you in it. He gently massaged you from behind as the warm water trickled down both of your bodies, replacing his touch with kisses at every chance he got. For the rest of the night he laid with you, making sure to keep checking that you had everything you needed. 

“You don’t have to do all of this, you know?” You remarked after a while.

“I know but after how rough I was with you, well, I want to be soft with you too.” 

His phone vibrated on the side, bringing you both back down to earth after being on such a high for the past few hours.

“Uh oh.” He mumbled. 

“What?” 

“Don’t be mad but I guess some of the others have heard us.”

“Wait what? How do you know?” You jumped up from your resting spot on his chest. 

“We have this group chat.” 

He handed you his phone so you could see the messages. There were various messages teasing him about how loud we were being, it was all funny casual boy talk but no actual confirmation that any of them knew who his late night visitor was until you got to the last message. His teammate, having joined the chat rather late into it, decided everyone else must now know and confirmed, with your name, that he had seen you both flirting yesterday. 

“There’s no coming back from this, is there?” You asked, desperate for him to have a solution.

“I doubt it. I guess everyone’s going to know by tomorrow.”

He pulled you back down to him, his thumb stroking your arm to try and soothe your worried thoughts. 

“Ugh, what are we going to do?” 

“Baby, look at me.” You lifted your chin up to face him. “Does it bother you that everyone will know?”

“I just…I just don’t want everyone to talk about us, about you…I just-”

“Are you ashamed of me?”

“What?” You laughed at Lewis’ absurdity. “I should be asking you the same thing.” 

“I’m not ashamed of you, in fact I am glad everyone knows now, it killed me watching the others flirt with my girl every wee-”

“Your girl?” 

“Yes, my girl.” Lewis nudged your face up just enough that he could kiss your lips. “You are my girl, and tomorrow, the rest of the world will know what I’ve known since I walked out of the media centre in Silverstone.” 

“And what’s that?”

“That there is not another woman in this world that will make me feel the way you do, and I don’t just mean sexually. You are all I think about, at all times. I don’t want this to just be a race weekend thing anymore, I can’t deal with the way I constantly miss you. I want you all the time, if you’ll have me?” 

[sofasoap]

Four misses

Pairing : John Price x F!reader (aka OC Mini MacTavish) Summary: Four times you missed each other, and one time you gave up. Part 2 of Five Times

Warning: Mature themes. if you don’t like the idea of age gap story, turn around NOW.

Thanks to mother of my Mini MacTavish @saltofmercury for lending me the character “Mini” from her story. Go read her “The Favorite MacTavish”  !

“masterlist” for Mini MacTavish expanded verse.

He promised you he will contact you. Looking down at the phone. No messages. No missed calls. Nothing.

After your bold admission to him in the garden a month ago, you are starting to wonder if it was the right move. You understand from your experience from Johnny, there is no certainty in anything with the military.  They can get called away anytime, cutting off connections with their family for weeks, or even months.  No idea if they are dead or alive, until someone shows up at your doorstep,  either it’s your loved one returning to you, or someone informing you of the unfortunate sacrifice they made to their country.

Looking at the bottle of whisky you bought, sitting on the bookshelf. Maybe you just need to be a bit more patient.

Disappointment hit you again. You finally got a call from him, two months later, after the team had returned from their latest mission, apologising for not getting back to you soon enough. Promises made again, dates set. You waited at the pub. Ten minutes gone. Twenty. Thirty. An hour. Two hours. Nothing. You feel like a fool. No calls, no messages, nothing again. Quietly thanking the bartender, who is now looking at you with pity, you slipped some notes and bit extra for tip, you picked up your phone and wallet walking out the door. Ten minutes later, a flustered Price rushed into the pub, frantically trying to find you. 

“You just missed her. She waited for two hours.”  Unimpressed expression on bartender’s face says it all when they informed the Price’s 

He was so immersed in his work, he had totally forgotten about the meet up until he heard one of the soldiers passing by talking about going on a date with their sweetheart. 

Looking at his phone, which was switched off during the meeting, he had missed calls and few messages from you, asking where he was.

He tried to call you back, but you didn’t pick up. This isn’t going well at all.

Sitting in a corner, twirling the tumbler glass in your hands, you wish you hadn’t come. Soap hosted a small get together with family and few people from the base at their house. “Hey why the long face? Something happened?” Your brother pulled you into the private family sitting room, away from everyone else. “ I am sorry Price isn’t here,he has been called away for an important briefing by the higher ups.” Upon hearing Price’s name, you couldn’t hold in anymore, tears started streaming down your face. “Johnny.. I… I …” desperately wiping your face to stop the tears from falling, to no avail, “ I knew it wouldn’t work out, but I still went for it.  Why? Why?”  you sobbed. “I tried.. I really tried… “ 

Soap holding onto you tight, trying hard to suppress his anger. He should have intervened, he knew it. He knew the difficulties and obstacles, he thought Price would treat you well. But he is mistaken. You cried yourself to sleep that night,  under Soap’s insistence of you staying for the night. 

Maybe it is time to let go and move on. 

You are about to move away from London, change your job, change your phone number and back up to Scotland, closer to your parents.  Starting a new chapter of your life.

You half thought about contacting him again before moving away, but decided against it. Why drag yourself into the past and into the pain again? Hearing the boarding announcement through the PA, you pulled your coat tight against yourself, wrapped yourself nicely and tight with the thick woollen scarf your mum knitted for you around your neck and face. It’s been a very cold winter, and it’s only getting worse. Boarding the train, your shoulder accidentally bumps into the man with a thick leather jacket and black beanie. Mumbling apologies to each other as you rush into the carriage, finding your seat and settling yourself down. As the train started moving, you looked out the window, and met the eyes of the stranger you bumped into. Price. Eyes widen with surprise, it’s evident he is just caught out as you are. But it was too late. The train is already moving and pulling out of the station. You slump back into your seat.

Another missed chance. How cruel thy fate. 

[allari-ammayi]

Wife | Pt.1《Bharya》B. Deva

☆Bhallaladeva x Fem! OC☆

Synopsis: Pooja and Bhallaladeva have been married for three months, but after their wedding ceremony came to an end, Pooja hasn't seen him or heard of him since. It's not like she's his first wife she likely won't be his last- is what she thinks. But when Bhallaladeva sends a servant to summon Pooja to his quarters late one night, Pooja hopes to fulfil their unstarted martial duties, instead, Bhalla requests that Pooja do something else for him. Something Pooja never expected to hear from the ruthless king of Mahismati. 《Pt. 1, 1.9 k Words》

Note: This is the OC version of this fic. If you would like to read the Y/n version, it will be available on my Y/n masterlist page! ALSO, REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!!

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑 》 By interacting with my works or posts, you agree to be exposed to my content and are confirming that you are willingly reading my writing!!

“It’s been two months, Mama {Trans. ‘Uncle’}.”

“For most women, it was six, my dear.”

“What’s the point of even marrying so many women if he isn’t going to talk to any of them?”

“Political reasons. Amma, Pooja, you should stop waiting for him and go to sleep, my lady.”

The loyal but helpless Kattappa spoke as ‘the King’ Bhallaladeva’s newest concubine resurfaced her face from in between her knees.

The sky was dark and Kattapa had just finished his duty of serving the lady some fruit. It wasn’t quite his duty, but something he chose to do. Pooja never had a proper father and Kattapa was the closest she had ever gotten.

Pooja looked up at the sky and thought over the past few months. It’s already been three years since the defeat of Bahubali and the raising of Bhallaladeva.

Nothing changed much for Pooja, but she knew it was only because she was the daughter of a higher official. The poorer people of the nation though, were being robbed of everything they once owned.

“Are you sure he won’t visit me?” Pooja asked, leaning the side of her face on her knees, looking off into the trees as she rested on the balcony ledge.

“I don’t think it’s likely, my lady.” Kattapa adjusted his sword back into its place and stood before Pooja as she turned her head towards him.

He gave her a sharp bow with his fist to his heart, wished her a good night’s sleep and trotted off, leaving Pooja to think by herself.

True, it had already been two months since she had been betrothed to the king of Mahismati. But not once since her wedding had she seen his face.

Even before the wedding, she had never really seen him. Maybe once or twice when the two were younger and Bhallaladeva was considered one of the high and prideful princes, always finding ways to make his mother proud.

Pooja couldn’t remember if she was merely imagining it, but she also considered the multiple moments of eye contact she and Bhalla had shared previous to their marriage full of romantic tension. Were those gazes they shared a figment of her imagination?

On her wedding day, Pooja and Bhalla had exchanged short glances and a single moment of eye contact. Since then, they had never spoken. Actually, now that Pooja thought about it, Bhalla and Pooja had never spoken even on their wedding day. Not even on their wedding night, which Pooja was eagerly waiting for.

She draped herself in the prettiest white and gold sari that she could afford and waited on the bed covered in flower petals for her beloved. High with the hopes of feeling love and giggling like a schoolgirl, Pooja waited for a few minutes.

Bhalla was not there.

She waited an hour.

Still, no one was there to entertain her or to be entertained by her.

Pooja waited for a couple more hours, her excitement and giddiness ebbing away with every second that passed, till she succumbed to the desire for her sleep.

It was a sad night and an even worse next morning. The very next morning, hoping to wake up to the face of her dear new husband, Pooja awoke to an empty bed, the flower petals on Bhalla’s side undisturbed, making Pooja realise that she had spent the night alone. Her precious wedding night.

The night in which a husband and wife would share moments of intimacy together. She had spent that night alone, all by her lonesome. The same continued for the next two months. Pooja waited patiently and eagerly in her room till late hours every night hoping that at least one day Bhallaladeva would suddenly remember his latest wife and visit her.

But it was never the case.

Pooja, being close with all of his other wives, was told several times to give up and get on with her life. That Bhalla had never visited the other wives before either, and if he did, it was only for the most important of formal reasons. If else, he would send servants.

The other wives pitied Pooja. They even saw a bit of themselves in her, but no one ever waited for Bhalla for that long like a love-sick puppy. They usually gave up after a week or two.

“Ayyo, picchi pilla, {Trans. ‘Oh, you silly girl.’}” Bhalla’s third wife spoke as she peeled an apple with the sharp end of a dagger for her, Pooja and a couple of other wives as they sat around and chatted like they always did.

“He isn’t going to come, Chinni.” Bhalla’s second wife spoke as caressed Pooja’s head affectionately.

“Kadu. Aiyna vastharu. Naku namakam undi. {Trans. ‘No. I believe in him, he’ll come for me.’}” Pooja said softly as she stared at the ground.

“Ma matta vini ayna kosam agadam maneyi, thalli. {Trans. ‘Listen to us and stop waiting around for him, my dear.’}” Another spoke up as Pooja stubbornly cushioned her chin on her kneecap as she leaned her back against a pillar. Pooja shook her head slightly and continued staring forward intently.

“Aiyna ki na meda prema undi. Vastaru. Vacchi teestaru. {Trans. ‘He loves me. He’ll come for you, just you wait.’}”

At Pooja’s words, half the wives burst out in laughter while the others quietly giggled to themselves. Pooja’s head shot up at him in half-confusion and half-anger and she glared at him.

“Enduku navvutunaru!? {Transl. ‘Why’re you laughing!?’}”

“Picchi pilla, {Trans. ‘Silly girl,’}” Bhalla’s fourth wive said, getting up to sit next to Pooja, draping her arm over Pooja’s shoulders. “Asala aiyina ki prema ante ento tellidu. Aiyna ki preminche shakti ledu. {Trans. ‘He doesn’t even know what loves is. He can’t feel love.’}” Pooja’s eyebrows came together in confusion.

“Aithe mari mimmalini ela premistunaru? {Trans. ‘Then how is he loving you all?’}” The girl asked, naively, and once again, the group of women burst into giggles.

“Aiyina mammalini evaruni preminchateledu. {Trans. ‘He isn’t in love with any of us and doesn’t love aany of us.’}”

“He doesn’t even lust after us.”

“What..?” Pooja said, her motuh agape.

“That’s true.” The first wife spoke out, wise as ever, “We’re only married to him because there’s something from our families he wants. Be it armies, money or privileges. Anything.”

“Yes. Never once has he ever shown us affection or love or anything even close.”

“Mari meeku baathaga leda? {Trans. ‘Then are you not sad?’}” Pooja asked, her eyes starting to droop in pity. The other women smiled sweetly, none in pity or sadness.

“No. Not really,” The first said, “He never gave us a reason to love him in the first place, so it was easy. We have our own lives and he has his.”

These words caused a flurry of emotions to erupt within Pooja’s heart but none so as strong as her iron will and faith in the king.

All the wives urged her to move on. They encouraged her to use her status as one of Bhalla’s wives to her advantage and achieve anything she wanted to in life.

But Pooja never gave up hope.

Or at least not till the third month.

Pooja had yet to see hide nor hair of Bhalla, the man she was made to dedicate her life to, and she was starting to lose hope.

Would she finally break and give up like the rest of the wives had? Pooja thought about it that night in the chilly, dark, open balcony.

Was it even worth waiting anymore?

Just as Pooja was about to think not, she heard the sound of shuffling footsteps advancing towards her room.

Pooja’s heart jumped and butterflies attacked her stomach.

Could it be..?

The sound of knocks on Pooja’s door echoed through the room and reached her ears, a sudden feeling of excitement starting to awaken within her, lighting up the entire room.

Pooja shot up and raced out of the balcony, running to the door, her anklets and bangels jingling and dangling as she ran, sounding a sweet harmony at the girl’s glee.

Pooja stood in front of the door, her heart racing. She gulped and reached the large lock that held the two massive maple doors together and with a final surge of excitement she dragged the doors open, her breath fast and her face pink, only to be faced with a punch from disappointment.

In front of her stood not her husband, but rather a young servant. Pooja felt her heart drop and her legs weaken as she grasped onto the door for support.

“Oh… Gowri… What is it?” Pooja asked the servant, her obvious look of excitement dissolving into a bitter look of disappointment.

“My lady, I was sent by-” Assuming that the servant was sent by one of the other wives, Pooja strayed her attention elsewhere, barely listening, holding her tears of self-pity back. “-His Majesty.”

Pooja felt herself nearly topple over as she lost grip on the door, effectively being caught by the surprised servant who helped her readjust her composure.

“Did- Did you just say ‘His Majesty’?” Pooja asked, somewhat contemplating wether she had actually gone insane from yearning for Bhalla for so long that she was now imagining things.

“Yes. His Majesty is summoning you to his quarters.” The servant said and Pooja began seeing stars in front of her eyes.

“Would- Would you please repeat that?” Pooja requested, beginning to lose grasp of herself in the chaos of her mind, her excitement and adrenaline running high.

“His Majesty has sent me to inform you that he wishes to see you in his quarters.”

“Do you know what for..?” Pooja asked. She thought she was being selfish and greedy when she had a tiny hope in her heart that the servant wouldn’t say that Pooja was needed for formal reasons.

“I believe his majesty-” Gowri gulped, tripping over her words and her eyes darting around, avoiding Pooja’s eyes.

“Yes?”

“I-I believe-” Gowri’s eyebrows scrunched together and she let out a quick sigh, “I’m unsure, your highness. I was only tasked with bringing you there.” Gowri said with unease, leaving a puzzled Pooja to wonder by she was being summoned.

“Oh… Alright.” Pooja said, mildly confused, “Aithe pada. {Trans. ‘Then let’s go.’}”

And so set off, the confused wife and the uneasy servant who seemed eager to fidget with her thumbs, desperate to leave.

“Just this way, your highness,” Gowri said, leading Pooja to a set of great big oka doors, far larger than Pooja’s. “His Majesty is waiting inside for you, your highness.” Gowri bowed to Pooja, not lifting her head up.

“But-” Pooja gulped as looked at the doors. “Is this not his Majesty’s room? I thought you were leading me to his office?” Gowri remained in a bow, not answering Pooja or liftening her head up.

Pooja gulped and begrudgingly put her palm on the door. With a slight push of uneasiness, the doors creaked open ever so slightly and with the noise of the door, the poor servant jumped and scampered away, keeping her head low in a bow.

Pooja turned her attention away from the jumpy servant and back to the door’s creak, from which the light of torches was spilling out. Pooja opened the door a little more and slowly poked her head inside, looking around to see where Bhallaladeva was and what he wanted with her.

Pooja didn’t know a thing about Bhalla’s room, for she had never been there.

Truth be told, no wife of Bhalla’s had ever gotten as close to his room as Pooja was now, so she knew it was urgent.

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 》

None yet! Please reply to this post if you wish to be tagged in my future works, fics, and the next part to this story! :)

[callmearcturus]

Tips for Playing Persona 3 Portable

because i am (i think) a little over halfway thru and it's amazing, I am having a tremendously good time. here's all the stuff that made me go "well I wish i knew that from the beginning!"

this is geared towards people who haven't played a MegaTen. other folks, you know what you're doing, don't @ me.

TO PLAY:

You wanna grab the PPSSPP emulator, which is available for mobile and for PC. I need buttons to play, so I play on my Odin, but if you're the kind of person who plays Genshin on your phone, you'd probably be fine just playing it on your phone.

I'm able to upscale this to x4 resolution so it looks very nice. If you're on a super fancy phone or your PC, I bet you can push it higher if you want but I think it looks great at x4.

I'm not gonna pussyfoot around. You can find the game on a very helpful site. Rot13: ivzz.arg Great place to know.

I would have three save files. Slot One: the place you save daily or every other day, because you should do that. Slot Two: save here when the game warns you it's almost a full moon. If you make it to the boss and get utterly owned, roll back to here and grind more. (I haven't had to do this yet personally but the game is slowly getting harder, so maybe it'll happen.) Slot Three: Before events you might want to see multiple paths of.

PPSSPP supports save states. I mapped the "save state" button to my L3 click and I hit it every time I reach a new floor of Tartarus in case something goes catastrophically wrong. But I'm not the type of person who enjoys total party wipes and losing progress. I'm baby.

Oh and you need to trust me here: PLAY THE GIRL. DO NOT PLAY THE BOY, THE GAME IS APPRECIABLY WORSE. When you start the game it'll warn you to play Boy first. FUCKING IGNORE THAT SHIT AND PLAY THE GIRL. Also FemPC is the only one with a gay option to my knowledge.

TIPS FOR THE COMBAT PORTION OF THE GAME:

If you are not into MegaTen/Persona, just play on Easy. It's okay and no one is gonna judge you. And anyone who does it outing themselves as an asshole.

Your goal for the first tens of hours of combat is to knock all enemies down in a single turn. When all enemies are knocked down, your party does an All Out Attack and usually finishes off the fight. Hitting enemies with their weakness or getting a critical will knock them down and let you take another attack in the same turn. Keep chaining until everyone is knocked down!

You can find most enemies weaknesses by scanning them with Mitsuru/Fuuka. Do this for every enemy, it'll help later when you have seen 40 enemies and cannot remember who's weak to what.

Each party member has an elemental specialty but you the player can swap your pokemon persona once per turn. Lemme repeat: YOU CAN SWAP YOUR PERSONA IN BATTLE ONCE PER TURN. You don't have to wait to be out of battle to swap!

This is a game where its very worthwhile to, once you reach a new combat area, to upgrade all of your weapons and armor. The stat jumps are pretty significant. You'll get some equipment from Elizabeth's quests and in exploration but not a lot. So figure out who you're gonna use mainly and kit them out when new gear appears.

You unlock Akihiko in the second or third month of play (first 5 hours, maybe sooner depending on your playstyle). He was a small lesson for me as a player bc he spends HP to hit hard. Kind of scary at first but he'll be fine, let him be a blood knight. Yukari will heal him when he's in the danger zone. Also, if you are keeping everyone up to date on their equipment there are many times Akihiko does more damage with his normal attack than his Persona skill. He's like. Maddeningly useful. And he's the best boy. And I love him. ANYWAY.

Don't be precious about your personas. Fuse frequently. Also if you have one you REALLY like the skillset of, tell Elizabeth you want to register them in the compendium and you can summon them again for money. (You get the compendium early game, just chill until it unlocks.)

Oh yeah so when you start fighting, your party members will be on Full AI Mode. When you start to understand what you're doing, you can go into Tactics and switch them to being under your control. Or switch them back! Up to you!

FINALLY, THIS IS THE ONE I WISH I UNDERSTOOD EARLY. Once you start really breezing through combat, when you are in Tartarus and out of combat: JUST TELL EVERYONE TO GO EXPLORE. They will split up from you and run around finding items and will locate the exits. This makes getting through Tartarus floors easy. AND IF ONE OF THEM GETS INTO COMBAT? Stand nearby and if they start to lose too my HP, HEAL THEM FROM YOUR MENU. It's fucking great. I love this mechanic so much and I was too scared to use it for so long. USE IT!!!!

i think once you get Fuuka you can change the BGM while you are exploring. I like Track 4, it's very fun.

OKAY THAT'S THE COMBAT HALF OF THE GAME, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE REST OF IT:

This game is driven by your Social Links with people, series of little scenes in visual novel style. Having strong social links means your personas for that Arcana will be stronger. You can pick choices in many of these social link scenes that will make the person happy or sad.

There's a few social links where if you want to max them out you gotta suck it up and say the 'right' thing for that person. Rio does not want a lot of pushback or challenge to her ideas. Akihiko will clam up if you make fun of his interests and frequently misses sarcasm and jokes with his literalism. Saori wants gentle pushback against her isolation but not super aggressively. If you fuck up and feel bad, reload a save! It's okay.

Junpei is not a romance option. Knowing this made me like him a LOT more and he became my best fucking bro and my ride-or-die. Junpei is great. He'd be awful if he was a romance option.

A few characters are gated based on your stat triangle of Academics, Courage, and Charm. If you have a character you REALLY want to hang with, it's worth seeing what the requirements are. FOR INSTANCE: Akihiko doesn't unlock for hang outs until he recovers from his injury, which takes a while. BUT to even hang out with him, you need to reach Charm level 4. So my ass was grinding Charm until he opened up as an option. Later, I had to grind Courage to meet the Tower, who is awesome.

BEST WAY TO LEVEL ANY OF YOUR STATS: Charm (needed for Akihiko): work at Chagall Cafe Mon/Tues/Wed nights when you can. Also once you have enough money, the Print Club arcade game will give a huge boost when its available. Also giving Junpei the right answer in class will boost Charm. Academics (needed for Mitsuru): i'm still grinding this rn lmao but the Quiz Game at the arcade and the documentary movies at the cinema will give you a big boost. Also when the game offers to let you sleep in class, always stay awake for a small boost. Courage (needed for The Tower): Horror House at the arcade, but also doing karaoke at the mall. Also, when you are tired after fighting in Tartarus, go talk to the school nurse (this doesn't consume an action) for a Courage boost.

When I was initially looking up guides for this game, they were unified in one message. Just play the game naturally and you'll probably get close to who you like! Except Akihiko. Look up a guide for him. I didn't find him that difficult because I cottoned on fast that he's an shy autistic Team Mom who takes things literally a lot, and once I figured that out it was easy. But if you have your heart set on someone, look them up! It's a long game.

listen. some social links are great (Junpei, Fuuka, Akihiko, The Devil, The Tower) and some are not (Bebe, the Student Council). I think it's fine to just... not do some of them if you don't like them lmao.

Finally, when its your day off, sometimes people will call you and ask you out. I ALWAYS make a save state here, turn everyone down to see who I have as an option, and then load my state to pick who I want. I recommend doing that, especially for the Summer Festival because you will get multiple offers, but Junpei will probably be first. Sorry, Junpei, I wanna hang out with Akihiko. (Also: wear the yukata if you're going with Akihiko.)

Fairly far into the game you'll start getting gifts to give people. I'd save state-cheat these too in case you give someone the wrong thing.

I THINK THAT'S IT

please play persona 3 portable its good

[jadedrrose]

𝐀 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧'𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐭

art/other info is available on my masterlist.

Although he hadn’t known her for very long, Sooga should’ve recognized the signs of Rose’s exhaustion far earlier. She’d seemed so fatigued after the fight against the lizalfos, and he’d felt the way she trembled terribly when he’d held her during their transport. Yet it wasn’t until she was stumbling away from him, beginning to fall to the ground that he’d realized what was happening.

Luckily, he had moved quickly enough to catch her as she fainted. Now, she hung limply in his arms, though she was still breathing. Resting on one knee, Sooga’s eyes darted over Rose’s features, hoping she’d awaken sooner than later. But considering that she’d collapsed from exhaustion combined with draining her energy, Sooga began to doubt that she’d be waking up anytime soon. Hesitantly, he pulled his right hand away from where he was holding her abdomen, moving it towards her face, brushing the shorter face-framing pieces of her hair away from her closed eyes and forehead. 

If he hadn’t been so concerned over her well-being, perhaps he would have taken a moment to study her features. But that wasn’t a priority, nor something he’d consider doing to her when she was in such a vulnerable state. Holding her tightly in both hands again, Sooga pondered over if he should bring her straight to the hideout or not. He could easily carry Rose to her bed, but he didn’t feel comfortable intruding into her home like that. Not to mention, how long would it be before she woke up? It didn’t exactly make sense for him to stand around in the brunette’s small cottage, watching her until she woke up. Deciding it was best to take her to the hideout, Sooga made sure his grip on Rose’s slumbering body was firm, before standing up straight, focusing all of his energy on transporting them to the hideout. It was hard to do so when he was so worried, though.

Reappearing in one of the common rooms, Sooga cursed inwardly. He’d meant to transport them directly to Master Kohga, but apparently his concern over Rose made him lose some focus. 

Multiple footsoldiers and blademasters all jumped in surprise, their heads turned towards the two figures before them. Great, he sighed. Now he had an audience to deal with.

“L-Lord Sooga!? Is that…?” One of the blademasters began to ask.

“It’s- her!” A much higher-pitched voice yelled, presumably a footsoldier, “the warrior!”

“Who?” Another voice came.

“The Great Fairies’ warrior!” 

“Why is he holding her like that?!” A more hushed voice then questioned.

Silently groaning, Sooga could only roll his eyes. Deciding to just say nothing for now, he marched out of the room, heading straight for the napping spot Master Kohga was usually in at this hour- the private dining hall. 

With some more stares and gossip-filled whispers from other clan members the whole way, Sooga finally reached his destination. The footsoldier stationed outside of the door let Sooga inside without hesitation. 

To the younger man’s surprise, Kohga was actually awake for once. 

“Sooga! You’re back!” His master shouted, leaping up from his seat. “You’ve been gone all day! Where have you- ohh, I see what’s going on- WAIT! Why is she unconscious?!”

Disregarding the whiplash Kohga just seemed to go through, Sooga looked between the sleeping woman in his arms and the older man. “I was helping her with bounty work. It seems she’s fainted from exhaustion,” he explained.

“Well that’s not good,” Kohga frowned, “especially since you sound so… worried?”

“How can I not be,” Sooga muttered.

“Well if she only fainted from exhaustion, she’ll be fine! As long as she didn’t hit her head, right?”

“No, I.. caught her.”

“Aw,” Kohga chuckled, “saving her life already. You're such a gentleman, Sooga.”

Suddenly thankful for his mask, Sooga could feel his face burning up. Trying to ignore the comment, he focused on Rose’s wellbeing. “What should I do, though? We don't know how much longer she’ll be asleep for.”

“Hmm,” Kohga crossed his arms, “well… I can try to quickly get a room prepared for her. But if that isn’t fast enough, there’s always your room-“

“A room for her would be good,” Sooga interjected. “She… will be moving here regardless.”

“She wha- you mean…?”

“Rose decided that she would like to join us,” Sooga clarified, looking back at his master, who stared dumbfounded.

“Are… you serious? What did you do?! How’d you finally convince her?” Kohga then erupted, almost shaking with excitement.

“She decided to join on her own terms. I do not know her reasoning behind it, but I don’t believe it is for exploitive reasons. She seemed genuine,” Sooga clarified, gaze moving back down to the woman sleeping in his arms. How odd it was that he could feel his facial expression softening with every look her way.

“Well, if you say so. But I’d still like to know her reasons,” Kohga scratched at his chin, “I’ll let you get to the bottom of that, though. Since you two are buddies now, yeah?”

“I do not believe Rose thinks of me that way. We are more so… allies.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Kohga faked a yawn. “You two will warm up to each other eventually…”

With that, Master Kohga got up from his seat, heading out of the dining room to fetch a footsoldier. He hollered over at the first one he saw, demanding that they quickly prepare a private room for Rose. Sooga quietly followed, debating whether or not he should stay with her until she woke up.

When the room was finally ready, Sooga was a bit relieved to find it was only across the hallway from his own quarters. Dipping inside the dimly-lit room, he took a few steps over to the bed and gently laid Rose in it, ensuring she was in a comfortable position. As he took a few steps back, Sooga felt himself letting out a heavy sigh. Despite her not being heavy, he hadn’t noticed the ache in his arms until now. It wasn’t too terrible, though; he’d carried Kohga over his shoulder many times and, compared to that, holding Rose was far more comfortable. It was slightly more difficult when the person was unconscious, he supposed.

Deciding that he’d have more peace of mind if he kept an eye on Rose, Sooga chose to stay with her. He took a seat in the chair at the wooden desk, figuring he’d call for Master Kohga as soon as the brunette awoke. Although… he didn’t want to alarm her. But even then, she’d more than likely be surprised upon waking up somewhere other than her own bed. Shaking his head, Sooga willed himself to quit worrying and simply relax. 

But after an hour or so had passed, and Rose still had not woken up, Sooga found that he was growing more tired by the minute. He’d hardly slept the previous night, and was back by Riverside Stable fairly early in the morning. Resting his chin on his knuckles, Sooga began nodding off, before thinking that he may as well rest if Rose wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon. And with that thought, he fell into a light slumber.

With a slight headache, Rose stirred from her sleep. She kept her eyes tightly shut, hoping the vague pounding in her head would go away. With a couple minutes of her not moving, eyes still shut, it slowly faded off, but nonetheless, her head still hurt. Figuring that it probably wouldn’t get any better, she finally opened her eyes, confused by the darkness she was now surrounded by. Sitting up, she gazed around the room, finding that it was definitely not her cottage, or anywhere she’d ever been before. Spotting a flickering candle that seemed on the verge of going out, she then realized that she was not alone in the room. 

With the dim light of the candle, she was able to make out the figure of Sooga slumped over in a chair about seven feet away from her. Confused, Rose tried to recall what the last thing she could remember was. Sooga was taking her home after they’d finished things up at Riverside Stable. She could recall being terribly exhausted, but… not much else.

Hoarsely, she called out to him. “…Sooga?”

Though her voice was relatively quiet, she’d still managed to wake him. His head moved a bit, before he sat up, his mask raising to meet her eyes. 

“Rose? You- you’ve awoken,” he grumbled, sounding tired. 

“Where am I?” She asked, looking at him with a hint of worry. 

Sooga let out a nearly inaudible yawn, before standing up, suddenly seeming so much bigger. It was slightly off-putting, but Rose had a feeling he wouldn’t harm her. 

“You’re at the hideout. You fainted when we got to your cottage and I… decided to bring you here.”

“Oh,” she sighed, squinting from the lighting change as Sooga relit the oil lanterns in the room. When her eyes adjusted and she was able to fully see him, she watched as he approached the side of the bed she sat on. “You could’ve just put me in my own bed,” she tried joking.

“I didn’t want to intrude on your home,” he replied, before changing the subject. “I will take you to Master Kohga, if you’re feeling well enough.”

“Um,” Rose thought about it. Her headache was dissipating by the moment, and other than some stiffness in her arms, she felt fine. Although now she’d be meeting the Master Kohga? That thought gave her a slight pause. “…yeah, I think I’m alright.” 

“Very well,” Sooga nodded, holding a hand out to her.

Hesitantly, Rose placed her hand in his palm. Studying their touching hands for a moment, she was a bit in awe at how much larger his was compared to her own. How tall was this man, anyway? Thinking back, she realized she only reached about the height of his lower to mid chest area. Shuddering at the thought of how easily he could still strike her down if he so wished, Rose allowed Sooga to help her up. 

But when her eyes met his mask as she now stood next to him, his other hand gently holding her upper arm as she stabilized herself, any thought of him possibly harming her vanished. Somehow, deep down, Rose knew he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. If anything, she felt much safer with him around. Deciding that she fully trusted him from now on, she smiled, giving him a nod.

Sooga hung back for a second, probably making sure she wouldn’t collapse again. He let go of her, leading her over to the door and slid it open. Rose followed him outside, into a much more well lit, though still relatively dim, hallway.

“To tell you the truth, I have no idea what time it is,” Sooga mumbled. “We will check Master Kohga’s quarters first. If he isn’t there, then he’s most likely in the dining hall.”

Nodding, Rose followed slightly behind Sooga. Thankfully, nobody had been around when they’d emerged from the room. If there had been anyone… she feared what they may have thought. The last thing she wanted was to be the center of gossip and not taken seriously when all she wanted more than ever was to prove herself to the clan. 

The hallway that they began to walk through was fairly long, yet there were few doors within it. Only two, to be exact. Rose began to wander, how was the hideout laid out, anyway?

“Sooga, can I ask, um… is this hallway specifically for anything?”

He gave her a nod, “this hallway consists of quarters designated for only elite soldiers. Which, at the moment, only includes myself and now you.”

“M-me?” Rose stuttered out, thinking she’d somehow misheard him. There was absolutely no way she was already an ‘elite soldier’ when she’d barely even joined the clan. She hadn’t even met Kohga yet! 

“Indeed,” Sooga confirmed. “You’ve managed to take down multiple of the blademasters that I personally trained. It matters not that you’re new to the clan. Rose, you…” he turned to look at her, walking a bit slower than before. “You are an exceptional warrior.” 

She could feel a heat rising to her face, not used to all this praise. Tearing her eyes away from Sooga’s gaze, Rose looked at her boots now. “That’s… um, thank you,” she mumbled. 

“I also, err,” Sooga cleared his throat, “I did not feel comfortable assigning you to a random room that you’d be sharing with multiple other clan members.”

Curious, Rose raised an eyebrow and looked back to Sooga. “Oh? Why’s that?”

“Half of the footsoldiers are petrified of you, and the others…”

From what Rose had seen, Sooga wasn’t usually one to not finish his sentences. What was making him hesitate? 

“What of them?” She pressed.

“They… look at you differently.”

“Because I’m not Yiga?”

“No,” Sooga shook his head, deep voice growing quieter. “I’ll put it this way; most of our footsoldiers are young men. I believe you could imagine how most young men feel about pretty women they encounter.”

Blue eyes going wide, Rose felt her face burning more intensely than it had a couple seconds ago. “O-oh,” she reeled. Perhaps she was just embarrassed that the clansmen apparently thought of her that way, but, another thing clouded her mind.

Was… Sooga implying that he thinks I’m pretty? 

Shaking her head, a bit too furiously perhaps, Rose pleaded with herself to not take that thought any further. She hated receiving those types of comments from men, yet somehow she wasn’t angry when it came from him. Still, she urged herself to forget the thought.

“Forgive me,” Sooga then apologized, his head hanging a bit lower now, “I did not mean to frighten you.”

“N-no,” she blurted out, “I just… wasn’t expecting that.”

It seemed Sooga didn’t know how to respond. A silence fell over the two, and the tall man began to quicken his pace, now walking slightly ahead of Rose rather than next to her. 

After a few terribly awkward and quiet moments of them walking, they finally reached some sort of corridor. At the end of it were wooden sliding doors with the inverted eye crest painted on in red. And standing to the side was a footsoldier, who seemed about ready to collapse and sleep on the dirt floor. 

They stumbled awake as Rose and Sooga approached, giving a wobbly bow to their superior. 

“Lord Sooga…?” They yawned, “what are you doing here at such an hour… and-“

The soldier froze up at the sight of Rose.

“Why is… she here?”

“Rose has joined the clan,” Sooga explained. “What hour is it, soldier?”

“Hmm,” they grumbled, “definitely past midnight. If I had to guess, probably… around three?”

Pursuing her lips and widening her eyes in surprise, Rose turned to look at Sooga, her mouth then opening, “I didn’t realize it was so late, I shouldn’t have woken you. I’m so sorry-“

“Do not apologize,” Sooga turned to her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “I should not have fallen asleep. We’ll talk to Master Kohga in the morning.”

Rose nodded, shuddering from the warm feeling that spread on her shoulder. Her body had been so cold from being within the hideout, that the warmth of Sooga’s touch had surprised her. Yet she… welcomed it, wanting to lean into it. Being in the chilly caves of the Gerudo Highlands might be too much for her, after all. 

The footsoldier then coughed awkwardly, and she remembered that they’d been there, too. Looking down to her feet again, Rose felt she couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes- or rather, mask, from embarrassment. 

Letting go of Rose, Sooga looked down at the soldier. “It may be in your interest to take an energy elixir, soldier. Now… we will be going.”

The footsoldier bowed again, giving a weak salute to Sooga. “Yeah… I think I’ll do that,” they yawned, again.

As Sooga began to lead Rose away, she followed without hesitation. Although… where were they going, if Master Kohga wasn’t awake and therefore they couldn’t meet? 

“Sooga? Where are we headed now?”

“Since we’re both awake, I’ve decided I’ll go ahead and give you a tour of the hideout,” he replied. 

“Oh,” she hummed, a slight smile breaking out on her lips. “Where will we be starting?”

“At the main entrance. It isn’t too far from here, actually.”

—

Stepping out from behind a heavy cloth of some sort and into a round room, Rose gazed around, spotting what, she assumed, was the entrance. It had giant statues around the sides, resembling people holding swords. 

“The hideout was built by the Gerudo many ages ago,” Sooga began explaining. “It was modified to be our home. And this room specifically is the entrance, where anybody who breaks in will be stalled.”

Rose looked up and down the large banners that covered parts of the walls between the statues. “How does that work?” She wondered, not quite understanding.

“There are only three doorways within this room. One of which we just came from,” he then gestured over to two specific banners, “one is a more direct route to the living quarters, and the last one,” he continued, “leads to supply rooms.”

Rose followed along where his hand guided her eyes, taking note of every word he said. One could get so easily lost in this place, and she didn’t want to embarrass herself by doing so.

“They are behind the banners, as you saw when we came here.”

Nodding, the brunette looked over to the second banner Sooga had pointed at. “So that’s the living quarters one?”

“It is,” he confirmed, beginning to walk over to it. “We’ll continue through it.”

“Wait,” Rose’s brows furrowed in confusion, “where’s the entrance, like, the main one?”

“Ah,” Sooga turned around, pointing to a suspiciously blank wall. “It is through there. The only way to open it is by using the ancient arts.”

Rose hummed, figuring she’d learn to do that sooner or later. 

They continued over to the doorway behind the banner, and walked through a short hallway, then up some stairs.

As Sooga walked ahead of her, he slowed his walking pace, and began carefully stepping, almost like he was aiming to set his feet in very specific spots. Looking down at the ground beneath them, Rose’s eyes went wide as she noticed they were walking over holes, which, upon further inspection, had spikes inside of them. The realization tripped her up, and she began rushing to get over them, afraid they may spring up at her at any second.

Closing her eyes as she frantically stepped over the spikes, Rose’s footing tripped up, and to her horror, she began stumbling forward. Luckily for her, Sooga took quick notice and caught her. 

Face burning in embarrassment, Rose took in a deep breath as Sooga’s hands held onto her sides firmly. “The traps are disabled, Rose. There’s no need to rush,” he then said, his tone… different. It was like he was scolding her, but in a friendly way? How odd.

“Of course they are,” she grumbled, regaining her balance. 

“Forgive me,” Sooga then bowed his head, “I should have informed you.”

“No, it’s…” she awkwardly paused, “it makes sense that they’re deactivated. I think I’m just… nervous.”

Sooga stared down at her, inquisitively. 

“You know, from being in a new place…”

“I understand,” he then said. “Though given that this is your new home, you’ll get used to things quickly.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “Let’s… keep moving.”

After showing Rose around the entire hideout, Sooga brought them back to the hallway where their quarters were. He wondered how close to dawn it was now, given that they’d been walking around for what felt like a couple of hours. 

Standing in front of her door, Rose looked up to him and smiled. “Thank you for showing me around,” she gave a slight bow. “I really appreciate it, Sooga.”

Feeling a shudder go through his spine at the sound of his name, Sooga smiled beneath his mask. “Of course. If you ever need anything, please let me know.”

“Oh,” she hummed. “Um, when could we get my things? I… have no other clothes or…”

Wanting to run his palm over his face, Sooga cursed inwardly. He’d completely forgotten. “We could go now, if you aren’t too tired.”

Rose shrugged, “I mean, I slept like what, twelve hours?”

“I assume that means you have enough energy to go,” he asked.

Rose seemed to find his response funny, as she let out a giggle. “Yeah. Can you… um, transport us?”

Sooga nodded, approaching her to have her hold onto him. “Again, may I?”

Rose looked up to his mask, making eye contact unbeknownst to her. Her eyes seemed to flicker with hesitation, her lips parting slightly. “Y-yeah.” 

Wrapping one arm around her smaller frame, Sooga ensured she was held tightly against him. Contrary to last time, Rose slowly brought her hand up to hold onto one of the belts that ran across his chest. She’d mentioned being nervous due to being in a new environment, but was that really it? Her actions seemed to show that there was more to it. 

Dismissing the thought, Sooga formed the correct sign with his hand and in an instant, they were outside of her cottage once again, with the moon still high in the sky. There were probably at least two more hours until sunrise, then.

Letting go of Rose, he watched as she still stumbled away. 

“Do not faint this time,” he warned, his tone indicating that he was joking. Or so he hoped.

Rose laughed, to his relief. “Can’t make any promises!” She then unlocked the door to her cottage and stepped inside.

Walking up to the door but not following her in, Sooga chose to wait. Again, he didn’t want to intrude.

“You can come in, you know,” she called from inside.

Giving a nod, he dipped beneath the door’s frame, stepping into Rose’s cottage. It could only be described as… humble. It wasn’t very big at all. There was a small kitchen with many fruits and vegetables in woven baskets, a tiny circular table with one chair, and beside that, was a door. Presumably a bathroom. Around the corner from there was her bed and dresser, where she stood, gathering items into a bag. 

“Is there anything you’d like me to do?” Sooga then asked.

“Oh, umm,” Rose looked around. “Could you take everything off of my bed and fold it all together?” 

“Of course,” he stepped around her, though a bit awkwardly, as his tall frame barely fit within the cottage. The ceiling was probably only a foot taller than he was. 

Overlooking the bedding, he found that all of it had been dyed pink. Removing his gloves so as to not dirty any of it, Sooga began to pull everything off and fold it all. “You favor the color pink, then?” He asked, voice quiet.

Rose smiled, turning to look at him. “Yeah. I mean, I thought it was obvious by my outfit and weapons, but…”

Sooga chuckled. “I had assumed you were simply keeping things matching.”

He finished up his task, before stacking all of the folded bedding together and lifting it up. Meanwhile Rose finished putting her belongings into her regular leather bag as well as some packs, and then let Sooga know they were done. 

“This will be slightly more difficult,” he said, holding onto her while balancing all of the items in his left hand. “But I’ll manage.”

Without using the hand sign, he’d have to really focus his energy in order to transport both of them. Though with his trained mind, it wasn’t very hard at all. 

Reappearing at the hideout, they now found themselves in the hallway that contained their quarters. A much better result than when he’d brought them to the occupied area earlier.

After putting everything in her room and getting Rose herself settled in, Sooga finally bid her farewell, returning to his own room for the remainder of the night.

Awakening in her new bedroom, Rose hoped that her little nap had only been exactly that- a nap. Sleeping all day again would ruin her sleep schedule for sure, and she couldn’t allow that to happen when she was now an “elite soldier”, as Sooga had implied. 

Rising from the bed that was a bit larger than the one in her cottage, Rose decided that a bath was needed. She lit the lanterns within her room and removed her nightgown and undergarments, leaving them folded on her bed. 

Stepping into the bathroom that she had yet to use, Rose found that it was pretty nice. Along with the bath was what seemed to be like the showers they had in the nicer Hylian towns. Based on how it looked, Rose was able to determine that it was a natural waterfall that had been incorporated into a shower. Deciding to bathe that way instead, she ran her hand underneath the water, glad to find that it was warm. With that, she stepped in. Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, she couldn’t help the small smile that formed on her lips. The warm, fresh water running over her body was relaxing, yet incredibly refreshing. It was much better compared to the simple baths she took back at her cottage. 

After cleaning her hair and scrubbing herself with a floral-scented soap, Rose closed her eyes, allowing herself to peacefully exist. She could hear nothing but the sound of the water flowing, and felt nothing but it. Finally, she’d gotten into a meditative state for the first time in days.

Though it didn’t last long. With the chaos that had been the last three days now over, she finally had time to really just think. 

So her original plan wasn’t needed after all. Which, honestly, she was glad for. It could’ve taken much longer, especially considering she would have had to find a Yiga soldier scared of her enough to take her to the hideout without fighting back. And breaking in…? Even if she’d been able to come out victorious in past battles against the clan members, who’s to say she would’ve had the same success when invading their home, where all of them lived? It was very unlikely. 

And Sooga… he was so trusting of her, despite the fact that she’d resisted against him before. She didn’t know him well enough yet, but it seemed as though he had good judgment in people. Perhaps he was simply good at seeing through others’ energies. 

And after all… she trusted him. Rose always wanted to see the good in others, but the Hylian soldiers had given her an incredibly jaded view on other Hyruleans. So if she felt safe with Sooga, she was absolutely certain that he was a good man. 

Then, another thought came to mind. Today was the day she’d be formally meeting Master Kohga. Eyes widening, Rose realized that this was a serious ordeal. She’d probably need to wear her complete armor set, in order to look as nice as possible. And what would he be like? The fearsome leader of a clan of assassins was sure to be somebody intimidating. Sighing, she hoped that Sooga could give some guidance on how to act around their leader.

Finishing up morning training with a group of blademasters, Sooga watched as the five men left the training room they’d been in, having been working on ancient arts techniques. They were new blademasters, having just completed the schooling on it, much like he had years ago. So naturally, they still needed plenty of training. 

With that out of the way, though, he figured now was as good of a time as ever to finally take Rose to meet Master Kohga. 

Sooga left the training room and began his walk over to the section of the hideout where his and Rose’s rooms were. As he passed Master Kohga’s quarters, though, he figured it would be a good idea to let his leader know what was going on. 

The footsoldier stationed outside, but not the one from the previous night, let him inside without question. And with a glance through the door, Sooga was relieved to find his master awake, though unsurprised to see him snacking on bananas.

“Sooga!” The older man called, tossing away a banana peel. “Come for a snack?”

“I have not,” he replied. “I’ve come to inform you that Rose will be meeting with you. I’m on my way to bring her here now.”

“Finally!” Kohga shouted, fists shaking in the air. “I can’t tell you how eager I am to see her; see what those magical fairy powers are really like close up!”

“…yes,” Sooga then cleared his throat. “Master Kohga, I must ask that you… stay calm.”

“Huh? Why would I do that when I’m meant to be greeting my newest-best-lackey?”

Sooga sighed. “I don’t want her to be frightened. She admitted to being nervous last night, and I-“

“Last night?” Kohga echoed, scratching his chin with a smirk. “I thought you put her up in that room and left her alone. Wanna share what you were really doing afterwards, eh?”

The comment should’ve had Sooga rolling his eyes, but instead, he found his face heating up. “I gave her a tour of the hideout and then helped her retrieve her items. Nothing more.”

“Ah, I see,” Kohga shrugged, “not like I’d expect anything like that coming from you anyway.”

“What is that meant to imply?” Sooga questioned. 

“Well I just think you’re more of the courting type.”

“C-courting?” Sooga said under his breath, confused for a second. But then it clicked. “-Never mind. I’m leaving to escort Rose.”

“Escort her, eh?!” Kohga hollered. “Come on, you walked right into that one!”

But Sooga didn’t want to hear another word of it. Turning on his heel, he left the room with haste. 

After walking down a few hallways, Sooga was finally at his destination. Facing the door opposite his own, he calmly knocked his fist against it. “Rose,” he called, waiting for her to answer.

But there wasn’t a reply. Odd.

Knocking again, Sooga repeated her name, slightly louder this time, and waited again. Still, there was silence on Rose’s end. 

She hadn’t left, had she? That or, perhaps she was sleeping again? Feeling rather shameful, Sooga slowly slid the door open, dipping only his head into the room. 

All of the lanterns had been lit, indicating that she was indeed awake. She’d also completely redecorated. Stepping into the room, looking around at all the new decorations, Sooga called out to her again. “Rose? We must meet with-“ 

His eyes then landed on her bed, which was now very cozy-looking and covered with shades of blush. And at the foot of her bed was a pink nightgown and a pair of…

Sooga felt his whole body burn with more shame. Stepping into her room uninvited was one thing, but looking at her under clothes? Disgraceful.

And to his complete horror, just as he was about to turn and flee, the door to the bathroom slid open. Peeking her upper half out, Rose’s blue eyes widened. “O-oh. I… thought I heard my name,” she stuttered, her grip on the towel wrapped around her visibly tightening as she retreated, so that only her head showed now. “U-um,” she awkwardly paused, averting her eyes. “What did you need, Sooga?”

“Forgive me,” he gave a slight bow, completely moving to face away from her. “I wanted to inform you that Master Kohga was awaiting your presence, but did not realize you were bathing.”

“He’s waiting?!” She then shouted, fully pushing the bathroom door open, making Sooga wish he could just disappear. And to think he had to fight the urge to look her way. Unforgivable.

“What do I wear!? Like, something nice, or…?”

“Just… wear the kimono you wear in combat. I’ll… I will be waiting outside.” He muttered, quickly leaving the room and sliding the door closed behind himself. 

Letting out a shaky sigh, Sooga’s head hung low as he felt terrible about the whole encounter. Rose, aside from her panic over what to wear, had seemed completely unfazed after he’d mentioned the plan to meet with Kohga. At the very least, she hadn’t thrown her towel off as she rushed. But even if nothing that bad had occurred, he didn’t think he’d be able to look her in the eye for a bit. But what he did know for certain was that if Master Kohga found out about the incident, he’d never hear the end of it. 

And while he tried to forget the more… intimate features that had nearly been on display, something stuck out in his mind. Those tattoos she had… they’d wrapped all the way around her right arm and left leg. Pondering over it, he then realized… They weren’t tattoos, but markings.

Interesting.

Tying the dark pink ribbon around her obi, securing it in place, Rose let out a huff. Not only was she embarrassed, but Sooga seemed completely mortified over the situation. He clearly was trying to be respectful, but she’d stupidly gotten so lost in her own mind that she somehow didn’t hear him calling for her. Sliding the armor pieces in place over her forearms, Rose then sat on the foot of her bed to pull her boots on. Resting one hand beside her as she reached down for her shoes, she then realized what she’d left sitting out for Sooga to see. Cursing audibly, Rose yanked her boots on with the armor that went over them, and stood up.

Finally, she was ready. Sliding the wooden door open, Rose found Sooga facing away from her, one arm folded across his chest while the other rested on it, his hand on his upper mask. He must feel really bad. Damnit.

“I’m, uh… I’m ready,” she timidly said, folding her hands in front of herself. 

Sooga’s arms relaxed, resting by his sides. “Very well.”

He led the way, out of their hallway and down the same path they had taken the previous evening. Glancing around, Rose ensured nobody was nearby to overhear anything.

“Sooga?”

He made a low hum noise to acknowledge that he’d heard her.

“I… I’m really sorry, um… I didn’t mean to… embarrass or, uh, shock you,” she apologized, feeling a shameful burn creep up her neck and face.

Sooga took a second to reply, but to her relief, he finally did. “Do not worry yourself over it, Rose. I shouldn’t have intruded.”

“No, uh, it’s a good thing you did, actually,” she replied, “I was really lost in thought and probably would’ve lost track of time.”

“I see,” he nodded. “Just… don’t mention it around Master Kohga.”

“Oh? Why?” Rose was curious now. After all, she really knew nothing about her new leader.

“Master Kohga, despite his greatness,” Sooga began to say, before pausing. “He… will take any chance to joke about anything.”

“Oh,” Rose hummed. “Does he tease you a lot?”

“Tease me?” the blademaster choked.

Rose giggled. “Sorry. But I mean, does he? I wanna know what he’s like.”

“You will simply have to find out for yourself, I’m afraid,” Sooga sighed.

—

Finally at the door to Master Kohga’s quarters, Rose and Sooga were allowed in this time. She should’ve been honored, really, as Sooga had mentioned that most new recruits didn’t even meet Master Kohga “officially”. And yet she felt so afraid.

Although, perhaps her nervousness wasn’t over meeting the leader of the clan. Instead, she knew her apprehension was due to the fact that it was here she’d be revealing her secret. 

She just hoped neither of the men would judge her.

“You’re finally back! I’ve been waiting forever, Sooga- well well well,” a rather obnoxious voice said, and as they fully stepped into the room, Rose was greeted by someone who could be none other than Master Kohga.

“So we finally meet, Rose,” he said, and by his tone, she somehow knew that he was smirking underneath his mask. Not only that, but she found it odd that he’d nearly switched up his whole voice upon seeing her.

She didn’t know what to do or say. Her lips parted to speak, but nothing came out. So, Rose just opted to bow. 

“Look! She’s even got great manners,” the man chuckled, looking over to Sooga. “You two will be a perfect pair. So alike and whatnot,” he then crossed his arms.

“Well. In case it wasn’t obvious enough, I am the one and only; Master Kohga!” He struck a pose for a split second, before returning to the previous one. 

Rose glanced at Sooga, looking for some sort of guidance. But he did nothing. “Um… hello, Master Kohga, I’m Rose, but I suppose you already knew that,” she introduced herself, bowing again.

“Yep! The mysterious Rose, blessed with the magic of the Great Fairies. Speaking of which, how does that even work?”

Taken slightly aback, Rose’s eyes widened. “Oh, um… they just… gave it to me?”

“Well duh. So what’d they do? Make you pay a million rupees and then you woke up with weird powers?”

“N-no, nothing like that,” she shook her head, laughing a little. “The four sisters combined their powers and a ball of light was just… sent into me? I know it sounds… strange, but that’s what happened,” she clarified.

“Huh. And you didn’t have to pay?” Kohga questioned.

“Not necessarily,” Rose answered. “I bring them rupees as gifts occasionally, but it’s never anything close to a million. And it’s- it’s actually a way to repay them for raising and sheltering me.”

The older man then shrugged. “I just heard they loved money or whatever. Welp! Moving on. What made you want to join the clan?”

The question made Rose feel as if time around her had stopped, and all she could hear was the sound of her own, uneven breaths and pounding heartbeat. 

“Well… um,” she struggled to put together a sentence. “My… my parents were killed by Hylian soldiers when I was a child,” she managed to say, voice much more mellow. 

Sooga seemed to be interested in what she was saying, as he tensed up and looked her way, intently. Right. I never told him. Kohga, on the other hand, leaned forward, awaiting the rest of her story.

“They were going to kill me, too,” she bit her lip, afraid of crying. “But I escaped. Then I… found out they killed my aunt, too, and I…” 

“You do not need to continue if it’s too difficult, Rose,” Sooga then interjected. “I understand.”

“No,” she shook her head, blinking away the tears, feeling that hatred she’d felt many times before bubbling back up. Not necessarily towards Sooga, but toward her enemies: the royals and their pathetic army. “It’s fine, I can… I can finish.

“They slaughtered my family just for existing. And I will do anything in my power to take down those damned soldiers and the royal family. I have to avenge them.”

“So… mutual enemy, then?” Kohga crossed his arms again. “Well, it doesn't matter to me, as long as you’re on our side.”

“I am,” She then replied. “I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it, too.”

Kohga didn’t move, but Rose got the feeling he was looking her up and down, making humming noises as he was thinking. “Say… you got tattoos,” he observed. “Whaddya say to getting the inverted eye tattooed as a sign of your allegiance, huh?”

Glancing over her right arm, Rose stammered, “those aren’t- fine. I… I can do that.” 

Master Kohga nodded, giving her a look of approval through the mask. “Excellent! I’ll set you up with, well, the only person who does tattoos around here…”

Sooga then took a step forward, his arms crossed. “I have a request as well, Rose. If you want to prove your loyalty, I must ask that you finally reveal this secret of yours.”

Shakily sighing, Rose nodded. It was only fair, after all. Taking in a deep breath, she forced up the courage to finally say:

“I… I’m Sheikah.”

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

The swingset

A-Yuan had been particularly energic that day, running around the large park and playground, taking turns to enjoy all the toys and games available. One moment he was climbing up the monkey bars, another he found a friend to play on the seesaw with, then he decided he wanted to go down the slide or have some sort of castle building competition with the kids messing about in the sand pit.

His two dads found him extremely adorable and followed along his adventures, taking sneaky pictures as they relaxed on the park benches, talking about whatever came to mind and snacking on ice cream and other sugary treats. No wonder A-Yuan had been bursting with excitement that day, he had eaten quite a bit of their stash of candy - but he was a kid after all, and childhood means nearly unlimited access to sweets every now and then.

They spent something like four or five hours in the park that day, trailing behind A-Yuan, sometimes joining him in his fun when his friends became tired and returned to their homes.

It was equal parts endearing as it was funny to see Wei Ying pretend he couldn't outrun A-Yuan at his whole 30 years of age and atheltic abilities, letting him win by a ridiculous landslide, sore loser theatrics soothed by hugs and cheek kisses. He even wanted to get on the slide at some point but Lan Zhan talked him out of it (hardly, by the way), otherwise he would have become stuck about halfway through, complaining about how fun should have no age limit.

He did climb inside one of those little, tall play houses, and, giggling, leaned against the colorful railing with A-Yuan by his side, playfully winking at his husband who waited for them nearby, carrying all their many items effortlessly despite number and volume.

"Lan Zhaaan!" He whined, dramatically sighing as he let his hair fall over the railing, almost like Rapunzel. "We're stuck up here and cannot get out, won't you save us?"

Lan Zhan sighed fondly, placing everything he held on a bench to free his arms. Wei Ying and A-Yuan giggled so loudly and happily that Lan Zhan was sure his heart would burst from how beautiful it sounded.

The two stood at the edge of the playhouse ensemble, pretending not to see the very obvious stairwell leading down, as Lan Zhan extended his arms.

"Jump."

"What if you don't catch us?" Wei Ying playfully cried out, holding onto little A-Yuan. "I don't wanna get hurt!"

"A-Die will catch us for sure!" A-Yuan quipped, reassuringly. "He is always there for us!"

Wei Ying ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "That he is." He returned to his theatrics, though. "I'm still scared though!"

"Here, I'll go first! You'll see it's all safe and come after me, okay?"

Wei Ying nodded once, solemnly, before breaking into a grin as he watched A-Yuan jump and land right in Lan Zhan's arms, laughing with delight when he received a little spin before being put on the ground.

It felt a bit nostalgic when Wei Ying let go and fell in his husband's embrace as well.

"See? I told you it will be fine!" A-Yuan intervened, breaking the moment before running off. "The swing is free! Let's go!"

Wei Ying and Lan Zhan shared a loving look and followed suit.

--

Wei Ying pushed A-Yuan's swing as Lan Zhan struggled to find their phones in their bags to make an order at their favorite restaurant for takeout. They would pass by it on the way home and it was the perfect way to avoid the delivery fee and waiting time while also getting to spend a bit more time together and not cooking.

"Higher up, baba!" A-Yuan all but ordered, receiving a disapproving look from Lan Zhan.

"It is not safe to swing too high at your age."

A-Yuan rolled his eyes and turned to briefly look towards Wei Ying, who shrugged apologetically.

"We have to listen, we don't want to make A-Die worry, right?"

"I guess..." the pout was so adorable that Wei Ying couldn't resist pushing the swing a bit harder, A-Yuan laughing happily at the increase.

"Wei Ying."

"It's fine, I'm right here."

Lan Zhan supposed that was true, but he couldn't help worrying a little. Accidents could happen at any moment and last thing he wanted was their perfect day to end in a trip to the hospital.

When he finally retrieved his phone and put in the order for their food, he was stunned to see A-Yuan had jumped off the swing, rushing to greet his best friend Jingyi, who had just swung by with his mom for a quick trip before dinner.

"The food should be done in about 30 minutes."

"Great! I'm starving, A-Yuan's really worn me out, sugar rush and all."

And he sat on the swing, lightly moving it as he looked around, at everything and nothing in particular at once.

"There was a park near where I... lived before Uncle Jiang took me in. I spent most of the day there before I started looking for shelter in the evening."

Lan Zhan locked his phone, listening attentively, his eyes soft with both love and sadness.

"I loved the swingset there. There was only one, because the playground was really small, so there were always kids queueing up for a turn. I wanted to go too, but I guess... I don't know, they never let me."

Wei Ying looked towards where Sizhui and Jingyi chased one another, laughing boisterously.

"So I'd wait until the park was empty and go to the swingset by myself. Of course, it wasn't as fun as it looked, since I didn't have anyone push me, and it was dark and cold. But I was still glad I could do it."

Wei Ying hadn't realized Lan Zhan was behind him until he felt a light push to his swing. His eyes filled with tears, but he couldn't help but smile through them.

"Hold on tight." was the only thing Lan Zhan said before Wei Ying was hoisted into the air, laughter bubbling out of him unexpectedly. His hair flew chaotically with the movement as his ribbon had fallen off, and he was swinging so high up that for a moment he felt like he was flying.

His tears dispersed in the wind, the familiar feeling of love and belonging filling his chest as he laughed and laughed, happiness spilling out of every pore of his being.

And in that outpouring of joy, Lan Wangji was glad Wei Ying couldn't see him discreetly dry his eyes as he watched the love of his life get to be a happy kid, at least for a moment or two more.

[ehalslrk]

#1 flight tickets and visa

As I mentioned in my last post, the application process for gks is quite long and stressful. As you wait for the results of the first, second and third round, all you wish is to know the final results: Whether you're going or not. And you kind of expect everything will be fine once you know that all the effort and money was not in vain. In reality you only have a few days to celebrate the achievement before another stress period starts. It can be very individual depending on the country you're from and university you will attend but there are probably very few awardees who would consider the following process easy or unproblematic. (I decided to write down the whole process including dates in case it can help anyone in the future.)

After the final results were out on 30.06. it took about a week for NIIED to send us the Invitation letter (NIIED was sending out the emails in an alphabetical order so some people received it in 7 days and some later. Mine came on 10.07.). Following that the procedure depends on your uni. I know that many universities sent out CoAs (Certificate of Acceptance) very promptly and students could start their visa application process almost right away. For me, it took almost a month. But we will get to it later.

First, I received a survey asking me for details regarding my flight ticket. The school you're going to attend first is responsible for buying your ticket, so if you're attending language institute first and it's different from your uni (I think that after 2023 it's the case for only 5 universities), they will be the one to contact you. The survey came on 04.07. and there we questions such as prefered date of departure, prefered airport of departure, etc.

Important thing to note is that you have to depart from your home country, otherwise, the ticket won't be covered. There are also some other rules determined by NIIED such as that the "itinerary must be a direct flight or a flight with the shortest route to Korea (and if there is no direct flight available, the layover should be limited to 30 hours)." Except this, there is a price limit. The costs cannot exceed 1,2 million KRW. These rules can get very illogical in some cases. For example, I come from a very small country that offers no direct flights, but there are two big foreign international airports near our borders (1-2,5 hours by car from my house). No exceptions were allowed in my case, so the ticket I got is from a city that is 4,5 hours away from my home by car (but in my country) and I have to transfer 2 times to board a plane in an international airport that is just 2 hours from my home. The flight will take about 26 hours in total. That means that it will take almost 2 days for me to get to my dormitory. This is not all. I could get a flight from my country with 1 transfer but it was about 500 thousand KRW above the limit. As they refused to make any exceptions, 26 hours with 2 transfers flight was chosen over 14 hours flight with 1 transfer. Funny, right? I find it quite unfair because I know that there were people from countries from which the cheapest flight is way above 1,2 mil KRW and school got them very good tickets (great airline and good transit) ignoring the limit while I got a lowcost airline with 2 transfers. But since I decided to accept the situation rather than make a big deal about it, let's end my rant.

To tell you the truth, I'm okay with taking longer to get there but I'm worried about the transfers and since I'm also taking checked baggage it highers the chances of my baggage getting lost. Please wish me luck. ^^

I know I'm not the only one in bad situation regarding the rules. Some people have troubles with the transit visa and even take much longer than me.

To make it clear, before the university staff purchased the ticket, I got an email for confirmation and only after my failed attempt to compromise did they pay for it and sent it to me. I heard people from a few universities didn't even have a choice. Or there were cases when they asked them to purchase the ticket themselves with a promise to reimburse when they open their account in Korea.

Okay. Enough about tickets. Let's talk about visa.

Because we are a scholarship awardees, NIIED does their best to make the process simpler. We don't have to pay the usual visa application fee nor prove our financial ability to support ourselves. People doing the language programme apply for D-4 visa, exempted apply for either D-2-3 or D-2-7. Documents you need will therefore differ (and can be different also depending on the country you are applying from so check with your embassy), but you generally need the following:

Passport and passport photo (3,5x4,5cm)

NIIED invitation letter

CoA

Document indicating the final level of education (Diploma)

Visa application form

One thing to note, if you come from smaller country, chances are that the visa staff won't know about this scholarship at all. In case they ask you to pay the fee or don't cooperate, print out the Important Notice/Guidelines and show them. Fight for that fee exemption! XD Just make sure you are polite please.

The reason I couldn't apply for visa right away in July was that I didn't yet have CoA. Korea University informed us that we can only get this document after the tuition payment period (although as scholarship students, we technically don't pay, just do so called 0 won registration). After the registration, I got my CoA on 27.7. You need to keep in mind that you have to schedule your appointment for visa application at the embassy in advance. There is a website where you can register online but it wasn't open for my country and I could only schedule the appointment by calling them. I was informed by our embassy that it's okay to call them only 2-4 days in advance so I waited and called them when I received the CoA.

Fast forward, I was left speechless when they told that I should come in 2 weeks with less than 14 calendar days to my departure. That stressed me out so much. The usual period for visa issuance is 14 working days. I contacted the embassy several times to ask for explanation but they repeated that I will get my visa on time and don't have to worry. To give you some background info to understand what was going through my head, I have experience of not receiving my Korean visa on time and having to deal with consequences so this didn't quite help. My ticket was non-refundable and my arrival very tight with the beginning of semester on September 1st.

But whether it was my stubborness that made me contact them several time or they were really that sure that I can get it on time, I got my visa issued in only 3 working days. Yayy!

To not make this article very long I will continue tallking about the Course registration and Orientation in the next article.

[sigridstumb]

ETA: Everything is just in the most random order, I'm sorry, read all the way through??? This is funny, and I already reblogged it, but I am going to post it AGAIN, with some things I've learned from coming up on two years and eleven surgeries. I am NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. I have been through a LOT of surgeries in one city, at one hospital. Your experience will not be the same as mine.

People having a new experience do not know what to ask. It's all unknown unknowns, the things they don't know to be worried about.

If you or someone you know if having a surgery and y'all are new at this? First, bless you, I am so very pleased that you are fortunate enough to be NEW at this! Savor your circumstance, because you only get to be new at surgery once!

Onwards:

If you are having surgery, they will need to put in an i.v.. Of course, you will have been forbidden to eat or drink for 12 hours prior to your surgery, probably. Procedures vary. If you take any diuretic, like furosemide, do not take the dose before surgery. It will help enormously with getting your i.v. in. Some people react oddly to anesthesia. People with red hair, EDS, and/or habitual users of THC all need MORE anesthesia than others. Please TELL your anesthesiologist if you meet any of these criteria, and make sure they are aware that you may need more! If you or people related to you by genetics get carsick or get motion-sick playing video games -- headache, slight nausea, etc. -- then you have a much higher chance of puking your fucking guts out when you wake from anesthesia. Tell them this and ask for anti-nausea medication. A scopalamine patch behind your ear is standard. It stays on for three days. When you take it off wash your hands immediately after throwing it out. Scopalamine is the stuff they put in your eyes to DILATE them.

If you wake from surgery in pain or nauseated, tell them and REQUEST MEDICATION. Many U.S. hospitals have a policy that no-one will mention to you, which is that they do not proactively medicate people, they wait for distress. So the hot second you feel sick to your stomach, tell them you need a puke bowl and odansatron. Odansatron is a fast-acting anti-nausea med, delivered intravenously or in a pill that melts under your tongue. If you are in pain, do NOT be some sort of fucking champ about it (unless you have personal reasons, like allergies or rehab,) and just ask for diladid.

If you have never had narcotics, they will feel very weird and they might make you puke. There is a "flush" or "rush" feeling, often but not always starting in the scalp, kinda like the old "pretend to crack an egg on your friend's head and trickle your fingers down their scalp" game. The rush feeling floods through your body. Many people like it, many people hate it. It SHOULD make your pain better.

If you have had full anesthesia, they do not want to release you until you poop or emit gas. Anesthesia brings everything to a halt. You will be constipated afterwards, maybe for days. Doculax or Senna are two laxatives commonly available in the U.S. Use them, but ONLY as directed. give them time. Don't take six in a day because "it's not working yet."

It is fairly important to have someone with you in the hospital before and after surgery because hospital staffing is under incredible duress in the U.S. right now (2022-2024). You want someone who can get you a glass of water, fix your pillows. drag your phone charger cord closer, throw something away, etc. That other person is also able to pay attention to the questions before surgery and help you remember the answers, and they are a huge help post surgery in the recovery stage.

What to bring to surgery? This depends on whether it is Outpatient, Same-Day, or Admitted. Here are typical load-outs I bring to each kind of surgery: Outpatient: Phone, i.d. and insurance card, case for my glasses, case for my hearing aids. I don't bring car keys, the person driving me home has those. I wear normal clothes.

Same-Day: Same as Outpatient but also a charging station and charged battery, USB cables for same, and my tablet/iPad. I wear yoga pants, a jog bra, and a t-shirt.

Admitted: Same as Same-Day but also a change of soft, comfortable clothes that are very easy to on and off a person sitting down, extra underwear, toothbrush and toothpaste, notebook and pen in case I can't talk. I pre-load books, movies, and games onto my tablet in case the wifi is slow.

When you get to the hospital for a Same-Day or Admitted surgery, various people will come into the pre-op room and ask you things and do stuff to you. You will lose your clothes immediately. If the scrubs or gowns they give you do not fit, SAY SOMETHING. Hospitals have gowns that fit. Get one. The people who will come in and do stuff are: The orderly or PCA or assistant will ask you your name and birthdate. EVERYONE asks you this. They will look at your wristband. This person gives you the gown or scrubs, takes your temp and blood pressure. If you want it done manually, and not by the machine, ASK FOR IT.

The nurse will go over your records. This person will go over your medications and ask the last time you took all of them. Have this written down if you are worried you will mess it up. Have your person carry it if you are worried you will forget the list. They will ask you what procedure you are here for. They will put your i.v. in. If you are a "hard stick," they will call in someone else to do it. If you know whether or not you are a hard stick, tell them.

The nurse-anesthetist will ask you what you are here for, whether you have had anesthesia before and how did you react. They will look inside your mouth. They will ask you whether you have any implants, and whether you have sleep apnea. They will ask if you have dentures. Tell this person if you have red hair, EDS, or use weed regularly! Also tell this person about your nausea concerns! Ask them for scopalamine if you need it.

The anathesiologist will ask everything the nurse-anesthetist did and will also look in your mouth. Tell this person your anesthesia worries!

The surgeon will ask you what procedure you are here for. They will tell you and your person exactly what they intend to do. If you have ANY questions about what you hear, about the scope of the surgery, ask this person. Some possibilities include: what is the risk I will need to be in the ICU, and what might cause that? What might happen that would cause me to need a blood transfusion? Can you explain the risks again? Sometimes a surgery has options, like a gallstone surgery may result in more tissue needing removal, for example. Ask what the potential scope creep is. What will you do if you find endomitriosis? What if the herniated bowel has necrotized, what do you do then? Before you are at the hospital, google your surgery and see what the potential complicating factors are and decide whether you want to ask about them. The surgeon will ask you to sign a consent form.

God this is long. Again, hi, I am NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, I have just had about 9-11 surgeries in the last 20 months, and my next is in two weeks, so, like, I've been through the process a lot.

Pleas bear in mind that this in ONE person's experience at ONE hospital in one city in the U.S. Your experience will not be the same as mine.

But, I hope it's a good one. I hope you have a good team taking care of you. I hope you never have to do it again. Take care. You are loved and you are worthy of good treatment. Advocate for yourself. Get what you need.

See you on the flipside, comrade.

When we admit people to the hospital, we ask if they have any particular anxieties, concerns, or fears they want us to know, and most people say no or they’ll say something related to their disease process or some logistics about being admitted. But one guy said he was worried about the ghosts of people who died in the hospital. I don’t know how actionable that is, but by god do I respect it as an answer