#the roads outside my house look AWESOME

[kliphord]

currently hyperfixtating on roads

[deliciousangelfestival]

The Heart Still Beating - 1

Character: Lloyd Hansen x Female!Reader

Summary: After the heart transplant, Lloyd, the heartless killer, started to feel something—something unexpected and powerful that was tied to the fiancé of the heart’s donor.

Words Count : 2289

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , End

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more. 

"Ring!"

As the school bell rang, the fifth-graders hurriedly stuffed books and notebooks into their bags, eager to escape the classroom. The teacher’s voice cut through the bustle, “Luna, your father is here.”

Luna glanced up and gently corrected her, “Teacher, he’s my stepfather.”

“Oh… Hoho! My apologies,” the teacher chuckled, pointing toward the window. “Look, your stepfather’s waiting for you.”

Luna turned to see Lloyd standing under a tree, shielding himself from the sun. He stood out among the clusters of mothers and nannies; his presence was familiar yet rare, as he was one of the only male who came to pick up their child every single day.

When Luna approached, he immediately walked toward her, taking her heavy bag with ease. The teacher watched them and couldn’t help but smile, observing how Lloyd's care for Luna seemed every bit as strong as that of any father. Luna corrected everyone who assumed he was her “real” dad, yet she still called him "Dad" with affection and trust.

As they walked toward the parking lot, Luna suddenly pointed ahead. “Dad, look! That boy just threw trash on the road.”

Lloyd’s gaze sharpened, his voice calm yet firm. “Hey,” he called out, stopping the teenage boy with a single glance. “Pick it up.”

The boy froze. Usually he would ignore adults’ remarks, but something in Lloyd’s tone made him pause. Without a word, the teenager bent down, grabbed the trash, and tossed it into a nearby bin. Luna beamed up at Lloyd, pride filling her expression, and they continued toward the car.

“I need your help to buy some flowers,” Lloyd mentioned as they buckled up.

“Okay!” Luna chirped.

When they arrived at the flower shop, Lloyd’s face tightened as he noticed a man smoking outside, right under a “No Smoking” sign. His jaw set, and he grabbed a water bottle. “Wait here, sweetheart,” he said to Luna, stepping out of the car with a calm but intimidating stride. He marched over to the smoker and splashed water on the ground beside him, firmly pointing to the sign. “Smoking is prohibited here. You want to set this place on fire?”

The man shot Lloyd an indignant look but, sensing the authority and cold steel in Lloyd’s gaze, muttered something under his breath and walked away. Luna climbed out of the car, giggling as she joined Lloyd.

“You’re awesome, Dad.”

Lloyd softened, giving her a smile and ruffling her hair. “Come on, let’s pick out some flowers.”

Inside the shop, the elderly florist welcomed them warmly. She raised an eyebrow at Lloyd with a teasing smile. “What did you do this time to make your wife angry?”

“Oh, you know…” Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “This and that…”

The florist leaned down, winking at Luna. “Let’s help your dad out of his ‘this and that’ mess, shall we?”

Once they had their flowers, they headed home. But as Lloyd pulled into the driveway, he spotted a car already parked there. He cursed under his breath, “Oh no. Your mom’s home.”

“Uh-oh.” Luna’s eyes widened as she unbuckled her seatbelt, watching her dad’s nervous expression.

Lloyd handed her the bouquet. “Luna, can you give this to your mom first? Maybe… soften her up a bit?”

Luna stifled a laugh. “She’s that mad?”

“Oh, yeah,” he sighed, looking a little guilty.

Luna held the bouquet like a shield and marched into the house. “Mom?”

Her voice was muffled behind the large, vibrant arrangement of flowers as she carefully peeked around it, spotting you by the doorway. Your eyes softened at the sight, the colorful petals too beautiful to resist.

“Where’s is he?” you asked, hiding a smirk.

Luna pointed outside, and you stepped out to find Lloyd still in the car, glancing your way with a sheepish, almost boyish look. It was hard to believe this was the same tough, strong man you’d first met—the man whose stare could make anyone else crumble. But right now, all he could do was sit there, hoping the flowers would speak for him.

He opened the car door slowly, clearing his throat. "So… are we good?” he asked, his voice surprisingly soft, only for you and Luna.

And with one look at his apologetic smile, you couldn’t help but smile back.

10 Years Ago

The man fought with everything he had, but his strength was slipping, his vision blurring. Each swing felt heavier, his defenses weaker. Every breath burned, and the weight of inevitability pressed down on him like an anchor. He staggered, then felt a sharp sting in his chest.

"Shit." He muttered, his hand instinctively clutching the spot. It came back red. Blood. He knew this was it. His time was over. As the sounds around him faded, everything shifted to slow motion. His entire life flashed before him—decisions made, lives he’d taken, things he wished he could take back. Then everything went dark, sinking into a cold, quiet void.

"Beep. Beep."

Then, a distant beeping pulled him back, piercing through the silence. He cracked his eyes open, disoriented, squinting against the sterile white light above. He was in a hospital room. A nurse entered, eyes widening in shock as she saw him awake. "Call the doctor!”

Too weak to speak, he drifted back to sleep, darkness reclaiming him.

The next time he opened his eyes, someone familiar stood at his bedside: Carmichael. A hint of a smirk pulled at his friend’s lips. “Welcome back.”

Lloyd swallowed, the dryness in his throat making his voice rough. “How… am I still alive?” He looked up at the ceiling, half-expecting to be in another life, another world.

Carmichael leaned back, folding his arms. “You got a new heart.”

Lloyd’s eyes narrowed. “What?” He already felt that something was different—something new in his body. But he never thought he would receive a new heart.

His friend tapped his own chest. “You were dead, but the surgery was a success. You should be grateful. Thanks to the donor, you’re here.”

Lloyd’s expression hardened, a mix of confusion and guilt flickering in his eyes. “I don’t deserve this,” he murmured, an ache settling in his chest that felt deeper than physical pain. “Why did you save me?”

Carmichael’s jaw tightened, his eyes unreadable. “Wasn’t my order. Came from the boss.” He stood, hands shoved in his pockets. “Doctor said it was a miracle,” he added before he left, his tone carrying a hint of something Lloyd couldn’t place. Something hidden.

Later, the doctor entered to explain the procedure, detailing Lloyd’s new heart and the adjustments his body would need to make. “It’ll take time for your body to fully accept the heart,” he said calmly. “Some symptoms will occur; maybe some memory disturbances or strange dreams. Patients often feel… connections.”

For a few nights after waking up, he couldn’t fall back asleep. He kept having the same dream. He was on the beach, then the scene shifted to him lying on the grass. Lloyd felt as though he had said, “Luna, that’s her name.” But it wasn’t him who said it. Then someone called, “Justin.” Lloyd turned around and saw a woman hugging him.

This dream left Lloyd wide awake. He hated the feeling of longing for someone—hated it with every fiber of his being.

Lloyd’s brow furrowed, his tone skeptical. “Doctor, I feel like I’m in someone else’s body. And I’ve been dreaming. There’s a woman’s voice… calling someone—Justin.”

"That's the name of the donor." The doctor gave a reassuring nod. “It’s not uncommon. This heart once belonged to someone else, and the mind, the body… they retain memories, even echoes. But don’t worry; medically, you’re fine. The donor had no health issues, no family history of illness.”

But Lloyd’s face remained clouded, his hands instinctively reaching up to touch the long scar running down his chest. He traced it, feeling the rough ridges of the stitches that held his new life together. A heavy sadness settled over him, a strange melancholy he didn’t understand. Was it just the weight of having brushed so close to death? Or was it something else?

As he stared at himself in the mirror, the door behind him creaked open. Carmichael stepped inside, but his friend’s usually casual air felt strangely formal. Carmichael stepped aside, gesturing silently as a woman entered the room.

Lloyd’s gaze shifted to her, and his breath caught. She was visibly pregnant, her hand resting protectively over her round belly. Six months along, maybe more. Her eyes found his, and for a moment, the world seemed to still, charged with something unspoken. Lloyd’s head pounded, memories flashing—walking along a beach, a woman’s soft laughter. He winced, clutching his temples.

Carmichael cleared his throat. “Lloyd… this is the fiancée of the man who donated his heart to you.”

Lloyd’s eyes widened, his breath shallow. You're the woman from his dreams.

You held back your rage, your voice cold and controlled. “I followed my fiancé’s wish to donate his organs. I did it because I thought it was the right thing.” You swallowed, anger flashing in your eyes. “But now, seeing you, I wish I hadn’t.”

Lloyd was silent, his gaze shifting away, the weight of her words sinking in.

"I will never accept that my fiancé’s beating heart is inside trash like you." Your voice shook with anger, disbelief mixing with disgust as you took in the sight of Lloyd. It felt like a betrayal—a mockery of everything your fiancé had been. To know that his heart, once full of love and life, now kept someone like Lloyd alive was unbearable.

A silence fell over the room, thick with tension. Then, unexpectedly, something glistened on Lloyd’s cheek. He froze, his hand instinctively reaching up to touch it. “Eh?” His fingers brushed his cheek, and he realized, almost in disbelief—he was crying. He never cried. This must be because of his heart—Justin’s heart. The memory of its previous owner was longing for you.

The realization left you and Carmichael momentarily stunned, watching as Lloyd blinked, trying to process this foreign feeling.

Clearing his throat, Lloyd quickly wiped his tears, standing taller, his voice firm. “I’m grateful for the heart,” he said, his tone defiant as he met your gaze. “But this is mine now. You can’t do anything about it.”

You scoffed, cold and unyielding. What else could you expect from someone like him? Turning sharply, you stormed out, unwilling to let him see anything but contempt in your eyes.

Lloyd’s hand moved to his chest as he watched you leave, his fingers resting over the steady beat beneath his ribs. It felt… precious. But why? Why him? Why had he been the one to receive this heart, to be pulled back from the edge?

“Just take it, Lloyd,” Carmichael said, breaking the silence. “Get better. We need you back.” And with that, he too left the room, leaving Lloyd alone with questions he didn’t know how to answer.

One week later, Lloyd returned to his old work, to the life he knew. His hands were still skilled, his instincts as sharp as ever. But something was different. Each time he went for the kill, something held him back. There was a hesitation, a slight tremor in his hand, something foreign that froze him at the most critical moments. The latest assignment was no different; he cornered his target, knife in hand, but when he raised the blade, his arm wouldn’t move.

A searing headache struck, and images flooded his mind, like a montage from someone else’s life—a soft laugh, the warm glow of a sunset on the beach, a woman’s hand slipping into his. He gritted his teeth, clutching his head, trying to push the memories away. “Fuck,” he hissed, feeling his grip on his own mind slipping. They weren’t his memories, but they felt as real as his own past.

💘💘💘💘

At home, you carefully packed away your fiancé Justin’s belongings, handling each item like it was glass, fragile and irreplaceable. You paused over a framed photo of him, smiling in a way that made your heart ache. As you placed it gently into the box, a wave of grief and longing washed over you.

Then you felt a kick in your stomach and gently touched it. It must be your daughter; she must have sensed your sadness. You remembered what Justin said when you both gazed at the stars one night: “Let’s call her Luna.” He had named her after you discovered the gender. You wiped away your tears, recalling that moment. Your gentle, sweet fiancé Justin was gone, and now his heart belonged to someone completely the opposite of him.

A knock at the door interrupted your thoughts. You moved to the security monitor, surprise flashing across your face when you saw Lloyd standing there—the man who now carried Justin’s heart.

You pressed the intercom button, your voice cold through the speaker. “Why are you here?”

His voice, rough and unshaken, came through the speaker. “I can’t explain it… but this heart, it won’t let me rest. Not without seeing you.”

For a moment, his eyes softened, a flicker of something deeply unsettled. “It’s like a ghost inside me, and it has your name all over it. And I need it out of my head."

You felt your breath hitch as you stared at the man standing in front of you. He was a stranger, yet he carried your fiancé's heart. The thought twisted painfully inside you—a piece of the man you’d loved was now bound to someone cold, someone unrecognizable.

It was like seeing a ghost in the wrong skin, a cruel reminder of what you’d lost and where it now lived.

Taglist:

@thezombieprostitute

@scott-loki-barnes

@missvelvetsstuff

@mostlymarvelgirl

@kjah97

@lokislady82

@texmexdarling

@buckybarnessweetheart

@inlovewiththefictionalcharacters

@jeremyrennermakesmesmile

@notyourtypicalrose

@choppedgalaxynerd

[frost-queen]

Business wreckage // part 2 (Reader x Jake Seresin)

Requested by: anon Forever tag:@missmelodramatic, @alex--awesome--22, @ellie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers, @merlieve , @queen-of-books , @glimmering-darling-dolly , @denkisclown , @wildieflower , @meyocoko , @justanothercoco, @subjecta13-thefangirl , @m-rae23 , @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr , @swampything07, @melsunshine , @panhoeofmanyfandoms , @venomsvl , @the-uncoordinated-house-cat , @rosecentury , @evilcr0ne , @vviolynn , @niktwazny303 , @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 , @vermillionwinter , @love2write2626 , @magical-spit, @slythetic

Summary: Retreated to the countryside it is a change. Whilst you try to focus on work, can't Jake let go of his pleasure of riling you up. Making him slowly be aware of the effect he has on you. I love slowburn so this will have more parts [ series]

The airport was small. A simple aircraft waiting for the two of you. The flight was about four hours. The plane landing in the middle of nowhere. On the landing place stood a car waiting. You got behind the wheels, driving Jake Seresin to the direction that were in the GPS. – “I…I’m really sorry about the bruise…” – Jake said having hated the long silence.

You clenched your jaw together, not really wanting to engage with him but he was getting under your skin. – “Are you?” – you called out, clenching the wheel tight. – “You know I would never hurt you Y/n.” – he answered rubbing his hands nervously together. – “But you did.” – you made clear, keeping your focus on the road.

Jake swallowed as you had hit him with a rude reality. He did hurt you. Not just the bruise. He was only thinking about himself. Not those around him that got sucked in his frustration. The car drove over the road fast. Just small enough for one car to pass. Leaves rustling with the wind as the car chased past.

The house was simple. Tugged away between a forest of trees. Your typical countryside hide-away in a God forsaken town with a local of no more than forty spread across fields. No neighbours to be seen. Perhaps that was a good thing. Jake and you unloaded the car, heading inside. You texted Mister Seresin you had arrived in the countryside to reassure him.

It was clear to Jake that you were giving him the silent treatment. Something he wasn’t used from you. Normally you’d nag his ears off. Trying to hype him up for things he didn’t felt like doing. Always remaining polite and happy no matter how hard he made your life with his stupid decisions.

“Can we talk about it?” – he asked pressing his hands onto the counter. – “What is there to talk about?” – you answered bitsy checking the cabinets. – “You made it clear. I can show you a video if you like.” – you mocked with a sarcastic smile. Jake looked ashamed away. – “Let me ask you something Sir, did you really think it was the right decision?”

Jake thought for a moment, shaking his head afterwards. He then sighed loud, sitting down. – “You know my dad. The diner was a hoax. Just another way to bribe me into taking over the empire which I don’t want!” – he called out touching his forehead in distress. – “I know!” – you answered loudly. – “But you’ve could’ve handled it better.” – you sighed out, knowing there were a million other ways for that diner to go.

Too tired to even continue the conversation you went around the counter for your bedroom. By the wall, you paused. – “Couldn’t you have just talked?” – you stated not expecting an answer. Before Jake could even reply, you were off. He got up as well, walking up to the window. Looking outside. Furrowing his brows a bit at the scenery. The complete opposite from he was known at home.

Leaning against the framework, he stared down. His mind going through guilt. His own actions leading to get pulled away from everything he was accustomed to. His pilot career. The money. The girls. The appointments detailed out by you. Jake turned his head to the door which you left from.

Feeling a punch in his gut at how you got dragged into this. Guilt eating at him made him return to the kitchen to prepare a hot drink. He wanted to do something to make you feel better… or at least make him feel better. Perhaps it would stop the guilt. Jake walked with the hot drink up to your room, knocking gently on the door.

He waited for you to open up, looking surprised at the cup he moved forwards. – “Oh, do you want me to blow on it?” – you asked confused as to why he was showing you his drink. Jake furrowed his brows in utter confusion. – “No, it’s for you.” – he said. – “Oh.” – you responded taking the cup from him.

“Do you want to…” – Jake started cut off by you shutting the door in his face again. He blinked baffled at the door, laughing loud afterwards. Overcome with silence, Jake stared a bit lost, before deciding to head to his bed. As it has been a long day after all.

Before the sun had full awaken where you already up and working. Sitting at the counter with your work tablet and laptop. Checking the last post on the video and seeing how worse it was. Groaning loud, you knew it would take a lot of you to fix this. To get his reputation back up. You barely noticed Jake haven woken till he came standing in front of you. Hands on the counter to frown at your work attitude.

“Breakfast is over there.” – you told him, pointing at a plate further down the counter. Jake turned his head seeing a full breakfast prepared for him. – “And you?” – he questioned as you gone to ignore him again. – “Not hungry.” – you told him without a glance. Jake sighed soft before curling up a mischievous smirk.

He pulled the plate closer to him, holding out the toast. – “Open up Y/n.” – he said teasingly. It made you look up with an annoyed expression. Shooting him a glare before turning back to your work. Jake scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. He then took a bite from the toast, winking at you whilst munching down on it.

“Are you done?” – you stated unamused. Jake smiled moving his hand out to ruffle through your hair. It made you stare in shock at him. Only making him laugh loud. You put your tablet down, giving him a scowl. – “I’m glad at least one of us is laughing, cause I don’t see the fun in this.” – you made clear it was no time to laugh at all. Jake sighed soft with a roll of his eyes. – “You need a break.” – he said grabbing your hand and going round the counter to pull you from your seat.

“Sir!” – you responded stunned as he dragged you over to the door. He tossed you, your coat at you to put it on. The chill immediately grasped you, sending a shiver down your spine. Those September chills seemed to be a lot cooler here in the countryside than at home. Jake and you started walking, not even sure where you were going. Jake’s phone bleeped as he went to look at it. His smile immediately faltering.

He looked confused when you plucked his phone from his hand. – “Ignore the texts and focus on laying low so that I can recover your reputation.” – you reminded him, waving his phone around. – “What if it is an emergency? What if it’s you who really, really, really needs me.” – he exaggerated with a smirk. You shoved his phone against his chest surprised that you didn’t flash a smile at him or swoon over the thought.

You started walking again as Jake looked curiously around. He still had some things up his sleeve to rile you up. His eyes falling on some flowers. He rushed over to it, crouched down to pluck a flower and rush back to you. Making you stop your walking by jumping in front of you with a flower. – “To apologize. I really didn’t mean to hurt you Y/n.” – he said with charm. – “Charming.” – you answered plucking the clearly half weed flower from him.

Keeping it between two fingers. – “Good idea, you can write a full apologetic review.” – you called out, touching his arm with excitement. Jake’s mood sunk through the ground as he didn’t wanted to create that. – “Are you serious?” – he asked seeing you hum happily forwards. – “Were you serious Y/n?” – he repeated in a slight panic that you’d actually make him write an apology to the world.

You smirked looking down at your flower. Unable to resist it was very sweet. Something you would never let him know. Jake came rushing after you to catch up with you. You immediately moved the flower down when he came falling in step with you. The long road to nothingness finally led you into town.

Jake immediately got all the stares and gawking. He was probably the most good looking guy they had ever seen in their life. Some girls in a shop glued themselves against the glass with an open mouth. Jake noticed them, winking at them. One or two screamed visibly that they got noticed. Of course he chuckled from all the attention. No matter where he went, girls fell over him.

The group of school girls ran outside, circling like vultures around him. Asking all for his attention. Jake engaged with them in a polite way. Looking around as the girls were everywhere. It took him a moment to realize you weren’t anywhere near. Glancing to the side, he saw you standing further away. Holding yourself as you didn’t even look his way.

Keeping your gaze on the street. It made him ignore the girls, only looking your way as he wondered what you were thinking. Asking himself how many times you had set yourself aside whenever he got the attention. Despite the girls tugging on him for attention, he somehow only wondered about you.

Excusing himself from the girls, he made his way over to you. – “Y/n.” – he said to make you look up. – “Sir?” – you answered confused that he was here. Jake couldn’t help himself but smirk trying to hold back a laugh.

After some supply shopping, the two of you went back to the cottage. You sat down in the sofa with your work tablet. Cleaning out his agenda and postponing many appointments for the nearest future. When the whole video thing had settled down. For when the world forgot about it over some other scandal.

Jake sat at the counter, shooting you a glare as you did put him up to write an apology. Pen between his teeth, he hadn’t penned down one word. Finding it nonsense. Sure he had been stupid, but if his father hadn’t kept pushing him to take over the empire, he might have not. He knew him all too well to know it was never just a simple diner.

His father wanted a legacy while he wanted to make a name for his own. That was why he chose to be a pilot. To take a different career than his father. Business was not his life. Flying and soaring in the air was. It was the only place that he felt truly himself. God how much he missed Top Gun. Sighing soft he tapped the pen against his forehead trying to think of any good words.

“Doing okay?” – you called out from the sofa, fingers typing away vigorously. – “Thriving.” – he answered sarcastically. He groaned soft scribbling a few things down that came to his mind. Turning your head you saw the sun setting. Muscles aching from working so much. Shutting your laptop, you decided to quit for today.

You went over to Jake who had fallen asleep on the counter. – “Sir…” – you whispered hand hovering his shoulder as your eyes fell on the note. Reading it quickly, resisting the urge to correct it as some things he could’ve written better. Yet you were somehow surprised how well he had written a note. Somehow you had expected worse.

“Sir.” – you repeated placing your hand down on him. Your touch startled him making him jump out of his skin, looking up to you. Eyes widening at how close you actually were. Caught breathlessly for a moment till his gaze wandered down to your lips.  

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Read more of my fics on my Masterlists!

[someinstant]

So I turned my ankle taking out my trash this evening and it's swelling up beautifully-- I did a number on that ankle back in college and it regularly betrays me because of the Dumb Things I did without seeking medical attention when I was twenty-- so I've decided to prop it up on the couch and ice the hell out of it and watch the special features on my ANDOR Blu-Ray.

Here's a short list of Cool Things I've learned:

Diego says that it was important to show Cassian being nice to B2EMO in the first bit of episode one, because you needed to see Cassian show care and kindness for someone-- because he's not a particularly awesome guy at the beginning.

The set designer for the Andor house on Ferix made macrame door curtains out of metal scrap and bolts because they wanted a 1970s feel with an industrial twist. Also, the set designer pronounces "macrame" with the accent on the second syllable, and I've never heard it that way before? British folks, is that standard on your fair isle? Because hereabouts it's MAC-rah-may, or maybe mac-rah-MAY if you're fancy. But it sure as hell isn't mah-CRAHM-eh.

Just so many gorgeous shots of Ferix, man. And all the costumes and details-- it looks SO GOOD, even when it's clearly just a set and not the finished version. The actors all clearly adored working in the physical space.

During the Aldhani arc, the Aldhani rebel cell actors worked extensively together with the director to train, rehearse, and develop chemistry-- and they deliberately didn't bring Diego Luna in until they were ready to shoot for real. So the Aldhani squad had this rapport and inside jokes and relationships, and THEN they dropped Luna in so he would feel properly like an outsider.

And they did the SAME THING on the Narkina 5 arc. All the prisoners rehearsed together well before they brought in Luna, so he wouldn't have the same understanding of the space or tools or way the actors related to each other. Love it. Really smart decision, and it paid off.

The visual reference for what the Eye would look like when you were flying through it was a close-up of a human iris, and actually-- yeah. They did that really, really well.

They made the prison on Narkina 5 the same shape as the planetary shield generator on Scarif, and I have no idea how I didn't notice that before.

Stellan Skarsgard was clearly DELIGHTED by Luthen's big speech in "Nobody's Listening." He talks about how when he read it, he was like, "Absolutely, this is the dilemma, isn't it? How far can you go in the name of change?," followed immediately by, "Now, how in the world do I SAY that?!"

The musicians in "Rix Road" are really playing on set-- they did ADR over top for sound quality but in order to give the actors the right feel, the musicians are really playing and the instruments all are fully functional. The musicians are a mix of studio musicians who are on the final recording and some talented amateurs who also work as background actors, so you get the imperfect, community-band style tuning, which is what they wanted.

And there's a bunch of other cool stuff, but my ankle is throbbing, so I'm going to go take a painkiller and go to bed I think.

[ultimate-shipper-trash-blog]

Eliza Henderson

It starts off like this:

Eliza Henderson gets a phone call from her mom that her cat is missing. Eliza is very obviously hundreds of miles away at college in a different state and can't do a single thing about it. She wouldn't anyway, her mom loves that cat more than her or Dustin.

She tells her mom she'll be home next month for Christmas break anyway and she'll help her find a new cat if needed.

When she gets home her brother is screeching, not much is new, and excited to go to the Snow Ball.

"Just don't screw this up for me." Dustin is pacing around her room.

She flips through a magazine bored. She pops her gum between his pivots.

She rolls her eyes and glares at him. "How would I mess up your playdate with your new friend?"

"It's not a playdate! Steve's coming to do my hair! It's a sacred bonding moment that I won't have you mess up with your girl-" he wiggles his fingers at her, "stuff."

She puts the magazine down and stands up, she brushes off imaginary crumbs and huffs at him.

"I'm going to Jenny's, enjoy nerd." She walks past him and can see him flip her off in her peripheral.

She covers her face trying to hide the smile that covers it.

-----

The following year she goes around town and tries to find the little (not so little) rugrats.

Her brother has been away all summer and she wants to do something special for him.

She's driving down the main road when she spots the kids on their bikes heading towards the new mall. She turns around and follows them all the way until they enter an ice cream shop.

She runs up to them and manages to grab Lucas before he enters.

"Eliza!" He greets her with a smile.

"Hey kid!"

"You're literally six years older than me."

"That proves my point." She feels a prickling in her neck and quickly flips around to see a small redhead glaring at her.

"Hey Lukie...do you know why that small child is glaring at me?"

Recognition dawns on his face and then a small blush is creeping on his cheeks.

"That's my girlfriend Max, she's probably waiting on me." He shrugs his shoulders sheepishly.

"Oh man! Look at you! All grown up." She pretends to wipe a tear from her eye. "You know Dustin told me he has a girlfriend too?"

Lucas raises an eyebrow. "Sure, if he can raise a demonic lizard he can do that."

"Wha-"

"Anyway!" He chuckles nervously.

"Right! I won't keep you long, Dustin is coming home soon and I think it'd be cool if you guys planned some kind of surprise party for him."

"That'd be cool we can totally do that."

"Awesome! Invite that Steve kid Dustin always talks about."

"Steve?"

"Yeah, apparently they're best friends but I've never seen him. I thought I knew all the kids your age."

"Right...well-"

"Ok great! Bye Lukie!"

-----

When she picks up her brother outside the burned down mall she forgets to ask how the party went.

------

It ends with a zombie Eddie Munson.

She was home for spring break.

She was walking in from the store, grocery bag piled high in her hand, humming a new pop song.

The screaming really threw her off.

There was her baby brother, hanging off a man holding a...nail bat, pleading with him to not hurt what looks like a bleeding and bruised (and wanted!!!!) Eddie Munson tied to a chair. The regular crew of kids was circled around them including one new girl with her arm raised up.

She had a long day.

"Enough!" She screams.

Every head turns to look at her.

The little buzzcut girl moved her arm so her palm was pointed at Eliza.

"El no!" Dustin hurries off the man and stands guard in front of Eliza.

He turns around and his big tear filled eyes almost make her forget what's happening.

...almost.

"Dustin dear," she mutters through clenched teeth.

"Eliza-"

"What is a WANTED criminal doing in MY HOUSE! And you!" She points at the kids. "You know damn well to take your shoes off. You also know to come to me if you need help and you also know NOT TO FOLLOW DUSTIN'S PLANS!"

"Eliza-"

"Don't even," she holds a hand up to his face. "I know in my bones this is your fault. You'd be so incredibly lucky if I didn't tell mom."

"Mom?" The man with the bat is asking.

"I'm sorry who the hell are you? Dustin how do you know two grown men."

"I was just gonna ask the same question," tied up Eddie asks. "Who are you?"

"I'm Eliza Henderson...duh." She flips her hair over her shoulder.

Dustin rolls his eyes. "My sister."

The bat man gasps and mutters something like "another older role model" he looks defeated.

"Don't be sad Stevie this one was assigned from birth." Eddie smiles with a tongue between his teeth.

"Stevie?" The pieces are all clicking. "You're Steve?! You are not a child."

Mike raises his hand from the side, "technically we're not children-"

"Shut it Wheeler!" Both her and Eddie shout.

"Ok." She takes a deep breath. "The whole story. Now."

"Eliza we can't-"

"NOW Dustin!"

"...ok."

-----

He's a terrible storyteller.

Eddie is trying to chime in with exaggerated versions of the story to help 'set the scene'. Steve is interrupting with little facts that make her heart rate skyrocket like:

"Well if you think that's bad what about the demogorgan you raised off nougat."

"He did WHAT!"

"Eliza please don't tell mom!"

And has led to her creating new catch phrases like:

"I knew you were up to something."

And

"What the hell did you do that for!"

Overall a very overwhelming experience.

They told her everything including why Eddie was tied to a chair.

"He says he's fine but he died! In my arms! He can't be real he has to be some upside down creature."

Eliza is going to come back to the 'in my arms part' because she knows she'll be the one up at night holding him through his nightmares.

"El was about to do a scan to see if she could find anything out when you stormed in."

"Well sorry for accessing my home in the middle of the day. I did not mean to interfere with your chaotic evil doings."

"That's ok," Dustin says seriously, "you didn't know."

She slaps him upside the head.

"I'm getting some air."

She heads out of the living room and out the back door.

She spots the new girl, El, sitting with her arms around her knees. She quietly moves to sit next to her.

They sit in silence for a bit.

"I like your name." Eliza says.

"It is not my real name."

"That's ok, nicknames are cool. We have the same one." She knocks their knees together. "We're both Els."

El gives her a small smile.

"You've had a tough life kid. Let's see if we can finish this. You really think you can handle all this?" She waves a hand around hoping El gets the gist. She can't exactly say "Hey you're gonna scan that guy for demonic goo right?"

El nods at her and slowly stands up.

"Alright then. I guess this is happening."

-

She stands in her bedroom with Steve. Team Big Kid, as it was reluctantly named, was ready in case something went wrong.

Steve paced the floor, his bat dragging next on the floor.

"Can you not? It's gonna rip my carpet."

"Oh!" He stumbles a bit. "Sorry."

"It's fine." She hates the silence.

"Thank you." She says.

He seems surprised.

"For what?"

"Taking care of him."

"Well I-"

"I'm jealous of you."

"Me? Why?"

"When I thought you were another one of his children friends I said, fine, I don't need to be with him. The last thing I want to do in my free time is hang out with some kids." Tears prick her eyes.

"But you're not a kid. You're a grown up. You're like me. The only difference is you've spent so much time with Dustin being the sibling I can't be. You've stayed close. You've protected him in three different apocalypses-"

"Four."

"Perfect. Even worse." She clears her throat.

"My point is. I miss him. You've been there for him and taught him life lessons. You did his hair for him! I can't compete with that. You didn't even know I existed until I interrupted your threatening session."

"Eliza-"

There's a knock at the door.

"He's clear! It's him!"

Steve flashes her a bright smile.

"Dustin is a special kid. We all get brought into his orbit and we can't leave. He loves us all the same." He holds out his hand to her.

"Come on, let's go see another person Dustin sunk his claws into. Then we can all compete for the title of number one Dustin handler."

"Deal."

------

Then they all become friends and Steddie happens or something and Eliza and Dustin get really close again and she moves back home after graduation. Max was never hurt and the town maybe cracked a little but it was overall not that bad. Eddie got magically healed I guess idk or maybe he's a vampire but Vecna gets killed doubly and it's all ok! Yay!

[honestsilasbirchtree]

June 15, 1952

The waffle house had been nameless for the entire eight years it had been in operation so far. Lizzie Dixon, 22, had been working there for three of those years. She could now begin preparing orders based on the sound of the cars pulling up and the tops of hats and hairdos that she could see through the blinds.

All of her lunchtime regulars were currently in, the dishwasher was out for a "smoke" again, and absolutely nothing was going to surprise her. She thought about dropping a milkshake glass for the hell of it.

"The back of that greasy kid's head looks like it could use some sparkle! Why don't you give it a hurl!"

Lizzie jumped at the sudden loud voice by her ear and dropped the glass, just missing her foot. The shards scattered. "Oh-! Oh no, no..." The dishwasher, finally back behind the counter, turned around at the sound. "Whoa, Lizzie, what happened?"

"Where have you been?" Lizzie snapped. "Don't just-- careful stepping through, oh, come on, get a broom or something, I have to take this gentleman's order--" She turned back to find herself face to face with a pale stranger in a suit and hat.

"Shucks, you missed!" he continued. "Better luck next time, huh?"

Lizzie allowed herself a smirk at that. "I might like that, but I like working here more, I'm afraid."

"Oh, you do?" said the stranger. His voice seemed strangely loud and shrill no matter what volume he was speaking at. "I see, got to comfort yourself somehow after your big audition flopped. Don't worry, that whole rodeo will fold a year from now anyway! BIG shooting malfunction! You're better off out of the, haha, line of fire! Trust me!"

Lizzie's eyes flicked over to the ad taking up most of the far wall at the end of counter--a flirtatious blonde cowgirl, SLUGGER COFFEE, 'Start Your Day Like a Shot!' She really hoped he was talking about cameras. "...I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Silas Birchtree, travelling salesman and so much more!" he doffed his hat. (For a moment, she heard some kind of buzzing.) She could see his eyes better now, wide and avid to a near painful looking degree, just like his smile. "Now, Lizzie, can I just say--"

"Hey!" A redheaded young man wearing a blazer in an unfortunate color took a seat at the bar. "Is this fella bothering you, Liz?"

"She hasn't been interested since you called her "Lizard" the first day of junior high, Chris!" the newcomer shot back. Heads all through the establishment were turning. "Take your comedy act somewhere else! I'd suggest the middle of the road, but if this one horse town ever gets anything resembling actual traffic, I'll eat that horse myself!"

Lizzie wanted to sink into the floor. Chris flushed red and balled up his hands. "Why don't you get bent, you creep! Who d'you think y--"

"Hey, ain't you supposed to be dead?" an old farmer at the other end of the counter called out. "We had a burial and everything, I saw." This set the gathering crowd murmuring.

Birchtree flashed a megawatt grin his way. "Normal human man, right here!" He thumped his chest hard. "Aren't you supposed to be cutting back on the drink, Ray? Then again, the doctor has bills to pay, too! Wanna bet you can help finance his new car?"

Ray's brow furrowed. "Say, how'd you know all that? What new car?"

"An excellent question! My unearthly knowledge comes from above!" Birchtree threw his arms wide, shouting to the whole restaurant. "An all-knowing entity of awesome power has chosen me to be his herald! He's seen your mistakes! He watches your dreams! He foresees the terrible way that you will die, yes, each and every one of you!" Now he was standing on the counter, with a sea of open-mouthed faces around him. "All of these secrets and more I will share with you rubes, if! You! Follow me outside!"

He stepped down from the counter and strode out the door, a throng following him out and down the street to Orchard Lake's central square. Lizzie let herself out from behind the counter to join them, still trailing broken glass underfoot.

"Hey, where are you going?" the dishwasher shouted after her. "Hey! Lizzie! What are you doing? Come back!"

[meetingthemastermoments]

Part 2

jake x reader

Part 3

warnings: tension, angst, fluff, slow burn, eventual 18+

word count: 2.5K

summary: You move into a new apartment, with an unexpectedly attractive neighbor.

notes: Okie dokie, here's part 2. This was obviously an idea I had a couple of weeks ago, but life has been fun and chaotic, so here it is now! All my Love, MM

------------------------------------------------------------

It’s the 4th of July, which means you have the day off to do literally whatever you want. You lay in bed, eyes still closed, listening to the birds outside your window. You can see the sunlight through your eyelids, filtered in from the blinds. It’s still early, which hopefully means the beach won’t be too busy. You had just gotten a new swimsuit that you were very excited to try out, but the idea of going to the beach alone freaked you out a little. It has been a couple of weeks now since you moved. You have some friends in the area but they’re mostly busy, so you’re stuck with a dilemma. You can either go to the beach alone and deal with the countless friend groups and families laughing and having fun together or… you can see if Jake wants to come. 

It had been a couple of days since you ran into each other in the basement. You two had been living your separate lives. You heard when he was home, walking around his floor, playing his guitar, watching tv, hanging out with his friends, as you’re sure he heard you. The comfort of knowing someone else was in the house made living on your own easier, even if it was on a different floor. Maybe this can be your chance to get to know him better. Maybe even become friends. A new friend, now that would be nice.  

You stretch your arms above your head and hoist yourself out of bed. This’ll be a fun day no matter what. You grab your phone on the way to the kitchen and text Jake.

Y/N: Hey, any fun 4th of July plans?

You continue on with your morning routine, making breakfast and starting to pack some essentials for your day at the beach. Drinks, snacks, sunscreen. You hear Jake strumming his guitar lazily as you move about your apartment, stopping momentarily. Your phone buzzes on the counter. 

Jake: Not at the moment. What’s up?

Y/N: Want to go to the beach?

Jake: What time??

Y/N: Like, 20 minutes? Come on up when you’re ready.

Jake: Awesome.

Well, that was easy. You had assumed Jake would have other plans. He always seemed to have a stream of people coming in and out of his apartment. You’re surprised he answered at all, let alone said he would come! This’ll be fun. You go to change into your swimsuit, throwing loose-fitting clothes on overtop. As you slide into your sandals and pack your book into your beach bag, you heard a knock on your back door. 

You casually walk over, opening the door for your neighbor. In front of you stood Jake wearing a fun American flag sailor cap, a short sleeve button-down shirt that was mostly open except for the bottom two buttons, pattern swim trunks, and old birks. You just stood there for a second, taking him in. 

“Hey,” He gave you a smile, “Is the hat too much?” Looking slightly out of place, he fidgets with the guitar on his back and tugs at the cap on his head. 

“No! It’s hilarious! Come on in, I’m just finishing up,” Jake follows you into your kitchen, watching you grab the rest of your things and finish packing up your cooler. Going into the fridge you feel Jake watching you as you reach for the drinks. You turn to put them into the cooler and make eye contact. He averts his eyes, pretending to be scanning the kitchen.

“I brought a couple of snacks and drinks, if you have any more room in there,” Jake comes up next to you, throwing his backpack on the counter. 

“Ya, of course. There’s still room,” You agree as he pulls out a couple of White Claws, a pack of gummy worms, and a bag of chips. He reaches across you to fit it in the cooler along with your things. The air feels thick, but you must be imagining it. 

“Okie dokie! Let’s hit the road!” He smiles, picking up the cooler before you can protest and walks towards the front door. You stand there for a second watching him walk out of your apartment. You shake your head a bit to clear it. Friends. You’re trying to make friends. 

…

As you drive to the beach, Jake gleefully chats with you. You laugh and smile along as he tells you all about his brothers and the little band they’ve started together. You learn he has an older twin named Josh and a younger brother named Sam. The fourth member of the band is their friend, Daniel. Jake says he is just like a little brother and they all always hang out together. Those must have been the people you see coming in and out all the time. 

“Okay so wait!” You laugh, wiping a tear from your eye, “You’re telling me he ‘fell’ through the screen door because you quote ‘bumped him too hard’? YA, very likely!” 

Jake is smiling from ear to ear, “No, I swear to god! It was fully his fault. I would NEVER do something like that!” He watches your reaction as you continue to wipe your tears. 

“You two sound like a handful!” Your eyes are on the road, but you can feel him smiling at you. You wonder what it would feel like to have his eyes on you like that all the time. Nope! Friends y/n, friends!

…

You two get to the beach a little after 9. There are still a number of spots in the parking lot left, but you can see that it’s going to be a busy day. You unload the car, grab all your bags and towels, and proceed to trudge out onto the sand. 

The water on the lake is beautiful today. A lovely deep blue. The air is hot and muggy but has a slight breeze, which cuts through the heat every so often. Families and friends play in the waves and chatter around you. Jake finds you a perfect spot to sit, a little further off from the crowd. He unfurls the blanket he’s brought and you watch as his exposed chest moves under his open button-up. How can he look so soft and so sculpted at the same time? He makes eye contact with you cocking an eyebrow and giving you a half smirk. You look down cheeks turning red, as you continue to unpack your bag, grabbing your book and sunscreen. 

 Jake plops down next to you on the blanket, swinging his guitar off his back. You start to apply your sunscreen. Jake watches, eyebrows knitted together in thought. As you continue to apply sunscreen to your arms and legs, Jake picks up the bottle and squeezes some into his hand. “May I?” He asks as he gestures to your back, looking slightly sheepish. 

“Sure, thank you” You agree shyly as he shifts so he’s sitting slightly behind you. The first touch of his hands makes you jump.

“Sorry! It’s a little cold” He grimaces, as he starts to rub the lotion into your back. 

You focus on your breathing as he continues to cover your back. The calluses on his fingers, the smoothness of his palm, how gentle he’s being. Jesus Christ, knock it off! You’re trying to be making friends here, thinking like that won’t get you anywhere. You look out across the water as he travels lower down your back, freezing as he moves your straps, so as to not miss any spots. 

“Ta-da!” Jake exclaims, patting your shoulders platonically, before moving back to his spot next to you. He wipes the rest of the sunscreen on his chest and arms before grabbing for his guitar. 

“Thanks” You smile over at him. He looks proud of himself as he pulls his guitar over his lap and starts to strum. You Grab your book and flip onto your stomach, enjoying the soft strumming of Jake's guitar and listening to the waves and the birds. 

An hour or so passes as Jake continues to play lazily and you finish the chapter you’re on. You look over, watching his face. His eyes were slightly unfocused, gazing at some unknown location far off in the distance. His mouth was turned up in a lazy smile. His shirt was now fully off, and as your eyes scan down his body you start to notice more of his figure. He is built in a relaxed way. You can tell he’s strong. His arms are defined and his muscles flex along with his playing. He barely bobs his head to the beat of his unknown tune. You clear your throat quietly and his eyes shoot to yours, his smile growing as he sees you already watching him.

“What’s up?” He asks never stopping his tune.  

“You’re pretty good. Has anyone ever told you that?” You’re being genuine. You don’t think you’ve heard anyone so flawlessly continue a melody.

Jake blushes, momentarily tripping up his melody. “Thank you. I’ve been playing for a little while now.” He smirks a little but doesn’t keep eye contact.

“Oh ya? For how long?” 

“I mean since I can remember. My family is big into music. My dad has a band, so my brothers and I started one back in high school.” He looks a little nervous as he tells you that last part. “We actually play at some dive bars around town, if you ever want to swing by.”

“I would love to!” You give him a reassuring smile. You’re intrigued by the type of music his band might play. Based on the melodies he’s been playing around you, you’re assuming some type of folk or jazz music. 

Jake looks over at you excitedly, “Really?! We have a show again this weekend in the flats if you want to swing by!” He’s practically bouncing in his seat next to you. 

“Yes! I’ll be there. Just tell me the time and I’ll head over!” You laugh at him as his smile widens. You’re sure if he smiled any harder he’d start shining. 

…

After a couple of hours, you and Jake are laughing and chatting like old friends. You learn that he loves pirates and has a passion for film, which he shares with his brother. He learns that you are also from Michigan, and your extended relatives live around where he’s from. “That’s so fucking cool! I wonder why we never saw each other growing up!” 

“I don’t know. I mean, I’d only be there for holidays and a couple of weeks during the summer. I’m sure we saw each other but didn’t know it!” You’re sure he must have been visiting his own family and doing fun things away from Frankenmuth any chance he got. But, you know a large reason he probably never saw you was because you were shy. You always locked yourself up on your grandparent's property, playing on the quads, exploring the woods, and watching movies with your cousins. You rarely went into town, and if you did it was only to go to the waterpark at Zehnder’s or to one of the bowling alleys nearby. 

As the sun dips down in the sky, you collectively decide you’ve probably had enough sun for today. You pack up your things and walk back to the car, tired from the sun and happy from the great day. As you drive home Jake grabs the aux and starts playing you songs he thinks you would enjoy, explaining each ones meaning. Testing the water to see what you like a don’t like. You make it back to the house and unpack your things,

“Thanks for hanging out today Jake, I had a really good time.” You smile brightly as you walk towards the house. 

“Of course! Me too,” Jake pauses “Would you… would you want to play a game or something? We can just keep hangin out until the fireworks this evening.” He looks at you nervously.

“I would love to! I just assumed you had other people to go with.” You look a little confused but you’re happy for the extended company. The idea of chilling with Jake for the rest of the evening is nice. You are a little tired though. “Cool, well I’m going to take a shower real quick, but you can come on up whenever you’re ready. I have some board games in the living room that you are more than welcome to look through while I get cleaned up.”

“Sounds good! I was gonna jump in the shower quick too, so you have some time.” Jake gives you a little eyebrow wiggle before heading to his door. 

…

Jake POV

Here’s the thing. Jake did have plans today. He was actually waiting for Josh to pick him up. But, when his cute new neighbor sent him a text asking if he was busy, he immediately said yes. After their first interaction in the basement, Jake had been itching to figure out some way, any way, to get to know you better. He had been coming home early to try and catch you as you were getting your mail. He purposefully told you to only use one set of garbage cans (he claimed it was for convenience) but he hoped he would run into you while you were bringing your trash down. 

The entire day Jake had been sneaking glances at you, watching your quirks and mannerisms. How you scrunched up your nose when you got to a part in your book you didn’t like. How you methodically reapplied your sunscreen. Every time he saw you catch him staring he would look out into the horizon, pretending to be somewhere else, but he was thinking of you. He took every opportunity to make you laugh. He had never heard such a beautiful sound. If he could bottle it up and keep it forever he would. 

The drive back home had been torture. The car had been filled with your scent, increased tenfold by the smell of lake, sunscreen, and heat that radiated off of you. You had loved every song he had played for you, becoming more animated at the songs you had known and getting excited at new songs he was helping you discover. How could he not want to hang out more with someone who had a fantastic ear? As you two reached the house, he had become more and more anxious as he realized the day was ending, so he said something not even he was prepared for. He asked you to continue hanging out. And when you said yes, he was more than excited. 

Jake didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he had taken a special interest in you. The house was old and had its quirks, but that meant that he could also hear a lot more than normal. Every so often he could hear you humming or singing to yourself while you made dinner. Sometimes he could hear you loudly laugh at a show you were watching. And once or twice he had heard other things… Jake was just happy to have an excuse to spend time with you today. And now! Now. All he could think about was you showering right above him. 

[canislupus-exe]

Made for Each Other | eddie munson

fandom | Stanger Things

character | Eddie Munson

reader | he/him/amab (she/her/afab ver.)

requested | anonymous

warnings | smut/nsfw, mutual perversion, peeping, mild degradation

word count | 1,804

keys | (Y/n) = Your name

summary | can u maybe do an eddie munson smut where the reader catches him masturbating to a polaroid of him and then the reader fucks him 👉👈

editor | @feliscatus-exe

>> back to prev <<

Keep reading

You sighed as you checked your watch, the time read 9:17. The day had been surprisingly slow so you decided to hang out with your best friend, but found his company had barely changed that fact. You’d burned through two movies with him and were going to start a third when he suddenly realized something and bolted out of the room. 

That was a few minutes ago and now you were waiting for his return, sprawled out on his bed. You yawned and laid your head against the pillow. Nothing happened until finally, you heard the bedroom door open. You lifted your torso and leaned on your elbows, raising your eyebrows at him. A bright flash caused you to blink rapidly and groan.

“Dude, what the hell?” You asked, sitting up fully and rubbing your eyes. You could hear Eddie laugh before feeling the bed shift as he sat next to you.

“Ain’t he a beaut?” He asks. You stop rubbing your eyes and look at what’s in his hand. It’s a Polaroid picture of yourself. Your shirt is slightly lifted and your pajama bottoms are slightly misplaced, revealing a small bit of your hip area. Your eyelids are slightly drooped, making you look sleepy and even somewhat sultry.

“When did you get a Polaroid?” You asked.

“I found it at the thrift store just outside of town. I seriously couldn’t believe my luck. It was a little busted right here, see, but nothing some duct tape couldn’t fix.” He raved, showing you all parts of the camera. You smiled fondly.

“That’s awesome Eddie.” You say, handing him the picture. He looks at it for a couple of seconds before looking back up at you.

“You don’t want to keep this?” He asks. You shake your head.

“Nah, what purpose do I have for a picture of myself?”

“Wouldn’t I have even less of a purpose for a picture of you?” He asks with a laugh. You shrug and smile.

“I don’t know. Use it to remember me or if you miss me.” You say with a snicker.

“That’s the corniest shit I’ve ever heard,” Eddie replied. You laughed before standing up from the bed.

“I should probably go home now Eddie. It’s getting late and we have school tomorrow.” You say, grabbing your car keys from his nightstand. 

“Already?” He asks a twinge of sadness in his voice. You smile.

“I’ll be back, probably sooner than you even realize. Thanks for letting me hang and keep you company though.” You said. He nodded and stood from the bed, walking you toward his front door.

You said bye and locked up his door, hopping in your car and starting it up. Your house wasn’t too far from the trailer park, which you were thankful for. It made your visits to his place that much more convenient. You whistled to the song on the radio, mindlessly tapping your steering wheel while focusing on the road.

As you pulled up to a crossroad to take a right turn, you realized how cold you were. You always kept your windows rolled down when you drove but it was much chillier than usual. You were about to turn when it dawned on you that you left your jacket at Eddie’s house. No wonder I’m freezing, you think to yourself as you pop a quick U-turn and backtrack to the trailer park.

It doesn’t take long since you didn’t get very far. In a matter of six minutes, you’re putting your car back in park in Eddie’s driveway. You toss your keys in your jean pocket, knocking on his door. There’s no answer, and you can’t help but assume he’d fallen asleep. Normally, you wouldn’t intrude, but the freezing Indiana temperatures urged you to use the spare key he’d gifted you years ago. Just for emergencies, he told you, and if you stayed out there any longer without a protective layer you’d freeze your dick off, which was as close to an emergency as you could damn near get.

You opened the door and shut it quietly behind you, not wanting to wake him up. You quickly scanned the living room, searching for your jacket. It was nowhere to be found but you didn’t fret, you probably just left it in Eddie’s room. You walked toward his bedroom door, seconds away from pushing it open when you heard a noise.

Not just any noise, though. A very distinct type of noise that caused your feet to stay planted on the floor and your stomach to meet them there. It was a moan. A moan that no doubt belonged to your best friend. Your heart began to thump louder than it ever has but you tried to drown it out, listening for another noise to prove you weren’t going crazy. 

And there it was again. A whiny, high-pitched moan that sent tingles down your spine and blood rushing to your crotch. You clasped a hand over your mouth in an attempt to regulate your breathing, scared you’d make a noise and alert him that you were here. Which you should’ve done, you knew that. You knew how wrong it was to listen to someone get off, but you couldn’t move your feet.

And to make matters worse, your eyes found themselves drawn to the crack in the door. You weren’t just listening now, you were full-on peeping on your best friend jacking off, and God was it making you hard.

The sliver in the door was small but if you angled yourself just right you could see enough. His right hand rapidly moved up and down his shaft while his left held a picture that looked almost familiar. Further up you could see his shirt lifted and his left hand holding a piece of clothing to his nose, which he was no doubt sniffing with fervor. The item of clothing was also familiar. It almost looked like…

“(Y/n)~” Eddie whined breathlessly, and the air around you seemed to turn cold. That couldn’t have possibly been…

“Fuck- (Y/n)…” He moaned again, and you were sure of it this time. He was, without a shadow of a doubt, moaning your name. That wasn’t the only thing he was doing. As he continued to furiously pump his shaft with his fist you realized why everything looked so familiar. He was holding the Polaroid he took of you earlier and sniffing your jacket. Eddie was masturbating to the thought of you.

“God p-please I need you~” He moaned, panting heavily. You got so warm in the face and so fuzzy in the brain that you acted without thinking. You pushed the bedroom door open and walked in, causing him to yelp and throw everything off of him. He scrambled to pull a blanket over himself to salvage a shred of his modesty but you’d already seen too much.

“Don’t stop on my account sweetheart. In fact, let me help you~” You say, popping the button of your jeans. His face turns bright red, staring at you in utter disbelief.

“(Y-Y/n) I can explain-“

“Explain what? That you were jacking off to a picture of me? Mmm, what did you imagine we were doing Eddie?” You asked, pulling the blanket off as you licked your lips. 

“I-I wasn’t-“

“Come on Eddie~ You can tell me. If you ask nicely, I might even do it to you~” You whisper in his ear, gently placing your hand around his already twitching cock. He gasps and whimpers, covering his mouth to stop the needy noises from spilling out.

“You were so loud before, what happened to ‘I need you’?” You asked, moving your hand up and down his shaft. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he lowered his hands, babbling for a second as he presumably tried to find the right words.

“I was i-imagining you- ah- fucking me into the- hng- mattress.” He gasped out, balling his hands into the sheets. You smirked, pulling your hand away and watching him practically chase your touch.

“That can be arranged.” You reply, pulling your pants and boxers off all the way. He watched with wide eyes as your cock sprung out, standing at attention and making his mouth water. He watched you bend and spit on his hole, gasping at the sudden cold sensation. You rubbed it into his asshole, expertly spreading him out in seconds and causing him to turn to putty once again. 

Once you were finished prepping him, you positioned your cock head at his tight asshole, teasing by gently prodding it. He whined, staring at you with pleading eyes. You decided to take mercy on him and finally push yourself inside, groaning as he enveloped you. He bit his lip harshly and squeezed his eyes shut, overcome with the pleasure of being filled.

“Look at you, you filthy little pervert. Getting fucked by the guy you were jacking off to.” You practically growled at him, an irregular dominance clouding your mind. He moaned and covered his face, too embarrassed to look you in the eye.

“Maybe we’re made for each other though.” You say somewhat fondly as you pick up your pace. He moans, face still covered, but he manages to get out two words of inquiry.

“W-We are?” He asks meekly. You laugh almost sadistically as you grip his legs.

“We are… wanna know why?” You ask, slowing your hips just the slightest bit to grab his focus.

“Why?” He asks breathlessly.

“Because I’m a pervert too Eddie. I watched you jack off to me. I liked watching you jack off to me.” You say, giving him no time to process what you’ve said before starting to plow into him again. This practically sends him over the edge, whimpering and begging to cum as you fucked into his prostate like never before. He wraps his arms around your back and begins moaning frantically

“Fuck fuck fuck I’m- agghn!” He gasps for air and scratches down your back, body shaking as spurts of cum shoot from the head of his cock. The sounds he’s making and the tightness of his ass proves to be too much as your hips sputter and you let out a low groan, emptying your load straight into his suffocating hole.

You gasp in an attempt to regain your breath, Eddie still latched onto you like his life depends on it. You chuckle and let your body weight fall onto him, electing to clean yourselves up later. You do however decide to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek at the moment, and you’re glad you do when you see his flushed face fondly smile.

[ronqueesha]

OC Codex Prompt

I saw @eluvisen posting some awesome stuff from these OC Codex Prompts, and it inspired me to write something that's been floating in my head for a while.

2. a letter written by your OC’s family member

(a letter found crumpled and torn down the middle)

Ayden,

Your father and I hope this letter finds you well. Regardless of how you might have felt about us on the night you left, we have never stopped loving our son.

(A note in the margins with Neve's handwriting - Nerio said their father threw a kitchen knife at them. The scar on their hip confirms. Doubt this is truthful)

A passing merchant informed the village of your latest exploits, although some of it was hard to believe. Regardless of the truth, we are glad to know you are pursuing happiness outside of the community. Elonna still asks about you from time to time. Would you like to relay a message to her? She was matched with another husband last winter, but we still think you were the better choice.

Your older brother finished building his house last month. We all helped to complete the work, though it would have been easier if you had been here to help the other men with the labor. His wife and children are happy to have a home of their own. Maybe one day, you'll have one too.

In closing, we both want you to know that we hold nothing but love in our hearts for you, Ayden. We still look toward the road every morning, hoping to see you walking home. Our door is always open.

With love, Shara Laidir

(Another note from Neve - Oh spare me this passive aggressive drivel. Also notice that Nerio's father did not sign his name. Clear as day how he really feels about his estranged child.)

(A third note in entirely different handwriting - This paper BLEEDS with seething bile. Eyes blind you to the LIES beneath the ink. Each word is a knife that CUT their heart.)

[nerdieforpedro]

Good night to the following people:

@maggiemayhemnj I unlocked a new form: menace. Dabbled in some poetry. Reveled in some flannel speak - good times. 🧡

@lady-bess You’ll see this when you wake up. Have a good day sugar plum. I’ll endeavor to send you at least one sweat inducing message tomorrow. 🥵

@morallyinept As always, you’re a dream and a treat. I have to catch up on all your things. You stay putting out, I need to sop it all up with a biscuit. 💦

@trulybetty I am going to watch Road House and share my notes. You made valentine prompts look very easy with your skillful writing. I’m struggling to keep up, your stamina is uncanny. 😘

@legendary-pink-dot Still waiting for the menu to open. I’m dancing outside the cafe peeping through the window. Heavy breathing. 😮‍💨

@604to647 Like I said, Din is very happy for what he receives, we are happy to give it to him. This is the Way. Also you’re very sweet. 🤭

@pedroshotwifey So happy you’re back! I’m looking forward to chapter 10 even though I’m heavily concerned for the reader. 👀 But I need to know what happens. 🤔

@mysterious-moonstruck-musings I’ll pin you down and write you a sweat inducing Drabble with our trash panda. Because you’re cool too. Ask @lady-bess and @maggiemayhemnj 🥸

@for-a-longlongtime I thank your for shirtless Din. I’m in a Din vortex you and @immarocketman are contributing to this visually and I appreciate the both of you. 🥹☺️

Tonight’s been an awesome night. I messed around with some blerbs and mini-drabbles? Whatever I did and was up in people’s comments. 😆

I’m actually sleepy, a rarity. 😴

Goodnight, Nerdie loves ya! 💖

[subbyfoxelf]

gencon 2024 after action report, part 1: pregame (wednesday) & day 1 (thursday)

under the cut for anyone who doesn't care about all the cool indie rpgs i played over the weekend lmao.

the players!

me!

mommy! ( @vi-the-deer )

grammy! (my & mommy's partner)

cj! (grammy's husband, our metamour)

grammy & cj go to gencon nearly every year, and as grammy had accompanied us to magiccon chicago she figured she'd return the favor by having us along for this year's gencon!

mommy & i flew to st. louis tuesday night to meet up with grammy & cj. our hotel that night was pretty nice in a weird way, it kind of reminded me of a really upscale college dorm with a very modern/ikea aesthetic? it's one of those hotels that's trying really hard not to look like a hotel. but yeah, it was nice! not weirdly, shockingly bad. ([hbomberguy voice] foreshadowing is a literary device--). we belatedly celebrated mommy's birthday with some cake and got some rest to get ready for an awesome roadtrip followed by an awesome convention.

on wednesday we originally wanted to go to the st. louis science center, which i had been to & loved decades ago when i went to college in springfield illinois, but sadly it is not open on wednesdays! so instead we went to the st. louis zoo, which is apparently the biggest free zoo in the country? and i gotta say, it offers an experience that's pretty comparable to most non-free zoos i've been to. (also, yeah, i'm a bit ethically dubious about zoos, but my going to them or not going to them isn't really going to affect whether they exist or not, and from what i could tell this one was very well-run by people who genuinely care about the animals there.)

we saw a number of awesome animals, but i think my favorite part was probably the bird house as birds are among my favorite animals. we spent a few hours having a very pleasant (other than it being extremely hot outside) walk through the zoo, but eventually it was time to get on the road.

i'm not necessarily going to talk about everywhere we stopped for food, but i would be remiss if i didn't mention that our day 1 dinner stop was the burger king. no not a burger king, THE burger king, a tiny restaurant in a tiny town in illinois that won a lawsuit to keep its name because it existed before the larger chain that shares its name. (well, minus the "the.")

i will admit that while i lived in illinois for fully more than half of my life, and even having spent my college years in central illinois rather than the comparatively more progressive chicago area, i was somewhat unprepared to be back in a small town in the middle of nowhere where 90% of the population is white and it feels like you're being stared at when 3 of the 4 of you are very visibly trans. it kind of felt like being back home in a not entirely pleasant way, but no one was outright hostile. and to be honest if you like extremely unhealthy cheeseburgers you can do MUCH worse than the original burger king. the food was kind of incredible.

anyway, we got back on the road, and crashed at a hotel most of the way to indiana. this was another totally normal hotel that wasn't weirdly bad with a staff that was weirdly preemptive about it being weirdly bad. (foreshadowing is a literary dev--)

we got up super early thursday morning, and headed for the con. i've actually been to indianapolis for multiple conventions because when i used to live in chicago the two furry cons (yes i used to go to furry cons & it's not inconceivable that i will do so again at some point) it was the easiest for me to get to were midwest furfest (which was in chicago and huge) and indyfurcon (which was in indianapolis and not nearly as huge, especially considering i went to the first few iterations of it, no idea what it's like these days if it's still a thing). this is the first gencon i've ever been to, and it's markedly larger than any other con i've ever been to. i'm used to a con taking up a fairly large conference hotel or (at most) part of a city's convention center. gencon took up an entire convention center plus multiple nearby hotels plus a literal nfl stadium??? (see the pic above the cut lmao.)

that also wasn't even the only way in which it was larger than any other con i've been to before? it's also the first con i've been to that had a full slate of thursday events as well as the more typical all-day friday/all-day saturday/half-day sunday. heck, most furry cons i've been to don't even have all-day fridays since the first thing that happens is usually an opening ceremony in the early afternoon.

mommy & i booked a couple mtg events on saturday because of course we did, but i was really looking forward to playing a bunch of indie rpgs considering that we have a rather embarrassing pile of them at home considering we've never actually sat down and played one. (tbf i am working on a solo run of the almanac of sanguine paths, but i think that's the first rpg i've played that isn't d&d apart from playing like one session of shadowrun that ended up not going anywhere.)

the first thing mommy & grammy & i did on thursday was play a session of yazeba's bed & breakfast. already we were starting with a game that's drastically different than any i've played before. it's sort of a cozy, queer, story-heavy roleplay experience with predetermined characters & scenarios. you keep track of character progress by making physical changes to the book & character sheets with stickers and such, and you can "unlock" different characters & scenarios & features of the hotel as you play through various chapters.

the vibe of the game is very much that you're taking on roles of already-existing characters and playing through their choices in a storybook, and i have to admit that prior to playing this game i had never really understood the appeal of these sorts of games as creating a very specific character to express myself has always been a big part of the appeal for me with rpgs. this reminded me more of the kind of enjoyment i got from one of my favorite pc games, beacon pines. it's less of a big world where you have adventures and more of an already-written story that you get to participante in and shape with your choices.

the chapters in the book are intentionally given fairly arbitrary chapter numbers and arranged in the book in a pretty random order, which resulted in our gm saying the highly enjoyable words "we'll go ahead and start with the first chapter in the book, which is chapter 3."

each chapter starts with a pretty detailed prompt that reads like the opening few pages of a chapter in a book, ending with a jumping off point for the people playing to take over deciding what their character is doing. there doesn't seem to be any kind of initiative or turn order, but everyone at our table was pretty polite about making sure everyone was getting roughly equal chances to make their choices. the game is also diceless, with chapters having some kind of fixed way of resolving their various actions including taking & giving tokens, flipping coins, picking playing cards, etc.

after you've played through the chapter, there's a passage for the gm to read depending on how successful you were at whatever mechanic the chapter is based on, and you might unlock some boons for your characters, the hotel, or unlock new characters & chapters altogether.

the game also seems to actively encourage you trying out different characters. each chapter seems to have one or two mandatory characters and then allows you to pick any characters you've unlocked, though our gm was super nice and offered to let me use a character who wasn't technically unlocked yet because they had come up in my brief research of the game and i liked the sound of them, but i was too shy to take them up on that in our first chapter.

for the first chapter i played gertrude, and while she wasn't as natural of a fit for me, me playing a moody, anxious teenager also certainly wasn't the biggest stretch anyone's ever asked someone to make while roleplaying.

the character i really enjoyed playing, though, was the moon prince.

i know a big part of the game is probably "trying on" different characters, and i do genuinely want to give more of them a try, but i feel like if i get a chance to play this game a lot more i'll likely end up "maining" the moon prince in a similar way to how i mostly played mercy when i played overwatch but side-mained d.va or lucio at various points in my "career." (yeah, cannot imagine anyone else is out there comparing this rpg to overwatch, but it's the point of comparison i have for this specific aspect, leave me alone.)

i really do enjoy the vibes of this game so i do hope i get to play more of it! mommy did buy the book so there's a decent chance we'll be playing more of it. fingers crossed!

after this, which was our first scheduled game, we kind of flailed around looking for stuff to do. we did end up spending a good amount of time in the exhibition hall but that was hella overwhelming so i was only able to tolerate it for so long. we did get to see wyrmspan being demoed and i get what people are saying when they say it's more crunchy than wingspan. while "wingspan but draogns" is still a phenomenal concept for a game, i will admit that as i saw it being demoed no matter how cool the new mechanics seemed, i kind of found myself missing the cozy vibes & lightly educational aspects of wingspan? i especially wish they had replaced all the bird facts with fake dragon facts rather than just using the whole card for gameplay stuff, but ah well. i'm sure i'll enjoy it if i get around to playing it.

eventually we ended up checking out the "games on-demand" room, and ended up playing a game i've seen a bunch of times at work but never actually played, untitled ghost game.

this game is normally gm-less, but at the convention with players who had never played it before, we had a really awesome gm facilitating it for us. and honestly i think that was a big part of why the game went as well for us as it did, because mommy & i were matched up with an extremely normie couple one of whom unironically said "just don't call me late to dinner" when asked for pronouns which is basically the 20s equivalent of the 90s "i just don't see color" for those who are fortunate enough not to know.

that being said, we managed to tell a really great story together thanks largely to the guidance of our gm but also just... not to get too hippy-dippy (that's for a later game! you'll see.), but this really reminded me of the way games can often bring wildly different people together. everyone is just here to have a good time, and... i don't know, there's something really encouraging about that.

so yeah, basically you all take turns describing different aspects of the setting and then us as a ghost and then the person or place being haunted, you decide if you want to intensify the feelings that the person or place is having or if you want to help them overcome them, and then you flip a coin to see how you do. and in the case of our game we very quickly established an identity as a ghost who, while somewhat mischievous, really did want to help, and it ended up being incredibly wholesome.

i don't know that this is necessarily a game i'll come back to unless i end up thinking someone else will really vibe with it, but i really am glad i had the experience i had playing it. it was genuinely lovely.

once we finished that, grammy had finished her gm shift and it was time to meet up for dinner and chill until the first game all four of us were playing together, weird heroes of public access.

whpa is a 2d6 game in which the players take on the role of a host of a local public access tv host in a town that's about to experience some supernatural fuckery. your can host something like a cooking show, a variety show, a talkshow, etc. i named my character kenny kaiju and gave him a monster movie review show called kaiju kino.

our scenario saw the town being taken over by some kind of demon who was using the station to hypnotize its denizens into slaves. i had very normal feelings about this!

our gm (sorry, "station manager") was pretty cool and i had a lot of fun with this game. it wasn't my favorite of the weekend or anything, but i think it solidly delivered on its premise and i wouldn't mind playing it again sometime.

anyway, that was a wrap on day 1! i was pretty exhausted thanks to a combination of jetlag and getting up early to drive the rest of the way to indy, and i think all of us were in a similar boat (even though grammy & cj weren't dealing with jetlag, having only crossed one timezone). so we headed to the hotel which was... pretty awful tbh.

like, it's genuinely fine, it's not like we were going to spend much time there doing anything other than sleeping, but the weird preemptive defensiveness of the staff made it much worse. my favorite part was when we were surprised that there wasn't an elevator and the front desk clerk who was nowhere near us yelled that um actually this was built before the americans with disabilities act so it didn't need an elevator. um, ok, cool? really set a tone there. (they also made some really weird choices like actively removing chairs from the breakfast area on sunday like they were actively trying to shoo all the convention attendees out of the hotel faster. like, y'all, DON'T worry. we were NOT planning on lingering.)

again, it was fine, it wasn't wildly unsafe or anything, i don't want to come off like i'm being overly complainy. but i will say that it is NOT very obvious from their website that the hotel is completely inaccessible to anyone with mobility issues. which fortunately isn't really any of the four of us, but like... i've literally seen events be more clear about the accessibility of buildings they do not own than this hotel is about the place you're relying on being able to sleep at? (heck, i've ORGANIZED events at older venues that unfortunately weren't accessible, and we were always VERY clear about that in every form of advertising. as far as i can tell, literally the only way you can tell that about this hotel on their website is that there's a small tab on the features that's greyed out instead of white. i know most people with mobility issues likely check very closely for this kind of thing so hopefully no one has ended up in an unfortunate situation, but like... seriously, do better.)

and like, yeah i get that it would be kinda difficult to install an elevator in a building that wasn't meant to have one, but you know what's not difficult? adding as many power outlets as a modern hotel should have. having walls that don't have holes in them. having mattresses that aren't lumpy & stiff as fuck. bringing new towels a single time? or failing that, when we ask for more towels at the desk giving us towels rather than not being able to find any and just giving us bathmats instead??? having dressers that aren't literally missing all their drawers?????? this was a hotel owned by a large hotel chain. there is no reason it should be this crummy & depressingly poorly maintained.

again, it's fine, but absorbing all this while we were all super sleep deprived and overwhelmed from the con was kind of a... Moment. we did our best to take it in stride, though, and crashed to get ready for another day of gaming!

[shaydeoffical]

Demon Slayer x Plus Size Fem!Reader: Clubbing AU

Intro: It’s Friday night and classes are out for the weekend. (Y/n) and her friends are hitting the club and confessing their deepest feelings for each other. Join (Y/n) as she navigates her feelings, body, and drunkenness on a night that could change her life.

Tags: Partying, Confessions, Chubby body, Chubby reader, Fat Reader, Plus Size Reader, Demon Slayer AU, Happy Endings, Giyuu, Shinobu, Genya, Kyojuro Rengoku. 

Warnings: Drunkenness, alcohol, body image, creeps at the bar.

Notes: Big thanks to @the-secret-thief​ and @heartfeltcierra​ for helping me edit and encouraging me to post again! I hope you all love the new story. 

Start Here   

        “You’re shaking, are you nervous or excited?” Shinobu winged my eyeliner, her hand resting on my stomach as she balanced the liner on both sides. The bathroom in Giyu and Tanjiro’s home had terrible lighting, so Shinobu was inches from my face, pressing me closer to the light over the sink.      

        “Both?” My breath hitches in my throat, my white knuckles gripping the sink counter harder as Shinobu and Mitsuri giggle.

        “Don’t be so worried.” Mitsuri played with the hem of her skirt. “You guys are going to have an awesome road trip.”

        “I haven’t left campus except to come here, or visit home. Plus, you can’t predict how things will go at a new club.” Flashes of my cousin’s recording me on my twenty-first birthday, roll through my mind. I suck my stomach in, taking a deep breath before laughing. “God, I’m really killing the vibe. I’m sorry.”

        “No, you’re just expressing what we all are thinking.” Kanae slips into the room, and it takes everything to keep my lips off the floor. She’s in a skin-tight lilac sleeveless dress, with a sheer butterfly shawl over top.

        “Wow.” Mitsuri studies the glitter in her eyes and the highlight on her cheek. She had graduated from college last year and was working on her master’s degree, so she still liked to go out with us. “You’re stunning.”

        “Thank you. You all look amazing.” Kanae winked at me, and I was frozen to my spot long enough for Shinobu to finish.

        “There, beautiful.” Shinobu’s eyes never left mine, she ran her hands down my dress. It was a pink dress covered in hearts, Mitsuri had made it a point that we needed to match. While hers was loose and billowed around her body, mine was a little too big at the chest, and tight in the arms. But the fabric was forgiving, and she was so happy for us to match and I was just so happy to support a brand with a wide size range….

        “You’re spacing out.” Shinobu pulled me off the sink and made me spin. “I know you love to dance, you’re going to have fun.”

        “Why are we partying before a road trip?” I groaned hearing bass start to pound from outside… Kyojuro was defiantly waiting for us.

        “Because it’s ladies' night.” Kanae smiled, wiggling her finger back and forth. We filed out of the washroom, and down the steps to the living room. The house was clean and simple, like a crisp spring in the morning. Their Uncle Uro had let them stay here during school. He was a teacher for the remote students, so he stayed in his office more often than not. That’s considering how often he was away at conferences, like tonight.  

        “Wow.” Tanjiro’s smile widened. “You all look lovely.” Kanao was beside him on the sofa, the two surrounded by books and loose papers.

        “Be safe tonight,” Kanao whispered, turning back to her notes quickly.

        “We will. Giyu will be looking after us.” I teased as the dark-haired man emerged from the downstairs bathroom. He was wearing a button-up, with all the buttons latched as they should, and a pair of black slacks.

        “Of course.” He tinged red, and the front door opened, all our focus going to Kyojuro and Obanai.

        “Hey, guys.” Mitsuri doesn’t miss a beat greeting the other half of the group. Now we were just missing-

        “Oi, why are y’all so slow?” Sanemi bellowed from his car, laying on the horn. The only one not cringing was Kyo, who was way too focused on, me.

        “Hey! We’re coming alright.” Shinobu growled, grabbing my arm and pulling me along. “We’re riding with Kyo, right?”

        “Yeah.” I barely slipped my shoes on and clasped Kyojuro’s hand to have him follow along.

        “(Y/N), you look amazing.” He didn’t need to be dragged, as he lopped arms with me and kept pace with Shinobu.

        “Alright, here we go.” I laughed as they rushed to the red SUV. “Thank you Kyo, I feel good.” He smiled, and even in the dark the way his eyes crinkled made my heart race.

        “Dibs on the back!” Shinobu opened the back door and tucked me inside like a cop, holding my head and everything. While she was studying medicine like Kanae, she might have had an affinity for criminal justice. She wasn’t strong, but she knew how to command a room and stay calm in a hard situation. Like the time we had to dissect a frog and it started to move….she might have quickly poisoned it, but it was quick and painless.

        After more of a ruckus, everyone was in their cars and on their way to the club. Kyo looked back before we took off, he reached back and rubbed my knee and I swatted at his hand. “Kyo.” The smile that spread on my face was infectious as he grinned back at me.

        “Ach hem.” Giyu had crawled into the front seat and was feeling infected with a smile. “Let’s follow Sanemi before he leaves us in the dust.”

        “Is Genya coming this time?” Shinobu hummed, holding my hand and encouraging me to relax back into the seat.

        “I think so.” Kyo then nodded. “I see his mohawk in the back seat.”

        “They put him between Mitsuri and Obanai, how cruel.” I sighed, Kyo passing back a bottle of rum…my favorite brand.

        “He’s abrasive.” Shinobu opens the bottle and then hands it to me. I take a long swig, and she follows suit. “But, I was the younger sister tagging along when I turned twenty-one. It’s a rite of passage.”

        “I suppose.” I take another drink and pass the bottle to Giyu who takes a quick sniff of the bottle before taking a smooth gulp.  

        “Good choice Kyo. Did you pick it with someone in mind?” Giyu pointed his head back at me, and I nervously laughed, shrinking into Shinobu. It had been our pre-game choice since I mentioned liking it last year. There was no reason to call Kyo out now. I thought Kyojuro would deny it or make an offhand comment, but he didn’t.

        “Why yes. (Y/N).” Kyo grins, shifting his car to the next gear. My heart was already racing, but now it was flying.

        “So, Sanemi and Kyo are the designated drivers tonight.” I could feel heat settle on my cheeks, and a sense of weightlessness hit my limbs. Oh, to dream.

        “Yup, they are.” Shinobu was still cuddled next to me, nuzzling her head on mine, our hair was gathering static and handing straight up, so I smoothed it.

        “It’s not me for once.” Giyu could have been described as bitter at this moment, but the truth was he didn’t trust just anyone to D.D. Especially if I was volunteering. He really didn’t trust my driving and with good reason. Drunk or not, I tuckered myself out way too easily at the club and was always super sleepy at the end. Kyo verged on the same, but he knew when to hold back.    

        “We’re here.” Kyo parks, and we tuck the bottle under the back seat and hop out of the car.

        “(Y/N)! Save me!” Mitsuri ran into my arms. I caught her with a slight wobble to my steps, thankfully Giyu was behind me and gave me a boost forward.

        “What’s wrong?” I pet her hair. Most of the group went on to buy our wristbands. “Did someone hurt you?”

        Kanae stayed back and whispered in my ear. “Genya ignored her and started to growl. So, she’s a little worked up.”

        “He’s going to pay.” Obanai was muttering to himself, and I couldn’t help but think that Mitsuri might not be the only one needing saving tonight.

        “Let’s get inside. How about that?” I offered.

        “Yeah. Let’s have some fun?” Kanae was my backup, grabbing Obanai and following behind me as we got to the front.

        The bouncer looked at my I.D. and then huffed. “You clean up nice.” He smirked, putting a band around my wrist.

        “Um, thank you.” I looked into the club, mist scattered across the floor, and as expected, there were ladies in large amounts.

        “(Y/N)! Over here.” Kyojuro waved me to the dance floor, a drink in his hand.

        “On my way,” I called back to him. There was a large dance floor, with plenty of flashing lights and cool patterns to make me dizzy. But first, I needed to set my purse down with the losers who wouldn’t dance.

        “There you guys are. Gosh, what took so long.” Genya was the one complaining this time. Sanemi and Kanae were sneaking off to make out, no doubt. Those two didn’t seem compatible, but there they were, just behind the speaker swapping more than secrets. “What are you staring at?” Genya took over my vision, and I yelped stepping back. Why was he so close, and why did he smell so good?  

        “Nothing.” I shivered, rubbing my mostly bare arms…fuck cap sleeves.  

        “Here.” He shoved a bottle into my hand. “I got this for you.”

        I looked closer and it was a wine cooler, in my favorite flavor. How did he know? “Thank you Genya, this was very sweet.” I reminded myself he was still learning how to act in adult spaces…and it’s not like he had a solid role model in Sanemi.

        “Will you, drink one with me?” he held up another cooler and uncapped it.

        “Of course.” I break the seal on mine and undo the lid. “To tonight.”

        “To tonight.” He nodded and we both downed the drink. While we should have been doing shots, this was cute. He was so sweet, and I’d go as far as to say thoughtfully. While I trusted him, he still left it sealed…

        “(Y/N)! Come dance with us.” Shinobu was dancing with Kyojuro, pulling me towards her like a rope. Giyu was standing close by as my bodyguard, as usual.

        “Come on, let’s dance Genya.” I tugged him with me and got to the dance floor.

        “I can’t dance.” He whispered.

        “Well, just watch us for a minute, and bob to the music,” I instructed, joining my favorite people.

        The song changed, it was just words at first, then the beat slowly started to build up, with each new sound, I added a movement. Starting with my hips, working up my arms to my head, and back to my legs. Without noticing, I fully submerged myself into the music, my eyes shut tight, but I could see everything I needed to.

        “Those hips don’t lie,” Kyojuro whispered in my ear, breaking my concentration long enough to get behind me and bump a stranger from joining us.

        “No, they don’t.” I see Giyu had also turned away a few people from our group. I see Shinobu was still dancing with us, and Genya had loosened up a little and was using his arms and hips to dance.

        Another song comes on, and we kept dancing, and drinking our collective body weight in rum. Soon Obanai and Mitsuri pulled us off the dance floor to do some test-tube shots. I was more than ready for another round of shots.

        “I have an idea before we just take these.” Mitsuri put the bottom between her lips and balanced it. “We Ta-E iT li-E T-is.” She grabbed Obanai and kneeled In Front of him and lined up the tube to his lips, before pushing him down and letting him swallow it whole.    

        “No way.” Genya walked away.

        “I wanna! (Y/N), do me.” Shinobu offered me the vile, her hand lingering on mine.

        “No, me.” Mitsuri volunteered.

        “Huh, she isn’t doing anyone but me.” Genya turned around, puffing out his chest.

        “How about she do Giyu?” Obanai licked his lips. “ I can do you.” He looked at Mitsuri with narrowed eyes that kept daring the rest of us to offer to sensually pour booze down her throat.

        “(Y/n), who do you want to do your shot?” Kanae snuck up behind me, laughing as I stiffened.

        “Uhhh?”

[mapis-putellas]

When it rains, it pours.

My first collab with the awesome @goldenempyrean! I had tons of fun writing this with them so I hope you enjoy! (Lmk if you want a part 2!)

Pairings: Lizzie x you

Words: 2702

Warnings: none

Summary: Lizzie had stormed out of the house and straight into the pouring rain of the ongoing downpour…that really couldn’t have been good for her health. Luckily she had you there to take care of her.

As the rain battered loudly against the windows, you knew something was wrong. Lizzie had been quiet all evening, barely touching her dinner and avoiding eye contact with you for the whole of your meal despite you trying to engage her in conversation whilst simultaneously trying to figure out what was wrong - because something definitely was.

Then you made your mistake. It was one snide comment. Something so trivial. Any other day she would’ve smirked and thrown back a witty come back right back towards you…but not this time.  

Instead she suddenly stood up, “No, absolutely not. Fuck this.” She hissed, her eyes burning daggers into you as she accidentally over her glass before marching straight towards out of the kitchen and towards the entrance to your home. Without another word, she flung open the main door and stormed out into the pouring rain outside, not bothering to stop and grab her coat before slamming the door closed behind her with a heavy thud.

“What the f-“ A loud crack of thunder had interrupted your curse as the bright flash of lightning briefly illuminated the dark sky outside before the already heavy rain began to violently beat down against the windows.

You found yourself cursing again, this time for another reason. Lizzie can’t be outside in that weather. There were a million reasons but most of all, it just wasn’t safe, especially not when you’d had severe weather warnings all week long. Without a second thought, you rushed to grab your coat and car keys before hurrying outside to go find your wife.

The heavy rain on the windshield of your car obscures your vision despite the window wipers going at full speed. You could barely see two foot in front of you, and you’d lost count of just how many times you’ve had to quickly slam your foot onto the break to prevent an accident.  

Half an hour had passed since your wife had stormed out of the house, and despite your best efforts, you were no closer to finding her than you were when you'd first started.  

Your concern had now grown to the point of being almost frantic, and despite your best efforts to blink them away, salty tears had begun to steadily stream down your cheeks.  

Where in the heck was she?  

Deciding you'd have better luck on foot, you pull your car off to the side of the road before climbing out. You were almost immediately soaked by the torrential downpour, and your mind instantly drifts back to Lizzie. She'd been out in the rain a lot longer than you had, so you could only imagine what state she'd be in when you find her.  

Almost like God himself had heard your silent prayer, the familiar green of the hoodie she had put on this morning catches your eye from a few hundred years away. Her small figure seemed to be slumped defeatedly beneath a tree, and you blindly grab her coat from the passenger seat before quickly making your way over to her.  

"Oh honey," you murmur once you get close enough. She was absolutely soaked to the bone; clothing saturated, hair plastered to either side of her face and her bottom lip visibly trembling.  

Lizzie looks up at you, eyes shiny with what you could only assume were unshed tears. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't..."  She trails off, seemingly insure on what she could say to make the situation better, and you shook your head dismissively as you crouched down and place the thick coat over her shoulders.  

She seemed to instinctively curl into the warmth, allowing you reach forward and brush a soaked strand of hair out of her face.  

"Let's go home, okay?" You murmured as you trailed the pad of your thumb over the wet skin, and Lizzie could only nod.

You stood up and hold out your hand for her to take. Lizzie seemed to hesitate for a moment before placing her small hand in yours, and you gently tugged her up to her feet. She leant heavily against you as you begin to walk back to the car, and you wrap an arm around her waist to steady her, not wanting her to slip on the muddy grass.

The journey back to your house is silent, the only sounds being the seemingly endless supply of raindrops hitting against the windshield along with the soft sniffles coming from your wife in the passenger seat. You're not entirely sure what had caused her to react so strongly earlier, but you know that you need to give her the space and time she needs to work through it. The last thing you wanted to do was to make things worse.

As you pull into your driveway, you turn off the car's engine and sit in silence for a few moments. Lizzie is still leaning against you the window, and you can see her still trembling slightly.  

"Come on," you say softly, giving her a gentle nudge so she’d look up and realise that you were home, "Let's get inside and dry off. This weather’s nasty."

Lizzie nodded wordlessly, and you both make your way inside the house. As soon as you're through the door, you headed straight to the bathroom, where you start running a warm bath for her.

"Here," you said, passing Lizzie a towel. "Get out of those wet clothes, and I'll bring you something dry to wear."

Lizzie nodded again, taking the towel from you and disappearing into the bathroom. You could hear the sound of running water as you headed to the bedroom to find some dry clothes for her.

When you return to the bathroom, Lizzie is already in the bath, the warm water enveloping her. She looks up as you enter, and for a moment, you both just stare at each other.

"I'm sorry," Lizzie said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay," you reply, sitting down on the edge of the bath. As you sat beside her, you couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for your snide remark earlier. You had no idea what was going on with her, and you should have been more supportive instead of adding to her stress.  

But you also couldn’t have known how she was feeling due to the fact she’d refused to talk to you, so you knew neither one of you were solely to blame.  

“What happened?” You ask, making your voice as unaccusing as possible.  

Lizzie sighs as she lays her head against the back of the tub. “It was nothing. Not really. I was just having a bad day. A build up of lots of things, you know?” She tentatively flickers her eyes over at you, and you find yourself nodding in understanding. You reach out and grab her hand that had been resting on the side on the tub, allowing her fingers to tangle with her own.  

“I’m sorry if my comment made it worse. I didn’t mean to do that.” You apologise, and Lizzie nods appreciatively as she sits up. When she holds out her other hand, you lean closer and allow her to cup your cheek. She trails the pad of her thumb over the skin before lightly tugging you forward, and you couldn’t help but smile when she places her lips against your own.

You allowed it to linger for a little while before pulling away, the corners of your lips quirked up into an endearing grin. “You’re cute. Want me to wash your hair?”

Lizzie lets out a content sigh as she nods her head, and you watch as she skinks back into the water to wet her hair before reaching for the shampoo. A comfortable silence falls upon you as you work on washing her hair, your finger tips grazing soothingly over her scalp. Lizzie hums contently at the action, and you couldn’t help but smile at the sound as you press a chaste kiss to her forehead before grabbing the shower head.  

Soon, you were both tucked up in bed, Lizzie’s smaller frame curled up against your own. You could feel her soft breath hitting your neck as she slowly succumbs to sleep. Although today had been rough, you were glad to end it like this. Tucked up in bed with your favourite person in the whole entire world.

You’d slept well that night and had woken up with Lizzie still curled into up into you – that was always a lovely thing to wake up too and it had started your morning perfectly.

As you slowly opened up your eyes fully, you noticed that the bedroom was being dimly lit by the soft glow of the morning sun peeking through the blinds, the previous night’s storm having blown over leaving behind a calm, blue sky in its place. Your gaze then travelled over down to your Lizzie again as she lay curled up, buried deep under the covers. She was adorable... But it was as you were admiring how cute she looked in that moment that you noticed how she was breathing heavier than usual, her chest rising and falling in an uneven rhythm.

Concerned, you gently placed your hand on her forehead and immediately felt the heat radiating from her skin, unfortunately it seemed the action had stirred her a little as she groaned groggily as she began to slowly wake up.

You didn’t even have time to voice your concerns before Lizzie’s head was suddenly ducking forward into your chest with two sudden sneezes.

“EiiTSHHHu! Hhih- Hih-! HiiTSHHIEW!”

“Goodness, that’s a new way of saying goodmorning,” You chuckled, pretending not to notice Lizzie rubbing her nose against your shirt – in her defence, the poor woman was barely awake, her eyes were still shut slightly as she tried to wake up properly. She was really the cutest person in the world and even the fact that she'd just sneezed on you and rubbed it all over you didn't change that.

“Bless you, by the way.”  

Lizzie let out a soft groan as she shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable again. You could tell that she was feeling miserable, her body shivering slightly despite the warmth of the blankets.

She groaned again and snuggled deeper into your embrace, desperate for some warmth. “Thanks,” she muttered hoarsely, her voice thick with a noticeable congestion before she broke off to turn away and cough weakly against her arm, grimacing a little afterwards at the pain in her chest.

"Baby..." Lizzie sniffled as she turned back towards you and buried her face back against your chest. "I don't feel very well." She croaked, her voice awfully sounding scratchy and hoarse.

You nodded knowingly as you began to comb your fingers through her slightly tangled hair. “Yeah, the sneezes kind of gave that away,” you teased lightly, and Lizzie gave you an unimpressed look as she brung her hand up to rub at her itchy nose.

“Sorry baby,” you murmured apologetically, leaning down to press a kiss against her rather warm forehead. “Are you up some some food? I don’t really want to give you any medicine on an empty stomach.” 

Before Lizzie could even begin to answer you, her breath hitched and she was stifling another sneeze into your chest, “Hitshhiew!” She let out a quiet groan knowing she was in for a long day. 

“Bless you honey.” You pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “I’ll go get you some fruit or something, okay?” 

Lizzie nodded with wet sniffle, and you made a mental note to also grab her a box of tissues as you climbed out of bed and shrug on a hoodie. 

The cold hit you the second your feet hit the tiled floor on the bottom of the staircase, and you shivered slightly as you head through to the kitchen. After turning on the light and washing your hands, you made quick work of preparing Lizzie some warm oatmeal, topping it with strawberries and blueberries. 

Placing the bowl on a tray along with some cough medicine, Tylenol, a bottle of water and a box of tissues, you made your way back upstairs and nudged the bedroom open with your hip. Lizzie was just as you’d left her, and you couldn’t help but smile at the sight as you set the tray down onto the nightstand. 

“I brought you oatmeal.” You greeted her with a soft smile as you climbed back into bed and held open your arms. 

Lizzie sniffles softly as she curls up against your side, “Yummy.” She murmured, voice sounding full of congestion. 

You pouted softly at the sound as you reached for the oatmeal, scooping out a small spoonful and blowing on it to make sure it wasn’t too hot before holding it to her lips. She accepted it with a soft hum or content, and it told you that whatever illness she had hadn’t yet taken away her ability to taste. 

“Good?” You asked, preparing another spoonful, and Lizzie nodded her head as her lips once again part. She slowly but surely made her way through half of the bowl before lightly pushing it away, and you accepted her silent implication and placed it back down. 

“Alright my love, time for some medicine.”

Lizzie whinged a little, but that only made her cough harshly into her fist, “Okay fine.” She mumbled quietly after she’d finished coughing.

“Good girl, let’s open this up for you.” You smiled, running your hand through her hair then down onto her back before grabbing the bottle of cough medicine and pouring out the appropriate dose.

“Drink this for me sweetheart.” You encouraged her lightly, handing her the small cup which she brought to her lips.

Once she had swallowed the last of the medicine, you took the cup from her and smiled down at the small redhead. "Good job baby, that soothe help your cough a bit. Can you tell me how you feel though, like symptom-wise?”

She nodded, taking a second to grab a tissue to wipe against her runny nose before she began speaking, “My head feels achy and it feels really stuffy in my sinuses. My throat’s sore too and I’m keep feeling like I’m getting chills.”

“Awh, baby,” you pouted sympathetically as she described how she felt, “I think you’ve just caught yourself a head-cold. You do feel warm though, do you feel feverish?”

Lizzie sighed and seemed to think for a moment before quietly mumbling, “A little…”

Placing a tender kiss down to her forehead only confirmed her words, “Poor thing, you definitely feel a like you’re running a temperature. How about I go get a cool cloth for your head? I think we may actually have some of those fever reducing patches somewhere, the ones that go on your head.”

Lizzie sniffled softly, “That’d be nice, thank you.” She murmurs with a smile, and you return it before climbing out of bed with the intention of fetching her a fever reducing patch.

After a few minutes of looking, you find them in the medicine cabinet along with all the other medications, and after grabbing one out of the box, you make your way back into the bedroom.  

“Here you are baby.” You murmur, gently placing it onto her forehead. You even press a soft kiss against the top of it for good measure.

“Thank you.” Lizzie murmurs sleepily as her heavy lids close, and you give her cheek a tender touch before climbing into bed next to her. She almost instinctively curls into your side, and you wrap your arms around her before allowing your own eyes to slip closed too.

*

Apparently falling asleep next to her and allowing her to breathe all over you wasn’t a good move on your part.  

Because when you finally came to a few hours later, there was a familiar stuffiness growing in your head. Lizzie was still snoozing away against you, her breathing slightly hoarse, and you couldn’t help but smile at the sight. That smile however, was soon wiped from your face when you feel your nose begin to itch.

“Huh’htschoo!”

Oh no...

**

Thank you so much for reading!! ✨

[frogofalltime]

08.02.2024

today i missed my morning lecture because it was supposed to be 10-11am but my 8am alarm didn't go off and i woke up at almost 11 lol

i got up and looked out of my window and it was snowing !!!!! and it just continued to get heavier as i ate breakfast and got ready for class !!!!!!

i realised i was running slightly behind, normally i would've been fine but it takes a lot longer to walk in the snow, and i kept slipping and falling all the way to class, so i ended up being a bit late.

after the lecture me and @etherealspacejelly slid our way up the road, robin had to go to another class (sad times) and i went to the park to enjoy the snow.

i saw our pigeons shivering in the cold and the ducks were fighting with them to get some food. i ran around in the deep snow and got my shoes and trousers all wet.

then i slid down the hill to my friends' house. we played in the snow for a while but our hands got too cold and we went inside. i ate snacks and drank some hot water to warm up.

one of our friends chased us around the house with a horrible monkey stress toy that their siblings gave them for christmas and i genuinely thought it was going to explode and cover the house with flour but somehow it remained intact despite all the abuse it was being put through.

then we went to our last class of the day. it was a very boring lecture about bioinformatics that didn't seem to be very useful. i sat next to robin and we messed around drawing silly things on his notepad and laughing too much. luckily we were at the back of an enormous lecture hall so the professor did not notice our behaviour.

when that was finally over, my friend who was also in the same lecture met me to go to a place where you can build lego sets, and we walked through the snow to get there. i hadn't seen this friend since before christmas so it was fun to catch up and hear about how T gel is going for him (he said it's going well, and i noticed his voice is a lot lower, which is really awesome) !!

i was completely drenched with cold water by the time we arrived but it was nice and cosy indoors and i built a lego shark. i also made a small hammerhead shark using leftover pieces, i didn't use instructions for it so i'm actually pretty impressed with how it turned out :D

i took my antidepressant meds and immediately started feeling weird. i've been getting a lot of tension headaches in the evenings since i started the adhd meds, even though i stopped taking them, idk why my antidepressants are affecting me like this, but my hypothesis is that they stopped working properly because of the interaction with the stimulants and now they are starting to work again which is causing my body to have to readjust ??

then we walked home and got soaked again. it was raining now so the snow was all melting and my feet were so so so cold. when i got back to my student accommodation i built a tiny snowman which made my fingers numb, collected my laundry that i had forgotten about in the dryer for 24 hours, and took a hot shower to warm myself up.

finally i ate dinner. my appetite is immense lately; i had twice as much as i normally eat and i didn't even feel uncomfortably full. i guess it's because i didn't eat properly last week so my body is making up for it.

i finished my reread of percy jackson and the lightning thief and wasted time on my phone for a while. then robin encouraged me to wash my dishes and i finally went to bed just before midnight.

it took me a while to get to sleep because of the tension headache which was making my eyes hurt. i hope this goes away soon. also it was very cold and the dripping noises from the snow melting outside were driving me insane. but other than that i had a really good day and i'm very happy !!!

[koolkat9]

Royal Red Bros Week 2024 - Day 2

@royalredbrosweek

Prompt: Lost || Study Abroad/Exchange

Rating: T

Relationship: England + Canada

Word Count: 546

Read on AO3

Author's Note: Fun fact. This is based on a personal experience from my exchange!

Not Alone

Getting dropped in the middle of nowhere was a great summary of how this whole exchange experience had been so far.

Matthew looked at his app, wondering if he missed the stop he was supposed to get off at to reach town, but no, this was where the app sent him. He grunted, shoving the phone in his pocket.

He started walking towards a nearby suburb and what looked like a collection of stores just beyond it. He spotted a man just ahead, heading the same way. Heart hammering in his chest, stomach flip-flopping, Matthew approached the man.

“Um…Excuse me sir…I-I was just wondering if I’m going the right way to reach the main part of town?”

The man turned to him, brow raised. He was silent for a moment. Matthew shrunk back.

Finally, the man spoke. “Yes. I’m heading that way right now actually.”

“Cool. Awesome. Um…” Matthew tugged lightly at the strings of his sweatshirt.

The man started walking a gestured towards him.“Come along. We’re heading the same way, and you’re clearly not from around here.”

The man spoke sharply, much like his features. It made Matthew straighten up when he spoke.

“A-Alright. Thank you.”

The two walked in silence for a moment. Matthew couldn’t stop looking around at the houses. Many looked straight out of a fairy tale with Tudor siding and worn brick.

“So, where are you from?” The man finally asked.

“Ah. Canada. Just outside Ottawa.”

The man’s face softened slightly, almost as if he was suppressing a smile. “Ah, Canada. Have a daughter out there. Lived there for almost a decade actually, but I was on the east coast.”

“Oh? Where might I ask?”

“New Brunswick. Then I moved to Southern Ontario to be closer to my daughter and her wife.”

Matthew nodded along. “Nice, nice.”

“Are you here on holiday?”

“No. Exchange actually. For about a year.”

“Oh, so are you at the university just down the road?”

Matthew nodded, weight being lifted with each word. “Yeah. I just wanted to get out and explore the area so I came here.”

The two eventually reached the main street. Or at least what Matthew assumed was something like a main street. There were shops, cafes, all things he could check out. The man pointed towards some shops he liked to browse, a cafe that he stated served the best scones, and the waterfront where he liked to sit and read.

“Will you be good from here?” The man asked.

“I think so. Thank you for all your help.”

“Oh, here.” The man pulled out a notebook from his pocket and scribbled something onto the page. “My name is Arthur, and if you ever would like to chat or get together for dinner or coffee. Feel free to reach out." Arthur paused for a moment, looking off to the side wistfully. "I…I know it can feel lonely so far from home without knowing anyone around you. And if I can alleviate some of that…”

Matthew took the paper and stared down at it in awe. “Thank you…that means a lot actually.”

Arthur patted his back. “Now I got groceries to get. Enjoy your adventure lad.”

Matthew smiled softly and nodded before taking off towards the waterfront.

[kuu-stuff]

09 December 2024

Yesterday I went for a late walk after it rained most of the day. I feel alive again ! Why do I keep listening to Americans when they obviously haven't walked more than 10 min in a row for the past decade ToT My in-laws always stress when I go out after 4 pm like I will be stranded in darkness or something. Or saying that it's too cold to go out like if I'm not used to walk in the snow. Or some neighbors worrying that I'm not carrying pepper spray or weapon going through the NEIGHBORHOOD that is pretty much only used by the people living here since most of the roads are dead ends. They make it feel like I could die at any moment. Always worried about snakes/insects, luminosity, weather,... I was literally home by 7, it wasn't even completely dark yet and everyone was shocked that I was outside. This is so silly... I used to go to the forest at night, even in big cities I would walk after sunset, here even during the day I get sometimes comments trying to dissuade me. Do they think crime doesn't exist in Europe ? I'd argue that there is less chances of being attacked here. And as much as we don't have as many wild life, in 3 years I only encountered snakes in our yard and in a shed and the only other wild life that gives me hard time are mosquitoes and ants. I could ramble for hours but my point was that walking in the evening after a light rain when the water still drops from the trees when almost every houses are decorated for Christmas and no one is out is sooooo great. The weather is finally cold enough for me to survive. The smell in fall, after the rain is so aromatic. The sound is soothing. The animals are calm and play around. It's just so awesome and I missed it so much.

✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

I tried the site blocktoon to post "This time I can share it with you" on it, just to try it out and I don't wanna complain because it's free and seems to be good for many people, but it's kind of trash ? It's little things like automatically only showing jpeg files while uploading while ... who tf still use jpegs for pictures ?? Then I couldn't upload some infos on my page without disclosing every single infos. The uploading time was loooong and I couldn't even preview it before posting. And especially, it made my pages look soooo bad quality. It's true that I didn't read what format they wanted and didn't want to go through the trouble to change each pages into jpegs, but come on, this is laaaame. We'll see if anyone reads it. I haven't advertised anything so maybe no one will. Bah, I'm just doing it because I lust for comments. ✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ I got a great neeeew idea for a comic and I got a ton of scenes and stuff already, maybe after finishing this part of "Contained" and next part of "This time [...]" I could try that ? I did want to take commissions in January so I could just relax and work on those and the new comic, like I did for "Here, within reach" (that I still have to finish too) ahlala...