#this is the thought I woke up to at 6:50 this morning

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Sometimes I think about how Wai and Puen are definitely NOT the same person, and then I think about how much Jimmy has improved in less than a year, and then I think about what he might do next...and then I think about Jimmy in glasses and then it's just *head empty no thoughts*

[finnsbubblegum]

I Don’t Deserve You {Part 2} (Joel Miller x Reader)

Pairing: post-outbreak!joel miller x f!reader

Warnings: fluff, protective joel, age gap (reader is in her 20s and Joel is in his 50s), stalking, sexual assault attempt (lmk if i missed any)

Summary: You were popular in Jackson but you have been single your whole life. Despite many men flirting with you, you have never found your ideal type. Until one day, you saw Joel and you fell in love at first sight.  But he felt insecure.

Words count: 2.9k 

A/N: This is part 2 for I Don’t Deserve You Part 1. Thank you to everyone who read my fanfic! 

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

It was a usual Monday after the night Joel saved you from Josh. You woke up early and got ready to work and meet your students. 

“Good morning, kids! How was your weekend?” You asked the students with a soft tone.

“I watched a movie with my dad last night!” A girl shouted.

“It was my birthday yesterday!” Another girl shouted.

They were active and you were always happy to listen to their stories. Their stories were always interesting to you. You loved how children were so pure and innocent. 

“Oh really? Well, happy birthday to you! Why don’t we all sing happy birthday to Samantha?” 

You invited the other students to sing the Happy Birthday song for Samantha. Each of the students followed your clap and sang the Happy Birthday song together. The day went and it was already time for the class to be dismissed. 

“Okay everyone! Class is dismissed! Don’t forget to do your homework!”

Everyone was packing their bags hurriedly and you glanced at the door. The door had a rectangle transparent glass and you saw Joel. When he caught your eye, he quickly hid. You found him so cute and felt butterflies in your stomach. It felt like you were in your teenage years all over again. You shook your head and smiled. The kids were starting to leave one by one and you began to pack your stuff on the table. 

“I saw you there Joel.” You teased Joel who was still hiding.

“Uhm.. Sorry.” He slowly walked inside the class and cleared his throat.

“You caught me.” He smiled shyly and put his hand on the nape of his neck.

“Are you stalking me now?” You joked.

“Absolutely not. I was just around and thought I’d stop by to see how you’re teaching the kids. Hope you didn’t teach them curse words.” He joked remembering his last joke at the bar that was cut off by Josh’s appearance.

“Of course not.” You scoffed and slightly hit his chest. 

“Are you heading home now?” Joel put his hands on his waist.

“Yes, all the kids have gone home so I should go home now.”

“I’ll walk you home.” Joel gestured a movement from his hands as if he was asking you to follow him.

“Sure. Thank you.” You grabbed your purse and jacket.

Joel wasn’t actually around the area. He was not patrolling that day and couldn’t keep thinking about last night. He was worried that Josh might come to you and bother you again. After thinking about it for a few hours, he decided to visit you at school and walk you home. He thought that it was the least thing he could do to protect you. Without realizing it, he was starting to have feelings towards you. 

“Do you want to come in and have dinner with me tonight? I can cook something for us.” You hoped Joel would say yes before you got in your house.

“Sure. Ellie is making friends now so she often stays out late.” 

“Great. Come in.” You welcomed Joel.

You hung your jacket and Joel did the same. 

“Please make yourself at home while I cook dinner.” You smiled at Joel.

Joel nodded and sat on the sofa in your living room. You walked to your kitchen, opened your fridge and took out some ingredients. 

“Can I help you with somethin’?” Joel suddenly stood up and walked towards you.

“No, no. I’m good. Let me serve you dinner tonight.” Joel was your guest so you wanted to serve him.

“Okay.” Joel walked away and started to look around your house.

“You have a lot of books.” Joel stopped at your bookshelf.

“Oh, yes. I love to read. I’m a teacher.” You laughed.

“Right.” Joel chuckled.

After a few moments of banter while you were preparing dinner, you were finally done.

“Dinner’s ready.” You called for Joel.

He looked back from the sofa and hurried his way to the dining table.

“Smells good.” He sniffed.

You both started eating. You were nervous because you were scared Joel might not like your cooking. And your legs were shaking under the table.

“Hmm.. It’s delicious. Thank you.” Joel praised your food.

“Phew.. I was scared you didn’t like it.” You sighed.

“Are you kidding? This is the best meal I’ve ever had in the past 20 years.” He chuckled as he shoved another spoonful of your cooking.

“Thank you, Joel. You’re really sweet.” You were touched hearing his words.

The two of you had conversations as you finished your dinner. 

“Let me wash the dishes. You cooked so I will wash the dishes.” Joel offered.

“Sure.” You gave your dishes to Joel.

You watched him from behind and got lost in your fantasy. You were imagining a life where you and Joel lived under the same roof as family. And you were the wife making dinner for your husband when he got off from work. He looked dashing from behind and his shoulder was broad. You imagined how it would feel kissing him. But you didn’t want to rush so you had to hold yourself. You hit your head and got back to reality. 

“Done.” Joel wiped his hands with a towel.

“Thank you, Joel. For washing the dishes.” 

“It’s nothin’. You cooked for me so it’s fair if I wash the dishes.” He shook his head.

You wondered how a man like him treated you so nice. You kept wondering why he didn’t come into your life sooner. Then you remembered why. You were half his age. But you didn’t care. As long as he made you happy, you didn’t care about anything.

You and Joel spent a few hours hanging out at your house then it was time for him to go home.

“I should probably head home.” Joel looked at you.

“Yeah, sure. Thank you for walking me home today.”

“Anytime. Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.” Joel thanked you.

You chuckled as you walked him to your door and grabbed his jacket.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Joel raised his eyebrows.

“Sure. See you tomorrow.” You waved your hand goodbye to Joel.

The next day, Joel came and picked you up from work. He walked you home and had dinner with you for the second day, third day, fourth day, and it went on and on. Except when it was his turn to go on patrol, he couldn’t walk you home. But he would always tell you in advance if he couldn’t walk you home. 

Joel and you often hung out in the city as well. Since you got close with Joel, Josh had never shown up. He just stared at you from afar but he had never approached you. You even had less guys flirting with you. As time went by, people were starting to recognize your relationship with him. People were making rumors and talking about you and Joel. They were talking about how far your age gap was and how Joel didn’t deserve you. He was old and ruthless but you were young and kind. You didn’t care what anyone said. Joel had never hurt you, he was always respectful, he was definitely not like what other people said. As a matter of fact, Joel had never been kind to anyone but you. 

Your feelings towards Joel have grown deeper and deeper. On the other side, you had no idea how Joel felt towards you. Did he like you or did he just see you as a kid who needed protection? But you didn’t want this to end so you kept your feelings hidden until it was 2 months since you and Joel spent time together. You couldn’t hold your feelings hidden any longer.

It was another usual dinner with Joel. You watched him as he was walking outside your front porch. 

“Joel.” You stopped him before he walked his way home.

“Huh?” He raised his eyebrows and looked back.

“Can I ask you something?” You wiped your sweaty hands to your jeans.

“Sure. What is it?” He walked his way back to your porch where you were standing, resting his hands on the handrail.

“What are we, Joel? I mean - I - I like you, Joel.” You confessed your feelings to Joel and stepped closer to him.

Instead of telling you the way he felt about you, he took a step back. 

“No.” His voice was really low, he shook his head and looked down.

Your eyes were getting blurry as tears welled up in your eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” Joel quickly walked away from you.

“Joel.. Please..” You tried to stop him but you thought it was better to stay.

You were heartbroken. You went to your bedroom, covered your face with your pillow and cried all night.

On his way home, Joel was also heartbroken. He couldn’t see you cry like that, especially because of him. He regretted leaving you hanging like that. He wished he could hug you and comfort you. But he knew he shouldn’t. He had heard the rumors and he agreed to what people were saying. He regretted treating you nice if it would end up breaking your heart. He shouldn’t give you hope in the first place. Since then, Joel started avoiding you. He didn’t walk you home and didn’t have dinner with you. You and Joel ended just like that.

You hadn’t seen Joel since. Your days went so slow. Days felt weeks, weeks felt months, months felt years. It has been a month and you hated this feeling. You wanted closure so you decided to find Joel. You walked to his house and knocked on his door.

“Hi!” It was Ellie.

“Uhm.. Hi! Is Joel home?” You asked Ellie.

“Yeah! Joel! Someone’s here looking for you!” Ellie shouted and called Joel.

Joel made his way down stairs and his eyes widened when he saw you at his front door.

“We need to talk, please.” You begged Joel.

“Okay.” Joel gestured to Ellie to go, he closed the door and invited you to sit on the patio chairs at his front porch.

You sat with him but he didn’t say anything. So you started the conversation.

“Did I do something wrong, Joel?” You tried to find what was wrong to fix your relationship with him.

“No.” He replied coldly.

“It’s okay. Just tell me, Joel. Let me fix us.” You begged him.

“It’s not you. It’s me.” Joel wanted the best for you.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. What do you mean?” You were confused.

“I know you heard about the rumors. They were right. I don’t deserve you. I’m old. I’ve done bad things. I’ve killed people. And you’re young, beautiful…inside out, kind, perfect and everythin’. You deserve someone way better than me. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have started anythin’ with you. I realized I was crossin’ the line, that's why it’s better that I stopped before I hurt you more.” Joel put his elbow on his knees as he explained to you.

“That’s not right. I don’t care what people say, Joel. You treated me so nice. You’ve never hurt me. You protect me, Joel.” You shook your head in denial.

“Don’t you get it? I don’t deserve you.” Joel started to raise his voice.

“No, Joel. Please. Give me a chance. I can’t live without you. Please. Give us a chance.” You cried as you begged him.

Joel wanted to cry but he held it. He didn’t want to look weak. Instead he stood up and asked you to leave. 

“I promise I won’t see you again.” Joel’s words made your heart even wretched.

“Joel, please..don’t..Can you at least give me a hug as a goodbye? Please?” You grabbed his wrist.

Joel wanted to hug you. He really did. But it would just make him change his mind. If he hugged you, he might not be able to let you go. So he let go of your hand and walked inside his house. You cried so loud and kneeled in front of his door. Hoping for Joel to come out and change his mind, but a few hours went by and he didn’t appear. You were getting hopeless so you decided to go home. You cried on your walk and you didn’t realize someone was following you. You grabbed your keys and went inside your house. Someone was holding your door before you closed it. 

“Joel?” You hoped Joel was following you home.

“Nuh-uh baby. It’s me. Josh.” Josh smirked.

You gasped and started to shake. 

“Wh-what are you do-doing?” Josh could hear you were scared.

“I told you that old man is no good, baby. You should have been with me in the first place. I wouldn’t make you cry. I’m way better than him. That old man knows it. He really doesn’t deserve you. But I deserve you.” It turned out that Josh had been stalking you and he was eavesdropping your conversation with Joel.

“No. Josh. Please get out of my house.” You tried to act like you were not scared but he could see you were shaking.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby. You’re mine now.” Josh claimed you as his because he knew Joel wouldn’t be there to protect you from him anymore.

“No, please go.” You walked backwards as he slowly walked towards you.

On the other side, Joel kept thinking about what he had said to you. He knew it was for the best but somehow he felt something weird in his heart. He guessed maybe he should have hugged you goodbye. He didn’t hear your cries anymore so he decided to walk to your house. He saw your door was left open and he heard a loud thud and your scream. Joel’s heart was beating faster as he rushed inside your house.

“Stay still!” Josh was on top of you, holding your hands, trying to take off your pants.

“Josh, stop it!” You tried to push Josh away but he was too heavy.

Joel’s eyes widened as he was shocked to see what was happening. He ran towards you, grabbed Josh from behind and threw him aside. Josh was hurting laying on the floor. Joel’s eyes locked on Josh and punched him over and over again. Josh’s face was full of blood and he was begging for Joel to stop. 

“Don’t you ever touch her again! You lay a hand on her again, I’ll break your arm!” Joel lifted Josh by his collar and yelled at his face.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Josh begged Joel for his life.

“Now get the fuck out of this house and never show your face again!” Joel pointed his finger towards the door as he raised his voice again.

Joel closed the door after Josh crawled his way out of your house. You were in shock, crying, hyperventilating, shaking, and holding your ripped shirt to cover yourself. You had never seen Joel like this before. He was scary when he was angry just like what other people in the town talked about.  

“Hey, are you okay?” Joel’s voice was different from seconds ago.

He sounded very soft. He took off his jacket and put it on you. 

“I got you, babygirl. I got you.” He looked at you with worried eyes. (TLOU ep 8 reference 😘)

He wiped your tears with his thumb and hugged you. His hands rubbed your back in circles until your breathing was normal again. 

“Can you stand?” He asked you.

You nodded and guided him to your bedroom. He kept holding your arm, holding your weight as you walked. You opened your closet to get new clothes and changed into a new one. Joel faced the wall as you changed your clothes. He was always respectful to you. Not like the other guys you had met.

“Here.” You gave Joel his jacket back.

“Do you want me to stay?” He thought he would stay for the night to make sure you were safe.

“Will you?” You asked Joel with your puppy eyes as you sat on the bed.

“Of course, darlin’. I don’t want Josh to come here again and hurt you.” Joel walked to your bedroom door.

“Where are you going? I thought you’re staying.” You were confused.

“I am. I’m sleepin’ on the couch.” 

You chuckled. Everytime he did or said something, you fell in love with him more.

“Joel, stay here.” You pat the empty space beside you on your bed.

“No. I shouldn’t.” He still kept his chivalry.

“Joel, please. I don’t think I can sleep if you’re not next to me. I feel safe when I’m with you. Please.” You begged Joel.

“Okay.” Joel shyly moved his way to your bed and laid beside you.

You moved closer to him, put your head on his chest, and rested your hands on his stomach. You could hear his heart beating faster and his body was stiff because of your movements. Joel took a deep breath and put his arms around you. He rubbed your back in circles.

“I’m sorry. I know I don’t deserve you. But can I get that chance for our relationship? Give me a chance to be better for you?” He rested his chin on your head.

“You should stop being insecure, Joel. You’re the best man I’ve ever met. All the guys who flirted with me.. They weren't like you. I know for a fact they only want to get in my pants. But you’re different. Am I right?” You caressed his chest.

“No. You’re wrong.” You were shocked by his joke and raised your head to face him.

“I’m joking. Relax.” He laughed.

“Don’t ever do that again.” You put your head back to his chest and hit his chest.

“Oh! You’re bleeding! We need to get your fist cleaned up!” You took his hands worriedly.

“Don’t worry, darlin’. I’ve been worse.” Joel chuckled and kissed your forehead.

“Okay, then.” You kissed his bleeding fist that saved you from Josh. 

The two of you spent the night cuddling, talking and getting to know each other. Joel told you about his past, Sarah, and Ellie as you drift into your sleep. 

To be continued...

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

[criolla-star]

Overwhelmed (Vinny x Garmadon)Part 50

(I suggest you check out parts 1-49 if you haven't already)

It was the next morning and by that it was 6:27am and Vinny woke up, he didn't have work for 3 more hours but he wanted to go for a run before work and get up early in general. He also wanted to make his own coffee since he prefers black coffee rather than coffee with sugar or milk he also wanted to see if Zane was awake so he could check out his stab wounds. The cameraman yawned as he woke up and looked beside him thinking he was going to find Garmadon, "Oh right...he isn't here..." Vinny thought as he got up and stretched.

Vinny looked through his clothes and pulled out his signature white shirt, blue jacket and dark green trackpants. He went to the bathroom quickly and washed his face to refresh himself and wake up properly but ended up standing there with his hand under the warm water for 5 minutes. Once he finished he got dressed and grabbed some bandages and stuffed them into his dark green duffle bag. He also put a water bottle and he dagger in there. The cameraman left his bag in there for the time being and went out to the kitchen.

No one was in there like the past few days probably because he was up early, Vinny began making black coffee with three shots of expresso, because I've confirmed he's a coffee addict. The cameraman also made a shower like the one from yesterday, he made two of them, one for now and one for his so called 'work' he had today, and maybe to give to Rida? After that Vinny decided to see if Zane was awake he didn't want to go straight to his room and decided to go into the armoury, it took him a moment to realise how the elevator worked but he learned eventually and went down.

Vinny went down and looked around, he saw Zane at the computers while Pixal was working on some mechs. "Umm...hey you two?" The cameraman said awkwardly catching the two nindroids attention. "What can we do for you?" Pixal asked as she looked up from the mech she and her mini Pix's were melding. "Umm...well I need a few wounds checked out..." Vinny said awkwardly as he looked away. The two nindroids looked at the cameraman curiously, "What types of wounds? And where?" The ice ninja asked as he devoted all his attention to Vinny.

"Uhh...stab wounds...on my hand and foot..." Vinny muttered out just loud enough for the two to hear. "Stab wounds...? From where? It couldn't have been an accident if it's on your hand and foot" Pixal spoke as she jumped off the mech she was working on. "C-can you two just not ask questions and check it...please?" The cameraman asked desperately not wanting to answer, he knew very well he couldn't fool the two nindroids unlike the rest of the ninja they could tell emotion.

"Very well" Zane spoke out as he signalled for Vinny to sit on a chair which he did along with Pixal and Zane. The ice ninja held out his hand in a way to signal Vinny to show it. The cameraman did show it and it caused the two nindroids to be a little surprised, the two also looked at he burns on Vinnys' arms. "How long have you had this?" Pixal asked curious as she observed the wound, it was really deep, "A few days..." Vinny replied as he avoided eye contact. "This stab wound is recent but the burn isn't it was from Garmadon, am I correct?" The ice ninja asked earning a nod from the cameraman as he felt sadness thinking about the oni.

Zane didn't stay anything but instead grabbed a medical box and pulled out some disinfectant wipes, "The chance of it getting infected is high...and you have one on your foot as well, but you didn't tell anyone? You're lucky it hasn't been infected yet and it's good you decided to come here. You also need stitches" Zane spoke as he started to disinfect the wound cause Vinny to wince in pain. "May I take a look at your foot? You might need stitches on that as well" She spoke softly earning a nod from the cameraman as he tried his best to ignore the pain.

Pixal took a close look and grimaced slightly, "May I ask who stabbed you...?" She asked, causing Vinny to immediately shake his head, "I will admit I was stabbed but I won't say by who and if you think it was Garmadon it wasn't" The cameraman spoke causing the two nindroids to sigh as the both disinfected the wounds. "You are fine with us giving you stitches, it'll heal faster" The ice ninja spoke in his calm voice. The cameraman nodded as he sighed out tiredly, he had his coffee mug with him and drank from it.

Zane grabbed the appropriate needle for stitching human and gave one to Pixal. The two ever so carefully stitched Vinny up, the cameraman would let out the occasional wince of pain, Pixal insisted on Vinny using numbing cream but he denied. After a while the two were done and the cameraman let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks you two...can you not tell anyone about this though?" Vinny asked as he looked at his hand and pulled two fingerless gloves from his pocket and put them on. "We'll try" Zane and Pixal said in unison.

Vinny thanked them once more before going back up and putting socks and shoes on. The cameraman came back out and saw Garmadon and Wu talking, Vinny heard his name be mentioned due to the two not noticing him. The cameraman knew Garmadon probably was talking about what happened. "Morning...I'm gonna go to work now..." Vinny mumbled as he walked past Garmadon and Wu pretending he didn't here himself be mentioned.

Garmadon looked at Vinny worriedly as he walked away, he knew Vinny wasn't going to work and knew Vinny had work at 9:30 and right now it was 8:30 am. The cameraman wanted to go for a run to clear his mind and went down the elevator and began jogging with his duffle bag across his chest like a handbag. As Vinny made it down before entering the city a voice called him in an alley, he followed it keeping his hand on his dagger in his pocket.

Suddenly Vinnys' arm was grabbed but Vinny was faster and managed to get the person into a chokehold holding the dagger at their throat. "Holding the dagger I gave you against my throat?" The person said, before the cameraman realised it was Rida, "S-shit sorry, I thought you were someone else" Vinny apologised as he let Rida go, "No it's my fault I do admit mysteriously calling your name from an alley and grabbing you isn't the nicest greeting" The orange eyed man said softly, this made Vinny chuckle softly.

"Going for a run? Can I join?" Rida asked earning a nod from Vinny. The two began jogging, but Vinny still couldn't shake the feeling that Rida was hiding something.

(So I hope you enjoy this I've managed to upload 2 parts in less than a week and that makes me happy hope you enjoy Vinny angst)

[sakuracoloring]

Cami's Commentary #6 - Random

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「ようこそ！」　。。。

Good morning/afternoon/night to whoever may be reading this! It's late but I feel like writing stuff, so here we go :)

JLPT: I did the JLPT/日本語能力試験 (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) on Sunday for the N5 level for the first time :D Honestly, I feel like I went well (my main concerns were my phone ringing out of the blue, even though I had turned it off nicely and it was in silent mode, and not being able to hear the audio part, but thankfully everything went well) and I really hope to pass. If I do, I'll probably start studying for N4 as soon as possible (though I don't think I'll be prepared enough to do the December test already), but let's see how it goes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I've never been so excited during a test before lol

MOVIESSSSS: I surprisingly woke up early today and chose to not be a lazy bum who watches youtube shorts on her bed for like 2 hours, so I decided to watch some movies! (yippeeee) :D I started out by watching Little Darlings, which I really liked. The story was pretty interesting, the main leads had believable acting (which is hella important), and shaggy hair Matt Dillon my beloved was there (which is even more important). Kinda unrelated but I feel like his shaggy hair era is a bit forgotten :( Idk, I just find more about his Outsiders era and nowadays on here and pinterest, so that's kinda the impression I get from the fandom/fanbase (Idk if I should call it that). Anyways, it was funny and emotional at the right times (and Randy was adorable), so I'd give it an 8/10. I then watched Juno, which has been on my watchlist for a pretty long time, and I loved it :3 It was better than I expected (though I did not expect to see Dwight's actor and Spiderman's J. J. Jameson's actor there lol), and the ending scene made me squeal as if I were watching a cute cat video. Solid 10/10. Finally, I watched Liar's Moon. It was pretty good ngl, (Matt looked so handsome wtf) but the whole possible incest plot twist thing was hella weird, so I'd give it a 7.5/10. Feel free to give me any movie suggestions :) (especially if Matt Dillon is in it lol)

The Outsiders on roblox: Idk if any of y'all play roblox, but I do (been using the same account from 7 years ago lol, it holds many memories) and I thought of searching ''the outsiders'' on it to see if there were any games ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and so there's these two(?) games, but only one of them is mainly played by roleplayers n stuff. So a few weeks ago, I remember going there and always seeing the same two Ponyboy and Johnny roleplayers (I even remember talking to a girl who wasn't roleplaying and she was pissed that people shipped the greasers together lol), and like, they were ALWAYS on there. I'd log in at 7am, then like 9pm of THE SAME DAY and they'd be there. I also tested this on multiple days. And just them yk, not even a Dally or TwoBit to be there too, and even now when I don't see them that often in game, I always ask myself ''are they gonna be there?'' lol Also, I've also played the Cherry Valance obby (not bad), and the beginning of the obby mentions it's based on the Darry obby, which I haven't been able to find, so if anyone has the link, please lmk :3

I have to sleep rn (doctor's appointment tomorrow), so that'll be it for today. Thank you so much for making it this far into my written yap session :) I really appreciate your attention <3

See you next time! ☆

-Cami

[duckchu]

Gonna start his series and get the last requests I have in in between it, hope you don't mind

Meet the band:

HeartRumble pilot

Heartsteel Kayn x reader

This is the idea I had with reader being in a band with my ocs since I don't really want to insert reader into any existing bands

It was just a normal day at 1v1's apartment. The smell of bacon and eggs woke you up. Probably Tiari cooking something up for the group. You woke up and got ready for the day, brushing your hair and picking out an outift. You looked at your clock, which read 6:30. So it will probably be only you and the groups leader, unless Dia decides to go on an early morning run. You head downstairs towards the kitchen, where Tiari is making scrambled eggs for the group.

- Morning - You say, surprisingly well rested

- Good morning, Y/N - She says with a light smile gracing her lips as she focuses on the pan.

You observe her movements as she plates the food

- The rest should be up soon - she says as she grabs a fork full from her plate and eats. You follow suit. It's pretty good. As you eat, Tiari gets a call from your manager. She picks it up, not caring that you're also there. You're part of the group, after all.

- Hey, Ashe. Yeah. Don't worry, I'm already sitting down - she laughs as you look at her puzzled. Then, her face lights up

- No way, really?-

- What's the old lady freaking out about?- Ami says, walking in and grabbing herself some of the eggs. She sits down to eat

Tiari finally finishes the call and looks at you two

- I have some exciting news, but first the rest of the group has to come -

- Come on, tell us - Ami begged

You decided to pass some time on your phone. One by one, all the other members came into the kitchen. Just when you thought Ami was gonna explode, Willow walked in at 7:50

- Ok...I have some news - Tiari began with a smile

- What is it, tell us!- Ami was practically yelling, looking at the leader

- We're going to the Remix Rumble festival-

[whatsnewalycat]

Psychomanteum / Chapter 6

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x F!Reader

Chapter 6: Red Flags and Long Nights

Chapter Summary: Dieter is on set in New Zealand when the two of you have a falling out. Neither of you take it particularly well.

Rating: Explicit (18+ only)

Word Count: 7.2k+

Content / Warnings: alternating POV, death, cocaine use and addiction, grief, PTSD, heavy angst, flashbacks, communication problems, introspection, betrayal, meaningless sex

Notes: Chapter title from "Red Flags and Long Nights" by She Wants Revenge. Before you read this I just wanna remind you that this will have a happy ending. Ok? Ok.

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It’s been a month since you’ve seen Dieter. 

The morning he left New York, you woke up in his arms, in that impossibly comfortable bed at The Plaza, before the sun rose. You laid there, fixated on his sleeping face, for at least a half an hour as you tried to parse out your potpourri of emotions. 

First and foremost, there was the sexual attraction. Lust infiltrated every cell in your body, plump with want, willing you towards him at all times. The crush that you held on the back burner for months had come to fruition, and you were ravenous for him. Even then, your body raw and sore from multiple rounds of fucking, when you thought you had cum more than a human possibly could be capable of within 24 hours, desire churned beneath your skin. It was maddening. 

Lingering behind that insatiable thirst was something sweeter, softer. Something that anchored you to the bed, staring at his handsome face until he woke up on his own. Something that fluttered in your chest when he wrapped his arms around your body or kissed your lips. That thing that’s like a curl of steam off a cup of coffee fixed just how you like it. It felt familiar and warm when you were with him. 

Then, beneath the desire, beneath that tooth-rotting sweetness, there’s an undercurrent of friendship. You genuinely love spending time with him. After taking a stoned bubble bath together, he ordered pancakes, crab cakes, and a chocolate cake. You wrapped yourselves in fluffy white robes, as you ate a menagerie of cakes, and brainstormed a list of the famous people who’ve probably had sex in the suite. 

After this, you sprawled out on your belly across the bed and sank into comfort. Dieter approached from behind you, rumbling, “I could go for a different kind of cake,” palming your ass cheeks apart from behind. You gasped, then arched against him as his tongue slid in the space he made.

There’s this inextricable connection you feel to him. Like the two of you are made from the same star stuff, tethered together, always touching by underground wires. He puts you at ease, allowing you to come out of your shell with both important and frivolous things. 

For instance, that night at the hotel, the two of you discussed whether or not you thought Paul McCartney died in 1966. Dieter almost swayed your opinion, showing you the cover of Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club, playing Revolution 9 backwards and pointing out where the backtracking allegedly says “turn me on, dead man.” But then your high faded and, much to Dieter’s dismay, you realized how ridiculous the conspiracy theory is. 

But then you told him about your experience with the psychomanteum. You told him about the stars, and what your dad told you, and the bear hug. He told you about his experience. About James. The river inside the mirror. It didn’t destroy him to talk about it that time. 

Which spotlights the most conflicting thing about this thing with Dieter. His drug use. 

When he stormed out of your apartment, after that switch flipped and he left without explanation… then when he came back completely strung out and a different person. It was like you time-traveled back to that night last December. The night of the accident. 

It was Ethan’s birthday, which happens to be Christmas Day. His birthday gift was 50 mls of sumi ink from a specialty art supply store. During his last stint in rehab six years prior, Ethan started using ink as a medium for art as an outlet for emotional expression. Most of his illustrations were abstract and high-contrast. 

You fucking loved them. 

Throughout the years, you came to notice that his drug use and creativity had an inverse relationship. Periods of time when he would channel his pain into art were generally sober periods from hard drugs. When he was binging coke, he didn’t touch the ink. 

So when he was in the midst of his worrisome spiral into addiction, and he told you all about this ink that was so fucking cool, blackest ink in the city, it’s something you squirreled away for later. You thought maybe the gift would re-ignite his passion for creation. 

In retrospect, you think maybe it’s more accurate to say that you thought maybe it would extinguish his passion for destruction. A Hail Mary. 

You were so fucking wrong. 

So when Dieter returned that night, all black eyes and jerky movements and fast-talking, you were there again. Ethan was screaming at you from the driver’s seat, asking you, “Why would you tell them, Lou? Now they’re looking for us. Don’t you understand?!”

But with Dieter that night, unlike the night you and Ethan died, you were able to contain the fire.

While Dieter was sleeping it off throughout the following two days, you thought about this. How you shouldn’t get involved with him, no matter what. How, even if he’s handsome, and fun, and interesting, and makes you feel like you’re free falling when he touches you, you cannot give in to those feelings. Because giving in to those feelings means putting yourself in that passenger’s seat again. And you didn’t know if you’d survive it a second time. 

You decided that he was still struggling with something that was too fucking raw, too close to home, for you to deal with. 

Then you woke up to him pulling you into an embrace. That heartfelt “Thank you, Lua.” You felt his appreciation and affection squeeze every ounce of willpower out of your body. 

The morning at The Plaza, as you etched his sleeping face into your long-term memory, you considered this again. You wondered if his cocaine use was a frequent occurrence. Thought about asking him when he woke. Weighed his potential answers against these freshly-caught feelings.

You took into account that this thing might not even make it past that day. 

It was entirely possible, you reasoned, that he doesn’t have room for you in his life in any kind of romantic capacity. Maybe that would be it. He’d go fly off to New Zealand for filming that day and lose interest, and it wouldn’t fucking matter anyway. 

So after his eyelids fluttered open, and he smattered your face with good morning kisses that made your heart swell, you decided to just… let it go. You wanted to soak up those moments while they still lasted. You didn’t want to ruin it by asking him about his drug use, or his feelings, or what this thing was. 

And now, one month later, you’re still in communication one way or another nearly every day, and these questions are still unanswered. It’s the elephant in the room. 

You’re not sure if it’s a team effort, this avoidance, but it’s been eating away at you. Neither of you talk about the next time you’ll see each other, or whether or not you’re seeing other people, or whether or not he’s using. 

You explain all of this to Parker as he sits across from you at your countertop. His eyes don’t leave the baked goods he’s helping you box, but his eyebrow arches. 

“Ok, what?” you spit and cross your arms, shooting a glare at him. 

His amber brown eyes flick to your face and he scoffs, “I don’t know, have you tried talking to him about it?” 

“Well, no…” 

“Well, maybe you should,” he shoots back, crossing his arms in defiance. 

You stare at each other for a moment before you give in and drop your arms to your sides, then groan to the ceiling, “Fine.” 

Parker gives you a satisfied shrug and smirks. You both resume carefully boxing brownies, cookies, and cake donuts. 

“How do you feel about him?” Parker inquires. 

A grumble leaves your throat involuntarily. His brow arches knowingly again. You sigh and answer him honestly in a mutter, “I like him.” 

“Say more,” Parker coaxes, “Do you like him like a friend? Like a friend who fucked the shit outta you for a day and that’s it? Or do you like him like you want him to be your boyfriend?” 

You roll your eyes and shake your head, grumbling the answer under your breath.

“I can’t hear you, Miss Lou.” 

“I want him to be my boyfriend,” you admit loudly. The answer burns your cheeks and makes your heart start racing. 

“Finally , you admit it!” Parker groans gleefully, tilting his head back towards the ceiling and spreading his arms out wide as if he’s thanking God for answering his prayers. 

“Oh my god, the drama,” you snort. 

“Girl, don’t tell me about all that shit then accuse me of drama,” Parker teases, “Y’all have been drooling over each other forever.” 

“Just because I like him does not mean the feeling is mutual,” you remind him as you compare the baked goods in the boxes to your order sheets, verifying all is accounted for. 

“No, you’re right, he’s just fucking you and talking to you in his limited free time and sending you kissy face emojis because he totally wants to be your friend,” he deadpans. 

“Ok, true,” you concede with a chuckle. Parker’s observation makes your stomach flip. When you review the last box, you set down your order forms and say, “All clear, close ‘em up.” 

As the two of you systematically close the order boxes and organize them on your countertop, he asks, “What’re you doing Saturday night?” 

“Nothing. Why, what’s up?” 

“Wanna go out with me and Kourtney? I think we’re gonna go out dancing.” 

“Fuck yes I do,” you grin, then take off your apron and throw it on the counter. Your phone vibrates in your back pocket. When you pull it out, you see it’s Dieter FaceTiming you.

You answer and the whole screen is occupied by his smiling face as he greets you enthusiastically, “Hello from tomorrow!” 

“Hello from yesterday!” you respond with a delighted grin, “Look, Parker is here!” 

When you turn the camera to face Parker, you catch him smirking to himself. 

“HI PARKER!” Dieter bellows, pulling the camera back to reveal that he’s waving.

“Hi, love!” Parker responds, then slides the phone from your hand, completely hijacking your conversation, “How’s New Zealand?” 

“Fucking beautiful, do you see this?” He changes the view to his outward facing camera to reveal the inside of his messy trailer, then starts laughing hysterically before the screen is occupied by his face again, “I bet you were expecting something cooler.” 

You start laughing in the background, then make your way back to the kitchen to start loading the dishwasher. 

“Not that your dirty ass trailer isn’t impressive or anything, but I was definitely expecting a beach,” Parker cackles.

“Hey! It’s not dirty, it’s just… messy,” Dieter defends.

“Yeah, tell that to your girl and see what she says,” Parker snorts, then looks away from the phone and sees that you’re spraying Lysol on the countertops and points the camera at you, “She’s literally cleaning right now.”

“So?!” you scoff and look down at your work in progress, trying to hide the embarrassment spreading hot across your face.  

“Of course she is,” Dieter chuckles.

Parker walks up beside you and says, “Show me again, love, I want her to see what a slob her little boyfie is.”

“Oh my god, Parker, I’m gonna murder you-” you cover your face in mortification. 

“Look look look,” he cuts you off. You look up and see the screen flip points of view from Dieter’s face to the inside of the trailer. 

“Show us around, baby,” Parker demands, “Give us a tour.” 

“You don’t have to do that, Dee-”

“Don’t listen to her, yes you do.” 

The camera shakes as Dieter laughs. He walks to one end of the trailer and holds it up to his eye level. It looks like an RV your aunt Patty lived in every summer back home, but a little nicer. There’s a couch whose brown upholstery reflects the dim light like it would be sticky on the skin. Clothing and towels are strewn about on the seats. The stationary table that sits in the middle of the couch’s three sides is aluminum with what looks to be a fake wood grain finish on the tabletop. It’s hard to tell beneath the notebook, sketch pad, various writing utensils, and pile of jolly ranchers. 

A tiny kitchenette is currently being used as a place for Dieter to empty his pockets. Piled on the two burner glass stovetop is a pair of sunglasses, a brown leather wallet, and miscellaneous pocket trash like receipts, change, and candy wrappers. 

“Well, this is the couch where I sit.” He points the camera to the couch, then the tabletop, where he flips through his sketchbook, “I paint when I’m bored sometimes.” 

The illustrations were made with black acrylic paint, heavy strokes that pile on the paper and create texture, then make way into negative space for the planes of the subjects’ faces. The subjects, vaguely human, look like they were sunk into a pit of tar and drug out into the light. They look tortured, screaming for help. 

Except for one. 

You only see it for a brief moment before he abruptly slams the cover closed. The image will be burned in your brain forever, though. 

It’s a sketch, not a painting, its details messy but articulate. You recognize the tattoos on the figure’s arm. A sleeve of fruit, ridges of scar tissue interrupting them in various places. Face lit up in a smile. The curves of your naked body mapped out on the paper. 

All the air is sucked from your lungs. Parker whispers in your ear, “Did you see that?” 

You nod, but don’t look at him. Dieter clears his throat and moves on with the tour. 

“This is the smallest bathroom I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing,” Dieter slides open an accordion door and steps into the bathroom, which is cluttered by its own design, only enough space for one person in its cramped confines. A navy canvas toiletry bag sits open in the small sink, which looks to contain prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, a razor, shaving cream, and a bottle of cologne. He points the camera at the mirror and waves at the reflection. 

When he steps out and closes the bathroom door, he moves on to the bed at the back of the trailer that’s, predictably, unmade, “This is where I take naps and read. And, uh, that’s it.” 

He switches the view so it’s the front facing camera, and his face takes up the screen again as he spreads himself across the bed, nestling his head into a pillow. 

“It’s not that bad,” you smirk, side-eying Parker playfully. 

“Ok that’s how I know you like him,” Parker snickers and hands the phone back to you, “You go talk, love, I’ll clean up.” 

Your whole face is on fire with embarrassment. 

You glare at him and take your leave, walking back into your bedroom, closing the door behind you. Parker starts playing music over your stereo as if to drown out the sounds of your conversation. When you plop down on the bed, you finally look back at the screen and see Dieter grinning from ear-to-ear at you. 

“Hi,” you say coyly. 

“Hi,” he responds, his voice low and serene, “How are you doing, beautiful?” 

“I am… mortified,” you laugh, covering your face, “Sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” he smiles, then scratches his clean-shaven chin, “It’s cute.” 

Cute. Not “I like you too” or something similar. Cute. 

“Anyway, how are you?” you change the subject. 

“Great,” he tells you as he folds the pillow up behind his head to prop himself up further, “Almost done filming, tomorrow is the last day.” 

“Doing anything to celebrate?” 

“Yeah, there’s gonna be a party Saturday night for the cast and crew,” he sighs, “It should be pretty fun.” 

He jostles the phone around as he tries to get comfortable. From this new angle, you see more of his bed. There’s a stapled-together printout of the screen play with little tabs sticking out in various sections, a dull pencil with a worn-down eraser, and there’s… an open condom wrapper. 

Your mind goes blank. A twisting feeling churns your insides like you swallowed a spool of barbed wire and it’s tearing your intestines to shreds. 

He continues talking, not noticing the way your face has fallen, or the tears pooling in the corners of your eyes, “It’s very fancy-schmancy, I guess. I have to get all dressed up in a monkey suit.”

You sniffle and nod, then position the camera so he can’t see you. Your voice is shaky when you respond, still trying to hold your shit together, “That’s… fun.”

From your vantage point, you see him frown at your awkward response, then squint when he notices that the camera is pointed at the ceiling.

“What’s wrong?”

Your voice is caught in your throat. Tears breach the edge of your eyelids and slide hot down your cheeks. 

“Lua?” 

“I’m here,” you answer, trying to hide how your voice trembles, “Sorry, I um-”

“Are you ok? What happened?” 

“N-nothing, I’m fine,” you lie. 

He props himself up on the bed and the wrapper crinkles when his elbow presses it into the mattress. You see him acknowledge its presence when he raises his arm to see what the noise was. Realization dawns on his face. His eyes widen and he starts to stammer, “Lua, it’s not like that-” 

“It’s fine, Dee, we- we never said we were exclusive or anything, I’m- I’m just being dumb. Ignore me,” you try to brush it off, but your gut clenches harder, and you start to sob, then frantically try to explain through your blubbering, “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m reacting this way,” then throw the phone on the bed and curl up in a ball, smacking the side of your own head, trying to get yourself to stop, “Goddamnit, I’m so fucking stupid.” 

“Hey, hey- no no no, no you’re not,” he coos, “It was just sex, it’s not like- like it is with you-”

“Dieter, I don’t care, do whatever you want,” you squeak. 

And it’s so fucking obvious that you’re lying. But you can’t stop this tidal wave of rejection and betrayal from rattling your bones. In a panic, you wipe your face off, then pick up the phone and give him your best attempt at a smile, but it folds in anguish and your voice cracks before you can finish telling him, “Really, I’m fine, but I- I have to go-” 

“Please don’t, baby, come on-”

“I’ll talk to you later, ok?” you lie one more time before ending the call and throwing the phone across the bed. 

Your head spins. Everything around you turns blurry and dull. A heaviness pools in your chest and sucks the life out of you. Nothing feels real. The phone starts vibrating, and you see it’s Dieter calling. 

Shame drips down your spine, branching out to clutch your stomach and burrow into your thoughts, telling you how fucking stupid you are to think he would actually want you. It was all a fucking joke. Of course it was, how could you not see that? 

With movements that you can’t feel, not really, you reach over and grab the phone. Reject the call. Find his contact in your phone. Click “block this caller” and toss it back. 

Now he doesn’t have to pretend that you meant anything at all. 

Dieter stares at his phone screen in dismay for about a minute before he tries calling you again. You reject the call. His heart pounds heavy in his chest. Anxiety starts to tingle inside the cords of his neck. He jumps out of bed and starts pacing the length of the trailer, trying to keep up with his racing thoughts. 

He thinks of your crumpled, tear stained face. That sad smile you pasted on before your honesty betrayed you and tore it down. How you scolded yourself, saying that you’re so fucking stupid.  

His stomach churns and he feels nauseous. The reality of the situation starts to sink in. You’ll probably never speak to him again. 

Regrettably, his first instinct after thinking about this is anger. It flares hot in his chest and balls his fists at his sides.  

He tells himself that he didn’t technically do anything wrong. It’s not like the two of you were dating. You even said it yourself. Maybe you’ll see that you’re being ridiculous. 

Is she being ridiculous, though?  

He tries to imagine if it had been the other way around. If he found out you had fucked someone while he was here. Closing his eyes, he imagines that string bean man who he shooed from your apartment that one night touching your body the way Dieter did. He imagines someone else kissing you, holding you close, fucking you. His blood starts to simmer. 

Why didn’t he throw that fucking wrapper away? More importantly, why did he fuck Katie in the first place? It’s not like it was worth it. 

He had just gotten off the phone with you and was stewing in his feelings. It’s confusing how he can feel so much joy and comfort when he talks to you, only to be whiplashed back into that big, vacant feeling when the phone call ends. Like you’re the sun, shining warm rays of light onto him. Then the sun sets and he remembers how cold and dark life is without you. 

And he was thinking about how he wanted to tell you all of this, but he wasn’t sure how you would react. He was thinking about how you’re still in mourning, still in love with your husband, and wondering if maybe you don’t want anything more than this with him. The words no strings attached linger in his brain every time his heart aches with adoration for you. 

On top of that, Dieter knows his schedule is nothing but chaos. As his marriage to Anika proved, it’s not an easy situation to deal with by any means. 

He was thinking about all of this, sinking deep into a pit of loneliness and insecurity that threatened to swallow him whole, when Katie waltzed into his trailer. 

Now, obviously he and Katie have had their occasional dalliances in the past. There was the night of her party when she sucked him off in her closet. Earlier that same week, after they did their screen tests, they met for a drink (or, more accurately, five drinks) and wound up fucking in Dieter’s hotel room. There were occasional flirtations and provocative photos sent via text. 

Since this thing with you began, though, he hasn’t found himself interested in anyone else. Not in any real, meaningful kind of way. He still thought Katie was attractive, but didn’t feel attracted to her. They were mildly flirtatious, as always, and had romantic scenes together, but neither of those count for anything. 

Now that he thinks about it, he realizes that things between him and Katie had been completely platonic during shooting until yesterday. It’s like she could smell the desperation coming off of him in waves when she sat down across from him at the table and frowned, “Are you ok?”  

He looked up from his sketchbook and released a heavy sigh, “Sure. Why?” 

“You look so sad,” she pouted, searching his face. 

“Just, uhh,” he looked down and realized he was sketching you, and frowned at the paper, then looked back up to meet Katie’s concerned green eyes. It seemed like she wanted him to confide in her, and he didn’t see any reason why he shouldn’t. Running his fingers through his hair, he shrugged, “It gets so lonely, you know? Guess I’m feeling kind of down because of it.” 

As he looked down at that drawing of you, his lips parted, and the words on the tip of his tongue: and there’s this woman…

But then she spoke.

“Do… you want some company?” she asked, then licked her lips and smirked, “I can try to cheer you up.” 

That piece of him that is chronically hollow ached in his chest, begging to be filled. His shoulders slumped as he sat back in his seat and watched her stand up, make her way over to him. She settled in his lap and linked her hands at the back of his neck. 

He should have said no. A voice in his head was screaming for him to reject her. But he ignored it, lifting his hands around her waist. Kissed the lips that didn’t seem to fit quite right against his own. His hands on her body didn’t tremble with electricity. There was no passion. 

It seemed so clinical and detached. Fucking for fucking’s sake. Bodies writhing against each other, feeding the hunger of the flesh. When he’s with you, there’s something else that makes sex fucking magical. It feeds his soul. He can’t get enough of it. 

He fucked Katie trying to satiate his thirst for intimacy. To satisfy his yearning for you. But it didn’t work. 

Like when you’re craving mac and cheese, but you’re at an upscale restaurant that calls it something like five-cheese pasta. So you order it and it’s pretty fancy, it’s plated nice and costs fucking $40, and after you eat it, you’re no longer hungry. You pay for it and leave, but it didn’t hit the spot, so to speak. You’re still thinking about the kind that comes in the blue box and reminds you of the comfort of your childhood home. And you think “why did I waste my time on this bullshit five-cheese pasta when I could have just gone to the goddamn grocery store and got what I really wanted?”  

Kind of like that. 

Ironically, today he called you with the intention of asking you to go on a real date with him. He wanted to tell you that he really likes you and would like to take it further, if you’ll have him. Fucking Katie just made him realize that he doesn’t want that. He wants you. 

Even more ironic yet, your emotional reaction to seeing the condom wrapper, to finding out he fucked someone else, made him see that you felt the same way. 

Felt, in the past tense, being the operative word. 

He tries calling you again. The call doesn’t go through. He can only stare at the screen blankly. You blocked him. 

Like everything else that’s been good in life, he’s fucked this up royally. Maybe he doesn’t deserve good things. His thoughts drift to the baggy of white powder in his toiletry bag. 

At the advice of Mark and Brenda, but more importantly, out of respect for the effort you put into helping him through his withdrawal, he hasn’t touched it. But now… he needs something to neutralize the agony seeping into his veins. 

Dieter retrieves the supplies he’ll need and clears the table. He pours it onto the surface, eyeballing what he thinks is about a gram, and cuts it into neat lines with his credit card. The clickclickclickclick sound stimulates a Pavlovian response. His neck and hands start to tingle in anticipation. 

He runs his index finger along the residual white powder on the card, collecting it in the grooves of his fingerprint, then rubs it against his gums. The familiar bitter taste makes him hum in approval. His gum tissues soak up the drug and start to go numb. 

He grabs a short, cut off section of a plastic straw, positioning it inside his nostril while blocking the other with his middle finger, and bends over the lines, starting at the leftmost one. In one swift movement, the line disappears and coats the inside of his nasal cavity. He leans back and removes the straw from his nose, then gives the nostril a few more sharp inhales before taking a deep breath. It burns in his skull like hellfire. 

He goes in for another. And another. 

The cocaine dissolves into the mucous membrane, crossing the brain blood barrier. Euphoria pumps through Dieter’s veins, making him feel god-like, feather light, and lightening fast, anesthetizing the ache of emptiness. 

Pure, all-consuming, mind-numbing bliss. 

He goes in for another. 

The dim lighting at the bar of Club 96 has you feeling disoriented, only intensified by the bass thudding from a wall of speakers behind the DJ. It rattles your ribcage. You scream over the music to the busy bartender, requesting a cranberry vodka and three chuck norris shots as you shove your credit card across the sticky bar top. He nods and takes the card. 

You lean your back against the bar, surveying the scene with a critical eye. Blue lights douse the pulsing dance floor, broken up by the shimmering specks of white coming from the disco ball on the ceiling. The people dancing are smiling as they twist and turn to the beat of the electronica music. It looks so carefree. 

You wonder what they’re all running from tonight. 

The girl in the tight black dress and shiny pumps, whose hair is falling around her swaying head in dark curls like a waterfall, eyes closed as she tilts her head back and bathes in the light of the disco ball, arms outstretched towards it like she’s worshiping at church, why is she here? Is she nursing a broken heart? Trying not to think about the overdue balance on her credit cards? What are the responsibilities and grievances she dropped at the edge of the dance floor like a sacrament to escapism? 

Envy seethes beneath your skin. 

More than anything, you want to feel free from the burdens of your own tortured mind. You want to forget about Dieter and the condom wrapper and the drawing in his sketchbook and that fucking tabloid article and Katie fucking Wainwright and the images your mind conjured of him touching her and fucking her. 

You want to stop drawing parallels between Dieter and Ethan. Because they’re not the same. This fling with Dieter was not the same as your marriage to Ethan. 

But your falling out with Dieter is like digging fingers into a stab wound that’s still healing. Tore the skin back open, scooped your guts out until you were empty again. It hurts in all the same places. 

The bartender returns with three shot glasses and your drink. You make your way through the throngs of people. Parker and Kourtney are leaning against a high top table, huddled close together and talking. By the look on their faces, you guess they’re talking about your not-really-a-break-up-but-kinda. Kourtney’s dark, expertly manicured eyebrows are pressed together in concern, plump, shiny lips pouting with pity. 

You’re so fucking sick of being pitied. 

She’s listening intently to Parker, who is sporting his very fierce papa bear face, snapping his fingers and pointing to emphasize his strong emotions, as his mouth moves 100 miles a minute. Now you know they’re talking about Dieter. 

You’re grateful Parker was already at your apartment when it happened. Parker was singing along to ABBA loudly in your kitchen, completely oblivious. The loud, bright disco music both muffled and juxtaposed your sobbing. 

It took an hour to finally drag yourself out of your bedroom with your tail between your legs, face puffy and somber. When Parker saw your face, his eyes widened in alarm, and he cut the music, asking you, “What happened?” 

“He’s fucking someone else,” you managed to squeak out before erupting with sobs again, “God, Parker, I’m so fucking stupid.”  

His face immediately molded into the expression he’s wearing now. Thick lips pursed, brows arched as high as they go, eyes piercing and unflinching. At that moment, and in this one, he looks about one second away from throwing punches. 

“Babygirl, you are not stupid,” he asserted, pulling you into a tight hug. You wrapped your arms around his lanky frame and started crying against his t-shirt. One of his hands stroked your hair, trying to soothe your emotional burn, and he asked again, “What happened?” 

You told him about the condom wrapper, and the knee-jerk reactions you and Dieter had. Which, in your mind, solidified one of the lingering fears that kept you from admitting your feelings for him directly: he did not feel the same way about you as you did about him. It was nothing to him. 

Well, maybe not nothing , but close enough to nothing that he’d brazenly fuck another person without telling you. 

It wasn’t until tabloid headlines broke today, telling of Dieter’s episode at the wrap party, that your other fear was confirmed: he’s still using coke. 

You were on Twitter and saw his name trending. A masochistic desire to know, even if it hurt you, overrode your brain, and you found an article from the tabloid DIRT that gave you more details than the limited information you were able to collect from Twitter. 

DIETER BRAVO’S SHOCKING WRAP PARTY MELTDOWN 

The notorious academy award winning actor caused quite a ruckus at the wrap party for his upcoming movie, Limbo . 

Dieter Bravo, who won an Oscar for Best Actor in 2016 for his critically-acclaimed role as Harry Houdini in the movie Spellbound , is reported to have been suffering from some kind of a mental breakdown last night at Anthology Lounge in Auckland, New Zealand. Sources say that Bravo arrived at the black tie event unkempt and barefoot, wearing sweatpants and a dirty t-shirt, and started hurling insults and accusations at co-star Katie Wainwright. Although DIRT was unable to verify what exactly Bravo said about Wainwright, the tirade is reported to have insinuated an off-camera sexual relationship with the up-and-coming actress. 

According to multiple reports, when partygoers and staff tried to intervene, Bravo started flipping over tables and knocking over other decorations, screaming that, “(They’re) all a bunch of f***ing phonies.” Eventually, he calmed down enough to return to his hotel without further complications. 

Bravo has yet to publicly address this incident. 

Continuing the participation in your own suffering, you spent too long stalking Katie Wainwright’s Instagram, torturing yourself with comparisons and insecurities. Then you sent the article to Parker, asking if Katie was the person whose closet you tripped in with him and Dieter. 

He confirmed that it was, then promptly came to your apartment to rip the phone from your hands. The two of you sat on your couch in silence. He held your hand and waited uncharacteristically long to ask you what you were thinking. 

“I just… I thought maybe this time I would make a difference.”

“What do you mean?” Parker’s sympathetic eyes searched your face, then he squeezed your hand, encouraging you to expand your answer. 

“The coke,” you mumbled, “I thought if I helped him get better, he’d stay better. But he didn’t. And I… I can’t fucking do that again, Parker. I can’t.”

Your voice cracked at the last word. He pulled you into a hug, petting your hair, “I know, baby. I know.”

Eventually, he convinced you to keep your plan to go out with him and Kourtney. While getting ready, you were spiraling internally, the not-knowing eating you alive. 

Was Dieter at that party because he and Katie have been dating this whole time? Has this whole thing with you and Dieter been behind her back? Is that where he went when he left your apartment after you passed out when you were drunk? Did he go there again after the psychomanteum incident? 

Was he using this whole time, too? Did he do lines in the bathroom while you were together? Are you really that unbearable to be around sober? 

Parker could tell you were in your head. 

“Girl, stop it,” he said, pausing his eyeshadow application to look at you through the mirror, “You wanna know something about Katie? She’s a vapid rich girl who’s only successful because her daddy paid for her acting classes, and agents, and exposure. If she’s fucking him, it’s probably to get publicity. I don’t think she’s capable of real feelings. Don’t let her get under your skin.” 

“I’m not,” you lied, then swallowed the bullshit and continued quietly, “Even if I was… it’s like… the two things I was worried about were true the whole time. And I just… fuck, I really… I really thought it was real with him.” 

“I know you did, baby. I did, too,” he cooed, then you both resumed your makeup application and he added, “That’s why we’re gonna go get shitfaced and dance, ok?” 

In the present, Parker spots you approaching and starts clapping, “Yes, bitch, gimme gimme gimme.” 

You put on a smile and set the shots down on the table, then take a long sip of your drink. 

“What should we cheer to?” Kourtney asks as she picks up one of the neon colored shots, her big blue eyes darting from you to Parker. 

“How about fuck you Dieter Bravo?” you suggest. 

Your companions raise their shot glasses to yours and you all cheer in unison, “FUCK YOU DIETER BRAVO!” then tip the gut-rottingly sweet liquor-energy drink combination back into your mouth. 

Plastic hits the tabletop with 3 dull thunks that are barely audible over the music. 

“Seriously, I’m so sorry, Lou,” Kourtney croons, pouting again with that pitiful stare. 

You shake your head and wave her off, “I’m gonna be fine.” 

As if your desperation for sexual validation were a giant vacancy sign above your head, a tall, broad shouldered man eyes you from far away and approaches your table. You shoot a glance at Parker and Kourtney, telling them, “Like I said.”

He leans in and introduces himself as Linden. 

Linden looks like a Ken doll. His straight blonde hair is styled into a pompadour that sits neatly atop his head. When he smiles, you notice that his teeth are perfectly straight and probably pristinely white, but it’s hard to tell in the dim, blue lights. He’s wearing an untucked navy blue button-up shirt adorned with bright, tropical leaves and flowers, and salmon colored slacks. His shoes look like they’re probably just as white as his teeth, which is impressive considering how fucking grimy the floor is. 

He’s golden and chiseled and looks like he posts gym selfies on Instagram and goes on annual vacations to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico with his white, suburban, conservative parents. 

His large hand closes over yours. He shakes it, and you feel… nothing. 

But you smile and you try to tinge it with warmth. You let him buy you a drink. You dance with him and let him pull you close. You let him run his hands all along your body, but turn away when he tries to kiss you. You let him kiss your neck instead. When he asks if you want to get out of here, you let him take you back to his apartment. 

Linden’s apartment is neat and in an affluent part of town. He explains on the elevator ride up that he has roommates, but they’re totally cool. Immediately contradicting this claim, one of his roommates shoots you a dirty look when you come stumbling through the door behind him. 

His bedroom looks like it was put together by an interior designer. Soft blue walls adorned with tasteful, but soulless, artwork. Crisp white sheets lined his bed and they smelled like they were doused in laundry detergent and fabric softener. It felt like a hotel room. Completely for show. Impersonal. There was one effect that you spotted before Linden was able to hide it away in his dresser drawer: a picture of him and his Barbie kissing. 

He has a girlfriend. 

The thought sinks in and you find… that you don’t care. You’re here and you want him to help you feel something. To pull the escape hatch on your brain and be free. 

Even if it makes you a fucking hypocrite. 

He turns to you and settles his hands on your hips, presses his clammy forehead to yours, gazing into your eyes. You wonder if your attempts to look interested are effective at all. If he’s just meeting vacant eyes. If he cares at all. He tries to kiss you, and you turn away, shaking your head, “No kissing, ok?”

“Ok,” he agrees, then his lips press against your neck instead. He grabs at the curves of your body, and you hum and whine like his touch is magic even though it’s not. 

You tug at his cock over his briefs and search his face, drinking in the way his pupils spread wide and dark, the way his eyelids flutter and his mouth drops. It soothes your chapped soul, to see lust written in his features. You feel wanted. In control. 

When you both undress and he slides his hand between your legs, it feels… ok. His fingers work you hard and fast, like he’s trying to win a race. It doesn’t feel electric. It starts to make you frustrated. You ask him to put on a condom and pull him down to the mattress, where you climb on top of him. 

He groans when you lower yourself down, engulfing him, but he doesn’t whisper dirty things and sweet nothings into your ear as you roll your hips, rutting him in and out of your body. You can read the pleasure on his face and get off on it. There’s a power in someone desiring you. 

You’re only able to build on this feeling when you close your eyes and let your longing mind wander to that night in the hotel with Dieter. The raw, magnetic energy between you and him. How you felt like you couldn’t possibly get too much of him. How you wanted to fuse yourself to him and prevent him from leaving. How you accepted the next best thing: bruises and hickies and stretched muscles that ached for days afterwards. The ghost of his touch on your skin. 

Even if Linden doesn’t fill you perfectly like Dieter did, or feed your desire like Dieter did, you use his body to pretend. You’re able to pretend everything is how it was a month ago, in blissful ignorance, when you thought that Dieter still wanted you like you wanted him. You spill over the edges at this fantasy, and Linden follows close behind. 

He doesn’t pull you close afterwards, or invite you to stay, or anything, really. When you roll off of him and stare up at the ceiling, Linden falls asleep. You quietly get dressed and take the subway home. 

On the way home, you think about that photo Linden buried in his dresser. You think about the gaping nothingness you feel about him, and then you wonder if this is how Dieter felt about Katie. 

“It was just sex, it’s not like- like it is with you-”

Maybe you were too quick to cut him off. Maybe you were wrong. You were so hasty in your reaction. It was too vulnerable. You feel exposed, like he saw too much. Could he even want you still after that? Or would he just turn you away? 

It stings like salt in your wounds when you imagine his rejection. Your bruised pride aches in your chest and reminds you that you will absolutely not, under any circumstances, go crawling back to that man. No way in hell. 

Right? 

[ Next Chapter ]

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 76. brb x oc

a/n: I had an anxious day again but...im better! so i hope you guys like this chapter.

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: fluff, hELP

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/

25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38/39/40/41/42/43/44

45/46/47/48/49/50/51/52/53/54/55/56/57/58/59/60/61/62/63/64

/65/66/67/68/69/70/71/72/73/74/75

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-

During Halloween week,Beatrice was busy…well,sort of, she had things to do but she was going to have fun doing them! Hence why she woke up so early and she’d love to leave the bed if Rooster let her, but her husband’s strong arms locked her in place, his lips pressing against her nape as he slept.

He said that he missed the sounds in their house and he slept so nicely when he was there. Bradley hummed in his sleep, nuzzling his face in the back of her neck as she smiled, almost regretting having to get off the bed because of how comfortable he was. So she allowed herself to stay put for a little longer.

She gently ran her fingers on the back of his hand feeling the lines of his tendons under the skin and the soft hairs that covered it. Rooster snores quietly behind her, his nose nestled between strands of brown that cover her neck, sometimes mumbling something under his breath that only made Beatrice’s smile widen.

God,how she loved this, how she loved him.

Him,Bradley Nicholas Bradshaw, her husband, her best friend - after Shells because the blonde would never allow competition - and the love of her life. When she was younger she dreamed of a guy like him, hell she wrote down what she wanted in her future partner and by God it was Rooster personified.

Okay it took her a few years to meet him, a few ‘yes’s’ throwing aside and a lot of ‘no’s’ being ignored. She kept brushing the back of his hand as she thought about it, it was absolutely crazy that they were still feeling like they were dating…hell she never felt like that with that one person she refused to name.

Her aunt Martha said something to her, when she was pregnant with Nicole and Rooster was away, that their souls were ‘always connected, no matter what time, no matter when, you were always meant to find one another.’ 

Weird yet endearing, just like anything her aunt said.

Beatrice sighs, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles then over the length of his finger, feeling his hold on her waist tighten and his face move behind her. He was slowly waking up but she didn’t move, she just allowed him to enjoy the morning.

Ever since he came back she tried to give Rooster more than enough time necessary to wake up, she wanted him to rest, she wanted him to feel safe while at home. His job was dangerous and hard and he needed to relax the second he got home.

A sharp inhale from him signaled he was finally waking up, this time for real, as he groaned sleepily while pressing his face against her back, “...mornin’.”

Oh she loved how deep his voice was when he woke up, “Good morning,sleepyhead.” she smiles, turning her head to look at him, “Did you sleep well?”

“Hmmmm…” he breathes in deeply, “Yes… have you…been awake long?”

“Not too long, I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“Hmm…” he hummed, closing his eyes briefly, “Nikki up?”

Beatrice checked the baby monitor, only to see Nicole was still peacefully asleep with Eleanor and Jack keeping her company, “Not yet.” she says, ‘It’s still early too,Roos. She’s going to take a little while to wake up.”

Her husband just sighed, pressing his front to her back tighter, nuzzling her neck and kissing the soft skin there, “Hmm…okay.” and his breathing got even again within seconds, his hold loosened just a bit but he hadn’t let go of Beatrice yet. Beatrice just chuckles softly, still brushing his hand, a bit surprised when she hears his voice again, “That’s nice.”

“What? Me touching your hand?”

“Mhm.”

Bea smiles, drawing random shapes on his hand, “Good to know,I’ll keep doing it then.” 

His deep chuckle sounded so much more attractive than normal when he was waking up that it sent shudders up and down her body, “You know I love when you touch me.” and she was blushing, hard, when he whispers those words against her ear, kissing below the lobe and making a trail on her jawline, ‘And you know I could let you touch me anytime that you want,gorgeous.”

She giggles quietly, turning around fully when he loosens his hold on her waist, combing some of her hair back to keep her eyes on him…and she just stared, because Rooster had a stubble. Usually he shaved his face, but these past days he wanted to enjoy his leave and decided that he could do that before he got back to work…and he looked so good. He blinked groggily at her, wiping his eyes with a hand, “What?” Beatrice’s pupils enlarged, “What? What’s the matter?”

“God, you are so attractive,Roos.” it comes out as a breathless confession, something her husband wasn’t expecting but also wasn’t complaining. That boyish, proud smile appeared on his face, the one that made her knees weak and her stomach flip with butterflies, “You look good no matter what.” she runs her hands over the dark blonde bristles on his jaw, almost nearing brown in color, biting her lower lip, “You could literally have a full on mountain man beard and you’d look amazing.”

“Maybe when I retire I can do that.” he smirks, leaning into her touch like a cat, humming deeply within his chest, “That’s nice too. Your hands are so soft.” he turns his face to her palm, holding it with his own hand to kiss the middle of it, three little kisses before he looks back up at her, “What’s the plan today,gorgeous?”

“Well,” she continues her caressing, “We are going to go to Marcus first, then we are going to buy some Halloween treats and then we need to get some fresh pumpkins. Just one though,I want the others to be fake ones.”

“Hmmm…alright.” he smiles, closing his eyes, “Whatever you want,gorgeous.”

Beatrice just adored how he was still partially asleep, how his face was flushed because of the warm covers and how mussed his hair was, “How about,” she whispers, slowly leaning closer, “I make us breakfast,” one kiss on his forehead, “Then I make coffee just how you like it,” another on his nose, “And I can even add some chocolate chips on your coffee.” one final kiss to his lips.

With their mouths still connected,Rooster arched his brows, eyes partially open, “Can you add the extra creamy ones?” his wife laughed against his mouth, but nodded, “Ooohh…you are going to make me fall in love with you all over again.”

They laughed quietly, with Beatrice squeaking in surprise when he pinned her onto the bed, rubbing his stubble against her neck, smiling when she sighed softly and arched against him, “I remember you saying I look good with a stubble.” 

“You look good no matter what,Roos.”

“Careful, we might never leave the bed if you continue.”

Beatrice smiles more, wrapping her arms around his neck, meeting his lips in a sweet peck before his forehead dropped against hers, noses touching, “Tempting.” she whispers, “But we have a lot to do…I’m going to check on Nikki and then I’ll prepare our breakfast-”

“I can check on her if you want.”

“Really?”

“Hmhm.” he nuzzles her neck, kissing the curve of her shoulder, “There’s a lot going on today and you don’t have to overwork yourself.” he whispers, kissing her lips one last time before pushing himself off the bed, “Atta girl.” she pushes herself upwards, partially turning her bottom to leave the bed only to hold back a scream as the warm and stingy feeling of his hand on her ass made her stop in her tracks.

“Rooster!” she whisper-yelled, glaring at her smirking husband who just leaned down to kiss the red handprint and tap the opposite cheek gently, winking down at Beatrice. She huffed with a gentle laugh, shaking her head as her husband disappeared behind the bathroom door, humming to himself.

Well, at least he was having a good morning.

He hears Beatrice leave the room, her voice muffled as she walks into Nicole’s nursery, greeting their baby and mentioning that ‘daddy was going to pick her up really soon.’. Then he hears the known sound of Jolene’s claws clicking on the floorboards, looking up from the sink as he washes his hands, “Morning Jojo.” the pitbull wags her tail, stepping into the bathroom so the pilot can scratch her head, “How about you and the twins join us on the pumpkin search, hm?” he smiles, scratching her behind the ear, “Maybe it’ll be something new…after all Nicole is going.”

Jolene just boofed softly, watching him with big honey colored eyes as if agreeing with him even if she couldn’t,obviously,speak back to him. Rooster dried his face with a towel, turned off the light and left the bedroom towards Nicole’s room where his daughter was already awake, chewing on a rubber elephant that Beatrice gave her before leaving the room, no doubt, “Hi honey.” he coos softly, making Nicole’s light eyes turn to him, “Hi,good morning pretty thing!”

Nicole gurgled a laugh with the rubber animals still between her gums, “Did you sleep well? Yes?” he leans over the crib’s railing and picks Nicole up, kissing her cheek soundly, “You are smelling so good, did mommy change you already? Did she?” Nicole babbled, fully alert without a trace of sleep in her body, “Yes I know, you look really happy to be awake.”

When he pulled Nicole back a bit, his daughter blinked at him, wide eyes and mouth closed before she reached his face with her hand, touching his stubble. He half expected Nicole to be scared or confused, or maybe think that the prickly feeling in her palms were too much and would snatch her hand away…but, their daughter was always full of surprises.

She didn’t cry, she didn’t whimper, she just touched his face with a bit more force - for a four months old baby - even squishing his cheek a little bit, almost as if she wanted to feel more of the strange sensation, gasping quietly with amazement, “Oh, you like it too,huh? So does mommy.” he smiles, kissing her tiny hand and adjusting his hold on her, “Maybe in the future I can let it grow a bit.”

He carries Nicole downstairs, Jolene right behind him trotting down the stairs as he hears Beatrice in the kitchen, talking to someone…this early? He slowly makes his way into the kitchen area, arching his brow when he sees Beatrice rubbing her forehead, “No,mamma, listen,” he arches his brows with a soft ‘ah.’ leaving his lips, “No,no, no we are okay. We are going to- no I know,I know…I know you know.” 

Rooster bites his lip to hold back the chuckle, smiling down at Nicole as he places her in her bouncer, shaking her tiny hands a bit and kissing her small knuckles like the princess she was, ‘Mommy will come by soon,ok?” he kisses the tip of her button nose, “You are so cute, yes you are.”

“Mamma, please,I know.” she drawls off the word, sounding absolutely exhausted, “No,Brad is coming with me…yeah. We’re taking Nikki- yes I know, sunscreen and such,I know. No we won’t be long.” she looks up at him when he gets closer, tilting her head to offer him her cheek and he wastes no time in pecking it,walking around her to grab his coffee mug - that smelled absolutely divine, “Yes. Yes. No, just one becau-because it’s better,mamma. I don’t want people to destroy it, you know how some jerks can be.”

Beatrice walks closer to Rooster who was now sipping his coffee-chocolate mixture with a grin, opening his arm to give her room to rest her head against his chest, “Hmhm…yes I know. I know- no we don’t need cake. No we-yeah we got it.”

“Some cake would be nice though.” he murmured, holding back a surprised yelp when Beatrice slapped his chest, narrowing her eyes at him, “What?”

“...no, that wasn’t Bradley.” she narrows her eyes at him even more, “Mamma there’s no need to- okay, fine, what cake is it again? Hazelnuts and chocolate…yes I know that’s his favorite,mamma.” Bradley just watched the conversation with a little smile, watching his wife finally giving in to her mother’s demands, “Yes,I love you too…bye.” and she drops her phone to the side, letting her forehead touch his pectoral.

“Long talk?”

“Do not start.” 

“What? I’m just asking.”

“You are literally the worst.” she says with a little smile, “But hey, at least we got free cake…for some reason. I keep thinking my mother believes we starve because every time she asks us if we have food.” he hums, kissing the top of her head, “Anyway, sorry, we were just chatting a bit about today’s plans.”

“Yeah?” 

Beatrice walks away from Rooster to greet Nicole, immediately smiling and picking the baby girl up from her bouncer, kissing her cheek, “Yeah,” she smiles, “It’s possible that Michael and Leo and Cyn are coming to the Hard Deck for the Halloween Party.” Rooster blinked in surprise, tilting his head, “Yep,my parents are taking Bibi and Éwoyn out for Halloween.” 

“Éwoyn is old enough to,already?”

“Well,she’s one years old,Roos.”

“Already?” he pauses, staring at nothing, “Holy shit.”

“I know right? Crazy.” Beatrice thanks him when he hands her own mug of latte after she sits down on the chair, preparing herself for Nicole’s breakfast, leaving the steaming coffee on the table as she feeds their daughter, “Doesn’t seem that time went by so fast, huh?”

It really didn’t and Rooster didn’t know how to feel.

Hell if that was just their niece…imagine Nicole? How quick was she going to grow? How soon would she turn one,nine,fifteen? Hell, twenty? He…didn’t like to think about it, not because he didn’t want his daughter to grow, but…he just wanted to see her be a little girl first and foremost, “Yeah.” he chuckles almost nervously, “Not at all.”

Bea gently brushed Nicole’s soft hair back with a soft smile, “You are thinking about it.” he blinks at her, “About Nicole and about time going too fast.”

Sometimes he could swear she could read minds.

“Yeah…aren’t you?”

She shrugs, looking down at Nicole, brushing her soft cheek, “Hard not to,Roos…it’s…something parents go through. Leo and Cyn are going through everyday…Bianca turned seven, you are aware of that too.”

Holy shit Bianca turned seven.

He met her when she was five. He needed to sit down, so he did. Rooster holds his head up by pressing his chin into his palm, looking right at Beatrice, “That’s fucking crazy.” she nods, amused by his reaction, “Holy shit, in four years she’ll be in middle school. Holy hell.”

“And Éwoyn will start preschool.”

“Fuck, that’s…insane.”

Beatrice smiles, looking down at Nicole who just was having the time of her life with her morning treat, “So…yeah,I do think about Nicole and how she’ll grow and how fast that will be. But I try to not worry about her so much, we just have to do a good job in showing her that she can and should enjoy her childhood the best she can.”

Rooster still hated the idea that his daughter was going to grow even more in just a few months and in a blink of an eye he’s at her college graduation or helping her go on road trips over the country. He sighed, drinking his chocolate coffee and licking his lips once he was done, “You are right…it’s just weird. I mean,look at Nikki.” he gestures to their daughter with his mug, “Look at how big she is already.”

“Well,she is a bit…tall for a four months old.”

“Soon enough she’ll reach my shoulder.” and he sounded almost disappointed by it, “...I don’t wanna miss it. I just want her to take a long time growing up.” and he frowns, shaking his head, “Anyway, enough sad talk about it…so, I was thinking about taking the dogs with us to the pumpkin patch.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, you know how they get when we go anywhere by car.” Eleanor and Jack had to be latched onto the seats so they’d stay in the passenger seat, while Jolene just lied next to Nicole for the car ride, “And I think it’d be nice.”

“Well,that’s fine.” she says, buttoning her night shirt once Nicole was done and grabbing her burp cloth to place on her shoulder as she gently caressed Nicole’s back, “I don’t see why not.”

“And maybe take some pictures there.” he continues, “It’ll be nice when…she’s older, she can reminisce about them.”

“That is fine by me,” Bea grins, looking back at her phone when it started buzzing nonstop, “Ugh, I hope it’s not my mom again, you already got yourself some cake.”

“That I did.” he smirks, bringing the mug to his lips, “I regret nothing.”

Beatrice reaches for the phone to check who it was, furrowing her brows once she saw the sender, “Evelyn.” she says, “She’s asking if I can see her later today.”

“Busy bee, ain’tcha?”

She laughs, “I think she just wants to talk, we weren’t able to sit down and chat for…a while, you know she’s been working a lot, barely comes to the bar anymore.”

“Oh yes, Jake has been vocal about it.” he mutters, sipping his coffee, humming with delight, “Kinda annoying.”

“You literally do the same thing when it comes to me,Roos.”

“Yeah,” he shrugs, “But I’m not Jake.”

Beatrice rolls her eyes over her husband’s words, looking back down at the message with a slight frown. Evelyn sounded…intense, like she really wanted to talk, even asking if they could meet during morning time until Beatrice explained why she couldn’t go so early. With a quiet ‘hmmm’ making its way past her lips, all that Beatrice did was put the phone down and then look down at Nicole, “Well,I’m sure it’s nothing serious.” something in her said otherwise “We’ll see once I get there.”

“After everything..”

“Yeah,after everything.” Bea smiles, “Especially  after pumpkin shopping and treats shopping.” holding out her fingers as she says so, “And tomorrow! We’ll decorate the house! Finally!”

Of course she’d be happy with that, she loved Halloween. “Yep and I can finally help you with it.” he smirks down at Nicole before Beatrice sets her on her shoulder, “It’s going to be a fun week.”

[lachimolala22019]

AMETHYST Chapter 5

In a world when you turn 16 you get a mark that matches your soulmate or soulmates.

It was the case for Yn too when she turned 16, she got seven marks that will connect her to her soulmates but......

Pairing: BTS X Reader, BTS X BTS

Warning: fainting.

Masterlist

There was a strong smell of flowers surrounding me. The light was slowly engulfing all of my surroundings, it was getting harder for me to see anything.

I bring both of my hands to cover my eyes to protect them from the irritating bright light.

"Wishes do come true, unnie. But there is always a price to pay." I heard a familiar voice say but wasn't able to remember who's voice it is.

The whole shop was engulfed by the white light I closed my eyes feeling a bit lightheaded.

I woke up from my deep slumber with sunlight hitting my eyes. Squinting my eyes I look at the window to see that it was morning already.

I lift my head from the table and tried to recall what happened last night.

The incident of last night hit me like a truck, the bright light and then the voice. My head was starting to hurt.

"Did I pass out because of the light, and whose voice did I hear before losing my consciousness?"

Getting up from the chair, I looked down at where the book had fallen last night solely find it missing.

"Where did it go, did the owner put it back?" I moved toward the shelf that I picked the book from to not find it there.

I started searching around the bookstore hoping to see the book or the owner.

There was no voice in the whole shop other than some voices from the outside and the sound of a clock ticking.

"Was that just a dream? No, it felt too real to be a dream. I can't even find the owner anywhere."

I was standing near the door of the shop and looked up at the wall to see the clock displaying 7:50 am.

"I need to figure out the way to my house now, maybe I can ask someone for help."

I decided to go outside the shop. With my purse held tightly in my grip, I pushed the door open and went outside the shop.

My eyes went wide seeing my surrounding the whole place was different from last night.

Many shops and houses were around me, it looked lively now compared to the gloomy and unnerving atmosphere yesterday.

"I swear none of the shops was here yesterday" my eyes were looking here and there in a panic. My headache getting worse.

I turned back toward the shop with shaky legs only to find it gone. "T- the shop where did it go" I was starting to feel lightheaded, my head felt like it was going to burst anytime from the pain.

I felt myself losing my balance and falling, but the pain of hitting the ground never came. Feeling a firm grip around my waist stopping me from crashing on the pavement.

I looked up to see a man holding my waist. "Are you alright?" I heard the man holding me ask.

The worried voice of the man was the last thing I heard before I found myself losing consciousness again.

The man gently picks you up and takes you inside a coffee shop.

"Oh, you are here. What happened" Another man asks as he sees his boss holding a fainted person in his arms.

He quickly goes to him and helps him put you down on a couch.

"She fainted outside, I decided to bring her in. Can you bring me some water Yeonjun?"

Yeonjun nods and goes to get the water for him.

The man was looking at you with worried eyes he felt some connection with you. The type of connection he only ever felt with his soulmate.

He didn't realize when he extends his right hand to touch your cheeks. When his finger touched your skin a shock went down his body. The familiar shock he felt 6 times before.

He hastily pulls up the shelve of the jacket he was wearing. His mind went blank seeing his last soul mark turn purple.

The butterfly that was once grey was now a beautiful amethyst colour. He couldn't believe his eye.

Yeonjun came back with a glass of water in his hand finding his boss standing with a shocked expression on his face. He gently touches his shoulder to pull him out of his thoughts.

The man looked at him and takes the glass of water from him.

He took some water and sprinkle it on your face.

I squinted my eyes feeling something wet on my face. I gently open my eyes my head feeling heavy.

I saw a man looking at me with relief on his face with another man standing on his right.

I recalled what happened a few moments ago and recognized the first man. He must have brought me here. I looked around my surrounding while trying to sit up.

"Let me help you" the man who saved me from falling say as he helped me sit.

"Thank you," I say with a hoarse voice.

"Here drink some water," the other man said handing me a glass of water.

Taking the glass with shaky hands I gulped the water down quickly. My throat feeling a bit better after drink water.

"Thank you so much for helping me, Can I know who you are and where I am?" I asked the man who saved me.

I was getting a stranger feeling from the man but it felt safe around him. The feeling was really calming, it made me confused because the feeling was really strange. I have never felt like this around anyone.

So getting this feeling from a stranger made me really confused.

To be continued...

Next

Author's note: Who do you think it is? Tell me in the comments. Have a good day/night.

Bye bye 💜

Taglist

@emu007 @singukieee @fluffy-canada-pancakes @their-bibliophile @guinhosletters @juju-227592 @im-gay-no-matter-who-i-date

[betaidkhoes]

Nothing Burns Like The Cold (PART 1)

Dabi x FAB! Reader (Yandere & SMUT)

WARNINGS: Stalking! Slight Blood Mentioning & Murder

2.7K words

(Part 1/5)

! MINORS DNI !

You were a young petite woman, 20 years old, soft skin, beautiful healthy hair, blush cheeks, wide eyes... you we're the perfect target for a predator to pounce on you at night. You always had a fear of someone attacking you ever since you we're little. The serial killer documentaries you watched at school, the scenarios your mom used to tell you about that would keep your eyes wide open at night, the defense moves your father taught you when you we're 6 years old. Being a young woman in a villain society was almost an invitation it seemed. You we're so vaunerable, I mean what would the villains think you would do? Fight back? Of course not, you we're weak and that gave them a huge advantage. You always tried to be cautious of your surroundings whenever you were in a foreign area or whenever you walked home from work every night. But even in the most safest areas can the most gruesome crimes take place, infact it's the perfect area because no one would expect it coming... your job was a simple one, not much to say about, it helped cover the mortgage on your tiny apartment, cover taxes, food, furniture and so on basic human needs. Life was simple for you. Wake up, go to work, go home, eat, sleep, repeat. You never had a boyfriend or a relationship like that before, your parents never really let boys near you. They we're so protective over you because of the crime rates skyrocketing because of all the superpowers appearing left and right. They wanted to keep their only daughter safe, so it was natural to not let any boys in a 50 meter radius of you. Of course you still had a social life, a few friends here and there, they all come and go. You were a quiet girl, it's not like you we're very popular during your high school days, you would rather focus on studying instead of goofing off with the popular kids at parties and getting so high and drunk you couldn't even pronounce your own name. You liked your simple life though, you never really thought it would change. How wrong you we're...

They say things happen in your life for a reason, people come into your life for a reason and they leave for a reason, you never really believed that until that day, the day your world turned upside down and it seemed like you we're in the worse situation possible and you just wanted to die. Everything was on track that day, woke up, did your normal morning routine and went off to work. Your apartment was pretty close to your work building so you thought you should try and stay ecologically friendly and walk everyday instead of driving. You had your teacher bag packed and leaned over your left shoulder, a medium length skirt on, hair neatly tied up, and white blouse that loosely kissed your bare skin. You looked like a pretty angel walking on the stairway to heaven. You we're infact running a tad bit late, unfortunately your coffee machine decided to break down this morning so you had some trouble fixing it and walking out the door on time. You we're walking faster then usual to pick up the pace so you wouldn't be late for work. You we're wearing high heels so the chances of you falling were very likely, and the odds we're not in your favour today. The right foot accidentally bumped over the left foot when it hit a small rock on the side walk, you lost your balance and had to think quick before you fell on the rocky sidewalk and bruise your hands from the fall. Suddenly without even seeing him from the corner of your eye, a large slim dark figure caught you before the bridge of your nose touched the ground. The catch was so out of line it made your heart beat slightly faster then it had over the past 10 years of your life, you don't think it's beated this fast then since you we're a little girl running around at the park. You we're now in the arms of a complete stranger and didn't know how to react, you turn your head to look at his face but it was covered by a black hood. His arms lifted you back up on your feet as you regained your balanced. Your eyes never left his shadowed face for not even a split second, you we're much taken by surprise. You we're about to thank him but-

"You shouldn't be in such a rush, wouldn't want a pretty lady like you to get hurt now"

He slowly started to walk away while shyly waving at me from behind, not looking back. I couldn't see it but I feel the smirk he had on his lips while saying those words. My hands covered my chest as I was taken back by his words, it made my cheeks feel hot and I didn't really know how to feel except for when I snapped out of my vision and realized that I am still late for work. I fixed my heel that was slightly crooked and thanked him in my head and kept on fastly walking to work. When I arrived at my work I didn't get scolded too hard since this was probably my first and only time i'll ever be late. I was a goody two shoes like that. It kind of made me laugh to think that if my father was with me then he would've chased that man with his shoe all the way down the block. Anyways that was probably the first and last time I'll ever get that close to a man again. My body was pressed up against his chest so hard as if he was holding me for dear life, I bet if I closed my eyes and let all of the outside noise escape my ears, I could hear his heart beat. I'm still disappointed I didn't thank him, he was too far down the street by the time I came back to my senses, and I'm too quiet to shout at him just to thank him, I'm sure he heard my mental message I thought to myself. I get off work around

9pm-ish so it's always pretty dark outside when I walk home. Except this time felt a bit off for some reason, as soon as I stepped outside the building doors, a cold almost piercing wind current hit my body. Its almost as if it we're knifes, I knew winter was coming soon but I didn't remember the weather report saying it was going to be this cold this morning. The entire atmosphere made me uncomfortable, then that fear of someone coming up behind me any moment came into my mind. My adrenaline started pumping through my body, I knew I have to get to my small apartment quick and fast before something bad happens.

I rush home and lock all of my doors and windows, and for some reason, it felt like eyes were piercing through my glass windows and starring right at my body. I didn't feel safe for a second. After a few minutes I realized how quiet my apartment was and didn't like how loud the silence was so I turned on the news to keep my mind distracted. I made some shallow black tea to make my body stop shaking from the fridged air outside. I looked over at my small tv and my heart almost dropped into my stomach. There was a murder case on the news, there was an image of the suspect, it was blurry and had poor quality but it looked almost identical to the man that caught my fall this morning. He had a dark tone, black hoodie, and a tall slim figure, it was no lie that the description matched. The murder involved over 30 innocent people that we're burned to death, the news headline made me sick to my stomach and what scared me even more was the man in the photo... he had... he had to be. He had to have been that man today. A new slide came up and they revealed that the murderer is a known mass serial killer that goes under the name "Dabi". So simple yet it's a name most people won't forget.

"Dabi..."

That name, there was something that gave me the chills whenever I said it. At this point I was shaking... thinking over and over and over on how one of those innocent people could've been me today. I looked over at the time that the incident took place and it was only a few hours after our encounter. I grabbed my remote in a panic and turned off the television as I didn't think I could stand to watch anymore. They still haven't obtained a picture of his face yet his imagine burned clear in my mind. I didn't have to see his face to know it was him. I picked up the phone and called my manager informing him that I don't think I can make it into work tomorrow, I felt very dizzy and the bullet I dodged still left a scar in my head. My manager was concerned as I never took a day off in my life before but because I never had, she said it wouldn't be a problem.

"Um- one last thing Y/n... are you a-alright? You're breathing very heavy over the phone."

I was hyperventilating.

"Oh no I'm uh- fine, thank thank you."

"Are you sure becau-"

I hung up the phone immediately, I was too scared to even talk about what was running through my head right now. I tried to calm myself down but couldn't help but pace around my room, I wish there was someone I could talk too but the words just wouldn't come out of my mouth. I decided to take a ragged cloth and put cold water under it and placed it on my forehead to help with my dizziness. I walked over to my bedroom and laid down trying to fall asleep and forget this horrible tragedy. The next morning I woke up later since I didn't even shut my eyes until around 1am last night. I had dark circles and felt like I was going to throw up even though I didn't eat anything yesterday. I laid in bed for a few hours until I finally motivated myself to get up. It was a tragic shame what happened to those 30 people last night, but the bright side was I managed to live another day unharmed. I'm sure the police will catch him soon.

Guilty people can't always run forever, eventually karma will catch up to them and give them what they deserve.

I got dressed, took a quick shower, put on some comfy clothing and decided to eat something small, my stomach still wasn't feeling right. I knew what would do me good. Going outside. Nothing feels better then walking outside in the fresh air and clearing your mind. I put on my sandals and opened up my door and noticed a white piece of paper laying on my doorstep. I didn't pay attention to it and thought it was nothing but a piece of garbage and walked past it. Until a gust of wind blew towards me, it hit the back of my leg and so I decided to pick it up and throw it away, until I saw the small black writing on the inside. My curiosity got the best of me and I decided to open it...

"(Work address name) is this where you work... y/n?"

What the... what. I must've starred at the piece of paper for at least 5 minutes, I had a blank expression on my face. I couldn't look at it clearly, I couldn't make up an emotion. I looked around me and I looked back at the paper. I can't... I c-can't.. I- um, I didn't know what to think in that moment, the pressure was too heavy. I took the paper and brought it inside and read it over and over. It was my work address. It was my name. I don't understand. Is someone... watching me? I read online articles about stalking and stalkers but I didn't think this type of thing would be happening to me, especially since last night. The note freaked out all the cells in my body. It sent cold shivers down to my core. I couldn't express any feeling towards this. I quickly locked my door and shut all my blinds and windows... just like last night. That feeling came back to me, those set of eyes watching my body. I couldn't take it anymore. This note was the last straw. I picked up the phone and dialed the police...

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

Beep... beep... the sound kept repeating, I looked at my phone line and then came to the realization that my cord was cut. My heart skipped a beat, maybe even 2. At that point I panicked, I could feel someone lurking in my home. I started breathing heavily, my palms getting sweaty, I didn't have the courage to go around my apartment with a knife in my right hand and open each door until I find a surprise in one of them. I unlocked my door and ran out fast, I ran down the street trying to look for a pedestrian walking by so I could ask them to call the police. Then I saw an old woman turning the corner with her grandson, I ran up to them as quickly as I could and stood directly infront of them until they laid their eyes on me.

"Hello, can we help you with something?"

The young boy looked up at me with concern while his grandmother held onto his arm.

"Y-yes please... I need the police, I need h-help, there's someone.. there's a person, he's in my home... phone.. do you-"

The words couldn't come out of my mouth clear enough but the boy understood what I was trying to say.

"I- um we're sorry ma'am, we only have a phone at our house which is a few miles away. I'm sorry? There's a small shop a few blocks down."

I started really shaking this time not having a good gut feeling at all, the air around me seemed drying then the desert, I ran out of my house so fast I didn't even put on my sandals, my feet were bleeding and my sweat started pouring down my face like a bucket of water.

"N-no please... I think someone is watching me."

I whisper closely up to them not wanting them to panic and realize what I'm trying to tell them. I think whoever was in my house is now outside with me.

"We're very sorry Ma'am, I hope you find help?"

He started walking ahead of me quickly starting to worry about the safety of his grandmother, I watched as they walked away, gripping my hair with my clammy hands as I looked around me. The streets have never been more quiet. I could barely even start to see the young boy and his grandmother walking off. I knew I scared him but I don't blame him as I was starting to lose my sense.

"Excuse me, did you say you needed help?"

I turned around me with a growing smile on my face and happy that someone acknowledged my distress and could help me find a telephone to call the police. I looked up at where and who the words were coming from.

"Y-yes I-"

My smile dropped, my eyes lifted up widely and my arms fell at my side and my breathing stopped. I choked on air when I realized it was him.

[watchoutforthefanfics]

achievement unlocked 🔓 (part eight) || Streamer AU! Reddie (IT)

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Inspiration: this prompt + BIRDS OF A FEATHER by Billie Eilish

Summary: Richie liked to play video games, and by some stroke of luck, it became his job. Being primarily known as Trashmouth on stream, he found his own little group of streamer friends and they became intertwined: The Losers Club. It never did feel quite complete, though. Well, until, he got his very own backseat gamer in chat.

TWs: innuendos, lots of talk of sex (it's Richie), cursing, brief mention of toxic relationships, and shameless flirting.

[[A/N: This had me twirling my hair and giggling. Hehehehehehehe. They like each other so much !!! Enjoy :))]]

Richie woke up to approximately 50 messages. Okay, so maybe he was exaggerating, but squinting at his phone in the early morning (it was like 10:30 maybe) really exaggerated the amount. It was all so blurry, he couldn't really tell what exactly he was looking at, but he knew it was a lot. With a breath, he pushed himself up, to lean against the headboard of the bed -his head hurt a little, and he could kind of tell he had a shitty sleep. He couldn't really say why, he didn't really fucking know.

Mindlessly, he grabbed his glasses from his nightstand (which holy fuck did they need to be cleaned) and slid them onto his face. It took him more than one try (he wasn't exactly the most coordinated, not even when he was fully awake). After continuously pushing back a mob of curls that just stayed in front of his eyes, Richie finally just shook his head and the mob moved out of the way. He really needed to figure out how to take care of curls. Maybe he could ask Bev-

He blinked, refocusing on his phone screen -there was a lot. A mix of Instagram and actual messages (he randomly noted if he should get Eddie's number at some point), he thought for a second he posted something he shouldn't have. So, with a breath, he checked (on all platforms, mind you). All he had was Twitch promo and some stupid tweets (he specifically remembers "animal from the muppets definitely fucks"), though, so he was all good there.

He frowned. What the fuck is going on?

Naturally, Richie went to Instagram first. It was where he talked to Eddie, and that was kinda his first priority anyway. Was that fucked up to say? He loved his friends, really, they just weren't... Eddie.

Eddie was like a whole different tier.

So, he quickly went to his messages. In which he noticed a few different sources, the new groupchat was the primary target with an absurd amount of new messages (he debated turning those notifications off for a spare moment), some from Eddie, and maybe like two from Bev. You can kinda guess where he went first.

e.kaspbrak

Can't believe you fucking fell asleep on me.

You snore by the way.

Richie smiled. Right. They'd been up pretty late last night on the phone. Eddie had told him to go to sleep for hours, but Richie downright refused. And neither of them really wanted to hang up. So, apparently, he stayed on until he passed out.

e.kaspbrak

Hope you slept well, asshat.

Richie laughed out loud. Maybe a little in the giggly kind of way (he likes me) and maybe a little like it was the funniest shit in the world (which it was, to him). He said this literally every day but he was so entirely fucked. Eddie had such a fucking grip on him.

This next one he noted was like super early in the morning for him in New York.

e.kaspbrak

Your ex, Connor, just blocked me.

I went easy on him too, what a fucking baby.

He's married now, though, so I messaged his wife instead. She told me she'd get back to me.

Richie snorted. He couldn't remember the last time someone gave a this much of a shit. About him. His friends loved him, yeah, but to fucking chase down his exes? And fucking insult them into blocking you? There was truly nothing more romantic.

e.kaspbrak

I know you're still gonna be asleep right now because you don't wake up until 3 in the fucking afternoon, but I told the others.

Just check the groupchat.

Text me when you're up, dipshit.

Richie paused a second, suddenly understanding the influx of messages. And now that he looked at it, missed calls.

Before he could think about it, he clicked the camera button and started a video. Wiping the sleep out of his eyes, he threw up a thumbs up.

"I'm awake, Eds," he let out a yawn, naturally stretching slightly, "-at a responsible-" he checked the clock, "-10:37 in the morning. So fuck you."

And send.

Richie blinked. Wait.

He'd never sent Eddie a video in his life. Why was that his instinct? They'd not even sent selfies back and forth, now that he thought about it. He stared at the little bubble for a few seconds too long. And maybe because he was half awake, he just waved it off. Too late now.

Barely awake Richie had less anxiety apparently.

With a smooth motion, he moved on to the groupchat. Surprisingly, most of the recent ones were just reels -back and forth throughout the night. Which was kinda in character, it was a friends' groupchat after all, what was one of those without extensive and constant fucking memes? (It should be said that he did note to mute the notifications though.) And then, after a substantial amount of scrolling, he found it.

e.kaspbrak

Now we are :)

At first, Richie didn't exactly get it. Until he scrolled up even more and was reminded of the 'not yet' text. The one that made him want to twirl in a meadow to some music, like a Disney movie scene. (It actually still kind of hit the same now. Richie felt like he should open up his window and sing to the birds.) Blinking, he refocused.

reddy.bevvy ✔️

NO WAYYYY

Ahhh, congratulations ❤️❤️❤️

benny.boy.official ✔️

so happy for you guys ☺️

stan.the.man ✔️

I wish you the best of luck, Eddie.

mike.me.up ✔️

congrats guys !!!

big.bill ✔️

Did not have trashmouth dating somebody on my bingo card but...

I'm happy for the two of you.

e.kaspbrak

Thanks, guys.

reddy.bevvy ✔️

where's rich ?

stan.the.man ✔️

Good question, Bev.

e.kaspbrak

He's asleep.

mike.me.up ✔️

How do you know that?

e.kaspbrak

He fell asleep on the phone with me.

big.bill ✔️

You guys call? Shit, this must be serious. Richie hates phone calls.

reddy.bevvy ✔️

that is so cute !!! I'm so happy for you two.

stan.the.man ✔️

I told him once my uncle died and he just said 'sorry :(' in a text.

e.kaspbrak

@/stan.the.man He really is a fucking idiot.

stan.the.man ✔️

But, you like him?

Richie could see Stanley's fierce protectiveness from a mile away. It made something warm settle along his shoulders, like a hug maybe.

e.kaspbrak

Of course, he's my fucking idiot.

Richie grinned bright -maybe a little too bright, but luckily it was just him in his bedroom. The walls were the only ones to witness it. So, it was kind of like it never even happened at all. No one else would know. They might be able to assume though.

Bev's messages on Instagram were along the same lines 'congratulations' etc, etc. Not that he didn't appreciate them, they were just kinda repetitive. Most of the text messages were the same with the same sort of purpose and soft emojis. He throughly replied to each one with a smile and thanks.

And then, he got to Bev's.

It almost popped out of the screen, accusatory.

Red 🦰🔥 😘

RICHARD TOZIER

YOU ASKED HIM TO MOVE IN WITH YOU ???

Fuck, right, he'd literally forgotten about it. (How the fuck did he forget that?) Eddie was coming to live with him, in three fucking months! God, had that really even settled in yet?

Richie decidedly did not answer, instead jumping over to Stan's messages. Or message, it seemed.

Staniel 🐦😤😠

Richie.

That spoke all it needed to. Stanley was a powerful man with few words necessary. He could nearly see the furrowed eyebrows and thin-lipped straight-line mouth. All judgemental and shit. In a weird kind of way though, the kind that shows he cares. Somehow.

Richie exited the conversation just the same. Later. It was too early for this shit.

It was of no surprise that Bev and Stan were the ones who called him -maybe five times apiece. Or... Bev did it a lot more. He was frankly surprised she hadn't shown up at his door actually-

e.kaspbrak saved your video to chat

He paused, interrupting his thought process. Instinctively, he clicked through, and sure enough, it was saved in the chat. Richie could see his face (one curl so wonkily out of place that he just knew it bothered Eddie). If he thought about it, he looked incredibly sleepy, cozy even, and his hair was unbelievable actually. Probably the frizziest it's ever been. Which is fucking saying something-

e.kaspbrak sent you a video

Richie froze.

He eyed the message for a few spare seconds, like if he blinked it would disappear. To be fair, all of this could very much be a dream. Maybe as far as the handsome comment, if he was totally fucking honest with himself-

e.kaspbrak

You are stupidly hot.

What the fuck.

Richie laughed a little, maybe instinctively thinking of it as a joke. He didn't know, but his brain hesitated to think it was him being honest like he genuinely thought those things. Richie Tozier? Hot? Since fucking when?

He didn't know what to say, so instead, he opened the video.

It took a minute to open, screen black for longer than a second (Richie made weird expressions at himself as it did so, naturally). And then, Eddie was filling up his screen.

Before it could get too far, Richie held a finger to the screen, effectively pausing it.

He let his eyes swim over Eddie. He looked like the picture yeah, but his hair was longer now, and the peek of freckles along the bridge of his nose was a little bit brighter. More noticeable. And on top of it all, was a flush of red bubbled along his cheeks and if Richie squinted, he could see it on the tips of his ears. (God, Eddie just might be the cutest human being fucking alive.) Richie almost wanted to hold his face, cradle it. Pathetically.

He was outside, Richie could tell that much. Mostly by the blue skies, but as he unpaused it, noises like dogs barking, the low hum of conversation, and cars honking (as is NY) merely confirmed it.

"It is almost noon where you are, dickhead," Eddie spoke (Richie watched the words come out of his mouth, carefully, connecting the dots), big brown eyes latched right onto him, "-You're gonna miss fucking breakfast. Do you know how important breakfast fucking is? For your entire body? It gives you all the shit you need that you're missing from fasting overnight. Hence, break fast-"

Richie hummed, Huh. A little distracted. His eyes were just so-

"-So go eat."

And then it was over.

Wordlessly, Richie saved the video to the chat. Debating what exactly he wanted to text, or if he wanted to just send another video. For a fucking glimpse of him.

God, Richie was so very gay.

He just did what felt natural, what his brain wanted him to.

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

I think u r beautiful eds

Before realizing.

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

shit unless you're not like comfortable with that word

some dudes aren't

e.kaspbrak

I'm not some dude fuckface.

Before he could text a response -fingers in place, his screen flashed with something new. It was just like a phone call on Instagram, except, on Eddie's half of the screen was, well, him.

Phone a little bit beneath his chin, his eyes scanned out in front of him as he seemed to take steps down the busy street. Richie could sometimes see heads pass by, he seemed to be moving pretty fast actually. Of course, Eds was a fast lil speedwalker. Richie just stared for a little bit, watching the tight little frown he held on his lips as his eyes glanced along the people along the sidewalk (assumedly). God, he really was fucking beautiful-

Richie answered.

"Eds," he chimed smiling, in between wiping his eyes, and shifting into a (sorta) British accent, "-Why have you given me such a pleasure as to grace me with your presence?"

Eddie's eyebrows furrowed, a cute little wrinkle in between them, and his lips shifted into a different kind of frown (Richie guessed it might've been a fake one).

"It's too early to start that shit, Richie," he added, something in his tone that Richie couldn't quite read.

Richie's brain went a little crazy at hearing his name in Eddie's voice, on Eddie's face. Watching all the little inflections as he said it, the way his whole face moved as he said his fucking name. He kind of wanted to commit it to memory-

"Rich?"

He blinked, throwing himself out of his thoughts, "Shit, sorry, what did you say, Spaghetti?"

His eyebrows furrowed again, eyes shining with something Richie could really see as concern. His big brown eyes said a lot, right on the surface, he was kind of fucking entranced honestly.

"You okay?" Eddie asked -softer.

It made Richie melt a little.

"Yeah, shit, yeah, I'm fine, Eds," he cleared his throat, "-You just... You said my name."

Eddie's lips quirked up a second, and Richie wanted to see a full smile so bad that it felt like his blood was burning.

"I've said your name before, dickweed," he chimed, "-like multiple times. Do you not remember the fucking phone calls-"

"But it's you this time," Richie interrupted -impulsively, "-your face. You."

Eddie did smile then, a little small one. It made something zing all the way to his toes.

"My beautiful face?" Eddie teased, and Richie felt a little like he was floating.

Richie paused, before settling on something.

"Yeah," he hummed, maybe a little too softly, "-your beautiful face."

He watched then, as a sort of flush bubbled up to his skin -all the way up to the tips of his ears. It was a splotchy sort of red. He puffed up his cheeks for a moment, and Richie thought for a moment he was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Fuck you."

Richie burst into laughter, "Wow, I give you a compliment out of the kindness of my heart-"

"What the fuck else was I supposed to say?" Eddie retorted, something in his face flickering frustration (or maybe just flustered), "-You called me fucking beautiful. Who does that shit?"

"Eds, I thought you were beautiful like since the fucking beginning-" Richie added before he could think about it, and when the words settled along in his mind, he snapped his lips shut.

Shit. He really was a fucking loose cannon-

"Seriously?" Eddie asked, softer -big brown puppy dog eyes looking at him. He was so fucked.

"Uh," Richie paused, awkwardly, "-yeah."

"Wait," Eddie scrambled a second, "-How? You didn't know what I looked like-"

"On your Instagram," Richie interrupted, rambling a little, "-you have a, uh, photo where you're smiling. You've got little crinkles by your eyes and shit. And the... the first thing I thought was that you were..."

"Beautiful," Eddie finished -succinctly, not looking at the screen (his face was still pretty red).

"Yeah," Richie continued, awkwardly.

"You can't do that."

Richie pursed his lips, "What?"

"Be all fucking... sincere and shit," Eddie explained, suddenly frustrated, "-You're already handsome and... and charming and fucking funny as shit. Save some for the rest of us, asshole."

Richie laughed again, tilting his head back and staring at the ceiling.

"Awe, Eds thinks I'm charming-"

Eddie choked out a laugh, before stomping it down, "I take it all back. You're an idiot."

"Apparently, I'm your idiot," Richie chimed back -teasing.

Eddie fell silent, "Shit."

Richie laughed again, and Eddie laughed too. It made something in him flutter. It was just like every time before, each one laughing a little harder. He thought for a second that maybe it would never stop, maybe he'd run out of oxygen-

"I think you're beautiful too," Eddie chimed (decidedly not laughing anymore, how long had he been just looking at him?), "-just so you know. Dick."

Richie sobered up pretty quickly then, red splotchy patches creeping up his face (probably worse than Eddie's a few seconds ago). Even despite the embarrassment, he smiled goofily and tilted his head, "Thanks, Spaghetti."

Eddie just looked at him, eyes set and lips in a firm line. Almost frustrated and also somehow a little affectionate.

"I'm going to beat the shit out of your exes."

Richie laughed, "You could probably take them, Eds. You have so much anger in that tiny little body-"

"I'm 5'6, dickweed," Eddie hissed, "-5'7 is the average height of a man, internationally. I'm average height, it's not my fault you're freakishly fucking tall."

"What about in America?" Richie very well knew it to be 5'9.

"Fuck you," Eddie's lips flattened into a thin frown, "-and get the fuck out of bed. Go eat some breakfast."

Richie opened his mouth to respond.

"-I'll stay on this fucking call until you do."

Richie thought there might be some other reasons too. It just made him grin brighter, too bright probably (but Eddie looked at him in a certain type of way that he never wanted to stop so maybe it was okay). They stayed on the phone for a lot longer than necessary (somehow Richie didn't mind), and he got to chime in on Eddie's grocery run, which was fun. Especially when he got to physically see Eddie's face as he cussed him out. (Did you seriously just tell me to get fucking Twinkies?)

He wasn't surprised when just a few hours later, he got a knock on his door. Mostly because he still hadn't answered her text messages, or Stan's message either. Quickly responding to Eddie (something about streaming), he wandered up to his door.

He might as well give her a key actually-

Bev walked in with a smile, extending a drink toward him (some fruit drink with like fresh strawberries from Starbucks that he had decidedly never had), and walking a few steps forward. Richie sipped from it, and gently shut his door behind her -locking it.

Before he could even turn around, Bev punched his arm hard -the ice sloshed in his drink.

"Fuck, Red," his freehand came up to rub at it, turning to her, "-What was that for?"

"Not telling me shit," Bev chastised, before extending her hand -expectantly.

Richie furrowed his eyebrows for a second, eyeing her palm, "Uh, what?"

"Your phone," she chimed, like it was obvious.

"I didn't ask through text, Bev," he clarified, "-we talked on the phone."

"How did it e-" she started, before pausing. She held up her finger as if to say one moment, and pulled out her phone. With a breath, a dial tone echoed out into the room.

"Hello?" Stanley answered. Fuck.

They were ganging up on him right now, why? He didn't deserve this shit. It had just come out, and Eddie was okay with it-

"Hey, Stan," Bev responded, "-I'm at Richie's, like we talked about."

Like we talked about, Richie sighed, "C'mon guys, I don't need a fucking intervention-"

"It's not an intervention," Stan's voice chimed up put of the phone, "-We're just fucking confused as hell, Rich."

"Yeah," Bev supported, "-I really like Eddie for you, but where did this come from?"

Richie questioned, assuming she talked to Eddie to learn that information, "Did Eddie not tell you?"

She pursed her lips, answering, "No."

Richie briefly wondered why, but it kinda made sense. Eddie was pretty private about things like that, and if anything (since they were Richie's friends first), he'd want Richie to handle it. He didn't want to fuck any of it up, even though Richie told him that he really couldn't.

"He called me yesterday during his shift," he explained, "-Told me that a coworker was flirting with him, he rejected, and she threw hot ass coffee on him-"

Stan interrupted, "Is he a barista?"

"Was," Richie corrected before continuing, "-Long story short, he walked out of his job and quit. And then he started getting frantic about rent and hating his life... and it just... slipped out."

"And you meant it?" She questioned, carefully.

"Yeah, of course I did," Richie laughed, "-he's... Eddie."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stanley crackled over the phone.

"It's... Eddie," he repeated, unsure how to go from there, "-He's my favorite person in the whole fucking world, no offense. I can't help myself with him-"

"Your favorite person?" Bev questioned -quieter, gentler. Richie wasn't sure what to do about it, or how to interpret it.

"Yeah," he echoed out, before adding, "-like I said no offense. You guys are like a close second-"

Bev held out her hand, and Richie furrowed his eyebrows, "I wanna see your messages."

Richie didn't even flinch, accepting her phone as she handed it to him with ease. Stanley didn't say anything for a second like he was thinking -processing. Richie knew that meant he was about to say something big; he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"You videochatted?" She asked, and before Richie could respond, continued, "-You called him beautiful?"

"Hey, I told you about that one-"

She didn't say a word, instead, Eddie's voice echoed out into the air, "It is almost noon where you are, dickhead-"

"Huh," she commented, scanning over him, "-he is pretty cute. I can totally see the beautiful thing-"

"You really do like him," Stanley's voice called out, curious, "-don't you?"

Richie gnawed at his lips, fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt -debating how to say it, "So fucking much."

"And he likes you too?" Stan asked, quietly.

"Yeah," Richie paused, "-at least, I think so."

"No, 'I think so'-" Bev interrupted, handing him back his phone and accepting her phone, "-I text him. He likes you. A lot."

"Yeah?" Richie asked, grinning.

"Oh, yeah," Bev laughed, "-he told me that he found you from one of Mike or Ben's streams. You said some stupid shit in the chat, he saw the checkmark and got curious. He went to your channel, and-"

Richie felt a little like exploding.

"-watched some of your streams. 'I liked his laugh and his stupid ass face'," she quoted, smiling, "-You'd been his celebrity crush for like a year and a half-"

"I was his celebrity crush-" Richie nearly cooed, pretending to faint, "-Bev pinch me, I'm dreaming~"

She laughed, loud. It made something in Richie lighten, he really fucking loved making his friends laugh. And it always made him just love his friends ever more. He never thought he'd get this-

"I'm happy for you Richie," Stan interrupted, "-really fucking happy for you. I am gonna have to text him though."

"Give 'im the ole runaround," Richie joked, in a heavy Southern accent.

"Seriously, Rich," Stanley clarified, "-if he tries any shit, I'll book a flight to New York."

"Stanley, my hero," Richie sighed out.

"Rich."

"I know, I know," Richie relented, breathing out, "-I don't think he's gonna hurt me. I'm really... I trust the fuck out of him."

"Yeah, good," Bev hummed, "-it's our job to test him."

"Guys," Richie laughed, fake pleading but still kinda genuine, "-please don't scare him away, I really like this one-"

"It won't scare him away," Stanley added, "-if he's serious."

Richie rolled his eyes.

Quickly, going to Instagram, he shot Eddie a warning message.

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

incoming daddy stan and momma bev asking about your intentions with me

🚨🚨 this is a warning 🚨🚨

He waited a second.

e.kaspbrak

Bev already did that.

But tell Stan to bring it on, I'm ready.

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

u can't do any worse, right ?

the bar is on the floor lol

e.kaspbrak

I'm gonna be the best boyfriend you've ever had, dipshit.

Boyfriend, chimed through his head, and Richie grinned bright.

e.kaspbrak

And not just because all your other ones are shitty.

Because I actually want to fucking take care of you and your stupid brain.

Very stupid brain.

Something twisted in his chest, a little overwhelming.

trashmouth.tozier ✔️

I'm getting mixed signals here, eds

e.kaspbrak

Shut up, dipshit. ❤️

Richie felt a little like he might cry. In the good way.

e.kaspbrak

No, you're not.

And before your brain starts shit, I like the fuck out of you.

Okay, in a very good way.

[zhongrin]

Coviello's (Observation) Journal

Day 2 (Sat, 7/10)

6:32

Miss Mei woke up and brewed me a fresh cup of coffee. I don't think she slept that much last night.

7:10

Lord Harbinger dropped by. Is it normal to visit a friend this early in the morning? I'm convinced something is going on here.

8:00

Opened the teahouse. It's a full house from the start. I have no idea how Miss Mei manages to tend to all these people.

8:50

I received a letter from one of Miss Mei’s friends. I find it quite strange that she said the nameless letter was mistakenly sent to her, yet she was insistent enough on telling me to not open the letter. It’s as if she knows where - or who - it came from.

As instructed, I am holding it for the time being, since Miss Meirin is still slaving away in the office… But I wonder...

10:20

Finally, some time for a breather.

11:49

Lord Harbinger's second visit of the day. He claims to be checking up on me - how very kind of him. But I think he's here for other reasons.

12:10

I hope have a hypothesis....

16:10

I can’t stand looking at that thing.

20:00

Teahouse closed for the day. I insisted to help Miss Meirin with cleaning and closing up. We talked about quite a lot of things. It's just as my initial thoughts. She deserves to be happy.

20:12

Visited Miss Meirin at the office and made some hot chocolate for her. Yep, she really seems to like it. I'm actually flattered. No one has ever expressed such adoration for what I made ever since

Also brought her a slice of cheesecake. She seemed hesitant at first, but she still finished the whole slice when I told her it was a gift. Perhaps she's not a fan of cheesecakes? Will have to note that down for reference.

23:31

I might have found something that I can use. I remember one of the patrons mentioned something about [it]... Now, where can I find [it] is the question.

23:35

Researching this doesn't feel right, but I just have to remember that my inactions have costed me greatly in the past.

23:41

I don't want to go through I'm done sitting around.

23:57

I wonder if Lord Tartaglia would

[lockandkeyhyena]

Sorry in advance for the long block of text here… Ive been seeing your ocs all over my feed and now im obsessed!!! Hope you do not mind answering my 5000 questions!! . ~ What was Hercules like as a wee lad?… For the sake of science if you stuck him in a room with 6 other children, what would he do..? would he have any notable / unusual habits compared to the others….? ~ If Hercules could wish for anything ever in the world what would he wish for. Also whats the most expensive thing hes ever bought! ~ Does he have any consistent quirks/stims…? Any silly gestures or quotes ? ~ What do you think an average day would be like for him ? What does he usually eat ? … Hows his morning / evening routines? Is it basic or extensive? Do you think hed be the type to take an hour long candle-lit shower and bathe himself in 50 creams lotions perfumes … or does he just dip and go ? ~ What is his house like…? Does he have his own or is it a family home / did he inherent it. Do you have any idea what it would look like ? What does his own personal room look like ? does he enjoy keeping/collecting anything in particular , or is he a minimalist

Okay now for the sake of science and connecting to Hercules psychologically I must know how he would react to the following scenarios: ~ If he one day woke up in a 4x4 cage in the middle of the Arizona desert what would be do? … ~ If he was walking around one day and suddenly the government said his city was gonna be nuked in 10 MINUTES what would he do? … ~ If he went to walmart and saw a child throwing a tantrum over toys what would he do? …. ~ If he was sitting around and a cute little kitty or puppy came up to him and wanted food and pets really badly what would be do? … ~ if he was going on about his day and, bare with me now, was firsthand witness to the oppa homeless style tumblr text post scenario, in real life, what would he do? That is all .... Thank you for your time homie of tumblr nation

please DO NOT apologise these sorts of questions and character analysis things are the stuff i LIVE for. strap in folks its gonna be a long one gonna answer these in bulletpoint form maybe a drawing or two scattered throughout!

~ Hercules was,, uhhh,,,,, Not that similar to other children and that fact only exacerbated as he got older. At his mentally healthiest he probably would’ve gotten a lot of ‘wow you’re so mature for your age!’s from adults. Growing up being completely desensitised to violence and in a relatively loving but still very fucked up environment will do that to you.

In regards to sticking him in a room with a bunch of other children and seeing what happens- he actually went to kindergarten! Titan was surprisingly firm that he have as regular of an education and upbringing possible for the kid of a mafia boss. She…. half-managed.

In regards to your thought experiment, here are some drawings from his time at kindergarten when he was at his least traumatised!

~ If he could wish for anything. This is an amazing question- what do you give the man who thinks he has everything he wants? He’d probably wish for whatever problem in the moment that was stumping him to be fixed (gang relations, nosy detectives, etc). Personally I think he should wish for some therapy but thats just me.

In regards to money, he’s really not that extravagant a spender (leave that to Titan) and his quarters are rather modest, the most he’s ever spent on things are probably gifts for his mother lol.

~ Oh BOY does he have stims- he taps. He’ll rhythmically tap his cane on the floor, tap his feet, twitch his tail and tap his nails against the nearest surface. He usually does this when he’s impatient or bored and it’s Not a good sound to hear when in a meeting with him. Though he tends to do this unconsciously and will usually stop if he notices and is in the company of other people (he thinks its unprofessional).

~ Like I said above, he’s really not super into decadence, he thinks extravagance and showy displays of wealth are tacky and unnecessary. His morning routine is probably something along the lines of wake up at 8am, take an ice cold shower, get dressed, eat breakfast (homecooked meals only. He’s a surprisingly good cook), check up on his finances, go do all the things he needs to do for the day, come back home and go to sleep. Very important note is that he wears those cartoon blue and white striped pyjamas.

~ DESPITE not being into overt displays of wealth, he does in fact live in a giant fuck off victorian mcmansion that he inherited from his mother. He doesn’t even use half of it and spends all his time in the house either sleeping or holed up in his study.

His study is a mess btw. Papers everywhere, needs to be swept. He’s very embarrassed about it but since he only ever uses it for all-nighters he never has any time to clean or organise it. His bedroom is immaculately tidy with only a few personal effects and the rest of the house aside from the essentials and a few guest rooms is covered in a fine layer of dust.

okay and here are his reactions to some hypothetical scenarios!

~ Cage in the desert. Okay so his thought process would probably go something like this;

Step one. Don’t panic. Evaluate the time of day through the position of the sun. Scan memories from last night to check for any gaps or places he could have been drugged.

Step two. Go down through his list of enemies and try and figure out who was most likely to have done this.

Step three. Do not panic. Felines can survive for three days without water. It likely hasn’t been more than half a day since he was kidnapped and Leroy will have been alerted to his disappearance and is likely looking for him now.

Step four. Do. Not. Panic. Stay put and attempt to look for weaknesses in the cage, if none can be found stay put and don’t waste your energy. Prepare to drink your own piss if things get bad. Also prepare snarky retort for when Leroy finds you.

~ Nuke scenario. Probably try very hard not to panic and follow his emergency evacuation plan of the city and try to get as far away as possible with his friends most valuable employees.

~ Child tantrum. Depending on the age of the child he might just straight up flash a gun at them to try and get them to shut up. He wasn’t this whiny as a kid- what’s their problem?

~ Very cute animal begging for attention. If alone, the most logical course of action is to acquiesce to its’ demands and give it a pat. It doesn’t take away attention from the task at hand will get it to stop making annoying noises. If he’s with other people he would ask them to give it attention to get it to stop bothering him.

~ Oppa homeless style. He would slowly back away, go home, get out a bottle of his strongest liquor and re-evaluate what he’s doing with his life. Too bad oppa homeless style doesn’t exist in the canon of sadboycats 😔

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTIONS and apologies for the absolute wall of text in response. These kitties have been eating up my brain.

[imstillhere-butallislost]

Hi! At the time of writing I got out of surgery 6 hours ago at grs Montreal. Double incision with nipple grafts. Here is my big post detailing eeeeverything about my actual surgery experience and the day leading up to it.

First of all, I just want to say for everyone considering grs Montreal that the clinic no longer does drainless top surgery. I was told in my consultation that they ONLY do drains now because they don't want to take any chances with healing.

It's worth stating that my support person was with me the whole time really, just not when I was dressing or when I was taken from the recovery room to actually go get surgery. You will not be alone!

I had to fly in to Montreal for surgery, and will be flying back home on Sunday.

It was pretty nerve wracking trying to set up and understand everything through email because I was in a different province, but it all worked out. The clinic payed for all of the car rides, and my province reimburses the plane tickets and covers the hotel stay. The clinic also covers 50 dollars of Uber eats credits per day.

The night before I had to take a shower and use hair removal cream and antibacterial soap. Let me tell u that Hair removal cream was ROUGH. It didn't take everything off and it also have me a lot of irritation under my arms. But I got it done and got a drive to the clinic the next morning after I showered again.

At the clinic, you are immediately given paperwork. You do this, and then you wait. I waited maybe about 2 hours or so before being called and told it's time for me to go out of the waiting room. I met with a nurse, went over more paperwork and had some vitals taken, then she took me to get dressed in a hospital gown and take a pregnancy test.

This starts a long hour and a half being unable to produce any liquid to be able to take a pregnancy test. I couldn't do it, so I just got to go upstairs for surgery with another person. It was pretty strange to have people all around you switching from French to English to speak to different people. I got out in a big room with room for maybe 6 beds, for people waiting to go in to surgery and people recovering from surgery. The other patient I came up with had a little stuffed octopus, was pretty cool. Once again I was asked to take the pregnancy test, but I wasn't allowed to drink since midnight the previous night so I just couldn't. They could NOT do the surgery without a pregnancy test due to anesthesia. I had to be hooked up to an IV before surgery in order to get fluid in me so I could take the test, but it was done and it was negative (yay!).

After the test, I was immediately taken away from the recovery room and moved into a very very small room directly outside the surgery room. This is where I had the surgery guidelines done on my chest immediately. Everything happened very quickly after the pregnancy test,because they had been waiting on me to be able to do it. The drawing of the guidelines was a little strange for me bc the surgeon (Dr laungani) had to remove most of my robe, but it was all fine.

I was taken into the surgery room and told to get up on the table, they had me lay down like I was Jesus on the cross, and then the mask was going over my face and the anesthesiologist told me to think happy thoughts and then I was out. No counting or anything, I was just out.

And then I woke up in a different room, vision blurry because i had anesthesia and also didn't have my glasses. I was asked how I was feeling and well, I was feeling completely fine. Maybe a little slight pain but nothing major. I remember thinking for a slight second that o was dreaming, but then I remembered everything that had happened earlier in my the day.

From that point I stayed awake the entire time and was wheeled to the recovery room. In the recovery room they knew again asked how I was and did vitals, and I said my pain was about a three out of 10 and was given Tylenol. All of the nurses were extremely nice, one apologized for all the pressure to make sure I took the pregnancy test earlier which was nice. I was allowed to lay down for like an hour, drank some water and ate because I was sooooo hungry, the clinic gave me one piece of cheese. I had big ice packs on me, and there was a huge stain on my body from stomach to neck and shoulders, which I was told was an anti septic. I was able to wipe that off, have a demo on how to empty drains and what my meds all do, and then I was able to leave after I used the bathroom and got dressed. I was able to do all of this on my own relatively easy, and then I was able to go back to where I was staying and that's where I've been!

Ive already emptied my drains on my own and am able to get up and walk around, i have pretty minimal pain right now and am only using Tylenol instead of the strong pain meds they prescribed. But yeah that's it, comment or DM me if you have any questions or anything!

[blindrapture]

WEDNESDAY MAY 25TH, 2011 ("world with empty eye sockets")

12:24 AM I think they’ve passed. I think we’re safe. ..I think I’m going to fucking sleep.

3:30 AM Donnie woke me up, she couldn’t sleep. Guess we’re heading off already.

3:41 AM Okay, I’ve put my CDs into one of those CD folder things. This is much easier to carry. I’ve got bags, I’ve got Tiger Stripes, I’ve got my Pot Noodles and my soda; I’m completely ready. Donnie, still tired, has got her share of snacks and drinks. She’s got a steel frying pan, too. And a T-shirt from something called “Bloomsday.” Isn’t that a department store? ..anyway, uh, we’re setting off now. Good luck to us?

3:45 AM Out of the neighbourhood. No sign of spidercats or anything yet. God, it’s bright for 4 in the morning.

4:18 AM We’re going towards the motorway. It’s the fastest way to London. ..I think. The high street is quiet, as always.

4:30 AM We’re nearing the motorway. Donnie’s quiet. Tired. I can hear a faint cawing noise. Like a crow.

4:42 AM The cawing seems to be getting louder.

4:59 AM Okay. I’m hiding behind a car. I don’t think the Big One saw me hiFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

5:01 AM It stopped. It’s turning back. What the fuck. YEAH YOU’D BETTER RUN. Okay, where’s Donnie, there she is, she’s behind that car, got it. We got everything? Good, good, good.

5:32 AM We’ve been walking down this motorway for a while now. We haven’t seen a single soul, just miles and miles of busted cars. I admit, I was kinda expecting to run into some other travelers or something.

5:50 AM Getting light. Very light. No sun, though. Just red.

6:13 AM We played “I Spy.”

6:38 AM Found a car, a big SUV, filled with good food and drink and whatnot. Time for a picnic!

6:40 AM “So why do you wear that.. outfit, anyway?” Good question. I dunno, really. I like to look distinguished, I guess. Makes me feel comfortable. And cool. Kinda like the Doctor or something! “Looks more like the Blues Brothers.” Yeah, there’s a bit of Blues Brothers influence, but that was really more of a coincidence. I wear the coat because of the slender man, and the hat’s inspired by Yahtzee Croshaw. But it’s all just influences, not really that important. “I think I’ve heard of Yahtzee. What’s the slender man?” Oh! Haha, the slender man! Goodness. It’s an urban legend, this tale of a man who’s seen in the backgrounds of photographs. He’s tall and faceless and wears a business suit and tie. Hella creepy when you read all about him late at night. Left a big impression on me. “Sounds cool. What does he do?” Nobody’s really sure. Usually, the people in the photographs with him go missing. Sometimes they’ll turn up later, disemboweled and strung up on trees. Sometimes they’ll turn up insane, sometimes wearing masks and being violent and unstable. Sometimes they simply won’t ever be seen again. ”..he’s not real, is he?” He’s not supposed to be. He’s entirely fictional; his creation was well documented on a Something Awful thread.

6:45 PM Moving out again!

7:02 AM We’ve still got a long way to go. I’d forgotten how tedious and monotonous motorways were. We’re probably gonna stop and rest soon. Maybe.

7:37 AM OH GOD NO WAY NO FUCKING WAY NO NO NO THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE oh, it’s just a dead guy in a business suit. Never mind. Hahahaaaa, never mind. Nothing, never mind!

7:45 AM Donnie’s getting tired. I mean, she seemed pretty tired when we first set out, but now she just looks exhausted. And I admit, I’m pretty tired, myself. We’ll stop soon.

8:11 AM We just passed Croydon. We’re closer than I thought. We’ll rest iHOLY COCK

8:13 AM WHY THE HELL DOES EVERYTHING WANT MY POT NOODLES

8:16 AM OHHHHHHHHHHHH GOD THIS IS BAD THIS IS VERY VERY BAD WHERE’S DONNIE OH MY GOD WHERE IS DONNIE There she is, next to me, never mind.

8:20 AM …it’s gotten quiet, so I’m going to write. You’re not going to believe this. …actually, you might. We were walking along when all of a sudden, BAM. All the cars on the motorway started to move. They moved into one giant mass, and they have formed a giant motherfucking cobra. Made of cars. I’m going to call it the Carbra. Getting past this thing isn’t going to be easy. We’re hiding behind a tree.

8:23 AM Maybe we should try talking to it. “….you want to try talking to it.” ..okay wow that was stupid.

8:27 AM Okay. Okay. I’m going to make a mad dash for the next tree. Tiger Stripes, give me strength.

8:28 AM fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckmade it.

8:31 AM Okay, now Donnie’s got the courage. She’s gonna make the dash.

8:32 AM YOU MOTHERFUCKER EAT PLASTIC GUITAR

8:35 AM OKAY WELL EAT POT NOODLE

8:38 AM EAT MORE PLASTIC GUITAR YOU MOTHERFUCKEasdfgh I just got smacked in the face with a tire

8:43 AM We’re running we’re running I got Donnie and we’re running we’re running oh my god AHHHHH

8:47 AM We’re hiding. Behind a truck. I sure as hell hope this isn’t, like… the Carbra’s penis or something. I hope it’s just a truck. Either way, we’ve got more problems. Motherfuckers can fly now. The zombies. The motherfucking zombies can motherfucking fly. They have wings now. ..motherfucker.

8:49 AM God, the sound of their wings flapping where the hell can we go

8:50 AM Donnie’s got an idea. I’m following.

8:51 AM FUCK YOU FLYING ZOMBIES FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF RUN RUN RUN RUN

8:52 AM I WISH I HAD A FUCKING GUN

8:55 AM Donnie led me to a shed on a hill. She’s locked the door. I like where this is going. >w>

9:01 AM Sitting by the door, listening for the flying zombies to go away. Yeah, this isn’t quite where I thought it was going.

9:05 AM We’re both yawning several times a minute. I don’t know how much longer we can stay awake.

9:07 AM Now that I’ve gotten a chance to really listen to those damn things, I’m less annoyed and more.. unnerved. The sound of the wings, that is. The flapping.. it sounds like.. swishing. Liquid swishing. But it also sounds like breathing. I’m gonna try to zone it out.

9:13 AM ….she fell asleep and is now across my lap. Shit. I’ve never, uh.. looked up what I’m supposed to do now. Do I.. do I feel her up? Do I kiss her? ..why am I writing in my journal when I could be doing all sorts of— fuck it, I’m just gonna sleep, too.

5:59 PM Note to self: “You have nice pants” isn’t a good compliment. It’s a bit weird.

6:14 PM This place has a stove. Had a Pot Noodle. It was tasty.

6:32 PM Fucking shitcrabs, they’re still out there.

6:38 PM There’s a basement door in this shed. It leads to a long staircase. I think it’s a rabbit hole. I brought this up to Donnie, and I think she wants to check it out. She’s nervous, though. Never been down one of these before. Then again, it’s hardly like I’ve been down more than once.

6:43 PM Led us to a shed that looks pretty similar to the one we were previously in, though the front door is now large and steel. I’m gonna break it down.

6:44 PM We’re in a small blue room. There’s nothing in here. WHERE’D THE EXIT GO Okay, we might be trapped. I’m gonna see if I can break the walls down OH GOD FLOOR OPENED UP

9:40 PM awake ow hey donnie Eah. Hi. We seem to be in a void. A black void. In front of us, a good five or ten feet away, is a lone door. But directly in front of us is the void; there’s no floor. Well, there are, uh… patches? Patches of floor here and there. I don’t know how safe they are to step on, though. NO NO NO WAIT DONNIE DON’T oh. Kay, the ‘patches’ are very safe to step on. Kay, we can easily cross, then.

9:42 PM The door led to a small office. There are several doors around us.

9:44 PM Upon trying a door, I was presented with a long corridor. At the other end of the corridor, I could see a giant screaming face approaching me at terminal velocity. I quickly shut the door. I hate this place. It’s all so typical horror shit but I hate it all the same.

9:45 PM Donnie opened a door and found some rotting corpses. She wants to open any more doors, either. So what are we gonna do?

9:48 PM We’ve looked all over. There aren’t any other options. We’re gonna have to open another door. Fuck.

9:49 PM We drew straws. I got the shortest one. Okaaaay here goes.

10:01 PM We climbed out of a manhole. In a street.

10:05 PM LONDON WE’RE IN LONDON OH MY GOD

10:12 PM We found a stationery store! Oh my god, they have tons of journals! I am so taking one. Perfect timing, too. This journal was just about to run out of

10:20 PM I got myself a new journal. Fancy. Pretty. Huge, too. Nobody’s here, so Donnie and I thought we’d just.. take stuff. We’re gonna look for a map. HMV’s gotta be close.

10:24 PM This street’s pretty weird. I can hear the laughter of little children. YEAH I HEAR YOU GUYS, THIS STUFF WASN’T SCARY IN THE SHINING, IT WILL NEVER BE SCARY

10:27 PM Found a bus station. Had a map. It says we’re at the wrong side of the Thames. Fuck. I can see Piccadilly on here, though. Should be there in an hour, I’d say.

10:31 PM Donnie’s been awfully quiet. Then again, so have these streets. Where is anybody?

10:35 PM We’ve hit the Thames. Bridge nearby.

10:39 PM Donnie says she’s been seeing things. Strings around corners, nearby, moving. Personally, I’m pretty sure that strings are the least of our concerns right now.

10:40 PM Hit the bridge. Crossing the Thames.

10:42 PM God, the Thames is a huge river.

10:45 PM I just heard a splash. Donnie’s here, she’s okay. Looked over the edge, nothing.

10:47 PM strings everywhere in the corner of my eyes

10:49 PM Past the Thames, we’re on the wrong other side of London now, no strings anywhere.

10:55 PM …gotta admit. This sure doesn’t seem like the right side of London. At least we know where everybody is now: They’re all inside the buildings! Looking out at us from the windows! Most of them look like zombies. Let’s.. keep our eyes on the road. <:D

11:00 PM Graffiti says “HMV this way.” Thank you, hoodlums!

11:03 PM The zombies are definitely very creepy. They’re all standing in the windows, staring out at us. 11:07 PM Hit Trafalgar Square. I know this place. We’re close.

11:11 PM Did I say “close?” I meant “halfway.” I wish it wasn’t so far away, dammit. Hey, where’d that door come from? urp

(Attached: “I live in a world with empty eye sockets. Countries grope for light switches, assisted by no one. Nature calls this ‘politics.’ I call it 'aftermath.’ Then again, I’ve been called much worse. I carry, in my hands, a book larger than life itself. A god handed it to me as a sort of graduation present. We’ve passed the final exams and now it’s time to leap blindly into the real world. I have seen this book time and time again in my travels– one could almost say my coming of age, if one so ancient as I am could have a definite age– but never have I had the chance to read it. Now that I finally have it, my eyesight is long gone. It was taken in one of my moments of passion, a rare time where I dared step up to nature. Back then, I had only one name: Derek Taylor, the name I was born with. Now my names could fill a book of their own. If ever they did, and for all I know they might, I’d keep it here in my library for others to see. And if they ever asked me the time of day, I’d say to them the same thing I said to the gods when they dared call me 'eternity’s historian:’ Nothing at all. There is no time of day, not now that the apocalypse has come and gone. There’s only the sound of rain to assure us of our existence, and the faint approaching red shapes in the void that even we the blind can see.”)

(Attached, other side: "Disclaimer: The logs go down a certain path here. If you are not comfortable with unconsensual sexual themes, skip to June 18th. This is the cleanest way to do this.")

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Tagging 🔖 Sorry if I’ve missed anyone - If you would like to be tagged in these updates then please let me know and I’ll add you to the list: @janetm74 @drileyf @katblu42 @psychoseal @weirdburketeer @alexthefly @misstb2 @thundergeek59 @burningcowboyhoagietaco @dragonoffantasyandreality

Countdown to the final chapter - 4 - left to go. You can also read the complete fic on Ao3 or FFNet - CreativeGirl29

Previous: Chapter 50, Goodbyes.

Chapter 51. Persuasion.

Virgil released a heavy sigh, as he glanced around his empty ward room. It was only 5am, his father was currently at the hotel and getting some much-needed rest. It had been agreed between them both that Jeff would spend the evenings at the hotel, under the condition that if he was to have a nightmare he would contact his dad via his watch. Virgil had stuck to this arrangement, knowing that if he didn’t his dad would find out via one of the nurses and he would then refuse to leave him alone. The reason he was awake now though wasn’t because he’d been having any bad dreams, it was because he had woken up in pain an hour before, one of the night nurses had given him some pain relief straight away but unfortunately, he hadn’t yet fallen back asleep.

Instead Virgil lay there pondering the past 3 days that had passed since his brothers and grandma had flown back to Tracy Island. For Virgil it had felt like a lot longer. Boredom had quickly settled in without his brothers for company, his father had done his best to keep him occupied but it wasn’t the same as having four brothers and their constant chatter nearby. He certainly hadn’t regretted insisting that they return home. Especially, since they had been called out on a mission within 6 hours of announcing International Rescue were back in business. Virgil had begun to naturally worry about his siblings being out on the field without sufficient rest. However, Jeff had helped with the anxiety he had been feeling by having the communications from the rescue fed through to both of their watches.

Releasing another deep breath in frustration at the lack of sleep he had gotten, Virgil racked his head for some way to stop his wondering mind. Looking at his bedside table, Virgil smiled when he received the answer he was looking for. Pulling the bear that Alan had gifted him into his arms, Virgil pressed the belly of the aptly named ‘Ally Bear’ and chuckled when it growled back. He then reached out and picked up his music player, put the headphones in, and turned it on. Virgil smiled as he breathed in the magical sound of Liszt’s, La Campanella. Then pulling his Ally Bear into his arms, Virgil closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

… …

8am:

‘Well, would you look at that.’ Jeff said to himself, when he stepped into his sons’ private room. Virgil was fast asleep, his arm was wrapped tightly around the bear which clung to his chest, while his headphones remained in his ears and his music player rested on the bed, and a carefree smile adorned his face. Watching Virgil sleeping like this, Jeff couldn’t help casting his mind back to when his son was very young and would carry his childhood toy Boo Bear everywhere. The thing was practically attached to him and it became a nightmare to prise it away when they needed to wash the thing. Jeff chuckled to himself as the memories of his son as young boy continued to conjure in his mind.

“I bet you wished you had a camera?” Doctor Sylvia said, bringing Jeff out of his thoughts.

“He would probably throttle me if I took a picture,” Jeff chuckled, greeting Gerry with a friendly handshake, “how was he during the night?”

Gerry opened the file he held in his hand. “He woke around 4am needing pain relief.”

“Oh!”

Gerry placed his hand supportively on Jeff’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Virgil only came off the intravenous drugs yesterday morning, he will get used to the pills, it will just take time.”

“I know,” Jeff sighed, “I just hate seeing him in any pain.”

“That I can understand!”

“He keeps trying to hide it from me, last night he insisted that he had been okay, and the tablets were working.”

“He’s trying to protect you?”

Jeff nodded. “Kids! They are so reliant on us as children, but as soon as they realise we’re not indestructible they start trying to do everything they can to protect us… Plus, Virgil’s got that damn Tracy pride!”

“The double whammy!” Gerry chuckled.

“Yep!”

Gerry pointed to Virgil. “Looks like he’s stirring.”

Jeff moved over to Virgil’s bed and dropped into the chair, smiling as he watched his son yawn and open his eyes, and immediately become embarrassed by being found with the bear in his arms. “Morning.”

“Morning dad,” Virgil said, trying to suppress a yawn and hide the bear at the same time, “morning Doc.”

“Good morning Virgil,” Gerry replied.

“So, what’s the days schedule?” Virgil asked, finally managing to stuff the bear under the blanket.

“Well,” Gerry began, trying to suppress his laughter, “we’ve got you booked in for some light physio on your shoulder later this morning, followed by some routine checks on your back and legs.”

“Any idea when I’ll be able to get the leg casts and this back support off?”

“I’m afraid they will have to stay on for several more weeks yet,” Gerry confirmed.

Jeff squeezed Virgil’s hand softly. “You can’t rush your recovery son.”

“I know… It’s just, I really want to go home!”

“Unfortunately, with the severity of your leg fractures and back injuries, that won’t be happening for a while.” Gerry explained

“Oh!” Virgil sighed, the disappointment on his face evident.

“I’m sorry I can’t give you better news.”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault,” Virgil replied. “I guess I’m just a bit homesick... How long have I been here anyway?”

“Nearly two and a half weeks!” Jeff stated.

“Is that all?” Virgil questioned. “Feels like I’ve been here for months!”

“Mm, it certainly does,” Jeff agreed.

“We could change the scenery for you, well at least for a short time,” Gerry suggested.

“How?” Virgil and Jeff both asked.

“Well, you are completely free this afternoon. If you’re feeling up to it Virgil, and since it’s such a nice day, then we can sort you out a wheelchair.” Gerry acknowledged Jeff. “You can take him outside to the hospitals gardens and have lunch together.”

“Sounds good to me, what do you think?” Jeff said, glancing towards Virgil.

Virgil smiled and nodded enthusiastically at his father.

“Good,” Gerry responded, “now, do you need any medication?”

Virgil shook his head. “Pains not too bad.”

“Define, not too bad?” Jeff questioned

“Around a three.”

“Virgil, you told me the same yesterday evening and I know you needed some pain relief in the night.”

“Oh,” Virgil replied, “you know about that?”

“Yes, I do!” Jeff scolded. “Virgil, you shouldn’t keep hiding how much pain you’re in!”

“Sorry dad... It’s just… I don’t want you to worry.”

“I’m afraid you can’t stop the worrying, no matter what you tell me. It’s been ingrained in me ever since I became a father!” Jeff informed him. “Now, how bad is it really?”

“Promise not to freak out?”

“How bad?” Jeff questioned, a look of concern creeping onto his face.

“Around a six, maybe slightly more.”

“Right, I’ll go and get you some pain killers,” Gerry said, leaving the room.

Virgil looked at his father apologetically. “Sorry.”

Jeff shook his head at Virgil, while stroking his hand through his hair. “Don’t be!”

… …

After Virgil had been given his medication, a nurse had entered to help him get washed up. While this was taking place, Jeff had decided to exit the ward room and go and speak privately with Doctor Sylvia. “There’s absolutely no chance that he can come home?”

Gerry shook his head. “I’m sorry Jeff, I can understand that after everything he’s been through you want to get him back home, and yes, it would probably help with the emotional healing. Nevertheless, he still needs a lot of medical help with his physical recovery.”

“What kind of things?” Jeff enquired.

“Quite a lot!” Gerry sighed. “Are you sure you want to know?”

Jeff nodded. “Please tell me.”

“Firstly, there’s his back fracture, which will need to be frequently examined. Secondly, because of the break he suffered to his legs, and being treated for compartment syndrome, we will need to run consistent checks and scans. Plus, we really don’t want him putting any weight on his legs for quite some time yet, so he will be confined to a bed, soft chair or when necessary a wheelchair… And unfortunately, that’s not everything!”

“What else?” Jeff asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

Gerry looked at him sympathetically. “Virgil’s ribs are still healing, the other cuts and bruises he suffered may have nearly disappeared but we really should keep an eye on some of the ones that haven’t, and we will need to continue with the light physio on his right shoulder. Finally, there’s the pain that he’s very obviously suffering from because of all these injuries.”

Jeff grew quiet contemplating what Gerry had said, eventually he decided to speak. “We have a lot of medical equipment back on the island, we couldn’t have managed with his initial injuries, but maybe we can now.”

Gerry shook his head. “I’m sorry Jeff, even if you do have the equipment to treat him, do you have anyone who has the experience and the know how to look after him?”

“Well, usually any medical help comes from Virgil and Brains.”

“Brains, is that his real name?” Gerry questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s a nickname that stuck,” Jeff said, with a slight laugh, “and he definitely lives up to it!”

“So, this Brains would be able to follow any medical instructions we were to give him?”

“Yes,” Jeff confirmed.

“Mm… Well, I’m willing to talk to him and see how much knowledge he does have, would that be possible?”

“Definitely!” Jeff nodded enthusiastically, feeling like he was finally winning Gerry over.

“Okay, then I’ll speak to him, but I’m not promising anything,” Gerry said firmly, “Virgil’s health comes first!”

“I completely agree!”

“So, if I don’t feel that Brains would be able to handle everything then we agree to keep Virgil here a little bit longer?”

Jeff nodded his agreement and then checked his watch. “I’ll contact Brains now, and tell him to expect your call.”

Gerry smiled at Jeff’s enthusiasm. “You’re eager!”

“It’s just… I really want my boy back home!” Jeff stated, before glancing towards Virgil’s ward room. “Gerry… Can we please keep this to ourselves for the moment?”

“Yes, of course,” Gerry responded. “Any particular reason why?”

“I don’t want him to get his hopes up… And if you do say yes, then it would be a wonderful surprise for him!”

“No problem Jeff, I’ll let you know my verdict as soon as I can.”

… …

Later that afternoon:

Virgil held his breath in anticipation as his father pushed him towards the automatic doors which led to the gardens. He hadn’t realised how much he had missed the outdoors. The feeling of the sun shining down upon him, the soft breeze blowing through his hair, or the beauty of birds, butterflies and other insects flying by. Now, though as doors slid open and the sights, sounds, and sweet summer smells hit him with their full force, he suddenly realised what he had almost lost.

“There are some great sights for you to draw here!” Jeff grinned, stopping by a bench which overlooked the flower garden.

“Mm… Yes,” Virgil mumbled.

Puzzled by his son’s response, Jeff looked down at Virgil and frowned with dismay when he saw the tears he was shedding. “Virg, what’s wrong?”

Virgil sniffed back the tears. “It just fully hit me… How much was so nearly taken away!”

“But it wasn’t!” Jeff assured him.

“I know,” Virgil replied, wiping his eyes, “I’m crying because I still get a chance to experience all of this!”

“Are you sure?” Jeff asked, sitting himself down on the bench and taking his sons hands.

“Yes dad,” Virgil nodded. “these are tears of happiness!”

Jeff beamed at him and held him in his arms for a short time before sitting himself back up. “Now how about some food?”

Virgil grinned at his dad. “Yes please, I’m starving!”

Two hours passed by with father and son eating and chatting away, until Virgil began to grow tired and slipped into a restful sleep. Jeff had remained outdoors with him, happily watching as he silently slept. Eventually, realising this wasn’t the short nap he’d expected it to be, Jeff gathered their things and began to bring Virgil back to his room. Stopping when he saw Gerry Sylvia making his way towards them.

“Hello,” Gerry whispered, so as not to disturb Virgil, “how was the outing?”

Jeff smiled. “Really good, thank you for suggesting it.”

“No problem,” Gerry replied, “are you heading back to the room?”

“Yes,” Jeff said, “I think the fresh airs going to keep him asleep for some time!”

“Let’s walk and talk then,” Gerry suggested, taking the wheelchair for Jeff so he could manage the bag he held.

“So, have you spoken to Brains then?” Jeff questioned, once they had entered the lift which would take them back to the ward.

“Yes, and I can understand now why he got his nickname.”

Jeff released a light laugh. “If it wasn’t for that man, I don’t know how I would have ever realised my dream for International Rescue.”

Gerry nodded as they both exited the lift. “Well, he certainly as fantastic knowledge of the medical field.”

Jeff grinned at Gerry. “Does this mean what I think it does?”

“Yes,” Gerry confirmed. “Virgil’s going home!”

[udon-udon]

anyway, a big recap of my victoria bc trip

got up at 6:50 am ish and then headed out at 7:20 took the train and bus to the ferry terminal and then headed to victoria yay, lined up for a a breakfast meal for the ~experience~ and that pretty much took up most of the time. Arrived and took the bus to the royal bc museum, almost missed my bus due to it being full but someone pointed to the huge line to go take the other bus, got lucky there.

The Royal BC Museum was cool, though there wasn't much to it cause there were no feature exhibit at that time and one part of the museum was under reno, but it was still fun nonetheless!! I didn't realize how dark it was so honestly I was a lil spooked at times esp cause I was alone haha. Since it was a very nice day I went down to the Fisherman's Wharf cause I wouldn't have time on saturday and i heard the weather wasn't gonna be good on sunday. Most of the shops were closed for the season LMAOO so there wasn't much to see, but thankfully there was 1 fish n chips shop open and i bought some yum yum, it was very filling. Walked back to downtown and went through the Miniature World museum and it was super cute!!! It was also a lil spoopy for parts of it cause there were portions of it where it was dark and there weren't many people going through it.

Headed to the airbnb around 5 ish, and then chilled for a bit. Was wanting to order dinner but the place I wanted to order to was too busy at that time to take in takeout orders so i had to schedule it at 8 sobs but thats okay cause i was still full from the fish n chips, so i just chilled and tried to nap. The dinner was kinda mid ngl, wish i got the lasagna but i was like "but i can get lasagna anywhere else" it was okay but still LOL. also splurged and bought a cheesecake as well, that was pretty good though. couldn't finish it so i saved half of it for tomorrow's dinner.

The next day was con day!! I was supposed to go to a brunch place but i slept in a little and then when i got there, the line was pretty long and i didnt want to wait so im like eh okay nvm ima just go back home and eat the breadsticks i didn't eat yesterday LOL as well as the creme brulee given by the airbnb host they're so nice. And then I made my way to the con and omg it was a lot of walking lol. Got in and hung around mainly in the artist alley!! I was supposed to go watch the cosplay contest but i lost track of time and missed it LMAO OOPS. I spent waaay more than I thought I would, but very happy with my purchases and wish i bought more haha but my backpack literally would have no room for it. I spent the remaining time at my friends table til like 6:30 and made a new friend that was tabling with her, she was super kind and fun

Got home and picked up dinner on the way, ordered a mixed kebab meal set and it was so good and the portion was huge, very worth it and very delicious. Spent the rest of the night eating and showering and watching youtube and packed a little bit before leaving tomorrow.

Woke up the next day, final day, it was damn pouring in the morning sadly, so I just stayed in the airbnb until 10:50 and then made my way to explore the Chinatown (which I found out is the second oldest Chinatown in North America???? damn). Went to the little Chinatown museum and saw some cool stuff and then walked around the area and the shops nearby. Went to Boardwalk Burgers and chilled until it was time to catch the bus to the ferry.

I arrived hella early cause if I didn't take the bus I took, i would have been late to my ferry;;; BUT MY FERRY GOT DELAYED. So I just spent a lot of time sitting at the waiting area playing my 3DS LOL Made some progress in AA5 again finally, i haven't played it in sooo long ( i really should finish it, as well as spirit of justice, and i still have the great chronicles to play;;) Got on the ferry and played some more AA5 and holy cow the line for the cafeteria was so long im glad i didn't decide to eat dinner there cause I was originally gonna but thank god i didnt. Napped a lil before arriving at the bay aaaand then went home :)

Overall, very nice trip!! Even though I was alone, I had a blast exploring and seeing things and got to take my time to explore shops and whatever I wanted. I had no budget planned going into this and I probably should have cause I spent... quite a lot, but oop.