#well good afternoon now. i've been awake for a while but this has been in my head

[bamgeut]

i dreamed that txt and i were running away from some crazy girl with magical powers that kept chasing us wherever we went and she wanted beomgyu dead 😭 and we could fly but our powers were weak so running was faster 😭 and so we found this path that took us underground and it was supposed to be a small society of magical people but there was only one old woman there and she kept saying she couldn't give us shelter bc everyone else had died and she was traumatized but she started telling us a long story that had NOTHING to do with that and didn't make sense at all so yeonjun started stealing some snacks when she wasn't looking and i smacked his head and was like BRO DON'T STEAL WE'RE NOT THIEVES but the old lady kept talking and talking and we were all so hungry that i ended up stealing some snacks too

[thisapplepielife]

Written for a @astrangersummer.

One Nap at a Time

Week #2 Prompt: Afternoon Naps | Word Count: 1992 | Rating: T | POV: Gareth | Pairings: Gareth & Eddie, Gareth & Steve, Steddie | Characters: Gareth, Steve, Eddie | CW: Language | Tags: Gareth & Eddie are BFFs, Road Manager Steve, Corroded Coffin on the Road, It's Exhausting, So. Naps. Lots of Naps

Eddie's already sprawled out on the couch in their venue dressing room, when Gareth flops down next to him, bumping his fist against Eddie's knee. 

"Steve's been screaming that it's four hours until soundcheck," Gareth says, leaning his head back against the cushions. They're a little lumpy, but he's so fucking tired, it doesn't matter.

This tour has been a goddamn bear, and they aren't even halfway through it.

They're never gonna make it. Not at this rate. They're gonna implode, one by one, and he thinks he might go first.

"I heard him," Eddie says, leaning back next to Gareth, "believe it or not, his voice carries."

It's snarky, but there's no heat there, just endless affection. It's gross, and Gareth swears he will never, ever act this way when he has a girlfriend. He'll make damn sure of it.

"Anyway. This is your four-hour warning," Gareth says, closing his eyes. Maybe he can catch a short nap. Twenty minutes would make a world of fucking difference, he's pretty damn sure. Then laughs, "You're the one that hired him to yell at us."

"Mistakes were made," Eddie says.

"No they weren't," Gareth answers, closing his eyes.

"No, they weren't," Eddie confirms, and even with his eyes closed, Gareth can hear the smile on Eddie's face, as his eyes feel heavier and heavier.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" 

Gareth hears Steve's voice, and jerks awake. Sitting bolt upright, disoriented.

Steve's standing at the edge of the couch, hands on his hips.

"What?" Gareth asks, still foggy, "Huh?"

And Steve laughs, pointing, and only then does Gareth realize that Eddie's still asleep on the couch and that he must have been laying against him, or on top of him, one or the other.

And Gareth smirks. 

"Jealous?" Gareth asks.

Steve rolls his eyes, saying dryly, "Yes. Terribly."

"In that case then," Gareth laughs, and lays back down, squeezing between Eddie and the back of the couch. Eddie must feel the movement, because Eddie slings his arm over Gareth's side, pulling him closer. 

"Soooo comfy," Gareth hisses, taunting Steve, but not wanting to wake Eddie up if he can help it.

"Yeah, yeah," Steve says, "this is your hour warning. Got it?"

Gareth whines, but Steve taps him on the toe of his shoe.

"An hour? Seriously? You sure?" Gareth asks, because that can't be right.

Steve sighs, exasperated, "You don't think I can tell time now? Yes. Seriously. An hour."

They've been asleep for three fucking hours? Holy shit. He couldn't even begin to guess the last time he's gotten three hours of sleep straight. Weeks, for sure. Maybe longer.

Steve's still busy working himself into a lather, "Gareth, if I have to come back, so help me-"

"I got it," Gareth interrupts. 

"Good."

An hour isn't nearly enough time. Not at all. But it's better than nothing, Gareth supposes. So, he sets the alarm on Eddie's watch, Eddie sleeping through the whole process, just to make sure they don't oversleep and piss off Steve.

And an hour later, Eddie's slept through his wrist beeping, but Gareth hasn't, so he shakes Eddie awake, "Steve's beckoned us."

Eddie stretches, sitting up on the ugly couch that's more comfortable than it looks, rolling his shoulders. Eddie yawns, and that's about right. Nap or not, they've been spread too thin.

Then, Eddie says, "Damn. That was the best nap I've had in a while. I might actually be half-rested before a show. What are the fucking odds of that?"

And Gareth laughs, because he agrees, wholeheartedly.

The tour continues, and so do the naps. In green rooms, dressing rooms, hotel rooms. On the bus. Wherever they are, Gareth will find Eddie and squeeze in with him, and go to sleep. Or Eddie'll find him. It's almost like their early days on the road, when they had to share a motel bed. It's comfortable, and normal, being this close, so much so, that it's put them both right to sleep when they've needed it most.

And Gareth thinks nothing of it. Steve comes to get them, or Goodie, or Jeff, and when it's time to roll, they'll get moving. 

One more show scratched off the schedule, one more nap taken somewhere along the never ending road.

And then the tour ends. Months on the road over, as they chipped away at the schedule, one show at a time. Now, headed home in time for Christmas.

Gareth isn't sure what the fuck he'll do with himself. It's been a long fucking time since his time has been all his own. Is he just supposed to go home to his mom, and do what? Nothing? Maybe he can just crash with Eddie and Steve?

Though, he's sure they're ready for some fucking privacy for a change. 

Maybe Goodie and Jeff will entertain him. Let him into their secret best friend circle, for once.

He doesn't know, but he'll have time to figure it out. Right now, they're tidying the bus up as they head home, trying to get it ready to send it back to the company they leased it from, when Steve turns up. Book in his hands. It's not his tour bible, though, and the schedule is over anyway. No need to keep meticulous notes anymore, so Gareth's a little confused.

"What's up?" he asks, stuffing clothes into duffels and suitcases. His shit grew over the months, accumulating over time, and now he doesn't have room to pack it all up again. He'll have to resort to a trash bag he's pretty damn sure.

"Got something for you. For you and Eddie," Steve says, and Gareth knows he's up to no good. Steve's face is schooled neutral, but he can read him like a goddamn book after all this time in each other's back pockets. And he's up to something. For sure.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

Steve hands over the book, and Gareth flips it open. 

And he laughs, yelling, "Eddie!"

Eddie pops through the curtain, "What's up?"

And Gareth shows him, and relishes the sound of Eddie cackling, head tossed back, fucking amused. Charmed. In love with Steve, and everything he does. Including this.

A book of Polaroids. Dozens. Maybe, hundreds. 

Every single one a picture of Gareth and Eddie asleep together, in various positions, on various couches, all across the country. Sometimes one of the other guys is posing in front of them, making faces, but mostly, it's just them. 

The story of this tour, one nap at a time.

Gareth shoves the book into Eddie's hands, and catches Steve by the neck, squeezing him tight. 

And Steve laughs, hugging back.

"Thanks, Steve. That's a fun souvenir from this hellacious tour."

Steve just shrugs, "I didn't realize how many we'd get when we started this little project."

And Gareth hooks his chin over Eddie's shoulder, looking down as Eddie keeps flipping through the pages. Gareth was here first, he has best friend privileges, and first dibs, but he knows Steve loaned Eddie back to him these past few months. There's no question about that. One nap at a time, giving them time together, even if it was just to sleep in what appears to be uncomfortable positions, one random couch at a time.

"Maybe someday they'll be worth money. Some good blackmail," Steve says.

"No way, we're proud of these," Eddie says, "it proves we can sleep anywhere."

And it kind of does. It also probably proves they're immune to head lice. Some of those couches were pretty gross, looking back at the photographic evidence.

Eddie points at one where Gareth's feet are in his face, "Look? I didn't die from the smell alone."

Gareth bites his shoulder, and Eddie laughs even harder.

There are no secrets between them, no privacy. He's taken showers with Eddie, shared beds and bathrooms. Underwear and toothbrushes. Looked at, and has shown, all manner of questionable bumps and rashes. Held hair and hands, cleaned up puke, and one time they never, ever speak of - actual shit.

A few naps are nothing on the friendship intimacy scale.

Eddie looks at the bunk, the one that Gareth's sort of cleaned out, and asks, "One more for the road?"

Gareth laughs, but agrees, crawling into the cramped space, nearly on top of Eddie.

"It was a good tour, kid," Eddie says, hand splayed against Gareth's back, keeping him from falling out of the bunk and onto the floor of the bus.

"Yeah," Gareth agrees, "and the next one will be even better."

At home, back in Hawkins, Gareth wanders around. A little lost. He's tired, but wired, all at the same time. It's weird to go, go, go and then just stop. Cold turkey. That's never worked for him for anything else, so he's not sure why it would work for stopping touring, either.

They should have tapered down, weaned themselves off.

He rides his old bike, because his El Camino battery is deader than shit, after sitting so long. He hopes Goodie and Jeff will come over later and give him a jump, to get it up and running. If not, Steve will.

He doesn't realize where he's headed, until he's already there. Harrington House. He drops his bike in the yard like he's a kid again, and heads for the front door. Letting himself in. Steve is at the bar, doing paperwork.

Always doing paperwork.

"Hey," Steve says, looking at him for a moment, and then back down at the papers spread out beneath him.

"Isn't the tour over, what work do you have left now? You're supposed to be on vacation, relaxing in your new digs," Gareth says, leaning against the counter. 

"Just, running the final numbers."

"We end up in the black?" Gareth asks, leaning over to look. But he doesn't understand Steve's chicken-scratch shorthand, and gives up.

"Looks like it," Steve says, and Gareth grins. They got to play music, night after night, week after week, month after month, and even made some money doing it. Hot damn.

"Where's Eddie at, anyway?" Gareth asks.

"Trying to take a nap," Eddie mutters from the couch in the living room. Gareth hadn't even realized he was there. 

"Sorry," Gareth calls back, he can take a hint and go. He squeezes Steve on the shoulder, getting ready to leave, when Eddie speaks again.

"Don't be sorry, kid," Eddie says, then asks, "you in?"

Hell yes, he's in. 

"Steve, get the camera, I'm goin' in," Gareth says.

"I'll get right on that," Steve says dryly, but Gareth can see that he's smiling. 

Gareth toes off his shoes by the door, and then hurries into the living room, following Eddie's voice, telling him to hurry the fuck up. 

When he gets there, Eddie makes room, scooting over so Gareth can settle in alongside him. And Gareth stretches out, resting his arm over Eddie's waist. 

This couch is much more comfortable than any of the others have been. Steve has good taste, expensive taste, and picked something damn comfortable for a nice, long nap.

"Steve's couch is nice," Gareth says, face muffled in Eddie's shoulder.

"Everything about Steve is nice, haven't you learned that by now, kid?" Eddie mumbles, and Gareth smiles. He might have taken a while to warm up to Steve Harrington, but now, even Gareth has to admit that he's perfect for Eddie. He makes Eddie happy, and that's all Gareth could ask for, honestly. That Eddie's happy. And loved.

It doesn't hurt that Steve's shaped up their tour schedule, either. It was long, and exhausting, but they made it through. Left to their own devices, he's not sure that would have been true.

"What'd you do today?" Eddie asks, stifling a yawn. 

And Gareth closes his eyes, telling Eddie about his day, until he feels when Eddie goes slack beside him, back to sleep again. Gareth trails off, stops talking, and lets himself fall asleep, too.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @astrangersummer and follow along with the fun! 🌞

[starryficsfinishwen]

stolen — lee x f!commandant

The summer sun is gentle on his skin.

A streak of sunlight slipping through the curtains, dancing on the surface of his skin. A gentle roar of the wind knocking on the walls, tickling his exposed neck. Summer was gentle, summer was kind, the humid breeze enough to lull Lee back to sleep—a feeling that Lee was both familiar and unfamiliar with.

And so was the tiny affirmation of a gargled yawn from a baby.

Wait—baby?

Lee opens his eyes out of surprise. Instead of the cold, gray hues of the training room, a warm honey brown paints him a picture. Wooden walls and chairs in the living room, a veranda with the free-flowing white curtains. The ceiling was enough too, a small lamp dangling.

Looking down, in his arms cradled a small baby inside of a white cloth, innocent eyes closed as it snuggled for warmth.

It must have been the afternoon nap, Lee deducts, he must have fallen asleep while resting from training. By now, he should have been alert. This new scenery was something that Babylonia could never achieve. Yet, instead of fear, content and familiarity fills his senses.

“—ray brought us some fresh vegetables today, so no need to buy some.”

Turning to the sound of a new voice, Lee meets warm, homey eyes looking at him.

“Honey!” you warmly greeted, the familiar smile reaching your twinkling eyes, “Sorry I took so long to come home, was he too fussy?”

Lee's mouth drops. So could have his body, but the hold in his arms strengthened instinctively, to not drop the fragile baby. Oh, he couldn't believe his eyes.

“...Commandant?”

The last time he saw you, your uniform was freshly washed and ironed, hugging your taut figure and watching him with tired eyes. You were on your way to a short mission. But now—hair down, a pretty sundress flowing as the wind blows, and face devoid of any stress.

You look magnificent as ever, glowing bright in the afternoon mist.

As a comfortable silence encloses both of you, you seem to recognize the confusion in his stare. With a small laugh and a shake of your head, you slowly sauntered to Lee.

“Yes, Lee.” You softly said, “it's me.”

Lee senses no malice nor anything bad about you. You were the truth—the same aura that he had long sensed from you, whether in uniform or not.

You reached out to take the little baby in his arms, letting him go free from Lee's arms. With a gentle smile, you said, “I see our little man has been good to you.”

Our little man? A flutter erupts in Lee's chest. “Yes, I was worried he was asleep far too long because he hadn't cried.”

“I guess he's been tired too,” You laugh, finger hovering above the baby's sleeping face, “he was the one who kept waking up anyways. He needed his nap.”

Ah, it really is the afternoon. The summer breeze blowing, your sundress in the wind, a gentle ray of light haloing your figures. Watching as you step back, cradling the small baby in your arms with a motherly gaze. Lee's heart, although had been long mechanical for as long as he could remember, started to throb harder. How simple this scenery unfolded in front of him, yet it was incredibly intimate.

Maybe it was the heat. Or maybe it was really how nice you looked, caring for the baby. Or maybe it was...

“You...” Lee mutters, which catches your attention, “...you are so beautiful.”

And your laugh still sounds the same. Like a jingle of a bell, and it makes his chest beat wildly. A faint blush dusts your cheeks, as you slowly swing the baby.

“So I've been told,” you wave your hand, a noticeable glint of something golden as sunlight hits, “And you are handsome yourself, Lee.”

Looking from you, Lee glances at the baby back in your arms. With a small crack of his tiny eyes, he yawns, a small cry from his throat. Lee slightly jumps from his actions.

“Oh, are you awake, little guy?” You cooed, both of you watching as the baby slowly wakes up.

How tender it is—such a fragile thing to awaken in your arms. And yet, the sense of content and pride wells up once more in his chest, seeing you cradle your bundle of joy. You must have looked so ethereal like this in a different life.

With a little kiss to his forehead, you look at Lee, who was eyeing him curiously. “Look, little Aidan, your papa is here.”

Lee freezes, both fear and surprise. “Papa?”

“Mm,” you hum, bringing Aidan closer, “He's our baby, Lee. Our little pride and joy.”

How was it possible? Lee couldn't think further, as tears began to well up in his eyes, “Ah...our baby...”

Reaching out to touch his face, Aidan's tiny hands managed to hold onto Lee's finger. A content squeal chokes out of your baby's mouth, eyes slowly opening to reveal beautiful cerulean irises. A similar glint of a golden band from his outstretched hand is finally noticed.

“Isn't he so lovely, Lee?” You whisper, watching as Lee holds back his tears, “Aidan looks like you, too. Like his papa.”

Maybe it doesn't matter. In the middle of the summer afternoon, Lee closes the distance in between you. Human arms wrapped around you, a small sigh from his lips. You're both careful not to squeeze the baby in your arms. And it feels like home. You're both safe in this space, in your small home. It's familiar, it's all yours—

“I love you, [Y/N].” He mutters, moving away to look at you, “I...really love you. I want to spend the rest of this life with you.”

“You promised me that a long while, Lee.” You breathed in the familiar smell of him, “I love you, Lee.”

And Lee kisses you, the familiar taste of your lips enough to prove that you are real, that you exist.

...

“...you're thinking quite hard again, Lee.”

By the time he opens his eyes, Lee finds himself back at Babylonia's training room.

Back at your arms. “[Y/N]?”

Realizing the situation, you chuckle. “Ah, did you go back for a while? What did you see this time?”

Despite the free-looking face of yours in that reality, you still looked like the same Commandant Lee fell in love with a long time ago. With a harsh pull of the necktie of your uniform, you squealed as Lee catches you in a fierce kiss.

When you pull away, you notice the flushed tint in his cheeks. “Lee?”

“...You...are so pretty,” Lee breathes, “Can we go back to your room.”

A little confused, but Lee must have seen something nice in his dream.

would u believe me that this is a sneak peek to the planned story I have with lee 👀

also I have baby fever with lee as the daddy 😭🥺🧡

—starry

[itmeansiris]

The Solar System Legacy Challenge: Good Morning Brindleton Bay Gen 1 pt.58

With all the birthdays past and the house renovation's mostly finished, the family finally got some much needed rest and relaxation that weekend. With Spirit and little cousins Van and Mitchell as long term houseguest the place felt warm and full of life and love.

Spirit (as always) was the first awake. She makes a fresh batch of orange juice before she sits in the living room turning on the weather, when Kason joins her. They chat for a while before Spirit gets up and heads to the kitchen.

Kason: I can take care of breakfast, rest.

Spirit: My dear an old women has few pleasures. Feeding my family is one of them.

She whips up a batch of Belgian waffles. The delectable smell of sweet batter, berries and sugar stirred some of the household occupants awake. Van and Mitchell were first, greeting Spirit before jumping in to help by taking out the trash. Kason joins them, grabbing a mop to cleaning up someone's paint mess.

Kason: Those smells amazing.

Spirit: It's an old family recipe. I used to make them on snow days when Mercury and Beckett were young. Would get them right out of bed, and at the table. Come to think of it, it worked pretty well on Jorden too.

Spirit added the final touches to breakfast before calling the guys to come and eat.

The smell of breakfast too much to deny, M and Aphrodite join the now empty table.

Aphrodite: Good morning mom, morning Nana.

M: Morning mom, Morning sweetie. Is that grannies waffle recipe?

Spirit: The one and only. Come have a seat.

M and Dite dive into their stacks of waffles. M closes her eyes for a moment, remembering mornings with her own grandmother in the kitchen.

M: It's good to have you around mom.

Her voice cracks with emotion.

Spirit: None of that. Finish your breakfast. I want to get the kids dressed and take them to the Farmers Market in town today.

Between a mouth full of waffle M agrees.

M: Sounds like a fun idea doesn't it. Maybe you guys can stop and pick up new backpacks for the kids they start school Monday. With all the parties it kind of fell to the back of my mind.

Spirit: Absolutely! I loved school shopping with you and Beckett.

Aphrodite isn't as quick to jump on the idea.

Aphrodite: But mom, this weekend is the "Giddy up" horse show. I was hoping you would take me.

M: Sweetie we would have needed tickets for that weeks ago. I'm sorry. How about this, next weekend you and I will take a ride to Chestnut Ridge and we'll go horseback riding just you and me. How's that sound?

Aphrodite: Promise?!

M: Promise.

That earned her a smile and a hug.

Aphrodite: Your the best, mom. Nana, thanks for breakfast.

After polishing off the last of her waffles, M wakes Zohreh and brings him down for breakfast. Kason is at her heels.

Kason: Good morning handsome guy. Good morning beautiful.

He pulls her against him in a kiss too hot for a room full of children. They'd been so busy lately it felt like they'd hardly had time to enjoy each other romantically.

M: Mmm, that's the kind of kiss that makes you want to stay in bed.

Kason: I'd like to have you in bed but I've got a meeting this afternoon that I can't miss.

M: On a Saturday?

Kason: I used PTO for both birthday parties, I figured it’s the least I can do for Greg. On the way home I’ll pick you up a scone from the Pumpkin Patch Cafe.

M: Throw in a cinnamon bun and you’re free.

Kason: You drive a hard bargain but I think I can make room for a cinnamon bun and a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

He kisses her again.

M: You spoil me.

Kason: I intend to collect on this sweet deal of yours when I get back.

He whispers close to her ear.

Kason: I intend to have you in our bed all night.

She flushes suddenly in a flirty mood. Her face warms and she looks around to see the room has gotten even more crowded with Ishtar and Venus finally joining everyone downstairs.

Venus: Can I have an extra waffle Nana?

Spirit: Then your brother would have less.

Ishtar: That’s okay Nana, she can have it.

Venus: YES!

Spirit: Sweet Ishtar. That’s a good boy.

Aphrodite: Geez Venus, do you have to be so loud?

Venus: YES! YES! I LOVE WAFFLES!

M smiles at the chaos. Kason grabs a berry from Venus plate

Venus: DAD! Hey, that was my blueberry!

Kason: You got your brother’s waffle you can spare a berry kiddo.

Aphrodite stands off to the side looking slightly bored with the rowdy exchange.

Aphrodite: I'm going to get ready for the market. Can you guys hurry up please.

The rowdy group hurries to finish breakfast and get dressed for the day.

After Kason leaves for his meeting and Spirit and the kids head to the Farmers Market Mercury goes into her office, turns on the computer and opens up the draft for her book.

PREV

NEXT

@kiarasims4mods Travel to Menu

@littlbowbub grannies cookbook

@srslysims Complete cooking overhaul (Juice maker)

[tr-mha-fan]

Would you make a part 2 of heather👉👈

Omg, did somebody actually ask me to write something? Damn....I feel.....honored. Thanks Anon!

Part 1 here

☁️ Heather Part 2 ☁️

Gn!reader

(Bakugou's POV)

It's been a week since Y/N told me about what happened. I mean, I wasn't surprised, I had a suspicion about them liking IcyHot, but hearing it directly, hurt.

Ever since, I've stuck by Y/N's side, spending more time with 'em. I'm trying my best to impress Y/N, maybe then, they'll notice me.

Maybe.

(Y/N's POV)

Something weird is going on... Bakugou has been acting differently around me lately. He's been spending more time with me, and, I noticed, that he always leaves and enters class the same time I do. He walks me to school in the morning, and then back to the dorms in the afternoon.

I've never seen him like this before, he's never shown any interest in befriending me, so why now? Was he feeling bad because of what happened with Todoroki? I really don't know. Maybe it's just his "mom instincts" (he's followed Sero and Denki around before after they got themselves in big problems.)

Anyways, what happened today though, was much different. Instead of just hanging around near me, he plopped down on the couch. Directly beside me, thighs touching.

In the background, I hear fangirling squeals coming from Mina, Hagakure, and Denki. Whatever's up with them....(little does Y/N know, they're happy Bakugou actually agreed to sit that close to you [courtesy to Mina who convinced him])

We sat there for a long while, just me and him, as the common room slowly started to empty, everybody going to sleep. Everything was silent, each of us scrolling through our own phone, enjoying each other's presence.

Bakugou breaks the silence (brave move my man, I could never, breaking a silence scares me unless I'm with friends).

"Are you still thinking about that damn IcyHot?"

Short question, aggressive tone, but I could feel the caring tone hidden in his words.

"Hm?....Not really..."

"That ain't an answer." He replies.

I sigh, "Yes, sometimes...But I'm fine!"

"No, you're not." His voice is stern.

"Hm?" I turn my head to look at him. His red eyes staring into my [E/C] ones.

"Your eyebags are worse lately. You're not sleeping enough? If you're thinking about him, then stop, there's no point in thinking about a taken man." I understand he meant to make me feel better (let's be honest, Bakugou isn't the best in comforting people) but that did sting a little.

"Why do you care?" I ask, pouting a little, "I thought you don't care about anyone?"

He turns away, back to scrolling on his phone, a small scowl on his (rather beautiful) features. I thought I had beat him, so I got ready to go to my room and get some sleep (actually, stay awake, overthinking my whole entire life) when he suddenly whispers something that makes me freeze in shock.

"Because I love you, dumbass."

I stand there in shock for a second, eyes wide, the heat creeping up to my cheeks. "W-what..?"

"I ain't repeating," he stands up and heads to the elevator.

"W-wait!" I call after him, running to catch up with his pace. Now we were both standing in front of the elevator door, having some sort of flustered staring contest.

Honestly, it felt as if something took over my body. I took a few steps forward and then, right in front of Bakugou, I stood on the tips of my toes, and gave him a peck. On. The. Lips.

I don't know why I did that, but now, as an adult, that was maybe the thing I've done my entire life.

Katsuki and I are now happily married of five years, he's the #2 Pro Hero Dynamite, and I'm the #8 Pro Hero [Hero Name].

Although, at the moment, I'm on a break, since Katsuki and I are expecting a little boy.

well hello there hoomans, this wasn't the best I could do (I'm not good at fluff) but meh. I feel like it was too quick😒 Anyways, hope you enjoyed!!

[stirthewaters]

Spiders

Summary: After staying up to study for finals, your immune system fails horribly and you find yourself awake at night, alone, and in need of some serious assistance. Guess who comes to help?

Warnings: Minor angst

Word Count: About 1k?

(This was originally going to be named Stay but I changed the name due to context. Send in requests besties <3)

______________________________________________________________

Wednesday was never one for comfort. Or reassurance. When it had come to that it always repulsed her and she was not one to give in to foolish coddling. But...when it came to you...well...it was somehow different. Though she'd impale her heart on a rusty nail before admitting it aloud, when it came to comforting you it made her feel like there were spiders in her stomach, which, normally would be a sensation she'd welcome, but this time it was unpleasant. And not in the good way.

This week had been an especially rough week for you. Not that you had said it aloud, but she had noticed. Finals were approaching and you had done the foolish thing you did almost every time something important came up; you procrastinated. Hard.

It made Wednesday want to chain you to your desk to actually make you study whenever she saw you goofing off with Enid and Yoko in the quad instead of being in the library like you knew you should've been. You were always laughing or smiling, and the sight made those dreaded spiders return without fail every time.

It was during a hazy fall afternoon, about two or three days before finals that she finally decided to take matters into her own hands.

She approached you; you were in the dining hall, goofing off as usual. Not that that was important. You were eating a yogurt parfait while currently challenging Ajax to see who could eat the most blueberries in one sitting. She rolled her eyes. Typical.

"Y/N," Wednesday folded her arms over her chest.

"Oh, hey Wednesday," you responded automatically, eyes currently fixed on Ajax who was literally stuffing himself with blueberries. She stifled an impatient sigh. "Why aren't you studying?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I've got plenty of time."

This made Wednesday frown just slightly, and she had to stifle the urge to grab your chin and make you look at her.

"You have two days, Y/N. Do you have any care at all for your academics?"

This made you pause your redundant laughing and turn and look at her. Though your eyes still sparkled with laughter, you looked a tad more serious, which, she had to admit, was much appreciated. Her look softened almost imperceptibly, but her expression remained deadpan and firm. "I'll just cram," you responded with a little bit of a shrug. The spiders came back again; she wanted to smack you for making her feel this way.

"You'll overwork yourself. Go study. I'm sure Ajax has better things to do with his time then stuff himself," she said, not taking her eyes off of you. She wanted to smirk when she saw Ajax nearly choke on the blueberries.

And with a meaningful and stern glance at you, she turned on her heel and left.

______________________________________________________________

You were panicking. You were such an idiot. You knew that you should've been studying, but finals are tomorrow and you haven't so much as looked at a textbook up until now. It was about 10:45 and now that most of the students were already asleep in their dorms, you were in yours, pacing and fretting.

You couldn't say you hadn't been warned. Hell, even Enid had scolded you when she was finally a little fed up with your procrastinating. But still, you wanted to literally punch a wall for the amount of negligence you had shown.

Gritting your teeth, you got off your small bed in your dorm and pulled out the textbooks that you should've been looking over, placing them on your desk and putting some tunes on your phone to help the motivation. Things were off to a good start.

For about the first five minutes. You were the type to be easily distracted. You didn't have ADHD, but if you weren't having a good time or enjoying yourself it was often hard for you to actually focus. And, to be fair, you had tried hard to actually understand the words on the textbook but it was getting harder when you were so tired and bored that you almost wished you'd just pass out right then and there.

Hours passed. You realized with a small grimace that you were going to have to pull an all-nighter. Sighing, you returned to the textbooks, really only actually focusing for a span of five minutes at a time. In between you'd just browse on your phone and watch Youtube Shorts or something.

______________________________________________________________

Wednesday took one look at you the next morning and she knew. She knew. You hadn't taken her advice and you had stayed up all night. Though not a lot of people would be able to notice, she knew all your tells and she could see by the lack of anxious fidgeting, the tired look in your eyes, and your slow movements that you were exhausted. And she decided to test this theory; she knew it was a bit sadistic but she was never one to shy away from a scientific experiment.

"Y/N." She greeted you in the dining hall; it was midday and you had a break between classes before heading back in for more. She smirked only faintly when you raised your head with a sleepy nod. "Hey." "Did you do well?" She was never one to dance around with meaningless small chat.

"Ummm...maybe? I dunno," came the sleepy and unsatisfying response.

"Y/N. Focus. Did. You. Do. Well?"

When your eyes narrowed in actual concentration, she had to hand it to you that it was somewhat...cute...to see you struggling to answer correctly. It made her want to drive nails into her skull until the sweet release of losing her eardrums came upon her.

"I think so," you responded. Your voice was actually a little slurred, and your head dropped back down onto your forearms as you dozed a little. She gave a small impatient sigh, before sitting down next to you on the bench. "Show me." In response you pulled out the exams you had finished so far, placing the papers in front of you. She raised an eyebrow in surprise when she saw that you actually had decent marks. An A+ here, the occasional C+, mostly B's. She couldn't help but feel a little bit impressed that despite your foolish procrastination you had actually pulled through an all-nighter and come out of it with tolerable scores. Not that she would ever approve of it.

And those damn spiders came crawling back when she saw your sleepy and proud smile when you saw her reaction to the scores. God, she wanted to stab something until it stopped moving, those spiders. They made her miserable.

So technically it wasn't too bad.

______________________________________________________________

Your health was on the downhill. Unfortunately. You knew that taking an all-nighter would have a negative effect on your health but you didn't expect it to happen this fast. You considered it an 80/20 situation in the case of you getting sick.

The first day you had a sore throat. Nothing bad. You considered it to be just a coincidence.

But tonight, damnit, everything was going hard and you wanted to literally take the whole bottle of melatonin and down it. It wasn't that you hadn't already tried taking meds. You had taken the required dosage of benadryl and melatonin, but they were not having the required effect.

Your throat was aching, and there was this awful bile in your throat that was causing blockage and making you so damn nauseous that you were scared half out of your mind that you were going to throw up.

You stumbled to your feet, sighing with a bit of relief at the release from the stifling blankets as you walked to your window, opening it all the way. You let out a hoarse exhale of even more relief when you felt the bitter cold draft envelope your body and the heat being driven out a little bit.

With that taken care of, you grabbed the bottles of sleep meds and took more than the required dosage. Normally you had been known to do stupid things; hell, you'd once taken a sip of the ChikFilA drink you found in the fishing section of a Walmart, but when you were sleep-deprived and most likely feverous, it was even worse.

After taking the pills, you let out a soft groan as you crawled back into bed. Or, tried to. The once heavenly draft had turned too cold for your comfort, and your bones ached with every fiber of your being and this wave of tiredness washed over you. Sinking to the floor, you rested on the cold floorboards against the frame of your bed, eyes half closed with the mixed effect of the meds and the overall exhaustion.

And so the night wore on. ______________________________________________________________

Wednesday was, admittedly, asleep in her and Enid's shared dorm when she was awoken to a frantic tapping on her shoulder. Instantly her wrist whipped out and grabbed the disembodied hand. Thing.

"Speak now or I'll cut off your fingers one at a time. Slowly."

She frowned as she watched Thing tap out a mess of signals in a blur. "Slow down," she hissed, her voice low so as not to wake Enid.

Thing slowed down his tapping but the signals were still fast paced.

"Y/N? What's wrong with her?"

Thing continued signing.

She let out a frustrated sigh through her nose, taking a deep breath to stifle the utterly disgusting emotion of concern she had momentarily experienced.

Without a word, she stood up from her bed, pulled on her jacket, and crept out of the dorm, onto the balcony.

______________________________________________________________

"Y/N."

You barely registered that someone was speaking to you when you heard a muffled voice above you. Opening your eyes that wished to remain glued shut, your eyes widened when you saw Wednesday crouching on the floor next to you and you almost reared backward with visible surprise. You were almost grateful for the fact that your cheeks were already flushed with heat, because if they weren't then you'd be blushing like an idiot.

"In bed. Now."

"Wednesday? What are you-?" You struggled to understand why she was here, when you felt a gentle but firm cold hand enclose with yours as she dragged you onto your feet and then gently pushed you onto the bed.

Almost instantly you let out a soft whine, trying to push yourself out of the hot blankets, mumbling soft protests about the temperature. Without even a word, Wednesday knelt by her black backpack, pulling out a small icepack. With a cold and gentle hand, she lifted your head just slightly by the back of your neck and placed it underneath. You let out a soft inhale at the cool shiver that trembled down your spine before your stiff posture relaxed slightly and you leaned into it.

"Wednesday, I'm sorry-" you started, voice a little shaky despite the fever. She responded by simply giving you a look that told you to shut up and said quietly. "I know."

She took one look at the bottles of sleep meds on your bedstand and frowned just slightly before turning back to you.

"How many did you take?"

You sleepily let out a small mumble of "three", which made no sense to her but she couldn't blame you; you were exhausted and feverish and could barely comprehend anything right now. It made her cold heart twist a little.

She opened her backpack again and retrieved the bottle of ibuprofen and another of Tylenol. Her gaze shifted to the already half-drunken bottle of water accompanying the sleep meds and took it as well, emptying some of the pills onto her palm which she then offered to you. "Take them. Now." You sleepily obliged, reaching for the pills with a shaky hand. She frowned a little at the shakiness of it, and instead cupped your chin, tilting you head up just slightly. "Open your mouth." She quickly and easily slipped the pills inside and without hesitation brought the bottle to your lips, ignoring your flustered and half-awake protests.

"Drink." She watched carefully as you washed the pills down, and once done she took her hands away, noticing the faint spark of disappointment in your eyes when she did so.

Placing the water bottle and bottles of pills on your nightstand, she let out a faint sigh and gave a nod of approval to see that now you were in a much stabler condition. You were already drifting off. She turned to leave but stopped when she heard a soft whine come from you.

Turning slowly, she looked at you, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you want?"

She watched as you simply held out your arms a little bit, as if asking to be held. Her gaze softened; it was imperceptible and subtle, and you surely hadn't noticed due to the state you were in as she stepped a little closer to the bed. "Use your words."

She couldn't ignore the spiders in her chest that were getting worse when she saw your blush as she spoke.

"Please stay," you mumbled sleepily, eyes half-open. "Sleep with me?" She couldn't not admire your boldness at just coming out and asking, and her gaze softened again, damnit. She slipped off her jacket, throwing it over the chair in the corner of the small dorm as she responded. "Just this once."

She felt the spiders get worse when she saw the obvious relief and bit of happiness on your face as she sat down on the bed next to you and knelt over, taking off her shoes and sliding them under the bed before pulling the covers under both of you.

She stiffened momentarily when she felt you sleepily and automatically start to nestle yourself into her, and she oh so slowly put her arms around you, pulling your flushed body against her cold one. She let out a soft sigh when she saw your body relax greatly and you almost instantly started to drift off.

And those damn spiders didn't leave for the whole night. (

Comment y'alls feedback I like the thoughts on my work :>)

[tia-amorosa]

Episode 17: Inner Fire

Pascal went into his room. Cassandra was having a conversation with little Tycho there. “Well, you two, are you getting on well?"/ ”Oh, of course. I didn't know he was so, so…"/ ‘Exceptional?’/ ‘Yes, I mean, he's learning at breakneck speed, especially when it comes to language’/ ”Yes, he loves that. He just struggles a bit with learn walking”.

“Well, with one it's quicker, with the other it takes longer. How did the conversation go?“/”Well, Friedbert wouldn't mind if we took Alecia in. But since nothing is ever done here alone, we still have to talk to Lazlo. Just not today,“/”could he have something against it?“/”No, not so much. I think he's just in a bit of a hormonal overdrive at the moment and that puts him in a bad mood from time to time, hehe”.

“hey, my boy, that's enough storytelling for today, do you hear me?“/”It's stupid to always go to bed so early“/”believe me, time will pass so quickly, then you'll be grown up and can stay awake until dawn, as far as I'm concerned. You'll outlive me anyway, for a very long time“/”Doesn't that make you sad, Pascal?“/”Oh nonsense, he'll see things that I could only dream of so far”.

8:39 pm. It's still daylight outside and Lazlo is in his room at the computer. “Why didn't I look at your profile much earlier? Pascal has been praising you to the skies all this time. I thought, what's an old scarecrowr coming? And then it's… An angel”.

A little later. ”,Oh, hey…“/,,Hi…”/,,Sorry about this afternoon…“/”No, I should have just… Never mind. You've only been here for 24 hours. Actually, I don't even know you and you don't know me“”/ “Yes, that's right.”/ “Maybe that can be changed while you're here?”"/ ‘Yes, that would be nice, I know the least about you so far…’.

“yes, I don't know about you either, so far I've always been totally bored when Pascal talked about you, so I haven't bothered to do much research on you"/ ”aah chuckle. If you want to find out something about me, just ask…"/ ”I will. Are you going to bed?“/”Yes, well… Good night, Lazlo“/”Good night… Cassandra”.

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

The next morning. Cassandra had slept longer again. Good morning, everyone. So, I thought, if you can all walk around here in your pyjamas, then I can too. That's okay, isn't it?“/ ,,uh, yeah, sure…”/ “fff, fine by me”/ “Fine… Tell me, can you actually have fun here? is there something like a meeting place or something?”/ “Well, we have a small casino. But it's nothing special"/ ‘really? I like casinos’.

“Have you ever been to a casino?"/ ”No, but I've seen a lot about them. And you?“/”yes, only I haven't just won the jackpot“/”keep at it, you'll get it one day“/”believe me… Sometimes you're so close to a jackpot…and then someone else gets it“/”how unfair, hn-hn“/”yeah… Totally unfair”. At that moment, Lazlo was quite happy that she didn't notice the irony behind it. He could hardly take his eyes off her. The thought of someone else being allowed to touch and kiss her made his stomach ache… somehow.

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

After breakfast, “Nice of you to show up for breakfast, you missed dinner”/ “No, I'd already eaten and didn't want to bring my mood to the table”/ “Are you in a better mood now? We need to talk about something soon, the four of us"/ ‘with Cassandra?’/ ‘No, with Alecia’/ ‘Oh, the little doll, has she done something bad?’/ ‘No’.

“What about her then?” / “hh, okay, not to make it too complicated: she doesn't have parents anymore and lives in a orphanage where the circumstances are more than not fair for her. She needs a stable environment and…“/,,Should she move in here?”/ ,,Well, that's primarily up to you, whether you agree to it and whether the youth welfare office will allow us to take care of her”… Short silence…” I'll think about it”.

Cassandra cleared away the rest of the dishes. And she noticed it… Every glance he gave her, no matter how fleeting, felt like a tiny little drill bit penetrating her and triggering a strange feeling in her. But she ignored it and concentrated on something else. Washing the dishes. And she mentally prepared herself for the next few hours in the lab.

A little later. The boys want to set off with Cassandra. Pascal wanted to talk to Alecia first. “Why did you call me today, I thought you didn't need me anymore?"/ ‘That's nonsense, I need you and Tycho too’/ ‘And what about the woman outside?’ she asked him almost indifferently. “That's a colleague and she doesn't stay here for long.”

“A colleague? Also in science?"/Yes, she's here because we have to help her with something important. And she has her own room. My… My sweetie, you really don't have to worry, okay?"/ ”All right. When do you have time again… for me?“/”Well, if we can get some formalities through, then maybe a lot soon“/”,what… what does that mean exactly?”.

“Well, it hasn't been decided at all yet, but… We want to try to get a guardianship for you so that you can get out of the orphanage"/ ‘r-really, I can live with you?’/ ”Well, me and Friedbert think that's a good thing, Lazlo still has to give his consent. And then we still have to deal with the authorities“/”oh man, that would be so great”. Her voice sounded expectant, which made him smile. “Mmm. But I have to go now.” Pascal reached the car in which the others were about to leave just in time. And Alecia took care of the little alien boy as usual. But this time with more tummy tingling.

@greenplumbboblover , @solorisims , @plumbobgothica 🙂

[sassykattery]

Dollface, Pt. 2

CW: Main Character is afab, uses she/her pronouns. Profanity. Someone being pervy.

The main character is afab, uses she/her pronouns. This story is meant to be somewhat curvy/plus-sized reader insert, but the main character is given a physical description, but it's not crucial to the story or mentioned often after Part 1.

Themes: Romance. Magic. Adventure. Suggestive content

Characters: Main Character. Diavolo.

Minors and ageless blogs DNI

18+ only

Masterlist

Over the next couple of days, he learned her routine pretty quickly, as habitual as she was. She often woke early in the morning, played music while she did her makeup, and then took her backpack with her to what he presumed was class, since she stopped taking him out of the house. A couple of times a day, he would hear voices from others, one woman that sounded similar to his new caretaker, and a gruff-sounding man. He learned that they were her parents.

Diavolo tried to sleep when she slept and stayed awake when she was gone, but with little to do but stare at the ceiling or whatever direction he was facing, he got bored quickly and often slept to pass the time. She often left him to lay on the pillow next to hers, which he thought was far better than sitting in that office wrapped in plastic all day. Sometimes, she even left the TV on, giving him some entertainment while he waited on her return.

One afternoon, he perked up when he heard the door open to her bedroom, but she left the light off. Moments later, she was crawling into bed without even looking at her phone or talking to herself. He could hear her gently sniffing, light sobs coming from her direction.

Oh? What's wrong? He thought, desperately wanting to ask.

Her hand slowly reached out to him, gently grasping his body in her palm and pulling him towards her. She tucked him under her chin, and he felt her heartbeat against the top of his head, warmth coming from her neck, chest, and the hand that held him.

"When will I be good enough..." she muttered quietly.

What happened?

"I just feel so stupid. They were right, I'm not smart enough," she muttered, burying her face in the pillow.

That's not true. I've listened to you, you're very smart.

"I'm crying to a doll right now... Pfft, I'm pathetic... but I'm glad you're here," she mumbled, rubbing her thumb over his back.

"A doll that is listening," Diavolo huffed.

She froze then, hearing a low tenor voice right in her ear that was most definitely not her imagination. Right?

"You... you can hear me? Wait, I can hear you?" She whispered.

"Wait, can you hear me?" The masculine voice called out again.

She shot up and looked down at the doll speaking to her now, and brought her face closer again to look at it in the dim light. It still laid there motionless, eyes and mouth remaining still.

"Hello," he said to her, still not moving.

"Oh fuck you're talking," she swore in a panic.

"This is a new development to me as well. Please, don't be alarmed," he tried to calm her, failing as he did.

"I bought a haunted fucking doll!" She yelped, scrambling to get away.

"Please! Wait! I promise I'm not haunted. I'm actually cursed," Diavolo tried to reason with her. Again, miserably.

"No shit!" She bit back.

"No, I think you misunderstood. I'm a real person that has been cursed to be a doll," he explained. She was silent then, so he took it as an opportunity to continue. "My name is Diavolo. About a month ago, I was cursed to be a doll by accident. I'm not sure why I'm able to speak now, but I've been aware this entire time."

She remained quiet a little bit longer before speaking, "You said you were cursed. Is that, like, magic? Are you magical?"

There was a lilt to his voice then, like he would be chuckling in that moment. "Indeed. I have a human form, but I'm technically a de–" he paused, realizing it might scare her to tell the truth.

"A demon?" She finished the sentence for him.

"Yes, a demon," he confirmed. He noticed how she didn't seem terribly frightened by this information, that she was more scared to have a doll talking to her than for that doll to be a demon at this point. "I don't mean any harm unto you," he added for good measure.

"Oh... um... good..." she trailed off as she slid a hand under him to pick him up. "Well, hello."

"Hello. It is lovely to actually speak to you. It has been rather frustrating to not be able to respond to you," Diavolo replied.

"I suppose so. So, um... what do you know so far? About the curse... or me?" She asked with a head tilt.

"I actually know nothing about this curse. I touched a cursed book and found myself on the floor, only to be picked up by random people and ending up here with you. I tried to undo it with my own magic, but this curse is rather powerful and has locked my magic out of my use," he answered.

"I see."

"How did I come to be in your possession?" He asked in return.

"Oh, um... god, this sounds odd, but I found a listing for you on the internet and thought you were cute, so I... bought you?" She sounded more like she was asking a question than a statement.

Diavolo chuckled warmly at how she worded it. "I see. Well, as for you, I've been able to put together bits and pieces about you from what I've seen while observing you," he said, and then went on to explain how he knew her name and some of her interests.

"Okay. Well... What do you want to do? How can I help you?" She asked quietly.

"I appreciate your willingness to help, though I'm not entirely sure how you can. It might be that this curse is broken over time, given I wasn't able to speak before now. If you could, I would appreciate your help in safeguarding me until we know more or find help," he responded.

"Well, I can do that. I won't take you to class anymore, I'd hate for you to get lost. You should be safe in here," she stated, looking him over.

"Very well. Thank you."

"Is there someone you want me to call?" She inquired.

"Yes, but I'm not sure how you can get a hold of any of them. We were in another country when we got separated. And our communication devices aren't the same as yours, so calling won't work," he replied.

"Oh... Well, I guess I could search the internet for your friends," she offered.

"I'm not sure if you will be able to track them down that way. They are demons as well, and we try to be inconspicuous when we visit your world," he said. "But we can try nonetheless."

She nodded in understanding. They sat in silence for a few moments before she spoke up again. "Are you, um... Hm," she looked down at him curiously. "Do you get bored? I'm sorry you've been stuck doing nothing."

"Ah, that's kind of you to consider me. I will admit, I do get bored waiting for you to return," he answered thoughtfully.

"Do you like movies? TV? I can put on something for you. Music, too, if you'd like. I'm sure I'm not that entertaining," she offered, looking for the remote.

"You're very sweet," he replied, which made her side-eye the doll. "But I have to say, you're quite entertaining, really. I've heard you sing and listened to your little rants and thoughts. But I've also seen you draw and write, and quite honestly, I'm always enthralled to see what you do."

"You're... being too kind," she said suspiciously.

There was a knock at the door, and she looked down in a panic, "Don't say anything!"

"Honey, who are you talking to?" A woman called out.

"Ah, it was a video, on my phone, Mom," she answered.

"Alright. Dinner will be ready soon," the other woman replied, closing the door.

Waiting a few moments, she looked back to the doll. "I don't think my parents would understand, so let's try and stay quiet. Keep this between us."

"That may be wise," Diavolo replied softly.

She then laid down on her side and faced turned him to face her on his pillow.

"That reminds me, do you get hungry?" She asked curiously.

"Fortunately, it seems I don't," he answered.

"Okay. Well, I guess let me know if you need anything... And you're welcome to talk to me. I'll keep you company," she added, slightly smiling at him.

Sweet, indeed.

"I'd like that, thank you," Diavolo replied.

---

"So this is your favorite movie? Intriguing," Diavolo declared. She had them set up to sit on the recliner in front of her TV that evening after dinner, with the demon in his doll form sitting up against the middle console next to her arm.

"Yes, it's a whole universe, essentially, where these movies are interconnected because of the two paranormal investigators who were also married. They took calls from those who were experiencing paranormal phenomena to determine the true cause. Sometimes, there was a natural explanation, but on occasion, it was truly paranormal," she answered excitedly, reclining her seat back as the movie title showed.

She then turned and looked at the doll of the demon prince. "Are ghosts real?"

"They are," he replied.

"And do demons... possess people? Or objects?"

"They can."

Her eyes went wide as she turned to face forward again, now feeling uneasy about what used to be her favorite movie franchise, wondering if these things could truly happen now, knowing demons and ghosts exist.

After finishing three movies, and it was quite late, she yawned and switched off the TV.

"I'm afraid I'm a bit tired," she informed the doll.

"Ah, please, go to sleep. Don't stay awake on my accord. I usually sleep when you do anyway," he replied.

Scooping him up, she stood and walked them both to bed, sliding in and placing him on his pillow. Once she was situated, she rolled over to face him as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Are you okay like that? I can move you around," she inquired.

There was a chuckle to his voice again. "You really are considerate. I'm fine as is, unless you would feel more comfortable a different way. I understand if you are uneasy knowing I'm aware," he replied.

"No... Well," she started to say. She reached across and turned him on his side so she could see his face.

"No, it doesn't bother me. I just didn't want to bother you," she stated.

"You're no bother," Diavolo replied. She looked away and chewed on her lip. "Might I ask you a question?"

"You may."

"Earlier, you came in seemingly very upset. Would you like to talk about it? Or are you alright?" He inquired.

"Upset... Oh, that," she mumbled. "Um... I don't want to dump my trauma on you."

"It's not dumping. I'm genuinely asking you if you would like to maybe talk about what happened with someone who's willing to listen," he replied diplomatically.

"Well... I haven't always been treated well throughout my life. On occasion, when I'm reminded of the people who have mistreated me, I start to doubt my self-worth and my own talents or accomplishments. I wonder if I'm just a phony or delusional to think I can be anything more than an idiot," she explained.

Diavolo listened carefully to her choice of words. Clearly, she was trying to describe what was happening without sharing too many details.

"I believe you're a touch hard on yourself," the prince replied. "Though, I know what it's like to have a lot on your shoulders, I've heard you in class. You're very smart. I'm rather impressed with you, even with not knowing you long." He paused for a moment. "I am saddened to think someone as kind as you has been abused in such a manner."

"Yeah, well, unfortunately in this world, kindness is often a weakness viewed to be used for gain by others," she answered bitterly.

"I find your kindness to be an endearing and honest quality," he retorted softly. It made her look away again with doubt. "Though it's easier said than done, I should hope that, with time, you come to find these intrusive thoughts to be untrue and unworthy of your time and attention."

"Now you're being kind," she replied, looking back at his doll form.

"I hope you don't believe I'm being facetious," he added. "I'm being completely honest. I haven't been with you long, but I can see rather easily that you are far more than you believe about yourself."

"... Thank you," she finally replied.

"Of course."

That night, the human got ready for bed and slid in after a hot shower, taking her medicine and slipping into an oversized shirt. When she got dressed for the day or undressed after class or for the night, he tried not to look, knowing it was an invasion of privacy. Occasionally, he caught a glimpse of her in just her bra and sweats as she leaned over the bed and over him to reach her phone, and he was rather fond of her shapely figure, so full and curvy. He had come to appreciate her beauty in the short time they'd spent together. Sometimes, his mind wandered to less than appropriate thoughts, like what she felt like, sounded like, or looked like under the hands of pure pleasure.

But now, she clearly stayed out of his field of view as she changed clothes, aware that he could see her. She tried to stuff down the embarrassment she felt, wondering just how much he's seen of her.

As she settled in bed, covers thrown over her head, she took hold of him and pulled him in close, this time right next to her face and held in her small palm.

"Can I ask you questions, Diavolo?" She asked quietly.

That was the first time he had heard his name grace her lips, and he'd be damned to not hear it again. She said it so sweetly, it was like it carried new meaning when she said it.

"Yes, go on," he agreed.

"Where exactly do you come from?"

"There are three realms in our plane of existence. The human world, the Devildom, and Celestia are the three. I essentially live in a plane congruent to your world. In the Devildom are where the other demons live. Angels come from Celestia."

"And what do you do in the, um, Devildom?"

"Ah, well, I'm technically the prince and de facto king of my realm," he answered casually. Her brows shot up and she absorbed this information.

"Do I need to call you Your Highness or Majesty? I'm sorry if I was rude," she replied worriedly.

He chuckled then. "No, please don't. Usually, I'm referred to as Lord, but I ask you continue to just call me by my name," he stated.

"Okay. So, you rule the Devildom. Can you tell me about that? What is it like?"

"Hm, well, I suppose it can be like your human governments, like a monarchy. I make any and all final decisions when it comes to my domain, but there are others who help me, too. I have a butler and then seven brothers who were named Lords of Hell."

"Seven? Are you talking about the Seven Deadly Sins?" She asked curiously.

"Indeed. All seven of them live there and assist in a variety of ways with government proceedings and work for me. We also have a school that we all help run. I'm like a headmaster, I believe is the equivalent to your world. We make up the Student Council of the school," he informed her.

"How interesting. Schools and education are typically instituted as ways of creating a civilized society and creating more complex hierarchies to give people opportunities to learn broader skills for the betterment of the entire society," she rattled off.

"Precisely. I created the school as a way of diversifying my people," he affirmed.

"So demons aren't heathens that kill people?" She was chuckling then.

"Well, I never said that, did I?"

Her eyes widened, and she scooted back slightly, eyeing the doll.

"We try not to do that, but we are demons, and I won't lie to you. We still on occasion use those methods for handling things. But from what I understand, some humans do as well, right?" He added.

"I see... No, you're not wrong. Humans do, too. But that doesn't make it right," she answered. "Tell me what you like, Diavolo."

He sat there for a moment, mildly surprised by the request and sudden change in subject. Was she interested in him, truly?

"Well, I'm partial to sweet things, like candy, cake, and tea made by my butler. I enjoy cycling or jogging in the mornings. I am particularly fond of animals, any and all kinds," he responded.

"I like animals too, and I'm partial to sweets, except I'm not supposed to have very much," she mumbled sleepily.

He took in her sleepy expression, watching as her eyes started to slowly close.

I love being here, he thought fondly. As much as I miss home and I'm sure it's been chaos without me, I'm glad I'm at least in a place where I'm needed most.

"I know it's silly, but I'm glad you're here. Thank you for listening," she murmured sleepily, almost like she heard him. "Good night."

Good night, sweet girl.

"Of course. Now, rest well," he replied.

---

Diavolo stirred awake again as he felt the bed shifting constantly, feeling as though he was facing upright. It was completely dark in her room, and he tried to listen and look carefully in the vicinity he could see it. He started to hear her mumbling, soft whines, and what sounded to be her in distress.

"Are you alright?" He called to her but received no reply.

An obvious sob finally sounded out. He realized she must've still been asleep and was having a nightmare.

Poor girl. I wish I could help her.

He waited a while; he wasn't sure how long, when the movement stopped and he couldn't even hear her breathing or strained noises.

Finally, she rolled over, and seemingly in her sleep, she pulled him in closer, holding him tight and tucked under her chin. He could feel her erratic pulse, and he was rather surprised by the action. The demon also noticed her little hiccups and realized that she was crying as well. It tore at him, he realized, to have her be this upset and not be able to console her, even in her sleep.

Damn, I wish I could hold her instead of her holding me.

His mind wandered, as it did sometimes at this point, what that would be like. He wondered how soft she would feel in his arms, given how plush her body was. How her hair and skin might smell as he buried his face against her to breathe her in. He wanted to comb his hands through her hair, to feel its softness as well. He wanted to make her feel better, to be a source of comfort for her, maybe more intimately than he could at the moment. At least he was in a place where she could find solace in him, even if she was unconscious for it. He wanted to hold her against him while he hummed a soft tune, maybe a lullaby, to calm her down. He wanted to feel her chest rise and fall against his, slowing as she went back to sleep. Maybe he could watch her sleep, too, just in his arms, and that would be more than satisfactory to him.

It hit him, then, how he could feel this strongly about her. He was able to learn so much about her in such a short time; he felt like he's known her for a decade. From one evening of talking to her, he saw himself being around her longer. He started to think about if this curse lifts, is there a way he could keep her around, just stay a little longer with her, or until she sent him away.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed.

Post made by sassykattery. do not repost. Reblogs and comments appreciated.

Tags: @delphi-dreamin @itsmeninerz @themythicaldisaster @marvelous-maniac @attic-club-sandwich @bite-sized-devil @flemmingbamse

Next

[forthedancingandthethriving]

Had 2 ficlet ideas for Song of a Usurper that I've been trying to wright but haven't been coming out right.

First is Tonio and Piper meeting up near what looks like a bandit camp next to one of the seals, which is actually inhabited by the Teeth in the Dark who have similar camps near the other seals as well on Damien's behalf. The two of them are actually aware of who the Teeth are, partly because some of their lower level members have ended up in the way of their heists recently. They compare notes on the group, with Tonio explaining who they are, the fact that they went dark years ago and shouldn't be this strong a force now, and explains what he knows of the Seals, while Piper identifies their new emblem as a coyote, which Harmonia doesn't have, so it's now clear that their comeback was likely facilitated by an off-worlder.

Then Agent Zed (who's on comms since he's Piper's mission control guy when she's in the field) chimes in with the reveal that according to the readings he's getting compared to a normal copy of the game, the seals are weakening, possibly deliberately considering the Teeth. So, they're gonna have to prepare for a ghost apocalypse. First on the list is finding ways to actually fight ghosts, which shouldn't be too hard given the fact that the Grid has access to the Danny Phantom universe and its technology via Anchor Timmy's server.

Second involves Hoopa (the one Ash knows from that one movie) ending up in Harmonia because he tends to wander and explore now that he actually can and the whole Digital Multiverse thing added a whole bunch of new places to explore. He finds Tama who's having a Bad Time (as is typical in this arc) and decides to help.

By summoning Pokemon.

Because that's his solution to everything.

He ends up summoning several of Ash's traveling group's Pokemon (notably including Pikachu, Kirlia and Miku's Ghost Meowth), several of Team Rocket's Pokemon (plus the Doodoll that follows them around who they haven't realized they could probably catch no problem yet. 'cause they're idiots), the Pichu Brothers (lord help us), a few of Ash's pokemon from Oak's Ranch, and a wild Absol. He also nabs Jub Jub and his Smallfry friend kinda-sorta by accident. This results in the usual Pichu Brothers Short misadventures with an added dose of Memes, which to Hoopa's credit does take Tama's mind off of Things for a while, and by the end they're in a big napping pile in the castle garden. Well, most of them are napping. Absol's fully awake and alert, keeping watch over all of them and a bit tense in preparation for something, though she is still being part of the pile.

That's what Nimbus and Ash's crews (and Boopkins) see when the Trainers come to pick up their Pokemon (none of them were too concerned about things since Pikachu has access to the Avatar group chat and explained right away what happened. Well, Boopkins was still worried but he's Boopkins). Obviously they're all happy that Tama's feeling better, even if it's only for an afternoon, though Ash does note that Pichu Brother episodes tend to come right before the kind of Big Events that end up in the movies. The fact that Absol's on high alert also isn't a good sign given the species' Whole Thing being the ability to sense incoming disasters. After naptime's over the Pokemon get recollected, though Absol refuses to leave Tama's side and Hoopa and the Pichu Bros also decide to stick around for a while (no reason for them not to, they are wild after all).

So Nimbus's crew is now at least aware that something is coming, though out of everyone involved they have the least idea what, and Tama now has a big, fluffy, highly competent, precognitive bodyguard.

(and of course they now have Hoopa hanging around, who'll probably respond to the incoming ghost apocalypse by throwing Legendaries at it until it's no longer a problem. Because according to Hoopa Logic if you can't solve a problem by throwing Pokemon at it you're just not throwing enough Pokemon)

Oh! I love both of these SO MUCH! If it's cool with you, I'd love to write about both of them!

[holdmeclosertinytaron]

RHW: Epilogue

Story Page / Playlist / Wattpad / AO3

PLEASE READ: The day is here. Right Here, Waiting is officially over. It's been a ride, to say the least. I've laughed and I've cried, but I've enjoyed every single minute of it. @brayndilyn and I turned a tiny little idea into something that I am infinitely proud of. Her love, support and help has been amazing and this story has given me a friend that I will cherish forever, so thank you, B!

You may notice that this epilogue is set on the 5th of August, 2023...TODAY. I wanted to do something fun and cool and having the story end on the day that it ends just seemed so fitting. I hope you enjoy the epilogue as much as you've loved the rest of the story. I'm off on a little hiatus now but I'll be back soon.

Word Count: 6.4k

Warnings: PURE FLUFF

August 5th, 2023

After a wet July filled with continuous torrential downpours, August brought with it the promise of the sunshine that everybody craved. Taron and Liliana had quickly escaped the hustle and bustle of London at the first sign of sun to spend the week in Aberystwyth with their family. 

Liliana was excited to spend Matilda’s twelfth birthday with her. Matilda had started high school in September and had been so busy that Liliana hadn’t been able to spend as much time with her as she would have liked. Having a week to see her as often as she liked made her insides jump with excitement. 

The second day they were in Wales, it was a warm Saturday morning and Liliana woke up before Taron. He nestled into her back with his nose tucked into the back of her neck. Liliana lay in bed for a little while after she’d woken up just to enjoy Taron’s touch on her skin, but when she grew a little too warm, she climbed out and pulled on some leggings. 

Tina was already downstairs when Liliana slipped into the living room, and she turned her attention away from the TV to smile at Liliana. 

‘Good morning, honey. Sleep well?’ 

Liliana nodded. ‘I did, thank you. Taron’s still sleeping but I don’t think it’ll be too long until he’s awake.’ 

‘You came downstairs,’ Tina chuckled. ‘I give him a solid fifteen minutes before he comes in here looking for you.’ 

‘I was going to say more like ten. I had to try so hard to pull myself away from him. I’m going to go make a cup of coffee. Would you like one?’ 

Tina shook her head softly and held her mug up. ‘I’ve got one already, lovely. Thank you though. I’ll come and chat to you in the kitchen, I’ve had a bit of an idea I want to run by you.’ 

Liliana walked through to the kitchen with Tina close behind her. She’d been at Tina’s house overnight countless times in the almost eighteen months that she and Taron had been together, but it wasn’t until that morning that she realised just how at ease she was there. 

She didn’t feel the need to tiptoe everywhere she went in fear of making too much noise with her steps. She didn’t stop in doorways to listen and make sure that nobody was in a room before she entered. 

And she felt completely free to make herself a drink or get something to eat without having to ask or feel like a burden. She let out a shaky breath as she grabbed the mug that Tina had bought specifically for her, and she blinked back tears. 

‘So this plan?’ Liliana said to try and distract herself from the emotions racing through her. 

Tina settled herself on one of the dining chairs and watched Liliana glide around the kitchen effortlessly. ‘I was thinking, because the sun has finally decided to make an appearance and because I want to celebrate getting to spend the entire week with my two oldest babies, what if we have a barbecue this afternoon?’ 

Liliana’s heart swelled at Tina calling her one of her babies, and she turned to her with an emotional smile. ‘That sounds really lovely. Taron and I could go to the shops if you needed? It wouldn’t be a bother.’ 

‘No, it’s okay,’ Tina insisted. ‘If you’re okay to watch the girls for me, I’ll go. Plus, if I’m being completely honest, I need Taron to clean the barbecue before we use it.’ 

Liliana let out a small chuckle. ‘I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to do that. I ought to be making him a drink too, huh? Considering it’s been five minutes since I got downstairs.’ 

‘It might be a good idea. Do you think Eliza would be okay with Matilda coming around today? She could spend the night too, if she’d like.’ 

The corners of Liliana’s lips curled up into a grin as she nodded her head. ‘That would be amazing. Thank you, Tina. But please let me give you some money towards the food and anything extra. It’s the least I can do for everything you’ve done for Taron and me recently.’ 

Tina shook her head firmly. ‘Nope. I won’t take money from you, Lili. It’s what family does.’ 

‘Exactly. Family helps each other out. Let me give you the money for the crisps and things at least then.’ 

‘Liliana Esme,’ Tina chastised lightly. Liliana looked down sheepishly and it took her a short while to finally look back up at Tina. 

‘Sorry.’ 

Tina chuckled with a small wink. ‘There’s been this idea floating around in my head for a few months now but I didn’t know when, or how to bring it up in the best way.’ 

Liliana furrowed her brows as she put the used tea bag into the small caddy next to the kitchen. 

‘I love you just as much as I love Taron and the girls. If anything happened to you, I would be beside myself. You are amazing, and I wish you’d had the grown up you needed in your life when you were little. I’ve been thinking…if you feel comfortable enough, this is, that you could maybe call me mum? You absolutely do not have to, I just thought…oh I don’t even know, I just thought it might be nice.’ 

Liliana’s breath stopped momentarily as a rush of contrasting emotions filled her mind. Tina had been more like a mum to Liliana throughout her teenage years than Eliza had, and she’d accidentally slipped and called Tina ‘mum’ on a few occasions. But knowing that she had Tina’s blessing–that she would finally be able to call someone mum again, and knowing that she had a mum who loved her, it sent something weird zapping through her body and she couldn’t control the emotion as she wasn’t quite sure what it was. 

‘That’s truly only if you feel comfortable though,’ Tina continued. She could sense the difference in Liliana’s demeanour and wanted to diffuse anything before it got too bad and Liliana shut down. The last thing Tina wanted to do was upset Liliana. ‘I wouldn’t ever want you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable. 

‘It’s just…I want you to have a mum that you feel safe with. I want you to have a mum that loves you how you deserve to be loved, because my god you deserve to be loved, Liliana. Anyway, would Matilda prefer hot dogs or beef burgers for the barbecue? I’ll be getting cheese and doing some fried onions. If she’s anything like you, I’ll be buying Tesco out of onions.’ 

Liliana breathed out a slightly teary laugh. She was thankful for the sudden change in subject. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to call Tina mum. If anything she would have loved to. There was just something holding her back. 

Things with Taron were perfect, to put it swiftly, but she knew just how quickly things changed in her life; how quickly things went bad. The last thing she wanted was for her to finally feel comfortable enough in a family for it all to be pulled from under her. It had happened before, and she swore that she wouldn’t let it happen again. 

‘You may need to buy Tesco out of onions. Chances are she’ll probably have one of each. She isn’t fussy, bless her. You could put any food in front of her and she would give it a go. I don’t know where she got that from, I was so fussy when I was younger.’ 

‘You weren’t fussy,’ Tina said seriously. ‘You just hadn’t had the chance to try a lot of foods when you were younger so you were nervous to sway away from what you knew. I never had an issue with you trying new things. But if she likes both, I’ll make sure there’s both. The girls are the same. I’ll get Taron to clean the barbecue when he comes downstairs and we’ll be good to go. I’m surprised he hasn’t come down yet, it’s been ten minutes.’ 

As if on cue, Taron strolled into the kitchen with his arms stretched above his head. He yawned as he made his way over to Tina to kiss her on the cheek. 

‘Morning, mam. I heard my name. What are you talking about me for?’ 

Tina looked at Liliana and they shook their heads simultaneously with small laughs that made Taron look between them with raised eyebrows. 

‘I bet I didn’t,’ he laughed as he stalked towards Liliana. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her lips gently. ‘You came downstairs without me.’ 

‘Unlike some, I wake up early and don’t want to spend all day in bed,’ Liliana chuckled playfully before she kissed Taron again quickly. ‘Your mum suggested that we have a barbecue this afternoon. We’re going to watch the girls while she runs to Tesco and I’m going to call Matilda soon and see if she wants to come. Eliza won’t have a problem with it.’ 

Taron twisted his body until his hips rested against the worktop. He wrapped an arm around Liliana’s waist and tucked her into his side before he grabbed her mug of coffee to steal some. 

‘Oi,’ Liliana chastised with wide eyes, ‘that’s mine, you bugger. There’s a mug behind you that I made for you.’ 

‘Yours always tastes nicer,’ Taron shrugged. ‘A barbecue sounds amazing though. Do you need me to clean it then, mam? It’s not been used for…I don’t even know how long. The chances are it’s a right mess and will need a good scrub.’ 

Tina licked her lips as she stood to put her empty mug in the sink next to Taron. ‘Funny you should ask,’ she said playfully. 

Taron shook his head in fake disbelief. ‘I knew I heard you talking about me. I’ll get it cleaned this morning for you so it can sit for a while before I light it. Can I put towards the shopping? I don’t like the idea of you buying everything.’ 

‘I already told Liliana that I won’t accept any money from the two of you for it. You are my babies and I want to treat you. Am I okay to leave the girls with you now? They’re due to be waking up soon but I have a feeling Tesco will be packed if I leave it much longer.’ 

‘That’s fine,’ Liliana said quietly before she leaned up to kiss Taron’s cheek. ‘I’m going to go and call Matilda. I’ll be right back, babe.’ 

***

As Taron had thought, the barbecue was in need of a deep clean. It wouldn’t take much to get it clean but Taron got the power washer out to help speed things up. In a feeble attempt to stop his t-shirt from getting wet and dirty, he pulled it away from his body and threw it just inside the back door where it would be sage. 

While he cleaned, Liliana and the three young girls all laid out on blankets on the grass together. The three younger girls played on Taron’s Nintendo Switch while Liliana read a book. After working on her second book for so long, it was nice to read for pleasure rather than for work. She’d made sure to pack multiple books for their week away so that she wouldn’t run out of reading material. 

Liliana read her book until Taron rubbed his palms on the back of his jeans to dry them off somewhat. He’d distracted her so well that when Matilda scooted closer to her, she hadn’t flinched. It wasn’t until Matilda tapped her on the leg twice that Liliana diverted her attention away from her boyfriend to her little sister. 

‘Thank you for letting me come,’ Matilda said quietly while she hugged Liliana from the side. 

Liliana turned to her and smiled fondly. For all of their differences, they were still so alike. They had the same personality, and Liliana could feel the love that radiated from Matilda in the small moments. 

‘You are so welcome, Little Bug. Are you excited to start year eight in September? I can’t believe that you’re already in your second year of high school.’ 

‘I’m a little nervous. Year seven was fun but the teachers have said we’re really starting to get into things this next year.’ 

‘Year eight is a little harder than year seven.’ Liliana wasn’t the type of person to sugar coat anything when it came to Matilda. She wanted her to know that things could be hard, and then give her ways around making it easier. ‘But it will go by so fast and you are so smart that you won’t even be able to tell the difference. Before you know it, you’ll be in year eleven and doing your GCSEs. High school can be hard, and I don’t want you to let anybody tell you otherwise. 

‘And people can be awful, trust me on that one. But you are so headstrong, and so incredibly smart that I know you’re going to do amazing. If anybody starts to give you trouble–students or teachers–let me know. Taron and I went to that school and most of the teachers we had are still there and I can talk to them. Mr Francis, he could probably tell you some stories.’ 

‘He’s my English teacher!’ Matilda exclaimed happily. ‘He’s always really fun.’ 

‘That sounds like Mr Francis. He was Taron and me’s English teacher too. He caught us passing notes one day and I don’t think I will ever live that down.’ 

Matilda’s eyes widened in glee. ‘I’m going to ask him about you both in September. Hey, Lili? Do you think that you and Taron will ever get married?’ 

Liliana took a deep breath and moved her attention back to Taron. His back tensed as he cleaned and Liliana couldn’t help but want to run her hands down the length of it and let them settle just inside the waistband of his jeans. She shook her head before her daydream turned into something erotic and turned back to Matilda. 

She leaned in close and whispered, ‘I don’t know, Tilly, but I hope we do. I love him a helluva lot and it would be nice to be married to him.’ 

‘Would you have kids?’ 

‘I don’t know, Til. That’s something that Taron and I would have to talk about one day. Why? Do you want us to get married and have babies?’ 

Matilda nodded. ‘Yeah. I’ve always wanted a brother. And who doesn’t love babies?’ 

Liliana chuckled and hugged Matilda to her side. Though she kept her eyes on Taron. Matilda had planted a thought in Liliana’s mind and it had turned into a whole daydream about one day being able to call Taron her husband. The thought made her insides turn to mush and she couldn’t hold back the grin that took over her face. 

Unbeknownst to anyone else in the garden, Taron had heard Matilda’s question and had strategically taken a break from using the power washer in the hopes that he would hear how Liliana answered. Taron had known since March of the previous year that he wanted to spend the rest of his time on Earth with Liliana. 

In the April of 2022, he had designed and bought a ring that he hoped she would love, ready for whenever Liliana was comfortable enough to take the next step and solidify their relationship further. 

The past eighteen months had been utter bliss for Taron. He finally had the woman of his dreams and his best friend all rolled into one. But he knew that Liliana still faced her inner demons every day and he was willing to wait as long as she needed before he asked her the most important question. 

A couple of months after their trip to Scotland, Liliana had moved in with him and that was enough for Taron. Liliana was the first person he saw when he woke up, and the last person he saw when he went to bed. If they lived like that for the rest of their lives without the titles of husband and wife, he was sure that he wouldn’t have minded. 

Five months prior, when they celebrated their one year anniversary, he had casually brought up the idea of marriage but Liliana had been hesitant. She had drawn in on herself again and Taron knew that it was too much too soon. He apologised for bringing it up and made it up to her again and again that night, whispering sweet nothings into her ear continuously. 

He had hoped that the idea of marriage wouldn’t scare Liliana so much, and he’d come up with a tentative plan to propose to her in November. It would be the two year anniversary of when they reunited at Liliana’s first book launch. But Taron carried the ring with him wherever he went, more so that he didn’t forget where he had hidden it, but also because he was worried about how Liliana might react if she saw it. 

The second he heard Liliana tell Matilda that she wanted to marry him, he thanked his lucky stars that he’d taken the ring to Aberystwyth with him and that it was stashed in the bottom of his suitcase where there was no risk of Liliana coming across it. He decided to seize the moment, and a plan started to form in his head. 

Liliana and Matilda had continued to whisper while Taron had his epiphany, and luckily they hadn’t noticed that he’d stopped cleaning. He closed the lip of the barbecue softly so that it didn’t make too loud of a noise. 

‘Well, I believe it will do for our spur of the moment party this afternoon.’ 

Liliana looked up at Taron and smiled happily, ‘Great job, babe. It looks clean enough to eat off of!’ She winked at him and he gave her a sarcastic look while he planted his hands on both hips and wiggled them joyfully. ‘You are something else.’ 

‘You got that right, baby. I’m going to go and get cleaned up and put my top back on before I join in on all the fun you four are having. Do any of you want a drink while I’m inside?’ 

‘Can you bring us all another can, please? Thank you.’

Taron went back into the house and continued to work on his plan to get Liliana alone for a little while. He hoped that if he timed it right, they could be back at the house to celebrate with everyone before the barbecue was in full swing. 

He bounded up the stairs two at a time and changed into a pair of shorts and a new t-shirt before he grabbed the ring from his suitcase. Before he left the bedroom, Taron checked in the mirror to make sure that the outline of the small, velvet box wasn’t obvious. 

As luck would have it, Tina walked in the front door as Taron got to the bottom of the stairs. She jumped a little but chuckled when she saw that it was only Taron. 

‘God you have a way of sneaking up on me,’ she laughed. 

‘It was totally not on purpose,’ Taron laughed. ‘Let me help you with these bags. What did you buy, woman? They’re heavier than the girls.’ 

‘Hush your mouth, child. Though I may have gotten carried away with snacks. So the chances are we’re eating all of this over the next few days.’ 

‘That sounds like a plan to me. I actually need your help with something.’ 

‘Sure, baby. What do you need?’ 

Tine looked at her son with a puzzled look plastered on her face. She could tell that Taron was up to something but she couldn’t fathom what it could possibly be. He put the bags he carried down on the table and then turned to his mum fully. 

He checked the back garden to make sure that none of the girls were on their way inside before he stuffed his hand into his pocket and gripped the small box that he’d kept well hidden for almost two years. 

‘I happened to overhear Liliana telling Matilda that she hopes that we get married one day. And I figured, why not ask her today?’ He pulled the box out of his pocket and snapped it open to show his mum the ring. ‘This wasn’t the plan but I can’t wait any longer. It’s been such a long time coming. She’s the one, mum. Liliana is the one that I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.’ 

Tina’s jaw was on the floor and she had tears in her eyes. It wasn’t a surprise that Taron wanted to propose. She’d known how Taron felt about Liliana for years, but she hadn’t had a clue that he already had a ring. 

‘I was going to tell you that I planned to propose but I just can’t wait any longer.’ 

‘Oh my goodness, this is amazing. My baby boy is going to propose!’ Tina’s voice got louder and Taron immediately turned to the back garden. 

‘Mam,’ he shushed her through gritted teeth. 

‘I’m sorry, honey, this is just so exciting! What do you need my help with?’ 

Taron closed the box and stuffed it back in his pocket so that there wasn’t a risk of anybody else seeing it before the time was right. ‘I need you to distract Rosie, Marie and Matilda while I get Liliana up to Constitution Hill. I thought it only fitting that I ask her there. It’s one of the most important places to us.’ 

Tina nodded in understanding and pulled Taron in for a long hug. ‘Of course, that would be perfect. And leave it to me, I’ll make sure the youngest are good while you’re gone. I’m so proud of you, little boy. And I’m so happy that Liliana is ready for forever. I told her that she can call me mum if she wants to and she got emotional. She’s really starting to open up more and I’m so happy.’ 

‘I think she’s finally ready to accept that she’s part of a family now. I just want to make it official. I’m going to go and get her. We won’t be too long, promise.’ 

‘Take your time, Taron.’ 

‘Thanks, mam. I love you.’ 

‘I love you too.’ 

Taron hugged his mum once more before he walked to the back door and admired the four girls at the top of the garden. He slowly made his way over towards them. 

‘Hey, Love Bug, come here for a second,’ Taron called to Liliana as he neared where she rested on the grass. He opened his arms and Liliana automatically stepped into them when she got up. ‘Mum’s just got back from Tesco and it’s such a lovely day out. What do you say we got for a walk quickly? I was thinking about Constitution Hill. It’s been so long since we’ve been up there.’ 

Liliana gave Taron the same puzzled look his mum had and asked, ‘But what about the barbecue? Surely we could help your mum get everything ready? She’s already done so much by doing the shopping on her own. I can’t leave her to prepare everything on her own too.’ 

‘She had mentioned asking the girls to help her prepare everything, and you know how much they all love to help out in the kitchen. Especially when Matilda is here.’ 

Liliana was still visibly sceptical, but she couldn’t deny that she would love some alone time with Taron. ‘Sure, babe, that sounds like a great idea. But let’s take the funicular up so we aren’t gone too long. I would still like to help your mum prepare some stuff.’ 

‘My thoughts exactly,’ Taron smiled as he leaned down to kiss Liliana. ‘Come on, let’s get going.’ 

He wrapped his arm around Liliana’s shoulder and walked them towards the garden gate that led them down the side of the house and to the street. Matilda looked up at Liliana and the crease in her brow was obvious even from where Liliana was. 

‘We’re just going to take a quick walk up the hill. We’ll be back before the barbecue starts, I promise,’ Liliana assured Matilda. 

Matilda smiled and gave her a small wave goodbye before going back to playing games with the other two. Liliana waved at Tina as they passed the kitchen window. She could have sworn that Tina winked at her when she passed by, but the sun was streaming in through the window so Liliana thought that it must have been the sunlight getting in her eyes. 

***

Liliana had clocked the grey clouds making their way to town before Taron had, but she was sure the forecast hadn’t predicted rain so she hadn’t mentioned anything. Though she wished she had when she felt the first drops of rain hit her skin. Taron groaned loudly and grabbed her hand to pull her into the nearest empty doorway. 

He pushed her against the wall softly and looked down at her with so much love that Liliana could physically feel her heart pulling towards Taron’s. Her hands slid up his front until she could pull him closer to her by the neck. 

Her lips brushed over his and as she was about to pull away, Taron leaned forward and kissed her passionately. She sighed dreamily into him and held onto him tighter. When they had been caught in the rain and took shelter in a shop doorway all those sixteen years before, all Liliana had wanted was for Taron to kiss her. 

Liliana smiled into the kiss and Taron copied. He thought the same thing and without needing to use words, they gave each other what their younger selves wanted. 

‘Do you think they’d be happy?’ Liliana asked when they pulled apart to catch their breath. 

‘Who?’ 

‘Our eighteen year old selves. Can you imagine telling them that in sixteen years they would be back hiding from the rain but happily kissing one another because they were in a relationship and had been for over a year?’ 

Taron thought for a moment as he held Liliana close. The rain had stopped already but they made no moves to continue their walk. He let his hands trail up to Liliana’s waist where he held her against him. He just hoped that she wouldn’t reach her hands down too low where she would feel the ring box nestled safely in his pocket. 

‘I think they’d be annoyed that it took us so long to say something to one another,’ he said with a small smile. ‘But then I think they would be so happy. I know younger me would be. All I wanted that day was to kiss you.’ 

‘All I wanted was for you to kiss me.’ 

‘Then this is for younger us,’ he smiled before he leaned down to plant another kiss to Liliana’s welcoming lips.

***

Thankfully the rain hadn’t stopped the funicular and it was running when they got to the bottom of Constitution Hill. Liliana climbed in first and took a seat on the small bench to the left. Taron squeezed in next to her and put his arm around her shoulder happily. 

‘Thank you for indulging me, Lil. I love spending time with everyone at home but I wanted a little bit of uninterrupted alone time with you.’ 

Nobody else stepped onto the funicular and as it started to carry them up the hill, Taron leaned in and kissed Liliana. It was deep and passionate, and the passion behind it caught Liliana off guard momentarily. Though she leaned in and kissed him back just as fervently. It didn’t matter how much time passed, kissing Taron was still her favourite feeling in the world. 

‘Thank you for suggesting this, T,’ she panted when Taron pulled away. ‘I agree, it is very nice to have some alone time with you. No funny business though, we are still in public and the ride up is only a few minutes.’ Liliana wagged a finger at Taron and he put his hands up in surrender with a devilish grin. 

‘I wouldn’t dream of it, Love Bug. But there’s nothing saying we can’t have a cheeky make out session, right?’ Taron winked at Liliana and leaned in to kiss her again. 

By the time they pulled apart, they were nearing the top of the hill. Taron grabbed Liliana’s hand as he stepped out so that he could help her climb out of the carriage safely. She thanked him softly and leaned her hand on his shoulder as they walked. 

The closer they got to the edge of the hill, the more Taron’s nerves started to hit him. His throat got dry and his hands had started to shake. He hoped that if Liliana could feel the shake, she would think that he was a little on the chillier side. The drop in temperature at the top of the hill worked in his favour. 

Liliana pulled away from Taron and walked towards the edge faster than Taron. The views never failed to amaze her and the second she saw the entire bay, her lips curled into a smile and she took a deep breath. Her love for Aberystwyth grew once again when she’d started to go back with Taron. She no longer dreaded being there because she knew that she would be with the people who loved her the most. 

The sunshine that had come back quickly after the rain had stopped, and by the time that they got off of the funicular, nobody would have known that it had been raining ten minutes previously thanks to the almost cloudless sky that had taken over. 

Liliana towed Taron in the direction of their spot while she soaked up the sunshine, her head tilted up to get as much vitamin C as she could. They had never officially declared what part of the hill was their spot, but they both knew. They had spent countless hours up there talking about life while watching the clouds. 

It was where Liliana had felt the safest when she was a teenager, and it was where they had realised that they had fallen for each other all those years ago. Liliana stood right at the edge and looked out at the sea. Small waves crashed against the bottom of the hill and Liliana matched her breathing to each crash. 

There was a faint smell of seaweed in the air and the Y Consti cafe behind them wafted the smell of freshly ground coffee into the air. Taron stepped next to Liliana and took her hand in his. They stood and stared out at the sea for a moment, taking in the warm breeze and the few fluffy clouds that dotted the sky. 

As Liliana was about to tell Taron that she was enjoying the moment with him, she felt him tug on her hand. When she turned to face him, he was lowering himself onto his left knee. He took the ring box from his pocket and Liliana’s breath caught in her throat. 

‘Taron,’ she managed to choke out as she squeezed his hand tightly. Tears had already found their way to her eyes and she couldn’t help the ones that fell down the length of her cheeks. 

‘Don’t say anything yet,’ he said quickly before he gulped. ‘Please. I want to say this before I forget anything I want to say.’ 

Liliana nodded, allowing Taron the room to say whatever he needed to. Though she knew what was coming. Her heart thumped rapidly deep within her chest and tiny drops of sweat started to build on the small of her back as the anticipation of what was about to happen poured over her. 

When Matilda had asked her earlier in the day if she was going to marry Taron, Liliana hadn’t expected for Taron to propose to her that day. Things started to fall into place as she watched Taron. She’d not taken notice of it before but she should have realised that Taron had stopped cleaning at the right time, and then the next thing she knew, he whisked her away to their spot and he was on one knee in front of her. 

She swiped away the tears that had started to fall so that she could look at Taron clearly, but she couldn’t wipe them away fast enough. They were falling freely down her cheeks and she saw a couple of people out of the corner of her eye watching the scene unfold in front of them. 

‘It has been almost sixteen years since I said goodbye to you on that train platform,’ Taron started through a shaky breath. ‘When the train pulled out, I remember wondering if I was ever going to see you again. It was like I was losing the thing that mattered the most to me. When I got home, I sat in your chair and I just cried. I didn’t want you to leave, but I didn’t know if I was allowed to say anything. I remember thinking that I’d lost you for good.’ 

Taron paused and took a deep, shaky breath. Liliana wanted nothing more than to reach out and cup his cheek, to pull him into her body and hold him until the end of time. She wanted to be the one to look after him. But she held back so that he could continue in his own time. Liliana was in no rush. They had the rest of their lives to look forward to. 

‘Then one morning when I was checking my mail, I found an invitation to a book launch. The second I read the name on top, Liliana Esme, I could feel the hole in my heart shrink a little.’ 

Liliana could remember making the guest list for the book launch as if it were only yesterday. She’d been asked to give a list of names of people who meant the most to her. When Taron’s name popped into her mind, she couldn’t decide what to do. It had already been over a decade since she’d last seen him, and a whole lifetime had occurred in that time. 

She knew that it was a long shot that he would turn up, but she invited him anyway. And she would send that invite again just to have Taron by her side again. 

‘You have always been my safe space, Lil, and I have loved you since we were eighteen years old. I wake up every morning and fall in love with you even more. The hole in my heart healed when I saw you again, and every day with you makes the scar grow smaller. 

‘These past eighteen months with you have been the best of my life. It’s been a continuous adventure and I can’t wait to relive every single one for the rest of my life. I have loved dancing in Washington Square Park with you; eating croissants on a balcony in the middle of Paris; swimming in the Mediterranean Sea; running into the sea down there in the middle of the night in just our underwear.’ 

Liliana laughed through the tears that streamed freely down her face, and she held Taron’s hand tighter, if that were even possible. A stray tear fell down Taron’s cheek and Liliana leaned forward to wipe it away with her free hand. Taron leaned into her touch and let the corner of his lips turn up into a gentle smile. 

‘Liliana, you are the strongest person I know, and the love that you show everyone around you knows no bounds. You love so hard, and with everything in you. Yet you struggle to love yourself, even now. It’s almost as though you are so busy loving everyone else that you forget to share that love with yourself. 

‘I want to be the person who shows you love when you don’t feel like you can show it to yourself. I do not want you to ever feel the way you felt growing up. You’ve had me in your corner forever, but I am going to prove to you that I’m not leaving that corner. Not for one second. On your hardest days, I will be there. On days where we’re frustrated with one another, I will be in your corner. I will be in your corner no matter what. 

‘I want you to feel loved every second of every day. And one day, I hope that you’ll have children in your corner. Children that you brought into the world. That…we brought into the world.’ 

Liliana took a deep breath. The thought of children wasn’t as scary as she would have imagined, but she was nowhere near ready to think about it yet. Though she knew Taron wouldn’t push anything, ever. 

‘You are going to make an amazing mum one day, Lil. I have no doubt about it. I love you more than I ever thought it possible to love someone. You are still my safe space, my guiding light, my strength on my weakest days, and my warmth on my coldest days. I want us to be a family. I want us to start a family that will always show you love. ‘

Taron took another shaky breath and looked up at Liliana. His eyes were steady as they fixated on Liliana’s, and his hands stopped shaking just enough that he was able to snap the ring box open. 

Liliana’s breath caught in the back of her throat as she looked at the delicate ring in front of her. It was everything she could have imagined and so much more. The sapphire and diamond ring glistened beautifully in the sun that shone down around them. 

The smile she gave Taron was so big that it hurt her cheeks and she could barely see in front of her. But her smile told Taron everything he needed to know. She was ready. Liliana was ready to start the next chapter of her life. She was ready to be a wife, ready to take on the world with Taron, and ready to open up her life to him wholly. 

‘Liliana Esme,’ Taron continued through a smile equally as wide as Liliana’s, ‘will you marry me?’

[therecordchanger62279]

THE PSYCHEDELIC BEATLES PLAYLIST

Early this morning, long before I was really awake, I saw a post on The Beatles Reddit Page where someone mentioned trying to improve The Beatles album (that's "The White Album") by removing a few songs, and paring it down to a single record. That's hardly a new idea. Nearly every double album in history has undergone such scrutiny. But, I got to wondering what might have happened had Capitol in America told The Beatles they'd rather not release a double LP; that they really preferred to do a single album, and include the two Beatles singles released earlier that year that were not going to be included on this double album they'd just handed them.

Now, that was never going to happen because by then, Capitol was well aware of The Beatles disdain for what the label had done to their catalog in America, and they were having none of it. And while the band did not have the power to veto the label doing that early in their career, by 1968 they certainly did. And I've no doubt they'd have voided their contract, and signed elsewhere if Capitol had attempted such a move.

Still, I couldn't resist the temptation to be Capitol's A&R man sitting in his newly shag carpeted office in 1968, grappling with the task of carving up The Beatles new double album into a single LP for U.S. release.

That's how my day started. Several hours later, I had that album in a playlist on my iTunes program. I titled the 14 track single album Beatles '68, and I did the sequencing for it, and came up with what I think is actually, in 2025, a releasable album that would make a great special edition vinyl package. And in a future post, I'll unveil the results.

Next, I thought maybe I could make myself a Beatles '69 playlist. Abbey Road was released that year, and as much as I love it, it's not perfect. There are some songs on side one I could do without, and some singles released that year that I liked better, and wished were on the album. I did that one as well, and loved the results. I think I made Abbey Road better than The Beatles did. What an ego, right? In any case, I'll post that one soon as well.

That brings us to this post.

Not content with two genius playlists, I decided to attempt the ultimate challenge - The Psychedelic Beatles playlist that would bring together in one place all their best psychedelic songs. And, of course, it's not enough to simply collect them all, and put them in a playlist. No, when I conceive of these projects, I pretend I am working for a label, and preparing something for the marketplace. In the last century, these playlists were called "mix tapes," and I made some great ones. I have tapes that are far better than anything the labels ever released. I'm not good at much, but when it comes to this kind of thing, I'm an idiot savant. (Although my wife doesn't buy the "savant" part.)

The first task was to decide which songs to choose as psychedelic. Backwards guitar, trippy lyrics, phasing, clever production tricks, and a "kitchen sink" approach to the entire thing was what I was looking for. The period in question spanned 1966 to 1969. I found 28 songs that qualified, and the next step was to sequence them - just in case somebody in The Beatles camp saw it and decided it might make a great 4LP / 2CD release for the 2025 holiday season. You could even press it on psychedelic vinyl, and maybe put a multi-colored psychedelic jewel box on the CD release. (Of course the deluxe vinyl edition would have a tab of LSD in it, and maybe some beads, and a deluxe hardcover book, A Guide to Indian Music included. Retailing for the low, low price of $499.)

Well, I spent the better part of the afternoon sequencing my playlist, and it turned out even better than I hoped. I've been listening to it while I've been writing this post, and I'm starting to hallucinate, and I want to succumb to the urge to watch the "Blue Boy" episode of Dragnet 1967.

Trust me on this one. Take these 28 songs, and put them into a playlist in the order below, and by the time you finish listening to it, you'll have forgotten all about pink slips, and war, and plane crashes, and the cost of eggs. With this playlist, you get your very own egg man, not to mention your own kite for flying, and a field full of strawberries. So, without further delay, here is The Psychedelic Beatles Playlist. You're welcome.

1. Yellow Submarine

2. I’m Only Sleeping

3. Love You Too

4. All Together Now

5. Hey Bulldog

6. Only a Northern Song

7. She Said She Said

8. All You Need Is Love

9. Good Day Sunshine

10. Penny Lane

11. Your Mother Should Know

12. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

13. The Inner Light

14. I Am the Walrus

15. Tomorrow Never Knows

16. Hello Goodbye

17. Magical Mystery Tour

18. The Fool on the Hill

19. Fixing a Hole

20. Flying

21. Rain

22. Strawberry Fields Forever

23. Within You Without You

24. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite

25. Baby You’re a Rich Man

26. It’s All Too Much

27. Blue Jay Way

28. A Day in the Life. 

      Playing time - 1 hour 33 minutes

[selfpositiveundertale]

Long post in which I ramble about my grief of losing a trusted medical provider I've been seeing for many years, the physical pain I am currently experiencing, what physical pain does to my mind when it escalates too much, the mental health care I receive, and things I think I'll start doing to take care of myself.

The chiropractic called me earlier before I went to my appointment. My main chiropractor Dr K who I've been seeing since I was a child, for nearly 22 years, can no longer see me because he found out he has a severe allergy to cats and every time he sees a patient with cats he's sick for days afterward. I have cats, so me and all his other cat owner patients are being switched to the other two who work in the office. I'm gutted. I don't know how I'm going to cope with this. I can still see Dr R, been seeing him for about 17 years, and that's who I saw today but he's not the same. Dr K knows me better than any other medical professional who has ever worked with me. He always has an answer for any question I have and when he doesn't have an answer immediately he researches it so he can find out for me. He's done more for me than any other doctor ever. He's gotten me through so much. I trust him more than anyone in the world except my husband. And now out of nowhere I can't see him anymore. I'm shattered. I feel like I just lost a family member. I'm very much in mourning. Dr R was sympathetic and let me cry about it while he was fixing up my ribs and neck.

My husband and I eventually want to move to live with my best friend who lives two states away, so I knew I'd eventually have to say goodbye to Dr K whether it was when we move or if he retires before then since he's pretty old, but I wasn't expecting it to end so suddenly like this. I might create a digital art piece to email him and thank him for everything he's done for me.

Idk. I want to sleep but I am laid low by a menstrual migraine (been happening every cycle since last June) and I don't think the pain will allow me to fall asleep even though I've taken my nighttime meds (which include a pain medication that doubles as an anxiety medication and is known to cause drowsiness but is not a controlled substance) plus over the counter nausea medicine that is known to cause drowsiness plus my opioid painkiller plus over the counter migraine pain reliever. The caffeine in the last one doesn't keep me awake so I can take it at any time of day which is convenient when headaches strike when I need to be asleep but I just wish any of this would actually do the job and relieve the pain right now. It's getting worse and when my physical pain levels escalate to 8/10 or higher, my psychiatric meds stop working and all my mental illnesses decide it's time to party. I get pretty weird and unhinged and addled and I hallucinate and experience paranoia and existential terror and despair and no perceivable blemish on my skin is safe from my hands and I wonder if the pain is actually going to kill me. So far it hasn't and to be clear I absolutely do not want it to but the question and the terror at the possibility is always there.

I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon at the place I go for mental health care, to discuss my meds. The combo I'm on right now works well enough, except when the physical pain gets out of hand. I don't think there's a psych med in the world that will make the hallucinations and horrific existentialism stop when I have a migraine, and the doctor I see here understands that because we've tried increasing my meds for that purpose and seen it didn't work.

My new community support specialist thinks it's good that I'm looking into herbal medicine (I'm mostly looking into folk remedies in the Appalachian region) and wanting to use it in combination with modern medicine, and she said she will look into some herbal medicine from her home country (she is Indian) and see what she can find for me. I really want to get my hands on a copy of that Lost Book Of Herbal Remedies as well as Forgotten Home Apothecary and see what I can find in there that might be useful to me. She did recommend turmeric and black pepper and I might actually go in the kitchen and mix some into a cup of warm oat milk just to see if it will make me feel better and help me sleep.

Since my mental health sinks into the abyss like a whale fall to be feasted upon by the horrors in the deep when I'm in extreme physical pain, I may or may not need to take a more holistic approach to my overall health. Obviously keep tending to the different things that need tending like taking the meds for the specific things I need them for, but also look into ways that can help everything. Stay on top of keeping myself adequately fed and nourished with tasty nutrient dense foods, drink teas that will boost what needs boosting, start hydrated, go to the gym with my husband and get back on my bulking and weight training, maybe even actually get some sunlight, that kind of thing.

Sometimes I feel like the only thing keeping my body functioning is my own determination to stubbornly hold onto hope out of spite, and jokes that the gods had to nerf me by giving me a defective body or else I would usurp them all. My willpower is honestly some untapped potential for great power and I need to learn to harness it to overcome everything that stands in my way. I can break free from sleep paralysis, so I know I'm capable of being more stubborn than my body's refusal to cooperate, I just need to get used to turning my willpower onto other things that I need to overpower, both internal and external.

Sigh. It's after midnight. I'm still in a lot of physical pain and I still need to go to sleep, so I think I will try the warm oat milk and tumeric.

Night night y'all, I love you and stay determined.

❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜

[chez-sandy]

90 Day Bring Me Back To Life Challenge

I made myself a huge cup of coffee today.

Well, the challenge I signed up for has not been going so well, each day has been proving to be difficult. Today I felt a little more out of the fog, hence this attempt to follow through.

To be honest I've had to tweak the challenge to be able to stay consistent in my capacity. So I'll call it the Bring Me Back To Life Challenge. It's a 90-day challenge where you want to be patient but strict with yourself, the tasks can be moved around the day with a recommended time for them. But they must be strictly executed each day.

Mornings

I like to wake up early as late mornings make my head hurt.

Workout: Any form of workout or exercise that would exhaust you before a refreshing shower would help to kickstart a day that leaves behind the grogginess of being awake. I personally like to go to the gym.

Follow a skincare routine. I keep tweaking mine daily. But do it daily, start caring for yourself. It makes a difference in self-image.

A hearty breakfast or bitter coffee [I'll eventually post some coffee and breakfast recipes that boost my energy].

Now comes the hardest part, eating the frog. I read about a 2-hour hell method to combat procrastination recently [well, no one said this was going to be easy] - Write down 1 goal to be completed during these 2 hours, the most intimidating task, one that scares the daylight out of you. - Put on a 2-hour timer and work on it. Work on it so that after these 2 hours you don't have to think about it for the rest of the day [and even if you do end up thinking about it, you're done with 2 hours' worth of the work and it should start looking a little less intimidation by now]. - So I guess instead of eating the frog you are slowly but steadily nibbling away at the frog and one of these days the frog will amount to less than 15 mins of your time and you'll swallow it whole [I need to hesitate... I can't just write whatever T-T]

Afternoons

Journal your thoughts and intentions, many have recommended to me to note down my intentions at the beginning of the day or before beginning a new day. But I've noticed that it discourages me from even making an effort as I plant seeds of doubt in my own head on my ability to follow through. So, I have resorted to writing down my thoughts and intentions in the middle of the day while eating lunch or daydreaming on a break from any kind of work.

Drink lots of water throughout the day, I have a 2L water bottle that I carry everywhere. I cannot go on without it. [I might be addicted to water, in a healthy way, coffee is a close second on my list of favorite beverages]

Daydream. About wanting to live the life you are living. It might seem weird to read this statement but try it, you will realise that eventually it will take less and less effort to breathe. looking back to the point in life when you start this you'll feel relief. I think it makes you live more intentionally.

Evenings

Give yourself some time. This pertains to partaking in activities that you would want to do for yourself.

Change into some pajamas and wind down. - [If you work] This is the time after coming home where you can take a quick shower [to detach yourself from the work mindset] and watch some TV. Personally I like to Switch up my post work activities between learning some Japanese, Korean, French, or learning how to play a guitar.[I'll be posting my progress in these with updates on the challenge].

Hearty dinner is a good way to ensure a good sleep [at least for me, I cant sleep without eating at night].

Dim the lights dance to some tunes and sleep by 11.30 pm because after 12 is when intrusive thoughts wake up. Its better for all of us [and our exes or wallets] that we sleep by then. Sleeping early also gives a purpose to waking up early... What's the point in stealing time from both nights and mornings if its gonna cost you energy.

well the last point depends on whether you're a Morning or a night person so it is totally up to you. If, after reading through the entirety of this post you feel like joining me in this challenge do post your updates tagged with #CSBMBTLC and stay tuned to see how this long and winded post unravels in my life.

[ghostsandcoffeegal]

Still in the process of moving. Drawing things are put into a box at the moment (as are most things truely) and while I'd love to work on something that's not super an option right now...

This is the kind of chaos I'm not a fan of: the transition point from one pseudo-comfort into the hope of a new one. I know it's necessary though. With a new space comes room to breathe that I haven't really had. It struck me last afternoon when taking boxes up and down the long flights of stairs just how squeaky the floorboards in this apartment complex are, and this morning I was jump scared by my neighbors' whistling while he got ready for his day. My AC whines loudly enough to overshadow my alarm clock in the morning to the point that I'm not sure what's worse, being over hot or being kept awake by sound. How absolutely tiny this show box of an apartment is. It's wearing on me.

The new apartment is much quieter from what I've experienced. Carrying boxes up the one flight of stairs is quiet despite their age. I saw my neighbors many times in the back and forth but haven't heard them yet (we'll see how that goes, and either way it's nothing that headphones can't fix.) I need to get a window AC unit and hope that they've gotten quieter since I last owned one. Still, can't be as bad as the one I've dealt with so far. Not having to pay to park my car all day as well as I work; the constant two hour limit reminders pulling my already strained focus gone once I move. That I'm excited for.

My neighbors have cats. My lease lets me have my gerbil at the moment (he's skittish but sweet) but being in a space with any kitties is good. I was greeted the last time by my neighbor's black cat and felt a real joy. This place clicks in a way. I'm hopeful to be able to stay in a place longer than two years this time. Two was already the longest I've been in a place that wasn't my mom's house.

The search for some kind of stability has been a constant. I'm hoping that this time I can be for a while. Really be in a comforting way. Stretch out and be more me. That's the hope.

[companionwolf]

Toy Soldiers Ch 2

The Commander does not go into the house immediately when they return home. Instead they go through the garden, to the well, set their pack down, Central on top, before stripping down and drawing up some water.

They wash, combing fingers through their wet hair, and once they're wrapped themselves in a waiting towel, wash the clothes too, leaving them out on a line to dry.

Central doesn't speak, just watches-- he transmits surprise when they pick him up and undress him, drawing up more water that they gingerly pour over him and dunk his clothes into. There is no soap, but they have a sponge, and they work the remaining mud out of crevices in his form.

They hang his clothes up on the line alongside theirs, wrap him in a small washcloth. Together they sit in the garden in the afternoon sun.

So this is your home, he says finally. You build it yourself?

They nod.

Looks good.

They smile. "Took a while, had to learn everything myself but I've got nothing but time."

Aren't you bored?

"It's better than the alternative," they say, yawning in the warmth of the sun. "I wouldn't be happy like those rebels out there, being chased by the aliens. This is better."

Central is quiet. The Commander stretches, rolls their shoulders. "No one probably remembers me at this point anyway," they say. "When I got out, 20 years had passed. No one came for me."

They remember it, in bits and pieces-- awaking confused and sluggish, voices above them that deemed them dead, floating above their body as it was carried out of a facility they didn't recognize by an armored humanoid, dumped in the weeds.

When they regained themselves, they managed to get to their feet and just started to walk. They walked until they couldn't, sheltered beneath a crumbling overpass, out and away from the shining city behind them.

The Commander didn't know then, not really, but they could put together enough memories to know they needed to get away.

They've stayed at a haven, briefly, just long enough to gather strength and supplies. When they were ready, they left in the night, hiked out into the wilderness by themselves.

The house came a bit later, over years, first a small A frame structure slowly expanding into something solid. The well next, and then the garden. The scavenging in the city came only after they had figured out the curse of the Fog Pods, and had figured out a way to protect themselves from breathing the emissions in.

No one has found them. No one has come to bring them back. They wouldn't go back, though, even if someone asked. That person who would have is not them anymore, hasn't been for years.

Central listens as they explain all of this, the only communication a mental image of a deepening frown.

When they've finished, he speaks up: I'm sorry, Commander.

"For what?"

That no one came for you.

They shrug. "Even if someone tried, I wouldn't know. Better they didn't." A pause. "Assuming anyone else survived to have tried anyway."

I think--

The toy hesitates.

I think you deserved to have had someone try.

Another hesitation.

I would have tried.

"Thanks," they say as they begin to redress him. "You're very sweet." They set him back on the top of the pack as they pull their own clothes from the line and get dressed.

Do you really think you're alone?

"I don't ponder it much," they admit. "No use. If they're alive out there, any of them, they've got their own problems now. Leave 2015 in 2015. Besides, I lost. I led us to loss."

They mass mind controlled your people, Central answers. You couldn't have predicted that, couldn't have defended against it.

The Commander shrugs.

"Let's go inside," they say as they pick him up, followed by the pack. "I'm getting hungry and it's basically lunch time."

They head into their tiny kitchen, placing the pack on the counter top, Central on top. They put a pot of water on the salvaged wood stove, light the fire, pour in some broth they bring out from under the counter, and pull some vegetables from a cooler.

As the Commander begins to chop and dice, the toy soldier speaks up.

Why don't you care? About humanity, I mean. Surely you did once, to try to stop the aliens before. What changed?

"I'm only one person," the Commander says. "And ADVENT's had a head start of two decades and the advantage of…everything, really. Seems pretty moot to attempt to fight back, and I like my life as it is."

So you're just…giving up?

They frown at him as they sweep up a handful of carrots and plop them into the boiling pot. "It's not a battle that I've chosen to pick," they say.

What do you do all day, then?

"Read. Sew. Take care of my stuff. Work on the house, in the garden. Do the laundry," they answer. "Sometimes I go down to the city to look for things, but only once every month or so."

Central goes quiet. The Commander hums as they continue to work with the vegetables, adding them to the broth. "Now that you're here, I’ve got something to do. Take care of, I mean. I can make you new clothes."

That… that would be nice, Central says, sounding a little surprised. I never liked these fatigues very much.

"I'll make you a little house too, if you want," they say, adding in celery. "Furniture, balcony, the works."

Why?

"Not like there's much else to do," they say. "And I like you."

Is that why you picked me up? You liked me?

"Honestly, I felt kind of bad for you," the Commander says. "I couldn't imagine what it must have been like to lose everything in the way you must have. Plus it just didn't look comfortable, being stuck in the mud. Being alone."

They stand in silence for a while. Then: "Do you remember what happened? When you were left behind?"

I don't think he meant to drop me, says Central slowly. He was a young child. His dad was military. I was a gift. It was the first time I'd been to the park. The other toys talked about it a lot. I was excited. Bushy tailed. Bright eyed. Seeing the world--

Somehow, the toy chokes up.

I had never seen the sky or so many colors. The boy held me up, waved me around, he continues. We played in the park by the water, me leading some other newer soldiers he had gotten. They were packing up to leave when those things fell from the sky.

"The Fog Pods," says the Commander.

His mother ran over and hurried them both away from the commotion, Central says. In everything I got dropped, lost in the grass and the mud. I waited. I couldn't do much else. For a while I thought it'd be ok-- that he'd come back.

"But he didn't," says the Commander.

No, says Central. His voice in their head is bitter. I doubt he got home.

"Did you see anything? Like, the change from normal to…this?"

I was face down in the mud, I didn't see shit, Central says, a little snappy.

"Sorry."

It's…

The toy sighs.

Eventually I fell asleep, he says. I slept for a long time. When you got close I woke up-- I thought maybe you were him. You weren't, obviously.

The Commander stirs the pot absently. "Do you feel any better, having had a bath and your clothes cleaned, at least?"

A little, Central admits. It's…it's nice to be in the company of a human again.

"It's nice to have someone to talk to," they answer. "To have someone to do stuff for… stuff with."

The Commander serves themselves a bowl of soup, carries it with one hand and picks up Central with the other, moving out into a small dining space. They sit, positioning the toy soldier on the table next to their drink.

The Commander lifts the bottle, tips it at him. "To you," they say, before taking a few large swigs. The alcohol burns on the way down; they shudder and grimace.

You don't like it, the toy says.

"God, no," they answer, swallowing another mouthful before starting on the soup. "Makes the brain quiet, though, so it's useful to me."

Maybe you…shouldn't, Central says.

"What, you gonna stop me?"

A transmission of the sense of eyes rolling. Do what you want, just don't bitch to me when you're hungover.

Once they're done, the Commander takes the bowl to the sink and washes it, before coming back to grab Central from the dining table. They head up the rickety stairs into the small bedroom.

They set Central on the bedside table as they move through the dark, readying for the night. Idly the two chat, until the human has tucked themselves into bed, breathing quietly in the black.

Commander? says Central.

"Yeah?"

Thank you.

"Don't mention it," they mumble before rolling over and settling into sleep.

[bleedingovereden]

Ink has been up for a while at this point--or, rather, he never slept in the first place. He really meant to this time, but his plans quickly changed when, late last night, Jarod quite literally fell onto him, covered in blood and nearly unconscious. For the most part, Ink feels that he's been handling this situation well--at the very least, the sight and smell of the blood all over him didn't make Ink pass out.

Right now, the two are in Ink's small, cramped apartment, located just above the Morning Glory. At a loss for what to do, Ink had carefully maneuvered the barely conscious taxi driver upstairs, allowing him to rest on Ink's couch while Ink patched him up and cleaned him. It's just after one in the afternoon, and Ink is brewing a pot of coffee.

Ink's studio apartment is far from the worst he's had, but it's also far from the ritziest place in the world. In the three years he's lived here, he's learned to make the most out of the space, using every inch as efficiently as possible. It's why he doesn't have a bed, instead opting to just have the one couch.

(Another reason Ink didn't sleep--Jarod is currently unconscious on his "bed" and Ink wasn't about to make things weird on that front by trying to join him.)

It's at that point when Ink hears a groan coming from his couch, and he turns his head to look. Jarod is stirring, starting to sit up (and quickly regretting it, if the way he grimaces is any indication). Immediately, Ink grabs a glass and fills it with water from the sink as he walks over.

"Hey, hey," he says gently, "it's alright, you're alright." He carefully sets the glass down on the coffee table and eases Jarod back down, resting a hand on his forehead. As he does, he makes sure not to put too much pressure on the bandages around Jarod's head or otherwise jostle him. Even if the head wound, once it was cleaned up, didn't look too serious, Ink isn't interested in taking chances on that front.

When Jarod looks up at him deliriously, Ink offers him a gentle smile. Clearly, Jarod at least recognizes him. "Good to see you're awake," he says with a relieved sigh. "You gave me quite the heart attack there."

Unconsciously, Ink threads his fingers through Jarod's hair, more to make sure he didn't miss any additional injuries than anything. As far as he can tell, he seems to have taken care of the worst of them while he was patching Jarod up earlier. That's a relief, if nothing else. Absently, he starts stroking his hair a bit, trying to offer what comfort he can after the guy clearly had an awful night.

"You're in my apartment," Ink tells him. "I, ah, live just above the bar--figured it'd be better to bring you somewhere you can have privacy rather than try to patch you up in my workplace." He pauses. "And as for the time, it's-" Ink pauses to look at the clock on the wall "-just after 1:15 PM." Jarod is clearly struggling to keep his eyes open, and Ink feels a bit bad as he stills his hand.

"I don't think you're in much shape to work today," he replies. "You need to rest--at least for now. I got you some water, and I've got coffee brewing right now." Can someone who might have a concussion have coffee? Ink should look that up. "I'm afraid I don't keep anything up here for pain, but I talked to my coworker Andie when she came in, and she had some, so if you need anything..." Ink trails off, realizing with some embarrassment that he's probably overwhelming the poor man.

Ink doesn't know Jarod, and that's fine. Jarod certainly doesn't know him either. They get along well enough, but Ink isn't going to assume that a few polite conversations between bartender and drunk mean anything now. Was it in appropriate to bring him here? Fuck.

▸   @bleedingovereden​   ⟶   ❛  " take it easy. you're safe now, but you need to relax. " //throws ink at you. throws ink at you. thr  ❜   ╱   (  meme , accepting .  )

As Jarod’s eyes adjust to the light, he can see that it is morning or maybe mid-afternoon.  Daytime, at any rate, indiscernible exactly when through the curtains pulled shut.  The slit of sunlight peeking through makes his head scream.

He has a vague recollection of the fight he was in last night, some Brigade brat who didn’t want to meet an early end but went down eventually all the same.  They got a few good hits in on Jarod, though, which happens sometimes—occupational hazard.  He tries to sit up and grimaces when both his head and abdomen protest.

A warm hand is on his forehead, pressing him back against the pillow, and he looks over to see Ink.  “Oh, the bartender,” he murmurs.  He doesn’t recall drinking last night, but maybe he ended up near the Morning Glory, anyway.  Stranger things have happened when people end up on autopilot.

“Where’m I? What time’s it?” he asks blearily, slurring.  His eyes slip closed at the feeling of long, slender fingers working their way into his hair, and he forces them open again.  “M’gonna be late for work.”