#yo this has been in my folders few months

[aria-pari]

Legacy. Or, how i carried out your MY will.

[thatsthewrongwallcraig]

Ctrl + Shift + L

Summary: Eli's way too shy to ever talk to you in person, so he helps himself to a late night stroll through your Cloud files to get to know you.

Pairing: CyberStalker!Elijah Kamski x afab!Reader

Word Count: -1,8k (This was supposed to be a drabble…)

Content Warnings: Smut 18+!, Stalking, Hacking, Female And Male Masturbation, Heavy Violations Of Privacy, Obsessive Behavior, Strong BDSM Themes

A/N: This has been eating away at my ability to think for the past few days…

Tagging: @blueberrypancakesworld @herprivateisland

I'm inside of your system,

I'm inside of your lair

To haunt you is my destiny

I'm a virus, impossible to find

I'm lurking in the shadows of your mind

- Virus By Priest

You wouldn't even have recognised him as he'd passed you on your way into the supermarket, automatic front doors swishing open as you squeezed yourself right past him as he was walking out, his hands clasping around filled grocery bags. Elijah knew that you'd be on your way now for your weekly shopping run and he just couldn't hold back a nervous smile as the light scent of your perfume crept up into his nose. Flowery, fresh and persistent enough to stay with him until he arrived back at home.

This, alongside plenty of others, was one of Elijah's little weekly rituals to keep up with you. He went shopping with you, not just groceries but sometimes also clothing or a bouquet of flowers from the florist right next to the little café you frequented nearly every morning for a tall coffee latte with exactly one pump of vanilla syrup. It always made him think of how your lips would taste like sugary sweet vanilla when you strolled into your workplace with the cardboard cup still in your hands. On the rare occasions when you fell sick, Eli had sat across from you in the waiting room, avid to keep his ears perked to make sure you were healthy and well again soon. None of that you'd ever noticed. Why would you? He was just one face of hundreds of thousand in this city and whilst Eli went unnoticed, he knew everything about you.

Really everything? That's at least what he'd been thinking until he decided to treat himself one Saturday night. After months of “looking after you” it had gotten a bit stale to be close to you by getting himself off to the few rare bikini pics he'd found by digging through your Instagram page. There was something about you, something he couldn't quite pinpoint but it told him that there was more to you, that he just had to venture far enough to find the thing you were hiding away and to him, a Cloud storage provider was nothing else than a server. A server that could be hacked just like every other and that he did in a heartbeat. He couldn't even really describe it as hacking because you weren't really careful with your almost very much the same passwords you used online. In general, it was a mixture of your dogs birthday and the name of your first real crush from middle school… Tyler. Ugh, Tyler, by now a divorced loser with a receding hairline and a latent porn addiction. Maybe a few changed in regards of capital letters but it took no more than two tries to get into your Cloud data storage account.

“Let's see what you got in here, sweety.” Elijah murmured to himself, excitement making his pulse pick up a beat whilst the pale light from the desktop reflected from his black- framed glasses. For a moment, nothing really caught his eye: files filled with family vacation pictures, an occasional photo dump of a night out in town from two years ago… nothing really new to Elijah until he spotted a folder titled “Teacher” that made his eyebrows arch up.

“The fuck's that?” He asked into his bedroom that was only illuminated by the shine emitting from his laptop that sat in his lap. You'd never worked as a teacher, not once and nothing even remotely close to that. After high school you went to college whilst working in retail hell to support yourself and afterwards you went on to write for a history magazine with your freshly accomplished degree. You'd never been a tutor or a teacher as far as Eli knew and even if…why would that be any data worthwhile to keep around? With slightly knit together brows, he clicked on the folder just to land in a subfolder with files dated in almost sterile accuracy. One folder for every week reaching back as far as nearly two years ago. As Elijah's stomach bubbled with the need to find out what this was all about, he double-clicked on the folder titled with the date from 3 weeks ago just for his eyes to widen and his for his jaw to nearly drop.

Trying to comprehend what was loading up on the screen right in front of his, Eli's mouth stood slightly agape as the only other physical reaction came from further down. Before his critical thinking had caught up to what he was looking at, his body surely had and he felt his cock unapologetically twitching against the soft fabric of his sweatpants. Picture upon picture of your bare skin practically jumped at him and a heavy groan erupted from his chest as he clicked on the first image to start investigating somewhere. He nearly choked on his own spit as his eyes roamed over the photograph. Your face wasn't in frame, perhaps a safety measure stemming from the nature of the contents, but it didn't even need for Eli to know that it was your naked body that he saw. You'd been flipped on your stomach, wrists held together by cable ties as the dainty rings on your fingers gave away that it was without a doubt you. There was hardly any fabric covering your behind, just a pair a ripped fishnet-stockings stretching across your ass and thighs. A lack of panties practically presenting your thoroughly soaked and glistening cunt to the viewer.

“Uh…oh…OH…” It trickled from Elijah's lips as he moved the cursor to click for the next picture. Your posture was nearly the same but instead of smooth skin underneath the skimpy stockings, it showed your ass all bruised up in colors ranging from a bright red to deep purples, almost like a sadomasochistic nebula painted to your skin by brute force and he didn't know how to feel about that. The sight right in front of him turned him on beyond measure but at the same time…how have you been with someone he didn't know of? How had you been able to keep that side of yours from his ever watching eyes? Eli felt like scolding himself, a surge of white-hot rage jolting through the pit of his stomach for being so utterly incompetent and not seeing what had been right in front of him the entire time! Your loose sweaters, your liking for mainly long-sleeve tops and just softly form-fitting pants…it all came together now but on top of all of that it should be him, always should've been and not some strange rando you hid away somewhere in your Cloud files…

The potent mixture made out of rage and arousal ebbed through Elijah as he continued clicking his way through the files, pictures of your naked body in deliciously compromising poses causing his jaw to clench and teeth to grind with the same fervor his cock pressed against his slacks. He was so agonizingly hard that it almost hurt just for his fingers to brush around the outlines of his hard on. In a vain attempt to soothe himself, Eli gently cupped himself with the full width of his palm, the careful pressure aimed to ease the constant throbbing as his fingers fondled with his tightening balls.

“Fucking hell, babe, what's all of this, hm? You're gonna drive me insane…” The words came as a hardly choked back moan as Eli moved his hand above the fabric of his sweatpants. Up and down in slow, careful motions to not just explode and gush into his shorts like a pent-up virgin on the first date but the first eager drops of pre-cum soaked through already.

Elijah kept it together, softly stroking and pleasuring himself whilst clicking through your pictures like they were his personal peep show. He tried so hard to not just run with his desires, to drag it out and to savor every moment in which he body shivered with arousal but after a few minutes and several naughty pictures, he came across a full on video file and in that instant, he could've sworn that Christmas came early this year.

With his heart raging inside the ribcage, he hit the spacebar for the video to start playing and as soon as a pitch-black screen lightened up to reveal a shameless close-up recording of you fingering your flushed and swollen pussy with not two but three fingers that pushed inside again and again whilst your needy moans echoed through the speakers of Eli's laptop, he felt his throat render dry. Every word seemed stuck in his throat like a lump he just couldn't swallow no matter how hard he tried. With reddened cheeks, he watched you fuck yourself in high resolution right on his damned laptop screen and couldn't hold back any longer. Exhaling a shallow, trembling breath, he led his hand to slide past the waistband of his slacks, helping him to slide both the pants and his shorts just down enough to free his aching cock that he started fisting the very second he had the fabric off of him.

“You make me so fucking hard and so fucking desperate. It's so damn pathetic. Should be me who does that to you.” Elijah’s thoughts now just ran free as the rapidly rising arousal intoxicated his mind. It didn't take long for his balls to tighten up again, his cock in his hands growing rigid with every next stroke before his entire load spurted out onto the keyboard and up to his navel in thick white ropes. His orgasm rippled through him in a brutal outburst, making him feel lightheaded for seconds after the gushes of sticky cum flowed all over his hand too.

“Fuck!” Eli whined out before taking a deep breath, half-lidded eyes still trained on the screen that depicted you shoving your fingers knuckle-deep inside your wet cunt anew. With a slim grin on his face, he contemplated how long it would take before he could again.

[ranposbabe]

Infidel | Johan liebert x Reader

Chapter 2

A/n : I literally forgot to post this last night so here it it’s 😭

"Apologies for my late arrival, sir." You sigh, hurriedly rushing to your seat near the window. "No need for apologies. The professor states, raising his hands in defence. "I understand your father struggling to get cases over and done with so they're practically getting anyone these days to achieve that." He laughs, taking a swig from the old and bitter cup of coffee.

Old and bitter...sounds quite familiar.

You slyly raise a brow at his remark yet nonetheless sat down, placing your folder out on the dainty small coffee table in front of you.

"So down to business. I understand someone you were in contact with recently passed due to suspicious circumstances, correct ?" You ask, flipping through the folder. "Well yes I-

The man suddenly stops, his breath hitched as he stares down at the photographs before him. You slowly raise your head, not understanding what caused his sudden distraction.

There laid a photograph of a man being victim to a acid attack. Fragments of the skull exposed with parts of the flesh starting to rot along with somehow the eye still being intake despite the eye socket lolling to the side of the blood covered skin.

"This isn't too much for you is it ?"

"I've been doing this for a few months now, sir. I'm wise now to know not to have porridge before examining evidence photographs." You shrug, flipping through the photographs.

"Ah ! Here." You stop, pointing to a photograph of the victim associated with this particular case.

"Do you see the little marks here around the eyes ?" You ask, pointing to around the eyes "Those are clearly marks left from finger nails digging into the skin." You sigh, taking an exhausted breath.

"Seeing how deep they are and how short and curved they seem, I would suggest it being someone who looks after themselves well, meaning manicures regularly, assuming it's a woman maybe."

You suggest, staring out the photograph carefully. Despite acknowledging the quiet man sat across from you, you couldn't notice the man sat in shock at just how quickly you could come up with an answer to the questions other detective would struggle to answer. But then again...he didn't even have a chance to ask you about the man as you had already dived in . The man couldn't help but to wonder was it due to your intelligence or rather your interest in finishing the case and leaving as soon as possible.

"It's definitely not his of course." You continue.

"So to that I say he probably attacked said woman and in self defence she tried to scratch his eyes out and failed but she isn't responsible for his death." You state, shaking your head.

"If you look closely you see around the lower collar the skin has marks left of a rope-

"So he was strangled to death ?" The man inquires.

"Ha ! No !" You suddenly exclaim.

Oh how you love the sudden look of confusion on a persons face.

"Do you really believe a young girl with dainty fingernails could take out a man with a fat neck like him ?"

.

When you found yourself returning to your disdained and somewhat falling apart apartment you couldn't help but feel slightly gutted. You understood rather early on in this unwanted job that men long in or out of the career would rather slice a finger off than to admit a woman was right.

Despite having all the evidence to suggest the cause of the cause. You were shot down like a rabid dog and left with "interesting inquiry, y/n. Now let the rightful people deal with this."

Men.

"Ah !" You groan, reaching up to rub your temple. You manage to throw your belongings down onto the lonesome couch before practically climbing over rubbish that laid on the carpet. Clean it later.

You can't help but sigh as you crouch down to the height of the small kitchen fridge. Peeling off the sticky note from the fridge that states "CALL ME ! - FATHER"

Yeah right. Do your dismay and disgust the fridge was almost empty besides the-

"Holy shit that's gone off !" You cry, pinching your nose in horror as you practically run to the sink to throw out the expired milk. "I need a bath." You moan, stretching your tight arms as you head down the minor corridor.

.

They say that baths are suppose to be a calming experience to not only relax the body but also the mind. What bullshit.

Your brows furrow as you stare up at the ceiling. The dull light keeps flickering every few minutes and making a buzzing noise.

Ah the noise. Your tongue clicks in irritation as your head lols to the side, your eyes catching a glimpse of a opened folder. A case.

You couldn't really recall every making a decision so fast. You step out the tub, feet touching the awfully cold tiles, grabbing a towel before heading down to your bedroom. But not before grabbing the file along with you. Your wet fingertips smudging the papers.

.

"Usual ?" The bartender asks as he cleans off a glass. "Yeah." You state, sparing him a quick glance. You don't recognise the man, however you lack care as you already start to flick through the folder.

Your hand reaches up to place your hair behind your ear. You could feel that your hair was slightly damp.

You rub your temples in hope of soothing the aching headache. Yet to no avail.

The lights, aw the lights gleamed as bright full as always. The sound of chitter chatter filled the wholesome pub as those gathered together in harmony.

However that dreadful heavy buzz and the ringing in your ear never went.

But then it stopped. As soon as your ears picked up the daunting sound of the stool beside scratching against the floor as someone sat down. Slowly but surely, raising your tired eyes they momentarily widen at the intimate sight. Unsmiling blue eyes met your bewildered eyes and suddenly you feel the strong urge to look away yet your curious eyes betray you.

[geddy-leesbian]

weird writing ask: 18, 19, 24

18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end.

Going with the first passage with a clear origin story that came to mind. The first draft and final version of a moment from a long-awaited treasure at the end of my cruel fate:

The concept started very late when I was very on sleep meds way back in september and wrote this:

The next day I managed to figure out what I was thinking about, which was the final cutscene of Starcraft 2 Wings of Liberty. The dramatic reveal of Tychus working for Mengsk is ahhhhh. The way Jimmy just hears Mengsk's voice coming from Tychus's helmet and it sinks in that the man he thought was his best friend, who he has a long history with, was a mole working for his worst enemy for the entire game AHHHHHHHH

So I wanted a similar dramatic reveal moment with Serrennedy. Krauser's voice coming from an ear piece Luis has, Leon realizing that he's been betrayed. I went through a few variations of the rest of the plot, like there was a less angsty version where Leon didn't die, but the Saddler using Luis as a tool to distract Leon and Krauser monitoring him concept stayed the same over the SEVERAL MONTHS it sat in my drafts collecting dust

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

As far back as I can remember tbh. I was writing pokemon fanfiction by first grade. I just liked it. And I've been sporadically writing ever since, posting it online starting in middle school. I had a phase in middle school where I wanted to be a Real Fiction Writer™ in middle school, and then in high school I was a journalist for my school's newspaper and had a phase where I wanted to be a journalist. That interest gradually faded and was replaced with wanting to be a mortician (still planning on that!) and I lost interest in writing fics, possibly because my daily X-Men roleplay was enough to get my writing fix ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Something about Luis Serra did insane things to my brain and got me writing more than I had in a very long time, and actually posting my writing for the first time in years. I'm just going to keep going with whatever's fun for me.

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

This is hard for me to answer, it just depends. I just kinda do stuff impulsively. I guess my visualization stuff counts as prep. As everyone knows, my RE4R autism is terminal at this point and I have folders on my phone for a few characters, locations, pairings, etc. and the first thing I do when I come up with a new concept is go through all of those folders selecting pictures that feel related. And of course I do my playing with pngs like they're paper dolls edits.

It gets the brain juices flowing. And I do enjoy it, otherwise I just wouldn't do it.

[martiwikiwi]

So, yeah, I’m going to tell you about this super long comic I used to draw when I was a teen back in the 2010′s because I’ve recovered the massive folder were it has been stored for the last 13 years and decided to read it. And yes, it was bad. But omg it was the biggest queer drama ever and I remembered how much I loved the characters, SO...

Master Kai (he/him) was somewhere in the ace spectrum but back then I didn’t have the word for it. He was very very grey but also very very romantic and felt sensual attraction very intensely. There was a very big drama because his wife had died like a few months before the story began and he had problems dealing with that. However, his life changed for the better when he came back to his job as a math and magic teacher. He also fell in love again eventually.

Kaoru (he/him) was so chaotic bisexual polyamorous I can’t believe it. He was Kai’s fav student but he couldn’t cast any magic and he was actually very bad at maths but omg he did try. He wanted to become a teacher like Kai, his hero and not-so-secret love. As you can see, he was into drag and also was very slutty. There was big drama about him because he had a heart condition but also a big drama because for some reason he couldn’t avoid his destiny of dying very young and the comic was actually about everybody trying their best to save him.

Luka (he/him) was everybody’s worst nightmare. This kid was very good at casting any magic and on top of that he had a super skill for predicting the future. He was Kai’s adoptive son and would always spoil the kid. He was also toxic af but only Reki would realise it. He loved Kaoru so much that there was also an adult version of him who came from the distant future to save Kaoru too. Proud and gay.

Windy (he/him) was Reki’s nephew and for some reason he brough very bad luck to everyone like a curse. He was very good at everything but at casting magic and his dream was to become a musician. He would give his life for Luka and Kaoru but would also do anything to get Kai and Reki’s approval. Very easy to manipulate and also very jealous and gay btw.

Reki (he/him/she/her) was my first trans character but I also didn’t have the word for describing his experience back then but he was kinda agender and demi gay. He was crazy for Kai, like very very crazy for him, you can’t imagine the big crush he had on Kai. There was a point in the story they started dating and omg they were so happy together but this comic was a big drama and it didn’t end well. He also had big depression issues and could only find comfort in his job as a doc. Fashion icon.

AND that’s it.

Sometimes I think how cool it would be to sketch long comics without any script again, just for the pleasure of sketching and drawing drama but then I remember I’m not 15 yo anymore.

[feyravenchatter]

Ok. So. I've been adding things to the Ginormous-Multichapter-Fic-of-Doom. I have settled on 10. So there will be ten randomly rotating fics in one compendium worthy of any half-decent mage. In alphabetical order by working title or whatever random bullshit I've named the folders just bc that's how I organise them (and hiding them under the cut bc I'm adding *・☆descriptions☆・*):

The long-awaited Galtean Leakira fic that I first posted about on my main so many months ago. tl;dr version - cyberpunk version of the Galra Empire takes over Marmora, Altea, and the human city-state of Garrison, no one's fully human if at all, Shiro and Keith's dad are missing, and Lance is on his own but also has a Very Important Thing that might be able to help them get rid of the Galra.

--

I'm Yours (yes, after the Jason Mraz song) which I posted the outline to here a little while back. Writer/barista/bartender Keith and musician Lance with not-so-supportive parents, getting together, and working through their issues

--

This one doesn't have anything close to a name yet, just marked as klangst al/ok (alpha Lance/omega Keith) in my wips folder. But this is the plot bunny I've talked about before. The one with the stress, and the drama, and the angst, and the Klance spawn. I'm not sure how spoilery I should be with this one, so I'll just leave it here. There will also be two prequel parts to cover a few of the things in canon that I judiciously remodeled

--

Let Sleeping Lions Roar is next. This oddly enough was inspired by a cover of a song from Warframe of all places (holy shit that game is so goddamn pretty). This one's a little weird as it's 10,000 years post-canon with some significant changes. Allura didn't sacrifice herself, and the castle still stands, the lions sleeping in their hangars, and the legend saying that the paladins will return when they're needed. And they're needed.

--

The reverse fake relationship one with alpha Keith and omega Lance. Instead of trying to pass off a fake relationship as the real thing, they have to convince a planet on the fence about joining the Coalition that their relationship is real, starting with what led up to their mating in the first place all the way back in the Garrison (it's Lance's parents, mostly his mother)

--

Another one without a name (sensing a pattern here), but this is part royal au, part magic, a little Victorian/Steampunk and has an assassination attempt, a secret plot to usurp the throne, a surprise reunion, and a couple dumbasses falling disgustingly in love

--

The Single Parent Klance au where they're both 32ish, Keith trans and has a 16 yo daughter, Lance's little girl is only 4, both are painfully single for different reasons, but a 16 yo getting a new babysitting job might just fix that last problem, even if there are a few bumps in the road

--

Currently, and most likely temporarily, named The Howling, next is a werewolf au. Alpha Keith and omega Lance have a brief fling during an inter-pack meeting, leaving Lance with a surprise souvenir. Meanwhile another pack is planning something, no one knows what, and Lance is trying to keep his secret from his family. Let's see how that one works out for him

--

Ok, so, this one is entirely self-indulgent. I was actually a barista for the siren for ~3 years, and while talking about odd and/or regular customers, I got to thinking about a loosely connected oneshot/drabble series of Tales from the Coffeeshop. I will not allow them to work for a soulless corporation, so instead, it's an independent coffeeshop/bakery owned by Coran and run a bit more cooperatively. Some of the stories will be things that actually happened to me, some will be things that are totally plausible (trust me, I've seen things)

--

And last, a slightly more D&D-oriented Thunderpike soulmate au. I've made Pike into a bard, partially bc I felt like it, and partially bc I think it fits a little better. Keith (sorry, his emo-ness Thunderstorm Darkness) is a dual-wielding ranger with a celestial wolf animal companion. He's been tracking Pike for a while, ever since he first noticed the intangible silver thread connecting him. But this is them, and nothing is ever allowed to go smoothly

[whyispotatoheadalreadytaken]

Response to all the parts

So, I hope Walmart lady gets fired for that. That is not at all appropriate or professional. I’m surprised you didn’t just knock her fuckin lights out. I might have. Babies cry, especially as they grow up, and want more independence and autonomy.

Look, what you do sucks sometimes. You don’t suck. Let’s settle on that. I think I have stuck around for various people over time because I understand the circumstances. I get why it is scary and why people initially hold back or run from me. So, I patiently wait for people I love and care about. I’ve had to learn to balance that over time and have boundaries. Like, I can’t stop living my life by waiting, but I know there’s potential and that a person has the means to absolutely flourish if I help it grow. That is probably another reason I love gardening. It speaks to the soul of who I am as a person. The payoff of encouragement and growth is always so rewarding. It’s what I used to tell Zoë when she would ask me the same question when we were in college. I just knew (probably because the circumstances are eerily similar and always have been) that she would be unstoppable the minute she accepted herself for who she is. And she is now more than she’s ever been. Getting to watch that happen in real time was kind of incredible. So, that’s why I stick around. Gotta watch all of my hard work pay off.

Glad that your family seems to be doing well at the moment. I hope it stays that way for a little while. We’ll see how that stands in a month. I wonder what her reaction would be if you were to talk to her about it, though. Yo, Sly is so big!!!! I about died when you posted that picture of him. When did he get so tall???? I found a picture of him as a baby on my hard drive at the beginning of the year. I had no idea it existed, and that was a hard find. Somehow not nearly as hard as stumbling upon a video of you, me, and tabby in the back of your mom’s van on our way to Lexington. That was when we went to Hurst’s for your band stuff? Maybe? If I’m remembering correctly. That was hard. We were all so tiny. Especially Tabby. The hardest part about your tweet about sharing the Christmas story with your kids wasn't even that you told them that you weren't friends anymore. It was that Tabby liked the tweet. I'd be lying if I said that seeing that didn't make me tear up. And then all that was somehow not as hard as stumbling onto that phone recording. It had been so long since I had heard your voice. I was a hot mess. I was just trying to organize the contents and was not going out of my way to dig stuff up except for trying to find something from you in those specific folders. Jessica getting married, haha; why does that thought make me laugh? I dunno. It feels weird, I guess. She’s not been married for so long now that it feels weird to imagine her married, if that makes sense. It does make me sad to hear that story about Aiden, though, because I remember when you told us that his favorite character from Star Wars was Finn. I remember saying out loud, “Wow, that’ll be cool while that lasts.” Something along those lines. And I guess it didn’t last that long. I feel Faith and Colson. I feel like winter gets harder and harder as I get older. I’m not sure why that is, or maybe I just miss gardening so much when it’s gone. That was something I didn’t have to miss a few years back. We are thinking about going to Hawaii again at the end of February. It’s the cheapest time to go, and our mental health could use some nice weather and a break. I’m glad that Tabby is doing well compared to where she was. I’m proud of her too and sad that I can’t see it or even say that to her.

Um, so I knew the Sydney thing was bad…but I didn’t realize it was that bad. Yeah, you gotta cut that loose. Seriously. That’s a different level of emotional manipulation and codependency. She kinda sounds a little borderliney. It’s the repeated, intense self-harm bit that gives me that indication. She needs to find herself a DBT therapist. Tis very effective for individuals who struggle with emotional regulation (hello, I love DBT!!!) but especially for individuals who have borderline. Though this makes me sad that you aren’t going to Nashville anymore. Was gonna be nice knowing we were both there. But yeah, that’s a relationship past the point of unhealthy. Establishing healthy boundaries with her would be hard if she isn't already working on those skills with a trained professional who can also help her process the intense emotions that come with that. That really sucks for her, though, if I can humanize that experience. Emotion regulation is hard enough already, but it is one hundred times harder for people who have borderline. So, I have an enormous amount of empathy for her situation, but there also needs accountability. She needs to get better, and she can if she follows through.

[gegewrites]

mr.whites daughter  15-202.6

(not edited) Your pov- Back to work-

It's been a few days since we got back to work, because if the whole hank in the hospital and my dad having to keep up his appearance with our family. We also owed Gus 400 pounds. "What is it?" I looked uk at Jesse, tapping my pen on the clip board. "201.7."He sighed. "Better over then under." My dad said walking over. "By a pound and a half? Why don't we just take it out and save it?" Jesse said and my dad closed the bin. "We ship it as is." He said. "Let's not over complicate it." I wrote down the amount. "Why are we giving him free meth?" Jesse asked as my dad put it away from Dead eyes to get it later,"these bitches are bleeding us." "You get paid very well, Jesse." My dad from over by the lockers. I stayed looking at the table, I didn't want to see what was happening. "I've been crunching the numbers." Jesse said walking over,"this deal is bullshit." "We all get a million." I said turning around and sitting on the scale table as my dad fixed his belt. "He's wholesaling 40 large." Jesse looked back at me. "That's high for this stuff." I shrugged. "Bitch you were selling pounds for 65 large." He pointed at me," he's doing 40 large a pound, for 200 pounds a week for 3 months." I cocked my head at him,"2400 thousand pounds, times that by 40 thousand-" "96 million." My dad and k said in unison. "To our collective three million, that's fucked up!" Jesse argued, I got off the table and walked over to them. "You are a millionaire and you're complaining? What world do you live in Jesse?" My dad questioned him. "A world where the dudes do the work and don't get fisted for it." My dad started to walk towards the stairs,"what happened to you man?!"  My dad didn't respond, I opened my locker and grabbed out the clothes I have to change into,"we gotta hash this out!" "Jesse." I shook my head,"just...drop it. Alright?" "Drop it? Yo we're getting fucked over here." I put the small pile of folded clothes onto the table by the phone. "We're making a million dollars, I don't think we're getting fucked Jess." I kicked mh sneakers off,"far from it." "We're giving away free meth." He walked around to the other side of the table,"a pound and a half for free." "That's just how it has to be." I took my shirt off and put it on the table and unbuttoned my jeans. I have to go to the hospital, which means, changing out of my usual wear into something I'd wear at sauls office. "Not how it has to be." I stepped out of jeans and folded it and simply starred at him. "Look...I'm not trying to get on Gus' bad side, alright?" I grabbed my button up and put it on and started working on the buttons,"I...I really don't." "You wouldn't though." He crossed his arms. I grabbed my skirt and stepped into it, tucking my shirt into it,"yo we made him a deal, 200 pounds, a week. Not 201, not 205, 200." "Jesse..." I zipped up my skirt,"just drop it, can you grab my heels?" "Yeah, yeah." He said walking away, I sat on the table, folding my clothes uk begire taking my socks off as he came back, he handed me my heels and i put them on,"it's not right though." "Doesn't matter, we signed a contract." "Saying 200." He leaned forward, grabbing onto the edge of the table, keeping me pined in front of him. "Jesse I don't have time for this right now." I shook my head,"look it is, what it is." "Are you siding with them?" "For a million dollars? Yeah, I'm sorry." I slid off the table and he took a step back. I bent down and grabbed my sneakers and my clothes,"I gotta go, I'll see you tonight." I gave him a kiss on the cheek and then one of the lips. "Yeah I'll see you tonight."

I walked down the hall, my heals clicking against the white tiles. Coming down the hall, I saw agent Gomes, he was holding a manilla folder. "Hey there (y/n)." He greeted. "Hey agent gomez." I gave him a smile as I stood in front of hanks room door. "You're dressed up." He pointed out. "Work attire." I shrugged with a smile," you coming in?" "You bet." I nodded as I opened the door. My mom was standing by a table full of flowers with Marie, my dad was sitting with a magazine, and Junior was resting his head on his palm. "Hey." I said and they looked over, my mom gave me a smile and walked diver with her arms open. I gave her a hug and she kissed my cheek. "Hey sweetheart." She parted from me. "Cool if I visit?" Gomez asked and Marie nodded, he walked over to hank,"his color looks good." "Hey kiddo." I gave junior a smile. "Hey." He smiled. My dad looked up at me and gave me a nod and a smile, I did the same. I felt...weird, being in here. Ya know, my uncle beat up Jesse...now he's in the hospital...he knows I'm with Jesse. I don't know. Just feels weird. "It that you Gomey?" Hank asked in a quiet voice. "You bet it is." He chuckled. "Come here." Gomez walked closer,"closer," he took another step and leaned in,"closer...Asshole." "He got you good." Junior laughed. "Ahah still got that twisted humor." Gomez chuckled,"got somethin for you." He opened uk the folder and took out the paper inside,"been keeping eyes on the meth for 6 or 7 weeks...it's bavk everywhere." My dad and I glanced at eachother and the back to the two men. "Really?" Hank asked. "Texas, Nevada, Farmington, and strictly street deals." Gomez nodded and Marie said he'd as she walked past me. "No more ship talk, I'll be back." She said as she left the room. "We didn't see it coming, but you? You did." "The only reason why I'm breathing...cause I got a warning call." Hank groaned, clicking the dropper. "What do you mean?"I asked. "Got a call, A minute before it happened, warning me. Telling me to except someone. Could've been anyone, not worth listening to though." Gomez nodded slowly. "It was a cartel hit...why'd they call?" He asked, Hank didn't respond just clicked the dropper repeatedly. "Damn im in pain." He groaned and my phone rang on my purse. I grabbed it out and flipped it open. "I'll be right back, excuse me." I opened the door and walked out and answered it,"hey there old man." "Hey there (y/n), was wonderin if you could swing by the bar...got somethin I wanna run by ya." Raul said, I could hear the sound of light bar chatter. "Depends what it is?" I took a few steps away from the door. "The blue stuff." He said plainly,"thinkin someone's...reselling your cook." "Yea yeah, no we um...got a new distributor, all over Texas, Nevada, New Mexico." I said and he hummed. "Seems like they're underselling you though. 40 large for a pound, not 65." "Yeah." I sighed,"it is what it is though, better for your pocket though right?" "That's true...look, I still need ya to swing by the bar." I bit the inside of my cheek and I heard the room door open. "What for?" I glanced over my shoulder, my dad was standing behind me. "Just swing over, something for you and your lover boy." I heard him chuckle,"don't worry, you know I ain't gonna give you nothin bad." "Um...yeah sure, I'll-I'll leave right now." I turned around,"see ya soon Raul." "See ya." I hung up the call and put my phone back in mh purse. "Who was it?" My dad asked, crossing his arms. "Raul, called to let me know that someone was selling out stuff behind our back, I explained it to him, selling a pound for 40 large, I use to be able to sell it to him for 65 large." I shrugged,"I gotta go, um he wants to talk." "Huh." He nodded,"alright." "Yeah, Imma-Imma go.." I pointed behind me,"tell them I had to get back to sauls office, an emergency or something, you're good at lying, make something up."

Jesses pov-

I got a call from Saul to meet him at a nail salon. A fuckin nail salon. I looked through the large glass windows and he was getting a pedicure and a manicure.  I opened the door and walked in and he looked over at me. "There he is! I started without you, ladies he's in for the full treatment. Thought (y/n) was coming with you." He said as i walked over. "She had to go meet up with someone." I gave him a furrowed brow look, crossing my arms. "Also thought the big guy would've came." He shrugged. "Do k look like his fuckin shadow?" I scoffed. "The genius can't be bothered. Was gonna have you flip a coin, well...it's your lucky day!" I snapped his fingers at me,"you are now the proud owner of this fine establishment!" "For free?" "Oh no no! Ladies close your ears." He chuckled,"for 312 thousand dollars with the better business burou this fine establishment can be yours. It's a mail salon on the outside and the best laundering system on the inside." I shook my head and walked away. This is one hell of a waste of my time,"wait wait wait! You're good to go ladies, come on! Sit down." I turned around as the ladies walked away and I slowly walked back over. I sat in the seat next to him and put my feet on the thingy in front of the seat. "Humor me for a minute." He said,"you need to launder your money, stay out of jail. If they got Capone...they'll get you." "Okay..." I'm gonna be honest, when he started using mail stuff to explain the laundering, he lost me. I understand it, he's just confusing. "Then you layer your dirty money in with their clean money..."he put cotton balls into a jar of q-tips and then spilled it out,"and it makes your money clean and registered with the IRS. What do you think they're gonna think when you, Jesse, have a million dollars out of no where?" "I'm a drug dealer?" I raised my brow. "Nope. You're a tax cheat, then they're gonna come and steal every penny from you, and throw you in jail," I poked my arm,"for tax evasion bevause you didn't launder your cash." "And you want me to buy this place...to pay taxes?" I cocked my head,"I'm a criminal." "And you're gonna be a convict if you don't. Give me 15 percent-" I cut him off. "You told mr.white 5." "He has seniority." "And you told (y/n) like 10 percent." I pointed out. "Well,"he chuckled,"friendly discount." I rolled my eyes and got out of the chair and I just walked the fuck out,"wait wait!" I opened the door and walked back to my car. I'm not buying a Fuckin nail salon. Hell the fuck no.

Your pov- I left the hospital an hour ago. Jesse called me about a meeting with Saul, I told him I couldn't go. I ended up going home and changing out of my work clothes because I didn't feel like wearing a skirt anymore. I closed my cars door and locked it and walked towards the bar, at the end of the parking strip I saw Rauls El Camino, but not his buddies bikes. They were usually always with him, his bikers are like his family, his whole group is extremely tight. I opened the door, looking to the bar seeing my old boss there and Raul sitting at the far end. I walked past a few empty tables and made my way towards the end. He looked over at me and gave me a smile. "Hey Kid." I sat down next to him on the tall copper toned bar stood. "How's it goin old man." I smiled with a chuckle. "Not bad, not bad, can I buy you a drink?" He raised his brow. "Sure." With that, Andy walked over and gave me a smug look. "Wow." He shook his head with a grin,"how ya been?" "Making bank is how I've been." I smiled,"Jameson neat please." "Got it." He nodded. "So to explain a bit more." I looked at Raul,"my partners and I got a huge offer from a major distributor." "Alright." "Came with a super lab, and uh...making 1 mil each for three months of our time." He gave an impressed look and nodded,"pollos Hermanos." "Aaah." He nodded,"makes sense makes sense...the bag it came in smelled like chicken on the outside." "Yeah." I gave him a disgusted look as Andy put my glass down and walked away,"my boyfriend is...well not to happy with how Fring does things, ya know he's making more then he gives us, and he's upset that we're giving him more then we need to." "How much you makin?" He cocked his head begire taking a swig out his beer mug. "200 pounds...a week." I took a swig from my glass,"sometimes a batch is a pound or two over, so ya know Jess is upset that we're just giving him free glass." "Should be getting paid the extra. I agree with him."  I shrugged and shook my head. "Not what we signed in the contract." We spent a while just talking. Ya know, about life, the business, what he's been doing, normal stuff. "Got the Little miss Lila a kitten for her birthday. Persian kitten, been talkin bout it for awhile. Her face lit up when she saw him." He chuckled. "Awe that's so sweet." I laughed and I took the last sip of whiskey out of my glass,"alright, said you had something for me?" "Damn right I do, let me walk you to your car and I'll give it to ya." He got off his stood and leant his hand to me, I took it as I got off,"Andy, I'll be right back." "Sounds good, see ya (y/n)." Andy gave me a nod. "See ya Andy."

I followed Raul to his car and he unlocked it and popped the trunk. "I'm a bit scared." I laughed and he shook his head and opened a hidden underpart of his trunk, he kept his on hand goods in there. "Don't be sweetheart." He opened a duffle and pulled out a black quarter bag and handed it to me,"you'll be thanking me." "Why's that?" I asked looking at the bag and bag to him,"Raul?" "I know your ass has done shrooms before." He gave me a smile and my jaw dropped and I laughed. "Imma be honest I don't even know if Jesse will take them." I shook my head, a smile still on my face. "Just explain to him what it's about, that,"he pointed at the bag,"is medicine...and the best relationship saver ever...trust me." "How is it gonna save our relationship?" I giggled. "Take them and you'll find out." He closed the compartment and then his trunk,"got me my son." I laughed even harder at that, rubbing my face with my palm in disbelief. "Oh god, Imma fo Raul. Thank you." I held my arms around and he pulled me into a hug. "Of course." He chuckled and we parted,"have fun." "I'm hoping."

I didn't tell Jesse what I got, I didn't even mention that I got them. I don't think right now is the time...I'll save them for a good day.

Night- Jesses pov-

"I gotta leave soon." I looked at the clock on (y/n)s stove. "Alrighty." She smiled and took a sip of her tea. "You wanna come with me to a meeting?" I looked over at (y/n) across the breakfast bar in her kitchen. "You want me to come?" "I mean, you don't-you don't have too, I just thought-" "Yeah, sure." She smiled I couldn't help but smile back. "Sweet."

And soon enough we were there, she was sitting next to me in one of the wooden chairs that were placed in a circle. I glanced over at her, she had her hands in her lap and she was looking down at them, so I put my hand ontop of them and she looked at me and smiled. "Alright." The group leader, Jere, said,"seems like we're all here, and Jesse, brought someone with you?" "Yeah, my uh girlfriend." He nodded with a smile. "I remember, she came to visit you." I nodded,"wanna introduce yourself?" "Um," she looked at me and back to him,"I'm (y/n), Considering this is a NA meeting sort of, I guess I should talk about that?" "Say whatever you want, it's an open space." "Im a uh...ex coke and meth addict." She shrugged and I kept my eyes on her, my thumb brushing over her knuckles,"I've been clean for a month, went off the deep end a few months ago after I relapsed." She nodded,"got clean thanks to my family and um...I was three months clean and my family started going downhill, my mom and dad trying to get me to settle their problems or asking me to choose a side, and I relapsed again, for a few weeks, off and on." "Did Jesse here help you?" I looked over at him and back to her. "Yeah, he's the one who told my dad about it all when I first relapsed for a few months, and he helped me to get off of it the second time simply by just being around."She smiled. "He's sort of like an anchor for you, am I right?" She inhaled deeply and nodded,"Jesse what is she to you?" "Um.." I knew what I wanted to say, I did, it just didn't come out,"like my life line." "How so?" He crossed his arms. "Whenever shes, ya know out of my life, it's just complete shit." Shook my head,"when she left for college I got...bad?" And that's how about 10 minutes out of the hour went, he Fuckin asked everything he could about what our relationship means to us, how we keep each other clean, what it's like when we're apart. He didn't miss a single thing, he asked me about (y/n) in rehab once, wondering who she was, and well he got to figure it out. He also asked me about the laundry mat and what I'd like to do so I told Him about the tech class and the wooden box I made and how I "gave it to my mom" but I really traded it for an ounce.

(y/n) and I were leaning against the front of my car as she looked at the church in front of us. "I never thought I'd ever be inside a church, well except for weddings and shit." She took a drag of her cigarette. "Yeah me either." I chuckled looking at her, I slipped the cigarette out of her fingers and took a drag,"I had to deal with that guy for three months." "Jesus." She laughed. "Yeah, I think been waiting for this day." I took the last drag it had left and threw it onto the side walk. "Seems like it." She leaned off my car and clapped her hands,"we should get home, huh?" "Sounds good to me, yo uh what'd you an Paul talk about?" I asked getting into the driver side. "His name is Raul, and he just wanted to let me know that he got his hands on our blue stuff, just not by me this time." She shrugged as I clicked my seatbelt and put the key in the ignition,"we just worried that someone was stealing our product from us, it's all good." "Oh alright."

Next day- Jesses pov-

"Having to crush the RV must've been sad man." Badg said, currently badge, skinny, and I were eating at some random joint to tall. "For real, a stone loss." Skinny winced as I ate a fry. "No one misses it more then me. Having no responsibilities, being able to pack up and go whenever. Being a fuckin outlaw." I rolled my eyes. "Darth Vader had responsibilities, he had the Death Star." Badge pointed at me. ""I gotta pay taxes now, it's totally kafkaesque." I groaned "Church." Skinny nodded. "Yo We gotta get the rv back in gear, start slingin again." I proposed and they nodded. "Life's to short not too." Skinny shook his head. "We don't need an RV man, all we need is a bike, some tubes and some soda bottles-" I got badger off. "We're not doing a shake and bake." "It's dry out there man's, make good dough selling on the streets." Skinny chuckled. "Nah," I glanced at both of them," I got a whole new market, we only need the meth."

I put the container on the scale and looked at the amount. "What's the yield?" Mr.white asked. "201.6" I said and he nodded, I looked down at the digital numbers. 202.6.

[salemsimss]

Beginning | Previous | Next

Transcript under the cut

News Reporter: -Making this the third disappearance this month.

Johnny: Yo, Don. You seen this?

Don: What is it?

Johnny: Another person's gone missing.

Don: Shit.

Johnny: I feel like these people aren't just randomly going missing.

Don: What do you mean?

Johnny: Did you see the article that shared their last posts before they vanished?

Don: The cryptic ones where they're basically talking about how they're in danger?

Johnny: Yeah! That one, and before all of that some of them mentioned finding some weird shit that's been hidden from the public like documents, samples and- Oh shit.

Don: What?

Johnny: I just remembered something...

-

Johnny: I completely forgot I had this until recently.

Don: So... This is what you were on about earlier.

Johnny: Yeah. I found it while I was grabbing supplies for Casper; this was at my family's "abandoned" construction site.

Salem: Why did they abandon it?

Johnny: Found a better location... Something like that.

Cassandra: Right...

Johnny: I actually went back the other day to check it out again, but this time it was completely boarded up. Pretty sure it was being guarded or some shit.

Kylo: Can't say I'm surprised if I'm being honest. Do you still have the photos from the last visit?

Johnny: Yeah, I should do. I'm sure I sent you some, actually.

Kylo: You did.

Kathryn: Wait, Kylo, what's in that folder you just picked up?

Kylo: Looks like a bunch of documents? Let me-

[Paper falls out of the folder]

Kylo: Oh?

Kathryn: What is it?

Kylo: Uh, it looks like it's related to Project MK-Ultra.

Kathryn: MK-Ultra...

Salem: Is that the one where the CIA were undertaking illegal human experimentations and whatnot?

Cassandra: Yeah, it is.

Don: But why is that in there?

Kylo: I'm not sure... Looks like there's some old newspaper articles dating back to 1973 covering the controversy surrounding the CIA, use of LSD and mind control.

Don: Huh...

Kylo: [Flips through pages] There doesn't seem to be anything else in this folder.

Johnny: Did you say mind control?

Kylo: Yeah? Why?

Johnny: I- uh- I remember overhearing parts of a conversation that Casper had with Shi over the phone a while back. Apparently there's this guy who I think is some sort of dictator? I don't know, but from what I heard, he knows about Shi's ability- whatever that is, I don't know the full ins and outs of it.

Johnny: But apparently, he wants to use Shi for this fucked up project that he's got going on.

Cassandra: Wait, isn't he the one who can get into people's heads and basicaly turn their brains into mush?

Johnny: Yeah, and because of that he is also capable of mind control.

Kathryn: Holy shit.

Johnny: He was also talking about how the project usually always starts off with small groups of people disappearing for a period of time, and when they return, they're... different.

Don: Different?

Johnny: Yeah. Different. I didn't hear the rest of that conversation, so I don't know the specifics, but...

Kathryn: But what?

Johnny: Something is definitely going on here, and it has been for a while. Over the past few months, there have been God knows how many reports of "alien abduction", of people going missing for days, or weeks and when they return, they're not the same person they were before they went missing.

Cassandra: Like my Mum...

Johnny: Yeah, like Bella. Like Shiroba.

Kylo, quietly: And they're considered the lucky ones...

Johnny: What?

Kylo: Because not everyone survives. Not everyone is lucky enough to return home.

Johnny: You don't think Shi and Casper are somehow involved, do you?

Kylo: No. I don't think they are.

Don: But it seems that they know about all of this.

Kylo: Yeah... I think we'll need to talk to them about this. See if they can help us figure this shit out.

Johnny: I suppose we could do that.

Kylo: Hey, Zest. Did you manage to speak to Cas?

Johnny: Uh, no. Not yet.

Kylo: [Sigh] Johnny-

Johnny: I'm gonna speak to her! i just- I need to sit down and speak to Shi first, and then I'll speak to her. I'm meeting up with Shi on Tuesday, and I plan on speaking to her later that day.

Don: And then we're gonna ask them about [gestures to the pile] this, right?

Johnny: Yeah, can do.

Kylo: It's just...

Kylo: Time's ticking, Johnny.

[writerofthecourt]

the secretary

pairing: kuroo tetsurou x reader

summary: you arrive at your husband’s workplace to deliver the papers he needs for a very important presentation. unfortunately, the only thing standing between you and this goal is his secretary

warning: slight time skip spoilers

a/n: this is such a cliché, but it doesn’t mean that i love it any less. is kuroo actually so high up there in position that he gets his own secretary? who knows, but i hope you guys enjoy

EDIT: reupload (tumblr, please stop deleting me from the tags)

The building in front of you stood tall and menacingly, its shining windows indicative of the building’s well-kept and professional status. Men and women dressed in suits could be seen walking around the lobby, with some hurrying to and from various cramped elevators, all in an effort to make it to their next meetings. You were beginning to think that you were a bit underdressed with your large hoodie and sweatpants…

Your attention was soon redirected when you felt the baby strapped against your chest wiggle in excitement at all the new and foreign sights around him. Tatsuya was only fourteen months old, but he was smart enough to recognize that the setting around him was not the usual park or grocery store that you would take him to, so all of this could only mean one thing: a new adventure!

“Tatsuya,” you giggled at your son’s endless wiggling, “please behave, all right? We just need to deliver papa’s papers, and then we can go home and watch your cartoons.”

“Papa?” your son asked, his eyes lighting up at the very mention of his father.

You nodded and smiled at your son’s enthusiasm. On some days, you would playfully complain to your husband that Tatsuya loved him more than he loved you. Your son was already a carbon copy of Kuroo, with their similarly dark ebony hair and golden eyes. Even dressed in his current red onesie, Tatsuya looked reminiscent of your husband in his old volleyball jersey. The only trait that Tatsuya didn’t inherit from his scheming father was the latter’s wild bedhead. You just hoped that your next child would look more like you.

“Yeah, we get to see papa today,” you gestured to your purse, which held the folder containing the papers Kuroo needed for his presentation that afternoon, “your papa forgot his papers, so we’re going to go deliver them to him.”

You nearly had a heart attack earlier in the morning when you saw the inconspicuous folder sitting on the dining room table as you were cleaning the house. Kuroo had been so busy working on this presentation for the past few weeks that he’d often skip food and sleep in order to have it finished. When he didn’t answer your phone call after the fifth time, you took it upon yourself to deliver his papers to him in person.

“Papa!” Tatsuya exclaimed in further excitement at the prospect of seeing his father.

You just chuckled as you made your way to the front doors of the Japan Volleyball Association. The security guard stationed at the front desk shot you a raised eyebrow, but said nothing as he gave you a nod in greeting. You bowed back before heading towards the busy elevators, workers staring at you in bewilderment, as you were clearly not meant to be there.

You nervously sent them all a polite smile as you got into the cramped elevator when it arrived with the rest of the employees. Tatsuya simply babbled away as his eyes stared transfixed on the glowing numbers that indicated to the elevator’s ascension. At least someone was having a fun time.

Once you arrived at the twenty-third floor, the Sports Promotion Division, you mused at how all of the decoration remained virtually unchanged since the last time you had visited, which was near the beginning of Kuroo’s career when he had first landed the job and wanted to show you around his workplace and office.

Oh, he got a new secretary, you thought as you saw a pretty, young woman sitting at the desk located just outside of your husband’s office.

She looked around your age, maybe a year or two younger, with pretty brown eyes and matching chestnut brown hair tied into a loose bun. Her blue suit flattered her slender body to no end, and her makeup was precise and flawless. You had no doubt that she could have pursued a career in modelling if she really wanted to.

Sensing your approach, she looked up from her monitor and sent you a bored look. “Hello, how can I help you today?”

“Oh, um,” you stuttered, suddenly intimidated by her beauty up close. “Is Kuroo Tetsurou in right now? I have something important to give him.”

At the mention of your husband’s name, her attention was now solely focused on you as she gave you a not-so-subtle scan up and down. “And what business do you have with Kuroo-san?”

Not sensing her shifting attitude, you removed the folder from your purse and showed it to her. “He left these papers at home and needs them for an important presentation today. I’m just here to deliver them to him.”

“Hmm,” the secretary mused before gesturing for you to take a seat on the sofa located on the wall opposite of her desk. “Please take a seat while I see if he’s in.”

Nodding in gratitude, you made your way to the sofa and took a seat while the secretary typed away on her computer. Tatsuya, who had been quiet up until this point, took the silence as a sign that the adults were done talking and that it was now his turn to speak.

“Mama,” Tatsuya began, pointing to one of the many dull paintings that decorated the office walls. “Birb!”

You nodded. “Good job, Tatsu-chan. What about that one?”

Your son followed the direction of your finger, his eyes landing on a large flowery landscape before he furrowed his eyebrows in concentration to decipher what the painting was trying to depict. “Fwower?”

“You’re so smart, Tatsuya. Good job!”

You proceeded to boop your son’s nose and shower his face with little kisses. His joyous laughter filled your heart with warmth as he looked up at you with mirth in his golden eyes. A clearing of the throat soon interrupted the moment, and the secretary gave you a strained smile. “Ma’am, can you please try to keep it down over there? We still have people working on this floor.”

“Oh, sorry!” you apologized before turning to Tatsuya. “Tatsu-chan, let’s play the quiet game for a bit, okay? We wouldn’t want to disturb other people while they’re working, right?”

Your son cutely nodded as he began to occupy his time by playing with the strings of your hoodie. After a few more minutes, the secretary called you up to her desk. “Kuroo-san is in a meeting right now, but I can deliver his papers to him if you want?”

“Oh, um,” you hesitated, clutching the folder. “These papers are really important to him, so I’d be a lot more comfortable with delivering them to him in person.”

You didn’t notice how her right eye slightly twitched as she tried to convince you to hand over the folder. “Ma’am, by denying my offer, you are the one that will be impeding on Kuroo-san’s presentation if those papers are as important as you say they are.”

“W-well, when you put it that way-”

“What’s going on here?” a familiar voice called out.

“Tetsu!”

From the end of the hallway, Kuroo, dressed in his well-fitted black suit, sent you a charming smile as he approached you and Tatsuya.

“Hey, Tatsu,” Kuroo greeted with adoration as he affectionately ruffled Tatsuya’s hair, getting a delighted giggle from the baby. Kuroo then turned to you with the same look of softness and adoration shining in his eyes. “Hey, [Y/N].”

“Hey, Tetsu,” you greeted back before curiously tilting your head. “Aren’t you supposed to be in a meeting right now?”

“We just finished. So, what’s the problem here?” Kuroo asked, glancing at his secretary.

“Oh, Kuroo-san,” the secretary beamed with a sort of newly awakened enthusiasm. “This lady over here says that she has something important to give you. Is she a friend of yours?”

Kuroo hummed. “Something like that. What’s she talking about, [Y/N]?”

Pushing the folder into your husband’s chest, you revelled in amusement at the pure look of shock that overtook Kuroo’s face once he had recognized the folder in your hand. He quickly snatched it from you and hurriedly flipped through it to make sure all of his papers were there. Once he was sure that everything was indeed in the folder, Kuroo cupped your face and gave you an unabashed kiss.

“What would I do without you?” he asked once the two of you separated.

“Probably working for Kenma to make ends meet,” you joked with a shy grin. Although you were a little embarrassed about Kuroo kissing you so publicly like that, you weren’t one to complain…

“Papa!” Tatsuya exclaimed with his arms stretched out. He began to make grabbing motions with his hands, signalling that he wanted to be held by his father.

Always quick on the uptake, Kuroo unfastened Tatsuya from his baby carrier and lifted him up to place a kiss on his forehead. Your son then proceeded to happily squeal and marvel at his new found height.

“I-I didn’t know you were married, Kuroo-san,” the secretary stuttered out as she fell prey to witnessing the undeniably cute family right in front of her. She felt her chest boiling with jealousy.

“Hm? I didn’t know you were privy to that information. Besides,” Kuroo lifted up both of your left hands to show off your matching wedding bands, “I never tried to hide it or anything.”

As an awkward tension soon began to envelop the air, Kuroo cleared his throat to quickly dissipate it. Turning to you with a smile, Kuroo returned Tatsuya back into your arms. “Well, my presentation’s in an hour. Tatsuya, wish your old man good luck!”

“Luck-luck, papa!” Tatsuya said as you buckled him back into his baby carrier.

“Tetsu, you’re not even twenty-seven, let alone thirty,” you chuckled as you planted a quick peck on his cheek. “Good luck with your presentation. I’ll be cooking salted mackerel pike for dinner tonight.”

Kuroo looked at you with stars in his eyes as you turned to his secretary, bowing and thanking her for all of her help.

“You are the love of my life, Kuroo [Y/N],” Kuroo proclaimed as you gave him an embarrassed pout. Your pout quickly transformed into a radiant smile as you and Tatsuya waved him goodbye and left for the elevators.

Once you were gone, Kuroo dramatically sighed and leaned against his secretary’s desk with a happy grin on his face. “Isn’t [Y/N] the best? And Tatsuya’s just the cutest baby to ever grace this Earth. How did I ever get so lucky?”

“T-they seem great, Kuroo-san,” his secretary answered with a tight-lipped smile.

“Yeah, they are,” Kuroo sincerely agreed. “Well then, I really should go get ready for this presentation. Good work, Amazaki.”

“I-it’s Hayashi, sir…”

“Oh, is it?” Kuroo feigned, glancing at the nameplate that proudly sat on top of his secretary’s desk, clearly in his field of sight and not hard to miss. “Sorry. Despite what [Y/N] says, I’m really getting up there in age. Ah, to be young again.”

As Kuroo walked off with his folder now securely tucked underneath his arm, he couldn’t help but let the smirk that he had been suppressing take over his face.

That’s what you get for being such a bitch to my wife and son.

[path-of-my-childhood]

How Aaron Dessner and Taylor Swift Stripped Down Her Sound on ‘Folklore’

By: Jon Blistein for Rolling Stone Date: July 24th 2020

At the beginning of March, the National’s Aaron Dessner traveled back to the United States from Paris, where he’d been living with his family, to shack up at Sonic Ranch Studio in Tornillo, Texas to work on the next Big Red Machine album with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. Those plans - obviously - soon shifted, as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic set in. Dessner and his family were able to relocate to their home in upstate New York as lockdown orders went into effect, and the musician soon settled into a groove of homeschooling his kids and able to focus fully on music in a way he hadn’t in a while, due to the National’s regularly rigorous touring schedule.

In the middle of what Dessner describes as one of the most productive moments of his career, Taylor Swift called. A longtime and avowed fan of the National, Swift asked if Dessner wanted to try collaborating on a few songs remotely. He said of course, and asked if she was looking for anything in particular. He noted that he had plenty of material at the ready, but acknowledged he’d been in a more experimental mood, due to the Big Red Machine sessions; not to mention, Dessner added, he’d never really ventured into the pop world Swift has dominated for well over a decade. She told him to send everything he had.

“I think she was interested in the emotions that she feels in some of the music that I’ve made,” Dessner tells Rolling Stone.” So I just sent her a folder of things I’d done recently and was excited about. Hours after, she sent back a fully written version of ‘Cardigan.’ It was like a lightning bolt struck the house.”

Over the next few months, Dessner and Swift crafted the bulk of Swift’s eighth studio album, Folklore. Dessner spoke with Rolling Stone about working with Swift, their instant chemistry, how the album developed under a thick cloud of secrecy and more.

When Taylor first reached out, did she have a specific vision in mind for the album? She was a bit cryptic. I didn’t know that we were actually working on a record for quite a while. It just seemed that she was seeking me out to collaborate. And then we were both feeling very inspired by it. Once there were six or seven songs that we had written over a couple of weeks, she said, “Hey can we talk?” Then she said, ‘This is what I’m imagining,’ and started to tell me about the concept of Folklore. Then she mentioned that she’d written some songs at an earlier stage with Jack [Antonoff], and they felt like they really fit together with what we were doing. It was a very inspiring, exhilarating collaborative process that was almost entirely remote. Very sort of warp speed, but also something about it felt like we were going toe-to-toe and in a good pocket.

After “Cardigan,” how did these songs develop and do you think she pushed you in any new directions as a songwriter? When you’re working with someone new, it takes a second to understand their instincts and range. It’s not really conscious. She wrote “Cardigan,” and then “Seven,” then “Peace.” They kind of set a road map, because “Cardigan” was this kind of experimental ballad, the closest thing to a pop song on the record, but it’s not really. It’s this emotional thing, but it has some strange sounds in it. “Seven” is this kind of nostalgic, emotional folk song. Even before she sang to it, I felt this nostalgia, wistful feeling in it, and I think that’s what she gravitated towards. And “Peace,” that just showed me the incredible versatility that she had. That song is just three harmonized bass lines and a pulse. I love to play bass like that - play one line then harmonize another, and another, which is a behavior I stole from Justin Vernon, because he’s done that on other things we’ve done together. And actually, that’s his pulse, he sent me that pulse and said, “Do something with this.” But when she wrote that song, which kind of reminds me of a Joni Mitchell song over a harmonized bassline and a pulse, that was kind of like, “Woah, anything can happen here.” That’s not easy to do. 

So, in the morning I would wake up and try to be productive. “Mad Woman” is one I wrote shortly after that, in terms of sound world, felt very related to “Cardigan” and “Seven.” I do have a way of playing piano where it’s very melodic and emotional, but then often it’s great if whoever’s singing doesn’t sing exactly what’s in the piano melody, but maybe it’s connected in some way. There was just some chemistry happening with her and how she was relating to those ideas.

“Epiphany” was something she had an idea for, and then I imagined these glacial, Icelandic sounds with distended chords and this almost classical feeling. That was another one where we wrote it and conceived it together. She just has a very instinctive and sharp musical mind, and she was able to compose so closely to what I was presenting. What I was doing was clicking for her. It was exhilarating for us, and it was surreal - we were shocked by it, to be honest [Laughs]. I think the warmth, humanity and raw energy of her vocals, and her writing on this record, from the very first voice memos - it was all there.

Do you think that chemistry might’ve had something to do with her being a National fan, and you being a fan of her music? We met Taylor at Saturday Night Live in 2014, or whenever that was that we played and Lena Dunham was hosting. We got to meet her, and that was our first brush with a bona fide pop star. But then she came to see us play in Brooklyn last summer and was there in a crazy rainstorm, like torrential downpour, and watched the whole show and stayed for a long time afterwards, talking to me and my brother. She was incredibly charming and humble. That’s the nice thing about her, and a lot of people I’ve met that have that kind of celebrity. It’s great when you can just tune it out and be normal people and chat, and that’s how that felt. So, we knew that she was a big fan, and we really got into the 1989 album. Our Icelandic collaborator, Ragnar Kjartansson, is a crazy Swiftie. So we’ve kind of lived vicariously through him. I’ve always been astonished by how masterful she is in her craft. I’ve always listened to her albums and put them in this rarefied category, like, “How did she do that? How does anybody do that? How do you make ‘Blank Space?’” There was an element that was intimidating at first, where it just took me a second to be like… Not because I think her music is better than what we’ve done, but it’s just a different world.

Were there particular songs, albums or artists the two of you discussed as reference points for this album? “Betty,” which is a song she wrote with William Bowery, she was interested in sort of early Bob Dylan, like Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, I think. “Epiphany,” early on, felt like some weird Kate Bush-meets-Peter Gabriel thing. I think we talked a little about those things, but not a lot. Actually, I think she really trusted me as far as my instincts to where the music would ultimately go, and also the mixing process.  We really wanted to keep her voice as human, and kind of the opposite of plastic, as possible. That was a bit of a battle. Because everything in pop music tends to be very carved out, a smiley face, and as pushed as possible so that it translates to the radio or wherever you hear it. That can also happen with a National song - like if you changed how these things are mixed, they wouldn’t feel like the same song. And she was really trusting and heard it herself. She would make those calls herself, also.

You mentioned William Bowery - who is he? He’s a songwriter, and actually because of social distancing, I’ve never met him. He actually wrote the original idea for “Exile,” and then Taylor took it and ran with it. I don’t actually know to be totally honest.

We’ve been trying to track him down, he doesn’t have much of an internet presence. Yeah, I don’t fully know him, other than he wrote “Betty” and “Exile” with her. But you know she’s a very collaborative person, so it was probably some songwriter.

So it’s not an alias for anyone? No, no, no. I mean, I don’t know - she didn’t tell me there was a “Cardigan” video until literally it came out, and I wrote the song with her [laughs]. So I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure he’s an actual songwriter. She enjoys little mysteries.

With the National, you and your brother write the music, Matt Berninger adds the lyrics, and then you fuse it - was it a similar process on Folklore? Taylor is very collaborative in that sense that, whenever she sent a voice memo, she would send all the lyrics and then ask me what I thought. And sometimes we would debate certain lines, although generally she’s obviously a strong writer. So she would ask me if I liked one line, and she would give me alternate lines and I would give her my opinion. And then when she was actually tracking vocals, I would sometimes suggest things or miss things, but she definitely has a lot of respect for the collaborative process and wants whoever she’s writing with to feel deeply included in that process. It was nice, and was a back and forth, for sure. And she would sometimes have ideas about the production if she didn’t like something, especially. She would, in a tactful way, bring that up. I appreciated that, too, since I wanted to try to turn over every leaf, take risks and sometimes get it wrong. That always takes a second, to get over and then you start again.

You mentioned earlier that once you had six, seven songs, she was able to describe a concept behind the album. I’m curious what that conversation was like. She would always explain what each song was about to me, even before she articulated the Folklore concept. And I could tell early on that they were these narrative songs, often told from a different… not in the first person. So there are different characters in the songs that appear in others. You may have a character in “Betty” that’s also related to one in “Cardigan,” for example. And I think that was, in her mind, very, very important. It doesn’t seem like, for this record at least, that she was inspired to write something until she really knew what it was about. And I think I’m used to a more - at least lately - impressionistic and experimental world of making stuff without really knowing what it is. But this was more direct, in that sense. That was really helpful, to know what it was about and it would guide some of the choices we were making.

Every time she would send something, she would narrate a little bit, like how it fit, or what it was about. And then when she told me about Folklore as a concept, it made so much sense. Like “The Last Great American Dynasty,” for example, this kind of narrative song that then becomes personal at the end - it flips and she enters the song. These are kind of these folkloric, almost mythical tales that are woven in of childhood, lost love, and different sentiments across the record. It was binding it all together and I think it’s personal, but also through the guise of other people, friends and loved ones.

You were working in secret - how did that affect the process? Was that a difficult burden? It was. I was humbled and honored and grateful for the opportunity and for the crazy sort of alchemy we were having. But it was hard not to be able to talk openly with my usual collaborators, even my brother at first. I didn’t know if I could really tell him, because we normally… Ultimately, he helped me quite a bit, he orchestrated songs. But we always help each other. But eventually, we figured out how to do it. Towards the end of the process, I said to Taylor, ‘I really feel that I need to try a few experiment and try to elevate a few moments on the record because we have time, and we’ve really done a ton of work here, and it all sounds great, but I think we can go even further.’ And then she said, ‘Well what does that mean?’ And I explained how that would work, and the way that we work. Our process is very community-oriented, and we have long-time collaborators that we have a good understanding with. So I was able to say, to my friends, ‘This is a song I’m working on, I can’t send it to you with the vocals, and I can’t tell you what it is, but I can explain what I’m imagining.’ And the same with my brother, he knows my music so well that that was very easy for him to just take things that we were working on, add to that, and do his kind of work. So it was all remote and everyone was in their corner and we were shipping things around. It was incredibly fast because of that, because you didn’t have eight people needing to come to the studio. You had eight people working simultaneously - one in France and one in L.A. and one in Brooklyn. This is how it went, and it was fun. We got there.

When were you able to tell everyone who contributed that this was the Taylor Swift record, what was their reaction? You can imagine. I think they realized it was something big because [of] the confidentiality, and they were like, ‘It could only be a few things.’ I couldn’t tell them until, basically, when she announced it. Just in the moments after she announced it, I basically told everyone. I was like, ‘By the way…’ And they were thrilled. Everyone’s thrilled. Nobody seemed mad, everyone was thrilled and honored. Even Justin Vernon had not heard anything else except “Exile,” even though the pulse of that song “Peace,” he gave that song to me. It was important to have it be a surprise, and you know how it can be with someone in her position, with all the speculation, and she’s always under a lot of pressure like that. So it was really important to the creative freedom she was feeling that this remained a secret, so she could just do what we were doing.

Being such longtime friends and collaborators with Justin, what was it like hearing “Exile” for the first time? His voice and Taylor’s together? He’s so versatile and has such a crazy range, and puts so much emotion… Every time he sings when I’m in his presence, my head just kind of hits the back of the wall. That’s the same on this song. William Bowery and Taylor wrote that song together, got it to a certain point, then I sort of interpreted it and developed a recording of it, and then Taylor tracked both the male and female parts. And then we sent it to Justin and he re-did obviously the male parts and changed a few things and also added his own: He wrote the “step right out” part of the bridge, and Taylor re-sang to that. You feel like, in a weird way, you’re watching two of the greatest songwriters and vocalists of our generation collaborating. I was facilitating it and making it happen, and playing all the music. But it was definitely a “Wow.” I was just a fan at that point, seeing it happen.

Are there any moments that really stick out to you as particularly pivotal in shaping the sound of this record? The initial response. When we first connected, and I sent a folder of music and Taylor wrote “Cardigan,” and she said, “This is abnormal. Why do you have all these songs that are so emotional and so moving to me? This feels fated.” And then she just dove into it and embraced this emotional current. And I hope that’s what people take out of it: The humanity in her writing and melodies. It’s a different side to her. She could have been every bit as successful just making these kinds of songs, but it’s so great that she’s also made everything that she’s ever made, and this is a really interesting shift, and an emotional one. It also opens other doors, because now it’s kind of like she can go wherever she wants, creatively. The pressure to make a certain kind of… bop - or whatever you want to call it - is not there really anymore. And I think that’s really liberating, and I hope her fans and the world are excited by that because I am. It’s really special.

[criquette-was-here]

Long Due Replies

Hi everyone! It’s been some crazy few months for me. Real life has taken over completely so I didn’t have a chance to pay attention to my inbox. There are lot of asks on troubleshooting and I apologise for not being able to help on time. I hope everyone who needed help has got it somehow >.< There’s a crazy amount of messages, so I’m going to hide it under the cut.

@shutupshirley said:

Hi Criquette, I’m sorry because this is dumb, but I don’t understand how to install your neighbourhood lighting mod on an installation of Ultimate Collection... do I change out every lighting.txt file I can find across all the expansion and stuff packs? :/

Thank you!!!!

Hi @shutupshirley! I’m not a big specialist on windows version of TS2 and UC but I believe there are two folders you have to look at and they are ‘Fun with Pets’ and ‘Open for Business’

Anonymous said:

What do you imagine residents of Feverfew are called? I keep doing Peruvian but like Ferfewian or some

Oh, yes, I was thinking about this matter at some point! Feverfewian is what I came up with. I even found a wiki article about different names for different town inhabitants to sort of made it up a bit, but I haven’t write down the result I had and now I’ve lost it. I think feverfewians sounds best, it can even have some silly derivatives like ‘fewies’

@3sushiroll said:

Hi Criquette, I'm getting into SC4 and have been getting the hang of it while using the sims 2 hood planner. I've been starting to use bridges and have been using yours. When I put in the tile measurement into the hood planner (ex: 15 tile = 8 in SC4), it doesn't exactly line up in game. Does this usually happen for you and you put in a piece of fake road in the middle or am I just doing it wrong and it should line up super nicely? Thank you for all your wonderful creations!

Hi @3sushiroll! Yes, TS2 parses SC4 roads this way. I always put some decorative road in the gap or I make the shores narrower so that the bride would overlap the road. But to make slopes where the road ends equal, you have to use TS2 terraforming tool to make this flat empty piece of terrain right after the road end into slope so that it would look like the opposite.

Anonymous said:

Hi there, hope you're doing well! I downloaded your simple walkways set and noticed that they float. They don't sit on the ground properly. Is there anything I can do on my end to make them sit closer to the ground? Any help would be appreciated, thank you!

Hey anon! Thank you! Yes, this old set of walkways was made this way. Maxis made neighborhood mode roads float, so I had to do the same with road related decorations. But now you can use these Cobblestone paths or side walks from the Rural Charm, they’re as close to the ground as possible.

Anonymous said:

hey! would it ever be possible for you to create recolors of the cobblestone sidewalks in red brick/cobblestone?

Hi anon! I don’t think so :| I can’t even find the time to fix some Ferverfew related issues >.<

Anonymous said:

Hi Criquette. I liked Feverfew very much. I would like to make some of the houses multi-unit, keeping your doors in place. Is it possible to add the function of apartments to these doors? :)

Hi nonne! As far as I’m aware, you can only default replace those apartment doors which is quite useless. What you can do, is to put an apartment door right behind the front door. This, obviously, would eat up the space but could work as a solution.

Anonymous said:

Hello! I just downloaded Feverview and it's gorgeous! I can't believe all the little details you added, the effort and love you put into this project is incredible. I just had a small question: a few residential lots are fake apartments, I was wondering if you know how to turn them into functional apartments 

Hi anon! I’m glad you liked Feverfew! ^__^ In theory, you can use SimPE or Lot Editor to change lot type from residential to apartment and then implement apartment doors somehow, but since I don’t have AL in my Super Collection, I have zero experience in that.

Anonymous said:

Hi Criquette! :) I just realized recently that if I delete objects in game, I have to delete first the recolors of it. I've already deleted a bunch of objects without knowing about this, so now my downloads folders has houndreds of recolors without meshes. Do you know about anything I can do to find and delete these orphans? (Delphys download organizer just can't make difference)

Hi anon! I’m definitely not a helper on the matter of keeping Downloads folder organised, sorry ^^’‘ I would thing about finding sets of files with similar names keeping eye on the absence of the word ‘mesh’ in the names, and looking at the file size at the same time. And that would take ages, obviously. 

@ardyyy4 said:

Hello Criquette. I love Feverfew so much. But I have a problem. The grass and NHood objects are flickering together and it looks bad. How can i fix it? Thanks.

Hello Arda! That’s because of the neighborhood camera you’re using. I’d recommend you to install this particular camera just to get rid of flickering.

Anonymous said:

Hello! First of great content! Always been a fan! I was wondering if you could give a bit of advice with hood deco, I have downloaded an Ocean floor from Gwenke, and in lot view it only shows up at the very far edges, around my lot it is missing (it does show when render is set to small though). And it shows on beach lots too, I was wondering if you know of way to make it so that it is seen no matter what the view distance is etc? (I have the relevant cheats on btw) Thank you in advance!

Hey nonnie! Thanks :) Have you ticked off object hiding in the settings? Other than that, it could be camera issues.

Anonymous said:

is there a way to stop neighborhood decor from fading? I know there is the „boolprop dontmergenhflora“ cheat, but I still get some fading. for excample when I look at the lot from the street the NH decor by the street fades

That’s definitely sounds like object hiding option from the game settings :}

Anonymous said:

Hey how are you ? I hope all is well. I was wondering how is it that ts2 has no ski deco but in ts1 we had ski slope and skate lake !?? I was wondering can you and the sim community make deco or interactive items such as a ski slope or even snow shoes or just something that goes with seasons n BV pack ?

Hello anon! I hope you’re well too! Ski slope and winter sports related decos is something I wanted to make since 2016, but never had enough time to do so. Sometimes I even think about available TS2 technologies to make an animated ski lift and umm.. may be in the next ten years? ^^’‘

Anonymous said:

hello!! i'm sorry if u already answered something like this (i searched but found nothing) but the better nightlife isn't working for me :(( i put the better nightlife+voielle water on download fold and the decorations still flashing in pink light, i did something wrong? (i use win10) sorry for the inconveniente

Hey anon! Sometimes you have to do these weird steps in order to make it work:

remove Better Nightlife + water mod from your downloads folder,

load the game, load the neighborhood, make some changes, exit game

put Better Nightlife with water back. Toggle day/night with ‘L’ key to see if it works. If it’s not, than the problem is somewhere else. Pink flashing also could be unrelated to Better Nightlife, so I’d recommend to check TS2 graphics setting for Win10 manuals available.

Anonymous said:

Hello there, I'm having a problem with the rural charm, on lot view the roads have yellowish boards (idk how to explain exactly). I saw that was because of CuriousB terrain, but I don't have it downloaded anymore so I'm kinda confused. What should it be? Sorry for bothering,,,

Hello, anon! What’s current season you’re having in your game? It can be the season lighting differences that make roadside and terrain grass colors different. If it’s not, I’d check the Downloads folder to see if there’s still some terrain DRs I’ve forgot about.

@pinkflamingosims said:

Hi criquette! I was wondering if you have any idea why some hood deco cc crashes on mac, like palm 1 to 4 from the tropical 4t2 set by leoz94. Leoz94 says the only difference is the high polycount, but I don't think that's it, it looks a bit high to me but not insanely so, I have  other stuff in that range with no problem... Have a nice - evening?

Hey @pinkflamingosims! I hope you’re doing well! Yes, some hood decos are really make the game crash and frankly speaking, I think that’s jsut package related issues like broken references in the resource tree. The best way to fix this type of hood decos is to make a clean and stable new clone and replace mesh/textures again.

Anonymous said:

Hello and thank you for amazing Feverfew map! I have a problem... ground is flashing red and I cannot fix it, do you have solution for this problem? It's been soooo long when I last played Sims 2 so apparently I did something wrong when installed CC. :(

Hello anon! Thank you! Oh, red flashing could be the result of lighting mod not being installed correctly. I’d start with getting rid of any lighting mods to see if it helps.

@marv61​ said:

Hi Criquette. I just downloaded your terrain of Forkshire, it looks great! I know it has been since 2009 that you uploaded the terrain but I was wondering if you have a completed Neighborhood with houses, trees and all for download? I would love to play your version. Thanks.

Hi Patchman! Oh, goodness no! :D That was 12 years ago, those TS2 files are long gone since then.

Anonymous said:

Hi Criquette, first things first, I love your work thank you so much, you inspire me! Now the question: I have been using the dirt roads from your Rural Lanes set and found that sometimes it is difficult if not impossible to fit them to the slopes of steep terrain. Would it be possible to instead create road pieces as a texture like your Neighborhood Decals? That way they would "stick" onto the terrain regardless of shape. Wondering what you think? Love!

Hello and thank you, anon! The problem with the decals – we can’t see it in lot mode yet. And it must be a DR only so we’d have to ditch one of the Maxis’ decals for dirt road, which isn’t great too.

Anonymous said:

Hi Criquette! Will Betternightlife mod ever be updated to work with lighting mods with dawn and dusk? Is there any that already works with it? I really want to use the light up hood decos!

Hey anon! You can use it with lighting mods that add dusk and dawn to the game. For instance, there’s one here by @dreadpirate​.

Anonymous said:

Hey Criquette! I recently used your template to make lit-up hood deco buildings using the Better Nightlife mod. The day text was great! However, the night texture was being clipped by the day texture. That is, some parts of the day texture was showing through the night texture. Is there a fix for this?

Hello nonnie! I’d recommend to check the meshes to see if day/night parts clip through each other and if they aren’t I’d check if all the day/night TXMT data is correct.

@criquette​ said:

I've installed Fewerfew following all your istructions. Apparently it works but the night lamps are flashing pink even ig I've installed the mod better night light. It seems that this mod does not work properly. Any recommendation?

Being Criquette, you should know the solution to that issue yourself :P Just kidding, sorry, couldn’t resist! If it flashes pink only by night than you have to check your ‘Downloads’ folder for conflicts. If it’s flashing constantly day and night, than I’d better check graphics setting using some windows related guides available across the Internet.

Anonymous said:

Hello, I love Feverfew and it's amazing. I have a problem where Linden Tree 1A isn't showing up in my game even though it's in my downloads folder. Also the railroad tracks are flashing blue, and those are in my folder too. Thanks in advance!  :)

Hello anon! What type of the trees you’re using? Stand alone or default ones? If you’re using defaults, you can find the trees under Maxi’s oaks accordingly. As for the flashing blue railway tracks, check if you have this set in your ‘Downloads’ folder :)

Anonymous said:

Hello Criquette, before asking for help, I came to say that the Brazilian community loves your creations. But, to get to the point, anyway, I have been thinking about creating a Hood (inspired by Rio de Janeiro), so I would like to know how to create Deco Hoods for my game (the statue of Christ), I can't find that anywhere, Would you help me?

Hi there! Ah, most kind, thank you ^^ Well, there’s no big deal in creating hood decos. You have to switch your SimPE to advanced mode and after that neighborhood decoration will be visible in the catalogue to be cloned. I assume you already know how to make lot mode objects and know how to create, edit or convert meshes/textures though.

@hideshio​ said:

Hello! I found your train set (and it's AMAZING) on mts and was wondering if you had a railroad crossing sign? With the lights, X, and the red/white hand that goes down. Or the lights that go across a pole above the railroads. Thank you!  =D

Hello @hideshio​! Well, there is a railway crossing sign with lights and red/white hand included in this set :D it’s not animated though. But still!

Anonymous said:

Hi criquette, I’m a huge admirer of you work and I was wondering if you had any advice regarding road placement. Specifically the difficulty of road pieces that are deco only being able to be placed underneath the actually roads leaving it looking a little off.. if there a way to raise them higher before placing them or some kind of work around? 

Hey anon, thank you! Unfortunately, there’s no way to make decorative road pieces work for lot mode and neighborhood mode at the same time. If you lift them so they look okay in hood mode, they will float in the air in lot mode. Since my latest creations are lot mode oriented, I’ve decided to save my efforts on making road pieces even with neigborhood mode roads.

Anonymous said:

Hey Criquette. I noticed that in my Feverfew none of the buildings across the street of Feverfew Sports Hall show up. I know those are supposed to be hood deco and look like duplex buildings, but I can't figure out what I'm missing. I deleted and redownloaded everything and couldn't fix it. Also the river ends at the first bridge in front of the cathedral, so the boats next to it appear to be flying. What is going on?

Hey anon! There’s definitely some files missing. If you’ve checked and redownloaded all the files, try to replace the Feverfew neighborhood folder with initial one. The game never restores disappeared hood decos by itself. Even if they were placed in the folder after their absence is discovered.

@simping-simmer​ said:

Hi Criquette, am I remembering correctly that there is a trick you can do with SimPE to change the height of individual pieces of hood deco? I’m struggling with putting ships in my dock because if I change a CC ship’s placeability to be able to be on both land and sea, it just sinks, but if I only keep it on sea, it can’t get close enough to the shore to place it in my docks. Does this make sense at all? Lol

Hello @simping-simmer​, you’re absolutely right. You can change the height of placed hood decos via SimPE. Things you need to do are described here and here

Anonymous said:

Hello! I love all your work.  I was wondering if you had ever thought of making some desert roads along the lines of the Terrain Mod: Dusty Roads for Desert Neighbourhoods by Stev84? I love the way this looks in my desert, but unfortunately, this mod makes the road in live mode a floor, which then makes you unable to place driveways.

Hey anon! Thanks ^^ Frankly, I don’t have any plans on creating any desert related CC at all :|

Anonymous said:

Hello Criquette. I would like to thank you for all the amazing work you have done creating content for sims 2. Thanks to you all my projects are possible. My question is: Chainlink fences for neighborhood deco... Do they exist? Searching the web these past day only found for build mode. Do you know of someone who already make some for deco hood? Or kindly will you be able to make some if its not much work? My sports fields and Industrial zones will be pleased for sure! Once again, thank you! :)

Hey anon and thank you! I don’t think hood deco chainlink fences were created by someone yet, but they definitely would be a great addition to the game. I was going to create some while working on Feverfew, but never had enough time to do that. May be i’ll make one at some point in the future!

Anonymous said:

Hello, Criquette. Do you know of any way to place lots without the area around it moving? I downloaded Ousmeo's remake of your Dullsfielde and read his og post using the waytime machine. When viewing that post, Tumblr recommended similar posts, one of which seemed to be a tip to prevent good deco from moving when placing lots nearby, but that post wasn't archived, so I can't visualise it. My guess is that if anyone else knows about this, it must be the best hood decorator that ever was ;-)

Hello anon! Ugh, this TS2 ‘feature’ is driving me mad quite often too! Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to get rid of it. The only way to fix the consequences is to backup initial hood folder and when you finish placing lots, replace spoiled terrain with the initial one with SimPE or HoodReplace.

[caffeinatedbraincell]

Thank you so much for the wonderfully sweet andromaquynh story! 🥰💖 if I may request more since I saw the Touch sheet and uh I’m in love:

24. Whispering in their ear, lips touching their skin, either pairing

Thank you for this ask Shatters!!! And for encouraging me along the way<3 I know it took forever but I hope you enjoy this!

Read on AO3

The door of Dr. Shukla’s office rattled. Inside, Joe took a sharp breath. Nicky threaded their hands together beneath the table, murmuring reassuringly.

A second later, the doctor walked in, large yellow folder in hand and a stethoscope slung across her neck. Joe and Nicky stood to greet her.

“Please, be seated. It’s alright,” she said, voice low and steady. “I’m Dr. Shukla, a neurologist. I have some CTs and MRIs here of Mr. Yusuf Al-Kaysani’s brain that we’ll be discussing today.”

Joe exhaled shakily as they all sat down. Next to him, Nicky cleared his throat.

“How bad is it, doctor?”

“Good and bad aren’t diagnoses, Mr.…”

“Al-Kaysani. I’m his husband. But call me Nicky, please.”

“Of course, Nicky.” She extracted the prints from the folder. “There is no easy way to put this. The truth is, the symptoms Yusuf is presenting with, and these images from his scans, make it very likely that what we’re dealing with here is early-onset dementia. Possibly Alzheimer’s.”

In the silence that followed, Joe sighed in relief. Finally, someone had said the words. It wasn’t a vague suspicion hanging over his head anymore. It was reality. They could work with reality.

Next to him, Nicky was arguing with the doctor.

“…but how can you be sure? Scans are inconclusive when it comes to diagnosing-”

“I would not have brought this diagnosis to the table if there was any better explanation for what Yusuf is experiencing. Any at all.”

“But-”

“Nicolò.” Joe moved his hand to Nicky’s thigh. He looked at the doctor. “So where do we go from here?”

Dr. Shukla leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table. “I will not mislead you, Yusuf. There is no cure. But there are treatments - therapies, medications, management strategies - that can slow the progression of the disease. You can still live a long and meaningful life.”

“Of course he’ll live a long and meaningful life!” Nicky exclaimed.

“Tesoro, please-”

“Look,” Dr. Shukla said. “I know this is extremely hard. For both of you. But what’s important in this moment is that you take your time to process this news and adapt to it. Be there for each other, and be patient with each other.” She stood and walked over to her computer. “I’m going to put in a prescription for something called Razelon; it’s a cholinesterase inhibitor that will reduce early behavioral symptoms and boost cognitive function.”

“Do we need to pick it up today?” Nicky asked.

“Yes. Yusuf, I’m starting you off on half a pill. We’ll see how you react to it. If it works for you, we can modify the dose as necessary going forward.”

As they stepped out of the clinic into the stinging wind, Joe pulled his coat tighter against his body. At his side, Nicky fumbled with his phone, pulling up the prescription.

“Razelon,” he muttered to himself, typing it into Google. “Look, Joe, it seems to be a fairly common and effective treatment. Actually, it’s good the doctors caught this early. I’m sure we can-”

“Nicky.”

“-make this work until something more effective comes out. Alzheimer’s research is at a revolutionary place right now and-”

“Nicky…”

“-there’s definitely going to be some new, highly effective treatments on the market in a few-”

“Nicolò!”

Nicky froze where he was reaching for his car keys, lips pressed into a thin line. “What?”

“My love, we’ve had over one thousand years together.” Joe stepped forward, gently taking his hands. “Haven’t you had enough of me yet?”

Nicky shoved him away lightly. “Stop it, Joe. That’s nothing to joke about.”

“Listen-”

“No, you listen. I don’t care if it’s been a millennium. If you don’t think I’m going to fight tooth and nail for every second - every single second - we can possibly have together, then you’re wrong. You’re wrong.”

“I will fight with you, my love, I swear. But-”

“But what?”

“But I cannot watch you mourn me while I am still here. Promise me this changes nothing between us, Nicky. I don’t want you to treat me like I’m suddenly made of glass.”

“Says the person who tried to wrap me in literal bubble wrap when we discovered we were mortal.”

Joe snorted. “Touché.”

Nicky stared at him for a second. Then, he leaned forward and kissed him, slow and sweet. “Get in the car. I’ll buy you a caramel frappucino by the pharmacy, yeah?”

***

“Joe, don’t forget, Nile’s coming over at 8 tonight for dinner, so we’ll have to be back at least an hour before that.”

“I don’t know, tesoro, forgetting is kind of what I do best now,” Joe quipped from the couch.

Nicky stuck his head out of the kitchen testily. “Still not funny, you asshole.”

It has been several months since that fateful day at the clinic, and Joe could tell he was getting worse. He didn’t feel it, exactly; the Razelon was helping, and Dr. Shukla had added an antidepressant to his prescription to ward off the vague sense of dread and loss that sometimes settled in his chest.

No, Joe could tell he was getting worse because of Nicky. The way Nicky never let him make the same mistake twice. Joe had forgotten to take his medication one night, and ever since, Nicky made a ritual of bringing it to him with a glass of water after they brushed their teeth. A few mornings ago, Nicky had seen Joe walk away from the coffee machine without turning it on, and ever since, there would be a freshly brewed pot of coffee on the table before Joe woke up.

It was as if by covering for Joe enough, Nicky could pretend this wasn’t happening at all. Joe frowned deeply at the thought.

“Hey,” Nicky said, coming to sit next to Joe. “What’s wrong, hayati? Would you rather stay in today than go to the beach? I won’t mind, you know.”

Joe shook his head. “No, it’s not that, it’s…” He furrowed his brow, then sighed in defeat. “Nevermind. Let’s just go to… the place. What you said.”

“The beach?”

“Mhm. Let’s go to the beach.”

“Alright. I’ll get us a bag.” Nicky kissed Joe’s forehead gently and got up to leave.

“Nicky, wait.”

“Yes, love?”

“Is it- Am I getting a lot worse, do you think?” Joe blurted.

Nicky frowned. “Why would you say that?”

“It’s just- You didn’t let me pay rent this month. Usually you remind me, but you did it yourself last week, didn’t you?”

“So what if I did? I don’t want to make things any harder for you than they already are. Let me be there for you in these little ways, ya qalbi.”

“You are. You’re always there for me. But you’re doing so much now, too much, and I feel like I’m not pulling my weight anymore. I don’t want to become a- a…”

“A burden?”

Joe was already shaking his head, having clocked the disappointment in Nicky’s eyes. “No! No, Nicky, that’s not what I-”

“Joe. I think we should move back to Malta.”

Joe paused, a little taken aback. “Back to Malta? Like, for good?”

“For good.”

“We’ll be far away from Nile and Booker, though.”

“They can come visit whenever they want. They’re still immortal, Joe. We’re not. I want to spend the time we have left in the place I married you one thousand years ago.”

Joe stood up and looped his arms around Nicky’s neck. He grinned as Nicky’s arms circled his waist, pulling him closer. “And you say I’m an incurable romantic.”

Nicky laughed. “So you’re okay with that, then?” he asked, hopeful eyes searching Joe’s.

“More than okay. I can’t wait, amore.”

***

Dinner with Nile was a lovely time, as always.

“How is Booker doing, sorellina?” Nicky asked as he dished second helpings of lasagne onto everyone’s plates.

“Fine,” Nile said with her mouth full. “His therapy group is taking a field trip to the Met tonight, so he couldn’t come. But he said to bring him back some food.”

Joe laughed, turning to Nicky with delight. “Sir, be sure to pack this young lady your restaurant’s finest lasagne, to-go.”

Nicky rolled his eyes. “If Booker wants food, he can come get some himself,” he grumbled, nevertheless grabbing a clean tupperware from the counter. “It’s been ages since he’s shown his face around here.”

“He wants to come all the time, I promise,” Nile reassured him. “It’s just so busy now, between jobs and therapy-”

“I keep telling Nicky we can still work the jobs,” Joe cut in. “Just because we’re mortal doesn’t mean we can’t help with intel and stuff. Or Nicky can, at least.”

“And I keep telling you it’s not necessary,” Nile countered, gentle but firm. “It’s important that you two spend this time with each other. And anyway, Booker and I are managing just fine.”

“It can’t be easy, though.” Nicky popped open a bottle of wine. “Do you mind non-alcoholic, Nile? If so, I can pull up another-”

“No, no, non-alcoholic is great. And to tell you the truth, we are taking on less now. Choosing our battles more carefully. But the ones we choose, we’re fighting them better, I think.”

Joe sat back, smiling fondly. “Good. Good. I think we’ve all been prioritizing doing a better job of living. But the offer always stands, Nile. If you two ever need some extra hands, we’re here.”

Over lasagne and wine, the conversation ebbed and flowed late into the night. It was nearly 2AM when Joe stood up, yawning.

“Bed, habibi?” Nicky asked.

“Hmm. I think I’ll call it a night.”

“Let me get you your medicine. Nile, would you mind moving the dishes to the sink? I’ll be back in a minute to wash them.”

Nile stood up, piling the dishes together. Joe and Nicky walked towards the bedroom.

As Joe settled into bed, Nicky puttered around to arrange his pills and a glass of water.

“Nicky, we forgot to tell Nile about the plan. That we’re going to move back to, uh…” Joe’s eyes widened in mild horror as he struggled to remember. “Malta! Malta. We’re moving back to Malta.”

Nicky walked over to him and sat down on the edge of the bed. He lovingly cupped Joe’s face, leaning in to rest their foreheads together.

“I’ll tell her. Here. You take this medicine and rest. I should go-”

“Do you want to see what I drew at the beach?” Joe cut in. He didn’t want Nicky to leave just yet.

“Ya amar, of course I do. Where is your sketchbook, still in the bag? I’ll get it.”

Nicky handed him the book, and Joe flipped through it until he found what he was looking for.

“It would have been better if I had colors, but…”

He held out the book to Nicky, who promptly forgot how to breathe. Done in nothing but ordinary pencil graphite was his own profile, set against the background of a stunning black and white sunset. The fading rays of light gleamed on the ocean’s surface, and the waves looked, magically, like they could move.

“Do you like it?” Joe asked. Nicky realized he’d been staring in silence. He set the book on the nightstand and wrapped a hand behind Joe’s head, pulling him in for a kiss.

“I love it,” he said, kissing him again. “I love you. It’s beautiful. Everything you make is beautiful, but this one especially so. And you’re beautiful.”

Joe giggled beneath the onslaught of kisses and praise. “You’re a sap. Now go, Nile is waiting for you.”

“Alright, alright. I’m going.”

“Nicky?”

“Hmm?”

“Come back soon.”

Nicky grinned. “It’s almost 3AM. I won’t be long; Nile is probably exhausted, too.”

“Tell her to stay the night,” Joe mumbled, already half asleep. “Too late to drive.”

“I’ll tell her, love. Sleep well.”

“Tell me what?” Nile asked as Nicky returned to the living room.

“To stay the night, it’s late.” He looked towards the kitchen. “Where are the dishes?”

“I washed them, they’re on the drying rack.”

“Sorellina! You are a guest!”

“I’m family. I can help with the dishes,” Nile argued, rolling her eyes.

Nicky smiled, settling down next to her on the couch. Nile shifted, curling up close to his side and resting her head on his shoulder.

“How are you doing?” she asked after a beat.

“Fine, Joe’s been-”

“I said you, Nicky.”

Nicky hesitated. “I’m alright, I think. Life is not harder now, not really. It’s nice to spend our days enjoying each other’s company, without having to worry about jobs and stuff. But…”

“But?”

“I can’t shake this sense of… loss? Our every interaction is tinged with it. He is the one diagnosed, but sometimes it feels like I’m the one who’s losing my sense of reality. I feel untethered.” Nicky broke off with a dry chuckle. “He gets upset if I’m too sad around him, so I try not to show it.”

“Oh.”

“Is it terribly greedy of me, Nile?”

“What?”

“That we’ve had over a thousand years together, more than anyone else in human history, and all I can think of is that it’s not enough. That I’m not ready. That I want more.”

“Love always wants more, Nicky. And no one is ever ready, no matter how much or how little time we have. Like, Andy and Quynh, right? You knew them for centuries, I knew them for a few years. But neither of us were ready to lose them.”

“I can’t do that again, Nile,” Nicky said wearily, feeling the full weight of his years. “I can’t mourn anyone else. I can’t mourn Joe.”

“You already are.”

Nicky’s eyes snapped to hers. “Wha- what do you mean by that? He said something like that, too.”

“You’re mourning the parts of him he’s already forgotten. You’re mourning the Joe who remembered his sisters’ names. The Joe who could differentiate San Paolo ‘34 from Berlin ‘27. The Joe who-”

“Stop.” Nicky squeezed his eyes shut. “He’s still here. My Joe is still here.”

“That’s exactly my point,” Nile said. “Think about the Joe you fell in love with outside of Jerusalem, Nicky. Now think of Joe sleeping inside. Everything has changed, but you still love him. What was it you fell in love with, the one thing that’s remained constant? His body? His mind?”

“His soul.”

“And can Alzheimer’s touch that? Can death?”

Nicky sniffled. He kissed the top of Nile’s head. “You’re far too wise for your age, you know.”

“I’ve had practice,” she mumbled.

“Yeah. Let’s get you to bed, alright? Will you stay the night?”

“Mhm.”

“Good.”

Nile ended up finding out about Malta the next morning, when Joe mentioned moving plans to Nicky over breakfast.

“You didn’t tell her last night, tesoro?”

“I meant to. But I guess we were all really tired.”

“I think it’s a great idea. When are you two planning to move?” Nile asked.

“As soon as possible. Joe and I were looking at flights for this weekend.”

Nile nodded. “Booker and I can help you pack. How’s tonight?”

“Fine, if a bit early. We don’t have that much stuff,” Joe said between sips of coffee. “At least not here. There are some things in the safehouses…”

“Sure. You and Nicky make a list whenever you’re free, and I’ll make a few trips with Booker and ship everything to the Malta address.”

“You’re an angel, sorellina,” Nicky said.

In the comfortable silence that followed, Joe looked back and forth between them, trying to memorize this moment. Nicolò di Genova is reading the paper, he thought. Nile Freeman is eating toast. Nile is married to Sebastien Le Livre, whom we call Booker. Booker isn’t here because he was- he had-

“Did Booker send you any pictures from the Met?” Nicky asked Nile.

Ah. He’d gone to the Met with his therapy group.

Nile shook her head. “A few cute ones they took outside, but I think the exhibit they went to see didn’t allow photography. He’ll probably have some brochure pictures to talk our ears off about later, though.” She smiled fondly. “It’s our turn to bring something over for dinner tonight, okay?”

“Absolutely not,” Nicky argued. “I love cooking for you guys. Let me make dinner. You’ll be stuck with your own cooking once we leave for Malta, anyway.”

Nile gasped in mock offense. “Well, someone has an inflated sense of their own abilities.”

“Habibi, listen, she’s disparaging my cooking,” Nicky complained.

“You insulted her first, my love. If you can dish it, you’d better take it.”

Nile laughed at the look of utter betrayal on Nicky’s face as she walked her empty plate to the sink.

“I’m gonna head out,” she said. “I’ll be back with Booker around 7. And fine, looks like dinner’s on you, Nicky.”

“I’m making poisoned mushroom risotto.”

“Suit yourself, I’m not the one who’s mortal.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Nicky muttered around a grin as Nile and Joe high-fived. “See you later, Nile.”

***

Midnights were Nicky’s favorite part of Malta. The sky hung heavy like a black velvet blanket, and the sparkle of the stars reminded him of Joe’s eyes.

In the months since they’d arrived, Joe’s health had taken an undeniable turn for the worse. They’d talked to Dr. Shukla and doubled his dose of Razelon. Soon after, they’d doubled it again. But the disease progressed with a vengeance of lifetimes, as if it was trying to recompense Joe’s immortality by cutting his mortal life short.

Nowadays, Nicky almost never left Joe’s side, from waking him up in the morning, to bathing him, to feeding him, to taking him on long walks to visit their favorite places.

And truly, there was nowhere he’d rather be. But Nicky was wracked with guilt over the terrifying intensity with which he missed Joe. He found himself clinging fervently to Joe’s few and far-between moments of lucidity, dreading the day when Joe would look at him and no longer remember his name.

A tear startled Nicky as it slipped down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly, leaning over the balcony railing and breathing in the sleeping city.

“Nicky?”

Nicky whirled around. “Joe? You’re not asleep?”

“I woke up. I- I missed you.”

“Oh, my love, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d wake up. Come on, let’s go back to bed.”

As they settled back under the covers together, Joe reached for Nicky’s hand and squeezed gently.

“What is it, hayati?”

“Nicky, I need to tell you something.”

Nicky turned to face him. “I’m listening.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

There was a tense pause. Then-

“Do you know how much I look forward to this, Joe? These brief minutes when you’re present, fully alert and oriented? Tell me, have I waited for this moment only to hear you say those words?”

“I just- I want you to know that you can leave. This is only going to get worse, Nicky. You didn’t sign up to change my diapers.”

“I didn’t sign up for immortality, either. But I embraced over a thousand years of it, Joe. Because I was in it with you.”

Joe rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling and blinking back tears.

Nicky groaned, propping himself up on an elbow. “Listen here, you idiot. I know I can leave. I could’ve left when you offered me your hand outside of Jerusalem. I could’ve left when we had our first fight. I could’ve left when we lost Quynh. I could’ve left after WWII, when we became so depressed that we could hardly stand the sight of each other.”

“But you didn’t.”

“Of course I didn’t. I love you, Joe. I don’t ever want to leave you.” He paused. “Unless you want me to.”

“And if I say I do want you to?”

“I’d tell you not to be a martyr.” Nicky sighed in frustration. “What would you do if it were me, Joe? Would you walk away?”

Joe’s breath hitched. He immediately shook his head.

“Why?” Nicky barrelled on. “Because of some twisted sense of morality? Because of some obligation-”

“Because I love you, amore. I would suffer a hundred deaths to spend just one hour more in your arms.”

Nicky slowly lay back down. He cupped Joe’s tear-stained cheek, tenderly guiding their lips together in a warm kiss.

“See? Can we drop this, now?”

Joe nodded. “If you’re sure.”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, ya qalbi.”

They drifted to sleep in each other’s arms, exchanging quiet kisses and hums of contentment. The next morning, Nicky realized he’d made a terrible, terrible mistake.

It was their wedding anniversary. Their original wedding anniversary, the approximate date they’d gotten married in Malta over a thousand years ago.

Nicky had meant to be absolutely insufferable about it, to go on and on about it from at least three days prior. That way, Joe would remember. He wouldn’t have to deal with the guilt of forgetting, or the reality that his dementia no longer afforded him keeping track of the date.

Instead, Nicky had all but forgotten as well, only to be jarringly reminded by the date flashing on his phone.

He cursed as he fiddled with the coffee machine, analyzing his options. First option, he could simply remind Joe that today was their anniversary. Slip it into casual conversation or something.

But then he imagined Joe’s eyes going wide with shock and sadness as it sunk in that this is where they were at, now. He imagined Joe apologizing profusely for not planning anything special for Nicky. He imagined the guilt that any further attempts to celebrate would be tinged with, and that just wouldn’t do.

Second option, Nicky decided. He would simply not say anything. They’d treat this just like any other day, and what Joe didn’t remember wouldn’t hurt him. Something ugly twisted in Nicky’s gut at the thought that this could be their last anniversary together, but he stubbornly shoved it down. He could do this for Joe.

“Nicky?” Joe’s voice echoed down the hall. Nicky quickly switched on the coffee machine and returned to their bedroom.

“You’re awake already, love. Did you sleep well?”

Joe nodded, looking a little dazed. Slowly, his eyes focused on Nicky. He smiled. “Can we go brush my teeth? I want to kiss you.”

Nicky laughed, coming to sit at the edge of the bed. “How about a kiss first, beautiful?”

Joe’s smile went soft, his gaze drifting languidly to Nicky’s lips. “Okay.”

Nicky reached for Joe’s hand as they kissed, threading their fingers together. Joe made a small noise of happiness, draping his other arm over Nicky’s shoulder and pressing closer.

This is enough, Nicky realized with startling clarity. This is more than enough for celebrating today. If he’s happy, I’m happy.

***

Awareness was strange for Joe, these days. Dr. Shukla had told him that no two people experience Alzheimer’s the same way; it was better to observe what happens than to expect a specific process.

These days, life often felt like working on the corner of a painting, some zoomed-in fragment for his mind to get lost in. He would zone out and zone back in, switching between his immediate reality and some dark, floaty place deep inside his consciousness. Any concept of the “bigger picture” seemed uncannily absent.

It would be terrifying, he knew, if not for Nicky. My husband, Joe thought fondly. That, at least, he had not forgotten yet.

Joe’s body still remembered perfectly well what his mind could no longer articulate. Nicky’s hand in his hand, Nicky’s lips on his lips. The instinctive way he’d reach out for comfort and find Nicky there, calm eyes and steady arms and gentle smile.

“Joe?”

With tremendous effort, Joe pulled himself out of his thoughts, trying to focus on the voice. “Hmm?”

“Hey, it’s okay, don’t strain yourself.” Nicky rested a hand on Joe’s shoulder, and he immediately relaxed. “I’m making pastizzi. You remember pastizzi?”

Joe furrowed his brow. He doubted the word alone would have meant anything to him, but combined with the savory smell wafting from the kitchen, a fuzzy memory clicked into place.

“Favorite.”

Nicky chuckled softly. “That’s right. It’s your favorite.”

“Special. It’s for special days. Is today something special?”

Nicky startled like a deer in headlights. “Uh, wha- Yes! Of course it is.” He leaned down to kiss Joe’s curls. “Every day with you is so, so special, my love. It goes without saying, does it not?”

Joe grinned guilelessly, taking Nicky’s hand and kissing his knuckles. “Is Andromache coming?”

“Andromache is not here, sweetheart.” Nicky wrapped his arms around Joe, swaying gently from side to side. “It’s just us, for now.”

“That sounds nice, too.”

“What do you want to do after breakfast today?”

“Draw. I want to draw you. But can we take a nap first?”

“Of course.” Nicky unwound his arms from Joe and walked into the kitchen. “You got up too early today, habibi. I told you, you should rest more. You’ll be tired all day, otherwise.”

“I only like to sleep with you, tesoro.”

Nicky barked out a laugh. “You don’t need to tell me twice. Here, let’s eat. Then we’ll nap together.”

Joe enjoyed breakfast, taking comfort in the familiar, grounding taste of Nicky’s homemade pastizzi. And he definitely enjoyed falling asleep in his husband’s arms, head pillowed on Nicky’s chest, bathed in the late morning sunlight.

When Joe woke up, it was in one of those increasingly rare and precious moments of clarity. Nicky lay beside him, still fast asleep. Joe stared unabashedly, marveling at how Nicky managed to look even more soft and peaceful than usual in his sleep. He reached for his sketchbook and began drawing.

As the hours passed, portraits turned into poetry, and poetry into letters. Joe wondered, for a moment, if he should wake Nicky up for lunch, but he was loath to disrupt the little rest that Nicky managed to get these days.

Instead, Joe sat quietly by his side, taking advantage of his own lucidity to write a letter to Nile and Booker. He vaguely recalled Nicky mentioning that they would visit at some point, and he wanted to make sure he could convey what he wanted to say to them.

Just as Joe was wrapping up, Nicky stirred beside him.

“Joe?” he said, voice rough with sleep.

“Sono qui.”

Nicky glanced at the bedside clock. He scrambled to sit up, gently taking Joe’s face in his hands.

“Hayati, why didn’t you wake me? It’s three in the afternoon! Oh my love, aren’t you hungry? Did you drink water today?”

Joe smiled, kissing Nicky softly. “I went and drank water. I accidentally dropped a glass, though-”

“That’s alright.”

“-and don’t worry, I’m not hungry yet. Breakfast was very filling. You looked so relaxed sleeping, I didn’t want to wake you for no reason.”

“I’m so sorry, Joe, I didn’t mean to crash like that. How long have you been up?”

“Since noon. But please, amore, don’t apologize. You deserve to rest.” Nicky opened his mouth, presumably to protest, but Joe pushed on. “Do you want to see what I drew? And I wrote you a poem, can I read it to you?”

Nicky’s expression softened, the tension visibly draining from his shoulders. “Absolutely, Joe. Show me everything you’ve sketched and written. Then we can go out for a late lunch, okay?”

To Joe’s immense satisfaction, the mental fog largely stayed away for the rest of the day. There were moments, of course, when all he could do was hold Nicky’s hand and follow his footsteps, mind eerily blank except for the buzz of physical sensation right beneath the surface.

But for the most part, Joe was present. He recognized by name the café they stopped by for lunch and the restaurant they went to for dinner. In between, when they visited il-Moskea, Joe was able to pray properly for the first time in weeks. Nicky had prayed alongside him, and as Joe listened to the quiet recitation of Quran verses from his lips, peace had seemed so easy. So reachable.

“Lean forward, hayati,” Nicky murmured. The moment they’d come home, Nicky had started a hot bath for Joe. Joe complied, leaning forward until the lightly scented bubbles tickled his beard. “Feels good?” Nicky asked, swiping a washcloth over his back.

“So good. Ti amo, Nicky.”

“Ti amo tanto. Now lean back, let’s rinse.”

“Did we- did we used to do this before?”

“What, bathing?” Nicky teased.

“Shut up. I mean, bathing each other. It feels familiar. An ancient ritual from way before I got sick.”

“Hmm.”

“But I can’t remember, Nicky. I visit the place in my heart where I stored those memories, and it’s empty. Like they’ve been stolen.”

Joe heard the distress creep into his tone, and he was sure Nicky could hear it, too. Sure enough, Nicky set the washcloth down and cupped Joe’s face.

“Hey, shhh. Just breathe, my love. It’s okay. We’re okay.”

“I feel like I keep hurting you when I forget important things about us. I don’t want to make you sad. But I can’t help it, Nicky, I don’t know-”

“Joe, ya amar, this isn’t your fault. You never make me sad, do you hear me? And it’s okay if you can’t remember. Getting to be here with you, in this moment, is so much more important to me than anything that came before.”

Joe lowered his eyes, unconvinced.

Nicky sighed. “Hey. The water is getting cold. Let me get your towel from the dryer, I’ll just be a moment.”

Seconds after Nicky left, his phone buzzed, sliding from the toilet lid to the floor. Joe frowned, extending a shaky arm out of the tub to put it back.

But as he picked up the phone, Joe caught sight of the date. June 18th. His frown deepened. June 18th, June 18th, June 18th…

Joe had no idea how he did it, but somehow, he managed to put two and two together. The pastizzi for breakfast. Their favorite restaurants. The trip to the mosque. The way Nicky’s hands had been impossibly gentler today, the way his eyes shined even softer with love.

“Why didn’t you tell me it’s our anniversary?” Joe demanded as soon as Nicky set foot in the bathroom.

Nicky froze. “Joe. How in God’s name did you remember that?”

“I figured it out.”

Nicky set the freshly washed towel on the toilet lid and knelt by the tub. “Joe-”

“You were celebrating it without telling me.” Joe sniffled, mortified to feel tears pooling in his eyes. Of all the things dementia had taken from him, this had to be the worst. He hadn’t even bought Nicky a present.

“Yusuf, please. Please let me explain?” Nicky begged, reaching into the tepid water to hold Joe’s hands.

Joe shook his head, feeling the tears slip loose. Nicky drew a shaky breath, leaning forward to kiss them away. He was crying, too, Joe realized with a start.

“Perdonami, my heart. Perdonami. I didn’t think you’d remember. I didn’t say anything because you would have been devastated that- that it’s gotten this bad. I couldn’t bear you blaming yourself for something so utterly out of your control.”

Joe didn’t reply.

“Joe, listen to me. It’s just a date on the calendar, my love.”

“I don’t want to forget you,” Joe whispered.

A sob caught in Nicky’s throat. He pulled off his shirt and stepped into the tub, wrapping Joe in his arms. Joe tucked his face into Nicky’s neck and cried like a baby.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay. It’s okay,” Nicky croaked, rocking them back and forth. “Everything will be okay.”

It was late by the time they dried off and made it to bed, not bothering with clothes. Joe watched as Nicky put a second comforter at the foot of their bed, in case it got cold during the night. When they were finally snuggled together beneath the covers, Joe spoke.

“Nicky?”

“Hmm?”

“If- when I forget you, will you forgive me?”

Nicky pulled him closer, inhaling deeply as he tangled a hand in Joe’s hair. “There will be nothing to forgive, hayati.”

“I’m not doing it on purpose-”

“I know, Yusuf. I know. You never need to explain yourself to me.”

“Nicolò, promise me that- promise me that you won’t forget. Please don’t forget me.” Joe muffled a whimper, pressing closer until he could feel Nicky’s heart beating against his chest.

There was a long silence. When Nicky spoke, his voice was the steadiest Joe had ever heard.

“My beloved, I promise you that I will not forget. Whether or not you remember, whether or not you can even tell I’m there, I will be at your side for as long as we have together. I will take care of you in every way I know how. And when there is nothing left to do, I will honor your memory until my dying breath. I promise.”

Joe couldn’t reply, couldn’t breathe, as he felt his eyes well up again. His husband rubbed a soothing hand up and down his back, and gradually, the moment of terror passed. Joe relaxed into the sensation, falling asleep to the rhythm of Nicky’s heart and the echo of his magnanimous words.

***

“He doesn’t speak much, now,” Nicky briefed Nile and Booker as he helped carry their overnight bags in. “You’ll have to introduce yourselves.”

Months had passed since their anniversary, and Nicky was adjusting to this new life right alongside Joe. Their dynamic had changed, but their love had not.

Joe no longer walked up behind Nicky and hugged him while he cooked. Nicky no longer woke up at 2AM to find Joe hunched over his sketchbook, struck by some untimely inspiration. They’d never had much need for words, but now, verbal conversation was even rarer.

Instead, they spoke the well-loved language of gentle touches, of midday naps wrapped in each other’s arms. A spontaneous kiss never failed to make Joe smile, and Joe’s smile was enough to make Nicky’s entire day. Their interactions fell back on a bedrock of trust one thousand years in the making. Of course there were bad days - days colored with grief and sickness and loneliness - but far more often, Nicky found his heart flooded with quiet gratitude.

“Hello, Joe,” Nile said, kneeling in front of Joe’s chair and taking his hand. “I’m Nile. It’s lovely to see you.”

Joe said nothing, but his lips curved up in a tentative smile. Booker came forward and knelt next to Nile.

“Hey, buddy. It’s Booker. Long time no see. I don’t know how much of this you understand, Joe, but I hope you know that we love you. So, so much.”

“Hmm,” Joe grunted softly. He turned his other palm over in his lap, as if in invitation. Booker wrapped his hands around Joe’s, eyes shining as he brought it to his lips with reverence.

“I think he knows, Booker,” Nicky smiled fondly. “Come on, I made rice. You two must be hungry from the long plane ride.”

It was later that night, after everyone had eaten and napped, that Nicky remembered about the letters. Joe sat on the couch wrapped in a blanket, watching with interest as Nicky, Nile, and Booker played Snakes & Ladders on the coffee table.

“Oh! I almost forgot,” Nicky exclaimed.

“What?” Nile asked.

“No, no, no - stop trying to distract us,” Booker said shrewdly. “You’re about to land on that snake and you know it. No cheating.”

Nile laughed. “He’s right. Take the fall, old man. You’re back to square five. Come on.”

Nicky scowled, sliding his piece all the way down the board. He’d been so close to winning.

From the couch, Joe snickered. Nile and Booker looked at him in surprise.

“He understands what’s going on?” Booker asked incredulously.

“Just enough to know when to laugh at me.” Nicky rolled his eyes, stopping to kiss Joe’s forehead as he walked away. A soft smile melted across Joe’s face, and he snuggled deeper into his blanket.

“I didn’t think he could get any more adorable, but here we are,” Nile commented. “Joe, you’re a sap, you know that?”

“You’re one to talk,” Nicky countered as he returned with the envelopes. “Remind me again what you gave Booker for your last anniversary?”

“A five-page poem comparing our love to the heavens from five different religious traditions,” Booker bragged. “It was the best thing I’ve ever read.”

Nile blushed furiously. “Alright, alright. Point taken. Hey, what are those?”

Nicky held up the envelopes. “Joe wrote us letters a few months back. One is for you two, and the other one is for me. But he said I couldn’t open mine until I gave you guys yours.”

Nicky handed Nile one of the envelopes and slipped the other into the pocket of his hoodie. Joe watched with mild curiosity, clearly not recognizing the letters.

“Should we call it a night?” Booker asked. “It’s nearly 1AM.”

“Quitting while you’re in the lead, Book?” Nicky teased. “But no, I think that’s a great idea. Joe would normally have slept hours ago.”

“He doesn’t look tired,” Nile observed.

“That’s because he’s entertained. He loves when people visit.”

The four of them walked towards the bedrooms. Nile and Booker waved goodbye to Joe as Nicky guided him into their room, before continuing down the hallway to the guest room.

“Nicky’s set everything up for us,” Nile appreciated. “These sheets are so soft.”

“That man works too hard. I worry about him.” Booker ran a hand through his hair fretfully. “I don’t know, Nile, I feel like we should hang around here more. Help Nicky out, spend more time with Joe.”

Nile stepped out of her clothes and curled up under the covers. Booker followed suit.

“We could,” she agreed. “I would appreciate the change of pace. And of course, having the family together will be nice.”

“But you would get restless.”

“Me and you both, Book.” Nile turned to face him, reaching out to caress his cheek. “I know, I know the point of immortality isn’t to fight all the time. But when we’re not fighting, I feel like we’re wasting this gift.”

“Yeah. I’ve had centuries longer to get used to immortality, and I still feel that way.”

“Maybe we could visit more often?”

“Hmm,” Booker smiled. “That would be nice.”

“Hey. Should we open Joe’s letter?”

“Oh, yeah! Definitely.” Booker propped himself up against the headboard, holding out an arm to Nile. She snuggled up next to him, carefully opening the envelope.

“Here we go.”

***

There were good days, and there were bad days. Nicky had spent centuries caring for the world, and now, he savored the years he’d been given to care for his world.

Nile and Booker visited more now, and Nicky sensed, deep down, that something had changed. Late-stage Alzheimer’s had not been easy on Joe - the darkness that came with cognitive decline was an extremely unpleasant experience for someone who preferred putting their emotions into words. And then, as Joe’s motor skills wore down, he’d found himself increasingly cut off from his art. Nicky had ached for him, helpless to provide much relief.

But these days, there was a calmness about Joe that hadn’t been there before. The anxiety gave way to an aura of peace, especially when Joe could see or hear Nicky nearby. Often, Nicky would stop whatever he was doing to just come sit with Joe, trying to absorb some of his serenity. It was like being in the presence of someone deep in meditation.

One night, Nicky returned to their bedroom after doing the dishes to find Joe sitting up against the headboard.

“Still awake, hayati?” He shook out the sheets as he undressed for bed, not expecting a response.

“Nicolò.”

Nicky froze. Surely he’d hallucinated that; it had been over a year since Joe was able to recognize him by name. He didn’t dare look up.

“Nicolò, my beloved,” Joe repeated, voice hoarse with disuse. Nicky closed his eyes, clamping down on a sob. He tossed the sheets aside and crawled into bed, reaching for Joe.

“What is it?” Nicky asked as he took Joe’s hands in his own, kissing his cold knuckles. “Tell me.”

“It’s time.”

“No,” Nicky shook his head, wrapping his arms around Joe. He was utterly unprepared for this. “No, no, please God, please, no…”

Nicky clung to Joe, sobbing unrestrainedly into his shoulder. This couldn’t be happening. This was madness. A nightmare, Nicky decided - a particularly torturous nightmare that he would soon wake up from. And Joe would be next to him, perfectly fine, their lives untouched by this ugly monster of a disease.

When he finally calmed down enough to pull back, Nicky found Joe watching him, eyes round with unshed tears. The moment of lucidity had passed, Nicky realized. All Joe could see now was his seemingly causeless distress.

Joe tightened his grip on Nicky’s arm minutely in a silent question, and Nicky almost wanted to laugh. Even now, Joe was still checking in with him.

“It’s nothing, love.” Nicky wiped his eyes quickly. “Let’s sleep, yeah? You must be tired.”

Nicky helped Joe lie down on his back before lying down next to him. He pulled Joe closer, gently kissing the shell of his ear.

“I love you,” Nicky murmured, the words feeling like too much and not enough. “I’m going to tell you a story tonight, okay?”

Joe grunted his assent, already half asleep. Nicky closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to ground himself. He thought back to Joe’s letter, to the words he’d memorized the very night he read them.

When the time comes, amore mio, I ask that you hold me close. And speak to me, please. I want to hear everything - how we met in Jerusalem, our adventures with Andy and Quynh, all the bets you lost to Booker, the delight on Nile’s face when you let her use the paints you’d preserved from the 1500s. I want to hear about all the times we got married, and all the anniversaries we celebrated. Most of all, Nicky, I want to hear your voice. I want to move on from this world surrounded by you, your beautiful voice, your loving hands.

And in case I can’t tell you then, I love you. Deep down, I think I’ve always loved you, even before we made peace. And I know I will always love you, be it in this world or the next. Please never doubt this, my all. I love you so much.

Nicky struggled for a moment to regain control, overwhelmed at the memory. Then, lips touching Joe’s ear, he began to speak. He held Joe in his arms as he whispered their story into the silence of the night. Joe sighed deeply in his sleep, pliant in Nicky’s embrace.

Nicky had no idea how long he continued on - hours, at least. There was so much to say. He talked and talked until he fell asleep next to Joe, right where he belonged.

***

“Abort mission,” Nile hissed into the comms. “Code Red. Meet me at the checkpoint ASAP.”

Minutes later, Booker jogged up to the checkpoint. “What happened? Are you okay? I’d almost gotten through-” Booker stopped, noticing Nile’s tear-streaked face. His tone softened immediately. “Mon amour, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Nile sniffled. “Joe’s gone, Book. He’s gone.”

Booker staggered backwards like he’d been slapped. “Gone?! What the fuck do you mean, gone?”

Nile pressed a fist to her mouth to stifle a sob. “Voicemail.” She held out her phone.

Booker put the phone to his ear and listened. He heard Nicky’s voice, quiet and anguished, but felt oddly removed from the whole situation. What language was Nicky speaking? It sounded like Italian, so why wasn’t it making sense?

“Hey, Book? Talk to me, love. Hey.”

Nile’s voice, Booker thought. It sounded like she was talking to him through a very long cardboard tube. His vision swam. Everything seemed so distorted.

“Booker!”

The next thing he knew, Booker was blinking up at Nile from the ground, head half in her lap.

“Do not pass out on me,” Nile muttered through gritted teeth. “Get up, Book, please. I can’t do this. Not alone. Please.”

Booker felt an itch on his cheek, but when he reached up to scratch it, his hand came away wet with tears. Nicky’s words, tinny and wrecked with sorrow, floated back into his head.

It suddenly struck him that Nicky was an ocean away, alone with his grief. Booker pushed himself to his feet, holding out a hand to Nile.

“Come on. We have to go to Malta.”

They fought on the trip, during a two-hour layover in Spain. Exhausted, hungry, and grieving, it was no surprise their tempers ran unusually short.

“What do you mean, let him be?” Nile assuredly did not yell. She was simply disagreeing loudly. “He’s lost his life partner of a thousand years, Book! He needs support - he needs family.”

“And what makes you think we can be that for him? What makes you think we can even start to fill the void left by Joe’s absence?!”

“It’s not about filling the damn void-”

“You don’t know what it’s like! When I lost my mortal wife, I felt like I’d lost everything! Even though I had Andy, and Joe, and Nicky, and- and you.”

“You were entitled to your grief, Book. So is Nicky. But I lost people too, so don’t you dare tell me I don’t know what it’s like. I’m immortal, too. I’ve lost my parents. It’s not just you.”

“No, that’s not- Listen! It took me centuries, centuries, to overcome that grief. I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t have done it if I had a choice. All I’m saying is… Nicky has a choice, Nile. He’s mortal.”

Nile’s eyes went wide. “So you’re saying we just- let him take his own life?!”

“I’m saying it’s not our decision to make! And it’s not… morally wrong or something if he chooses that. Look, chronic pain is real, Nile, whether it’s physical or emotional. Everyone who can has a right to opt out.”

“This isn’t the same thing as euthenasia, Book.”

“It’s not so different either, is it?”

There was a minute of silence as they stared daggers at each other across the terminal bench. Then Booker sighed.

“They’re closer than we could ever imagine, Nile. They’re one soul, two bodies. If he wants to go, we have to let him go.”

Nile sat down, running a hand down her face in devastation. “What about the letter?”

“What letter?”

“You know what letter. Joe’s letter. He asked us for one thing, Booker. One thing only. And that was that we don’t let Nicky die of a broken heart.”

“It doesn’t matter. Joe’s not here. Nicky is.”

“How could you dismiss his last wishes like that?”

“Nile, look at me. What do you think Joe wants above all else? What’s the only thing he’s ever really wanted?”

“For Nicky to be happy,” Nile whispered after a beat. “Love, can’t we at least try? Can’t we just… be there for him?”

“Of course,” Booker said, sitting down next to her and taking her hand. “Of course. But we cannot choose for him, amour. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Okay,” Nile sniffled, not entirely convinced. “Okay. I’m sorry I shouted at you.”

“I’m sorry, too. I’m just really…” Booker waved a hand in the air, trying to find the words. “Broken. I feel broken. Like I’m not myself.”

“I understand. I feel like that, too.”

“Hey. We don’t board for another 20 minutes. Can I get you a coffee?”

Nile managed a tired half-smile. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

***

In the end, it took four days of sleeping on Nicky’s couch for them to convince Nicky to drink water. It was another two days before he could keep down any food.

On the ninth day, Nicky broke down in front of them for the first time, crying his heart out as Booker and Nile just held him, murmuring gentle nothings and waiting out the tears.

They decided, at length, to take the year off from missions. They stayed with Nicky in the large house, trying to make it feel less empty. The grief would hit each of them at different times, and when it did, the other two would be there, always ready to lend a shoulder to cry on.

Within a year, the depression was slowly starting to lift. None of them had quite moved on, but they were very deliberately trying to make peace with this new reality.

Nicky fell back on simple rituals. Across from his bed, where he could see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night, he pinned up one of Joe’s charcoal self-portraits. Nicky loved it for how raw and alive it was in its beauty; not simply an image of Joe, but one that still carried traces of his fingertips in the sweeping strokes, the perspective of his eyes in the lighting.

Every morning, Nicky would kiss the tips of his fingers and press them to the bottom of the portrait in benediction. Then, he would close his eyes, letting the love and sorrow flow freely in his chest for a few minutes.

“I will see you again, hayati,” he would say. “Wait for me by the gates of Heaven, just as you did by the gates of Jerusalem. I will be with you again soon.”

It was a ritual that Nile and Booker supported wholeheartedly.

“Tell Joe to say hi to Andy for me,” Booker would add.

“Tell Joe I miss him. No one else will geek out with me over the Impressionist Movement,” Nile would grumble.

Sometimes, Nicky thought, it was like Joe was simply away on a mission. Like he would walk back through the door at any moment.

“Maybe he never left,” Nile mused once when Nicky voiced this thought. The three of them were sitting on the veranda, sipping hot tea and watching people mull about on the street.

Nicky frowned. “I want his soul to be at peace, Nile. Not wandering around like a ghost.”

“You know what they say. Not all who wander are lost.”

“I do feel like he’s here, sometimes,” Nicky confessed. “People say that your loved ones never truly leave you, that they stay alive in your heart, but I always figured it was a metaphor. I never imagined it could feel so real.”

“Can I ask you something, Nicky?” Booker’s voice shook slightly with hesitation.

“Hmm, go ahead.”

“How- how did you survive?”

Nicky rubbed his eyes. “Joe would never forgive me if I didn’t. That was the main reason. But I also believe that this is my penance.”

“For what?”

“For how we met. For what I did to him, to his people, his family. All this pain - being without him, mourning him - this is what finally cleanses me of my actions. It hurts, every day it hurts, but I can’t bring myself to run from it.” He stared down into his tea for a long moment. “I will continue on until it is my time, because it’s what my Joe would have wanted.”

***

Three years after Joe’s passing, Nicky finally gathered the courage to sort through his things. As he carried a stack of notebooks from the closet to the bed, one slipped to the ground and fell open.

Nicky set the others down and picked it up, running his fingertips over the page. It was a poem, written in Joe’s familiar cursive.

Empires rise and fall In a blink of God’s eye, The laws of nature bend As what’s mortal becomes divine. And the realization dawns When I see I’m left behind, Humankind’s greatest inheritance Is losing something to time.

As Nicky contemplated this, his cell phone blared to life on the nightstand. He reached for it distractedly.

“Hello?”

“Nicky,” Nile gasped on the other end.

“Nile? Dio, isn’t it like 3AM there?”

“Yeah, I woke up. How fast can you get to Medina?”

“Uh… I could book a flight for a few hours out?”

“Great, do that. Booker and I are already on the way to the airport.”

“Wha- Nile, slow down. What’s going on?”

There was a brief pause. Then-

“We had this dream. There’s a new one.”

[fumbling-fanfics]

IT Support – Juice Ortiz x Reader...

@adela-topaz-caelon​ So I’ve kind of changed your request, as I couldn’t figure out how to slot the reader into the Ireland trip without making the story super long, and we all know I ramble loads, so I scrapped what I wrote for your idea (so so so sorry) and went with this which I was able to make a bit shorter.

Pairings: Juice Ortiz x POC/WOC Reader

Warnings: drug use (smoking weed mention), mention of death of parents/family, really sad reader but Juice being cute and sweet.

Reader is WOC/POC, like with all my stories. ***************************************************************************************************

When you opened the door the look on your face made Opie forget what he had actually come around for and go into full protective older brother mode. Jax, standing slightly behind him, also became angry – automatically thinking your distressed state had something to do with that punk ass that had been sniffing around you lately. Jax immediately thought over how he would teach the creep a lesson, better yet, he’d ask Happy.

“What’s wrong?” Opie asked stepping through the front door. Through red eyes and tears you turned walking into your living room to point at your laptop.

“I somehow deleted the photos of mom and dad. Fucking Apple!!!! They said they can’t help, that they’re gone. The photos are gone Op” Another wave of hysteria, panic and dread washed over you and you collapsed into to sofa crying hard into the sleeve of the hoodie you were wearing. Opie picked up the laptop and both him and Jax looked at the device puzzled. They both knew nothing about phones let alone computers so they couldn’t even pretend to try. They were also cautious of the fact that they could make things worse.

Jax nodded and disappeared further into your house, while Opie sat down next to you. You collapsed onto his lap, and all he could do was rub your back.

Jax appeared 20 minutes later with two duffle bags on his shoulder. “Maybe Juice can help?” he shrugged, still seeing you tearful and stressed. Jax had never gotten used to seeing you cry. Opie was slightly more used to it, as you spent the time after your parents death with him and his family, quickly becoming his little sister. But it still didn’t make it easier.

“Get your shit kid, let’s see Juice” you sat up and nodded, unable to speak, throat almost closed from crying.

Opie put his spare helmet on you and you rode on the back if his bike to Teller-Marrow, while Jax had the duffle bags on his bike.

You buried your face into the back if Opie’s kutte and cried more, your tears soaking in the the dirty reaper patch on the back. Your mind raced over the loss of the photos. You had no backups of the photos, not even the originals. While you had other pictures, pictures of your second family, Opie’s family, those would not replace the ones that were lost. Again. You never let Juice live down the day when he has suggested you digitalize old photos. It was as if he knew what would happen to the original 2 months after you finished.

Digitalizing old photos is how you and Juice got closer while he was prospecting for the Sons. He’d be told to help you move place, a demand of Opie and Jax as they couldn’t help you, and while unpacking you got talking to him and showing his old photos. Juice then showed you the new software he knew of that scanned up old photos. A function of it even colorized black and white photos – practically turning them into a whole new photo.

The following weeks after moving in Juice continued to came over to your new place to do odd jobs, paint and help scan in photos. He laughed with till you both had tears in your eyes and couldn’t look at each other. He also comforted you when you cried at old or incomplete memories. He wasn’t that surprised when you kissed him one evening, over beer and pizza. He put it down to you guys being high, but blushed when you told him it wasn’t the weed.

You felt silly that in your hysteria you had forgotten that Juice was probably one of the few people who could help you, more than the laptop manufacturer. But you were so used to hiding the relationship you had with Juice he didn’t spring to mind, especially in the presence of Opie and Jax.

“Go wait inside, I’ll get Juice” Opie unclipped the helmet leaving you to wait inside the clubhouse.

“Yo Juice!” Opie shouted. Juice slide out from under a car with a concerned look on his face. “I need your help” Opie started. Juice tried not to show his concern when Opie mentioned your name.

Juice found you sat at one of the table and chairs in the clubhouse, your head in your hands, laptop open next to you. Juice cleaned his hands on a rag and sat down next to you. You were still crying, your head throbbing with a headache but you didn’t care.

“What happened?” Juice asked softly. With words and sentences punctuated by hiccups and tears you explained to Juice what had happened as you saved a folder of work for your Master’s course, he listened and nodded, patiently taking in everything you said. He disappeared for a moment, to wash his hands and come back with an arm full of other equipment and his own laptop.

“Can you help?” Opie had come inside to get the downlow, hands on his hips looking down as your puffy teary face, while Juice fired up his own laptop and other equipment.  

“I think I can. I mean I’m sure I can. It’s just that it might fuck up your laptop” Chucky appeared momentarily, placing a glass of coke on the table for you and giving you a reassuring smile. You smiled back at him.

“I’ll just buy her a new one” Opie stated. Juice looked at you.

“I don’t care about the other shit on here. It’s just school rubbish” Juice nodded.

“I’ll back it up anyway, but I’ll get the picture back” Opie nodded and walked out of the clubhouse.

“You okay?” Juice asked, rubbing your back. You nodded, pressing your palms into your eyes, not wanting to cry anymore.

“So I’ve back up your laptop, but we now just have to let the software run to recover the lost stuff, so feel free to go home or whatever” You shook your head. “I wanna wait, go back to work. I’m sorry I interrupted” you watched the software progress bar jump slowly, and only by 0.5%.

“I guess Chucky can keep you company” Chucky nodded from over at the bar as he dried glasses. As Juice started to get up you stopped him.

“Thanks Juan” You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in to a long hug. “Seriously, thank you”

***

At lunch Juice ran out to a shop along the street Teller-Marrow was on. He picked up a sandwich for him and one for you. When he came back you were asleep, slumped onto the table top, arms folded under your head and hood pulled up, next to the laptops set up.

“Hey” He gently woke you up. Your eyes were puffy and bloodshot.

When Juice picked up the laptop’s you panicked slightly. “It’s fine, just follow me”

Juice made his way back to his dorm room in the clubhouse.

“If I leave these here” He placed both laptops on top of the dresser, and plugged them into the mains. “Then, you can eat his, and then sleep” He handed you one of the sandwiches wrapped in paper. You shook your head.

“I know you’re hungry, at least eat half”

“I have a headache” You winced. “Do you have vallium or something?”

After giving you some painkillers, Juice forced you to eat. It was clearly needed as you finished the while thing. Juice set a can of coke on the bedside table.

“You need anything else? I have to go back out”

“Do you have another hoodie, this one’s wet” Juice lightly laughed and pulled out one of his Sons hoodies. Juice watched you take off your wet hoodie, not at all surprised to see that you weren’t even dressed properly, only a bra on under the hoodie. You slipped off your sneakers and socks, you gave Juice another hug and then climbed into his bed.

Apart from getting rid of your headache, the painkillers had also knocked you out. You were unaware that the software had restored the deleted pictures, as well as some other deleted items.

When you woke up, the laptops were gone, so you put on your socks and shoes and wondered out into the clubhouse to see if you could find juice.

Your laptop as sitting neatly next to your backpack, but with no one around. You climbed up onto one of the empty bar stools to check out your laptop.

Juice had just finished saying by to a customer, only to be met with you throwing yourself at him. Your arms wrapped around his neck as his arms wrapped around your body. “If I owe you my life will that be enough” You voice was muffled but Juice could hear and laughed.

“Don’t worry about it” He shrugged. Ever the humble person.

“What do you mean” You slightly released Juice to look at him. “Actually, just shut up and hug me please” Juice laughed and hugged you back, not caring that you were both standing in the middle of the Teller-Marrow lot and hugging for everyone to see.

Opie looked at Jax. Jax looked at Opie. Both had  “I mean, she could do worse. It could be Tig” Jax laughed. Opie punched Jax and then started over to you and Juice. He wasn’t mad, just felt a bit left out. “Op, you guys gave Juice such a hard time while being a prospect, how could I have told you” Opie laughed, scratching his neck. “True”

*****************************************************************************************************

[iloverubberduckiez-blog]

Partners- Reader x Hybrid!Maknae line

A/N: Don't know if ill write more and make a Lil series or keep this as a drabble

WC: 4k

Warnings:Fluff, possible smut if i continue. 

Rated: PG 13 i guess

After another long day at your shitty desk job as a secretary, you were on your way out when you get stopped by the department head.

“Hey Y/N, I'm glad I caught you!”

You inwardly groaned. All you wanted to do was to go home to your beautiful hybrid who you knew would no doubt whine about you coming home late. 1000 bucks says Mark was here to tell you that you would be delaying that peace a little longer.

“Mark please I am tired and I already worked two hours over today”

“Sorry Y/N. I have to stay too. We are expecting some big shot from the main branch and you and I get to personally oversee all things pertaining to him when he gets here. He’s gearing up to take over HQ as the new CEO”

“Oh my- No way.”

“Yup. Jackson Wang”

“Damn. well, he is super hot so I'm doing it for him, not you. When do we need what?” 

“He doesn't get in till next week so we will have time to prepare. Just letting yo know you can pass on the DRASS project to Amaya.”

“What no way that project is mine, it's literally all I've worked on for months-”

“And I know you were super excited to fly back to Kenya to help those people and see it through. I promise you will get full credit but We need this, trust me Jackson says he wants to pick his personal team from within the company. If we do well enough this will be the push we need and could select us as candidates.- You have a hybrid right? well, I have a family of five, and having extra money in the bank whether it's just a bonus for this or a whole new position will help us both and you know it.”

“okay” You relented with a sigh taking the folder from his hands.

“You should rest up this weekend so that we can meet up a little early next week to go over what needs to get done and how we can prepare for everything.”

“so i can go home now?”

Mark chuckles and nods. “ Run along, give your boy a hug from me” Mark kisses your forehead as has been the norm and walks away with a small wave towards his own car.

Leaving the office you groan after seeing the traffic. It was going to be a slow crawl in the car for like an hour before you make it back home.

“Y/N!” You didn't even unlock the door before you were bombarded with the full weight of the handsome hybrid you share a home with.

“Where were you? I was waiting for you for so long. I got us dinner but its all cold now” His voice a little muffled as he spoke into your hair.

“oh what did you eat?”

Taehyungs tummy growled.

 “I didn't. I wanted us to eat together because i got Lasagne, your favourite.” His tail which was wrapped around you as he had hugged you fell to the floor in sadness.

“I’m so sorry Tae.” You looked up to find his ears flattened on his head as his arms drop from your shorter frame. 

Taehyung’s eyes meet yours as he feels how your guilt seems to seep through and he gives you his beautiful signature boxy smile before picking you up and carrying you into your apartment.

“It’s okay Y/N we can reheat it.”

You kiss him on the check and go into your room to change into something comfortable before joining Tae back in the kitchen and sitting on one of the stools.

“Wine M’lady.” Taehyung poured two glasses and reached for your hand leading you to the couch.

“c’mon it will take a while to heat nicely in the oven.”

You nodded and followed him hi sat first then pat his lap. You looked at him questioningly.

“First my favourite meal and then expensive wine? It's not my birthday Tae.By the way this wine is like 1922 grade $400 bucks stuff how in the world did you get some?”

Taehyung chuckled.“I just wanna sit and cuddle with you and have a nice evening together plus you smell like a squirrel.”

You caved and snuggled beside Taehyung instead of on his lap but he just pulled you closer to him nuzzling your hair and drawing little patterns on your arms.

You inwardly facepalmed, of course, Tae’s sensitive nose picks up on all the people from work and apparently most pungently your intern who had sent his Squirrel hybrid to give in some documents to you halfway through a meeting - “I can go take a shower-”

“No don't go please i just missed you a lot today is all.”

“ You sure? Nothing else? Nothing bothering you?”

“Nothing at all.”

It was not nothing.

Taehyung had spent the better part of the morning crying his eyes out after overhearing your conversation to Seokjin. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, in fact, he was going to come and give you a hug good morning but what he heard made him stop dead in his tracks. 

“He’s a beautiful Calico cat Y/N, i think that it could be a good match for you. You did say you had always wanted a cat right? well this is your chance and he will dote on you hand and foot- you work too much honestly when do you take time to read and breathe?”

Tae robotically walked away tail tucked in between his legs and retreated to the bathroom He didn't bother with the rest of the conversation he was just numb. He turned on the shower but made no other moves towards actually showering. All he could think of was that maybe you were trying to replace him, that he wasn't enough for you or maybe that he was just too much and you didn't love him anymore. He heard you knock on the door announcing your departure for work but he couldn't bring himself to respond. After crying for what felt like hours Tae looked at his phone. You had sent a message.

“Tae,

Had to leave early,U might not have heard me in the shower.Take care. Y/N”

Taehyung felt morose. No “I love you” or cute emoji. He sighed and went to your room. Laying on your bed he snuggled up to one of your pillows and managed to fall asleep. It ended up only being a nap as Taehyung woke around an hour later. Eyes still puffy and with a sniffle, he sat up determined and decided to do something special for you.

“Hey Hyung”

“What do you wan- Is Y/N Okay? Did you start a fire again?”

Taehyung deadpanned. “Hyung that was one time!”

“Okay, what's wrong little brother?”

Taehyung whined. he felt the beginnings of tears stirring up again.

“come over. Hoseok has a day off today. Or do you just wanna talk to me?”

“I’ll be right there”

Yoongi sighed rubbing his fingers over his temples. Hoseok was currently now consoling his little brother who after regaling his story managed to upset himself and break down into full-blown tears again.

“I knew something was up I *Hic* didn't think she, we would ever be apart” 

Yoongi sat on Taehyungs opposite side and pulled him into a hug after wiping some of his tears.

“It’s just a big misunderstanding okay she is just working really hard she’s not trying to abandon you.”

“Hyung you don't know that. Easy for you to say because you have Hoseok- Hyung.”

“And it's only because of her that I got adopted by him remember? She wanted us both but she didn't have the means to look after both of us so she called all her friends willing to take a hybrid on and then she said that she was sorry she couldn't do more but at least we would be able to see each other. She’s the reason we can still talk, see each other despite being separated, and hang out.”

Hoseok nods, “She got an extra bed in your room too for Yoongi to come to stay over whenever he wanted and she gave him the spare key remember? I don't even have a spare and I've known her longer-”

“she likes us better” Taehyung and Yoongi snapped to Hoseok at the same time.

Hoseok laughed. “well glad to know where I stand. I wouldn't hold it against you if you moved now, she earns enough to support you now...so if-”

Yoongi smiled “You would be hopeless without me and you know it.”

Hoseok scratched behind Yoongi’s ears and with a smile, he began “Well if you want my advice on this-”

“We don’t,” The hybrid brothers said again in unison.

Hoseok rolled his eyes and mumbled about getting something to eat and calling Seokjin to figure out what was going on.

Yoongi’s heart was aching for Taehyung. He wanted nothing more than to see his beautiful smile again.

“Y/N likes Lillies why don't you buy her some and like welcome her with those and some chocolates or something when she gets home?”

Taehyung sighed. “I thought about that but it feels too simple and like something anyone could come up with.” His eyes glazed over to the Tv where a couple was horseriding on a ranch. Immediately Taehyung lit up.

” That's it!”

“Tae we can't buy a horse ranch, even with all three of us chipping in”

“Not the ranch Hyung. Y/N likes this special wine that you can only get at a few places. If I get her a bottle and cook her a fancy dinner she can remember why she only needs me.”

Hoseok came back to the living room.

“oh, I have a bottle from the last time we went to the ranch as a group the chateau right? I was gonna wait for her birthday and surprise her but you can have it Tae,”

Taehyung glomped Hoseok in gratitude.

“cant breathe Tae”

“sorry.”

Yoongi stood up scrolling on his phone. “what did Soekjin say?”

Taehyungs smile dropped and his face morphed into nervous worry. Yoongi placed a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder expecting bad news from the way he reacted.

“He is out of town for the weekend. Some big trip so I could only leave a voicemail. It’s probably nothing. Anyway, you should go on and get dinner ready for Y/N before she gets home right?”

Taehyung brightened a little and skilled nodding. Before he left Yoongi said he should probably order food so he doesn't poison you or set the place on fire. He left feeling optimistic and hopeful that he could mend things with you. He wanted to help take better care of you he promised himself.

You woke up to the smell of burnt pancakes and Hot chocolate. Following the scent, you found Tae in the kitchen attentively staring at the pancake until a small ding went off on his phone. Shutting off the timer he placed a layer of batter where the last pancake just lay and set the timer again. You watched him fondly before he plated this one and poured honey over it. Putting the plate on a tray with the precut fruits and hot chocolate his ears went up as he sniffed the air. Turning around he saw you in the doorframe.

“Y/N...i-i made breakfast” He hastily grabbed your hand and led you back to you room tucking you in, before rushing out and bringing the tray with him.

Your heart swelled at this blessing of a man in front of you and he watched with rapt attention as you cut off a piece of the pancake before placing it in your mouth.

“How is it?” His ears sagged over his head expecting rejection.

“I can make you an omelet instead if you-”

“Taehyung it's the best pancake I’ve ever eaten.”

He buried his face in your pillow at your praise, tail wagging happily. You offered him a strawberry and a piece of the pancake and he hummed happily.

After sharing breakfast together you spent the day spring cleaning together before spending the rest of the day on a movie marathon. On Sunday You were both invited to game night at Hoseoks and You and Tae were a dynamite team as usual with Yoongi coming in to troll Hoseok much to his displeasure.

“I look forward to working with you further Mr wang.” you held out your hand. Jackson laughed and gave you a hug instead. 

“No way just call me Jackson. I’ve been friends with Mark forever so any friend of his is a friend of mine, also you come at a right recommendation, which is surprising cos he can be a bit of a downer.”

“I’m right here you know!” 

“I’m so grateful for you for doing this at such last minute. i know it was a lot to organise in the given time frame Y/N.” 

“Not at all, Mr wa- Jackson.”

You all stayed in his office with some comfortable banter before going home.

Taehyung called over to you and began to advance happily towards you before he stopped and sniffed you strangely. You wanted to ask him what the problem was but your phone chimed. it was Soekjin- he was calling you. You declined the call because you remembered you needed to tell Tae what was going on so that you could get his opinion on things.

“It might be urgent, if he keeps calling you like that. Go see what your human friend wants.”

“Do you not like Jin? Since when? Tae what’s-”

“You’ve been talking a lot to whoever lately and you smell like a new scent and a hybrid and I feel tired so I’ll probably just go hang out at Hyung’s.”

“No wait Taehyung I’m not trying to have secrets or hide anything from you but there is something important I need to tell you.”

Taehyung huffed and went to go sit down as you took his hands in yours. He looked like how you found him 2 years ago a wounded puppy with eyes full of love and brimming with sadness.

“Things are a bit crazy at the shelter and Jin needs help in housing some of the Hybrids temporarily. Some can go to other shelters but some need a more... loving environment, calmer without the more violent hybrids sharing with the weaker type ones. I offered to take two of them in while he figures everything out. I know its a lot and if you don't want to, we will just stay just us but if Jin is overcrowded he’s at risk of getting shut down and then they could all end up on the streets I-”

“It's okay.”

You blinked. “Huh?”

“It's just temporary, right? I can understand that we shouldn't let anyone be on the streets if we can help.”

“really? you’re fine with this?”

“It’s...I will be able to deal with it. But I want strawberry cake and I’m not sharing”

“Of course Tae. Guess I should call Jin and tell him the great news!” You chirped and went to grab your phone. You didn't notice the sheer rejection that he tried to hold in.

Jungkook and Jimin stood behind Jin. The latter holding Jin’s shirt as he explained some of the pills he had brought along for their nutrition and bringing along some bags with groceries. You reached to take it and Jungkook took them all in your stead silently trying to minimize eye contact with you.

“Thank you Jungkookie.”

Embarrased, Jungkook stuttered out. “I-Its the least I can do after you are being so kind.” You practically melted and pet the Muscle bunny softly at the base of his ears and he stomped his foot a little and grinned showing his toothy smile.

Jimin, not to be outdone, said he could help you pack everything away and let go of Jin who was trying to remain them of something that they were tuning out in their silent contest to impress you. You tried to place a jar on a shelf too high and fell back into JK who caught you and placed it up for you instead. Jimin began whining that he could have done it for you but he was busy with the things in the fridge.

Taehyungs loud sneeze broke up the rowdy lot of you.

Jungkook gripped your waist in fear and stayed behind you as you faced Taehyung. Jimin in shock had hit his head on the shelf of the fridge and tried to catch some of the items that threatened to spill out.

Tehyung seeing Jungkook’s hand on your waist had yanked you out of his grasp and began scenting you and sending a snarl their way.

You sighed. This was how Taehyungs been acting ever since you started the project with Jackson. Pretty much anything could set him off but you felt bad because you should have been more understanding of how this may look in his eyes.

“ Jin, Rabbit, feline”

“Tae, Longtime! Sorry if we woke you. this is Jungkook he's a black Holland Lop and Jimin is a calico cat.”

“I’m Y/N’s Siberian husky.” Tae said to the other two before looking back to Jin.

“ I was awake- Hyung i was finishing the laundry for the new...guests.”

You spun around in his arms to face him. Petting his ears as he cooed into your touch “Aww Tae I told you I’d manage it”

Jin’s ringtone killed the silence and he dashed out telling you to call if any problems arose.

Thereafter you got the boys settled into Taehyung’s room. With a sigh you went and faceplanted into your sheets only to have Taehyung come and crawl beside you. After half an hour when you tried to get up Taehyung just grumbled and  held you tighter.”

“Tae i have to go to”

“work I know” He said with a sigh reluctantly letting you go. 

“Today’s a chilled day we will be done early. Besides, you guys can use this time to bond and make friends.” At his whine, you kissed the top of his head. “ please? For me, try?” 

Six weeks later all of you have somewhat of a comfortable rythym in the household. On a day off you decided it would be fun to go to the beach. Jimin offered to pack a picnic for everyone and Jungkook and Taehyung were moody on the drive over because they didn't think of it first. You had also told him since he was so helpful he could sit in the passenger seat and Jimin spent the whole ride grinning like the cat who got the cream.

Once there you were happy to let the boys wander off to their heart's content after setting up your belongings under a beach umbrella.

Jungkook had other plans. He worked very hard on his physique and although shy he still remembers the first time he came back shirtless from a run and found you on the couch. You tried to hide it but He knows you checked him out and you were definitely attracted to him the way your eyes hungrily racked over his body. Since that day he would be on the lookout for any golden opportunities to be close to you. Honestly, Taehyung had it made. You were kind, smart, hardworking, and breathtakingly beautiful. So often he dreamt of you as his and he knew the others thought the same. Officially though he was still a foster, Jimin had reminded him that morning and their place here wasn't secured so Jimin said he was gonna up the Ante. At first, Jungkook ignored him and went to shower but when he emerged to the sound of you praising Jimin for coming up with such a cute and thoughtful idea, He knew he needed a plan of his own. 

Taehyung excused himself for the bathroom and Jimin was looking around for the cooler box. He decided to go and check in the car leaving Jungkook alone with you. This was his moment. He stripped himself of his shirt and innocently asked if you would come to the water with him. He rationalized his need for an escort being that he was not used to such big crowds of people and thus managed to convince you out of your sundress to reveal your bikini and guide him by the hand towards the water.

Jungkook was Jungshook at the two-piece and how you looked in it enjoying the view until some guy came out trying to talk to you. That snapped him out of his daze and he flung you over his shoulder and bolted into the water trying to shield your body for his admiration alone. You were having a ball of a time and Jungkook got to stay near you and hold you claiming to save you from sharks if you found any.

Jimin had stomped away to the car and after retrieving the cooler box which he was pretty sure Jungkook was supposed to carry happily bounded to the store to get ice for the drinks on the way back. He also spotted a local artist doing caricatures and thought to remember to bring you over later for a couple picture together. He knew you weren't a couple but Jimin was smitten for you. He was slightly confused as to why Tae didn't have a romantic relationship with you, or at least you weren't his mate so he still had a shot. The only thing in his way now was the little maknae and his cute bunny-like stupid smile and ‘helpful groping’. Jungkook certainly wasn't shy in trying to subtle scent you when you were distracted anymore, not like how it was when they first arrived. No, they had gone from not trying to interfere with your and Tae’s relationship to wanting their own with you, a romantic one. The mystery now was why arent you and Taehyung together? Was it because he was a hybrid or was he just not the right guy? did you reject Taehyung before? Did you get rejected by Taehyung and now he regrets it and wants you back? Jimin didn’t care he wanted you and that was final. Even if you never returned his feelings even just being by your side could be enough for him, enough that he could get over sharing your affection with Taehyung after all he was the first even if he hates to admit it.

Taehyung almost dropped the Icecream cones in his hands.

 Its been so long since you two had come to the beach, in fact, the last time was when Yoongi had hinted at you two being an adorable couple. Taehyung had gotten you ice cream to share and you had some dribble down from your mouth to your chin. Taehyung did it before his brain was able to process the action, he licked a stripe from your chin to your lips lingering for a second before placing a chaste kiss there. You were embarrassed, to say the least, and Tae hid his own embarrassment by getting up to toss a ball back to a bunch of kids playing volleyball. When he came back he noticed you with some of Yoongi’s cocktail and the two of you managed to finish the jug just between the two of you. Later at home Yoongi and Hoseok took to the twin beds in Tae’s room and you pulled him into your room. Tae had discovered you were really handsy and although he wanted you so badly you were both too drunk to do more than sleep after a sloppy makeout session. The next morning you had woken up first and Left some water and ibuprofen with an apple by his side. His morning wood making him panic in short horror prompting a quick cold shower. While he discarded his clothes he saw your underwear that you had slept in still coated in fragments of your arousal, on top of the laundry hamper and grabbed it as he stepped in the shower. It was the first time he had taken your underwear.

Yoongi had told him then to let you bring it up- the idea of you guys figuring out what you want moving forward as it was clear to him and Hoseok that you two were lusting after one another but was it anything more? Taehyung was in the midst of figuring out his feelings for you and what everything meant and how things were going to be different but you came in the apartment with breakfast goodies in tow. You managed to still look effortlessly beautiful in the morning and Tae was so happy that you got him his favourite things for breakfast from your waffle house.

“Tae, I’m so sorry about yesterday i was super drunk”

“I was drunk too Y/N its fi-”

“No it’s I'm sorry can we just forget this all happened i don't want to loose you Tae I love you. Can we move on please?”

Taehyungs heart shattered across the floor but he nodded and to put insult to injury you kissed his cheek before scolding Hobi for drinking The hot chocolate you meant for Taehyung and yourself.

“I’m sorry lil bro. If you wanna stay with us we can share my room, i have a double bed and Hobi can-”

“Its okay Yoongi- Hyung. I can keep it together for now, ill give it some time and if that doesn't work I’ll confess and we work from there. For now, her loving me is enough, even if its just friends. This love and adoration from her is enough.”

It’s Not Fucking Enough. Not anymore. That was then when he had you all to himself, No new boss keeping you at work always hugging you, No Bunny, no Cat. No it was war now, and Tae has just about reached his limit.

[tcstu]

March’s Honorable Mentions

For this month’s contest, I have one Honorable Mention and one disqualified entry. The Honorable Mention was created by @emilyelizabethfowl​. Emily has previously won my contest four times and is a truly talented writer. You can read their previous winning pieces here:

December 2020

August 2020

January 2019

June 2019

The second piece featured was disqualified based on length, but is still an awesome story that should be read. It was created by @daalseth​ who also won this contest in February 2021.

If you like one of these pieces, I hope you will reach out to the writer and let them know that you enjoyed their work.

As a reminder, this month’s piece is created by Liv @livinthefuture3000​ . This picture doesn’t have a title, but it is captioned by, “ Yo guys…I found this creepy mailbox while I was walking around the Level 5 neighborhoods 😦 There’s a keypad on the side…can someone help me figure out what it’s for…?” This piece is part of an incredible series the artist created, so if you would like to learn more, make sure to visit Liv’s page!

Untitled

By: @emilyelizabethfowl​

The mailbox had always been there, smack-dab in the middle of the small patch of grass and some bushes generously called the Park.

Every day, the postman would flick the flag up, and every single time, it would be back down before sunset.

There were quite a number of theories circulating around.

Some thought there was an invisible house next to it. Some argued there must’ve been a ghost house, demolished decades ago.

Others spoke of a faerie ring, or a werewolf post box, or even a direct line to Santa.

Kylie was going to figure that mystery out once and for all.

She was ready for anything: she had salt, and a cross, and the silver fountain pen her grandparents had gifted her as a graduation gift.

And, just in case it turned out to be Santa, she prepared a nice, long letter. She might not believe in the guy, but surely she could fake it long enough to get a gift or two out of it?

So, yeah, Kylie was ready for everything.

Except for a crow.

A crow, perhaps even one of the regulars at the bird-feeder her mother always put out, flew down to rest on the mailbox.

It preened a little, flicked the little flag down and, within seconds, it was gone again.

Surely that couldn’t have been it?

Kylie scrambled out of the bushes she was hiding in, reaching the mailbox in a record time.

Opening the flap, she was ready for anything.

Maybe it was filled with cobwebs or bugs or stuffed to the gills with mail. Maybe there was a cursed amulet, or a treasure map, or a pendant which would give her magical powers?

In any case, she was too curious to care about the possible breach of somebody’s privacy.

Kylie opened the flap and stared inside.

Emptiness glared back.

With a sigh, she closed the mailbox. A loud noise nearly gave her a heart attack before she realized it was just the flag, jarred upright by the sudden motion.

Well. That was boring.

As she made her way back home, she missed the light-blue glow seeping through the cracks in the mailbox, static filling the air just as an airplane was passing by.

The crow returned shortly after, flicking the flag back down with a slightly more vicious peck than before. 

(Note: The entry below was disqualified due to length, but is still awesome.)

Paper Tiger

By: @daalseth​

Lamont was not an impressive man. Small, balding, wearing an ill fitting suit, thick glasses with heavy frames, and clutching a file folder in his hand, he seemed to grow smaller as he entered the Oval Office. The new president was sitting behind the desk for the first time. He on the other hand was tall and loud and to be blunt, everything the first man wasn’t. But then he was a politician.

“Mr, President, sir?” said Lamont with a quiet mousy squeak, “Excuse me, but it’s time for your high security briefing, sir.”

“What?” said the President, “Didn’t we just spend the last three months briefing me on everything from the Chinese highway system to Agricultural Department Seating charts? You mean there’s more?”

“Yes sir. You see sir, there are a couple of items that can only be known by the sitting President. We had to wait until you had taken the oath of office.”

The President had a scowl on his face, “Oh all right then. What’s your name, son?”

“Lamont, sir. Avery Lamont.”

“Well then Lamont, pull up a chair and let’s get on with this.”

Lamont pulled a chair up to the front of the President’s desk and sat down awkwardly. He was uncomfortable in the presence of the President. Brassy, loud, strong men always made him uncomfortable. To be honest, that was also true of loud, strong women as well. For that matter, quiet, meek, men and women made him uncomfortable too. Avery Lamont was just not comfortable around people.

“Ok, well to begin sir, it’s about the nuclear codes.”

“Aw everybody knows about them. They’re in the Nuclear Football that the Secret Service or one of my aids carry wherever I go. If we’re attacked, we open it and there’s our options for retaliation. I already covered this with the Joint Chiefs.”

Lamont looked even more uncomfortable, “Well sir, that’s the thing, uh, they aren’t in there.”

“What do you mean?” asked the new President in surprise.

“Well sir, the Joint Chiefs don’t know this but the football is all a ruse, a decoy. The bag actually contains a pair of running shoes, and a sweatshirt.”

The President was stunned, “Well then where are the codes?”

“W-well sir, that’s the, uh, thing sir. We, uh, d-don’t actually know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Well sir, it’s kind of a funny story,” said Lamont shifting in his chair and looking at the floor. “Do you remember a few administrations back, one of your predecessors was a bit, um, unstable?”

“Unstable? He was a complete loon. When they carried him out of here he was talking to the wallpaper.”

“Exactly sir, well we decided that with his habit of getting mad at people, and lashing out at them, that it might not be a good idea to have the nuclear codes within arms reach, so we took them out of the football.”

“Ok, that makes sense. But where did you put them?”

Lamont shifted uncomfortably, “We don’t know sir.”

“How could you not know?”

“Well we know approximately. We know about where they are sir.”

“How approximately?’

“They are either in Kansas or Nebraska.”

“Kansas or Nebraska?” said the President in astonishment. “That’s a hell of a lot of territory. Can’t you narrow it down any more than that?”.”

“Well, we do know they were put in a mailbox.”

“What do you mean in a mailbox?”

“We wanted to put them in the last place somebody looking for the nuclear codes would think to look. In that light, a rural mailbox made the most sense.”

“A mailbox?’

“Yes sir.”

“You mean, on a post, with a door in front, and little flag you put up?”

“Yes sir.”

“This is unbelievable,” said the President to himself. “The codes to launch our nuclear missiles are sitting unsecured in a mailbox somewhere in Kansas OR Nebraska?” A vein was beginning to pulse on his forehead.

“No sir they are not unsecured.“ Lamont looked up at the President. “I was adamant about there needing to be tight security on the box. There is an electronic lock on the side, with a keypad. Only someone with the code can get in.”

“Or any kid with a baseball bat, did you ever think about that?”

Lamont was crestfallen and stared at his shoes, “Oh, uh, w-well, no sir, in-in hindsight I guess that should have occurred to us.”

“And anyway how could you lose track of where this mailbox was?”

“Well sir, you see after the attacks of 9/11 things were a bit disorganized around here. People got transferred, documentation was never completed. It turned out the people who knew the location of the mailbox all ended up getting sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.”

“Well get them back,” bellowed the President.

“They are all dead, sir.”

The President looked at Lamont in astonishment. Suddenly he sat up straight.

“Wait, wait, 9/11 and president nutcase was twenty years ago. You mean to tell me that for two decades this country hasn’t had a nuclear deterrent.”

“Oh no sir. We have a deterrent. No one knows that we just can’t actually use it.”

“But anyone who found those codes could?”

“No sir. We were worried about that so just after we lost the codes we quietly pulled all of our nuclear devices back and put them in secure locations.”

“What are the bombers and missiles carrying then?”

“Concrete dummy warheads, they’re perfectly safe in case of accidental launch, sir.”

“I don’t want our nuclear deterrent to be perfectly safe,” said the President sarcastically. “I want them to go boom when I need them too.”

“Yes sir.”

“You mean to tell me if there had been a nuclear exchange all we could have done was throw rocks at the other guys?”

“Well sir,” Lamont stumbled for a bit, “that’s a bit harsh, but I suppose that’s one way of looking at it, sir. That’s why your predecessors were always so bellicose, so no other country would challenge us.”

“Well, effective immediately I want those warheads pulled out of storage and made ready for use. We’ll figure out how to activate them.”

Lamont paused for a bit, “We can’t do that sir,” he said quietly.

“Why the hell not?”

“We uh, we-we don’t actually know where they are either.”

“What?!?” The president was now approaching the colour of the carpet, and two veins were bulging on his forehead.

“You see sir, after the transfer was completed, there was a fire at our documents storage facility in Langley Virginia. It wasn’t a big fire, but it destroyed the documentation for the transfer, where all the devices went.”

“Well somebody must know where in the hell they are.”

“The person who completed all of the authorization paperwork, uh he quit. Became a monk sir.”

“I don’t care if he’s the goddamned Pope. Get out there and ask him where in the hell the warheads went.”

“I’m sorry sir, but it won’t do any good sir.”

“Why not?” The president was now nearly apoplectic.

“Vow of silence sir. He has not talked or written anything at all in fifteen years. We do go out there once a year to see if he’s changed his mind, but so far no luck, sir.”

“I don’t believe this. Can’t you just start asking the various depots? “Hey did you get a bunch of megaton nuclear devices?” You’d think somebody would have noticed them arriving.”

“Well sir, of course we didn’t tell the people in the depots,” Lamont was somewhat indignant. “We always use false packing lists and bills of lading, even the labels on the crates are false. The people at the depots are not cleared for that level of information. To tell them would risk it leaking and the devices getting stolen. We always use fictitious documents for nuclear devices. For security reasons, you understand, sir.”

“Can’t you search the depots? They shouldn’t be that hard to find.”

“We have tried, sir, but these depots are very large, some have square miles of warehouse space with multiple floors. They contain millions of crates, all of which would need to be opened. In that context the warheads aren’t really that noticeable.”

The President slumped back in his chair, he was shocked, and frustrated. Finally he asked sarcastically, “We do have a conventional military force still, don’t we?”

“Oh yes sir, fleets of ships, bombers, soldiers, tanks, we have those.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“I mean, sort of…”