#It's annoying to get this heavy thing in and out of cars and to charge it

[elvenmoans]

I keep thinking "I feel great, I don't think I need my wheelchair as much anymore", so I try to walk places. And I quickly find out that I am in fact, only not in severe pain with a swollen spine, because I use a wheelchair.

I started using Head and Shoulders ten years ago for itchy scalp and dandruff, and then for ten years I have not had itchy scalp and dandruff, so I thought “why do I still buy shampoo to combat itchy scalp and dandruff when I do not have itchy scalp and dandruff,” so I stopped buying the shampoo for itchy scalp and dandruff and can you guess I have now? Can you predict what currently afflicts me? It’s alright if you can’t because apparently I fuckin couldn’t either

[seellove]

Travel Time! - Sukuna x Reader

Just got done packing for a trip and just had to write traveling with Sukuna before bed lol. Mainly fluff with some suggestive undertones.

Pt 1 - Pt 2 - Pt 3

Traveling with Husband!Sukuna is always an experience given his grumpy nature.

Husband!Sukuna gets home from work and finds you’ve already prepared a packing list for your vacation tomorrow. You ask him to retrieve the suitcases from the basement and lug them up to your bedroom.

Husband!Sukuna who brings them up like you asked, a little grouchy but otherwise unbothered…until you tell him you need one carry on and one full sized bag, so you send him back down two stories to replace one of the small carry ons. He huffs and sighs dramatically as he reappears, but you just offer a happy “thanks baby” and turn back to gathering up everything.

Husband!Sukuna who gets annoyed when you come and ask for the fourth time to come look at his clothes with you while he’s trying to game. He is glad you are taking care of the packing but he claims to not care about what clothes you pack for him.

Husband!Sukuna who you know better than that because he’s way pickier than he claims to be, so you force him to come approve of what you’ve chosen and sure enough, doesn’t like the shirts you picked so he chooses some to replace.

Husband!Sukuna who likes to go to bed early and wake up early, starts getting ready for bed while you are finalizing everything. Before he can lay down though, you ask him to bring the trash out, bring the suitcases downstairs, and make sure his backpack is packed so that nothing is forgotten in the morning. More grunting and huffing follows as he brings everything down. Sometimes he thinks you just like watching him move around heavy shit and he’s not wrong because seeing the way his forearms flex and his biceps bulge isn’t a bad thing by any means.

Husband!Sukuna who is now grumpy and sleepy, asks if you need anything else before he finally lays down. You say no but as he sits on the bed and takes his shirt off, you ask if he can get you a glass of water. “Make up your mind woman,” he mutters before trudging back downstairs. Even if he moans and groans, he’ll never say no to you.

Husband!Sukuna who says he’s laying down for good, gets comfortable and watches you scurry around the room rounding up toiletries for tomorrow. He wishes you’d just handle the rest tomorrow and get in bed to snuggle up together. His gruff and grumpy exterior wouldn’t indicate this, but you know after a long day he wants nothing more than to wrap you up in his arms and hold you close. “Almost done Kuna!” you say as you zip up the toiletry bag, noticing his longing, red eyes from his pillow.

Husband!Sukuna whose alarm goes off bright and early, untangles himself from you, telling you to stay asleep while he finalizes everything. Sukuna loads up the car with everything, gets a coffee made for you, makes sure everything is neat and tidy for when you get back, and makes sure your electronics are charged for the plane ride.

Husband!Sukuna gently wakes you up, saying it’s time to get ready. He goes to heat up the car while you quickly get dressed and find your coffee hot and ready on the kitchen counter. You realize he’s taken care of everything else and your heart skips a beat. He’s always anticipating and thinking three steps ahead to make your life easier.

Husband!Sukuna who drives to the airport, listening to you yap about everything you have planned and how excited you are to be going on your tropical getaway. He hums in agreement, not really caring about the activities or the location, just that he’s excited to spend some time with you. In his eyes he just needs a nice, big bed that he can lay you down on without the distractions of your normal home life.

Husband!Sukuna is too busy day dreaming about fooling around with you and doesn’t hear you ask him where he was going to park for the third time. He chooses the garage closest to the airport, his woman shouldn’t be subjected to walking long distances in the winter cold. He’d carry you if he could, but he needs to handle all the bags, he wouldn’t let you life a finger to help haul everything inside.

Husband!Sukuna who follows your lead as you walk up to the airline counter. He has no idea about any of the trip ins and outs, he just follows you around, happy to be in your presence. He loves how much of a planner you are and it impresses him every time you plan a trip for you both. It’s certainly a gift you possess and he loves that about you.

Husband!Sukuna drops the bags off at the counter while you gather the boarding passes. With his hands finally free of the luggage, he laces his fingers with yours, you squeezing his warm, rough hand in return. You lean against his side and he leans down to plant a kiss on the top of your head. “Alright baby, let’s get this adventure started,” he says as you head towards security, excited to leave your busy lives behind for a few days.

Part 2 will be navigating the airport and the flights. This seems so random but I’m flying tomorrow and this just came to me lol.

[cicilychann]

HAIKYUU BOYS + WHAT “REAL-LIFE MAN ROLE” THEY NATURALLY TAKE ON IN A RELATIONSHIP (REALISTICALLY) Part 1

🌻: Part 2

જ⁀➴⋆˚✿˖°₊ ⊹ᝰ.ᐟ જ⁀➴⋆˚✿˖°₊ ⊹ᝰ.ᐟજ⁀➴⋆

Sawamura Daichi

• Handles all the “adulting” without needing to be asked (bills, car stuff, appointments).

• Checks doors twice, makes sure the heater’s off, always the one driving.

• Naturally becomes the protector-provider type without bragging.

• Doesn’t hover but always knows what’s going on with you.

• The man you’d trust to answer the door when there’s a weird knock at 2AM.

Kuroo Tetsurou

• The planner. He researches everything before booking anything.

• Takes charge of all “outside world” interactions (dealing with mechanics, awkward neighbors, movers).

• Will stand next to you while you’re getting attitude from someone just to back you up quietly.

• Handles real-life problems with wit and sarcasm but always follows through.

• Not the “soft” type in relationships, but he’s always two steps ahead on logistics.

Akaashi Keiji

• The one reading contracts and receipts while you’re still getting your shoes on.

• Handles appointments, scheduling, and anything that requires thinking ahead.

• Doesn’t show off, but he handles things: broken appliances, refund calls, last-minute emergencies.

• He’ll carry your things, open your water bottles, and double-check your medicine dose without being asked.

• Quiet but high-functioning. Solid man.

Iwaizumi Hajime

• Naturally takes over safety/maintenance roles (checking the oil, lifting the heavy boxes).

• Doesn’t speak over you, but will step up to confront rudeness when needed.

• Plans around your comfort without making a show of it (like parking closer, avoiding crowded times).

• Remembers small physical needs (you need water, meds, jacket, etc.) more than emotional talks.

• Grounded. You feel safe walking next to him.

Kageyama Tobio

• Awkward at first but always wants to be useful.

• Will literally carry all your bags without being asked.

• Doesn't talk much, but acts fast: gets your umbrella, fixes things, steps in when someone talks over you.

• Over time becomes the kind of man who memorizes your routine just to support it better.

• Not romantic, but reliable in the practical ways that matter.

Oikawa Tooru

• Handles the public side of the relationship: bookings, food orders, event RSVPs.

• Carries conversations when you don’t want to talk to strangers.

• Does things efficiently and stylishly, like planning trips or hosting.

• Surprisingly domestic; cleans up fast, keeps his space tidy, and gets annoyed if the Wi-Fi goes down.

• When it’s serious, he does not play: calls the doctor, drives you to the ER, handles emergencies like a boss.

Tsukishima Kei

• Doesn’t seem like the “manly in-charge” type but lowkey takes control when it counts.

• Always aware of surroundings, remembers important details (your schedule, allergies, etc.).

• Doesn’t enjoy doing favors, but does them anyway.

• The one who’ll say “Why didn’t you ask me?” while he’s already fixing it.

• Handles awkward or shady situations in public with quiet confidence.

Hinata Shoyou

• Learns to step up through trial and error.

• Big on “acts of service” once he figures out what you need, he’ll walk far to get your favorite food.

• Handles basic roles like carrying things, walking on the street side, and checking on you constantly.

• Might be impulsive, but he’ll do what’s needed the moment you’re in discomfort.

• Always trying to be the “man” in the relationship even if he fumbles. (LOL🤣)

Atsumu Miya

• Will argue like a brat but acts like a man when it counts.

• Orders food, picks the hotel, drives everywhere, kills the bugs.

• Likes being the one “in charge” but respects your space.

• Surprisingly quick to handle medical or safety stuff when needed.

• Show-off tendencies aside, he won’t let you lift a finger when he’s around.

Sakusa Kiyoomi

• Responsible in a quiet, clinical way.

• Keeps sanitizer in the car, plans buffer time into schedules, sets up your doctor appointments.

• Handles anything messy or complicated with zero hesitation—but you have to let him.

• Doesn’t say much, but he does everything the moment he sees a gap.

• Most likely to handle family problems behind the scenes before you even notice.

—⁠☆

[simpsdept]

Sub! Carmilla x dom!fem reader smut

Words: 1.6k

“Good Girl”

A/n: yall this came into my mind yesterday and I need this, and from the comments I got I can tell you all need it too pookies☺️❤️

Warnings: BTSM, leash and

Collaring, submissive Carmilla, needy Carmilla, dominant reader, soft sex, gentle sex, fingering, oral, praising, rough sex, reader is a power/dominate bottom, Carmilla is a submissive top, scissoring

Info: Carmilla is busy with work and

You, her precious wife, comes over to give her a little..surprise. Reader is a power/dominate bottom. Carmilla is a submissive top

Carmilla sat at her desk in her office, writing some acceptance letters from requests. You were holding something behind your back as you walk over to her room, knocking softly in a familiar pattern. “Come in” Carmilla says gently. You walk into the room and Carmillas gaze softened, though she went back to writing and didn’t see you hiding something. “Hello mi amor, what is it that you need?”

You smirk softly and walk closer to her. “Nothin..just checking in on my favorite girl.” You say and get closer.

“Hmm..aren’t you sweet” she says while still not looking at you, writing down some acceptance letters still. Sighing and still trying to get her attention, you move to sit on her lap, though she easily managed to write with you on her. “Is there a reason you’re so clingy?” She asked gently, her eyes focused on the papers before her.

Groaning softly at her lack of attention, you reminded yourself why your here. You took advantage of her unaware state and pulled the thing you were hiding behind your back. A heavy duty, thick, metal collar. You move the collar to the weapon dealers neck and click it on.

Carmilla feels the cold metal hit her neck and blinked a couple of times before looking down and seeing the collar. “..what is this for?” She asked and finally you got her attention. With a satisfied smirk you teasingly trace her jaw.

“Oh you know…I kind of wanted you to myself..” you say to your wife, which she let out a slightly annoyed groan.

“My love, can’t you see I’m busy-“ you didn’t even let her finish her sentence before putting your index finger into the collars ring and pulling it, causing Carmilla to gasp in surprise, she could feel the heat between her legs.

“Oh? Did you like that?” You let out another satisfied smirk as you give it another tug. Carmilla hit her bottom lip to stifle a moan, not wanting to loose control in this situation. You get off your wife’s lap and pull her by the collar, pulling her to your guys shared room. Keeping a good grip on her collar while pulling her onto the bed with you.

You pull her over you, collar still in hand. “Oh you look so cute like this..” you tease her and kiss her right underneath the collar on her neck.

“Just wait till I get out of this-“ once again you, you cut her off with another tug, slightly rougher than the last. This time she couldn’t hold back her moan or sounds of pleasure and pain.

“No..not tonight. Tonight I’m in charge. Okay baby?” You say with a small smirk and lustful eyes as you pull her closer by the collar. She let out a small growl from the bottom off her throat but nods, having no choice but to listen to you in this situation. “Good girl..and since you like this little collar so much, why don’t we take it up a notch?” You move one of your hands under the pillow and pull out a matching leash to go with her collar, you put it there earlier, you were prepared.

Carmillas breath hitched as a small coat of blush covered her cheeks, her gorgeous red and white eyes averted away from yours as she nods. “Good girl..I knew you’d want this.” You praise and put the leash on with a satisfying click. Testing it out you give it a nice tug, causing Carmilla to get pulled forward and get caught off balance.

“Be careful..” she demands softly, her breath a little shaky from the tugs. You look up at her and smile.

“I’ll be as carful or as rough as I wish darling~” you smirk and pull her again to get her closer to your face, her arms do her best to hold herself up. Once she’s close enough you immediately make contact with her lips, kissing her deeply and passionately while pushing your tongue into her warm mouth. Moaning softly, she swirls her tongue around yours, while you remain in control.

You wrap the leash around one of your arms to hold her down on you better and use your other hand to pull the back of her head to deepen the kiss. You let out a groan as she does as well, her large hands digging into the sheets while her eyes shut softly. Taking the lead, you start to unbutton her shirt with one of your hands, separating the kiss, then pulling it off of her and through the leash. She lets out a soft sigh and rested her head into your chest, blushing while you unclip her bra.

Your breath hitched as her soft breasts bounce out, her nipples hard from arousal. Pulling the leash again, you pull her chest up to your face and greedily take one nipple into your mouth. She lets out a soft gasp and groan, shutting her eyes and holding onto the sheet harder. “mi amor..joder, joder..” she said breathlessly in Spanish, making you moan at her tone and the romantic language

Your tongue swirled around her hardened nipple, causing it to go softer. You pull away from it and move your mouth over to her neglected nipple, latching onto it. “Ngh..~” Carmilla made a soft noise of pleasure, gripping onto the sheets tighter than before, close to ripping them with her large powerful fingers.

After giving that nipple attention you pull the leash again and flip Carmilla onto her back, now straddling her still clothed lap. She looked up at you, showing submission and understanding that you were in complete control. You start to kiss her neck softly, leaving small love bites around her chest so they won’t be exposed for tomorrows meeting she has. “I’m gonna take good care of you my love..” you say softly and seductively to her, before rubbing her inner thighs.

“Mmm..I know mi Amor..please hurry..” she begged softly and closed her eyes, moaning at your gentle and loving rubs. Smiling gently, you take off her skirt, and then pull down her tights carefully and slowly to tease her, smirking as you see her soaked laced panties.

“You’re so ready for me my love~” you say and lift one of her thighs up, kissing up and down her inner thigh closer and closer to her clothed core. Carmilla lets out another moan, practically begging for your touch. Giving in, you pull down her panties and push one of your fingers into her aroused throbbing core.

“Ah~! Yes..! Right there…keep going….” Carmilla moaned out and begged, her large white hands moving up to grip the leash so she could ground herself. You hold the leash tight to make sure she can’t pull away while you thrust in and out of her, adding another finger. Her moans become more needy and her hips buck up, now searching for climax.

“Such a good girl..you’re so desperate for me aren’t you?” You smirk gently and thrust another finger into her, now three fingers in her soaking wet pussy.

“Yes..!” She said breathlessly and panting while you pound into her. You continued to pound and thrust into her with your fingers, occasionally giving tugs to her leash and collar to remind her who is in control right now. Finally you feel her walls close onto your fingers, signaling she’s close to her climax, thrusting harder to drive out her release, her back arches in pleasure. “I’m close..please..” her voice breathless and more whiny as she finally reached her orgasm.

You feel her warm cum fall into your hand, you continue to pump in and out off her, milking her every last drop. She pants softly under you, blushing and her eyes closed and hazed.

You hold onto the leash still as you start to unbutton your own pants, your core aroused and in desperate need of release as well. Pulling off your pants and panties, you toss them to the side and then separate her legs a little, throwing one of your legs over hers, connecting your neglected clit with her sore one. You let out a surprised moan and gasp, shutting your eyes while you start to grind against hers, the leash and collar tugging at her neck with every movement.

She lets out more moans, her hands gripping the leash even tighter, her mouth slightly agape while she grinds back into you. “So good..so so good…” she groaned.

“I know..” you moaned back with your eyes shut tight, the wet noises of your wet cunts moving together filled the room along with your moans and groans mixing together. Grinding and bucking both of your hips wildly, you and Carmilla both let out a cry and reach your climax together. Your orgasm drips down Carmillas, covering her thighs and some getting into her. You separate yourself from Carmilla, no matter how much you didn’t want to, and panted, letting go of the leash and unclipping it off of her neck. “Good girl..good job..” you praise and kiss her neck.

“Thank you mi amor..” she thanks as she rests her head on your shoulder, satisfied and exhausted.

[gh0st-onesh0ts]

As long as your next to me- Boothill x gn!reader

Just the two of us

Warnings- Arguement, slight angst, kissing, camping, comfort

Summary- Camping with boothill didn't go as planned, I mean what as you supposed to do when he won't listen

“Look, darlin’ I said I'd go find some sticks, just stay still for a bit.”

���It’ll get dark before we can go find stuff.”

“Y/n..” He spoke as you got up to walk away.

The night was starting to arrive, and nothing for your camping trip had been set up. Boothill had been in charge of finding firewood but had just started to annoy you instead. You were in charge of setting up the tent, but you didn't get very far.

“Just don’t, I asked you to get firewood, but you didn’t. It's fucking cold and I’m tired.”

The crunch of the grass between your feet left a heavy feel in boothill’s chest. The guilt in him grew stronger the longer you were away. He wasn’t supposed to make you upset, this trip was supposed to be about getting away from everything, about the both of you, not having arguments or swearing at each other.

“Mudle fudger.” He muttered softly under his breath, he knew he couldn’t leave you out there alone. However, he felt like he should start doing things around the campsite.

Out of the pile that you had pulled out of the car, the tent lay forgotten and half-built. To him, it was a reminder of what he’d done wrong. You had just wanted to get everything done first, then spend the night with him. If it wasn't for his selfishness-.The tent wasn’t hard to set up as he’d done it so many times before. He hadn’t been camping since he lived with his daughter. It brought back too many memories that hit him like a train.

You on the other hand were sick and tired of him at the moment. A walk was a good idea for you, maybe if you’d stayed there for a bit longer you might have taken it out more. The clear night air was a relief to the swirl in your mind. All you could hear was the sound of the chirping crickets and cicadas that seemed to follow you wherever you went.

Sticks lined the ground making them easy to find. At least a fire would be up and running soon. You were worried that when you got back, nothing would’ve gotten done. Surely he’d done something? A cool breeze ran through the forest sending a shiver down your entire body. Maybe it would be nice to curl up by the fire, wrapped in his arms. Maybe he’d even play a song for you. After all, he had bought his guitar along.

On the walk back you rest your head on a tree. You were unsure if you wanted to be back there. You were worried he’d be angry at you. The sticks dug into both your hands and arms, leaving red marks across both of them. When you arrived back at the campsite you saw him sitting in your shared tent, perfectly making the beds in there.

“Boothill..”

“Hey, Darlin’. I’m sorry about earlier-”

You dropped all the sticks and ran towards him. Seeing him brought so much joy to you even if he had pissed you off. You’d only been gone for twenty minutes, but it was twenty minutes to long for Boothill.

“Sorry for yelling at you.” You cupped his soft cheek, the skin beneath your hand comforting. Even if the rest of him was metal.

“No no it was my fault, I didn't listen.”

As you pressed a soft kiss to his lip, he kissed back making your eyes widen with shock. His hand ran down to the small of your back, pulling you in close. He kissed you like it was your last like you were leaving forever. A part of you were still frustrated at him, but you couldn’t stay like that for long. Not when he kissed you like this.

When you both pulled away your cheeks were flushed, and on his face was a cocky grin. “Still mad at me?”

“Yes.” You huffed as you turned away.

“Oh come on I know your lying.”

“Nope.”

“Maybe another kiss would change your mind.”

[panerasbox]

Stop the World -

Pairing: Chessy x fem!reader (present time)

Genre: Angst

warnings: character is engaged to someone else. internalized homophobia. use of y/n

word count: 1,707

A/N: This is my first fic since 2014. I’m definitely rusty, so I hope this is somewhat enjoyable! I’m super nervous 🫣

when you wake up next to him in the middle of the night

With your head in your hands, you're nothing more than his wife

And when you think about me all of those years ago

You're standing face-to-face with "I told you so"

Chapter One 🎭 Chapter Two 🎭 Chapter Three 🎭 Chapter Four 🎭 Chapter Five 🎭 Chapter Six

“What are you doing?” My voice came out a little shaky, more like a desperate question than a real accusation as I hurried to catch up.

Chessy stopped, turning with this sigh that just sounded tired, like she was carrying the weight of the world or something. “What are you talking about, y/n?” she asked, her eyes not quite meeting mine.

“What are you doing?” I repeated, each word making the space between us feel tighter. “What are you doing… with him?” The last word felt gross in my mouth, like I’d just admitted something awful.

Chessy ran a hand through her hair, a quick, jerky movement that told me she was already annoyed or upset. “You just don’t get it,” she mumbled, already starting to turn away. Again.

“Wait, please.” My hand shot out and grabbed her arm.“Please, Chess? Just… talk to me?”

Her eyes flicked everywhere but at me. A little tremor ran through her voice when she finally spoke, the words almost too quiet to hear. “He… he asked me last week.” Her breath hitched, a tiny, painful sound. “To marry him. And… I said yes.”

The words hit me hard, like a punch to the gut that stole all the air. Engaged? Seriously? She said yes? It was my turn to try and create some space between us and this… this unbelievable thing.

I turned away, my legs feeling heavy and uncooperative. I just kept walking, ignoring the sound of her calling my name.

The second the car door slammed shut, it was like a switch flipped. The dam broke, and tears just started pouring down my face, hot and messy. I swiped at them with my sleeve, but it was already soaked and pretty useless.

The silence inside the car felt thick and heavy, like you could cut it with a knife. After what felt like forever, I reached for the radio, desperate for some noise, anything to fill this awful emptiness. My fingers fumbled with the buttons, finally hitting the shuffle. The first few notes of a song just blasted through the speakers. It was “Good Luck, Babe.” You’ll have to stop the world just to stop the feeling. The irony was just… cruel.

I just stared out the window, watching the blur of passing lights, each one a stupid reminder that I was driving further and further away from her. How the hell had we even gotten here? I remembered the day I first pulled up to Parker Knoll… Elizabeth James had swept into my life a few years prior – introduced by a mutual friend, her warmth was immediate and infectious. Despite living miles apart, we’d forged a surprisingly close bond through long emails and occasional phone calls. So, when she offered me the chance to escape my usual routine and spend the summer with her family in the California sun, how could I refuse? Naturally, I'd said yes.

The California sun was blazing down on the driveway as Elizabeth finally parked. Parker Knoll was even prettier than I’d pictured. While Elizabeth started yanking my bags out of the trunk, this figure appeared from the dark coolness of the stables, leading this gorgeous chestnut horse. My breath just kind of caught in my throat. It was Chessy. There was this immediate, undeniable pull. It wasn't just, like, admiring her; it was a jolt, this sudden, intense feeling deep down.

Our eyes met for a second as she tied the mare to a post. There was this little flicker in her eyes, a stillness that felt charged, before she gave me this warm, welcoming smile. But I could have sworn, just for that split second, there was something else there too, a spark that felt like it mirrored the sudden heat I was feeling.

Evenings on the porch became my favorite, hands down. As the sun went down, Chessy and I would just end up talking for hours. Her laugh was so contagious, this bright, unrestrained sound that would make my chest ache in this way I couldn’t quite name yet. There were those moments when our eyes would meet across the fading light, and the laughter would just die down, replaced by this lingering look that felt heavy with things we weren’t saying, this silent understanding hanging in the air.

One really sunny afternoon, as Chessy and I were coming back from a ride, still cracking up about this whole thing with this stubborn little pony, Elizabeth met us on the porch. She smiled all warm and knowing. "You two seem to be getting along wonderfully," she said, and I caught this quick, significant look she shot Nick. Chessy’s smile just tightened a little as she nodded.

It was super late one night, after everyone else had gone to bed. This crazy thunderstorm just rolled in out of nowhere, and the power flickered a few times before just dying completely, leaving the whole ranch in the dark. We ended up huddled together in the living room, the only light these soft, flickering candles on the fireplace. The air felt different, charged in a way that wasn't just the storm outside. One minute we were whispering about stupid childhood fears, the next thing I knew, my hand was reaching out almost on its own, my fingers just lightly tracing the line of her jaw. Her breath caught, and her eyes, all wide and shiny in the candlelight, held this mix of surprise and… something else entirely. Desire? Before I could even think about it, before the doubts could creep in, I just leaned in, and our lips met. It was a quick kiss, but it felt totally electric, like this silent agreement about all the feelings we’d been trying to ignore.

The second our lips broke apart, it was like a cloud passed over Chessy’s face. She pulled back real quick, her eyes all mixed up with longing and this sudden, almost panicked look. "Y/n," she whispered, her voice kind of shaky. "This… this can't happen." She wouldn't even look at me, just staring at the flickering candle flames like they held some kind of answer. The air, which had felt so full of possibility just a second ago, now felt heavy with this unspoken regret and this dawning sense of loss. She started talking about Martin, about their plans, her words building this invisible wall between us.

The next few weeks were just this confusing, exhausting mess of stolen glances and these forced, fake-sounding laughs. Chessy was still nice, but there was this definite distance now, this wall she’d put up that I just couldn’t seem to get past. She started talking about Martin all the time, about what they were going to do. It was like she was trying to convince herself, and maybe me too, that their life was the right one, the only one. I’d catch this flicker of something else in her eyes sometimes, these quick moments of longing when our eyes would accidentally meet, but then she’d just look away real fast, her jaw all tight and determined. This unspoken thing just hung in the air – the memory of that stupid kiss, the real connection we’d had, now buried under all this denial and what felt like a ton of pressure.

Weeks later, back in my own quiet life, the phone rang and just shattered the silence. It was Elizabeth. She’d decided to come visit, which was a nice, familiar warmth in my empty apartment. We were sitting on my couch, our tea getting cold, and she gently brought up the thing I’d been trying so hard to avoid thinking about. "I miss having you around, y/n," she said softly. "And… well, Chessy misses you too, I think." My heart did this little flutter even though I was trying to stay detached. "She seems pretty happy with Martin," I said, trying to sound casual. Elizabeth’s brow furrowed a little. "She's engaged to Martin, yeah. But happy? I don't know about that. She's been… well, snappier than usual. Even Nick has noticed. It's like she's fighting something inside."

A bitter laugh escaped me. "Snappier? Liz, she's engaged. That's usually a pretty happy time, right?" Elizabeth reached across the small space between us and placed a warm hand on my arm. Her eyes filled with a different kind of knowing, held mine. "Y/n," she said gently, "Sometimes the things we think we want aren't the things that truly make us happy. I just… I think you should know that things might not be as perfect as they seem on the surface." She hesitated, then added in a softer voice, "Maybe a little trip back to Parker Knoll wouldn't hurt anything. Just to see how she's doing."

Elizabeth’s words hung in the silence of my apartment, heavy with implication. Parker Knoll. The name itself sent a fresh wave of conflicting emotions crashing over me – the warmth of those initial sun-drenched days, the electric charge of that kiss, the sharp, gut-wrenching pain of the morning's confrontation. Go back? See her again, knowing she wore Martin's ring, knowing she'd chosen that path? The thought was nauseating, a self-inflicted wound waiting to happen.

And yet... Elizabeth's gentle insistence, her observation that Chessy wasn't truly happy, that she was "fighting something"... it planted a tiny, dangerous seed of hope in the wreckage of my heart. Was it possible? Could the confident facade Chessy presented to the world, the one she'd used to push me away, be cracking? The memory of her eyes in the candlelight – that flicker of shared desire before the fear won – resurfaced, potent and undeniable.

The silence stretched, filled only by the low hum of the city outside my window. Elizabeth watched me, her expression kind but waiting. The phantom melody of "Good Luck, Babe" seemed to echo faintly, a mocking reminder of the impossible situation. You'll have to stop the world just to stop the feeling. Maybe the world didn't need to stop. Maybe... maybe I just needed to go back and face it. The question lingered, terrifying and tempting all at once: Could I really walk back into the place where my heart had been both ignited and shattered, just to see?

[elliespuns]

Hey guuuuuuurl, 😝

I am loving this Gremlin/Cupid Ellie scenario. If Ellie was going out of her way to make sure Joel was ending up with the right lady, what kind of top tier Ellie themed questions would be used through this “integration”?

on stand by for your analysis 😚

also this just reminds me of Ellie in part two when she tells Dina “just give me five minutes and my knife and I’ll get an answer” not that she’d have to be that extreme tho 🤣

You just know that if Ellie was playing matchmaker for Joel back when she was a precocious teen, she'd put any would-be love interests through a series of tests that would make a CIA interrogation session seem like a casual chat over coffee.

First, she'd hit them with the heavy hitters.

He gets quiet sometimes. Real quiet. It's not you, it's just... him. You gonna try to fix him?

He snores. Like, really snores. Are you prepared for that?

He likes bad coffee. Like, the kind that tastes like dirt and regret. Can you handle that, or are you gonna try to force him to drink something fancy?

Have you ever killed anyone?... Just curious.

Joel can be really annoying. What's your tolerance level?

What's your opinion on trusting strangers?

Okay, but if the world really ends again and we're all zombies, would you kill Joel? Be honest.

If you two were trapped in a room with only one sandwich, would you share it, or eat it yourself and tell him you'll look for more?

Can you fix a car? Actually, doesn't matter. Can you keep Joel safe, even when he's being an idiot?

But wait, there's more. Being the slightly eccentric and questionably sane teenager she is, she'd also throw in some doozies just to keep things interesting.

If you had to pick a dinosaur to ride into battle, who would it be and why? Strategy is key here.

What's your favorite pun involving fungus? Bonus points if it's actually funny.

If you could have any superpower, but it could only be used for doing chores, what would it be?

What kind of musical instrument do you think a Bloater would play?

Poor Joel, he'd never know what hit him (or more appropriately, who) if Ellie was in charge of finding him a soulmate.

[strangesmallbard]

bg3 characters if they worked at publix/safeway/your grocery store of choice:

karlach: in charge of anything that involves moving heavy objects between locations, but also works produce. LOVES helping old ladies take their groceries to the car; will accidentally abandon the vegetables at least once per shift. (she does apologize to the vegetables.) also is a pallet stacking master in the most haphazard configurations that, somehow, miraculously never fall over. frequently posts her monstrosities on r/publix, alongside a selfie of her giving a cheeky thumbs up.

wyll: store manager, in his second year of a master’s degree in public policy. optimistic like a sword is optimistic. WILL make sure you take your mandated break and will hand out store giftcards for a job well done. does not suffer customers who behave badly. is roommates and longtime best friends with karlach; the energy they exude while together either makes your shift bearable or unbearable, depending.

shadowheart: works the in-store coffee counter. probably should not because she always looks vaguely disgusted, annoyed, or bored. the dark circles under her eyes are always there no matter how many espresso shots she sips. has anonymously complained to corporate about the store’s music choices. every new employee thinks they have a shot with her until she hits them with the 👁️😐 did you need something? 👁️😐 and they slink away, feeling chastised for reasons unknown.

minthara: works the meat and/or fish counter. smokes seventeen packs per mandated break. always smells a little bit like red meat. has the most insane combat stories but it’s completely unclear whether she’s a veteran or just someone who gets into situations on purpose. every 20-something employee is at least mildly obsessed with her whole thing, but she’ll only humor karlach. no one knows where she lives.

lae’zel: 22-year-old grocery team lead. typically works the 5pm-11pm shift, but still obviously runs that shit like a navy seal base. has encyclopedic knowledge of grocery store codes and also lore. during mandated breaks she can be found doing one-armed pushups, argueflirting with shadowheart, or scribbling poetry in a notebook. she’s also the pitcher on her college’s varsity baseball team; everyone shows up to her big games and she fails at not looking overwhelmed by joy every time.

jaheira: beloved customer service manager, knows literally everything and everyone. taught wyll everything he knows about not suffering customers who behave badly. often goes mountain climbing with her scary 39-year-old girlfriend astele who owns the smoke shop next door. sells the best weed you’ll ever smoke in your life.

gale: day shift manager counterpart to lae’zel, postdoc who needs the job to make rent obviously. constantly gives aisle directions for the store location he worked during undergrad and shelves the soup cans all wrong. WILL show you photos of his cat. constantly recognized by his booktube fans (he also streams sims 4 builds of classic sci fi/fantasy book locations). he does wear his own merch underneath the uniform.

halsin: that customer who’s very polite but frequently and inexplicably barefoot. he also teaches woodworking and pottery at the youth center down the road. sometimes brings his regular kids to the store for a field trip and those little bags of cheetos. grows the weed that jaheira sells.

astarion: does not work at the grocery store. he worked at the grocery store for two weeks, during which he showed up late every day, insulted customers, and generally behaved like a cat ripped away from his ball of yarn. he only lasted those two weeks because gale (roommate/situationship) begged wyll to give him another chance in a different department. he still lives with gale while finishing up a law degree and can be found loitering in the grocery store, bitching about The Circumstances with shadowheart.

[sammysficfactory]

Check That

eren yeager x black!femreader

summary: sometimes when family crosses boundaries, you have to remind them of their place. my excuse to write thanksgiving clapbacks

wc: ~0.5k

tags: fluff, comedy

warnings: mentions of food

notes: happy thanksgiving if you celebrate!, school is whooping me sorry i haven’t been posting often😭, beta read, inspired by those tiktoks, mostly centered around the reader, i feel like i’m just yapping in this👎🏾, feedback is welcome

Every year. You don’t even know why you come to your grandmother’s house every thanksgiving just to deal with your hypocritical family. You wish you would’ve just gone over Eren’s family’s house instead. Your leg bounces and Eren rubs your knee comfortingly.

“Y/N, why do you sneak off on us every other holiday? We are your family, you shouldn’t avoid us like that.” An aunt not-so-secretly judges you, her southern drawl making it all the more demeaning, but this year you came prepared.

“The same reason the repo man snuck off with that busted Nissan of yours.” You reply nonchalantly, causing your boyfriend to choke on his greens before covering it up by taking a sip of his water. Quiet snickers are heard across the large rectangular table as you continue to eat.

“Still ain’t got the car back yet either.” Your mother says under her breath, but loud enough for you and Eren to hear. You smirk, trying to keep yourself from laughing. You appreciate the fact that your parents have always had your back when you needed it.

That seemed to be enough to keep your aunt quiet for a good while. You bask in the warmhearted laughs and conversation now that your shady aunt has nothing more to say. The comfort of family is beginning to melt all the stress of your daily life away. That is until your aunt Jackie’s daughter Destiny decides to chime in on the topic of marriage. She’s been giving Eren bedroom eyes the entire evening.

“So cuz, this is the first time you brought Eren over for a family dinner. Are y’all a serious thing?” She twirls her fork in the spaghetti on her plate, making doe eyes at Eren that causes him to screw his face up slightly.

“Eren and I are just as serious as your fraud charges. Thank you for your concern, can you pass the yams?” You reply, rolling your eyes and feeling annoyed all over again. Your knee bounces a bit more intensely and just like always, Eren is right there to soothe you. He rubs your knee and places a kiss on your cheek for good measure. You exhale heavily, doing your best to keep yourself in check.

A few hours later with no further incidents, you and Eren say your goodbyes and leave out the door. You get in the passenger seat and let out a heavy and exhausted sigh. Eren turns your head towards him gently, just two fingers on your jaw and chin. He places a long, soft, and loving kiss on your lips.

“You did good today, I thought we were gonna have to get it poppin’ on thanksgiving.” He jokes, resulting in a chuckle coming from you. His eyes seem to glow a little when he sees you smile, a satisfied look on his face.

“There she is, there’s my lady.” He almost coos at you, his voice is just as soothing and warm as the smile on his face before he brings you in for another kiss. The two of you pull away slowly, taking some time just to stare at each other and decompress together.

The two of you make it home with plastic bags of takeaway containers in tow, setting them on the table before separating them into what the two of you would eat on your own, and what you would share. Ultimately stuffed, you and Eren lay on the couch tangled in each other’s limbs watching Charlie Brown movies.

[riahlynn101]

Self-Preservation (5-7)

Trigger warnings: mental illness, hints of past abuse, deceit, and unstable caregiver(s), mentioned/reference child death, referenced graphic depictions of violence, and semi-isolation.

@gregorysarmy - sorry in advance for the long post 😅

Chapter 5: Sarah

--

It’s raining. The cool droplets of water soak Gregory’s hair as he trudges to the bus stop. He’s half-a-block away from the bus stop when a familiar car pulls up beside him. 

Vanessa looks unusually wide awake. “Get in the car,” she says, leaving no room for arguing. 

Gregory tries anyway, “I’m fine. I’m almost to the bus stop.”

“Gregory,” she warns, using that voice mom’s use with their misbehaving children.

He bristles, but he’s in no shape to argue back. He climbs into the passenger seat, buckling his seatbelt, and slumping over his backpack. Pouting never got him anywhere, and it certainly never worked on Vanessa (that’s a boldfaced lie, it’s worked plenty, especially for extra bowls of ice cream). And judging by her face, it’s definitely not going to work now. 

She makes a u-turn, nearly hitting the curb in the process, and starts driving in the opposite direction of his school. 

“Where are we going?’ He asks. “This isn’t-”

“I’m aware,” Vanessa cuts him off. “You’re staying home today.”

“But I-”

“Don’t argue with me on this, Gregory, okay?” Vanessa pleads with him. Her voice is shaky, and her hands are white knuckling the steering wheel.

His stomach twists. 

What happened?

“What’s going on?”

She hesitates a second too long. “Nothing.”

“You took a second.”

Vanessa sighs, obviously trying to hide her nervousness. She takes a hand off the wheel to rub her eyes. “Maybe because I’m exhausted. I have to work in three hours, and I think it’s better if you stay home today. So, please…”

Gregory decides to let it go, at least for now. Vanessa is shaken up enough without him adding to her stress levels. “Okay. I’ll stay home.” Not that he has a choice, but his words seem to calm her down slightly. The tension in her shoulders is visibly lessened. 

“Good. Thank you.”

They ride home in silence. The muffled sounds of AM radio fill the quiet. 

-x-x-x-

Freddy is still charging when they get back to the apartment. Vanessa mumbles something about getting some more sleep before heading to her bedroom. 

Gregory sits on the couch and turns the TV on. It’s seven in the morning on a Thursday, so there’s hardly anything to watch. He sifts through several variations of the same reality tv show, several more variations of the same cable tv show plotline, and a few dozen infomercials selling things that neither he, nor Vanessa need. He stops on an older cartoon that he can mindlessly watch until Vanessa wakes up for real, or Freddy’s done charging. 

By the third episode, he’s struggling to stay awake. His eyes are heavy and the achiness from earlier this morning still hasn’t subsided. The couch is a lot more comfortable than the bathroom floor and bathtub. He uses the throw blanket they leave on the couch for this very purpose, wrapping himself in warm wool. 

Just as his eyes are about to slide shut, his phone vibrates. He’s left it next to him on the couch, out of habit. He groans, trying to ignore it, but it vibrates again. 

Annoyed, he swipes up. His eyes widen. This- this can’t be happening. In front of him are texts somewhat similar in nature to Amanda’s, but it’s not Amanda. 

It’s Sarah. 

-x-x-x-

Gregory looks down at the messages Sarah sent him.

      Thurs, Oct 1st at 8:15 AM

     Sarah: so srry 4 yesterday.

       Thurs, Oct 1st at 8:20 AM

      Sarah: but i ned to tty. Come over to my house after skool. 1428 roslin rd. Can’t miss it!!!

And then up at the large house in front of him. It’s smaller than Amanda’s but compared to the tiny apartment Vanessa and him share, it looks like a mansion.

 Flowers grow along the brick pathway to the porch. Lily of the valleys hide amongst the shade of the large oak tree. Irises, zinnias, and freesias line the rest of the way. Some of them have already started to wilt, the fall chill zapping all their energy. 

He hesitates on the bottom step. There are no cars in the driveway, which means there’s a chance this could end the same way. With him leaving, unaware of any lurking danger, and with Sarah and her family meeting an untimely fate. 

It’s an irrational thought. Most parents work late. Hell, Vanessa usually works late, which is how he got away with leaving the apartment in the first place. He winces, feeling bad for lying to Freddy who thinks he’s at the local arcade (the same arcade that hasn’t existed since the mid-2000s). 

But still, if Sarah wanted to talk to him in-person, then it must be important. And despite all the differences between them, Gregory feels as though he owes her that much. 

He rings the doorbell twice before anyone answers the door. 

“Hi,” Sarah says. She joins him on the porch, closing the door behind her. 

“What did you need to talk about? You said you had something to show me?” Gregory feels bad for being so pushy, but it’s already four-oh-five. And Vanessa gets off work at five. 

Sarah gestures for the stoop. “Let’s sit.” 

He does, legs dangling over the edge. Sarah wraps her arms around herself, staving off the slight chill. 

“First off,” she starts, “I really am sorry for yesterday. I was upset. You didn’t deserve that.”

Gregory opens his mouth to speak, but Sarah continues on. “But you have to understand where I was coming from.”

Part of him already knows this is going to make him feel worse, but it’s not like he can force her to stop speaking. She has every right to get whatever closure she needs. 

“You just started here this year, didn’t talk to anyone unless necessary, became Amanda’s lab partner, and were the last person to see her alive.”

Without thinking he blurts out, “technically I didn’t.” Seeing the confusion on Sarah’s face, he quickly adds, “see her alive, I mean.”

“You went to her house.”

“She told- well, texted me that I should take the report from her desk. I was about to, but I had a small emergency at home.”

Sarah looks down. Her fingers are neatly interlaced and clasped in her lap. “Then that means she could have already been dead.” 

Gregory jolts as if slapped. That’s the last thing he wants to hear, because if Amanda was already dead, then who texted him?

Sarah must be a mindreader, because the next thing she says is, “then she couldn’t have texted you. Which means-”

He interupts, ripping the bandaid off. “Which means someone else did instead.”

A car pulls into the driveway, and a woman that looks remarkably like Sarah gets out. She smiles at Gregory. “Oh, I didn’t know we had a guest over.” She looks at Sarah. “Is he staying for dinner? I’m making chicken tikka masala.” 

As good as that sounds to Gregory, he’s already pushing it. He looks at Sarah, hoping she’ll understand. 

He’s not that lucky. 

“Yes.”

Gregory inwardly sighs, making peace with the lecture of the century he’s going to get. He smiles at Sarah’s mom. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

-x-x-x-

Mrs. Sah - which he learns is Sarah’s last name - is gracious and kind. He also learns that Mrs. Sah is quite the talker. Sarah and he stand in the kitchen, helping as much as her mom allows. 

Mrs. Sah offers up stories about India and moving countries and her marriage to a fourth-generation Indian American and all the difficulties that come with that. She talks extensively about her daughter, smiling fondly. Sarah’s face is beet red by the time dinner’s done, and she has a hard time looking at Gregory. 

Dinner is delicious, maybe the best he’s ever had. 

“My husband works late,” Mrs. Sah explains, gesturing to the empty seat. “But I’m sure he’d like to meet you.”

Uncertain of what to say, he smiles. 

Sarah thankfully jumps in for him. “He has to go soon. His parents are like really strict.”

Parent, he thinks to himself. But she’s not wrong. 

“She’s right, Mrs. Sah. Dinner was lovely, thanks for having me.”

“It’s no big deal. Do you need a ride home?”

“No, but thank you for offering.”

“Alright. Get home safe.”

Gregory smiles, heading for the front door. “Thanks again. And, uh, see you at school, Sarah.”

Even though he’s in for it when he gets home, at least dinner made it all worth it. For a brief moment in time, he felt like a normal kid. 

He opens the door, jacket halfway on. There, on the front porch, with one hand raised to the doorbell, is Vanessa. 

“Weird look for an arcade, don’t you think?"

---

Chapter 6: Justified Breakdown

--

The car ride home is silent. Vanessa stares straight ahead, fixated on the road. But every so often, like clockwork, she glances at him as if thinking he might disappear mid car ride. There’s tension in her shoulders, like she’s anticipating something awful.

The closer they get to the apartment, the more the butterflies in his stomach flutter around, and the more Vanessa seems to relax some. 

Some being the keyword. He has no doubts that it’s going to be a long night. He can only hope Vanessa’s in a forgiving mood tonight, though luck is very rarely on his side. 

She parks the car. “We’re home,” she says, as though Gregory has gone blind. 

He blinks at her, both confused and concerned.

Gregory shrugs, reaching for the door handle. His hand hurts. He holds it to his chest, glaring at Vanessa. “What was that for?”

Vanessa blinks slowly, seemingly unaware herself why she slapped his hand. “You can’t go out there by yourself. The murderer-”

“Isn’t likely to get us. I mean, statistically speaking the likelihood of the killer circling back is slim-to-none.”

“I would say higher than that.”

Gregory squints. While not impossible, he’s pretty sure he’s right. Of course, there’s the matter of the killer maybe texting him, but they likely just wanted to scare him. In the event he’s wrong, though, the killer doesn’t know where he lives. Unlike Amanda, he never told her where he lived. 

But Vanessa’s very obviously going through something, and Gregory wouldn’t be who he is if he didn’t help her out in some way shape or form. 

“Fine. Can we go inside, together ?”

Vanessa hesitates, shaking her head yes. 

She glances all around, keeping an eye out for the apparent killer that’s coming for them, all the way to their apartment. 

Vanessa only relaxes when the last lock clicks into place. Her forehead rests against the door as she catches her breath. 

“I was worried about you.” Her voice is strained, and when she finally looks at him, her face is ruddy and wet. “I thought something happened to you.”

“Why?”

Vanessa opens her mouth and then quickly shuts it. “Tha- there’s a murderer out and about.”

“I’m sorry,” he says. “But I needed to give Sarah closure, Vanessa. Amanda was her best friend. Besides, she asked me-”

“I was worried about you.” Her voice is strained, and when she finally looks at him, her face is ruddy and wet. “I, honest to God, thought something happened to you.”

“Why would-”

He’s harshly interrupted. “Because, like I said in the car, there’s a killer at large. I-I thought it- they took you, and I didn’t know what to do, or who to call. Gregory, I can’t put into words how terrified I was of losing you.”

The butterflies in his stomach return with a vengeance. He instantly feels bad. It hadn’t been his intention to cause her distress. All he wanted to do is talk to Sarah and make her feel somewhat better about his involvement. 

“Sorry,” he murmurs, bowing his head. “I didn’t know.”

 “I know, but never mind that. What’s important is that we don’t leave the apartment until the killer is found."

“Vanessa, we can’t-”

“I’ve cashed in all my PTO, and I went to your school and got permission for you to do your work here.”

“But-”

“If we stay here, ration our food, and keep our heads down, then they won’t find us.”

Gregory puts his hands up in a placating motion. He’s like ninety percent sure his guardian has finally broken down, but he still needs her. Freddy is terrible at telling him no and making him do things like go to school or the dentist. 

“Vanessa,” he says, voice strained from all the tears he’s holding back. “Please, stop.” Gregory isn’t someone who scares easily, but hearing all this, makes it feel too real. “I don’t want to isolate myself.”

“I know,” Vanessa sympathizes with him, “but this way we’ll be safe. This way it can’t use us against each other.”

 “What?”

Something crosses her face. A look, a flash in her eyes, like she’s jolting back to full awareness. She shakes her head. “Nothing. Nothing. I just meant, if they kidnap you, then I’ll have to pay a ransom. And we don’t have ransom money laying around.” She laughs to herself, nervously twisting her hair around her fingers. 

“But what if they kidnap you?”

Vanessa stares at him blankly. The thought of the inverse happening clearly hadn’t occurred to her. “They won’t.”

“Why?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know, they just won’t. But what I do know is that we'll be safe here. As long as we don’t leave.”

“Okay,” Gregory agrees, though he wants so badly to argue more. But Vanessa is clearly done for tonight, and it’s only - he discretely looks at his phone - seven-oh-one. 

Vanessa glances at his phone. She grabs it from his hand. 

“Hey! Why’d you take it?”

She does something he can’t see, before handing it back. “I turned off your location. It’ll make us harder to track down. Also, don’t message anyone. You don’t know who's on the other end.”

Gregory shudders. 

Just like Amanda.

“Understood.”

“Good,” she says. “I’m going to go lay down, but tomorrow we can do something fun, like watch a movie and cook some popcorn. How does that sound?”

“Sounds like a plan.” He smiles. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Vanessa tells him, almost fondly. “See you in the morning.”

“See ya.”

Only after he hears Vanessa’s bedroom door close does he turn to Freddy who’s been sitting in a chair in the corner. He fidgets, nervously wringing his hands. 

“Sorry, Freddy," Gregory apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck “But I had to go see my friend.”

“It’s fine,” Freddy says, always so forgiving. “I understand. Can we finish watching that cartoon from earlier? I’m curious to see how it ends.”

“Sure, if it’s still on.”

-x-x-x-

Freddy has to recharge again before the episode’s even over - a downside to using a car battery is the shortened battery life. 

Gregory lays on the couch. Back to the same place he was several hours before. His arm dangles over the edge of the couch, and he’s once again almost asleep when his phone vibrates. He goes to grab it but remembers what Vanessa said. 

He turns his phone off. Maybe they can look at the message together tomorrow or something. His eyes grow heavy and before he can get up and go to his bedroom, he’s fast asleep.

-x-x-x-

   Thurs, Oct 1st at 8:25 PM

Sarah: Greg? r u outside?

 Thurs, Oct 1st at 8:25 PM

Sarah: plz answer. Im scared

 Thurs, Oct 1st at 8:27 PM

Sarah: I cant c u. but stop knocking. my mom is coming to let you in

  Thurs, Oct 1st at 8:29 PM

Sarah: …..

---

Chapter 7: Boiling Point

The stillness of the living room - especially at… Gregory glances at his phone with bleary eyes, except it’s still turned off - is beyond eerie. He yawns, stretching his sore limbs (apparently sleeping on the couch isn’t the most comfortable - who knew?) Freddy’s powered off in the corner, his head bowed. 

The TV is still on, though instead of cartoons, the late-night news is on. They’re covering a story about a bake sale happening downtown tomorrow. Gregory feels his energy actively deplete, and he returns to his previous position on the couch. As much as his body’s sore, it hurts his soul even more to stand up and walk all the way to his room. 

He curls up on his side, hand pillowing his head. Eyes starting to close against his will, Gregory watches the news to get to sleep faster. 

The newscasters' expressions seem shocked. They exchange a look with one another before reporting on Amanda’s murder, but then they stop. The woman reporter clears her throat. “Another murder has allegedly taken place tonight-”

Gregory is shaken back to full awareness. He doesn’t stop to see anything more. He doesn’t need to. 

He sprints to Vanessa’s bedroom, bursting through the door, and hopping onto her bed. As per usual when he’s being intentionally annoying or trying to wake her up (most of the time those things aren’t mutually exclusive), she swats at him, mumbling something about throwing him out a window. But tonight is different, he has reason and purpose in waking her up.

“Wake up, Vanessa,” he says, patting her back. “It’s important.”

“Mmn gah….” 

“ Vanessa , I’m serious.”

“Sure, you can sleep here. Nightmares are bad,” is her very garbled reply. She laughs to herself, barely awake and growing less awake the longer Gregory sits there. 

“Vanessa!” He shouts, getting to his feet. He balances on the bed, being mindful not to step on Vanessa, jumping up and down. 

She groans, propping herself up on her elbow. She turns her lamp on, turning back to glare daggers at him. “Stop!” She grabs on tightly to his wrist. 

Gregory plops down on the bed, sitting crisscross applesauce. “Vanessa, I’m sorry, but it’s important.”

“It better be.” She yawns, rubbing her eyes. “To wake me up at-” she looks at her alarm clock. “11:00 pm.”

“There's been another murder,” Gregory says, speaking fast because Vanessa looks absolutely exhausted. 

Vanessa, much like he did not five minutes before, comes to full awareness. All the tiredness fades from her eyes, and she grabs onto Gregory. “Who?” She asks. 

Gregory swallows hard. He’d been in such a rush he hadn’t looked. “I-I don’t know.”

She lets him go. Vanessa grabs her phone, and begins typing furiously. 

Gregory sits on her bed, unsure of what to do or say.  But he knows whatever is going through her head can’t be good. 

Vanessa’s phone drops from her hands, and she’s quick to pick it back up and turn it off. She moves so fast, Gregory hardly gets a chance to see the screen. He blinks.

There’s a tension in the air that gets worse and worse with every second Vanessa doesn’t explain. He’s the first one to break the silence, unable to bear it any longer. 

“What happened?”

She sits up. “Gregory, I- something really, really bad has happened, and I want you to know it’s okay to cry or be angry or whatever else.”

He nods.

What kind of news warrants this kind of reaction? Did someone drop a nuclear bomb? Are they about to die?

Vanessa takes a deep breath, steadying herself. “Last night, your classmate, Sarah and her family were attacked.”

His heart drops into his stomach. 

“She’s in critical condition at the hospital, but her parents they-they were found mutilated beyond comprehension.”

He gags but nothing comes up. The room spins, and he struggles to get off her bed. His thoughts are racing - why them? Could I have saved them? Is this my fault? - they’re so loud that he can’t focus on anything else. Not even Vanessa who’s gotten out of bed as well and is following him down the hall. 

Her voice is calling out to him, begging him to look at her, to talk to her. But he can’t, even if he wanted to. He doubts if he speaks any sounds will come out. 

Gregory’s heart beats fast, and all he can hear above his thoughts is the blood rushing through his ears. The rhythmic ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum follows him into his room. He shuts the door in Vanessa’s face and climbs into bed. 

He pulls his comforter over his head, curling into a tight, little ball. It’s stuffy and a little uncomfortable, but it also feels safe and that’s all he wants. To be safe. Right now he feels the opposite of that. More than guilt and shame and sadness and anger, he feels scared. More than he should, and he doesn’t understand why. 

His eyes water over and tears run down his cheeks. He sniffles, not bothering to wipe them away. His throat feels tight, like someone is actively squeezing it. 

All he can think about is Sarah in the ICU, now an orphan, and who knows what condition she’s in. And it’s all his-

FAULT!

-x-x-x-

Sarah, as expected, passes a few days later. Her funeral is planned for a week after Amanda’s, and the school holds a candlelight vigil for both. 

Gregory begs to go, but Vanessa is more insistent than ever that they don’t leave the apartment. She’s left once to get some more food at the store, but besides that, they’ve been stuck in here for days. 

He feels a little stir-crazy. Every minute drags on. He finished his homework for the next two months in the first two days, and now he’s stuck doing nothing. But he’s stayed and put up with Vanessa’s persistent paranoia, and all he wants to do is go outside for a few hours to a vigil for two girls that were briefly associated with him and then promptly lost their lives. He owes them that much. 

But Vanessa will not budge. Not even a little bit. He even offered to hold her hand during the ceremony, so they’d be “safer,” but she refused. 

“I need to go.”

“No,” she says, gathering the laundry. Her tone is short, and Gregory knows it’s because of him. This is the tenth-thousandth time he’s asked, and this is the tenth-thousandth time she’s pointedly told him “no.”

“ Vanessa ,” he whines, lightly stomping his feet. He feels stuck and helpless, like a small child still totally reliant on their caregiver. 

“ Gregory ,” she mocks him. “Now, go. I have to get the laundry to the laundromat before it closes.”

He huffs, crossing his arms, but leaves the room. 

Gregory sits on the couch in the living room. Freddy’s watching a Hallmark movie - one of his favorite channels - and Gregory watches with him. Anything to keep his mind from wandering. 

Vanessa hoists a bag full of their dirty clothes over her shoulder. The coins in her pocket jingle with each step. “I’ll be back. Be good,” she says, addressing Gregory. 

He ignores her, trying to suppress his disappointment and rage. 

She continues, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

It’s not until he hears the front door close that he pulls out his phone. He looks at the schoolwide invitation of the candlelight vigil again. It’s held at a church nearby the school at eight-ten-pm. 

He glances at the time.

7:45 .

If I hurry-

He cuts that particular thought off. Vanessa very obviously wanted him to stay put for a reason.

If it’s so important, then why can she leave, and I can’t? 

Gregory tries so hard to focus on the movie, but all he can think about is the vigil. He’s not invited to their funerals, so this is his last chance to say goodbye and apologize for whatever his part was in their deaths. 

It’s then that he notices several unread messages that he hadn’t bothered to check earlier. 

He sits upright when he sees they’re from Sarah. He scrolls through her texts, back and forth and back and forth, again and again until his thumb gets sore. 

They only exchanged a total of nine texts.

Two for Amanda’s address. 

Three for her address and an apology. 

….and the last four….where she seems scared. 

He stares at the phone screen for a very long time. Long enough that Freddy says, “Gregory, are you alright?’

“I’m fine, Freddy.” He’s not. He’s really, really not. But saying anything else would mean admitting everything he’s holding inside, and that will only make him feel worse. 

“Okay, but know you can always talk to me.”

He knows that.

Does he know that?

Gregory brushes him off. “Like I said, I’m fine .”

“That’s good,” Freddy says, taking him at face value. He returns to watching the movie. 

But Gregory’s need to attend that vigil only intensifies with every passing moment. He tries his very best to ignore it, but all he can think about are those texts. 

Finally, unable to curb his guilt, Gregory hops up from the couch. “Can I get some fresh air?”

Freddy looks at him and then at the front door. “But Officer Vanessa said you had to stay here”

Inwardly, he rolls his eyes. Leave it to Freddy to selectively follow rules. 

“I know, but I just want to step outside for five minutes. I’ve been cooped up for days , Freddy.”

Freddy tilts his head in consideration. “All the guides I have access to say fresh air is good for people, especially growing kids.”

Gregory forces a smile. “ Exactly .”

“Hm…as long as you promise to be back inside by 8:30.”

“Deal!” Gregory bolts for the door, shoving his phone in his pocket. He hurriedly puts on his coat and unlocks the door at record speeds. 

“Be careful,” Freddy warns him. “It’s supposed to get dark by 8:25 tonight.”

Gregory side eyes him. “I will.”

He closes the door behind him. 

Vanessa won’t be home for another few hours, he reasons. I’ll be back before that. 

[clockworkdragonffxiv]

A trope I tire of is "The Power of Friendship." As in that friendship is enough to overcome anything. Not logistics, not a fucking plan, just some vaguely defined hugs and sentimentality. Just charge in on pure vibes counting on spirit to see you through.

It's up there with "The Power of Love" as things that annoy me. What, you don't think the poor bastards on the other side of those trenches don't love their families and friends too? Are you assuming that because they're "bad" they're not such good friends, that only your side has love and friendship and they're all united by fear and hate and I dunno kicking puppies?

It's like people who pray to God for stuff. Yeah, you want a good deal on this car. What happens when the other guy prays too? You pray for your sons in a war, you're praying they rip some other man's guts on the battlefield with a shovel, and that God favors your prayers over that other poor bastard's mother's prayers. Kind of fucked up, isn't it?

And you see this in the real world. Like there are plenty of cases where armies starved or started eating the locals because their commanders decided their extraordinary "spirit" would balance out the equation of getting them enough food and bullets. Or recruiting a bunch of boys from the same time, figuring their lifelong friendship would give them greater courage on the battlefield, and it turns out the Power of Friendship isn't worth piss against the Power of Heavy Artillery.

Look, I'm a grumpy old cynic, but I get cranky when I see stories use "love" or "friendship" as the reason for victory or like it grants magic powers.

[shion-yu]

Ice Cream for Dinner

Chicken pox sucks. Some Shu and Alex father-son caretaking with a shocking lack of angst. This is pure fluff folks. To the anons who requested stories with Shu and Ryo sick, they’re in progress! But this is Alex’s turn, lol. 2,275 words, no TWs, CW sick 13 year old.

It turns out that having a kid in school for the first time means getting sick with every nasty school kid disease they bring home, and it doesn't matter if that kid isn't in preschool - middle school works just as well. In the year since Alex has come to live with Shu, Shu's been sick enough to miss work at least five times and had the sniffles on and off for the rest of the year. 

He doesn't blame Alex, who seems to find Shu’s pathetic immune system somewhat amusing as long as Shu's relatively okay. Shu would rather Alex not worry about him anyways. However it definitely doesn't soften the blow that Alex stays healthy almost no matter what. He was sick once with that upper respiratory infection but that was it - otherwise the kid's been the picture of health and Shu wonders how such a skinny kid has such an immune system of steel. 

"What did your mother feed you?" Shu asked him after he was diagnosed with yet another round of strep throat that had left him absolutely miserable for the past several days, but had somehow completely missed Alex.

"Mostly cereal," Alex said dryly. It came with a heavy undertone of 'if at all.' Shu sighed and went back to blowing his nose miserably. It seemed there was no secret there other than youth and a big attitude. 

It was annoying to be sick all of the time, but Shu just kept telling himself that at least it wasn't Alex. Plus, on the bright side, he had pretty much infinite PTO to spend on sick days since he'd barely taken a vacation in the past ten years working for the same company. His most important job was to take care of Alex and as long as he could manage that while ill, he could avoid calling his mom to take over. That had only happened twice so far, which seemed like a win all things considered.

With all of this in mind, Shu was quite eager to enjoy the days when he was neither sick nor being called into the principal's office to discuss the behavior of his unruly charge. Both had been true this week and Shu told Alex that they were going to enjoy the Fall leaves with a walk on the Hudson. Alex rolled his eyes and told him he'd rather sit at home and watch paint dry.

"Well, too bad because there's no paint to watch dry," Shu said cheerfully. "Unless you'd like to change our activity to painting your bedroom together, those walls could use it." A fresh coat of paint would hide all the plastered-over holes Alex had punched through. But Alex seemed to think a walk was less painful (or at least significantly faster) than painting a room together, so chose the walk.

It was a bit cold out and Shu bundled up in a scarf and his warm peacoat. He encouraged Alex to wear his own warm coat and a hat, but of course that meant Alex did the exact opposite and wore his light Jean jacket, no hat, and what seemed like useless fingerless gloves. Shu didn't argue though, he was just glad they managed to get out the door. 

It was a pleasant walk on the river side, despite the cool breeze. Shu was happy about all the bright orange and red leaves, something Alex wasn't that used to given he'd spent most of his childhood in California. Shu did the vast majority of the talking, but that was to be expected. However after a while he noticed Alex shivering and subtly cut their walk short by crossing the closest bridge and turning towards the direction of the car to complete their loop.

"Want my scarf?" Shu asked casually. 

"Nah," Alex said. He looked distracted and kept scratching the back of his neck. 

Shu kept an eye on Alex as they walked back and noticed Alex seemed to be dragging his feet more and more the longer they walked. "You okay buddy?" Shu asked him.

"I'm fine," Alex responded predictably and picked up the pace. Shu went back to talking about Avatar the Last Airbender, hoping Alex would relate to Shu's fondness of it since it was known to be a popular cartoon. "Will you stop? I don't know that show," Alex snapped irritably. Well, that didn't work, Shu thought. They fell quiet until Shu caught Alex trailing behind again, this time itching his head.

Suddenly the thought of lice popped into Shu’s mind. He stopped and waited for Alex to bump into him. 

"What now?" Alex scowled. 

"Anyone at school have lice? Or scabies?" Shu asked cautiously. Alex made a disgusted face, though whether it was regarding the vermin or Shu himself was unclear. Possibly both.

"I don't have lice," Alex snapped. "Those don't feel like this."

"Then what does this feel like?" Shu asked, leaping on the fact that Alex had inadvertently admitted that some discomfort was present at all.

Alex growled and started jogging towards the car. Shu tried to keep up, but the kid was way too fast for his own good. At least, usually he was, except today by the time he reached the parking lot he was panting as hard as Shu was. He looked pale - well, paler than usual - and Shu frowned, moving his hand forward to check Alex for fever. Alex yelped and dodged him, glaring. "What are you doing?! Don't touch me!"

"I wanted to see if you had a fever. Bud, do you feel okay?" Shu asked.

"No, I feel like you just forced me on a stupid walk in the cold. Let's just go home already!" Alex snapped. Shu tried not to smile at the use of the word home as it most certainly would not earn him any points right now. He relented instead and got into the driver's seat, making sure Alex buckled up (once, this was another heated point of contention) before he pulled out of the gravel parking lot. 

The drive home was about thirty minutes. Alex leaned against the door and pulled his knees close to his chest, making him look ever more childish. He was thirteen and as gangly and tall as a mung bean sprout, Shu's mom said, but he still acted like a kid. He wasn't mature and given everything he'd been through, Shu expected it might take him longer than other kids to get a handle on his emotions. That didn't mean it was easy to get through all the fighting and outbursts, but Shu told himself it was just something they’d have to work through together. Alex was already doing so much better than when he'd first come to live with Shu, after all. Progress felt slow at times, but it was there. 

Progress was Alex admitting to Shu as they pulled into the driveway, "I don't feel good." 

Shu made himself not-smile at Alex trusting him to know that and said, "Let's get you inside and in bed then." Alex went straight to his room and changed into comfortable clothes, then dove under the blankets, shivering. Shu brought in the thermometer and Tylenol and sat on the edge of Alex's bed. Alex was scratching his chest and looked flushed.

"Can we take your temp?" Shu asked. Alex grumbled but obeyed. 100.8. Shu cringed - Alex really was sick. Shu felt bad he'd forced Alex to go out for a cold walk with a fever, but he hadn't known. "Sorry bud, you're definitely sick. Now what're you itching, can you show me?"

Alex reluctantly dropped his hand. Shu delicately peered at Alex's neck and down Alex's shirt. There were a handful of red marks that looked like pimples. Shu tried to think of what they would be and came to a quick conclusion: "Alex, have you had chickenpox before?"

Alex shook his head no. Shu grimaced. "Well I think you've got them now." Alex should have been vaccinated, but Shu suddenly remembered the long list of 'religious' waivers Alex's parents had signed to get him into school with the bare minimum of requirements. He'd been meaning to get those updated but they'd just been so busy that Shu must have forgotten to reschedule that vaccine clinic visit they'd missed. Crap. If Shu remembered correctly, there wasn't much to do for chicken pox other than stop Alex from itching and keep the fever down. "I think I'll call the pediatrician. Maybe we can avoid a trip to the office for you, okay?"

That seemed to earn Shu a few points and Alex nodded. Shu called the doctor's office from his spot on Alex's bed and managed to get a nurse on the phone who went over the list of symptoms, which Shu then relayed to Alex before confirming or denying. Headache? Check. Sore throat? Check. Itchy rash that looked like little red bumps? Definitely. 

"Sounds like chicken pox, and if he does have them it's better you keep him at home away from any other kids at the office," the nurse said. "No school until the blisters are gone, about a week. Keep him from scratching. You can do Tylenol and calamine lotion and Benedryl but as long as his fever stays under 102 after meds he should be fine. Good luck." 

Shu didn't know if he liked the sound of her good luck, because that meant she thought he'd need it. Shu sighed and hung up. "Well, guess you've got all of next week off school," Shu said. "Any requests? Books? Soup?"

"I wanna sleep," Alex said grouchily. Shu had expected that. He made sure Alex took his Tylenol and gave him a bottle of calamine lotion to dot onto the pox and then left him alone to stew in his teenage misery. He was sure Alex’s friend Ryo would be getting a slew of upset texts any second now. 

Shu mostly tried to let Alex be alone like he wanted, but the problem was that Alex got bored very quickly and soon wandered out to the rest of the house, scratching and whining about anything and everything. Shu tried to remind himself that Alex probably felt like crap and wasn’t purposefully being a pain - probably. After Alex’s third pass through the living room though Shu made him sit on the couch and insisted on putting calamine lotion on Alex’s back where he couldn’t reach. He supposed it was a testament to how uncomfortable Alex really was that it didn’t become an argument.

By the next morning Alex’s spots had turned into angry looking blisters and he got upset every time Shu told him not to scratch. Shu tried to tape oven mitts on Alex’s hands like his mom suggested but Alex was too old to put up with that and nearly decked him in the face. “Alex, don’t hit me,” Shu said sternly. Alex glared but didn’t try it again. 

The fever was worse. The headache was worse. Alex could barely talk because his throat hurt so much. When Shu took a look down Alex’s throat with his phone flashlight he could see how red it was; google said he probably had chicken pox in his throat and that liquid Benadryl could help. He set Alex up on the couch and took a quick trip to the pharmacy, purchasing basically everything he could think of to get Alex to settle down and came home with two bags full of supplies. Alex was napping with the TV on, and Shu didn’t think there was any point in waking the beast before he had to so just sat next to him and let him sleep.

Alex looked particularly young with chicken pox blisters all over his skin and limp, messy hair that was damp from a tenuous fever. Shu sighed fondly as he watched him and thought to himself that this week couldn’t go by fast enough. Eventually Alex woke up, predictably grumpy, and Shu pulled out all the stops. He made vanilla pudding on the stove because that always tasted better than the pre-packaged stuff. He served Alex tea and Gatorade with a curly straw, which Alex called stupid but didn’t remove. He slathered Alex’s entire body with calamine lotion and probably gave him a bit more Benadryl than was strictly the correct dose, but he felt terrible about how miserable Alex seemed. The fever stayed manageable though, so Shu was able to keep him at home at least.

Around dinner time, Shu made Alex soup and served it on the couch. “How’re you holding up, bud?” He asked, sitting next to his miserable, blanket-covered kid.

“This sucks,” Alex croaked. “I hate chicken pox.”

Shu couldn’t help but laugh a little, which earned him a glare from Alex. “I know, it sucks a lot. But this is the worst day, it’ll get better. In the meantime, let’s have some soup.”

“I don’t want soup,” Alex grumped. 

“So what do you want?” Shu asked patiently.

Alex looked away, pulling the blanket closer around himself. “...Ice cream?” He mumbled.

“Alright,” Shu said easily.

Alex looked at him in surprise. “Really?” He asked, his voice rising one tone in excitement, although he was clearly trying not to get his hopes up.

“Sure. Ice cream for dinner it is. You get special treats when you’re sick, you know?” Alex hadn’t known, it seemed. Shu served him a large bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and Alex ate the whole thing. Then he fell asleep next to Shu as Shu ate the now cold soup, a satisfied, sugary smile on the boy’s face.

[automanspareparts]

DIY Auto Repairs: Parts Every Car Owner Should Know About

Because sometimes the only thing standing between you and a $500 repair bill is a $30 part and some confidence.

Listen, we've all been there. That moment when your car makes a noise it definitely shouldn't be making, and your stomach drops thinking about how much the repair shop is about to charge you. But here's a little secret from someone who used to be terrified of looking under the hood: many car repairs are actually doable yourself, if you just know the basics.

The Gateway Parts (AKA Your DIY Starter Pack)

Before you dive into the deep end of auto repair, these parts are your beginner-friendly introduction:

Air Filters - Literally just pop open a plastic box, take out the dirty accordion-looking thing, put in the clean one. Shops charge $25+ for this 2-minute job.

Wiper Blades - Those streaky windshield marks aren't just annoying—they're dangerous in heavy rain. Most auto parts stores will even install new ones for free if you buy them there.

Headlight Bulbs - Why pay someone $50 to unscrew a bulb? Most cars take less than 15 minutes to swap these out.

Batteries - With a simple wrench and the ability to tell positive from negative, you can save serious cash here. Pro tip: take a picture of the connections before disconnecting anything.

The Money-Saving Middle Ground

Ready to level up? These parts might seem intimidating at first, but they're actually pretty manageable:

Brake Pads - I'm not saying brake work is super easy, but it's mostly just removing wheels, unscrewing a few things, and putting new pads where the worn ones were. The satisfaction of doing this yourself is chef's kiss.

Spark Plugs - With a special socket and a little patience, you can bring your engine back to life when it's running rough. Just replace one at a time so you don't mix up the wires.

Oil and Filter - Yes, getting under the car is involved, but a basic oil change is basically "unscrew plug, drain goop, replace filter, add new goop." The first time takes an hour, but you'll get it down to 20 minutes eventually.

Sensors - Modern cars have sensors for EVERYTHING. Oxygen sensors, mass airflow sensors, coolant temp sensors... they can cost hundreds to replace at shops, but often they're just a connector and a bolt.

The "Proceed With Caution" Parts

These repairs can save you serious money but require more research and patience:

Alternator - This electricity-generating wizard isn't actually that complicated to replace, but it can be buried in an annoying location depending on your car model.

Starter - When your car won't start and makes a clicking noise, this is often the culprit. Replacing it is often just a matter of disconnecting the battery, removing a few bolts, and swapping in a new one.

Thermostat - This little temperature-regulating valve is responsible for a surprising number of overheating issues. Replacing it can be messy (coolant everywhere!) but not difficult.

Fuel Pump - Located in your gas tank, this isn't the most convenient part to reach, but if you're facing a $700 repair bill, suddenly dropping your gas tank doesn't seem so bad.

Resources That Won't Make Your Eyes Glaze Over

YouTube Channels Worth Your Time:

ChrisFix (seriously, this guy explains things better than most college professors)

Scotty Kilmer (opinionated but incredibly knowledgeable)

EricTheCarGuy (detailed walkthroughs for common repairs)

Apps That Actually Help:

Repair Pal (get fair estimates before you start)

Torque Pro (connects to your car's computer to tell you what's wrong)

Car Parts (compare prices across different stores)

The Parts You Should Leave to the Pros

Sometimes, DIY isn't worth it. Here's when to wave the white flag:

Anything involving the airbag system (unless you enjoy danger)

Timing belt/chain replacement (one tiny mistake = engine death)

Transmission rebuilds (just... no)

Engine mounts (awkward angles + supporting engine weight = potential disaster)

Parting Thoughts (See What I Did There?)

The auto repair industry has an incentive to keep you intimidated and dependent. But with a repair manual, some basic tools, and the confidence to try, you'd be amazed what you can fix on your own.

The first time I changed my own brake pads, I saved $220 and gained something more valuable: the knowledge that I could figure things out myself. Now my go-to response to car trouble isn't panic—it's curiosity.

What auto repair are you most intimidated by? Drop a comment below and maybe we can demystify it together.

#CarRepair #DIY #AutoParts #SaveMoney #CarMaintenace #CarTips #Automotive

[peonyleader]

Silence hung heavy in the room, pressing down on Jin Ling’s shoulders, making them sink beneath its weight. His head pounded, a consistent ache that would have brought tears to his eyes if he were any younger, if he didn’t have the dull throbbing of his nose to focus on. It was most definitely broken; it had bled far too much and his face had swollen too quickly to be anything but. Sniffling even hurt, he had to swallow back the grimace as he swiped at his face, smearing the blood from his upper lip across the palm of his hand. He should consider himself lucky, that a broken nose was the extent of his injuries from tonight, things could have gone far worse, considering he’d been roped into a fight alone. He’s strong, confident, resourceful, but he knows his limits, he knows that one-on-one fights are not in his favor. Not that the fight had been Jin Ling’s fault in the slightest, he wouldn’t waste a precious day off, free from responsibilities, nursing a broken nose and a headache unmatched by any other he had before. It certainly isn’t his fault that a loud-mouthed patron didn’t know which bar they were frequenting belonged to the very family that they were badmouthing. There may not have been the normal, excessive gold ornamentation that the Jin favored, and the bar was in a seedy, dangerous neighborhood, one where the Jin would never step foot in unless it was to collect their dues, but there were plenty of clues as to who it belonged to, if one knew where to look.

But none of that mattered now, he had been the only one there, the fight having been dragged outside because he didn’t want to hear the disappointment and anger in his grandfather’s voice when he heard reports of his grandson - his heir, causing damage in one of their establishments. He’d dragged the patron out, a snarl on his lips and yes, he had been the one to throw the first punch, his fist had connected solidly with the man’s cheek and he’d felt the satisfying ache of a successful hit in his knuckles. He’d be sore for days, but it’d be worth it if it kept his grandfather’s name out of the bastard’s mouth.

The fight had lasted no more than a minute, devolving into a feral, grappling thing that both men were too proud to give up. It had been pure luck (or lack thereof on Jin Ling’s end) that police officers had pulled up at the one and only exit of the alleyway.

Forcibly separated and thrown back into the back of the squad car, Jin Ling seethed, spitting blood onto the leather of the seats as he tugs and pulls on the cuffs, looking for any give the metal biting into his wrists and threatening to break skin too.

Now, he sits not in a holding cell, but an interrogation room, the walls bright white around him, the light above him buzzing just loudly enough to be annoying, to send pin and needles into his aching head. He’d be louder, angrier if he knew that he hadn’t been caught for quite possibly the dumbest reason ever. His grandfather was going to skin him alive if he caught wind of this.

No doubt word was already spreading too…

Fuck.

He dropped his head to the table, tucking it between his arms, covering his ears with his biceps the best he could with his hands cuffed to the table. He’s mulling over his options, debating what could be done to make this situation better. Not much, if he was being honest. He could ask for his one phone call, but everyone he could call, wouldn’t answer or they’d leave him there to figure it out. He’d gotten himself into this mess, he has to get himself out. The sound of a door opening catches his attention, and he’s quick to look up.

❝ Are you planning on keeping me here all night? Just charge me with disorderly conduct and send me on my way. ❞ 

@lanctiflora

[paralyze-fic]

Paralyze.

Chapter 23

He did it...

"All Might won!" The entire crowd cheered happily at the screen, seeing the number one hero standing victorious in front of the defeated villain.

Bakugou's hand gripped mine tightly, making me look down at him. He was just looking at the screen with an expression I couldn't decipher, "You okay?" His eyes locked on mine and he blinked a few times before answering me.

"I wanna go home," he whispered.

"The police have to talk to you for now, but I'll stay here with you, Katsuki."

//////

The police car stopped in front of my house, and I said a quick 'thanks' before getting off and walking to the front door.

When the incident occurred at the camp our things were sent back home, so my phone was here the whole time, meaning I had no way to contact anyone in the meantime.

My parents must've been worried sick.

I sighed, ready to get a scolding and some soft hits from my mom. The officer had notified my parents and told them about me arriving home in about three hours, so I was about to knock on the door when somebody opened it.

"(M/n)!" My mother jumped at me and hugged me tight, behind her I could see my father and the twins wrapping their arms around both of his legs.

"Nii-chan!!!" They ran at me too to hug my waist.

"Hey there monsters," I lovingly shuffled their hair when I heard them sniffing and sobbing. I sighed and I looked at my father, he was tearing up too, but had a small smile on his face.

"I'm glad you're okay, son."

//////

I spent time talking with my family for some hours, and it was already past midnight. The twins were each by my side, hugging me and sleeping soundly. My parents were yawning and stretching as they got up from the two-person couch.

"Come on, it's been a long day, let's get some sleep," my father picked up Akira while I picked up Ryo, we walked to their shared room and laid them down on their respective bed.

I kissed their foreheads with a little 'Good night' and walked out of the room with my father. "So..." I looked at him as we walked down the hall to our bedrooms. "Do you like Bakugou?"

The third person to ask this question.

I sighed with a frown, "Yes, I do like him." He hummed and nodded, my father stopped in front of his bedroom door, where I could hear mom pacing around.

"Why don't you seem happy then?" I turn my eyes to look down at the floor.

"Because he doesn't like me, dad." I felt his hand resting on my shoulder and tapping it.

"Has he told you he doesn't like you?" I shook my head side to side and he chuckled, "Then, you have an opportunity, (M/n). Don't waste it." He opened the door behind him as I was about to tell him something else. "Good night, boy."

He closed the door and I was left standing there alone. With a heavy sigh, I walked the last steps to my bedroom and opened the door. Dragging my feet against the floor, I went to my bed and plopped down on it.

"Ugh... where's my phone?" I sat up once more and before I could get up, I saw it on top of my nightstand, charging. "Thanks..." I didn't know who it was, but I still thanked them for plugging it to charge.

I grabbed it and turned it on, waiting for the screen to load. The battery was full, so I unplugged it.

It buzzed on my hand quite a few times, the messages app showing a determined number of notifications. I tapped on it.

Some texts were spam, some others weren't exactly important, and then there were Bakugou's messages.

PuppyKat;

Hey

Can you come over tomorrow?

Asshole, answer me

(M/n)!

Oi, dude!

Okay, good night.

A chuckle got past my lips as I read his messages, but decided to reply to him still, even if it was 1 a.m.

;Sorry I didn't reply, I got home about two hours ago and I've been talking with my parents.

;And yeah, I'll go if you want me with you so much, Suki-chan~

Shut up, I don't want to.

;You hurt me, Bakugou.

;I thought you loved me, now I'm sad :'(

Stop being annoying...

The old hag wants to see you, not me.

;Really?

;I thought you wanted me to go, but I see you don't actually want me to.

;Are we even friends~?

He took some time to reply, and for a moment I thought I had gone too far with my teasing, so I was about to apologize and tell him I would go to his house when my phone buzzed again.

I want to see you too, okay?

It's just embarrassing to say, shithead.

And of course we're friends, otherwise, I would have blown off your face already.

;Ha! That's more like the Bakugou Katsuki I know.

;Have a good night Katsuki. I'm going to sleep.

Good night to you too, (M/n).

I turned off my phone and got up to change into my sleepingwear. As I walked into the bathroom, I heard the buzzing of my phone against the wood of the nightstand, but I decided to get it later. Now, I have to take off this damn costume.

I had taken off the horns when I got home, and even the chains, also washed my hair to get rid of the copious amount of gel. My knuckles throbbed from the pain and I hissed, my mom wrapped them with bandages right after I came out of the bathroom and into the living room. The leather jacket and the t-shirt were thrown into the laundry basket in my bedroom's bathroom. The skinny jeans were off too.

And the choker... I was gonna keep that.

I dressed back in a t-shirt and shorts as my pyjamas and walked out, the screen of my phone illuminating my bedroom. I plopped back into my bed and got under the covers, I stretched a hand out and grabbed my phone again.

PuppyKat;

Thank you

For everything.

See you tomorrow.

My chest swelled and my heartbeat was crazy, I ended up with a big smile on my face as I dropped my head on my pillow. While I stared at the ceiling, the image of Bakugou came to my mind.

His voice, his body, his scent, his personality... everything about him.

"I love you Katsuki... so, so much."

That night, my dreams were plagued with images of Bakugou and I, together.

[chaggie-supporter]

Sunday Special:

○|PT.10 STORIES SHARKS & SONG|○

Oh who the hell is this?

Just as they left, a short girl came in, strutting right up to the bar like she owns the place.

"Hey pussy cat." She called to Husk, who returns with a middle finger and a drink. I do not like this girl. Who does she think she is?

Angel walks up to the bar and sits beside her.

"Who are you?" He asks her.

"I'm Alastor's pal." She responds.

"Like friend? Huh. Didn't know he had any of those. What's his deal?" Angel then inquires.

"Well, I'm sure you've heard the stories" she says. Stories? Hm. This intruiges me, and I turn in my seat to face her.

"He came to hell, making a splash bigger than others. At first; people wanted to dismiss him. But then overlords started going missing. And not just small ones, no. Heavy hitters." She continues. This is really getting good.

"Then, strange broadcasts of screams started playing all over hell. No one knew where they were coming from. That's when Alastor revealed himself as the Radio Demon." I knew he was up to no good. I see Husk leave the bar, and I want to follow him, but I stop myself to listen to the rest of this story.

"And anyone that messed with him? Well, let's just say his broadcast never lacked new voices.. but underneath all that.. he's a total sweetie! Pour a couple shots of rye and he becomes a kitten!" She finishes. Angel just looks shocked and I take the opportunity to pocket the duck and go behind the bar to make my own drink.

I just mix a couple different drinks together, and it tastes.. not bad. Huh. Angel looks at me and nearly bursts out laughing when he sees what I'm doing. But he isn't telling me off, so..

Then Husk returns.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" He yells at me. Uh oh. I chug the rest of the drink.

"Too late!" I say and run out from behind the bar. He rolls his eyes before Charlie, Alastor, Lucifer and Vaggie return. Oh, his drink! I grab Lucifer's drink and walk up to him.

"Hey, I got you your dri-" I don't get to finish before the short girl from earlier buts in.

"Oh, your highness! Pleasure to meet you!" She then leans back to whisper to Alastor. "Alastor, you gotta warn a girl when she's in mixed company!"

"Charmed I'm sure." Lucifer replies awkwardly. Alastor does the static thing again. He really does not like him.

Then, the whole hotel shakes. I run to look out a window, to see a group of shark looking demons in suits and top hats battering at the door with what looks like a dead tree.

"Mimzy! We know your in there! Open up!" One calls loudly. Immediately, the short girl, mimzy - what a fitting name for someone with such an annoying voice - jumps behind the bar.

"Mimzy, what was that about?" Asks an annoyed Husk, who very clearly isn't a fan of her being there.

"I may have taken fifty grand from a loanshark and didn't pay them back. And stole his car. Then crashed it.. into his girlfriend, but she had it coming!" She says. What the hell!?

The hotel shakes violently again as the tree hits the door, and Vaggie looked ready to charge out there when,

"No my dear, leave it to me" Alastor begins. "It's time I remind everyone why I am *here*" his eyes completely change when he says 'here'. They go completely black with the glowing red dials in the middle. Then, some black tentacles grow from the ground and lift him up about 26 feet, before he grows and crawls out of the hotel. He is now massive, and the sharks look terrified. We all watch as he impales them with moreblack tentacles, blood, guts, and brains flying everywhere. He even eats a few.

"See Charlie? Sinners are violent psychopaths that are hell bent on causing death and destruction! No salvation there!" Lucifer says to Charlie, facing the bloodshed and carnage going on outside.

"Dad! He is defending this hotel! How come he can have faith in me,but my own father can't?" Charlie responds, ger voice rising slightly, and by the look on his fave, she struck a chord in him. I can see a mix of guilt, sadness and regret in his eyes.

"This is really getting good." I hear Angel say behind me,and I turn around to see him, Husk and Pentious eating popcorn, which I quickly get myself involved in.

Alastor returns after telling Mimzy to leave. About damn time.

"Dad.. just help me" Charlie says quietly, to which Lucifer replies,

"I can't." Then, they start.. singing? Yeah I don't know anymore. But, in fairness to them, it is a beautiful song. Vaggie, Angel and pentious actually tear up. Then, once they finnished, they hug, and stay wrapped in eachothers arms for ages.

"Aww.. that was ssssweet" a slithery voice says. Wow. What a way to ruin a moment, Pentious.

"Alright, I can get you the meeting, but once your in heaven, I won't be able to go with you.. Will you be okay?" Lucifer asks Charlie as they break the hug. A meeting? Heaven? What did I miss?

"I'll be okay." She responds.

He steps back a bit, before red particles start to swirl around him.

"Okay.. Good luck kid." He says, before the red particles surround him completely, and he dissapears, and I go back to my room. I sit on the edge of the bed, and think about, well everything. Mimzy, the only person I can think of who's more annoying than Pentious, and the fact Alastor had to kick her out. Alastor himself, his backstory, and the broadcast of screams, him killing the sharks and eating them like they mean nothing. The song between Charlie and Lucifer.

Lucifer, the devil.

The devil who gave me a rubber duck.

What a guy.