#《 Green Tea

[stim-cat-cafe]

Kim Pine + Drumming, dark green

Requested by @julystruck

X X X | X - X | X X X

[name-less-666]

HALLO :D

This is just a nameless blog.

I only use this for reblogging, feeding my hyperfixation and delusion >:) And maybe posting my art in the future. If you want me to un-repost/reblog, you are more welcome to DM me.

ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

ALL CREDIT TO THE ORIGINAL WRITER/BLOGGER

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ TAG ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

The tags are just me being organising ╰(*°▽°*)╯

#Oolong tea*ೃ༄____TWST

#Green teaੈ✩‧₊˚____Obey me

#Black tea｡･*˚✧｡____Black Butler

#Herbal tea⑅·˚ ༘ ♡____MTP

#. •°⛓AU*‧₊˚⛓____AU

#Deep thought✎____WritingPrompts

[givemea-dam-break]

the calm before the storm

☁︎ ☁︎ ☁︎ ☁︎ in which circumstances pull two souls apart

pairing: anthony lockwood x (fem) reader

a/n: the angst queen is back. no apologies. i was craving writing another luke castellan fic, but decided it was about time i came back to the hyperfixation that began about this time last year (happy one year lockwood and co!!) so surprise!!! i'm not sorry for this, just so you know. enjoy!

warnings: canon typical violence, descriptions of murder, angst (as always)

words: 4.7K

taglist: @irisesforyoureyes @neewtmas @wellgoslowly @waitingforthesunrise @oblivious-idiot @jesslockwood @magicandmaybe @gotlostinfiction @ettadear @locklylemybeloved @aayeroace @mischiefmanaged71 @mirrorballdickinson @ikeasupremacy

☁︎ ☁︎ ☁︎ ☁︎

01. the calm

There was a certain kind of peace when it came to 35 Portland Row at night.

The way the fire flickered, casting the library in a golden-orange glow and filling it with cosy warmth. How the kitchen always smelled like whatever wonderful meal George had made earlier in the day. The sound of the crackling fire and pages brushing against each other and creaky floorboards. They all compiled together to make it feel like home.

(y/n) sat curled up on one of the library’s armchairs, nose buried in one of the aged books. A steaming cup of tea sat on the coffee table beside a pile of senseless magazines - Lockwood’s guilty pleasure. He was thumbing his way through one just at that moment, and the cover - an edited photo of Penelope Fittes and Steve Rotwell with a big, bold-lettered caption “Inside the minds of the most treasured people in Britain!” - told her everything she needed to know. 

“That stuff is going to rot your brain,” she murmured, turning the page of her book. “I don’t know how you can stand reading that gossip.”

Lockwood, still looking at the magazine before him, shot her a sideways grin. “You just don’t appreciate today’s culture.”

A laugh bubbled from her lips. “I appreciate it plenty when I’m not under threat of death from ghosts. I mean, seriously. How many times can you read about what colour dress Penelope Fittes wore to a gala, or the stupid things all those snotty old rich people keep saying?”

“You have to admit, they’re a little bit funny.”

“It’s funny how stupid the things they say are.”

Lockwood rolled his eyes, dog-earing a page before closing the magazine and setting it down atop the already massive pile. His head tilted as he looked over at her, face cast in that same golden-orange hue that basked the room. He looked positively ethereal.

“I have read plenty of books, too, you know,” he said, still smiling. “I just don’t find them as interesting.”

Raising an eyebrow, (y/n) slipped her tattered bookmark between the pages of her book, balancing it on the arm of her chair. She twisted slightly so that she could look at him in the other armchair.

“Have you ever considered joining a gossip circle?” she asked. “You know, the kind where all those old women meet up in a cafe and have a little blether about their drama? You’d fit right in. Have half of them charmed within minutes.”

His smile changed, then, shifting into the exact kind she had imagined him using to get into a little gossip session. “You think so?”

She snorted, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach. “Without a doubt. You’d have them convinced that, because Penelope wore a green dress to a gala and Steve Rotwell had a green tie, there is some kind of secret relationship between them. Secretly married, or some bosh like that.”

“Well,” Lockwood drawled, “just as well one of us has the skill of charm. If it were you doing interviews, we’d have no clients.”

She swept his magazine off the table and thwacked his arm with it. “If there was no one here to keep you alive, there’d be no business.”

He laughed then, and the sound was like music to her ears. If it was something she could bottle, she’d have a thousand vials of it collected. She could listen to him laugh all day, especially if she was the reason for such a beautiful sound.

With a playful kind of annoyance, she tossed the magazine back on the table. She might have imagined it, but Lockwood watched the movement with eagle-like attention, as if studying every move she made. Every face she pulled. The thought had her heart pounding a little faster.

“I wouldn’t be surprised by that idea, by the way.”

“What?” (y/n) tilted her head. “You being dead without me to save your ass? It’s a proven statement.”

Once more, he rolled his eyes. His smile would have buckled her knees had she been standing. “No. Penelope and Steve being secretly married. I’m going to cop that idea now. Just in case it’s true.”

“As long as I get the credit.”

“Always.”

02. before

“Another murder? Lockwood, do you ever think of broadening your horizons?”

Lockwood grinned, spreading out a few pages from different newspapers in front of him. “We seem to specialise in them. How many murdered ghosts have we successfully contained? Besides, the murderer of this one is unknown. I thought it’d be a fun challenge to see if we could figure out the perpetrator.”

“We have extremely different definitions of fun,” (y/n) grumbled, flipping open a folder full of dated documents. “Don’t you fancy something less… brutal? Someone who died of old age, maybe?”

“Boring,” he said, drawing out the vowels. “We’re Lockwood and Co! How else do we get in the papers without something like a murder?”

She watched the way his eyes seemed to gleam with a strange sort of joy and shook her head, holding back a smile. They most definitely had different definitions of fun. 

“Maybe we can bake some really nice cakes,” she suggested. “Donate money to help stop homelessness? End world hunger?”

His smile then was so beautiful that it stole the breath from her lungs. “While those are wonderful suggestions - I do particularly like the thought of cakes - I think we can do much better by getting rid of some ghosts. Now! What have you found?”

They went on like that for a few more hours, passing taunts back and forth while noting down any points of interest from their research. Really, it would have been more beneficial to have George researching with them - he made sense of all the big, fancy words and mixed-up dates - but he was researching his own case with Lucy. 

It was an interesting case, that much she had to give to Lockwood. A woman, named Fearne Watson, who had been killed in her home a mere four years prior, whose body was not found for another two days when her neighbour had come to drop off some food she had baked for her. Police had flooded the scene and all of the journalists from popular news sources managed to squeeze their way in, getting all the details they could wring out of anybody, including the poor neighbour. (y/n) could remember seeing a glimpse of it on the news, sitting in her mother’s living room, waiting for her father to come home from work. The body had been sealed in one of those black body bags. There was caution tape everywhere, tape that journalists and paparazzi seemed to ignore.

Her family had been interviewed, each of them grieving harder than the last. It was hard to read their heartfelt words. Her sister, who had practically raised her during their childhood while their single mother worked multiple jobs, was by far the most emotional. It was even worse seeing photos of her attendance at the funeral - her pure devastation at a private memorial being disrupted by paparazzi.

What had seemed like at least half of London’s population had ganged up on the press, after that. Some smaller companies were thrown out of business.

The biggest mystery of it all had been the murderer. Whoever had committed it had covered their tracks well: nobody had seen anyone in the home with the victim - though they had not been paying much attention, therefore it had been partially investigated - nor had they seen anybody leave. No weapon was left behind, which was no matter because, as it was later revealed, Fearne had not been killed with a weapon.

The autopsy reports had not been released to the public, but Lockwood’s charm and (y/n)’s bare-faced insistence managed to garner them the second-last piece to the puzzle. 

“Hemlock poisoning,” (y/n) murmured. “What year are we in? 1623? Don’t people usually use, what, paracetamol nowadays?”

Lockwood’s eyes flitted over the document, trying to absorb as much information as possible. If DEPRAC found out they had weaselled their way into getting their hands on it, there would be trouble. They had a very limited amount of time with it.

“Would’ve been a painful death, I imagine,” he said. “It’s a paralytic - says here she died from suffocation. Her respiratory system was paralysed after her muscles seized, also paralysed.”

She shuddered, taking the sheet of paper when he offered it to her. It wasn’t long before she had to pass it back, insanely disturbed.

“You sure know how to pick a belter of a case,” she mumbled. “Next time, take George with you.”

He only smiled, more reassuring than anything else, and reached over, squeezing her hand. Sparks coursed through her veins at the touch, and she looked up at him, melting at the way he looked at her. 

“We’ll be okay,” he promised. “We have each other.”

A smile curved her lips, and she squeezed his hand back. “Always.”

03. the storm

The chains were heavy in her hands, cold enough that the skin of her fingers and palms were beginning to hurt. The house itself was not cold quite yet, but iron had that effect.

Lockwood stared down at his thermometer before nodding. (y/n), gratefully, began laying down the chains in a circle, closing the ends in on each other. Lockwood set a lantern down in the centre but didn’t turn it on just yet.

“Eight degrees,” he said. “You ready?”

She pursed her lips, nodding. 

“No sympathising with visitors this time,” he added, and while there was a smile curling his lips, she could feel the seriousness in his statement. She did have a history of it.

The house’s living room was large enough to fit two three-seater sofas, as well as a dining table tucked under the back window with six chairs. The walls were a dingy shade of beige. A large patterned rug, red as blood, covered a good portion of the dark wood floor. With a thumping heart, she knelt down and lifted up a small corner of the rug.

She took a deep breath, willing her heart to slow its beating. Nothing good would come from being in a panic. The slight tremor in her hands ceased. She was a well-versed agent, this was nothing! She had helped solve the mystery of Combe Carey Hall. She had solved dozens upon dozens of cases. One more murder was nothing.

But, as she pressed her hand flat against part of the floor, stained slightly darker than the rest, it became clear that she was wrong.

Time seemed to swell around her, spinning and spinning until she was crouched in a brighter version of the house. A version without the big rug and the dining table beneath the window. The walls were a beautiful shade of duck-egg blue. Photos hung in simple white frames, plants were dotted around the room in pots shaped like cats and hedgehogs and dinosaurs.

Music played softly, a song (y/n) recognised as one her mother used to listen to while she still lived at home. Someone was humming along.

A woman swept into view, one she recognised from the newspapers that did not do her beauty justice.

Fearne Watson’s auburn hair was swept over her shoulder in loose waves, glowing like fire in the sunlight. She had blue eyes that were ever-smiling, and her freckled cheeks were rosy. She was no older than twenty-five.

Another voice could be heard, feminine and soft. She was singing along to the song while Fearne mimicked the instruments. (y/n)’s parents had often done the same.

The second woman came into view, and (y/n) couldn’t help but smile. Her sister, Dahlia, brushed over, gently taking Fearne’s hands in hers. They spun for a few moments, dancing along to the song. When it ended, they laughed and laughed, sipping from delicate teacups.

“Mm! What kind of tea is this?” Fearne asked, smiling. “Tastes very floral. It’s not jasmine, is it?”

Dahlia smiled, too, watching her sister with soft eyes. “Something like that.”

A terrible feeling began to settle in (y/n)’s bones. The thoughts building in the back of her mind began to come to fruition, and as she watched, she could feel her blood running cold. There was a terrible, nauseous lump in her throat. The police had thought nobody had been home with Fearne.

Fearne’s hand brushed her throat lightly. There was a faint sheen on her brow. “Did you add parsley to this? It’s got a bit of a weird taste.”

Her sister merely shook her head. She had not drank any of her tea.

“Dal, this - this doesn’t taste right.”

Dahlia tilted her head just so slightly. She did not seem concerned. “Oh?”

It was then that it began. The drawn-out death.

Fearne’s skin took on a pale tint, coated in a layer of sweat. The teacup dropped from her hand, smashing on the hardwood floor. Dahlia swept it up, disposing of it in the bin beside the sofa. She watched her sister closely, bright eyes narrowed as Fearne’s limbs took on a rigid look. She slumped on the sofa, panic flaring in her eyes.

She was struggling to speak, lips coated in her own saliva. She managed one word. “Why?”

Dahlia did not respond to her question. “Hemlock tastes very similar to parsley,” she murmured, standing as her sister began shaking, trying to suck in as much air as she could. “It was a shame things ended like this.”

The question, Why? hung in the air, unanswered. But the glaring look in Dahlia’s eyes revealed truer feelings than she had expressed in interviews. She resented her sister. Wholly and irrevocably. Why exactly she hated her was left a mystery hidden by a cruel smile.

(y/n) was torn from the vision as Fearne’s face began to turn purple, her lungs failing. She was saved from the horror of watching her die.

Lockwood was crouched in front of her when the present world began to melt back around her, his copper-and-caramel eyes taking the place of the sofa Fearne’s body had slumped upon.

His hands were on her face, warm and calloused. “You okay?” he asked gently. “Need any water?”

She shook her head, goosebumps rising across the skin of her arms. “It was her sister.”

“What?” Lockwood frowned, hands slipping from her cheeks to rest on the skin between her shoulders and neck. His touch made her shiver. “The newspapers -”

“They got it wrong,” she said. There was a bitter taste in her mouth. “She - she put hemlock in their tea. She murdered her own sister. She lied to the journalists. I can’t even begin to understand -”

Her voice fell flat. In some space in the back of her mind, she was vaguely aware of Lockwood speaking, trying to draw her attention back to him, but all she could focus on were the whispers. The glow.

A few feet behind Lockwood, there was a faint shimmer in the air, akin to how heat shimmered above pavements in summer. But this was all wrong. This was the dead end of winter. This was inside a house, where that kind of heat didn’t appear anywhere but the oven. This shimmer was glowing.

At first, it was no more than that - a shimmer - but the features soon developed. Long auburn hair. Freckled cheeks. Down-turned eyes and a wide nose bridge. 

“Fearne…”

Lockwood’s hands were on her face again, trying to get her to look at him. “What? (y/n), talk to me.”

Dahlia, said the apparition with such spite that (y/n) could taste it. Bitter and pungent and poisonous. Dahlia.

She sounded out the name as if speaking to a child and teaching them syllables. Her very voice, strained of air and yet still, somehow, melodic, had her frozen on the spot.

“Fearne,” she uttered again. She could not move.

Perhaps had she not felt such sympathy for their visitor's circumstance, she would not have found herself ghost-locked. Perhaps she would have been standing already, rapier in one hand and a salt bomb in the other, prepared to hold her off whilst Lockwood found her source. Or, no, really it would be the other way around - Lockwood would never let her fight a ghost on her own, his pride and needless urge to protect were a killer. So maybe she would have been searching for that source by now. Maybe she would have found it already.

But it felt as though her joints had locked up, preventing her from moving at all. Her eyes could focus only on the shape of Fearne Watson’s ghost and not Lockwood, who she would much rather have been looking at.

He seemed to realise then what was happening, standing as he spun around to face the ghost. His rapier was drawn in mere seconds, angled towards her purple, glowing face. Her teeth were bared in some gruesome excuse of a smile that creased her tear-stained cheeks.

“(y/n).” His voice was steely as he looked ahead at the ghost, hiding any of the fear she wasn’t entirely sure he ever felt so as to not empower the ghost. “I need you to find the source. Snap out of it.”

She couldn’t, not when Fearne’s voice whispered in her ears so painfully, so full of betrayal. Her sister’s name over and over and over again, tear-filled and sickening. All (y/n) wanted to do was wrap her arms around Fearne and promise her that things would be okay, that she would take her story back to the news with the revelation of her killer. Even if it was just her word against the world’s, supported by no evidence but her Talent, she would do it.

Then, Lockwood threw a salt bomb at Fearne’s face, dissolving her spectral form for a moment.

He turned back to (y/n), eyes uncharacteristically wild. “(y/n), go!”

And she did. She was on her feet again, heart thumping in her chest as Lockwood turned to follow the moving glow of Fearne Watson, slashing at her with his rapier whenever she came too close.

(y/n) grappled for anything that could be a source, feeling them in her hands for any signs. Ice cold. Traces of memories that she would be able to see or hear. Most were fruitless, just ghastly-looking vases and pretentious photo frames. What on earth would be the source if somebody else was living here now?

A thought came to the forefront of her mind, driving her back to the blood-red rug. She folded the corner over itself again and again until she reached somewhere near the middle, cringing at the wailing noises that came from the visitor. Salt exploded in the air, tangling in her hair and melting on her lips. With the miasma she had misunderstood as fear and sympathy, it was a horrible taste.

The dark floor was stained darker in one spot, splotchy and strangely shaped, exactly where the teacup had fallen in the vision. Fearne howled when (y/n)’s fingers brushed it.

“Hurry!” Lockwood called, twisting his rapier in ways far too complicated for (y/n) to ever attempt. “I know what you’re thinking!”

And he likely did. She was unsure as to why Lockwood expected any different from her - to not feel even the slightest bit bad for these ghosts. Some had died so brutally, so heartbreakingly, that sometimes she doubted if he truly had a heart, despite the way she so often saw him looking at her. 

This poor woman had been killed by her sister for nothing more than existing. She had died horribly, unable to move or breathe as her sister watched her struggle, ignoring the hemlock tea stain on the floor beneath her feet. She had remained at the site of her murder for years, with no escape from the memories of her death.

How could she not feel bad? How could she not wish for something more for ghosts like Fearne, more than a fight and another violent end, surrounded by the flames of the Fittes Furnaces?

The wailing disappeared for a moment, and all she could hear was Lockwood panting behind her. And the whispers. The whispers from the floorboard.

“Have you found the source?” he asked, his voice cool. She wasn’t sure when the last time he had used that tone on her was.

His answer was a resounding yes.

Fearne’s glowing apparition appeared in front of (y/n)’s face, her haunting smile and glassy eyes like a hand around her heart.

Dahlia, she murmured. A tear slipped down her purple cheek as one of her hands slowly reached upwards, towards (y/n)’s cheek. Her other hand neared the site of the source, from which she had just appeared. Dahlia.

(y/n) didn’t notice how cold her hand felt until the chill was gone, replaced by the weight of a silver net. All noise felt as though it had been sucked out of the room, replaced by a heavy silence.

Then came the angry breathing Lockwood so often resorted to when he could not bear to speak to George or Lucy when they had particularly annoyed him. But never had he done it because of (y/n). Never.

She turned her head, slipping her hand out from beneath the net, and met Lockwood’s gaze. His brows were drawn close over his shadowed eyes, lips curved downwards as his shoulders rose and fell with each deep, steadying breath he tried to take.

“We get rid of ghosts,” he said, voice tight. “We aren’t paid to sympathise with them.”

(y/n) stood slowly. “They deserve more than this.”

“They are ghosts.” His words were clipped now. “They deserve nothing.”

“She didn’t deserve to die.”

“And neither do we!”

He had raised his voice just so slightly, but, even still, it took her by shock. He slipped his rapier into his belt, pocketing his salt bombs, and stared angrily at her in a way he never had before.

“I let you off the first time something like this happened,” he said, “because you were new. I wanted to see how you worked, see how you processed these things. The second time, well, that was different - the ghost had no intention of doing anything but sitting sadly in a corner. The fifth time? Well, I suppose that, along with every other time you’ve pulled this, was because of my feelings for you. But you’ve put both of us at risk today, again. I won’t have it.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “What? So you want me to go around with no feelings whatsoever and just get rid of all of these ghosts?”

He threw his arms into the air, exasperated. “Yes! That’s what I pay you to do!”

“Well, I won’t do it.” (y/n) bit the inside of her cheek. “Without the emotion, I wouldn’t be able to find the sources the way I do. I’m not going to be some emotionless paramount of an agent like you. And if you don’t want me to work that way, then I won’t. I'd rather leave than do that.”

“Then go.”

The words hung in the air, and (y/n) found herself immediately regretting hers. But Lockwood's certainty in his, they had her dead-set. If he was so blasé about her threat of leaving Lockwood and Co after all they had been through, all she had felt for him, then she would go.

She didn’t want to work in any way but hers. She had perfected her technique, used it on every case to support her findings. Sure, she sympathised with many of the ghosts; how could she not, when many were late children or murdered women or family members taken too soon? Telling her not to work that way, to not use the pain felt by the victims to help her bring them peace, was like trying to cut a piece out of her body. She’d kick and scream and stop it at any cost.

With a breath that constricted her chest, she clenched her fists. Pain flared up through her right hand and, when she looked down, she had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t making up the blue tinge her skin had taken on.

Lockwood seemed to notice it at that very moment, eyes widening as he stepped forward. His voice softened as he said, “(y/n), let me see -”

Taking a step back, she clutched her hand to her chest. “No.”

She said it with more force than she has ever used with him. It shocked her almost as much as it did him. 

With her good hand shaking, she turned and strode out of the living room into the kitchen, where their kits were stashed.

DEPRAC’s main goal was to protect and provide for the agents that fought off visitors across the whole of Britain, and they had recently managed to get legislation approved for agents to carry adrenaline shots with them to cases. Far too many agents, most of them being barely teenagers, had died waiting for ambulances to provide the shots after being ghost-touched, especially when working in remote areas. DEPRAC wanted to reduce fatalities as much as possible.

So she reached into Lockwood’s bag - legislation had only been approved with the compromise that supervisors or business owners carried adrenaline shots with them, rather than allowing other agents to have possession of them - and pulled out the box containing the shot.

Lockwood was at her side in a second, reaching over to help her out, seeing her struggle with only one hand, but she turned away from him. She hoped he hadn’t seen the tears clouding her eyes before she had moved.

“(y/n),” he murmured.

“Don’t,” she said. “Just don’t.”

And, so, she stabbed the needle into her arm, administering the adrenaline despite the rules surrounding even that part of the legislation. She did not want to feel his hands on her skin. Not anymore.

☁︎ ☁︎ ☁︎ ☁︎

(y/n) sat curled up on her chair, newspaper laid out before her. 

Her last case with Lockwood and Co had made it into the news, page eight, much to Lockwood’s likely chagrin. That was a guess, though. She supposed she wouldn’t know anymore.

Light flooded in through her window, illuminating the walls of her childhood home. She had not wanted to return, but what choice had she had? Getting a flat in London was almost impossible.

Her parents had taken her back with open arms, happy to have their little girl back, but they fell into old habits quickly. It seemed that the years she had spent living in 35 Portland Row had left them to store some passive aggressive comments ready for her return. Everything she did elicited some kind of comment.

She flicked through the newspaper, filling in crosswords and drawing devil horns on the heads of the Fittes agents that had made it into the paper.

Page eight, though she hated it, held her attention. After the effects of ghost-touch began to fade away, Lockwood had called the police and DEPRAC regarding the case, informing both of their findings. Though no evidence had been found to prove their claim, paragons of each big agency with the talent of Touch were brought in the DEPRAC van. Every single one confirmed her story.

The police disappeared shortly after, alerting higher ups and figuring out a strategy. Dahlia Watson still lived in London.

The floorboard was pried from the house, wrapped tightly in a silver net and taken by a DEPRAC officer en route to the Fittes Furnaces. She didn't miss the way Lockwood looked over at her at the announcement of the source's destination.

Journalists appeared shortly after, shouting their questions and writing down every move (y/n) and Lockwood made in their frustrating notepads as if their silence was condemnation. DEPRAC officers managed to shoo them off, but not before they snapped pictures of the two walking out of the house.

Lockwood looked as he always did, with that charming smile that, despite (y/n)’s anger, had a horrible flutter arising in her stomach, His long jacket blew back just so in the breeze, and his hair brushed his forehead softly. (y/n), on the other hand, looked far sterner than she had ever seen herself, her hand still a faint shade of blue, her eyes wan. Anybody who had seen their pictures in the news before that point likely knew that that was the end of their business together at Lockwood and Co. They were stood about two feet apart.

She should have left it there, left her remorse and fury mixing terribly in her chest, but she didn’t.

Her eyes caught onto the final sentence, and she felt rather sick. “I give full credit of the discovery to my partner, (y/n) (l/n), (pictured left). This case, and Fearne Watson's murder, would not have been solved without her. Always.”

Former partner, she thought with a lump in her throat. And, well, always did not seem so true anymore.

She tore the page from the paper, ignoring the bewildered look on her mother’s face. With bleary eyes, she crumpled it into a ball and tossed it into the fire.

Perhaps always was only for fairytales.

[nvkyy]

I hate everything rn ☹

Monster~10

Egg white~17

Half bagel~135

2 rice cakes~70

Strawberry cream cheese~70

Cherry Coke Zero~0

Green tea~0

Half beef ramen~190

Consumed~~~~ 492

Net~~~~~~~~~~~~ 71

Yes, the rice cakes were as disgusting as they look! It was during my lunch break so it’s all I could eat! I’m too easily embarrassed to just let my stomach growl

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

[ask-belphegor]

It's been a while, Belphie! Love you!

Sorry if this has been asked already, but do you have a favorite kind of tea?

~☁

Good to see you again, Cloud. I have never been asked this question.

I like Green Tea, with some honey and milk. Lavender tea is good too.

But honestly, I much prefer drinking warm milk rather than tea. ^^

[cafe-camus]

Misfit-Menu:

☾ Espresso: @academic-vampire

◈ Hot Chocolate: @what-rhymes-with-puck

☁︎ Chai Latte: @chai-x-ti

✧ Black Coffee: @velvet-moon-light

♤ Americano: @vkxv

☽ Macchiato: @theo-moon

✮ Cappuccino: @yuki-ko

✑ Green Tea: @eliot-poe

𖤓 Mocha: @apollo-rae

✿ Assorted Pastries: @strw-brry-milk

[hunting-songs]

Muse  Aesthetics : Season  Edition  ! Repost  don’t  reblog .   Bold  always applies.   Italicize  sometimes  applies.

✹ SUMMER ✹ — cold drinks after a long day,hiking in the woods just outside the city, swimming in a lake, spontaneous picnics,the warmth of the sun making you drowsy, the buzz of insects flying by,  blooming wildflowers, the scent of bark and leaves, snapping twigs in half, a blade of grass between your teeth, light sunburn on the tip of your nose, barking dogs, rosy cheeks, children laughing in the distance, sunflowers reaching for the sun, fresh ice tea, resting your head on someone’s lap, warm yellow, the sound of waves crashing

☁ AUTUMN ☁ — cool breezes that feel just right, piles of leaves, rust red, oversized sweaters, knitted blankets, pumpkin spice, the scent of freshly baked goods, open windows letting the fresh air in, cold cheeks and hands, rain boots, carving pumpkins, soft scarves, a comforting embrace from an old friend, the scent right before a storm, wild mushrooms, ripening berries, a cup of hot tea, purring cats, blueberry muffins, braided hair, wearing your partner’s shirts, an alarm pulling you from slumber, burning candles

❅ WINTER ❅ — the crackling of a fireplace, hot chocolate with marshmallows, the smell of fresh cookies, fuzzy socks, beanies pulled over your ears, a strong pot of coffee, dark clouds gathering on the horizon, the sound of wind shaking the house, melting ice, snowflakes in your hair, melancholy afternoons, curling up with a book while the world stands still, cough drops on the nightstand, excitedly giving gifts, long coats with deep pockets, pale blues, flour on the tip of your nose, warm soup, stubble turning into a beard, the scent of leather

❀ SPRING ❀ — the smell after it rains, waking to the sound of birds singing, the crack of thunder,soft pinks, energy drinks or protein shakes, the scent of fabric softener, tidying up, the sweet taste of fresh fruit, competitive spark in eyes, sand beneath your feet, sweat on your brow, catching your breath after running, light green, frosted cupcakes, electricity in the air, forbidden kisses,  the sharp hunger after a work out,daring romances, high ponytails, unexpected storms, picking flowers, running barefoot in the grass, iced coffee

[openheartfanfics]

Newly Added Fics

Apr 29 - May 5, 2023  

🎭 Angst  |  🦚 Angsty Fluff  |  🛸 AU  |  ☁ Fluff  |  ♥ NSFW  |  📚 Series  |  📷 Edit  |  📱 TextFic  |  Ⓜ Mature

BRYCE X F!MC

Flipping Love - @storyofmychoices ☁

Bryce attempts to make pancakes for Olivia. [Cooks]

ETHAN X F!MC

A Different Fate… - @jerzwriter 📚🎭

[mini: wip] A conversation with his friend, Tobias, has Ethan recalling a night from long ago and how it still lives in his heart to this very day.

Part 3: It's been a long time.

A New Era - @genevievemd ☁

Gen and Natalie head to the ERA's tour, then make a startling discovery. Feat. Bryce Lahela x F!OC

Beautiful Stranger - @liaromancewriter 🛸

Ethan Ramsey wasn’t looking forward to tonight, and then he met the woman of his dreams. [Soulmates; Gala]

Everybody Hurts Sometimes - @coffeeheartaddict2 📚Ⓜ

[extended: wip] Casey is a top intern at Edenbrook, Ethan is the lead of Diagnostics. They share a secret of treating the revered Dr Naveen Banerji but is it all they will share. TW: Addiction and abandonment issues

Part 4: Changes of circumstances [1.14; 1.15]

Part 5: End of the road [1.17]

Hidden Memories - @potionsprefect ☁

Whilst unpacking boxes, Ethan discovers more about Victoria’s past.

The Green-Eyed Monster - @alj4890 ☁

Thirty Kisses in Thirty Days Challenge with the prompt: a kiss shared to make someone else jealous. [Jealous]

The Ring Fiasco - @headoverheelsforramsey ☁

When Ethan misplaces his engagement ring, Meera and her girls come up with a plan to teach him a lesson.

ETHAN X M!MC

Irresistible Force Paradox - @justcallmefox89 📚

[extended: wip] Retelling of Open Heart book 1.

Chapter 4

JACKIE X M!OC

A Short Summertime Story - @ezekielbhandarivalleros ☁

Jake plans something small for Jackie.

SIENNA X F!MC

Day One - @liaromancewriter 📚

What happened when Cassie met Sienna? Small moments that defined their friendship. [Platonic]

Part 2 [2.11]

Part 3

Midnight Talks - @trappedinfanfiction ☁

When she couldn’t sleep, Celia didn’t expect to find Sienna in the same situation. Luckily, cookies make everything better. [Platonic]

SIENNA X M!OC

In The Woods - @potionsprefect 📷

There's a surprise in store.

TOBIAS X F!MC

Bubble T - @jerzwriter 📱

It's National Bubble Tea Day. Set shortly after they're finally coupled up.

What's Forever For? - Miranda - @jerzwriter 📚🛸

[extended: wip] This short series will focus on how Tobias and Casey move forward in the immediate aftermath of their divorce.

Part 1

_

SUBMIT OPEN HEART FICS & WRITERS HERE

[alex-writings]

Hello I have stumbled upon your blog and it's so cute I hope your doing requests right now if you are here's my request reader has a crush on hero but thy know hero likes mari(?) and mari likes hero back and cant bring theirself to hate mari cuz she's too nice, eventually mari finds out and is willing to push her feelings aside and encourages Reader to confess to hero and helps her confess to him, depends on you if you want hero to make hero like reader or not or both yknow just an idea but (hero declines readers confession so reader just tried to avoid hero, after a few months(?) Hero realized he likes reader not mari so he looks for reader and found reader in a flower field, he ran up to reader and says to her helikes her he realized that after a few weeks after readers confession and they just say that to everyone and everyone was confused but happy mari was happy for you both). Gosh that was long but anyways you don't have to do my idea it really depends on you if you want the ending to be happy anyways hope you have a good day!

~sincerely ×××× anon~

It's a really good idea! You have a lot of inspiration 😭, sorry for taking a lot of time for doing this request, I was in a break

"Warning" : she/her pronouns (since the Anon put the request at feminine), angst to fluff? I think (I'm not sure if it's angst I don't know pretty well angst), rejection

code color for the character :

mari = purple

hero = blue

basil = green

Kel = orange

sunny = white bold

reader = white

Anyways let's start this ^^

ꕀꕀ ♡ ꕀꕀ

You watch Hero and Mari having such a complicity together at the picnic, you couldn't help yourself but feeling jealous. It wasn't fair for them, especially Mari, she always been so nice to you. You felt bad about letting Mari be happy, wishing it was you instead. You decided to go home, not being able to support it anymore, claiming having a headache. You almost started to hate yourself for making your friends worry only because you couldn't accept Mari and Hero happiness and love. You went home after that your friend tell you to take care of yourself, wish you to feel better soon and declining the very kind offer of Basil to bring you plants and tea that could help you. You went home and read comics, that you bought with Sunny and Kel last week, to distract yourself.

☁ ɞ ꒦₊˚﹕ 𓏲✦⁺₊˚l

At the moment, Mari was wondering about your comportement, she was worried for you.

- "I hope {name} is doing fine, I'm worried for her."

- "I'm sure she will be fine! Don't worry Mari we all have a little headache sometimes"

- " I can bring her medicals herbs later if it's appease your mind"

The group tried to raise her mind by telling her that you're fine but she still thinks that something was off. She decided to enjoy her time with her friends before thinking to much about it. Later on, while walking home with Sunny, Kel and Hero,since they were neighbors, Mari thought about it again and then she understood. It was obvious, how she couldn't notice, you felt bad because that you likes Hero. Her feelings were contradicts, she didn't wanted to hurt a good friend because of a boy and she really wanted your happiness, but in the same time she loved Hero.

She decided to sleep before after all a good night of sleep always help and she would invite you to her house the next day.

★★★

the next day, you were on your ways to Mari's house, she wanted to talk to you, you were hoping it wasn't too serious. What if she figured out you liked Hero and didn't wanted to be your friend anymore? You tried to chase theses ideas and concentrate you on positive stuff.

At her house, you were welcome with a good smell of cookies and a warm hug from Mari. She invites you to go in the living room to eat cookie and discuss a bit. She's always so friendly and you love that from her. After ten minutes of discussion, Mari took a more serious face and she told you she need to talk to you about something important. You nod your head stressed to her what she wanted to say.

"I may be wrong but I realized you have feelings for Hero, after a long time to think I made a decision. I want you to be happy with Hero, you both deserve eachother. You should confess to him and I will be really happy for you"

You look at her shocked, you didn't except that. You asked her questions like "what about you?". She explain to you that her feelings weren't strong enough to prive you from love and that you're genuinely a nice person perfect for Hero. You thanks her a lot and she helped you to make a confession.

After a few of days, you decided it was time to tell your feelings. Hero and you planned to meet at the secret hangout spot only both of you.

ꕀꕀ ♡ ꕀꕀ

"I love you Hero"

You achieve to say theses words after so many times of hesiting and overthink. Your lips were trembling like your body, you close your eyes scared to her a reject.

and then thoses little words that you were so scared to hear destroy all your hopes.

"I'm sorry {name}, I just don't feel the same thing for you.. I have feelings for someone..else."

Of course you knew it, it's was so obvious, of course he loves Mari. How could you have been so naive to think you had a chance. You run away in tears and you cried for the rest of the day, worrying your parents.

After that, you were avoiding the group each time that Hero was present, which was kind of often. Yours friend were worrying about you and thought you were still sick. All except Sunny, he overhead while you were talking to Mari by accident but he judged that it's was a information he had to keep to himself. Basil tried to offer you things to help you, but most of the time you didn't even open your door, you didn't want your friend to worry even more seeing your red eyes made of all the crying.

A few of months later, your parents wanted that you get out of your room a bit for your own health. You decided to go to a field close your house that you liked to hang out. You lay in the flower and it was such an nice feelings, but then you started to hear footsteps. You check to see if someone was there or if you just didn't hear well when you saw Hero coming close of you. You couldn't help yourself but stress, it was the first time you see him since the last event, what if he hates you. You decided to stand and walk to your home but then Hero says something to you.

"{Name}, I'm really sorry, theses last months made me realize that.. I didn't really like Mari. All this time I loved you, I was just to blind to notice it. I hope you can forgive me and if maybe you still love me we could try to be happy together. I love you."

You look at him, so surprised, you except him to hate you but you would never have guess that he could once say thoses words. You decided to go in his direction and kiss him.

A few of days laters, you and hero were going out together and the group was so confused about all that happened in a few of months except Mari and Sunny, but they were all happy for you!! You were always really happy with hero and couldn't wish more.

end~

AAH ITS WAS VERY LONG! I HOPE YOU WILL LIKE IT!!

[lgcamelia]

☁ BIRTHDAY EVENT ☁

Amelia had never expected that she would debut, let alone be asked to make her own dessert and drink for her birthday event. The entire thing seemed silly, but it was a silly that she could get on board with. Did she even have fans? She doubted she was popular enough to even hold her own birthday event and yet here she was preparing for such a thing.

When she'd first been told about the special event, Amelia was excited. She'd always wanted to have her own special event and this was the perfect way to have that. Since her birthday month was nearing, Amelia had been asked to record her own vlog where she is creating her own birthday menu. The entire experience sounded fun and Amelia was eager to start.

Arriving at Legacy's kitchen, Amelia had met with the chef that would be helping her. They spoke a little about her and her past to try and get some ideas. That's when she had an idea to mix her Chinese and Australian history together since both were a major aspect of who she was as a person.

When it finally came to recording, Amelia was excited to show everyone what they had come up with. She greeted the viewers with a bright smile and began introducing her menu.

❛ Hello everyone! I'm Amelia Zheng and I'm a model. I'm here to introduce you all to my special birthday menu that you'll get to try if you come to the Legacy cafe during my birthday. ❜ Amelia winked before she continued. ❛ As some of you know, I have a lot of international history. I was born in China but I grew up in Australia and now I live in Korea. So what I wanted to do was mix my Chinese heritage with my Australian upbringing and so I bring you a fusion dessert and drink that I hope you'll enjoy! ❜ Amelia smiled.

She then held up the dessert she'd made and introduced it to everyone. ❛ This is what I call PavTang. It is a mini pavlova topped with fruits and whipped cream that is accompanied by two Tanghulu Hawthorn sticks. The Bing Tanghulu Hawthorn stick is the Chinese version of the candy apple and it's made by dipping hawthorn berries into hot sugar syrup that hardens. I added the icing sugar for extra sweetness flavour. The pavlova is a very famous and popular Australian dessert that is made with meringue and fruits. I hope you'll like it! I've tried it and it's delicious but you could say that I'm biased, ❜ she winked playfully with a giggle.

She then moved onto the drink. ❛ The drink was a little harder for me to decide on because I had so many ideas! But I eventually settled on something that I love. The drink isn't a fusion and it's just a regular drink but it's still yummy let me tell you. ❜ She smiled. ❛ This is my drink and I call it Green Getaway. It's basically just a hot green tea latte topped with whipped cream and a cherry. I enjoy green tea lattes and so I added whipped cream one day to see what it would be like and I was blown away. I can't have it without whipped cream now. The cherry is just for aesthetic purposes. ❜ Amelia grinned.

❛ Those were what I made for my birthday menu. I hope you'll like it as much as I do. Please let me know your reviews as I'd love to hear what you guys think! ❜

[stim-cat-cafe]

Lesbian Amity Blight

Day 11 of Pride Boards

X X X | X 📚 X | X X X

[veesbees]

The Edge of Everything ¹ The Last Of Us  season one

Summary:

Penelope was born into an already dead and bare world. Her parents only stuck around for about five years, before ditching her and leaving. For the past nine years, Penelope's been living alone, fending for herself in the Boston QZ. One day, she finds a hidden radio where her long-gone mother tells her that she needs to go with the Fireflies without any explanation.

For those long nine years, Penelope had thought her parents were dead. So being told by her supposed mother that she needs to be with the Fireflies was surely a surprise. On top of that, being completely disregarded by Marlene, the head of the Fireflies, and handed to two grumpy people to be smuggled out of the QZ? Not Penelope's cup of tea. But as their adventure goes on, with a protector, Joel, a jokester, Ellie, and Penelope silently observing the two, Penelope doesn't think that that'll be so bad...

In which Joel gets two daughters in the end.

☁︎ fourth !!! chapter in ‘the edge of everything’

☁︎ episode three of tlou ;) a lot of fluf to squeeze in this episode + next episode too :D

☁︎ word count: 8,404

The sky was dim, the sun rising in the distance. It had only been 12 hours since Joel dragged Ellie and Penelope out of the state house, leaving Tess behind.

Penelope knew there was nothing they could do for Tess, but it didn’t help that Penelope had grown attached to her. 

The whole night, Penelope had laid on her side, curled up in a ball, clutching onto her picture of her parents and herself. She tried to go to sleep, but when she closed her eyes, all she could see were the flames, and Tess’ body standing in the middle of the room as Penelope was dragged away. She could hear Ellie’s cries of protest swirling in her head along with her protests.

Penelope didn’t notice she had been crying all night. Only to realize when she rolled over to see Ellie watching her. Penelope whipped her running nose, lifting her cannula away from her face to clean it with her sleeve. 

Joel had left early in the morning to do whatever. Penelope didn’t care. 

Or maybe she did.

She can’t tell.

Ellie had Joel’s coat over her body as she sat against a tree.

The sun was rising on the horizon, creating a soft glow of light. Penelope sat up out of her curled position, the bitter morning air nipping at her body. She wrapped her father’s coat tightly around her torso to block out the air.

Penelope’s eyes follow Joel’s figure as he returns from wherever he went. He moved to his belongings, going through his backpack.

“You want your jacket back?” Ellie asks Joel.

He doesn't respond, still going through his bag.

Penelope glances from Joel to Ellie. Ellie leans her head back on the tree. There's silence between the trio. Penelope has nothing to say. And neither does Joel. so she says nothing.

Penelope rakes through her backpack, searching for her dried beans and a jar of peanut butter she managed to fit in her bag. She took them out, handing Ellie some of her beans. Ellie scrunches up her nose, shaking her head. Penelope smiles and tosses the beans in her mouth.

They didn't taste good, but at least it was something. As she was chewing on her beans and peanut butter–not the best mix, but she was starving–Penelope saw Joel toss something to Ellie. Ellie snatched up the object, opening it up. She stuffed the food in her mouth, chewing it.

“I’ve never been in the woods.” Ellie finally said, food still in her mouth.

Penelope glances around her surroundings. She finished her food, saving the rest for later. She was playing with a leaf in her hand. The green object crumbled in her fingers as she pulled it apart, inspecting it. 

“More bugs than I thought,” Ellie announced, looking around.

Joel and Penelope stay quiet. It’s not like Ellie was asking questions. Penelope didn’t know what else to say. Just, ‘Oh, yeah, there are a lot of bugs.’ or something like that. But it took too much energy to speak at the moment for Penelope. 

“Look, I’ve been thinking about–”

Joel quickly stands up, pulling on his backpack. “I don’t want your sorries.”

“I wasn’t gonna say I’m sorry. I was gonna say that I've been thinking about what happened.” Ellie retorted, leaning forward. “Nobody made you or Tess take me and Penelope. Nobody made you go along with this plan. You needed a truck battery or whatever and you made a choice. So don't blame me for something that isn't my fault.” Ellie spoke defensively.

Penelope scratched her eyebrow, trying to stay out of the conversation. She glanced from Joel who was standing up with his gear on, to Ellie who was sitting crisscrosses-apple-sauce under the tree. The two stared at each other. Joel finally gave Ellie a subtle nod and Ellie motioned with her hands.

Joel bent down to get his gun. Penelope took his actions as a signal to get ready.

Penelope stood up, stretching a little bit. Her ankle was aching, but not as much as it was yesterday. Her black Converse was helping her ankle stay in one place. The night before she went to bed, she used some duct tape to secure the sneaker on her left foot, so she didn't have to move her ankle in any weird way. 

She also had fixed her long brownish-blonde hair into a loose braid. Penelope’s hair was so long that without a braid, it reached the end of her elbows.

Penelope shrugged on her backpack, walking side by side with Ellie. Ellie handed Joel his coat as she approached him. Joel took the piece of clothing, straightening it out in his hands.

“How much longer?” Ellie asked.

“Five-hour hike.” He responded.

Penelope scrunched up her nose, mentally preparing herself. She shifted on her feet, trying not to put weight on her left leg.

Ellie tilted her head. “We can manage that.”

Joel nodded, turning around and leading the way.

Penelope sighed, following after Ellie. Their footsteps thumped quietly on the dirt ground. They had been walking through the greenery, Penelope turning around in wonder looking at all the plants and leaves. The chirp of birds and bugs is the only sound other than the trio’s footsteps. 

The trio walked across a bridge. Penelope stopped for a moment, looking over the railings. She looked down at the water, seeing all kinds of fish and ducks in the water.

“Do you think Meatball would be around here?” Penelope asked Ellie as they stood together looking over the railing.

“Nah, I think it’s too far away,” Ellie replied, shaking her head.

Penelope shrugged sadly, pushing off the railing.

They resumed walking, catching up to Joel.

The trio were quiet for the first few hours. Penelope and Ellie say something every so often, mostly in awe of the environment around them. They were now on an open road, standing side by side. Trees surround them on either side of the road.

Ellie stood on Joel’s right, Penelope walking a little bit behind Joel on his left. “You’ve gone this way a lot?” Ellie asks Joel. “No infected?” She pushes.

“Not often, no,” Joel responds.

He was clanging around at his surroundings, looking over Ellie and Peneleope’s heads. Ellie reached Joel’s shoulders, while Penelope was a little shorter than Ellie.

“What are you looking for?” Penelope asks this time, glancing around just like Joel is.

“People.”

Penelope hums in response, glancing at Ellie.

Joel quickens his pace, Ellie and Penelope copying his movements.

“Are Bill and Frank nice?” Ellie asks.

“Frank is.”

Penelope pierced her lips. “What about Bill?” She furrows her eyebrows.

“He’s…not so nice,” Joel responded.

“Oh.”

There’s a pause in their conversation.

“How’d you get that scar on your head?” Ellie speaks up, looking at Joel. 

Penelope turns her head to Joel, looking for the scar. “What scar?” She speaks up.

Joel sighs heavily.

“What? Is it something lame?” Ellie asks with a smile on her face.

Penelope moves from Joel’s left to his right, standing beside Ellie trying to find the scar on his face.

“Like you fell down the stairs or something?” 

“I didn't fall down any stairs.”

“Okay, so what then?”

Joel pauses, glancing at Ellie.

Penelope stayed quiet, studying Joel’s face. She itched at her cannula on her face as she watched Joel and Ellie’s encounter.

“Someone shot at me and missed.”

“See, that’s cool,” Ellie says waving her hand as an emphasis. “You shoot back?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you get him?” Penelope speaks up, glancing back at Joel’s scar.

Joel inhaled deeply. “No, I missed, too. It happens more often than you think.”

“'Cause you suck at shooting or, like, in general?” Ellie asks.

“Ellie!” Penelope shoves Ellie's shoulder at her question. “That wasn’t very nice,”

Joel slowly turns his head to look at Ellie. She shrugs.

“In general,” Joel says simply.

It's quiet as Penelope and Ellie linger back a bit. Ellie’s eyes catch a look at Joel’s pistol in its holster and get an idea. “You know, seeing as it's just the three of us, I was thinking I should pro–”

“No,” Joel says quickly.

Penelope giggles as Ellie sighs, piercing her lips. Ellie gives Penelope a look, and she instantly stops laughing. Joel leads them to a building, stepping over a fallen tree. The two younger girls follow him. They approach the building, Joel walking quickly to the entrance.

“Cumberland Farms.” Ellie reads aloud, saying it with an accent. 

The trio walks to the building. Joel turns to the younger girls saying, “Hang back a minute. I gotta grab some stuff I stashed.”

Ellie continues walking, wrapping her arm around Penelope’s to drag her to the door.

“Stashed? Why do you have stuff stashed here?”

“You ask a lot of goddamn questions,” Joel said. He reached the building walking into the door.

Penelope tried to stop and ‘hang back’ as Joel instructed, but Ellie pulled her through the door.

“Yes, I do,” Ellie said sweetly, following Joel.

The door creaks open as Joel enters the building.

“So…are you gonna answer me or what?” Ellie pestered Joel. Ellie led Penelope into the building, following Joel through the door.

The smell of dirt wafts through Penelope’s nose as they enter the ‘Cumberland Farms’.

Joel finally answered Ellie’s question. “We hide supplies on routes in case we find ourselves short on gear, which I currently am 'cause–”

Penelope eyed something as they walked in between the tiles. Ellie did too, saying; “No way!” Ellie pulled Penelope to the old game, letting go of Penelope’s hand to jam the buttons on the game. Penelope read the words, ‘Mortal Combat’ on the machine. 

“You ever play this one?” Ellie turns to ask Joel. Penelope gingerly touched the joystick, unsure what this is. 

“What is this?” Penelope asks Ellie.

Ellie blanches at Penelope. “This is only the best game ever !” She shakes Penelope’s shoulders in excitement. Penelope laughs, her face brightening up in a smile.

“I had a friend who knew everything about this game. There's this one character named Mileena who takes off her mask and she has monster teeth and then she swallows you whole and barfs out your bones.” Ellie jams her fingers expertly on the board, exhaling. “Oh, man.” She sighs, throwing her head back.

“You’d love this game, Penny.” Ellie finally says.

“Uhh, I don’t think so.” Penelope disagrees, shaking her head. Ellie swivels to Penelope, a look of shock on her face. Penelope holds up her hands in surrender. “I don’t like gore!” Penelope tries to defend herself. 

There's a crash behind the two girls. Penelope and Ellie turn around at the same time.

“You forgot where you put your stuff,” Ellie stated.

“No.” Joel denies, shaking his head. Penelope giggles, covering her mouth. Joel gave her a glare, instantly shutting her up. “I’m just zeroing in on it.” He stutters. “It’s been a couple of years.”

“Are you seriously trying to find an excuse to convince a couple of teenage girls?” Penelope chuckles, fixing her backpack straps, glancing at Ellie. Ellie laughs, shaking her head.

Joel on the other hand turns away from the girls, trying to find his stash.

“Okay, well, I’m gonna take a look around, see if there’s anything good.”  Ellie walks away from Peleope’s side.

“Trust me, it’s all been picked over already,” Joel says quickly, kicking something.

“Maybe,” Ellie agrees. “Maybe not.”

Ellie reaches a doorway, “ Is there anything bad in here?”

“Just you.” Joel quips.

Penelope giggles at Joel’s statement, wandering around the illes of tore down displays.

“Ah, getting funnier,” Ellie muttered with a glare toward Penelope.

Penelope approaches Joel, kicking away some debris. Joel pushes a metal box, muttering, “fuck.”

“Oh! Ellie! Joel said a bad word!” Penelope quickly ran from Joel’s side to the doorway where Ellie disappeared. Joel sighed at Penelope’s antics, shaking his head. “I am a grown adult, I can swear.”

“Sure you are, Joel.” Penelope turned from the doorway not waiting for Ellie’s response.

It’s quiet as Penelope makes her way back to stand beside Joel. Joel scoffed, moving to a different place in the room. He kicked at fallen-over displays.

“So…have you actually forgotten where you put your gear, or…” Penelope trails off, picking up a display to check under it. “What are you even looking for, anyways?”

Joel glanced over at Penelope. “A trap door or something.” He responded.

“Ohh. Okay, I’ll help you look.”

Penelope walked over to a fallen-over display to pick it up. It wasn’t heavy as she pushed it to the side. She ran her fingers over the ground, trying to feel for something to grab onto. Joel crouched down somewhere behind Penelope.

“I found it,” Joel said, using his knife to trace the outline of the square. 

Penelope abandoned her search walking over to Joel. he pulled out a turquoise metal box, propping up the board of wood to reveal the contents hidden. Joel opened up the box, rummaging through it. Penelope noticed all kinds of ammo, a medical kit, and a lot of cloth and alcohol in the box. She rested her hands on her knees as she hovered beside Joel.

Penelope was quiet along with Joel as he went through the items.

“Hey, isn’t Ellie taking a long time wherever she is?” Penelope asks Joel, turning her head.

Penelope glanced at Joel.

“Ellie?” Joel called.

Ellie didn’t respond.

Joel stood up with some difficulty, using some of the contents to help him up. Penelope straightened, moving to stand behind Joel.

“Ellie!” Joel tried again.

There was silence.

Penelope watched as Joel pulled out his pistol, cocking it. He walked swiftly motioning for Penelope to stay there. He moved to the doorway, peaking his head in. “Ellie?” He called once more. 

“Picked over, my ass,” Ellie replied sassily, holding up a box in her hand.

Penelope exhaled, shaking her head. “What’s that?” Penelope motioned to the box in her hand as Ellie moved to her side.

“Tampons.”

Penelope’s eyebrows furrowed. “And those are…?”

This time, Ellie furrowed her eyebrows, her own look of confusion on her face. “What?”

“What?” Penelope replied, waving her hands to the box, a light blush on her face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ellie stared at Penelope. She took her backpack off to shove the box in her bag. She glanced over to Joel. “I’ll tell you later.” She sighed.

“Okay?” Penelope tilted her head, prominent blush on her cheeks.

From beside the girls, Joel closed the box, putting it back in the hole. He moved to put the gun back in there too, only for Ellie to say; “What are you doing?”

“There's not much ammo out there for this thing.” Joel shoved the gun in the hole, “Makes it mostly useless.”

“Well, if you're just gonna leave it there,” Ellie whined motioning to Joel who was covering the hole back up with the plank.

Joel stood up.“No.” He denied Ellie, shaking his head.

Penelope glanced at her friend, seeing Ellie roll her eyes. Ellie quickly followed after Joel, stomping her feet. Penelope followed quickly after the two.

*        *       *

Over the long hours of walking, Penelope had worked up a sweat. She took off her plum-colored sweatshirt, trying it around her waits to reveal her striped tank top. She was glad that she decided to wear layers, and packed a few changes of clothes. 

Penelope also pulled her long braid to the side, trying to get the flyaways out of her face. She was walking beside Ellie, looking around at the scenery. 

Penelope couldn’t get over how beautiful the greenery and plant life were. It surprised her how vibrant and untouched some of the places that they’d traveled to were. Over the long hike, Penelope had acquired countless rocks shoved in her pockets. She would stop every so often to pick a few up. Only small ones. None of the big ones she had seen sadly. She tried to stay out of Joel’s view when she did this.

But little did she know, Joel walked ever so slightly slower just so Penelope could evaluate which rocks she wanted. He played it off like he was thinking of where they should go.

Ellie noticed this and would ask if Joel was lost. Joel would deny it every time.

To Ellie and Penelope’s amazement, they walked by a clearing to find a broken-down airplane.

Penelope gaped at the sight.

“Holy shit,” Ellie dragged out her words in amazement.

The trio came to a slow looking at the airplane.

“You fly in one of those?” Ellie asks Joel.

Joel looks over to Ellie before answering. “Few times, sure.”

“So cool,” Penelope breathed out.

“Didn’t feel like it at the time.” Joel countered. “Get shoved into a middle seat, pay 12 bucks for a sandwich.”

Ellie turned to Joel. “Dude–you got to go up into the sky.” Her voice was filled with awe.

There was a pause as Joel motioned to the airplane. “Yeah, well, so did they.”

Joel turns to continue walking, leaving the two girls to follow him. Penelope licked her lips following after Joel.

“Grim,” Ellie whispered to Penelope.

They were now walking on a sandy road, with lots of empty space between the trio and the trees.

“So everything came crashing down in one day?” Ellie asks Joel.

“Pretty much.”

“How?” Ellie pestered. “I mean, no one was infected with Cordyceps, everybody's fine, eating in restaurants and flying in planes. And then, all at once? How did it even start? If you have to get bit to be infected, then who bit the first person?”

Penelope’s mind was reeling. She’s never thought of the old world as much as Ellie seemed to. Penelope looked at Joel for an answer.

“Oh!” Penelope speaks up, her eyes lighting up. “Was it a monkey?” 

“I bet it was a monkey.” Ellie agrees with Penelope.

“It wasn't a monkey.” Joel denied. “I thought you went to school.” He addressed his statement to Ellie.

“FEDRA school. They don't teach us how their shitty government failed to prevent a pandemic.” Ellie stated. Joel is quiet for a moment. Penelope glances at Ellie, then back to Joel. She scratches at her nose, fixing her cannula. 

“No one knows for sure, but, best guess, Cordyceps mutated. And some of it got into the food supply. Probably a basic ingredient like flour or sugar. There were certain brands of food that were sold everywhere, all across the country, across the world. Bread, cereal, pancake mix. You eat enough of it, it'll get you infected. So the tainted food all hits the store shelves around the same time, Thursday. People bought it, ate some Thursday night or Friday morning. Day goes on, they started to get sick. Afternoon, evening, they got worse. Then they started bitin'. Friday night, September 26, 2003. And by Monday, everything was gone.” Joel finishes. 

Penelope wrings her fingers as she thinks about what Joel said.

“It makes more sense than monkeys,” Ellie said. “Thanks.”

Joel hesitates. “Sure.”

The trio continues walking through the pathway. Their footsteps crunch on the ground. Joel holds out a hand in front of Penelope and Ellie, stopping them.

“What?” Ellie asks looking around.

“We’ll cut across the woods here.” Joel motions to the trees.

“Isn’t the road easier?” Ellie pesters.

“Yeah, it’s just…” Joel hesitates. “There’s stuff up there you shouldn’t see.”

Ellie smiles, backing away from the trio. She walks backward saying; “Well now I have to see.”

Penelope hesitates, watching Ellie as she retreated down the sandy road.

“I don’t want you to,” Joel says. “Serious. Ellie.”

Joel follows after Ellie. Penelope walks beside Joel, playing with the straps of her backpack.

“How bad is it?” Penelope asks Joel.

Joel glances at Penelope. His face softened a moment before he shook his head turning back to Ellie.

“Can it hurt me?” Ellie calls from in front of Joel and Penelope. 

“No.”

Ellie quickly turns around to face Penelope and Joel. “You’re too honest, man. Should’ve said axe murder.”

Ellie quickly reaches for Penny’s hand, pulling her further away from Joel. Ellie quickly walks deeper down the road. Penelope turns back to Joel for a moment, before matching her pace with Ellie’s.

“Uh, whatever it was, I think it’s gone,” Ellie says in a sing-song voice.

Penelope glances around at her surroundings, looking for whatever Joel might’ve wanted the two girls to not see. Penelope’s too distracted looking over at the hill to notice Ellie stopped walking. She bumped into Ellie’s back, instantly apologizing. “Oh, sorry Ellie.”

Ellie didn't answer, her eyes fixated on something below them. Penelope follows Ellie’s line of sight, her mouth falling open in shock. There were skulls . And human remains. There were suitcases thrown around. Penelope’s eyes widened in horror as she took in what was before her. The remains were in a ditch, on the side of the road. Penelope had stared for a while at the contents, unable to focus on anything else. 

Joel had approached the two girls.

“About a week after Outbreak Day, soldiers went through the countryside, evacuated the small towns. Told you you were goin' to a QZ, and you were if there was room. If there wasn't.” Joel trailed off.

Penelope tore her eyes away from the scene in front of her. “These people weren’t sick?” Her voice was hollow.

“No, probably not.” 

“Why would they kill them, then?”

“Why not just leave ‘em be?” Ellie spoke this time, feeding off Penelope’s thoughts. 

“Dead people can’t be infected,” Joel responded.

Angry tears had pricked at the corner of Penelope’s eyes. She looked away, exhaling.

*        *       *

After many more hours of walking, a town came into view. 

There were leaves all over the paved road, some trees bare of their leaves. Penelope stepped on each crunchy leaf, completely bored out of her mind.

The trio hadn’t talked much since Joel’s speech earlier. 

There was too much to think about.

At least for Penelope, there was.

The trio approached a gated-in town.

Penelope standing on Ellie’s right, Joel in front of the two girls leading them to the gate. The gate looked rusted and unused. 

“Stay there.” Joel looked back at the two girls before turning to the gate. He punched in the code, the gate beeping, and opened the door.  Joel held the door open for the two girls, Ellie entering first, and Penelope second. Joel came in last to close the gate. He took the lead as they walked through the community.

Penelope couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful structures. She’s so used to the bland brick buildings in the Boston QZ, so it’s nice to see a change of scenery. 

Joel slows down as they reach a white house with an American Flag. The yellow flowers were wilted and dead. Penelope itches her eyebrow, following Joel up the steps of the house.

“Where are Bill and Frank, Joel?” Penelope whispers. She’s afraid to speak up. Too nervous for someone to pop up out of nowhere.

Joel doesn’t answer Penelope’s question. Instead, he reaches for the golden doorknob, opening it. The door was unlocked. Joel quickly pulls out his pistol. Slowly walking in, Penelope is greeted with the smell of dust. She inhales deeply, falling into a coughing fit. She tries to be quiet, but her heaving chest disagrees with her.

“What the fuckkk ?” Ellie voices, looking around at the fully furnished house.

“Bill?” Joel spoke loudly.

Once Penelope’s coughing fit is over, her eyes watering a bit, she takes in the house she’s in.

It’s covered in dust but still furnished. 

It felt homey to her.

Like the people who lived here actually lived . And were happy.

The walls were covered in framed pictures, and stairs led up to the second floor right in front of Joel. 

“Frank?” Joel tried again.

Penelope and Ellie looked at each other.

Where are they?

Penelope fixed her nasal cannula itching her nose beneath the wire. The dust in the house was really getting to her lungs. It wasn’t very fun for her.

Joel turned around to the girls behind him. “You two stay here. Ya hear anything, you see anything, yell.” Joel’s voice was stern.

He turns, going to look around the house.

Ellie’s voice stops him. It was tentative. Quiet. Not like Ellie at all. “What if they’re gone?” Ellie asks, voicing Penelope’s thoughts.

Joel turns instantly. He glances at her, then at the room in front of him. He turns back, advancing into the room. 

Okayyy then.

Ellie and Penelope walk into the dining room, taking in the surroundings.

“Ellie, look at this,” Penelope motions to the moldy food on the plates. “This is so gross.”

Ellie’s eye is caught on something else on the table. She moves past Penelope to pick the object up. “What’s that?” Penelope asks from beside her.

“Uh, I dunno,” Ellie responds. She hastily puts the object back where she found it like it had burnt her.

“Okay then,” Penelope eyes her friend suspiciously, moving from the dusty dining room to the living room.

Ellie does the same, placing her hands on the piano in the room. It let out a noise, startling Penelope who was staring at the half-finished paintings. The colors of the painting were dull, with some of the paint strokes messed off and trailing off the canvas.

These people were living in luxury , Penelope thought.

Still studying the paintings, Penelope called out to Ellie. “Hey, so do you want to tell me what that box was, from earlier?” Penelope’s voice trailed off as she noticed Ellie looking intently at something in her hands.

“What’s that?” Penelope motioned to Ellie.

The two were caught off guard as the front door slammed shut. Penelope jumped out of her skin, trying to suppress her shriek. She latched onto Ellie’s coat in fear.

Ellie froze in shock. Once they were sure it was nothing, Ellie laughed at Penelope’s reaction. “It was just the door, Penny.”

“Ellie?” Joel called out.

The two girls moved from the living room to the dusty dining room. Ellie didn't answer.

“Penelope?”

Joel rounded the hallway corner, walking right into the dining room. Ellie had pulled out a chair, along with Penelope. They were both bent over a piece of paper.

“It’s from Bill, Joel.” Penelope pointed to the letter in Ellie’s hand.

Ellie gathered the envelope, and read out; “‘To whomever, but probably Joel.’” Ellie paused. “I figured we fell under ‘whomever.’” Ellie dropped the envelope on the disty table.

“It came with this,” Penelope pushed forward the key that she was playing with. It made a mark on the table as she pushed it towards Joel. 

Joel walked forward, setting down his backpack. He took the key into his hands, inspecting it. “So, they’re dead?”

Penelope hummed in response, nodding her head solemnly.

Joel nodded, turning around. Away from the two girls. He exhaled, shaking his head.

“You–you wanna?” Ellie asked, motioning to the letter in her hand.

Joel shook his head. “Go ahead. You do it.” his voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

Penelope looked at Ellie, nodding her head, mouthing, ‘You read it’. 

Ellie took in a big breath, readying herself. “‘August 29, 2023. If you find this, please do not come into the bedroom. We left a window open so the house wouldn't smell, but it will probably be a sight. I'm guessing you found this, Joel, because anyone else would've been electrocuted or blown up by one of my traps.” 

“Hehehehehehehehe.” Ellie paused, speaking in a monotone. Penelope looked at Ellie incredulously. In response, Ellie pointed to the lettering on the paper, to which Penelope nodded. 

Ellie continued, “‘Take anything you need. The bunker code is the same as the gate code but in reverse. Anyway, I never liked you, but still, it's like we're friends, almost. And I respect you. So, I'm gonna tell you something because you're probably the only person who will understand. I used to hate the world and I was happy when everyone died. But I was wrong, because there was one person worth saving. That's what I did. I saved him. Then I protected him. That's why men like you and me are here. We have a job to do, and God help any motherfuckers who stand in our way. I leave you all of my weapons and equipment. Use them to keep–” Ellie cut herself off.

Penelope glanced at the paper once again, blurry tears in her eyes. Her eyes widened as she read, ‘ To keep Tess safe .’

To Ellie’s reaction, Joel walked over to the two girls, taking the paper gingerly out of her hands. He read over the paper, staring at it. Well, more like glaring at the paper. Joel folded it up, straightening. “Stay here.” Was all Joel said as he exited the dining room.

The two girls sat, stunned. They heard the door opening and closing, loudly after Joel.

“So…that went well,” Penelope muttered. She shifted in her seat, pulling her legs up. 

The two girls stayed quiet. What else were they supposed to say? The letter Ellie just read aloud was…Grim. 

Five minutes after Joel left, he returned. 

He stood in front of the two girls for a moment. Instantly, Penelope and Ellie straightened up. 

“Show me your arm,” Joel instructed Ellie. 

Elie moved quickly to stand up, pulling up her coat and her sweatshirt sleeve to reveal her bite mark. Joel stared at it.

“I just finished makin' a truck battery. It's charging right now.” 

“Okay,” Ellie replied quickly. She still had her arm up for Joel to look at.

Penelope had pulled off her cannula, not wanting to waste any of the oxygen she needed for later. She turned off the tank too, stuffing the cord into her bag. While doing so, she brushed her fingers over a piece of paper. Joel and Ellie’s conversation drowned out behind her as the piece of paper required her full attention.

“...used to be a Firefly. And my–” Joel said.

“A Firefly?” Penelope interrupted, standing up. Joel looked over to Penelope from behind Ellie.

“Yeah.” He said, questioningly.

“My parents said they were a part of the Fireflies.” Penelope started, a small blush coating her cheeks as she had just interrupted Joel. “Do you think they’d be with your brother?”

Joel paused. He answered her slowly. “He might. Tommy might know where some of them are out there. Maybe they can get Ellie to this lab.” Joel finished. Penelope nodded wordlessly as she clutched the paper in between her fingers.

“All right,” Ellie answered. The tree paused for a moment. Ellie spoke uncertainty into the silence. “Listen, about Tess.”

Joel holds up his hand, stopping Ellie from saying anything more. “If I'm takin' you two with me, there's some rules you gotta follow. Rule one, you don't bring up Tess. Ever . Matter of fact, we can just keep our histories to ourselves. Rule two, you don't tell anyone about your condition. They see that bite mark, they won't think it through. They'll just shoot you. Rule three, you do what I say when I say it.”

“We clear?” Joel glances at Penelope who is sitting straight as a board, her eyes forward.

“Yes,” Ellie answers.

“Yeah,” Penelope replies quickly.

“Repeat it.” Joel prompts.

“Ellie nods slowly, piercing her lips. “What you say goes.”

Joel motions to Penelope. “Uh–yeah. You’re in charge. Listen to you,” She quickly mumbles, pulling on her braid anxiously. 

Joel nods his head slowly at the two girls. “Okay.” He whispers. Ellie exhales looking at her feet.

“So what now?” Ellie recovers asking Joel.

“We grab what we can.”

Joel leads the two girls down into the basement, thudding down the stairs. The room is pitch black, and covered in dust. Penelope breathes out heavily, trying not to inhale all the dust and fall into another fit of coughs. Ellie looks around in wonder, her eyes entrapped by all the guns and survival supplies around the room.

“Holey shitt,” Ellie exclaims. “This guy was a genius.”

Joel stands in front of many scenes, poking at the keyboard. Penelope wanders from Ellie's side to Joel’s side, looking at the screens. 

“Why was the music on?” Ellie asks.

“If he didn't reset the countdown every few weeks, this playlist would run over the radio.”

Ellie comes to stand behind the screens, bending over to look at the screen just like Penelope and Joel. “80s.” Ellie declares proudly.

“Is this outside?” Penelope points at the security cameras, looking over to Joel for an answer.

He nodded, to which Penelope became engrossed. She clicked some buttons on the scenes, changing the pictures. She breathed out in wonder. “Woah,” She whispered.

Joel moved to stand closer to the screen, tapping on Penelope’s shoulder. “Grab some cans from over there. Nothin' dented or swollen.” Penelope nodded quickly, moving to start inspecting the cans in the pantry.

Ellie on the other hand, had something else in mind. She moved to the wall of guns, pointing. “Dude.”

“No,” Joel replied, not looking up.

“There's a wall of them.” Ellie reasoned.

Penelope glanced up from the cans, shaking her head. “What about my gun, Joel?”

Joel glanced at the younger girl, instantly shutting her up. “Okay…” She whispered, waving Ellie over to her to sort through the canned food.

*        *       *

Moments later, Penelope and Ellie moved from the basement, back into the hallway. Who knew how many supplies Bill and Frank stashed over the years? It was mind-blowing how much stuff they had stashed. 

Ellie was pulling rolls of toilet paper from the closet that was in the hallway. Penelope found a large duffle bag deciding to fill it up with whatever supplies they were going to need. Between three people, they were going to need a lot of supplies. Thankfully, they wouldn't have to carry all of these supplies since they were going to use Bill's truck.  

Penelope wandered upstairs, finding a spare bedroom. It was filled to the brim with clutter. She walked through the room, searching under the bed, and in the dresser for supplies. Joel came upstairs to see Penelope rummaging through the room.

“What’d you find?” Joel asked Penelope from the doorway.

“Oh.” She jumped up from looking under the bed. “There’s a closet, but I think it's locked.” Penelope pointed to the closet door.

Joel nodded making his way through the room. Using the key Penelope gave him earlier, he opened the door. It was pitched black in the room. There was a string that Joel pulled on, turning on the light. 

Penelope smiled as Joel grabbed a box. The box read ‘WOMAN’S SHIRTS.’ Penelope eagerly pulled open the box, searching through the contents.

“Eli!” Penelope yelled. “I found the jackpot!” she was pulling shirt after shirt out of the box. 

Ellie bounded up the stairs eagerly.

“What room are you in?” Ellie called out.

“Straight, then left!” Penelope called out excitedly.

As Ellie came into the room, Penelope was holding up a fist full of shirts in her hand. “Look what Joel got!” She was waving it around excitedly.

Ellie quickly sorted through the discarded shirts, looking through them. Penelope made sure to give Ellie most of the long sleeves, remembering how Joel told Ellie that she needed to cover up.

Penelope found a green tank top covered in stripes and gasped. “Ellie, look–do you think this’ll look good on me?”

Joel watched the girl's interaction, pulling out more boxes for them to scrounge through. He himself grabbed clothes for him to bring along. Not as much as Penelope looks to be, but definitely enough to last.

*        *       *

As Joel went to check the car battery, the girls brought their overstuffed backpacks to the car. Penelope had found two spare backpacks for herself and Ellie. She couldn’t find one for Joel, no matter how hard she looked around the house. Since the two girls had found extra backpacks, they put their clothes and luxury items in there.

Like their shampoos, blankets, hygienic products, and just extra stuff they didn't need in their actual backpacks. This was helpful for Penelope specifically because that meant she didn’t need to take her two oxygen tanks out of her already overfull backpack.

“It needs another hour,” Joel called out to the two girls in the garage. Penelope was laying in the backseat, flipping through a magazine.

“Penny! They have hot water!” Ellie exclaimed from outside the truck.

Penelope jumped up in excitement, throwing the magazine somewhere in the backseat. She jumped up, running past Joel to Ellie. “Really?!” She asked in excitement, feeling the hot water flow over her hand.

“Yep,” Ellie said, smiling. “I'm takin' a shower.”

“Ugh, me too,” Penelope decides following Ellie out of the garage.

“And then you're showering because seriously.” Ellie trailed off, waving a hand in front of her nose, addressing Joel.

“Eli!” Penelope laughed, pushing Ellie out the door. “I’ll race you!”

Joel watched his– the two girls out the door, shaking his head. 

*        *       *

After Ellie had taken her twenty-minute shower, Penelope shoved Ellie out of the way. “About time,” Penelope said before slamming the door shut.

“Hey!” Penelope heard Ellie screech through the door. “Now, you don't take a twenty-minute shower!”

“Sure, sure!” Penelope rushes. 

Penelope walked into the room, dropping her backpack filled with clothes on the floor. She had her towel in her hand, along with her brush. Penelope whipped the bathroom mirror of its condensation to stare at her reflection in the mirror.

Penelope’s eyes looked more sunken in, her naturally reddish and blotchy cheeks looked hollow in her reflection. Her brown eyes evaluated her hair before her. Penelope’s blondish-brown hair looked very frizzy and flat in her braid. Her usual curls were wrapped up into a knotted braid. 

She started to pull her hair out of the braid, getting her fingers stuck in the strands. After a long time of pulling the–not so simple–three strands from each other, it left Penelope’s hair an absolute mess. Her hair was uncontrollable, it was frizzing and poofing up around her face. 

Don’t even get Penelope started on brushing her hair.

It was an absolute pain.

Penelope rarely brushed her hair dry, but was she willing to go into the shower with her knotted hair? She thinks not. 

Penelope sections her hair off, repeatedly brushing through the ends of her hair, before getting her hairbrush stuck in some of the knots. Nothing is more frustrating than hair. After repeatedly assaulting her hair, there are no more knots, but it is now poofing everywhere.

Ignoring her reflection, Penelope pulls her mane of hair to the side, turning on the hot water.

Penelope hears a knock on the door. She pauses. 

“Hurry up in there,” Ellie yells through the door.

Penelope rolls her eyes, opening the door. “Yeah, try dealing with my hair.” She motions to the mane of her hair before slamming the door shut in Ellie’s face. She can hear Ellie’s laughter through the door.

Ignoring her friend's laugh, she strips off her striped black Converse, her tank top, and her jeans. Free of her clothes, she steps into the shower. 

The stream of warm water instantly relaxes her muscles. Back in the QZ, they didn’t have hot water. All they had was cold water, making showers short and unpleasant. Not to mention the warm mist makes her lungs feel revealed. She sighs contently, her body enveloped in the hot water.

She washes her body of the girt and grime, making the water at the bottom of the tub becomes sudsy with soap and discolored with brown. The feeling of nice quality soap on Penelope’s body feels so nice, compared to the ration stuff she got back at the QZ.

Getting her hair wet, the frizzy curls fall wet. She wrings them around her fingers as they are drenched in water, trying to tame the curls. She separates her hair in layers to make sure her hair is all wet before using shampoo. Earlier in the day, Penelope snatched a mint-scented body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. She saw there were other scents, like lavender, or roses, but she prefers mint to the stuffy scents of flowers.

She lathered her hand up with a generous amount of shampoo and massaged her scalp with the contents. Her hair turned sudsy with her efforts. After mashing enough shampoo in her hair, she squeezed her hair to get rid of some of the suds before rinsing her hair out. As she looked down at the tub once again, the water was discolored once more. But on the bright side, her hair felt so much cleaner now and smelt so much nicer than sweat.

Once the shampoo was cleaned out, she applied the conditioner to the ends of her hair. Penelope does not put the conditioner on her scalp, learning the hard way. Since then, she’s only applied the conditioner to her ears and to her ends. Nowhere above that. After that was done, she rinsed out the contents, leaving her hair feeling smooth. She wrapped all of her hair around her hands, squeezing the extra water out before turning off the water.

Exiting the shower, Penelope dries herself off. She wraps her hair in the towel, leaving it there wrapped up while she gets dressed. She just pulls on her new jeans she found earlier today, along with a plane tank top. Feeling it growing colder, she pulls one of her favorite sweaters out of her bag. It was a creme color, with deep maroon around the neckline and hemline with a deep blue along the edges. She pulled on her socks and her Converse, before getting ready to leave.

She puts away her body wash, shampoo, and conditioner in a separate part of her bag.

Before leaving, she uses the bathroom. As she wipes, she feels a throbbing pain in her abdomen. She clutches her stomach in discomfort. Brushing it off, she pulls up her pants, going to flush. Penelope’s eyes widen in horror as she sees crimson red in the toilet. Penelope freezes. Involuntarily, Penelope lets out a shriek.

She hears a thud outside, then banging on the door. “Penny?” Ellie calls, knocking on the door. “Penny, what’s up?”

Penny doesn't reply, instead muttering, “Oh my god. Oh my god!”

Penelope can hear the door knob rattling, and then opening. “Penny, what’s wrong?” Ellie turns Penelope around to face her.

Penelope is trembling, the dull ache in her abdomen growing stronger, no longer discomforting, now throbbing. Her knees were growing weak from the pain. “I’m dying,” Penelope mutters, shaking her head.

“Penelope.” Ellie tries. 

There's another knock on the door, and Ellie swears. “Go away, Joel.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes!” Ellie yells. “No!” Penelope also yells.

“We’re fine, Joel. You can go.” Ellie says, opening the door enough for her head to peek through.

Ellie turns back to Penelope. “Penny, it’s alright. You aren’t dying.”

Penelope shakes her head. “Yes, I am! I’m bleeding– down there!” Penelope says in embarrassment, hiding her face in her hands. 

Ellie sighs, sitting on the wall of the tub. “Listen to me, Penelope.” 

Penelope slowly looks up through her fingers.

“It’s called a period. You get it every month. You bleed from your vagina each month, and there’s a lot of pain. There is nothing you can do about it.” Ellie speaks slowly, placing her hands on Penelope’s shoulders.

Penelope’s face pales as she looks at Ellie. “Every month?” She whispers.

“Yes,” Ellie speaks. “Every month.”

“Oh, my god.”

Ellie sighs. “That box I got from earlier today that you asked about?”

Penelope nodded her head.

“Okay, those are tampons. They’re for your period. But you can use a pad. I’ll go grab one.” Ellie stands up, reaching the door. “I'll be right back,” Ellie assures Penelope.

All Penelope can do is sit on the floor, clutching her stomach. She looks shellshocked at the new information, and like she’s about to hurl. Ellie comes back quickly, holding an unopened box in her hands.

“Okay, here, these are pads.” She opens the box, grabbing two pads out of the box. “Uh, do you have underwear for me to show you how to do this?” Ellie asks.

Penelope nods, taking a pair of tattered underwear out of her bag. She slowly hands them to Ellie.

Ellie takes them in her hand and opens the package. “Okay. So what you're gonna do is open the flap on the wrapping. All you have to do is pull both sides open, then it'll lay flat. From there you pull the pad out, and lay it on your underwear.” Ellie demonstrates, with a funny look on her face. She shows Penelope the underwear with the pad on it before continuing. “Then you take the wrapper in the middle and pull it off. Then wrap the two sides under the underwear. See?” Ellie asks Penelope.

Penelope stares hollowly at the underwear. “Got it.” She whispers.

“Uh, okay. Here, I'll let you try it. I'll leave to give you some privacy.” Ellie nods, throwing away the pad, and setting the piece of clothing on the counter. She leaves, closing the door behind her.

What the fuck is going on? Penelope thinks dazedly.

*        *       *

Moments after that whole…fiasco in the bathroom, Ellie was playing with the grandfather clock in the dining room. Penelope trudged heavily down the stairs with her backpack on her shoulders, her wet hair soaking through her sweater.

“Oh hey, Penny. You alright now?” Ellie turns away from the clock.

Penelope nods weakly with a small smile on her face. “Yeah, I am. Thank you.” She whispered, moving to take the chair Ellie sat in a few hours earlier.

Ellie turns back to the clock, playing with something in it. Something clatters out of Ellie’s hands as she struggles to catch it. Penelope lets out a laugh, clutching onto her abdomen in pain as she laughs. “Oh…my…god, Eli, you should see your face.”

“Oh ha ha. Shut up.” Ellie mumbles closing the grandfather clock.

Ellie moves to snoop through the house, pulling on a prince of furniture, and revealing a desk. “Oo, that’s cool,” Penelope voices. Ellie closes it, searching through the drawers. Ellie pulls something out of the drawer. A second later, she rushes to her backpack as Joel climbs down the stairs. She shoves the object in her bag zipping it up quickly. She recovers quick;y as Joel stands in the hallway.

Penelope gives Ellie an odd look, before closing her eyes in pain. She rests her head on the table. 

“Well, don't you look pretty,” Ellie states, smiling.

Joel stands in the hallway for a moment before responding, “Shut up.” 

Joel tosses Ellie two objects which she catches. “Nice.”

Ellie taps Penelope’s shoulder, holding the second deodorant in front of Penelope’s face. “Oh sweet, thanks Joel.” Penelope quickly replies, snatching the object. She pulls up her shirt to apply some, Ellie doing the same.

*        *       *

Ellie leads Penelope to the truck, Penelope following behind her tiredly. 

Penelope opens the back seat door, opens it up, and climbs in. She throws her backpack to the side, pulling her oxygen tank out and her blanket. Instantly she puts on her cannula, her lungs aching after a while.

Ellie throws her coat and backpack into the back seat. “Hey! Watch out for my head, Eli!” Penelope shoves Ellie’s stuff to the far side of the backseat, brushing her hand on the rifle. She recoils her hand, instantly going to her cannula.

Joel fixes the rearview mirror to face Penelope. Penelope smiles as she sees herself in the reflection. She throws the blanket over her shoulder, laying down on her side. She used her backpack full of clothes as her pillow.

“This car will never not be cool,” Penelope breathes from the backseat. 

Ellie touches everything in the car. From the mirror to the buttons on the door, to the visors above her.

“It's your first time in a car?” Joel asks.

“It's like a spaceship,” Ellie responds with a smile on her face.

“No, it's like a piece of shit Chevy S10, but it'll get us there, I think.” Joel turns to get his seat belt on. “Seatbelt.”

Ellie and Penelope both give him questioning looks. “What’s that?” Penelope asks.

“Seatbelt,” Joel repeats, pulling on Ellies. 

“So cool,” Ellie whispers.

He turns around to the backseat to point to Penelopes. He sees Penelope laying on her side, instantly reprimanding her. “Hey, sit up. If we get into a car accident, you’d be dead, lying like that.”

Penelope instantly sits up, straightening. “Right, nice mental image, Old man.” She pulls on the ‘seatbelt’, clicking it into the buckle by her hip. “This is so cool,” She whispers.

“Would ya leave it?” Joel asks as he drives out of the garage.

Penelope watches, leaning into the ‘central console’. She rests her elbows on there, much to Joel’s dismay. “Put it back.”

Ellie jams a tape into the music player, and the car lets out noises. “Ellie,” Joel says sternly.

“Oh my god! Eli! It plays music,” Penelope exclaimed in wonder. 

Ellie moves to take the tape out like Joel told her to, instead, Joel says, “Oh, no, wait. No, leave it. Leave it.”

The music plays softly through the car. The sun setting in the distance, blinding Ellie and Penelope. Ellie puls down the visor to cover her eyes.

“This is good. This is Linda Ronstadt. Do you know who Linda Ronstadt is?” Joel asks, quizzing Penelope and Ellie.

“You know I don't know who Linda Ronstadt is,” Ellie says sassily, rolling her eyes.

“Uh, no?” Penelope says uncertainty.

The trio is quiet as they absorb the music, reaching the gate. Joel stops the car, sighing. “Oh, man.”

Ellie shrugs. “Eh, it’s better than nothing.”

Joel smiles at Ellie’s statement. He clicks the pin on a device. Penelope sighs and leans back into the door. She rests her head on the window, pulling her blanket around her body. She watches from the corner of her eye as Joel glances at her and Ellie as he drives, trying to hide his smile. 

Joel drives forward from the gate, starting their long journey.

[arabaka]

Spotted in Miami Florida

ʚ｡ﾟ☁︎｡ɞ｡ OMG HI FRIEND!!! it's been a hot min , let me brew you some green tea <3 reigen arataka, the winner of many accolades but most importantly... our hearts...

[particular-one]

hello!! could i please request a romantic matchup with twisted wonderland and honkai star rail?

my name is alex and my pronouns are they/them, my mbti is intp-t, my zodiac is virgo.

personality: im really shy and kind of awkward when socializing others bcos im not really good interacting with them so i just stay in the sideline where i observe people and their behavior and thats the reason why people depict me as intimidating and hard to approach and also bcos of my stoic expression too but when im with my close friends, im really bubbly and more comfortable with them. im really quite moody sometimes and i also tend to overthink things. i always listen to my friends whenever they're having a problem and just be there for them sometimes pitching in some advice now and then. im also the type of person to run away from their problems and tend to push people away bcos i dont want to burden them, i also laugh at small things, im also the type of person to read a body language very well bcos of my observant nature. i also get insecure with my appearance too. im also blunt with my words i do not sugarcoat things

romantic preference: i prefer to be match with a male

my hobbies/likes: writing stories and reading books, poetry composition, learning about stars and outer space, watching horror videos on yt, staying up all night writing down my ideas about my next stories, sleeping, i also have a fascination to ocean and i tend to stare at it, dark academia, i also like abandoned places especially if its haunted, i also love matcha green tea, i really love a meadow full of lavenders.

my dislikes: loud people including loud places too, vegetables (depends on my mood), cheaters and playboys, worms, hot weather, arrogant people.

what i look for in a partner: someone who is very loyal since i have trust issues and soemone who can be my safe haven when things get so overwhelm

my love language: acts of service and quality time

that's all and thank you!! ^^

hello alex! and yeah, definitely!! sorry for taking quite a bit with yours, i hope you like your matchups :>

TWISTED WONDERLAND ---- TREY CLOVER

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ trey is, without the doubt, one of the sweeter guys in night raven academy. he usually treats everyone with much respect and admiration, so your first meeting went very smoothly. trey is a sweetheart even minus the romantic context, so it is expected that he'd do things out of the ordinary for you, like getting you something from the bakery or just helping you out on your work. although your friendship didn't exceed from the usual polite gestures and greetings, the instance that probably shifted his entire view of you positively was when he overheard you giving advice to the younger heartslabyul students. he was surprised how you were able to impart such words of wisdom, and since then, he's been really interested in you and actively makes an effort to talk to you. as a partner, trey is very big on a specific love language. well, scratch that — he probably demonstrates his affections for you through every love language possible. quality time? trey would go out of his way to spend time with you even if he was busy with his own commitments, because you were his priority. words of affirmation? he makes handwritten notes to accompany the small mementos that he buys for you. with trey, he likes to shower you with as much love as possible, but he rarely goes overboard to the point of discomfort. trey is quite the loyal and considerate guy and he can tell almost immediately if something is off, in which he'd try to figure out how else to cheer you up. dates with trey might involve baking together — honestly, it might just be him baking while he listens to you talk about what you like, but he always wanted you to taste test his baked goods anyways. he'd also bring you on picnics with these freshly baked goods and the both of you would just relax outdoors and bask in the fresh air. learning about your fascination with stars, trey offers to go stargazing with you late at night! the both of you would just stay up as he listens to you point out the names of the stars on the sky.

HONKAI STAR RAIL ---- GEPARD LANDAU

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ gepard is the type of guy who'd act very knightly around you, mostly out of respect and his duty as a soldier. though gepard is not the best conversationalist, he saw past the initial view of stoicism and intimidation and approached you with the notion of befriending you, especially since his sister kept hounding on him to make friends outside work. since then, he hasn't regretted meeting you — if he were being honest, he laughs a lot when you're talking with him, which serval instantly picks up that something is definitely up — that he gradually develops a crush on you. as a partner, gepard is the very reason why chivalry isn't dead. he is big on acts of service, so he treats you a lot to make sure you're feeling as pampered as possible. when gepard had tried courting you at first, he had definitely tried to win you over by serenading you, but serval had to be the one to push him away then pull him aside and tell him that this awkward charm and very... questionable singing was not going to charm you. still, it magically worked and the both of you went out weeks after that anyways. up until now, gepard likes singing to you in private with songs that reminded him of you, and though it starts off disastrous, he honestly likes expressing it in that way. gepard isn't an avid reader, but he likes to ask book recommendations from you! secretly, this is because he likes to surprise you with annotated copies of them, where he highlights quotes and statements (especially those with a romantic connotation) and just write "reminds me of you!" or "the way i feel for you :)", things along those lines. he's very sappy when it comes to you that he gets easily flustered if you do something remotely romantic for him. he'd reach for the stars and gift wrap one for you, if he could.

[peddling-rp-memes]

Repost, don't reblog. I didn't make this meme, but can't find the op. Please tag them if you know who they are.

Muse Aesthetics (Season edition!)

Repost, don’t reblog. 

Bold applies, Italics sometimes applies

✹ SUMMER ✹ — cold drinks after a long day, hiking in the woods just outside the city, swimming in a lake, spontaneous picnics, the warmth of the sun making you drowsy, the buzz of insects flying by,  blooming wildflowers, the scent of bark and leaves, snapping twigs in half, a blade of grass between your teeth, light sunburn on the tip of your nose, barking dogs, rosy cheeks, children laughing in the distance, sunflowers reaching for the sun, fresh ice tea, resting your head on someone’s lap, warm yellow, the sound of waves crashing  

☁ AUTUMN ☁ — cool breezes that feel just right, piles of leaves, rust red, oversized sweaters, knitted blankets, pumpkin spice, the scent of freshly baked goods, open windows letting the fresh air in, cold cheeks and hands, rain boots, carving pumpkins, soft scarves, a comforting embrace from an old friend, the scent right before a storm, wild mushrooms, ripening berries, a cup of hot tea, purring cats, blueberry muffins, braided hair, wearing your partner’s shirts, an alarm pulling you from slumber, burning candles  

❅ WINTER ❅ — the crackling of a fireplace, hot chocolate with marshmallows, the smell of fresh cookies, fuzzy socks, beanies pulled over your ears, a strong pot of coffee, dark clouds gathering on the horizon, the sound of wind shaking the house, melting ice, snowflakes in your hair, melancholy afternoons, curling up with a book while the world stands still, cough drops on the nightstand, excitedly giving gifts, long coats with deep pockets, pale blues, flour on the tip of your nose, warm soup, stubble turning into a beard, the scent of leather  

❀ SPRING ❀ — the smell after it rains, waking to the sound of birds singing, the crack of thunder, soft pinks, energy drinks or protein shakes, the scent of fabric softener, tidying up, the sweet taste of fresh fruit, competitive spark in eyes, sand beneath your feet, sweat on your brow, catching your breath after running, light green, frosted cupcakes, electricity in the air, forbidden kisses, the sharp hunger after a work out, daring romances, high ponytails, unexpected storms, picking flowers, running barefoot in the grass, iced coffee

[ffeelinglo]

Session 1 ☀ Pilgrimage of the Sun Guard

This is the first game I played of Pilgrimage of the Sun Guard. It is a solo TTRPG that is absolutely stellar! You can find it on Itch.io. I’m so happy with how my first game went and the fun I had that I wanted to flesh out some of my story bits and have a place to keep them all. This is all in good fun so I’m sure you’ll understand when I say I’m not looking for feedback on how I play the game, how I write, or my story choices. Thank you~!

Session 1 - February 24, 2023

✹ CHARACTER Name: Adora Pegner the Vain Background: The Romantic Code: Experience life’s banquet through poetic acts of valor Traits: passionate, worldly, artistic, brave Cherished Items: a loved one's token- a painted eye of a lover, deep green

✹ RESOURCES Might: 4 ■ ■ □ □ Guile: 3 ■ ■ ■ □ Honor: 3 ■ ■ □ Time: 6 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ □ Signs: a shared cup of generosity, rushing water over worn stones

Coming from a war-torn family, Adora joined the ranks of the Sun Guard initially to survive but found an unlikely family within the Guard. Long curly hair that was unmanageable made her seem otherworldly amongst her fellow guards that chose short cuts even among the women. The children that always followed them about whispered about secrets and treats hidden between the dark spirals. Her tresses were her pride and she often played into the children’s bouts of teasing. Despite her often mischievous and carefree demeanor, Adora leaned towards a natural leadership within the Guard. Adora sets out on her pilgrimage in hopes of a grand sort of “retirement”. Dreams of shade beneath a great tree and endless ale have plagued her for some time.

Crossing the Desert ☀

Everything has blended together in my mind. I cannot even begin to think with this heat and the blinding Sun. My day was spent in what felt like circles. I tore a spare undershirt I had brought in order to cover my face and provide some sort of shield for my eyes. Night fell and I looked to the stars for guidance and recognized the constellation of Eira the Great. Following her arrow had me on the right path again in short order.

I heard the cries of the merchant before his wagon came into to view. I don’t deny my empathy was not won over at first, but I stopped to help him. I imagine now he wished I didn’t. I used parts of the side of his wagon to repair his partially crushed wheel. He protested a bit but a quick reminder that I may be the only assistance for quite some time seemed to quiet him. The wagon looked a bit funny with rope wrapped around to hold its precious cargo on one side.

Under the Shadowy Pine ☁

The tales of the Stag King did not prepare me for the enormous throne I came upon. I kneeled before the behemoth of a throne and worked twigs and fallen vines into a basket of sorts. From my pack, I managed to produce berries and some seeds from fruits I had insisted the merchant share after the wheel debauchery. It was a small tribute I would hope he accept. Judging by his throne, he could easily swallow it in one bite. No hint of it being a choking hazard. I licked the sap and berry juices from my fingers as I stood up and away from the basket. A path I must have overlooked opened to the right of the throne. I could barely make out the stiletto of a doe a way down the path.

The River Valley ⌒

A strange bunch of weavers invited me to take a glimpse of their loom. It was mesmerizing and disorienting- a kaleidoscope of colors making up people, animals, and flora. As I stared, I could have sworn I could make out the face of Eira and myself but before I could stumble forward in confusion a mug of tea was thrusted in my hands and I was whisked away. It became a dream. Even now I remember through a fog. I was asked for a story in exchange for food and company. I told them the legend of Olaf the Untamable. He prided himself on being such a wild spirit that not even the Sun could keep him. Of course, the fool could not account for the rays of love to strike him blind. Olaf was tamed by Ursala in the spring and also destroyed by her the following winter with her great martyrdom. The weavers’ tea seemed to grow bitter in my mouth as I recounted the ending. A fog still lingers around my edges.

I could not help myself when I saw all the different Guards and Houses enjoying a good romp. The gasps of surprise at my name spoken to defend the Sun Guards honor at this tournament were enough to knock me back! I don’t believe I’ve ever entertained a crowd of this size. The old familiar feeling of rushing blood between my ears and everything came to me in fragments. The crowd’s chants faded away from me and become a dull thump. Colors melted in my peripheral. The shine from my opponent's armor twinkling as they mounted and causing my eyes to squint. Then the smells swirled- earth, hay, meat, sweat. Ale bittering in the corners of my mouth and the back of my throat. Dust sprung up and hung in the air from my opponent hitting the ground. Roaring of the crowd. A flicker of dark eye lashes. A large mug spilling ale cheered with another. A musk of another still lingers this morning.

Ascending the Frost Cliffs ❄

I have been blessed on this pilgrimage up until this day. A soft thumping and metal clanging caught my attention from where I was starting to make my way up this cliff face. A rage lashed out at me as I looked down upon my belongings strewn about the road. I maneuvered my way back down in a huff to retrieve the mess. I’m not one to be messy. I paused at the bottom and rubbed at the silver locket around my neck. A warm calm spread about me despite the cold. Flames no longer licked at me. I began my climb again with renewed serenity. I wonder if my shady tree will be terribly far after this.

Some poor soul is missing a bottle of cordial. I nearly broke down at the sight of the bottle winking at me from an abandoned supply in a crevasse. The last time such a drink graced my lips was the final night of the winter solstice. I was already too deep into the bottle with a fellow Guard when I spotted Eira across a lull in the dancing. Her features were sharper against the flickering light of the bonfire that separated us, but her green eyes shown like a forest on a clear day. I tipped my cup to my lips as her gaze met mine. Cordial spilled out from the side of my lips. She threw her head back with a laugh I couldn’t hear over the crackling fire and jubilee. I unclasped the locket and opened it to reveal the same green eye looking up at me with a single small weft of brown hair tied on the opposite side. I raised it to my nose. It no longer smelled of Eira but I still carry hope it will magically return. I downed the rest of the cordial without thought of tomorrow’s pain from the overindulgence.

The Endless Stairs ⑇

I can almost feel it’s infernal breath upon my heels. I pray that I am not losing sanity. Does it come to take me away to Eira? have I remained at the crevasse where I dreamed you beckoning? That would be too easy an ending I suppose. I could not rest with this demon ever watching and chasing. I brought forth a small pouch with silver shavings and a medley of herbs tucked together. I could hear her close to me- “Dory, a mix of silver, nettle, sage, and pepper will keep you from anything that tries to take you Beyond.” I opened it and inserted the locked before tying it off around the top of the pendant I almost cried out as I saw the surrounding shadows grow brighter. I stopped to listen and try to spy my personal devil. I openly wept at the silence.

I followed the colorful light of the stained-glass murals out of the shrine. I followed where the colors stretched to and simply just walking. My feet heavy but not stopping despite the chance of a respite. I find myself restless. I didn’t spy Eira among the spirits that greeted and listened to my journey. She must still be. Where has she wandered so far from my side? There is not rest yet. There is one more path I must follow to the end.

If you read this far- Thank you again! I hope this was entertaining at the very least. Buy this game! ⊹₊ ⋆