#All in the Sunshine Coast location

[numberonesublimestarlight]

https://www.carpetcleaningaura.com.au/

[withoutyouimsaskia]

Sometimes It's Fated (Sandman Short Story Part 7)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

GIF: Originally posted by @kimdokjas

Pairing: Morpheus/Dream of the Endless x AFAB reader

Summary: Reader Self-Insert. After restoring the Dreaming and locating the missing dreams and nightmares, Morpheus turns his attention to finding you, the human he believes fate has chosen for him. (Title inspired by Placebo's "This Picture".)

Warnings: Minors DNI. Dark!Morpheus. Soulmates. Angst. Obsessive and possessive behaviour. Nudity. Kissing. Language. AFAB + AMAB penetrative sex. Unprotected sex.

Word Count: 4.2k

A/N: Hello there! What a long time this chapter has been in the making. There was an entire week where I had limited time and an even more limited internet connection but I promise I haven't abandoned this story. On a less grovelling note, how good is Dead Boy Detectives? Let me know in the comments what your favourite moment was in the show if you've seen it. All my love, Saskia xx

Sandman Masterlist

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

There's sunlight on your face. It filters past your closed eyelids, rousing you unforgivingly from the tranquil dreamscape you had been wandering through.

You frown, a disgruntled yet pitiful noise issuing from the back of your throat.

Did you get in that late last night that you forgot to close your curtains?

It had been a nostalgic dream - a long and winding path that tracked the edge of a cliff that you walked in sturdy brown boots. An aquamarine sea to your right and a multicoloured floral field to your left, the salt and petal scents of both welcomed with each inhale. The bracing air had ruffled the looser sections of your clothes and threaded through your splayed fingers.

Every detail was exactly as it had been in your childhood summer holidays to the coast. Warmth and adventure and fun. Which is precisely why you are reluctant to leave.

You've passed the threshold into waking however and no amount of stubbornness can aid you. To ease your passage, you use the heels of both hands to cover your eyes from the obnoxious light.

The movement shifts the air around you, alerting you to another strange thing: the absence of your pyjamas. You hardly ever slept naked, and definitely not in the winter months. Come to think of it, these were not your sheets either. They felt far too sleek against your bare skin to be your trusty cotton ones…

You freeze.

Whose bed were you in?

Your mind is flailing like someone unable to swim who has fallen into a body of water as you try to remember, adrenal glands preparing you for potential danger with a hefty bloodstream-bound jolt, carried effectively by a stampeding heart rate.

Your eyelids snap open as muscles lock.

More disarray enters the mix when you find the source of the sunshine.

There's a sky above you awash with vibrant pinks and oranges. A couple of clouds drift in front of the burning orb, alleviating the intensity of the sunrise enough that you don't have to squint for long.

How was it possible that you were both outside and lying on a bed? Where the fuck were you?

The recollections finally break through the surface of your memory lake when you see him.

Morpheus.

The King of Dreams and Nightmares. Your soulmate.

Your body relaxes and the rising tension disperses.

His position has changed from the one he had taken before you fell asleep; he now sits beside you, studying you with those gorgeous universe-containing eyes. It's a much less predatory stare than the others previously directed towards you but the power within him is still palpable.

The beauty he possesses is overwhelming too; just like how it did with the night sky and aurora behind him, this sunrise is making him breath-taking. The rosy light is accentuating every inch of skin on show, from the angular features of his face to the toned bare chest that expands and contracts with controlled breaths.

"Good morning my soulmate," he says, his deep voice even huskier from not being used overnight.

"Hi," you reply timidly, gaze forced down by the weight of his.

He doesn't seem to like this shyness for he reaches out, tracing two fingertips in circles above your sternum, right over your soul. You're surprised when there is no pain, in fact, you shiver enjoyably from the simple touch.

You wish the same absence of pain could be said for the lower half of your body.

With much muscular discomfort, you roll onto your side and push yourself to sitting. The majority of it is set deep in your legs, right at the top where your femur bones meet your hip sockets, and radiating through your hamstrings. There are also internal twinges left over from fingering and penetration. The collective tenderness is understandable given all that transpired last night. All the pleasure that had flowed between you, those configurations that your body had never been put into before. Ones you dearly hoped to be put in again soon.

"How long have you been watching me?" You ask teasingly.

"Since you began to sleep."

Your smile falters, worry mounting at the inference that you had kept him awake. Had you been snoring? Twitching? Sleep talking?

You reach for his left hand that rests atop the dark sheets. "You must be exhausted."

That same duo of fingertips brush tantalisingly across your bottom lip. "Your concern is touching, dearest, but I do not require sleep."

"Oh." Your lungs deflate with a whoosh. "I guess that makes sense. People must need dreams all the time."

"Precisely," he praises, his tone smooth and seductive as he cups your face in his hand. "And there are many other ways in which I can find respite and rejuvenation."

He pounces on you then, claiming your mouth with a deep kiss. You go boneless when his tongue slips past the boundary of your pouted lips, enveloping you in his intoxicating warmth.

Morpheus kisses you until you are completely pliant; becoming putty in his talented hands. And when he pulls back, his attention goes straight to your eyes. He looks back and forth between each one like he is checking for something, as if the kiss was his way of dosing you up and he is confirming if it has kicked in.

Your mind certainly feels high enough for it to be true. You stare back at him, his irises become darker and darker the longer you look, until you can see your face reflected in the black-mirror eyes.

You seem different. Not just consumed with lust either. There's something else. A confidence. One more formidable than the type you make use of in your everyday life. It lurks beneath your flushed skin, enlivened by his presence.

Instinct takes over as you slip your arms around him and pull him in for a slow and sensual kiss. From crown to nape your fingers glide through his glossy locks, left even more messy from the activities of last night, and then take a path down his back.

His muscles are steel cables under your palms, conducting heat to pass from his body to yours. You breathe heavily from it as images of your prior shared intimacy flash by like a slideshow, turning you on even further.

Lips part company and Morpheus' mouth is suddenly sucking on your earlobe, pressing on your throat.

You are caught between a whimper and a moan.

"Louder," he commands, the rumbling timbre next to your ear making you obey noisily without conscious thought.

"Good. Again."

He nips at the skin over your jugular and your moan further increases in decibels.

"Such sweet noises," he comments between the open mouthed kisses he is stamping along your collarbones. "All because of how I touch you."

His hands find your breasts next, securing one in each. A firm massage has your back arching to lean further into the cradle of his fingers.

He lets go and leans in to hover over your left breast, his breath unexpectedly cool against your skin. His attention flicks up to your flushed face, to the bottom lip caught between your teeth. You want to further explore this kind of play. Hinting at your desires, you edge closer.

Morpheus' smirk is fiendish and there's such promise in those black eyes yet you want to make sure he follows through.

"Please."

"As you wish, my soulmate."

A drawn out groan warps your vocal cords once he seals his lips over the nipple and lightly takes the other between a thumb and forefinger. More of this too, you decide while he lavishes you with mind bending attentions - rhythmically suckling and pinching until your body is covered in a sheen of sweat and you can barely hold yourself upright. After, Morpheus gathers you into his arms and you delight in his luscious scent as your breathing normalises.

"So that makes you feel rested?" You ask softly.

He strokes over your soul again. "Indeed. It was exceptionally restorative, although I would like more, if you are willing."

The glint in his eyes, a quality becoming all too familiar since your official introduction, swiftly undoes the work you had done to calm your breaths. You consider the tempting notion of sharing more intimacy with him, but cannot ignore the self-care that you missed when you let yourself fall asleep in his hold directly after finishing yesterday.

"I think I need to have a shower before we do anything more. Would you care to join me?"

His pink lips quirk with a semblance of a smile. "I believe it would be counterproductive for me to accompany you, given your goal."

"Suit yourself." You plant a playful kiss on his cheek and throw back the covers with a flourish. Your assured, bouncing movements are soon halted however for you are unaware of where to go next. You peek back over your shoulder.

"Umm, where's the bathroom?"

Morpheus inclines his head towards a door that definitely did not exist a second ago.

"Just through there. I trust you will find everything that you require."

He's not wrong. The well-proportioned ensuite is furnished with everything you could possibly want for cleaning and grooming.

The colour palette of the adjoining chamber extends to touch this room too; predominantly black, with accents of pale stone for smaller details like the mirror frame and the soap dish. The stand out feature is the floor. A black marble with flecks of silver that twinkle like stars under the moody lighting. It's as if you are walking on a night sky.

Firstly, you wash your face first to remove the glowy makeup you had put on especially for the award event, then slide the ruby ring off your finger and leave it on the glossy porcelain of the sink before stepping into the shower cubicle.

You are considerate of the time spent under the water, motivated by the thought of Morpheus sitting naked on the bed not 20 feet away.

You're not ashamed to admit that you are impatient to have him inside of you again. To see that passion and darkness ignited within him. Be consensually dominated and consumed by him. And perhaps try out some other forms of stimulation on him. You decide you will ask more about his desires when you're done in here.

As you dry off using a white, fluffy towel, the rubbing and bending helps to alleviate some of the stiffness - something you know will serve you well when you are back on the bed.

You swap the towel for a bath robe and move to stand in front of the mirror. Using the reflective glass, you brush your teeth and apply some products from the assortment lined up neatly in the wall mounted cupboard.

Cleanliness restored and mood soaring, you open the door to return to your soulmate.

He's sitting on the bed like you had anticipated, however he is no longer naked. Quite the opposite in fact. All of his skin is covered except for his head and hands.

Morpheus stands as soon as he sees you, the manoeuvre showing off the flowing nature of the floor-length coat he has donned. You've never seen a coat quite like it; the sentiment reinforced even further by the constellations that appear to shimmer within its lining. He looks so ethereal and poised in it. Kingly.

Leaning into the formality even further, he clasps his hands in front of his torso and then proceeds to speak.

"I'm afraid that something has arisen that requires my attention. I will have to leave for a while."

"That's alright. Give me two minutes and I'll get dressed and come with you."

You begin to remove the bath robe as you walk towards him, undoing the tie with a quick tug. A shake of his head stops you from shedding the garment entirely.

"That won't be necessary." His hands sneak around your waist to pull you closer. "Your body will still be acclimating to the soul bond. You should rest. Rehydrate. Eat."

He gestures to a cloche covered plate and lidded jug atop a newly conjured bedside table.

Honestly, even though the proverbial wind has been knocked out of your sails, you cannot hold on to that disappointment for very long. The consideration he is showing is very endearing and it's hardly surprising given the dutiful aftercare he provided for you last night.

"Okay. I'll stay here."

He kisses you then, possessively gripping the base of your skull so he can get his fill for the time being.

"I will not be long," he whispers.

He leaves you standing at the foot of the bed.

You go to the bedside table. The metal of the cloche humorously warps your image like the mirrors of a funhouse as you lift it from its position. A platter made of the same material supports a bowl of natural yoghurt topped with tropical fruits and a plate of toast slices slathered with creamy honey.

You don't feel a particular urge to consume either yet decide to do so regardless. It has been a long time since you had last eaten. As you take a bite of the golden bread, you think of all the events that have happened to get you here in this room. The intense encounter that had taken you and Morpheus from strangers to soulmates in a matter of hours.

The forces that had been pushing you towards him - nagging sensations, like a series of itches you couldn't quite reach, making you go outside for a cigarette.

How you had met the beings who had orchestrated the whole thing; the resolve bestowed by their counsel smoothing away your doubts.

His determination to unlock whatever had been dormant within you; in the moment you had been certain that your soul was going to be obliterated, revealed instead to be a rearrangement. Just thinking of it is enough of a push to do as he suggested and rest. You had been through a lot.

After downing a large glass of orange juice decanted from the squat jug, you remove your bath robe. Shadows fall over the bed to block out the mid-morning sun when you tuck yourself back under the covers.

The scent of your soulmate is imbued within the sumptuous fabric, making it all too easy to fall into light sleep, even inspiring a dream while there.

A wet dream.

It's unbearable when you wake. You want Morpheus to come back right away. You want to touch him, to let him touch you. With a frustrated groan, you kick off the covers and redress in the robe, turning your attention to tidying up the pile of your clothes to distract from the horniness. You fold the items neatly and put them in the drawers of the bedside table. The box of cigarettes and lighter, you stash under the coat.

It's no use, not in the long term; you are irreversibly riled up, heat stirring agonisingly between your legs so when you hear Morpheus opening the door you pretty much run across the room to him.

You can see from the lust in his eyes that he is as affected as you.

"I saw your dream, my soulmate," he says intensely as he draws you into his personal space. "You have quite the imagination."

Your cheeks burn with equal parts lust and embarrassment.

His body heat is just as feverish - the ferocity of it permeating through your bath robe makes the fabric feel much thinner than it actually is.

He leans to whisper by your ear. "Would you like to make it a reality?"

Your knees go weak, at the question and the ghost-like touches of his words against the shell of your ear.

"Yes. Morpheus, please."

He captures your lips with a bruising kiss, simultaneously baring your body and his own using a mix of confident movements and form shaping.

You secure your hands on his shoulders in readiness, only breaking the kiss so you can jump into his arms. He then spins you around so your ass meets the polished wood of the door.

Broken groans echo around the chamber as Morpheus makes the dream fully come to life, filling you with a fluid thrust.

His eyes are circles of night sky while he waits for you to adjust, redistributing your weight ever so slightly so he can press his palm over your soul.

It remains there until you both reach climax.

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

Morpheus cleans you like he did before and then you recline side by side on the bed.

"Do you feel happy?" He asks with sudden seriousness while stroking the skin made taut by the spasming muscles of your thighs.

You would have thought it been obvious from the size of the giddy grin on your face yet you play along anyway. "Yes."

"And safe?"

"Of course, Morpheus." You reassuringly interlink your fingers with his, adding, "You could just cheat, you know?"

His chin tilts up, lips pouting. "I could, however I prefer to hear you confirm it out loud."

You laugh.

Saccharine. That is how this moment feels with the post-orgasm tingles and the endearing nature of his statement. He is utterly perfect for you.

You brush a probing fingertip over his soul.

"I still can't feel your emotions."

It is his turn to squeeze your hand comfortingly. "It's been less than a day."

You nod, casting away the despondent thought entirely by asking a subject changing question.

"What would you like to do now?"

He answers immediately, "I would like to stay right here."

You consider this, your focus shifting away from his face, up over his shoulder to the exit.

"What if someone needs you, comes looking for you? There are people out there, right?"

You're fishing for details, blatantly so, but you cannot deny that you are intrigued by the kingdom beyond the door that you had just so energetically fucked against.

Morpheus shifts to block your line of sight, possessively cupping your face in one of his dexterous hands.

"No one can find us here. We will not be interrupted, and I can sense when something is amiss."

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

Days pass in a similar fashion. You wake under an invigorating sunrise with your soulmate's blown-iris gaze fixed on your face. He whispers sweet nothings into your ear, generating shudders of arousal, in turn propelling you to excuse yourself to the bathroom. You wash and brush your teeth and go back to Morpheus. He fucks you until you can barely move and then leaves you for a few hours while you, in his words: 'rest'.

With your appetite still stunted you cajole yourself into eating and drinking, and wait for Morpheus to return, whereupon you fuck again.

It's a honeymoon phase you reason initially, but when the pattern shows signs of sustaining, when it reaches a week without leaving his chambers you decide to take action.

You had stopped asking if you could accompany him on his mysterious errands after the third rebuttal; perhaps a mistake on your part. And with the emotional connection between you still a no-show from your end, there is no other way of finding out why your partner keeps saying no.

You ask for a slower session. One that won't render you completely exhausted and aching, and therefore physically able to go with him. Not that you disclose this as a reason. You don't need to give any; Morpheus obliges, all too willing to please you.

His zealousness makes you feel guilty for your quasi-deception but something really is afoot. You cannot ignore it any longer.

The sex is euphoric. Beautiful. He brings you to the edge of tears with his gentleness, drawing several orgasms from you. There's even enough time for you to stimulate him with your hands and mouth - something you had been longing to do since the first night.

After, your question waits in the wings as you cuddle. His demeanour is a twin of yours, relaxed and satiated. The way his blue eyes stare at you, it's pure adoration you see in them. Surely he cannot deny you this time.

An hour elapses and then Morpheus stands, clothes appearing on his lithe frame. He announces his intentions.

"There are duties that I must attend to."

You sit up and say with a smile, "Please can I come with you this time?"

"No."

His terse reply is so far removed from the blissful look that had been written all over his perfect features seconds prior that your stomach drops along with your smile.

"Why not?" Your voice is unexpectedly small.

He zones in on this vocal change. "You seem troubled, Y/N."

If you were to be totally transparent, you would tell him that this scenario was starting to bear many of the signs of an abduction. It takes you a good thirty seconds to summon the courage to reply; not wanting to offend nor sadden your soulmate.

You huff out a nervous laugh. "I can't help feeling a little kidnapped."

His eyebrows narrow a fraction. "I did tell you that I would bring you to the Dreaming."

"Okay, how about I re-phrase that. I feel kind of trapped here."

"Are these chambers not to your liking?"

That burgeoning sense of nausea is starting to run deeper. He is deflecting. Expertly so.

You point at the door. "What I don't like is that there is a whole world out there and you seem determined to keep me from it."

The temperature in the room dips as the ceiling-sky sun is blocked out by a conglomerate of greying clouds.

"It is not safe for you outside this room," he says with a controlled cadence.

"I don't believe that. I know for a fact that you are one of the most powerful beings in the universe. What is the real reason you don't want me to accompany you?"

"Because it is not your place to do so."

You blink in shock.

The sweetness of the recent lovemaking is long gone, a bitter taste taking its place. You attempt to translate the subtext of that last statement: Not your place?

Is it because you are human? Does he think you are lesser than him?

You need to hear it from his lips.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

He swallows, a fist clenching and unclenching at his side.

"I need to leave."

He's moving towards the door with quick strides. You're out of the bed, throwing on the bath robe as you desperately try to find a way to keep him talking.

"What if I had refused to go with you that night?"

No sooner are the words out your mouth, does the sky above you turn black. Morpheus spins around, eyes equally as dark as he coolly states, "Then you would have suffered."

He stands squarely in front of the door.

"You felt a semblance of it. The instant I touched your skin with mine. Even if you had protested, I would have brought you here regardless. It was imperative that I complete the ritual, and it had to be done in the Dreaming where my power is at its most potent."

Potent power indeed, for there are pulsing shadows leading away from his boot clad feet despite the absence of a sun to cast them. Never before have you been so aware of his preternatural identity. He's Eldritch personified; you suppress the flicker of fear it kindles.

"Your soul would have kept screaming, driving you to insanity. I protected you. Just as I am trying to protect you now by locking you in here."

The repellent taste of bile spews into your dry mouth. He said locked in.

You try a last ditch attempt to appeal to the softer nature that you know is within him, reaching for his hand.

"I just want to help people. Help you, your kingdom, your dreamers. The Fates said I would."

"Is that what they told you?" He says derisively, a dark smile stretching his lips as silver flashes in those nightmarish eyes. "I am disgusted that they gave you such a fantasy."

It would have taken an army's worth of self-control to not shrink away from him with that display. You drop his hand.

In that moment, as he blocks you from getting to the door of your cage, it occurs to you that despite the physical proximity, that this is furthest you have felt from him since he took your hand on that rain covered street.

It's as if a crevasse has opened up between you, leaving you standing on either side. So far apart. The risk of falling into the frozen chasm making it too frightening for you to try and reach him. Not that he would let you.

You know it as soon as he says his next sentence, his tone as flat as the emotion in his eyes.

"You should rest. I will return later."

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

Tag list: @herfantasyworldd @kpopgirlbtssvt @littleblackcatinwonderland @1950schick @lollipopsandlandmines

"Cause they watch us in sleep. And the language that we speak. And the secrets that we keep to ourselves in our dreams, in our dreams."

[ilguna]

☼ my tears ricochet pt2 (Finnick Odair) ☼

summary; it’s been six months since you were banished from district four. since then, you’ve been trying to lay low and keep your nose clean. one night, you and gale go to the local bar to wind down after a long week, and he helps you come to a realization that changes everything.

warnings; swearing, prostitution mention, alcohol, arson, death mention, mental health talk, torture.

wc; 6.5k

part one.

notes; hints of Gale slander but fish are friends not food!!

--

The July summer breeze feels nice against your hot skin, causing you to close your eyes to enjoy it properly. It’s even better this way. You reach back to lift the hair off your neck, which is slightly damp from sweat after working all day in the sun. A chill goes down your spine when the wind hits the spot just right.

There’s a lot of similarities between District Two and Four that you've come to notice over time, but the heat is not one of them. It’s very dry here, there’s a lot of desert and very little rain to sustain any real plant life. Any that do exist have already evolved to live off of practically no water. For miles, all you can see is dirt and half-dead bushes, 

While back home, you’re located right on the coast, allowing for more rainy days than plain sunshine. The trees, grass and flowers are always fed and healthy. Even if it doesn’t rain, there are clouds to block the heat from beating on you, making every afternoon a pleasant one. 

This weather difference alone isn’t enough to make you feel homesick, but there are so many other factors at play that contribute to it. When you first moved to District Two, you had a feeling that you’d never be able to get used to living here. It’s been six months since then, and you’re still a stranger when you walk the streets.

The only familiar thing—or rather, person—here is Gale.

Except, he isn’t from home. He’s not one of your childhood friends, or a neighbor from your previous neighborhood. You can’t talk to him about what could be going on since you got banished. He’s from District Twelve. The only thing you have in common is the fact that you’re both rebels.

You can’t even use your banishment as a way to bond with him, because he deserved what he got, and you were wrongly accused. While Finnick had framed you for allegedly giving the Peacekeepers your next steps—Gale had actually indirectly got Primrose Everdeen killed through one of the ideas that he developed with Beetee.

He might not have been the one to send out the bombs, because former President Alma Coin had to approve that order, but he was the one to suggest using it. Gale was desperate to win the rebellion at any cost, until he paid the biggest price.

There’s a good chance that Gale will never be able to go back to District Twelve after what he did. Especially since Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch have decided to stay and continue living there. Although, with how well things are going in Two with the volunteer work, it probably hasn’t crossed his mind. 

It’s not exactly easy work. Most of the time, you don’t have enough time to be thinking about anything other than what your hands are doing. It’s mind-numbing in a good way, and usually you feel pretty accomplished by the end of the task. 

The work deals with a lot of construction and beautification. Usually, you don’t get paid for it. Sometimes they’ll give out free lunch if it’s going to be a particularly long day of tearing down bricks and planting greenery. There’s been a few times where you’ve been so caught up in the work, that you went all night.

It’s gotten you a lot of recognition from the people that are native to Two, which is not what you’re striving for, but it’s nice to not have to worry about the hatred as much. When you first arrived at the train station six months ago, it was pretty clear that a lot of people held prejudice against you. Over time, they’ve gotten curious and have bothered you to ask what happened.

It takes a lot of explanation and convincing, but eventually they believe you. Or, at the very least, they take a neutral standpoint and choose not to pick a side entirely. You know that it’s a lot of he-said, she-said. It’s hard to know who’s telling the truth in a serious situation like that.

On one hand, it’d be nice to believe Finnick, because he’s the one that first came forward with the story. Plus, he’s been Panem’s darling for so long that it would be heinous for him to do something so selfish and seemingly out-of-character.

On the other, you have never done something so snake-ish ever. Everyone should know that if a situation like that happens, you would take the hit of being taken for the greater good. It’s your one life versus several. As terrifying as it would’ve been, you could’ve handled whatever the Capitol had to offer for you at that moment. 

Of course, when you tell people the real side of the story, you take a massive hit for not telling the group when you had the chance before the sewers. The issue is that Finnick had been keeping a close eye on you, under the guise that he wanted to protect you, but also to ensure that your mouth stayed shut. 

If you could go back and change the situation, you would. 

“(L/n), (Y/n).” A woman calls.

You open your eyes, briefly being blinded by the sun while you turn to face Azalea. She’s the head director here in District Two for the volunteer work, she keeps everything very organized. It’s less stressful when she’s the one taking care of things for the day.

“Yes?” You ask, finding her at the front of the crowd.

She’s a short, blonde woman with tan skin. She holds up the clipboard, showing you the paper for a second. All you can gather is the fact that it’s a signup sheet, so you begin to move forward, carefully brushing past some of the workers in the process.

“What time did you get here today?” Azalea asks, once you’re in front of her.

“Um—“ You glance over your shoulder to search for Gale, because he’s the one with the watch. He keeps track of the time and when you go on break.

“Seven-twenty.” Gale says from beside you, making you jump slightly. “We both got here at that time.”

Azalea hums, writing that down in the time slot next to your names. You look over Gale, who you haven’t seen in a good fifteen minutes. There’s a smudge of dirt beneath his eye, so you lick your thumb, reaching to rub it away. He dodges your finger, face twisting in disgust.

“You look dirty.” You tell him, wiping the dirt off of his skin. “Stop being a baby, I’ve seen you eat a potato that touched the bar floor before.”

“It was expensive.” 

“Are either of you available tomorrow for a paid job?” Azalea interrupts. “I’ve got a house call from Enobaria Golding that needs to be done, and no one is signing up for it.”

“What’s it for?” You ask.

“She’s turning Victor’s Village into a memorial, I believe she just needs help moving furniture around in some of the houses. As well as cleaning up the neighborhood’s fountain, loose leaves, and pavement.”

You look at Gale with raised eyebrows, his lips are pressed together. “What time?”

“Whenever you can, she thinks it’s going to be a three day job at the very least. She’s paying over a hundred per hour, it used to be lower, but got raised because it’s urgent.” Azalea looks between you two.

“I’m in.” You tell her, “We could have it done in three days.”

Gale sighs, “Yeah, sign me up too.”

She begins to write your names down on a separate paper. “Will it be a big deal if I close it, then? I don’t think I’ll be able to find others. No one’s keen on Enobaria.”

“That’s fine.” You agree, “I know her, we’ll get along. Is it a contract?”

“I can make it one.” Azalea nods. “Swing by later tonight, I’ll have it ready.”

“Sounds good, Azalea. Thank you.” You nod.

“Are we good to go?” Gale asks, beginning to take a step back.

“Yup. Be good, you two.” She points the end of her pen in the middle of you guys, and then turns her attention back to the group that’s waiting to sign out.

Gale takes charge on leading you out of the center square. With how tall he is and the aggressive look on his face, he clears a path faster than you can. Besides, no one wants to be more than three feet near him. And yes, that has to do with his own reputation. 

“What’s your plan for tonight?” Gale asks over his shoulder.

“Well, since we’re probably going to get a late start tomorrow, I wouldn’t mind going to the bar tonight.” You raise your eyebrows.

He hums, “Right now?”

“Sure, why not?”

With that, Gale changes direction, heading for the good bar on the other side of District Two. When you first came here, you spent a lot of time bar hopping. In those weeks, you figured out that the fancy places were not, in fact, better. They were just more expensive. 

It wasn’t until you found the dirty place on the corner of Upper Heights, did you realize that they charge less for better quality. The only perk of going to those higher-end places is the fact that you can brag that you went there. You don’t talk to many people outside of Gale, and he was the one you took with you.

Well, that’s not entirely right. You didn’t take him with you—he tagged along, despite knowing that he was unwelcome. You didn’t like him very much to begin with back in District Thirteen because you thought what he did to Peeta’s family was pretty shitty, so you tried to steer clear of him as much as possible. The way he acted during the Capitol storming just solidified your ideas.

When Gale heard that you were going to be staying in District Two, he attached to you. You tried several different ways to get him to leave you alone, ranging from practically verbally abusing him to flat out ignoring. He didn’t care, he was ready for whatever you had to throw at him.

It eventually hit the point where you figured that you might as well deal with him. At the time, it would’ve been easier to put up with Gale than to try and convince someone that you were worthy of a conversation. He was an ass to put up with, and you caught yourself wondering how Katniss hung around him for so long.

In the end, it worked out. You and Gale can talk to each other without arguing. You two have a lot more in common than you originally thought, too. Although, some of his ideas are questionable, and you usually have to stop him from talking to keep that peaceful state.

“I’m surprised you want to drink so early.” Gale remarks.

“It’s almost eight o’clock.” You reason, motioning to the sky. “It’s not my fault it’s still bright out.”

The sun is slowly setting on the horizon, getting ready to say goodbye for the night. Which is good, because you’re tired of the heat. Unfortunately, it’ll still be warm out, even with the flaming ball in the sky gone. At least the bar has air conditioning. 

Gale reaches for the handle, pulling the door open. He holds it for you as you enter first, allowing you to choose where to sit tonight. You head for the table in the corner, the one that lets you have a perfect view of the entire room, and a quick escape for the door. 

Gale begrudgingly takes his jacket off and sets it on the chair that has its back to the room. “Your usual?”

“Yes, and water, please.” You tell him, reaching for your wallet. “I’ll pay for the first round. We can alternate tonight.”

Gale holds his hand out, watching as you drop the cash in his hand. He counts it as he walks away, heading for the bar top. You watch as he and the bartender go back and forth as the drinks are made. A minute later, Gale comes over, placing the glasses on the table. 

You start with the water, parched. They provide water, but they keep the bottles to recycle them, even if you aren’t finished with what’s inside. Once half the cup is empty, you start on your mixed drink, watching as Gale takes a sip of straight brown liquor.

“Do you remember what Azalea was saying about next week?” You ask, watching as Gale’s face twists.

“You mean the beach clean up?” Gale asks.

“Yeah, she said District Four, right?”

“I think. And whatever else is beside it. They’ve got their own coordinators over there, so they aren’t taking volunteers. Trust me, I tried.”

“They would’ve denied me, anyway.” You roll your eyes.

“I don’t know, Azalea hesitated. She said that we’d be useful, but the deadline passed a couple days ago.”

“Any victors going?” You ask.

He scoffs, “No, the last I heard, everyone’s hands off.”

You hum, resting your head on your hand. You get about the same information that Gale does when it comes to the victors, usually in snippets. 

Enobaria’s here, obviously, in District Two. You didn’t know that she was doing a memorial for the Two victors until today, which is nice of her. You can’t imagine how hard it is to be the only surviving victor of a district. Especially since Lyme was alive for the rebellion, but got killed during the storming of the Capitol.

Speaking of which, Beetee’s working in the heart of it under Commander Paylor. You’re not sure what he’s doing exactly, likely something with electronics or the defense system, if you had to guess. All you know is that he was able to resume basically what he had been before, this time for a better cause.

As for Katniss, there’s a lot of mixed news on her. Some say that she’s doing over-the-phone therapy appointments with Doctor Aurelius, mandated by Paylor to assess Katniss’s state of mind periodically after the assassination of former President Snow. Others tell you that she’s been skipping calls and hasn’t been out of her house in who-knows how long. 

After everything that happened, you just hope that she's doing okay. 

Peeta is doing his own sessions, also with Doctor Aurelius. Except, he’s not in Twelve, he’s still stationed in the Capitol for the time being. There’s a lot of progress regarding the hijacking, but it’s hard to know for sure if permanent damage hasn’t been done. And they can’t really test that out, either.

Haymitch… could honestly be anywhere. You heard he was forced to attend rehab in District Thirteen a second time, getting him completely sober. He’s fallen off the map since then, so your best guess is that he’s still there. You know post-war that he began to struggle with his sobriety after losing so many longtime friends.

This brings you to the few people that you could care less about. Starting with Johanna, she’s in District Seven, enjoying her life. She isn’t doing anything of importance, just wasting away in her own victor house, letting people wait on her. They tried to get Doctor Aurelius to rope her in, but she’s resilient. She doesn’t care about bettering herself, even though it’s pretty needed after the torture.

Annie Cresta is living in District Four, right alongside your ex-boyfriend and traitor, Finnick Odair. You don’t get much information on them, and it has to do with the fact that you get pissed off at the sound of their success. From your understanding, they live guilt-free and happy in their mansions, sleeping in their own beds.

When you ask for updates regarding Four, it’s a hit or miss if you get anything of importance. For example, they could tell you that fishing’s down, and it has been for the past couple weeks. Or, they’ll lay it on heavy, by telling you that your childhood home and your victor home are nothing but foundation.

You remember how dark the world became when you heard the news. Finnick told you on that runway in City Circle that they’d burnt your victor house down, something that you’d be able to live with. It didn’t have the prized possessions of your parents and siblings, or the pictures that captured you growing up. The only physical memory of the family you once had.

Apparently, not long after Finnick returned to Four, they’d set your home ablaze, too.

A part of you wonders whether or not that was encouraged by him. God forbid if you ever find out that’s the case. You might not be very threatening now, but nothing will stand in the way between your fists and his face if he told them to take away your last safe haven in Panem.

Anyway, when you were told the news about your childhood home, it almost became your breaking point. You’d been in Two for about three weeks at that point, and you were in no sound state to hear something so heavy. Especially on top of everything else that had been happening in the last year.

“Tomorrow’s July fourth.” Gale says, kinda changing the topic.

“Reaping Day.” You agree, nodding, taking another sip of your drink. “This will be the first year where a Hunger Games hasn’t taken place in Seventy-Six years.”

Gale stares off at the bar for a couple of quiet seconds. “What was it like being a victor?”

“Was?” You repeat. “You act like that’s a title that’s been taken away. I am a victor.”

He rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“Still.” You mutter. “I don’t know, what was it like being a worker in the mines?”

Gale’s face scrunches up. “You’re really comparing my district work to victor life?”

“I’m not saying district work isn’t hard or dangerous, especially with the mining stories that you were telling me. However, only one of us has been reaped twice and fought in both Hunger Games.” You remind him. “I have killed more than six people on purpose with three indirect kills following that.”

“You act like that’s something to brag about.” He squints at you.

“I’m not saying it is. All I’m saying is that victor life isn’t easy, either. And if you need an example, take Annie Cresta.”

“Annie Cresta is an anomaly.”

“But Katniss isn’t.” You raise your eyebrows. “I bet she had PTSD following her Games, and couldn’t hold a bow without remembering what she used it for inside of the arena.” 

Gale makes a face, tilting his head. “You’re not wrong.”

You raise your hand in his direction, because you knew you weren’t wrong. “Anyway, to answer your question—before the rebellion, there were hard parts and there were easy parts. Especially when it came to mentoring.”

His eyes land back on you. “How was that?”

“A nightmare.” You tell him. “There’s a reason why a lot of the victors ended up like Haymitch. Or addicted or morphling.” You swish the ice around in your glass.

“I’ll grab the next round.” Gale reaches for your cup, you move your hand.

“Thanks.”

He slides off his chair, heading away. With the questions he’s asking, you’re going to be drinking the entire night. He’s never been interested in victor life before, but you suppose there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to ask questions with Katniss. Besides, she’s not nearly as experienced as you are in that area.

He could ask you anything about the Capitol, and you’d have an answer for him. There was one point in your career where you had to be studying their mannerisms because Snow was getting ready to put you on the chopping block. Your victory almost completely outshone Finnick’s, you were going to be his ticket out of the prostitution industry, but your popularity died quickly.

For what reason, you’re not sure. All you know is that Snow sent you an ‘I regret to inform you…’ letter, telling you that you’ve been shelved. As if that was supposed to be upsetting, instead of relieving. You even remember crying in your room, praising whatever intervened and saved you.

When Gale comes back, he’s got more questions, “Wasn’t there good aspects about it, too?”

Your face twists as you take the first sip of your drink. “I guess. Besides the money and the house, we were free to do basically what we wanted in the Capitol, in moderation.”

“You weren’t trapped inside of the Tribute Center?” He asks, eyebrows raised.

“No,” You scoff, “We were anything but trapped. We were encouraged to enjoy what the Capitol had to offer, we were walking advertisements of the Hunger Games. I didn’t take advantage of it though, I’d only been on them a couple times before the Quarter Quell.”

“Why?” 

“They couldn’t just set us free, obviously. They had to keep an eye on us somehow, and that was done through the street cameras. They’re everywhere.” You shake your head. “I mean, you can’t go a single block without them.”

Gale pauses, putting his glass back down on the table. “Were they on the street when we were passing through?”

“Yeah, of course. The cameras are less frequent on the outskirts because there’s not a lot of crime in the Capitol, but they exist. It gets more difficult around the President’s Mansion because that’s a huge security risk.”

Gale stares at you, unmoving.

You look over his face, and then down to his drink. “What?”

“Are you hearing yourself?” He asks.

“Yeah?”

Gale smiles a little bit. “Never mind. What was your favorite thing to do in the Capitol?”

“It had to be the bars, or the clubs. I couldn’t go to very many of them, though. Which meant that I spent a lot of time in cafe’s.”

“Why couldn’t you go to clubs?”

“Finnick, mostly. He was a darling.” You rub the rim of your glass. When you look up at Gale, you raise your eyebrows. “You know, the whole prostitution thing. They always knew where he was because of the cameras. I’m lucky I never got pulled in. I came close several times.”

Gale presses his lips together. “They’d watch the street through the camera?”

“Yup, and they’d send high officials to our location to steal Finnick for the night, because he couldn’t say no. They could even play the footage back to see where we were coming from.”

“How far back?”

Your eyes wander away from his face. “I’m not entirely sure.” You lean back in the chair. “I mean, the Capitol used to pull footage from a year before of the victors to prove there were fashion trends.”

“So you’re telling me that they have footage of the streets from a year ago? Or at least, six months ago?” Gale presses.

“They should. I don’t know what good it would do now.” You tell him, locking eyes with him.

Gale doesn’t say anything, staring at you intensely. You open your mouth to ask what’s wrong with him, but end up sealing your lips, eyes narrowing in his direction. He does this to you sometimes when you’re missing a piece of a puzzle, and he’ll refuse to tell you what it is because he wants you to work it out.

It has to do with the cameras in the Capitol, because that’s what he’d been asking about. It’s such an insignificant detail, you’re not sure why he’s hung up on it. He had to have known there were cameras, that’s how they kept track of where you were in the sewers. If they hadn’t already known where you’d be going, of course.

The Peacekeepers found you on the street, thanks to those cameras. They probably even planned it down to the second to make sure that you were out of sight, in case any of the others came out of the apartment complex to look for you. Just like how they’d done to you and Finnick before…

You jerk upright, eyes widening as you watch Gale break into a smile. “Oh my god, there might be footage of Finnick and I on the street. And it might even have audio.”

“I was wondering when you’d get it.” He laughs.

You look around the bar, searching for the clock to find the time. It’s almost nine o’clock, the Justice Building closes at nine-thirty. Since it’s Friday, it’ll be closed through the weekend, unless there’s an emergency. And they won’t count your situation as one.

“I need to go.” You tell Gale, sliding off your chair, pulling your jacket over your arm. “I have to speak to Mayor Sybil.”

“Right now?” Gale asks, face twisting.

“Yes, right now.” You tell him. “I’ll meet you back at the house.” 

You head for the door in a rush, just barely getting the gap open wide enough for you to slip through before you’re running down the street. The Justice Building is on the other side of the town, where Azalea organizes the volunteers. You know it's a fairly long walk but you’ve never had to run there before.

You clutch the jacket to your chest, one arm pumping viciously at your side. You try your best to maneuver through the main and side streets of Upper Heights. Unfortunately, it’s not late enough for the town to be empty, especially not since it’s leading into the weekend. You receive several stares, people fully stopping to watch you run by, and heads turning at the sound of your feet crunching against gravel and cobblestone.

You try to keep your breathing as even as you can, remembering the rigorous training for the Quarter Quell that Mags put you through. She knew better than anyone what to expect. If it weren’t for her, you would’ve been unprepared.

The run feels like forever, but can’t be anymore than fifteen minutes—maybe twenty at the most. The second you see the Justice Building, a smaller boost of energy enters your system, and it’s the last push you need to make it to the doors in time. Right before the receptionist tries to lock it.

Her key is in the door when you push it open, gasping for air, wiping the sweat from your eyes. The cool air from the vent hits you in the face, easing the burning pain in your face. 

“Excuse me.” The receptionist says, her face is twisted. “We’re closed for the night.”

You shake your head, breathing through your mouth as you look up at the clock on the wall, which is right above a bench. Good, you need to sit down, or you’re going to lay on the tile floor. You bet that it’s cold.

“You don’t close…” You manage to get out, trailing off for a few breaths. “For another ten minutes.”

She presses her lips together. “We’ve had a slow day, so we’re closing early today.”

“This is urgent.” You breathe. “I need to see Mayor Sybil.”

“You can come back and visit her on Monday.”

“Respectfully, that’s not happening.” You tell the receptionist. “We can waste time arguing, or you can just bring me to her.” 

She glares at you, but starts walking down the hallway, presumably to the mayor. You get off the bench, following her. It’s a fairly quiet walk, if you tune out the stomping of her heels against the floor. And the occasional annoyed sigh.

She stops in front of the mayor’s door, knocking on the wood next to the crystal glass as a courtesy, before swinging the door open without permission to enter.

Mayor Sybil must be used to this, or doesn’t care. She looks up from her rectangular glasses with raised eyebrows. She looks between you two for just a moment, and then a little smile comes to her face as she gets to her feet.

“Miss (L/n), to what do I owe this pleasure, tonight?” She asks.

“I’ve been wrongly accused.” You tell her, stepping inside of the room. You drop your jacket onto the chair in front of her desk. “And there’s proof.”

Sybil winces, beginning to tilt her head, which means she’s going to start doubting you, and you don’t necessarily blame her. For the longest time, you’d come to the Justice Building and beg for them to reconsider. Sybil knows your routine by now.

“Listen, (Y/n), you know—” She starts.

“No.” You cut her off, glancing at the receptionist. “I need to speak to Sybil in private.” You tell her, just before closing the door in her face. “Sybil, the Capitol has cameras on the street.”

When you look at her, you can see that she’s placed her glasses on the top of her head, rubbing her nose. “Go on.”

“The cameras should’ve caught the conversation between Finnick and the Peacekeepers, and there’s going to be audio to go along with it.” You pull out the chair, stepping around the arm to sit down. “Will you please get Paylor on the phone?”

“Promise me this isn’t a waste of time.” She says, sighing.

“I promise I’m not wasting your time.” You tell her.

—

“If I were you, I’d put the guns down.” Finnick advised in a calm, collected voice. “It wouldn’t be a very good idea to kill us on the street, unless you want to alert the people we’re with, of course. It could give them a good running head start.”

There was a tense silence that passed between you and Finnick and the Peacekeepers that had just evacuated the truck, large guns in their hands. Although, it’s not entirely obvious through the playback, because your faces are hidden from the camera because of the angle it’s sitting at. You have a perfect view of the Peacekeepers, though. 

“Who says we have orders to kill you?” The Peacekeeper shoots back. “We have orders from President Snow to take you by any means necessary.”

“That’s not a good idea, either.” Finnick’s voice is smug. You remember the smirk that was on his face. “If you try to take us by force, we’ll make sure our companions are aware you’re out here. Same cards dealt.”

You watch your past self shift nervously on her feet, shaking her head. Finnick doesn’t move from where he stands, arms still raised in the air. The Peacekeepers begin to create a half-circle around you two, because it was more important to bring some back to the mansion, instead of being empty handed.

“We can make a deal.” Finnick offered cooly, “If you’re willing to make one.”

“Like what?” The Peacekeeper humored him.

“I can tell you where you can catch all of us together.” He told them plainly. “We figured out there are too many Pods here on the street, because we have a device. We plan on going down into the sewers to evade the Pods. The best time to come and get us would be then, because it’s going to be a maze down there. And you’ll have the advantage.”

There’s a few gasps that fill the room you’re sitting in. Your face begins to twist, eyes focusing on the screen. Your past self lowers her arms, in the middle of realizing that Finnick is selling your group of friends out to save himself. And less importantly, you.

If only the people around you could see the horror that crossed your face in that moment. As you stood there hopelessly. It was too late to stop Finnick or save the situation. What could you do? Kill the Peacekeepers all by yourself? Claim Finnick was lying? 

For six months, you’ve been blamed for being a bystander if what you were claiming about Finnick was true, but it was never that simple. They would stand there dumbfounded, too.

“As long as you don’t interfere before we get to the apartment and down in the sewers, we won’t tell the squad about this encounter.” Finnick told them, keeping control of the situation. He lowered his arms, but you didn’t dare to move, watching as he held out his hand to shake the Peacekeeper’s, wanting to seal the deal.

In complete silence, they shake hands. “Let’s pack up and roll back to Headquarters.” The main Peacekeeper told the others, not bothering to acknowledge the conversation he’d just had with Finnick.

The two of you stood there and watched as they all got back inside of the armored truck, before driving down the block. They took the soonest left, and disappeared out of sight completely. It wasn’t until you were sure that they were gone, did you lower your arms.

Finnick began to lead the way back to the apartment, a gentle hand on your lower back to guide you down the sidewalk. After five minutes of total silence, he cleared his throat. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

The camera angle changes because you’re leaving the view of the first one, and the audio is getting quieter. There’s a gap of silence as the microphone struggles to pick up the conversation, meaning it misses your entire response. Which consisted of something snarky and along the lines of, “What about them?”

The audio comes back in time to catch Finnick. “Don’t say anything to them about what happened. It’ll screw everything up, and put us back into danger.”

You tear your eyes from the television, swiveling around in your chair to find Finnick sitting across the room. All the color has been drained from his skin, face dropped entirely as his truth spills out. And this is only the beginning.

Finnick’s eyes flicker over to yours, you see that they’re watery. A smile comes to your face when you shake your head at him. This won’t work on you. You have no sympathy for the man that lied and got you shunned from the community of your home district. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” You snapped at Finnick, disgusted. “They’re our friends, we’re supposed to be a team! We wouldn’t have made it this far without them!”

“This is what has to be done if you want to make it home.” Finnick told you. “We don’t have a choice. Now that they know where we’re going next, there’s no point in changing plans. The sewers are our best bet.”

“That’s not true anymore.” You seethed. “We’re over, Finnick. I can’t be with you.”

You raised your hand, waving him off when he tried to grab you. He let you take the first couple of steps away, and then loosely followed you from a distance to make sure he wouldn’t set you off. The camera follows you back to the apartment complex, where you go inside, and the feed ends.

You look around the room from person to person, finding most with solemn faces as they realize they trusted the wrong victor. President Paylor inhales, as if she’s going to speak, and then she lets it go with a shake of her head.

Even Plutarch has a grimace on his face, because this is not how they want to picture their darling Finnick Odair. After the sacrifice he made by telling Panem about his trauma, he should not be painted in this light. 

“It’s not tampered with.” Beetee breaks the silence, adjusting his glasses. “If any of you were wondering. It couldn’t have been, this is raw footage straight from the Capitol’s systems.” He laces his fingers in front of him on the table.

“I want this aired.” You tell Paylor, she locks eyes with you. “I want the entirety of Panem to know that Finnick is the heartless asshole that sold out the Star Squad, and that it wasn’t me.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.” She tells you.

“Why’s that?” You ask her, eyebrow twitching upward briefly.

“There was no harm done.” 

A scoff leaves your mouth as you get to your feet, trying to be the same eye level as her, since she refused to sit in a chair. “No harm done?” You repeat. “Are you sure? His lies were aired on Katniss’s trial. Everyone in Panem was tuned in to hear it. He humiliated me, and none of you would fucking believe me when I told you the truth.”

“Unfortunately—“ Plutarch begins, trying to help Paylor.

“I got cast out of District Four, the place that I—“ You tap your fingers to your chest multiple times, “was born and raised in. My people think that I’m some monstrous traitor. They didn’t feel safe with me there. This whole time they’ve been sleeping beside a killer.” you spit.

“That’s enough.” Finnick says.

You point at him, eyes sharp. “You don’t get to decide when it’s enough. You’ve had plenty of chances—plenty of time—to come clean, and you know what you said? You told me, ‘It was the right move to make’. You make me fucking sick.”

Finnick raises his hands defensively. “You could’ve said something, yourself.” 

“If I wasn’t so afraid that you were going to turn on me, too, I would’ve.” You snap. When you turn back to face Paylor, you tilt your head. “You sent me to District Two, where all your castaways go. There, I learned that my childhood home was burnt to the fucking foundation because they believed him.

“Would you consider that ‘no harm done’?” You ask her. “I didn’t get any of my belongings after the war, because you told me that my valuables weren’t urgent or important and that you’d ’get around to it’. I don’t have any pictures of my dead family, Paylor!”

The room is silenced again as you breathe heavily, trying to blink the rising tears from your eyes. You will not cry over this. You will not cry in front of any of them. They can’t see how desperate you are.

“I have the right to a trial.” You tell her, once the lump has left your throat. “And I want one. I want Finnick to be put on trial. His guidance murdered several members of the Star Squad.” You look at Finnick. “Messalla, Jackson, Castor, Homes and Leeg were lost in the sewers because of him.”

Haymitch, who’s standing in the very back corner, looking worse for wear, lets out a loud sigh. “She’s right. Finnick needs to be held accountable.”

“Thank you, Haymitch.” You relax.

Paylor looks down at the ground, closes her eyes and says, “Finnick Odair is now in the custody of the Capitol for his interference with Project: Mockingjay.”

“Paylor.” Finnick tries to reason, but her guards move forward immediately, cuffs in hand.

“I told you that you’d regret this.” You say to Finnick, his face twists. “Your actions have consequences, and it’s time you learn that.”

[ordinary-barbie]

there's something about the summer - jean kirstein x reader

tags: female!reader, some smut but not explicit, tooth-rotting fluff

minors/ageless blogs dni.

you were never a huge fan of summer, but a certain sandy-haired guy manages to change your mind. modern AU. title from "summer mood" by best coast. buckle up because this is a bit of a long one.

Walking away, talking all day Ooh, I want you Ooh, I want you But there is something about the summer There is something about the summer There is something about the summer

to be honest, summer was never your favorite season. sure, getting time off from school was nice, and going on family vacations was fun, but you could never say you were in love with it. that is, until you met jean kirstein.

it makes perfect sense that jean adores summer. the man is a walking ray of sunshine! at first, you're baffled when jean says it's his favorite season. how could he possibly love the hottest time of the year?

jean lights up as he explains what he loves about summer: beach days. lying by the pool at his mom's house. ice cream dates. the sun setting after 7 pm. it's such a freeing time, and makes him feel like a little kid again. (you playfully roll your eyes at his enthusiasm but secretly, your heart melts. jean is just too damn adorable.

jean, the sentimental sap that he is, is determined to make your first summer together great. the man has a document in his iPhone Notes app with potential summer fun ideas!

he's so lame (affectionate)

Jean takes you to his favorite beach, a 5-hour drive away from home. he loads up on both of your favorite snacks for the trip and trusts you with the aux cord. there's a lot of loudly singing to pop songs, even though jean, bless his heart, can't carry a tune to save his life.

you're definitely familiar with this beach in name (and through friends' Instagram photos) but you've never made the trip yourself. and after you and jean get settled into your airbnb and decide to explore, you wonder why it took so long.

the beach is located on a little island along the coast, 3 blocks away from where you're staying, and its gorgeous scenery takes your breath away. miles of sandy beaches and beautiful oak trees laden with spanish moss are there to greet you and jean. the two of you interlock fingers as you stroll along the beach and check out the pier.

jean finds another reason to love summer the next morning, when you decide to bring along a book in your tote so you can lay out on the beach and read. when you first emerge from your shared bathroom in your favorite bikini, jean has to keep his jaw from completely unhinging. goddamn, how did he luck out with the prettiest girl in the world?

it's such a good-fitting bathing suit, hugging your body in all the right spots and making your tits look amazing. jean blushes, still amazed at how you can get him so hard without even trying.

spoiler alert: you don't make it to the beach that morning - jean manages to convince you that your post-breakfast activities should involve him mouthing at your breasts under your bikini top and eating you out until your bottoms are soaked instead. (you should be mad at him for ruining your reading time but you can't be too upset after multiple orgasms.)

after a post-sex nap (jean, responsible king that he is, brought a box of condoms and some lube just in case) and a thorough session of sunscreen application (again: jean the responsible king, though the two of you also relish the opportunity to have your hands on each other again), the two of you do manage to make it out to the beach for an afternoon of lazing around.

you're reading a romance novel that one of your friends recommended to you, and jean has his sketchbook and colored pencils out. ("my little monet," you lovingly tease him, giggling when the tips of his ears turn pink and he smiles bashfully.)

after a couple of sleepy, relaxed, sun-soaked hours on the beach, you and jean head back to the airbnb, and he reveals what he's been working on. it's a picture of you, lying on your stomach as you smile at the book you're reading. the amount of detail jean puts into the drawing makes you feel warm inside. jean is so damn talented, and it flatters you to be considered his muse.

you beam at jean before pulling him into a deep kiss. "i'm so lucky to have you in my life," you mutter into his sandy brown locks, and it makes him want to melt. the feeling is oh so mutual.

the rest of the trip seems to pass by in a blur. jean is game as you pull him into vintage shops and museums, and you humor his touristy desire to go on a guided tour and chill out in the golf cart while your boyfriend plays a few holes. truthfully, you haven't been on a proper beach vacation in ages, and you're so glad jean convinced you to be whisked away for a few days.

you and jean vow to go on a beach trip every summer. he's already getting excited at the thought of bringing your future kids to his favorite beach, and your heart seizes at the thought. you'd been ambivalent to the idea of having kids at first but there's something about jean that makes you want to form a family with him someday.

one thing you and jean bonded over when you first met through mutual friends (thanks Sasha and Marco) was music, and you learn that jean is a huge summer concert fan. whether it's a big festival or just one of your favorite artists, he wants nothing more than to just vibe to the music with you. one year into your relationship, he convinces you to go to bonnaroo with him, which is huge because you do not do camping. but spending a weekend on a Tennessee farm with jean, jamming to a bunch of artists and feasting on festival food by day and snuggling under the stars by night, ends up being pretty damn romantic.

back to that first summer. jean usually spends the fourth of july at his mom and stepdad's lake house, and jean's mom insists that you tag along so she can finally meet the girl that her jeanbo is so wild about. you're nervous at first - you never know what will happen when you meet the parents.

however, all your worries melt away when jean's mom envelopes you in the biggest hug. the two of you end up adoring each other, which makes jean's heart swell (at least until he catches the two of you giggling over old childhood photos his mom has on his phone)

jean's stepdad is pretty great as well. he's an affable guy who makes a mean turkey burger and is delighted that you laugh at his terrible dad jokes. jean's stepsisters, who are both teens, love you and crack jokes about how their dorky stepbrother managed to land someone as cool as you. when the two of you are cuddled up in bed on the last night of your trip, you tell jean how welcomed you feel by his family, and he's relieved that his two worlds have merged together so perfectly.

there's so many summer memories that you and jean hold dear, no matter how big or small. you tell him how you and your younger brother used to stand out in the front yard on summer nights and watch the fireflies flit about. you both decide to check out a new custard place that opens up and become determined to try as many flavors as possible. movie dates, so many movie dates, whether they're in a theater or at home (and jean prefers the ones at home since they usually lead to makeouts). parties with your mutual friends. summer weddings that leave you both misty-eyed.

thanks to jean kirstein, you've warmed up - pardon the pun - to this magical stretch of time from late May to September. it's not like you've never had fun during summer, but this man (this beautiful sunshine boy) has made you appreciate the season in so many ways. jean embodies summer to you, and you can't think about summer without being reminded of jean.

during your third summer together, you and jean are on your annual beach trip, but something feels different. after a delicious dinner and dessert at a local restaurant, jean decides to take you out to the beach, ostensibly to get some pics of the sunset (you've gotten used to jean being your personal paparazzo by now, and you must admit, the guy takes good photos). however, once he drops to one knee and takes a small box out of his pocket, everything clicks into place for you. jean's been different this trip, still his normal goofy self, but with an undercurrent of something else that you realize were probably nerves. you can barely get any words out through your tears, peppering him with kisses.

you hear a camera flash go off and spot Sasha, who somehow managed to keep herself hidden during the proposal. you envelop her in a big hug, grateful to her for introducing you to the love of your life. you can't believe that jean is going to be yours - not just for this summer, but for every summer forevermore.

[maiawe]

Starting a new legacy 🩷

I wanted for quite some time share a legacy here, because I love creating story in the Sims ✨ I’m going to do a Struck by love Legacy by @fruitysimsy and @hellohopesims, but with a lot of narrative so it won’t be 100% with the rules !

Meet Isabelle Sanford 🌸

Bookworm - Gloomy - Loyal

Isabelle, barely 18, has just arrived in Del Sol Valley. Her goal? To take advantage of the mild West Coast sunshine to finally launch her writing career and make the connections to write screenplays for the big ones. The move reunites her with her childhood best friend, who plans to show her all the delights the city has to offer. But when her path crosses with Jasper, an up-and-coming movie director, her life may take an unexpected turn...

I am already so in love with her 🩷 She’s from Strangerville, a small town located a couple of hours of Del Sol. All her family still lives there.

The Sanfords have been a respected family in Strangerville for many generations, and this old house in the hills above the town seems to have belonged to them all their lives. Rose gave birth to Aria when she was very young, and Aria gave birth to Isabelle in her early twenties. You'll have no doubt if you come across one of the three: they're the spitting image of each other, except for a few details. No one knows who Aria and Isabelle's progenitors are, and frankly, no one cares. When you think of Sanford, you think of three strong, independent women who certainly don't need a man in their lives. The three women are very close to each other, and the two oldest are very protective of the youngest. If you enter Isabelle's life, you're bound to meet her mother and grandmother...

next >>

[kamenridergotchard649]

You're Tuned To Crash FMWelcome back to the world of burning. It's time! Everyone's out for revenge. It's taken event organizers over a year to find the ultimate locations to fight and crash. Competitors will be charging hard through those newly scouted routes. You're going to have to stay sharp, because this time they feature alternate shortcuts and big air opportunities.We'll be going coast to coast in North America, heading east for Velvet Valley, then swinging by the technical back roads of Lone Peak and the industrial landscapes of Motor City. Make way for the super fast freeway at Sunshine Keys.It's a Revenge World Tour, remember, so we get to rip it up right through the heart of Europe. Dangerous curves of White Mountain make way for the cobbled streets of Eternal City. Buckle up, people. And of course, we get to go long haul, where the right side of the road is the wrong side of the road through the neon-filled nighttime Eastern Bay. Then tear through the urban hills of the awesome Central Route.Without a doubt, abilities will be pushed to the max on the Revenge World Tour. Now, for the first time in Burnout competition, stationary traffic is there to be nailed. We call it Checking Traffic. It's not just the rules and events; all the rides are different too. Gentlemen, start your engines!New competitors have entered the Burnout circuit. Local town will mix it up with the hottest burners from last year. Check out the hot new GP action. We have the very best of the hometown racers duking it out with those from out of state.Brand new to the racing action this year is the destructive Crash Breaker event. If you get taken out, detonate your vehicle for explosive revenge. This year, we have the new Eliminator format. Don't get caught in last place when the timer gets to zero.Road Rage, the crowd favorite, is back and even better than before. We'll be pitting competitors up against Rage Rival with some surprises thrown in for good measure. You better be prepared!One-of-a-kind custom-designed crash courses for the ultimate in destruction. Drivers are going to have to blow it up huge to win these new events. Survey the landscape, master the long control, conquer the wind, and power up your crash breakers. If you're lucky, you'll take down the bonus target car in a devastation. You gotta love it.The newest competition on the world circuit is a thrash through the traffic-filled streets. Check the traffic and get your revenge on rush hour. And remember, the clock is ticking. Enough talk. Time to drive!Keep it locked at Crash FM!

[busy-baker]

A short fic of Astarion and Tav away on vacation. It’s a modern AU for Thicker Than Water ☺️

Sun, Sand, and Someone I Love…Read on Ao3

Astarion and Tav are enjoying their time away from their family for a little rest and relaxation. They discover the wonders of the all-inclusive resort including the fun the beach can provide for the insatiable elven couple.

Word Count: 2.1k

f!Tav x Astarion

CW: oral sex, vaginal sex

The evening sun was coasting downward, heat starting to wane on the white sand of Sea of Swords Resort and Spa.

This branch, located on the island of Toaridge-at-the-Sun’s-Setting, offered every bit of luxury one could ask for. The meals were delectable, the drinks continuously flowed, and the overall atmosphere provided relaxation and serenity to ease the nerves of anyone wanting to leave behind the worries of their day-to-day life.

The palm trees swayed in the light breeze as the waves crashed along the shore, high tide making its way in as the day began to descend into night.

Astarion lifted his sunglasses above his brow, taking a long sip of the overly decorated sangria he held, and stared out over the beach as his wife made her way from the sea.

Tav was quite the sight in her rather scandalous swim attire, an olive green one piece with high cut sides, an opening to bare her stomach, and a very low neckline. It left nothing to the imagination. It was an outfit she would never wear around her children, but this vacation was for her and her husband. She would don whatever pleased her.

The wood elf approached the empty chair next to Astarion’s and grabbed her towel. She briskly dried off, taking a seat in the lounger to swipe off the sand coating her feet.

“Enjoy the swim, my sweet?” The vampire asked, polishing off his drink. He pushed the sunglasses onto his head as he took in his beloved. Thank the gods he decided to delve into beachwear.

“It was lovely,” Tav answered, placing her towel down and slinking her body over to lay beside Astarion. “Not as lovely as you at the moment. I do rather enjoy these…well fit swim briefs.” Her forefinger traced along the hem resting nicely at his slender waistline.

He chuckled as he brought his arms around her. Her skin felt like sunshine against his and the residual smell of sunscreen lingered in the air. Tav’s eyes closed with content as she nestled against Astarion’s sculpted form, trance threatening to take over as she was feeling the effects of the swim.

The presence of lips pressing gently against her head was the last memory the wood elf had before drifting off to the white noise of the water cascading over the soft sand.

~

Tav awoke to find night had fallen and the moon was shining overhead, reflecting itself in the calm waves of the sea. The air cooled, allowing for some reprieve from the blistering heat, but it remained comfortable enough that they needed no cover for warmth.

She peered up to see Astarion concentrating on the book he held with one hand as the other stroked in easy movements along her hip.

“You didn’t wake me?” Tav lifted her head, looking around to notice they were the only ones on the darkened beach.

Astarion closed his book with a snap and tossed it onto the pile of their abandoned clothing beside his chair.

“It’s not often you find such peace, darling. I couldn’t bring myself to disturb you,” he said, brushing a hand through his wife’s tangled curls, still damp from earlier.

“You didn’t want to put your book down, did you?”

“It was a very interesting part. The children don’t allow for much reading anymore.”

Tav understood his reasoning for not stirring her from her reverie. Their children, Juniper and Theus, were at ages that required most of their time to be occupied with endless activities until they eventually exhausted themselves for the day. The nine year old and four year old were the light of the elven couple’s lives but they were also the source of many lost hobbies, though Astarion and Tav wouldn’t trade them for anything.

“Well, what do you say to a late night wade in the water? The temperature should be a bit nicer by now.” Tav knew her husband wasn’t one to dive into a body of water, swimming still foreign to him, but he would dip his feet in every so often.

“I suppose I could accompany my beautiful wife into the blackened depths of the deep.” Astarion exaggerated blackened, an eye roll from Tav pulling a grin to his face.

They strolled hand in hand towards the shoreline. The temperate water lapped at their feet as they carefully walked into the sea until the water was waist deep.

Tav watched as the pale elf skimmed his palms along the undulating currents. His crimson eyes were transfixed out into the distance, watching a cruise ship as it drifted, its window lights providing the only form of illumination in the night.

Tav stepped closer to Astarion, allowing her hand to coast up his stomach and along his chest, coming to a stop just below his shoulder. He turned towards her with a curious expression, one full of mischief and wonder.

He brought his hand to hers, lifting it to kiss her palm and down her wrist and then bringing her arm up around his neck. He sighed, sinking in to her touch, as she began to twirl at the curls resting at his nape.

“Enjoying yourself, darling?”

Tav hummed in agreement as she leaned her head against his chest.

“Thoroughly.”

“Let’s enjoy ourselves a little more then,” the vampire said, taking a hand to tilt her chin up. “What do you say?”

The ranger found herself lost in the pools of red looking down at her. Her breath hitched and her mind had completely derailed. She only spoke the one word that she could think of.

“Please.”

Their lips crashed into one another’s with fervent desire, moving hastily and without much thought. Tongues intertwined as the pace quickened and hands roamed with the eagerness of newlyweds.

Astarion’s hands wandered down until they were firmly gripping Tav’s backside, pulling her into him. He hoisted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as she giggled against his lips.

He carried her out of the ocean and up the beach until they came upon a four poster bed. The drapes were drawn up to allow for the sun’s rays during the day but now it provided easy access for the vampire to lay his wife down on the feather mattress.

Crawling up Tav’s body as she waited with anticipation, Astarion pressed chaste pecks on her tanned skin. The flesh raised with goosebumps as he went, starting at her calves, then her inner thighs, up her stomach, and finally landing on her breasts, rising and falling with rapid breathing.

“Someone’s excited,” Astarion quipped. He let his body rest against the wood elf’s, his hardened length settling near her apex. She instinctively lifted her hips to attempt to soothe the growing ache.

“You would be too if you could see yourself.”

“Mm.” The vampire rolled his hips once into hers. “And here I am, admiring you all this time. What a beautiful sight you are, my love.”

His fingers curved underneath the straps of Tav’s swimsuit, pulling them from her shoulders and slowly peeling the outfit down her body until she was fully bared to him.

Astarion dipped low, his silver curls brushing between her thighs as he coaxed her legs apart. Tav pushed up on her elbows to see his piercing gaze on her. He offered a wicked grin before spreading her damp center open with his thumb and forefinger, swiping his tongue against the bundle of nerves. Tav’s head went back as a whimper escaped her.

The pale elf skillfully moved his tongue, pleasuring his lover with eagerness at each delightful swirl and lap of his tongue.

He had no need to lift for air, mouth sucking on the folds as Tav’s arms collapsed and her hips began to buck against him. His fingers dug into the flesh of her thighs as he held her to him, the beginnings of her orgasm seeking its release.

“Astarion, please.” Tav reached down and entwined her fingers into his hair.

With a few more strokes of his tongue, Tav was crying out on the abandoned beach, bliss surrounding her entirely.

Astarion freed himself from her sex and climbed up her body, hungrily taking her mouth into his. She could taste herself on his lips, a small moan vibrating between them.

“I hope you don’t think we’re finished,” Astarion purred, kissing below his wife’s ear.

“Never,” Tav whispered back, voice breathy and wanting.

Astarion pushed down his swim briefs, precum dripping from the seam of his shaft. He guided himself to the slick entrance and teased his lover, pushing in slightly before pulling back out. He repeated this several times until Tav was panting, begging for him to enter her.

“If I must,” he teased. A glare was thrown his way but it soon faded as he buried himself into Tav, her eyes closing at the feeling.

The vampire moved rhythmically at first. His pace was slow and steady, allowing them both to adjust and enjoy the budding passion.

He used one hand to tease at the stiff bud on one of her breasts while his mouth sought the other. He swirled his tongue and sucked on the nipple as if it was his last meal. A cool breath blown on the damp peak had Tav writhing beneath him.

After some time though, Astarion found sweat beading along his brow and he could no longer contain himself.

He quickened, thrusting into the whimpering wood elf. His right hand was flat against her lower back, making her arch so he could press deeper into her. He hit the stimulated center repeatedly and Tav’s nails clawed at his back.

“Oh, Astarion,” Tav called out, “I’m close, so so close.”

Astarion took this time to sink his fangs into his wife’s neck and he could sense her about to tip over the edge. He drank her essence, letting it flow into him and shrouding her in ecstasy.

He pulled back, dragging his tongue quickly across the two punctures, as his steady thrusts became more erratic. His own release was imminent.

“Come on, darling,” Astarion ground out through gritted teeth, wayward curls lying on his forehead. “Let me hear those pretty screams.”

Tav hit her climax, center clenching around his length over and over while she yelled out into the silence of dark beach, only her husband and the vast sea witness to her pleasure.

Astarion, hearing the euphoric cries of his wife, held back no longer and spilled into her. His head fell to the crook of her neck as he groaned and his movements slowed until he finally stopped, resting his body leisurely on the wood elf’s.

Their lips connected, with much less intensity than the first time, lazy kisses shared between two spent lovers.

“Shall we head back our room?” Tav asked, running a hand through his tousled locks.

The vampire shifted to pull his swimwear back up to their righted position. He reached for Tav’s swimsuit, helping her redress and feeling slight disappointment at hiding her delicious body away once more.

“I’d prefer if we spent our night here. It’s quite calming.” Astarion settled in with his head on Tav’s chest and a leg hitched over both of hers.

The elves slipped into a trance, eyes heavy and feeling completely sated after their activities.

~

Astarion squinted his eyes at the blinding light searing into him. His muscles felt stiff as he tried to unstick himself from Tav’s body.

“What in the hells?”

The vampire touched his shoulder and winced at the contact.

“Ow! Fuck!” He cursed.

“Astarion?” Tav’s voice, thick and raspy from trancing, questioned him. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

Astarion became very still, resembling a statue, in fear of causing more pain. He groaned when Tav wiggled to free herself from beneath him.

“I’ve no idea. My skin feels like leather and it…hurts?” He didn’t mean for his answer to sound so unsure but this was unlike anything he had ever endured before.

The wood elf giggled as she observed him. He turned his head to shoot daggers at her.

“My love, I’m afraid you have a touch of sunburn,” she explained, still giggling and a little baffled by his pink complexion. “By touch, I mean your entire backside but you’ll recover.”

“Wonderful,” Astarion grumbled. He knew there had to be some downsides to being gifted with the sun’s rays on his vampiric form once again. It had only taken a decade to find one of them.

“Let’s hunt for some aloe and I’ll take very good care of you.” Tav patted the reddened skin on his bottom, right where his swim briefs rode up slightly.

“This is humiliating.” The vampire started slowly moving, feeling like his skin was going to crack open at any moment.

“Well, it’s about to be worse, dear. You have to walk through throngs of people to get back.”

Astarion lifted his head to see many beachgoers already taking up space along the vast beach. He let his face fall into the mattress letting out muffled curses.

The next vacation would be somewhere with less people and plenty of shade.

@baldurs-beach 🥰

[gallawitchxx]

weekly tag wednesday :)

thank you to my beloveds @energievie @deedala @heymrspatel @kiinard @palepinkgoat

@mybrainismelted for tagging me to play!

name: bee

age: nearing thirty-two

location: sunny socal

and now...

what is your DJ name? dj witch bitch

if you were a genre of music, what would it be? sunshine queer girlie pop <3

what would you title your biography? a pint of ice cream is a single serving (and other life lessons)

what are the first three things you'd do if you were invisible? scare my wife, listen in on state secrets, take radical action

what subject do you wish was taught in every school? i think this echoes a lot of pals, but basic financial literacy would've been so cool to walk into life with

when was the last time you tried something for the first time and what was it? tw: animal products -- a few weeks ago, i ate bone marrow at a fancy restaurant! it was actually pretty tasty, but i couldn't eat the whole thing

what is the most underrated city you have ever visited? oooh this one's tough! i loved zagreb, croatia. it's not on the coast, but it is the capital city. the sites were neat & the people were really lovely

what day in your life would you like to relive? the day i got engaged! waaah it was my favorite day of ever with my favorite person of ever in my favorite city of ever!

if you could eliminate one thing from your daily routine, what would it be and why? i do love food, but i don't care for cooking. one meal a day is fine, but why do i have to do it so often??? & then do all of the dishes too? no thank you!

how long would you last in a zombie apocalypse? i'm not totally sure. i think it would depend on my will to live lmaooo

what would be the most surprising scientific discovery imaginable? that there's some kind of link between our brains & that by eating some herb, we can hear each other's thoughts hahahahsldkjal. i think it would be equal parts cool & terrible

if you could have any view out your office window, what would you choose? the ocean :) i'd just love to look out at the waves & open the window & breathe in the salt air... ahhhh....

tagging @whatthebodygraspsnot @whatwouldmickeydo @metalheadmickey @howlinchickhowl @sam-loves-seb

@darlingian @thisdivorce @sgtmickeyslaughter & @rereadanon xx

[dakota-perry]

full name — Dakota Perry

faceclaim — Madison Iseman

gender & pronouns — Female & She/Her

sexuality — Straight (As far as she knows)

age & birthday —  25 & October 2nd, 2000

Zodiac — Libra ☼ , Pisces ☾, Aries ↑

occupation — Stagehand @ The Stone Pony & Musician

hometown — Lexington, NE

living — Meadowlark Apts.

~Biographical Stuff~

Dakota grew up in Lexington, Nebraska to Caleb and Holly Perry.

Caleb became a Pastor at one of their local churches well before Dakota could clock a first memory. Holly a bible study teacher at the one and only private elementary school in town.

Childhood was made up of weekly church sermons, Wednesday & Sundays a given - TV was allowed, but only select channels and previewed wholly first by Caleb and Holly.

As children Dakota and her older brother Deacon— the golden child of sorts, would spend most the waking hours (outside Catholic school ofc) running a muck around town. Getting hands dirty in the sprawling farm lands until dinner time.

It wasn't until Dakota turned thirteen that she met her BFF India in home room at the only middle school in town (unfortunate for Caleb and Holly, it was public).

The two became inseparable and through their teachings and practices tolerated the fast friendship — India a product of one of the few "liberals" in town.

To say India and her family broadened Dakota's horizons is an understatement, as they grew up together, Dakota was submerged in a new culture and visa versa.

The later years of youth group when she started writing and performing — already knowing how to read music for playing piano for her fathers church all these years — here she discovered poetry and lyricism, guitar and band set up.

At eighteen her parents found out she had sex with her then bf (name so very unimportant lskdmf) and ended up kicking her out of the house, no sex before marriage and all that. So Dakota lived for the rest of the summer with India's family until India was headed to NYU.

Two weeks after and a sense of wearing out her welcome and restlessness on her end Dakota up and left to crash with India in her dorm for two weeks.

When that wasn't obviously sustainable (another wearing of a welcome, especially for newb roommate - though she was cool) Like fate knew when to hit her over her head, Dakota picked a "roadie wanted for traveling band" tag posted on one of the student bulletin boards on the campus.

Two days later she was on the road with Cody and the Drum Eaters.

Life of a roadie was exciting for sure, exhausting, scary, all of the above. That tour lasted a little over half the year taking her along the east coast and down south places she'd never thought possible just a couple weeks prior.

Ofc it's never all rainbows and sunshine — Dakota ended up in a relationship with one of the band members that was much older than her. That relationship alone opened her world yet again until the honeymoon ended the moment the tour did.

A new opportunity arose — woman to woman and few and far between in the roadie world, she landed another touring gig with a bigger band, (think The 1975 sound) High Shoulder.

A little more widespread than Cody's, Dakota got to travel if only even for hours at the time the west coast. In true fashion and maybe the Libra/Pisces combo she fell for the lead singer Adam.

When in middle of nowhere Arizona she got a call telling her of an opening at The Stone Pony in New Jersey — reality was she knew the tour was ending soon and she'd have nothing lined up and she sure wasn't going to go back to Nebraska, New York was out of the question, India now with a handful of roommates all her own— Asbury and the Stone Pony being the iconic venue it was felt right.

to add to the kismet of it all, it happened to the be the small jersey town her cousin on her dad's side, @alex-perry that she always liked was now located. She had to do it.

Dakota's been in Asbury now a year and a half working as a stagehand at The Stone Pony, writing her own music, playing around town at coffee shops and open mic nights. Making ends meet by dog walking with Rover and odd jobs to supplement the days nothing going on at The Stone Pony.

~Random Stuff~

is currently in the midst of learning the drums —it's been the most challenging instrument so far and she can be found at the stone pony on off hours using one of their sets. she has three tattoos, a cross on her middle finger, a matching set on her forearm for her best friend India, and her bf's name Adam on her ribcage (tragic I know)

does dabble in drugs, mostly psychedelics and vapes despite all warnings.

loves drinks with a fizz, almost always is drinking energy drinks and coffee.

hasn't fully caught up with pop culture and media that she missed growing up, always a learning curve. Currently into Glee, Parks and Rec, and Sons of Anarchy - (taking forever, its like going on 4 years now trying to get through) ~Possible Connections~

roommate - always can do roommates, good times.

fellow roadies from the past - or really anyone she'd come across on the road/in the touring world. anything's possible.

someone from NY/with her bestie - wasn't a long stint but she's been back to visit a lot especially now. Someone maybe that lives with her BFF that something went down with.

Nebraska folk - not likely but NEVER KNOW

Church goers - Dakota's got a lot of religious trauma to sort through, she's not fully left the church or the beliefs engrained in her. So someone in that realm perhaps.

an ex of her current bf Adam? Why not, some drama. Someone Adam's cheating with. (He's gaslighter a-hole to the max so) who says he's not doing it to someone else too? Legit down for anything, if there’s ideas toss them out. On dash chem is my favorite and just love winging it too! I’ll fill this all out more as time goes on for sure!

[stealthclaw1]

Silly Game Time: The world needs more giant statues. I'm talking a minimum of 100 feet (30.5 meters), and preferably more than twice that! What or who should the next one be? (Bonus points for where it should be placed.)

Alright, so, after thinking for a little bit I’m presenting you all with two options: one’s a nice, pleasantly wholesome one I thought about towards. The other one was the literal first thing that came to mind and refuses to leave in peace until I wrote it down for all to see.

Option 1) we make a nice, wholesome statue of Steve Irwin, not going crazy but we want it to be bigger than the Statue of Liberty (excluding her podium) so let’s make it an even 200ft (60.96 meters). Celebrate him for all that he did in teaching a generation to love nature and animals. Place it along the Sunshine coast in Australia, and give it a support structure underneath to support marine wildlife like reefs and other creatures.

Option 2) we make a statue of Ea-Nãsir. Now, we don’t HAVE any idea of what he looks like, but it looks like some of the internet has decided he looked along the lines of this https://preview.redd.it/anyone-want-to-rp-as-ea-nasir-v0-fdfkq7whqdsc1.jpeg?auto=webp&s=893c0b4f55ea82031acb38d37c468505b56494f3

I propose we make the statue a 1:1 lookalike of this. The size, you ask? 540 feet (164.592). This will place it 14 feet taller than NASA’s Vehicle assembly building, which stands at 526 feet (160.325).

The location, obviously, would then be one of two options: nearby the VAB itself, facing towards it.

Or, somewhere in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

This would do nothing for NASA besides make every tech-bro and billionaire in the space industry seethe that it wasn’t one of THEIR idols (or themselves) constructed to such a height.

Bonus points if we advertise that it’ll be made of pure copper, and then make it more weather-resistant stone or something

[scotianostra]

30th January 1886 saw Betty Mouat set sail from Grutness in Shetland for Lerwick aboard the Columbine.

A wonderful tale this, and one of the most remarkable survival stories to come out of Scotland.

Betty Mouat was 59 years old in 1886. She lived in a crofthouse with her brother's family in the hamlet of Scatness--24 miles south of the town of Lerwick, Shetland. At this time, most people made the journey to the town by foot but Betty was some what disabled and preferred to travel there by sea.

The " Columbine" was a fine vessel, rigged as a cutter. The Captain and 2 crew members were experienced sailors. On January 30th, 1886, to escape bad weather, the Captain decided to sail to Lerwick from Grutness, near Betty's home. With a southerly wind, this was expected to take 2--3 hours. The Captain advised Betty not to take the journey as he anticipated a rough passage. She rejected his advice as she was anxious to see a doctor and trade some fine hand knitted goods of her own and those of other community members. So, she went below with the knitted garments and one quart of milk and 2 biscuits.

The "Columbine" set sail. Thirty minutes later, disaster struck. A heavy sea caused the main boom to swing to port.The Captain and Mate tried to repair the problem when the boom threw them overboard. The Mate managed to clamber back aboard, only to become aware that his Captain was drowning. He and the third crew member immediately launched the small lifeboat and tried to locate the Captain without success.To their horror they then realized that the"Columbine" was too far away for them to overtake her. With extreme difficulty, they headed for shore, where alarmed watchers had observed the erratic scene.

The "Columbine " owner offered a reward to anyone who would launch a boat to go after the cutter. By now, the storm made this impossible. No steamship was immediately available---although, later, several searches took place over a wide area. Wireless telegraphy had not been invented but press agency telegrams were sent to the British government and the British Consul in Norway. On February 1st. it was considered that further searches would be fruitless.

Meantime, Betty had realised that she was alone. She was seasick, cold and frightened. After screaming bitterly, she calmed down,recognising that only God could hear her. Thereafter, her religious belief helped. The storm caused her to lurch about in the cabin until she propped herself into a sitting position---holding a rope with onre hand then the other. Both hands were soon numb and blistered. She could not reach the forecastle so rationed her milk and biscuits. As the storm slowly abated, she put on the Captain's thick jacket and wound his watch daily. On February 3rd,she finished her milk and the second biscuit. Some sunshine and the sight of some land cheered her. She tried to light a lamp with some matches she had found but the light only flickered momentarily.

This nightmare scenario continued until February 6th.She later described praying and counting the stars. On her eighth day the "Columbine " struck submerged rocks near a bay in Lepsoy island off the coast of Norway.

She managed to attract attention--in spite of her weakened condition. Fishermen helped her ashore and carried her over very rough terrain to a house in Ronstad where she received great kindness and care.

Betty was now safe but her ordeal was far from over as she became a 'celebrity' of that time. She reached Edinburgh on February 24th and finally Shetland on March 16th. At all stages of her journey, the public crowded to see her. Even when she was back home, she was obliged to entertain people on a regular basis.

However, she continued her knitting and lived for another 30 years.

Her rescuers received medals from the Government. The bay in Lepsoy where the "Columbine" went aground was named "Columbukta".

You can find out more on the Scotiana web site here https://www.scotiana.com/betty-mouats-lone-voyage-a.../

[snailsandpuppy-dogtails]

Why do all these residents of Murder In A Small Town (located "sunshine coast" of the US) have Irish and English accents?

[days-like-these]

setting: san isabela, california

located on california's central coast lies the bustling city of san isabela. halfway between los angeles and san francisco, it is renowned for its infinite white sands, postcard sunsets, boardwalk attractions and nearby state park. the city sits south of the san luis obispo county, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year. san isabela perfectly blends urban sophistication with beach-town vibes, giving a small town impression beneath its cityscape facade.

with beachside attitude and big city excitement, san isabela has limitless potential. it has a thriving urban core complete with art, dining and a night scene easily rivalling the nearby cities. explore san isabela's diverse coastal, urban and inland neighborhoods; each with its own unique palate. enjoy a day out on the beachfront of penn harbor, then head down to sunset plaza and indulde in its sizzling nightlife and rooftop bars. alternatively, the pizzazz of the astoria hills serves a more exquisite late night experience. devour the city's art and culture in the hub of san isabela's history, old beal city, or befall the quaint amenities of newbridge. otherwise, serenity is waiting to be discovered in the nature reserves of north passage.

whether spending a few days infusing in the city's myriad of beaches, visiting the waterfront amusements, or exploring the inland offerings of the city, san isabela refuses to disappoint. its golden shorelines are endless in the hearts of locals and tourists alike.

neighborhoods: astoria hills

often labelled the 'little hollywood hills', astoria is one of san isabela's more affluent neighborhoods. its hills are adorned with lavish mansions and backyard pools, with a fusion of styles old and new. on all parts of the hills are luxurious hotels, upscale restaurants and a decadent nightlife completely opposed to the plaza. while a lot of wealth surrounds astoria hills, its charming eateries and clothing boutiques take its desirability to a completely new level.

average rent prices: 1 bedroom $3500, 2 bedroom $4800, 3 bedroom $6200 notable attractions: san isabela regional airport

neighborhoods: newbridge

take a walk through the tree-lined streets of newbridge with its quaint, family-friendly feel. this neighborhood offers a blend of small-town charm and big-city amenities from its thriving small business scene to the university of san isabela, located to the south of the city. newbridge is often referred to as 'san isabela's hidden gem', with a unique variety of boutiques, restaurants and cafes alike.

average rent prices: 1 bedroom $2300, 2 bedroom $3100, 3 bedroom $3600 notable attractions: university of san isabela, california

neighborhoods: north passage

the majority of north passage is made up of the nearby state park with fewer than 20,000 living to the south of the neighborhood. the community of north passage is historically diverse, and in recent years, significant development has started to take place with locals campaigning to prevent further expansion into the forests. the outdoorsy feel of the area makes it particularly individual from the rest of the city, promising many prime locations for walking and biking.

average rent prices: 1 bedroom £1400, 2 bedroom £1900, 3 bedroom $2500 notable attractions: north passage state park

neighborhoods: old beal city

located east of downtown san isabela lies old beal city. this historic neighborhood retains its antiquity with a mixture of beautifully preserved victorian homes nestled between high-rise infrastructure. with over 200 years of history, it's known for its buildings, some of which can be dated back to the gold rush days. this effervescent community offers a diverse food and drink scene, museums, art galleries, and so much more.

average rent prices: 1 bedroom $3500, 2 bedroom $4500, 3 bedroom $5500 notable attractions: old beal memorial hospital

neighborhoods: penn harbor

due to its proximity to the bay, penn harbor was once a thriving industry which boasted warehouses and docks. whilst the latter remained, the warehouses have since been converted into condos and offices, proving popular for students and young professionals. not surprisingly, penn harbor is most notable for its seafood cuisine, with many restaurants lining the boardwalk.

average rent prices: 1 bedroom $2800, 2 bedroom $3500, 3 bedroom $4200 notable attractions: penn harbor boardwalk, the harbor, the pier

neighborhoods: sunset plaza

as san isabela's central hub for music, art, food and nightlife, 'the plaza' acts as the city's main metropolitan area. it's the heart of san isabela, with the police headquarters to the north of the neighborhood. it's easy to immerse in the vibrant streets of downtown, with nightclubs, cocktail lounges and dive bars galore. sunset plaza is renowned for its dynamic culture, and this is truly shown in the pulse of the city.

average rent prices: 1 bedroom $2500, 2 bedroom $3200, 3 bedroom $3800 notable attractions: san isabela police headquarters

[olivers-cocoapuffs]

Hello dear

My lest favourite thing is people my age/around my age who coat themselves in spray tan (that looks like Cheeto dust) and wear more make-up than Sephora can keep in stock, all in the name of beauty

Oh and blonde highlights when you clearly don't suit them?? That drives me insane

Okay I'm done. Well for now

Heartless was just delivered... I'll get it tomorrow (doesn't matter why). My anxiety is not doing well rn

Anyway I have to ask:

What is your ideal house? Location, type etc

Have an eccentric day

evening, love

it’s a by product of social media leaking into real life and standards being set higher. Blonde highlights make me go feral if they don’t work 😭 then they just look like streaks??

ooooo exciting

House near the beach, probably somewhere in queensland (not either of the sunshine or Gold Coast please) it’d probably be on stilts cause if it’s location which I like and i like living near the beach so

[diytransport]

Smooth Sailing: A Guide To Car Shipping From California To Hawaii

Are you dreaming of sunny drives along the coast of Hawaii with your beloved car by your side? If so, you're in luck! Shipping a car from California to Hawaii is easier than you think. This guide will show you how to navigate the process smoothly and effortlessly. Say hello to stress-free car shipping! Car Shipping From California To Hawaii

Benefits of Using a Car Shipping Service

When shipping your car from California to Hawaii, opting for a car shipping service can offer numerous benefits. First and foremost, using a professional service saves you the time and hassle of driving your vehicle across states and overseas. Instead of dealing with your car's wear and tear, let the experts handle the transportation logistics.

Furthermore, reputable car shipping companies provide insurance coverage for your vehicle during transit. This added layer of protection ensures peace of mind in case any unexpected incidents occur. You can rest easy knowing that your car is in good hands throughout the process.

Additionally, a car shipping service lets you focus on other aspects of your move or travel plans without worrying about transporting your vehicle separately. It streamlines the relocation process by taking one primary task off your plate so you can concentrate on settling into your new location stress-free.

The Process of Shipping a Car from California to Hawaii

So, you're moving from the sunshine state to the tropical paradise of Hawaii and need to ship your car across the Pacific Ocean. The process might seem daunting at first, but with the right information, it can be smooth sailing.

You must choose a reputable car shipping company that offers services from California to Hawaii. Research different companies read reviews, and compare quotes to find the best fit for your needs.

Once you've selected a company, they will guide you through the paperwork and documentation required to ship your vehicle overseas. This typically includes proof of ownership, insurance information, and details about your car's condition.

Next comes scheduling the pick-up of your vehicle. The car shipping company will arrange for a carrier to transport your vehicle from California to a port in Hawaii, where it will then be loaded onto a cargo ship for transit across the ocean.

During transit, you can track the progress of your vehicle online or through updates provided by the car shipping company. Once your car arrives in Hawaii, it will go through customs clearance before being delivered to its final destination on the island.

Understanding the logistics of car shipping from California to Hawaii

Shipping a car from California to Hawaii involves intricate logistics due to the distance and the need for transportation over water. The process typically starts with preparing your vehicle for shipment, including cleaning it thoroughly and removing personal belongings. Once ready, your car will be loaded onto a carrier vessel across the Pacific Ocean.

Your vehicle will be secured during transit to prevent damage or movement. It's essential to work with a reputable car shipping company that has experience handling shipments between these two states. They will complete all necessary paperwork and assist you throughout the journey.

Upon arrival in Hawaii, your car will go through customs clearance before being released to you or a designated representative. Understanding these logistics can help make the car shipping process smoother and less stressful for you and your vehicle.

The cost of car shipping from California to Hawaii

One critical factor to consider when shipping your car from California to Hawaii is the cost. The price for transporting your vehicle across the Pacific Ocean can vary depending on several factors, such as the size and weight of your car, the shipping method chosen, and any additional services you may opt for.

Typically, the cost of shipping a car from California to Hawaii can range from $1,000 to $1,500 or more. It's essential to request quotes from different auto transport companies and compare their rates to find a service that fits your budget while still providing quality service.

Remember that cheaper is only sometimes better when it comes to car shipping. Research each company thoroughly, check their reviews, and ensure they are reputable and reliable before making a decision based solely on pricing. Investing in a trustworthy auto transport service can save you time, money, and potential headaches.

[arobinwithoutbatman]

What can be said about Gotham City?

It's located off the coast of New Jersey. Like it's neighboring state of New York, it was originally settled by the Norse in the mid seventeenth century and then later the British before The Colonies joined together to gain independence from Britain in the eighteenth century. There are five founding families that are still active today; The Cobblepots, The Arkhams, The Kanes, The Elliots and the Waynes. They had an unofficial sister city, Bludhaven, across the Bay on the mainland US on New Jersey's coast. The reputation for crime was frankly ridiculous. Even with the Wayne family's attempts these last few generations to throw money at as many projects, charities and programs as possible. And that generosity was shared by Bruce Wayne's adopted and unofficially fostered sons. Like many cities in the US, Gotham had several costumed protectors; vigilantes rather than heroes as the police weren't fond of them despite the attempts to work with law enforcement and public opinion was constantly swaying back and forth.

A dreary rainy city, hardly ever any sunshine and with loud dangerous nights and equally unique residents. The rogues notwithstanding, the average civilian had a lot of perspective to give. The rich called Gotham "A jewel in the Bay" whilst anyone who had spent any time on the streets with not even a shop awning for shelter would talk about the shadows felt different at night. Safer. Like a mother's touch. Whoever you asked from whatever walk of life, all shared the sentiment that this city was theirs and despite the regular and ridiculous kinds of awful, they were staying. Everyone knew the signs, everyone knew how to survive; a city of stubborn survivors who bore the rot of their city with a weird sense of pride. Or perhaps it was more like that they didn't try to hide it or disguise it like most of the country.

Whatever the case, people were defensive of their city and in return, the city was protective of them. Unless, of course, you angered her. While shadows protected the homeless and defenceless, cobblestones would trip up traffikers and mobsters. And when day came, She was still around. Perhaps lurking in the shadows of alleyways or hiding in the sewers or underground. Not that the people knew that the old adage of cities having a heart or a soul was very true, at least in their dreary stubborn city's case.